Asda is taking over an east London restaurant to serve up its ready meals with a twist. Plated with some Michelin-style flair, the eight-course tasting menu is designed to make diners feel like they are eating at a high-end restaurant.
The pop-up will open its doors for one day on 21 October with a menu created using Asda's Extra Special ready meals and accompaniments to celebrate 20 years of the premium own-brand range. Each dish is plated and presented by Asda innovation chef Andrew Johnston and his team.
One hundred diners and friends will be served slow-cooked ox cheek with Ruddles ale; Moroccan lamb koftas with spiced tomato, apricot and chickpea; Korean BBQ beef with shichimi and sticky rice; and salmon with crispy capers. Extra touches are provided by ingredients also found in the Extra Special range. The meal will be paired with a selection of Extra Special wines.
A lunchtime and dinner service will operate, with bookings available via a ballot and successful applicants picked at random. The experience will be hosted at Amber in Whitechapel. Cow PR is delivering the project.
Sam Dickson, vice-president of own brand at Asda, said: "We have spent the last 20 years sourcing the very best ingredients and products for our Extra Special range. The range is constantly changing to meet our customer needs, but quality is always at the very heart of it. Premium ready meals are becoming increasingly popular as the pandemic brought with it the trend to treat ourselves at home, and we're immensely proud of our Extra Special range of 'meals for tonight'.
"The Ready Meal restaurant is designed to show that ready meals aren't just about convenience and value, they can also be delicious and allow you to create a feast fit for a Michelin-star dining table in your own kitchen."
In September Asda revealed its latest tagline: "Get the Asda price feeling" alongside an ad by Havas London set to Boston’s More than a Feeling.