The snacks formerly known as…
Free from snack startup Crave is making big changes to products to avoid a lengthy infringement battle with multinational corporates.
Crave specialise in snacks such as crisps, chocolate bars, and spreads that are fun and flavoursome, but also free from gluten, milk, and egg and vegan.
In 2020, founder Rob Brice spotted a gap in the market for snacks that everyone can enjoy and has grown the London-based business to one of the leading free from brands in the UK. In November 2022, Brice won Channel 4’s Aldi’s Next Big Thing, which saw Crave’s snacks boosting its following and winning listings in national supermarkets, including Asda and Morrisons.
However, due to legal pressures, the brand is now changing some of its product’s names:
- Pickled onion flavour maize snacks renamed as Pickled Onion Noughties;
- Hot and spicy maize puffs rebranded as Hot & Spicy Hot Dawgs;
- Chocolate hazelnut spread change to Sir Spread-a-lot.
“We are looking to offer customers the products they crave: normal, everyday products. We operate in a very niche market of free from and vegan and so clearly very different products from mainstream brands. We don’t see there being any confusion between the two,” said Brice.
“Constraints of time and money make it very difficult for us to take on these giants, we are not a big threat to their success, we are just here to make ‘normal food’ available to everyone. If you are coeliac, why should you be limited to the bland, boring, ‘cardboard’ snacks of the free-from aisle?”
Keen to avoid an exorbitant legal battle and make the modifications requested, a pricey exercise in itself, Brice sees the silver lining.
“We see this as an opportunity for us to have fun and get creative with some new ideas and will of course make the changes that we need to.”
“The packaging changes will take place in August 2023, and we are looking forward to introducing more Crave products onto shelves soon… we’re fairly sure that we have the backing of Cuthbert, Wiggles and Clyde.”
