UK chilled pickles and kimchi brand Vadasz has expanded its gut health range with the launch of its Kimchi Shot. The shot combines the flavours and health benefits of kimchi into a convenient, on-the-go drink format.
It contains probiotics and fibre derived from kimchi, promoting a healthy digestive system. Made from 100% plant-based ingredients, it includes traditional kimchi brine with Chinese leaf, carrot, spring onion, Korean chilli flakes, ginger, garlic and sea salt. The shot is natural, with no artificial ingredients or added sugar, offering a ‘unique savoury umami flavour’.
Yvonne Adam, chief marketing officer at The Compleat Food Group, the parent company of Vadasz, said: “With the health shots market expected to double in value to £60m by the end of 2025, we saw an exciting opportunity to launch a health shot that not only breaks new ground but also builds on the success of our Kimchi Ketchup and Super Beet Kimchi, continuing our kimchi revolution.”
“We’re thrilled to introduce a bold new proposition to the health shots category, one that perfectly aligns with growing consumer demand for products that offer convenience, functionality and natural ingredients. ”
‘Health and wellness’ is a growth industry. Increasing numbers of consumers are adopting holistic and sophisticated approaches to balancing their diet and supplementation in search of a range of general and specific benefits. They seek clear, simply expressed benefits, with credible reasons to believe – natural is important, but science and clinical facts matter – all wrapped up in convenient formats. The ‘shots’ category is rapidly growing, after years of a niche existence, because it aligns with these needs and avoids taking tablets or using more ‘medical’ formats.
Quick shout out to Yakult and Actimel, because the pro-biotics category played no small part in establishing the behaviour that drives the potential success of these formats. A tasty shot is easy to integrate into anyone’s day. The challenge in the wellness space is, as always:
- defining a tangible benefit (regulations rightly limit specific health or unsupported claims, so this is hard, but, minor point, Vadasz should work on strengthening the benefit expression)
- then building a habitual behaviour that becomes a routine, or at least a regular part of our lives.
Key to this is delivering on the 2nd moment of truth – a great product experience that the consumer enjoys AND an ongoing belief that it is working to deliver the promised benefit.
Kimchi and other fermented foods are very current and getting good PR, so Vadasz could well be onto something with this. We’ll try some and then watch this space with interest.