Want to keep your vegan customers happy?
If you make food products – either as a mass manufacturer or a humble café – then coconut milk powder needs to be your go-to ingredient for thickening, creaming, and more. Increasingly more and more people in the food industry are recognising that this is the product that enables them to keep everyone happy.
Did you know that vegans are on course to make up 25% of the British population in the next 5 years? Already, in the UK, the number of vegans has more than quadrupled since 2014. And this is just those who have gone full-vegan. Flexitarians already account for just under half of all UK consumers. At present, a quarter of Brits use plant-based milk.
It’s no longer just a case of keeping your customers happy. You need to keep your vegan customers happy. And pleasing your vegan customer can increasingly become synonymous with pleasing every customer.
It makes sense to switch out ingredients, wherever possible, so that your food is plant-based. It can tick the boxes for vegans, as well as satisfy everyone else. It doesn’t need to be either-or. This way you can appeal to a wider base, whilst showing that you are on top of the latest food trend.
The role of coconut milk powder
Over the last few years, manufacturers and caterers have come to recognise that coconut milk powder is a versatile ingredient ideal for this ‘swapping’. It can be used to make delicious ice cream and yoghurt, frothy hot drinks, creamy soups, porridges and sauces. Given that orders of vegan meals grew 388% between 2016 and 2018, it makes sense to change many recipes to please your customers.
However, there comes a little problem if you want to label things vegan. When you put in your order for bulk coconut milk powder, you’ll usually come across brands which contain sodium caseinate, which is often added as a stabiliser.
The problem here is that sodium caseinate isn’t vegan. It is derived from a dairy protein. That’s right, despite being labelled coconut milk powder, if sodium caseinate is in the ingredients, then it’s not vegan.
If you choose bulk coconut milk powder, even if it is labelled as organic coconut milk powder, but discover that sodium caseinate is an ingredient, you cannot claim that the final food stuff you create is entirely plant-based.
Vegan coconut milk powder
Frustratingly, that means that you need to specifically search for vegan coconut milk powder. This is less common, and you may feel that it’s harder to get hold of.
At The Coconut Company we sell vegan coconut milk without sodium caseinate. It has fewer additives that mainstream coconut milk, and is a cleaner product. We have bulk coconut milk powder availability for manufacturers, restaurants and cafes to buy, available as both our standard coconut milk powder and organic coconut milk powder. We offer both a high fat (65%) version, and a low fat version (40%).
It’s a great bulk product as it’s not as space-consuming as coconut milk in its liquid form, and it also has a longer shelf life.
How to keep your vegan customers happy by using coconut milk powder
You may already be aware that the future of your food business lies in appealing to your vegan and flexitarian customers, yet not know how to do that whilst retaining your reputation for scrumptious food.
Here are some ways in which business customers of The Coconut Company are using vegan coconut milk powder to create delicious food that sells:
· Ice cream treats
For far too long, vegans have had to steer clear of a creamy dollop of frozen deliciousness on a sunny day. Not only vegan, coconut milk powder can provide an egg-free and dairy-free option for those with allergies too. It doesn’t taste strongly of coconut, so can carry much loved flavours such strawberry or chocolate.
· Vegan yoghurt
Similarly, vegans can find themselves very limited when it comes to breakfasts, as yoghurt is eliminated. Vegan yoghurt is incredibly easy to make. One of the simplest recipes is simply mixing coconut milk made from powder, with a probiotic mix. One of the restaurants that uses our coconut products makes an incredible yoghurt swirl using various seasonal fruits.
· Porridge posts
Perfect as a dine-in or take-away option, many of our café customers use our organic coconut milk powder to make popular porridge pots. Following recipes such as our coconut, walnut and raspberry porridge, or using your own combinations, you can ensure your breakfast menu caters to vegans, especially if coconut milk lattes are on the menu too.
· Curries
Either as a serve-in option, or as a vegan ready meal, curries lend themselves to using coconut milk powder. Without having to rely on dairy products, you can create exquisite vegetable curries that have creamy luscious sauces that carry the spices with ease. Similarly, coconut milk powder can be used as the base for dry mix powders that can be used to make curries, stews and sauces. Add your own mixture of herbs and spices, and your customers will be able to create their own wonderful dishes at home.
· The sweet side
Vegan coconut milk powder also allows our customers to get creative with vegan desserts and sweet treats. We can’t possibly list all of the options here but favourites of our customers include chocolate puddings, dairy-free chocolate, cookies, cakes, lemon and coconut ‘cheesecake’, and vegan raspberry fool. We’re sure you can come up with plenty of your own unique recipes.
Buying vegan coconut milk powder in bulk
All of our bulk coconut milk powder is vegan. You can choose organic if you wish, as well as between high and low fat options depending on the dish you are making. Available to order online, you can choose between our 15kg dairy-free vegan coconut milk powder or our 12kg dairy-free organic coconut milk powder. Alternatively, contact us to buy bulk coconut milk powder according the amount you need.