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Rowntree’s is expanding its ice lolly portfolio in the UK with two new fruit-led products, as owner Froneri looks to reinforce its position in the take-home ice cream category through flavour innovation and brand extension.
The launches – Fruit Explosion and Fruit Pastilles Berries – both target continued consumer demand for fruit-forward, non-dairy frozen treats, a segment that has outperformed much of the wider ice cream market in recent years.
Fruit Explosion introduces a new dual-texture sorbet format to the Rowntree’s range, combining two flavours in a single lolly with a fruit sauce core. The multipack includes apple and sour cherry sorbet with sour cherry sauce, and mango and passion fruit sorbet paired with kiwi sorbet and kiwi sauce.
Froneri says the product is designed to deliver incremental growth by offering a differentiated eating experience within a crowded freezer aisle.
Alongside it, the company is extending its best-selling Fruit Pastilles ice lolly franchise with Fruit Pastilles Berries, a strawberry and blackcurrant flavour shaped in the brand’s signature sweet format.
The SKU builds on the strong performance of Fruit Pastilles, which is one of the largest individual products in the UK ice cream category by unit sales, according to Nielsen data.
The launches form part of Froneri’s wider strategy to lean into fruit-based innovation, which has driven recent growth for the brand. The company pointed to the success of its mango ice lolly – the top-selling ice lolly new product development of the past five years – as evidence of sustained consumer appetite for bold, recognisable flavours.
Fruit Explosion will be sold in 6x42ml multipacks with a recommended retail price of £2.50, while Fruit Pastilles Berries will be available in 4x65ml packs, also priced at £2.50.
Rowntree’s ice lollies are produced by Froneri, the world’s second-largest ice cream manufacturer, which operates in more than 23 countries. The Rowntree’s brand is licensed from Nestlé.
