FFD August 2018

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August 2018 Volume 19 Issue 7 gff.co.uk

It’s creeping up on you... ALSO INSIDE:

Our guide to Christmas will ensure all your surprises are good ones

Errington Cheese verdict Pecks Farm Shop Cannabis beer hits UK shelves

ARTYSAN Get artistic this Christmas with Artysan by Organico Available from November, our festive range has been branded in strikingly individual artistic packaging. Perfect for stacking and brightening up any festive display.

Embrace centuries of authentic festive traditions with the Organico Artysan range. From our growing Panettone range baked in a family bakery in the Veneto province of Venice, to the rich butter shortbread pastry of our Scottish mince pies. We use the best quality, all organic ingredients, with no nasty additives or unnatural preservatives. Artysan Organic Panettone • Artysan Organic Gluten-Free Panettone • Artysan Organic Chocolate and Almond Panettone • Artysan Organic Lemon Drizzle Panettone • Artysan Organic 9 Mini Mince Pies • Artysan Organic Marzipan • Artysan Organic Stollen

www.organico.co.uk Tel: 01189 238767

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

CONTENTS We realised that you can’t please everybody and you can’t stock everything IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW…

12

Co-owner Jane Platts reflects on the last three years running The Deli at 58

5 THE BIG PICTURE 7 NEWS Grimsey Review II, Hider buys Butler’s Grove, heatwave sales

TÊTE DE MOINE

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12 OPINION Joanna Blythman on Errington verdict

Learn about the unpasteurised cows’ milk invented by monks in the 12th Century

27 CHARCUTERIE Cwm Farm’s waxed salami 30 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL Festive treats and retail advice

We’ve never had a grant, and everything we spend we’ve earned DELI OF THE MONTH

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Pecks Farm Shop

EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Editor: Michael Lane

Sales director: Sally Coley

Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065

Editorial director: Mick Whitworth Assistant editor: Lauren Phillips Reporter: Andrew Don

Art director: Mark Windsor Contributors: Nick Baines, Richard Faulks, Patrick McGuigan, Photopia, Lynda Searby

advertise@gff.co.uk

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam

Sales executive: Becky Haskett ADDRESS Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 editorial@gff.co.uk

Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £50 p.a. inclusive of post and packing.

43 SPECIALITY & FINE FOOD FAIR PREVIEW Ambassadors on retail and product trends 47 BREAD & JAM FESTIVAL Six reasons for producers to visit in October 49 SHELF TALK Cannabis beer, Gochujang hot pepper paste 62 GUILD OF FINE FOOD NEWS

Published by The Guild of Fine Food Ltd gff.co.uk © The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2018. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

Turn to page 62 for news from the Guild

Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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HONESTY AND INTEGRITY -

F A M I LY E T H O S -

P E RS O N A L C U STO M E R C A R E

With nearly 300 brands and more than 3,500 products to choose from, and supplying farm shops, delicatessens and garden centres throughout the UK... make us your one stop shop.

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THE BIG PICTURE

Feeling hut, hut, hut Looking to relieve the customer congestion caused by the ice cream counter in the foyer of its main shop, Ludlow Food Centre relocated it to a new cabin next to its picnic and play area at the beginning of July. The move has already paid dividends – freeing XS ŴRRU VSDFH WR WU\ QHZ WKLQJV LQGRRUV and boosting sales (salted caramel is the EHVWVHOOLQJ ŴDYRXU $OWKRXJK WKH ODWWHU might have something to do with the recent weather. Talk about good timing! Photograph: Photopia

THE GALLERY, SPRINGALLS WHARF, 25A, BERMONDSEY WALL WEST, LONDON SE16 4TH 020 7237 1750 WWW.FRENCHFLINT.COM

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HAWKSHEADRELISH.COM

NEWS

Retail guru Grimsey hails indie food businesses as high street saviour By Andrew Don

The latest hard-hitting review of town centres by retail veteran Bill Grimsey envisages a high street in which specialist food businesses could rule the roost. The Grimsey Review 2 on reshaping town centres highlights Birkdale village in Southport as a good example of a prospering shopping area thanks to around 50 independent businesses, including a speciality fishmonger, butcher and chocolate shop, as well as restaurants with an innovative fresh food offer. The review states that the emphasis in this retail mix appears to be offering locally sourced products and services that shoppers must be physically present to consume. Speaking to FFD, Grimsey said operations like Holmes Mill – which includes beer and food halls – in the heart of

TotW Awards unveiled After announcing its list of Gold and Silver awardwinners, Taste of the West will unveil its Supreme Champion for 2018 next month at a ceremony at Exeter University. The top prize will be chosen from the champions of 23 product classes, which will be selected from a longlist of Gold, Silver and Highly Commended businesses. Bell and Loxton’s cold-pressed rapeseed oil took Gold as did Dorset’s Cherry Tree – for three of its chutneys – and Ashridge Cider for its organic vintage cider and artisan elderflower cider. A full list of the awardwinners can be found at tasteofthewest.co.uk/ awards

Bill Grimsey said Holmes Mill in Clitheroe is the kind of food operation that could anchor high streets

Clitheroe, Lancashire, could be a model for other town centres. Grimsey has argued for many years that various parts of the retail industry are going to undergo a serious change this century. He said staples will be bought online and eventually people will want more of a physical shopping experience. “I think fresh food emporiums will be the focal point but they won’t be just about selling fresh food,” said Grimsey. “They

will be about an event, a day out. They’ll have restaurants in there as well as selling the produce. They’ll have experts giving out knowledge.” He predicted that traditional superstores will be redundant by 2050, adding: “That kind of change will be helpful to town centres if we can get the theatre right.” Emporiums such as Holmes Mill could incubate fine food businesses by sub-letting space, Grimsey told FFD. “There

is a future [for the high street] but it needs to be clubbing together and not individual.” Catherine Shuttleworth, chief executive of Savvy Insight, agreed that strong independent retailers were critical to high streets. “Where entrepreneurs create interesting spaces and opportunities for collaborations in towns where many smaller independent retailers can come together, local people vote with their feet and visit them,” she said. “There are many examples of schemes like this across the UK.” However, independent retail analyst Nick Bubb said this type of set-up would not work everywhere. “Although there are affluent pockets all over the country catering for bearded hipsters,” said Bubb, “it’s hard to see these sort of towns as the answer for the mass market.”

New EU bill threatens to burden any van-owning small business Operator licence rules for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) could be extended to vans of all sizes, placing new burdens on thousands of van-owning small food businesses across the country. This warning comes from the Freight Transport Association (FTA) after the measure was included in the latest draft of the European Union Mobility Package, scheduled to be implemented before the UK leaves the EU in March. The FTA has been outraged by the draft which includes proposals to install tachographs (device that record speed and distances) in the cabs of every van currently operating on Britain’s roads. James Hookham, deputy chief executive of the FTA, said van operators

were already facing increasing pressure from the introduction of clean air zones later this year – which could penalise operators with all but the very newest vehicles – and rising inflationary pressure and fuel duty. “Introducing a pointless measure like tachographs for van operators will not benefit our small and

medium-sized businesses but strangle them with red tape, at a time when they should be encouraged to flourish and expand.” Mark Cartwright, FTA head of vans, said while the proposals might not be transferred across in its entirety to the UK, the likelihood was some elements would be “cut and pasted” into UK law.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT... …THE IMPACT OF THE RECENT CO2 SHORTAGE

DAVID LISHMAN, Q GUILD CHAIRMAN AND OWNER OF LISHMAN’S OF ILKLEY:

“We seem to be okay with supplies. I know chicken prices have gone up a little bit. I don’t know if that’s to do with the CO2

shortage because they use it for stunning. I met a guy on a stall at The Great Yorkshire Show who’s selling still cider at the moment because he hasn’t got any fizzy cider.” ALAN BROWN, HEAD BUTCHER, CRANSTONS, PENRITH

“We do lots of gas flushing for modified atmosphere packaging. The CO2 suppliers won’t let you stockpile to try to future-proof yourself. They will only let you have what you normally get per week. Last week I tried to get double the amount but they wouldn’t let me. The big lesson to everyone in the industry is don’t panicbuy.” PAUL HARGREAVES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, COTSWOLD FAYRE

“To date, we have only had one supplier, Cawston Press, run out of stock of any of their lines. I think we are over the worst, but to learn that there are only three CO2 factories in the UK makes us realise how precarious some supply chains are. Better communication would be good as no one knew this could be a problem until it was.” Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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NEWS

CYBER CRIME

Hider targets more deals and expansion after buying Butler’s Grove brand By Michael Lane

Hider Foods is likely to make further acquisitions, following its purchase of the Butler’s Grove brand last month, as it looks to expand its offer to independent retail customers. Managing director Duncan Hider told FFD that the business was exploring several more opportunities and considering taking the step into distribution of chilled goods next year. “We’re in a much more acquisitive position than we have been for a while,” he said, adding that Hider’s focus in 2018 was firmly on growth. “This opportunity came up at the right time for us.” When Hampshire-based Dart Valley Foods went into administration in June, Hider was quick to act and had penned a deal to buy its brands, including Butler’s Grove, within days. It also bought stock and production equipment, which has already been

Duncan Hider will look to develop Butler’s Grove into new categories as part of Hider’s expansion plan

relocated to its production facility at the Hull HQ. The distributor will now exclusively offer the 150-strong Butler’s Grove product portfolio, which includes sweet and savoury preserves, biscuits and patés, to independents, as well as continuing the brand’s own label service. Duncan Hider said 2019 would see both the branded and own-label ranges expanded, with cakes becoming the first new

Artisan Food Club draws up producer code of conduct The Artisan Food Club has created a code of conduct for its own producers to follow, in a bid to smooth out the problems that retailers have when ordering from smaller suppliers. Food Club founder, Marcus Carter told FFD that all of the current and new producers in its catalogue will have to sign up to the

Carter: addressing a big issue

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code, which addresses due diligence, delivery tracking and clear communication about lead times or availability. “The big issue is retailers’ confidence in small producers,” he said. “This is so the producers understand what a shop expects. Nobody had written it down.” Since setting up the Artisan Food Club, which operates a drop-shipping model that allows retailers to order directly from several different small producers but receive one invoice, Carter has noticed a number of recurring issues in the way smaller suppliers do business. “Producers leave shops for weeks sometimes before getting back to them,” he said. “It’s a constant fight and retailers end up being drawn to larger wholesalers.”

category. Taking on Butler’s Grove appealed to Hider because it has an established brand, range and customer base that could be built on. He added: “We also want to be able to offer things that our competitors can’t.” Given the overlap between some of these incoming lines and the distributor’s current roster, Duncan Hider said there would be some delisting “I’d be lying if I didn’t

say there would be some rationalisation. We hope it will make some brands raise their game.” Hider said that this purchase would be the first of several moves in the coming months. “We get approaches on a regular basis from businesses looking to sell,” he said. “There was a period of time when the firm answer would be ‘no’.” But there are currently four or five opportunities that he is considering, including some going concerns. Chilled distribution is also on 2019’s agenda but Hider said he did not want the business “to run before it can walk”. As part of the Butler’s Grove deal, Hider has also bought the London-themed A Taste of the City brand. Dart Valley MD and founder Michael Jolley has taken up a strategic business development role at Hider, while sales director David Parry has joined as a national account manager.

IN BRIEF Savoury ingredient supplier Solina Group has acquired £13.3m turnover Essential Cuisine, which specialises in premium gravies, stocks and jus for foodservice and retail. The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society has launched the voluntary Sire Verified Angus Scheme to improve traceability of the meat and make the beef brand and the breed “bulletproof”. For the third year running, a Great Taste Market – featuring a host of Great Taste awardwinning producers – will be at the Universal Cookery & Food Festival. Run by the Craft Guild of Chefs, this year’s event takes place on 18th September at Westlands Nurseries in Evesham.

Johns adds more producers after £100k refit North Devon retailer Johns of Appledore has successfully increased its range and freed up space by investing in a refit that cost more than £100,000. Co-owners Anthony and Sue Johns, who also own Johns of Instow, applied for a Leader 5 European Union grant, administered by Torridge District Council and were awarded £50,000 of match funding. The Johns invested in new lighting, a walk-in fridge and freezer and slim-

line store refrigeration and freezers which replaced older big, bulky models. The extra space has enabled the business to introduce another 12-15 suppliers in the deli and 25% more products in grocery. Johns held a party earlier this summer attended by the local community and producers from all over the South West, including Tiverton’s Roastworks Coffee Co, Green Man Cider, Whalesborough Cheese, Lyme Bay Winery, O’Donnell Moonshine and Curworthy

Cheese. “We are offering considerably more choice for our customers,” said Sue. “In the deli and café we’ve been able to introduce many more local producers. In the grocery store we’ve been able to introduce some more independent products and we’ve added frozen artisan products.” Anthony and Sue Johns are the fourth generation of their family to run Johns since it was founded in the 1940s.

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weekly deliveries in our vans, by our drivers The Small Print Unfortunately we are unable to deli lines to any customers who do not deliveries using our own vehicles.

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NEWS

Indies’ sales sizzle as shoppers embrace outdoor eating weather

NEW OPENINGS

Independent retailers have been enjoying the hot summer weather, with many reporting a significant uplift in sales as shoppers stocked up for sporting events and outdoor dining. At Becketts Farm Shop in Wythall, Birmingham, retail sales went “absolutely ballistic� according to retail director Ian Comer, which made up for a decline in diners at its restaurant. Barbecue food sales went “through the roof�, as did associated goods, such as salad and bread rolls, and its sandwich bar benefited from increased lunch trade. “Sales are up 25% in the shop,� said Comer. “It can stay like this until Christmas as far as I’m concerned.� Cheese delivered a bumper performance at The Pear Tree Deli, in Sherborne, Dorset, on World Cup and Wimbledon finals weekend. Sales were up by about 20% on a normal weekend, said owner Stephen Taylor. Beer,

Nick Hook

By Andrew Don

Retailers reported increases of more than 20% in year-on-year sales thanks to the weather

cider and ice cream has also surged 15% over the hot summer. Cheese Etc, The Pangbourne Cheese Shop, near Reading, also benefited from the Henley Festival. Manager Angela Brown said the shop created an England v Sweden box, in celebration of the successful

IGD lifts lid on escalating demands of future shoppers Shoppers in the future will be open to a more personalised food and grocery experience, but only if requires minimal effort. That’s the view offered in Shoppers of the Future – Future Proof Your Business Now to Win With Shoppers in 2025, a new report from IGD. The report says consumers will want to make sustainable and ethical choices, but only if other QHHGV DUH DOVR VDWLVƓHG VXFK as price, availability and quality. It says retailers should consider developing shopper experiences that drive emotional engagement. And it notes continuing growth in specialist, often local producers, extending the choice for shoppers. The report also

comments how endless “online shelvesâ€? have raised expectations about availability and ranges, while the increased number of well-travelled consumers means retailers will need to keep up with changing tastes. Investment is needed in the presentation and quality of ranges to make stores more appealing, says IGD, with the aim of offering something e-commerce cannot. Joanne Denney-Finch, IGD chief executive, said: “Shoppers are more timepressed, health and socially conscious and digitally engaged than ever before. “The industry has an increasing responsibility to stay ahead of their future QHHGV DQG WKHQ IXOĆ“O WKHP WR stay relevant.â€?

quarter-final match. “We didn’t have a Swedish cheese, so we had the Peter’s Yard Swedish-style biscuits and three English cheeses to represent three lions.� Haley & Clifford Delicatessen, in Leeds enjoyed a run on salad boxes, soft drinks and ice cream. Owner Val Berry

told FFD fridges had broken down almost every summer but a new air conditioning has helped combat the heat. “The air conditioning was expensive but I think it’s paid for itself,� she said. Ice-cream maker Jude’s, based in Winchester, has seen year-on-year sales double in June but the company’s signature salted caramel flavour sold about four times its standard volume. “The weather has also been fantastic for new flavour launches, helping us to establish strong sales in a short space of time,� said marketing director Chow Mezger. “It might usually take up to a year.� He added that the company’s new range of lower-sugar children’s lollies had proved popular with parents. “We wanted to make a genuinely much healthier ice cream for kids, with less sugar than an average yogurt and these are already one of our top three best sellers.�

Nick and Claire Gane have left careers in construction and nursing respectively to open Cheese on Coast, a twostorey boutique cheese shop in St Ives, Cornwall. Greendale Farm Shop in East Devon has applied for planning consent to expand the existing shop, FDIÂŤ DQG Ć“VKPRQJHUĹ?V counter and build a new dedicated classroom that will host events and speakers from the DJULFXOWXUDO DQG Ć“VKLQJ industries. Family-run business The Salcombe Delicatessen & Sandwich Shop is up for sale with an asking price of ÂŁ160,000 for the leasehold. The business stocks a diverse selection of products, including pastries, cheeses, antipasti, chutneys and homemade ready-meals.

Soil Association launches organic retail kits The Soil Association has developed a range of Organic September marketing toolkits as part of its mission to drive awareness and sales. The categories covered include meat, dairy, store cupboard and fresh produce. Each toolkit comprises highresolution photography, DQ H[SODQDWRU\ OHDĹ´HW postcard and posters, one of which has space for marketing messages or promotional offers, and digital material for websites and social media. Organic September Saturday, on the 15th of the month, will see hundreds of independents showcase organic goods. They will offer sample sessions, cooking

demonstrations and discounts. Nielsen Scantrack data shows Organic September 2017 delivered 7.1% sales growth in the four weeks to 30th September. The 2018 focus will be on demystifying organic, demonstrating how it is An example of a promo poster in the toolkits

Ĺ„ğŤS İŤS ĹŚĹ› Ĺ“Ä°Ĺ˜g ĹŁÄ˝OĹĽĹšĹ˜a ĹŠĹ›

#CńŚśaÄťÄŒŤUįŗʼnQ 1. Fewer pesticides 2. No artiďŹ cial colours & preservatives 3. Always free range 4. No routine use of antibiotics 5. No GM ingredients

Take part this Organic September and #ChooseOrganic – food as it should be. For ideas, offers, inspiration and the chance to win some incredible prizes visit soilassociation.org/organicseptember

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accessible and easy to get hold of and highlighting the Soil Association’s symbol as a powerful trust mark. Other key events will include the Go!Organic Festival on 8th-9th September in London’s Battersea Park, with 15,000 people expected to attend. Clare McDermott, business development director at Soil Association &HUWLĆ“FDWLRQ VDLG Ĺ?2UJDQLF September gets bigger each year and last year saw sales increases across the board with more shoppers trying organic thanks to great promotions in stores and an increase in media coverage.â€? For more information contact organicseptember@ soilassociation.org Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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OPINION IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW... JANE PLATTS, co-owner, The Deli at 58, Loughborough Jenny [Smith] and I are sisters in law. We both had ‘responsible’ jobs – I was PA to a managing director and Jenny managed dental practices – but we both dreamt of doing something for ourselves. We had a vision of how our shop would look – a London deli in Loughborough – and we wanted an old, character building. They don’t come up very often, so when a florist’s became available in June 2015 it was all systems go. We signed the lease, carried out a refurb, and opened in October. Cash flow was our biggest challenge in those early days. When you first start up, you have to pay for everything up front and that cost more than we thought it was going to. Now, we hold minimal stock – all the cheese we have is on display on our counter. This not only helps cash flow but keeps the counter looking fresh. We don’t have issues with products being out of stock because most of our suppliers do next-day delivery and a lot of our customers will order in advance, particularly if they are having a party. It comes down to having good relationships with customers – and that is a skill you can’t really teach. After nearly three years of trading, we’ve recently changed the layout. Customers used to be greeted by a large serve-over at the front of the shop, but we found they were hesitant about venturing to the back of the shop where additional stock was sited. We’ve moved the counter to the back, brought the other stock forward and sourced some more shelving, as well as creating a loose olives fixture from a butchers’ trolley in the middle of the shop floor. Since we did this, sales of olives (sourced from Silver & Green) have gone through the roof – nearly everyone who comes in buys olives. Early on, we realised that you can’t please everybody and you can’t stock everything. For example, we got in a range of gluten-free products, including pasta, biscuits for cheese and fresh bread, as people kept asking for them, but they didn’t sell so now we only stock a few and do gluten-free to order. By contrast, every day we get a delivery of fresh brownies from Ottar Chocolate in Welbeck. They are expensive but they always sell. We deal direct with our suppliers where possible. In some cases this enables us to source products that can only be bought direct from them, such as the Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Company’s Bosworth Field. Looking to the future, we want to keep growing the business but we don’t want to outgrow it. I think there is a danger, if you get too big, of losing the personal touch. Interview Lynda Searby Photography Richard Faulks

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

JOANNA BLYTHMAN Journalist, author and Guild of Food Writers’ Food Writer of the Year

Throughout the UK and Ireland, there’s a deep-seated prejudice against raw milk, and therefore raw milk cheese, amongst food safety regulators. Strongest in Scotland and Ireland, but in England and Wales such sentiments simmer and can bubble up at any moment. Small food producers have watched with mounting horror the plight of Errington Cheese in Scotland, which in a blinkered ‘round up the usual suspects’ exercise by Food Standards Scotland and South Lanarkshire Council, was wrongly blamed for an outbreak of E.coli poisoning and the tragic death of a small child. This is every small producer’s nightmare. The Erringtons had to lay off most of their staff. Sales plummeted. They fought a lonely battle to clear their name, which mounted to £350,000 in legal fees. When they ran out of money, Humphrey Errington represented their case for justice in court. The emotional price to this family, respected artisans who put unpasteurised cheese-making in Scotland on the map, is too awful to contemplate. Two years later, the Erringtons have vindication of a sort. The sheriff found that all their hygiene practices complied with food safety law. He rejected the council’s application to destroy the company’s entire stock of cheese. Out of 500 batches of cheese tested he found that only four batches were potentially unfit for human consumption because obscure strains of E.coli were isolated from them in ‘vanishingly

small’ quantities using a new technique – whole genome sequencing (WGS) – that can only be carried out by highly specialised labs, not by food producers. But he accepted, having listened to the expert testimony of E.coli expert, Professor Hugh Pennington, that these batches were not likely to be injurious to health because they had none of the associated virulence factors needed to cause disease. So here’s an alarming precedent. European cheesemakers currently work to ISO standards on testing. But if their entire output can be condemned by WGS, how can they operate? This judgement has implications for other producers too: salad leaves, soft fruits, sprouted seeds. Even if their food couldn’t plausibly make anyone ill, it could be condemned by a distant lab, using WGS. This runs counter to EU legislation – it says that producers must reduce possible pathogens down to acceptable levels – but is consistent with the Northern European public health mindset that food should be entirely risk-free, preferably sterile. We urgently need to set up a new organisation purely to defend raw milk cheese-making and put our backs into the raw milk cheese cause, otherwise we’ll lose this precious tradition entirely. Cheesemakers will be so scared of being at the tender mercy of the authorities, they’ll pasteurise just to have an easier life. I’ve been disappointed to note that, whether through fear or self-interest, the UK’s established cheese bodies that represent mainly pasteurised cheese producers can’t or won’t fight the raw milk corner. They give me the urge to paraphrase Pastor Niemoller’s immortal quotation: ‘First they came for the raw milk cheesemakers, and I did not speak out because I was not a raw milk cheesemaker. Then they came for me. And there was no one left to speak for me’.

We urgently need to set up a new organisation purely to defend raw milk cheese-making, otherwise we’ll lose this precious tradition entirely

EDITOR’S CHOICE Chosen by Lauren Phillips Assistant editor

Sheppy’s Low Alcohol Classic Cider As the UK continues to swelter in this heatwave, barbecue season sees no sign of waning with ice cream, burger and alcohol sales on the up. But retailers can’t ignore the growing number of consumers opting for low- or no-alcohol alternatives. You can’t go far wrong with Sheppy’s new Low Alcohol Classic Cider. It’s refreshing, light and the fruit flavour comes through without tasting too much like apple juice, which you might expect from a low alcohol cider. sheppyscider.com

Are you being haunted by chocolate Santas while you tend the barbecue?

By Michael Lane, Editor

Are you already wondering where that giant stack of panettones is going to fit on your shop floor? Is that vital Stilton order waking you up in the middle of the night? Are you being haunted by chocolate Santas and snowmen while you tend the barbecue? Good. Although the idea of Christmas in July might fill you with dread on a personal level, as a retailer, you have got to be thinking about it now. This heatwave should have bolstered turnover a little more than expected but you would be mad not to be preparing yourself for the most crucial six or so weeks of your shop’s year. Most cannot survive the lean winter months without a successful Christmas, so you owe it to yourself to hoover up the advice and browse the new products we’ve assembled for you (starting on page 30). If you only take one thing away from this month’s issue, and the myriad viewpoints on offer, then it should be the importance of being prepared. No matter how much people appear to be winging it and still making a success of things, they aren’t. The notion is completely false – especially when it comes to our small corner of the business world. The future is something that all of the ambassadors for Speciality & Fine Food Fair we’ve spoken to (page 43) are very preoccupied with. While our Deli of the Month, Peck’s Farm Shop (page 56), may not be a pristine temple of rural retailing but it is a beacon of resourcefulness. Just look at Hider Foods purchase of Butler’s Grove (page 8). It was ready for the opportunity – the deal was signed within three days and the assets had been relocated and installed within a week. Producers need to have a plan too. Jason Gibb and his forthcoming Bread & Jam Festival (page 47) have a wealth of useful tips, if you’re just starting out. It’s never too hot to put your thinking cap on. Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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OLD RECTORY PRESERVES

FINE ARTISAN PRESERVES FROM NORFOLK

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Best of Hungary

Treasures from the past and beneath the ground Today’s increasingly discerning consumers constantly seek new and innovative flavours. This poses a significant challenge to product developers, while it also offers an abundance of opportunities to those willing to adapt to the changing demand. Products with a distinctive flavour that stand out from the crowd are ideally situated to flourish in this era of fierce competition. ISTVÁN SZŐKE ENVISIONED a collection of Hungarian culinary works of art available internationally under a single brand “Through the innovative combination of high-quality ingredients, our experts created delicacies of incomparable taste” added Mr. Szőke. This crucial task in the Hungarian Heritage family is fulfilled by the flavour masters, who are responsible for creating new products. Their innate skill, drive and experience underlie the masters’ ability to smell, savour and develop exceptional flavours. Whenever you taste a Hungarian Heritage product, you can be assured that its flavour profile was carefully built up by the finest palates around. What makes Hungarian culinary products so sought-after worldwide? It is a well-known fact that the Hungarian soil and the resulting foodstuff are one of a kind. The excellent geographical features of the Carpathian Basin and the centuries-old gastronomic traditions form the foundations of Hungarian Heritage food products. “Hungary is free from all genetically modified organisms, and the country also features the strictest regulatory environment

in Europe.” says Mr. Szőke. “The production is carried out exclusively in Hungary, and the majority of our handpicked ingredients originate from Hungary’s pristine countryside.” This is of ever increasing importance when the question of provenance is becoming paramount in the fine food segment.

Hungarian Heritage aims to revive the forgotten flavours of Hungarian cuisine by combining exceptional ingredients in an innovative way

The repute of Hungarian gastronomy initially began to grow among European gourmand circles during the 19th century, also known as the Golden Age. The synthesis of German, Austrian and Slavic flavours makes Hungarian cuisine unique to this day, and it prominently features a number of true delicacies. Hungary is among the world leaders in the production of goose and duck liver. A significant quantity of truffles is also produced, courtesy of favourable climatic and geographical characteristics. Furthermore, Hungary is home to the exclusive Hungarian Honey truffle, an exceptionally sweet truffle variety, which is a veritable Hungaricum.” Truffles are a key ingredient in Heritage products, and they frame every dish in their own image. When paired with other ingredients, they also bring out aromas that would otherwise remain concealed, while they are literally hidden beneath the soil like treasures to be found. Professional truffle hunters forage Hungarian forests with trained dogs in search of this highly prized ‘black gold’. The animals are attracted by the irresistible scent of truffles, and usually find them at the foot of trees about 20 cm deep in the rich soil. As this is the only reliable technique to find truffles, the process has remained unchanged for centuries. Why choose Hungarian Heritage? Hungarian Heritage’s professional expertise covers the entire manufacturing process, which guarantees that the end product is of the highest quality. The portfolio is curated by a team of renowned experts and chefs, who only select producers that meet the uncompromising standards of the brand. A team then supervises animal rearing as well as the cultivation, harvest and transportation of the ingredients. In addition to taking a firm line when it comes to quality control, the company also takes its moral responsibility to the countryside seriously. There is a fair trade partnership in place with Hungarian farmers to ensure the sustainability of a traditional way of life. In 2016, the Hungarian Heritage product line was presented at Food and Hotel Asia in Singapore. Based on the warm welcome received and on their success in conquering the Asian market, Hungarian Heritage products are now being introduced to the British market for the first time. They are solely distributed by Best of Hungary Ltd. a wholesaler specialising in the best that this small but gastronomically mighty country has to offer. 07806718730 | bestofhungary.co.uk zoltan.kopacsi@bestofhungary.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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8

Old Winchester, a very hard cheese with lots of flavour. www.lyburncheese.co.uk 01794 399982

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

Errington cleared of safety breach but questions testing methods By Patrick McGuigan

Errington has long maintained its cheese was not responsible for the E.coli outbreak and brought a civil case to contest the council’s decision, which concluded at the end of June with Sheriff Robert Weir largely siding with the cheesemaker. He said the council’s accusations that the company had not complied with hygiene legislation were “not well-founded� and he cleared Errington of breaking food safety laws, while also denying the request to destroy the entire stock of cheeses. However, the Sheriff ruled that one batch of Lanark Blue and three batches of Corra Linn must be condemned because of “potential� pathogenicity from low levels of E.coli detected by Whole Genome Sequencing testing – a relatively new testing method. “It remains a problem that the validated 7KH OHJDO EDWWOH VWHPV IURP D EDWFK RI 'XQV\UH %OXH testing WKDW ZDV EODPHG IRU D IDWDO ( FROL RXWEUHDN LQ methodology

Errington Cheese has hit out at Food Standards Scotland’s (FSS) “blinkered approach� after Hamilton Sheriff Court cleared the company of breaching food safety laws. The Scottish cheesemaker became embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) and FSS, after its raw milk Dunsyre Blue was recalled and blamed for a fatal E.coli 0157 outbreak in 2016. As part of its investigation, the council also seized 154 batches of the company’s Lanark Blue and Corra Linn cheeses, which it said were potentially dangerous and should be condemned.

for STEC in food in the EU available to food business would not identify the strains of E.coli found in these four batches of condemned cheese,â€? said Selina Cairns, who runs the business set up by her father Humphrey Errington. Ross Finnie, FSS chair, said the organisation was “contentâ€? that some of the cheeses had been deemed unfit for human consumption, but was “disappointed that not all cheeses were condemnedâ€?. SLC said it was “considering the implications of the decisionâ€?. Errington has spent around ÂŁ350,000 on the court case and has been forced to lay off 12 staff, while the FSS and SLC have spent upwards of ÂŁ500,000 of public money. “The whole episode has cost [us] not only our business and reputation, and staff their jobs, but the taxpayer has had to foot the bill for something that could easily have been avoided,â€? said Cairns, adding that FSS had taken a “blinkered approachâ€?, ignoring advice from dairy experts and following only the conclusions from its own auditors.

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Hafod This cloth-bound, 12-month cheddar (pronounced Havod) is made at Bwlchwernen Fawr in West Wales, which was established by Patrick Holden in 1973 and is the country’s longest registered organic farm. The cheese has a golden colour, supple WH[WXUH DQG PHOORZ EXWWHU\ Ĺ´DYRXU thanks to the rich, creamy milk that comes from the farm’s small herd of Ayrshire cows. Mustard Hafod often has a pleasant tang RQ WKH Ć“QLVK WKDW LV UHPLQLVFHQW RI KRUVHUDGLVK $ GROORS RI VZHHW DQG VKDUS ZKROHJUDLQ PXVWDUG WLHV LQ ZLWK WKH Ĺ´DYRXU QLFHO\ EXW LV PHOORZ HQRXJK QRW WR RYHUSRZHU WKH FKHHVH 7UDFNOHPHQWVĹ? )UHQFK :KROHJUDLQ 0XVWDUG LV D SDUWLFXODUO\ JRRG PDWFK ZLWK D QLFH FUXQFK WR FRQWUDVW ZLWK WKH VPRRWK FKHHVH

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THREE WAYS WITH...

David Hartley, MD of the Wensleydale Creamery, was a happy man last month after the company’s new 15-month Yorkshire Cheddar was named Supreme Champion DW WKH *UHDW <RUNVKLUH 6KRZ ,WV ŴDJVKLS Yorkshire Wensleydale also took the Reserve Supreme Cheese title.

Coffee &RIIHH DQG FKHHVH LV D SRSXODU FRPER LQ %UD]LO DQG ZH DOUHDG\ SXW PLON DQG FUHDP LQ RXU FRIIHH VR ZK\ QRW KDYH D OLWWOH FKHHVH RQ WKH VLGH" &KRRVLQJ WKH ULJKW FRIIHH LV NH\ KRZHYHU 7KH OLJKW IUXLW\ QRWHV RI D EODFN Ć“OWHU FRIIHH PDGH ZLWK ZDVKHG (WKLRSLDQ EHDQV IURP %ULJKWRQ PLFUR URDVWHU 3KDUPDFLH ZRUN D WUHDW 1RWHV RI SOXP DQG FDUDPHO VHHP WR ZUDS URXQG WKH GDLU\ Ĺ´DYRXUV RI WKH FKHHVH Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

17

CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

Cypriot pressure forcing British makers to drop halloumi name

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE SVETLANA KUKHARCHUK, The Cheese Lady, Haddington, East Lothian

By Patrick McGuigan

British halloumi producers are being forced to change the names of their products because of legal threats from Cyprus. A surge in demand for halloumi due to the hot weather sparked fears of a shortage this summer, but British producers looking to cash in are being hamstrung by the threat of legal action from the Foundation for the Protection of the Traditional Cheese of Cyprus named Halloumi. Homewood Cheeses near Bristol has reluctantly agreed to change the name of its Homewood Halloumi after a two-year battle with the Cypriot government body, which registered a Certification Trademark for the term ‘Halloumi’ in 1999, specifying that it must be made in Cyprus. “We’ve had to back down because we can’t afford to keep fighting it forever,� said coowner Angela Morris. Yorkshire Dama Cheese also recently had to change the name of its halloumi to Yorkshire

CHEESE IN PROFILE with

TĂŞte de Moine AOP

Yorkshire Dama Cheese has been compelled to rebrand its halloumi range as ‘Yorkshire Squeaky Cheese’

Squeaky Cheese after coming under similar pressure, while Milky’s in London renamed its cheese ‘Halum’ in 2011. However, High Weald Dairy (see feature on page 23) is still able to call its cheese Sussex Halloumi because it began making the cheese before the trademark was registered. Cyprus has applied for

12th century. Records from 1192 indicate the monks of Bellelay Monastery in the Bernese Jura in Switzerland would pay the rent on properties with cheese made in their abbey. The monks were evicted in 1797 during the French Revolution, but the cheese continued to be made there before production passed to local farms and then village dairies. Milk: Cows’, unpasteurised

What’s the story?: TĂŞte de Moine (“monk’s headâ€?) is named in honour of the men of the cloth who are believed to have invented the cheese in the 18

August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

How is it made? The Appellation d’Origine 3URWHJH $23 VSHFLƓHV whole, raw cows’ milk from the districts of the Freiberge, Pruntrut, Moutier und Courtelary, as well as the municipality Saulcy and the parcel of land belonging to the cheese dairy Courgenay. Copper vats and traditional rennet must also be used in production. The curd is cut

a PDO to protect the names Halloumi (Greek) and Hellim (Turkish), but has so far failed to receive approval from the EC. “Halloumi is a type of cheese that should not be exclusive for any one, especially after they failed to obtain the PDO certificate,� said Razan Alsous at Yorkshire Dama Cheese.

Svetlana Kukharchuk loves to chat to her customers about the people and places behind the cheeses on her counters, but she also realises that not everybody wants to talk. “Some customers prefer to browse, which is why I always have good written information in the counter,� she says. Each of the 50-or-so cheeses has its own laminated card, which gives important details such as milk and rennet type, but also carries stories about the cheeses themselves. “I write and laminate the descriptions myself, explaining why Morbier has a black line through the middle or what makes Montgomery’s so special,� says Kukharchuk. “I also print out little stories on the stickers that I use when wrapping the cheeses, so people have the information when they get home. It’s important to know where and how cheeses are made.�

to cut, but shave a chilled cheese in a circular motion using a Girolle device (invented in 1982 by a Swiss engineer) into thin twirls or rosettes. This increases the surface of the cheese that comes into contact with the DLU UHVXOWLQJ LQ IXOO Ĺ´DYRXUV and melt in the mouth texture. into grain-sized pieces and heated to 46-53°C, before being pressed in moulds and brined. The cheeses are aged on spruce boards for a minimum of two and a half months in a 90% humid cellar at a temperature of 13-14°C, during which time they are washed with brine and dry-brushed. Appearance & texture: 7KH ULQG LV Ć“UP DQG RUDQJH\ brown in colour, with ivory to light yellow paste. The texture is pliable with sweet, QXWW\ DQG VDYRXU\ Ĺ´DYRXUV predominating. It is best not

Variations: None Cheesemonger tip: The creation of the delicate twirls of TĂŞte de Moine cheese is great theatre on the cheese counter or at HYHQWV XVH WKH ĹŒĹ´RZHUVĹ? IRU

decorating a cheese board or a cheese celebration cake. For customers who don’t own a girolle cutter offer cheese rosettes, pre-created to order and packed carefully in an air tight container. Chef’s recommendation: Get creative with the twirls of this cheese adding texture and shape to charcuterie platters, cheese boards and as a garnish for salads. Serve with a chilled, light, sparkling white ZLQH Ŋ WKH GHOLFDWH ŴRUDO ŴDYRXUV SURYLGH FRQWUDVW to the savoury notes of the cheese.

The Academy of Cheese has been set up to promote cheese knowledge and provide career development, both within the industry and amongst enthusiastic consumers. It culminates in the KLJKO\ TXDOLĆ“HG DQG LQGXVWU\ DFFUHGLWHG UROH RI 0DVWHU RI Cheese. Visit academyofcheese.org WR Ć“QG RXW PRUH DQG VLJQ up to a course.

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Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

Fine Italian Foods F L A V O U R S O F I T A L Y T E W

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CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

It’s a simple process, but you need to get the timing right or the curd sinks to the bottom.

Making the whey pay High Weald Dairy makes a variety of styles with different milks, but its owner’s first love is sheep’s milk and the ricotta it makes with it is proving more popular than ever Interview by Patrick McGuigan

Mark Hardy’s glasses are misting up in anticipation as we peer into a steaming vat of whey. The ivory liquid, left over from the morning’s halloumi production, is being gently heated to make ricotta. Nothing much happens until the temperature hits 80°C and suddenly tiny fragments of curd start floating to the top as the heat causes the remaining fat and proteins in the whey to coagulate. The owner of High Weald Dairy’s eyes light up behind his foggy lenses. “That’s what we’ve been looking for,” he declares, before quickly adding salt and turning off the heat. “It’s a simple process, but you need to get the timing right or the curd sinks to the bottom.” Hardy, who runs High Weald with his wife Sarah at Tremains Farm near Horsted Keynes, has been making sheep’s milk halloumi and ricotta in Sussex for more than 30 years and is reaping the benefits of a recent boom in both styles of cheese. Sales of the two products have grown by 50% in two years, he says, helped by the rise of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking trends, and growing interest in vegetarian diets. High Weald makes around 100 tonnes of organic and non-organic cheese a year using cows’, goats’ and sheep’s milk for customers including M&S, Waitrose and delis and farm shops. But sheep’s milk was Hardy’s first love (he used to have his own flock, but now buys from British farms) and it still accounts for around 30% of production, with other products in the range including the feta-style Medita, the

fresh Slipcote and hard Duddleswell. The company’s sales of sheep’s cheeses have grown by 25-35% in the past five years, despite an increasingly crowded marketplace with a spate of new ewes’ milk products from British producers, such as Pecorino Fresco from Olianas in Leeds, and Pavé Cobble and Sheep Rustler from White Lake in Somerset, which were named Supreme Champions at the 2017 and 2018 British Cheese Awards, respectively. “Ewes’ milk cheeses are popular because people who can’t tolerate cows’ milk seem to be able to better digest them,” says Hardy. “Like goats’ cheese, the fat globules are smaller in sheep’s milk, which makes it quicker to digest. But it is actually better in terms of nutrition. Goats’ milk is around 10% solids; sheep’s milk is 18-20%.” The downside is that sheep’s milk is expensive. High Weald pays up to £1.35 per litre compared to just 35p for cows’ milk. With costs like that, making the absolute most of the milk by also producing ricotta is a no-brainer, especially as the whey has to be heated anyway to cook the halloumi. Around 1,500 litres of whey will yield 30-40kg of ricotta, which sells for between £10-13 per kilo. Back at the vat, a fluffy blanket of the precious curd has formed and Hardy is gently ladling it into moulds to drain, while also discussing ricotta recipes with head cheesemaker Chris Heyes. Top tips include serving it with crushed almonds and honey, or stuffing courgette flowers with the cheese, before dipping them in tempura and deepfrying. “It’s such a versatile cheese with so many different ways to use it,” he says, before pondering further on why Brits are getting a taste for sheep’s milk cheeses. “They’re sweeter and creamier than cows’ or goats’ milk cheeses,” he says. “Basically, they taste delicious.” highwealddairy.co.uk

CROSS

SECTION

High Weald Dairy organic sheep’s milk ricotta 1

Ricotta means ‘re-cooked’ in Italian, which refers to the process of reheating the whey left over from cheese-making (typically mozzarella or Parmesan). In Cyprus, the whey cheese made as a by-product of halloumi production is called Anari.

2

3

The cheese is vacuum-packed to give it a month’s shelf life, although it is best eaten as fresh as possible. The texture is slightly grainy with a cooked milk flavour that is sweeter than cows’ milk ricotta.

High Weald’s ricotta is high in protein (6%) and low in fat (3%). Most of the original butterfat and casein proteins in the milk are captured in the halloumi make, but heating the left over whey denatures the remaining proteins (mainly albumin) causing them to coagulate. Some producers add an acidifying agent, e.g. lemon juice or vinegar, to help the coagulation process, but High Weald only uses heat.

Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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A truly global cheese event, the CARLOS YESCAS, CHEESEMONGER

World Cheese Awards has been bringing

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The World Cheese Awards offers a unique opportunity to meet producers, consumers, industry experts and aficionados all in one event, setting the path for our industry. Here you have the most trusted cheesemongers and buyers rubbing shoulders with the most respected cheesemakers.

together cheesemakers, retailers, buyers, consumers and food commentators worldwide for over three decades. This year we take this unique event to Bergen, as part of a food festival celebrating Norwegian culture.

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

CUT&DRIED

making more of British & Continental charcuterie

Welsh beekeepers help create Tuscan-inspired waxed salami By Mick Whitworth

With “plastic free” becoming a buzz phrase in food packaging, one Welsh charcutier has adopted a traditional Italian artisan method for keeping some of its small-batch salamis in good condition for longer. Cwm Farm, run by Ruth and Andrew Davies, has begun dipping its signature leek salamis in natural beeswax, sourced from local apiaries. “This is helping us with our new ‘no plastics’ policy, but also extending shelf life and keeping the salami in tip-top condition,” said Ruth Davies, who learned the technique while visiting a small producer in Tuscany earlier this year. Davies has worked with the publically-funded Food Centre Wales technology centre at Horeb, Ceredigion, to ensure the technique meets food safety standards. According to Ewa Weremij of specialist importer Emilia UK, which sells wax-coated salamis through its own Bianca Mora retail stall at London’s Borough Market, beeswax is

traditionally used on both salamis and cheese by artisan producers in Italy. “Our waxed salami is a Slow Food Presidium product from Emilia Romagna – the land of Parmigiano Reggiano and many charcuterie producers,” she said. “It’s made with free-range pork from a north Italian pig breed, Mora Romagnola. “We do sell a very small amount to specailist delis in the UK, but it’s not produced in big

Cwm Farm was inspired by Italian waxed salamis, like this artisan product imported by Borough Market’s Emilia UK

Lower-salt dry cure targets better-for-you bacon market Reduced salt bacon has been on supermarket shelves for several years, with both ownlabel meats and brands like Tulip’s Danepack offering up to 30% reductions on normal salt levels. Now ingredients supplier Lucas is offering independent butchers and charcutiers a 25%-less-salt version of its Easicure dry bacon cure that it says delivers a ‘home cured’ flavour with a moist, succulent finish and “minimal shrinkage”. “There’s undoubtedly growing demand from health-conscious consumers for products that more

volumes.” Waxing creates a natural seal that allows the product to breathe without exposing it to contamination, said Weremij. This means that salami containing only salt as a preservative can be displayed safely at room temperature, she added. “We have them hanging from the ceiling at Borough – they have a lot of eye-appeal.” Cwmfarm.co.uk emiliauk.london

closely meet their needs,” said business development manager Steve Derrick. “Easicure Reduced Salt will enable butchers to create lower salt bacon and charcuterie products, potentially opening up extra sales in this

Easicured Reduced Salt: ‘Home cured’ flavour and minimal shrinkage

developing sector.” This new premium cure complies with legislation on nitrates/nitrites when used at the recommended level, Derrick said, while shelf life tests were “consistent with traditional dry-cure products”. “We’re pleased that the end product tastes the same as traditional bacon. We’ve managed to retain a full flavour, with no salty aftertaste.” He continued: “We see the opportunity for butchers to extend their range of reduced salt, Continentalstyle charcuterie wherever a bacon dry-cure is part of the process. A good starter could be pancetta, which is simple to make and very popular.” lucas-ingredients.co.uk

GO NATIVE ANDREW SHARP, butcher, Rare Breeds Survival Trust supporter, and teacher at the School of Artisan Food

Where the pastures really are greener In the food industry, labelling designed to inform can often mask reality. That’s certainly the case with ‘grass-fed’ meat. You’d expect this to mean the animal has spent its life happily grazing on the green stuff as nature intended. But it doesn’t have to. Under Defra rules, to describe meat as ‘grass-fed’ only 51% of an animal’s diet needs to be grass-based. The rest can come from barley and soya-based feeds. If, on the other hand, meat is labelled ‘pasture-fed’ the animal must have been fed grass – and the herbs and legumes that pasture contains – for its entire life. (Hay in the winter is ok, as that is still just grass.) So what do you get with pasture-fed beef or lamb? On the health front, you get lower total fat levels than from grain-fed animals, higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and a more balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. Pasture-fed meat also contains significantly more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an essential fatty acid linked to long-term weight management and optimal health. CLA is particularly rich in vitamins A and E and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. Much pasture-fed meat comes from traditional or rare British breeds that evolved to live off their native land and convert it into good, flavoursome meat or milk. Frequently, these animals will have spent their whole lives on the farm where they were born so, just like wine or cheese, each has its own terroir. This meat generally also comes from smaller producers who focus on quality rather than quantity and whose products fill a niche that supermarkets cannot. The network of farmers producing purely pasture-fed beef and lamb products from rare and native British breeds is growing, and using this raw material adds distinction to premium charcuterie. You can find suppliers through the Pasture Fed Livestock Association, whose Pasture for Life label guarantees animals have been fed 100% pasture for the whole of their lives. rbst.org.uk pastureforlife.org

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

27

INDUSTRY ONLY

Explore the UK’s leading showcase of fine food and drink Condense a year’s worth of product sourcing into a fun journey of discovery, register to attend at specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk

specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk @SpecialityFair #SFFF18 28

August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

Borsari Authentic Luxury Italian Panettone 2018 Range Exclusive to Tenuta Marmorelle Now Taking Orders For Christmas 2018 www.tenutamarmorelle.com | 01189 298480

Making Christmas Special The first certified palm oil free christmas puddings in the world!

Berries, An innovative family business producing exceptional, multi award winning Christmas Puddings since 2010

Have you ordered yours?

Contact: Natalie Kermode | Tel: 01624 838384 | E-Mail: info@berries.co.im Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

29

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Almost the season

treats & table essentials Steenbergs has updated the look of its mulling spice brand Old Hamlet Wine & Spice. The range includes a number of mulled spice blends in cotton or tartan bags (trade £1.90) – including a brand-new cacao mulled wine mix. This is also available in single serve envelopes (trade £0.55) along with bestsellers and new additions like Medieval Hippocras and Grog. steenbergs.co.uk

Frozen ready-meal specialist Gourmade has the sides sorted for the Christmas table. There are honey roast parsnips (250g, trade £3.20) DQG FDXOLŴRZHU FKHHVH (360g, trade £2.45), as well as Posh Peas (320g, trade £2.45), covered in a light sauce of crème fraiche and garden mint, then loaded with streaky bacon. gourmade.com

Lick The Spoon has a new version of its chocolate Victorian orange for Christmas 2018. Handdecorated in the style of a traditional Victorian clove studded orange, the 45% cocoa single origin milk chocolate shell is an LGHDO VWRFNLQJ ƓOOHU DQG is minimally packaged in plastic-free biodegradable cellophane. Trade £4.16, RRP £9.95. lickthespoon.co.uk

Loison’s Nerosale chocolate & salted caramel panettone, IURP WKH ,WDOLDQ EDNHU\ōV Genesi hand-wrapped range, is now available in cases of 6 x 600g or 6 x 1kg from Paolos Patisserie. Trade prices are £12.50 and £16.80, while RRPs are £16.99 and £21.99 respectively. paolospatisserie. simplesite.com

Great British Biscotti Company has travelled across the pond for its range RI IHVWLYH ŴDYRXUV ,WV QHZ pumpkin pie, banoffee pie, pecan pie and toffee apple varieties all come in 100g packs (RRP £2.99). greatbritishbiscotti.co.uk

Taylors of Harrogate has created two hot drinks with a Christmas twist. Billed as “warming and citrusy, the Spiced Christmas Tea comes in tea bags (cases of 6 x 20-bag boxes) or loose in caddies (cases of 6 x 125g). The Yorkshire stalwart’s Christmas Coffee blend (cases of 6 x 227g) offers ŴDYRXUV RI PLON FKRFRODWH and hazelnuts. taylorsofharrogate.co.uk

Gingerbread specialists Image on Food has launched a Snowman & 6QRZŴDNH FROOHFWLRQ They are supplied in assorted cases of 12 (six of each design) individually wrapped units. RRP £2.85 each. Case price £23.51. imageonfood.co.uk

Offer something a little bit different for Christmas cheeseboards with the Canary Island combination of sweet, smoky Maxorata Majorero goats’ cheese (trade £18.50/kg) with La Gomera palm syrup (130g, trade £3.35). Both are available from Brindisa. brindisa.com

It’s time to start thinking about your festive sales and your Christmas starts here with a round-up of products and treats for the table, followed by gifts and stocking fillers (p.37). You’ll also find retailing guidance sprinkled throughout. Compiled by Michael Lane

Prunes, dates, apricots, all-spice and dark Ampleforth Abbey Beer are all part of the mix in Rosebud Preserves’ new Christmas fruit chutney. It comes in cases of 12 x 198g jars. Trade price £2.24 per jar (RRP £3.75 each) rosebudpreserves.co.uk

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

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Mince pies, featuring Hedgerow Gin from Sloe Motion in the icing

Belvoir Fruit Farms festive trio of punches is back for another season. Festive fruit, spiced ginger and mulled winter punches all come in cases of 6 x 75cl bottles (trade £8.79+VAT). They can be served warm on their own as soft drinks or mixed with alcohol. Belvoir also has a mulled winter cordial (6 x 50cl, £12.33+VAT). belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk

New for 2018 from LillyPuds is a trio of puddings. The plum pudding is a combination of fruit, stout, prunes, walnut and apple with an added kick from the damson gin (454g, RRP £12.75). The new traditionally made Fairtrade pudding is available in 2 x 120g and 454g (£8.75 and £12.95 respectively), while the vegan pudding also comes in 454g. lillypuds.co.uk

Five alternative cheeses for the festive cheeseboard

KATE O’MEARA of The Cheese Society suggests some alternative varieties to carry the Christmas cheeseboard beyond the classic Stilton and cheddar. thecheesesociety.co.uk BARON BIGOD

Fen Farm Dairy’s white bloomy-rind, unpasteurised cows’ milk cheese is made in the style of a good Brie de Meaux. It is a creamy cheese with a smooth texture and earthy mushroom notes. Upsell with: Hawkshead Relish’s Cranberry Relish. The sharpness from the cranberries in the relish cuts through the richness in the cheese. This year, Lottie Shaw’s has reinvented the classic rum mince pie using Harrogate Rum in the icing and has taken it further with gin-iced mince pies, featuring Hedgerow Gin from Sloe Motion in the icing. Both come in 320g boxes of four pies (RRP £4.95). The producer’s classic rich fruit cake has also received the Sloe Gin treatment – 420g cakes retail for £8.50. lottieshaws.co.uk

New Yorkshire Emporium’s Na’then Cranberry Ketchup (6 x 190g, trade £15) might add something different to this year’s turkey roast, with its mix of fruity, smoky and FKLOOL Å´DYRXUV 7KH SURGXFHU also has two different gift boxes, with a Yorkshire or Christmas theme, that hold 3 x 190g products. newyorkshireemporium. co.uk

Booja-Booja says its new range of chilled organic, dairy-free, gluten-free and YHJDQ WUXIŴHV ZLOO WXUQ DQ\ deli’s fridge into a chocolate shop. The Norfolk-based company’s new range includes eight new sixWUXIŴH WUHDW SDFNV IHDWXULQJ ŴDYRXUV OLNH KD]HOQXW FUXQFK and almond salted caramel, as well as brand new ŴDYRXUV WRIIHH VWUXGHO DQG honeycomb caramel. boojabooja.com

VACHEROUSSE D’ARGENTAL This double cream cheese is made from fresh cows’ milk produced in the Lyonnais region of France. The rind, which is rust in colour, is extremely tasty. Upsell with: Welbeck’s sourdough biscuits. This cheese is JRRG RQ LWV RZQ EXW WKHVH SODLQ ŴDYRXUHG ELVFXLWV KDYH a lovely crispy texture which contrasts with the smooth, creaminess of the cheese. RACHEL Produced by White Lake Cheese, Rachel is an unusual, semi-soft unpasteurised goats’ milk with a smooth texture and sweet, PHGLXP ŴDYRXU Upsell with: Quince paste. This paste is the traditional accompaniment to Manchego, which Rachel is very similar in style to. SCHÜRCHÄS A great alternative to cheddar. The unpasteurised cheese IURP WKH %HUQH 9DOOH\ LQ 6ZLW]HUODQG KDV D ULFK QXWW\ ŴDYRXU ZLWK FUXQFK\ VDOW FU\VWDOV WKURXJKRXW ZKLFK people like. Upsell with: %DNHG ƓJ EDOOV 7KH VZHHW VWLFN\ ƓJ SDVWH ZUDSSHG LQ ƓJ OHDYHV MX[WDSRVHV ZLWK WKH ƓUP IXOO ŴDYRXUHG 6ZLVV FKHHVH

Vegan-kosher brand Kennard’s Artisan Chocolates has given its assorted chocolates new packaging for the Christmas VHDVRQ DQG DGGHG QHZ ŴDYRXUV VXFK DV UDVSEHUU\ MXQLSHU DQG ZKLWH SHDFK VWDU DQLVH desire4food.com

Simply Ice Cream has combined LWV VLJQDWXUH LFH FUHDP ZLWK ZKROH VKRUWFUXVW PLQFH SLHV PDGH ZLWK D GDVK RI &RXUYRLVLHU 9623 FRJQDF Ideal as an accompaniment to SXGGLQJ RU RQ LWV RZQ WKLV IHVWLYH LFH FUHDP FRPHV LQ PO WXEV 553 e simplyicecream.co.uk

Best of Hungary is offering VRPH LQGXOJHQFH ÅŠ HLWKHU DV D JLIW RU RQ WKH IHVWLYH WDEOH ÅŠ LQ WKH IRUP RI LWV YHUVDWLOH WUXIÅ´H VDXFH J MDU WUDGH e 553 e PDGH ZLWK DURPDWLF EODFN DXWXPQ WUXIÅ´H bestofhungary.co.uk

STRATFORD BLUE A buttery, creamy blue cheese with a natural rind and PHOORZ ŴDYRXU IURP %XWOHUV )DUPKRXVH &KHHVHV ,W LV D good conversion cheese for those who don’t usually like blue. Upsell with: Stollen or mince pies. A festivethemed upsell for that sharp, fruity contrast on the cheeseboard. Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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NEW CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATES

Order from our expert team: 020 8772 1600 | sales@brindisa.com www.brindisa.com 32

August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

christmas treats & table essentials

>> As always, Fudge Kitchen has a host of festive NPD this year. Its Christmas Caramels selection features twelve chocolate coated caramels in YDULRXV Ĺ´DYRXUV LQFOXGLQJ 6HD 6DOWHG &KHUU\ DQG &KRFRODWH 2UDQJH LQ D J ER[ 553 e 7KH .HQWLVK SURGXFHU DOVR KDV )DEXORXV )XGJHV DQG 7ZHOYH )ODYRXUV RI &KULVWPDV ER[HV 553V e DQG e fudgekitchen.co.uk

7KRVH ORRNLQJ IRU D IHVWLYH WDEOH FHQWUHSLHFH PLJKW OLNH GodminsterĹ?V 6WDU &HOHEUDWLRQ &DNH 553 e %XW LI WKH NJ WRZHU LV D ELW PXFK WKHQ WKH 6RPHUVHW RUJDQLF FKHHVH SURGXFHU LV DOVR VHOOLQJ LWV QHZ J VWDU VKDSHG WUXFNOHV RI YLQWDJH FKHGGDU 553 e ĹŠ ZLWK LWV VLJQDWXUH

EXUJXQG\ ZD[ FRDWLQJ It has also created a Cheddar & Chutney &ROOHFWLRQ IHDWXULQJ WKH VWDU RU LWV KHDUW VKDSHG RU URXQG ZD[ WUXFNOHV J RI LWV RDN VPRNHG YLQWDJH FKHGGDU DQG D MDU RI EHHWURRW DSSOH FKXWQH\ 553 e godminster.com

Dean’s KDV DGGHG IRXU PRGHUQ ŴDYRXU FRPELQDWLRQV WR LWV FODVVLF DOO EXWWHU VKRUWEUHDG UHFLSH 6WUDZEHUU\ SLQN SHSSHUFRUQ ZKLVN\ PDUPDODGH VRXU FKHUU\ GDUN FKRFRODWH DQG JLQ OLPH MXQLSHU DOO FRPH LQ FRORXUHG WXEH WLQV LQ WZR VL]HV 7KH J KDV DQ 553 RI e ZKLOH J 553 LV e deans.co.uk

&KRFRODWH RUDQJH DPDUHWWR JOXWHQ IUHH IUXLW FDNH J ZKROHVDOH e LV WKH ODWHVW IHVWLYH RIIHULQJ IURP Ginger Bakers 7KH Ĺ?GHHSO\ FKRFRODWH\Ĺ? FDNH LV GUL]]OHG ZLWK GDUN %HOJLDQ FKRFRODWH DQG Ć“QLVKHG ZLWK JODFÂŤ RUDQJH 553 e gingerbakers.co.uk

The Christmas range from ice cream producer Yee Kwan comes in 500ml tubs with an RRP of ÂŁ4.99. New for 2018 are its Blue Coconut (vegan) and a Lemon & Ginger Gin and Tonic sorbet. These join the existing Stollen and Fig & Mascarpone Ice Cream. yeekwan.com

6RPHUVHW WHD DQG FRIIHH VSHFLDOLVW Miles KDV EURNHQ RXW WKH PXOOLQJ VSLFHV IRU its Christmas tea. It comes LQ SDFNV RI 7HD .LWH WHDEDJV J ZKROHVDOH e WKDW DOORZ IRU ODUJHU WHD DQG IUXLW VHJPHQWV ,WV &KULVWPDV FRIIHH J ZKROHVDOH e LV D EOHQG RI &HQWUDO $PHULFDQ EHDQV djmiles.co.uk

%DVHG DW /RQGRQĹ?V %RURXJK 0DUNHW McLaren’s Christmas Pudding are said WR KDYH SURGXFHG Ĺ?SUREDEO\ WKH EHVW &KULVWPDV SXGGLQJ RQ WKH SODQHWĹ? DFFRUGLQJ to the Financial Times. It is ODXQFKLQJ D GXDO SDFN RI J SXGGLQJV ZUDSSHG DQG PLFURZDYHDEOH ,WV ODUJHU SXGGLQJV J J DQG NJ FRPH LQ Ć“UH EUDQGHG ZRRGHQ ER[HV mclarenspureandnatural. info

Crackers are essential for any Christmas cheeseboard but Sprouted Genius offers something slightly different. 7KH 8.Ĺ?V Ć“UVW HYHU VSURXWHG Ĺ´RXU cracker brand (cases 12 x 90g, ÂŁ18) comes in three varieties: amaranth, amaranth with beetroot, and purple corn. sproutedgenius.com

Each limoncello panettone takes 40 hours to produce

SeggianoĹ?V OLPRQFHOOR SDQHWWRQH J 553 e LV PDGH E\ D IDPLO\ EXVLQHVV QHDU /DNH Garda. Each one WDNHV KRXUV WR SURGXFH DQG D KRVW RI LQJUHGLHQWV SUHPLXP Ĺ´RXU IUHVK RUJDQLF HJJ \RON EXWWHU DUWLVDQDO FDQGLHG OHPRQ SHHO lemon marmalade, a \HDU ROG QDWXUDO mother yeast and classic limoncello liqueur made from $PDOĆ“ OHPRQV seggiano.com

Whether you pair it with cheese or pudding, Harleston’s Ice Cider is an alternative seasonal tipple. The rich and syrupy drink is made by freezing apple juice before fermentation. Cases of 12 x 375ml bottles. RRP £20-£25. harlestoncider.co.uk

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christmas treats & table essentials Consumers looking for a stress-free after-dinner sweet will like ƓHOG IDUH’s handprepared frozen desserts. Sized for an average family, the range includes raspberry roulade (trade £6.05), glutenfree lemon cheesecake (trade £4.47) and a vegan, glutenfree chocolate torte (trade £4). ƓHOG IDUH FRP

From mini mince pies to award-winning Christmas puddings, +ROPHV %DNHU\ offers the full complement of festive baked goods. The County Armagh business’s range includes chocolate Florentine 4-packs (cases of 12 x 250g, £36.69), large Christmas puddings (8 x 420g, £30.80), and medium mince pies 6-pack (12 x 320g, £32.52). Available through the Artisan Food Club. KROPHVEDNHU\ FRP

>>

Christmas stocking Limited edition mulled gin, described as “Christmas in a glass�, is re-joining the Gin Bothy roster

The festive season is a big opportunity for independent retailers but it can also be a risky business. Here’s SCOTT WINSTON’S guide to planning, buying and managing your range this year. 6WHDG\ QRZ It’s very tempting to run out to trade shows at this time of year and place orders for the most attractive new product ranges, based on good old gut feel. But I believe you need to go a bit deeper and be a bit more considered. /HVVRQV OHDUQHG It’s imperative to capture what worked and what didn’t the previous festive season. What did you have too much of and what did customers ask for that you didn’t have at all? Jot this all down in a lessons learnt, or ‘Wash up’ document. It doesn’t need to be exhaustive, but it’s an important tool in helping you avoid expensive errors. If you’ve not got a record of last year already, pull one together now with whatever sales data and information you have to hand. 9LHZ \RXU UDQJH You’ve got to think carefully about the composition of your range. Listing out key categories can be useful, eg. confectionery, gifting, pantry etc. Under these headings, add products you want to keep from last year and then add in missing items your lessons learnt picked up. Any UHPDLQLQJ VSDFH FDQ EH JLYHQ RYHU WR QHZQHVV ĹŠ WKH icing on the cake.

7KRPDV )XGJH’s range of )ORUHQWLQHV LQ WKUHH ŴDYRXUV Ŋ dark chocolate, milk chocolate DQG VDOWHG FDUDPHO Ŋ DUH expected to be best sellers at Christmas, both for gifting and entertaining guests. RRP is £2.70 for a pack of six or £3.50 for a pack of eight. WKRPDVIXGJHV FR XN

Retailers could appeal to dog owners this Christmas with Cotswold RAW’s 80/20 turkey mince complete meal. The mixture comes in 500g and newly recyclable 1kg trays (RRP £2.15 and £3.95 respectively). cotswoldraw.com

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

Give Christmas canapĂŠs a kick with the latest patĂŠ from )LQGODWHUĹ?V )LQH )RRGV. Its new Peri Peri chicken variety comes in 120g chilled selfserve retail pots (wholesale ÂŁ1.95, RRP ÂŁ2.99) as well as 600g portions (wholesale ÂŁ9.75, RRP ÂŁ26.66/kg), supplied frozen to sell chilled from deli counters. Ć“QGODWHUVĆ“QHIRRGV FR XN

0XOOHG ZLQH &KULVWPDV DQG ƓJ make up Deerview Fine Food’s trio of festive chutneys in 290g jars (trade £2.55, RRP £3.95). The Sussex business also offers these chutneys in a barcode-ready gift tube made up of 3 x 90g jars (trade £4.50, RRP £6.95). GHHUYLHZƓQHIRRGV FR XN

Previously described as “Christmas in a glass�, limited edition mulled gin (70cl) is re-joining the *LQ %RWK\ roster for Christmas. The distillery has also assembled a festive tasting box this year, which comprises 5cl bottles of the mulled gin, along with the original and raspberry-, rhubarb- and amarettoinfused gins. JLQERWK\ FR XN

Egg nog, mustard, black pepper, candy cane, and haggis are among the Holiday Season ŴDYRXUV EHLQJ RIIHUHG E\ DUWLVDQ ice cream maker 6SRRQVWUXFN. All of the Cambridgeshire-based business’s creations come in environmentally friendly 500ml containers (RRP £6.25). VSRRQVWUXFN FR XN

Over-ordering can be a costly mistake and even has the potential to wipe out the profit you should be making 7DNH LQVSLUDWLRQ Newness and on-trend products add some interest and variety, but you only need a modest number of these additional lines on top of the more commercially successful products you have already committed WRR <RX PLJKW Ć“QG WKRVH SUHFLRXV IHZ YLD RQH RI WKH wholesalers (most have just issued their Christmas 2018 catalogues) but social media can also be an excellent SODFH WR Ć“QG QHZ LGHDV 3ODQ \RXU RUGHUV Over-ordering can be a costly mistake and even has the SRWHQWLDO WR ZLSH RXW WKH SURĆ“W \RX VKRXOG EH PDNLQJ Nailing the correct volumes is vital. Again, ignore your JXW 8VH ODVW \HDUĹ?V VDOHV Ć“JXUHV DV \RXU VWDUWLQJ SRLQW and blueprint before you even think about picking up the phone. 0DUN GRZQ HDUO\ Monitoring your stock during the trading season is crucial. Take action early if products are not moving in WKH ZD\ \RX KDG KRSHG 5HPHPEHU \RXU Ć“UVW ORVV LV your best loss! VFRWWZLQVWRQĆ“QHIRRG FRP

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01538 382020 sales@cottagedelight.co.uk www.cottagedelight.co.uk 32

August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

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Your resistance will melt this Christmas.

Visit us on stand 2040f at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair, Olympia 2 – 4 September 2018 36

August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

deans.co.uk T: 01466 792086

>>

FKULVWPDV JLIW SDFNV DQG VWRFNLQJ ƓOOHUV The )LQH &KHHVH &R has devised a number of gift packs, featuring combinations of its biscuits and jarred cheese accompaniments. Festive Fun (RRP £24) contains the company’s festive Toast For Cheese with spiced fruits & pecans alongside damsons in gin and a jar of port, blood orange & pomegranate jelly. ƓQHFKHHVH FR XN

-HIIUH\Ĺ?V 7RQLF has created a gift pack (trade ÂŁ7.50+VAT, RRP ÂŁ14) that holds all four of its syrup varieties – which can be mixed in soft drinks or with spirits – in 50ml bottles: Not So Plain, Original Recipe, Lime, Galangal & Orange, and Yarrow, Rosehip (OGHUĹ´RZHU ,QGLYLGXDO Ĺ´DYRXUV FRPH LQ PO bottles (trade ÂŁ4.50+VAT). MHIIUH\VWRQLF FRP

A limited edition jar ideal as a stocking filler with a salt blend that ‘truly tastes of Christmas’

7KH %D\ 7UHH has a host of accompaniment gifts sets for festive occasions. These include the 12 Days of Christmas – a selection of 12 jars (35g-40g) of jams and chutneys (6 sets per case, trade £54). There is also a Chilli Survival gift pack (6 6SLFH 6DQFWXDU\ is now DYDLODEOH LQ ƓYH GLIIHUHQW JLIW sets: cocktails, popcorn, icecream, lattes and international. Each fully recyclable box contains three full-sized tubes of organic and ethically sourced spices and spice blends, an artisan handmade wooden spoon and three recipes. The gifts come with a ready to personalise gift card. RRP £27.50 each. VSLFHVDQFWXDU\ FRP

The new Christmas bauble packaging from Mydorable can be Ć“OOHG ZLWK VL[ GLIIHUHQW YDULHWLHV RI LWV FRQIHFWLRQHU\ LQFOXGLQJ LWV EHVW VHOOLQJ PLON FKRFRODWH DQG VDOWHG caramel pebbles. mydorable.com

Alongside its usual range, :LFNHGO\ :HOVK &KRFRODWH has created a Have A Go kit for consumers to make their RZQ ,GHDO DV D JLIW LW FRQWDLQV 3 x reusable chocolate moulds, 3 x 80g piping bags of Moreish Milk Chocolate, 3 x 20g piping bags of Wickedly White Chocolate with honeycomb, biscuit crumb and marshmallows. 330g, wholesale ÂŁ6.95, RRP ÂŁ12.95. ZLFNHGO\ZHOVK FR XN

Scarlett & Mustard KDV XSGDWHG LWV )HVWLYH 7ULDQJOH &KULVWPDV Cracker gift sets. The former can KROG [ J MDUV DQG WKH FUDFNHU IHDWXUHV WKUHH MDUV 7KH FRQWHQWV DUH VHOHFWHG WR FRYHU DOO IHVWLYH feasting requirements from FKHHVHERDUGV WR OHIWRYHUV scarlettandmustard.co.uk

per case, £25.20), featuring the producer’s sweet chilli jam and hot chilli chutney, and a Mulling Cider cracker (£30 for case of 6 units) – which contains a porcelain mug with three mulling spice bundles. WKHED\WUHH FR XNP

+DOHQ 0ÂśQ has a limited edition 15g jar (trade ÂŁ3.80 each, 12 per case) that is the ideal size for a VWRFNLQJ Ć“OOHU DQG IHDWXUHV a salt blend that it says “truly tastes of Christmasâ€?. For a more substantial gift, the Anglesey business has also created limitededition 100g jars of its pure sea salt (trade ÂŁ7.11 each, 6 per case). KDOHQPRQ FRP

OMGTea’s gift set contains HYHU\WKLQJ \RX QHHG WR PDNH D FXS RI PDWFKD J RI LWV DZDUG winning AAA Organic matcha JUHHQ WHD D WUDGLWLRQDO FKDVHQ EDPERR ZKLVN DQG DQ 20*7HD WHDVSRRQ 553 e omgteas.co.uk

Scottish smokehouse 6PRN\ %UDH has launched two pocket-sized gift sets so foodies can “season on the goâ€?, XVLQJ Ć“OOHG WHVW WXEHV RI VHDVRQLQJV DQG VSLFHV The Smoked Spice Rubs Pocket Set has Smoky Brae’s BBQ garlic and chilli rubs, while the Smoked Salt & Pepper Set has a tube each of smoked sea salt and smoked coarse black pepper. Both are supplied in cases of six sets – the rubs cost ÂŁ45 and salt & pepper ÂŁ39. VPRN\EUDH FRP Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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FKULVWPDV JLIW SDFNV DQG VWRFNLQJ Ć“OOHUV

Seasonal shimmer The bars are just the right size for stocking fillers or impulse buys

The Guild of Fine Food’s JILLY SITCH has some tips on how to dress your store and max out your merchandising potential.

*HW WKRVH VQRZPHQ RXW 0DNH VXUH WKDW DOO RI \RXU FKRFRODWH VQRZPHQ RU RWKHU &KULVWPDV UHODWHG VWRFN DUH RXW RI WKH VWRUHURRP DQG RQ WKH VKRSĹ´RRU DQG RQ GLVSOD\ E\ WKH UG 'HFHPEHU DW the latest. No one will want them after Christmas Eve and selling out is not a bad thing. 'RQĹ?W SDQLF Ć“OO 1R PDWWHU KRZ VSDUVH \RX WKLQN WKH VKRS Ĺ´RRU LV ORRNLQJ do not be tempted by that sales call from a supplier offering you a last-minute deal on three more cases of something, even if you’ve sold out of it. It’s much better to Ć“OO WKRVH VSDFHV ZLWK GHFRUDWLRQV $YRLG ĹŒGHFRUDWLQJĹ? ZLWK VWRFN 2QO\ Ć“YH \HDU ROGV ZDQW WR VHH VWRFN WKDW ORRNV Christmassy – those dreaded snowmen and Santas again! Get some of that stuff in but try to have more items that DUH QRW &KULVWPDV VSHFLĆ“F *LIW ER[HV GHFNHG RXW LQ WDUWDQ branding, rather than Christmas trees, can feel festive but can still be sold in the New Year, too.

Even the biggest Grinch in your family secretly likes the felt reindeer head that comes out every year

You can have Christmas on either side of the Tyne, thanks to 1RUWKXPEHUODQG &KHHVH &R’s two new gift sets. Both half-moon boxes feature four different 115g wedges of the North East cheesemaker’s output. The North Tyne box comprises the cows’ milk Cheviot, the buttery Jersey milk Kielder, carawayinfused Hadrian and the

sheep’s milk Redesdale. Meanwhile, South Tyne contains the tangy goats’ milk Elsdon and three Gouda-style cheeses: Nettle, Original and Oaksmoked. Both sets are supplied in cases of four, with an RRP of £14.50 each. QRUWKXPEHUODQGFKHHVH FR XN

$W J HDFK 6HHG %HDQĹ?V PLQL EDUV 553 e ĹŠ Ĺ´DYRXUV LQFOXGH sweet orange & thyme, extra dark, and espresso – are just the right size for merchandising as D VWRFNLQJ Ć“OOHU RU DQ impulse buy at the till. They are organic, YHJDQ )DLUWUDGH DQG WKH outer wrapper is 100% recyclable, too. VHHGDQGEHDQ FR XN

%HLQJ IHVWLYH LV QRW D FULPH We all go a little bit crazy with our decorations at home, so don’t be frightened to deck your shop out properly. Even the biggest Grinch in your family secretly likes the felt reindeer head that comes out every year‌ (YHU\ZKHUH LV D KRW VSRW No area of the shop should be idle and even the dingiest FRUQHUV VKRXOG EH Ć“OOHG ZLWK WKLQJV \RX ZDQW WR VKLIW <RXĹ?OO just need to dress them up more. Cunningly placed fairy lights and red tablecloths work wonders. ([SHULPHQW 1RZ If you do have less glamourous parts of the shop, work out how you’re going to make them shine when Christmas Ć“QDOO\ FRPHV 7U\ RXW PHUFKDQGLVLQJ DQG GLVSOD\V LQ SODFHV you wouldn’t ordinarily to see how you can get them working before you’re in the thick of it. 3URPRWH DQG VHOO 5LJKW QRZ Staples, like cheese, can be tested on customers now. Why not taste out several varieties of Stilton or cheddar and canvas opinions from your customers? You might even get a few advanced orders. 7LG\ XS DIWHU \RXĹ?UH GRQH 2QFH \RX SLFN \RXUVHOI XS RII WKH Ĺ´RRU RQ WKH WK \RX might as well sweep it. And shift the holly and tinsel from WKH VKHOYHV &XVWRPHUV ZLOO UROO LQ RQ WKH WK KDYLQJ escaped their relatives and they’ll be looking forward to New Year’s Eve. Hey, is that a snowman over there? 38

August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

5RTEHUU\ has small and larger gifts sorted for tea-lovers. Its mixed box of 10 individually enveloped teabags in 10 Ĺ´DYRXUV 553 e ZLOO FRPIRUWDEO\ Ć“W LQ D VWRFNLQJ ,W DOVR RIIHUV JLIW VOHHYHV 553 e WKDW ZLOO KROG DQ\ WKUHH RI LWV WHD ER[HV RI S\UDPLG EDJV )HVWLYH Ĺ´DYRXU RSWLRQV WR select from are masala chai, raspberry fondant, star mint, turmeric chai, and spiced blueberry rooibos. URTEHUU\ FRP

Small batch Italian roaster Aromistico has launched a gift set containing four coffee blends, individually wrapped in coloured WLVVXH SDSHU DQG Ć“QLVKHG ZLWK ,WDOLDQ Ĺ´DJ VDWLQ ULEERQV $YDLODEOH DV JURXQG RU ZKROH EHDQV aromistico.coffee

8 x 150ml Indian Tonic Water

8 x 150ml Club Soda

8 x 150ml Indian Tonic Water (Perfectly Light)

8 x 150ml Bitter Lemon

8 x 150ml Ginger Ale

8 x 150ml Sicilian Lemonade

www.folkingtons.com Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

39

FKULVWPDV JLIW SDFNV DQG VWRFNLQJ Ć“OOHUV This robust hand-blown teapot is ideal as a gift for tea enthusiasts. Available from 5DUH 7HD &R, the pot features a stainless steel spiral in the spout to hold back tea leaves, so no need for a strainer or infuser. Trade ÂŁ12, RRP ÂŁ25. UDUHWHDFRPSDQ\ FRP

Popping corn specialist Zaramama has launched The Great Popcorn Crate pack. It contains 3 x 400g bags of assorted gourmet popping corn kernels in a rustic crate style box – and will make a whopping 30 portions of popcorn. The RRP is £10, trade price £6.70. Available in cases of 6 units. ]DUDPDPD FRP

Those that want to add some Christmas spirit to their line-up might consider Szicsek’s palinka – a Hungarian fruit brandy. The company has a range of wooden gift boxes with prices starting at £35 for a 50cl bottle in box. szicsekpalinka.co.uk

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

Smoked condiment specialist %RXOHYDUG /WG KDV JURXSHG Ć“YH RI LWV top-selling products in a Christmas gift bag. Ideal as a present for foodies, it contains smoked garlic salt, smoked chilli, smoked garlic olive oils, smoked pink peppercorns and smoked dried mushrooms. Trade ÂŁ16, RRP ÂŁ25. ERXOHYDUGFXLVLQH FRP

Luxury Italian chocolate company %RQLHUL has launched a drawer-style gift box, comprising one Bella Box Gold 170g with classic gianduiotti and two 20cl bottles of Bottega Prosecco Gold. The chocolates – sourced directly from Turin – are dairy-, gluten- and soyfree and suitable for vegans. Cases of 9 cost £172+VAT. RRP £39.95 per box. ERQLHUL FRP

Gun Dog Gin has relaunched its full range of liqueurs in a new bottle shape. Made by steeping seasonally-available produce in gin for up to 12 months, the liqueurs come in 50cl and 35cl bottles, as well as 5cl miniatures and 5cl trio pack that are both ideal for gifting. Varieties include blackcurrant, damson, quince, raspberry and rhubarb. JXQGRJJLQ FR XN

Hibiscus & ginger, known as Sorrel, is a traditional Christmas drink in the Caribbean – with or without white rum. 1DWXUDO 2ULJLQ’s version is now available as part of its 3 x 330ml and 2 x 750ml bottle gifts sets (RRP £10 and £11, respectively). QDWXUDORULJLQXN FRP MXLFHV

The Cheshire Cheese Company gift pack contains four 200g waxed truckles. A traditional extra mature cheddar Black Bob is joined by Wensleydale & cranberry, gin & lemon Cheshire, and El Gringo cheddar with lime, jalapeĂąos & tequila. Trade ÂŁ10.80, RRP ÂŁ17.99. cheshirecheesecompany.co.uk

Made with cocoa beans and ingredients from its own plantations in Madagascar and Brazil, Akesson’s award-winning chocolate bars are now available in gift boxes of four (RRP £25.95) and 10 bars (£59.50). akessons-organic.com

Festive moods SAM ROSEN-NASH RI Ć“QH IRRG DGYLVRU\ VHUYLFH 7KH 3XUSOH 6FDOOLRQ JLYHV KHU WDNH RQ WKH WUHQGV UHWDLOHUV VKRXOG IROORZ WKLV &KULVWPDV

Trends will come and go through the year but the most important thing to remember about the Christmas shopper – and considering that shelf space is already at a premium – is that the majority of them will steer the large part of their basket shop towards the classics, with a healthy dose of nostalgia thrown in. That said, we all want to elevate our offerings with newness, something to titillate our customers’ imagination and encourage that extra spend. With plant-based eating and IHUPHQWHG IRRGV being a couple of this year’s bigger trends, there is no denying that the consumer will look to these having a place at Christmas. So, fermented Brussels, here we come! There is growing availability in fermented products but some customers are not so brave. As an alternative, I believe that all things pickled will sell well this season. All of us want to show off a little at Christmas, too. After all, it’s a time for largesse and luxury. And with the world turning even more to Instagram this year, eye-catching food and packaging that SKRWRJUDSKV ZHOO is a must, with bright festive colours taking precedent. This also translates into how we merchandise our shelves. Make bold statements with your stock, really lead your customer, don’t overwhelm them. Encourage

With the world turning even more to Instagram this year, eye-catching food and packaging that photographs well is a must them to eat with their eyes, to want to take a picture of your display, and then to pick up the product. Following neatly on, LQGXOJHQFH remains paramount DQG WKH VZHHW WUHDWV ZH RIIHU QHHG WR UHŴHFW WKLV DV always. There will be no getting away from VDOWHG FDUDPHO DJDLQ 7KLV UHPDLQV D ƓUP IDYRXULWH DQG ZLOO FRQWLQXH WR HQWLFH DV D ŴDYRXU SDLUHG ZLWK FRFNWDLO inspired goodies and melt-in-the-middle puddings, oozing opulence. While on the subject of puddings we are also seeing some super OLJKWHU DOWHUQDWLYHV coming through and WKHVH VKRXOG GHƓQLWHO\ EH LQFOXGHG HVSHFLDOO\ LI \RX FDQ tick the IUHH IURP box at the same time. An ever-increasing proportion of consumers are looking for free-from and there are some really great products coming through, from truly delicious FKRFRODWHV WR IXOVRPH DQG ZHOO VHDVRQHG VWXIƓQJ PL[HV Just a small range is a must for the savvy retailer. $QG ƓQDOO\ JLIWLQJ DQG VWRFNLQJ ƓOOHUV :H DUH seeing a growth in mini collections of products and perhaps more importantly SHUVRQDOLVDWLRQ – everyone wants to give the most unique gift. WKHSXUSOHVFDOOLRQ FR XN

Lift Your SpiritsÂŽ

this christmas Made from real ingredients, a Jeffrey’s Tonic Giftset is perfect for Gin lovers Give G&T a serious upgrade!

Selling for ÂŁ7.50 + VAT and RRP ÂŁ14*. *pricing is always at the discretion of the retailer

Jeffrey’s Tonic Original was awarded a Double Gold at the San Francisco SIP Awards. Please email or call:

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www.penningtonspirits.com 01539 592051 42

August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

SHOW PREVIEW

Speciality CYBER & Fine Food Fair CRIME

Forward thinking

There’s no such thing as a functioning crystal ball but speaking to some of the top professionals that act as ambassadors for the Speciality & Fine Food Fair must come close. Whether you’re a retailer or a supplier, there’s plenty to consider in the build-up to the show. By Michael Lane

ADRIAN BEALE BUCKLEY & BEALE

Insects have been at every show since 2013. Everyone’s been wrong – they’re not going to hit the mainstream yet.

FADS, TRENDS, PREDICTIONS. All this obsessing about the future can be a little exhausting. Even if you’re sick of fermented foods, the supposed demise of traditional retail or ever-fickle consumers, they’ve all got to be at the back of your mind as you walk the aisles at the fine food trade’s biggest UK exhibition. When it comes to NPD, whoever you speak to will tell you that healthy eating is very much here to stay. “It’s not something new but it’s more a case of it cementing its place,” says S&FFF’s show director Soraya Gadelrab. “Health is no longer a trend, it’s what people expect.” It’s become more of an umbrella term for several categories these days, but Gadelrab tells FFD that all of these will have innovative exponents at the show. Examples include savoury yoghurts from The Veggie Plot (in free-from) and smooth raw chocolate from Chocolateeha (healthy indulgence). The plant-based and vegan category is also surging and Gadelrab points to veg stocks from show debutant 9 Meals From Anarchy. “These are nourishing non-meat and nondairy products so you don’t feel like you’re missing something,” she adds. Adrian Beale of importer Buckley & Beale says that the secret to successful NPD is starting with something familiar. “It’s where people have taken a product that consumers know and understand and have given it a twist,” he says, adding that the twist could come in the form of flavours, packaging or a contemporary idea, like a new healthy ingredient. “Most people are not going to take the time

S&FFF

takes place at London’s

Olympia 2nd-4th September

CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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MAKE THIS CHRISTMAS EXTRA SPECIAL FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH OUR RANGE OF PREMIUM QUALITY HUNGARIAN TRUFFLE, GOOSE LIVER AND FOIE GRAS PRODUCTS SOURCED FROM ARTISAN FOOD SUPPLIERS &Žƌ ƚŚĞ ĨƵůů ĐĂƚĂůŽŐƵĞ ĂŶĚ LJŽƵƌ &ƌĞĞ ^ĂŵƉůĞƐ ŽŶƚĂĐƚ ƵƐ ŽŶ ϬϳϴϬ ϲϳϭ ϴϳϯϬ ͲŵĂŝů͗ njŽůƚĂŶ͘ŬŽƉĂĐƐŝΛďĞƐƚŽĬƵŶŐĂƌLJ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ ǁǁǁ͘ďĞƐƚŽĬƵŶŐĂƌLJ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ

The perfect finish to winter roasts – rich, glossy gravies from Kent’s Kitchen The chicken, beef, onion, turkey and lamb & mint gravies will enhance any roast, are easy to make and don’t need refrigeration after opening. Just add a couple of teaspoons of gravy concentrate to cold water, dissolve and heat to give your roast a delicious finish.

Visit www.kentskitchen.co.uk, email emma@kentskitchen.co.uk or call 07966 888240

Organic All Butter Biscuits www.islandbakery.co.uk

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

Ch ec k sto web ck sit ist e f s or

All the Kent’s Kitchen gravies are wheat free, gluten free, dairy free and suitable for coeliacs.

ANALYSIS to read the entire back-of-the-pack label. So, the consumer should have a pretty good idea of what it’s going to taste like.” That said, Beale believes you can go too far with “innovation” and you will find out quite quickly if consumers and buyers do not persist after some initial interest. He says insects (in all their formats) are a classic example. “They’ve been at every trade show since 2013. Everyone’s been wrong because they’re not going to hit the mainstream yet. At some point, they will but not in their current form.” Still, other protein snacks continue to grow in the shape of biltongs and jerkys, according to Adrian Boswell, Selfridges’ buyer for cheese, deli & food-to-go concessions. Boswell agrees that a lot of the new products that pass his desk are catering to healthconscious consumers, but there is a growing interest in how products are put together. “It’s a cliché but it’s going to be about provenance, sustainability and the ingredients deck,” he says of future NPD. “Customers are asking more questions about what they are buying.” Besides ingredients, this also extends to the packaging – something Selfridges has been busy addressing with its suppliers by cutting out plastics. Boswell says that the London Food Hall is trying to completely eradicate plastics from its counters, and replace them with biodegradable packaging but it will take time. “We also need to be educating the end consumer about what to do with that packaging,” he says. “You do all of these things but the customer might just go and put it in the bin.” As a result, he expects sustainability to be an important theme across retailing and food production for the foreseeable future. Founder of London retail chain Bayley & Sage, Jennie Allen concurs. “We get complaint after complaint about the amount of plastic in our stores,” she says, “We need to replace everything that’s not biodegradable.”

Speciality & Fine Food Fair

Health is no longer a trend, it’s what people expect SORAYA GADELRAB SHOW DIRECTOR, S&FFF That is easier said than done, given the amount of loose fresh counter items and self-service goods in her stores, but Allen is ambitiously targeting a plastic-free operation by the end of this year – in time for Bayley & Sage’s latest store opening. While consumers appear to be increasingly stamping their feet about non-recyclables, they are also becoming more impatient when it comes to the food itself. “The immediacy between buying food and eating it is getting shorter and shorter,” says Allen. “People are no longer buying pasta on a Friday to cook it on a Monday. They want it fresh and quick to cook that night or they want it cooked to eat right then.” The forthcoming Bayley & Sage branch will include a number of installations, including a soup bar and a wine bar to offer immediate consumption (without table service) to customers. Hot food counters remain problematic for Allen, whose leasehold deals might not permit them at several of her sites. Boswell has a similar problem offering hot items in Selfridges London Food Hall, mainly because of issues with fume and heat extraction. But he is determined to find a way to offer this kind of service because it will maximise the time customers spend in the shop. “Customers are not as loyal as they used to

be,” he says. “So what you have to do is make the most of that customer who may not come back.” Jennie Allen adds: “I have a simple view. If I can order something from Amazon, you can order something from Amazon, too. So there has to be a reason to come into the shop.” We’ve made it this far without mentioning them but this change in demand is all down to the habits of those non-cooking Millennials “The definition of convenience has changed dramatically,” says Adrian Beale. “When I was growing up it used to be something you stuck in the microwave and ate in front of the TV. Now it means someone who is sat looking at their phone and realises they’re hungry.” And because shopping is not just an “in and out” experience anymore, Soraya Gadelrab tells FFD that there will be help on hand at S&FFF, in the form of two research projects that will be unveiled. Findings from The Definitive Market Report – a survey of independent retailers – will be revealed in a session on the Food For Thought stage. Meanwhile, The Ultimate Retail Experience will showcase the results of a survey of 2,000 consumers and their buying habits – in an experiential and interactive retail space at the show. That sounds better than a crystal ball. specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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Finest Caribbean Cakes We’ve recently created a buzz within WKH IRRG VHFWRU ZLWK 2XU Ă€QHVW Caribbean fruit cake and Jamaican rum cake made with a blend of spices, wine and Jamaican rum, cleverly offered in 3 different strengths all with our unique taste and texture. Our beautiful, artisan cakes are elegantly packaged and distinctly branded. Our emphasis is quality. Our ethos is ‘Love & Care make the Finest Cakes’.

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Our new festive lines The Wooden Spoon is launching a new range of preserves and bottled fruits aimed at the small gift and hamper trade. These will also be available in a selection of twin packs. The new jar will in due course be extended to a range of seasonal, every day chutneys, curds and sauces.

For further information please contact us on:

01233 812251 or sales@thewoodenspoon.co.uk www.thewoodenspoon.co.uk 46

August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

THE PRODUCERS

news & advice for speciality food & drink suppliers

Starting a food business is tough but Bread & Jam Festival’s co-founder (and serial food entrepreneur) Jason Gibb has identified some of the pitfalls and explains how the event can help. Here’s why you should consider a visit on 4th & 5th October.

Six reasons to visit… Bread & Jam Festival

1

2

3

Funding

Getting the product right

Accessing buyers

Product development, branding, packaging and marketing require significant investment, even before a single unit has been sold. Some businesses take a lean approach and grow organically, while many decide to raise cash from investors and family. Bread & Jam will have panel discussions and workshops on all aspects of funding and financial management, so you can see what works best for your business.

It sounds obvious but make sure you have a product people want to buy. Your best mate might tell you they love your product, but to get a listing it needs broader appeal. The Tasting Panel at Bread & Jam puts you face to face with three retail buyers, who will give you feedback on whether your product will fly, and if not, what you can do about it.

It often feels like there is a brick wall around the retail buyers and even if you can make contact, you might not hear back because they are so swamped. Bread & Jam’s Pitching Zone gives you the opportunity to meet buyers from Whole Foods, Planet Organic, Selfridges, Cotswold Fayre and numerous farms shops and delis in face-toface private meetings.

4

5

6

Margin

Scaling

Be the one

A lot of start-ups don’t appreciate the cut that stores (and any middlemen) need to take from that final retail price. Is there enough profit left for you to make the product you want, sustain the business, and fund growth and promotions? A number of workshops at Bread & Jam will offer insight into this conundrum.

Many entrepreneurs struggle when they outgrow their kitchen table and need to upscale. Panels at Bread & Jam will look at both the challenges of building your own production unit and outsourcing production to a manufacturer.

Based on industry estimates, nine out of 10 food start-ups will fail. The aim of the Bread & Jam Festival (4th & 5th October, Institute of Directors, London) is to make their delegates the 1 in 10 that succeeds. For more information and to book your tickets, visit: breadandjamfest.com Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

47

gr qu C ea o al t t tin l to ra g d de ‘FF ay di D’ sc fo ou r nt s!

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

Call or email Duncan today duncan@mclarenspureandnatural.info T +44 (0)7500 876528 www.mclarenschristmaspudding.info

SHELF TALK

Cannabis-beer High Flyer ready for take-off in the UK By Lauren Phillips

Creators of a new cannabis beer have said the product is not a novelty and will not get you high – but it does offer a range of health benefits. Manchester-based firm CBD Ultra and sister business Cloud 9 Brewing has produced a 4.3% Session IPA infused with Cannabis extract called High Flyer, which it is now seeking listings for in independent shops. “There are a lot of quirky flavoured beers out there now, but this isn’t actually a crazy beer,� said founder and MD Carl Boon. “Consumers can drink this as any other craft beer, but the CBD aspect of it gives you that relaxing sensation.� Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a health supplement used to treat illnesses, such as depression and muscle pain. Although High Flyer contains CBD, drinkers won’t feel the ‘high’ associated with cannabis as it does not contain the psychoactive compound THC. Instead, consumers will feel the “entourage effect�, a bodily state that magnifies the therapeutic benefits of the Cannabis plant. The cloudy, amber IPA is one of the first Cannabisinfused beers to enter the UK market. A blonde ale brewed with cannabis oil called Buffalo Soldier from the Stockton Brewing Company was also launched earlier this year. Although pitching to on-trade stockists, Cloud 9 Brewing is also looking at independent retailers and bottle shops for the new product. “We [CBD Ultra] were one of the first CBD companies in the UK,� said Boon. “We found

there was a pushback initially against CBD, but in the last 6 months we’ve seen huge interest and demand for it.� Public interest in CBD has grown in recent months, with the number of consumers buying cannabidiol rising from 125,000 to more than 250,000 in the past year. But there is still some controversy around the Cannabis-products which are regulated heavily by Government bodies and the Food Standards Agency. Boon said the company is a member of the Cannabis Trade Association (CTA) to work with the government to ensure all its cannabis products are fully traceable. cloudninebrewing.co.uk

Yusa first to UK market with Amazonian energy tea By Lauren Phillips A new tea has been launched aiming to bridge the gap between health and energy drinks. Pitched at the health-aware consumer, Yusa is a natural energy tea developed by UKbased beverage company BFT Drinks. It is made using Guayusa (pronounced ‘gwhy-you-sa’), an Amazonian super leaf grown primarily in Ecuador. Relatively unknown outside Ecuador until 2009, guayusa is the second most caffeinated plant in the world after coffee and is said to contain twice as many antioxidants as green tea. The tea is a mango and SLQHDSSOH Ĺ´DYRXU DQG LV

sweetened with stevia for a low sugar content (less than 2.5g per 100ml). Aside from Guayusa, it is also made with carbonated water, mango and lemon fruit juices. Andy Bell, one of the founders at BFT Drinks said Guayusa drinks have been on WKH PDUNHW IRU Ć“YH \HDUV LQ SDUWV of the United States. “They are already outselling 5HG %XOO VR ZHĹ?UH FRQĆ“GHQW that Yusa will provide a real challenge to the energy drink sector in the UK, as people start to take more notice of the ingredients in their drinks.â€? Yusa is available in cases of 12 (3x4) and has an RRP of ÂŁ1.99 per 250ml can. yusadrinks.com

Displays that pay PEP-UP YOUR SHELVES WITH THE GUILD OF FINE FOOD’S RESIDENT MERCHANDISING QUEEN JILLY SITCH :HĹ?YH DOO EHHQ WKHUH <RXĹ?UH ZKL]]LQJ URXQG WKH VXSHUPDUNHW EX\LQJ ZHHNO\ VWDSOHV \RX JR WR WKH H[DFW SRLQW LQ WKH DLVOH ZKHUH WKH EDNHG EHDQV DOZD\V DUH DQG WKH\Ĺ?UH QRW WKHUH )RU WKH Ć“UVW WLPH LQ D GHFDGH WKH\Ĺ?YH UHORFDWHG WKHP ,Q D VKRSSLQJ HQYLURQPHQW WKDWĹ?V PHDQW WR EH Ĺ?LQ DQG RXWĹ? WKLV MXVW IHHOV LQFRQYHQLHQW %XW LQ DQ LQGHSHQGHQW VKRS ZKHUH FXVWRPHUV KDYH FKRVHQ WR YLVLW DQG ZDQW WR EURZVH LW PLJKW DFWXDOO\ SD\ WR PRYH WKLQJV DERXW ĹŠ DW YHU\ OHDVW with the VHDVRQV 6RIW drinks, snacks and salad dressings should OLWHUDOO\ FRPH WR WKH IRUH GXULQJ WKH ZDUPHU PRQWKV 7KHQ DV ZLQWHU GUDZV LQ FKXWQH\V KRPH EDNLQJ LWHPV DQG GDUH , VD\ LW IHVWLYH OLQHV VKRXOG EH SKDVHG LQWR WKH OLPHOLJKW ]RQHV LQ \RXU VKRS 7KLV LV D KHDOWK\ H[HUFLVH )RU D VWDUW \RXĹ?UH bound to unearth corner units that need dusting RU VORZ VHOOLQJ SURGXFWV <RXU FXVWRPHUV ZLOO GLVFRYHU QHZ WKLQJV WRR $QG HYHQ LI WKH\ GR JHW DQQR\HG ZKHQ WKH\ FDQĹ?W Ć“QG WKHLU PRQWKO\ MDU RI RQLRQ PDUPDODGH WKDWĹ?V WKH SHUIHFW WLPH IRU \RX WR VWULNH XS D FRQYHUVDWLRQ DQG GR D OLWWOH ELW RI XSVHOOLQJ

WHAT’S NEW Luscombe Drinks has extended its SUHPLXP PL[HU RIIHULQJ ZLWK ƓYH QHZ ŴDYRXUV The mixers are a cucumber tonic water, Sicilian bitter lemon, hot ginger beer, Lime &UXVK DQG D 'HYRQ VRGD ZDWHU $OO DUH DYDLODEOH LQ FO ERWWOHV 553 e SHU ERWWOH luscombe.co.uk Taste of Game has launched two new British JDPH ŴDYRXUHG FULVSV :LOG GXFN ZLWK SOXP VDXFH LV ŴDYRXUHG ZLWK WK\PH and star anise, while a QHZ ZLOG ERDU YDULHW\ LV D VPRNHG SRUN ŴDYRXU ZLWK FR[ DSSOH e IRU J tasteofgame.org.uk Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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Raisthorpe Manor Winter Warmers You can count on Raisthorpe Manor to keep you warm this winter

Gluten Free Christmas Pudding ) ÆIUQVO +PZQ[\UI[ X]LLQVO Q[ \PM KZW_VQVO OTWZa WN IVa NM[\Q^M UMIT IVL W]Z \ZILQ\QWVIT ZMKQXM ][M[ I OMVMZW][ UQ` WN XT]UX R]QKa K]ZZIV\[ ZIQ[QV[ []T\IVI[ IVL KPMZZQM[ \W KZMI\M I ZQKP LIZS UWQ[\ X]LLQVO 1\¼[ LMTQKQW][ [MZ^ML _IZU _Q\P JZIVLa KZMIU WZ J]\\MZ ?M PI^M ILIX\ML W]Z ZMKQXM \W ][M ZQKM ÆW]Z UISQVO \PQ[ X]LLQVO []Q\IJTM NWZ IVaWVM NWTTW_QVO I OT]\MV NZMM LQM\

Stocking fillers from Raisthorpe, new Tipsy Drink Cards

Reduced Sugar Christmas Pudding ) NM[\Q^M UQ` WN XT]UX R]QKa []T\IVI[ ZIQ[QV[ LI\M[ XZ]VM[ ITWVO _Q\P I _IZUQVO LI[P WN JZIVLa IVL \PM NZIOZIV\ [XQKM WN V]\UMO IVL KQVVIUWV XZW^QLM[ VI\]ZIT [_MM\VM[[ \W W]Z \ZILQ\QWVIT 6W )LLML ;]OIZ +PZQ[\UI[ 8]LLQVO ;MZ^M _Q\P JZIVLa KZMIU J]\\MZ WZ [I]KM K][\IZL WZ QKM KZMIU WZ R][\ WV Q\[ W_V IVL \PQ[ ZQKP JWWba X]LLQVO Q[ \PM XMZNMK\ ÅVITM \W aW]Z +PZQ[\UI[ LQVVMZ

www.raisthorpemanor.com sales@raisthorpemanor.co.uk tipsydrinkcards.com

t: 01609 779976 e: cakes@jenkinsandhustwit.co.uk w: jenkinsandhustwit.co.uk

Experience the height of luxury… then make them available to your customers

ALL YEAR ROUND!

Introducing a brand-new offering, to the already successful, award-winning Christmas range. These new puddings are laced with Nana’s favourite tipples and suitable for any pudding requirements throughout the year! Sticky Toffee laced with Irish Whiskey Sauce Gin and Tonic with a grapefruit twist sponge pudding Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey pudding.

Call 01905 745 437 today to discuss hamper options too! www.nanalilys.co.uk 50

August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

SHELF TALK WHAT’S NEW

My magic ingredient

The GoSili Coffee Cup is a new all silicone reusable cup that features an embedded stainless-steel ring to prevent it from collapsing when gripped. Easily reheated and washed, the cups are available in soft black, teal, hot pink and sea blue. RRP ÂŁ14.95, 16oz. gosili.co.uk

Sheppy’s has added a low alcohol classic cider to its range, to meet changing consumer lifestyles. At only 0.5% ABV, the new cider is said to be light and crisp with a “refreshing apple taste�. sheppyscider.com

Franklin & Sons has unveiled four QHZ GXDO Ĺ´DYRXUHG tonic waters to pair with gin and other spirits. The Epicurean &ROOHFWLRQ FRQWDLQV IRXU Ĺ´DYRXUV URVHPDU\ EODFN ROLYH SLQN JUDSHIUXLW EHUJDPRW UKXEDUE KLELVFXV DQG HOGHUĹ´RZHU FXFXPEHU franklinandsons.co.uk

Gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste) GREG EMMERSON 0DVWHUFKHI VHPL Ć“QDOLVW

,WĹ?V GLIĆ“FXOW WR SURQRXQFH EXW JRFKXMDQJ UHDOO\ adds something different to dishes. And it’s H[WUHPHO\ YHUVDWLOH $ VWDSOH LQ .RUHDQ FRRNLQJ WKLV SDVWH LV made from chili peppers, rice, fermented soy EHDQV DQG VDOW ,WV VDYRXU\ VSLF\ VZHHW Ĺ´DYRXU ZRUNV HTXDOO\ ZHOO ZLWK PHDW RU YHJHWDEOHV I’m experimenting a lot with it at present, IURP PDNLQJ NLPFKL WR DGGLQJ LW WR D %ORRG\ 0DU\ ĹŠ \RX RQO\ QHHG WR ZKLVN D WHDVSRRQ RU so of it into the tomato juice. You can also use gochujang as a rub. 6PHDU D JHQHURXV DPRXQW RI LW RYHU D VWHDN and let it stand at room temperature for 30 PLQXWHV EHIRUH JULOOLQJ 6HUYH WKLQO\ VOLFHG against the grain with additional gochujang WKLQQHG ZLWK ULFH YLQHJDU 7KHUH DUH PDQ\ YHUVLRQV RI JRFKXMDQJ VR \RXĹ?OO QHHG WR H[SHULPHQW WR GLVFRYHU \RXU LGHDO RQH EXW Ć“QGLQJ WKH ULJKW EDODQFH RI KHDW and sweetness is half the fun. *UHJ ERXJKW KLV IURP WKHDVLDQFRRNVKRS FR XN

Nigella spreads the word on new Abernethy butter By Lauren Phillips

A celebrity chef has endorsed a new product from Abernethy Butter before it has even launched to market. Nigella Lawson tweeted about the business’s new black garlic butter last month, sharing an image of a bowl of spaghetti to more than two million of her followers, which used the product as a key ingredient. Run by husband and wife team Will and Allison Abernethy in Dromara, County

This paste is made from chili peppers, rice, fermented soy beans and salt

Down, Abernethy Butter will be launching the new variety this month. It is made using black garlic sourced from En Place Foods – an ingredients supplier for food service formed by chef Paul Clarke and Peter Hannan of award-winning Hannan Meats. “We wanted to do something slightly different from other garlic butters,� Allison told FFD, “so when Paul started producing black garlic we decided to try and use it in

our butter.� En Place’s black garlic is fermented for two weeks to create a caramelised and sweet flavour. It gives the butter its brown colour, with added flecks of black running through. “Black garlic is different from normal garlic,� says Allison. “Normal garlic tends to have a stronger taste which can be quite harsh. Black garlic is milder and sweeter, but you still get that garlic taste in the butter.� After taste-testing the new butter among chefs, including Nigella Lawson, Allison says the business has been encouraged by the positive feedback and is very excited about launching it to all retail stockists and highend restaurants. Available in 100g packs, the new flavour joins the producer’s other award-winning butters: original, smoked, and an Irish dulse butter (seaweed & sea salt). abernethybuttercompany.com

Farrington Oils has added a new chilli & cumin dressing to its Mellow Yellow range of rapeseed oil based SURGXFWV ĹŠ LWV Ć“UVW QHZ launch in four years. Founder Duncan Farrington said that the dressing – made ZLWK FKLOOL Ĺ´DNHV DQG cumin seeds – was created to address consumer demand for EROGHU Ĺ´DYRXUV LQ WKHLU FRRNLQJ Ĺ?7KH FKLOOL Ĺ´DYRXU is subtle enough to add a pleasant heat to your dishes with a delicious aromatic base,â€? he said. “Not MXVW IRU VDODGV ZHĹ?YH been enjoying this dressing as a marinade for salmon.â€? $YDLODEOH IURP distributors Hider Foods and Cotswold Fayre in cases of 6 x 250ml. The RRP is ÂŁ3.25 per bottle. farrington-oils.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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GREAT TASTE GOLDEN FORK DINNER SUNDAY* 2 SEPTEMBER 2018

THE INTERCONTINENTAL LONDON PARK LANE, ONE HAMILTON PLACE, LONDON *please note the change from Monday to Sunday night

The evening kicks off with a drinks reception in the Park Lane Suites; meet and chat to a host of producers who will serve up their award-winning products. A four-course 3-star dinner, curated by Executive Chef Ashley Wells, will be served in the glittering setting of the Ballroom. The evening will unfold, revealing the Golden Fork winners from each region, before the climax and announcement of the 2018 Supreme Champion. A cheese-board curated from the World Cheese Awards will be served and there will be dancing in the Park Lane Suites.

TICKET PRICE INCLUDES: 1800

Drinks & Reception; sample 2018 award-winning products

1945

Four-course Dinner with wine

2230

Cheese Board and Dancing

Guild of Fine Food Members Non-members Dress: Jackets

Tickets are limited and sold on a first come, first serve basis. To avoid disappointment, please reserve your tickets today. Contact: Joanne Myram +44 (0)1747 825200 or email joanne. myram@gff.co.uk

To reserve tickets or a table, please contact joanne.myram@gff.co.uk

Reserve your ticket(s) today

gff.co.uk/gta | greattasteawards.co.uk

£140 +vat £160+vat

$KYMPHSJ½RIJSSH KVIEXXEWXIE[EVHW

Just add Christmas! Fabulous avours for festive foodies. Best selling favourites & new lines. yum@scarlettandmustard.co.uk www.scarlettandmustard.co.uk

W W W.W I C K E DWO L F G I N . CO M P LE A S E D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY

The taste of pure English mint revived for the 21st century

For more about our award-winning Black Mitcham chocolates and teas: visit www.summerdownmint.com Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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SHELF TALK A Little Bit launches new ketchup flavour to condiment lines

WHAT’S NEW Greensand Ridge has launched cask-aged Wealden Rum – described as smooth and “honey-likeâ€?. It is made using surplus molasses which founder Will Edge says is an important point of difference. Available in 50cl bottles with a trade price of ÂŁ22.50+VAT (RRP ÂŁ36). greensanddistillery.com

By Lauren Phillips

A Little Bit has added a second flavoured ketchup to its line-up of condiments, cooking sauces and dips. The new thyme & blackberry flavour, which has a trade price of ÂŁ2.80 per 260g bottle (RRP ÂŁ4.20), is pitched as an ideal accompaniment for dishes during the game season. It is made using fresh thyme, cinnamon and nutmeg, while the blackberries lend a “sweet, slightly tartâ€? taste to the sauce. Described as robust and well-rounded, the ketchup is recommended for use with burgers, venison and other game dishes. Sophie Lane Fox, founder of A Little Bit, told FFD that the inspiration behind the new recipe was to create a ketchup that had a truly British feel to it, adding that the addition of the blackberries gave it an intense flavour.

WHAT’S TRENDING NICK BAINES KEEPS YOU UP-TO-DATE WITH THE NEWEST DISHES, FLAVOURS AND INNOVATIONS IN FOOD & DRINK 1

“I knew they would work exceptionally well with one of my favourite herbs, thyme,� she said. “The result is quite unique. It’s savoury, silky and rich.� alittlebit.co.uk

1 Aquafaba Aquafaba is the protein-rich

liquid left over from canned, or freshly boiled chickpeas. Although usually discarded, this by-product is being used as an egg substitute to create vegan-friendly meringues, mousses and brownies. With plant-based diets such a looming presence right now, it’s become a critical ingredient in the free-from arsenal. Beyond baking, London-based Rubies In The Rubble is producing vegan aquafaba mayo and chipotle mayo in 190g jars. 2 Posh kebabs .HEDEV DUH QR Ŵ\ E\ QLJKW food trend, but our approach to this late-night staple is slowly transforming. Carnaby Street’s /H %DE LV D EXVWOLQJ RXWƓW NQRFNLQJ RXW IUHH range pork shawarma with pickled fennel, crackling and zhoug mayo, while Battersea’s BabaBoom is about to open a second location serving its saffron and orange chicken shish, lamb and sour cherry adana, 24-hour URWLVVHULH PXWWRQ DQG FRDO ƓUHG FDXOLŴRZHU with sweet potato hummus.

3

2

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FREEE by Doves Farm has launched new SDFNDJLQJ IRU LWV IRXU Ĺ´DYRXUV RI JOXWHQ IUHH DQG RUJDQLF FRRNLHV 7KH Ĺ´DYRXUV DUH chocolate chip (RRP ÂŁ2.25), double chocolate (RRP ÂŁ2.25), stem ginger (RRP ÂŁ1.60), and lemon zest (RRP ÂŁ1.60). dovesfarm.co.uk/freee

3 Vermouth This aperitif is perhaps most IDPRXVO\ NQRZQ IRU LWV Ĺ?VHFRQG Ć“GGOHĹ? UROH in gin-based cocktails. But in the bar scene, it is being allowed to take centre stage. Popular in the bars of Barcelona, vermouth is served over ice with a slice of orange peel as a dry and refreshing summer sipper. And there’s so much more choice than the famous brands – like Martini or Noilly Prat – of this underrated spirit. British vermouths from Sacred and Great British Vermouth could help reinvigorate your spirit offering, while Australia’s Regal Rogues and Spain’s Vermu Nordesa are becoming more widely available in the UK too.

Start-up brand GATO & Co has upsized its pots from 60g to around 80g while retaining the same RRP of ÂŁ2.29 per pot. A new salted caramel sticky toffee pudding variety will also join the existing Melting Chocolate Fondant DQG &KRFRODWH &RFRQXW %URZQLH Ĺ´DYRXUV gatoandco.com

Somerset-based Worley’s Cider has rebranded its labels and launched its sparkling ciders in 33cl bottles, including its medium-dry cider Red Hen. The company said the smaller 33cl size would offer customers a “quality authentic cider that’s both easy to drink and not too sweetâ€?. Speaking about the rebrand founder, Neil Worley said: “We think the redesigned bottles EHWWHU UHĹ´HFW RXU SUHPLXP FLGHU ZLWK WKH QHZ DPEHU ERWWOHV SODQWLQJ :RUOH\V Ć“UPO\ LQ WKH FUDIW sector.â€? He added: “We kept the colour and icons that made Worleys recognisable, but introduced a new logo with a nod to the Mendip Hills that surround us.â€? worleyscider.co.uk

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www.bizerba.com Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

55

DELI OF THE MONTH Pecks Farm Shop has grown from a market stall into a fully fledged business over the last 15 years, and a lot can be said for its owner’s resourceful and practical approach to retailing Interview by Lauren Phillips

Barn this way NO DETAIL IS TOO SMALL for the owner of Pecks Farm Shop, located on the outskirts of Leighton Buzzard, an old market town in central Bedfordshire. I’m standing in the shed-turned-farm shop with my camera poised to take photographs, as Fiona Peck checks every shelf meets her exacting standards, turning the odd product here and there so that all labels are at a uniform angle, before I begin to snap away. And it’s this meticulousness that Peck lists as one of the reasons for her success. “I’m very particular about how things are displayed,” she tells FFD. “I’m very fussy. I want nice labels and I want the shop to look welcoming. It’s those sorts of things that help the whole picture.” I’m not the first to visit and break out the camera. The farm shop has been the setting for numerous photoshoots before, including a fashion shoot which saw a model in a gingham outfit pose moodily atop the farm’s old machinery and beside its milk churns and pitchforks.

VITAL STATISTICS

Location: Stockwell Farm, Eggington Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 9PA Turnover: £600,000-£700,000 Staff: Five part-time; two students at the weekend; one full-time No. of retail lines: 500+ Average basket: £25

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The is just one example of Peck’s resourcefulness and ability to use what she has to create a business that is turning over between £600,000 and £700,000 a year. And probably one of the reasons why it’s a finalist in this year’s SME National Business Awards for Best Enterprising Business. What Pecks lacks in bells and whistles it makes up for in rustic charm. The farm shop is neat and well-presented but there are obvious signs it has grown organically over the last 15 years and within its means. “We work very hard for our money,” says Fiona Peck. “We’ve never had a hand-out, never had a grant and everything we spend we have earned. We don’t spend it if we can’t afford it.” The shop began life in 2002 when Peck and her husband decided to switch from dairy farming to rearing their cattle for meat and started selling fruit and veg from a stall on site. The stall was a success and by its fourth week Pecks had extended its opening hours from three days a week to seven. Two years later and Peck raised £700

through a ‘maize maze’, a children’s attraction that the farm created for the summer months. It was enough to buy 10 telegraph poles, a few pallets, some bricks and a roof, turning the stall into a proper fixture which still stands today. Today, the farm shop comprises two units. The original shop is a long, rectangular space selling fresh fruit and veg alongside free-range eggs, takeaway options like sausage rolls and Cornish pasties, and a cheese counter. To its right is the larger store, a converted cow shed which holds all its ambient lines and a selection of pre-packed meats delivered from a local butcher. The pens might have been cleared out, but little else has changed, with the shed’s high metal sheet roof and plastic panes that allow in natural light. Most of the fixtures within the shop are second-hand refrigerator units and upcycled tables. “It’s a real farm shop on a working farm with livestock and the occasional tractor driving through,” she says. “It’s not a new building that you’ve had a quarter of a million

MUST-STOCKS Peck’s Farm Shop – local honey Wessex Mill – 6 Seed Flour Hines Butcher – local Bunkers sausages Willow Tree Gin – local artisan gin

pounds to spend on doing fantastically.” Peck had considered upgrading the barn by cladding the walls and lowering the ceiling, but the reaction from her customers to the prospect dissuaded her. “Every single customer said, ‘Don’t do that, Fiona. Don’t change because then you’ll be like every other farm shop around’,” she says, adding that if she were to have a brand-new building she’d lose the atmosphere and probably half her clientele. The shop’s customer base ranges from young mums, with small children in tow, shopping for their butternut squash and pure apple juice, to health-conscious young men looking to buy organic produce. Her older customers visit for traditional ambient goods like biscuits, oils and condiments but Peck has noticed them seeking out reduced-sugar options in jams and chocolate as well. The shop floor purposefully has wider aisles to cater for those two demographics, who bring buggies or wheelchairs with them. Clear signage highlights the products on offer and everything is displayed at one level for easy reach. A unit at the front of the shop is dressed every couple of weeks to show off the latest products and offers. Behind that, the eye is drawn through the shop to neatly laid out tables of soft drinks, dried pastas, sauces and handmade sweets until it reaches Pecks’ hamper baskets and organic range at the back, set up to look like market stalls.

“You’ve always got to change things around and have good displays,” says Peck. “Just because it’s a converted cow barn doesn’t mean it can’t look pretty.” Brands on the shop floor are a mix of wellknown names, such as Fentimans, Wessex Mill and Mrs Darlington’s, supplied by Hider and Cotswold Fayre, alongside an array of local jams, biscuits, honeys, ales and Pecks’ own-branded lines. Peck is unfazed by carrying brands also available in supermarkets like FeverTree, but prefers to focus her efforts on local foods. Many local producers now approach Peck with new products and sometimes she will invite them to do a free tasting in store to gauge her customers’ responses. If it sells she’ll stock it and if it doesn’t nobody has lost anything, she says. Other than working with local producers, Peck is also engaging with the community, inviting school pupils in to educate them on where their food comes from, giving talks for the WI or residents of sheltered housing, and delivering milk to the 21 surrounding villages. The nearby village of Eggington uses Pecks as its local convenience store. But the shop itself offers customers more than just fresh milk or a jar of chutney. Peck says many customers enjoy visiting the shop to chat to a familiar face. That’s something she can offer that the six supermarkets, within a

Leighton Buzzard Brewery – Borrowers Ale La Mara Wine Estate – Jersey Black Butter Woburn Country Foods – local Black Bacon Healeys Cyder Farm – Rattler Cyder Taylors – English Mustard Peaches and Cream – local fudge Mrs Crimble – gluten-free brownies Fentimans – dandelion & burdock Anthony Rowcliffe – Cornish organic brie Lime Tree Pantry – beef & ale pie Snowdonia – Black Bomber

CONTINUED ON PAGE 59

Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

57

TIME TO ORDER YOUR AWARD-WINNING

CHRISTMAS PUDS!

AS SEEN (AND TASTED) AT THIS YEAR’S

FARM SHOP AND DELI SHOW

Award winning Nanna’s Christmas Puddings are made by hand to our Great Grandmother’s secret recipe. Our family pudding is beautifully wrapped in a specially designed festive tea towel.

Made with soft Devon spring water and created the Luscombe way, these new Mixers will release the à DYRXUV DQG FRPSOHPHQW WKH ÀQHVW RI VSLULWV Also available: Devon Tonic, Light Tonic, (OGHUà RZHU 7RQLF DQG *UDSHIUXLW 7RQLF

Call 01364 64 30 36 for your local stockist.

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

For generations now, our family has been making a real commitment to taste and excellence, hoping to help you add a bit of magic to every mealtime.

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DELI OF THE MONTH mile, can’t. “If they come here, they deserve good service and to be given our time.” Surely then a café would be the next obvious venture for the farm shop? Peck says she’s considered opening a café many times but a lack of mains drainage at the farm means installing any toilet facilities would be a big operation. “I’d need to install a cesspit first and they cost between £10,000 and £15,000 to put into the ground,” she says. “I know a café would be very beneficial to us, but there are other things I’ve got to spend £15,000 on than a cesspit.” Instead the business increases its revenue in other ways. Aside from photoshoots and milk deliveries, Pecks produces its own honey, delivers fruit boxes to offices and factories, and hires out straw bales and hay for events. Lewis Hamilton and Jools Oliver (wife of Jamie Oliver) are just some of the high-profile names who have rented bales. Another successful part of the business is

the hamper service, with orders coming from as far as Australia, Canada and the Cayman Islands. Customers can find pre-made hamper suggestions on Pecks’ website or place bespoke orders by phone and email. She has previously tried to set up online ordering on the website for products and hampers, but the cost of running an e-commerce operation made it unfeasible – with transaction fees at around £30 a month – and demand from her own customers wasn’t there. “Everyone says ‘go e-commerce’ but actually people just like to come in, talk to the staff, have a browse and that’s what works for us,” she says. Something Peck regrets not investing in sooner is branding. Having a strong brand and website is vital she says. In the early years, the shop’s image was very muddled, with elements of the old brand mixing with the new. In the end, she employed a marketing

expert to pull all the strands of the business together under one unified brand and commissioned an artist to create a selection of images of the farm for the logo and ownlabelled products. Having come through it the expensive way, she says she would advise any retailer starting up to “get a brand and employ a professional to do it”. “You’ve got to project the fact that you’re professional, that the produce is as good as you get in Harrods,” she says. “Your customers deserve nice looking products because it’s not cheap.” Pecks Farm Shop won’t find out until December if it’s been crowned this year’s Best Enterprising Business. Whether she takes home the title or not, Peck will no doubt continue to run her shop with the same level of detail for years to come. Now, if only there was an award for the neatest shelves. pecksfarmshop.co.uk

We’ve never had a hand-out, never had a grant and everything we spend we have earned

Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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ĞƐƚ ƌƟƐĂŶ Preserves Producer NI 2017

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August 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 7

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'ŽůĚ ǁĂƌĚƐ Θ ĞƐƚ ŝŶ ŽƵŶƚLJ 2016/17

If you’re looking for something different for your Christmas offering this year check out our range of Seasonal products, chutneys and cheeseboard accompaniments. Ideal for gift sets and hampers!

www.eringrove.com

N A T U R A L LY S W E E T A W A R D W I N N I N G

CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

TRADITIONAL * GLUTEN FREE * FAIRTRADE TRADITIONAL PLUM PUDDING * VEGAN (GLUTEN FREE) Perfect for Food Gifting and Dining LillyPuds Christmas Puddings are scrumptiously light and fruity with over 50% fruit, less added sugar, no mixed peel or dairy ingredients and are suitable for vegetarians.

For more details on our products including our Foodservice puddings, Sauces and Sticky Toffee Pudding range, contact: T:

07792223301 E: sales@lillypuds.co.uk W: www.lillypuds.co.uk

Now appointed by Toshiba ;,* HZ HU VMĂ„JPHS YLZLSSLY MVY [OLPY (WSL_ WYPU[ HUK HWWS` Z`Z[LT *HSS [VKH` MVY OLSWM\S L_WLY[ HK]PJL VU JVZ[ LMMLJ[P]L THU\HS ZLTP HUK M\SS` H\[VTH[PJ SHILSSPUN Norpak Ltd, 3 Mitre Court, Cutler Heights Lane, Bradford. W. Yorks., BD4 9JY Tel: 01274 681022. Enquiries to info@norpakltd.com www.norpakltd.com

A WORLD FIRST

in Sustainable Packaging 1. National Flexible are able to supply world class flexo printed flexible packaging which is both solvent and emission free, through a hydro-electric powered process. 2. Combined with the fact all inks used are water based and solvent free – a sustainable world first is available in the UK right now! 3. One site in our supply chain is entirely powered by an on-site water mill, this self-sustaining energy source saves on average 880,000kgs of CO2 emissions in a year. 4. Not only does this packaging boast sustainability; this solution could mean the holy grail of sustainable packaging which is cost effective too. 5. Our Enigma water-based printing solution generates a 47% reduction in ink usage when compared with gravure printing. As the ink represents approximately 40% of the total cost of printing there is no significant cost differential versus standard print processes.

Sustainable Packaging Saving 880,000kg of CO2 emissions every year

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Journeys around the circumference of the Earth in a Ford Fiesta.

Cows and their combined emissions.

Full cargo articulated truck driving to the moon and back.

www.nationalflexible.co.uk | 01274 685566

Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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View from HQ

Shouldn’t more retailers in the UK follow the Mimo model and bolt on a cookery school?

By John Farrand managing director

SPOILER ALERT: I talk about my personal life and holiday shenanigans in this column. That’s unlike me. Now I know a thing or two about most food. Cheese, tea, coffee and herbal infusions are my stronger suits. But here it is: I’m no cook. Handy on a BBQ, yes and my seafood pasta works well enough with a quantity of rosé to back it up, but I understand food and drink without necessarily being able to assemble them.

Meet the Guild Steering Group %UXFH /DQJODQGV Director of Food & Restaurants, Selfridges

MOST ADMIRED BRAND... If you work in food and drink for 30 years you come across some incredible brands, but if I had to pick one it would be Ooho: the world’s first sustainable water bottle. It’s made from seaweed, which encapsulates water and degrades within one month. Now that is innovation. ....AND MOST ADMIRED RETAILER? Avoca in Ireland is an amazing retailer that I’ve admired and watched with great interest. It was

born in 1723 as a handweaving mill in the village of Avoca, but it has diversified – and survived. It has 12 stores now that don’t just deliver an amazing customer experience. They are beautifully curated shops with fabulous, seasonal artisanal food focused on fresh, quality ingredients. BEST BUSINESS MOMENT? Working with [US chefrestaurateur] Dan Barber and his talented team from Blue Hill to launch the wastED restaurant pop-up on the Roof at Selfridges in March 2017. Voted the hottest pop-up in the world, it was opened by Alain Ducasse and featured 35 of our industry’s most noted

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So it was no busman’s holiday to invest in a course at the Mimo Algarve cookery school and deli, hosted by Matheus (attractive Brazilian chef and tutor), in the company of our extended family, including five children aged 6 to 18. There was some concern about the appeal of our culinary treat to the youngest, as local Portuguese dishes were prepared in cataplana (traditional copper pans) and the wine flight began. No priggish British rules about children in restaurants here. Within minutes there was a Mini Mimo chef’s hat on Alice, and she was on the pass. Genius. A six-year-old engaged for the entire two-anda-half hours, with not a handheld device or screen in sight. That left the grown-ups and teenagers mulling local produce, a little food politics (especially about the fish), how to use the less popular cuts of meat (a sublime pork shoulder) and why it’s okay to

use xanthan gum to make ice cream (objections on a postcard please). Shouldn’t more retailers in the UK follow the Mimo model and bolt on a cookery school? What a wonderful addition to your destination shop, ticking many of the buzzword boxes – multi-generational, inclusive, sustainable, terroir – while stimulating discussion and engaging young chefs. It could even help you sell more products from the shelves: “Replicate the recipe at home with a convenient box of products available to buy here…” It was a happy last night to our holiday. The six-year-old arguably had the best time (although I thoroughly enjoyed the Dão with my pea, egg & salami soup) and as we left, Matheus asked Alice what she had learnt that evening. The response: that cooking is “awesome”. That makes me happy. mimofood.com/en

chefs, with 62 Michelin stars between them. More importantly it created awareness and kicked off a revolution in thinking about food waste within London and the UK.

BURGER KING OR M&S SALAD? It’s got to be a duck wrap from Pret a Manger.

AND YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS CLANGER?! As a management trainee in M&S Blackpool in 1988 I was given the bread department to look after. Needless to say it was not my finest moment. My very limited skills at daily amendments with British Bakeries were not honed and I delivered not only a full counter but the first bread mountain Lancashire had ever witnessed! :+$7ő6 YOUR GUILTY FOOD SECRET? I do love a packet of Pickled Onion Monster Munch.

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

WHO’S WHO AT GUILD HQ

Guild of Fine Food Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK

Managing director: John Farrand Marketing director: Tortie Farrand Commercial director: Christabel Cairns Sales director: Sally Coley

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065 info@gff.co.uk gff.co.uk

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Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executive: Becky Haskett Events assistant: Stephanie Rogers Operations manager: Karen Price

HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? Always half full, preferably with Pol Roger Champagne! PRIVATE PASSION? I am a huge lover of the theatre.

• The retailers and suppliers on the Guild Steering Group meet quarterly to help shape and improve services to members and the wider industry. Want to join them? Email john.farrand@gff.co.uk for details.

Operations assistants: Claire Powell, Janet Baxter, Hugo Morisetti Training & events manager: Jilly Sitch Circulation manager: Nick Crosley

Financial controller: Stephen Guppy Accounts manager: Denise Ballance Accounts assistant: Julie Coates Chairman: Bob Farrand Director: Linda Farrand

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Get your entries in now for indie stores competition

Fewer ATMs means less access for consumers to the cash they like to use on high streets, parades and market stalls

The word on Westminster By Edward Woodall ACS THE PUBLICATION OF THE Government’s Brexit White Paper has turned Westminster into a soap opera of late. Two cabinet ministers have resigned, divisions in the Conservative Party have deepened and the fall-out from the White Paper has fully tested, almost to breaking point, Theresa May’s leadership of her party and the country. But this is just the beginning. The negotiation for the UK’s withdrawal VWLOO QHHGV WR EH ƓQDOLVHG DQG WKHQ our future trading agreement negotiated. As I have said many times before, this distracts from the rest of the Government’s domestic agenda. One issue we have been pressing the Government on is free access to cash through ATMs, after LINK, the body overseeing the largest network of ATMs in the UK, announced it was cutting the interchange fees paid to ATM operators. Why is this relevant to you? For

The deli doctor Paul Thomas Technical and regulatory advice from the Guild’s deli helpline Q: My EHO wants me to provide a critical temperature limit in my HACCP plan for safe storage of cheeses. What should it be? A: The Food Hygiene Regulations 2006 set a limit of <8°C for storing foods likely to pose a health risk if not temperature-controlled. In

many small food retailers, business is underpinned by small cash payments. A cut in interchange fees means more operators will get rid of their ATMs. That in turn means less access for consumers to the cash they like to use on the high streets, local parades and market stalls where you trade. Thankfully, LINK has listened to the arguments. It has scrapped its planned cut to interchange fees in 2020 and is reviewing another cut lined up for 2021. This will hopefully give the 2.7million people that rely solely on cash – and businesses mainly dealing in cash – some breathing space in the long term. However, I suspect that big banks, through LINK, will revisit this issue and shift consumers onto payment methods that are cheaper for the banks themselves. Edward Woodall is head of policy & public affairs at small shops group ACS

edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

England, Wales and NI, where this applies, 5°C is sometimes advised to ensure the mandatory limit is not exceeded. This limit is not VSHFLĆ“HG LQ 6FRWWLVK ODZ EXW businesses are required to ensure food is stored safely. Cheese is unlikely to pose a risk if stored at <8°C and this would arguably be the right critical limit to put to your EHO, even if your target is lower for practical reasons. The corrective action could be “disposal of the product where it exceeds the critical limit for a single continuous period exceeding four hoursâ€?. It’s not always clear when a label states “store <5°Câ€? if this has been set for quality or safety. 6RPH FKHHVHV FDQ EH VDIHO\ KHOG at higher temperatures but this ZRXOG UHTXLUH VSHFLĆ“F SURIHVVLRQDO guidance based on the cheese variety and type of packaging. Dairy and food safety specialist Paul Thomas runs the Guild’s e-helpline for retailers with technical or regulatory queries. It can be accessed through the Guild Members’ Hub at gff.co.uk

GUILD RETAIL MEMBERS are being encouraged to enter the 2018 Best Small Shops competition, managed by the Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC). Celebrating “the commitment and creativity of independents on UK high streets and the role they play in their local communityâ€?, the search for the nation’s best small store was launched on 4th July to coincide with national Independents’ Day. Best Small Shops was initiated by the All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group in 2011 and ran again in 2015, when the winner was Yorkshire deli Hunters of Helmsly. It is expected to have an HYHQ KLJKHU SURĆ“OH WKLV \HDU VD\V IRC, whose members range from booksellers to bike shops, as well as the Guild of Fine Food. “The evolving retail landscape KDV ZLWQHVVHG QXPHURXV KLJK SURĆ“OH closures of larger stores, but specialist independent retailers can thrive in this climate by delivering a truly unique retail experience thanks to the passion, VHUYLFH Ĺ´H[LELOLW\ DQG NQRZOHGJH they offer,â€? the IRC told FFD. “Best Small Shops is a chance to celebrate this unique industry and show customers what makes

independent retailers so special. The competition is open to any UK independent retailer. Entries are open until Sunday 9th September and 25 of the most impressive applications will be assessed by a judging panel made up of key ƓJXUHV IURP WKH LQGHSHQGHQW UHWDLO industry. Shortlisted retailers will be invited to attend the competition reception this autumn, where the winner will be announced. There is no entry fee, but any retailer wishing to take part should be listed on the IRC’s new Indie Retail directory, which is also free of charge. For details, visit the competition website: bestsmallshops.co.uk

Great Taste put me on the map, says Prince’s Fund bursary winner “I don’t think I would have CARMARTHENSHIRE HONEY won the bursary without being a SPECIALIST Gruffydd Rees has Great Taste winner. It just shows the hailed the power of Great Taste to opportunities that can arise from help up-and-coming producers after KLV VPDOO Ć“UP *ZHQ\Q *UXII\GG winning those stars.â€? became the only Welsh winner of A part-time Countryside Ranger, a bursary scheme backed by the Rees started Gwenyn Gruffydd Prince of Wales. (Gwenyn is Welsh for ‘bees’) in 2010 Under the annual Prince’s with one hive in his parents’ garden. Countryside Fund Land Rover He now has 70 dotted around the %XUVDU\ Ć“YH \RXQJ UXUDO county and will use his on-loan Land entrepreneurs from around the UK Rover to transport bees as well as win a 12-month loan of either a Land distributing honey to local outlets. gwenyngruffydd.co.uk 5RYHU 'LVFRYHU\ 6SRUW RU 'LVFRYHU\ princescountrysidefund.org.uk Commercial to help grow their business. Rees, who was congratulated on the win by Prince Charles during a ceremony at the Royal &RUQZDOO 6KRZ WROG FFD: “Last year I was lucky enough to win 2 stars in the Great Taste awards and without doubt it has helped me dramatically and put my honey brand on the map. Gruffydd Rees: 2-star award ‘helped me dramatically’ Vol.19 Issue 7 | August 2018

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