As part of its work to drive the gluten-free category forward, Bidvest 3663 has appointed a gluten-free strategy team across buying, marketing, new product and food development and quality assurance departments. Its role is to ensure that the gluten-free range meets customers’ needs and that all products comply with legal requirements.
In response to heightened demand from customers for information about the gluten-free category and the needs of those with gluten-free dietary requirements, the team has collaborated with specialist suppliers and Coeliac UK to compile the ‘Gluten-Free made simple’ guide.
The 56-page guide brings all the category information in one place and has been designed to demonstrate that catering for special diets needn’t be restrictive or difficult.
Available as a digital download from the Bidvest 3663 website, the guide showcases the 330 gluten-free products across a range of categories. Among the 44 latest new additions to the gluten-free range are pizza bases and pre-wrapped chocolate brownies, along with branded Genius sliced bread, Schӓr spaghetti, Almondy Toblerone Tarte and D & Co ham and cheese panini.
Each item has been chosen for quality, taste, price and ease of use to ensure quality, choice and flexibility for chefs when designing their menus.
To help caterers ensure that their gluten-free offer meets consumers’ expectations and reflects the latest trends, the guide features recipes developed by Bidvest 3663’s dedicated gluten-free chef.
The guide also contains information and advice about coeliac disease and insights about the UK’s gluten-free market to help operators and their staff understand the needs of the consumers who eat a gluten free diet.
Catherine Hinchcliff, head of customer marketing at Bidvest 3663 said: “Although consumers with coeliac disease and those who avoid gluten as a lifestyle choice can choose from a wide range of gluten-free goods in supermarkets, many still feel overlooked when eating out of home.
“Furthermore, research performed by Schӓr found that almost half of consumers living with coeliac disease have given up eating out, after being unable to find places that can cater for their needs; therefore catering for this customer group can pay dividends for operators. Our focus has been to make it easy for chefs to develop a variety of on-trend, appetising and safe gluten-free dishes and help them to make the most of this menu opportunity.”