Heck has announced the launch of its Easy Mince range which is ready to cook, seasoned and includes vegetables.
The range (rsp: £6/500g) includes a Chilli Con Carne Mince, a Beef & Pork Bolognese Mince and Beef Cottage Pie Mince.
The brand said the trio, which launches from 21 September, gave “time-pressed cooks a head start on three of the nation’s favourite midweek meals”.
“Mince can be one of the most useful and cost-effective ways to put protein at the heart of a family meal, but shoppers still have to decide what to make with it and then buy, chop and measure everything else,” said Heck co-founder Jamie Keeble. “We wanted to do more of that work for them.”
The Chilli Con Carne Mince combines chicken breast and thigh with red pepper, kidney beans, onion, seasoning and spices to provide a “quick route to a wholesome chilli with bags of flavour”.
The Beef & Pork Bolognese Mince is seasoned and includes lentils, tomato and herbs, meaning once it is combined with pasta, tinned tomatoes and parmesan, families have “one of Britain’s best loved midweek dinners”.
Meanwhile, the Cottage Pie Mince combines lean British beef with peas, carrots, onion and tomato purée seasoning to create a “rich, flavour-packed filling that’s ready to become a family favourite”.
“Our new seasoned mince gives people a proper head-start on the meals they already know and love,” Keeble added. “It removes the hassle without taking away the enjoyment of cooking, so even on the busiest evenings, dinner feels sorted.”
The Cottage Pie SKU will be available in Tesco, the Bolognese line in Tesco, Asda and Ocado, and the Chilli line in Asda and Ocado.
The launch follows a similar now-delisted range from Tesco. The Meat & Veg range was launched in 2019 to make scratch cooking easier and provide shoppers with one of their five-a-day.
Keeble told The Grocer the range had been “inspired by Tesco” and that the brand had worked with the retailer to bring a range that could “add a bit of extra value in a new audience because beef mince has been a bit of a struggle for all the retailers”.
“The trouble is consumers want to cook but they don’t have much time to do so,” he added. “What we’re saying is we’re making your life easier for you.”
Keeble hinted that there would be further lines to come, including a Shepherd’s Pie range in the spring.
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