Tag Archives: food and beverage

90 year old confectionery brand Fruit-tella eyes Gen Z move into fashion, digital gaming and more

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The Italian-Dutch confectionery company Perfetti Van Melle and Licensing Matters Global (LMG), a London-based global licensing agency, have announced a long-term partnership to extend the 90-year-old candy brand, Fruit-tella.

Under the partnership, LMG will look to extend the sweet brand into selected lifestyle product categories via strategic licensing and retail efforts in the UK and Benelux.

Drawing from Fruit-tella’s DNA, the firm will be leveraging the brand’s strong associations with authentic fruit taste, playful colours and positivity to seek partner licensees in lifestyle categories such as fashion, health and beauty, scented candles, toys, stationery, travel accessories, and digital content. The partnership began in February 2021.

“At Perfetti Van Melle we are very excited that Licensing Matters, a brand expert with a genuine understanding of today’s market dynamics, will expand the Fruit-tella brand to innovative and authentic consumer products that are inspired by fruit and nature to offer the Fruit-tella fans more ways of enjoying the fruit experience they have been cherishing for 90 years,” said Christine Cool, licensing area manager of Perfetti Van Melle.

Felipe Noriega, VP and regional director EMEA, LMG, added: “We are thrilled to have been selected by the highly respected licensing team at PVM to help them execute this ambitious project.

“Fruittella’s strong commitment to sustainability and their relentless innovation to continue improving the health credentials of their popular treats are at the heart of our partnership selection process. We seek licensees that embrace and embody these core brand principles.”

Leila Loumi, global senior licensing director, LMG, added: “For young kids and tweens, we’re planning a fresh and colourful personal care range. We’ll be pursuing fun and vibrant make-up solutions for Generation Z-ers.  And we also plan to tap into Millennial and Generation X-ers’ sense of nostalgia for the Fruit-tella brand through fashion and digital gaming.”

Blonde Sheep Licensing kickstarts Golden Casket deal with new partners for sweet brand Millions

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Blonde Sheep Licensing has been tapped to handle the consumer merchandising programme Golden Casket’s popular confectionery brand, Millions, across select categories, including cupcakes, toiletries, and mini puzzles.

A family owned Scottish business established in the 1950s, Golden Casket’s product range includes Buchanan’s, Hills of Hawick, Millions, £Onepounders, Gibbs, Fudgy Wudgy, and Gilda. The business is one of the largest confectionery specialists in the UK.

Launched in 1990, the Millions sweets range was an instant success with kids and consumers and has since grown into multiple formates and flavours. Each flavour – strawberry, bubblegum, cola, apple, raspberry, blackcurrant, and tropical – pairs with a fun character, making Millions an appealing proposition for licensees and retailers.

Blonde Sheep Licensing has already secured licensees for toiletries, hand wash, sanitiser, cupcakes, nutritional supplements, and mini puzzles. Products will launch this summer through grocers, B&M, toy retailers, Amazon, and other online stores.

“We are delighted to be working with Natasha at Blonde Sheep. The range of licensed products they are working on is so different to confectionery, which is new, fun and exciting for us at Golden Casket,” said Sandra Fisher, sales and marketing director, Golden Casket. “Natasha has been very creative in all her ideas and always keen to mirror the fun, bright colourful side of the Millions brand in every way.”

Natasha Dyson, managing director, Blonde Sheep Licensing, added: “The reaction to Millions has been fantastic. Licensees are developing products that smell and taste of the sweets and are appealing to multiple age groups, which I’m sure will be a huge hit with consumers.”

Forget the crackers, Gromit: Dean’s launches a range of Wallace & Gromit shortbread and biscuits

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The Aberdeenshire-based bakers Dean’s has launched a collection of shortbread and biscuits in collaboration with Aardman Studio and its iconic characters, Wallace and Gromit.

The new range features five biscuit flavours, three special keepsake tins containing Dean’s melt in the mouth all butter shortbread and will extend to include an assortment tin in time for Christmas.

The biscuit range features postcard images of Wallace and Gromit on holiday at popular spots around the UK. Using these images as inspiration, Dean’s developed five biscuit flavours: chocolate chunk, stem ginger, oat and honey, strawberries and cream, and savoury cheddar bites. 

Dean’s managing director, Bill Dean, said: “We are incredibly excited to be launching this new range featuring Wallace & Gromit. Wallace & Gromit have enormous appeal across age ranges from eight to 80. Collaborating with such a well-loved British institution in this way will help introduce Dean’s baking to a wider customer base. It is exciting to think of a new audience engaging with the Dean’s brand and enjoying our shortbread and biscuits.”

Adam Vincent-Garland, category manager, Interactive & Toys at Aardman added: “Just like the rest of us; Wallace & Gromit have been staying in the UK this year. But the unique partnership with Dean’s has allowed the duo to share beautiful images of their travels around the country.

“Along with some delicious complimentary biscuit flavours. Including; Honey and Scotch Oats beside the Loch Ness and Savoury Cheddar at the foot of Cheddar Gorge, to name just a few. Working with Dean’s has been an absolute pleasure and we can’t wait to see the mouth-watering biscuits in stores coming soon.”

The collaboration with Aardman for the Wallace and Gromit range follows in the footsteps of successful partnerships with Steven Brown Art in 2017, Oor Wullie in 2019 and Villager Jim in 2020.  

The Wallace and Gromit biscuits and shortbread are available to buy now from WH Smith travel retail stores, Harvey Nichols Foodmarket and on Dean’s website. 

Iceland extends its range of Barratt confectionery ice lollies to include Foam Bananas, Cola Bottle, and Milk Bottle flavours

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The popular confectionery brand, Barratt, is tripling the number of SKUs in its range of ice cream lollies exclusive to Iceland, with eight new flavours inspired by the likes of Foam Bananas, Cola Bottles, and Nougat, joining the existing four across Iceland stores from April 12th.

The extension of the range follows on from the success of the licensed collaboration, arranged by Barratt’s brand licensing agent The Point. 1888, in summer 2020 that saw more than 1.3 million units sold within the first 12 weeks of launch.

Building on the original line-up of Flumps, Black Jack, Fruit Salad, and Dip Dab flavours, this year’s range will include Foam Banana, Wham, Cola Bottle. Milk Bottle, Strawberry Milkshake, Nougat, Anglo Bubbly, and Sherbert Fountain. The range is designed to recreate the  feeling of eating a classic sweet, with many of the ice lollies offering a fun nod to the original sweets.

In developing the range, Barrat has kept the calorie-conscious in mind, with the Flump lolly consisting of only 55kcal per lolly.

The extended range is expected to fly off shelves and will be well supported with TV and press advertising, a Barratt Branded Freezer unit and store window POS.

Russell Tanner, marketing and category director, commented on Iceland’s investment in the wider range: “After our ice cream range sold six times faster than expected in 2020, investing in additional products was a no-brainer. The Barratt ice cream range is a simple way to bring a little bit of excitement to the supermarket shop, and is aligned perfectly with our fun and fizzy brand experience.

“Working with Iceland, It was really important to both parties that the new products delivered on quality and experience to satisfy discerning Iceland shoppers and Barratt fans.

“The runaway success has shown us just how well-loved the Barratt brand is and opened up doors for the brand in terms of exploring licensing opportunities across new food categories.”

Sally Bentley, senior buyer at Iceland said: “We’re thrilled to be extending our range with Barratt and it’s been fantastic to see how the brand has resonated with our customers.”

Bethan Garton, The Point.1888’s commercial director, commented: “As the success of the launch last summer proved, we struck gold with our ice cream range of Barratt’s best loved brands. With the time and attention invested in the product development and flavour profile matching we’re thrilled the range will once again be hitting the shops, bigger and better than before.”

Louisiana’s iconic Popeyes to open 350 restaurants across the UK in the next ten years

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The US fried chicken restaurant, Popeyes, has detailed its plans to open 350 restaurants across the UK over the next ten years, as its ambitious European expansion starts to take shape over the course of 2021.

Founded in New Orleans in Louisiana in 1972, Popeyes is a global player in the fried chicken market with 3,400 restaurants across 29 countries to its name. The announcement of the restaurant’s plans to expand across the European market follows successful roll-outs in Spain in 2019 and in Switzerland last year.

Popeyes will enter the UK market as part of an agreement between PLK Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International, Ring International Holdings, and the industry veteran, Elias Diaz Sese. The first Popeyes restaurant is expected to open in the UK by the end of the year and will represent the brand’s 11th country in EMEA.

Today’s news means that UK guests can soon look forward to enjoying Popeyes’ world-famous products, such as the brand’s signature Chicken Sandwich, which was the subject of one of the most successful launches in Quick Service Restaurant history when it was released in the USA in August 2019.

Popeyes launch into the UK market is expected to lead to major investment in market-leading talent and digital innovation. Popeyes UK will create a number of new jobs, spanning critical operational roles in construction, supply chain and distribution as well as provide a direct boost to the UK hospitality sector by hiring talent to prepare and serve Popeyes world-famous products to UK guests.

David Shear, president international of RBI, said: “We are excited to announce that we are going to be bringing the Popeyes brand to the UK. Popeyes has established itself as an international brand, famed for the creation of authentic, Louisiana-inspired fried chicken products.

“Our UK launch will build on other successful international expansions in Spain, Switzerland, China, the Philippines and most recently in Sri Lanka. We are confident that our UK guests will love their fried chicken from Popeyes and we look forward to offering an alternative product in a major international market that we believe is ripe for disruption. We can’t wait to get started.”

Elias Diaz Sese, co-founder of Popeyes UK, added: “We are very pleased to launch Popeyes, a brand that has brought moments of celebration to guests globally, something we believe is important more now than ever. It allows us to contribute in hardship moments for the country by creating hundreds of career opportunities.

“We truly aspire to become an employer of reference for big-hearted talent through care, service and supporting the neighbourhoods in which we operate.”

Louisiana’s iconic Popeyes to open 350 restaurants across the UK in the next ten years

Posted on by

The US fried chicken restaurant, Popeyes, has detailed its plans to open 350 restaurants across the UK over the next ten years, as its ambitious European expansion starts to take shape over the course of 2021.

Founded in New Orleans in Louisiana in 1972, Popeyes is a global player in the fried chicken market with 3,400 restaurants across 29 countries to its name. The announcement of the restaurant’s plans to expand across the European market follows successful roll-outs in Spain in 2019 and in Switzerland last year.

Popeyes will enter the UK market as part of an agreement between PLK Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International, Ring International Holdings, and the industry veteran, Elias Diaz Sese. The first Popeyes restaurant is expected to open in the UK by the end of the year and will represent the brand’s 11th country in EMEA.

Today’s news means that UK guests can soon look forward to enjoying Popeyes’ world-famous products, such as the brand’s signature Chicken Sandwich, which was the subject of one of the most successful launches in Quick Service Restaurant history when it was released in the USA in August 2019.

Popeyes launch into the UK market is expected to lead to major investment in market-leading talent and digital innovation. Popeyes UK will create a number of new jobs, spanning critical operational roles in construction, supply chain and distribution as well as provide a direct boost to the UK hospitality sector by hiring talent to prepare and serve Popeyes world-famous products to UK guests.

David Shear, president international of RBI, said: “We are excited to announce that we are going to be bringing the Popeyes brand to the UK. Popeyes has established itself as an international brand, famed for the creation of authentic, Louisiana-inspired fried chicken products.

“Our UK launch will build on other successful international expansions in Spain, Switzerland, China, the Philippines and most recently in Sri Lanka. We are confident that our UK guests will love their fried chicken from Popeyes and we look forward to offering an alternative product in a major international market that we believe is ripe for disruption. We can’t wait to get started.”

Elias Diaz Sese, co-founder of Popeyes UK, added: “We are very pleased to launch Popeyes, a brand that has brought moments of celebration to guests globally, something we believe is important more now than ever. It allows us to contribute in hardship moments for the country by creating hundreds of career opportunities.

“We truly aspire to become an employer of reference for big-hearted talent through care, service and supporting the neighbourhoods in which we operate.”

Guinness partners with Ginsters to ‘elevate the at home mealtime’ with new savoury slice

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The iconic Irish brewer, Guinness has joined forces with the UK pastry brand, Ginsters to launch a new Ginsters Smoky Steak and Guinness slice.

In a deal brokered by Beanstalk, the premium recipe has been developed by the Cornish born, award-winning head chef, Chris Eden – a longstanding Ginster chef partner – helping the pair innovate in the savoury slices category.

According to Ginsters, the new launch is ‘set to widen appeal among valuable post family shoppers who account for two thirds of all category spend.’

The slice combines 100 per cent British farmed beef with potato, carrot, onion, swede, leek, chestnut mushrooms, black treacle, garlic and a measure of world-famous Guinness. Brought together in a rich gravy and infused with smoked salt, the filling is then wrapped in Ginsters’ hallmark 80- layer light, puff pastry to finish.

It uses a blend of spices and quality British ingredients, including  vegetables from Hay Farm on Cornwall’s Rame Peninsula – 15 miles from the Ginsters bakery. 

Sam Mitchell, Ginsters’ managing director, commented: “We’re all looking for more excitement at the moment and lunch has become even more important in our day. We know consumers are up for trying new things and looking for recipes with a difference. It’s our job to keep the category fresh and bring flavour-driven innovations to the aisle for shoppers.

“We have come together with Guinness to contemporise a traditional recipe with our combined signature taste. Ginsters’ chefs and Guinness’ master brewers have created a bold new flavour which brings vibrancy into the subcategory while elevating the at-home mealtime occasion.” 

Neil Shah, head of Guinness Great Britain, added: “Guinness and food is an iconic combination, be it as an ingredient or as a perfect pairing. Teaming up with Ginsters is a celebration of our unique  heritages and shared values, bringing together the best of our regions – all while having fun with flavours and bringing consumers something new.” 

The Ginsters Smoky Steak & Guinness Slice is the latest in several recent co-partnered product launches for Ginsters. In 2020, the savoury pastry market leader continued its partnership with meat-free pioneer, Quorn, to launch the Vegan Peppered Steak Slice and the Ginsters’ Vegan Quorn Sausage Roll – an innovation strategy that has contributed to Ginsters’ 9.6 per cent overall year-on-year  growth. 

Baby Shark swims into your breakfast cereal thanks to latest Kellogg’s partnership

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Not content with getting stuck firmly in your head, Baby Shark could be swimming in your breakfast bowl thanks to a new partnership between ViacomCBS Consumer Products UK and Kellogg’s for the launch of the Baby Shark Multigrain Cereal.

The partnership marks the first deal between the two in the UK and Irish markets for the popular pre-school property, Baby Shark’s Big Show. The multigrain breakfast cereal – with no artificial flavours or colours, and presumably no real sharks – is now available across Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, and Aldi.

Pinkfong’s Baby Shark, now an established brand, has experienced instant success across multiple touch points, including UK retail aisles. Through a partnership with SmartStudy, the global entertainment company behind the beloved children’s brand, Pinkfong, ViacomCBS Consumer Products has been managing licensing globally outside of Asia since October 2019.

“Baby Shark has proven itself to be both a YouTube phenomenon and an IP that translates into award winning toys and consumer products programs. We’re thrilled to be entering into this new deal with Kellogg’s which is the first of many in the food and beverages category,” said Venetia Davie, vice president, ViacomCBS Consumer Products UK & Ireland.

Olga Kondratyeva, brand manager at Kellogg’s, added: “We are delighted to be working with ViacomCBS on the exciting launch of Baby Shark Multigrain Cereal. We know Baby Shark is a catchy tune that has captured the hearts of many families and we hope our new cereal will do the same.”

Baby Shark launched on YouTube in November 2015 and took the world by storm, amassing 7.7 billion views and becoming the most-watched video in the platform’s history. With music, characters, story and dance all combined, the song  has been recognised as the only diamond awarded children’s single in the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA) Gold & Platinum Program history and spawned a viral phenomenon #BabySharkChallenge, generating over one million cover videos around the globe.

In the UK, its TV animated series ‘Baby Shark’s Big Show!’ will be released on Nick Jr. later this year.

Chefclub secures €14 million in latest financial round and new Tefal partnership for kitchenware

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It’s a double-yolker for the Parisian food brand, Chefclub as the firm secures a new financing round of 14 million Euros and the creation of a new cookware line in partnership with the kitchen ware experts, Tefal.

It’s First Bridge Ventures chairman, Adrian Cheng, who leads the round the accelerate Chefclub’s international growth, along with SEB Alliance, Group SEB’s corporate venture arm, as well as existing investors Fleur Pellerin’s Korelya Capital and Groupe Arnault’s Aglae Ventures to bring in the 14 million Euro funding round.

Launched in Paris in 2016 by three brothers, Thomas, Jonathan, and Axel Lang, Chefclub has been able to leverage the power of social media to continually grow, strengthen its brand, and create a large audience while also transforming its video viewers into customers. 

Its recipe videos and fun universe are designed to encourage everyone to cook: women, men, teenagers, and children. 

Convinced that the future of business lies in experiential content and direct contact with communities, the startup has already sold 700,000 self-published books since 2017, and in 2019 launched a series of innovative products for children that has equipped more than 150,000 families. 

The free distribution of content has helped Chefclub form a committed community that the startup can directly involve in the development of its products. All Chefclub products are created based on the requests, tastes, and opinions shared by the community throughout the product development process.

Meanwhile, as viewers’ attention shifts from television to social networks, Chefclub continues to promote its universe and products through online videos of inspiring and fun recipes seen all around the world. In December 2020 alone, 50 million Americans and more than 15 million French people watched one or more Chefclub recipes. 

In addition to direct sales, the brand is developing its retail presence to allow members of its community to find Chefclub products in their favorite stores. In return, retailers carrying Chefclub products will benefit from the extensive coverage on social media platforms, allowing them to draw in customers who prefer not to order online.

Topping off the good news for Chefclub this week, and the cooking brand has also detailed a new partnership with Groupe SEB for the launch of a range of products under the brand name Chefclub by Tefal.

The new collection will include skillets, saucepans, kitchen tools, and small domestic appliances. Created in collaboration with the Chefclub community, the range combines Chefclub’s expertise in the development of creative recipes with Tefal’s sustainable design.

The new range will be launched in France and across international markets including Germany, Brazil, Italy, South Korea, Canada, Spain, the UK, and Mexico.

The new brand Chefclub by Tefal benefits from unprecedented visibility on social networks and will broaden Groupe SEB’s reach, particularly with Millennials, who are discovering or rediscovering the joys of cooking thanks to the start-up’s content.

By joining forces with Groupe SEB, world reference for small domestic appliances, Chefclub has access to recognized industrial expertise, the renown of the Tefal brand and a broader retail network which will enable its community to discover its products via the Group’s retail channels.

Chefclub teams with Upyaa! to launch kids culinary toys and play-sets

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The digital culinary brand, Chefclub has partnered with Upyaa! to launch a new range of toys and games throughout Europe, enabling kids to engage with a collection of creative play-sets and undertake their own journey to becoming little chefs.

The new sets will encourage kids to create their own ice cream, popsicles, and chocolate bars while each pack includes a booklet with three recipes, designed to help little ones be creative and become autonomous in the kitchen.

The Chefclub Kids culinary collection will be developed around the themes of chocolate, ice cream, and smoothies and will be composed of six products: Best Friends Chocolate Bar Set, Funny Face Chocolate Bar Set, Chocolatier Kit, Ice Cream Set, Popsicle, and Surprise Ice Cream Bar.

The first products will be sold in France in Spring/Summer 2021 and will be released in other European countries thereafter.

Chefclub is recognised as the world’s leading broadcaster of culinary videos on social media, with more than a billion views worldwide and more than 600 million monthly views in Europe. Chefclub’s easy, inspiring, and innovative recipes have already gained over 95 million followers worldwide and 20 million people in Europe.

Meanwhile, Chefclub Kids has more than 20 million monthly views in Europe and has an active and growing community. 

Marie-Laure Marchand, SVP, global consumer products and business development at Chefclub, said: “Since its launch at the end of 2019, our digital channel, Chefclub Kids, has been increasingly successful with families with children. It seemed natural for us to partner with Upyaa! a specialist in culinary and educational games to complete our product offering for the youngest and to make our debut into the games/toys categories.”

Stéphane Borgeais, co-founder of Upyaa! added: “Chefclub Kids is a very important license for us and we are happy to start this partnership with such a dynamic franchise. With Chefclub Kids, we are motivated and will offer six products based on the themes of chocolate and ice cream. Our objective is to add 50 per cent of new products per year over the next two years.

“To date, the collection has already received excellent response and we will be available, from this spring, in all the specialty shops and websites.”