HOVIS is fighting back against the decline in packed lunches (measured by Kantar as down by 80m lunchboxes last year). As the economy picks up and consumers feel able to afford to treat themselves to lunch again, the company is pulling out all the stops to keep the DIY sandwich an attractive option.
“Sandwiches have remained the nation’s favourite lunchbox item, with 2,811m occasions a year,” said Tim Dummer, head of customer marketing at Hovis. “There is still plenty to go after and Hovis is investing in the category with innovative NPD and consumer education.
“Continued innovation in the pre-packed bread category is also imperative to attracting more shoppers back to the category. Hovis is leading the way with an exciting new range of flavoured breads, available exclusively to the grocery channel, called Taste Sensations.”
The premium products, in Sundried Tomato, Pesto and Fiery Red Pepper flavours, have an RRP of £1.49.
“They are adding not only value but excitement into a category that is looking for inspirational new products to kick-start a new round of growth. It is essential that brands are inspiring shoppers to buy products that they will be excited about preparing and eating for lunch,” Dummer said.
Hovis is now using 100% British wheat in all of its recipes and has a revamped white bread pack design to highlight the fact.
Matt Hunt, Hovis marketing director, said: “Hovis is an iconic British brand and we are delighted that we are now using 100% British wheat in all of our recipes following a strong British harvest last year.”
• Gluten-free brand Dr Schär says that nutritional content is very important to gluten-free bread purchases. It says its loaves, available in white and seeded varieties, are preservative-free, high in fibre and contain ingredients such as sourdough along with grains such as millet and quinoa.
The company also claims it was first to market with gluten-free frozen rolls. They are blast-frozen after baking so consumers can defrost and use them at their own pace.
