Field Journal

Very occasionally, an innovation comes along that has the potential to solve a problem – a significant one. Perhaps a fundamental one. One Good Thing is such an innovation.

One Good Thing makes energy bars that are encased in a thin, edible beeswax-based casing. It completely eliminates the need for plastic – from the second the bars are made to the second they make it to your mouth during an adventure or race. Much like an apple skin protects the flesh, the 0.5mm beeswax-based coating protects the natural ingredients inside.

Think about that for a second. If everyone in every bike race, running race, triathlon, adventure race, and charity fundraiser in the country swapped a plastic-wrapped energy snack – gels, chocolate bars, sweets, high-protein snacks – for One Good Thing, imagine how much plastic waste would be avoided. Multiply that by every athlete on every decent-length training session or club ride before an event. This is solving a very big problem. And it solves other problems too – who wants to struggle ripping open a plastic gel while you’re speeding down a hill, hands on handlebars? Just imagine the other uses for this natural technology.

‘A couple of years ago, I wondered whether I could do something about discarded gel wrappers and litter at races,’ said Mike Bedford, who founded One Good Thing with his son Daniel. ‘And here we are. This idea has turned into something really quite amazing. Here we have a very natural food, with a very thin beeswax-based casing. What we’re doing I would describe as impossible. Daniel, my son, would just describe it as being very, very difficult. We’re having to build the machines and develop the technology.’

As with any innovative new product, there are plenty of FAQs. Does it get squished in your pocket? No; in the warmth, the wax just becomes a little more malleable. Is it nutritious? Yes, it’s packed with 20–21g of oat-based carbohydrates. Does it taste good? Delicious. Will it attract fluff? No, but it can be easily rinsed – again, like an apple. What if it gets wet? Just wipe it dry. The bar won’t absorb any moisture. It won’t disintegrate.

And the innovations just keep developing. Mike and Daniel are working with the University of Nottingham to find out just how thin that beeswax-based casing can go.

How has it been received? ‘We’re doing great in the world of cycling and gravel,’ Mike said. ‘The other key point is that people who enjoy outdoor spaces are open-minded to these new ideas. They just get it.’

It’s not just the elimination of plastic that has captured people’s imaginations. It’s the fact that you don’t need to grab an energy gel, tear it off, spit it out, save the sticky wrapper in your pocket, and get goo all over your face. ‘Where we shine with our wrapper-free product is, when you’re on a bike, it goes from jersey pocket to your mouth, fuelling with something that actually tastes really good,’ Daniel said. ‘All natural ingredients, so it’s easy on the gut, and super convenient.’

Mike added: ‘The response, right from day one at a farmers market, was amazing, and now we’re getting that response from elite athletes. We’re getting interest from multinational food manufacturers.’

No wonder. This is bombproof, it doesn’t melt, it doesn’t get sticky, and it doesn’t get soggy. We get the sense that they’re only getting started. They’re looking at a more performance-based range and new flavours. But one key message, as Daniel puts it, is this: ‘We are here to make the lives of cyclists, and anyone in the outdoors, easier, tastier, and better.’

ONE GOOD THING X SIDETRACKED

At Sidetracked, we’re genuine advocates for One Good Thing for all the reasons outlined above. We’re offering an affiliate deal, which means that if you buy it from us, we’ll receive a small commission and you get a 10% discount off your order.

It’s a trial. We’ve never done it before.

For a long time we debated if we should, but One Good Thing fits into everything we stand for and would like to see.

Click here to give it a go. and use the code OGTSIDETRACKED10 to get a new customer discount.