EPIC Provisions co-founder: Why not start your day with bone broth instead of coffee?

Made from meaty bones and veggies that are left to simmer and then strained, bone broth is basically stock, but is typically made with higher-quality ingredients, and simmered for considerably longer (up to 48 hours – whereas commercial stock brands are typically cooked for a couple of hours) such that the final product has more protein, more nutrients and a gelatinous quality once it cools down.

It is also typically sipped as a hot beverage, rather than used as a cooking ingredient.

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Savory, nutritious and different​

Speaking to us at the 2016 Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, Collins said EPIC (which has just been sold to General Mills,​ but will remain at its Austin HQ with Collins and co-founder Katie Forrest at the helm) will be launching its first bone broth product in a glass bottle this year.

He added: “Our bone broth is part of our 2016 whole animal project initiative where we are using more of the animal, and we are doing it as a refrigerated product that will sit with the HPP juices and your kombuchas…​

“What you normally expect ​[in the grab & go functional beverages chiller] is​ drinks full of sugar, and carbs, and if it does have protein in it, it’s in the form of an isolate powder… ​

“But then you’ll see this one animal-based product in there that’s in this beautiful glass bottle, and you’ll turn it over and see there is 20g of protein in each bottle, no sugar, very low carbs, it’s very savory and the way we’re making it is low heat, long duration, the way your grandma would make it.”​

Can you enjoy bone broth cold as well as hot?​

But isn’t selling bone broth in the grab & go chilled beverage section confusing, given that it is typically consumed warm, so needs to be heated up?

Not really, says Collins. “Consumers want something that is quick, convenient and easy to eat on the go, so the way we’ve designed our product is you can enjoy it cold or you can heat it up. ​

“Maybe in the summer if you’ve done a 20mile run or a long hike, you’re going to drink it cold and you’re going to love it, but if there is a blizzard outside you’ll want to heat it up so it’s nourishing and warm.”​

As to whether bone broth – which is currently a hot trend in the paleo community – has broader appeal, there is no reason why not, he said, noting that it is actually a very simple, nutritious drink that everyone ‘gets’ once you explain it.

“I think as bone broth becomes more and more mainstream it will replace tea and coffee as a beverage and if you look at the nutritional profiles​ [of coffee vs bone broth], it’s hands down no questions asked ​[which is best], how do you want to start your day, with coffee or bone broth?”​

Click HERE ​​to read about EPIC’s tie up with General Mills.

Click HERE​​ to read our recent profile of EPIC.

Interested in new beverage trends such as bone broth? Register for our FREE online beverage innovation summit​​ on Feb 18 to find out whether market watchers at Kroger, Euromonitor and Canadean think it has legs...