Natural Brands - Spring 2024

The world according to

CHRIS PACKHAM

From climate emergency and loss of biodiversity to political U-turns and misguided billionaires, p13

There’s an air of possibility at Natural Brands Magazine HQ this month, and it’s not just the spring sunshine putting a pep in our step; we’re embracing a fresh start, a chance to offer something different to the industry we love. As an editor, it’s not often that you’re afforded the opportunity to be part of something as special as a magazine launch – it’s both hugely exciting and mildly terrifying.

Let’s be real: launches are complex, time consuming and exhausting. But making the nerves and pressure worth it at every step of this crazy journey were a handful of highly esteemed industry personalities who have been enthusiastic cheerleaders and generous contributors;

I’d like to thank Phil Haughton, Renée Elliott, Al Overton and Joe Jackson for the time and effort they’ve poured into this first issue. And how could I forget our cover star, Chris Packham – a fascinating man I had the pleasure of meeting for our first in-depth interview.

Behind the pages of this brand-new publication you’ll find a compact team of committed individuals, each with a genuine passion for natural and organic products and a steely determination to support indie health stores. We’re small but we like to think we’re mighty – and we have bold plans. As we grow, we hope you’ll come along for the ride.

INDIE RETAIL

Following a 12th year of successive growth for UK organic, leading to a value of £3.2 billion, the Soil Association has unveiled its annual Organic Market Report 2024

GIVING an overview of the Soil Association’s (SA’s) Organic Market Report 2024, Alex Cullen, commercial and marketing director, Soil Association Certification, points to the ‘bounce back’ of independent retailers and supermarkets as a key driver in organic’s 2023 success story.

Over the past year, the report shows, momentum continued in organic textiles, while foodservice held its market value. Beauty and wellbeing (down 8%) and home delivery ‘took a hit’ due to cost-of-living pressures, but the SA maintains that ‘both show potential for 2024’ with ‘a strong level of confidence’ from businesses in each category.

Confidence is also climbing among consumers, according to the IGD Shopper Confidence Index which shows an incline of 13 percentage points over the past 12 months. But while shopper spend is up by a third, organic farmland isn’t keeping pace with the growth in demand for organic products.

“Something’s got to give in this equation,” comments Cullen, who says we need to ‘find a way to break down the price premium that shows up for organic, that is holding us back from scaling the market and transforming our agricultural land’.

Although supermarkets represent 62% of the organic sector, Cullen emphasizes the importance of indie retail which has enjoyed a ‘strong year’ (up 10%). “The channel is now worth … £475 million. Two-thirds of respondents to our survey are seeing growth and anticipating growth for next year. It really has bounced back.”

Industry News Organic Market Report highlights indie ‘bounce back’

Illustrating ‘the beauty of independents’ – speed, agility and the ability to ‘connect locally with a customer base’ – Cullen highlights a social media post by Unicorn Grocery, which benchmarks organic lines against retailers in non-organic to show how competitively priced they are. “They’ve seen a really strong uptick – particularly in a younger [and] returning customer – off the back of this. This has acted as a real halo, a siren for them to bring in footfall and drive wider sales across their store base.”

“While shopper spend is up by a third, organic farmland isn’t keeping pace with the growth”

Paving the way for better business

‘THIS way forward’ was the theme of B Corp Month 2024, as over 8,000 certified businesses globally demonstrated how they ‘pave the way for better business’.

Juliette Caulkins, executive director, B Lab Europe, says the focus was to ‘shine a spotlight on … innovative companies that are leading the way across the world, having a positive impact on people, communities and the planet’. “It is becoming increasingly apparent, and we are hearing from our community, that consumers, investors and workers no longer settle for business as usual. In our recent study surveying 11,000 respondents in Europe, a striking 90% agree that directors of companies should be accountable for their social and environmental performance, and 87% believe that it should be mandatory for businesses to consider the interest of all stakeholders, including people and the planet.”

Global celebrations included pop-up events, brand collaborations and limited edition launches. In the UK, B Corps were asked to share their impact in the form of art, leaving the certifier ‘blown away’ by a window mural created for baby food brand Organix, symbolizing its ‘deep-rooted commitment to B Corp values’, and in retail, the campaign saw the Waitrose B Corp display back for a third year. In France, B Corp Breakfast and Greenwashing Comedy Club events were held; Slovenia hosted its first B Corp Summit; and in Dublin, Irish citizens and businesses were invited to Meet the B Corps in a series of panel talks.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

UK 30% behind US in women-led business

INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day 2024 was marked at Whole Foods Market with a Buy Women Built window takeover in an exclusive five-week collaboration intended to highlight the many female-founded brands stocked within, ignite a new conscious shopping movement and inspire the next generation.

All seven UK Whole Foods Market locations took part, with windows featuring pictures of the women behind the brands, and ‘female founder’ signage, shelf stickers and samples drawing shoppers’ attention to more than 40 brands inside – from Optibac, Cheeky Panda, Pip & Nut, Here We Flo and Unbeelievable Health to Boundless, Biotiful Gut Health, Beauty Kitchen, Bare Biology and Natracare.

Launched in 2022 as a ‘consumer call to arms’, the #StrongerTogether campaign was a ‘simple yet powerful and actionable’ message which cofounder Sahar Hashemi OBE viewed as ‘something we could all play our part in’. Her ‘why’ was simple: “In the UK we simply don’t have enough women starting businesses; we are 30% behind the USA, Canada and Netherlands. That means we are missing out on an extra £250 billion contribution female businesses can make to our economy.”

Two participating female founders shared their support for the partnership on LinkedIn. “When you buy women-built, you … help the next generation dream bigger, and the bigger girls’ dreams, the stronger and fairer our economy will be,” commented Maxine Laceby, founder, Absolute Collagen. “In a world where most people can only name male entrepreneurs, this was a huge leap forwards,” added Amy Moring, co-founder and CEO, Hunter & Gather Foods.

Industry News

APOTHECARY 27

Joe Jackson, founder of Apothecary 27, tells Rosie Greenaway how he created a tranquil hub of health and wellness for the Haslemere community, and shares his secret to successful retailing

When Joe Jackson moved from employee to owner of a Haslemere health food shop in 2017, he realized that both his age and lucky number were mirrored in the store’s postcode, GU27 – and so it was that Apothecary 27 was born.

Despite 30-plus years in business, the store ‘wasn’t performing well’ before Jackson’s acquisition, but the rebrand propelled it to new heights, transforming a shop previously seen by locals as ‘too expensive’ into the beloved wellness destination it is today.

With ‘aspirational yet achievable’ as part of his mission statement, Jackson set about lowering prices to increase accessibility for his built-in customer base.

Over the years that followed he grew his community by positioning Apothecary 27 as a ‘little hub of health and wellness, where people feel comfortable coming in and opening up about their health concerns’. His aim remains to deliver a truly personal service and be a ‘voice that people can trust’. Approximately 70% of

“This year has started off above expectation, so I’m hoping in 2024 we’re all going to turn a corner”

his loyal customers are welcomed by first name when entering the calm, peaceful space – that’s how deeply committed Jackson’s staff are to offering meaningful connection and a personal touch. “I think that’s what people like most about us.”

If you ask Jackson to describe Apothecary 27, he’ll say it’s ‘clean, serene and safe’. Clutter has no place here

– in fact, keeping order is an important pillar of his philosophy, in business and in life, and it shows aesthetically in the branding and fresh interior design. “I’m not a big fan of chaos. When the area around me is chaotic I can’t think straight.”

Another approach which pays off is his belief in ‘selling with integrity’. “I know a lot of stores – not necessarily health stores – will charge people higher prices … or try and get the sale regardless of whether the customer needs it, whereas I like to build that relationship so we don’t feel like we’re pushing things on them.”

COVID might have impacted retail but Jackson and his team held strong, and although the current site doesn’t allow for expansion, thoughts of a second store – or perhaps a wellness space for events, therapies and a healthy café – continue to percolate.

Located away from Haslemere High Street, Apothecary 27 operates in an affluent area and, while footfall fluctuates, Jackson has observed average spend increase, helping to balance rising business bills. “This year has started off above expectation, so I’m hoping in 2024 we’re all going to turn a corner.”

Al Overton Partner, Wonderland Ventures

BRANDS VS RETAILERS

This statement has not made it onto Strictly Come Dancing yet, but it takes three to tango. When the music is right and everyone’s in the mood, it’s possible for brands, retailers and customers to create memorable shopping dynamics that are win-win-win all round. Mostly though, brands and stores can’t help but tread on each other’s feet.

The truth is there’s often tension, a lack of understanding on both sides. From a store owner’s perspective, my customers come into my shop for the products and great service I offer – I stock lots of brands according to what sells, but my customers mostly want top service and value. To a brand, retailers can be unpredictable, hard-to-manage gatekeepers, but my customers are in their shops, I am spending all this money on advertising; I need people to find my brand. Also, my products are much better than anyone else’s; and they are idiots if they can’t see that.

Partially this disagreement comes down to arguing over whose customer it is in the first place. For retail product brands, your customer is not the wholesaler who buys cases, or the stockist that displays it, but the individual that eats, drinks or rubs it in. Depending on your retail model, it’s almost impossible to have a direct relationship with them, so you try to talk at them through marketing and try to balance the ever-expanding dynamic between accessibility and awareness. Do people know of my brand? Can they find my brand? How can I maximize awareness in those customers who have greatest

access to my brand? The typical model for brands has a marketing function that increases awareness and a sales function that increases accessibility –by dealing with those pesky retailers.

However, what better place to promote brand awareness than at the point of brand accessibility? Rather than sending marketing messages into the ether, wouldn’t it be better

“What can you give retailers that they will value, that can help build a long-term relationship?”

to work collaboratively with retailers? The successful launch of the Zoe Gut Shot in Marks & Spencer shows how collaboration can short-cut the awareness/accessibility challenge, and how brands and retailers can join forces to talk directly to their combined customers.

Not all collaborations are of this scale, but for brands the question is how can the marketing function be aligned with the sales function so that you can talk through the retailer to the customer in

their shop? What can you give retailers that they will value, that can build a longterm relationship and maintained shelf presence? How can you work with them to build in-store brand exposure and a mutually beneficial relationship? How can you tell your story in their store?

What’s in it for the retailers? Well, a brand is a story and a shop is a big book of stories that inspire, entertain, challenge or comfort. In a great store, each product has its own story to tell, its own reason for being there, a reason that should be more than ‘It was on special offer at the wholesaler’. As a retailer, the stories you choose to tell add up to the story of your shop. What do you want your store to say to your customers when they walk through the door or follow you on social media? If you allow them to, brands can be your accomplices – if you enable them to tell their stories in your shop, they’ll end up singing your praises as well.

So where does the customer fit in? Are they loyal to the store or the brand? The answer is neither, both, sometimes, often, never and always. There is no answer. We shop by habit; have differing needs and priorities; are highly affected by marketing; are attracted by brands whose stories harmonize with those we tell about ourselves. Brands become part of our identity. The magic happens when retailer, brand and customer are aligned, when their individual stories reinforce one another.

If my favourite store helps me discover my new favourite brand, then I become a more loyal customer of both. And then we all feel like dancing.

An intro to cuisine FEATURE

Indonesian

Rosie Greenaway follows her taste buds to the sizzling streets of Jakarta to discover why the country’s national dishes are quickly gaining fans in the UK

When celebrity chefs turn their attention to a particular region of the world, foodies tend to follow. So when Nigella Lawson and Rick Stein closed 2023 by sharing their favourite Indonesian-inspired recipes, they set a precedent for 2024 which would see public appetite for this underrated cuisine start to soar.

But what constitutes Indonesian food and which organic shelf-fillers exist to help health stores capitalize on the trend?

“Food truly is Jakarta’s love language.” This is the belief of chef and food entrepreneur Rahel Stephanie, who writes evocatively on the Indonesian capital’s thriving street food scene.

A rising star in the culinary world, whose name decorates a number of

Top 100 and 30 Under 30 initiatives, Stephanie hails from Jakarta and pays homage in several publications to the ‘unpretentious and well-loved cuisine’ of her hometown. Think sizzling street food vendors serving spicy bakso (meatball noodle soup) and bakpao (steamed buns filled with anything from chicken to chocolate), against the backdrop of a humid, jostling capital city.

Far from the streetside warungs of Java, Indonesian fare is taking off in the UK too, with Brits developing a taste for the country’s fragrant and spicy dishes. But are they getting to know the true flavours of the world’s largest archipelago? Stephanie thinks not.

Menu misrepresentation

Through the prevalence of pan-Asian menus which blend influences from across several nations (thus confusing diners as to the true origins of tempura or gyoza), Stephanie believes UK restaurants are minimizing the rich cultural heritage of each individual country in a bid to garner massmarket appeal.

“Adapting menus to meet the expectations of a Western audience (aka the chicken tikka masala phenomenon) may feel convenient,

effective and harmless in the short term, but it becomes a wider issue due to the misrepresentation that it encourages – it leads to the erasure of the original culture and traditions. Satay in a Thai restaurant dilutes much of the cultural connection that the dish has from its origin in Indonesia,” Stephanie writes in The Good Food Guide

But, she admits, defining exactly what Indonesian food is can be a perplexing task, since each of Indonesia’s 17,000plus islands — from Java and Bali to Komodo and Sulawesi — boasts a diverse take on the national cuisine. And so room is left for interpretation across the global culinary scene.

Historical ties

The Netherlands is no exception; historical ties dating back to the 1600s cemented Dutch appetite for Indonesian cuisine – or at least a modified version of it.

“The Netherlands had a colonial relationship with Indonesia for centuries,” explains Roelof Hulst, commercial manager at FZ Organic

Food truly is Jakarta’s love language

Food, wholesaler of Yakso, which boasts an extensive range of Indonesian condiments.

“Spices and other riches from the archipelago were of great economic importance. After Indonesia’s independence in the 20th century, many ‘Indonesian’ Dutch returned to the Netherlands. They took their food culture with them, including dishes like noodles and fried rice. Indonesian cuisine thus became a welcome addition to traditional Dutch cuisine.

“Nasi, bami, ketjap manis, ketjap asin, sambal oelek, sateh sauce, beef stew rendang, tempeh and sajoer lodeh … are examples of dishes and ingredients that have become part of Dutch

cuisine,” says Hulst. “However, to adapt to Dutch tastes, and for economic reasons, many of these dishes were modified over time.”

Star stockists

Plenty of the key elements a budding home cook might need in order to whip up an authentic Indonesian classic can be found within Yakso’s wholly organic range.

Consumers don’t want to spend hours zigzagging across town, shopping in multiple stores to get their hands on the goods for their Saturday night dinner party; and this is where indie health store retailers can capitalize on a blossoming trend.

A well-stocked shelf highlighting the rich, diverse flavours of Indonesia can ensure not only an efficient shopping trip for local home cooks, but can encourage word-of-mouth recommendations and repeat business as your store cements itself as the number one destination for fans of Indonesian cuisine — this year’s hottest food fashion.

Renée Elliott Founder, Planet Organic

INTENTIONAL BUSINESS

We’ve been on a roller coaster for the past year because Planet Organic went into administration with the previous management on 25 April 2023, and we bought it back the same day. From the next day, when we walked back into Westbourne Grove (I was so nervous I thought I might vomit or have a heart attack), everyone has asked what we’re going to do, what we think of the market. I really have no idea. We came back to Planet because we believe the business has value, purpose and makes sense. Although it meant turning our lives upside down, we thought it was completely the right thing to do.

I’d been out of the business for seven years and had created a new craft; I was out of touch with organic, retailing and brands in general. Also, I don’t really have a view on the economic state of play and I don’t stress about the recession or worry about the competition. It’s not worth time or energy. We’ve weathered recessions before, and endless competition, so I trust that we’ll be fine. I take the learnings at every twist and turn, because that’s what challenge is –simply another opportunity to learn.

I do, however, see this as a rebirth, a rare opportunity to relaunch, because we are a new company – albeit with a dynamic 28-year trading history. We take the richness of our past into the complexity of our present and indulge in glorious visioning of our possible future. What I know is that we’ve stabilized the business, have a remarkable team, are

creative and will grow. I don’t yet know in which direction, but I’m immersing myself in everything again, paying attention to what’s going on, trusting the process and working hard. The future always reveals itself.

Through our annual business plan, along with goals and projects, we set an intention to which we stay aligned

“I’m not a retail expert, but we’re not limited by that because the only limiting factor in life is our thoughts”

throughout the year. This year it’s to create a rock-solid foundation with systems running like a dream. Within that we look for opportunity, work like stink and continuously strive for better. We believe in the individual, celebrate the team and believe that money is an output of good business. We think about our being while we’re doing. I don’t know what’s going to happen in a year, but I trust the journey and I’ll be clear when I get there.

In the meantime, we’re examining everything across the business – a useful and powerful exercise. What are we doing? Why? Do we still need to? Can we do it better? It’s about polishing our processes, because there is usually an easier, more creative, joyful and efficient way. If it’s not fun doing something, it’s probably not worth doing.

When I was compelled to leave Planet, I dived deeper into my journey of personal development and created a second business mentoring start-ups on business strategy, plus personal coaching on transformation. Now back in the crazy world of retail, I’m keeping my state of calm and peace by trusting in this journey and surrendering. I can’t control the economy, a supplier letting us down or a product recall, but we can respond with energetic, creative problem solving. It’s about being in the flow, eyes wide open, looking for trends, truths and opportunities. And, of course, it’s all about relationships.

I’m not a retail expert, but we’re not limited by that because the only limiting factor in life is our thoughts. One of my favourite quotes is by Henry Ford: “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” With the powerful freedom that statement brings, we do business our way. I don’t do what other businesspeople do; I do what feels right in my gut. Many in this industry do the same – that’s why it’s such a beautiful trade. If this notion is new to you, consider how it affirms that anything is possible, and that it’s not work when you’re having fun.

Speaking out for

Sustainability

INTERVIEW: CHRIS PACKHAM

Meet Chris Packham, the BBC wildlife presenter hailed as the next Sir David Attenborough. As a fiercely outspoken defender of biodiversity, Packham’s views sometimes pull him into the spotlight, but this devoted ambassador for nature won’t be silenced and his seemingly tireless efforts to wake the world up about the

urgency of the climate crisis are nothing short of remarkable. On the day Labour U-turns on its £28 billion green investment pledge, Rosie Greenaway meets with the conservationist to discuss where society has gone wrong, his partnership with IBIS Rice, his vision for a better future and Taylor Swift’s carbon footprint.

Society knows him as the presenter of Springwatch, but it’s climate activism that governs this naturalist’s life, igniting his urgent sense of duty to ‘instigate the change we need’ in the face of ‘rapidly escalating’ impacts on the natural world.

Reflecting on the state of his own garden, now halved due to flooding, Packham says there is ‘scientific evidence beyond ambiguity that extreme weather events are associated with climate breakdown’. “It’s clear that we’ve got to work far harder and more quickly.”

A stable, sustainable future, he believes, can only be achieved through altered minds and practices – something hampered by public resistance and political inaction. But a ‘disappointing’ Labour U-turn on investment in renewables won’t keep this activist down; still, he fights – in the courts, in the media – for change, his comments often provoking furore. “I’m a confrontational person who needs to tell the truth. I don’t see any choice. Unfortunately we live in an age when too many people are concerned about their public profile; I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to make a difference.”

Positive impact

So why does he care so deeply? “I love life, I love the complexity and all of the ecology. I like everything that slithers, slides and crawls. I don’t want it on my conscience that I’ve allowed that life to be destroyed.”

With the rapid decline of so many species, Packham fears he’s running out of time. “The graph isn’t slowing, it’s steepening.”

In the UK alone, 16% of monitored species risk extinction; he points out that the formerly common hedgehog is now rarely seen in the wild. Further afield in Cambodia, the Wildlife Conservation Society has categorized the giant ibis as ‘critically endangered’ due to fewer

“It’s clear that we’ve got to work far harder and more quickly”

than 200 birds remaining. In attempts to recover the species, organic brand IBIS Rice began a rainforest conservation project in Cambodia which empowers local farmers; in doing so it secured Packham as brand ambassador, drawn to the initiative because it provides a viable solution to deforestation, loss of species and poor working conditions for farmers who have been previously ‘robbed of their income’.

He asserts that in food consumption there is more to consider than mere mileage, and his personal philosophy is to spend ‘where it exacts a positive impact somewhere’. “If we went to the supermarket and didn’t eat food grown thousands of miles away we’d starve by the end of the week. Of course we’d all like to eat from the farm shop next door – it’s unrealistic. Rice is a staple all over the world. If no rice was being produced in China, Cambodia [and] India then people would go hungry. Every day when we open our fridge … the pound in our pocket can have a positive influence in another part of the world. What we need are things like IBIS Rice.”

Global stress

Mass extinction events have previously been precipitated by planetary forces and volcanism, but Packham says it is humanity which risks causing the next one – and the species we should be most concerned about is ourselves. What angers him most is inaction despite knowledge. “We have an enormous toolkit of technologies, abilities and practices that could be transformational if they were being implemented. We’ve just got to get moving.”

Drawing parallels with 2020, Packham points out that it was widely known a pandemic would one day occur, yet ‘no meaningful prevention’ was put in place; within months, however, scientists delivered a sophisticated vaccine able to save millions of lives around the world – a process which usually takes a decade.

“When we turn ourselves to addressing stress on our species we deal with it immediately. We stop flights, we tell people to stay indoors. If we say we’ve got to stop fossil fuel, people say ‘That’s impossible’. But it wasn’t impossible in 2020, was it? We stopped in two weeks. So it’s bullshit that they can’t act.

“We’re in an emergency. I’m looking at Chile on fire, at LA having a tsunami of rainwater. That is a global stress, so why aren’t we dealing with it in the way we dealt with [COVID]? It’s because not enough people are feeling the real pain of this catastrophe yet. We are literally waiting for climate breakdown and biodiversity loss to hurt enough to goad us into action. How embarrassing is that?”

A Swift switch?

With fans across the globe – many in the regions most negatively impacted by the climate crisis – Packham says it’s time for mega-stars such as Taylor Swift to switch their lifestyles. Following a recent injunction against a man who tracked and published all of her private jet journeys, he comments that instead of silencing the truth she should be ‘exercising her voice for good’ and viewing scrutiny as an opportunity to lead by example. “If she has to fly around the world … I’m sure she can afford first class. She has completely failed; why isn’t she standing up for the thing that is going to impact most negatively on all of her fans?”

Packham is tiring of wealth gaps and believes Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos ‘should be held to account’, calling their space exploration an ‘egotistical foible’. “They should know better and be doing far more good with their enormous wealth … its misuse is tragic. If all the money Musk has put into his space programme was spent on solar panels for people living in Sub-Saharan Africa, deforestation would stop because they wouldn’t need to cut down trees to cook their food and heat their homes.”

A vision for the future

Looking ahead, Packham paints a picture of the world he wants to see ten years from now: renewable energy; plant-based farming; the end of deforestation for beef and soya production; investment in public services which alleviate pressures on the environment; and ‘fundamental change in the structure of our political system’, including more decision-makers under the age of 40.

Packham leaves us with his favourite anecdote: “In 1969, when NASA put man on the moon, there were 600,000 people involved in that project. At Cape Canaveral, on the day that Neil

Armstrong trod on the moon, the average age of the people working in mission control was 25. Because it takes balls to light the blue touchpaper on a massive rocket, it takes energy, ambition, bravery, risk-taking. Under25-year-olds, as a majority, put man on the moon. What are we thinking, having our nations governed by 88-year-olds? It should be mandatory for frontline politicians to retire at 50 or 60. It’s bonkers beyond belief. We need to stop just listening to young people and allow them to play a functional role in governance. That’s how you get man on the moon – one of the most remarkable things that our species has ever done.”

Five facts about Chris Packham

• He has a BSc in Zoology from Southampton University

• He’s a keen painter and sculptor with an interest in Renaissance art

• High on his professional bucket list is the creation of a programme about William Turner’s paintings, illustrating to an art audience how human activity has impacted the planet’s ecosystems

• Alongside his school biology teacher, he counts Green Party MP Caroline Lucas and pioneering astronaut Neil Armstrong among his heroes

• He follows a home-cooked, plant-based diet and rarely buys anything processed

Brand News Sourdough with a story

LED BY third-generation baker Hendrik Durnez, the story of Belgium’s De Trog Bakery began with his grandfather, Henry – the namesake of Pur Pain’s sourdough starter which lives on today, kept in several external locations to safeguard against fire.

After the bakery’s original premises were destroyed during WWI, the family began again. By the time the second generation took over, the advent of bakers’ yeast enabled large-scale production and modernization.

With the passing of his father, a young Durnez returned the bakery to its artisanal roots, reintroducing craftsmanship to the bread-making process. Shunning improvers and technical aids, Durnez did things ‘the natural way’, embracing the creativity of slow fermentation and hand crafting, working only with the family’s own sourdough cultures.

In the early 1990s, after taking over an additional bakery in Bruges, Durnez transitioned Pur Pain to organic, later gaining carbon neutral certification.

In the test kitchen of its atelier, De Trog hosts annual tasting sessions for trade customers, initiating an exchange of ideas about baking trends. Currently focusing on consumer appetite for lower carbohydrate and higher protein content, Durnez and his team are exploring plant-based protein flours, while observing wider trends such as gluten-free.

De Trog GM Patrick Verhamme says many gluten intolerances stem from mass-market bread manufacturers adding gluten to speed up the dough’s proving process and serve as a binding agent. “In a natural process, you don’t need to add glue, it comes in a natural way, but it takes time.” Depending on the recipe, the bakery allows eight to 12 hours for the dough to ‘relax’ and ferment, with slow kneading and low temperatures creating a range of handfinished, part-baked loaves which Verhamme believes will be popular with UK consumers. “They will love that it’s pure, organic, natural bread … with a lot of taste. The crust is very fine, very light, with a lasting taste, only a few ingredients and less gluten.”

Therapy Organics: from retailer to formulator

DIVERSIFYING their retail business with their first own-brand range, Therapy Organics’ founders Jackie Coldwell and Kylie Williams have developed a line of UK-made VMS designed to ‘redefine supplements’.

Now on shelf in their Wilmslow store, the YourGut range was designed around the philosophy that ‘good health starts with your gut’. Having always followed a ‘food first’ approach to supplementation, nutritional therapist Coldwell was frustrated at the number of supplements required for the ‘perfect’ protocol, so the sisters created a line with ‘bespoke and targeted probiotics at the core’, using functional foods, herbs and medicinal mushrooms.

Pur Pain, the artisanal sourdough bread from Europe’s largest organic bakery, is landing in the UK this spring, bringing ancient techniques, natural ingredients and a rich family history n Got news? Send your industry stories to Rosie Greenaway k editor@naturalbrands.co.uk

Original filler-free formula Restore is ‘superpowered’ with 30 billion colonyforming units (CFUs) per capsule, providing a ‘microbiome boost’ after illness or antibiotic use.

Defence offers immune support using supernutrients and ‘natural bug-beaters’. Reishi (‘the mother of all mushrooms’) features alongside quercetin, to tackle infection, and propolis – ‘one of nature’s greatest antimicrobials’.

Glow is the brand’s secret weapon for hair, skin and nails, containing ten billion CFUs from bacterial strains known for their skin health benefits. ‘Hydration enhancers’ hyaluronic acid and flaxseed powder are joined by pine bark and haskap berry as ‘nature’s youth restorers’.

“We tried to create a product that will leave almost no trace on the planet”

How many people know the difference between SPF30 and SPF50? Very few, believes Julie Ramos, vice president of marketing at Canadian plastic-free personal care brand ATTITUDE – and in the name of transparency she’s spreading the word.

Simply put, SPF30 blocks 97.4% of UVB rays; SPF50 offers only marginally higher protection at 98% but comes with additional ingredients which this natural brand deems unnecessary. Anything consumers are told to the contrary is ‘really a question of marketing’. “This is science, it’s not something we invented,” says Ramos.

SPF30 was therefore the natural choice for ATTITUDE’s Sunly plastic-free mineral sunscreen range. Easy-to-use and high performing, the travel-friendly solid formats underwent rigorous fiveyear R&D at the brand’s women-led lab in Montreal, ensuring a smooth texture which glides on easily and leaves no whitening residue. It ticks the vegan and cruelty-free boxes, is dermatologically tested and contains non-nano zinc oxide, meaning it forms a physical barrier on the skin and washes off in the

shower, rather than absorbing into the epidermis like conventional sunscreens.

The collection of face and body sticks has something for every beachgoer: Tropical and Orange Blossom for those wanting to stimulate their olfactory senses; Unscented for sensitive skin prone to reaction; Tinted for the perfect ‘no make-up’ look; a dedicated broadspectrum line for little ones; and a luscious SPF15 Coconut Lip Balm enriched with shea butter and argan oil.

Leave no trace

Designed with younger shoppers and Millennial parents in mind, the branding is ‘fun, cool and fresh’ – the embodiment of long summer days at the beach and peachy sunsets. “We want to be attractive to Gen Z. They’re taking care of the planet, they question what they use, they want a brand that is transparent, and we fit into those values.”

Ramos doesn’t just stand by the product and its smart, biodegradable packaging, but its social and environmental impact too. “We tried to create a product that will leave almost no trace on the planet. For every product [sold] we plant a tree. It’s one of the

biggest reforestation programmes in the world.” She refers to One Tree Planted, an organization that employs local communities to plant trees which yield edible crops, thereby providing food, work and even education opportunities.

“I think with this collection we are really raising the bar,” says Ramos. The certifier EWG concurs, awarding its prestigious mark across ATTITUDE’s entire range. EWG is widely recognized by US and Canadian consumers, its seal of approval granted only when strict criteria are met, which for sun care means no carcinogens, mutagens or endocrine disruptors.

Setting the tone

Ensuring that from the offset its SPF sticks were ocean-friendly and suitable for all skin tones was key for ATTITUDE as part of its mission to improve industry standards. “We have a lot of different ethnicities in Montreal, it’s really multicultural. It’s important for us to suit every skin tone.”

In striving for this, the brand answers two consumer priorities in beauty and personal care: reef-safety and inclusivity. Mintel notes the latter as an opportunity for expansion, with significant scope for sales of skin tone-inclusive products among Black consumers; in the US alone, 84% of Black shoppers ‘wish there were more product options made specifically for their skin tone’.

On home soil, the trend forecaster points to innovation which ‘extends beyond functional UV protection’, with 46% of SPF shoppers seeking added skin benefits from sun care. The Sunly range meets this need with its Sensitive Natural option, which contains oatmeal to treat dermatological conditions such as eczema and acne while protecting delicate skin from harmful rays.

Sunly reaches our shores in April, entering the market at a ripe moment; just last year the UK SPF sector surpassed its pre-COVID levels, reaching £367 million, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.25% between now and 2028.

And with our island nation’s famously unpredictable weather unlikely to settle amid changing climate patterns, the category appears brighter than the sun’s corona. Between midwinter skiers, savvy spring sun-blockers and Indian summer baskers, retailers should prepare to answer the call of SPF shoppers year-round.

Making waves

Thailand, Hawaii and Palau have made waves by prohibiting the UVfiltering substance oxybenzone due to its negative effects on aquatic life – with California expected to follow suit – but what’s happening closer to home? Dr Mark Smith, director general, NATRUE, says that while achieving a global ban would be a complex legislative task, strides are being made in Europe: “According to a forthcoming amendment to the Cosmetics Regulation, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor … will no longer be allowed in sun care products in the EU once the regulatory update comes into force.” Smith says over the next ten years NATRUE would like to see more robust scientific data on substances ‘from a human health and environmental perspective’, and further development of new sun-protecting ingredients that are safe and sustainable by design and which ‘account for the whole life cycle of the substance from manufacture to environmental fate’.

Buyers’ Club Bio

GET TO KNOW OUR READERSHIP

Buyer name: Phil Haughton

Store name: Better Food, Bristol

Stores: 4

Years retailing: 38

Why you got into the natural health industry: I never saw it as an industry. I was always motivated by making organic food accessible to more people and connecting them with farmers and processors. Food and farm justice always motivated me. How can I best nourish people’s lives and nurture our soils and farms to better health?

Most effective POS: Themed drops with campaigns work well for us. We had fantastic results with IBIS Rice taking five or six shelves surrounded by shelf talker POS promoting them and telling the story.

Most effective promotion: Our fabulous own-brand olive oil, direct

from the producer. We put it on promotion for our loyalty scheme sign-ups and had strong uplift. Olive oil prices have been rising fast so it really captured the moment.

Favourite product and why you love it: Blood orange juice from Sicily. We’ve visited the farmers. The soil and local climate under Mount Etna make it the best blood orange juice in the world. The relationship is built on connection, love, loyalty and trust – ingredients needed in all we do.

How do you find new products: Distributor offers, alongside shows. But the ones that excite us are producers and brands that seek us out and have a passion for their offer, where we can ‘feel’ what’s better and how this might chime with our customers.

Which issues are front of mind when sourcing products? Simply put: organic, local, ethical. We pride ourselves on strong relationships with suppliers.

“I was always motivated by making organic food accessible to more people and connecting them with farmers and processors”

Top tips for ordering: Know your business and your customers. Know your shelves and stock levels; analyze how they serve the business and the environment.

What are your customers looking for in 2024? Peace! Seriously, I believe our role, in part, is to offer solutions beyond food. Peace of mind, healing our world wherever we can. It’s hard out there and we’re all important in supporting our citizens to be more resilient and thoughtful in how they shop and eat.

Phil Haughton Better Food, Bristol

Sour Pineapple Curry

This Mamapen x IBIS Rice collab is a flavour-filled vegan twist on a traditional Cambodian dish which is built around kroeung, a lemongrassbased curry paste, creating a ‘delicate balance’ of sour, spicy and sweet

METHOD

1

Heat the oil in a saucepan or deep sauté pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, kroeung paste, red chilli and star anise; sauté until the paste is cooked through and the onion is soft and translucent.

2

Add the sugar, soya sauce and miso. Stir thoroughly. Increase to a medium heat and cook down the mixture for a further three minutes. Add the sweet potato and cook for two more minutes.

3

Pour in the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked through. Finally, add the pineapple pieces and stir in the tamarind paste. Simmer for a minute or two, allowing the fruit to warm through.

4

Serve in bowls, on a bed of IBIS Rice White Long Grain Jasmine Rice and garnish with fresh coriander and sliced red chilli.

Mamapen head chef

Kaneda Pen has devised this recipe to be paired with IBIS Rice White Long Grain Jasmine Rice, which the brand describes as being ‘aromatic, fluffy and slightly sticky’.

Ingredients

For the kroeung paste:

100g peeled garlic

150g galangal

100g peeled ginger

100g peeled fresh turmeric (or 2tbsp ground turmeric)

8 lemongrass stalks (sliced into fine rings)

18g lime leaves (finely sliced)

100ml vegetable oil

15g fine salt

Method

“For practicality and speed I prefer blending all ingredients in a blender/food processor until a smooth paste is achieved,” says Kaneda Pen. “You are welcome to use a mortar and pestle (as is the traditional way) if you desire.”

For the Sour Pineapple Curry

150g kroeung paste

2tbsp vegetable oil

2 small onions (finely sliced)

2 red chillies (finely chopped)

40ml light soya sauce

50g golden caster sugar

40g white miso

800ml coconut milk (2x400ml tins)

4tbsp tamarind paste

1 pineapple (skinned, cored and cut into large chunks)

1 medium sweet potato (peeled and cut into large pieces)

BRAND PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS

Natural Brands champions the most innovative and interesting products available to independent retailers.

The following commercial section highlights some of the partners and supporters who make Natural Brands possible with their phenomenal products and stories, highlighting their top sellers, USPs, and where to find them.

Don’t forget to check out the New Product feature highlighting some of the latest products available to Independent Retail.

Clean products, less plastic and more trees

Canadian natural care brand ATTITUDE is on a mission to raise the established standards of Home & Beauty care products by being the forerunners of change towards better consumption through clean ingredients & revolutionary packaging.

With eco-innovative and plastic free packaging, sustainable certifications and an established range that does not compromise on performance, ATTITUDE’s products are seen as one of the leading clean & sustainable brands in this area by consumers.

Rooted in Conservation. Hand-grown with a Mission. IBIS Rice is proving that food production doesn’t have to cost the Earth.

IBIS works exclusively with communities in Cambodia’s wildlife sanctuaries to safeguard uniquely diverse ecosystems from destruction, with a number of endangered species being saved from extinction including the Giant Ibis, Cambodia’s national bird.

As a conservation enterprise founded by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the company is empowering Cambodian farmers to preserve

vulnerable forests through guaranteed premiums for their organic Phka Romdoul jasmine rice - voted the best rice in the world five times at the World Rice Forum.

This work has been supported by Chris Packham, who is a brand ambassador in the UK and is a champion of the project, as well as the incredible products themselves.

The vegan game changer without compromise

iChoc is an all-vegan chocolate brand for people who want to snack on plant-based, honest and conscious chocolate and still love the taste of classic dairy chocolate.

Fairly traded, incredibly sustainable and consistently plastic-free, the team at iChoc has worked hard to develop unique recipes using specific organic ingredients such as tiger nut flour and almond oil, not commonly found in vegan chocolate.

These special recipes combined with a traditional conching method means there’s no need for emulsifiers, and definitely no palm oil. In fact, only a few varieties use vegetable milk substitutes providing the highest quality at a fair price.

What started as a mission to create delicious snacks free of common allergens became a pursuit of so much more, culminating in a delicious range of free-from granola bars, soft oat morning bars and cookies all containing one of your 5-a-day.

It doesn’t stop there; as an established North American brand NPD is always in the pipeline, and a range of cookies, granola minis and single serves are coming soon to compliment this fantastic range of seven multipack products.

MadeGood has always been on a journey, and it still is today. The company started by setting up a dedicated nutfree facility and sourced only pure, uncontaminated, organic, certified gluten-free oats. They then became Certified B-Corp, upholding a triple bottom line promise. They established

healthy grower relationships, a Zero Waste commitment and 100% sustainable packaging action plan — all of which have manifested in many certifications.

They prove each and every day that they’re committed to a thoughtful pursuit each step of the way.

The mission at Organic Traditions® is to educate and inspire consumers to live their most vibrant life by harnessing the power of traditional nutrient-dense foods from regions all over the world.

After all, it’s not a trend – it’s tradition, with the company’s nutrient dense products sourced from Ayurveda,

Jamu, Unami, Asian, African, South American and Western traditions.

With many UK consumers discovering the benefits that these foods have to offer, Organic Traditions provides a one-stop shop for everything from fruit, herb and spice powders to 5-mushroom coffees, herbal lattes and probiotic supergreens.

Long life, artisanal organic bread made in Belgium’s only carbon neutral bakery

Organic ingredients, a traditional artisanal working method, long resting and rising times, an enthusiastic team of expert bakers, a modern bakery, and above all an enormous passion and love for the job. This is what sets Pur Pain products apart, and has done since 1911.

Not only that, the carbon neutral bakery has been using its own sourdough culture for over 40 years, leading to a natural fermentation producing product rich in flavour and with lower gluten levels than standard.

New to the UK in 2024, all seven launch SKUs come in MAP packaging. This provides a shelf life on production of between 30 and 50 days and bakes in oven in less than 10 minutes. This allows artisan, organic bread to be enjoyed by all - accessible for consumers and retailers alike.

Key USPs:

Organic dried fruit snack packs for healthier on-the-go snacking

Sunny Fruit’s mission is to support active lifestyles with their healthier products produced organically and naturally sun-dried.

The Sunny Fruit® difference begins at source – Izmir, Turkey. Here the perfect blend of fertile soils and unique climate creates the most perfect dried fruits on Earth. With nothing artificial added,

you’ll taste the difference. With a wide range of products available in a growing category and at a competitive RRP, Sunny Fruit has now launched a multipack format to support its impulse range, providing consumers with both an on-the-go and ideal lunchbox option at different points in the store.

Key USPs:

Pure, organic crisps of the highest quality

It’s that simple. Trafo crafts purely organic crisps of the highest quality, and have been doing so for more than 30 years.

From the care with which the company selects its organic potatoes to the passion and skill with which they form them, this is a company that really cares about the taste of their end product.

These tasty crisps are nurtured all the way from the Dutch soil, and with 30+ SKUs across a number of ranges including Handcooked, Crinkle Cut, Vegetable, Lentil and Plastic Free alongside popcorn, tortilla chips and salsa there really is an organic snack to suit all tastebuds in the Trafo range.

Vivani is an experienced pioneer of organic chocolate, made by 4th generation chocolate makers in the heartlands of Germany.

As both a company and a brand Vivani is committed to providing a premium organic experience that celebrates not only the art of chocolate, but those who create it.

They do this through being socially and environmentally responsible, price accessible and delivering a wide breadth

of innovative flavours that excite and satisfy all chocolate lovers. Each product and recipe is carefully crafted and adorned with an individual piece of artwork that is commissioned for, and befitting of, the product in question.

In 2024 this commitment was recognised as Vivani won the 16th German Sustainability Award recognising their work in Direct Trade and other areas of sustainable practice.

Key USPs:

The Art of Chocolate

The home of authentic Asian flavours

Delicious, organic products designed to help create world food dishes at home, made in the heartland of The Netherlands.

As far as Yakso’s founders were concerned way back in 1993, these products were missing from their local stores. So the founders set out to design and create them from scratch, and since then the range has continued to blossom and develop into a selection spanning multiple

cuisines, countries and even continents. From noodles and Nasi Goreng to tamari, tempeh and tofu, Yakso has it covered.

The word Yakso is of Japanese origin and means to “Cleanse your body with food”. This fits the company’s products and ethos perfectly, with all items made in The Netherlands from onlyorganic ingredients, in a solar-powered factory. A real treat for the senses!

Organic, deep-frozen products made for the modern consumer

Upgrade your freezer space with bio inside, offering a vast range of high quality and convenient organic products at competitive prices.

Choose from a wide range of organic fruit, vegetables, chopped herbs and convenience products, providing a one stop shop for all your frozen needs.

Coming directly from the field, bio inside products are carefully selected from controlled organic farms before being gently deepfrozen immediately after harvest, preserving vital vitamins and minerals.

The handy packaging sizes and convenient format make these products ideal for the modern consumer.

Key USPs:

Fermented vegetables with active cultures free from additives

Key USPs:

German fermenters

Completeorganics believe healthy, functional and sustainable nutrition should not be at odds with taste and convenience.

So, in 2017 they started fermenting organic vegetables using traditional methods in their own Munich factory creating delicious, plantbased health boosters full of microbiotic life.

They offer eye-catching and premium natural products full of living cultures, setting

a conscious counter-design to common, highly processed foods. And with a new plastic free jar format and lower RRP introduced in 2023 these products make it even easier to be good to your wallet, body and the environment.

Their range of nine tasty products provides a ferment for every occasion, with a remarkably high repeat purchase rate both on-shelf and via wholesale setting the brand apart from the competition.

A unique range of organic, innovative and plant-based dairy alternatives

Ecomil has always been famed for its almond drinks, with the brand originally launched back in 1991, motivated by the idea of improving the almond milk recipe, a traditional drink in Spain.

Fast forward to 2024 and Ecomil is so much more than simply almonds, although these products - made in Spain from using products harvested from dryland farming - remain at their core, as do the

environmental principles that underpin their cultivation.

Now the brand boasts an unrivaled range of plantbased milks from cashew to hemp, sugar-free to barista. And like in 1991, Ecomil remains driven by innovation, with a clean label range of versatile cooking creams (cuisine) proving increasingly popular alongside the first low carb, keto-friendly and award-winning plant-based drink range.

Demeter/biodynamic & organic frozen fruit, vegetable and convenience products

Natural Cool offers discerning consumers a comprehensive range of Demeter & organic frozen products. A real alternative for all those who value superior organic and/or biodynamic quality, with products ranging from chips and wedges to blueberries and peas.

For more than 25 years the company has been building close relationships with its farmers to achieve true

sustainability; accompanying and assisting them from harvesting to sales. With their biodynamic and ecological farming methods fostering a pronounced sensitivity to nature and the environment, the company and its farmers meet the highest standards of sustainability and quality. With a number of prices dropped for 2024, quality doesn’t always need to come with a large price tag.

The Kourellas family has been making traditional Greek dairy since 1960. As Greece’s first organic dairy, the company is proud to be pioneers of honest, healthy food that’s good for the environment and good for you.

From a village in the Grevena mountains to every corner of the world, Kourellas dairy is the natural choice, even operating their own sheep and cow farms.

These certified organic farms also function as educational centres where the company shares its expertise in low-impact agriculture and animal welfare with their suppliers.

With a conventional plant-based range recently introduced to complement its PDO Feta range and traditional Greek spreads, Kourellas has one eye on the future whilst sticking to its strong traditions.

ATTITUDE Leaves barTM, 8.5g

These plastic-free, solid lip balms eliminate plastic from the daily routine, and appeal to the conscious consumer.

Available in 4 varieties:

Unscented, Watermelon, Fresh Mint, Coconut.

Product Highlights:

- EWG VERIFIED™

- Made in Canada

- Dermatologically tested

- Plastic free

- Vegan

- Biodegradable formula

- Zero waste

- Travel friendly

RRP: £5.99

IBIS RICE

500g Rice in 100% paper packaging

ICHOC

Salty Pretzel vegan chocolate bar, 80g

IBIS farmers grow a long grain jasmine rice variety known locally as phka rumdoul, voted as the best rice in the world. This is jasmine rice in its classic form, launched in a 100% recyclable paper pack.

Available in 3 varieties: White, Brown, Semi-milled. Also available in 1kg format.

Product Highlights:

- Voted world’s best rice 5 times

- Organic

- Wildlife friendly

- Reducing deforestation

- Improving farmer income

- Environmental project supported by Chris Packham

RRP: £2.79

MADEGOOD Birthday Cake Granola Bar Multipack, 5x24g

The number one vegan chocolate for people who want to eat plant-based, honestly and consciously.

The latest offering is a delectable salty pretzel, smooth milk-like chocolate with the characteristic salty crunch of organic pretzel.

Product Highlights:

- Organic

- Vegan

- Fairtrade

- Plastic free

- Unique recipe for an authentic chocolate taste

RRP: £2.99

MadeGood is a highly thoughtful snack brand behind a delicious new range of free-from granola bars all containing one of your 5-a-day.

Brightly packaged in a multipack format, the Birthday Cake SKU provides excellent value-for-money at under £1/bar.

Product Highlights:

- Free from 9 common allergens

- One of your five a day.

- Organic

- Vegan

- Kosher

- Triple A Standard BCorp

RRP: £4.99 (5 pack)

Available via CLF Distribution

SUNNY

Dried Strawberry Lunchbox Multipack,

Following on from the successful launch of their dried fruit snack packs in 2023, Sunny Fruit is back with a new range of multipack options to add long-term convenience to their delightful range.

With 5 units per pack, a week of healthy lunchbox options is covered. A taste of sunshine in every bite.

Product Highlights:

- Organic

- All natural ingredients

- Wide range of SKUs available

- Multipack format provides competitive price point

- High growth category

RRP: £5.99

A unique, organic & nutrientdense superfood blend of five raw-grass juice powders.

Available in three new flavours: Pineapple & Coconut, Cucumber & Melon and Pear to compliment the Original (pictured).

Product Highlights:

- Chlorophyll-rich algae: Chlorella & Spirulina alongside moringa, matcha & turmeric for additional support

- 1 billion live bio cultures

- Excellent source of vitamins & minerals including A, B magnesium, potassium and iron

- Convenient and cost-effective

- 100% Organic, Vegan, NonGMO, Kosher, Paleo/Keto friendly

RRP: £14.99

Truffle Crisps Sharing Bag, 100g

A refined taste sensation, this particular offering from the established Trafo brand combines the familiar crunch of high quality, organic crisps with the unmistakable, moorish taste of truffle. Perfect for anyone who loves a luxurious, tasty snack.

Product Highlights:

- Organic

- Vegan

- Gluten and lactose free

- Authentic truffle flavour

- Well priced vs. conventional

- Family-owned business

RRP: £4.99

Produced in Europe’s only carbon neutral bakery, this new range of organic, MAP packaged breads offer flexibility for both the retailer and consumer alike.

The Pur Pain range comprises seven products including this sourdough, from ciabattas and baguettes to burger buns, all produced via a traditional method of slow kneading, long proofing time and clean, natural ingredients to deliver an unrivalled taste.

Product Highlights:

- 3rd generation bakery

- Europe’s only carbon neutral bakery

- High quality, long-life products

- Quick bake time (> 5mins)

- Shelf life on production of 30-50 days

RRP: £2.89

FRUIT

VIVANI

Crème Brûlée and Wafer Praliné Impulse

Two new offerings to the Vivani impulse range, available from April 2024.

First up the Crème Brûlée; fine whole milk chocolate filled with delicate milk cream and crunchy caramel. A desert classic, finally in bar format.

The Wafer Praliné is one or all nougat fans, with a creamy hazelnut nougat chocolate laced with crunchy baked waffle pieces, making a crunchy highlight for on the go.

Product Highlights:

- Organic

- Plant-based inner foil

- Rainforest Alliance certified

- Established, high quality brand

RRP: £1.69

YAKSO Tempeh, 175g

BIO INSIDE

Pizza Margherita Wood-Fired, 305g

COMPLETEORGANICS

Smoky Jalapeño Kraut, 210g

Made from fermented soybeans in their own Dutch factory, Yakso tempeh is very high in fibre, easily digestible and packed full of nutrients. It also contains a high content of iron, calcium and magnesium. When baked, the product quickly develops a crispy outside whilst maintaining the characteristic nutty taste. A staple for the meat alternative section, and a perfect complement to Yakso’s wider range of Asian-inspired products.

Product Highlights:

- Organic

- Vegan

- Gluten, lactose and sugar free

- Versatile product

RRP: £4.49

The first organic wood-fired stonebaked pizza – originally handmade in Italy and frozen for ultimate convenience.

The USP of bio inside’s take on a classic variety revolves around the light base, created by allowing the original dough to rise for 24 hours. This is then topped with sun ripened tomato sauce and provincial cheese to provide a familiar, ready-to-bake option.

The top seller in a range of SKUs from bio inside; a brand revered for their high quality products made from only the finest ingredients.

Product Highlights:

- Organic

- All natural ingredients

- Gluten free option available

- Light base thanks to 24 hour proof

RRP: £5.99

Sauerkraut that is anything but boring. Smoke provided via high quality paprika and a mild spice from the fermented jalapeños pairs perfectly with the deep, familiar umami flavours associated with this traditional product.

With its smoky spiciness and great crunch it goes well as a side dish, with vegetables or in sandwiches..

Product Highlights:

- Organic

- Naturally fermented

- Live and unpasteurised

- Packed full of active cultures

- Free from additives or added sugar

- Plastic free packaging

RRP: £6.99

Available via CLF Distribution

ECOMIL CUISINE: Sugar-free Plantbased Cream Alternative, 200ml

KOURELLAS

Greek Feta PDO Cheese (Sheep & Goat), 150g

NATURAL COOL

High quality, sugar free & plant-based cream alternatives, perfect for everyday cooking.

These unique products are remarkably versatile; there’s no curdling when heated and they remain stable with acidic ingredients like lemon juice and wine.

To top that off, both the cashew (pictured) and almond variety have a remarkably clean label - something increasingly important to conscious consumers.

Product Highlights:

- Vegan

- Organic

- Non-GMO

- Sugar Free

- Gluten Free

- No artificial flavourings, additives or emulsifiers

- 100% recyclable packaging

RRP: £1.79

Feta has been an essential Greek cheese for centuries, and this Product of Designated Origin (PDO) is made using traditional methods.

With a delicate blend of pure sheep and goat’s milk this creamy feta, whether served plain or combined with herbs and vegetables, is a delightful addition to one’s diet at any point in the day.

Product Highlights:

- Organic

- High quality product

- Made to traditional methods

RRP: £3.79

Biodynamic Blueberries (in cardboard), 250g

Natural Cool has been a staple in independent health store freezers for a number of years, with the brand trusted for their high quality organic and biodynamic products and unwavering commitment to the independent trade.

2024 sees the UK launch of a range of Biodynamic fruits in fully recyclable cardboard outers, including rhubarb, cherries, blueberries (pictured) and red currants.

A must have for any independent retailer!

Product Highlights:

- Demeter/biodynamic, high-quality products

- Hand-picked

- Shock-frozen to preserve important nutrients

RRP: £3.99

n Mushrooms

Sales of lion’s mane mushroom supplements are thriving, with customers expressing admiration for its positive effects on memory and focus. The feedback we’ve received has been exceptional. Our preference is Mushrooms for Life, known for being one of the few genuinely organic options available. There’s a trend towards people transitioning to mushrooms, particularly reishi and cordyceps, to address stress.

n Farm-to-fork

An increasing number of our customers seek high quality food ingredients with a transparent traceability from the source to their plate, emphasizing the importance of a ‘farm-to-fork’ approach. Seggiano’s Fresh Basil Pesto exemplifies this ethos, crafted on a small family farm in Tuscany. Once customers try it, they express a reluctance to opt for any other pesto (it really is that good). Our clientele is creative, eschewing pre-packaged or overly processed foods in favour of selecting ingredients to create homemade dishes. To cater to this preference, we regularly update our website with recipes incorporating the ingredients available in our store.

n Food-sourced nutrients

Viridian remains the preferred brand for VMS among our customers, sharing a common ethos with Apothecary 27 – clean, food-sourced nutrients with clinically researched therapeutic doses. Viridian’s Rainbow Trout Oil stands out as our favourite due to its distinction as the sole organic option on the market, boasting exceptional cleanliness and ethical sourcing compared to other ocean-caught fish oil supplements. Additionally, their Magnesium, B6 & Saffron blend garners popularity in the winter months when many customers grapple with SAD. The feedback we receive indicates a noticeable improvement in people’s moods. It’s a joy to work alongside our rep, Cathy, who is a standout professional.

CBD: it isn’t selling Lion’s mane: positive effects

Joe Jackson, Apothecary 27

Haslemere, Surrey

n Beauty

Post-COVID, we’ve witnessed a change in the demand for beauty products, prompting us to re-evaluate our inventory. Recognizing numerous brands stagnating on shelf, we made a choice last year to streamline our selection and feature only what we believe to be the very best. Even with Sukin, we used to have three or four shelves and we’ve narrowed it down to just one for our top sellers. A standout in our skincare line-up is Weleda Skin Food, a luxuriously nourishing cream suitable for hands, feet and even the face. Despite its richness, which might typically lead to breakouts, this blend works like pure magic, imparting a healthy glow while leaving the skin thoroughly hydrated and nourished. For the ultimate experience, we recommend applying it post-shower. Our sales of Dr Hauschka remain robust, especially their Regenerating range, tailored for mature skin. The Illuminating Fluid is particularly popular, providing an extra boost of glow, especially during this time of the year.

n Snacks

We’ve never really had a huge snack audience. In my view, there’s a pressing need for a revamp in the snack market; I don’t think there’s anything that special. I’ve observed that numerous protein bars available share strikingly similar ingredients. Despite the influx of new brands, there appears to be a lack of innovation. I quite often get sent samples of bars and energy balls and find myself asking ‘What is this brand’s USP?’. While we do carry a variety of keto and protein bars, their sales aren’t as substantial compared to London, where the market seems to be more receptive to the grab-and-go trend.

n CBD

It isn’t selling, even though we’re still doing some sales, they have declined since mushrooms have arrived.

ROSIE GREENAWAY EDITOR TOM SMART PUBLISHER

With over a decade in publishing, Rosie is an experienced editor, presenter and awards judge with a special interest in organic food and green beauty. Combining her passions for writing and sustainable living, she’s found her home in the natural products world, championing its message beyond her 9-5. On Saturdays she can be found enjoying Brighton’s restaurant scene, walking her puppy on the beach and dreaming of the tropics.

With considerable experience in comms and business strategy, Tom oversees the publishing of Natural Brands Magazine bringing a level of attention to detail only a trained scientist could. A former teacher, Tom uses his passion for education to spread the organic message and connect buyers with cutting-edge natural products. Tom enjoys time with his family, mountain bike rides and the occasional glass of organic red in front of the rugby.

Meet the team

BEHIND NATURAL BRANDS MAGAZINE

MARTIN HISCOX COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

Formerly a retail buyer in F&B, Martin now heads up Natural Brands’ commercial arm, helping natural and organic brands maximize their industry reach – but you still can’t keep him from wandering around food stores at weekends. Martin’s favourite travel destination is Canada, but in the kitchen it’s Indonesia which most inspires him; no stranger to a hit of chilli, he recommends adding spicy Indonesian sambal to your breakfast.

Coming from a ten-year career in retail, Natalie manages Natural Brands’ Buyers’ Club and believes High Street indie retailers represent ‘the heartbeat of the natural and organic sector’. While busy weekdays are spent supporting health stores, weekends are more relaxed, centring around family, long countryside walks, good books (Natalie loves a romance novel), gardening and trying new foods – particularly if they involve travel.

Mushroom Coffees

TeasHerbal Lattes&