KitKat Gold European launch is part of Nestlé's drive to “innovate and experiment more in confectionery,” says exec

14 Jan 2020 --- Nestlé has unveiled the latest edition of its most iconic confectionery brand – KitKat Gold. Continuing Nestlé’s premiumization of KitKat chocolate bars, the launch responds to trends toward visually appealing and indulgent products. A combination of crispy wafer, milk chocolate with white chocolate with sweet caramel notes, KitKat Gold follows the launch of KitKat Ruby in January 2018, and the introduction of KitKat Green Tea Matcha to Europe in July 2019. 

“KitKat Gold has already launched in Russia and has exceeded our expectations – we hope that people across Europe and beyond will enjoy it just as much,” Rouven Lochmüller, Kitkat EMENA (Europe, Middle East and North Africa) Business Manager, explains to FoodIngredientsFirst.

“Nestlé in Australia and New Zealand developed the concept as a limited edition, as part of our drive to innovate and experiment more in confectionery. It has been a winner on the shelf for two years now and was made permanent. We wanted to bring KitKat Gold to a wider audience,” notes Lochmüller. 

KitKat Gold will be available in major retailers across Europe and selected other countries throughout this year. It will arrive in the UK and Ireland very soon, the company notes. 

Lochmüller says Nestlé can’t reveal more details about potential future and potential KitKat variants at the moment but urges, “watch this space.”

“More and more people are sharing their food experiences with friends and followers. We will be continuing to create a buzz on social media around KitKat Gold with striking and fun images.”

Nestlé also introduced the KitKat Chocolatory last year to meet the demand for more luxury, premium confectionery and the opportunity to personalize a product with bespoke, handcrafted KitKat’s. UK shoppers could also “create their own break” by choosing from four types of chocolate and 14 ingredients to build their own eight-finger KitKat as well as personalize the packaging, having it handmade to order, and delivered straight to their door. The range also included six special edition flavors such as “Zingtastic Gin and Tonic” and “Springtime in Japan.”

“People are constantly looking for new taste sensations when they treat themselves. They also want chocolate that is visually appealing, so they can share it with friends and on social media. KitKat Gold has that special something, allowing consumers to have a break in style,” adds Alexander von Maillot, Global Head of Confectionery at Nestlé.

Sustainable cocoa sourcing
KitKat Gold uses UTZ-certified cocoa beans sourced as part of the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, an initiative that helps Nestlé to source cocoa sustainably, improve the quality of products while tackling child labor and improving the lives of cocoa farmers.

The company’s main sources of cocoa include Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Venezuela.

“KitKat Gold is further proof of our commitment to our international confectionery brand. We have introduced many innovative flavors and premium products in recent years, and there is still more to come,” adds von Maillot.

Nestlé unveils Roastelier, a compact coffee-roasting solution.

Nestlé raises the bar in coffee roasting with Roastelier for out of home
Meanwhile, Nestlé has also launched Roastelier, a compact coffee-roasting solution that will allow baristas to unlock and simplify the art of roasting in the shop. Coffee consumers will now be able to experience the roasting process in their neighborhood café and will get to taste customized coffee blends made with freshly roasted beans. Baristas can provide an authentic and complete coffee experience, including roasting, allowing for ultimate freshness, the company states.

The Roastelier solution includes a range of top-grade arabica coffees sourced from select coffee growing regions around the world. These coffees are carefully assessed for many quality parameters within Nestlé’s factories and are then taken through the first step of roasting using their proprietary knowledge and equipment setup – referred to as “Prime Roast” – to ensure consistently good results batch after batch.

Nestlé says this launch highlights its leadership in coffee innovation within the broad coffee category, to further create customer value and enrich consumers’ experiences.

“We have developed Roastelier in less than twelve months, capitalizing on our R&D expertise in beverage system technologies. With this artisanal on-site roasting solution, baristas can now offer hassle-free, freshly roasted coffee, with hundreds of personalized blends at their fingertips, to cater to the increasing diversity of consumer tastes and desires,” says Reinhold Jakobi, Head of Nestlé Professional Strategic Business Unit, Nestlé.

“This significantly enhances both authenticity and ‘coffee credentials’ at their outlets. The novel solution will help passionate baristas become master roasters.”

The system is equipped with a QR code reader that recognizes the coffee type and offers a range of roasting profiles defined by master roasters at Nestlé and programmed into its database. Through an intuitive user interface, baristas can personalize the roasting of the coffee beans and access several sensory profiles from selected bean types to create their house blends.

By Gaynor Selby