Oumph! and Food for Progress showcased their award-winning plant-based foods at SIAL in Paris, and offered plenty of samples for show-goers to taste during the five-day fair held October 21-25. Faux meat treats from the Mjölby, Sweden-based company’s menu were enjoyed by vegetarians, flexitarians and meat eaters alike.
“Exhibiting at SIAL Paris was part of our expansion program plans,” said Anders Wallerman, co-founder and managing director at Food for Progress. “Oumph! has helped increase a flow of new consumers to try plant-based food, and we’d like for it to create the same impact in new markets.”
Anna-Kajsa Lidell, co-founder and head of market strategy, added: “We receive a lot of interest from many markets around the globe, but it is important for us to grow with quality and to get a good start with the right partners in each territory. We have expansion plans with particular markets in mind.”
The company’s gluten- and dairy-free frozen products, made from soya beans and organic herb and spice mixes, include:
- Top-selling Pulled Oumph! This offering features chunks in a flavorful BBQ sauce suited for taco filling or burger topping.
- Oumph! Kebab Spiced. Strips seasoned with a classic kebab spice mix. All one has to do is add vegetables and sauces to create a plant-based kebab.
- Oumph! Thyme & Garlic. Chunks seasoned with garlic and thyme.
- Oumph! The Chunk. This option is unseasoned for folks who like to add their own herbs, spices and impart signature creativity to a dish. The Chunk contains only soya beans, water and a little salt.
- Oumph! Salty & Smoky. With its salty, smoky and slightly sweet taste, this one is positioned as a “perfect partner for brunch, served with American pancakes, or in a bagel.”
- Oumph! Pizza. Plant-based pizza topped with Oumph! and vegetables, herbs, organic spices and vegan cheese. The base is hand-stretched and baked in a wood-fired brick oven.
About the Product
Oumph! is versatile and easy to cook, which makes it suitable for home cooks as well as foodservice operators. It’s suitable to grill, boil, sauté, deep-fry or heat over an open fire. In addition, it is high in protein and fiber, as well as a good source of iron and folic acid.
Since being launched in Sweden and other Nordic countries in 2015, Oumph! has become popular with a wide clientele including families, millennials, foodies, chefs and fast food loving flexitarians and vegans.
In its first year on the market Oumph! scored category growth of 24% in Sweden and 22% in Norway, respectively.
The brand launched at Whole Foods Market in the United Kingdom in September of 2017, in Tesco in March of 2018, and in Holland & Barrett in October of this year.
In the Nordic countries Oumph! is a staple on vegan menus in restaurants and fast food chains such as Max Hamburger (Sweden), O’Leary’s Sports Bars (Sweden) and Peppe’s Pizza (Norway).
Awards Stacking Up
The brand has grown rapidly of the past three years, and has won several prestigious prizes, including both the Food Product of the Year award in Sweden, and Silver and Bronze, respectively, in two different categories in the UK’s FreeFrom Food Awards competition.
Recently Oumph! Kebab Spiced was named Best Vegan Meat by PETA UK in its Vegan Food Awards 2018 contest.
Meanwhile, Pulled Oumph! and Oumph! The Chunk have been shortlisted in the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards in the UK, in the Foods Manufactured For Foodservice category.
Pulled Oumph! and Oumph! Kebab Spiced are shortlisted in the Best New Food Product of the Year category in the Food Matters Live Awards competition.
