When Summer rolls around, restaurants inevitably include ice cream on their menus to cool down customers. Emerald Foods are a privately-owned company who manufacture premium brands of ice cream especially for the food service industry, including Movenpick, Killinchy Gold, Chateau, Zilch and Lite Licks.
Foodservice Manager Jason Bough says the demand for premium quality ice cream in the restaurant channel is growing as consumers' expectation of quality increases. “We are always liaising with chefs and others in the trade with regards to new product development.
Specifically through memberships with the Chefs' Association and other trade organisations. We are continually renovating our Killinchy Gold premium ice cream range with iconic New Zealand flavours the trade asks for such as Salted Caramel, Afogatto and Manuka Honey. We have an abundance of great local produce to work with here, and that’s what visitors to New Zealand want.”
As well as a move towards premium ice cream there is also a move towards healthier options. Bough says this is growing particularly in the institutional market, such as the healthcare and education channels within food service.
“There is definitely a move towards healthier options to include frozen yoghurt and sorbet. Emerald foods also offers Zilch, a no sugar added ice cream that fits in with the health-conscious trend, and Lite Licks – a non dairy icecream. That said, icecream still needs to be fun and funky, and the new Chateau Salted Caramel & Potato Chip icecream attests to that.
Emerald Foods products are available nationally from Bidvest Foodservices and more information can be found on the company’s website at www.icecream.co.nz.
