Sainsbury is hoping to reinvigorate the British pork sector with the launch of a new range of premium products.
The Taste the Difference range features 14 cuts produced from a new cross breed of pig exclusively for Sainsbury.
Pork buyer Ben Wheeley said the launch was aimed at attracting consumers back into the category with a tender and flavoursome product.
The new pig is the result of a cross breed between the older, rarer Hampshire breed with a standard large white pig.
Wheeley said: “A lot of the flavour has been bred out of pork in favour of achieving higher yields.
“We know this has happened and people are not getting the quality of pork that they might have once been able to get.”
He said Sainsbury had decided to use a cross breed as the cost of producing pork from a rare breed alone was not commercially viable.
Following on from Sainsbury’s successful Jamie Oliver 21 Day Extra Mature Beef, the pork is also matured longer on the bone for 48 hours, compared to the standard 24 hours, to improve both the meat’s flavour and tenderness.
The range has been under development for around two to three years and will initially go into 90 stores with plans to extend the offer to 300 by the end of the summer.
Wheeley said the lines also helped point the way forward for the British pig industry. “Things like this can help justify the price premium between British product and the imports.”
He said the range, which is only available in pre-pack, would be priced at a 30% premium compared to standard pork. “We’ll be trying to trade customers up into the better pork, but also get the people who have turned away from pork due to the lack of flavour and get them back.”
The launch will be supported with a consumer press PR campaign and PoS material.
By Ed Bedington
The Taste the Difference range features 14 cuts produced from a new cross breed of pig exclusively for Sainsbury.
Pork buyer Ben Wheeley said the launch was aimed at attracting consumers back into the category with a tender and flavoursome product.
The new pig is the result of a cross breed between the older, rarer Hampshire breed with a standard large white pig.
Wheeley said: “A lot of the flavour has been bred out of pork in favour of achieving higher yields.
“We know this has happened and people are not getting the quality of pork that they might have once been able to get.”
He said Sainsbury had decided to use a cross breed as the cost of producing pork from a rare breed alone was not commercially viable.
Following on from Sainsbury’s successful Jamie Oliver 21 Day Extra Mature Beef, the pork is also matured longer on the bone for 48 hours, compared to the standard 24 hours, to improve both the meat’s flavour and tenderness.
The range has been under development for around two to three years and will initially go into 90 stores with plans to extend the offer to 300 by the end of the summer.
Wheeley said the lines also helped point the way forward for the British pig industry. “Things like this can help justify the price premium between British product and the imports.”
He said the range, which is only available in pre-pack, would be priced at a 30% premium compared to standard pork. “We’ll be trying to trade customers up into the better pork, but also get the people who have turned away from pork due to the lack of flavour and get them back.”
The launch will be supported with a consumer press PR campaign and PoS material.
By Ed Bedington
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