FAQs – Symplicity Foods

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Frequently asked questions

Questions about symplicity., fermentation or our products? You'll find answers to the most common questions below. Contact us here

symplicity. develops products and ingredients using slow fermentation to unlock deep flavour from vegetables.
Founded by chef Neil Rankin, our products are designed to help people make better food with rich umami flavour, natural nutrition and ingredients they recognise.
Most products in our category are designed to imitate something else.
We take a different approach. Using slow fermentation, we create ingredients and products with their own distinctive flavour and character.
Developed by chefs and used in professional kitchens across the UK, our products are built around flavour first.
Anyone who cares about flavour.
Some customers are vegetarian or vegan. Others eat meat regularly. Most simply want ingredients that taste great and make cooking easier.

Fermentation is a natural process that has been used for thousands of years in foods such as sourdough, cheese, kimchi and miso.
At symplicity., we use slow fermentation to develop deep savoury flavour and umami naturally from vegetables.
Because flavour takes time.
Slow fermentation creates the rich depth and savoury character that would normally take hours of cooking to achieve.
We've already done that work, so you don't have to.
Our fermentation process starts with mushrooms, onions and beetroot.
Together they create a flavour base with rich umami depth, natural sweetness and versatility across a wide range of products.

Many products across the range are high in protein and all nutritional information can be found on individual product packaging.
Yes. Products across the range are a source of fibre. Please refer to individual product packaging for full nutritional information.
Our products are made from whole vegetables and are designed to deliver flavour and nutrition together.
We describe our products as not ultra-processed.
Our products are made from whole vegetables and slow fermentation rather than protein isolates and heavily engineered ingredients.
Yes. Our retail range is suitable for both vegans and vegetarians.

Our burgers can be pan fried, grilled or oven cooked. Cooking instructions are provided on pack.
Because the flavour is already built through fermentation, they're easy to cook and work across everything from burgers and wraps to salads and grain bowls.
Our sausages can be pan fried, grilled or oven cooked.
They're designed to work across a wide range of dishes including breakfasts, pasta dishes, traybakes and casseroles.
Vegetable ‘Nduja is our fermented take on the classic Calabrian ingredient. Traditionally made with pork, ours is made from fermented vegetables.
It's rich, spicy and packed with savoury flavour, making it ideal for stirring through pasta, spooning onto pizza, enriching stews or adding depth to sauces.
A little goes a long way.
Try stirring it through pasta sauces, adding it to beans, spreading it onto pizza, mixing it into marinades or spooning it into soups and stews.

symplicity. was founded by chef Neil Rankin.
After years spent cooking in professional kitchens, Neil began experimenting with fermentation as a way to unlock deeper flavour from vegetables.
That experimentation became symplicity.
Yes.
symplicity. products and ingredients are used in more than 1,000 professional kitchens across the UK, from schools and caterers to Michelin-starred restaurants.
Our products are available through selected retail partners including Waitrose, Ocado and Abel & Cole.
Visit our Retail page for the latest stockist information.

Yes.
We supply foodservice operators across hospitality, education, healthcare, workplace dining and catering.
Yes.
Our fermented ingredients are used across a range of applications including hybrid products, prepared meals and bespoke product development.
Yes.
We work with wholesale partners across the UK. Visit our Trade page or contact the sales team to learn more.

About symplicity.