Landing Tesco: The Moment Better Nature Shifted Gears

As we celebrate our 10th year, we’re looking back at some of the standout moments from Bread & Jam events — the pitches that helped brands break through and reach new heights. One such moment is when Co-founder and CEO of Better Nature, Elin Roberts, pitched to retail giant Tesco at Bread & Jam Fest in 2023. Better Nature got a listing and went on to take the tempeh world by storm. Here’s what went down.

Were you totally retail-ready when you applied?

I'm not sure anyone's ever totally retail ready. We thought we were, but there was a lot we didn’t know. We'd spoken to Tesco for the first time back in 2019 before we'd even launched our product range. We kept in touch with them over the years and followed their useful feedback, which along with great events like Bread & Jam, helped us eventually launch in May 2023. That being said, as young, inexperienced founders of a small brand selling a little-known food product, there was still a lot that we didn't know. Not all the rules are relevant to you when people have never even heard of your product before. We had to learn quickly once we launched.

Did you have a launch strategy planned to present to the buyer?

We did, but I'm not sure how much we actually followed it in the end. I think vision and reality are often quite different. We were clear that we wanted to invest in the listing and really make sure that it landed well, but we didn't have a blueprint to follow as this was our first major UK listing and plant-based was quite a complex and ever-changing category. There was a lot of testing and learning at the beginning, through internal discussions as well as those with dunnhumby and our buyer.

Did you talk about pricing?

We did talk about pricing. I think that was an especially hot topic in the plant-based category as quite a few products were very expensive for what they were, especially compared to meat, and that was impacting penetration. For us, it's always been really important to be competitively priced and make sure that tempeh can be an accessible protein for the masses. Ensuring that we were at a price point that was going to work for our consumer but also ensure we could maintain our quality standards was really critical, so we wanted to discuss that from the outset.

Is tempeh more mainstream now, and is there a trend towards high-protein diets?

Yes! Tempeh is fast becoming a mainstream protein choice as people look beyond plant-based labels for foods that are healthy, sustainable and satisfying. Tempeh ticks the boxes for high protein, fibre, and gut health benefits which are important purchase drivers today. The wider shift toward better protein has played a part too - people want real, minimally processed proteins that make them feel good, and tempeh fits that perfectly.

How has your business changed since your success at Bread & Jam Fest?

Since landing our Tesco listing in 2023, we’ve completely shifted gears at Better Nature, moving beyond plant-based labelling and focusing on where we can really win: everyday protein swaps. We made the bold call last year to stop labelling our tempeh as plant-based and instead, we target chicken eaters, positioning tempeh as a supercharged swap for the meals people already love.

That thinking powers our ‘Give chicken the night off’ campaign, which is all about easy, everyday swaps rather than big lifestyle overhauls. And we’re not stopping there - we’re actively pushing for retailers to break down the aisle divide and integrate all proteins, so meat and meat-free sit side by side and shoppers can make easier protein choices.

Bringing protein options to the people, Elin! We’re so pleased that Bread & Jam helped you on your journey.

For high protein, gut-friendly tempeh inspo, go to Better Nature. And, grab your festival tix now. We’re back at the Business Design Centre in Islington on 14th - 15th July.