Cathedral City launches into chilled meals category with Oscar Mayer

Oscar Mayer has teamed up with iconic British cheese brand Cathedral City on its first venture into chilled meals.

The manufacturer of innovative chilled meals said it is giving consumers the chance to indulge with something extra cheesy.

The new products include a cheesy lasagne, cottage pie, chicken and pasta bake and macaroni cheese.

This is the first time the cheese brand has appeared in a chilled meal range and marks a significant step for the category.

Consumer research conducted by Oscar Mayer indicates shoppers choose ready-meals for convenience to complement their busy, on-the-go lifestyles, accepting that quality may be compromised (source: Bulbshare-Oscar Mayer Community). The chilled meal manufacturer is looking to turn this perception on its head, working closely with Saputo Dairy UK, owners of Cathedral City, to create great tasting, delicious, quality meals consumers can trust.

The range boasts at least 30% more cheese than the nearest own-label equivalent product and is available at major UK supermarkets including Sainsbury’s.

Gordon Walsh, chief commercial office for Oscar Mayer, noted that for too long the chilled meals category has been content to simply provide options that are a functional purchase for consumers.

“At Oscar Mayer we believe it’s time to go beyond that and create meals that are unique and desirable,” Walsh said. “So, this partnership with Cathedral City is about us really delivering on what consumers want – a meal solution that is still convenient, but also provides restaurant-quality, delicious meals at an affordable price point.

“We want to tear up the rule book and reverse the out-dated perceptions of ready meals of old, packing our products with plenty of inspiring and indulgent flavours.”

Adam Braithwaite, senior vice president, commercial at Saputo Dairy UK, owners of Cathedral City, said: “For us, Oscar Mayer is the ideal partner in helping Cathedral City to diversify and expand into different categories. Their desire to bring exciting, flavour-packed meal solutions to UK consumers, while delivering on both quality and value, aligns perfectly with our ethos.”

This partnership with Oscar Mayer follows Cathedral City’s recent successful product launch with Heinz on a new range of ‘cheesy beanz’.

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