Frozen bakery supplier Delice de France has expanded into the ambient category with a new bakery delivery service for London-based outlets.
Called Delice Fresh, the initiative enables any foodservice operator in the capital to sell freshly baked morning goods, breads, and sweet treats without the need for on-site production.
Available are a selection of 28 bestselling lines from Delice de France’s range of premium bakery products, usually supplied frozen. These include butter croissants, pain au chocolat, and pain aux raisin – at a range of price points to suit different outlets – as well as chocolate chunk cookies and breads such as baguettes, rolls, and bloomers.
Operators are able to make orders up to 4pm each day and receive their oven-fresh delivery the following morning, seven days a week. Delice de France says this offers greater efficiency and convenience. Products have a shelf life of one day.
As no on-site baking is required, Delice Fresh can also be a solution for any-sized food outlet that wants to unlock higher margins with quality food to go. The supplier estimates that its new service could save some operators up to 1.5 hours per day in defrosting, baking, and cleaning, as well as other operational costs associated with food preparation.
It is being headed up by Arthur Magne, who has a wealth of experience in bakery start-ups and delivery expertise to combine with Delice de France’s logistics capabilities.
“We’re liberating London’s food outlets from the constraints of the baking schedule, enabling them to offer premium bakery lines without the burden of production,” commented Magne. “For the first time ever, Delice de France can now cater for businesses that do not have the room for an oven or a freezer, or do not have the teams required to bake on site.
“We can provide complete flexibility for our customers while continuing to offer the quality that Delice de France is famous for,” he added. “We are already seeing orders coming in from both current Delice de France customers and new ones.”
Earlier this year, the company launched a hot drink concept dubbed Café Delice which offers margins of 40% for foodservice operators selling at least 35 cups per day of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. More recently, it unveiled 42 new products as part of its spring and summer range such as a Cardamon Knot, a Pain Suiss au Raisins, a Pistachio Filled Doughnut, and a Spinach & Cheese Filo Swirl.
Delice de France operates two central depots – in Southall, West London, and Coleshill near Birmingham – supported by satellite distribution centres in Heywood, Kettering, Gillingham, Southampton, and Bristol. The business regularly moves up to 2,000 pallets a week, equating to approximately 91,000 boxes, via a multi-temperature controlled fleet of 140 vehicles.
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