The UK’s ketogenic movement may have been a little slower out of the blocks than its US counterpart – where it is currently out-performing both gluten-free and plant-based – but the category’s underlying commitment to champion healthier living in rejecting carbs and refined sugars is slowly but gathering momentum among Brits.
Latest cake data from Neilsen reaffirms that while the purchase of big celebration cakes from bakeries are in freefall – thanks to the lockdown-driven uptick in home baking – there has been a swing towards ‘feelgood’ treats that make adopting healthier living regimes more bearable.
To capitalise on this trend and spur on the keto movement’s growth, young, ketogenic brand startups like No Guilt Bakes are bringing some indulgence to a category historically stereotyped as functional.
The UK business – which was founded on the back of a quest to lose weight by the two founders – has recently launched an on-the-go cake range in recyclable packaging and has extended its ketogenic reach to encompass bread, pancake and waffle mixes.
It has also signed a long-term alliance with Sugarwise, the international certification authority for sugar claims.
According to co-founder Taeya, “Having sampled a number of underwhelming ketogenic cake offerings and noted the dearth of real choice that existed online, we knew we had to turn our hands to baking, having experienced first-hand just how hard it is to give up sugar if there were no permissible treats to quell our FOMO (fear of missing out) urges and suppressed sweet tooth tendencies.
“As our business grew, we recognised that our packaging and brand identity didn’t reflect the quality of our cakes, a short-term oversight we’ve fully addressed.”
Taeya added, “Whilst we’ve nothing but admiration for traditional cake stalwarts like Kipling and Bonne Maman, their reticence to look beyond one-size-fits-all eating occasions convinced us that that it was time for someone else to fulfil that need.”
The No Guilt Bakes portfolio includes Cake Bites in flavours like Ginger Spice, Choc Hazel and Lemon Coconut, along with Multiseed Bread Mix and Pancake and Wafflex Mixes. It is also offering the Ultimate Valentine Day Cake Box – with an assortment of its favourite bakes – available online for an RRP of $39.99.