25 Jul 2008


Print	Email

Tilda adds four new variants to microwaveable range

Tilda

rice

Source : Tilda
Tilda, the UK's number one Basmati brand by volume and value, is steaming ahead in the £253m ambient rice category with the introduction of four new variants to its award-winning Tilda Steamed Basmati (TSB) range.

The innovations build on the £115m Ready To Heat, Microwaveable Rice category, the fastest growing sector in rice.

The four new variants are:

• Butternut Squash Steamed Brown Basmati Rice
• Mushroom and White Wine Steamed Brown Basmati Rice
• Coconut and Lime Leaf Steamed Basmati Rice; and
• Oriental Stir Fry Steamed Basmati Rice.

These new varieties will be available in Sainsbury’s from 29th June, and the other multiples in the autumn. The existing Tilda Steamed Basmati range is stocked in all major multiples and has a RSP of £1.69.

Kate Barnett, Senior Brand Manager, says: “The new recipes give consumers rice dishes that will complement a variety of meals and have been inspired by current health trends. Brown Basmati sales have grown by over 80% in the last two years. Our consumers have requested more brown recipes and with the new Butternut Squash recipe we’re also feeding their interest in superfoods.”

Since the launch of Tilda’s Steamed Basmati range in May 2007, Tilda’s Ready To Heat products have grown 29%, well ahead of the Microwaveable category growth of 15%, and is now worth £11 million.

As the leading importer of Basmati rice, Tilda has sold over 9 million packs of TSB with over 1.5 million UK households purchasing the product. Over 50% of those who’ve tried the brand have bought it again, showing that Tilda has successfully overturned the poor perceptions of microwave food that historically existed among 'quality-conscious' consumers.

However, one in three households has still not tried Ready To Heat rice, giving the market plenty of potential for future growth.

Tilda estimates that this category will be worth at least £165m by 2010. Tilda Steamed Basmati will play a key role in reaching this target by offering a product range which meets the needs of today's and tomorrow's quality and health conscious consumers.

The existing Tilda Steamed Basmati range has scooped a number of awards, including Winner of The Grocer 2008 Branded Excellence Award for Rice, Noodles and Pasta, Winner of Asian Trader’s ‘Best New Product 2007’ and it was short-listed for The Checkout Convenience Awards 2008.

Tilda Steamed Basmati Lime and Coriander recently received a score of 43/50 in an independent taste test by Cambridge Market Research – setting a new highest score for the category.

Jon Calland, Head of External Affairs explains: “Basmati rice is known as the Prince of Rice because of its unique cooking properties, which give consumers a delicious, light and fragrant rice. Basmati is at the heart of every product in our Steamed Basmati range and ensures the finest quality product, every time.

“By partly steaming the recipes we are using a gentle yet effective method of cooking our Basmati rice, giving consumers a healthy product which they can finish off quickly and conveniently in the microwave or wok in just two minutes. Steaming is recognised by nutritionists as the purest, most unobtrusive form of cooking.”

The recipes also tap into the trends for more international cuisines. The Coconut and Lime Leaf flavour is a Thai inspired recipe, which can uniquely be used as a soup base for dishes like Tom Yum. The Oriental Stir Fry recipe can be added straight to the wok to make a delicious and quick meal, or eaten on its own.

Email this to a friend