“I’ve been using Essential Cuisine’s stocks since they were introduced and I can honestly say that they’re the best I know. They come a very close second to a good, home-prepared stock. I find the taste, flavour and texture every bit as good as a liquid stock. You get none of the powdery flavour usually associated with a powdered stock, and they dissolve instantly.” Jay Wynne, Head Chef at Ted Baker

“A successful operation also comes down to great support from suppliers across the board. The team at Essential Cuisine are very, very supportive. We can easily call them to ask questions, and they are always happy to oblige us with answers or give us recipe ideas. “Nigel has worked at the top and his experience counts for a lot.”  Sean Kelly, Executive Chef Marriott Worsley Park

“When you are a chef, you can judge whether something’s good or not and these are fantastic products that enhance what you are doing. They are the best of their kind on the market and I would personally recommend them.” Dave Edwards, Head Chef, The Hand & Trumpet

"I first used a sample of the chicken stock in our chicken and mushroom soup and could tell the difference straight away; that it had been made from boiling and roasting chicken, which was important to us."
Neil Gitton, Food Development Manager, Philpotts

“The guys behind Essential Cuisine products live and breathe what they do and are always more than happy to come in. I like to work closely with my suppliers and with them, it’s easy. To coin a cliché, they really are big enough to cope, small enough to care.”
Lee Paterson, Head Chef, Network Rail

“We make our French Onion and Beef soup with Essential’s vegetable stock and use the fish stock in our most popular starter, mussels.  The stocks are consistent and enable us to make our own creations with no requirement for a sauces chef.  We could be scratch making for up to three days, but with this stock, we can make anything from a couple of dishes to 300 portions in 20 minutes. They are the closest to natural you can get, while other pre-prepared products on the market have bits floating in them, look greasy and don’t have the right consistency.
Adrian Seddon, Head Chef, The Cottons Hotel

“We also use the glace range and particularly like the lobster glace, which is excellent and can give extra depth to our own shell oil dressing. Arlyn Blake came in once, in fact, and said our lobster dish was fantastic."
Paul Wedgwood, Chef Proprietor, Wedgwood The Restaurant

“At Christmas, we rely on Essential’s Game Glace as a stock reduction for our sauces and as an integral element of our dressings. Before we discovered them, we would use any red wine as a base for sauces and in the likes of our redcurrant sweet oil dressing, but Essential glace is the business, quite unique.”
Paul McMahon, Leather's Smithy

“Consumers are now more careful about where they spend, but the point is they are still spending, and we can’t afford to be complacent. This kind of product is invaluable in delivering the highest quality of food and service within a relaxing pub environment.”
Darren Hughes, Head Chef, The Goshawk

I liked the fact that Nigel was a "proper chef" and not a quick talking salesman who knows nothing really about a range of products, but wants to shift boxes and make a quick sale.  My instinct was proved right as Nigel went away and created a bespoke traditional style gravy for us which actually tastes like it should - rich, meaty and homemade.
Paul Robbins, Catering Development Manager, McMullens Brewery

The new No1 Chicken Gravy has a clean appearance, starch levels are good, consistency and flavour is fantastic and it goes alot further.  It is also great value.  All in all, I would say this is the leading product on the market and we will happily continue to invest in it.
Paul Farr, Head of Food, Spirit Group

Essential Cuisine's No1 Beef Gravy has "a good texture with a pleasant flavour."
Simon Crannage, Executive Chef, Swinton Park Hotel

Because Essential Cuisine's products are so versatile and now we have a good working relationship, the use of their stock products will grow and become just what it says on the tin - "Essential".
Paul Robbins, Catering Development Manager, McMullens Brewery

Essential Cuisine's No1 Beef Gravy tasted like it had actually been in a roasting dish.
Steve Harrison, Executive Head Chef of the Magna complex near Rotherham, in the Restaurant Magazine, November 2007

We are very happy to recommend your range of stocks - they have saved us so much time, and give us a consistent base in the kitchen.
Chris Lyon, Keswick Country House Hotel, part of Choice Hotels Ltd

In my opinion Essential Cuisine stocks are the purest and most natural version of stock that I have used or sold; low in salt, a good flavour, well balanced, not in the least bit artificial.
Paul Bretherton, Chef Proprietor, Troughles Fine Foods

Essential Cuisine’s powder based Classic range contain a thickener so you don’t have to make a roux (and) they are not too salty like a lot of other brands.
Simon Bower, Northcote Offsite, Ewood Park

Having changed from ***** recently I am happy to report that my stock usage has dropped. So all that talk about using less of a higher quality stock was right!!
Graham Carruthers, Head Chef, The Roundthorn Country House Hotel

To make a lamb sauce I will use a half and half mixture of Essential Cuisine’s Premier Lamb Jus and my own fresh lamb stock. This creates a perfect sauce. Using Essential Cuisine’s products maintains the exceptional quality, but extends and standardises our stocks and sauces.
Simon Bower, Northcote Offsite, Ewood Park

Thank you for your help in developing a 'house jus' recipe with us. Your Premier Veal really is an excellent jus base.
Lee Cash, Founder, Peach Pub Co (6 outlet gastro pub chain)

I also make my own vegetable stock and add Essential Cuisine’s vegetable stock mix. All their products are excellent and I have tried many other brands but now I use nothing else in my dishes.
Keith Smee, Wadenhoe House, Oundle

Without wanting to sound as if I’m gushing about this product (Classic Beef Demi Glace)I have to say, it’s pretty damn perfect. How do they do it?
Stuart Ferguson, ex-chef and food writer, writing in Restaurant Magazine, July 2005