Freshgro, the growers’ co-operative that pioneered bringing back Chantenay carrots to the UK has today launched the nation’s first Chantenay Carrot Snack Pack. The packs are set to be a hit with consumers who are looking for a quick but healthy snack, particularly while on the move and taps into the trend towards healthier eating.
For the first time, sliced carrots have been able to retain their distinctive shape thanks to cutting edge technology. As well as retaining their Chantenay appearance, the technology enables the carrots to retain their flavour, freshness and crunchy texture.
The packs are available in single, round 80g pots plus a multi-pack design of 4 x 65g snap packs which are easy to separate. Kids will love the snack pots which are perfect for little hands and lunchboxes. There are two striking pack designs, one aimed at adults which has a black and orange theme and one for children, with a fun and colourful design incorporating ’Tiny C’ the lovable Chantenay cartoon character ensuring good on-shelf presence and stand out.
Martin Evans, Managing Director Freshgro, says: ’The Chantenay’s sweetness makes it the perfect choice for an appealing, healthy snack. We have invested a great deal of time and energy into development of the correct technology to deliver a product which enables us to retain the quality and succulence of the Chantenay. We are pleased with the end result which is a unique product and one which offers a good profit opportunity for retailers, especially those with a convenience offering.’
The UK snack market is worth over ’2.4 billion and yet traditional, high fat foods such as crisps and peanuts are declining as consumers move away from high fat and salt intake diets. The Chantenay Carrot Snack Packs will appeal to consumers looking for quick snacks, lunchbox staples, food to graze on throughout the day, or as a healthy alternative to crisps and chocolate. Their unique shape also makes them a great carrier for dips and therefore perfect for picnics.
The UK prepared carrot market has seen huge growth in the last few years, with recent
figures indicating a 22% year on year growth. Up until now baton carrots have dominated the fresh prepared carrot sector. However, this is set to change with the exciting innovation from Freshgro. The prepared Chantenay carrots are unique in that they have a good finish, as the state of the art peeling (or rather shaving) process ensures that the surface area is smooth; the vivid orange colour of the carrot is retained, giving them exceptional shelf appeal; they have a greater shelf life; and there is low wastage.
For retailers the benefits are multitude. Prepared carrots return a better margin with less waste and handling issues in store. It also gives retailers the opportunity to offer customers a premium, healthy snacking choice.
Freshgro has around 90 per cent of the Chantenay market which they created which accounts for around 7 per cent of all carrot sales.
