“With the popularity of vegan and plant-based diets, we are forecasting a very buoyant year ahead.”

Dairy-free chocolate brand Moo Free’s online sales have surged by a staggering 300% in the past 12 months.

The ‘dairy dodging’ retailer is already ‘forecasting a very buoyant year ahead’ with the popularity of vegan and plant-based diets growing.

Moo Free chocolates are gluten, soya, and palm oil-free and made using two types of cocoa beans. The Everyday and Mini Bar range is made from UTZ/Rainforest Alliance cocoa from Africa, and its Premium range uses organic cocoa sourced from the Dominican Republic which is produced to high ethical standards.

Apart from their standard flavoured bars, Moo Free, which is registered with the Vegan Society is constantly innovating and launching seasonal treats in addition to monthly subscription boxes, truffles, and buttons.

‘Buoyant year ahead’

Andrea Jessop, the CEO at Moo Free said: “We have enjoyed seeing the online shop continue to grow, especially in 2020 where sales were particularly strong.

“With the popularity of vegan and plant-based diets, we are forecasting a very buoyant year ahead.”

Moo Free

Family-owned Moo Free was founded in May 2010 by Mike and Andrea Jessop.

Sharing their journey, the couple said: “We started by making a few Easter eggs using a milk alternative chocolate in 2008, which flew out the door. We then got a flood of emails asking for the same in an Advent calendar and other products.

“This is when it all began to get a bit serious.  We re-mortgaged our house and invested in some machinery and ingredients.

“Over the next two years the recipe was tweaked and volunteers were forced to try dozens of samples until finally in May 2010 Moo Free was officially born.”

The brand has evolved over the past ten years, perfecting its offerings for some of the best tasting, ethical and free from, vegan chocolate.

Growth plans

Last year, the ethically-founded brand made notable investments for a brand makeover and charted out ambitious double-figure growth plans for 2021.

It also hired a marketing agency to help grow its loyal fan base and increase purchase frequency.

A last year’s report by market research company Grand View Research revealed that the global vegan confectionery market size valued at $ 995.5 million in 2020 is expected to be worth $1,987.9 million by 2027.

A Growing acceptance of veganism, increasing influence of social media sites dedicated to vegan lifestyles, and increasing concerns about animals, personal health, and the planet, were listed as the main driving factors popularizing the plant-based lifestyle.

Moo Free chocolates are stocked at Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons, M&S, Ocado, Asda as well as online.

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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