The new products are being hand-prepared at Fresh Kitchen, which is part of Fresh Direct’s ‘Food Village’ in Bicester. Fresh Direct is owned by Sysco GB.
Adam Swan, strategy and commercial director at Fresh Direct, added: “Fresh Kitchen creates fantastic recipes that save time and resource in busy kitchens, so when Zess came to us with a vision for plant-based deli fillers we were delighted to produce and distribute them.
“We believe we’ve created a recipe which isn’t just a great plant-based product, it’s a product that will proudly stand up to any deli-style filler, catering to vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians.”
The three products created are Roasted Sicilian Caponata, Chipotle & Corn Veggie Barbacoa and Sweet Potato & Butternut Dhansak. They have been designed to be used across a range of popular choices including sandwiches, jacket potatoes, pizza topping, tacos, salads, and wraps.
Hiren Umradia, Zess chief executive, said: “Zess was born out of a desire to revolutionise food choices for health and the environment. We observed a gap in the market for exciting, ready-to-serve plant-based deli fillings, as there are very few options available without the hassle of creating something yourself.
“In busy kitchens, there simply isn’t time to develop the exciting plant-based products that people want. This often means that those wanting a plant-based option face boring choices that simply don’t inspire them.
“With Fresh Kitchen, we're introducing a game-changing combination of exciting flavours, hand-produced to high standards that are not just healthy, but tantalisingly delicious, through the nation's largest wholesaler, Brakes.”