World foods leader Surya Foods said it has acquired a major stake in leading health snack brand Karma Bites, as part of a series of moves to up its presence in the snacking arena.
Karma Bites produces a range of naturally flavoured, popped lotus seeds, a popular snack with a rich history in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine - recognised as among the most nutrient dense seeds on the planet.
They have the moreish crunchiness of popcorn, and are packed full of protein and nutrients. The clean label range comes in five sweet and savoury flavours including: Himalayan pink salt, Peri-Peri, Wasabi, Caramel and Coconut & Vanilla. The range is also vegan, gluten free, non-GMO and free of refined sugars.
“My Grandma introduced me to the magic of popped lotus seeds. They have been a staple in my family for three generations, so I have experienced the benefits of these miracle seeds first-hand,” Karma Bites founder Ashwin Ahuja said.
“When I launched Karma Bites I was so excited to share them with the world and spread goodness! Working alongside Surya Foods, my aspiration is to take Karma Bites on the next big step of its journey - to scale up production, distribution, enter multiple markets and expand the range.”
“The superfood credentials of lotus seeds has helped the product take off in health conscious markets across Australia and the US (Los Angeles). The UK market generally follows these trends and there is a definite shift here in people understanding how their food choices impact their health,” Ahuja added.
Surya Foods plans to expand the brand with a swathe of NPD, to up its presence in the healthy snacking arena, and use the contemporary design of the brand to gain greater access to mainstream markets.
Surya Foods achieved an impressive 30 per cent increase in revenue last year and now supplies almost half of the UK’s branded dry rice supply across its leading UK Top 10 rice brands; Laila, Salaam and Mai Thai.
The food giant has also announced significant expansion plans at its Harwich site which will bring 200 additional new jobs to the Essex area over the next three years. It is on course to open a brand new custom-built, 40 acre head office/distribution centre, with 250,000 sq ft of storage facilities in Essex by 2026.
In 2020, Surya Foods made its first move into the snacking category, pouring £2m into a state of the art snack factory at its Harwich site. The factory currently produces snacks for its market leading brands including Laila, Thai Dragon and Kingstons, as well as offering private label services across a broad range of products.
Harry Dulai, group chief executive officer of Surya Foods, said: “We are pleased to have acquired a major stake in Karma Bites, which is a stylish contemporary brand with lots of mainstream potential. It aligns well with our plans to grow our snacking portfolio with several new launches in 2025. We continue to invest in the Harwich site to support our expansion plans and are committed to creating ‘better for you’ snacks, that have an improved nutritional profile.”
