The United Synagogue

Beans Finally Meanz Kosher!

PRESS COVERAGE

London, 26th August, 2010

BEANS FINALLY MEANS KOSHER!

You can spread them across toast, use them as an accompaniment to many a meal and they have even been used as a pizza topping. Found in most kitchen cupboards, baked beans are the epitome of simple, no-frills food that has kept many a student and family satisfied for generations.

So when Tesco and the London Beth Din began collaborating eight months ago in a joint venture to introduce own brand kosher produce, it seemed appropriate that baked beans was the favoured starting point.

And from last month, fifty Tesco stores nationwide began selling the tinned treat, making it only the third brand of baked beans certified by the London Beth Din. It is hoped that their introduction will make keeping kosher easier for the consumer.

�The objective of the Beth Din with this project is to make kosher more accessible to everyone throughout the UK,� explains Florette Hyman, marketing director for Kosher London Beth Din. �It is important that we are always developing new ideas and working to listen to what the consumer wants. Baked beans is a simple, healthy, nutritious staple enjoyed by all ages, therefore it was a natural starting point. Plus we recognise that keeping kosher is difficult and constantly on the mind of the kosher consumer. Therefore what could make it easier than to see that welcome familiar KLBD logo in the corner of the pack of your favourite treat or staple?�

And according to Tesco kosher buyer Lauren Richman, it is an exciting venture for the UK�s largest retailer too. �We work in local communities to serve local people,� she says. �Offering kosher food in communities where there is a demand for it is important to our customers. We feel there is an opportunity to offer our customers more variety and choice in this area and we will be monitoring how customers respond to our range of baked beans to establish where there is an opportunity to launch other own brand products.

�With our own brand kosher products we will be competitive on price and offer more choice. Developing this is an exciting new move for us. It will allow us to offer more choice to our Jewish customers.�

Seen as being of particular benefit to university students, travellers and people in outlying communities, Ms Hyman says it is the Beth Din�s duty to make kashrut possible in otherwise difficult circumstances.

�Kol Yisroel areivim zeh lozeh � all Israel are responsible for each other,� she adds. �Therefore we must do all we can to make it possible for all Jews to take their first step to eating kosher. We feel a strong responsibility to guide, encourage and make it easy for people to keep kosher and to help avoid challenging circumstances.�

And while neither party will divulge what food product might be next on the agenda, it is clear that both the London Beth Din and Tesco are committed to ensuring a growing number of items are added to the supermarket�s certified kosher list.

Ms Richman confirmed that Tesco would �potentially look to launch other products� while Ms Hyman said the baked beans are �definitely a launch pad for other kosher own brand products.�

The news will delight the buying public which has welcomed with open arms the new item adorning the shelves of their local supermarket.
�Beans on toast at university will never be the same again, now that we can look forward to Tesco kosher baked beans,� says David Gee, head boy at Immanuel College.

And his opinion is echoed by Hendon resident Dov Katzel.
�I think it�s great that England has woken up to the fact that all products should have a hechsher. In South Africa all brands have a hechsher on the product and you don�t have to walk around with a book to check.�
The beans, costing 59p, can be found at all Tesco outlets with a kosher section.

-END-

Published with permission of the Jewish News�
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