Sharwood’s is entering the wraps market with four Indian and two Chinese wrap meal kits.

Similar to Old El Paso Mexican kits, the products contain wraps or chapattis, a sachet of spices and a sauce. They will be available from next month in tikka, balti, jalfrezi, masala, sweet chilli and hoi sin flavours (rsp: £3.29).

Brand owner Premier Foods said meal kits were a huge opportunity as it was the fastest-growing part of the cooking sauces and accompaniments market - up 8.7% by value year-on-year - but had only a 6% share of the category.

Premier hopes the range will secure at least a 10% share of the meal kit market in its first 12 months on shelf, and hit sales of about £7m.

It is urging stores to merchandise the range with other meal kits but said some retailers would be locating them with cooking sauces. “Meal kits and sauces are a separate shopper mission, so to maximise incremental consumption in the category, meal kits should be merchandised together,” said grocer brands director Mark Tyldesley.

He described the kits as one of the “top five” launches of 2012 for the Premier portfolio, which lost £37m in sales during 2011 according to The Grocer’s Top Products Survey. That report showed sales of Sharwood’s sauces had fallen 6.5% by value year-on-year [Nielsen 52w/e 1 October 2011].

Last month, Premier announced it would double its marketing spend in 2012 and focus attention on its power brands, including Sharwood’s. It is spending £4m on the meal kit launch, which includes price promotions and a TV push from the end of April.

Mintel food and drink analyst Amy Lloyd said about a third of British consumers used meal kits, but warned that families with children might be put off the Sharwood’s kits if they were too spicy.

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