Harry Ramsden’s is to open sites at 150 Sainsbury’s supermarkets as part of a new deal with Boparan Restaurants Group (BRG).
Deep Blue Restaurants, owner of the Deep Blue and Harry Ramsden’s brands, has signed a retail channel development agreement, giving BRG the opportunity to licence the Harry Ramsden’s brand in all areas of retail. This includes the fish and chip giant featuring in BRG’s new supermarket restaurant concept “Restaurant Hub”, which includes its own brands such as Carluccio’s Cafes, Slim Chickens, Ed’s Easy Diner and Gourmet Burger Kitchen.
The concept is being rolled out across 150 Sainsbury’s supermarkets over a three-year period and follows a successful pilot at Sainsbury’s Selly Oak in Birmingham, followed by launches in Sydenham and Wolverhampton. The fourth launches in Crayford, Kent, next week.
Under the terms of the agreement, BRG will also have exclusive rights to develop and distribute Harry Ramsden’s approved products to sell on-shelf within grocery retailers. This follows a similar deal with Iceland which Harry Ramsden’s supplies its frozen lines to.
James Low, founder and chief executive of Deep Blue, said: “BRG has an unparalleled presence in the food retail sector and was the natural partner to help us to promote this iconic British brand in the UK.
“The agreement will give the Harry Ramsden’s brand enormous visibility, which we will use as a springboard for the franchising and licensing of the Harry Ramsden’s brand nationally and internationally. We are delighted to be working with BRG on this extremely exciting project.”
Satnam Leihal, chief executive of BRG, added: “Harry Ramsden’s is a key element of our restaurant offering and, following a successful pilot at Sainsbury’s Selly Oak, we look forward to working with Deep Blue on the rollout of our ‘Restaurant Hub’, on other future concepts, and on the development of Harry Ramsden’s products for the retail sector. The licence agreement with Deep Blue will allow Harry Ramsden’s products to be accessible to millions of customers, whichever channel they choose to use, in-aisle, at restaurants and takeaways, through home delivery or at a ‘Restaurant Hub’, allowing the brand to achieve heightened visibility with existing and new customer demographics.”