Snack created by Derbyshire bakers named as finalist in prestigious industry awards

Helen Yates and her husband David run the Luke Evans Bakery in Riddings, near Alfreton – which is one of the oldest family-run bakeries in the country. Although this history stretches back to 1804, the couple are firmly focused on the future – developing the Rootles snack brand.

Rootles are baked with 35% root veg and covered in chocolate. They are currently available in three different flavours – milk chocolate or dark chocolate with carrot, and white chocolate with beetroot – with the dark chocolate biscuit being suitable for vegans.

The milk chocolate Rootles snack has caught the eye of the judges at the Baking Industry Awards 2022 – run in conjunction with the British Baker magazine – who have named the snack a finalist for the ‘New Product of the Year Award’.

Helen said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. The Rootles brand has been specifically developed to satisfy demand for indulgent, guilt-free treats. Each pack has 121 calories which is fewer than many other chocolate snack bars because the biscuits are naturally sweetened by nutritious root veggies including carrot, beetroot and sweet potato.

“The concept of using vegetables to sweeten snacks is pretty innovative and we’re delighted that the judges have awarded Rootles a place in the final of these prestigious awards.”

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Helen was inspired to develop the product through her work mentoring and supporting international business students at the University of Nottingham. The concept of using vegetables in biscuits was developed as a market research project, which sparked her interest in the idea.

She later received funded support from Mission Ventures and the Good Food Fund, which identified Rootles as a healthy snack that could help fight child obesity.

Rootles can be bought from Amazon, and the brand is starting to appear in stores across Derbyshire, London and Northern Ireland.

The finals of the Baking Industry Awards 2022 take place at the Royal Lancaster, London on Thursday, October 20.