Judged in front of a live audience, the British Smoothie Championships brings together the finest smoothie makers from around the country, who battle it out in a bid to wow the crowd and impress the judges with their innovative smoothie creations.

One contestant who successfully progressed through to the live finals, finishing as runner-up, was Oliver Wilson-Fish, owner of Juicafe smoothie bar in Lancaster.  Having entered the competition for the previous three years, Oliver was eager to impress with his latest smoothie flavour – The Passionista.

Speaking after the show, Oliver said: “The Passionista is a tropical mix of passionfruit, mango, banana and pineapple juice which has proved a big hit with our customers and is our consistent best seller. However, following a conversation with the guys at the Coolicious stand on the first day of the show, I decided to make a last minute adjustment to my tried and tested recipe.”

“My wife had often talked about the many benefits of adding frozen yogurt to smoothies, but I had been a little sceptical about the difference it would actually make.  We had always used traditional chilled yogurt in our smoothies and this had been our intention for the Championships. However, after tasting the superb quality of Coolicious’ frozen yogurts on offer at the Lunch! Show, I was instantly sold by the idea of adding it to my existing recipe.  I believe this was the key to our success in this year’s competition.”

Coolicious Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Base creates ‘blender smoothies’ by simply mixing with fruit and juice to create the smoothest of smoothies with a consistent taste and quality every time.  Specially designed to be easy to scoop straight from the freezer, Coolicious Smoothie Base emulsifies well with frozen fruit to form a smooth, creamy texture that enhances the taste and lightens the natural acidity of the fruit.

Following his success at this year’s Smoothie Championships, Oliver has incorporated Coolicious fat free frozen yogurt into his entire menu, replacing his previous order for chilled yogurt.  “Coolicious frozen yogurt offers us a number of commercial benefits in addition to the great taste.  Being a frozen product, we are now able to store our yogurt more effectively, manage our stock levels easier, eliminate wastage and ensure better portion control.  We have decided to introduce Coolicious’ vanilla flavour into all 30 smoothies on our menu, as we have found that it adds a natural sweetness which balances perfectly with the fruity flavours.” Explained Oliver.

Commenting after the show, Richard Drane, managing director of Coolicious, said: “This was our first experience of exhibiting at Lunch!, and being part of Oliver’s success in the British Smoothie Championships capped off a very successful couple of days.   Well done Oliver for creating such a fantastic explosion of fruity flavours!”

“We enjoyed consistently high levels of footfall throughout both days and our new Tangy Style and Mango Moment fat free frozen yogurt were exceptionally well received by the visitors. We gave away a couple of thousand samples of frozen yogurt and took a top quality lead every few minutes, all of which we are now very keen to follow up.”

“Judging by the volume and quality of visitors that we saw, confirms our insight that the trend towards healthier eating continues to drive the out of home market.  We were encouraged to see so many operators looking for innovative new revenue streams to help differentiate themselves from competitors and this is where our Coolicious fat free frozen yogurt can really help.  Plus, we were able to introduce a number of operators like Oliver to the many benefits of using our fat free frozen yogurt smoothie base.”

As the original innovators in the frozen yogurt market with over 20 years experience, Coolicious currently sell over 10 million portions a year into foodservice.

“Judging by the volume and quality of visitors that we saw, confirms our insight that the trend towards healthier eating continues to drive the out of home market.  We were encouraged to see so many operators looking for innovative new revenue streams to help differentiate themselves from competitors and this is where our Coolicious fat free frozen yogurt can really help.”

As the original innovators in the frozen yogurt market with over 20 years experience, Coolicious currently sell over 10 million portions a year into foodservice.   Eager to capitalise on the expanding UK market for frozen yogurt, which has been stimulated by growing trends in the US, Coolicious saw Lunch as the perfect opportunity to showcase its new products and introduce customers to the fat free delights of frozen yogurt.

• The UK frozen yogurt market is currently estimated at £37.6m
• The UK frozen yogurt market is estimated to experience triple digit growth per year to reach sales of £150m by 2013
• As market leader, Coolicious supplied over 10 million servings of fat free frozen yogurt to foodservice customers in 2010

Health issues and rising concerns over food quality, obesity and the modern western diet are now a part of everyday conversation. This is boosting wider public interest in healthier food alternatives and the things people eat on a regular basis, such as ice cream. But this is just one of many aspects behind the growth in fat-free frozen yogurt sales in general and the Coolicious range of healthy frozen refreshment, in particular.

The Coolicious range is neatly in step with modern consumer attitudes and preferences:

• Peoples’ desire for aspirational foods – to eat better quality, healthier, locally produced foods
• The demand for premium quality products
• The importance of convenience and the trend to `eat on the go`
• Eye-catching products are viewed as style statements – where food and fashion meet
• The food we choose to eat expresses something about `who we are`
• Peoples’ expectations of food are increasing

Coolicious is fulfilling peoples’ aspirations as well as their necessities:

• All Coolicious products are `Made So Good To Taste Just Great`
• They are rigorously made fat-free
• With lower calories than other frozen yogurt products
• Using live and active yogurt cultures including probiotic
• That can be enjoyed at any time, as a refreshing snack or even a meal replacement
• Making them the right choice for contemporary and discerning consumers who value premium quality

Collectively these trends created a £2billion frozen yogurt market in the US. In the UK the market is estimated to reach £150 million in 2013 regardless of the wider economic climate, and as market leader, Coolicious anticipates further future growth beyond that date as more and more consumers discover not only its appeal but just how great a tasting experience it is.

To make it easy for caterers and retailers to tap into this expanding market, Coolicious offers an unrivalled mix of easy to use products, operational support and a range of merchandising options to suit every selling environment.  Plus, at 80% profit margins are excellent.

Coolicious is also a brand that believes in innovation, to stay ahead, to both lead and satisfy new and emerging tastes and trends. As a result, Coolicious has recently introduced its Fat Free Tangy Style frozen yogurt, a premium product made with freshly skimmed milk exclusively from British cows. New Tangy Style contains more live and active yogurt than any other make of frozen yogurt. It also tastes naturally tangy with the perfect balance of tartness, tangy refreshment and sublime sweetness- all made with only 68 kcalories per 100 ml serving!

With demand for tangy frozen yogurt already creating a storm in the most fashionable and hip areas of California, and an almost cult-like following, Coolicious expects to see great things continue for its range here in the UK market in 2011, 2012 and beyond.

About Coolicious:

With over 20 years experience leading, pioneering and growing the market for fat-free frozen yogurt in the UK and a further 8 other European countries, Taste Trends Ltd has much to offer its existing business partners and those with the vision and appetite for this exciting and expanding sales opportunity.

All Coolicious frozen yogurt products are fat-free, contain live and active yogurt cultures including probiotic, are lower in calories than similar products, are not made from powder, and customers say they taste so great it’s difficult to believe they’re actually good for you!

Frozen yogurt and smoothie bars are opening everywhere, and many other food and beverage outlets are rapidly adding healthy food and drink options to their menus and seeing the success for themselves.

The Coolicious range of healthy frozen refreshment offers flexible multiple choices to be part of the growing business phenomenon, including:

• Machine-vended fat-free soft-serve frozen yogurt
• Fat-free scoop frozen yogurt in 4 litre tubs
• Machine-vended real-fruit smoothies
• Fat-free frozen yogurt blended smoothies
• Machine-vended real-fruit sorbet

Coolicious has also streamlined its manufacturing process and distribution network to deliver the best possible value to customers, providing the ideal business growth opportunity. Flexible packaging and storage options also enable customers to select their preferred method for serving Coolicious products in their outlets.

It’s perhaps as no surprise then that as the UK leader, Coolicious supplied over 10 million servings of frozen yogurt to foodservice customers last year alone.

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We’re continuously working on new taste experiences such as our brand new Tangy-Style fat-free frozen yogurt, a wonderful combination of pure natural flavours with an indulgent yet guilt-free `wow` factor flowing through its clean-tasting, zesty tartiness and great satisfyingly refreshing after-feel.

Choose from any of our fat-free frozen yogurt options, smoothies, sorbets and granitas, and you’ll find yourself spoilt for choice.

Mango Moment complements the existing, all fat free range of Coolicious soft serve frozen yogurt that include Sunshine Vanilla, Chocolate Bliss, Simply Strawberry, Cheeky Banana and Just Vanilla. All contain high levels of live and active healthy yogurt cultures including probiotics and at less than 90 calories per 100ml serving are very low in calories.

Visitors can also sample Coolicious Fat Free Tangy Style frozen yogurt, a premium product made with fresh, skimmed milk from British cows.  Containing more live and active yogurt than any other frozen yogurt in the world, Coolicious is naturally tangy with the perfect balance of tart tangy and sweet.

“The demand for tangy frozen yogurt is creating a storm in fashionable California, with US based franchise brands like Red Mango and Pinkberry developing a cult-like following.  Although frozen yogurt is already well established here -  we sell over 10 million portions a year into foodservice – with Pinkberry recently announcing a major expansion into the UK, the frozen yogurt market which industry sources estimate will be worth £150 million by 2013 is set to grow dramatically.”  Explains Richard Drane, founder and managing director, Coolicious.

Other frozen yogurt flavours available for sampling on the Coolicious stand are Chocolate Bliss, which is a rich, indulgent product containing high quality cocoa powder, no flavouring or colour; and Just Vanilla which is a white vanilla ideal for making smoothies or thick shakes.

Coolicious soft serve frozen yogurts can be scooped or served through any commercial soft serve ice cream machine and offer exceptional profit opportunities. The Coolicious team will be on hand to give advice on how easy and profitable it is to add frozen yogurt to a food service offer. Details of the portion costs, margins and likely volume of sales will be available, together with menu development ideas and the opportunity to see soft serve equipment from the leading manufacturers, Taylors and Electro Freeze.

Coolicious is Europe’s largest manufacturer and leading brand of healthy frozen refreshment. As well as soft serve frozen yogurt, the Coolicious range includes fat free frozen yogurt smoothie bases in three scoopable flavours for making perfect blender smoothies, non-diary soft serve fruit sorbets, Granita style fruit smoothies and non-diary neutral smoothie base.

“For over 20 years we have successfully introduced more and more consumers to the sublime taste delights and highest standard, fat-free advantages of our frozen yogurt, demonstrating an unrivalled expertise in creating the innovative, great-tasting products people love.”  Says Richard.

With 20 years of industry know how to draw on, Coolicious is Europe’s best selling range of fat free frozen yogurt and has also become the key ingredient in smoothies and milkshakes as used by many of the leading branded smoothie bar chains across the UK. With active yogurt cultures including probiotic and made using only the finest quality ingredients, Coolicious frozen yogurt is a fat free, low calorie refreshment choice which feeds the ongoing consumer demand for healthy options.

Over the years Coolicious has worked with caterers and retailers to create products ideally designed to serve the needs of the high street, workplace and leisure locations. Smoothie bar operators and caterers wishing to add smoothies to their menu can scoop Coolicious Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Base to create delicious ‘blender smoothies’.  Simply mix with fruit and juice to create the smoothest of smoothies and enjoy the consistent taste and quality.  Specially designed to be easy to scoop straight from the freezer, Coolicious Smoothie Base emulsifies well with frozen fruit to form a smooth, creamy texture that enhances the taste of the fruit and lightens its natural acidity.

Gluten and GM free, fat free, low calorie and suitable for vegetarians, Coolicious Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Base is available in flavours developed especially for smoothies including Mango Moment, Simply Strawberry, Just Vanilla and Non-Diary neutral sorbet, each supplied in 4 litre tubs.

Outlets wishing to offer fat free frozen yogurt either in tubs with toppings or on cones as a healthy choice for children, should consider Coolicious soft serve which can be served through any commercial ice cream machine. It can also be used to make delicious, healthy smoothies, shakes and even iced coffee drinks.  Flavour options include Tangy Style, Sunshine Vanilla, Chocolate Bliss, Cheeky Banana and Caramel.

“We have been somewhat of a lone voice in the UK frozen yogurt market since we established the business in the 1980s, always feeling that we were ahead of the market.”  Says Richard.

“However, the tide has now turned.   Consumer choices are heavily influenced by healthy options and the market for frozen yogurt is also now being fuelled by the arrival of some successful US franchises setting up in London.  Our commitment to product development means that we have a superior product which ticks all the right boxes and we feel our time has arrived, at last.

“If you can see the potential of an exciting new revenue stream, with low set up costs, minimal labour requirements and excellent profit margins please get in touch now.”