Having a ball: Can a move to fresh bakery help Eat the Ball crack the US grocery market?

By Elaine Watson

- Last updated on GMT

Eat the Ball seeks to crack US market with sports-themed buns
It burst onto the scene six years ago in Europe, but can Eat the Ball crack the US market? It’s still early days, but with the right merchandising strategy, the sports-themed sandwich rolls could also be a winner this side of the Atlantic, says US managing director Joe Carter.

Developed by Michael Hobel and Norbert Kraihamer of Salzburg, Austria, Eat The Ball was designed to disrupt the sluggish packaged bakery market by appealing to kids and adults alike with value-added sandwich rolls in the shape of soccer balls, footballs, hockey pucks, and even the earth (the 'earthball' is now trademarked​).  

The preservative-free rolls - which are made in Austria using a proprietary ‘pro.ferment.iced’ process - come in whole wheat or multigrain varieties, the latter containing sprouted spelt, corn, wheat, millet, red clover, alfalfa, flax, lentils and peas as well as wheat flour, amaranth flour, psyllium (plant fiber), and potato flakes.

The company – in which Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson took a minority stake in 2014 - is fairly secretive about its processes, but says the dough is proofed in customized molds, and then baked for a short time before being shipped frozen to sports stadiums, foodservice outlets, grocery stores and bakeries, where it can be sold frozen (with a one-year+ shelf-life), or defrosted and sold as a fresh bakery product (with a three-day shelf life).

Not surprisingly, given the sporting theme, the brand’s earliest wins in the US have been in big sporting facilities including the StubHub Center sports complex in Carson CA (home to soccer team LA Galaxy), the LA Coliseum stadium in Los Angeles (home of the Los Angeles Rams and USC Trojans), the CenturyLink Field sports stadium in Seattle (home to the Seattle Seahawks) and Valley View Casino in San Diego.

odell-beckham-jr.-eat-the-ball
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is a fan...

In addition to NFL star Russell Wilson, Eat the Ball is also working with other high-profile athletes including ice hockey star Michael Grabner of the NY Rangers and Austrian soccer star David Alaba.

However Carter’s focus now is on building a presence in grocery retail, where he says he has had an enthusiastic response from buyers, but has been asked to modify the packaging to give the product greater visibility (Eat the Ball secured listings in Safeway's frozen aisles next to cakes and pies in 2015, but is now targeting the fresh bakery set instead).

Russell Wilson Eat the Ball
NFL star Russell Wilson is an investor in Eat the Ball as well as healthy meals firm LUVO.

“There’s been a change of thinking. Initially in Europe we focused on the frozen bakery set, where they did OK, but as soon as they moved to the fresh bakery department we started to see some phenomenal numbers. Some retailers were also taking them out of the packs and selling them in the fresh bakery set as individual units

“The same applies in the US. We started in frozen but we’re making the transition to fresh in a new folding carton containing four pieces [MSRP $4.99, promo price $3.99]. We're having lots of conversations with retailers about merchandising and how and where to position the product.

"This past spring we advised Safeway we were testing our own developed merchandising displays with smaller retailers in the Northwest within fresh bakery and planned to come back this fall with positive sales results to gain restocking.

“We’ve just got approved at Gelson’s Market ​[upmarket chain in southern California] and we’re having conversations with retailers from Albertson's to Bristol Farms.”

kevin-Roberts-Eat-the-ball
Eat the Ball has been working with chef and author Kevin Roberts to explore new ways to enjoy its products. Roberts’ Coliseum Burger, served on Eat the Ball football bread, is served at the Victory Grill concession at the L.A. Coliseum, while his buffalo chicken sandwich served on Eat the Ball soccer bread is served up at the StubHub Center, home of LA Galaxy.

Earthball-eat-the-ball

Earthball​ multi ingredients: Wheat flour 48%, water, butter, sprout mix (spelt 2%, corn 2%, wheat, millet, red clover, alfalfa, flax, lentil, pea), corn flour, rye flour 2%, spelt flour, rye malt toasted, yeast, salt, sugar, amaranth flour, wheat germ, psyllium peel, potato flakes and malted wheat flour. 

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