#WBD Blog

Deli Kitchen - Signature Flatbreads

Ten years ago, the flatbread category section of the bakery aisle barely existed in UK grocery stores. When Deli Kitchen launched in 2016, it was pitching a product that didn't yet have an established demand - aimed at a consumer whose eating habits were shifting. 

The flatbread category has grown 160% in value since 2023. Deli Kitchen's core products (Greek Style Flatbreads and sliced Focaccia) drove some of this early growth. Ten years on from launch, the brand has now undergone its first major refresh, with a new look and feel designed to strengthen its flavour and ingredient transparency credentials. 

The redesigned packaging gives clearer cues to the international bread traditions behind each product, and features a refreshed logo with a flame at its centre: a reference to the traditional baking methods that underpin the range. 

Deli Kitchen has introduced a new front-of-pack transparency label system called 'Our Promise', moving key nutritional information from the back of pack into a clear consumer-facing callout on the front. The move is a direct response to shopper demand. 

One of the few universal truths about nearly all human cultures is that they will have a highly developed set of traditional 'bread customs' that are on some level unique to them. How we break bread and what bread we break forms part of most early life experiences. So, introducing new bread behaviours, even in a highly sophisticated and cosmopolitan market like ours, is never easy! 

The truth is 99 times out of 100 it needs brands to do it. It needs an established brand with insight, innovation and commitment or small, or start up brands, who put passion and commitment into bringing something new and initially niche into life. This innovation and unreasonable commitment to an idea and its success is a key and important part of the value the branded business model. It is why the model consistently delivers new things to consumers and growth to the economy. Signature Flatbreads, who own the Deli-Kitchen brand was started in London, 40 years ago, to introduce new bread experiences to the UK. It is a large successful business with several brands, but we like to think it went through a journey like this. 

The Deli-Kitchen brand was created 10 years ago to help them into a new segment, because without a brand – often more than one to build a competitive environment - it is always difficult to see how you can really build a successful new sub-category that is sustainable. Rarely - if ever -does the 'build it and they will come' approach or just putting a few SKUs on a supermarket fixture work. To grow it needs investment in a complex mix of equity building, innovation, marketing, communications, awareness, attention, word of mouth, experiences etc. And through building physical availability – channels, retailers, e-comm etc. 

Now the flatbreads category is vibrant and growing. We enjoy it and take it for granted. Deli-Kitchen along with many other brands revitalised the bakery aisle over the past decade. It is #whatbrandsdo and without them our bread culture would be slower to evolve!  

PS to Deli-Kitchen we love the brand refresh. 

Find out more about deli kitchen: mydelikitchen.co.uk/