Central Co-op has launched a trial with Rustlers’ food-to-go microwave unit at its Castle Donington in Derby.
The self-serve station offers Rustlers’ core range and Cook In The Box products for shoppers while on the move, including The Supreme Cheese Melt Burger, Peri Peri Chicken Tenders and All Day Breakfast Sausage Muffin.
It is pre-programmed so each product runs for the correct cooking time from users scanning the barcode on the microwave, ensuring “a smooth and efficient experience”.
The Rustlers range costs £2.95 per product and takes two minutes to prepare on average.
“The micro-snacking market for retail is estimated to be worth £144m per year in the UK,” said Ross Davison, head of convenience for the foods division at Kepak.
“We’ve worked with industry experts to understand customer needs so we can provide the best options for chilled convenience food lovers. We’re excited to be working with Central Co-op as they really care about their shoppers, and we look forward to more in the future.”
Central Co-op category analyst Sue McNally said: “We’ve always aimed to provide the widest variety and best quality for our members and customers to reflect their ever-evolving shopping habits.
“Working with Rustlers, we have further access to insight and guidance to help us serve those who are pressed for time but want a fresh and tasty snacking experience while they’re on the go. We’ll decide on future rollout plans based on our findings from this trial at our Castle Donnington store.”
The society added that the new unit formed part of its ambition to expand its hot food offer, including a 24/7 pizza self-serve-machine that sits outside its Castle Donnington and Boley Park sites as part of another trial.
Central Co-op also offers soft serve ice cream, Smooch, with self-serve stations, as well as Insomnia coffee and Tango Ice Blast machines.
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