The company behind the ailing Sugar Puffs cereal brand has added a porridge product as part of the new owner's strategy to reinvigorate the brand and inject "some fun" into the competitive hot cereals market.

Honey Meltz from Honey Monster Foods, a division of the Big Bear group that acquired Sugar Puffs from PepsiCo last year, consists of nuggets of honeycomb that melt as the porridge is heated. Rolling out now, a 500g pack is priced at £1.59, with a 35g serving containing 131 calories.

The product has been launched to fill a gap in the market for a "more unique" oats product, said head of marketing Jane James. She claimed the newcomer had outperformed rivals in taste tests.

Sales of Sugar Puffs have slumped 9.7% in the past 12 months to £18.2m, according to Nielsen [MAT to 11 August, 2007]. This was despite a £3.5m marketing push to promote honey's health credentials and establish the brand as a better-for-you option.