April sees the launch of Contashe, an innovative new food company set to reverse the decline in the UK savoury pastry market, with its unique range of high quality foods that balance today's need for convenience, taste and health.
Responding to the gap in the chilled food sector for tasty, convenience foods with an emphasis on healthier, wholesome, quality British fresh ingredients, Contashe enters the market with the highly contemporary 'Crumbs' range.
An innovative range of chilled lunchtime snacking products and savoury pastry products, Crumbs is designed around modern consumer lifestyles, where there is a shortage of time and a desire for healthier eating.
At the head of Contashe's experienced management team is Ben Davies, a dynamic and highly knowledgeable, former grocery buyer and marketier, who recognised the opportunity after having first hand experience of the lack of innovation and quality in the sector: "Today's time-starved consumers are crying out for healthier convenience foods, made with quality ingredients, and Crumbs plugs this gap in the market.
"At Contashe we retain our own development chefs and outsource production to facilities across the UK. This gives us the ability to respond swiftly to market trends, bringing new products to market much quicker than most of our competitors."
Leading the Crumbs product development remit is acclaimed French chef, Emmanuel Lioux whose background includes major roles at established restaurants in London and Paris, including Claridges Hotel and Bistro de L'Etoile.
The Crumbs range introduces new, contemporary flavours into the convenience food sector and makes use of 'superfood' ingredients such as omega 3 and flaxseed. The range does not include any non-essential ingredients such as artificial taste enhancers and preservatives, and wherever possible, are made from fresh, local ingredients.
Innovative, environmentally-friendly packaging has been designed to make Contashe products easier and cleaner for consumers to eat the Crumbs snacking products while 'on the go'.
Contashe, not shy in meeting its environmental commitments, uses recycled or stemmed cardboard, as well as compostable and biodegradable plastic for retail and consumer packaging. All key ingredients used in Contashe products are of known traceable origin. Where possible, the company uses British ingredients and meat is of the highest welfare standard.
The Crumbs range, has already secured much interest from the grocery retail trade and will hit the shelves during April 2007.
The Crumbs range comprises:-
PRODUCT RANGE - QUICHES
• All day breakfast quiche - fibre-rich, baked bean oatmeal pastry filled with premium sausage, bacon & tomato
• Roasted vegetable quiche - roasted balsamic onions & peppers with feta cheese & rocket in a fibre-rich oatmeal pastry
• Smoked salmon & spinach quiche - smoked salmon & tender spinach set in Omega-3 rich pastry
• Quiche Lorraine - a classic Quiche Lorraine in a fibre-rich oatmeal pastry
All quiche are available in 2 sizes, 410g or 180g, and recommended retail price would be £2.99 or £1.39
PRODUCT RANGE - HOT PIES
• Ham Hock & Mushroom pie - cured ham hock & mushrooms topped with a high fibre oatmeal cheese crumble
• Roasted Chicken and Leek pie - free range chicken breast and leek in a creamy sauce topped with high fibre oatmeal crumble
Both products are 275g, and recommended retail would be £2.49
PRODUCT RANGE - COLD EATING
• Balsamic Tomato Sausage Bombs - slow roasted tomato chutney encased in premium sausage meat
• Apricot Chutney Sausage Bombs - delicious apricot chutney encased in premium sausage meat
Both products are in twinpacks of 80g, recommended retail of £1.19
• Chicken & tomato savoury roll - free-range chicken with a tomato chutney encased in fibre-rich puff pastry
Product is 150g, with a recommended retail of £1.45
• Steak & Onion Pasty - tender steak & onions in a rich wine gravy wrapped in fibre-rich puff pastry
• Butternut squash and spiced chicken pasty - free range chicken & squash encased in fibre-rich puff pastry
• Lamb & mint pasty - lamb & vegetables in a mint & thyme gravy, wrapped in fibre-rich puff pastry
All products are 180g, with a recommended retail of £1.65
• Ham, mustard & cheese slice - premium ham, teamed with mustard & emmental cheese, wrapped in fibre-rich puff pastry
• Chicken, basil & mozzarella slice - free-range chicken with basil & mozzarella encased in fibre-rich puff pastry
Both products are 180g, with a recommended retail of £1.65
Comments from Ben Davies, Contashe Foods, for Alison Bennett author of the 'Focus on Better For You' article in The Grocer
Contashe Foods is the innovative and responsible company behind a new branded range of premium, healthier pastry products.
Launching in April 2007 with its 'Crumbs' range of chilled snack and complete meal pastry products, Contashe will reinvigorate the market with contemporary, convenient food. Crumbs is the first brand to offer consumers the ultimate balance between convenience, taste and health.
According to a survey commissioned by The Grocer in late 2006, shoppers are far more inclined to buy healthier, lower-fat products. But it seems that old habits die hard as snack foods still feature within the fastest growing products of the year.
Ben Davies, managing director of Contashe Foods and a former grocery buyer and marketeer, commented on the results: "Today's consumers are under more time pressure than ever before and are increasingly turning to food they can eat while 'on the go'. They are far savvier than they used to be, they want more than just 'junk food'. Consumers now want snacking & main meal products that fit in with in with their modern lifestyles and that balance their needs for convenience, taste and health."
Ben believes that the market for fortified, healthy products is growing and has based the Crumbs range around wholesome, clean ingredients making use of healthier, 'superfoods' wherever possible.
Crumbs' range of contemporary flavours boast the following claims:
• Crumbs is the first range of convenience foods to include flax seed pastry, the richest source of the essential fatty acids Omega 3s.
• Crumbs is the first range of convenience foods to include baked bean pastry and oatmeal pastry, both a good source of fibre. Baked beans also count towards your fruit and vegetable intake.
• Wherever possible, Crumbs products are made from fresh, British ingredients and use meat from the highest welfare standard.
• Crumbs foods do not include any non-essential ingredients such as artificial taste enhancers and preservatives.
• Crumbs products have had any unnecessary fat and salt removed.
Ben predicts that the fortified food market will increase as more consumers realise the benefits of this type of food: "Standard products with added ingredients will become more & more common place in the market. Consumers realise that zero fat or zero calories is not the answer, it's all about eating a healthy, balanced diet with a mix of good quality, wholesome ingredients. With today's hectic lifestyles, consumers want the maximum nutrition from their food, as they often currently don't have the time for a fully balanced meal. Crumbs products offer consumers the opportunity to eat healthier convenience products on the move and at home.
"Crumbs is committed to providing a 'clean' range of foods that doesn't include any non-essential ingredients. We will constantly develop our range to be at the forefront of innovation in this sector, and include healthier variants that help today's consumers eat a more wholesome, balanced diet."
www.crumbsfood.com