Sauce maker thinks big with new sachet launch

A quality sauces firm based at Rendlesham has launched a new type of sachet to fill what it sees as a gap in the market.

Stokes Sauces, which makes a range of ketchup and condiments, is launching a larger-than-normal sauce sachet range.

The firm’s innovation, which it describes as its “generous but sensible” sachet range, will provide food service operators across Britain with a range of eight condiments in 32-40g portions, in contrast to the standard 10g sachets made by some of the big players in the sauce sector.

Sales of sauces and condiments have surged by 4.9% in value over the past year and volumes are up by 3.4%. As a result, the sauce offering in food outlets is growing in importance, the firm says.

Stokes managing director Rick Sheepshanks said: “We spotted a gap in the offering between the good quality sauce in bottles and the uninspiring looking little sachets.

“Whenever I am offered sauce in a pub or fish and chip shop invariably it is the same selection of dull little sachets, so I grab a few knowing I will want more than one.

“One day this led me to wonder why no one is making tasty sauce in sachets that are big enough to actually give you a sufficient portion; and out of this thought our new ‘generous but sensible’ range was born.

“Our new ‘generous but sensible’ sachets will provide the public with top quality sauces made with real ingredients in a size which means they are not left wanting more.

“The sachets are made at our ‘Stokes Saucery’ in the heart of rural Suffolk, and all with real food ingredients. For example, 100g of our ketchup, contains 200g of premium tomatoes.

“For some people tomatoes are tomatoes – but not for us - ours have been sourced exclusively in Italy from the finest vines,” he added.