In this latest edition of the NPD Trend Tracker, we’re seeing a lot of movement in the plant-based space, ranging from vegan ice cream to an improved pea and fava protein burger from THIS, and Meatless Farm’s return to retail following a brief hiatus. Scroll through the photo gallery for more…
GettyImages/hemul75
In this latest edition of the NPD Trend Tracker, we’re seeing a lot of movement in the plant-based space, ranging from vegan ice cream to an improved pea and fava protein burger from THIS, and Meatless Farm’s return to retail following a brief hiatus. Scroll through the photo gallery for more…
GettyImages/hemul75
A lot has been going on at Meatless Farm of late. After hiring administrators, the brand was picked up by VFC (Vegan Fried Chick*n) Foods. Following a brief hiatus off-shelf, Meatless Farm is back in retail with some of its old faithfuls such as plant-based mince and burgers, as well as some new products.
Innovations include a beef, red wine & porcini mushroom girasole, a no-duja ravioli, and pork & apple sausages.
Dave Sparrow, CEO of Meatless Farm said: "Our pasta lines stretch the brand into a new occasion and we're excited to be the first brand to launch a pant-based Pork & Apple sausages, converting new consumers via a premium, top-selling flavour profile from the meat category."
Within the next two months, Meatless Farm will be relaunching into further retailers and across Foodservice.
Image: Meatless Farm
British CBD brand Goodrays is announcing its Passionfruit & Pomelo beverage is now available in the Waitrose Meal Deal nationwide. Every can contains 30mg of CBD, which the company says is double the amount of its nearest competitor.
“Price point is everything right now for CBD brands. We’re sustaining growth by making our drinks the most cost-effective CBD drink on the market in terms of quality of CBD, as well as dosage per drink,” said Goodrays founder Eoin Keenan.
“Our ‘multiple moments’ ethos means we have designed a range that has options for every part of the consumers’ daily routine and we’re delighted Waitrose has stocked us in the meal deal as it means consumers can get a genuine moment of pause at lunchtime.”
Image source: Goodrays
THIS has launched a new and improved THIS Isn’t Beef Burger into UK retail.
The product is made of pea and fava protein with natural flavouring to achieve a ‘beefy and chargrilled’ taste. The company has incorporated its patented Fat 2.0 to create what it is describing as its ‘most succulent’ burger.
The THIS Isn’t Beef Burger is high in protein and a source of fibre, and the patty contains 30% less saturated fat than the average meat equivalent.
"Compared to the market leader, our burgers are tastier, less expensive, lower in fat and fewer calories - THIS is BEYOND an easy decision for consumers,” said Andy Shovel, co-founder and co-CEO.
THIS Isn't Beef Burgers are available in Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Tesco and Asda for an RRP of £3.50. They are also available via wholesale in a food service format.
Image: THIS
Vegan ice cream brand Over the Moo is launching bite-sized plant-based ice cream offerings as ‘chunk sharing bags’. The new product comes in two flavours: vanilla and caramel.
Unlike other ice cream brands on the market, Over the Moo does not prioritise low calorie. “My commitment has always been to bite-sized ‘sharing bags’ of guilt-free coconut milk ice cream,” said Simon Goodman. “That said, at less than 30 calories a bite, Over the Moo is building an enviable reputation as the perfect pass around permissible treat that’s ideally suited to family nights in or a friends and family reunion.
“Clearly brands like Little Moons have blazed a trail for bite-sized chunks of great tasting ice cream. However, Over the Moo’s reinvention of the humble choc ice that brings great taste, sustainable thinking and superior ingredients together in eight tasty chunks is something deliciously distinct.”
Over the Moo is available in retail and foodservice in the UK.
Image: Over the Moo
PepsiCo-owned Quaker Oats is introducing a new flavour to its 'Oat So Simple' range: Caramelised Biscuit.
The new oat SKUs come in two formats: sachets (10pk - 334g for £3.50 / 2 for £5) and an on-the-go pot (57g for £1.29 / 5 for £5), and will be available in the grocery channel from mid-August. This new flavour adds to the brand's line of tasty but fully non-HFSS hots products, noted Quaker.
Caramelised Biscuit has been in the top 20 fastest growing sweet flavours in the past three years, according to the Kerry Marketing Insights Programme.
“We’ve seen a real demand for caramelised biscuit-flavoured breakfast products on social media, where consumers combine the flavour profile of caramelised biscuits with our Quaker Oats, with recipes accumulating millions of views across platforms. It was a no-brainer to bring the caramelised biscuit flavour to our portfolio and tap into consumer demand, with the concept performing well in consumer testing,” said Claire Molyneux, head of brand for Quaker at PepsiCo.
Image: PepsiCo/Quaker
In Lithuania, a company has developed an alternative to thin plastic bags. Bagfactory’s solution is a thin reusable non-woven bag with a cut-out handle for shoppers purchasing fruit and vegetables in the supermarkets, as well as for storing items in the home.
The bag can be washed at a low temperature or recycled. and they are suitable for contact with food.
“We are pleased that our eco-friendly bags have been positively received by retailers and their customers,” said Gvidas Krolis, the CEO of Bagfactory.
“Bagfactory bags are manufactured through an automated process, in large quantities. Therefore, they cost shoppers considerably less than the reusable bags that have been available to date, which are usually made in a manual way."
Image: Bagfactory
