Tilda is broadening its reach in the food industry by introducing Tilda Pulses, a ready-to-heat collection featuring six diverse options. This initiative is aimed at reinvigorating a category often perceived as unexciting, laborious, or challenging to incorporate into daily meals.
This launch represents one of Tilda’s most pivotal expansions in its recent history, capitalizing on over 55 years of rice expertise and its status as a pantry essential in one out of four households in the UK. The goal is to cultivate growth in a sector that has historically suffered from insufficient investment from major brands.
Consumers are increasingly looking for protein- and fibre-rich dietary options, making pulses more relevant than ever, though current household usage remains under 10%. Many consumers still perceive pulses as tedious or uninspiring — a challenge Tilda feels it is particularly well-suited to address.
“Pulses have huge potential, but the category hasn’t yet reached a broad audience,” states Anna Beheshti, the marketing leader at Tilda. “There is a growing consumer focus on protein and fibre-rich options, especially as shoppers aim to enhance their meals with more fibre. However, many still find pulses to be dull, bland, and time-consuming to prepare.”
Tilda aims to redefine the pulse experience for contemporary lifestyles utilizing the same successful model that transformed ready-to-heat rice products: recipes driven by flavor, convenience, and trusted quality.
The new line, featuring options like Mixed Lentils, Beluga Lentils, Tomato & Red Pepper Lentils, Cannellini Beans, Lemon & Basil Beans, and Smoked Paprika Chickpeas, is crafted to simplify the usage of pulses and make them attractive for everyday dining.
With each 250g pouch heating up in just 45 seconds or being ready to consume directly from the packaging, this range offers a quick, nutritious solution suitable for lunches, snacks, and weeknight dinners. High in protein and fibre, it aligns with the rising demand for functional, health-conscious convenience food options.
Beheshti emphasizes that this launch will create new usage opportunities and enhance visibility for a typically neglected category: “We’re tackling those perceptions with Tilda Pulses, assisting consumers in discovering how exciting, delicious, and versatile pulses can be — whether they’re preparing a quick lunch for work, planning an effortless dinner during the week, or arranging a nutritious snack.”
She adds: “This presents retailers with a tremendous opportunity to leverage Tilda’s national recognition and respond to the growing appetite for both nutritious and convenient food options.”
This rollout aligns naturally with Tilda’s ongoing commitment to innovation. The brand has a proven history of delivering convenience, exemplified by its leading ready-to-heat rice products like Pure Basmati, Pilau, Brown, and Coconut. Recent limited-edition partnerships, such as the Jamaican Spiced Pumpkin Rice with Original Flava, further demonstrate this trajectory.
By venturing into the pulses category, Tilda intends to replicate its past successes in a sector ripe for change, infusing it with big-brand influence, recipe creativity, and consumer trust—elements that have often been missing.
For the rollout and availability:
– Tilda Cannellini Beans, Tilda Lemon & Basil Beans, and Smoked Paprika Chickpeas (suggested retail price of £2.00 for 250g) will be available in select Sainsbury’s stores starting early July.
– The remaining product options will follow later in July.
– A marketing campaign will accompany the launch to raise awareness, drive trial, and inspire creative uses for pulses among consumers.
