Cathedral City has entered the chilled party food market for the first time in partnership with Abergavenny Fine Foods. The launch marks a step in owner Saputo Dairy UK’s ambition to take the brand beyond the cheese aisle.
This month, Cathedral City Cheese & Ham Croquettes and Cathedral City Cheddar Sticks launched in Morrisons. The products have been developed to meet demand during the annual uplift of party food sales, as shoppers seek convenient shareables during the festive season. Cathedral City stated that the new range builds on its growth across licensed meal solutions and strengthens its role in driving incremental value within chilled.
Cathedral City is also expanding its chilled ready meal portfolio in collaboration with Oscar Mayer, with eight new products. With more than a third of consumers now eating ready meals weekly, Cathedral City’s extended chilled ready meal range taps into this demand, offering classic dishes in convenient formats. The range includes Cheese & Bacon Loaded Fries, Sausage & Bean Bake, Margherita Loaded Fries, Spaghetti Carbonara, Fish Pie, Chicken & Leek Pie, plus 1.2kg family-sized formats of Lasagne and Macaroni Cheese.
Saputo has also boosted the distribution of Cathedral City chilled side dishes, Mash Potato, Broccoli Cheese, Cauliflower Cheese and Potato Gratin, which have now launched in Sainsbury’s, and are due to launch in Asda in October and Ocado in November.
“The launch of Cathedral City’s party food range, the expansion of our chilled ready meals and increased distribution of our sides represent a significant step in solidifying Cathedral City’s presence outside the cheese aisle,” said Lissie Bernard, Brand Manager for Cathedral City.
“This latest expansion across our licensing portfolio demonstrates the strong equity of the Cathedral City brand; one that continues to innovate, providing consumers with new and exciting dishes that bring the nation’s favourite cheese brand to tables in a truly convenient format.”
