Florette is claiming a category first with the launch of an official England-branded salad.

The Three Lions Salad, which will be launched on 3 May in major retailers, will stay on shelves for as long as England stays in the World Cup.

The 200g bags will contain a mild selection of lollo rosso, frisee, radicchio and spinach leaves, designed to appeal to a wide range of consumers.

The bags, which will feature the official England crest but not the Florette name, will retail for £1.50, above the average own-label bagged salad selling price of £1.17.

Support activity will include the use of England crest-branded crate liners, promotions, secondary sitings on gondola ends and store magazine coverage. Consumers will also have the chance to win a barbecue by sending in their salad-related recipes.

A national consumer press campaign will target families, as 41% of World Cup viewers are expected to be female this year. At the 2006 World Cup up to 18 million people tuned in to each England match.

Florette hoped to gain £2m to £3m from direct sales of Three Lions salad and add a total of £5m of incremental growth to the category, said commercial director Sandy Sewell.

"Every year we pray for sun and every year we are disappointed," he said. "This product transcends the great British weather and will bring incremental sales and growth."

The Three Lions branding would also have strong standout on shelf and would bring in new consumers, he said, adding that bagged salad, with its healthy proposition, was a natural fit with the messages the Football Association was keen to promote.

The licensing deal was brokered by CPLG Sport on behalf of the FA and is the first tie-up between the association and a fresh produce brand.

If the new product proved a success, Florette might look to develop a similar line for the 2012 Uefa European Championships in Poland and Ukraine, Sewell added.