We’ve always been huge fans of the humble fusilli and the regular grain of rice. These staples form the bedrock of the menu plans which feature our scrumptious sauces and accompaniments. But you, our lovely consumers, are becoming more discerning and standards of the most basic store-cupboard essentials are sky high – and, as always, we’re keeping up with your demands.
Not much good came out of Covid, but we do have the pandemic to thank for the rise in popularity of home cooking. Restaurants were shut and we weren’t allowed out, so we didn’t have much choice, did we? But there was an upside – the more time we spent in the kitchen, the more we sought high quality, locally produced food with ethical credentials. It’s what the industry calls ‘premium convenience’. Basically, the best tasting and most sustainable pasta, rice, bread and sauce on the supermarket shelf.
The national lockdowns triggered a sharp rise in sales of ‘cooking basics’, which created an opportunity for brands. In order to respond to consumer demand for convenient, healthy and sustainable fare, they began to innovate with their previously largely predictable products.
And now Covid is no longer the threat to our health and economy it once was, we’re facing the next challenge head-on. The cost-of-living crisis means that once again we’re having to dine in and save money on travel, petrol and restaurants. So, we’re home once more, but we want premium quality, fresh and sustainable produce and we want to know where it comes from. The British public has developed an appetite for more speciality pasta shapes so that we never feel like we’re compromising on the quality of our dining even when we’re working from quick and easy recipes. We don’t want to miss out on the restaurant experience even when we turn to the ultimate quick, easy and tasty meal solution in our own kitchen.
Which lockdown kitchen habits are we hanging onto? In an effort to recreate our favourite restaurant dishes or takeaways, rice and pasta feature at the top of our menu. And what makes a delicious pasta dinner? It’s all in the sauce. And that’s where Quattro Foods comes in, with a range of tangy and delicious internationally-inspired sauces that make perfect pasta and resoundingly refined rice.
We’ve also seen a firm focus on health with increased consumer awareness of ingredients and a boom in plant-based eating and sustainability.
Provenance also plays a major role in the basics we buy – knowing where rice comes from is important. Due to climate and soil type, different parts of the world produce different varieties of varying quality and consumers want to understand the environmental impact of the food they consume. At Quattro Foods we ensure our cooking sauces have the lowest carbon footprint and water intake possible.
Consumers are met with a sustainability dilemma on every shopping trip and they want to be able to choose convenience and flavour with planet-friendly packaging. At Quattro we’re always looking for ways to become greener to keep our customers and the planet happy.
Now that consumers expect more than just quick dinners, convenience foods must be accessible and bursting with restaurant-inspired flavours that feel like a treat, even for a mid-week dinner. We promise you nothing less. So, enjoy our quick and easy meals that feel indulgent, knowing we’re working hard to keep the planet healthy and our customers happy.