CRAVE, a vegan and gluten-free snack brand based in the UK, is facing infringement notices after three of its products were deemed too similar to those made by major brands.
In response, the brand has agreed to modify its products to avoid legal action. The pickled onion flavour maize snacks will become Pickled Onion Noughties, while the hot and spicy maize puffs will be rebranded to Hot & Spicy Hot Dawgs. Finally, the chocolate hazelnut spread will be renamed Sir Spread-a-lot.
“Constraints of time and money make it very difficult for us to take on these giants. We are not a big threat to their success, we are just here to make ‘normal food’ available to everyone,” said Founder Rob Brice.
“Everyday products”
CRAVE was founded in 2020 to offer alternatives to what it describes as “bland and boring” free-from snacks. Last year, the brand successfully secured a listing at Asda after placing an ad outside the chain’s headquarters, reading ”We spent loads on this ad to get Asda’s attention”.
Two months later, CRAVE won the TV show Aldi’s Next Big Thing, subsequently gaining its biggest-ever order from the retailer. The brand told vegconomist it had been the fastest-selling of the show’s winners so far.
“We are looking to offer customers the products they CRAVE: normal, everyday products,” said Brice. “We operate in a very niche market of free-from and vegan and so clearly very different products from mainstream brands. We don’t see there being any confusion between the two. We see this as an opportunity for us to have fun and get creative with some new ideas, and will of course make the changes that we need to.”
