The name Cirio is synonymous with tomatoes in Italy and the company is hoping to do the same here. At Hospitality Week, Cirio Foodservice, 716, officially launched into the UK catering industry with its new packaging, specially created for the sector. It unveiled foil bags which eradicate the problems associated with metal cans or sharp edges and can openers.
The new 3kg bags are hygienic, lightweight and easy-to-pour. They can sit on the shelf or refrigerated once opened, so there is no waste.
The Cirio products are: Chopped Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Tomato Passata, Pizza Sauce Original and Pizza Sauce Spicy. Recipe ideas are available.
Visitors to the Cirio Del Monte stand, 717, were able to sample the World Fruits range of exotic fruit juice drinks in the following flavours - Italian Blood Orange, Ecuadorian Passion Fruit, New Zealand Kiwi Fruit, Indian Mango & Papaya and Costa Rican Banana. The drinks can be served on their own or served as a mixture. Available in 1 litre tetra pack and 330ml PET. Also new is the Fruit Express, a ready-to-eat snack dessert comprising different fruits in a juice. It has a 12 month shelf life and is available in a variety of flavours including Zesty Mandarin and Pineapple and Peach and Papaya Passion.
Readi-Bake, 718, demonstrated its ideas for desserts using its frozen or thaw 'n' serve cookies as the key ingredient. Recipes include Banoffee Yoghurt Cookie Crunch, Luscious Chocolate Brownies and Speedy Key-Lime Pie. Free recipe booklets were available. New for the show included a frozen Milk & White Chocolate cookie, as well as a frozen and a thaw' n' serve 75g version of the M&M cookie.
Nestlé UK Ltd, 719, showed just how simple it is to make a cappuccino with its new Nescafé Speciality Coffees in a sachet or tin - all you do is add hot water! Available in three flavours - Cappuccino, Mocha and Latte.
Visitors to the stand were given a demonstration of the new Nescafé Allora tabletop machine and the Nescafé.go system.
The Allora works with capsules, so it doesn't have to be plumbed in. Capsules are inserted into the machine and then dispensed into 150ml cups (75ml for espresso).
It heats each cup individually at a controlled temperature and can produce up to 50 cups a day. There's a choice of four varieties - Espresso, Cappuccino, Black and Decaffeinated Coffee, as well as Chocolate and Tea.
The price is around £300 for the machine and starter pack.
Also new is the Nescafé.go machine which provides a solution for fast serving outlets serving customers in a hurry, whether it's a football stadium or theme park. It's an "all-in-one" complete mix product with its own hot water and merchandiser compact dispenser. The beverages are pre-dosed at the bottom of the cup. All you have to do is choose a drink, pull off the seal, pour on hot water and go. A total of 20 cups can be dispensed before a refill is needed. There's a choice of Black Coffee, White Coffee, Black Decaf, White Decaf, Capuccino, as well as Hot Chocolate or Tea. The machine can be plumbed in, in which case, refilling isn't required. The price is about £300. At a football stadium, Nestle is currently trialling selling coffee from the go machine, together with a sausage and a Kit Kat at a special price. According to Katy Hilditch, Marketing Manager, Nestlé Beverage Division, "This trial is going really well. The go machine is really suited for any outlet, where people are on the move and in a hurry."
On the Marlow Foods stand, 720, top chef Brian Baker demonstrated the versatility of Quorn mince, pieces and fillets in various recipes such as Huzarren Quorn Salad - a savoury Dutch potato salad with Quorn pieces covering with a spicy vegetable dressing.
The Curry Sauce Co, 721, was offering visitors the chance to sample its new sauces - Pasanda, a mild, creamy sauce with toasted flaked almonds and Thai Yellow, a medium, colourful fragrant sauce, suitable for vegetarians.
Also on show was the range of ready-meals, with varieties such as Madras, Tikka Masala and Dopiazza Rogan Josh, in both Chicken and Lamb. Available in 320g and 340g individual meals or 10 or 15 portion catering packs.
The CMA (Central Marketing Organisation of German Agricultural Industries), 722, demonstration stand showed a wide variety of German products such as frozen marinated strips of turkey from Heidemark Turkey Specialists, 723; chicken sandwiches from Drink & Food Services, 724, and roasted chicken fillets from Crown Foods Ltd, 725. Dairy products included breaded and pre-baked cheese from Golden Acre Dairy Foods, 726; "Verifingers" from Ranchmaster, 727 - fingers of mixed vegetables coated in breadcrumbs and spiral fries in a seasoned coating from AGF Professional, 728.
Dairy free cheeses were among the vegetarian items on display at the Redwood Food Service, 729, stand including Feta Style Cheezly in oil and Nacho Style Cheezly. Or there are sausages such as Organic Lincolnshire-Style Sausages and Vegi-Deli gourmet Sausage in Oregano and Basil. With the breakfast range, you'll be able to provide veggie customers with a good start to the day. Products include Streaky-Style Vegetarian Rashers and Vegi-Deli Gourmet Sausages.
Welsh supplier John Langford, 730, showed "Kiddies Favourites", a new mild tasting sausage produced especially for children.
These are a thinner sausage packed in a 400g pack, with eight to a pack. John Langford said: "Kids don't like big sausages and they prefer a milder taste. We have developed these to meet requests. Kids like a simple sausage."