Paleo candy: Partnership accelerates health conscious snacking space

16 May 2018 --- Hu products, makers of organic, paleo and vegan chocolate, have received new investment and partnership from Sonoma Brands, a unique food and beverage products incubator. With its beginnings in the paleo-inspired New York-based restaurant, Hu Kitchen, Hu Chocolate says that it is now ready to “accelerate the expansion of its global reach and propel its growth in the health-conscious snacking space.”

“We are thrilled to have found a strategic partner in Sonoma Brands. We look forward to what this relationship will help us accomplish as we move to advance our distribution and exposure in the coming months,” says Jason H. Karp, Chairman and Co-Founder of Hu. 

“With the support of Sonoma Brands, along with several other highly strategic investors, we will accelerate the conversation around the need for more vegan, paleo and unprocessed foods and bolster our platform as a mission-driven health and wellness business.”

The brand of Hu (“Get back to Human”) embraces dark chocolate, using organic cacao to craft vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free products that are free of refined sugar and additives and lower-glycemic by design. Hu, Sonoma Brands and the other new partners, plan to work collaboratively to accelerate growth and continue to innovate in the “good-for-you snacking space.”

Further investors in Hu include Dr. Mark Hyman, Tim Ferriss, Nelson Peltz, and Dr. Peter Attia. Nelson Peltz, Founding Partner of Trian Partners, a pioneer in food investing and corporate governance.

Hu products' range brings a wide portfolio to the paleo market. Innova Market Insights notes that in the sports nutrition category, launches of paleo products increased 12 percent from 2015 to 2016 and 4.5 percent in the active health category. Outside of the sports fields paleo products also prospered, with product launches in the breakfast cereals category rising by 4 percent from 2015 to 2016, and launches of gluten-free products describing themselves as paleo rising by 9 percent. Our special report delved into the worlds of paleo and keto, which you can read here. 

“This product is a healthy treat people can look for without the added guilt typically associated with chocolate, or products with refined sugar," said Dr. Mark Hyman, author in functional medicine and key investor. “The product quality and ingredient vetting is unparalleled in the desert and confectionary world, which is why Hu Chocolate is a wonderful option for people to embrace when they want a permissible indulgence.”

 “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with a brand that is right on par with our background. Providing unique experiences with 100 percent vegan products, Hu Chocolate is a true category disrupter in the vegan/paleo world, showcasing ingredient integrity and culinary influence that resonates deeply with our team. We believe that Hu will change brand standards across a variety of product verticals by delivering its rigorous ingredient integrity and transparency, and we’re excited to be a part of that future and the Hu story,” says Jon Sebastiani, Sonoma Brands Founder.

Consumers are increasingly looking for permissibly indulgent options: tasty, sweet foods that come with a healthy boost. This healthy indulgence space is one that welcomes innovation, read NutritionInsight’s special report on the topic here.

New York-based Hu Kitchen stock all of Hu’s products. Hu chocolate is also available in thousands of US stores.