British Insights & Innovation

Ambrosia has responded to consumer demand to provide a compelling alternative to custard poured over hot puddings by inventing an innovative new product that can be poured over cold desserts. Devon Dream is a new and unique proposition for the ambient dessert category, containing 80% less fat than single cream and has enjoyed a successful launch this year so far. Its success has been driven by early listings in February and is now available in all multiples with 80% distribution and will be the first product from Ambrosia which will make the transition from ambient into fresh produce locations in stores. Devon Dream aims to increase usage by existing Ambrosia consumers during the summer months, as well as introducing entirely new users to the brand through its innovative approach to the modern pudding.

Hovis has launched a new premium British Farmers Loaf this spring which has been produced in conjunction with two of the bread brand’s network of 450 British wheat farmers. This innovative product delivers a ‘home-baked’ taste and rustic feel to the farmhouse loaf and heroes the hard work and endeavour of their British wheat farmers through Hovis teaming up with two of their British wheat farmers, Gavin Davies and Drew Smith, to develop the new loaf. The end product features both the farmers’ names and signatures on the pack and is available in both White and Wholemeal varieties. The British Farmers Loaf is baked in Hovis embossed tins to form the traditional overhang shape and time-honoured muffin top, complete with a dusting of fresh flour to bring a unique artisan and home-baked feel to the loaf. The new loaf was launched with an epic 90 second Hovis ad which tells the heart-warming tale of a young lad with his hard working farmer dad, who ultimately wins his father’s respect by helping out on the farm for the day.

Hovis is extending their brand into the breakfast biscuit sector with Hovis Breakfast Bakes. This wholesome yet convenient breakfast option meets a genuine need amongst modern consumers with busy lives, particularly women aged 25-45, many of whom skip breakfast regularly. Hovis has used its brand’s association with wholesome goodness to harness consumer trust for Breakfast Bakes and is using this and its unparalleled consumer awareness of 98% to help build penetration of the Breakfast Biscuit sector. Breakfast Bakes come in three delicious flavours of Oats & Honey, Malted Crunch and Milk & Oats, all of which contain whole grains of wheat and oats and a minimum of 5% wheatgerm. External consumer testing has proved very positive with both the idea and the products delivering results well above UK norms for new products. The launch is being supported by a strong marketing programme over the next 12 months.

Bisto Stock Melts are a range of new individual concentrated stock pots that are set to cause a stir. The huge team effort saw colleagues work tirelessly to come up with a really innovative product. Bisto Stock Melts have scored incredibly well in consumer research, with over 88% of consumers rating the product as good/very good and 90% saying it was comparable or better than the main brand on the market. The Bisto Stock Melts offer consumers a high quality and easy-to-use stock product which represents a credible short cut for home cooking. Consumers also felt the range was relevant to a huge range of their favourite meals, such as casseroles, stews, pies, but also spaghetti Bolognese, soups, or curries; and delivered well in terms of ease of use, taste and additional beneficial claims. Watch out for them in store this Summer!

Mr. Kipling has launched its Cake to Go range of Snap Packs which provide convenient cakes to eat when you’re out and about. Snap Packs are perfect for younger families and packed lunches. The new pack designs across the range have gone down a treat, with research showing that they are much more recognisable and customers can find them more quickly in among other products, with 77% of families interviewed preferring the new packs. The Mr. Kipling team launched the Cake to Go campaign by using innovative dispensing posters outside 20 locations where lucky passers-by could get their own free sample at the touch of a button. The posters gave out 500 free samples every day which came to a staggering 140,000 individual Angel Slice Snap Packs altogether over two weeks! A Cake to Go van was also used to give away half a million Snap Packs at 113 sites across the country including 102 superstores, seven train stations, three retailer HQs and at the London Marathon. The initiative was supported by a TV ad, around the magic of Cake to Go.

The new Batchelors Deli Box range is a truly innovative product, from its packaging right through to its unique appeal to female consumers. The new Deli Box range, which comes in US-style square packaging, has been designed to appeal to female shoppers who like the idea of convenient, hot and tasty snacks and trust the Batchelors brand but want appealing, low-fat meal options. A groundbreaking cardboard packaging has been developed for the range that can hold boiling water, setting the Deli Box range apart from the competition and widening brand appeal. The range is currently being rolled out to retailers and comes in Noodle and Pasta varieties and six flavours: Chicken, BBQ Beef, Mild Curry, Chow Mein, Cheese and Broccoli, and Chicken and Mushroom – all containing less than 2% fat (lower than the leading brand in this categor - Source: Kantar Worldpanel Purchase - 52 w/e June 2012). Watch out for them in stores now!

2012 is the “Year of Rice” for the Ambrosia brand with a significant investment in product development to make Ambrosia rice perfect for the modern consumer. Two new rice pots have been launched – 120g for kids and 190g for adults, with a low fat “Light Rice” and a twin pot with jam for a treat. The main 120g and 190g pots come in a range of flavours including apple, chocolate and Devon Custard. We have also taken the opportunity to refocus our communications on a healthier positioning, highlighting how our products are still creamy but also naturally low in fat allowing consumers to eat Rice Pots as a regular snack. A recent £17m investment has also seen the introduction of new, cutting-edge equipment at the Ambrosia Creamery at Lifton, Devon, which produces a mammoth 92,000 tonnes of Ambrosia and own-label products every year.

Sharwood’s new Wrap Kits are taking consumers by storm. People want homemade meals but they don’t have the time to cook from scratch, so the trend for ‘part homemade’ food is growing rapidly. Meal kits are also the fastest growing sector in the cooking sauces and accompaniments category and have historically been dominated by Mexican flavours, which gave the Sharwood’s brand the perfect opportunity to grow the category and give consumers more variety using the Asian cuisines it’s famous for – Indian and Chinese. The Wrap Kits fit perfectly with the Sharwood’s range's plans to move into adjacent categories producing meal solutions which will help reinforce the brand’s aim to help households cook creatively and conveniently. The kits performed exceptionally well in consumer tests and are made up of three components – eight wraps, a dry spice mix, and a sauce. Each kit serves four people and the launch was supported by a £4 million high-profile advertising campaign. The Wrap Kits are available in stores now!

A team of local school children from Pontefract saw their very own Mr Kipling cake go on sale exclusively in Morrisons for a limited three week period this June. The cakes were designed as part of our work with The Manufacturing Institute ‘Make It’ campaign, which encourages young people to get involved in manufacturing. Teenagers from Carleton Community High School, Pontefract, were invited to our Carlton Bakery and given the chance to experiment with combinations of flavours, colours and packaging designs. During the “Make It” competition, they came up with a brand new creation of Mr. Kipling British Summer Mini Batts; a delicious rhubarb and apple twist on the classic Battenburg favourite. The Carlton site then set to work on producing the school children’s new flavour, which featured a unique pink and green emblazed Union Jack packaging. Morrisons not only filled their exclusive order for all 75,000 boxes but raised this to 90,000 due to popular demand! The cakes were an irresistible and fun addition to the supermarket's shelves.