The Hot Pies Opportunity
T
he Great British chippy is part of the fabric of the
partners to inspire pie purchases and demonstrate tangible
nation, with half of all people in the UK enjoying pie
added value to both them and their customers. That’s why we
and chips from their local fish and chip shop at least
offer plenty of options in our range of point of sale materials
once a year. Of those who do, the average number
on our website, including outdoor and indoor signage,
of times they buy pie and chips is 14 per year - compared with
personalised posters and pie heaters,” adds Fisher.
16 times for fish and chips - demonstrating that the ongoing love for pies in the fish and chip shop sector is strong . Pukka remains the runaway number one pie brand across the foodservice and retail sectors with 56%
Heavyweight support Pukka will invest heavily in marketing again this year, with a
of people
continuation of the brand’s fully integrated campaign, ‘The
recognising Pukka without being prompted and 30%
People’s Pie’. The advert, which will be broadcast across TV
preferring a Pukka from the chippy to any other pie brand
and VOD from October, is timed to coincide with the cooler
. -With a vision to put more pies on more plates more often,
months, when families are seeking filling and convenient
there’s a Pukka for everyone – making it a must-stock brand
meals.
for fish and chip shops looking to capitalise on this demand.
“Last year’s award-winning campaign successfully kept
Pukka’s General Manager, Isaac Fisher, explains: “It is more
pies front of consumers’ minds. A Pukka pie is synonymous
important now than ever that chip shops are tapping into the
with a visit to the chippy, so it was a natural decision to repeat
sales opportunity that the category presents, particularly as
the activity – which once again heroes the great British
these last few months have been challenging. But demand
chippy,” explains Fisher
for this Great British mealtime favourite remains high, and
“In fact, this year we’re taking it one step further and
with the nation starting to get back on its feet, chippy owners
shining a spotlight on new ways people are enjoying their
have an opportunity to drive sales by stocking the nation’s
pies from the chippy, especially as pies have grown their
favourite.”
share of occasions in fish and chip shops verses last year. For example, to demonstrate the increase in visits to chip shops
Consumer insights
at lunch time during the pandemic which has continued post
The pandemic has solidified demand for good, honest food,
lockdown , we’re including somebody enjoying a wigan kebab*
and pies offer a tasty option for consumers searching for
during the working day. We’re confident that this, along with
a convenient meal – particularly during lunch time. In fact,
the entire campaign, will help to further boost sales for the
between May and June 2020, sales in fish and chip shops
fish and chip shop trade.”
increased by 12% in comparison to last year . In addition to this, independently commissioned research found that two
Cooking Advice for the Perfect Serve
out of three consumers are of the strong opinion that pies
To serve the perfect pie, Pukka recommends that chip shop
from the chippy taste better than shop-bought pies – with
owners avoid using the microwave, as this can create an
taste being one of the top reasons for this – demonstrating
uneven heat distribution and affect the flaky puff pastry
that an order from the chippy and a Pukka go hand-in-hand .
experience that consumers look for. Instead, it is best practice
“To help chippy owners meet this demand, we have a
to initially heat a Pukka pie to a core temperature of 75°C,
wide range of pies available to make sure there’s a Pukka for
cooking a frozen pie in a fan oven at 190°C for 50 minutes*.
everyone, from the traditionalist All Steak, to Chicken Balti
Once heated, the temperature should be brought down whilst
for the curry lover. Our Steak & Kidney pie continues to be
still maintaining the minimum core temperature of 65°C
our bestselling recipe, followed by Chicken & Mushroom and
whilst waiting to be sold.
Minced Beef & Onion - these are absolute must-stocks for chip shops,” Fisher explains.
“In order to serve the perfect Pukka pie and deliver the best eating experience, it is crucial that they are oven baked
“More recently, we introduced our award-winning Veggie
the right way up in a single layer. Stacking them on top of
Cheese, Leek & Potato pie to the foodservice sector after
one another could damage the 144 layers of carefully baked
sales skyrocketed in retail. With one in three people now
puff pastry, resulting in disappointment amongst loyal
actively seeking vegetarian pies , we urge fish and chip shops
customers,” adds Fisher.
– and indeed other foodservice outlets – to stock up to satisfy consumers’ ever-changing needs. “We continue to work closely with our trusted foodservice 8
Fastfood Professional • October and November 2020
As Pukka’s frozen foodservice portfolio features a 12-month shelf life, this permits customers to store and heat the nation’s favourite pie brand when needed. October and November 2020 • Fastfood Professional
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