FEATURE
FOOD CUPBOARD
60 ASIAN TRADER 27 JUNE 2025
per cent), to cement themselves
as the current fastest-growing
cooking sauce type.
Biona has also recently
launched an organic Ginger and
Turmeric paste (RRP £3.19) that
will instantly add dash to dishes
and will patiently await deploy
ment in the food cupboard before
it transfers to the fridge after
opening.
The paste is made using
organic ginger and turmeric,
giving consumers no need to peel
or chop, so simplifying their meal
prep for popular dishes, like
Indian or Malaysian-inspired
curries.
“With recent data from
Nielsen once again confirming
the positive growth trajectory for
organic food sales, which are now
outperforming non-organic,
we’re excited to bring another
sought-after and healthy organic
option to market,” said Carmen
Ferguson, Brand Manager at
Biona’s parent company,
Windmill Organics. “Scratch
cooking continues to
grow in popularity,
and particularly
South-East
Asian-inspired
scratch cooking, so
we expect this new
launch to be
well-received by
consumers.”
introduces
healthy new
cooking paste.
Remaining on
the subject of World
Foods, Sharwood’s has a new
Sizzler Street Food range
designed to bring the vibrant
flavours of modern Indian street
food to homes across the UK, the
latest range includes meal kits,
sizzle sauces, and roti wraps.
Indian food is one of the most
popular cuisines in the UK, yet 22
per cent of consumers only opt for
Indian meals during the weekend
[Kantar]. The Street Food Sizzler
range aims to shift consumer
perceptions of Indian meals.
Offering a fresh and versatile
approach to Indian cuisine, the
convenient, on-trend products
can also be enjoyed at lunch or as
snacks, broadening occasions
throughout the week and time of
day.
The new Street Food Sizzler
range includes meals kits, sauces,
and roti wraps, providing
everything consumers need to
easily create flavourful, modern
Indian dishes. The meal kits are
available in Masala Tikka Sizzler,
Shashlik Tikka Sizzler, Spicy
Tikka Sizzler, Tandoori Tikka
Sizzler flavours and include a
seasoning sachet, a sizzler sauce,
and a mango chutney drizzle
which can be added
to vegetables or a
protein of choice.
EBF, again (order
the catalogue – it’s
great – and they are
starting online
ordering) has released
a new range of “heat
and eat” taco fillings
based on the most
popular world food
flavours in response to
growing consumer
demand for exciting and
convenient meal solutions.
Pekis Taco Fillings are based on
traditional and authentic recipes
from around the world, cooked
with premium quality natural
ingredients and no preservatives.
Ready to heat and eat, the range
comprises Chicken Jalapeno,
Tikka Masala, Chicken Teriyaki
and Chilli Con Carne. Each 180g
pack will fill four average-sized
taco shells.
They require only ambient
storage and contain all the
ingredients necessary to create
each dish within minutes (RSP:
£3.99 per 180g pack).
Tilda has expanded its
ready-to-heat range with new
“all-in-one” meals catering to
growing consumer demand for
convenient, healthy, and
flavoursome meals which offer a
delicious, nutritious option in just
two minutes.
With four recipes – Sundried
Tomato & Beans, Vegetable
Paella, Chickpea Korma – these
meals offer a protein-packed
solution for time-poor shoppers.
And not to forget a real coup for
convenience, Mutti’s best-seller
Polpa 400g tinned tomatoes,
crafted from 100 per cent Italian
sun-ripened tomatoes – now
available as PMP exclusively in
c-channel through wholesalers
such as Unitas.
Mutti has built steadily from
challenger brand to the category’s
number two – growing volume
and value by more than 50 per
cent just in the last year and has
added £12m in category value over
12 months – supporting shopper
trade-up and category premiumi
sation.
Polpa goes to show just how
vibrant and competitive it is
getting in the food cupboard – so
make the most of it now.
Convenience is the
ultimate food cupboard
Upuli Ambawatta, brand
manager at speciality food
importer and distributor
Empire Bespoke Foods (EBF) explains that
impulse shoppers often grab and go, meaning
that having these usable, long-lasting
ingredients at home and essential ambient
items is key to sales success
Ingredients: Stocking a reliable range of essential ambient
ingredients (dried herbs, mushrooms, tinned fish, etc) helps
meet the needs of shoppers who are midway through cooking
and need just one or two items to complete their dish.
Condiments: Sauces, spices, dressings, oils, and seasonings
fall under this category. Condiments are often forgotten during
larger grocery shopping but are critical to enhancing flavour.
Their compact size and long shelf life make them ideal for
small-format stores.
Ready-Made Meals: With increasingly busy lifestyles, many
consumers seek convenient meal solutions that require little to
no preparation. Longer-dated “Food Cupboard” meals are a
great way to serve shoppers in a hurry.
And be sure to perfect your ambient merchandising
skills:
Block merchandising makes it easier for customers to locate
and buy all the items they need to replicate an at-home
restaurant experience.
Achieving on-shelf stand out is a must so enhance visibility of
the best-sellers by using suppliers’ planograms as well as point
of sale material, off shelf displays and rack end promotions.
Highlight special deals to encourage additional spend and
position key lines near the till point for spontaneous purchasing