Sco-Fro and McIntosh of Dyce are pumping ingenuity into creative meal solutions Sco-Fro and McIntosh of Dyce, two of Scotland's leading food producers, are concentrating on ready meals and value added products as their route to growth and market expansion. Sco-Fro chief executive Stanley Bernard has built his £30m business by keeping a step ahead of the market. Bernard sees added value as the way to go. "We have very good raw materials and a strong product development team, so we want to develop more added value because that's where the future is, overseas as well as in the UK." Sco-Fro's latest developments include flash-fried breaded scampi and lobster products which can be heated in the oven without going soggy ­ necessary for today's ready meals market ­ along with lobster thermidor, scampi mornay and queen scallops in a lemon and pepper batter. New added value fish products in a variety of sauces are being sold under Sco-Fro's own So Special brand. Own label products like salmon in Hollandaise sauce and coquilles d'ecosse' ­ scampi served in scallop shells with piped potato ­ extend the range. A young, dynamic company, McIntosh of Dyce has ambitious plans to grow its chilled ready meals, pies and sausages through a range of NPD following its merger with Canada's Sepps Gourmet Foods. It has extended its traditional Scottish ready meal range with two new recipes ­ chicken & haggis in a wholegrain mustard sauce with wild and white rice, and beef olive in onion gravy with mashed tatties ­ in 400g portion sizes to provide a more substantial meal. And this autumn it's launching two steak and mince Family Rounds with the traditional flavour profiles, high quality fills and substantial eat' required by Scottish consumers. Its most innovative developments are in the area of convenience snacks. It is launching the first branded ready to heat and eat chilled porridge in a 220g portion pack which takes only two and a half minutes in the microwave and can be eaten straight from the container. For the adult snacking market, it has new mini Scotch quiches (68g each, twin pack) in Ayrshire bacon & Orkney cheddar, and cheddar cheese & onion varieties. It is also developing speciality and seasonal lines for Christmas and Burns night. McIntosh anticipates these and future launches will boost the value of its brand 20% by the end of 2001. {{Z SUPPLEMENTS }}