With reports in Ireland that Gardaí are actively seeking to prosecute pubs that have re-opened serving alcohol without a €9 meal, an innovative food & equipment solution could be the answer.

Mr Crumb, a family-owned award-winning food business, has launched Invisible Chef – a new "Cook & Serve In Pack" food range that has been developed to support the hospitality sector during its reopening.

The artisanal range uses unique packaging which allows products to be cooked in any cooking device. And for those without a cooking device, Mr.Crumb has even partnered with a supplier who can provide mini ovens nationwide for a very affordable price of €4 per day.

Invisible Chef caters for the increased demand in food products prepared with minimal handling – reducing the risk of transmission of viruses during the reopening of the sector after the COVID-19 enforced lockdown. Each individually wrapped serving is cooked in pack and given directly to the consumer to open when they are ready.

The small-batch frozen products offer hotels, cafes, pubs, visitor attractions and foodservice businesses a safe, versatile and delicious ‘food to go’ option, especially in establishments where there are minimal kitchen facilities or reduced labour requirements.

The unique ‘cook in pack’ technology means each item takes approximately two minutes to cook in combi ovens, ovens, microwaves and panini grills and stays hot for up to 90 minutes. This makes them suitable for buffet breakfasts in hotels, and ‘food to go’ offers in cafes, leisure attractions and workplaces.

To minimise waste, the Invisible Chef range is supplied frozen; the user tempers the product, cooks it and serves it in the packaging.

It includes a wide selection of hot food items such as burritos, breakfast muffins, croque monsieurs and filled paninis, and additional accredited vegan and vegetarian options.

In the last year, the Mr. Crumb has won numerous taste-based awards, including ‘Blas na h’eireann’ (Taste of Ireland), Great Taste Awards UK and the FreeFrom Food Awards UK.

Jason Coyle, director, Mr Crumb, said: “As someone involved in the UK hospitality sector myself for many years, I am aware of the challenges the sector is likely to face over the coming months so I know that our range of products will help alleviate some of the pressures there will be around labour, customer confidence and overall safety.

“We wanted to create a premium product and offer a delicious alternative to some of the usual ‘food to go’ items we see every day. We’re incredibly proud of the finished product.”