Soya Health Foods was first ­established in 1984 as a

privately-owned independent ­supplier of branded and own-

label soya products in the UK and Europe. The company is part of the Soya-Group and it ­supplies a wide variety of consumer ­products to retailers, wholesalers, food ­service and manufacturing clients throughout the UK and in some ­export territories.

In 2003 the group purchased the business and assets of Thirsty Soft Drinks and it was then able to add a portfolio of still soft drinks brands including Thirsty, Fabulous Fruit Juice C, Juice to Go and Rio Del Sol.

Its original Sunrise brand has been a mainstay of the ­traditional soya market for ­almost a ­quarter of a century, according to the company. During this time the market for soya milk in the UK has grown substantially.

The company believes its ­latest branded ­innovation, Sunrise Healthy Start, is ­going to ­revolutionise the way consumers think about soya and breakfast time.

"The packaging design gets across the cholesterol-lowering ­benefits that come from soya, while the product delivery, especially in the crucial area of taste, is outstanding," says marketing director Robin Gleave.

"Although soya has been around for a while, no one has yet exploited its true potential."

Healthy Start, which will be launched at the International Food & Drink Exhibition in March, is ­going head to head with other suppliers looking to tap into this market, including Unilever's Adez.

The drink comes in flavours of orange & mango, ­mandarin & pomegranate and apple & ­raspberry, all priced at £1.69. The line up also includes an organic honey and vanilla milk at £1.39.

"One of the barriers to ­growing the market was resistance to the taste of soya," says marketing ­director Robin Gleave. "Sunrise was designed to appeal to ­consumers who find current soya products in the market a bit of a turn off."