YO!, the multi-brand, multi-channel Japanese and Asian food group, today announces it will partner with Kerry Foods, a market leader in chilled and frozen prepared meals, to launch YO!’s first ever range of chilled ready-made meals, available exclusively to Tesco.
The new range consists of seven SKUs, three mains and four starters and sides and includes favourites such as YO! chicken katsu curry, duck udon noodles, chicken gyoza and panko pumpkin. It will be available in 424 Tesco stores from next week.
The launch of YO! branded chilled meals in Tesco follows the recent agreement to supply YO! Food-to-Go products to 390 Tesco front of store fridges. YO! also supplies Tesco with YO! branded sauces, seasonings, marinades and mayos, as well as operating 52 YO! kiosks, offering freshly made sushi to eat on the go or at home.
David Hampton, Managing Director of Retail at YO!, said, “We’re really excited about moving into another category, and having YO! products available in the chilled meals section.
'It’s another important step in our diversification strategy and reflects the increasingly multi-channel nature of the brand. As the demand for Japanese and Asian food continues to grow, we see this as another great way to introduce consumers to YO!.'
Louise Stone, Category Lead for Chilled Meal Solutions at Kerry Foods, said, “Consumers are increasingly looking for new food experiences at home, but in a way that makes it easy and accessible, particularly with dishes that many find hard to replicate well from scratch.
'YO! is a very strong brand in a cuisine which is growing fast. We are delighted to be partnering with them and see this as a huge opportunity to attract younger foodies currently less engaged in our category.“