Heinz delivers new virtual breakfast

Food processor and supplier Heinz is making its first foray into the UK’s virtual restaurant market with the launch of ‘Heinz Brekkie’.

The company has teamed up with operating partner Lean Kitchen Network to create and launch the virtual restaurant via Uber Eats in London. It is aiming to appeal to a younger audience, who have adopted food delivery as a habit after lockdowns.

Heinz Brekkie is initially available for delivery through two dark kitchens in London’s Clapham and Deptford, with plans to continue expansion into underutilised kitchens across the UK, including in venues such as hotels and pubs.

Claire Traynor, head of foodservice for Northern Europe at Kraft Heinz, said: “The virtual restaurant model has disrupted the foodservice market; rapidly accelerated during Covid, [and] it continues to thrive. We know that UK consumers want a tasty, fulfilling breakfast and with home-working continuing across the country, this is the perfect time for us to take our iconic Heinz brand into the breakfast delivery space and reach a younger audience, while also supporting those operators with underutilised kitchens.”

The menu features dishes for meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans, offering breakfast buns, breakfast bowls, hash brown dippers, bagels and sides. Options include ‘The Hot One’ breakfast bun, ‘The Full Vegan’ and loaded ‘Truffle Hash Brown Dippers’. All feature Heinz products, such as Heinz Tomato Ketchup and Heinz Beanz.

Lean Kitchen Network, a food activation and operations business, has helped create ‘Heinz Brekkie’. Faraz Nagree, Lean Kitchen Network’s founder, added: “Think about the number of pubs that serve breakfast but aren’t particularly busy. Supermarket cafes where you’ve got a fully staffed kitchen but maybe only three or four customers in the venue but are surrounded by areas of high-density population who will be looking to enjoy something in the comfort of their own homes. The opportunities are huge.

“In addition, the current strain on staff and strain on food costs means that many businesses have removed corporate catering from their offices. We feel a model such as this could also be a great solution from a corporate level as a work breakfast solution.”

“Virtual brands such as Heinz Brekkie help us to get even closer to UK consumers,” adds Traynor. “Eventually, we will be able to use this model to test new flavours, pilot innovation and get real-time feedback quickly, so we can be more agile in terms of delivering the very best products and experiences for our consumers and customers.”