The snacks market is constantly looking for innovation and quality - and in our first year we brought eight new flavours of Ten Acre hand cooked crisps and five new flavours of premium popcorn to the market. We took a different approach to marketing with every flavour having a story to tell. We have sought to combine great products with free from credentials - our crisps and popcorn are Gluten, Dairy and MSG free, Vegan and Vegetarian - and reasonable pricing. Our challenge for 2015 is to keep our fresh approach at the forefront of trade and consumers’ minds and to build on the progress we made since we launched less than 12 months ago, which included winning the Food Product of the Year Award at the Caffe Culture Show 2014 for our crisps The Day Sweet and Sour Became Friends.
Are there opportunities going forward for the business?
Ten Acre focuses on the fast expanding “free from” market, as all our products are Gluten, Dairy & MSG free, Vegan, Halal and Kosher - and this is a market that continues to expand as consumers look to improve the quality of the products they buy. Our recent product launches show that there is interest in 'free from' foods and that this niche is still growing, particularly the Gluten free market. We want to offer consumers the best of all worlds - great taste and 'free from'. Consumers shouldn't have less choice just because they have certain dietary requirements and they should be able to enjoy products that are great tasting.
How important is innovation in the crisp/snacking sector?
Innovation is vital in order to keep the interest of consumers and to differentiate yourself from the rest of the sector. We have to balance innovation with providing consumers with familiar favourites. We launched our Ten Acre premium hand cooked crisp range in March and our new popcorn range in October so we have plenty of recent innovations to carry us into the New Year! Ten Acre is also focussed on putting the fun back into the crisp/snacking sector so that all the senses are satisfied - not just great flavours and textures, but fun stories and packaging that really catches the eye. All of our products have been given unique flavour names, and there is a story behind every one which consumers can read and enjoy on our website.
What is your growth strategy?
We will continue to innovate and introduce new Ten Acre products as well as expand our distribution both in the UK - we would like really good national coverage for all our products - and also overseas. The export market is very important to us. We are very excited to have just launched our new popcorn range and we are focusing on promoting that, but it doesn't stop there for us. We are constantly looking to the future and exploring new opportunities for Ten Acre, both in New Product Development and in continuing to build the brand.
What advice are you offering foodservice operators?
Food service operators have to cater for such a wide range of dietary needs that it simplifies their operations to have products that combine answers to all those requirements. Ten Acre provides operators with snacking products that can offer consumers the best of all worlds with every product being Gluten, Dairy & MSG Free, Vegan, Halal and Kosher and so accessible to a wide range of dietary requirements. It makes sense to ensure that convenience snacks are just that, convenient and suitable for everyone. We also take our production very seriously - and all our products are premium quality. All our potatoes, flavours and packaging are from the UK and the crisps and popcorn are made in the UK. Our branding and colourful packaging also makes us stand out on the shelves and of course, they taste great.