As ambitions go, it�s a pretty big one. Elizabeth Guy wants to change the way you shop.

As we become increasingly concerned about the food we put on our families� plates, many of us linger longer in the fresh produce area and browse happily through the chiller cabinets, tossing delicious-looking ready meals into the trolley. But when it comes to the deep freeze aisles, we zoom straight past, stopping only to grab a carton of ice cream or a bag of peas for the children.

Elizabeth is a vociferous champion of fresh, seasonal, locally-sourced produce. And that�s why she�s urging us to buy more frozen food.

Sounds like nonsense? Think again. The assertion that frozen peas are �fresh as the moment when the pod went pop� isn�t just advertising-speak. Freezing is the oldest form of food preservation � think of those cavemen in the winter � and it gives us the opportunity to keep food fresh without resorting to chemical additives, preservative and scary innovations like modified air.

For Elizabeth Guy, who launched the award-winning range of frozen ready meals developed for families, under the branding Beth Guy�s Little Pies and Susie Guy�s Little Puds, it�s time for change.

�There are so many misconceptions surrounding the �frozen versus chilled� debate,� says Elizabeth, �Chilled foods usually contain additives, preservatives, and particularly salt, to extend their shelf-life, while frozen foods need less processing � and no preservatives to keep them fresh. The reason premium-product purchasers don�t look in the freezer at the moment is simply because there has been no premium offering there to buy. We intend to change all that.�

Ready meals aside, another way to cut down on time spent in the kitchen is to opt for prepared fruit and vegetables � such as sliced melon, chopped broccoli etc. Many of these now come in packs or cartons filled with modified air to increase their shelf-life. Critics say this innovation slashes vitamin levels � yet it doesn�t have to be declared on the label.

As food writer Joanna Blythman put it*: �Ironically, the wealthier you are, the more likely you are to walk past the British frozen peas, empirically shown to retain their nutrients, and stump up instead for vastly more expensive, vitamin-challenged shelled peas, flown thousands of miles from countries such as Kenya.�

Elizabeth Guy is most emphatically not a member of the �food police� who demand that stressed-out mums become even more overheated by creating three perfectly balanced meals a day, from scratch.

�I know not all parents have the time to cook from scratch for their families,� she says, �Even the best-intentioned have to fall back on ready meals sometimes. But if we do, we want something we can trust.

�Beth Guy�s Little Pies and Susie Guy�s Little Puds are all totally additive-free and frozen for freshness and convenience. They are made using ingredients sourced as locally as possible to our kitchens in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. They are suitable for the whole family to enjoy with salt levels suitable even for babies. I wanted to develop a complete meal for when parents are in a hurry � they are an extension of the essential store cupboard, with a healthy meal just a few minutes away.�

Attention to detail is all. For the Wensleydale Sausage Pie, the company even makes its own bread with which to make the breadcrumbs for the sausages � to be 100% sure that no additives or hidden nasties are sneaked into the food.

The cuts of meat are chosen very carefully so that no extra stocks or powders are needed � allowing the full natural flavour and texture to be enjoyed. The beef and pork are from the Upper Dales and the lamb now comes directly from a farm just a few miles from the kitchens.

Eggs are free-range, cheese is farmhouse cheddar, flour is from a local mill and where the local area cannot supply the ingredients, Elizabeth has a premium sourcing policy � for example, using Fairtrade cocoa powder.

Each of the five potato-topped pies has been developed to be a complete meal, but a few vegetables can be added if you wish. They do, however, all include extra vegetables � the two �Squeaky� pies are so called because of the addition of lightly cooked cabbage to the creamy mash topping, providing extra nutrients and texture. Elizabeth doesn�t believe in �hiding� vegetables, believing that it is important that children value them, but by including them, the more fussy eater is less likely to spot them!

There is a vegetarian option, the Sunny Bean Pie, including roasted red and yellow peppers, three kinds of beans, lentils, onions, cheese, milk, cream, butter, herbs and a combined traditional and sweet potato topping. Three of the pies are gluten free. The generously-sized pies come in 300g and 600g packs. The smaller is designed to feed two children up to toddler age or one older child or lighter adult meal. The 600g size will comfortably feed two to four children or a hungry adult!

The pies are packed in an environmentally friendly board tray which can be reheated from frozen in a conventional oven, Aga or microwave.

The meals are available from a variety of stockists nationally and also by mail order via the Internet.

Ends

For more information contact: Elizabeth Guy on 01969 666006 Elizabeth@wensleydalefoods.co.uk

Or Jennifer Middleton at Lemon Zest on 01757 268283 or email jennifer@lemonzestpr.co.uk

Notes to Editors: The full range of dishes, plus mail order prices is as follows:

Beth Guy�s Little Pies 300g 600g Chicken and Broccoli Pie �2.95 �5.85 Squeaky Lamb Pie �2.95 �5.85 Squeaky Beef Pie �2.95 �5.85 Wensleydale Sausage Pie �2.95 �5.85 Sunny Bean Pie �2.95 �5.85

Susie Guy�s Little Puds (All puddings are packed as two little puds in their own sauce) Chocolate Puddle Pudding �2.35 GOLD Great Taste 2006 Lemon Curd Pudding �2.35 GOLD Great Taste 2006 Sticky Toffee Pudding �2.35

AWARDS TO DATE

Country Living Magazine Enterprising Rural Women Awards 2005 Winner: Best Business Idea

Regional Food Group for Awards for Excellence 2005 Yorkshire & Humber Winner: Most Innovative Product using locally-sourced ingredients

Grazia magazine/O2 Women of the Year Awards 2006 Runner Up: Women in Enterprise

Food Processing Magazine Awards for Excellence 2006 Runner Up: Young Enterprise UK

HSBC Start Up Stars 2006 Winner: Northern Finals Grand Final 17th October 2006

Guild of Fine Food Retailers Great Taste Awards Gold Awards for the two puddings we entered