New Fishmonger's Choice - a premium challenge to chilled fish dishes

Young's has launched a new range of premium fish dishes intended to start the biggest category shake-up of the year. Young's Fishmonger's Choice range is designed to overhaul existing perceptions of frozen fish as well as presenting strong competition to the chilled equivalents already available on the market, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to Young's.

Developed with help from award-winning restaurateur and fishmonger, Mitch Tonks, Young's Fishmonger's Choice consists of two unique, single-serve recipes: Prime fillet of Atlantic cod with roasted garlic, herbs and sun dried tomato (160g); and Prime fillet of Atlantic haddock in a mild chilli and lemon dressing (160g).

The chef inspired recipes use only the best quality ingredients including prime cod and haddock loin; the finest part of the fish. To complement the delicate taste of the fish, Mitch Tonks has worked seamlessly with Young's seafood chefs to develop recipe combinations which work in harmony with the natural flavours of the fillets.

Sealed in a unique Flavour-Lock PouchTM - developed by DuPont Teijin Films and the very first of its kind in the UK - the innovative and modern packaging replicates age-old cooking methods by acting like a roasting bag to evenly steam and bake each fillet whilst retaining the natural moisture and flavours of the dish. Unlike conventional methods currently on the market, including plastic wrapping and plastic containers, each product is partially vacuum-packed to remove air and reduce the effects of oxidation, which can lead to the deterioration of frozen food.

Fishmonger's Choice is aimed at consumers who enjoy good quality food, are confident cooks but generally lack the expertise and confidence to cook fish at home. The product is designed to be cooked straight from frozen, either in the oven (30 minutes) or the microwave (4-6 minutes) to ensure consumers can enjoy fabulous tasting fish in minutes.

Commenting on the new launch, Yvonne Adam, Young's brand director, says: "As the experts in fish, it's our responsibility to continually develop new, great tasting, consumer-centric products that will allow more people to enjoy the many benefits and variety of flavours that fish has to offer and make it easier and tastier for them to eat fish twice-a-week as recommended.

"This September's launch is not just a one-off. It heralds the start of a long, exciting journey of NPD for Young's, bringing our customers the very best fish from some of the most sustainable fisheries in the world. As the nation's best loved fish brand we want to help change consumer perceptions of frozen food so that, once again, people can fully understand and enjoy it for all its worth. The Fishmonger's Choice range will be extensively developed over the next three years with new innovation planned every six months."

Mitch Tonks added: "The launch of a range such as Fishmonger's Choice is exactly what the category is crying out for. We've put our hearts and souls into developing frozen fish products that taste just as great, if not better, than chilled. We have refused to use anything other than the very best ingredients and both I and the Young's team of seafood chefs have ploughed every ounce of our expertise and passion into these recipes. Our aim is to astound consumers with the quality and taste and I have no doubt we'll achieve this."

The new range will be available in major retailers from Sept, RRP £2.99. The launch will be supported by a promotional in-store price of £2.00 throughout October and November as well as via in-store marketing and national PR. In January 2011, it will be further supported above the line, primarily via a TV advertising campaign.