Biona Products

Biona is one of the UK's pioneering organic food brands, founded in 1992 by Noel McDonald and Donata Berger. The brand emerged from Windmill Wholefoods, one of Britain's earliest organic shops, which Noel opened in Fulham in 1978. Today, Biona remains a completely family-owned company with over 400 organic products sold in more than 40 countries. The brand name combines 'Bio' (meaning organic in many European languages) with 'Na' from nature, reflecting its core commitment to natural, organic food. The Biona story begins in the 1970s on the west coast of Ireland, where founder Noel McDonald lived in a commune practising self-sufficiency. This experience deepened his respect for nature and sustainable food production, inspiring him to move to London and open Windmill Wholefoods on Fulham Road in 1978. Using recycled wood for shelves and sourcing quality beans, rice, and lentils, Noel created one of the country's earliest organic shops. In 1981, Noel met German-born reflexologist Donata Berger, and together they opened one of Britain's first exclusively vegetarian and organic restaurants next to the shop. The restaurant became popular for offering nutritious, organic food prepared fresh daily. In their restaurant kitchen, Noel and Donata tested product concepts, leading to the development of a homemade granola that became the first Biona product. Donata even hand-painted the original labels herself. Biona is part of Windmill Organics, now home to six leading organic brands: Biona, Amisa (gluten-free specialists), RAW (raw food products), Profusion (Japanese-inspired foods), Bonsan (chilled organic foods), and BioFair (Fairtrade organic products). The company is headquartered at Lower Teddington Road, Kingston upon Thames. The Biona product range spans over 400 items across numerous categories. Popular products include organic kimchi, sauerkraut, rye breads (plain, with chia, with pumpkin, with sunflower seeds), canned beans (butter beans, black beans, cannellini), coconut products (cream, milk), organic oils (pumpkin seed, olive), organic ketchup, mayonnaise, cider vinegar, and Asian noodles. The Super Seed Bread contains 30% seeds including oat kernels, sunflower, flax, and pumpkin seeds. Biona's commitment is "Always organic, always vegan." All products are certified organic, meaning farmers don't use chemical pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified plants. Sustainable farming methods are employed without intensive land use. Many products are also certified gluten-free at less than 10ppm, making Biona suitable for coeliacs and those avoiding gluten. For quality and ethics, Biona maintains complete traceability and ethical sourcing across its supply chain. The Good Shopping Guide recognises Biona as an ethical brand. Products contain no artificial additives, with Biona peanut butter noted for its refreshingly short ingredients list compared to competitors. In UK brand awareness rankings for organic food, Biona follows Yeo Valley Organic (73%), Ella's Kitchen (55%), and Meridian. Compared to Meridian, Biona peanut butter is distinguished by not using additives like palm fat and emulsifiers, resulting in what taste testers describe as "rich, salty and definitely the crunchiest of the bunch." Biona products are available at major UK supermarkets including Tesco, which stocks sauerkraut, kimchi, beans, and rye breads. Products are also widely available at Holland & Barrett, Planet Organic, health food shops, and directly from biona.co.uk. Typical prices include rye bread at around £2.89 for 500g, Super Seed Bread at £3.79 for 300g, and sauerkraut at £2-2.50 for 350-360g. Tesco Clubcard offers provide further discounts on selected items. The brand continues to innovate, recently adding seeded loaves and expanding Tesco listings. Free UK delivery is available on orders over £60 through the Biona website. Standard delivery takes 3-5 working days at £4.99 for orders over £20.