The many uses of lemon and lime juice in your foodservice kitchen

Citrus juices like lemon and lime juice have many uses in a foodservice kitchen in a wide range of dishes, and bottled juices like Sunshine lemon and lime juice from Steric are great to have on hand whenever a little zing is required.

Lemon and lime juice are used in cooking to add depth and provide an arresting and acidic touch to dishes. The pair are the most commonly used juices in the foodservice industry.

There’s a couple of simple rules to follow when using bottled juice:

  • Can be a good substitute for a dish that is intended to be sour.
  • Blends better in cooked dishes, as opposed to raw dishes that often depend on the bright taste of fresh juice.

Lemon juice and lime juice add unmistakable character to a wide range of dishes. They are often used to underscore a fresh or cooked seafood dish or to marinate a meat dish, or added as an ingredient in salad dressings or drizzled over pancakes.

The taste difference between lemon and lime juice

In terms of flavour, these two citrus fruits are quite similar. They’re both tart, but lemons have a slightly sweeter taste, whereas limes are usually more bitter. So, you’re more likely to see lemons in sweet dishes rather than limes.

Nutritionally, they’re almost identical and share many of the same potential health benefits, some of which we outline here.

Unsurprisingly, when it comes to cooking, both lemon juice and lime juice are used in similar ways. The one you choose will likely be based on the dish’s flavour profile.

The many uses of lemon juice in cooking

Lemon juice is a common ingredient in cooking and baking and features heavily in many foodservice kitchens. It adds a little zing to savoury and sweet dishes alike. Due to its very low pH level, it’s one of the most acidic natural ingredients available, so provides structure to jams and jellies, and helps baked goods rise.

Lemon juice is also a great accompaniment to fish and poultry so it is often used in sauces, or just squeezed over the food before eating. In baked goods and desserts, lemons provide a light, fresh flavour.

Plus, it can be used to tenderise meat, or it can be used as a substitute for vinegar in dressings. Lemon juice added to steamed vegetables will help them keep their bright colours and enhance their flavour. It can be added to beverages for a refreshing flavour.

It is also used to prevent the discolouring of the flesh of fruits and vegetables that oxidise quickly when exposed to the oxygen in the air, due to the high content of Vitamin C.

“Lemon and lime juice are used in cooking to add depth and provide an arresting and acidic touch to dishes.”

Lime juice in cooking

Lime juice can be used in a similar way to lemons but as they are stronger in flavour, generally a smaller amount is required. They are used in sauces or as an accompaniment to fish and poultry. Lime juice will enhance the flavour of fruits, vegetables, salads, and other dishes without adding fat or a lot of calories. It also allows less salt to be used.

Like lemon, lime juice is also used in baked goods and desserts to provide a light, fresh flavour like the famous Key Lime pie.

It’s also a popular addition to many cocktails like margaritas and daiquiris, as well as refreshing non-alcoholic drinks like lemon, lime and bitters.

Lime juice can also prevent the discolouring of the flesh of fruits and vegetables that oxidise quickly when exposed to the oxygen in the air. It also makes a great meat tenderiser and marinade.

Other uses of lemon juice

Lemon juice is the perfect addition to your cleaning supplies. It is a disinfectant, cuts through grease, removes stains, and leaves behind a clean, fresh scent.

It can be added to other remedies to work as a wood cleaner/polisher, degreaser, cleaner, stain remover, and food disposal cleaner.

As an ingredient for natural care items, it can be used as a hand scrub and natural hair lightener.

Lemons have many health benefits and help boost immunity. Lemon juice mixed with honey and hot water is great for a sore throat. Drinking lemon juice mixed with water every morning is said to be a great way to start the day.

Australian made Sunshine Lemon Juice and Sunshine Lime Juice

Chefs regularly choose Steric’s Sunshine Lemon Juice and Sunshine Lime Juice for their outstanding quality and consistency. Those attributes have become a hallmark of the line for more than 40 years.

Made at Steric’s advanced commercial food manufacturing facility in Sydney, Sunshine Lemon Juice contains 99.9 per cent lemon juice, while Sunshine Lime Juice contains 99.9 per cent lime juice. They are shelf-stable for ease of use while not sacrificing quality.

Sunshine Lemon Juice is available in 250 ml, 500 ml, 1 litre and 2 litre bottles. Sunshine Lime Juice is available in a 250 ml bottle.

You can order our Sunshine Lemon Juice and Lime Juice through your local distributor.

Trends driving change in the Australian foodservice industry

The Australian food industry is constantly evolving with many factors influencing how we eat, including immigration, generational shifts, and lifestyles. These factors are leading to a strong push from many consumers to understand where the food they are eating is from, a move towards Australian grown and made food, and a growing social conscience.

Following these trends is important for foodservice operators to understand so they can respond to what their customers may be seeking including the type of information they’ll require.

Diners are demanding greater transparency about where food is from

Increasingly, consumers are seeking information around how their food is produced, proof of where it comes from, and assurance that it is safe.

Rather than see this trend as a hinderance or annoyance it’s an opportunity for savvy foodservice operators to extol the virtues of the food they offer. For example, buying an Australian-made whole egg mayonnaise like Steric’s Plate & Platter means you can confidently tell customers that your mayonnaise is manufactured in Australia.

By providing customers with the transparency they seek, the industry as a whole can build trust with consumers. The changes are also being driven by regulatory changes and the increasing complexity and globalisation of food supply chains.

Consumers have become more educated when doing their shopping and are putting that knowledge to use to make careful and informed purchasing decisions. Over the last decade, shoppers have become increasingly health-conscious and concerned about the presence of additives, artificial and genetically modified ingredients.

The spotlight on food safety issues in the past has created a heightened awareness of the potential safety risks behind what we are consuming and is driving increased demand for transparency.

The growing popularity of Australian-made

Alongside the need for greater supply chain transparency, Australians are seeking more Australian grown and manufactured foods. The COVID pandemic has shone a stronger spotlight on this trend but even before the pandemic, research showed that Australians preferred Australian grown and produced food.

Consumer research conducted by Roy Morgan Research in 2019 showed that Australians prefer Australian-made products across a wide range of product categories. The research found that 80 per cent of Australians prefer Australian-made food and beverages, and that the most important reasons for buying Australian-made products were better quality, support for local businesses/communities, and local job creation.

Consulting firm McKinsey also looked at the growing desire for Australian products and concluded that Australian consumers are expressing a deeper need to exercise control in day-to-day life decisions, and this is in part shown by an increased interest in local brands. They are also increasingly making purchase decisions that align with their values.

They also concluded that many Australians are also expressing an increase in emotional needs that go beyond price. The survey McKinsey conducted found that consumers are continuing the move towards local by supporting their local neighbourhood businesses and increasingly choosing Australian brands—which could symbolise trust and security in a time of global flux.

This is once again an opportunity for the foodservice industry to step up and promote its Australian food products, and an opportunity for food outlets to tell their customers about the great Australian food products they are serving.

“The COVID pandemic has shone a stronger spotlight on this trend but even before the pandemic, research showed that Australians had a preference for Australian grown and produced food.”

Change driven by the millennial generation

Research has shown that the millennial generation which includes those who were born from the early 1980s to early 2000s are motivated by causes in both their work and in their personal lives.

According to a report released by research company the NPD Group, millennials are now the largest ‘healthy-eating’ consumer group in Australia at an unprecedented 32 per cent claiming to be focused on healthy food.

Of course, millennials are not the only customers demanding change in the food industry in Australia. There are consumers of all ages who have become socially conscious about the food they put in their mouths, but also the impact the food production has on the environment, and on society as a whole.

According to Canadian Dietician Cara Rosenbloom, millennials value the planet more than older generations so they are more interested in how the food was sourced and grown, and how that affects their carbon footprint. Sustainability is a priority for them when buying food at supermarkets or restaurants. Millennials’ awareness of environmental issues has influenced food manufacturers to institute better earth-friendly practices.

Buy Australian made Sunshine and Plate & Platter from Steric

While most Australians have not heard the Steric name there’s a good chance that most have consumed our products, with a foodservice range of 50 key products that are supplied to the foodservice and hospitality industry. This includes restaurants, cafes, hotels and more with a wide range of essential food products, including sauces, toppings, cordials, dry ingredients and even beverages.

Steric also produces private label food products for the biggest customers across Australia and New Zealand.

Find out more about Steric’s foodservice range or call 1800 008 155 or place a turn in order on our website.

Australian made cornflour should be a staple in all foodservice kitchens

One of the most unsung heroes in a foodservice kitchen is the humble cornflour which is commonly used in recipes to thicken liquids. It’s great for richer soups, casseroles, or gravies and when added to cake, biscuit and shortbread recipes, cornflour helps create a crumbly and tender texture.

Cornflour is different from regular flour which is often used as a thickening agent because it mixes in clear, giving cornflour-thickened sauces a translucent shimmer. Wheat flour on the other hand can lighten the colour of the mixture which is often not desirable.

As any experienced foodservice chef or cook knows, you need to mix cornflour with a liquid and whisk it before adding it to the dish, otherwise, it will clump and not thicken the sauce, soup or gravy.

Origins of cornflour

Cornflour comes from the corn grain (also called maize), which has been cultivated for around 9,000 years, originating in southern Mexico, and then spreading throughout Central and South America.

Europeans reportedly first encountered corn in the 16th century when Italian explorer Christopher Columbus under the flag of Spain visited the New World. From there, the Spaniards took it back home, and it was introduced to other parts of Europe.

An American named Thomas Kingsford is credited with ‘inventing’ cornstarch (cornflour) in 1842 when he discovered a way to isolate endosperms from corn kernels while working in a wheat starch factory in New Jersey. It was initially used to starch clothing, and gradually found its way to the kitchen.

How do starches thicken?

Starch granules dissolve when heated in a liquid, the granules swell, absorb water, and burst, emptying more starch molecules into the liquid. The liquid then thickens because of the traffic jam of molecules and also because the starch molecules absorb the water.

Because starches swell and gelatinise at warm temperatures, they cannot work effectively if they are added directly into hot liquids. The outer edges of the powdered starch will gelatinise instantly, virtually sealing off the rest of the starch and resulting in lumps. Then the outer surface of the starch cooks before the starch has a chance to disperse and dissolve in the liquid.

Cornflour is pure starch derived from corn, and that’s why it needs to be mixed with a cool liquid before being added to the hot liquid.

“In Australia, the names cornstarch and cornflour are often used interchangeably.”

What’s the difference between cornstarch, cornflour and cornmeal?

In Australia, the names cornstarch and cornflour are often used interchangeably. Whereas in other parts of the world like the US and UK they are different products. In the US, for example, corn flour is finely ground cornmeal.

Generally, cornstarch is made from the starchy endosperm of the corn plant, while cornmeal uses the entire kernel. Cornmeal is often processed as a very coarse grain used to make grits, cornbread, and polenta.

To further complicate things, in Australia we use another product called wheaten cornflour which we manufacture at Steric. Wheaten corn flour can be used in the place of regular corn flour, except it’s made out of wheat instead of maize. The textures, tastes, and final products are similar, but the biggest difference is that regular corn flour is gluten-free while wheaten corn flour is not. That’s why at Steric we also make Gluten Free Maize Flour.

Australian made Sunshine cornflour

Sunshine wheaten cornflour and Sunshine gluten-free maize cornflour by Steric are widely used by successful Australian foodservice operators. Used for baking, coating, as well as thickening.

Sunshine wheaten cornflour and Sunshine gluten-free maize cornflour are 100 per cent Australian made from dried, Australian-grown grains. At Steric’s advanced food production facility in Sydney, the company processes the raw product to create cornflour products, that are then packed and shipped to customers across Australia.

You can order our cornflour range of products through your local distributor or place a turn in order on our website.

Creating a signature sauce for your business – Steric

To help your business stand out from the crowd you should consider signature sauces for your café, restaurant or hospitality business. Sauces greatly enhance dishes like burgers, sandwiches, seafood, meat dishes, and more.

By offering something a little different from the standard sauce you will show your customers that you put time and thought into developing the menu items.

Signature sauces can keep customers coming back for more because they know you’re offering something a little different. Some large restaurant chains have developed signature sauces that have proved so popular they produce them for sale in their own outlets, or even as a product on supermarket shelves.

A signature sauce can help turn a recipe into a signature menu item and create a new classic or specialty that only your business can offer. Taking time to develop your own signature sauces will elevate your culinary image and help support premium pricing.

The role of sauces in the kitchen

Sauces are simply thickened liquids used to add richness, flavour, and moisture to a dish. Dishes that are drier, like grilled meats, roasts and many more are often enhanced with sauces and gravies.

French food is renowned for its sauces. The French call them ‘Mother Sauces’ because they use milk (béchamel sauce), white stock (velouté), brown stock (Espagnole), clarified butter (Hollandaise), and tomato (tomato sauce) as the liquid base for each type of sauce.

Mother sauces date back to the 18th Century, when lack of refrigeration caused foods to spoil much faster. It is likely the sauces were created to cover up the flavour of less-than-perfect meats, poultry, and seafood.

Fast forward to the 21st Century and the concept of ‘mother’ sauces has stood the test of time as they are incredibly versatile and provide the foundation to build dozens of other sauces.

“Signature sauces can keep customers coming back for more.”

How to develop your own signature sauces

Some foods are perfect as they come, and some will benefit from having a little something added to them. You can use fully prepared foundational sauces like Steric’s range of Sunshine sauces as building blocks for your own signatures, adding value and uniqueness to your menu.

Take tomato sauce, for instance, often used on a burger, it can be turned into a unique signature sauce with the addition of other ingredients and flavours.

Spend some development time in your kitchen, adding different elements to create something new and uniquely your own. And don’t just think about the flavour profile of your sauces, also focus on the texture, viscosity, or even the temperature.

Give your chef some extra time to experiment by starting with a few basic foundational sauces, encouraging them to use techniques and methods to vary and customise them.

Rather than starting from scratch, you can adapt one or two foundational sauces in myriad ways, cutting down on waste, inventory, preparation time and labour. Having your own signature sauces that are used across multiple dishes also means you will be cross-utilising ingredients while enhancing consistency and keeping food costs down.

“The Sunshine range of premium sauces by Steric Foodservice can be used to create irresistible flavour.”

Steric’s Sunshine brand of sauces make a great foundation

Whether preparing a fish, poultry, meat or meat-free dish, a sauce can add depth of flavour and character to your menu items. The Sunshine range of premium sauces by Steric Foodservice can be used to create an irresistible flavour in your dishes that will have your customers talking about you long after they’ve finished their meal.

All Sunshine premium sauces by Steric Foodservice are gluten-free, and our range includes Sweet Chilli, Hot Chilli, BBQ, Hickory Smoked BBQ, Soy, Worcestershire, and of course, Tomato. Steric also produces private label food products for the biggest supermarkets in Australia and New Zealand.

Find out more about the full range Steric of sauces available through our distributor network.

Tracing the adventurous history of mayonnaise

One of our most popular foodservice products is our Plate & Platter Mayonnaise, which is consumed all around Australia in restaurants, cafes and hospitality venues. Most of us don’t think about the origins of a staple like mayonnaise, but the humble ‘mayo’ has an interesting, if not contested, history.

The possible origins of mayonnaise

Mayonnaise began to appear in French cuisine in the early 1800s, with mentions in early German and British cookbooks of French cookery. But there are several stories about where it originated.

One popular tale says it was first made in 1756 after French forces laid siege to the island of Minorca. The French Army, under the command of Duke de Richelieu took control at Port Mahon, on the Mediterranean island, which is now a part of Spain, in the first European battle of the Seven Years’ War.

It is said that the Duke’s resourceful chef, upon finding the island lacked the cream he needed for the typical sauce made of cream and eggs, invented an egg and oil dressing dubbed mahonnaise for its place of birth. Some other versions of the story suggest that the chef learned the recipe from the locals.

Some years later, French Chef Marie-Antoine Careme, recognised as inventing haute cuisine, is credited with lightening the original recipe by blending the vegetable oil and egg yolks into an emulsion. It is likely that it was his modified recipe that became famous throughout the world.

Yet another theory suggested that the name ‘mayonnaise’ was originally ‘Bayonnaise’, named after the French-Basque town of Bayonne and that it was first made in France. Over time the name morphed into the delicious modern product we call mayonnaise.

What makes mayonnaise special?

Mayonnaise is an emulsion, which is a mixture of two liquids that normally cannot be easily combined. Emulsifying is done by slowly adding one ingredient to another while simultaneously mixing rapidly. This disperses and suspends tiny droplets of one liquid through another.

But without an emulsifier, the two liquids would quickly separate again. In the case of mayonnaise, the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise is used as the base for many other sauces, such as tartare sauce, which we also produce at Steric.

“While most Australian consumers have not heard the Steric name, there’s a good chance that most have consumed our products.”

Australian food manufacturing leaders making major contributions

Plate & Platter Whole Egg Mayonnaise by Steric is formulated by our Executive Chef John Slaughter. It is a full-flavoured mayonnaise with the highest percentage of whole egg on the market. We create it using only the finest local Australian ingredients including cage-free eggs.

While most Australian consumers have not heard the Steric name, there’s a good chance that most have consumed our products, with a range of 150 key products that are supplied to the foodservice and hospitality industry.

This includes restaurants, cafes, hotels and more with a wide range of essential food products, including dressings, sauces, oils & vinegars, dry ingredients, toppings, and beverages.

Steric also produces private label food products for the biggest supermarkets in Australia and New Zealand.

Find out more about Plate & Platter Whole Egg Mayonnaise, or place an order directly with your local distributor. Don’t have a distributor? Contact us and we can put you in touch.

Australian food manufacturing is alive and well – Steric

At Steric, we’re proud to be an Australian manufacturer. Overall, the Australian manufacturing sector has been gradually declining in recent years, so it’s good to know that we’re part of the food production industry that is thriving in Australia.

The food and beverage sector makes a major contribution to the Australian economy, in both its financial impact as well as employment. It is the largest single manufacturing sector in Australia and accounts for 27.9 per cent of manufacturing turnover.

Food processing is growing

Australia’s food processing sector is a particularly important part of Australia’s overall food production. It has been growing at a very healthy rate over the last decade.

Industry players are diverse in size – from multinationals producing large volume fast-moving consumer goods, through to smaller players with the flexibility to meet the demand for niche gourmet items.

By developing new technologies and innovations, Australia is staying at the forefront of the food industry worldwide.”

The industry is highly dynamic and driven by demanding consumers seeking diversity, quality and value. Our ethnic and cultural diversity in Australia is reflected in the food range available.

By developing new food processing, separation and packaging technologies and innovations, Australia is staying at the forefront of the food industry worldwide.

Combine these strengths with a reliable supply of high-quality raw materials, a strong food safety regime, an environment that encourages creativity, innovation and collaboration, and Australia is an ideal location for investment all along the chain.

Government support

In October 2020, the Australian Government announced a $1.5 billion investment to help Australian manufacturers become more competitive, resilient, and build scale in the global market. One of the six key areas that were identified for support was the food and beverage sector.

Additionally, the Government’s Food and Beverage National Manufacturing Priority Road Map will help inform the investment decisions that both Government and industry make over the next 10 years to support projects that will:

  • harness and grow the sector’s strengths and advantages;
  • provide innovative solutions to overcome constraints that limit value creation and that may prevent the sector from achieving its full potential; and
  • transform the sector by growing a high-value, reputable and dynamic food and beverage manufacturing industry.

Local food manufacturing benefits agriculture

Successful high-value food and beverage manufacturing projects can also build better returns for our farmers and our agriculture producers. The food sector’s strong economic contribution and employment are supported by Australia’s high-quality agricultural products and production capabilities.

The sector has also demonstrated resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by being agile and accommodating when faced with challenges that have never been seen before.

“Steric Foodservice supplies restaurants, cafes, hotels, hospitals, schools and more with a wide range of essential food products.”

The Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector aims to achieve $100 billion in farm gate output by 2030 through a program called Ag2030. This will have a knock-on effect to the thriving food processing sector in Australia.

Australian food manufacturers making major contributions

Steric is an Australian-owned family business that actively supports foodservice operators through a comprehensive range of Australian-made food products.

There are plenty of benefits to partnering with a food supplier who manufactures all of its foodservice products in-house at its owned facilities in Australia.

Partnering with Steric enables organisations to benefit from:

  • Our comprehensive understanding of the local food, retail and hospitality markets.
  • Our ability to be flexible and nimble with product development.
  • Quick order turnarounds and guaranteed supply.
  • Supporting Australian food manufacturing workers.
  • Supporting a thriving sector of the Australian economy.

Steric is a leading producer of generic brands of food products, while also diversifying across the foodservice industry, and developing our own branded retail products divisions.

Over our 50-year history, our team of Australian food scientists and product development experts have constantly worked to innovate with our product range and manufacturing. All Steric products are developed and manufactured in-house at our state of the art food production facility in Western Sydney.

While most Australians may not have heard the Steric name, there’s a good chance that most have consumed some of the 50 key food products that we supply to the foodservice and hospitality industry. Steric Foodservice supplies restaurants, cafes, hotels, hospitals, schools and more with a wide range of essential food products. These include, but are not limited to sauces, oils & vinegars, dry ingredients, toppings, and beverages.

Steric also produces private label food products for the biggest supermarkets in Australia and New Zealand.

Explore the Steric range of foodservice products, or call 1800 008 155 to discuss how we can help you.

A community of food innovators and food lovers – Steric

They say that if you love what you do then you’ll never work a day in your life. At Steric, our team of food innovators, food scientists, and food lovers certainly love what they do. Their passion for food is the secret sauce…behind our secret sauces…and behind the many, many other food products that we produce from our cutting-edge commercial food manufacturing facility in South West Sydney.

At Steric we pride ourselves on being a community of food innovators and food lovers who are driven to delight our customers – whether in foodservices, commercial services, or with our retail products – with great quality. With every product we make we aim for the highest quality, all made locally.

We believe that this is one of the key ingredients that has enabled us to become one of Australia’s biggest liquid food manufacturers.

“Since our founding in Sydney in 1964, our mission was to become a leading name in commercial food manufacturing.”

It also enabled us to pioneer and introduce generic grocery brands to the Australian retail market. We embraced generic brands while major food manufacturers shunned them in favour of their own brands, as we saw the potential for generic grocery brands.

50 years of food innovation

Since our founding in Sydney in 1964, our mission was to become a leading name in commercial food manufacturing in Australia and to be a staunch supporter of Australian manufacturing.

A year later we brought our first branded product to the market – High Qual Cooking salt. It wasn’t long before Steric gained a large product packaging contract with Woolworths and we were on our way in commercial food manufacturer.

Fast forward some 57 years and in 2021 Steric has grown into one of the largest Australian owned commercial food manufacturing operations in Australia, offering contract manufacturing, contract blending, private label, and food packaging services.

Today, the Steric name is synonymous with innovation in food science, food product development, and the economical and precise mass production of food products. And it’s all thanks to the passion that drives our people – all of whom are food lovers and food innovators.

In support of foodservice operators

At Steric, we also work with the foodservice sector, and have done so for more than 30 years. In fact, foodservice is one of our key divisions, and we are just as capable at creating carefully crafted and precisely produced products for the foodservice sector as we are for our commercial clients.

At Steric we make great products that are used for great purposes in the Australian foodservice industry. Foodservice and hospitality industry leaders rely on Steric products every day to delight their customers.

“We make great products that are used for great purposes in the Australian foodservice industry.”

The comprehensive breadth and depth of our range of products for the foodservice industry is unmatched in the Australian food manufacturing sector. From cordials and sauces to oils, vinegars, dry ingredients, toppings and beverages, Steric can stock your kitchen with top quality products, all made in Australia. Our full list of foodservice products include:

  • Mayonnaise.
  • Tartare.
  • Oils.
  • Vinegar.
  • Sauces.
  • Toppings.
  • Corn flour.
  • Custard powder.
  • Oats.
  • Seafood batter.
  • Cordial.
  • Juice.
  • Chocolate powder.
  • Sports powder.
  • Sports ready to drink.

As well as restaurateurs, café operators, and hoteliers, our products are also popular with hospitals, aged care facility operators, and boarding schools.

An Australian food manufacturing institution

Today, Steric remains a 100 per cent Australian-owned family business, with the son of long-time owner William (Bill) Brownie now overseeing the day-to-day operations. And we are still one of Australia’s leading producer of generic brands of food products, while also diversifying across the foodservice industry, and developing our retail products divisions.

Contact the Steric team on 1800 008 155 to learn more about our food products and services.

Introducing the new Steric website

It’s a new and exciting year for Steric as we unveil our revamped company website. Launched in March 2021, our refreshed website heralds a new era for the Steric brand and our customers across Australia.

With our customer experience paramount to the design, our updated website will make it easier for our customers to do business with us by simplifying:

  • how we group and categorise our products and services;
  • the process of placing orders through our website; and
  • finding your nearest Steric distributor.

As well as these important user experience improvements for our customers, the Steric website has also had a makeover in terms of presentation and branding with a fresh, modern look.

“The new Steric website makes it easier for our customers to do business with us.”

The new website is a good blend of showcasing our position as one of Australia’s leading and longest-serving commercial food manufacturers, while respecting Steric’s storied history, which dates back to 1964.

How to use the new Steric website

The new Steric website looks, feels, and functions quite differently from the Steric website our customers were familiar with. Here are a few key new things to look out for on the new Steric website that will make it easier for you to find your way around, find what you’re looking for, and learn about and order the products your business needs.

Foodservices

All our foodservice products are now grouped on one easy to find and easy to browse foodservices page. Finding the product you need and learning more about it (unit size, carton quantity, product code for ordering from your nearest distributor) quickly is now a breeze.

“Finding the foodservice product you need and learning more about it quickly is now a breeze.”

Whether you need sauces, oils, toppings, flour products, batter, oats, or juice, to name a few, you’ll find it at steric.com.au/food-services. If you know exactly what you need, simply hover over the “Foodservices” tab at the top of our home page and go directly to the specific page for the product you need.

From there, you can find your nearest distributor, or place a turn-in order through Steric.

Commercial services

On the new Steric website, we’ve streamlined and simplified how we present the wide range of commercial services that we offer to many organisations across Australia. Under our newly formed Commercial Services division now sits our four key commercial food manufacturing services, outlined below.

Contract manufacturing

As your experienced contract manufacturing partner, Steric ensures that your original recipe is accurately reproduced in commercial quantities. As we reproduce commercial quantities of carefully refined food recipes for our contract manufacturing clients, we emphasise quality control using industry-leading systems and processes.

Contract blending

At Steric we offer a professional contract blending service (including storage and packing) from our modern, fully air-conditioned, and humidity-controlled production facility in Sydney. We can take your raw ingredients, or source them ourselves from leading providers, and carefully blend them to create your final product to your exact formula.

Private label

Steric pioneered private label food manufacturing in Australia when in 1978 we began producing the very first private label range of manufactured food products for a leading Australian grocery brand.

Today, our private label division produces a broad range of private label food products for the biggest names in the supermarket sector in Australia and New Zealand. In some liquid categories, we produce more product by volume than any other food manufacturer in Australia, while delivering substantial value for both our clients and for consumers.

Packaging capabilities

At Steric we design and mass-produce quality, innovative and reliable packaging solutions for clients for both liquid foods and dry powder products through our packaging division. Whatever your packaging needs, our R&D team can creatively design it and economically produce it for you. And because we manufacture our PET bottles in-house in Sydney, your preferred bottle is always in stock when you need it.

Retail products

As a long-serving innovator in commercial food manufacturer in Australia, over the years we have created a number of our own quality branded retail products that Australian consumers know, use, and love. These products can be found on the shelves of leading supermarkets and independent supermarkets throughout Australia and include our three main retail brands.

Staminade

An iconic Australian sports beverage brand that has powered Australia’s peak athletes, and everyday sportsmen and sportswomen to keep performing at their best since the 1970s, Staminade is the original Australian Electrolyte Sports Drink.

Mary Mack’s

An icon of Far North Queensland, Mary Mack’s Instant Batter Mix has been helping Australians to create delicious battered dishes for more than 30 years. Made from 99 percent Australian ingredients, Mary Mack’s Instant Batter Mix contains no preservatives, no artificial colourings or flavourings

Get started today

We invite you to dive into the new Steric website, have a look around, and learn more about our foodservice, commercial services, and retail products divisions and how we can work with you to support your business. Contact us via our website or by calling 1800 008 155 to learn more.