Italian restaurant group Zizzi is expanding its successful Zizzi at Home frozen retail range with a new listing in Waitrose for three of its products from 11th September 2023.
Waitrose has agreed to take two of its most popular pasta meals – Casareccia Pollo Piccante and Chorizo Carbonara – and its Garlic Bread in around 250 stores*. The range will launch with a 20% off intro promotion.
Zizzi debuted its Zizzi at Home frozen brand in Sainsbury’s in 2020, expanding the range to include pastas and sides which were launched in Tesco in March 2022. The retail products are inspired by its popular restaurant dishes so shoppers can experience its unique premium dining experience at home.
Zizzi is famous for its ‘little twists’ and this is perfectly represented with its famous Chorizo Carbonara which includes pancetta and chorizo in a creamy sauce. Its Casareccia Pollo Piccante includes cooked chicken breast strips in a spicy, creamy harissa sauce.
The brand has successfully tapped into the premium at-home dining trend where shoppers are increasingly looking for authentic restaurant-quality ready meals they can treat their family and friends with.
Harry Heeley, managing director at Zizzi Restaurants, said: “British people are Italian food aficionados and are always on the hunt for quality meals that reflect the experience they have in restaurants. That’s why our Zizzi at Home frozen range has done so well, it delivers on everything you expect from a great dining experience, great quality, authentic taste, and value for money. I’m positive Waitrose shoppers will also embrace the range and enjoy the Zizzi experience.”
Research with a panel of 300 shoppers^ (July 2023) showed that 96% of those who had bought a product from the Zizzi range would recommend it to a friend citing the brand’s good quality and authenticity as reasons to recommend. In addition, 43% of consumers are shopping the frozen aisle more frequently than six months ago and are looking for affordable indulgence.
Zizzi has an ambitious plan to grow its retail range and has invested in several product improvements in its frozen pastas including balancing the ratio of sauce and reducing the calories and saturated fat.
Zizzi is one of the only restaurant food brands that is not made under licence and to deliver this, it has upweighted its in-house expertise with a core team of strategic supply chain project managers, NPD and retail experts who are responsible for product development, commercial relationships, marketing, and supply chain.
This focus on in-house expertise has helped the brand attract new shoppers to the frozen aisle as consumer confidence in the quality of frozen food accelerates. Customer data shows that the largest overtrade for the Zizzi brand is with its more affluent pre-family and family shopper groups, which account for over half of total brand sales^^.
^ Source: Zizzi Shopper Research (Good Sense Research July 2023)
^^ Dunnhumby sales data 2022
Zizzi at Home in Waitrose:
- *Zizzi Garlic Bread – 234 stores
- *Zizzi Casareccia Pollo Piccante – 185 stores
- *Zizzi Chorizo Carbonara – 267 stores
