>>from luxury and exotic to reduced sugar and low-carb

n Hartley’s is introducing a new premium sub-brand to its portfolio of preserves. The new Hartley’s Luxury Conserve range from Premier Foods will be rolling out to stores from February 7. The French style soft-set newcomers contain at least 50% fruit and will be available in six different flavours.
Strawberry, apricot, raspberry, blackcurrant, berries & cherries and cranberry & raspberry variants will retail at £1.39 each.

n Duerr’s is launching a new range of premium marmalades later this month. Rolling out under the banner of Mary Berry - the well-known cookery writer - and packed in 454g jars, the new marmalade range will comprise four variants: orange & apricot, ruby red grapefruit and thick cut marmalade with Muscovado sugar.

n Fruit spread specialist St Dalfour is adding two new exotic flavours to its range of fruit spreads - Cranberry with Blueberry and Kumquat, bringing the number of spreads to 18.

n Premier Foods is bidding to tap into the consumer trend for healthier options by bringing out a new Hartley’s Reduced Sugar range.
The new line-up will comprise apricot, raspberry, strawberry and blackcurrant jams, as well as pink grapefruit and orange marmalades.
The jams will retail at £1.09 and the marmalades 99p. Premier Foods is also planning to launch a new shredless marmalade under the Rose’s brand during the first quarter of this year.

n Portuguese preserves specialist Ecoterra will be adding two new varieties to its extensive array of conserves.
The newcomers will include melon & walnuts and watermelon & orange.
The new conserves both contain on average 135g of fruit per 100g jar.
They will be joining a range of honeys made from local bee hives located in south Portugal, such as rosemary honey with almonds.
n Duerr’s has become the latest manufacturer to attempt to cash in on the Atkins Diet craze by launching a range of low-carb fruit spreads. The carb-busting range compromises five flavours - strawberry, raspberry, apricot, blackcurrant and orange - which will all retail at £1.39 for a 370g jar. The preserves, which contain between 50% to 65% fruit and have no added sugar, contain the sweetener sucralose and are classified by Atkins as having a net carb content of just 5g per 100g. Duerr’s will position the newcomers as a healthy alternative to standard sugar-loaded jams.

n Merchant Gourmet is adding a new coconut version to its line up of 450g jar Dulce de Leche creamy caramel sauces. Dulce de Leche has been designed to be used as a spread, a baking ingredient or as a topping. A new mint variety is also planned in a 345g bottle format and will target the ice cream toppings category.

n Wilkin & Sons, which produces the Tiptree-branded preserves, has chosen fine food distributor RH Amar as the sole distributor of its preserves. The new partnership will kick in from the start of February. RH Amar will take control over distribution of the Tiptree brand to all channels except the major multiples.
Wilkin & Sons had previously handled all sales and distribution in-house. Ian Thurgood, sales director of Wilkin & Son, says the partnership represents a major step forward in continuing to provide top-quality customer service.
“Tiptree sales were at an all-time high in 2004 and we want to build on that success by sticking to what we do best - making top quality food products.”

n Reduced sugar strawberry jam and marmalade aimed at health-conscious consumers have been launched by Kerry Foodservice under the Applefords label. These products, which have a fruit content of 45%, contain 30% to 35% sugar and no artificial colours, flavourings or sweeteners.

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