Rude Health is expanding its chilled plant-based range with the launch of a Hazelnut Drink with added calcium into Sainsbury’s this month. The product builds on strong momentum in a segment where its chilled portfolio has grown 75.5% year on year.
The new drink from Rude Health is positioned as a flavour-led innovation for the chilled aisle, combining mountain spring water, rice and roasted hazelnuts to deliver a smooth, naturally sweet profile with no added sugars or syrups. It uses roasted Italian Tonda Gentile hazelnuts, selected for their aromatic sweetness and premium quality, reinforcing the brand’s focus on ingredient-led development.
As Sam Maguire, Rude Health’s UK Country Lead, said; “Rude Health is all about bringing natural ingredient deliciousness to shoppers across the UK. With the fantastic growth we’ve seen in our chilled range it was the right time to broaden our offering with a particularly moreish new drink – Hazelnut. Consumers are becoming increasingly adventurous with flavours – whether in coffees, smoothies or in their cereals and this launch addresses their desire for something more luxurious and indulgent. Made with Italian Tonda Gentile hazelnuts, which give the drink a smooth, creamy texture and real depth of flavour, this is an irresistible addition to the category.’’
The launch taps into growing category interest, with 34% of UK consumers expressing interest in hazelnut plant-based drinks and 25% open to trialling new plant-based options. It also responds to known purchase barriers around nutritional perception in plant-based dairy alternatives, with the product fortified with calcium and positioned as a natural, clean-label option free from artificial additives.
Designed as a versatile chilled drink for use across cereal, tea, smoothies and standalone consumption, it will sit within Rude Health’s expanding chilled range alongside Coconut, Almond, Oat and Soya with Calcium, as the brand continues to drive growth across chilled and ambient plant-based categories.
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