Kerry Foods is out to expand the ethnic frozen ready meal category in United Kingdom retail stores with the rollout of the first branded Takeaway range sold under the Sharwood’s label, which is synonymous in Britain with frozen Chinese and Indian dishes, as well as East and South Asian cooking sauces, noodles, crackers and breads.
Sweet and Sour Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala, offered at £4 each, are among the initial launch of 10 ready meals and two rice side dishes. The introduction this month is aimed at taking a bite out of the £4.2 billion market for takeaway food in the UK, while also stimulating at-home consumption of frozen ready meals on weekends.
“This is a landmark launch for Kerry Foods. The average Brit eats 19 takeaways per year. The new Sharwood’s range is designed to tap into this market, encouraging new shoppers into the [frozen ready meal] aisle by offering them a range from a brand they can trust,” said Charlotte Bourne, frozen ready meal brand manager for Engham, Surrey-based Kerry Foods Limited. “The Sharwood’s Takeaway range is the perfect Saturday night ‘eat in’ meal solution designed specifically to embrace consumer needs for quality ingredients, choice, value for money and something everyone can enjoy and share together.”
The Sharwood’s Takeaway “menu” format is being positioned as “a more sociable proposition.” While frozen ready meals are typically consumed by one person, the Takeaway range has been created for groups to share (currently 90% of traditional weekend takeaway products are consumed when two or more people are present).
Headquartered in Tralee, Ireland, Kerry ranks as the leading customer branded supplier of frozen and chilled ready meals in the UK. Its retail operator client list of clients includes Iceland, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl.
