Food group Greencore has reported revenue of just under £305.8m sterling for the third quarter to the end of June - up 2.6% on the same time last year.
In an interim management statement, the company said that trading was in line with expectations but conditions in the UK convenience foods market was tough with poor weather affecting performance.
But it said that the US market is performing very strongly after a number of acquisitions there. Revenues for the 13 weeks to June 28 rose by 50% on the same time last year.
Greencore said its convenience foods division recorded revenue of £285.7m, up 2.8% on the same time last year.
It said that while the overall chilled ready meals is gradaully recovering from the impact of the horsemeat scandal earlier in the year, the Italian ready meals remained in decline which affected the prepared meals division.
Its ingredients and property division, which represented 6% of group revenue last year, saw revenues of £20.1m in the third quarter - in line with the previous year.
Looking ahead, Greencore said that while recent UK economic data has been more positive, and the weather has been more favourable, it still expects conditions to remain challenging.
''However, the group is strategically well positioned with a balanced customer portfolio and exposure to faster growing convenience categories. With the tight operating and financial controls we have in place, we remain confident in our ability to deliver growth in adjusted earnings per share for the financial year in line with expectations,'' the company said in its trading statement.
