Starbucks puts a matcha made in autumn heaven on the menu
Starbucks is giving its autumn line-up a fresh twist with the launch of its first standalone autumn matcha concept in the UK: the Iced Apple Crumble Matcha Latte.
Combining matcha with baked apple flavours, apple-flavoured cream cold foam and a crumble topping, it's essentially autumn in a cup - just with a little less knitwear required. The new drink joins the returning Pumpkin Spice favourites, including the Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino, as well as the new Maple Pecan Macchiato, giving Starbucks fans plenty of ways to get into the seasonal spirit.
With pumpkin spice firmly back on the agenda and matcha continuing to make its mark, Starbucks looks to have found a rather sweet spot between tradition and trend.
Kitchen Joy takes noodles from takeaway to freezer
Kitchen Joy is putting a new spin on the frozen aisle with the launch of its Noodle Shop range, bringing popular noodle dishes inspired by East and Southeast Asian cuisine into the ready-meal category.
The Westbridge Foods-owned brand is tapping into the enduring appeal of noodles while offering shoppers a convenient option that can go from freezer to fork with minimal fuss. It's another sign that the frozen ready-meal fixture is broadening its horizons beyond traditional comfort food, with more globally inspired flavours making their way into shoppers' baskets.
In short, it looks like Kitchen Joy is hoping to have consumers saying "noodle problem" when it comes to a quick midweek meal.
Toby Carvery brings the roast to the freezer
The Sunday roast is heading somewhere it has never been before: the supermarket freezer.
Toby Carvery has made its retail debut with a 15-strong range of frozen ready meals and sides, launching exclusively through Iceland and Food Warehouse. The initial 11 products include filled Yorkshire puddings, Mini Pigs in Blankets, Mini Steak Pies, Mac & Cheese and roast-inspired dishes, giving shoppers the chance to bring a slice of carvery comfort home without spending hours peeling potatoes.
With products starting at £4.75, the range is clearly aiming to make the roast dinner a little more convenient - because sometimes the only thing standing between you and a plate piled high is the effort involved.
McDonald's levels up with an Xbox-inspired menu
McDonald's UK & Ireland has teamed up with Microsoft to turn some of gaming's biggest worlds into a limited-edition menu - and it's certainly game on.
Inspired by titles including Halo, Fallout, Forza Horizon, Overwatch, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush, the line-up features Black Pepper & Garlic McNuggets, BlamCo Cheesy Potato Bites, a Fiery Buffalo Dip, Sour Cherry Fizz, a Candy Crush Choco McFlurry and Kiriko's Sugar Donut. The gaming theme doesn't stop at the food, either, with the McDonald's app offering "Side Missions" and rewards including in-game goodies.
Available nationwide across the UK and Ireland for a limited time, it's a clever crossover designed to turn a trip to McDonald's into something of a side quest - although hopefully nobody rage-quits before dessert.
Walkers turns up the flavour with a takeaway-inspired crunch
Walkers has served up two new limited-edition flavours as the finalists in its latest Do Us A Flavour competition - and shoppers now get to decide which one deserves a permanent place in the crisp aisle.
Salt & Pepper Chicken takes inspiration from the beloved Chinese takeaway classic, bringing golden chicken-style flavour and Chinese-style salt and pepper heat to the humble potato crisp. Meanwhile, Grilled Cheese & Chilli Jam goes in a rather different direction, combining salty grilled cheese with sweet chilli jam for a sweet-and-savoury mash-up.
Both are now on shelves, with purchases counting as votes in the competition, meaning the nation's snacking habits could ultimately decide which flavour comes out on top. It's a serious decision, but thankfully one that can be tackled one crunch at a time.
Image Credits: Starbucks UK / Kitchen Joy / Iceland / McDonald's / Walkers