Skin packs ‘almost double shelf life’ for burgers

Traditional tray packaging has been replaced with a skin pack format for the burgers sold in British supermarket chain Waitrose, almost doubling shelf life and putting the ‘focus on the burger.’

James Beaumont, marketing manager, All About Food (which produces the burgers under licence for Gourmet Burger Kitchen) told FoodProductionDaily.com the packaging increases shelf life from five to nine days, reducing waste and driving sales.

High beef content​

“Skin packing - removing air - starves bacteria of a food source therefore reducing and slowing further growth,​” he said. “This enables us to have a high 99% beef content, with a pinch of salt and pepper​.”

“The skin packs launched week commencing April 28, and so far we have seen record sales from both a ROS basis and total units sold.​”

Sales of Waitrose’s own brand Essentials steaks have already shown skin packaging is well received by consumers, Beaumont said.

The retailer saw a 17% sales increase​ when the skin packs were introduced just over a year ago. The retailer saves 30 tonnes of packaging per year as a result of the change.

Shelf stand out​

The product has increased shelf stand out, Beaumont said. “The GBK grocery range wants the focus to be on the burger, and with the new packaging we’re not hiding anything.​

“Consequently the new packaging format helps improve the stand-out of the burger, as the re-launch into the new packaging was supported with a gondola end promotion and supporting shelf barkers [tags on shelves to promote a product].​”

Gourmet Burger Kitchen, a UK restaurant chain, started selling its burgers in supermarkets in 2010.