This week’s new launches take in Zizzi’s largest ‘at home’ range, while a start-up has introduced ready-to-go overnight oat jars aimed at time-poor commuters seeking a tasty and convenient breakfast option.
Image: Getty/Liudmila Chernetska
This week’s new launches take in Zizzi’s largest ‘at home’ range, while a start-up has introduced ready-to-go overnight oat jars aimed at time-poor commuters seeking a tasty and convenient breakfast option.
Image: Getty/Liudmila Chernetska
Oatsu has introduced a range of ready-to-go overnight oat jars aimed at time-poor commuters seeking a healthy and convenient breakfast option.
The brand says overnight oats represent ‘the very antithesis of traditional sugar-laden cereals’, which offer a substantial ‘slow-release’ energy snack made with raw rolled oats that are jam-packed with resistant starch (beta-glucan).
The brand’s best-seller is banana and biscoff-infused oats on a biscoff base, with a liquid biscoff topping. Other flavours include: Choc Peanut and Blueberry & Apple Cinnamon
Oatsu was formed by former HSBC social media manager Lauren O’Donnell who constantly found herself frustrated by the lack of substantial plant-based breakfasts available within the supermarkets near her office. “Despite being a long-time advocate of preparing overnight oats, one doesn’t always have the time or inclination to spend every evening in the kitchen prepping for the next day. Having taken my fledgling idea to an Enterprise Nation gathering in late 2019, I was taken back by the overwhelming positivity towards my vision and samples. I knew then that Oatsu had an exciting future providing the perfect ‘at desk breakfast.’ Three years on Oatsu has made the transition from post-it thought to bona-fide business and I’m so proud that many of my in-attendance, Enterprise Nation peers have gone on to become vocal Oatsu devotees.”
Image supplied by Oatsu
British artisan fudge maker, Fudge Kitchen, has added a new vegan toffee fudge recipe to its range. The new product is certified by the vegan society and made using an oat milk base and their own vegan spread. Vegan white chocolate is then swirled through each batch to add a sweet and creamy flavour. A box of 6 Vegan Toffee Fudge pieces can be bought for £6.50 online and from select speciality retailers.
The launch of this new product comes in response to the increasing demand for plant-based options within confectionery and gifting. The fudge brand, who make all their products in small batches at their HQ in Kent, have seen a 6% rise in vegan sales over the last year with 15% of all their online sales now being attributed to vegan products.
Managing Director, Sian Holt, said: “We’ve worked really hard in the last few years to develop our vegan offering. We use a variety of plant-based milks, vegan chocolate and nut butters, some of which are made in-house. Our vegan fudge was originally created in response to customer demand, but is even more pertinent following COP26 and the drive for food companies like ours to offer more environmentally friendly options.”
Fudge Kitchen’s vegan selection includes both slab and square fudge pieces, peanut, pumpkin & sunflower seed brittles and vegan drinking fudge. Their vegan fudge is available in numerous flavours, including toffee, hazelnut, rum & raisin, chocolate & black forest gateau, and they are continuously innovating and introducing new flavour combinations.
The brand is known for their theatrical fudge making experiences offered in all 6 of their high street shops up and down the country. Before buying a slice of vegan slab fudge you can see it being made by trained fudge makers on a marble top table. The process takes around 45 minutes in total and is a real spectacle to watch. Once the ingredients have been heated to a precise 237 degrees in a traditional copper pot, they are poured onto a marble top table and folded with a paddle to create a fudge ‘loaf’ that is then sliced up and served.
Marketing Manager, Richard Parson, said: “Our vegan gifting range opens up a new gifting category for those seeking plant-based products. Feedback from our customers is that good vegan confectionery is hard to come by, and they are always pleasantly surprised after trying our vegan products and can’t quite believe they really are dairy free.”
Image supplied by Fudge Kitchen
Spanish plant-based meat company Heura has announced Packaging 3.0, an overhaul for its refrigerated products. The packaging for Heura’s chilled products now comprises of 3 parts: a 92% R-PET tray, a plastic film and an FSC-certified cardboard sleeve.
With the new packaging offering increased strength and durability, the update sees the chilled products evolve their 2.0 packaging format, which featured cardboard packaging with a plastic seal. Creation of the new R-PET packaging sees 75% less renewable energy used, 50% less use of fossil fuels, 44% less non-renewable energy used, 40% less emissions of polluting gasses used and 14% less water consumption, the company claimed.
Heura co-founder, Marc Coloma, said of the R-PET packaging launch: “We cultivate a growth mindset at Heura, and it was clear that we needed to take action to improve our packaging in order to continue as a mission-driven company. We will continue to make data-driven decisions that enable us to take the greatest steps throughout our ever-evolving sustainability journey.”
Image supplied by Heura
PACK'D, the range of Superfood Smoothie Kits and organic Frozen Fruit, has added Frozen Avocado to the product to the range. Available in Morrisons now, in a recyclable cardboard box, the company say the product is perfect for smoothies, guacamole or ‘avo’ on toast. Being frozen, the product has been picked ripe and frozen to lock in the taste, it said. “This product means you only defrost what you need, no brown mushy disappointment from sitting in the fridge too long, but instead creamy, smooth, delicious avocado every time,” Founder Alex Stewart said. “Every product launch is exciting of course, but this launch feels particularly momentous for us as a business. For this is not just a new SKU, but one that is entirely shaking up the category, both in terms of fresh and frozen. Finally, consumers will be able to buy avocado from the freezer that is guaranteed to be as it should be, every time and you can defrost and use only what you need.”
Image supplied by PACK'D
Plant-based drinks brand Plenish has unveiled a full brand refresh and launch of new premium packaging across its range of plant-based milks, juices, and shots.
Each product in the range now showcases their hero ingredients through striking on pack imagery, whilst introducing a warm colour brand world, encouraging discovery with an improved standout on shelf. Consumers will see the brand leans into a rich, indulgent, lifestyle-focused aesthetic.
Kara Rosen, founder of Plenish said: “Having started Plenish 10 years ago this year, it seems fitting to mark that momentous milestone with the latest expression of the Plenish brand. The business has grown beyond my wildest dreams, from cold-pressing juices in my kitchen all those years ago to a range of juices, milks & shots sold in thousands of stores across the country. One thing has always united every product we’ve ever made – an obsession with using only the finest natural ingredients and nothing else. Nature is our number one supplier and with our new look we wanted to hero those amazing ingredients in all their natural glory. We’ve always believed that Less is Moreish, and now it’s there for all to see.”
Image supplied by Plenish
UK fresh chilled chocolate business Russell & Atwell is celebrating securing £90,000 from Dragons’ Den investors Steven Bartlett and Peter Jones. The business is headed up by entrepreneurs Steve Russell and Giles Atwell, who have over 30 years collective experience in the making and marketing of chocolate.
Launched as an e-commerce business in 2020, the team hand-prepares five varieties of fresh chilled chocolates from their Birmingham kitchen, just around the corner from Cadbury, in Bournville. Their Creamy Milk, Scrumptious Salted Caramel, Cracking Creamy Hazelnut, Smooth Dark and Extra Rich Dark Chocolates are made with high quality and sustainable ingredients including responsibly sourced cocoa, fresh organic British cream, butter and wildflower honey. Purchasers can opt for letterbox-friendly pouches (from £13.50), elegant refillable glass jars (from £30 for two; from £12 per 180g eco refill) or a regular Russell & Atwell subscription (from £50).
"Why are we still eating long-life chocolate, if everything tastes better fresh?,” asked co-founder Giles Atwell. “The ‘long life’ chocolate bar was invented at the start of the 20th century, but most homes have had fridges since the ‘50s, so whilst fresh milk, pasta and desserts have all migrated over into the fridge, chocolate has been left, quite literally, on the shelf. It’s high time fresh chocolate became the go-to standard for quality, simplicity of ingredients and indulgence.”
The company also recently appointment as Non-Executive Chairman Nick Bunker, who has 25 years’ board-level experience in chocolate and snacking, including as President of Kraft / Cadbury UK, CEO of KP Snacks and most recently MD of pladis.
Dragons’ Den investor Peter Jones said: “I’m a bit of a chocoholic and I’ve seen a lot of chocolate businesses come through the Den, but nothing tasted like Russell & Atwell – it seems so obvious that ‘fresh tastes best’, but to experience their chocolates fresh from the fridge was in a different league – I had to invest.”
Fellow dragon Steven Bartlett added: “Chocolate is my ultimate guilty pleasure and salted caramel is my all-time favourite flavour, so the Russell & Atwell Fresh Salted Caramel chocolates really sealed the deal for me. The product is already incredible and has a strong USP, so I knew with a little guidance and marketing we could really make it explode.”
Image supplied by Russell & Atwell
New H&B listings for Free From Fellows sugar free lines
Vegan confectionery brand Free From Fellows has confirmed that Holland and Barrett are adding another two of its super popular products to the growing line up in store from Mid-March. The two new lines - Cola Bottles and Wine Gums - are to go on sale nationwide joining the gummy bears, mini gems, rhubarb and custard, pear drops, lollipops and the newly launched vegan mallows. The brand is also now on sale in Waitrose, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Ocado, Grapetree, Vegankind, Planet Organic, Wholefoods, WHSmith, Boots, Kingdom of Sweets over 400 health food stores.
Karl Morris, Director, Bravura Foods (owner of Free From Fellows) said: “The brand is perfectly positioned to offer retailers a real point of difference, not only have we veganized all the nations favourite sweets and managed to offer them at good value but these sugar free lines launching in Holland and Barrett are a great solution for retailers facing the new HFSS regulations that come into play later this year.”
Image supplied by Free From Fellows
Italian restaurant brand Zizzi has launched its largest ‘at home’ range exclusively with Tesco based on its popular restaurant dishes including Garlic Bread & Cheese (RRP £2.50), Lasagne Bolognese (RRP: £3.50), Chorizo Carbonara and Rigatoni Chicken Della Casa (RRP: £3.50) for the restaurant experience at home.
The range includes a trio of 12-inch-long pizzas, with a 24-hour leavened dough base, hand-stretched and hand-topped to maintain their homemade rustic appeal, and all served with a mini oil bottle (basil or chilli) to customise once baked and further provide the Zizzi experience.
The launch also features Zizzi’s top-selling dessert, the Salted Caramel Brownie (RRP: £3.00) and a fresh and fruity Raspberry & Lemon Cheesecake (RRP: £3.50).
The range will be rolled out in 1,200 Tesco and Tesco Express stores from 14th March, and will be supported in store and with social, e-mail and influencer marketing channels.
Zizzi will be expanding the range in May with three vegan, plant-based dishes – Vegan Jackfruit Pepperoni Pizza, Vegan Rainbow Lasagne and Vegan Praline Brownie.
Rachel Hendry, Marketing Director at Zizzi, said: “We are delighted to be bringing our restaurant favourites, all Italian dishes with a twist, to freezers nationwide. Tesco shoppers can enjoy the full Zizzi restaurant experience with a three-course meal including a delicious starter, choice of mains and desserts for great times at home. We’re really proud of the extensive range suiting all taste buds and can’t wait for our loyal fanbase as well as new customers to taste and enjoy.”
Hannah Skinner, Buying Manager at Tesco added: “More consumers are choosing options that allow them to create delicious restaurant experiences at home. We have seen our shoppers recognise the freshness and quality of frozen products and the delicious new Zizzi at home range is exactly what our shoppers are looking for. The frozen category can really help families manage their food waste due to the longer shelf life and we know our shoppers are more conscious of this. We can’t wait to welcome the range into our stores nationwide.”
Image supplied by Zizzi
