With the introduction of three products offered exclusively at the Waitrose supermarket chain, Young’s Seafood is again concentrating on the frozen shellfish and specialty fish market in the United Kingdom. Featured in the storewide rollout are cooked and peeled Jumbo Tiger Prawns (Penaeus monodon) selling for £7.50 per 180 grams; Wild Caught Scallops with Lemon and Peppercorn Butter at £5 per 200 grams; and Fruits de Mer (cooked mussels on the half shell, raw squid rings, red king prawns and raw scallops) retailing at £5 per 250 grams.
“The time is right for the Young’s brand to re-enter the shellfish category,” said Yvonne Adam, the Grimsby, England-based company’s marketing director. She added that there is growing demand at the moment for such “top-quality, great-tasting products.”
Distributed in see-through packaging and stand-up bags, the line is being supported with PR, digital and in-store marketing.
Hooked Seafood Kitchen
Young’s has been busy on the new product front during recent months. In October it introduced the Hooked Seafood Kitchen range of frozen fish dishes exclusive to the Iceland retail chain’s Food Warehouse shops.
“We believe that the best way to inspire people to love fish now and for generations to come is to excite shoppers with innovative ideas, and that’s exactly what Hooked will do,” said Adam. “With delicious tasting recipes and flavor combinations, Hooked Seafood Kitchen provides new ways to enjoy fish, whether that’s for breakfast, brunch, lunch or meals in the evening.”
Among the line’s 10 offerings, distributed in bright and innovative packaging especially aimed at young consumers, are Smoked Haddock & Scrambled Egg Florentine with a Muffin (£2 per 140 grams); Chunky Fish & Black Bean Mexican Style Meal Soup (£2 per 340 grams); and Smoked Salmon Mousse Blini Macarons (£3.85 per 72 grams).
Gastro Range Powers Up
Meanwhile, the Young’s Gastro range has been designated as the UK’s sixth fastest-growing FMCG brand. Worth over £57 million, Gastro has grown 31% in the last year and is ranked as the No. 1 brand in premium fish – now twice the size of its nearest competitor. Having successfully attracted new shoppers to the category, the company says “Gastro is one of the biggest success stories for frozen fish, and has one of the strongest repeat rates in the category.”
Building on this achievement, Young’s introduced four new Gastro items at ASDA during the autumn, as follows: Smoked Haddock Arancini Style Mini Fishcakes with a Rocket, Basil & Parmesan Dip; Salmon, Red Pepper & Mozzarella Mini Fishcakes with a Herby Crème Fraiche Dip; Spicy Salmon & Black Bean Mini Fishcakes with a Chipotle Chilli Salsa; 10 Tempura Battered Chunky Cod Fish Fingers. Each offering retails for £3.
Promoted as perfect for starters, lunch, sharing and tapas, the new mini fishcakes come in packaging that enables shoppers to see the content in store.
Chunky Cod fish fingers are wrapped in Gastro tempura batter – with larger portion sizes set to appeal to adults and older families who enjoy pub-style servings.
“Gastro is the nation’s favorite premium brand in frozen fish, and building on this success, our latest inspiration is straight from restaurant menus,” said Adam. “Tapas is trending in UK restaurants and our mini fishcakes are an ideal choice for making tapas at home, or for sharing, entertaining or as starters.”
