We caught up with Nour and Ed from aptly named NOUR-ISH-ED bites, a clapton-based business which makes amazing Sunhini and sells it to us in repurposed jars! It is a bit like tahini but made from sunflower seeds. (The original flavour which we stock on the truck tastes incredible with some avo, lemon and sea salt on a slice of rye bread...)
How did Nourished Bites come about?
Rewind to spring lockdown 2020, with lots of time on our hands and long conversations about our love/mild addiction to nut and seed butters, we realised there was a sunflower seed shaped gap in the market. We wanted to create something new and exciting, with funky monthly flavours to keep us and our customers on their toes. We also wanted to make a product that was organic and as natural as possible. After a few months of planning our lockdown baby, Sunhini, was born!
What is Sunhini?
Sunhini is a smooth, creamy and velvety sunflower seed paste. We have three delicious core flavours (Original, Coconut and Cacao) and a forever changing monthly special. So far we have had everything from Pumpkin Spice, to Cranberry and Orange, and Cheeze and Onion! Sunhini can be used to spread on toast, drizzle over your porridge, jazz up your brownies and flapjacks or blend into your hummus and salad dressing.
Why are sunflower seeds the base of your products?
We believe sunflower seeds are very underrated - firstly, they are allergen free, making them a great alternative to peanut butter or tahini (sesame). They also grow in Europe so it's much more sustainable then using peanuts or cashews that need to be imported from the other side of the world. They are also little power houses on nutrients, being high in protein, unsaturated fatty acids (especially omega 6) and a great source of vitamin E.
Why do you use upcycled jars for markets and the Top Up Truck?
For us it was a no brainer - it reduces our wastage, carbon footprint and creates a circular model with our packaging materials when our customers return them to us! Just like how it was done in the good old days. On top of that, we make sure that all our packaging is plastic-free and purchase from organic plastic-free suppliers where possible.