Princes is hoping to take on tinned meat market leader Fray Bentos with a re-launch of its major pie range.

The company said there was a gap in the £25m market for a trusted brand to take market share from Fray Bentos as tough times turned consumers back to canned food.

It has invested in new recipes, variants and packaging. The improved pies now contain leaner cuts of meat and have a crispier pastry top. A beef & mushroom flavour has joined the range and the tin has been redesigned to emphasise the quality ingredients.

"Our pie range has been designed to drive value back into canned pies by offering convenient, value-for-money products that don't sacrifice on taste or quality," said marketing director Neil Brownhill.

The 475g pies, rsp £1.49, come in steak'n'kidney, minced beef'n'onion, chicken'n'mushroom and beef'n'mushroom.