READY.SET.GYOZA! The creative forces behind itsu bring the flavours of Asia to the nation’s freezers with a new gyoza range available in supermarkets
7 April 2017
READY.SET.GYOZA! The creative forces behind itsu bring the flavours of Asia to the nation’s freezers with a new gyoza range available in supermarkets
Julian Metcalfe’s popular Asian-inspired chain itsu launches its first-ever frozen food range as part of their ever-growing grocery offering as it marks its 20th year.
Enjoyed all year round in Eastern Asia, gyoza are traditional soft pastry parcels often filled with seafood, meat and vegetables, forming a key part of Asian cuisine that can be served as part of a meal or enjoyed as a snack.
Now the pioneering chain unveil their ‘gyoza dinner dumplings’ in selected Waitrose and Tesco stores nationwide from March onwards in three bold and unique flavours; Vegetable Fusion, King Prawn and Sesame Tuna. itsu are redefining the way the nation eats gyoza, transforming them from being considered a starter or side dish into a versatile ingredient for a convenient meal.
The move into the frozen food market follows on from the hugely successful launch of dumplings in itsu shops, now one of their most popular dishes. During eighteen months of research and development, Julian and his team made numerous trips to Korea to create recipes that bring to life the authentic flavours of Asia.
The product development team worked closely with experts tasting and improving until they had the perfect high-quality, succulent fillings that make the range so unique to the market. It was Julian who crafted the original and delicious ‘sesame tuna’ variant during the initial recipe stage, combining chunks of sesame-infused tuna with sweetcorn, herbs and juicy red pepper.
Founder and Creative Director Julian Metcalfe says; “I am extremely excited about itsu’s first venture into frozen food, with one of our shop’s bestsellers - gyoza”. Adding “We have always set about being pioneers and so are leading the way by bringing restaurant-quality, authentic dumplings to consumers' freezers. We hope these products make people re-think frozen food in the UK as they are of incredible quality, unbelievably easy to make, convenient and so delicious!”
With a cooking time of just 3-6 minutes, these innovative frozen dinner dumplings cater for working professionals, families and anyone looking for a convenient and versatile meal. They can be microwaved, boiled and pan cooked and are perfect in broths, with vegetables and stir fries and/or with rice or noodles.
