Nourish and Virgin Airlines will take their partnership into its next phase with the introduction of Nutty Bliss, a bespoke 20g brownie bar made with minimally processed ingredients. Over the following 12 months, the product will be served as the preferred long-haul snack for Virgin’s Upper Class passengers, a customer group increasingly focused on healthier choices.
The new listing follows Nourish’s recent online success with Whole Foods Market and Holland & Barrett. It also strengthens the brand’s position as a pioneer in high-fibre snacking, promoting gut health and balanced blood sugar through its clean-label almond butter products.
A February 26 survey conducted by dnata Catering & Retail highlighted several important food and drink consumer trends among UK air travellers:
Nearly half of respondents, or 47%, said they were—or would be—more likely to prioritise wellness over indulgence when selecting inflight food and drink than they were five years ago. In addition, 45% wanted greater access to protein-rich products, while 56% preferred foods made with fresh or minimally processed ingredients. Almost one in five passengers, or 19%, said they would pay more for products that support gut health.
These changing preferences may help explain a series of recent airline listings. In May 26, British Airways added Novel Foods’ gluten-free, high-fibre savoury snacks under the British Crunch brand. American Airlines listed Blake’s seeded, protein-rich breakfast bars in 25, while Boundless secured a Bidfood listing for its gut-friendly snacks in 25.
Nutty Bliss combines a rich chocolate and fudgy coconut brownie centre with crunchy almond nut butter, finished with a layer of dark chocolate. The high-fibre bar contains no dairy, gluten or refined sugar.
According to Nourish founder, Ineke Nugteren, ”Naturally we applaud Virgin’s ongoing conviction to seek out and support smaller brands championing a healthier living agenda; because as Virgin Airways knows better than most, biggest isn’t always best.”
The expanding role of functional snacks in airline catering and foodservice reflects broader food and beverage industry trends. Retailers are also responding to demand shaped by food manufacturing trends, food processing technology and food and drink industry innovation, particularly in products that support health and wellbeing.
In September 26, Waitrose introduced dedicated wellness bays featuring products focused on protein, gut health, collagen and creatine. Meanwhile, Nielsen IQ reported 9.6% growth in protein-food sales during the 26 weeks to February 26. Together, these developments demonstrate how food distribution trends, food and drink sustainability, food and drink regulations, food and drink packaging and food and drink marketing are increasingly influencing the development and positioning of better-for-you products.