Unilever is taking its Hellmann’s brand into the UK mustard category for the first time.
The company wants the “American-style” yellow mustard “to attract a younger shopper to the mustard category”, Unilever said.
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“The launch is following a rising trend in the American mustard category due to the increase in burger and hot dog restaurants over recent years. In line with the brand’s new proposition, the new product is made from sustainably-sourced mustard seeds and contains no artificial colours or preservatives.”
Unilever, meanwhile, is also adding a smokey barbecue sauce line to the Hellmann’s range.
The product “is designed to continue to attract new shoppers into the barbecue and hot sauce category”, Unilever said. Both products aim “to push Hellmann’s BBQ range to the front of consumers’ minds” in time for barbecue season.
A Unilever spokesperson told just-food the mustard is also “being considered by other European markets”. The barbecue sauce is already sold in France, Germany and Spain under the Amoré Unilever brand.
In the UK, the mustard is available in 250ml squeezy bottles at an RRP of GBP1.59 (US$2.05). The BBQ sauce is sold in 430ml squeezy bottles at an RRP of GBP1.99.
Unilever has been touted as a possible buyer of the French’s mustard brand, part of the condiments business being sold by UK-based consumer goods group Reckitt Benckiser.
Last week, Reuters reported Reckitt Benckiser had sent out information packages to industry players as the group prepares to shop the business.
Reckitt Benckiser said in April it was considering the future of its food division, which also includes Frank’s Red Hot sauce.
The London-listed group said it was starting a “strategic review” of the unit, which it described as “non-core”.
Reckitt Benckiser announced a deal to buy US-based infant formula business Mead Johnson in February. The company said it expects the US$17.9bn takeover of the Enfamil maker to be finalised by the end of the third quarter of the year.
