Food Matters Live Taste Matters Innovation In Freefrom Product Formulation 19 th November 2014 Joe Callery Founder & Managing Director Celtic Chocolates
Introductions Leading supplier of freefrom choc products to the UK market 100% dedicated freefrom site no dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs, nuts. Wide range of all year round and seasonal products Manufacture Choices brand and Own Label for Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury s, Tesco.
New Beginnings Origins of alternative to milk chocolate 2006 Barry Callebaut Innovation Centre produces a Freefrom chocolate material based on replacement of cows milk with rice milk and inulin 2007 Celtic express an interest and look for supplies but product not available pending commitment to 20 tonnes 2008 Celtic express ongoing interest in this material during a visit in October from BC sales director leads to production of lab scale batch for kitchen trials in November 2008
New Beginnings Origins of alternative to milk chocolate 2009 product is introduced initially to Sainsbury s and Tesco and both commit to consider commercial introduction if product can be manufactured and pass consumer panel tests and achieve Freefrom standards Product must achieve parity or exceed a competing product that neither retailer had much confidence in but was the only alternative to milk chocolate available Challenge also issued to need for alternative to milk chocolate when plenty of dark chocolate products available A shop purchasing exercise of 25 dark chocolate products on sale in these outlets reveals that the above mentioned product was the only item on sale that did not carry an explicit contains or may contain milk warning including Lindt, Green & Black, and Bourneville
25 Dark chocolate products on sale including. All carry contains milk or may contain milk warning
The Freefrom Journey Great Expectations May 2009 Commencement of development phase to achieve acceptance at consumer panels A number of variants were developed by Barry Callebaut in Belgium based on varying proportions of rice powder and inulin, the ingredients not normally found in chocolate, and the usual sugar/cocoa butter/cocoa mass found in chocolate.. These were assessed by staff at Celtic Chocolates and Barry Callebaut UK and both identified the same variant as the one to go forward for consumer panels These were also assessed by potential customers as superior to existing product on the market
The FreeFrom Journey The Going Gets Tough July 2009 The Test BC/Celtic product assessed against existing by focus group at Tesco. 10 panellists 4 of whom were FreeFrom customers. 7 product variants assessed 3 alternative to milk products shop bought, 3 alternative to milk products from BC/Celtic range and 1 dark chocolate product from Celtic. The Result 2 products from the existing commercial range of alternative to milk were preferred over their Celtic versions Plain and Crispie 1 product from the proposed Celtic version was preferred orange flavoured all 10 panellists expressed overall preference for the Celtic Dark Chocolate bar Back to the drawing board!!!
The FreeFrom Journey External Consumer Panels Jul/Aug 2009 detailed analysis of panellists comments leads to a flurry of activity between BC and Celtic to try and overcome negative issues. Preferred option identified. Sept 2009 central location test 50 panellists 10 point hedonistic scale Identify likes/dislikes Establish overall preference 3 products Plain, Crispie and Orange
The Freefrom Journey The Verdict Choc Bar No statistically significant difference at 95% confidence level A number of weaknesses in both products were identified texture and flavour with the Celtic product having flavour issues that did not exist in the competing product and also scoring lower on texture. Orange Bar Celtic product preferred at 95% confidence level and numerous positive comments Crispie Bar Existing product preferred at 95% confidence level and numerous negative comments texture, flavour for Celtic
The Freefrom Journey Back to the Drawing Board Oct/Nov burst of activity to address flavour issues (identified as cereal/floral notes from rice) and texture issues (identified as arising from high cocoa butter) Repeat previous consumer panel 50 panellists 0-10 hedonistic scale Identify likes/dislikes Establish overall preference 3 products Plain, Crispie and Orange
The Freefrom Journey A matter of confidence Choc Bar Celtic preferred at 95% confidence overall, flavour, texture with 30 out of 50 expressing preference for Celtic product and 10 none Choc n Crispie Bar Celtic preferred at 95% confidence overall, flavour, texture with 30 out of 50 expressing preference for Celtic product and 10 none Choc n Orange bar Celtic preferred at 95% confidence overall, flavour, texture with 32 out of 50 expressing preference for Celtic product and 5 none
The Freefrom Journey Success at Last! February 2010 Sainsbury s launch 3 own label FreeFrom bars Sept 2010 Morrisons launch 3 own label Freefrom bars October 2010 Tesco launch 3 own label FreeFrom bars April 2011 Asda launch 2 own label FreeFrom bars May 2011 Asda launch 2 own label Freefrom buttons
The Choices Story Current Range
The Choices Story The Roll of Honour Choices Caramels highly commended FreeFrom awards 2011 Choices Caramels Highly commended Q awards 2011* Tesco Choc n Orange bar shortlisted FreeFrom awards 2011 Choices white choc egg shortlisted FreeFrom awards 2012 Asda Choc n Orange button shortlisted Grocer awards 2012* * Q Awards and Grocer Awards in normal chocolate category*
The Choices Story The Roll of Honour Choices Advent Calendar shortlisted Freefrom awards 2013 Sainsbury s Mint Crisp overall winner chocolate category Freefrom awards 2013 Choices White Choc Button shortlisted innovation category Freefrom awards 2014 A new journey begins...