Bio&Me is expanding its kefir product line with the launch of new ‘Good for Your Gut’ Kefir Drinks. This exciting addition will hit shelves at Sainsbury’s on September 25th and at Whole Foods on October 2nd, with a special window takeover featured at the flagship High Street Kensington store of Whole Foods.
The new range consists of two flavors: Natural and Vanilla, each retailing at £2.60 for a 500ml bottle, which contains two servings. This launch responds directly to robust consumer demand, as Bio&Me aims to provide an authentic, flavorful, and gut-healthy kefir drinking experience. Notably, each 500ml bottle contains 18 different culture strains, including two of the most researched strains in the world: LGG and BB-12. Additionally, these drinks boast over 100 billion active cultures—more than double the average found in other kefir drinks available on the market.
Furthermore, these all-natural kefir beverages proudly carry the label ‘Good for Your Gut.’ They contain no added sugars, emulsifiers, or thickeners, thanks to a specialized fermentation process at Bio&Me’s expert dairy facility. This process ensures that the drinks maintain all the nourishing qualities of fermented dairy, without the need for artificial sweeteners or ultra-processed protein powders. Moreover, these gut-healthy drinks are naturally rich in protein and serve as an excellent source of calcium, B12, B2, and phosphorus.
Consumer testing data highlights that both the Natural and Vanilla varieties scored impressively against competitors, particularly concerning taste and creaminess. In fact, 89% of testers indicated they would be likely to purchase these products (Wirral Sensory Services + Bio&Me instore testing).
The kefir market is witnessing robust growth: kefir yogurts and drinks are valued at £91 million and have seen an increase of £24 million recently (NIQ Latest 52 w/e 10.08.2024). Currently, three brands—Bio&Me, Biotiful, and Yeo Valley—dominate 92% of the kefir yogurt market (NIQ Latest 52 w/e 10.08.2024). Notably, Bio&Me’s Vanilla Kefir Live Yoghurt has emerged as the current bestseller, according to value data in Grocery Multiples over the last twelve weeks. Tesco recently joined Asda, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose in stocking Bio&Me’s kefir yoghurts, adding Original, Vanilla, and Mango 350g pots to 250 stores last week.
Dr. Megan Rossi, co-founder of Bio&Me, emphasizes the brand’s mission: to make good health deliciously easy.
“Many kefir drinks on the market, even those labelled as ‘gut healthy’, are often packed with added sugars, thickeners, and artificial ingredients,” she states. “We’ve worked really hard to create as close a match as possible to traditional, homemade kefir, which is celebrated for its strain diversity, high active culture count, and clean ingredients. Our unique fermentation process eliminates the need for emulsifiers, thickeners, or added sugars, allowing the quality of the ingredients to shine through – and importantly, they taste great too.”
Jon Walsh, co-founder and CEO of Bio&Me, emphasizes that careful crafting ensures the kefir drinks are of the highest quality for consumers “without cutting corners.”
“Now more than ever, people are scrutinizing what’s actually in the food They’re consuming, and for us, as a credible, science-backed brand, it was important for these kefir drinks to be the absolute best,” he notes. “Our kefir yoghurts are performing really strongly, growing +39.2% (value) and +38.8% (volume), and we can’t wait to see what shoppers make of these new kefir drinks.