Speciality Food Magazine May 2024

I also thinkwe’ll seemore filled or covered dates too.” Tom thinks ‘artisanal’ and ‘playful’ are the ones to watch in snacking. And “keep an eye out too for a greater synergy between snack and street food, with a greater spotlight on authentic street food formats potentially leading (when applicable) to convenient, on-the-go snacking innovation.” In good taste ‘Meaty’ as a flavour is reigning supreme right now and leading the charge in the snackingmarket, says Tom, who is beginning to seemore ‘barbecue expressions’ across the category, such as Korean or American. Greg Smith, head of marketing at Taylor’s Snacks, says they’ve been watching flavour and format trends very closely in the past year to ensure the company is aligned with changing consumer tastes in 2024. “Insights suggest that a combination of sweet and spicy or sweet and salty snacks are primed to tantalise tastebuds,” he says. “Hot honey and salted caramel are two flavours we’re exploring for crisps and popcorn this year.” While Vanessa is seeing leanings towards spicier products, and world and exotic flavours...as well as a yearning for classic and traditional tastes. It’s ‘old favourites’ that are driving sales at Fairfields Farm, which has just expanded its range, launching a 15 mango fromFilipino company, Auro. She’s seeing “more legume and ancient grain flours being used instead of wheat, andmore dried fruit instead of sugar”, and “chilli and lime seems to be a big flavour combination that many brands have brought out, but also fermented ingredient flavours too, likemiso and pickle.” Jennifer is excited about Indian- themed snacks in familiar taste profiles, likemasala-flavoured crisps and crackers, “or Bombaymix launches or popped lotus seeds which have a healthier angle. STOCK CHECK S P E C I A L I T Y F O O D M A G A Z I N E * 2 0 2 4 * PRAWN COCKTAIL FAIRFIELDS FARM New from the brand. The deliciously tangy, creamy flavour of a classic prawn cocktail in crisp form, made with the farm’s own potatoes. fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk ORGANIC JAPANESE BROWN RICE CRACKERS – BLACK PEPPER & TAMARI CLEARSPRING A light and wholesome gluten-free snack, baked to perfection with black pepper and naturally aged tamari. clearspring.co.uk PEANUT BUTTER & MILK CHOCOLATE DATES FOREST FEAST Soft Deglet Nour dates smothered in smooth peanut butter and generously dunked in Belgian milk chocolate. forestfeast.com SPICY BARBECUE BURTS A new, limited-edition flavour, bringing the smoky taste of barbecued, grilled meats to consumers in crisp form. burtschips.com WARM CUMIN & FENNEL MUNCHY SEEDS A healthier on-the-go snack of spicy roasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds with warm cumin and fennel flavours. munchyseeds.co.uk HEREFORD HOP CHEESE & ONION TWO FARMERS CRISPS The sustainable choice, made with the brand’s own potatoes and sold in 100% home compostable packs. Flavoured with artisan cheese from Charles Martell & Sons, and Two Farmers’ onions. twofarmers.co.uk specialityfoodmagazine.com newPrawn Cocktail flavour. “We’ve been looking forward to launching these for a long time,” says commercial director Tash Jones. “Robert, our co- founder, has always been a prawn cocktail fan, but there wasn’t a call for it in the ‘posh’ side of the hand-cooked crispmarket until recently.” Tash says she’s seen a “huge trend for Millennials trying to get joy from nostalgia. It’s definitely a significant trend within our coremarket”. The brand’s newest flavour has been benchmarked across the whole industry to ensure it stands out, while also being (as is the rest of the range) vegan and gluten free. “We wanted a flavour where you can definitely taste the prawns in it,” Tash says. “A lot of themhave a sharp vinegar taste, but these have almost a two-stage flavour punch, starting with a hit of vinegar that then rounds out withmore of aMarie Rose creaminess.” Fairfields’ bestsellers remain Salt & Vinegar and Lightly Salted, with Tash saying they’ll always have a place in retail, nomatter what weird and wonderful creations come up. “But, I would say we are seeing a surge in thosemeaty flavours.” Like Tom, Tash thinks this is where the snackingmarket is heading. “Roast Rib of Beef does really well for us, and Bacon & Tomato is starting to take over. That reflects themarket as a whole. There are definitely a lot more spice andmeaty flavours.” I’ve seen some interesting protein-rich, low-fat jerky launches of late, with bothmeat andmeat-free options a health-forward route for brands pushing both at-home and on-the-go snacking benefits TOM GATEHOUSE For more information contact: louise.barnes@artichokehq.com 01206 508629