Aunt Bessie’s and Birds Eye are joining forces on a range of co-branded roast dinner ready meals.
The chicken and beef ready meals, due to hit Tesco stores nationwide “from the end of summer”, will feature products from both brands (rsp: £2.50/400g).
Birds Eye will provide the meat, peas and carrots for each of the meals.
Aunt Bessie’s will supply its Mini Roasties for both meals, but only one - the beef - will contain the brand’s trademark Yorkshire Pudding. The chicken dinner will include Aunt Bessie’s sage & onion stuffing.
The innovation comes a year after Birds Eye owner Nomad Foods acquired Aunt Bessie’s in a €240m (£220m) deal.
Nomad Foods said the meals marked the first collaboration between the brands, which “have been staples of Britain’s roast dinners for generations”.
The meals would bring together the brands’ respective strengths, added Steve Challouma, marketing director at Birds Eye.
“Many shoppers already know Birds Eye frozen ready meals thanks to their high-quality ingredients and convenience,” he said. “Bringing genuine products from the Aunt Bessie’s range together with that expertise enables retailers to strengthen their frozen ready meal offering by having two iconic brands on the same product.”
Sam Dolan, head of marketing at Aunt Bessie’s, added: “Aunt Bessie’s is an entry point for people coming into the roast dinner occasion but Birds Eye is more famous for ready meals so it makes sense to have them together.”
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