Birds Eye is extending its core range of fish products with the introduction of Mini Fish Fingers in 20-count packs priced at £3.50. Available at grocery stores throughout the United Kingdom beginning in early March, they are 100% MSC-certified, made from 100% white fish fillet, and suitable for air frying or oven cooking.
Fish fingers are a weekly staple for over half of UK shoppers. More than a quarter of all frozen food meal occasions include them and they are leading the growth of the total frozen fish category, with strong year-on-year value growth of +6.8%, according to Nielsen. There has been a significant increase in the use of frozen foods during lunch and snacking occasions in Britain since pre-COVID19 lockdown (+17% and +26%, respectively, vs 2019).
“Our classic Fish Fingers have been a staple at the dinner table for generations and are particularly popular at kids’ mealtimes. Our new Mini Fish Fingers will further tap into this demand to provide a tasty, nutritious, and fun mealtime solution for kids while also offering an innovative option for adult sharing plates and party occasions,” said Mike Sowerby, head of marketing fish and Poultry at Birds Eye UK & Ireland.
He continued, “The launch of our Chunky Fish Fingers in 2018 demonstrated that there is appetite to expand our fish fingers portfolio, delivering +37% of incremental sales value to the category. Our new Mini Fish Fingers offer retailers a similar opportunity to unlock even more sales.”
In a campaign to drive excitement of the debut and engage with the target audience, Birds Eye is teaming up with the popular Playmobil brand. The partnership includes an on-pack promotion that will gift a special edition bespoke Captain Birds Eye Playmobil character with the purchase of two packs of Mini Fish Fingers. Set to kick off on April 1 and run through June 30, the promotuib will be supported by an in-store shopper activation campaign across multiple retailers. In addition, a £2.6 million media blitz will begin in mid-April, which will include a TVC, PR, social and OOH advertising.
About Birds Eye
Birds Eye is owned by Feltham, England-headquartered Nomad Foods, the UK’s leading frozen food company. Other household name brands in its portfolio include Goodfella’s, Aunt Bessie’s and Green Cuisine. Birds Eye launched over 75 years ago, providing high quality frozen fish, vegetable and chicken products. Today’s expanded range also features meat-free offerings, pizzas and roast accompaniments.
