EXCLUSIVE Simon Mowbray Indian food brand Patak's has halted production of its Restaurant Menu for 2 range of premium chilled ready meals because they have been axed by Sainsbury, The Grocer has learned. The company is now pinning its hopes of success in the sector with a new range of cheaper microwaveable meals for one. The Restaurant Menu for 2 range was launched in February last year and immediately won rave reviews from pundits in the consumer press. But Sainsbury, which was exclusively stocking the range, said that poor sales of the 1kg, £5.99 dishes ­ which included Jaipuri Chicken Jalfrezi, Kashmiri Chicken Saag and Moghlai Chicken Tikka Masala ­ left it with little choice but to delist them. Researchers at Information Resources put first-year sales at a disappointing £50,000. A Sainsbury spokeswoman said: "They have been delisted because customers were not buying them." The chain is already looking at new opportunities with its own label £10.99 Bombay Brasserie curry feast for two, having launched it among much fanfare in the new year. Patak's said it immediately halted production of Restaurant Menu for 2 after learning of Sainsbury's decision to pull it off shelves. It is now bringing out a new microwaveable chilled meal range in 350g single portions costing £1.99 each. Eaten straight from the carton, the range will initially include Korma, Biryani, Tikka Masala and Balti variants. A spokeswoman said: "We are very disappointed that Menu for 2 did not take off. But we are already looking to the future with this new range." {{P&P }}

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