The Indiana Fever women’s basketball team is about to get a cheez-lift with a first-ever sponsorship from the Kellanova-owned brand.
Cheez-It constantly hears from sports fans that they can't be without their favorite crackers at game time, so it’s only fitting the brand is bringing flavor to women’s professional basketball and every Fever game with a multi-year sponsorship infusing cheezy spirit into crunch time moments.
Fans will see the partnership come to life with the players rocking the iconic Cheez-It logo on practice jerseys, the arena lighting up with neon orange and red LED signage takeovers and even some cheezy game time fun. It is also introducing the Cheez-It Threez-It Challenge to give fans a chance to win nab swag if the Indiana Fever score an absurd amount of three-pointers during any home game.
“We know our Cheez-It obsessed fans go to great lengths for their favorite crackers, and sports superfans match that same obsession level when it comes to their favorite teams,” said Cara Tragseiler, senior brand director.
“With our roots in college football where fanfare knows no bounds, we strategically set our sights on basketball to double down on the sports-and-snacking occasion and – most importantly – celebrate these absurdly talented athletes. We are proud to join the Fever fandom as the team's first official snack partner.”
The partnership tipped off at the first home game of the season on May 16 and will run all season long.
The Chicago, Ilinois-based baking company has given its line of retail sliced breads a makeover: the first redesign in nearly a decade.
“We knew it was time to evolve the look,” said Dave Gonnella, VP of Sales.
“We liked many of the designs, but ultimately, we needed to find out what resonated best with shoppers.”
The look is designed to increase appetite appeal, while reminding customers of the brand’s quality and heritage. Four new designs were tested against existing packaging with feedback from over 1,100 shoppers in a recent Nielsen Bases Study. Shoppers rated ‘quality/taste perception’ as the dominant factor in bread purchasing decisions, followed by price and freshness.
The selected design received an 81% score for high shopper appeal, while 76% agreed it would capture their attention instore. Gonnella’s brand purchase intent increased to 79% across c-store shoppers with 76% of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers signaling they are likely to purchase.
The new look is running across Gonnella White Bread, Wheat Bread, Hamburger Buns, Hot Dog Buns, Ciabatta and Italian Rolls, expected to hit retail shelves in July.
“The new design brings gratification that we are honoring our tradition while introducing our trusted, signature quality to new groups of consumers,” added Gonnella.
This month celebrates the arrival of Popcorn Kitchen’s third incarnation of legendary Pop at Home kits; this time honing in on the beautiful game.
Hot on the heels of the announcement of Gareth Southgate’s Euro squad, there’s no doubt that footy nerves will be shredded from now to July 14. One way to settle tensions is to indulge in snacks, so while doing so, why not take it a step further with something really indulgent.
Popcorn Kitchen’s latest Pop at Home Gift Bottle kit mashes together gourmet mushroom popping corn, Belgian milk chocolate buttons and edible footballs, which means the whole family can get involved assembling bowls of fresh popcorn smothered in chocolate.
“It was this time last year that we launched our Take Home Popping Kits, having listened to customers who wanted a more immersive Popcorn Kitchen experience that enabled parents and children to join forces when concocting their favourite stay-in treat,” said founder Louise Monk.
“With the recent success of seasonal specials that harnessed the feelgood of Halloween and Christmas it made sense that our next offering would tackle the Beautiful Game.”
Popcorn Kitchen 44g Pop at Home Gift Bottle creates 15 portions of popcorn and has an RRP of £13.99.
The century old English brand has added Cherry & Almond to its much loved biscuit range.
Inspired by the iconic Bakewell Tart, the biscuits have been developed to fill a growing consumer demand for classic flavours. A recent inhouse survey found 70% of customers identified Cherry & Almond as their preferred flavor profile in biscuits. Wider industry insights report that nostalgic, classic flavours are growing in demand with consumers seeking traditional and familiar flavours.
Six months in the making, the new flavor is a carefully curated mix of crumbly biscuit, glace cherry pieces, ground almonds and almond extract, with no artificial flavourings added. It joins a range of over 15 biscuit varieties packed in the brand’s iconic pastel tins, including Stem Ginger, Pistachio and Strawberry & White Chocolate.
“We’re proud to offer our customers the highest quality products, in flavors and formats that they love,” said marketing director Martin Burke.
“That’s why we’re extremely excited to be launching our new Cherry & Almond Biscuit range, which were chosen as a favorite by the customers themselves. Our products are made to be bring people together and we’re confident this new product will do just that. This launch is part of Cartwright & Butler’s wider plans to grow our international and national sales channels.”
Available at leading UK stockists, including John Lewis, Ocado, Selfridges, Harrods, Dufry and WH Smith (airside), as well as online for an RRP of £12.00 for a 200g tin.
National Walnut Day – celebrated on May 17 – was another reminder to consumers of the benefits of the humble nut.
From tree to supermarket shelves, walnuts hold a special place in product development, being revered for their rich, buttery flavor and their omega-3 ALA qualities, according to the California Walnut Board
It added the national day allowed consumers to not only savor the unique flavor an nutritional benefits of walnuts but also to reflect on the interconnectedness of food, culture and the environment.
Beyond their nutritional profile, walnuts add a delightful crunch and depth of flavor to a wide array of products. Walnut trees can also benefit the environment, with plantations in China found to increase soil carbon and promoted microbial growth and activities. And black walnuts are potentially even more sustainable, at least on a small scale, since they are wild-grown and harvested by hand.
Walnuts are versatile and can be incorporated into a range of snacks and baked goods.
They can be a nutrition addition to snack bars, providing a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. Combined with oats, honey or dried fruits, appeal in the snack bar category is raised by using walnuts.
Such as Eat to Heal’s Apple Real Food Bar. This nutrient-dense bar is a fresh-tasting, never baked experience. Each bar is vegan, non-GMO and certified organic.
Walnuts are a classic ingredient in baked goods like cookies, muffins and bread.
Duncan Hines has capitalized on the added flavor and texture for its Banana Nut & Bread Mix under the Dolly Parton brand.
And you can’t go wrong with walnuts in granola or cereal, such as Wildway’s Organic Planet Friendly Oats Banana Nut, loaded with walnuts, real dried bananas, a touch of coconut sugar and a hint of cinnamon.
From salad toppings to dairy and frozen treats, walnuts can also be used to create plant-based and dairy-free options to add texture and a rich, nutty flavor that adds depth and complexity.
Arguably, there really is no better endorsement that you are on the right route than an award. And Jamie’s Farm has snagged the best: winning the Gold Award in the Cereals/Granolas category under the Specialty Food Association’s 2024 sofi Awards, a top honor in the $207bn specialty food industry.
“sofi Gold Award winners have accomplished something really extraordinary, which is that they’ve risen to the top of incredibly competitive categories,” said SFA president Bill Lynch.
“Every year, we see a flood of superstar specialty food products submit for sofi consideration – those that earn top marks from our judges really are the best of the best.”
Jamie’s Farm Vanilla Bean Granola with Sour Cherries stunned the judging panel (made up of specialty food experts, buyers and media) for its flavor, appearance, texture and aroma, ingredient quality and innovation.
“This recognition serves as a valuable affirmation of the dedication and quality that goes into every batch of our granola,” said owner Jamie Kim, who founded the New York-based brand in 2017.
Jamie’s Farm Vanilla Bean Granola are available online, as well as at Whole Foods across NYC, FreshDirect, MOM’s Organic Market, Central Market and independent stores.
Post Consumer Brands is sweetening up summer with the launch of three cereals and two size extensions.
Fruity Pebbles Waffles Cereal is a mash-up of two fan-favorites: Fruity Pebbles and Waffle Crisp. The limited time only (LTO) cereal features crunchy, fruity-blasted waffle pieces with notes of maple syrup and a fruity flavor.
It’s summer in Bedrock and Fred, Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm and Dino are celebrating on the LTO Summer Fruity Pebbles Cereal, which features festive red and blue flakesk.
Limited edition Frosted Chocolate Cake Cereal brings a touch of indulgence to the breakfast table, with chocolate chips and eight delightfully crunchy, chocolatey layers.
The larger sized pack (15oz) of Fruity Pebble Marshmallow Cereal is an even more exciting way to add marshmallows to breakfast.
Similarly, the 23oz giant size pack of Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles is sure to keep families in fine style.
All available at major retailers across the US at various price points.
