Cottage Delight, the speciality food experts, are targeting Britain’s convenience retailers with "Cooking with Cottage Delight", a new range of premium cooking solutions designed to make mid-week meals quicker, easier, and tastier.
The new Cooking with Cottage Delight range promises delicious dishes made simple and is designed for the growing number of time-poor consumers who want quick and simple yet high quality meals.
The premium selection of meal solutions targets the growing trend of the "home-body economy’". Due to the current economic climate, many "foodie" consumers are seeking the quality and flavour of restaurant meals in the comfort of their own home. The range promises mouth-watering meals that require minimum effort and ingredients to create, yet do not compromise on flavour. Alongside this, all of the dishes can be quickly prepared in one pan in under 30 minutes, ensuring low-energy cooking options for consumers. Giving the range even more shelf-appeal, each product has simple step-by-step meal instructions and a QR code leading to further recipe inspiration.
The must-stock products in the Cooking with Cottage Delight range are the Good Taste Award-winning Tikka Masala Curry Paste (175g), Plum & Hoisin Sauce (410g), and Wild Porcini Mushroom Risotto (250g.) The global curry collection also includes Korma Curry Paste, Madras Curry Paste, Thai Green Curry Paste and Katsu Curry Paste, all priced £4.99 for a 175g jar. The family friendly cooking sauces feature Smoky Barbecue Pasta & Pizza Sauce (350g), Tomato & Red Pepper Pasta & Pizza Sauce (350g), and Sundried Tomato, Garlic & Chilli Cooking Sauce, both 350g and all priced at £4.99. The pasta drizzles and pizza glazes include Basil Pesto Pizza Drizzle, Roast Garlic & Red Pepper Pizza Drizzle and Garlic Balsamic Pizza Glaze, all £2.99 for 100ml.
Completing the gourmet range is a delicious dry mix selection of risottos, rices, and couscous: Pea, Mint & Ham Risotto, Spiced Biryani Basmati Rice; Thai Jasmine Coconut Rice, Pine Nut & Basil Risotto, Smoked Paprika & Saffron Paella; and Mediterranean Tomato & Garlic Couscous and Moroccan Spiced Couscous, all £4.99 for 250g. Each pack serves four.
Cottage Delight have ensured retailers can seamlessly move the product from storage to display, with sleek shelf-ready packaging and a selection of eye-catching point of sale material that ensures consumers can effortlessly shop the range.
“Launching the Cooking with Cottage Delight range into the convenience channel is a major step for the Cottage Delight brand, taking us into a new market and a new category where there is a clear gap for a premium offering of this kind," said Tony Price, National Account Manager, Cottage Delight.
"The range offers convenience retailers a commercial opportunity with an additional revenue story, and the chance to win their shoppers’ hearts and minds by enabling them to prepare a wide range of delicious dishes made simple, particularly for midweek meal occasions, a time when we could all do with a helping hand. by bringing inspiration to shoppers looking for a delicious midweek meal solution."
Cottage Delight are supporting the launch of the Cooking with Cottage Delight range into the convenience channel by offering a winning merchandising solution to suit the majority of FMCG retail environments with bespoke promotions to drive trial, digital support tailored to customers, and a LinkedIn campaign. From May, the consumer support programme continues, including weekly social media content, collaboration with foodie influencers, and a targeted email campaign to the trade and consumer.
“We’re keen to help our retail customers make the most of our new products and use the point of sale to create powerful displays, and work with them on in-store tastings, social media, and other initiatives," said Tony. "Cottage Delight has been making speciality foods for nearly fifty years, and we’re passionate about working in partnership with customers to share our success.”
Walkers Chocolates said it is switching its popular own brand Turkish Delight and Mint Cream chocolate bars into EvoPak RCM, a 100% recyclable paper wrapper.
The bars will begin rolling out to selected Premier and Asda stores this month.
Unlike conventional paper packaging which often contains polyethylene, consumers can dispose of the new Walkers’ wrapper in their normal kerbside recycling collection along with their other paper recyclable items. Currently, it is only possible to recycle similar wrappers by returning them to store, which isn’t convenient for consumers and in many cases, where recycling processes aren’t carefully controlled, the wrapper still ends up in landfill or incinerated.
Significantly, if littered, the new wrapper does not produce harmful microplastics when it breaks down which cause serious damage to the environment and animal health.
Walkers Chocolates said the new paper wrapper provides a functional and environmentally friendly alternative to current snack and confectionary packaging which, over the past 30 years, has become complex with the development of light weight multi-layer structures.
This has driven efficiency and shelf life, but the complexity makes them impossible to deal with at end of life. This is compounded by consumer consumption, which is often on the move, making littering a bigger problem than other formats. The other factor is that small units using a complex combination of materials makes recycling and recovery options currently limited, resulting in landfill with no circularity option.
“At Walkers Chocolates, we have a strong focus on sustainability and are committed to reducing our impact on the environment. As part this, we will move away from plastic to paper-based materials completely over the next three to five years where possible,” Tom Murtagh, commercial director, Walkers Chocolates, said.
“Today’s announcement is an exciting step for the Walkers team with two our key customers and I hope is the start of a much bigger revolution in the chocolate category, and one which will be welcomed by consumers who can recycle the wrappers and know that no harmful microplastics are being produced at end of life.”
Developed by EvoPak, a manufacturer of sustainable paper based flexible packaging, the new paper wrapper (known as RCM) uses the same environmentally friendly technology as the world’s first fully recyclable crisp packet – the innovative polymer, Hydropol, developed by Aquapak, which is used in place of conventional plastic.
To keep the chocolate fresh and in good condition in transit and on the shelf, the packaging needs to provide protection from oxygen, seal well on standard packaging equipment and must be easy to print on. Hydropol provides all this functionality as well as offering multiple safe end-of-life disposal options for consumers and brands who want to help eliminate harmful plastic pollution.
Hydropol allows paper to remain fully recyclable and compostable and is even compatible with anaerobic digestion. Thanks to its solubility it doesn’t interfere with the recycling process and can allow up to 100% paper fibre recovery in standard mills.
Furthermore, if unintentionally released into the natural environment, Hydropol – which is proven to be both non-toxic and marine safe – still has a safe end-of life and will dissolve and subsequently biodegrade. It does not break down into harmful microplastics either in the paper mill or if packaging it is not disposed of as intended. It is already being used in products such as crisp packets, chocolate and garment bags.
The wrappers have been certified as recyclable in standard paper recycling mills by OPRL, the only evidence-based on pack recycling labelling scheme. This means they feature the green recycle logo and can be disposed of in consumer kerbside collections along with other paper material, unlike other wrappers.
Leading fuel brand JET has launched its biggest national promotion to date - Pump Up To 70 - with a chance to win a Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid worth £26,000.
To enter the prize draw, part of JET’s 70th anniversary celebrations, JET customers simply have to fill their vehicle and stop fuelling at a price ending in £0.70 (e.g. £23.70). They then need to take a photo showing the price on the pump display, post it to their Instagram story and tag @JETLocalUK.
All information on how to enter will be available via pump topper frames and posters for all pumps and JET customers and their friends and family can enter as many times as they wish.
“I can’t think of a more fitting way to mark 70 years of JET, a driver-first business through-and-through, than to give away a brand new car,” Áine Corkery, manager, brand, UK marketing at Phillips 66 Limited, commented.
“2024 has been a very special year for JET and the ‘Pump Up To 70’ promotion is our way of saying thank you to our loyal customers and dealers. One JET customer is set for a very good Christmas this year!”
Supported by a media campaign featuring one of social media’s most-famous families, the Harfin’s, the prize draw promotion will run for three weeks (ending 1 December) with the winner notified via Instagram.
Arla Foods has launched three new branded yogurt products, signalling its ambition to invest and grow its yogurts portfolio.
The new products include Arla LactoFREE natural yogurt (400g), Arla Skyr Whipped (128g) – in three flavours – and Arla Protein yogurt, in a larger pot (450g)
Arla LactoFREE natural yogurt offers all the taste of dairy, but with none of the lactose. High in protein and containing added vitamin D, the larger format provides shoppers with the option to enjoy Arla LactoFREE natural yogurt at any time of the day, whether it’s to combine with cereal for the ultimate breakfast, snack on throughout the day, or to add a dollop to cooking for extra creaminess.
Arla Skyr Whipped is a new addition to the Arla Skyr family and comes in three flavours: Strawberries and Cream, Caramelised Orange, and Coconut and White Chocolate. It’s the perfect anytime snack, offering the ultimate blend of feel-good indulgence – protein rich and creamy Icelandic-style skyr, whipped to light and airy perfection, then layered over a fruit compote for a burst of flavour.
Leading dairy protein brand, Arla Protein, has also launched a 450g pot in Vanilla and Strawberry flavours. Containing 45g of protein, the bigger pot is an ideal base for breakfast and snacks.
“It’s been nearly 10 years since we brought our first Arla yogurt to the UK market, and as the UKs largest dairy cooperative, and one of the largest food & drink companies in the country, we are proud to be expanding our yogurts portfolio to offer increased choice for those looking for natural and nutritious food options,” Catriona Mantle, associate category director at Arla Foods, said.
“Health and taste are the biggest reasons that shoppers are generally consuming yogurts, but we also know that shoppers aren’t shopping for ‘yogurts’, they’re shopping for specific occasions. We are therefore offering shoppers a choice; whether they’re looking for a yogurt to meet functional needs, big or small serving sizes, or for a particular level of indulgence. Our Arla yogurts portfolio is growing, but we’re not stopping there, as we have exciting plans to come in 2025!”
Arla LactoFREE Natural yogurt 400g (MRRP £1.85), Arla Skyr Whipped (MRRP £1.25) and Arla Protein yogurt 450g (MRRP £2.25) are all available now.
Premium vodka-based RTD brand Four Loko has released its new limited edition flavour, Black, which consists of a surprisingly green serve.
With notes of kiwi and an ABV of 8.4 per cent, Four Loko Black delivers a fresh and fruity blast to “excite the senses”, while the striking black and green can delivers high on-shelf visibility to help maximise sales and encourage shoppers to the fixture.
“With the festive season now upon us, this is the perfect time for consumers to get their hands on this limited edition release and embrace the season with an exciting new taste sensation,” said Clark McIlroy, Managing Director of Four Loko distributor Red Star Brands.
Four Loko Black is now available in 440ml cans, RRP £3.49, for a limited time only. Sales support focusing on the new ‘Party in a Can’ campaign includes a range of in-store POS material featuring shelf barkers, wobblers and digital aisle fins, as well as high-profile social media and influencer campaigns.
“We know that NPD drives consumer interest in the RTD category so we’re excited to add some more vibrant colour in the run-up to Christmas,” added McIlroy. “Dark Berry Burst launched in May 2024 and is now the number two fastest-selling SKU behind Four Loko White, so we have high hopes for Black.
“The fact that premium priced RTDs have grown faster than any other segment in the last two years means that there are some great opportunities out there for retailers to capitalise on this popularity.”
The launch of Four Loko Black is being supported by the “Party in a Can” campaign, designed to engage the brand’s target Gen Z audience through multiple platforms and social media channels. The campaign encourages consumers to share their #FourLokoMoments – authentic, fun experiences where Four Loko is part of the celebration. This user-generated content approach will help create organic brand ambassadors, showcasing real-life enjoyment of Four Loko and highlighting the spirit of #PartyInACan.
Selected entrants will have the chance to receive exclusive merchandise and become part of Four Loko’s brand story. To further support the launch, Four Loko has also partnered with Snappy Shopper in Scotland for Black Friday promotions, offering exclusive deals on For Loko Black during the festive season.
“The idea is to bring to life the brand’s authentic, bold positioning while driving deeper connections through social engagement,” added McIlroy. “This exciting campaign is anchored by out-of-home executions and influencer content that complement these consumer-driven stories.”
Four Loko’s premium vodka-based, caffeine-free RTDs are all available in 440ml cans. The launch of Four Loko Black brings the total range available to 10 flavours; other variants include Pink Melon, Dark Berry Burst, White, Strawberry Lemonade, Tropical, Blue, Fruit Punch, Gold and Tutti Frutti (all 8.4 per cent ABV).
The UK market has seen volumes up five per cent for nuts and 3.4 per cent for dried fruits as consumers become increasingly aware of the potentially negative impact of ultra-processed foods and seek out healthier baking and snacking options, including dried fruits and nuts.
Itac’s comprehensive range offers premium quality nuts and dried fruits ideal for home baking in the run-up to Christmas, and for those looking to take part in Veganuary in the new year. Available in large pack sizes from 350-900g, they not only make the perfect baking and cooking ingredient, they are also ideal for larger family snacking and entertaining.
From pistachios to walnuts, Brazil nuts to almonds and everything in between, the range can help drive sales by catering to consumers appetite for wholesome and natural products. Whilst their long shelf life and ambient storage make them convenient and easy to store.
“The next three months offer retailers a huge opportunity with consumers looking to create festive recipes in the run up to Christmas and often switching to a more health-focused, vegan outlook in January and beyond," said said Ricardo Miralles, Marketing Manager, Importaco Nuts. Our premium nuts and dried fruits are the very best quality and allow consumers to enjoy the natural magic of nuts and dried fruit. What’s more, they offer real versatility for consumers – elevating a whole host of dishes, both sweet and savoury – and, because of their long ambient shelf life, retailers are also able to ensure waste – and the associated cost – is minimised.”
Itac have teamed by with chef Thomas Leatherbarrow to create a range of recipes perfect for the winter season which can be views on the campaign website.
Itac’s extensive premium nuts and dried fruits range is available to purchase in the fresh produce section at Booker Wholesale.