Pullman's sweet and savouries

Nestlé set to target chocoholics

Nestle Foodservice is launching a new hot chocolate drink to cash in on what it sees as a growing market.

Instant Hot Chocolate Drink has been developed specifically for the catering market. Nestlé claims the drink has stood up well in comparative tastings and recommends that the drink is whisked in a blender before serving to create a heavy froth on top.

Instant Hot Chocolate Drink comes in 1kg tubs (about 35 servings) costing £4.39 (about 12-13p per cup). Nestlé recommends two level scoops (28g)/four full teaspoons per cup.

NESTLE

Tel: FREEPHONE0800 661661

No-fuss microwave

Lincat, which supplies a range of commercial catering equipment to the hospitality industry, has added a new microwave oven to its productportfolio.

The K-Volt is aimed at the pub and restaurant sector and fills a niche, says Lincat, for a low-cost, no-fuss model.

The K-Volt cabinet is made of stainless steel and the machine operates on a 13amp socket, generating microwave power of up to 1,000W.It costs £499.

LINCAT

01522 695020

Evening drinks

Provend has launched two new ranges of vending machines, aimed primarily at hotels wishing to offer an evening drinks service to guests and theatre and event caterers.

The Kensington 6100 and the Stirling ranges offer vending machines that can produce not only standard coffee and tea, but also cappuccino and espresso. Both ranges can be fitted with coin machines if desired.

Prices start from about £2,300 for the Kensington 6100 range (there are four models) and from about £2,700 for the Stirling range (10 models in total).

PROVEND SERVICES

Tel: 0181 998 2828

Two new savoury products and a new sweet product have been added to Pullman Foods' frozen food lines.

Cooked Cumberland Ring joins Pullman's existingspeciality sausage range and comes pre-cooked. Weighing 170g, it is supplied in packs of 24 - the price works out at 83p per ring.

Pullman already markets a frozen, raw Cumberland sausage but says the newpre-cooked ring can bere-heated in seconds, thuscutting valuable preparation time.

Select Roast Chicken Pie, says Pullman, is the firstsuch product within the foodservice market to contain roast, rather than boiled, chicken meat. Topped with puff pastry, the pie weighs 61/2oz, comes in packs of24 and is priced at 50.9pper pie.

Also in the Pullman Select range is the new Individual ParisBrest - a choux pastry ring filled with morello cherries, cräme Anglaise and fresh cream. Topped with roast flaked almonds, mandarinsegments and cherries, Paris Brest is sold in packs ofnine, priced £7.72 (85.7p per ring.)

All three products are aimed at contract caterers (particularly those involved in travel service stations) and pubs.

PULLMAN FOODS

Tel: 01704 880686

There are three cakes inthe line: Chocolate Rum Truffle GÆ'teau (rum-flavoured chocolate sponge toppedwith rum truffles, filled with chocolate and rum-flavoured cream mousse); Grand Marnier GÆ'teau (liqueur-soaked chocolate spongelayered with chocolate and Grand Marnier mousses and mandarin); and Kir Royale (chocolate sponge soaked in Champagne-flavoured syrup, filled with blackcurrant and Champagne-flavoured mousse).

All three have 14 portions. Prices are £11.76 for the Rum Truffle and Kir Royale gÆ'teaux (84p per portion), £12.46 for the Grand Marnier GÆ'teau (89p per portion).

Brake Bros is also extending its part-baked bread range (right) with a speciality bread selection. Muesli, olive, sun-dried tomato and walnut bread rolls come in packs of 52 (13 of each) and cost £10.35 (19.9p each).

BRAKE BROS

Tel: 01233 637370

Boned and stuffed game

A line of boned and stuffed quail, pheasant, corn-fed chicken, poussin and guinea fowl is being launched by quail specialist Fayre Game.

The stuffings, says Fayre Game, help keep the boneless birds in shape and prevent the meat from drying out when cooking. They include: Camargue Red Rice with apricots and raisins; spinach and mushroom; garlic and herb; pistachio nut and raisin; and the traditional pork and chestnut.

Aimed at the hotel and banqueting sector, the birds come either tray-wrapped or vacuum-packed and are supplied fresh or frozen. Prices are about £1.40 per piece.

FAYRE GAME

Tel: 01253 738640

Corn-based snack from Phileas Fogg

Derwent Valley Foods is adding another line to its range of Phileas Fogg snacks.

Chicettas - corn-based, like tortillas, but inspired by Italian flavourings - come in two varieties: Italian Tomato and Basil and Italian Four Cheeses.

Tomato and Basil chicettas come in three sizes - 85g, 35g and 200g packs. The Four Cheeses chicettas come in the 85g size only. Prices: 12 x 85g, £6.32; 24 x 35g, £5.25; 15 x 200g, £16.91.

DERWENT VALLEYFOODS

Tel: 01207 580999

Rubber board bounces back

Forever replacing wooden chopping boards? Partwell claims to have solved the problem with its new Apex cutting boards. Made in the USA and newly launched on the UK market, the boards are made from a high-density rubber compound. At £22.20 per square foot, they are not cheap, but, says Partwell, will last for a minimum of 10 years.

Partwell says the boards are hygienic because the surface does not cut - it merely gives and is, thus, less likely to harbour bacteria or food particles. The rubber surface also means that knives are blunted at a slower rate.

PARTWELL

Tel: 01254 671875