Temple Lifestyle Inc. expands Coconut Product Lines and Announces Strategic Leadership Additions

MONTREAL - June 11, 2018 - PRLog -- Temple Lifestyle is a sustainability driven business that develops, markets and sells leading All-Natural and Organic food products in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry.

Temple Lifestyle sells under the Buddha Brands portfolio, one of Canada's leading coconut-based brands, which includes Thirsty Buddha™ Coconut Water, Hungry Buddha™ Coconut Snacks, and today announced expansions to the Buddha Brand product line-up with the introduction of Coconut Jerky, and a new Healthy Buddha™ product umbrella featuring Coconut Vinegar and Coconut Nectar.

"Buddha Brands is once again taking a leadership role in coconut innovation with these product launches, which will allow for our continued investment in coconut sustainability efforts," says Christopher Magnone, Co-Founder and CEO of Temple Lifestyle. "The popularity of coconut water is hardly a secret, but the trade off has been a lot of wasted coconut, so we are introducing products that will use more of the entire fruit, which meshes well with our corporate social responsibility efforts through 1% For The Planet."

"Coconuts are one of the wonder foods on earth," Magnone adds, "whether you're drinking the juice, eating the meat, or consuming it as vinegar, coconuts are a delicious and nutritious source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and amino acids."

Coconut Product Expansion

Hungry Buddha Coconut Jerky is available in four flavours and puts a vegan twist on a snack staple. This jerky is made from the dehydrated "meat" of young, organic coconuts. Great as a snack on its own, or as a meat replacement in salads, sandwiches or other recipes, it is also raw, naturally gluten-free and free from refined sugars and preservatives. Thanks to its superfood status, the coconut jerky is nutrient-dense and is a source of dietary fibre and medium-chain fatty acids, in support of digestive health and essential for boosting metabolism.

Healthy Buddha Coconut Vinegar has 17 amino acids, which help the body repair tissue and support both detoxification and metabolism. Uses include adding coconut vinegar to salad dressings, marinades, and sauces for extra flavour. As a morning ritual, coconut vinegar can be mixed with a tablespoon of water to ignite the senses and prepare your body for the day to come. Or, it can be added to warm tea and sipped throughout the day to help balance the system and keep digestion alive and well.

Healthy Buddha Coconut Nectar is a healthy vegan substitute for sugar, honey, agave and other sweeteners. With a wide spectrum of 17 amino acids, it has a low Glycemic Index of around 35. Those who have never tried Coconut Nectar before are in for a treat: it's one of the better tasting natural sweeteners available today. The flavor is rich, complex and smooth, with a slight buttery aftertaste.

Preparing for The Next Phase of Organizational Growth

The company also announced recent strategic additions to the leadership team, as they prepare for accelerated expansion into the U.S., as well as drive incremental growth through highly developed Canadian retailer relationships.  As the company ramps up brand expansion and innovation efforts, CEO Magnone announced four new additions to the company's senior leadership team in recent months.

·       Gary Scullion joined in September 2017 as Chief Operating Officer, spearheading the development and implementation of new processes and ways of working, preparing the organization for the next phase of corporate growth and development. Gary brings over 25 years of experience to the role, earned through his years as a Senior Executive at Cadbury North America and PepsiCo Foods.

·       Claudio Spina joined in November 2017 as Vice President, Finance. Claudio is an accomplished financial executive with more than 25 years of experience in private and public companies in the Natural/Organic, manufacturing, distribution and technology sectors. Claudio will lead the Finance efforts for the company, focusing on reporting, investments, mergers and acquisitions and financial processes.

·       Gayle Padvaiskas joined the organization in May 2018 as Vice President, Marketing. She brings over 25 years of Marketing, Branding, and Strategy experience to the organization, earned in both Fortune 500 and entrepreneurial environments. Gayle will focus on the establishment of Marketing as a strategic function and will lead all marketing, branding and cultural development efforts.

·       Yvan Poulin joined the team in May 2018 as Vice President, Operations, bringing over 15 years of extensive experience in the Natural and Organic industries. Yvan will manage all Supply Chain operations including demand planning, manufacturing and strategic co-packer relationships, leveraging his considerable experience in managing supply for expanding and rapidly growing companies.

"With our continued focus on product innovation, speed to market and overall expansion, we agreed that the time was right to strategically add key functional expertise to our leadership team and position our company for continued growth. We have been growing exponentially since 2010 and the time is right to capitalize on our market strengths and build our team for explosive growth over the next several years," said Magnone.

About Temple Lifestyle Inc.

Temple Lifestyle offers Natural, Sustainable, Better for You Snacks & Beverages. The founders of Temple Lifestyle share a vision and passion for leading an active, healthy lifestyle, and encourage others to do the same, one healthy choice at a time. Founded in 2010, Temple Lifestyle has offices in Montreal and Toronto, as well as distribution centres across Canada and the US.

About Buddha Brands Company

Buddha Brands Company by Temple Lifestyle believes that using multiple parts of the coconut is a sustainable approach that can maximize the usefulness of the fruit. We developed "The Coconut Initiative" as a means of connecting coconut lovers through our sustainability efforts.

Through careful sourcing of the finest coconuts from south east Asia, Buddha Brands Company believes that health and balance extend to the planet itself, which is why 1% of annual sales are donated to environmental and sustainable charities through 1% For The Planet.

www.templelifestyle.com

www.buddhabrandscompany.com