Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Are your sauces really REALLY gluten free?

Oh yes, all our sauces REALLY are! They have been certified by proper scientist’s in lab coats from a UKAS laboratory. They are certified at less than 5 parts per million where the legal maximum is 20 parts per million. We’re dead chuffed!

Are Nowt Poncy sauces suitable for vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs?

Yes, apart from the Big Easy Creole sauce which is gluten-free but NOT vegan or veggie due to it containing Worcestershire Sauce. Each sauce will say clearly on the website and on the label to be 100% sure, but the other sauces are indeed vegan friendly and gluten-free. 

Your sauce looks like it has lumps in it – what is it?

Those red lumpy things are tomatoes that have been roughly chopped. We believe that food should taste amazing and be authentic so our sauces have a ‘rough’ artisan style. Compare ours to some of the markets leading brands and you will see a huge difference in the consistency of our product. To describe some of the others as baby food may be a little harsh, but seriously, some of it just looks really grim.

Why are there bits of basil/coriander stalk and garlic in there?

Yep, those stalky bits and garlic bits ARE what they seem. The fresh basil, coriander and garlic is prepared and chopped by hand to give our sauces an artisan feel and a texture with ‘bite’. There is actually a lot of flavour in the basil & coriander stalks and whilst we try to remove the really big bits, when you buy an artisan sauce from us, there are always going to be a few still in there. If you don’t like it, then please accept our apologies, our thanks for tasting and our best wishes. Remember, we want the maximum flavour in our products and if that involves some ‘stalkage’ (Industry Technical Term) then so be it! In our Curry Sauce you may find the odd clove (clove-age) or bit of cinnamon bark too (cinnamon-age). It is a homemade style after all.

Is Nowt Poncy good for kids' meals?

We have had some great feedback from clients with children and they have said that their kids LOVE the sauce, and in one case, it’s the only sauce their three year old will eat. We can only say give it a try. Have a look at our nutritional data, of course, to ensure you are happy with the values for salt and sugar first though. It’s maybe not for very young children but there are no nasty E numbers in our sauces and there is only citric acid to stabilise the product to ensure a low PH value for shelf life. It is low in fat, saturated fat and sugar and only has 38 kcal/100g. All our sauces have been independently verified for our sugar claims by Sugarwise.org who use Cambridge University to verify the figures.

Where do you get your data from?

Those lovely people at the Food Technology Department of the Hollins Facility at Manchester Metropolitan University have been our partners in evaluating the nutritional and the shelf life data for our sauces. They use independent UK certified laboratories and boffins for all the technical stuff and have been amazing in their support and assistance. Sugarwise use scientists at Cambridge University to verify the sugar content of foods before issuing the certificates.

What can I do with Nowt Poncy Sauces?

So many things! They are really versatile. Have a look at the recipes page for some ideas. You can have all sauces with fresh, crusty bread. Just dip straight in to try to achieve the maximum amount of sauce-age (which is another industry term that should only be used after many years in the trade).  

It costs more than normal supermarket brands - why?

It does and there’s a very good reason. It’s handmade. It’s made in small batches with care and love and it’s made with great ingredients. If we mass-produced it the flavour would change because the manufacturer would prepare and cook it in a way that makes THEIR process easier and not necessarily in a way that retains the flavour and ethos of our brand. Yes, there are cheaper brands out there that supermarkets are able to do special offers on like BOGOFs (or as I prefer BOLOGO – Buy One and Let One Go Off), but they buy by the thousands and really use these ‘loss leaders’ to get you into the store to buy other items. Unfortunately, great products cost more. Bentley’s cost more than Fords. Why? Because they are handmade and NOT mass-produced.

Is Nowt Poncy good for kids' meals?

We have had some great feedback from clients with children and they have said that their kids LOVE the sauce, and in one case, it’s the only sauce their three year old will eat. We can only say give it a try. Have a look at our nutritional data, of course, to ensure you are happy with the values for salt and sugar first though. It’s maybe not for very young children but there are no nasty E numbers in our sauces and there is only citric acid to stabilise the product to ensure a low PH value for shelf life. It is low in fat, saturated fat and sugar and only has 38 kcal/100g. All our sauces have been independently verified for our sugar claims by Sugarwise.org who use Cambridge University to verify the figures.

I have Type 2 diabetes. Can I eat the Nowt Poncy® Sauces?

You really need to check with a dietitian or someone with greater knowledge of your own personal circumstances but current thinking says that special diabetic foods are NOT required and it’s better to have a balanced, healthy lifestyle and diet. This means you MAY be able to eat our sauces BUT you really need to ensure you use it sensibly and carefully. A shed load of pasta (even if it is wholemeal) is going to have an impact on your blood sugar so keep an eye on the carbohydrates in anything you have to accompany the sauce. If you have any concerns then don’t take the risk. A copy of our full nutritional data is available by emailing [email protected]

Did you know that whilst dry wholewheat pasta is so much better for you than white pasta because of its low GI (Glycemic Index), the longer you cook it the worse it becomes. Al dente, or “to the bite” is the best way to achieve the best GI and the best authentic Italian texture!

Are there any allergens?

You need to carefully check the individual labels of our products. Any allergens will be highlighted in BOLD. Our commercial kitchen is a killer allergen-free facility and we do not allow Sesame, Peanuts/Nuts or Shellfish on site. Nor do we allow Gluten into the production area. We do use ingredients that may have been packed in facilities that handle allergens though.

Do you support charities?

Any short-dated or surplus product is donated to a foodbank. At the moment, because we are a very small young company, it is difficult for us to do more. However, we are big believers in giving back to our community and as our company grows we will be able to do more. In 2019 we became front of shirt sponsors for the Lancashire Typhoons, the first Inclusive rugby team in Lancashire. We are continuing the sponsorship into 2020/21 too.

Will you be doing any in-store taste testing?

We will. We will be in Lancashire and Manchester and at various places across the UK in the coming weeks and months and at various shows across the UK in 2018 so look out for the dates on the demo’s page when it is up and running. Just look for the haggard-looking chap who is drinking coffee trying to stay awake or rocking gently in the corner of the stand!

How can I contact you? I have a question/suggestion

If you want to contact us the quickest way is by email to [email protected]

We really, Really, REALLY hope you LOVE our products as much as we love making and sharing them with you. Come and say hi if you see us out and about!

Why Nowt Poncy?

The 1980’s had some very poncy food. Horrendously expensive teeny tiny portions of food hell that would hardly feed a ferret and normally needed a quick stop at the chippy on the way home, all served under the keen gaze of a snooty head waiter.   Who would have thought things could get any poncier? But they have.

Steaks served on chopping boards, chips served in running shoes or tiny shopping trolleys,  balsamic artwork or Jools’ pet hate – foam AND Jenga chips thrice cooked. Anyway, food has become very poncy and it seems to be more about the artistic ability of the chef or a culinary competition around who can get away with serving their food on the most outrageous or bizzare platform. Bring anything to the table ‘deconstructed’ and you’d better be prepared to be wearing it back to the kitchen. Sea Bass served on a china otter that someone found at a car boot sale – not on your nellie, thank you.

25 odd years in the planning, Nowt Poncy® is our little fight against this. Surely, it should be about the food. Where it comes from,  how the animals are treated, making sure the suppliers are treated fairly and, of course, THE TASTE? We think so and if we can change the minds of a few people then that’s just great. Proper plates NOT slates we say. We want great tasting food that’s NOT up itself!

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The Nowt Poncy Food Company Ltd.