UK food distributor Unique Fine Foods will launch a range of artisan French preserves from Albert Ménès in Sainsbury’s this month.
The preserves consist of a “tangy” sliced Corsican clementine marmalade, “intense” French apple extra jelly and “delicate, floral” rose petal preserve. All handmade in France, each variant is packed with high-quality fruit – including rose petals and sliced clementines – suspended in clear jelly. They are cooked in traditional open copper cauldrons and will offer consumers a taste of France when they launch, the company said.
“We are pleased to announce we’ll be stocking Albert Ménès preserves in select stores from June,” said Sainsbury’s buyer Mike Dawson. “It’s a much loved quality product in France so we hope it will gain a strong following here in the UK.”
Julien Moulas of Albert Ménès added: “We are thrilled about the opportunity we’ve been given to bring these traditional French preserves to the UK exclusively in Sainsbury’s. Our jams and preserves are much loved in France by gourmets and connoisseurs and are much sought after for their quality and flavour. Some British people may have tasted our jams and preserves while visiting our country, and we hope that they, along with a new audience, will enjoy an authentic taste of France.”
In addition, Unique Fine Foods will launch nests of spiralised courgette – or courgetti – under its UniqueItalia brand, described as “the first dried courgette to hit the UK market”.
Courgetti has gained popularity as a carbohydrate- and gluten-free alternative to spaghetti, and the new dried courgetti nests will launch exclusively in Sainsbury’s stores this June to offer consumers a convenient new store cupboard staple.
Made with Italian courgettes grown in the fertile planes of Puglia in southern Italy, the courgetti is cut and dried on the same day to lock in the natural goodness, colour and flavour. The versatile ingredient can be used in place of spaghetti, dried pasta or noodles, or given a drizzling of olive oil and eaten as a side dish – and can be refreshed in boiling water in five minutes.
Sainsbury’s buyer Lucy McCarthy said: “We’re delighted to have worked with UniqueItalia to develop Italian dried courgette nests, which make a great store cupboard substitute for spaghetti and noodles. We can’t wait to see what our customers think.”
Unique Fine Foods’ Amelia Wellings-Thomas added: “We have worked hand-in-hand with our Italian partners for many years, spending time at their farm and seeing first hand their expertise at growing vegetables. Together we have developed the idea of drying courgettes using traditional preservation methods to create a product that makes a convenient store cupboard alternative to fresh courgetti.”
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