FFD December 2019

December 2019 Volume 20 Issue 10 gff.co.uk

Global selection A full report on the 2019-20 World Cheese Awards and the big winners inside

ALSO INSIDE Belfast’s Four Seasons Introducing The Charcuterie Board Tea & coffee round-up

Proud winner of 4 medals at the World Cheese Awards 2019

KALTBACH Le Gruyère AOP

KALTBACH Creamy and our new KALTBACH Gouda

KALTBACH Emmentaler AOP

For more information on our award winning range of Kaltbach cheeses go to www.emmi-kaltbach.com/international or email info.uk@emmi.com 2

October-November 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 9

CONTENTS 5 NEWS 10 SHOP TALK

Every single time we’re asked to make a choice about something, we have to sift through a grey sludge of truth, misinformation and total lies

15 CHEESEWIRE 22 WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2019-20 29 CHARCUTERIE 31 FOODSERVICE 36 CATEGORY FOCUS 43 SCOTLAND’S SPECIALITY FOOD SHOW 47 SHELF TALK 52 DELI OF THE MONTH 58 GUILD TALK December 2019 Volume 20 Issue 10 gff.co.uk

By Michael Lane, Editor

“Cheese isn’t healthy,” my fiveyear-old declared at the table the other day. “My teacher says it’s because it’s fat.”

“That’s not right,” I said, stopping myself from launching immediately into a long-winded explanation involving good fats, protein sources, and the concept of moderation. But I settled for: “Well, it’s just not that simple.”

Nothing is. Every single time we’re asked to make a choice about something, we have to sift through a grey sludge of truth, misinformation and total lies. You all know what I’m talking about.

If that teacher chooses not to eat cheese (thankfully they’re a not a subscriber because we’ve got seven pages on the good stuff this month, including a full report on the World Cheese Awards starting on page 22) and I choose to eat it, neither of us are wrong.

Similarly, some shops choose to stock foods containing the

cannabis extract CBD and others choose not to. Neither of them are wrong, but one side is definitely not complying with regulations.

Let’s be clear, Fine Food Digest was not misinforming or scaremongering last month. If an association that represents companies supplying these goods is mounting a legal challenge against the EU’s classification (see page 6), then selling them cannot be entirely legitimate – yet.

This is an emerging food category and independents could well be the proving ground for it. That will be a great boon, and I hope it is, but only when the proper framework is in place for producers and retailers.

Some choices in retailing are a little less complicated, though.

Take our Deli of the Month, Four Seasons in Belfast (see page 52). It sells potatoes in a myriad of ways.

Whole and unwashed, peeled, ready-chipped, even mashed for

re-heating. For a place that started off as a traditional greengrocer, that is madness. But it is also what a customer base that spans both traditional and modern tastes is asking for.

Owner Gary McNally also stocks both Wensleydale with Cranberries and Young Buck, the raw milk blue spearheading the Northern Irish cheese scene.

Which one do you approve of more? Which one do you think Gary prefers?

It doesn’t matter. Both will be selling well on his counter this Christmas, because people want to buy them.

The most important choices, especially in the next month or so (aside from that other thing), are the ones your customers make. I hope that they choose to shop with you and that your shelves and stock rooms are bare by the end of this month.

Now, that’s what I call healthy.

EDITORS’ CHOICE Chosen by Lauren Phillips, Assistant editor

Cuzena

Global selection A full report on the 2019-20 World Cheese Awards and the big winners inside

ALSO INSIDE Belfast’s Four Seasons Introducing The Charcuterie Board Tea & coffee round-up

Cover photography by Tim Johnston

Caramelised onion fava bean dip Hummus (or houmous) has become as popular in British homes as Chicken Tikka Masala or Spaghetti Bolognese – but there’s

EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Assistant editor: Lauren Phillips

Sales director: Sally Coley

Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065

Editor: Michael Lane

Contributing editor: Mick Whitworth

Art director: Mark Windsor

Contributors: Nick Baines, Tim Johnston, Patrick McGuigan, Sam Pelly, Greg Pitcher, r&r studio/ Jack Harland, Lynda Searby

advertise@gff.co.uk

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam

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

an opportunity for a challenger to take on the chickpea dip.

Cuzena is one such brand hoping to do this – with its fava bean dips. Slightly darker and wetter than hummus, it was the caramelised onion variety that stood out. It has a chunkier texture than the popular hummus flavour, but using dates instead of sugar stops it from being overly sweet. A gentle hum of chilli heat gives it another dimension, too. cuzena.com

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200

Published by The Guild of Fine Food Ltd gff.co.uk

editorial@gff.co.uk

© The Guild of Fine Food Ltd

Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset

2019. Reproduction of whole or

Circulation: Bill Bruce, Emily Harris

publisher’s prior permission is

Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £50 p.a. inclusive of post and packing.

in articles and advertisements are

part of this magazine without the prohibited. The opinions expressed

not necessarily those of the editor

Turn to page 58 for news from the Guild

or publisher.

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

3

2019 Countryside Alliance Awards

REGIONAL FINALIST 2019/20

Rural Enterprise National Champion

The natural choice for cheese

Every recipe in the Peter’s Yard range is a Great Taste award-winner

4

December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

NEWS

Small producers could still apply for a share of £35m EU funding

By Greg Pitcher

Small food producers and processors have been urged to act quickly to benefit from millions of pounds of EU funding still available to them.

The UK government has invited expressions of interest in its £35 million Growth Programme, which distributes cash from Brussels.

Food producers with under 250 employees and turnover below €50m (£42m), or balance sheet below €43m (£36.5m), can apply for funding if they process certain agricultural products including meat, milk or grain.

Grants of between £20,000 and £750,000 are available to individual businesses, and the cash is guaranteed to successful applicants whatever the result of the protracted Brexit negotiations.

Expressions of interest

Lidl snaps up closed Waitrose sites Waitrose stores have closed in recent weeks – with half of them taken over by Lidl.

As announced in the summer, the supermarket ceased trading at premises in Sandhurst, Berkshire, and Wollaton, Nottinghamshire on 10th November.

This followed the closure of Waitrose shops in Oadby, Leicestershire, and on Burnt Ash Lane in Bromley, South East London a week earlier.

On 27th October, the premium grocer shut the doors on branches in Stevenage, in Hertfordshire, and Marlow in Buckinghamshire.

German chain Lidl has acquired the 1,375 sq m Bromley premises, the 2,100 sqm Wollaton building and the 2,275 sq m Oadby store.

have to be made by 16th February, and Rural Payments Agency chief executive Paul Caldwell has called for swift action.

“I would urge all interested applicants to submit their expressions of interest as soon as possible to ensure they have plenty of time to complete a full application if their project is assessed to be eligible,” he said.

Applications will need to meet at least two of six criteria to progress.

These are: creating at least one full-time job or equivalent for every £30,000 of funding; increasing business turnover and profit; providing direct benefits to raw material suppliers; unlocking new markets; improving productivity through innovation; and creating new links between businesses.

A full application will then be requested and

assessed further.

The cash will be paid to the chosen companies in arrears, meaning they have to be able to pay project costs up front before being reimbursed by the government.

Edward Berry, partner at The Flying Fork consultancy, said that – aside from the requirement to pay out up front – the scheme was “good news”.

“A lot of grants have gone to tech and innovation and the rural sector has been on the

16th

February

the deadline to apply for

funding

Borough introduces informal dining area London’s Borough Market has launched a food-courtstyle communal dining area, featuring more than 20 food traders.

Borough Market Kitchen opened on Monday 18th November at the popular public market near London Bridge station.

The latest initiative will see traders such as Arabica, Brindisa, La Tua Pasta and Juma Kitchen operate from stands and stalls around long tables where consumers can eat the dishes they buy.

Spanish, Jamaican and Iraqi cuisines will be on offer among many other options.

Borough

Market Kitchen is constructed from recycled materials, and will be entirely free of single use plastics.

It will be open from 10am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday, with an extra hour until 6pm on Fridays.

After hours, the area will revert to a hub for wholesale

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT...

back foot,” he said. “It is a modest sum of money but it is good timing. If we are to be cast adrift from the EU then subsidies will not be as readily available. The size of the grants suggest these are producers whose supply chain would be direct to consumers or through independent retailers.”

Farming minister George Eustice said: “Our dedicated fund for rural businesses has created more than 3,700 jobs and supported a diverse group of businesses, tourism operations and start-ups to unlock their full potential.

“This next round of funding will help more businesses to grow and local areas to prosper – I urge any rural enterprise to look into what this scheme could do for them.”

For full details see: gov.uk/government/ publications/rdpegrowth-programme

operations.

The opening has allowed a reorganisation across the market. Three Crown Square and the entire Green Market area are now dominated by producers and produce sellers, while Rochester Walk continues to offer a blend of ingredients and prepared foods. boroughmarket.org.uk

THE NEXT GOVERNMENT’S PRIORITIES

GUY TULLBERG, MD,

TRACKLEMENTS

“I would like to see the next government working to deliver a sensible, longer term vision for our country, with purpose and clarity to tackle the issues facing the UK. In particular, they must unite a divided nation and make sure that the prosperity is shared fairly across every member of society.”

PAUL HARGREAVES, CHIEF

EXECUTIVE,

COTSWOLD FAYRE

“The top priority should be to focus on becoming a carbon neutral country by 2030, not the current date of 2050, by which time it will probably be too late.

Secondly, it should ensure large multinational companies pay the tax they owe and use some of this money to help British start-ups and SMEs invest and develop new green technologies.”

CLAIRE BURNET CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF

CHOCOLATIER,

CHOCOCO

“I’d like to see the next government focus on helping small businesses and the high street.

Unfortunately due to Brexit there’s been less focus on this. Support in regenerating high streets so people want to visit them and help for small businesses in terms of cutting business rates would be very welcome.”

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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NEWS

CYBER CRIME

Cannabis trade body to challenge EU law on CBD foods

By Greg Pitcher

A cannabis business body will formally challenge an EU verdict that means food containing cannabidiol (CBD) requires specific authorisation to be sold in the UK. The Cannabis Trades Association (CTA) – which represents specialist suppliers, producers and sellers – will submit an application under Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 seeking a fresh decision by a member state on whether CBD should be classed as a ‘novel food’ and require approval.

Independent retailers were recently warned, in FFD last month, to be cautious about stocking the growing number of food and drink items containing CBD because not a single product had been authorised for sale by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

This follows a note issued earlier this year by the EU classifying CBD as a ‘novel food’ because of a

No foods containing the cannabis extract CBD are currently authorised for sale in the UK

failure to prove a significant history of its consumption in Europe prior to May 1997.

CTA chair Mike Harlington told FFD: “We went to Brussels in March and discussed the guidance.

We are putting in a legal challenge, putting the onus on proving cannabis extracts are not novel.”

During the 12-month consultation process related to the challenge, the CTA will also ask for a period of immunity from action against CBD products.

“We will go back

Jeremy Clarkson gets green light for farm shop TV personality Jeremy Clarkson has secured planning permission for a farm shop on his sprawling landholdings within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

West Oxfordshire District Council granted consent for the former Top Gear presenter to construct the retail building within his 350ha Diddly Squat Farm.

Seven objections were received to the application, with one claiming the proposed business would have an impact on a local community shop.

But planning officers ruled that the scheme – which also includes a lambing shed and parking spaces – was important to allow the farm to diversify as subsidies reduced.

“The farm’s profitability […] has been heavily dependent on the EU Basic 6

Payment subsidy, which in a typical year represents 50 to 80 per cent of the farm’s profit,” said the planning report.

“Based on government advice, this subsidy will reduce to zero by 2028, hence farming businesses will need to diversify to remain economically viable.”

The shop will have a floor area of 50 square metres and be constructed from Cotswold stone and tiles, with three pairs of wooden stable doors.

It will only be authorised to sell produce made on the farm itself, as well as that produced within West Oxfordshire and cleared by the council.

Clarkson, who will reportedly star in an Amazonmade TV series about running his farm, recently tweeted that farming was “hard work”.

December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

to Brussels next year and request there be a suspension of the ruling on novel foods relating to cannabis extracts,” said Harlington. “Everything our members sell is fully compliant with food law, there is no safety issue.”

Harlington said he would be prepared to take the challenge further into both UK and European courts if unsuccessful the first time.

Meanwhile, a new trade body called the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) was

IN BRIEF launched at a conference held by the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis (CMC).

Designed to “help foster a legally compliant, socially responsible and innovative CBD industry”, the ACI aims to introduce a kitemark to appear on products authorised by the FSA. CMC strategic director Steve Moore said: “At some stage the FSA will have to enforce the novel food ruling. We published a survey of consumers and half of the public don’t have confidence in CBD foods.

“We have put in place the infrastructure that allows people to start the [novel food authorisation] application process. A condition of membership of the ACI is that you have to apply. There is no sustainable future for these products unless they are medicinal or a novel food.”

The FSA said CBD extracts were considered novel foods under food law and “we expect companies to comply with the novel foods process”.

Bristol retailer Papadeli named Britain’s Best Small Shop

By Lauren Phillips Papadeli – a deli, caterer and cookery school in Bristol – has been named Britain’s Best Small Shop 2019.

The retailer, located just off Whiteladies Road in Clifton, received the award following an assessment of entrepreneurial skills, community values and customer service.

It saw off 24 other independent businesses – including a bicycle shop and a retailer devoted to all things Harry Potter – that were shortlisted to take the top prize.

The winner was announced at the Houses

of Parliament last month among a reception of MPs, trade representatives and industry peers.

The Little Cheesemonger in Rhyl and The Hours Café, Bookshop & Deli in Brecon were among the other specialist food shops shortlisted.

On receiving the award, Papadeli owner Simon MacDonnell

Retailers shed 85,000 jobs in the past year, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium. The body said there was a 2.8% decline in employment in the sector between the third quarter of 2018 and the same period this year.

Department store chain Fenwick, which has branches in Newcastle, London and York, has launched an own-brand range of food and drink. The line-up of 30 products includes dark chocolate & stem ginger biscuits and “grown-up” drinking chocolate.

Ebbw Vale-based Zorba Delicacies has recalled a large range of houmous products that may contain salmonella. The move affected products stocked by retailers, including Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Lidl, Spar and Asda.

[pictured centre] told FFD that delicatessens are an important part of the high street.

“We have a broad selection and we offer an experience that you can’t get online,” he said. “We have regulars who have been coming here since the beginning which is quite staggering that they still come back every morning.”

The awards were organised by the Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC), a union of like-minded trade associations, such as FFD publisher the Guild of Fine Food, the Association of Convenience Stores, the British Independent Retailers Association and the Craft Bakers Association. indieretail.uk/best-smallshops/

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SINCE 1867 Vol.20 Issue 9 | October-November 2019

7

SKINNY DIPS

Manufacturers of depositors & filling machines for the food production industry

& APPLE SAUCE A Gluten-Free Porcine Revolution Mr Trotter’s Skinny Dips – light, crisp, crunchy strips, perfectly porky from first munch to last. And with a pot of Bramley apple sauce in every pack, you move from the terrifically tasty to the simply sublime.

Tel: 01282 440040 Email: info@riggsautopack.co.uk www.riggsautopack.co.uk E SE AT ND 41 Q S U TLA D O AN SC ST S, SF

• new texture • new shape • new bacon-like taste • and a pot of apple sauce in every bag

Mr Trotter Ltd 01889 583025 www.mrtrotters.com

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

NEWS Marazem/Dreamstime.com

New Amazon gin looks like first drink of many for online giant

By Greg Pitcher

Amazon has launched its own gin – and promised to add more self-owned alcoholic drinks to its website.

The huge online retailer and marketplace, which had revenue of more than £10 billion in the UK alone last year, is selling 70cl bottles of gin under its newly created Tovess brand.

The 41.5% ABV spirit is available only through Amazon, available for nextday delivery and priced at £24.99. It is the first time the company has offered its own alcoholic drinks to the UK market, and a spokesman said more “will be added over time”.

William Chase, founder of Herefordshire-based Chase Distillery and crisp brand Tyrrells, described Amazon’s venture as “true greed”.

Chase, whose distillery sells a 40% ABV potato-

Meat box firm wins Observer indie prize Meat box provider Field & Flower has been named Best Independent Retailer 2019 in the Observer Food Monthly’s annual awards.

The company, launched in 2010 in Somerset, was crowned following a vote by readers of the magazine, which is part of the Guardian family.

Twenty-seven businesses – including Valvona & Crolla (Edinburgh), Indie Füde (Northern Ireland), Norfolk Deli, Dugard & Daughters (London) Ultracomida (West Wales), Pipers Farm (Devon) and The Cheese Society (Lincoln) – were named as runners-up in the category.

View the full list at theguardian.com/ observer-food-monthlyawards

New gin brand Tovess has been created by Amazon

based gin at £32 for 70cl, asked: “Who would want to buy a credible food or drink brand under Amazon?”

Alec Paterson, chief commercial officer at food and drink warehouse Borough Box agreed.

“It is interesting that Amazon has decided not to go own-brand but instead to go private label, creating a brand that shares no real values with its parent company,” he said. “I suppose this makes sense, because who wants to buy Amazon Gin?” Paterson added that in one sense the move made “perfect sense”.

“Amazon has access to extremely powerful sales data which should give it insights into what sells and what doesn’t so it can target product lines where it sees an opportunity.

“Gin is extremely low hanging fruit, not just because it’s popular but because it’s extremely

DOWN ON THE FARM

easy to make, there are significant economies of scale, there is no lengthy ageing process, it has unlimited shelf life and there are a plethora of producers out there who can help.”

He insisted it was not yet a threat to small alcoholic drink producers.

“There’s no innovation here and Amazon is not really entering the market in its own name. I’d be more worried if I was Diageo.

“Small independent producers lead the world in innovation both in ethics and quality, and this poses no threat to either.

It is another player in the market, but it is not priced to compete with the artisan gins, rather the large mass market products.”

Amazon said in a marketing statement that the Tovess brand was “dedicated to curating expertly distilled spirits from around the world”.

It added that the Tovess Single Batch Crafted Dry Gin was a “premium” product, “crafted to the highest quality standards”.

As well as its range of local produce and an eatery that hosts comedy nights, New Lodge Farm Shop has an adult-only and dog-friendly campsite. The Northants retailer has recently expanded this site with selfcontained glamping pods. newlodgefarm.com year, to include more retail space and a production kitchen. cedarbarnfarmshop.co.uk Elm Nursery – in Sutton Green, Surrey – has recently added an indoor play area.

Its family friendly offering also includes a farm shop, plant centre, café and children’s farm, which is

Nine months after a fire destroyed its distillery, Masons Yorkshire Gin has revealed it will be opening a new premises in early 2020. The new 12,368 square ft openplan site will be located in Leeming Bar, North Yorks, close to its original Bedale site.

M&S Food has launched a campaign to highlight its “great value everyday prices”. The Re-Marksable Value slogan will be used on shelf tickets and social media to promote deals, such as six freerange eggs for 90p and a bag of Royal Gala apples for £1.50.

The Gog Farm Shop created its first flexitarian sausage last month. The low-meat free-range chicken & spinach variety (£4.95 for pack of 8) is aimed at the increasing number of customers reducing the amount of meat in their diets.

The latest from farm shops across the country home to alpacas, goats, ponies and a donkey. elmnursery.co.uk

Cedarbarn Farm Shop, in Pickering, won the Best Independent Retailer gong at the Deliciouslyorkshire awards. The operation, run by husband and wife team Karl and Mandy Avison [pictured], originally started out as a pick-yourown site but has grown steadily and expanded both its shop and café last

IN BRIEF

Pennbury Farm Shop has recently opened in Leicestershire. Housed in newly converted barns, the shop offers a range of products from the region.

The site also features a café – serving breakfast, lunch and hot drinks with cake – and bed & breakfast accommodation. pennburyfarm.co.uk A farm shop has reportedly been included in plans for a major overhaul of Gretna Gateway Outlet Village in southern Scotland. According to local coverage, pension fund manager RPMI Railpen is set to transform the shopping destination with new-look units, enhanced public realm and a dining quarter to include a Caledonia Park Farm Shop.

In association with

Fabulous Farm Shops fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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SHOP TALK IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

ROBERT HARRISON, co-owner, The Pickled Fig, Hessle My father was a baker all his life. Our family ran two bakeries – in Hull and Beverley – but eventually got squeezed out of the market by the supermarkets.

After that, he told me: “Never go into this business”.

I left the bakery and went into IT, where I stayed for 20 years, during which time I met my wife, Larissa. Then in 2018, after talking about it for some time, we decided to open a deli – even with my dad’s warning ringing in my ears. We found premises – a former optician’s – in May 2018 and negotiated three months rent-free, giving us time to refurbish it before opening in October. We felt that attitudes were changing. People are sick of being sold low quality food in plastic packaging.

This was one of the reasons we were keen to make cheese a big focus. People love the pomp and ceremony around cutting a wheel of cheese with a wire rather than picking up a flow-wrapped oblong off the shelf. That said, we didn’t get our cheese selection right straight away. We ordered a load of cheeses we really liked instead of finding out what other people like. Now we have a diverse selection, based on what customers ask for, and we have learned how to cut and display it all.

We also made the mistake of buying too much perishable stock at the start. We were so intent on making the shop look full that we ended up with waste. We should have built ranges up more slowly.

Tarts, quiches and sausage rolls are big sellers for us. We started off selling home baking ingredients like flour, but it soon became apparent that customers would rather buy ready-prepared foods. I have my dad’s ‘Bible’ of recipes and baking is like riding a bike – you never forget how to do it.

After just six months in business, we were nominated for ‘Best Newcomer’ in the Hull Daily Mail Food & Drink Awards, which we viewed as a testament to how far we had come in a short time.

Our IT experience has been invaluable for everything, from designing the layout of the deli to implementing an EPoS system. We went for a Tevalis system, which has stock management and reporting facilities. It is starting to come into its own now that we have been trading for a full year – predicting trends and knowing what products we are running low on.

While cheese and charcuterie are our passion, jacket potatoes, sandwiches and soups for the lunchtime trade are our bread and butter. I don’t think we would have lasted long without this. We do outside catering too, which has proved lucrative.

We’ve had a couple of large contracts, one of which was for a film crew of 28 people for eight days, and are looking to grow this part of the business as well as establish an online shop.

Interview Lynda Searby Photography r&r studio/Jack Harland

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY. My game face has been on for weeks now. I actually love Christmas. I do. It really feels like all my – sorry – our hard work has paid off. The customers are in a good mood, I am in a good mood, there is no more planning to do. Just settle down, sell what’s in front of me and empty this shop.

The university kids are about to come back.

Those 16-year-olds that were painfully shy when you hired them two years ago, strut back in as cocky adults because they’ve swallowed their first goldfish out of a shoe in a lacrosse club initiation.

They are good company, pick up the new systems quickly and work hard. Plus, without them the Christmas party is interminably dull.

The regular staff just gossip over who is trying to chat up Mrs Cappuccino and the still-atschools spend the whole time wondering if I really mean that they can try some of the leftover spiced rum. (I’m not sure if I mean it, it feels more immoral than it used to).

The uni students just tuck in. They are great at sales – the weight of right and wrong has been sloughed off with one boozy winter term.

MODEL RETAILING This is where you wanna be.

Oh, this is the greatest show!

If I lose the 23rd to snow, it can leave me with so much stock we’ll be putting fondues on the menu til Easter I love the way they go fast and loose with my product stories. They have no idea what they are talking about, yet within minutes they imitate with enthusiasm. Last year it was “Fourme d’Ambert came over the Alpes with Hannibal”.

Cue chat about elephants, where the customer is going skiing this year and a 400g round to the lady in red. Ker-ching!

Somebody put that factoid on the internet and now we can’t find it anymore. Does that stop the girl doing a history degree at Warwick

University telling every customer who comes in?

Apparently not.

Talking of colder climes, I’ve already got my annual bout of Chionophobia – that’s a fear of snow! Because so much of my turnover is in the week before Christmas, every year I look to the skies and say: “Don’t you dare”. If I lose the 23rd – pray to the Small God of Delicatessens we don’t – it can wipe 10% off December and leave me with so much stock we’ll be putting fondues on the menu til Easter. My shop is too small to take two days’ trade in one, as customers try to catch up.

At least this year Christmas is on a Wednesday. A couple of years ago the 23rd was on a Sunday. That was a disaster.

This time, customers will spread themselves out nicely from Saturday to Tuesday. I will even get to chat to them at leisure, occasionally swapping Christmas cards. Monday 23rd will still be insane, but admit it, we all love it.

So, if you walk down some street and hear an enthusiastic-but-out-of-tune Noddy Holder impression, come on in. It’s Chriiiiissssttttmmmmaaaaaaaassss!

SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE.

Is this a carrot, which I see before me?

Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.

FFD says: If you’ve been running a shop for any amount of time, the chances are that you’ve heard someone talking about ‘retail theatre’.

Entertaining, engaging and enticing customers is a key aspect of a successful food operation but just remember that there many levels you can pitch it at – and not everyone likes a fuss.

Don’t make your presence too dramatic and try to gauge your audience or you’ll be performing to an empty house.

With kind permission of Geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG, Germany. PLAYMOBIL is a registered trademark of Geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG, for which also the displayed PLAYMOBIL toy figures are protected.

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

11

Stoney Cross suits a very broad section of customer.

Even those that like a strong cheese will enjoy the subtle flavours and the smooth texture of this little cheese.

Lyburn Lightly Oak Smoked

www.lyburncheese.co.uk 01794 399982

Winner of Best Scottish Cheese for Corra Linn hard ewe’s milk cheese at the World Cheese Awards 2019!

Proudly producing award winning farmhouse cheese since 1985 Now producing Scottish goats’ cheese, with our own herd of goats.

Lactic style cheeses Elrick logs and Goats curd, both Bronze medal winners at the World Cheese Awards 2019.

BARBADOS - SAND, SEA...AND CHEESE! Founder: Andrea Power

Contact us for more information on our award-winning range e: enquiries@erringtoncheese.co.uk | w: www.erringtoncheese.co.uk t: 01899 810257

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

Our Scotch Bonnet Jack is deliciously distinctive with a kick of island heat.

T:1 246 548 2147 | E: info@hatchmanscheeses.com @hatchmanscheeses | www.hatchmanscheeses.com Haggatt Hall, St. Michael, Barbados

SHOP TALK

THE DELI DOCTOR Paul Thomas Technical and regulatory advice from the Guild’s deli helpline Q: The label on one of our brie-style cheeses does not clearly state that it is made with vegetarian rennet. The wholesaler tells me it is ‘Suitable for Ovo-Lacto Vegetarians’ - but does that mean it doesn’t contain animal rennet?

A: There are four main types of rennet that can be used to make cheese. Of these, only animal rennet is unsuitable for vegetarians, as it is derived from the abomasum, or ‘fourth stomach’ of the calf, kid or lamb. The others, which are suitable for vegetarians, include: • Microbial rennet (an enzyme made by a fungus) • Fermentation-derived chymosin (made using a genetically-modified microbe) • Vegetable rennet such as Cardoon (used in some sheeps’ milk cheeses) The rennet used to make the product described is most likely to be either microbial, or fermentation-derived chymosin. These costeffective coagulants are widely used in largescale creamery cheeses; there aren’t enough animal stomachs in the world to make all the cheese that is produced globally!

EU law does not require cheeses made from

Displays that pay PEP-UP YOUR SHELVES WITH THE GUILD OF FINE FOOD’S RESIDENT MERCHANDISING QUEEN JILLY SITCH

SIGNAGE

We communicate our on-brand message online, through word-of-mouth and even on staff uniforms – but the signage (from blackboards to leaflets and counter notes) in your bricks-andmortar shop should be a big part of this, too.

THINK INSIDE THE BOX Hampers and cheese boxes are a staple offering (especially at this time of year), so why not use them to promote instore events? I love this idea of placing cheese tasting

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

There is no legal definition of ‘vegetarian’ at European level, or in many member states fermentation-derived chymosin to be labelled as containing a genetically-modified ingredient, because the quantity makes up less than 0.9% of the final product.

There is no legal definition of ‘vegetarian’ at European level, or in many member states.

The European Vegetarian Union has highlighted this as posing an obstacle to providing clear food information to the consumer. In the UK, the Vegetarian Society states that the term excludes the consumption of animal rennet, but that a vegetarian diet can include dairy or eggs.

Highlighting the cheese as being suitable for “ovo-lacto vegetarians” should indicate that animal rennet was not used. While it is likely that vegetarian rennet has been used, uncertainty over the legal definition means that you may wish to ask for further information and Delihelp has contacted the manufacturer on your behalf.

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1 Leftfield flours Whole Foods Market has released its annual food trend predictions for 2020 and while most of them have already appeared in this column, the supermarket’s gamble on alternative flours is an interesting one. Beyond the likes of spelt, buckwheat and gram flour, they’re seeing a rise in those made from lentils, banana and coconut. There’s also an increase in teff flour, which is used for the Ethiopian flatbread Injera, while regional Mexican cuisine has been responsible for an abundance of blue corn flour products like Cool Chile Co’s blue tortillas.

Dairy and food safety specialist Paul Thomas runs the Guild’s e-helpline for retailers with technical or regulatory queries. It can be accessed through the Guild Members’ Hub at gff.co.uk

notes in cheese boxes from Culver & Nelson [pictured]. It’s the type of thing a customer would keep and they’ll remember to come back the next time they want a piece of that delicious Lincolnshire Poacher they bought from you before.

2 Blue food Both chefs and producers are finding ways to bring a vibrant blue colour to dishes, drinks and snacks, which is turning heads and generating a healthy dose of social media exposure. From ‘unicorn lattes’ to blue-tinged health snacks, the striking colour comes from edible algae like chlorella, E3 Blue Majik and spirulina (the blue-green algae already touted for its beneficial health properties). Innocent has used the algae in its new juice Bolt From The Blue, while London street food operator Eat Lah has been knocking out Malaysian fare on signature blue rice.

GET PERSONAL Small retailers can offer customers personality where the multiples can’t, and signage can play a big part. Your cheese counter is a prime spot in store for this. Place small placards in the counter with staff recommendations of cheeses they are loving that month – you could even turn it into a training exercise!

3 Taste of the Amazon Two big name Brazilian chefs, Manoella Buffara and Rodrigo Oliveira, are about to open restaurants in LA and New York respectively. Much like Alex Atala of D.O.M, these chefs continue to explore Amazonian produce and cooking techniques, elevating them in much the same way as Rene Redzepi did New Nordic Cuisine. As well as these big ticket stateside restaurants, expect to see items like bolinhos and coxinha to start Freshly Ground Sponsor advert 2016 print ready.pdf 1 appearing across street food markets and events.

GRAB ATTENTION A-boards are very useful to promote what you’re doing in store, but why not be a bit more fun? A pun, rhyme or funny joke will grab the attention of passers-by. Even something as brazen as ‘Do you know we stock the best cheddars in the country?’ Just make it short, punchy – and not too political.

EVERYWHERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY From a small corridor to the back of a toilet cubicle door, everywhere is an opportunity to promote what you’re offering. Some EPOS systems even allow you to print a message at the bottom of a receipt – ideal for pushing those last minute Christmas orders.

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Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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Meet Affineur Walo and find out more about his cheese at: FindMeet out more about Affineur Walo Affineur Walo and find International Food Exhibition, cheese on The Co out more his Cheese cheese Winners ofabout 16 Fine awards in at: the

Excel. Stand No N2900,

stand at theCheese following Awards, event: 2019 World International Food Exhibition, The Fine Cheese & Co Speciality & Fine Food Fair Excel.

Stand No N2900, including Super Gold for the The Fine Cheese & Co following cheeses: (1-3 September)

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

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CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

Trade war tariffs hitting the price of British cheese in USA

By Patrick McGuigan

The price of British artisan cheese in the US is set to soar after President Trump slapped 25% tariffs on dairy products from the UK, as part of a trade disagreement with the EU. Speciality retailers, such as Whole Foods and Murray’s, have long championed British cheese, but the new tariffs, introduced in October in a dispute between aerospace companies Airbus and Boeing, could seriously hamper future growth with counter prices set to rise between 10-20%.

“The tariffs cover pretty much everything we sell in the US, which is depressing,” said Neal’s Yard Dairy sales director Jason Hinds. “A lot

of high-end US cheeses are in the $30/lb range and highend British and Continental cheeses are approaching that price, so this will close the gap partially or entirely. It’s a real shot in the arm for American cheese.”

At Quickes, where around 40% of production is exported, mostly to the US via distributor Somerdale, head of sales and marketing Tom Chatfield said he expected the retail price of its mature cheddar to rise from around $25/lb to $30/lb in the New Year.

“People who already know us and like our flavour profile will stick with us,” he said.

“But if they are not already familiar with the distinction

Counters at US retailers like Whole Foods Market will have to put up prices of all European cheeses

between Old World and New World cheddars, they might just buy American. It could inhibit our ability to grow quite considerably.”

The US has applied $7.5bn worth of tariffs to various European cheeses, including Roquefort, Parmesan and Manchego, as well as other foods, whisky, clothes, tools and even ovens in a long-running fight over EU subsidies for Airbus, which have put US rival Boeing at a disadvantage.

The tariffs will be reviewed after 120 days and could be retained, increased or switched to different goods to hurt other sectors.

“I fear that when the next review comes there could be another increase in sight, then all of sudden it really is problematic,” said Hinds.

“What’s really frustrating is that this is nothing to do with cheese.”

The uncertainty is already starting to have an impact, said Chatfield. “Discussions about new business and new listings have gone very quiet.

People are saying they’ll wait and see in the New Year whether products are still viable with the new prices, which is pretty tricky.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

King Stone Dairy, which has moved to larger premises in Gloucestershire (see last issue), has signed a deal to supply Waitrose nationally with its washed-rind cheese Rollright under the retailer’s Number 1 brand.

Pitchfork cheddar

Best known for Gorwydd Caerphilly, Somerset-based Trethowans’ Dairy started making this raw milk clothbound cheddar in 2017 and has quickly won listings and awards, including most recently Best British Cheese and a fourth place finish at the World Cheese Awards. Made with organic milk and aged for a year, it has a fruity acidity and creamy texture.

Mead Afon Mêl in Ceredigion, Wales, won three stars at the Great Taste Awards for its intensely rich Heather Mead. At 13% ABV, it’s too powerful for the fresh zingy cheddar, but the company also makes a light, bubbly Session Mead, which works a charm. The delicate honey notes contrast with the salt of the cheese and highlight the sweet dairy flavours.

Damson Paste There’s a buttery, juicy quality to Pitchfork that matches up nicely with the sweet tartness of England Preserves’ Damson Paste. Made in Bermondsey with British Damsons, it has a dense, sticky texture like concentrated jam and a dark purple colour that looks striking next to the cheese.

The goat gouda Killeen, made by Marion Roeleveld in Galway, won the Supreme Champion title at the Irish Cheese Awards last month. The biennial awards, which is organised by CÁIS, the Association of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers, saw over 200 entries from 50 producers.

Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes has launched a major new brand called The Yorkshire Creamery, which specialises in territorial-style cheeses that “taste like they ought to”. The initial range includes: Extra Mature Yorkshire Cheddar, aged for 15 months; 10-month Yorkshire Red; and seven-month Double Yorkshire.

THREE WAYS WITH...

A new cheese history book has become so popular that it has already been reprinted just weeks after being published.

A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles by Ned Palmer charts the history of Britain through its cheeses and has received rave reviews in the national newspapers, including The Times and The Guardian.

Spiced pineapple Mark Hartsone, head chef at La Fosse restaurant in Dorset, makes a marinated pineapple that he says is a fail-safe accompaniment for cheddar.

He poaches fresh pineapple in chilli, saffron, cloves, star anise and cardamom, before leaving for a few days to infuse. It’s then sliced very thinly and served with wedges of cheddar on his cheeseboard.

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

La Cave a Fromage’s last outlet closes without warning

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE Fran Sterry, Cheese Please, Lewes

By Patrick McGuigan

La Cave a Fromage’s last remaining store has closed suddenly, concluding the rapid decline of a business that once had four retail outlets and supplied some of the best restaurants in the country.

The flagship London shop and café in South Kensington, which opened in 2007, shut without warning in October with stock left in display cabinets and a sign saying the property had been repossessed by the landlord.

Angry comments were left on Tripadvisor by people who had been given vouchers for the store, but had not had a chance to redeem them.

The business was set up in 1998 by Amnon Paldi and Eric Charriaux, and grew to include four shops in London and Hove under the La Cave brand and Premier Cheese, a wholesale business with eight depots around the country and a fleet of 16 vans supplying customers including Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and

CHEESE IN PROFILE with Blue Stilton PDO What’s the story?

Blue Stilton PDO is one of the UK’s most famous cheeses and is exported across the world. It is currently made in six licensed dairies – including Colston Bassett, Cropwell Bishop and Long Clawson – across the counties of

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The South Kensington outlet locked its doors in October after the landlord repossessed the premises

Le Gavroche.

Premier went into administration in March, before being bought by produce supplier Premier Fruits. Paldi and Charriaux retained ownership of the retail business, which comprised two shops, but were forced to close the Hove branch in August with staff given just a few hours’ notice.

Documents filed at Companies House showed that the Kensington shop had received notice of being struck off in March, although the action was discontinued soon after.

The latest accounts for the company for the year to March 2018 showed that it owed creditors £279k, with net assets of £49k.

weeks. During this period the cheeses are stored in maturing rooms and turned regularly.

The 6kg cheeses are typically matured for 8-12 weeks.

Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire using pasteurised cows’ milk.

In 1936, the Stilton Makers Association was set up to safeguard and promote the cheese and the UK trademark for Blue Stilton was granted in 1966. Then in 1996, Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) was awarded from the EU. Milk: Pasteurised cow’s milk How is it made?

Rennet and starter cultures are added to fresh milk, along with the blue mould Penicillium Roqueforti.

Once formed, the curds are milled into small pieces. A measure of salt is

December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

Fran Sterry is about to go into her first Christmas as owner of Cheese Please, but she is actually a veteran of festive cheese retailing after years of working for Paxtons and for the Lewes shop’s previous owner Fiona Kay. “You can’t be too prepared, and not just in terms of ordering cheeses,” she says. “It’s little things – like having enough bags, till rolls and wax paper – that make the difference, so you’re not stressed and customers are served quickly.”

Sterry started offering a 5% discount on Christmas pre-orders from mid-November and has also put together grab-and-go boxes of cheese, chutney and crackers in an effort to keep queues down. Free tasters of cheese, mince pies and Port will also be handed out to customers who may have to wait in the last few days before Christmas.

“Tasters really boost sales,” she says. “If you’re happy and relaxed, and so are the customers, they are likely to spend more.”

Appearance & texture: The cheese has an even web of blue veins, a crumbly texture that becomes creamy as it matures, with complex dairy, fruity, and often meaty flavours. added and then curds are transferred to cylindrical moulds, called hoops, to drain.

After 4-5 days, the hoop is removed and the smooth edges of the cheese are rubbed with a knife to seal the cheese – staving off the growth of blue mould until the cheese is pierced with stainless steel needles at 5 weeks and then again at 6

Variations: Baby Stilton (2kg) and Potted Stilton Cheesemonger tip: Everyone instantly thinks Port & Stilton, but suggest

instead a dark Porter – the beer’s sweet chocolatey flavours contrast with the salty cheese. Also delicious served with mini mince pies and a dollop of brandy cream.

Chef’s recommendation: Where better to present this legendary cheese than on the festive cheese board or trolley adorned with slices of apples, walnuts, crispy maple bacon and served with a glass of claret? Instead of cutting the wheel of cheese like a cake try cutting from the top about 1cm deep moving the knife horizontally across the cheese.

Whether you have a professional or personal interest in cheese, the Academy of Cheese is a not-for-profit organisation, providing a comprehensive industry recognised certification. Level One courses are available across the UK. Visit academyofcheese.org to start your journey to Master of Cheese.

Born in Switzerland in 1115.

A Family Recipe for 900 Years

Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland - a centuries-old tradition of artisanal cheesemaking.

For over 900 years, our milk producers, cheese makers and affineurs in Western Switzerland have followed the same strict protocols and procedures. This is the only way that we can ensure that Gruyère AOP carries the quality and flavour that is known and trusted for generations. For artisans such as ours, this is what matters above all.

This authentic recipe and the care that goes into every wheel makes Gruyère AOP the finest choice for your customers.

They will enjoy it as it is, and in their favourite dishes.

All Natural, Naturally Gluten- and Lactose-Free.

For more information and some great recipes, please visit us at gruyere.com

AOP = PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)

Cheeses from Switzerland. www.cheesesfromswitzerland.com

Switzerland. Naturally.

Vol.20 Issue 9 | October-November 2019

Gruyere_Fondue_FineFoodDigest_issue-5-June_230x315.indd 1

Publication: Fine Food Digest

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

Smaller producers cannot compete, but we are educating people

Playing the classics Paris retailer Saisons is known for its cello-playing co-owner but it also champions raw milk ‘fermier’ cheeses Interview by Patrick McGuigan

There’s more than just a pungent waft of Camembert and Comté in the air at Saisons. Visit this cheese shop in Paris’ 3rd arrondissement and there’s a good chance you’ll also be greeted with melodious refrains of classical music, which echo around the space as co-owner Frédéric Deville plays his cello at the back.

It’s not a gimmick – Deville still works part-time in orchestras across the city and often needs to limber up before a big performance – but there’s no doubt that the soothing sounds of Bach, along with a line-up of more than 80 mainly French cheeses, help draw in customers.

Set up in 2016 by former banker Mariette Grammont (Deville’s partner), Saisons specialises in sourcing raw milk cheeses directly from ‘fermier’ producers, a policy that earned it the Cheesemonger of the Year award in 2018 from the influential Pudlo Guidebook.

The harmony in the shop is not reflected in the wider French cheese industry, however, where pressure from dairy multinationals and food safety inspectors is making life so tough for artisan cheesemakers that many are going out of business.

“Before we opened the shop we thought we had lots of cheesemakers on farms in France,” says Deville. “But they are disappearing. It’s really dangerous – we need to tell people that we are losing this history.”

Camembert de Normandie is a good example.

The current PDO protecting the cheese specifies that only raw milk can be used, but powerful multinational dairy companies have waged a hostile campaign to change the rules, lobbying government and buying up small Camembert

producers only to take their cheeses out of the PDO by using pasteurised milk. The so-called Camembert Wars came to a surprise conclusion last year when PDO was changed to allow pasteurised milk, marking a big victory for big dairy companies.

“Lactalis has bought so many different producers in Camembert that it has become an industrial product,” explains Grammont. “Smaller producers cannot compete, but we are educating people, telling them these stories so they see why they should pay a few euros more for their cheese.”

All but half a dozen of the cheeses on Saisons’ counter are made with raw milk, with highlights including Champ Secret Camembert de Normandie and Marronniers Epoisses. “These are the last of the fermier producers in their regions.”

There’s also Boucanier, an Alpine smoked goats’ cheese, and Brebis d’Estive, a seasonal sheep’s milk tomme from the Pyrenees. “They only make 300 cheeses a year during the summer, so we’re always phoning them in the spring asking when the sheep are out,” she says.

The counter does not carry some of France’s most famous cheeses, including Bleu de Causses and Pont-l’Évêque, because the couple have yet to find fermier versions. “Some PDOs do not have a single farm using raw milk,” she says. “For two years we had no Epoisses until we managed to persuade Marronniers to supply us.”

The couple’s principled approach is paying off with customers coming from all over the city attracted by the hard-to-find cheeses, says Deville, with the business also doing a good trade in spectacular cheese boards for private events and tasting events in the basement run by Le Cheese Geek.

“People have an image of a Parisian with some Camembert, a baguette and some red wine,” says Deville. “It’s our culture and identity. We are here to defend good production and good taste.” saisons-paris.fr

CROSS

SECTION

Camembert de Normandie du Champ Secret 1

Champ Secret is one of only two fermier producers of Camembert de Normandie still in existence. The 120ha organic farm in Orne has 90 Normande cows, whose raw milk is turned into cheese, cream and butter.

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The business is owned by Patrick Mercier, who is also president of the association set up to protect Camembert de Normandie. He played an important role in the decision to change the PDO terms to allow pasteurised milk.

Under the deal, all producers will have to use milk from herds with at least 30 per cent Normande cows, while raw milk cheeses will be labelled as ‘Véritable Camembert de Normandie’.

The curd is handladled giving the cheese a silky texture, while the flavour is bold and farmy, taking in notes of Brussels sprouts and chanterelle mushrooms, plus a little bitterness on the finish.

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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OPEN FOR ENTRY Members’ Fortnight 17-31 January 2020 General Entry 3-17 February 2020*

WANT TO ENTER GREAT TASTE 2020?

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The UK’s ‘Most Loved Speciality Cheese Brand’* *As voted in Fine Food Digest survey

www.snowdoniacheese.co.uk

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2019-20 Rogue River Blue with the World Champion trophy

Down to the wire The World Cheese Awards always seems to deliver drama and the 2019-20 instalment was no different. It came down to the very last cheese as the first ever American World Champion was crowned. Here’s what happened when 260 expert judges gathered on 16th October in the Italian city of Bergamo to taste their way through a record 3,804 cheeses.

Report by Michael Lane & Lauren Phillips Photos by Tim Johnston

THE JOURNALISTS THAT SIT in the front row watching the World Cheese Awards’ final jury should know better by now.

Those looking on with laptops perched on their knees at the Fiera di Bergamo exhibition centre, had to rewrite their stories twice within 45 minutes as the final cheeses were being assessed by the judges and scored out of seven.

The early frontrunner for the World

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

Champion trophy was from Spain – an unctuous raw ewe’s milk cheese Torta del Casar made by Queseria Doña Francisca. It looked a strong bet with 92 out of a possible 112 points.

Then, it seemed that the trophy would be staying within Italy as a 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano (entered by Nazionale del Parmigiano Reggiano Latteria Sociale Santo Stefano) was awarded an impressive 100 points.

When the very last cheese to be judged – a blue that appeared to be wrapped in vine leaves – was put in front of the panel, many in the audience were not expecting what happened next. The judges held their scores aloft only to find it had also scored 100 points.

In an unprecedented move, chairman judge, Nigel Barden, had to use his casting vote and took the decision to award the final trophy to the blue

MAJOR WINNERS Best Mature Traditional Cheddar

Pitchfork Organic Cheddar Trethowan’s Dairy, UK trethowansdairy.co.uk

Best Extra Mature Cheddar

Pitchfork Organic Cheddar Trethowan’s Dairy, UK trethowansdairy.co.uk

Best New Cheese

Miješani sir u orahovom lišću Agrolaguna, Croatia agrolaguna.hr

Best Italian

Nazionale del Parmigiano Reggiano Latteria Sociale Santo Stefano Consorzio Conva – Nazionale del Parmigiano Reggiano, Italy conva.it

Best British Cheese

– which turned out to be from the USA. Rogue River Blue is an organic cows’ milk blue wrapped in Syrah grape leaves that have been soaked in pear spirit. Made by Rogue Creamery in the north-western state of Oregon, it is also now the best cheese on the planet.

The tightest finish the World Cheese Awards has ever seen was the climax of a day-long judging process that started at host venue Fiera di Bergamo with 3,804 cheeses – delivered to Bergamo in Lombardia from 42 countries – for a team of 260 judges to assess.

The awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food were held in Italy for the first time, as part of FORME festival – a four day celebration of cheese staged in Bergamo’s old town and at the B2Cheese conference taking place at Fiera.

The judges, who hailed from some 35 different nations, split up into groups of three or four to tackle 85 tables of cheese. They tasted and scored every single entry to decide whether it would receive either a Gold, Silver, Bronze, or no award.

One Gold cheese from each of the 84 judging tables was nominated as a Super Gold before being sampled again by the Super Jury of 16 experts, representing 13 different nations – including the USA, UK, Italy, Australia, Sweden and Japan.

From that 84, just 16 cheeses – from countries including the USA, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, France and the UK – progressed to a final round of judging held in front of a live audience and broadcast globally on WCA TV. One person who wasn’t watching the broadcast was Rogue Cremery owner David Gremmels. He told FFD that he was out moving hay in a pasture with his phone buzzing repeatedly in his overalls.

Gremmels, who exports Rogue River Blue all over the world, said that sales have been boosted immeasurably.

“Not only did the impact of the announcement hit Rogue Creamery’s website and its two cheese shops, but it was felt in

Pitchfork Organic Cheddar Trethowan’s Dairy, UK trethowansdairy.co.uk

Best Australian Cheese

Barambah Organics Labna with Fennel and Sea Salt Barambah Organics Dairy, Australia barambahorganics.com.au

Best Le Gruyère Cheese

Le Gruyère AOP Premier Cru Cremo – von Mühlenen, Switzerland cremo.ch/en/

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2019-20 MAJOR WINNERS Best Jersey Milk Cheese

St. Malachi The Farm At Doe Run, USA

HOW THE JUDGING WORKS Judges work in teams of three to four, identifying any cheeses worthy of a Bronze, Silver or Gold award. Many cheeses don’t win any award.

They look at the rind and the body of the cheese, its colour, texture, consistency and, above all, its taste.

Each team then nominates one exceptional cheese as the Super Gold from their table. These 84 cheeses are the best in the world and are

judged a second time by the Super Jury of 16 internationally recognised experts, who each select a cheese to champion in the final round of judging.

The Super Jury, representing all four corners of the globe, then debates and scores (out of 7) the final 16 in front of a live consumer and trade audience, before choosing the World Champion Cheese live on WCA TV.

Best Greek Cheese

Feta Cheese PDO Greek Family Farm, Greece familyfarm.gr

Best Unpasteurised

Quintano Lavialattea, Italy caseificiolavialattea.it

Best French Cheese

Epoisses PDO Laiteries H Triballat, France rians.com/fr

Best Smoked

Azkarra CRDOP Queso Idiazabal, Spain quesoidiazabal.eus

Best Central & Eastern European

Etyek Snow White Etyeki Kecskesajt Manufactúra, Hungary etyekikecskesajt.hu

Best Portuguese

Artisanal Soft Ewe’s Cheese Monte da Vinha Queijo Artesanal Amanteigado Monte da Vinha, Portugal

Best German

Baldauf 1862 - unser Meisterstück Gebr. Baldauf GmbH & Co. KG, Germany baldauf-kaese.de

Best Welsh

Tysul Blue Jones’ Cheese Co, UK

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

Portland, and in Austin, New York, Kansas City, Denver, Melbourne, Tokyo, Japan and London.

“It’s great to have solid foundation of inventory so the impact has been not 10%. For us it’s been 4000% in sales impact, truly.”

Rogue River Blue was championed on the Super Jury by Brazilian judge, Bruno Cabral, who described the cheese as a “taste party”, praising its “different sensations, balance, sweet and spicy notes”.

John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, organisers of the World Cheese Awards, said: “This year’s top prize was almost too close to call and I would like to congratulate both Rogue Creamery and Nazionale del Parmigiano Reggiano Latteria Sociale Santo Stefano for going the distance and providing us with one of the most dramatic finales in World Cheese history.

“These two wonderfully different cheeses say so much about the quality and diversity of cheesemaking today; one bold and groundbreaking, the other steeped in tradition, but both hitting all the high notes with our judges.

“Rogue Creamery has been at the forefront of the US artisan cheese revolution for some years, so it seems very fitting for them to be the first American winners of our World Champion Cheese trophy.

“I’d like to thank our partners, FORME and the inaugural B2Cheese trade show, for helping us to stage one of the biggest cheese events the world has ever seen, as we continue our mission to shine a spotlight on artisan cheesemakers across the globe.”

The full results of the day are available at gff.co.uk/wca – where you can also view more footage from the day’s judging.

2 01 9 ’ S W O R L D C H A M P I O N C H E E S E

WORLD CHEESE AWARDS • BERGAMO, ITALY

311 F R O N T S T R E E T (H W Y. 99) • C E N T R A L P O I N T, O R E G O N • T O L L F R E E : 866-396-4704 E X T. 4 • W W W.R O G U E C R E A M E R Y.C O M

PITCHFORK CHEDDAR BEST BRITISH CHEESE, WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2019

Best Traditional Mature Cheddar, World Cheese Awards 2019 Best Extra Mature Cheddar, World Cheese Awards 2019 Contact : 01934 835984 Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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For more information please contact

Tel: 01905 350788 | e-mail: info@croomecuisine.com

Tel: 01905 350788 | e-mail: info@croomecuisine.com www.croomecuisine.com www.croomecuisine.com 26

October-November 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 9

WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2019-20 MAJOR WINNERS

NEXT YEAR, SPAIN

Best American Cow’s Milk

The 2020 World Cheese Awards will take place in Oviedo, Spain. It will be held as part of the Asturias Paraíso Natural Internacional Cheese Festival in November 2020. More details will be announced soon at gff.co.uk/wca

Organic Rogue River Blue Rogue Creamery, USA roguecreamery.com

Best Japanese

Mori No Cheese Home Made Cheese Nasu No Mori, Japan nasunomori.jp

Best Spanish

Torta del Casar DOP Virgen del Prado Queseria Doña Francisca, Spain queseriadonafrancisca.com/en/

Best Scottish

Corra Linn Errington Cheese, UK erringtoncheese.co.uk

The Ann-Marie Dyas Award For Best Artisan

Quintano Lavialattea, Italy caseificiolavialattea.it

Best Norwegian

WCA IN NUMBERS The 32nd World Cheese Awards saw a record-breaking 3,804 entries (10% increase on previous record set in 2018) from 42 different countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Kenya, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and the USA as well as the UK and Europe.

These entries were assembled across

84 tables in a dedicated area at Bergamo’s annual FORME

cheese festival, in partnership with B2Cheese, Camera di Commercio Bergamo, Comune di Bergamo, FORME, Promozione del Territorio, Provincia di Bergamo and Regione Lombardia.

The entries were then tasted, assessed and scored during a two-and-a-half-hour morning session by

260 experts from 35 different countries, to determine whether they were worthy of one of

four awards.

1450 entries achieved an award this year: 84 Super Golds, 286 Golds, 470 Silvers, 610 Bronzes.

Nidelven Blå Gangstad Gårdsysteri, Norway ysteri.no

Best Latin American

Queijo Quark Lac Lélo Lac Lélo – Laticínios São João, Brazil laclelo.com.br

Best Irish

Cashel Blue Organic Bio Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, Ireland cashelblue.com

Best Austrian

Weinkäse Obersteirische Molkerei, Austria oml.at

Full results at gff.co.uk/wca Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

27

KSTONE 1.4_GREAT BRITISH FOOD 17/01/2018 15:36 Page 1

Kentish Handmade Cheese A traditional unpasteurised, cloth bound cellar matured hard cheese from the county of Kent.

APPLEBY’S MAKE ARTISANAL DAIRY PRODUCTS FROM THEIR APPLEBY’S MAKEABBEY ARTISANAL DAIRY PRODUCTS FARM MILK

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.4_GREAT BRITISHAPPLEBY’S FOOD 17/01/2018 15:36 Page 1 CHESHIRE

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APPLEBY’S MAKE ARTISANAL DAIRY PRODUCTS FROM THEIR ABBEY FARM MILK follow: applebyscheese

email: dairy@applebyscheese.co.uk | 01948 840221 For more information please contact us either by email or by phone.

28

December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

CUT&DRIED

making more of British & Continental charcuterie

I’ve been making charcuterie for 15-16 years, and back then it was all a bit punk rock.

We were all winging it.

New global forum for serious charcutiers Emerging from a Facebook group for cured meat geeks, The Charcuterie Board is promising the sector worldwide a one-stop knowledge shop, says founder John Gower

By Mick Whitworth

A DIXIELAND jazz band strikes up a rousing ditty in the foyer of Exeter’s Phoenix arts centre, as Devon farmer and charcuterie consultant John Gower arrives for an evening interview with FFD. The Transatlantic tune is appropriate. Gower is here to trumpet the launch of a new association for anyone connected with artisan cured meats – and one with a strong US connection. While the Englishman is leading, and funding, the set-up of The Charcuterie Board, it’s an international venture, he says, with key figures from the North American craft sector very much to the fore.

Launched last month and operating mainly online, it aims to be a global swap-shop for technical knowledge and ideas, and a “safe space” for producers to chew over issues. It will also be a platform for serious hobbyists who Gower says are helping to “advance the craft”.

Various tiers of membership are priced from £300 per year (for suppliers into the trade) to £175 for producers and £10 for consumers, who can access the website’s front end and online shop.

Beyond its web forums and online knowledge

bank, The Charcuterie Board is planning a number of events. In the UK, these include a National Charcuterie Week next September, and a weekend event for consumers and trade at Nottinghamshire’s School of Artisan Food. There will also be an global producer inspection scheme, The Charcuterie Board Silver Stars.

The Board has evolved out of online forum The Salt Cured Pig, whose Facebook group has thousands of members. As a farmer, processor and chef with an interest in sustainable land use, Gower was one of The Salt Cured Pig’s founders - part of a underground club of small-scale enthusiasts around the world. As his expertise grew he went on eventually to judge at the US Charcuterie Masters and chaired the British Charcuterie Awards for its first two years, but he admits the whole industry was on a steep learning curve early on.

“We were all operating below industrial level,” he says. “We’re not talking Parma ham. I’ve been making charcuterie for 15-16 years, and back then it was all a bit punk rock. We were all winging it.

The first EHO I met had never seen anything like it in her life.”

Makers like Gower, mainly in the UK and US, began sharing ideas by blogs and email, and when Facebook gave them an easier means of communication The Salt Cured Pig group was created. The original “slightly anarchic” bunch of makers was joined by food writers, chefs, technical experts and some of the original American-Italian artisan producers. (The US

sector today is ahead of the UK, but “only slightly”, says Gower.)

However, when a decision was made to open The Salt Cured Pig to all-comers, its membership exploded to well over 20,000. The result was “a proper Monty Python-style split” between hobbyists and hardcore “true believers”, with the latter feeling the level of online conversation would plummet once the public joined in.

For serious makers, says Gower, there was a call for properly catalogued information, not just thousands of random online chats. “Facebook is a great place for talking but the worst place on earth for archiving and indexing. There’s a need for a proper online resource, and somewhere producers can collaborate and discuss ideas instead of battling away on their own.”

This was the genesis of The Charcuterie Board, which has “borrowed” a number of admins from The Salt Cured Pig to oversee its content – mainly Brits and Americans but also Australians and a couple of Italians. “We’re global, but we’re cognizant of the fact that the major industrial players from Spain and Italy are not going to be interested,” Gower says. “There’s a great artisan cured meat industry in Australia, and South America too, but the UK and US will be the major movers.”

The Charcuterie Board will be “the biggest of tents”, Gower tells FFD, adding: “We’ll be member-led and member-driven – a kind of union of salty meat makers.” thecharcuterieboard.org

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

29

Pat Gorman Pies: Hand Raised In The Black Country Pork Pie and Game Pie.

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FOCUS ON

foodservice

INGREDIENTS

Refining informal Now a trendy social event, the supper club can be a useful tool for indies.

Sam Rosen-Nash of Compton McRae speaks to FFD about running one successfully and how it can take building the rapport with your customers to another level.

By Lauren Phillips

ONCE AN UNDERGROUND dining movement rebelling against the more formal restaurant experience, the supper club has become a kind of trendy pop-up-style event – and it’s a concept that small retailers can bolt on to their operations.

For Compton McRae, a fine food shop in Wiltshire, supper clubs provide an opportunity to connect with customers in a more relaxed setting while demonstrating what can be done with the products usually on shelf.

“At a restaurant you choose your menu and it’s your space and your experience,” co-owner Sam RosenNash tells FFD. “A supper club is more inclusive. It’s an opportunity to share your knowledge and increase your customers’ confidence in you and make them feel part of your business.”

Compton McRae’s supper clubs are held every other Thursday evening and cater for 35 people at £48 per head.

The shop floor becomes the setting with a long trestle table running from one end to the other – encouraging guests to meet and talk to one another.

“It’s that whole idea of feasting,” says Rosen-Nash, adding that it’s also a chance for her to “drag up a chair and sit at the table” with guests and share her product knowledge and experience.

“Lots of retailers chat to their customers during the day,” she says, “but this is taking it to another level.

You know that you have 35 people there in front of you to talk to. You can’t just bring the food out and step away.”

Supper clubs can bring tangible financial benefits, too – and not only through the revenue made on the event itself. One supper club guest has already placed her Christmas food order with the shop, says Rosen-Nash.

“It shows we did something right that

evening for her because she had the confidence to shop with us for her Christmas dinner.”

No matter how lucrative supper clubs may appear, retailers must still do the maths before hosting their own. At Compton McRae, RosenNash knew that running a supper club for just 10 or 15 people would not be viable.

“Don’t get me wrong,” she says, “the ego boost you get when your shop is full of people enjoying themselves is phenomenal – but the next morning your till needs to reflect that.”

To a dining customer, the supper club is a casual evening but behind the

COMPTON MCRAE’S TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SUPPER CLUB • Invite a producer along to dine and chat with your guests.

They’ll engage much more with a product if the maker is sharing their passion for what they do.

• Be confident with putting yourself out there to your diners. Supper clubs are about personal touches.

• Keep the buzz around a supper club going on social media. Share pictures of the night and lead that onto the next event.

• Don’t forget you still have to open up the next day. Gear rotas around this so there is always a staff member opening bright and early the next morning.

scenes, Rosen-Nash runs a militarystyle operation to ensure that the whole event is well-paced and runs smoothly.

“We make sure there isn’t a single step out of place because it’s our reputation on the line.”

There is a set format that each supper club works to. The menu is always five courses – canapés, starter, main, cheeseboard, and dessert – and each comes with a different paired wine. Every course has its own signature serving style but RosenNash can tailor the ingredients to the theme of the evening.

Fresh deli items for the shop are prepped earlier in the week to leave the kitchen free on Thursdays to prepare dishes for the supper club that evening. Taking guest payments in advance allows Rosen-Nash and her team to cost and prepare exactly what they need for the dinner.

Guests arrive at 7:30pm and are led to an event space upstairs for cocktails and canapés, which often make use of the shop’s charcuterie cabinet. At 8pm, they return downstairs for the first course, which is usually a colourful salad dish. Main courses feature slowroasted meat, served on big sharing platters.

“It’s a lot of prep for us, but practically, it’s also an easier thing for us to plate, and it allows us time to do something pretty for dessert,” she says.

There may be a formula but it isn’t obvious. Rosen-Nash also maintains the mystique by never publishing menus beforehand.

“People don’t come with expectations,” she says. “That’s the difference between a restaurant and a supper club in that you’re not giving a choice. You’re asking your customers to trust you.”

Importer Buckley & Beale is working with ingredients supplier Porter Foods to launch US brand The Jackfruit Company exclusively to the UK. The “naked” cooked jackfruit – a vegan meat alternative – comes in ambient 865g pouches ready-to-use for commercial kitchens looking to add plantbased dishes to their menus. buckleyandbeale.com HB Ingredients has introduced Italian coffee brand Caffé Kenon to the UK market. Available for foodservice and retail, the coffee range comes in four varieties: 1kg crema bar blend, 1kg max bar coffee blend, 250g 100% arabica ground coffee, and 250g special quality ground coffee. hbingredients.co.uk Terra Rossa has released its aubergine & tomato relish with a new recipe, consisting of aubergines, fresh tomatoes and now with added chickpeas, pomegranate & date molasses, and chilli. The product can be eaten hot or cold and served with rice, couscous or Freekeh. terra-rossa.com

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

31

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32

December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

Lavender and Lemon!

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FREE 6 Pack Sample Set

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FOCUS ON

foodservice

EQUIPMENT

FROM THE DELI KITCHEN SIMPLE RECIPES TO BOOST YOUR MARGINS

CHRISTMAS CAKE (NO ADDED SUGAR AND GLUTEN-FREE) The Grinch hasn’t taken all the fun out of this festive cake. We’ve held onto what makes this festive cake special.

It’s packed with nutty flavours and full of dried fruit sweetness. It’s all we want for Christmas.

Prep time: 15mins Cook time: 1hr 15mins Makes: 1 cake, serves approx.14-16 people Note: The cake can be made up to 2 weeks before but works just as well served immediately.

Ingredients: Zest and juice of 2 oranges 250g dates, pitted and chopped 200g dried mixed fruit 150g dried apricots, sliced 100ml Port or Brandy 150g butter 2tbsp cocoa 2tsp mixed spice 50g coconut flour 200g ground almonds 1½tsp baking powder 200g nuts, roughly chopped, save around 26 for decoration if required 4 free-range eggs, beaten

Method: • Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper (base and sides).

• In a large saucepan, mix together the orange zest and juice, chopped dates, dried mixed fruit, apricots, Port, butter, cocoa and mixed spice.

• Place over a low-tomedium heat and stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is gently simmering. Take off the heat and leave to

stand for 30mins.

• In another bowl, mix together the coconut flour, ground almonds, baking powder and nuts.

• Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well to mix.

Beat in the eggs.

• Spoon into the prepared cake tin and decorate the top with nuts (optional) bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour until cooked through.

• Allow to cool before serving.

Commercial kitchen supplier Alto-Shaam has launched a new version of its Vector H Series multi-cook oven, offering foodservice outlets the ability to cook with four ovens at once. It has new advanced controls for easier use, allowing retailers to adjust the temperature, fan speed and time in each oven chamber. alto-shaam.com

Recipe by Fine Food Digest Colpac has redesigned its chilled food-togo packaging range to improve point of sale. The same day and longer shelf-life salad packs will now feature over-the-edge windows for increased visibility when stacked in a chiller display. A ‘push-tuck’ closing mechanism also offers retailers secure sealing. colpacpackaging.com

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Sister brand of packaging specialists Europac, Enterpack has launched a GG02 food waste composter.

At 457mm x 762mm, it is the smallest unit in the composter range, ideal for small delicafé kitchens. It is able to compost up to 4kg of food scraps, peelings and leftovers per day, and has an 80-90% reduction rate allowing compost to be removed from the unit on a weekly basis. Cost £1,590 (ex. VAT). enterpack.co.uk Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

33

READS

Dark Woods Coffee is a Yorkshire based coffee roaster, providing the very best retail and wholesale coffee to the independent trade, with equipment and hands-on barista training support.

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AWARD WINNING PURVEYORS OF OVER 200 LOOSE LEAF TEAS A superb range of carefully sourced top quality loose leaf tea and unusual infusions to make your offering truly distinctive and exciting. From the tried and tested, to the rare and unique.

Seasonal variations, from hot and spicy to fruity and chilled.

Contact us for free samples. email trade@theteahouseltd.com or call 01935 892 481 34

December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

Great Taste Award Judges remarked: “A rather lovely example. Perfect balance of tea and jasmine, clean and aromatic, delicate yet persistent” www.novustea.co.uk T: 01621 776179 E: sales@dailygrindimports.com

Winner of 21 awards at Great Taste

Choi Time, Award Winning Chinese speciality teas that unfurl and blossom in your cup. Hailed as “the Dom Perignon of the tea world” by the Sunday Times Style Magazine.

Phone: 0845 0533269 Email: wholesale@choitime.com Visit: www.choitime.co.uk

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ALL OUR COFFEE IS ROASTED IN SMALL BATCHES EACH WEEK TO HELP ENSURE THE COFFEE YOU SERVE IS ALWATS AT ITS PEAK OF FRESHNESS.

Thés Lac Rose’s handmade and seasonal loose leaf tea blends are done with the highest level of craftsmanship, quality and creativity. Each season inspires a unique collection of three lovingly handmade aroma-filled and colourful blends.

Beyond taste and quality, Thés Lac Rose teas are ethically sourced from small producers in Sri Lanka and China that are all certified Ethical Tea Partnership.

Thés Lac Rose’s promise is therefore pretty straightforward: exquisite couture and ethically-sourced tea blends for the most sophisticated palates.

Email Founder, Dalla Niakhate, for more information on their collections and where to find them. info@theslacrose.com | www.theslacrose.com

Winners of 5 Great Taste Awards for the range, this year, from the Guild of Fine Food. If you would like more information please feel free to get in touch:

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Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

35

CATEGORY FOCUS

Breaking new grounds From compostable coffee pods to ruby ganache truffles and seaweed pesto, there are plenty of inventive new launches to sink your teeth into in this month’s product round-up. We kick off with tea & coffee before moving onto chocolate (page 37) and seafood on page 41.

Compiled by Lynda Searby

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

tea & coffee A rare Korean green tea with a “lingering sweet, nutty finish” is the newest number at Covent Garden’s Tea Repertoire. Wild Arbor Joongjak is made from spring leaves of wildgrown tea bushes on the slopes of the Jiri mountain, South Korea’s oldest tea plantation. Trade price £11.94 for a 50g pouch (RRP £19.90); £24.48 for a 100g caddy (RRP £40.80). tearepertoire.com

Matsesta Tea claims to produce “the northern-most tea in the world”, marketed under the Turshu’s Factory label. Its plantations are located in Sochi, Russia, in an ecological clean zone in the Caucasian mountains, where low temperatures and summer heat are said to give the company’s black and green hand-harvested teas more taste and aroma.

RRP £8.50-8.60. matsestatea.ru

Coffee & Kin claims to offer the “world’s kindest coffee capsule” following the launch of its new plasticfree, compostable coffee capsules. Its Nespressocompatible pods carry the Plastic Free Trust mark and include coffees from Colombia, India, Guatemala, Brazil, El Salvador and Honduras. The company donates 1p per capsule sold to The Blurt Foundation.

RRP £4.50 for a box of 10. coffeeandkin.co.uk

Source Climate Change has introduced a range of biodegradable Nespressocompatible coffee capsules made from plant-based materials. They come in jute bags, with refill boxes available to encourage consumers to reuse the jute packaging. The Harrogate company was founded with the mission of sourcing organic single-origin coffees from growers committed to reforestation and conservation. sourceclimatechange.com

Dublin-based TrustTEA is a newcomer to the speciality tea space, with a 10-strong range of blends that takes in everything from Irish breakfast to rooibos and Pina Colada fruit tea (RRP €3.49; trade price €2.62).

Having established a following in Ireland, the company is looking for exclusive distributors for the UK market. trusTEA.ie

Following the discovery that the famed Ceylon teas are underrepresented in the UK, Edgcumbes has introduced a blend of high-grown loose leaf teas from Assam, Kenya and Ceylon. The Sussex-based tea merchant says the addition of Ceylon to the classic Assam/African duo gives the tea a “lively and satisfying freshness”.

Sussex Royal tea has an RRP of £4.95 for 200g. edgcumbes.co.uk

Teapigs’ limited-edition winter blends are back and this year, Glühwein and spiced pear are joined by a new blend: a “zesty and velvety” chocolate orange tea. All three have an RRP of £3.99 for 10 tea temples. teapigs.co.uk

This summer saw the launch of JustBe’s first “chari-tea”. 20% of the proceeds from its JustBe Kind herbal tea are donated to the SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health). This “comforting” blend of chamomile and rose comes in a white metal tea caddy tin (RRP £6.95 for 40g). justbebotanicals.co.uk

Oslo and Seattle are the two latest additions to the FiXX coffee family. These 100% arabica coffees expand the reach of the FiXX range into new origins (Ethiopia and Colombia) and are available as beans or ground. Trade price is £5.50 for 250g; RRP £8. fixxcoffee.com

chocolate The Tea House has gone all out for Christmas, offering nine festive teas and infusions in 100g bags (RRP £5.95; trade price £4). The line-up takes in flavoured black teas such as Christmas apple & marzipan, as well as Santa’s Sencha green tea, gingerbread rooibos and fruit and herbal infusions. theteahouseltd.com

Clean coffee company Lean Caffeine says it has made its mycotoxin- and pesticidefree coffee available in fully compostable, plasticfree capsules to serve the growing list of customers who want the convenience of a Nespresso capsule but don’t feel comfortable adding to the planet’s plastic waste. They come in 40s (RRP £15.95) or 100s (RRP £31.90) in a biodegradable pouch. leancaffeine.co.uk

>>

Hot chocolate has moved on from mixing a couple of teaspoons of powder in some hot milk, and Choc Affair is at the forefront of this evolution. It’s latest offerings include a hot chocolate stirrer gift set of solid chocolate stirrers for swirling into hot milk (RRP £8.50; trade price £3.75); and the “one shots” gift set for making hot chocolate using real chocolate flakes (RRP £5.95; trade price £3.50). choc-affair.com

Tenuta Marmorelle is now the exclusive UK distributor for Witor, a producer of pralines, bars and biscuits.

Its range takes in everything from the Gran Party selection box of Italian pralines (trade price £4.60 for 20 chocolates), to Il Boero cherry liqueurs – a marriage of extra dark chocolate liqueur and cherry (trade price £5.40 for a 370g tin). tenutamarmorelle.com

2019 has seen the launch of nine butter fudge selections from Fudge Kitchen, all presented in new livery designed by Let’s Talk.

These range from the Tuck Shop Sharer selection of retro sweet-inspired fudge flavours such as pear drop and parma violet, to the Boozy Sharer, featuring juniper & kefir lime dry gin, spiced run & raisin and espresso martini. fudgekitchen.co.uk

Cacaolat, a chocolate milk drink from Spain, is now available to UK retailers, offering an alternative to “confectionery-based, artificially-flavoured milk drinks”. Made by infusing milk with cocoa, Cacaolat comes in five versions: Classic, 0% (lactose-free, no added sugar), Noir (intense cocoa flavour), Mocca (coffee-infused) and Veggie (vegan oat-milk based), available in 200ml and 1l glass and PET bottles. cacaolat.co.uk

Herbal and fruit infusions created especially for children

Following a packaging rethink, all of Casa Espresso’s coffees are now presented in fully recyclable, CO2-neutral bags and sporting a new design. The Bradford roastery, whose newest discoveries include a Guatemala Ayarza and Colombia Pico de Aguila, says its new bags still keep its coffee fresh but use recyclable plastic film rather than an inner aluminium layer. casaespresso.co.uk

Bristol Twenty has chosen a single-estate Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee from the Las Acacias Estate in Colombia as its latest espresso. A traditional washed coffee grown at 1900m altitude, Las Acacias is characterised by caramelised oranges, candied peel and a creamy caramel body. Trade price £9 for 250g. bristol-twenty.co.uk

Volcano Coffee Works donates 15% of every sale of its Crisis Coffee to Crisis, the UK’s largest charity for homelessness. This blend of Brazilian (70%) and Ugandan (30%) coffees has notes of blackberry, hazelnut and cinnamon. Trade price £4 for 200g. volcanocoffeeworks.com

Ringtons is targeting the retail channel with a new trio of 100% arabica, single-origin coffees in 250g bags. Coffees from Honduras, Colombia and Rwanda star in the Constellation Collection, available in whole bean or ground coffee form. RRP £3.99 per bag. ringtons.co.uk

“Mumpreneurs” Becky Coletto and Kate Towers are carving out a niche in the tea market with herbal brews targeted at kids. Marketed with fun names like “Jolly Croc tea with banana, strawberry & apple” and “Happy Toucan tea with rooibis, cinnamon & vanilla”, the Small & Wild range has been crafted to deliver natural and caffeine-free blends with enticing smells and colours that will engage children. Trade price is £3.45 (RRP £5.25 for a box of 15 pyramids). smallandwild.com

The Leaf Collective range now includes a tea tonic for women’s reproductive health, stability and clarity. Goddess Divinitea contains “carefully selected botanicals and adaptogenic herbs” including spearmint, lemon verbena, thyme and raspberry leaf. RRP is £4.99 for 15 biodegradable pyramids. theleafcollective.com

With growing demand for sweets that don’t contain any nasties, Windmill Organics has added Fizzy Peaches to its Biona organic sweets range (RRP £2.09). Made with real fruit juices, these tangy sweets are gluten- and gelatin-free. windmillorganics.com

Collaborations with artists have yielded several striking new collections from COCO. The twelve bar collection (RRP £50) is also available as a six bar milk or dark collection, alongside Isle of Skye sea salt caramel truffles in a box of ten (RRP £18) or five. cocochocolatier.com

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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chocolate

>> Billed as Nottingham’s first craft “bean-to-bar” chocolate maker, Luisa’s is using cacao beans sourced directly from volcanic islands to produce vegan bars and ganache truffles.

Products include Philippines 92%, Madagascan 72% and Makira 72% chocolate bars (25g; RRP £1.70-1.80) and milk chocolate alternative “Casholate” cashew nut based chocolates (25g). luisasveganchocolates. co.uk

The popularity of gourmet marshmallows and freefrom foods are showing no signs of abating, and Grown Up Marshmallows has married both trends in a variety box this month.

This 100% recyclable/ compostable gifting pack (RRP £7.50; trade price £4.50) showcases five different flavours of gluten-, dairy- and egg-free marshmallows, handmade on Exmoor National Park. grownupmarshmallows. co.uk

Pam Langridge, director

The cocoa beans never leave the continent

Afrikoa, a South African chocolate label, is gearing up to break into the UK independent trade in 2020. The company, which launched in 2016 and claims to be South Africa’s first “bean-tobar” company, is making chocolate from cocoa sourced from farmers in Tanzania. There are seven single-origin bars in the range, from 37% milk to 80% sugar-free dark chocolate and bars with coffee, almond and hazelnut inclusions. afrikoa.com

Welsh cottage industry Lone Stag launched a range of truffles that feature its handmade spirits. Choose from combinations like zesty vodka, cherry & black pepper gin, oak-smoked sea salted caramel, white chocolate & raspberry gin truffles. RRP £12.50 for a box of six. sloanehome.co.uk 38

How we stock it…

Rushfields, Poynings, Sussex

Cotswold chocolatier Costello + Hellerstein has revealed a new look and flavours on the back of a successful crowdfunding campaign. Building on its growing reputation for handcrafted singleorigin chocolate truffles, the young company has launched a rhubarb & white chocolate truffle and a ruby ganache truffle. RRP £14.95 for a single flavour box (containing eight truffles). costelloandhellerstein. com

Belfast-based Jack’s Fudge has gone plastic-free, relaunching its range in biodegradable packaging.

The line-up currently takes in vanilla, salted caramel and chocolate orange flavours made using Ballyrashane butter from Coleraine (RRP £2.99 for a 100g bag), and the Belfast fudge maker has plans to introduce gingerbread fudge and gift boxes this year. jacksfudge.co.uk

Another chocolate-maker who has gone plastic-free is Henley Chocolates. Its 40g bars are now available wrapped in white paper or clear corn starch bags, and its 100g bars are bagged in clear corn starch compostable bags for freshness and boxed in recyclable card. henleychocolates.co.uk

Solkiki has combined what it claims is the world’s rarest cacao bean with Ararat brandy to create a new bar. The chocolatier says mild-yet-complex Fortunato no.4 cacao provides the perfect backdrop for deeper and richer tones afforded by Ararat. RRP £7.50 for 56g (wholesale £3). solkiki.co.uk

December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

Chocolate and confectionery is a staple at Rushfields, as its garden centre and café is a popular destination with older consumers who want to buy gifts and treats while they are visiting.

“Our ethos is to go local,” says Langridge. “We try and steer away from anything the supermarkets might stock as we simply can’t compete on price.”

Montezuma’s, Cocoa Loco and Summerdown Mint are strong year-round performers and in the run up to Christmas, Rushfields has started selling loose chocolates from House of Sarunds for the first time.

Demand is seasonal and in the summer the farm shop scales back its range and shifts the focus onto “picnicky” treats such as chocolate buttons, to complement its homemade pies and butchery. rushfields.com

Entrepreneur and former international rugby player Charlie Simpson-Daniel has conjured up a new “healthy” chocolate brand that is gluten-free, high in fibre, veganfriendly and contains just 1% sugar.

Simpson-Daniel says The Wizards Magic Chocolate gives consumers “the chance to enjoy indulgent chocolate that doesn’t contain the usual 50% sugar”. It comes in three flavours – original, mint and orange – in 100% recyclable packaging. RRP £1.99 for a 55g bar and £0.99 for a 20g bar. thewizardsmagic.com

BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING, GLUTEN, DAIRY, FAT, PALM OIL, EGG, GMO, PLASTIC FREE

...OUT OF CONSIDERATION FOR THE PLANET GROWN UP MARSHMALLOWS are traditional, handmade, luxury marshmallows. Only our home-grown organic fresh fruit is used to flavour our berry Grown Up Marshmallows and the chocolate used is Fair Trade. Hand-cut by artisans, Grown Up Marshmallows are made in small batches and FREE FROM GLUTEN, DAIRY, EGG, FAT, PALM OIL, GMO, Artificial Flavourings and Colourings. They are then packaged in 100% recyclable, biodegradable, compostable material, including the bag inside, OUT OF CONSIDERATION FOR THE PLANET.

“GORGEOUSLY DECORATED AND COMPLETELY DELICIOUS!” www.dillyschocolates.co.uk enquiries@dillyschocolates.co.uk info@grownupmarshmallows.co.uk | 07471655022 | www.grownupmarshmallows.co.uk

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AL G ezer IM IN e fre IN AG th M CK from PA loose

NEW

ld so

Delicious additions TO OUR FISH RANGE

1/3 of Brits are trying to reduce their meat intake.

So extend your frozen range with some great tasting, high quality fish lines.

Smoked Haddock Florentine Fish cake

Haddock Fillet

Lemon and Pepper Crumb

Haddock Fillet

Lemon and Parsley Crumb

To view our full range including vegan, vegetarian and gluten free products, visit www.field-fare.com To order call us on 01732 864344

Win Sales with our award-winning Chapman’s gourmet fishcakes and seafood products...

Using their Mum’s recipes Kevin and Paul Chapman continue to produce Traditional Fish Cakes and Fish Products using their mums principle of incorporating only the finest ingredients.

• • • • •

Handmade with fresh ingredients Attractive packaging Weekly Deliveries Low minimum order value No artificial colours or flavourings

Email: Email: sales@chapmansfishcakes.co.uk sales@chapmans-seafoods.co.uk Web: Web: www.chapmansfishcakes.co.uk www.chapmans-seafoods.co.uk Tel: 01472 269871 40

December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

chocolate

seafood Pandora Bell has introduced a trio of veganfriendly pâtes de fruits that are gelatin-free and contain 70% fruit. The Berry Anthology (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry), A Country Garden (apricot & lemon verbena, pink grapefruit & rosemary, strawberry) and The Festive Treasury (sugar plum, clementine, redcurrant) selections each contain 16 jellies and have an RRP of £10.95-11.50. pandorabell.com

As seaweed trends in wholefood, wellness and vegan circles, Meridian Sea has brought three new seaweed-based lines to market. Available are two pestos – organic green seaweed pesto with sea lettuce and organic red pesto with dulse – and tsukudani kombu seaweed in yuzu kosho, which combines kombu seaweed and yuzu citrus fruit with green and red peppers. meridian-sea.com

Chapman’s has Christmas party platters covered with a range that features new lines such as salmon & king prawn Wellingtons and tempura torpedo prawns, alongside existing favourites like mini fishcakes, premium scampi and cod fillet goujons. The Grimsby seafood specialist also has more NPD in the pipeline, with a healthy theme emerging in January 2020. chapmansfishcakes.co.uk

Deep sea trawlerman Ian Hume is hoping to come ashore in 2020 to dedicate more time to growing Humes’ stockist base beyond the Orkney islands. Ian and wife Anthea established the business in 2016, supplying oaksmoked products such as mussel paté, mackerel, salmon, mature Cheddar and olives, and are now adding smoked Orkney Queenies (queen scallops) to the line-up. humesorkney.co.uk

Providing an alternative to conventional chewing gum is Chewsy, a natural, plantbased, plastic-free chewing gum. Chewsy uses a biodegradable plant base called chicle, and is naturally sweetened with tooth-friendly xylitol. It has an RRP of £1.39 for a pack of 10 (15g) and comes in peppermint, spearmint, lemon and cinnamon flavours. chewsygum.com

Rannoch Smokery, known for its smoked meats including duck, venison and beef, has moved into fish, launching smoked salmon with whisky; hotsmoked salmon with honey; hot-smoked salmon with mustard & black pepper, and traditionally oaksmoked salmon. Earlier this year, the brand was bought

by Brown’s Food Group, where it sits within the Lions Speciality Foods stable. lionspeciality.co.uk

In its first year back in business, Noble’s Shellfish & Curing Whitby has picked up Great Taste awards for three of its products: white crab meat, Whitby kippers and Whitby kipper fillets. The family business closed down 10 years ago, but in 2018, was taken over by John Noble, drawing on the skills passed down through five generations. Trade price is £5 per kilo for kippers; £6 for kipper fillets. nobleswhitby.com

Following the installation of a new smokehouse, Grimsby-based JCS Fish has launched a ‘signature’ smoked range under its BigFish brand. There are three products – oaksmoked salmon, organic salmon and sea trout – made from whole sides of premium fish, cured by hand and slowly smoked in a traditional kiln with oak and other natural flavourings. bigfishbrand.co.uk

Grants Oak Smoked claims to be the first UK smokehouse to receive Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) accreditation.

Its Scottish rope-hung smoked salmon won the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Taste Approved honour and a second Monde Federation gold medal. grantsoaksmoked.com

Delicioso is now carrying Bacalao Salado (salted cod): line-caught wild Atlantic cod loin, skinless and boneless, that has been preserved in salt. The salt cod comes in 300g packs (serves 1-2 people) with an RRP of £12.95.

Trade price is £25.45/kg. delicioso.co.uk

Macneil’s Smokehouse has built on the success of its smoked salmon and smoked mackerel with the launch of hot kiln-roasted smoked salmon. This “succulent and unusual” addition is available in 100-120g and 180-200g retail packs. macneilssmokehouse.co.uk

For people who like a little sweet with their savoury Offering a cute new gifting idea for cheese and chocolate lovers is Cathryn Cariad Chocolates, with its new “chocolate cheese & mouse” novelties.

Working from her farmhouse kitchen in Snowdonia, chocolatier Cathryn O’Connell crafts creations, from motorbikes and shoes to dragons and Champagne bottles.

The new mouse & cheese combo comes in fruit & nut varieties (RRP £12.45) as well as milk, white and dark chocolate versions (RRP £10.95), presented in cellophane boxes. cathryncariad.com

Fudge fans can now buy all of Roly’s Fudge’s 2019 award winners in one box, following the launch of its new “gold awards box”. The 600g version contains vanilla clotted cream and salted maple & pecan fudge (RRP £12.50; trade price £8.50), with 900g and 1.5g options available. rolysfudge.co.uk

Booja-Booja claims its new Award-winning Selection, is its best value selection ever, with an RRP of £9.99 for 16 dairy-free chocolate truffles. The box contains five varieties, all non-alcoholic, including hazelnut crunch and almond salted caramel. boojabooja.com

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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FRESH IDEAS FOR

SALTED FISH

ONE BITE AND YOU’RE HOOKED

Cocoa Malone

Our six products represent the best of Shetland heritage and seafood. Combining tradition and innovation. Packed with provenance, texture and taste.

Handmade Quality Chocolates Cocoa Malone, a small family business, supplying quality handmade chocolates and truffles in a variety of seasonal flavours.

ŠKevin Jon Malone

Call or email today! info@thuleventus.co.uk | 01950 477787 www.saltcod.co.uk | @thuleventus 42

December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

Please call Caroline on 07482 721191 or email cocoamalone@hotmail.com for more details. www.cocoamalone.co.uk

SHOW PREVIEW

The 2020 trade show calendar kicks off with Scotland’s Speciality Food Show – from 19th to 21st January at Glasgow’s SEC. Here’s why you should visit Scotland’s largest trade sourcing event for the speciality food market.

Six reasons to visit… Scotland’s Speciality Food Show

1

2

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Widen your product range

Make the right connections

Learn who’s best in show

More than 170 Scottish and UK companies will be at this year’s show, with returning names like Cottage Delight, Little Herb Farm and Rora Dairy as well as first-time exhibitors Ellis Gin, Garbanzo Snacks and Deliquescent.

There is also an increase in plasticalternative producers like Ecobags, B plastic free and Bumblewraps.

Around 1,000 food buyers plus an additional 3,500 trade buyers from department stores, multiples, tourist attractions and online are expected to be attending the show, meaning there will be plenty of networking opportunities and people to meet and connect with.

The Best Product Awards are returning this year and taking place at 9am on the show’s opening day. A panel of judges will choose the most innovative, well-packaged and commercially sound products at the show. The winners will then be presented in a special display case at the entrance.

4

5

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See gems from all corners

Witness Nessie’s Den

Uncover the next big thing

Products from the furthest reaches of Scotland will be at the show for visitors to discover on designated regional stands. Taste of Orkney and Shetland Food & Drink will be promoting its own regional brands. New this year is Flavours of Fife, where at least 11 companies, like Coul Brewing and Rumburra Scotland, will be exhibiting.

Nessie’s Den is back for its second year, taking place in the Seminar Theatre at the show. A selection of new and young exhibitors will be pitching their products to a panel of retail experts, who will assess their pitch and products and comment on whether they deem them to be stockable.

The Launch Gallery brings together the best new food producers to have emerged onto the Scottish retail scene in the last 12 months. The 30 start-ups showcasing their products this year include Woodmill Game, Smoky Barrel Jerky, The Gael Spirits Co, Ice and Fire Distillery, Grace Chocolates and Isle of Mull Seaweed.

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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Using quality ingredients, sourced from Orkney wherever possible, Humes use traditional brining and oak smoking methods to skilfully showcase and enhance the fantastic natural flavours – delivered with a modern twist!

authentic italian extra virgin & flavoured olive oils Made with 100% Italian olives & fresh, real ingredients

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“Unashamably straightforward & all the better for it” For more information on us and our products take a look at our website: www.humesorkney.co.uk or contact us: enquiries@humesorkney.co.uk | 01856 874724

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Celebrating 40 years of traditionally smoking wild fish in West Cork Multi-award winning smoked wild fish from internationally acclaimed artisan, Sally Barnes

Woodcock Smokery www.woodcocksmokery.com | sally@woodcocksmokery.com

NOBLE’S OF WHITBY KIPPER FILLETS

Winner of over 50 international awards including Eurotoques Craft, Slow Food Presidium and Great Taste Supreme Champion amongst many others. Come by for a cup of tea and if you're lucky, piping hot mackerel, straight from the kiln!

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

NOBLE’S OF WHITBY KIPPERS

NOBLE’S OF WHITBY WHITE CRAB MEAT

www.nobleswhitby.com | 01947 492018

Caithness Smokehouse is a cottage industry run by John Inglis who has perfected his craft using natural and traditional methods.

We only use the highest quality locally produced products which are available to the discerning market that requires only the best!

Another year of Great Taste success!

01851 702 445 | sales@charlesmacleod.co.uk

www.charlesmacleod.co.uk

info@caithness-smokehouse.com | 01847 635007

QUALITY FRESH FISH, ORGANIC SEAWEED, ANCHOVIES, SALADS AND MUCH MORE. IT HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER TO OFFER THESE PRODUCTS TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. CONVENIENTLY PACKAGED AND PREPARED, READY TO USE.

THE FINEST SMOKED AT L A N T I C S A L M O N FROM THE ISLE OF LEWIS W W W. U I G L O D G E . C O. U K T. 0 1 8 5 1 6 7 2 3 9 6

PLEASE CONTACT US ABOUT OUR SAMPLE PACKS T: 01822 854378 E: INFO@MERIDIAN-SEA.COM OR VISIT OUR WEB SITE: WWW.MERIDIAN-SEA.COM

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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V Sp at on S isit ec th tan us ial e S d ity co P2 Fo tla 7 od nd Sh ow

Exciting new launch to be unveiled at Scotland’s Speciality Food Show… come and see us on stand P40

TRY OUR NEW SALTED PEPPER BERRIES

A Seasoning Renaissance

“ASTONISHING” “A TRUE PARTY IN YOUR MOUTH”

“GREAT TASTE EXCELLENCE” - GREAT TASTE JUDGES 2019

D N ’S A D ST AN N L O OT ITY L S U SC A E T CI OD SE 6 A PE FO OW S SH P2

MULTI-AWARD WINNING EXQUISITE SEASONING PRODUCTS FROM KAMPOT CAMBODIA Contact us for our wholesale pricelist Tel: 01738 248288 Email: sales@botreefarm.co.uk www.botreefarm.co.uk

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

Orkney Gin Company New festive gins available!

find our multi award winning gins at: www.orkneygincompany.com

SHELF TALK

Ross & Ross eyes vegan market with new plant-based spice rubs

By Lauren Phillips

Ross & Ross, the brand well-known for its bacon and salmon homemade curing kits, is hoping to appeal to the growing number of vegans and flexitarians with a new range of plant-based products.

The new range consists of five veggie rub varieties: tandooristyle; umami; rich & smoky; hot chilli; and sweet & spicy. Each come in 50g jars with an RRP of £3.50. A veggie roast dinner kit has also been introduced with an RRP of £21 in the hope of catering to the vegan consumer at Christmas.

Co-founder Ross Bearman told FFD that the new lines were more about fulfilling demand than a cynical decision to capitalise on the vegan trend.

“We kept getting asked if our current ranges were vegan friendly,” said Bearman. “In short, yes they are. But they have got animals on the boxes and our products have always been intended for use on meat with our British Roasts and British BBQ ranges.”

Pitching them more towards flexitarians than committed vegans, Bearman added that even BBQ enthusiasts – which the Cotswold-based business initially cater to – are changing their

Cuzena launches fava bean dip to challenge hummus

By Lauren Phillips

A trio of fava bean-based dips have become the first to launch to the UK market in a bid to challenge the dominance of hummus in the dip category.

Cuzena launched the dips, also known as “madamous” (meaning “mashed beans” in Arabic), in three flavours: garlic & coriander, caramelised onion and Fiery Chilli. Each come in 170g pots (RRP £2.95) and are available from the brand’s new distributor Cotswold Fayre.

Speaking to FFD, founder Shadia Al Hili described the dips as “denser, darker and earthier” than chickpea-based rivals. They can be consumed

attitude to vegetables.

“We’ve seen a lot of change in the BBQ market,” he said. “Previously, anyone who mentioned a vegetable in those environments would be shut down. Now people are more open to it. And chargrilled seasonal veg from the BBQ can be very delicious.”

The new lines follow the news that Bearman and co-founder Ross Whitmill have decided to split the business.

Whitmill will now manage the catering side with Bearman heading up products and gifts under Ross & Ross Gifts.

“We both wanted to do different things and see if we could do it differently,” said Bearman, adding that current stockists are unlikely to feel the effect of the change.

“The products stay the same, the branding stays the same, and the original emails are still running, although I do have a new email address,” he said.

“Our plan is to run both sides of the business as two separate companies and see how it goes for a year but what we may need after that is a brand refresh.” rossandrossfood.co.uk

cold as a dip or hot with couscous or jacket potato.

“We estimate over 75% of Brits are dip buyers, so the opportunity for these challengers to hummus and salsa are significant,” said Al Hili. “Our dips are examples of classic Arabian cooking – simple, flavoursome food that is not only delicious but healthy. That ticks lots of boxes for today’s consumer, especially as they’re also perfect for a free-from or vegan diet.”

A combination of British fava beans, onions, garlic, tomatoes and coriander, each dip variety blends Arabic and British flavours, with the caramelised onion variety putting a spin on the popular hummus flavour, by using dates instead of muscovado sugar.

“There is no such thing as caramelised onion madamous in Arabian cuisine, but this flavour is to address British palates,” she said. cuzena.com

WHAT’S NEW Soft drink brand Franklin & Sons has announced a new sub-brand called Sister’s Soda. The new brand has launched with an initial range of three sparkling waters with alternative flavours: guava & lime, pomegranate & hibiscus and pineapple & cardamom.

The drinks are packaged in 250ml colourful cans with an RRP of £1.10. franklinandsons.co.uk Two Cumbrian producers have collaborated with each other to launch a gin-infused fruit cake. Ginger Bakers and Shed 1 Distillery joined forces last month to produce the gin, clementine & cranberry fruit cake in time for the festive season. Trade price £6.50 (RRP £9), 500g. gingerbakers.co.uk / shed1distillery.com Village Dairy (also known as Llaeth Y Llan) has created a new 0% range of bio live yoghurt.

The range comes in two flavours – raspberry & strawberry and mango & passionfruit – in 130g pots (RRP 65p) and 4 x 130g multipacks (RRP £2.49). villagedairy.co.uk Pork scratching brand Mr Trotters has added a glutenfree variety to its range. Consisting of strips of collar rind, Skinny Dips are said to taste more like crispy bacon.

A dipping pot of Bramley apple sauce is included in each 60g bag. mrtrotters.com Newcomer Pri’s Puddings has entered the healthy snacks market with its “pocket-sized pies”.

The vegan, glutenfree pies come in three flavours – pecan, peanut and choco – and bolder, fullyrecyclable packaging.

RRP of £1.89, 25g. prispuddings.co.uk Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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SHELF TALK My magic ingredient

WHAT’S NEW Sloemotion has added a seasonal blackberry & apple flavour to its Hedgerow Spirits range. The classic dry gin is said to have a “gentle fruitiness” and is ideal paired with an original tonic or a ginger ale to bring out the sweetness. RRP £37.95 sloemotion.com

Purearth Vegan Broth Turmeric Spice Infusion ELLY CURSHEN Owner of The Pear Cafe

Highball Cocktails is the debut launch from The Original Free Drinks Company, a brand of ready-made alcohol-free cocktails. There are six alcohol-free varieties in the range – classic G&T, pink G&T, Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Italian Spritz and Ginger Dram – all with an RRP of £2 per 250ml bottle. highballcocktails.com The latest kimchi to join awardwinning Bottlebrush Ferments’ range is The Green One, a new version of kimchi made up of cucumber, pak choi and coriander. Already stocked in Whole Foods Market and Planet Organic, the new variety has an RRP of £6-6.50 for 250g and £7.50-8.50 for 500g. bottlebrushferments.com

This vegan broth comes in a 540ml glass bottle and is made by the same guys who make a range of vegan water kefir drinks – one of which glows almost radioactively due to the spirulina. I love them and was excited to discover more of their range.

They have now launched this vegan broth in two flavours. I had a bottle of the Turmeric Spice Infusion in my fridge, and when the summer weather took a turn, I started craving something hot and nourishing.

Consisting of carrots, onions, turmeric root, ginger root, apple cider vinegar, cardamom, cumin, cayenne, and bay – this organic and gluten-free broth is beautifully fragrant.

I make a really simple soup using lots of finely chopped veg and a smattering of broken spaghetti all cooked in this. Finish by sprinkling a handful of toasted pine nuts on top. A delicious, nutritious dinner in 10 minutes flat!

Elly bought hers at Better Food in Bristol.

This organic and gluten-free broth is beautifully fragrant

Sea salt producer rolls out new labelling

By Lauren Phillips

Dorset Sea Salt Co. has rolled out new branding across its natural and flavoured sea salts after receiving the top prize last year from start-up accelerator The Seed Fund.

The young Portlandbased brand unveiled the new labels last month. They were designed with the help of branding consultancy and The Seed Fund founders, The Collaborators.

“We gave the brand an MOT,” said the business’s

founder Jethro Tennant speaking to FFD about the rebrand. “We were looking at what we could do better and how to enhance the labels and the brand story.”

Tennant said the new labels now nod to Chesil Beach, where the sea salt is harvested, and have bands of colour to easily identify the eight various flavours in the range which include celery, apple oak smoked, and tomato, olive & basil.

“It’s all about flavour and ingredients,” said Tennant, “pitching the brand as an ingredient in cooking, especially cooking from home.”

The producer has also launched the salts in gift packs and smaller 75g jars (RRP £3.99) to join the 125g jars (RRP £5.99).

“The miniature jars are fun and quirky but are really targeting those impulse buys and are great for hampers in the run up to Christmas,” he said.

Since winning the top prize, Tennant said he has gained invaluable experience and is ready to build on the business’s success.

“Now we’re just trying to build up a core following and keep growing the business.” dorsetseasalt.co.uk

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

Popcorn maker Joe & Seph’s has launched a vegan range of popcorn. The collection comes in three flavours, two of which are vegan takes on its classic flavours – salted caramel and toffee apple & cinnamon. The third is coconut & cacao which is a brand new flavour from the company.

The range is available in two pack sizes: 80g pouches (RRP £2.99) and 32g snack packs (RRP £1.49). joeandsephs.co.uk

BISCUITS FOR CHEESE

COMMENCE YOUR SENSORY JOURNEY WITH DEERNESS DISTILLERY

FROM THE ISLE OF LEWIS Made to traditional recipes passed down for generations by our team of skilled craft bakers, our Water Biscuits and Oatcakes are ideal for creating cheeseboards or canapés as they work delightfully well with a wide range of toppings.

Tel: 01851 702733 sales@stagbakeries.co.uk www.stagbakeries.co.uk

AWARD WINNING SPIRITS FROM ORKNEY'S FIRST DISTILLERY IN OVER 130 YEARS. DEERNESS DISTILLERY CAPTURES THE BEAUTY OF ORKNEY IN ITS SPIRITS. Sea Glass Gin, crowned UK’s best classic gin in the Great British Food Awards 2019 www.deernessdistillery.com info@deernessdistillery.com Tel; 01856741264

GOLD DOUBLE DAIRY HONEST ICE CREAM SINCE 1914

Over 100 years of award winning ice cream. Handmade in our purpose built production facility using only the finest sourced ingredients.

“Clean and gentle and creamy and rich and wholesome and welcoming and not over sweet. What’s not to like here?”

– Judges comments Great Taste 2019

Wholesale, Retail, Foodservice, Distribution www.rizza.co.uk | Tel: 01466 792 847 | Email: sales@rizza.co.uk Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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&

GREAT TASTING CHEESE FROM FIFE “utterly delicious”… “very moreish cheese’’ …“deeply satisfying’’… “outstanding’’

WELL ROASTED

COFFEE

HAND-ROASTED ARTISAN TISAN COFFEES FREE FOR D FIRST ELIVER Y 6KG PLEA ORD SE ER FINE QUOTE FOO : D19

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High quality single origin Arabica beans and delicate espresso blends from

Not all coconuts produce the same oil

sustainable sources across the world.

We are the harvester, the producer, the packer and distributor.

Strictly COCO®

Services include own label packaging for both in-house and retail sales.

s ty t u li si ia vi c d Spe w 5 o 6 an e nd Sh N m la od nd t Co Sco Fo sta at on

Be selective, Extract gently, Avoid heat.

Our goal was to develop an extremely high quality oil. We believe we have succeeded.

The end result OR is anTO absolutely clear raw product fromE-MAIL the wild.

FOR MORE DETAILS PLACE AN ORDER, PLEASE TODAY!

www.strictlycoco.com | info@strictlycoco.com 01333 312580 info@standrewscheese.co.uk

Whole beans or ground to order.

Tel: 01536 601331

E: william@wellroastedcoffee.com

www.wellroastedcoffee.com

Natural Yoghurt

Award winning biscuits throughout our range

Sweet & savoury biscuits in both traditional recipes and those unique to McKenzie’s Biscuits baked to the highest standards. Now available throughout the UK and selected overseas markets Traditional butter biscuits and oatcakes. Our own recipe herb flavoured savoury biscuits in various flavours including thyme, rosemary and basil Oatcakes

Stem Ginger Biscuits

mckenzie biscuits

Cheese Oatcakes

McKenzie quality biscuits A Scottish Tradition

01888 562459 | mckenzie-biscuits@smartone.co.uk

www. mckenzie-biscuits.com

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

SHELF TALK MEET THE PRODUCER SARAH CHURCHILL of The Artisan Kitchen talks working in Michelin-starred restaurants, being mentored by Tracklements’ Guy Tullberg and running a multi-awardwinning preserve business single-handedly.

1. What were you doing before you started the brand?

I trained to be a chef at Westminster College in London, then learned my trade at the Capital’s finest food establishments – The Mirabelle in Mayfair, l’Escargot in Soho and two-Michelin-starred The Square. After becoming Head Chef in my own right, I settled in Gloucestershire. Before Artisan Kitchen, I enjoyed 10 years as a food product developer at Daylesford Organic. It was during this time that I fell in love with preserving the seasons.

2. Why did you decide to launch the brand?

In 2011, I was desperate to launch my own fine food business which would fit in with my drive to be creative and around my young family. I loved preserving and saw a real gap in the market for an alternative to the more traditional, overlysweet preserves available. My mission was, and still is, to create exciting, fruit-packed preserves that have the ‘wow factor’ when tasted, while offering unique flavours with modern, bright, clean branding.

3. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your time running the business?

pop down to Bristol market, find fruit that looks wonderful, produce a new flavour and have it on my website within 48 hours.

5. … and the worst?

Labelling hundreds of jars at a time is my least favourite job. I’m also incredibly shy and find it difficult to be forward-facing. I’m still the chef who prefers to be cooking out the back. Guy Tullberg from Tracklements said many wise words as my mentor through the Great Taste artisan producer scheme in 2014.

He said we have to push our own personal boundaries and be multifaceted for our business – I’m continually working on that.

6. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

Working in Michelin-starred restaurants, you learn early on that quality and consistency is key. I’ve taken this advice right through my career. It is no good creating and producing a brand that looks amazing, but doesn’t taste amazing. Branding will only take you so far, you have to have the repeat buy back for the product inside.

Guy Tullberg told 7. What advice would give to someone me we have to push you thinking of starting their own food our own personal business? boundaries and be your product multi-faceted for Do research. Before I started up, I researched the our business sweet preserve market

The old adage that cashflow is king! The ebb and flow of money, or sometimes lack of flow, becomes more challenging the bigger the business gets. More business equals more money required to buy ingredients, packaging etc.

I run Artisan Kitchen by myself, balancing production, packing, dispatching, accounting, NPDs and even cleaning! I’ve saved hundreds of pounds by teaching myself to design and manage my website, adverts and point of sale material. That said, I wouldn’t ever swap my new food life for my old food life.

4. What’s the best part about running a small business?

I love making seasonal flavours and limited editions. Having complete control of my production and labelling process allows me to print new product lines in-house and launch preserves within hours of them being jarred. I can

and did comparative shops to ascertain what I could offer that was different. Was there a gap in the market for my product? Also, benchmark your product. We all love our products, but how good are they really? I entered Great Taste in my first year of business to get impartial feedback.

WHAT’S NEW Thai Taste’s new streetfood inspired meal kits are pitched at consumer demand for easyto-prepare cooking.

Available via Empire Bespoke Foods, the kits include Moo Ping (BBQ skewers) and Khao Niao Mamuang (coconut sticky rice with mango). Packaged in 50% less single-use plastics with trade prices ranging between £11.50 and £14 per case of 6. empirebespokefoods.com FREEE by Doves Farm has introduced glutenfree organic porridge oats, aiming to target gluten-free and healthconscious consumers.

The launch follows the announcement that the company it has improved the recipe of its gluten-free brown bread flower to include gram flour as well as buckwheat. dovesfarm.co.uk/freee Black seed is a variety of oil from Morris of London. Recently launched, the single-origin oil is organic, cold-pressed and includes Fairtradecertified black seeds from the Nigella Sativa plant in Egypt.

The product comes in a sleek black 250ml bottle with an RRP of £24.99 and is available direct from the producer. morrisoflondon.co.uk Twisting Spirits has launched 5cl bottles and a 20cl gift pack format of its award-winning gins in time for the Christmas trading period. The new sizes will be rolled out across all three of the distillery’s gins: Kaffir lime & lemongrass, Earl Grey and Douglas-Fir, which received a 3-Star award in this year’s Great Taste. Trade prices are £3 + VAT for the 5cl (RRP £5.50) and £29 for the 20cl gift pack (RRP £45). twistingspirits.co.uk

8. What’s next for the business?

Developing lots of new products ready for launch in Spring 2020. I’m also hoping to focus on online sales in the new year as well as trade customers. There is also the Great Taste awards for 2020 to consider – our list is in progress now.

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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DELI OF THE MONTH Four Seasons has been serving the Cherryvalley neighbourhood in East Belfast for 40 years, but in the last two decades it has evolved into a speciality retailer that caters to both modern and traditional tastes in an unfussy yet very effective way Interview by Michael Lane

Practicality perfected AN OLD ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN used to proclaim ‘soup is good food’ and it seems the customers of one retailer in East Belfast would agree.

Even in the height of summer, this shop sells 30 pots (500ml each) of its homemade vegetable soup a day.

The day I visit, I brave some cold November winds and driving rain to get to Four Seasons – so-called because of its origins as a greengrocer rather than in tribute to Northern Ireland’s famously changeable weather – and its owner informs me that he might shift up to 90 pots of soup on a such a day.

“When we started making soup, we thought we would maybe do it up to Easter time, and then stop and, at Halloween time, we would start again but it just kept going,” Gary McNally

VITAL STATISTICS

Location: Gilnahirk Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT5 7DG Turnover: £620,000 Average basket spend: £10 Average margin: 30% No. of staff: 12 52

December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

tells FFD. “At the start we sold it just cold, to take home and heat but then people were in at lunchtime and saying ‘Do you not have it warm?’”

“It’s just developed from customer needs.”

Although he’s talking about soup in this instance, you could take McNally’s last statement and apply it to Four Seasons generally. Under his stewardship over the last 20 years, the shop has evolved from a pure greengrocer into a food store with a much broader offer. Today the split between produce and deli sales is 50:50.

It’s not the most beautiful shop you’ll see – set in a small strip of retail units next to a petrol station – but it is doing the business thanks to a combination of McNally’s interest in good food and his knack for giving his

customers what they want.

He learned his trade working in a supermarket produce department and ran another greengrocery in Finaghy, in the south of Belfast, for 15 years before hearing via a wholesaler that Four Seasons was up for sale.

McNally bought it in 1999 and, although it had a good reputation and the Cherryvalley neighbourhood is one of the city’s most desirable areas, the shop was not what it is now.

“It was quite traditional, quite poorly lit and maybe showed it’s age,” he says. “The shop’s 40 years old this year so it was going 20 years at that stage.”

While it is still a prominent feature, the fruit and veg has conceded some space to allow for a multideck that houses chilled lines, including Four Seasons’ own ready-meals, deli

MUST-STOCKS Young Buck blue cheese Brie Le Mariotte 60% Barber’s 1833 cheddar Four Seasons coleslaw Massey’s pies Ditty’s oatcakes Broighter Gold rapeseed oil Our Daily Bread wheaten bread kit Mrs Darlington’s lemon curd Ballymaloe Original Relish Four Seasons lasagne Four Seasons Irish stew Four Seasons veg soup

salads and very popular soups. There is also ambient shelving to hold both local rapeseed oils and baked goods alongside bigger national brands like Mrs Darlington’s and Cottage Delight.

McNally started off with a 6ft deli counter but this has grown into a serveover that runs along one whole wall. Roughly a third of it is dedicated to cheese, which has grown from a selection of five to around 50, and this lineup reveals a lot about the demographics Four Seasons serves and how it keeps them all happy.

Mature cheddar is the best-seller given its obvious appeal to traditional tastes but McNally ruefully admits that Belfast loves its flavoured cheeses, especially Wensleydale with Cranberries. It may not be to his taste but McNally would be crazy not to sell it, given he gets through 3kg of it weekly. At the other end of the spectrum, he is also selling a half-wheel of the local raw milk blue Young Buck in the same timeframe.

“People would know their cheeses a lot more now,” he says. “We’ve a couple of local cheese producers that have started in the last few years and that has really put interest into the market. They’d be selling cheeses maybe themselves at St George’s Market [in the city centre] so people have tried them.

“Some of the local restaurants are serving them, too. A cheese like Young Buck – an

unpasteurised cheese – is one of our bestselling blue cheeses.”

McNally adds that sales even outstrip Stilton at Christmas and that has been driven by the changes in Belfast and its food scene in the last 10-15 years.

“Years ago, Belfast was closed in the evenings because of the security situation.

People would get home at night and wouldn’t have really ventured back into town whereas now it’s really changed. It’s open for business.”

The restaurant scene and nightlife is also beginning to extend outwards, notably in the Ballyhackamore area, which is roughly halfway between Cherryvalley and the city centre.

McNally sees this influencing his customers, who will often come in looking to replicate their dining experiences at home with ingredients or cheeses they have tried.

But consumers in modern Belfast also seem to like convenience, too. Since Four Seasons first started offering soups and stews five years ago, sales of its ready-meals have grown exponentially. Now the chef behind the serveover is turning out simple-but-popular dishes like lasagne, cottage pie and curries regularly, with customers picking them up from both the counter and pre-packed from the chiller.

These dishes appeal to both the older CONTINUED ON PAGE 55

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demographic (McNally says he has many regularly customers in their 70s and 80s, who pre-date his ownership) looking for single meals as well as commuters picking up quick dinners on the way home from work.

“People are time-poor, working longer hours. They don’t want to get home and peel potatoes and wait an hour for their dinner,” he says. “There’s maybe more money about as well – the husband and wife both out working – so they have the money to buy that hot food.”

And, although it still shocks the greengrocer in him, McNally even sells prepared vegetables alongside his loose produce.

“We’ll sell potatoes still in the traditional bag unwashed but we’ll also sell them peeled as well as chipped,” he says adding that this would have been unimaginable 20 years ago.

“People will come in and buy a pack of prediced onions, take it home and make stew.

“They’re still wanting to cook for themselves, they don’t want a microwave meal but they’re quite happy with a halfway thing.”

Despite this modern approach to greengrocery, McNally is seeing a rise in other more traditional shopping habits. Within the last 12 months he has reintroduced brown paper bags alongside his tear-off plastic rolls, due to demand from eco-conscious shoppers.

Consumers’ increasing preference for less packaging is also playing into his hands.

Herbs are sold in bunches rather than plastic wrap and soup veg bundles (whole parsley, celery, leek, carrot) also offer a counterpoint to supermarket-style pre-diced mixes in cellophane.

Items like loose “dirty” carrots (which can offer whopping 100%+ margins) appeal to most in the summer, with their green tops, but McNally still has to stock a washed variety in the winter alongside them. There is more work to be done, he says, before all consumers accept produce with the soil still attached but he is getting asked less for clean, straight carrots.

When it comes to tastes, customers still favour local and traditional. McNally says he has scaled back the number of salamis in the deli counter (partly due to the pressure from cheap Continental meats at Lidl) but Four Seasons’ own cooked hams and roast beef still sells well.

He has also tried certain spicy chutneys in the shop and seen them fail to take off, despite the same product doing brisk business in the city centre at stalwart deli Sawers.

Using a system from fellow Northern Irish business, The EPoS Bureau, has allowed McNally to spot the slow lines far more quickly

and he makes no qualms about removing things that don’t work. He cannot afford to be too radical in his pricing either, as he says he simply cannot charge the same prices for items like cheese as you might see in other UK cities.

Refreshingly, McNally is upbeat about the future, even in the face of Brexit reintroducing borders and unwanted costs. “Whatever happens, happens. We’ve had checkpoints before. It’s nearly out of our hands now.”

He has recently discovered a new “bolton” revenue stream, doing outside catering for events meetings in the city, and it has been such a success so far that he has had to outsource sandwich-making to a small local firm. He hopes to continue growing this, as it doesn’t detract from the retail operation.

Having already run two stores concurrently for a while (he sold the shop Finaghy in 2004) and grown tired of the constant driving between them, McNally isn’t keen to take his Four Seasons blueprint elsewhere but he thinks it would work in other rural towns across Northern Ireland.

His next plan is to try introducing hot dinners, ready to eat from the counter. It might sound small but if it’s anything like that soup, it’ll be another winner. thefourseasonsni.co.uk

People are timepoor, working longer hours.

They don’t want to get home and peel potatoes and wait an hour for their dinner.

Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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GUILD TALK

View from HQ

By John Farrand managing director

IT’S RAINING AGAIN. October and November have been foul. Which is why I’m sat here on a Sunday morning, flicking through the pages of our mainstream retail cousin The Grocer, rather than dead-heading flowers, blowing dead leaves from one place to another or doing any other autumnal green-fingered job.

The opening news spread has four big stories, three of which are turtles-wear-plastic related.

news from the guild of fine food Protecting our planet, and therefore our terroir, is being debated on every media channel possible.

That gives us here at the Guild a dilemma. Probably several. Those of you that have read the Great Taste T&Cs from point 1 to 75 (that’s real) will know our august food accreditation scheme has always avoided food politics. As the name suggests, it’s about the taste. But for how long?

Many of us must be wrestling with how far our personal beliefs should infiltrate our business or corporate MO. And being in the food trade, there’s an additional dimension: feeding the world’s population is the only chit-chat at the Sustainability Supper.

It’s no accident that my ‘environment’ folder in Outlook is busier than ever. Contaminated ditches at a Great Taste awardwinning farm. Palm oil in a Great Taste peanut butter. Chicken in a ready-meal from Thailand.

Contaminated milk from a celebrated farm shop.

My gentle response to the

The Word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall ACS

THE GENERAL ELECTION build-up has not been as slick as the major parties’ campaign teams would have wanted but polls indicate the Conservatives seized the early initiative.

Most significant so far has been the Brexit Party’s decision to stand aside in seats with an incumbent Conservative MP. This, theoretically, transfers lots of disgruntled Leave votes back to the Conservatives but I wouldn’t place any bets on a Conservative majority just yet.

For Labour, the challenge has been moving the debate from Brexit to other ‘burning injustices’ in the country – challenging because many deem their second referendum position unclear or at least less clear than the Conservatives' ‘leave’

position. But Corbyn is effective when talking about investment in the NHS and the Green Revolution and we shouldn’t underestimate the cutthrough this has with younger voters.

There have been a number of policy announcements affecting businesses. The Conservatives have committed to extend the amount of small business rate relief and deliver a fundamental review of the system.

Labour will come forward with their own package of rates reforms, while the Lib Dems and Greens have committed to move the whole system to a Land Value Tax. We are not short on promises on rates reform (see the Conservatives’ 2017 manifesto), but we are short on action. In addition to reliefs, we need the system to incentivise investment, account for the digital economy, and deliver more accurate valuations.

Both Labour and the Conservatives are committing to

admirable folk who ping me these missives, querying whether such producers deserve awards, is that we must let our experts be guided by taste and taste alone.

But we might be ready to enter the debate. Is it time, for example,

It’s no accident that my ‘environment’ folder in Outlook is busier than ever. to insist all Great Taste winners should be known by the FSA and their local food authorities? Or would the essential micro-producer then be squeezed out? Please send more emails with your thoughts.

But surely nature-friendly palm oil is a minimum? Protecting the lungs of the planet may well stop the rain and have me reaching for my leaf blower. significant increases in the National Living Wage, which is of great concern to food retailers.

The Conservatives have offered a £1,000 increase in the employment allowance to offset this, but this does little to help most employers and it is not yet clear if Labour will provide a similar concession. Two things are concerning here: politicising the National Living Wage undermines the role of the Low Pay Commission in objectively setting wages, and both parties are increasing pay rates at an unprecedented pace, which could backfire without a stable economic footing.

There is a long way to go, with the main parties’ manifestos to be published and more televised leaders’ debates to come. These are opportunities to be seized but can also be stumbling points that derail campaigns.

Edward Woodall is head of policy & public affairs at small shops group ACS

edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

Plan now for a fresh start in Veganuary WITH THE NEW YEAR comes a focus on health and well-being and the

By Vhari Russell phrase “New Year, new you”. But what does that mean for your product offering?

Recently I caught up with the team at The Gog Farm Shop near Cambridge and asked that very question. They, like many farm shops, have a butcher’s counter and want to continue driving sales of meat, but they also want to offer variety and choice. So they’ve taken the bull by the horns, so to speak, and added a “flexitarian” sausage to their range. Chicken-based, with chickpeas, spinach and spices, its an alternative for those who would like to eat less red meat.

The Gog’s range now includes three vegan lines too, including marinated cauliflower, a mushroom dish, and falafel.

They are looking to add to their line-up over the coming weeks, ready to be a destination stop for Veganuary, and also plan to stock the recently launched range of vegan ready-meals from The Brook.

So, while Christmas is in full swing, it’s time to think ahead to your product offering for the New Year and take on board the message that “fresh is best”.

Whether that means selling more fruit and veg or adding new prepared products to help your shoppers embrace Veganuary, it’s a chance to begin some new conversations and drive fresh footfall.

Vhari Russell is founder of The Food Marketing Experts and Grub Club Events.

The Guild of Fine Food represents fine food shops and specialist suppliers. Want to join them?

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Guild of Fine Food Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065 info@gff.co.uk gff.co.uk

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December 2019 | Vol.20 Issue 10

THE GUILD TEAM: Managing director: John Farrand Marketing director: Tortie Farrand Sales director: Sally Coley Sales manager: Ruth Debnam

Sales executives: Becky Haskett Sam Coleman Operations manager: Karen Price Operations assistants: Claire Powell, Emily Harris, Janet Baxter, Meredith White

Training & events manager: Jilly Sitch Events manager: Stephanie HareWinton Events assistant: Sophie Brentnall Business development: Edward Spicer

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

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Vol.20 Issue 10 | December 2019

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Tavola

Trade fair for fine food retailers and delicatessens

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Discover carefully curated premium food & drinks from 500 market leaders and craft producers: a unique range of rigorously selected delicacies and exquisite high-end products.

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