NPD Range Shot (Rectangle)

Source: Aunt Bessie’s 

The frozen NPD hits Tesco this week, followed by other retailers next month

Aunt Bessie’s is expanding its range of frozen meat joints and veg sides with a selection of new variants.

The Birds Eye brand has launched a Bacon Topped Boneless Chicken Joint, Maple Glazed Gammon Joint and Garlic & Herb Beef Joint into Tesco this week along with four sides: Maple & Thyme Glazed Carrots, Green Veg Mix with Garlic & Herb Butter, Rich & Creamy Cauliflower Cheese, and Rustically Made Roast Potato Chips.

The NPD will also roll into Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury’s next month, with selected listings in the Co-op and Iceland too (rsp: £8 per meat joint and £3.25-£3.75 for sides).

Aunt Bessie’s said the range extension would build on the success of its existing meat joints, which debuted in Iceland last year and had, alongside the retailer’s £12 roast dinner meal deal, boosted Iceland’s value share of roast dinner accompaniments by two percentage points year on year, with value sales increasing by 22% [Kantar 52 w/e 21 January].

It also tapped into a general increase in demand for frozen roasts, with the category seeing value growth of 6.1% last year [Nielsen 52 w/e 10 August].

The boneless joints offered easy carving, were designed to be cooked directly from frozen, and come in ready-to-roast trays, the brand said. This made them “ideal for last-minute meal decisions”, it added.

“Our goal is to make roast dinners more accessible for families across the country,” said Aunt Bessie’s marketing manager Andy Dale.

“As consumers increasingly seek delicious yet easy-to-prepare meal solutions, this launch reaffirms our commitment to providing families with options that allow them to enjoy more quality time together around the dinner table.”

The range will also include NaviLens ’codes’ on the front of packs.

In 2022, Aunt Bessie’s became the first frozen food brand in the world to sign up to NaviLens technology. By using the app, blind and partially sighted shoppers can locate products more easily in-store and in their own freezers through audio navigation.