Nestlé is propelling its Maggi Hot Pockets pastries into the breakfast market with a bacon & eggs variant.

The new flavour will stretch the brand, which has so far targeted meal and snacking occasions with ham & cheese, cheese & tomato and bolognese variants, according to brand manager Tracy Hardwick. "With the launch of bacon & eggs, Hot Pockets is now expanding the frozen snack category to include breakfast," she said.

The filled savoury pastries - launched in the UK earlier this year but available in the US since 1977 - microwave from frozen in two-and-a-half minutes, making them the ideal breakfast snack, according to Hardwick.

She added that more than half of breakfasts in the UK are prepared and cooked in less than five minutes: "Bacon & eggs is sure to be a popular choice with consumers who want a hot breakfast in minutes."

Press and outdoor adverts kicking off in September will support the new entrant, which comes in packs of two with an rsp of £1.69.