Asda is to dramatically increase its ambient ethnic food offer with the roll-out of hundreds of new Polish and halal lines. It is launching 350 Polish lines into 85 stores and 55 halal lines to 30 stores.

Both ranges will be sited next to Asda's British local ambient products and have been sourced by the local sourcing team.

"Our Polish and halal ranges are being treated as local because they have been brought into store as a direct result of customer demand," said an Asda spokeswoman.

"Our customer insight teams have been telling us that they want these products and our store managers have fed that back to head office."

The halal lines, which include Ummah chocolate, pudding mixes and noodles, have mostly been sourced from small suppliers, but sweet giant Haribo is also supplying its range of gelatine-free halal jelly sweets, launched last year.

"The 30 stores with the halal range are in areas with a high ethnic population," said the spokeswoman.

"Our ethnic customers have been telling us they want a one-stop shop, too. The halal range would be rolled out to further stores, she added. "The focus is in London and Birmingham, but as demand grows we will put these products into more stores."

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