Arnott’s reinvents the Tim Tam to launch Tim Tam Slams range

Australia’s popular chocolate Tim Tam has been reinvented again, with Arnott’s releasing a new range for fans who love to do the ‘Tim Tam Slam’.

Exclusive: Australia’s iconic chocolate Tim Tam has been reinvented again, with Arnott’s releasing a new range for fans who love to do the ‘Tim Tam Slam’.

The famous ritual, endorsed by Dave Hughes, Rebecca Judd and Rebel Wilson on Instagram, involves biting the diagonal corners off a Tim Tam, dipping the bottom corner in a warm beverage and sipping the hot liquid and melted filling of the biscuit through the gap in the top corner before slamming (eating) it down.

The new Tim Tam Slams range being launched today, features three new flavours built into the biscuit through a sticky gooey strip that melts when sweet tooths bit off their corners, sip their warm coffee, tea or milk and then slam it.

The limited edition range includes Chocolate Malt & Sticky Caramel, Chocolate Hazelnut & Gooey Caramel and Dark Chocolate & Sticky Raspberry biscuits.

Research commissioned by Arnott’s last year showed that 90 per cent of Australians claimed to eating Tim Tam biscuits, and 4.1 million eat them each week.

The Tim Tam is also one of the company’s biggest selling brands, alongside its Arnott’s Shapes range.

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The Tim Tam Slam, a new product with a new gooey strip inside.

Tim Tam Brand Manager Matt Grant told News Corp Australia the new range was secretly produced over the last nine months, and just over 600 consumers have had the chance to see it or taste test it.

“We started with the flavour profiles of beverages then we worked with consumers to add a gooey strip that would enhance the flavour of the biscuit and the slam we know Australians love to do,” he said.

“We had a number of controlled rounds of research where consumers tasted the product … then we had consumers look at the concept and its appeal and the flavours to see how they would respond to that.

“We took that feedback and worked with our chefs to develop the right flavour profiles.”

Mr Grant said the biscuit is the same shape and size, and the new flavours “got everyone talking”.

The Tim Tam Slam, a new product with a new gooey strip inside.

“I think what consumers were telling is was the ultimate way to eat a Tim Tam was the slam where you get that indulgent moment,” he said.

“The gooey strip creates a textural sensation in the mouth and they did feel it hit the sweet spot.”

Arnott’s is launching the range in Australia and New Zealand with a limited distribution at domestic airports for the next 12 months.

Just under 50 million packets of Tim Tams are sold every year in Australia which equates to sales of just over $100 million.

Mr Grant said if demand is high, they would consider making it a permanent range and also consider taking it overseas.

“Globally, we do a lot of business in Indonesia, China and the US,” he said.

“It’s become a rite of passage in and out of the country we’ve found.

“We would consider making other flavours and have other flavours ready to go which are still under wraps.”

The Tim Tam Slam, a new product with a new gooey strip inside.

Arnott’s is still up for sale after American food giant Campbell Soup Co bought the iconic Australian brand more than 20 years ago.

The move by Campbell’s to exit its international business and refocus on core operations is part of an overall strategy to cut costs by more $US945 million ($A1.3 billion) by 2022 and to pay down debt.

Sydney-based Arnott’s employs about 2400 people in Australia, with more in New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.

Last year, Campbell’s interim president and chief executive, Keith McLoughlin, said the firm had explored all options before deciding to divest the Arnott’s business.

“The board concluded that, at this time, the best path forward to drive shareholder value is to focus the company on two core businesses in the North American market with a proven consumer packaged goods business model,” he said.

Tim Tam Slams are available now and will be sold at all major supermarkets nationally.