Aunt Bessie’s is hoping to reinvigorate frozen Yorkshire pud sales with a range intended for midweek meals, rather than the traditional Sunday roast.

The new Midweek Minis (rsp: £1.49 per bag of 18), which are smaller than the core Yorkshire pud range, aim to give mums an alternative to chips during the week and are part of a wider NPD rollout this autumn.

“Currently, our Yorkshire puddings target adults and special occasions, but child-friendly everyday occasions is a very big opportunity,” said brand manager Lorraine Crow. “Our consumer research indicated there was an opportunity to reclaim share through midweek mealtimes.”

Midweek Minis will roll out nationwide in September alongside new Aunt Bessie’s Bite Size Yorkshire Puddings (rsp: £1.49 per bag of 20) an even smaller-sized pudding intended to be eaten as a canapé. Both launches will be supported by a £6m campaign, including TV, breaking in October.

Aunt Bessie’s had “taken its eye off the ball” with Yorkshire puddings over the past three years, focusing instead on its desserts, admitted Crow. Although Aunt Bessie’s accounts for 60% of the £82m Yorkshire pudding category [IRI], the category’s 3% sales growth of the past year had been “driven by own label, not Aunt Bessie’s”, she said.

In September, Aunt Bessie’s will relaunch its Jam Roly Poly and Spotted Dick desserts (rsp: £1.29) with new packaging and recipes. Syrup Sponge, Jam Sponge (rsp: £1.49) and Chocolate Roly Poly (rsp: £1.29) will be added “to modernise and broaden the appeal of our desserts to the whole family”.

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