Leftovers is our look at some of the product ideas popping up everywhere. Some are intriguing, some sound amazing, and some are the kind of ideas we would never dream of. We can’t write about everything that’s thrown at us, so here are some leftovers plucked from our inboxes.
Van Leeuwen gets into Hidden Valley Ranch
Ranch lovers can rejoice that their favorite condiment has made its way to dessert.
Premium ice cream brand Van Leeuwen introduced a new sweet and salty flavor in collaboration with leading ranch brand Hidden Valley, owned by Clorox.
In a press release, the brand said the ice cream contains the savory buttermilk and herb flavors of the dressing with a hint of sweetness. To enhance the flavor, Hidden Valley recommended topping the ice cream with crushed snacks, such as potato chips or pretzels.
“We know Hidden Valley Ranch goes with just about anything — pizza, carrots, fries — but ice cream is new to us,” Rachel Garrison, associate brand director, said in a written statement.
The flavor is available for a limited time at 3,500 Walmart stores.
Ranch has grown significantly beyond its roots as a salad dressing. In 2019, Hidden Valley Ranch told AdAge that its product is used as a condiment or sauce for food 70% of the time, saying it had surpassed ketchup as the nation’s favorite condiment. It is also widely used as a seasoning and cooking ingredient, debuting as a plant-based variety in 2021.
The dressing flavor has popped up before in some surprising places. Last year, popular hot sauce brand Truff launched Spicy Truffle Ranch, which sold out in minutes. In 2021, the brand introduced RanchNog, an eggnog drink mix for the holidays.
Van Leeuwen has explored the world of savory foods in search of other creamy flavors. In 2021 he created Kraft Mac & Cheese flavored ice creams. The offbeat flavor was so popular when it launched as an online exclusive that it appeared in Walmart freezers across the country last summer.
The ranch collaboration is just one of Van Leeuwen’s Walmart-exclusive flavors debuting this spring: The line also includes Sweet Maple Cornbread, Blood Orange Poppy, Carrot Cake, Strawberry Shortcake, Graham Cracker Crisp and limoncello cake.
— chris casey
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Courtesy of INDOxyz
The new best part of waking up: Snoop Dogg’s coffee shizzle in your bizzle
Snoop Dogg is putting a leash on a substance he says has fueled him since the early days of his recording career: coffee.
The hip-hop mogul, who has become a legendary businessman, is getting into coffee with the launch of his new brand INDOxyz.
The premium lifestyle brand, which is a joint venture between Snoop and coffee entrepreneur Michael Riady, features Indonesian beans grown by collective farmers on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi. The beans are carefully selected and then shipped to a master roaster in Los Angeles. INDOxyz sells whole bean coffee for home brewing and ready-to-drink cold brew coffee.
The brand, which has distinctive yellow packaging and celebrates entrepreneurs and innovators in its brand, will first be sold in California stores. Then it will go to Las Vegas and then it will spread to the whole country. Both the beans and cold brew coffee will also be available on the company’s online store.
“Indo is going to change the industry, I promise you,” Snoop Dogg said in a statement about the coffee brand.
Although he was first famous for his music, Snoop has become well known for his business acumen. From cannabis, which he has been constantly linked to throughout his career, to esports, Snoop has invested in and developed several diverse lines of business.
Recently, he has done quite a bit in the food industry. In 2020, he partnered with and invested in Outstanding Foods, the maker of PigOut plant-based chicharrones. He launched Indoggo gin, made under the famous Trusted Spirits brand, which features seven premium botanicals. And he introduced a California wine blend to the 19 Crimes brand later that year.
Last August, he debuted Snoop Loopz, a colorful cereal that touted “more marshmallows.” In January, Post Consumer Brands announced a partnership with Broadus Foods, the CPG company owned by Snoop, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, and rapper-entrepreneur Master P, to produce and sell three varieties of cereal under the Snoop Cereal brand from of this summer.
The premium cafe is an up-and-coming place for Snoop to make his next foodie adventure. According to the National Coffee Association’s Fall 2022 Trends report, coffee is the most popular beverage in the country. Two-thirds of consumers surveyed for the report said they had had coffee the day before. Inflation and higher prices on everything from electricity to rent do not affect the likelihood that consumers will buy coffee, although the study found that nearly six in 10 feel they are worse off financially than they were at the start of 2022.
Indonesian coffee is known for having a bold flavor profile and consumer reviews have been positive. Adding a more premium level to this coffee elevates it in the consumers perspective.
But of course, having Snoop Dogg as owner and spokesperson could do more for INDOxyz than the flavor and performance of the beans themselves. After all, he knows a thing or two about dropping a hot product.
— megan poinski
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Courtesy of Kellogg
Kellogg toasts Apple Jacks Pop-Tarts
Kellogg’s is finding a way to tie two of its popular offerings together at the breakfast table.
The Michigan-based cereal and snack giant is introducing Apple Jacks Frosted Apple Cinnamon Flavored Pop-Tarts. Decorated with white frosting and green and orange sprinkles, the rectangular-shaped treat balances the spice of cinnamon and sweet apple flavor of the classic cereal.
“We know our fans love a combination of brands, so Pop-Tarts continues to provide new ways to enjoy the nostalgic flavors of our childhood,” Heidi Ray, senior director of marketing for portable healthy snacks at Kellogg, said in a statement. . “This new flavor will bring families the best of both in one crazy good deal.”
Apple Jacks Pop-Tarts are the latest release from Kellogg to combine two brands within its portfolio. In 2021, the CPG company released Eggo Frosted Maple Flavor Pop-Tarts.
While Kellogg’s is best known for cereals like Froot Loops, Corn Flakes, and the aforementioned Apple Jacks, it has been increasing its presence in snack foods in recent years. Pop-Tarts has been a key driver of that growth, with the product a $1 billion brand in retail.
“It’s a great business,” Chris Hood, who runs the CPG company’s North American business, told analysts last month. “This is about sustained growth through building an effective brand behind its core range, innovating new flavors and new forms of food like Pop-Tart Bites.”
Kellogg’s has seen strong demand over the past two years for its snack food business, and Hood said it’s “poised to grow by building on … distinctive assets like Pop-Tarts.”
Apple Jacks Pop-Tarts are a key factor in sustaining the growth of the brand. It will also allow Kellogg to leverage two strong assets in its portfolio with a launch that will appeal to consumers interested in new and novel flavors.
— christopher doering
