Tesco and Sainsbury’s have boosted their halal offerings with new branded meat fixtures offering fresh halal burgers and sausages.
The fixtures - which carry the Shazans brand - started going into 250 Tesco stores and 130 Sainsbury’s stores last week. They carry primary chicken, lamb and beef cuts but also a wide range of added-value meats such as marinated chicken pieces, lamb kebabs and sausages.
Tesco has listed a total of 45 new lines, with Sainsbury’s adding 18. The packs are price-marked or carry multibuy stickers to highlight value for money and encourage trial.
They are supplied through 1 Stop Halal, a new company set up by former Tesco ethnic foods category buyer Steve Ewels, which this week formed a joint venture with Shazans.
The mults would be able to secure a far bigger share of the £1bn UK halal market if they offered a wider range of products, Ewels said. “There is a huge opportunity around mass availability of these products.”
Retailers had traditionally struggled with halal meat because there was very little data available and the market was fragmented, but 1 Stop Halal could offer UK-produced halal products at scale through an integrated supply chain, Ewels added. The company already had its integrated poultry supply, having acquired a factory from 2 Sisters in December last year, and would look to integrate its beef and lamb supply chains in due course, he said.
1 Stop Halal would also explore the launch of chilled halal ready meals and food-to-go options in the future, Ewels added.
Prior to its relationship with 1 Stop Halal, the Shazans brand had been used only for frozen products. Although the current focus was on chilled, Ewels said the company would look to further develop Shazans’ frozen range in the future.
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