From Coca-Cola energy drinks to Marmite peanut butter, we take a look at some of the latest developments and trends in the food and drink industry in this gallery of new product developments.
Also featured in this month’s gallery are new range of breakfast muffins from Weetabix, a blue cheese Easter egg from Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses and new additions to Nestlé’s Rowntree’s range of confectionery.
To find out about all these products and more, click on the next image in this gallery of new product developments from food and drink manufacturers.
Meanwhile, click here to see our last gallery of new food and drink products, featuring a bevy of Easter themed sweets and treats.
Coca-Cola Great Britain has launched Coca-Cola Energy, the first energy drink under the iconic brand.
Available in 250ml cans and in two variants, with and without sugar, the drink was described as having the same taste as the manufacturer’s other Coke products. The drink contains caffeine from naturally-derived sources, guarana extracts, B vitamins and no taurine.
Javier Meza, global chief marketing officer for Coca-Cola’s Sparkling Business said: “Coca-Cola Energy includes ingredients from naturally-derived sources and a delicious and refreshing taste of Coca-Cola.
“We kept these two qualities at the heart of how we developed the recipe and are proud to offer it under the Coca-Cola brand, inviting people to try a new and different energy drink that is designed to complement upbeat and busy lives.”
Unilever has launched Marmite Peanut Butter, jumping on the back the back of soaring sales of peanut butter in the UK.
The spread hits store shelves with packaging that echoes the iconic Marmite jar in recognisable yellow and black brand colour, in a style that mirrors conventional peanut butter jars.
Marmite & Bovril brand manager Camilla Williamson said: “With the total spreads category in growth, it’s the perfect time to unleash this mind-blowing new combo to Marmite fans and really give them something to talk about. Whether they love it or hate it, we know the British public will be desperate to try it.”
Kara, the foodservice arm of Finsbury Food Group, has partnered with Weetabix to develop a new breakfast muffin for the foodservice sector.
The muffins come in two flavours, Apricot & Oat and Apple & Raisin, and were described as low in saturated fat and a source of fibre.
Kara commercial director for foodservice Jane Olney commented: “Consumers are increasingly eating out of home at breakfast so it’s important that breakfast choices are healthy and help keep them full until lunch time.
“Not only have we kept the saturated fat and salt to a minimum, we’ve also packed the product full of fruit and high levels of fibre to ensure multiple nutritional benefits from each muffin.”
Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses are offering consumers and alternative to chocolate this Easter, with the launch of a blue cheese Easter egg.
Claimed to be the first of its kind, the launch followed the release of Butlers’ Cheesealicious soft cheddar cheese egg last year.
Made with its Blacksticks blue cheese, the egg is 100% handmade using locally sourced ingredients and comes with two inclusions, oatcakes and a sachet of caramelised red onion chutney.
Butlers hoped the launch would introduce blue cheese to a wider audience and be approachable to consumers that typically dislike it.
The egg is available from Ocado, Booths, Spar, Amazon and Butlers website at a recommended retail price of £5.
Nestlé has added new additions to its Rowntree’s brand with the reveal of two new variants in its Randoms range of sweets.
Celebrating the range’s 10th birthday, two new sharing bags – the first containing brand new Randoms Sours and the second Squish’ems (squishy foam and fruity jelly in one sweet) – are joining the existing range of Rowntree’s Randoms.
The launch also coincides with a major refresh of the Rowntree’s brand. The re-brand introduces brighter colours and more prominent branding across all packs while the Rowntree’s logo itself has a modern new-look with a darker green colour and updated font.
Nestlé also announced it will be dropping Tootie Frooties from the range after a dip in popularity over recent years.
Frozen pizza brand Goodfella’s has expanding its vegan range with the introduction a Spicy Vegetable Salsa variant.
The new vegan pizza features a thin stone baked pizza base topped with spicy tomato sauce, cheddar-style vegan cheese, red and green peppers, black beans, red onion, sweetcorn, salsa drizzle and a spiced crumb.
Goodfella’s head of marketing Claire Hoyle said: “The overall trend towards flexitarian and vegan diets continues to dominate. With this in mind, there’s a clear need for vegan options in the frozen aisles, proven by the success of Goodfella’s Vegan Stonebaked Falafel.
“The product has attracted over a third of vegan pizza buyers into frozen, who did not previously shop the category. We’re excited to expand our offering with the new Spicy Vegetable Salsa variant, which includes vegan cheese and a spicy twist.”
Nescafé is bringing two new seasonal edition flavours to the UK this spring as part of its Gold range, Salted Toffee & Macadamia Mocha and Caramelised Honey Latte.
The two new flavours feature blends of Robusta and Arabica coffee and are made with high quality milk sourced from Cumbria. They join 15 other Nescafé Gold Frothy Coffees currently available in the UK.
Commenting on the launch, senior brand manager Taka Ota said: “Nescafé customers are adventurous types and love trying new flavours of their favourite coffee.
“We work really hard to bring them on trend and delicious seasonal edition Frothy Coffees, with Salted Toffee & Macadamia Mocha and Caramelised Honey Latte, it’s no exception.”
