Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Hot Cocoa Line Expands in New England

The distinctive plant-based, gluten-free hot cocoa, Bare Life, continues to receive widespread praise from a steadily increasing customer base and is now growing once again. The latest expansion is being made possible by their distributor, Associated Buyers, which will put Bare Life on the shelves of 37 new locations across New England and New York, allowing more customers the convenience of in-person purchasing of the award-winning hot cocoa mix.

The award-winning Bare Life is made with five naturally simple ingredients and produced by an organic and kosher certified Connecticut-based, woman-owned small business.
"Associated Buyers has been a wonderful distributor for Bare Life and is providing us with the opportunity to reach a broader consumer base throughout the Northeast. We are thrilled to have Bare Life on the shelves of 37 new locations to continue sharing our plant-based, delicious, simple-to-enjoy hot cocoa with our growing community," says Ali Lazowski, founder of Bare Life.

Associated Buyers Grows List of New Locations Carrying Bare Life
Associated Buyers has grown Bare Life's distribution to new stores throughout all six New England states and portions of New York. The new locations to carry the plant-based hot cocoa mix include an array of local grocers and marketplaces, enabling Bare Life to expand their product availability to a variety of new customers across the region.

Associated Buyers, a natural food and specialty gourmet distributor which serves a diverse account base including retail, bakeries, institutions, producers and buying clubs will be handling Bare Life's New England distribution to their independent grocery stores across seven states.
Customers will now see the Bare Life Coconut Hot Cocoa Mix on more local shelves. Product availability varies, but the popular hot cocoa mix is sold in a 10 Pack Single Serving, 10 Serving Pouch, Single Serving, or 5 lb. food service option. Find a complete list of Bare Life locations and product availability here.

Bare Life's Coconut Hot Cocoa Mix is made using organic coconut milk powder, organic coconut sugar, organic unsweetened cacao, organic ground vanilla beans and Himalayan salt. The signature hot cocoa mix is made without any preservatives or fillers and is sustainably sourced from socially conscious producers.

The New Hampshire-based distribution company delivers products to customers in the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and the Hudson River Valley of New York, including Poughkeepsie, Albany, Saratoga Springs and Glen Falls, with the option for wholesale purchasing for customers outside of their service area.

With over 8,500 products available from small New England Vendors, Associated Buyers provides their partners with natural and organic products that support the well-being of people and the planet.

Bare Life Beginnings
Lazowski started the allergen friendly hot cocoa company after being diagnosed her junior year of college with IBS, Hashimoto's disease, Thyroid cancer, and Lyme disease. The chronic conditions and diseases she was diagnosed with required a change in her diet.
Her dietary needs included foods that were gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. She found that the foods available either did not taste good or did not cover multiple allergens. Taking matters into her own hands – literally – she developed the original Bare Life recipe in her own kitchen.
Statistics show that many Americans live with chronic illnesses, allergies and sensitivities: 133 million Americans (40% of the population) live with chronic illness, and even more are affected by them, and 15 million Americans have food allergies. Recognizing the number of people with dietary restrictions, Lazowski launched Bare Life in 2018, created to bring crave-worthy and convenience to allergen friendly eating for the millions of people living with chronic illnesses, food allergies and sensitivities.

Online Availability
The plant-based hot cocoa, accompanied by Lazowski's creative recipes using the coconut hot cocoa mix, has earned a growing number of customers, distributors and retail locations. In addition to Bare Life's growing list of in-store shopping locations, Bare Life can be purchased online at Amazon, QVC.com, Swedest Marketplace, Spoken Creations, Faire, and Etsy. On Amazon, Bare Life hot cocoa mix is a 4.7 Star Rated Product and was named Top New Hot Cocoa on Amazon at its launch on the site in January 2020.

Since its founding, Bare Life has sold more than 245,000 mugs of hot cocoa, with customers in all 50 states, and is currently available in more than 110 locations across 15 states. The popular plant-based hot cocoa was selected for two consecutive years as Lux Life Magazine's Favorite Hot Cocoa Award Winner, and was voted Best Regional Hot Cocoa, and Best Vegan Hot Cocoa Producer.

More information about the award-winning Bare Life, including purchasing options and store locations, can be found at www.eatbarelife.com. To stay up to date with upcoming in-store demos, recipes, and Bare Life news, follow @eatbarelife on social media and subscribe to Bare Life's newsletter.