Premier Foods is revamping its Loyd Grossman cooking sauce range as it looks to take the brand ­beyond its Italian cuisine heartland and position it as a choice for "food lovers".

As part of the redesign, Premier is overhauling its Loyd Grossman For One range after sales fell short of target. The six-strong range of microwaveable sauces rolled out last June to tap into the growing number of people dining alone, targeting £7m in first year sales. Despite a £2.5m marketing push last year, sales only hit £3m [SymphonyIRI 52w/e 14 May 2011].

Premier is adding four new flavours from July tomato & mascarpone; spinach, ricotta & mint; spicy salami & chilli; and creamy mushroom & thyme [rsp: £1.29/150g] and redesigning the entire range with bolder packaging, which will feature ingredients on pack, Grossman's signature and a new strap, "Share a lifetime's passion".

Highlighting ingredients on-pack should help attract the 54% of consumers who prefer to make meals and sauces from scratch, said Mintel food analyst Alex Beckett.

While overall y-o-y sales of the Loyd Grossman brand are up 5.5% in value to £57m, Premier admitted the Loyd For One launch had had a "slower start" with distribution than forecasted.

However, it said 45% of sales had been incremental to the category [SymphonyIRI 52w/e 14 May 2011] and claimed the refreshed look and new flavours would attract more consumers. It hoped plans to increase distribution in convenience would also drive sales, added senior brand manager Vikki Babb.

Read more
Premier Foods to up branded share as part of growth plans (21 May 2011)
Focus On Cooking Sauces (12 February 2011)

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