Background

FFP were approached by Fitbakes to develop packaging for a range of low sugar, high protein, reduced calorie cakes. Fitbakes started life in founder Ella Rauen-Prestes’ kitchen in 2018 as round, bite-sized cakes packaged in a tub with lidding film and a cardboard sleeve. Following the unprecedented success of the product and the consumer appetite for a ‘guilt-free’ sweet treat, Fitbakes production was moved to a third party baking and packaging facility.

Along with the move, Fitbakes changed the cake format from round, bite-sized pieces to square cakes. The change of production premises and cake format also presented the opportunity to develop packaging that could run efficiently and quickly on packing lines, reduce plastic and be more cost efficient.

The Brief

Fitbakes came to FFP with the brief to develop a pack that met the above criteria but also portrayed a natural, yet premium look and feel and would be robust and durable enough to withstand the logistics supply chain whilst giving the product at least 30 days shelf-life. As the products were sold online and in supermarkets, they needed to be easy to merchandise and branding needed to be consistent and vibrant to create eye-catching shelf appeal. The cakes were going to be packaged as a 4 pack, with 6 flavour offerings.

The Solution

FFP worked closely with Fitbakes to develop a flow wrap solution made of a paper laminated to a pearlised OPP. The paper outer gave the product the natural premium look that Fitbakes desired, whilst the OPP layer eliminated any product show-through, enhanced durability and retained shelf-life.

By moving to a flow wrap from a tub, lidding film and sleeve solution, Fitbakes have significantly improved their offering on both an environmental and commercial level. The weight reduction combined with the reduction in their use of plastic represents a huge saving on their carbon emissions.

Fitbakes founder, Ella Rauen-Prestes commented “Moving our production to a third party, was a huge milestone for us and a reflection of the success of the brand in the market place.” She continues, “finding the right packaging partner to develop a solution that provided the functionality we required whilst maintaining the brand’s integrity was paramount. FFP did just that and we are delighted with the new packaging. This change has also enabled us to streamline our processes and strengthen our sustainable credentials.”

Moving to an automated process has made the packaging process faster, less labour intensive and ultimately far more efficient. This, along with the overall reduction in the volume of packaging required, means the new packs are far more economical to produce. Fitbakes now has the capability and capacity to produce larger volumes to meet consumer demand.

Fitbakes also identified an opportunity within the growing food-to-go market sector for a smaller ‘twin-pack’ product. The smaller pack format would be merchandised easily on-shelf and provide consumers with a guilt free snacking option that could be eaten on-the-go. The packaging that FFP had produced for the 4 pack, lent itself perfectly to the new project and was easily scaled down in size to accommodate the new ‘twin-pack’ offering.

Branding across the ranges was paramount and FFP’s originations team were heavily involved in the project from the start, providing colour management solutions to maintain brand identity across the ranges. Our strict Colour Management workflow system allows us to accurately predict and control colour through pre-press to the final print on press, ensuring brand consistency across the shelf.