Gone are the days when the only option for a quick and easy dinner was microwaving a not-so-healthy meal in a plastic tray. These innovative solutions deliver on nutrition and convenience as well as being sustainably packaged
To find out more, you can also read our full category report on cooking sauces & meal kits
Heinz pasta sauce
Launch date: February 2022 Manufacturer: Kraft Heinz
Heinz’s new premium pasta sauce range comprises seven variants. They include “upgraded family essentials” such as Tomato Sauce for Bolognese, Tomato & Chilli, and Tomato, Mascarpone & Grana Padano Cheese. Plus, there are “exploratory flavours” like Tomato & Lentil Ragu and Mediterranean Veggies & Chunky Tomatoes. The lineup is available in a 350g jar (rsp: £2.50), making it perfect for two to three people, says Heinz.
Edible stock cube wrapper
Launch date: November 2021 Manufacturer: Gousto
This soluble wrapper is an industry first, Gousto claims. Made from pea protein and starch, it has “the same benefits as plastic, being able to preserve the food’s flavour and shelf life”. It rolled out in November as a trial. If successful, it will replace Gousto’s existing stock mix sachets and save as much as 17 tonnes of plastic annually.
Potts’ Indian sauce
Launch date: March 2022 Manufacturer: Potts’ Partnership
Potts’ is to add seven sauces to its canned range by expanding into Indian, with such variants as Tikka Masala, alongside Italian, Chinese and Thai. They follow the launch last year of canned Mexican cooking sauces into Tesco. All come in a 100% recyclable ‘beer’ can with a fully removable lid (rsp: £2.30/330g).
Stokes Easy
Launch date: February 2022 Manufacturer: Stokes
Stokes is making its first move away from premium condiments with Easy, a range of cooking sauces that allow shoppers to create ‘restaurant-quality’ meals at home (rsp: £2.45-£2.65/175g). Each of the ‘meal-making sauces’ is inspired by a different global cuisine, including Japanese-inspired Katsu Curry, French Red Wine & Green Peppercorn, Salsa Roja from Mexico and Pomodoro, which showcases the flavours of Italy’s Mediterranean coast. Designed as a simple cooking solution, each of the recyclable jars features a three step method on the label and a link to more recipes online.
Merchant Gourmet Plant Jars
Launch date: September 2021 Manufacturer: Merchant Gourmet
Merchant Gourmet’s vegan sauce range marked the brand’s move outside pulses, grains and ingredients for the first time. The sauces are Puy Lentil Bolognese, Lentil Chilli, Lentil Thai Green Curry, and Lentil Madras Curry. They are available in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Ocado (rsp: £3.50/330g).
Dolmio vegetable pasta sauces
Launch date: September 2021 Manufacturer: Mars
Responding to a growing consumer appetite for “more fruits and vegetables, more whole grain, more fibre”, Dolmio launched a trio of veg-packed pasta sauces into the mults in September (rsp: £1.97/350g). The three flavours – Mediterranean Roasted Veg, Sun Ripened Tomato & Basil and Sun Ripened Tomato & Chilli – contain seven different vegetables each.
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