Wow! What A Package

Look What We Found! The Humble Pouch Goes Decidedly Upscale

By Lynn Dornblaser

You have to hand it to the British—they sure know how to take a package or a preparation concept, turn it on its head, and reinvent its positioning. They did that several years ago with the concept of steaming in the microwave, and have done it again with shelf-stable pouches.

Most products in stand-up pouches in the U.S. have a strong focus on speed and convenience—the product is ready when you are, requires only seconds in the microwave, and entails no further preparation. In the U.S. market, this need for speed is paramount, and therefore the positioning is right on track.

This new British brand of gourmet soups and meal starters not only named the products after the farmers supplying the key ingredients, they put them on the package.

In the U.K., however, chilled meals and a focus on quality ingredients often takes precedence over speed of preparation. But a new, small company is marrying the focus on quality ingredients, optimal preparation methods, and convenient shelf-stable packaging to offer a somewhat different solution to consumers. The independent company Look What We Found! recently introduced a line of eight entrees and soups that feature ingredients sourced from small, local farmers.

Billed as "gourmet convenience," the line features photos of the farmers, detailed information about the crops or animals they raise, how the recipe was developed, and how the consumer can create a meal. And just listen to some of the variety names: Mark Robertson's Northumberland Cheese Soup, Mushroom Stroganoff with Richard Hyman's Hand Picked Wild Scottish Mushrooms, Barry Shaw's Cumberland Farmhouse Sausage Cassoulet, and David Miller's Wild Rabbit in a Light Honey Mustard Sauce. Yum!

The 250-gram packs are not complete meals, but designed to be part of either a "relaxed meal" (just add a few additional simple components) or "posh nosh" (using the pouch as the beginning of a gourmet, complex meal). The shades-of-gray matte printing on the pouch, combined with the wrap-around label that shows the farmer and his food send a unique message to consumers in a market accustomed to chilled tray-packs of meals or meal components.

For the U.K. market, where chilled is king, this stand-up shelf-stable pouch must be a bit of a shocker, as it has not been used for upscale meals or meal components. Although the company does promote the line as being ready in minutes, it spends more time explaining how the shelf-stable pouch provides for the freshest, best-tasting food. The company describes the production process (similar to pressure cooking) on the package in language easily understood by the home cook.

Perhaps the strongest justification for the package and the very steep price tag on these single-serve meals (between £2.29-£3.99 or $4-$7 U.S. online) is the ability of the company to source high-quality ingredients that consumers can keep in prime condition in the cupboard. That combination of promoting quality and convenience is what is particularly British.

Can this dual positioning work in the U.S.? Probably not at that price—U.S. consumers are not used to paying that kind of money for a single meal component. However, as we see the growth of meal prep centers in supermarkets and the slow expansion of the "slow food" movement, discriminating palates just may warm up to the Look What We Found! concept and declare "Wow! What a Package!"

Lynn Dornblaser is the director of the Custom Solutions Group at Mintel International, a research company based in London and Chicago. Her area of specialty is new product trends, which has kept her busy shopping in stores for the last 20 years. She can be reached at 312-932-0400 or lynnd@mintel.com.