Insane Grain Baked Knobbly Sticks range

Source: Insane Grain

The snacks will roll into Asda, Ocado and John Lewis this month (rsp: 89p-£1.75/24g-80g)

Healthier snacking challenger Insane Grain is launching a non-HFSS contender to Nik Naks.

Called Baked Knobbly Sticks, the snacks will debut in three flavours: Cheese, Salt & Vinegar and Truffle & Cheese.

They are claimed to contain up to 52% less fat than competitor crisps.

Additionally, they had gut health benefits – thanks to the inclusion of a probiotic – and were a source of vitamin B12, said the brand.

They will roll into Asda, Ocado and John Lewis this month in impulse and sharing bags (rsp: 89p-£1.75/24g-80g).

The snacks were the result of one year’s development and promised to deliver on both taste and texture – “so much so, you’ll be surprised they’re HFSS-compliant”, said Insane Grain.

Additionally, the brand had introduced a new character on the front of its Truffle & Cheese packs intended “to help spotlight historically marginalized communities”, said Insane Grain founder Rushina Shah.

Shah said she was “always disappointed at the lack of representation in store” as a woman of colour.

“When we walk down the street, we come into contact with an array of different cultures and ethnicities, but this experience is rarely reflected when you walk down a mainstream supermarket aisle.”

There was “a huge job to be done here to change this and we believe it’s up to challenger brands like ours to use our packaging as a powerful touchpoint, to speak to a wider audience authentically and hopefully lead the way to make meaningful change over time”, Shah added.

The launch comes after Warburtons invested £250k in the brand last year through its Batch Ventures bakery innovation fund.