General Mills is bringing its healthy snack brand Lärabar to the UK; French firm Nature & Cie creates a gluten-free brand just for kids and German confectioner Viba expands its popping nougat. Here are some product launches that caught our eye this week.
General Mills is bringing its healthy snack brand Lärabar to the UK; French firm creates a gluten-free brand just for kids and German confectionery brand Viba expands its popping nougat. Here are some product launches that caught our eye this week.
General Mills is to increase its presence in the UK with the launch of its vegan and gluten-free Lärabar.
The Lärabar brand boasts a 24-product range of bars and ‘bites’ and is worth $178m (€157m) in the US.
The range includes a mix of indulgent flavours such as key lime pie, chocolate chip cookie dough and carrot cake as well as healthier flavours such as pineapple, kale and cashew or strawberry, spinach and cashew.
The products will initially be imported from the US and available UK-wide.
“Lärabar Original Fruit & Nut Bars, and ALT do not contain dairy, and are made entirely from plant-based foods,” the manufacturer says. “Most chocolate chips are made with dairy, soy or both. We specifically asked our supplier to provide us with chocolate chips which are vegan - containing no dairy.”
French manufacturer Nature & Cie has launched a new snack brand targeted towards children, Miniz & Cie.
It is the first gluten-free snack range targeted specifically towards kids, according to the family-owned manufacturer.
The products are packed in a “dynamic and funny” packaging that appeals to kids and are available in three flavours: chocolate cookies and caramel; butter biscuits and chocolate almond brownies.
The snacks are free from palm oil, gluten and are organic, and the chocolate and sugar are sourced from fairtrade-certified suppliers.
Each pack has between four and six sachets containing several mini-sized products and retails for €3.95 on Nature & Cie’s website. In 2019, it will begin distribution in stores across France.
German confectionery manufacturer Viba has incorporated its limited edition ‘popping nougat’ into its permanent range.
The milk chocolate-coated nougat pieces contain “tingling” sugar that pops and crackles.
According to the manufacturer, the product’s new packaging design reflects the nougat’s multi-sensorial experience.
The product is available in 100 g stand-up pouches that contain individually wrapped pieces of nougat and is being rolled out across Germany.
This month, UK vegetarian wholesaler Suma launched a brightly coloured new look for its range of own-brand products.
The new design will initially be rolled out on its fleet of delivery trucks and tomato brands before expanding to the entire range over the next two years.
“The way we look is changing but what we stand for stays the same," it says. "Sourcing sustainable, wholesome products to help in providing a healthier, happier future and working together cooperatively to inspire change for good.”
Doing business ethically underpins the cooperative’s corporate model and Suma is the biggest equal pay employer in Europe.
“Everyone at Suma gets paid the same wage, regardless of what job they do,” it says. “Our business is made up of lots of people fulfilling various roles, from order picking to invoicing, each of which is vital to our success. Each member has an equal say, and an equal share in the business. So to us, equal pay makes sense.”
Tea brand English Tea Shop has a range of Christmas-themed tea products, including gold stars that can be used to decorate Christmas trees.
Each star contains six pyramid tea bags with flavours such as Christmas cake, candy cane and sweet vanilla bread.
Its green and red baubles contain 12 pyramid tea bags with flavours including ginger cranberry; white winter; and vanilla mint & mango.
Premium French patisserie brand Café Pouchkine has launched a galette des rois, or ‘kings’ cake’, for the festive period.
The ‘galette des rois’ is traditionally eaten in France on the Epiphany and throughout January.
Café Pouchkine’s kings’ cake is made with butter-based puff pastry filled with marzipan cream and amaretto and topped with a thin layer of crispy caramelised biscuit.
Unlike other cakes which must be heated, Café Pouchkine’s kings’ cake can be eaten at ambient temperature.
An individual cake has a recommended retail price of €8. A cake with four servings retails for €26 and €49 for eight people.
The cakes will be available from 3 to 20 January.
