Premium ready meal brand ByRuby begins a partnership with Sainsbury’s in an exciting expansion to new locations.
- ByRuby introduces 18 premium meal lines in 10 Sainsbury’s stores, including popular dishes like Grass Fed Beef Bourguignon.
- Special branded vertical freezers will be strategically placed outside the frozen aisle to attract shoppers.
- The trial’s success could lead to a broader rollout of ByRuby’s products in more Sainsbury’s stores.
- Ruby Bell and Milly Bagot, co-founders, express enthusiasm for making their handmade meals more accessible.
Premium ready meal company ByRuby has embarked on a trial partnership with Sainsbury’s, placing 18 of its distinguished meal options in approximately 10 stores. This initiative marks a pivotal step in ByRuby’s progression, allowing the brand to test customer reception within a competitive market. Among the gourmet meals are Grass Fed Beef Bourguignon, a British Chicken, Leek and Bacon Pie, and a Three Cheese Macaroni Cheese, providing consumers a taste of diverse culinary excellence.
In an innovative approach, the meals are stored in branded vertical freezers that are situated beside ambient and fresh products, intentionally away from the traditional frozen aisles. This strategic placement is designed to attract attention and entice new customers who might not usually venture into the frozen section. Such placement also aligns with Sainsbury’s broader strategy to enhance its in-store offering by integrating unique brands.
The rollout of ByRuby products commenced last week in Sainsbury’s stores located in Hendon and Kiln Lane, with plans to extend to locations in Penzance and St Albans next spring. This timetable allows for assessing performance in initial sites before considering further expansion. If consumer response is positive, there is potential for a wider distribution across Sainsbury’s vast retail network.
Ruby Bell and Milly Bagot, the visionaries behind ByRuby, shared their excitement about the collaboration with Sainsbury’s, highlighting the opportunity to bring their handmade dishes to a larger audience. They emphasised the ethos of ByRuby by stating: “Seriously special handmade food, that’s ready when you are. ByRuby makes people feel that a great friend, who happens to be an excellent cook, has filled their freezer for them.” This sentiment underscores their commitment to quality and accessibility.
The partnership with Sainsbury’s coincides with the retailer’s ongoing enhancement of its own-brand ready meals. Recently, Sainsbury’s introduced 10 new Taste the Difference ready meals and unveiled a Pan-Asian culinary range featuring diverse international flavours. These developments indicate Sainsbury’s dynamic approach to meet evolving consumer tastes, while also potentially complementing ByRuby’s offerings with its premium selections.
ByRuby’s introduction into Sainsbury’s signifies a strategic step to broaden its market presence, potentially transforming the brand’s retail reach.
