Lawrenceville Teacher Launches Organic Nutritional Supplement

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - Jack Schrupp is a faculty member at the Lawrenceville School. And when he is not teaching French, this New Hampshire native spends his time working on producing his own protein formula, Drink Wholesome.

“I was a college athlete. A few years ago, I was looking for a product that wasn't full of additives —ingredients that I didn't recognize, couldn't pronounce or couldn't find in my own kitchen. So, I decided to make my own,” he said.

Schrupp began working on a formula from his own kitchen. He succeeded in creating an organic, wholesome product that worked perfectly for him. When he finally shared it with his teammates, they encouraged him to produce more.

“So, I decided to pursue a project. It wasn't a business at the time, I just wanted to see if I could create a packaged consumer good and share this with athletes that I knew,” said Schrupp.

In the winter of 2019, Schrupp found a small organic granola facility in southern Massachusetts, that supported his idea and offered their services and equipment for his project.

But the product’s launch came at the wrong time. It happened in early spring, just as COVID had gripped the country. “I was hoping to go to the Boston Marathon this year, set up a booth and share the product with the racers. But that quickly became impossible.”

But Schrupp pivoted to a different strategy. He began sharing his product with people who wanted to stay fit.

“I just shared it with people and said, ‘tell your friends’ and word got around and created this little community,” he said.

In August, when Schrupp moved to Lawrenceville to join his new job at the Lawrenceville School, he brought his business along with him.

“My business never had a home, because I ended up launching it during the pandemic. But now I'm happy to bring it here with me,” he said.

With the pandemic hampering the distribution of his product, Schrupp had to rethink his business model.

He created a sample program where he would ship the product anywhere in the United States. Customers were asked to pay a nominal shipping fee. "That allows people to try the products before they commit to purchasing it. And that's been really effective. That's how I've been able to spread the word,” he said.

Schrupp sells Drink Wholesome via an e-commerce platform. “It's very manageable and it’s appropriate for the world we live now, because people are staying home. They're ordering online or shopping online. So, it makes sense,” he said.

Drink Wholesome uses ingredients that can be found in your kitchen, like coconut, peanuts, matcha, coffee, egg whites etc. There are gluten free and soy free options as well. “We use high quality products, that tastes great. I think that's why people come back,” he said.

Although Schrupp has help from friends and family, ultimately, he is a “one-man-show" running his business. “Sometimes I’m up at 2 a.m., working.”

“We have five products right now. But we're excited for sports to come back - like road races, triathlons and bike races, so we can interact with local people, meet them and share our product,” he said.

Schrupp’s organic protein powder can be ordered via drinkwholesome.com. There is also an option to order samples for $5.

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