Retail News CRM

Tag: chocolates

  • Haigh’s Chocolates Unveils ‘best Of Australia’ Collection Inspired By Nation’s Distinctive Flavours

    Haigh’s Chocolates Unveils ‘best Of Australia’ Collection Inspired By Nation’s Distinctive Flavours

    Haigh’s Chocolates, a renowned confectionery brand, has recently unveiled a unique collection, the ‘Best of Australia’. This collection draws inspiration from the fascinating landscapes, breathtaking coastlines, and distinctive regional flavours that Australia is known for.

    Australian Essence Captured in Chocolates

    Peter Millard, the CEO of Haigh’s Chocolates, praises the creativity of the brand’s chocolatiers in curating this special collection. He says it effectively encapsulates the diverse and remarkable flavours of Australia.

    Unveiling the Collection

    The ‘Best of Australia’ collection is a gourmet assortment featuring:

    – Dark Cabernet Sauvignon Ganache: A white chocolate ganache, flavoured with Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River, enrobed in dark chocolate.
    – Milk Chardonnay Ganache: A milk chocolate ganache infused with Chardonnay from the Hunter Valley, cloaked in milk chocolate.
    – Milk Leatherwood Honey & Walnut Nougat: A nougat that uniquely combines Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey and Australian walnuts, coated in milk and white chocolate.
    – Dark Bush Spiced Almonds: South Australian almonds covered in dark chocolate that’s been infused with bush spices.
    – Australian Collection Box: A collection of nine milk and dark chocolates, perfectly paired with wines from regions such as the Hunter Valley, Margaret River, and McLaren Vale.

    Their offerings also include the Australian Single Origin Milk Chocolate Tablet, made from cocoa beans cultivated in the northernmost part of Queensland.

    Special Launch Collaboration

    In celebration of the collection’s launch, Haigh’s has collaborated with Robert Gordon Australia to create a custom pottery mug. The mug is beautifully painted in red ochre and comes filled with Haigh’s Milk Scorched Almonds. Hannah Gordon, director of Robert Gordon Australia, expressed her delight and honour at being able to contribute her family’s craftsmanship to the esteemed Haigh’s Chocolates.

    Availability

    The ‘Best of Australia’ collection will go on sale starting October 7. It will be available in Haigh’s Chocolates stores located in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra. Additionally, the collection will also be sold online for those who prefer e-shopping.

    Questions & Answers

    What inspired the ‘Best of Australia’ collection by Haigh’s Chocolates?

    The collection was inspired by Australia’s captivating landscapes, stunning coastlines, and unique regional flavours.

    What can we expect in the ‘Best of Australia’ collection?

    The collection includes a variety of chocolates such as Dark Cabernet Sauvignon Ganache, Milk Chardonnay Ganache, Milk Leatherwood Honey & Walnut Nougat, and Dark Bush Spiced Almonds. It also features an Australian Collection Box consisting of nine milk and dark chocolates.

    When and where will the ‘Best of Australia’ collection be available?

    The collection will be available from October 7 in Haigh’s Chocolates stores across Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra. It will also be available for purchase online.

  • Haigh’s Chocolates Launches Luxurious Hot Chocolate Cube In Celebration Of World Chocolate Day

    Haigh’s Chocolates Launches Luxurious Hot Chocolate Cube In Celebration Of World Chocolate Day

    Haigh’s Chocolates, a renowned confectionery company, recently introduced a limited-edition product called the Hot Chocolate Cube. This new offering was launched in celebration of World Chocolate Day, which is observed annually on July 7th.

    The Ultimate Indulgence

    Characterized as the epitome of luxury, the Hot Chocolate Cube is constructed with a marshmallow centre encased in a layer of rich, dark chocolate ganache. This delicious concoction is then enveloped in a smooth milk chocolate casing. This carefully crafted combination of flavors provides an indulgent treat for chocolate enthusiasts.

    The company suggests two ways to enjoy this delectable product. One can either melt it in warm milk, creating a delightful hot chocolate beverage, or simply devour it as it is, appreciating its unique combination of textures and flavors.

    Availability and Pricing

    The Hot Chocolate Cube from Haigh’s Chocolates is retailed at $14.50 for a pack of four. It can be found in all Haigh’s stores, which are dotted across various Australian locations including Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra.

    Questions & Answers

    How is the Hot Chocolate Cube from Haigh’s Chocolates designed?
    – The Hot Chocolate Cube is a marshmallow cube layered with dark chocolate ganache and wrapped in milk chocolate.

    How can the Hot Chocolate Cube be enjoyed?
    – It can be melted in warm milk to make a hot chocolate or consumed directly as a treat.

    Where can the Hot Chocolate Cube be purchased?
    – The product is available in all Haigh’s stores across Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra in Australia.

  • Nestle launches protein shots for US weight-loss drug users

    Nestle launches protein shots for US weight-loss drug users

    Nestle is launching protein shots in the United States which it says help suppress appetite for people looking to shed pounds, the latest effort by the world’s biggest packaged food maker to tap the booming market for weight-loss products.

    The manufacturer of Kit Kat chocolate bars and Nesquik shakes says its drink sparks a natural reaction in the body which is similar to, but far less powerful than, highly in-demand drugs for weight loss like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound.

    The weekly weight-loss injections mimic an intestinal hormone called GLP-1 and curb people’s appetite, promoting a feeling of fullness.

    The shake, called Boost Pre-Meal Hunger Support, is to be consumed up to 30 minutes before a meal and is aimed at people taking GLP-1 drugs or other weight-loss medications. The roll-out started last month.

    “You get an increase in natural GLP-1 which helps in controlling the feeling of hunger. So this dose has a significant effect on satiety,” Stefan Palzer, chief technology officer at Nestle, told Reuters.

    The shots, sold for US$10.99 for a pack of four on Amazon.com and at some CVS stores, contain 10 grams of whey protein, 45 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and are fat-free. They are advertised as promoting a “Natural GLP-1 response to a meal.”

    Palzer said they could also help people maintain their reduced weight.

    Lora Heisler, chair in human nutrition and director of research at the Rowett Institute, said it was unclear if the shot could make a real long-term difference for people trying to lose weight.

    “I believe that this protein shot can help release a bit more GLP-1, but you can also possibly have a similar sort of release with a glass of milk,” she said.

    Earlier this year, Nestle started selling a new, $5 line of frozen pizzas and protein-enriched pastas in the United States designed for people taking weight-loss drugs.

    Analysts estimate the obesity drug market could be worth as much as $150 billion per year globally within a decade.

    When US retail giant Walmart said last year it saw a slight pullback in food consumption when people took the medication, it sparked a selloff in shares of companies including Nestle.

    The shot, whose formula Nestle has patented, is not intended to replace weight loss drugs and is less powerful than them, Palzer said.

    Nestle says the product is based on a mix of peptides which are digested quickly, giving the consumer an amino acid spike that then controls hunger.

    Whey protein micro-gels help people digest more slowly, meaning they interact much longer with receptors in the intestine that are releasing the GLP-1 hormone.

    In 2021, Nestle said 26 people with type-2 diabetes participated in a randomised study, consuming either a low-dose whey protein microgel or a placebo of water, followed by a meal designed to produce an adequate spike in glucose.

    One week into the study, participants who had been taking the whey protein were given the placebo, and those who had been taking the placebo were given the whey protein.

    Results showed that during the two hours after the meal, glucose levels were reduced by 22 percent in the whey-protein group compared with the placebo group. There was also a positive effect on the hormone GLP-1.

  • Ernest Hillier Chocolates enters administration

    Ernest Hillier Chocolates enters administration

    Australian confectioner Ernest Hillier Chocolates has appointed voluntary administrators to sell off its business and related entities.

    Established in 1914, the company is Australia’s oldest chocolate brand and operates a manufacturing facility in Coburg, Victoria. Its Ernest Hillier and Newman’s brands have been stocked across supermarkets for many years.

    Administrators Alan Walker and Glenn Livingstone from WLP Restructuring Partners are seeking urgent expressions of interest from interested parties who could recapitalise or acquire the business’ assets.

    Partner Alan Walker, said it is “unfortunate” that such a “storied” chocolate brand has encountered distress amid rising operating costs.

    “We are working closely with all affected parties as we move with urgency to understand the business’s affairs and find a suitable buyer or investor.

    “While this process is underway, we have had to make the unfortunate decision to cease manufacturing activity and stand down employees at this stage.”

    He added the brand’s existing relationships with large multi-national food and beverage providers alongside its supply agreements may “appeal to potential suitors”.

    The first statutory meeting of creditors will be held on June 30.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Chocolate retailer Thorntons to close all its UK stores

    Chocolate retailer Thorntons to close all its UK stores

    Chocolate retailer Thorntons is the latest well-known high street brand to fall victim to the Covid crisis, announcing the closure of all its 61 stores, with the likely loss of 600 jobs. The Thorntons brand will remain on offer in supermarkets and other retailers, while its factory in Alfreton, Derbyshire, will make more chocolate for international markets.

    The 600 staff whose jobs are at risk will receive relocation support if they apply successfully for vacancies at Thorntons’ sites in Alfreton or Greenford in west London, the company said.

    Coronavirus pandemic lockdowns have hit Thorntons particularly hard because they have occurred during its peak times, including Christmas and two consecutive Easters. The closures will represent the latest departure of a longstanding high-street name. Thorntons blamed the changing dynamics of the high street and the shift to online retail, as well as the pandemic, for its decision.

    Thorntons was already struggling before the pandemic. In the year to the end of August 2019 it reported a loss of £36m, only a slight improvement from the £38m loss the year before. Joseph Thornton founded the company in Sheffield, using the slogan “Chocolate heaven since 1911”. It floated on the stock market in 1987, but has since struggled with competition from international rivals.

    Thorntons was bought in 2015 by Ferrero, the Italian chocolate manufacturer, in a £112m deal. At the time of the buyout, Thorntons ran 242 stores in Britain and Ireland. The company has abandoned an earlier strategy of investing in new store formats and cafes in an attempt to stave off the structural forces hitting bricks-and-mortar retail.

    Online sales have continued to perform well, Thorntons said, with sales over the last year up by 71% compared with the year before.

    “Unfortunately like many other retailers, the obstacles we have faced and will continue to face on the high street are too severe,” said Adam Goddard, Thorntons’ retail director. “Despite our best efforts we have taken the difficult decision to go into full consultation to start the permanent closure of our retail store estate.

    “As customers continue to change the way they shop, we must change with them.”

    Lees ook:

  • Godiva completes sale of APAC operations

    Godiva completes sale of APAC operations

    Belgian manufacturer of gourmet chocolates, Godiva Chocolatier, has completed the sale of selected assets of its Asia Pacific business to South Korea’s MBK Partners.

    Godiva, a subsidiary of Turkey’s Yildiz Holding, said the deal with the private equity firm includes Godiva’s retail and distribution operations in Japan, South Korea and Australia as well as the future rights to develop New Zealand.

    The transaction also includes the Godiva production facility in Brussels that supplies product to these markets.

    No financial terms were disclosed, but according to a previous Reuters article about the announcement of the sale, the transaction could be worth between $1 billion and $1.5 billion.

    Godiva, which will retain exclusive brand ownership in all global markets, said the deal is in line of its global strategy to grow its business five-fold.

    Godiva said it is granting perpetual license to MBK Partners but will continue to own and operate the remaining markets in over 100 countries.Adtech Ad

    According to the chocolatier, it will maintain its R&D Center of Excellence in Brussels, Belgium, and will continue to source its products from the Belgian facility, the Godiva-owned production facility in the US and from its affiliate facilities in Istanbul, Turkey.

    The company previously announced it will use the proceeds of the sale to finance diversification, including an expansion of its cafe business from 20 stores to more than 2000 globally in the next six years.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Morozoff coming back after 14 years

    Morozoff coming back after 14 years

    Making a comeback after 14 years, Japanese confectionery and chocolatier Morozoff has opened a stand-alone boutique at Plaza Singapura.

    It sells 90 per cent of Morozoff’s full range including chocolates, cookies and packaged baked goods such as madeleines.

    Founded in Kobe in 1931, the brand had been previously available in Singapore from 1984 at the Japanese department store Daimaru at Liang Court. After Daimaru closed in 2003, Morozoff left the market as well.

    This time round, Morozoff has been brought in by Uptron, the first foray into F&B by the electronics and gaming company that distributes across South-east Asia.

    Morozoff’s return is past of a new wave of Japanese food brands setting up in Singapore, including Maple Mania and Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory. The chocolatier has more than 1000 shops and 33 cafes in Japan and is also available in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Singapore shop is its 19th overseas outlet.

    Uptron plans to open about 10 Morozoff shops and cafes in Singapore over the next few years. It also wants to take the brand to other Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

    Director/COO Girish Pradeep Tewani’s link with Morozoff goes back to his childhood when his father, Uptron’s founder Pradeep Kumar Tewani would bring its products home from his business trips to Japan.

    Uptron will be looking into setting up a central kitchen when it opens its cafes so it can produce Morozoff’s signature desserts Denmark Cream Cheese Cake and Custard Pudding.

    Many Japanese people live in Singapore, says Morozoff president Shinji Yamaguchi. “We recognise that our products may be more high end, but we see potential in Singapore because of the standard of living .”

    The company’s products are flown to Singapore at least once a week.

    Lees ook: