A sweet and spicy collaboration is in the works between The Kraft Heinz Company and the one and only Ed Sheeran. Known for his love of ketchup—he’s even got a bottle tattooed on his arm—the company tapped the British star for a fresh collaboration, creating ‘the ultimate’ hot sauce under the newly created Tingly Ted’s® brand.
“It’s rare to find someone who is as passionate about sauces as we are—and it’s no secret Ed is already one of the biggest Heinz Tomato Ketchup fans you can find—so when we heard he wanted to make his own hot sauce, we, of course, wanted in,” Rafael Oliveira, Executive Vice President and President, International Markets at Kraft Heinz, commented. “We invited Ed to collaborate and moved quickly to develop a recipe that brought his vision to life, delivering a prototype within just five weeks. The rest is history, and here we are with a delicious addition to our Taste Elevation platform, which is all about enhancing food with great flavor. We can’t wait for people to try it.”
The sauce is available for pre-order now and is expected to roll out around the world through 2023. Tingly Ted’s is the latest insight-led innovation from Kraft Heinz as it continues to grow its Taste Elevation platform around the world, expanding into new categories and channels to fuel its transformation.
“I love sauces, that’s no secret. But the older I’ve got, the more I love and need spice with every single meal,” Sheeran explained. “I travel a lot, so having a bottle in my suitcase wherever I go that can spice up any and every meal seemed like a good idea. I knew I didn’t wanna do a watery hot sauce, as they usually all get relegated to the same shelf of other random hot sauces. I wanted to make a sauce that took the same pride of place as ketchup.”
Having worked once before with Kraft Heinz on a bottle design, the chart-topper sought out the company’s expertise to develop a hot sauce like no other, serving the needs of many with just one bottle.
“I had a year of whittling down the perfect flavors with a great mixing team, and we settled on two absolute belters: The Tingly and the Xtra Tingly,” Sheeran continued. “I’ve had them on tour with me recently to try them with all sorts of meals, and there really isn’t anything they don’t go with (except bananas, don’t do that). I’m so excited to bring this product out, it’s genuinely something I use every day on all three meals. I hope you love them as much as I do.”
Tingly Ted’s is made using red jalapeños and capsicum chilis. Named after Sheeran’s childhood nickname, the new sauce promises to propel Kraft Heinz’s Taste Elevation strategy forward into the ever-expanding hot sauce category, which is expected to grow at a rate of 6.3 percent to $5.4 billion USD in 2027, noted the release.
Tingly Ted’s is the latest example of Kraft Heinz’s transformation. The company is focused on extending and expanding its capabilities through partnerships with technology giants or cutting-edge innovators, like Ed Sheeran, to redefine best-in-class and lead the future of food.
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