Maybe you have already heard about the foodwatch nomination for the "Golden Windbeutel" for our hearty classic .
We want to take a clear and proactive stance on this so that you can form your own opinion.

Our statement:

To be honest, the nomination/candidacy surprised us a lot and makes us sad. As a small German family business, we have been trying to do the right thing every day for seven years now. For all consumers out there. It was precisely because we, as a founding couple, were so disappointed with the unhealthy food on our supermarket shelves that we founded 3Bears in 2016. And since then we have been bringing innovative and high-quality oat-based products onto the market.

We are so shocked by the nomination precisely because we value the work of foodwatch and it is far from our intention to deceive consumers. In recent years, Foodwatch has uncovered very bad food and important things in the food industry. That makes it all the more shocking and incomprehensible for us to be on the list. Where we produce high-quality food, made in Germany , with A & B Nutriscore . And educate people about healthy eating.

No consumer deception, but the highest quality "Made in Germany"

Our founders respond to Foodwatch’s individual criticisms as follows:

1. Point of criticism: The Kernige Klassiker is a consumer deception because the front suggests that there is so much more in it than "just" oat flakes. This is reinforced by the addition of "no added sugar".

• We have deliberately placed a large viewing window on the front of this pack (as on all our other porridge packs). This allows the consumer to see the contents transparently and clearly see that it is oat flakes.
• There are also large drawings of oats on the front - and nothing else. These illustrate and reinforce the content.
• The word PORRIDGE is placed in large letters on the front. Porridge itself is defined as a porridge made from oat flakes and milk or water. The label "No added sugar" is a distinction from other classic porridge mixes , in which sugar is added. We want to differentiate ourselves from that. The label "No added sugar" is also used in the fruit juice category, in which there are juices made from 100% fruit, but also with added sugar or from concentrate.

2nd point of criticism: The description “secret blend of whole grain oat flakes” is misleading.

What we are referring to here is that our porridge is so wonderfully creamy, but still has a crunchy bite and the exact recipe of crunchy and tender wholegrain oat flakes remains secret. Our intention is not to suggest that it contains any other additives.

In addition, a certain amount of oat flour is also produced during the production process. It is therefore the mixture of oat flakes of different grinding levels, the production process and the origin of the oat flakes themselves that make the Hearty Classic what it is. At this point we would like to emphasize again that our customers have valued this special mixture for more than seven years - and the Hearty Classic has a repurchase rate of 45% .

3rd point of criticism: It's just oatmeal for €3.99.

Yes, we are a premium product and, yes, we have a premium price. In every food category there are foods at entry-level, mid-range and higher prices. The supermarket chains' own brands (including organic products) often offer the cheapest price because they have a clear purchasing and volume advantage.

Branded goods are usually in the middle and upper range. This is known for pasta, for example (there are noodles for just a few cents up to over €5.99) or many other categories. The price for our "hearty classic" is determined by high-quality ingredients, origin, production methods and the fact that all processes take place in Germany. We ourselves are based in Munich with our 20-strong team . We get all of the oat flakes we process from a family-run oat mill in the Black Forest . All of our porridge mixes are made by our production partners in Germany ; this is certainly more cost-intensive than the manufacturing process of many comparable products with which we are being compared in the current debate.

"Frankly, we are very surprised that Foodwatch ranks a product primarily on the basis of price alongside deceptive packaging and consumer deception. Without real transparency, it is incredibly difficult to offer such a niche product, produced locally and to the highest standards, at a fair price. Our customers have also shared this view over the past seven years, since the "Kernige Klassiker" has been successful on the market since then. We have never adjusted the recipe during this time and have only been able to achieve this thanks to increasing sales volumes over the years.
keep our prices at the original level – despite increased purchasing conditions.”

3Bears is about more than just oatmeal in bags. Over the last seven years, we have worked tirelessly to establish delicious and healthy breakfast products on the German market. To achieve this, we founders have
We quit our jobs and take personal and professional risks every day. Where we are today with 3Bears is something we built ourselves. We are proud of that. More than 80% of all start-ups fail within three years.

We also want to speak here for small companies, for the many start-ups and family entrepreneurs who give their all every day. Who pursue visions, take great personal and professional risks so that we can experience a wide variety of products and ideas. Who, like us, have had anything but an easy time in recent years - first with Covid, then war in Europe, energy crisis and inflation.

When you decide to buy a product from a small company, you will probably never "save money" but rather choose passion and quality. And support people with a vision. So we will continue to stick to our vision:

“To make people’s lives a little better, with the power of oats.”

By the way:

The hearty classic is only a small part of our entire range. We are very proud of it! Because it is unique. All of our products impress with unique ingredients and special recipes. No one on the market packs so much real fruit into cereals and bars and always avoids industrial sugar. Why? Because it is expensive - but at 3Bears, our margin is not the top priority. Quality and taste are. And good, real products for consumers who deserve exactly that.

Our fruit porridges, such as cinnamon apple or poppyseed banana , have by far the highest fruit content on the market. Because if we write apple on the packaging, then there should be a lot of real apple in it (instead of just flavorings)! The same goes for our cocoa varieties , which always use pure cocoa and real cocoa nibs instead of chocolate flavoring. We stand for healthy and high-quality enjoyment with the best of oat flakes and natural ingredients.

Press:

We are also pleased that our point of view has already been taken up by the press, for example here in articles from Business Punk and Stern .

Here you can find our current press release on the whole topic.

Links: Our founders Caro & Tim with Christopher Rubin (Managing Director of Rubinmühle) , 2017

Right: Our 3Bears team visiting the Rubinmühle in the Black Forest, March 2023