SAINSBURY IS SPINNING UNO'S PIZZAS IN U.K.

JAMES FALLON

LONDON (FNS) -- J. Sainsbury plc here has struck a deal with U.S. company Uno Foods to sell co-branded pizzas using ingredients supplied by the food manufacturer.

Under the deal, Uno Foods is providing its pizza recipes as well as its pizza shells and sauce to Sainsbury, the United Kingdom's second-largest food retailer, for the chain's 375 British supermarkets. The pizzas are exclusive to Sainsbury, and are co-branded with the Sainsbury and Uno names.

Sainsbury is offering six varieties of Uno pizzas -- Buffalo Chicken; Numero Uno with cheese, pepperoni, sausage, onions and other toppings; Spinoccoli for vegetarians; Four Cheese and Tomato; Superoni with a large amount of pepperoni; and Chicago Classic with extra amounts of toppings.

Sainsbury claims it is the first U.K. retailer to be selling authentic American pizzas. The pizzas were launched in Sainsbury's stores Sept. 21, and the retailer expects to sell 1.5 million a year.

Sainsbury selected Uno partially because the food company already has a relationship with Sainsbury's U.S. subsidiary, Shaw's Supermarkets, East Bridgewater, Mass. Also, a Sainsbury spokesman said, the retailer had looked at several other possible suppliers, "but decided that Uno had the best product."

Uno Foods will supply Sainsbury with frozen bases made at Uno's plant in Brockton, Mass., and its special sauce canned for export. Sainsbury has developed the toppings in conjunction with Uno, based on the ones Uno uses in its restaurants in the United States. The pizzas then are assembled by Sainsbury.