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.
Coffee mate rises to the top
Once known for its creamers, Coffee mate is aiming to have a deeper presence in the caffeinated beverage space with its latest product launch.
The Nestlé-owned brand is introducing Coffee mate Cold Foam that consumers can add to their drinks. The foam comes in three flavors: Italian Sweet Crème, Nestle Toll House Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie and French Vanilla.
The Coffee mate offering has a proprietary mess-free dispensing tip for light and fluff. It also has 25% less sugar than the leading cold foam creamer and 25% more servings than competitors, according to Nestlé.
The company estimated with 20% of coffee drinkers liking a whipped topping on their beverage, and iced coffee consumption on the rise, that its cold foam will benefit.
“We’ve been leveling up modern coffee drinkers’ cups for decades with our broad selection of coffee creamers, and now we’re pioneering fun, flavor and texture with our newest innovation,” Daniel Jhung, president of Nestlé USA’s Beverage Division, said in a statement.
Coffee mate Cold Foam will be available in January at select retailers nationwide.
Nestlé’s move into Cold Foam is the latest by a CPG company to take strong equity with an existing brand and use it to enter a nearby category to grow sales and boost consumer recognition of a product.
Last October, Nestlé brought Coffee mate into iced coffee, marking the brand’s first major innovation for the brand since its inception more than 60 years ago.
—Christopher Doering
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Permission granted by Butcherbox
Butcherbox gets bundled in holiday cheer
In the spirit of the holiday season, Butcherbox and Bruichladdich Distillery are joining forces to unveil box bundles tailored to holiday season gifting and entertaining.
The Cheers & Chops bundle costs $175 and includes bacon, top sirloin, premium steak tips, boneless pork chops, gulf shrimp, and The Classic Laddie – a single malt Scotch whisky made from 100% Scottish barley and matured in a range of casks.
Both bundles also come with recipe pairings including a Pork Schnitzel with a Hebridean Whisky Sour along with Beef Bourguignon with a ‘Not Your Classic’ Manhattan will be used as examples of how consumers can enjoy their cuts and drinks.
The Scotch & Sear bundle which ranges in price from $285 to $295, includes scallops, bacon, filet mignon, ribeye, sablefish, wildcaught salmon, and lobster tails. Customers have the option to select The Classic Laddie or Port Charlotte 10 – a heavily peated Scotch whisky. Recipe pairings include Steak Frites with a sauce that features the Port Chocolate 10 and a Sablefish with Lentils featuring The Classic Laddie.
Butcherbox is a meat and seafood delivery subscription service that touts itself for offering high quality varieties of the categories.
Founded in 2015, all of the company’s products are either pasture-raised, free-range or wild-caught in the case of seafood.
UK-based Bruichladdich Distillery has been owned by the French family-owned business group Rémy Cointreau since 2012.
“As a B Corp certified distillery, we believe in using our business as a force for good, and it’s brilliant to partner with a like-minded company who shares our commitment to flavor, quality ingredients and sustainability”, said Douglas Taylor, Bruichladdich Distillery CEO, in a statement.
In addition to meal and cocktail recipes, the Your Holiday Feast, Perfectly Paired recipe booklet includes educational materials that provide insight into how the two brands selected each meat and mixology pairing.
—Elizabeth Flood
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Courtesy of Goodles
Goodles pasta goes gluten-free
Better-for-you mac and cheese brand Goodles is broadening its portfolio of products that eschew gluten.
The brand has debuted gluten-free pasta noodles in three varieties: Loopdy-Loos, Lucky Penne and Twistful Thinking. Each contains 14 grams of protein, six grams of fiber and 21 plant-based nutrients per serving.
Goodles first debuted in 2021 aiming to disrupt the mac and cheese category by introducing an alternative to staple brands like Kraft’s Mac & Cheese with more functional ingredients like kale and mushrooms. The brand first debuted pasta noodles in 2023, and also debuted gluten-free mac and cheese products that same year. The company said its sales have grown 18% per month in 2024 so far.
As Goodles continues to grow its presence on grocery shelves, the brand is also leveling up its operations. Last month, the company appointed former Sovos Brands CFO Chris Hall to fulfill that role on its c-suite.
Enjoyed by people with and without gluten intolerance, mainstream food products that do not contain the wheat-based protein have grown significantly in recent years. The gluten-free products market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.2% through 2030, Grand View Research found.
—Chris Casey
