This week’s coverage of new product development covers a lot plant-based: from vegan chicken alternatives to a fermented plant-based butter. Elsewhere, Kraft Heinz takes tomatoes beyond ketchup into passata, puree, and more, while Nescafé experiments with a coffee and dessert mash-up. Scroll through the photo gallery for more…
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This week’s coverage of new product development covers a lot plant-based: from vegan chicken alternatives to a fermented plant-based butter. Elsewhere, Kraft Heinz takes tomatoes beyond ketchup into passata, puree, and more, while Nescafé experiments with a coffee and dessert mash-up. Scroll through the photo gallery for more…
GettyImages/pinstock
Dutch alt dairy-focused Willicroft has traditionally worked in plant-based cheese alternatives. But today, the start-up is announcing its first non-cheese product. The Original Better fermented butter product will be available in both retail and foodservice channels from September.
This is a butter and not a margarine, stressed the start-up. It tastes, spreads, cooks and bakes ‘exactly like dairy butter’. Willicroft has achieved this through its precise fermentation process, which it says allows the re-creation in taste of ‘high-end dairy butter’ without any artificial flavourings.
The new product is made with soybeans sourced in Austria, along with ‘100% natural ingredients’. Compared to other plant-based butter alternatives, Willicroft Original Better contains less saturated fat, while being ‘just as spreadable and meltable’.
The alt butter project was supported by a grant from the Provincie Noord Holland.
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In the UK, Nescafé is combining coffee with dessert in its new Dessert Edition range.
The line comes in two flavours: Chocolate Caramel Brownie Mocha and Sticky Toffee Pudding Latte. Both contain around 80kcal per mug.
And unlike conventional desserts, explained Nescafé, there is no need for a recipe book. The new range is sold in sachets, to which consumers simply add hot water.
“We are really excited to launch our new NESCAFÉ GOLD Dessert Editions range,” said Mia Beverley, Nescafé Gold Frothy Coffee Brand Manager.
"Dessert Editions offers our consumers the perfect treat to elevate their coffee break or satisfy those afternoon or post-dinner me-moments. We have two delicious and indulgent flavours to choose from, a rich Chocolate Caramel Brownie Mocha and an iconic Sticky Toffee Pudding Latte, so you can now have your cake, by drinking it too!”
The Nescafé Gold Dessert Edition range is now available in most major supermarkets across the UK.
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In the UK, Bio&Me is bringing out single service prebiotic yoghurts in respond to consumer demand. The new formats are available in original and vanilla flavours.
Just like Bio&Me’s other yoghurt formats, the new single serve line is free from added sugars and additives. Each pot is full of live and active cultures – the company claims they contain four times more than ‘any other yoghurt in the UK’.
They also contain 18 different strains, including BB-12 and LGG, which are amongst two of the world’s most studied.
“We are thrilled to be launching our new single-serve pots into Asda. Our prebiotic live yoghurts launched into the market in 2021 and are now listed in Asda, Co-op, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. Digestive health yoghurts are having a bit of a moment as evidenced by the Bio&Me yoghurt range, which is seeing a remarkable +54% YOY like-for-like growth,” said Jon Walsh, Bio&Me co-founder and CEO.
The single serve prebiotic yoghurts are available from today (17 July) with an RSP of £1.20/150g pot.
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Nestlé’s plant-based brand Garden Gourmet is announcing the launch of two new products within its chicken-style range: the Sensational Vegan Pulled Fillet and the Sensational Vegan Crispy Tenders.
According to Nestlé, consumers continue to seek out plant-based alternatives, suggesting that a more meat-free diet ‘is the future’. “As a result, one of our strategic priorities is to expand our vegetarian and flexitarian offering to ensure we’re able to meet the changing needs of consumers,” said Kate Edley, senior brand manager, Garden Gourmet, Nestlé Professional UK&I.
“Garden Gourmet is a well-established out-of-home brand both here in the UK and overseas. The upcoming expansion of its chicken-style range in the UK showcases our commitment to expanding its portfolio in the domestic market. We look forward to bringing these two new innovative products to market later this year.”
Both products are entering UK foodservice via Nestlé Professional from next month at a wholesale price of £57 (for 3 x 2kg cases).
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Kraft Heinz is looking beyond its classic ketchup product with a new Culinary Tomatoes line.
Designed for both scratch cooks and ‘those who need a culinary hand’, the products include finely chopped tomatoes, pizza and chilli tomato bases, tomato puree, and passata.
“We’re delighted to give Heinz tomato lovers even more access to our finest tomatoes, while offering inspiration for cooks to create new and delicious recipes in their kitchens. We’ve developed our brand new tomato collection to offer something for everyone, regardless of their cooking skills,” said Heinz New Ventures director Caio Fontenele.
“For those who love cooking from scratch, we have our delicious Heinz tomatoes in peeled, chopped or puréed formats. And for those who need an extra culinary hand and want to skip the basic preparation, we have our tasty, ready-to-use tomato based cooking sauces.
“Our Heinz Passatas are perfect for creating classic pizzas and pastas, while our Chilli and Curry bases will help home cooks to explore cuisines, beyond Italian. We also have our signature Heinz Tomato Frito, containing fresh garlic and onions, cooked in olive oil to extract the best flavour, and already a success in other European countries”.
The new Heinz Culinary Tomatoes range is available in ASDA stores across the UK, with plans to expand into other retailers later this year.
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Danone-owned Actimel is boosting its micronutrient content with the launch of Actimel Plus. The product range is a source of vitamins B6 and B12 and contains 100% of the reference intake of vitamin D.
Actimel Plus comes in three flavours: Cherry and Elderberry Twist, Strawberry and Pomegranate Twist, and Mango and Turmeric Twist.
“UK guidelines recommend that we should be aiming to take 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day,” explained Zoë-Marie Ellis, head of nutrition and science communication at Danone UK & Ireland.
“It has been reported that approximately 1 in 6 adults in the UK do not meet this government recommendation. So, the launch of our new Actimel Plus range, which is rich in vitamin D, can help you work towards this goal. Vitamin D is important as it supports the functioning of your immune system. All that, in the form of a tasty shot to satisfy taste buds.
The new range will be rolled out across retailers, both online and in-store, over the coming weeks and months. An 8-pack has an RRP of £3.85.
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Beyond Meat is launching a new plant-based chicken alternative product into UK foodservice via wholesaler Brakes.
The Beyond Burger Chicken-Style product is designed to look, cook and taste like its animal equivalent. Beyond Meat describes its as ‘crispy on the outside’ (thanks to its breading) and ‘incredibly tender and juicy’ on the inside.
The new product contains 15g of protein per 100g and is designed to be prepared ‘quickly and easily’ by pan frying, deep frying or cooking in the oven.
“Bringing Beyond Burger Chicken-Style to the UK foodservice market is an important step for us,” says Steve Parsons, UK Regional Sales Manager Food Service at Beyond Meat.
“With more and more people choosing to reduce their animal meat consumption, we’ve seen that restaurateurs can benefit when they react accordingly and put more plant-based products on their menus. With our tasty plant-based products, we can all continue to eat what we love, no sacrifice required”.
The Beyond Burger Chicken-Style product joins Beyond Meat’s other foodservice offerings, including the Beyond Burger, Beyond Sausage, Beyond Mince and Beyond Meatballs.
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