NPD
Wallace & Gromit pasties lead new food and drink launches
Carrs launches ‘cracking’ new Wallace & Gromit inspired pasty
Carrs Pasties has revealed a brand-new pasty inspired by classic claymation characters Wallace & Gromit.
Developed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Academy Award winning short film Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, the More Cheese, Ham & Chilli Jam Pasty is the first from Carrs to include a specially made dip to accompany it.
As part of the partnership, a new logo ident along with some new packaging has been created with a bespoke image created by Aardman which includes a model of the More Cheese, Ham & Chilli Jam Pasty.
The pasty includes four cheeses – Mature Cheddar, Red Leicester, Wensleydale and Mozzarella – with pulled ham and caramelised onion, all encased in golden puff pastry. The new pasty also comes with a sachet of tangy chilli dip.
Available to purchase as a fresh from the oven product from Carrs Pasties stores in Bolton from this week, the pasty will be made available to consumers outside the area frozen via selected trade customer stores.
Customers who live outside of Bolton can get the new pasty delivered via the nationwide delivery service.
Matt Carr, director at Carrs Pasties, said: “We’re very excited about this partnership. Aardman’s values and purpose align so much with our own, and we can’t wait for our customers to try the pasty.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever launched a product with a dip but the flavours work perfectly. Working with the team at Aardman has been a pleasure so far and we hope to continue the relationship into the future.”
Axolotls swim into Haribo range
Sweet maker Haribo has expanded its range this summer with the launch of limited-edition Awesome Axolotls.
Modelled after the amphibians that have seen a surge in popularity thanks to social media and their appearance in video games such as the award-winning Final Fantasy 14 and sandbox building game Minecraft, the sweets feature brightly coloured jelly and foam gummies shaped like axolotl faces.
Available in 160g packs, the new gummies come in a range of juicy flavours, including strawberry, blackcurrant, pineapple, apple and raspberry.
Haribo marketing manager Peter Robinson said: “We’re pleased to announce the launch of our limited edition Haribo Awesome Axolotls this summer, offering something new and exciting to try from Haribo.
“Axolotls’ famous smiley faces have not only helped them generate over three billion views across social media, but perfectly capture the spirit of Haribo and its power to bring families together creating moments of joy.”
Haribo Awesome Axolotls hit shelves nationwide from stockists such as Poundland, B&M and Iceland – as well as many other high street retailers – at the end of July from £1.25 per pack.
VFC makes is chilled debut in Asda
Vegan meat alternative brand VFC has made its chilled debut in Asda stores across the country with two new chicken analogue products.
VFC Original Crispy Chick*n Fillets and Piri Piri Chick*n Wings are the first chilled products from the company and represent an expansion beyond its core frozen offer.
The launch followed a whirlwind 12 months for the vegan food brand, which included the acquisition of the Meatless Farm brand in a deal worth £12m in sales.
VFC chief executive, Dave Sparrow, said: “This is yet another major milestone for VFC and our unrelenting mission to covert more people into the incredible taste of VFC and spare the lives of more animals.
“The chilled meat-free category is worth £275m and reaches a different consumer to those in the frozen, making this launch a natural next step in what is set to be a game-changing series of innovation for the brand.
“Our fantastic team has developed a wide range of quality-led products which will position VFC at the heart of more meal occasions, bringing in incremental shoppers to the brand and category, whilst scaling VFC coverage across retail and foodservice globally. We can’t wait to share what else we have in store for our consumers!”
Egg replacement hits store shelves
Egg replacement brand Crackd has launched two new products into Asda stores nationwide as it capitalises on a growing trend of consumers turning away from animal-based products.
Liquid egg replacer and the Quiche Lorraine are now available in stores across the country, building on the listings in Ocado, Booths, Honest Burger and Bidfood. Crackd has also culminated a significant listing with Tesco last autumn.
Research has also indicated quiches are trending at the moment, with the King recently highlighting his love for quiches by choosing it as the official coronation dish. Interest in the category has surged since lockdown as consumers realise that quiche can be enjoyed as a fulfilling and tasty mealtime option for multiple dayparts.
Nisha Singadia, marketing manager for Crackd, said: “We are thrilled to be launching the Crackd range into Asda. The number of consumers eating plant-based foods has grown considerably and there is an increasing appetite to look for products which do not compromise on either taste or quality.”
White chocolate digestives make their long-awaited debut
Pladis is adding a permanent addition to the portfolio of its biggest biscuit brand with the launch of McVitie’s White Chocolate digestives.
Targeted at younger shoppers and families seeking ‘new flavours in the biscuit category’, the launch is set to be the biggest for the company in a decade.
“Using everything we’ve learnt about creating a great-tasting biscuit over the years, we’ve developed a new must-stock snack that’s something really special,” said chief marketing officer Aslı Özen Turhan. “By giving our golden baked Digestive biscuits a delicious coating of white chocolate, we’ll be catapulting the star power of McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives to brand new heights.
“As well as benefiting from a flavour profile with such a huge, engaged fan base, we’ve no doubt loyal McVitie’s Digestive fans will also be clamouring to get their hands on our McVitie’s White Chocolate Digestives. All of this will result in a huge opportunity for retailers to drive incremental sales.”
Already available in Sainsbury’s and Co-op stores across the country, Pladis plans to launch the new digestive variant across the wider market from mid-August.
Raspberry lemonade joins Fentimans’ ranks
Soft drinks and mixers brand Fentimans has announced it s launching Raspberry Lemonade to join its existing repertoire of classic lemonades.
Launched in response to customer demand, Raspberry Lemonade will be available at key on-trade hospitality venues – including JW Lees – with the aim of further growing its market share in Lemonade category.
Fentimans Raspberry Lemonade will be created using the ‘Botanical Brewing process’ and – to help increase customer consideration and appeal to customers on-shelf – will also feature a vibrant and enticing colour to “bring to life the bold yet delicately light essence of the new product”.
Jayne Andrews, marketing director at Fentimans, commented: “This is an exciting time for Fentimans and we see this as a real opportunity for further brand growth within the Lemonade category both in the on-trade and off-trade.
“We know our famous Lemonades are firm favourites with shoppers who seek them out. And our consumer research identified a clear interest in our new Raspberry Lemonade. We are pleased to be rolling this out ready for the summer months.”
Oumph! 'smashes’ the competition with new plant-based burger launch
Plant-based food brand Oumph! has launched a new ‘smash’ burger made of pea and fava bean targeted at new consumer curious about meat alternatives.
Design to cater for ‘all burger lovers’, the new product aims to capture the juiciness, flavour and crispness of a real meat smash burger.
Anders ‘Ankan’ Linden, co-founder, corporate chef and head of innovation at Oumph! said: “As with all Oumph! products, the focus is on taste and texture, but also on creating a concept that attracts new people to dare to taste plant-based food.
“There are approximately 800 plant-based burgers on the European market, and in order to launch a new burger it has to be unique. Our new Oumph! Smash Burger ticks all the right boxes. The burger is made from pea and fava bean and has the classic characteristics of a smash burger such as juiciness, flavour and the irregular, crispy edges.”
The Oumph! Smash Burger is initially targeted at foodservice, and will also be made available in supermarket retail.
