Extra goodness As if smoothies weren't healthy enough, drinks company Innocent has boosted the goodness further with the introduction of a detoxifying Super Smoothie (with lemons for vitamin C, honey for natural antioxidants and energy, and ginger to cleanse, purify and aid digestion) and a vitamin C Super Smoothie (with blackcurrants, acerola cherries and rosehips - nature's richest source of vitamin C). A recent Datamonitor report revealed that the sale of functional health foods has doubled in the UK in the past five years, so if your customers want to boost their vitamin intake or if they look like they're suffering from winter chills or New Year excesses, perhaps you should stock up. For a limited period, a winter warmer smoothie has also been concocted from cranberries, apples and cinnamon. Price: £1.10 each. Available from: Innocent 020 8600 3939 www.innocentdrinks.co.uk
Flat and handy Fairway Foodservice is offering an alternative to the more familiar bread slices, buns and baguettes as a carrier for hand-held snacks: the Swedish flatbread. Made in Sweden, the product has the appearance of crispbread but is soft and can be cut into smaller pieces for canapés and buffets. It is available round or square. The round version measures 16cm across, weighs 55g and is packed in cases of 72, while the square bread is 11cm across, weighs 30g and is packed in cases of 120. Price: both types £20 per case. Available from: Fairway Foodservice 08451 662366 www.fairwayfoodservice.com
Spiced ices Launched towards the end of last year, Spice Rack is an innovative range of ice-creams from Dorset supplier Purbeck Ice Cream. The idea is that, rather than just using them as a sweet, chefs can also use the ice-creams in savoury dishes. So think chilli ice-cream on top of seafood or steaks, nutmeg ice-cream served with duck, or root ginger twist with Thai foods. Other flavours include cracked black pepper and cassia spice. Price: £12 for four-litre tub. Avalable from: Purbeck Ice Cream 01929 480090
www.purbeckicecream.co.uk
Kickin' strips Chicken Strips are the latest addition to Plusfood's Hot 'n' Kickin' range, so called because of the spicy, crispy, light batter covering it. The chicken breast strips are coated, precooked and supplied frozen - ready to be heated in just 3-4 minutes by baking or deep-fat or pan frying. Available in cases of 3 x 1kg. Price: £7.50 per kg. Available from: Plusfood UK 01892 667155
Aussie oil If you like drizzling your salads with olive oil, you might want to try n'joi from Australia, available through olive and olive oil company Belazu. The company says its oils are lighter and more fruity than their European rivals and, because they are blended from different varietals grown around the country, have different flavours and aromas, including bananas, apples, herbs and vegetables. Price: £5.95 (500ml). Available from: Belazu 020 8838 1912
Duck in The Chinese Year of the Monkey starts on 22 January, so there's not much time left to get your ducklings if you're planning to mark the festivities. Silver Hill is offering a head-on, oven-ready duckling ready for Chinese New Year, fed on a natural GM-free diet and reared with no additives or antibiotics. Available frozen or chilled, in weight ranges from 1.7kg to 3kg and packed six to a case. Price: £2.60 per kg. Available from: Silver Hill Foods 00 353 47 87124 www.silverhillfoods.com
Effective brews Drink too much over the past few weeks? Of course you did; and so did your customers, so offer them something to rinse out body and soul. Pukka Herbs has extended its organic herbal tea range with four new blends: Clarity (ginger and lemon grass, to focus the mind); Love (rose and camomile, to harmonise the heart); Pleasure (cocoa and sweet cinnamon); and Detox (aniseed and fennel, to balance the digestive system). All the teas are blended by an Ayurvedic medical herbalist using Indian herbs, and contain no preservatives, additives or artificial flavourings. Price: £8.51 for pack of six cartons (each carton contains 20 tea bags). Available from: Pukka Herbs 0117 974 4811