Kerry Foods is hoping to transform the frozen ready-meal category with the launch of a range of products made with “quality” ingredients.

Rolling out exclusively into Morrisons, Made for You comprises 10 SKUs spanning a range of cuisines and offers “quality ­ingredients and generous portion sizes”, said the supplier. The products range from £2.49 to £2.79 for a 450g to 500g pack, but will launch at an introductory price of £2.

Kerry frozen NPD chef Phil Bowen collaborated with Morrisons to develop the range, which includes Slow-cooked Beef with Gratin Potatoes, Hunters Chicken with Roasted Potato Wedges, Coq Au Vin with Gratin Potatoes and Wild Mushroom Risotto. The launch, on 17 October, comes two years after Kerry launched the City Kitchen premium chilled ready meals range exclusively into Tesco.

“This is a really exciting launch and is set to reinvigorate shopper interest in frozen ready meals,” said Kerry Foods innovation director David Hamilton. “The Made for You range is designed to challenge consumer perceptions of frozen ready meals,” he added.

The total frozen ready meals market has remained flat year-on-year, with value sales up 0.4% to £469m and volume sales down slightly by 0.4% [Nielsen 52w/e 3 September 2011].

There was a market for more premium frozen ready meals, said Brian Young, British Frozen Food Federation director general. “Frozen ready meals have been over-promoted and underpriced for too long, so to bring a premium offering into that sector is fantastic,” he added.

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