NPD 2021: Finsbury Food harnesses Bosch! demand, Seggiano gets into the festive spirit and Cinnamon Toast Crunch targets teens
No bull
Finsbury Food Group has again partnered with the UK’s bestselling vegan cookbook authors and celeb chefs; this time to introduce Brilliant Brioche Buns, designed to accompany Bosh!’s plant-based burgers.
The buns are set to capitalise on the evolving expectations of consumers for vegan products – forecast to reach £7.4bn by the end of 2021 – and especially Brioche buns. According to Kantar, over 60 million packs of Brioche buns were sold in the 52 weeks to 11 July 2021, with their value growing by 39% as they become an increasingly popular choice for shoppers.
Earlier this year, Finsbury launched the Bosh! vegan cake range, which comprises four variants, including the Ultimate Chocolate, Luscious Lemon, Chocolate Happy Birthday, and Vanilla Happy Birthday cakes.
“As product innovation has always sat at the heart of our partnership with Bosh!, we knew we already had the industry expertise and growth capacity to disrupt the bread category with a high-quality product that would get consumers excited – regardless of their dietary preferences,” said Ruth McGrath, marketing manager for Finsbury Food Group.
“We are confident that the Brilliant Brioche Buns product not only meets the long-awaited needs of those following a plant based diet, but that it will also attract new shoppers to the brand.”
Added Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, the brains behind Bosch, “We’re so excited that our latest collaboration with Finsbury takes our vegan burgers to the next level with the launch of the Brilliant Brioche Buns. Together, we’ve created a product that showcases just how great plant-based alternatives can be. Whether you’re vegan or not, they’re a tasty addition to any meal,”
The Brilliant Brioche Buns are available from Waitrose for an RRP of £1.30.
It’s hot, baby!
Despite summer coming to an end, Doritos is keeping the heat going with the roll out of limited edition Dinamita Flamin’ Hot Queso Flavoured Tortilla Chips.
For the first time ever, the Dinamita shape meets the Flamin’ Hot kick – but in typical Doritos fashion, the new variant adds in a twist with a bold dash of piquant Mexican-style cheese.
The new flavour follows on the heels of several innovations from Doritos this year, including the launch of Doritos Tangy Ranch and relaunch of Doritos Tangy Pickle last month.
Dinamita Flamin’ Hot Queso Flavoured Tortilla Chips are available for a limited time – starting 23 August – from selected retailers around the US for an RRP of $1.99 for the single 4oz pack, $2.99 for the larger 9.25oz pack and $4.29 for the 10.75oz sharing bag.
Thoughtful snacking
Following the soaring demand for its first Keto Protein Bar, Glanbia Performance Nutrition’s Healthy Lifestyle Brands has expanded its Keto offering with the introduction of two new flavours: Chocolate Mousse Pie and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough.
According to the producer, its think! low sugar, low carb snack bar has drawn rave reviews. The bars pack a punch with 10g of protein, but only 1g of sugar and 180 calories or less. They are also gluten free.
“We launched think! Keto Protein Bars over a year ago and they attracted immediate interest. Excellent reviews (4.9/5 stars), incredible demand and outstanding repeat sales showed us that we had achieved something special with our Keto Protein Bars. They truly taste like a treat that melts-in-your mouth, while delivering high protein and keto low carb, low sugar values,” said Perri Gordon, VP and GM for Glanbia Performance Nutrition’s Healthy Lifestyle Brands.
think! was founded in 1999 by a single mom whose passion for better-for-you snacks led her to create treats that support overall wellness. The brand was acquired by Glanbia Performance Nutrition in 2015 and rebranded to think! in 2019 with an expanded product offering.
The new flavour – along with the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie variant that started it all – are available online and on Amazon.
Bringing back the festive spirit
Seggiano – which sources the Italian specialities from artisanal producers that use clean ingredients and traditional methods – has revealed its festive food line up for 2021.
The collection includes:
- New this year is an award-winning Chocolate Panettone – which joins past favourites Classic, Chestnut, Limoncello, Bonci (soused in sweet wine) and Mini Vin Santo cakes – available in Classic and Chocolate.
- Baked Calabrian Fig Ball – slow baked figs that are wrapped in a dried fig leaf, providing the perfect partner for cheese.
- Panforte – the medieval speciality of Siena – in a choice of Traditional, Chocolate and Fig & Walnut variants.
- Chocolate Fig Salame – a show-stopping pairing of figs, fruit, nuts and chocolate to serve with coffee at the end of a festive meal.
- Chocolate Covered Fruits – handmade dolcetti featuring fruits and nuts dipped in premium dark chocolate, including Chocolate Rum Figs, Chocolate Cherry Figs and Chocolate Candied Clementines.
- Organic Cacao Hazelnut Spreads – a gift set of vegan palm oil free spreads in Smooth, Smooth Dark and Crunchy variants.
- The roundup also includes a elightful stocking filler of Super Dense Fig Balsamic Glaze and Organic White Balsamic Vinegar; another Organic Oil & Vinegar Gift Set comprising Seggiano’s celebrated organic mature balsamic vinegar; Olive Wood Cheese Graters, Chopping and Cheese Boards; and Lunaio Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a stainless steel and cork pourer.
“Christmas 2021 was a muted affair because of the pandemic’s dramatic impact on the traditional family seasonal celebrations,” said David Harrison, Seggiano’s co-founder.
“This year, we want to help retailers bring back the festive spirit and support the growing consumer trend for discovering exciting, superb quality food experiences – both for the customer themselves as well as a gift for their loved ones.”
Rumble in the crumble
Bells of Lazonby – a family-run concern that dates back to 1946 – is rolling out its third SKU of nostalgia-inspired We Love Cake bakes.
The gluten-, wheat- and milk-free ‘Rumble in The Crumble’ Apple Crumble Slices are a vegan nod to the classic British pudding, that are registered with Coeliac UK and suitable for those with coeliac disease.
Made in the producer’s bakery in Lazonby on the edge of the Lake District, the cake slices are baked in small batches and hand finished. The multi-packs consist of four cake slices, packed in twin-packs to maintain freshness.
The range has seen huge success in the past year, particularly in the Australian market, with a number of new SKUs. Last Autumn, ‘Rip-Roaring Raspberry Ripple’ and a ‘Totally Toffee Sticky Toffee’ rolled out in Waitrose and Morrisons in the UK – both of which remain the fastest selling branded cake slices in the category.
“We Love Cake has had a fantastic 12 months of growth in the UK and overseas, and it is exciting to launch a third line into Waitrose. We have a huge pipeline of innovation that’s set to come to market over the next 12 months as we aim to be the number one sweet bakery brand in Free From over the next five years,” said Josh Boydell-Smith, head of brand and marketing, We Love Cake.
“The We Love Cake range offers something for the whole family, with the nostalgic flavours appealing to both older and younger consumers. It challenges perceptions around free-from bakery and is delicious offering for anyone with or without dietary needs.”
We Love Cake ‘Rumble in the Crumble’ is available in selected Waitrose stores for the launch RRP of £1.80 per pack.
Heading for the fall
With fall almost knocking on the door, Kite Hill has launched a plant-based cream cheese variant to prepare consumers for the pumpkin spice season.
Launching across the US, Kite Hill’s Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese brings an autumnal twist to the brand’s dairy-free cream cheese portfolio.
With a creamy close-to-dairy texture and unmatched taste, Kite Hill Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese captures those classic seasonal flavours consumers look forward to every year.
Available for a limited time only, the cream cheese is perfect on a warm bagel, or whipped into a dip for fruit or pretzels.
The new SKU is rolling out in retailers like Whole Foods, Sprouts and select grocery stores in September for an RRP of $6.99 for an 8oz tub.
Teen swagger
Cinnamon Toast Crunch is celebrating some of its biggest fans – teens – by giving them exclusive access to premium swag in the Cinnamon Toast Crunch package delivered right to their door.
Go-getters aged between 13-18 years are invited to head to Cinnamogistics.com to enter for a chance to win a package, jam-packed with Cinnamon Toast Crunch and everything from socks to tees and bags that sport the coveted Cinnamojis. Teens have to navigate the Cinnamojis along a winding, ‘ridiculous’ path to deliver the Cinnamon Toast Crunch package to their home.
They have the opportunity to enter the sweepstakes once per day throughout the month of August to test their luck at securing a delivery.
For those who are not able to get their hands on a Cinnamoji Crunch Box, Cinnamon Toast Crunch will be launching a two million box giveaway in September. Stay tuned.
Epically cheesy one-stop shop
Kellogg’s continues its celebration of 100 years of cheesy satisfaction with the reveal of the ultimate Cheez-It D2C destination to purchase exclusive Cheez-It-themed merch.
Fans are invited to head to the Cheez-It HQ to find 100% real cheese-ified products and apparel – including limited time Cheez-It flavours, fanny packs, fleece blankets, hoodies and aprons.
“The Cheez-It brand is always looking for new ways to connect with fans, and through this online shopping experience, we’re offering consumers a new platform to enjoy everything they love about Cheez-It in a fresh, exciting way,” said Jordan Narducci, director of Global Direct to Consumer eCommerce at Kellogg’s.
“This direct to consumer (D2C) site gives us the opportunity to bring future food innovations to market faster than ever before, while also collecting feedback from our consumers in real time.”
To mark the website launch, Cheez-It is releasing a limited edition Cheez-It Extra Toasty Superfan 4-Pack, which comprises the original Cheez-It Extra Toasty and three never-before-enjoyed takes – Extra Toasty Extra Cheesy, Extra Toasty Extra Spicy and Extra Toasty Cheddar Jack.
For more info on new food and apparel drops, sign up to Cheez-It HQ and sure to follow the brand’s social media platforms.
