22 Sep 2010 Dinnermates introduces PeppaMates

The sweet chilli has been a food phenomenon of the past decade or so in South Africa and now features in the upper echelons of this country’s flavour favourites. Now DinnerMates, the meat products company, has joined the sweet chilli party.

DinnerMates’ latest product range is called PeppaMates and includes Capsicum baccatum (to use its Latin name), in several guises: cooked whole fruit, dried whole fruit and sliced fruit.

DinnerMates entered this market cautiously, releasing only small quantities until it was fully satisfied with long shelf-life testing, safely put at 12 months when stored at 5°C. It’s now expanded the launch, rolling out this product nationally and internationally to its core food service/food industry markets, as well as to flavour and spice vendors.

The peppers are grown and packaged on an EU-certified farm factory in Limpopo. The fruit is cored and graded, put in a sugar vinaigrette and then packed into hermetically-sealed 5kg or 10kg bulk retort bags. These are pasteurised at a maximum of 90°C.

DinnerMates is also using PeppaMates in several new meat lines: in cocktail beef meat balls, beef burgers, beef and chicken kebabs, Limpopo cordon bleu (crumbed chicken breasts filled with avocado, cheese and PeppaMates) and cocktail items (PeppaMates stuffed with chicken or beef).

DinnerMates factory celebrates 25 years

DinnerMates operates from two bases: its factory in Makhado (Louis Trichardt) and distribution and marketing centre in Kya Sands, Gauteng. This September marks the 25th anniversary of its factory that has grown significantly in size and sophistication since 1985.

Trade journal, Food & Beverage Reporter, published a 25th anniversary article in its August 2010 issue – click here to read more about this dynamic company.