The success of Innocent's Veg Pots is catching.

Alan Rosenthal, former buyer for Spanish food supplier Brindisa, has created Stewed! a range of chilled exotic premium stews.

The four-strong range of Stewed! products (rsp: £4.49 to £5.49) rolled out to 15 Waitrose stores last week. The 500g tubs, which are designed to fill a gap in the market for a product positioned between a soup and a ready meal, are available in Persian chicken; chickpea, roast sweet potato & feta; chorizo, chickpea & pork; and Moroccan chicken variants.

Innocent's Tasty Veg Pots have recorded £15m in sales since they were launched in September last year.

"Innocent Veg Pots have opened up a little category in supermarkets for something that is neither a soup nor a ready meal. This has helped stews find a place," Rosenthal said.

He added that he plans to launch a lunchbox-friendly variant imminently.