The Plitvice Times recently started cooperating with a new brand – First in. First in produces energy and protein bars pointing out the importance of nutritionally balanced meals and snacks. You can check their offer in our webshop.
We interviewed Alenka Urbančič, one of the team members of the company so let`s hear more about the brand.
Who is the person in charge behind the name “First in” and how did you come up with the idea of producing and selling energy and protein bars?
Alenka Urbančič is the person behind the brand as the originator of the idea and the creation of the first tastes. Over time, a small team of people has been created who are equal in making important strategic decisions regarding production technology and quality, new flavors, new products called First In that are in preparation, branding, sales, promotion….
The idea came up spontaneously since there was no satisfying energy bar on the market at the time, so I decided to make them myself. At one point, I realized that I had created an excellent recipe that might be interesting to a wide circle of people.
The idea was to create a product, a snack, based on healthy ingredients, which is always at hand when needed. Also, the plan was to make maximum use of local groceries as much as possible. However, considering the fact that we have obtained the “BIO, VEGAN” certificate for all FIRST INs in the meantime, we were forced to find a supplier from the EU that meets all these standards due to strict rules on the origin of raw materials.
Explain the brand name.
All those who consume First In bars know why. To those who have not yet encountered our products, we recommend trying them. It will be immediately understandable why the name is FIRST In.
What products do you have and how did you choose the ingredients?
FIRST IN currently offers four flavors:
Energy bar almond & fig
Energy bar cherry
Energy bar hazelnut & plum
Hemp protein bar & cocoa
We chose the ingredients to obtain a perfectly nutritionally balanced product, while also achieving the ideal amount of moisture, ie a feeling of freshness. Also, the taste that remains in our mouths during the consumption of the product itself, which is often a problem with products of this type.
In addition to proven healthy nuts (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, etc.), we also use dried fruits and spices that go perfectly with nuts. I think we have succeeded. That is confirmed by the consumers of First In bars. The number of customers is growing day by day.
Are you planning to expand your offer?
The past two years, due to reasons known to all of us, pandemics, have been challenging. How to survive on the market in such conditions at all? Especially because we had most of our sales through direct sales.
Following the circumstances, we decided to use part of that time to rebrand the product name, visual identity, create a new website, obtain “BIO, VEGAN” certificate and develop new products.
Also, in the middle of 2021, we managed to launch our first protein bar Hemp & Cacao, which aroused great interest among our loyal consumers.
As for other news and new products, we will leave that part as a surprise until we have completed all the necessary tests and preparations needed for launching. For those who want to be informed on time, all information can be found on www.firstin.hr as well as on social networks FB / Instagaram: firstintheraw.
Plans for the future?
The goal is to enter all relevant EU markets through online and direct sales. We are currently working intensively on that and we believe that this is a crucial year. We continue to work on developing new flavors of the bars and new products under the First In brand.
Since all our bars are based on nut and fruit raw materials without added sugars, additives, gluten, protein and fiber from 100% natural ingredients, we will maintain this standard in the development of all future products.
It is also planned to become a market leader in this product category soon. The ultimate goal of our mission is to spread awareness of the importance of a healthy diet and consequently change the eating habits of the general population. The first choice should be a nutritionally balanced snack because health is the greatest wealth.
Check out the First In offer:
Energy Bar Box – 4 Almond & Fig, 4 Hazelnut & Plum, 4 Cherry, 3 Hemp & Cacao