FFD August 2023

Global market

Browse the world with us, as we take a look at ne food beyond the UK

INSIDE

Learn to carve Jamòn Selling cheese in São Paulo

A beginner’s guide to Sake

It’s that time of year when people are either just about to go on holiday or have just come back from one. Of course, some of you may not be in either camp.

Whether you’ve got a case of post-holiday blues, are su ering from non-holidayer’s envy, or have simply been gripped by wanderlust, this issue might be the cure.

In case the cover didn’t give it away, we’ve decided to focus on retailing and food production outside of the UK. We’ve lled most of our regular feature spots with businesses and products from other countries.

The idea behind what we refer to internally as our “international issue” is simple. It’s good to look outside your own bubble, compare perspectives, and maybe glean some inspiration from them.

Sceptics might ask what the point is, especially when we’ve got so many of our own problems. My response would be that looking

By Michael Lane, editor

inwardly isn’t always the most productive approach (and in fairness there is still plenty of UK coverage in this magazine).

If you persist beyond this page, you’ll discover the story of a Brazilian cheesemonger striving to convert customers to native products rather than imports (p.9). You’ll read about a dairy farm in Sweden that diversi ed into cheese (p.19). Make it to the end of this issue (p.46) and you’ll nd a French retailer employing new sustainable retailing models. Any of this sound familiar to you?

I’m not saying that other countries and cultures have cracked it (although the more I look at European nations, the more jealous I get), but in whatever part of the world you study food retail and production you’ll be able to relate to something. And if it’s relatable, it can at least comfort you – even if it doesn’t provide a solution.

Speaking of common ground,

one of the things that has struck me most while assembling this magazine is a shared sentiment –about Brexit.

There might have been a time when some people could understand the ideological intentions or the economic theory behind it. But now our departure from the EU has very much happened, I can’t nd anyone who can show me a bene t of it. Whether you speak to a British rm trying to bring food & drink from beyond our borders, or a European company attempting to sell to our market, no one can understand why it has happened.

The heartening thing is that many of these exasperated businesses remain determined to continue enriching our shelves and counters with products from abroad.

I hope the content this month reinvigorates you in the same way that a holiday might. Let’s look hopefully at the horizon, rather than give up on it entirely.

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox, deputy editor

Few things make me doubt the progress of humanity more than large conferences. But their endless artificially lit lettered-and-numbered aisles can sometimes be the pathway to meeting great people.

It was at one such gigantic event that I encountered Ian Batt, founder of Small Things Wine. His idea – top notch, complex, delicious wine in cans ies in the face of my re udice, proving that there are in fact great things about living in a modern world.

More on p.43

The idea behind what we refer to internally as our “international issue” is simple. It’s good to look outside your own bubble.

Waitrose price cut campaign should spur indies on with their own promotions

By Greg Pitcher

Industry commentators have urged independent food retailers to promote their own strengths a er Waitrose launched a huge campaign highlighting its price cuts.

The supermarket is promoting the reduced cost of hundreds of products through TV and radio adverts, social media and heavy physical branding, including a 6m-tall “3D” billboard in West London.

A number of other mainstream grocers have also slashed prices in recent weeks as soaring in ation and interest rates squeeze household budgets.

To compete on their own terms, consumer behaviour consultant Philip Graves said it was important for small food retailers to consider what messages they wanted to get across to shoppers.

“There may be a ‘price’ or ‘value’ element but if

the proposition is based on quality, novelty or local sourcing then it makes sense to focus on building those associations,” he said.

“Independents are only competing indirectly with supermarkets. They o er shoppers a di erent experience.”

Daniel Williams, project manager at Cheshire-based Godfrey C Williams & Son, said advertising the quality and provenance of produce not only tempts customers in but helps build critical relationships with suppliers.

“When I think of supermarket price-cut campaigns, I immediately think of the producer and wonder how much they’re being squeezed,” he said.

“Our supplier Belton Farm recently won trophies at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards so we might put a poster up or a social media post. I don’t see supermarkets doing that.”

Williams also has a noticeboard out on the street outside the Sandbach deli, advertising events and other community-building activities.

“There are a lot of things delis could do to put themselves above others,” he said. “Many supermarkets have been closing their deli counters so we can promote ours and the products we o er. I also see businesses talking about their sta .”

Meanwhile some

Research shows con dence in multiples is at its lowest in nearly a decade

Public faith in food retailers is at a nineyear low, research has revealed.

A survey by consumer champion Which? found that trust in the groceries industry in May 2023 was the lowest it had been since November 2014.

confidence inde figure of re resented a huge fall from grace for the sector in the context of recording a score of during the first ovid loc down in May 2020.

ine in consumers polled for the latest report said they were worried about the price of food – almost as

NEW OPENINGS

Cornish deli-café Sabzi, which already has sites in Truro and Falmouth, will open two new locations in the county this summer. Its Padstow and Nansledan outlets will follow the same principles of making great food accessible to both locals and tourists.

independents see the positives of supermarkets investing in promotional activities that draw footfall to the high streets.

Ruth Huxley, owner of the Great Cornish Food Store, said the Truro business was “very fortunate” to be next door to Waitrose.

“Our store sells only local food & drink and we showcase Cornwall’s abundance of ne produce.” she said. “We share many customers with Waitrose.”

Middle Eastern inspired business Honey & Co is opening a new deli, bakery and café, called Honey & Co Daily in London’s Bloomsbury area. The new site will feature a 40-cover dining room and a deli takeaway counter.

Piemaker Hoskyn’s has o ened its first bric s and mortar site. The new deli on the High Street in the Essex town of Maldon will feature its own pies and the artisan cheese it has been selling at farmers’ markets across Essex and Suffolk since 2019.

many as were concerned about energy costs.

In response to rising food prices, more than half of respondents said they had bought cheaper items, while 4 in 10 had shopped around.

More than 1 in 10 had s i ed meals, while of respondents had used a food bank.

Meanwhile a separate Which? survey of over 2,000 UK adults found that two-thirds felt cheated by the prices in convenience stores.

Which? director of policy & advocacy Rocio Concha said: “People should not have to pay over the odds for everyday essentials just

because they struggle to get to a large supermarket.

“While the whole food supply chain affects prices, supermarkets have the power to do more to support people who are struggling, including ensuring everyone has easy access to basic, affordable budget ranges at a store near them, including smaller stores for consumers who rely on these.

“Supermarkets must also provide transparent pricing so people can easily work out which products offer the best value.”

Devon-based Eversfield Organic has incorporated fellow West Country firm Coombe Farm Organic into its business, in a move that will double the size of its online butchery operation and expand its customer base.

Eversfield Organic, founded in 2004 by managing director Mark

Bury, began as a local organic grocery service and has since expanded to offer nationwide deliveries.

It also operates a number of farm shops, organic inns and cafés, as well as running the butcher and fishmonger’s counters in Selfridges Food Hall, London.

eversfieldorganic.co.uk

A giant 3D billboard advertising Waitrose’s price-cutting campaign, which follows in the footsteps of other multiples

Indies will have to work even harder on recruitment amid summer sta ng woes

By Greg Pitcher

With a summer sta ng crisis looming independent retailers will need to plan carefully, work their contacts and o er any bene ts they can, industry members told FFD Hospitality job vacancies are reportedly running almost 50% higher than they were in 2019, according to trade body UK Hospitality. Small shops have also warned of “signi cant challenges” to attracting and retaining workers.

Many delis and farm shops see increased trade over the summer – a time when regular employees take holidays, leaving them heavily reliant on seasonal hiring activity.

Emma Mosey, co-owner of Minskip Farm Shop and chair of the Farm Retail Association, said it had been a “tricky few years” with people leaving the UK due to lockdowns and

Brexit.

“The key is to think a few months ahead and look for younger members of sta ,” she said. “There are 16-18-year-olds looking for work in the school holidays. They do need a lot more training, so you have to plan ahead to get them ready”

Retention of existing sta was crucial to reduce the need to hire and train new faces, Mosey added. “O er them what you can, whether it is an extra day of annual leave or health insurance, it makes a di erence.”

Leeds Deli raises £12,000 to set up child-focused second site

A small food retailer in West Yorkshire has raised more than £12,000 by crowdfunding for a second premises focused on parents and young children.

The business will use the £12,862 raised to prepare its Little Leeds café and play space next door on Chelwood Drive.

More than 200 people donated to the project, earning rewards including a place on a ‘wall of fame’ and branded tote bags. Works required include knocking down walls, rewiring, plumbing and tiling as well as installing a play structure and furnishing the cafe.

The Leeds Deli sells a range of baked and

storecupboard goods as well as offering artisan pizzas on weekend evenings.It also has a small area for children that has been overwhelmed by demand.

“Our tiny little play area at The Leeds Deli just can’t keep up so we’re moving it next door,” said the Crowdfunder page.

The new venue will make an area available to hire for private workshops and events.

“We want Little Leeds to be your home away from home and to know it has been somewhat funded by our amazing community, gritted determination and hard work,” added the fundraising plea.

businesses with signs up.

“You have to work harder on recruitment now,” he added. “If you have good contacts and treat people well, then it can be done.”

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT... … RETAINING STAFF WITH WAGES AND BENEFITS

Mark Kacary, co-owner of the Norfolk Deli, said the family-run Hunstanton business o en used its own networks to nd summer sta .

“My wife and I work seven days a week and we’ve had one day o this year,” he said. “The café is run by my soon-to-be daughterin-law, who helps ll spaces when the rush starts by reaching out to fellow hospitality workers.”

Kacary said he had noticed fewer European workers in the area since Brexit and regularly sees

Je Moody, commercial director at the British Independent Retailers Association, said small shop owners were anxious about the summer and beyond, faced with a tight labour market and increased competition.

“Many retailers are now exploring options such as adjusting their opening hours to adapt to the scarcity of available workforce.”

Moody called on ministers to come together with the industry to nd solutions to the current crisis.

“Through innovative strategies and collective e orts, we can navigate these labour market challenges and ensure the long-term success of independent retailers.”

Soil Association’s BOOM awards crown 2023 organic winners

The Winner of inners roduct award went to rown ow s efir Fermented Yoghurt while the The Nation’s Favourite – based on a public vote –prize went to Clearspring for its Organic Tofu.

“We are the essence of a family business. We have a reputation as being a nice place to work, there are perks and benefits to employment over and above the pay. If you don’t feel happy and appreciated you won’t work somewhere for long. You have to work harder on recruitment now. If you have good contacts and treat people well, then it can be done.”

“The price

of employment is a huge factor. We put up all our wages by 10% in April because of the minimum wage increase. Everyone above that level had to go up as well. You can only sell a sandwich and chips for so much so there is a pinch.”

JEFF

Bristol’s Better Food, Riverford Organic, Clearspring and Brown Cow Organics were among the big winners in the Soil Association’s BOOM awards, announced last month. Better Food took home the title of Best of Organic Independent Retail while Riverford won multiple gongs, as producers were also honoured in the organic certification bod s awards – now in their 10th year.

The Lifetime chievement award went to ain olhurst of box scheme and farming operation Tolhurst Organic.

he OO s est of Organic Market) are the s onl organic awards and are open to all certified organic businesses in the

The awards are run by Soil Association ertification ind a full list of winners at soilassociation.org

“To entice talent, companies are compelled to offer higher salaries and additional benefits but sustaining double-digit salary increases is simply not feasible in the long run, especially considering rising costs and declining consumer spending.”

MARK KACARY NORFOLK DELI, HUNSTANTON

EMMA MOSEY MINSKIP FARM SHOP, NORTH YORKSHIRE

MOODY, BRITISH INDEPENDENT RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

Finding summer staff will be a challenge across the food retail and hospitality sectors

Host of international producers celebrated in Great Taste 2023

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Celebrating its 30th year, Great Taste has unveiled 2023’s award winners this month – and it’s a truly global affair.

Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, this year’s process saw a panel of judges try out 14,195 entries from 109 countries, with food & drink travelling from as far away as Mexico, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda and Iceland.

Over 89 judging days, they whittled down entries to a selection of 248 3-star products and 1,568, 2-star items, and awarded 1-star to 4,088. Among these, almost half of 3-star winners came from overseas.

There was natural honey from CD Colmenares in Chile, Hungarian pumpkin seed oil from Natur Press Team and Sara Saffron’s Super Negin from Iran.

Closer to home, the

Mauds open new ice cream shop

Northern Irish ice cream maker Mauds has opened its third company-owned premises – on the High Street in Holywood, Co Down.

The new outlet has been designed and fitted-out to mirror the producer’s shops in Bangor and on Belfast’s Ormeau Road.

As well as tubs, cones and milkshakes prepared with Mauds’ multiple award-winning flavours, customers can also buy a Party Gallon for summer parties and BBQs. mauds.com

IN BRIEF

Defra has appointed Nick Joicey as a second Permanent Secretary. He will act as Defra Group Chief Operating Officer and will oversee the Strategy & Science and Analysis groups in the department.

Planet Organic has relaunched its online store after a threemonth hiatus. The retailer, recently saved from administration, will no longer offer fresh items on its website – focusing instead on ambient lines and Health & Bodycare.

UK’s producers shone in this year’s competition as well.

B-Corp cheesemaker Sharpham Dairy was given a 3-star for its Cremet goats’ cheese.

Serial-winner The Artisan Kitchen was very successful, with seven marmalades and the 2022 Golden Fork winning Blaisdon Red Plum Jam all awarded 3-stars.

Last year’s Supreme Champion, Kadode Kampot Pepper also claimed a 3-star with a new entry: Young Green Kampot Peppercorns.

The finale of the awards will take place on Monday 11th September at the Great Taste Golden Forks ceremony and tasting at Battersea Arts Centre in London.

The event will crown

DOWN ON THE FARM

The latest from farm shops across the country

the best food and drink from around the world and the Supreme Champion for 2023, as well as awards for ‘Startisan of the year’, the Nigel Barden Heritage Award and the Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement award. For tickets, visit gff. co.uk/goldenforks. Entrants can access their results and feedback on myguild.gff.co.uk

Aspartame, an artificial sweetener used extensively in diet carbonated drinks, has been classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” in a report from the WHO. The classification does not mean the ingredient is unsafe to consume.

A butcher’s shop on Yarmouth Road in Norwich has been saved from closure by nearby farm shop owner Marcus Pearcey. Blofield Farm Shop already has a fabulous butcher and extensive meat counter but said could not see another local independent close down.

Thorpe Butchers will now stay open and stock meat from local farmers and a range of local lines. blofieldfarmshop.co.uk

A new 9-hole crazy golf course has opened at Top Barn Farm Shop in Worcestershire. Open every day for kids and grown-ups of all ages, this new attraction should capitalise on footfall driven by customers’ trips to the farm shop and farm park. topbarnharvestshop. co.uk

Smallford Farm Shop in Hertfordshire offer an extensive range, with fresh fruit & vegetables, cakes, pies, meat and gifts but its owners figured there was

still room for more. A new burger shack has launched on site, in partnership with burger specialist Two Two’s. smallfordfarmshop. com

A planning application has been put forward for a new farm shop just south of the Herefordshire village of Aymestrey on the A4110. Local free-range egg producer Clarkes is looking to turn an existing farm workshop and storage building into a shop promoting local, seasonal produce.

In association with Fabulous Farm Shops fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

Over the course of 89 days, 14,195 entries were assessed by the Great Taste judges

STRAWBERRY & MERINGUE ETON MESS

Served at the cricket match between Eton and Harrow schools, first played in 1805. Now we are bowled over by the team of clotted cream, real strawberry juice and meringue pieces.

THE GUIDE TO GREAT BRITISH DESSERTS

CHERRY & ALMOND BAKEWELL TART

Created as Bakewell Pudding in the 19th century by the landlady of the White Horse Inn in this Derbyshire market town. We are still dining out on the combination of morello cherries and almond oil.

Supposedly brought to England in the 1940s by the Canadian Air Force. We are still saluting the combination of toffee pieces and chopped dates that has taken British puddings to a new height.

Rhubarb, a vegetable, was first forced in the 1840s, and then it caught on as a ‘fruit’ for crumbles. We continue to appreciate how sweetly the rhubarb pieces and juice and vanilla come together.

RHUBARB & CUSTARD CRUMBLE

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

ALL-BUTTER ‘POCKET PUDS’ IN A POUCH THAT RE-CREATE BRITISH TRADITION.

IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

FALCO BONFADINI, co-founder and owner of Galeria do Queijo, São Paulo

I got into cheese by chance. I worked in the military and my wife was a teacher. One day at a trade fair, we saw a stall selling cheese and I was intrigued. When a space opened up at this indoor market, I jumped at the opportunity. There was always plenty of footfall, so if we couldn’t sell cheese here we couldn’t sell it anywhere. When we first o ened the sho years ago it was tiny, and we’d go to wholesalers and trans ort the cheese in bags on the bus.

Initially we only sold industrial cheese. It’s all anyone wanted. But around 10 years ago, people started asking for Canastra, a historic cheese from Minas Gerais. Brazilian laws made it incredibly hard to sell artisan cheese but I saw a couple of other shops around town doing it, so we gave it a go.

It was tough to begin with. Most people come for mass-produced mozzarella, fresh cheese or cream cheese. Our challenge was to sell something they weren’t looking for. Many ra ilians find the taste of goats’ cheese strange and washed rind or blue cheeses too strong. People would return a reblochon-style cheese because they opened it at home and it was too smelly.

Ca im Canastra was the first artisan cheese we sold, and in it became the first ra ilian cheese to win a medal outside Brazil, at the Mondial du Fromage in France. Since then things sales of artisan cheese have grown steadily. Nevertheless, industrial cheese still makes up a large chunk of our sales, and European cheeses are still seen as premium. Recently a lady came in asking for French brie. I said we only have Président, but there’s a brilliant version made in o aulo. er mind was set on the rench one.

Change is being driven by young people. They come in with a broad mentality, having travelled around the world. They want to know where their food is from and how the animal is treated. They’re helping us grow. In the past few years, we’ve built a deck for cheese-tasting and the sho -front has doubled in si e.

Legislation is still one of the biggest stumbling blocks, with health inspections making selling cheese from around the country a challenge. We’re not allowed to age cheese in the shop, although I hope we will be able to soon. All the cheese has to be wrapped in plastic.

Being a huge country, the logistics of getting cheese from, say, the north of the country can be tricky. Financially, it’s a challenge, but I love what do. sn’t that great

Interview Tomé Morrissy-Swan

Photography Marcia May

IF YOU’VE WORKED in the sector for a while, you’ve probably encountered Marcus Carter of the Artisan Food Club. It’s always informative, loud and very rewarding to bump into him. What’s more he’s always constructive with his opinions and doesn’t moan about governments and Brexit, like I do.

Marcus joined us at the Guild for one of our 90-or-so Great Taste judging days recently and, in the pre-tasting schmooze, he grabbed me for a natter about an article he’d written in his weekly newsletter.

The synopsis was that many delis and farm shops fail to

BEST BRANDS SURVEY 2023

Independent retailers: what are your best-selling brands of 2023?

e would li e to find out how business has been so far this year and to hear what your best-selling lines have been.

The survey takes 5-10 minutes to complete and you will be helping the independent food retail sector, uncovering invaluable data that will support the whole fine food industr Results will be published alongside Fine Food Digest in the autumn.

On com letion, lease leave your name, email address, business name and postcode. As an additional thank you for your time, you will also be added into a prize draw for a free annual membership to the Guild of Fine Food. bit.ly/BestBrands2023

View from HQ

support innovative, tasty, wellmade products from the smallest makers. They are rejected because they are not ‘local’ and the irony comes when that same producer is listed in a major wholesaler’s catalogue two years later, they are given some shelf space. I guess he’s asking if we have lost the art of sourcing using our palates, because it is easier to sign o fewer invoices each month or because we see local as more important than good (or great).

It’s a conundrum. The debate is a complex one and I’m certainly not going to fully explore or solve it in my 400-ish words here. But Marcus’s sentiment has resonated with me twice in the last week.

The rst was while attending the excellent Bread & Jam Festival. I listened to an absorbing talk by Pam and James, the husband-andwife team behind the Sauce Shop, usefully explaining their journey from kitchen table to supplying Waitrose via the independents.

Apart from a short, ill-fated

irt with a contract maker, they have always made their own sauces, replicating in everincreasing scale the same recipes and cooking methods.

Good on them. A great tasting product, that they make and understand, and can therefore sell and justify to any retail buyer. They maintain that through

doing the ‘hard yards’ in the independents (with the help of Marcus) they got listings when they could have been ignored for being esoteric, niche or just another sauce company.

Marcus popped into my head again in while I was in Asturias, northern Spain. On a visit to Anchoas Hazas, we were shown how to clean, de-bone and prepare some divine salt-aged anchovy llets. It’s a time-consuming process, so much so that they produce just 80 tins of these wonderful things a day. The factory only a few miles up the coast churns out 800 per day.

Our Spanish compadres are making a truly excellent thing. They’re not local but you should stock them because they are the best – and I want to buy more.

I enquired about stockists in my best Spanglish. “No in UK. The Brexit” was the response. I think the owner understood my potty-mouthed response and I moaned again, unlike Marcus.

The Word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall Association of Convenience Stores

AS WESTMINSTER BREAKS for the summer holidays, I’m sure Rishi Sunak will be thinking about what faces him and his party over the next year and what issues will be definitive in the general election One that im acts all businesses and will clearly feature in every party’s manifesto is em lo ment olic s ecificall the National Living Wage.

There is huge political consensus around this in the UK, and rightly so. Since George Osborne announced the ational Living Wage in 2015, it has had a big impact on low-paid workers’ pay packets. In April, the NLW rate was increased by 9.7% to £10.42. It is projected to reach £11.16 in 2024. This will also have a big impact on employers’ wage bills when all operating costs are rising.

This week, we gave evidence

to the Low Pay Commission about the effect that NLW has on small retailers.

For a sector employing the majority of store colleagues at or just above the national living wage, it is clear increasing rates has a big impact. Many retailers have had to increase prices, reduce rofitabilit and reduce the number of hours or employees in their businesses. As the Low Pay Commission, Government and political parties look forward at how to set the NLW in future, we are asking them to consider the impact on businesses too.

It will be tempting for political parties to compete to commit to the highest possible rate in their manifestos, but this will likely hit many employers. It could result in the responses I have already referred to, but also undermine the secure, local and genuinel fle ible jobs our sector offers. For example, we could see the spread of more ‘gig economy’ employment

models or a reduction in in-work progression for many people.

We have recommended that the Government and Low Pay Commission takes a cautious approach to setting future wage rates based on independent economic analysis – not politically set targets. We also want to see an ‘emergency brake’ mechanism introduced, and applied if the NLW rate is damaging entrepreneurship, forcing a move to gig economy work, or undermining in-work progression through eroded pay differentials.

The Low Pay Commission has a difficult ob to balance the needs both of employers and employees attempting to navigate a cost of living and trading crisis. They should be allowed to get on with doing that job, free from political interference

Edward Woodall is government relations director at the ACS edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

FFD’s publisher and Guild of Fine Food managing director John Farrand has his say

It’s a conundrum. The debate is a complex one and I’m certainly not going to solve it in my 400-ish words here.

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER

ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER

HAVING BEEN IN the trade a few years now, I can spot a sh out of water at 30 paces. You know. The customers that don’t know even of the existence of artisan cheese. Customers who ask for things like cheese with added fruit, cheddars that “burn”, and brie that doesn’t smell. These are products only available in supermarkets and convenience stores.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Everyone likes a bit of simple cheese – a bit of sweet, salt, acid for punch, a few dairy notes. It’s nice. But then you get beyond nice, towards excellent, you shed people. Complex cheeses are not an entry point to the counter.

I nd there are now two camps of cheese people – let’s call them the simples and the complexes –like two gangs. The simples don’t understand what the complexes like because nearly nobody eats it (over 99% of cheese in the UK is “simple” cheese). The complexes

Retail eye

PANZER’S DAVID JOSEPHS OUTLINES

CONTINUED IMPACT OF BREXIT ON IMPORTING GOODS TO THE UK

simultaneously don’t respect the simples – for a perceived lack of real taste – and are jealous of the huge pro ts made by mass producers.

Honestly, I’ve become frustrated with them both. The gap between the two gangs is now so big that – to return to my supermarket customer lost in my shop – simple taste buds aren’t ready for the complex world of artisan cheese.

I want to show them, just over the horizon, there is a land of interesting avours, old school tradition and experimental modern cra . I don’t need them to like everything, but sometimes it’s so damned hard to get them out of their comfort zone.

This is the reason I stock what I call my mid-ladder cheeses. If I want them to climb up to my clothwrapped cheddars, my alpine Swiss cheeses or my Spanish tortas, I need to give them a leg up. I have hards, blues, so s and avoured cheese speci cally for the newbies taking their rst baby steps out from the pre-packed dairy aisles.

But what gets me is how this gets treated by other cheesemongers and farm shops. It’s a point of honour that many – and this may include you, dear reader – won’t touch these mid-range cheeses because they are not proper cheese somehow.

So, I say to you: just stock them. Build your ladder. We as an industry need, really truly need, a pathway from the supermarkets to us. The customer will always go to a supermarket, but they don’t always need to come to us. To me, making my counter accessible is more than an economic decision. It is an ideological one.

Stilton with mango anyone?

document (that you have to pay for line-byline) and then once it arrives in the UK, the same has to happen in order to import the items.

Previously there was no cost, now we pay (with no bene t) for a new industry created by the Brexit disaster to process the imports and, as a result, the cost of goods has increased by 7-10%.

Source: July’s Economics from iew oint e ort, sample size 1,000+ adults

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE?

Since Brexit, we have been on a hamster wheel with ever-increasing bureaucracy thrown at us as we try to bring in goods from the EU –something we managed to avoid for the past 40-plus years.

The paperwork is confusing, arduous, costly and causes delays. Goods don’t leave on time as they haven’t been processed. This is particularly bad in France. The Dutch manage to process documents in 12 hours, but the French can sometimes take more than 24 hours.

This is ne if you are shipping washing powder, but for perishable goods, such as so fruit, it’s a disaster and extremely costly.

We had been shipping seamlessly from Milan’s market twice a week for the past 10 years. Now, we have to place orders 24-48 hours earlier and goods can sit around for an extra 24 hours to be cleared. The paperwork takes place at both ends.

The Italians have to produce an export

What’s even worse, is that later this year, more regulations will be imposed, so there will be further increases in cost and bureaucracy. There will be greater delays and some items might not be able to be imported or exported anymore.

Since Brexit, we have seen a steady decline in the number of suppliers willing to do business with us and the UK. Many of the smaller artisanal producers simply cannot deal with all the new pointless and extremely costly regulations.

This situation is a complete tragedy, both economically and in terms of destroying long-term relationships. The reduction of the variety available to consumers is perhaps the worst thing of all.

All of that said, we are determined to nd willing partners (to replace those that no longer export) and to continue trading with the EU. It is vital that we do – for economic, social and cultural reasons.

Whether it’s staff training, business advice, event space, making industry connections or opportunities to meet trade buyers and food lovers, the Guild of Fine Food does far more than publish FFD. The Guild has been championing independent food & drink for over ears, oin us toda and find out what we can do for our business

Support & ideas: support@gff.co.uk

Training & venue hire: bookings@gff.co.uk

Exhibition stands: opportunities@gff.co.uk

MyGuild assistance: myguild@gff.co.uk

gff.co.uk/join

The customer will always go to a supermarket, but they don’t always need to come to us.

48% of higher income consumers plan to reduce their spend on food & groceries in the coming months, with 66% of lower income consumers also doing the same

59% of higher income consumers plan to reduce spend on eating out. 76% of lower income households are of the same mind

This is Food and Drink. This is Wales.

This is proper food: made with skill and care, by people who love what they do, in a beautiful place. Real food, real drink, real Wales.

Would you like to experience Welsh products in Wales? Why not attend our upcoming BlasCymru/TasteWales trade event, o ering an unrivalled opportunity to learn more about the nation’s food and drink. Learn more at tastewales.com

Paxton & Whitfield grows retail arm with take-over of Canterbury shop

By Patrick McGuigan

Britain’s oldest cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield has asserted its commitment to the high street with the opening of a new shop in Canterbury, Kent.

The retailer, which has traded since 1742 and has two shops in London and one in Bath, opened a fourth outlet in the cathedral city last month, after it took over and rebranded the Cheese Shop Canterbury. The shop has a back room, which can be used for events, and will also act as a wholesale hub for local restaurants. Previous owner Julie Ann has stayed on as manager.

Despite high street retailers

facing major challenges, including rising costs, the cost-of-living crisis and the boom in online sales, Paxton’s MD James Rutter told FFD that shops remained an important part of his strategy.

“Our business fundamentally changed during Covid,” he said. “Our online business is now bigger than all our shops together. But there are still opportunities in bricks and mortar. Our shops are a portal into our whole business. There isn’t a human sense that isn’t stimulated by walking into a cheesemonger’s. It’s an immersive experience that you are not going to get with a Google advert. Shops are the best way to bring people into cheese.”

Rutter said he was optimistic the new shop would perform well due to its location and local demographics. Canterbury is an affluent city with a high number of independent shops and strong footfall from surrounding areas and tourists.

Paxtons has also developed several new products in its maturing rooms in Gloucestershire. The retailer has worked with King Stone Dairy to create an exclusive Tomme-style cheese called Corinium, which makes use of a summer glut of milk at the farm. This joins a similar sheep’s milk cheese called Cullum, created with Cumbrian cheesemaker Martin Gott.

The company has also expanded its XO ‘extra old’ range of cheeses with the addition of XO Sparkenhoe Red Leicester (aged for 12 months instead of six), while a barrel-aged cheese, similar to Feta, is also planned with White Lake in Somerset.

“We’re keen to use our maturing rooms to help cheesemakers and farming communities,” said Rutter. “We want to work with them to express their milk and farming practices in cheeses with a sense of place.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

The Cheese Connection is a new mobile cheesemonger and street food business in Bristol, founded by Luke Maslen and Alex Kiely. The pair have converted a Mercedes van into a bright yellow mobile shop and kitchen, selling local cheese, toasties and raclette.

Blur bassist Alex James has signed a deal to supply his Blue Monday cheese – made by Shepherds Purse in Yorkshire – to more than 200 Morrisons stores.

Milk prices continued to fall with the UK average down to 38p a litre in May, compared to over 50p a litre at the start of the year. Farm groups have warned the current price doesn’t cover production costs, forcing many small dairy farms to close.

Four cheesemakers have received grants worth of £1,000 each in a new scheme set up by the Academy of Cheese and funded by Chiswick Cheese Market. Dean Storey of Monklands Cheese in Herefordshire; Tracey Longhurst of Wildcroft Dairy in Surrey; Millie Preece of the Dairy Door in Shropshire; and Aine Rubikaite, an aspiring goats’ cheesemaker in East Sussex (pictured L to R) were last month awarded the money to spend on Academy of Cheese certifications and cheesemaking guidance. They will also receive bespoke support and mentoring, as well as opportunities to promote and market their cheeses.

THREE WAYS WITH...

Quintano

This raw sheep’s milk cheese from Lombardy, Italy, is made in a similar way to Taleggio with a springy-to-soft texture and funky washed rind. The cheese won the Ann-Marie Dyas Award for Best Artisan Cheese at the World Cheese Awards 2019 and is made in 1kg blocks by Caseificio Lavialattea. It is washed in brine and aged for around two months.

Red wine

Cheesemakers Roberto Facchetti and Valentina Canò say the buttery and hay notes of the cheese pair well with the local Moscato di Scanzo wine, made with grapes of the same name. These red wines are usually made in a sweet style (passito) by drying the harvested grapes to concentrate sugars. But the dry (secco) versions are full of herbaceous and spicy flavours, as well as leathery undertones. The aromatic flavours add emphasis to the funky cheese.

Mushrooms

There’s an intense umami flavour to Quintano, reminiscent of stock cubes. Similar savoury notes can be found in mushrooms, such as porcini, helping ramp up the deliciousness when paired with the cheese. A few slices of fresh porcini sautéed in butter are a great accompaniment, or add cubes of the cheese to a pasta bake.

Smoked mutton

There are hints of animal and lanolin notes to the rind of Quintano, which marry nicely with the smoky perfume of Capreolus’ Smoked Mutton charcuterie. It’s made from legs of Herdwick mutton cured with rosemary, juniper, garlic, black pepper, and Port, before being air-dried and smoked over beech wood. The texture is soft and supple, with complex notes of smoke and spice, which seem to wrap around the rustic cheese.

The renowned retailer has taken the reins of and rebranded The Cheese Shop

Cardi ’s Ty Caws now making its own cheese to bolster retail range

By Patrick McGuigan

Welsh cheesemonger Owen Davies has ful lled a long-held ambition to make cheese, a er creating two new products with support from Food Centre Wales.

The two new products are Hiraeth – a small, so ewes’ milk cheese – and a crumbly mixed sheep and cows’ milk cheese called Crwys.

Developed by Davies at a Welsh Government funded facility in June, both cheeses will be sold through Davies’ Ty Caws retail business in Cardi . They will also be sold at farmers’ markets and through Ty Caws’ online shop from September onwards.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Davies said. “We’re present at farmers’ markets where we are surrounded by amazing food producers, so I felt we needed to be more involved in making cheese as well as selling it. It’s our way of supporting Welsh farmers and cheese.”

CHEESE IN PROFILE with

Coolea

What’s the story?

When Dutch couple

Helene and Dick Willems relocated to rural Ireland in the 1970s for a slower pace of life, they couldn’t find an thing li e their native Gouda, so they set about ma ing their own sing mil from their own cows, their

Davies, who founded Ty Caws in 2020 a er working as a cheese buyer for Harvey & Brockless, will continue production at the Food Centre and hopes to one day supply other retailers with the cheeses.

The sheep’s milk comes from a small farm in Pembrokeshire called Ewenique Dairy, run by Bryn Perry, who makes also blue cheese and a whey vodka.

“Wales is a land of sheep, but

hobby became a business, and Coolea is now eaten all over the world. Their son Dicky started wor ing for the family business in 1991 and is now in charge of cheesema ing, using mil from two local herds of Holstein Friesian cows.

How is it made?

Coolea is made every da using asteurised milk from the previous evening s mil ing and animal rennet for coagulation he curd is cut and then scalded in hot water to reduce the acidit , before being hand-ladled into moulds and pressed for around hours into g wheels fter brining in salt water for three days, the cheeses

we don’t actually produce a lot of sheep’s milk cheeses,” said Davies. “A lot of my customers really like the avour and people who have an intolerance to cows’ milk cheese o en nd sheep’s milk easier to eat.”

He added that the cheesemaking operation could be part of a bricks-and-mortar shop in the future, if the new products were successful. tycaws.com

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE

Jonathan Cook,

owner, The Cheese Shop of Tunbridge

Wells

The Cheese Shop of unbridge ells only opened in 2020 but has quickly built up a head of steam by collaborating with other local businesses

Owner Jonathan Cook works with the ent ine chool and runs tastings at the local pub, but more unusually also works with Spa Valley Railway, which runs steam trains along a line between unbridge ells est and ridge

The company put on a special Kent heese rain earlier this ear with tasting bo es for assengers, su lied b the sho It was such a success that three more are scheduled, roviding welcome sales and mar eting for the sho

“We supply branded boxes with four different cheeses, crackers and chutney,” says oo t s a lot of wor , cutting and wra ing small wedges, but it s a great wa to get our name out there to locals and tourists.”

He added: “It’s important to reach out beyond the four walls of the cheese shop and collaborate. Word of mouth is so vital and the more revenue streams the better.” thecheeseshoptw.co.uk

Coolea with Herbs & Garlic

Cheesemonger tip: great cheeseboard alternative to the usual hard favourites, serve it with fresh and dried fruit. If you have an older variety, try with a square of dark chocolate or brownie.

are coated in yellow wax and matured for between 2 and 24 months.

Appearance & texture:

A classic Gouda-style cheese, it is characterised by its yellow wax rind and golden amber aste oung oolea is butter , mild and pliable, while older cheeses have a harder paste and a fuller, more robust flavour that continues to develop for

two years.

over two years.

t this stage of maturity, the cheese has a slight cr stalline consistency and takes on hints of caramel, butterscotch and honey.

Variations: Coolea Matured, Coolea with Cumin Seeds and

Chef’s recommendation: great melter, oolea works well in most dishes and particularly over pasta or potatoes. With all variations, you will not go wrong serving with a glass of full-bodied Chardonnay, or even a whiskey.

There are a number of ways you can study Academy of Cheese courses: online as selfstudy eLearning, interactive virtual classes or traditional classes at a venue. Visit academyofcheese.org for more information.

Owen Davies has developed two new cheeses using Welsh ewes’ milk

Heart and soles

Businesses o en follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, but a cheesemaker in Sweden has taken this to an entirely di erent level

By Michael Lane

YOU MAY WELL recognise Tegel, made by Almnäs Bruk in Sweden. It won a Super Gold, and picked up the inaugural Ann-Marie Dyas trophy for Best Artisan Cheese at the 2018 World Cheese Awards. Not only did its Alpinestyle avour pro le wow the judges but its distinctive rind, featuring a child-like footprint, caught the eye too.

Far from being a gimmick, this signature is actually a nod to the history of its producer’s home – a 3,600ha country estate on the western shore of Lake Vättern with a rather grand house for a centrepiece. When this building was being built back in the late 1700s, a brick factory was set up on the estate and hundreds of bricks were le outdoors to dry.

“In those days, they would put them out in the yard, where children played – and stepped in the wet clay,” Almnäs Bruk’s CEO Thomas Berglund. “In the attic here there’s a oor where you can see the footprints of little children.”

But as much as Tegel – Swedish for ‘brick’ – is a quirky homage to the estate’s past, it is also the latest chapter in Almnäs Bruk’s history, which dates back as far as 1227.

The Berglund family has owned Almnäs since 1915 and Thomas returned from Switzerland in 1987 to take the reins. Having worked in banking, he was quick to spot a trend of diminishing returns on the farm.

Not wanting to be the “administrator of decay”, he ushered in a new approach, converting to organic in 1999 and then reviving

cheesemaking. A er all, this was a tradition that could be traced back as far as 1651. The last dairy had only closed in 1961. Plus the farm was already home to a semi-hard cheese trademarked in 1892, called Wrångebäck.

When Berglund was setting up in the early 2000s, he was fortunate enough to locate both the last cheesemaker (82-year-old Hans Stiller) to pass on his knowledge, and the original maturing boards, with critical ora intact.

By 2008, a new dairy was operational, Wrångebäck was back in production and the rst batches of Tegel were being made – as it seemed prudent to Berglund to have two lines.

“A erwards, I learned the reason the Swiss make only one cheese in their village dairies – because it’s so damned di cult,” he says, adding that it took the best part of a decade to get Tegel to a level they were happy with.

In that time, a new parlour has been built to get the most out the farm’s 180-strong milking herd and a further two products [see box] have been added to the repertoire. The operation now produces 60,000kg of cheese annually.

Berglund insists that the key ingredient to this success is “good people”, referring to cheesemakers Kerstin Johansson (pictured) and Stina Johansson, who continue to tweak and perfect the cheeses. And on the maturing and sales side there is Tommy Larsson and Krists Poots, who will soon be getting a larger redeveloped storage space to work in – along with a cheese-turning robot to assist them.

Currently, 70% of the dairy’s output stays in Sweden, with a strict “no supermarkets” policy. Almnäs’s biggest export market is the US and Canada, with the majority of that being Wrångebäck. The UK only accounts for 1,000kg – mainly of Tegel – which goes to a handful of customers, including La Fromagerie, Bayley & Sage, and The Fine Cheese Co.

While he has designs on growing markets closer to home, potential British customers should rest assured that Berglund is happy to put down those distinctive footprints in as many places as possible. almnas.com

The Almnäs Bruk range

Accounting for 65% of Almnäs’s output is the semi-hard r ngeb c he flagshi cheese, which has been trademarked since 1889 and now has PDO status, is produced in 8kg wheels and aged for 10-15 months, resulting in a slightl tart, com le umami flavour

Made in smaller volumes, Almnäs has two other cheeses. Anno1225 (top) is a Tomme-style cheese moulded in woven baskets, while 1 Liter is a classic Swedish granular, small-holed cheese, named after a dairy token once used by farm employees.

Almnäs Tegel (“brick) is made using the scalded curd method, reminiscent of Alpine cheeses. It has a sweet, fruity aroma and on the palate it is fruity with a slightly granular mouthfeel. A regular winner at recent World Cheese Awards, it is matured for 16-22 months.

I learned why the Swiss only make one cheese in their village dairies – because it’s so damned di cult

WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2023

Trondheim, Norway - 27 & 28 October

ENTER

Do you work with some exceptional cheesemakers? Make sure they have entered their cheeses this year.

EXHIBIT

Don’t miss the opportunity to exhibit at the world’s most important cheese awardsand gathering of global experts.

VISIT

Explore Norwegian cheese at Oste-VM cheese festival and watch the 2023 World Cheese World Champion judging live.

ENTER NOW g .co.uk/wca

Find out more about exhibiting at the World Cheese Market

CONTACT opportunities@g .co.uk

KEY DATES 2023

Entry opens: 5 June

Entry closes: 8 September

Judging: 27 October

Oste-VM: 27-28 October

Results available: 29 October

BOOK NOW ostelandet.no/oste-vm-2023

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• A leading supplier of Italian food products across the UK

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For more information please contact us on 01635 744600 or visit our website to see our full range www.tenutamarmorelle.com

Cocoa Bean, Damask Rose Buds, Lemon Verbena , Lavender & Greek Mountain Tea

Red Amaranth & Lemon Thyme

(Traditional)

Sake’s heyday

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

WHAT IS SAKE?

Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage that is made from rice. It is typically 15–17% ABV, slightly sweet and lightly acidic. Di erent sakes can have light and delicate cereal, lactic or fruity avours.

All sakes are made using four main ingredients: steamed white rice, kōji – made by taking a small proportion of the steamed rice and growing mould on it – water and yeast. Optionally, high-strength distilled alcohol can be added.

HOW SAKE IS MADE

There are three stages to making sake: fermentation, ltration and bottling.

Initially the brewer makes a small starter fermentation to create a healthy and active yeast population. The starter is then slowly mixed with more of the ingredients to make a larger batch for the main fermentation.

A er the second fermentation, when the steamed rice, kōji and water are mixed with the yeast. Before it is bottled, all sake must, according to Japanese law, be ltered.

Grades of premium sake

THE MANY CATEGORIES AND GRADES OF SAKE

Basic Sake

This simple style of sake is known as futsūshu. Most futsū-shu are clear and colourless in appearance but some are pale yellow or green in colour. They are 15-17% ABV, slightly sweet and lightly acidic with delicate lactic and fruity avours.

Premium Sake

There are six main grades of premium sake, which can be broken down into two styles:

• Sakes that typically have pure oral and fruity aromas. The word that indicates this style is ginjō.

• Sakes that typically have cereal and lactic aromas.

The word junmai, which means ‘pure rice’, indicates that high-strength distilled alcohol was not added before ltration.

Di erent aromas and avour pro les are achieved through the polishing of the rice kernel. The less it is polished, the more acidity and umami, with cereal and lactic aromas will come through. The more it is polished, the resulting sake will typically have less acid and umami and more fruity, oral aromas.

Other processes during production that a ect the resulting sake include adding highstrength distilled alcohol; pasteurisation (unpasteurised sake is known as Nama); ltration (roughly ltered sake is known as Nigori); making it sparkling or at; and ageing (aged sakes are called Koshu).

The fermented rice drink has moved on from Michelinstarred Japanese restaurants and is edging its way into the mainstream - increasingly on the shelves of speciality and ne food shops.

Information supplied by Natsuki Kikuya and the WSET

DRINKS

TIPS ON STORING AND SERVING SAKE

Store sake in a cool environment. Drink it within a year, store it upright and avoid placing it in a brightly lit area.

Sake can be served at a wide range of temperatures, though not all styles of sake are suitable for serving warm.

Tokkuri is the Japanese word for a sake carafe, used for heating and serving sake.

O-choko is the Japanese word for a traditional sake cup. The most common kinds are small pottery or glass cups that have a at base.

Wine glasses are ideal for serving premium sake either chilled or at room temperature.

HOW SAKE MADE ITS WAY INTO THE LIMELIGHT

Natsuki Kikuya, Sake product development manager, W E

Sake’s trendy status hasn’t come out of nowhere. It has been a progression of little efforts, including the WSET Sake Level 3 course and the Japanese food trend – spurred on by restaurants like Nobu and Zuma. Where sushi restaurants go, sake follows.

These sakes are generally best served chilled, but some can be served warm.

Source: WSET

PAIRING SAKE WITH NON-JAPANESE FOODS

You may be tempted into thinking that sake only goes with Japanese cuisine, this is not the case.

Sake and seafood

Sake contains lots of umami, which are types of amino acids that express savoury and delicious flavours a e cleanses our alate and neutralises the fish flavours and enhances the umami flavours of the seafood

The creamy textures of junmai harmonise well with fresh o sters ure et rich gin st le sake works brilliantly with meaty scallops or

lobster aviar is often considered difficult to air with wines, but daigin contains similar molecules to the fish roe and wor s erfectl

Sake and cheese

Because one of the main acids in sake is lactic acid, sake naturally works great with dairy products.

Suggest the follo ing romatic and fruit daigin sa e with blue or fresh goats’ cheese

• Rounded and soft junmai sake with Gouda or Manchego

• Umami rich kimoto or yamahai with Comté or Emmental

20 years ago, the quality of most sake wasn’t as good and the variety available wasn’t as diverse as it is now. That combined with its short shelf life, the fact that it has to be kept at a chilled temperature and drunk within a year created some challenges.

But a new generation of sake makers came in and distributors started taking sake more seriously, selling it to sommeliers, rather than only to Japanese restaurants.

The challenge has always been that sake is a complex and complicated categor it s a ver difficult drin to understand.

These days, sommeliers are seeing sake more as a flavour than a a anese cultural drin eo le sim l en o the flavour rofiles because the are different to those in wine. The alcohol level is slightly higher, the sugar levels are much higher, acidity is much lower and there are umami elements to it. So there are lots of new concepts and flavours that couldn t be filled b wine that are possible with sake.

The efforts of young sake makers are revolutionising the industry as well, by ma ing sa e to fit modern eo le s alate – like creating 13% alcohol sake, so you get the same feeling as with a glass of wine.

Having said that, I feel that we’re still at the very beginning stage of this sake era and we have a way to go before it becomes a ‘supercategory’, listed in international cuisine restaurants, or served in the pub. That’s the challenge that we still have.

Part of that challenge is increasing detail sake sales in supermarkets, department stores, independent shops and wine shops in the UK.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

he evel a e ualification gives an overview of the variet of flavours that ou will find in sa e - how to categorise them and what decides these different styles.

Talk to your distributors and wholesalers. Many of them have a sake expert within the company, so just asking for suggestions

to have stoc four or five t es of sa e that re resent the different categories, rofiles, and work for different pairings is a good place to start.

There are lots of online resources out there as well that can be hel ful - including on the WSET website: setglobal.com

The key element is pushing beyond the sushi and sake association. Suggesting the versatility of sake that goes well with food that people serve at their parties at home. Cheese is one amazing example, or fresh oysters, smoked salmon, ham, salads, barbecue...

There is a sake that works perfectly with everything.

High quality speciality food from France and Spain

We o er award winning fine food directly from artisan and farm producers in France and Spain. This includes cured hams, saucissons, chorizos, pates and other specialist charcuterie products.

We also have a range of traditional cheeses such as Manchego and Ossau Iraty.

Duck Saucisson

Serrano Bodega Ham

Basque Kintoa Ham

Bayonne Ham

IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS

Maltby & Greek

maltbyandgreek.com

Min. order value: None

Delivers to: Nationwide, bar the Channel Islands

Maltby & Greek started off in Bermondsey’s Maltby Street Market and has built up a business as a supplier and distributor of artisan Greek produce, including food, wines, spirits, and beers. Bestsellers include own-brand olive oil, as well as honey, fresh pita, sheep’s cheese and Cretan sausages.

Brindisa brindisa.com

Min. order value: £80 within London, £100 outside London

Delivers to: Nationwide

Spanish food specialist Brindisa has been importing and distributing small and artisan producers goods for more than three decades. As well as its own branded lines of meats, oils, nuts and pulses, Brindisa stocks popular Spanish products from Perello, Navarrico, La Chinata, Ortiz, Torres, Manchego1605 and Monte Enebro.

Rowcliffe rowcliffe.co.uk

Min order value: £60

Delivers to: Nationwide

The Kent-based cheese wholesaler stocks a wide selection of British and continental artisanal cheeses under its exclusive Clemency Hall brand, as well as Classic Beemster Gouda from the Netherlands, Ambrosi cheeses from Italy and Jacquin goats from France. Rowcliffe also carries deli staples like charcuterie from Negroni and Clonakilty, pastries from Diforti and oils from Deli-cious.

Delivering the goods

Cotswold Fayre

cotswold-fayre.co.uk

Min order value: £350 (ambient), £150 (chilled), £500 (frozen), these may vary geographically

Delivers to: UK, Rep of Ireland and export markets

certified - or , otswold

Fayre has grown to become one of the UK’s largest speciality wholesalers, representing more than 400 suppliers.

This year it has added a new catalogue of frozen products, including brands like Crosta & Mollica, Jude’s ice cream, The Original Baker and Cakesmiths.

Taste of Sicily

diforti.com

Min. order value: £100 for free delivery in London. £500 for free delivery nationwide. Outlets in remote locations will incur a delivery charge.

Delivers to: Nationwide

Taste of Sicily imports and sells premium Italian products and sells them under its own brand, Diforti. Flagship items include antipasti, oils, pasta, olives, chocolate and biscuits.

Whether you’re a er Continental delicacies, ambient staples or smaller home-grown producers, our annual review of wholesalers serving the independent retail trade should help you nd what you need.

Compiled by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Mevalco

the allure of Spanish foods

Mevalco’s story began some 20 years ago as a culinary love story of Spanish artisans, chefs, growers, farmers, and shepherds when co-founder, David Menéndez, realised that there was a gap in the market for exceptional Spanish produce. He saw the opportunity to introduce fine-dining and retail mar ets to the ver finest anish foods

David remains at the helm of Mevalco to this day, overseeing the company’s continuing growth and weaving his ‘magic and sparkle’ with customers and suppliers alike. Reciprocal and close relationships are at the heart of Mevalco’s success and over the last two decades, the company has become a major force, in the specialism of Spanish foods.

The brand is now highly respected with top restauranteurs in the UK for the quality and unique provenance of its products, and the fact they trust Mevalco to help them make more possible and grow within their own business.

Increasingly, Mevalco’s presence and influence is becoming centre stage with discerning retailers who are looking for premium quality products, innovation, and sustainable provenance. Its ethos is based

on an unwavering dedication to sourcing the finest anish roducts, rimaril from local artisans, whose craftmanship has been passed down through generations providing retailers with something new and different.

As a result, David’s team works with more than 120 ‘incredible’ suppliers. Mevalco is a champion of small producers. From 5th generation producers to intrepid entrepreneurs who are taking the leap into food production they all have the utmost respect for tradition and the environment. Most raise their own cattle, shepherd their own floc s, ee their own bees, catch their own fish, or roduce trul distinctive cheeses

Ingredients and products are nurtured on the hugely varied Spanish landscape and they embody the essence of Spain’s rich culinary heritage. From plump olives that deliver the highest grades olive oils, raw honeys which melt on the tongue, through to the finest Iberica pigs (who feed on acorns to provide incredible hams), beef (grazed on the slopes of the Asturian meadows), and lamb from the slopes of the Pyrenean mountains –everything that Mevalco offers is packed with flavour, te ture, and rovenance

The team’s love of seafood products shine particularly in Mevalco portfolio, as it should be coming from the second largest seafood eating nation in the world, (Spain sits just behind Japan).

evalco s fish and seafoods are harvested in line with strict sustainable guidelines and its anchovies and boquerón’s are feted as simply stunning and the ‘best in the business’…

Under its stewardship, Spanish cheeses are coming more to the fore with some sensational options – the Great Taste Best Cheese in the World 2021 was Quesos y Besos Oliviada which Mevalco exclusively imports into the UK. WWW.MEVALCO.COM

DAVID SAYS:

“Sustainable sourcing is at the heart of everything we do. For example, take our Octo us we are the first business to offer retailers MSC Octopus in the UK. It is a very complex procedure to harvest Octo uses and the fisherman must have officials on board their board to monitor every catch. We respect every product and consider its provenance and its sustainability stewardship in what we bring to market.

“It’s the right way to do business and increasingly, it is driven by consumer demand which is a good thing. We don’t cut corners or look to pander to the lowest denominator. We have strong reasons for using a particular producer or family, and we say true to our principles”.

evalco s influence stretches beyond the role of a wholesaler. Collaborating with retailers and chefs who are creating retail signature lines, the

WHAT THE CUSTOMERS SAY...

Owen Morgan of Bar 44 which now works with Mevalco to provides its own retail lines, says:

“Some of the best things in the world come from Spain – for example, the very best Iberico ham sits side by side with the world’s best caviar or black truf es

“Let’s be honest, Mevalco provides the very best Spanish roducts. t’s World class They source different, exciting products for the UK market and are very good at identifying the right people and the right quality.

Mevalco is the best Spanish importer in the UK – head and shoulders above the rest – that’s the bottom line…”

Ashley Sumners at The Grocer on Elgin says:

“The products are very, very, good ts all about the uality of the products. People who are foodies – they just get it – and I think it’s the right way to go about it for longevity”.

company has embarked on a remarkable journey to push the boundaries of traditional recipes.

It sources products on a bespoke level, exploring new combinations, and underpinning successful retail ranges in tinned fish which ca ture the essence of Spain’ coastal treasures within each tin. From succulent sardines to tender anchovies, the products embody taste and sophistication offering retailers the opportunity to elevate the consumer experience.

It’s this love of food that permeates every aspect of Mevalco’s work igniting a shared appreciation amongst suppliers, customers, and partners of Spain’s gastronomic heritage.

Through creating exceptional retail offerings, Mevalco has become a beacon of excellence and retailer opportunity.

www.mevalco.com

el   0117 982 6540

Email   Sales@mevalco.com

Jo Wright – co-founder, Portas Tapas says:

“They know what they are selling – the Mevalco chefs’ live and breathe the product and have extensive knowledge of each product. The products are always of the highest quality –always the best and at the right price point. You can trust their recommendations”.

Jens Nisson – Bubble Food

“The personal side is so important – you have a connection that goes beyond stuff going into an online basket. And you want to be able to draw on their expertise e.g. I’m not an expert on Spanish food – if I want to order Octopus for example, I’d like to phone up and ask someone knowledgeable about this product. This is what puts Mevalco head and shoulders above the crowd”

IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS

Naturally Spanish naturally spanish.com

in. order value £300

Delivers to Nationwide

Naturally Spanish supplies a select range of Spanish foods including honey, almonds, olives and gazpacho to wholesalers, retailers and foodservice. As well as own label products, it stocks popular deli brands such as Torres, Oro Del Desierto, Bernal and Azada. It also offers a private label service to independents.

2023/24 NATURALLY SPANISH

Odysea odysea.com

in order value £110 in London. Outside London, £350 for ambient items, £700 for chilled products

Delivers to Nationwide

Odysea specialises in Mediterranean products, with a particular focus on Greek and Eastern Aegean products. Some are sold under its eponymous own brand, but it also carries exclusive items like Rustichella pasta, dairy from Roussas, pitas from Elviart and jars from Karyatis.

Infinity Foods

nfinityfoods holesale.coop in order value On application

Delivers to Nationwide

Though it imports ambient products from around the world, nfinit oods specialises in organic brands, including Biona, ragonfl ea, lears ring and Mr Organic. Its own brand ranges include convenience foods, nuts & seeds, beans, peas & pulses and preserved vegetables.

Elite Imports

elite imports limited.co.uk

Delivers to Nationwide

Cheese importer Elite Imports supplies the likes of Rowcliffe, Carron Lodge, Harvey & Brockless and Traditional Cheese Co with premium speciality cheeses from Bavaria. It is the exclusive importer of cheeses produced by Champignon-Hofmeister, which include Cambozola, Briette, Rougette and Grand Noir.

Shire Fine Foods sfea.co.uk

in order value

Depending on geographical location. £125 for East Anglia

Delivers to nationwide

Shire Fine Foods specialises in ambient products. It imports, sells wholesales and distributes own brand pre-packed items such as dried fruits, nuts, herbs and spices and confectionary. It sells its own baked goods under The Real Norfolk Cake Company brand, The English Fine Food cookies, and imported Spanish products under its Don Gastronom brand.

Tenuta Marmorelle

tenutamarmorelle.com

in order value £350 if by pallet network, £175.00 via courier service

Delivers to Nationwide

Tenuta Marmorelle specialises in Italian Fine Foods. It started in 2014 selling own brand EVOO from Puglia and has since broadened its range to chocolates from Turin, Balsamic products from Modena and Biscotti from Florence.

Tenuta Marmorelle is the only distributor of Borsari panettones in the UK.

PW Fine Foods p finefoods.co.uk in. order value £200 nationwide. Delicate, fragile items and heavy glass are delivered either via pallet or in s fleet of vans Minimum for this is area dependant.

Delivers to Nationwide

Petty Woods’ sister business, PW Fine Foods supplies independents with staple items from the likes of Tiptree, Rummo Pasta, Cambrook and Diforti.

Exclusive brands include Epicure, Urban Noodle and LaCroix Chocolate.

Fine Cheese Co. finecheese.co.uk

in order value £150

Delivers to Mainland UK

Fine Cheese Co. is an importer, exporter, wholesaler, distributor and retailer. As well as British and Continental cheese, charcuterie, confectionary, crackers and drinks, it sells a range of branded products to the independent trade. It also exclusively stocks items from Venchi, Dardimans, Bodrato, La Tourangelle, Veniani, Van Nahmen and artuflanghe

Lebanese Fine Foods lebanesefinefoods.co.uk

in. order value £100 with a delivery charge. Free delivery on orders £250 and above.

Delivers to Mainland UK

Lebanese Fine Foods has been an importer, wholesaler and distributor since 2003, selling ambient regional items from Lebanon. Products include vinegars and dressings, olive oil, herbs and spices, jam and coffee.

Delicioso delicioso.co.uk

in order value None

Delivers to Nationwide

Delicioso is an importer, distributor and wholesaler of Spanish products, selling cheese and charcuterie, seafood, oils and vinegars, drinks and kitchenware. As well as its own brand products, it carries items from 80 other brands and suppliers, including Embutidos Sola, Conservas Cambados, Just Gourmet, Azada, Vichy Catalan and Valdearco.

WE SELECT THE BEST RAW MATERIALS TO ENSURE SAFETY AND TASTE. OUR FRESH AND PRESERVED TRUFFLES ARE PROCESSED FOLLOWING GENUINE AND INNOVATIVE RECIPES TO OFFER MANY HEALTHY AND FLAVORFUL PRODUCTS READY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF CONSUMERS AND PROFESSIONALS.

More than truf es ?

importers & distributors

IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS

Mevalco mevalco.com

in order value £100 in own vehicles, £200 on courier deliveries

Delivers to Nationwide

Mevalco is an importer, wholesaler and distributor specialising in Spanish foods, which it sells into retail and foodservice. It deals in fresh, frozen and cured meats, seafood, cheese, oils, olives and drinks. It has a list of 120 suppliers, many of which it has an exclusive contract for in the UK. These include World Cheese Champion 2021 Olavidia and Ibérica pork supplier Extrem.

Patriana patriana.com

in. order value Free delivery on orders above £200. Free delivery on orders above £150 in Kent county.

Delivers to Nationwide

Patriana imports and sells fine food from rance and Spain. Many of its French products come from the Basque region and include pâtés and jams, charcuterie and cheese, spices and pickles, as well as regional s ecialities li e fish sou and confit duc t also sells exclusive items like charcuterie from Pierre Oteiza and Elizaldia in France and from Lopez Puerto and Garman in Spain.

Bellota

bellota.co.uk

in order value: £100

Delivers to Nationwide

Bellota is an importer and a distributor of Spanish fine foods with a focus on charcuterie. It stocks Ibérico and Serrano hams (whole and pre-sliced), salamis and whole cuts. Bellota also sells a range of specialist cheeses, tinned seafood, EVOs, tapenades and pâtés.

Harvey & Brockless harveyandbrockless.co.uk

in. order value None

Delivers to UK and UAE

Harvey & Brockless stocks a range of artisan cheeses and charcuterie which it supplies to foodservice as well as retail. Based out of its own production site, it makes olive mixes, pesto, spreads and ready to cook sauces. It also has an exclusive on The Estate Dairy cultured butter as well as bespoke branded portions, pastry blocks and retail rolls.

The Cheese Yard cheeseyard holesale. co.uk

in order value None

Free deliveries for orders over £90

Delivers to England, Wales & Southern Scotland

The Cheese Yard is an importer and wholesaler of French and Continental cheeses. It is the sole importer of Kosh Cheeses from Switzerland and Argental Cheeses from France. As well as cheeses from Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and the UK, the 20 year-old wholesaler also deals in accoutrements like crackers and chutney.

SEGGIANO

Seggiano

seggiano.com

in order value None

Delivers to UK-wide and internationally

Seggiano is an artisanal Italian food brand offering larder essentials from Italy. Over the past three decades, the importer and distributor has built up its range to include a variety of sweet, savoury, snacking and kitchenware products, which all reflect its ethos of sustainable agricultural practices, Italian culinary heritage, and whole foods.

It sells own-branded items created collaboratively with producers.

Apulia Blend/The Olive Oil Co

theoliveoilco.com

in order value £90 in London. Courier service serves other destinations

Delivers to: UK mainland

The Olive Oil Co imports and sells extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegars, condiments and vegetable preserves from Italy. As well as its own brand EVOOs and Balsamic vinegars, it carries Danilo Manco oils, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena ‘Saporoso’ from Acetaia Malpighi and ‘Chiaroscuro 100% Coratina’ EVOO from De Robertis.

Cress Co thecressco.co.uk

in order value £175, but can vary depending on location. For orders below £175, a carriage charge of £25 will be applied.

Delivers to Nationwide

The Cress Co. is a supplier of mostly British ambient and chilled lines. It stocks a wide selection of items from small artisan suppliers to large brands. Based in Fife, the company has e anded its fleet of dual-temperature vans to supply customers nationwide.

t ni i t fi tartufi.it in order value: 100€

Delivers to UK, USA, Asia, EU

tefania alugi artufi is an talian su lier of trufflebased products, including fresh truffles, truffle sus ended in oil, truffle salt, crisps, condiments, sauces and pasta. Additionally, it sells a range of Tuscan items, such as marinated artichokes, sweet and sour vegetables, tapenades, pesto, ragù sauces and jams. All are sold under a private label. As well as fine food retailers, it sells to hospitality and tourism outlets, importers and wholesalers.

Diverse Fine Food diversefinefood.co.uk

in order value £150+VAT (England, Wales, southern Scotland), £450+VAT (NI, northern Scotland)

Delivers to UK-wide and internationally

Based at a 22,000sq ft warehouse in Somerset, Diverse supplies both independent retailers and the hospitality sector across the UK with ambient food & drink. Its catalogue includes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, plus extensive ranges of groceries, snacks and confectionery. It is also growing its lifestyle range of non-food lines.

GUILD OF FINE FOOD INVITE YOU TO Great

Taste Golden Forks 2023

Battersea Arts Centre, London SW11 5TN

Monday 11 September 2023, 6-10.30pm

Trade tickets: £55 +VAT

ORDER OF THE EVENING

g .co.uk/goldenforks

6pm Welcome reception & meet the producers at tasting stations

7.30pm Awards ceremony in the Grand Hall

Interval: 3-star food & drink producer and tasting stations Awards culminate in the announcement of the Great Taste 2023 Supreme Champion

9.15pm Explore tasting stations, meet the producers, and try the Golden Fork nominees and winners

10.30pm Event ends

With thanks to our sponsors & supporters

Understanding Jamón

From whole leg to individual slice, Brindisa’s master carver, Iago Castineiras Lopez, o ers his advice for handling, serving and selling Iberian ham

Interview and photos by Tanwen

Dawn-Hiscox

IS CARVING RIGHT FOR YOU?

Becoming a master carver takes a lot of ractice ve been at it for a decade, five hours or more a day, every day.

It’s worth deciding whether you think stocking a whole leg of pork is for you, and there’s no shame in deciding that the demands outweigh the benefits to our business.

Cutting it yourself may not be right for you, but there’s a lot you can learn from doing it.

When you’re dealing with hams of the highest quality - which you should - you want to be doing it right t ta es five ears from the birth of the ig to the finished ham, so there’s an element of respect to be had for the animal, and the skilled people all through the rocess

I wouldn’t encourage people to take it on unless they’ve got good staff retention. If you’ve got a big turnover, you’re constantly having to relearn it and you won’t make money.

If you do go ahead and learn to carve your own, whether you choose to undertake a professional course or simply make use of the many online resources available to you, it will take a year or two of daily practice to get it right.

KNOW YOUR TAGS

The colour of the tag attached to the ham’s hoof, created to prevent food fraud, tells you of its provenance, quality and grade. In the Ibérico region, there are four grades, which will depend on how pure the animal is in terms of genetics, the environment it is raised in, if it lived indoors or outdoors, its diet, whether it ate cereals or natural feed (acorns). Their diet dictates whether they can be called Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, Jamón de Cebo de Campo Ibérico, or Jamón Ibérico de Cebo.

The black tag or Pata Negra is the highest grade ou ll find he re ure bred Ibérico, reared outdoors in the dehesa, a natural Mediterranean forest, and they only eat acorns, which is why they’re called am n b rico de ellota

A red tag pig still e clusivel eats acorns and lives in the forest. This diet is what allows it to be called Jamón Ibérico de ellota t must be either , or Black Iberian, but can be cross bred with another more common ig breed

GOOD TOOLS WILL MAKE LIGHT WORK

Tools are 90% of the job. You can be highly skilled at carving, but if your knives are not sharp enough, not the right size or the right type, you will struggle.

You need at least one slicing knife, a long, fle ible blade, which will allow ou to access all parts of the leg, as well as at least one boning knife. Sharpness of knives is crucial, as without it you won’t be able to get the thickness you need.

The frequency with which you sharpen your knives will depend on use and personal preference, but it’s worth getting them professionally sharpened every year.

Because we’re working with very sharp knives, we need to use them in a very different way.

Apart from harder to access cuts on the leg, for which you will alter the angle of your knife, you will always be cutting towards yourself. It gives ou more control

Use your strength - position yourself so as to use your whole body - and cut towards yourself.

Use a ham stand. The stands help a lot because their system allows you to adapt the height, to improve your posture while you carve.

To qualify for a green label, a pig must also be at least 50% black Iberian. These animals are free-range, meaning they are able to roam freel and thus eat a mi of acorns supplemented with cereal feed. They are known as Cebo de Campo Ibérico.

A white label pig is an industrial Jamón. The animals live on a farm and they’re raised on cereals he lowest tier of b rico ham, igs must only be 50% black Iberian, and are generally kept indoors. They’re known as Ibérico Cebo.

THE CARVING PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH

When carving, your top priority should be to get as much meat off the leg as ossible

A master carver gets 48% of the total weight of the leg. If you have an 8kg weight, you’ll get a bit less than a 4kg yield.

To break into the leg, locate the bone. This will be your reference to cut it because the meat reaches the limit of the bone. The first thing ou do is a diagonal cut a few centimetres from the bone

Once your knife hits the bone, it’s not going any deeper. and you can use the cut as a reference to start eeling

THE VALUE OF SAMPLES

Nowadays, people have more knowledge of cured meat and Ibérico grades than they used to, but some people still don’t know what they are. Knowledge gives you the ower to u sell

You can explain how it’s made, the history behind it, but until they taste it, they’re not going to understand what the re dealing with

FRESH OR VACUUM PACKED?

We give people the option of buying our ham fresh or vacuum packed, depending on whether they want to eat it straight away or ee it for a few da s

he first goal is to ta e off all the yellowish fat on the side because it’s been oxidised - it’s only there to protect the meat, and in terms of flavour, it s rancid Remove it gradually, in thin layers, as where the meat starts will depend on the leg. Work your way around the muscle, gradually removing tiny layers of fat – the same amount everywhere, don’t go too deep - until you start finding small flec s of meat, and that s going to be our starting point.

That’s when you start slicing it up. Start by slicing the highest part until it reaches the lowest one Once it is flat, ee carving from there

For the second cut, turn the hoof so it is facing down. You don’t need a reference here, ust eel the s in and fat until ou find meat. Once you’ve carved that side, you’ll reach the same bone again, and that’s when ou finish with a long, s uare iece nown as the third cut

This cut is carved perpendicular from the bone to extract the maximum amount of meat

When you turn the ham, use the stand and ma e sure to tighten it around the hoof ocate it straight over ou, so it is flat over the base. This is what will give you the thickness of the third cut.

Iow finel ou slice the ham is what gives customers the best experience. A larger slice will affect the texture and mouthfeel, like tasting a really nice wine in a 1L cup, or eating caviar on a big spoon.

There is no exact science on the size of a slice to follow, but we try and cut it into mouthful sizes - the same as sushi rolls or amuse-bouche - which have been made to be eaten in one, with a small slice of bread

want to have to wait 10-15 minutes for you to cut to order. So, make sure that you have several options already pre-sliced and packed to cope with demand during those busier periods.

SERVING TEMPERATURE

Serving temperature is very important. You can buy the best ham in the world, but if you have it cold, you’re going to miss out on the flavour

Carving to order is one of those things that is idealised, but it can be impractical, particularly on Saturday morning when you have customers queuing. People don’t

We recommend that people remove it from the fridge 30-45 minutes before eating it, to give them more or less the e act same flavour as it was when it was first carved

For enquiries please email: sales@frenchflint.co.uk | tel: 020 7237 1750 www.hsfrenchflint.co.uk

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The food-to-go event is back at ExCeL London in September, o ering up lots of buying and sourcing opportunities for those independents with foodservice operations.

Six reasons to visit… …Lunch!

Exhibitors a-plenty

Speci cally aimed at buyers in the café, co ee shop and food-to-go sectors, Lunch! returns to ExCeL London on 27th-28th September. Whether visitors are looking for new drinks, cakes, confectionery lines, packaging or equipment, the show’s 300 exhibitors should have all sourcing needs covered.

1 4

Innovation Challenge returns

The Innovation Challenge is the place to see the best launches from the last 12 months – and freshly released products at the show. Visitors can vote for their favourite products at Innovation Viewing Gallery. The shortlisted brands will then pitch their products live on stage and a panel of industry experts will decide if the product deserves a Bronze, Silver or Gold.

One-stop shop

Lunch! is co-located with two other related food trade shows: Commercial Kitchen (aimed at chefs and professional kitchens) and Casual Dining (restaurants and bars). This e ectively creates a “one-stop shop” for hospitality buyers looking for larger equipment and catering brands.

2 5

Co ee is king

There are a host of co ee options brewing at lunch! Grind will be showcasing its full range of beans, pods and RTD lines, while B-Corp brand Jimmy’s Iced Co ee will also be exhibiting. Other attending brands include Girls Who Grind, Magrini, Bridge Co ee Roasters and Lavazza.

Theatres full of content

The three shows will o er carefully curated content across the two days, with speakers including the bosses of successful foodservice operators and top chefs. The wide range of talks and panels – found across seven di erent theatre areas – will explore both new ideas and industry insights.

Plant-based buzz

3 6

The food-to-go market is at the cutting edge of plant-based options. This is re ected in the exhibitors at lunch! The line-up includes milk alternatives from Glebe Farm Foods, Cali a Farm, MOMA Foods and Sproud. Plus, vegan cheeses on show from Flagship Foods and Norseland, and meat alternatives from Nova Meat and Miami Foods.

What were you doing before starting Small Things ine

I grew up on the south west of Western Australia. I spent my childhood on beaches, shing and sur ng so always aware of untouched beautiful environments.

I spent 30 years in the lm business as a travelling cinematographer, then I decided I was going to transition out of lm, so I went back to university and studied winemaking at the campus in Margaret River.

As I studied, I recognised that there were no alternatives to wine in glass that involved really good wine. Being able to enjoy wine in an environment where you can’t take glass with you - hiking in a bush, going to the beach for sunset drinks, it was always glass. That’s not very practical, not very safe, and as it turns out, not very recyclable. So that motivated me to think about the options.

How did you go about starting the business?

There was quite a bit of R&D, a lot of reaching out to manufacturers to nd out what we could and couldn’t do. We started with one tonne of Riesling in 2018 and that’s progressed to about 122 tonnes for the 2022 vintage.

With successive vintages, we went from one to six wines: as well as Riesling, we now have Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay. Our rosé is made out of 100% Tempranillo. We have a Pinot Noir which is from Pemberton in the south, and a Shiraz from Frankland River.

No Small Thing

When ex- lmmaker Ian Batt cofounded Small Things Wine in 2018, he wanted to do what hadn’t been done in Western Australia before: to make premium wine and sell it in cans rather than bottles. Five years on, he’s selling it countrywide, and to Singapore, Sweden and the UK.

What has your journey been since then?

There was no strategy when we started, there was always going to be an opposition to it - so it was a case of trying to convince people from day 1 that what they were getting was okay, because some people have this misplaced view that the wine was going to taste ‘tinny’.

We landed a contract with a restaurant group called Betty’s Burgers - we’re an exclusive provider for them and they take four of our wines. We improved their pro t

margins by 3%, we exceeded their demand forecasts on stock, by 300%. We knocked o one Australia’s biggest wine companies, who was supplying them with wine.

This year we’ve con rmed an export to Singapore, we’re exporting to Sweden and we’ve got an agreement in place to launch in the UK at the end of the year – Enotria & Coe is our distributor. Other export markets will include the USA and Japan by the end of the year.

What is your mission statement?

We o er premium wine in cans. Our wine sits in the 16 to 16.5 points out of 20 category. They’re varietals, they’re vintage, we don’t blend a bunch of bad grapes together and sell it as wine. It’s got provenance. It’s got the head of a winemaker behind it, all the winemaking traits you’d expect out of premium.

Life’s too short to drink bad wine, regardless of format.

Where does the sustainability element come in?

The origins were really about trying to nd a product that was better for the environment in that it is recyclable.

Then there’s the part of our mandate to make sure that we aren’t contributing to greenhouse gas emissions through transportation.

If we send a pallet of our wine, 40 kg of that is packaging and the rest is wine - as opposed to the equivalent of weight in wine glass, we’re talking 340kg of packaging.

Where do you get your grapes?

We’ve got three contract growers who work for us. Part of being able to talk about premium anything in Western Australia is about where you source it and the quality of that origin, so for us, our relationship with our growers is the strength of our brand.

They’re sustainably accredited through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, and we apply the same principles in our winery, which is low-intervention.

Is defying stereotypes a big part of what you need to do

It’s a David and Goliath ght. We are essentially two guys running a business without the backing of a big multinational. The brands we’re competing with are owned by gigantic companies.

They have endless marketing budgets, social media tie-ins, brand ambassadors, tieins with massive events like Formula 1 and motorcar events - we don’t. But we’re the only voice that is actively advocating sustainability in our messaging.

The challenge we’ve got and the opportunity is to nd the avenues like that where the cans work best.

Is retail one of them?

Wine in cans is an ill-de ned, misrepresented category for retail, and none of the big supermarkets do it well.

They could easily say, ‘look, this is a step that supermarkets are taking towards making an e ort towards net zero in 2030’ by moving towards that, but you don’t see any of them doing it. I think that’s a lost opportunity.

What about independent retail?

Independents have the exibility and infrastructure to work with brands that are unique and authentic.

They value quality, premium and provenance and that aligns directly with our USP. We are really excited to partner with independents. smallthingswine.com

Interview by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Small Things Wine co-founders Cleve Robinson (left) and Ian Batt (right)

International recipe kit brand moves from the UAE to the UK

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Betting on British consumers’ openness to sample more world cuisines, a recipe kit startup from Dubai has launched in the UK. Naksha Collections’ four ranges feature dishes from Singapore, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, as well as a baking line.

Founders Nisha Ramisetty and Sam Williams started the company in 2020 with backing from an incubator programme by UAE supermarket chain, Spinneys – which secured them a listing in Waitrose there, too. Their idea was to create a range of original, truly international recipe kits.

“The demand for world food increased by 57% in 2021 alone in the UK,” founder Nisha Ramisetty told FFD.

“That’s a huge portion of the UK saying, ‘we want to increase the diversity of food that we eat’, and that’s what we stand for.”

The kits are made up of spices, unprocessed pastes and staple ingredients such as crushed tomatoes, as well as recipe cards. Dishes include Grenada’s national dish of coconut dumpling stew known as ‘Oil Down’ and Creole favourite, ‘Cari Crevette’, from Mauritius.

The recipes

were developed by local chefs, with the idea of making home-cooked style food.

“The focus is to keep it as close to how the dish would be eaten in that country. We’re not trying to get the restaurant version of it,” said Ramisetty.

The Baked Collection uses Levantine ingredients to put a spin on well-known classics, like milk chocolate blondies with Lebanese tahini and a salted sesame crumb.

As of last month when the company moved to the UK, the kits have been stocked in Whole Foods and Harrods. They will soon be listed in Fenwick, and the company is in talks with distributors to expand into independent retail nationwide.

It hopes the kits will be a success by virtue of minimising food waste and cost for customers, Ramisetty said, as well as providing an opportunity for retailers.

“They work complementarily with things that farm shops, delis and food halls already stock, like meat or veg. It actually increases the basket size rather than taking away from it.”

While Ramisetty said they weren’t able to make the packaging 100% recyclable in the rst round of production, they hope to do so by the end of the year.

RRP £8.99 for the savoury ranges, and £12.99 for the Baked collection. nakshacollections. com

WHAT’S TRENDING

WHAT’S NEW

As customers turn to ginger shots and turmeric lattes to support their immune systems, BeeHype has introduced a raw honey that includes both ingredients s well as the inger oost roduct , the roducer is now selling a ee ollen e tracted from the hives, which it says is rich in vitamins, protein, antio idants, health fats and more than other essential nutrients beehype.co.uk

Wild & Fruitful is looking for stockists in independent retail for its Mothernutter

eanut butter brand

Designed for a younger generation of health conscious adults looking for natural nut butters with a deep roast rofile, the contain ust hi-oleic oil eanuts and sea salt vailable in runch , mooth and runch a le acon g ars, the are riced at for trade with an of g catering ac s are also available to trade for wildandfruitful.co.uk

Luscombe’s ime rush is the latest addition to its range of craft drinks this summer esigned to be dran on its own or as a mi er, it combines organic ra ilian limes and icilian lemons with Dartmoor spring water and contains no additives, sweeteners or concentrates for single serve, cl bottles luscombe.co.uk

The sharp and acidic is an accompaniment that pairs with everything cheese boards to coc tails nother burgeoning TikTok trend is that of eo le filming themselves eating the preac aged umbo ic les from merican brand an olten Actor Florence Pugh has got in on the action, as has ownton bbe s il ames

cheese he move to savour ice creams has also been documented recently in an Eater article in the US, which nods to hipster restaurants across the country serving flavours that include cacio e pepe, white asparagus, rench s mustard, and i a with ranch dressing

A new company called Artisan Link is offering its services to producers and independent retailers looking for brand and product exposure. Founder and Fabulous Farm Shops ambassador Ed Spicer (pictured) created the business after identifying a recurring issue for time-poor artisan producers and retailers. Producers can pick any number of four regions to target their sales, with the service including the creation of a product CV, sample deliveries and assistance with follow-ups to secure listings. artisanlink.co.uk

1 Pickles An abundance of trendy bars & restaurants have been leaning on housesoused pickles, whether it’s carrots preserved in a flavoured brine, classic ew York-style bread and butter pickles, or the study bite of vinegared cauliflower

2 Savoury ice cream For the second year running, designer Anya Hindmarch is running the ce ream ro ect, a ondon o -u that specialises in peddling ice cream flavours li e i oman so sauce, irdse e etit ois, and ein omato etchu , and ranston, which features the brand’s pickle partnered with ‘mellow cheddar

Ukrainian wine There’s been quite a push this year to support Ukrainian wine producers, with everyone from Laithwaites to Lidl now offering plonk from Europe’s second biggest countr

This has had the added upshot of building consumer interest in wines from unusual regions Other orld ines, an online retailer based in London, specialises in sourcing wines from countries often overlooked for their fermented gra e uice

Nick Baines

Interview & photography by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

A good scoop

PERHAPS IT’S NOT well known outside France but Grenoble is actually where the French Revolution started. And this city, o en regarded as the capital of the Alps, seems to have retained this progressive spirit ever since. Nowadays it’s home to numerous tech companies, more than 60,000 students and has a Green party mayor who was once rumoured to be plotting to replace the council’s polluting lawn mowers with goats.

It’s little wonder then that despite the country’s staunch food traditionalism, this is the place you would nd a retailer like La Bonne Pioche.

The name literally translates to ‘good pick’. It’s an expression you might hear during a card game, but in this case it’s a nod to the shop’s bulk re ll format – akin to the zero-waste stores and sections that have gained popularity in the UK.

In some ways, the interior will look quite familiar to British retailers. The 700sq shop oor features all of the vats, silos and scoops you’d expect to see, as well as a cheese counter and a display of fresh fruit and vegetables –plus the obligatory loaves of bread stacked on

shelves behind the till.

The variety of stock spans the full spectrum, from everyday items like eggs and dairy, through to treats, like cooked meals and cake. You’ll even nd plenty of non-food, such as cleaning products and plantable greeting cards. It would be certainly be possible to do a weekly shop here if you wanted to.

The structure behind this business is just as all-encompassing as the o er on the shop oor. La Bonne Pioche is a SCOP (société coopérative de production, or worker cooperative), of which each of the ve partners are equal shareholders and salaried employees. Decisions are made democratically, and a percentage of pro ts is shared fairly between associates and non-associate employees, with the remainder reinvested back into the business.

The idea is to create a company which is fair and gives stakeholders a shared sense of responsibility without the hierarchical structure of traditional businesses, and is sustainable in that it is nancially viable.

“We are keen to remain as horizontal as possible,” associate Elsa Normandon tells FFD,

“so that everyone feels involved, employee or partner. The advantage of a SCOP is that our working tools are our own: we decide how to run and operate our company”.

Originally founded in 2015, the shop has changed hands from the two founders to ve current partners – Elsa Normandon, Matthias Charre, Gwennaïg Gaborit, Léa Mercier-Faivre, and Rodolphe Arnaud.

On top of the day-to-day running of the shop, they each have their own set of responsibilities, varying from HR and hygienic compliance through to accounts and business development.

This decision-making process is informed by a charter that contains seven principles: nurturing strong bonds with local producers; quality and provenance of products; being a low-waste organisation; setting fair prices; stocking ethical products; ensuring products are complementary; and involvement in local, socially and ecologically bene cial initiatives.

Some of these principles are easy enough to satisfy, purely through decent retailing practice. To ensure everything they stock is of a high standard, the associates taste-test products,

Location: tore no. ue ondillac, renoble, rance tore no. venue du ercors, e lan, rance

Average basket spend: renoble e lan

Annual turnover: m m

Principles and pro t don’t need to be mutually exclusive. At least that is what a bulk store and worker cooperative nestled in the French Alps has set out to prove.

and they look at them from a nutritional perspective.

“If we are unanimous about the quality of a product, that’s a good sign,” Charre tells FFD, “and then we rely on customer feedback.”

The low-waste criteria that La Bonne Pioche adheres demand a slightly more specialised retailing approach, though.

For a start, they don’t like to use the word zero-waste because, as Normandon says, it’s not strictly accurate. “We still produce some waste, but we try our best to limit it.”

Addressing it has required some e ort both at the producer end and at the shopper end.

“With our customers,” Charre says, “we try to raise awareness about bringing reusable containers.”

“We also have work to do on the producer side, to convince them to reduce waste by selling to us in bigger vessels or bags, or in reusable receptacles. But that also depends on geographic proximity, whether they deliver to us or use carriers.”

They do sell some receptacles and cotton bags and give cra bags away. This is partly because when they tried to manage a circular system themselves, it didn’t work from a storage or hygiene perspective.

With every decision, the associates try to tick as many boxes on their charter as possible, making only rare exceptions – namely, on buying locally. As of last year, they have limited these exceptions to items they already stock: co ee, tea, citrus fruit and cocoa.

“For example, when it came to citrus fruits, we had to weigh up the pros and the cons as a group, because they don’t come from France but from Andalusia,” says Charre. “In this case, it meets our charter guidelines in that we’re supporting a small, organic producer, in a region dominated by intensive agriculture.”

“We concluded that if we didn’t sell citrus fruits, our customers would buy them in supermarkets anyway, so they might as well

buy them from us knowing that they come from controlled, small plots and cooperative producers. We feel there is legitimacy to selling them knowing that we were sure of the quality, ethics and provenance, rather than people buying them elsewhere.”

Even though they do hold themselves to their principles, the associates have curated an impressive range of products, so much so that customers could make it their one-stop shop.

The bulk store staples are all there: rice, beans, and cereal; fruit and vegetables; olive oil, laundry detergent and washing up liquid. But there are apéritif snacks, biscuits, cakes, chocolate and sweets, too. Then there are also eggs and cheese, cream and ice cream, bread and pastries, alcoholic and so drinks. What isn’t sold in bulk comes in receptacles which are either returnable, reusable or compostable.

There are toothbrushes with reusable heads, which customers can bring back, as well as chewable toothpaste tablets and re llable, biodegradable oss. Other non-food lines include reusable cutlery kits, fabric co ee lters and teabags, wooden children’s toys and kitchen utensils. There are even (locally made) leather ip- ops.

Despite the shop’s focus on low waste, it isn’t the draw for all customers, Charre says. “They might consistently come for eggs, co ee and apples. Like all consumers, according to their budget, they might think, ‘well this is more expensive, but I want to get it for the quality’.”

“Other people might want to support several local businesses, or others come for geographic reasons, because we’re on their route home and they might just want a bag of apples to cycle home with.”

Whether via shopping habits or otherwise, it’s hard to de ne the typical customer at La Bonne Pioche.

Seasonal and local fruits and vegetables

Fresh products including yoghurts, dairy products and cheese

Unprocessed basic products including pasta, flour, sugar, rice and cereals

Elsa Normandon: ergamot-flavoured sheep’s milk yoghurts made in Vaulnaveys, La Ferme de la Bermotine

Gwennaïg Gaborit: Ginger beer, Kombuch’Alpes

Léa Mercier-Faivre: Local soap, Nous Le Savons

Matthias Charre: Semi-complete pasta made in Grenoble, Les pâtes d’Alice

Rodolphe Arnaud: Liqueur du Vercors, Distillerie l’Entropie

MUST-STOCKS

JOY ON A PLATE

Black Lime Chutney and Aji Criolo

“We really do get a bit of everything –di erent ages, di erent backgrounds”, says Normandon, but there is always more to be done to be more inclusive and accessible. As of last year, they’ve been o ering a 10% student discount, and recently scrapped a spend-based discount scheme for a straight 10% discount, available to anyone who needs it.

“If their nances are a bit tight, temporarily or permanently, especially when it comes to their food spend, but they still want to shop with us, customers can just ask for it,” says Charre. “Compared with the big multiples, we’re still looking at higher prices, but we’re trying to improve that accessibility element.”

Being fair to customers is one priority, but another is to support their suppliers. “We never negotiate with our suppliers”, says Normandon. “We play with our margins, which are around 30% – not huge compared with similar businesses.”

This is a balancing act all retailers can relate to. Just like in the UK, the price of food has risen considerably in the past year. Keeping prices reasonable, paying their suppliers well and nding enough to cover their own wages can be tricky.

So far though, customers haven’t turned away from them when they have had to put prices up. In fact, loyal returning customers are what keep La Bonne Pioche going. As well as strong engagement with their campaigns and social media channels, Normandon says a good illustration of this is popularity and high open

rates for their monthly email newsletters – a mixture of updates, special o ers and recipes.

“We also put items on there to pre-order every month which we can’t necessarily stock in the shop because of the bulk model – like pu pastry, or tofu. We don’t want people diving into a big vat of it with a pair of tongs.”

“We get 100 orders every month just from the newsletter.”

Many customers are even more involved, having contributed to crowdfund the shop when it opened.

“The original owners raised a bit of money for some of the equipment and fees. Behind this was the idea of forging a relationship with the people who contributed, to create a community of people who feel involved in the life of the shop,” says Normandon.

“And we really do feel like we have an amazing customer base behind us, who support our choices and our project.”

Earlier this year, the team ran a second funding campaign – which 250 people took part in –to help fund a second shop, located further up the valley, in a town called Meylan.

The site is just slightly smaller, and is di erent in that it has a foodservice o ering and parking.

The idea of having another store wasn’t on their radar, but too many stars aligned at once.

“It really wasn’t an idea we were pursuing at the time,” says Charre, “quite the contrary. We even decided against moving the shop to another location to concentrate on making

adjustments there.”

“But then we thought of all the producers we visit and how what they do always has an impact on us when we leave. The work they do is colossal. So we thought, seeing as we’re doing an okay job in Grenoble, we have a loyal customer base and a great team, let’s seize this opportunity to support our producers.”

With two fewer associates than they had earlier this year, there has been more for them to consider – such as nding new local fresh food suppliers, and hiring six people – but so far, it’s proving to be a success. The shop has met its commercial targets, with a mix of existing customers and locals.

The foodservice o er, consisting of four outdoor tables, a co ee machine and a menu of simple cooked dishes also gives it a separate edge.

“It’s not going to be a cash cow. We’re not a restaurant, but it’s enough.”

Having a second location itself has also reaped bene ts.

“We had customers who struggled to come to Grenoble by bike, it’s more accessible for them here because they can drive.”

Feedback has also been positive, from both committed bulk-buyers and more casual customers.

And that is the beauty of places like La Bonne Pioche. They serve as proof that what can seem like a radical concept, given the right context, can thrive. labonnepiochegrenoble.com

We really do feel like we have an amazing customer base behind us, who support our choices and our project.

Expert View

RICHARD KNIGHT OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SPECIALISTS INSIGHT6 HAS SOME TIPS FOR RETAILERS GATHERING CUSTOMERS FEEDBACK.

Understanding your customers’ needs and preferences is important in today’s competitive landscape. Customer feedback gives valuable insights into their experiences, expectations, and pain points. It helps you nd areas for improvement, make informed business decisions, and stay ahead of the competition.

If you seek feedback and act upon it, then you will improve customer satisfaction, trust and –most importantly – loyalty, which will develop into more sales. What’s more, by improving your products and services based on customer feedback, you can di erentiate yourself from competitors. Ultimately, this all leads to increased pro t and longevity.

Before you seek to engage with customers, make sure you’ve got the right tools and channels for communicating with them.

Consider your timing. Request feedback at various touchpoints throughout the customer journey – such as a er a purchase, support interaction, or service completion – to ensure that feedback is fresh, exact and detailed. Then you need to think about the method of collecting responses. Surveys, forms and online reviews can all work, while mystery shopping will provide the most detailed results.

Remember that it pays to incentivise this kind of exercise (through discounts, exclusive content

MODEL RETAILING

or rewards), as you’ll improve response rates.

And there’s more you can do to get that rate up. Keep your surveys or feedback requests concise and focused. Customers are more likely to take part if the process is quick and straightforward.

Reach customers through various channels, such as email, social media, or in-app noti cations. Make it convenient for them to give feedback in their preferred way. Use personalised messages when requesting feedback. Address customers by name and highlight how their input will contribute to improving their experience.

Always thank customers for their feedback and let them know how it will be used to enhance their experience. Follow up on their suggestions or concerns and inform them of any actions taken.

While everyone wants to hear positive thoughts, you should also embrace negative responses as an opportunity for improvement. Do not dismiss or ignore them.

As long as you act on what customers are saying to you, your relationship with them will only continue to grow – along with sales. insight6.com

Displaying chilled foods

If a product needs to be stored refrigerated, then it must be stored at or below

However, for the purpose of display for sale and service it is allowable for such foods to be out of cold storage for a maximum of four hours in total and on condition this only happens once.

For foods that must be stored refrigerated, only remove them from the chiller when an order is placed and return them to the unit immediately after service.

If you wish to take advantage of the four-hour exemption for display purposes, then you must have a system in place to prove the four-hour rule is never exceeded.

If using a refrigerated window display unit, bear in mind that the equipment may struggle to maintain food at or below if it is in direct sunlight.

This advice is an excerpt from the Guild of Fine Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing. The guide is available in PDF format (free for Guild members, £250+VAT for nonmembers) To request a copy of the Code, email support@gff.co.uk

Alright, you lot. Show me the money. It’s cash up front for ice cream now. Who knows how many of you will run for it.

Whoa, whoa! I need to see your receipt before you leave.

But you literally just sold these things to me…

FFD says: While shoplifting is undoubtedly a problem for all food retailers, you still need to be careful how you handle it. Yes, some security measures and deterrents might help you reduce losses but how far should you go if it is alienating honest, paying customers? As always, communication is key. If you can explain why you’ve had to move that big-ticket item out of reach, or if you can be polite about what might seem like accusatory behaviour, then customers might not feel as put out.

With kind permission of Geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG, Germany. PLAYMOBIL is a registered trademark of e ra ran st tter t ftung , f r a s t e s a e t figures are r te te

Mr Deli, why is my favourite bottle of wine so hard to reach.

It’s to stop anyone stealing them, madam.

Customers are more likely to take part if the process is quick and straightforward.

Chilled foods can be out of cold storage for four hours maximum.

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