Fazer Root Vegetable Bread granted international Gama Innovation Award
Root vegetables invaded the bread shelves of Sweden in 2015 and Finland in 2016 when Fazer Bakery launched the Fazer Root Vegetable Bread. This completely new type of bread quickly won over the consumers’ hearts. Moreover, Fazer’s innovation was internationally recognised: in October 2016, the root vegetable bread was granted the international Gama Innovation Award in the UK.
Gama Innovation Awards recognise outstanding innovation in the FMCG space. There are six categories. Fazer won the Positioning category that goes to the top new launch.
“Fazer Vegetable Bread was a worthy winner in the Positioning category of the Gama Innovation Awards 2016, having impressed our global panel of industry leaders for its level of innovation. Changing consumer attitudes towards carbohydrates present significant challenges to traditional staple foods such as bread, and Fazer’s approach of substituting cereal grains for vegetable ingredients could represent a significant step forward for the category”, commented Gama founder & CEO Cesar Pereira.
The consumption of vegetables is growing. People want to focus on well-being, not forgetting taste sensations, and more nutritional ingredients are sought after in bread. The root vegetable bread responds to this trend.
”Fazer is revamping the entire bakery product category. Launching the root vegetable bread is a wonderful example, and it was great to get international recognition,” says Mikko Lindqvist, Head of Marketing and Portfolio, Fazer Bakery. “The Fazer Root Vegetable Bread has been the greatest novelty in the bread market in Sweden and in Finland, and it has become one of the most popular products within its segment.”
The challenge was to find the perfect combination of vegetables and grains to get exactly the right taste and structure. Once the share of flour is reduced, it becomes difficult to hold the bread together. “As a result of long testing, we could produce tasty bread containing a lot of root vegetables that brings new variety to bread category”, says Mikko Lindqvist.
Fazer Bakery Sweden launched root vegetable bread in 2015 and Fazer Bakery Finland in early 2016. Root vegetable bread sales started in Russia in November 2016.
For further information:
Mikko Lindqvist, VP, Marketing and Portfolio, Fazer Bakery, tel.: +358 40 752 7857
Contact person in communications:
Leena Majamäki, VP, Communications, Fazer Group, tel.: +358 40 585 1585
