Packaging is a common theme of this week’s gallery, with UK food brand Piccolo claiming it is the first to launch a 100% recyclable baby food pouch. Goodfella’s, meanwhile, is improving its packaging to give shoppers the quality now demanded from products cooked at home. Elsewhere, Spanish ice cream company La Menorquina is celebrating its 80th anniversary by bringing out a collection of innovative ice creams, and Dutch plant-based protein pioneer Schouten continues its foray into fish alternatives.
Packaging is a common theme of this week’s gallery, with UK food brand Piccolo claiming it is the first to launch a 100% recyclable baby food pouch. Goodfella’s, meanwhile, is improving its packaging to give shoppers the quality now demanded from products cooked at home. Elsewhere, Spanish ice cream company La Menorquina is celebrating its 80th anniversary by bringing out a collection of innovative ice creams, and Dutch plant-based protein pioneer Schouten continues its foray into fish alternatives.
Image: Getty/alphaspirit
Yorkie fans in the UK and Ireland will soon have a deliciously zesty way to enjoy their favourite treat, with the arrival of Yorkie Orange. The orange-flavoured milk chocolate is made with cocoa sustainably sourced under the Nestlé Cocoa Plan.
The 46g Limited Edition Yorkie Orange bar and the 72g Yorkie Orange DUO bar will be available in a wide range of supermarkets, wholesale and convenience stores from 10 May.
Amy Kendall, Brand Manager for Yorkie said: “Yorkie has been a consumer favourite for 45 years, and we’re very excited to introduce a brand-new twist on this chocolate classic. Delicious chunks of our signature Yorkie creamy milk chocolate are enlivened with irresistible orange to create a moreish taste sensation that we hope will become a firm favourite.”
There has been a resurgence in the popularity of orange-flavoured chocolate in recent years, with sales growing by a whopping 23% in the total market in 2020, according to Yorkie.
Kendall added: “We know how much shoppers in the UK and Ireland love to try new products from their favourite brands. We think Yorkie Orange is a winning combination and can’t wait for people to try it!”
Yorkie was launched in 1976 by Rowntree Mackintosh to help break into the solid chocolate bar sector. The company considered several more unlikely names, including ‘Jones’ and ‘O’Hara’ before deciding to name the bar after the town in which it is made.
Yorkie continues to be manufactured at Nestlé UK’s York factory where 66 million bars are made each year. The factory is also home to KitKat, Aero, Polo and Milkybar. Yorkie has no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Image supplied by Yorkie
Soulfresh has secured a UK listing with Waitrose for its Nutty Bruce plant-based milks, including its Activated Almond M*lk, Activated Almond & Oat M*lk (RRP: £2.25/1l) and Oaty Bruce Unsweetened Oat M*lk (RRP: £2.00/1l).
This is the first time that an activated nut milk will be sold at Waitrose, following a deal to supply Nutty Bruce to its supermarkets nationwide and online.
Nutty Bruce hails from Australia, where it is one of the leading plant milks. Providing a completely unique product to a burgeoning category, Nutty Bruce taps into the substantial growth in demand for plant-based milks: a market that is now worth £81.5 million in the UK, an increase of 21.5% over the past 12 months.
Each of the Nutty Bruce nut milk SKUs contains a high content of almonds, and the Nutty Bruce range is made using organic whole activated almonds. It is claimed that activated nuts are closer to being alive, giving them increased nutrient value.
The Bruce range contains no thickeners, gums, preservatives, colours, stabilisers, nut pastes or added oils.
Dom Dalton, General Manager at Soulfresh, said: “We are very excited to be partnering with Waitrose to list three products from the Bruce range. We are the first brand to supply activated nut milks to this retailer, providing shoppers with real choice in a growing category as plant-based milk consumption continues to rise in the UK. Through this development, we are significantly expanding our distribution so that more consumers than ever can access our innovative products.”
Alice Shrubsall – Partner & Buyer at Waitrose, said: “We're expanding our plant-based drinks selection to give our customers even more options to choose from. We know our shoppers are looking to incorporate high-quality and innovative plant-based food and drink into their diet and we’re delighted to be stocking these plant-based drinks from the Bruce range.”
Image supplied by Soulfresh
Wholefood shake brand Purition has introduced a spiced milk blend using cardamom, nutmeg, Ceylon cinnamon and cloves to create an “ultimate aromatic nutritional shake with warm, fragrant undertones”.
The brand said the product “packed with top drawer spices and unrivalled refreshment yet tellingly devoid of heat, a gloriously well-balanced blend that pairs with every imaginable milk from cow and almond to cashew, macadamia and soy.”
Purition’s Wholefood Nutrition shakes are available via its online shop and at Holland & Barrett (online) Selfridges, Boots, Amazon & Whole Foods Market.
Image supplied by Purition
Spanish ice cream company La Menorquina is celebrating its 80th anniversary by bringout a collection of unique and innovative ice creams with some of the most iconic Spanish household brands.
Two ice creams have been created for Chupa Chups; the first is a lollipop bonbon with strawberry ice cream and a white chocolate cover sprinkled with caramel chips. The second is a fresh strawberry and orange sherbet, with a lemon top and cola flavored popping candy. They are already on sale in La Menorquina’s mass distribution and out of home channels throughout the Spanish market.
Marta Ballesteros, Perfetti Van Melle’s Licensing Area Manager and F&B specialist said: “Teaming up with La Menorquina was a no-brainer, we are proud to be a part of the celebration assortment of this traditional leading Spanish ice cream company. The range brings instant excitement to the ice cream aisle and it’s perfectly aligned with our fun and tasty brand experience. Working with La Menorquina was easy, because both parties were aligned to make sure that the novelty products delivered on quality and experience to delight La Menorquina consumers and Chupa Chups fans.”
Image supplied by La Menorquina
The fish sticks are the second fish replacement brought out by Dutch company Schouten Europe after the introduction of its plant-based tuna earlier this year.
Product Manager Annemiek Vervoort said: “Schouten has always been a forerunner in the meat substitutes market, and we are now also a forerunner in the fish substitutes market. We want to develop sustainable and tasty alternatives that reduce the pressure on the oceans. We expect to add another three fish substitutes to our product range range before the summer.”
“We see the demand for meat substitutes continuing to rise. The fish substitutes will benefit from this, also because both product groups are currently often offered in the same plant-based section.”
The Fishless Sticks by Schouten are based on rice and wheat and weigh 35 grams each. The product can be eaten with a hot meal, as a snack or on a sandwich for lunch. In the near future, Schouten said it will present the product worldwide to its customers in the retail, out-of-home, and food industry channels.
“We have noticed that the Netflix documentary Seaspiracy has made a big impression on people and has contributed to a growing awareness of the importance of plant-based alternatives to fish. This will further increase the demand for fish substitutes,” added Vervoort.
Image supplied by Schouten
From mid-April, Goodfella’s will be rolling-out updated packaging across its entire pizza portfolio, as the brand looks to reinforce its “Made With Respect” platform. The bold packs embed the Italian-American brand positioning with a strong, block design. The new-look packaging features appealing product imagery at the centre of the packs for maximum impact on shelf and showing shoppers the quality they can expect when cooking the product at home.
The packaging revamp comes as Goodfella’s looks to retain the new shoppers who entered the frozen pizza category in 2020, as consumers enjoyed more meals at home during the pandemic. Shoppers are continuing to buy into the frozen pizza segment within the convenience channel, with penetration growth of +24.8% YOY, according to Kantar data.
Nicola Bates, Senior Brand Manager at Goodfella’s said: “Our Italian-American heritage is at the heart of our brand and pizza, so we wanted to ensure this is reflected across our packaging. The roll-out of our new packs will help to boost visibility of our portfolio on shelf, making it easier for shoppers to identify our products as they shop in the frozen aisle.”
Image supplied by Goodfella’s
Baby food brand Piccolo claims it is the first in the UK to launch a 100% recyclable baby food pouch, and the first in the UK suitable for kerbside recycling.
This new design is made using one material (rather than the standard plastic and aluminium) meaning they can be used time and time again to make more reusable plastic. Whilst existing pouches on the market may find one more use, the plastic in these new pouches will never need to be placed in landfill, according to the company. It added, the launch is an important move for the industry, which sells over 60 million non-recyclable pouches every year
Piccolo’s founder, Cat Gazzoli, said: “This is a really complex issue because of the lack of infrastructure to support recycling systems in the UK. We’re not prepared to wait years until the wider problem is resolved, so we’re working with First Mile to find the solution now. There’s simply no time to wait.”
Image supplied by Piccolo
