Leftovers is our look at a few of the product ideas popping up everywhere. Some are intriguing, some sound amazing and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can’t write about everything that we get pitched, so here are some leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
Nestlé wakes up to waffles and cereal in a bottle
Nestlé is teaming up with Kellogg to bring breakfast staples commonly associated with the bowl and plate to the convenience of a bottle.
The food and beverage giant is debuting Nestlé Sensations Frosted Flakes Cereal Flavored Milk and Nestlé Sensations Eggo Maple Waffle Flavored Milk. The liquids are designed to help adult consumers “rediscover the joys of their favorite childhood breakfasts in a whole new (and deliciously drinkable) way.”
The products are expected to reach store shelves as early as November.
“Breakfast is synonymous with cereal and waffles, and fans will be able to shake up their morning routine with a drinkable way to enjoy the taste of both,” Meaghan Sparkman, Nestlé USA’s general manager and marketing director for its Ready-to-Drink Business Unit, said in a statement. The newest Sensations combine “the magic of childhood meals with the delicious flavor of our iconic milk beverages.”
Consumers used to have time to pour a bowl of cereal or toast their favorite waffle at home, but increasingly today’s on-the-go society has made the convenience of a bottle attractive to many people.
The new Sensations make a point of trying to attract the purchasing dollars of shoppers who grew up with Eggo or Frosted Flakes before going to school or while sitting down on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons.
Now that they are older, a flavored milk not only conjures up wistful memories of their childhood, but it could make the Eggo or Frosted Flakes brands top-of-mind for their own kids. Busy parents, inundated with an already crowded breakfast category, could be more likely to add these offerings to their shopping carts for their kids along with a bottle or two of Sensations.
Nestlé launched the Sensations brand in 2021 to specialize in ready-to-drink beverages, primarily flavored milk. The brand released its first product, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnamilk, in 2021 and followed with the release of a Froot Loops cereal flavored milk a year later.
—Christopher Doering
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Courtesy of Stella Rosa
Stella Rosa gets in on the “swicy” action
Summer may be fading into the distance, but Stella Rosa wants to bring heat and tropical flavors into a new season.
The wine company is adding two new varieties to its line of sweet and spicy wines that add a bit of heat to a fruity beverage. The line initially launched earlier this year with Pineapple & Chili, and is now debuting two new flavors, Lime & Chili and Mango & Chili.
Stella Rosa claimed its Pineapple & Chili offering is the fastest-selling flavored wine to debut in 2023. In a statement, Steve Riboli, Stella Rosa’s president, said the product delivers on its consumers’ desire for flavorful wine that is lower in alcohol content.
“Maybe you’re looking for a Taco Tuesday drink but don’t necessarily want to break out the Tequila – that’s what the Stella Rosa Spicy Series is bringing to the table; an easy and refreshing glass of wine that offers the spice and fizz consumers crave,” Riboli said.
Thanks to the popularity of condiments like Mike’s Hot Honey and viral recipes, the “swicy” trend of combining sweet and spicy flavors — popularized in recent months on TikTok — is having a ripple effect across the food and beverage landscape. According to Mintel data cited by flavorings company Fona, two in three Americans are interested in foods that combine sweet and spicy flavors. Last year, Kraft Heinz debuted Hot Chili Infused Honey as part of its premium Heinz 57 ingredients line.
Stella Rosa is aiming to grow its presence even further with new drinkers that are Gen Z, citing that 27% of the company’s new consumers are new to the wine category altogether.
—Chris Casey
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Tindle taps into the all American breakfast
There are few things more American than a big breakfast plate filled with fluffy eggs, crispy bacon, and of course, savory sausage.
It may be no coincidence then that Tindle Foods marked the expansion of its operations into North America with its latest innovation — the plant-based breakfast sausage.
The product features the “traditional and nostalgic flavor profile of a classic American breakfast sausage,” according to the company, and will be featured in two plant-based restaurants — Mr. Charlie’s in Los Angeles and Neat Burger in New York.
Tindle Foods recently underwent a rebrand when it changed its name from NextGen Foods and expanded beyond its namesake plant-based chicken product.
Now, the company has plans of rolling out products like its breakfast sausage, along with vegan dairy products, to appeal to a wider consumer base.
At Mr. Charlie’s, the new Tindle product will debut under the name of “Frowny Meal” — featuring the plant-based sausage, Just Egg’s plant-based egg product, and vegan cheese all wrapped up in a breakfast sandwich.
Neat Burger, which has celebrity endorsements from Leonardo DiCaprio and Lewis Hamilton, is taking a similar approach to its West Coast counterpart. The restaurant chain will also launch a breakfast sandwich featuring Tindle’s sausage and Just Egg’s egg product on Sept. 30.
Vegan On The Fly, a quick eats spot in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York, is also offering the plant-based breakfast sausage.
The breakfast sausage launch is both Tindle’s first product wholly developed and manufactured in North America and its first collaboration with Just Egg.
The product includes “high-quality ingredients grown and sourced from crops in the United States, including its primary soy protein,” the company said in a statement.
“We are thrilled to introduce TiNDLE Breakfast Sausage as our first American-designed innovation,” said JJ Kass, VP of Business Development and Strategy at TiNDLE Foods. “This launch not only showcases our dedication to developing delicious and sustainable foods, but also signifies a major achievement for our company.”
—Elizabeth Flood
