Schwan’s is bidding to fill the gap created by the demise of Hibernia Foods and its Sara Lee brand with a 20-strong range of frozen desserts.
Known for its pizza brands Chicago Town and Freschetta, Schwan’s is entering new territory with the launch of a premium frozen desserts brand called Amanda Smith after acquiring the former Hibernia factory in East Yorkshire.
The range, which rolls out in October, includes cheesecakes (rsp: £2.49 each), Danish pastries (£2.49), deep-filled fruit pies (£1.99), Ultimate Cakes in packs of five, eight, 12 or 16 (from £1.99), and Wave Cakes, which have a muffin-style base with a cheesecake-style topping (rsp:
£2.49). There is also an American Classics sub-brand of four desserts: Key Lime Pie, Mocha Mudslide, Turtle Pie and American Lemon Meringue in whole or eight-serve pies (£3.49) or in smaller packs of two individually wrapped slices (£1.99).
Schwan’s believes the premium prices will help to reverse the trend for deep cut promotions, which many blamed for Hibernia’s collapse.
Senior brand manager Debbie John said: “Amanda Smith offers a wide range of products to suit a variety of family eating occasions.
“It will provide the radical step that this category needs to realise its full potential, by bringing disenchanted shoppers back to spending money in the frozen desserts aisle and attracting a new, younger generation of consumers.”
Asda buyer Cecilia Bjorkegren welcomed the new range. “Any branded new product development designed to lead consumers to trade-up to more than £1 is good for the category.”
Marlow Foods’ meat-free brand Quorn is back on national TV for the first time in three years. As part of a £2.5m campaign, two TV ads aim to remind consumers of Quorn’s low fat-high taste credentials and move away from the meat alternative message of previous campaigns. The campaign will run until October 10 and a ‘try me free’ promotion across 30 chilled and frozen lines runs
Sean McAllister

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