Burton’s Biscuit Company has expanded its Maryland brand into the sharing category with the release of Cookie Bites.

Rolling out in mid-February, the new pouch formats will be priced £1.49 for 120g and are available in two flavours: Choc Chip and Choc Chip Caramel.

David Costello, head of category and shopper management at Burton’s, said the release of the Cookie Bites was designed to meet growth in consumer demand for treat biscuits.

“Biscuits shoppers are highly impulsive and are increasingly looking for an indulgent evening treat that can be shared with family or friends at home,” he said.

“With share packs representing 88% of not-going-out sales (Nielsen, 15.09.2016), we’re confident that Maryland Cookie Bites will help to drive the growth of in-home biscuit consumption.”

The launch will be supported by digital activity across the brand’s social media feeds, dedicated POS and sampling activity. It marks the latest innovation from Maryland, which is already bought by 6.7m households in the UK (Nielsen 8 October 2016).

In December, United Biscuits-owned McVitie’s extended its Nibbles range with a Hobnobs variant that is now available across grocery and retail stores.