Epicurium is a UK based healthy snacks wholesaler, offering a wide range of delicious snacks and drinks to meet today’s hottest trends.
The wholesaler provides expert range and category advice to help retailers find the right products for their business.
Its mission is to banish boring snacks and to help retailers differentiate their snack offer to better satisfy modern lifestyles.
Epicurium helps retailers stand out from the competition and attract a wider range of shoppers; workplaces engage better with their workforce; and cafes, venues, and sports clubs better serve their visitors.
Ben McKechnie, Director, Epicurium, tells Wholesale Manager what trends are driving the healthy snacking category and gives advice for other wholesalers to help grow the healthy snacking category.
How is the healthy snacking category performing?
Healthier lifestyle choices have been a hot topic over the last few years and have been brought into focus with HFSS regulations and the sugar levy which has led to a lot of reformulation of products. The pandemic highlighted for many the importance of a healthy immune system and the aspects of nutrition that contribute to this.
The category itself continues to grow well and shows no sign of slowing down, but it’s perhaps more useful to consider it as part of a wider movement for better nutrition across the whole snacking category. Modern consumers are demanding more from their snacks and are increasingly savvy in recognising the functional benefits. Health and sustainability have become a mainstream requirement of many consumer choices, and it is increasingly difficult to separate healthy snacking from core snacking.
Is the category seasonal – is there a spike at particular times of year?
As you’d expect, January continues to be a key month for the category, as customers make New Year resolutions and look to get fitter and heathier. However, there continues to be a market for this category of products throughout the year and particularly into the summer months. It’s really only December where the sheer indulgence of Christmas takes precedence over the healthiest choices. Even then, the industry offers healthier indulgences which are affording snackers the option to continue their better-for-you choices throughout the festive season.
Has the cost-of-living crisis affected the healthy snacking category?
Despite the cost-of-living crisis, we are finding that consumers will continue to spend on little indulgences, or items that have added benefits and fit into their lifestyle. They are becoming more selective with their purchases, but they will invest in snacks that align to their health and fitness goals.
What trends are driving the healthy snacking category?
We talk about five mega-trends that are shaping food choices with health & wellness being the primary driver, closely followed by a focus on ethics and sustainability. These two key drivers are then complemented by a want for quality and craft appeal – honest, authentic, and well-made; curiosity – a want for new flavours, textures, and experiences; and a strong demand for global tastes and travel through food.
A big driver is the shift away from the traditional three meals per day to more frequent smaller eating occasions, often fuelled by snacks.
We have found that Veganism appears to be losing its shine recently. Whilst the drivers for meat reduction and more sustainable eating remain strong, snackers are recognising that they can meet their sustainability and health commitments through plant-based and more natural choices without the extra expense of a vegan lifestyle.
What sub-categories within healthy snacking are showing the strongest growth?
• A key facilitator for a lot of these trends is Tik-Tok, which is having an increasing influence on shopper demands for younger generations and represents a strong opportunity for agile retailers who can respond quickly to momentary trends.
• The big gainers have been in crisps and bagged snacks and we are seeing a shift towards sharing sizes on the back of cost-of-living as well as some strong help from TikTok.
• Sports & energy drinks have seen gains, with Prime making a big impact alongside a move towards cleaner and sugar-free energy.
• Complete nutrition drinks are very popular right now, due to their portability and convenience.
• Gut health is in focus too with a significant number of launches featuring pre or pro-biotics, particularly within the functional drinks category.
• Free-from is performing well, having developed from simply gluten-free to a more encompassing cleaner eating subcategory.
• Meat snacking has been quietly growing well in 2023.
What healthy snacks are Epicurium launching?
On the back of customer demand, this year so far we have launched five new brands that fit in to this category; Eleat, Fiid, yfoods, Grind, and Zombie Bars, to support retailers and food service providers looking to tap into consumer desire.
What advice do you have for other wholesalers to help grow the healthy snacking category?
If wholesalers are looking to grow the category, the first quarter of the year is a good time to do it as customers are in an open mindset. It can really help to create a loyal customer base by supporting habit setting; if retailers support customers in the early days of setting a habit there is a higher chance that they will retain the customer.
How many products does Epicurium supply and what categories do you cover?
We currently supply over 1200 lines from 120 brands, serving the primary missions within food-to-go, functional nutrition, and impulse. Our core product categories are crisps & savoury bagged snacks, chocolate and confectionery, snack bars, and soft drinks (including sports & energy, sodas, protein, and iced coffee).
Do you have an e-commerce site for your customers?
Yes, you can find us at: www.epicurium.co.uk
How has the wholesale industry changed in recent years?
As a relative newcomer, Epicurium represents a lot of the change that has been shaping wholesale over the last 10 years, with a shift to delivered wholesale and an increasing willingness of buyers to shop around and use alternate suppliers for the best pricing and products to suit local needs and trends.
The pandemic also accelerated the D2C and direct supply activity of brands, and this has put increased pressure on wholesalers who are faced with competing directly with the brands themselves. This has meant a strong focus on adding value through service, range selection, speed and ease of responsiveness, and especially in the advice and support that is offered to wholesale customers.
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