Asda will this week launch concessions selling oriental street food, after a tie-up with the company behind Yo Sushi.
The first trials of 20 Panku concessions will start at Asda Trafford Park and Asda Aintree on Wednesday 4 March, in the latest of its so-called “test and learn” partnerships.
The exclusive deal will see Panku, owned by Taiko Foods, which comes under the Yo Sushi Group, sell products such as katsu curry, chicken yakitori skewers, vegan tofu Thai curry and sushi burritos.
The Grocer revealed in January that Asda planned to roll out at least 35 new food-to-go formats at its stores by the end of the first quarter, and 150 by the end of the year, as it replaces its traditional counters.
Last month it announced a partnership with Greggs and has inked deals with Just Eat and KellyDeli brand Sushi Daily.
Unlike the Greggs deal, which will see tills manned by Greggs employees, sales at Panku will go through Asda tills.
Panku - which is Japanese for punk - was founded by Neil Nugent and Andy Upton and aims to bring together favourite flavours of pan-Asian food from Japan, Korea and Thailand, with many of the products plant-based.
“As well as ensuring we’ve got great prices for our customers and make their shopping experience with us as easy as possible, we’re also investing in growing areas of our business that we know customers are really passionate about,” said Richard Deent, Asda VP for fresh. “In areas such as food to go, we want to make sure we’re offering our customers a great combination of groceries and ready-to-eat options.
“Panku is a great fit - it’s an innovative brand offering great value and quality food with a bit of personality. We’re really excited to be working with them.”
Upton added: “We want to offer something fresh and delicious, which supports a number of lifestyle choices and emerging food trends, such as veganism and gut health. Yes, you are going to see traditional things such as our crowd pleaser chicken katsu curry, but you will also see our sushi burritos which will put a smile on your face.
“We’ve got a great team helping to make Panku a success and bring great tasting street food to Asda customers. We couldn’t have done it without the support of Asda and everyone at Taiko, part of the Yo Group.”
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