Low-carb bakery specialist Keeto Life, which produces the Seriously Low Carb range, has secured £500k to support the next stage of its growth.
The funding from the East of England Regional Loan Scheme will be used for ongoing product development, enhancing sales and marketing initiatives, packaging innovation, and recruiting new staff. The business said this will enable it to expand into bricks & mortar retail, hospitality, and foodservice, whilst reacquainting itself with a number of active export opportunities across Europe.
Pre-Brexit the brand was selling into 15 EU countries, but mounting logistical issues temporarily halted this arm of the business, noted Keeto Life CEO and founder Andy Welch.
“With recent developments in courier services once again making the EU both accessible and financially viable, we’re finally in a position to re-visit a vibrant export opportunity that’s once again within reach,” he said. “Thanks to this significant financial injection (regional growth loan), our pioneering operation can truly capitalise on its first-to-market status.”
Its low-carb products – including seeded artisanal rolls, pizza bases, wraps, and fruit loaf – are currently sold directly to consumers via its website. The company said its 200,000+ customers seek low-carb food for a variety of health reasons including managing diabetes and weight loss.
In a recent interview with British Baker, Welch said they had an “educational piece to do” to help shoppers understand the proposition. He noted that keto and low carb remain two of the most searched for diets online but translating this into packaging on shelf was tricky.
As part of this, Seriously Low Carb underwent a rebrand at the start of this year. The new branding includes the abridged name SRSLY coupled with vibrant colours for maximum stand out on shelf. Low carb messaging is prominent, which Welch described as “an informative identity with ambitious swagger that projected our ‘everyday accessible credentials”. Other messages highlighted on the low-carb loaf’s packaging include ‘slim friendly’, ‘low sugar’ and ‘only 43 calories per slice’.
“Andy and his team have looked beyond the snack market to fill a gap for real low-carb foods and their 80% repeat purchase rate speaks for itself,” said Simon Elliott, investment manager at The FSE Group, which manages the loan scheme.
“Despite being a new company, Keeto Life has achieved significant traction and brand recognition with a growing pipeline of opportunities within the food service and retail sectors, as well as a significant lift in export enquiries, that place this trail-blazing operation on a high-growth trajectory.”
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