Stuart Mackay is a partner in North London innovation and brand consultancy, ergo-id. I used to love Young's in the days when good fish was hard to find, so there was high anticipation. Had the brand lived up to its earlier heyday? First, the packaging. Black background, tasteful photography of serving suggestions, and a hint of seascape ­ all clear enough signals of fresh' and premium', if a bit traditional. Appetite appeal was good and foil bags helped the premium image and updated it. The main doubt was the logo, which seemed slapped on as an afterthought. Frozen smoked salmon is perhaps not for the purist, but I have to say it was very good: a distinctive smokey flavour ( beechwood chips', apparently), a good natural colour, and only slight loss of texture. Even the purists swallowed their reservations. Definitely a premium indulgence with added convenience, this lasts up to a year in the freezer. Being flat, it defrosted in even less time than it said on the pack ­ 20 minutes, a definite bonus when you are hungry. The rainbow trout had the advantage of being ready prepared and it was a good eat ­ the resealable lid wasn't needed. A whole fish gives the feeling of a proper' meal which enhances the sense of value. Less successful were the calamari and the goujons of lemon sole. With thick batter around slight content, huge amounts of salt and a faintly greasy smell when cooked (longer than it said on the pack), these two came from a different place altogether. We found ourselves transported not to a Greek taverna by the sea, but to a pub chain near a motorway. In fact, these might have worked better alongside six pints of lager as handy snack food ­ the one-hand format would be a plus. Finally, the mussels. Nice idea, the products looked fresh, and the ready made sauce was easy, but it was let down, like the goujons, by too much salt. In summary, the range stretched from a premium fresh fish' experience, via Birds Eye, to Iceland party food. Ultimately, there may be something here for everyone, if everyone gets to try everything. Otherwise, a stronger focus on the core benefits of the products that work ­ simple fresh' quality, storage convenience of frozen, quick to prepare, would have converted me more quickly. Young's has added five upmarket products to its seafood range to help consumers get over their fear of cooking seafood at home. {{MARKETING - P&P }}

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