National Peanut Butter Day Crosses The Pond

Celebrated in the US for decades, one of the state's most popular holidays, is about to cross the pond. Peanut Butter is the rising star of the UK jams, spreads and honey market. Latest Kantar Worldpanel market share figures (January 2015) reveal Paddington's favourite, marmalade, has been knocked off third place by the king of nut butters. Annual peanut butter sales have increased to more than £62 million a year, up 13% in a year. The UK classic marmalade is now relegated to fifth place, falling also behind chocolate spread.

Now, to celebrate the UK's growing love of the gooey, nutritious treat, January 24th, 2015 marks the launch of the UK's first ever annual National Peanut Butter Day, sponsored by gourmet peanut butter brand The Wild Peanut.

Celebrated in the US on January 24th for many years, National Peanut Butter Day is an opportunity to honour everything 'peanut butter' from its health benefits to great recipes and events.

The Wild Peanut creator Akeem Ojuko said: "While the UK doesn't consume the epic proportions of the US market, which is estimated at $800 million dollars a year, it is still a significant, growing market worthy of recognition and we are delighted to bring National Peanut Butter Day to the UK to help raise awareness of peanut butter generally, in particular its many, amazing health benefits."

The Wild Peanut produces 100% natural peanut butter products with a delicious twist - available in Chilli, Cinnamon, Honey, Chocolate and Banana flavours. The innovative range has no additives; no preservatives and no palm oil and is available from Harvey Nichols' stores across the UK.

The former Dragon's Den contestant added: "Peanut Butter is a nutritious, protein-rich, fibre-packed product, however, it was demonised for many years because of the 'anti fat brigade'.

Fortunately science and opinion is shifting and latest research now positions it firmly as a healthy choice, in moderation. All peanut butters are not made equal, however, and some family favourites are filled with excess sugars, colourings and preservatives. Shoppers should bear in mind that it is the more natural products, without these added ingredients, that make for a healthy option.

Fortunately there are increasingly healthier brands available, including The Wild Peanut which was actually inspired by a desire to create a peanut butter that is great tasting, but at the same time 100% all-natural and healthy."

The National Peanut Board, organisers of the successful US holiday, have backed the move to bring National Peanut Butter Day to the UK to mark the spread's growing fanbase here.

Take a look at our fact pack below and help us celebrate the humble spread with great nutritional power. This January 24th slap on the peanut butter and toast the king of nutty spreads or give everyday recipes an exciting twist by adding a dollop.

For further details visit: www.ukpeanutbutterday.co.uk orwww.thewildpeanut.co.uk

-ENDS-

For further information or images please contact Lyndsey Filby:Lyndsey.filby@talk21.com or call 07906 647565

RRP for a 340g jar costs £4.50. A donation is made to global charity TREEAID for every jar sold. Available to buy online from indie food and drink retailer, Yumbles and Harvey Nichols stores across the UK.

Notes to Editor

• Launched in 2014, The Wild Peanut produces 100% natural peanut butter products with a delicious twist - available in Chilli, Cinnamon, Honey, Chocolate and Banana flavours. The innovative range has no additives; no preservatives and no palm oil and is available from Harvey Nichols' stores across the UK.
• Akeem Ojuko, who appeared on hit BBC show Dragon's Den in August 2014, failed to convince Dragons to part with investment for his innovative range - The Wild Peanut. Shortly after the show he was head-hunted by world food experts Surya Foods, who saw great potential in his product.
• The Wild Peanut brand is co-owned by world food giants Surya Foods. Established in the 1980's, Surya Foods is a rapidly expanding, family run business. It supplies a variety of high quality, authentic ethnic products ranging from rice, flour, spices and sauces to snacks and savouries that are sold in over 30 countries worldwide. It is the largest supplier of world food lines into supermarket giants Tesco and Asda.

Peanut Butter Fact Pack 2014

Latest UK Peanut Butter Statistics - Kantar Worldpanel

- Latest Kantar Worldpanel figures (released January 2015 and for the period 52 w/e 12 October 2014) reveal peanut butter sales have increased a tasty 13% in a year, growing to 62.4 million. It has knocked the UK classic marmalade off third place, which is now relegated to fifth place, also falling behind chocolate spread.

- Overall, sales of sweet spreads reached £443 million in 2014, up less than 1% in a year, revealing peanut butter's remarkable growth is at the expense of other categories . Despite the increasing popularity of peanut butter and chocolate spreads, the nation remains sweet on jam and honey which still accounts for almost half of the category. Honey remains in pole position with sales of 109.8 million a year.

- Chocolate spread attracted the biggest growth, up to 57.6 million annual sales, which represents an increase of 19% in a year.

Peanut Butter - A Nutritional Powerhouse

Most of us find peanut butter delicious, but few realise it could also play a role in keeping hunger at bay and preventing everything from heart disease to Alzheimer's. Here are some of the top health benefits reported for peanut butter:

Peanut Butter helps keep hunger at bay

In one study adults who snacked on peanuts and peanut butter reported feeling fuller for longer than those who chose lighter options like rice cake and pickles. Fat is satiating and its consumption is increasingly being used as a tool for weight control, rather than being blamed for weight gain. Is it just coincidence that as the low-fat options have exploded in our supermarkets, so too have the obesity rates?

According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating peanut butter or peanuts for breakfast is particularly beneficial, helping control blood sugar throughout the day, reducing cravings for up to 12 hours and increasing the hormone associated with fullness and satiety.

Peanut Butter is Heart Healthy

Fat is finally coming back in favour after years in the wilderness. It is now widely recognised that the inclusion of good fats in our diets is important for optimal health. What's more interesting is products once vilified for their saturated fat content, including nuts and coconut oil, are now firmly back on the menu as 'health foods'. Eating peanuts, peanut butter and nuts five or more times per week can cut heart disease risk by up to 50% based on a number of large population studies. These include Harvard's Nurses' Study (British Medical Journal, 1998) and Lorna Linda's Seven Day Adventist Study (archives of Internal Medicine, 1992).

Nutrition expert Dr. Walter C. Willett, professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health says: "The presence of saturated fat doesn't automatically kick a food into the "unhealthy" camp. Olive oil, wheat germ, and even tofu — all "healthy" foods — have some saturated fat. It's the whole package of nutrients, not just one or two, that determines how good a particular food is for health. One serving of peanut butter (about two tablespoons) contains 3.3 grams of saturated fat, but a whopping 12.3 grams of unsaturated fat. That ratio of about 80 percent unsaturated fat is akin to olive oil, a known heart booster.

"The body's response to saturated fat in food is to increase the amounts of both harmful LDL and protective HDL in circulation. In moderation, some saturated fat is okay. Eating a lot of it, though, promotes artery-clogging atherosclerosis, the process that underlies most cardiovascular disease. In contrast, unsaturated fats, which make up the majority of the fat content in peanut butter, actually help reduce LDL cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease."

Peanut Butter could help promote a healthy brain

Nuts and seeds are good sources of vitamin E and higher levels of vitamin E correspond with less cognitive decline as you get older. Just an ounce a day can have a protective effect. Peanut butter also has the additional benefit of 4.3 milligrams of niacin per two-tablespoon serving. Niacin is believed to protect against cognitive decline. A study of 3,000 men over the age of 65 in Chicago found that those who consumed 22 milligrams of niacin per day were 70 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's than their peers who consumed just 13 milligrams.

Peanut Butter is High In The 'Good' Salt - Potassium

When combined with banana, (The Wild Peanut Banana Flavour) peanut butter packs a powerful Potassium punch. While a high-sodium diet is associated with high blood pressure, stroke and a host of other conditions, a high-potassium diet can actually reduce risk of heart disease and improve health.

A few mouthfuls of Peanut Butter pack a powerful nutritional punch

Peanut butter contains fibre, protein, potassium, unsaturated fat, folate, vitamin E, magnesium and resveratrol, offering excellent nutritional value for money.

But remember, the key to great health is moderation - we are referring to a few spoonfuls, as opposed to half a jar!

Peanut Butter UK Fact

• Manchester is the biggest producer of peanut butter in the UK thanks to Duerr's (F Duerr and Sons) The family run business is the UK's largest producer of peanut butter, with 150,000 jars of the healthy spread rolling off the production line every day at its purpose built factory in Wythenshawe.