CLUB SANDWICH 58

LINDA'S FOOD LAUNCH

Mark Lewisohn reports on a great event in the annals of grocery

            The dream finally came true on 30 April, when Linda McCartney's range of frozen foods was launched in style with a presentation and buffet lunch at the Savoy Hotel in London.
            Being the wettest April day this century in the south of England, a planned photocall in the leafy Victoria Embankment Gardens, behind the Savoy, had to be postponed. But nothing could put a dampener on the event inside.
            It saw a curious blending of rock and grocery worlds: journalists from the music magazines mixing with marketing experts from Ross Young's, the frozen food division of the United Biscuits concern with whom Linda has been working so closely these past two years, conceiving, planning, testing and tasting the six products which hit the British supermarket shelves the first week of May.
            Lectern talks from Roger Goldsmith, development director of Ross Young's, and Andrew Simpson, the company's marketing manager, which began the proceedings, were educational, not only for the interesting facts they presented but also for the array of trade-speak dispensed: the audience heard that "the freezer is the pantry of the nineties"; "the frozen food cabinet is one where consumers have a lot of focus"; that because of "the fragmentation of eating occasions...these products are mainstream in terms of their cost to the end user"; there was talk of "brands in the portfolio", "product strategy" and "products that actually offer the same quality of eat".
            But amidst the jargon were the encouraging statistics, worth repeating again in CS: while four per cent of British housewives (and, to be strictly non-sexist, house-husbands) are already wholly vegetarian and 38 per cent are meat-eaters who, regrettably, have no intention of reducing their consumption of flesh, in the middle there's an incredible 58 per cent, the slightly greens if you will, actively looking for alternatives to, and cutting down their consumption of, red meat. For what's being termed 'The Linda McCartney Range', this is the target group. And targets this big shouldn't be too difficult to hit.
            "Linda is obviously a major personality," explained Andrew Simpson. "We do a lot of research amongst housewives and she is actually the leading vegetarian: in excess of 50 per cent of housewives spontaneously say that she's a vegetarian. And she's also seen as a caring mother."
            But 'The Linda McCartney Range' is not one of those product lines marketed by a company which has merely bought the right to a person's name and image. As Simpson commented, "Linda has worked very closely with us in terms of the recipe development, and we've had regular meetings. And she's liaised directly with our chefs who have turned the product concepts into actual products."
            Linda herself, the full focus of attention for once, then took to the stage for a Q&A session.
            'Where will the money go?'
            "Into animal charities. We've put a lot into this and we haven't made any money yet. But if we do, it will all go to help life, rather than me."
            'Shouldn't we be persuading people to buy fresh fruit and veg rather than frozen foods?'
            "Yes, I really believe in fresh produce, but I'm talking now about replacing that hole in your plate. When I cooked meat I bought a chicken breast or a pork chop, and I planned the meal around it. We've gone this way for somebody who wants to replace that bit of meat. During testing, a lot of people actually said, 'Come on, there's meat in here', then once they realised that it's soya-meat, rather than flesh, they couldn't get over the taste. Because a lot of people think vegetarians eat bland food, and that it's boring, and that they'll feel hungry afterwards, so really I'm just trying to show them that you can eat better, in my opinion, and that no animal has to suffer."
            This conversion of carnivore to veggie is at the essence of the new product. Said Linda, "I've had letters from a lot of people who worked on the World Tour and who've now gone vegetarian, and they're very proud of themselves. They say how, for example, when they're watching something on telly, for example dolphins being slaughtered, they can see what we've been talking about. Chris McNeill of Ross Young's, who has helped me develop the range - his whole family went veggie after doing this, they thought it tasted so good."
            When someone asked Linda if hubbie minded her stealing the limelight, Paul took his opportunity to pop up from the audience and take to the stage too. "It's not really a question of limelight for us," he reasoned. "I get enough limelight, but this is something we've been at for the last 20 years, and it's all just culminated in this. So it's her day. It's great - I like keeping out of the way and giving her a chance." Linda insisted that it's not about publicity anyway, commenting, "I'm really just trying to say to people, Go Veggie. I'd rather not be in the limelight, but the only way to help animals and to help this world is to say something and spread the word. If you Go Veggie it takes probably two months to change over and make life easy for yourself. Once you change, though, life is so much better and you feel better, health-wise, and conscience-wise too."
            One bright spark asked if Paul himself had cooked a meal with any of his wife's range. The answer, "Yes", surprised the questioner. "She was late home the other night and, I must admit, I did cook Golden Nuggets in mash, a new creation of mine! It was quite a treat." This from a man who has eaten in the world's top restaurants and hotels.
            And it may be only the start. Ever-brimming with enthusiasm, Linda declared, "If people want this range there's millions of things we could do. Personally, I want to totally fill the supermarkets with great healthy food, and close down the slaughterhouses." Read into this an indication that, if the initial batch of six products is successful, as it surely will be, more will follow.
            "Taste it, and then decide," concluded the mother-of-four cum musician cum photographer cum environmentalist cum best-selling author and now cuisinier. Go on - it must be worth a try.

THE LINDA McCARTNEY RANGE

Lasagne

            Layers of fresh egg pasta filled with textured vegetable protein in a bolognese-style sauce topped with creamy bechamel sauce and vegetarian cheese.
            Expert's opinion: being a bolognese-based lasagne, it's unique as a vegetarian dish since rival brands have vegetable filling, and which are not so good for it.

4 Ploughman's Pasties

            A tasty mix of textured vegetable protein and traditional vegetables encased in light flaky pastry.
            Expert's opinion: an excellent dish of a more superior texture and quality than its meat role-model, the Cornish Pastie.

4 Beefless Burgers

            A blend of textured vegetable protein, lightly flavoured for that chargrilled taste.
            Expert's opinion: hard to differentiate between this and the real thing, except that the Beefless variety is guaranteed BSE free. Perfect for bun-filling.

2 Italian style Toppers

            A slice of textured vegetable protein topped with a tomato and herb sauce, a slice of vegetarian mozzarella cheese and encased in a light crispy crumb.
            Expert's opinion: the whole range is excellent but this product is the best-acclaimed dish of the lot, comprising a burger-base with a, tomato and cheese breadcrumbed topping.

Golden Nuggets

            Succulent pieces of seasoned and flavoured textured vegetable protein in a light crispy crumb.
            Expert's opinion: will be a real favourite with children, but no less enjoyable for all the family. This is what chicken ought - and used - to taste like, but it's meat-free, of course.

Ploughman's Pie

            A tasty blend of minced vegetable protein and traditional vegetables in a rich sauce topped with potato and vegetarian cheese crumble.
            Expert's opinion: virtually indistinguishable from a good quality shepherd's pie, but boasting far superior nutritional values.

            "Meat free, cholesterol free," Linda McCartney.
            "Enthusiastically received by the whole of the grocery grade," Roger Goldsmith, development director, Ross Young's.
            "Designed to offer a broad-based family appeal," Andrew Simpson, marketing manager, Ross Young's.
            "It's definitely thumbs up for Linda McCartney's frozen-food," Simon BATES, BBC Radio One, 1 May 1991, after an entirely complimentary live on-air tasting of the range with his studio staff.