Pizza, Pasta, Stirfry
At Aldi, more sophisticated meals have recently broken out of the Cucina brand and are now part of the Primana range, such as the Conchigle with Salmon in an Orange Sauce and the Tagliattelle Gambretti with Shrimps and Romano beans shown here. Below: Organic ready meals are offered under the Rewe Bio umbrella brand and include Pasta with Pesto Rosso, the vegetarian option shown here.
Three dishes dominate the German frozen convenience foods market.
Compared to other Western European markets, most notably the U.K., the German convenience products market is still underdeveloped. This applies first and foremost to chilled products, but to a lesser extent also to frozen products. It has changed somewhat over the last few years and choice has increased. Nevertheless, most of the products available still tend to be pasta-based or stirfrys. Given the popularity of Asian food, there are surprisingly few Asian dishes on offer apart from the ubiquitous Nasi Goreng and Bami Goreng. A few products aside, the quality of many dishes cannot be described as of very high standard. While all are offered at very competitive prices, the main flavor often seems to be salt, and very applicable, the meat or fish content is often very low.
Retail outlets are not the only distribution channel where German customers can purchase private label frozen convenience products. Germany also has a thriving market of home delivery services that specialize solely in frozen products and whose portfolio consists entirely of products sold under the respective company labels. Two of the leading players are Bofrost and Eismann.
As with most private label offerings, discounters, owing to the fact that their portfolio mainly relies on private labels, offer the widest choice. However, there are also differences within the discounter landscape. Thus Aldi Süd in particular offers a number of unique products, while Lidl has a much narrower range.
Aldi
Aldi Süd’s main brand for frozen ready meals is Primana, while several, but not all, pasta-based products are sold within the Cucina range of Italian products. Most of the cheapest products (EUR1.79 for a bag of 750g) are, in fact, Cucina products, for example Penne Gorgonzola, Tagliattelle with Rucola & Mushrooms and Penne Bolognese, while an example of a Primana product in a 750g bag is Swabian Noodle Stir Fry. Standard basic pasta dishes under the Cucina brand include Lasagne Bolognese, Vegetable Lasagne and Carbonarra with Ham, all EUR1.29 for a tray of 400g.
Some more sophisticated meals have recently broken out of the Cucina brand and are now part of the Primana range, sold as Primana Pasta Deliziosa. Varieties include Tagliattelle with Salmon in a Creamy Sauce, Conchigle with Salmon in an Orange Sauce, and Tagliattelle Gambretti with Shrimps and Romano beans, all EUR1.99 for 400g.
Aldi recently introduced some premium dishes under the Primana Exquisit subbrand at EUR2.39 for a carton of 500g. Varieties include Chicken Stir Fry Verdure, Beef Stir Fry, Medallions of pork in a pepper cream sauce and Prawn & Pasta Stir Fry in a Saffron sauce.
Within its Be Light better-for-you range of fat-reduced products, Aldi offers Penne with Mediterranean vegetables and Gnocci stir fry with Turkey breast.
Aldi Süd’s pizzas are branded Riggano. As with most private label ranges, pizzas are sold in packs of two at EUR2.59. The range does not include any unique products, and covers standard varieties such as Mushroom, Ham, Spinach, Tuna and Speciale. The range also includes fresh-dough pizzas, for example in the tuna variety, at EUR1.79 for 400g. As all private label ranges, Riggano also includes small pizzas (12x30g) under the Picco Belli subbrand.
Lidl
Aldi recently introduced premium dishes under the Primana Exquisit subbrand. Below: As a unique product, Rewe-owned Pennymarkt offers several dishes under the Arktis brand designed for the microwave and packaged in a plastic bowl.. Shown here is the Tagliatelle with Spinach and Salmon version.
Lidl, Germany’s second largest discounter, offers the least consistency in terms of brands specifically devoted to frozen convenience products. Instead, frozen ready meals are part of wider umbrella brands of, for example, Italian, Asian or other products. Although brand variety is highest, among stores visited by PLI, Lidl actually appeared to offer the smallest choice in terms of frozen ready meals. Frozen pasta dishes are part of the Combino umbrella brand, that also includes dry pasta, dry pasta dishes and pasta sauces. Frozen varieties include Tortelloni in a Creamy Cheese Sauce, Penne Bolognese, Tagliatelle Rucola, Penne Gorgonzola and Gnocchi Pomodoro, all sold in 750g bags at EUR1.79. Meanwhile, Gyros & Rice stirfry was offered under Eridanous, Lidl’s brand for everything Greek, and Bami Goreng and Nasi Goreng under Vitasia, Lidl’s brand for Asian food. Lidl ran a Mexican week recently, which also included some frozen convenience product, for example tortilla wraps and a Mexican-style pizza under the El Tequito brand.
A much larger range is Trattoria Alfredo, Lidl’s pizza range, which comprises all the usual varieties such as Ham, Salami or Spinach. More unique varieties that cannot be found in every PL range are Vegetable and Four Cheese.
Pennymarkt
As a unique product, Rewe-owned Pennymarkt offers several dishes under the Arktis brand designed for the microwave and packaged in a plastic bowl, which has a “steam pressure valve” for gentle preparation. Varieties are Tagliatelle with Spinach and Salmon, Penne with Chicken and Swabian Stew. They are priced at EUR1.99 for 400g.
The Arktis range also includes several more standard dishes, such as Nasi Goreng, Paella or Western Stir Fry, sold in 1000g bags and Chicken Fricassee and Goulash of Pork, sold at EUR1.29 for a tray of 450g. Standard pasta dishes are branded Mamma Pasta, and include the varieties Fettucine Bolognese, Lasagne Bolognese, Penne Gorgonzola and Tortellini with Spinach and Ricotta, all at EUR1.25 for 400g.
Among its pizza range, Pennymarkt is one of the few players to offer some pretty high-quality premium pizzas. Branded Che Pizza, they are sold in a single pack at EUR1.99. Varieties are Grilled Vegetable Pesto, Rucola, Salami Diavolo and Speciale. In addition, Pennymarkt also has the typical choice of pizzas sold in double packs at EUR2.69. These are part of the Mamma Pasta brand, and examples of varieties are Speciale, Mozarella, Spinach & Feta Cheese, Mushroom, Four Cheese and Tuna.
While the private label ranges in supermarkets and hypermarkets have many similar products, many retailers offer a few product lines that are unique to them. For example, Kaufland is the only player outside the discounter channel to offer frozen ready meals as part of a fat-reduced better-for you range, while Rewe is the only retailer to offer a range of organic frozen ready meals.
Real Hypermarket
Real (real,-) hypermarkets offer frozen convenience products under two brands: the mid-price Real Quality range and Tip (TiP) economy products. Products in plastic bags under the Real Quality brand include Tagliatelle Salmone, Pealle, Penne with Chicken Breast, Indian Chicken Curry and Bami Goreng, all at EUR2.39 for a bag of 600g. Meanwhile, under the Tip brand, varieties include Swabian Noodle Stir Fry, Gyros Stir Fry, Nasi Goreng and Country Stir Fry, all at EUR1.69 for a bag of 750g.
Dishes in 400g packs under Real Quality include Tortelloni in a Creamy Cheese Sauce, and German standards such as Königsberg Meatballs, Meatballs in a Mushroom Sauce or Stuffed Cabbage Leafs. Under the Tip brand, dishes are priced between EUR1.25 and EUR1.79 for a pack of either 400g or 450g. Varieties are Chicken Filet in a Vegetable Cream Sauce, Turkey Curry, Vegetable Lasagne, Tortelloni and Lasagne Bolognese.
At the moment, all pizzas are still sold under the Tip brand, with no Real Quality pizzas found in stores visited by PLI. Most pizzas are sold in multipacks containing either two or three pizzas, and price range from EUR1.99 to EUR.29. Varieties are pretty standard and include Tuna, Margharita, Salami, Speciale, Ham and Spinach. The varieties Margharita, Ham and Salami are also available as mini pizzas (12x30g at EUR1.99), while baguette varieties include Salami and Tuna.
Kaufland Hypermarket
Products offered under the mid-priced Rewe brand include Penne Spinach Gorgonzola; Lidl ran a Mexican week recently, which also included some frozen convenience product like the tortilla wraps under the El Tequito brand shown here.
Kaufland offers a number of frozen ready meals under its K-Classic discount brand. In 450g carton packs, these include traditional German dishes such as Königsberg Meatballs (served in a white sauce with capers) and chicken fricassee. The range also includes the standard Lasagne Bolognese and Vegetable Lasagne, both sold in 400g trays. Dishes offered in 750g plastic bags, priced between EUR1.69 and EUR1.79, include German dishes such as Swabian Noodle Stir Fry, Asian and Indian dishes such as Nasi Goreng, Bami Goreng, Indian Chicken and Italian dishes such as Penne Gorgonzola, Penne Bolognese, Gnocci in Tomato Sauce and Tagliatelle with Rucola and Mushrooms.
The K Classic frozen pizza range consists of Salami, Speciale, Ham and Pizza Capricciosa in the varieties Spinach or Four Cheese. K-Classic also offers three fresh-dough frozen pizzas: Peperoni-Salami, Tuna or Tomato-Mozzarella. Other pizza specialties are two American-style pizzas (sold in a blue rather than green pack): Cheese and Pizza Hawai, while another specialty is Pizza Gyros. The K Classic range also includes the standard frozen baguettes with garlic butter and open baguettes in the varieties Champignon, Ham and Salami, as well as breaded camembert.
Three convenience frozen products are also included Kaufland’s K Classic WellYou range, the only better-for-you range offered by a non-discounter. Varieties for microwaves, sold in 400g trays at EUR1.99, are Salmon Verdure, Mediterranean Chicken, Thai Chicken, Asian Vegetable Mix and Penne Mozarella. Meanwhile, stir-fry varieties sold in 500g bags are Wild Rice & Chicken Stir Fry, Pasta Stir Fry with White Fish and Potato and Chicken Stir Fry.
Edeka Supermarket
Edeka offers all of its convenience products under the Gut & Günstig umbrella brand of economy products. The range of stone-baked pizzas includes Ham, Tuna, Mushroom, Four Cheese, and Speciale, all sold in packs of two at EUR1.99. The varieties Salami and Margharita are sold in packs of three, also at EUR2.59, while the Tomato & Mozarella pizza is sold as a single pack. Finally, the range is completed with Mini pizzas (Cheese & Salami and Cheese & Ham), sold in a pack containing 12x30g pizzas.
The frozen ready meals range has three broad types of product. Firstly, products sold in 450g carton packs, priced between EUR1.29 and EUR1.79, comprising, among others, the varieties Chicken fricassee, Chicken filets, Königsberg Meat Balls (Meat Balls in a white sauce with capers), Indian-Style Turkey Curry, Beef Stroganoff, Meat Balls in a Mushroom Sauce and Goulash. Secondly, dishes sold in 750g bags priced in the region of EUR1.69, with varieties including Paella, Nasi Goreng, German Noodle Stir Fry, Steakhouse Stir Fry and Swabian Noodle Stir Fry. A third category is Italian-Style dishes, sold in 400g trays at EUR1.25. Examples are Cannelloni, Fettuccine, Tortellini, Lasgane and Vegetable lasagna. Two Italian-style dishes (Penne Gorgonzola and Tagliatelle Rucola&Mushroom) are available in 750g bags. Like any other PL range, Gut & Günstig also offers breaded camembert (pack of 4x75g) and spring rolls.
Rewe Supermarket
Germany’s second largest supermarket chain Rewe offers PL frozen convenience products within three different ranges: its Ja! range of economy products, the Rewe range of mid-priced product. It is also one of very few retailers that offer organic frozen ready meals.Only a very small number of products are available under the Ja! brand. These are Pizza Margharita and Pizza Salami, both sold in packs of 3x350g.
Products offered under the Rewe brand include Macaroni Gratin, Tortelloni, Chicken Fricassee, Königsberg Meat Balls, Penne Spinach Gorgonzola, Lasagne Bolognese and Vegetable Lasagne, all sold in packs between 400g and 450g and priced at EUR1.99. Only two products – Nasi Goreng and Gyros & Rice Stir Fry - are offered in a 750g plastic bag. Like all retailers, Rewe also offers spring rolls and mini spring rolls.
Pizzas sold under the Rewe Classica brand include the varieties Hot Diavolo, Vegetable, Salmon, Mozarella, Salami, Special and Tuna, all sold in packs of between 320g and 390g. As most other PL ranges, Rewe offers also a number of baguettes, for example Diavolo, Salami or Ham, all sold in 250g packs.
Organic ready meals are offered under the Rewe Bio umbrella brand. Priced at EUR2.49 for a pack of 400g, the varieties are Farmer’s Stew with Pumpkin, Swabian Noodle Stir Fry with Chicken and Vegetables, Chicken Curry with Honey – and two vegetarian dishes: Pasta with Pesto Rosso and Tagliatelle with Spinach, Spelt Grains and Gorgonzola.
