Central Foods has expanded its range of frozen meat-free products for British foodservice customers with the addition of a vegetarian snack line from Stellendam, Netherlands-based Le Duc. The company’s frozen products, which include camembert bites, breaded mushrooms, mozzarella sticks, chili cheese nuggets, macaroni & cheese bites, onion rings and cream cheese jalapeños, target the growing demand from wholesalers and operators for vegetarian appetizers and shareable bar snacks.
Partnering with the Dutch supplier further strengthens Northamptonshire, England-based Central Foods’ reputation for making established international ranges more accessible to the UK foodservice market.
“We’re delighted to bring Le Duc into our portfolio,” said Oli Sampson, managing director of Central Foods. “Bar snacks are a familiar format for consumers, and we already know that this growing trend, together with our mixed pallet consolidation model designed to eliminate minimum-order challenges for wholesalers, only helps reduce risk for food operators.”
Sampson added: “Le Duc’s range extends our existing vegetarian options, which are now expected as standard across many foodservice sectors, including pubs, bars and casual dining. We’re continuously working with suppliers to bring specialist products such as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options to mainstream menus.”
Dick Den Hertog, chief executive officer and founder of Le Duc, added: “We were impressed by the strength of Central Foods’ distribution routes, and it’s clear to see their focus on high-quality vegetarian products. We’re confident that frozen vegetarian appetizers, which are manufactured to the highest standards in our European facility, will complement other products in the Central Foods portfolio.”
