Collaboration gets new products off starting block

A good packaging concept can give your new product the best start in life, and as Leicester curry ingredients firm Spice 'n' Tice has proved, there are plenty of opportunities for smaller companies to benefit.

Working with two of the area's top universities, the firm has launched a ground-breaking concept for its point of sales unit using lenticular imagery. This is basically a kind of hologram, which enables the display to switch between a 2D pack shot and a 3D image of the cooked dish, enticing consumers to take a closer look and immediately informing them of how they can use the product. The design overhangs the display shelf, making best use of the limited space available in smaller stores.

The project combined Nottingham Trent University's (NTU's) vast food industry experience with the novel 3D lenticular design technology at De Montfort University's Faculty of Art and Design to create the eye-catching packaging for the manufacturer's home cooking curry spice kits.

The successful partnership between universities and industry came about through the East Midlands New Technology Initiative (NTI) - a scheme for small- and medium-sized businesses to apply for up to £10,000 of match-funded grants in conjunction with enrolling employees on training at member universities and colleges in the East Midlands.

Mike Dixon, head of the East Midlands NTI Food and Drink Network, based at NTU, says: "If it had not been for this relationship, Spice 'n' Tice would have had a flat image battling against tough competition on the delicatessen shelves."

Spice 'n' Tice launched their new range at the Deli Flavour shop in Stoneygate, Leicester, which advised the team about the display positioning and requirements from a retailer's perspective. The packets for Chicken Tikka, Bombay Potatoes and Tandoori Salmon include individual sachets of spices, an ingredient shopping list and full cooking instructions.