The Sharwood's brand is making its debut in the chiller cabinet next month on a new range of fresh Asian sauces.

The move is the first of a number of chilled developments planned by the company, which aims to extend its brand to 'chilled only' shoppers who typically do not visit the ambient fixtures. It is also launching a range of fresh naan breads this month.

Sharwood's believes the £50m chilled sauces category, which is growing 7% year-on-year and outperforming chilled foods overall, is still underdeveloped and has the potential to swell to £70m in the next three years. It is currently dominated by Italian sauces, which account for an 80% share, but other international cuisines - including Asian lines - still have only a limited presence.

"Asian food has long been the UK's preferred out-of-home cuisine, with Chinese, Indian and Thai food appearing in the top choices," said innovations manager Helen Doxon,

"However, this has typically not translated into the home, with only curry making an appearance in the top 10 meals.

"We are now seeing a move away from ready meals to 'cooking with help', which is altering in-home eating, resulting in a third more 'home-made' curries being consumed in the past six months alone."

Doxon also said that increasingly sophisticated consumers now wanted the same eating experience at home as at their favourite restaurants. "They are demanding a lighter, fresher option, which we believe can be delivered most effectively through a chilled proposition," she added.

Four classic recipes spearhead Sharwood's new challenge - Thai green curry, Kashmiri korma, mughlai tikka and Hong Kong sweet and sour. All combine a blend of spices with fresh vegetables and fruit and come in 300g two-serve doy pouches priced at £1.99, with a 15-day shelf-life. They hit shelves in Waitrose and Sainsbury's next month.

Marketing support will include advertising in press supplements and women's media, as well as PoS.