WILD’R makes its retail debut in Sainsbury’s, with ambitions to bring brand-led innovation and convenience to the fish category
New British food brand, WILD’R, is launching into the UK grocery market this month, with ambitions to shake up the chilled fish aisle by making quality wild fish a more convenient, flavourful, and exciting choice for everyday meals.
Founded by adventurer Doug Worboys, WILD’R will make its retail debut in 382 Sainsbury’s stores nationwide and online from 14th October 2026, with its MSC Yellowfin Tuna Steaks in Ginger, Lime & Coconut, RRP £7.35 for two 90g steaks. The launch marks the arrival of the UK’s first chilled, ready-to-eat tuna steaks.
Lack of confidence in preparing and cooking fish remains one of the key barriers stopping UK consumers eating more of it. Only 39% of Brits say they would feel confident cooking a whole fish, and new research links declining consumption among younger adults directly to a lack of confidence in choosing and preparing it. WILD’R takes the prep and hassle out of the equation, offering wild fish that is already cooked, full of flavour and ready to eat. In a category heavily dominated by own-label, the brand is bringing a distinctive proposition to the fixture, combining globally inspired flavours with everyday convenience.
WILD’R’s story began thousands of miles away from the supermarket aisle. Founder Doug Worboys and his childhood best friend, quit their jobs in the City, passed their motorcycle tests and flew to Alaska, where they bought bikes off Gumtree, and embarked on a 16,558 mile journey south to Honduras. Along the way, locally caught wild salmon, shared by roadside communities, prepared using recipes handed down through generations, provided the inspiration for what would eventually become WILD’R.
The Sainsbury’s launch gives WILD’R national distribution from day one, and the brand’s MSC Yellowfin Tuna Steaks in Ginger, Lime & Coconut will be the first product to hit shelves. Wild caught in the Indian Ocean using FAD-free purse seine fishing and MSC certified, the tuna is marinated and grilled before being chilled, meaning it is fully cooked and can be eaten cold straight from the pack or warmed through. Each 90g steak contains 25g protein, with the product also high in omega-3 and low in saturated fat. Two additional tuna flavours are set to join the range in the coming months, alongside Grilled Wild Alaskan Salmon Chunks.
Seth McCurry, Senior Commercial Manager, UK & Ireland, at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) said: “Our consumer research shows that shoppers want seafood that is both sustainable and convenient, and WILD’R’s new product range is a great example of how innovation can bring those two things together. With the blue MSC ecolabel on pack, shoppers can enjoy delicious pre-cooked tuna knowing it comes from a certified sustainable fishery, where fish stocks are healthy and care is taken to protect the marine environment.”
Doug Worboys, founder of WILD’R, said, “For too long, the fish category has lacked the innovation found elsewhere across supermarket shelves and felt harder to cook than it needs to be. When we travelled through Alaska, we saw how simply wild fish could be prepared and how much flavour and excitement could be brought to it. With WILD’R, we want to take away some of the barriers around eating fish and create a brand that feels relevant to the way people actually eat today. We believe there’s a real opportunity to bring something new to the fish aisle and ultimately encourage more people to eat quality wild fish more often.”
Worboys is joined at WILD’R by CEO Jane Rayner, who brings experience from her former role creating and building challenger brand, Gosh!.
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