6. Gluten-free NPD: Our top picks from the past year

One of our 10 Things You Need To Know About… Free-From

The free-from category is worth £585.6m with sales up 26.7% over the past year [Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 27 March 2016]. Growth like that doesn’t go unnoticed and now some of grocery’s major players are eyeing a slice of the gluten-free pie.

Here’s some of our top gluten-free NPD picks from the past year.

Fish Fingers – Birds Eye

Birds Eye made its first foray into the free-from category with the launch of a gluten-free fish finger. The MSC-certified Alaskan pollock fish fingers follow the launch of gluten-free fish fingers by rival Young’s earlier in the year.

“The number of gluten-intolerant consumers or those who choose not to eat it has rapidly increased over the last few years,” said Birds Eye UK marketing director Steve Chantry. “We want to demonstrate Birds Eye offers quality products for everyone.”

Margherita Pizza – Pizza Express

Following the launch of gluten-free dough balls in its stores across the nation, Pizza Express launched its first gluten-free pizza in retail. If the 9” Margherita proves successful, the brand will look to extend the choice and range of its gluten-free offering. The launch was accompanied by a host of restaurant-inspired NPD including seven new pasta flavours and dough balls.

“We foresee significant growth opportunities in this sector. The first phase of our strategy is to ensure that our customers are getting the best of the PizzaExpress restaurant experience at home, then we will build on that platform and reach more customers through new formats and channels,” says Matt Ward, PizzaExpress trading controller.

Hobnobs – McVitie’s

McVitie’s tapped two huge trends with its Gluten-Free Hobnobs – free-from and on-the-go. Marking the brand’s first venture into free from, the Hobnobs are available in twin packs and multipacks and come in milk chocolate and original variants.

“The free-from sweet biscuit segment is one that continues to expand, with 55% of UK consumers now open to buying gluten-free products,” says Kerry Owens, McVitie’s brand director. “Free-from is an important sector for us to expand into, to ensure McVitie’s moments are open to all of our consumers with specific dietary requirements.”

Oat So Simple – Quaker

Consumers can enjoy a gluten-free breakfast in a flash thanks to Quaker’s NPD. Available in two formats – a 510g canister of Traditional Rolled Oats and a box of 10 Oat So Simple Sachets.

“Leading a gluten-free lifestyle is important and necessary for some people, and so Quaker has created options to meet consumer demand,” said Jeremy Gibson, marketing director, nutrition, at PepsiCo.

GoFree Coco Rice – Cereal Partners UK

Building on the success of its gluten-free range, Cereal Partners UK rebranded and added two new lines to its GoFree range earlier this year. Coco Rice and Rice Pops joined Corn Flakes and Honey Flakes, which are fortified with B vitamins, folic acid and iron.

“Our ambition wasn’t to create a completely new gluten-free cereal variant. We know people love cereals, so we wanted to give people the cereals they know and love but without compromising taste and without breaking the bank,” says Sarah Johnson, marketing controller at CPUK.

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