Gourmet Yoghurt Brand The Collective Partners With Anna Hansen To Create Global Inspired Limited Edition

Britain's fastest growing yoghurt business, The Collective(www.thecollectivedairy.com), has teamed up with well renowned chef Anna Hansen, launching an epicurean Rhubarb, Vanilla & Lemongrass Limited Edition to raise money for Action Against Hunger.

Available from May 2015, 5 pence from each pot sold will be donated directly to the humanitarian organisation, which both parties are strong supporters of. Action Against Hunger works to save the lives of malnourished children and provide families with access to safe water and good nutrition.

This new edition has been created by pairing The Collective's award-winning gourmet yoghurt with Hansen's adventurous culinary philosophy to create delicious and original dishes using a global larder of ingredients based on their flavour rather than their origin.

For this variety, The Modern Pantry chef has combined a unique collection of seasonal flavours for Summer 2015. Quintessentially British rhubarb is balanced with delicate Madagascan vanilla and aromatic Asian lemongrass to produce a fresh and contemporary compote.

A lavish double layer of this beautifully pink conserve is folded through luxurious and thick live yoghurt, made using the finest West Country milk for that silky smooth texture and clean, creamy taste that makes The Collective'sgourmet yoghurt the best tasting in Britain.

Anna Hansen says about the collaboration: "Our partnership is the perfect match. The Collective make delicious and adventurous yoghurts and share my approach to combining global and contemporary ingredients to produce bold new flavours.

"For me this Limited Edition encapsulates the most exciting culinary trends of summer 2015. Rhubarb is distinctive in flavour, with vibrant flushes of pink, the lemongrass has refreshing and revitalising aromatics and both are perfectly balanced by the vanilla and creamy yoghurt. I believe this collaboration showcases the way I combine classic and international flavours to create something entirely familiar yet original, and of course delicious."

Although born in Canada and Danish by origin, Anna Hansen, like The Collective, was raised in New Zealand. Her international heritage has shaped her globally-inspired approach to gastronomy, that centres round renewing everyday food with modern ingredients and foreign flavours.

It is an outlook that is shared by The Collective, which is renowned for bringing both quality and innovation to the dairy category. The brand combines bold, global tastes with its award-winning yoghurt, releasing in 2014, the UK's first alcoholic yoghurt, Raspberry & Amaretto, aBlackcurrant & Beetroot variety and a Spiced Pumpkin flavour for Halloween. A 100% Arabica Coffee edition, produced with dark roasted beans from Colombia, was also introduced at the beginning of the year.

Like the whole of The Collective's range, the Rhubarb, Vanilla & Lemongrass Limited Edition variety is free from artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Only 5% fat, it is suitable for vegetarians and gluten-free diets and is packed with live cultures.

The yoghurt will be available nationwide at Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's, The Co-op, Ocado, Whole Foods, Booths, Asda and Nisa, from May 2015 with an RRP of £2.39 for a 500g pot.

ENDS

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About The Collective

The Collective started in the green fields of New Zealand, the home of gourmet yoghurt, and was the brainchild of two ex-chefs, Ofer and Angus, and their quest was simple: to create the greatest dairy imaginable… no bull!

After developing a recipe for the most gorgeous yoghurt that quickly became the bestselling gourmet yoghurt in New Zealand within a year, they decided to share their secret. In 2011 they joined forces with Mike Hodgson and Amelia Harvey in the UK who believed the unique taste, texture and fun positioning was just what the market was looking for. The Collective's aim is to bring excitement, innovation and gorgeous yoghurt to fridges across the UK and now Ireland too.

Based on the original New Zealand recipe, but produced in Somerset using the finest West Country milk, The Collective's handcrafted yoghurts are thick and creamy with silky smooth, clean texture and taste that melts in your mouth. The gourmet yoghurt includes probiotics, has no artificial additives and contains only 5% fat.

The Guild of Fine Foods has awarded several of The Collective gourmet yoghurts with stars for great taste, and two stars for Russian Fudge (2011), Passion Fruit (2011) and Blood Orange (2014).

The Collective was a finalist in the National Business Awards 2014 and was also a finalist in the IGD awards 2014, the UK Startups Awards 2013 and The Santander/Smarta Breakthrough 50 Business of the Year.

Today, The Collective product range in the UK includes Gourmet Yoghurts, Limited Edition Gourmet Yoghurts, Straight Up live yoghurt and on-the-go Suckies pouches for kids.

Gourmet Yoghurt

Ridiculously tasty, thick and creamy live gourmet yoghurt with The Collective's award-winning signature double layer of intense fruit and confectionary flavours:

Passionfruit

Russian Fudge

Luscious Lemon

Mighty Mango

Scottish Raspberry

Coconut & Lime

Limited Edition: changes every four months and is currently Coffee.

The gourmet yoghurts are available from Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's, The Co-op, Ocado, Whole Foods, Booths, Asda and Nisa with an RRP of £2.39 for a 500g pot.

Straight Up

A uniquely glossy, thick and creamy yoghurt that tastes just the way yoghurt used to, with no added sugar or sweeteners. A kitchen staple which can be eaten "au naturel" straight-up from the tub as well as in recipes for savoury and sweet dishes, snacks, blended as healthy smoothies and in traditional baking.

Straight Up is available from Ocado, Waitrose and Whole Foods in both a 500g tub and a 150g pot. It is also available in selected Tesco and Sainsbury's stores in a 500g tub.

RRP is £2.39 for a 500g tub and 79p for a 150g pot.

Suckies

Fresh, chilled portable yoghurt pouches for kids. Suckies only contains sugars from fruit, no pips, bits, colours, artificial flavourings, preservatives, or GM ingredients allowed! In three unique flavours:

Sassy Strawberry

Peach & Apricot

Blueberry

Suckies are available at Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Ocado, Booths, Tesco, Nisa, Whole Foods and Tesco (RRP 79p per pouch).

Single-Serve 150g Yoghurts with Spoon

With a new design featuring a handy disposable spoon under The Collective's distinctive black lid, the range of 150g single-serve pots are available in four delicious flavours:

Passionfruit

Banoffi

Coconut & Lime

Limited Edition: changes every four months and is currently Raspberry & Amaretto.

Single-serve Yoghurts with Spoon are available at Waitrose, Tesco, Boots, Superdrug, Ocado, Whole Foods, The Co-op, Nisa and Booths (RRP £1.00 per 150g pot).

ABOUT ANNA HANSEN

Born in Canada and raised in New Zealand, Anna studied business management before venturing out into the world of food.

Anna first trained as a chef under Fergus Henderson (St John) in 1992 at his first restaurant venture, The French House Dining Room. She then worked with Peter Gordon (The Providores) in 1994 at Green Street and again in 1998 at The Sugar Club, Soho. She also spent a year in Melbourne, Australia working for Stephanie Alexander as well as stints in New Zealand.

In 2001, Anna, Peter Gordon and partners opened their award-winning Marylebone restaurant, The Providores. Awards included the prestigious Catey's "New Comer of the Year Award" 2003, two AA Rosettes for culinary excellence in 2002 through 2005, and Square Meal 'Best New Restaurant Award', autumn 2001. Anna also acted as consultant chef to the award-winning Michelin starred New York restaurant PUBLIC.

In 2005 Anna left The Providores to focus on developing The Modern Pantry which opened its doors to critical acclaim in August 2008. Since opening, The Modern Pantry has been listed as a "Bib Gourmand" in the Michelin Guide 2009. In the same year Phaidon published "Coco", a book showcasing 100 of the world's top up and coming chefs of which Anna was one. She has since appeared on BBC's Saturday Kitchen. The New Zealand Society awarded her the accolade of New Zealander of the Year 2010

Anna's culinary philosophy is driven by the desire to please and excite the palate by renewing everyday cooking with modern ingredients and global inspiration; The Modern Pantry, in fact.

ABOUT ACTION AGAINST HUNGER

Action Against Hunger is an international humanitarian organisation committed to ending child hunger. Recognised as a leader in the fight against malnutrition, Action Against Hunger works to save the lives of malnourished children while providing communities with sustainable access to safe water and long-term solutions to hunger. With 30 years of expertise in emergency situations of conflict, natural disaster and chronic food insecurity, Action Against Hunger runs life-saving programmes in over 45 countries helping some 9 million people each year: www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk

ABOUT AUCTION AGAINST HUNGER

On Thursday 21st May, some of London's finest and most exciting chefs will join together under one roof, at Street Feast in Dalston Yard, to cook up Michelin-starred quality dishes street-food style at the third annual Auction Against Hunger in aid of humanitarian charity Action Against Hunger.

For one night only guests will have the unique chance to feast on dishes cooked by eight of London's top chefs including: Nuno Mendes (Chiltern Firehouse), Skye Gyngell (Spring), Isaac McHale (The Clove Club), Robin Gill (The Dairy), Nieves Barragan Mohacho (Barrafina), Anna Hansen (The Modern Pantry in collaboration with The Collective), Jose Pizarro (Pizarro Restaurant) and Tom Parry (Kitty Fisher's). These incredible chefs will be joined by Street Feast favourites to round out the biggest indoor street food party of the year.