KIRSTY’S TARGETS NUMBER ONE ‘FREE-FROM’ BRAND IN THE UK WITH REBRAND

Kirstys, the Yorkshire based ‘free-from’ food brand which operates in both chilled and frozen categories, is aiming to take top spot in the sector with an exciting new rebrand.

The updated brand identity includes a new, striking pack design and refreshed logo, helping to showcase the ‘well-being and positive health’ credentials.

The aim of the rebrand is to appeal to a wider audience and attract new consumers, helping ‘free-from’ food to become more mainstream and fulfil the brand’s ambition to become the number one chilled & frozen ‘free from‘ brand in the UK.

Kirsty’s are also currently looking into new product development options including a potential line of “indulgent” takeaway meals, expanding its vegan offering, and targeting new contract manufacturing deals over the coming months.

Kirsty Henshaw, founder and managing director of Kirsty’s, said: “Our brand has always been about health, but when I tried making takeaway meals without any red traffic lights I couldn’t quite get to what I wanted to achieve.

“The new product development we are looking in to currently may well include really indulgent curries and Chinese products with a focus on flavour and taste rather than health credentials, after all, free-from consumers aren’t that focused on health on a Friday night.”

Kirsty’s believe this new product development could be a £3M opportunity for the free-from manufacturer that is currently valued at £15M.

In a category often associated with compromising taste, the rebrand helps broaden appeal through its use of bold up-beat colours to communicate flavour, delicious-looking product photography and improved communication of health attributes.

Award-winning packaging design agency Parker Williams were appointed with the task of taking a fresh look at the brand positioning and developing a clear way to communicate product benefits across multiple categories.

Kirsty continued: “Making sure our packaging works hard on shelf is crucial in extending our appeal.”

“Not only do we have multiple categories and different target audiences but as it’s my name on the pack, the design choices feel very personal to me. I can honestly say I spent more time looking at colours on this project than when I was choosing my living room wallpaper”.

Alongside the rebrand, Kirsty’s has invested £2M in a new factory that will help the brand achieve their target of doubling the size of the business within three years.

The new factory, located in Harrogate, will give Kirsty’s the capability to produce 20 million ready meals per year as well as scope to play in other categories such as soups, pies and sauces.