Premium chocolate drink Chocomel is set to build on a hugely successful year for the brand with the launch of a new plant-based variant in early 2023.
Chocomel Plant-Based’s exclusive cashew nut and pea milk formulation offers the same chocolatey richness as the original and has been rated as 93% positive in advance taste tests, with 48% unable to fault the product at all, beating current market leaders in a blind test.
As more and more consumers seek everyday treats, the premium milk drinks category has grown by 51%[1] year on year, but with growth of 81% Chocomel is driving forward well ahead of the category average with sales of £6.9m. A core element of this growth has been Chocomel’s ability to attract new users, and this launch is set to drive awareness even further.
Alongside the growth of the move towards ‘better for you diets’, recent research suggests that 32%[2] of UK consumers are regularly enjoying plant-based milks and that this growth is expected to continue over coming years.
Chocomel Plant-Based will be available in a 1 litre tetra pack – a format ideal for sharing which has proved a huge success when launched for Chocomel original in the grocery channel this year.
Gabriella Sudall, Marketing Manager NPD (Chocomel) at FrieslandCampina UK, said: “Delivering a plant-based product to the market is a big step forward in Chocomel’s development within the UK. Dairy remains a key pillar of our FrieslandCampina product offering, but we want to make sure that we meet – and exceed – the desire of many consumers who enjoy both dairy and non-dairy products.”
“A 2021YouGov[3] survey found that 3% of people in the UK are vegan and this is currently on the rise. For Chocomel Plant-Based, it was vital to get the thick and creamy texture as close to the original as possible. Our technical team has worked tirelessly to ensure we are able to re-create Chocomel’s famous velvety and chocolatey taste, and we’ve been genuinely delighted with the results – and so have our shoppers.”
“The January launch is also the perfect occasion to try Chocomel Plant-Based as a warm serve for a comforting, delicious hot chocolate-style treat – a serve beloved in the Netherlands since 1936!”
Chocomel Plant-Based will launch across grocery and convenience channels in January 2023.
[1] IRI Infoscan, Total Market, Value Sales, non-Coffee & non-protein Flavoured Milks with PPL>£3, 52 w/e 1 Jan, 22
[2] Mintel UK Dairy and Dairy Alternatives 2021
[3] YouGov 2020-2021: Dietary choices of Brits
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