Axia Spirit has Thursday announced a new distribution partnership with UK drinks distributor Craftwork.
Craftwork is now responsible for the distribution of the extra-dry mastiha from Greece throughout the UK.
The first of its kind, Axia is an extra-dry and refreshing mastiha. Pronounced Mas - teek - ah, it is a spirit distilled from the resin of the Mastiha tree, found on the Greek island of Chios. With less calories per serve than vodka, Axia is a new and exciting addition to the white spirits category.
Commenting on the announcement, Mark Dawkins, founding director at Craftwork said, “When a new brand wants to effectively create a new (sub)-category, it needs to have everything: premium and attractive packaging, great liquid, a great story, the right strategy and investment levels, and the right team of people behind it. Axia has all of this. We are very excited by every aspect of this partnership and are already enjoying working with Tony and the team. The reaction to Axia is already extremely encouraging.”
Axia chief executive Tony Chvala added, “we couldn’t be more thrilled to have Mark and Craftwork as our distributor that will build off of a solid base in the UK market since our launch in 2021. Their team is uniquely aligned with our growth plans and we look forward to supporting them.”
Gherkin brand Mrs Elswood has unveiled a new duo of snack pickles in handy pouches for maximum on-the-go enjoyment.
The innovative new Mrs Elswood Pickle Bites are available in convenient 50g packs – perfect for on-the go snacking, picnics and lunchboxes – in fiery Peri Peri and the original Classic flavours.
“Delivering all the much-loved punch and crunch of a Mrs Elswood Gherkin but now in a handy pouch for extra convenience, we’re confident that Mrs Elswood Pickle Bites will be a hit with consumers seeking a new vegetable-based snacking experience,” commented Mat Moyes, Marketing Controller for Mrs Elswood.
“We know that consumers are increasingly seeking healthier snacking alternatives – and a pickled vegetable fits the bill perfectly. Pickles are a wonderfully versatile little product – delicious either on their own or when pimping up the dullest of dishes!” added Moyes.
“However, virtually all pickles sold in the UK come in jars and we appreciate that when people are out and about, they don’t want to be dealing with a load of pickle juice so we’ve developed a pickle with all the flavour and barely any brine and popped them into pouches to help consumers enjoy our gherkins wherever they may be.”
Mrs Elswood Pickle Bites are the result of the meeting of three key trends – convenience and portability, the desire to snack more healthily and the growing consumer desire to zing up the everyday with flavours developed specifically to put a punch into lunch.
The launch of Mrs Elswood Pickle Bites comes as gherkins continue to show strong growth in the UK (+10.6 per cent value growth). Mrs Elswood is now the UK’s #1 gherkin with a 17 per cent value share.
Gluten-free, vegan and kosher with an 18 month shelf-life, Mrs Elswood Pickle Bites (RRP £1.79 per 50g pouch) are available through brand owner Empire Bespoke Foods, a leading UK importer and distributor of speciality foods.
Rowntree’s has announced the launch of its latest innovation - Jelly Tots Tangy, as it celebrates the 60th birthday of Jelly Tots.
A vibrant and playful twist on the much-loved classic Jelly Tots, originally launched in 1965, this new creation steps into the sour space, offering fans a flavourful experience that combines nostalgia with tanginess!
Made with real fruit juice, the sweets are not only bursting with flavour but are also vegan-friendly, appealing to a broader audience who value delicious treats.
Packaged in a 140g sharing bag, Jelly Tots Tangy (RRP £1.50) is perfect for any sharing occasion, whether it's a family gathering or fun sociable events with friends.
“At Rowntree’s, we are dedicated to bringing joy and innovation to our fans. With Jelly Tots Tangy, we’ve taken a beloved classic and added a refreshing twist that we believe will resonate with both new and loyal fans alike,” Hayley Nixon, senior brand manager for Rowntree’s, said.
“It’s not just a sweet; it’s a fun experience to share and enjoy together!”
Jelly Tots Tangy rolls out in stores nationwide this January.
Mars Wrigley has launched two new Extra Refreshers price marked packs (PMPs), perfectly suited to the convenience channel. The Tropical and Bubblemint flavour PMPs are now available in 30-piece bottles and soft chew format, providing retailers with an additional opportunity to drive gum sales.
The gum category is currently growing at a rate of +4.9 per cent year on year (value), demonstrating the revenue opportunity1. The new PMPs support this by enabling convenience retailers to maximise the Extra Refreshers sales in the channel – 90 per cent of shoppers haven’t tried Refreshers and yet 70 per cent of all Refreshers fruit volume is incremental to the category. Additionally, fruit gum is the fastest growing segment in the category and is growing faster than the wider category with value growth of 8.9 per cent.
“The benefits of PMPs are well known – they offer a quick price comparison and can capture the impulse shopper’s attention to drive retailers’ incremental sales,” said Ross Ripamonti, Gum Brand Director at Mars Wrigley. “Our new PMPs deliver on this by providing trending flavours that communicate value to the shopper.
“This is a hugely exciting time for the category and the Extra Refreshers brand. This year, we are putting a multimillion media investment behind our fruit gum range, including Extra Refreshers PMPs, to bring the product benefits to life and support sales within the convenience channel.”
The Extra Refreshers PMP bottles are now available in wholesalers nationwide with an RRP of £2.50.
AG Barr’s Rubicon RAW, the fastest-growing energy brand, is inviting retailers to ride the wave to top energy sales with new Rubicon RAW Wave Editions.
Available from February 2025 as a 12-month limited edition range, the two 500ml Big Can drinks will come in two exciting new flavours, Berry & Grape and Peach & Apricot, tapping into the growth in mixed flavours within energy drinks.
Both new flavours performed exceptionally well in consumer research with 85 per cent of shoppers saying they would buy the range.
The launch will be supported by the brand’s biggest ever marketing investment of £1.5 million throughout 2025. Influencer activity, mass sampling and heavyweight social media will see it reach two in three Big Can Energy Drinkers.
Retailers can make use of the brand’s vibrant, eye-catching point of sale material to create in-store theatre and attract shoppers to the fixture and drive their sales.
Rubicon RAW has quickly established itself as a must stock in the energy category. As the fourth biggest big can energy brand on the market, the brand’s sales are 60 per cent incremental to the category, providing wholesalers and retailers with a clear profit opportunity by stocking Rubicon RAW within their energy fixture.
“The energy drinks market remains one of the most profitable for retailers, driving nearly half of all drink-now soft drinks growth,” said Adrian Hipkiss, Head of Energy Brands at AG Barr. We’re proud to be one of the best-performing ranges in energy, recruiting more shoppers than competitor brands and delivering a 75 per cent repeat purchase rate.
“There’s still a huge opportunity for growth, as 60 per cent of shoppers still don’t buy into the energy category and traditional energy drinks aren’t always seen as appealing for new shoppers. Our two new flavours, alongside our core five, offer something truly different as we appeal to a much broader base of consumers with different energy needs. The No.1 reason shoppers choose Rubicon RAW is its 20 per cent real fruit juice content, which together with natural caffeine and B-vitamins provides a big energy hit that’s full of flavour.”
On shelf from 1 February in 500ml x 12 Plain and £1.19 PMP cans
KP Snacks is expanding its McCoy’s range with the launch of a new Hot ’n’ Spicy flavour. Available from the end of January in a £1.25 PMP, the launch delivers a popular punchy flavour in a well-known format to engage consumers and drive sales.
Capitalising on the success of the UK’s number one ridged crisp brand, McCoy’s Hot ’n’ Spicy delivers McCoy’s signature full-on flavour with a perfect blend of spice and seasoning to ignite taste buds and elevate consumers’ snacking experience.
With Spicy being the third-largest flavour partition in CSN and the largest and fastest-growing in the PMP category, the launch debuts in this popular format to meet consumer demand and drive sales. With PMP’s becoming increasingly relevant and giving consumers good value for money, the launch is perfectly positioned to drive impulse purchases for retailers.
“McCoy’s is known for delivering bold, punchy flavours on a distinct ridge cut crisp, and this launch is no exception,” said John McDougall, Brand Manager for McCoy’s at KP Snacks. “Building on the success of spicy flavours and the growing demand for PMPs, this launch marries a popular flavour in a popular format to meet consumer demand and drive retailer sales. The new Hot ’n’ Spicy flavour is guaranteed to become a new consumer favourite."
Worth £188m and growing at 6.4 per cent, McCoy’s Hot ’n’ Spicy expands on McCoy’s popular portfolio of flavourful snacks. The brand was recently named as the NFL’s Savoury Snacks Partner across the UK and Ireland in a three-year deal running until March 2027.