Albert Heijn invests in Flexeserve Zone® to trial hot food-to-go

Netherlands’ largest retailer, Albert Heijn has chosen Flexeserve Zone® to trial a new range of hot food-to-go items in 5 of its ‘AH to go’ locations, with many more in the works.

The five stores in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Eindhoven are using the Flexeserve Zone® food-to-go hot-holding unit to serve a range of 25 hot-to-go meals and snacks, covering the breakfast, lunch and dinner day parts.

The products that Albert Heijn has created for serving from Flexeserve Zone® include pancakes and breakfast muffins; hot soups, wraps, quiche and toasted sandwiches for lunch; and pasta bolognese, chicken tagine with pearl couscous, and pizza for dinner.

Flexeserve Zone® is a patented, industry-leading, hot food-to-go unit, which maintains a wide variety of food at optimum serving temperatures for record hold times, without compromising appearance, taste or texture. Flexeserve Zone® keeps food in a ‘fresh’ state due to its patented technology and comprehensive menu development service, which advises on the composition of food, efficient in-store operations and packaging.

To support the creation of Albert Heijn’s new hot food-to-go menu, Nuttall’s development chef provided advice on the necessary food preparation processes and advised what the best food packaging would be for each item.

The first five sites are acting as an opportunity to refine the sales process and assess demand. Over the course of 2019, Albert Heijn will extend this to more than 50 key locations, including 20 railway stations and the busiest AH to-go stores.

Jamie Joyce, Chief Executive of Nuttall Foodservice Solutions division, said: “The Netherlands has always been seen as a leader in hot food-to-go and Albert Heijn, in particular, pushes the boundaries of the market. Hot-holding allows these bustling stores to relieve pressure on the kitchen or broaden the hot food offering – or indeed, both.

“We’re excited about the potential that Albert Heijn is beginning to unlock with Flexeserve Zone®. Our hot food-to-go unit, and the comprehensive service we provide with it, is the best hot-holding solution available.

“The level of commitment and development that we have seen from Albert Heijn demonstrates the success they have enjoyed so far with their exciting new hot food-to-go menu, and we look forward to continuing to work with them to see what else is possible.”

Anyone looking to enquire about Flexeserve Zone®, or interested in discovering more about the benefits that hot-holding could offer their business, are encouraged to get in touch.