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Muscle Fuel adds insects to meal


It won’t jump off the plate, but Muscle Fuel’s newest meal might make you squeal.


Muscle Fuel Chirpy Cricket Chicken

Wednesday 24 October 2018 - Muscle Fuel, New Zealand’s largest producer of healthy, fresh, premade meals has today launched the world’s first premade meal containing insects – the Chirpy Cricket Chicken.

The meal, containing the equivalent of three crickets rubbed across a succulent chicken breast and served alongside fettuccine bacon and potato bake with baby beets, may not be for the faint-hearted but Muscle Fuel CEO Hamish Coulter says creating a cricket flour meal was about educating Kiwis on alternative food sources.

“Bugs have been used in non-western food cultures for a long time. They provide a number of health benefits and are a really sustainable food source - but until people get used to it being a part of their diet it’s just not going to take off,”

“I put the challenge to our development chefs to use cricket flour to create something that would show our customers and other Kiwis that insects can be part of the menu,” says Coulter.

Coulter says he expects a mixed reaction from customers about the ‘chicket’ meal:

“We get that this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but we definitely encourage people to give it a try!”

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“And there are always another 35 meals on our menu that don’t contain crickets if you don’t like the idea of eating insects.”

Developing innovative meals is nothing new for the Hamilton-based meal producer. Earlier this year they created a dish using native New Zealand kawakawa to celebrate Matariki.

Coulter says the dish, which changed him from a loather to a lover of brussels sprouts, was named a finalist in two categories of the New Zealand Food Awards (the James & Wells Business Innovation Award and the Chilled Foods/Short Shelf Life Award).

Ready to Eat (the parent company of Muscle Fuel) was also recently named in both the Waikato regional and national Deloitte Fast 50 Index for 2018.

“It has been a huge year for us. We are so proud to have been recognised both for our business innovation and our great tasting, quality product,” Says Coulter.

The Chirpy Cricket Chicken Meal is available for a limited time at musclefuel.co.nz. The meal RRPs for $12.49 (Lite size) and $14.49 (Maxi size).

About Muscle Fuel:

Muscle Fuel is Ready to Eat’s in-house brand of healthy, fresh, premade meals. Their chef-prepared meals help thousands of Kiwis nationwide eat well every day – without the hassle of shopping, cooking or cleaning. Delivered direct to consumers, each meal contains a careful balance of protein, carbs and fats to take the guess work out of nutrition.

Healthy eating has never been so delicious or convenient, with Muscle Fuel.

www.musclefuel.co.nz

About Ready to Eat:

Ready to Eat is New Zealand’s largest producers of fresh heat and eat meals. Founded in 2013, Ready to Eat provides contract manufacturing services and produces meals for well-known brands Muscle Fuel and Plate Up. Operating from a custom-built facility in Hamilton, Ready to Eat is well situated to service customers nationwide. Finalists in both the Waikato regional and national Deloitte Fast 50 Index for 2018, Ready to Eat has grown rapidly over the last 5 years. Ready to Eat were also recognized recently as finalists in two categories in the New Zealand Food Awards 2018.

www.readytoeat.co.nz


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