SHELF TALK Host of new food & drink brands joins sustainability certification performance” is one of the most recognisable. To be certified, businesses must undergo a B Impact Assessment and achieve a B Impact Score of more than 80 out of a possible 200. Overall B Impact Scores are calculated by combining the scores from five Impact Areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers. For a full list of all the new food & drink brands that have joined the 600 UK B Corporations and more information about the certification, visit bcorporation.uk
By Tom Dale
A raft of food & drink businesses has joined the ranks of certified B Corporations in recent months as sustainability continues to grow in importance to consumers. Since November last year, 15 new brands have grown the number of food & drink companies with B Corp status in the UK to 103, joining the likes of Tracklements and Dark Woods Coffee. Sustainable canned English sparkling wine brand The Uncommon is among the latest cohort. “We achieved a high B Corp score due to our fully domestic supply chain, commitment to local production, and support of local conversation projects and the environment,” said co-founder, Henry Connell. Also certified are climate-positive spirits brands Sapling Spirits and Two Drifters Distillery, as is Summerdown Mint, growers of Black Mitcham peppermint and producers of chocolates, teas and treats. A spokesperson for the Great Taste award-winning brand – which is also part of the B Corp working group on regenerative agriculture – said it was delighted to have been granted the status. As sustainability becomes increasingly important to consumers, more businesses are seeking external accreditation to assure the public that their operation is as green as it claims to be, and the B Corp certification of “environmental and social
Wold Top Brewery has launched its second low alcohol beer after the success of its first foray into the low-andno market. The Wold Newton-based producer has launched Inkling (<0.5% vol.), a light, golden ale. Inkling has an RRP of £1.26 for a 330ml bottle and is vegan friendly. woldtopbrewery.co.uk Organic flour brand Doves Farm has launched two new seeded bread flours. Seedhouse – containing organic pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, millet and golden linseed – and Heritage Seeded – a blend of ancient grains and seeds – are sold in 1kg bags (RRP £2.69-£2.99). dovesfarm.co.uk Normandy cider maker Maison Sassy has lanched its first Calvados. Made by distilling a young, fruity cider (1-3 months old) in a column copper still in small batches, the Calvados is then aged in oak casks for a minimum of two years. The 40% ABV spirit has a £32 RRP for a 70cl bottle. maison-sassy.com
Counter points Coffee Paley Photography
Launching at the tail end of last year is Pureté’s first product, wholemeal sourdough Sangak flatbreads. The traditional Persian recipe has been in the founders’ family for generations, and now the brand is bringing the vegan-friendly, high-fibre bread to the UK. The wholemeal, 16-hour fermented flatbreads – which have been in development for four years – contain no oil, preservatives, added sugar, or dairy, and have an RRP of £2.49-£2.79 (trade, up to £2.07 based on a case of six, cases of up to 40 are available). Pureté Sangak Flatbreads are available through Cotswold Fayre, or direct. ilovepurete.com
WHAT’S NEW
Food writer and former deli owner Glynn Christian offers up some category-specific conversation starters to sharpen your sales technique.
• Arabica is the finest variety of coffee bean, robusta beans give harsher flavours and up to 2½ times more caffeine. Liberica beans are coffee, but not as most of us know it. • Boiling water should not touch ground or instant coffee: 92°C is ideal. Stream off-theboil water from a height to reduce its temperature. • Sealed refrigeration or deep freezing prolong the life of ground coffee and beans. Frozen coffee grounds cool water that is too hot. • Coffee strengths on packs are not caffeine levels but degrees of roasting. The higher the roast, the lesser quality the bean.
Skimmed milk gives better cappuccino foam than full-fat
• Skimmed milk gives better cappuccino foam than full-fat. • The first coffee house opened in Mecca in 1511. Floriano’s on St Mark’s Square, Venice, opened in 1645. The first in England was in Oxford in 1650.
This is an extract from Glynn Christian’s book Taste! How to Choose the Best Deli Ingredients, published by Grub Street
Vol.23 Issue 1 | January-February 2022
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