Fresh on the heels of joining The Scottish Bee Company under a Natural Larder umbrella, adult soft drinks evangelist Nuisance Drinks is putting the final touches to a New Year launch of Damson & Dandelion tonic, which will become the latest addition to an exquisitely branded range of low-calorie botanical brews that include: Bramble & Rosemary, Nettle & Elderflower, Pink Grapefruit & Basil, Rhubarb & Ginger and Mint, Chilli and Cucumber.
Born at the height of the Pandemic back in 2020, Nuisance Drinks is an ambitious adult soft drinks business, initially born from the foraging exploits of entrepreneur Hugo Morrisey, who first set out to re-create his mother’s celebrated nettle cordial.
The instant popularity of his quirky brew within the UK’s forward-thinking farmer’s markets convinced Morrisey that there was real potential for a far-reaching range of ambitious flavour marriage soft drinks that paired familiar, everyday flavours with more historically forgotten, left-field ingredients.
Morrisey could see the scope to champion a range of beautifully balanced nostalgic flavours that harked back to simpler times.
“I knew from the outset that I wanted to create a range of clean-deck, low-calorie (less than 50 calories) adult soft drinks with clear sustainable convictions that could be drunk either straight from the can or as the perfect mixer with vodka or gin. In each instance the vision was to blend deliciously distinct everyday flavours with some of the British countryside’s unceremoniously shunned shrubbery,” Morrisey said.
Damson & Dandelion Tonic pairs the light, bitter twang with a hint of sweetness associated with dandelions with the sharp, astringent taste of damsons, tapping into the hot trend of ‘new-stalgia,’ which revisits comforting classics in a cooler, more modern way.
Tapping into “new-stalgia” (an anticipated hot food trend in 2025), Gnaw has been working tirelessly to rethink Great British puddings by creating a number of “Hug in a Mug” classics (Crème Brulée, Bakewell Tart, Sticky Toffee Pud) in conjunction with an impressive “pudfolio” of dessert-flavoured bars: New York Cheesecake, Christmas Pudding, Banoffee Pie and Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Desserts may prove divisive. For many the last course will always be a fitting finale to a great meal spent with friends of family, enticing comfort food that offers a nostalgic peek into happy custard drenched, ice cream topped memories from yesteryear. For others, desserts are an unwitting dalliance with guilt-filled soft sponges, buttery pastry, seductively sweet fillings, crumbly toppings, sticky sauces …
Gnaw’s new-for-Christmas “Hugs in Mugs” hot chocolate and bars represent the perfect halfway house; a fresh twist on timeless classics using hot chocolate and meticulously crafted bars as the perfect portion-controlled mediums for reacquainting our taste buds with sweet-themed flavour marriages from times gone by. After all the very definition of “new-stalgia” is revisiting comforting classics in a cooler, more modern way.
“In today’s fast-paced world, we’ve drawn upon our deep love of quality chocolate and indulgent sweet treats to create our range of gooey-centred choc spoons,” said Gnaw Head of Brand, Muhammad Karim. “Perfect for savouring during precious ‘me-time’ moments Or sharing with someone you love, they’re designed to bring a little dash of luxury to your day.”
120g Gooey Pudding Hot Chocolate Spoons PLUS marshmallows (x3) £11.95
80g Pud bars (Banoffee, New York Cheesecake, Christmas Pud) RSP £3.50
Leading sausage roll brand Wall’s has introduced a brand-new format to the hot pie fixture with the launch of its Deep Dish Pizza Pies, as it aims to add variety and attract younger consumers and families to the chilled savoury pastry category.
The new range is a unique hybrid of a pie and a deep-dish pizza, available in two classic recipes: Three Cheese and Pepperoni (both 150g, RRP £2). Both are now available across the convenience channel, along with Asda.
The launch follows incredible growth for Wall’s, which has doubled in size over the past two and a half years to become a £59 million brand, driven by a series of NPD aimed at attracting younger consumers and tapping into new meal occasions. Its latest fusion has been designed to offer younger shoppers and families new ways to enjoy hot pies in a category traditionally dominated by classic ingredients like steak and chicken, which is typically bought into by older consumers.
The Deep Dish Pizza Pies are filled with popular pizza topping combinations. The Three Cheese recipe features a blend of extra mature cheddar, mozzarella and Red Leicester cheeses, while the Pepperoni version is packed with tomato, extra mature cheddar and pepperoni. Available as an individual serving, the pies offer a convenient hot meal solution that can be oven baked or air fried.
“The typical chilled savoury pastry shopper is older, so the category must become more relevant for younger consumers if it’s going to continue to grow,” Jason Manley, brand director at The Compleat Food Group, home of Wall’s, said.
“Wall’s is uniquely positioned to meet this challenge as a leading brand in chilled savoury pastry, with a strong brand presence and resonance amongst younger shoppers. That’s why we’re innovating within the more traditional categories such as hot pies and introducing greater variety with our Deep Dish Pizza Pies.
“The Wall’s Deep Dish Pizza Pie is ideal for satisfying hungry kids after school, as well as working well as an after-work snack or part of a larger dinner. Launching with two popular pizza toppings, we are confident they will be a hit, and we look forward to introducing more recipes in the new year.”
KP Snacks is refreshing the packaging of Penn State, the UK's number one Pretzel brand, to deliver a bolder and cleaner look that represents its taste and quality. Rolling into stores from mid-November, the redesigned packs run across the entire Penn State range.
With cosy nights-in on the rise, KP Snacks has dialled up Penn State’s taste and quality credentials to reinforce the brand’s appeal within this occasion. Promising rewarding flavour and satisfaction every time, Penn State pretzels offer consumers a well-deserved treat to snack on during relaxing evenings spent at home.
Emphasising its excellent flavour and texture with clearer, more prominent images of the pretzels, the new design also brings the brand’s status as a “baked” snack to the forefront, drawing attention to its position as a lighter snack that consumers can indulge in.
The redesign drives awareness of the Penn State brand at a time when the Pretzel segment is showing strong growth, worth £48.3 million and growing at +15.8 per cent, ahead of the overall Crisps, Snacks and Nuts category (+5.4 per cent).
“We are excited to launch a new Penn State look and feel, designed to attract more shoppers to the brand and encourage them to consider Penn State for a delicious, quality snack for any in-home occasion, whether it’s relaxing after a long day or sharing with family and friends,” said Rachel Horrell, Senior Brand Manager at KP Snacks.
Available in a range of formats to meet all consumer needs and occasions, from its best-selling 175g sharing bags to £1.25 PMPs and six-pack multipacks, the Penn State range features two popular flavours including non-HFSS Sour Cream & Chive and Original Sea Salted, a true classic.
This November, visitors to the Co-op Live arena are in for a sweet surprise with the chance to immerse themselves in the world of Swizzels Squashies and to win treats and prizes at a Squashies experience zone.
As the official sweets supplier to Co-op Live, British sweet maker Swizzels will host the Squashies experience zone from November 15 to 30. Over the two-week period, a star-studded line-up of global music and comedy acts will headline the venue.
Visitors to the UK’s largest entertainment venue can gain exclusive access to the Squashies zone where fans are encouraged to squash up and snap a selfie on the first-ever Squashies sofa.
Featuring the signature pink and white colours of Swizzels’ Original Drumstick Squashies, the sofa is set to be a crowd-pleaser, inviting couples, friends, and family to cozy up and savour the moment together.
Fans can also get their hands on thousands of free Squashies and take part in a spin-the-wheel game to fun prizes. There will also be the chance to win tickets to see other global artists perform at Coop Live.
“Our partnership with Co-op Live has proved to be a real success so far, and Squashies have been a popular purchase across the venue," said Sarah-Louise Heslop, Head of Marketing at Swizzels. "Through this experiential event, we hope to sweeten music lovers’ visits to the arena, offering them the chance to sample Squashies, take part in some fun games, and snap and share some pictures on our brand-new Squashies-inspired sofa.”
Since forming a partnership with Co-op Live for its opening earlier this year, several different flavours of Squashies have been available to purchase at the venue, and Swizzels has also provided personalised rolls of its iconic Love Hearts to performers. Visitors to the premium area of the arena are also able to purchase Swizzels hampers containing a mix of fan favourites.
To celebrate the launch of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold and Pepsi MAX, coming together to create a delicious new RTD beverage, Captain Morgan GB is rolling out a convenience-first support plan in the impulse channel.
Shoppers are not willing to compromise on quality with RTDs and are seeking premium alcohol serves. To help retailers capitalise on the booming RTD category, which is currently in 25 per cent growth in Great Britain , the brand kicked off with a teaser campaign, gifting retailers up and down the country with an exclusive first look and taste of this iconic duo. To drum up further excitement, retailers were offered an array of bespoke POS suites alongside gifted stock to deliver stand-out instore activations and create a buzz on social media. These retailers will be entered into a prize draw, where the retailer that shares the best imagery across socials will have a chance to win six months’ worth of stock.
Running in tandem with the convenience channel activations, a successful consumer launch event "The Mixer" took place at Kachette in Shoreditch, a convenience store frontage, concealed the entrance to an exclusive party venue. Supporting their convenience-first strategy, Captain Morgan GB adopted a guerilla style approach to London-based retailers offering talent line-up posters promoting the event, and a pair of tickets to giveaway to their customers - helping to drive in-store engagement. Retailers and industry influencers then mixed alongside with DJs, Love Island stars and social media influencers to celebrate the launch.
“It’s great that Captain Morgan have recognised that as retailers, we are perfectly placed to deliver a great launch through our convenience stores," said Atul Sodha, owner of Londis Harefield. "The support structure and The Mixer showcased the product – and with so many influencers in the room, it makes the launch relevant for the consumer too, as they can associate with the celebrities. In turn this helps us to be relevant when the product is on shelf. Having the chance to meet the Captain Morgan team also gave us a real insight into how the team is working closely with convenience retailers to make a splash with this launch.”
David Mills, Commercial Sales Manager, Diageo comments, “Engaging with convenience and impulse retailers across the country is part of our long-term strategy here at Diageo, as we recognise the importance of the channel in driving distribution and launching innovation. RTDs perform particularly well in this channel as they’re easy to consume on-the-go so it made perfect sense for us to develop a bespoke activation plan to support the activity.
The initial launch of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold mixed with Pepsi MAX has created a real buzz within the industry and we’re excited about the potential of this fantastic new addition to our RTD portfolio.”
To bring some spice to your store with Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold mixed with Pepsi MAX register for Diageo ONE to access marketing advice and bespoke POS solutions.
Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold and Pepsi MAX is available across all major retailers and wholesalers, in 330ml cans, 250ml slimline cans, and multipacks of 6 x 250ml can. The launch is being supported by OOH, BVOD, digital, social and disruptive sampling.