Co-founders Mike Hodgson and Amelia Harvey, who are former directors of pudding brand Gü Puds, told DairyReporter.com consumers want products that are different to traditional yoghurt.
“Yoghurt is such a versatile product and we want to be "daring" with it,” said Harvey. “There's definitely more scope to diversify it and we have lots of ideas for the future.”
Dessert market
The Collective has sold over 8m pots of gourmet yoghurt since its launch in 2011. It now wants to expand into the dessert category and predicts the product will give it a ‘huge boost’ over the next 12 months.
There is a gap in the market for health-conscious consumers who want a low calorie dessert that is free from artificial sweeteners as well, Harvey said.
“There has been increased interest among consumers in understanding what the foods they are buying actually contain. For example, certain "diet" products are often packed full of artificial sweeteners such as aspartine, that makes them still taste palatable,” she said.
Yoghurt Mousse uses West Country milk yoghurt instead of cream. It is under 5% fat, has fewer than 130 calories in a 90g pot, and is free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, the company claims.
Confidence in yoghurt
“Health is constantly on the agenda of consumers and I think they're always looking for ways to make their diet healthier,” said Harvey.
The yoghurt is sweetened with honey and ‘a touch of sugar,’ she added.
The pots contain yoghurt mousse on top of a fruit compote. The range has four flavours: Madagascan vanilla with Scottish raspberries, banana with salted maple caramel, alphonso mango with passion fruit, and lemon with blood orange. Products are sold in twin packs.
Harvey said the company’s biggest seller has been its limited edition raspberry and amaretto yoghurt. “This gives us confidence that consumers want to try something that's a little bit more daring than a traditional yoghurt,” she added.