New French-style pastries, indulgent Italian desserts, and elevated versions of classic British recipes in pies and sandwiches are being unveiled by Waitrose over the coming months as part of its No.1 range relaunch.
On-trend flavours such as pistachio, salted caramel, and dulce de leche are showcased in the offerings, along with refreshing lemon for the summer season. Croissants, meanwhile, have been adapted into new shapes like baskets and cups.
“Our No.1 range is the ultimate brand for food lovers and we are so excited to be able to introduce some truly innovative new products as part of our relaunch,” commented Maddy Wilson, head of own brand & innovation at Waitrose. “No.1 offers the very best in quality and taste and it is the go-to for those who appreciate excellence in every meal”.
As well as introducing roughly 130 new items, the retailer has also updated and improved over 40 products in its premium tier range, which will surpass 600 in total across all categories once complete.
Additionally, a refreshed packaging design has been created to ensure a premium feel for all the range and to reflect the high quality of the products inside, the retailer said.
The relaunch of Waitrose No.1 follows a burst of own brand launches for the summer season, branded exclusives like the five-strong Wildfarmed bread range, and partnerships such as with Gail’s on an in-store takeaway bakery.
Bakery NPD highlights from the No.1 range include:
Snacks
The Black Truffle Grissini Breadsticks (rsp: £2.25, 130g) are available from this month, hailing from a small bakery in the Liguria region of Italy run by two brothers. They’re made in small batches and hand stretched, with extra virgin oil and black truffle. Delicious with a cool glass of Chablis, recommends Waitrose.
In August, Croissant Cups (rsp: £3.50 for a pack of two) are being unveiled in two flavour variants: Salted Caramel and Cinnamon. Both pastries are prepared with French butter and French flour and finished with a sprinkling of crunchy crystallised sugar.
Shoppers will need to wait till October to get their hands on all-butter Pistachio Croissants (rsp: £1.75), which come in a unique ‘corbeille’ shape, like a basket. To be freshly baked in-store daily, they will feature a pistachio filling and covering of nibbed pistachios.
Images have yet to become available of the new croissant products.
Savouries
The Perfect Ploughman’s (rsp: £4.95) makes its debut in stores this month, starring Cornish Quartz Cheddar that’s typically matured for 700 days to develop a rich, complex taste and signature crunch. This is complemented by roasted butternut squash, fresh spinach, and a spiced tomato and caramelised onion chutney, and served on nutty-tasting malted bread. Image yet to becone available.
A pair of new pies are being rolled out in September. The first is the Brie & Mature Cheddar Potato Dauphinoise Pie (rsp: £4.50, 500g), which contains layers of creamy mature Cheddar sauce, tender potato slices, and pieces of Brie in a crumbly puff pastry case. It is hand topped with a cheese and crispy onion crumb.
The second is the Chicken, Mushroom & Champagne Pie (rsp: tbc, 700g) comprising tender pieces of chicken thigh and breast in a creamy sauce made with Champagne and Parmigiano Reggiano, paired with mushrooms, and topped with creamy mashed potatoes.
Desserts
The Sicilian Lemon Meringue Pie (rsp: £6.50, 450g) has been available since last month, and combines buttery pastry with a tangy filling made with Sicilian lemons and free-range eggs, topped with sweet meringue. It is sold frozen.
Launching this month, the Double Chocolate Torte (rsp: £7.50, 575g) is what Waitrose describes as ‘sheer chocolate heaven’ – a torte made with dark, intense Dominican Republic cocoa and fresh British cream. The top layers of creamy chocolate mousse and then velvety chocolate ganache contrast with the crunch of a chocolate biscuit crumb base.
Said to be an elegant twist on the classic Italian dessert, the Pistachio Tiramisu (rsp: £6.50, 450g) comprises light Savoiardi sponge fingers soaked in arabica coffee, then covered with a rich pistachio mousse made with velvety mascarpone and free range eggs, topped with pistachio nibs.
The Sicilian Lemon & Mascarpone Cheesecake (rsp: £6.50, 580g) has a zingy Sicilian lemon curd centre hiding inside rich, creamy mascarpone cheesecake, all on a crisp digestive biscuit base made with nutty brown butter. It’s hand-finished with shreds of candied lemon peel.
Lastly, Dulce de Leche Caramel Cupcakes (rsp: £3.50, pack of two) is hitting shelves from the end of August. They feature dulce de leche caramel inside a caramel flavour sponge, hand-decorated with dulce de leche cheesecake buttercream and a shimmered crumb.
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