Mr Kipling is adding five new products to its cakes portfolio as it looks to attract younger consumers with trend-led flavours and new formats.
The expansion includes three additions to the brand's Whirls range – Cookies & Cream, Custard Cream and Lemon & Raspberry – alongside the launch of Birthday Cake Slices and new Latte Tarts.
Rolling out from April, the new Whirls variants will be available in four-pack formats, while the existing Caramelised Biscuit Whirls will also switch to a four-pack format for the first time.
The brand said the new flavours combine nostalgic favourites with more contemporary taste profiles to appeal to younger shoppers while retaining existing customers. The smaller pack size is also intended to make the range more accessible to smaller households.
The launches come as the Whirls range continues to perform strongly, with value sales up 14.4 per cent over the past year, according to Circana data.
Meanwhile, Mr Kipling is extending one of its fastest-growing flavours into a new format with the launch of Birthday Cake Slices, available from 13 May. The product features vanilla-flavoured sponge, a jam layer and fondant icing topped with sprinkles.
The launch builds on the success of Birthday Cake Tart, which Premier Foods said is now the second-largest tart product in the category and worth £4.2 million in annual sales.
The company is also expanding its tarts range with Latte Tarts, featuring coffee-flavoured icing, sponge and sauce. The product is designed to tap into growing consumer interest in coffee-inspired flavours and bring a more contemporary taste profile to the category.
Naomi Shooman, global marketing director for sweet treats at Premier Foods, said the launches were part of a strategy to broaden the appeal of the Mr Kipling brand.
"These launches reflect our ambition to grow the appeal of the Mr Kipling brand, particularly among younger shoppers, through modern flavours and new formats," she said.
"By adding a variety of on-trend flavours to our popular Whirls range, giving shoppers new ways to enjoy the Birthday Cake flavour and introducing coffee-inspired Tarts, we're bringing fresh energy to the packaged cakes aisle that we're confident will increase penetration with a younger demographic and drive sales for retailers."
The expansion follows a strong year for the Mr Kipling brand. In its recent annual results, Premier Foods credited innovation-led growth with delivering Mr Kipling's "biggest ever year", helping the group increase trading profit by 6.7 per cent to £200.4 million and grow branded sales across its sweet treats division.