Vegan restaurant group, Stem & Glory has chosen retail food and drink consultancy, Taste Shakers, to help expand its offer into retail.
Taste Shakers aim is to bring Stem & Glory onto supermarket shelves, launching the brand to consumers nationwide and driving extra revenue by capitalising on the growing demand for plant-based meat alternatives.
Comprising a team of experts with over 100 years’ experience in retail category management, national account sales and foodservice & retail PR & marketing, Taste Shakers was established in 2020 to launch restaurant brands – both established and new – into the burgeoning retail food market.
Louise Palmer-Masterton, Co-Founder, Stem & Glory, commented, “As a vegan, before we launched Stem & Glory I had struggled to find healthy, probiotic food that was both ethically and sustainably sourced.
'We are now on a mission to bring delicious, gut-friendly, gloriously plant-based food to everyone – not just vegans! Following the popularity of our restaurants and, more recently, our online business, the obvious next step was to move into retail.
“We are very excited to be taking this step with Taste Shakers. They really get what we stand for regarding both our commitment to providing outstanding vegan food and drink as well as our passion about being a truly sustainable brand.”
David Marston, Co-Founder, Taste Shakers, said, “Unlike hospitality, the grocery sector is booming. Lockdown has generated a 20% uplift in in-home food occasions - a trend that is set to continue in spite of restrictions being lifted.
'Plant-based, a fast-growing category in retail, has seen 2.9m more shoppers shop the category in the last five years. Stem & Glory are perfectly placed to capitalise on this with the launch of their range of gloriously plant based ready meals, dips and desserts.
“Retail, however, is a complex business and to be successful you have to have all bases covered. Our unique combination of skills means that we are perfectly placed to guide operators and find the best solution for their businesses. Crucially, our unrivalled network also means that we can manage the whole process from start to finish – including licensing and manufacturing.”
Anita Murray, Co-Founder, Taste Shakers, added, “We are delighted to be working with such an innovative and exciting brand as Stem & Glory. It was only in 2017 that they launched their first entirely vegan restaurant in Cambridge – this has already been voted Best Restaurant in Cambridge at the British Restaurant Awards.
'Their second restaurant, which opened in 2019 in London, has been recognised as the Best Vegan Restaurant in London at the Design My Night Awards. To top it all, in February 2020 Stem & Glory won Most Investable Concept at the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF).”