Tilda, the UK’s number one rice brand, is adding a taste of the Caribbean to its Ready-to-Heat range with the launch of limited-edition Jamaican Spiced Pumpkin Rice, developed in collaboration with celebrated chef duo Original Flava.
Combining fluffy white rice with pumpkin and warming scotch bonnet chilli, the new pouch taps into growing demand for globally inspired flavours, while giving retailers a limited-edition SKU designed to capture attention, create excitement at fixture and drive incremental sales.
Jamaican flavours are enjoying a surge in popularity across the UK, with almost one in four shoppers (24%) saying it’s the cuisine they most want to try next. With this in mind, Tilda’s latest launch brings something different to supermarket shelves, tapping into demand for culturally rooted recipes with real flavour credentials.
Created in collaboration with brothers Craig and Shaun McAnuff – the chef duo behind Original Flava – Tilda Jamaican Spiced Pumpkin Rice is inspired by the comforting, home-cooked meals the brothers grew up enjoying with family.
The collaboration also marks a milestone for Original Flava, celebrating 10 years of championing Caribbean food culture in the UK.
The launch builds on Tilda’s track record of driving category growth through insight-led Ready-to-Heat innovation, with the segment continuing to act as a key growth engine.
Tilda holds the best-selling branded SKUs across multiple Ready-to-Heat segments, including Pure Basmati, Brown, Pilau and Coconut rice3, underlining the strength of its portfolio in meeting demand for convenient, flavour-led meal solutions.
“Shoppers are looking for easy ways to bring more excitement and authenticity into everyday meals, and Jamaican cuisine is continuing to build momentum,” says Anna Beheshti, Head of Marketing at Tilda. “Partnering with Original Flava allows us to tap into that in a way that feels culturally meaningful, while meeting the needs of today’s consumer.
“For retailers, this limited-edition launch offers a product that brings real difference to the fixture, builds hype and can bring in extra sales.
“The versatility of the pouch is a big part of its appeal. Whether it’s paired with jerk chicken, curry goat or used to elevate plant-based dishes and BBQ spreads, it gives shoppers an easy way to bring Jamaican flavour into a wide range of meal occasions.”
Craig and Shaun McAnuff of Original Flava add: “Pumpkin rice is a real, authentic staple in Jamaican cooking – it’s comforting, full of flavour and made for sharing. We’re seeing more people embrace Caribbean food at home, so teaming up with Tilda was a natural way to bring those flavours to more plates across the UK.”
Vegan friendly, gluten free, and made with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, Tilda Jamaican Spiced Pumpkin Rice 250g (RRP: £1.25) will be available in select Co-op stores, along with major retailers – including Waitrose, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and more – from late May.
The launch also lands as Tilda’s biggest-ever brand campaign, Live Like You Mean It, is live nationwide across TV, VoD, YouTube, radio and podcasts, reaching up to 65% of UK adults.