Natural Products Europe 2022

It’s springtime again so it must be time for Natural & Organic Products Europe. Back after an absence of two years and living up to its reputation as the premier event for sustainable, natural, organic and free from food, drink and wellbeing products it did not disappoint. Event Director, Carol Dunning, described the return of this flagship exhibition as ‘exhilarating’ and added, ‘the feedback was incredible, with buyers representing the full retail spectrum, from major multiples, to online, convenience, premium stores and the important independent health store sector.

The exhibition was attended by an astonishing 7,000 visitors and 800 exhibitors and attracted glowing feedback from participants across the board.  Owner of Natural Health Store, Patrick Meehan, described the event as ‘one of the best UK shows, with an outstanding quality of varied exhibitors and buyers.’ Holland and Barrett’s Sarah Looms commented that she attends ‘for innovation, new brands, and catching up with former colleagues, existing partners and suppliers.’ It was clear to see that after two years of virtual contact the bonus of in-person networking opportunities was appreciated by all.

A large part of the show was dedicated to Vegan World with new start-ups and established brands alike showcasing their fantastic product ranges. The meteoric rise of veganism worldwide continued to reflect consumers’ insistence on healthy eating choices, with 3.5 million vegans in the UK alone. This year’s Veganuary campaign revealed that of the 629,000 people who took part, 83% of those who were not already vegan will now either stay vegan or halve their intake of animal products.

The importance of the UK’s booming organic sector is supported by the Soil Association’s annual Organic Market Report that the market has broken the £3 billion milestone, ‘significantly outperforming non-organic sales’ and demonstrating ‘exceptional resilience’.  The findings add that, despite the pandemic, strong performances were recorded across all areas of retail, including supermarket home delivery services, independent retailers and foodservice. Online shopping and box schemes fared particularly well, with e-commerce and veg box schemes turned to by consumers during lockdowns translating into ongoing retail trends. Amazon is now the largest online retailer of organic products in the UK.

As one of the world’s leading kosher certification agencies, KLBD hosted a stunning stand at ExCel London, which attracted crowds of enthusiastic visitors. The distinctive KLBD logo is a guaranteed symbol of quality and remains a major asset for opening doors in new markets and generating additional sales revenue. Retail Food and Drinks Manager Sharon Feldman-Vazan and her colleagues were delighted to share the fantastic array of kosher product ranges for people to see, sample and savour the undeniable ‘wow’ factor.

KLBD products on display included the delicious range of Scrubbys vegan and gluten free snacks, justifiably branded as ‘vegetable snacks with character’ and including hummus, lentil and quinoa chips, among many mouth-watering flavours. Kosher certified Sesame Kingdom  brought scrumptious product ranges to Stand Y31, with their promise to provide UK markets ‘with the best halva in the world’ using stone-ground sesame seeds.  ‘On the go’ apple and blueberry puree pouches represented two of the nutritious fruit puree pots presented by Clearspring as adhering to stringent KLBD standards.

Another company proudly flying the flag for kosher certification was the well-known Nakd  organisation.  A tantalising selection of dairy-free, wheat-free and gluten-free raw fruit and nut bars included delicious salt and caramel, coffee and walnut, as well as other tasty varieties. Elsewhere, KLBD certified Better Nature Tempeh showcased the protein-packed Indonesian ‘miracle’ food made from cultured soybeans and water and suitable for all types of cooking methods.

Branded as ‘the pioneers of Ethical Supplements, Viridian Nutrition featured an extensive range of vitamins, minerals and KLBD certified oils. Meanwhile Soulfresh food and beverage products included their Nutty Bruce activated almond and oat milk, unsweetened oat milk and a host of plant-based recipes ideas to use with their pure ingredients. An amazing range of kosher vegan and organic cookies, including vanilla choc chip and wild berries, grabbed the attention of visitors to the Kookie Cat stand.

KLBD client Kookie Cat

The mouth-watering Booja Booja Vegan Chocolate and Ice Cream varieties attracted their usual devoted following, with Heaven on Earth and Honeycomb Caramel flavours just two of the delicious dairy free ice creams carrying the KLBD logo.  Once described as chocoholic heaven, the innovative vegan chocolate and ice cream ranges remained a firm favourite with everyone.

Without doubt, Natural & Organic 2022 was a phenomenal success for visitors and exhibitors in every sense. A further highlight featured the traditional industry awards ceremony to recognise outstanding achievements in three sectors. Other memorable aspects included world class education seminars, international pavilions, a new products showcase and unrivalled opportunities to discover innovation from all over Europe. The show was so successful that an incredible 50% of stands were re-booked for the 2023 event and as Carol Dunning was proud to point out, ‘We can’t wait to start planning for an even better event next year.’

KLBD client Proper and Eat Real

See you next year!