NPD Trend Tracker: From new Nestlé meal brands to Godiva heritage collection
Nestlé launches Mexican and Asian ranges
Nestlé is launching two new meal brands, themed around Mexican and Asian cuisines. The brands, Mings (Asian) and Tapatío (Mexican), are being launched as part of Nestlé’s strategy to capitalise on the growth in demand for global cuisine.
The Mings brand was created by American celebrity chef Ming Tsai, while the Tapatío brand was created in partnership with the American hot sauce brand of the same name.
“Blending cooking techniques and ingredients from both eastern and western cultures was the inspiration behind Mings,” said Chef Ming Tsai. “I’m excited that through meals like the Spicy Beef Ramen and Pineapple Sweet & Sour Chicken, people will be able to experience bold, authentic Asian flavours wherever and whenever.”
“For over 50 years, our family has bottled the authentic tastes of Mexico into the best-selling hot sauce we all know and love today. Now, in partnership with Nestlé, the new Tapatío frozen meals fill a white space for consumers looking to enjoy high-quality, Mexican recipes that deliver on authenticity in an approachable way.” adds Roche McCoy, Tapatío Director of Licensing Operations.
BFree launches soft white gluten-free wraps
UK gluten-free brand BFree is launching a range of soft white gluten-free wraps. According to the brand, the wrap has been acclaimed for its softness by consumers, a quality difficult to achieve in gluten-free food.
The softness, according to BFree, is the result of extensive R&D from the company’s food tech and product development teams.
“We’ve created a product which breaks the mould of gluten free bakery food. Never compromising on taste or quality, we're dedicated to offering alternatives that combat the stereotypes of gluten free food. Crafted with a precise blend of plant protein, fibre, and starches, each wrap is baked to perfection and the result is the best gluten free wrap on the market, surpassing the quality of all competing products,” said BFree’s CEO Alex Murphy.
“The results of the taste test are testament to the development of our soft white wraps. Our world-class technology and fantastic blend of starches, fibres, and natural ingredients, such as apples, peas, carrots, sweet potato and chickpeas, deliver an amazingly flexible and delicious gluten free wrap, that strikes a perfect balance between ensuring maximum softness while also being sturdy enough to hold any filling without breaking apart.”
The wraps are available now in UK supermarket retailers Tesco and Asda.
Strong Roots releases air fryer range
Air fryers are all the rage right now, with air fryer cookbooks consistently taking the top spot in non-fiction book charts. UK vegan food brand Strong Roots is embracing this trend with a new air fryer range.
Strong Roots’ new Air Bites range includes three flavours: Crispy Spinach and Carrot, Crispy Pea and Lemon, and Crispy Veg. The snacks, which can be ready from frozen in 10-12 minutes, are packed in recyclable gusseted bags, are certified vegan, and according to the brand are both low in saturated fat and have no artificial colours or flavours. The climate footprint is also displayed front of pack.
“At Strong Roots we create tasty, plant-based food for busy people and are thrilled to be further broadening our appeal with the launch of Air Bites. With the air fryer revolution continuing at pace, along with the demand for healthy, plant-based options, we have worked hard to create delicious, veg-forward recipes that are optimised for the air fryer. We believe there is an exciting opportunity to reach new consumers, bring even more people into the frozen, meat-free category and widen usage occasions and we can’t wait to hear what our customers think,” said Laura Smith, VP for marketing at Strong Roots.
They are available from a range of UK supermarket retailers at an RSP of £2.95.
Radnor fizz launches new flavour in Asda
UK drinks brand Radnor Fizz is releasing a new flavour, Radnor Fizz Strawberry, which will be released in supermarket retailer Asda.
The drink is aimed at school-aged children. According to Radnor, it counts as one of a child’s five-a-day.
According to the brand, it contains real fruit juice, all natural flavourings and no added sugar, and the bottle it comes in is both 100% recyclable and is made up of 30% recycled material.
To promote the launch, the brand is hiding three ‘golden strawberries’ inside Asda outlets in Wales during the October half term, giving consumers the chance to win a £100 Asda voucher.
“Strawberry is a really popular flavour and we’re delighted to be adding it as third SKU into Asda,” said Radnor Fizz spokesperson, Chris Butler. “We’re all about adding value for families and making it easy for children to keep naturally hydrated. The Golden Strawberry activation is a fun way to announce our new listing and we are excited to hear everyone’s feedback on the new product.”
Each 4x330ml pack will be available at a retail price of £2.
Hames releases Halloween and Christmas ranges
UK chocolate supplier Hames is releasing a new festive range. The range includes over 100 lines, including advent calendars, Christmas pudding truffles, and milk hot chocolate stirrers.
It is also releasing a Halloween range, which includes white lemon chocolate spooky truffles, milk chocolate shapes, which include pumpkins, ghosts, bats and skulls, and a milk chocolate lolly with a skeleton graphic design.
“As a private label chocolate expert, we have been making exciting and delicious chocolates for seasonal occasions for over 15 years, and our latest selection is our biggest and best yet. Made using premium, sustainable cocoa, and produced and packaged in our factory in Lincolnshire, our 2024 seasonal chocolate range is sure to appeal to a wide audience of chocolate lovers and be well received and deliver strong margins for retailers too,” said Carold Oldbury, director of Hames Chocolates.
Godiva releases heritage collection
Belgian chocolatier Godiva is embracing its roots with a new Belgian Heritage Collection. The collection, which will be on sale in the US, features 12 recipes that have never before been sold in the country, were chosen from over 100 such recipes by a team that travelled to Brussels for the occasion.
The available chocolates include: Ruby G, a ‘ruby cocoa’ chocolate with rose red colouration and hints of berries; Golden Moon, a chocolate combining vanilla mousse and biscuit crumbles with almond praline within a dark chocolate moon shape coloured gold; and Cocoa Pod, a chocolate inspired by the cocoa pod itself composed of Costa Rican dark chocolate cacao and fresh juice from the cocoa pod, and filled with dark chocolate ganache.
The collection will be available at Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Godiva.com.
