Pukka signals a fresh era for chilled handhelds

Pukka has overhauled its chilled handheld portfolio with high-impact packaging and the launch of a limited-edition Cheese & Pickle Slice.

This move signals a strategic shift toward shopability and sensory appeal, aiming to disrupt a traditionally beige category and capture a younger, flavour-focused demographic.

The relaunch features a refreshed visual identity across Pukka’s entire slice range, including favourites like All Steak and Chicken & Mushroom, alongside world-inspired options like Jerk Chicken and Pepperoni Pizza. Joining the line-up is the new Cheese & Pickle Slice, a seasonal 140g pastry designed specifically for the Spring/Summer window.

Responding to a category previously described by Pukka CEO Isaac Fisher as uninspiring, this relaunch addresses the rising demand for convenient, high-quality on-the-go options.

With Pukka Slices already seeing a 11.2% volume growth year-on-year, the brand is leveraging this momentum to solve the problem of shelf-navigation while filling the gap for adventurous, yet familiar, British flavour profiles.

The new Cheese & Pickle Slice uses a classic British flavour pairing, combining mature Cheddar cheese and potato with a sweet, tangy pickle. These ingredients are encased in Pukka’s signature golden puff pastry, focusing on a full-on flavour profile that mirrors the brand’s core pie range in a portable format.

The range is engineered to attract younger, incremental shoppers who seek bold, world-inspired flavours (like Jerk Chicken) and formats (like Pepperoni Pizza). 

The rollout began in April 2026. The Cheese & Pickle Slice debuted in Morrisons on April 15th with an aggressive £1 introductory promotion, followed by an Asda launch in May with an RRP of £1.75. The strategy relies on bold colour-coded cues to help retailers maximise the impact of the fixture and drive impulse purchases.

Pukka aims to maintain its position as the nation’s number one pie brand by balancing the familiar with the new. The ambition is to use a consistent pipeline of seasonal innovation and world flavours to keep the category relevant, ensuring the range works harder on the shelf to drive sustained value growth.

For food and drink producers, Pukka’s strategy highlights three critical takeaways:

1. Visual disruption is non-negotiable: in crowded chilled fixtures, bold colour cues and flavour navigation are essential to winning the split-second decision-making process of the shopper.
2. The modern classic opportunity: there is significant room to innovate by reimagining traditional British profiles (like Cheese & Pickle) for modern, handheld formats.
3. Drive incremental sales via global flavour: to attract younger demographics, producers should look beyond safe options toward world-inspired profiles (Jerk, Pizza) that differentiate the brand from legacy category competitors.