It expects its strawberry and raspberry cheesecake to sell well, after experiencing a 75% rise in sales since its launch in September last year.
Gü Puds md Sarah Baldwin said: “We’re used to sales of our other ‘puds’ surging around Valentine’s Day, but we think our strawberry and raspberry shortbread cheesecake is going to go down a real treat this year.
“In fact, Valentine’s Day is just a microcosm of a wider trend: the UK is increasingly seeking out restaurant-quality desserts that can be enjoyed at home.”
New facility
The manufacturer hoped to support the sales boost with the opening of a new facility in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, which will increase its production and distribution.
“As the UK market leader, we’re on a mission to transform each and every sweet moment into an explosion of pleasure, and innovation is absolutely key to that,” added Baldwin.
“We have an ambitious growth plan and some exciting new products on the horizon – the proof will be in the pudding!”
Gü Puds is part of Noble Foods, which also owns the Happy Egg Company. The dessert maker has a brand value of £63M.
Boosted sales of sparkling wine
Valentine’s Day has also boosted sales of sparkling wine Crémant at Waitrose, rising 20% compared with the same time last year.
Waitrose’s champagne and sparkling wine buyer Rebecca Hull said consumers were looking for an alternative to Champagne on Valentine’s Day, leading to increased interest in Crémant – which is made in a similar fashion.
“Crémant is a great alternative as it’s well-priced and well-made,” said Hull. “We saw the trend of customers extending their sparkling wine choices last summer when we launched the Italian fizz Pignoletto, which was one of our fastest sellers.
“The growing popularity of English sparkling wine shows no sign of slowing too with sales up 51% as shoppers chink glasses with a home-grown wine.”