Cheez-It, the iconic US brand that burst onto the UK snacks scene last year, has announced a new competition exclusively for independent retailers, with a whopping £10,000 cash prize up for grabs.
To be in with a chance of winning, convenience group store owners simply order a free POS bundle, which comprises a wobbler, shelf strips, and aisle fins, via the link below or through the QR code live now across all print and digital adverts. Once received and live in store, entrants just need to text photos of all three assets in situ to 81155. The winner will then be chosen at random.
Cheez-It has taken the UK by storm since it landed on shelves across the country last summer, achieving a staggering £10.4million value sales to date, becoming the biggest "Large Sharing" NPD of the last four years. The brand has already won over 2.5 million shoppers, driving an impressive 8.6 per cent penetration in the market, with a strong 26 per cent repeat rate demonstrating its growing popularity. With continued through-the-line investment of £18million, sales are expected to keep soaring.
“Over the past six months, the convenience channel has been instrumental in making our UK debut a phenomenal success," said Charlie Foster, Senior Sales Director at Kellanova. Through this new competition, we want to reward our retailer partners for coming on this journey with us and help them drive even more impulse snack sales with our vibrant, eye-catching POS bundle.
“It’s so straightforward to enter, and with the chance to win £10,000, we encourage all eligible stores to request the POS bundle today to enter the competition and showcase the biggest NPD in Large Sharing in style!”
Retailers can request the free POS bundle here. Terms and conditions apply:
This competition is exclusively open to owners and employees of UK convenience stores. GB only. Entrants must be 18+. Open from 00:01 03.03.2025 to 25.04.25. To enter prize draw: Request 10k-Giveaway POS bundle from www.kelloggsvantage.co.uk. Take a photograph of your POS material and upload a clear photograph of the POS material along with your full name, store name and contact details to www.10k-Giveaway.co.uk. Winners will be drawn at random from all valid entries received during the promotional period stated by an independent adjudicator. There is x1 (one) prize of £10,000. Cash awarded via BACS payment to winners. Max 1 entry per person. Max 1 prize per person. For exclusions, full terms and conditions and information on how your personal data will be compliantly handled visit www.stockitcheezit.com/terms. Promoter: Kellogg Marketing and Sales Company (UK) Limited, Orange Tower, MediaCityUK, Salford, M50 2HF.
Award-winning snack maker, Burts, has announced the launch of its brand-new flavour of ridges; Cheddar & Caramelised Onion Chutney, and packaging refresh which will launch in mid-March of 2025.
Available as 40g packs, the new flavour of ridges serves as a more substantial snack with deep ridges holding more flavour to capture an even bolder Burts taste.
The ridges promise a perfect blend of rich, savoury cheddar sourced locally from Quicke’s Cheese Shop, complemented by the sweet tang of caramelised onion chutney.
Alongside the new flavour, Burts is unveiling a bold new look across the entire range. The refreshed packaging has been designed with enhanced flavour cues to highlight the rich, distinctive tastes that set the brand apart.
The updated design not only reinforces the premium quality of the crisps but also ensures strong shelf appeal, making it easier than ever for customers to spot their favourite flavours.
At Burts, quality starts at the source, which is why the brand proudly uses locally sourced potatoes from trusted British farmers.
By working closely with growers in the Southwest region including Trenowth Farm, Splattenridden Farm and others, it is ensured the crisps are made with the finest, freshest ingredients while supporting local agriculture.
Each potato is carefully selected for its quality and taste, meaning every batch delivers the signature crunch and flavour that Burts is known for, and as with all Burts products, are gluten-free and contain no added MSG, artificial colours.
Commenting on the new flavour and packaging refresh, Sas Horscroft, Head of Marketing at Burts Snacks Ltd said, “We’re excited to unveil the new Cheddar and Caramelised Onion Chutney flavour, a bold and irresistible addition to our ridges range.
At the same time, our refreshed packaging brings the entire ridges range to life, with vibrant designs and enhanced flavour cues that reflect the premium quality and big flavours our brand is known for.
It’s an exciting step forward for Burts as we continue to innovate and deliver exceptional snacking experiences.”
PepsiCo is introducing its "Max Your Snacks" retailer guide this March, a category guide designed to help convenience stores optimise their savoury snacks range through practical, easy-to-implement advice. In fact, convenience retailers could be sitting on an average of £17.8k worth of savoury snacks sales every year in-store. By executing the category in the right way, retailers could truly maximise sales and drive an additional uplift of 16 per cent.
In the UK, 99 per cent of the population consume savoury snacks, and within convenience outlets specifically, 50 per cent of shoppers purchase from the category. PepsiCo’s Max Your Snacks guide offers insights on the right space, range, layout, points of interruption and the right NPD to make the most of the category. It’s been designed to equip retailers with the tools and insights needed to support category expansion, and shines a light on the importance of price-marked packs (PMPs) within savoury snacks. The format helps build shopper trust and encourages impulse buys, offering clarity and value to shoppers.
“At PepsiCo, we are committed to supporting the convenience channel and independent retailers in driving maximum success in their stores,” said Nic Storey, Senior Sales Director, Impulse, at PepsiCo. “Through our ‘Max Your Snacks’ guide, we’re equipping retailers with expert insights to help them feel confident, informed, and empowered to grow their business and unlock additional revenue. While launches like Extra Flamin’ Hot and Doritos Dinamita have injected excitement into the category, NPD is just one part of savoury snacking. It’s vital that we also work collaboratively with our retail partners to support our range as well and help them make PMPs work as hard as possible. This is a key format for the channel which we continue to support, ensuring our core range and bestsellers are available at great value to shoppers.”
Available exclusively via *shopt, PepsiCo is also giving retailers the chance to earn cash rewards for downloading the guide, plus an exclusive competition for those who engage with the principles. Kicking off from 17 March 2025, retailers who successfully download the Max Your Snacks guide via *shopt will earn £2 in credit on their account. From 1 April 2025, retailers who have successfully downloaded the guide will then be invited to take part in a follow-up offer to stock five of PepsiCo’s recommended PMP SKUs. Retailers who upload a photo of the stocked items will be entered into a prize draw, with 30 winners each receiving £100.
PepsiCo’s Max Your Snacks guide is available via *shopt and can be accessed by independent and symbol group retailers with a *shopt account. To enter the competition and discover expert strategies to unlock your category’s full potential, download the *shopt app now at https://www.shopt.digital/en-gb/#download.
Recommended PMP Range:
Doritos EFH 70g PMP
Doritos Chilli Heatwave 70g PMP
Doritos Cool Original 70g PMP
Doritos Tangy Cheese 70g PMP
Walkers Max EFH 70g PMP
Wotsits Crunchy EFH 60g PMP
Wotsits Crunchy Cheese 60g PMP
Wotsits Crunchy FH 60g PMP
Walkers Smokey Bacon 32.5g Single PMP
Walkers Roast Chicken 32.5g Single PMP
Walkers Ready Salted 70g PMP
Walkers C&O 70g PMP
Walkers S&V 70g PMP
Walkers Prawn Cocktail 70g PMP
Walkers Max Punchy Paprika 70g PMP
Sensations TSC 65g PMP
Cheetos Twisted FH 65g PMP
Cheetos Twisted FH 30g PMP
Cheetos Crunchy Cheese 30g PMP
Monster Munch Flamin’ Hot 72g PMP
Monster Munch Pickled Onion 72g PMP
Monster Munch Roast Beef 72g PMP
Squares S&V 72g PMP
Squares C&O 72g PMP
Quavers Cheese 54g PMP
Wotsits Cheese 60g PMP
French Fries C&O 54g PMP
Smiths Frazzles 75g PMP
Short terms
Open to GB 18+ *shopt account holders only. Competition opens [00:01] (UK time) on 17/03/2025 and closes at [23:59] (UK time) on 29/04/2025. To qualify, entrants must successfully redeem the offer entitled “Max Your Snacks” by following the “Download Now” link and successfully downloading the category guide. Retailers who have successfully downloaded the guide will receive a follow up offer to stock five of the Max Your Snacks PMP SKUs. To qualify, entrants must successfully redeem the offer entitled “Stock 5 PMP for a Chance to Win £100” by following the “Claim Now” link and successfully stocking of five Max Your Snacks PMP SKUs will result in retailers being automatically entered into a prize draw offering the chance for 30 retailers to win £100 each. Please note entrants need to make their claim before the closing date. Eligible participants will be awarded via their *shopt wallet. Max 1 entry per store. Full T&Cs can be found HERE Promoter: CPM United Kingdom Limited, a company incorporated and registered in England and Wales with registered company number 01757157 and registered office address at 85 Strand, 5th Floor, London, England, WC2R 0DW.
Kepak Foods Division is launching a new brand, “Grab a Bite”, for the out-of-home sector. The range will enable operators to offer hot, tasty and on-trend food 24/7 with minimal operational complexity and labour requirements. The range, which is fully assembled, will be supplied frozen which will enable operators to manage their stock levels and reduce wastage through a Thaw, Heat and Serve Process.
With research showing that burgers are the second most popular dish in the food-to-go market, driving growth at breakfast and lunch, the range is launching with top-selling Burger variants – The Barbecue Chicken Burger, The Classic Cheeseburger, and The Morning Sausage and Cheese Muffin. A wider range of products will follow later this year.
“We are excited to announce the launch of ‘Grab a Bite’ into the Out of Home market,” said Brian Farrell, Kepak Foods Division CEO. “Consumers are increasingly demanding no-compromise food offerings at a time and place that suits them whilst operators are under increasing pressure from the cost of doing business, particularly the availability and cost of labour. We saw a gap in the market to make great tasting hot food that can be prepared easily by operators. Grab a Bite sets a new standard of quality in the market and has been thoroughly researched. Its development has leveraged Kepak’s food-to-go operational expertise, its market leading expertise in the production and assembly of Burgers and Hot Sandwiches and a significant R&D effort”.
Designed to work across all hot vending and heat-and-serve concepts, ‘Grab a Bite’ is suitable for all skill levels and reduces health and safety risks. The products can be cooked in pack using a combi oven, high-speed oven, or microwave.
Hot vending solutions for out-of-home food businesses
Polytag, a leading packaging solutions provider, has announced the achievement of two International Standards Organisation (ISO) certifications, reinforcing its commitment to the highest standards of quality, information security, and privacy management.
Polytag has been awarded ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications, demonstrating its dedication to both quality excellence and robust information security.
ISO 9001 underscores the company’s commitment to operational efficiency, continuous improvement and customer satisfaction, while ISO 27001 ensures strong data protection measures and compliance with international security standards.
Together, these certifications provide Polytag’s customers and partners with confidence in its ability to deliver secure, high-quality solutions at scale.
As a supplier of GS1 UK-approved QR codes and invisible UV tags, Polytag tracks packaging lifecycles through data collection and sharing, showing when, where, and how much consumers interact with and recycle packaging.
These ISO certifications validate the security and quality of Polytag’s technology, reinforcing trust among top brands and retailers.
By meeting these internationally recognised standards, Polytag empowers businesses to track packaging throughout the supply chain, enhance transparency, and drive progress toward a more sustainable, circular economy.
Jon Anderson, Chief Technology Officer at Polytag, said: "As we continue to scale our solutions for businesses worldwide, ensuring the integrity, security, and quality of our operations is paramount. Achieving both ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications underscores our unwavering commitment to excellence.
"ISO 9001 reinforces our process-based approach, commitment to continuously improving our offering and dedication to our customers, while ISO 27001 ensures that we meet the highest security standards in managing sensitive information.
"Together, they provide our partners with confidence in our ability to deliver secure, reliable and high-quality solutions at scale.”
Last year in April, not-for-profit company DDRS Alliance, whose members include Circularity Solutions, Recycl3r, ACE UK, Tetra Pak and Valpak, joined hands with Polytag to accelerate the development and adoption of Digital DRS in the UK.
As the launch date for a DRS in the UK is reportedly delayed further until 2028, the two organisations have pledged to work collaboratively and leverage their experience and expertise to demonstrate the viability and convenience of a Digital DRS.
The move ensures alignment of the two leading organisations in the development of Digital DRS and underpins the approach to develop a global blueprint.
The timing of their alignment is motivated by a shared intention to deliver a viable solution for Digital DRS in the UK and other major European countries.
The UK's leadimg supplier of Caribbean food and drink, Grace Foods UK, has launched its best-selling range of drinks, Grace Tropical Rhythms, in price-marked packs.
The drinks range are available in selected convenience stores across the country priced at £1.79 for 475ml bottles.
Grace Tropical Rhythms is a range of drinks that features four tantalisingly refreshing, thirst-quenching flavours - Mango Carrot; Pineapple Ginger; Fruit Punch; Sorrel Ginger that bring the real taste of the Caribbean to UK shores.
The drinks are made from a blend of fruit and vegetables and are packed full of Caribbean flavours that evoke tastes and memories of exotic adventures to the Caribbean islands.
Speaking about this PMP launch, Dorota Dziedzic, Brand Manager at Grace Foods UK, said, "We rolled out PMPs for Grace Tropical Rhythms last year and they proved to be very successful.
"Priced at £1.79, the drinks offer great value, and we know that PMPs help retailers to drive sales.
"And as we head into spring and summer, demand for our thirst-quenching, Caribbean-inspired drinks soar, so we feel a PMP at the start of March is the perfect timing."
Grace Tropical Rhythms PMP range will be available at selected convenience stores across the UK from July, priced at £1.79.
As a member of the global GraceKennedy Group, headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica, Grace Foods UK is guided by a strong global company with significant expertise and passion for developing iconic and innovative Caribbean products.
Grace Foods UK's brands and products are national favourites and have been at the forefront of Caribbean food worldwide for more than 100 years.
They include: market-leading brands Nurishment (nutritionally enriched milk drinks), Encona Sauce (hot pepper sauces), Grace, Dunn's River and Caribbean Choice (Caribbean beverages and general grocery ranges).