Larchwood Foods, the company behind the Mr Hugh’s brand, is announcing a significant investment in the sector. With new listings confirmed in Tesco and Asda, the firm is launching an intensive marketing campaign designed to drive consumer demand for cold pressed rapeseed oil and encourage consumers to switch from extra virgin olive oil (which currently represents 22% of the cooking oil market*).
The integrated campaign encompasses PR, digital marketing, social media and advertising and is being implemented by Suffolk based Pier Marketing, following a four way pitch.
There is a growing wave of consumers buying into the benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil, which contains half the saturated fat found in olive oil, ten times the amount of Omega 3 and a high smoke point that makes it one of the few oils available which can be heated to very high temperatures without losing its natural anti-oxidants, flavour or colour. However numbers are still small; Larchwood sees Mr Hugh’s as the catalyst for growth in consumer demand for cold pressed rapeseed oil, launching in multiples with a national listing secured in Tesco, and Asda rolling out Mr Hugh’s across its stores over the coming months.
The Mr Hugh’s brand offers two distinct product propositions to consumers: Mr Hugh’s Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil, which is competitively priced at only £2.99 per 500ml (compared to the average multiple retail price of £4.49 for 500ml of Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil). The attractive value proposition is designed to drive consumer trial and encourage consumers to switch loyalty from olive oil. Mr Hugh’s Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil contains half the saturated fat found in olive oil and ten times the amount of Omega 3. It is extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of ways from roasting to drizzling and as a substitute for butter in bread, cakes and mashed potato.
Mr Hugh’s Gourmet is an exclusive single variety rapeseed oil, grown and cold pressed on the farm in Norfolk. Rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9, and Vitamin E, Mr Hugh’s Gourmet features a unique nutritional profile to create a distinctive light taste. A premium quality oil with an enhanced nutritional profile, colour and taste; Mr Hugh’s Gourmet has a RSP of £4.99 per 500ml, which reflects the much higher production cost of the single variety, low yielding, raw material.
Graham Secker, director at Larchwood Foods, comments: “There are a growing number of consumers aware of the benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil, but our aim is to drive the sector with a much farther reaching campaign to educate consumers, coupled with an exciting price proposition that consumers can’t ignore.
Mr Hugh’s is grown, harvested, pressed and bottled in Norfolk. Larchwood Foods has invested heavily in a new production plant in order to operate to the highest manufacturing standards, provide a consistently high quality product and increase output in order to capture economies of scale that can in turn provide a more attractive value proposition to the consumer.