Case study · United Kingdom · Frozen FMCG · partnership with RNIB
The first Yorkshire pudding
that announces itself.
In September 2022, Aunt Bessie's added a NaviLens code to the front of its Yorkshire pudding packs in partnership with RNIB: the marker is detected from several metres away, reads the full product information aloud and lets blind and low-vision shoppers buy from the freezer aisle on their own.
Aunt Bessie's
United Kingdom · Yorkshire pudding brand owned by Nomad Foods
September 2022
Launch of the accessible packaging with NaviLens and RNIB
≈ 2 M
People living with sight loss in the United Kingdom (RNIB)
9 in 10
Supermarket products have inaccessible packaging (RNIB)
The client
Aunt Bessie's — with RNIB
Aunt Bessie's is one of the UK's most recognisable brands of frozen Yorkshire puddings and roast trimmings, owned by Nomad Foods. Its "10 Glorious Golden Yorkshires 190g" is a fixture of the British roast dinner.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) estimates that almost two million people live with sight loss in the UK and that 9 in 10 packs on the shelf are inaccessible to them. Aunt Bessie's designed the NaviLens initiative in direct collaboration with RNIB, adding the "Working with RNIB · See differently" seal to the front of the pack.
The rollout was announced on 26 September 2022 with coverage from The Grocer, BFFF, Grocery Gazette, Packaging Connections and IGD, and is documented on its own page at auntbessies.co.uk/about-us/navilens.
§ The challenge
Making a freezer easy to find.
- 01
The freezer aisle as a barrier
British supermarket upright freezers stack very similar packs behind a glass door. For a blind or low-vision shopper, telling an Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire pudding apart from a similar product without asking a staff member was almost impossible.
- 02
Labels with very small print
9 in 10 packs sold in the UK are not accessible to people with sight loss, according to RNIB. Key information — ingredients, allergens, cooking instructions, weight — sits out of reach without a magnifier or assistance.
- 03
Turning an FMCG into an inclusive product
Aunt Bessie's wanted its iconic Yorkshire puddings to be recognisable from several metres away and to let blind and low-vision shoppers hear the full product details, while keeping the brand look and packaging costs under control.
§ The solution
A code on the front of the pack.
The NaviLens code is printed next to the "Working with RNIB · See differently" seal. It is detected from several metres away and through the freezer glass, with no need to line it up close like a QR code.
When the shopper points the app at it, a green arrow appears over the pack and the phone reads aloud the product name, weight, ingredients and cooking instructions.
§ Timeline
From the pilot to the national shelf.
- 26 Sep 2022
Public launch with RNIB
Aunt Bessie's announces a packaging redesign in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and adds NaviLens codes to its frozen range, starting with "10 Glorious Golden Yorkshires 190g".
- October 2022
On shelf
The first packs carrying the NaviLens code and the "Working with RNIB · See differently" seal reach the freezers of UK grocery retailers (Iceland, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's).
- BFFF & Packaging Connections
Industry recognition
The British Frozen Food Federation, Packaging Connections, IGD, The Grocer and Grocery Gazette feature the initiative as a benchmark for the UK FMCG industry.
- Today
Dedicated NaviLens page on auntbessies.co.uk
Aunt Bessie's keeps a dedicated page (auntbessies.co.uk/about-us/navilens) explaining the system, linking to the NaviLens and NaviLens GO apps and reinforcing its permanent partnership with RNIB.
§ Walkthrough
From the aisle to the basket.
Aisle
Locating the pack with 360 Vision at the freezer
A shopper points her phone at the freezer glass. The NaviLens app — in "360 Vision" mode — picks up the code on the Aunt Bessie's "Crispy & Fluffy Roasties" pack and overlays a green arrow on the image showing exactly where it is, together with the product name and the distance ("2'").
Approach
Green arrow pointing at the Yorkshires
As the shopper gets closer to the pack, the app re-orients the green arrow towards the code and refreshes the information. The header reads "360 Vision" and underneath it shows "Aunt Bessie's 10 Glorious Golden…" at 11 inches away.
Packaging
10 Glorious Golden Yorkshires with the RNIB code
The front of the packs shows the NaviLens code next to the "Working with RNIB · See differently" seal — the first British Yorkshire pudding brand with a NaviLens marker built into the primary packaging.
Shopping
Walking down the frozen aisle
A shopper pushes her trolley down the frozen aisle of a UK supermarket, checking the app before opening the freezer door. The system lets her do the shop at her own pace, without depending on staff.
Voice
Full product info read aloud by the app
Tapping the code, the app shows and reads aloud the full product info: "Aunt Bessie's 10 Glorious Golden Yorkshires 190g", description, cooking instructions ("Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C, 180 °C for Fan or Gas Mark 6…") and the vegetarian status.
Result
Independent shopping at the freezer
Once the product is located, the shopper confirms it with the app and picks it up. The system turns an opaque freezer for low-vision shoppers into an accessible, multilingual shelf.
§ Results
An accessible mass-market brand.
Detection at distance
The code is read from several metres away and through the freezer glass
Full info by voice
Name, weight, ingredients and cooking instructions read aloud by the phone
RNIB partner brand
"Working with RNIB · See differently" seal on the front of the pack
§ What they said
“Aunt Bessie's has updated its frozen food packaging in a bid to make the freezer aisle more accessible to blind and partially-sighted shoppers. Launched in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), the new packaging will feature a code, which when scanned with smartphone app technology from NaviLens, can be read up to several metres away.”
“Aunt Bessie's teams up with RNIB to create accessible packs for visually impaired people.”
“Aunt Bessie's introduces NaviLens technology on packaging in support of the partially sighted community.”
“Aunt Bessie's continues to support those living with sight loss through the introduction of NaviLens technology and partnership with the RNIB. With nearly two million people in the UK living with sight loss and 9 in 10 of these people…”
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