AWARD WINNING GLUTEN-FREE BURGERS AND SAUSAGES AVAILABLE FROM CENTRAL FOODS

Dohertys Meats, the family butcher and principal producer of gluten-free beefburgers, sausages and beef meatballs based in Northern Ireland, has won Gold and Silver in this year’s inaugural Free From Food Awards, Ireland held on 9 June in Dublin.

Exclusively available to caterers in the UK via Central Foods, the frozen foodservice marketing and distribution specialist, Doherty’s gluten-free beefburgers won Silver in the Meat Products category and their cocktail pork sausages won Gold in the Kids Choice category.

As well as being gluten-free, all Doherty’s products are also milk and egg-free, meaning they are ideal for anyone with allergies or intolerances to these major allergenic ingredients.

Sales of free-from foods continue to outperform every other category. In 2009, retail sales were around £173.5m – by 2012 this had jumped to £288m and sales are forecast to reach £538m by 2018, a growth of 47% from 2013*.

Brian McQuaid, Sales Manager, Doherty’s said: “We are delighted both products we submitted for judging at this, the first Free From Food Awards event in Ireland, received recognition for their taste, flavour and quality with such prestigious results! Caterers can be reassured by serving our products that they really are serving ‘best in class’. Central Foods, our exclusive foodservice distributor in the UK, has more routes to market than anyone else so can offer maximum supply availability for those caterers wishing to add our award-winning products to their menus.”

Gordon Lauder, Managing Director, Central Foods commented: “We have been supplying caterers and wholesalers with gluten-free products since 2009, when the market was only just beginning to take off. We continue to work with Coeliac UK to heighten awareness of supplying gluten-free options amongst caterers and how it can benefit their business with repeat and loyal custom. We

anticipate even more interest in Doherty’s beefburgers and cocktail pork sausages, not only because they have received these prestigious Awards but also because they taste fantastic – they can replace standard products on any menu and no one would know!”

For further information about Doherty’s gluten-free burgers and sausages, please either call Central Foods’ sales advisers on 01604 858 522, email enquiries@centralfoods.co.uk or visit our website: www.centralfoods.co.uk

*source: Kantar Worldpanel Apr 2014