Picks of the Week

FAMOUS GROUSE LAUNCHES SHERRY CASK FINISH

The brand says its new blend has been in development for more than two years.

The Famous Grouse has unveiled Sherry Cask Finish, a new premium expression of Speyside malts matured in sherry seasoned, European oak casks to deliver a blend of rich, warming and spiced flavours.

A permanent addition to The Famous Grouse portfolio, the blend has been in development for over two years and takes its name from the maturation process that uses the most premium ex-sherry casks to secure a sweeter balance.

The packaging of Sherry Cask Finish features the Spanish female Capercaillie. It was chosen for its link to the product’s Spanish sherry heritage and its vivid orange and red plumage which echoes the deep amber of the liquid itself. Alongside its ongoing support for RSPB Scotland, The Famous

Grouse plans to support further habitat protection projects focusing specifically on the Capercaillie.

Sanele Gwala, Global Senior Brand Manager at The Famous Grouse, commented: “The aim was to create a blend that is slightly sweeter but still in keeping with the smooth and distinct DNA of classic Grouse.

“Once the blend is in its final stages of maturation, which involves the meticulous combination of hand-selected malt and grain whiskies, The Famous Grouse Master Blender does not stop there. The full blend is married in ex-sherry casks to further enhance their sweet, rich, and smooth characters. The Sherry Cask Finish is a decadent blend of festive flavours including chocolate, almonds, dried fruits, and sweet spices.”

DIAGEO PARTNERS WITH UK’S FIRST LGBTQ+ MUSEUM

Partnership, ahead of the Pride movement’s 50th anniversary, will see Diageo help fund the setup of the inaugural space and support the museum’s archivists.

Diageo, maker of Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Baileys, has formed a new two-year partnership with Queer Britain in London, the UK’s first national LGBTQ+ museum.

The first-of-its kind partnership aims to capture some of the lost LGBTQ+ contributions to history and culture in the UK, creating space for the community to find meaningful connections to both past and present. The partnership will see Diageo provide funding to support the setup of the inaugural space and provide resources to support the museum’s archivists in their mission to grow an archive of stories and artefacts.

Diageo archivists will work with Queer Britain to upskill volunteers and create archive best practices that will enable the museum to preserve LGBTQ+ history.

The brand has also partnered with filmmaker Mark Bleziri who will turn five iconic LGBTQ+

moments into mini-documentaries to educate and inspire, and honour the Pride movement’s 50th anniversary. The raw footage and materials will also be donated to the Queer Britain archive.

Conor Brown, Chairman of Diageo’s Rainbow Network Group at Diageo GB, said: “As part of Diageo’s ongoing commitment to creating a fairer, more inclusive society, we’re honoured to support an archive that strives to reinforce that all-important sense of belonging and connection for the community.”

Joseph Galliano, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Queer Britain, added: “Our archives allow us to bring LGBTQ+ icons, trailblazers, and artefacts out of the margins and onto centre stage, and our collaboration with Diageo will allow us to take this important work one step further, ensuring that inclusivity and intersectionality are consistently at the forefront of everything we do.”

GOLDEN WONDER UNVEILS HFSS-COMPLIANT SNACK

The brand’s new Ringos Puffs are already being listed by some multiples and wholesalers.

Golden Wonder has launched Ringos Puffs, a new HFSS-compliant snack, which “delivers [the brand’s] legendary ‘punch per crunch’”.

The Scottish brand says that while HFSS regulations don’t yet apply in Scotland, it is only a matter of time until similar restrictions come north of the border, so it has been getting ahead of the game by redeveloping some of its products with lower levels of salt and fat.

Matt Smith, Marketing Director at brand owner Tayto, says making great-tasting snacks that meet the HFSS guidelines is not easy. He explained: “Healthier snacks have a real credibility challenge, as many consumers don’t believe that they will taste as good. Health-conscious consumers expect snacks to be ‘worth the calories’. For many savoury snacks, reducing fat and salt to meet the guidelines means compromising too much on taste – and consumers will vote with their feet.

“In some products, however, smart innovation in flavours, recipes and manufacturing can overcome this challenge – which is how we’ve created Ringos Puffs.”

Ringos Puffs is available now in BBQ and Sweet Chilli flavours in three formats: 20g (RSP 49p), 60g (£1 PMP) and multipacks of 6 x 16g (RSP £1.50). The new product has already secured a number of listings in both multiples and wholesalers.

The brand is urging retailers to stock up now and not miss out on the fantastic sales and profits that HFSS-compliant products have to offer.

CAMPO VIEJO RETURNS TO THE SMALL SCREEN

The red wine brand’s new campaign captures the spirit of sharing this summer.

Red wine brand Campo Viejo has returned to screens with ‘Decanta La Vida,’ a new campaign which celebrates the Spanish way of life.

The campaign, which captures the spirit of sharing, went live in May and will run throughout June on video-on-demand, social media, and outof-home. It will also come to life through a media partnership with News UK, which includes Virgin Radio, to encourage consumers to share a bottle with friends and family over the summer season at various events.

The 20-second digital creative sees six friends in their 20s, 30s, and 40s gathering around a table to enjoy a meal and a bottle of Campo Viejo. The campaign is set to reach 75% of 25-54-year-old UK wine drinkers, highlighting the breadth of the Campo Viejo portfolio, including its Tempranillo, Reserva, Winemakers’ Blend, Rosé and Blanco SKUs.

Lucy Bearman, Wine Portfolio Director for Pernod Ricard UK, said: “Campo Viejo is one of the world’s most-admired brands whilst Spanish wine is amongst the top 10 Countries of Origin and holds a 8.4% market value share. Passion is at the heart of our brand, and we’re delighted to once again inspire consumers to live life spontaneously, passionately, more expressively: learning to enjoy the small things in life, the simpler, more intimate moments.”

Campo Viejo has recently been awarded five medals at the Global Rioja Masters 2021, a Silver for Campo Viejo Garnacha 2020 at the Global Garnacha Masters 2022, and three stars for Campo Viejo Winemakers’ Blend at the Harpers Wine Stars 2022.

WHITE CLAW MAKES WAVES IN THE FESTIVAL SCENE

The hard seltzer brand will be present at more than 40 festivals across the UK this summer.

Hard seltzer brand White Claw is investing more than £4m in a multichannel summer strategy, which will see it take over the UK festival season.

The brand, manufactured by Mark Anthony Brands International, will be present at London’s All Points East, Mighty Hoopla and Wide Awake, as well as festivals up and down the country including Parklife in Manchester, Loves Saves the Day in Bristol and Boardmasters in Cornwall.

White Claw’s two-floor Wave of Summer bar will provide a destination where festival-goers can socialise and get refreshed with a cold can in hand.

This year’s bar includes LED festoon interactive lighting, 8,000 recycled cans forming a complete sensory wave experience, and a new and improved 360° service bar with purpose-built relaxation spaces. The brand will also be giving away VIP festival experiences and loads of merch.

Michael Dean, Head Of Marketing at White Claw, said: “The Better-for-you drinking experience was trailblazed by White Claw targeting core Gen Z and Millennials audiences. White Claw doesn’t force consumers to choose between having a good time and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, therefore festivals made complete sense, we need to be part of that experience.

“By supporting a long line-up of local and national festivals, our fans won’t need to compromise as White Claw will be on hand to offer drinkers lighter alternatives that deliver genuine refreshment.”

White Claw’s festival line up comes off the back of the recent debut of the brand’s new global campaign ‘Bring the Wave’ that celebrates the brand’s mission to bring a new wave of pure optimism to the world.

GINSTERS INVESTS £1.3M IN NEW CAMPAIGN

The campaign aims to drive awareness and building an understanding of the brand’s provenance and quality credentials.

Pasty maker Ginsters has invested £1.3m on a media campaign that runs throughout May and June. The campaign, which introduces the new strapline: ‘Ginsters. From A Land Where Comfort Matters’, went live on 19 May.

Ginsters’ latest TV ad, aimed at building an understanding of the brand’s provenance and quality credentials, runs across channels including the ITV network, Channel 4, Channel 5, and Sky.

The campaign stars the hero of the Ginsters range, the Cornish Pasty, and seeks to drive home the importance of quality comfort food when you need it most, with a creative that summarises Ginsters’ brand identity and Cornish heritage.

Emma Stowers, Marketing Director at Ginsters, said: “I’m excited for Ginsters to be back on screens up and down the country. As we look forward, we want to find new ways to reacquaint the nation with the Ginsters brand. What better way than through demonstrating the great taste and warm comforting hug that a Ginsters Cornish Pasty can provide?”

She added: “We understand that as a brand, we need to establish a deeper relationship with UK consumers and continue to create a conscious preference for the Ginsters brand. We want to show Savoury Pastry consumers why Ginsters is the best taste experience, and the difference that quality makes.”

The campaign also features activity at cinemas, social activity, and a selection of out-of-home posters.

MARS WRIGLEY LAUNCHES QUARTET OF NON-HFSS TREATS

Triple Treat, which consists of more than 75% fruit and nuts, will be available in four variants.

Mars Wrigley has unveiled Triple Treat, a new chocolate snack that is 100% compliant with England’s forthcoming HFSS legislation.

High in fibre, and consisting of over 75% fruit and nuts, Triple Treat will be available in four variants – Snickers, Mars, Galaxy and Bounty.

Forty-gram singles RSP at 80p and will be available from the start of June in Tesco stores, with a wider roll-out later in the summer. Multipacks of 4 x 32g bars (RSP £2) will also be available.

Each bar is dipped and drizzled with smooth milk chocolate, and the variants reflect the original products on which they are based – from chewy caramel in the malt-infused Mars Triple Treat to the crunchy roasted nuts on the Snickers variant.

Kerry Cavanaugh, Marketing Director at Mars Wrigley UK said: “Triple Treat does exactly what is says on the tin – it’s packed with a knockout trio of fruit, nuts and our iconic chocolate, and is delightfully delicious to boot.

“At Mars Wrigley, we’re thrilled that Brits can now enjoy a great-tasting – and HFSS compliant – Galaxy, Mars, Snickers and Bounty treat. It’s tasty reinvented.”

BIG CANS FROM BOOST

The 500ml can segment is currently the fastest-growing category in energy drinks.

Boost Drinks has launched Juic’d, a new 500ml canned energy drink range, to tap into the biggestselling can segment.

The range, which has been developed with 5% real fruit juice, comes in three flavours: Mango & Tropical Blitz, Watermelon & Lime Twist, and Pineapple & Guava Punch.

Launching to the trade this month, the new range will be available in cases of 12 x 500ml price-marked at £1.

Big can sales are booming at the moment, with a 28% growth (worth £232m) resulting in the 500ml can segment being the fastest-growing category in energy drinks.

Adrian Hipkiss, Marketing and International Business Director at Boost Drinks, said there was a huge demand for a new brand in the 500ml can space.

He said: “Juic’d is jam-packed full of flavour, with real fruit juice refreshment but at the same great Boost value price point for consumers.

With the cost of living increases, it’s great to be able to launch a new brand in this thriving category and provide more choice for consumers.”

The launch will be supported by a cross-channel marketing strategy that includes out-of-home, digital, social media, and in-depot activities.

NEW AND CHEWY

Mentos and Fanta are making a new chewy sweet, Mentos Fanta. The sweet will be launched this summer as a limited edition and will be sold in 50 countries. The Mentos Fanta orange flavour will be available in different pack sizes and supported by a global promotion campaign.

PERI PERI BOX

Rustlers is expanding its cookin-box range with a Peri Peri Chicken Tenders Burger (RSP £2.75), to tap into a trend for spicier flavours. The product joins Rustlers’ existing cook-in-box range, that includes an all-daybreakfast sausage muffin and a cheeseburger.

RYE GREATNESS

Speciality Brands is expanding its Canadian whisky offering with the addition of Lot No. 40 Dark Oak from distiller Corby Spirit and Wine. The drink is twice distilled then aged in new, lightly charred barrels, before being finished in heavily charred American oak barrels.

CARAMEL TWIRL

Cadbury is expanding its Twirl range with a new limited-edition Caramel flavour. Available to order from June in cases of 48 x 43g bars, Cadbury Twirl Caramel (RSP 69p) brings the number-one best-selling chocolate flavour to one of the nation’s favourite confectionery bars.

ALCOHOL-FREE

Accolade Wines has unveiled alcohol-free wine range &Then, which launches with a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay. Both RSP at £8. The Chardonnay boasts a fruits and oak palate, while the Cabernet Sauvignon offers dark berry fruit characters and hints of oak and spice.

JUBILEE SHIFT

The Real English Drinks Distillery has introduced a limited-edition Rhubarb & Ginger Colour Changing Gin to mark the Queen’s 70th Jubilee. Showcasing the colour palette of the Diamond Jubilee, the gin transforms from a Union Jack Squadron Blue to Royal Purple.