“If you eat this bar during a cheat day, you'll still get your protein needs.”
Upfront was founded in January 2020 with the aim of making food fairer by
To develop products with all ingredients and nutritional information listed on the front of the packaging, meaning food that consumers can understand. "This led to more transparent product development, more honest business practices, and ultimately better products," Upfront's founders write on their website. The company is located in the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam.
The bars, produced by De Bonte Koe in collaboration with Upfront, are available for purchase through the Upfront website and in De Bonte Koe's five stores. The bars are Upfront-branded and clearly display all ingredients and nutritional information on the wrapper. The De Bonte Koe logo also appears on the front of the wrapper.
Upfront's product range is divided into categories: proteins, strength products, endurance products, supplements, gear, and downloads, such as a free course on reading food labels. Within the proteins category, Upfront sells protein bars in various flavors, among other products.
The protein bar is also known as a 'protein bar' in English. Upfront's product range is now expanding with the chocolate protein bar, which is made in the production department of De Bonte Koe at Lange Haven 54 in Schiedam. This chocolate bar contains 20 grams of protein per 100 grams. De Bonte Koe's regular chocolate bars contain approximately 5 grams of protein per 100 grams. The chocolate protein bar is made of vegan milk chocolate. "There are already high-protein chocolate bars available, but the product we are now launching with Upfront is unique in that it is made of high-quality chocolate made from organic cocoa beans," says Amy Klein, who owns De Bonte Koe with her brother, Connor. It's good for our development as a craft chocolate company to collaborate with Upfront—where transparency, honest business practices, sincerity, and a refreshing use of social media are very explicit components of their approach—to develop a product with a functional application of ingredients, aimed at athletic people who make very conscious food choices. People who choose protein-rich food when they need it, for example, for muscle building or recovery. How wonderful it is then that what you eat is not only healthy but also delicious. So if you have a 'cheat day' and snack on this chocolate protein bar, you still get your protein needs. Amy Klein continues: "This is certainly not the first time we've developed products with functional applications in collaboration with others. Earlier this year, in a collaboration with artist Bob Mollema, we released bars under our own label that, thanks to the addition of mushrooms, can combat stress, anxiety, and fatigue, among other things. Since last month, we've been making bonbons for The Oh Collective with natural ingredients that can stimulate desire."
About De Bonte Koe – Handmade chocolate from a good home
De Bonte Koe, a close-knit family business, has been a paradise for
Handmade chocolate in the Netherlands. Chocolate with classic and surprising
flavors, driven by detailed craftsmanship. From refined chocolates and
bars in all kinds of flavors including chocolate sprinkles and peanut brittle for in-between snacks.
We deliver freshly made products using the tastiest and most honest ingredients
Chocolate experiences at a gourmet level. All handmade. Delicious and deliciously responsible.
In addition to the store at Lange Haven 54 in Schiedam (where the various artisanal chocolate products for all locations are handcrafted), there are stores in The Hague (Korte Poten 57 and Piet Heinstraat 59A) and Rotterdam (Lusthofstraat 33A and Nieuwe Binnenweg 112). The company also has a chocolate vending machine at Hoogstraat 69 in Schiedam.