3663 Strawberry Tart

3663 Strawberry Tart has been awarded the Craft Guild of Chefs Endorsement.

An individual pastry case filled with a creme patisserie topped with strawberries and a strawberry flavoured gel. Each pack contains 16 x 129g portions. Defrost and serve

3663 Stuffed mushroom lattice

3663 Stuffed mushroom lattice has been awarded the Craft Guild of Chefs Endorsement.

A filled mushroom stuffed with artichokes and asparagus in a créme fraîche sauce topped with lattice pastry. Each pack contains 12 x 270g. Ready in 20-25 minutes from defrost.

3663 Chicken stuffed with Roquefort, Cheddar & fig

3663 Chicken stuffed with Roquefort, Cheddar & fig has been awarded the Craft Guild of Chefs Endorsement.

The pairing of meat with fruit is very trendy and the flavours of the blue cheese balances perfectly with the sweet subtlety of the fig. Each pack contains 12 x 230g. Ready in 20-25 minutes from defrost.

Broadland Farms fresh turkey wins over Craft Guild of Chefs

The Broadland Farms Fresh Turkey range from the traditional home of British turkey farming in Norfolk has earned the ultimate seal of approval from the UK’s leading chef’s association.

Three high ranking members of the Craft Guild of Chefs were tasked with putting four products from the Bernard Matthews Foodservice range through their paces to determine whether they were good enough to display the association’s ‘Approved Product’ logo.

Exceeding the pass mark, the quality cuts, which chefs can ‘lean on’ to create low fat, turkey dishes on menus all year round, were Fresh Turkey Carvery Crown, Fresh Turkey Butterfly, Fresh Single Turkey Breast Lobe and Fresh Thick Cut Turkey Steaks.

Overall, all three chefs were impressed with the range of cuts available, which can be used throughout the year, and liked their versatility to be used in a multiple of dishes and recipe.

Specifically, they commented that the steaks were good for simple, quick turnaround lunches and escalopes, the butterfly cut was ideal for stuffing and slow braising, while the carvery crown and lobe would make ideal ingredients for roasts and sandwiches.

In terms of packaging, it was deemed very easy to follow, while one chef said the Broadland Farms story would appeal in his five star hotel restaurant, another agreeing it added value.

They also commented that frozen meat when defrosted didn’t always have the same structure and lost some of it moisture, while large joints took time to defrost correctly. They agreed that fresh meat retained flavour better, with less water content compared to frozen.

Having a product range approved by the Craft Guild of Chefs means chefs can immediately see it has been highly rated by their peer group, meaning they can buy and use the products with confidence. To pass, products must achieve a ‘C’. The Broadland Farms Fresh Turkey cuts under scrutiny exceeded this and were awarded an overall ‘B’ rating.

As an all year round ingredient, fresh British turkey breast is, typically, cheaper to buy than other meats, ultra versatile and low in fat and saturated fat.

Eat Well Cheese Company Cheddar, Half and Reduced Fat Cheese

Cheddar, Half and Reduced Fat Cheese from the Eat Well Cheese Company (Cricketer Farm) have received the Craft Guild of Chefs’ seal of approval, following testing by high-level chefs as part of the Guild’s Product Endorsement Programme.

Results from the tests revealed that all three chefs found the cheeses to be great tasting, authentic and easy to use products that meet the needs of chefs for cooking and in particular were full of praise for the added value that the reduced fat cheeses provided in healthier recipes. Whilst all three products received fulsome praise the chefs were in particular fulsome in praise regarding to the half and reduced fat cheese gratinating and meltability capabilities.

Greg Parsons, Managing Director, The Eat Well Cheese Company says: “It is a great honour that the Craft Guild of Chefs has endorsed Mature Cheddar and Half and Reduced Fat Cheeses that are three great local Somerset British Cheeses made from grass fed cow’s milk. This also reinforces the fact that Half and Reduced Fat Cheeses are cheeses are of their time and are the ideal ingredient for great tasting healthier recipes.

Discovery Foods’ spice mills and grinders

Discovery Foods’ spice mills and grinders were also approved by the Guild. These included its extra fine selection of hand picked spices in catering size mills, and seven innovative seasonings under its Santa Maria brand.

Kitchen-Made ‘Essentials’ Pass Ultimate Road Test

Essential Cuisine, creator of kitchen-made tasting stocks, jus, demi-glace and gravy, is on a roll with three of its products winning the stamp of approval from the leading UK chefs’ association.

Signature Beef Jus, Premier Jus, one of the leading foodservice jus brands, and its stock mix range have been endorsed by the Craft Guild of Chefs following an unbelievable year for the company.

Each one will now proudly display the coveted Product Endorsement logo on its label, reassuring professional chefs of their superior quality and taste, and that they are ‘fit for purpose’.

Managing director of Essential Cuisine Nigel Crane said: “We are not the biggest, most prolific brand out there in foodservice, which is why this endorsement is so important, demonstrating to professional chefs just how good we are.

“Over the past year, we’ve spent a lot of time in commercial kitchens, showing chefs the difference between what we do and what our competitors do and they have been genuinely surprised and impressed, resulting in many a coup for us in what has been an amazing year.”

While all three ranges received the stamp of approval, there were particular areas of sparkling praise. Essential Beef Stock, for example, was commended for its ‘excellent colour and taste, almost like consomme’, while the range’s colour coded packaging benefit in a busy kitchen was ‘good’.

Premier Jus in Lamb, Veal and Chicken, meanwhile, behaved like fresh jus ‘above expectation’, according to the high ranked judges. “They boiled without skimming or lumping and maintained flavour and consistency even after being cooled and refrigerated and then re-boiled for the next service, with excellent results,” they concluded. “It is an exceptional product,” said one.

Essential’s Signature Beef Jus was also praised for its “full body, strong flavour and nice, thick consistency”. Due to its liquid form, the taste would also be consistent “time after time”.

The Craft Guild of Chefs’ Endorsement Programme enables food manufacturers to test existing products and those under development using leading chefs from across the hospitality industry - establishing whether products are ‘fit for purpose’.

For more information, call 0870 050 1133, e-mail sales@essentialcuisine.com or visit www.essentialcuisine.com

KNORR bouillon makes the grade

The KNORR Clear Bouillon range from Unilever Foodsolutions has received the Craft Guild of Chefs’ seal of approval, following testing by high-level chefs as part of the Guild’s Product Endorsement Programme.

Results from the tests revealed that three out of three chefs stated that they found KNORR Clear Bouillon an authentic, easy to use product that meets the needs of chefs.

Claire Sullivan, marketing director, Unilever Foodsolutions says: “It is a great honour that the Craft Guild of Chefs has decided to endorse KNORR Clear Bouillon, which is a fantastic product from the KNORR Bouillon range. It also reinforces the fact that KNORR is the number one choice for chefs.”

KNORR Clear Bouillons add full flavour, without affecting the natural colour of a dish. Their authentic flavour profile makes them a perfect solution for chefs looking to create delicious white sauces, clear soups and veloutés. The Craft Guild of Chefs’ testing panel also found it ideal for poaching and braising.

There are three varieties in the KNORR Clear Bouillons range - clear chicken, clear vegetable, and clear fish – all are available in cases of 2 x 1kg.

For further information on the KNORR Bouillons range and other KNORR products, please contact the Unilever Foodsolutions careline on 0800 783 3728 (calls may be recorded) or visit www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk

Premium collection of freeze dried herbs

The premium collection of freeze dried herbs under the Schwartz for Chef brand from McCormick passed the Guild’s “Fit for Purpose and Quality Assurance” assessment. It says its five varieties of specially selected herbs, freeze dried for a superior strength of flavour and a bright appearance, are the closest alternative to fresh herbs and only a small amount is required to deliver maximum flavour. Tried and tested by Craft Guild chefs, the products give improved visual appearance, better shape and texture than regular dried herbs, and when added to liquids such as soups and sauces they rehydrate instantly.

Commercial director James Millward adds: “We are delighted to have achieved this endorsement as it validates the high quality of our products. For too long there has been a misunderstanding about dried herbs and we are keen to engage with chefs to demonstrate how valuable they can be in any kitchen.” All the company’s herbs and spices are heat treated for microbiological safety, making them safe to use even without cooking, and come with full traceability.

Bladen Lighter cheese range

Milk Link Foodservice’s groundbreaking Bladen Lighter cheese range got the green light from the Guild. Head of foodservice Craig Dillon comments: “Our development team and graders have worked closely with foodservice chefs across all channels to create a great tasting cheese that performs perfectly in the kitchen, while exceeding nutritional requirements,” adding that caterers could not tell the difference between its full fat and low fat cheddars in blind taste tests. It was tasted raw, as well as oven cooked, grilled and quick browned in a number of dishes from classic cheese sauces to soufflés and a Welsh rarebit. “What’s fascinating is that none of the Craft Guild chefs who tested the product had used a reduced fat cheese before the trial – and all believed that it would be tasteless, rubbery and lack any depth of flavour,” says Dillon. He adds that the product exceeded their expectations, with many of the trial chefs claiming it showed no noticeable differences from its standard mature cheddar. Bladen Lighter is available in mild and mature 5kg blocks, 1kg grated cheddar and grated mozzarella mix.

Pritchitts’ Millac dairy whipping cream

Pritchitts’ Millac dairy whipping cream was its fourth product as well to tick all the boxes. When tested the comments included: “the taste is clean and fresh”; “when pouring into hot sauce, it doesn’t separate or compromise the taste”; “having an ambient product to store would free up fridge space and reduce ordering”.

Tilda easy cook basmati and easy cook basmati and wild rice

Tilda easy cook basmati and easy cook basmati and wild rice passed with flying colours, with examiners all agreeing the products had an impressive yield, were high quality, easy to cook, delivered consistently good results that looked great and provided a premium quality taste.