STRATHMORE Foods, the Scottish ready-meal manufacturer, has increased turnover to £14.3 million from £13.5m amid renewed growth in the chilled and frozen foods markets after several years of decline, new accounts show.

The Forfar-based family-run business also posted a £1.7m profit in the accounts newly filed with Companies House, which it said is “a good result and reflects the strength of the business and the excellent effort of the whole staff”.

The company said it has also seen a slight increase in demand for ready-meals since the start of the coronavirus crisis as it filed accounts for the year ended June 30, 2019.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Primark closes stores 

Dain Egan, finance director, said the crisis “is certainly taking up a lot of management time”.

He said: “We have been liaising with suppliers and customers and giving the employees some assurance.

“The uncertainty is fairly pervasive and we are just trying to plan as far as we can really.

“I wouldn’t say we’ve seen a huge uplift but certainly we have seen a bit.”

READ MORE: Glasgow bar firm slams Government as virus leads to 200 jobs cut

The company said: “The growth in turnover resulted from increased penetration of chilled markets, and after several years of decline, of frozen markets.

“Whilst the sales development was very encouraging it was tempered by the fact that it was only in the latter part of the period that the business was able to pass on by way of price increases some of the increases in the direct costs that have been incurred in the previous years.”

During the year the company invested over £855,000 on fixed assets “continuing its policy of capital investment to improve production capacities and efficiencies” £318,000 was also contracted.