Mr Lee’s Noodles launches in Australian stores
The producer’s range of gourmet instant noodles are now available in Woolworths stores nationwide, extending to a roll-out into Metro and EzyMart at the end of last month.
The supply deal followed a growth in demand for Mr Lee’s locally, which had been hard to keep up with, according to director of Australian operations Greg Longhurst.
‘Incredible response’
“When launching through our online store and various other retailers, the response to our two flavours has been incredible, wildly surpassing all expectations,” said Longhurst.
“What we didn’t expect, however, was just how much of a need there was for healthier instant noodles – especially vegan options – on which the feedback and press has been simply incredible.”
More than 800 Woolworths stores now stock Mr Lee’s Noodles, with four flavours available to consumers – Hong Kong Street Beef, Coconut Chicken Laksa, Tai Chi Chicken and Zen Garden Vegetables.
The manufacturer has even created an interactive map for consumers to locate the nearest store selling its noodles, as well as a dedicated Australian twitter feed.
Since launching in Australia in 2018, Mr Lee has sold about 100,000 cups of noodles a month, which was expected to rise to 200,000–400,000 in the following 12–18 months.
Supermarket launch
While Australia is the first supermarket launch outside of the UK, the manufacturer already exports its noodles to hotel groups in Scandinavia and Hong Kong.
“We couldn’t have picked a better partner to bring our noodles to the nation than ‘Woolies’, an iconic Australian brand,” Longhurst added. “[They] are true believers in moving their customers to healthier food options.”
Another company pushing for international expansion this year was drinks manufacturer Cawston Press, which successfully secured £1m through a fundraising initiative. Its range of sparkling drinks is set to launch in France this summer.
Meanwhile, at the start of the year, meat processor Hilton continued to benefit from its strategic partnerships in Australia, with its Victoria production facility delivering year-on-year growth.
