Authentic Food to launch Italian ready meals

The Authentic Food Company has teamed up with an unnamed pasta manufacturer to launch an Italian range of ready meals.

The new range was launched on Friday last week, following extensive market research. The pasta dishes sector accounts for 56% of the value share of Italian main meals and is worth £55M in value to the pub market (Pubtrack, AC Nielsen July, 7, 2009). That made pasta “the second largest category in global mains after Tex-Mex”, according to Carly Windsor, marketing manager at The Authentic Food Company.
The range will include four new lines including Four Cheese Macaroni (mozzarella, mature cheddar, gruyere and Italian hard cheese), Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni Bake packed, Chicken and Pepperoni Alfredo Rigatoni and Seafood Cannelloni Bake.
The dishes are made using Italian ingredients, including Sicilian lemon, olive oil, Italian cheese and Italian eggs.
“Our next range will focus on British classics,” said Lee Tynan, food innovation and development controller at The Authentic Food Company. “We have found that consumers have reverted back to the classics as a result of the recession.”
The Authentic Food Company is a leading supplier of international ready meals and snacks to the foodservice sector across the UK and Europe.