What’s trending in 2022: Summer ice cream trends, Pop-Tart cookies, HOM bars and a gold winner
Summer 2022 ice cream trends
Food Union – a global dairy and ice cream producer – has revealed its 2022 launch of summer novelties, which includes 80+ products across its key markets in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Norway, Denmark and Romania.
Leveraging its strength in product innovation and development, the company has created a spectrum of novel ice creams that span healthy alternatives to bold experiments and flavours to meet local preferences.
“Our approach to developing and launching new and exciting ice cream novelties stands out in the new product portfolio of 2022,” said Artūrs Čirjevskis, CEO of Food Union, Europe.
“It has products that represent global trends and very classic and locally recognizable flavours in a new interpretation. It contains exciting products for children and products for very mature and refined tastes. It has ice creams rich in cream and low-calorie and vegan products. Finally, this portfolio is designed to make ice cream available to anyone.”
The 2022 novelties are grounded in trends that are shaping the industry:
Alternatives for a healthier life: Consumers in the post-Covid era are more health-conscious, leaning towards vegan and low-cal options.
- Premia watermelon sorbet on a stick (available in Estonia and Lithuania)
- Hjem-IS nul vaffel karamel is a zero-added sugar cone with caramel and salted almond flakes (available in Denmark)
- Underground vegan raspberry ice cream with liquorice & chili (Denmark)
- Underground vegan banana & cocoa flavoured ice cream (Denmark)
- Premier raspberry vegan ice cream with liquorice sauce in a black wafer cone (Denmark)
- Ice pop cool lemonade ice lolly with mint on a stick (available in Romania)
Trusted, timeless classics: Ice cream lovers have always been divided into those who seek adventure and excitement, and those who respect values and traditions, focused on only a few favourite flavours.
- Eriti Rammus cherry ice cream in a chocolate glaze on a stick (available in Estonia)
- Premia peppermint ice cream with pieces of chocolate in a wafer cup (Estonia)
- Premia premium vanilla ice cream with pina colada filling in a chocolate glaze on a stick (Estonia)
- Isbjorn Is Krone-Is lemon cake ice cream topped with meringue pieces in wafer cone (Norway)
- Isbjorn Is Mini Krone-Is crème brûlée flavoured ice cream and caramel sauce, topped with chocolate coated butter crocant (Norway)
Playground of adventure: For those whom life is still one big playground – both young and old – Food Union has created a range of ‘joie de vivre’ treats.
- Premier Is Zombis – Blueberry & kiwi flavoured lolly with raspberry topping on a stick – makes your tongue blue (Denmark)
- Tio banana-pineapple flavoured ice cream on a stick (Latvia)
- Jungle Pop cola squeezable ice lolly (Latvia)
- Pols peanut flavoured ice cream with peanut butter sauce in a chocolate glazed bar (Latvia)
- Väike Tom apple & cherry flavoured ice cream wrapped around vanilla ice cream on a stick (Estonia)
- Jocker lemonade & gaviola flavoured ice lolly (Lithuania)
Local nostalgia: Although the love for ice cream is universal, people often have vastly different preferences related to local products, local traditions and childhood nostalgia.
- Pols nougat flavoured ice cream in a sugar cup (Latvia)
- Kārums vanilla curd ice cream in a chocolate glazed bar (Latvia)
- Eriti Rammus rhubarb ice cream in a wafer cone (Estonia)
- Premier Is Snøfler – vanilla ice cream with chunks of a traditional Danish cake and caramel sauce (Denmark)
- Premier Is Drømmekage – vanilla ice cream with Danish Dream Cake (Denmark)
Complex mixology: Mixing it up to evokes experimental joy with a flurry of tastes, textures and tributes.
- Pols biscuit flavoured ice cream with crunchy chocolate coated balls in a wafer cone (available in Latvia and Lithuania)
- Pols biscuit flavoured ice cream with sugar sprinkles in a sugar wafer cone (Lithuania)
- Eriti Rammus vanilla ice cream with pineapple jam & pieces of chocolate in a wafer cone (Estonia)
- Premier Is Brownie chocolate ice cream with chunks of brownie (Denmark)
- Isbjorn Is x Anthon Berg Ice Cream Cake – ice cream cake with marzipan sauce and chocolate pieces covered with dark chocolate and decorated with almond pieces (Norway)
Hot glazes
Dawn Foods has revamped its range of hot glazes with improved recipes for its popular Belnap and Gelomat GT products.
Belnap concentrated glaze – in natural apricot, strawberry and neutral – now features a much creamier texture, which makes it easier to handle and easier to dilute in and easier to dilute in up to 70% cold water, too – both of which mean cost savings for the baker.
Once diluted, boiled and cooled, Belnap is ready to apply with a brush or spraying machine to give pastries an eye-catching finish, while also protecting the integrity of any fruit toppings, including those with a high acidity content such as strawberries and kiwis.
Gelomat GT delivers a strong and consistent glaze, with no mixing or boiling required. Also available in neutral, strawberry or apricot flavours, the hot glaze can go straight into the spraying machine, warmed to 75°C, then used to glaze fruits of all kinds, cakes, pies and laminated products, including whole trays of pastries.
And since it can be sprayed homogenously, less glaze is needed per pastry, making it extremely cost effective for large scale bakery production.
HOM bars
Hot on the heels of the launch of its macadamia pouches, House of Macadamias are rolling out three health-conscious tree nut bars: chocolate coconut, salted caramel and dark chocolate macadamia.
While the introduction of its sharing pouches was central in building consumer enthusiasm for this nutritiously-dense supernut, the producer also wanted to capture the grab-and-go audience, which it feels is typically littered with products high in sugar, salt and bad fats.
According to HOM co-owner Brandon Hiemstra, “As a transparent brand that makes no bones about the fact that macadamias will always be the first name on our ingredient decks (between 45-98% content), we are equally clear that will never denigrate their discerning reputation or our wider wellness focus by surrounding them with refined sugar, cheap fillers or any synthetic nasties.”
The low calorie, high protein nature of the new 100% natural, plant-based bars means they’re perfectly suited to provide on-the-go energy or even a wholesome timeout for both ardent snackers and specialist diet advocates (keto, vegan, paleo and so forth).
HOM bars are rolling out in UK high streets this July, including WH Smiths, Planet Organic & Partridges.
Pop-Tarts cookie
Kellogg’s has collaborated with Crumbl Cookies to create the limited edition Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts cookie. This LTO menu item comprises a buttery cookie stuffed with a warm strawberry filling, smothered in white chocolate and finished with mini rainbow sprinkles and a mini Strawberry Pop-Tart.
“Our Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts cookie is a Crumbl fan favourite and we’re so excited to partner with Pop-Tarts on this go around,” said Chelsea Currier, VP of research and development for Crumbl.
“We wanted to truly bring together the joy that is Pop-Tarts with the warm strawberry filling, but with our signature cookie style which is soft in the centre with a slightly crunchy edge.
“We wanted to highlight the icing that Pop-Tarts is known for, so we decided on a pool of melted white chips and a sprinkle of rainbow sugar. To fully bring the experience together we used the Pop-Tarts Mini to finish the cookie in style and really bring the experience home.”
The treat will be available for a limited time – between 10-17 July only – at the more than 500 Crumbl Cookies outlets across 45 US states. The price varies by region, but will be around $4-$5 for an individual cookie.
Bestselling biscuits
Pladis has expanded its portfolio of bestselling biscuits with the launch of McVitie’s Digestives Wholesense, a lighter version of the brand’s £47m McVitie’s Digestives.
The new offerings capture the distinctive, salty-sweet flavour of a McVitie’s Digestive, but include 30% less sugar and 50% more fibre than the average digestive: meaning the biccies will be exempt from the UK government’s upcoming HFSS restrictions.
This is the second launch in McVitie’s ‘lighter’ range, which debuted with McVitie’s Rich Tea Delights earlier this year – an evolution of the brand’s classic Rich Tea with 30% less sugar and only 38kcals per biscuit.
“Our mission to help shoppers enjoy our portfolio of products as part of a balanced diet is already well underway,” said David Titman, marketing director of McVitie’s at Pladis UK&I.
“In 2020, we reduced sugar in nine of our bestselling biscuits – and took this a step further earlier this year with the launch of McVitie’s Rich Tea Delights.
“Now, we’re making it even easier for shoppers to tuck into their biscuit tin favourites, whether they are looking for an indulgent treat or something a little lighter.
“By catering to evolving shopper needs and showcasing the diversity of the McVitie’s portfolio, we’re enabling more and more Brits to enjoy our biscuits – demonstrating that they don’t need to be sacrificed entirely to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.”
McVitie’s Digestives Wholesense are available in 300g packs across multiple retail, convenience and wholesale for an RRP of £1.59.
The snack company is also bringing its A-game to the savoury biscuits fixture, with the launch of three new crackers, under its £79.5m Jacob’s brand.
Firstly, Jacob’s Mediterranean, available in Pinch of Salt and Tomato & Basil – are melt in the mouth crackers that are portable and as suited to hosting all manner of toppings as they are crumbled over salads.
Next, Jacob’s Cheddars have rolled out in a new Red Leicester variety, to encourage even more shoppers to buy into the Jacob’s brand.
“Starting out as a bread replacement when shelves were stripped bare in early 2020, now even more shoppers are reappraising the category as so much more than an accompaniment to cheese,” said Leighton Wall, marketing director, Savoury at Pladis UK&I.
“Whether dunking into hummus, or topping with avocado, shoppers are considering crackers, crispbreads and savoury biscuits throughout the day, at lunchtime and beyond.
“Plus, with hybrid working set to continue for a significant proportion of the population, we’re continuing to see shoppers break free from sandwiches and experiment with more exciting customisable lunch options, just like those offered in our Jacob’s range.”
Available in multiple retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda, at an RRP of £1.45-£1.59.
Happy birthday
Rold Gold is marking its 106th anniversary by giving away $106,000 in gold bars.
The Gold Hunters campaign spotlights Rold Gold’s pop culture legacy and sends fans on a treasure hunt. Rold Gold gems are hidden in the background of fan-favourite TV shows, movies, sports and music that span decades.
The brand is rolling out its latest bag design to celebrate the occasion, and enlisted actor, comedian and TV host Joel McHale to shares a few hints on social media where the elusive Rold Gold might be.
How the Gold Hunters programme works:
Until 11 September, pretzel fans are invited to tune into Rold Gold’s social media channels – such as @RoldGold on Twitter – to find clues that point to ‘80s film classics, iconic ‘90s sitcoms, recent comedy and drama shows, sporting events and non-Rold Gold advertising to figure out where they will find Rold Gold, including the brand’s newest bag design.
Clues will also pop up on digital platforms like the campaign’s dedicated website, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon and IMDB.
Consumers who solve the clues must share that they’ve ‘found gold’ on Twitter using #FoundGold and #Entry, or by simply by commenting on the initiating tweet with the two hashtags. They will then be automatically entered into the competition, to hopefully qualify as one of 60 random winners who will take home part of the $106,000 in real gold.
Limitless snacking
Boundless Activated Snacking has won a series of new wholesalers and listings for its latest format, a 23g Grab & Go bag.
The brand – which is on a mission to bring gut health to the masses – has seen sustained growth since launch and secured a series of new listings since the beginning of the year. Holland and Barrett recently launched the 23g packs, which sold out online in less than 48 hours.
Turning its attention to the meal deal market and ‘on the go’ healthy snacking, the range will also go live as part of the meal deal in all WHSmith Travel sites in mid-July and is the first ever challenger brand to launch into Exeter University rivalling brands, such as Kettle Chips.
A world first, the Activated Chips are made using sprouted sorghum which, thanks to the unique soaking of the ancient supergrain, enables a better uptake of the nutrients meaning it's great for the gut. Sprouted, picked and packed here in the UK, not only does it keep the carbon footprint as low as possible, it’s also one of the most sustainable grains in the world due to how little water it requires to grow.
Thanks to the activation process, the body is able to fully absorb the impressive range of nutrients which includes gut friendly fibre, iron and potassium. As with the rest of the Boundless Activated Snacking product portfolio, they are also certified gluten-free and suitable for vegans
Available in Chipotle & Lime and Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar, the new pack size is available now via wholesalers including Epicurium, DDC, Diverse, Tree of Life, The Health Store, Tropicana, CLF. The brand can also be found in more than 3,000 stores across the UK as well as 10 international markets including Germany, Belgium and Asia.
The 23g packs have an RRP of £0.90.
