The new McCain Signatures frozen pelleted vegetable side dishes include Creamed Spinach, Mashed Butternut, and Mashed Cauliflower. Each pellet provides perfect portion control and costing options and has a net weight of about 10g.
Rob Stevens, Managing Director of McCain Food Service (SA), says the process was developed in response to a stated need in the casual dining sector for quality dishes that deliver great taste, while being cost effective and time efficient. “Our new convenient, pelleted format is a first in food service. It offers greater efficiency back of house – both in preparation and portion control.”
He adds that with South Africa’s extreme weather conditions, the pricing and quality of fresh or pre-cut prepared chilled vegetables tend to fluctuate, but McCain’s new pelleted vegetable products provide consistent quality and competitive costing all year round.
The McCain Signatures Creamed Spinach consists of real spinach farmed locally, and is prepared in a pelleted format that makes portioning and preparation simple, with a significant reduction in wastage, an improvement on yield per kilogram, and an enhanced consistency in appearance and taste. It offers time and labour-saving and contains few stalks which means it has no bitter flavour. It also allows chefs to customise their spinach dish according to their and their customers’ preferences.
The McCain Signatures Mashed Butternut features real butternut with a gentle cinnamon flavour – the traditional South African heritage taste profile – and is easily reconstituted on a stove top or in the microwave. The easy-to-use frozen format eliminates waste resulting from chopping and trimming, ensuring a significant reduction in yield loss when compared to preparation from scratch or pre-cut. The butternut can be used in multiple applications in the kitchen.
With consumer demands for low-carb options on the rise and McCain’s commitment to responding to market needs, McCain Signatures Mashed Cauliflower has been introduced. As with the spinach and butternut, it is made from fresh cauliflower and features a natural cauliflower taste and texture, a convenient format, and a significant reduction in waste. “Fresh cauliflower is expensive and quality tends to be inconsistent,” says Stevens. “Added to this, making this side dish is time consuming and preparing the optimum amount is difficult as waste is a concern and leftovers cannot be kept as they spoil easily. This ‘on trend’ side dish with a natural cauliflower taste and texture ensures that restaurants will be top of mind for carb-conscious diners.”
All of the new McCain side dishes have been formulated to be used as is, to suit all South African palates, or they can be adapted by chefs to make their own signature dishes.
Stevens notes that McCain strives to partner with food service operators, developing and providing products that will boost their reputations for great tasting meals while also ensuring that operators realise better profits through menu differentiation.
For more information, contact the McCain Customer Care Line on 0800 006 498.
