Silver Fern Farms’ launch of its branded New Zealand lamb range into British retail giant Tesco (Food NZ, December/January 2012) has been successful, according to the company, which is now looking at expanding the product range available in Britain.

This is the first time that branded lamb has been available in the fresh chilled lamb section of a major grocery chain in the UK. Chief executive Keith Cooper said the company was delighted that “the early good results at Tesco have given us the opportunity to extend the range with the introduction of Lamb Medallions to the current range – Roast, Rumps, Rack and Loin Fillets. We are currently stocking about 250 stores in the UK with pleasing upward trending occurring over the introductory period.”

Silver Fern Farms has utilised Primary Growth Partnership funding to assist with UK consumer research and using branded retail as a test market/prototype will allow the company to begin to meet its commitments to achieving the goals within the framework, Cooper says. The project was also supported by Beef + Lamb NZ with $1 for $1 matched levy funding.

The original launch was supported by an innovative marketing campaign focused on creating awareness at the point of purchase and tightly targeted towards Tesco shoppers using Tesco communications mediums.

The company is also fortunate to have a team of people in the UK who can work alongside its brand team here in New Zealand, group marketing manager Sharon Angus says. “We’re able to think local and act global.”

Published in Food NZ magazine (June/July 2012) .