From 'double origin' artisan coffee, to 'feel good' puds that are vegan, gluten free and nutritionally dense. Here's FoodNavigator's weekly roundup of some of the most interesting product launches hitting the shelves in Europe.
From 'double origin' artisan coffee, to 'feel good' puds that are vegan, gluten free and nutritionally dense. Here's FoodNavigator's weekly roundup of some of the most interesting product launches hitting the shelves in Europe.
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GATO & Co. has reformulated its range of pot puddings to appeal to vegan consumers.
The UK start-up has developed a line of better-for-you desserts that, it says contain 50% less sugar than "comparable" puddings on the market. The company stressed that its recipes include "no empty calories". Ground almonds are substituted for flour and courgette is substituted for butter. The ingredient list also includes: almond milk, raw cacao and creamed coconut.
In order to tap into the growing vegan trend, GATO has now removed eggs from its recipes and replaced them with aquafaba, or chickpea water.
“We’ve been working hard behind the scenes for the past year to make our range fully vegan, so everyone can enjoy our indulgent and healthier puds. We’ve been dying to launch vegan products since GATO first launched but it’s taken us a year to perfect the right taste and texture,” co-Founder Kim Lamza said of the move to plant-based.
The line includes three varieties: chocolate and coconut hot brownie, salted caramel hot sticky toffee and salted caramel chocolate ganache.
UK stockists include Sainsbury's, Ocado, Whole Foods and Harrods.
East London based Minor Figures was established in 2014. The start-up has been a pioneer in the premium nitro cold brew coffee segment and was the first to market with a cold brew canned drink combining "speciality grade" coffee and oat milk.
“Our positioning sits Minor Figures between ugly, big brand RTD (ready to drink) long-life iced coffee, and the exclusive, hipster, artisanal, expensive, short-shelf-life cold brew. So our aim is to shake up the Ready To Drink category, by taking quality, values, ethics, and passion of the ’specialty’ coffee scene and putting all of that into a product that sits on a supermarket shelf," founder Stuart Forsyth explained.
With growing popularity of single-origin products in segments like coffee and cocoa, Minor Figures has now introduced Double Origin Coffees – a new way to approach blended coffee with a range that brings together "harmonious pairings of Single Origin coffees".
The new range consists of Filter and Espresso variants and is available in whole bean and ground.
"The Filter Roast celebrates the floral, earthy coffees of Africa. You’ll discover notes of sweet apricot and cranberry, with a crisp acidity. The Espresso Roast features two coffees from South America. You’ll note darker flavours of red berries, chocolate and marzipan," Minor Figures said.
General Mills is expanding its Häagen-Dazs ice cream line in Germany with the addition of the Barista Collection.
Two new flavours will be available in the market: brownie macchiato and spicy caramel chai latte.
The first is a coffee ice cream infused with an "intense" coffee sauce and chocolate brownie pieces. The second includes Häagen-Dazs ice cream with black tea and aromatic spices, caramel-ginger sauce and crispy biscuit pieces.
The launch will be supported by outdoor and online advertising. The ice cream varieties are being rolled out to convenience, hypermarket, supermarket and forecourt channels as well as Häagen-Dazs shops throughout Germany.
Nestlé is introducing a new limited edition Ruby variant of its premium chocolate range, Les Recettes de l’Atelier.
Targeting Valentine's Day shoppers, the new, pink bar is Nestlé’s latest innovation in luxury chocolate. It is made with Ruby cocoa beans, which provides an "intense berry-fruitiness" without the addition of any flavourings or colours. This is coupled with raspberries in the Les Recettes de l’Atelier bar, Nestlé revealed.
Cat Mews, Les Recettes de l’Atelier Brand Manager, Nestlé UK said Ruby chocolate was a good fit for the brand. “We know how popular innovative and exciting confectionery is and, following the incredible success of Ruby chocolate, we are delighted to be able to offer this delicious chocolate in a premium bar. Les Recettes de l’Atelier is perfect for that.”
Les Recettes De l’Atelier was launched in Switzerland and France in 2014 and has grown to become Nestlé’s fastest growing confectionery brand in Europe, now sold in more than 15 countries. The Ruby variety will be available in Sainsbury's stores in the UK with an RRP of £3.
Premium French chocolatier Cluizel has unveiled its Easter offerings, which it describes as "a creative and original collection" that brings a "touch of modernity" to traditional Easter eggs.
The collection includes two chocolate products. The first, a "hidden egg", is situated on a praline base and surrounded by an arch of 72% cocoa dark chocolate, 45% cocoa milk chocolate and ivory chocolate. The price is €25 for 160g of chocolate. The second, an rabbit, is molded in milk chocolate, containing 39% cocoa. The price is €8.80 for 45g.
Online retailer Musclefood.com has launched a line of healthy recipe kits that each contain less than 500 calories.
The full range of meal kits contain up to 52g of protein each and between 0.6g and 6.6g of saturated fat. Each of the £4.95 kits is portioned for one and contains only whole ingredients, the company said. Preparation time is estimated at just 10 minutes.
"The five fuss-free meal kits have been put together with the help of a resident Michelin Star trained chef and were inspired by the growing trend for finding easy home cooking solutions without compromising on health or flavour," Musclefood revealed.
The line consists of: dragon fire chicken skewers, white rice and lemon & thyme cod with crushed new potatoes & green beans, peri peri chicken with wedges & roasted veg, sticky chilli sausage and veg bake, and cheese & tomato stuffed chicken with veg.
Amy Kershaw, head of product innovation, said: “From sensational piri piri chicken to scrumptious sausage bake, there’s something to suit everyone, and we’ll be extending the range to include even more options in the near future.
“We believe that a lack of time and expertise shouldn’t stop anyone enjoying a tasty and healthy, home-cooked meal, so we’ve put together this selection of delicious dishes. Each recipe kit contains only whole ingredients to ensure freshness and quality, but the preparation time for each meal is under ten minutes thanks to the no-nonsense recipes and instructions on the cards provided."
Family run gourmet Asian-inspired dessert brand Little Moons is launching a vegan Belgian Chocolate mochi to Ocado and Selfridges in the UK as well as to distributors including Stratford Fine Foods and delis nationwide.
The vegan option took more than a year to develop and includes bite-sized balls of vegan Belgian chocolate ice cream, wrapped in a layer of mochi and dusted in cocoa powder.
Other products in the Little Moons portfolio bite-sized balls of gelato ice cream, chocolate ganache and cheesecake wrapped in a layer of soft and chewy mochi.
From 64 calories per ball, Little Moons mochi are gluten free, free from artificial flavourings, colours and preservatives.
Current UK stockists include Whole Foods, Selfridges, Waitrose, Ocado, As Nature Intended and Amazon Fresh.
Fentimans, the botanically brewed drinks maker, is adding an apple and blackberry variety to its craft soft drinks line.
The company said the new product achieves a "complex depth of flavour" thanks to Fentimans' botanical brewing methods, combined with a combination of apple and blackberries to create a "fresh and authentic taste".
“Being British is embedded in the DNA of the Fentimans brand. There is nothing more quintessentially British than red apples and juicy ripe blackberries in late summer. Our latest flavour innovation has been rigorously tested, and we are confident that this latest addition combines the superior flavour experience consumers are seeking, with a unique British twist," Fentimans marketing director, Andrew Jackson, commented.
Apple & Blackberry will be launched in a 275ml bottle and a 750ml sharing format in the grocery channel. The launch will be supported with an outdoor, digital marketing and experiential campaign, including a British Garden Games Activation. The suggested RSP is £1.25 and £2.90 for the small and large formats respectively.
