After launching in April this year, Baker Street’s Drive Thru range of Classic Hot Dog Rolls and Original Burger Buns have helped the retail giant Tesco manage stock and forecasting in a typically unpredictable British summer, where its longer life proposition helps solve these issues.
Now, to capitalise on the rest of the summer season, Tesco will increase distribution of the Baker Street range. The increase will take listings from 127 to 371 stores for Baker Street’s Drive Thru Classic Hot Dog Rolls and from 127 to 323 stores nationwide, for Baker Street’s Drive Thru Original Burger Buns.
The launch into Tesco was the first permanent major multiple listing for the brand, which had previously offered successful seasonal festive ranges via the retailer.
Baker Street’s ‘Drive Thru Classics’ range is designed to cater to the ‘fakeaway’ trend, driven by 12 months of COVID-19 restrictions. Its recently updated packaging is a nod to fast-food icons in popular culture, which has clearly resonated with UK consumers.
Chris McLaughlin, Commercial Director at St Pierre Groupe, which owns the Baker Street brand comments, “The pandemic has driven huge shifts in consumer attitudes to all things, but especially food. A combination of anxious consumers retreating to comfort foods and familiar classics, and the closure of the UK’s restaurants has driven demand for the at-home ‘fakeaway’ – and that’s even more pertinent during BBQ season. Whilst the world might be opening up again, these trends are still impacting shopper behaviour.
“Baker Street’s burger buns are built for burgers and our hot dog rolls are designed to handle the heftiest of fillings. The nation’s favourite fast-food restaurants don’t use ‘rolls’ for burger buns – and with good reason. We worked closely with Tesco to develop the proposition and that collaborative approach has paid off, both with sales and the resulting distribution increase, through the peak summer months”.
Baker Street has grown 30 per cent year on year and is celebrating five consecutive years of double-digit growth, with a brand value in excess of £25 million. Alongside its quality proposition, the business maintains that the extended-life offer holds key appeal.
Research from Mintel shows that two in five (37 per cent) people will buy more longer-life food and drink products in the future, as a result of the ongoing health crisis (Mintel June 2020).
McLaughlin continues, “Consumer attitudes towards fresher for longer products are changing but availability and shelf-life isn’t just key for consumers. We know, from conversations with our retail partners, that forecasting during the great British summer is a challenge every year. Add to that the uncertainty that played a part with COVID in summer 2020 and the feedback from the trade when it came to forecasting was ‘we know we’ll get it wrong, it’s just how much we get it wrong by’.
“Baker Street’s extended life products – whether it’s sliced bread, burger buns or hot dog rolls – ensure on-shelf availability, reduce the risk of wastage and offer a quality product that’s always there for the consumer”.
Food waste continues to be a hot topic for UK retailers, but is a growing concern amongst consumers, too. Research from Baker Street found that 68 per cent of people place importance on buying foods that help to reduce food waste and 51 per cent of consumers claimed they are more likely to purchase a product that is long-life[1].
Baker Street Classic Burger Buns (6 pack) and Original Hot Dog Rolls (4 pack) retail at Tesco at £1.29.
