Prepared Meals Trends: Ukrop’s Serves Up New Prepared Foods Options
To mark the 20th anniversary of Ukrop’s Kitchen, the Richmond, Va.-based grocer highlighted several new products and line extensions that were recently added to its medley of prepared foods during an elegant tasting event that proved to be a great hit with attendees.
“While only a sampling of our exciting new products was showcased during the event, we’ve launched more than 25 new dishes since May,” noted Ukrop’s spokeswoman Susan Rowe. “In order to do this, we worked with shoppers from all over Virginia. We learned how our customers shop each week and which Ukrop’s foods best meet their occasion-based needs. They told us about their busy lives — everything from rushed weeknight meals to upscale dinner parties and festive holiday meals. They also told us that they were looking for more ethnic and exciting flavors.”
A closer look at Ukrop’s appetizing prepared foods lineup includes:
Ukrop’s Bakes: A line of oven-ready, family-sized entrees, side dishes and desserts targeted to busy families of four to six that are in need of a quick, homemade meal in about 30 minutes. Items include Chicken Parmigiana, Carnitas Tamale Bake, Apple Crisp w/ Dried Cherries and White House Roll Bread Pudding. The line also offers such savory breakfast entrees as a Roasted Vegetable Frittata with Fontina Cheese.
Single-Serve Pastas: Five new Italian-inspired pasta dishes have been added to the line of freshly made individual meals, including Penne with Chicken, Sausage and Mushrooms al Pomodoro, and Penne Pasta Carbonara.
Holiday Sides: New products in this existing line, which features new user-friendly packaging enabling shoppers to take the food directly from the oven to the table, range from traditional to trendy. Roasted Fall Vegetables and Scalloped Potatoes are two of the recently released selections.
Ukrop’s Chef’s Specials Easy Entertaining Appetizers: The expanded Chef’s Specials brand includes a variety of ready-to-reheat hors d’oeuvres, along with new Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Pepper Jack Cheese dips.
A pioneer in supermarket prepared foods, the family-held grocer first began offering a 10-item, chilled prepared foods line that could be heated in the microwave or oven in four stores in 1989. Today, Ukrop’s prepared foods are shipped daily to every one of the company’s locations, and encompass hundreds of items, including entrées, sides, desserts, prepackaged sandwiches and salads.
“As we look toward 2010, we are excited to continue working hand in hand with our customers to develop freshly prepared, handcrafted foods for the markets we serve,” noted Rowe.
“While only a sampling of our exciting new products was showcased during the event, we’ve launched more than 25 new dishes since May,” noted Ukrop’s spokeswoman Susan Rowe. “In order to do this, we worked with shoppers from all over Virginia. We learned how our customers shop each week and which Ukrop’s foods best meet their occasion-based needs. They told us about their busy lives — everything from rushed weeknight meals to upscale dinner parties and festive holiday meals. They also told us that they were looking for more ethnic and exciting flavors.”
A closer look at Ukrop’s appetizing prepared foods lineup includes:
Ukrop’s Bakes: A line of oven-ready, family-sized entrees, side dishes and desserts targeted to busy families of four to six that are in need of a quick, homemade meal in about 30 minutes. Items include Chicken Parmigiana, Carnitas Tamale Bake, Apple Crisp w/ Dried Cherries and White House Roll Bread Pudding. The line also offers such savory breakfast entrees as a Roasted Vegetable Frittata with Fontina Cheese.
Single-Serve Pastas: Five new Italian-inspired pasta dishes have been added to the line of freshly made individual meals, including Penne with Chicken, Sausage and Mushrooms al Pomodoro, and Penne Pasta Carbonara.
Holiday Sides: New products in this existing line, which features new user-friendly packaging enabling shoppers to take the food directly from the oven to the table, range from traditional to trendy. Roasted Fall Vegetables and Scalloped Potatoes are two of the recently released selections.
Ukrop’s Chef’s Specials Easy Entertaining Appetizers: The expanded Chef’s Specials brand includes a variety of ready-to-reheat hors d’oeuvres, along with new Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Pepper Jack Cheese dips.
A pioneer in supermarket prepared foods, the family-held grocer first began offering a 10-item, chilled prepared foods line that could be heated in the microwave or oven in four stores in 1989. Today, Ukrop’s prepared foods are shipped daily to every one of the company’s locations, and encompass hundreds of items, including entrées, sides, desserts, prepackaged sandwiches and salads.
“As we look toward 2010, we are excited to continue working hand in hand with our customers to develop freshly prepared, handcrafted foods for the markets we serve,” noted Rowe.