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October food and drink NPD round-up
Halloween NPD is in vogue
It seems that Halloween is becoming a more important date in the UK calendar as the years pass, and food and drink firms are looking to capitalise on the trend.
Earlier this month, DB Foods partnered with Aldi on a novelty range of ‘Monster Hand’ bacon and cheese BBQ burgers and 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 Graeme Clapp, commercial director at DB Foods.
Meanwhile, Hames Chocolates launched an entire Halloween range, giving nine of its most popular products a spooky twist.
The range includes hot chocolate stirrers, white lemon chocolate spooky truffles, milk chocolate shapes and a milk chocolate lolly with a skeleton graphic design.
“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,” said Carol Oldbury, director of Hames Chocolates.
Read our full Halloween NPD round up here.
Regeneratively farmed milk
Trewithen Dairy’s new milk range that was produced using regenerative farming practices made its debut in Tesco this month.
Regen Milk, as it is branded, is sold in one and two litre formats across 640 stores nationwide, priced at £1.55 and £2.40 respectively.
As part of the development of the product, Trewithen has been working closely with local farms since 2020 to implement regenerative farming techniques.
Despite not having a legal definition, there has been growing interest in the practice of regenerative farming in recent years as firms looks to reduce their impact on the environment.
“Regen Milk is just the beginning of a larger shift towards more sustainable dairy farming in the UK,” said Francis Clarke, chief procurement officer at Trewithen Dairy.
“We’re excited to bring this product to consumers and invite them to join us on this journey of positive change.”
Read more about Regen Milk here.
Dell’Ugo and THIS join forces
Pasta brand Dell’Ugo has launched a new range of plant-based ravioli featuring vegan meat alternatives manufactured by THIS.
The ‘Dell’Ugo THIS Isn’t Bacon & Cheese Ravioli’ and ‘Dell’Ugo THIS Isn’t Chicken & Pesto Ravioli’ lines are now available in Morrisons and via the Dell’Ugo website.
The move represents the first move into meat alternatives by Ugo Foods, owner of Dell’Ugo, which already offers a range of vegan lines spanning pasta, gnocchi, bread and sauces.
“THIS came onto our radar and we have been blown away, not just by their products, but also their can-do attitude,” said Ugo Foods CEO Sophia Cooke.
Xander Fletcher, out of home controller at THIS, added: “We’re ecstatic about this partnership with leading pasta brand Dell’Ugo. The final products taste sublime and prove that you can easily switch out meat and not compromise on flavour.”
Read more about the collaboration here.
Danone marks 30 years
Food manufacturer Danone marked 30 years in business during October with the launch of a new product – Actimel+ Triple Action.
The new range is sold in peach-passion fruit, strawberry-pomegranate, blueberry-blackberry and orange-peach flavours, while each yogurt drink contains vitamins D and B6 to support the normal function of the immune system, magnesium to reduce tiredness and vitamin C for its antioxidant properties.
Once the rollout is complete, Actimel Triple+ Action will be sold in all major European retailers in 20 countries across Europe, and is produced in Belgium and Spain.
Commenting on the launch, Danone Europe president Pablo Perversi said: “We are investing in our brands as part of our Renew Danone strategy and expanding our footprint by offering new ranges with more health benefits.
“Actimel, one of our flagship brands, will continue to play a crucial role in driving the future growth of the dairy category in Europe.”
Read more about the product here.
In other news, figures from across the food and drink manufacturing sector have reacted to the 2024 Autumn Budget, announced on 30 October by chancellor Rachel Reeves.
