Frescos & Company
525 King Street West
416-260-2331
These days where everyone's trying to find ways to save one thing or another, Frescos & Company, a new player in Toronto's convenience food scene, is jumping on the old "time is money" cliché bandwagon. The company's "fresh meals made easy" motto refers to the ready-made pre-cut, pre-marinated, and pre-assembled meal kits stocked on its stores refrigerated shelves.
Anna Wigginton, manager of the Frescos location on King Street West explains that the original concept by the company founders was to make dinner solutions like those found in Marks & Spencer's in England. "The owners saw that it was a very successful product, and that no one had done it here. Most of the ready-made meals were frozen and had a lot of preservatives."
Armed with recipes by Chef David Burnett, 35 pairs of hands prepare the foodstuffs under the management of Matt McNeil, in a 6000-square foot kitchen facility in London, Ontario. Frescos product freshness is also preserved for up to 7 days thanks to it exclusive vacuum sealed packaging.
Frescos was first launched in London in 2006 before it expanded into Burlington, Oakville, and Mississauga, and finally downtown Toronto. Leigh Tully, who has been with the company from the start, revealed that the company's strategic east to west movement was influenced by their target market: commuters who are looking for easy to prepare dinner solutions. "We had Frescos displays at Metro (when it was still called Dominion) to test out the market's interest before opening up our shop on King [Street]. We chose this location to launch Frescos because the King-Liberty Village neighbourhood was one of our largest selling areas."
I wondered if the company felt intimidated to be one of the many food purveyors saturating the King Street West strip, however Tully responded that "Frescos aims to bring healthier, price effective meal choices to customers," and noted that "the products would take a lot less time to make and have ready on the table in comparison to ordering food at a sit down restaurant."
In fact, the in store kitchen is used to demonstrate the quickness of these kits, as well as provide samples to passing customers curious about their taste. "Many people are amazed at how quick and tasty the food is" beams Tully.
Wigginton explains that "it takes only 6-9 minutes for a stir-fry or 18-22 minutes to oven-bake the meals - the same time it takes for someone to get home, pop the meal in the oven, take a shower, and come out to eat. All the entrees are done at the same temperature, which makes meal planning easy. The three step cooking instructions are straight forward, and all the items are ready as-is."
Although the Frescos meal kits were initially designed with families in mind - which resulted in the creation of a number of child-friendly options - the company found that the demographic profile of the downtown core resulted in an increased demand for nutritional gourmet fare. Wigginton said, "We've found that the full meal stir-fry kits are especially popular. They're a quick, easy, and healthy option in a short space of time," and recommends that all customers should try the sweet teriyaki chicken, or chicken Pad Thai.
Tully supports the products because "they are fresh, additive- and preservative-free. We've got a simplified ingredient and allergen list, as well as nutrition info on each package making it easy for customers to know what they are getting. Some of the options are friendly to individuals with wheat-intolerance, like the southwest beef and marinated chicken stir-fry. Each meal is portioned for two; a person can be fed for $8 and the meat dishes are all tax free!"
To accommodate those working and living in the area, a number of factors have been adjusted, including the store hours. Wigginton remarks that they have "many repeat customers. What's interesting is that they prefer to drop in daily to pick up kits on their way home." This is different than their suburban neighbours who stock up for the week. The downtown Frescos also sells wraps, heat-to-serve soups, and pre-packaged salads with gourmet blends like the blue cheese, walnut & dried fruit salad that also features chunks of pancetta that may appeal to 9-to-5-ers who are tired of stepping into a food court. These items have become so popular with office workers that the company has started to cater to corporate events.
However Frescos isn't just for those who are short on kitchen time; home cooks may appreciate the time and energy the kits can help save. As suggested by Wigginton, Torontonians who are very comfortable in the kitchen may find the "rice, vegetable and potato sides helpful during the holiday season, while they focus on the big ticket items." Sides such as wild black rice with forest mushroom blend, lemon & parsley couscous salad, maple baked parsnip chips, and grilled Caesar potato wedges could make a delightful contribution to the dinner table. Nobody needs to know it came from a refrigerated box.
One final note the ladies mentioned was Frescos' response to consumer interest in responsible eating. The company uses 100% recyclable materials in their packaging, biodegradable shopping bags, as well as exclusive use of Canadian meats (chicken, beef and pork) and produce purchased at local food suppliers. Wigginton notes that Frescos is "looking into the possibility of incorporating more local and organic ingredients in the future."
So whether it is because of budget, waistlines, or time, Frescos offers an alternative solution for those want to eat at home but prefer to spend less time in the kitchen. With over 80 items to choose from, dinner may just boil down to three quick steps:
- Pick your style.
- Just add heat.
- Chow down.
Renée Suen is a graduate student at the University of Toronto, specializing in cardiovascular sciences. She has an insatiable appetite and is always interested to find tasty things to eat. Many of these culinary discoveries can be found on her Flickr site.
