Waitrose it set to launch a new Japanese-inspired own-brand food range, Japan Menyū.
From 20 September, the products spanning ready meals, centrepieces, sides and snacks, will roll out in the upmarket retailers stores and online, as well as via Uber Eats and Deliveroo.
The range will feature a miso aubergine rice bowl, chicken katsu curry, teriyaki salmon, mushroom gyoza, cauliflower tempura, steamed buns, chicken yaki udon noodles and tempura king prawns.
Across Japan Menyū’s selection of 26 products, 13 dishes will be vegetarian, 10 of which are also suitable for vegans.
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Waitrose commerical director, Charlotte Di Cello, said: “So much care and consideration has gone into each dish to ensure we’re offering the very best Japanese-inspired selection.
“We’ve seen significant growth in customer demand for Japanese foods, so to be launching this delicious and high quality curated range that can be enjoyed by anyone in the comfort of their own home is hugely exciting for all of us at Waitrose.”
The launch comes as searches on Waitrose.com for ‘tempura prawns’, ‘tonkatsu’, ‘soba noodles’ and ‘matcha’ are all up 113%, 75%, 69% and 37%, respectively.
Waitrose senior development chef, Zoe Simons, added: “From the trends that our team has seen and the data that’s been gathered, we know that our customers are looking to expand their dining options even further and already enjoy delicious Japanese food.
“Whether customers are looking for a convenient Friday night dinner that’s already prepared or some extra additions to complement their own cooking creations, our Japan Menyū range has something for all eating occasions.”
The grocer will also be launching reusable bamboo chopsticks and a selection of John Lewis cookware to accompany the Waitrose Japan Menyū range.
