Arla introduces flavors with Lurpak Spreadable Infusions

By Jim Cornall

- Last updated on GMT

There are three new additions to the Lurpak range, with Spreadable Infusions available in Chilli & Lime, Smoked Chipotle, and Salt & Pink Peppercorn variants.
There are three new additions to the Lurpak range, with Spreadable Infusions available in Chilli & Lime, Smoked Chipotle, and Salt & Pink Peppercorn variants.

Related tags Flavor Taste

Arla Foods is launching a new series of flavored spreadables with its Lurpak Spreadable Infusions.

The new products arrive at UK retailers in May, in three flavor combinations: Chilli & Lime, Smoked Chipotle and Sea Salt & Pink Peppercorn (RRP £1.25/115g).

Lurpak Spreadable Infusions are a blend of Lurpak butter and rapeseed oil with added herbs and spices, lightly whipped for ease of spreading.

Creating new flavors

Ruby Ali-Brett, director of BSM, Arla Foods UK, told DairyReporter about the origin of creating the new spreads.

“At Arla we are constantly tracking flavor trends from a variety of sources. We also spend a lot of time with consumers and food experts to help us understand current and emerging trends,”​ Ali-Brett said.

 She said Lurpak Spreadable Infusions have been developed, in part, to allow consumers to spread flavor to enhance the taste and texture of breads of the world.

“After lengthy testing we landed on the combinations of Chilli & Lime, Smoked Chipotle and Sea Salt & Pink Peppercorn,”​ she said.

Focus on trends

Ali-Brett said that looking at trends helps develop new products, rather than looking for new flavors that people might not have yet encountered.

“To maximize the opportunity to grow the spreadable category, Lurpak Spreadable Infusions taps into those flavor trends rising in popularity, and those which are still evolving,” ​she said.

“We are committed to developing new products that meet consumers evolving needs. As such, we are consistently monitoring current trends and identifying emerging flavors within and outside of the dairy industry.

“We rigorously tested a variety of flavors with consumers and after a number of tasting sessions, we refined the best recipes and the range was chosen. The current range aims to offer exciting and classic flavour combinations.” 

£2m marketing campaign

Ali-Brett said that the Mintel Menu Flavours research (February 2016) noted that the trend for new flavor combinations is particularly popular with millennials and a great way to attract younger consumers into the category.

“Variety is important to savory spread users so the three variants provide greater choice. A third of diners are foodies and with Lurpak’s great foodie credentials, this launch will appeal to them,”​ she said.

The launch of Lurpak Spreadable Infusions will be supported by a £2m ($2.9m) marketing campaign.

“We plan to inspire consumers across a variety of touch points, including shopper marketing, and encourage them to experiment with new tastes and flavors,”​ Ali-Brett said.

“It’s about moving beyond the traditional and helping consumers embrace new ways to enjoy good food occasions.”

Creating the product

Ali-Brett told DR that the flavor blending is a rigorous process that takes around 10-12 months from concept to shelf.

“The first 3-4 months are used to do small scale productions with a lot of different combinations for each variant. In this period a lot of adjustments are made with levels and types of the different spices to find the best combination and taste strength on bread and as a topping on hot foods.

“This process helps us end up with products that have intensity and balance suitable for both spreading and cooking occasions. After that, the chosen recipes are produced in large scale and adjusted further and finally production of final recipes are produced a number of times for full shelf-life trials before launch.” 

She said that the new products are already doing well, with strong listings in store from May.

“If these flavors go well, who knows, there may be more combinations available. Lurpak continues to be a strong performing brand in the category and we are constantly investigating how we can drive value,” ​she said.

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