Abra-ca-Debora, the UK’s number one chilled pancake brand, is relaunching its entire range this month with a reformulated recipe designed to meet HFSS nutrient profiling standards. The new recipe reduces calories, fat, salt and saturated fat, while significantly boosting fibre, without compromising on taste. The full range is rolling into Tesco now, with Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Asda all carrying one SKU each.
A Category Under Pressure
The move comes at a pivotal moment for the chilled desserts category, which has lost £10 million in sales over the past year as HFSS legislation restricts secondary displays and promotions and the rising popularity of weight-loss medications changed shopping habits.
Chilled pancakes alone are down 15% year on year, despite the segment having nearly quadrupled in value since 2013. Abra-ca-Debora is helping to revive the category with this new range which offers consumers added benefits including being better for your health, and a reduced carbon footprint by switching from buttermilk to oat milk.
Driving Secondary Siting and New Promotional Opportunities
The new range will continue to include Original Dutch and Sweet Dutch, while introducing new American Style pancakes. Every recipe has been reworked to achieve a low HFSS score, giving retailers a pancake range they can promote at pancake day and throughout the year whilst adhering to government guidelines.
Compared with the previous range, the new recipes deliver 6% fewer calories per 100g, 10% less fat, 11% less salt and 40% less saturated fat, alongside a 113% increase in fibre.
The relaunch also brings brighter, more vibrant packaging and clearer occasion cues covering breakfast, supper, dessert and snacking to drive rate of sale. From consumer research the brand understands that UK shoppers want to bring ‘magic’ and ‘fun’ back to the kitchen and the new whimsical packaging brings these elements to life.
Beyond Pancake Day
Created by baking manufacturer BakeAway, Abra-ca-Debora, whose name is derived from the magic word Abracadabra, has been the UK’s supper conjure-upper since 2012 and is fronted by brand mascot Debora. The pancakes bring in 1.2 million additional shoppers to the category around Pancake Day each year, with units up 49% over the occasion in 2025. But the brand’s own data tells a bigger story: 90% of shoppers now buy pancakes for reasons beyond that single day, from quick suppers to weekend brunches. BakeAway is backing the relaunch with an above the line marketing campaign, always on social and PR activity, and experiential sampling. The reformulated range will begin appearing on shelves this September, with retailers able to take advantage of a coordinated marketing push tied to key seasonal moments including Pancake Day, Mother’s Day and Easter.
Abra-ca-Debora is available in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda with an RRP from £2.40.
