Tasty Bite has a bold claim for the fast-growing Indian cuisine market. It’s a “springboard” for a growing wave of consumers turning to the trendy food for the first time.
The brand, which launched in the U.S. in 1995 with five entrees, has expanded to include dozens of products — including tikka masala packets, butter chicken sauce, lentils and rice bowls. More recently, Tasty Bite has added Biryani Rice Bowls in Smokey Paneer, Vegetable and Chickpea varieties.
Art Semerdjian, the brand’s acting general manager, said sales data indicates Indian cuisine is growing by double-digits compared to other shelf-stable categories.
“Younger consumers are looking for bolder flavors, more authentic cuisines, something different. Even the mac and cheese aisle has global flavors,” Semerdjian said. “From a trend standpoint, we were probably way ahead of time, this ready-to-heat convenient solution.”
In 2017, CPG giant Mars Food acquired a majority stake in Tasty Bite’s parent company, Preferred Brands International.
Indian cuisine, known for its array of spices and curries, is growing in popularity among consumers eager for the different flavors found in ethnic foods. Indian restaurants in the U.S. have generated $4.9 billion in revenue over the past five years. They are projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 1.4% in 2024 alone, according to IBIS World.
A big draw for Indian food among Gen Z consumers is spice. Shifting preferences toward ready-to-eat food products, driven by busy lifestyles, also are driving growth in this segment.
Scott Wellard, the vice president of sales at Tasty Bite, said consumers are experiencing Indian flavors in an array of products at restaurants, even burritos.
“They want to engage more, but when they go to the grocery store, they’re overwhelmed with how to recreate something they’ve experienced at the restaurant,” Wellard said. “Tasty Bite makes it a nice entry point for that consumer to experience these bold flavors in an easy way.”
According to Semerdjian, Tasty Bite’s products are not manufactured in a commercial factory, but prepared from scratch by chefs who saute ingredients, such as onions, rather than add powders.
“We pick the cashmere leaves by hand, and sort them like you’d do in your own kitchen,” Semerdjian said. “Indian isn’t Mexican yet, it’s not reached that kind of pull where we have Taco Tuesdays, but who knows, maybe there will be Tikki Masala Thursdays?”
The growing interest in global flavors playing off of one another will continue to influence how the brand goes about innovating, he said.
“There’s dumplings that are Chinese-Indian fusion dumplings, that’s the future. I think that’s part of where we’re going,” Semerdjian said.
As consumers and CPG companies continue grappling with rising inflation, the Mars-owned brand believes it will benefit as people look to make less expensive meals at home instead of venturing out to restaurants.
“Tasty Bite is so nutrient-dense and that really plays into the value proposition. It is truly a meal where you feel full, and it delivers on flavor,” Wellard said. “Very few commodities in the grocery aisle deliver that type of nutrition.”