NPD
Halloween food and drink product launches
Monster hands and mummy dogs
Meat processor DB Foods has partnered with discount retailer Aldi to launch its first novelty collaboration in time for Halloween.
Pairs of minced beef ‘Monster Hand’ burgers, wrapped in bacon and matched with a BBQ cheese sauce pellet, will be available alongside sausage-filled, puff pastry ‘Mummy Dogs’ with caramelised onion.
“We will be creating and delivering volumes of 26,000 Mummy Dogs and 17,000 pairs of Monster Hands for stores up and down the country,” said DB Foods’ commercial director Graeme Clapp.
“We could not be prouder in announcing our innovative collaboration with such a customer-focused and quality-conscious brand as Aldi. It is also a testament to our dedicated team that has always put the consumer at the heart of our thinking and business strategy.”
Terrifying Truffles
Lincolnshire-based private label chocolate supplier Hames Chocolates has unveiled its new Halloween range full of spirit offerings for the spooky season.
Nine of the chocolate maker’s most popular products got a twisted spin to help celebrate the holiday, including Halloween Hot Chocolate Stirrers, Halloween White Lemon Chocolate Spooky Truffles (pictured), Halloween Milk Chocolate Shapes and Halloween Milk Chocolate Lolly with a Skeleton Graphic Design.
Carol Oldbury, director of Hames Chocolates, said: “As a private label chocolate expert, we have been making exciting and delicious chocolates for seasonal occasions for over 15 years, and our latest selection is our biggest and best yet.
“Made using premium, sustainable cocoa, and produced and packaged in our factory in Lincolnshire, our 2024 seasonal chocolate range is sure to appeal to a wide audience of chocolate lovers and be well received and deliver strong margins for retailers too.”
Berried alive!
Functional drinks brand Hip Pop has launched Berried Alive, a limited-edition Halloween label for its best-selling Cherry & Blackberry CBD Kombucha.
Berried Alive kombucha is described as having a zingy sweet and sour cherry and blackberry flavour, infused with 15mg of CBD to help consumers ‘relax and feel naturally calm’.
The drink is low in calories, free-from artificial sweeteners and contains live cultures to support gut health.
Search for the golden ghost
Iconic kid drink brand Capri-Sun is celebrating Halloween with the launch of new limited-edition pouches and the chance for consumers to win £1,000.
Each pouch features a spooky character, from a ghoulish ghost to menacing mummy, as the drinks brand taps into key Halloween trends – 69% of shoppers opt to buy limited-edition packs during Halloween, according to Mintel’s 2023 Halloween report.
Alongside the new spooky on-pack characters, Capri-Sun will also be offering 15 lucky families £1,000 if they find the elusive ‘Golden Ghost’ pouch in selected multipacks. Those who discover the ‘Golden Ghost’ pouch will be asked to call Capri-Sun’s ‘spooky hotline’ where they can claim their prize.
Rebecca Wilmott, brand activation manager at Capri-Sun UK, said: “We’re excited to launch our new limited-edition Halloween packs and Golden Ghost competition – providing a trick-or-treat moment for all the family.
“With soft drinks becoming one of the fastest-growing categories at Halloween, our new Halloween pouches are helping us tap into a key seasonal moment and provide even more ways for us to bring a taste of spooky fun to people across the UK.”
The new Halloween packs are available now nationwide in all major retailers at RRP: £2.99 for an 8 pack. The competition will run from 09/09/24 – 17/11/24.
Spooky snacks
Walkers snacks have been transformed this Hallows Eve, with the launch of limited edition Halloween-themed packaging.
Available across select packs of its popular ranges – including Wotsits Crunchy, Wotsits Giants and Monster Munch – the new packaging taps into the growing trend of Halloween snacks for adults.
The offerings will also be available in a variety of formats so that retailers can cater to a range of shopper missions, from sharing bags to options for those looking for price-marked packs.
Walkers is supporting the limited-edition packaging design by bringing back its ‘Scarily Giant’ campaign for a second year, featuring an ad showing adults ‘fearing giant snacks’, alongside wider PR activity.
Wayne Newton, senior marketing director of Walkers Snacks at PepsiCo, said: “Halloween is a time to have fun and get people together, and our new limited-edition Halloween packs help shoppers get into the spooky spirit.
“For retailers, the limited-edition packaging is perfect for making a real impact in store. The eye-catching designs and 'Scarily Giant' theme will grab shoppers' attention and help to create an experience that gets both shoppers and retailers into the Halloween spirit.”
Dough to die for
Danish bakers Ole & Steen – known for the Cinnamon Social, braided sweet soft dough pastry, filled with vanilla custard and cinnamon paste topped with icing – have launched a special limited-edition collection of ghoulish Halloween treats.
Visitors to Ole & Steen’s locations can sink their teeth into the Ole & Steen Halloween range until November 4.
Three products are on offer for Halloween:
Monster Whip £3.95 – A marzipan base topped with blackcurrant marshmallow, dipped in dark chocolate and purple coconut and decorated with candy eyes.
Eye See You Muffin £3.85 – a chocolate Muffin topped with cream cheese frosting and a chocolate eye.
Spooky Spider Social £20.95 - a braided sweet dough filled with cinnamon paste and custard, topped with spooky web icing and an edible spider.
Creepy big cheese pizza
Consumers across the UK have been invited to sink their teeth into The Creepy Big Cheese Pizza from The Pizza Company this Halloween.
This four cheese pizza – mozzarella, Cheddar, Red Leicester and Edam – features a green garlic and herb cheese stuffed crust which oozes out with each bite, perfectly on brand for the spooky season.
Andy Collins at The Pizza Company, commented: “We wanted to create a pizza that captures the Halloween spirit, combining one of our favourite pizzas with a bit of spooky flair. We also understand that with the dark nights drawing in, people want to look forward and enjoy some shared family treat nights indoors this autumn.
“Our creepy big cheese pizza is an ideal accompaniment to family movie night and those who enjoy a classic horror film in the countdown to Halloween – and there’s plenty of cheesy horror films to enjoy with a shared creepy big cheese pizza.”
The Creepy Big Cheese Pizza is available for a limited time only in The Pizza Company’s range at Tesco stores across the UK, retailing at £5.25, and will be on offer until 1 November 2024.
Haunted handmade cakes
Leeds-based bakery Love Handmade Cakes is haunting wholesale, independent outlets and foodservice with a new range of spooky bakery treats ahead of Halloween celebrations.
Classics such as gingerbread, parkin and caramel shortbread are joined by a host of creepy cakes and bloodcurdling bakes, including a spider themed cookies and cream gateau.
Caramel Ghost Shortbread Traybake
Soft butter shortbread squares topped with a red ghoulish caramel and smooth chocolate fudge, finished with a ghostly decoration.
Ginger & Treacle Traybake
Treacle sponge flavoured with ginger chunks and ginger spice.
Parkin Traybake
A classic mix of rolled oat and treacle, baked to a soft and sticky texture.
Skeleton and Mummy Gingerbread
A mixed box of 24 skeleton and mummy shaped gingerbread – lightly spiced and finished with a hand decorated design.
Spider Cookies and Cream Gateu
Two layers of chocolate sponge sandwiched and topped with a cookies and cream icing and decorated with a chocolate spider web design.
