Company: Heinz
Rsp: 59p per sachet
Competition: Batchelors Cup-a-Soup, Ainsley Harriott cup soups, own label
The sell: Heinz’s first move into the cup soups market offers one of a consumer’s 5-a-day in a convenient purée format


The consumer
This began as marginally more appetising than the traditional flavoured sawdust, resembling tomato purée with bits in. With a lot of stirring, the outcome exceeded expectations, with decent seasoning and a pleasant tomato taste. However, the ‘minestrone’ I tested turned out to be thin tomato soup with damp miniature pasta balls. If you’re craving minestrone I’d look elsewhere. Three stars (out of five)
David Smy, government policy adviser, London

The expert
I really like the concept of an instant soup that isn’t reconstituted from dried ingredients and this delivers. Heinz Squeeze & Stir is easy to prepare, though you do need a measuring jug, and tastes as good as the canned line. Good value at 59p and very convenient. Four stars
Tina Hird, trading controller, Spar

The Grocer
In theory this new concentrated version of the Heinz soup classics offers a greener alternative, but the plastic sachets aren’t recyclable. It could be cheaper, too, as transport costs are lower. But the focus is on convenience and, in the right channel, with the right marketing, the sales densities and profit margins on these little numbers could be huge.

If I have a beef it’s over the instructions: what does 50ml of boiling water look like, or the 130ml that follows in the second stage? What’s wrong with using simple measurements like a cup? Four stars
Adam Leyland, editor

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