In this week's round-up of hot new products hitting the shelves in Europe, we bring you details of a plant-based sausage that claims to deliver the 'sizzle' of its meaty counterparts through a ground-breaking algae skin. We also hear how up-and-coming nut butter brand Pip & Nut is driving excitement with its first 'festive' special edition for Christmas.
Image: ©GettyImages-Talaj
Nut spreads brand Pip & Nut is launching its first ‘festive nut butter’, pumpkin spice almond butter.
The new flavour launches this month in the UK. It will be available in Sainsbury’s, Boots, Whole Foods, Holland and Barrett and Ocado.
Pip & Nut said the launch was the latest in its limited edition series, which aims to ‘invigorate the category’ with ‘new and exciting flavours’.
The nut butter is made from Californian almonds blended with pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. It is made from natural ingredients and is free from palm oil.
Pippa Murray, founder, said: “Our Limited Editions are fast becoming some of the best-selling lines in our product portfolio and we know our consumers eagerly await the latest launches and seek them out in store. They are a great example of how we focus on flavour over functionality and launching the UK’s first-ever festive nut butter is an exciting opportunity for us and our retail partners to capitalise on the Christmas trading period.”
UK food tech company Moving Mountains will launch a plant-based sausage made with ‘all-natural’ ingredients and the UK’s first algae skin.
Available in 57g, 85g, and 120g packs, the Moving Mountains Banger ‘looks just like a regular sausage’. The company said it ‘sizzles, smells and browns’ just like pork sausages and delivers a texture and mouthfeel ‘identical’ to an artisan sausage.
Moving Mountains added that the banger is made from ‘nutrient-rich vegetables’, including oyster mushrooms and beetroot. It is seasoned with pepper and nutmeg.
The company stressed the nutritional benefits of its recipe. Oyster mushrooms are anti-inflammatory and a source of protein, calcium, potassium and iron; beetroot is a source of calcium, iron and vitamins A and C; pea protein provides a source of protein; wheat and soy proteins give a ‘fibrous texture’ akin to the bite of a pork sausage; algae is a source of protein, calcium, magnesium and potassium; oats help provide the ‘firm structure’ of the sausage; coconut oil provides a juicy consistency, contains zero cholesterol and is rich in antioxidants.
The sausages are also fortified with vitamin B12, traditionally associated with red meats.
Each Moving Mountains® Banger has zero cholesterol, 18g of plant protein (per 100g of Banger), is vegan and free-from antibiotics and hormones.
Simeon Van der Molen, founder of Moving Mountains commented: “We have spent years perfecting the recipe with a team of scientists, farmers and chefs and it is the closest replication to a pork sausage in the UK. It provides a real solution to the environmental impact of the animal agriculture industry, without compromising on taste for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters.”
Moving Mountains is the creator of the UK’s first plant-based ‘bleeding’ burger and hotdog made from sunflower seeds.
Livia’s is adding to its Dunx range of cookies and nut butter dips with the addition of a new flavour, maple peanut drizzle.
The new flavour launches in Tesco this week.
The company has also updated the packaging and recipe across the rest of its Dunx range, which consists of two additional oat cookies and dipping sauce. Existing variants include caramel almond swirl and choco hazel twist. The new packaging features 20% less plastic and is made from 100% recycled plastic.
The products are vegan and gluten-free.
Liva’s said that it wants to ‘breathe fresh excitement’ into the biscuit and confectionery categories by delivering on taste while featuring ‘simple all-natural ingredients’.
Founder Olivia Wollenberg commented: “We pride ourselves on bringing the most innovative products to market and are always working hard to ensure all our ranges are the very best they can be. With the new Dunx range we’ve really taken our consumer feedback on board and are thrilled with the results.
“It’s a truly exciting time at Livia’s. We’re the leading brand challenging the traditional image of free-from, making it fun instead of functional. We’re now entering the next phase of growth and look forward to appealing to an even broader audience with our flavour first approach.”
Enjoy! is launching its range of free-from chocolates in health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett in the UK.
The organic chocolate is free-from all 14 major allergens and includes the UK’s ‘first-ever’ caramel-filled bar for vegans.
The chocolate was created by Enjoy! founder Chris Crutchley after ‘years of suffering with intolerances’.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be working with high street giant Holland & Barrett so soon after launching our new brand,” Crutchley commented.
“To think that just a few years ago I was experimenting with recipes in my kitchen and now our products are in 300 stores nationwide and online, it’s really exciting.”
Enjoy! recently completed a funding round that will enable it to ‘transform’ its production facility in Hampshire.
“Enjoy! chocolate not only provides our customers with something delicious, but is also perfect for anyone suffering from allergies or intolerances – it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, soya-free and free-from refined sugar, as well as organic and vegan,” said Louise Broom, Food Category Manager at Holland & Barrett.
“It’s a great tasting quality brand and one we immediately knew we wanted to be the first major retailer to stock.”
The first Enjoy! products to be stocked in Holland & Barrett stores and online are the Sumptuous Salted Caramel and Velvety Vanilla Caramel filled bars. These will be sold in 300 stores from this month priced at just £2.99.
Wall’s Pastry, the UK’s largest selling sausage roll brand, has launched its first ever vegan range.
The brand, owned by Addo Food Group, is bringing out a line of on-the-go meat free pastries. These include a vegan jump roll and a BBQ jackfruit jumbo roll as well as ‘snack friendly’ 4-pack variants of each flavour.
Wall’s Pastry, the UK’s number one sausage roll brand[1], makes a ground-breaking move as it announces the launch of its first ever vegan range.
Vegan roll is made with a mix of minced mushrooms, oats and seasoning, wrapped in a vegan puff pastry. The BBQ jackfruit roll is filled with pulled jackfruit and hickory smoked BBQ sauce.
Michael Holton, Brand Manager at Addo Food Group, said that the launch aims to tap into growing demand for meat-free alternatives.
“Meat remains at the heart of our business, but times are changing and we believe everyone should be able to enjoy our products, no matter what diet they follow. We have listened to our customers and wanted to offer vegan alternatives to our more traditional products.
“We are confident that retailers will be able to capitalise on the growing opportunity plant-based alternatives provide, with a product that targets vegans as well as those simply looking to eat less meat.”
UK sweet maker Tangerine Confectionery has relaunched its Barratt seasonal range in ‘striking’ new packaging.
The sweets will be available in SuperLift containers produced by Superfos, a Berry Global company.
According to Russell Tanner, Marketing Manager and Category Management Director at Tangerine Confectionery, consumers 'love' the re-launched product.
“The great finish of the tub helps to display the vibrant fun side of our brand,” Tanner said. “We have seen a really strong sales performance. Last year’s sales have been clearly positive and, with a move to the Superfos tub, we have gained additional distribution in the market.”
The vivid colours of the SuperLift tubs, made of widely recyclable polypropylene, provide strong shelf standout and have generated fantastic in-store backing with feature space and promotional support, which has led to an increase in demand for the sweets, the company claimed.
The re-launched Barratt sweets are being sold in the UK and Australia in 750g tubs with a popular Retros variety available in a slightly smaller 630g version.
Tanner concluded: “It has a very strong shelf standout and makes a perfect gift of sweets to yourself or someone else. This was something we wanted to push with the new tub, and we have been absolutely successful with it.”
German oat specialist Peter Kölln has rolled out an organic oatmeal in ‘tender’ and ‘crunchy’ varieties.
Both products are made from 100% German organic oats, which are processed in the Kölln-owned mill in Elmshorn.
As well as the well-known classics Blütenzarte Köllnflocken and Kölln Kernigen, they fulfill the ‘highest quality standards’, the company claimed.
The entire Kölln organic range is also receiving a new design, with new colours and a ‘young and modern’ design. Kölln said this would make the individual varieties recognizable at first glance while remaining connected by the well-known illustrative design elements.
