Sozyë to “shake up the sauce aisle” with plant-based alternatives to fish, soy and oyster sauces made from Scottish seaweed

05 Jan 2022 --- UK-based saucier Sozyë has taken an innovative approach in creating Nish, Noya, and Noyster, which are formulated as allergen-free, soya-free, and plant-based alternatives to fish sauces, soy sauces and oyster sauces.

Every year, forests are being destroyed globally to cater to the world’s hunger for soy sauces, notes the London-based start-up.

Sealife is also affected as fish and oysters are taken from water bodies to produce sauces. 

With regards to soy, the constant removal of the mono-crop has dramatically reduced the ability of the forests to absorb and store carbon dioxide. 

Seeing the negative environmental impact the production of sauces has on the earth and how sea life is greatly affected, Sozyë decided to adopt a new approach to making sauces available at no cost to the Earth’s water bodies. Sustainable eating is seen as a customer-led revolution.

“Noya, Nish and Noyster will cater to a conscious and mindful consumer. Plant-based and sustainable eating is not a trend. It is a customer-led revolution that we aim to contribute our bit to shake up the sauce aisle,” Jacob Thundil, chief saucier at Sozyë tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

“We are working on getting them on the shelves of all major stores in the UK.”

Set to make a splash 
The sauces use a special sustainably-harvested certified organic seaweed from the shores of Scotland instead of soya or seafood. 

Only the tops of the leaves are collected to enable them to regrow within a few weeks. This method ensures that the environment is preserved while the consumer appetite for soya sauces is met. 

Talking specifically about the sustainability credentials of creating plant-based alternatives to soy, Thundil adds how much of the air time is spent on palm oil and cocoa in terms of their environmental impacts. 

“We are bringing alternatives to soy. This is an issue that does not get enough attention. Every year, forests are being destroyed globally to cater to the world’s hunger for soy,” Thundil continues.

“The repeated farming of mono-crops has greatly reduced the ability of the forests to absorb and store carbon dioxide. Seeing the environmental impact the production of sauces poses on the earth and how sea life is greatly affected, Sozyë decided to adopt a new approach to make sauces available at no cost to the environment and the earth’s water bodies,” he explains. Seaweed is used as a more sustainable alternative to soya.

Brewing sauces without compromises
Fuelled by his passion and experience for food and innovation and the limited options in the market, Thundil took it upon himself to create a range of organically-certified, allergen-free, sustainably-brewed and tasty sauces. 

While experimenting with making a vegetarian stock, the savory notes from a particular Scottish seaweed reminded him of fermented soy. This led him to conduct hundreds of kitchen trials to create the first British-made soya sauce alternative.

Nish (plant-based alternative to fish sauce), Noya (plant-based alternative to soya sauce) and the product is organic certified by the Soil Association and produced in the UK with non-GMO ingredients. The product has a clean label and a clean conscience. 

By Gaynor Selby