Vita Coco choccie

Vita Coco is to unveil a chocolate variant next week, bringing the total number in the brand’s coconut water portfolio to seven.

Rolling out exclusively in Tesco stores nationwide on January 18, the drink will initially be sold in a one-litre format (rsp: £3.49), though there are plans to release a portable 330ml version in March.

The latest SKU - pure coconut water combined with cocoa powder and a dash of coconut milk - has a more ‘mainstream’ flavour than the rest of the range, its makers claimed.

“We are delighted to be bringing Vita Coco Chocolate to the UK market,” said Giles Brook, CEO of Vita Coco EMEA. “With chocolate drinks building momentum, we are confident this variant will be met with a positive reception from our loyal customer base, while also introducing new shoppers to the category.”

The value of the coconut water category reached £47.9m in the 52 weeks to 12 September 2015 [IRI], with Vita Coco claiming a 64% share at £30.8m and Innocent racking up £5.9m since launching at the end of March last year.