This week's round-up of innovation from across Europe sees the opening of a meatless butcher and the launch of some unusual 'fusion' cuisine from discounter Aldi. Healthier options are also on display, with the introduction of 'better-for-you' biscuits and chocolate from snack giant pladis and start-up Prodigy.
This week's round-up of innovation from across Europe sees the opening of a meatless butcher and the launch of some unusual 'fusion' cuisine from discounter Aldi. Healthier options are also on display, with the introduction of 'better-for-you' biscuits and chocolate from snack giant pladis and start-up Prodigy.
UK retailer Sainsbury’s has launched the country’s first meat-free butchers offering an “array” of cuts and joints from 100% plant-based sources.
Meaty’ cuts, joints and strings of sausages found in the shop will in fact be made from the likes of mushroom, jackfruit and pea protein, the supermarket said.
The meatless butchers will be open for three days in Bethnal Green, London.
Sainsbury’s has seen a 65% increase in sales of plant-based products year-on-year - with sales having doubled in the last year compared to the previous year.
The Meat-Free Butchers concept has been designed to highlight how far vegan food has come over the years, showing customers the huge breadth of choice now available.
“Whilst we’re seeing a huge climb in sales of our plant-based foods, we know from conversations with customers that there is a sense of trepidation about cooking with them. So, our meat-free butchers has been launched to encourage people to get up close to the products, try what they like and take home some valuable cooking advice and recipe inspiration,” buyer for Sainsbury's, James Hamilton, said.
"We have carefully selected the products on offer from the growing range of over 100 plant-based products now available at Sainsbury’s, so customers are in for a real meat-free treat when visiting the butchers.”
Across its supermarkets, Sainsbury's is also rolling out its 'taste the future' scheme, part of the group's 'future brands' initiative, which was launched last year. The initiative will see Sainsbury's trial products that it believes could disrupt the food sector by appealing to millennial consumers and emerging food trends. Items will be displayed in dedicated bays for 14 weeks - and whether products will continue to be stocked will depend on how well they sell during this initial period.
The new range consists of 30 products from 11 start-up brands.
The first wave of products will include alcoholic kombucha from Bootleg Booch, salmon skin crisps from Sea Chips, and a ‘complete meal’ in a bottle from French brand Feed.
Rachel Eyre, head of Future Brands, said: “In the first year (of Future Brands), we have found and introduced some amazing products from up-and-coming challenger brands across food, drink, household and personal care, and our customers loved them. We are very excited by this next wave of innovation.”
French food processor Fleury Michon has responded to rising concern over the health implications of eating processed meats with the introduction of zero nitrate ham.
The company is supporting the launch with a marketing campaign focused on what differentiates the product – “namely the total absence of nitrate” – director of marketing David Barbous noted.
Fleury Michon spent three years developing a manufacturing process for the ham that does not use any nitrates during production or preservation and which guarantees “total food security”, the company revealed.
The product is preserved using only “fine salt”.
The ham also offers a “more pronounced meat taste”, a “firmer texture” and a natural light pink colour, Fleury Michon said. Products hit the first shelves in France earlier this year and the group expects further uptake supported by the new marketing drive.
Aldi's UK business is bringing fusion innovation to the country with the introduction of chilli con carne meatballs and mac & cheese chicken Kiev.
The launch follows the successful introduction earlier this year of the UK’s 'first ever' chicken katsu Kiev.
Announcing the launch, Aldi said the mac & cheese Kiev combines two of the UK's favourite comfort foods. It is made with British chicken and will be available for £1.59 for a pack of two.
The Aldi chilli con carne beef meatballs are made with British beef and blended with red kidney beans, chilli sauce, tomatoes and red jalapenos for what the company described as a "unique twist on a family favourite". The SKU will be available for £1.99 for 350g.
The company is also bringing its sustainable fish range, 'What's the Catch', back to stores. Developed to support British fisheries in sourcing sustainable alternatives to traditional white fish, the range includes four, easy-to-cook white fish alternatives including; Whiting, Gurnard, Pouting and Megrim Sole - for £1.99. Known as “by-catch”, these species are often caught while fishing for cod, haddock and sole.
Mars Wrigley is launching a smaller format option for its popular Freedent brand in France.
Freedent sugar-free chewing gums are currently available in multipack options. The confectioner said it is completing its offer with the launch of a smaller product format targeting on-the-go and impulse consumers.
The new SKUs will be available in “durable cardboard packaging” to meet expectations for “sustainable consumption”. The recommended price is less than €1.50, the company noted.
The smaller format will be rolled out across three varieties of Freedent chewing gums: mint, strong mint and strawberry.
Freedent is currently being supported by a new advertising campaign in France, Mars Wrigley noted.
Global snacking group pladis is “making snack time healthier” with the launch of a line of granola oat bakes under the McVitie’s biscuit brand.
The company said the new biscuits are “packed with the wholesome goodness of oats”. They also contain 35% less sugar than the “average” oat biscuit, are high in fibre and suitable for vegans, pladis said.
The company wants to grow incremental category sales by appealing to consumers seeking healthier snacks.
“There couldn’t be a truer tagline for McVitie’s Granola Oat Bakes than ‘35% less sugar , 100% delicious’,” said Emma Stowers, brand director for McVitie’s. “We’ve developed a range which ticks both the taste and health boxes – allowing us to drive incremental sales among shoppers seeking a healthier afternoon snack, without compromising on taste.”
According to figures from Kantar, healthier biscuits are the fastest growing area of the sweet biscuit category, up 4.5% year-on-year.
“Although we already know that ‘Balance’ is a key snacking driver among British shoppers, research has shown that 41% find it hard to decipher which snacks are ‘good for you’. That’s why we’ve made our on-pack health-claims as easy as possible for consumers to interpret,” Stowers explained.
The range includes two SKUs: dark chocolate and almond & cranberry.
McVitie’s granola oat bakes will be available in 140g packs for an RSP of £1.89. The range will launch in Asda from June, followed by further roll-out across multiple retail.
Frozen food specialist Iglo, owned by Nomad Foods, is extending its line of Iglo Filegro fish fillets with the launch of three new innovative crumb options in Germany.
The company is rolling out pretzel breadcrumbs with sea salt; multigrain breadcrumbs with 7-grain mix; and sourdough breading with spelt flakes.
The new breadcrumbs will appeal to new and existing consumers, Iglo predicted. On shelf, the “rustic” packaging design emphasises the new products.
The new SKUs will be available at German discount, supermarket and hypermarket channels for an RRP of €3/19 per 250g pack. The launch is supported through an advertising campaign including television, digital, PR activation and in-store point of sale activities.
New biscuit and chocolate brand Prodigy Snacks wants to bring “significant change” to the mainstream market with two new high-fibre products that “evoke the same chocolate pleasure” but with “no nasties”, including plastic packaging.
Prodigy is introducing a chunky chocolate bar and chunky orange chocolate with baobab bar in the UK this months. The bars are made with “natural, raw, organic ingredients” and have less than half the sugar content of current brands, the company claimed. The bars also include 30% of the recommended daily fibre intake.
Prodigy’s high fibre chocolates have prebiotic benefits promoting gut health and contain antioxidants from raw cacao butter and cacao nibs. They are also vegan approved and free from dairy, gluten and refined sugar.
The bars are available in 100% compostable, plastic-free packaging made from plant-based materials.
Sameer Vaswani, founder of Prodigy Snacks, commented: “Having worked in the biscuit and confectionery industry for over 16 years, I have seen first-hand the perils of heavy industrial food processing, the use of synthetic ingredients, the toxicity of refined sugars and the negative environmental impact of plastic packaging.
“There was a burning gap in the mainstream market for the same indulgent treats but without the damage they cause to our bodies - through ingredients such as artificial sweeteners, colourings and GMOs - and the planet. Unfortunately most of the 600,000+ tonnes of chocolate the UK consumes each year is wrapped in plastic. This is why I became dedicated to developing a product with a plastic-free alternative and clean ingredients and founded Prodigy Snacks.”
In August 2019, Prodigy Snacks will be expanding its range with two new treats including peanut & caramel bar and coconut chocolate bar.
