In this week's round-up of the hottest new products hitting the shelves in Europe, FoodNavigator hears from an oat-based milk alternative that claims to provide the same foaming qualities as dairy, an Asian fusion snack brand whose 'extraordinary concoctions' are flavour forward and palm oil free, and much more.
©GettyImages-CharlieAJA
In this week's round-up of the hottest new products hitting the shelves in Europe, FoodNavigator hears from an oat-based milk alternative that claims to provide the same foaming qualities as dairy, an Asian fusion snack brand whose 'extraordinary concoctions' are flavour forward and palm oil free, and much more.
©GettyImages-CharlieAJA
The UK’s fastest growing nut butter brand Pip & Nut is entering the premium impulse category with the launch of ‘all natural’ nut butter cups.
Made using Pip & Nut’s nut butter, each cup is wrapped in ethically sourced single origin Colombian chocolate supplied by Casa Luker.
The company said the innovation follows consumer research that found over 50% of Pip & Nut shoppers have a ‘sweet treat’ in the afternoons or evenings. According to feedback, 29% of Pip & Nut consumers already eat nut butter cups. Pip & Nut said this ‘showed a clear opportunity to disrupt the category and the conventional confectionery brands that reside within it’.
Founder, Pippa Murray, commented: “Time and time again we had consumers asking us to make nut butter cups, in fact some of our most engaged Instagram posts on Pip & Nut’s Instagram were those featuring nut butter cups. So, after listening to our community of fans we are so pleased to present our very own range of Nut Butter Cups. Over the last five years we’ve perfected the primary ingredient, nut butter, so it feels like a no brainer for us to bring our expertise in nut butter to this new product range and category.”
Available in three variants - milk chocolate peanut butter cup, dark chocolate peanut butter cup and dark chocolate almond butter cup - each 34g pack contains two cups.
The brand has secured strong early listings with Boots, Ocado and Wholefoods as well as independents nationwide.
Cold brew coffee start-up Minor Figures is launching an organic ‘creamy vegan oat milk’ to cafes and shops throughout the UK.
The product is dairy-free and organic. It is suitable for consumers with nut allergies, contains no added sugar and offers the ‘same amount of calcium’ as dairy. It will be available with an RRP of £2.00 per 1l carton.
Announcing the launch, Minor Figures said it has spent ‘years’ developing the recipe. The company claimed it is the ‘first alternative to milk’ to maintain the ‘same stability for froths and foams’ that baristas look for.
“Given our background in speciality coffee we wanted to design and develop a product that allows baristas to easily enhance their customers coffee drinking experience,” co-founder of Minor Figures, Stuart Forsyth commented.
According to the company, the oat milk produces a ‘silky micro-foam’ when steamed. It doesn’t split in acidic espresso.
The milk alternative is already stocked at Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic, As Nature Intended, Sourced Market and nationally via www.minorfigures.com.
Mitsuba Snacks, the Netherlands-based Asian snack brand, is launching in Germany.
The 'newcomer' said it is now on the snack shelves with a 'new, innovative product range'.
Inspired by Asian fusion cookery, the Mitsuba Snacks 'surprise trend-oriented and experimental customers' with 'extraordinary concoctions', the company claimed.
The products are free of palm oil, artificial flavour enhancers and flavours.
Mitsuba is launching six varieties: Japanese Peanut Crunch & Crispies, Wasabi Peanut Crunch & Crispies, Red Curry Crispies, Thai Chilli Crispies, Wasabi Peanut Crunch and Sriracha Peanut Crunch.
Online food retailer Musclefood is launching its Christmas range, including a 20cm long pig in blanket and stuffing ‘baubles'.
The giant pig in blanket will be available at a price of £12.99. The sage and onion stuffing baubles are topped with a mini pig in blanket, £2 for six, to create a decorative Christmas side.
As part of the 2019 Christmas range, the retailer has also created a six-inch stuffing slab, £3.99, and triple pigs in blankets, £3.59 for four.
This year, the company will also be offering eight different hampers, each containing different meaty centrepieces. They are priced at between £59-£84. For £1 extra, customers can add a range of ‘gourmet’ Christmas trimmings to their order including streaky bacon, a sage and onion stuffing block, sausage meat, pigs in blankets and pork chipolatas.
Centrepieces to choose from include a whole British turkey, a luxury turkey breast roast, and a free-range topside roast beef.
Amy Kershaw, Head of Product Innovation at musclefood.com, said: “We’ve been busy working away since the start of the year to come up with an exciting Christmas range of gourmet products and extra-special hampers that we know our customers will love to celebrate with this festive season.
“But instead of battling through hordes of shoppers at the local supermarket, you can purchase everything you need from the comfort of your own home online at musclefood.com.
“Thanks to our hand-picked, award winning, luxury range, Brits can have their festive feasts delivered straight to their front doors without any hassle.”
Herbal tea specialists Natur Boutique has added three new drinks to its range: organic burdock root, passion flower and bitter melon.
While the company is not making any direct health claims about the teas, it did say the ‘unusual’ varieties were inspired by research on the benefits of the ingredients.
Passion flower is perhaps the best known of these ingredients and is linked to sleep and relaxation, but whilst other companies have utilised passion flower in blends, Natur Boutique’s tea represents one of the first to market to offer a single ingredient option.
Natur Boutique’s burdock root product will be the first organic version available in the UK. Burdock has been associated with a number of potential benefits, including helping with osteoarthritis.
Meanwhile, bitter melon has been linked to the potential benefits for people with diabetes.
“We’ve spent a long time looking for teas to add to our range that we genuinely believe in and we’re delighted with the trio we’ve chosen. I believe all three bring something new and add genuinely unique products to the herbal tea category,” Anton Le Khak, director at Natur Boutique, commented.
The new products are currently available from The Health Store and CLF.
German dried fruit distributor Maryland has launched its own line of roasted nuts without additives, such as oil.
The line, which includes almonds and cashews, remains 'as natural as possible' while maintaining a 'fine roasting aroma', the company said.
Because Maryland is producing its own product, the company has 'sustainable control of all steps'. The heat produced during roasting is reused, ensuring not only good taste but also environmentally friendly production.
First Quality Foods is launching a line of vegan falafel mixes this month under its Artisan Grains brand.
The line includes three varieties: super greens, containing chickpeas, spinach and broccoli; beetroot and chilli; and pumpkin and quinoa.
A spokesperson for the company revealed listings have already been secured with the ‘larger wholesalers’ with further listings expected at the retail multiples early next year, in time for Veganuary.
The products are all vegan, gluten-free, plant-based, high in protein, low fat and have no added sugar and no palm oil.
Popcorn brand Metcalfe’s has launched Jumbles, a new line containing two flavour combinations – toffee apple and Eton mess.
The company said the SKUs offer a ‘totally new popcorn experience’ combining ‘different tastes and textures’.
The toffee apple variety consists of toffee and caramel coated popcorn and slices of dried apple. The Eton mess flavour incorporates pieces of strawberry and meringue shells with strawberry coated popcorn.
The products are gluten-free, suitable for vegetarians, high in fibre and made without artificial flavours and colours. Metcalfe’s Popcorn Jumbles Toffee Apple is 107 kcals per portion and Eton Mess is 80 kcals.
The range is available exclusively in Sainsbury’s now with an RRP: £1.79. The brand is planning further varieties from January 2020.