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Jamie Combs, Founder at Natural Balance Foods tells us his thoughts on the free from industry
1) Please introduce your company in no more than 5 words.
“Happy, healthy, helpful, transparent and knowledgeable.”
2) Why did you enter the free from food market?
“We have a strong belief that the obesity crisis is rooted in the country’s addiction to processed foods – and Britain’s dependence on a heavily processed diet will lead this country to the same fate as America. Nākd, Natural Balance Food’s hero brand, is the physical manifestation of my antidote to this.
The concept behind the Nakd range was to create a selection of products that are completely natural but also taste great. By including only 100% natural ingredients it led the bars to being a free from product.
Our vision is to transform consumers from eating fewer processed foods to more wholefoods, in a non-judgmental way.”
3) Do you think that the free from market in its entirety is well catered for?
“Absolutely not, I think the market still has a long way to go for those looking for free from products to have an extensive choice. While there are some great products out there, the supermarkets just aren’t dedicating the space needed for the sector to grow and free from brands to really come into their own.
I do believe this will change though and I’m optimistic that if companies keep creating innovative and exciting free from products like they’re currently doing, the retailers will soon take note and cater for consumer demand for free from products.”
4) How many different foods do you have in your product range?
“There are four ranges available in the Natural Balance Food range – Nākd Nudie bars, Nākd Oatie bars, Nākd Infused Raisins and Trek bars.
The Nākd Nudie bar range consists of seven flavours; Cocoa Delight, Cocoa Mint, Cocoa Orange, Berry Delight, Cashew Cookie, Ginger Bread and Pecan Pie. Each bar is made up of nothing but raw fruits, nuts and natural flavouring and each one is wheat, gluten and dairy free.
The Nākd Oatie bars are similar to the Nākd Nudie range but contain additional oats. They are completely wheat and dairy free and are available in four flavours; Apple Pie, Berry Cheeky, Cocoa Loco and Banana Bread.
The Trek bars are made up of fruits, nuts, oats and a hint of natural flavouring. Packed with 11g of protein and mixed with a unique combination of fast and slow-release carbohydrates, fibre, ginkgo biloba and ginseng for sustained alertness, endurance, hunger control and effective recovery after exercise. As with the other products, each bar counts as one of your five a day, has no added sugar, is wheat and dairy free and completely suitable for vegans!
Also available are the Nākd Infused Raisins, which are raisins infused with natural flavouring to create a healthy and delicious alternative to processed and sugar laden sweets.”
5) What kind of free from customers can use your products?
“The Nākd Nudie range is suitable for coeliacs, those who are lactose intolerant and those with wheat intolerances. The Nākd Oatie and Trek ranges are ideal for those with a lactose or wheat intolerance.”
6) Do you have a favourite recipe that that you make using one of your products? If yes what is it?
“The flavoured raisins are a great for use when baking, particularly our new Crazy Cola and Tangy Lime flavours which add a bit of zing to your creations!”
7) What makes your brand stand out from others in your market places?
“Our bars are fundamentally different from 99% of the bars out there. Our range of bars are 100% natural and enjoyably tasty – we don’t need to add any nasty sugary syrups or mysterious additives to make them taste great. They are made using just raw fruits and nuts rolled together, without the need for any baking. This ensures that all the natural goodness, protein, fibre, phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants are locked in.
The bars are low in saturated fat, suitable for vegetarians and vegans and most count towards your 5 a-day. People can really enjoy something that is genuinely healthy and not compromise on taste in any way – everyone loves them and they’ve won loads of taste tests.”
8 ) Where can customers buy your products?
“Our products are available in all the major supermarkets, Boots, Holland & Barrett, WHSmith Travel as well as independent health food and convenience shops. You can also buy all of our goodies from our website – www.eatnakd.com“
9) What would you like to say to Foods You Can free from customers?
“Don’t assume that free from means free from flavour, try handing a Nākd Cocoa Orange to a skeptic and watch their eyes light up and the big smile roll across their face as it dawns on them what they’ve just discovered. Fruit that tastes like chocolate. It’s a whole new day.”
10) Where do you see the free from market in 5 years time?
“The free from sector is growing at an outstanding rate and I believe this will only continue. More innovative products will enter the market and supermarkets will start to dedicate more space to free from products. This combined with the rise in popularity of wholefoods means we’ll all be eating better and enjoying a better quality of life and a cleaner, green future!”
