The Food & Drink Innovation Network

Latest Food & Drink Industry News

• Tuesday, June 18th, 2013, (7:00 am)

  THORNTONS TRIALS IN-STORE KIOSKS FOR ONLINE ORDERING

  Thorntons, the chocolate maker, has launched a trial of in-store kiosks in its retail outlets to allow customers to buy goods from its extended range.

  The move enables shoppers to buy items, such as Thorntons’ hampers range, which are difficult to stock in-store.

  Developed in partnership with retail technology provider One Iota, the online ordering kiosks are being trialled across three stores in Sheffield Meadowhall, Fargate and Derby Westfield. (more…)

• Monday, June 17th, 2013, (3:47 pm)

  GLOBAL FOOD & DRINK TRENDS SUMMIT

  Last year it was a sell out and as this year’s agenda is so exciting we don’t want you to miss out.

  Once again we’re excited that the summit will be chaired by our food and drink trends guru Charles Banks.

  You might already be signed up to his excellent newsletter, if not I really recommend it, but even if you are, he’s going to reveal a lot of very different and new insights. (more…)

• Monday, June 17th, 2013, (1:09 pm)

  VIMTO LAUNCHES PRICE MARKED PACKS

  Vimto has launched three more Price Marked Packs (PMP’s) for the Wholesale channel to boost sales for convenience retailers.

  The packs are new additions to Vimto’s No Added Sugar range and have been launched to support the growing consumer demand for products that promote healthier lifestyles.

  The new PMP range includes a 2 Litre No Added Sugar carbonate at £1.75, a 330ml No Added Sugar carbonate can at 49p and 725ml No Added Sugar squash at £1.65. (more…)

• Monday, June 17th, 2013, (11:27 am)

  SOMERSET CHEDDAR MAKER LAUNCHES HALF FAT CHEESE

  While Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was busy contemplating new laws to limit the amount of sugar and fat in processed foods earlier this year, the product development team at Somerset’s Cricketer Farm were in the final stages of refining a new half fat cheddar style cheese.

  Unveiled last month in 70 Tesco stores across the South West, the PDO Farmhouse Cheddar maker’s Cheeky Cow mature cheddar style cheese offers a healthy alternative to full fat cheddar.

  With more than 25m UK households buying Cheese each year, Cheeky Cow’s significance is illustrated by research into the health benefits to a family of four when switching from Full Fat to Half Fat Cheese. (more…)

• Monday, June 17th, 2013, (9:03 am)

  MALIBU LAUNCHES NEW SPARKLING PINEAPPLE FLAVOUR

  Malibu, the coconut flavoured rum, is adding to its can portfolio with the release of its new Sparkling Pineapple variant this summer.

  Addressing two customer preferences in one product – pineapple flavour and sparkling drinks –the new Malibu & Sparkling Pineapple can will be hitting shelves this month.

  The flavour development has come as a direct result of Malibu listening to its Facebook fans who name pineapple as one of their favourite mixers to use when drinking the brand. (more…)

• Monday, June 17th, 2013, (7:00 am)

  BAZOOKA CANDY BRANDS UNVEILS DESPICABLE ME 2 RANGE

  This summer, Bazooka Candy Brands is celebrating its partnership with Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment for Despicable Me 2, with the launch of limited edition packs for its core range, including Juicy Drop Pop, Mega Mouth, Big Baby Pop, Ring Pop and Push Pop.

  Universal and Illumination’s 3D-CG comedy features the return of super-villain Gru (Steve Carell), his girls, the Minions, and a host of new funny characters.

  The Bazooka Candy Brands’ products are available now and the features the iconic Minions from the movie on-pack. (more…)

• Friday, June 14th, 2013, (3:22 pm)

  RENSHAW INTRODUCES PRIMARY COLOURS ICING MULTIPACK

  Designed for bakes that require colourful decoration, the new Primary Colours Multipack hope to appeal to keen cake decorators and bakers who are looking to use a variety of bright and eye catching hues on their creations, quickly, conveniently and with minimum waste.

  Containing five 100g Ready to Roll Icing sticks in red, green, yellow, blue – and versatile black – the new Multipack is designed as an option for cake decorating projects which require small areas of Ready to Roll icing detail in a rainbow of colours.

  The new Primary Colour Icing Multipack is a handy starter kit for those just getting into the craft – and a way to introduce children to home-baking. (more…)

• Friday, June 14th, 2013, (1:07 pm)

  MR FREEZE REVAMPS BULK BOX RANGE

  Freezepop brand, Mr Freeze, has revamped its bulk box flavour offering following market research into the brand’s flavour portfolio.

  The research, completed by The Network at the end of 2012, was directed at the brand’s Cash and Carry customer base to gain knowledge into consumer preferences.

  As a result, the new Mr Freeze bulk box now contains Strawberry, Raspberry, Cola and Orange flavours. (more…)

• Friday, June 14th, 2013, (11:12 am)

  NESCAFE ORIGINAL RETURNS TO TV

  Nescafé Original is returning to TV screens this month in a new marketing push during the brand’s 75th anniversary year.

  The latest burst of marketing activity will see the ads, first aired in January, return to TV screens with the aim of brightening up people’s mornings and reminding shoppers that Nescafé Original can get them off to the best possible start to the day.

  As well as broadcast, Nescafé Original’s jar will be featuring in print advertising that places the brand at the heart of some of the quintessentially British summer events, including Wimbledon and the Silverstone Grand Prix. (more…)

• Friday, June 14th, 2013, (7:00 am)

  PRINCES INVESTS IN TWO NEW AMBIENT SALMON RANGES

  Princes, the canned fish brand, is bringing innovation to the second largest canned fish category by launching two new Atlantic skinless and boneless salmon ranges.

  A line-up of two new Princes Atlantic salmon fillets are available in stores now, including sweet chilli and lemon & dill variants to provide consumers with a ready-to-eat meal solution.

  A second range of Princes Atlantic salmon in lemon & black pepper and brine variants is also being launched, with both ranges encouraging trial with consumers that would otherwise be put off by the traditional format. (more…)

• Thursday, June 13th, 2013, (3:09 pm)

  HEINZ LAUNCHES NEW BREAKFASTS FOR BABIES

  Heinz is launching a new infant breakfast range with a collection of products aiming to help mums give their little ones a nutritious start to the day.

  The new range will feature the first ready-to-eat breakfast format specifically designed for babies, Heinz Breakfast Pots, and the first Breakfast Biscotti made to cater exclusively for infants’ needs.

  Heinz is also improving its Heinz Cereals and Heinz Cereal Sachets recipes. (more…)

• Thursday, June 13th, 2013, (1:09 pm)

  ESTRELLA DAMM UNVEILS LIMITED EDITION SUMMER PACKS

  Estrella Damm is launching new limited edition packs featuring exclusive recipes from chef Ferran Adrià and original designs by Catalan designer and artist Martí Guixé.

  Estrella Damm’s series of limited edition packs is inspired by the city in which it is created.

  Ferran Adrià and his brother, Albert, co-own tapas restaurant Tickets in Barcelona, and worked closely with Estrella Damm to create eleven original and exclusive tapas dishes inspired by the beer’s taste. (more…)

• Thursday, June 13th, 2013, (11:13 am)

  MARS CHOCOLATE LAUNCHES TWIX MIX

  Twix has launched its first ever bitesize variety: Twix Mix.

  The launch aims to reinvigorate the Bitesize category, delivering the Twix taste in smaller pieces.

  Twix Mix will join the classic Twix on shelves from July. (more…)

• Thursday, June 13th, 2013, (9:24 am)

  NEW SAUCES AND MEAL POTS FROM YORKSHIRE PROVENDER

  Soup brand, Yorkshire Provender has launched Incredible! – its new brand of meal solutions.

  Incredible! Sauces are made with the same detail Provender’s soups and are designed to appeal as supper solutions for timestrapped families.

  Using quality ingredients in well-known sauce varieties, the pack designs are designed to be a stand-out addition to the chiller cabinet. (more…)

• Thursday, June 13th, 2013, (7:21 am)

  BELUGA NOBEL RUSSIAN VODKA LAUNCHES IN THE UK

  Beluga Noble, the best selling super-premium vodka in Russia, is making its UK debut at Royal Ascot’s Bessborough Restaurant this June, as it takes an associate sponsorship at the bar during the racing occasion.

  As well as enjoying Russia’s finest vodka through a range of cocktails designed to showcase its taste, Beluga has partnered with the Gastronomy Guys who have come up with a menu to include The Beluga Bubble.

  The Beluga Bubble will see liquid wrapped inside itself in a bubble will feature a Beluga vodka shot that aims to surprise the taster as it bursts inside their mouth. (more…)

• Wednesday, June 12th, 2013, (8:57 pm)

  BEN & JERRY’S LAUNCHES NEW FLAVOUR

  Following the success of Ben & Jerry’s first three Core flavours, the ice cream brand is introducing two more Cores to keep consumers excited.

  The Ben & Jerry’s Core range combines two flavours in one tub with a soft core of sauce running all the way through the centre.

  There are two new flavours to choose from: Peanut Butter Me Up is a raspberry jam core surrounded by peanut butter and vanilla ice cream with chocolatey covered peanut butter cups. (more…)

• Wednesday, June 12th, 2013, (3:16 pm)

  FRUITTELLA AND CHUPA CHUPS JOIN FORCES FOR NEW PRODUCT

  Perfetti Van Melle brands Fruittella and Chupa Chups have partnered with the Skylanders gaming franchise to bring an on pack promotion to their confectionery bag range.

  From June until the end of August, consumers will have the chance to win one of ten exclusive Skylanders sidekicks every day.

  Two sidekicks have been created by Activision for this promotion: ‘Gill Runt’ and ‘Whisper Elf’. (more…)

• Wednesday, June 12th, 2013, (1:04 pm)

  THE MARIACHI DORITOS BAND TO FEATURE IN NEW TV CAMPAIGN

  The Mariachi Doritos band is back on TV with a new advert aiming to help generate summer sales for retailers.

  The launch of the TV advert, coupled with the re-introduction of the Jalapeno Fire variant exclusively to the impulse channel, is set to further spice up the summer sharing sales opportunity with the strapline, ‘For fun add a little Mexican.’

  The TV advert features the Mariachi Doritos band playing inside the lights of a jukebox to the famous track, ‘I love Rock ‘n’ Roll’. (more…)

• Wednesday, June 12th, 2013, (11:09 am)

  TIC TAC LAUNCHES NEW SPEARMINT TWIST FLAVOUR

  Tic tac, the pocket confectionery brand from Ferrero is launching Spearmint Twist, a new addition to its popular range.

  Featuring white and mint-green tic tac drops of different flavour intensities, the pack will be available from the end of June.

  Spearmint Twist replaces the existing Spearmint flavour and is set to appeal to a new generation of tic tac lovers, who already hold strong affection for the tic tac brand. (more…)

• Wednesday, June 12th, 2013, (9:00 am)

  POT NOODLE RELEASES PIRI PIRI CHICKEN VARIANT

  Pot Noodle is strengthening its offering by rolling out a new Piri Piri Chicken flavour which is launching alongside a £1.4m marketing investment planned for the entire Pot Noodle portfolio throughout 2013.

  Karl Roche, brand manager for Pot Noodle at Unilever UK said: “Pot Noodle is the market leader in the Instant Hot Snacks category with a 49% value share and growing value sales by 4.1% in the latest 12 months.

  “The roll out of Pot Noodle Piri Piri Chicken to all retailers will add incremental sales to the £207m category by presenting extra purchase opportunities for our loyal fans and attracting new consumers. (more…)

• Wednesday, June 12th, 2013, (7:00 am)

  RACHEL’S LAUNCHES NEW LOW FAT MANGO YOGURT

  Rachel’s is launching a new low fat mango yogurt in Waitrose and Ocado nationwide from June 2013.

  Rachel’s latest creation is a combination of the organic mangos infused with its signature yogurt, to create a saffron-colour flavoured with mango pieces.

  Mango is rich in nutrition, making this good choice of fruit to Rachel’s existing low fat range for those seeking a healthy breakfast option or snack. (more…)

• Tuesday, June 11th, 2013, (3:09 pm)

  PRINCES RE-DESIGNS PURE JUICE RANGE

  Princes, the From Concentrate juice brand, is re-vamping its juice range in a bid to drive value back into the £360 million ambient juice category.

  In stores now, the new pack design with new re-sealable, easy opening cap aims to give the pack better standout presence on-shelf, attract new consumers to the brand and drive category growth.

  The re-designed packs will roll out across the entire Princes juice range including its 1 litre pure juice variants and juice drinks – of which pure juice accounts for 5.3% volume and 6.1% value of the branded From Concentrate ambient juice market. (more…)

• Tuesday, June 11th, 2013, (1:12 pm)

  GLOBAL FOOD & DRINK TRENDS SUMMIT

  Last year it was a sell out and as this year’s agenda is so exciting we don’t want you to miss out.

  Once again we’re excited that the summit will be chaired by our food and drink trends guru Charles Banks.

  You might already be signed up to his excellent newsletter, if not I really recommend it, but even if you are, he’s going to reveal a lot of very different and new insights. (more…)

• Tuesday, June 11th, 2013, (11:12 am)

  BRISTOL’S BEERD BREWERY TO BROADEN BEER BRIEF

  A new Bristol-based brewery is aiming to tap into the growing consumer interest in quality craft beers with a range of fresh and innovative brews.

  From the people who launched the popular Beerd craft beer and pizza bar in St Michael’s Hill, the new brewery is Bristolian and draws on an eclectic mix of influences to create distinctive, unconventional beers.

  Shane O’Beirne is the experimental head brewer at the helm of Beerd, he said: “Demand for locally produced craft beer continues to rise and we want to offer drinkers something new and different. (more…)

• Tuesday, June 11th, 2013, (9:16 am)

  TOTAL GREEK YOGHURT UNVEILS NEW AD CAMPAIGN

  TOTAL Greek Yoghurt is back on screen, with a brand new advertising creative launched during the final of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.

  The new advert, developed by AMV BBDO and placed by Total Media, asserts TOTAL Greek Yoghurt as the ‘real deal’ in a world of Greek-style pretenders, reflecting the brand’s provenance and heritage.

  FAGE, the brand’s owner, plans to invest significantly behind the campaign to support ambitious growth targets. (more…)

• Tuesday, June 11th, 2013, (7:08 am)

  LONDON PRIDE GETS BOTTLE REDESIGN

  Fuller’s flagship ale London Pride, is the subject of a major new £3m advertising campaign this summer which aims to remind consumers of its rich history and heritage and how it is linked with the Capital.

  Made of London, which has just started to appear in press and digital platforms, features the brand alongside a number of short stories, which highlight the ale’s London provenance.

  The first in the series, introducing the story of how the beer came to be called London Pride, features the new London Pride bottle acting as a vase for the eponymous flower which, in wartime London, became a symbol of London’s determination, hope and pride. (more…)

• Monday, June 10th, 2013, (3:19 pm)

  NEW NATURAL SOFT DRINK KOJI LAUNCHES IN THE UK

  KOJI, a new all-natural, sparkling soft drink aimed at adults is launching in the UK this month.

  KOJI is 100 per cent natural and additive free, with no artificial sweeteners and, there are only 49 calories in a bottle.

  The KOJI Sparkling Fruit Infusions range, comprising Lemon & Ginger and Mandarin & Cranberry flavours, is being launched to answer demand from increasingly health conscious consumers for natural ingredients. (more…)

• Monday, June 10th, 2013, (1:09 pm)

  SEED & BEAN LAUNCHES TWO NEW FLAVOURS

  Seed & Bean, the UK’s 100% ethically accredited chocolate company, has launched two new flavours – Milk Chocolate with Tropical Lime and Cornish Sea Salt and a White Chocolate with Raspberry and Vanilla, going to retailers & independent delis in September.

  Seed & Bean’s products offer Fairtrade and organic varieties suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

  The bars are handmade in Northamptonshire in small batches from varieties of the finest cocoa beans, ethically sourced from around the globe. (more…)

• Monday, June 10th, 2013, (11:14 am)

  ONKEN UNVEILS TWO NEW FLAVOURS

  Enjoy a summer Onken is launching two new flavours, Apricot & Honey and Raspberry, Cherry & Pomegrante

  The two new fruity flavours from Onken yogurt that are designed to bring colour to the fridge and are available from April as big pots.

  The new Apricot & Honey flavour big pot combines the flavour of apricots with natural honey. (more…)

• Monday, June 10th, 2013, (9:09 am)

  TANGO LAUNCHES NEW ‘AARGH’ CAMPAIGN

  This summer soft drinks manufacturer, Britvic Soft Drinks, will launching a new campaign for the soft drink brand Tango.

  With the brand growing 5x faster than Total Soft Drinks , the activity includes TV and radio advertising, PR, point of sale and social media which will tap into Tango’s Facebook following of 470,000 fans.

  All campaign elements aim to generate talkability around the brand, which is renowned for its irreverent sense of humour. (more…)

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