New ingredients, cooking techniques and recipes are constantly improving the world of free-from cooking. As awareness of dietary requirements increases, we are seeing many dishes being created as free-from by default, meaning more diners can enjoy them, leading to increased choice on menus, and happier customers.
Creatively using free-from ingredients means we can now make more dishes vegan or gluten free. Aquafaba or chickpea water has been used for some time as an egg substitute to make vegan meringue. Through extensive development and the integration of new stabilisers, we are now using it to create pile high vegan meringue desserts. These maintain the elevated look and replicate the appearance and taste of traditional meringue.
It’s now possible to develop speciality free-from ingredients which work technically in dishes. Vegan cream cheese for example often becomes unstable when baked in a cheesecake. We have been collaborating suppliers and experimenting with different starches to develop a vegan cream cheese which offers the necessary stability to prevent cheesecakes from failing during cooking.
As well as using new ingredients, the increased appetite for free-from cooking is encouraging more creativity in the kitchen. Our chefs are often inspired by traditional dishes, but look to see how they can swap meat, fish, dairy or gluten for free-from alternatives.
Many of our dishes are now gluten free as standard. When designing gluten free dishes, taste is an important factor as sometimes, gluten-free versions of an ingredient can taste differently than the regular version. For example, a gluten free biscuit crumb is sweeter, resulting in a different taste profile. By carefully testing, developing and refining recipes, we can create dishes that work for all diners.
We are continuing to see a rise in protein alternatives in the vegan space, and new technology supporting the development of meat alternatives. We really love making plant-based ingredients the star of the show in vegan main courses, with a focus on creative cooking with vegetables, grains and legumes.
There is ongoing innovation with flavours in free-from cooking too, drawing on world flavours and new trends to create layered and interesting dishes. Miso for example offers a rich and savoury flavour which works well with vegan mains and desserts
To find out how we can help you create great free-from dishes for your menu, get in touch.