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Inside Startup Investing with Chris LustrinoAuthor: Kingscrowd, Sam Fiske
Join Chris Lustrino as he talks to startup founders, angel investors, fund managers, investing platform executives, and more about the online private markets. Inside Startup Investing gives listeners the inside scoop on alternative investing such as startups from an investor and founder perspectives. Language: en-us Genres: Business, Investing, Technology Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Kevin Morse, Cairnspring Mills — Building the Craft Flour Category at Scale
Episode 156
Wednesday, 19 November, 2025
Most flour today is milled for shelf life, not flavor or nutrition. Cairnspring Mills set out to flip that script. Co-founder & CEO Kevin Morse explains how the company created a premium craft flour category by contracting regeneratively grown, higher-margin grains directly from farmers and stone-milling to retain flavor and nutrients, winning over top chefs and bakeries nationwide. We cover the growth story ($5.1M → $6.4M → pacing $7.9M), why demand is pulling them to expand capacity, and the plan to build a dramatically larger mill in Pendleton, OR (with the Umatilla Tribe) as part of a future network of regional mills. Kevin breaks down how “regional at scale” works (quality, resilience, and local grain identity), the sales playbook (foodservice-led; DTC and retail ramp), and opportunities in co-branded “Milled by Cairnspring” products. If you care about better bread—and better agricultural economics—this is a blueprint for rebuilding a staple industry.Highlights include…Why industrial roller milling strips flavor & nutrition—and how stone milling restores both Direct farmer contracts, regenerative practices, and paying for milling/baking quality (not just protein) Growth: $5.1M (2023) → $6.4M (2024) → ~$7.9M (2025E) Capacity expansion: Pendleton, OR mill (with Umatilla Tribe) targeting ~110M lbs/yr Long-term vision: distributed network of regional mills (CapEx ≈ $40M per mill + granary) Go-to-market: foodservice first (~80%), plus DTC, retail, and co-brand opportunities Influencer flywheel: chef/baker adoption (e.g., Bianco, Tartine) → organic demand
