Leading UK convenience food manufacturer, Symington’s, has announced that it has reached an agreement to license Unilever’s wet sauces portfolio in Australia and New Zealand.
The agreement, Symington’s first major international venture, will see the manufacturer taking on three brands from Unilever: Chicken Tonight, Raguletto and Five Brothers.
The three brands will continue to be produced at Unilever’s factory in Tatura, Victoria.
Symington’s director of business development, Henrik Pade, said he’s pleased to have the opportunity to re-introduce Australia to the well-known brands.
“There are many similarities between the Australian and UK markets, and we will be drawing on our successful experience nurturing brands and developing the wet sauces category in the UK to surprise and delight our retail customers and the consumers in Australia,” he said.
Symington’s acquired Chicken Tonight and Raguletto from Unilever UK in August 2011 which resulted in average brand growth of 15 percent year on year, boosting the category to a value of £540m in the UK.
With a successful UK track record behind it, Syminton’s believes that it will be able to reinvigorate the brands in the Australian and NZ markets by utilising new product innovations and marketing initiatives.
Symington’s plans to grow its convenience foods business throughout Australia with both branded and private label products.