Natural Products News shines a spotlight on a handful of the latest launches, campaigns, award wins and more from natural and organic brands and businesses
Violife has been announced as the new sponsor of 131-year-old Cheddar AFC in a bid to show the nation just how easy it is to go plant-based. Players are already sporting a cheesy strip, featuring a world-first grated design and an upgraded plant-based version of the Club’s historic crest. The players will be encouraged to embrace more of a plant-based lifestyle as part of the partnership, with ex-Lioness and vegan Karen Carney (pictured) working with the club to share the benefits she experienced from switching to a plant-based diet. Carney comments: “I turned vegan in 2018 and noticed the positive change immediately both in my health and performance on the football pitch when playing for both club and country. The perception of the plant-based diet is that you will miss out on certain foods, but thankfully Violife means I never miss out on my cheesy favourites like pizza and cheese on toast.”
Rude Health has created a new Bircher Muesli – Apple & Cinnamon flavour – which is rolling out nationwide with Waitrose and via wholesalers. Building on the success of its Soft & Fruity Bircher Muesli, Rude Health developed the new variant using the same base of finely milled oats that go soft in seconds, before adding apple and cinnamon for a touch of spice. Founder, Camilla Barnard, says: “We know more and more people are choosing to have breakfast-at-home in a bid to save money on their café croissant, however we also know that people are short on time in the morning and so want a quick and delicious option. To meet this growing consumer need, it made perfect sense to build on the success we’ve seen with our original Soft & Fruity Bircher Muesli. We hope that by adding this new softly spiced and classic flavour combination, we will help widen the appeal of our Bircher range.”
Following a witty advertising campaign which took a light-hearted approach to the brand’s recent legal challenges, CRAVE has secured listings in selected Sainsbury’s stores for its free-from, vegan Pickled Onion Noughties and Hot & Spicy Hot Dawgs snacks. The campaign featured an e-van which journeyed to the headquarters of various major retailers, including Sainsbury’s, where it said: “Dear Sainsbury’s, we got sued, please stock us so we can pay our legal fees. Thanks, Love Crave x”. Founder Rob Brice comments: “We are overjoyed to have Sainsbury’s on board in our quest to banish blandness! For those with allergies or a preference for a vegan diet, the days of searching for tasteless snacks are over.” Reaffirming the brand’s approach, Brice adds: “We’ve always been about giving people the snacks they CRAVE, no compromises. Our audience knows what they want, and we’re here to provide just that.”
Seggiano has launched its Organic Ancient Grain Wholewheat Pasta range in the UK. Produced alongside sustainable Italian pasta specialist, A Barbagallo Di Mauro, the range includes Lumaconi, Busiate and Orzo varieties. Made using a 10,000-year-old ancient grain durum wheat variety from Sicily, the glycaemic index of Seggiano’s latest range is significantly lower than those made from regular wheat, which helps to control blood glucose levels and supports easy digestion. Free of emulsifiers, binding agents, preservatives and pesticides, the new pasta is as nutritious as it is sustainable, with its ancient grains having been produced using traditional, slow production methods that preserve biodiversity, soil fertility and environmental impact. “Sustainability, traceability and provenance are three key ingredients for us as a brand, and we are proud to launch a product that embodies these values in every sense, offering so much more to consumers than everyday supermarket pasta varieties,” says Seggiano co-founder David Harrison.
Entries are open now for the Beauty Shortlist Awards 13th year and five new judges will be testing product entries this season: Julia Bradbury – nature lover, TV presenter and wellness and outdoor walking advocate; Tahira Herold – celebrity make-up artist (Sandra Oh, Olivia Coleman); Katey Denno – leading US-based celebrity make-up artist (Susan Sarandon, Christy Turlington, Amanda Seyfried, Felicity Jones) and sustainable brand expert; Lizzie King – nutritional health coach, bestselling author and founder of the award-winning children’s wellness brand Lizzie Loves Healthy; and Amy Hughes – beauty writer, make-up artist and experienced beauty judge. For this year’s new categories please see the Entry Form https://bit.ly/3Cm3Jj6. Entries are open now (closing 30 September) and the winners will be announced on Awards Day Thursday 7 March 2024.
