This week's round-up of NPD from across Europe has some festive launches including Brussels sprout crisps and the 'world’s first' Cheese Brûlée. It also features a new 'super-healthy' orange and pomegranate drink and some 'gourmet' instant noodles.
©Getty / Picture Partners
This week's round-up of NPD from across Europe has some festive launches. It also features a new 'super-healthy' orange and pomegranate drink and some 'gourmet' instant noodles.
©Getty / Picture Partners
Plant-based brand Artisan Grains is launching a trio of gluten-free and vegan Falafel mixes across the UK and Europe.
The Falafel come in three 'on-trend' flavours including Beetroot & Chilli, Pumpkin & Quinoa and Super Greens.
All three are made with a base of ground chickpeas, herbs and spices with the addition of 'natural, healthy ingredients' including broccoli pearls, beetroot pieces and whole quinoa. They are all natural, high in protein, gluten-free, vegan, palm-oil free and contain no added sugar.
André Aires, Business Development Manager at Artisan Grains, said: “Alongside the increase in vegan diets and a desire for healthier meat-free foods, we’re seeing a real demand for better tasting plant-based and cruelty-free foods, especially when it comes to Falafel.
“Falafels have been an important plant-based staple for hundreds of years and their current surge in popularity has a lot to do with the fact that they’re a great meat-free source of protein, they’re crunchy and delicious to snack on, and they go well with so many different types of foods.”
Each six x 150g box of mix makes over 20 Falafel balls and serves four, with a recommended retail price of £1.89.
Juste Pressé has unveiled a new orange and pomegranate drink. According to the French company, it has counterbalanced the slightly ‘pungent’ taste of pomegranate juice with the sweet taste of orange, resulting in a delicious slightly acidic juice.
As for the health benefits, pomegranate and orange bring all the richness of plants: vitamins, antioxidants and minerals making it ideal for our immune system and or for strengthening cells, said the company.
The juice is obtained from a High Pressure Refrigeration process which preserves most of the nutritional properties of the juices and 96% of preserved antioxidants without additives or preservatives and no added vitamins.
The 500 ml bottles will be available from mid-November at a RRP of €3.95.
Mr Lee’s Pure Foods has launched three of its six Asian inspired instant ‘gourmet noodles’ with selected SuperValu stores across Ireland.
The noodles are made from ‘the finest ingredients and flavours and are uniquely crafted from authentic Asian recipes’.
They are loaded with the finest freeze-dried veggies, air-dried Vietnamese rice noodles, herbs, spices and traditional chef-crafted broths to create a real food experience vs. traditional cup noodles. They are also low in saturated fats, calories, Sugarwise certified low in sugar and gluten-free (by Coeliac UK), palm oil free and always guarantee ‘No Nasties’ across the entire range.
There are six flavours available in the range, but it is the vegan friendly Zen Garden Vegetables (registered by the Vegan Society), the award-winning Coconut Chicken Laksa and the bestseller Hong Kong Street Beef that are available from selected SuperValu stores across Ireland at a RRP of €2.95.
“Perfect for the busy parent or time-poor professional, our noodles are ideal for anyone looking for a healthier way to eat, without giving up on taste or convenience. We’ve worked hard to make sure each and every cup contains a restaurant-calibre dish, authentic in taste and texture to the oriental cuisine you’d expect from any top noodle bar,” said Damien Lee, Founder and CEO of Mr Lee’s Pure Foods Co.
BEPPS, the UK’s range of black eyed pea snacks, has introduced a new Salt & Vinegar flavour, along with a re-formulated product, fresh flavour profiles and new look packaging across the full range.
BEPPS’ says its mission is to innovate the healthy snacking category. BEPPS are 100% natural, vegan friendly, gluten free, packed with protein and contain no artificial additives or preservatives.
The new and improved recipes not only feature punchier flavours, but a reformulated puff which is now 100% pea based.
Founder Eve Yankah said: “We’re really excited to be launching the newly formulated range and can’t wait to see it hitting the shelves later this month. The new Salt & Vinegar flavour packs a real punch, and we think this fresh twist on a flavour favourite will help the brand appeal to a more mainstream audience. Black eyed peas will always be our ‘hero’ ingredient, but as our product portfolio grows, you will see us mixing in other grains, peas and pulses into our impulse snack range starting with the puffs which now include Fava Beans.”
Available from Tesco, BEPPS 70g sharing bags (RRP: £1.79) and 22g packs (RRP: £0.89) will be available nationwide from 11 November.
Nim’s, the air-dried fruit and vegetable crisp manufacturer, has launched a limited edition range of festive crisps to celebrate the countdown to Christmas.
The new Christmas flavours are Beet & Butt – an earthy combination of beetroot and rich sweet butternut squash; Bubble & Squeak – a Christmas classic made with parsnip, beetroot and Brussels sprout crisps. These will be available in share bag size, making them ideal for sharing and parties, said Nim's.
Air dried, not fried, all Nim’s crisps are certified as one of your five day. They are sold online or in Tesco, Waitrose, Co-Op and across hundreds of independent retailers for £1.95 per bag.
Nimisha Raja, founder, said: “Nim’s crisps are created using fruit and vegetables which have been air-dried. Our process uses no oils, chemicals or additives, just the whole fruit and veg and, as a result, we produce virtually zero food waste.
“Christmas is a great time to celebrate with friends and family so we thought we’d introduce a number of festive favourites and package them in share bags so they could be enjoyed at parties and big gatherings.”
UK family cheese maker Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses has launched what it calls the world’s first Cheese Brûlée which it says is delicious as both a starter and a dessert and ideal for spicing up cheeseboards during the festive season.
The Cheese Brûlée is made with the ‘zingy yet creamy’ Blacksticks Blue cheese which is then topped with a dusting of demerara sugar, ready for caramelising under the grill to form a brûlée’s signature crunchy top.
The Blackticks Blue Cheese Brûlée will be available in UK supermarket Morrisons stores nationwide, as well through the Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses website at a RRP of £3.50.
