Mars Food UK reveals the success of its new One Pan Creations offering from Ben’s Original™, with listings at all major supermarkets and retail sales almost reaching £750,000 in the first three months.
Ben’s Original One Pan Creations, are delicious rice dishes ready to pan fry in just ten minutes. Expertly combining a selection of vegetables, seasoning, spices and perfectly steamed rice, the new range brings quick and easy rice dishes to life with international flavours. Available in four varieties, including two well established British favourites, Indian Biriyani and Spanish Paella and two emerging, on trend dishes in Szechuan Fried Rice and Indonesian Nasi Goreng.
The launch of One Pan Creations is the latest innovation Ben’s Original™ has introduced since its relaunch in June 2021 as it expands its portfolio into new meal occasions, bringing excitement and value to the category. In a bid to help consumers looking to enjoy a flexitarian diet, the much-loved brand introduced Ben’s Plant Powered last year, a plant-based offering with tasty flavours, including Chilli Non-Carne, Spicy Lentil Stew and Tikka Masala.
Gareth Williams, Ben’s Original™ marketing manager, said: “Our research has shown consumers are spending less time cooking, with a quarter (23%) of people sparing only 15 minutes to cook an evening meal, and 1 in 10 sparing as little as five minutes. We identified a gap in the market for quick & tasty versions of traditionally more complicated meals and as a result created One Pan Creations, dishes that are ready in under 15 minutes and bursting with flavour.”
Ben’s Original™ has not only invested in continued product innovation since its relaunch but the brand has also developed a new brand purpose, to offer everyone a Seat at the Table™. This includes a long-standing partnership with the Trussell Trust as well as the recently launched scholarship programme with Be Inclusive Hospitality. The scholarship programme seeks to promote diversity in the food industry by addressing racial inequality in access to opportunities, and excitingly, the inaugural ‘class of 2023’ are currently undertaking selected courses offered by the culinary institution, Leiths School of Food and Wine.
Williams added: “Ben’s Original™ Seat at the Table™ programme reflects our ambition to create a more inclusive future, while maintaining our commitment to producing the world’s best rice. We recognise there is much more work to do over the coming months and years and we look forward to bringing our new brand purpose to life to offer everyone a seat at the table.”
