‘COZINHA CONTINENTE’: TAKE-AWAY GROWS AGAIN IN 2023 WITH SALES FROM NEW SERVICE COUNTERS INCREASING BY 20%
‘Cozinha Continente’, the ready-to-eat food brand that arrived a year ago at all service counters and take-away areas in Continente stores across the country, has shown impressive growth only explained by the high quality, freshness and convenience of its offer, representing for MC a 20% growth in sales from take-away service counters. Looking to the future, ‘Cozinha Continente’ has ambitious plans for 2024, predicting significant business growth.
The brand, which was born in Vila Real, in 2022 with the opening of the first restaurant, arrived a year ago, on March 19th, throughout the country through Continente stores’ service counters and take-away areas to respond to the growing demand for quality ready-to-eat meals, adapted to consumers’ new lifestyles and needs.
With a focus on respect for origin and tradition, the quality of ingredients and preparation and with daily work between Chefs and nutritionists, ‘Cozinha Continente’ has ready-to-eat meals, to take away or to order, with a typically Portuguese flavour. By weight, in individual portions or family format, ‘Cozinha Continente’ brings delicious meals to the Portuguese home, as if they had been made at home.
“We are extremely excited about the results achieved in this first year of ‘Cozinha Continente’”, begins by stating Ana Alves, responsible for the Food Solutions area at MC, one year after the brand’s launch. “Cozinha Continente strengthened MC’s take-away category, which has shown solid growth over the last few years, especially post-pandemic. In 2023, this growth was especially accelerated in service meals, with a growth greater than 30%, the result of the work that was done to improve the recipes, with great focus on their intrinsic quality (of the recipe and ingredients), but also perceived (recognized in sensory panels)”, adds the official.
With hundreds of recipes available in different formats, and the guarantee of their quality and authenticity ensured by Chef André Matos and his team, traditional Portuguese dishes, such as ‘Bacalhau Espiritual’ or ‘Arroz de Pato’, have been winning both the hearts and stomachs of our customers. In any of the brand’s 4 restaurants, the biggest star is the ‘Bife à Portuguesa’ (Portuguese style Steak). All meals reflect Cozinha Continente’s commitment to quality, tradition, convenience and sustainability. Proof of this commitment are the ‘Bacalhau Espiritual’, which recovers its original recipe and is made with bread soaked in milk and the water used to cook the cod; the Meat Croquettes, made from 100% beef; or the Roast Chicken, made daily in stores, which is of national origin and has certified production, with Animal Welfare certification. While chefs work to ensure tasty meals as if they had been made at home, nutritionists ensure the nutritional quality of the ingredients and that there are no added flavour enhancers, added colourings and preservatives or other additives with negative potential for our health.
For this Easter, similar to what happens in other festive seasons, several typical seasonal recipes are available, such as Roast Kid with Potatoes, ‘Lagareiro’ Octopus or Cod with Spinach in Cornbread. Those who like to try new flavours will find many new novelties in Cozinha Continente’s Easter offer, such as the Crispy Cod with Serra da Estrela DOP Cheese, the ‘Transmontana’ Meat Bread, the kid and Mushroom Pie, the Duck Legs with Dried nuts Rice or the Salmon with Cornbread Crumble, Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Cabbage. According to Chef André Matos, “at ‘Cozinha Continente’, we are inspired by the authenticity of our gastronomy, the passion for good food and the pleasure of good service and, because we want you to spend more time at the table, we prepare quality meals, with the best ingredients and seasonal flavours, so you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen – because that’s what we take care of!” Orders can be placed, until March 24th, by phone, in store or online through cozinha.continente.pt. So that you don’t have to spend a lot of time preparing, you can choose to receive your order on the 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st of March, if you place your order online. Until March 31st, you can still find these meals available at the ‘Cozinha Continente’ counters and take-away areas in Continente stores.
“This year, our ambition is to be able to bring the best of our cuisine to everyone, anywhere, and we will have important news to reveal very soon...” states the head of Food Solutions. “We remain focused on bringing the best ready-made meals to our Customers and work daily to guarantee their intrinsic quality, whether due to the origin and authenticity of the ingredients, cooking methods and food safety processes, or the respect for Portuguese culture and tradition”. Regarding the future, the official concludes, “The outlook for 2024 is to maintain double-digit growth in Cozinha Continente’s business sales.”
The brand, which was born in Vila Real, in 2022 with the opening of the first restaurant, arrived a year ago, on March 19th, throughout the country through Continente stores’ service counters and take-away areas to respond to the growing demand for quality ready-to-eat meals, adapted to consumers’ new lifestyles and needs.
With a focus on respect for origin and tradition, the quality of ingredients and preparation and with daily work between Chefs and nutritionists, ‘Cozinha Continente’ has ready-to-eat meals, to take away or to order, with a typically Portuguese flavour. By weight, in individual portions or family format, ‘Cozinha Continente’ brings delicious meals to the Portuguese home, as if they had been made at home.
“We are extremely excited about the results achieved in this first year of ‘Cozinha Continente’”, begins by stating Ana Alves, responsible for the Food Solutions area at MC, one year after the brand’s launch. “Cozinha Continente strengthened MC’s take-away category, which has shown solid growth over the last few years, especially post-pandemic. In 2023, this growth was especially accelerated in service meals, with a growth greater than 30%, the result of the work that was done to improve the recipes, with great focus on their intrinsic quality (of the recipe and ingredients), but also perceived (recognized in sensory panels)”, adds the official.
With hundreds of recipes available in different formats, and the guarantee of their quality and authenticity ensured by Chef André Matos and his team, traditional Portuguese dishes, such as ‘Bacalhau Espiritual’ or ‘Arroz de Pato’, have been winning both the hearts and stomachs of our customers. In any of the brand’s 4 restaurants, the biggest star is the ‘Bife à Portuguesa’ (Portuguese style Steak). All meals reflect Cozinha Continente’s commitment to quality, tradition, convenience and sustainability. Proof of this commitment are the ‘Bacalhau Espiritual’, which recovers its original recipe and is made with bread soaked in milk and the water used to cook the cod; the Meat Croquettes, made from 100% beef; or the Roast Chicken, made daily in stores, which is of national origin and has certified production, with Animal Welfare certification. While chefs work to ensure tasty meals as if they had been made at home, nutritionists ensure the nutritional quality of the ingredients and that there are no added flavour enhancers, added colourings and preservatives or other additives with negative potential for our health.
For this Easter, similar to what happens in other festive seasons, several typical seasonal recipes are available, such as Roast Kid with Potatoes, ‘Lagareiro’ Octopus or Cod with Spinach in Cornbread. Those who like to try new flavours will find many new novelties in Cozinha Continente’s Easter offer, such as the Crispy Cod with Serra da Estrela DOP Cheese, the ‘Transmontana’ Meat Bread, the kid and Mushroom Pie, the Duck Legs with Dried nuts Rice or the Salmon with Cornbread Crumble, Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Cabbage. According to Chef André Matos, “at ‘Cozinha Continente’, we are inspired by the authenticity of our gastronomy, the passion for good food and the pleasure of good service and, because we want you to spend more time at the table, we prepare quality meals, with the best ingredients and seasonal flavours, so you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen – because that’s what we take care of!” Orders can be placed, until March 24th, by phone, in store or online through cozinha.continente.pt. So that you don’t have to spend a lot of time preparing, you can choose to receive your order on the 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st of March, if you place your order online. Until March 31st, you can still find these meals available at the ‘Cozinha Continente’ counters and take-away areas in Continente stores.
“This year, our ambition is to be able to bring the best of our cuisine to everyone, anywhere, and we will have important news to reveal very soon...” states the head of Food Solutions. “We remain focused on bringing the best ready-made meals to our Customers and work daily to guarantee their intrinsic quality, whether due to the origin and authenticity of the ingredients, cooking methods and food safety processes, or the respect for Portuguese culture and tradition”. Regarding the future, the official concludes, “The outlook for 2024 is to maintain double-digit growth in Cozinha Continente’s business sales.”