We like to hear, share & celebrate our suppliers’ stories…this week our guest blog is FORI, an innovative company producing bars that are a meat based savoury alternative to over processed and sweet tasting snack bars!
“A Meat Bar?! A question that is far too regular within the life of working in Fori.
On a daily basis … and no we are not exaggerating, we always get asked what is a meat bar and why?! Well the answer is quite simple really, because we have one ambition and that is to change the way people snack.
Carl Austin, Fori Founder is a crazy, ultra – running loving enthusiast and during a gruelling running session in 2015, the idea for his meat bar emerged. Carl was constantly looking for sustenance that could fuel him through his adventures and he was fed up of all the snacks laden with sugar that were congesting our shelves … still are.
First of all, he was sick of sweet and false advertising claims, secondly, they played havoc with his stomach and last but not least, sugary snacks led to a quick high, followed by a far too often low in his everyday life and through ultras.
Therefore Carl, started playing around with different savoury snacks on runs, everything from cured meats, nuts, dried fruit and seeds. Then BINGO! The thought hit him?! Why don’t I try and put them all together?! And through self-confessed naïve enthusiasm, he did.
When, going through the development of Fori bars however, Carl was obsessed in speaking and learning from everyone, to artisan jerky producers to multi-national FMCG companies. He was completely paranoid by his lack of experience and driven by a thirst to make the best product and save people from sacrificing nutrition for convenience.
One particular conversation that stood out fondly, was one from a gentleman that challenged him on two things –
Firstly, what does a Fori bar do? As his product made people fat and happy.
Secondly, how could we possibly charge more per gram than a Lindt chocolate bar?
These ludicrous questions, speared Carl on further to change the norms of the industry, however if Carl was to change the industry he would need to work with a company that had the experience and infrastructure in place to make it happen. So he joined forces with Dawn Meats, a large family business with proven history in food manufacturing, sustainability and animal welfare, all similar values and ethics of which Carl had. After all, it is better to try and influence the market from the inside out, rather than the outside in.
Now backed, by Dawn Meats, the dream could turn into a reality and we could make the ultimate savoury snack, the Fori Bar. Made from only the finest Grass Fed and Free-Range Meat British meat, dried fruit, seeds and seasoning, a Fori bar is a perfect wholefood bar on the go.
Fori packs a whopping 20 grams of protein and is low in fat, sugar, calories and salt. It is also free from gluten, dairy and nuts and everyone deserves to snack happy.
We may be the first and a little weird, but once the coconut water kids were the odd boys on the block. Join our revolution today and try Fori at your local As Nature Intended store, only £2.00 for the whole of January.”
