Bigham's Global Gastronomy is in a class of its own in the ethnic ready meals market. Founder and managing director Charlie Bigham claims to be among the first ­ if not the first ­ to have pioneered chilled ready to cook, as opposed to ready to heat, gourmet ethnic meals aimed at the premium end of the market. "Our approach is to set the agenda on ethnic food, rather than to follow it," says Bigham. His aim, when he started five years ago, was to create the same kind of freshly cooked meals made from fresh local ingredients that he encountered in street markets in the Far East and North Africa. His repertoire of 30 to 35 meals, half of them ethnic, are made entirely from fresh ingredients, including herbs and spices, and are free of additives, preservatives, colourings and GM foods. The meals come fully prepared for cooking from pack to table in less than 10 minutes. Most are based on marinaded meat or fish with vegetables, with a separate sauce sachet. Portions are generous: 500g for between £3.99 and £4.49. While the recipes aren't necessarily an authentic version of a particular cuisine, they're certainly imaginative. The new summer range includes Cajun marinaded chicken fillets with crême fraiche, celery and fresh herb sauce and Bengali chicken thigh fillets in a spicy yogurt and herb marinade with a light mango and fresh mint sauce. The best-seller is Moroccan marinaded lamb with an apricot and fresh mint sauce which won a BBC Good Food Award. Bigham believes Moroccan and Middle Eastern food has huge, as yet untapped, potential, with interest in it growing. Bigham's main customer is Waitrose which stocks the range as a brand - unusual in the own label dominated chilled section. He also supplies Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Cullens, independent delicatessens and has a growing business with restaurants. Consumers tend to be affluent professionals and "empty nesters". Though tiny compared with the own label giants, Bigham says business is growing "200%-300% a year", with a turnover of £5m expected this year. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}