Free-from sweet bakery brand We Love Cake is being relaunched with new branding and packaging in a bid to excite shoppers and attract a younger demographic.
The brand, which is owned by family-run firm Bells of Lazonby and manufactured at a dedicated free-from bakery site in Cumbria, is said to provide a disruptive take on the free-from category by recreating vegan variants of household favourites that are also gluten- and wheat-free.
These include the likes of lemon tarts (which were named New Bakery Product of the Year in 2022), Apple Crumble Slices, Chocolate Salted Caramel Tarts, and Sticky Toffee Slices. It also came out with a vegan Cherry Bakewell Tart last summer.
We Love Cake’s new all-white logo is much bolder compared to the more ornate, rounded, and multi-coloured logo used previously. In addition, the product images on the packaging are said to be more dynamic with their respective key ingredient also highlighted.
The new-look packs will be hitting supermarket shelves near the end of this month and in foodservice later this year.
“The rebrand and marketing campaign ‘Baked in Joy’ is the perfect opportunity to celebrate those who have found the brand through Coeliac disease or lifestyle choice – it aims to normalise free-from sweet bakery and remind people how good it can taste,” said Josh Boydell-Smith, Bells’ head of brand and marketing.
“We are rebranding to drive growth and gain further distribution, but mainly to better tell our story and open ourselves up to younger shoppers. Five years ago, we looked bold and new on shelf. Since others have followed, it was time for a refresh and to stand out once again,” he noted.
The ‘Baked in Joy’ campaign features an investment in digital marketing that is expected to reach over five million consumers, supported by PR and social media outreach across all channels.
“We pride ourselves on being a brand that is punching well above its weight”
We Love Cake has grown in value and volume by more than 370% since 2020, according to Bells sales figures. Over 25,000 packs per week were being sold to retailers at the end of last year, up from less than 1,000 pack per week just a few years ago, as per Nielsen data.
Its initial launch in UK foodservice in 2012 has been followed by expansions into retail and export deals with Australian distributors. It has since become the biggest brand in value sales in Australia’s free-from sweet bakery sector, a feat it said it would be aiming to achieve in the UK as well.
“Based out of Lazonby in Cumbria, we pride ourselves on being a brand that is punching well above its weight,” commented Boydell-Smith. “To date our success has been driven by innovation and strong distribution, we now have 33 lines now in the portfolio across the UK and Australia spanning frozen, ambient and chilled.”
We Love Cake said its rebranding aims to be a step change for the business, while revealing that its in-market sales for 2024 are estimated to be worth over £7m in the UK, as well as upwards of $4m AUD in Australia.
The vegan market continues to rise in the UK, growing at 9.6% according to a Straits Research report in 2023. Find out more by reading our recent ingredients report, in which we listed seven things you need to know about the vegan bakery market.
The gluten-free sector, meanwhile, is also experiencing an upwards trajectory with Marks & Spencer offering gluten-free toasties and sandwiches in its latest café menu.
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