Sovos Brands, based in Noosa, is venturing into the frozen dessert market with its new yogurt gelato. The company announced that this premium offering contains the same high-quality ingredients, active cultures, and probiotics as its traditional yogurt. The Noosa frozen yogurt gelato, priced at $4.99 for a 14-ounce tub, will be available in four flavors: Sea Salt Caramel, Chocolate Fudge, Strawberries and Cream, and Honey Vanilla Bean. The gelato is made with whole milk, real strawberries, real vanilla bean, wildflower honey, sea salt, and caramel chips, aiming to connect “the gap between better-for-you frozen desserts and an irresistible treat.” By May, consumers will find the Noosa frozen yogurt gelato on shelves nationwide at retailers such as Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and Stop & Shop.
Priscilla Tuan, Sovos’ Chief Marketing Officer, expressed excitement about expanding the brand’s presence in stores, emphasizing that many fans already enjoy Noosa yogurt as a dessert. This new product aims to offer a delightful way for existing fans to enjoy Noosa while introducing the brand to new customers. Following a similar strategy for its other brands, Sovos is exploring new categories that align closely with their original products. Recently, Birch Benders, known for its pancake and waffle mixes, announced its entry into the cookie category. “Sovos Brands has a strong history of innovation, and developing products in adjacent categories is fundamental to our mission across all brands,” Tuan stated. “We are deliberate and thoughtful in our innovations, like the frozen dessert category, acknowledging the loyalty consumers have to our brands and the exceptional quality and flavor they expect from our offerings.”
The Colorado-based company, named after the Latin term for “one of a kind,” has expanded its portfolio quickly by emphasizing high-quality, clean-label ingredients. Sovos went public last September and is among the few recent food and beverage stocks trading above their IPO price. As summer approaches, White Claw aims to remind consumers why it has been the leading hard seltzer brand for the past three years while also adapting to the evolving market.
White Claw has launched White Claw Surf, a new line of drinks featuring multiple fruit flavors. It includes four varieties: Citrus Yuzu Smash, Tropical Pomelo Smash, Watermelon Lime Smash, and Wildberry Acai Smash. Since hard seltzer gained popularity in 2019, White Claw has remained at the forefront. However, the category faced challenges last summer as new brands emerged, causing a slowdown in sales for established names like Boston Beer’s Truly. Nonetheless, White Claw finished 2021 with over $2 billion in sales and a 40% market share.
While White Claw maintains its leadership position, it now competes with newer brands emphasizing health benefits and trendy fruit flavors. For instance, Molson Coors’ Vizzy, launched in April 2021, claims to be the first hard seltzer with antioxidants and vitamin C, leading to accusations of misleading health claims from consumer groups. Spindrift also entered the hard seltzer market last year, branding its Spindrift Spiked as a healthier alternative with clean-label ingredients. As a category pioneer, White Claw is adapting to consumer preferences, incorporating flavors like yuzu and acai, known for their high antioxidant content. Each can of White Claw contains 100 calories and is gluten-free, but it does not mention vitamins or functional ingredients, perhaps to avoid issues similar to those faced by Vizzy. Still, the introduction of these flavors could appeal to consumers seeking functional benefits in their alcoholic beverages.
In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards dairy-free chocolate, but now there’s an innovative option that’s cow-free. Betterland Foods, which launched in February using Perfect Day’s animal-free dairy proteins, has introduced its Woo line of chocolate candy. While Woo bars contain dairy, it is entirely animal-free. The Woo layered bar, now available for online order, features organic chocolate, caramel, peanuts, and nougat. Perfect Day utilizes precision fermentation to create dairy proteins, all lactose-free, allowing CPG brands to develop new products. Notably, these candy bars are healthier than many other options on the market, containing less than half the sugar and twice the protein compared to similar candy brands. “This is candy bars, evolved,” Betterland Foods CEO Lizanne Falsetto stated in a press release.
Falsetto, a pioneer in the protein bar industry, previously founded ThinkThin, which became a leader in the protein bar market. After selling the brand for $217 million in 2015, she launched Betterland Foods in 2020, returning to her roots with a focus on candy. With consumers spending $36.9 billion on candy in U.S. retail and vending machines last year, and chocolate candy accounting for $21.1 billion of that total, Woo is designed to be more like traditional candy rather than a protein bar. It combines animal-free dairy with Falsetto’s expertise in healthier alternatives, sweetened with cane sugar and agave syrup, making it a comparable option to other candy bars—enhanced by its nutritional and sustainable credentials, including the incorporation of calcium citrate, magnesium, and zinc.
Correction: A previous version of this story inaccurately stated the type of honey used in the Noosa gelato; it contains wildflower honey.