Kirsty’s install a second Lagarde retort to manage increased demand

Inspired to launch her chilled ready meal range after struggling to find healthy ‘free from’ ready meal options for her son, Kirsty Henshaw walked away from the Dragon’s Den in 2010 with funding from Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne. She dreamt of building her own state of the art 100% allergen free factory and in 2020 she opened a new factory near Harrogate.

Converting an existing facility into a sustainable factory was Kirsty’s main challenge which included talking to us about technology to extend product shelf-life and reduce waste in the food chain.

Our recommendation was to install a Lagarde retort to deliver a short gentle steam cook to the sealed tray, neutralising any bacteria to extend shelf-life, whilst still sealing in great flavour and nutrients. Using less water and energy than other steam cooking solutions, the notable increase in shelf-life opened the business up to wider distribution opportunities whilst minimising the risk of food being wasted.

As a reflection of consumer demand for healthy, flavourful ready meals Kirsty’s have continued to see a rise in retail listings. To effectively manage this increased demand the brand have recently installed a second Lagarde retort, increasing their capacity to 40,000 healthy meals a day.

‘Ready meals’ are an important staple for many consumers and with the use of steam/air retorts Kirsty and her team have proven that convenience doesn’t have to result in a compromise when it comes to nutrition and taste. There are no red GDA’s (Guideline Daily Amounts) on Kirsty’s packaging!

Kirsty Henshaw, founder of Kirsty’s, said: “As a business, we’re always looking for ways to improve, whether this is through creating new, exciting recipes in our product development kitchen or by investing in equipment and technology for our state-of-the-art factory.

“Holmach’s Lagarde retorts have not only reduced our carbon emissions and minimised the risk of food being wasted but it has also meant that we have been able to increase our capacity, producing more nutritious, free-from meals for our ever-growing customer base.”

To find out more about Lagarde’s retorts, contact Holmach on 01780 749097 or email info@holmach.co.uk.