Over The Moo Proves That Persistence Pays

When Simon Goodman sat down to watch Shark Tank (March 20), the Australian version of Dragon’s Den, he had little idea that what began as an informal chat would soon reshape his work career. 

The original idea was simple yet compelling, create a credible lactose-intolerant/plant-based ice cream that tasted as good as its cow milk peers.  The entrepreneur behind Australia’s Over the Moo Alex Houseman was a belligerent ice cream enthusiast, who simply refused to accept why his body’s      inability to cope with cow milk should stop him from enjoying ice cream.

48% of UK adults use plant-based alternatives!

Simon in truth wasn’t interested in the tub format already taking positive strides in Australia, convinced that the last thing UK needed was yet another 500g pot.   Simon’s head had been turned by the bite-sized, sharing category currently being pioneered by the likes of Little Moons and Doughlicious; a rapidly growing sub-category which tapped seamlessly into Generation X’s more health-conscious instincts.

The bite-sized category has quadrupled within 4 years and snacking has increased by 30% since 2010

Simon’s vision was to harness the nostalgic appeal of the once iconic Choc Ice, creating easy-to-handle, dark chocolate enrobed chunks that crackled enticingly when bitten, yet were less than 30 calories a bite.

Whilst others sought to mask inferior tastes and curious textures with quirky flavour profiles, Simon and his team prioritised simple yet classic flavour profiles (vanilla, caramel and a game-changing chocolate), recognising that firstly they had nothing to hide and secondly, for many, a Bite was seen more as the frozen equivalent of an after-dinner mint than an upmarket Magnum.

73% of consumers say they would change habits to reduce environmental impact, whilst 62% are willing to pay more for sustainable brands suggesting the moment was ripe for a frozen treat using coconut milk from sustainable farmsteads in Indonesia and the Philippines.

As with so many field-field SMEs the early decision was taken to take the brand to the very heart of Britain’s buoyant indie sector (farm shops, delis, garden centres and food halls), where the corporate brands are less dominant.  Whilst such a strategy has been imperative with regards bedding down a distinct brand vision and forging a vocal loyalist heartland, it would now appear that overseas supermarkets, where plant-based thinking is more established and the UK’s more disruptive grocers will provide the real break-through moments in 2025.

‘Early doors’ export successes within Waitrose UAE and Spinneys in 2024 has now been extended to UAE’s most popular online food store Kibsons, Portugal’s Continente and one of Spain’s leading health food wholesaler Vegan Nutrition.  In the UK Zapp services the 12 most affluent borough’s ice cream bite needs (250,000 touch points), whilst other specialist wholesalers are helping establish a promising presence across 250 Spar stores.

If that wasn’t exciting enough, Over the Moo is also deep into liaisons with two of the nation’s most recognised supermarket chains.

The moral of the story here is that whilst an attentive indie sector is often perceived to be the bedrock of a well-conceived disruptor brand, don’t ignore supermarkets either at home or abroad because whilst they might be slower out of the blocks, when they move your world changes!