From The Coca-Cola Co's revival of French eighties classic Tropico, to new brands that want to raise the stakes in the no-alcohol spirits and beers categories, and vegan seitan burgers, here is FoodNavigator's weekly round-up of the most interesting NPD from across Europe.
From The Coca-Cola Co's revival of French eighties classic Tropico, to new brands that want to raise the stakes in the no-alcohol spirits and beers categories, and vegan seitan burgers, here is FoodNavigator's weekly round-up of the most interesting NPD from across Europe.
©Getty / Brankospejs
The Coca-Cola Co is relaunching its classic 1980s drinks brand Tropico in France.
The fruit flavoured beverage, complete with “legendary mascot” Coco the parrot, will be back on shelf with a modernised range and an updated packaging design. The company wants to appeal to nostalgic adults while also bringing new Generation Z consumers to the brand.
The launch will be supported by a new advertising campaign and strapline: “Tropico, the drink that reveals your true colours”. The “colourful slogan” and “strong values” of the brand will target a younger generation of consumers, Tropico said. It aims to associate itself with positivity, joie de vivre, self-confidence and diversity.
Consumers will be able to rediscover Tropico L'Original and Tropico Tropical in bottles, cans or slim cans. Additional flavours include Orange Mandarine and Apple and Red Fruits.
UK fine biscuit maker The Artful Baker wants to add “wow” to both the sweet and savoury biscuit fixture with the launch of its savoury biscotti nibbles and sweet biscotti thins.
The range of savoury biscotti nibbles includes: wild garlic & chives, caramelised red onion marmalade & pesto, sweet chilli & lime and Kalamata olives & oregano. The sweet biscotti thins line includes: salted caramel, Belgian dark choc & hazelnuts, raspberries & white chocolate, rich dark Belgian chocolate & California almonds and Valencian orange, pistachios & cardamom.
Each selection has a recommended retail price of £1.99 per 100 g pack.
According to an Artful Baker spokesperson the “biscuits of tomorrow” must “feel deliciously decadent and a worthwhile break from any day-to-day eating regime”.
“Whether we’re talking coffee break, a light snack or celebrating a gathering of friends and family, any biscuit of note must have the capacity to make hearts skip.”
The company said it wants to challenge traditional conceptions of biscotti as a tough biscuit to chew by making its biscotti slim enough to be easily eaten but sufficiently upholstered to accommodate chunky inclusions.
London-based premium cocktail mixer group Tipplesworth has expanded its portfolio with the launch of a passion fruit martini mixer.
The new product will hit the shelves in Waitrose after Tipplesworth secured its first national supermarket listing, the company revealed. Waitrose will also carry Tipplesworth’s espresso martini and garden Collins mixers. The products will be available for £6.99 for a 500 ml bottle.
Founder Frankie Snobel commented: “We’re so excited to be launching our Passion Fruit Martini just in time for the summer cocktail season. We know the Pornstar Martini is the UK’s most popular cocktail (with over 14% of the market share) so it made sense for us to add our delicious twist to this cocktail classic.
“The Passion Fruit Martini took us over six months to perfect, in terms of both flavour profile and presentation, and we’re proud to have created a quality product that delivers a long shelf-life without compromising on ingredients or taste.”
He added that the Waitrose listing was a “step change” for the business.
Waitrose has expanded its vegan range with the launch of the UK’s first seitan burger.
The company said it has seen growing demand for vegan products, with searches for vegan burgers up 86% and searchers for seitan up 148% on Waitrose.com compared to last year.
Seitan is a protein rich food made from wheat gluten. In the burger patty it is combined with mushrooms to give it a “smoky” flavour, the retailer said.
Also new to the Waitrose vegan range is Mediterranean style sausage whirls that are available in two flavours. An Italian style whirl contains aromatic roasted garlic, fennel, basil, porcini powder and sun-dried tomatoes while the Spanish style version contains authentic Spanish paprika, cumin, roasted garlic, chilli flakes and sun-dried tomatoes.
Simona Cohen-Vida, Waitrose vegetarian & vegan product developer commented: “We are really excited to be launching the first seitan burger. The modern barbecue is an inclusive affair with delicious products catering to all tastes and demands and we are thrilled to be able to offer a fantastic selection of vegan options.”
Caleño, the new non-alcoholic spirit, secured its first UK supermarket listing at Sainsbury’s.
The tropical free-spirit, described as “zingy” and “zesty”, will be listed in close to 500 Sainsbury’s stores as part of the retailer’s ‘future brands’ initiative. The listing comes just two months after Caleño first hit the market.
Caleño aims to bring “colour, joy and fun” to not drinking. It is a tropical infusion of juniper, citrus and spice botanicals, steam distilled in stainless steel drums. Its key ingredient is the South American Inca berry.
Caleño’s focus is not just on providing an alternative to its alcoholic counterparts, but also on fighting the stereotype that not drinking is “boring”.
Caleño is the creation of Ellie Webb, who hails from Colombia.
Webb commented: “I grew up surrounded by music, dancing, and an upbeat Colombian culture. This has had a big influence on the creation of Caleño, which is here to show people that you can have fun without drinking.
“We are thrilled to have secured the support of Sainsbury’s and their Future Brands team so early in our journey to bring the growing number of young non-alcoholic drinkers an exciting solution."
Danone is launching a new kefir and cream cheese brand, All I Want, in Germany.
The range is free from added sugars and sweeteners, 100% natural, low in fat and high in protein. It also delivers a creamy taste, the dairy giant said.
All I Want cream cheese will be available in six flavours: blueberry grape & lavender; mango-kurkuma; citrus, apple & ginger; banana & cherry; date, coconut & buckwheat; and natural. It has a recommended retail price of €0.89 for 154 grams.
The All I Want kefir will be available in three varieties: blueberry & pomegranate; cucumber & lime; and natural. The kefir is availablein a 260 gram bottle with an RRP of €0.99.
The range scores an ‘A’ in the NutriScore labelling system because of its “very good” nutritional profile, Danone noted. NutriScore is an independent labelling scheme that rates products from A to E, healthiest to least healthy.
All I Want is available nationwide at retailers including Rewe, Hit, Globus and Wasgau.
New alcohol-free beer brand, Infinite Session, will be launching into Sainsbury’s stores in the UK this month with its 4 pack IPA.
The supermarket already carries Infinite Session Pale Ale bottles and is looking to expand its low or no-alcohol craft beer offering.
The Infinite Session IPA is dry-hopped with Amarillo and Cascade, which gives the drink a citrus flavour. Six grains combine to give a smooth, full body. Each product in the range contains 75% less calories than regular strength beer and is low in sugar.
The brand launched at Craft Beer Rising in 2018. It is now stocked in more than 1,000 stores across the UK including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, M&S, Amazon and Whole Foods with international expansion planned for July.
Chris Hannaway, co-founder, commented: “At Infinite Session, we believe beer is bigger than booze. We pride ourselves in creating great tasting alcohol-free beer, that brings you the same level of flavour and craftmanship as our alcoholic counterparts. We know there is increasing demand for low and no-alcohol options and UK sales are at an all-time high.”
Infinite Session’s three-strong range of beers includes a craft lager, pale ale and IPA.
Atlantic Natural Foods (ANF), the US manufacturer of plant-based brands including Loma Linda, is launching its Tuno product in the UK.
The company has secured a distribution deal with UK supermarket group Morrisons for Tuno, its plant-based canned seafood alternative.
“Globally, more than 18,000 stores throughout the world carry our products,” said ANF founder James Douglas Hines. “We are excited to offer a healthy and sustainable protein that is desperately needed to feed future generations…and one that tastes great, too. It is not a question of ‘if’ anymore, but ‘when and how’ to continue to develop these food options.”
According to Hines, the company continues to improve its products with investments in its factories, equipment, and distribution partners.
