Spell of good health: Abra-ca-Debora reformulates pancake range to be HFSS compliant

Chilled pancake brand Abra-ca-Debora has relaunched its range with a new recipe to meet nutrient profiling standards.

The reformulation has helped deliver 6% fewer calories, 10% less fat, 11% less salt, and 40% less saturated fat, whilst boosting fibre content by 113%, compared to the previous pancake range. This is all without compromising on taste noted the brand, which is produced by Corby-based manufacturer BakeAway.

A new American Style pancake has also been introduced to the line-up, which still includes the Original Dutch and Sweet Dutch varieties. Priced from £2.40 for a six-pack, the new SKUs have been rolled out at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and Asda stores.

The recipe update has achieved a low HFSS score in the pancakes, allowing retailers to promote them around Pancake Day and throughout the year whilst adhering to government guidelines. A new packaging design brings brighter, more vibrant packaging and clearer occasion cues covering breakfast, supper, dessert and snacking to drive rate of sale.

Abra-ca-Debora said the move comes at a pivotal moment for the chilled desserts category, which has lost £10m in sales over the past year [Nielsen data to March 2026] as HFSS legislation restricts secondary displays and promotions, as well as the rising popularity of weight-loss medications that has changed shopping habits.

Chilled pancakes alone are down 15% year on year [Kantar Worldpanel data to July 2026], despite the segment having nearly quadrupled in value between 2013 and 2024. Abra-ca-Debora claimed it is helping to revive the category with its new range which offers consumers added benefits including being better for your health, and a reduced carbon footprint by switching from buttermilk to oat milk.

The brand, fronted by mascot Debora, brings in 1.2m additional shoppers to the pancake category around Pancake Day (aka Shrove Tuesday) in February each year, with units up 49% over the occasion in 2025. However, its own data shows that 90% of UK consumers now buy pancakes for reasons from quick suppers to weekend brunches.

BakeAway is backing the Abra-ca-Debora range relaunch with an above-the-line marketing campaign including always-on social and PR activity as well as experiential sampling.