Heinz and Daddies add cheer to children's food in a versatile sector, reports Tracy Kelly The leading product in the bottled sauces market is Heinz tomato ketchup but, although a stalwart in the stable, Heinz does not rely on its traditional red ketchup alone to boost sales. The company says new product development has been key in achieving growth of more than 13% year-on-year in bottled sauces. Its launches include Heinz Eazy Squirt Wicked orange sauce, a limited edition made with tomato ketchup but coloured to appeal to kids. The launch is part of Heinz's strategy to extend the kids' sauce category beyond ketchup after identifying 1.4 billion occasions when kids eat meals without a sauce. Daddies Sauce also has its eye on the children's market and has added five vitamins to its tomato sauce. Akivar Jolly, brand manager for HP Sauce, says: "Adding and flagging up the vitamin content has been well received by our consumers." Own label producer Rayner Burgess reckons its soon-to-be-launched range of sauces to accompany fast food at home will fill a gap. Phillip Kent, technical director, said: "Consumers' palates are becoming more exposed out of the home so we need to bring these experiences to the kitchens." Elsewhere, HP has been extending the usage occasions of its BBQ sauce, which it says shows strong off-season growth. To bring in new consumers, a curry version has been added, which HP says has driven incremental sales. Curry has also been chosen by Heinz as the latest flavour in its condiments sauces range. Heinz Exotic Curry sauce and fellow newcomer Heinz Smokehouse sauce were added after the versatility of the range which can be used as a condiment, ingredient, cooking sauce or dip revealed "a wider consumer base than anticipated". Adding usage occasions has also seen sales of Worcestershire sauce jump 12.7% in the year to date, driven by Lea & Perrins which has a 99% market share. {{FOCUS ON }}

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