Pukka takes its Veggie pie into frozen, microwaveable format

Leading hot pie brand Pukka has launched new Veggie Cheese, Leek & Potato Microwaveable Twin Pack, taking the product into frozen, microwaveable format – which cooks in just 4 minutes.

The new recipe sees diced leeks and potatoes in a creamy, cheddar sauce encased in Pukka’s crumbly and crisp shortcrust pastry. The pie has The Vegetarian Society’s vegetarian stamp of approval, appealing to shoppers looking for meat-free options.

“As The People’s Pie, we continuously innovate to make sure there’s a Pukka for everyone, and we are the driving force behind the category’s success, currently growing four times faster than the market,” commented Rachel Cranston, head of marketing and innovation at Pukka.

“With a retail sales value of £3.3 million, our chilled Veggie Cheese, Leek & Potato pie is the bestselling vegetarian SKU in the category. People are falling back in love with their freezers and growth in the frozen food category is up 17 per cent, so it was the natural next step to offer shoppers the same tasty recipe in frozen, that they can heat and eat straight from the freezer, in as little as 4 minutes.”

With demand for meat-free options increasing, Pukka has expanded its plant-based offering further with a duo of Vegan pie, alongside the Veggie pie recipe.

“Over one million shoppers have bought the products since September, demonstrating strong demand for meat-free pie options amongst vegetarians, flexitarians and meat-reducers alike,” Cranston noted.

“With lockdown restrictions continuing to ease, this launch couldn’t come at a better time as many shoppers will want to get out and about and prioritise substantial meal options which are quick, convenient and don’t compromise on taste. Already a familiar recipe to shoppers, retailers can feel confident that by stocking our Veggie Cheese, Leek & Potato Microwaveable Twin Pack, they can benefit from incremental frozen sales.”

Launching first in Morrisons on 12 April, the product will be widely available from May, including in wholesale and convenience channels, in boxes of two microwavable pies (RRP £2.75, 400g per twin pack).