About Virtue

Our story

From Sourdough Frozen Doughballs, to Ambient Par-Baked Products

It All Started in 2021

Like many during Covid, Virtue’s founders, Gareth and Annette, discovered a passion for sourdough pizza. Living with food intolerances, they were drawn not only to its flavour and texture, but to how good it made them feel. What began at home soon became a mission to share exceptional sourdough with others.

As hospitality reopened, Virtue launched, supplying ready-made sourdough dough balls to pubs and restaurants across Warwickshire, with demand quickly spreading nationwide.

In 2021, Simon – Director of Blackdown Growers, an established grower of salad leaves and aromatic herbs, and a long-time friend of Gareth and Annette – recognised the potential and invested in Virtue alongside the other directors.

Demand From Hospitality For Ambient Grew

From there, interest among hospitality operators grew fast. Gareth and Simon spent time on the road speaking with chefs and kitchen teams, listening closely to the realities they faced: rising costs, labour shortages, and the constant pressure to deliver quality with limited time and resources. Those conversations helped shape Virtue’s next chapter. The challenge was clear: how could Virtue make life easier for professional kitchens without compromising craftsmanship, quality, or customer satisfaction?

In response, Virtue developed its ambient par-baked range – artisanal Italian-made, reliable products designed to support professional kitchens while maintaining exceptional quality. Still staying true to our roots, the range continues to champion sourdough and prioritises healthier, more gut‑friendly ambient options wherever possible.

Today, Virtue proudly champions its ambient par-baked range, helping hospitality operators build menus with greater ease, reliability, and confidence

Our Aspiration

To be recognised as the gold standard for par-baked ambient solutions. To provide par-baked ambient products that deliver added value and positive change for hospitality operators and the people they serve.

Our Values

Our values are important to us as this underpins how we interact with all our stakeholders, customers, suppliers and staff alike.

Act With Integrity

Build trust in our brand with reliable products and gold-standard customer service. We learn from our mistakes, uphold promises and do what we say.

Innovate Fast

Trend setters in our market, be one step ahead of the competition.

Be Responsive

Put customer needs first, win loyalty through service, make every transaction a positive experience.

Make It Easy

Make artisan eating experiences effortless, make it easy to order, pay and recommend us to others.
Look out for each other and help the team do well.

Be Engaging

Value and build close relationships with all stakeholders. Go out of our way to be warm, friendly, helpful and fun – we are in the hospitality business!