Warburtons has expanded its range of sandwich alternatives with a duo of pre-sliced bagels.

The NPD is available in two variants – plain and cinnamon & raisin – which are produced via a ‘traditional process’ in which they are boiled then baked on a new multi-million-pound line at Warburtons’ Bristol bakery.

The 80g bagels come in packs of five and will be available in Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco with an rsp of £1.60.

Warburtons launched Thin Bagels in 2015, which now account for 20.2% of the bagel market in the UK and have generated £20.5m in sales in the past year [Nielsen 52 w/e 23 March 2019].

According to Kantar, bagels are the second biggest growing segment of the sandwich alternatives market. They make up 28% of category value and 23% of unit sales [Nielsen].

“We are delighted to be expanding our portfolio and helping drive growth in the bakery category with such a high-quality product. Unlike most on the market, our bagels are pre-sliced, making them really convenient for consumers,” said Darren Littler, innovation and product marketing director at Warburtons.

“Alongside our already popular Warburtons Thin Bagels, our new range offers a versatile snack and will be key in helping retailers expand their bakery repertoire.”