tread

There was a time when if you went to the supermarket to buy nougat you could choose between soft and hard, chocolate, toasted yolk, almonds or maybe (if you were lucky) caramel. The offer was more or less limited, as was the ability of the nougat makers to surprise us. Not today. In recent years the sector has launched experiment with flavors as unexpected as ham, potatoes, wine or mojito, between a long (lengthy) etc. of flavors and textures. Now that spiral of experimentation has led one of the best-known companies in Spain to go one step further and sell nougat for pets. Nougat for dogs? Nougats for dogs. That is the bet that just launched Confectionary Holdingthe company behind such well-known Christmas dessert brands as 1880, Doña Jimena or El Lobo. In the midst of fever nougat experimentation (a phenomenon that dates back several years) the firm has decided to go one step further and take risks in a different way. Their bet is not only looking for new flavors or textures, but also for a different audience than usual: pets. Hence, its catalog has just expanded with a line of Polvorones and Nougats made specifically for dogs. The sweets can be consulted now at the web from El Lobo, where 85 gram nougat tablets are sold for 4.99 euros, the same price as the 120 g box of Polvorones. And what are they like? The company has launched three products. Two varieties of nougat crunchymade with coconut or carrot, and some arrozrones based on rice. In all three cases, the company insists that the snacks are cooked with natural ingredients, do not include added sugars and (in the case of nougat) are designed with a crunchy texture designed precisely for dogs. Efe precise that they only include a small amount of honey and that the packages specify the amount that each dog can ingest, depending on its size. But… Why? Because, says Rubén LópezCEO of Confectionary Holding, during Christmas “we get together with friends and relatives and the pets are part of the family.” The idea is simple: transfer the experience of parties and Christmas sweets to the pet market, a niche that other companies in the sector have been exploring for some time. The Wolf may have just tried his luck now (marketing started in October), but there are specialized companies that already sell panettones for dogs, wet food cans for cats decorated with Christmas designs or special nougats for pets. The striking thing is that one of the most popular traditional nougat manufacturers in Spain is now exploring this line of business. How have you done it? The idea, López emphasizes, is that the consumption experience is “as humane as possible”. For this purpose, the company has resorted to a very recognizable format: 80 g tablets, pre-cut and which can be purchased both in pet stores and in supermarkets. Previously, the company had to spend two years developing the product, between studies and formulations, together with veterinarians. He has also had to do pedagogy in the sector. Recently José Manuel Sirvent, president of the Confectionary Holding group, recognized that the throwing of the nougat pet friendly It has been one of the most complicated decisions he has made throughout his career. The other was to dedicate itself to the manufacture of private labels. “It’s not very orthodox,” admits the manager about the new pet treat. So unconventional is it, in fact, that Sirvent confesses that the decision has not been liked by part of the traditional sector of Jijona. Does it make sense? S. There are two ways to look at El Lobo’s bet. One is the innovation that the nougat sector is experiencing, which has led manufacturers to explore new flavors and ways to expand their market with an eye on a more select clientele. In recent years this has led him to sell nougats that incorporate such curious ingredients as black beer, plankton, fried potatoes, ham, pine, popcorn or strawberries with gin. The bet doesn’t seem to have gone wrong. With the rising prices of cocoa and eggs as a backdrop, in recent months manufacturers have shared data that suggests an increase in turnover, in line with the rest of the sector. What data? In July the Spanish Sweets Association (Produlce) published a report which reveals that in 2024 all categories of the sector experienced growth in terms of consumption. In its balance sheet, chocolate and cocoa lead the segments (2,106 million euros), followed by cookies (1,428 million), pastries and pastries (€1,310M), baking (€954M), candies and chewing gum (€809M) and nougat and marzipan (€290M). At the beginning of the year, the nougat sector with designation of origin (DO) in Spain, Jijona and Agramunt, also revealed that its sales volume had increased 12% in 2023led by Sanchis Mira and Torrons Vicens. And beyond the nougat sector? That is the other big key. Spain is increasingly a country of pets (even more than babies) and that places the pet food and care sector in a privileged position. Both in our country and in others. According to the Grand View Horizon platform, the global pet care market will exceed the 236.1 billion of dollars thanks to a compound annual growth rate of 5.1%. There are those who believe that the sum will be elderly thanks to the trend of “humanizing” pets. In Spain, the industry dedicated to feeding pets had a turnover of something in 2024 more than 2 billion of euros, 5% more than in 2023. The largest volume of business (around 790 million euros) was generated by sales focused on dogs, which is precisely the niche on which El Lobo has now focused to sell its nougat for pets. Images | Baptist Standaert (Unsplash), DAP, Anfaac and The Wolf In Xataka | We knew that Suchard nougat had become more expensive since 2020, but we did not suspect how much. The reason: redflation