Kerry Foods is looking to tap the burgeoning free-from sausage market with the launch of a gluten-free variant under its Richmond brand.
The Richmond gluten-free pork sausage, made with rice flour instead of wheat, will be available in Asda stores nationwide from 14 September (rsp: £2.15/six-pack).
Senior brand manager for Richmond Sarah Davies said it would fill a gap in the £22.8m free-from sausage category, which is growing 30% year on year [Nielsen 52 w/e 20 June 2015] and currently dominated by premium brands.
“There are no gluten-free branded sausages within the standard sector of the market, despite this being a proposition which resonates with latest consumer trends,” she said, claiming the launch would “drive incremental sales”.
Davies pointed to a recent YouGov survey, which revealed that 10% of UK households are now buying free-from items, either because of an allergy or because they perceive them as a healthier alternative. “Consumers are increasingly looking for more permissible meal-time solutions and Richmond offers them a guilt-free option,” she added.
According to Mintel, the total free-from category is set to grow by 50% to £550m by 2019.
Kerry has also overhauled its budget Wall’s Ready Baked sausage range, adding two new flavours and tweaking the recipe to offer “extra meaty succulence and flavour with lower salt”.
The new Pork & Onion and Cumberland flavours will also launch in Asda on 14 September (rsp: £2.50 for six).
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