Trend Alert: Ugly Sweater-Inspired Food
The ugly sweater has miraculously transformed itself from a fashion faux pas into a warm-hearted Christmas tradition. Now, the trend is moving from sweaters to food. The once-taste-lacking trend is now focusing on Christmas dinners and desserts. We’ve looked around and found many ugly sweater cookie recipes, but we must say, if you want to get your ugly on, we recommend making your own ugly charcuterie board, just like this one here.
Pizza Hut is Making Tomato Wine
Pizza Hut is venturing into alcohol with Tomato Wine, a tangy beverage crafted in collaboration with Kansas winery Irvine’s Just Beyond Paradise. Made from tomatoes and infused with basil, this drink features a blend of herbs, spices, and toasted oak notes, evoking the flavor of baked pizza crust. It’s described as tasting like chilled white wine.
“We wanted to reimagine the classic pairing of pizza and red wine to spark intrigue and create a memorable holiday experience,” said Elyse Slayton, Pizza Hut’s advertising director. Available for a limited time on the winery’s website.
KitKat’s Santa’s
Hershey is debuting Kit Kat Santas, the popular candy’s first-ever seasonal shape. These festive treats feature imprinted boots, a jolly smile, and a crispier wafer-to-chocolate ratio than regular Kit Kats.
“We’re excited to introduce Kit Kat Santas as a fun, seasonal twist on our classic bar, creating a new holiday tradition for fans,” said Scott Sorensen, Kit Kat’s associate manager. Hershey will likely release more unique Kit Kat shapes to coincide with other major holidays and occasions.
Rick & Morty’s Butter Bot Is Alive
Imagine you are Brunching with friends, and asking for the butter. Instead of someone serving it to you, a tiny robot with caterpillar wheels zooms across the table with the butter in tow. What once seemed like a Rick and Morty fantasy is now a reality. Geek Club and CircuitMess, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, have created the real-life Butter Bot — an AI-powered gadget that’s both absurd and ingenious.
It can autonomously navigate your desk, recognize faces and objects, stream live video, and respond to voice commands. “This project represents what can happen when creativity and technology intersect,” says Geek Club co-founder Nicolas Deladerrière. You can pre-order Butter Bot now on Kickstarter.
When Ugly Meets Butter
Ugly Sweater has partnered with Danish Creamery to create a holiday sweater that combines festive fun and a dose of ugly with a celebration of butter. This limited-edition design says ‘Spread Cheer,’ reflecting the holiday spirit and the butter brand’s theme. The collaboration also includes a butter dish, decorated with a matching sweater, making it a fun and unpractical but truly heartwarming gift for food lovers.
Pop-Tarts Wants You to Wear Them, Too
Pop-Tarts has teamed up with designer Andrew Burgess of Vivid Vision (@Wandythemaker) to create the Pop-Tarts Crunchy Poppers Pullover, a limited-edition hoodie designed ahead of the Pop-Tarts Bowl in December. This cozy pullover not only keeps you warm but also features pockets for snacking. They are right on the Collaboration with upcycling designers trend.
Inspired by Pop-Tarts Crunchy Poppers, the hoodie is handmade with “crunching” fabrics, gemstone “crunchlettes” on frosted sleeves, and bold textures. Each pullover is priced at $120 and sold exclusively on Pop-Tarts’ online shop, while supplies last.
Pepsico Swallows Sabra
PepsiCo is acquiring the remaining stakes in Sabra and Obela dips and spreads from Strauss Group for $240.8 million and $3 million, respectively. PepsiCo and Strauss co-founded Sabra in 2008 as a 50-50 joint venture, and later launched Obela in 2012. The joint ventures operate in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico.
This acquisition allows PepsiCo to strengthen its better-for-you food portfolio and gain full control over Sabra and Obela’s innovation, production, and marketing. Sabra alone generates nearly $400 million in U.S. retail sales.
The Perfect Mac Hack!
Kraft Heinz is launching…drum roll, please… a limited-edition Mac & Cheese Everything Bagel flavor. With fewer than 15,000 boxes available, the new flavor will be sold exclusively on Walmart.com starting November 25.
Kraft Heinz noted that nearly half of Americans customize their mac and cheese, often with “mac hacks.” Sara Roashan, associate director of innovation, shared that the Everything Bagel flavor came from fan requests, following a contest last year for new flavor ideas.
Trend Alert #2: Food Inspired Candles
An Unusual Chocolate Experience
M. Cacao is an American chocolate brand to watch. Based in Massachusetts, this small company is pushing the boundaries of chocolate. The brand’s new collection is inspired by cheese. The M. Cacao Fromage Chocolate Collection offers a luxury twist on traditional chocolates by incorporating cheese for a unique flavor experience. Created by Chef Delphin Gomes, the collection features eight varieties, including Roquefort & Port, Chevre & Sage, and Parmigiano & Balsamic. They also offer a custom Chocolate Video Box, combining gourmet chocolate with a personal message, video, or images.
