In this week's round-up of innovation from across Europe, we hear about BetterF!sh's new distribution deal that will see it sold in almost 160 restaurants around Europe; we discover Princes' premium line of botanical beverages; and learn of the expansion of Greggs' vegan offering through a tie-up with THIS. Scroll through the gallery for the latest product development news.
Pic: GettyImages-Motortion
In this week's round-up of innovation from across Europe, we hear about BetterF!sh's new distribution deal that will see it sold in almost 160 restaurants around Europe; we discover Princes' premium line of botanical beverages; and learn of the expansion of Greggs' vegan offering through a tie-up with THIS. Scroll through the gallery for the latest product development news.
Pic: GettyImages-Motortiong
Berlin-based alternative seafood innovator BetterF!sh is working with Italian chain L'Osteria to bring its TU-NAH product to 157 European restaurants.
The fish substitute will be used in recipes for pizza and pasta dishes. By switching out tuna for TU-NAH, L'Osteria will save 10 tones of bycatch and allowed an additional 10 tons of tuna to 'thrive undisturbed', according to BetterF!sh.
The vegan option will be available to L'Osteria diners in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, England and the Czech Republic from this month.
"By cooperating with a partner like L'Osteria, we are reaching new, previously unimaginable levels of accessibility in system gastronomy. It is not only intensely exciting for us to launch in 157 restaurants in eight countries (in some of which we are making our debut), but also a real opportunity for continued expansion and the best end to 2022 that we ever could have imagined," said BetterF!sh co-founder Deniz Ficicioglu.
BetterF!sh tastes and looks like canned tuna, according to the company. It leverages mineral and iodine-rich seaweed and contains added protein content from fava beans. The TU-NAH is wheat- and soy-free, it does not contain methylcellulose, yeast extract or artificial aromas and deliberately avoids ingredients grown via monoculture farming methods.
"In less than one year our team of product developers has been able to create a delicious, vegan alternative to tuna. This is a product that will help us push the topic of saving our seas and their dwellers to the forefront," Ficicioglu said.
Minor Figures is introducing Everyday Oat and Everyday Oat Light milk alternatives, now available at supermarkets throughout the UK.
The launch sees Minor Figures move beyond specialty coffee, where it sells its signature Barista Oat collection. The new all-purpose Oat M*lk products are designed to be used over cereal, in smoothies, or added to beverages.
The new SKUs will be available in 300 Tesco stores and 400 Morrison shops with an RRP of £1.99. It is also stocked in Waitrose and Holland & Barrett.
Everyday Oat is fortified with calcium and vitamins. The range is vegan, non-GMO and carbon neutral.
"We're really pleased to have secured the support of Tesco and Morrisons for our Everyday Oat M*lks as we continue to drive distribution for the range. We pride ourselves in making innovative products for Oat M*lk lovers, baristas, and a better planet," said co-founder and CEO Stuart Forsyth.
"The new listings mean we're not only able to further establish the brand in this new space in the supermarket, but offer an even broader consumer base our fortified product which contains vitamins and minerals that are commonly lower as part of a vegan diet."
UK juice maker Princes is launching a new line of botanical beverages under its name-sake brand.
The company, which is a large co-manufacturer for private label juices, is bringing out Princes Botanicals - a 'first of their kind for the brand' that the company describes as 'packed with flavour' that harnesses the power of botanical extracts.
The line-up of flavours includes Apple, Pineapple and Lemongrass; alongside Apple, Mango, Passionfruit and Cardamom. The range is made from not-from-concentrate juices and accounts for one of your five-a-day.
Simon Stokes, Senior Development Chef at Princes, said: “At a time when shoppers are looking for alternatives to traditional beverages, Princes Botanicals are a must-try – especially for those who like the unique and authentic taste of botanical plants.
“This announcement is another exciting one for Princes, as we continue to innovate and provide a broad range of delicious, affordable options for our customers.”
Each drink in the line has an RRP of £2.50 and can be found in the long-life juice aisle in Tesco and Morrisons.
Vegan cheese alternative brand Violife has launched its new Celebration Platter and Le Rond Camembert flavour in Christmas packaging.
The Violife Celebration Platter includes a brand new product for the brand: the Vegan Blue containing spirulina “veins” for a more authentic look. The Platter also includes Le Rond Camembert flavour, Mature Cheddar flavour and EPIC Smoked Cheddar flavour.
The cheese alternatives are 100% vegan and free from nuts, GMOs and preservatives and dairy.
Following its 2021 launch, Le Rond Camembert Flavour has delivered £402,310 in value sales. This year, the product will this year be given a new, festive look at retailers Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose.
Victoria Slater, Head of Violife Northern Europe said: “At Violife, we’re focused on helping our customers celebrate with new flavours and textures especially during the festive period. Our new Celebration Platter, including the innovative Vegan Blue is a perfect addition to any Christmas cheese board along with the other festive favourites included in the platter. As a best-selling product within our portfolio, to inspire consumers to create more dishes suitable for everyone, Le Rond now comes wrapped up ready to gift in festive packaging and features four delicious recipes for the Christmas period”.
Shoppers can find the new Celebration Platter in Sainsbury’s and Tesco now and Waitrose from 30th November for RRP £6.00. Le Rond Camembert Flavour in festive packaging will be available at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Waitrose.
Chai Guys, a chai company based in London, has signed its 'biggest retail deal' to date and officially launched in supermarket Planet Organic.
Chai Guys, which was established by Gabriel Unger and Abhilash Jobanputra in 2019, have cafes situated in Shoreditch’s Spitalfields Market and Covent Garden’s Seven Dials Market.
Three of their blends of chai - masala, kesar and kadak - are available to purchase at Planet Organic for £19.95 per tin.
Chai Guys, who dub themselves as the brand that sells “Probably the best chai in London”, also run a fully-fledged D2C ecommerce shop and have a growing base of wholesale customers.
Co-founder Unger commented: “We’ve become extremely popular over the last few years, and one of the key contributing factors to the success of our chai comes from our carefully selected ingredients.
“Authentic chai is only as delicious as the ingredients which go into it, and Planet Organic knows good, organic spices when they see them.
“It’s honestly been a dream to get stocked in their stores even since Chai Guys was just an idea.”
Gabriel added: “We source our teas directly from the gardens of Assam and the mountains of Darjeeling in India.
“Our spices come from around the world and we grind them on-site daily.
“Each chai is brewed using traditional methods to extract all the natural flavours and bring customers the highest quality cup of authentic chai.”
The launch in Planet Organic coincides with the unveiling of a completely new product line for Chai Guys: organic, single origin spices.
“We wanted to offer these spices to our very own customers to add truly exceptional organic spices to their home cooking," Gabriel noted.
"Our ingredients don't just taste amazing in chai, spices are used in all sorts of cooking, and ours are genuinely exceptional quality. We wanted people to have the opportunity to benefit from them in all their cooking, not just chai."
Greggs and the UK’s fastest-growing plant-based meat brand THIS, have announced a new partnership that will expand the Greggs vegan range.
The new partnership kicked off by launching the Vegan Southern Fried Chicken-Free Baguette (RRP from £3.50). The chicken-free goujons are made with THIS's alternative chicken recipe that includes pea and soya protein.
Now, the two brands have launched the Vegan Turkey-Free and Stuffing Baguette, across all 2,200 of Greggs’ shops (from RRP £3.50). It features 'hyper-realistic' plant-based turkey-free goujons with a sage and onion crust, cranberry sauce and a vegan gravy.
The partnership is a 'huge milestone' for THIS, according to the company who said the move will help drive brand awareness and is being supported by digital, in-store POS and PR.
Andy Shovel, Co-Founder of THIS commented: "Having such a huge operator and admired brand as Greggs want to work with us is massive. It’s a statement on the quality of the products we’re producing. It’s also reflective of the continued investment into and demand for plant-based food."
