Rustlers expands into frozen with meal kits

Rustlers is expanding beyond its chilled heartland with the launch of a five‑strong Frozen Meal Kits range, marking the £109m brand’s first move into the freezer aisle.

The new line‑up is rolling out across Sainsbury’s, Asda and Farmfoods this week, targeting growing demand for convenient, QSR‑inspired meal solutions that can be cooked from frozen in around 15 minutes in an air fryer.

The range centres on chicken as the primary protein and includes three meal kits for two — Crispy Southern Fried Chicken Feast Box, Irish Style Chicken Spice Box, and Spicy Breaded Fillet Burger & Waffle Fries — alongside two single‑serve options: Loaded BBQ Popcorn Chicken Wedges and Chilli & Garlic Chicken Gyros.

Elaine Rothballer, head of marketing consumer brands at Kepak, said:
“Rustlers is synonymous with convenient chilled snacks and meals that deliver on taste and value for shoppers cooking at home. This year, the brand is expanding into frozen meal solutions, bringing popular dishes into the freezer aisle, to make it even easier for shoppers to recreate fake-away occasions at home.”

Rustlers said the move responds to rising shopper interest in meal kits that emulate trending QSR flavours, offering a fast, fuss‑free way to elevate at‑home dining. To drive visibility, the launch will be supported by branded freezer bay takeovers, aisle activations and a wider digital‑led ATL campaign.

The brand expects the new range to disrupt the frozen category by bringing its signature convenience, flavour and value proposition to shoppers.