FAQs

Our products are available through your local wholesaler. Click here to get in touch with your local sales contact to find out more information.

Our plastic packaging is 100% recyclable*, from shrink wrap, to our tubs. We are also reducing our cardboard usage – this has been reduced by 90% since 2013.

*please check your local recycling point.

Our team are available to chat over the phone from 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday – please visit our ‘contact us’ page to find the corresponding phone number for the department you would like to speak to. If you would like to raise a query out of hours please email enquires@essentialcuisine.co.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

We try and avoid using unnecessary allergens in our products. Where allergens are present, these are clearly stated in bold in the ingredient list. All our products are gluten free.

The majority of our products (85% plus of our range) are produced in the UK at our factory in Winsford, Cheshire. Our remaining products are made within Europe with our key production partners.

We pride ourselves in having perfectly balanced products in terms of seasoning. What’s more, our Stock Mixes, Gravies and Glaces meet the DOH 2017 Salt Targets.

The majority of our range is ambient so they are perfectly fine to be stored at room temperature for 12-18 months. Once opened our range of ready-to-use Signature Jus and Sauces have to be refrigerated.

No, none of our products contain the above ingredients.

This means that the ingredients have been concentrated and dried. The dry ingredients are then blended together to make a convenient and easy-to-use product.

Liquid ingredients that have been cooked and further concentrated by reduction, these are and then blended to form a strongly flavoured product.

Click here to access our sample request form, we will aim to get back to you in 7 working days.

Yes! Many of our products are suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Click on the ‘products’ tab on the navigation bar and specify your dietary requirement to find the full range. 

Click here to find our full list of allergen information.

Click here to find our sector support, this section of the website is packed with trend insights, recipe inspiration and how team Essential can help you!

We are audited and approved by ‘Brand Recognition Consortium Global Standard’ (BRCGS), formerly known as ‘British Retail Consortium’, which provides a framework for effectively managing food safety and quality responsibilities. This demonstrates that our company and site has a robust and effective Food Safety Management System & HACCP programme in place to meet the requirements of regulators, food business clients and customers. 

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are guidelines and procedures designed to ensure the safety and quality of food products. These guidelines and procedures apply to all aspects of food production, including the production, processing, packaging, and storage of food products. The main objective of GMPs is to reduce the risks associated with food production and ensure that the food products are safe and high-quality.

Yes, we follow these guidelines strictly to ensure our products are safe and high-quality

We are a nut and sesame free site and all of our suppliers are robustly validated and approved.

All our suppliers and raw materials undergo a gluten risk assessment. All batches of our Gluten Free products are tested for gluten before releasing.  We do not handle any gluten containing ingredients in our production area.

We do not use any ingredients or manufacture any products at our site which contains palm oil, therefore we do not require RSPO accreditation.

Our pots and lids are recyclable plastic. Tetra-paks are multi-layered with plastic and foil, which is not recyclable. However, the board used is from sustainable FSC approved sources.  All of our cardboard used is recyclable.

Please adhere to the storage instructions on the package, if so, for this product the shelf life can be obtained for the duration stated on the product. Once this product is opened, it will deteriorate from a quality and food safety perspective, therefore it is to the discretion of the business/ person using the product.

There are products within our ranges that are Hala certified. Our Vegan Stock Mixes are Halal certified and vegan, manufactured in a Halal certified facility. Approved by the Halal Food Authority. Essential Cuisine