M&M frozen meats, has been serving the public for over 30 years. M&M is adding more home meals to satisfy consumer demand.  M&M has realised the competition will eventually….

Frozen Foods:Why Frozen is better

Freezing is a natural process and does not usually require the use of any preservatives. A Taste Above Frozen food seals in freshness. A Taste Above Frozen vegetables, for example, are picked and frozen within hours of harvest, therefore locking in the vitamins and minerals, as well as the taste and texture. Thanks to freezing technology, people can enjoy all types of food throughout the year, regardless of the season at affordable prices. Freezing food could kill or reduce many potentially harmful microbes, which cause food poisoning. Frozen food tends to cost less than fresh, can be stored for much longer and offers brilliant flexibility for meal planning, thereby reducing wastage. Manufacturers are able to freeze food within minutes, which, compared to home freezing, gives a superior texture, taste and appearance, as well as retaining the nutritional value. A Taste Above Frozen food is easy to keep and easy to use, and there is little waste, whereas two thirds of the population ditch anything up to 20 items of fresh and chilled food a month. Frozen food gives consumers a quick and convenient way of fitting in a nutritious meal.

 Frozen food – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  

Why Frozen is better

Thanks to modern freezing technology A Taste Above Home Meal Replacement Franchise program, will meet the needs of the customer for healthy fresh food at all meal segments.

• Freezing is a natural process and does not usually require the use of any preservatives.
   
• Frozen food seals in freshness. Frozen vegetables, for example, are picked and frozen within hours of harvest, therefore locking in the vitamins and minerals, as well as the taste and texture.
   
• Thanks to freezing technology, people can enjoy all types of food throughout the year, regardless of the season at affordable prices.
   
• Freezing food could kill or reduce many potentially harmful microbes, which cause food poisoning.
   
• Frozen food tends to cost less than fresh, can be stored for much longer and offers brilliant flexibility for meal planning, thereby reducing wastage.
   
• Manufacturers are able to freeze food within minutes, which, compared to home freezing, gives a superior texture, taste and appearance, as well as retaining the nutritional value.
   
• Frozen food is easy to keep and easy to use, and there is little waste, whereas two thirds of the population ditch anything up to 20 items of fresh and chilled food a month.
   
• Frozen food gives consumers a quick and convenient way of fitting in a nutritious meal.
• In combining, under one roof the current A Taste Above Fresh Frozen Cooked concept, which serves Cooked freshly made Lasagnes, Macaroni Cheese and  Meat Cassulettes from scratch soups and salads, cooked vegetables along with scrumptious desserts and European coffees always complementary  for shoppers at A Taste Above

Europe’s demand for frozen foods is ever-increasing. Picard’s in France operates 70 stores of ready frozen meals. L Serena in Spain with 220 stores. Iceland in Brittan, with 75 stores.

Canadian frozen food market still grows, not withstanding national economic woes: value-added products are the key to success, and double-income households are the key market. Frozen compete with home meal replacements by offering complete meal solutions. 

It has been a difficult period for foodservice industry in Canada due to a softening economy and a decrease in travel. Nonetheless, frozen food sales continued to be strong. 

 Frozen food is outpacing everything else, the quality has improved over the last decade and microwave ovens have become better and more efficient. With the handy kitchen appliances everywhere, it is easy to enjoy a hot meal any time.

The challenge for manufacturers now is to add value to their products and increase the quality of the offerings, “Convenience is no longer the distinguishing factor for this category,” she said. “Consumers are demanding new varieties and fresher, better-tasting food. They will no longer accept the TV dinner meals that they grew up with.” 

While home meal replacements have been the talk of the grocery industry over the last five or six years, there’s still new territory to conquer.

A Taste Above will be targeting three main segments: DINKS (double-income no kids), harried families, and single executives. These groups account for 73% of the area’s population and all have a need for convenient, nutritious, high quality meals they can enjoy in their homes.. The concept is simple. Food quality, service and pricing.

The driving factor behind the growing popularity is the dual income household. Mother comes home from work and feels guilty about not having enough time to make a proper meal. If she can put together two or three different items, stir a pot and add some butter or noodles, she feels less guilty.

Chicken fingers and chicken nuggets, for example are popular convenience items. All the consumer has to do is heat them and eat them.

Stouffer’s has capitalized on the convenience trend with products such as Skillet Sensations, which offer consumers a complete meal for two without the fuss of preparation. Stouffer’s built on the success of Lean Cuisine Skillet Sensations with the introduction of Oven Roast Sensations. Country Pot Roast is one such offering. Distributed in 640g poly bags, the two-portion dinner comes complete with potatoes and vegetables in rich gravy.

 These products, feature individually quick frozen ingredients that freeze in the freshness and provide a fresher tasting meal that consumer can cook on the stove or in the oven.

 Meanwhile, new recipes have been added to the Lean Cuisine Skillet Sensations range. Among them is Chicken Alfredo, which features white meat chicken, pasta and vegetables in Alfredo sauce. It’s distributed in 24 ounce (680g) packages, which contain enough products for two servings.

Stouffer’s launched 450-gram Home-style dinners, featuring six traditional recipes with large portions and full servings of vegetables. The new entries garnered a 3.1% market share in just the first six months of distribution.

Mississauga, Ontario-based Pinnacle Foods’ response to the Home-style Dinner is its Hungry-Man product under the Swanson label. It registered a 40% growth in sales last year, according to Carol Johnston.

The newest innovation in the frozen food category has been the introduction of the bowl concept. Peter Scudds, marketing manager for J.M. Schneider, noted that the Dinners & Entrees Category in Canada has been driven by its Michelina’s line over the past five years.

Michelina’s Bowls had a 5.3% dollar share. That compares, he added, with Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics (which were introduced late in 2002) at 0.4%, Swanson Hearty Bowls pasta and seven vegetable-lasagne products at 1.2%, Healthy Choice at 1.6%, and Blue Water at 0.8%.

Michelina’s has grown over five fold in a few short years, “It is a lot easier getting to #1 than maintaining that position,” he commented, adding that Michelina’s has strong plans over the coming years to keep this growth going.

ConAgra Foods’ Del Maestro thin crust pizzas, which are prepared in wood ovens, continue to be very popular in Quebec. “It’s a different kind of manufacturing process,” stated Neville Hogg, marketing manager for ConAgra Foods’ Canadian operation. “It’s a more hands-on process and, when baked in a wood stove, has a distinct taste. Other pizzas may claim to be gourmet, but our pizzas really are.”

Ernest Darling, a spokesperson for Saskatchewan-based Mitchell’s Gourmet Foods, would like to see more frozen food meal kits featuring pork on the store shelves. “There is a lot of choice in chicken and beef,” he noted, “but no pork. As a pork processor, that disturbs me.”

A Taste Above makes a pork chop a thing of the past. Their popular Pork Calvados, Pork tenderloin in a Calvados Brand and Granny Smith apples sauce is to die for.

For 2010, Canadian manufacturers foresee a strengthening economy and continued growth in the frozen food sector. “As the baby boomer generation retires over the next decade or so, the need for delicious and easy meal solutions will continue to grow,”

Industry studies show that “takeout” food (HMR) represents nearly 50% of current restaurant volume. With today’s busy lifestyle, the trend is growing. Consumers want fast, convenient, tasty, and cost effective food.

Restaurant Business magazine reports that 94% of supermarkets now offer ready-to-heat entrees while 34% offer side dishes and 17% offer cooked-to-order meals.

A Food Marketing Institute study shows that nearly 60% of consumers would buy a supermarket dinner if a good selection of prepared entrees and side dishes were available.

Consumer attitudes: no time, save time, spend time.

Increasing popularity of Asian cuisines which are perceived as healthy

In Canada, HMR sales by all retail grocers are expected to grow to about $3 billion by 2010. Smaller households are asking for smaller packages.

Home Meal Replacement is best described as food that is picked up from a store that is already fully prepared and can be consumed at once at home, or reheated for later. The concept is simple and there is certainly a high demand for it. Consumers want to enjoy food cooked by chefs at a reasonable price and they want to do it in their homes. This desire is what the Home Meal Replacement market was built on.

In combining, under one roof the current A Taste Above Fresh Frozen Cooked concept, which serves Cooked freshly made Lasagnes, Macaroni Cheese and  Meat Cassulettes from scratch soups and salads, cooked vegetables along with scrumptious desserts and European coffees always complementary  for shoppers at A Taste Above. 

Thanks to modern freezing technology A Taste Above Home Meal Replacement program, will meet the needs of the customer for healthy fresh food at all meal segments.

A Taste Above is offers the opportunity for an exceptional Culinary Experience in a unique food boutique environment. Enlighten your senses with Fresh, Frozen, and Cooked gastronomic delights all ready to “Dine Out at Home”. We are a food chain providing “Quality” imported and locally produced gourmet specialties in addition to conventional wholesome foods, as an economical, friendly, and healthful alternative to the conventional grocery store. Enjoy a complimentary espresso or one of our quality signature teas while shop “All in casual elegance”

Stainless steel and Frosted glass lets our consumer know they are at A Taste Above with a combination of bright display freezers and fridges with hundreds of products making shopping a pleasurable experience.  From our ovens our patrons can enjoy a selection of cooked food items, freshly baked kept in our holding chamber. Or call ahead and we will bake off your choice of selected items to “Dine Out at Home” 

A Taste Above is a modern European design for today’s consumers, whose time is a precious commodity and A Taste Above unique concept, presents a unique quality service for the growing population weather for a larger City or Town that demands quality convenience at competitive pricing. A Taste Above was created so that busy people can enjoy quality food, in the convenience of their home at anytime of the day. Fresh, Frozen, Cooked.

Complimentary Espresso:  Patrons are greeted in clean white Chef Coats and happily answer any questions they may have, as well as provide meal suggestions, and helpful tips while shopping leisurely using shopping carts placed at front door entrances where they can help themselves to complementary  self serve automatic espresso maker, Signature teas, and Daily sampling of specials.

A Taste Above has completed five years of research and development, on consumer acceptance, and demand for its products, including retail, catering wholesale to better restaurants and Hotels throughout North America.

A Taste Above is now ready for its next stage, by retailing via its own Owner/Operator Franchised boutique outlets in family neighbourhood shopping malls through out GTA and adjoining cities with subsequent Master Licensing rights Globally to qualified corporations thereby offering a very different ground floor opportunity in the franchise industry

Home Meal Replacement HMR: Rising consumer income, changing demographics, lifestyles, and shifting preferences due to new information about the links between diet and health all contribute to new demands for better foods. Many consumers have shunned the burger joints and corporate cafeterias and mass produced pizza delivery for better fare in the Home Meal Replacement HMR.  

Consumer Demand: Technological changes in production, distribution, structural change and growth in large-scale retailing, and expansion of trade worldwide have contributed to a rapidly changing market of consumer demand for better food products and retail delivery systems which has created extraordinary opportunities for A Taste Above.

The advantages are many: A pioneer in the home meal replacement A Taste Above is the first to introduce its own proprietary Sous-Vide Fresh and Sous-Vide-Ready brands. Offering consumers the same quality chef-prepared entrees served at better hotels and restaurants for a fraction of the price to enjoy when you “Dine Out at Home.”

A Taste Above will be targeting three main segments: double-income, harried families, and single executives. These groups account for 73% of the GTA population and all have a need for convenient, nutritious, high quality meals they can enjoy in their homes. Emphasis will be placed on, (A) Competitive pricing, (B) Quality, (C) Health and nutritional concerns, (D) Presentation.

Ingredients to be successful: A Taste Above Fresh Frozen and Cooked ready to eat convenience foods, is positioning itself as a major player in food production and delivery, presently enjoyed by giant food suppliers, thereby increasing supply and demand for locally produced foods, with our retail distribution of; Conveniently located neighbourhood boutique outlets make it possible to deliver foods;

• Economically and convenient
•  Quality locally produced foods
• Quality imports
• Our proprietary “Soups-Vide-Fresh, private label products are ready to heat and serve at your convenience any time of the day or night.
• Bulk packaging for larger families allowing them additional savings and convenience

Our objective: to offer consumers the same quality chef-prepared entrees served at elegant hotels and restaurants costing on average of $30 to $40 (+) per person, plus wine, taxes and gratuities. These same quality entrees are offered at A Taste Above™ for a fraction of the price to enjoy when you “Dine Out at Home.”

 Proprietary cooking method: The Sous-Vide-Fresh and Sous-Vide-Ready method is simply “foods cooked under vacuum in steam created by its own juices at the right temperature for an extended period of time”, guaranteeing quality, taste, and freshness. Each entrée is packaged separately in an inner and outer pouch.

 The inner pouch: Sous-Vide-Fresh™ the inner pouch is uniquely designed to create steam under vacuum by its own juices thus enabling the consumer to complete the cooking process. The material in the inner pouch is “food safe,” as it is FDA approved.

 The outer pouch: Reusable and moisture resistant. Its purpose is to keep foods sealed for freshness for an even longer period of time.

 Product List: Entrance counter featuring H.M.R Home Meal Replacement entrees, cooked and ready to “Dine Out at Home” products with several ovens to cook and reheat pre-ordered standard daily specials such as: Fresh bread, Lasagne’s, Macaroni and cheese, Meat pie, chicken and beef, Complimentary espresso and signature teas while shopping (a tradition)

• Cooked, Lasagne, Macaroni/cheese, Meat and Vegetarian Ragoût Cassoulet™
• Pastas, fresh and frozen & cooked  Mother (home made) and Classics 
• Sauces, soups, spread, Mother (home made) and Classics in Jars
• Breads buns ready bake pizzas, Mother (home made) and Classics
• Gourmet line: Available only to A Taste Above: Sous-Vide-Fresh and Sous-Vide-Ready.  Pork calvados, Cog au Vin Beef, Bourguignon and many others not readily available in most food chains. Served in casoulettes  for 2 and family of 4.
• Deserts, Cakes ices
• Hors d’oeuvres,
• Meats, steaks, burgers, lamb,
• Vegetarian line Sausages, burgers, ratatouille,
• Game, wild, deer, sausages,
• Children’s finger foods, breaded and healthy
• Fish, complete line, lobster.
• Meat pies, stews,
• vegetables, meat balls, sides, potatoes, French fries,
• Fresh fruit and vegetable  salads, local and  exotic.
• Bulk, chicken breasts, burgers, steaks;
• Dry goods: Estate Virgin cold pressed and generic oils, Aged Balsamic vinegars, BBQ sauces, Signature Teas, Selection of fresh roasted coffee.

 A Taste Above, “Cooked, Fresh and Frozen” products are of the finest quality, and priced competitively weather they are imported or from local producers Consistency and quality is guaranteed.  Home freezer specials will be a regular feature targeting the larger family with bulk buying savings.  

                                    Franchise registration members@atasteabove.com  Visit  www.atasteabove.com