- Mrs Unis Spicy Foods signs £150,000 contract for four new handmade naan breads
- Products to be exclusively sold in all Scottish stores
- Mrs Unis workforce rises 150% from 18 to 45
- Relationship with Asda grown from two stores to 61
Renowned Indian food supplier Mrs Unis Spicy Foods has confirmed a contract, valued at £150,000, with Asda to exclusively supply four new flavoured naan breads to the supermarket chain.
The new deal with the Edinburgh-based producer is the latest in a two-year long relationship which has seen Mrs Unis’ range of handmade pakora increase from just two stores to all 61 Scottish stores, ranging from the Highlands to the Borders.
Each year, Mrs Unis sells over 730,000 packets of pakora to Asda customers, with chicken pakora strips being a firm favourite totalling 35% of sales.
Joining the popular pakora lines will be four new naan breads; Keema Naan, Cheese and Coriander Naan, Meetha Naan and Chicken Tikka and Coriander Naan – all exclusive to Asda for six months. All the naan breads are made by the skilled hands of Mrs Unis’ staff using fresh spices and herbs and a traditional recipe dough which is packed full of authenticity and flavour.
The relationship with Asda has not only proved beneficial to consumers, who can enjoy a large choice of handmade Indian food, but also to Mrs Unis as they have increased their workforce by 150%.
Renowned for her community outreach work, Shaheen Unis CBE has grown her business from a small operation selling pakora from a shop in Stockbridge to a fully-fledged factory benefitting from the knowledge, support and experience of Asda.
Mrs Unis was also a participant in this year’s Asda Supplier Development Academy which aims to boost local food supplier businesses across Scotland. This is the third time Asda has worked with Scotland Food & Drink to run the programme and previous rounds have seen participants increase sales by up to 330%.
Working to improve the Edinburgh-based Asian community Mrs Unis prides itself on employing the elderly, widowed and students at its factory in Peffermill. Through a partnership with Queen Margaret University, students can undertake a placement at the factory to gain first-hand technical experience in food manufacturing.
“Supporting local Scottish suppliers is an integral part of what we strive to do at Asda,” commented June Rose, Regional Buying Assistant for Scotland. “Our relationship with Mrs Unis has benefited both of us greatly. We have been able to bring more authentically produced Indian delicacies to the palates of Scots across the country and Mrs Unis has increased their workforce from 18 to 45 and therefore given employees a new sense of identity, purpose and array of skills.”
Shaheen Unis, Founder and Managing Director of her namesake company, added: “I have always worked to use the best, most authentic ingredients in hand-producing our products and this is truer than ever when it comes to making our new naan breads.
“Asda has been crucial to the success and growth of Mrs Unis and in a larger context, improving the lives of those in the community. This year’s Asda Supplier Development Academy is allowing us and other Scottish food and drink producers to benefit more and more from Asda’s expertise. With their help, we are already looking at some exciting expansion plans.”
The new naan breads are on shelves now and consist of:
- Keema Naan - £2.50
- Cheese and Coriander Naan - £2.50
- Meetha Naan - £2.50
- Chicken Tikka and Coriander Naan - £2.50