Florette, which sweeps all before it on the French prepared salads market with a sound 21.9 per cent share, sees great growth potential for its UK business and will be launching a range of new products during 2003.

Group marketing director Philippe Fontenelle told the Journal: 'We are in the position of challenger in England. We put emphasis on top-of-the-range products and act as a brand.

'We profit in the UK, as in Ireland, from good volume sales of added value lines,' he added.

The Normandy-based company saw UK sales rocket by 40 per cent in 2002, which Fontenelle said was 'beyond our expectations'.

So what's in store for 2003? 'We are going to increase our communication in the UK and introduce new products: we want to focus on ready-to-cook vegetables.' The range will not focus on mixes, as with Florette's salad portfolio, but will include veg seldom found in this format such as peas or asparagus.

'Vegetables to cook will expand our presence in the winter period when the prepared salads market is at its low point,' said Fontenelle. 'It is a question of optimising our marketing and the use of our industrial equipment, as our Lichfield site develops its production potential.'

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