Itsu is launching a new selection of dragon rolls in Tesco’s £5 meal deal beginning October 21. The options include teriyaki salmon, vegetable crunch, and katsu chicken. This follows insights from Tesco at the end of 2023, indicating sushi has surpassed the smoked salmon sandwich as Britain’s preferred premium lunchtime choice.
According to Itsu grocery MD Claudia Santagada, developing a sushi range for supermarkets presented several challenges, particularly in maintaining quality. One major challenge was preventing the rice from hardening on the shelf. To address this, the team chose to keep the shelf life short and implemented controls on temperature and pH levels to ensure the rice remained as moist as possible.
They also aimed to incorporate a crunch into the rolls without overshadowing the sushi’s flavor with strong ingredients. Santagada noted that they developed tempura pieces, small batter balls that can be added on top for added crunch without compromising the sushi’s original taste.
In addition to the new sushi range, Itsu has also expanded its frozen product lineup with five new offerings, including two varieties of frozen dumplings and three vegetable side dishes.
