Pioneer Foods takes Lizi’s brand into breakfast drinks
The product has just appeared exclusively in Sainsbury’s stores and is aimed at active and health-conscious consumers looking for a tasty, healthy on-the-go breakfast option.
A spokeswoman for Lizi’s told Food Manufacture that the drink would sit in the ambient aisle, going toe-to-toe with other breakfast drinks such as Weetabix’s On The Go Range. It represents Pioneer Foods’ first foray into beverages, extending its established granola brand out of breakfast cereals.
According to Lizi’s, the product is “crammed full of all the goodness of the brand's famous granola”, coming in a 250ml bottle, designed to be enjoyed chilled or straight from the cupboard. It is billed as lower in sugar and higher in protein than any rival, containing a perfect balance of fibre and offering a slow energy release. It is available in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavours, based on the most popular flavoured drink sellers according to IRI sales data.
Vitamin B6
The drink has no added sugar, contains Vitamin B6, which contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and has a recommended retail price of £1.49.
According to Lizi’s, the breakfast drinks market is worth £25.68m and has grown by 6.8% vs last year, with loyalty driving this forward. Chocolate-flavoured drinks are the top sellers, up 5.2% in value, followed by vanilla, which has seen value decline of -1.9%, then strawberry, value sales of which have grown by 6.6% [IRI data w/e 17 June 2018].
“Consumers interest in health and wellness is growing, with the rise of more fluid, and convenient lifestyles," said Lizi’s group marketing manager Susanne Fraser. "With particular focus on this, the on-the-go breakfast market has been crying out for a premium product that meets this demand. We are filling this gap with the launch of Lizi’s Breakfast Drink."
The launch follows hot on the heels of the introduction of Quaker Breakfast Drink, which was announced at the beginning of July and represented PepsiCo’s first incursion into the category. The product is currently available in Vanilla and Red Berries variants in 300ml bottles containing wholegrain oats and 11g of protein, with a retail selling price of £1.45.
Pioneer Foods (UK), which operates production units at Wellingborough and Peterborough, makes fruit snacks under the Fruit Bowl brand and processes a range of own-label and branded breakfast cereals. It serves international customers, including top supermarkets and discounters and is part of South Africa-based Pioneer Food Group.
