They did the mash
Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s is jumping on the bakery fusion bandwagon with the launch of its newest flavour, Brookies & Cream Sundae.
Inspired by the recent trend that spawned the likes of the cronut and the afore mentioned Brookie – a fusion of brownies and cookies – this new flavour features vanilla ice cream with brownie-style dough and golden cookie swirls, topped with chocolate whipped ice cream, sea salt chocolate swirls and white ampersand chunks.
Commenting on the launch, Ben & Jerry’s flavour guru Gabby Simmons said: “Bakery mashups are the perfect sweet treat when you simply can’t choose between two of your favourites. And as you know, cookies & brownies are two of our absolute favourites, so it was a no brainer for us to combine the flavour combo with what we do best – ice cream!”
As with all Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Brookies & Cream is made with Fairtrade certified ingredients and free-grazed dairy.
Ben & Jerry’s Brookies & Cream Sundae will be rolling into freezers everywhere this January, with a recommended retail price of £5.75.
Mango joins Rowntree’s ice lolly range
International ice cream company Froneri has the first of its new launches for 2025, Rowntree’s Mango, a HFSS compliant ice lolly.
Rowntree’s newest addition to its ice lolly range combines mango and passionfruit swirled together to look like a juicy ripe mango. All its ice lollies contain real fruit juice and are made with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
The launch coincides with Rowntree’s’ ‘Free the Fun!’ campaign for 2025 supported across social, PR and shopper.
Brand manger Will Yates said: “We’re excited to be adding Mango to the Rowntree’s range, it brings tropical new taste to the range and we’re sure consumers of all ages are going to love it. We can’t wait for consumers to enjoy even more feel-good snacking with out latest ice lolly.”
The Rowntree’s Mango ice lolly will be available in a pack of four priced £2.50 and as a single impulse format for £1.40.
You got peanut butter in my maple syrup
Rounding up our frozen treat launches this week is another new launch from Froneri in its chocolate stick brand Nuii – Peanut Butter & Canadian Maple Syrup.
Nuii have used maple syrup, collected from Canadian maple trees, swirled into peanut butter ice cream to create the new flavour. This combination is coated with a thick milk chocolate shell, made with sustainably sourced cocoa, and roasted peanut pieces for extra crunch.
Henry Craven, brand manager for Nuii, commented: “Indulgence remains a key growth trend in ice cream, consumers are treating themselves more frequently and looking for even more indulgent products, with Nuii playing a leading role.
“We can’t wait for our latest flavour to hit the shelves – we’ve carefully chosen the ingredients to deliver a new and exciting combination in ice cream, it’s the ultimate taste adventure.”
Nuii Peanut Butter & Canadian Maple Syrup will be supported with a £14m brand marketing campaign in 2025, spanning TV and video-on-demand, cinema advertising, a national outdoor campaign and sampling tour.
Fastest tofu in the West
Plant-based meat alternative brand Cauldron has launched the ‘fastest cooking tofu ever’, ready to eat in just five minutes without the need to press.
The new Cauldron Tofu Pieces have been chopped into bite-sized cubes and then lightly fried, meaning they can be cooked in ‘record time’.
“Shoppers are busier than ever, looking for convenient and delicious meals that don’t cost the earth, and this is even more evident in January,” explained Cauldron Foods consumer director Gill Riley. “Cauldron’s Tofu Pieces are perfect for consumers who need convenient and delicious midweek meals, packed with protein.”
The quick cooking tofu is now available in Asda and Morrisons, with a launch into Waitrose stores in spring. The pieces have a recommended retail price of £2.75 for a 160g pack.
No Cocoa, no caffeine, no problem
A new chocolate alternative that ditches the cocoa entirely is launching onto store shelves at Holland & Barrett.
Riding on a trend toward reduced caffeine intake and healthier indulgences, Caroboo is crafted from carob, a naturally sweet Mediterranean plant that replicates the flavour and texture of chocolate, without the caffeine or other common allergens.
Research from Mintel found that 39% of UK coffee drinkers were cutting back on caffeine, with decaf sales up 60% in just four years.
Available in three flavours – Mint, Orange and Salted Caramel Nutty – Caroboo is positioned to serve this growing market.
Free from dairy, gluten and artificial sweeteners, these bars are also 45% lower in sugar than traditional chocolate
“Caroboo is made for everyone who’s had to say no to chocolate because it just wasn’t worth the headache or the sleepless night,” said Charlotte Miller, Caroboo’s founder. “We’re bringing indulgence back with our uncompromising chocolate alternative that ticks all the boxes for taste and health.”
I like ‘em chunky
Proper Cornish has extended its range of products with the launch of a new range of sausage roles which it has named Proper Chunky.
Consisting initially of three flavours – a Chunky Pork Roll, a Chunky Maple & Bacon Roll, and a hot and spicy variant the Chunky Spicy Chipotle & Honey Roll – the rolls weigh 185g with a 58% fill to pastry ratio.
Each roll is made using British Pork, is encased in Proper Cornish’s novel recipe pastry and finished with their own toppings.
Paul Saunders, managing director at Proper Cornish, said: “The launch of this new product range comes at a time when the pastry market is seeing an increase in interest in artisanal premium products and unique flavour profiles, as well as a growing interest in gourmet and fusion flavours.
“The sausage roll market is certainly seeing somewhat of a renaissance with gourmet twists and this stunning range ticks all the trend boxes.
“They are meaty in texture and during the development stages, the team here at Proper Cornish just couldn’t wait to be invited to the next tasting session. We are simply delighted to be adding this Proper Chunky range to our already outstanding portfolio of pastry products.”
