itsu’s NEW hybrid range created for the hybrid office worker

11 June, 21

With only 30% of office workers saying they want to go back to their desks full time, the future of work is all about flexibility – a blend of office and home life now coined ‘hybrid working’. But with research showing that when working from home 70% miss their office-based lunch, and 81% say their lunches are more boring than ever, it seems we haven’t quite cracked this new norm.

Adapting to this new hybrid way of life, itsu – the Asian-inspired healthy food brand – is reinvigorating the supermarket lunch with a NEW range of tasty products launching into the food-to-go & chilled section of supermarkets this June.

Gone are the days of the boring supermarket sandwich, eaten at your desk whilst scrolling on your phone – itsu is championing the ‘hybrid lunch for hybrid workers’. The new ‘heat to eat’ range features itsu’s best-selling recipes ready in minutes, meaning you can have a restaurant-quality lunch, anytime, anywhere.

lucky katsu hotsu’potsu (Tesco, RRP £2.75)

hotsu’potsu brings you a steaming gyoza noodle soup ready in minutes, featuring itsu’s best-selling vegetable fusion gyoza, authentic rice noodles, vegetables and a hand-crafted katsu broth. Simply add water and pop in the microwave.

hotsu’potsu is also available in the Tesco meal deal, where you can add the brand’s best-selling crispy seaweed thins or prawn crackers and a drink for just £3!

chicken and spring onion gourmet’gyoza (Waitrose, RRP £3.50)

itsu’s new range of gourmet gyoza brings true restaurant quality to the aisle, following the success of their popular frozen range. Ready from the microwave in under a minute, these gyozas make an ideal lunch or perfect accompaniment to a meal.

These little parcels of joy, filled with succulent chicken and spring onion, come with a ponzu dip and chopsticks, so no need for messy hands!

spicy veg or hoisin duck bao’buns (Waitrose, RRP £3.50)

Leading the growing bao bun craze, itsu marked their 1 millionth bao sold earlier this year. The brand’s newest range of chilled bao come in two flavours, spicy veg and hoisin duck. The soft steamy filled buns make a great lunch or delicious snack, simply microwave for 45 secs.

The new itsu chilled range, which comes in 100% recyclable packaging, is the perfect hybrid lunch for the hybrid worker: easy to heat up in the office kitchen, or pop into the microwave at home.

Giorgio Finocchio, New Product Development Manager, comments: “The concept of hybrid working is pretty new, so people are still working out the hybrid lunch. We’re pretty confident we’ve cracked it, by offering the UK’s favourite itsu office lunchtime experience prepared at home – itsu the new way.

“The new hybrid working lunch is about eating beautiful and enhancing your wellbeing. Time and time again research has shown that a healthy varied diet improves your happiness, mental health and, in turn, productivity. So now is the time to embrace this ‘new normal’ and not get stuck in old ways.”

Giorgio Finocchio, itsu, offers his top tips on creating a hybrid lunchtime:

Lunch like the Japanese

Like hybrid working, the perfect hybrid lunchtime is built on flexibility and trust. In the office you might be used to a set lunch break but working from home your routine may vary. In Japanese culture, it is traditional to stick to set times for lunch, and as we hybrid work, it is good to keep that set time in to allow you to plan the day.

In Japan people also really value lunch time. Even with hybrid working, we should make the effort to enjoy our lunch break. It doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming, we have done that work for you! With very little effort our gyoza and bao offer you a taste sensation, a restaurant-quality lunch in your kitchen. Your lunch hour should be something to look forward to!

Switch things up

It can be hard to get variation into your lunch when working from home, especially when time is precious and we’re lacking inspiration. I know I don’t want to spend 40 minutes cooking my lunch on a Monday! But it all comes down to planning, if you do an organised shop at the beginning of the week you can stock your fridge with some easy and exciting options. This is one of the main reasons we have launched our chilled ‘heat to eat’ range, for people who don’t want to compromise on flavour but also don’t want to spend all their time cooking.

Lunchtime mindfulness

Whilst your food is heating up, I recommend stepping away from your emails and doing a few minutes of mindfulness. There are some great apps that take up just three minutes of your day, helping you step out of automatic pilot, and set you up for a productive afternoon.

‘Eat Beautiful’ at your desk

Before you settle back down to work after lunch, think about your workspace. Check the position of your desk – ensure that you’re not facing a wall and if near a window try not to face the view, it’s always distracting. Declutter your desk to start the afternoon with a clear mind, and try adding a house plant like a peace lily which, according to the Chinese art of Feng Shui, brings positive energy to indoor spaces.

itsu’s lucky katsu hotsu’potsu is available from Tesco now with an RRP of £2.75. Available in the £3 meal deal.

itsu’s chilled bao’buns are available from Waitrose on 21st June with an RRP of £3.50.

itsu’s gourmet’gyoza are available from Waitrose on 21st June with an RRP of £3.50.

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