Feeling fantastically free
Traditionally Ireland has a high rate of coeliac disease, and consumers are subsequently seeking out a wide variety of products across all meal and snacking occasions
Print15 May 2012
AT A GLANCE: GLUTEN FREE
One in every 100 Irish people are thought to suffer from coeliac disease
As many as five out of six people suffering from coeliac disease are still undiagnosed
As well as those with celiac disease, up to 30% of consumers may be “opting-in” to the gluten free category by choosing to eliminate wheat, gluten and dairy from their diet
75% of people who purchase ‘free from’ products, do so in order to achieve a healthier lifestyle
Wheat free is a growing sector with approximately 15% of the population seeking wheat free products
One in every 100 Irish people are thought to suffer from coeliac disease, which has resulted in the gluten-free category rapidly expanding here in recent years. There is still potential for the category to grow even further however as according to the Coeliac Society of Ireland, as many as five out of six people are still undiagnosed. Indeed, Ireland has traditionally been renowned as a country with a high rate of coeliac diagnosis, but many people are still unaware that they have the condition. Nevertheless, interest in the gluten free diet continues to grow, as people look to food to solve their health issues.
Coeliac disease (pronounced see-lee-yak) is defined by the society as a condition causing some adults and children to react to gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Some coeliacs are also sensitive to the protein found in oats. If a coeliac eats gluten the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged reducing the coeliac’s ability to absorb the nutrients from food. This can lead to various symptoms and complications if undiagnosed.
Gluten is found in bread, biscuits, cakes, pasta, beer, pizza and in many manufactured foods where gluten is contained in the ingredients such as soups, sauces, gravy, salad dressings, crisps, chocolate, sweets and ready-meals. Coeliacs need to take extra time reading labels when shopping and need to take care in their personal food preparation to avoid cross-contamination with gluten. Even a grain of gluten can cause harm and cause diarrhoea and other symptoms which can last for several days.
Q&A with…
John Hannon, managing director, HR Foods
The Mrs Crimbles brand offers consumers a high quality gluten free bakery line that truly delivers on taste
How has HR Foods continually innovated within the gluten free sector?
When we started working with the Mrs Crimbles range in 2006, the gluten free, and free from category in general were quite underdeveloped. Gluten free was a small part of the “health food” category within the grocery retail business in Ireland. You could find some gluten free lines, but most were pretty functional, and in all honesty, not very appealing to the gluten intolerant consumer. The Mrs Crimbles brand offered the consumer a high quality bakery line that really delivered on taste. It did that so well that most consumers of the brand were not coeliac, but chose the brand as a really good mainstream cake brand. Over the past five years, we have constantly innovated and moved into as many categories as possible, from savoury crackers, to rice cakes, to home bakery (stuffing / pastry / muffin mix), snack foods, as well as the core bakery category, offering the coeliac consumer real choice and taste.
How important is it to deliver a wide variety of gluten free choices for consumers?
The choice and range available to the gluten free consumer has exploded, particularly over the past three to five years. The category is growing strongly, driven by innovation and new product development, and is becoming a destination category. Some really interesting research has shown that the gluten free consumer base itself has expanded rapidly, from the core coeliac consumer, who has serious intolerances to gluten through to gluten and wheat avoiders, who chose to eliminate wheat and gluten (and dairy) from their diet. Up to 30% of consumers may be “opting-in” to the category. The range of choice, and quality available to these consumers is helping to grow the category, and add consumers to the category. The Mrs Crimbles range now has over 100 individual lines available in Ireland, over several categories and meal occasions.
Mrs Crimbles gluten free products span several categories, from savoury crackers, to rice cakes, to home bakery, snack foods and the core bakery range
What advice would you offer retailers to help drive sales in your category?
The free from category offers retailers a real opportunity to drive value in a difficult time. The free from consumer is now looking for products that are as good, if not better than, the mainstream alternative, and are willing to pay a small premium for this benefit. As well as that, the growth in, and high quality of the range available are attracting more “mainstream” consumers into the category, adding to growth opportunity. Strongly appealing to the free from consumer, and having a dialogue with them will yield real results for the retailer.
Is value for money an important consideration for consumers when choosing gluten-free products?
In the current climate and as the category develops, and becomes more mainstream, value for money is becoming more important to the consumer. Like most other areas, the consumer will choose on what they buy perceived value, ie, how well it delivers on taste, convenience, ethics etc. As the range and quality within the category develops, value for money, and promotional investment is becoming more important. Later this year, Mrs Crimbles will be launching a new promotional pack that will drive even more value into the category.
Q&A With …
Charlie Sothern, commercial director, Kelkin Ltd.
How do you prioritise the needs of coeliacs?
Here at Kelkin, we understand that our coeliac customers are looking for a wide variety of products from meal solutions to tasty snacks and treats. We are constantly updating our range with new products and new pack formats. We have just launched our new Multiseed Sourdough Bread in April 2012 and this will complement our very popular and successful original Sourdough Bread. Both are high in fibre and ready to eat straight from the pack so there is no need to refresh which is a big benefit.
As well as offering a wide range of gluten free products, we are dedicated to providing information to coeliacs. We have recently launched a quarterly newsletter that is packed with information on the common issues that can be associated with coeliac disease, such as osteoporosis, how to avoid them, as well as information on food labelling and nutrition. All of this information is provided by Kelkin’s in-house nutritionist Adrienne O’Reilly, whose career spans over 20 years working with people with coeliac disease as both patients and as customers.
How has Kelkin continually innovated within the gluten free sector?
Over the course of 2010 and 2011 we have launched a number of new gluten free products. We have expanded our snacking/treat range with delicious chocolate bars that are gluten and wheat free, as well as Apricot Tarts and Gluten Free Jaffa Cakes. We have also extended our range into meal solutions with penne and spaghetti pasta offerings as well as two gluten free pasta sauces. Our breads have also been a major focus for us with the development of our Kelkin Gluten Free Sourdough Bread and our new Kelkin Gluten Free Multiseed Sourdough Bread. Kelkin was the first to market with this unique Sourdough offering that does not need to be refreshed and our sales to date are testament to the quality and success of this innovative product offering.
Our innovation doesn’t stop at products however. We are consumer centric and understand the need to provide pack formats that are convenient for coeliacs. Our Apricot Tartlets, Chocolate Snack bars, Rice Cake Sandwich bars and our portion pack Chocolate Rice Cakes are all individually wrapped to ensure maximum freshness and are perfect for on-the-go consumption. Our new Sourdough breads are divided into two individual packs for consumers’ convenience.
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Kelkin offers a wide variety of product choices across a number of categories, including snacks such as peanut butter and crackers
How important is it to deliver a wide variety of gluten free choices for consumers?
Coeliac disease is extremely prevalent in Ireland, one in 100 people are thought to be coeliac, with as many as five out of six people undiagnosed*. There are many products that coeliacs cannot eat so we feel that it is extremely important to cater for this consumer base by offering a wide variety of product choices across a number of category’s such as snacks, treats, meal solutions, savoury, spreads, etc.
Kelkin is category partner to Dunnes Stores, Superquinn and Musgrave Retail Partners on the health food sections and we have also passed on some of these learnings to the symbols. We have built strong destination areas in-store whereby people with various allergies or who have made a lifestyle choice can shop. This section is clearly defined in to sub-categories such as dairy free, gluten free, and wheat free to ensure that the shopper journey can be navigated as easy as possible. These are big destination shopping areas and the retailers are definitely seeing the value in ensuring that their free from category is right in order to impact on the larger shopping basket.
*(Source: Coeliac Society of Ireland, Press release, 12 April 2012)
What advice would you offer retailers to help drive sales in your category?
Carrying a wide variety of products for their consumers is the best way to drive sales. It is important to be able to offer the consumer a wide variety of choice across a number of brands. This is a destination shopping area and a well-stocked range will ensure that shoppers do not have to go elsewhere for their needs, which ultimately increases the chance that they will move their entire shopping basket to a different store.
Is value for money an important consideration for consumers when choosing gluten free products?
Value for money is extremely important to our consumers and we have responded to this through loyalty campaigns such as in-store coupons and our quarterly newsletter that is packed full of coupons.
The gluten free category is guided by extremely strict legislation and in turn product testing and research not to mention smaller production runs can drive up the RSPs. We work in conjunction with retailers to provide a number of price down promotions throughout the year and we encourage our consumers to claim back their tax at the end of every year using the Med One form, this can amount to considerable savings at the end of the year.
More than anything consumers are looking for a wide range of products, in convenient pack formats, that deliver on taste and do not compromise on quality, from a reputable brand that they can trust and Kelkin meets all of these expectations.
Q&A with…
Alex Murphy, head of sales and marketing, BeFree Foods Ltd
How would you describe your company BFree Foods Ltd?
BFree is a new start-up Irish company based in Dublin, specialising in the wheat and gluten free bakery sector. Our point of difference is that our products not only cater for the coeliac population but because of its excellent taste and nutritional profile, it is rapidly becoming a must stock line in the healthy bread category.
Why did you feel there was a need to enter this sector?
BFree began researching the wheat and gluten free sector two years ago. We conducted extensive research in Europe, Asia and America and witnessed the explosive growth in the healthy breads category worldwide. We categorised what was available in the market and established the ideal specification, which we felt would deliver the ultimate in gluten free bread in terms of taste, freshness, nutrition and quality.
BFree loaves offer numerous health benefits
How did you convert the research undertaken into a commercial reality?
Having identified the gap, the BFree team developed a base formulation. We started with bread as this was the obvious gap and we wanted to refine our recipe to ensure it delivered all the necessary nutritional requirements that was lacking in both the wheat and gluten free bakery market. To help further the project, we engaged the help of Professor Elke Arendt from the University College of Cork who is among the world leaders in today’s gluten free research field. We shared ideas and collaborated in developing a truly unique bread dough that is the best tasting product and the most nutritional of its kind.
Is BFree just for those who must observe a gluten free diet?
BFree is certainly suitable for people who cannot tolerate gluten such as coeliacs. However, 75% of people who purchase “free from” products, do so for a healthier lifestyle. Our products cater for this larger portion of the market by outstanding health benefits such as low fat, high fibre and source of protein. Wheat free is also a growing sector with roughly 15% of the population seeking wheat free products and this was one of our main criteria in the development process.
Why do you feel you have a world leading product range?
Having established the ultimate formulation, we set up blind taste panels in UCC and BFree proved to be the winner above any other gluten free bread on the market among the 200 products we benchmarked worldwide. We have also connected with a huge online following already from loyal fans that are constantly interacting with the brand and each other. We have the lowest calorie bread on today’s wheat and gluten free market below any wheat breads and our reaction on the market has been outstanding.
How important is it to deliver a wide variety of gluten free choices for consumers?
The consumer is at the heart of BFree and we have spent the past year talking to and sharing ideas with numerous gluten free consumers. We discovered that variety and convenience are issues in today’s market with the constant struggle to have a fresh, safe on-the-go gluten free offer. Following the success of our Soft White Loaf and Brown Seeded Loaf, we are launching a range of variety of four pack fresh rolls to the market in June.
Is value for money an important consideration for consumers when choosing gluten free products?
In today’s challenging world, value for money is hugely important and our pricing strategy takes this into account. In fact, in a recent study, we received a five star rating in The Irish Times Magazine in the “Value for Money Gluten Free Bread” column by Conor Pope on 16 January.
Where is BFree available today?
In December to create brand awareness, we opened a pop up shop on Duke Street, just off Grafton Street and we were listed in Dunnes Stores nationwide. We quickly became the fastest selling gluten free bread within three months. We since have secured a listing in Tesco on 25 June and hope to be listed in Musgrave and other stores in the coming weeks.
Fabulous frozen gluten free foods
DS-gluten free recently launched the first range of gluten free frozen foods in Ireland into Dunnes. The range consisted of Margherita Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza and Garlic Tear and Share Bread. Following the success of the range, Supervalu will be stocking the DS-gluten free Margherita Pizza, Chicken and Mushroom Pies and Sausage Rolls. The Chicken and Mushroom Pies are a first for the Irish market, and have been recently improved by DS-gluten free.
The brand will support the launch of the new products with in-store sampling, shelf barkers in-store, direct mail, advertising and digital marketing.
The frozen sector in the UK accounts for 6.6% of the overall market and DS-gluten free has seen excellent sales growth in Dunnes as a result of the new frozen products, making this a must stock category for retailers.
DS-gluten free also supplies a range of ambient products, including bread, rolls, pizza bases, cereal and pasta. For more information on the full range visit www.dsglutenfree.ie.
DS-gluten free products are supplied by Brandshapers, contact Gus O’Connell for more information on 05 39155950 or email gusoconnell@brandshapers.ie.
Savoury snacks fill gap in market
Glutafin has recently launched its new Savoury Shorts into Dunnes and Tesco. Glutafin Savoury Shorts are a gluten free cheese flavoured savoury biscuit ideal for lunch or a midday snack. These tasty snacks build on the success of the rest of the Glutafin savoury range including the Mini Crackers that were launched into Tesco last year.
Many coeliac consumers find that savoury snacks is the area which is not very well catered for, which is why Glutafin has launched Savoury Shorts to fill this gap.
The Glutafin range is available via GMS, pharmacy and in the supermarkets, making it a trusted brand for consumers. The popular Glutafin range of biscuits includes Shortbread, Bourbon Biscuits, Custard Creams and Digestive Biscuits. For more information on the Glutafin range visit www.glutafin.ie.
Glutafin is dedicated to keeping its consumers up to date with all of the latest new product news which they do using email, direct mail and a programme of events throughout the year. The brand has a dedicated careline and extensive support and information on their website for consumers.
Glutafin products are supplied by Brandshapers, contact Gus O’Connell for more information on 05 39155950 or email gusoconnell@brandshapers.ie.
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