From Bottleneck to Breakthrough: How Soupergirl Scaled Up with Sustainable Innovation

Soupergirl, a women-owned manufacturer of plant-based, ready-to-heat soups and other seasonal products, was founded in 2008 by a mother-daughter duo with a mission to revolutionize the broken industrial food system. Today, their soups and gazpachos are sold in hundreds of stores along the East Coast and beyond, including Whole Foods, Costco, Safeway, Shopright, Acme, Kroger, and MOM’s, making their mark in the plant-based food industry. The company experienced significant growth in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. As demand surged, Soupergirl knew they needed to scale their operations to meet the needs of their expanding customer base.

Through the e2m2 Program, Maryland MEP and RMI helped Soupergirl pinpoint inefficiencies in its production process, particularly the cooling of hot prepared food. The company had been using blast chillers, which were effective at low production levels but became inefficient as demand increased. Blast chillers, using air as a cooling medium, consumed large amounts of energy and hindered scalability.

To improve production efficiency and reduce energy costs, Soupergirl replaced its blast chillers with a water bath chiller, a more energy-efficient system. This change allowed the company to cool its entire production capacity in just two hours, compared to the 12 hours required by the blast chillers. The new system reduced annual electricity consumption by 76,278 kWh, resulting in significant cost savings and enhanced scalability. Soupergirl was also able to secure $250,000 in grant funding to support the new energy-efficient systems, underscoring its commitment to sustainability and operational excellence.