Frozen food distributor Central Foods engages new executive chef

New Executive chef Paul Hunt

Leading frozen food distributor Central Foods has expanded its team by engaging an experienced chef, who has worked with some of the largest UK foodservice operators and brands in the business.

Executive chef Paul Hunt will be showcasing products supplied by Central Foods and taking part in demonstrations and sampling sessions to help promote the range available.

He will also assist the development of products and recipes for chefs, using items supplied by the frozen food distributor, which will prove popular in foodservice outlets – helping them to grow their restaurants, bar food and other catering and hospitality operations.

In addition, Paul’s new role will help Central Foods to have a better understanding of the needs of the customers of their wholesaler customers – allowing the expanding firm to source and offer exactly what is needed in terms of foodservice products in the future.

Paul, aka The Skinny Chef, is a fully qualified chef who has undertaken recipe development work for key food manufacturers. He has also been responsible for putting food on the tables of high street restaurants and pub brands, as well as developing products for supermarkets in the UK and Europe.

Gordon Lauder, managing director at Central Foods, said: “Paul is extremely passionate about food and is an expert in his field. Not only does he speak the language of chefs, he also has a great insight into what customers want.

“We’re delighted to have him contracted with Central Foods to help us showcase the very wide range of products that we supply, and to develop recipes and products that chefs can be confident will prove popular with their customers, whether they are serving in pubs or bars, restaurants, business catering operations, sporting venues or leisure outlets.

“In due course, we will be uploading recipe videos to our website which we hope will inspire chefs with their menu ideas and highlight some of the latest trends that they can tap into.” 

Paul, who has more than 30 years of experience in food development, preparation and styling, has worked with major supermarkets, restaurant groups, wholesalers and food manufacturers.

Northamptonshire-based, he said: “I am proud and excited that I have been contracted with Central Foods as executive chef. My skill set is varied and includes customer product presentations from food service to wholesalers and manufacturers, menu and recipe development, food and concept development, food styling for photographers and most of all cooking.

“As a leading, long-standing frozen food distributor, Central Foods has an excellent reputation for insight into upcoming trends and for customer service, and I am looking forward to helping the company to build on that by promoting the products they supply and by creating menu ideas that will go down well with their customers and with their customers’ customers too.”

Central Foods, which is based at Collingtree near Northampton, supplies more than 220 independent wholesalers, as well as larger national and regional wholesalers. It also supplies to foodservice caterers across the entire foodservice industry, including pubs, hotels, restaurants, staff canteens, schools, hospitals, coffee shops, football grounds and universities.

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.

The company has steadily grown since it was founded 21 years ago, and recently was named for the first time in a report by Grant Thornton as being in the top 100 companies in Northamptonshire. The company was also a finalist in the Family Business United Family Business of the Year Awards 2017 for the Midlands.

For more details about Central Foods, visit www.centralfoods.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Central Foods proud to announce it’s a ‘no trans fats’ zone

Frozen food distributor Central Foods has confirmed it’s a ‘trans fats free’ zone.

“This is great news for all of our customers, and for their customers too,” said Central Foods managing director Gordon Lauder.

“The issue of trans fatty acids, or artificial trans fats, has been high on the health agenda in recent years after links to heart disease and strokes. We’ve carried out a very detailed check of more than 400 products that we supply to wholesalers and food service operators, and we are proud that none of the products we supply has trans fatty acids as an ingredient.

“As a leading frozen food distributor, Central Foods prides itself on offering high quality products, working in partnership with the best food manufacturers, and this news illustrates our commitment to excellence.”

The US Food and Drug Administration is banning trans fatty acids from 18^th June 2018, and last year, the EU adopted a resolution to start an assessment of the impact trans fatty acids have on public health and to devise policies after an earlier preliminary report by the European Commission suggested that setting a legal limit for industrial trans fats content in foods would be the most effective measure in terms of public health and consumer protection.

New York, which banned trans fatty acids in restaurant food in 2007, has seen a 6% drop in hospital admissions for heart attacks and strokes compared with counties without bans, according to a study by Yale University.

Trans fatty acids, known as hydrogenated fat, can be used for frying or as an ingredient in processed foods, commonly to make them more solid.

In recent years, many manufacturers have voluntarily removed trans fats from their products through reformulation.

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.

The Northamptonshire-based business is one of the UK’s leading frozen food distributors, supplying more than 220 independent wholesalers, as well as larger national and regional wholesalers. It also supplies to foodservice caterers across the entire foodservice industry, including pubs, hotels, restaurants, staff canteens, schools, hospitals, coffee shops, football grounds and universities.

For more information visit www.centralfoods.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Frozen food distributor Central Foods gains key industry accreditation

Alison and Gordon Lauder of Central Foods

Frozen food distributor Central Foods has been awarded the BRC Standard for Agents and Brokers. 

The Northamptonshire-based company, which supplies a wide range of frozen food to wholesalers and caterers across the UK and for export, worked closely with its suppliers to achieve the accreditation.

BRC Global Standards is a leading safety and quality certification programme, used by more than 23,000 certificated suppliers in 123 countries. The Standard for Agents and Brokers gives essential certification for companies that provide purchase, importation or product distribution services in the food and packaging supply chain.

Central Foods managing director Gordon Lauder said: “This Global Standard is designed to reflect best practice on product safety, quality and operations, and it is great news that it has been awarded to Central Foods. It’s a ringing endorsement of the standards provided by the company and clients. 

“In essence, it reinforces confidence in the quality and safety of the food supplied by the company to our many customers throughout the UK and for export. As a frozen food distributor, we place great emphasis on quality and provenance.”

Central Foods, which is based at Collingtree near Northampton, supplies more than 220 independent wholesalers, as well as larger national and regional wholesalers. It also supplies to foodservice caterers across the entire foodservice industry, including pubs, hotels, restaurants, staff canteens, schools, hospitals, coffee shops, football grounds and universities.

Offering a one-stop shop to the foodservice sector, it 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.

Central Foods has been regularly named in the annual Grant Thornton Northamptonshire Ltd report which highlights the growth of the top 100 privately owned businesses in Northamptonshire, and was ranked as one of the 200 fastest growing companies in the East Midlands in the 2015 Grant Thornton and CBI report, the most recent available, which highlighted growing organisations. 

The company is marking its 21^st anniversary in 2017.

Press release issued by Nottingham based Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk