Delicatessen Magazine February Issue

e h T DELICATESSEN BRINGING THE INDUSTRY TOGETHER

ISSUE 9 l FEBRUARY 2017

TORTILLY AMAZING! WE REVIEW THE NEW FAIRFIELDS FARM TORTILLAS

CRAZY ABOUT COFFEE? WE LOOK AT THREE VERY DIFFERENT BRANDS FROM THREE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES!

DELI COUNTER

WE LOOK AT HOW IN-HOUSE SLICING, WEIGHING AND PACKING CAN MAXIMISE PROFITS

WHERE TO DIP YOUR CHIP

WE REVEAL OUR FAVOURITE DIPS & DRESSINGS

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T: 01634 861 749 E: info@deli-charcuterie.co.uk stephens fresh foods_feb.indd 1

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CONTENTS PAGE 6: TORTILLY AMAZING!

We review the new Fairfields Farm ‘Tortillas’ range

PAGE 8: DELI PROFILE

We talk with Phil Gunton of H Gunton’s, an outstanding delicatessen, which has recently celebrated its 80th birthday!

l

COVER PHOTO: A LITTLE BIT FOOD CO

ISSUE 9 FEBRUARY

PAGE 10: WHERE TO DIP YOUR CHIP We reveal a selection of our favourite dips and dressings PAGE 15: SNACKING & PACKING Introducing a new regular columnist covering many topics within the snack’s and packaging industry PAGE 16: CHEESEBOARD

We learn more about Norseland, the company who brings a selection of award winning cheeses to the UK

EDITOR

l

Chris McNeill E: chris@cjm-media.co.uk

PAGE 19: SCARLETT & MUSTARD After being shown how good dipping Fairfields Farm crisps is when paired with Scarlett & Mustard salsas, we investigate more into this interesting and fun brand

ASSISTANT EDITOR

PAGE 20: GETTIN’ TIGGY WITH IT We meet the brothers who are taking their Granny’s brilliant recipes to market!

Dave Eastman E: dave@cjm-media.co.uk FREE-FROM FOOD WRITER Victoria McCormick E: victoria@cjm-media.co.uk

PAGE 22: SALCOMBE BREW After hearing about how great Salcombe Brew is from one of our readers, we wanted to get in on the action PAGE 26: IFE PREVIEW Catch up with the latest news from the International Food & Drink Event PAGE 28: CRAZY ABOUT COFFEE l

DESIGNER Sharon Larder

E: inthedoghousedesign@gmail.com

CONTACT US: T: 01206 240 798 E: chris@cjm-media.co.uk PUBLISHED BY: CJM MEDIA LTD HEAD OFFICE: 58 MUMFORD ROAD, WEST BERGHOLT, COLCHESTER, ESSEX, CO6 3BL PRINTED IN THE UK BY: S & G PRINT GROUP GOAT MILL ROAD, DOWLAIS, MERTHYR TYDFIL, CF48 3TD T: 01685 352058 W: www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk The Delicatessen is published monthly.

The Publisher cannot accept any liability for transparancies, disks or any written material submitted for publication. Reproduction of any written material or illustration wholly or in part for any media is expressly forbidden without prior consent of the publisher.

We talk about three very different coffee brands, from three different countries

PAGE 32: DELI COUNTER l

Alan Davies of Stephens Fresh Foods asks ¨What did th Romans doe for us´

PAGE 33: TAKING A LARGER CUT? l

Maximising profit through in-house slicing & packing

PAGE 36: PRO2PAC

We look at some packaging solutions for delicatessens from next months PRO2PAC exhibition

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PAGE 38: MORE TEA, VICAR? l

We explore more of the Teapigs range, and reveal how we found them!

PAGE 4O: THE DIP SOCIETY

l After a ‘Double-dipping’ incident in the office using one of the Dip Society’s products, we wanted to dip in further to their range

PAGE 44: GOING STRAIGHT TO PLAN BEE

l We look at the rise of Mead as well as other products from this fantastic and sustainable brand

PAGE 47: PASTA – THE SHAPE DEBATE l

Introducing new regular contributor and food marketing expert

Sally Assinder who is our new resident Pasta and Coffee aficionado.

This month talking about matching pasta shapes to sauces

PAGE 48: HILLFARM OILS l

We meet the true pioneers of rapeseed oil in the UK

PAGE 50: LA SAUCY SALSA – REVISITED

We go into more depth on the success of the fast growing salsa company and explore their range in more detail

l

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Welcome

from the Editor

l Welcome to our first issue of the year. Coming back after a short break, we have got lots of great features and content for you to read.

We are featuring some very different world coffees, explain about maximising profits in your meat sections, and even feature a selection of dips that got some of us into trouble (for ‘double dipping!).

We are also excited to have some exclusive content in this issue as the first magazine to trial and feature the new Fairfields Farm ‘Tortillas’ range.

Also, with our deputy editor Victoria McCormick due to go on maternity leave imminently, we welcome to our team Dave Eastman, a writer, and acclaimed author, whose skills also include being able to drink more than a bucket of coffee a day without any ill effects!

Lastly from me, we have launched many new sections and gained many regular contributors, which helps us keep great content coming into the magazine. However, an upcoming section due to start in our next

issue will see us have the chance to question a distributor each month – no holds barred!

Chris McNeill, Editor & Publisher of The Delicatessen Magazine, CJM Media

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TORTILLY

AMAZING

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fter starting the New Year trying to diet after over eating over the Christmas period, we were starting to crave some snacks with real flavour… in steps Fairfields Farm with their new range of ‘Tortillas’.

We went to visit the team at Fairfields Farm to view the newly launching range ‘Tortillas’, which marks their move into the maize snack sector, and we put them to the test!

Available in two flavours, Nacho Cheese and Jalapeño & Lime, the new Tortillas are made to the same high standard as its hand-cooked crisps and aim to appeal to those looking for a high quality tortilla chip that is full of crunch and flavour.

“At Fairfields Farm we are always looking at new areas of the snack market that will allow us to increase our market share and appeal to a broader range of consumers,” explains Robert Strathern, founder of Fairfields Farm.

“Our new Tortillas are an excellent extension to our range and one that

“

THIS MONTH, WE GET TO TRY THE BRAND NEW RANGE OF ‘TORTILLAS’ BY FAIRFIELDS FARM our customers have been asking for. There’s a real need for a higher quality range of tortilla chip and we are very excited for people to try them,” he adds.

Our first thoughts are that we already love the Jalapeño & Lime flavour of their Lentil Lites, and who doesn’t like nacho cheese flavour!

So, without even opening a pack, we already feel confident that these two flavours will impress, if the quality of their other products is anything to go by.

After opening both flavour packs and trying one of each flavour, I believe that the Fairfields Farm team must have thought I was having an of out of body experience by my uttering of non-human sounds and waving my arms around – this was true tortilla delight overtaking me.

Here are my thoughts on the flavours:

JALAPEÑO & LIME

The description on the back of the packet actually explains what happened to me when I first tried these, and it’s no lie - “Hot Jalapeño chilli and fresh lime – the perfect combo for making your taste buds want to jump up and boogy – you’ll be clicking your fingers and tapping your toes with every crunch”.

The heat from the jalapeño chilli is there present, but certainly not overpowering and doesn’t make you need to reach for a bucket of milk to put out any fires in your mouth, the chilli here purely gives you an exciting tickle, one that the taste of lime adds to after by leaving you with a zesty finish after each bite. This flavour combination really does work and is a great flavour for a tortilla chip.

At Fairfields Farm we are always looking at new areas of the snack market that will allow us to increase our market share and appeal to a broader range of consumers.”

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“

Our new Tortillas are an excellent extension to our range and one that our customers have been asking for. There’s a real need for a higher quality range of tortilla chip and we are very excited for people to try them.”

NACHO CHEESE

WARNING – This flavour is addictive.

This flavour is really good, a classic crunch of a quality tortilla chip with a sensible and mature flavour of cheese. To me, this flavour feels luxury for this marketplace, and every time a chip was finished, another had to be consumed – these will make a great but dangerously addictive addition to any party!

DIPPING CREDENTIALS?

A tortilla chip wouldn’t be the same without being ceremonially dunked into some form of dip, and we felt that albeit pre-flavoured, we’d trial some dips with the new chips (more about these dips can be read in our dips and dressing feature within this issue).

Far from being a burden to the tortilla chip, the added flavour actually assists in bringing new and exciting flavour profiles when using these tortilla chips for dipping.

Before the launch of the ‘Tortillas’ range, Ian Bates of Fairfields Farm introduced us to how great dipping Fairfields Farm crisps was by revealing his love of crisp dipping into a Scarlett & Mustard salsa, and we after trialling this ourselves and enjoying the amazing fresh taste brought by Scarlett & Mustard, when we got our hands on the Tortillas, we were looking forward to comparing.

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The dips we love to dip the new ‘Tortillas’ range into: Scarlett & Mustard – With a trio of salsa’s to dip into, including their Hot & Spicy, Subtly Smoked or their Cool & Classic, you would be forgiven for not talking to anyone whilst at a party, you’d be too busy dipping!

Tiggs - with their Sweet Original and their Pepper and Mustard.

These sauces used as dips are brilliant, adding some fairly interesting flavour combinations.

A Little Bit Food Co – Their impressive ketchup is amazing to dip into, especially as the herbs used in their products are all fresh.

La Saucy Salsa – What could go better with the Mexican inspired flavours than Spanish inspired salsa’s (also called Mojo’s).

The Dip Society – Even with a slight kick of the Jalapeño coming through, you can’t get anything better than dipping a chip into a lightly chilled dip from The Dip Society. The fresh and inspiring dips will leave you wanting to double dip!

The Tortillas, which will join Fairfield Farm’s range of hand-cooked potato, vegetable and lentil crisps, are now available in delis and farm shops, pubs, bars and cafes. Available in 125g bags, RSP £1.50. Tortillas are suitable for vegetarians. l fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk

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Deli Profile

THIS MONTH, EDITOR CHRIS MCNEILL REVISITS A DELICATESSEN THAT HE HAS HAD A PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH SINCE HIS OWN CHILDHOOD. RECENTLY CELEBRATING THEIR 80TH BIRTHDAY, WE FIND OUT HOW THIS WONDERFULLY TRADITIONAL DELICATESSEN HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.

O

n the outskirts of the centre of Britain’s oldest recorded town sits the traditional and locally famed delicatessen H Gunton, known locally as ‘the house for coffee’ due to their huge range of 9 pure and 4 blended coffee’s that you can enjoy in their café.

Since opening in 1936, the late Herbert Gunton along with his son Geoffrey built up a reputation for selling high quality and unusual foods with a truly personal service and advice for their clientele. This same and successful style is still employed by Gunton’s even today, making a visit to the shop a truly

memorable one each time.

The aroma of their freshly roasted coffee can be smelt from far away, however once you are inside you can not help but be amazed by the sheer amount of quality goods that are stocked in here, a true delicatessen in every sense of the word.

Apart from the usual high quality goods you’d expect to find in many a delicatessen, Gunton’s also stocks plenty of products you wouldn’t find in many other places.

Over time this caused a local saying to be known by many that – ‘if it’s unusual, you are sure to get it at Gunton’s’.

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INTERVIEW WITH PHIL GUNTON uu So Phil, as Gunton’s has proudly passed it’s 80th Birthday and looks set to carry on being just as successful far into the future – can you give us an insight in to what you believe makes Gunton’s an ever successful deli?

Experience, large range of goods, product knowledge and good old fashioned customer service.

What do you feel has changed in the way customers shop in deli’s over the years?

We used to supply the whole weekly shop but now it is more ‘food to go’ and the extra special items for functions such as cheese wedding cakes. Plus those hard to find ingredients for dinner parties and all year round gifts like giftpacks and hampers.

Coffee has always been something that many local people know Gunton’s for. Can you tell us a bit more about the history of the Gunton’s coffee and how this has changed over the years?

We still roast our own coffee in a 50 year old roaster in our outbuildings. We occasionally use the original roaster in the window which was purchased second hand in 1936. We source green beans from importers in London and over the years have settled on a core range that fits most tastes.

We also have guest coffees, some we roast and others are roasted elsewhere. If they are liked by our customers we then promote them to be part of the range and source the beans to roast ourselves. Our most popular coffee is Costa Rica, which we use in the café for filter coffee and for take aways with Tiger Stripes being the coffee of choice for espresso in the café.

As a traditional and quality deli selling well sourced and high quality goods, how do you go about selecting products to stock?

We have a large network of suppliers from small local ‘one man operations’ to national wholesalers and try to taste, at least part of any new range we are looking to stock

before purchase. We also visit trade shows such as IFE to see what new innovations are coming.

What does an average day look like for Gunton’s?

We open at 8:30 with filter coffee brewing and hot food cooking, uncover all the fridges and check the stock is all good to go. Then open the doors and see what the day brings. Due to our wide range and the options for customers to have hampers packed whilst they wait not many days are the same.

Our busiest time is from 11-2 with the lunch customers coming in for ‘Meal deals’ or snacks from the deli counter. The rest of the day is spent serving customers and restocking the shelves for the next customers.

Gunton’s has it’s own specially selected and labelled products, (the sweets are our favourite!)

This is obviously a good way of ensuring your brand name stays with the customer. Are these products ready labelled before they come to the shop, or is the splitting, weighing and labelling done on site?

We have spent years finding a good reliable supplier for own label products. We have most products labelled by the supplier (Jams.

Marmalades, chutneys, sweets, biscuits and cakes) but we still weigh out loose tea and dried fruit as we like to check the quality of what we put our name to where practicable. The supplier of the pre-packed range is under strict instruction to notify us of any recipe changes to any of their products.

I have fond memories of Gunton’s from a very young age, having grown up in the same town. As an adult returning to buy and take Gunton’s goods around the world to give international clients to show them the quality of our UK produce. Do you have many customers who have been frequently shopping with you for many years too?

We have many customers that came in first with their parents,

maybe for a coffee in the upstairs café or just for their weekly shop and now shop with us on a regular basis. Many of these parents originally came in with their parents too. We have a customer base that extends to many countries especially around Christmas. As people move abroad they can still order for their relatives in this country from our website and we do send products abroad when we are asked.

What is in store for Gunton’s in the future? Do you see many changes or challenges on the horizon for delicatessens in general and how will you ensure these do not affect Gunton’s?

We take each day as it comes but there are worrying developments such as the charges for hygiene inspections, living wage and ever increasing business rates which all add an extra burden. We are considering reducing our opening hours so we open at 9am rather than 830 as footfall has dropped in this period due to a Tesco Express being opposite and the local greengrocer closing last year.

We are also on the edge of town and with the local Hospital closing there are fewer reasons for people to come to this area of town as each year goes by. But having said all that our website is going from strength to strength and we use social media such as Twitter to get the message out when we are having instore sampling. We may not have the passing trade these days so we have to work to become more of a destination.

If you had one piece of advice for our newer delicatessens around the UK, what would that be?

Location, Location and product knowledge. Passing trade is so important but to know what you are talking about and to deliver this with confidence is so important when much of what you sell has to have a point of difference to similar lines in supermarkets. www.guntons.co.uk

If you would like to feature your deli in the Delicatessen Magazine please email chris@cjm-media.co.uk The Delicatessen Magazine 9

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Where to dip your chip!

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WITH THERE BEING MANY DRESSINGS AND DIPS IN THE MARKETPLACE AT THE MOMENT, WE WANTED TO PUT SOME VERY DIFFERENT BRANDS AND PRODUCTS TO THE TEST!

A

while back, whilst discussing some important business amongst the team, many crisps were being consumed…

After the editor had to explain why one of the samples everyone was looking forward to trying had already been consumed by just himself (Apparently, it was just ‘that good’), the only way to appease the team was to crack open some form of dip to take the teams mind off the situation.

This gave us the idea to run a dip feature, not only because there are some fabulous dips already in the marketplace, but also because there are also some different dressings and sauces that also can be used as dips – a great sales strategy for retailers.

Without any further ado – here’s some dips, dressings and sauces that we have tested this last month!

TIGGS

l When it comes to making a splash in a crowded dressings category Tigg’s are more than just a bit on the side. Versatile, vibrant - and adventurous, these all-natural condiments will stand out on the shelf of any retail outlet.

Tigg’s have just taken the wraps off a ‘saucy’ new look for their quartet of dressings - which consist of award winners Sweet Original and Bold Beetroot, as well as Cool Basil & Pea and Subtle Pepper & Mustard.

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The Perfect Match aims to help shoppers select which of the Tigg’s range matches a dish best - what better way to gain a sale than offering advice on every bottle!

Each variant has been given its own personality, as well as a playful ‘dating bio’. Bold Beetroot, for example, is “a fun and colourful character who likes to experiment.

Partial to a sausage, smokin’ fish and hot chicks!”. It is hoped that food lovers will also be inspired to discover their own “Perfect Match” for their dollop of Tigg’s.

This cheeky and fun branding is indicative of an exciting up and coming brand, which was started by young farming brothers, Jacob and Sam James. Inspired by the recipes of their grandmother - a former Miss New Zealand 1948 - they have recreated them, whilst injecting their own spirit and personality.

The brothers pride themselves on using only ingredients that nature intended, with the vibrant orange, yellow, purple and green colours the real thing - simply down to the quality of those used, and definitely not any artificial additions.

As well as award winning and great tasting - Tigg’s also claim that their four “Tigglets” offer fantastic value for money, as they are more than a dressing. They can be used in ways similar to a ketchup, marinade, dip or even pasta sauce. Use them with salads, burgers, cold meats, fish, chicken, pies - the list is endless.

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A LITTLE BIT FOOD CO l Even just a little bit of these dressings or sauces pack a LOT of flavour! We first found A Little Bit at a trade show, and after becoming addicted to dipping bread and other articles of food into their Tomato & Rosemary Ketchup, we realised just how truly versatile their products are.

We have been furiously dipping our new Fairfields Farm Tortilla range into their ketchup’s and dressings and have found the flavour combinations and added freshness from the herbs coming through to be a genuinely lovely thing!

One of the key benefits for sales of the products is the fact that any product from A Little Bit Food Co is that they are made with real fresh herbs.

Sophie Lane Fox, owner of A Little Bit Food Co says: “Green fingers run in my family. My father and uncle are experts in the world of horticulture, so a fascination with gardening rubbed off on me from an early age. Combined with my love of cooking, I continue to be inspired by the incredible versatility of fresh herbs. These amazing plants can transform a simple sauce or dressing into something else a little bit more extraordinary!”

Each A Little Bit bottle is full of goodness with a delicious homemade flavour. All are 100% free of preservatives, colourings and additives and only use fresh herbs.

We aren’t the only people to really love A Little Bit Food Co’s products – we can’t help but be very impressed by the amazing testimonials on their website, from many farm shops and deli’s talking about A Little Bit’s products being great sellers in their stores.

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SCARLETT & MUSTARD l We found out about Scarlett & Mustard from our friends at Fairfields Farm Crisps, whose head of marketing Ian Bates was enjoying dipping their crisps into a Scarlett & Mustard jar of salsa.

From this day on, we were hooked too, no packet of crisps being opened without the thought of a Scarlett & Mustard sauce or salsa making it’s way to the table.

When it comes to freshness and versatility, Scarlett & Mustard tick these boxes very quickly from our perspective. They have a huge range, but each of these products has their own greatness and individuality.

Another huge plus for us is the packaging and colours coming from the product lines – a mix of modern

and vibrant packaging, really allowing the products to do the talking.

Certainly a great looking range to stock on any delicatessen’s shelf!

THE DIP SOCIETY l What could be better than a name as cool as this? Oh, the dips could!

We have had some serious problems with The Dip Society’s products in our office – mainly from people double dipping, using fingers to dip, and dip hogging! They are very Moorish, stylish, and with a truly fresh taste.

The Dip Society was founded when Helen met Claire at a wedding. They realised they had a shared passion for food. Talk turned to Helen’s idea for creating a healthy dip brand. So they set up The Dip Society in 2011 working as small producers from Claire’s farm kitchen in Lincolnshire.

We loved dipping the Fairfields Farm new Tortilla range into these dips – nicely chilled and super tasting, those of us in the office almost licked the packets clean!

All their products are completely natural, healthy, tasty and free of nasties. You won’t find preservatives, additives or gluten, which makes these a great product to stock.

The Dip Society has a very impressive range of dips and pate’s, from their garlic with artichoke and lime,

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which is a very versatile dip, to their ‘Super duper spicy humous’ – which is a stunning dip with a nice kick.

However from our point of view, as well as Co-founder Claire, their great taste award winning Beetroot with Mint & Honey is a fantastic dip for crisps as well as being aesthetically pleasing with the vivid colour from the beetroot coming through.

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LA SAUCY SALSA l In our last issue, we explained about how ‘salsa’ is just the Spanish word for ‘sauce’ as well as ‘Mojo’ being another which is used also. With this in mind, the range of salsas’ from La Saucy Salsa has to be admired.

We are totally in love with La Saucy Salsa’s owner Rosie’s brilliant salsa concoctions – and we aren’t the only ones! Rosie reported to us lately that they’ve just had an order of over 13,500 bottles to a hamper company in Germany after one taste test at a trade show!

Their range of salsa’s or ‘Mojo’ as they are also known as, went perfectly with the Fairfields Farm tortillas we were trialling.

In terms of versatility, La Saucy Salsa’s products can be sold for many purposes. These can be enjoyed in the traditional Andalusian style, as a dip for tapas and fresh bread. Or relish them as they do in the Canaries drizzled appetizingly over a main meal, as a tasty accompaniment to almost any dish.

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SNACKING & PACKING! A

fter having spent many hours in conversation with Ian this past year, eating rather too many snacks together whilst learning more about the snacks industry, packaging and many other areas of Ian’s vast experience – we have decided to make Ian a regular contributor so that it’s not just us who benefits from his creative and interesting ideas and opinions.

Ian comes to us with great experience and an interesting outlook on the modern snacks marketplace, but also has plenty to offer us with his thoughts on packaging – an area that his experience and creative ideas has helped grow the brands that he has worked with.

TIRED OF BLAND, BORING SNACKS WHILST COUNTING THE CALORIES? You know the drill - everywhere you look we’re being encouraged, cajoled, corralled and sometimes even bullied into living a healthier lifestyle. Boring for the majority of us who just want to eat good food without a side order of guilt thrown in.

Well, that blandness is now an unwelcome memory, which can be expelled - tasty, healthy snacks have at last arrived!

Be they made from root vegetables, pulses or fruit - the possibilities are endless. Snacks are now air-popped, baked, cured, coated, enrobed, shallow/flash-fried to reduce fat content whilst maintaining taste, texture and crunch where appropriate.

Lentils, Quinoa, Kale and Chickpeas are making a breakthrough into the world of healthier snacks. As are vegetables like beetroot, carrot, parsnip and sweet potato. They’re all entering the food chain as guilt-free snacks and are becoming convenient for packed lunches, picnics and parties.

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INTRODUCING A NEW REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR - IAN BATES OF FAIRFIELDS FARM PRODUCE LTD.

Pretty much every snack producer has or is in the process of introducing a range of healthier products. This is much about satisfying consumer demand as it is about doing the right thing and businesses focusing on the key issues.

Who would have thought that the cereal company, Kellogg’s, would buy Pringles from P&G to continue to grow this hugely successful potato snack. It will be interesting to see how Kellogg’s evolve this brand over the coming years to overcome public health concerns. They’re addictive that’s for sure, but are they good for you?

People, particularly children may not enjoy eating some vegetables like beetroot and parsnips, but when crisp, crunchy and made to look

like normal potato chips or crisps they’ll happily munch away! Is the taste different? Often yes. Many of the vegetable-based snacks now available are also flavoured with herbs, spices, salt and other natural taste-enhancing ingredients.

Free-from gluten and suitable for coeliacs, vegetarians and vegans is also an increasingly important factor for any snack. Ingredients preserved as they should be - naturally and then well packaged in air-tight packaging, which is often gas-flushed using nitrogen to remove oxygen and thereby extending the freshness, shelf life, taste and crunch.

Above all, a snack must be tasty otherwise blandness will prevail and we can’t allow that to happen can we? l www.fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk

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TheCheeseboard

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NORSELAND UK BRINGS AWARD-WINNING APPLEWOOD, SPICY MEXICANA, ILCHESTER’S SPECIALITY CHEESES AND THE NORWEGIAN CLASSIC, JARLSBERG TO BRITAIN l Norseland UK produces some of the best-known names and strongestselling cheeses on the British market, from the ever-popular smoky Applewood to the fiery Mexicana.

Norseland was formed in November 2008 when the leading Norwegian dairy cooperative, Tine BA Group, acquired The Ilchester Cheese Company in Somerset, England.

Norseland’s objective was clear – to create a platform of excellence, based in the UK, on which to drive the speciality cheese market forward both at home and abroad, using strengths from both parties. Somerset is where The Ilchester Cheese Company was born back in 1962 , when founder Ken Seaton added beer to his Cheddar to keep it fresh on the bar of his pub.

SPECIALITY CHEESES

Norseland’s current range of cheeses, he says, “includes a variety of brands selling in the speciality and fine food market including Norway’s finest export, which is admired by leading chefs worldwide. Jarlsberg has a classic, creamy texture, distinctive round holes and a sweet, nutty taste. Jarlsberg, matured for three months, and Jarlsberg Reserve, matured for up to 12 months, maintain their flavour when melted, so they’re the perfect ingredient for adding flavour when cooking at home.” Jarlsberg has been growing quickly in popularity in the UK.

“Norseland is a global speciality cheese business with innovation at its heart,” says Nigel Meadows, Norseland’s CEO. “Bringing together Norwegian and British expertise in cheese production and manufacturing, Norseland has creativity, enthusiasm and industry knowledge at its core.”

Norseland is also proud to be able to offer the UK’s best-selling smoke-flavoured cheese. Applewood

has a 75% share of the market and 64% brand awareness. In the year preceding July 2016, the brand saw significant value and volume growth ahead of the market. This, says Nigel, is because “the delicate smoky flavor and smooth texture of Applewood appeals to every member of the family. As suited to a dinner party cheeseboard as a family pasta bake, Applewood is truly versatile and suits a busy family lifestyle and budget.”

While Applewood Cheddar Cheese is aimed at the family market and is available in its original smoky flavour format, he says, “Applewood Vintage is matured for 12 months to give an exquisitely rich and strong flavour. Both varieties are finished with a distinctive dusting of smoky paprika.”

Also selling very strongly from British delicatessen counters is Mexicana, “the UK’s best-selling spicy cheese brand, with 57% volume share of the market.” Bucking category trends, Mexicana has seen value growth in 2016 and has increased availability with some important new listings in the last few months. g

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Snøfrisk, winner of a two-star Great Taste Award 2016, is a semi hard goat cheese with a pure, delicate and tangy flavour produced in Ørsta, on the south west coast of Norway. “The area is surrounded by beautiful fjords and mountains,“ explains Nigel, “hence the goats live happily and produce high quality milk. Its white and clean colour are the reasons we called it Snøfrisk, i.e snow fresh.

Snøfrisk has a pure, rich and slightly tangy taste.” Also popular is Gudbrandsdalen, “a classic Norwegian brown cheese made from the best quality Norwegian goat’s milk and cow’s cream,” Nigel says. “Its rich, caramel flavour makes it an excellent addition to desserts and cheeseboards.” The Ilchester brand is set to relaunch this year with a new instore format and new website.

The well-established and highly successful brand began when founder Ken Seaton first created beer cheese.

“Today we make a huge range of greattasting cheeses tucked away in the beautiful Somerset countryside.

We’re passionate foodies and have developed blended cheeses with all sorts of ingredients. As the original cheese innovators, we pride ourselves on the quality of our British speciality cheeses.

From our Wensleydale range, with apricot, cranberry or cranberry and orange, to our Cheddar specialities, with onion and chives, garlic and herbs or caramelized onion, we have

something to suit any taste, whether traditional or a bit more unusual.

“Our brand new Ilchester Deli Roll offering is perfect for specialist food outlets with cheese counter facilities, and recently won Silver at the International Cheese Awards. Carefully hand

rolled, with a firm but soft texture, both our Red Leicester with Smoked Black Pepper and our Mediterranean Roll (mature Cheddar with a blend of tomato, garlic, red pepper and onion), are a real hit with cheese lovers.

Another eye-catching product is Five Counties cheese, formed of five British cheeses layered together. It offers something really special to be enjoyed as part of a ploughman’s lunch or simply with crackers and chutney.

We also specialise in gift packs and cater to the snacking market with our Ilchester Snacking Selection.” l www.norseland.co.uk

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& mustard SCARLETT

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ipping away into some of the ‘Hot & Spicy Salsa’ I wondered if the brand name had something to do with the famous board game cluedo, so when I found out the reasoning behind the quirky name, I simply had to share!

A TRUE STORY OF LOVE AND ENGLISH BOARD GAMES Scarlett & Mustard was founded after Julian Pollard and Sandy Ruddock met through the Telegraph dating pages, which is a real success in its own right!

Several months and plenty of email to and fro later, Julian plucked up the courage to phone Sandy. “Is that Colonel Suffolk?” asked little Chloe.

“No, it’s Colonel Mustard in the study with the lead piping” said Julian. “Is that Miss Scarlett in the kitchen with the revolver?” Soon after, they got married and lived together in Suffolk with their 5 children, 3 dogs, 2 cats and 15 chickens.

Next, 11-year-old son Ollie, being a born entrepreneur started selling ‘Granny’s salad dressings’ made by Sandy. Soon a customer base grew, with many people liking Sandy’s products, which were inspired by her mother’s recipes.

With this in mind, she made some more and put them into the local shop.

Customers couldn’t get enough of these, and were asking for more and soon after she was peeling, chopping and mixing all day and all night, making 3, then 4 then 5 lovely different sorts.

RECENTLY WE HEARD ABOUT SCARLETT & MUSTARD AFTER OUR FRIENDS AT FAIRFIELDS FARM INTRODUCED US TO THE DELIGHTS OF ‘CRISP DIPPING’ AND SUGGESTED THAT THEIR CRISPS WORKED WELL IN A SCARLETT & MUSTARD SALSA. AFTER BEING INTRIGUED BY THE NAME, AND THE TASTE, WE THOUGHT WE’D DELVE IN A BIT DEEPER. A QUICK REVIEW OF THE SALSA’S HOT & SPICY TOMATO SALSA We feel that each taste of this salsa gives you a nice kick form the chilli, but not so hot that you can’t taste the freshness of the ingredients.

This salsa is perfect for dipping tortillas as well as using as a base for more complex dishes.

SUBTLY SMOKED TOMATO SALSA This salsa has been made using great quality fresh tomatoes with smoked salt. The smoked flavours come through well, with a gentle vintage feel to the after taste, which leaves a nice impression making you want more.

Looking at Scarlett & Mustard now, they have an impressive range of products, including sauces and dressings, a trio of salsa’s, infused oils and also a series of curds and jelly’s! This month we look deeper at their salsa collection.

COOL & CLASSIC SALSA This salsa is one of our favourites for long term repeat dipping! A lovely fresh taste, and of such a quality that you don’t feel you needed the chilli zing to enhance the flavour. We love the subtle coriander and lime notes appearing through this salsa and feel it should be a staple in everyone’s cupboards! www.teapigs.co.uk

COMING RIGHT UP IN THE NEXT ISSUE, WE REVIEW A SELECTION OF THEIR OTHER PRODUCTS FROM THE RANGE AS WELL AS INTERVIEWING JULIAN AND SANDY. WE CAN’T WAIT TO REVEAL THIS, AND WE HOPE YOU CAN’T TOO! The Delicatessen Magazine 19

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GETTIN’ TIGGY WITH IT...

WE REVEAL THE STORY OF TWO BROTHERS WHO ARE TAKING THE SAUCE AND DRESSINGS WORLD BY STORM WITH THEIR GRANDMOTHERS ORIGINAL RECIPE’S AND THEIR PASSION TO DELIVER THEIR GREAT FLAVOURS TO THE NATION

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ast year, we met what we felt was likely the happiest exhibitors at a trade show, not only that, but with a good looking stand and an even tastier product too.

Tiggs is run by two farming brothers, Jacob and Sam, who say that considering that their ultimate aims of being Manager of Liverpool Football Club and Formula 1 World Champion respectively are a work in progress, so in the meantime they have taken up the positions of Executive Grandsons for their new venture “Tigg’s”.

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Even being many months since meeting the boys from Tigg’s, we still can’t stop smiling. Their stories of Granny Tigg, their farming backgrounds and their dedication to providing people with the tastiest sauces possible, is a really nice venture to be a part of.

TEAM TIGG

The brothers have had some great success since starting their business, but they are very thankful to those around them for helping them on the way to success. The brothers said: “We must not forget that without a certain someone we would have never even begun our journey – in more ways than one – our Granny Tigg!

Our Granny Tigg has been a huge part of our upbringing, from taking us on wild adventures to treating us to some scrummy home made meals.

Many such meals have been “Tigged” up with her colourful creations, which have captured the taste buds of not just the whole family, but everybody who knows her.

We have both been to University and it was there we learnt the true power of Tigg’s. At a time when cooking our skills were in still their infancy we could always rely on our Granny’s dressings to create something tasty!

Often we would come in from Uni and be met with both a depleted supply of Tigg’s as well sheepish looks from our mates – but when things taste this good they don’t last long!

We knew then that these delights were Multi-Purpose and – SIMPLY GOOD WITH EVERYTHING. We also owe a lot to Alex (better known to us as Mum) who was the first

one to put Granny’s Original Dressing in a bottle nearly 15 years ago! It was Mum who enlightened us when we were young to the power of Tigg’s and how everyone in her cafe wanted some of that “magic orange stuff”!”

PUTTING TIGG’S TO THE TEST!

After tasting the products at a trade show, we were so looking forward to receiving some samples in the post – so much so, we literally smashed the top off the bottle to get to the sauce!

Ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration, and in fact, the bottle unfortunately fell from a great height. Nethertheless, after straining what was left in the bottle with a muslin bag and being warned about shards of glass being dangerous to health, our editor decided that the taste was well worth the risk and dived in to the ‘Sweet Original’ sauce armed with a Fairfields Farm Tortilla chip.

After a few agonising moments, he finally uttered some words – “Amazing, truly amazing”.

Our other sample, the Pepper and Mustard sauce was equally as amazing with the tortilla chips we were dipping them with.

We would say that these sauces are very versatile, and have been used for salads, potatoes, meat and dipping since our initial test. The pepper and mustard becoming a firm favourite for a beef sandwich! l www.tiggitup.co.uk

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INTERVIEW WITH SAM AND JACOB So guys, tell us about how you got started with Tiggs? l Well first things first, it is best to note that Tigg is our Grandmother and all the products we have (so far) are derived from her greatness! Her journey began nearly 70 years ago, in 1948, when she was crowned Miss New Zealand and this marked the start of quite an adventure (see tiggitup.co.uk for more in depth details). During her early years in NZ, she created what is now known as Tigg’s “Sweet Original” and from that day, this amber-coloured sensation has been a staple of our family and friends’ diet.

Many years later, when the two of us were due to head off for University, we thought long and hard of what precious cargo might accompany us… but it was simple really – and Tigg’s made the cut! Whilst we embraced the famed Uni life, fellow students started taking advantage of our sauce that made anything, and we mean anything, taste blimmen’ delish (there may have been more explicit and unprintable words used here by our fellow students… so we have translated!), and as a result our stockpiles began to dwindle! Later, during a rare trip home we learnt our Granny’s secrets and subsequently became self-sufficient when away from home. From this point forward, we actively encouraged contributions from our friends to help foot the production bill and upon graduation, midway through a sandwich soaked with Tigg’s, we both made the decision that we had to give it a go! And why not!?

How has the reception to the brand been from retailers? What sets your products apart from other similar brands? l The reaction has been one cup of smiles, 2 cups of giggles and 3 cups of yes please! But all joking aside, there has been an overwhelmingly positive reaction to something a little cheeky and different. There are many great brands that produce something similar to us, such as being free from, low in added sugar or offering wide-ranging versatility, and we wanted to set ourselves apart from their way of doing things. After much deliberation, we pounced on something not only fun, but reflecting of us and our mischievous personalities – and hence, the ‘Perfect Match’ element of our brand was born.

The ‘Perfect Match’ aims to help shoppers select which of the Tigg’s range matches a certain dish or food

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best – and what better way than offering advice on every bottle! Each variant, of which we currently have 4 brightening up the shelves across the land, has been given its own character, as well as a playful ‘dating bio’. Our Bold Beetroot, for example, is “a fun and colourful character who likes to experiment. Partial to a sausage, smokin’ fish and hot chicks!”

Our Tigg’s products deserve more than being pigeon holed as simply dressings, or sauces, or marinades.

They are indeed all that, yet they can also morph into pasta sauces, ketchup and even dips (We would know! We have been enjoying them all our lives!) And what more fun way is there to communicate this, than by adding a dating spin and making this condiments category a little more sexy! We aim to offer the retailer and consumer more than simply a delicious product that ticks the proper and necessary boxes (such as low-calorie, free-from, long shelf-life etc). We strive for that something extra. That pinch of personality, that element of excitement.

That thing can’t put your finger on. It is these quirks after all that often end up convincing us that another might be our Perfect Match!

We love the packaging, especially the vibrant colours as well as the quality textured labelling you use – do you get many comments about this from customers? l As cheesy as it sounds, we are Tigg’s biggest fans! We aren’t like others who have had this Eureka moment and created some new trend with mystic health benefits, we are simply recreating the magic we experienced as children. We remember colour, flavour and as daft as it sounds happiness, and wanted our packaging to reflect this and make the consumer feel the same! The textured label was simple really. We are proud of our Granny and our products and wanted something that further shows the love and care that lies within, leaving your mind certain that no corners have been cut. As Guru Gran might say, “if a jobs worth doing, then do it properly!”

Granny Tigg has a very good palate for flavours – do you feel that you will one day be able to make your own recipes’ as good as hers?

We can only dream! Two out of two with Great Taste Awards and the other two 2017 entrants? We should be so lucky…!

In fact that is indeed our hope! Up to this point in time, Granny has been solely responsible for delighting the many tastebuds we have met along the way. However… drum roll please… we are putting the finishing touches to what will be our first attempt to carry on her continuing legacy. A new Tigglet will soon be on its way…

When we met at the Speciality and Fine Food Fair, I was really impressed by the stand and how much fun you seemed to be having. What are your tips to enjoying a trade fair? l Well, we suppose that you have hit the nail on the head there! We try to have fun! If you are having fun, then more often that not people will pick up on that and hopefully get involved too!

We do a consumer or trade show most weekends, sometimes two or three, and it can be difficult to maintain the same constant enthusiasm. There are days question your sanity with such silly hours and a drastically reduced social life… but we keep it simple and remember that we are all human beings at the end of the day and everyone likes to smile and with our story, our passion and our brand, more often than not people do!

Being two brothers in business, do you work well together? Or do you have the occasional brotherly tiffs? l We are immensely fortunate that we get on extremely well and though you might want the green room gossip, any brotherly tiff is few and far between.

As people, we are very different with contrasting views on how something should be presented or tackled, but this gives us strength. More often than not we meet somewhere in the middle and thus far that has tended to prove the best path. Moreover, it is that bit more special when sharing your successes and that bit easier when one gets bogged down as the other can be counted on to step up. Having said this, neither of us is perfect (shock!) and in these exceedingly rare cases we are fortunate to rely on the rationale of Mum, Dad and our sister Phoebs, who are all important parts of Team Tigg.

Any plans on the horizon for additional products in your range? l Oh Yes! Oh Yes! Oh Yes! As we mentioned, we have a new Tigglet coming very soon and perhaps another later in the year! Beyond that we have many ideas and are fortunate to say that Grandpa Tigg is no slouch in the kitchen and perhaps it is time for him to shine! WATCH THIS SPACE…

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SALCOMBE BREW AFTER HEARING ABOUT SALCOMBE BREW FROM ONE OF OUR READERS, WE WANTED TO SEE FOR OURSELVES JUST HOW GOOD THEIR BLENDS REALLY ARE

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alcombe Brew is the brainchild of Colin and Amanda Nightingale.

Both Colin and Amanda’s background is in Accountancy.

Amanda having graduated from Oxford University and qualified with ICAEW chose the larger practice route choosing to specialise in Auditing.

Colin on the other hand started his career working in a smaller practice, not wanting to specialise in any particular sector, but was keen to assist clients in all areas of accountancy.

As you can imagine the love of coffee soon became apparent for both of them.

In 2015 Colin was diagnosed with Vasculitis, and it was this which led them to re-evaluate their lives and when the opportunity arose to start up their own Coffee Company, with the help of one of the UK’s leading independent roasting and packing companies they took it, and Salcombe Brew was created.

Colin says: “Who knows what the future holds, but our aims are high, and we want to be recognised as one of the leading independent coffee company’s in the UK.

INTERVIEW WITH COLIN So Colin, can you tell us a bit more about how Salcombe Brew was created? l Salcombe Brew was created through the desire to bring the two finest things in life for Amanda and I together, that being fine coffee and the small coastal town of Salcombe in South Devon.

At the beginning our aim was to create two unique blends which were

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Whether or not we achieve this time will tell, and proof will be in our coffee.”

We would go as far as saying that we absolutely loved our samples of their blends, and certainly are converted! The addition of using the coffee bags was very useful and we feel this is a great way of making a great tasting cup of coffee, cafetiere style, but with minimal effort. A great way of taking a great tasting coffee with you whilst traveling!

PUTTING THE TASTE TO THE TEST Being that we aren’t experts in coffee, although we probably drink enough to feel we are, we wanted to bring you the professional tasting notes, so after asking Colin himself, here’s the Salcombe Brew range explained: UNION STREET High grown, high quality coffee beans from Central and South America combine to produce a wonderfully balanced blend that is both satisfying and full of flavour.

Sweetness and maltiness come through well and adding milk develops more caramel and toffee

not necessarily overly strong but more of a drinking coffee, one that you’d drink and think ooh I think I’ll have another one of those.

At the same time we wanted to be able to offer to our customers our coffee in the various different forms available in today’s market.

To be able to offer such a range, we linked up with one of the UK’s leading independent coffee roasting and packing companies. Today we are not only able to offer our coffee as whole beans and

notes. A perfect brew to be enjoyed anytime of the day to suit your mood.

SUNNY COVE Sweet, syrupy and nutty with a flora, perfumed aroma. Notes of peanut butter and butterscotch can develop through espresso as well as sour gooseberry and grape tannins.

DECAF Smooth, mild and sweet with good notes of roasted peanut, soft milk chocolate and cookie dough. Mediumbodied with mild acidity and slight burnt sugar sweetness Our new Decaf blend, which has not yet been named on our website, will be called Smalls. All of our blends are named after Salcombe, and we thought Smalls is appropriate for the decaf, with it having a very small amount 0.01% of caffeine. Smalls is actually one of the beaches in the Estuary along with Sunny Cove. Union Street is the name of the street where the RNLI station is based, which we support. l www.salcombebrew.co.uk

ground coffee, but also in Nespresso compatible capsules and our unique individually wrapped coffee bags.

We always refer to Salcombe as our home from home. One of the integral parts of a coastal lifestyle is the sea, but this can present many hazards and dangers. The RNLI which has a station in Salcombe do an amazing job, with the volunteers often risking their own lives to save others. At Salcombe Brew we proudly pledge a % of all our sales both retail and wholesale to RNLI Salcombe.

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As you are a man who truly appreciates his coffee, what coffee do you normally consume during a day and can you explain why? l Our week day usually commences with a strong “wake me up” blast of Sunny Cove which is a strength 5. It has to be said both Amanda and I like different strengths, which is where our individually wrapped coffee bags come in useful, as the strengths can be adjusted depending on how long you leave the bag to brew, and also avoids any early morning arguments over how strong the coffee is or not.

During the day, when an injection of caffeine is needed, we reach for our Union Street blend, which is a strength 3. It has to be said you can’t beat the smell of whole beans and when there is no rush for the coffee, we love to grind these and make a large cafetiere and share with our work colleagues.

At the same time if we have meetings, it is just as easy to pop a capsule into the machine and within seconds you have the coffee you love but from a capsule.

In the evenings we tend to step away from our caffeinated blends and opt for our new decaffeinated blend, to ensure a peaceful night’s sleep, ready for the next day.

How has the reception been for your blends from retailers? l The reception to our blends has been fantastic from all those who have tried it and has blown us away with us being a relatively new start up business, in an industry which has a lot of competition.

It has to be said that the real hit has been our individually wrapped coffee bags which offer the discerning customer cafetiere coffee without the mess, and sets us apart from our competitors.

Secondly our Nespresso compatible capsules have also been a great success, with Nespresso’s patent on their capsules coming to an end, this has provided us with the opportunity of entering this aspect of the market.

We love the idea of a decaffeinated version of your coffee, how was this thought up and how does the taste compare to your other versions? l Our decaffeinated version of our coffee was brought about by customer feedback and demand, asking for such a blend to be part of our range. We have worked hard with our roasting house to develop a unique

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blend, which compliments our existing caffeinated blends.

At the same time we were keen to use a process of extracting the caffeine from the coffee beans which was chemical free. This is why we have chosen beans that have had the Swiss Water Process applied, which is 100% chemical free.

It has, in our opinion, the same great taste as our other blends.

How do you source your coffee and decide on blends? l Our coffee beans are sourced from around the world, and we work alongside our roasting house to create our unique blends.

Our biggest challenge to date has been our new decaffeinated blend, as some processes used to extract the caffeine use damaging chemicals and they don’t remove as much caffeine as they may suggest. The process that we use is the Swiss Water Process, which is 100% chemical free and uses the pristine water of the the coastal mountains of British Colombia, Canada to gently decaffeinate the bean a process that can also guarantee 99.9% caffeine removal.

(Sustainability is important to many of our readers, so perhaps if there are any sustainability criteria you do adhere to, it would go well in here)

What are your thoughts on the rise of the capsule coffee? We note that you make compatible capsules; do these sell in equal amounts to your packaged product? l It has to be said, coffee capsules don’t necessarily make the best coffee, and unfortunately their environmental credentials are currently not the best either but what you do get is consistency. This is why you’ll find them in most homes across the country and in Michelin-starred kitchens.

In our opinion the rise has been brought about by the desire for barista style coffee in the home without the mess and hassle of using a grinder and a cafetiere. At the same time restaurants are investing in such machines as they are consistent and cheaper than hiring a barista.

Our Nespresso compatible capsules have been a huge success with people often saying they can’t tell the difference in taste which is what we want aim to achieve, and sales of these to date have been on par with our coffee bags.

There are many levels of coffee drinker, from those who enjoy grinding their own beans, to those who just appreciate the pick me up – do you deal with any particularly extreme coffee aficionados? l We have some customers who are definitely coffee connoisseurs, such as one man who has a travel coffee grinder which he take with him where ever he goes for his ultimate fresh coffee on the go!

We also have customers who you could class as “coffee addicts” who in the past have taken a suitcase of coffee with them on holiday, along with their own mugs!

Going forward their suitcase will now filled with our individually wrapped coffee bags, which will hopefully save them room and weight!

Obviously, you are just in the throes of launching your decaffeinated coffee, however do you have any plans to release more products in the near future too? l As the saying goes, there’s no rest for the wicked, we always listen to what our customers have to say about our blends and ideas for future products.

We are currently looking at possibly introducing a stronger blend of coffee to our range along with an organic blend. It has also been suggested to us that we launch our very own coffee body scrub, so watch this space!

Lastly, what advice would you give to our deli and farm shop readers about choosing coffee blends and how they can discuss their choices with their customers? l We would always suggest trying blends first so that you have first hand experience to share with your customers. When talking with a coffee company, always ask them for their tasting notes so you are fully equipped with the details to share with your customer.

We always find it useful to find out a little bit more about our customers and their lifestyles, as you can then recommend a suitable strength and a suitable means for delivery whether it be whole beans, ground coffee, capsules or individual wrapped coffee bags.

Another great idea is to hold a tasting session, so customers can enjoy a sample of the blends before buying. For us this has always been a huge success when we have run such events and creates instant interest in the products.

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IFE Preview B

ursting with NPD, product launches and category innovation, IFE 2017 is the perfect playground for industry buyers from around the world. Featuring more than 1,350 global food and drink suppliers, IFE provides the tools to stay one step ahead of industry trends and hear hot off the press category insight.

Inspiring buyers and suppliers alike, IFE 2017 is expected to welcome more than 29,000 attendees from 108 countries, over 35 industry leading speakers as well as top chefs from a diverse range of culinary backgrounds and channels.

Building on its reputation for being in the vanguard of innovation, IFE 2017 will showcase products that genuinely lead the way in the wider market. Just a few examples include; Emily Crisps (Stand N1648) will exhibit their deliciously healthy snacks that combine the goodness of real fruit and vegetables with the satisfying crunch of a crisp. Naturally Coconuts (Stand N2833) create delicious, award-winning organic dairy-free ice cream using the finest coconut ingredients, with absolutely no added colours and artificial flavorings. Whilst a visit to Abakus Foods (Stand N2263) will get the

BACK FOR 2017, IFE (THE INTERNATIONAL FOOD & DRINK EVENT) IS GETTING READY TO OPEN ITS DOORS TO A FANTASTIC, VIBRANT FOUR-DAY FOOD AND DRINK EXTRAVAGANZA. WHO’S PRODUCT IS REALLY WORTH IT’S SALT!

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health conscious taste buds’ tingling with the latest innovation to fight sugar cravings – Jujube Fruit.

The 2017 edition of IFE will see many new attractions including The Ice Café, run in association with the British Frozen Food Federation and Craft Guild of Chefs. IFE is also proud to unveil two brand new speaker stages – the Talking Trends stage and the Big Picture theatre.

Additionally, The Staff Canteen Live is an exciting demo area where top chefs will cook with on-trend ingredients. The new Networking Hubs will enable buyers to rub shoulders with the industry’s’ finest whilst being in the heart of the action.

Hosted by Saturday Kitchen wine critic, Jane Parkinson, the Talking Trends stage will see the likes of Tim Stillwell, director at Burrito Kitchen, discuss the growth of street food on Monday 20 March. While Bee Wilson, British food writer, historian and all round industry expert, will help to shed light on the good fats vs. bad fats debate on Wednesday 22 March. The Talking Trends stage will also shine a spotlight on the newest NPD entering the market.

In these changing and challenging times, the Big Picture theatre, hosted

by Andrew D Scott MIH, Owner of Victus Consultancy, will tackle the hard-hitting issues facing the industry.

The theatre’s stellar line up includes Dr Rupy Aujla, medical doctor at The

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Doctor’s Kitchen, who will discuss the benefit of good nutrition over medication on Sunday 19 March.

Looking elsewhere in the industry, Monday 20 March sees Ben Carter, UK marketing director of Just Eat, take to the stage to bring to life the ever evolving face of out of home dining.

Also new for this year, IFE 2017 has introduced “Trend Trails”. The simple to follow Trend Trail maps will highlight relevant stands to source new and on-trend produce.

The Trend Trails will help buyers walk a dedicated path allowing them to discover the latest products and suppliers in a specific on-trend category such as free from foods.

As well as new products from exhibiting suppliers, innovation will be formally rewarded at IFE by the World Innovation Food Awards hosted by FoodBev Media. The awards, which celebrate excellence across the global food and drink industry, have 24 categories covering

food innovation of every kind as well as packaging, manufacturing, ingredients, waste and sustainability.

The winners will be announced during IFE 2017 on the Big Picture theatre on Monday 20 March.

IFE 2017 is co-located with Waste-Works, the UK’s only waste & sustainability event for the food industry and Pro2Pac, the UK’s only food & drink packaging event.

Together the three events cover the entire supply chain; from Farm to Fork to Fertiliser and Fuel.

The one stop shop, IFE, only happens once every two years – don’t miss your chance to be a part of this food and drink extravaganza. l Register now via the IFE website www.ife.co.uk for your free entrance badge and save paying £25 on-the-door.

Don’t forget to follow the action on Twitter @IFEexhibition using #IFE17 and #IFEintro.

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Y Z A R C about

COFFEE! WITH CONSUMERS EVER INCREASINGLY LOOKING FOR GREAT QUALITY COFFEE, WE BRING TO YOU THREE VERY DIFFERENT COFFEE BRANDS.

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T

he UK public have truly embraced the cafe culture and it’s easy to see the benefit to retailers of offering not only a good selection of coffee on the shelves, but also hot coffee to drink in or takeaway.

Coffee has surged in popularity in the UK, overtaking the traditional favourite - tea. No longer a nation of instant coffee lovers - UK consumers are demanding real coffee. This new breed of coffee connoisseurs want to know about the beans used, where they are from and how they were roasted.

Coffee today is an experience - not just a drink.

Here’s just some of the coffee’s we’ve had the pleasure of trialling this last month.

ÖZERLAT

- watching the coffee be made in a one of their gorgeous hand beaten copper pots in less than a minute is very impressive and a surefire way of impressing guests. Özerlat company director Iley Özerlet says: “As Cyprus’s oldest coffee roaster, Özerlat have been making exceptional Turkish coffee since 1917, when our greatgrandfather started roasting and grinding fresh coffee under his home in Nicosia. As fourth generation representatives, we are taking on the challenge to dust off this old tradition and reintroduce it with a modern twist.

From mastering the brew to savouring the complex aromas and flavours, Turkish Coffee is all about taking a moment out from the clamour and bustle of daily life, to stop and enjoy an indulgent coffee

experience like no other. This is what coffee lovers are demanding, and what is exciting them.

Our Turkish coffee is made from 100% Arabica beans, uniquely roasted and blended, and ground much finer than espresso. The coffee is then brewed in a special pot and served unfiltered in a small cup. It is one of the simplest coffees to prepare - but a real gourmet experience.

In addition to our two coffee blends - Heritage and Mozaik - Özerlat offers Turkish Coffee Making Kits and an automatic Turkish Coffee Machine, which serves directly into the cup. It means that this innovation in the art of coffee making can be enjoyed in the eating out environment, where time is a factor.” g

Cyprus’s Oldest Coffee Roaster Late last year, we came across Özerlat during a trade show, and the coffee we tried whilst we were there was so good that we were hooked straight away! There are many things with this brand that is impressive - from the friendly family team, to the exceptional taste. One stand out feature to us was how easy this coffee is to make ready to serve. The beans are so well ground, that even with minimal disruption, there is no grittiness to this coffee when drunk! On another note, Özerlat also offer a range of hand beaten copper pots to make their coffee in

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PELLINI The Italian leading brand in the world of high quality Espresso coffee Another brand we tried this last month was Pellini, in the capsule format. We can’t help but be impressed by the flavor, which really is an authentic Italian taste, something we find hard to replicate from some of the capsules on the market. Pellini has seen a strong and steady growth as a brand, and now are considered one of the most important Italian coffee roasters, with their most popular product ‘Pellini Top’ being the reference point for premium espresso coffee in Italy.

Pellini put all their experience into every coffee they make: it’s all part of their commitment to bringing authentic coffee culture to homes and cafes all over the world.

Quality and flavour are at the heart of every one of their products, and

distinctive components of every blend.

Everything begins with the selection of the finest Arabica and Robusta beans, which are roasted separately to bring out the best of their flavour and aroma.

The beans are then skilfully blended and ground to the degree required by the brewing method (moka, espresso, percolator, capsules, pods).

With coffee pods being bought by one in seven homes (as reported in 2016) , stocking a great quality and luxury coffee capsule is very worthwhile – and if you’re looking for a great quality Italian coffee, Pellini should definitely be a contender.

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SALCOME BREW

Great tasting coffee blends from Salcombe!

We recently found Salcombe Brew from being recommended them by a reader of ours, and we are so happy we found them!

Salcombe brew is a company specialising in blending some fantastic coffee – currently with two blends available, but they are launching a decaffeinated version in the coming weeks too. One of the things that really impressed us about Salcombe Brew was that their coffee is really a true drinking coffee, not overly strong, but very well balanced and leaving you wanting more…. Much more!

They sell their coffee as just beans, ground, Nespresso compatible capsules or their unique individually wrapped coffee bags – which we must say are wonderfully convenient!

Their blends consist of: UNION STREET: High grown, high

quality coffee beans from Central and South America combine to produce a wonderfully balanced blend that is both satisfying and full of flavour. Sweetness and maltiness come through well and adding milk develops more caramel and toffee notes. A perfect brew to be enjoyed anytime of the day to suit your mood.

SUNNY COVE: Sweet, syrupy and nutty with a flora, perfumed aroma. Notes of peanut butter and butterscotch can develop through espresso as well as sour gooseberry and grape tannins.

DECAFFEINATED: This blend is coming to market very soon, so we asked Colin from Salcombe Brew to tell us a bit more about this new blend, he says: “As we become more healthsavvy and environmentally conscious, we want to make healthier choices, the demand for decaffeinated coffee beans

continues to grow.

We are all increasingly concerned about the provenance and safety of foods – where the food comes from and how it is processed.

Since its invention in 1903 decaffeinated coffee has come a long way. Unfortunately though, it would seem some of us are still drinking in the dark ages.

Unbeknown to many, most decaffeination processes to extract the caffeine from the green coffee bean employ chemical solvents such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate.

The SWISS WATER® Process is environmentally friendly, chemicalfree, 99.9% caffeine-free, whilst having great taste.

At Swiss Water, they use water from the coast mountains of British Columbia to gently remove the caffeine until the coffee beans are 99.9% caffeine-free, while maintaining the bean’s distinctive origin and flavour characteristics.

It has to be said our premium quality decaf coffee tastes phenomenal, providing you with all of the health benefits of regular coffee, such as antioxidants, liver and cardiovascular protection. It can also help make your brain run better, and even helps prevent gout.

And the best part? Decaf performs all of these near medical miracles without the freak-out from too much caffeine. No edginess, just great tasting coffee with all the health benefits.” l

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TheDeli Counter ‘WHAT DID THE ROMANS EVER DO FOR US?’

BY ALAN DAVIES OF STEPHENS FRESH FOODS l Well, among all the boring stuff (and to quote the legendary Reg) “…the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system, and public health…”

We mustn’t overlook one of their most important contributions – the humble British ham!

There is little argument that the spread of the Roman Empire had a massive impact on the development of charcuterie and it’s not a coincidence that most of the best known dried meats are well documented in Roman times. Little known in this country is the Luganica sausage, but it’s one of the most famous sausages in Italy and traces its history to the basic meat ration for your standard roman legionnaire.

As you would expect is such a warm climate, the preservation of meat and the influence of foods and flavours from oldest parts of the Empire were a winning combination as far as dried, salted and cured meats are concerned. Any Roman soldier worth his salt (pardon the pun), would have the skills to salt and preserve his meat ration.

The specifics of ham development is speculated over, but there is a general agreement that the Romans encountered and developed a taste for the salted pork product they discovered in Gaul. One way or another, by the time the Romans were developing their own special brand of European Union and introducing Boudica and her mates to the joys of the Economic area; methods for salting and curing were well understood.

What many people don’t know

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about ham is that simply rubbing common sea salt into pork will create (surprise, surprise) salted pork. To create a ham you need salt nitrites and (better still) nitrates.

These are to be found in the salt dug out of the ground. (Those of you watching Tom Hardy skulking around in the BBC drama TABOO will have seen such mineral enriched salts in the form of the key ingredient in gunpowder – saltpetre). Ham makers are particularly fond of a mix that’s got both the potassium AND sodium forms of this nitrate.

Switch to the construction of Hadrian’s famous wall and it doesn’t take much imagination to picture Marcus and Titus digging away to quarry the stone for their latest section of the new border. The belief is that in that region (especially the North East coast and north Yorkshire in particular) salts were recovered

and in the absence of some of the beloved cured meats from home, the resourceful soldiers did what came naturally and cured local pork with local salts. They were attempting to create the beloved prosciutto from home but without the dry climate (some of you may be aware that it rains now and again in good old Brittania) the cure delivered an early version of the dear old gammon ham! You may have heard of York ham and this is believed to be one of the leftover items from the first Brexit of 300 AD. Next time you’re tucking into your favourite ham sandwich spare a thought for the soldiers stuck on the farthest outpost of the Roman Empire. What did the Romans ever do for us? Well amongst all the other stuff, thanks for the ham lads! l www.stephensfreshfoods.co.uk

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TAKING A LARGER CUT? Maximising profit through in-house slicing & packing THIS MONTH, WE TEAM UP WITH WEALD PACKAGING, BIZERBA AND STEPHENS FRESH FOODS TO LOOK AT THE PRACTICALITIES OF STORING, SLICING AND PACKAGING MEATS IN YOUR DELICATESSEN

T

here is no doubt that packing and slicing in your own premises is a money-spinner.

Not to mention the ‘theatre’ and branding opportunities that it affords.

However, before we start, here’s a few notes of caution to protect your product and, more important, your customers when you engage in this.

Slicing and packing safely

Alan Davies, our regular columnist from Stephen’s Fresh Food adds: “It’s crucial to know your products ‘microbiological profile’. Many of the most serious outbreaks of food poisoning are caused by cross contamination. A few basic control processes will keep your customers safe and the profits secure.

The three likely profiles in most ‘deli’ environments will be fermented, cured (or dried) and cooked. Each of these methods is intended to safely extend the ‘shelf life’ of the product.

The easiest mistake to make is to inadvertently mix these methods and what’s good for one product isn’t necessarily good for the others.

Most important of all, remove ANY opportunity for one preservation to mix with another. You’ll be in the habit of keeping uncooked and cooked meat away from each other but I’ve seen plenty of deli-counters where ham is stored next to salami or even bacon. Salami’s and bacon are cured not cooked. Harmful bacteria don’t grow in salami’s but they can be present. Expose them to a ‘wet’ product like ham (and even the most traditional ham is ‘chemically’ wet) and they can thrive.

More often than not it’s unconscious mixing that’s problematic. Unless you are a large retailer you probably don’t have a separate slicer for each type of preserved product. What was the last product you sliced? Some residue WILL be left behind unless you clean the blade and contact surfaces between product types – and don’t

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forget the table you put the meat down on before and after you sliced it. Packaging can be a challenge too.

How are you wrapping that beautifully finished sliced cheese, and what with?

Finally, remember the filthy lucre.

Money, particularly paper money will be covered in unpleasant bacteria.

Don’t forget to make the handling of it separate from the handling of food.

It’s not all doom and gloom. Just have a look at the process of serving customers and just make sure that good hygiene practices are part of the selling action. Put the physical barriers in place to prevent any inadvertent cross-contamination.“

Slicing hygiene - Ceraclean The Essence of Purity

Bizerba’s slicing machines have been setting standards in regard to hygiene, security, energy and performance since decades. Each new generation represents the sum of optimally attuned, future-oriented components.

This is made possible by the innovative development of materials as well as by

precise processing, easy operation and the consequent reduction of welding spots. Thus Bizerba also developed the surface refinement Ceraclean on the basis of a composite of ceramic and PTFE (Polytetrafluorethylen).

It’s steps forward like this that make Bizerba our go to specialist of choice when it comes to reporting on all things slicing, weighing and labelling.

Storage and packaging brought to you by Weald Packaging

Packaging experts to the meat industry and food trade, Weald Packaging offered us some advise on this topic, however they also have a new product that puts a spin on storage of beef, one of which could add even more to your deli counter!

Weald Packaging was established in 1983, and is a specialist-packaging supplier to the meat processing and broader food industry with a wide range of products.

Weald offer’s speedy deliveries (Next day as standard!) with their own fleet g

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of vans or using specialist couriers.

They stock over 2,500 different lines and are very versatile and flexible.

They strive to give the best possible customer service, linked with top quality products at competitive prices.

Many delicatessens and farm shops use Weald products, and to help with some ideas on how to stock larger cuts of meat as well as packaging for finished product, here’s some of the ways you can utilise Weald’s packaging to store your products.

Vacuum packaging

Using vacuum pouches is a method of storing food, which can extend the shelf life. This method creates an airless environment to prevent food spoilage. Widely used for fresh meat, cooked meats e.g. ham, cured meats, bacon, cheese, smoked fish, vegetables, frozen foods and coffee.

Their unrivalled range of 70-micron plain vacuum pouches makes Weald Packaging a market leader. They also stock 90 micron, 130 micron and 145 micron, plus a range of boilable, blue tinted, gold backed and silver backed vacuum pouches.

Vacuum pouches can be printed one colour e.g. EC logo and multi colour printed. Also, they now stock a range of stand up vacuum pouches too.

Shrink Barrier Bags

Where presentation is important, shrink barrier bags are ideal. These shrink bags are used for a similar method of packaging to vacuum packaging, but the bag will shrink tightly to the product giving a second skin appearance.

Shrink bags have superior barrier

properties to vacuum pouches and have excellent clarity and puncture resistance. They are used for fresh meat, cooked meats e.g. whole and half hams, poultry, game meats and cheese.

Weald stock a wide range of sizes plus the shrink bags can be printed e.g.

EC logo. For slightly trickier products, heavy-duty versions are available (for protection against bones).

Dry Age Beef Bags

What could be better than going to a deli and buying some specially dry aged beef and watching this be sliced and packed in front of your own eyes…

This really is good ‘theatre’ and a way of increasing customer interaction and giving your customers something they can’t find elsewhere.

Weald’s new dry aging beef bags employ a specially formulated combination of polymers, which create

a single layer material that is both moisture- and oxygen-permeable, very much like a membrane. Fragile when first sealed, the dry aging beef bag will form a bond with the moist proteins on the surface of the meat within the first several days.

Once bonded, it provides the protection against off flavours and contamination, allowing you to dry age in any commercial refrigeration unit without the need for UV lighting or specialized humidity control. Although the bag itself It is not a vacuum material it is possible and preferred to Vacuum Pack the Meat inside and create a perfect bond.

This method does NOT pose the same risk of anaerobic bacterial growth like in other methods. The main benefits of Dry Aging Beef are the mouth-watering concentrated flavour, the extreme tenderness of the finished product and the beautiful marbled appearance (Especially on Sirloins and Rib Eyes). You can also smoke the through the dry aging bag.

If you are heading to IFE don’t forget Pro2Pac

Pro2Pac is a trade show for all things packaging! This show is running concurrently to IFE and if you are heading to IFE, you should definitely head over to Pro2Pac and find Weald’s stand (Stand N820) and ask the team about how they can help your deli with your packaging needs.

IN SUMMARY

So, where it may be advantageous to buy in larger cuts of meat and slice, weigh and pack to sell yourself – there are some important factors to consider within this. Done well, this method can increase your profits and customer retention and interaction, however becoming complacent or missing some of the important red flags within the safety side and you’ll see your profits vanish quicker than they came in.

This article was put together utilising our experts at the below companies: Alan Davies Stephen’s Fresh Foods www.stephensfreshfoods.co.uk Marc Willmott Weald Packaging Supplies Ltd www.wealdpackaging.co.uk Liesl Marchand Bizerba www.bizerba.com

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Pro2Pac 2017 Ahead of Pro2Pac 2017, the UK’s only dedicated food and drink packaging event which takes place this March, we asked some of the specialist meat packaging suppliers about their latest products and how they ‘meat’ expectations to deliver functional packaging with aesthetic appeal.

W

eald Packaging (Stand N1273) are a specialist food packaging supplier revolutionising the meat industry with their new ‘Weald Dry Age Bags’. The bags are designed to dry age meat products inside the bag and users are able to vacuum, age and deliver the meat in the same dry age bag, completely eliminating the risk of bacteria from the outside environment.

Marc Willmott, Business Development Manager, Weald Packaging Supplies is excited to introduce the bags to the company’s specialist range of packaging products and will be showcasing the Dry Age Bags at Pro2Pac:

“The Dry Age Bags provide protection against off flavours and contamination, allowing you to dry age in any refrigeration unit without the need for UV lighting or specialised humidity control. The bags will produce a great end product – tender, flavoursome and visually beautiful steaks after 21 days.”

Another exhibitor specialising in vacuum packaging is the UK and Europe’s biggest selling brand of vacuum packers Henkelman (Stand N810). The company manufactures a full range of vacuum packers from small table top to large double chamber models, and the machine ideally suited for delicatessens is the

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Jumbo 42 - the most popular model sold in the UK. Karen Stuart, Henkelman, explains the advantages of using the machine: “This is a medium to heavy duty machine, designed for professional use. It has a stainlesssteel body and chamber and comes with a transparent lid so you can watch the vacuum packaging as it happens. It has an easily removable wireless sealing bar and a vacuum stop button in case you wish to stop the cycle midway.”

Adding another dimension to packaging is global packaging manufacturer Coveris (Stand N950).

The company has unveiled new linerless print technology, using a pioneering new printing process for Aldi’s meat category. Combining multiple decorative effects in-line, the printing system works to add a fourth, tactile dimension to the labels to offer a further premium look and feel to the range.

The new technology is being used specifically for Aldi’s new range of top tier Specially Selected™ Aberdeen Angus steaks. The range comprises of four lines of British beef steak, and the labelling of the products reflects the worldrenowned quality of meat and high profile launch.

Jessica Weaver, Marketing Communications Executive, Coveris UK explains the method of application used for the launch: “Producing a premium finish for outstanding shelf presence, the label production process blends an innovative mix of inks, varnishes and foil in-line using a newly developed method of application. The use of high build silkscreen varnish creates a glossy, tactile stamped effect, while the use of further varnishes and cold foil combine to produce a multisensory, luxury appearance.

“Coveris’ evolution of printing capabilities on linerless labels during the development of this label, creates new opportunities for the production of more complex designs and premiumisation techniques. The

expert use of high build silkscreen on self-adhesive labels, was recognised at the recent UK Packaging Awards with its entry for Killawarra wine shortlisted for Label of the Year.” l Pro2Pac, the UK’s only dedicated food and drink packaging event will take place 20-22 March, ExCeL London.

For more information and to view the full list of exhibitors visit www.pro2pac.co.uk

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MORE TEA, VICAR?

P

icture the scene, our editor bumbling around a trade show, eating many samples of foods he’s never tried before, some of which he has not even heard of as emerging and new products come to market, including products made with cricket flour!

Many food samples later, some being fairly dry in their nature as well as a marvellous yet hot sauce – our editor was almost literally on his last legs, and in this situation he did was many Englishmen would do and searched for a cup of tea!

Luckily, he stumbled across the Teapigs stand on the way to find a suitable refreshment and was glad of their kind hospitality, them seeing his plight and dosing him up with their cool refreshing elderflower matcha tea. Upon being revived by this soothing and naturally very good drink, our editor came back to his senses and after the staff at the Teapigs stand armed him with some samples of other teas in their range, he was safely back on his way again.

Our editor won’t forget this great act of kindness from the Teapigs team, and has travelled the length and breadth of the country telling many of the greatness of the flavours of their tea.

THE BACKGROUND: Nick Kilby and Louise Allen started teapigs in November 2006 with one mission – to get the nation drinking real tea again. They met whilst working for a really big tea company, where

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AFTER THE TEAPIGS TRADE STAND TEAM SAW AN EDITOR IN DISTRESS AND GAVE HIM SOME TEA, WE WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS SUPERB TEA MAKING COMPANY!

they learned all about tea and drank lots of it. And the more they learned, and the more they drank, the more they came to realise something: that there’s a whole world of quality teas out there that simply aren’t getting the attention they deserve.

And so teapigs was born.

Nick describes himself as a tea evangelist (although much nicer than those shouty ones on American TV).

Louise, an experienced

tea taster who has travelled the world tasting teas, is a self-confessed tea addict (not seeking rehab).

THE RANGE Teapigs Range features a series of tea’s as well as their own matcha tea drinks too.

From their ‘everyday Brew’, and brilliant ‘Earl Grey’ to their ‘Peppermint Tea’ and moving on to a whole range of flavoured teas – Teapigs has got every tastebud covered!

However, this article will focus on their Matcha range as we feel we take a look at the matcha movement.

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MATCHA PRODUCTION You can buy lots of green tea powders for cooking and drinking but genuine matcha comes from Japan and is produced in a very special way. Matcha green tea bushes are grown under lots of shade which boosts their chlorophyll content (that’s the bright green stuff that contains all the nutrients).

The leaves are then handpicked and all the stems and veins are removed leaving only the juiciest, nutrient-rich leaves. The leaves are ground by granite stones to a super

fine powder.

When you drink regular green tea, you throw away the leaves afterwards, which is a bit like boiling spinach, throwing away the spinach and just drinking the water – you will get some of the nutrients, but you’re throwing away the best bit. With Matcha, you mix the vibrant- green, nutrient-rich powder into liquid and ingest the whole tea leaf. So, you’re consuming every little bit of that lovely green good stuff.

WHAT IS MATCHA Matcha is a super hero amongst teas. 100% green tea leaves from Japan – essentially a super power green tea containing natural green tea flavonoids (catechins). Drinking matcha can be like drinking 10 cups of regular green tea for its nutrient value – that’s why Teapigs call it super power green POW! DRINKING MATCHA There are lots of ways to get your matcha fix. You just need ½ teaspoon of matcha to get all its super powers.

Matcha is traditionally drunk as a hot tea, whisked into hot water but because it’s a powder, you can whisk it into juices or smoothies, you can drink it as a latte (almond milk is our favourite) and even add it to fruit juices or smoothies. Or, stock the premade matcha drinks with their subtly apple or elderflower flavours! l www.teapigs.co.uk

WHAT’S COMING UP? MAKE SURE YOU READ NEXT MONTHS ISSUE TO READ ABOUT THE NEW ‘FEEL GOOD TEAS’ RANGE WHICH WE WILL BE TRIALLING AND REVIEWING! The Delicatessen Magazine 39

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THE DIP SOCIETY O

ur dip feature earlier in this issue tells the story of how Helen and Claire met at a wedding and that they shared a love of food, and with Helen’s idea for a healthy dip brand, The Dip Society was born!

The Dip Society already has a great range of dips and pate’s, however it’s also growing steadily too with some new products being available to buy in April.

We feel very privileged to be able to review and write about these new products and so, without any further ado – let’s get dipping!

AFTER OUR ‘DOUBLE-DIPPING’ DEBATE IN THE OFFICE WHILST USING ONE OF THE DIP SOCIETY PRODUCTS, WE WANTED TO DIP IN FURTHER TO THE RANGE!

THE RANGE

First thing to mention about The Dip Society is that all their products are 100% natural, healthy, tasty and free of nasties. You won’t find preservatives, additives or gluten in any of their products. This makes stocking them really useful, especially for the health conscious and gluten free buyers amongst your customer base.

We tried a selection of their vast product range, so let’s get started with the dips!

BEETROOT DIP WITH MINT & HONEY We love this dip, not just because of the brilliant ingredients and flavour combinations, but also for the wild colour it is!

This really is a showstopper and party conversation starter. We love the delicate notes we get from this dip, from the light honey taste to the subtle minty kick you get with the overruling freshness of beetroot. A genuinely great dip.

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GARLIC WITH ARTICHOKE & THYME This dip is billed by The Dip Society as being the perfect ‘posh’ dip, but much lower in fat content and no added nasties.

We agree wholeheartedly. Super fresh with the texture of Greek yoghurt. Fresh herb and garlic tones run throughout with a light touch of acidity from the artichokes – this is a dip surely sent down from the dip-gods!

ZINGY CUCUMBER TZATZIKI Having spent a lot of time in Greece, Tzatziki is one of my favourites, so I entered into The Dip Society’s version with haste, but also caution.

I needn’t have been worried about this tzatziki, apart from now worrying that I liked this version more than many others I have tried recently!

The pickled cucumbers and the added lemon and herbs give this dip

a really nice zing, however you can also really tell the Greek yoghurt used is of a great quality as the texture stays consistent and with a brilliant fresh taste.

SUPER DUPER HOUMOUS Having written about the benefits of using rapeseed oil within this very issue, here’s a houmous made with 100% extra virgin rapeseed oil.

This houmous has a great harmony of balance and zing, with a wonderful fresh lemony taste emerging during consumption. This houmous is not only very tasty, but also much better for you than a lot out there on the market with much less fat content.

SUPER DUPER SPICY HOUMOUS Building on the success of the SUPER DUPER SPICY HOUMOUS, the spicy version really add’s a new level of yum-factor in the mix, quite literally.

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It’s not all spice however, there’s an added sweetness within too, and by adding fresh coriander and chillis into this houmous, the flavour is elevated to a new level. A perfect chilled dip for dipping tortillas!

PÂTÉS

Also, here’s the low down on a couple of the new pâté’s that we got to try!

One thing to remember with these pâté’s is that they are made with Greek yoghurt, to make them even healthier – a real tick in our book!

SMOKED MACKEREL WITH LIME & PARSLEY Simply put, this is good, very good.

To elaborate slightly, we really enjoyed the flavours coming through here. The fish isn’t too overpowering, yet has a nice maturity to it with the smoked flavour harmonising perfectly with the other ingredients within. This pâté was very good on the crackers we used, but has many other ways of being served too.

HOT SMOKED HONEY & MUSTARD We were so very excited about trying this one, and rewarded for our waiting we were!

This pâté is nice and light, the Greek yoghurt helping we assume, a light honey taste comes through well with the nice gentle kick from the wholegrain mustard – this is a real pâté marriage made in heaven.

We enjoyed this pâté on some fresh made wholegrain bread, but this product would be very versatile for many other uses.

Also, with the addition of Greek Yoghurt as a base, the health credentials are raised a lot, giving you a great tasting but also healthy product to stock. l www.thedipsociety.co.uk/

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH HELEN & CLAIRE F The Delicatessen Magazine 41

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INTERVIEW WITH HELEN AND CLAIRE So guys, we love the story of how The Dip Society started after you met at a wedding – did you ever expect the brand to have taken off as it has done? l In one respect, we can’t believe that The Dip Society started from a chance conversation about dips (which was pretty random)at a mutual friends’ wedding and is now where it is today.

On the otherhand, when Claire and I decided to go for it, we set our sights on dip domination and always believed that the idea of a delicious and top quality branded dip offering was a great idea. It isn’t easy bit we felt we had the potential to build a successful business!

How has the reception to the brand been from retailers since you began? l We love the retailers we supply.

Radmore Farm Shop, Keelham, Earsham Deli, Burwash Larder to name a few. We are very aware that we are not bread or milk - something that is an ‘essential’ staple for every shopper but with dips and now pates, we feel our job is to not be only offer a great product for snacking or sharing but to encourage more people to dip. Being successful in a farm shop or deli requires support from the owner and we will do all we can to help – whether offering a tasting, additional point of sale or sending sample pots with an order so shoppers can try before they buy. Wastage is always an issue and as a chilled product with no nasties, it does mean we need to monitor how sales are going.

Adapting is key so we offer smaller orders for the quieter times of the year or we might send out an order every other week rather than every week. Whatever works best really.

What sets your products apart from other similar brands?

• Our dips are lower in salt and fat than most other dips on the market.

We promise. We have looked at all our competitors including ownbrand supermarket dips and we are not only healthier but also fuss free with less than 10 ingredients in all recipes. We also offer great gluten free, dairy free and vegan snacking options for customers.

• Because we have no additives or preservatives, our dips taste fresh and homemade. All products are produced

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in the UK and where we can we champion British produce with likeminded UK producers.

• Our flavours are different -with twists on conventional recipes so not too far out there but pushing the innovative boundaries of conventional dipping.

• We offer a strong brand that stands out on shelf and communicates a healthy snacking option and great entertaining options, encouraging more people to dip.

We love the photography on your website plus also through your twitter feed, however it makes us pretty hungry seeing it! – Do you end up caving in and eating what you are shooting too? l We secured investment back in April 2016 and one of the key things we lacked was a stock of great imagery. Food is a visual and important to show how delicious our product is. We therefore asked renowned photographer, David Loftus to help us create a style of how we wanted the brand to come across.

Delicious, something for everyone, a healthy snack or perfect for a party.

Along with amazing food stylist, Julia Azzarello, we came up with some great recipes and serving suggestions and yes, they didn’t last long once they came off set!

An argument that has come up here in the office recently was on ‘double dippers’ – those who re-dip their item into a shared dip. What are your opinions on this?

l We are zero tolerance for double dipping. It’s always a bit awkward when you are doing a tasting and someone attempts a double dip and we have to say stop!! Dipping for us is about having a healthy dip, not spreading any germs.

We recently found out how amazing dipping different flavoured crisps into dips was, and can’t stop trying more! What are your favourite items to dip? l What’s great about our range and the unique flavours that we offer are the varience of different types of dippers that you can use for each flavour. And anything goes.

We love a crisp or a tortilla or a grissini breadstick but we also love seasonal veg.

Our favourite are: A veggie crisp so delicious with our zingy tzatziki, a sweet chilli crisp or chopped up red and yellow peppers are great with the Super Spicy Houmous. Apple and pear are perfect with the beetroot dip, sweet potato wedges with the Artichoke and Garlic dip plus pretty much every other veg with our Super Duper Houmous.

We understand that as part of product innovation, trying different flavour combinations to see what works and what doesn’t is key – have you tried anything that particularly worked well that you didn’t expect to? l We had an absolute result with the beetroot dip. It makes an awesome sorbet! Recipe coming soon

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Considering there are many dips out there in the marketplace at the moment, can you tell our readers what to look out for in terms of finding a good selection of quality products? l Point of difference is a key thing for us. You can buy houmous or dips for £1-£1.50 from the supermarkets but what is in them? All of our recipes are fresh tasting and have less than 10 ingredients; fuss free and additive free. We also team up where we can with other likeminded UK producers. We are changing over our dairy in April to use a Welsh bio-live natural yoghurt

by The Village Dairy, we use locally sourced British beetroot, British sustainably sourced fish from Smoke & Wye. We source top quality extra

virgin rapeseed oil for our houmous dips from Lincolnshire farmers, Ownsworth, which is grown and pressed on site. A tasty product alongside a strong brand with honest values is surely something that a customer is looking for if they care what they are eating.

We love how you have expanded your range into other products such as Pate, however is there any further surprises to come from The Dip Society? l The pate launch has been incredibly successful. Our pates are healthier yet still as flavoursome as competitors as we have cut out cream cheeses and butters from our recipes and instead use a high content of sustainably sourced fish,

alongside The Village dairy biolive natural yoghurt. Therefore the product is lighter and lower in fat.

Come April, we have some new very exciting products on offer.

We have an avocado houmous which is smooth and creamy and a firm favourite in the office and an all natural, gluten free Taramasalata. We are also launching x2 convenience products – a Dip On the Go concept and then mini stacker pots. The Dip On the Go is a beautifully branded box consisting of a 60g mini pot of dip and a pack of Nairn’s super seeded crackers. – which we are really excited about!

Looking ahead to 2018, we have lots of ideas around the dipping, sharing, snacking and entertaining arena so watch this space…

WHAT’S COMING UP? IN OUR NEXT ISSUE, WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE REVIEWING TWO NEW PRODUCTS FROM THE DIP SOCIETY – AN AVOCADO HOUMOUS, AND THE NEW GLUTEN FREE TARAMASALATA. MAKE SURE YOU KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR THIS! (PRODUCTS AVAILABLE TO BUY IN APRIL).

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Going straight

to PLAN P LAN BEE is the company behind some fantastic products, including a range of Meads, honey and their brilliant ‘Honeygar’ – a dressing made from a mixture of apple cider vinegar and their own honey.

We heard on the grapevine about a company, who is making a more accessible version of mead, and we made it our mission to get hold of some, and boy are we glad we did.

No sooner than the mead that we got sent to us had been chilled, it was opened and consumed within record-breaking time.

When we first heard about the mead and knew some was being sent to us, we had images of feeling like a character from ‘Game of Thrones’, and had already started making strange warrior like sounds as though we were on set sloshing mead around in horn cups. However, what came in the post truly surprised us.

We feel that these products would look amazing on any delicatessens shelf, especially if the light can catch them. Also, stocking these products will also be a great way of being able to revive mead, help bee sustainability and also have something slightly different to many others!

FINDING THE HAPPY MEAD-IUM? The mead from Plan Bee comes in 330ml bottles which is less than 6% ABV and is lightly carbonated – the perfect drink all year round and especially great to stock on the run up to summer! Their Great Taste award winning Elderflower and Rose Mead truly puts a 21st century twist on one of the oldest beverages known to man.

We found the mead to be light and refreshing, but with a taste that really showed some maturity and oaky notes. We loved how none of the tastes overpowered each other, and loved the subtle tastes of the elderflower and rose coming through too.

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BEE

OFTEN EVEN THE BEST MADE PLANS DON’T QUITE WORK OUT, AND IN THOSE INSTANCES WE ALL MOVE ON TO PLAN B. HOWEVER, THIS MONTH WE SKIPPED PLAN A, AND FOUND OURSELVES ENJOYING PLAN BEE!

HONEYGAR When we received our mead in the post, another huge surprise to us was receiving a bottle, of which the colour astounded us as soon as we saw it. Lightly shaking the bottle, the beautiful swirls within awoke a whole new hue… we couldn’t wait to see what this was!

A salad dressing and a health tonic

combined, the Origin Honeygar™ combines aged apple cider vinegar with our high quality honey.

We loved the product, but we aren’t the only ones, with the product currently finding acclaim equally from leading chefs and established health food chains. l www.planbeeltd.com

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INTERVIEW WITH WARREN BADER, FOUNDER OF PLAN BEE LTD So Warren, what made you start Plan Bee? l Honeybees are responsible for pollinating a third of our food, and beyond that the University of Bristol research tells us that they are responsible for pollinating around 80% of all plant species in Europe.

So that’s food, air and livestock.

All things considered life would be pretty grim without them; yet the University of Reading has found that honeybee populations have declined by more than 50 percent in the last two decades…

I retreated from a life of filmproduction to champion the dwindling honeybee populations through crafting the finest UK honey and constant innovation with this British staple. Each Jar or bottle represents support of our movement to protect and preserve honeybee populations, the true founders of this honey, across the UK and beyond.

When we first heard about a modern version of Mead, we were very excited! When we received our sample, we were very impressed by the way it has been packaged to be in a similar format to another bottled cider/beer. Was this done intentionally? l First and foremost we’re ecoinnovators so we like to lead trends and subvert markets. Our elderflower and rose infused Mead that scooped the Best Product award at Scotland’s Specialty Food Show is offered in a 330ml serving, lightly carbonated and at less than 6% abv. Yet at its core is a traditional Mead- pure fermented British honey and Scottish water rather than a repurposed wine that more trend following brands utilise to get a product to market quick.

By dedicating ourselves to innovation as well as to craftsmanship and provenance we’re able to create a product that blends niche and tradition with mass market appeal.

Aside from the mead, we also really rated the Honeygar.

Considering this was a unique flavour combination for us, we were so impressed by the taste characteristics and versatility of the product – was this a complete new invention by you? Or does it

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has been that we’re a refreshing departure from the ‘gingham lid’; a representation of the Farm Shop revival in a larger sense.

come from a time old recipe?

l The benefits of Honey and Cider

Vinegar have individually long been extolled. We don’t purport to have invented the winning combination, with the term being coined somewhere along the line in the 1950’s and championed by the likes of Ranulph Finnes. The mother of invention is in fact Mother Culture, a natural pre-biotic; this cloud of goodness works alongside the honey to aid in the levelling out of blood sugar and churn out antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents during digestion.

We will however, credit ourselves for being part of its reinvention and repurposing and we of course believe that being made with our honey makes it the best formula. Like our Mead it focuses on quality through simplicity but with versatility.

Beyond use as a supplement it will go as far as kicking the French dressing and Balsamic Vinegar out of your pantry. It compliments rather than drowns any leaves it graces.

How has the reception to the brand been from retailers? l In a word fantastic. From small farm shops and award winning Delis to corner stones of British retail such as Fortnum and Masons the take-up has been great. We work closely with our retailers to ensure they are represented on our stockists map and that our calendar of events throughout the year encompasses the regions within which we can be found on the shelves. We assist our retail partners in introducing the brand to their customers through facilitating and hosting in-store tastings. The feedback

There has been some press lately around a lack of bee’s - does buying products from Plan Bee assist with sustainability for the bee’s as well as the local community? l Through our beehive rental and husbandry packages, we are beekeepers for companies and communities throughout the UK partnering with some of the world’s leading brands, small businesses, schools and private individuals.

Together we are working to communicate and address the plight of the dwindling honeybee.

By partnering with ethically minded businesses across the UK we are able to address this decline and restore the populations of these vital pollinators as well as help our partners reach their sustainability and environmental offset goals.

They adopt a beehive (or several) that Plan Bee installs and manages for them. The beehive can be sited on their premises or on a collaborative community site or school.

Beyond restoration is resolution.

Through our educational and community outreach programs we are driving a generational change in environmental thinking and creating #generationbee.

Our community and educational programs can be big and small; from legacy building projects to short-term engagement, curriculum based and awareness opportunities.

The sum total of our communities is of course Scotland and the UK itself; our efforts represent a significant bolster to the habitats, wildlife and landscapes that give our country its natural beauty and subsequently global appeal, tourism and reputation. To date we have increased the honeybee populace of the UK by over 15 million in over 300 hives, introduced over 20,000 UK children to the needs of our delicate environment through the plight of the honeybee and countless more individuals through the thousands of jars of honey, bottles of beer and Honeygar we craft and sell. g

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We love that the limited edition bottles of mead come with a hand written number of which bottle in which batch they were – is it you who does this part? l The crafting of all our products requires a hands on and human touch since bee hive management and honey extraction is indeed husbandry.

Our branding and marketing reflects the value of honey not as a commodity but as a form of liquid gold, however through our highly polished appearance and rigorous quality control people often assume there is an equally polished large machine both literally and figuratively behind the brand. Plan Bee is truly a source to shelf company; by hand scribing our Mead and indeed our Founders Reserve Honey which comes with the post-code of the hive from which it is extracted, it is

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a reminder that we’re a small team, deeply connected to our products and craft. Limited edition in our world is never a ploy, like any harvest volumes and seasons dictate our produce.

We’ve seen a lot more talk about mead lately; can you tell us your thoughts on the revival of this historic and very tasty drink? l It’s impossible to answer this without some reference to Game of Thrones! Yes, popular media has brought this drink some renewed attention. However, we believe that there’s something more significant and exciting at play here with not only consumer trends but a generational shift in thinking. Breaking the cycle of the manufacture, use and dispose is of course at the core of Plan Bee’s business ethos as a circular economy

company; however, it is also more and more at the forefront of peoples purchasing considerations.

By providing British provenance and added value not only through craftsmanship but the story and aim of Plan Bee - the purchase and consumption of our Mead brings a gravitas and deeper sense of value to our customers at a time when economic and ecological strains demand it.

Are there any plans for more products to be released by Plan Bee in the new future? l We believe in utilising all the riches of the beehive; from the propolis to wax. While we’re a principled company we’re also reflexive. So yes we do have a new range of wax derivatives in the works; watch this space…

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PASTA - THE SHAPE DEBATE INTRODUCING A NEW REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE MAGAZINE – SALLY ASSINDER FROM KSAC CONSULTANCY LTD, A PASTA AND COFFEE AFFICIONADO AS WELL AS BEING AN ALL ROUND EXPERT IN THE FIELD OF FOOD MARKETING. l We are pleased to announce that going forwards, we’ll be working alongside Sally Assinder of KSAC Consultancy Ltd, to bring to our readers a plethora of interesting advice, thoughts and opinion surrounding pasta and other Italian products.

Sally assists the quality Italian pasta brand, Pasta Garofalo with their marketing in the UK and has learnt a great deal from her time working with the brand.

Sally will be covering a great deal of topics, from how much salt should really be added whilst cooking pasta, the different shapes, and various ideas to pass on to your customers for alternative uses.

Our first topic with Sally’s guidance goes back to a conversation we have had many times, and something want to share with our audience – which sauce for which shape?

NOT ALL PASTA IS CREATED EQUAL - NEITHER ARE THE DIES IT’S DRAWN THROUGH! Not all pasta is created equal and varies considerably depending on the raw materials used and the method for making the shapes and drying the pasta.

Pasta making the Garofalo Way Pasta is simply made with water and durum wheat semolina and you can’t produce

excellent pasta if the best wheat is not used. It is the quality and quantity of gluten present primarily that determines the quality of the wheat; Garofalo only use high quality durum wheat semolina that meets strictly controlled criteria for every pack of pasta with the Garofalo signature on it.

Once the paste is formed, it is extruded through a die to form the different shapes. Using a traditional die made from bronze results in slightly rough texture on the surface of the pasta allowing the sauce to cling to the pasta resulting in a lovely mix of pasta and sauce in each mouthful! The alternative is a die made from Teflon (cheaper than the bronze die), which gives smooth and slippery pasta surface. Garofalo use

bronze dies.

The pasta then has to be dried.

The temperature of the drying process and the time it takes is critical and controlled closely at Garofalo for the high quality of the final product.

PASTA AND SAUCE

We often get asked which pasta shape goes with which sauce? This depends on the sauce consistency and the ability of the pasta to hold the sauce, but the pasta sauce equation is worth remembering: The chunkier the sauce = The larger the pasta shape

EDITOR’S RECOMMENDATION Recently we tried the pasta sauce from A Little Bit Food Co, and what a pasta sauce this is!

A sublime sauce crammed full of tomatoes and fresh sage. This sauce is bursting with flavor but also freshness, as A Little Bit Food Co only uses fresh herbs in all their products. This makes for a perfect, fresh and quick pasta sauce, but it can also be used for many other uses too.

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15/02/2017 01:14

HILLFARM OILS – THE TRUE PIONEERS OF RAPESEED OIL IN THE UK

AFTER BECOMING THE FIRST FARM IN THE UK TO GROW, PRESS AND BOTTLE THIER OWN COLD PRESSED RAPESEED OIL BACK IN 2004, WE WANTED TO CATCH UP WITH HILLFARM OILS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR SUCCESS AND WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT. “We used to sit up late at night sticking on the labels ready to go out to local farmers’ markets and events!”

Now there is a small dedicated team to help but it’s still a family affair – Sam’s father Alan is still deeply involved with the farming.

Clare’s background as a chef means she loves developing recipes to showcase the oil’s versatility and enjoys doing cookery demos at shows, events and local schools.

T

he Fairs family have farmed in Suffolk since 1967, moving forward to 2004 and they became the first farm in the UK to grow, press and bottle their own cold pressed rapeseed oil. People are now hooked on its nutty flavour, versatility in the kitchen as well as its nutritional benefits.

Here at the Delicatessen Magazine, we love nothing more than finding brands who run the whole operation themselves, brands like Hillfarm Oils, who farm, press and bottle their products all on one site.

A LOOK BACK IN TIME Way back in the 1960’s Alan Fairs started farming a few hundred acres, fast forward to now and the farm now stretches to nearly 4000 acres, most of which is owned by absentee landlords and farmed on a ‘share farm’ basis.

Moving to the 90’s, Alan’s son Sam Fair left University and joined the family business. Moving forwards in time, he was curious why the government were promoting the Mediterranean diet, based on olive oil, whilst he was growing over 1000 acres of rapeseed and sending the crop to a refinery.

After he tasked a graduate student with the task of making the equivalent

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to a bottle of olive oil with a sack of rapeseed, and within 3 months he was showed how the oil could naturally be produced and how it was healthier and more nutritious than olive oil.

Armed with this knowledge, Sam and wife Clare (who at the same time had also heard of a friend who’d been prescribed rapeseed oil tablets to reduce his cholesterol), began to explore the idea of turning the rapeseed they grew on their farm into a premium culinary oil.

Sam brought a press and a simple bottling machine and starting to work out of a lorry container on the farm, this was the humble beginnings of what was to become the successful brand that Hillfarm Oil’s is today!

When they launched at the Suffolk Show in 2004 every bottle was handfilled and sealed.

SUSTAINABILITY We are always impressed by companies who take sustainability seriously, and Hillfarm Oils is no exception.

From their solar powered barns to their bee keeping, they are constantly on the look out for ways to improve their sustainability credentials ensuring, as many true farmers do, that they look after the land for our future generations.

Hillfarm Oil’s make a plethora of other products nowadays, but one we really like from the sustainability point of view is the honey.

The delicious honey produced by the bees in hives at Hill Farm thatthrive in the woodland, the clover-rich grasslands, the borage and, of course, the rapeseed. Local beekeepers manage the hives on the farm.

Currently there is a limited supply of this seasons honey available, but extra hives are being added next year.

Sam Fairs Says: “As farmers, bees are very important to us as they pollinate our crops. It is essential that we look after the bees and also

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the other beneficial insects that populate our fields and countryside.

At Hillfarm we farm in a way that is sensitive to the wildlife all around us.

We do a lot to look after the bees on the farm in particular, not just in the summer when they can be seen, but all year round.”

HEALTH BENEFITS Rapeseed oil, and in particular the range from Hillfarm Oils, is 100% natural – nothing added and nothing taken away, the purest as pure can be.

Another great benefit is that rapeseed is half the saturated fat and is high in Omega 3,6 and 9 as well as being high in Vitamin E. Interestingly, we found whilst trialling Hillfarm Oil that the splashes that came out of a frying pan were easier to clean from the work surfaces. Albeit only a small benefit, it’s pretty handy! l www.hillfarmoils.com

THE 3 UNIQUE SELLING POINTS FOR HILLFARM CP RAPESEED OIL ARE: HEALTHY - It has the lowest saturated fat level of almost all other oils which means it is good for the heart and blood system (keeps cholesterol down).

It is also rich in the 3 Omega’s which the body needs for the immune system. Also, because it is produced so naturally it is rich in natural vitamins and anti-oxidants.

VERSATILE - Because it has such a lovely delicate flavour and also a high heat point which means it does not burn it can literally be used from everything – As our strapline states – Fry, Roast, Dress, Bake - and much more in fact.

PROVENANCE - Hillfarm CP Rapeseed Oil is on one family farm in Suffolk so we know exactly what has gone into producing the oil – we do not buy seed in from outside and the oil is produced on the farm.

Everything is done very naturally from the bees that pollinate our crops to the electricity we generate to press and bottle the oil.

WE CATCH UP WITH HILLFARM OIL’S BUSINESS MANAGER LAWRENCE FROHN TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HILLFARM OILS There has been a massive rise in popularity for rapeseed oil recently, with many new companies popping up at trade shows. What advise would you give our readers in terms of how to check quality of a rapeseed oil? l Almost anyone can take some seed, put it through a small press to extract the oil, then filter and bottle it.

It takes experience to know which varieties are the best for flavour, colour, and nutritional composition and at Hillfarm, being the first to start CP rapeseed oil production we have worked hard to develop these traits to ensure our customers are receiving the best.

My advice to your readers would be to firstly choose a brand of rapeseed oil that is produced by the grower themselves.

This way you know what seed is being used to produce the oil and where it has come from and how it has been grown.

Secondly, I would choose a brand that has the necessary quality certifications such as BRC or SALSA. These show

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that the oil has been produced legally and safely. It is surprising how many producers don’t have these accreditations.

Thirdly, I would ask the producers how they look after the countryside and the environment and how sustainable their production is. At Hillfarm we work on the ethos of putting more IN that we Take Out. As farmers we are just custodians of the land we farm and our aim is to improve it for the next generation.

We notice that oil isn’t the only product that you sell, can you tell us a bit more about the other products you do? l We produce a Plain and Garlic Mayonnaise as most rapeseed oil producers seem to do nowadays however, Hillfarm Plain Mayo is a 3 Star Great Taste Award winner and our Garlic Mayo is 1 Star - It is these independent awards that set us apart for the others.

Last year our Hillfarm

Bee farm started producing our wonderful honey – both runny and set – from our rapeseed and borage crops.

In terms of uses for Rapeseed oil as a versatile product, are there any uses that most people wouldn’t have expected rapeseed oil as a product for? l Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil is so versatile it can be used successfully for almost anything that any other oil is used for and more. It has all the right nutrients for perfect skincare as our Hillfarm Hand Lotion demonstrates and it is equally as good for treating wooden work surfaces in the kitchen – why use linseed oil when you have Hillfarm CP rapseed oil in the kitchen already!

Are there any plans for new products in the pipeline for Hillfarm Oils? l At Hillfarm we are always looking at new products ……….!!!!!

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LA SAUCY SALSA AFTER OUR LAST ISSUE WITH THE POPULAR ‘FINDING YOUR MOJO’ ARTICLE GAINING A LOT OF FEEDBACK TO US FROM READERS WHO HAD FOR MANY YEARS NOT REALISED THE MEANING OF ‘MOJO’ OR IN FACT THAT SALSA IS MERELY THE SPANISH WORD FOR SAUCE – WE THOUGHT WE’D DIP IN A BIT DEEPER TO LA SAUCY SALSA’S OFFERINGS.

LA RANGE La Saucy Salsa has an already impressive range featuring a staple of four main flavours (so far!)

They can be enjoyed in many ways, from the traditional Andalusian style, as a dip for tapas and fresh bread.

Or relish them as they do in the Canaries drizzled appetizingly over a main meal, as a tasty accompaniment to almost any dish.

Far from the ‘normal’ salsa’s we mostly know here’s the range and their tasting notes! l Coriander A fresh and light taste of coriander, which gives you a slight unexpected taste explosion, which is also very mild. This is the same for the parsley, which is unbelievably fresh and pleasantly mild. Some consumers /people think it tastes of anchovies, which suggests that it goes extremely well with fish, which it really does, as people can already taste the fish without there actually being any in the salsa! l Chilli & Garlic Chilli and garlic has a medium heat to it with a slow slight burn at the back of the throat, which is extremely garlicky with a slight chilli twist, with the subtle Mediterranean undertones of the olive oil and vinegar. Goes so well with cheese where you can enjoy and appreciate its full flavour.

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l Parsley Unbelievably fresh and pleasantly mild. A really nice herb taste coming

through, a great dressing for chicken, fish (similar ‘anchovy’ taste coming through as the coriander). l Paprika Paprika has a real Moorish Mediterranean mix combined with the cumin seeds and garlic, again its quite light and mild yet so tasty. It enhances any meal so beautifully adding a real depth of flavour to everything.

THE SUCCESS OF THE SALSA It’s far from us to say how great La Saucy Salsa’s range is, with owner Rosie Alvarez has had a lot of success since launching.

La Saucy Salsa was named as one of top 20 businesses / exhibitors by the Speciality Fine Food Show 2016 in the Food & Drink Matters Issue 124 2016 publication. Also named business of the month in the recent edition of Food and drink matters publication. Also being recently featured in the Jewish Chronicle Winter Dining January 2017 edition and also in the Daily Mail on Sunday Diabetics Awareness Guide due to our Sugarwise/no added sugar status.

The success hasn’t ended there, after spotting La Saucy Salsa’s great products at a trade show last year, Foodist.de in Germany have ordered over 13,500 bottles! La Saucy Salsa also have been signed with the national and international organic wholesaler, Suma. l www.lasaucysalsa.com

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