Company: Mars
Rsp: £4.39 for 12 pouches
Market size: £163m
The competition: Gourmet Perle, Felix, IAMS


The consumer
Maggie, a one-year-old rescue home cat, is very fussy about her food. She refuses to eat one particular brand so we were not convinced she would try the Whiskas pouches. However, she finished the lot! From an owner's perspective, I liked the pouches as they're easy to dispense and didn't produce any mess. And the food itself is not as smelly and overpowering as other brands. They're a bit pricey but I would consider buying them. Four stars (out of five)
Johanna Woodthorpe-Smith, journalist, Brixton


The retailer
This new Whiskas range is noticeable for its clear and sharp presentation. The use of high-quality ingredients is clearly the brand's USP, although we felt greater emphasis of this is required on the front of the packaging to ensure full customer awareness. At £4.39, there are cheaper alternatives, so above-the-line marketing is necessary to ensure customers are clear in the benefits of trading up. Three stars
Ian Mackie, senior trading manager, Spar


The Grocer
The impurrtinence! There I was eagerly anticipating my usual Gourmet Perle gravy meal with a side smattering of Purina One dried food and I was served up whiffy great chunks of fish... in jelly. It's not that I'm averse to Whiskas purr se. Dentabits are referred to as cat crack in my house and I'm afraid my usually refined dining manners desert me when they're served. But this was not my saucer of milk at all. Fortunately my friend Mr Fox is less discerning, so it didn't go to waste. Two stars
Misty, freelance cat-tributor, London

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