Vegetables & Fruits

Little Roots Aims to Transform Young Veggie Nay-Sayers into Yay-Sayers

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Dublin, Ireland-headquartered Strong Roots is targeting kiddie clientele and their parents with its Little Roots Little Bites for Family sub-brand launch. Four plant-based offerings have been introduced thus far: Crunchy Corn & Carrot Chunks, Sweet Potato & Butternut Nuggets, White Root Vegetable Bites, and Pea & Lemon Minis.

“Mealtimes with family can be an anchor in a sea of change, and we want to help make them that little bit easier. So, we’ve created Little Roots, a kids first collection to help you turn vegetable nay-sayers into vegetable yay-sayers,” messaged the producer in a recent Instagram upload.

Retailing for £3 or so in the freezer aisles of Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores in the United Kingdom, the healthy-eating offerings contain three vegetables per bite and are high in fiber while low in fat and sugar. They are ready to serve after just 14 minutes of oven preparation.

Founded in 2015 by Samuel Dennigan, Strong Roots’ expanding range of plant-based frozen food products includes Mixed Root Vegetable Fries, Spinach Bites, Cauliflower Hash Browns, Roasted Beetroot Wedges, and Kale & Quinoa Burgers. Its products are sold in over 4,000 stores worldwide including major retailers in Ireland, the UK and the USA, as well as in Singapore, Iceland and a number of countries in the Middle East.

More for the adult crowd, ready-to-bake Beetroot Wedges are lightly dipped in rice flour batter. Distribution is in 425-gram bags.

Last year the company raised $18 in venture capital financing in a Series A round led by New York-based private equity specialist Goode Partners LLC. Alantra, a global mid-market firm, advised the deal.

Strong Roots initially entered the United States market with eight gluten-free Vegan and NonGMO-verified products introduced to specialty food stores and major supermarkets via natural products distributors KeHE, UNFI and others.

“Young consumers are savvier and more curious about food than ever before, but have had few appealing options in the freezer,” said Denningan. “Strong Roots inspires today’s healthy eaters to be spontaneous and creative by offering flavorful foods they can mix and match with minimal prep. We are a purpose-driven company. Our foods are smart and sustainable, avoid spoilage and have recyclable packaging. We want to help change lives for the better.”