Showing posts with label gluten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gluten. Show all posts

Friday 16 February 2024

Free-from Disruptor brand 'We Love Cake' Gets major Makeover to Kick Off 2024

Bells of Lazonby's iconic We Love Cake has undergone a branding and packaging overhaul in a bid to excite loyal shoppers and attract a younger demographic in 2024.

The rebrand is backed by a new campaign 'Baked in Joy' that will celebrate those who have found We Love Cake after diagnosis of Coeliac disease (such as my wife) or a newfound lifestyle choice, and it'll be deployed through digital channels.

The new-look packs are to be on shelf in supermarkets from later this month and in-foodservice during this year.

To date the free-from bakery, based in Lazonby Cumbria, has been noted for its disruptive and innovative take on the category, recreating iconic, household favourites in vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free varieties. 

We Love Cake has seen rapid growth in recent years showing a staggering growth of in excess of  370% since 2020 in value and volume.

Operating in UK Frozen Foodservice, Australian and UK retail, it's on track with its mission to become the biggest brand in value sales in Free From Sweet Bakery in the UK having achieved this already in Australia. 

Initially launched in 2012 in UK foodservice, the brand became a success due to its quality, taste credentials and allergen integrity.

Having been a disruptor to UK retail in 2019, We Love Cake was selling under 1,000 packs per week, by the end of 2023 it sold over 25,000 packs in UK retail in one week.

The rebrand aims to be a step change for We Love Cake. In-market sales estimated for 2024 are believed to be worth over 4M Australian Dollars in Australia and over £7M in the UK.

Head of Brand and Marketing, Josh Boydell-Smith, said: “The rebrand and marketing campaign 'Baked in Joy' is the absolutely perfect opportunity to celebrate those who have found the brand through Coeliac disease or lifestyle choice, it aims to normalise free-from sweet bakery and remind people how good it can taste.

“We are rebranding to drive growth and gain further distribution, but mainly to better tell our our story and open ourselves up to younger shoppers. Five years ago we looked bold and new on shelf, since others have followed, we realised that it was time for a refresh and to stand out once again.”

Speaking on the brands rapid growth, Josh added: “Based out of Lazonby in Cumbria, we pride ourselves on being a brand that's punching well above our weight. To date our success has been driven by innovation and strong distribution, we now have 33 lines in our portfolio across the UK and Australia spanning frozen, ambient and chilled foods." 

Josh went on to say: “Our branding needed to support our presence in the free-from category, it was time for us to shake things up, and remind our shoppers why they really do love cake.”

Bells of Lazonby will be investing in digital markerting that will reach over five million consumers with the new 'Baked in Joy' campaign. The product rebrand is going to be heaviily supported by PR and social media outreach though all operating channels.

FACTFILE: Back in 202 The We Love Cake journey began when second-generation family business owner, Michael Bell, took the decision to try to live as a coeliac for a week. 

Michael was totally dissatisfied with anything he ate, not least the free from cakes he reluctantly attempted.

By only day two of the week-log trial he decided to build a dedicated Gluten, wheat, and milk free bakery.  After years of honing gluten free bakery, he introduced We Love Cake to the UK foodservice in 2012.

We Love Cake are registered with Coeliac UK and declared as suitable for those with coeliac disease.

We love Cake is sold across the UK in Major Retail, Cafés and restaurants and Australia. Constantly re-working and revisiting the recipes, in 2019 We Love Cake rebranded and reduced sugar content across its portfolio.

For more information: https://we-love-cake.co.uk/delicious-gluten-free-cakes/ or follow on Instagram @welovecakeuk.

Thursday 22 June 2023

Asda earns 86 product awards in Free From Awards

Asda was awarded a very impressive 86 product awards at this year’s Free From Food Awards including 4 Golds, 27 Silvers, 36 Bronze, 19 Commended as well as the top accolade of the night, Free From Retailer of the Year.

The awards mark a celebration of Asda’s own brand Free From products, which strive to offer great quality and value for all customers. 

Judges were reportedly wowed by Asda’s impressive range, stating: “Between their vegan and their free from ranges Asda now offer a really impressive selection of foods for the allergic community - and at really competitive prices while still maintaining the quality of their products. A massive step towards including those on free from diets in the general community.”

Asda Free From, Chow Mein Stir-Fry Sauce

Free From: Gluten Free, Soya Free

Retail: £0.50

Asda’s Free From, Chow Mein Stir-Fry Sauce, with a hint of garlic and warming ginger is bound to spice up a mid-week dinner. Awarded Gold, this product was described by the judging panel as: “Lovely colour, aroma, consistency & flavour profile. A great balance of flavours with the perfect spice heat at the end. Very impressive to be gluten free, sesame free and soya free. And the price point is equally impressive”.

Asda Free From, Salad Cream

Free From: Egg Free

Retail: £1.10

The perfect condiment to accompany a summer salad in this hot weather, Asda Free From Salad Cream was awarded Gold by the expert panel, described as:

“This tastes just like the real thing. Impressive that this delivers the same flavour and consistency whilst being gluten free, milk free and egg free! Great price. A credible & accessible alternative”.

Asda Free From Extra Special, 8 Sicilian Orange & Belgian Dark Chocolate Cookies

Free From: Gluten

Retail: £2.00

Looking to brighten up your coffee break? made using an all-butter recipe and studded with Belgian chocolate this gold awarded product really is an extra special treat!

Asda Extra Special, 12 Classic Pork Chipolata Sausages

Free From: Gluten Free

Retail: £3.25

The perfect banger on your BBQ, full breakfast or roll to go, Asda’s Extra Special Classic Pork Chipolata sausages are gold awarded by Free From Food Awards panel. As well as great quality, customers can also pick up a bargain, two packs for only £5

Asda Free From, Vanilla Flavoured Ice Cream

Free From: Gluten, Milk and Soya

Retail: £2.20

Everyone can cool down this summer and enjoy Asda Free From Vanilla Flavour Ice Cream.

 OMV! Deliciously Vegan By Asda,  Burger Mayo

Free From: Egg

Retail: £1.50

The perfect accompaniment to BBQ season, this 100% vegan burger mayo with flavours of gherkin, American style mustard and tomato impressed judges and won Silver at the Free From Food Awards. It’s sure to be a winner with all guests at summer gatherings.

OMV! Deliciously Vegan By Asda Saag Masala Cooking Sauce

Retail: £2.00

Everyone can enjoy curry night with OMV! Deliciously Vegan Saag Masala Cooking Sauce. A tomato, spinach and creamed coconut sauce with a blend of spices, guests will be left wanting more!

Asda Free From 4 White Rolls

Free From: Gluten, Milk and Egg

Retail: £1.75

BBQ, picnics or mid-week lunch, enjoy all the flavour without missing out with Silver awarded Free From White Rolls.

Shop in store and online at asda.com.

(That's Food and Drink says: "It's good to know that major retailers are working so hard to provide good quality Free From Foods. My wife needs to avoid gluten and soya, so we are aware of the Free From struggle. Well done, Asda!)

Wednesday 1 February 2023

Two Unique New Brown Rice Crackers from Clearspring

Japanese and organic fine foods specialist Clearspring has added two exciting new gluten free, authentic, vegan and organic Japanese Brown Rice Cracker flavours to its award-winning snacks range: Black Pepper & Tamari and Green Nori & Tamari.

The new Organic Japanese Brown Rice Crackers are made using only the finest quality organic wholefood ingredients. The Organic Black Pepper & Tamari is perfectly balanced with tamari and a hint of black sesame seeds. The Organic Green Nori & Tamari is enhanced with the umami found in tamari, the unique taste of green nori, one of the most popular sea vegetables, and an added hint of black sesame seeds.

Maria Dawson, Director at Clearspring said about the new additions: “The majority of Japanese and Asian rice crackers are made using white rice and usually contain fish stock, added sugar and MSG. It took over a year to perfect these two new and unique recipes, which deliver on wholegrain crunch and taste whilst being minimally processed using organic wholefood ingredients.

“Our Organic Brown Rice Crackers offer consumers a delicious way to enjoy the benefits of organic wholegrain brown rice and are a wholesome plant-based food perfect for any occasion.”

Clearspring's Organic Japanese Brown Rice Crackers are made by third-generation family producers in Japan's Hyogo prefecture, where they have been perfecting the art of rice cracker production since 1952. They are truly artisanal in their approach, employing only traditional methods and expertise to ensure each batch is perfectly baked.

Alongside the two new flavour additions, Clearspring's Organic Japanese Brown Rice Cracker range includes two original flavours: award-winning Organic Black Sesame and Organic Whole Sesame.

All four Clearspring's Organic Japanese Brown Rice Crackers are:

Organic

Vegan

Gluten Free

A source of Fibre

MSG-free

Non-GMO

Made in Japan

Available in 40g pack size

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Ensure your Christmas feasts do not leave anyone out!

With at least nine million people at risk of an adverse reaction to their Christmas dinner Genius Foods, the UK’s leading gluten-free brand, and Lactofree®, the UK’s only lactose-free dairy range have teamed up to ensure everyone can enjoy a delicious festive feast.

As many as one in 100 people in the UK are gluten intolerant and research also shows that up to 15% of people in the UK are estimated to be lactose intolerant. Considering there are over 60 million people in the UK, that is a lot of Christmas dinner guests with intolerances!

Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, founder of Genius Foods and author of ‘How to Cook for Food Allergies’ said: "Cooking for people with intolerances can be a confusing and daunting task but we have put together some recipes to make sure everyone is catered for. Even if you aren’t lactose or gluten intolerant cutting them out is not dangerous to your health. Some people find that just cutting down on these ingredients can actually make them feel less bloated and more energetic, which following a Christmas dinner is almost unheard of!"

But shopping for these dinner guests can seem daunting. Sian Porter, Consultant Dietitian offers a few top tips for surviving Christmas with a lactose or gluten intolerance:

“When in the supermarket you should take extra time to read food labels – especially as some items such as mince pies are only eaten seasonally, you may be unfamiliar with their ingredients. These often contain both lactose and gluten, derived from dairy and wheat, barley or rye respectively. However, there are gluten free mince pies available. If treating yourself to a creamy homemade desert make it with lactose free dairy to ensure you can all experience the delights of Christmas without the worry of paying for it afterwards.”

“If you’re lucky enough to have Christmas lunch made for you, make sure that the cook knows in plenty of time what foods might contain lactose or gluten as well or suggest that you will bring an alternative for everyone to try.”

Both lactose and gluten intolerances share symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, sickness and cramps. In fact, many intolerances are misdiagnosed and as a result, 38 per cent of people who think they suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) might in fact be lactose intolerant. It is also thought that between 50 per cent to 90 per cent of gluten-intolerance (coeliac disease) cases are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as IBS. So you may find yourself catering for those who don’t even realise they have an intolerance – happy tummy’s all round!

Thursday 3 November 2011

Tasty gluten-free Mince Pies. And that's the Genuius of it!

There was a time when "gluten free" sent a shiver down the spine of anyone with an allergy or an intolerance to wheat and/or gluten.

Yes, years ago there were gluten free products but they lacked a good mouth feel and they did not taste particularly nice, either!


Mince Pies were a good example. Either the pastry was wrong and horribly dry and/or the mince mixture was cloying and not especially pleasant.

But then along came someone with a genuine desire to put all that right. To ensure that gluten free did not mean taste free!

That someone was Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, who created Genius Foods. And so set in train a move toward providing people with decent tasty foods that were indistinguishable from normal food because it was normal food itself!

The pastry of Genius Mince Pies is a real crumbly shortcrust pastry and the filling is a real and extremely tasty proper rich, moist and fruity Mince Pie filling. Together the combination is a truly classic Christmas traditional delicacy. So good, in fact, that you could serve it as your only mince pie. But you'd best be sure to get a good few boxes in! Because they will prove popular! Could you pass them off as home made? You know, you probably could, but as that's definitely not in the tradition of the spirit of Christmas, you'll not want to be doing that!

So, tuck into your Genius Mince Pies, whilst raising a glass of mulled wine to Lucina Bruce-Gardyne, the founder of this particular Christmas feast! (And yes, that was a reference to A Christmas Carol!)

Of course, Genius make a whole range of equally tasty Gluten free products, so to find out more, visit www.geniusglutenfree.com  or nip over to their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/geniusglutenfree.

Monday 23 May 2011

Gluten-free Breadsticks for your Barbecues

Now everyone can enjoy the barbecue season as special diets are no longer going to get in the way, and it's all thanks to the launch of DS-gluten free (Dietary Specials) Breadsticks.

Made especially for coeliacs, people who have an allergy or intolerance to wheat or gluten, the new Italian savoury treat goes well with any dips.

The DS-gluten free Breadsticks are the latest addition to the growing and popualr DS-gluten free savoury snack range, and are available from Asda stores throughout the UK . 

 Michelle Shinn, who is the Retail Brand Manager with Dr. Schär UK, said:  “With garden parties set to take place across the country this summer, these Breadsticks will make a perfect accompaniment to delicious dips and salads.

“The DS-gluten free Breadsticks are made in Italy with an authentic Italian recipe. We are looking forward to hearing our customers’ comments about what they think – we are sure they will love them.”

DS-gluten free Breadsticks can be bought at selected Asda stores across the UK and should cost £2.79 for 150g.

For details about the DS-gluten free range of gluten and wheat free products visit www.dsglutenfree.co.uk