Zalmon
The world of vegan cuisine has massively taken off in the last few years and the number of tempting vegan delights is ever increasing. Fabulous Zalmon is one of those delights but what is it made from, how did it come about and why are the makers such big fans of sustainable labels for their product?
Sarah from Zalmon kindly talked us through, from original idea all the way to production, stocking, and sales of vegan tasty Zalmon…
What is Zalmon?
First off, for those who have not come across it before, Zalmon is a vegan alternative to smoked salmon made with thin slivers of carrots. Yes, carrot you heard right! It’s brilliant on bagels, stirred into salads, and perfect for a savoury bake or punchy pasta dish. And just as delicious straight from the jar. Don’t you love it already?
How do you go from carrot to Zalmon?
It all started with a coffee shop named Sazzy and Fran which sought to bring home-made vegan treats and delicious coffee to East London. Zalmon was created there in 2017 for the Zalmon and cream cheese bagels, and quickly became a best-selling item. Four years later it remains at the top, but it was during the pandemic that the decision was taken to make Zalmon for everyone to enjoy at home.
Totally unique Zalmon pops on the shelf
Sarah explained “The first iteration of Zalmon, the take home product, happened alongside making large batches for the bagels in the coffee shop. I would take some of the Zalmon and fill small jars and take them around to local stores with home-made labels. Five local stores took it on, and we received some great feedback which was enough for me to understand that we had something really unique.
“As demand grew, we began to work with a manufacturer, and a talented friend set about designing the logo which makes the product pop out on the shelf. When it came to the label, I wanted something that would do justice to the design, but also be plastic free, as we had already decided to avoid plastic containers, in favour of glass jars. When the sample labels with their matt finish arrived from the GREEN LABEL company and they were also plastic free, I knew we had found the labels to match the quality of the product.”
Tell us more about biodegradable labels…
Sarah went on to say “From the coffee shop I was aware of packaging companies that offered alternatives to plastic, so it made sense to look for a label company that had a similar futuristic outlook. So much work went into getting the perfect cuts for the Zalmon slices and finding the best ingredients, so investing in the jars and good quality, biodegradable labels was the obvious choice.”
What does the future have in store for Zalmon?
“Working with the GREEN LABEL company has been a delight since the beginning, shout out to Jonathan who is always ready to answer my multitude of questions! Here at Zalmon headquarters we have big plans. We are quietly launching our large jars into coffee shops and restaurants. I say quietly as we have had to stop new sales to make sure the shops we are stocking (including Sazzy and Fran) have enough Zalmon. It is a different customer base, and one we are seeing a lot of potential in as more and more stores want to offer a vegan alternative.”
Want to know more?
We loved working with Zalmon on such a unique product and wish them the best of luck for the future.
Now that your taste buds have been whetted, if you would like to try Zalmon just click here to place your order.
And if you would like to know more about how biodegradable labels can help promote your products, please get in touch with us.
