After lending his name to pesto, sauces and herbs, Jamie Oliver is venturing into the pasta category for the first time. The Jamie’s Pasta range, which is made using free-range eggs, comes in spaghetti, penne and fusilli formats, described on-pack as Twirly, Groovy and Springy to appeal to the mass market.
They are to be joined by what Oliver claims are the first branded ambient lasagne sheets to be made with free-range eggs. The range will be launched into Tesco stores next month before an expected roll-out to other multiples. There is no confirmed listing with Sainsbury’s yet and this is the second time Oliver has launched products into Tesco. He launched his first range into the retailer in March, despite being the face of rival Sainsbury’s.
The new products would make about £1m in sales in the first year, predicted David Page, managing director at Fresh Retail Ventures (FRV), which markets the brand in the UK. Jamie’s Ministry of Food TV programme, currently airing on Channel 4, would help to increase awareness and sales of the new products, he said, adding that the company also saw opportunities to cross-merchandise the pasta with Oliver’s existing range of Italian sauces.
“Own-label pasta accounts for 70% of the category, while 70% of the pasta sauce category is branded. This presents a great opportunity for a brand that spans both categories and potential for link promotions,” said Page.
The pasta itself is made by a family company in Italy using a bronze die, a traditional but rarely-used machine that adds a rough texture to the pasta’s surface that helps the sauce stick to the pasta. With an rsp of £1.59, the range is priced in line with other branded pastas, but FRV claimed the price was cheaper than other pasta products using the traditional bronze die method.
“We are confident the range will appeal to consumers seeking authentic products on the dried pasta aisle,” said Page. FRV added that it had “strong and innovative ideas in the pipeline” for the coming year.
They are to be joined by what Oliver claims are the first branded ambient lasagne sheets to be made with free-range eggs. The range will be launched into Tesco stores next month before an expected roll-out to other multiples. There is no confirmed listing with Sainsbury’s yet and this is the second time Oliver has launched products into Tesco. He launched his first range into the retailer in March, despite being the face of rival Sainsbury’s.
The new products would make about £1m in sales in the first year, predicted David Page, managing director at Fresh Retail Ventures (FRV), which markets the brand in the UK. Jamie’s Ministry of Food TV programme, currently airing on Channel 4, would help to increase awareness and sales of the new products, he said, adding that the company also saw opportunities to cross-merchandise the pasta with Oliver’s existing range of Italian sauces.
“Own-label pasta accounts for 70% of the category, while 70% of the pasta sauce category is branded. This presents a great opportunity for a brand that spans both categories and potential for link promotions,” said Page.
The pasta itself is made by a family company in Italy using a bronze die, a traditional but rarely-used machine that adds a rough texture to the pasta’s surface that helps the sauce stick to the pasta. With an rsp of £1.59, the range is priced in line with other branded pastas, but FRV claimed the price was cheaper than other pasta products using the traditional bronze die method.
“We are confident the range will appeal to consumers seeking authentic products on the dried pasta aisle,” said Page. FRV added that it had “strong and innovative ideas in the pipeline” for the coming year.
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