In a supermarket first, Waitrose has launched a fish “En Papillote” range as searches for ‘ready to cook fish’ and ‘fresh fish’ on Waitrose.com have surged 100% and 59%, respectively, over the past week.

Inspired by the classic French style of cooking, the fish is folded into hand-crafted parchment paper parcels, then steamed with its own natural juices. It requires no hands-on preparation and is ready to serve in as little as 20 minutes.

The range includes Wild Garlic Scottish Salmon, Thai Green Inspired Cod Fillets, and Provencal Inspired Haddock Fillets, all of which are available at an introductory offer of £6 each.

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The selection of new products has been inspired by customer insights and is designed to overcome what the upmarket retailer describes as the ‘fish fear’, where many feel unsure how to cook fish, or are put off by its smell and texture.

The new launch also taps into the growing popularity in French cuisine, with searches on TikTok for ‘French recipes‘ racking up a total 169k views in the last week alone.

Waitrose product developer Natalie Kelsey said: “We are delighted to launch the first fish “En Papillote” to the market – an easy, healthy and delicious option that suits our customers’ busy lifestyles.

“Overcoming the dreaded ‘fish fear’, this style of cooking allows the freshness of the ingredients to truly shine. As the perfect mid-week solution, I love to serve mine with wholegrain rice, egg noodles or veggies for the perfect balanced meal.”