Exotic relishes and add-at-home sauce sales are soaring
Brecon-based Beacon foods said it is supplying an ever-increasing range of ingredients to add flavour and decorative appeal or to provide the finishing touches to products.
Product development manager Ian St John said there had been a surge in interest for chutneys and relishes from sandwich makers, while meat firms were snapping up a vast range of specialist sauces.
A key area of growth is sachets of sauces and glazes for people to add to meat products at home, with manufacturers striving to meet consumers' cooking requirements.
'Want to do something'
"Consumers arriving home from work still want to be responsible for cooking part of their evening meal," said St John. "They don't have the time to cook a meal from scratch, but still want to do something, such as adding the marinade or sauce to a meat roast."
He said he'd also noticed growing demand for British or specific named ingredients, such as Sicilian lemons and California peppers, while items such as caramelised orange slices, clementine and apple slices and citrus zests were in demand, in the run up to Christmas.
"There is no doubt consumers are watching what they are spending in the current economic climate, but I wouldn't say they are spending less," said St John. "They are being more selective and going for quality and recognised names."
'Increasingly seeking'
Sausage and burger manufacturers were increasingly seeking to add new flavour combinations to their products, he added, while the company is reporting an upsurge in interest in chutneys and relishes from sandwich manufacturers.
Mango, apricot, pomegranate, beetroot and mint relishes are popular and the wide range of chutneys developed include beetroot and horseradish and sweet and sour carrot.
Going down well with soup manufacturers is chargrilled sweetcorn, while salad manufacturers are ordering more quinoa, black barley, bulgar wheat and cous cous.
Meanwhile, aromatic ingredients, such as lemon grass, galangal, ginger and specialist chilies, are in vogue with manufacturers of drinks, added St John.
