Marco Pierre White’s meats, British spelt rigatoni and foodservice-designed tofu: the best new ingredients for restaurants

Restaurants have to keep their food menus fresh to encourage diners to return, time after time.

Key ingredients such as proteins for starters and main courses can make or break a dish, so operators need to source quality products at the right price for them.

To ensure venues have everything they need for their food menus, we have rounded up the most innovative new ingredient additions.

Find new restaurant food menu ingredients below.

Marco Pierre White’s Cumbrian meats

Marco Pierre White has launched a selection of meats, pâtés, terrines and smoked salmon under the brand Farmhouse Cuisine by Marco Pierre White. Created for chefs, the new range comes after White became a shareholder in a Cumbrian business that specialises in the manufacture of butchery products including cooked, cured and smoked meats, sausages, and smoked fish – all made using locally-sourced ingredients. The business will also be offering the wholesale sector a portfolio of chilled and frozen meats, ready-to-eat meats, cooked meats, stocks, smoked meats, pâtés and terrines, as well as the production and packing of smoked and poached salmon.

Trade price 500g ham hock and parsley terrine, £6.58

Frozen tofu designed for foodservice

Meat-free brand, the Tofoo Co, has launched its first-ever frozen plant-based range created with foodservice in mind. Both the new lightly spiced marinated tofu pieces and the Tex Mex tofu burger incorporate the company’s own handmade, organic and GM-free ‘Tofoo’ tofu. The marinated pieces are seasoned and coated for a crispy texture and can be used in Asian-style dishes and curries. The burger comprises tofu and a selection of vegetables including sweet potato, red pepper, beans and sweetcorn. It’s flavoured with a mix of spices including chilli, paprika and garlic. Both lines are kitchen-ready to cook from frozen.

Trade price Case of 30 burgers, £30

British spelt rigatoni pasta

Northern Pasta has added rigatoni to its pasta range. The rigatoni’s texture and ridges mean it can hold sauce within its shape. Crafted with the British spelt grain, Northern Pasta believes its rigatoni can be easy to digest and is full of flavour. Made with only flour and water, the pasta is 100% traceable, meaning the company knows where its grains have come from and how they have been grown. As a supporter of regenerative British farming, it is important to Northern Pasta that its grains grow in nutrient-rich soil for a tasty pasta and a healthy climate.

Trade price 450g bag, £3.20

Brakes’ new Birchstead beef

Foodservice wholesaler Brakes has launched a range of almost 60 fresh beef products under its new Birchstead brand. The specialist range of beef, sourced from British and Irish farms, includes steaks, joints, mince and burgers, along with a selection of dry-aged cuts for fine dining. There are two tiers of Birchstead beef products: Birchstead and Birchstead Reserve. Birchstead offers selected matured fresh beef that should deliver flavour, tenderness and value, while Birchstead Reserve provides the finest cuts, hand-selected and dry-aged for flavour, texture and tenderness. All partner farms supplying Birchstead beef are accredited by Bord Bia or Red Tractor.

Trade price Sirloin steaks from £4.86

Vegan and gluten-free sausages

Frozen food distributor Central Foods has introduced a vegan and gluten-free sausage to its free-from own brand range for the foodservice sector. The KaterVeg! vegan and gluten-free VG sausage is made to the same recipe as the firm’s KaterVeg! vegan meatballs. Made from soya, the KaterVeg! VG sausage is a source of protein, high in fibre and low in sugar, and is suitable for vegan and gluten-free diners. Each sausage weighs 50g and they are supplied frozen in packs of 40.

Trade price 33p per sausage