Christmas products: Food

BigHospitality takes a look at some festive-themed food including Redwood’s turkey-style vegetarian Celebration Roast and Brakes tapas range and game casserole. All of these food products are sure to make your business stand out from the crowd during the busy Christmas period.

Vegetarian Christmas range

Vegetarian foods supplier Redwood is once again rolling out its turkey-style Celebration Roast. The roast comes ready-sliced in catering packs with vegideli gourmet sausages wrapped in streaky-style ‘rashers’ and turkey flavour gravy. Everything in the Redwood range is kosher certified, produced from plant-based ingrediants and free from animal products. Other festive animal-free dishes from Redwood include meat-free ‘bacon’, ‘turkey’ and ‘beef’ roasts, gourmet vegan mushroom pate, award-winning sausages and Party Bites. The entire Redwood range is suitable for vegetarians, vegans, people who are lactose or casein intolerant and those looking for healthier and more ethical lifestyles. More information can be found at www.redwoodfoods.co.uk.

Brakes tapas range and game casserole

Leading foodservice specialist Brakes has launched its Autumn-Winter product range, including some innovative and alternative dishes to offer a variety of Christmas menu choices for caterers. With an emphasis on taps sharing, this year Brakes are offering a tapas range. The range includes Meatballs in a Spanish Style Sauce, Garlic Mushrooms and White Bean Tapas with Manchego. “The Tapas trend is as popular with diners, who can pick, mix and share several smaller dishes, as it is with restaurateurs who can earn a good profit from serving multiple smaller courses,” said Sally Sturley, head of food marketing at Brakes. As a larger main dish, Brakes are offering the Brakes Game Casserole. Coming in boxes of 12 individual portions weighing 300g, the casserole is made from venison, pheasant and gammon in a beer gravy with vegetable. It would ideally be served with mashed potato, broccoli, cauliflower and carrot medley.

Food for Celebrations

DBC Foodservice has launched a comprehensive Food for Celebrations range, to help caterers prepare for the busy festive period. The range includes meat and poultry finger foods such as Mini Lamb Samosas (50 x 15g pieces) or Mini Naan with Chicken Tikka (45 x 20g), as well as a host of vegetarian and pastry finger foods such as Cocktail Duck Rolls, and Cranberry & Brie Wontons. Sue Cronin-Jones, DBC Foodservice’s buying and marketing director, said: “This new offering saves customers time and helps them to manage costs, as the majority of the high quality range can be used for a variety of events.” The range also includes a wide selection of speciality cheese, including Mull o Kintyre Scots Cheddar, Stilton Wedge Cropwell Bishop and Oxford Isis Honey Mead Cheese. The entire Food for Celebrations range is featured in a brand new ‘Party Season 2011’ brochure and is available this week from DBC’s 12 national depots, or can be downloaded from http://www.dbcfoodservice.co.uk/request-a-brochure/.

Turkey Breast Butteflies

Global poultry supplier Rectory Food Group has re-launched its fresh Turkey Breast Butterflies. The 100% natural, skin-on Turkey Butterflies are aimed at all areas of the foodservice sector and are available now. “Putting tasty, cost-effective, popular dishes on the menu is important to meet customer demand in the run up to Christmas and over the festive season,” said Carl Scothorne, sales director for Rectory Food Group. “Chefs can feel confident they are giving diners only the highest quality turkey and that our Turkey Breast Butterflies will be a popular choice this Christmas.” The individually wrapped, vacuum-packed products have a typical 21-day shelf life from date of production. They are available via cash and carries, wholesalers and regional distributors now. For details of your local stockist, email info@rectoryfoods.com.