Belgian Award Best First Sustainability Report
As Belgium-listed European Fresh Savoury Food Group What’s Cooking? renewed its strategy and investment program witnessing the sector requires growth and sustainability (ESG) to go hand in hand.
Come a casa® becomes greener with her newest plant-based lasagne
Come a casa is taking a significant step in sustainability. This April, Come a casa launches a 100% plant-based lasagne bolognese with the same delicious taste and affordability as their classic version, but with a remarkable 85% reduction in plastic packaging. Prior to its official release in Belgian supermarkets, a select group of consumers had the chance to taste the latest recipe without even realizing it.
100% plant-based, 85% less plastic packaging
With this brand new lasagne, Come a casa not only wants to appeal to vegans, but also to a much broader audience. In fact, research shows that 64% of Belgian consumers[1] are trying to reduce their meat consumption. Why? For the environment, their health and animal welfare. However, they are faced with a challenge: how do you easily prepare a dish without meat and without compromising on taste? Come a casa wants to be the answer to that question.
[1] Metrixlab 2023
"As the market leader in Italian ready meals, we feel it is our responsibility to help consumers make more sustainable choices. That's why we are proud to introduce a plant-based version of one of Belgium’s favourite dishes: a lasagne bolognese. Our lasagne consists of a rich bolognese sauce based on pea proteins and a creamy béchamel sauce based on lentils & cauliflower." - Cédric Lemineur, Marketing & Development Director.
The plant-based lasagne is not only more sustainable through the choice of ingredients, but also thanks to a pioneering step in packaging. Using innovative "topseal" technology, this lasagne is packaged with 85% less plastic than the majority of the Belgian lasagne market.
"After years of research, testing and big technical adjustments in our factory, we are taking a big step in terms of sustainability with 'topseal'. Thanks to this new technology, a plastic film can be sealed directly onto the aluminium tray, good for 85% less plastic packaging. The plant-based lasagne is just the kick-off of a greener Come a casa." said Cédric.
Moreover, Come a casa wants to lower the threshold for sustainable consumption. By offering the lasagne at launch at a similar price to the brand's classic and beloved lasagne bolognese, it wants to make sustainable consumption a natural choice.
Available from today at Carrefour and Colruyt, among others, at a recommended retail price at launch €4.25 - consumer price to be decided by the retailer itself.
Come a casa temporarily became Casa Cameo
On Tuesday 20 February, a brand new lasagneria opened its doors in Antwerp with affordable lasagnes for everyone: Casa Cameo. Or so many Antwerpers thought anyway... In fact, it was a so-called dark kitchen, a restaurant where cooking is done, but where you cannot eat on the spot. Ordering lasagnes was done via the Deliveroo and Uber Eats app. End of March, however, it turned out that Casa Cameo is actually an anagram for Come a casa. And all those delicious lasagnes that were brought to your home turned out to have been produced on the Come a casa sites in Marche-en-Famenne and Wanze. To top it all off, also the newest Lasagne Bolognese Plant-based could be tasted!
"At Come a casa, we believe that even if you don't have time or just don't want to cook, you can always count on our meals for a simple solution without compromising on taste. Our ready-made meals are put together with care, so you can effortlessly whip up a delicious meal on the table. With our dark kitchen stunt, we want to show that choosing a ready meal is also choosing a tasty experience." said Margaux De Ridder, Brand Manager Come a casa.
Some figures from the recent blind consumer test :
564 Antwerp residents have tasted a lasagne or pasta.
97% of the "reviewers" gave a taste score of at least 4/5.
The price also proved to be to their liking with 96% giving it a score of at least 4/5.
100% would buy the lasagne/pasta again.
A stunt to show that Come a casa's lasagnes - including the new plant-based variant - approach fresh homemade lasagnes in terms of taste and bite. And at a great price! Mission accomplished according to these figures[1]!
[1]Amphion : Numbers obtained based on 82 reviews between the months February - March 2024 during Casa Cameo Dark kitchen
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What's Cooking Group reaches agreement on intention to sell its SBU Savoury
What's Cooking Group NV (What's Cooking?), the leading European fresh food group with wide range in savoury cold cuts and ready meals announced in March 2024 that it had started a process to explore strategic options and maximize shareholder value. As part of this process, preliminary discussions had started on the possible sale of 100% of the share capital of What's Cooking Savoury Belgium NV and its subsidiaries in Belgium, the Netherlands, UK and Germany that produce, slice and sell savoury cold cuts (together the Strategic Business Unit (SBU) Savoury).
Exploring strategic options Business Unit Savoury
What's Cooking Group communicates that it has started a process to explore strategic options - including the potential sale of the Strategic Business Unit Savoury