Out the Box

Asda glamour

Asda is trying its hand at a pop-up aiming to bring ‘dining finesse’ and affordability together.

Asda is launching a pop-up steakrestaurant for one night only, invitingguests to enjoy premium cuts in afine dining setting, free of charge.

WHAT’S THE CONCEPT?

Pop-ups are primarily meant to promote or kick off a marketing campaign, but this one is quite innovative for the grocery industry. First off, Steak Bay as it’s called, prides itself in being “the cheapest” restaurant in the capital to offer premium cuts, “celebrity guest treatment and a sprinkling of salt”.

Secondly, it’s not often that supermarkets do these kinds of activations in order to promote their products. This type of marketing is traditionally reserved for perfume, cosmetics, liquor, or confectionery.

Open for one night only on 9 June, the restaurant in London will welcome just 50 diners selected at random.

WHAT IS IT OFFERING?

As a marketing exercise, it will promote the supermarket’s significant recent investment in its meat, fish and poultry quality, including increasing the thickness and maturity of all core range Extra Special steak lines to 30 days, with prices as low as £5.

This summer the retailer has also launched a new Ultimate Extra Special Range, designed large enough to cater for the whole family.Guests will have the chance to choose from the 21-day-matured Tomahawk and extrathick-cut 30-day-matured Sirloin Steaks, alongside Steak Burgers, slow-cooked Pork Rib Racks and other products.

AND THE EXPERIENCE?

Steak Bay promises to give guests the real deal by resting the meat in tinfoil to lock in all the flavour, then seasoned with salt at the table by the waiting staff. All dishes will be prepared and plated by Asda’s Executive Chef, Senior Director of Innovation and Trends, Jonathan Moore and his team.

WHY IS THIS A GOOD IDEA?

Pop-ups like this are incredibly popular in many retail settings and amidst the grim news we’re surrounded by, this is a good excuse for people to forget about price tags, have a night out and remember Asda the next time they go food shopping.

“We can’t wait to open the doors to the Steak Bay restaurant to showcase these products in all of their glory, proving that you don’t need to spend hundreds or thousands of pounds to access amazing quality dishes,” Gavin Warburton, Asda Senior Director of Meat, Fish and Poultry at Asda said.

If the retailer pulls it off well, it can be just the promotion it needs, especially if diners shout out about it on social media.