Developing the Perfect Panini

In the UK the Panini has now become a staple on the menu of sandwich bars and takeaway outlets. But for food to go businesses, especially quick turnaround locations such as petrol stations, shoppers simply don’t have time to wait.

The challenge for the Country Choice development team was set, how can we deliver a delicious hot Panini for the grab & go market?

The Development Team challenge

Country Choice's product development team set about finding a product that could be oven heated from frozen and displayed in a hot display unit for up to two hours, yet still deliver the quality required of the increasingly discerning shopper. The development team focused on three elements – the bread, the filling, and the packaging.

All needed to endure a process of freezing, reheating and being held hot and, of course, the panini had to taste amazing too. The bread needed to be crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. The packaging needed to withstand 180°C temperatures, and maintain the quality of the Panini in heated units.

The solution took a while and involved much experimentation. Fillings needed to not just taste great, but have just the right level of moisture and texture, and finally, they turned their attention to the packaging. The team took an innovative approach, look closely at the packaging and you will see tiny perforations to allow the Paninis to breathe.

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THE ORIGIN OF THE PANINI

The original Panini grill was invented by American inventor and businessman, Thomas Edison. Surprisingly it was not a success and the device was withdrawn in the mid-1930s. It would be another forty years before the Panini would make a comeback, this time in the bars and cafes of Milan in the 1970s.

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A runaway success!

The range of four Paninis was launched in October last year and was complemented with two wraps, making it easy for you to offer your hungry shoppers hot Paninis and wraps for breakfast and lunch.

The response has been phenomenal.

Forecourt operators have been the quickest to take up the range – not surprising given that speed of service is critical with these outlets. But other high footfall outlets such as university-based convenience stores have found the range ideal, mainly for its labour-saving properties. The operators need to keep their hot units full throughout the day and a range of ready-made hot Paninis, wraps and sandwiches is the perfect solution.

So what's next?

Needless to say, the product development team is already developing the range further – but that, of course, is top secret!

Take a look at the new Bake in Pack Panini Range