Kepak, owner of the Rustlers brand, is reinforcing its position in the food to go market with the launch of what it describes as its most convenient solution yet.

The new ‘Cook in Box’ format enables consumers to heat the fully assembled burger without even opening the pack.

The packaging performs a dual role, creating a protective barrier around the product, eliminating any messy preparation in the workplace or with in-store microwaves, while also acting as a product carrier to enable easy consumption on the go.

The Cook in Box packaging, which contains a Kepak-patented packaging format, includes a ‘micro-crisping sleeve’, which has been developed to ensure the bun is perfectly cooked.

Two Rustlers products will be introduced in the new format: the All Day Breakfast Double Sausage Muffin with cheese and brown sauce (RRP £2.50), and the Classic Cheeseburger topped with cheese and Rustlers signature sauce (RRP £2.50).

“Rustlers has been capitalising on consumer demand for great tasting convenient food solutions for many years and, with the brand growing by more than 10% year-on-year, it’s clear that demand for these products continues to be high,” said Adrian Lawlor, marketing and business development director at Kepak.

“However, when looking at how the category served the on-the-go and workplace channels, we identified an untapped opportunity to present our products in a different way, to further address consumer needs in these channels, while leveraging the core strengths of Rustlers.

“We also wanted to create a low-cost approach for retailers and food operators to develop incremental opportunities for hot food across a variety of day parts. We are confident that this latest innovation will create a significant new growth platform for us and our customers, in these channels and beyond.”

The range has launched in selected Co-op, Nisa and One Stop stores and will be rolling out across the UK in the coming months.