The UK’s fastest growing gut health food brand, Bio&Me, founded by The Gut Health Doctor, Dr Megan Rossi, BSc, PhD RD, has announced it is launching a range of new on-the-go Gut-Loving Flapjack Bars, which will roll into Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose from the beginning of April.
The launch is designed to shake up the cereal bar aisle, which historically has received negative feedback due to the continued use of added sugars: some ‘healthier’ popular bars on the market contain as much as 29% sugar. The three-strong launch line-up will be available in Toffee Apple, Superberry and Cocoa Hazelnut variants, both in single bar (RRP £1.20/38g bar) and multipack formats (RRP £2.95/3x38g bars).
The Toffee Apple and Superberry multipacks will be going into 386 and 350 Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores respectively, both sited on the free from aisle, while 200 Waitrose stores will be stocking the Toffee Apple and Cocoa Hazelnut multipacks, with 100 of those stores also stocking the Superberry multipack too, sited on the main aisle. The bars will be available to independents initially via CLF, Delicious Ideas, Epicurium and Suma.
Launched in response to huge consumer demand (91% of respondents favoured bars when asked which gut-loving product they’d like the brand to produce[1]), the trio of new all-natural bars are not only claim-ably ‘good for your gut’, they each contain 9+ plant-based foods, taste great, are high in fibre and gluten free, and contain absolutely no added sugar or nasties.
In line with Dr Megan’s scientific research, the brand believes that people and microbes thrive on variety and deliciously good food, so it will come as no surprise to learn that the bars pack a powerful 100% plant-based punch of ingredients including the likes of wholegrain oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds and calcium-rich seaweed. The Superberry variant contains 11 plant-based foods, while Toffee Apple and Cocoa Hazelnut both contain 9 plant-based foods.
As customer curiosity around gut health continues to surge[2], the brand believes the range of flapjack bars will appeal to a broad range of consumers, with its unique offering of tangible gut health benefits at an accessible price point ensuring a winning combination.
The launch will be supported by billboards, Hello Fresh sampling, digital and social advertising, and PR.
Expanding into bars further consolidates Bio&Me’s position as a trusted brand in the gut health sphere. The Chester-based business, which also produces gut-loving granolas, porridges, mueslis and live kefir yoghurts, saw record sales at the beginning of 2024, where it achieved £1 million retail sales in January alone, up 46% versus January 2023. The business is expected to hit £14 million retail sales in 2024, +40% year on year.
Dr Megan Rossi, Bio&Me co-founder, says: “Here at Bio&Me, we’re on a mission to make good health deliciously easy. Bars are typically laden with added sugars, including popular bars marked as ‘healthier’. These tend to use exotic sounding names such as ‘coconut sugar’ and ‘brown rice syrup’ to disguise that they contain added sugars – but according to the science, irrespective of the source, they are still treated like standard sugar in our body. There hasn’t been one that I, as a gut health specialist, have been really impressed by, so it was a no-brainer to work our Bio&Me magic and create this trio of great-tasting flapjack bars to help widen consumers’ healthier snacking repertoires. We hope consumers enjoy them as much as we enjoyed creating them.”
Jon Walsh, Bio&Me co-founder and CEO, says: “We wanted to create an unparalleled everyday snack that stood head and shoulders above the rest of the competition, and we believe these new flapjack bars do exactly that. Now more than ever, consumers are looking at what’s actually in the food they’re eating, and for us, as a credible, science-backed brand, it was important for these bars to be the absolute best. And as well as being requested by consumers, we actually had several retailers ask for Bio&Me bars too. We’re beyond grateful to have the belief and support of both Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, and we can’t wait to extend Bio&Me’s relevance to a whole host of new consumers who are hungry for compelling and delicious convenient bar formats.”
