Prepare for the festive season with our bumper Christmas feature
ALSO INSIDE
The Ealing Grocer
Rebuilding at Butlers Farmhouse Cheese
The rise and rise of Root2Ginger
CONTENTS
Even though the chocolate Santas and reindeer biscuits haunt my dreams, I’ve been readying myself to join the hordes on a trip away with my family.
By Michael Lane, editor
Even after all these years covering the independent retail sector, it still feels slightly strange to be thinking about Christmas just as the summer holidays get into full swing.
In some cases – like the antitourist protests in Spain or the ITmeltdowns across airports – the season has quite literally kicked off. And yet, here we are at FFD playing with the tinsel, perusing the latest gingerbread options and pondering over what cheeses to serve at a festive gathering.
But even though the chocolate Santas and reindeer biscuits haunt my dreams, I’ve been readying myself to join the hordes on a trip away with my family. Usually this would mean working up until the last minute, bursting into the spare room (aka the packing area) the night before we go away, and stuff my hastily selected clothes into whatever space is left in one of the suitcases.
It’s true that some things haven’t changed, but I have altered my approach slightly this year. An entire five days ahead of when we’re leaving, I’ve been part of the checklist-making process, I have folded clothes, packed suitcases and even joined the debates about what weather conditions we’ll be facing and how much sun cream we’ll need.
Perhaps I am more in tune with the retailer’s Christmas spirit than I thought. After all, how different is working out how many t-shirts to pack from estimating how many panettones to order?
It’s not much of a stretch to compare my dilemma over whether to put in two extra pairs of shorts with a deli manager wondering if they should order one more truckle of Stilton, is it?
Although I’m wondering about how much and what factor of suncream to load up, isn’t it a
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox, deputy editor
Eaten Alive
Mango Inferno, fermented habanero hot sauce
As far as I’m concerned, every inch of space on the condiment shelf in the fridge is valuable real estate, not to be taken up by anything but slatherable sauces. But I can safely say that this deserves a spot.
It’s tangy, sweet, floral and funky (in a good way), with enough heat to give you a rush, but without neutralising your tastebuds for a week. More on p.50
similar anxiety over the volume and size of hampers that should be pu rchased?
Regardless of slightly overstretched parallels, it is good to be prepared and ready for what might happened. The problem with both scenarios is that there will always be unknowns.
Who ever sees that mosquito bite coming? It’s not much different to a famous TV chef adding a rare herb to their Christmas turkey mere weeks before the big day, right?
While you can’t plan for everything, you can certainly be adequately stocked up and primed with ideas. And I hope that the mix of retailing tips and NPD in our Christmas special helps (it starts on page 26).
If I bought a few new shirts for my trip, then surely you could try out some new products.
Happy holidays – whichever one you’re thinking about.
editorial@gff.co.uk
Editor: Michael Lane
Deputy editor:
Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox
Art director: Mark Windsor
Contributors: Nick Baines, Patrick McGuigan, Greg Pitcher, Isabelle Plasschaert, Lynda Searby
Labour looks to improve food trade and small business environment
By Greg Pitcher
The UK’s new business secretary has opened the door to greater trading with Europe as key ministers began their work in earnest following Labour’s landslide election victory in July.
Jonathan Reynolds told Sky’s Trevor Phillips that negotiations could take place with EU leaders in the wake of the change of power in Westminster.
“On things like food and agricultural products, where we have the same standards, removing barriers to trade makes sense,” he said.
“If we can sell more whisky and salmon to a market that is so significant to us then of course we should explore that.”
Reynolds also met British Independent Retailers Association chief executive Andrew Goodacre within his first few days in office. As well as pledging to focus on enhancing export opportunities, the
business secretary said he aimed to boost productivity, improve cash flow to small businesses and create better working conditions.
Goodacre said that it was encouraging to know that supporting small business was a priority.
“I am looking forward to further discussions to make this a reality for indie retailers by reducing the cost of running a shop through business rates reform, reducing retail crime and encouraging investment in our high
Key Cabinet ministers
JONATHAN REYNOLDS BUSINESS SECRETARY
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has been Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde in the North West since 2010. Born in Sunderland, the 44-year-old has served in the Shadow Treasury and Shadow Work and Pensions departments in recent years. After appearances at Downing Street and meeting the King in his first few days in office, Reynolds said: “For a firefighter’s lad from Sunderland via Stalybridge, it does all feel kind of a big deal.”
streets,” he said.
Meanwhile new food and environment secretary Steve Reed said supporting farmers and boosting Britain’s food security was a “priority”.
“We’ll cut through border red tape to boost British food exports,” the minister said in a video posted to social media. “Using government purchasing power will ensure local produce in public institutions.”
National Farmers’ Union president Tom Bradshaw
met Reed in his first week in office and said priorities should include “securing the investment required to deliver for food security” as well as “seasonal workers and import controls”.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said economic growth was a “national mission” as she took the helm of the nation’s finances. She promised no increases in VAT, National Insurance or the basic, higher or additional rates of Income Tax.
“We will work closely with our national, regional and local leaders to power growth in every part of Britain,” she added.
Labour’s manifesto committed to banning advertising of junk food to children as well as the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s. The party also promised “visible neighbourhood policing” and said it would create a specific offence for assaults on shop workers.
IN BRIEF
There will be no shortages of Dijon mustard this year, as, according to producers in Burgundy, a bumper crop is expected due to better weather than in previous years, and because shortages led to more plantings.
In July, 42 tonnes of fake extra virgin olive oil valued at around £758,500 were seized by the Italian authorities, along with 71 tonnes of “oily substance” and 623 litres of chlorophyll, which gives extra virgin olive oil its colour.
Cotswold Fayre will host a conference to mark its 25th birthday in October. Ticketholders will hear from a line-up of speakers on implementing sustainability and social impact measures, followed an evening party.
Labour courts Dimbleby as health policy advisor
REED FOOD SECRETARY RACHEL REEVES CHANCELLOR
Food secretary Steve Reed became MP for Streatham & Croydon North in 2012, before which he was leader of Lambeth Council. After stints as Labour spokesperson for justice, communities and local government, he secured the top job at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in July. A Londoner, Reed began his career in publishing and became branch secretary of his trade union, winning key parental leave rights for workers.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves is Labour MP for Leeds West and Pudsey and previously served as Shadow Chancellor from May 2021 until the election. She is the first woman to hold the top job at the Treasury. She said ahead of the election: “I want to build an economy that gives everyone the opportunities they need to thrive, no matter where they are from, so the next generation can be better off than the last.”
Former Government advisor Henry Dimbleby is reportedly in talks with the Labour Party to help oversee an overhaul of health and environment policy.
Following its victory in the General Election in July, the Labour Party set out its legislation plans in the King’s Speech, including proposals to ban junk food advertising, and, as well as the sale of energy drinks to under 16s.
According to The Grocer, the Government is planning to shake up wider health and environmental laws in the UK, and is seeking to Dimbleby’s counsel. Back in 2019, Dimbleby devised the National Food Strategy,
as commissioned by then Environment Secretary, Michael Gove. It was published in 2021, but many recommendations outlined in it were either watered down or weren’t implemented at all by the Conservative Government. It is thought that the Labour Party’s policy proposals relative to food retail, health and the environment are likely to include some of the key objectives from the Food Strategy, in what is expected to be a renewed bat tle against obesity; such as taxes on HFSS foods to be paid for by retailers, suppliers and the foodservice sector; as well as mandatory reporting on health.
Now the party in Government, Labour and leader Keir Starmer are beginning to set out their aims and policies
Indies must be vigilant as retail and foodservice crime evolves
By Greg Pitcher
A theft expert has warned independent retailers of the types of behaviour to watch out for after a couple were jailed for eating in several restaurants and failing to pay their bills.
Emmeline Taylor, professor of criminology at City, University of London, set out her advice for delis and farm shops amid a “tsunami of shop theft”.
Port Talbot couple Bernard and Ann McDonagh, 41 and 39 respectively, made headlines after ordering more than £1,100 of food from five outlets without paying.
Research from the British Retail Consortium earlier this year showed that the value of items lost to theft annually had almost doubled to nearly £2bn per year.
Taylor said that while so-called “dine-and-dash” offences were part of the post-pandemic crime wave,
Foodservice operations have become increasingly more vulnerable to “dine and dash” incidents they were often justified in a different way to more organised “nick-and-flog” theft.
“Some of it is for the thrill and comes with a sense of entitlement,” she said.
Three distinct groups were most likely to attempt to eat in delis and farm shops without paying, according to Taylor.
“The first is premeditated, prolific offenders who have a modus operandi
whether it is a fake card or feigning illness - these people are rare but do a huge amount of damage.
“The second group is the alert opportunists, convincing themselves they are prepared to pay but always looking for an excuse not to. Something either didn’t taste right or took too long to come. They will say outright that they’re not paying and they know owners often don’t want a scene.
Great Taste reveals list of 2024 award winners
Food & drink producers are discovering how they fared in Great Taste 2024 after the Guild of Fine Food published this year’s results on 30th July.
In the accreditation scheme’s 31st year, 3,495 companies entered 13,672 products, which were blind-judged by a panel of more than 500 food and drink professionals. These included chefs, retailers and buyers, journalists and broadcasters as well as specific product experts. Judges spent 92 days trying out the food & drink to provide producers with structured, constructive feedback as well as, for some, awards.
5,590 products were singled out, with 3,938 given a 1-star award,
1,386 recognised as 2-star and 266 deemed worthy of 3-star status. The latter, totalling 1.9% of all entries, had to be considered ‘extraordinarily tasty’ to qualify.
For the second time, Great Taste was opened up to 50 micro-producers through a bursary programme, giving free entry to a selection of
“Third are the occasional opportunists – these are typically drunk, egging each other on, typically away from home. There isn’t the same sense of guilt if you will never be somewhere again.”
Taylor said food inflation and the wider cost-ofliving crisis were driving an increase in all shop theft, along with a perceived police downgrading of violence-free crime.
However, she added that such criminal activity also exacerbated price rises.
“Cafés and shops operate on tiny margins,” she said. “If someone steals, justifying to themselves that it’s built in, the retailers pass that on. It is an honesty tax. Businesses are struggling with high costs.”
A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesperson said: “Retail crime can have a significant impact on victims which is why we are committed to doing all we can to reduce thefts and pursue offenders, especially those prolific and habitual offenders who cause misery within the community.”
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT... …MEASURES TO
DETER CRIMINALS
“A lot of it for us is proactive service: looking people in the eyes, being overtly friendly and on-brand. You can’t do everything, so we double down on community and create a sense of loyalty so people don’t only come to buy, but to not steal. We have cameras but we don’t want to create a negative vibe. “
businesses under two years old with a turnover of less than £100,000 a year. The 50 contenders were chosen among 92 applicants by a panel of three – Selfridges buyer Adrian Boswell, PR company founder AJ Sharp and food writer Mallika Basu. Among the entries, two were given 3-stars, two won 2-stars,
and 13 earned a 1-star award.
Great Taste 2024 will culminate in a final celebration on 10th September, the Golden Forks, at the Battersea Arts Centre in London. The event will see this year’s highest scoring products crowned the best in their region. Other awards will include a Golden Fork for Sustainability, another for Better Business and one for an Outstanding Bursary winner; as well as the Nigel Barden Heritage Award, the Guild’s Contribution to Food & Drink, and finally, the Great Taste 2024 Supreme Champion. Full Great Taste results are available at gff.co.uk/directory
“We do table service but pay-on-order. Customers prefer it this way, and it’s quicker. Also, our shop is designed so you can see every corner from wherever you are stood. I give £50 to any member of staff catching anybody stealing, or £100 if they catch a member of the team. “
“I am a fan of taking credit card details and deposits on booking. Alternatively customers can pay in advance at the counter or through an app. Layouts have a huge impact on behaviours; control entrance and exit points. There also needs to be protection for certain products; good looking casing that doesn’t ruin aesthetics and offers an opportunity for staff to upsell.”
STEFANO CUOMO, MACKNADE, KENT
Defra stats show declines in produce farming across the country in 2023
By Greg Pitcher
Fruit and vegetable production fell last year along with total farmed area and crop output, stark official data has revealed.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published a raft of foodproduction statistics over the summer months.
These showed that domestic production of vegetables dropped by almost 5% in 2023, with exports down more than a fifth and imports up less than 1%.
A wet spring meant little was planted or drilled on land with lighter soil, and made harvesting difficult, especially on heavier soils, according to Defra.
Meanwhile fruit production fell by more than a tenth. Raspberries showed some frost damage in April and yields were 7% lower than the prior year.
Waitrose gains market share
Waitrose has gained market share for the first time in over two years according to the latest data from Kantar.
The analyst’s supermarket share and inflation update showed that the upmarket grocer achieved a 0.1 percentage point rise to 4.5%, as sales increased by 3.3%.
It is the first time Waitrose has experienced an increase in its market share since January 2022 as owner the John Lewis Partnership found trading dif ficult.
Kantar’s data also showed that Ocado became the fastest growing grocer for the fif th month in a row, as its sales rose by 10.7% over the 12 weeks to 7th July.
A separate report indicated that the UK’s utilised agricultural area was down by more than 2% last year.
The area used for cereal crops dropped by a similar proportion. Cattle numbers fell as did the volume of pigs, sheep, lambs and poultry.
Crop output decreased by almost a tenth last year to £12bn. This was driven by a substantial fall in the value of wheat, barley and oilseed rape.
Other data showed the UK had under 500,000ha of organically farmed land,
down 2 % from 2022.
Gareth Morgan, head of farming and land use policy at the Soil Association, called for the new government to create an action plan for organic food production, and backed a land-use framework to boost farmed area.
“We’re a small country and, as Mark Twain said of land, they’re not making it any more,” he said.
“While we accept the need for more housing, we also need land for nature and food production, and a rush to build on the
DOWN ON THE FARM
After a lengthy planning process, family-run Bank Top Farm in Li ttleborough, Greater Manchester, has received permission to build a new farm shop and café. Thanks to huge local support, the Davies family will be upgrading from the tr ailer they currently use to sell their home-reared meat to a single-storey building designed to complement its protected green-belt se tting.
Green Belt before we have an effective framework for land use could cause irreparable harm.
“There is an urgent need to boost homegrown fruit and vegetable production.”
The National Farmers Union joined the British Retail Consortium, UK Hospitality and the Food and Drink Federation in writing to Keir Starmer and other political party leaders ahead of the election.
They warned that food supply chains had come under “severe strain” in recent times, leading to increased costs and “shortages” of some products.
“It would be foolhardy to assume that our food system will always withstand shocks, especially against the backdrop of increased geo-political instability and climate change,” added the letter.
IN BRIEF
FSA Chair Professor Susan Jebb is staying on in her role after ministers asked her to continue. She was due to end her threeyear term on 30th June but the timing of the election led to a temporary extension.
CRAVE won Small Brand of the Year and its gluten- and milk-free snack The Big Dipper was named Food Product of the Year at the Free From Food Awards. Gun Brewery’s Numb Angel Lager won the Drink Product of The Year.
Courier tracking app Rodeo says the UK’s on-demand grocery delivery channel is worth more than £2bn, with 80,000 deliveries made a year – mostly from supermarkets via ‘aggregators’, like Deliveroo and Just Eat.
A new farm shop, sustainable by name and nature, opened its doors at the end of March on the outskirts of Wootton Bassett. Sustain Farm Shop at Freckles Farm, selling locally sourced produce which it also uses in its café, is now entering the car boot business. Currently once a month, the farm shop is encouraging locals to reuse and recycle and join in with the latest sustainable initiative.
sustainfarmshop.co.uk
Third generation fruit farmers at Billington Farm, Stafford have submitted plans to create a farm shop, pickyour-own facility, café and children’s activity area. The 120-acre farm is currently devoted to growing wheat, st rawberries, raspberries, cherries and blueberries and it is hoped that inv iting families in to pick their own will benefit the farm and the local area.
Planning permission has been granted for a new farm shop and café adjacent to the Combe Garden Centre on Hayne Lane near Honiton.
Combe Farm Shop & Café will replace the existing shop in a nearby housing estate. The owners believe it of fers better access, will be more energy ef ficient, create more local jobs and a larger floor space will create an improved shopping ex perience. combeestate.com
Raspberries were among the crops in decline, with fruit production down by a tenth overall
The latest from farm shops across the country
guide to alternative sporting events
Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling dates back over six hundred years. The moment between devouring one of our Miller’s to the next often feels like a lifetime.
PUMPKIN REGATTA
Windsor Regatta replaced kayaks with giant hollowed-out pumpkins. Our Miller’s are so inventive that there is no substitution.
UNICYCLE HOCKEY
The Unicycle Hockey Championship is held biyearly, drawing mediocre crowds. Our Miller’s can be enjoyed all year round and will have them rushing through your doors.
A Winning Lineup Like No Other
Contains: 1 tray of Grate Britain Cheddar Buttercrumb Biscuits, 1 tray of Miller’s Harvest Three-Fruit Crackers and 1 tray of Elegant & English Apple & Custard Biscuits.
Notable south-west London delicatessen for sale in excellent location.
Turnover approx. £500k.
Would make a great addition to a small deli chain or would suit an individual or couple looking to run their own shop.
If you are genuinely interested email opportunities@gff.co.uk
IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...
ANDY HARRIS, owner, The Ealing Grocer, London
Ealing Grocer is essentially the third chapter of my working life. For many years I was a food & travel writer and magazine editor, running titles such as Vogue Entertaining in Australia and Taste in America before creating Jamie magazine in 2008.
By 2016, I was ready for a change. I had a passion for vinegar and, when I returned to the UK, I noticed there were no decent vinegars in the shops. I wanted to educate people, so I went round Europe picking all my favourites and, in 2017, launched Vinegar Shed.
During the pandemic, I would drive around London on my Vespa to pick up items from my favourite food stores. It struck me that Ealing lacked a good neighbourhood store. In November 2020, my wife Katie and I opened Ealing Grocer.
At that time, Brexit hadn’t happened so I was able to source charcuterie, saucissons and pâtés that filled the shop with wonderful smells. It was an inviting experience that made people feel as though they were in France or Italy.
Three years on, working with producers overseas has become more complicated, but the shop is still full of items curated by me, and the ethos is all about getting people enthused and excited.
Fruit and veg is our biggest seller, accounting for 50% of the business. I think the key is making people realise that they get far better value from amazing produce – that they are going to get so much more out of one Amalfi lemon than a bag of waxed lemons from the supermarket.
My background and food knowledge helps as I can introduce people to new products and explain what to do with them. Take puntarelle, a type of chicory loved by all Romans. We sell the cutter to shred it and all the ingredients to make a dressing for it.
We have built up an extremely loyal following. I post a weekly video on Instagram about what’s in, and customers watch that religiously. Some come in and buy everything that is featured.
There’s no wastage because we cook with it. We have also invested heavily in fridges and air conditioning to keep everything in pristine condition. In the early days when we didn’t have the right refrigeration, things would go off. That’s just one of the challenges of running a neighbourhood shop, but there are so many.
I’ve been asked by a lot of people to open shops elsewhere. It is something I’d like to do but it would need investment from partners. I’ve sunk my life savings into this and am not prepared to risk it at the moment.
Interview Lynda Searby
Photography Isabelle Plasschaert
NOT SURE THEY’RE called ‘New Labour’ anymore. I think that was the creation of an erstwhile spin doctor. But we do have a new Labour Government, and you get the feeling that any sort of change is a good thing for all of us in food & drink.
The day-to-day political cogs stopped spinning in the sixweek run-up to the election and that meant that any pressure the Guild wanted to apply about friction at borders, business rates inequality, lack of affordable SME investment and the concern around the minimum wage was shelved. Shelved or put in the “pending” tray?
We may be preparing for a new establishment, but in late July we
TRAIN YOUR TEAM
For retailers with a cheese counter, there are just two opportunities to attend our interactive, one day Retail Cheese courses this year Book your place today and join us in London or Dorset. gff.co.uk/training
WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2024
Preparations for the World Cheese Awards 2024 are in full swing as we prepare to head to Viseu, Portugal in November. Entry is open until 16 September, to find out more visit gfff.co.uk/worldcheese
View from HQ
FFD’s publisher and Guild of Fine Food managing director John Farrand has his say
reflected upon an old one. The inspiration, creativity and hard work of William Tullberg were highlighted in a memorial service, following his death aged 91. The compelling story of the Wiltshirebased mustard-maker played second fiddle only to the tales of a thoroughly decent man, in both his personal and village life. Without unduly popping on the rosetinted specs, I do wonder whether stories of food architects such as Tracklements’ founder will ever be told again.
William’s story should be the stuff of the gentle, intelligent slot on BBC2 on a Tuesday evening. Think Detectorists. He was originally a marketing man who rejected a corporate life with a meat promotion body to make darn good mustard. Devising the recipe and creating the accompaniment in his kitchen with quality ingredients, penning the labels with panache (William’s crafted calligraphy font is still on jars today) and then affixing them himself, before selling to independent retailers locally.
It grew gently, gathering pace gently, with other products introduced to the range gradually. From its beginning in the early 1970s, Tracklements became a deli essential and is still run by William’s son Guy and his dedicated team. Less gently now, perhaps, but still with care, attention and with consideration to independent retailers. William insisted production was in-house
Will Sir Keir be bothered about the outside of our jars, by acting on the findings of the Fairer Food Labelling consultation?
and understood that what was in the jar was as important as what was on the outside of it.
Will Sir Keir be bothered about the outside of our jars by acting on the findings of the Fairer Food Labelling consultation? There’s not much in the manifesto about food and farming but at our first Town Hall meeting since the shift from blue to red, the committee mused and discussed the relevant elements of Labour’s Plan for Small Business. What did we pick out from the Plan? The very same threads we had put on hold back in May. Business rates, facilitating simpler imports and exports, managing staff shortages and pay, and boosting small businesses through favourable finance.
The cogs are now beginning to whirr. The civil servants have started emailing again and we want to ensure that these pledges are pledged. Remember to have your say; we have a new regime that needs to understand we prefer some of the ways, techniques and values of William’s regime.
The Word on Westminster
By Edward Woodall Association of Convenience Stores
THE NEW LABOUR Government is embracing its electoral mandate and rightly so, but no government’s honeymoon period lasts for long.
It has already signalled that tough choices need to be made requiring the ruffling of feathers to build houses, infrastructure and deliver growth. The next key milestone for me is to see what the new Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, presents to Parliament before the summer recess. This will lay the ground for the Autumn Budget where we hear what choices the Government will make on raising taxes – something it remained so vague on during the election.
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have always talked about their time in government as a decade of renewal. The King’s
Speech revealed some of the building blocks of that – planning reform, devolution and changes to employment rights. These interventions will take time to deliver and to realise the impact on their overall mission for growth. But the new legislative agenda included measures that will have quicker and more overt impacts, especially in relation to public health interventions and labour costs. This is important, because if you want a decade of renewal you must achieve something in the first five years. Very soon we expect the Low Pay Commission to establish a new remit for setting wage rates to deliver a “genuine living wage” reflecting the cost of living. This will no doubt have welcome impacts on pay packets, but it will also raise challenges for retail businesses about their operating models. We will also see a ban on energy drinks to under 16s and advertising restrictions on
HFSS products. There will be big implications for food businesses up and down the supply chain – new labelling requirements, reformulation, revised marketing and workforce strategies. My message to the new Government is work with industry to deliver against these objectives. When “Mission Boards” are established we need businesses represented on them. On employment reforms, the food retail market delivers secure and flexible employment so we should support policies which enhance that. On tackling the obesity crisis, we know how our customers respond to new product development and marketing – lets bring that knowledge to the table so we have balanced regulations that deliver for industry and consumers.
Edward Woodall is government relations director at the ACS edward.woodall@acs.org.uk
PERHAPS IT’S THE thrill of anonymity, but I’m quite enjoying voicing unpopular opinions in my little corner of this magazine. There are quite a few topics I would only talk about with other retailers over a pint – out of earshot of customers.
This month, I’m going to tackle the “zero waste” trend and whether it’s a profitable endeavour for a small retailer in 2024.
Recently, we stopped selling dried products – such as pasta, rice and lentils – from zero waste dispensers. We replaced the contents with a dog treat pick n mix, on recommendation from another rural retailer. I have to say it was a popular and economically wise decision, even if it doesn’t help me sleep at night.
In 2019, you couldn’t walk around a trade show without tripping over companies selling zero waste dispensers. They were touted as the next big
Retail eye
thing: customers wanted to bring their own containers and change the world. It was named the Blue Planet effect, and David Attenborough was lorded as the messiah of the green movement. Along with many other indies, we measured up a space and invested in installing some. We also had ‘help yourself’ olive bowls, a refillable rapeseed oil drum and dispensers for cleaning products.
In 2019, you couldn’t walk around a trade show without tripping over zerowaste dispensers.
For over 10 years we had a free run at Stockbridge, where we’d set up our deli-bistro Thyme & Tides, but in the last couple of years there have been more been more traders setting up in the town and I wanted to differentiate and diversify.
I’d actually been looking at this site near Salisbury for a while. Every time we drove past, I’d say to my wife “I reckon I could really do something with that”. It got to the point where she said to me one day: “Will you just shut up and get on with it.”
There have been some great examples of roadside retailing recently but there was nothing on this part of the A30 and I thought it would be exciting to convert an old Little Chef site.
We kept going with the original Thyme & Tides deli-bistro in Stockbridge while setting up this second shop under the same moniker in spring 2022.
But very quickly the new site was becoming
Customers used them, loving the fact that our shop was as sustainable as possible. I loved talking about the success of our sustainable initiatives.
Then came March 2020 came. Understandably, no one wanted open displays of anything. Do you remember when people were spraying their shopping bags and disinfecting their produce? Many coffee chains banned reusable cups, and all those discarded disposable gloves and masks will have a lasting impact on the environment for years to come.
Post-Covid though, customers were back on the zero waste bandwagon, right? Not in our shop. Blame cost of living, or a return to convenience, but the sales didn’t pick back up. Earlier this year, we bit the bullet and put in our dog treat pick and mix.
We still sell dried goods in glass jars for people to fill their own containers, and we still have the cleaning products, but they don’t sell in the same way. I’ve seen many dispensers for sale second hand, and you rarely see them at trade shows these days.
As a retailer, we can only keep products on the shelves if there is customer demand, or we won’t be here to sell them. That is the bottom line. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE?
fruitful and growing faster than we had thought, so it was always going to need our undivided attention.
That’s when we asked our management team, David and Neringa, whether they would like to take Thyme & Tides over.
It was a huge thing for us to decide to sell up the original location. 15 years ago, we took a complete gamble and put literally everything of ours on the line to open up. The place has a very loyal customer base and we traded all the way through Covid, so it was very emotional towards the end. The beautiful thing is that it’s going to continue in the same vein under people who love the business.
Because of the sale, it made sense to rebrand and stand on our own two feet at Firsdown. The switchover to becoming Salt Deli Kitchen has prompted a few questions from existing customers but we’re getting lots of brand-new footfall too.
We’ve got exciting plans for the site, with our new takeaway deli counter and especially our Salt Market which we’ll be running monthly from August with lots of our suppliers sampling their products in our new outside heated covered space.
It’s exciting to be solely focussed on this shop and a fresh challenge. Why not keep an eye on our exciting developments on Instagram?
@saltdeli
Read more on page 6
Source: Defra
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gff.co.uk/join There was a 5% decline in domestic production of vegetables in the UK in 2023. Meanwhile imports of vegetables only rose by 1%. Fruit production fell by more than 10%
Offering best in class quality artisanal cheese and fine foods to Independent Retailers.
New providers stepping in to bolster dwindling cheesemaking courses
By Patrick McGuigan
Artisan cheesemakers are struggling to find the technical support and knowledge they need due to a lack of specialist courses and consultants in the UK.
Members of the Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association (SCA) and the Academy of Cheese met earlier this year to discuss the problem, which stems from losing a generation of knowledge during the decline of farmhouse cheesemaking after the second world war. The meeting has led to initial plans to mentor cheese technologists who can offer consultancy.
The Courtyard Dairy in Settle has also launched the Northern Dairy Cheese School, which will run hands-on seminars to explore technical and practical aspects of cheesemaking twice a year at the shop’s in-house dairy. The findings will be shared online for other cheesemakers to access. The first class in September will focus on farmhouse Wensleydale.
“France has centres of excellence and colleges dedicated to cheesemaking, but we can’t build that overnight, so this is a starting point,” said Courtyard owner Andy Swinscoe. “There aren’t enough technical experts out there and
we need new cheesemakers to come through and be given practical support.”
There are currently no regular cheesemaking courses for artisan producers at agricultural colleges in the UK, while the School of Artisan Food only offers a handful of professional courses a year. There is also a shortage of technical expertise, with cheese consultants Paul Thomas and Ivan Larcher – who advise many small producers – both currently based overseas.
The Academy of Cheese hopes to help close some of the knowledge gap with the launch of two new cheesemaking modules, written by Thomas, as part of its Level 3 certification, while cheesemaker and consultant Katy Fenwick, also
NEWS IN BRIEF
Stichelton has been named the UK’s best raw milk cheese after it won the James Aldridge Memorial Trophy at this year’s Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association farm visit. Sinodun Hill goats’ cheese was named Best Artisan Cheese.
The Newt Estate in Somerset has opened a cheese dairy at Castle Cary Station. The Creamery, which is housed in a restored milk factory, along with a restaurant and shop, produces mozzarella using buffalo milk from the Estate’s own herd, plus fetaand halloumi-style cheeses.
A blue Stilton from Long Clawson Dairy in Melton Mowbray was named Supreme Champion at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards in June.
the technical director for the Academy, is starting to provide more technical support for cheesemakers. She previously worked for Jasper Hill in the US and the School of Artisan Food, and is co-organising the new school at Courtyard.
“There is a huge gap to be filled,” she said. “There’s a need for at least three or four specialist cheesemaking consultants, which would really help artisan cheesemakers go to the next level. It’s one thing following a recipe for a cheese, and another understanding what’s happening in the vat and the maturing room so you can adapt to situations as they change.”
thecourtyarddairy.co.uk fenwickcheeseconsulting. com
Shepherds Purse had two reasons to celebrate last month: its 35th anniversary, and being named Supreme Champion at the Great Yorkshire Show’s cheese awards. Its newly launched Organic Yorkshire Blue cheese, made with milk from Acorn Organic Dairies, took the top title at the Harrogate show, where the business was first launched in 1989 by the late Judy Bell. Thirsk-based Shepherds Purse is today run by her daughters Caroline Bell and Katie Matten (pictured front left and right with team).
THREE WAYS WITH...
…Waterloo
A modern classic, Waterloo is made by Village Maid Cheese in Berkshire using thermised Guernsey milk, which gives the interior a golden glow. Produced in 180g and 750g rounds, the mouldripened cheese is made using the washed curd method so is less sharp than Brie and Camembert. The texture is soft and bulging with buttery, lactic flavours and an earthy finish.
Cranberry, Port & Orange Sauce
Extra creamy Guernsey milk gives Waterloo a wonderfully thick, mouth-coating character, which calls for a condiment with spice (like chilli jam) or racy acidity to pierce the buttery richness. Step forward Tracklements’ Cranberry, Port & Orange Sauce, which is made with whole cranberries and has a refreshing tartness.
Water biscuits
Smaller format Waterloos are perfect for baking whole in the oven, but it takes a sturdy cracker to dip into molten cheese. Paxton & Whitfield has recently listed Popti water biscuits which are perfect for the job. The small robust rectangles have a slight bow to them, which make them ideal for scooping gooey cheese. They have quite a neutral buttery flavour too, allowing the cheese to take centre stage.
Grüner Veltliner
White wines with acidity are often a good option for brie-style cheeses, helping to cut through the goo. Grüner Veltliner – a grape variety from Austria – is a particularly good option with Waterloo. There’s plenty of citrus and green apple freshness, but it also has peppery, spicy notes that lean in to the earthy, mushroom flavours around the rind in a very pleasing way.
Consultant Katy Fenwick is running new courses with the Academy of Cheese
CHEESE
Just four Stilton-makers left with Tuxford & Tebbutt set to close
By Patrick McGuigan
The number of dairies left making blue Stilton is set to slip to just four, after it was announced that the historic Tuxford & Tebbutt creamery in Melton Mowbray would be closing.
Parent company Arla announced that it planned to shut down the Leicestershire site, which employs 56 people and has been in operation since 1780, following a six-month strategic review prompted by a decline in speciality cheese sales.
The company will now enter a period of consultation with staff as part of the planned closure, said Arla VP of production, Fran Ball.
Tuxford & Tebbutt will be the second Stilton maker to stop production in the past four years, following the closure of the 150-year-old family business Webster’s Dairy in Leicestershire in 2020.
That will leave just four blue Stilton-makers left in the UK: Clawson in Leicestershire, Hartington in Derbyshire, and
Fosse Way
Fleece
What’s the story?
The Somerset Cheese Company is a collaboration of three specialist cheesemakers with over 40 years of cheesemaking experience. Philip Rainbow and Anita Robinson worked together at a Somerset dairy where Philip was the head cheesemaker and Anita was his assistant.
They combined their talents, along with Anita’s husband Nick’s business knowledge, to form the
Cropwell Bishop and Colston Bassett in Nottinghamshire.
Matthew O’Callaghan, organiser of the Melton Mowbray Artisan Cheese Awards, said sales of Stilton had suffered in recent years because of its reliance on sales at Christmas. “Tastes have changed with people moving away from the traditional Christmas dinner,” he said.
Arla would not say whether it would continue to use the Tuxford & Tebbutt brand, but confirmed it would not
Somerset Cheese Company.
They now make a range of cheeses using high quality cows’, sheep’s, goats’ and buffalo milks sourced from farms local to their dairy in the village of Ditcheat.
Fosse Way
Fleece is a ewes’ milk cheese named after the old Roman ‘Fosse Way Road’ that runs close to the dairy. It is made with pasteurised milk from a local flock of Friesian crossed with Old Polle Dorset sheep.
How is it Made?
be making Stilton in another dairy. Under the terms of the blue cheese’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), it must be made in Leicestershire, Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire, but Arla does not have another cheesemaking facility in any of these counties.
Earlier this year farmerowned co-operative Arla announced it planned to invest £300m in five of its production sites in the UK, including cheese facilities in Taw Valley and Lockerbie.
Made in a similar way to cheddar, after starter cultures and vegetarian rennet are added, the curd is cut into small hazelnut-
sized pieces, before being scalded at around 36°C and the whey drained. The curds are then cheddared in the vat, before milling, salting, moulding and pressing for up to 15 hours. It is left to age for between 6 and 12 months.
BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE
Stephen Fleming, owner George & Joseph, Leeds
There’s more to being a cheesemonger than just selling cheese, as Stephen Fleming’s retail skills go to show.
He has several cross-selling and promotional tricks up his sleeve to keep the cash register ringing, including ‘Sample Saturdays’, which involves a staff member offering a cheese-cracker-chutney combination for customers to try. “I’d say we double sales of all three things when we do it,” says Fleming.
Another popular promotion is a bottle of wine for half price, if customers spend £20. “People will add extra few items to their order to get there, and we still make a small margin on the wine,” he says.
He also runs exclusive offers for his mailing list customers, most notably offering 40% off gift vouchers on Black Friday. “We got several thousand pounds worth of sales in one go, which was great for cash flow,” he explains. “It’s a big discount, but most people spend more than the value of the voucher when they come in and a good percentage of vouchers are never actually used at all.” georgeandjoseph.co.uk
Appearance & texture:
Beneath the pale, natural rind, Fosse Way
Fleece is hard, yet smooth and silky in appearance. With a clean, fresh yoghurty taste that is mellow and sweet, even slightly fudgy, its flavours develop an earthiness towards the rind.
Variations: Made in 2kg and 3.5kg wheels.
Cheesemonger tip:
This is a great introductory cheese for those that have
not tried sheep’s milk cheese before. Serve Fosse Way Fleece with natural crispbreads, slices of fresh pear and a chilled dry perry so you won;t to overpower the delicate flavour of the cheese.
Chef’s recommendation: Its mellow flavours are the perfect canvas for tart fruits such as blackberry and gooseberry and can be used for cooking as a British alternative in place of a Pecorino or young Manchego.
A versatile cheese for drink pairings, Fosse Way Fleece works well with oaked and off-dry white wines and juicy reds, but is also a natural match for craft ale and cider.
Owner Arla decided to shut down the Melton Mowbray dairy
Back from the brink
Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses has quite literally risen from the ashes after a devastating fire at its Lancashire premises last November
By Patrick McGuigan
ON 6TH NOVEMBER last year, Matthew Hall stood with his family and watched their office, packing and maturation site burn to the ground. The cause of the blaze at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses’ 65,000sq ft site in Longridge, near Preston, has never been determined. But it was so ferocious that it took a week to put it out. There was certainly no hope for hundreds of tonnes of cheese destined for Christmas cheeseboards.
“It’s a date that is forever etched in my memory,” says Hall. “But we had to just get on with it. We knew milk would be coming into the dairy from farms in just a few hours, so that was our focus.”
Butlers’ dairy at Wilson Fields Farm in Inglewhite, six miles from the blaze, became the centre of a crisis response that focused production on soft cheeses, and swiftly erecting a 6,000sq ft temporary packing and maturation site. With Herculean efforts from staff and a groundswell of public support, Christmas was saved.
The business is now planning a new facility. “This is a generational investment and what’s front and centre in our minds is, what does the farming community and British cheese look like in 10 or 20 years?” says Hall.
Matthew Hall, who heads up sales and marketing, and his brother Daniel (operations director) are the fourth generation to run the business, which started in 1932. Their grandmother Jean Butler first made cheese in 1969, before her daughter Gill Hall and husband Colin (Matthew and Daniel’s parents)
took over and moved into soft cheese in 2004 with the launch of Blacksticks – a pioneering Continental-style blue.
The business makes around 1,500 tonnes of cows’, sheep’s and goats’ cheese a year, using milk from 10 local farms, including its own, and supplies most of the major multiples. But independents still account for 20% of sales, which was part of the reason for acquiring Hampshire Cheese Company. Rather than trying to get Tunworth and Winslade on supermarket shelves, the plan is to get wider distribution in delis through an online ordering portal, which is in development.
“That’s where the synergy between Hampshire and ourselves comes in. If you can grab a blue cheese whilst you’re ordering Tunworth or Kidderton Ash goat’s log or Sunday Best Lancashire, then that makes the experience more logical because we can fulfil more of your deli counter needs.”
Of course, some indie retailers might be reluctant to stock brands that are available in supermarkets, often at cheaper prices, but Hall argues that the public expect to pay a little more in return for the experience of shopping in a farm shop or deli. He adds that cheesemongers can also ripen softs and blues in a way supermarkets cannot.
“Blacksticks is a great example of a cheese that straddles the gap between independent spaces and the supermarket,” he says. “It manages that through consistency of quality.”
How to build sales with independents and what happens next with Tunworth are all considerations in designing and building the new site, which should be completed next year.
“It’s been tough, there’s no two ways about it,” he says. “But we’re rooted in this farming community which is really powerful. The nature of farming is if you get hit, you get back up again.”
butlerscheeses.co.uk
The nature of farming is if you get hit, you get back up again
Sunday Best Lancashire
Butlers makes cheeses from a variety of milks, including Button Mill, Kidderton Ash and Blacksticks. It also bought Parlick sheep’s cheese from Singletons in 2022, and owns Tunworth and Winslade after acquiring Hampshire Cheeses this year. Its flagship cheese is Sunday Best Lancashire, which was first made by Jean Butler in 1969.
Sunday Best is pasteurised and vegetarian, and is made by mixing curd from two different days. Creamy Lancashire is aged for three months and has a lactic, buttery flavour Sunday Best is a Tasty Lancashire, aged for 12-18 months, resulting in a more savoury flavour.
Stocks of the cheese have been rebuilt and will be ready in the autumn. The 20kg cloth-bound wheels can be supplied whole or in 1.2-1.5kg cutting wedges. 250g prepacked wedges feature a green ribbon, inspired by the chief grader attaching green ribbons to the best batches.
Kentish Handmade Cheese
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
Five advantages of Swiss flower meadow raw milk cheese...
1. FRESH
Every batch of flower meadow cheese starts with fresh, high-quality raw milk from happy cows grazing on lush green meadows. This pasture milk is processed immediately after milking to preserve its natural freshness and precious nutrients.
Great care is taken to ensure that the milk reaches our cheese production in the shortest possible time to ensure that you can taste nature’s bounty in every bite.
2. NATURALLY
Flower meadow cheese from Switzerland is made without artificial additives or preservatives. Nature provides everything a good cheese needs and this is utilised in its purest form.
Gentle processes are used to preserve the natural structure and flavour of the raw milk, so that each cheese reflects the uniqueness of the region from which it originates.
3. PURE AND UNADULTERATED
Perfection lies in simplicity. Flower meadow cheese is minimally processed. Without microfiltration or bacto joints, the milk remains almost as it comes from the cows’ udders.
Careful filtering and partial skimming preserves the valuable lactic acid bacteria and trace elements that ensure the authentic flavour and unique health benefits of raw milk cheese.
4. MAXIMUM FLAVOUR FOR YOUR HEALTH
Every bite of flower meadow cheese is a feast for the senses. The full, natural flavour of the
milk, combined with the aromas of the flower meadows, delivers an incomparable taste experience. But it’s not just enjoyment that takes centre stage - your health benefits too. The gentle production process preserves valuable nutrients such as calcium, proteins and vitamins found in nature.
Raw milk contains natural macrobiotics (bacteria) that are lost during the production of pasteurised industrial cheese. With raw milk cheese, the milk is treated as little as possible and the natural lactic acid bacteria, which are important for our microbiota (digestion), are preserved and you can feel it.
FROM AFFINEUR WALO:
• Red Wine Farmer Cheese
• Red Nose, Gold Label
• Red Wine Raclette
• Cheese with Wild garlic
• Lion cheese from Tougovia
• Jura Mountain Cheese
• Le Gruyere extra
FROM DAIRY GABRIEL
• Stärnächäs
• Gallus
FROM L’ANTOINE THE CHEESE ARTIST:
• Antoine, mature
• Antoine RacletteAnt
• Antoine creamy-tasty
• Antoine Alpage 12 month
• Antoine Alpage 36 month
5. YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
By enjoying flower meadow cheese, you are not only supporting your own health, but also sustainable agriculture.
Swiss dairy farmers are committed to sustainable pasture farming and speciesappropriate animal husbandry. In this way, you are helping to conserve our planet’s natural resources, preserve biodiversity and ensure that animals are kept in a species-appropriate manner
CONCLUSION
Flower meadow cheese is more than just a food; it is a statement for natural purity and traditional enjoyment, cheese enjoyment in its purest form.
Affineur Walo’s family has been refining Swiss flower meadow cheese with natural raw milk for 6 generations. Their range currently includes some 14 different cheeses [see box].
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IN BRIEF
Caribbean-inspired soft drinks brand OTC Beverages is entering the fold with three flavours: Finger, Blue Butterfly Pea Flower and Sorrel, all made with organic ingredients.
RRP £2.50 per 330ml, glass bottle. otcbeverages.com
Juno Bamboo Water wants to get its cans into more shops after launching in Selfridges. Bamboo is said to be packed with vitamins and essential minerals and the farming process makes it ideal for healthand environmentconscious consumers. Juno currently has three lines: Juicy Mango, Zesty Yuzu and Passion Fruit. RRP £2.15. bamboo-water.com
Cornwall’s Firebrand Brewing Co. is expanding its range of IPAs with one it says embodies the vibrant spirit of summer.
‘Sumerleaze Beach’ is a 4% ABV hazy and golden beer, brewed with a pale malt base and hopped with a blend of Citra and Nectaron, giving it notes of lemon and citrus. The gluten-free, veganfriendly cans come in 440ml. RRP £3.60. firebrandbrewing. co.uk
Aluna Rum promises a life less sweet with range of spirits and liqueurs
By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox
Flavoured rum needn't be cloyingly sweet, and there is room for at least one more spiced rum on the market, as drinks brand Aluna Rum has set out to prove.
Co-founders Heather Graham and Guy Ritchie are both veterans of the industry; Graham worked in marketing for United Distillers, Pernod Ricard and William Grant, and Ritchie was doing some work for William Grant as a copywriter when they met, and subsequently decided to start their own drinks company.
Though a known brand of white coconut rum was a nostalgic icon, the pair saw a gap in the market for a more sophisticated version.
“What we could see is that there were a number of product categories that weren’t really fit for purpose,” Graham told FFD. “Consumer habits were changing, and the sweet sickly stuff people enjoyed in the last century were products that were just less relevant.”
In contrast, Aluna’s is made with coconut extract, coconut water and a fraction of the sugar content.
Faced with the reality
of how seasonal a product it is, however, they also introduced liqueurs with it as a base: a Peach & Pomelo flavour and a Coconut Coffee one. These are still sweet, but designed for cocktails like Spritzes and Espresso Martinis, and Affogatos in restaurants.
“You have to be 100g a litre to be a liqueur. We’re just over that; but you’re not getting the usual 250g. You’re getting a much drier experience.” Graham added that although the market is saturated, the product “creates a niche in a niche category.”
Aluna’s latest product is a spiced rum – which again was developed to be distinctive from other products on the market. It blends Sri Lankan and Caribbean (specifically
from Trinidad) rums, and doesn’t have heady notes of vanilla, cloves, ginger and almond characteristic of many spiced rums. It is made with pandan, spiced pineapple, galangal and lemongrass.
“We’ve taken the flavour values that are more prevalent in South-East Asia,” said Graham. Pandan, for its grassy, popcorn notes, and spiced pineapple, “because it is familiar and universally appeals.”
“Then added the nuanced layers of galangal, rather than just straightforward ginger, and some lemongrass. Those give it spice, and heat.”
“We feel it’s really delicious, completely different from drinking a more conventional spiced rum from the Caribbean, and eminently versatile.”
With the rum industry
Entries into the WineGB Awards hit a record high this year, with more than 350 medals awarded to wines produced in England and Wales. The judging panel, which included Oz Clarke OBE and Corner & Barrow’s Rebecca Palmer, lauded the success of a wide array of grape varietals – with the first gold ever given to a wine made from Solaris and an orange wine Vermouth made using Reichensteiner, Solaris, and Bacchus – and wine styles, which included a multi-vintage still wine, use of oak in various formats, low and no dosage sparkling wines made according to a variety of methods, skin contact still wines, and solera system blending; as well as geographic spread, with winners spread across 33 counties (28 in England, 5 in Wales). The full list of medal winners is available at winegb.co.uk
being fraught with issues with regards to sustainability and human rights, Aluna only works with Bonsucro accredited sugar cane producers, and is a 1% for the Planet member, donating to Marine Diaries.
Packaging is made with recycled labels, closures are cork and wood.
“The only bit of plastic we use is a tiny seal on the top, which we're still looking to see if we can replace with a seaweed cellulose seal ,” said Graham. “So we're evaluating that.”
“We all know that we need to value engineer our products so that they make a margin and money for people, but, we always do the very best we can.”
With listings in Harvey Nichols, on Ocado and in restaurants, including Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat and The Ivy Asia, as well as more casual outlets like The Giggling Squid, the speciality market is a primary focus for Aluna.
“There’s a charm with a product like ours being in the independent trade, we feel at feel at home there.”
Aluna is available via Mangrove, with an RRP of £26 for the Coconut Rum and £32 for the Tropica. alunacoconut.com
Chapel Down shines in Decanter World Wine Awards
Decanter has published the results of its World Wine Awards 2024. Among the 18,148 wines blind tasted by the judges, 50 were given a Best in Show medal, while 643 received a Gold, 5,977 a Silver and 8,016 a Bronze medal. The UK achieved its highest medal count yet, including a first-ever Best in Show for English sparkling rosé, awarded to Kent’s Chapel Down Rosé NV. France had the most Best in Show wines – three from Burgundy, including a Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru 2022 from Château De Fuissé; and three from Champagne. Two wines from Beaujolais were named Best in Show, setting a new record for the region which has only ever received one once, in 2020. France was followed by Australia in the Best in Show rankings, who received eight – including the 2014 Bin 9000 Semillon from McGuigan in the Hunter Valley.
Britain is our biggest customer when it comes to bakery. Whether you’re craving a nostalgic afternoon tea or lunch-to-go, let us tempt you. We have all the griddle breads, scones, pancakes and traybakes you’d expect, perfect to enjoy with rich, creamy Abernethy butter or award-winning Dromona cheddar. Or how about sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, (Oh!) donuts and Biscakes? And we can make it gluten-free, so there’s something for everyone. Scrumptious. For more information on Northern Ireland’s wide range of quality and innovative bakery products, contact Michelle Charrington E: michelle.charrington@investni.com Soda farls, potato bread, Nutty Krust, Fifteens, Veda, butterfly buns, Joeys. Speaking your language?
FOCUS ON christmas
Get your festive game on
It may be the height of summer, but now is the time to be thinking about your Christmas orders. Preparedness is the key to success, and our guide is here to help.
Compiled by Lynda Searby
Roots & Wings’ new confectionery collection features fudge, chocolate bars and dark chocolate coated crystallised ginger and orange peel. The Clotted Cream and Sea Salt fudge (RRP £8.99) are made in traditional copper pans in the West Country, and the chocolate bars are handmade using organic fair traid cocoa beans from agro-forested farms in Peru (RRP £5.50) rootsandwingsorganic. com
Volcanic chocolate brand Firetree has after-dinner treats covered with its new Chocolate Thins, which can be paired with coffee, whisky or wine. There are four varieties, made with cocoa sourced from three volcanic islands: Soloman Islands, Malekula Island and Mindanao Island. RRP £18; trade price £9 for 150g (25 thins). firetreechocolate.com
Made for Drink has collaborated with Brancott Estate Wines to develop two crisp flavours for impressing white-wine drinking guests this Christmas. The Chilli & Lemon and Pickled Onion crisps are both designed for pairing with Sauvignon Blanc. RRP £3 for 125g. madefordrink.com
The Carved Angel has created a celebratory take on the traditional Christmas dessert. Launching in September, the Plymouth producer’s Champagne Christmas Pudding blends vine fruits and spices with Champagne. It comes in three sizes: 120g, 454g and 908g. thecarvedangel.com
Crisp acidity and delicate effervescence
Targeting the growing number of revellers who prefer their bubbles boozefree, Wednesday’s Domaine’s new alcoholfree Eclat is a Verdejobased sparkling white that is said to excel in fizz and flavour. With acidic citrus notes and hints of elderflower and ginger, it balances hearty festive dishes.
“Eclat is our tribute to inclusivity, allowing everyone to join in the festive celebrations with a glass of exceptional fizz,” says Luke Hemsley, founder of Wednesday’s Domaine. RRP £19. wednesdaysdomaine. com
Booja-Booja says its new Chocolate Wonders (RRP £2.99 for a 65g bag) will make great stocking fillers. As always, they are organic, dairyfree, gluten-free, soya-free and vegan. There are four flavours to choose from: Hazelnut, Cookie Dough, Salted Caramel and Raspberry Scrunch. boojabooja.com
Blanco Niño’s Blue Corn tortilla chips provide a talking point at parties, but with a Great Taste 2-star to their name, they are more than a novelty. The Tipperary tortilleria makes its tortilla chips using an ancient Aztec method known as nixtamalisation that takes three days from start to finish. Besides Blue Corn, there are four white corn varieties in the lineup. RRP £2.90 for 170g. blanco-nino.com
Spice Kitchen’s Middle Eastern & African Spice Tin is billed as the perfect gift for anyone whose bookshelves are filled with authors such as Claudia Roden, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sabrina Ghayour. It is filled with foundational spices for cooking tagines, kofte, soups and kebabs, and comes wrapped in a sari. The range also includes Chilli, Indian, World and Gin Botanicals tins. RRP £35; trade price £21.30. spicekitchenuk.com
This waxed santa hat from Preston cheesemaker and wholesaler Carron Lodge is filled with Grandma Singletons Tasty Lancashire, making it a novel centrepiece for a Christmas cheeseboard. Tasty Lancashire combines an intensely strong dark flavour with a smooth, buttery texture. carronlodge.com
Jing Tea’s Jasmine Pearls Sparkling Tea is pitched as an alcohol-free and calorie-free alternative to Champagne for toasting this Christmas. Single garden green tea is infused with jasmine blossom, resulting in a floral aroma, green tea depth, subtle fruit notes and a dry texture. RRP £22.10 for 740ml.
jingtea.com
The Fresh Pasta Company has teamed up with Italian bakery Infermentum to bring a panettone range to the UK trade. Made in Italy using a daily-fed starter, Infermentum’s panettone is said to have a rich, moist texture. The candied fruit is made using the French method with only water and sugar, a natural preservation method that results in a clean ingredient label. thefreshpastacompany. co.uk
Notting Hill-based artisan chocolate maker Melt has captured the Scandinavian ‘hygge’ sentiment with its plastic-free log cabin advent calendar. There is a handmade chocolate in each room of the mountainside retreat. RRP £79.99 (wholesale £47.99). meltchocolates.com
This Whiskey Cocktail Kit, developed by Burren Balsamics in collaboration with Bushmills whiskey distillery, offers a gifting idea for drinks lovers (RRP £23). The tin holds a selection of artisan cocktail ingredients curated by the Irish producer, including Irish Peat Smoked White Condiment, balsamic sugar, and dried lemon, lime and orange slices. They are designed to be mixed with Bushmills Whiskey to create cocktails with the “distinct smoky, fresh flavour of Ireland”.
Another foodie gift to come out of the collaboration is a Balsamic Vinegar of Modena matured in Bushmills whiskey barrels. With an RRP of £30, this aged balsamic features notes of smoke, caramel and oak. burrenbalsamics.com
Pigs in blanket ice cream
No hogs are harmed in the making of Yorvale’s Pigs in Blankets Ice Cream, which returns this Christmas for a second season, giving cafés a festive dessert option that is sure to be a talking point with customers. The vegetarian ice cream starts with a nonflavoured base, made with milk from the York producer’s Friesian herd. An all-natural savoury flavouring builds a smoky pork profile without any meat, and to finish, the ice cream is rippled with maple syrup. It comes in a 5l tub for scooping. yorvale.co.uk
JD’s has brought its bestselling condiments together in a gift set for chilli heads.
The Hot Collection features the brand’s Original jalapeño, Xxtra habanero and Smoked chipotle infused Hot Honey, alongside green jalapeño and red aleppo Hot Flakes in mini lever tins. jdshothoney.com
With an RRP of £9.50, this budget-friendly nine mini jar pack, new from Tracklements, is expected to be a popular host gift over the party season. There is something for every taste, with Country Garden Chutney, Sticky Fig Relish, Caramelised Onion Marmalade, Spiced Honey Mustard and Tomato & Chilli Chutney all featuring in the collection. tracklements.co.uk
Islands Chocolate’s 55% Dark Chocolate Flakes can be used to make hot chocolate, mocha or go into desserts, making them a versatile gifting idea. Crafted from singleorigin Caribbean cocoa, the vegan flakes are said to bring intense flavour to any culinary creation, with a taste profile described as balanced and robust with notes of caramel, zesty orange and creamy nuttiness. RRP £8.95 for 200g. islandschocolate.com
Lancashire sweet-maker Stockley’s has given new meaning to the saying ‘bring a bottle’. A novelty gift that is suitable for adults and children alike, this recyclable and reusable champagne-style bottle is filled with malt balls coated in salted caramel flavoured chocolate. stockleys-sweets.co.uk
Essex producer Thursday Cottage has just unveiled its Christmas gift packs, which are presented in black cardboard with gold foiling to enhance gift appeal. The Festive Trio brings together Christmas Jam, Chutney and Marmalade; the Curd Trio features Lemon, Cherry and Lime & Coconut Curd; and the Preserve Trio contains Blood Orange Marmalade, Morello Cherry Jam and Strawberry Jam. RRP £8.99. thursday-cottage.com
Breckenholme has launched the first ever festive gift box under its Charlie & Ivy’s brand. The Yorkshire rapeseed oil producer has selected five products from its Bread Dipper and Dressing ranges to feature in the collection: Rosemary; Thyme & Lemon; Garlic; Oregano & Balsamic; and Chilli, Garlic & Ginger Bread Dippers, and Honey & Mustard and Lemon & Poppy Seed Dressings. RRP £19.50 (trade price £12.75). breckenholme.co.uk
Chilli sauces, chilli oil, world spices and chilli flakes come together in Chilli No.5’s advent calendar to transport spice and chilli enthusiasts on a 24-day flavour journey. The calendar has already caught the attention of buyers at Harvey Nichols. It has a wholesale price of £50; RRP £75. chilli-no5.com
A personal touch
Laura Roberts of Laura’s Larder shares her approach to the classic indie retail festive gifting opportunity: hampers
We all know how important it is to stand out, especially during the festive season. At Laura’s Larder, Christmas is the perfect time to showcase our unique approach to hampers.
While we offer a few set hampers at this time of year, they’re more for inspiration – we rarely sell them as-is. Instead, we love crafting them with our customers in the store. We select the base size, contents, stuffing, bows, labels, and our signature Laura’s Larder sticker, making the process a collaborative and personalised experience. For those who can’t visit in person, we offer the same tailored service over the phone for collection or delivery.
Granted, the fixed approach might be simpler, but
The fixed approach might be simpler, but there’s undeniable magic in a custom-made hamper
there’s undeniable magic in a custom-made hamper. For me, the beauty is in the tailoring. I can’t count the number of hampers I’ve received that are half stuffing and filled with items I wouldn’t really use (not to sound ungrateful).
We’re passionate about creating these personal hampers, especially when customers describe the recipient, allowing us to customise each detail perfectly. Whether it’s for a sweet tooth, someone gluten-free, a new parent, an adventurous cook, or an easy-prep-lover—clearly, one size does not fit all.
Conversations with customers can also help you push people towards items that you know are lovely, but perhaps aren’t selling as fast as you would have liked them to, win-win.
This personalised approach has become so popular that during the Christmas weeks, I often need an extra member of staff to build and price hampers for last-minute shoppers. Given how late fine food retail highs are in the year now, there are plenty of customers to look after. It’s a small touch that makes a big difference.
Greek producer Salt Odyssey is making sure Christmas isn’t a bland affair this year with its Greek sea salt and Himalayan salt mill duo. Both are 100% natural, without anti caking agents, flow improvers, heavy metals or iodine, and the sea salt originates from an environmentally protected area. The mills are refillable, with a size-adjustable ceramic grinder. saltodyssey.com
RoniB’s cheekily named ‘Not Your Grandma’s Adobo’ gift pack offers an introduction to the bold and complex flavours of Filipino food. Whilst there are hundred of ways to cook an adobo, the producer suggests this trio - which comprises Adobo Sauce, Garlic Chilli Paste and Kalamansi Marmalade - as a starting point. Trade price £9.85; RRP £17. ronibkitchen.co.uk
English Tea Shop is offering a budget- and travel-friendly advent calendar with its tea book. The lightweight calendar contains 24 bags of organic tea that has been ethically sourced from the company’s community of farmers. RRP is £7.99; wholesale price £3.08. etsteas.co.uk
Popcorn Kitchen’s home popping popcorn kits provide everything needed to make popcorn at home, in a novel gifting format. Each bottle comes filled with popcorn kernels, Belgian chocolate chips and a toppingchoices include Popcorn Sprouts (of a sweet persuasion), Snowies for white chocolate enthusiasts, Rocky Road and Rainbow Beans. RRP £13.99 for 140g. popcornkitchen.co.uk
Asilia Salt has introduced two new seasoning salts that can help home cooks elevate their Christmas dinner. Roast Herb Salt is tipped as the perfect seasoning for roast potatoes, whilst the Garlic Salt blend is a strong, infused flavour that enhances roast vegetables and meat. Trade price £3.15; RRP £5. asiliasalt.com
Willow Tree Distillery’s mini gift set gives gin aficionados the opportunity to try its smoked London Dry Gin, a small batch distillation making use of smoked botanicals. The stocking filler also contains a spirit measure, cinnamon and dried citrus. RRP £15; wholesale price £12. willowtreedistilling.co.uk
Love Cocoa has unveiled its festive collection, which includes a nine-piece Petite Festive Chocolate Truffle Selection (RRP £12.50), the Nutcracker Hot Chocolate Duo (RRP £15), and Festive Bars (RRP £5) - Christmas Pudding Milk Chocolate, Gingerbread Dark Chocolate and Peppermint White Chocolate ones. All are made from ethically sourced cocoa and come in plastic-free packaging. lovecocoa.com
Tea People’s two new brews offer an antidote to the excesses of Christmas. Green Mountain Tea is a caffeine-free herbal with a history of medicinal use. Trade price is £3.50 for a 30g pack, £6.20 for a 50g caddy. Digest tea blends ingredients thought to help digestion, including ginger, peppermint, spearmint, dandelion root, chicory root and slippery elm. Trade price £4.20 for a 75g pack, £7.30 for a 125g caddy. teapeople.co.uk
The Amber Rose Tea Company has blended Sri Lankan black tea with cinnamon, ginger and vanilla, for a flavour said to be just like gingerbread. Each box of Salted Caramel Gingerbread Tea contains 20 biodegradable tea bags. theamberroseteacompany. co.uk
This tin not only contains 200g of Mini Chocolate Chip Biscuit Bites but also comes to life, playing music and rotating to show scenes of Santa in his workshop. Santa’s Musical Rotating Workshop Tin is just one of ten new SKUs in Grandma Wilds’ 2024 Christmas biscuit collection for 2024.
The range features embossed keepsake tins with different designs, including a Highland cow tin, a snowy cottage tin and tins decorated with snowy dogs and cats - all filled with 300g Stem Ginger & Lemon and Clotted Cream Chocolate Chip Shortbread.
It also includes two gingerbread decorating kits for icing reindeer and people-shaped biscuits. Each kit contains four gingerbread biscuits baked to a traditional recipe, a tube of natural vanilla white icing and a sachet of decorations. grandmawilds.co.uk
Lake District producer Ginger Bakers is stepping away from tradition this year with two new festive lines that offer a variation on the conventional Christmas cake.
The bakery’s new White Christmas Cake is an all butter almond sponge filled with roasted hazelnuts, orange zest and amaretto, topped with a layer of Belgian white chocolate and almond paste, and finished with glace orange slices. It serves four and has a trade price of £6.50.
The Lake District baker’s other new lineChocolate, Orange & Amaretto Cake - expands the its free-from offer with a Christmas cake alternative for coeliacs. The chocolate fruit cake, which marries cocoa, orange and amaretto flavours, serves 12 and has a trade price of £14. gingerbakers.co.uk
Retailers in search of stocking fillers for the conscious consumer should check out Cox & Co’s new Christmas tree bars. They are made from singleorigin cacao sourced from Luker Chocolate, an estate in Colombia that promotes sustainability, improves livelihoods, and enhances social welfare in the local cocoa industry through an initiative called ‘The Chocolate Dream’. This means Cox & Co can guarantee that its ingredients artraceable and slave labour free. The Christmas Tree bars come in four flavours: Bee Pollen & Honey, Raw Cacao, Mint Crunch and Miso & Caramel. All are suitable for vegans, except for the Bee Pollen & Honey flavour. Cox & Co uses no single-use plastic in its packaging. It utilises biodegradable card, vegetable-based inks and compostable film bags made from wood pulp. Trade price from £2.50; RRP £5. coxandcocacao.com
How ready for Christmas are you?
Ed Bevin, The Fleetville Larder
I start ordering Christmas stock in July, from the suppliers who require that we do so early and the ones offering discounts. I order the things there’s less of a rush on in October-November.
I won’t be stocking anything different this year, I know what works. Lots of nice, tinned biscuits go down well as gifts; obviously always plenty of panettone, which is good because I can always put it on the café menu, toasted, throughout January and February. I don’t go overboard on buying Christmas-themed items, because if you don’t sell them by Christmas day it’s basically lost money.
I tend to get a few higher end wines in, some Bordeaux, some white Burgundy, some Champagne; a few more stickies, like Sauternes, Pedro Ximenez sherry. Stuff that people want for Christmas and
We’ll host sessions where we invite customers to try some of the products.
Simon Warren, The East Street Deli
We’re feeling really optimistic about Christmas this year. Our first six months of 2024 have been really strong, and last year was our busiest Christmas ever, so I can only plan for our busiest ever again. We can order our cheese later, but we do a lot of food gifting so at the moment we’re getting our main grocery and confectionary orders in. Certainly last year there seemed to be a massive increase in the amount of food gifts; I think people have realised actually food is a much more fun present than things that fill up the cupboards in January, and better for the environment.
In terms of events, we’ll host some tasting sessions in November – possibly an evening where we invite friends of the East Street Deli to come along, meet
I don’t take prepayments, the pre-orders just make things simpler
are happy to splash out on.
My sales rocket at Christmas through cheese, and that’s a case of getting between 5,000 and 10,000 pre-order lists printed, which I get delivered around St Albans. We started doing them online last year, too.
It’s got six or seven different blues, six or seven softs, six or seven hards, a few wines, pâtés etc. People write in the weight or the value they want, or I do a few Christmas cheese hamper specials with four different cheeses, plus crackers, plus chocolate.
I don’t take prepayments, the preorders just make things simpler. People come in, give their name, we’ll get their order out of the fridge and it’s in the till already. So they can literally grab and go rather than having a queue of 50 people down the road and three of us trying to cut 10,000 bits of cheese in one day.
some of the suppliers, try some of the products and get their pre-orders in. At this stage, we’re starting to think about the staffing aspect. We had a really good team last year and we’ll look to get the same sort of makeup of people. We tend to have day staff and night staff, so when the shop shuts, another team comes in and prepare the orders for the next day. That’s the big one that in the past has killed us, where you have a really long day, but you then have to do another shift, because you’ve got to prepare 50 orders for people to pick up in the morning.
Last year I didn’t feel quite as broken come January and didn’t spend my Christmas day asleep, which I have done the last few years, so I saw that as a success. Just a little bit more help and a bit more planning is probably what saves you.
Botanical
drinks inspired by eastern flavours
With demand for noalcohol alternatives expected to soar this Christmas, retailers will be stocking up on soft options. One brand that warrants attention is Bodha, which offers a range of drinks in flavours inspired by world culinary cultures. Rose & Cardamom, Ginger Spice and Chili Lemonade are the inaugural flavours. They feature natural ingredients, are low in sugar and contain no artificial preservatives. Trade price is £1.20 for a 275ml bottle (RRP £3); £1.12 for a 250ml can (RRP £2.50). bodhadrinks.co.uk
Kent-based Simply Ice Cream has swirled real mince pie pieces through ice cream to create a festive flavour that blends creamy ice cream, traditional spices and fruit, and captures the essence of British Christmas. Wholesale price £3.65 for a 500ml tub; RRP £5.99. simplyicecream.co.uk
Emmi’s Kaltbach Fondue is an insider tip for recreating the Alpine holiday tradition at home. This mix takes the pain out of making cheese fondue - which can be tricky to get right - and the blend of cave-aged Le Gruyere AOP and Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP cheeses is said to make for a smooth, creamy and authentic experience. group.emmi.com/gbr/en
Carried by Delicioso, the Lady Joseph biscuit selection tin offers an introduction to this traditional Spanish sourdough biscuit brand. Handmade in Rioja, Spain, the biscuits are made using flour from traditional millers and the baking methods employed by the company’s founder in 1926. The tin contains Lemon Curd biscuits, Chocolate Drops and Dark Chocolate Chip & Seville Orange Cookies. Trade price £8.95. delicioso.co.uk
Step aside cranberry sauce, Mrs Darlington’s Apple & Sage Jelly is billed as the perfect accompaniment to turkey, chicken or pork, either with a traditional roast or on thick, crusty sandwiches. The sweet jelly is infused with the earthy flavour of sage and fruity cider. mrsdarlingtons.com
Featuring three bottles of chilli oil that have been made by hand in the Banhoek Valley near Stellenbosch, South Africa, this gift set is sure to appeal to lovers of chilli and travel alike. Banhoek’s oil infuses sun-dried, handcrushed bird’s eye chillies with rapeseed oil grown in the Cape Floral Kingdom, resulting in a versatile condiment with a subtly smoky chilli aroma. RRP £10. banhoekchillioil.com
New for 2024, Salcombe Brewery’s Christmas Tide Gift Box (RRP £15) houses two 500ml bottles of its limited edition yuletide ale and a branded pint glass. Christmas Tide is described as a well-structured, malt driven beer. The crystal, chocolate and wheat malts bring warmth and body to the beer, whilst the plethora of hops add a bittersweet finish. salcombebrewery.com
Magic Dragon Brewing has developed its own black IPA, called The Black Tiger. The Wrexham brewery says that although black Indian Pale Ale sounds like an oxymoron, it is simply a black ale that tastes more like an IPA and less like a stout or other dark beer. traditionalbeercompany. co.uk
Have yourself a trendy little Christmas
As independent retailers look ahead to another busy festive season, Speciality & Fine Food Fair Event Manager Nicola Woods outlines some of the key trends and delectable products we’ll be seeing emerge in the world of speciality & fine food at the end of 2024.
If I had to pick one word to sum up Christmas food & drink this year, it would probably be ‘indulgent’.
As consumers increasingly value products that prioritise health and well-being, the festive season remains a time to let loose, take a break and indulge in a wide range of sweet and savoury treats.
This year we’re expecting to see some delicious twists on classic Christmas treats, such as the creamy, tangy new 1912 Stilton from Clawson Dairy and an imaginative take on an old favourite with Hames Chocolates’ Stir-In hot chocolate range, featuring flavours such as mince pie and Irish cream.
Another key trend will be established brands creating festive twists on their existing product ranges, such as the new crunchy caramel popcorn nuggets from Popcorn Shed, smothered in luxurious chocolate.
Everyone loves a bit of fun and novelty, and historic confectioner Stockley’s will be launching a new product this year in the form of crispy malt balls coated in a salted-caramel-flavoured chocolate and packed into a resealable, reusable and recyclable Champagne-style bottle.
As is often the case in the fine food sector, premium condiments are a popular gift choice, adding flair to festive feasts. JD’s Hot Honey, for example, with its versatile blend of sweetness and heat, is available in flavours like their original jalapeño blend, fiery XXTRA hot habanero blend, and smoky Chipotle hot honey, to give customers new and exciting gifting opportunities for friends and family.
Drivers Pickles also have a customisable four-jar gift box available for retailers, allowing customers to handpick from their selection of pickles, relishes and chutneys. Gifting trends this festive season are leaning towards unique and personalised options.
Speciality food & drink items not only offer a unique experience but also reflect a thoughtful approach to holiday giving, focusing on quality and distinctiveness.
Speciality & Fine Food Fair takes place on 10-11 September at Olympia London and will be packed with products and ranges to elevate your Christmas offering. Find out more, and register for your complimentary trade ticket, at specialityand finefoodfairs.co.uk
Cheese pairing jelly
Northumbrian Pantry is expecting its new Smoky Chilli Jelly to prove popular as a partner for Stilton and other strong cheeses this Christmas. It is handmade in traditional muslin jelly bags with pure natural apple juice and cooked in very small batches. Thanks to the addition of home-smoked chilli flakes, the recipe strikes a balance between smoky heat and sweetness, says the producer. RRP £4.50. No minimum order quantity. northumbrianpantry. com
The Dorset Ginger Company claims to have bottled the taste of Christmas with its Spiced Ginger Punch. The aromatic blend can be served warm as a nonalcoholic punch or mixed with whisky for a festive tipple. Available in75cl and 33cl bottles. dorsetginger.ltd
Louisa’s Honey is offering a number of gift sets that showcase its raw Italian honey. All seven varieties are included in Bee 7 – a tinned set containing seven 50g mini jars and two spoons. These include Bosco – a rare forest honey that bees create from honeydew sap – as well as nectar honeys such as Lime, Chestnut, and Acacia. RRP £34.95; trade price £22.95. louisas-honey.com
Brew Tea Co has developed Oh Christmas Tea with festive fuelling in mind. Lemon peel, orange oil and winter spices make for a bright blend that promises to see tea drinkers through films, fights with wrapping paper and every morning after. It is available in 113g packs of loose leaf (RRP £8.49), and gift tins filled with 150g loose leaf or 25 bags (RRP £15.99). brewteacompany.co.uk
Shoppers who fancy a change from turkey may be persuaded to try Packington’s Free Range Cockerel. Slow-reared to allow the flavour of the meat to develop, it is described as “moist, with an unrivalled traditional flavour…the perfect centrepiece for a festive feast”. packingtonfreerange.co.uk
Cotswold Gold has two gift packs that showcase its rapeseed oil. The Festive Butters Gift Pack (trade price £8.95; RRP £12.50) twins its Brandy Butter and Cotswold Whisky Butter - the latter a collaboration with the Cotswolds Distillery; while the Festive Condiments Trio Pack (trade price £9.75; RRP £15) covers off luxury accompaniments with Bearnaise sauce, Brandy Butter and Truffle Mayonnaise. cotswoldgold.co.uk
In anticipation of forecast chocolate shortages and the associated price hikes, Italian food importer Tenuta Marmorelle has secured a range of Italian sugared and caramelised peanut, almond and hazelnut brittles, bags, boxes and bars for its customers. It says these make fantastic value stocking and hamper fillers. Wholesale prices range from £4.15 to £6.25 per unit.
tenutamarmorelle.com
Those who can’t eat gluten needn’t miss out on cheeseboard crackers, thanks to the launch of a gluten-free Christmas gift pack from Cradocs. Rosemary & Garlic, Cheddar Cheese & Chives and Chilli, Ginger & Cumin are the three varieties in the pack. cradocssavourybiscuits. co.uk
Cheese to cheer
Cheesemonger, broadcaster and regular judge Sam Wilkin picks three World Cheese Award-winning cheeses with great back-stories and lots of potential to boot, ideal for a festive cheeseboard.
SINODUN HILL
Last year’s Best British Cheese at the World Cheese Awards, and a Super Gold Winner that went to the final top table, Sinodun Hill is a goats’ cheese with a feathered light paste and a lactic set with delicious notes of lemon and hazlenuts. Pyramidal in shape it is certainly eye catching and on the palate it really delivers.
Makers Norton & Yarrow are pioneers in pasturefed goat rearing, unusual in British Farming. They are genuine pioneers in what they do, so much so that Rachel Yarrow recently embarked on a Nuffield Scholarship, spending time visiting similar farmers across the world to deepen her understanding of goat farming methods. nortonandyarrow.co.uk
ROLLRIGHT
From King Stone Dairy in Gloucestershire, Rollright is a World Cheese Award Gold-winning, soft washed rind, wrapped in a disitinctive spruce bark band. Flavours of crème fraîche, peanuts and a touch of smoked bacon in the rind give the cheese a really savoury finish. The texture is silky smooth and when aged, spoonable.
King Stone Dairy is based at Manor Farm in Chedworth, which has for many years produced organic milk from a mixed herd grazed high up in the Cotswold Brash. Under the stewardship of Seb Clarke, the farm is on a mission to produce milk that is ideal for cheesemaking, through breeding and feed adjustments.
As King Stone expands, it takes more and more milk from the farm, in turn supporting the pasture-fed, organic system.
kingstonedairy.com
LEEDS BLUE
Made by native Sardinian Mario Olianas in Yorkshire, Leeds Blue is an homage to Gorgonzola. Thanks to sheep’s milk from Harrogate, the cheese is rich and super smooth with a lovely spice from the blue mould.
Mario won a World Cheese Super Gold back in 2016 and saw a surge in interest in the cheese. Despite the fact he has experienced difficulties in sourcing the right milk, the hard realities of moving into a new unit and ultimately the challenge of scaling up the business while maintaining a high-quality product, Mario sees his Gold in 2023 as a vindication of the choices made in the last couple of years. yorkshirepecorino.co.uk
christmas
Following the planting of a 35-acre vineyard at the Whittern Farms, White Heron Estate has bottled its first sparkling wine. Gently effervescent with fruity, floral notes, it offers a homegrown alternative to Champagne or Prosecco, at a comparable price tag (RRP £25; trade price £75 for six bottles). It can also be mixed with British cassis or framboise to make a royale. whiteherondrinks.co.uk
Every year, retailers across the UK rely on Clotton Creamery for their brandy cream, butter and sauce supplies. The Cheshire dairy says it is busy preparing these festive classics, using British butter, British cream and French brandy. Brandy & Cognac Pouring Cream (RRP £4.25 for 250ml), Brandy Butter (RRP £4.85 for 200g) and Brandy Sauce (RRP £4.65 for 500g) are available via Cress Co, Cotswold Fayre and Caterite. clottoncreamery.co.uk
Christmas 2024 will see the return of Brymor’s seasonal gingerbread ice cream. It has combined a spiced black treacle base with crystallised ginger pieces and ginger biscuit to make this festive scoop, which is available in 5l and 1l tubs, priced at £26.31 and £5.80 respectively (wholesale). brymordairy.co.uk
Tastees’ Cranberry & Orange Jam was born out of a glut of cranberries left over from last Christmas. Not wanting to waste the fruit, the County Louth producer combined them with oranges to create a festive jam. It can be used as a base for a Christmas cocktail, a topping for vanilla ice cream or a dessert filling. Wholesale price €3.48, RRP €4.65 for a 190g jar tastees.sumupstore.com
Retailers looking for a gin with a back story should check out Lussa Gin, which is distilled by three women on the Isle of Jura, a remote Scottish island with a population of 250 people. They use 15 botanicals that they grow or gather from the island’s hills, coastline, woods and gardens. They freeze rather than dry their plants, to create an aromatic dry gin. RRP £42 for 70cl. lussagin.com
Sheffield Dragon is celebrating its 2023 Great Taste success with the launch of a gift box. Heat enthusiasts can judge for themselves how the producer’s habanero-based Renegade Mango, Hot Fuzzz naga-peach combo and super hot Liquid Fire sauces measure up. RRP £20; trade price from £13. sheffielddragon.com
The Antiche Razze gift box is aimed at serious foodies who want to experience and understand how synergies between breed, terroir and diet influence the profile of Parmigiano Reggiano. It juxtaposes four 150g wedges of Parmesan from different ancient breeds, and provides notes on each. The set is available through Gourm. it UK, priced at £27.56 to the trade (RRP £37.30). gourm.it
Snowdonia Cheese Company has made a move into crackers, with a range that has been designed to complement its 12-strong collection of Cheddar and Red Leicester cheeses. The Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers, Spelt & Natural Yoghurt Crackers and Fig & Cranberry Crackers are handcrafted in small batches using natural ingredients with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. snowdoniacheese.co.uk
New Forest Shortbread says that its new snack packs will make wonderful stocking fillers. All eight of its shortbread flavours are available in these new portion-sized packs, which feature illustrations and stories relating to the New Forest National Park. Trade price from £1.50; RRP £2.25. newforestshortbread.co.uk
English options for key moments
Andy Mac, drinks buyer at Eggs to Apples farm shop, says this cast of English wines will see your customers through the whole of Christmas, and possibly New Year’s, too.
CHRISTMAS EVE DRINKS
Gusbourne Sparkling Rosé, 2019, Kent
RRP
£55
Bursting with strawberries and apples, this is a pure expression of the Garden of England, and the perfect celebratory wine. It makes a good pairing for most finger food and can hold its own to light cheeses, seafood and charcuterie. A blend of the Champagne varieties (54% Chardonnay, 36% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier) it has fresh, intensely flavourful fruit rendered more complex by long lees ageing and time in the bottle. It would make the perfect apéritif on Christmas, or even New Year’s Eve, but it’s special enough to drink on Christmas day too, giving you plenty of occasions to suggest it for. gusbourne.com
CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH
Tidebrook Straddle Stone Chardonnay, 2022, East Sussex
RRP
£35
Considering they only planted their first vines in 2018, the South African duo behind Jordan Wines, Gary and Kathy Jordan, have pulled off a hat trick with this wine. A Gold Medal winner at the WineGB Awards 2024, the first release of still Chardonnay from the Mousehall Country Estate in Tidebrook, East Sussex, is outstanding. The barrelfermented fruit brings notes of British apples and pears, racing lime and lemon zest, with well-integrated oak and a rather long, smoky, creamy and buttery finish. Tell your customers to skip the bubbles on Christmas day and to have this instead: it rivals the great Burgundians, and waiting for the Jordans’ next release will give them something to look forward to. mousehall.com
BOXING DAY COLD CUTS
Oxney Organic Estate, Woodhouse Pinot, East Sussex
RRP £27
This multi-vintage Pinot Noir takes advantage of England’s kinder years, when it provides lots of nice ripe fruit, drawing on it as a perpetual reserve – a common practice in Champagne, and sherry production, where the proportion of wine drawn from barrels for bottling is replaced with the latest vintage, lending a consistent flavour profile and resulting in a more balanced wine. This is a light and fruity red, but it is nonetheless complex and very moreish. It will help the bubble and squeak go down a treat if your customers made it through the cheeseboard on the Big Day. oxneyestate.com
GREAT TASTE GOLDEN FORKS 2024
hosted by the guild of fine food
Battersea Arts Centre, London SW11 5TN
Tuesday 10 September 2024, 6-10.30pm
discover your next star supplier
Join us to explore new food & drink, try a range of exceptional products and meet the dedicated people creating them.
Trade tickets: £75+VAT
gff.co.uk/goldenforks
With thanks to our sponsors & supporters
Grown, gathered and distilled by three women using fifteen botanicals from the wilderness of the Isle of Jura.
Coffee Amaretto
Baileys Bonbon
Looking both ways
With Speciality & Fine Food Fair set to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, FFD speaks to some regular attendees to hear their thoughts on how the sector has developed during the show’s lifetime, and where they think it’ll be headed in the future.
Jane Milton, consultant
How has the world of speciality & fine food evolved over the course of your career?
So much has changed – but then I am close to 40 years in the food industry so it would be a worry if it had not.
“Speciality” as a description for food has been redefined, expanded and added to –and continues to evolve. It is quite a broad description for a wide range of foods: from alcohol to artisan-made cheese or from British Charcuterie to craft bakery sourdough breads. It could also mean small batch condiments or premium products that originate in other cuisines from across the world.
‘Speciality’ as a description for food has been redefined, expanded and added to – and continues to evolve.
Do you have any predictions for the industry? I believe that speciality foods will always have their place, and as the industry raises the bar generally, and consumers learn more about authentic, well-made foods, this sector will raise its game a notch too, so it ensures the products match people’s growing expectations.
What do you enjoy about the Speciality & Fine Food Fair?
I love the chance to meet producers I have known for a long time and watched develop, to find new products, flavours and producers, to hear from experts and grow my knowledge of specific categories and I love to be inspired by the cream of the industry.
Paul Hargreaves, CEO, Cotswold Fayre
How has the world of speciality & fine food evolved over the course of your career?
The biggest change is the size of the industry both in terms of number of brands within the sector and also the number of retailers. At the very first Speciality & Fine Food Fair where Cotswold Fayre was an exhibitor there was only a handful of exhibitors in a very small part of Olympia with vast open spaces around the show. The organisers even let us park our vehicle next to the stand to unload. Now look at it.
The plethora of new brands does mean that owners need to be more savvy as marketeers to push their products above the parapet, but there are many more opportunities in different types of retailers and hospitality companies than there were 25 years ago.
Do you have any predictions for the industry?
Whilst the sector has always had a strong British core, I expect more locality and regionality will come to the fore over the next few years. There is a great need for the sector to embrace more tech; artisanal products and sophisticated technology are not mutually exclusive. The
I expect more locality and regionality will come to the fore over the next few years.
Today you have total transparency on every product, from how it is grown and who harvested it, down to the time of day it was boxed up.
sector is crying out for better data and Cotswold Fayre is currently working on a project to provide that. And, finally, potentially more acquisitions within the sector. Many retailers and brands were created 20-25 years ago and quite a few founders are approaching retirement age.
How has the world of speciality & fine food evolved over the course of your career?
Since my very first head chef position back in 1995, the evolution of British produce has grown considerably in quality and variety. When I first started in the industry, you simply called the supplier direct, submitted your order and you received your produce the next day, whereas today you have total transparency on every product, from how it is grown and who harvested it, down to the time of day it was boxed up.
Produce these days is treated with far more respect, after all a lot of the food & drink we use is either hand-reared, grown by specialists, or individual boutique suppliers who can be working sometime as many hours as us chefs, to make sure they are making the absolute finest products.
I would say the produce we now have in the UK, from fish to meat and veg, is some of the best in Europe
Tom Aikens, chef
SHOW PREVIEW
Adrian Boswell, buyer (fresh food, health & wellbeing, concessions), Selfridges
How has the world of specialty & fine food evolved over the course of your career?
Over my career, the industry has evolved with an increased demand for health-conscious, sustainable, and ethically sourced products. Cultural influences have led to innovative flavours and fusion products.
The role of technology and digital platforms have made speciality products more accessible, and customers’ knowledge on the products within this sector has definitely improved.
Do you have any predictions for the industry?
I believe that health and diet-specific products, such as those relating to keto, paleo, and plant-
based diets will continue to grow. Sustainability will continue to be the foundation on which we build, with a focus on reducing carbon footprints and promoting regenerative agriculture.
The integration of technology and AI specifically will change how we purchase and consume our food, delivering a more personalised service. Finally, I think we will see innovation in experiential retail, where unique and immersive experiences become key to attracting and retaining customers.
What do you enjoy about Specialty & Fine Food Fair?
The Fair provides an opportunity to discover the latest products and emerging trends. Networking with new and existing suppliers is always a highlight of the show. Also, the panel talks and workshops provide important insights into current industry developments.
The integration of technology and AI specifically will change how we purchase and consume our food.
With the recent media attention on ultraprocessed foods, we’ll continue to see a move towards clean label products.
Nicola Woods, event manager, SFFF
How has the world of speciality & fine food evolved over the course of your career?
Michael Lane, editor, Fine Food Digest
How has the world of speciality & fine food evolved over the course of your career?
My first ever day in 2011 was at the fair, so I use it as a rudimentary yardstick for my career in the industry. Over the course of those 13 years, the thing that strikes me most is how much branding and packaging design has improved. Even the smallest brands turn out some very good-looking items these days – and I’m a sucker for bright colours and punchy typography. In terms of product categories, hot sauces and beer have both exploded in the last decade. The wealth of choice available now is something I couldn’t have predicted. I might have noticed these more keenly – because they are two of my favourite things in food & drink.
Do you have any predictions for the industry? Whether it’s personally or professionally, I tend to avoid predictions.
But what I will say is that sustainable business practices and packaging have been impressive areas for innovation – and I don’t think they’ve hit their ceiling.
Without sounding ominous, the rise of AI (and
The thing that strikes me most is how much branding and packaging design has improved.
its capabilities) is inevitable but I hope it can be used for good things, rather than removing the human element of the food & drink trade.
What do you enjoy about Speciality & Fine Food Fair?
Aside from making me realise that I’m another year older, the Fair offers a combination of old friends, new products and clever ideas that always recharges my batteries. Plus, I love finding that one absolute gem of a new producer every year.
Speciality & Fine Food Fair takes place on 10th-11th September at Olympia London and will be packed with products and ranges showcased by suppliers. There will also be a full seminar program to sharpen up your food knowledge and keep you up to date on the
In my time working on Speciality & Fine Food Fair I’ve seen countless trends and products come and go, with some prevailing and becoming standouts in their category and household names for consumers. I remember one year in particular we had a huge number of gourmet popcorn brands exhibiting. I think what really had stood out over time is the dedication that producers have when it comes to the quality and taste of their products, and it’s been inspirational seeing this each year.
Do you have any predictions for the industry? I think, with the recent media attention on ultra-processed foods, we’ll continue to see a move towards clean label products and an emphasis on products that are healthy and functional. I’m also interested to see the role AI and technology will have to play in the world of fine food & drink. Overall, I think we’ll continue to see a wide range of quality products emerging – there’s always room for more speciality food & drink.
What do you enjoy about Speciality & Fine Food Fair?
The people, the passion, the innovation, the enthusiasm, and the community. I don’t think many industries are as entrepreneurial and inspiring as food & drink, with the sheer volume of new products emerging each year and some truly generous, and passionate people behind the brands. Each year the Fair has such a buzz of excitement, I never get tired of it.
latest trends.
The next issue of FFD will feature a full guide to the show, with a seminar programme and exhibitor list.
In the meantime, find out more, and register for your complimentary trade ticket, at specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk
MARINATED LAMB LEG STEAK, BLACKENED PEPPERS & SUMMER TOMATOES FROM THE DELI KITCHEN
Serves
4
Ingredients:
For the steak:
4 lamb leg steaks (200g each)
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tbsp rosemary chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 tsp mignonette pepper
For the blackened peppers
2 large yellow peppers
2 large red peppers
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
For the tomatoes
500g baby plum tomatoes on the vine
1 large clove of garlic finely chopped
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Method:
Place 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil in a large bowl and add the rosemary, garlic and pepper. Stir well, add the steaks and mix until evenly coated. Place in the fridge and marinate overnight for at least 8 hours.
For the tomatoes
Preheat your oven to 130°C | 110°C (fan) | gas mark 1/2. Place a medium-sized pan of water on a high heat and bring to the boil. Remove the tomatoes from the vine and blanch briefly in the boiling water for 10-15 seconds, refresh in icy water. Remove the skins from the tomatoes and place in a bowl with the garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil to marinate for 1 hour. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and put into the oven for 3-4 hours until semi dried. Set aside until serving.
For the blackened peppers
Cut the peppers in half and deseed, cut each half into 4. Place the peppers into a large bowl, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow to sit for 5 minutes and dress with the olive oil. Place a large heavy based pan over a high heat, add the peppers to the pan and colour for 2-3 minutes on each side until well blackened. Remove peppers from the pan and dress with the vinegar and rosemary. Set aside until serving.
For the steaks
Take the steaks out of the fridge an hour before cooking and rub off the marinade with kitchen towel. Preheat your oven to 140°C | 120°C (fan) | gas mark 1. Place a large heavy-based pan over a high heat. Pour 2 tbsp rapeseed oil to the pan, season the steaks, add to the pan and colour for 2 minutes each side until well browned. Remove the steaks from the pan and place in an overproof dish. Place in the oven for 5-6 minutes turning halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Place the steaks on prewarmed plates and serve with the peppers and tomatoes.
Henley Bridge has been appointed UK foodservice distributor for Filippo Berio, and will now offer 18 different products from the brand. These include its Extra Virgin, Classic and Mild & Light olive oils (1- and 5-litre), as well as Chilli and Garlic flavoured olive oils (1l and 250ml) and Basil and Truffle varieties in 250ml. It will also carry a range of vinegars, including Grand Cru Balsamic Vinegar (250ml), and Sunflower oil (5l). hbingredients.co.uk
Munchy Seeds has launched a three-strong range of 25g snack packs (RRP £0.69) – ideal for outlets targeting health-conscious consumers with grab-and-go items. Plain (unsalted), Tamari (soy) and the Lightly Salted Sunflower & Pumpkin Mix could also be offered as an extra to jazz up lunchtime salads. munchyseeds.co.uk
Sekut Vanilla Company specialises in importing and supplying the rare heirloom Pompona varietal found in the Amazon rainforest. The beans are said to be the world’s largest, with only a few hundred kilos harvested every year. As well as 50ml and 500ml extracts, the company also offers whole pods. vanillapompona.com
Recipe by Mark Kempson, Kitchen W8
HANDMADE, UNIQUE, LUXURY CHOCOLATES THAT ARE EDIBLE ART!
All chocolates are handmade and bespoke. Tasting boxes created as gifts as well as luxury Advent Calendars, bars, and more, using delicious Belgian chocolate and high-quality ingredients. Orders taken for corporate offerings and wedding favours. chocciesbysara@gmail.com | www.chocciesbysara.co.uk
The Tiramisu The Limoncello The Rosemary & Thyme
All routes to ginger
Deanne Blake knew she was on to something when, the only year she didn’t gift her traditional Jamaican ginger drink to friends and family, they were up in arms. So she started selling it.
Interview by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox
What were you doing before Root 2 Ginger, and how did it come about?
I was in a senior management role in a private fostering company for four years prior, and I’d had a 25-year career in children’s services and policy.
Root 2 Ginger was a total accident. I have Jamaican parents, so I’ve grown up with a love of ginger and made a ginger beer every year to give to family and friends. We started our business in 2021, just as we were coming out of Covid.
I hadn’t made anything the year before because the price of ginger had gone sky high, but my family kept pestering me and I decided to make it, and sell it.
Whereas normally I cook by taste and feel, I had to develop a recipe, to make sure it was consistent and stable in a bottle.
I bought all organic ingredients. I didn’t want to use any stabilisers or flavourings, so I was worried whether people would be okay with what a natural product looks like. Thankfully, they were absolutely fine.
As for the branding, because I gave it as a gift, and I assumed a big proportion of our market would also be gifting, I wanted it to look special. We settled on the current design, which has a big crown on the front, that was influenced by Basquiat, who my children and I love.
Where did you start selling it and how did that evolve over time?
We started selling it at markets like Altrincham in Manchester to test it out,
every Saturday for a year. I had no plan at all of having a business, it just all happened quite organically.
I didn’t appreciate at the time just how ready people were, but from the start, people loved the product. Then the Spiced product – with cardamom and cinnamon – won a Great Taste 3-star. This year the Fiery one has won a 3-star too, which is just amazing.
Meanwhile I’d go into work and my boss would ask how the market went at the weekend – and that began to take up more and more of the team meeting. After about six months, she said, ‘damn, Deanne, what are you still doing here?’
Did you run into any difficulties when it came to scaling up production?
The quality of our juice is our USP - we don’t take any shortcuts.
Can you talk us through the range?
There’s the Original, the Fiery (which has extra ginger), the Fierce – which has the most ginger of all – the Spice, the Mint, which is made with fresh mint and lime, for cocktails; and the Tumeric & Sweet Orange Peel. We introduced the Sorrel (the Jamaican word for hibiscus) last year.
Originally I was just making it in my kitchen, every week, so we found a local resource in Chester to hire. But working with ginger is not easy; it’s difficult to have it imported because it’s so seasonal, which affects the price, so we’ve had to manage that in line with our production plans and make sure we’ve got a continuous source, but it can become quite scarce.
We use Peruvian ginger and having a reliable organic supplier in the north west is difficult.
But the quality of our juice is our USP –we don’t take any shortcuts. People assume we buy juice, but we don’t, and we get through tonnes of ginger.
The way we juice it is so nutrient-rich and we get a thick liquid, whereas the juice you can buy is highly acidified and just doesn’t have the same strength.
What’s the target audience for your drinks? Is it most used as a cocktail ingredient, as a soft (or low-tono) drink, or as a health product?
All of them. We didn’t we didn’t target anybody in particular – it was just people who like ginger, but it was also the time that the ‘no and low’ community was searching for products, so we immediately had a big customer base.
Then a lot of our customers kept saying, ‘Oh, have you got anything that’s sugar free? Do you do anything with turmeric?’
At first I said, ‘No, we work with ginger. We don’t do turmeric’. But in the end, I caved, because people buy those shots, which are mostly apple juice, and they pay a lot of money for very little ginger, which doesn’t seem right.
What does the near future look like?
We have some new products planned in our range and hopefully an RTD (ready to drink). And looking at sales in UAE and America for the future, which hopefully will come into play by the end of the year or early next year. So that’s where we want to be and just keep growing, especially in the independent sector, bottle shops, and farm shops. We’ve just recently signed with Blue Diamond garden centres. And we’ll keep selling online and direct to consumer.
root2ginger.co.uk
PRODUCTS & MERCHANDISING
MSG seasoning brand Honest Umami eyes speciality retail with new pots
By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox
Recently-launched Honest Umami wants to make monosodium glutamate (MSG) a mainstream cooking ingredient, and is aiming sales at the independent retail sector.
Made by fermenting sugar beet, the company’s range of four products was launched in consumer-sized format earlier this year, bucking the trend of 1kg bags found online.
The more manageable 120g pots come in four flavours: Pure MSG; Chilli; Salt & Pepper; and a 3,2,1 All Purpose, which combines MSG with salt and sugar.
“You use it wherever you would use salt, in the same quantities,” founder Rob Miller told FFD about the latter, adding that it was just as effective on chips as it is on roasted broccoli. “It’s a perfect all-round flavour enhancer.”
All four products have an RRP of £3.95, with cases of 12 available to the trade for £30.
Because it is included in a number of ultraprocessed foods or perhaps as a relic of the ‘Chinese restaurant syndrome’ myth, which claimed that MSG causes a number of adverse reactions, it is often associated with illhealth. But Miller argues that there’s nothing inherently unhealthy about it.
“The comparison I always use is that it’s like salt. It’s in so many things naturally, like tomatoes and Parmesan. And, like salt, in itself it’s not bad.”
Whereas some MSG is made via an intensive process that involves hydrolising proteins, Honest Umami’s is made through
Fen Farm Dairy has added two more flavours to its Icelandic-style yoghurt range. The English Strawberry and Wildflower Honey are the fifth and sixth in the line-up, which also includes a Natural yoghurt, Blackcurrant, Gooseberry & Elderflower and Redcurrant, Rhubarb & Vanilla. The Fen Farm team learned from Icelandic skyr producers to create the thick, high protein but low-fat yoghurt, which it says sets it apart from the overcrowded Greek-style yoghurt market. Following what it says was a high volume of demand, Fen Farm has also introduced a 1kg family-sized format for the Natural yoghurt. fenfarmdairy.co.uk
fermentation – hence the name.
“This is much nicer, simpler and more sustainable,” said Miller. “There’s a type of bacteria that essentially ingests sugar and outputs glutamate, so you can do it with literally anything that has sugar in it.”
Honest Umami products are currently available via Mahalo, the Delli app and online, but the company is seeking more partners in independent retail before taking on the supermarkets.
“I like to think it’s a product which has its place everywhere, like Maldon Sea Salt, which is for home cooks and professionals. It’s in restaurants, supermarkets and independents because everyone recognises that it’s a good salt.”
More flavours could be in the pipeline, said Miller, including garlic and salt & vinegar variations.
honestumami.com
WHAT’S TRENDING
1 North Yorkshire
According to Condé Nast Traveller, North Yorkshire is seeing increased footfall thanks to Netflix series Bridgerton, set in Castle Howard. But this area is winning over gastronomic tourists with its slew of lauded
WHAT’S NEW
Reminiscent of the iconic British pudding, FATSO’s latest bar, Sweet Tart, marries 60% cocoa singleorigin chocolate with cherries, almonds and shortbread pastry. It joins a line-up of eccentric dark chocolate bars, which include a Cornflake, Toast & Marmalade flavour; a Peanut, Toffee & Digestive Biscuit; a Mint, Pistachio & Cocoa Nibs bar; and a Salted Pretzel, Whole Almond & Honeycomb one. sofatso.com
Eaten Alive’s new hot sauce, Mango Inferno, is made by fermenting ripe mangoes with habanero chillies, adding passionfruit, lime, cider vinegar and a touch of cardamom and allspice. The producer claims it delivers medium heat and maximum flavour – making it a great condiment for summer dining. RRP £4.99. eatenalive.co.uk
Plant-based drinks company Framptons has introduced a range of British oat-based beverages under a new brand, The Wessex Oat Company. It includes an Unsweetened Oat drink; Barista Oat; Chocolate Oat; Oat Latte and a Caramel Latte, with a Creamy Oat variety to follow later this year. framptons.com
By Nick Baines
restaurants. Tom Heywood and Laurissa Cook are championing sustainability and using food as a narrative at Pignut in Helmsley, while Myse in Hovingham has just won its first Michelin star.
2 Savoury cocktails
Taking a savoury slant on drinks is de rigueur across the bar scene right now, with mixologists pushing the boundaries far beyond the humble Bloody Mary. At Hakkasan you’ll find a Martini made and garnished with caviar, while at Three Sheets they’re making one infused with the earthy flavours of beetroot. Top Gear’s James May has put out a gin made with mustard and parsnip as the dominant botanicals. Digital drinks publication
Punch covered the trend, citing Brooklyn’s Leyenda serving a pastor taco inspired daiquiri made with pork fat washed rum.
3 Modern Thai
For some time now there’s been a certain type of Thai restaurant making a shift closer to traditional food preparation and techniques, over the quintessential flavours of the country. At Soho stalwart Kiln, Thai dishes and techniques are married with native British produce in dishes like jungle curry with smoked kippers. Farang in Highbury continues to utilise native ingredients like Swaledale silverside beef. We’d be remiss not to mention the south coast’s Tam Thai and Singburi, a tiny London restaurant serving up lamb faggot red curry.
WHAT’S NEW
Biona is now selling six-packs of ready to bake multiseed bread – three brown multigrain rolls and three white pumpkin seed rolls. The minimally processed breads contain only natural and organic ingredients, and neither additives nor preservatives. RRP £3.95. biona.co.uk
All Things Butter is at it again, encouraging consumers to use butter differently with the introduction of its first sweet SKU. After the savoury range, concocted by TikTok star, chef and co-founder of the brand Thomas Straker, Great British Bake-Off finalist Ruby Bhogal has developed a Cinnamon Bun one to shoosh up toast, bagels and crêpes. RRP £3 for a 125g block. allthingsbutter.co.uk
Chevler’s Meat Paper is now available in a range of colours, which the Welsh supplier says gives retailers more vibrant options. The wear-and-tear-resistant wrap also prevents bones from breaking through. The paper comes in peach, white, green and black. chevler.co.uk
My magic ingredient
Honest Toil Extra Virgin Olive Oil
EDDY SLEIMAN, owner, Ed Baker
Honest Toil’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil comes from Koroneiki in the Western Peloponnese in Greece, and it is second to none. It’s cold pressed from olives still growing on trees, so it’s fantastically fresh. It has low acidity (0.21%) and high levels of polyphenols; it’s natural, unblended and unfiltered and has a shelf life of 16 months. We stock it in retail units of 500ml which I also use at home. Since I started using Honest Toil, no other extra virgin olive oil is allowed in our house. The product is also available in 1-litre and 5-litre tins. I buy the 5L tins for the bakery. All our savoury fillings for quiches and pies – like the Lebanese pie with feta cheese, cherry tomatoes & zataar – are cooked with this amazing oil. We use it in our vegan pie as well, with spinach, onion, lemon and sumac. I believe it’s what makes our Italian bread, Focaccia specifically, stand out from what’s available in the market around us. At home I apply it liberally to almost every dish: salads, hummus, baba gannuj, stuffed vine leaves, and many more. honest-toil.co.uk
Chimmy’s brings chef-led brand to independents, foodservice
By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox
Chef Diego Cardoso’s career has been decorated with awards and accolades – like Michelin stars and taking part in the Bocuse d’Or competition – and now he has also entered the world of food production with a new brand called Chimmy’s.
Together with his wife Sofia, the Argentinian native has spent several years converting and scaling up his revered version of chimichurri sauce, which can be used as a dip, marinade or condiment.
“We wanted it to be natural, but it needed to have a 12-month shelf life, and every time we sent it to the lab it would take another three months,” said Sofia Cardoso.
barbecued meats, and veg.
All three sauces are made with fresh red tomatoes and peppers, paprika, and a blend of herbs and spices – and importantly, no preservatives, allergens, flavourings or colourings.
The couple recently introduced a trio box with a handle, which they expect to do well in gifting aisles.
The Chimmy’s three-strong range (RRP £5.45 per 265g) includes the Classic, the Spicy one (to keep up with the trend for hot sauces), and the Smoky BBQ one, which Diego describes as akin to a brown sauce, in that it is perfect with a bacon & egg sandwich.
“I needed it to be a little bit sweet and a little bit smoky and a little bit tangy. But it’s really versatile,” he added, as it also goes well with
The full range is currently listed in a clutch of independents – with whom they work directly and liaise via Diverse Fine Foods – as well as with Selfridges and Ocado.
They also selling 5-litre tubs of it to foodservice outlets.
While ultimately the plan is to target highend supermarkets, the idea is to do so without compromising on the quality of the ingredients.
“We want the volume and we want the exposure, but not to sacrifice flavour, or squeeze our margins,” said Diego.
Other products could follow, with three or four other ideas in the works, said Sofia, “but the dream would be for more people to pick chimichurri instead of ketchup in the shop, because it tastes good and it’s healthier.” chimmys.com
No other olive oil is allowed in our house
Momo Kombucha has once again partnered with fruit and veg supplier Natoora to create a limited-edition, organic, fermented tea, this time flavoured with watermelon. Like their previous collaboration – a forced rhubarb kombucha made using fruit from celebrated Yorkshire grower Robert Tomlinson – the watermelon comes from the Zerbinati family, known in Mantua, Northern Italy for the quality of their watermelons. A share of all sales goes towards Natoora’s Farm Fund, supporting young farmers committed to agro-ecological methods. RRP £4.50 per 330ml bottle.
momo-kombucha.com
Entrants:
Right on the Sussex- Kent border, Eggs to Apples is spoiled for choice of produce, and benefits both from local trade and coast-bound tourists. Here’s how it’s planning to cement its position as a ‘must-stop’ shop.
By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox
…and everything in between
NOT ALL FARM shops are family-owned businesses selling homegrown fruit and vegetables and meat from animals reared on the land.
Eggs to Apples started life in 1972 under a different name, Lodge Farm Shop, as a way for the Sussex-based Barnes family to sell (you guessed it) apples from their orchard. The growing farm shop moved to a different site, still in Hurst Green, in 1989, before the founders’ granddaughter Susannah Hewett and her husband Craig Hewett reclaimed the original location in 2009.
By then, the vision for the shop had changed, and as well as selling staple produce from the local area, they stocked a panoply of goods, from eco-friendly cleaning products to freshly baked gluten-free bread and speciality ingredients from around the world.
VITAL STATISTICS
Location: London Rd, Hurst Green, Etchingham TN19 7QP
Floor space : 100 square metres
Total number of staff: 32, inc seasonal
Average basket spend: £20
Average margin: 35%
Number of lines: 10,000 (30% seasonal)
Annual turnover: £1.6m
When new owners Prakash Mangukia, Ketan Shingala and Darshik Vyas – three entrepreneurs from Harrow in north west London – took over earlier this year, it had become too big of a beast for the Hewetts.
“They had a change of circumstances and moved onto a different career,” Eggs to Apples team leader Alison Jarvis, who started working at the shop four years ago, tells FFD. “They felt this was outgrowing them a little bit.”
Jarvis is one of three team leaders managing the shop day-to-day, overseeing staff, rotas, training and liaising with suppliers.
As far as Jarvis is concerned, the shop is much as it was before, except that whereas the Hewetts were very hands-on in the shop, the new way of doing things is more staff-led.
“[The new owners] came in knowing we already know what we’re doing,” as her
fellow team leaders Sara Vidler and Deniz Tangaz have both been working at the shop for three and four years respectively, and the shop’s most senior member of staff, Andy Mac, has been around for seven and a half years. A conversation with a customer who has been coming since the shop opened, and hadn’t noticed that there had been a change of hands, confirms this, as does the shop’s administrative coordinator, Amanda Bickley.
“They’re trying to keep it true to what it was – selling local produce, reusable and recyclable goods,” she tells FFD
And, indeed, the product selection is broad but thoughtful, prioritising locality where possible, sustainability, and quality irrespective of provenance. Products come from about 40 suppliers – including Infinity, Cress Co., Cotswold Fayre, Diverse, Seggiano, Brindisa –
L-R: Denis Tangaz, Alison Jarvis and Amanda Bickley
and a number of them direct.
“When individual producers approach us, we look at it as a team and make a decision as to whether it would fit in the shop,” says Bickley, “and we check things like sustainability and packaging.”
“We do seek some products out. We were looking for a completely gluten-free fresh bread, because a lot of them were just glutenfriendly. And with everything, we look for people making things nearby.”
Being on the border between Kent and Sussex, fresh fruit and vegetables are staples at Eggs to Apples. When we visit, strawberries, cherries and plums dominate the stands, but a colourful display of produce runs all along the front of the shop, with several more rows inside.
“Very often it is either our best-selling category, or right up there – before the ambient,” says Bickley. A look at the numbers shows that it accounts for just under a quarter of all sales.
The cheese counter – stocked largely by Allsop & Walker, Traditional Cheese Company and High Weald Dairy – also gets lots of customers through the door, according to Jarvis, as it is the only shop in the local area that sells anything but pre-cut cheese.
“People value the interaction and the conversation it creates.” Best-sellers unsurprisingly include Montgomery Cheddar, Seven Sisters and Burwash Rose.
The shop also sells plants – seedlings and saplings in the spring, Christmas trees, and established plants year-round, as well as bouquets, with flowers sourced locally, too.
Three members of the team are the resident florists, a strand of the business which has grown over the years.
The shop’s drinks selection exemplifies its approach to sourcing products locally, and how, given the right circumstances, producers and retailers can support one another’s growth.
Rum producers like Rumbustians from Hastings, and gin producers Generation 11, Mousehole, and Birch, for instance, provide steady sales at Eggs to Apples. Many of them, as well as craft beer companies – from Kent’s Time and Tide, Sussex’s Gun Brewery and even Hastings’ Brewing Brothers – have quite literally been there since they started, with the selection evolving as they have grown.
“People would come in and say, ‘I’ve got this product,” says Andy Mac, the shop’s drinks buyer and its longest standing employee.
“They might have started off with a couple of examples of what they were offering, and they’ve grown – and their ranges have grown as well.”
“In the early days, we might have stocked things just so we had something, and then as the years have rolled on, we’ve been able to drop things that have come from further afield and replace them with things locally, which is really nice.”
Sussex and Kent being the heart of English sparkling wine production, it’s only natural that it finds pride of place on the shelves here: from the now-ubiquitous Chapel Down, Gusbourne and Biddenden to Oxney Organic, Davenport and Mountfield Winery. And as in
MUST-STOCKS
Traditional Cheese Dairy - Burwash Rose
High Weald Dairy - Seven Sisters
Cedar Farm Strawberries
Dallaways Cherries
Stems from Orchard Farm
Sweet peas from Cedar Farm
Tims Dairy Kefir
Nonya Secrets Rendang Curry Mix
Owlet Cox and Bramley Apple Juice
Queen Alfred Sausage Rolls
Moons Green Rosemary Ham
DELI OF THE MONTH
keeping with the trend, they produce more still wines, Eggs to Apples will rely less on foreign wines – but those they do sell come from small producers on the continent.
“We’ve got one supplier, Les Caves de Pyrene, that does the wine that’s not local, but it’s all low-intervention, biodynamic, and that’s really great as well. So, if there’s a bottle of wine from Spain or Portugal, it’s usually from a very small producer – it just happens to be from a very small producer in Portugal,” says Mac.
Thankfully, local goods don’t only attract local customers: it stands to the shop’s benefit that it can cater for passing trade with the region’s independently produced food and drink, too. Because it’s on an A21, which stretches down from London to the coast, tourists account for about half of all footfall.
This is helped by the fact that behind the shop, away from the main road, is a wide green open space. So where some customers come to do their regular shop or for a treat and don’t stick around, Jarvis says, many make a stop at the café, either sitting in the corner inside, or on one of the benches outside – which were multiplied and given partial cover when Covid restrictions were in place, allowing customers to socialise no matter what the British climate
offered up.
“We even find that people want to be out in the grass and picnic,” adds Jarvis.
This has the added benefit of bolstering retail revenue, as customers can come and go into the shop for extras.
Despite the economic turmoil of recent years, spending is steady in both the shop and the deli-café. It isn’t reaching the dizzying highs of the pandemic, Jarvis says, and as retailers and the economy at large attest to, the cost-of-living crisis has led some customers to be more cautious.
“We have seen a change. Not just here, but everywhere. But then the weekend comes and it’s like, ‘okay, it doesn’t matter for these few days’ – people come and they splash out.”
As cautious optimism is in order, the new owners are pushing ahead with the Hewetts’ plans to extend the café.
“It was always on the cards, they just didn’t quite get to that point before the change of hands,” says Bickley.
The £500,000, 160 square metre extension at the back of the shop will seat 80 people. Due to open this month, it will, for the time being, integrate the existing team and kick off with the same menu as is already served in the current café. The lion’s share of ingredients
will come from the same suppliers as to the shop, so as to showcase retail items and keep things simple.
Although it is the sign of changes to come, the objective is not to change the feel of the shop.
“It won’t be so big so as to be ridiculous against the rest of it”, says Bickley, and will offer up more storage space and staff areas, as well as more retail space.
“The whole café – the coffees and the cakes and the food prep will all be in there,” meaning the deli counter will be expanded and more shelving will be built into the shop. Given the breadth of the current team – a mêlée of locals, students, people who came on board with the new directors, and three Ukrainian ladies, who sought work at Eggs to Apples when they moved to the UK as a consequence of the Russian invasion – finding people to join the growing operation won’t be a source of angst, says Jarvis.
Eggs to Apples isn’t family-owned anymore, but it has the community spirit people look for in a farm shop. “Because we run it, we look after each other as much as we can,” Bickley says.
“We’re very much like a family.”
eggstoapples.co.uk
People value the interaction and the conversation the cheese counter creates
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Expert View
VHARI RUSSELL OF THE FOOD MARKETING EXPERTS
DISCUSSES HOW TO COLLABORATE
Attracting new customers and driving footfall and basket spend can be difficult in busy periods, but this is why collaborations are so useful.
So why do they work, and what do you need to know to make the most from them?
First of all, planning is key. Start by looking at what you want to achieve.
If you’re trying to increase your following, you need to work with a like-minded brand and agree on what you are going to offer, such as, ‘we will offer a bottle of gin if you offer a selection of crisps’, and then agree on which platform you are going to collaborate on.
It is advisable to do this as a collaborative post so it appears on both of your social media platforms, maximising your reach and audience.
The best collaborations will involve trial and error. Factors such as the day and time you post will contribute to the success of your campaign.
Collaborations can be in-store as well as online. Can you offer a producer a pop-up instore? If you collaborate to promote it you can drive footfall and increase awareness for both brands.
To achieve the best results, make sure
MODEL RETAILING
With all these new tables and chairs we’ll really be able to boost our café sales
to plan far in advance, as the wider you can promote the event, the better results you will achieve.
Newsletters are another great way to connect with new audiences and drive both brand awareness and sales.
So, chat with a like-minded brand with a similar customer base to yours and offer an
The best collaborations will involve trial and error, as factors such as the day and time you post will contribute to the success of your campaign
exclusive offer to their customers.
It is vital to measure these activities, so create a bespoke code to see what the redemption is, along with a tracking link so you can see what additional traffic is driven to your website.
There are lots of collaboration opportunities out there. What matters is that you ask the right question to make it happen.
It is advisable to plan these collaborations in advance, especially as one of the key selling windows is fast approaching: Christmas and the season of good will is surely the perfect time.
thefoodmarketingexperts.co.uk
There’s probably a downside
Setting up shop for good
External waste areas
hygiene
Bins must be kept in a secure location, away from the food delivery area and in an accessible location.
Contractors usually like recycling waste to be kept separate from food waste. It should be
The
refuse area, including bins, should be washed down weekly
kept in a tidy manner and must be removed regularly. The bins should be placed on a hard standing that should be swept and cleaned weekly.
The bins must not be allowed to overflow and spillages must be cleaned up as soon as they happen.
A water supply for cleaning should be accessible and the refuse area, including bins, should be washed down weekly with detergent and disinfectant. Where applicable, the area must be included within the pest control contract.
Fine Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing The guide is available in PDF format (free for Guild Members, £250+VAT for non-members). To request a copy of the Code,
This advice is an excerpt from the Guild of Fine Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing. The guide is available in PDF format (free for Guild Members, £250+VAT for nonmembers). To request a copy of the Code, email support@gff.co.uk
I
thought this was a shop.
FFD says: Foodservice is a vital income stream for most independent retailers. In some cases, it contributes the lion’s share of sales. While it might be lucrative, don’t let those covers dominate your retailing space or you could end up confusing, and losing, your retail customers
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