Hello NourishBites!

Hey Friends, I promised you ages ago that I’d be back with a behind-the-scenes look at the road we’ve traveled with my healthy snack range, NOURISH. So, finally, here it is!

When?
Completely out of the blue, one of those middle-of-the-night ideas that kept me awake for hours last August. Everything suddenly came crashing together in my mind and I realised that I am so passionate about healthy eating, I can do more than share recipes, I can give people convenient, good-for-you food that comes with my promise that the ingredients are completely natural and nourishing.

Why?
A product range was never on the horizon at all, but now that I am this far down the road it makes so much sense to me. The whole idea was all further compounded when my family drove to Namibia around Easter this year, it’s a LONG two-day drive (particularly with a 6 year old and a 3 year old!), and all along the way there are endless stops offering all kinds of junk food and processed snacks, and so few options that are actually good for you. It made me sad and frustrated and more determined than ever to get my products out there.

How?
Wow! I had NO idea that there were this many hurdles along the way to getting products on shelves. I initially gave myself 5 months max to get into stores (that is hilarious in hindsight).
In a nutshell, it went something like this
Ah-ha Idea Moment
Recipe development
Finding a reliable production partner (this was way harder than you’d think, but we’re now working with an amazing team in Cape Town)
Lots of recipe tweaking because industrial scale production is so different to home making which effects texture and flavour and shelf life
Brand registration and bar code registration
Nutritional analysis (more than once because we changed our recipe a few times)
Wording analysis (the government make sure you don’t make any false claims on your packaging which is a good thing)
Halaal and Kosher certification (this too ages!)
Packaging design and development and LOTS of tweaking
Box design and development and quote comparisons
Finding a great distributor
Courier quotes and comparisons for delivery to distributor
Marketing plan and LAUNCH.
And that’s the very short story!

Also, in terms of a roadmap, it’s a bit of a tricky one because at the start, you don’t even know what you don’t know, so you don’t know the right questions to ask or what comes next in the process, Ania (my amazing SG teammate!), Rob, our producer, packaging partner and distributor have all been amazing. People are really passionate about getting good stuff out there and we were so happy to see that.

Target Market?
Busy, health-conscious people who need a little pick-me-up as they go about their day. They’re also ideal for work and school lunch boxes and busy Mum’s who find themselves in the car after drop-off with a busy day ahead and they hadn’t even realised they missed breakfast. Anybody?!

The Nourish Vision and Hope?
To build a brand that people love and trust, and that shares delicious, nourishing snacks and convenience food. There are lots of amazing healthy products out there, but for me NOURISH is about goodness-only. You don’t need to check the ingredients list, I’ve done it for you and promise that there are only natural, nourishing ingredients in each product.

Where can you buy them?
We will be in stores from around the 26th September, so check back for our full list of retailers soon soon!

What’s Next?
I’m already working on product development for another four products which we hope to roll out over the next year or so, I think you’re going to love them! It also includes a couple of life-changing breakfast options that area already staples in our home and which have the thumbs up from Rob, Sophie, Isla, Ania and me!!

Follow Along!
With #HelloNourish on Instagram and Facebook

Thank you so much for all the excitement that you’ve already shown online, I can’t wait for you guys to share in the NOURISH fun soon!

Sarah XX