// Sainsbury’s expands its food innovation team in move to win fans of Waitrose’s Heston Blumenthal range

// The grocer’s experimental kitchen is set to launch 150 summer items as demand for unusual products grow

Sainsbury’s has expanded its team of culinary experts in a move to win shoppers mourning the end of Waitrose’s Heston Blumenthal range.

The supermarket giant has increased its food innovation team by almost a third since the end of 2020 due to a rise in demand for more unusual products, The Telegraph reported.

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Its experimental kitchen is preparing to launch 150 items this summer which is more than half of its Taste the Difference range.

The move into more experimental products comes as rival Waitrose announced the end of its 12-year partnership with Blumenthal, who is known for his unusual pairings.

The upmarket chain said it was taking its “product development in a new direction” and was “looking forward to the next chapter”.

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