New London company revolutionizes what’s for dinner

London ON – (March 22, 2006) A new London food preparation and retail company is set to revolutionize the North American food industry with an innovative and unique approach to prepared foods. Frescos & Company offers pre-packaged ready meals that can be cooked anywhere from 6 to 25 minutes. All the products are hand prepared by experienced chefs in a 6,500 sq ft food processing and packaging facility. The selection includes stir frys, entrees, salad blends, side dishes and children’s meals. The concept of ready meals is widely popular in Europe with companies like Marks and Spencer in England providing semi prepared meal kits called COOK. Frescos is now introducing this concept to North America with plans to expand across Canada and the US within the next 12 to 18 months. The London food preparation facility has the capacity to service upwards of 75 retail outlets. As the company grows beyond the service area of the London facility, additional food preparation facilities will be established on a regional basis. Frescos currently has 16 employees and is projected to reach 200 employees by the end of 2007. According to a 2005 Eating Patterns in Canada (EPIC) report, prepared or semi-prepared meals are becoming increasingly popular particularly among women faced with balancing work and household responsibilities. Consumers are also looking for nutritious and healthy alternatives that are easy to make. A recent online survey by the NDP group, a US market research firm, indicated that primary dinner preparers want products that are easy to make, satisfies their hunger and takes little or no planning. “Our products will fill the gap between frozen entrees and fully prepared foods,” says Michael Sartor, President of Frescos. “All the research shows that consumers are hungry for healthy options that provide them with the pride and ownership of creating a meal themselves rather than simply reheating a precooked meal.” Sartor cites London as an ideal location for Frescos head office for what he foresees will soon become an international operation. “London has the consumer sophistication that we anticipate will be receptive to this new concept,” he says. “Our success here at home will pave the way for growing the Frescos brand across North America.” The first Frescos retail operation opens on March 27 in the Wonderland Corners Plaza at 735 Wonderland Rd. Lease negotiations are underway to establish additional retail outlets both within London and outside of the city. The company began product development and testing in 2004. Media tours of the food preparation facility available upon request. For more information, please contact Michael A. Sartor President Frescos & Company (519) 641-1071 ext. 222 Mission statement At Frescos & Company, we like our food fresh. That’s why our chefs hand prepare our food in our kitchens using the freshest ingredients available, avoiding artificial preservatives, colours and flavours wherever possible. We hope you enjoy our food as much as we do. Keep it fresh!