An entrepreneur who runs one of the oldest family-run bakeries in the country, hopes to tap into the 海角视频 healthier snacks market with the launch of a new chocolate-covered bar that contains carrots.
Helen Yates, who co-runs Luke Evans Bakery in Derbyshire with her husband David, has launched Rootles, which she says is a new concept in the sector and believed to be the first, and only, indulgent treat to hit the impulse sweet snacking market which is vegetable based.
The company, which is based in Riddings, will be launching Rootles on a national stage at the Lunch! food and drink trade show in London, taking place on September 23 and 24.
Currently available in two flavours, dark chocolate and milk chocolate, each pack of Rootles contains three crunchy carrot biscuit fingers smothered in chocolate.
At 120 calories per pack, she says it has fewer calories than many other snack bars because the biscuits are naturally sweetened with 35 per cent nutritious root vegetables.
As well as carrot, they have a dash of sweet potato, and are high in fibre with less sugar and fat than many chocolate snacks.
Ms Yates said: “The Covid pandemic has led to a greater focus on health and Rootles are the perfect product for guilt-free snacking, as they are high fibre and contain just 120 calories per pack – fewer than many other snack bars.
“Consumers are looking for healthier snacks, particularly in the impulse snacking sector, but they don’t expect to compromise on taste or texture and still want to treat themselves.
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“Veg has been added to cakes for a long time but we’ve taken the concept a stage further and developed biscuit bars using root vegetables.
“Rootles taste like a traditional chocolate biscuit but are naturally sweetened with carrot and sweet potato.
“They are deliciously unconventional and really have to be tasted to be believed.”
Luke Evans Bakery has a history stretching back to 1804 and Ms Yates was inspired to develop the new bars through her work mentoring and supporting international business students at the University of Nottingham.
The concept of using veg in biscuits was developed as a market research project, which sparked her interest in the idea.
Later, she received funding support from Mission Ventures and the Good Food Fund, which sees Rootles as a winning healthy snack to help fight obesity.
She said the recipe has been perfected over several months and they have a shelf life of at least seven months.
Production has been sub-contracted out while the brand becomes established and they are already available at rootles.co.uk and Amazon and Derbyshire outlets including Croots Farm Shop at Duffield, Denstone Hall Farm Shop, White’s Calver, Winster Village Shop, the Spar in Chesterfield, the Heights of Abraham, as well as the Luke Evans Bakery shop in Riddings.
Ms Yates is now working on a national roll out of Rootles and hoping to secure listings with retailers, cafés, leisure venues and other outlets.