This week's new launches include a range of five plant-based pizzas launched in seven European countries and customisable BBQ recipe boxes that can also be ordered by customers on holiday.
Image: Getty/Dmitrii_Guzhanin
This week's new launches include a range of five plant-based pizzas launched in seven European countries and customisable BBQ recipe boxes that can also be ordered by customers on holiday.
Image: Getty/NPD Dmitrii_Guzhanin
Plant-based food brand Squeaky Bean has launched three dips into 139 Co-op stores in the UK. The company said the new Supercharged Garlic, Spicy Firecracker and Smooth Avocado dips can be stacked in the fridge or popped into cool boxes for summer picnics to liven outdoor eating, adding they work just as well on the side of a plate where they will spice up almost any meal.
Sarah Augustine, Co-creator of Squeaky Bean said: “With lockdown ending, we couldn’t be more excited about summer eating in 2021. The new Squeaky Bean range of dips are a convenient way to make snacks more exciting and to add a punch of flavour to your lunch. All you need to do is pop the lid and get ready to tuck into tasty!”
With the UK developing a taste for hot condiments such as Kimchi, Sriracha and other hot sauces, Mintel (2019) has noted that spicy dips – for example Squeaky Bean’s new Spicy Firecracker flavour – are poised for growth. In addition, it identifies that dips containing vegetables, like avocado, are in particular demand, as consumers seek alternatives to traditional options.
Each Squeaky Bean dip is 150ml and has a Recommended Retail Price (RRP) of £1.60.
Image supplied by Squeaky Bean
The Cookaway, a UK-based subscription-free recipe box company has launched a new BBQ box offering “everything needed to cook up the ultimate al-fresco dining experiences, with different cuts of meat and world flavours as well as flexible cooking instructions that can be relied on, even when the British summer weather can’t”.
BBQ fans can custom-build their recipe box, choosing from a range of main dishes including Picanha steak with flatbreads, sticky citrus chicken, charred avocado & halloumi burger and portobello mushroom shawarma as well as side dishes such as tiger prawns with black garlic mayo, griddled asparagus and baby courgette, house slaw and black rice salad with the option of adding a rhubarb and vanilla cheesecake dessert, wines or even Champagne to the order.
The Cookaway has also made its recipe box delivery service available for UK holidaymakers, enabling food fans to enjoy fun-filled cooking experiences delivered on-demand to their holiday cottage or self-catered holiday home.
Two or four-person BBQ Recipe Boxes are available to order nationwide direct-to-consumer, with prices starting from just £21, including free weekday delivery.
Image supplied by The Cookaway
Birds Eye is adding to its plant-powered Green Cuisine range, with the launch of three more Chicken-Free options. The new Chicken-Free products will see Crispy Grills, Southern Fried Grills, and Burgers hit shelves from mid-May, helping to bring a wider choice of meat-free alternatives to shoppers in the frozen aisle.
Birds Eye has seen over 31% of total Green Cuisine sales come from the three Chicken-Free SKUs launched in 2020 (meat-free Dippers, Nuggets and Strips).
Bird Eye added its foray into Chicken-Free has helped bring new shoppers into the category, with penetration of the Green Cuisine range now up to +8.7%. With shoppers, now more than ever, looking to the freezer for extra meal-time inspiration, the new launches will emulate the most popular products in the Birds Eye chicken portfolio, making meat-free eating easy and appealing to those shoppers who also want to reduce their meat intake.
Jess Ali, Marketing Manager at Birds Eye, said: “Our Green Cuisine Chicken-Free products have gone from strength to strength since our first launches in 2020. Shoppers love both our great tasting chicken products and our Green Cuisine alternatives, which makes us proud to be able to cater for all family members. This extension of the Green Cuisine chicken-free range will continue to play off recognisable formats that shoppers already enjoy, but that are powered by plant protein.
“The combination of our heritage in frozen food and our reputation for producing family mealtime favourites such as Chicken Grills and Chicken Dippers has helped to make these products so successful and popular. By recreating mealtime classics using plant power, these new additions to our Green Cuisine range will continue to help shoppers to add meat substitutes to their plates, showing them that plant-based meals can be just as tasty and convenient.”
The Birds Eye Green Cuisine Chicken-Free Southern Fried Grill is already available in Tesco, while the Chicken-Free Crispy Grill and the Chicken-Free burger will launch from mid-May in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.
Image supplied by Bird’s Eye
KIND’s new Breakfast Almond Butter, available in single (RRP. £1, 40g) and multipack formats (RRP. £3, 4 x 30g), will launch across Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s stores and independents across the UK. The new Almond Butter bar is soft-baked and features a base of five whole grains: oats, millet, buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa. It’s naturally high in fibre, gluten free and HFSS compliant.
Pitched as ‘breakfast without the bowl’, the handy pocket-sized product and transparent packaging has been designed to appeal to the consumer looking for a healthy, on-the-go breakfast option. It also pairs perfectly with yogurt and fruit for those looking to use the bar as an ingredient.
John McManus, UK Marketing Director said: “We know there’s huge popularity for nut butters and we’re really excited to be able to incorporate almond butter into our latest launch.
"Following consumer research, we’re changing the format slightly, with the revised range offering one larger 40g bar in each single serve pack as opposed to two smaller bars. We’re really excited to see the new variant roll out nationwide and it’s fantastic to have such strong support from our retail partners to enable us to do this.”
Image supplied by KIND
Valeo Snack Foods is unveiling new looks for its Fox’s Glacier and Poppets brands. The company said Fox’s Glacier will spotlight the iconic Peppy the polar bear on pack while Poppets will benefit from an impactful, modern and fun new design.
The new Fox’s Glaciers packaging draws on the brand’s rich history, re-introducing design elements from its past such as its bright blue hue and the ‘accept no imitations’ strapline, to remind consumers to look for the very best, it said. The design also gives the nation’s favourite polar bear a fresh new look, and has also subtly referenced his counterpoint, Fox, from the original cartoons and TV adverts. New to packs is the addition of ‘100 Years of Taking it Slow’, a nod to the brand’s heritage and expertise in creating premium, long lasting sweets.
The Poppets range is also set to expand, giving consumers new and exciting ways to get that little chocolate hit. A new Salted Caramel flavour has widespread appeal as a growing flavour profile, and Poppets Mix Ups feature a selection of flavours in one pack. It offers a range of family favourites (Toffee, Salted Caramel, Crunchy Maltballs and Chocolate Balls) for an element of surprise, but none of the polarising flavours you might find in other, similar offerings on the market.
Alice Thorpe, Senior Brand Manager at Valeo Snack Foods, commented: “Our relaunch celebrates Fox’s rich heritage while also introducing the brand to a new generation. Valeo is set to invest seven figures in Fox’s this year with an integrated through the line campaign, ‘Satisfyingly Long Lasting’.
Susan Anderson, Brand Manager at Valeo Snack Foods, added about the Poppets rebrand: “We’re thrilled to reveal the new look for these little balls of chocolatey fun. The updated colours and text were all created with the customer in mind – to highlight flavours and guide customer navigation so they know exactly what they’re getting.
“We’ve also considered the needs of retailers and will have an improved dual face opening CDU to provide flexibility for merchandising and increase visibility. We believe we’ve curated a brand and product offering that is modern and on trend, offers a broad appeal of flavour and is also a much-loved classic that holds universal family appeal.”
Poppets re design packs and the new Salted Caramel and Poppets Mix Ups will be available from May 21. Fox’s Glaciers are widely available in major multiples, with the new look expected to fully roll out by end of May.
Image supplied by Valeo Snack Foods
UK baby and toddler food brand Piccolo is bringing to market a greater selection of products to cook at home.
The products include two flavoured and easy to prepare risottos, two gluten free pasta packs made with 100% vegetables, and new stir-in sauce flavours and sizes to cater for different cooking occasions. The SKUs (RRP of £1.50 for single serve cooking sauces to £3 for gluten free pasta meals) are made using 100% organic produce, balanced ingredients and are low in salt and sugar.
These new products will be available in major retailers including Sainsburys, Coop & Ocado this month.
Cat Gazzoli, founder of Piccolo, said: “Parents have been cooking from scratch more than ever – in fact, 87% of parents confirmed they are now making ‘home cooked food’ for their babies. As life starts to get busy again, we want to encourage parents to keep cooking by providing easy to use healthy ingredients.
“Following a successful year in 2020 for our cooking range, we saw this ‘Home Cooking’ trend as an opportunity to increase our offering, as the need for products which support parents’ cooking heightened.
“Alongside the cooking range success in the grocery market, it has begun to dominate the way parents are shopping in convenience as well. Coop is the first big convenience retailer to stock our pastas, sauces & stock cubes, which is also being adopted by the new, innovative e-commerce convenience retailers such as Getir & Bother.”
Image supplied by Piccolo
British gin maker 6 O’clock Gin has teamed up with chef Romy Gill to release a new Mango, Ginger & Lime Gin & Tonic flavour to its ready-to-drink canned cocktail range.
The company said the drink is inspired by Romy’s memories of summers in India and uses flavours from traditional Indian cooking. The gin is infused with the juice from the native mango and then combined with premium tonic water – striking the ‘perfect balance between rich fruity sweetness and subtle savoury spices’.
"I'm really excited to be working with 6 O'clock Gin again on this new product. Canned cocktails are undoubtedly going to be so popular this summer – especially with alfresco socialising beginning even earlier this year. I have worked closely with the team to ensure we created something truly delicious and unique – a refreshing combination of subtle spices, sweet mango and authentic Indian flavours,” Romy Gill said.
"With many of us looking to spend our summer holidays closer to home this year, we wanted to whisk people away to experience the flavours and scents of an exotic holiday. Now you can enjoy the perfect Gin & Tonic cocktail at home, on the go or wherever the spirit takes you.”
6 O'clock Gin’s other flavours are Exotic Orange, Damson & Ginger, as well as the Light alternative to their classic London Dry gin and tonic.
Image supplied by 6 O'clock Gin
Romanian company Verdino Green Foods is launching five plant-based pizzas in retailers in Romania, Spain, Holland, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, and Serbia.
The flavours are Pizza-bacon, Pizza Delight, Plantuna pizza with a vegan alternative to tuna fish, Pizza Mexicana and Pepperoni with spicy plant-based salami.
Verdino Green Foods CEO Eberhart Raducanu said: “Consumers are more and more interested in enjoying a good pizza but in the same time being sustainable, and this we see in how fast the European frozen pizza market is growing. As we have all the technology, know-how and ingredients to master a perfect vegan pizza we are honoured to say today that we launch the first Romanian plant-based frozen pizza. Due to this commitment, Verdino Green Foods witnessed a rapid growth in Europe.”
Image supplied by Verdino Green Foods