Urban Legend to open a new custom-built factory after signing Tesco deal

Tesco will stock Urban Legend doughnuts after completing a successful trial at stores in Putney and North Greenwich. The deal follows Tesco’s decision to continue with plans to remove volume-led promotions on foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products from October 2022 after the Government announcement that restrictions on multibuy deals are to be delayed for a year. 

Having launched its first range of doughnuts last year, Urban Legend, which was founded by Anthony Fletcher, former CEO of graze, said it uses “cutting-edge science”​ to reformulate bakery products, dramatically reducing levels of sugar, salt, fat and calories.

Venture capital

The partnership comes as Urban Legend has successfully completed a second round of fundraising in less than a year, securing a further £7m in venture capital to add to its £3m in seed funding. 

The funds are being directed towards a new, custom-built, high-tech factory for its novel manufacturing process in West London to service the arrangement with Tesco and scale further over the coming months. The firm’s factory and logistics teams are set to expand too. 

Anthony Fletcher, founder & ceo of Urban Legend, said: “Our partnership with Tesco is a successful step towards the shared goal of pioneering innovative solutions to tackling obesity and improving the nation’s health. London contains some of the unhealthiest high streets in the UK so we hope that this will give consumers the option to indulge on something much lower in fat, sugar and salt than a typical doughnut or bakery product.​

Healthier options

“It is not the sole responsibility of the consumer to avoid unhealthy foods, we must provide healthier options that taste great and are accessible. It is fantastic to be working with Tesco to start turning this vision into a reality.”​

As part of its ongoing efforts to experiment and research food reformulation, Urban Legend said it has agreed a programme with the University of Sheffield, where Masters and PhD students studying materials science will work with the firm as a placement, supporting its R&D efforts. 

There are currently 14 flavours that Urban Legend sells across its two UK stores: one in the Brighton Lanes and one in Clapham Junction.