Meet Erica Humphrey of Neck Nosh, LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Humphrey.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Neck Nosh began at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, where I noticed something simple: everyone wanted pretzel necklaces for beer tasting, but no one was selling them. They’re fun, functional, and genuinely useful — but hard to get. I saw an opportunity to make them accessible, consistent, and ready-made for anyone who wanted to enjoy the full craft beer experience without the hassle.

What started as a practical solution quickly grew into a small business. As it evolved, I knew I wanted it to have a deeper purpose. Partnering with Saint John’s Program for Real Change gave Neck Nosh that meaning. Hiring their clients as production assistants allows us to create work that supports women rebuilding their lives, turning a simple product into something that truly matters.

Today, Neck Nosh is still rooted in that original Denver spark — making something fun and functional available to everyone — while also creating real impact behind the scenes.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of my early challenges was starting as a cottage-food business while trying to scale quickly. I was taking on orders of 1,000 necklaces while transitioning into a fully licensed packaged-food operation. During that period of rapid growth, my husband, Sterling, helped me design and source tools that streamlined production so we could keep up with demand.

Coming from a teaching background, the food-business world was brand-new to me — regulations, labeling, sourcing, and bookkeeping. To get up to speed, I enrolled in an incubator program through Alchemist Kitchen in Sacramento. My mentor, Jacob, guided me toward community resources, trainings, and helped keep me organized with my books and operational tasks.

Our partnership with Saint John’s Program for Real Change is incredibly meaningful, but it also brings unique challenges. Because the women we employ are in transition, turnover is naturally frequent. The ongoing cycle of training and off-boarding can be demanding, so I’ve built a production process that’s simple, structured, and easy to teach to support that model.

These challenges have shaped me as a business owner and strengthened the mission-driven foundation of Neck Nosh.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Neck Nosh, LLC?
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Neck Nosh is the go-to pretzel necklace for beer festivals across the country — many of them using our product as their VIP upgrade because it’s fun, functional, and part of the tasting culture. We’re also trusted by major brands like Toyota, Sam Adams, and a growing list of repeat brewery and event partners.

We’re proud to be the only fully licensed, large-scale packaged pretzel-necklace company in the U.S., delivering consistent quality that organizers and brands can rely on.

But what matters most is our impact: we’re a social-purpose business, employing women breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness through Saint John’s Program for Real Change. Every order directly creates meaningful work hours.

And for events looking to stand out, we offer custom label branding with your logo — an easy, low-cost way to elevate your swag and create something people will actually wear (and remember).

Neck Nosh is where fun, function, and purpose come together in one simple, unforgettable product!

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I love most about Denver is its craft beer culture — a mix of longtime mainstays and cutting-edge breweries all thriving in the same community. Denver makes beer fun, creative, and approachable, which is exactly what Neck Nosh is all about. It’s the perfect place for an idea like ours to spark.

What I like least? Honestly, only that I don’t live closer…because the energy of the beer scene is something I always want to be around.

Pricing:

• 2.99 each (multi-pack/bulk only) Regular PILs packaged pretzel necklace
• 5.49 each each (multi-pack/bulk only) Essential packaged pretzel necklace

Contact Info:

• Website: https://NeckNosh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/necknosh
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/necknosh
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-humphrey-0909b3187