In our latest new product development round-up, we’re homing in on animal-based products and their plant-based alternatives. These include pork snacks and mini fish fillets, as well as fermented plant-based steaks and barista oat milk. We’ve also included a low-carb pasta for good measure – perfect to accompany Pork Farms’ bacon strips!
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In our latest new product development round-up, we’re homing in on animal-based products and their plant-based alternatives. These include pork snacks and mini fish fillets, as well as fermented plant-based steaks and barista oat milk. We’ve also included a low-carb pasta for good measure – perfect to accompany Pork Farms’ bacon strips!
GettyImages/etorres69
Pork pie brand Pork Farms, owned by The Compleat Food Group, is expanding beyond its classic offering with four new products for the meat snacking category.
According to analyst IRI, the meat snacking market has grown +10% YoY in the UK to be worth £384m annually. Looking to get a piece of the meat snacking pie, Pork Farms is launching Pork Meatballs, Maple Bacon, Frankfurters and Bratwurst products.
“At Pork Farms, we have a long history in creating the highest quality pork pies, which has helped the brand grow by 45% in the past year alone and cemented our position as the UK’s number one brand in pork pies.
“We are now using our significant expertise to move beyond creating the tastiest pork pies to deliver the best in pork meat snacking, to attract a new, younger audience and draw more shoppers to the fixture.”
The meat snacks are launching into a variety of retailers, from Co-op to C&I and Tesco, with RRPs ranging from £2.50 to £3.50.
Image source: The Compleat Food Group
Swiss plant-based meat maker Planted has developed a fermented beef fillet steak called Planted.Steak. The offering is the first to launch from Planted’s ‘whole-muscle platform’, made at its fermentation facility in Kemptthal, Switzerland.
Planted.Steak is made ingredients including soya protein, rapeseed oil, bean and rice flours, as well as a blend of microbial cultures. The company decides it as ‘oozing juiciness, tenderness, and a rich distinctive umami flavour’, which it attributes to the fermentation process.
"Our Planted.Steak is designed to satisfy even the most discerning palate. It’s a true game changer, not only for us but also for the whole category," said Pascal Bieri, co-founder of Planted.
"No other plant-based steak on the market uses only natural ingredients, zero additives and displays features such as juiciness as well as tenderness. In the research and development process, we have worked with over 50 gastronomy professionals to achieve a steak that is literally unreal, in taste, texture, application and overall eating experience.”
Image credit: Planted
Fish and seafood company Young’s Seafood is expanding its Chip Shop range with the launch of Chip Shop Mini Fish Fillets.
The offering was developed to bring new shoppers into the frozen battered fish category, based on the growing trend for people opting for lighter main meals. Each mini fillet comes in at 50g, and is sold in packets of six.
Young’s also believes it broadens the demographic of the traditionally older consumer of frozen battered fish by appealing to families with children with smaller appetites.
“The UK is a nation of battered fish lovers, whether that’s as part of the traditional Friday night takeaway or as a convenient midweek meal straight from the freezer. Innovation is crucial to future category growth,” said marketing director Julian Fletcher.
“By taking smaller portioned fillets and coating them in our signature Chip Shop batter we are able to offer new shoppers new opportunities to enjoy frozen fish outside of the traditional meal occasion.”
Young’s Chip Shop 6 Mini Fish Fillets have an RRP of £3.75 and are rolling out across major stockists in the UK this month.
Image credit: Young's Seafood
It has taken four years for dairy-free milk brand Rude Health to develop its organic oat barista drink, but the launch is here. The brand describes its new offering as ‘the perfect partner for the coffee connoisseur, whether its pods, espresso or filter’.
The new SKU is made from four ingredients: spring water, organic oats, organic cold pressed sunflower oil and sea salt. Rude Health attributes its ‘perfect creamy foam’ to its high oat content (14%).
“With the foundations of the Barista category having been laid, there is still significant opportunity for growth. Barista, Oat and Organic are all growth drivers,” said Rude Health co-founder Camilla Barnard. “The shelf is currently dominated by long ingredient lists with emulsifiers, stabilisers and acidity regulators, and we know consumers are not only looking for great functionality and brilliant taste, but clean deck, organic ingredients.
“We’ve used our years of dairy-free drink experience to craft what we believe is the ultimate trade up and we can’t wait to hear what our customers think”.
Rude Health’s Organic Oat Barista to independents via wholesalers as well as via Ocado and Amazon with an RRP of £2.40/L.
Image credit: Rude Health
Austrian start-up Revo Foods has developed what it claims to be the ‘world’s first’ meat-free octopus tentacles made from mycoprotein.
Coined The Kraken – Inspired by Octopus, the product contains high amounts of fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, and fibre. The Kraken achieves a Nutri-Score ‘A’.
As to how Revo made The Kraken, CEO Robin Simsa revealed the company is currently experimenting with a new 3D structuring technology for its meat-free octopus product. But being a ‘complex’ new production method does come with limitations.
“Therefore, we are launching The Kraken now as a limited edition to observe feedback from the market and our distribution partners and might release it on a wider scale at the end of the year.”
For more on how The Kraken was developed and how its texture and colour mimic the real thing, click here.
Image credit: Revo Foods
In the UK, SRSLY has developed a low-carb dry pasta that is also gluten-free and vegan. Instead, the new product is made from ingredients including pea protein, bamboo fibre and psyllium husk powder. Each serving is high in protein and fibre, and contains 75% less carbs than conventional pasta.
The Low Carb movement has been ‘crying out’ for a firm, non-pulpy pasta that avoids all the usual gritty and grainy pitfalls, according to SRSLY founder Andrew Welch. SRSLY wants to meet that demand.
“Penne and fusilli are our first priorities, but who knows where we might delve after that? The joy of being an agile SME is that by keeping our ears to the ground we enjoy an unrivalled grasp of our consumers’ daily needs. This coupled with our ability to wrongfoot sprawling big brands by bringing new products to market at pace means we’re sell placed to set the innovation agenda.”
A 240g bag of the new pasta will retail for £4.49.
Image credit: SRSLY
