Sam Butler: Armagh’s Overnight Oats land on US breakfast tables

Armagh City-based Linwoods Health Food, a family business, has successfully launched its new line of Overnight Oats into Whole Foods Market in the US, marking a major international retail expansion for the company and its products.

The partnership, according to Patrick Woods, the company’s managing director, “significantly boosts our brand's presence in premium health-retail locations”.

”After three weeks on the shelves we have already received repeat business,” he adds.

Whole Foods Market is an American multinational supermarket chain specialising in organic, natural foods free from artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives. Acquired by Amazon.com in 2017, the company operates hundreds of stores across the US, Canada, and the UK.

Whole Foods has already relisted the company’s chocolate protein and strawberry energy overnight oats in packaging that meets US rules.

Linwoods is already successful with a range of healthy milled seeds, organic blends, and Overnight Oats on the shelves of Whole Foods stores, alongside other major UK supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, and Ocado.

A healthy way to start the day, Overnight Oats, pictured above, are a simple, no-cook breakfast made by soaking rolled oats in liquid (like milk or water) overnight in the fridge. The oats absorb the liquid, softening them by morning. They are then easily customised with yogurt, fruits, and nuts, and can be eaten cold or warmed up. Linwoods is a prominent, third-generation family-owned and innovation-led health food business known globally for its premium plant-based superfoods. Founded in 1965 by John Woods, the company originally began as a small local grocery and bakery shop on the Monaghan Road in Armagh, where the company’s headquarters is still located today.

Over the decades, Linwoods has evolved from a traditional bakery and dairy wholesaler into an international superfood brand.