Nestlé takes on Unilever's Knorr by boosting Maggi in the UK

Maggi, a range of sauces, gravy, stocks and soups, is available across Asia, Europe and parts of Africa. However, it has little mainstream presence in the UK, and is sold to culinary professionals on a small scale.

The launch will pitch Maggi against Knorr, which includes Ragu and Chicken Tonight among its sub-brands.

Nestlé has appointed Publicis London to work on a marketing strategy, with ads to run early next year. The work is likely to focus on Maggi Juicy Chicken cook-in-the-bag product. Nestlé flagged up its recent launch as central to helping lift group sales in its latest financial results.

A Nestlé UK spokesman said: 'We are at the early stages of exploring an opportunity for the Maggi brand within the culinary category.'

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk