Cheribundi is a private company which sells a brand of cherry juice beverages. The company was founded in 2004 by John Davey under the name CherryPharm, and later rebranded to Cheribundi in 2012.
History
Cheribundi was initially founded in 2004 by John Davey. After quitting his job as a Wall Street banker in 2006, Davey worked with Cornell food scientist Olga Padilla-Zakour, who directs the Food Venture Center at Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, to develop an all-natural tart cherry juice. The resulting product was named CherryPharm, as the drink retained what are believed to be pain-prevention and muscle-damage recovery properties of sour cherries. CherryPharm rebranded as Cheribundi in 2012.
Growth
Steve Pear, the current CEO, joined the company in 2014 from Odwalla, which is a part of the Coca-Cola company. Pear was preceded by Brian Ross, who served as CEO from 2009-2013. In 2016, the company invested more than $4 million to relocate its facilities to the former Tops Friendly Markets on New York State Routes 5 and 20, directly creating 35 new jobs as part of the "Finger Lakes Forward" initiative. In March 2018, the company raised 5.79 million dollars through private investors. The company previously made their products at the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park, where it resided from 2006 to 2017. Cheribundi has grown from one office space at the park to four offices, a lab, production space and a 100,000-square-foot distribution center.
Products
The company's main product line is tart cherry juice, with the original version containing 200 cherries per 32 fluid ounces, and 160 cherries in the "light" version. Cheribundi's 100% Tart version contains one ingredient, is not from concentrate, and has no added sugars. Juice is distributed in 8, 12, 24 and 32-ounce bottles. Cheribundi is distributed at stores across the United States, including retailers such as Wegmans Foods Markets Inc., Costco Wholesale Corp., Safeway Inc. and Whole Foods. In addition to online sales, the company sells to roughly 220 professional and collegiate sports teams, including the New York Giants, New York Knicks, New York Mets and New York Rangers.
The fruit
The positive effects of tart cherry juice in Cheribundi are thought to be the result of phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants, such as anthocyanins, melatonin and quercetin. These compounds occur naturally and are in high proportion in deeply colored fruits, such as tart cherries.
Research
Cheribundi products have been the subject of much research, with studies conducted by third parties that include the British Journal of Sports Medicine and the Journal of Nutrition. Research has also been conducted at various research institutions, including Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, the VA Medical Center, and the University of Pennsylvania. The company has promoted these studies as indicating that consumers of their beverages will receive a wide range of health benefits against muscle fatigue and joint inflammation. Consuming Montmorency cherries, used to make Cheribundi, also improves gut health by stimulating the growth of good bacteria.
Corporate Sponsorships
Cheribundi is the title sponsor of the Boca Raton Bowl, a NCAA College Football bowl game. Cheribundi will serve as the title sponsor through the 2019 season. The company also partners with the team nutritionists of over 220 sports teams, while also sponsoring professional athletes such as Aly Raisman, the McCourty Twins, Devin McCourty and Jason McCourty,, Team Crossfit Mayhem and Mayhem Teams, and Trey Wingo, host of ESPN Golic and Wingo, NFL PrimeTime, and SportsCenter specials on ESPN. Cheribundi is also the official juice partner of the Arthritis Foundation's "Let’s Get a Grip on Arthritis" and is the premier sponsor of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association.
