Doughlicious leverages manufacturing capability to support US Whole Foods expansion

Founded in 2017, Doughlicious offers​ a range of vegan better-for-you cookie dough and gelato bites, ready-to-bake doughs, and grab-and-go sweet treats. Each product is gluten-free, contains no artificial additives or preservatives, and is formulated with no refined sugars. 

Doughlicious' frozen cookie dough and gelato bites, including its Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Truffle, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Churro, Blueberry Frozen Yogurt, and Strawberry varieties, are now available nationwide at US Whole Foods. In addition to its US retail distribution, the company has retail distribution in Europe, including UK-based Whole Foods, and Australia.

"We are excited to bring Doughlicious ​to Whole Foods Market stores nationwide, allowing more U.S. consumers to indulge in our delicious frozen snacks that also happen to be better for you. Our products offer a new way to enjoy classic and nostalgic cookie dough, all made in our London facility powered by renewable energy and without compromising taste or quality," Bricken said in a press release. 

Doughlicious goes it alone, manufactures in-house

Doughlicious first secured a deal with Whole Foods in the UK after exhibiting at the Specialty Fine Food Show in London. Whole Foods was interested in stocking Doughlicious before the company even had its supply chain fully built out, Bricken admitted.  

“Whole Foods came, Planet Organic, and some other retailers [to Specialty Fine Food Show], and they [said,] ‘We love it. How can we get it?' I did not even have barcodes at this time. So, I needed to figure out packaging how to make all this happen. Where was I going to produce it? How was I going to produce it? How was I going to scale up? And I started with a contract manufacturer that just could not meet my expectations. So, with frustration, I decided to buy a machine and start it myself.” 

Ultimately, Doughlicious decided to open a gluten-free factory in West London, which provides the company with supply-chain advantages over working with a co-manufacturer, including the ability to innovate and test new flavors faster, she said. However, maintaining a manufacturing facility can be pricey proposition for a startup, Bricken acknowledged.

“We are self-funded. We have taken some [money] from basically friends and families. We have not had to do a really large raise. But we own our machinery, and machinery is expensive. Right now, I’m making changes to the factory to increase productivity and eliminate touching the product because every time it has to be touched is a cost for labor. It also is a possible contamination. So, moving things to be more automated, that does come with a cost," Bricken explained

Despite the costs of running a manufacturing facility, Doughlicious can produce its gelato bites cheaper in the UK, which has made it easier to expand into the US, she noted.  

“With inflation and rising prices in the US, it is actually better for us ... to continue to produce in the UK right now. Things might change, but for the meantime, it's much more economically feasible,” Bricken said.

'Our product is so snackable that you could eat it any time of day' 

With its bite-size format, Doughlicious is also tapping into the permissible indulgence trend by providing consumers with a portion-controlled dessert, Bricken said. However, the product not only needs to taste good and be better-for-you, but it also should look aesthetically pleasing, she said.

“You can buy a [small] thing of ice cream, and that is snackable, but a lot of things are not snackable. What we believe is our product is so snackable that you could eat it any time of day. It's 100 calories or less, and it tastes fantastic, and you actually feel that indulgence yet also that better-for-you ingredient taste.”

She added, “Making our product, it was important to me to make sure everything not only was individual portion sizes, where you knew what you were eating, you knew the calories you were eating, you know the exact amount, and if you want another one, you can always make another one, or you can always eat another gelato bite. But also, I also believe that things need to look beautiful, ... which is why I wanted our cookies or gelato bites to always be this gorgeous thing that you can look at, and it makes you feel good to eat.”