This week's gallery features brands hoping to tap into the still strong home cooking trend.
This week's gallery features brands hoping to tap into the still strong home cooking trend.
Image: Getty/real444
Violife, the UK’s leading vegan alternative to cheese brand, announces the launch of its first butter alternative Vioblock, available at Asda stores nationwide from 2nd August.
Furthering Violife’s expansion beyond vegan cheese alternatives, the new Vioblock is a versatile vegan alternative to butter that is 100% plant based as well as containing vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12 and Folic Acid. The Vioblock provides a fresh and familiar buttery flavour which can be enjoyed by everyone, no matter their dietary requirements, the company said.
Bianca Harris, UKI Marketing Manager for Violife, said: “Launching our first butter alternative Vioblock is a milestone moment for Violife as we look to expand our product offering further within the Dairy Alternatives category. Always 100% vegan, Vioblock stays true to the core values of Violife, in that they are suitable for everyone to enjoy regardless of their dietary requirements and perform just as you would expect. With Dairy Alternatives out-growing the dairy sector by almost 3 to 1, yet representing only 5% of the total dairy sector, there is sizable headroom for growth of the Dairy Alternatives sector and expansion for Violife beyond the Dairy Alternative to Cheese category. Whether flexitarian, vegans or vegetarian we look forward to introducing supporters of the brand to an expanded product range in the future.”
Like all of Violife’s products, as well as being 100% vegan, the Vioblock is also free from dairy, soya, gluten, lactose nuts and preservatives, meaning they can be enjoyed by everyone.
Violife’s new Vegan Vioblock is now available at Asda, with other national retailers to be announced shortly. Both cost £2 each (RRP) and are a great option for shoppers looking to discover a new alternative to butter.
Image supplied by Violife
August 2021 sees the next tranche of Artful Baker range innovation take place with the anticipated arrival of three substantial, single baton (18g) biscotti offerings: Triple Choc, Sour Cherry Double Choc AND a vegan/gluten-free friendly Almond & Roasted Hazelnut.
Geared at supporting the UK’s ‘bruised but back on its feet’ hotel, foodservice, hospitality and independent café sectors, the ‘perfectly proportioned’ biscotti batons will bring some eagerly anticipated added-value snacking/coffee accompaniment theatre to a food arena where good news has been in short supply for some while.
Baked at a specialist Dorset bakery the Artful Baker is the ‘younger, more discerning’ brother of The Great British Biscotti Co, a sub-range which exists to provide ‘simple yet best-in-class ingredients and palatial recipes’.
In 2020 the joint business baked over five million sweet and savoury biscotti, a number that will have more than tripled by the end of 2021, it said, courtesy of its repivot from hospitality and foodservice to hampers, gifting and export at the height of Lockdown.
Artful Baker founder Paul Rostand: “Whilst we’re so proud of the way we not only weathered but extended our customer reach during COVID; we’ve never lost sight of the fact that for all our hamper and Hotel Chocolat success, hotels, hospitality, food halls, airlines and the upmarket independent coffee scene are very much our spiritual homes, so feel duty bound to do our bit to support these under-the-cosh food sectors by showcasing involving biscuit offerings that reflect our ’slow food,’ artisanal snacking and no palm oil convictions.”
Image supplied by the Artful Baker
Simply Seedz is moving beyond breakfast and porridge to create a 3-strong range of ‘nutritionally savvy,’ home-fried snacks SIMPLY SEEDZ NIBBLE KITS available in Seedy Gonzales (Tex Mex), Cheeky Tikka (Tikka Masala) and a truly iconic Trail Blaze (reassuringly sticky BBQ).
Each kit contains: 200g of ready-to-pop pumpkin seeds, a seasoning and list of ‘easy-to-heed’ instructions.
Simply Seedz founder Cathryn Zielinski said: “When your business’s name is Simply Seedz and your historical focus has been a full-bodied clean-deck breakfast offer, maybe it’s inevitable that the time will arrive to tap into the growing movement for ‘truly’ natural snacks that resonate with today’s ever-expanding, healthier living audience. Lockdown has inevitably resulted in longer working hours from home, extended periods of desk-based stagnation, and heightened levels of impromptu snacking. It’s vital that we do our bit to bust the myth that snacking is guilty shortcoming because the right savoury treats can prevent illness, boost immune systems.”
She added that despite being a trusted staple of so many savoury feasts, many people are unaware just what a nutritious pick-me-up pumpkin seeds are; full of Omega 6 fatty acids, iron, calcium, folate and beta-carotene.
“The simple, dry-fried process, the pleasant popping of seeds…. is a perfect educational activity for children/parents to build a growing enthusiasm for health-conscious snacking.”
Image supplied by Simply Seedz
After the launch of the innovative Chupa Chups sweet popcorn by Frit Ravich, the Spanish snack company has decided to surprise consumers again by launching yet another amazing flavour, also based on the best-selling flavors of Chupa Chups: the Watermelon Top Corn. According to the company, “its special crunchiness and lightness combined with one of the most popular Chupa Chups flavours of the summer make it totally irresistible”.
The Watermelon and Strawberry cream flavours, offered in the same 90-gram pack together with a Chupa Chups lollipop, are available in supermarkets and impulse-purchase outlets targeting “young and daring consumers looking for new experiences”.
Image supplied by Frit Ravich
Valeo Snack Foods is launching a new look and drastic reduction in plastic for its brand York Fruits.
The fruit jelly brand has a brand new tapered carton pack, updated from its previous flat ‘chocolate box’ style. The new format will offer improved value for money, offering more jellies at a reduced MRRSP.
The packaging redesign has enabled an 83% plastic reduction, part of Valeo’s ongoing programme of sustainability improvements. The carton itself is widely recyclable.
Russell Tanner, marketing director at Valeo Snack Foods, said: “York Fruits is a truly classic brand which has been loved by the nation across all generations for many years, especially around Christmas. This timely update for a well-loved, high quality product ensures that we continue to meet the needs of the modern consumer with a convenient giftable box that delivers value for money.
“We hope to appeal to a new generation of jelly lovers and bring even more people into the category with a well-known brand name to help retailers target new shoppers through the upcoming gifting season and other special moments throughout the year.
“We are continuously looking for ways to ensure our packaging is as sustainable as possible, especially with more than 1 in 4 consumers saying the environment is a higher priority for them since the Covid-19 outbreak. Earlier in the year, Barratt Liquorice Novelties were also given a new look carton to reduce plastic and give consumers better value for money.
“We are proud to have found a way consumers can enjoy the traditional, same great taste of York Fruits whilst knowing positive steps are being taken to make packaging environmentally friendly and recyclable.”
Made with natural colours and flavours, fat free and suitable for vegetarians, the new look York Fruits Carton (350g, MRRSP £2.50) will be available from Sainsbury’s, Iceland, Wilko and The Range and wholesalers from September.
Image supplied by York Fruits
UK Oat Miller Morning Foods, based in Crewe, Cheshire, has launched its first organic oat-based baking range under its Mornflake brand, following a surge in consumer demand for home baking ingredients.
The range comprises three SKUs – Oat Flour, Oatmeal and Jumbo Oats, all presented in recyclable paper packaging.
The new products are a first for Mornflake, seeing the brand evolve its core offer into the domestic home baking market for the first time.
The new organic baking range will be available to buy online from Mornflake and the business is currently speaking to grocers and retailers to secure listings.
Richard Jones, marketing director at Morning Foods, says that the past year alone has seen home baking occasions grow by 15 per cent, according to Kantar data, as even more Brits caught the baking bug during lockdown.
“We also had an influx of demand from our consumer base for oat-based baking products, and this has led us to create a bespoke range to meet the demand.
“All three products are made from 100 per cent organic oats, and offer a healthy, non-wheat alternative to conventional baking ingredients. Suitable for vegans and vegetarians, these plant-based ingredients offers today’s consumer the perfect option for both sweet and savoury bakes.”
Image supplied by Miller Morning Foods
Following a limited edition snack for Eid earlier this year, Indian snacks manufacturer Cofresh has launched its Party Mixes into mainstream in 70g sharing pack formats.
The Party Mix packs of assorted potato-based Grills, Spirals and Hoops come in three punchy flavours – Jalapeno & Cheese, Sour Cream & Chive and Sweet Chilli.
“We’re thrilled that these popular snacks are now available all year round. They’re the perfect addition to the Big Night In and for sharing with family and friends, while the variety of crunchy shapes and flavours guarantees something to appeal to everyone!” said Jon Roberts, Cofresh brand manager. “Sweet and heat, captured perfectly in our Sweet Chilli Party Mix, is an up and coming flavour trend and is a perfect mash-up that combines both heat and depth of flavour.”
The new Party Mixes have been developed as part of Cofresh’s extensive NPD programme and will be supported by high profile PR, advertising and social media campaigns, as well as in-store promotional activity such as multibuys and WIGIGs to help drive shoppers to the fixture.
RRP: £0.70 per 70g pack
Image supplied by Cofresh