Crowdfunding : successful crowd funding projects, plant milks are growing in popularity, healthy food gets a big kick...
On the spotlight
🌟 Crowdfunding in foodorama
Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Ulule… If crowdfunding platforms allow entrepreneurs to test and define their product-market fit and build a community, they can also act as an indicator of consumers' needs but also their sometimes, unsuspected desires. We have reviewed the most popular food projects of the moment on several main crowdfunding sites, that have become real catalysts of trends and business opportunities.
+ 60,000 euros for jars of Japanese pickles and marinades.
Big in Japan – Japanese preserves are trending right now, popularized by Tsukemono, 漬 物 Available as canned vegetables, fruits and even flowers. Often used in Korean or even German cuisine, these fermented foods are attracting more and more consumers thanks to their high vitamin content and their multiple benefits for the intestinal flora. According to the founder of Demi - the food equivalent of Reddit - social network communities that are most active right now are those linked to fermentation, such as "Club Ferment" or "Preservation Society".
+ 3000% financial objective for next generation pots and pans
Risks of burns, harmful coating… We can no longer count the pain points linked to kitchen utensils, which are essential for everyday use. As a result, many DTC players have gone back to the drawing board to resolve the issue. Those providing solutions are Great Jones, ranked several times in the Top 30 of the fastest growing brands (according to the Similarweb 2020 ranking), Crane Cookware and Proclamation. On crowdfunding platforms, the financing rates for this category of products very often exceeds the set thresholds, which was the case for The Buccaneer, Misen Cookware or even FIRPlus whose ‘far infrared ray tech’ has exploded the progress metres.
+£720.000 in crowdfunding equity for healthy snack bars.
Natural, gluten free, vegan and palm oil free, Perkier’s snack range is an increasingly popular choice. The British brand has raised more than £720,000 on the equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs, exceeding the funding target by 180%. So what are they selling ? Snacks made from recipes enriched with vitamins, probiotics and, depending on the brand, up to -60% sugar, + 100% fiber and + 34% protein compared to the competition. Enough to tick all the boxes of qualifying as a functional food.
Other successful ventures are high-end kitchen knives inspired by NASA technology or even English CBD spirits.
🥛 Plant-based milks, the new cows milk
The demand for plant-based milks continues to rise, with the market exploding in some countries. In the United Kingdom one in three Britons say they consume an alternative to dairy milk. According to figures from Future Market Insights, the global market value is expected to reach $ 30.79 billion by 2031 with a compound annual growth rate of + 8.8%.
After soy milk and almond milk, the market has expanded, with multiple variations now available . Whether it is rice, oat, cashew or macadamia-based drinks, new alternatives are already being stacked on crowded shelves. Here’s a small selection of our favourites :
Buckwheat milk from BUCK was launched on the Canadian market last August. Buckwheat is actually the seed of a fruit and not the grain. This ingredient, naturally gluten-free, has a high concentration of amino acids, vitamins and minerals.
The Swedish brand DUG potato milk is touted as the first milk made from the staple food – with a formulation that also includes pea protein and chicory fiber. The company states that growing potatoes is twice as efficient as oats in terms of land use and requires about 56 times less water than almonds. Is this enough to change consumers habits?
Kabocha Milk's butternut squash milk stands out from the rest with its distinctive orange color. This brand is the result of a partnership between the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries and one of the largest producers of kabocha squash in the country. The product was formulated by Sachie Nomura, a Japanese chef well known for having worked on the production of avocado milk.
BamNut's Bambara Peanut Milk. Launched by the Singaporean company WhatIF Foods, this milk is made from bambara peanuts that are rich in protein and resistant to any variation in climate temperature. According to BamNut, their carbon footprint is roughly a quarter of that of imported New Zealand cow's milk.
The trend is showing no signs of stopping at professional fabrication either, with Do It Yourself recipes being more and more sought after. On Google, +40,000 searches are made per month around the world of “how to make almond milk”, “almond milk recipe” and “home made almond milk”, and around 7,000 monthly searches for machines and utensils that can help you make your own almond milk.
Strong Signals
🥗 Functional foods take a bite out of the sector.
Showing strong growth, largely down to the pandemic, is the so-called functional foods market, which is expected to reach $ 267,924.4 million by 2027 with a CAGR of + 6.7%. But if, up until now, the term was quite large as it regrouped a vast number of products that are “good for your health”, it would now seem that the market is starting to structure itself around the following major categories.
Gut health - This category refers to the entire range of probiotics, including DTC brands such as Uplift and its “happy gut cookies” and from the industrial companies have jumped on the band wagon, with Babybel, now enriching its famous round cheese with microorganisms known for their benefits for the intestinal flora. Not to mention all the players in the drinks category; such as kombucha, yogurts, fermented vegetables ... The sector has not stopped growing.
Beauty foods - Very popular in China, this sector is making its way over to the West. While gummies and other beauty enhancing drinks were initially exclusively available in pharmacies, more and more of these products are available in supermarkets and specialized stores. These include the ‘beauty bites’ from Krumbled Foods designed to make your skin glow, or yogurts made with collagen and antioxidants, although the subject of collagen assimilation remains highly debatable. The Australian company Beauty Food markets products that improve your beauty. With its slogan “Eat yourself gorgeous”, the site sells cookies and spreads, boosted in collagen.
Hormonal Foods - It is estimated that around 79% of women suffer or have suffered from dysmenorrhea, which is painful periods. Could diet play a role in reducing these symptoms? In any case, this is a subject that interests Internet users: on Google, searches similar to (“Food that help with period cramps”, “food for period cramps” ...) account for more than 20,000 searches each month around the world. The food giant, Heinz is working on a cocoa-based drink dubbed "Period", and DTC brands are also cashing on the issue. In the Netherlands, Rooby positions itself as the first snack with anti-inflammatory ingredients that help relieve menstrual pain. The offer is extended to ranges that target other hormonal issues: Dutch company Chocobombes has invented a range of sweets, adapted to each trimester of pregnancy, just like Jolly Mama. Another emerging market is food for seniors, dedicated to well-being during menopause. This could get a real boost with multiple small brands aiming to cash in on the market. Another niche that is starting to be exploited is food or drinks treating hormonal issues. Teatis, for example, is a DTC brand of tea that helps diabetics to control their blood sugar levels, while Muniq addresses the same problem with their high protein shakes.
Mental Health – Whilst lockdown and social distancing have made us more open to discussing mental health, there are now drinks available that claim to help the issue that contain nootropics, CBD and adaptogens, brands such as Sunwick, Peak, Moodring, Drink Moment and Hop Wtr, have invested in creating products that could help people with the problem. Ice creams, snacks and other foods for adults and children, such as Cerebelly or Brainiac are also targeting the issue. In addition, there are food related ASMR videos and "culinary therapy" sessions, that consist of taking time out in the kitchen to chat with your shrink are other alternatives.
Coming soon, food shopping focusing on you health issues?
What’s next? This emerging sector has initiated new ways of consuming and shopping as demonstrated by a new reading grid that divides them into the following categories: by values, by health issues and by pathology . Despite being well established in the market; functional foods are still in their early days. Could these foods soon be prescribed by doctors? In the United States, as part of experimental programs, doctors are starting to prescribe vegetables… The possibilities are endless - a whole new profession could emerge, that of a dietitian-curator who knows everything about new products to then give ultra-targeted recommendations.
🔮 Food trends in 10 years time
Last August, we highlighted the 2021 food trends, according to Austrian researcher Hanni Rützler. This month, we focus on the work of Dr. Morgaine Gaye, a London-based “food futurist” who boldly projects herself into the future trends of the upcoming decade. Here’s a brief overview of her predictions.
Air, the next ‘it’ ingredient. According to the expert, the future of food will not only be about the flavors but also the textures, created by new technologies. “Consumers who don't like avocado, for example, often say it's because they find the texture slimy, but if you put air into it and make it crunchy, you have a whole new fan base for one particular food” she explains. Convinced that air will play a crucial role in the cuisine of tomorrow, she cites the Finnish start-up Solar Foods, who plans to produce 50 million meals, made up of food from water, electricity and air. A revolutionary - and ecological - way of contributing to human nutrition.
Supermarkets in the hot seat? If the way we eat is changing dramatically, prepare yourselves because Morgaine Gaye also predicts major changes in the way we shop. According to Morgaine, if up until now consumers have sought convenience, whilst specialty stores continue to gain traction, supermarkets and hypermarkets must opt for a more memorable experience approach. Unsurprisingly, it also promotes the development of zero waste supermarkets ( that sell food without packaging) , a trend that is already been fully exploited by Vrac'n Roll or even Intendance.
NextGen personalization. Brands specializing in food personalization already exist. Thanks to 3D printing, Get Nourished get you to complete a questionnaire then you can create your very own tailor-made candies. Same story for Erbology, who is focused on producing ad-hoc snacks. But these initiatives are probably nothing compared to what lies ahead. According to the specialist, the future of personalization will be linked to our DNA and to the evolution of biotechnology. In the near future, we could be equipped with connected objects that’d require us to just breathe-in to obtain precise information about our micronutrient needs. The expert also predicts that it could be possible to scan these connected objects via screens located at points of sale to get tailor-made recommendations.
Chefclub NEWS
🆕 New products for kids !
The Chefclub kids range is expanding ! After cups and themed boxes, mini-utensils and cookie cutters, the newest addition to the range is a knife and a rolling pin that will allow children to cook by themselves and in complete safety, from 4 years old!
Weak Signals
🎰 Pimp my vending machine?
Distributors of the Vegan Vend brand.
The global vending machine market is expected to reach $ 25.25 billion by 2027 with a CAGR of + 6.7%. The sector is doing extremely well, mainly due to the expansion of big establishments and the fact that meal vouchers are dying out.
The rise of digital technology, artificial intelligence and IoT means that ordering screens are more interactive and easier to use, transforming these machines into sociable meeting points where people can meet up, play, work and share new experiences which is basically ‘retailtainment’. Fun fact: Within the online game, Fortnite, a recent series of challenges has prompted users to go on a quest for virtual vending machines to purchase snacks and other more surprising items and services.
Source: @DreamweaverIt
A wider variety of foods on offer might just help spice up the market. Junk food is out and has made way for healthy snacks, freshly squeezed juices, even homemade products. After pizza and champagne distributors, the market has completely reinvented itself, offering a wider selection of foods and drinks in its distributors, a few examples are salads, insects, eggs ( digital dancing chickens included! ) and even vegan product dedicated distributor.
But what will be particularly interesting to follow will be new experiential approaches. Whilst some bars have a beer vending machine, the Nano Bar machines contain only niche functional drinks, its purpose is to create "a revolutionary way to socialize, without the alcohol buzz."
Atlas Obscura, is an international community of food entrepreneurs who, for the launch of their book in October 2021, created an impressive event-style pop-up distributor that integrated a selection of foods and atypical drinks such as Fleur de Pois Papillon powder or premium canned bread.
☕ Coffee isn’t the only product to that can give you a caffine kick
While some coffee manufacturers reduce their caffeine content by adding fungi and other adaptogens, more and more everyday products containing caffeine are becoming available on the market.
Both Verb and Better Than Coffee have developed their own caffeine-based snacks. Awake integrated the ingredient into chocolate squares. At Pocket Latté, caffeinated chocolates are all the rage, as they are meant to be paired with the brand's latte. A new hyped-up ritual?
Finally, if you are looking for something to revolutionize your morning routine, say “hello” to milk, yogurts and caffeine-based cereals, like Dash Coffee from Off Limits.
Table talk
Canned fish is (really) fashionable. A few months ago we mentioned it and today the trend is still rife. The Spanish brand Pyscis, position themselves at the high-end sector and has just announced the launch of a monthly subscription box. Players are multiplying in the sector, Conservas, for example a has a clean and polished esthetic and premium editorial strategy, to seduce the US marketplace.
The Blue Zones diet line is now available. Bush Beans has announced a new line of soups and beans developed in partnership with Blue Zones LLC, an organization dedicated to helping people live longer and healthier lives by identifying and researching the human populations that have the best longevity. This limited-edition DTC range aims to test the market ahead of nationwide retail launch in 2022. A partnership that could potentially live a long life…
Watch out for : marketing in the “Metaverse”. Last year Deliveroo sent a fleet of virtual horsemen to deliver virtual treats to Animal Crossing players, these treats were accompanied by promo codes that players could use to order food in the real world. Then there’s Hellmann's, Unilever's mayonnaise brand, who created an island where it invited players to drop off their old turnips in exchange for an actual donation to Canada's food rescue charity Second Harvest. The move was part of the brand's slogan that "food is too good to waste". This year, companies go one step further. Qfora Alliance a South Korean company, has just announced the launch of "Mellonvus", a metaverse-based online / offline / XR mall. To be continued...