Onken Mousse is moving upmarket as brand owner Dr. Oetker aims to compete with the likes of Gü in chilled pot desserts.

The range is being relaunched and rebranded as Dr. Oetker Onken Mousse this month and segmented into 'creamy' and 'fruity lite' lines. Three Continental-style mousses in chocolate flavours - plain chocolate, or with a hint of mint or orange - also join the line-up.

On shelf from 17 September, the chocolate trio will be available in single 100g black pots - slightly larger than many rivals - with an rsp of 45p. The relaunch will be supported with in-store promotions, sampling and a media campaign.

Dr. Oetker is hoping to cash in on the growing trend towards premium and indulgent chocolate desserts, as well as satisfying a gap in the market for an "everyday indulgence offering".

The chilled pot desserts category has declined steadily during recent years as consumers have switched to healthier and functional yoghurts. However, the sector is growing at 6% [IRI 52 w/e 11/08/07], suggesting a revival is being driven by premium and indulgent chocolate dessert products.

Dr. Oetker is well known in mainland Europe for its desserts but is best known in the UK for frozen pizzas.

The rebranding marks the debut of the Dr. Oetker brand in the UK desserts market.

"Dr. Oetker already has a strong dessert heritage in Germany across the ambient baking and chilled pots sectors so this is a fantastic opportunity for us to build the brand in the chiller," said Matthew Wilson, head of marketing at Dr. Oetker UK.

"We've recognised that consumers are looking for a more premium, sweet treat to enjoy during the week and there is a significant gap in the market for an everyday indulgent product."

The mousse range offers a combination of bio yogurt and fromage frais. The 'creamy' variants contain a hidden layer of real cream, while the fruity lite' varieties have a layer of fruit.

Onken was acquired by German company Dr. Oetker's desserts subsidiary in 2004.

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