Aryzta is building on the burgeoning interest in Middle Eastern cuisine with the launch of two new pide savouries.

The frozen bakery items, pronounced ‘pea-day’, are a canoe-shaped type of stonebaked pizza with an open filling. They are inspired by the street food markets of Istanbul, the UK foodservice specialist said.

Aryzta’s Gyros Chicken Pide comprises spinach, Gyros chicken, red tomatoes, onions, sour cream, herbs and a touch of cayenne pepper, while the meat-free Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil variant contains spinach, mozzarella, basil and tomato topped with a basil pesto. 

Both pides are supplied in cases of 18 and can be heated in 5-10 minutes with a long holding time of three hours.

MCA, analysts for the UK eating and drinking sector, predicts that Middle Eastern cuisine will be one of the fastest-growing in the eating out market over the next three to five years.

“As with any new product that we develop, we always ensure that the end result chimes with the most current market insight,” explained Paul Whitely, head of marketing at Aryzta Food Solutions.

“I’m glad to say that the data is unequivocal – interest in Middle Eastern cuisine is accelerating at pace. We’re confident that, in introducing these authentic savouries to the UK foodservice market, caterers can use them to further pique that interest and capture the all-important food-to-go market into the bargain.”

Earlier this year, British Baker reported that Turkish pizza restaurant Pide Oven was set to open a second 50-seat eatery in Hammersmith in July. Alongside pide, menu items include lahmacun, a thin-crust flatbread made with unleavened dough and topped with minced meat and vegetables.