Southern style gravy becomes the big food trend this year
AS A NATION our passion for spice and added piquancy to our food has now stretched to gravy, which is no longer the Sunday roast staple as the popularity of Southern style gravy grows.
The rich, peppery nature of Southern style gravy has become a popular accompaniment to burgers, fried chicken, wings, loaded fries and nachos to name but a few dishes that offer customers that added indulgence when enhanced by this lightly-spiced gravy.
Macphie, one of the UK’s largest ingredients manufacturersand a supplier to some of the country’s top restaurant brands, says demand is high for its new ready-to-use Southern style gravy.
This trend aligns with the recent surge in fried chicken popularity across the UK. Greggs reported a 7.4% jump in sales over 19 weeks following the launch of their Southern-fried chicken goujons, Southern-fried potato wedges and other hot food lines.
Rollover, famous for its hotdogs, has introduced a new Southern-fried chicken burger to its range for the first time, while Canadian brand Mary Brown’s Chicken and Texan chicken wing experts Wingstop have both recently opened more new stores in the UK.
Kirsty Matthews, Brand Manager at Macphie, said: “Southern style gravy is a versatile culinary solution for many restaurants as it can easily be used on the side as a dipping sauce or drenched over meat to enhance the overall flavours of the dish and taste experience.
“It’s at the heart of so many of the most popular foodie trends, extracting maximum flavour from meat and other ingredients. Our easy, ready to use recipe allows chefs to either feature the classic recipe or further customise it with their own spices and sauces to create a more premium dish on their menu.
“We’re seeing chefs adapt the base Southern style gravy for use at brunch, for fried chicken waffles, through lunch with burgers and then adapted for a range of sharing dishes that work throughout the day.”
In response to the growth in demand Macphie has introduced additional new ambient products, available in Tetra Pak to help chefs needing uncompromising flavour and quality without the time, hassle and energy associated with making from scratch.
The Macphie ready to use Southern style gravy is inspired by chicken gravy which is a ‘simply clever’ sauce that delivers consistent results every time in the kitchen whether it’s prepared on the hob, microwave, hot-cabinet or Bain-marie.
The sauce is the newest addition to Macphie’s impressive lineup of high-quality and consistent sauces, complementing their best-selling offerings such as the demi-glace, bechamel with butter sauce, hollandaise sauce, and nacho cheese sauce.
Macphie is an internationally renowned ingredients manufacturer established in 1928, which now employs more than 250 people across its three sites. It manufactures a wide range of products including cake mixes and savoury sauces, as well as offering plant-based and gluten-free options.
Its vision is to be the go-to partner for food brands around the world, turning ideas and creativity into practical solutions. Its passion for making life easier for chefs and bakers is reflected in its “simply clever” strapline.
To find out more about Macphie, please visit: https://www.macphie.com/
