After investing in the fresh and frozen sections, the Charal company is launching an attack on a new field: savory groceries. With ”La Conserverie Charal”, the French brand wishes to offer consumers 100% French quality beef in long preservation through three variations: a range of shredded meat to spread, a second with aiguillettes or chuck confit contained in sardine tins, and a third offering individual meals in glass jars.
Ideal for assembly cooking
Until now, “Charal was present on two shelves and with one in two consumers, with a penetration rate of nearly 52% in French homes according to Kantar”, explains Stéphanie Berard-Gest, marketing and communication director. “With the development of assembly cooking, consumers’ desire for flexibility and freedom as well as their growing expectation of quality”, the idea was to invest in a new market, in this case the grocery market. , which weighs heavily (around 32 billion euros according to 2019 figures from LSA).
However, canned meat, that is to say cans of corned beef, foie gras and pâtés, “represent only 1% of the sector’s supply, and 7% if we take into account the dishes individually cooked”, adds our interlocutor. Charal, the 22nd most present food brand in the baskets of the French, has therefore decided to seize this visibility to conquer the palate of new customers at the aperitif, with the “spreadables” (2.90 euros), but also in the office or outside with its ”sardine boxes” (3.50 euros) and its four recipes for dishes rich in beef shank (4.30 euros) with up to 30% meat per portion of 300 g, all made in France.
What we thought
We tasted these novelties in preview in a Parisian boutique at the end of April. Verdict: our taste buds liked the ”candied tomato” flavor, a little less the ”plain” and ”mild curry” versions, very tasty on brioche bread, thyme-rosemary-sage focaccia or bread with flax seeds. On the other hand, the ”mild curry” stands out from the lot concerning metal cans, on a par with the ”wild garlic pesto” and to the detriment of ”vegetables from the sun” and ”candied tomato pesto”. Finally, in terms of dishes, the beef with chorizo and the beef risotto stand out from the more classic Shepherd’s pie and chili con carne.
Although the official launch of these items in all medium and large supermarkets in France is still very recent, Charal admits that he is already working on new recipes, available from next year. Other innovative products could also see the light of day in the years to come. The firm also hopes to see its ”canneries” meet with export success. After all, faced with corned beef, the ”French beef”, the embodiment of gastronomic tradition and local produce, undoubtedly has a card to play.