Chocolate manufacturers are racing to meet consumer demand for bold new flavours, from pistachio-filled bars to biscuit-inspired inclusions. According to Mintel (2025) over a third (35%) of UK chocolate shoppers are actively seeking out new and unique flavours.
However, while flavour innovation is accelerating, accessibility is struggling to keep pace. Manufacturing capability is becoming the defining factor in whether those trends are truly accessible to all consumers.
For shoppers managing coeliac disease or gluten sensitivities, many of the category’s fastest-growing flavour formats remain out of reach due to gluten-containing inclusions and the ongoing challenge of cross-contamination. As a result, manufacturers are increasingly under pressure to balance indulgent innovation with robust allergen-safe production processes.
Accessible chocolate innovation remains a manufacturing challenge
Fourteen percent of our shoppers suffer from coeliac disease (YouGov), and 40% say they purchase NOMO as they have a food sensitivity such as gluten intolerance. More broadly, 21% of free-from chocolate shoppers buy from the category because they have a gluten sensitivity.
We know there’s a sizeable and highly engaged consumer base that is actively seeking a sweet treat that delivers in both safety and indulgence.
This presents both a challenge and a commercial opportunity. Delivering the indulgence, texture and crunch consumers expect from formats such as cookie dough or biscuit inclusions requires significant formulation expertise, alongside dedicated manufacturing processes to ensure products remain completely safe from cross-contamination.
The cross-contamination risk is one the biggest hurdles manufacturers face, but for those managing coeliac disease, even trace contamination can trigger symptoms and cause intestinal damage, so awareness in the manufactory process is essential.
Turning inclusive innovation into commercial growth
At NOMO, which is part of Kinnerton Confectionery, inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do and that includes new flavour development. Our range of free-from treats is designed to be completely free-from dairy and gluten, making them a safe option for those managing symptoms of coeliac disease, or gluten intolerances, while still wanting indulgent chocolate moments.
Our cookie dough bar has become one of NOMO’s strongest innovation successes, securing almost half (43%) of all cookie dough chocolate purchases and generating more than £3.3 million in sales from a total category worth £7.7 million. As one of our best-performing products, it demonstrates that free-from innovation can compete directly with mainstream branded lines when flavour, texture and quality expectations are met.
The launch itself was insight-led, following the strong performance of NOMO’s seasonal Cookie Dough Reindeer, which remains one of the top-performing SKUs within the category. It reinforced the growing consumer appetite for accessible versions of mainstream flavour trends.
How brands can deliver inclusive flavour innovation
For manufacturers looking to deliver more inclusive flavour innovation, success starts with understanding that free-from shoppers increasingly expect the same level of excitement, indulgence and flavour choice as the mainstream chocolate market. That means innovation strategies cannot simply focus on removing allergens, they must also deliver on flavour, texture and overall chocolate experience.
Our innovation process at NOMO is fundamentally insight-led and rooted in inclusivity. We listen carefully to our community, stay attuned to market shifts, and track mainstream trends to adapt them to the free-from category. Our category management team leverages Nielsen and Kantar data to review past seasonal performance and guide key decisions for upcoming launches, while additional consumer research and tools such as Vypr help refine flavour concepts and pack design.
Retailer feedback, social listening, and robust internal forecasting all inform our approach, however it’s also important to make space for gut instinct and bold, creative thinking when responding to rapidly evolving flavour trends.
Alongside insight-led NPD, manufacturing capability remains critical. Replicating mainstream flavour experiences in free-from chocolate often requires specialist technical expertise, particularly when recreating inclusions such as biscuit, wafer or cookie dough without compromising on taste, texture or safety. Dedicated allergen-safe production facilities and lines, with robust segregation, are essential to ensuring products remain free from cross-contamination risks.
At Kinnerton Confectionery, NOMO products are made in a dedicated segregated manufacturing facility, to avoid the risk of cross-contamination. This robust process starts with our suppliers, with rigorous controls in place across ingredient sourcing and raw material handling, alongside strict segregation procedures throughout storage and production.
We also operate stringent cleaning protocols for equipment, tools and materials, with these controls continually verified through a comprehensive surveillance testing programme and allergen testing on finished products before they are released for sale.
In addition, all staff receive extensive allergy-control training to uphold the highest standards at every stage of the manufacturing process. This uncompromising approach gives our customers complete confidence in NOMO, while allowing us to compete fully within the flavour-led growth driving the category.
Bottom line
By combining consumer insight, popular flavour trends and trusted allergen-safe manufacturing, manufacturers have a significant opportunity to unlock growth within the evolving free-from confectionery category.
As demand for more flavours and textures continues to rise, brands that make innovation more accessible will be best placed to capture market share and drive long-term category growth.
