A new company in the grocery market, Hampstead Farm, is looking to champion salt-free foods in the UK, as it launches this month at Food and Drink Expo 2012 with the introduction of its first range of unique salt-free ambient cooking sauces.
Created using a blend of natural seasonings instead of salt, the Hampstead Farm product range features four flagship sauces – Red Chilli & Ginger, Ginger & Lime, Madras and Arrabiata – and is set to establish a completely new category within the supermarket ‘free-from’ section.
The UK-produced sauces offer a great taste with the unique benefit of no added salt. Other ambient products on the market can contain up to 4g of salt per 350g jar – the maximum recommended salt intake for adults is 6g a day, and less for children.
Founder Kevin Stone has spent the last two years developing the Hampstead Farm range, and will be working with leading UK condiments manufacturer, Bennett Opie, who will be manufacturing the sauce range for the company.
His inspiration for the salt-free sauces came after he was hospitalised with high blood pressure. Kevin said, “One of the main things I had to change about my lifestyle was to cut down my salt intake. When I started to look for salt-free foods in the supermarket, I found none. As a keen cook, I first started cooking the sauces with vegetables from my garden in Hampstead Road, Brighton … and from there the Hampstead Farm brand was born.”
Available from the end of January, the Hampstead Farm Madras (RRP £1.79) and Arrabiata (RRP £1.89) sauces are produced in 350g jars, with Red Chilli & Ginger and the Ginger & Lime (RRP £1.59) available in 260g jars.
Kevin Stone continues, “The team has invested a lot of time getting the recipes just right, using a range of natural seasonings such as chilli, herbs and lemon juice, so that first and foremost they taste great. We wanted them to appeal to not only to people who have to cut down their salt, but also those who want to try and adopt a healthier way of eating for all of their family.”
The company is currently in discussions with a number of leading retailers about listing the range, and is hoping that the products will sit alongside both the current mainstream ambient sauce offerings as well as creating a new salt-free section within the ever-growing ‘free-from’ category.
