For founder Ethan West, Piko Provisions represents far more than just a baby food brand; it embodies a connection to the land of Hawaii, local farmers, and young families, alongside a vision for a food system that is more transparent and resilient.
As Piko expanded its product line, packaging emerged as a crucial element of its growth. The packaging needed to suit the practical realities of baby food usage while clearly conveying the brand’s philosophy and allowing flexibility for new flavors and future expansion.
This marked the beginning of the partnership between Piko and TedPack.
A Baby Food Brand Rooted in Hawaii
The concept for Piko Provisions took shape in the autumn of 2019.
After reading a report on baby food safety, Ethan West began to consider a question: Could baby food be made using local ingredients with more transparent origins, while simultaneously creating positive value for children, farmers, and the local community?
Ethan grew up on a small dairy farm in central Maine. His early exposure to agriculture, nature, and community life shaped his later perspective on food origins, local farming, and our relationship with the land.
After moving to Hawaii, Ethan’s reflections on agriculture, land, and community laid the foundation for the Piko Provisions brand. Rooted in the Hawaiian concept of *mālama ʻāina*—respecting, caring for, and protecting the land—the brand focuses on local sourcing, minimal processing, and transparent storytelling regarding product origins. Piko provides families with healthy, convenient baby food while supporting local farmers and fostering a more resilient food system.
Piko was officially established in February 2020 and launched its first three baby food products that December, initially reaching consumers through a single retail outlet and direct-to-consumer channels. By 2026, Piko had expanded to over 240 retail locations across Hawaii and was beginning to attract attention in markets across the U.S. mainland.This growth is the result of the collective efforts of the Piko team, local farmers, and community partners. As the product range and market presence expanded, the role of the packaging also began to evolve.
No longer merely a vessel for the initial product launch, the packaging needed to help Piko maintain a consistent brand identity, manage various SKUs, and adapt to the brand’s future growth.
Packaging for Piko’s Next Stage
For startup brands, packaging decisions often require balancing two considerations: immediate needs and the potential direction of future growth.
If the focus is solely on the initial product launch, the original packaging solution may quickly become unsuitable as the SKU count grows or the business evolves; conversely, committing to excessive packaging investment at an early stage could place unnecessary financial strain on the brand.
As its product range and sales network expanded, Piko began to re-evaluate the role of packaging in its brand development. It was during the planning of packaging better suited for infant and toddler foods—as well as future product lines—that Piko connected with TedPack.
After gaining an understanding of Piko’s product features, usage scenarios, brand positioning, and stage of development, TedPack focused the project on several interconnected objectives:
• Selecting a packaging format suitable for the baby and toddler food context;
• Enabling clear differentiation between various product flavors;
• Maintaining brand consistency across the entire product line;
• Balancing the practical needs for flexibility and cost-efficiency inherent to a growing brand;
• Allowing room for adjustments to accommodate future product and business changes.
Following discussions, we ultimately selected Spout Pouch as the primary packaging format for the infant and toddler food products. This lightweight, portable, and convenient packaging aligns with the daily lifestyles of young families while offering ample visual space for Piko to showcase local ingredients, product flavors, and its brand story.
“TedPack’s role in this collaboration goes beyond simply determining the bag type.”
For a growing brand like Piko, the key is to align packaging with its specific product requirements and business stage. Consequently, TedPack bases its approach on Piko’s actual needs, striking a balance between packaging presentation, SKU flexibility, and future scalability; the packaging must not only suit Piko’s current product lineup but also lay the groundwork for potential future expansions in flavors, sales channels, and product directions.
Growing Together
A brand does not stand still after its initial product launch, and packaging should not be a task treated as “finished” once completed.
As Piko’s product portfolio, visual identity, and operational needs evolved, the partnership between the two parties naturally extended beyond the initial packaging project.
When addressing new products and usage scenarios, TedPack consistently collaborates with Piko to define the packaging’s required functions: ensuring it meets practical usage needs, maintains visual consistency across the product line, and offers the flexibility to support future growth.
For Piko, packaging does more than just protect and showcase baby food; it embodies a deeper brand narrative—covering the origins of the ingredients, the commitment to supporting local agriculture, and the vision for the food choices offered to families and the next generation.
While a spouted pouch has limited surface area, it serves as a vital entry point for consumers to discover Piko. Through clear product design, distinct flavor differentiation, and a cohesive brand voice, the packaging conveys Piko’s philosophy regarding food, the land, farmers, and families.
Piko’s story continues to unfold, poised to reach more families and expand into broader markets. Regardless of how the next phase evolves, the foundation established through this partnership remains clear: Tedpack is dedicated to serving the product and growing alongside the brand.