Leading sport drink brand Lucozade Sport is bringing something brand-new to chillers in March with the launch of Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar.
The launch is a move from the brand into the low-and-no sugar segment, currently growing at 22.3 per cent year-on-year, and a key trend for today’s soft drink consumers. Lucozade Zero, for example, is seeing incredible recent growth of over 58.5 per cent. The low- or no-sugar segment in total accounts for almost 48.3 per cent of total soft drink sales [Nielsen, 52w/e 28.01.23].
Available in Orange & Peach and Raspberry& Passion Fruit flavours, Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar is designed specifically for those taking part in sporting activities. It contains sodium and Vitamin B3 to help reduce tiredness and is available in 500ml bottles and 4x500ml multipack formats.
“As the nation’s favourite sports drink, we are excited to bring a new offering from Lucozade Sport,” commented Tom Bell, Head of Marketing for Lucozade Sport at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I (SBF GB&I).
“We know that more and more people are living an active lifestyle and hydration is a key need in this moment. This spring we are launching a thirst-quenching zero sugar fitness drink containing sodium and Vitamin B3 that tastes great. We can’t wait for people to try it.”
Containing only 4kcal per serving and zero sugar, Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar is designed to appeal to consumers who don’t currently buy into the Lucozade Sport brand. With 77 per cent of the UK population taking part in regular exercise, Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar meets a consumer need for great tasting, low calorie and zero sugar hydration.
Sport drink shoppers are incredibly loyal, and the sport drink market is in very strong growth, with year-on-year sales up 29.3 per cent. This means that leading brands like Lucozade Sport, which has seen year-on-year growth of 26.2 per cent in the convenience channel, are an incredibly important part of any chiller.
Every single Lucozade bottle and can, including new Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar, is non-HFSS and not subject to any of the new HFSS restrictions, meaning that it can be merchandised anywhere in store.
The launch of Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar will be supported by an ATL campaign from April, as well as PR, digital and social media advertising.
Leading plant-based brand Alpro has announced a major investment in the UK to allow its most popular oat drink to be made from 100% British Oats for the first time, sourcing its oats directly from British farmers.
The 100% British Oats drink is the result of a multi-million-pound investment in the UK by parent company, Danone, in a drive to support local farming and bolster its plant-based offering.
It builds on Alpro’s previous £41 million investment in its facility in Kettering, which saw the installation of new equipment to reduce energy consumption and cut CO2 and water usage.
Oat drinks are continuing to grow in popularity in the UK, with sales climbing to more than £275 million - up from £155 million five years ago, according to Circana. This year, oat drinks make up two-fifths of all plant-based drink sales, up from a quarter five years ago, amounting to half a million litres of oat drink sold every day in the UK.
Despite this boom, until now, only 1 per cent of oat drink sold in the UK has been guaranteed to be from 100% British oats. As the leading plant-based brand, Alpro’s investment will significantly increase the percentage of British oats in the ever-growing oat drink market, while giving shoppers greater opportunity to buy locally sourced oat drinks.
“As a pioneer and global leader in plant-based nutrition, plant based drinks are a key part of our strategy to boost growth by focusing on developing products that deliver on both health and taste,” James Mayer, president, Danone UK & Ireland, said.
“This significant UK investment in manufacturing from home grown oats is an exciting step forward and a great demonstration of how we’re innovating to deliver healthy and tasty food & drink sustainably.”
Locally sourced from field to fridge, mostly from farmers within 80 miles of Navara Oat Mill - also in Kettering - the changes in oat sourcing and production process will significantly cut food miles. And with oats traditionally used for porridge oats, cereals and flapjacks, the investment gives farmers new avenues for their crops.
Some 58 million litres of the British Oat Drink are planned to be produced annually in Kettering, equating to a quarter of the site’s production of plant-based drinks.
The oat drink is available now in an ‘original’ and ‘no sugars’ version. The new recipe is designed to be naturally low in saturated fat, whilst also being high in fibre and enriched with calcium, iodine and vitamins D2 and B2. It comes after research found that half of plant-based shoppers are driven by health.
“We continue to see a big appetite amongst shoppers for healthy, plant-based products, especially for ‘flexitarian’ shoppers looking to add variety to their diets. It is also clear that oat-based drinks are increasingly popular with consumers, a trend that is here to stay. This expansion is a key part of our ambition to bring greater choice to supermarket shelves, providing a locally sourced product and a nutritious new recipe that we think shoppers will love,” Jon Ruberry, category director, plant-based, at Danone UK & Ireland, said.
Walkers Snacks is teaming up with Warner Brothers to celebrate the release of the highly anticipated A Minecraft Movie, launching an on-pack promotion* and limited-edition A Minecraft Movie themed packaging across its Wotsits, Quavers and Monster Munch brands. Running from 24 March, the activity will offer shoppers the chance to win prizes including A Minecraft Movie cinema tickets, hoodies, t-shirts and backpacks every hour between 6am and midnight. Those who purchase a qualifying pack and enter the promotion will automatically be added into a grand prize draw. This will give entrants the chance to win a trip for two to Hollywood - including a tour of the Warner Brothers Studios in Hollywood.
The epic partnership and prize giveaway is set to support retailers in engaging a wide range of shoppers, to drive sales in their savoury snacks aisles. It follows two successful collaborations between Walkers Snacks and the Ghostbusters franchise in recent years, which have seen the brand consistently bring shared excitement to movie moments. The partnership with A Minecraft Movie aims to build on this momentum, spanning a variety of SKUs and formats, from price-marked, to sharing, grab bags and multipacks. This will help retailers tap into, and add purchase incentives, to savoury snacking occasions. Walkers Snacks is strongly placed to achieve this, being worth half a billion RSV, and having seen over half of UK households purchase from Walkers Snacks brands in the last year.
“We are on a mission to bring even more excitement to the savoury snacking category this year, so what better way to achieve this than by partnering with one of the biggest movie launches of 2025?" said Rachael Smith, Senior Marketing Manager at Walkers. "Our collaboration with Warner Brothers for the new A Minecraft Movie aims to boost retailers’ sales by allowing them to offer their shoppers the chance to win epic prizes and experiences.”
Walkers Snacks’ A Minecraft Movie on-pack promotion will run from 24 March across the grocery, convenience and wholesale channels, ahead of the film launching exclusively in cinemas from 4 April. Running until 18 May 2025, the activity will be supported by shopper activations across selected grocery retailers, including Co-op.
Walkers Wotsits Crunchy Sweet & Spicy Flamin' Hot 140g
Walkers Monster Munch Giants Pickled Onion 85g
Walkers Monster Munch Giants Roast Beef 85g
Walkers Wotsits Cheese 60g
Walkers Monster Munch Pickled Onion 72g
Walkers Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy Flamin' Hot 72g
Walkers Monster Munch Roast Beef 72g
Walkers Wotsits Cheese 36g
Walkers Monster Munch Pickled Onion 40g
*On-Pack Summary Terms & Conditions:
UK & ROI, 18+. Purchase necessary. Instant Win: Between 06:00 – 23:59 daily, 24/03/25 - 18/05/25. Purchase a Promotional Pack, scan QR code or visit www.joy-pepsico.eu/en-gb/promotions/walkers-snacks/a-minecraft-movie. Entry requires account registration, full name, email address and country. Submit details & code on-pack to find out instantly if you have won Instant Win Prizes allocated by random winning moments. Instant Win Prizes: 750 x pairs of A MINECRAFT MOVIE cinema tickets (booking fees may apply); 1,266 x A MINECRAFT MOVIE merchandise. Following the end of the Instant Win Period, all valid entries will be automatically entered into the Grand Prize Draw. Grand Prize: 1 x 7-night trip to LA, California for winner and a guest including Warner Bros Studio tour, flights, accommodation, transfers and £500 (or € equivalent) spending money. Trip cannot be taken in school holidays. Wrap Up Draw: 00:00 19/05/25 – 23:59 17/08/25. Wrap Up Prizes: 50 x A MINECRAFT MOVIE merchandise. Internet access, email and UK/ROI bank account required. Retain receipt. Max 1 Instant Win entry p/person p/day. Max 1 Wrap Up entry p/person. Max 1 Prize type p/person. Visit www.joy-pepsico.eu/en-gb/promotions/walkers-snacks/a-minecraft-movie for full T&Cs & Prize details. Promoter: Walkers Snacks Ltd and PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company. Minecraft is used with permission by Microsoft Corporation; this Promotion is not administered, sponsored or endorsed by Microsoft Corporation and Mojang AB.
McVitie’s has announced the launch of its latest sweet treat – Penguin Milkshake Cake Bars, bringing a fun, fresh and indulgent twist to the beloved Penguin.
Taking inspiration from everybody’s favourite milkshake flavours, these deliciously soft cake bars feature a fluffy sponge generously layered with a creamy strawberry milkshake or chocolate milkshake-flavoured filling, enveloped in a smooth milk chocolate coating.
Enjoyed in lunch boxes for years, each bar is individually wrapped, making them the ideal on-the-go treat.
“We're beyond excited to unveil our new Penguin Milkshake bars! With milkshake flavours trending, we've added the perfect twist to our fun-loving iconic brand,” Zeynep Daghan Erol, cake brand manager at pladis UK&I, said.
“We’re confident this irresistible combo is going to be a hit and cannot wait for our fans and snack lovers to dive in and give them a try!"
McVitie’s Penguin Milkshake Cake Bars will be exclusively available at Morrisons from 24 March, before rolling out market-wide in multiple retailers, convenience stores, and discounters from 14 April. RRP: £1.75 (5-pack)
Vitabiotics, the UK’s leading vitamin company, has expanded its Wellteen range with the launch of new Wellteen Multi-vitamin Gummies for Him and for Her.
The comprehensive multi- vitamin gummies are specially formulated for the demanding lifestyles and nutritional needs of teenagers.
With research indicating that only 10 per cent of boys aged 11-18 in the UK consume their recommended five-a-day, and nearly 50 per cent of girls in the same age group have insufficient iron intake, Wellteen Multi-Vitamin Gummies aim to help bridge nutritional gaps and support teenagers’ overall health and as always, parents can feel confident knowing they’re backed by Vitabiotics’ trusted quality.
The Wellteen multivitamin brand, is the largest vitamin brand in the UK dedicated to teens and the first ever clinically successful, tailored supplements for the needs of teenage girls or boys (The University of Oxford).
Wellteen Multi-vitamin Gummies for teenagers aged 13-19 provide 17 tailored nutrients, including iron, zinc, and vitamin D. The gummies are available in two varieties: Wellteen Him (mixed berry & cherry flavour) and include L-carnitine and Wellteen Her (mixed berry flavour) includes 14mg iron (per 3 gummies) plus cranberry extract.
Key nutritional ingredient information:
Iodine to support normal cognitive function
Vitamin C which contributes to normal energy release
Vitamin B12 and folic acid which contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
Zinc to support the normal function of the immune system
Also includes biotin which contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and hair·
Wellteen Multi-Vitamin Gummies are available from Vitabiotics.com, and other retailers. RRP at £14.50 (60-gummy bottle, 1-month supply at 2–3 gummies daily), the gummies are available in chewable fruit-flavour gummies.
Vitabiotics has pioneered advances in nutritional healthcare products for over 50 years and the range includes some of Britain’s leading and most trusted supplement brands such as Perfectil, Pregnacare, Wellman, Wellwoman and Menopace.
As the UK’s leading vitamin company, Vitabiotics exports to 100 countries, and is the only vitamin company to have received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise on four occasions, including twice for Innovation.
Vitabiotics supports research and original clinical trials in collaboration with universities and leading medical centres in the UK and internationally.
WARP, the UK’s fastest-growing independent snacks manufacturer, has unveiled its new identity.
From March 25, the company will be known as PROPER SNACKS, a name change that reflects its ambition to lead the European snacking industry into a new era of innovation, taste, health and purpose.
With a presence in 10 countries across Europe and a newly established manufacturing hub in Nuneaton, PROPER SNACKS has proven itself as a true innovator in the snacking category.
The company’s portfolio includes two well-loved brands:
PROPER: a brand that revolutionised healthy snacking in 2011 through its bestselling PROPER popcorn then challenged the status quo with PROPER chips range, the most successful savoury snack innovation in the last 10 years
Eat Real: the UK’s No. 1 Free-From snack company and pioneer in plant-based innovation since 2014
In a landmark achievement, PROPER SNACKS has been recertified as a B Corp - this time as a manufacturing company - solidifying its position as the UK’s largest certified snacks manufacturer.
This milestone underscores the company’s commitment to responsible sourcing, natural ingredients, and a palm oil-free future.
In 2025, PROPER SNACKS will accelerate its investment in innovation, sustainability and growth, doubling down marketing efforts and brand awareness campaigns.
Consumers can expect bold new flavours, innovative product launches and strategic partnerships, building on PROPER’s Barbie and Netflix collaborations of 2024.
Alex Brittain, CEO of PROPER SNACKS, commented, "Improving snacking has been in our DNA from day one. We are a proud B Corp, and our third recertification is a testament to our commitment to raise standards for our snackers, our people, and the entire industry.
We're here to reinvent snacking as an act of positive wellbeing and our new identity is a reflection of our mission.
"As we look ahead to a year of increased investment and innovation across our brands, PROPER SNACKS is doubling down on making snacks that not only taste great but drive positive change."