In preparation for “Veganuary 2020,” Northamptonshire, England-based frozen food distributor Central Foods has unveiled a six-inch vegan sausage roll as part of its commitment to supply the foodservice industry with plant-based products. Launch of the unbaked, vegan-friendly KaterVeg! product comes as surveys continue to show an increase in demand for meat-free items.
Recently the British Takeaway Campaign revealed that orders of vegan takeaways grew by 388% between 2016 and 2018. Meanwhile figures from the YouGov market research firm show that around 600,000 people in the UK are now vegan, 14% of the population considers themselves flexitarian, and 22% of meat-eaters regularly enjoy meat substitutes.
Ideal for food-to-go offers, takeaways, cafés, student catering outlets, sports and leisure venues, and a host of other serving opportunities, KaterVeg! is a ready-glazed unbaked product featuring herby, textured soya filling wrapped in light, flaky puff pastry. With a recipe specially developed to be below the national government’s 2017 salt reduction targets and weighing approximately 100 grams each, the sausage roll is promoted as “the perfect size for a filling and tasty hand-held snack that is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.”
“The demand for vegan products has grown exponentially and shows no sign of slowing. In response, we have risen to the challenge and created an ever-growing range of superb, tasty products specifically for foodservice,” said Gordon Lauder, managing director of Central Foods. “KaterVeg! is great-tasting, versatile and simple to serve, whether as a food-to-go item or as part of a sit-down meal, allowing all types of operators to offer this British food favorite to as many customers as possible.”
For best results, it is recommend that kitchen personnel bake the KaterVeg! vegan sausage rolls directly upon removal from the freezer. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Then remove the product from packaging and place it on a baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. To maintain the sausage roll’s vegan integrity, it is important to ensure all equipment and surfaces used for preparation, cooking and serving are clean or dedicated for vegan use only.
