Waitrose has added five new “pantry staples” to its Ottolenghi range, in the latest expansion of its tie-up with Yotam Ottolenghi.
The new “flavour-packed” ambient products include three marinades, a pesto and a Yemeni-inspired cooking paste. They began rolling out in Waitrose stores and online from 27 May.
In keeping with the original premise of the Middle Eastern inspired range, which launched amid much fanfare in April last year, all products have been designed to quickly “capture restaurant-style cooking” at home.
Starting at £4.50, the first of the new additions is a Calabrian Chilli & Tomato Pesto (180g). It’s joined by a ready-to-use Hawaij Paste, which costs £5.25 for 180g. The Yemeni spice blend combines ginger, cardamom and turmeric, with cinnamon and cloves, and is typically rubbed onto meat or vegetables.
They are complemented by Black Garlic & Scotch Bonnet, Smokey Honey and Preserved Lemon marinades, all priced at £5 for 180g.
It follows the addition of Queen Black Chickpeas, in an exclusive collaboration with the Bold Bean Company, in May, taking the total Ottolenghi range to 18 products.
“We’re delighted to introduce exciting new additions to our Ottolenghi range,” said Waitrose table sauce buyer Adrian Gash.
“These delicious pantry staples offer an accessible gateway to discover new and emerging cuisines and bring artisanal-quality ingredients to our customers’ kitchen. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or simply love great food, these additions provide an accessible way for food lovers to experiment with global flavours, explore emerging cuisines, and elevate their meals.”
The partnership with the British-Israeli chef has become the flagship range of Waitrose’s renewed NPD push since it stated the aim of taking its “product development in a new direction”, following the cutting of ties with long-term partner Heston Blumenthal in 2023.
Buyers later admitted the early success of the Ottolenghi partnership had “succeeded expectations”. Waitrose completely sold out of some of the early lines following their launch in April, amid what it said was “unprecedented demand”.
It’s since expanded the range on two separate occasions.
On the latest launch, Ottolenghi said: “I’m really excited about these new pantry additions, launching in both the UK and Australia. These are the jars I reach for in my own kitchen when I want depth and flavour without spending hours at the stove. The marinades, the pesto, the spice blend – they all started as practical solutions in our test kitchen.
“Hawaij is a particular favourite of mine,” he added. “I’ve been using it for years in everything from roasted vegetables to evening stews. I’m super curious to see what people do with them.”
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