Brand Central

• With a 57% market share*, Batchelors continues to hold its number one position in the baked beans category
• Batchelors is the leading brand in canned peas and pulses, commanding 81% share** of the pea market
• Batchelors is the market leader in canned vegetables
• Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup is the most popular variety in the Heinz ready to serve range of soups and the best selling variety in the Irish soup market
• Weight Watchers from Heinz is the number one healthy eating soup brand
• Heinz Spaghetti is the brand leader in the tinned spaghetti products category, with Heinz Spaghetti and Heinz Spaghetti Hoops being the category’s strongest performers

*(Source: Nielsen Scantrack Baked Beans ROI (MULT/GRP/4CT) Nov 2011)

**(Source: Nielsen Scantrack Canned Veg Multiples 15th May 2011)

 

Canned foods offer consumers several key benefits including convenience, high nutritious value and a purse-pleasing price; factors which have come to the fore of consumers’ minds during Ireland’s recessionary climate. While recent years have seen food snobs protest about their usage in modern day recipes, new research from the market analyst Mintel finds canned foods such as hot canned meats are well and truly back on the menu, as consumers rediscover the joys of these store cupboard staples.

 

According to a Mintel statement published this month, sales of hot canned meats are steaming. In the last two years alone, sales have grown by a hearty 12%, compared to cold canned meats which grew just 4%. Continued promotional activity has helped hot canned meats to grow its share of the canned meat market at the expense of cold meats by attracting new users. Currently, hot canned meats account for as much as 56% of the canned meat market, with as many as one in five consumers in the UK now buying canned meatballs and minced beef.

 

Vivianne Ihekweazu, senior FMCG analyst at Mintel said: "Canned meats have continued to battle their perception as a lower quality substitute to fresh meat ranges. In 2008 when Delia Smith launched her book "How to Cheat at Cooking", some consumers were enraged at the suggestion that tinned mince could be substituted for fresh mince in the recipes. However, it showed consumers the versatility of canned meats and the fact that it could serve as a substitute for fresh meat in recipes – something which appears to have resonated."

Hot on the heels of canned meats is the bean which has been the star performer in the canned meals market. Mintel reports that between 2004 and 2009, sales of baked beans jumped a spectacular 45% to reach £365 million in 2009. Extensions of existing products and the introduction of healthier variants, such as low in sugar and salt and the development of the ‘snap pot’ format has also helped maintain interest in the category. Reflecting Irish attitudes towards this time-saving and highly versatile ingredient, today as many as 81% of all consumers in the UK buy baked beans.

 

"Baked beans have continued to meet consumer demand for convenience as a time-saving meal solution as well as being a cheap, easy-to-prepare comfort food. Baked beans offer consumers much-needed value for money, with product reformulations such as lower salt and sugar varieties ticking the healthy eating box, they are also a store cupboard essential," Ihekweazu added.

 

A further report by Mintel, entitled ‘Demonstrating Complete Canned Meals and Meats’ that was published in March 2010, shows that value sales of canned meals and meats increased by 14.8% between 2007 and 2009 to reach an estimated £770 million in 2009. 

 

Baked beans have continued to outperform canned pasta, meat and poultry in the canned food category. Their growth has been supported by continuous NPD from manufacturers. Overall, with tightening budgets and relatively less disposable income, almost 14 million consumers buy canned meals/meats because they make a cheap meal. 

Batchelors is an iconic Irish brand, which has been enjoyed by households for generations. With an impressive 57% market share*, it continues to hold its number one position in baked beans. Batchelors has turned up the heat with its introduction of Hot’n’Spicy Beans, which will sit with Curried Beans. The range seeks to add value to the category while catering for consumers who are looking for all the benefits of Batchelors original beans but with a spicy twist.  

 

Batchelors is also the leading brand in canned peas and pulses, commanding 81% share** of the pea market. Batchelors peas are a variety specific to the Irish market and are grown by Irish farmers in Irish soil. The brand has recently completed a crisp design refresh, which is currently rolling out in store. The refresh also extends to NPD, with Curried Chick Peas, another value-added product, joining the ever-popular Chilli Beans – red kidney beans in a chilli con carne style sauce.

 

As the dominant market leader in canned vegetables, it’s not surprising that Batchelors has recently entered the canned pasta market with the launch of Spaghetti Hoops and Spaghetti. This new range is made with fresh Italian pasta and has a vibrant red packaging design, reflecting the juicy ripened tomatoes within. 

 

With a variety of attractive in-store promotions across the ranges, from price reductions on single cans to special offers on multi-packs, Batchelors believes that it offers the product to suit every consumer. 

 

Despite having a busy year packed with new initiatives, Batchelors says the brand is even more excited about 2012 and promises to have bigger and better things to come. 

*(Source: Nielsen Scantrack Baked Beans ROI (MULT/GRP/4CT) Nov 2011)

**(Source: Nielsen Scantrack Canned Veg Multiples 15th May 2011)

H.J. Heinz boasts a vast range of canned foods including the iconic Heinz 

Beanz, Heinz Soups, Heinz Spaghetti and the Weight Watchers from Heinz range. As one of the world’s largest producers of tinned foods the Heinz brand is synonymous with quality, taste and daily life among consumers worldwide.

 

Heinz believes the ‘one of your five a day’ initiative across core Heinz Beanz, Heinz Spaghetti and selected Heinz Classic Soups will ensure that these Heinz products will continue to stay relevant to consumers for years to come.

 

In Ireland perhaps the most famous of Heinz tinned products is Heinz Beanz which are available in three sizes plus a Reduced Sugar and Salt variety; each with an easy-open ring pull. 

 

Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup is not only the most popular variety in the Heinz ready to serve range of soups but it is also the best selling variety in the market. Heinz Big Soup ranges offers a selection of hearty, chunky soups which are ideal for a sustaining lunch or for a light dinner with an extensive range of traditional varieties including Chicken & Vegetable, Beef and Vegetable.

 

Heinz remains ever responsive to consumer demands for healthy and convenient products that do not compromise on taste. Weight Watchers from Heinz, the number one healthy eating soup brand, continues to offer older favourites such as Chicken Noodle and newer varieties such as Tuscan Minestrone and Tomato & Basil. All Weight Watchers from Heinz varieties exclusively carry the Weight Watchers Points Value on pack.

 

Heinz is continuously expanding and updating its range of tinned spaghetti products in response to families’ ever-changing tastes. The brand claims Heinz Spaghetti is the definitive brand leader with Heinz Spaghetti and Heinz Spaghetti Hoops being, by a large distance, the category’s strongest performers. Heinz Alphabetti Spaghetti is also an important part of the Heinz range available in both a 205g and 400g size. Consistently popular licences within the Heinz pasta shapes range including Peppa Pig, Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer and Hello Kitty, illustrate Heinz’s commitment to the category and its status as the undisputed brand leader in tinned pasta.