LONDON — Mindful Snacker is aiming to make 2021 “the year of clean comfort food.”
Led by an all-female team with more than 20 years of experience in the snacking category, Mindful Snacker will offer health-forward solutions for the convenience sector as well as independent grocery and delis, health and wellness outlets and coffee chains. The company is spearheaded by Tara Quick, chief executive officer, along with Ruth Fittock, former senior marketing manager at PopChips, and Nat Cooper, former senior business development manager at Vita Coco.
The UK-based brand officially will announce its first product, a potato crisp with significantly lower salt and fat content, next month. Set to hit shelves in April, the potato crisp will be followed by more launches across a range of categories, including better-for-you alternatives to traditional dips and plant-based products.
“Our aim is to provide delicious, better-for-you snacks that bring the pleasure back to snacking,” Ms. Quick said. “We focus on all-natural ingredients that you recognize, minimal processing, no additives, we’re conscious of salt content, but ultimately we are driven by taste — everything we do is delicious, we’re obsessed with flavor and quality.”
While taste will always be the No. 1 factor, the company has seen health increasingly become a driver of comfort food sales during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, she added.
“Snacking is now more important to our everyday lives than ever before,” Ms. Quick said. “What if there was a better way to enjoy what you love and avoid the pitfalls; namely fat, salt and calories? We want to be the future of snacking.”
Mindful Snacker is backed by Pilot Lite, a venture management company that helps de-risk, validate and launch early-stage technologies and new ventures. Pilot Lite recently partnered with Diageo to create Pulpex Ltd., a sustainable packaging technology company that produces bottles for beverage manufacturers, including PepsiCo and Unilever.
The partnership with Pilot Lite will allow Mindful Snacker to discuss larger-scale in-store marketing and point-of-sale support for retailers to ramp up sales activity early in the buying process, the company said.
“I’ve worked in snacks for years and have launched some really innovative brands in the UK, and I believe that Mindful Snacker is going to be a serious player within the convenience sector within months,” Ms. Fittock said. “In a post-pandemic world, the importance of health for the consumer is going to dictate the way in which the convenience sector develops and Mindful Snacker is going to be at the forefront.”