Findus in UK soup launch

Findus aims to stir up the UK soup market with the launch of a new range of frozen microwaveable soups. The company claims these are the first to be aimed at UK consumers.

The Findus range – Soup ‘a’ Meal – will be supported by a &£4.5m marketing spend, including new television advertising by Grey Worldwide. Media buying is by Mediacom.

The eight products in the Findus range come with their own microwaveable bowl and are aimed at the lunch-hour market, according to Helen Wolford, brand manager for Findus Feeling Great! She says: “Consumers are looking for convenient, high-quality meals they can enjoy at work or at home.”

This is the first frozen soup range for UK consumers. Others are likely to follow as manufacturers try to breathe new life into a slow market.

In April, WA Baxter & Son announced plans to develop frozen soups for the UK market. All the major international food companies have frozen soup ranges in other countries. Findus has That’s Amore in Italy, Heinz has Chef Francisco in the US and Big Eat in Australia, and Campbell has a range in Japan.

Findus used to be owned by the Swiss food giant Nestlé. It was sold to EQT Scandinavia in January 2000.