McCain's range is frozen out

The frozen food market suffered a blow this month as McCain removed the last of its Anytime snack range from retail shelves.

The frozen convenience range, which consisted of two paninis, a naan and two baguettes was backed by a multi-million pound investment when it launched in June 2005. Aimed at young adults looking for a substantial on-the-go snack, McCain had been confident that the brand would expand the snacking category.

However, it has since claimed that Anytime didn't sit well with the company's current profile, which is more health-focused. "It was very hard to reformulate the products with lower salt levels and Anytime just didn't fit with the 'It's all good' range, which focuses on natural ingredients," said a McCain spokeswoman.

But part of the problem might have been because many consumers had a poor perception of frozen products, a fact flagged up by John Armstrong, marketing director at chilled snacks firm Kepak, which launched its Ugo's Deli Café panini range last September. "Frozen food is still beleaguered over quality issues," said Armstrong. Kepak aimed to maintain a product's quality through the microwave process, he claimed. "It is extremely difficult to deliver the same quality from frozen bread," added Kepak's sales director Peter Fazal.

The Anytime brand's focus on convenience might also have been misplaced, said Armstrong. He explained that Kepak's paninis were intended to be tasty deli-style products, with convenience as a secondary focus. "That's why we don't put a microwave flash on the front of the pack. People have to pick it up first."

The Ugo's Deli Café range has generated sales in excess of £2M and Kepak is anticipating further product launches later in the year.