The iconic New York flavour ups the innovation bar again as the brand readies a bold new quality campaign to showcase THE standard in bagels
The UK’s number one bagel brand[1], New York Bakery Co., is bringing one of the Big Apple’s most iconic flavours to the UK with the launch of its NEW limited-edition Blueberry Bagels – available in packs of five nationwide from 15 April, RRP £1.90 for a five-pack.
The flavour, which is known and loved in the world-famous bagel shops and delis of New York, is bursting with real baked-in blueberries and features the brand’s signature chew. Each bagel is expertly rolled, boiled and baked for an authentic New York taste like nothing else in the category.
As number one in the £182.4m[2] bagels category, with 69% value share and 67% volume share of standard bagels[3], New York Bakery Co. is committed to investing in standout limited edition flavours inspired by New York. Blueberry is the latest milestone in an extensive track record of driving innovation, consumer choice and penetration.
Its addition to the range comes hot on the heels of last year’s launch of New York Bakery Co.’s limited-edition Cookies N’Cream Bagels, which has delivered £770k RSV since launch[4], and a strong over-index with young family shoppers[5]. In one retailer, a significant 43% of Cookie’s N’Cream sales were incremental[6].
This success has contributed to the brand’s £98.5m worth of sales[7] and created the perfect platform to launch Blueberry. Consumer testing by the brand already shows that 76% of consumers would be very likely or likely to buy the new flavour after tasting. Meanwhile, 75% of consumers said the taste was good or very good, and 94% loved the smell[8].
Christina Honigfort, Marketing & Insights Director at New York Bakery Co., said: “Blueberry is a flavour that is synonymous with the best bagel shops and delis in New York. Why wouldn’t we launch it? It represents everything we stand for as a brand at a time when bagel sales are out-performing the wider breakfast category, with 4.1% year-on-year volume growth compared to just -0.1%[9].
“Blueberry brings something genuinely new to breakfast, which is the largest in-home occasion for total bakery, growing by 154m occasions over the last year[10]. Occasions at home remain significantly higher than they were pre-pandemic, and this shift back in home has seen Bakery benefit more than other foods, with a 5% growth at breakfast vs total food at 3%[11]. Bagels are contributing to this growth at breakfast,[12] and we won’t slow down.”
Data shows that over the past five years, families have been driving this growth, accounting for 52% of the uplift at breakfast (+29m occasions, +51% vs 2019). Pre-families and younger families are up on last year, accounting for 70% of the rise vs 2022 (+20m occasions)[13].
“Our extensive flavour testing and consumer research gives us every confidence that Blueberry will deliver for families in search of something uniquely authentic,” continues Honigfort. “After all, if it isn’t a New York bagel, it isn’t a bagel. Whether you’re enjoying a treat and that rising sense of café culture[14] at home with a bite of Blueberry, or smothering the Original in butter at breakfast, our message is clear: there is no substitute.
“That generous taste and chew is unrivalled. It can only mean New York. Anything other than New York is just a roll with a hole.”
That brand belief is the leading line in a new cross-channel campaign set to go live in May across OOH, social, influencer and press. The bold creative dials up the uniquely authentic taste and texture of New York Bakery Co. bagels versus the wider category to separate the brand’s lineup apart from the offerings of other brands and own label.
Meanwhile, the launch of Blueberry Bagels will be supported by PR, digital, social media and influencer marketing to raise awareness, drive trial and repeat purchase.
New York Bakery Co.’s Blueberry Bagels launch in Tesco stores from 15th April, RRP £1.90 for a five-pack. Asda and Morrisons will follow in the coming months.
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