Kettle Chips is set to reinvigorate the Veg Chips sector with a new sharing range.

The new Kettle Veg Chips sharing range offers a mix of parsnip, sweet potato and beetroot chips in a selection of three seasonings – Lightly Salted, new Honey & Black Pepper and new Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar.

The seasonings have been selected to complement the vegetables and offer a tasty alternative to potato crisps. A handy pack is also available in Lightly Salted for individual snacking occasions. The new packaging displays the seasonings with distinctive colour coding providing strong stand-out on shelf, aiding consumer selection.

The Vegetable Crisps market is currently worth £15.3m but sales are down by 4.4% year on year (Nielsen data to 10th Sept ’16). 14% of households currently buy into the category (vs 55% for premium potato crisps) highlighting a huge opportunity of 11 million potential households for future growth (Nielsen Panel Penetration 52 weeks to 10th Sept ’16). Research indicates that consumers currently find the category confusing to shop, with limited options to choose from (White Tiger Consumer Research Feb ‘16). The great standout from the new Kettle Veg Chips packaging will help drive awareness and interest in the sector.

Nicola Robinson, Kettle Foods sales director said: “Kettle Veg Chips represent a fantastic opportunity for retailers to capitalise on the continuing consumer trend towards more premium snacking options. As the UK’s number one premium crisp brand, coupled with our seasoning expertise, we are confident that we will delight consumers and drive fantastic growth into the Vegetable Chips market.”

Kettle Chips continues to grow strongly ahead of the category in both volume and value terms. The brand is worth in excess of £100m in retail sales, up by 7.1% over the last year (vs. the total market which declined by 1.6%, Nielsen data to 10th Sept ’16). The brand says its growth is coming from a strong core range, coupled with innovative NPD that is bringing in new shoppers resulting in a record level of households now buying the brand (Nielsen Panel Penetration 52 weeks to 10th Sept ’16 ).