On pre-sale now and with a limited run available on UK retail shelves from January until April 2026, the new SKU promises shoppers ‘next level’ protein indulgence.
“I can quite confidently say it’s our best bar ever,” the brand’s founder Alan Barrett told NutraIngredients. “We’ve taken what people love about Grenade and paired it with the most iconic Easter treat to raise the bar—pardon the pun—on what people should expect from their snacks.”
“It’s also a first for us as the bar has a ‘soft core’—something we’ve never done before.”
The brand’s softest core yet is made from “light, fluffy protein dough” to form the yolk-colored Creme Egg flavored filling, with the bar providing 13 grams of protein and two grams of sugar.
After the resounding success of the Grenade-Oreo collaboration, the team expects this launch to hit the ground running and help the brand reach new audiences.
“The Grenade-Oreo collaboration proved an instant hit and has continued to lead the charge as our best-selling bar since, with the Oreo White variant in second place too,” said Barratt.
Both SKUs have sat comfortably in the top three protein bars since launches in 2022 and 2023, respectively (Circana, Total UK Market, Protein bars, value sales 52w/e 28.09.25).
“Teaming up with such globally recognizable and iconic brands continues to introduce the whole protein bar category to new buyers who are maybe yet to be convinced to try out a protein bar full stop,” Barratt added.
Nick Morgan, managing director at active nutrition market insights firm Nutrition Integrated, said collabs between popular brands such as these have a number of benefits.
“The most important is normalization—someone who hasn’t entertained a protein bar before may be tempted because the collaboration makes it feel more normal, possibly even nostalgic,” Morgan explained. “So, it is a great vehicle for growing relevance to more people.”
For those consumers who already consume protein bars, he said the collaboration may help drive trial.
“After all, the protein bar category is very saturated at the moment with a lot of similar products. A collaboration is one of the only strategies that cannot be copied.”
If nothing else, he said the launch will capture consumers’ imagination and garner sales through sheer intrigue.
UPF debate increases scrutiny
Protein bars were recently brought under the spotlight during the contentious Joe Wicks ‘Licence to Kill’ documentary which aired on mainstream UK television last month (October).
Morgan said he believed the program would have had a mixed, but very short-term, impact on the category as a whole.
However, the UPF debate in general is putting these products under additional scrutiny.
“In the short term, I’d be surprised if you didn’t find some consumers move away from protein bars. Similarly, I suspect some consumers responded differently, and continued to consume protein bars because they felt empowered to make their own decisions,” he said. “In general— like the majority of news—it is likely forgotten already for the majority.”
He added: “I think the bigger picture of UPFs remains an important topic and will run, so there continues to be scrutiny for each product category to position itself well and try to be the best version of itself.“
