"In the last six-to-12 months the category has got more interesting because of the fierce rivalry between Findus and Birds Eye," explained director general of the British Frozen Foods Federation (BFFF) Brian Young.
This is particularly true of film-wrapped baked product options. "Effectively, it's 'boil-in-the-bag' or sous-vide technology," he said. "It's not new, but the packaging makes it much easier to prepare the product."
Barry Pamplin, packaging and technology director at Findus Group, said: "This is our new 'flavourlock' pouch, which was used in frozen food for the first time in the UK with our new Fresher Tastes range launched in September." The combination of vacuum pack and dual-ovenable technologies was crucial, he said.
Findus prised Pamplin away from his influential role as European packaging technology controller at United Biscuits earlier this summer, itself evidence of the new importance being given to packaging. In August, Tasha Gladman formerly responsible for Unilever ambient sauces in the US became marketing director for the UK frozen business.
Said Pamplin: "There are always lessons to be learnt from other categories. Our ambition is to make frozen food more appealing for current and new consumers. Packaging plays a crucial role, and we see it as a future source of competitive advantage."
Historically, product visibility has been anathema to the frozen food industry. But according to Young at the BFFF, that is all changing, too. "If you have a nice piece of fillet and sauce, it's about being brave enough to say: 'Actually, it looks quite decent.'"
This trend towards at least partial visibility began with frozen fruit, and has since moved to fish and chicken products. Frozen ready meals typically looking "grey and gooey" and "produced to meet a price point" still represented a challenge, he said.