My friend once encouraged me to make oat bars. After I took a tray and faced the beautiful smell of baked oats with honey and walnuts, I felt like this is not the end. And that's when the idea was born...
My original Tasty logo – based on my surname "Chutný" translated to English
First packaged batch was baked for my friend's birthday. I used a "Tasty" logo - a foundation of my new identity which is based on my Czech surname Chutný which literally means Tasty.
First prototype, given to my friend. Packaging printed on A4, bar wrapped in paper + then wrapped in packaging, glued.
Kayo liked it so I went further. Baked another flavour, increased size and improved the manufacture process (note the clamps holding the glued sides!). I started to give them out to friends to see how they like them. And they did! So I brought them to christmas fair, and they were gone in one hour
I came up with colour palettes for various ingredients that I am using and applied them to each flavour of bars. It was usually approximate colours of the ingredient's photographs (e.g. what is the approximated yelowness of a banana?)
Colour palette displaying ingredients I am using. Each colour is an approximation of colours found in the ingredient.
Colour palette of ingredients implemented in polka dots, back home.
Trying to avoid sugar, artificial flavours and putting in good ingredients - the "honest" in the name emerged, and Honest bars were founded. Polka dots changed to appealing stripes full of colour.
Finding my honest oat bar project little bit unsustainable being a student, I put a price on them - £1 for a bar, simple pricing, convenient for students and friends carrying change usually :)
High on the joy of offering a healthy, tasty snacks to people around me, I would cycle Dundee every second day to deliver bars to friend's flats, or do deliveries in the Art College. Facebook page for the bars was created to inform people about new, freshly made batches. Good times! Even the baby from farmer's market back home in Czech Republic seems to like the bar!
Over the summer holiday, I experimented with vacuum packing and finally made a packaging that really shows it's contents, and also fully insulates the flapjack from outside world.
First vacuum packed bar - now it's all about the colours of ingredients and you can finally see the real thing
Motivated by another friend of mine, interested in healthy food - I set myself to create a Honest Granola. First, I prototyped a novel but little complicated way of packaging it
Prototyping the granola packaging - after cutting the top of vacuum-sealed package, you close it by locking the heavy paper ring by it's pre-cut edges.
And in the end went for more convenient solution, using re-sealable zip-loc bags with heavy paper cover which can be closed anytime, having a not-too-sticky doublesided tape on the front. Honest Müsli/Granola was born!
First pack of Honest granola. Colour stripes are again giving you a hint of ingredients used.
Since this project is mainly fun and a neverending learning experience, who knows what's going to be the next step. The number of bars made is reaching 1000 now :) I have received a lot of energy from all the supportive people and friends around me - THANK YOU! It's also you who make these happen.
