The Publication For The Grocery Trade

Uncle Ben's® - first choice for rice and much more

A key part of Masterfoods' ,grocery portfolio, Uncle Ben's is a brand name trusted by generations of shoppers. Today Uncle Ben's is the UK's leading rice brand, with 36% value share of the £204.3 million ambient rice market*. Since 1990 it has also become established as a major player in sauces, with a range of convenient sauces which help make quick, hot delicious dishes, and, accompanied by Uncle Ben's rice, make ideal meal solutions. The first supplier to market with microwaveable rice, Uncle Ben's remains dedicated to driving innovation, and recently extended its rice portfolio to include three new Express microwaveable rice varieties and a new 'boil in the bag' Wholegrain variety. Andy Patel, Masterfoods' Trade Relations Manager, spoke to The Grocery Trader. The Grocery Trader - Where does the name Uncle Ben's come from? Uncle Ben's was named after a legendary Texan farmer renowned for producing exceptionally high quality rice. GT - When did you produce the first Uncle Ben's rice? Uncle Ben's was launched in the US in 1947. The 1950s saw the brand launch its first 'instant rice' - a can of ready cooked rice, dipped in boiling water for 30 seconds. GT - When was Uncle Ben's launched here? Uncle Ben's first reached the UK in 1966. GT - How do you sum up the Uncle Ben's proposition in 2005? Uncle Ben's products are inspired by cuisines from around the world. They offer consumers meal solutions that taste great, are convenient and can be enjoyed by the whole family. Uncle Ben’s target busy mums, singles and couples, who seek pleasurable and interesting meals but aren’t willing to compromise on taste, nutrition or quality. Ease of preparation, eating and clean up is critical for them, but equally meals must be varied and enjoyable. GT - How big is the Uncle Ben's brand in the UK? The UK’s No.1 branded rice, Uncle Ben’s has 31.4%* value share of the £208.6m* ambient rice sector. First to market here with innovative Microwaveable Rice, the brand still commands a leading value market share of 72.5%*. Uncle Ben’s is also a key driver in sauces, leading the Oriental sauce market with a 24.5%* value share. GT - What products are in the Sauces range? Uncle Ben's offers various popular Oriental favourites including Sweet & Sour, Hoi Sin and Black Bean, but Uncle Ben’s sauces are far more than just Oriental cuisine. As a leading brand in the Ethnic Wet Cooking Sauce market, Uncle Ben’s offer flavours from around the world, including Indian, Thai and Mexican. Mexican is a growing sector, and Uncle Ben’s currently has 14.7% share of this market. GT - Where else are Uncle Ben's products sold? Uncle Ben’s rice is sold primarily in the US, Australia and in some 30 European countries. GT - Where are the products made that you sell here? Uncle Ben’s rice is grown in Southern Spain and packed in Belgium. Uncle Ben’s sauces are made in Holland. GT - What share does Uncle Ben's have of each rice category? Uncle Ben’s is the UK’s No 1 branded rice with a 31.4% share of the ambient rice sector. It is No 1 in microwaveable rice with a 72.5% share, and No 1 in the Boil in the Bag sector with a 55.2% share. GT - Which rice category is growing fastest, and why? Rice consumption is increasing, driven by the microwaveable sector. Uncle Ben’s is the pioneer and will continue to innovate within it. Microwaveable rice is bringing in new customers wanting quick and convenient meal solutions. 46% of meal occasions now take place alone, compared to 15%, 20 years ago.** We launched Uncle Ben’s Express Rice in 2000. The pouches were the first to be introduced, and set the trend for microwaveable rice. GT - What's in the current Express Rice range? Uncle Ben’s Express Rice is pre-steamed rice, sealed in a microwaveable pouch giving perfect rice in just 2 minutes with no hassle and no washing up. With 16 varieties ranging from the ever popular Basmati and Long Grain, through to flavoured varieties such as Chinese, Mexican, Mushroom and Pilau rice, the Uncle Ben’s Express range caters for all tastes. GT - What are your latest microwaveable rice products? We recently introduced three New Express Varieties - Wholegrain, Savoury Chicken Flavour and Special Fried Rice. GT - How significant is Wholegrain in the UK market? Uncle Ben’s Wholegrain Rice is seeing significant growth, due to the nation’s increasing interest in healthy eating. Over 650,000 new households have bought Wholegrain rice this year.** Uncle Ben’s launch of Wholegrain Rice, 'ready in just 10 minutes,' cuts the cooking time of traditional Wholegrain varieties by half. Uncle Ben’s ‘10 minute' Wholegrain Rice therefore caters for increasingly health conscious consumers, and a new Wholegrain Boil in the Bag variety was launched this year. GT - Is the overall UK ambient rice market growing? The rice category is being revitalised by innovative new products. It is growing at 8.7% PA and is worth £208.6 million. 19.2 million households buy rice - 400,000 more than last year. GT - What are the driving forces in the UK rice market? There is growing desire to experience new tastes which can be recreated conveniently at home, fuelling demand for great-tasting international meals which are quick and easy to prepare. Convenience is also a key trend, and this has led to the success of the microwaveable sector. Interest in healthy eating is also increasing. Rice, in particular Wholegrain, is benefiting from this trend. Uncle Ben’s is the pioneer in Long Grain with more than 50 years’ expertise providing the finest Long Grain rice, and remains a firm market leader. As the UK’s tastes continue to evolve with increased foreign travel and cultural influences consumers are becoming more adventurous in their food choices. This has led to the increase in popularity of basmati rice. GT - Your rice products and sauces are quick and easy to prepare, but are they ‘good for you’? Yes, undoubtedly! Rice is a great provider of complex carbohydrates. Wholegrain rice in particular fulfils this need. Uncle Ben’s Wholegrain rice is perfect for those looking for a healthy option without compromising on quality and great taste. It has a delicious flavour, is naturally low in fat, and contains essential nutrients which contribute to a healthy, balanced diet. It also has a lower Glycaemic Index, meaning that you stay full for longer! Uncle Ben’s Wholegrain rice uses the whole of the rice grain, including the surrounding bran layers, which contain fibre and key nutrients. It also contains Magnesium and Phosphorous, essential for healthy metabolism and strong bones. Wholegrain rice is an ideal option for those with wheat allergies or on a gluten-free diet. GT - What about the Sauces? Uncle Ben’s sauces contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. GT - How have UK rice-eating habits changed in recent years? What do you do to educate consumers about the pleasures of cooking and eating rice? The UK population is changing, and this has a significant impact on the foods we choose to eat. There are more single person households than ever before - 30%**. In addition women are working longer hours and don’t have the time to think about meals. Add to this the fact that consumers don’t have the energy to cook in the evenings yet want innovative, tasty and healthy meals - Uncle Ben’s offers a complete meal solution. Uncle Ben’s advertising and PR activity communicates these messages to its consumers. GT - How much are you spending on advertising and marketing for Uncle Ben's rice portfolio in 2005? This year we have started a £2m sampling campaign and a £3m TV and press campaign, designed to attract new buyers into the Express Rice category and ultimately, drive growth. Uncle Ben’s kicked off 2005 by celebrating Chinese New Year. We ran a £300K marketing campaign, which included in-store sampling, eye-catching POS and Chinese themed events, and was aimed at increasing awareness of Uncle Ben’s leading market position in the Oriental sauce category. Press ads and new varieties will keep Uncle Ben’s dry rice top of mind for consumers, supported by in-store and PR activity. Total media investment for the Uncle Ben’s brand will reach £9m in 2005. GT - Our readers are supermarkets, Co-ops and convenience store chains. What's your advice to these retailers to make the most of the rice opportunity? All retailers should merchandise rice and sauce together by brand and where possible dedicate a bay. Wet cooking sauces should be blocked first by ethnicity, and then by brand. To capitalise on the growing rice and sauce market, we offer the following advice for different retailers, based on their store layout and location: Local shops Ranging should focus on major brands, as this sector is in strong growth, with own label brands declining. Stock as wide a range as possible with the space available, whilst sticking to major brands to simplify the decision-making process for the customer. Position leading brands prominently, to build awareness. Dedicate a bay specifically to cooking sauces and rice. Block wet cooking sauces first by ethnicity and then by brand. The wet cooking sauce fixture should consist of 70% small jars. Neighbourhood In neighbourhood stores, ranging should focus on increasing market spend. High value low weight products are key, as most shoppers walk to this type of store. Stock a broad range and key brands to meet the ‘something I’ve forgotten’ shopper mission. Dedicate 65% of the wet cooking sauce space to large (500g) and 5% to extra large (750g.) City centre These stores have a high percentage of non-regular customers, so clear siting and layout is important. ‘Meal for tonight’ is the main shopper mission, so the display should appear earlier in the store. Ranging should focus on microwaveable rice pouches for convenience, and also niche varieties to encourage purchases for inspiration and treating. Expand the ‘meal entertaining’ mission with meal ideas. Increase the range in shopper missions by offering a wider range. Offer differentiation in range to supermarkets. 40% of rice space should be dedicated to pouch. Grocery Due to the growth of microwaveable rice, retailers should allocate 60 per cent of their rice space to dry rice, with the remaining 40 per cent to microwaveable space. Grocery shoppers will be looking to top up on speciality rices along with the convenience of boil in the bag rice to cater for both large families and quick fix meals. GT - Where do you see the UK rice market going from here? The rice market is being revitalised by innovative new meal solutions capitalising on consumers changing lifestyles. Shoppers are increasingly looking for fast and convenient meal solutions as they become time poor. This is reflected in the growth of Microwaveable and Boil in the Bag categories, which offer quick cook, easy to serve meals which require no portion measurement and have little mess to clear up after. As tastes for ethnic foods from around the world grow and consumer eating habits become even more exotic, consumers are looking for speciality foods. This can be seen through the increased demand for speciality rice such as Wholegrain, Long Grain and emerging varieties such as Thai. GT - Finally, what are your predictions for the Uncle Ben's brand? Uncle Ben’s will continue to bring products into the market that are relevant to the consumer. Tasty, convenient, easy to prepare foods that the consumer wants. Recent additions to the range include Wholegrain, Savoury Chicken Flavour and Special Fried Rice in microwaveable format, and Wholegrain Rice as part of the Boil in the Bag range. Statistics references * AC Nielsen: WE 03/09/05 ** TNS 2005 Uncle Ben's® is a registered trademark. © Masterfoods 2005 Uncle Ben's contact details Stockists: 01753 550055 Web site: www.unclebens.co.uk