BRAND NEWS


Wild Thingz expands better- for-you confectionery range


Better-for-you confectionery brand Wild


Thingz is embarking on its largest product expansion to date, introducing two new share bags, a family multipack, revised pricing and a major travel retail rollout as it seeks to broaden its presence in the category. The new Berry Mix combines blueberry,


strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrant, while Tropical Mix brings together mango, peach, orange and pineapple. Both use the brand’s distinctive bug-shaped gummies and are designed to deliver recognisable fruit flavours alongside Wild Thingz’s better- for-you positioning. Founded in 2024 by former Mondelēz


marketer Fliss Newland, the brand will roll out to 75 WHSmith Travel locations from July, including Heathrow and Gatwick airports, London Euston and King’s Cross. The minimum 12-month listing will include


checkout and freestanding displays across selected sites. A new Berry Mix Multipack will launch


through Ocado in August, containing five individually portioned 25g packs, each with fewer than 80 calories. The expansion responds to research


showing 64% of UK parents with children aged four to 12 are hesitant about sweets due to concerns over sugar and artificial ingredients, while three quarters believe childhood would be joyless without them. Founder Fliss Newland said: “Berry and


Tropical are hugely loved flavour profiles, so we’ve doubled down on delivering big, juicy taste in a way that feels fun, accessible and made for modern family life. This is about taking a real step forward… bigger flavour, bigger reach, and a bigger role in the category.”


Hotel Chocolat launches layered Summer Coolers


Hotel Chocolat has introduced its first layered drinks range, Summer Coolers, across its Velvetiser Cafés for the summer season. The four iced


serves combine finely milled drinking chocolate with a second flavour, creating visually distinctive drinks designed around current fruit, patisserie and coffee trends. The range comprises two Iced Chocolate Twists


– Tropical Cherry, combining mango and Morello cherry, and Raspberry Brûlée, pairing raspberry with crème brûlée – alongside two Iced Mochas. Caramelised Banana combines espresso, banana and caramel, while Double Chocolate layers iced chocolate with espresso and chocolate sauce. Ian Mackie, Head of Velvetiser Café at Hotel


Chocolat, said: “The visual and sensory experience is now a primary driver, especially in summer,” adding that café drinks increasingly form part of social occasions both in person and through social media. The Summer Coolers are available across


Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafés throughout the summer, priced at £6.45, or £5.16 for VIP.Me members.


Wild Thingz products contain half the


sugar, natural flavours and plant-based ingredients, using fruit pectin rather than gelatine.


Tony’s Chocolonely launches Popcorn Crunch


Tony’s Chocolonely has expanded its core chocolate range with Popcorn Crunch, a 180g milk chocolate bar combining creamy chocolate with roasted, caramelised popcorn pieces. Inspired by the movie night


occasion, the new bar brings together sweet and savoury notes with a crunchy texture, targeting consumers’ appetite for experiential flavour combinations and shareable treats. The product joins Tony’s permanent chunky bar range and continues its approach of pairing flavour innovation with responsible cocoa sourcing. Priced at an RRP of £4, Popcorn Crunch launched in Sainsbury’s on 12 July, followed by ASDA from 20 July, with distribution then extending to WHSmith, Morrisons, Waitrose, independent chocolate retailers and Tony’s online store. The bar is positioned for a range


of occasions, from family movie nights and sofa sharing to individual snacking and cinema visits. As with Tony’s wider portfolio, the product uses 100% traceable cocoa


8 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • JULY 2026


sourced through Tony’s Open Chain, which operates according to five sourcing principles intended to support farmers in achieving a living income. The launch comes as cocoa faces


production climate


change,


pressure declining


farmer incomes from yields


and crop disease in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Tony’s argues that improving


and


investing in sustainable production are essential to tackling issues including child labour and deforestation while protecting the long-term future of cocoa.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44