Cherub
Cherub was founded by Ben Thomas and Elliott Eccles, who wanted to produce a range of electrolyte ice lolly products, produced with real-fruit ingredients, and aimed at the general public for fast hydration in the warmer months. FIC supported Ben and Elliott from idea to scale-up through three, step-by-step, bespoke work packages.
“Jess made the process very easy to follow and kept in contact throughout, answering any questions we had at any time. We would recommend Jess and the FIC at Nottingham to anyone or any team looking to develop a product. The process was smooth from start to finish, and the door was left open for us to reach out if any problems do arise.”
Project brief
This project consisted of three work packages, each with the following aims:
- Assess the feasibility of producing electrolyte ice lollies, including a regulatory review and identification of possible co-manufacturers.
- Develop an ice lolly base with the correct sensory characteristics, and identify any adverse fruit-electrolyte interactions.
- Refine two electrolyte-added fruit lolly SKUs to balance flavour, texture, cost and performance.
The Response
The response was divided into three work packages, each one building upon the outputs of the previous package.
Work package 1: A market analysis was conducted, and literature search completed, to identify possible formulations and processes for creating electrolyte ice lollies. Possible hurdles to development were evaluated, and solutions suggested. Regulatory requirements for electrolyte products were explored and explained, and a co-manufacturer search was conducted to identify routes to scale-up.
Work package 2: Practical work was carried out to develop a process for creating electrolyte ice lollies, and a base formulation was created. The impact of electrolyte addition on the flavour, texture and appearance of the ice lollies was evaluated over a series of practical trials.
Work package 3: Practical work was continued to refine two fruit lolly SKUs, accompanied by technologist tastings, and tastings with the customer to decide the final formulation. Microbiological and mineral analyses were conducted, and costings were produced for the customer. Next steps for scale-up were discussed, and a development brief was produced to pass onto the co-manufacturer for scale-up.
Benefit to the business
We wanted to find out whether the concept for our product was possible. Initially, this included background research into similar, existing products on the market, some medicinal products, and other electrolyte sachet products, to identify the quantities of electrolytes used in these products.
Jess then developed multiple prototypes per flavour, which were tasted by us at FIC’s development laboratory in Nottingham. Each time, specific alterations were made based on our preferences, and we were left with two prototypes we were happy to take to a co-manufacturer ready to scale. Careful consideration was made with each round of samples, making sure we were within safe limits for the electrolytes, whilst still making sure we were happy with the flavour and texture. Jess created processes that would closely match those of co-manufacturers down the line, so we would not be left with production scale-up problems. She also put us in contact with a microbiological testing laboratory who conducted testing on our final prototype, making sure there were no harmful microbes present in the finished product.
We were very happy with the results Jess and the team produced at each stage of development, and thorough write-up notes were given to us, making sure we could understand the complex science and understanding. This was great for us, as we have no background in science and it could have easily gone over our heads.