Cooking up a storm!
With many people now working from home and spending more time in the kitchen than ever, consumers are keen to add a little kick to their mealtime repertoire. Here, we look at the in-demand brands and innovations shaking up the sauces scene
Print3 September 2020
During lockdown, many people went to great lengths to recreate their favourite restaurant meals at home, and they are continuing to hone their cooking skills and broaden their repertoire of mealtime options. In most cases, consumers need look no further than the myriad cooking sauces on the market for the beginnings of a hearty meal from any world cuisine imaginable. But with strong competition in the segment and constant innovation and soaring quality, it is important for retailers to know where the tastes and trends lie in order to be ready with the selection consumers are looking for.
According to a 2019 report by Euromonitor entitled ‘Sauces, Dressings and Condiments in Ireland’, consumers are increasingly demanding hotter sauces and spices from Mexican and Asian cuisines. Judging by the new products on retailers’ shelves, hot sauces and Asian sauces are in greater demand in Ireland, according to Euromonitor. Consequently, chili sauces continued to achieve the highest current value growth in 2019.
Players in sauces, dressings and condiments are continuing to launch new products, extensions and refinements to widen the consumer base and cater to more specific demand and dietary requirements, such as vegan-friendly products.
Perfectly balanced heat and flavour
Cali Cali Foods’ sauces include Tijuana Hot Sauce, Frisco Hot Wings Sauce, LA Street food Sriracha Sauce, San Diego Peri Peri Sauce and Baja Chipotle Salsa
The Cali Cali Foods sauce range launched in the Irish market in September last year with inspiration from Californian street food flavours and healthy eating trends. The unique range of guilt-free sauces can be used to spice up the simplest of dishes from scrambled eggs or chicken and rice, to spaghetti bolognese. The sauces – Tijuana Hot Sauce, Frisco Hot Wings Sauce, LA Street food Sriracha Sauce, San Diego Peri Peri Sauce and Baja Chipotle Salsa – are free from additives and preservatives and are proving to be popular amongst coeliacs and vegans.
The sauces have a multitude of uses from marinating, cooking, mixing with dips or yoghurt or pouring straight from the bottle.
The low-calorie sauces are made using natural real food ingredients, from ground jalapenos in the 1kcal Tijuana Hot Sauce to freshly squeezed lemon juice in the 9kcal San Diego Peri Peri Sauce, the range has the perfect balance of heat and flavour. To help capture the authentic Californian street food feel, the sauces are packaged in a sleek slimline glass bottle with a wooden lid.
Coming up to the brand’s one-year anniversary, the sauces have taken the market by storm and are available in all major retailers nationwide.
Learn more about the Cali Cali Foods range at www.calicalifoods.com or on Facebook and Instagram @calicalifoods.
Currying favour
Chef has been an Irish favourite since 1921, proudly made in Cabra, Dublin. It is the number three brand in ‘table top’, number two brand in ketchup and the number one brand in brown sauce and beetroot. Irish consumers love Chef because of its distinctive bold flavour, which is unmistakable.
New Chef Chip Shop Curry Sauces are now available. Launched in June, the brand is confident this range will excite and delight consumers as they look for new ways to re-create their favourite takeaways at home.
Made in Dublin, Chef Curry Sauce delivers the right balance of heat and flavour. The range consists of three formats – two dry sauces and a unique ready-to-use bottle format.
The dry sauces are available in two variants, standard and reduced (only 70 cals per serving). Ready in five minutes, these sauces are simple and easy to make.
The ready-to-use bottle is a particularly exciting product as it is a category first! No preparation is required; consumers can simply pour straight from the bottle over hot chips or dare to dip! It can also be used hot or cold (just microwave for one minute). This product is also gluten free so will appeal to coeliacs looking for a tasty treat.
Fakeaway perfection
During the Covid-19 lockdown, the Fused range of sauces became known across Ireland as an ideal solution for a “lockdown fakeaway”. Fused solves a problem for customers at home every day looking for something new and exciting. Fused has a range of stir fry sauces (Teriyaki, Katsu Curry, Black Bean, Chow Mein, Chinese Curry, Sweet Chilli and Thai Green Curry) and flavoured soy sauces which work well with any protein option including meat, fish and vegetables.
Fused was born from co-founders Fiona and Gilmar’s insane love for Asian flavours. After living in Asia for several years and returning to Ireland, they wanted to re-create the flavours they had experienced. Fiona and Gilmar continue to develop all the recipes for the Fused range of sauces using only the best ingredients with no nasties and no MSG. They want people to experience the real flavours of Asia they fondly remember from their travels and time abroad.
As a store cupboard essential with a 12 month shelf life, Fused will always ensure that consumers will be able to rustle up a tasty, healthy meal in minutes.
Fused has an exciting NPD pipeline. See more at www.fusedbyfionauyema.com. For listings or enquiries, contact gilmar@fusedbyfionauyema.com.
Professionally prepared
Porter & Nash’s range exemplifies all the attributes of what customers expect from a professionally prepared sauce: flavour profile, consistency and quality
The Porter & Nash range of plant-based sauces were created by Gavin Cassidy and Eoin Lennon, both professional chefs with over 50 years’ combined experience in the food industry including training at two-star Michelin level.
The range’s unique selling points include that it is produced in Ireland, and is 100% plant- based, with a no fat, low salt, low sugar and gluten free recipe.
An innovative, first-to-market range, Porter & Nash contains world-renowned quality Irish seaweed. Suitable for vegans, vegetarians, family cookery and home entertaining, it has no artificial flavours, colourings or preservatives.
Porter & Nash’s range of products can be used as a cooking sauce or a pouring sauce for finishing roast dinners. Their versatility is endless, they can be used as a base for vegan dishes, soups, Asian broths, casseroles, stews or to complement beef, pork, chicken, fish and vegetable dishes.
The products, including an Original Gravy, Slow Roasted Garlic & Thyme Sauce and Caramelised Onion & Balsamic Sauce, can be stored chilled or ambient with a six month shelf-life. What’s more, Porter & Nash is presently in R&D on a further three sauces.
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