Dairy-free yogurts made by UK brand The Collective, a subsidiary of dairy company Meadow (formerly Meadow Farms), are set to launch at supermarket chain Planet Organic next month, as the range continues to go from strength to strength.
The Collective makes both dairy and plant-based yogurts, and the latter have been so successful over the past year that the company is now reported to be the second fastest-growing brand in the dairy-free yogurt category. This has been partially attributed to the rapid growth of the market for gourmet dairy-free products.
“We are delighted to have Planet Organic’s endorsement”
The Collective’s plant-based “suckies” range for children is also highly popular, and is said to be the fastest-selling dairy-free branded NPD in the kids’ yogurt category. The products, which come in “mess-free” pouches that don’t require a spoon, were named The Grocer’s top yogurt launch in 2022.
The dairy-free yogurts launching at Planet Organic include large gourmet pots in the flavours raspberry, passionfruit, and fudge, suckies in the flavours strawberry, banana, and peach & apricot, and small pots in raspberry and passionfruit varieties.
“A huge level of innovation”
Meadow, which manufactures The Collective products, invested £4 million in a new dedicated plant-based facility back in 2020. The company said it had seen fast-growing demand for dairy-free options, motivating it to build a site with an annual capacity of 14,000 tonnes.
In 2021, the facility began manufacturing The Collective’s plant-based Greek yogurt, which was said to be the first of its kind in the UK. Then, in November 2022, The Collective announced that its dairy-free passionfruit yogurt would be launching at all UK IKEA restaurants.
“Dairy-free and plant-based options, particularly for children, are an area of the category where there is a huge level of innovation taking place, helping the positively transform and expand the range of quality options available for consumers,” said Sarah Smart, CEO of The Collective UK. “We are delighted to have Planet Organic’s endorsement as we continue to grow the presence of our dairy-free ranges across all UK retailers.”
