Stranger Things’ Noah Schnapp Launches Vegan Nutella

Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp noticed something off-putting about the highly popular hazelnut snack spread Nutella: The top ingredient is sugar, followed closely behind by palm oil. Seeking to provide a healthier and more sustainable option, Schnapp just announced that he will release a vegan version of Nutella under his brand TBH. Alongside the unhealthy level of sugar and unsustainable palm oil, classic Nutella uses skim milk in its products. TBH’s brand new vegan hazelnut spread will offer a sustainable, delicious option, directed primarily towards Gen Z consumers.

Schnapp’s partnered with brand developers Umana Venture Studio to create TBH. The company aims to disrupt the typical market standards, undercutting Nutella’s unhealthy and environmentally damaging production. TBH’s hazelnut spread will contain 6g of protein, 14g of net carbs, and 50 percent less sugar than its leading competitor.

“TBH is inspired by honesty. It’s about being transparent with ourselves about what we’re actually consuming, and then making a change for the better,” Schnapp said in a statement. “Hazelnut spread on toast has always been my favorite comfort food, but of course, when I was a kid, I didn’t realize that my snack habit wasn’t very good for me or the environment. Once I found that out, I wanted to create a new take on hazelnut cocoa spread with honesty and sustainability at its heart, and found the perfect team to help that vision come to life.”

The 17-year-old actor’s brand has been developing the vegan hazelnut spread for nearly a year to create a product that replicates the acclaimed original. The hazelnut spread will launch on TBH's website on November 1. The company will also feature its products at retail concept Showfields in New York City and Miami.

Schnapp wants to emphasize the environmental motivations for TBH’s launch through both the product recipe and its distribution. The company announced that it will use completely sustainable packaging, sourced from recycled materials. TBH also promises to plant 20 times more trees than the number of trees that it takes to create its box.

“I feel lucky to be in a position where I can help my generation make a difference through simple pantry swaps like TBH,” Schnapp said.

Schnapp’s decision to launch TBH is directly inspired by the rising concerns regarding the climate crisis across Gen-Z consumers. A recent Pew Research survey found that 76 percent of Gen-Z participants believe that addressing climate change is a top priority. The interest in sustainability has shifted consumer behavior towards

One report from First Insight found that the vast majority of Gen-Z shoppers prefer to purchase sustainable brands. The report explained that 62 percent of Gen-Z consumers prefer to purchase sustainable brands, even if the product costs 10 percent or more than the less sustainable counterparts. The statistics lend themselves to Schnapps decision to launch TBH, aiming the new brand and future products to his generational peers.

“Transparency is definitely a major part of TBH,” Schnapp told Forbes, “And this is super important for Gen Z [consumers] as I’ve noticed they like voting with their dollars. They want products that are better for you and better for the planet.”

Schnapp and Umana Ventures hope that the product’s sustainable angle will propel the TBH brand to the forefront of its market category. Asore consumers demand plant-based and sustainable options, companies similar to TBH plan to seize space in the growing market space. Currently, hazelnut spreads ranks as the second-largest in the nut-based spread category, according to Forbes.

Founder and CEO of Umana Venture Studio Bá Minuzzi believes that between the desired product and Schnapp’s public influence, the company will be able to take on its highly acclaimed competitor.

“There are many great VCs and impact investors, and the more they can back our journey, the better we will be,” Minuzzi said. “We do prefer to work with value-aligned investors. [TBH] is the first brand we're doing with an influential voice like Noah, and he has been phenomenal to work with.”