Group's new role is lift-off to the stars!

A RESTAURANT chain backed by Hollywood stars has given a starring role to a Huddersfield design agency.

Birkby-based Planet Group has won a major commission to design packaging for Planet Hollywood's first retail food range.

Now, Planet Hollywood's products, including Buffalo Wings, Chicken Crunch and BBQ Ribs, have gone on the shelves at the Sainsbury's store at Shore Head.

The dishes provide a taster of the menu devised by top chef Marco Pierre White for the world-famous restaurant chain.

Planet Group, headed by Edouard Rayner and Colin McNeill, produced all the packaging designs for the range, the trade and consumer advertising, a website and a promotional video featuring Sylvester Stallone.

Mr McNeill said: "Customers tend to buy food for the first time on the basis of what they see. Poor packaging can mean the death of a product in terms of sales.

"If the products are good then the consumer will buy them again . But if the packaging isn't making consumers want to try them, it doesn't matter how good the products are."

The new range was launched at the Planet Hollywood restaurant in London, when celebrity guests included Justin Timberlake.

Planet Hollywood has restaurants in 23 countries.