The Apprentice finalist Camilla Ainsworth has confirmed she has struck a deal with health food giant Holland & Barrett to stock her gourmet vegan nut milk brand.

Ainsworth created M+LKPLUS when she was diagnosed as lactose intolerant and subsequently noticed a gap in the market for a dairy-free alternative without sugar or additives.

The ‘mylk’ is dairy-free and made without refined sugar, stabilisers or emulsifiers. Available in a range of flavors, the first variety hitting the Holland & Barrett shelves is the limited edition Salted Honeycomb Hazelnut, which is made with hazelnuts blended with filtered spring water and fortified with vitamin D and calcium.

Vegan milk

“M+LKPLUS was originally created to fulfill a personal need when I was diagnosed as dairy intolerant and was wholly uninspired by the unnatural alternative ‘m+lks’ on the market,” Ainsworth – who impressed Lord Sugar with her business acumen, and won a total of five challenges over the course of the latest series – said in a statement sent to Plant Based News.

“It wasn’t long before I had the idea to create a super playful ‘grab and go’ nut m+lk to cater for busy millennial lives, in a variety of different nut choices and flavors.

“Having the opportunity to meet Holland & Barrett’s MD Steve Carson through my time on The Apprentice was a real game changer for me, and I couldn’t think of a better retailer to launch it with.”

‘Strong vegan brand’

“M+LKPLUS is not only a truly great tasting vegan ‘m+lk’ but the brand Camilla has created is so strong that I immediately knew I wanted to be the first retailer to stock it,” Steve Carson, Managing Director of Holland & Barrett, added.

“The nature of the product is synergistic with the trends of today’s society as health becomes less of a trend and more of an expectation. Similarly, the dairy-free juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down, as ethics play more of a role than ever in consumer food and more people are turning vegan.

“We’re proud to be able to work with Camilla on this nationwide launch and can’t wait to hear what consumers think.”

M+LKPLUS will launch in Holland & Barrett stores nationwide from early January at £1.99 for 330 ml.