United Biscuits Launches New Gluten-free Range

The biscuit manufacturer United Biscuits (UB) launches two new products into the free-from aisle – McVitie’s Gluten-Free Original Hobnobs and McVitie’s Gluten-Free Milk Chocolate Hobnobs.

Rolling out in-store from early July, the new range is designed to give all consumers the chance to enjoy a McVitie’s moment.

The high proportion of naturally gluten-free oats in McVitie’s Hobnobs allowed the recipe to be converted without any compromise on taste and texture. Available in two variants – Original and Milk Chocolate – the McVitie’s Gluten-Free Hobnobs will feature new packaging, based on the conventional McVitie’s Hobnobs design.

The range will be supported by a digital and PR campaign, to raise consumer awareness and drive trial. Building on McVitie’s strong heritage as the UK’s number one sweet biscuit brand, and on-shelf recognition with consumers, the range is anticipated to have an RSV of GBP3m in its first year.

The launch marks a commitment from UB to extend the accessibility of its popular sweet biscuit ranges, bringing the brand’s extensive baking expertise to a range of consumer dietary requirements. The new products will form part of the free-from sweet biscuit segment, which has seen continuous growth over the past five years, with the category doubling in size since 2012 to be worth over GBP55m today.

Kerry Owens, McVitie’s Brand Director at United Biscuits, commented: “The free-from sweet biscuit segment is one that continues to expand, with 55 per cent of UK consumers now open to buying gluten-free products. As the market leader in the main biscuit aisle, free-from is an important sector for us to expand into, to ensure McVitie’s moments are open to all of our consumers with specific dietary requirements”.