Nutella is the king of spreads. But a challenger is eyeing its throne

Sydney Morning Herald

25-05-2025

Australia is one among several other international markets that must jostle for attention with global HQ to bring innovations Down Under. But some items recently introduced to Australian cafes, such as frozen muffins and frozen croissants with a Nutella centre, are far and away from what younger consumers – driven increasingly by TikTok recommendations and viral recipes – are hungry for.
While Nutella boasts the enviable status of being a staple in pantries and kitchens across the globe, it has not been the most visible. Recently, Belgian multinational Lotus Bakeries' caramel and cinnamon-spiced biscuit and spread, Biscoff, has been prolific in appearing before consumers, who seem to be responding enthusiastically.
It has partnered with global and local food chains and national supermarkets to insert the flavour into drinks and desserts at McDonald's (Biscoff McFlurry) and Hungry Jack's (Biscoff Storm sold out twice); released Biscoff cheesecakes, hot cross buns and trifles with Woolworths; donuts with Coles; mousses with Aldi; drinks with local chains Gloria Jean's; and cinnamon buns at Brumby's Bakeries. Melbourne food blogger Nick Vavitis' cheesecake cookie pie with Biscoff has just landed at fast-growing frozen yoghurt chain Yo-Chi.
Biscoff has been so active that some Reddit users have swapped notes on their observations. Google Trends data indicates local web searches for Nutella outstripped Biscoff for decades until mid-2023.
'We saw that in many countries ... bringing the Biscoff taste in a spreadable form opened complete new dynamics into the category of spreadables,' said Bart Bauwens, general manager of international distribution at Lotus Bakeries.
'We see a massive explosion of our business in the Middle East, driven by spreads. We see the same in Australia. We see the same in Asia,' he said.
'It opens up a new potential for us … it's not only spreading on bread during breakfast or midday, but also on pancakes, in drinks, in cakes.'
A 2018 partnership with local distributor Stuart Alexander, which also distributes for Hershey's, Reese's, Guylian and Chupa Chups, marked a 'breakthrough' turning point for Biscoff's presence in Australia, said Bauwens.
Nutella has its own partnerships and activations, such as a high tea with hotel chain Hyatt, a promotion with kitchen appliance maker De'Longhi, limited edition Nutella Oodies, and a recent one-day cafe pop-up at Caffe Gigi in Sydney's Circular Quay.
Retail Doctor founder Brian Walker said Biscoff poses a challenge to Nutella's more 'conservative approach' to partnerships and innovation by tapping into a younger generation who resonate with 'co-created and experiential brand moments'.
'Biscoff has become a breakout success with Gen Z through high-impact social media virality – think TikTok recipes, dessert hacks, and visually engaging food content. It's also partnered locally with a range of foodservice and retail brands, embedding itself in everything from ice-creams to bubble teas,' Walker said.
'At the core, this story is about the shift from scale to speed, and from traditional brand authority to community-driven discovery.
'It raises important questions about how long-established brands can stay relevant in a landscape where consumers want to participate in the brand narrative, not just consume it.'
Could Biscoff be the next Nutella? Bauwens says it isn't an ambition of Lotus Bakeries, which has its sights set on becoming the world's No.3 cookie.
And is Nutella worried? 'Not really,' said Ferrero's Puricelli. 'The size of Nutella, but also the type of investment, the marketing behind Nutella, is so strong.'
She acknowledged that Biscoff were very active. 'Of course, they are much smaller,' she said. Ferrero, a private family company, reported turnover of €18.4 billion ($32.4 billion) for the 2024 financial year, growth of 8.9 per cent.
Its sales dwarf that of Lotus Bakeries', listed on the Euronext Brussels stock exchange, which notched €1.23 billion ($2.2 billion) in turnover for the same year. But Biscoff's parent company is growing at nearly twice the rate (16 per cent).