Baileys treats taste buds with two new truffle options
Baileys Chocolate, made by Lir Chocolates in Ireland, is adding two new varieties to its truffle range - Baileys Chocolate Assorted Truffles and Baileys Chocolate Mint Truffles.
The new Baileys Chocolate Assorted Truffles carton contains four truffle flavours: Original Baileys Irish Cream, Strawberries and Cream, Birthday Cake, and Salted Caramel. Each truffle features a hint of Baileys Irish Cream. These are available in Asda and selected retailers for a RRP £9.50.
Baileys Chocolate Mint Truffles is a new flavour variety for the brand, featuring a milk chocolate shell and a mint-chocolate truffle centre infused with Baileys Original Irish Cream. These are available at selected stores for a RRP £6.80.
Alison Robson, marketing manager for Baileys Chocolates, commented: “The launch of these truffle varieties aligns with our strategy of expanding our product range for both festive and year-round occasions.
“These new flavours reflect our commitment to offering premium products that capture the essence of Baileys in new and innovative ways.”
Sharwood’s sizzling street food
Cooking sauce brand Sharwood’s - manufactured by Premier Foods - has introduced its Street Food Sizzler range, which includes Indian meal kits, sizzle sauces and roti wraps.
Indian food is one of the most popular cuisines in the UK. Yet, Kantar data shows just 22% of consumers opt for Indian meals during the weekend. The Street Food Sizzler range aims to shift consumer perceptions of Indian meals by offering a new, versatile and convenient option to shelves.
The meal kits are available in Masala Tikka Sizzler, Shashlik Tikka Sizzler, Spicy Tikka Sizzler, Tandoori Tikka Sizzler flavours; and include a seasoning sachet, a sizzler sauce, and a mango chutney drizzle which can be added to vegetables or a protein of choice. The range also includes Sizzler Sauce accompaniments and soft roti wraps which shoppers can buy alongside the meal kits.
Andrey Sokirkin, global marketing director of cooking sauces at Premier Foods, said: “We know consumers want to recreate the street food meals they’re eating when out and about, but currently there is little choice on shelf beyond more traditional options.
“Our new Sharwood’s Street Food Sizzler range will help to unlock new occasions so that retailers can make the most of this untapped opportunity. From wraps to sandwiches or even as standalone snacks, this new range is set to help retailers offer consumers popular Indian flavours in a brand-new way.”
The range has started its launch into Tesco and will be rolled out across the wider grocery channel in the next year.
Historical brewery goes alcohol free
Independent Yorkshire brewery, T&R Theakston has launched a 0.0% alcohol-free version of its Old Peculier, appropriately named ‘Nowt Peculier’.
First brewed in Masham in the early 19th century, Theakston’s Old Peculier is the flagship brand of the family-run company, with its name a tribute to the ecclesiastical status of the town as a ‘Court of the Peculier’.
The zero alcohol version uses the original recipe and brewing methods - brewed in a Fuggle hop alongside Challenger and Progress bitter hops - and is said to capture the essence its flagship ale (minus the booze!).
The historical brewery’s foray into the alcohol-free beer market comes as the low and no alcohol beer category continues to grow in the UK.
Simon Theakston, chairman of T&R Theakston, said: “As a brewery with almost 200 years of experience, we have never rested on our laurels and felt that, in line with changing market demands and increasing appetite for low and no alcohol options, now was the right time to create a 0.0% version of our most famous beer.
“Our dedication to using the highest quality ingredients, matched with the expertise of our brewers and remarkable new technology has enabled us to closely replicate the familiar flavours of Old Peculier in alcohol-free form and we’re extremely proud of the end product.”
Ocado’s own brands in overdrive
Following surging demand, Ocado has been expanded its own range, with recent launches including British baked beans.
The online supermarket reports that sales of its own range have increased by 12%, with these products now making up more than one in 10 items in shoppers’ baskets as shoppers balance value with quality across their weekly shops.
More than 100 new items have been added to the range in 2024 across the entire grocery landscape. By the end of the year, there will be more than 740 items available.
Next year, Ocado will expand the range again, with plans to add hundreds more products, including seasonal lines.
This follows research across more than 2,000 consumers undertaken by Ocado and Savanta, which shows growing public demand for own brand produce, with 89% of shoppers considering it important that their supermarket stocks a wide range of value products.
Dairy produce (34%), meat and fish (28%) and tinned goods (22%) are emerging as the top products customers are choosing to purchase from own brands in every shop.
When purchasing from a supermarket’s own brand category, 50% said that quality was very important to them. Three in 10 (31%) subsequently said that the quality of own brand products has improved, with seven in 10 (72%) stating that they will continue to buy own branded goods regardless of any changes to the broader economic climate.
Ocado has made six rounds of price cuts since June 2023 across big-name branded goods, smaller challenger brands, and the M&S food and drink range. The latest Ocado Big Price Drop in September saw 450 products reduced, with an average price drop of 17%.
