"Ready meals are great for convenience but they are not necessarily great for taste, quality or interaction for the consumer," said Ed Olphin, md of Lake House Table.

"'Heating and eating' saves time but, for many, this process is laden with guilt, whether this is over 'not really cooking' a meal or eating 'highly processed foods' which compromises consumers' beliefs of what 'good food is'."

Aiming to address a perceived gap in the market for "convenience without compromise" Lakehouse head of development, Liz Head, worked with a Michelin star chef to devise a range of 'fresh to cook' meals that encompassed provenance and freshness.

Head said: "We have had to look at our operations and what we believe sets us apart is our processing standards. Our sauces haven't been ultra heat treated so we can be sure the fresh taste is never compromised it means we have a shorter shelf-life (just six days) but consumers will taste and enjoy the benefits of this more bespoke production approach.

"All our meat is British Farm Assured and is hand prepared by us in small batches in Wiltshire. Ultimately, we deliver a range of meals that focuses on quality and flavour."

There are four Lake House Table Kitchen Suppers available in Waitrose stores and the firm says it is in discussion with "a number of major multiples".