Guylian launched several novelties at the IAADFS Duty Free Show of the Americas last month, including new fillings, gift assortments, snacking bars and a travel retail exclusive.
The Belgian chocolatier has extended its Sea Horse chocolate range with a brand new Green Tea flavour, adding to the three flavours introduced at last year’s TFWA World Exhibition: Vanilla, Caramel and Crunchy Biscuit.
 |
The new green tea flavour was developed in response to requests by customers |
Featuring a dark cocoa shell and a green tea and milk truffle filling, the new Green Tea Sea Horse Chocolates are presented in a 147g box of 16 chocolates. It will be available from June 2015.
Speaking to The Moodie Report at the Orlando show, Guylian Export & Travel Retail Director Steven Candries said the new flavour was developed in response to requests by the brand’s Japanese customers. Feedback by visitors at the show were “very optimistic”, he noted.
The IAADFS show also saw the launch of a new assortment of Sea Horse chocolates, called Assorted Luxury Chocolate Tasting. This 148g box contains 16 pieces in four different flavours – Milk Truffle, Vanilla, Caramel and Crunchy Biscuit.
 |
Assorted Luxury Chocolate Tasting, a 148g box of 16 Sea Horse chocolates |
 |
The new Opus Luxury Assortment box highlights the iconic Brussels Grand Place |
 |  |
Left: The 203g Temptations Oval Tin Box; Right: Sea Shell Bars for snacking | |
The Opus Luxury Assortment comes in new gift packaging featuring the iconic Brussels Grand Place. Containing 16 chocolates in eight different flavours, the 180g gold box is embossed with a repeat of the Guylian logo and dressed with a gold ribbon.
The Brussels Grand Place motif is replicated in the Temptations Oval Tin Box, a 203g tin of about 19 individually wrapped mini Sea Horse chocolates. This is a travel retail exclusive which will be available in June/July/August 2015.
For the self-snacking segment, Guylian has developed a new range of Sea Shell Bars in four flavours: Caramel, Crunchy Biscuit, Milk and Original Praline. Ranging from 30g to 36g depending on the filling, these chocolate bars are ideal as an impulse purchase at the cash till, said Candries.
For more information, contact Steven Candries, Export & Travel Retail Director, Chocolaterie Guylian; tel: +32 3 760 97 00 or e-mail: steven.candries@guylian.be.
 |
Guylian Export & Travel Retail Director Steven Candries at the IAADFS show in Orlando |
Guylian celebrates Golden Archer and Corporate Social Responsibility awards
Guylian was presented with two awards by the Royal Belgian Committee for Distribution last month on 20 March: the 2015 Golden Archer Award for its new Crunchy Biscuit Sea Horse Chocolates, and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) award for its commitment to Project Seahorse.
The Golden Archer Award, according to Guylian, is given to new products that “show innovation and creativeness and are successful in sales”. The winner is chosen by the trade and the members of the Royal Belgian Committee for Distribution, and presented by the latter’s Distribution Today magazine.
 |
Guylian’s Crunchy Biscuit Sea Horse Chocolates was selected for the 2015 Golden Archer Award for its innovation and sales performance |
Launched in 2014, Guylian’s Crunchy Biscuit Sea Horse Chocolates contains a soft filling made from premium white Belgian chocolate with a hint of natural vanilla and blended with crunchy bits of “˜feuilletine’ biscuit. This biscuit was reportedly discovered by mistake in 1893 by a female chef in Brittany who let her pancake bake too long on the stove, and the sugar started to caramelise. She later rolled it up, ate it and discovered a caramelised taste combined with a crunchy sensation.
The feuilletine has now become a popular ingredient in many desserts and inspired Guylian to create the new award-winning flavour – it was awarded three golden stars by the International Taste and Quality Institute (iTQi) last year.
For its ongoing partnership and role in Project Seahorse, Guylian was given the CSR award in the “˜Environmental’ category. Established in 1996 by Dr. Amanda Vincent (University of British Columbia) and Heather Koldewey (Zoological Society of London), Project Seahorse is an international, non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting and conserving seahorses and their habitats.
Guylian has been a proud sponsor of the organisation since 1999, providing it with a yearly financial contribution and spreading the word about the importance of their work through its millions of boxes sold worldwide every year.
Recently, the app iSeahorse was launched so consumers can upload a seahorse sighting in the wild via their smartphones or the website www.iseahorse.org. This helps the Project Seahorse team to gain insights into the current status of seahorse species all over the world, while empowering the public to contribute to the conservation of these endangered species. For more information, visit www.projectseahorse.org.
