Tag Archives: food and beverage

Golden Goose names licensing agent for ‘seriously good’ food brand, Twisted

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The strategic licensing consultancy, Golden Goose has been appointed by Jungle Creations to develop licensed products under its Twisted brand.

Recipes and video content for “unserious food that tastes seriously good” has made Twisted the UK’s No. 1 food brand on social, acquiring over 30 million followers  since 2016. 

Award-winning marketing campaigns for brands such as Baileys, Heinz, Hellmans, Birdseye, Walkers and McDonalds saw Twisted sponsored content generate 55 million views in 2020. As a brand that influences the purchasing decisions of Gen-Z consumers, Twisted is now looking to leverage its market intelligence onto its own branded products.

The brand will look to take the Twisted across multiple food and non-food categories.  

Olly Johnson, Twisted’s managing director of eCommerce, explained: “As the UK’s number one food and drink brand on social we know the engagement we can deliver with Twisted digital content and, working with Golden Goose, we look forward to making Twisted branded products widely available for our  growing audience to enjoy.” 

Adam Bass, director of Golden Goose, added: “Consumers are desperate for  innovation and, for Gen-Z, food is content for their feed. The Golden Goose  team are excited to be working with the Twisted brand to deliver innovative, interesting and unserious food and food gifting products into multiple retail  and direct to consumers.”  

Multiple retail food sales grew by £9 billion in 2020 with line extensions into  booming markets advancing at warp speed, so the Twisted licensing  programme looks set to build on the successful Twisted Kitchen delivery-only  restaurant and the best-selling Twisted cookbook.

Ben & Jerry’s enters pets market with Doggie Desserts and branded accessories

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The globally renowned ice cream company, Ben & Jerry’s is taking a new leap into the pets market with the unveiling of two new flavours designed exclusively for canines.

Called Doggie Desserts, the new launch is a range of frozen treats billed by Ben & Jerry’s as ‘paws-itively perfect for your pet,’ specifically formulated for dogs with a sunflower butter base. The two flavours: Pontch’s Mix (with peanut butter and pretzel swirls) and Rosie’s Batch (with pumpkin  and mini cookies) are sold as ‘just what a good dog needs after a long wal with their human.’

“We know our fans love their dogs and treat them like family,” said Lindsay Bumps, a Ben & Jerry’s global marketing specialist who also happens to be a certified veterinary technician. “We created this product line so pups can enjoy something even better than belly rubs. Doggie Desserts are the sweetest treat they’ll ever put their paws on.”

Pontch’s Mix and Rosie’s Batch were named after two real dogs in the Ben & Jerry’s office – an affectionate Frenchie and a rescue mutt of mixed heritage. As a dog-friendly workplace, the Ben & Jerry’s headquarters in Vermont often has up to 40 pups curled up under desks, keeping employees company.

In addition to the two new Doggie Desserts, Ben & Jerry’s has partnered with like-minded suppliers to offer must-have pet accessories like a 6′ custom tie dye leash made from recycled water bottles and a plush cone toy stuffed with recycled fill.

Subway taps Broad Street Licensing Group to grow food and lifestyle licensing footprint

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Subway restaurants has named Broad Street Licensing Group as its licensing representative as the global sandwich brand looks to expand its Subway licensing footprint. The partnership will focus on the creation of Subway branded licensed products in food and lifestyle categories.

Mike Kappit, chief operating and insights officer at Subway, said: “Our collaboration with Broad Street Licensing Group enables us to connect fans to the Subway brand in new and unexpected ways. “With BSLG, we will grow our presence beyond our natural borders into other retail environments and strengthen our positioning as a food and lifestyle brand.”

Bill Cross, senior vice president of business development at BSLG, added: “Subway is an iconic brand known throughout the world for customized, delicious subs made with quality and fresh ingredients.

“Through our work with Subway, we will highlight the restaurant’s iconic image along with its fresh, high-quality ingredients to bring fans licensed food and lifestyle products.”

BSLG was handed the Licensing International Awards for Best Licensed Products in the food and beverage category in 2019.

The Hairy Bikers cook up new kitchenware ecommerce platform with Visualsoft

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The Hairy Bikers brand is cooking up new plans for the ecommerce space through a partnership between Eurosonic Group – a UK-based specialist in homeware and kitchenware – and the ecommerce experts, Visualsoft. The partnership will see the launch of a new Hairy Bikers World ecommerce platform.

Under the partnership, Visualsoft will develop the Hairy Bikers Kitchenware ecommerce website, which will be the source of all official Hairy Bikers Kitchenware merchandise. Experienced chefs and fans alike will be able to purchase a variety of cookbooks, pots and pans, stoneware, and other kitchenware.

Eurosonic Group’s partnership with Visualsoft will allow the brand to tap into the ecommerce agency’s more than 20 years of industry expertise to allow the business to evolve, expand and trade in areas beyond its current reach.

The Hairy Biker’s Kitchenware website will receive Professional Optimum level support, along with multi-channel marketing support including Paid Search, Email Marketing and Social Media, along with hosting and maintenance.

Oliver Homshaw, ecommerce manager at Eurosonic Group, stated: “Visualsoft’s experience and track record in ecommerce was exactly what we were looking for. Along with this, their intuitive platform and the ability to access their team of experts in all fields of ecommerce made this a no brainer for us.

“We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Visualsoft for the Hairy Bikers Kitchenware site. Their team really understood our vision for the site and they have been hugely supportive during the launch. We see Visualsoft as a long term partner for us and look forward to working with them for the years to come.”

The website will also be adorned with features to help the brand achieve their growth objectives. Capabilities such as autocomplete and voice search will enhance user experience on the website, and features such as visual merchandising, product upselling and add to wishlist will help the brand increase conversion rates, encourage sales and increase eCommerce revenue.

On the launch of the website, Hairy Biker, Dave Myers, said: “We are so excited about the launch of our Kitchenware website. It is a culmination of several years of work to create a one stop shop for our kitchenware. The colours on our stoneware we love – and the practicality of our new pans. The quality is great, we use them in our own kitchens and we believe them to be great value for money.

“When we write a book we create recipes that we want to use ourselves, it is the same ethos with our kitchenware range. Now we have a shop window for this, it’s great.”

Finsbury Food Group extends its partnership with Thorntons, and we can all be happy about that

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Finsbury Food Group has detailed a three-year extension to its long-term partnership with the chocolatier Thorntons, a collaboration that has driven the celebration cake market for the past 20 years.

Finsbury has developed a range of premium products through a licensing arrangement with the Thorntons business. Thorntons full cake range with Finsbury includes celebration cakes, including classic flavours such as sticky toffee and triple layer chocolate, cupcake platters, FTG Bars and the much-loved Bites, designed to make bitesize moments special, with flavours ranging from chocolate fudge brownie to caramel shortcake made with Thorntons’ traditional recipe toffee sauce.

The businesses will continue to work together until 2023, with future developments including the launch of treat bars, and further updates to the bites ranges, including seasonal, and cupcake platters.

 Jack Cook-Broussine, brand manager at Finsbury Food Group, said: “Our relationship with Thorntons is one of the longest in the industry, a true testament to the partnership we have built and the team’s ability to monitor changing consumer trends and develop products that capture the imagination of the consumer.

“We have seen huge success throughout the years of working together, particularly with our scrumptious bites products which are perfect for making bitesize moments special.

“With 20 successful years under our belt, it’s brilliant to be able to extend our partnership by another three years, particularly after what has been a challenging year for the cake industry overall. We are looking forward to seeing what 2021 brings for the brand.”

Fiona Morgan, head of Foodservice Ferrero UK & Ireland, at Ferrero UK Ltd, added: “It is through our strong partnership with Finsbury that we continue to drive the celebration cake market. There’s no denying it has been a challenging year for all, but we hope to bring some joy to consumers with our cakes this Christmas. Thorntons is also a strong player in the cake bites market, and we are excited to refresh our delicious bites ranges in the near future.”

Moonpig partners with KFC to launch limited edition Christmas cards and merchandise

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Moonpig has reignited a partnership with KFC to launch a limited edition range of Christmas cards in its move to ‘spread chicken and cheer’ for the holiday season. The series of six Christmas cards come complete with festive designs while a portion of sales will go to Comic Relief through the KFC Foundation.

Featuring carol Zingers singing, sleigh bells winging and Colonel Sanders slipping a hot wing under the tree, the launch has been manipulated to ‘sprinkle some much needed joy to this year’s festive season. ‘

“So, why not send a lenticular card with a gravy optical illusion to your gravy lovin’ gran, or a personalised ‘Fillet Navidad’ card to your KFC obsessed mate?” says Moonpig via a press release.

The KFC x Moonpig Christmas card range is available online exclusively at Moonpig. Ten per cent of net sales will go directly to KFC Foundation’s charity partner, Comic Relief and its work to support young people across the UK to fulfil their potential.

“But it’s not just cards we’ve launched this Christmas…” added the company. “We recently announced the launch of our first ever line of merch ahead of the festive season, with a clucking good range of streetwear and Christmas jumpers.”

The new range can be viewed here.

“So, whether it’s a Christmas eve filled with a Family Feast or watching Mother Hen take a snooze after one too many egg-nogs on Boxing Day, KFC & Christmas will always have one thing in common, they’re meant for sharing,” Moonpig concluded.

Freedom Confectionery teams with Pusheen the Cat to launch the first chocolate vegan gummy bar

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Freedom Confectionery, the UK-based allergen-free, vegan mallow specialist, is to launch the first chocolate coated vegan gummy bar to the market as part of a brand licensing partnership with Pusheen The Cat.

The partnership will be the first confectionery licensing agreement globally recognised brand, Pusheen, has made since its inception in 2010.

As the first European manufacturer of gelatine-free marshmallows, Freedom Confectionery, along with its partnership with Pusheen, is hoping to build on its allergy-free credentials offering vegan, vegetarian, plant-based and non-allergy customers worldwide a sweet treat that is completely gelatine-free.

The 54g strawberry flavoured vegan gummy bar, aptly named, Vegumi, will be coated in dairy-free chocolate and wrapped in a designed film featuring Pusheen The Cat.

The partnership now allows the Lancashire-based Freedom Confectionery the opportunity to reach a new audience and cement its position within the allergy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based market.

Elvin Willgrass, sales director at Freedom Confectionery, said: “After being in the business for five years, this is by far the most exciting launch Freedom Confectionery has been a part of. To have a brand licensing partnership with Pusheen is an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to hear what our customers think of it.

“Not only does Vegumi taste amazing, but it’s also approved by The Vegan Society and is free from the top allergens. As a business, we believe in 100 per cent allergy-free, no product leaves our factory without being thoroughly tested and packaged accordingly and we’re delighted that Pusheen want to be part of our business journey.”

Cate D’Allessandro, director of licensing at Pusheen Corp, added: “Our team is excited to partner with Freedom Confectionery to bring our fans a delicious new sweet treat to enjoy.”

The new Vegumi bar will be available to purchase initially from the Freedom Confectionery online shop https://freedommallows.com/our-shop/ from £1.99 per bar.

Freedom Confectionery also have plans to roll the new product offering out to retailers through its national distributors, Bravura Foods.

Approved by The Vegan Society, the Freedom Confectionery Pusheen Vegumi bar is gelatine, gluten, egg, dairy, and soy free with no artificial colours or flavourings.

The spirit is strong with Original Stormtroopers as IP sees ‘huge online demand’ and new product launches

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The Sourceror Ltd has called ‘all hands to the pump’ over the current surge in demand for Original Stormtrooper Beer, a licensed line produced in partnership with Vocation Brewery and Shepperton Design Studios, that has risen in popularity over the course of what had been dubbed Lockdown 2.0.

It’s according to The Sourceror’s Ben Fowler that such is the increase in online ordering of the licensed beer that supply chains for the business have been ‘massively challenged’, and that now ‘it really is all hands to the pump’ in order to meet demand.

Meanwhile, the Original Stormtrooper licensing programme is experiencing pick-up across the alcoholic beverage sector where it has recently launched three new 70cl gin variants to complement its successful Salted Caramel and Vodka liqueurs in B&M stores. The new spirits from Blue Tree Gifts strengthen the brand in the BWS category where it has already driven sales of over 150,000 Original Stormtrooper gift-sets.

Finally, licensee Beer Buddies is ready to unveil a new hand-sculpted wall mounted Original  Stormtrooper bottle opener: a sure sign of the brand’s potential in this space.  

Shepperton Design Studio’s Andrew Ainsworth, commented: “Any connection  between these products and the Stormtrooper’s failure to shoot straight is purely coincidental.” 

Sesame Street tucks into the breakfast market with its own cereal launch

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Sesame Workshop is tucking into the breakfast market with the launch of the first Sesame Street Cereal, a new range developed in partnership with cereal specialist, General Mills. The range will appear on shelves across the US from January 2021.

The cereal has been developed to support growing bodies with essential nutrients, while also engaging young minds with activities and stories. The cereal will arrive in two varieties: berry flavour with number-shaped pieces, and cinnamon flavour with letter-shaped pieces.

The back of each box will open like a book and will feature dual language (English and Spanish) short stories with the Sesame Street favourite, Elmo.

“We are thrilled to team up with Sesame Street, to launch cereals with key nutrients, delicious flavors, and playful learning opportunities to make breakfast that much more meaningful for parents and kids alike,” said Hillary Balma, senior brand manager, General Mills. “We know that breakfast can be challenging for parents who are struggling to find foods that offer both the nutrition and the fun flavors kids want.”

To create meaningful playful learning opportunities at breakfast, Sesame Street Cereal boxes offer games and six dual-language stories with everyone’s favorite 3½ -year-old monster, Elmo. Story themes include Elmo Visits the Farm, Elmo’s Day at School, On the Go with Elmo, and others. Each story follows Elmo and his friends as they play and learn on Sesame Street and prompts questions to help kids stretch their imaginations, engage in counting, recognize shapes and letters, and more.

“Sesame Workshop’s mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder, and that means nourishing the mind and body,” said Gabriela Arenas, vice president of licensing, North America, Sesame Workshop. “Breakfast gives kids the boost they need to grow, play, and learn each day. We’re pleased to team up with General Mills to give families a nutritious meal choice and an opportunity to start the morning with their favorite Sesame Street friends.”

Sesame Street tucks into the breakfast market with its own cereal launch

Posted on by

Sesame Workshop is tucking into the breakfast market with the launch of the first Sesame Street Cereal, a new range developed in partnership with cereal specialist, General Mills. The range will appear on shelves across the US from January 2021.

The cereal has been developed to support growing bodies with essential nutrients, while also engaging young minds with activities and stories. The cereal will arrive in two varieties: berry flavour with number-shaped pieces, and cinnamon flavour with letter-shaped pieces.

The back of each box will open like a book and will feature dual language (English and Spanish) short stories with the Sesame Street favourite, Elmo.

“We are thrilled to team up with Sesame Street, to launch cereals with key nutrients, delicious flavors, and playful learning opportunities to make breakfast that much more meaningful for parents and kids alike,” said Hillary Balma, senior brand manager, General Mills. “We know that breakfast can be challenging for parents who are struggling to find foods that offer both the nutrition and the fun flavors kids want.”

To create meaningful playful learning opportunities at breakfast, Sesame Street Cereal boxes offer games and six dual-language stories with everyone’s favorite 3½ -year-old monster, Elmo. Story themes include Elmo Visits the Farm, Elmo’s Day at School, On the Go with Elmo, and others. Each story follows Elmo and his friends as they play and learn on Sesame Street and prompts questions to help kids stretch their imaginations, engage in counting, recognize shapes and letters, and more.

“Sesame Workshop’s mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder, and that means nourishing the mind and body,” said Gabriela Arenas, vice president of licensing, North America, Sesame Workshop. “Breakfast gives kids the boost they need to grow, play, and learn each day. We’re pleased to team up with General Mills to give families a nutritious meal choice and an opportunity to start the morning with their favorite Sesame Street friends.”