Green with Envee

Grace Maclean, ’25, second from right, was one-fourth of Envee, the team that won Bench Top Innovations’ fourth annual Great Bake Off in November. Each year, students in the UR course compete to develop a food-related product to bring to market and then join back together to launch it.

What was your reaction when you learned about the focus on salad dressing this year?
I was super excited. I love salads, so I thought it was great.

Can you describe Envee’s product development process?
We started with ideas like an Old Bay ranch dressing and then tried green goddess, but none of them tasted good. Then one day I was experimenting in my kitchen and combined pesto and Caesar dressing. It tasted great.

What role did consumer research play in your product development?
We spent time in grocery stores asking shoppers why they chose certain salad dressings. It was a bit awkward to approach random people, but it gave us valuable insights. Many mentioned factors like allergies, low sugar, or low calorie options. We also tasted lots of dressings to understand where there might be gaps we could fill.

How did you approach the branding and marketing aspects?
I took on a lot of the branding responsibilities, working closely with the VCU Brand Center. I knew I wanted a green and white color scheme and had a specific target customer in mind. The brand center came up with our product name and the slogan “We like how you dress,” which we love. We play up the “green with envy” angle.

What about your product stood out from the competition at the Great Bake Off?
Branding and taste. The green packaging and catchy slogan looked different from other teams’ brown vinaigrettes. We also combined two flavors people already love rather than creating something totally new.

What was the most valuable learning experience from this project?
Getting hands-on experience with the entire product development process. We learned about everything from market research to branding to pitching to potential buyers. The compressed timeline also taught us to work efficiently under pressure.

What are you looking forward to next semester as you move into production and sales?
I’m really excited to start selling the product locally. We’ll pitch to Richmond grocery stores and set up at farmers markets. I’m also looking forward to potentially selling online and seeing where our product gets shipped. And of course, the possibility of pitching to major retailers is thrilling.

What do you want others to know about this opportunity?
That this isn’t just for business majors. As a communications major, I was able to contribute a lot, especially on the branding and marketing side. The hands-on experience is valuable for any student interested in product development or entrepreneurship.