Oaty goodness

The merits of eating porridge for breakfast have received widespread coverage and consumers’ appetite for oat based products is growing ever stronger.

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Brand Central

At a glance: PORRIDGE

• Fresh Irish Porridge has been launched by Avonmore and Flahavan’s
• This porridge combines Flahavan’s wholegrain oats and Avonmore fresh milk in a resealable pot and is ready-to-heat in the microwave for just two minutes
• Fresh Irish Porridge comes in two varieties – Original and Honey. The new porridge comes in single serving pots (280g) costing €1.49
• Pasta Reale have just launched a fresh chilled porridge onto the market under the new brand name Really Quite Remarkable
• Really Quite Remarkable is available in a 300g microwaveable pot

Start the day the healthy way with Flahavan’s

Flahavan’s, has been operating its oat mill in Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford for generations, making it one of Ireland’s longest private family-run food businesses. As the hot oats cereal category leader with over 65% market share, Flahavan’s has delivered more growth to the oats category in line with consumers’ increasing interest in porridge as a healthy breakfast cereal choice.

Today, consumers are taking a greater interest in managing their own health and Flahavan’s through its focus on innovation and research has broadened its portfolio to include products that concentrate on convenience, flavour and taste tailored to the demands and lifestyles of health-conscious Irish consumers.

Fresh Irish Porridge has been launched by Avonmore and Flahavan’s, two of Ireland’s leading brands and is the perfect answer for busy consumers who crave a healthy start to the day without compromising on taste and quality. This nutritious porridge combines Flahavan’s wholegrain oats and Avonmore fresh milk in a resealable pot and is ready-to-heat in the microwave in just two minutes.

Fresh Irish Porridge comes in two varieties – Original and Honey. The new porridge comes in generous single serving pots (280g) costing €1.49 and should be placed with the fresh dairy products and in the front of store fridge areas. A significant consumer and media sampling campaign is currently being implemented across all media channels to support the launch of this new and emerging category. Start your day with healthy guaranteed sales and a higher margin with Fresh Irish Porridge from Avonmore and Flahavan’s.

Pasta Reale launches chilled porridge

Pasta Reale, specialists in fresh pasta, sauces and stocks, have just launched a fresh chilled porridge onto the market under the new brand name Really Quite Remarkable. Available in a 300g microwaveable pot (it takes under three minutes to cook), this premium porridge fills a gap in the market for really excellent ready made breakfast solutions. The Really Quite Remarkable brand has been launched to give consumers real confidence in the product they have bought. In the case of its porridge, taste is enhanced using the best British ingredients including jumbo oats and whole milk both of which also give the porridge an exceptionally creamy, smooth texture. Packaging design has been created by Leahy Brand Design and includes a little elephant as its mascot. The back of pack tells us that elephants really do eat porridge and that elephant sanctuaries feed porridge to baby elephants to nurse them back to health. A heart warming story for a very heart warming breakfast solution!

Q&A with…

Joe Collum, marketing director, Glanbia Consumer Foods and John Noonan, sales & marketing director, E. Flahavan’s & Sons Ltd.

What do you believe to be at the core of your brand?

According to John Noonan, Flahavan’s sales and marketing director, “Our ultimate aim was to produce a great tasting, convenient porridge, made with Ireland’s finest ingredients which is 100% natural. We combined all the goodness of Avonmore Fresh Milk and Flahavan’s Wholegrain Porridge Oats. We achieved this aim with Fresh Irish Porridge, the next generation in convenient healthy eating”.

What market trends have you seen over the last few years?
“Over the last few years, porridge has become a regular part of people’s breakfast menu. There are a number of factors for this, including the health benefits and value for money. We’ve also seen a significant jump in the number of consumers who eat porridge as part of their work breakfast repertoire,” says John Noonan.

How are you taking advantage of these trends?
“Fresh Irish porridge appeals to those consumers with hectic morning schedules who rely on quick preparation either on the go or at work without compromising on taste and the inherent health benefits of wholesome milk and wholegrain porridge oats. Fresh Irish porridge delivers the taste, convenience and health benefits of a porridge that is ready to heat in the microwave in minutes and requires no preparation”, says John Noonan.

You are both well-known brands in your respective sectors, how did the joint venture come about? 
“We made an approach to Flahavan’s because of our track record in producing fresh alternatives and Flahavan’s track record in innovation in the porridge category, hence it seemed a very natural fit”, says Joe Collum, marketing director, Glanbia Consumer Foods. “Using the combined expertise and synergies of Avonmore Fresh Milk and Flahavan’s Porridge Oats, Fresh Irish Porridge offers a ‘fresh’ solution to consumers’ convenience needs by delivering a new product to the Irish market and creating a new category”, says Collum.

What investment have you made in a marketing campaign for the new brand, and what will the campaign involve?
According to Collum: “We have invested heavily in ATL and BTL promotional activity. Fresh Irish Porridge is currently featuring on Avonmore’s Weatherline sponsorship on RTE and we will be implementing a significant consumer and media sampling campaign across all media over the coming months. The focus of the campaign will be to communicate the key message of Fresh from the fridge.”

Any advice on how retailers can grow the category and increase sales?
“It needs the support of retailers to acknowledge that this is a new emerging category within the fresh dairy products and front of store fridge areas with exciting growth potential in the convenience breakfast market. We believe that together we have brought a great new product to the market, which has been experiencing significant growth,” says Collum. 

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