New gluten-free sausage roll launched by

 Central Foods

Frozen food distributor Central Foods has boosted its free-from range with the introduction of a gluten-free sausage roll.

The Menuserve unbaked, unglazed gluten-free puff pastry sausage roll is filled with lightly seasoned British pork and is ideal for a wide range of catering and hospitality outlets.

Perfect for a plated meal or a light lunch, as well as a grab-and-go or takeaway option, the sausage roll is the latest in a wide range of free-from items supplied by the distributor, which include both savoury and sweet products.

It has been introduced in response to increasing demand from consumers for gluten-free options, as well as the continuing interest in foods with provenance and consumers’ passion for British pork and other meats. It also fits well with the increasing trend for snacking, with surveys showing that some 67% of people snack daily, and 64% of people saying that snacks are chosen to satisfy a craving (*Technomic 2017 Trends).

“There is a plethora of delicious sweet gluten-free products available for foodservice now, but sometimes savoury items are overlooked,” said Gordon Lauder, MD of Central Foods.

“The Menuserve gluten-free sausage roll is perfect for coeliacs and those who opt for a gluten-free diet.

“Coeliac UK estimates that there are now over 1.3 million Britons or 3% of British adults following a gluten-free diet. In addition, 8.58 million, or 13%, are avoiding gluten in their diet, so it’s hardly surprising that we are seeing an increase in demand for gluten-free items.

“As a leading frozen food supplier to the wholesale and foodservice sector, Central Foods has been working with Coeliac UK since 2009 as part of our commitment to sourcing and supplying free-from foods, and we are very pleased to have added the sausage roll to the comprehensive range of gluten-free items we have available.

“We see the gluten-free sausage roll, filled with British pork, as a great product to fulfil a number of current trends, including the trend for snacking, the increasing demand for free-from items, the popularity of hand-held food products, and the interest in provenance, particularly of meat.”

Based in Northamptonshire, Central Foods has been supplying frozen food to the foodservice sector for more than 21 years. It currently supplies more than 220 independent wholesalers, as well as larger national and regional wholesalers, and foodservice caterers across the entire foodservice industry.

Offering a one-stop shop to the foodservice sector, Central Foods sources products from around the world and the UK, supplying more than 400 different lines, ranging from meat, bakery items and canapés through to buffet products, desserts and puddings.