1 October 2026
Vegetables do not always get the recognition they deserve.
Sometimes they are very much the star of the show. A rich tomato sauce. A roasted garlic soup. A colourful vegetable curry. Crispy onions on top of a favourite dish.
And sometimes, they are doing their job quietly in the background, adding colour, flavour, aroma, texture or a characteristic flavour note without you necessarily stopping to think about where it came from.
That is one of the things we value most about vegetables at J L Priestley & Co Ltd. They are remarkably versatile ingredients, and we see that versatility at work every day.
More than just a side dish
World Vegetarian Day is a good opportunity to celebrate the wide variety of ways vegetables make their way into the foods we know and enjoy.
They can be fresh, frozen, dried, powdered, flaked, granulated, toasted or processed into all sorts of useful formats. And while vegetables are fantastic in their whole form, processing does not take away what makes them special. In many applications, it makes them even more versatile.
Drying and processing can create ingredients that are easier to handle, store and incorporate into food products, while bringing concentrated vegetable character into the finished recipe. Think rich, savoury, earthy, sweet, aromatic, roasted, warming, fresh and deeply umami flavours.
At J L Priestley & Co Ltd, we supply a wide range of dried vegetables and vegetable ingredients in formats designed for food manufacturers. From powders and granules to flakes and other prepared formats, our ingredients can add colour, flavour and character across a wide range of applications.
Naturally colourful. Naturally full of flavour.
A vibrant tomato. Golden sweetcorn. Rich roasted garlic. Warm onion. Earthy beetroot.
Vegetables can bring a huge amount of natural character to a recipe, without the need to rely heavily on artificial flavourings and colourings.
For food manufacturers, that versatility can be incredibly valuable. Dried vegetable ingredients can be incorporated into seasonings, sauces, soups, bakery products, prepared foods, snacks, coatings and countless other applications, helping deliver the flavour profile, appearance and consistency the finished product requires.
And because we understand that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all ingredient requirement, J L Priestley & Co Ltd can supply ingredients in a range of specifications and formats to suit different manufacturing needs.
Good for food. Good for the planet, too.
For many people, choosing a vegetarian diet, or simply eating more plant-based foods, is one way of reducing the environmental impact associated with their diet. Food production accounts for a significant proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has highlighted the potential environmental benefits of healthier, more sustainable and plant-based diets.
That does not mean everyone needs to eat the same way, or that every vegetarian food is automatically sustainable. Food production is complex, and factors such as how ingredients are grown, processed, transported and consumed all play an important role.
But there is certainly room for more vegetables on the menu.
And we are certainly not going to complain about that.
Making vegetables work harder
For us, the really exciting thing is seeing what happens when these ingredients are given a new lease of life.
A vegetable does not have to sit on the side of a plate to make an impact.
Turn it into a powder and it can bring flavour into a seasoning blend. Make it into granules and it can add texture and visual appeal. Dried flakes or slices become practical ingredients for all kinds of food manufacturing applications.
At J L Priestley & Co Ltd, we supply dried vegetable ingredients including onion, garlic, tomato, mushroom, peppers, beetroot, carrot and much more, alongside a wide range of herbs, spices and fruits.
We work with food manufacturers to provide ingredients in the formats and specifications they need, whether the vegetable is intended to be front and centre or quietly incorporated into the mix to provide a subtle lift in flavour, colour or texture.
So, this World Vegetarian Day, we are raising a glass to vegetables.
The colourful ones.
The crunchy ones.
The earthy ones.
The sweet ones.
The savoury ones.
The ones you can see.
And the ones you probably never realised were there.
We think vegetables are pretty great.
And if you are looking for delicious, versatile vegetable ingredients for your next food product, get in touch with J L Priestley & Co Ltd on hello@jlpriestley.com or call us on 01529 419950
