High-tech ready meals to store in the pantry

HAVING home-cooked meals prepared for you is great — it really takes away the hassle. That’s where some innovative new ready meals are so good. These wholesome, tasty meals are ordered online and delivered next day to your home, ready to pop in the microwave or oven. And the big difference is, they can be stored in the cupboard for up to six months, without any impact on the flavour. Unlike other meals services, there’s no need to keep them in the fridge or freezer, because this is high-tech cuisine. The meals are slow cooked to perfection, then specially packed to seal in goodness and flavour using a cutting-edge, steam-fresh packaging system. It’s based on one used in fancy Michelin-star restaurants, called sous vide — French for ‘under vacuum’. The delicious new dishes have been launched by a couple whose company grew out of the meals they made for one of their mums. Already there are more than 30 wholesome dishes on offer, from comforting winter warmers such as cottage pie and lamb hotpot, to tasty lasagne and the fragrant delights of Thai red chicken curry. There are porridge breakfasts, soups, sides and scrummy desserts, including spotted dick and sticky toffee pudding, too. The packaging might be hightech, but prices provide good old-fashioned value, with main courses at £2.99. Or try a starter pack of ten mains for £19 — just £1.90 each. With your first order, there’s a free tea towel (worth £4.99). All orders are delivered free, next day throughout the UK.