The Scottish Bee Company has embarked on the next phase of its expansion by operating as part of a wider Natural Larder Collective operation.
Founders Suzie and Iain Millar said the initiative will not only extend the business’s appeal beyond its Scottish heartland but provide a compelling haven for other brands of an all-natural disposition to join.
The first outsider brand to join this ‘healthier living’ movement is the pioneering botanical brew specialist Nuisance Drinks, an enterprising adult soft drinks range which celebrates the foraging of all-too-often overlooked shrubs, herbs and weeds in a positive, at ‘one with nature’ light.
“The Natural Larder Collective is the perfect ‘next steps’ home for Nuisance Drinks because it mirrors our values of sustainability, and innovation, whilst celebrating nature’s unsung ingredients,” Hugo Morrissey, Nuisance Drinks founder, said.
“By joining forces, we can reach even more people who share our deep-rooted passion for healthier, all-natural offerings, while continuing to support biodiversity and rewilding efforts. This meaningful union allows us to scale up whilst staying true to our original mission of turning the ‘nuisances’ of the wild into something truly extraordinary.”
Scottish Bee founder, Suzie Millar concurred. “We see Nuisance Drinks as the perfect clean deck stable mate who shares our determination to look to Nature and not the science lab when it came championing ‘hero ingredients and compelling recipes.
“Today our appreciation of real ingredients extends far beyond Scotland’s borders, which is why we believe The Natural Larder Collective is well placed to not only supercharge the appeal of both Scottish Bee and Nuisance throughout the UK and overseas, but to also act as a lightning rod for other compelling, ‘real ingredient’ brands to join our slow food cause.”
Launched seven years ago, The Scottish Bee Company’s portfolio now includes decadent dressings, condiments, infused vinegars, two hot honeys and most recently a truly immersive honey-inspired chocolate spread.
Kingfisher Drinks, the world alcoholic beverage company, has announced the launch of Kingfisher Ultra, a super-premium world beer with an ABV of five per cent, which is now available for convenience retailers to stock.
Kingfisher Ultra was launched in India fifteen years ago and is now one of India’s fastest-growing beer brands with a compound annual growth rate of 20 per cent between 2021-2023. Crafted with only the finest hand-picked malts, resulting in a strong but balanced profile, Ultra is brewed with a six-step filtration process and no additives, giving the liquid a beautiful natural golden hue. The distinct and stylish clear glass bottle and unique pull-crown lid cement the premium look and feel.
Consumers are generally drinking less but better these days, so Ultra responds to that need perfectly. In India, the brand has built its reputation on tapping into premium associations, such as sponsoring premium festivals like the Sunburn festival in Goa, as well as fashion shows and other top end events which typically attract more affluent consumers who appreciate the finer things in life and are willing to spend more.
“We are delighted to introduce Kingfisher Ultra to the UK market," said Andy Sunnucks, Senior Brand Manager. "Those who have been lucky enough to try it in India will know that it is the gold standard! In fact, since launching in its home market back in 2009, Kingfisher Ultra has taken India by storm, becoming a bedrock of premium occasions, so we’re excited to confirm that it’s now the UK’s turn! Imported directly from India, Ultra really hits the spot with its light crisp taste and smooth finish and is the perfect addition to our growing Kingfisher portfolio. A year ago, we introduced Kingfisher Zero into the no and low category, so along with the original Kingfisher Premium, Kingfisher Ultra will complete our offer which now suits a wide range of consumer tastes.”
Müller Yogurt & Desserts said it is converting its iconic Corner yogurt pots from white to clear plastic, as the business works to halve the environmental impact of its packaging by 2030.
The majority of Müller Corner and Müller Bliss Corner yogurt pots have already converted, with the remaining volume taking place by the end of 2024.
The introduction of fully recyclable clear pots facilitates the retention of the material for reuse again within the food sector.
As the business targets a ‘closed loop system’, by converting almost 50 per cent of Müller’s branded yogurts to clear PET, the move could boost the availability of rPET in the UK by over 3,000 tonnes per annum, further reducing industry requirements for ‘virgin’ plastic.
“The foods we eat can have a major impact on our planet and the people in it. As one of the most chosen FMCG brands in Great Britain, we have the scale to deliver meaningful change towards a circular economy,” Richard Williams, chief executive at Müller Yogurt & Desserts, said.
“By making this change, the industry could benefit from increased availability of rPET, while reducing the demand for additional virgin plastic.”
Müller UK & Ireland targets on average 30 per cent recycled content in its plastic packaging by 2025, and the business has also confirmed that it is aiming to add recycled content into its clear corner yogurt pots by the end of 2025.
With Müller Corner seeing 11 per cent value growth year on year, and 78 per cent of shoppers preferring a clear Müller Corner pot to a white pot, the move is expected to drive further category growth.
The move follows the launch of Müller’s redesigned branded yogurt and desserts packaging, created to make it more distinctive, cohesive and easy to find and buy.
Müller has also recently completed a project to switch all of its coloured milk bottle caps to clear, increasing the availability of rHDPE (Recycled High Density Polyethylene) on the market by 1560 tonnes.
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A view of Zoa Energy Drinks during the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival on October 14, 2023 in New York City
Molson Coors Beverage Company on Thursday announced that it is taking a majority ownership stake in Zoa, the better-for-you energy brand co-founded by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Dany Garcia, Dave Rienzi and John Shulman.
Molson Coors said taking a majority stake will allow it to lead the entirety of Zoa’s marketing, retail and direct-to-consumer sales and development. The deal represents one piece of Molson Coors’ strategic ambition to expand its total beverage portfolio.
Molson Coors and Zoa first struck a partnership when the brand launched in 2021, and Molson Coors increased its stake in Zoa last September while also assuming a presence on Zoa’s board of directors.
“We’re building a winning portfolio that offers consumers choices across a wide range of occasions, and non-alc is a key part of that strategy,” said Molson Coors chief commercial officer Michelle St. Jacques.
“Zoa opens the door for us to participate in more parts of the day and incremental opportunities beyond our core business. We’ve built a strong foundation with Zoa over the past three years and we see a ton of opportunity for this brand to achieve its next stage of growth and scale.”
Zoa boasts a repeat purchase rate of 50 per cent and attracts new consumers to the energy category, with 30 per cent of Zoa buyers new to this space. The brand’s direct-to-consumer business is also a significant driver of sales and consumer visibility, including the brand’s position as a top 10 energy drink brand on Amazon.
As Zoa enters its next phase, Johnson will remain a visible face of the brand through the ‘Big Dwayne Energy’ campaign, social media amplification and more.
“Since day one, Molson Coors has shared our passion for Zoa Energy, and as a partner, they’ve been pivotal to bringing new consumers into the energy space with Zoa and keeping them coming back,” said Johnson.
“Zoa is all about crafting drinks that help our loyal and growing consumers show up as their best selves every day, and Molson Coors’ commitment to the brand will give it an enormous amount of firepower in the next phase of growth.”
Mondelēz International has on Thursday announced that its Cadbury core sharing bars, manufactured in Bournville and Coolock and sold in the UK and Ireland, will be wrapped in 80 per cent certified recycled plastic packaging, which can be attributed to plastic sourced from advanced recycling technology.
This move is the result of a collaboration with Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing more sustainable packaging solutions and Jindal Films, an industry leader in the development and manufacture of recyclable films designed for flexible packaging.
Starting from 2025, in a phased approach, the project aims to cover approximately 300 million sharing bars across the UK and Ireland Cadbury core tablet portfolio. The move will see the highest percentage of recycled flexible plastic used within the Cadbury brand globally.
As part of this effort, 80 per cent of the plastic used in the packaging can be attributed to recycled plastic through mass balance and ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) PLUS certification.
Consumers can also access a new platform via an on pack QR code to find out more about the sustainable packaging journey the Cadbury brand is taking and a consumer-friendly explanation about mass balance. The platform also features the Recycle Now locator from WRAP, enabling consumers to check local collection and recycling points for a wide range of packaging materials.
“This is the latest move in our journey to increase our use of post-consumer recycled plastic across our Cadbury tablets portfolio in the UK&I.” said Louise Stigant, SVP and UK&I managing director, Mondelēz International.
“We remain focused on our long-term aim to offer more sustainable packaging, in particular flexible plastic packaging using advanced recycling technologies. For us this is based around a three-part approach aimed at reducing our packaging, evolving, and designing our packaging to be recyclable and improving systems by supporting the development of UK infrastructure and capabilities to collect, sort and recycle it back into food contact packaging.”
Amcor’s AmFiniti solution converts post-consumer plastic waste into new products, providing Mondelēz International with a packaging solution that is made using 80 per cent certified recycled plastic. This innovative process uses advanced recycling material (ARM) that is suitable for food-grade applications.
Leading confectionery wholesaler Hancocks has unveiled ‘unbeatable’ deals for retail customers this Black Friday.
Their big Black Friday event will be held on 28 November from 8am-8pm.
For one day only, Hancocks are cutting the costs of confectionery treats, seasonal sweets, novelty favourites and big brands including Millions, Cadbury and Haribo.
Retailers have the chance to make big seasonal savings and stock up on the confectionery staples their customers love. All deals are available while stocks last.
On the popular classic Swizzels range, Hancocks is offering customers the chance to buy six and save £10.80.
Retailers can buy six, save £10.00 on Haribo pick and mix, including Giant Cola Bottles, Gold Bears, Happy Cherries, Rhubarb & Custard, Heart Throbs and Fried Eggs.
Novelty lines are also on offer this Black Friday. Customers can buy any three Kidsmania lines and save £5.00, including Peek-A-Poo Potty Pops, Shark Bite, Pooplets and Quick Blast Sour Spray.
From Crazy Candy Factory, retailers can buy one Unicorn Laser Pop and get one Submarine Dip n Lick for free.
Hancocks is also inviting retailers to stack and save with their double deal on Kingsway pick and mix favourites, with the offer of buy ten + bags, save 40p per bag or buy 20 + bags and save £1 per bag.
“Our Black Friday event … is a great opportunity for retailers to benefit from massive savings on the products they always restock,” Kathryn Hague, head of marketing at Hancocks, said.
“This year, we are offering great deals on some of our most popular lines and brands, including Crazy Candy Factory, Swizzels, Warheads, Haribo and Cadbury. This is a great chance to stock up, make your money stretch further and keep your customers happy.”