Picks of the Week

PUKKA UNVEILS ‘FAMILY FAVOURITE’ FOUR-PACKS

Premium natural pet food brand Lily's Kitchen has launched new On the Go Bars and Protein Bites.

Hot pie brand Pukka has launched a new range of frozen four-pack puff pastry pies.

The ‘Family Favourites’ oven-baked range includes Beef & Vegetable and Chicken & Vegetable variants. The Beef & Vegetable recipe features minced beef with diced carrot, swede and peas with a tasty, beef gravy. Chicken & Vegetable contains tender pieces of chicken, diced carrots, peas and onions in a chicken gravy. Both recipes are wrapped in a light puff pastry case and bake from frozen in 35 minutes.

The pies join Pukka’s existing frozen line-up including its microwaveable twin pack pies – available in All Steak, Cheese, Leek & Potato, Chicken & Bacon – and a recently launched Vegan Minced Steak & Onion recipe.

The launch coincides with a disruptive packaging makeover across Pukka’s entire frozen portfolio. Using clear quality food imagery to stand out and entice shoppers to frozen, the revamped look brings warmth, quality and innovation to the frozen aisle.

“We’ve been bringing the people of Britain great-tasting and award-winning pies for nearly 60 years and our latest recipes are the next step in propelling frozen sales,” said Rachel Cranston, Head of Marketing and Innovation at Pukka. “And the category needs food which delivers full on flavour. Our research shows that over half of UK shoppers have negative perceptions of frozen food when it comes to taste and quality. This needs to change.

“That’s why we’re on a mission to fulfil unmet needs. By bringing our oven baked chicken and beef puff pastry pies to the frozen aisles, we’re raising the bar in the category when it comes to quality and flavour, with recipes that we know the whole family will love.

"In fact, our existing range of frozen pies already outperforms competitors on quality and taste, with over half of consumers saying they’d choose Pukka above other brands.”

WEETABIX ON THE GO BRINGS BACK £1 PMPS

The £1 price-marked packs are back by popular demand and backed by a substantial field sales campaign across the convenience channel.

Weetabix On The Go has brought back its £1 PMP offer by popular demand across its 250ml core range.

Designed to further drive impulse purchases and bring incremental shoppers into the category, the limited-edition £1 PMP bottles are available in wholesale and convenience now.

Weetabix’s field sales teams have hit the road to coincide with the launch and are visiting over 1,000 convenience stores across the UK with the aim of increasing distribution of the On The Go range.

The first of several Weetabix field sales campaigns this year, retailers will be provided with POS materials and merchandising support for their drinks’ chillers.

With HFSS legislation on the horizon, Weetabix On The Go remains ahead of the game in terms of sugar content and nutritionals. The entire Weetabix On The Go range is HFSS-compliant, with each bottle containing no more sugar than a glass of milk. Weetabix On The Go recently redesigned its packaging to ensure that the bottle, cap and sleeve are 100% kerbside recyclable, whilst they are also made from 51% rPET plastic.

The price-marked packs are available across 250ml Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla, Banana and Caffé Latte flavours.

Christian Sarginson, Marketing Manager, Weetabix On The Go, said: “We know that once trialled, we generate strong repeat sales with shoppers loving the great taste and smoothness of the drink. After we first launched the £1 PMP offer on a limited-edition basis back in December 2020, we saw phenomenal demand from both retailers and consumers, bringing newcomers to the category. We’re pleased we can continue to offer great value to customers in this channel with the PMP, which is an easy breakfast option at an affordable price.”

MCVITIE’S LIGHTENS UP WITH RICH TEA DELIGHTS

A new reduced-sugar version of the classic Rich Tea biscuit is the first of several new healthier products from McVitie's.

Global snacking company pladis is expanding its established McVitie’s portfolio with the introduction of a lighter version of one of its bestselling biscuits, the classic McVitie’s Rich Tea.

The launch of McVitie’s Rich Tea Delights marks the start of a pipeline of innovation with added benefits from the brand, which will offer more choice to health-conscious shoppers.

An evolution of the brand’s £31m McVitie’s Rich Tea product, the new variant includes 30% less sugar than the typical semi-sweet biscuit, and 38 calories per biscuit, while retaining the familiar crisp, golden and richly flavoured biscuit that shoppers know. The reduced-sugar recipe does not include any artificial sweeteners.

McVitie’s Rich Tea Delights sits outside of upcoming guidelines relating to HFSS products. This means its position in store will not be restricted and it can be used to signpost the biscuit fixture at end-of-aisle.

Stand-out packaging which incorporates the recognisable colour and font cues of McVitie’s Rich Tea, plus distinctive and bold flashes front of-pack hero the McVitie’s brand and highlight the product’s health benefits.David Titman, Marketing Director – McVitie’s at Pladis UK&I, comments: “As biscuit category leader, we understand we have an important role to play when it comes to helping consumers enjoy healthier lifestyles.

“We’re excited to be bringing a product to market which caters to evolving shopper needs and a nationwide focus on health, while retaining the great taste that’s synonymous with McVitie’s. Now, whether shoppers are looking for an indulgent treat or something a little lighter, it’ll be even easier for them to enjoy McVitie’s biscuits as part of a balanced diet.

“This launch will also show shoppers they don’t need to forego the biscuit aisle entirely in a bid to choose lower-calorie options.”

McVitie’s Rich Tea Delights (RSP £1.59) is available now in 300g packs across multiple retail, convenience and wholesale. Packaging is recyclable through pladis’ partnership with Terracycle.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

NORDIC SPIRITS

A new partnership sees MangroveUK distribute Danish brand Stauning’s portfolio of whiskies including Stauning Rye, Stauning El Classico and Stauning Smoke. Mangrove will develop Stauning’s awareness in premium retail, its on-trade footprint, and raise its UK e-commerce profile.

X-TRA ENERGY

Ready-to-drink brand WKD isset to launch WKD X, an 7%ABV drink containing caffeine, guarana and taurine. It will be available from May in two flavour variants: WKD X Blue and WKD X Gold. Plain and £3.29 PMPs will be offered in cases of 12 x500ml single cans.

FAMOUS ONE

The Famous Grouse has unveiled The Famous One, a new blend of grain and malt whiskies matured in sherry seasoned American oak casks and ex-bourbon American oak barrels for a softer, sweeter, flavour. It retails at £23 for a 70cl bottle and is available from Amazon.

REVAMPED OLDIES

Bonds of London has launched its brand new Our Heritage range, updating traditional treats and old favourites with a modern twist. The range includes Black and Red Liquorice sticks, three flavours of Candy Canes, and aCandy Floss Tub. All are available from Hancocks.

TAILS YOU WIN

Originally created for the hospitality industry, Bacardi has launched Tails Cocktails into the off-trade with Rum Daiquiri,Whisky Sour, Gin Gimlet,Espresso Martini, and Passion Fruit Martini variants. QR codes on the 50cl bottles link to a 30second ‘how to prepare’ video.

FEVER PITCH

Mixer brand Fever-Tree has launched a new limited-edition Passionfruit & Lime TonicWater for the summer season.Made with no artificial flavours or sweeteners and at only 18calories per 100ml, it is available from Tesco, Asda, Ocado &Sainsbury’s.