Bringing culinary-grade quality to the everyday kitchen became Michael Laniak's mission when he realized how vastly overlooked standard grocery store pepper really is. As Founder of Milly Pepper, Michael is breathing new life into a staple ingredient by pairing single-origin, regeneratively grown peppercorns with thoughtfully engineered, refillable ceramic mills.
Sourced directly from a fourth-generation farm in the Andean foothills of Ecuador, Milly Pepper’s organic black, green, and white varietals are hand-harvested and sealed right at the source. Michael shares how he built a supply chain grounded in agricultural integrity while designing a sleek tool that lets home cooks seamlessly transition from coarse crusts to fine finishings with peak freshness in every grind.
Inside the Episode:
How Michael identified a massive gap in the spice aisle and set out to give single-origin, high-quality pepper the spotlight it deserves.
Michael's transition into entrepreneurship and how his professional background equipped him with the skills to confidently take the leap into the CPG world.
The marketing and brand strategy behind educating consumers, sparking curiosity around single-origin sourcing, and changing how people view a daily pantry staple.
