With the help of a deal in the “Lion’s Den”, the muesli start-up “3 Bears” built up a business worth millions. Now Foodwatch is vilifying it as an advertising lie. The founders don’t want to leave it that way.
The oatmeal makers of “3 Bears” have written a start-up fairy tale in recent years. They founded their company in 2016, and a year later they made their breakthrough with an appearance in the “Lion’s Den”. At that time, three million TV viewers watched as Caroline and Tim Nichols presented their porridge mixtures in a charming way and brought two prominent investors on board. The lions Frank Thelen and Judith Williams got in – and “3 Bears” became a business with double-digit million sales.
Even a bad note from the magazine “Öko-Test” – a berry muesli was rated “insufficient” in 2019 – could not stop the success story. But now the successful Munich start-up is hitting the next high-profile blow.
The consumer organization Foodwatch has 3 Bears as one of five candidates. In the associated online vote, consumers are called upon to vote for the “boldest advertising lie of the year”. In addition to 3 Bears, there is a choice of unhealthy or misleadingly designed products from the major corporations Mondelez and Intersnack, as well as the drinking meal Yfoods, which was also seen in the “Lion’s Den”.
Golden Cream Puff
“Boldest advertising lie of the year”: There are also two “Lion’s Den” products to choose from
3 Bears founders are shocked
3 Bears is shocked by the Foodwatch nomination. “Honestly, the nomination surprised us a lot and makes us sad,” says co-founder Caroline Nichols star-Inquiry. “As a small German family business, we have been trying to do the right thing every day for seven years now.” Now the company feels wrongly pilloried. “Precisely because we appreciate the work of Foodwatch and are extremely far from deceiving consumers: inside, we are so shocked about the nomination.” Foodwatch has uncovered important things in the food industry in recent years, says Nichols. “All the more shocking and incomprehensible for us to be on the list.”
In the case of 3 Bears, the Foodwatch criticism is not aimed at hidden unhealthy ingredients – but basically at the absence of any ingredients that would justify the price. The accusation is that the company sells its porridge “with some fanfare” and at exorbitant prices, even though it is normal oatmeal.
The variety “Gravy Classic” is advertised as a “secret mixture of whole grain oat flakes. Guaranteed without added sugar or artificial additives”. According to Foodwatch, the product is not very mysterious. “A look at the list of ingredients shows that it is simply 100 percent oatmeal.” At 3.99 euros for 400 grams, these cost a multiple of what private labels in supermarkets or discounters charge.
“Different whole grain oat flakes of different degrees of grinding”
3 Bears does not want to let this accusation of consumer deception sit on it. “Our Crunchy Classic is so much more ‘than just oatmeal,'” argues Nichols. “We source our oatmeal from a family-run oat mill in the Black Forest and the blend of our perfectly creamy ‘bite’ porridge is based on the oatmeal being ground at different degrees. So when we say ‘secret blend’ we’re referring to the recipe of a wide variety Wholemeal oat flakes of different degrees of grinding.”
3 Bears is proud to completely dispense with additives or flavors and “only with this pure ingredient to produce a product that tastes very special thanks to this recipe and the production process”, namely “different from conventional oatmeal”, says Nichols. And further: “It actually makes us sad to be treated like a ‘sham’ here, because we find this product – like everything else from 3Bears – is exactly the opposite. We promise the highest quality completely ‘made in Germany’, which their price has.”
Finally, 3 Bears points out that the basic oat flakes pilloried by Foodwatch are only one product in the range. The fruit porridges, for example, which 3 Bears also sells, contain other ingredients, such as real apples or bananas. And the cocoa varieties that contain cocoa. According to the company, 3 Bears stands for healthy and high-quality enjoyment “with the best of oatmeal and natural ingredients”.
Source: Stern
