FUSS-FREE
FOOD THROUGH
THE AGES
Delve into the fascinating stories behind our ready-prepared dishes, from old favourites to exciting new additions
1973: In the bag
Foil-packed meals including ravioli in cheese and ham sauce were trialled. The aluminium pouches kept food fresh and were cooked in a pan of boiling water, so, as was stated on the packaging, there was, ‘One less pan to wash!’.
1975: A taste of India
International dishes were added to our frozen food range, including a selection of curry-house classics, from lamb rogan josh to pork vindaloo, developed with the help of Indian cookery expert Kailash Puri.
1975: Buon appetito
Reflecting the UK’s growing appetite for European travel, we introduced classic Italian dishes, such as lasagne, to our selection of frozen, heat-to-eat meals. It’s still a favourite to this day.
1979: Still a favourite
This year saw the launch of our chicken kiev, with its oozy, garlic-spiked butter filling. The product became an instant best-seller, and remains one of our most popular dishes.
1985: All about convenience
As people’s lives became busier, our range of prepared meals expanded. There were new dishes including vegetarian moussaka and lasagne, while we also launched microwavable meals, such as eggs Florentine.
1985: Count the calories
The Eighties also saw the rise of healthy eating, and the launch of our first calorie-counted microwavable meals. The dishes, all under 300 calories, included chicken pizzaiola with noodles and fish lasagne.
2000: A healthy balance
The turn of the millennium was when we released our Count on Us meals, which were low in calories, fat and sugar. Health-conscious diners could choose from sweet and sour chicken, ham and mushroom pizza and risotto.
2012: A good egg
In a feat of technical wizardry from our food product developers, we created runny-in-the-middle Scotch eggs, with their crisp coating, meaty filling and perfect golden yolk centre, for our popular Gastropub range.
2014: A world of flavours
Our new global range, Taste, was launched, with 44 dishes from four cuisines: Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese. It introduced customers to some exciting new flavours.
2018: No stopping us now…
Customers are spoiled for choice with our delicious, freshly prepared meals, developed by our chefs who travel the world in search of authentic flavours, like those in this lip-numbingly spicy chicken rendang.
TRENDING STORIES
