Sauces, dressings and condiments are routine purchases for most consumers these days. FMCG talked to some of the stakeholders in these categories to find out what’s new and popular.

Heinz Wattie’s

Heinz Wattie’s stocks dressings, table sauces, condiments and cooking sauces in supermarkets nationwide.  Well known brands include Eta, Eta Gourmet, Heinz, Heinz Seriously Good and Weight Watchers in dressings; Wattie’s, Wattie’s Bit on the Side, Heinz, HP, Lea & Perrins and Sinsin in table sauces; Wattie’s Bit on the Side in condiments; and Heinz Seriously Good, Wattie’s, Wattie’s WOK Creations and Wattie’s Just Add in cooking sauces.

Over the past 12 months several new products have been launched. These include two new Eta dressings – Eta Caramelised Onion Dressing 250ml and Eta Greek-style Feta with Oregano Dressing 250ml and two new Heinz Seriously Good products in Upside Down Squeezy bottles – Heinz Seriously Good Aioli 295ml and Heinz Seriously Good Tartare 295ml. 

These new dressings have been performing well, says Melanie Taylor, Heinz Wattie’s, marketing manager Dressings & Table Sauces. 

Taylor says because the Dressings market is so flavour-driven, it is important that new variants are launched on a regular basis to keep consumers engaged with the category. Eta strives to keep abreast of international and New Zealand flavour trends. 

The new Heinz Seriously Good Aioli and Tartare (in Upside Down Squeezy bottles) have been a welcome addition to the successful Mayonnaise and Pasta Sauce & Bakes ranges and are contributing to market growth, says Jo Coutts, marketing manager Pasta Sauce, Paste & Purée (Heinz Wattie’s). Proudly made in New Zealand, using free range eggs and GMO free Canola Oil, these new products are just that – seriously good, she says.

According to Coutts, Heinz Seriously Good Aioli has been a particular success as it is now the top selling Aioli and ranks within the top 10 Dressings skus on the market (Nielsen, Total Dressings Val QTR to 25 March 2012).  Nielsen stats also show that Heinz Wattie’s leads the Dressings category (Nielsen, Total Dressings Val & Vol MAT to 25 March 2012).

Last October Heinz Wattie’s expanded its Seriously Good ranges with new pasta sauces – Good Tomato & Basil, Good Classic Tomato, and Tomato & Roasted Garlic all in the 525g size, and Heinz Seriously Good Alfredo and Seriously Good Carbonara in 500g sizes. Two new Seriously Good Pasta Bakes were also released to market: Heinz Seriously Good Creamy Mushroom 500g and Tomato & Parmesan 500g.

Building on the incremental sales success of the Heinz Seriously Good Pasta and Bakes range, three new varieties were launched this May to further broaden the range’s appeal to consumers and help continue category growth. The new varieties include deliciously juicy Tomato, Onion and Garlic, and Tomato & Red Wine Pasta Sauces, and an extremely smooth and creamy Four Cheeses Pasta Bake. According to Coutts, “Specially selected ingredients, like sweet mild red onion and roast garlic, real red wine and real cheeses (Cream Cheese, Cheddar, Parmesan and Mozarella), along with our superior steam cooking process, means we can retain seriously good flavour without degrading taste with acidifiers.”

Also new to Heinz Wattie’s range since late October 2011 are Sinsin sauces: Sinsin Light Soya Sauce 635ml, Sinsin Dark Soya Sauce 635ml, Sinsin Oyster Sauce 505g, Sinsin Garlic Chilli Sauce 330g and Sinsin Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce 350g. These have all been well received by the trade, says Melanie Taylor.

Consumer trends  

Heinz Wattie’s see these trends across its product range:

• The Sauces, Dressings and Condiments category is likely to grow steadily as consumers increase their home meal repertoires, including replicating international and contemporary cuisine beyond traditional meals. The need for quick and tasty preparation of these dishes will also be influenced by changing dietary habits, an increase in at-home consumption and growing health concerns.

• Dressings are a flavour-driven market. Mayonnaise continues to drive growth in the Dressings category.

• Tomato Sauce as a Kiwi staple continues to dominate the Table Sauces market.

• Cooking Sauces – Pasta & Bakes: Given the economic downturn, consumers are looking to replicate the restaurant experience at home.

Goodman Fielder has both Edmonds and Paul Newman’s Own competing within the Salad Dressing and Mayonnaise category. Edmonds is one of New Zealand’s most iconic brands and has been loved by New Zealand consumers since the 1880s, says brand manager Rachel Olsen.

She says: “Edmonds is synonymous with Kiwi baking and cooking and the entry into the Salad Dressing category in 2008 has continued to perform well. We have seen substantial growth over the last year with the Edmonds Salad Dressings range, which has increased 18.8% vs YA (TKA Unit Growth, MAT 22/04/12) and the Edmonds Mayonnaise range, which has increased 34.4% vs YA (TKA Unit Growth, MAT 22/04/12)*. The entry into the salad dressing category was a big step forward for this iconic brand and it is performing well due to its traditional home made taste and versatility.”

Olsen explains: “The Paul Newman’s Own range has a 59% unit share of the Premium Salad Dressing segment (TKA, MAT 22/04/12).”

The philosophy of the Paul Newman’s Own range is simple – make products that taste great using only the finest ingredients and strictly no artificial colours or flavours. Newman’s Own Foundation donated more than $400,000 to New Zealand charities in 2011. In response to the devastating Christchurch earthquakes and the Pike River Mine disaster, the Foundation donated over half of this funding to special disaster relief projects. The remainder of the funding was donated to charities for special projects including children with disabilities, counselling services for young women, therapy for children with autism, aged care services and holiday camps for children with cancer.

“The 2011 funding brought the total amount donated to NZ charities by Newman’s Own Foundation to more than $1.58m. The charity component is a fantastic point of difference for the Paul Newman’s Own brand and one that we are proud of,” says Olsen.

*Aztec Data

Nestlé

Richard Brown, category manager Foods at Nestlé New Zealand says: “Total Sauces is worth $4.1m* and the Maggi range is a leading player with 56% of the total segment*. Current Maggi contribution is $2.3m* value sales.”

Sauces remain popular with 377,600 New Zealand households shopping this category, buying approximately two products on every shopping visit and doing this on average 3-4 times per year**. And for most shoppers, sauces make the shopping list, due to being a strongly planned routine purchase with just over two thirds planning and buying routinely***.

With Maggi being a major player in this space, the range includes a sauce for most occasions. The current Maggi range includes variants such as Cheese, Tasty Cheese (including a gluten free offering), Creamy White, Hollandaise, Cheese & Garlic, Cheese & Onion, Parsley and Cracked Pepper.

“While there are lots of flavours to choose from, Kiwis still love cheese sauce and continue to select this as their most preferred flavour,” says Brown. In terms of the Top 10 ranked sauces, seven of them contain cheese, with Maggi having five of these variants*.

“The biggest Maggi sauce variant is Tasty Cheese (Single/Value Pack) and when standard Cheese is added (Single/Value Pack), the flavour contributes to over 50% of total Maggi sauce sales.”

Of note, the Maggi team also recently re-introduced Maggi Seasoning to the market and now has a presence in the Asian Sauce category. A household staple in many countries around the world, Maggi Seasoning is readily identifiable to most consumers by the distinct shaped bottle. With multiple uses, it can be used as a flavour enhancer for fried rice, stir fries, casseroles, noodles, soup and also as a finisher.

Nestlé also brings the well known condiment, Branston Pickle, to our supermarket shelves. With a loyal consumer base, this generates an additional $350,000 to the condiments category, says Brown.

* Nielsen ScanTrack Total Supermarket MAT Data to 25 March 2012.
** Nielsen Homescan MAT Data to 25 March 2012.
*** NZ Shopper Answers Research – November 2007.

High Mark

Established 45 years ago, High Mark was inspired by the authentic Asian cooking that the founding family enjoyed for many generations. High Mark wants New Zealanders to enjoy flavourful, convenient and affordable meals made with authentic Asian products manufactured right here in New Zealand. High Mark is well known for its range of fantastic soy sauces, which it produces in its Auckland factory.

“High Mark maintains its position as the number one range of soy sauces with 33% Dollar Share of the Soy Sauce segment (TKA, MAT 15/04/12, Aztec),” says Wendy Northin, key account manager at James Crisp. James Crisp are agents for High Mark.

The soy sauces are available in two retail sizes (300ml and 550ml) and three flavours: Golden, Dark and Reduced Salt. In the last 12 months High Mark has launched its Japanese Soy Sauce, made from an authentic Japanese recipe, which is perfect as a dipping sauce for sushi and sashimi.

“As New Zealanders become more adventurous in the Asian meals they cook at home, High Mark sees growth in the more ethnic styles of soy sauce. Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce is another area of growth,” says Northin.

Tatua

Tatua has a strong presence in the chillers of New Zealand supermarkets, with both the Tatua Dairy Whip and Tatua brands.

Products in the Tatua range include sour cream, mascarpone and crème fraiche, all packaged in convenient 200g pouches. The Tatua Dairy Whip range includes Whipped Cream, Light Whipped Cream and Chocolate Dessert Topping.

Since omitting Tatua Farms Cheese Sauce from Tatua’s range in 2011, Tatua has had an overwhelming response from consumers asking for this product, says Paula Hamer, marketing coordinator.

In response to this, Tatua plans to launch a new 200g Cheese Sauce in a pouch in late 2012. Smooth and creamy in texture, it will have a distinct tasty cheddar flavour and will be the ideal accompaniment to steamed vegetables. Also handy for making quiches, dips, baking and pasta dishes.

All of Tatua’s products are long-life which makes them extremely convenient – handy for keeping in the fridge for that special occasion and wastage is minimised.

Oriental Merchant

The following brands are distributed by Oriental Merchant in New Zealand:

• Yeo’s – Taste of South East Asia – Chilli, Curry & Satay Sauce
• Mae Ploy – Authentic Thai – Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce, Thai Style Salad Dressing
• ABC – Sweet Soy (Kecap Manis) & Hot Chilli Sauce
• Ongs – Asian Flavours for Everyday – Oyster, Hoisin, Black Bean, Teriyaki, Stir Fry and Sweet & Sour Sauce
• Poonsin Fish Sauce
• Squid Brand – Fish Sauce
• Bullhead – Taiwanese Barbecue Sauce
• KewPie Mayonnaise – the original Japanese Mayonnaise.

In the last 12 months Yeo’s Chilli sauces have been re-launched from a 375ml to a 300ml size bottle with modern pack graphics and a reduction in price. Yeos’ chilli, curry & satay sauces are not only gluten free they are also certified dairy free.

ABC Sweet Soy Sauce has been extended to a range of PET bottles, which offer not only better value but also less weight for the shopper to carry home.

KewPie Mayonnaise has been extended to include a 1kg size. Using the unique Kewpie squeezy bottle, the user can get the very last drop from it, as it can be rolled to a tight form.

“All the new launches have been readily accepted and have enhanced their respective brands,” says Chris Hutton – general manager NZ, Oriental Merchant.

Hutton adds: “Asian Cooking sauces and condiments are gaining in popularity as people are now becoming more familiar with them and not buying them for a one off recipe. Programmes, such as MasterChef, are showing consumers how to use them and they become confident in adding a different flavour profile to their dish.

“Asian sauces are now becoming a standard pantry item – such as ABC Sweet Soy Sauce, which has so many uses it is now referred to as an all-purpose sauce.”

FreshFields Apple Sauce

FreshFields Apple Sauce is manufactured by Enzafoods NZ and has had an exciting year. First, winning the “Grocers Choice Award” at the New Zealand Food Awards held in Auckland (2011), and more recently being selected as one of nine NZ products for the International Sial D’Or show in Montreal and Paris 2012.

The retail judges praised the Apple Sauce pouch for its “smart portion sized packs” and said: “This product is a winner in terms of its opportunities for use.”

The New Zealand Food Awards in association with Massey University identify the best food products New Zealand delivers.

Enzafoods retail brand manager Robin Percy says: “Our FreshFields Apple Sauce 4 x 120gm sachet pack was launched into the NZ FMCG sector two years ago, and has been enthusiastically received by consumers who are attracted by the convenience and versatility of the single-serve pouch, the use of high quality local fruit from Hawke’s Bay and Nelson, and its additive free formulation. This is the only product of its kind on the shelves.”

Recent marketing strategies has seen FreshFields Apple Sauce promoted in the butchery sections of supermarkets, as well as the grocery aisles.

Delmaine

Delmaine supplies a range of quality shelf-stable sauces and jellies under the Delmaine brand, as well as mint and Worcestershire sauces under the Boss brand.

“We also produce and supply the Tuimato brand tomato sauce product throughout the country, and after the success of our BBQ product launched in 2010, we are looking at a further range extension under the Delmaine brand this summer,” says Micheal Bennett, group product manager.

McCormick

McCormick has the following products in the New Zealand market:

• McCormick Slow Cookers recipe bases
• McCormick Produce Partners recipe bases
• McCormick Simply Seafood Batters
• NEW McCormick Recipe Bases, made from 100% natural ingredients
• McCormick Instant sauce mix.

Derrin Johnson, marketing director, McCormick Foods Australia says, “The success of McCormick Slow Cookers has seen us introduce two new product extensions: Portuguese Chicken and Moroccan Lamb Casserole. These two new flavours have achieved the highest average sales per store, per week of all 2011 new lines introduced to Progressive (Aztec).”

He adds: “The McCormick Slow Cooker range continues to enjoy rapid growth, recording over 42% incremental unit growth in the MAT to April 2012. These gains were achieved with no incremental SKUs vs YA and are evidence of increasing demand for the superior McCormick product (Aztec).”

McCormick has also just launched a new range of Recipe Bases, made from all natural ingredients. This new generation of Recipe Bases is the result of considerable investment in consumer research and insights.

Says Johnson, “Our research has shown that over 65%* of consumers want to see more healthy options in Recipe Bases and with this growing health awareness more consumers are reading the ingredient statements and making purchase decisions based on what goes into the product. Our new Recipe Base range, made from All Natural ingredients, certainly addresses both these findings.”

McCormick carefully selected and blended natural herbs and spices, then coarsely ground them to create six delicious new varieties. Each Recipe Base uses staple pantry items to help create mouth-watering dishes and does not contain any artificial flavours, colours or MSG. The varieties are:

• Herb & Parmesan Crumbed Chicken
• Massaman Beef Curry
• Peri Peri Chicken
• Beef & Garlic Stir-Fry
• Sweet Cajun Chicken
• Beef Kofta with Tzatziki.

Johnson adds, “When this product was launched in the UK, 70%** of all gains were incremental to the category, and we’re looking to produce the same results here, with a digital and print campaign that highlights our unique product benefit. We are also investing in a national PR campaign, sampling and off location promotions.”

At a store level, consumers will certainly notice the new distinctive packaging. It is the first McCormick Recipe Base to have a clear window on the front of pack, allowing the product inside to be seen. The new Recipe Base range is carrying the global McCormick blue and red logo on the front of pack.

“To reflect McCormick’s global business status, McCormick is unifying its logo in various markets and McCormick Foods Australia will slowly transition to this new logo,” says Johnson.

The move towards natural ingredients is a big trend across multiple categories and McCormick believes this will be the most important category trend in the medium term.

*Source: McCormick on-line research, n=293.
**Source: Kantar, April 2009.

Krispkut

Krispkut fresh dressings are ranged in Countdown supermarkets nationwide.

Stephen Twinn, sales & marketing manager, Snap Fresh Foods says: “We produce 10 fresh dressings, six baby leaf salads and three seasonal salad lines (one for summer and two for winter).”

Krispkut dressings contain no artificial flavours, emulsifiers or preservatives and are available in the chilled produce section.

Twinn says: “We re-launched the range with a fresh new look and flavour formulation, including Mango Citrus Dressing, in October 2011. We also put QR codes on the back, taking consumers straight to a recipe featuring the purchased product.

“We have six colour-coded baby salad and dressing combinations, like Cos Hearts and Classic Caesar Dressing. The range includes three delectable gourmet variants for the adventurous consumer; Japanese Style Vinaigrette, Japanese Style Sesame Dressing and Honey & Hempseed Vinaigrette.”

They have progressed very well, says Twinn “despite the summer we didn’t have, with a positive uptake in sales across the range.

“We’re constantly following overseas food trends, and looking for innovative ways to grow the packaged salads category without deviating too far from our core business – baby salads. A drizzle of dressing is an important component to enhance the flavour and texture of fresh, simple meals. We have some exciting NPD underway for summer 2012 – so watch this space.

“Consumers are now looking for fresh dressings with no additives and preservatives to complement their salads. This supports the growth in salads we’re seeing as consumers are increasingly eating hot and cold salads year round. We’re using Facebook to drive this trend in New Zealand, posting simple recipes and tips that are easy to adopt by consumers, who aren’t necessarily vegetarians or health fanatics,” he says.

Wild Appetite

Wild Appetite, NZ owned and operated, is represented with two brands in the local supermarkets: Wild Appetite and Urban Appetite.

Peter McCracken, director, explains: “As a company we needed to provide easier access for our customers who wanted to regularly purchase the Wild Appetite brand, which up to late last year had only been available in specialty food and gift stores nationally. We were continually asked by our consumers, where else they can purchase our products. A strategic decision was made to bring the Wild Appetite brand into the service deli section of many of the New World stores, which has enabled the company to maintain its high quality brand image in all the markets we are represented in. This then allowed the company to take the Urban Appetite brand of dressings and sauces into mainstream, along with the newly launched Urban Appetite Sauté Cooking Sauces.

“The key essence of Urban Appetite is quite simple: ‘Healthy, tasty sauce creations for amazing everyday meals’. All the Urban Appetite dressings and sauces are verified gluten free, many are dairy free, and the new Sauté Cooking Sauces have been formulated to have the low salt claim. Both brands are positioned at the premium end of their respective categories, and each brand therefore has to provide that extra value to the consumer in taste and texture, and extra healthy benefits that we add into each of our products to provide that expected value in our products.”

Among new launches in the last 12 months are Urban Appetite Sauté Cooking Sauces, which are ideal for Simmer and Pasta dishes. “These are full flavoured cooking sauces that add a new dimension to home cooked meals – simple, as quick as you want to make it, but most importantly they do deliver the taste expectation,” says McCracken.

New flavours have been added to the Urban Appetite dressing range including Blue Cheese Dressing, and Balsamic & Lime Glaze. “The Blue Cheese has now climbed to be our third best dressing seller,” says McCracken.

He says: “Our aim is to increase the distribution points with our Urban Appetite range so consumers can find this brand in most supermarkets. Our sales have steadily grown as we increase the presence of the brands in store.”

There will be some new products under the Urban Appetite brand to enter the market in time for the new spring / summer period. “There will also be continuous developments with the Wild Appetite range to ensure we keep invigorating this market for the consumer with intriguing flavours,” says McCracken.