Freedom Confectionery teams with Pusheen the Cat to launch the first chocolate vegan gummy bar

Freedom Confectionery, the UK-based allergen-free, vegan mallow specialist, is to launch the first chocolate coated vegan gummy bar to the market as part of a brand licensing partnership with Pusheen The Cat.

The partnership will be the first confectionery licensing agreement globally recognised brand, Pusheen, has made since its inception in 2010.

As the first European manufacturer of gelatine-free marshmallows, Freedom Confectionery, along with its partnership with Pusheen, is hoping to build on its allergy-free credentials offering vegan, vegetarian, plant-based and non-allergy customers worldwide a sweet treat that is completely gelatine-free.

The 54g strawberry flavoured vegan gummy bar, aptly named, Vegumi, will be coated in dairy-free chocolate and wrapped in a designed film featuring Pusheen The Cat.

The partnership now allows the Lancashire-based Freedom Confectionery the opportunity to reach a new audience and cement its position within the allergy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based market.

Elvin Willgrass, sales director at Freedom Confectionery, said: “After being in the business for five years, this is by far the most exciting launch Freedom Confectionery has been a part of. To have a brand licensing partnership with Pusheen is an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to hear what our customers think of it.

“Not only does Vegumi taste amazing, but it’s also approved by The Vegan Society and is free from the top allergens. As a business, we believe in 100 per cent allergy-free, no product leaves our factory without being thoroughly tested and packaged accordingly and we’re delighted that Pusheen want to be part of our business journey.”

Cate D’Allessandro, director of licensing at Pusheen Corp, added: “Our team is excited to partner with Freedom Confectionery to bring our fans a delicious new sweet treat to enjoy.”

The new Vegumi bar will be available to purchase initially from the Freedom Confectionery online shop https://freedommallows.com/our-shop/ from £1.99 per bar.

Freedom Confectionery also have plans to roll the new product offering out to retailers through its national distributors, Bravura Foods.

Approved by The Vegan Society, the Freedom Confectionery Pusheen Vegumi bar is gelatine, gluten, egg, dairy, and soy free with no artificial colours or flavourings.

12 year old vegan cooking sensation Omari McQueen appoints Brands With Influence

Following the recent announcement of his first cookbook and a new BBC TV show, Omari McQueen has appointed Brands With Influence to develop and widen a merchandise and licensing programme around the 12-year-old and his new vegan brand, Dipalicious. 

McQueen is already taking the world by storm and cooking up a wave of enthusiasm for his innovative take on vegan cooking. In recent weeks, the youngster launched his own range of vegan dips under the Dipalicious umbrella. BWI has now been brought on board to help the brand reach a wider audience through licensing partnerships.

Dom Wheeler of Brands With Influence, said: “Omari is an incredible young man with a real penchant for not just cooking, but communicating too. His passion for Veganism coupled with his flair and showmanship is proving a really popular formula online and is now also being extended on TV.

“We are really looking forward in taking his brand, products and ideas to a wider mass market through a really exciting new licensing programme.”

McQueen has already detailed the launch of his first cook book, to be published by Scholastic, while CBBC is preparing to broadcast a new series titled What’s Cooking, Omari?

McQueen said: “I am really excited that the team at Brand With Influence will be helping me share my love of vegan food with a wider audience. We have so many great ideas that it feels like the right time to be sharing the yummy opportunities with more people. I just want to bring people together to share great food without harming animals.”