Elmlea, a UK brand of cream alternatives owned by Upfield, is expanding its dairy-free range with a new product for the festive season — plant-based brandy flavoured cream.
Like Elmlea’s existing dairy-free double cream alternative, the product is made from lentil protein and vegetable oils. It is free of alcohol, soy, oats, and gluten, and is said to “deliver all the indulgence and flavour notes of traditional brandy cream”. The cream alternative can be poured or whipped, and is said to be ideal for topping festive desserts.
Elmlea was founded in 1984, offering cream alternatives made from vegetable oils and buttermilk. The aim was to provide a product with a longer shelf life that would not split when used in cooking. The brand is now owned by Upfield, which added buttermilk-free vegan creams to the range in 2019.
Upfield goes plant-based
Upfield has stated that it plans to make its entire product portfolio fully plant-based within three years, which implies that buttermilk may also be removed from Elmlea’s original recipe. Significantly, there does not appear to be a dairy version of the new brandy cream, indicating that the company is focusing its innovation on plant-based products.
At the beginning of this month, Upfield revealed that its Flora spreads are all now plant-based, with Flora Buttery no longer containing buttermilk. The company also recently launched whippable plant-based cream in Australia under the Flora brand, with very similar ingredients to Elmlea’s dairy-free creams.
“This versatile, festive plant-based alternative to cream will make a fantastic addition to any Christmas dinner table, perfect for pouring and whipping in equal measure,” said Ian Hepburn, UK marketing director at Upfield. “Elmlea Br+ndy is dairy-free and alcohol-free and can be enjoyed by all the family no matter their age or dietary requirements. We’re confident that shoppers will love the taste, and we’re delighted to be offering shoppers delicious, dairy-free choices.”
Elmlea Br+ndy will be available at all major retailers from November 13.
