Why we're not innovating this World Food Day

This year's World Food Day theme is "Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow." Expect every food brand in the country to tell you how innovative they are this week. We'd like to go the other way.

We're not innovating. On purpose.

Why aren't we innovating?

Because breakfast was sorted a long time ago. Oats have been cooked into porridge in Britain for centuries. Nuts, seeds, honey and dried fruit have fed people for thousands of years. Granola itself turned up in 1863, when an American doctor baked something rather similar and called it "Granula". Muesli followed in Switzerland around 1900.

None of it needed a laboratory. It still doesn't.

We simply do the same thing, properly. Real nuts and seeds, mixed by hand and baked in small batches. Awesome Almond is oats, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and dates. Even our savoury snacks are over half nuts. And yes, one of our granolas is called Zesty Caveman. Subtle, we are not.

How do you spot real food on a label?

1. Short is good. If the ingredients list is longer than your shopping list, ask why.

2. You should recognise every word. Oats, almonds, dates: lovely. Anything you can't pronounce deserves a second look.

3. Check where the sugar sits. UK labels list ingredients by weight, heaviest first. The further down sugar appears, the less of it there is.

We've written more about this in the granola myth, if you fancy a longer read.

Nourishing tomorrow, the old-fashioned way

So no, we won't be innovating this World Food Day. We'll be doing what people have done for thousands of years: eating real food, made properly. If that happens to nourish tomorrow, we'll happily take the credit.

Go on. Feed tomorrow-you something good.

The short version, for skimmers

When is World Food Day 2026? Friday 16 October 2026.

What is the World Food Day 2026 theme? "Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow."

When was granola invented? In 1863, in the US, under the name "Granula".

How can I tell if my breakfast uses real ingredients? Look for a short list of ingredients you recognise, and check how high up sugar appears.

Not sure where to start? Which granola is for me? has you covered.