Leading confectionery wholesaler Hancocks has launched a new brand, showcasing the best of pick and mix.
Pick n Mix Station is a new range of bulk bags containing different mixes of customers' favourite pick and mix treats, offering great value for retailers and their customers.
The range is retailed at £9.99 for a 1 kg bulk bag filled with pick and mix based on different themes, including a selection of fizzy, gummy, jelly, chocolate and foam sweets.
The bags are perfect for parties and special occasions, creating sweetie jars at home and topping up pick and mix stands in stores.
The Pick n Mix Station Space Bag is a mix of white chocolate stars, peach rings, stars and space-shaped gummy sweets.
The Blue Mix Bag contains a variety of blue-coloured tongue painters, raspberry liquorice slices, blue raspberry slices and bubblegum mushrooms, whereas the Red Mix Bag contains fizzy watermelon slices, giant strawberries, gummy teeth and strawberry kisses.
Chocolate lovers will enjoy the Choco Mix Bag which includes a mix of milk, white and strawberry chocolate flavour candy with candy topping.
The Scary Mix is perfect for young sweet lovers and theme parties, packed full of spooktacular sour fruit flavour jelly sweets, including skulls, worms, teeth and fangs.
Other mixes include the Fizzy Mix filled with fruit and cola flavour sour sweets, the Bottle Mix including popular bottle-shaped sweets and the Jelly Mix packed with fruity jelly and foam sweets.
“We’re very excited to reveal our new Pick n Mix Station brand to our retail customers,” Kathryn Hague, head of Marketing at Hancocks, said.
“The brand was created to fulfil a value proposition that celebrates our vast range of bulk confectionery.
“The 1 kg value pick and mix bulk bags are perfect for topping up pick-and-mix stations, adding sweets to party snack tables, or filling jars and tins with irresistible treats.
“With bulk bags trending on Tiktok, retailers can also sell these treats by the bag.
“Stocking up on the Pick n Mix Station bags will give retailers an opportunity to offer customers their favourite pick and mix treats at a low price point.”
Organic food supplier Biona has announced the launch of a new organic Thai Red Curry Paste, which is available to retailers from January onwards, with an RRP of £3.39.
This new medium-hot Thai Red Curry Paste brings the authentic flavours of Thailand to the UK kitchen, crafted with a traditional recipe for a bold and vibrant taste, featuring high-quality, organic ingredients, including chilli, garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Unlike many curry pastes on the market that contain shrimp, Biona’s recipe is also fully vegan, making it a versatile choice for a variety of diets. The recipe also replaces sugar with agave syrup, which will suit those consumers looking for healthier options.
According to Mintel’s 2024 World Cuisines report, over half (54 per cent) of British consumers say they’re cooking from scratch more than they used to. South-east Asian cooking sauces in particular are in strong growth, surging in both value (by 28.4 per cent) and volume (up 11.9 per cent), to cement themselves as the current fastest-growing cooking sauce type.
“We’re pleased to launch this new Thai Red Curry cooking paste as it is well aligned to meet growing consumer demand for scratch cooking and vibrant flavours from further afield," said Carmen Ferguson, Brand Manager at Biona’s parent company Windmill Organics. "We know consumers are increasingly looking for high-quality organic versions of their usual store cupboard ingredients so this latest launch should really hit the spot.”
In a fresh move to enhance customer choice and convenience for retailers, Nisa has introduced a new 3-for-£4 mix-and-match freezer deal through to 2025.
This deal replaces Nisa’s previous 5-for-£6 Freezer Filler promotion, bringing an innovative twist that aligns with evolving shopper preferences for flexibility and variety.
The new mix-and-match deal allows customers to choose any three qualifying products for £4, providing greater freedom to tailor meals to individual needs. This shift comes as part of Nisa’s commitment to addressing the growing demand for customisable and cost-effective meal solutions. The 3-for-£4 structure is designed to appeal to a broad range of shoppers, especially those seeking convenience without sacrificing choice or budget.
Research indicates a significant consumer trend toward “Mix and Match” promotions across the retail sector, as customers increasingly value the ability to personalise meal options. This approach enhances flexibility and broadens the appeal to a diverse shopper base, who may not engage with fixed, repetitive deals. Within Nisa’s customer base, an increase of 17 per cent YOY in partners buying into the freezer deal promotion demonstrates an increased demand for a developing promotion.
Retail analysts highlight that mix-and-match deals encourage larger basket sizes and cross-category purchases, boosting customer engagement and offering a fresh shopping experience. As a result, mix-and-match deals are emerging as a powerful tool for retailers aiming to differentiate their offerings and provide greater customer value in a highly competitive market.
Nisa’s new 3-for-£4 deal has been developed in response to feedback and insights from a review of former footfall-driving promotions. Findings revealed that recurring meal deals often led to shopper fatigue, with the same set of fixed products causing some shoppers to become disengaged and reducing their purchase frequency.
The new promotion offers a dynamic range of options that will change periodically, allowing customers to try new products and avoiding the risk of stockpiling frozen items that can lead to a slower buying cycle.
Alongside this increased choice, stores will see enhanced margin benefits compared to traditional fixed-frequency discounts. With the lower price point breaking the £6 barrier, the new 3-for-£4 promotion will also appeal to price-sensitive shoppers, making it more accessible and appealing to a larger audience.
“I think it’s important to remember that Frozen is a value-driven category, so it’s great to offer retailers a strong and compelling deal. A leading offer is crucial in this space," said Jack Matthews, Partner at Bradley’s Supermarkets.
“Switching the mechanic to a “3 for £4” deal should help us drive sales, as it makes the offer more appealing to a wider range of customers. It also provides greater flexibility in the products they choose.
“This change encourages customers to stock up and fill their freezers, rather than focusing solely on meal occasions as the previous deal did.”
Hannah Lockwood-Geck, Category Controller at Nisa, added: “This exciting new ‘3 for £4’ mix-and-match frozen deal marks an important step in responding to our customers’ preferences and ensuring that we keep bringing innovative and appealing offers to our partners.
“By replacing our previous promotion with a flexible deal that allows consumers to personalise their choices, we’re enabling stores to provide an even better experience. This updated approach means our retailers can offer more tailored selections to match local preferences, improve margins, and better serve their communities. We’re confident that this promotion will drive higher engagement and create a more satisfying shopping experience.”
In addition to delivering a customer-friendly solution, Nisa’s new promotion benefits retailers by providing customisable deal ranges that can adapt to local preferences. The promotion also aligns with seasonal trends, key events, and supply chain efficiencies, further enhancing the value for Nisa’s retail partners.
New research from Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I (BBG) has revealed a significant shift in holiday drinking habits, with nearly half of Gen Z opting for a ‘Dry Christmas’.
The survey of 2,000 adults who celebrate Christmas and drink alcohol revealed that 34 per cent of Generation Z feel more pressure to drink alcohol during this period compared to previous years. However, the younger generation appears to be resisting the pressure, with a significant 78 per cent of those born after 1996 planning to start Dry January early, as soon as they finish work for the festive season.
This trend among younger drinkers is largely driven by a desire for balanced lifestyles, financial mindfulness, and the empowerment of making personal choices. In comparison, only 17 per cent of Baby Boomers have ever considered not having a drink over Christmas in the past, with just six per cent planning to do so this year.
Despite the generational differences, the study found that 65 per cent of all drinkers cutting back this Christmas believe they can enjoy the festivities just as much without alcohol. Additionally, a quarter of respondents expressed a preference for moderating their drinking with no-and-low alcohol options at work Christmas parties, a figure that rises to 35 per cent among the youngest workers.
“Moderation is no longer limited to awareness months and days; it is now part of our everyday lives,” Brian Perkins, president of Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, commented.
“Efforts to moderate in January have been brought forward into the festive period and throughout the rest of the year, as we see more people choosing no-and-low alcohol alternatives as their drink of choice. While pressure to drink alcohol may still exist, it is promising to see people resisting this, and celebrating moderation. What’s even more positive is that moderation isn’t impacting people’s enjoyment; in fact, these results reaffirm that we can and do still enjoy ourselves just as much."
The study also highlighted that four in 10 respondents believe the ‘Dry Christmas’ trend will gain popularity in the coming years. Although this is driven by 60 per cent of Gen Z compared to only 43 per cent of Gen X.
Nearly a third (30%) have noticed more people in their social circles opting to moderate or remove alcohol from their Christmas plans. Furthermore, 56 per cent believe that festive parties now offer more low-and-no-alcohol drinks than five years ago, and 55 per cent feel that the quality of these options has improved.
In fact, the research also found that 64 per cent of adults are keen to moderate their alcohol intake longer term, not just at Christmas.
Perkins added: “Christmas is a time for celebration, and enjoying a drink can be a part of that festive spirit. However, a strong proportion of people are now choosing to embrace the holidays and special occasions all year round with a focus on balance and moderation. To help people moderate, it is important they have options available to do so – that’s why we pride ourselves on having a strong no alcohol portfolio which is growing from strength to strength, including favourites such as Budweiser Zero, Corona Cero and Stella Artois Alcohol Free Lager.”
Café Solo has announced the global launch of a world-first Pedro Ximénez Sherry (PX) Cask Finished Coffee Liqueur.
Café Solo PX is the first in a range of cask-finished coffee liqueurs to be released by the brand and the third expression that has launched this year in the Café Solo range, which includes the debut expression, Café Solo Original and Café Solo Espresso Martini Cans.
Café Solo said the latest launch adds to their mission to shake up the UK’s coffee cocktail market and offers interest and complexity for mixologists shaking up cocktails in bars and at home.
Ground with exceptional coffee, Café Solo is crafted with premium SOLO Cold Brew Coffee, which boasts a full-bodied flavour profile, rich acidity, and a refreshingly clean finish. Café Solo is matured in PX Sherry casks which impart residual sweetness and rich, dried-fruit notes.
Café Solo PX Cask Finished Coffee Liqueur is indulgent and dessert-like, with the PX Sherry Cask adding layers of sweetness, depth, and complexity. Café Solo PX offers notes of rich toffee, fig, walnut and lemon.
Made from the sun-dried Pedro Ximénez grapes (in Jerez, Spain) PX Sherry is intensely sweet and rich, and Jerez’s unique terroir and tradition make PX sherry one-of-a-kind. PX casks are often repurposed to age or "finish" whiskies and other spirits, imparting their residual sweetness and rich, dried-fruit notes. These casks are prized for the intense flavours they impart, transforming the profiles of other liquids.
"We are delighted to launch our first Café Solo cask edition, which was inspired by an evening of enjoying delicious Espresso Martinis with added PX Sherry! We sourced our casks from Jerez, Spain, and I was lucky enough to witness the incredible craftsmanship at the Antonio Páez Lobato cooperage,” Café Solo brand manager Holly Harwood said.
“PX sherry offers a wonderfully rich profile, and the combination of coffee with notes of dried fruit and caramel is truly something you need to try!"
Café Solo PX is available to the UK trade via Fortitude Drinks.
Nestlé Cereal has announced the launch of Nesquik Minis, a playful take on your family’s favourite Nesquik cereal.
This new mini format ensures everyone gets more of the delicious Nesquik chocolate taste and crunch they love in every spoonful, to bring fun to your mornings.
Nesquik Minis may be small in size, but they provide MAXI fun! Inspired by Nesquik Chocolate Milkshake, just add milk to your bowl of Nesquik Minis and watch as the milk turns chocolatey!
This chocolate cereal delight is high in fibre, has wholegrain as the number one ingredient, and contains vitamins and minerals to help support a healthy and balanced diet. You can have comfort knowing Nesquik Minis are a source of calcium and Vitamin D, whilst also being delicious.
Additionally, every bowl of Nesquik Minis contains vitamin B6, B3, and B5 which help release energy and reduce tiredness giving the family a great start to the day.
Say goodbye to bland breakfasts and instead try Nesquik Minis for a delicious and fun start to your mornings.
Sarah Fordy, said “We’re delighted to introduce the launch of Nesquik Minis, an exciting new take on Nesquik Cereal. Nesquik Minis are a chocolatey delight packing big flavour into mini crunchy balls, that we are confident will add maximum fun to consumers mornings.”
Nesquik Minisare now available to purchase at Tesco, RRP: £2.75 and will be available at other retailers from January.