Not settling for the usual offering of flavourless, sugar laden snacks aimed at children by the food industry, is the reason full time Mum, Tamara Arbib based in London, launched her brand of dairy free, delicious and healthy snacks onto the market. Under the company name ‘Rebel Kitchen’ products such as Banana Mylk, Choco Mylk and Orange Choc Mylk have become available on line at www.rebel-kitchen.com. The snacks are tickling the taste buds of children up and down the country as well as reassuring Mums that giving your child a treat no longer has to come with a health warning. From the standpoint of her kitchen, Tamara has found her cause. Here’s what she has to say about her mission.
DBM: Looking at the information on your website the products look absolutely delicious and imaginatively packaged for children. How have adults responded to the flavours?
Tamara Arbib: Rebel Kitchen was created for children but adults love them too!I have always been passionate about children’s development through healthy eating. I decided to launch Rebel Kitchen after being frustrated as a mother of three young children with a lack of nutritious and healthy treats available for children, especially dairy free and low in sugar. There is definitely a gap in the market for healthy snacks for children.
The packaging was something we wanted to get right; the cartons are fun and colourful and capture your attention. One of the main points of Rebel Kitchen is to bring health food out of the niche and we feel like the branding is a big part of that.
What is your rebel mission?
At Rebel Kitchen we firmly stand by the five Rebel Kitchen rules;
- Make nutritious delicious!
- Fight against refined sugar!
- Rebel against preservatives and additives!
- Bring back freshly made food!
- Get high on whole foods!
What is your professional background? Were you working in the food industry or as a health professional?
First and foremost I am a full-time mother. And it is my role as a mother which ignited my idea for a business venture; I have always been passionate about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
My husband Ben and I launched “The A Team Foundation” charity four years ago with the aim to promote and gain awareness of health, also to show how diet is crucial to overall health. We wanted to excite tangible change in the nation’s relationship and approach towards food.
Where do you source your products and who gets to test them before they go to market?
We pride ourselves on our produce and the ethos behind our brand.
All our products contain entirely natural ingredients which have been sourced responsibly from excellent suppliers including:
- Fairtrade cacao sourced from West Africa and South America.
- Organic date nectar
- Rainforest alliance bananas which have been sourced from plantations that support farmers& farm workers while protecting the planet
- Brazilian oranges
- Coconuts are sourced from an island in Western Indonesia, via a local supplier who pride themselves on the welfare of their employees.
We like to test the products on our friends and families to help provide us with honest feedback.
At the moment you sell your products online. Is it your plan to sell through the supermarkets if you got a good deal?
Our aim is to make healthy and nutritious snacks accessible and available to everyone, every day and everywhere, so we would love Rebel Kitchen mylks to be available nationwide via a multiple retailer one day.
How is the food industry responsive to changes regarding consumer health and nutrition?
Ultimately, consumers are increasingly demanding healthy food and drink products so the food industry has no choice but to be responsive.
Free from/dairy free and healthy/functional grocery categories are expanding; 15% of the UK population now avoids dairy. In particular, non-carbonated soft drinks which are low in sugar and contain natural ingredients are becoming hugely popular.
What do you hope for your business and the food and drinks industry in the next five years?
In the next five years, I would like Rebel Kitchen to be widely available throughout the country and for the food & drinks industry to develop more healthy, wholesome items.
We are also looking to extend Rebel Kitchen’s positive snacking range with other nutritious, delicious food and drink products.
Also to launch new and exciting healthy and nutritious products from Rebel Kitchen
What have you learnt about running a business or instigating change through entrepreneurship?
It has been an absolute roller-coaster since starting up both Rebel Kitchen, but you’ve got to enjoy every day otherwise what is the point?