The Helen Browning Organic Meat business is on the verge of a major expansion with Tesco, with new branded product listings and the launch of its new organic Wiltshire pork Mini Escalopes. This innovative leg meat product, with a polenta crunchy coating, will hit 100 Tesco stores on October 6. The product hits low saturated fat, low salt and gluten free targets.
Tesco has also announced new listings (22nd September) of Helen Browning"e;s organic Speedy Sausages, which double to 200 stores; hand dry cured Back Bacon, which will be introduced to 110 stores, and the re-introduction of its organic rose veal range.
Tesco is committed to expanding its choice of organic products and has backed the Helen Browning range following the steady growth of its organic Speedy Sausages which were introduced to Tesco in May 2007.
James Renshaw, buyer for Speciality Meats at Tesco said; "e;It"e;s pleasing to work with a supplier who is so passionate and enthusiastic about educating customers on the benefits of organic meat products. We are delighted to be launching several new additions to the Helen Browning Organic meat range, including the Wiltshire pork Mini Escalopes, exclusive to Tesco."e;
Tim Finney, Helen Browning"e;s Managing Director comments: "e;Tesco has been hugely supportive. People there are decisive, they implement quickly what they say they"e;re going to do, they pay on terms. We are very pleased to have these new opportunities."e;
The mini escalope is the result of collaborative work with Laverstoke Park, the organic-only abattoir and butchery run by ex Formula 1 champion Jody Scheckter in Hampshire.
Consumer research conducted on the new Mini Pork Escalope indicated its popularity with young families and children. Kids find them very easy to eat, with good flavour, and the crunchy coated escalopes fit in with the nugget type of food that children are known to love. The escalopes are delicate slices of organic, free range Wiltshire pork leg meat, dusted in a coat of organic polenta, pepper and salt. They cook in five minutes and have less than 150 calories per serving; they are a perfect quick and healthy mid week supper.
Helen Browning has a reputation for her pioneering farming methods and innovative products. She launched the first organic veal system over ten years ago and the RSPCA and Compassion in World Farming are backing systems such as Helen"e;s after decades of campaigning to get veal off the menu. Now Tesco is helping to grow a market typically boycotted by the UK consumer due to historic welfare concerns.
Up to recent months, organic sales have been growing strongly, albeit slowing recently. "The expansion a year ago was in no small part due to changes such as the move by Tesco to integrate organic with other food," says Helen Browning, the woman behind the eponymous meat brand.
The launch comes at the end of Soil Association Organic Fortnight (6 – 21 September), the theme of which is Love Your Planet Choose Organic. Government funded research has shown that organic uses 26% less energy than conventional farming per kilogram of food, largely because it does not use energy-intensive artificial fertilisers. It should make organic food more competitive as oil prices continue to increase.
