Here at Creative Nature, we’re thrilled to let you know that we are now part of the Well Easy family!! Not heard of Well Easy yet? Don’t worry, read on and you’ll soon know all about the brand and the story of its creation... What is WellEasy? It’s an online…
Each year, for the last week of February and the first of March, individuals, companies and groups across the UK focus on the stories of people who grow our food and drinks, mine our gold, and grow the cotton for our clothes; these people are often underpaid and exploited. This…
Valentine’s Day is usually a day to take your other half out for a romantic meal, or celebrate by buying them gifts of flowers, chocolates, perfume etc. Or to find your ‘other half’ by using the same means – often starting out with an ‘anonymous’ card! This year, as we’re…
This year, we are about to celebrate Pancake Day during half term, and half term in lockdown, which means we have to make our own pancakes this year. No possibility to escape to a restaurant! Have fun making pancakes together as a family. Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove…
Do you like ‘Nutella”? Nutella, in case you don’t know, is a spread flavoured with cocoa and hazelnut and it’s known all over the world. It was first introduced in Italy in 1964, but is now popular throughout the world and people often think it’s a new spread – with…
What is your favourite flavoured cake? In the UK, during 2020, the cake appearing in most searches online was ‘chocolate cake’. In some research to find UK’s favourite flavoured cake, chocolate cake came second to lemon drizzle. In the US, chocolate cake is the most popular, which makes it unsurprising…
By the end of this summer, new allergen regulations are expected to be in force, called Natasha’s Law. As a challenger free-from snack brand, we welcome and embrace this change – and we urge the food & drink sector to do the same. The new legislation has been named Natasha’s…
Are you lactose intolerant? Did you know that January 11th is National Milk Day, a day to celebrate the first time milk was delivered to homes inside sterilized glass bottles, in 1878. In 1970 almost 99% of milk was delivered to peoples’ doors. By 2014 doorstep delivery was at less…
Are you ready to try a vegan diet? Have you ever thought about becoming a vegan? Well, this month could be the perfect time to try a vegan diet, even if it’s for a short time. In the UK, January now also becomes Veganuary. The idea was launched in 2014,…
For months, behind the scenes, our CEO Julianne Ponan has been talking to the country’s leading organisation around anaphylaxis about becoming an ambassador and today is the official announcement! From sitting at the allergy table and wishing she didn’t have allergies to becoming Ambassador of the biggest campaigning body for…
Anyone for Chocolate? Did you know that December 16th is dubbed National Chocolate Covered Anything Day? For most people this would be heaven. Being able to eat anything you like and think would taste good, completely covered in chocolate! The list for most of us is endless. Chocolate figures: We…
Do you own a Christmas jumper? Do you wear it on National Christmas Jumper day, (which is December 11th this year)? If you don’t, what other fun Christmas clobber do you wear? For example, do you own any of these types of things? Santa or elf hats? Reindeer antlers? Christmas themed…
Our CEO, Julianne, has today been named as the UK Ambassador for The Teal App, an app designed to save the lives of those who live with anaphylaxis. The Teal App launches today in the UK and it is for those living with life-threatening allergies and their loved ones. It…
Have you started baking again during the latest lockdown, or have you continued on from earlier in the year? Following this second lockdown, a recent study found that almost two -thirds of parents said they have continued to cook and bake with their children since the first national lockdown. The…
In this blog we are going to be discussing dairy allergies and lactose intolerance! Often, people use these terms interchangeably, but this is not the case! What is a dairy allergy? How is it different to lactose intolerances? What does it mean to have either of these? Read on and…
Do you eat too much sugar in your diet? Do you know anyone who suffers from diabetes? Type 1? Type 2? Or classed as pre-diabetic? On Saturday 14th November it was World Diabetes Day, to raise awareness of the condition. Diabetes UK have guidance explaining how we can…
Gluten is vastly used in the food industry nowadays, it can be hard to get away from it especially when you know you're intolerant or allergic to it. Everyone's roughly aware of Gluten's whereabouts - breads, bakes and biscuits (they're the obvious ones). What fewer people know is that gluten…
Did you know that the turn of the month marked World Vegan Day? This year the focus of The Vegan Society’s campaign is to think about how to support vegans in crisis during the challenges we are all facing at this time. With many people living with shrinking budgets, their…
Creative Nature Case Study: @dairyfreenoah Introduction: My name is Deborah, Mama to Noah who is allergic to dairy, soya and egg. We have both been free-from since Noah was 3 months old, when we discovered his allergies, as he reacted through my milk. Noah was incredibly poorly, with stomach…
Halloween is almost here … we hope you’re looking forward to the weekend? Have you decorated your house, or painted your pumpkins? Have you decided on your Halloween outfit? Are you ready for the celebrations? We certainly are, here at Creative Nature HQ. Although, Halloween is a celebration which causes…
One of our greatest supporters at Creative Nature is Rosie Brandreth, who was a finalist in the Great British Bake Off in 2019. You may have also seen Rosie on Instagram where she currently has more than 300K followers who enjoy watching her bake her amazing creations and it’s clear…
Here at Creative Nature, we are busy preparing to decorate our Halloween pumpkins, ready for a Teal Halloween. What is a ‘Teal Halloween’ we hear you ask?...it’s a celebration of Halloween with a clear message – ‘we’re allergy friendly!’ Our recent blog explains about the Teal Project https://www.creativenaturesuperfoods.co.uk/a-personal-challenge-when-it-comes-to-halloween/…
Our last blog talked about how those with allergies can feel about Halloween. This week we share some of the personal challenges faced by our own CEO Julianne, who has always had challenges with this seasonal celebration, even though Halloween is one of her favourite traditions. She is of the…
We may be a whole month ahead however we’re looking forward to one of our favourite moments of the year - Halloween. Halloween is a time for fun, parties,treats and eating – however this year is going to be different – yet not that different for children and adults with…
Have you, as a parent, prepared lunchboxes for your children and then got to work and realised you have nothing to eat yourself? You will now have to spend money buying lunch? Or go to the work canteen and buy lunch? What if you have allergies and there’s little choice…
Schools and Allergies... Food allergies affect an estimated 20 million Europeans. Of those, a staggering 3.5 million, are people below the age of twenty-five. When living with a life-threatening allergy, prevention is the key to living safely. You have to rely on avoiding the allergen, and in case of emergency…
Did you know that during lockdown, 70% of families with children under five have said their children have been snacking more than usual. In fact most of us have been eating more as we were stuck at home for several months with limited options around the activities we undertake.…
National 'Just Because' day, on the 27th of August, is a time you need no reason to do anything. You could alternatively think of it as, just because you can’t do something, doesn’t mean you have to miss out! This is an important concept for us at Creative Nature as…
This week it’s World Photo Day (August 19) and this is a day to inspire positive change across the world. Here at Creative Nature that really works for us! We are all about positive change when it comes to free-from food choices, understanding around allergies and anaphylaxis – and enjoyment…
In mid-July, we introduced our two new baking products, Simply Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf Mix, and our Pancake and Waffle Mix. We’ve had some amazing feedback from our social media followers and customers, for which we’d like to thank you. Here are some of their words: Pancake and…
Hello, I am Lindiwe Lewis, 28. You can call me Lindi. I was born in London, England but grew up in Geneva, Switzerland and Monterey, California. I have had anaphylaxis since I was 10 months old. I am allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, chickpeas, lentils, beans, peas, kiwi, pineapple,…
What’s your favourite ice cream? We’ve taken a small poll in the office, and our top three flavours are: Vanilla Cookie Dough Mint Choc-Chip Why are we talking about this? Well, July is National Ice Cream Month! Also in the US, National Vanilla Ice Cream Day is on July…
Guess what we’ve been doing during lock-down? We’ve created some new products! We’d like to introduce you to our brand new... Carrot Cake Mix and Pancake & Waffle Mix. These are both very popular foods, however for people with allergies and other dietary requirements, it’s very hard to find…
Did you know July 17th is World Emoji Day. A few years ago that would have meant absolutely nothing to anybody. Now emoji are widely recognised as a way to use an image to express emotion almost as a new type of evolving language. Did you know that…
Our best chocolatey products and why we love them! Do you enjoy eating chocolate? If your answer to that question is ‘yes’, then the 7th July is the day when you can eat as much chocolate as you like. It’s World Chocolate Day. This is a day to celebrate all…
Hi, Thalina here! So a little bit about myself: I’m 16 y/o, I have an extensive list of allergies, do enjoy a bit of bish bash on the tennis court and also founded Allergies In Bold - more on that later ;). I am also a proud ambassador for the…
Moving out of lockdown brings new pressures and challenges for any small business, especially those with offices, warehouses or factories – like Creative Nature. Dealing with ambient food products, we have had to think very carefully about how we are going to work in this new world we now…
Here at Creative Nature, we’re very proud of our small business and have worked hard as a team to sustain it – and at the beginning of Covid 19 we were very scared and worried about how things would pan out for us – and for others. To date,…
June is the first, real month of summer, even though for the last few weeks unusually, we’ve had lovely weather. June is the time when our gardens begin to come fully into bloom. Normally, it’s a popular month for weddings, and a time to enjoy getting out in the sunshine…
This week was World Milk Day; a day to celebrate and raise the awareness of dairy’s part in healthy diets. (June 1) According to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, in the UK we are drinking 50% less milk than we were in 1974. Many people are moving away…
We are now in our seventh week of lockdown. For many people this has been a very stressful time. This is the first time since the war we have had any sort of embargo on our movements and the way we live. The biggest part of this for…
This week is not only Coeliac Disease Awareness Week, it’s also Food Allergy Awareness Week. Both of these conditions are common areas of discussion for us at Creative Nature and also for some of our customers. For more on Food Allergy Awareness Week please look at our CEO Julianne’s…
When our freedom is suddenly curtailed and we are used to going to work each day, interacting with others, we take for granted the fact we can go and do what we like when we like. In our new situation of social distancing, and staying at home to keep…
Our diet also impacts on our health. Whilst we are having to stay at home, it is much easier to sit around for longer, or watch the TV, watch films, and become more sedentary than when we are going to work, and getting out and about as normal. However,…
Many people walk as part of their exercise regularly. However, now it is something that is recommended we all do once a day, during lockdown to keep us healthy and fit, both mentally and physically. An American report in 2018 concluded that walking is associated with improved mental and…
Have you had to celebrate your birthday during lockdown? Well, I’m about to, as it is my birthday this week, and I’m wondering how much of a celebration it will actually be. I might get some cards. I may even get a present from Matt, but only if he…
Following the government’s latest restrictions, here at Creative Nature, we are working from home where we can. We feel it’s our social responsibility to do the right thing, to set an example even though that’s a huge ask for a food business which offers products. Products need to be…
The Coronavirus is not something that any of us imagined, have planned for and has thrown up a variety of situations that are completely unexpected. We are suddenly finding ourselves in a very different situation to anything many of us have seen before. Life in the 21st century is fast…
We will soon be celebrating Easter, which although an important time in the Christian calendar, is also a time to be fully welcoming Spring and the joys of nature; daffodils, narcissi, tulips, and of course those cute lambs. This year it is going to be a very different Easter to…
The arrival of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) has brought with it many problems, including shortage of certain foods in our supermarkets, due to panic buying. In turn this can mean some food banks, who are the main lifeline for many families and the elderly, find themselves in a situation where they…
“Allergy is the most common chronic disease in Europe. Up to 20% of patients with allergies struggle daily with the fear of a possible asthma attack, anaphylactic shock, or even death from an allergic reaction.” EAACI 2016 As spring approaches tree pollens start to circulate in the air and…
It’s Mothering Sunday or Mothers’ Day this weekend in case you’d forgotten! (March 22) In the UK, Mothering Sunday or Mothers’ Day is on the 4th Sunday of Lent. Exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday, and therefore like Easter, it is a moveable feast. However, it usually falls in…
How endometriosis has affected our CEO Julianne: I have always had problems with my stomach, having had severe pancreatitis when I was just nine. Then when my first period started, I had really painful stomach cramps. These cramps got progressively worse during my teens. I thought I was just…
This week (March 2 to 8) is officially Endometriosis Week and, in fact, the whole month is Endometriosis Awareness Month. Our CEO Julianne has this condition – more on that next week. What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is the name given to a condition where cells like the ones in…
Spending time with the family is precious, so having activities planned ensures you get the most from your weekends. You probably already have to ferry the children to the several activities they attend at weekends, such as sports, dance or drama groups, however do try to plan for physical activities…
Preparing your own meals is an important part of creating a healthy eating routine. The speed which our lifestyles seem to dictate, means that often meals are eaten ‘on the hoof’ and we end up eating at irregular times and snacking on foods that are neither particularly healthy nor nutritious.…
The word is appearing all over the place on social media and in the news. Schools are even incorporating it into their curriculum for students. The latter seem to link it to coping with stress of exams, making career choices and dealing with difficult social issues which often arise in…
A healthy diet can make a significant difference to how quickly you recover from depression or anxiety. In fact, eating healthily seems to be just as important for maintaining your mental health as it is for preventing physical health problems. Research suggests exercise may be as effective as antidepressants at reducing the symptoms of depression…
Spending time with family and friends is more important than we might think. Research has shown the quality and quantity of individuals' social relationships has been linked not only to mental health but also to both morbidity and mortality. The research concluded the influence of social relationships on the…
January is often considered to be the month with the highest levels of depression following Christmas and the New Year. Is this a myth or is it true? It certainly can feel like a ‘flat’ month after the festive period. Psychiatry and Population Professor at University of Manchester, Nav Kapur,…
As the year is ending and I am reflecting on my successes this year for me personally, and for my business, I’m now planning ahead for 2020. My family helped to give me a good understanding of the importance of goal setting through an annual tradition; each New Year we…
As many of us know, Christmas time is all about celebrations, gatherings, and indulging in delicious food, but people such as Julianne, the founder of Creative Nature, really struggle at this time of year due to life threatening allergies. We have been in contact with 2 allergy sufferers to hear…
As mentioned in our previous blog, Christmas is a time for luxurious food, but what about healthy indulgence? How can we cater for everyone, including those with serious allergies and IBS? It seems that the worlds population is becoming more allergic to food, and the rise in allergies in…
Christmas is a time to indulge; at least that is what we tell ourselves, as we munch our way through chocolate laden Advent calendars, boxes of chocolates, crisps, shortbread, Stollen, mince pies - far to much food than is good for us! And still to come, the traditional Christmas…
Advent is, for many people of faith, a time to prepare for the commemoration of the birth of Jesus. For the less religious of the population, it’s a time for shopping and preparing for the festivities. A time for buying gifts, food and drink in preparation for Christmas Day…
It’s true. November seems to be full of chocolate – there’s a festival in Exeter and there are many in America from the North West Chocolate Festival to the Winter Chocolate Festival. And of course the shops are full of it, all gearing up for the food fest treat…
Black Friday is just a week away - are you gearing up to shop manically for bargains on Black Friday ready for Christmas or are you planning your strategy for online shopping on Cyber Monday? This year Black Friday is on 29th November with Cyber Monday following on on…
Did you know that being a vegan isn’t what it used to be? It’s not all about having a bland range of foods you can eat which all taste like cardboard or in fact, are utterly tasteless – we’re far more creative than that now. Have you even looked…
This week was meant to be Green GB Week. A government initiative to encourage businesses and industry to embrace greener practices. It’s something we support. We are happy to put up a little green flag to say ‘here, here, here’. However it’s now been delayed until early 2020 because it’s…
Whether you have a birthday this month – or you throw a Halloween Party or both – there will probably be chocolate involved. Recently in America, a tweet about the worst ‘candy’ Halloween treat which had to ‘go forever’ went viral with brands coming in for some colourful comments.…
We’ve already shared with you the challenges which can be faced by people with allergies when it comes to occasions like Halloween. These challenges are especially poignant for parents and guardians of small children who may not fully understand the dietary restrictions they face. Then comes the different layer…
Halloween, for some people, is an exciting moment to celebrate as the autumn nights draw in. Many people, often families, can be seen wandering the streets, all dressed up and ready to ‘trick or treat’ carrying lanterns, parents hovering in the background. For those who are older, they…
By Julianne Ponan, CEO of Creative Nature Just over a week ago I was contacted by the BBC and informed that I was going to be back in the Dragons’ Den again – much to my surprise. This doesn’t mean I’ve physically stepped into that environment, it means…
Creative Nature has some exciting news– we are about to launch a new look to take our brand forward into 2020! Any business owner of any business type will know changing the branding and ‘look’ of a product or service is a really BIG DEAL. In the food…
September is often a time of transition as families – and indeed most of us – get back to a normal routine after a summer break. Even if we’ve only had a week or two away ourselves, we all notice how much quieter the roads seem, how it can…
Acceptance – accepting that you have food allergies is a big step to leading a positive life. It sounds obvious, however if you have grown up like me from a very young age being ‘different’ you can kick against this and take risks as you get older because you cannot…
Have you ever seen anyone go into anaphylactic shock? Would you know what to do and how to react? For me, the ignorance of others is my worst nightmare and my central fear around being a severely allergic person. I worry that I could have a reaction and be…
There’s actually not too much known about the relationship between mental health and wellbeing and having allergies. For me, it’s obvious – there must be a link. When you have to plan and consider many aspects of your life in ways that others do not, this can have a…
Allergies have a huge impact when you are thinking of going on holiday overseas. In fact, for many parents of allergic children and allergic adults, it can feel much easier to just stay at home. However in doing so we deny ourselves experiences enjoyed by others. I’ve lived in…
Allergies are expensive – having anaphylaxis is even more expensive. The parent of a child with food allergies will find that the cost of caring for an allergic child is thousands of pounds more expensive than for a child without any allergies. Studies have been done at different times…
When you have food allergies like me – travelling and eating food on the go can be a nightmare. We are still not at the stage in the UK for people like me – with severe anaphylaxis brought on by allergies to all nuts, sesame and lot more –…
Many parents, grandparents and guardians take a deep breath as the summer holidays approach. They all know that at some point, children will get bored and restless and more so if the UK weather is poor and the rain make it impossible to get out and about. Food and cooking…
We love meeting you all! Shows are such a great way for us to meet and chat with you, whilst you get the opportunity to try out our awesome products before you buy (at incredible show offers!) We’ve recently done two large shows up in Birmingham, letting us venture out…
What’s better than buying your favourite Creative Nature snack bar? Buying as a multipack and saving money!! We’ve just launched our award-winning, super popular Raw Cacao and Salted Caramel Protein bars in multipack versions! These are exclusive to Asda and can be found in almost 200 Asda stores across the…
Today’s blog is a bit of an update from our amazing team day and a discussion into why team days are so important. Let’s start with Creative Nature. We aim to do at least three major team days in the year. A MAJOR team day is where we go out…
We’re right in the middle of exam season and whilst some of you might be able to sail through test papers without a care in the world (unfortunately this wasn’t any of us!), the majority will panic at the mere thought of sitting still for hours on end. Even if…
A food allergy occurs when the body's immune system triggers an abnormal response to food. Symptoms of allergic reactions to specific food can range from anything like tingling of the lips, sneezing, nasal congestion or even to something as dangerous as anaphylaxis. Having to deal with allergies is hard enough as…
If the heat is getting to you and you're dreaming of ice-cream on a daily basis, this blogpost will surely help you out! We're sharing a few options of our favourite Vegan, allergy-friendly ice-creams you can make at home by following just a few steps. Store-bought Ice Cream, be gone!…
When the weather is amazing and the sun is shining... there is nothing better than a British picnic! Here are some picnic essentials that you've got to have with you on the day! Blankets- Don't risk getting yourself dirty on the grass in case it's misty or if you're wearing…
With the summer just around the corner, some of you may be looking for some quick and easy summer recipes to try out this year. We have quite a lot of recipes you can choose from on our recipe page of our website (click here to check it out!), but…
As we're sure you're aware... Easter is rapidly approaching. It's time to enjoy the lovely weather outside and go on a fun little Easter Egg hunt so we thought we would share a few fun options of activities you could do for the occasion if you have any little kiddos…
This weekend, 12th-14th of April you can come and see us exhibiting at the Baby and Toddler Show in Sandown Park! It will be the first ever baby and child orientated show we are doing and we can't wait. At shows loads of parents talk to us about how much…
This week I gave a talk at a major expo at the Taste of Travel Theatre in Germany about how airlines should consider passengers with severe allergies and offer allergen free snacks. My talk was well received. Not particularly interesting? I don’t suppose it is if you are not someone…
Have you come across the term If It Fit Your Macros before? Well, if you are interested in fitness, it’s highly likely you have. However, if you haven’t before, this blogpost will hopefully introduce you to it a bit. Macros, are the main macronutrients you should consume through your…
Mother's Day is just around the corner! We thought it would be nice to remind all of you to treat your Mum this weekend for Mother's Day and spend some quality time with her. We know how busy life can get, but make sure to set some time aside for…
Hi everyone! You may have seen all across our social media, that at the end of February, we held our very first Vegan and Allergy Friendly Creative Nature Supper Club! We have had a few successful events already- our summer and our Christmas bake-offs, but we wanted to try something…
Nutrition and Hydration Week (11th-17th of March) is an annual event which aims to highlight and promote healthy living and advancements in nutrition and hydration locally and worldwide! At Creative Nature, we care for all customers and their health, by producing products which are safe for all consumers to eat,…
This week, 4th-8th of March is National Apprenticeship Week & we thought we would share some tips our very own Award-winning apprentice, Polly learnt through her 2-year long apprenticeship! Polly has been with the company for 3 years and started out as an apprentice, and is now our Sales Manager,…
Benefits of Eating Clean “Clean eating” has had a bad reputation in recent months. Here at the Creative Nature HQ we believe this is down to there being too much ambiguity around what “clean eating” means. Do you have to wash every bit of food you eat? What is classified…
Here at Creative Nature we love all things Chocolate, but there is something special about Mint Chocolate. There are tons of people that love the combination of the cool refreshing taste of mint with an indulgent taste of chocolate! Today, on the 19th of February it is even Chocolate Mint…