Chilli halloumi, seven-day oysters and Brick Lane curry: the best new ingredients for restaurants

From premium fine dining to all-day and casual restaurants, keeping food menus fresh is the backbone of operations.

 

Venues can’t afford to be left behind by the latest meal trends, but they also need to maintain the firm favourites that have made their restaurants a success.

 

Tweaking ingredients within their dishes could be the ideal approach to combining familiarity with freshness. Therefore, we have rounded up the latest food product launches that could provide a key point of difference to restaurant menus.

 

Find new restaurant food ingredient options below.

 

Extra-hot halloumi

Staple Food Group has launched Kouzina halloumi with chilli, combining the creamy texture of traditional halloumi with a chilli kick. The protected designation of origin cheese is suitable for grilling, frying or baking, and is available in a 225g format for easy portioning.

 

Price Case of 10 x 225g cheeses, £19.82

 

Sushi rice for foodservice

JJ Foodservice has introduced Rice Majestic Sushi Rice, a Japanese-style short-grain sasanishiki rice that holds its texture and consistency, making it perfect for sushi and traditional Japanese dishes. JJ Foodservice has also introduced a smaller 5kg pack of its Thai Majestic Hom Mali rice, catering to smaller businesses and home cooks.

 

Price 10kg bag, from £16.99

 

Spices inspired by London’s Brick Lane

Brick Lane-inspired brand Bang! Curry Professional – the new foodservice arm of Bang! Curry – has introduced five products to bring authentic Bangladeshi flavour to menus. The Onion, Garlic & Ginger Base formula can be hydrated with water and then fried off, ready to be combined with four ready-to-go spice blends to create a curry paste when mixed with water. The range is made up of Warm Moghul (mild), which makes Bangla bhuna or korma; Tikka Masala (medium); Classic Bangla (medium), which is similar to a Jalfrezi; and Naga Bang (hot), which is similar to a Madras. All products are available in 500g packs, with six packs per box.

 

Price 6 x 500g boxes, £101.94

 

Essex oysters with a seven-day shelf life

Marrfish has added fresh Colchester Pyefleet oysters to its seafood portfolio. The oysters are low in fat, a source of protein, minerals and vitamins, and have a fresh, briny flavour. High-pressure processing eliminates the risk of norovirus as well as removing the oyster shell, making handling a safer and quicker process. Wastage is also reduced owing to a seven-day shelf life.

 

Price Oysters at £1.20 each, available in packs of 12

 

Pulses for Spanish menus

Spanish foods supplier Mevalco has added this season’s freshly harvested pulses to its range. This includes faba beans sustainably sourced from suppliers in Spain and selected for their flavour and texture, as well as butter beans, caviar lentils, chickpeas, verdina beans and Spanish faba beans, which can be used in dishes such as Fabada Asturiana bean stew. Supply partners include family-owned Spanish firm Burcol and Codilex brand Caminastur.

 

Price 1kg bag of caviar lentils, £4.58