Previous magazine articles 
Delice de France: Baking for Britain
Delice de France, the leading manufacturer and distributor of baked products for the UK foodservice market, supplies hotels, restaurants, bistros, coffee shops and local authority caterers with a large range of produce designed to enhance menu offerings and increase customer spend. Catering in Scotland profiles the industry's premier supplier of part- and fully baked frozen bakery products…
With its French heritage and 25-year history in a highly competitive market, Delice de France (DDF), has carved out a niche for itself that few rivals could hope to emulate. Selecting the finest products from a variety of French provinces and many other European and worldwide regions, the company's development team uses its expertise to create and market new products and services for the foodservice sector.
Delice de France has enjoyed a period of consistent growth in Scotland over the past year, in spite the economic downturn. Managing Director, Ian Toal, believes it's because of the company's willingness to adapt to consumer tastes that they are continuing to grow in a difficult market:
'We've seen good growth in Scotland, well above the national average,' he says. 'As operators continue to deskill staff, frozen bakery has grown in popularity and is now a significant category worth many millions of pounds annually. These operators need products which are easy to use but deliver the same quality and taste as those which were once baked from scratch on-site.'
Recent Delice de France innovations include:
Sweet Treats
A concept created to take advantage of impulse purchasing behaviour. 'Recessions can drive the market for impulse buys,' explains Ian. 'People want simple, inexpensive instantaneous gratification, and we have a range of point-of-sale products which help operators to drive sales by placing display units at till points and on counters.'
Healthy Breads
Delice de France also offers a wide range of healthy breads for the foodservice sector, and has recently been repositioning their existing products with the launch of two new low-salt breads: 'We have just introduced two new low-salt breads which will meet 2012 educational guidelines,' adds Ian. 'However, while other companies have merely endeavoured to lower salt content, we have managed to achieve these levels whilst keeping the same great taste. 'This is a crucial point, as consumers are becoming more and more aware and concerned about nutritional content. However, recent market data suggests that while our customers are interested in health, they are still looking for high quality taste, and they won't compromise on that, whatever the product.'
In order to maintain this level of expansion, the DDF is constantly developing new products and concepts to help its clients offer choice and value to their customers: 'We constantly monitor the market,' adds Ian. 'In the current climate, customers want value-for-money quality products, and they're more discerning about what they spend their money on.
'We supply exclusive produce from the Swiss gourmet bakery brand, Hiestand and the American artisan bread brand, La Brea Bakery. Hiestand offers a range of fine continental breads, pastries and savouries from Europe, while La Brea boasts a signature range of sourdough, artisan breads exclusive to Delice de France. All La Brea breads have a distinctive flavour and texture and are free from artificial additives and preservatives, and they've been extremely popular as a result.'
In addition to proactively improving the healthiness of their product range, DDF have also identified that the numbers of people suffering from food allergies is increasing, and have duly introduced a gluten-free bread roll onto the market: 'The roll is pre-wrapped, to lessen the chances of cross-contamination, but it's also and Thaw-and-Serve, which makes it easy to store.'
While the company is known for its enviable range and quality of products, Delice de France also offers a range of equipment for preparing and merchandising its cakes, pastries, rolls, muffins and biscuits. Ovens, heated display units, crêpe machines and soup kettles are all available, and the range has recently been extended to include hot-food concepts which are ideal for the preparation, baking and merchandising of Food-To-Go products. As well as in cafes, coffee shops, restaurants and bistros, Delice de France can be found in a number of travel terminals, education sites and healthcare units throughout Scotland and the UK. Serving a range of baguettes, pastries, hot savouries and beverages - all freshly prepared on the premises – Delice de France will help you to maximise your customer offering and profits, whatever your business.
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature, please see Catering in Scotland magazine September/October 2009.
To join our database, go to
Media Pack on this website and click on
Subscribe.
