Heat-to-eat is the word on the street, says seafood specialist

Consumers have always been reluctant to embrace prepared seafood meals, probably because stomach-churning stories abound about food poisoning caused by shellfish.

But the Big Prawn Company aims to allay such fears with the launch of its five-strong heat-to-eat Seafood Sensations range, which aims to offer a premium starter with minimum fuss.

"We've added a range of flavours, from Red Thai Curry to Garlic Butter, with a steam valve in the lid," says the north Norfolk-based firm's md, Bob Fleming. "It's just a one-minute warm, a quick shake to mix some of the flavours and it's ready to serve."

The products, some of which use a pre-brining technology, took around five months to develop at the firm's Melton Constable base.

Getting the gas flush right was critical, says Fleming. "While our tray manufacturer had film, it wasn't necessarily right for this kind of adaptation and we had to work on getting the valve to pop open at the right moment. It was about balancing each of the components because we didn't have a reference point. The valve has been used on white fish before - but for a much slower cook."

The firm is keen to stage in-store trials, claiming that once people tasted the product, they would be interested. But it is quick to add that Seafood Sensations can also be used in catering, particularly in pubs that are de-skilling. Forecourts are also viable sales outlets, says commercial director Paul Byrne, who claims that 40% of customers are female. He adds that products such as Breakers (the company's shellfish and dip snacks) and Seafood Sensations are favoured by retailers because they appeal to both sexes.

Fleming says the product's transparent packaging was very important to its success. "We kept the packaging design simple and the content highly visible to allow the quality of the ingredients to speak for themselves."

The packaging of the Breakers range will also be revamped, Fleming says, because it is not transparent and consumers cannot be sure what the product is.

"We do all our development in-house ... and I don't think that's healthy sometimes," he says. He adds that he thinks the company should obtain outside help in future.