Shore seaweed chips now in Morrisons
Shore is creating plant-based seaweed snacks that appeal to the growing number of mainstream health-conscious consumers. Image: Shore
After successfully launching its 100% sustainable seaweed snack range in the UK a year ago, award-winning Shore has secured its first national supermarket listing.
From 20 June, its 25g Sweet Sriracha Seaweed Chips (rrp £1) will roll out to 174 Morrisons stores. One of a trio of chip flavours from the Scottish seaweed company, the team is also tweaking its range to achieve HFSS compliance and will make the changeover later this year.
Shore’s ethos revolves around the nature of sustainable seaweed harvesting that works in unison with the environment whilst providing support and employment for its local rural communities.
Based in Wick in the far Northeast of Scotland – one of the UK’s most remote communities – the small and passionate team of 15 harvests its seaweed by hand, then turns this local umami-rich superfood into all-natural, 100% sustainable super-grain chips that are vegan-friendly, gluten-free, low-calorie. High in fibre and iodine, they also have the goodness of 6g of fresh seaweed per 25g bag.
Winners of Free From, World Food Innovation and Great Taste Awards, Shore said its chips are a great starting point for anyone that has not tried seaweed before. The chips are also available from Amazon and the Holland & Barrett website, plus Scottish Sainsbury’s and Coop as well as 300 health stores up and down the country.
“Our mission is to create an edible seaweed industry of scale in Scotland that is 100% sustainable”, says Shore co-founder Keith Paterson. “We are creating tasty plant-based seaweed snacks that appeal to the growing number of mainstream health-conscious consumers who are increasingly seeking sustainably sourced foods, and our chips are a great entry point for anyone that hasn’t tried seaweed before.”
The seaweed snack sector grew by over 30% in the last 12 months and is now worth over £4m at retail (Neilson Nov 2021). Shore shipped over 400,000 packs of its seaweed chips in 2021, its first full year after launch. Seaweed meets some key consumer drivers in the snacking category – new and inspiring snacking innovation, interest in Asian flavours, increased focus on health and wellbeing and sustainability & provenance of ingredients.
Paterson continued: “One of the big challenges in snacking this year is how to deliver taste while being HFSS complaint. Consumers don’t want a trade off on taste in snacking. New products that don’t deliver on flavour and texture won’t last.
“Our chips are currently being redeveloped to be HFSS compliant while still being fried for the right taste and texture, without losing any of their nutrients or unique flavour profile, and this puts the brand in a very exciting space. This has turbocharged our conversations with retailers as they look for compliant products that still deliver on flavour, reflected in the nationwide launch into Morrisons.”
