Nestlé offers full launch for its vegan KitKat series amid major category growth
Several months after being initially revealed, Nestlé’s new vegan KitKat gains its full launch this week, tapping into a major area of product growth, reports Neill Barston.
The development of the new series was first covered by Confectionery Production back in February, as the brand continues to cement its status as one of the most enduringly popular in the company’s range.
As Nestlé noted, the UK in particular has seen a sustained spike in products emerging, and the wider vegan market for Britain quadrupled between 2014 (when there were just 150,000 vegans), through to 2019 when a total of 600,000 were officially recorded, with the figure thought to be continuing to grow amid the pandemic.
According to the company, KitKat V features smooth chocolate blended with a rice-based alternative to milk that beautifully balances the crisp wafer. The bar was developed by chocolatiers and food scientists in Nestlé’s Research and Development centre in York, the original home of KitKat.
Louise Barrett, Head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Centre, welcomed its development. She said: “Our challenge when we set out to create a vegan-friendly KitKat was to recreate this iconic product using plant-based alternatives. To achieve this, we worked very hard to get the right balance between the milk alternative and the cocoa.
“The result is a vegan chocolate that we’re very proud of, and that we hope will be enjoyed by KitKat fans everywhere,” she explained of the series, with the business adding that it is helping people to embrace more plant-based food, with options across its wide range of food and beverages, including dairy-free coffee mixes and Carnation Vegan condensed milk.
Sascha Macchi, Brand Manager for KitKat added: “KitKat has been championing breaks since 1934 and while people’s need for breaks hasn’t changed, the way we take them has. KitKat is such a successful brand because it has evolved throughout its history, and the arrival of our vegan-friendly bar means there is now a delicious alternative for anyone looking to enjoy a plant-based break. We hope people love it as much as we do!”
KitKat V (RRP £1) is certified vegan by the Vegan Society. Like the rest of the KitKat range, it is made using 100% certified sustainable cocoa, sourced through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan in conjunction with the Rainforest Alliance.
