From a new al fresco barbecue range to plant-based milkshakes, we cover the latest new product developments in the food and drink industry, featured in this photo gallery.
Also covered in this month’s gallery are a new range of vegan oat bars from Patersons, candyfloss flavoured ice cream from New Forest and chicken sausages from Richmond.
To find out about these products and more, click on the next image in this photo gallery of the new product developments in the food and drink industry.
Recipe box company Gousto, which recently teamed up with celebrity fitness coach Joe Wicks, has launched an al fresco barbecue range to provide customers with summer mealtime alternatives.
Meal options include barbecue chicken and halloumi burgers, as well as various takes on different side dishes such as ham hock and potato salad. Fast preparation options are also available, such as salmon, dill & lemon spaghetti, which Gousto claims takes just 10 minutes to prepare.
Gousto’s food director Rachel Chatterton said that, having consulted with customer feedback, they felt it was the right time to develop a “range of new recipes that help families enjoy delicious al fresco dinner” while using seasonal ingredients.
Scottish oatcake specialist Paterson’s has launched two vegan-friendly oat bars. The bars contain just 170 calories each and include real fruit pieces.
The range comes in two flavours: Raspberry & Apple and Blueberry & Cranberry. They contain no palm oil and are less than 2.5% saturated fat.
Paterson’s brand manager Jonathan Guilds described the range as the “ideal solution, delivering quality, provenance and environmental sustainability”. These products have been released as individual bars following increased demand for the product to be sold separately.
A dairy-free range of milkshakes has been launched by plant-based company Plenish. This shakes are low in calories (less than 55kcal each) and contain less than 5g of sugar.
The flavours – Chocolate Almond, Coffee Almond and Almond Butter – have a recommended retail price of £2. With this move Plenish has branched out from its milk alternatives to provide a plant-based milkshake treat.
Kara Rosen, founder of Plenish, described the products as a milkshake that “you can feel good about” due to it being low in calories and sugar. Plenish has been offering sustainably sourced, plant-based products since its creation in 2012.
Children’s snack company Fruit Bowl has launched another children’s snack, named Unicorn Fruit Flakes, to build on its healthy treat range.
The snack bags are a mix of the company’s existing flavours, tangy raspberry, sweet strawberry and moreish blackcurrant. They are made from real fruit purée pieces and are designed to be easily slipped into a child’s packed lunch.
Recommended to retail at £2 in a number of supermarkets, as well as local independent stores, the flakes are vegan and vegetarian friendly.
Gourmet noodle brand Mr Lee’s has continued its commitment to environmental sustainability and has made its packaging 100% recyclable by removing the paper sleeve from its cups.
Mr Lee’s has also made some tweaks to its six recipes. The company has added 100% chicken breast chunks to two of its flavours and balanced some of the seasoning levels. The flavours are expected to retail at £2.50 in online stores.
To celebrate the launch of its floured baps, Finsbury Food Group’s foodservice division Kara has announced a partnership with breast cancer charity CoppaFeel!. The range of baps includes a sourdough roll and the company has worked to improve product shelf life across the range.
CoppaFeel! was created in 2009 to promote the importance of women self-checking for breast cancer. Jane Olney, commercial director at Kara, expressed her excitement to “play our part in the fantastic work that the charity does”.
Ellie Baldwin, who is the corporate and community fundraising executive at CoppaFeel!, showed her gratitude to Kara, saying, “We really couldn’t do our important work without the generosity of both individuals and companies.”
A candy floss-flavoured ice cream has been announced by New Forest to form part of its continental range.
New Forest said it was excited by the visual image of the ice cream, which contains strawberry crunch pieces, giving the pink product some eye-catching quality. The candy floss flavour is made from entirely natural ingredients and is expected to retail at £12.65 for a four-litre tub.
Sausage brand Richmond, has launched thin chicken sausages to add to its chicken sausage range. The thin sausage goes alongside the company’s thick and frozen chicken sausages, which have been released over the past two years.
Each sausage contains just 48 calories, due to the leaner protein source. Dawn Spencer, marketing and category director for Richmond, said that there had been a “noticeable attitudinal shift towards alternative proteins in sausage, especially chicken sausage”.
The full roll out of the product is expected to happen over the next year or so, but it is currently available in Asda stores.
Food innovation company JDM Food Group has launched Chop, a brand consisting of a range of herb puree tubes and stir-fry pastes. Launched following close work with Tesco, to add differentiation to the produce category, the range is also plant-based and gluten-free.
The range consists of eight flavours, with garlic, ginger, chilli and lemon grass on the herb puree tubes side, while the stir-fry pastes flavours are black bean, plum and hoisin, katsu and Thai.
Challenger snack brand Indie Bay has expanded its reach by launching protein-rich Sunflower & Superseeds bites. The snack bites include 5g protein per 26g bag and just 106 calories.
Indie Bay is championed by Sainsbury’s as part of its ‘future brands’ programme. Dafna Bonas, founder of Indie Bay, noted that more and more people were “considering protein content an important factor”. She was excited about the new product and hoped that her brand could take advantage of the expected 7% growth in the global protein industry by 2025.
Mexican cuisine brand Old El Paso has released a unique form of chip in the shape of a bowl. The sea salt-flavour snack is designed to be able to scoop up and dip in a range of different sides such as guacamole and salsa.
Old El Paso claimed the product was extremely versatile, saying it could be used as a side dish, canape or an appetiser.
Claimed to be the number one Mexican food brand in the UK, Old El Paso said it believed Mexican food would be a key growth driver within the global food market. Lindsay Hill, marketing manager at General Mills, owner of the brand, said the product had received good feedback so far and it was excited to offer “another tasty part of the Mexican meal”.
North-east-based company Acorn Dairy has worked with local coffee brands and award-winning barista champion Joe Meagher to launch an organic milk aimed at the barista trade. The milk is designed to work with, not be masked by, the coffee flavours.
Meagher was keen to use organic milk and has been supplied by Acorn Dairy since 2010. He reached out to Acorn to tailor organic milk to baristas’ needs. The milk is chemical-free and has been batch-tested for micro foam consistency.
Acorn is also supplying milk for the Latte Art Competition in Newcastle. The product is primarily sold in the north-east, but suppliers are available through independent organic shops across the country.
Artisan sauce manufacturer Stokes has launched a range of condiments in ‘squeezy’ bottles, designed for the foodservice industry.
The sauces – available in Tomato Ketchup, Real Mayonnaise and Brown Sauce – use the same recipes as their glass bottle counterparts and are designed with the “ease of use” for families in mind.
Founder and managing director Rick Sheepshanks said: “With the new bottles you can squeeze out just the right amount, they seal easily, last longer and little hands can use them with far less mess.”
