Cathedral City expands plant-based range with smoked cheddar-flavoured block

Sep 18, 2024
1 min read

Saputo Dairy UK’s Cathedral City cheese brand has expanded its plant-based range with the launch of a new ‘Plant Based Smokey Block’ SKU.

The product launch follows IRI research that showed smoky is the leading flavour within the plant-based market. Cathedral City launched a smoked version of the plant-based cheddar’s traditional dairy counterpart in 2023.

According to the brand, it crafted the NPD using water infused with a natural woodchip smoke to create a dairy-free smoked cheddar flavour. It launched exclusively in Tesco at the beginning of this week (16 September 2024), and is claimed to be the only plant-based cheese alternative in UK supermarkets that delivers its flavour through natural methods, rather than artificial flavourings.

In a statement, Saputo said the new plant-based product is ‘uniquely creamy but intensely smoky,’ offering consumers a ‘close-to-dairy cheese texture.’

Christopher Owens, head of marketing for plant-based at Saputo Dairy UK, said: “Building on the success of Cathedral City Plant-Based, we are taking the range into new and exciting territories, offering consumers more of the flavours they love in dairy-free formats. For Cathedral City, it is an opportunity to further cement the mass appeal of our brand, providing on-trend flavours in both dairy and dairy-free options.”

#SaputoDairy #CathedralCity #UK #plantbased

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Leah Smith

8 May 2026

New products

Cathedral City expands plant-based range with smoked cheddar-flavoured block

Ella’s Kitchen is expanding beyond the baby food aisle with the launch of Ella’s Kitchen Kids, a new product line aimed at children aged 18 months and older.

The launch marks a significant strategic move for the brand as it looks to extend its presence beyond the weaning category and capture growing demand for healthier snack options for toddlers and young children.

Positioned as a “better-for-you” alternative to traditional children’s snacks, the new range combines bold flavours, playful branding and convenient formats with the nutritional standards parents associate with the Ella’s Kitchen brand.

The company said the range was developed in response to changing family eating habits and the lack of minimally processed snack options for older toddlers outside the baby aisle.

Initial products include Ella’s Kitchen Kids Crunchy Stix in Cheese + Onion, Tomato + Basil and Pesto varieties, alongside Ella’s Kitchen Kids Wild Crackers available in Tomato + Oregano, Pea + Basil and Carrot + Rosemary flavours.

Designed for lunchboxes, picnics and snacking occasions, the products are formulated with reduced salt levels and classified as non-HFSS options. According to the company, the Crunchy Stix contain less than 0.04g of salt per pack, while the Crackers contain less than 0.05g per serving.

Emma Wood, Senior Brand Manager at Ella’s Kitchen, said: “Ella’s Kitchen Kids is about recognising that the journey doesn’t stop at baby food. As little ones grow, their tastes, independence and routines all change – but parents still want options they can feel good about.”

The launch also signals Ella’s Kitchen’s wider ambitions within the children’s snacking market, with additional products and categories expected later this year.

Wood added that the company aims to help “raise the standards of the kids’ food category” by balancing taste, convenience and nutrition.