Messyface seeks to bring positive momentum to the UK jams & preserves scene

For too long jam appears to have been stuck in the slow lane of a fast-evolving spreads aisle where peanut butter has over time become the most vocal category hero on shelf, offering everything from artisanal discernment and clean, stripped back ingredient decks, through to appealing, plant-based protein; an array of intriguing flavours & textures and larger-than-life brand founders.

Messyface is a fresh modern take on Tahin Pekmez; a Mediterranean classic made from two ingredients, slow-cooked grape molasses and nutty-flavoured tahini made from roasted sesame seeds. It has a caramel-like texture and is perfect for spreading.

Founder, Alex Epstein first discovered Tahin Pekmez in a small Turkish deli in The Netherlands and was instantly hooked. ‘I loved the simple transparency of the recipe, the fact this was a fibre-rich product with authentic World cuisine heritage that offered natural fruit sweetness without resorting to any refined sugars, palm oil or synthetic stabilizers, sweeteners and thickeners. Ottolenghi has made significant strides in recent times championing tahini appreciation with the UK. My vision was to spread the ‘tahini joy’ by championing it within a more mainstream medium that could be utilised on bread, in porridge, within smoothies or across any number of home baked offerings.’

Determined to take this vegan/gluten-free seed and fruit fusion spread to a wider audience, Alex saw the scope to build on two of the hottest predicted food trends of 2026, namely fibre-rich products and simply sweetened products that reject adding refined sugars.

Messyface will retail for approximately RSP £4.50 (300ml).