Milly and Ruby are the proud owners of 'ByRuby' which provides an array of frozen ready meals that are cooked by Ruby and her small team. The meals cater to busy families and are packed with local, natural ingredients.
The duo hope to dispel the stigma of frozen food and are strong advocates on providing healthy meals to all families.
Milly Bagot chats to Female First about ByRuby
Where did the idea for ByRuby meals come from?
When I (Milly) had my first baby, my sisters cooked a freezer full of nourishing and delicious meals for the early days when sleep and time are short. At the time, Ruby and I were working together at Finns and thought how nice it would be to be able to fill time strapped, busy people's freezers with seriously special food. They started producing the meals from a kitchen in Acton, built a website and from there ByRuby began.
Where does the inspiration for the meals come from?
The meals are all about cooking the best ingredients, honestly and with care to tried and tested recipes so when you reach for the freezer it feels you are having a chef made, delicious and 100% natural meal.
How will your meals help busy families?
When time is short, sometimes cooking a meal from scratch is the last thing on the list. Nourishing and tasty food is so important and ByRuby allows families to eat well without compromising on the quality of ingredients for convenience.
What are the benefits of children eating your frozen meals?
Our meals are made with 100% natural ingredients, free range meat, sustainably sourced fish and fresh from the market vegetables. We cook our meals with care just as you would at home but in slightly larger batches. Our meals are there to help the parents for times when you want to enjoy a delicious meal with your family or when time is short and you don't have time to cook for the children. Instead of reaching for the fish fingers or an unhealthy pizza, ByRuby is there to provide something delicious and nourishing. Our food is not 'kids food' as such but Milly's three children are our most fierce critics and always enjoy our food.
Why do you think there is such a stigma on frozen meals?
I think it's all because of the other things we traditionally think about in the freezer section. Fish fingers, turkey twizzlers and chicken nuggets are often highly processed and made with low quality ingredients and are what we think about when we think of the freezer section in a supermarket. In both our family life, the freezer was always used as a back up to store a batch of bolognaise, a fish pie, a curry or a casserole. If we think about the freezer more from a home use perspective rather than what we think of in the supermarket, a way of pressing pause on the freshness of a batch of food, carefully produced, that's what ByRuby is all about.
Where are the ingredients the meals sourced from?
We source from our trusted suppliers we have known for years. We always use free range chicken, grass fed meat and sustainably sourced fish. We always buy British and often source direct from the farm. The chicken we use comes from Herb fed poultry where Milly's good friend Ed rears his chickens on a diet embellished with leftover herbs from his aunt's herb farm down the road. You can't make delicious food without good ingredients so that's why we care so much both from a flavour and animal welfare perspective.
What are the nutritional ingredients for children in your frozen meals?
Our meals are not children's food as such but many people (including Milly our Co-founder) often use our meals for their children. They are made with the best ingredients and never contain any nasty additives or preservatives. When you look at the ingredients in our meals, you will recognise everything and will never see an E-number.
What makes your products stand out in the market?
We have a fresh and modern approach to frozen. The modern day consumer wants quality and convenience without compromising on the quality of the ingredients. We are disrupting the perception of the frozen section with a brand that creates the most beautiful and delicious frozen meals on the market.
Do you think it is important for children to have healthier choices at young ages?
Yes, absolutely, we are what we eat. We ardently believe that children should have access to interesting flavours from a young age. We are not a kids food brand but if our meals can allow busy families to eat well together and all enjoy something nourishing on days when cooking from scratch is a step too far, we are delighted.
How can parents encourage healthier eating for their children?
It's all about eating together and allowing children access to flavours we are eating. If the parents eat well then the children will follow, educating children about a healthy diet from a young age will allow children to understand the importance of food as part of a happy and healthy life. Parents shouldn't feel stressed about food and that's where we feel our meals can help in saving time and avoiding reaching for fast food
For more information, visit https://byruby.co.uk