Golden Wonder: The Nation's Noodle has set out its stall to become a £15m brand within its first year and one day knock market leader Pot Noodle from its perch.
Since hitting shelves in August, Symington's challenger to the Unilever brand has recorded £1.5m in sales. The dried food company, which also owns Crosse & Blackwell and Ainsley Harriott dried soups and makes own-label packet soups for the supermarkets, predicted this would increase tenfold in the next 12 months.
Early sales had been boosted by a 50p promotional launch price for the pots, said Henrik Pade, marketing director at Symington's. But after three weeks, the price rose to 85p to match the rsp of Unilever's Pot Noodle. "The key part of the success is simply that our product is better," he claimed. "We do not use flavour enhancers and unlike Pot Noodle our product is free of MSG. We are on track to hit £15m in first-year sales.
"If Pot Noodle once described itself as the slag of all snacks, we are definitely the queen."
Although Pade expected to steal further share from the Unilever brand, he conceded that the £79m [IRI] market leader was going to take some catching up, adding that he had "great respect for what the brand had achieved".
A Unilever spokesman said: "The figures speak for themselves. In the year to date, Pot Noodle has enjoyed volume and value sales growth of almost 10%, helped by the launch of Tony's Pot Noodle Doner Kebab. Additionally, we have reduced the salt content of Pot Noodle by 50% since 2005."
The success of Golden Wonder: The Nation's Noodle comes during a buoyant sales period for Symington's. The Leeds-based supplier has recorded 25% year-on-year sales growth to £85m and is on the acquisition trail. "We aim to acquire three businesses over the next 12 months," said Pade.
The potted noodle category is in good health, having grown 5.6% to £101m over the past year.
Since hitting shelves in August, Symington's challenger to the Unilever brand has recorded £1.5m in sales. The dried food company, which also owns Crosse & Blackwell and Ainsley Harriott dried soups and makes own-label packet soups for the supermarkets, predicted this would increase tenfold in the next 12 months.
Early sales had been boosted by a 50p promotional launch price for the pots, said Henrik Pade, marketing director at Symington's. But after three weeks, the price rose to 85p to match the rsp of Unilever's Pot Noodle. "The key part of the success is simply that our product is better," he claimed. "We do not use flavour enhancers and unlike Pot Noodle our product is free of MSG. We are on track to hit £15m in first-year sales.
"If Pot Noodle once described itself as the slag of all snacks, we are definitely the queen."
Although Pade expected to steal further share from the Unilever brand, he conceded that the £79m [IRI] market leader was going to take some catching up, adding that he had "great respect for what the brand had achieved".
A Unilever spokesman said: "The figures speak for themselves. In the year to date, Pot Noodle has enjoyed volume and value sales growth of almost 10%, helped by the launch of Tony's Pot Noodle Doner Kebab. Additionally, we have reduced the salt content of Pot Noodle by 50% since 2005."
The success of Golden Wonder: The Nation's Noodle comes during a buoyant sales period for Symington's. The Leeds-based supplier has recorded 25% year-on-year sales growth to £85m and is on the acquisition trail. "We aim to acquire three businesses over the next 12 months," said Pade.
The potted noodle category is in good health, having grown 5.6% to £101m over the past year.
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