Cooked Meats
Bottled Water
Vegan
34 CATEGORY FOCUS Cooked Meats
Meat you can’t beat! Nutritious and delicious, offering maximum convenience and speed, every store should offer a strong selection of cooked meats, not just for their traditional prominence within kids’ lunchboxes, but a whole host of tasty recipes, writes Gillian Hamill
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he Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns saw a huge boost to at-home meal occasions, with increased cooking from home benefitting the cooked meats sector, market analyst Mintel reports. The long-term increase in working from home will continue to lend support for the packaged meat industry going forward. This certainly makes sense, considering that cooked meats make it easy for consumers to rustle up a tasty sandwich, salad or even a quick and tasty pasta dish or stir-fry for their lunch or dinner while working from home.
Another important trend within this sector is the emphasis consumers place on knowing the origin of meat products. Subsequently, the products that will perform best are those that can demonstrate they are natural with no artificial nasties, with full traceability from animals that are well cared for, where sustainability measures are in place. According to Mintel data from the UK, 46% and 40% of red meat and poultry eaters respectfully trust products that advertise about how they are made and who made them more than products that don’t.
Pinnacle of success Carroll’s of Tullamore has been riding the wave of success within the cooked meats category for the last number of years, seeing year-on-year growth across a wide range of products. Carroll’s celebrated the pinnacle of success in 2021 reaching the coveted number one brand position in the pre-pack sliced cooked meats category*. During 2021, the brand jumped a further three places in the rankings to number 26 in the ShelfLife 100 Master Brands at Home, as measured by Kantar. The Carroll’s of Tullamore brand enjoyed an exciting year of targeted consumer campaigns and invested heavily in innovative new product launches. 2021 also marked the 30th anniversary of Carroll’s sponsorship of Offaly GAA, 1991-2021, well known as one of the
ShelfLife January 2022 | www.shelflife.ie
Mintel also reports that the impact of meat production on the environment and the increased consumer focus on health is going to fuel interest in the sustainability credentials of brands. These findings chime with a recent 2020 Euromonitor Ireland report on the sector, which reported that shelf-stable meat and seafood benefits from stockpiling, as consumers stocked up on cupboard fare in case of a decline in the availability of fresh meat and seafood.
With Carroll’s unique New York Deli shaved range, your customers can immerse themselves in the tastes of New York, the capital of food fusion
Carroll’s Signature Roasts range provides the perfect balance of convenience and flavour for those looking for high quality cooked poultry
