As the weather turns colder (in the Northern Hemisphere), we scour the shelves to find the treats that are sure to warm the cockles of one's heart. Pic: GettyImages/urbazon
St Pierre Groupe’s Baker Street brand has revealed its NPD for Christmas 2022, which includes Marzipan Stollen Loaf, Marzipan Stollen Bites, Apple Stollen Bites, Stollen Cookies, Chocolate & Orange Cake Truffles and a new addition, Caramel Cake Truffles.
In the four weeks to Christmas, the cake category bumps up 43%, from £101m to £143m. Stollen is a particularly popular seasonal treat, growing from nothing in the nine months to October into a significant sub-category. In 2020, one in six Brits tucked into the traditional German treat and the market had grown to £185m.
“Ahead of launch in 2020, research showed almost 50% of consumers buy Stollen over the Christmas period,” said Chris McLaughlin, commercial director at St Pierre Groupe.
“While 53% buy Stollen to enjoy with friends or family at home, 30% buy it as a snack for themselves and more than half (51%) say Stollen is perfect for an afternoon snack. We developed a range to cater to these occasions, with traditional loaves and innovative Stollen Bites designed for snacking or sharing.”
With increased distribution secured through Tesco, Co-Op and Asda, along with the wholesale channel, Baker Street is set for another fruitful festive period.
“Products that offer something new will always be popular and Baker Street’s NPD is designed to help retailers capitalise on emerging consumer trends.
“The top three attributes shoppers look for in food and drink gifts are quality (65%), authenticity (41%) and attractive packaging (39%), which stands us in good stead. Each quality product is made to an authentic recipe and packaged in Baker Street’s stand-out festive branding.”
Added McLaughlin, “Baker Street caters to consumers looking for convenient quality and this Christmas will see shoppers navigating a cost of living crisis which is likely to see more people than ever, entertaining at home. The Baker Street seasonal selection offers a taste of the Christmas markets at home and the whole range ticks the boxes for quality and authenticity; so, whether it’s picked up as a last-minute offering to take round to friends, left out as festive nibbles for guests, or bought as an indulgent treat for solo-snacking, Baker Street is always there, ready to be enjoyed.”
The range is rolling out in UK retail, with an RRP from £3 per pack.
St Pierre Groupe’s Baker Street brand has revealed its NPD for Christmas 2022, which includes Marzipan Stollen Loaf, Marzipan Stollen Bites, Apple Stollen Bites, Stollen Cookies, Chocolate & Orange Cake Truffles and a new addition, Caramel Cake Truffles.
In the four weeks to Christmas, the cake category bumps up 43%, from £101m to £143m. Stollen is a particularly popular seasonal treat, growing from nothing in the nine months to October into a significant sub-category. In 2020, one in six Brits tucked into the traditional German treat and the market had grown to £185m.
“Ahead of launch in 2020, research showed almost 50% of consumers buy Stollen over the Christmas period,” said Chris McLaughlin, commercial director at St Pierre Groupe.
“While 53% buy Stollen to enjoy with friends or family at home, 30% buy it as a snack for themselves and more than half (51%) say Stollen is perfect for an afternoon snack. We developed a range to cater to these occasions, with traditional loaves and innovative Stollen Bites designed for snacking or sharing.”
With increased distribution secured through Tesco, Co-Op and Asda, along with the wholesale channel, Baker Street is set for another fruitful festive period.
“Products that offer something new will always be popular and Baker Street’s NPD is designed to help retailers capitalise on emerging consumer trends.
“The top three attributes shoppers look for in food and drink gifts are quality (65%), authenticity (41%) and attractive packaging (39%), which stands us in good stead. Each quality product is made to an authentic recipe and packaged in Baker Street’s stand-out festive branding.”
Added McLaughlin, “Baker Street caters to consumers looking for convenient quality and this Christmas will see shoppers navigating a cost of living crisis which is likely to see more people than ever, entertaining at home. The Baker Street seasonal selection offers a taste of the Christmas markets at home and the whole range ticks the boxes for quality and authenticity; so, whether it’s picked up as a last-minute offering to take round to friends, left out as festive nibbles for guests, or bought as an indulgent treat for solo-snacking, Baker Street is always there, ready to be enjoyed.”
The range is rolling out in UK retail, with an RRP from £3 per pack.
New York chef and restaurateur Camilla Marcus and her SoHo café west~bourne – now a popular zero-waste provisions brand – have introduced a Baking Set, which captures the romance and flavours of Fall and the holiday season.
Stemming from the success of the brand’s House Pancake & Waffle Mix, west~bourne has curated a collection of zero-waste superfood baking blends, designed to serve as simple and beautiful bases for sweet or savoury creations.
Plant-based, naturally gluten-free and free of additives, the collection includes the original Pancake + Waffle Mix, plus a House Muffin Mix and a House Pie Crust Mix. The ingredients comprise whole grain wheat alternatives that provide lasting energy and are packed with protein, fibre and antioxidants, but better still, made sustainably with regeneratively farmed buckwheat and oat.
The kits come packaged in fully compostable pouches with soy-based ink and are available online from the Florida-based producer for an RRP of $30 for all three or $11 each.
Made for Drink’s far-reaching ‘flavour compass’ has headed south, homing in on a traditional South African treat – made from 100% grass-fed Irish beef.
Made for Drink’s Original Seasoning Biltong will launch into Waitrose stores across the UK on 22 October for an RRP of £2.95 (30g).
“Our ongoing ambition is to provide our retailers with common sense trade up opportunities within the snacks category, which is why we prioritise discerning ‘me-time’ moments, specifically Thursday/Friday night with a drink,” said founder Dan Featherstone.
“We seek to make these moments as delicious and as memorable as possible, which is why we’re always on the lookout for any gaping gaps where we can introduce real innovation and best-in-class intentions.
“Biltong is one of the world’s greatest beer-friendly snacks that has been making positive strides in the UK marketplace in recent times. We felt the moment was ripe for a best-in-class biltong made with 100% Irish grass-fed beef, which is why we approached a well-established biltong producer with proud Eastern Cape ties who’ve relocated to Northern Ireland.”
The brand is also launching its flagship potato crisp, English Truffle, also making its debut in Waitrose in October for an RRP of £1.25 (40g).
“We’ve known for some while that we were onto something pretty special with our English Truffle crisps and have focused on what we do best, building meaningful distribution – Fat Duck, Fortnum & Mason, The Mandarin & Oriental Hotel and the Perfectionist Café Heathrow. Further moves into WH Smith Travel and Touts have seen sales snowball, while our Waitrose debut will provide us with enviable nationwide distribution, showing once again the countless possibilities that exist to take a simple, trusted product and take it into a new, totally delicious orbit.”
The biltong and crisps join Made for Drink’s meaty portfolio, that includes Duck Fritons (perfect with IPA), Chorizo Thins (Rioja) and Salami Chips (Pilsner).
Frozen food distributor Central Foods has unveiled a squidgy chocolate roll for the foodservice sector just in time for Christmas.
The Menuserve Squidgy Chocolate Roll is a flourless chocolate sponge, rolled and filled with freshly whipped cream and a chocolate ganache, and dusted with cocoa.
“This is a super versatile product for the foodservice sector that can be served at different occasions, including as part of an afternoon tea, as a beverage accompaniment or as a tempting light dessert,” said Gordon Lauder, MD of Central Foods.
“The combination of texture and flavour makes it very moreish.”
The chocolate roll joins an extensive range of ‘thaw and serve’ Menuserve desserts and puddings offered by Northamptonshire-based Central Foods.
“Sweet treats are a highlight of any Christmas menu and chocolate is an all-time favourite ingredient,” added Lauder.
“Customers are sure to love the new Menuserve Squidgy Chocolate Roll, which looks great and tastes wonderful.”
The Menuserve Squidgy Chocolate Roll serves up to 14 portions and is available in over 18 independent wholesalers, as well s larger national and regional wholesales across the UK.
Jar Joy has expanded its range of desserts in a jar with four holiday flavours: Pumpkin Spice, Sugar Cookie, Peppermint Bark and Tiramisu.
Launched in 2013, the jarred ready-to-eat concept was an instant hit with consumers. Each dessert is individually proportioned and made with premium ingredients for authentic flavour.
Pumpkin Spice has the potential to be a new customer favourite: speculoos cookie crust, creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling and vanilla whipped topping.
Sugar Cookie includes a sugar cookie crumble base, confetti cream cheese-buttercream filling and a pink whipped topping. Tiramisu perfectly pairs with a cup of hot chocolate and includes an espresso ladyfinger crumble, mascarpone tiramisu filling, topped with a dark chocolate sauce.
Peppermint Bark is made up of a brownie crumble, peppermint chocolate mousse and whipped topping.
Jar Joy is also perfectly suited for the foodservice channel, requiring no extra labour or assembly costs, kept frozen or refrigerated and minimising waste.
Popadelics has turned the better-for-you concept on its head with a crunchy shiitake mushroom chips that aren’t just a snack, but an experience.
Popadelics creator and original ‘fun gal’ Marilyn Yang founded Fun-Gal Snacks on a mission to create innovative snacks that harness the benefits of mushrooms and other under-loved veggies – all the while supporting social causes.
Every purchase of Popadelics helps support the Fun-Gal Snacks Foundation, a charitable organisation that supports various causes centred around health and wellness, including the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research and their exploration of innovative treatments for improved mental health.
The crunchy caps of shiitake mushrooms are reimagined for the modern superfood snacker. They’re a radical sensory experience of taste and crunch, thanks to intense flavour combinations (Trippin’ Truffle Parm, Twisted Thai Chilli and Rad Rosemary & Salt) and revolutionary vacuum frying, which uses a combo of hot oil and pressure, meaning the chips can cook at much lower temperatures than conventional chips. This helps retain more of their colour, nutrients, textures and flavours all while absorbing less oil. And with no reliance on animal products, it feels great to do better and feel better.
Available at select retailers across the US.
Proper Snacks continues to challenge the UK better-for-you snacking sector with the launch of an HFSS-compliant range of lightly ridged potato crisps.
The healthier potato crisps contain 30% less fat and salt than leading ridged potato crisps and have the added benefit of being a source of fibre, thanks to the addition of pea fibre and protein. In line with the rest of the Proper portfolio, the Propercrisps range is also gluten-free, free from palm oil and vegan.
The brand has put its own vegan spin on three classic crisp flavours – Thai Chilli, Cheese & Onion and Flame Grilled Steak – rolling out in Asda, Ocado, Boots and Amazon, for an RRP of £2.00/100g or $0.35/30g.
The latest innovation marks an ambitious move for the brand and solidifies it in the better-for-you space, with 50% of its total snack portfolio confirmed to be HFSS-compliant by October. Propercrisps has already proven successful, leading the category (+95% YOY value growth) and delivering £16.2m in value sales over the past years.
“Healthier snacking is showing no signs of slowing down. We’re proud to offer a healthier twist on the traditional potato crisp,” said founder Cassandra Stavrou.
“Since our inception, we have always prided ourselves on offering better-for-you snacks that never compromise on taste. The launch of Propercrisps responds to an unwavering demand for potato crisps that are satisfying, tasty and guilt-free. Our own comprehensive research has shown that consumer demand is still not being met with the current offering. So, it’s time for us to bring our proven, healthier snacking formula, into the crisps sector.”
It’s no surprise that 9 in 10 Americans say game day isn’t complete without chips and dip, according to Frito-Lay North America’s inaugural US Snack Index .
So, to celebrate the season and capitalise on the love, Tostitos has released three fan-approved products: Tostitos Hearty Dippers, Tostitos Cheesy Enchilada Dip and Tostitos Toppers.
- Gone are the days of flimsy chips that break inside the dip bowl. Tostitos Hearty Dippers are designed to take on the thickest and chunkiest dips.
- Introducing Tostitos Cheesy Enchilada Dip, a zesty, cheesy dip that is guaranteed to be star of the tailgating show. Frito-Lay claims its perfect-on-its-own or smothered over a plate of nachos, too.
- Tostitos Toppers is Frito-Lay’s newest innovation that will add a burst of flavour to a meal. With flavours like Fiesta Ranch, Avocado Lime and Fire Roasted Red Chili Pepper, it’s time to get saucy in the kitchen.
Available from retailers across the US.
