Patrick Woods is the newly appointed Managing Director of Linwoods Health Foods. Taking over from his father, John, he represents the 3rd generation of the Woods family business. His grandfather founded the company which started out as a small grocery store and family farm. John Woods, then took on the business and diversified into various areas such as International transport, Bakery and Dairy products and subsequently manufacturing flaxseed having discovered the benefits it had for health. Linwoods has been supplying its range of plant based health foods into the Spanish market for over 15 years and Patrick hopes to continue to grow the brand with his background in food, nutrition and innovation. Patrick has took over the role as Managing Director of Linwoods as of May 2022.

How do you assess the overall behaviour of the market in which your company operates?

We are in a particularly volatile economic situation with increasing costs in all aspects of our lives. This means the consumer is becoming more conscious of their spending habits. In many categories we see a fall in demand with consumers having less disposable income. That said, we have noticed the health foods market is growing due to the benefits the consumer recognizes within the products offered. Consumers are investing in their health and also protecting the environment through plant based healthy foods in their daily diet.

«We see a growing interest in holistic and natural foods»

What are the main trends that move this market?

We see a growing interest in holistic and natural foods. At Linwoods we are focused on building a company with a strong purpose which is to ensure it is convenient for everyone to make healthy choices helping them to feel great everyday.

Our core range brings the convenience of cold milling, meaning the seed is gently broken down without heat to preserve the goodness within such as the Omega 3 (ALA) and this process also aids easy digestion once consumed. Adding to this the various high quality ingredients in our blends offering additional rich sources of vitamins and minerals to our consumers daily diet.

In addition to this, results of the recent study give rise to very promising opportunities for organic plant foods. There was a notable increase in awareness and understanding amongst consumers, particularly between the ages of 18-40, of organic produce and it appears to be a growing priority when shopping.

What have been the most relevant launches carried out by the company in recent months?

We have recently released a new and improved Organic Milled Hemp Range with new packaging designed to provide standout from the crowd. Multiboost Milled Organic Hemp Seed variants capture all the powerful benefits of hemp seed in three nutritious organic blends. The new look packaging strongly calls out the lead ingredient in the range, Hemp, to capitalise on the growing consumer awareness of the seed and its associated benefits in the marketplace.

«The innovation team is working constantly within Linwoods to come up with new ideas and concepts to test and bring to market»

In whole seed form hemp can be difficult to consume due to the hard outer shell of the seed however Multiboost Organic Hemp Seed is cold milled through a unique process that makes it easier to consume and digest and provides a rich texture. As there are no parts of the seed removed, the blend retains all the fibre, plant protein, Omega 3 and further nutritional properties contained within the whole seeds. This differs from the hulled hemp which has the shell removed loosing much of the fibre content.

Could you anticipate any launches of interest that you will make soon?

The innovation team is working constantly within Linwoods to come up with new ideas and concepts to test and bring to market. The latest addition which we have recently launched in the UK is the Functional Range which consists of two new products – Menoligna and Immune Support – formulated to naturally support and enhance the processes of the human body. Menoligna has been specifically developed for women during menopause and perimenopause. Menoligna is a tasty blend of sprouted milled flaxseed and milled chia seeds, containing important vitamins, minerals and added Lignans.

Lignans are naturally occurring phytoestrogens found in flaxseed which mimic the role of oestrogen. Flaxseed is particularly abundant in the lignan, secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG). Lignans are found in the inner layer of the flaxseed hull.

Immune Support is formulated to help maintain a healthy immune system. This plant-based blend includes Linwoods’ award-winning sprouted milled flaxseed, hemp seeds, milled brazil nuts and Ganeden BC30 probiotic cultures. The blend also provides a natural source of selenium, iron and zinc, which contribute to the normal function of the immune system. Other immune boosting ingredients include omega-3, protein, fibre and a host of nutritious vitamins and minerals like vitamin D3, vitamin C and vitamin B12.We hope to further develop this range in the coming months with more additions to improve the health and wellbeing of our consumers. Over the years my father has lead innovation in the Linwoods business. As part of his legacy he has impressed the need to consistently learn and develop which we will take forward into this new chapter of our business. Innovation will continue to be at our core with our expert team constantly striving to look for the next, sustainable opportunity or trend in order to remain ahead of competitors in the market by creating a yet more high quality products beyond the existing range.

«I am particularly keen to improve the sustainability side of the Linwoods business through manufacturing and packaging»

What are your company’s prospects for 2022?

Main challenges and opportunities. As a take on the role of Managing Director, I plan to continue to grow the business with Innovation and Sustainability as key pillars for Linwoods going forward. My vision for the future of Linwoods can be distilled down to Sustainable Health, both sustainable from a personal point of view where nutrition and diet play a key role in peoples long term health and wellness, and also sustainable for the planet by promoting plant based foods and transitioning the business to Carbon neutrality over the coming decade.

I am particularly keen to improve the sustainability side of the Linwoods business through manufacturing and packaging which of course will provide challenges but we are invested in improving our impact on the environment. To date the business has just recently planted over 6,000 trees on the family farm with the intention of cultivating a forest and not for utilising as a resource. Innovation will be key to our success as we continue to lead the milled seed category but also work to develop plant based food solutions which support and improve the lives of our consumers.

How is the Covid-19 pandemic influencing this market?

Our research and increase in sales demonstrate rising demand in health foods during the course of the pandemic on a global scale. We understand the Spanish consumer is focused on improving their health and wellbeing. There is a particular interest in eating well to live well with plant based healthy ingredients. Linwoods have recognized consumers are much more in touch with their dietary needs and are using food and nutrition to either prevent illness in future years or as a way of aiding and supporting current health concerns.

The Linwoods range of flaxseed based products offer consumers a convenient way to add nutrients, vitamins and minerals to their daily diet. Of our range we see a deeper level of understanding of food and the benefits nutrients offer our health. Our Flax and Vitamin D product, Flax, Nuts and Q10 product and also Linwoods Shelled Hemp have seen considerable growth due to their immune supporting properties.

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