Product showcase 2020: Veggie fun for kids for breakfast, bite-sized French canapés and ethically sourced mindful snacks

Nutty about these nuts

Cambrook Foods has introduced a luxury nut range to its existing repertoire of premium nuts, designed for the ‘ultimate snacking experience’.

The small batched baked range – available in Truffle Nuts (90g), Umami Cashews (80g), Hickory Smoke Seasoned Almonds & Cashews (80g) and Lemon & Chilli Pistachios (75g) – are made in Cambrook’s BRC (AA Grade) wholly-owned factory in Andover, South of England, and can be found in upmarket establishment around the country, including The Savoy, Claridge’s and The Ritz.

The Cambrook range is also available in 1kg bulk bags – including Truffle & Pecorino Cheese Mixed Nuts and Salted, Caramelised & Chilli Mixed Nuts – in 90g & 95g minibar jars – in flavours like Sweet Chilli Peanuts & Cashews and Caramelised Peanuts with Sesame Seeds – and in 45g bar snack packs.

“The nut category was quite static without much innovation and we really wanted to change that and create something extraordinary,”​ said Angus Cameron, cofounder of Cambrook.

“Why should you compromise on taste when eating out of home?​

“We are able to source the highest quality raw products from the best origins to create our unique range of tastes with our baking and seasoning know how. We are meticulous in our processes – the nuts have to be slowly baked to perfection before being seasoned.​

“We’re excited to launch this new range to the on trade and look forward to seeing our nuts in more places.”​

Going crackers

India’s Bonne Group of Industries has expanded its Americana cracker range with three new three flavours – Mexican Veggie, Multigrain and Cheese – rolled out in the states of Haryana, Punjab and Delhi National Capital Region, which, according to the company, are high biscuit-consuming states.

Biscuit consumption is on the rise in India – among both the urban (+94%) and rural (+83%) demographics – driven by an uptick in disposable income, changing lifestyles and a growth in organised retail. Crackers are particularly popular among Indian youngsters – a potentially huge market as almost 50% of the country’s population is under the age of 25 years – often gifted at celebratory occasions.

According to Amrinder Singh, director of Bonn, the additional flavours is another step towards increasing the company’s sales revenue.

“Biscuits are the second of our core business products, which we intend to incrementally expand with greater value-for-money and innovative output. This will facilitate Bonn’s strategic expansion while assuring the brand remains sustainable in the long run,”​ said Singh.

The Americana Mexican Veggie Crackers are packed with vegetables, herbs and Mexican spices, while the Americana Multigrain Crackers contain a variety of grains and seeds like black til (sesame), sunflower and linseed. Thirdly, as the name suggests, the Americana Cheese Cracker are loaded with cheese.

The Americana crackers are available in three pack sizes – 120g, 90g and 60g – with an RRP of Rs 25 ($0.35), Rs 10 ($0.14) and Rs 10 ($0.14), respectively.

Good fun for kids

Kellogg has added a no-added sugar variant to its WK Kellogg cereal range in the UK.

WK Kellogg by Kids – available in Strawberry, Apple & Carrot and Blueberry, Apple & Beetroot – is made up of fun shapes in stars, hoops and balls that are naturally coloured and flavoured using fruit and veggie juice concentrates, purees, juices and powders.

The cereal contains no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners, is high in fibre and is vegan friendly.

According to the breakfast cereal giant, the release is part of its drive to help families make better choices in the morning, including sugar and salt reduction across its children’s cereal portfolio

“WK Kellogg by Kids is the first mainstream children’s cereal range with fruit and vegetables,”​ said Aimee Cowan, Kellogg’s activation brand lead for the UK.

“We are targeting parents who can’t find what they are looking for in the cereal aisle. We wanted to offer something that is a balance between health and taste at breakfast time. Something that has good nutritionals for kids, but that they won't find boring or tasteless.”​

WK Kellogg by Kids is now available in Morrisons, with rollout to other supermarkets following in February and March, for an RRP of £2.99 ($3.91) for a 350g box.

Unconventional, yet oh-so-healthy

Paleo snack brand Bubba’s Fine Foods is set to unleash its new range of better-for-you creations at Natural Products Expo West 2020, to be held in Anaheim, California, in March.

The snacks include ‘Nana Chips – crispy vegan offerings made from green Saba bananas kettle cooked in coconut oil – available in Garlic Parm and Sea Salt variants, and Montreal Chophouse Snack Mix, a crunchy blend of protein-packed cashews, almonds and sweet coconut.

All the snacks are grain-, gluten-, soy and dairy-free, free of refined sugar-free and low glycaemic.

Bubba’s Fine Foods can be purchased online, on Amazon and in natural grocers and select retailers in the US.

Bubba’s Fine Foods has been at the head of a natural health food revolution since its launch in 2014 by chef Jared Menzel and health coach and former CrossFit trainer Jeff Schmidgall.

Mini me

Kellogg’s has launched Pringles Minis in Original and Sour Cream & Onion, the two most popular flavours in the Pringles range, according to the company.

The new 30g Pringles Minis are intended for on-the-go consumption and are available to vending companies in the UK, with a rollout to the European market to follow.

According to Kellogg, Pringles is leading the growth of its Chips & Snacks category in the UK, and the company hopes to extend this growth to the vending market with this new release.

“We are delighted to be able to offer a Pringles pack and food format suitable for vending machines, so consumers can continue to enjoy Pringles when they are out of home,” ​said Gianna Regonini, national account manager, Pringles.

Spoonalicious

Nestlé Toll House has launched two new varieties to make all its fans’ spoon-licking dreams come true in 2020

According to the company, Funfetti Edible Cookie Dough was designed for sweet lovers who wish every day was their birthday, while chocoholics can enjoy a decadent experience with Edible Fudge Brownie Batter.

“We wanted to expand our edible cookie dough offerings to make it even easier to enjoy your favourite dessert right out of the container,”​ said Samantha Set, associate brand manager, Nestlé Toll House.

“This expanded collection of edible cookie doughs provides even more ways to create fun, lasting memories while snacking on your favourite treats – no baking needed!”​

Both flavours are still made with the same ingredients a baker would use – like real butter – but created to be safe to eat right out of the tub for maximum convenience and fun.

Nestlé Toll House Edible Cookie Doughs will appear in the refrigerated section of Walmart, Shoprite, Hy-Vee, Meijer and selected US retailers in late January 2020 for an RRP of $5.39 for a 15oz tub.

Filling the vegan gluten-free gap

Gato & Co has launched a range of vegan, gluten-free and palm-oil free sandwich cookies made with oats and ground almonds instead of flour, and nut butters and coconut oil in place of butter.

The Cookies N Cream range is also high in fibre and contains half the sugar of similar sweet snacks – each cookie contains just 99 calories.

According to Gato & Co, the cookies ‘taste decadent but are guilt-free enough to become a daily sweet treat.’

The range includes four flavours, including Choc Vanilla, Choc Peanut Butter, Choc Hazelnut Butter and Salted Caramel.

“At Gato, we are passionate about creating super indulgent plant-based products that are better for you, your gut and the planet,”​ said Gato & Co cofounder Kim Lamza.

“Our treats are vegan friendly, packed with natural ingredients and contain much less sugar.”​

Gato & Co’s Cookies N Cream range can be found exclusively at Boots stores across the UK, with more stockists to follow in Spring 2020, for an RRP of £1.59 ($2.08) for a pack of two.

Life’s little pleasure

Instore bakery supplier Delice de France – formerly Aryzta Food Solutions – is catering to those consumers still not willing to sacrifice all of life’s little pleasures this Valentine’s Day.

Its limited edition Valentine’s Heart Donut is filled with sweet & fluffy crème, decorated with pink icing, and topped with white and red sugar hearts and white icing.

According to the company, although today’s consumer is seeking a more balanced approach when it comes to indulgence, 48% of Brits are not willing to sacrifice their sweet tooth.

“Perfect served on its own, on-the-go, or as part of an incremental deal alongside a hot drink; retailers can use our limited edition donut to drive serious profits in the lead up to Valentine’s Day and beyond,”​ said Jenny Bayliss, sales operations director at Delice de France.

“Many shoppers buy due to temptation, so simply positioning products and concepts together can increase sales,”​ she added, noting the company’s coffee solution, Seattle’s Best Coffee, has been designed specifically for the convenience channel and integrates stands to hold sweet treats.

The Valentine Heart Donuts (RRP £1.00) are supplied frozen, in cases of 36 and can be ready to serve in just 90 minutes, minimise wastage.

Delice de France also provides a range of display units, comprehensive instore training and an array of eye-catching point of sale for retailers.

Clean nutrition

Ethically sourced mindful snack brand SkinnyDipped Almonds is kicking off 2020 with the rollout of two new flavours: Super Dark + Sea Salt and Lemon Bliss.

“We’re super excited to kick off the New Year with a couple of amazing firsts. Our first vegan flavour, Super Dark + Sea Salt, and our first ‘just sweet enough’ yogurt coated option, Lemon Bliss,”​ said cofounder Val Griffith.

“These two flavours are really different, so it was a fun challenge to create both.​

“Super Dark is super rich, super delicious and super nutritious with only 4g of sugar. It’s an awesome product for anyone going dairy-free or trying to do a little better.​

“Lemon Bliss reminds everyone who tastes it of a lemon drop. Think sweet creamy yogurt kissed with zesty lemon. Think summer. Think happy. That’s the flavour of Lemon Bliss.”​

The new flavours start with whole almonds that are dipped in a thin layer of ethically sourced artisan dark chocolate or non-GMO yogurt. Both are Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free and contain no artificial colours or flavours.

“These two new flavours provide us with the unique opportunity to reach new audiences who may not have tried our products before, including the vegan community and those who are looking for something other than chocolate,”​ added cofounder and CEO Breezy Griffith.

“They both bring something fresh and unique to the SkinnyDipped portfolio while staying true to our commitment to offering insanely delicious snacks that deliver both on clean nutrition and our promise to always use real ingredients.”​

All SkinnyDipped Almonds, including Super Dark + Sea Salt and Lemon Bliss, are sold in individual 3.5oz pouches for an RRP of $4.49, available in Target stores across the US, as well as online and on Amazon.

To sweeten the cookie jar

Maryland Cookies has introduced a Cookies ‘n’ Cream variant, made from a rich dark cocoa dough studded with contrasting creamy white chocolate chips.

According to maker Burton’s Foods, ‘they are guaranteed to bring some extra Maryland fun to your cookie jar’.

The new sweet treats are currently available in Asda for an RRP of £1.39 ($1.81), with a larger rollout across the UK to follow.

Little bites

French pâtissier Tipiak has launched a selection of one bite-sized canapés to the UK food service market.

The ‘thaw and serve’ Mediterranean Canapés Selection features nine snacks, including:

• Smoked Salmon, Tzatziki, Cucumber & Poppy Seeds on mini blinis
• Goat’s Cheese & Fig on walnut bread
• Salmon Trout Roe & Soybean on polar bread
• Cheese & Sundried Cherry Tomato on tomato cake
• Tuna, Stewed Piquilloes, Caper & Black Olive on sandwich bread
• Curry Cheese & Shrimp on sandwich bread with grains
• Courgette & Ewe’s Cheese on tomato bread
• Mango Apricot Chutney, Mini Cheese and Ham Rolls & Sesame Seeds on mini brioche
• Salami Coppa & Basil on olive cake

“The new Tipiak Mediterranean Canapés Selection brings delicate and flavoursome bite-sized canapés to the table – canapés which are incredibly convenient for food professionals, as they just need defrosting before serving,”​ said Marie-Emmanuelle Chessé, international development project manager at Tipiak, which supplies frozen French sweet and savoury pâtisserie to the hospitality sector in the UK.

“Our new Mediterranean Canapés … are our most popular canapés product in France, and we are delighted to have now launched the selection to the food service sector in the UK.”​

Each Mediterranean Canapés Selection box contains 63 individual pieces – seven of canape – and are simply defrosted before serving. They are also packed on gold-coloured cardboard trays, which are 100% recyclable.