VISIONS Magazine (September 2025 Edition)
From Shelf-Stable to Soulful
Long Weekend Reimagines Instant Soup for a New Generation 
From SC Americas’ Food & Lifestyle Group’s West Coast Department comes our own branded soups that recently launched in the US market. This Japan-inspired freeze-dried (FD) innovation combined with character-driven storytelling, culinary ease, and emotional branding—all born from a single internal spark.
In a marketplace saturated with “quick fix” foods, Long Weekend is a quietly radical entry: a brand built not around speed for speed’s sake, but on the idea of giving people back their time. Developed by a tight-knit team at Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, Long Weekend currently offers four vibrant soup flavors—Tomato Bisque, Minestrone, Carrot Ginger, and Thai Coconut Curry—all freeze-dried for convenience, but crafted to feel anything but instant and delicious.
The product is already gaining attention on shelves. But its real innovation may lie in how it speaks to modern consumers: with warmth, soul, and a wink of whimsy helping with our brand building
“Our intention was to provide more healthy choices for the US consumer in the soup category and build a brand under SCOA” said Karen Mathews, General Manager of SCOA's Food & Lifestyle Group’s West Coast Department. “The US market is growing, and we have entered a food segment that has had very little innovation. Our FD soups are the first of their kind in the US market hence there is a lot of momentum with the brand.”
A Brand Built from the Bowl Up
The initiative began through SC Group’s 0->1 Challenge, an employee innovation program. While the original pitch won but was not ultimately selected to continue, Mathews saw potential—and made the case for building it out within her division. Having been to Japan numerous times and seeing the selection of healthy food choices in that market, it seemed that the US market could benefit from more healthy, delicious and convenient food choices.
“Karen saw potential in FD soups,” added Sebastian Margaglio, Senior Manager of Marketing. "She pitched a broader vision around building a sustainable and scalable business and chose freeze-dried soup as the right fit for the U.S. market. From there, she built a small, experienced team to bring it to life.”
The Long Weekend booth at a recent food expo. Left to right: Sebastian Margaglio, Senior Manager of Brand & Marketing; Courtney Baldauf, Senior Manager, New Product Development & E-commerce; Derek Nero, Director of Business Development Management; Karen Mathews, General Manager of SCOA's Food & Lifestyle Group’s West Coast Department.
The product development process was rigorous—backed by consumer insights, iterative testing, and cross-functional collaboration. What resulted was a brand that resonates with Gen Z and Millennial consumers not just for its health profile, but for its emotional value.
“We spent a lot of time listening to what our audience actually wants from food. It wasn’t just flavor or nutrition. It was moments of ease and emotional reset,” said Margaglio. “That insight guided everything. From our clean, comforting recipes to our packaging and how we speak to the brand. The visual identity mixes nostalgic warmth with a scroll-friendly look, and our voice stays casual, honest, and self-aware.”
Storytelling That Sticks
“The characters help us build a world around the product. They’re not just decoration,” said Margaglio. “They reflect everyday comfort moments that people can relate to. That gives us a deeper way to connect with our audience and makes the brand more memorable. It also opens up creative opportunities across content, merchandise, social media, and future products.”
Early Momentum, Real Validation
“Wegmans is a Best-In-Class retailer in the industry. They are often used as ‘the standard’ by other retailers who aspire to execute like they do,” said Derek Nero, Director of Business Development Management. “It’s not the easiest retailer to sell into. They designate a lot of shelf space for their private label brands and must be selective as a result. It’s an awesome sign and indicator we picked them up so early.”
“Interestingly enough, I worked at Wegmans growing up. It was one of my first ‘real’ jobs,” Nero added. “So, it means a lot more to me that we were able to build something from scratch and get it into Wegmans first.”
“Our main focus is on velocity, repeat purchase, and how we perform without discounts or heavy promotion,” said Margaglio. “We’re already seeing strong movement on a couple flavors, especially Tomato Bisque and Thai Coconut Curry. People are surprised by the quality and how easy it is.”
Science in the Background, Soul in the Foreground
“The soup is cooked as a soup and then freeze dried," explained Mathews, "which is very different from dehydrated soups which are dried ingredients blended into a pouch. Our soups are delicious and rehydrate quickly into a gourmet soup experience. Freeze dried technology retains approximately 96% of the enzymes upon hydration. This is real food with no preservatives and a clean ingredient list.”
“The freeze-dried process is a key part of what makes Long Weekend possible, but it’s not the story we lead with,” said Margaglio. “We talk about it in simple terms: just add hot water and you’ve got real soup. Most people don’t need the science. They care that it tastes good, makes them feel good, and fits into their day without any hassle.”
Looking Ahead
Long Weekend is more than a cup of soup. It’s a brand born of curiosity, creativity, and corporate support for employee-led innovation.
“We have a platform to sell into the US market, a new FD soup brand, and a drive to build our sales and see what opportunities we can bring to SCOA,” Mathews said. “We are looking forward to contributing again into a Visions Article next year to share our wins and updates! There is a lot of opportunity at universities, food service, and retailers that we are presently going after.”
Although our teams are all about hustle, we want our customers to relax when they think of Long Weekend. After all, as the brand’s tagline reminds us: We make it easy to take it easy.
