Plant-based is a reoccurring theme in this week’s new product development photo gallery. From Romanian vegan sausages to rice milk confectionery and vegan dark chocolate from Love Cocoa, FoodNavigator brings you the latest SKUs to hit shelves across Europe.
Image source: Suradech14
Plant-based is a reoccurring theme in this week’s new product development photo gallery. From Romanian vegan sausages to rice milk confectionery and vegan dark chocolate from Love Cocoa, FoodNavigator brings you the latest SKUs to hit shelves across Europe.
GettyImages/Suradech14
Romanian meat alternative brand, Verdino Green Foods, is rolling out a range of plant-based offerings based on pea protein, including sausages, cheeseburger, and veggie ball alternatives.
Specifically, the company is launching six new sausage alternatives, each with different spices and flavours. The Bratwurst and Bratwurst with spinach offering is inspired by German and Austrian cuisine. Verdino has also rolled out breakfast sausages it says are inspired by British gastronomy, Merguez sausages which are popular in France, Salsiccia sausages with Mediterranean spices, and homemade traditional sausages from Romanian and Polish cuisine.
“Consumers started to be more aware of the positive effects of a flexitarian diet and have a more respective attitude towards the planet’s natural resources. Many retailers and restaurants understood that this is the food of the future and became more receptive to our plant-based products,” said Verdino Green Foods CEO Eberhart Raducanu.
“Thus, we decided to expand our portfolio, offering consumers a variety of vegan products to choose from. Verdino products satisfy all taste requirements of consumers, have a valanced calorie content and are a real source of protein and fibre, We are present now in three areas of the store: fresh, ultra-fresh and frozen.”
The new product launch takes Verdino’s vegan SKU count to 52. Its products are sold in major cities around Europe, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Groningen, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Zurich. From this year onwards, Verdino’s range is also hitting Great Britain and Germany.
Image source: Verdino Green Foods
Another Ecotone UK brand, Kallø, is rolling out new product development with the launch of its Cocoa, Date & Vanilla rice and corn cakes.
The new SKU is challenging the sweet biscuit category, noted the firm, while aiming to attract new consumers to the snacking category and ‘excite existing shoppers’. The vegetarian-friendly rice cakes are free from artificial ingredients, preservatives and flavours.
“The Cocoa, Date & Vanilla rice and corn cakes are an exciting addition to the Kallø product portfolio,” said Hayley Murgett, Kallø Brand Controller at Ecotone UK.
“It hits the spot for those who want the taste of something deliciously sweet, but without any hidden nasties. The rice cakes are ideal for an evening snack or as an alternative to a sugary biscuit.
“We expect the SKU to be popular with the growing number of flexitarians seeking plant-based options.”
113g packs of 13 jumbo-sized rice cakes are available from Waitrose stores.
Image source: Kallø
Peanut butter brand Whole Earth, owned by Ecotone UK, is rolling out a limited-edition flavour: Golden Roasted peanut butter.
Described as a ‘flavoursome new spread’, the product is made with ‘specially roasted nuts’ which gives it a golden colour and a ‘deep, delicious flavour’.
The SKU has been released in support of Team GB for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which due to the coronavirus pandemic, has been postponed to 2021.
As such, Whole Earth says it has given its commemorative jars a ‘gold medal makeover’ – including a union jack. Whole Earth is an official sponsor to Team GB for the games and will supply jars of the limited-edition spread to the team as they prepare for the event.
“We wanted to show our Team GB athletes that we’re with them the whole way to the Olympic Games through a dazzling limited edition jar that would stand out on the shelf and inspire shopper pride for Team GB following a difficult year. Now the nation can all go for gold!” said Whole Earth marketing and category director at Ecotone UK Bryan Martins.
Whole Earth Golden Roasted peanut butter is available in Sainsbury’s until September with an RRP of £4 per 340g jar.
Image source: Ecotone UK
Vegan snack brand Crave has rolled out a duo of rice milk chocolate: Kitchen Sink and Rocky Road.
The Kitchen Sink is a rice milk chocolate bar covered with salted fudge, raisins, honeycomb, cornflakes and biscuit crumbs. The Rocky Road is a rice milk chocolate bar topped with marshmallows, raisins and biscuit crumbs.
The chocolate is made with Cocoa Horizons certified and sustainably sourced cocoa and the final products are free from gluten, dairy and egg.
“It’s obvious the plant-based movement is here to stay, but I found myself getting frustrated by the limited vegan and free-from products in the market that actually normal and can match mainstream options,” said Crave founder Robert Brice.
“Rather than take away flavour, we’re all about adding as much as possible, so you’ll find a whole load of toppings on our chocolate bars to appeal to a wide target of consumers don’t want to compromise on taste.”
Crave’s chocolate due is available D2C and in Holland & Barrett. A 90g bar has an RRP of £3.
Image source: Crave
Plant-based pie bakers Clive’s Purely Plants are rolling out two new products into Waitrose: a Vegan Quiche Lorraine and a Creamy Cauliflower Quiche.
The quiches are made with an egg replacement created using okara – the leftover whey product from soymilk production.
“Clive’s have been at the forefront of plant-based innovation for 30 years and we are delighted to be leading the way once again with these vegan quiches,” said Clive’s Pies Managing Director Esther Pearson. “Our clever Clive’s team has perfected the recipes and we are very proud of the results.”
Both 165g quiches have an introductory offer price of £2 in Waitrose.
Image source: Clive's Purely Plants
Love Cocoa, the brand founded by the great-great-great Grandson of Mr John Cadbury, is extending its Easter offering with two new eggs and signature truffles.
The new Prosecco Milk Chocolate offering is a prosecco-infused 41% milk chocolate egg. It contains pink chocolate truffles made with white chocolate ganache and gin.
The vegan Sea Salt Dark Chocolate egg is made with 70% dark chocolate from Colombia and dark chocolate truffles made with 72% chocolate from Peru.
“With consumer appetite for premium chocolate continuing to soar since the pandemic and with our two smaller eggs completely selling out last year, we decided to bring out two new even more luxury options to satisfy consumer demand and drive incremental Easter sales,” said Love Cocoa founder James Cadbury.
“With three out of the four-strong Easter range available via Ocado, we’re looking forward to sharing even more of our award-winning flavours and unique designs with the British public.”
All products in Love Cocoa’s Easter range supports its ‘Plant A Tree’ commitment, which saw 508,000 trees planted in northern Cameroon in 2020 to fight against climate change.
Image source: Love Cocoa
Nestlé Cereals – owned by Cereal Partners UK – has launched a ‘Save the Bees’ campaign for its Cheerios product. The campaign supports Cheerios’ new partnership with The Bee Friendly Trust.
By purchasing Cheerios’ Save the Bees products, consumers have the opportunity to be sent a free mini box of sunflower seeds. The seeds are designed to not only raise awareness of the challenges facing bees, but also to encourage families to plant the seeds to help supply bees with ‘vital feeding grounds’ they need to ‘flourish in the wild’.
The campaign is supported by digital consumer activations – including a website on how to plant the seeds.
“As a business, our promise is to make breakfast better as well as doing our bit to help protect the planet,” said Regional Marketing Director UKA, Nestlé Cereals, Toby Baker.
“Bee populations are declining, and without the honey bees we wouldn’t be able to make our family favourite Honey Cheerios. It’s widely believed that as many as one in three mouthfuls of food consumed by humans could depend on bees.
“This is why we are proud to be playing our part in protecting the homes of honey bees and the vital role they play in our ecosystem in partnership with the Bee Friendly Trust. We know families care about this too, and we believe positive energy puts all good things in motion. Our ‘Save the Bees’ campaign gives families a fun platform to help reverse the decline of the honey bee population, whilst also raising awareness more broadly for the challenges facing bees in the UK.”
Image source: Cereal Partners UK
