Independent retailer Amrit Singh is ramping up his wholesale business by bringing a viral chocolate chicken concept to the UK.
The launch taps into the fast-growing imitation food trend on social media platforms, where visually deceptive products are “piquing consumers’ curiosity” by looking like one food but tasting like another.
His product, called Cluck-o-Late, is Belgian chocolate shaped like a chicken drumstick, covered in crumbled caramel biscuit and filled with vanilla cream, delivering the kind of “sensory overload” and “shareability factor” that is driving demand, Singh told The Grocer.
Singh, who has launched the product under his SV Wholesale business, has secured listings in Spar stores through AF Blakemore, James Hall and CJ Lang. It is also working with Unitas Wholesale members and delivering to independent retailers directly.
SV Wholesale has elected Vape Supplier Limited as the exclusive distributor of Cluck-o-Late into retailers across the UK. It is a leading vape supplier which is “built on spotting trends early and scaling them fast”. It is now applying the same learnings to food and drink, supported by a portfolio of over 800 SKUs.
“TikTok has turned food imitation into a mass trend, and we first saw chocolate chicken gaining traction in January,” said Vape Supplier Limited trading director Jo Wrate.
“We quickly recognised both the viral potential and the opportunity by working in collaboration [with SV Wholesale] to elevate the concept, developing a higher-quality product with strong accreditation and clear brand positioning for mainstream UK retail and wholesale.”
Wrate explained Singh and Vape Supplier Limited had worked with 450 creators to generate “authentic social media content that drives consumer engagement and awareness” ahead of the product’s launch in the UK.
The businesses have also created a suite of videos using AI to bring “Cluck-o-Late to life on social media”, and for its retail and wholesale partners to utilise on their digital screens in stores and depots.
“It’s about making sure the product isn’t just seen online but fully understood and activated in a retail environment,” said Wrate.
She added that Cluck-o-Late was being developed to create “a family of new formats and limited-editions” under the brand.
“Many products are just a fad,” said Wrate. “They’re here today and gone tomorrow. We’ve worked in collaboration with SV Wholesale to develop it as a brand rather than single product. We’re already working on extending the range with Cluck-o-Late chicken nuggets.”
The product is manufactured in Turkey at a BRC-accredited factory. Singh and Vape Supplier Limited have worked closely with Trading Standards to ensure full compliance with UK labelling and ingredient regulations, while designing packaging, artwork and format specifically tailored to resonate within the UK retail environment.
Singh runs an award-winning Nisa Local store in Walsall. He moved into wholesale in 2023 with the aim of bringing US NPD, viral products and TikTok trends from other countries into the UK.
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