It is the fifth new title to be launched by publisher Immediate Media in the past 10 months, and the third pre-school magazine, following Swashbuckle and Furchester. For older ages, Lego Ninjago launched this January and DreamWorks in February.
The Hey Duggee magazine targets existing fans of the show and aims to gain new fans based around the Squirrel Club, similar to an after-school or activity club for pre-school children.
The monthly magazine, priced £2.75, is produced in a run of 85,000. The 220x300mm title is printed on 170gsm Royal Roto Cover and 75gsm Solaris.
Text and covers were printed on Wyndeham Peterborough's Manroland presses.
Immediate Media consumer spokesman Toby Hicks said: “The magazine market is down but there are fluctuations within that.
“What is encouraging is the age of people who are turning to magazines, which disproves the idea this is a dying medium. Young readers are the lifeblood of the industry.
“Part of the growth is perhaps driven by parents who are keen to get their children reading the printed word and away from screens.”
Impressive ABC figures for Swashbuckle made it the biggest pre-school launch for three years, said Hicks.
“Bolstered by this new launch activity we saw our ABC figure rise by 6.7% in the most recent round, flying in the opposite direction from the overall magazine market,” he said.
The first issue of the new magazine comes with a free baking set – a Duggee cookie cutter, stickers, a chef's hat, 'Roly' finger puppet, cooking utensils and a cake badge.
Young readers will find their Squirrel Club book with puzzles and baking instructions in the middle of the magazine.
Hey Duggee magazine editor Andrea Turton said: “Each issue will include activities for parents and children to do together from doodling a new hairstyle for Duggee, to making Duggee cookies.”
Immediate Media employs more than 1,100 people, predominantly in London and Bristol. The company has more than 70 consumer brands in print and on digital platforms, including Radio Times, Olive, Homes & Antiques and Cycling Plus.
Wyndeham Peterborough has expanded in recent months after taking delivery of the "prize asset" of a bulk buy of Global MP’s printing and mailing machinery in September 2014, a 32pp five-unit Lithoman III.
It also took on some of the work of Wyndeham Heron and gained a new managing director Lindsay Atkinson, who was formerly managing director at Polestar Bicester and BGP, as part of the restructure of the group which saw the closure of Heron and Wyndeham's recently-auctioned Gait site.
Wyndeham Roche won Catalogue Printer of the Year in this year's PrintWeek Awards.
