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Recapture the Romance of Valentine's Day at Home Bertolli 'Dinner for Two(TM)' Survey Finds That Couples Prefer to Stay in for Dinner; Italian Food Most Romantic ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Watch out, Zagat's. Even in America's culinary Meccas, most people say they prefer a romantic dinner in to having to go out, a new survey by Bertolli reveals. The majority of those surveyed in cities known for their culinary diversity and excellence, such as New York, Seattle and Chicago, said they would forgo dinner out for a cozy evening at home. The ability to "get comfortable" and "wear whatever they like" were highlighted among the best things about having dinner at home. More than a third of respondents also felt that staying in meant "it was easier to continue the evening immediately after dinner," while others liked the fact that they didn't need to drive or hire a babysitter. "Now, Bertolli is making it easier than ever for people to spend less time in the kitchen and enjoy a special, Italian dinner in, with our new line of frozen, restaurant-quality, authentic Italian meals called Bertolli 'Dinner for Two,'" said Brian Manning, Senior Director Bertolli. When it comes to creating the ideal romantic evening, more than half of couples say they'd rather stay in than go out for dinner and 89 percent stated they would like to have more romantic dinners at home. Bertolli "Dinner for Two" is the first, restaurant-quality, authentic Italian dinner -- with easy, one-step skillet preparation -- that goes from freezer to table in ten minutes. Recognized for Creating Restaurant-Quality Meals New Bertolli "Dinner for Two" is also the only frozen dinner to gain unprecedented recognition by the prestigious "Federation of Italian Chefs of America (FIC), founded to promote traditional Italian cooking in the United States, it is a professional chefs and restaurateurs organization. FIC chefs cite the Bertolli dinners' restaurant-quality, authentic Italian recipes, professional culinary techniques and fine ingredients like aged Pecorino Romano cheese, imported Italian pastas and Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the reasons for the designation. Bertolli "Dinner for Two" is a complete, chef-inspired, Italian meal -- no need to add anything -- that includes crisp vegetables, al-dente pasta, succulent sauce, and in most varieties, chicken, sausage or shrimp. There are eight different varieties such as Grilled Chicken Alfredo, Shrimp Scampi & Linguine and Shrimp, Chicken Parmigiana & Penne in a Tomato Mozzarella Sauce available in the freezer section of your favorite grocery store. "To be recognized by the FIC of America is a tremendous honor for Bertolli," notes Manning. "This distinction confirms that we've succeeded in creating traditional Italian meals of restaurant-quality - giving consumers a delicious at-home Italian eating experience within ten minutes." HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BERTOLLI "DINNER FOR TWO" SURVEY: Great Romance = Great Food: Just how important is the food to a relaxing, cozy -- perhaps even romantic -- evening at home? Critical, according to the survey, which found that 97 percent of men and women felt that the quality of the food was important to ensuring a great night at home. Sure, I Cooked That: Most respondents (88 percent) were hesitant to admit that they had ever passed off another's food as their own when preparing a special meal. Few people stated that they ever passed off frozen food as their own. A large number of respondents (80 percent) also stated that they would be 'excited to receive restaurant-quality taste' from a frozen dinner. Nothing Beats Italian: The type of food is crucial to setting the right tone for a romantic evening. Not only is Italian food the most popular ethnic cuisine in the nation(1) but 56 percent of couples say that Italian food is the most suitable cuisine for a special night "in," followed by 22 percent selecting American fare. Want to Add Some Sparks? No Need to Go Anywhere: Overall, these very busy couples felt that more dinners at home would actually improve their relationship, especially as 79 percent of men and women felt that they could use more romance in their lives. Shower your loved one with attention If it were possible to cook a great restaurant-quality meal in only 10- minutes (compared to cooking it from scratch), the majority of men and women would spend the extra time setting the mood for a special occasion. How would they fill the time? Twenty-nine percent would choose to put out fresh-cut flowers or candles and twenty-seven percent would show extra attention to their loved one. About the Survey: This research project was conducted by Impulse Research in order to assess attitudes of couples with respect to dining at home. The survey was conducted online with a random sample of 1,564 men and women 20+ across the country and an additional sample of 2,261 in 10 major markets -- all members of the CyberPulse(TM) Advisory Panel. The Advisory Panel has been carefully selected to closely match US population demographics. Research was conducted in December 2004. The overall sampling error for this survey is +/- 2.5% at the 95% level of confidence. About Bertolli For over 135 years, Bertolli has been at the heart of Italian Cooking and Eating with the world's favorite extra virgin olive oil, delicious pasta sauces and now Bertolli Dinner for Two. At the heart of Bertolli is its commitment to quality, dedication to leveraging the natural goodness of ingredients and a tradition of providing outstanding and flavorful food. For more information on Bertolli's passion for the good things in life, recipes and tips on how you can experience Bertolli at home, visit http://www.bertolli.com/. About Unilever Unilever (NYSE:ULNYSE:UN), one of the world's largest consumer products companies, aims to add vitality to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Each day, around the world, consumers make 150 million decisions to purchase Unilever products. The company has a portfolio of brands that make people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United States these brands include recognized names such as: Axe, "all," Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Eternity by Calvin Klein, Hellmann's, Lipton, Knorr, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of Unilever. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever in the United States employs more than 15,000 people in 74 office and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico -- generating approximately $11 billion in sales. For more information visit http://www.unilever.com/ About FIC The FIC of America is the U.S. Division of the Federation of Italian Cooking (Federazione Italiana Cuochi), a professional organization formed in 1960 for chefs and restaurateurs in Italy and worldwide. The FIC of America was founded to promote traditional Italian cooking in the United States through select restaurants and chefs. (1) Source: NPD 2003 DATASOURCE: Bertolli CONTACT: Bret Tesman, +1-212-445-8364, , or Robert Sasso, +1-212-445-8424, , both for Bertolli Web site: http://www.bertolli.com/ http://www.unilever.com/

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