Juvela launches Oaf brand with mission to ‘breathe new life’ into free-from

Oaf, a new-to-market gluten-free brand from prescription-focused supplier Juvela, is to land in Tesco this week.

Oaf will act as the “strategic retail-facing range” for Juvela, while the Juvela brand will continue to occupy its position as a coeliac prescription-led offer.

The brand was “designed to attract a broader healthy foodie shopper,” and would “breathe new life into the free-from category” claimed Juvela.

Its four-strong lineup includes everyday white loaf White Softie (rsp: £3/400g), sourdough loaves in White Sour D’oh and Seedie Sour D’oh (rsps: £3.75/370g) and a two-pack of Pizza Base Slices (rsp: £2.75/220g).

“Gluten-free consumers – especially the younger, health-conscious segment – aren’t connecting with brands on the shelf, perceiving them as second best to conventional bread,” said Juvela and Oaf head of sales Matthew Cain. “This presents a massive opportunity to engage this audience with a vibrant, characterful brand that resonates with them, whilst showing how tasty and simple gluten-free bread can be through our product innovation.”

Cain added: “By combining Juvela’s historical quality, craft and expertise with Oaf’s vibrant brand personality, we’re on a mission to inject new energy, relevance, taste and enjoyment to the retail free-from space, starting with a line of high-quality bakery goods, in the fastest-growing areas of the category.”

Unlike other gluten-free brands, which tend to use rice flour, Oaf and Juvela products are made using a specially formulated wheat starch with the gluten removed. This meant their taste and texture was as “close to conventional bread as it gets”, according to the supplier.

Products from both Oaf and Juvela will be made at the company’s new allergen-free site in south Wales, which recently received £1.5m in fresh investment.