Founded in 2019, Pantry Food Co. specializes in cannabis-infused edibles crafted by award-winning chefs using only premium ingredients. Recently, the company moved in the direction of healthy pantry items for use in the kitchen.
But don’t take our word for it—Pantry Food Co. enlists and relies on the experts to ensure all products live up to consumers’ expectations.
With an emphasis in the culinary arts and health, the brand was created after CEO Scott Jennings noticed the lack of cannabis products that were both healthy and functional—but products that also tasted good. “We started focusing on culinary arts and cannabis,” Jennings tells High Times. “However, we evolved to really pairing cannabis with nutritional and functional ingredients to provide consumers with better-for-you, next generation products.”
Products include the sleep-inducing Nite Bites, with a 1:1 ratio of cannabinol (CBN) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as valerian root, L-theanine, passionflower, 5mg CBN, 5mg THC and 1.5mg melatonin. In contrast, the Good Day Bites contain a 1:1 THC:CBD blend, Lion’s mane mushroom, turmeric, ginger, Ashwagandha, 5mg THC and 5mg CBD. Also, a Keto-friendly version containing cacao, as well as other adaptogens and ingredients.
You’ll also find real fruit jellies including Passionfruit Guava Jellies, Strawberry Lime Jellies and White Peach Jellies, all loaded with 100mg THC, and divided up into 5mg pieces, making titration and microdosing easier.
The all-too-common problem with edibles is that, sometimes, people scarf an entire edible down, unable—or unwilling—to wait for them to kick in. Pantry Food Co. produces bite-size edibles in small doses such as 5mg, allowing consumers to easily attain their desired effects. “All of our endocannabinoid systems are different,” Jennings explains. “Every human body is different. So microdosing, you’re really allowing consumers to define the level of what works for them.”
But there’s a bit more to the company than just jellies and gummy bites.
Pantry Food Co. brought Chef Michael Magliano aboard—with a formidable culinary background working alongside some of the world’s best Michelin-starred chefs—such as Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, and Michael Tusk. Chef Magliano is known for creating high-quality, luxurious small bites, pantry essentials, and culinary events influenced by fine dining experiences and healthy food culture. Pantry Food Co. also taps into the skills of Los Angeles-based Chef Matthew Stockard, with a background in Japanese sushi restaurants, Teppanyaki restaurants, and Italian cuisine.
Pantry Food Co. sells two versions of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)—both designed by culinary masters, including Chef Magliano. Drizzle it on your next salad, or steam up some stir-fry—THC and/or CBD included.
“His version is a balanced 1:1,” Jennings says. “If you listen to anecdotal evidence from consumers from Florida to California and Oregon, you start to hear consumers speak about how CBD and THC is a preferred dose that they like to have. Obviously, there are plenty of people who just want THC. He’s more of a health and wellness individual.
“And so, when we talk about putting olive oil in products, it’s very beneficial to have the CBD (component) because he uses it in healthy salads and meals versus our other olive oil [designed by Chef Stockard], which is just THC. It’s for a different type of consumer that’s not necessarily aligned with a healthy meal. Magliano’s olive oil is focused on a 1:1 balance to get the benefits of CBD for a wellness effect in your meal.”
Pantry Food Co. also hosts cannabis-infused private dining experiences by the company’s event arm, Pantry Experiences. Why settle for a common caterer when Pantry’s on-site chefs create “masterfully crafted, lightly-infused dishes, tailor-made for your event.”
Cannabis as a Superfood
The global superfoods market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1 percent during the forecast period that began in 2016, running through 2026. That’s part of the reason Pantry Food Co. is moving in that direction.
As many know, foods like ginger or garlic possess healing properties that can be used like medicine, called true superfoods.
“I would say cannabis is the ultimate superfood,” Jennings quips. “I think we’re just starting to learn more about that. Pairing a superfood with other superfoods and adaptogens and functional ingredients really helps your body to get the full effect. If you have chemicals in your body, your body is not very welcoming to them. It doesn’t want to absorb processed ingredients or artificial ingredients. So, when you pair cannabis with whole foods and nutritious, functional ingredients, your pores will open up and absorb more cannabinoids and nutrients.”
The company leverages precise microdoses of various cannabinoids and other functional and nutritious ingredients, all under the watchful eye of Pantry Food Co. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Kimless and a team of nutritionists.
“She definitely helps define the role of cannabinoids; she’s a very knowledgeable source from the medical space,” Jennings explains. “That’s because when we’re developing products, we don’t think we know it all; there’s no ego here. Even Dr. Deb—who has been studying it in Israel and Holland for 10 years—she doesn’t think she knows it all. But to have her as a sounding board, and Chef Mag, a trained culinary cannabis chef, that brings all of the intelligence to a central place while we develop products. It gives us an edge in creating the best products for consumers.”
Pantry Food Co. has been expanding the list of cannabinoids in use, such as CBN in the Nite Bites—providing a great boost during those nights when you can’t stop tossing and turning. “We’re always looking at cutting-edge research,” Jennings says, admitting that the market is saturated with products that fall under that category.
“That’s what Dr. Deb brings to the table. She’s researching all these different cannabinoids to find out what they do for the body. CBN was an interesting one: The research isn’t conclusive. While research isn’t there, she’s talking to patients who say that CBN works. We’re looking forward to that with other cannabinoids.”
Jennings mentions that he’s not jumping aboard the terp train at full speed—not yet anyways.
“In contrast, a lot of people leaned into terpenes,” Jennings says. “But the truth is, when we talked to Dr. Deb, when you look at the science—there’s no evidence that eating an orange makes you happy. So there’s no evidence that increasing the terps will drive a different effect. It’s not like we’re just rushing to the next thing.”
Jennings explained that health is a personal decision that we all make—something that he decided to take advantage of.
“I owned a bar in New York City. I worked on Wall Street,” Jennings says. “I treated my body like absolute shit. There’s a saying: Know better, do better. As I began to know more, I wanted to do better. After leaving Wall Street and leaving the bar, I started a healthier, better-for-you brand in cannabis.”
Pantry Food Co.’s deliveries are available in Colorado and California.
Read this story originally published in High Times October 2021 Issue in our archive.
Absolute best brand. So very good! Highly recommend.