Distribution Roundup: European Brands Make a Push Into U.S.

Erin Cabrey Oct. 26, 2020 at 5:48 PM

In the latest distribution news, the U.K.’s Little Dish and Ireland’s Strong Roots expand in the U.S., TB12 debuts in retail and Clio Snacks launches its new low sugar innovation on Walmart shelves.

Little Dish Debuts at Target

U.K.-based toddler brand Little Dish expanded its U.S. footprint last month, launching into 515 Target stores nationwide. The brand, which produces heat-and-eat entrees for children, will launch Macaroni & Cheese and Pasta & Tomato Sauce meals in the produce section of select Target stores for $4.99 per 7 oz. unit. The brand will also debut a Beef & Lentils variety in the coming months.

Founded by Hillary Graves with the belief that “fresh, healthy, delicious food should be kept in the fridge, not the pantry,” Little Dish offers meals with low sodium, no added sugar and no preservatives or additives.

The brand’s goal is to offer parents an easy and clean-label option in place of cooking meals from scratch. Other companies such as Once Upon a Farm and Square Baby have similar missions, though they have largely focused on purees for younger babies, leaving the toddler market open. While Little Spoon and Yumble do have toddler offerings, these brands are direct-to-consumer, resulting in parents having to plan ahead meal times.

“We have been very encouraged with the positive feedback and success in the UK and are excited to be bringing Little Dish to more U.S. families,” Graves said in a press release.

Founded in 2006, Little Dish launched in the U.S. last year at select Walmart locations. The Little Dish team worked collaboratively with neuroscientist and child nutrition expert Nicole Avena as well as a toddle test group known as “Tiny Tasters” in the U.S. and U.K. to develop its products. Expanding to the U.S. required the brand to reimagine some of its offerings that are more geared to a U.K. palette, with Chicken Korma, Fish Pie and Cottage Pie among them.

Little Dish’s Target launch comes after the retailer expanded its selection of baby and toddler food products this summer with the addition of brain-boosting functional food brand Cerebelly at 1,500 locations.

Strong Roots Hit Shelves at Walmart

Irish frozen plant-based food brand Strong Roots’ line of Cauliflower Hash Browns and Mixed Root Vegetable Fries are now available in more than 2,000 Walmart locations across the U.S.

Founded in 2015, Strong Roots debuted in the U.S. last year at Wegmans and Safeway, and is now sold in 4,000 stores in the U.S. and over 8,000 worldwide. Last fall, the company raised $18 million in a round led by New York-based private equity firm Goode Partners in part to help push further into retail and support increasingly larger retail partners.

“Walmart is the largest retailer in the country, and we’re incredibly proud to partner with this iconic American company to bring our range of plant-based food to families across the U.S.,” founder and CEO Samuel Dennigan said in a press release. “I started this company because I believe in farm to fork. Consumers have embraced our products as they hunt for healthy, easy options in the freezer aisle and we’re thrilled to continue growing with this Walmart expansion.”

To support this growth, the brand has recently made several additions to its team. Karen Griffin, formerly of DHL and The Coca-Cola Company, joined as global CFO in August. Craig Bowlin, who led marketing for brands at Conagra and Pinnacle Foods, was promoted to head of Strong Roots USA last month after joining the company as CMO in February.

TB12 Rolls Out in Retail

TB12, the health and wellness brand co-founded by NFL quarterback Tom Brady, launched its line of performance-focused food and beverage products into retail earlier this month at 125 Publix Super Markets and 70 Whole Foods. To-date, the brand has been largely sold online.

The brand’s plant-based multi-serve Protein Powder in Chocolate, Vanilla and Unflavored and plant-based Protein Packets in Chocolate and Vanilla are available at both retailers, while Publix has also picked up the company’s Powdered Electrolytes stick packs in Lemonade and Blueberry Pomegranate.

This month, the brand also launched Performance Meals, a new line of heat-and-eat prepared meals, in partnership with subscription meal delivery service The Good Kitchen. The line includes varieties such as Herb Roasted Chicken and Vegetables, Roasted Cod with Succotash and Chermoula Sauce, a Shredded Beef and Rice Bowl and Quinoa and Chickpea Pilaf with Spiced Cauliflower, and ships nationally. Prices range from $12.99 per meal for those consumers on a subscription plan to $14.76 a la carte.

TB12 previously had a partnership with meal kit brand Purple Carrot to offer shoppers plant-based meal kit plans.

Clio Snacks Launches New Line at Walmart

Greek yogurt bar maker Clio Snacks has added a new product to its offerings at Walmart this week, launching its new Less Sugar line in stores and on the retailer’s website. Available in Mixed Berry and Peach flavors, each bar contains one gram of sugar and 100 calories.

Heather Cox, president at Clio Snacks, said in a press release the new launch would introduce a new set of consumers to the brand, including those who follow the keto diet.

“Consumers are increasingly looking for low to no sugar offerings and we are excited to deliver a reduced sugar line that meets this need without compromising on taste or indulgence,” she said.

The new product line comes after the brand closed an $8 million funding round this summer, in part to launch new lines and further build out retailer partnerships Clio’s original chocolate cover greek yogurt bars are sold at over 8,000 retailers including 3,000 Walmart locations along with Whole Foods, Wegmans and Albertsons/Safeway, and expanded distribution of its mini multipacks at Walmart earlier this year, increasing distribution from 100 to 700 doors.

The Honest Stand Expands to Target

Plant-based dip brand The Honest Stand launched in Stop & Shop and Sprouts earlier this year and expanded to over 900 Target stores in September, coinciding with the debut of its updated packaging, reformulated product and launch of two new flavors. The brand is now available in 6,000 retail locations including select Whole Foods, Target and Kroger banners.

The brand’s new brightly colored packaging now features black lids which show characters who are “actively enjoying life and incorporating a special plant leaf in a unique way,” according to a press release. The dips’ formula has also been updated, swapping out the potatoes in its recipe for tapioca starch and adding sunflower lecithin (rich in fatty acid which can support heart heart and digestion). The brand has also added Buffalo Blue (bleu cheese and buffalo sauce flavor) and Sriracha Ranch to its lineup.

“It’s our mission to make healthy, organic plant-based foods more accessible, and we’re thrilled our dips are resonating so well with consumers that we’re rapidly earning new points of distribution across the U.S.,” Jeremy Day, co-founder and CEO of The Honest Stand, said in a press release.

Other distribution news includes:

Sauce brand Haven’s Kitchen is now sold at three Kroger banners — Ralphs, Fred Meyer and King Soopers/City Market — as well as 600 Target locations.
Chocolate snack maker Undercover Snacks’ Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Treats have hit shelves at 10 Kroger banners nationwide at 1,000 locations as well as chainwide at Wegmans.
Plant-based seafood maker Gathered Foods partnered with fast casual restaurant Veggie Grill, adding a limited edition exclusive Tuna Melt to its menu featuring the brand’s Plant-Based Tuna. The brand also launched several of its products at over 600 retailers across Canada this month.
Fast casual Mexcian restaurant chain QDOBA collaborated with hot sauce brand Cholula on a new menu offering — Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken — available at all QDOBA locations for a limited time.
A Dozen Cousins expanded to Target in California and select Costco locations.
Muffins and Frittatas from frozen brand Veggies Made Great hit shelves at Walmart last month.
One Brand’s plant-based bar offerings ONE PLANT are now available at select Whole Foods locations in Banana Nut Bread, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Churro flavors.
Natural and organic brand Julie’s Real launched its Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Almond Butter, Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Cashew Butter Jars and Single-Serve Packets at 2,600 Kroger locations.
Broth brand Zoup! expanded distribution of its broths and bone broths to 2,000 new locations this fall, including several Kroger Corporation banners, Harmon’s and Lucky Save Mart stores, as well as an additional 700 Walmart stores.
Meat stick maker CHOMPS entered 383 Sprouts locations, bringing its door total to 6,000.