Developing ready meals for children involves some careful consideration to ensure that nutritional criteria is met - at least the equivalent of one portion of vegetables, about 300kcal/serving, and the more obvious avoidance of additives, added sugar and allergens (though dairy-free vegetarian childrens meals seem few and far between because so many contain cheese). That’s not to mention benchmarking against competitors’ products to make sure the newbies stand a chance when they get to sit on the shelf – hopefully briefly before they go for a ride in a shopping trolley.
So when there are only a few days before the first presentation of a range to a retailer for their own label and you’re about to start creating about ten meals which are good to eat, meet all the required criteria (neatly documented) are financially and operationally viable…is it best to start on paper or in the kitchen?
I like the idea of getting the theory sorted out first then applying it in the kitchen, but that always seems to result in re-calculating the paperwork and if you’ve been trying to get ahead so the deadline’s met, that can be quite time-taking!
I think the kitchen wins.