The Hershey Companyâs first vegan chocolate bars will be made with a base of oat milk. The new line of Hersheyâs Oat Made bars will come in flavors such as Classic Dark and Extra Creamy Almond & Sea Salt with each oat milk-based bar clearly labeled vegan. Currently, the bars are only available at Soul Minerâs Garden, a vegan food truck in Charlotte, North Carolina that was able to get an early batch after a happy accident.
âWe actually unexpectedly stumbled across these on the shelf at a big-box store here in Charlotte,â Soul Minerâs Garden Owner Sasha Quinn told VegNews. âThey had no tag on the shelf but rang up normally at the register so we bought them.â Customers can order from the truckâwhich serves vegan comfort food such as nachos, reuben sandwiches, and burritosâand add on a vegan Hersheyâs chocolate bar for dessert.
While Hersheyâs has yet to confirm the release date of the bars, rumor has it that the Oat Made line might roll out to additional stores as early as September 5. VegNews has reached out to Hersheyâs for more information about the launch of its vegan chocolate bars.
Hersheyâs first vegan chocolate bar
In February, Hersheyâs announced that it is working on expanding its âbetter for youâ (BFY) options, including plant-based alternatives. The brand is currently working on a long-term strategy to expand this category which includes innovation toward the BYF category of existing products, research and development of new products, licensing agreements to co-create products, and acquisition of brands that deliver BYF options.
Hersheyâs first vegan chocolate bar is a welcome addition to its BFY category and its key ingredient, oat milk, is a better option than dairy in terms of human, animal, and planetary health. âWe are the leader in US confection, and our consumers rely on us to understand their needs for everyday moments, seasons and special occasions, offering high-quality and great tasting candy thatâs accessible for everyone,â Kristen Riggs, Chief Growth Officer at Hershey, said. âExpanding our expertise, building new capabilities, and delivering more choices in better-for-you confection is the next big category opportunity for us to lead.â
Are vegan KitKats coming to the US?
Outside of the US, KitKat is produced by NestlĂ© and a vegan version of the iconic candy bar began making its way to store shelves earlier this year. Made from a combination of vegan chocolate and vegan wafer fingers, the new KitKat V was created by NestlĂ©âs research and development team in York, United Kingdomâwhere the original KitKat was first introduced in 1935. One of the first people to try the new vegan KitKat bar was plant-based celebrity Kim Kardashian, who received a personalized box of vegan âKimKatâ bars in June. The KitKat V bars initially launched in the United Kingdom, followed by Estonia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Brazil, and other regionsâbut not the US, unfortunately.
In the US, the KitKat brand is made by Hersheyâs and VegNews has reached out to Hersheyâs to inquire about its plans around a US launch of a vegan KitKat bar.
Photo credit: Soul Minerâs Garden
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Source: Vegnews.com