Essential Selection

Margherita Time

Modern Italian food brand, Crosta & Mollica, has extended its pizza portfolio with its first gluten-free Margherita Pizza, available exclusively from Ocado, RRP £5. With the gluten-free market currently worth an estimated £835 million per year and remaining on a growth trajectory, Crosta & Mollica recognises the category’s importance within the food industry, leading to the creation of its first gluten-free pizza. It believes the secret to a good pizza always starts with the base and, for too long, gluten-free options have been found wanting.

Foregoing substitutes and imitations, Crosta & Mollica’s gluten-free base uses proper wheat flour, extracting the gluten to make it suitable for coeliac diets. The dough is slow-proved, creating an open crumb structure for a gratifying crunch, making the gluten-free alternative almost indistinguishable from a traditional pizza. With no compromise on taste or quality, it is topped with Crosta & Mollica’s classic tomato sauce, mozzarella and Sicilian orgegano and sprinkled with a vegetarian cheese.

My Kinda Town

Chicago Town has announced a plantbased addition to its Deep Dish range, in partnership with vegan food brand, Squeaky Bean.

New to the Deep Dish range, the Vegan BBQ Chick’n offers a unique flavour choice and is aimed at those looking for a plant-based alternative. It combines the iconic Chicago Town Deep Dish base with the brand’s signature smoky BBQ sauce, a boatload of vegan mozzarella and smoked gouda – all topped off with Squeaky Bean’s chicken style pieces, red peppers and sweetcorn.

This comes as Chicago Town refreshes its vegan offering. It has launched in Tesco and Farmfoods stores, RRP £3.05.

Rachel Bradshaw, marketing manager at Chicago Town, said: “We know that our vegan consumers are extremely motivated by new and exciting plantbased flavours. We are delighted to be working with Squeaky Bean to deliver this tasty vegan Deep Dish to our plantbased customers. They’ve been a great partner to collaborate with in creating this exciting vegan product.”

Rebecca Youseman, marketing controller at Squeaky Bean, which is part of The Compleat Food Group, said: “At Squeaky Bean, we’re on a mission to create plant-based meat alternatives that delight meat-reducers, vegetarians and vegans alike. This is something we’ve succeeded in with our category-leading, ready-to-eat range, but we’re always looking at how we can offer even more choice for consumers.

“This is why we’re thrilled to be working with Chicago Town on their latest plant-based pizza.”

Pep Talk

Dr. Oetker Ristorante Vegan PepperoniSalame joins its portfolio, as they continue to grow their dietary and lifestyle ranges. The latest addition follows the success of the Dr. Oetker Ristorante Vegan Margherita Pomodori, launched in 2021, which was the brand’s first vegan pizza.

The Pomodori has become the most valuable vegan frozen pizza product in the category and is worth over £2 million, as of February 2023.

The new flavour puts a vegan spin on the brand’s classic Italian-style pizza. Combining a thin and crispy Ristorante crust with the signature passata, dairyfree mozzarella and delicious vegan pepperoni-salame.

Paula Wyatt, head of marketing at Dr. Oetker Ristorante, said: “Our first vegan pizza has been a huge success within the category since its launch in 2021, so we’re really excited to grow the range with our Ristorante Vegan PepperoniSalame – helping vegan pizza lovers have more options when it comes to playing it Italian.

“We’re confident that this new addition will be popular with consumers and bring even more variety for those on a vegan diet or looking to reduce their meat and dairy consumption.” available options coming soon!

The Ristorante Vegan PepperoniSalame pizza is available at Tesco.

Our gluten free flours are all manufactured and packed in our gluten free and allergen free factory within our HeadQuarters in West Yorkshire.

16kg gluten free flour bags coming soon!

We are the first manufacturer in the UK to bring to market a range of clean label flours, meaning these are made from 100% natural ingredients that are free from E numbers, additives, and preservatives.