pladis has unveiled its savoury seasonal range for 2024. Headlined by family favourites from heritage brands Jacob's and Carr's, the festive range also features a new addition to the Jacob’s Christmas Caddies line-up.
Following its hugely successful non-HFSS recipe revision last summer – which saw the oven-baked favourite slash fat content by 30 per cent – Jacob’s Crinklys Cheese & Onion will be available in Christmas Caddy format, after becoming one of the top five non-HFSS launches of 2023. It joins the existing line-up of Jacob’s Treeselets, Jacob’s Mini Cheddars Original and Jacob’s Mini Twiglets, which soared into double digit growth during last year’s festive season (+13.9 per cent).
pladis will also be bringing back its ever-popular seasonal selection boxes, after favourites like Jacob’s Savours Selection (+148 per cent helped increase its seasonal market share to 24 per cent in 2023 – clearly signalling a key sales opportunity for retailers stocking up on these signature assortments. After all, Christmas isn’t Christmas without a Jacob’s cracker.
Meanwhile, premium offerings from Carr’s – including the return of the popular Carr’s Seasonal Selection – once again provide retailers with an opportunity to drive higher value sales among shoppers looking to elevate their savoury biscuit selections.
“Jacob’s and Carr’s have been at the heart of holiday snacking spreads for generations. There’s barely a cheeseboard in sight during the festive season that doesn’t come complete with a Jacob’s Cream Cracker,” said Asli Akman, Marketing Director – Savoury at pladis UK&I. “It’s household-name brands like ours that play such an integral role in moments of togetherness during the festive period which are helping the seasonal snacking sales opportunity to become more lucrative year-on-year.
“Last year, take-home sales hit the roof as spend-conscious shoppers chose to celebrate in the comfort of their own homes, versus going big on eating out. When doing so, they were of course opting for our festive favourites that have been part of family festivities for over a century, which led to 7.8M packs of Jacob’s and Carr’s crackers being sold last December alone.
“The cost of living is still high, so we’re expecting to see the same patterns this year. That’s why we’ve focused on bringing back some of the best-selling classics we know will be sought out by shoppers, while also introducing popular products from our core portfolio to inject extra excitement into this year’s seasonal line-up.
“Bringing our very popular Jacob’s Crinklys Cheese & Onion to our growing Christmas Caddies range – sales of which are up by +13.9 per cent – will take sales up another notch. Across the board we’re looking to tap into demand for larger format products ready-made for sharing, whether people are looking to enjoy a savoury snack during a movie night or cap off their festive lunch with a cracker-covered cheeseboard.”
The Jacob’s and Carr’s seasonal products are now available in most major UK grocery retailers, as well as convenience stores and wholesale depots.
pladis 2024 Savoury Biscuits Range
NEW for 2024:
Jacob’s Christmas Caddies
Feast on your share of seasonal snacking sales this festive season as the popular Jacob's Christmas Caddies (200g-280g, RRP: £2.50) return for 2024, now with a brand-new addition.
Jacob’s Crinklys Cheese & Onion (non-HFSS) joins some of Jacob’s favourite Crisps and Bagged Snacks brands including Jacob's Mini Cheddars Original, Jacob’s Treeselets, and Jacobs Mini Twiglets (non-HFSS), ensuring shoppers have plenty of choice when it comes to snacking options.
Already a big hit for the brand and shoppers alike – having reeled in an additional +£3.7M in sales (+43.3 per cent) – the introduction of Jacob’s Crinklys Cheese & Onion to the Caddies line-up will help drive further appeal for Jacob’s core brands in this long-loved signature seasonal format.
Familiar Family Favourites
Jacob’s The Festive Selection
The ultimate selection of crackers to pair with all your favourite cheeses, Jacob’s The Festive Selection returns once again in its standout bright, bold, fully recyclable packaging.
Featuring seven classic varieties, the selection box comes in three sizes to suit all price points and is perfectly-placed for festive get togethers – whether shoppers are seeking classic Jacob’s Cream Crackers to pair with their favourite cheeses or generously-seasoned Jacob’s Salt & Cracked Black Pepper Bakes for dipping.
Jacob’s The Festive Selection is available in a 300g box (RRP: £4), 450g festive-themed box (RRP: £4.50), and 800g box (RRP: £7).
Jacob’s Savours Selection
Bringing extra flavour to festive snacking sales, Jacob's Savours Selection Assortment will be hitting the shelves once more this festive season.
Following a stellar performance among shoppers in 2023, the Savours Assortment again features the limited-edition Paprika & Cheese Thins, which joins the original line-up of delicious oven-baked crackers: Cheese Thins; Sour Cream & Chive Thins, and Salt & Cracked Black Pepper Bakes.
Taking the brand beyond biscuits for cheese, Jacob’s Savours flavour-packed Selection (250g, RRP: £4) offers a range of textures and tastes which make it perfect for topping, dipping and snacking.
Carr’s Seasonal Selection
With almost 200 years of rich British baking history, Carr’s is the must-have brand to elevate any festive special occasion – from casual get-togethers to fancy dinner parties. What better way to impress than with Carr’s Seasonal Selection?
An authentic collection of the brand’s finest quality biscuits and crackers – including Carr's Melts Cheese and Carr's Table Water – Carr’s Seasonal Selection is the perfect assortment for shoppers looking to enjoy a first-class festive feast. There are nine different varieties in the Seasonal Selection and seven in the Selection, ensuring there is something to suit all tastes.
Premium Assortments were a key growth driver during last year’s festive season, and the huge sales gains in the month of December mean that Carr's Selection (200g, RRP: £3.50) and Carr's Selection Carton (400g, RRP: £4.50) will be retailers’ tickets to maximising value sales in the approach to Christmas Day.
KP Snacks is once again expanding its PMP portfolio with the launch of Frisps Cheese & Onion £1.25 PMP. Available now, the new product delivers Frisps’ classic Cheese & Onion flavour in an increasingly popular format.
The PMP segment within CSN is strong, worth £368.8m, with PMPs representing 39 per cent of crisps and snacks purchases. By launching the new Frisps £1.25 PMP, KP Snacks is capitalising on the strength of this format and adding even more variety to its popular PMP portfolio.
Worth £122 million, KP Snacks’ PMP range features leading brands and a broad selection of flavours across the value spectrum from its ever-popular Space Raiders 40p PMP to Hula Hoops Big Hoops, the top-performing PMP SKU.
“At KP Snacks, we know that PMPs play a vital role in driving sales for retailers, appealing to consumers with the promise of great value," said Stuart Graham, Head of Convenience and Impulse. "Our strategy focuses on bringing the right brands and flavours to this popular format and we are delighted to be tapping into shopper demand with Frisps Cheese & Onion £1.25 PMP.”
Frisps’ crinkle-cut crisps were launched in 1989. Bursting with flavour the popular brand is available in three classic flavours: Ready Salted, Cheese & Onion, and Salt & Vinegar.
In an important step forward for nicotine pouches in the US and internationally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed and authorised for marketing Philip Morris International’s nicotine pouch brand, ZYN. The announcement marks a new stage for nicotine pouches in the US and is a clear signal to the world of the increasingly important role pouches play in the transition away from smoking cigarettes.
Growing in popularity with adult smokers in the UK looking for a discrete, convenient and reduced-risk smoke-free alternative, the pouches category has seen a 91 per cent rise in volume since 2019, with the potential for similar uptake as in Scandinavia and the US.
“This decision is an important step forward in the protection of public health in the US and resonates here in the UK," said Duncan Cunningham, External Affairs Director at Philip Morris Limited. "It affirms that ZYN nicotine pouches are a better alternative for legal age adults who smoke or use other traditional tobacco products and is a win for the consumer and for public health. Importantly, the decision was based on a comprehensive review of available science.”
The US Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act requires new tobacco products (including non-medical nicotine products) to be authorised by FDA before they can be sold. The science-based review analyses factors including toxicological risk compared to cigarettes, risk of initiation by non-users and minors and overall benefit to public health.
After a stringent review, the FDA determined that the marketing of all 20 ZYN variants is appropriate as it has ‘the potential to provide a benefit to adults who smoke cigarettes’, and the benefits to legal-aged nicotine users were sufficient to outweigh any potential risk of the product, including youth access.
“The decision demonstrates the very real benefits of driving awareness of nicotine pouches to help switch adult smokers away from cigarettes," Cunningham said. "Clearly, if we are to succeed in realising the UK’s smoke-free ambition, we need to provide smokers with access to – and information about – the full range of smoke-free products.
“In the UK we’re seeing encouraging growth with products like ZYN as a reduced risk alternative, and the government should ensure that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill currently working its way through Parliament does not unintentionally harm the chances of the six million adult smokers in the UK today being able to switch to these and other less harmful alternatives.”
Philip Morris Limited’s brand, ZYN has grown +161 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023. UK retailers interested in stocking the product can find ZYN available in wholesalers nationwide.
CELSIUS energy drinks is making its long-awaited debut in the UK, with a mission to inspire a “live fit” mindset and lifestyle, crushing your goals, and feeling your best.
The fastest-growing, third-largest energy drink brand in the US, with over $2.7 billion in sales, CELSIUS is already available in some UK retailers, and this month marks the beginning of the brand’s wider launch across major grocers, independents, and convenience stores, taking the brand’s high-performance energy nationwide. CELSIUS will be available from 3 February and is also available in the UK in a price mark pack as well.
“We’re thrilled to see CELSIUS expanding across the UK. The response has been incredible, and we’re just getting warmed up. With over 50,000 points of distribution, this nationwide presence puts CELSIUS in front of even more customers. Watch this space as we continue to grow and redefine the energy drink market,” said Carlotta Cattelani, Head of Marketing, UK & Ireland at CELSIUS.
Enriched with a blend of vitamins and fruit-forward flavours, CELSIUS is designed to support the body’s natural functions while limiting fatigue. Packed with essential ingredients like Vitamin C, B12, B6, and B5, supporting immune health, reducing tiredness, and fuelling your day – all with zero sugar.
The energy drink has already made waves in the US, contributing to 28 per cent of the energy drink category’s growth. And now, with its vibrant, fruit-forward flavours, CELSIUS is set to take the UK by storm:
Peach Vibe: Deliciously sweet, vibrant peach flavour in every sip.
Fantasy Vibe: Explore the fantastic taste of sweet and tangy oranges.
Cosmic Vibe: An out of this world flavour with exotic, sweet notes.
Sunset Vibe: A blend of tropical mango and passionfruit flavours.
Alpesh Mistry, Sales Director at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, says: “Celsius is already generating huge momentum in the health and fitness channel and we’re ready to take that momentum with this exciting brand to even more customers and consumers across the UK. Stimulation continues to grow rapidly and we have huge ambition to make the USA’s fastest growing energy brand the UK’s fastest too.”
Last year, CELSIUS selected Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland as its exclusive sales and distribution partner in the UK.
Beyond the product, CELSIUS is ramping up with exciting activations across the UK, including F1 campaigns and collaborations with top-tier ambassadors, offering a range of immersive customer experiences designed to inspire and energise.
Dojo, the vaping brand powered by industry leader Vaporesso, made waves at the Total Product Expo (TPE) 2025, being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center from January 29-31, with the unveiling of its groundbreaking iMate Series and the futuristic PIXEL 25000.
The iMate Series, hailed as the world’s first all-category compatible platform, stole the spotlight with its revolutionary design. This versatile platform features an independent battery and screen module, enabling seamless compatibility with a wide range of pod types, including refillable, disposable, and 0% Nic.-prefilled pods. Future updates will expand its capabilities to include disposable pods with ICE control, further enhancing its adaptability.
Dojo iMate Series
By adopting the iMate Series, Dojo aid users can potentially save up to 52 batteries annually, offering both economic savings and significant environmental benefits.
At the heart of the iMate Series is the iMate X 20K, a flagship product designed to deliver an unparalleled vaping experience. Boasting a 400mAh standalone battery and a high-definition display, the iMate X 20K combines functionality with sleek design. Its unique sliding rail mechanism, which magnetically connects the pod to the battery, ensures a stress-free user experience.
The device also features vivid user interfaces, including e-liquid and battery indicators, alongside visually appealing wallpapers, making it as stylish as it is practical.
Dojo iMate X 20K
The iMate X 20K also introduces several industry-first features, such as low-voltage and resistance, Varied Dual Mesh atomization, which work in tandem to deliver exceptional flavour accuracy and consistency, while the TFC technology and smart chip intelligent control automatically adjust power settings for precise flavour delivery.
With a combined battery capacity of 1300mAh, the device guarantees prolonged usage and consistent performance. Additionally, its magnetic battery-screen module can attach to surfaces like refrigerators or coffee machines, reducing the risk of loss and promoting reuse.
Dojo Pixel 25000
Dojo’s innovation extended beyond the iMate Series with the debut of the Pixel 25000, the world’s first electronic cigarette equipped with a gravity sensor and dual-pixel screen.
This cutting-edge device offers a multi-sensory vaping experience, combining taste, vision, and motion sense. The dual-pixel screen provides a visually captivating interface, while the gravity interaction feature introduces a unique element of motion, setting a new standard for disposable vapes.
The UK’s largest consumer surveyor of product innovation, Product of the Year, has selected its top competitor in the Crisps and Bagged Snacks category: Doritos, Walkers Extra Flamin' Hot MAX, and Wotsits Crunchy crisps.
Walkers said that it’s no surprise, considering Extra Flamin’ Hot has been the #1 innovation in the spicy flavour space over the last three years.
Following a rigorous process, Product Of The Year put the nation's favourite snacks to the test, looking for the most innovative in design, packaging, and recipe from January 2023 to November 2024. With the final decision made by 8000 shoppers, who voted for the hottest product.
“I’m thrilled Product of the Year has recognised our hard work and talent in bringing one of the best flavours to consumers," said Rob Pothier, Head of Marketing at PepsiCo. "Its fiery kick is not one for the faint-hearted, but it’s great to see there are so many thrill seekers who love it. We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to spice up the snacks market - we’ll be sure to keep bringing the heat.”
Helga Slater, Managing Director at ‘Product of the Year’ added “‘Extra Flamin’ Hot adds a new level of heat for those who want more from their snack. Our consumers were impressed by, not only the unique full body sensory experience that the product brings, but also by the bold and unique brand packaging.
Earlier this week PepsiCo announced that Walkers will join the existing Extra Flamin’ Hot line-up of Doritos, Walkers MAX, and Wotsits Crunchy for a limited time, allowing fans of the flavour to experience the tongue-tingling spiciness on a familiar favourite. I