General Mills is launching Larabar: an American range of vegan fruit and nut bars in the UK for the first time.

Available in mulitpacks of three, the bars come in three flavours: apple cinnamon; banana choc chip; and peanut butter choc chip, with an rrp of £2.90 per 45g pack.

A £700,000 marketing campaign will support the launch with experiential and in-store sampling, shopper marketing and PR, as well as social media activity focusing on influencer-led partnerships and collaborations.

The Larabar portfolio is made using no more than six ingredients and is designed to appeal to consumers demanding vegan and free-from snacking options that contain no added flavours or sugar.

Richard Williams, business director for new ventures at General Mills Europe, said: “The launch of Larabar is a key part of General Mills’ strategy to become the number one snack bar manufacturer. As our first 100% vegan and ‘real food’ snack bar launch in the UK, this launch will allow us to address increasing consumer demand for simple, minimally processed snacks.

“Having launched in 2000 in the US with great success, Larabar is the trailblazing and original fruit and nut bar in the snacking category and we’ve picked a range of flavours to appeal to the UK market.”

Willians added: “This is our most ambitious launch ever in the real food space with deliberate investment on touchpoints that drive brand awareness and engagement such as social, targeted experiential sampling and partnerships with key influencers in the nutrition and wellness space. E-commerce will also be a key focus for UK growth in order to attract shoppers that seek minimally processed real food who predominantly shop online.”