FFD July 13

THE BETTER FOOD CO 52

TIM CAME 13 “Re-working product or chucking stuff away can rip the heart out of a business”

OAT CUISINE 49

Organics get a bad press but local food can be a load of ‘hooey’, says Phil Haughton

Why Kitchen Garden’s Barbara Moinet is popping her preserves into pots of porridge

July 2013 · Vol 14 Issue 6

A SUP PLE

LiFTING THE LID What’s stirring in the world of jams & preserves CHEF’S SELECTION 50 At Ottolenghi-owned Nopi in Soho, head chef Ramael Scully chooses Palestinian freekeh, sea spaghetti, tamarind paste and Switzerland’s Belper Knolle cheese

OLIVES 43 The latest from Lefktro, Mani Blauel, dell'ami, Fresh Olive Co and more in our olive market update

MEN T TO

2013 Gu Importeide to Distribu rs & tors

Including: Bespoke Foods Brindisa Carneva le Cheese Cell ar Cibosano Cotswold Fayre The Cres s Co Deli-cious On-Tap Delicioso Divine Deli Supplies El Olivo

Heart Dist ribution hf Chocola tes Hider Foo ds House of Saru Infinity Foo nds ds La Credenz a Medallio n Melodia Food The Oliv e Oil Co Rowcliff e Samway s YOUR PULL -OUT-AND -KEE

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Your annual pull-out guide to importers & distributors NEWS CHEESEWIRE IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS CHARCUTERIE JAMS SHELF TALK DELI OF THE MONTH

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Join the Guild of Fine Food for a night when the stars are out…

The Great Taste Golden Fork Awards The most delicious night on the calendar, the most anticipated results in fine food, climaxing in the crowning of the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2013 Monday September 9 2013 at The Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London.

Drinks Reception, followed by Dinner and Presentations.

Join us in the company of leading chefs, food writers, top retailers and the very best food & drink producers for the biggest night of the year.

With drinks – meet some of the 2013 3-star producers and sample their award-winning products during a predinner reception.

With dinner – Four superb courses, beginning at 7.30pm, created by Royal Garden Hotel chef, Steve Munkley using some of the 2013 Great Taste awardwinning foods to create a magnificent menu of mouth-watering morsels.

With wine – fine wines, chosen by The Guild of Fine Food and served with each course along with the story of the 2013 Great Taste journey. BBC Radio’s favourite foodie, Nigel Barden will host the announcement of this year’s Golden Fork trophy winners.

With coffee – Tension will mount as the evening comes to a close and the moment when the supreme jury of judges reveals its choice for the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2013.

“Winning Great Taste 2012 changed my life. And it all started at the

Great Taste dinner – it was a magical evening and one I will never forget” Peter Hannan, Hannan Meats.

Lives will change after the evening’s announcements… come and enjoy being part of this celebration.

Reserve your seat today, and hurry as places are in demand and strictly limited.

To avoid any disappointment, please contact charlie.westcar@finefoodworld.co.uk or call the Guild of Fine Food on 01747 825200.

What’s new this month:

Opinion BOB FARRAND

in five years ago. But can we really afford to grant supermarket buyers the power of life or death over British farming when they’re only interested in the short-term objective of maximum margin? We all know these buyers don’t do long-term – they’ll be buying nappies or dogfood by the time the next cheese show comes round.

Which brings me to this year’s Great Taste. “Why allow products sold in supermarkets to enter?” judges ask. “Because it’s impossible to track every producer who supplies them” is generally my answer.

It’s a fact universally acknowledged – by me, anyway – that mass produced foods never taste as good as those made skillfully by hand in small batches using fresh

“Be a bit more open-minded; don’t go all Tesco on me.” The familiar voice resounding across the cheese room at this year’s Bath & West Show was that of John, my son and co-director at the Guild. He was part of a judging team that included a supermarket buyer and clearly there was a difference of opinion.

Was it a similar difference of opinion that forced Denhay to close its cheddar business (p5)?

Supermarkets prefer their own opinions to those of suppliers, a Denhay cheddar was awarded situation that’s three Great Taste gold stars, which damaging British meant 32 experts judged it as good cheese. as any cheddar gets. Sadly, Denhay The facts are can’t afford to make it anymore. clear. Cheese production costs rose dramatically last year. ingredients. Denhay’s PDO West Cattle feed alone was up 25%.

Country Farmhouse Cheddar has Supermarkets put up to 49% gross been sold in supermarkets and fine margin on cheddar yet stubbornly food shops and has been handrefuse to pay the additional £400 made using milk from its own farm. per tonne needed to cover increased Great Taste judges tasted the real costs. Far too busy planning their difference for themselves last month next supplier-funded promotion. as I can now exclusively (a month Last year, Sainsbury’s profits rose ahead of schedule) reveal. Denhay by 6.3% to £788m, Waitrose saw Cheddar was awarded a coveted profits rise by 12.2% to £292.3m three gold stars, which meant 32 and Asda chalked up a 6% increase experts judged it as good as any to £875m. Tesco struggled on a cheddar gets. Sadly, Denhay can’t meagre £2.27 billion profit and afford to make it anymore.

Morrisons survived on just £879m.

As young Mr Farrand suggested, They’re really sharing our pain. supermarket buyers should open We can’t afford to slag off their minds. profitable businesses too much because we need them to help dig Bob Farrand is publisher of Fine Food us out of the giant pile of poo the Digest and chairman of the Guild of bankers and politicians dumped us Fine Food

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EDITORIAL

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

editorial@finefoodworld.co.uk

Tel: 01747 825200 Fax: 01747 824065 info@finefoodworld.co.uk www.finefoodworld.co.uk

Editor: Mick Whitworth Assistant editor: Michael Lane News editor: Patrick McGuigan Art director: Mark Windsor Editorial production: Richard Charnley Contributors: Clare Hargreaves, Anne Bruce, Ella-Rose Sitch

ADVERTISING advertise@finefoodworld.co.uk Sales manager: Sally Coley Advertisement sales: Becky Stacey, Gavin Weeks Published by Great Taste Publications Ltd and the Guild of Fine Food Ltd Chairman/FFD publisher: Bob Farrand Managing director/associate publisher: John Farrand Director/membership secretary: Linda Farrand Marketing & circulation manager: Tortie Farrand Administrators: Charlie Westcar, Julie Coates, Karen Price Accounts: Stephen Guppy, Denise Ballance

Guild of Fine Food, Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB United Kingdom Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £45pa inclusive of post and packing.

Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset, UK © Great Taste Publications Ltd and The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2013. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations.

For regular news updates from the industry's favourite magazine visit:

Nigel James

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Editor’s choice

Selected by Mick Whitworth

Wolfy’s Howlin’ Good Porridge, Kitchen Garden Foods www.wolfys.co.uk

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Here’s an unexpected departure by Barbara and Robin Moinet of jam and chutney maker Kitchen Garden Foods: three varieties of instant porridge snacks, each containing a small plastic pot of jam or honey to be stirred in once the hot water has been added.

Ex-Pieminister man Crispin Busk has shown how to do upmarket savoury snacks with his Kabuto posh pot noodles, and this is the breakfast equivalent. Yes, there are already some quality porridge pots out there, but the combo of oats with Kitchen Garden’s preserves is inspired.

At the moment, Wolfy’s is a standalone brand, and retailers are apparently asking to see a Kitchen Garden reference on-pack.

But who’s to say Wolfy’s won’t quickly become the more recognisable brand?

I’ll watch with interest.

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p49 www.ffdonline.co.uk Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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fine food news St Pancras store will see Fortnum & Mason pick up the growing retail trend for ‘going small’

Fortnums follows multiples in chasing on-the-go trade

By PATRICK McGUIGAN

Fortnum & Mason’s plan to open a 2,000 sq ft store in London’s St Pancras station could herald a new era of smaller format shops for Britain’s top food halls as they adapt to changing shopping habits.

The Piccadilly department store will open a new outlet in the UK for the first time in its 307-year history in the former ticket hall at St Pancras in November.

It will sell Fortnums’ grocery and gift products, ‘on-the-go’ food for rail travellers and offer a ‘tablecloth’ tea service with tables inside and outside. Customers will also be able to design and order hampers in-store on iPads.

Chief executive Ewan Venters said: “We feel the centre of gravity in London is moving north and east from Piccadilly. Thirty-five million people a year go through the station and nearly a quarter of those are going there to shop rather than to travel.”

Planet Retail analyst David Gray told FFD that Fortnums’ new store followed in the footsteps of the major grocers. There are already around 1,500 Tesco Express and 500 Sainsbury’s Local convenience stores in the UK, while there are 36 Little Waitrose stores with plans to open around 300.

“Going small is a huge trend,” Gray said. “There are more singleperson households, people are busier and we’ve seen the rise of online retailing, so there are fewer reasons to go to large stores these days.

“We’re not going to see Fortnums

Venters continues management shake-up at F&M Ewan Venters has shaken up the management team at Fortnum & Mason with several new appointments and high-profile departures.

Fiona Robino, who has nine years experience at Harrods, has been appointed HR director and Simon Thompson has been brought in from Alfred Dunhill as brand and client services director with responsibility for hospitality, events and corporate sales.

Fortnum’s wine and hampers buyer Tim French has also been promoted to the position of buying director.

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July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

opening smaller stores across Britain, but I could see them opening a few more in prestigious locations if the St Pancras one works. The other big department stores could follow suit.”

Andrew Stevens, senior retail analyst at Verdict, agreed. “St Pancras is unique, but if the right places did come up I wouldn’t be surprised to see Fortnums and others looking at them. The new London Bridge station with The Shard might work.”

Stevens said that smaller format stores could work as a way of linking up online and bricks-and-mortar sales for the big food halls. “[The new Fortnums store] is a really good way to drive people online. Smaller stores act as a window for a larger range of products that can be purchased online or ordered in the store on iPads,” he said.

PR consultant and former Harrods buyer Andre Dang said the new Fortnums store would have to overcome practical challenges such as restrictions on deliveries and tailoring product ranges to appeal to a different market.

“The main thing is the rent,” he said. “They’ve got 2,000 sq ft, so to get a good return on sales per sq ft they’re going to have to push it.”

He added that the new store would be perfectly located to appeal to an international audience.

“Fortnums has a huge following in the Far East. If you look at the people going through the ticket hall, you get huge numbers of Japanese and Chinese tourists coming and going to Paris,” he said.

Selfridges fresh food buyer Andrew Cavanna is leaving the department store – where Venters was formerly food chief – to join Fortnum & Mason as head of fresh produce & hospitality buying. He takes up the new role in August.

Retail director Tim Fisher, who joined Fortnums last summer from Marks & Spencer, and long standing trading director Simon Burdess have left the company, as has buyer Jonathan Miller.

• Fortnums saw its operating profits slump by 66% to £350,000 in the year to July 2012, despite sales increasing 8% to £59.3m. The fall was linked to problems with its hamper business in the run-up to Christmas 2011.

It has taken Fortnum & Mason 307 years to open its second UK store

Latest in a line of smaller store formats Fortnums is not the first of the big food halls to move into smaller format stores. Harrods has food shops at Heathrow and Gatwick, and opened a convenience store called Harrods 102 in 2006, which closed after a few years.

The shop, which was located opposite the main store in Knightsbridge, stocked essentials such as milk, pre-packed meats, eggs and wine, as well as gourmet sandwiches with concessions from The Bagel Factory, Krispy Kreme donuts and Yo! Sushi.

“When Harrods tried the format it didn’t really work,” said PR consultant Andre Dang. “The problem was that it was opposite the

main store and the offering wasn’t tailored to suit a small format.”

Harvey Nichols has successfully run pop-up Christmas Foodmarkets in Liverpool, Westfield Stratford and Manchester’s Trafford Centre in stores ranging in size from 600-2,000 sq

Harrods 102: let down by range and location

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Denhay move shows impact of ongoing cheese price squeeze

By PATRICK McGUIGAN

Denhay’s surprise decision to close its cheddar business last month has thrown a spotlight on how artisan cheese-makers are being squeezed between rising costs and retailers unwilling to accept price increases.

The West Country cheddar producer, which has been making cheese in Dorset since 1959, shocked the fine food sector when it announced it was ceasing production to focus on bacon and sausages.

In a statement, the company said: “Due to the competitive nature of the category and increasing costs of production [Denhay] has been unable to secure a commercially viable price across all sectors of the market.”

A spokesperson added: “Cheese remains a very competitive market across all channels, in particular within retail where own brand and brands compete for market share and deep cut promotional offers become commonplace. “ The challenges faced by Denhay, whose customers included Waitrose, Ocado, Morrisons, Tesco, Booths and independent retailers, are also putting pressure on other artisan cheese-makers, said Mary Quicke of Devon-based Quickes Traditional.

“All the traditional cheddar makers sell to the supermarkets.

The cost of milk, fuel and labour has gone up, but supermarkets of

all types are resisting price increases and many expect significant promotional spend from suppliers,” she said.

“When we first started supplying them in the 1980s their margins on cheese were 12-15%.

Now they aim for 40-45%.”

She added: “We’ve seen a huge increase in feed costs and the weather has meant we’ve had to buy more feed. Last year we saw costs on the farming side go up by about a quarter. We were expecting to spend £1.2m and it was actually £1.5m.”

Denhay MD Jim Loescher said in a statement: “It is with a huge amount of sadness that we took the decision to close the cheese production facility.

“Whilst we are disappointed to be leaving the cheese sector this is the right decision for the business and it will free up capital and management time to invest in our farming activities and our rapidly expanding bacon and sausage business.”

Owner George Streatfeild told the local Bridport News: “It’s absolutely heartbreaking but the reality is that we are unable to get the returns from the market. It was a very painful decision but the right decision because if you are not profitable you end up damaging the whole business.” www.denhay.co.uk

ft. The Liverpool pop-up shop ran in 2011 and 2012, selling hampers, gifts and own-label Christmas treats.

“We could see there was an exciting opportunity for us to bring the Harvey Nichols Foodmarket and Wine Shop to a new customer, some of whom may never have shopped at Harvey Nichols before,” said Iain MacKenzie, store director for Harvey Nichols Manchester.

“The biggest challenge was to replicate the Harvey Nichols Foodmarket experience on a much smaller scale. We tailored the product range and our visual merchandising teams worked hard to create a simple yet effective pop-up design concept that replicated the luxury experience of a Harvey Nichols store on a much smaller scale.”

IN BRIEF l Glyn Woolley, chairman of cheese export company Coombe Castle, received a lifetime achievement award at the Royal Bath and West Show. Coombe Castle exports products including Stinking Bishop and Colliers Welsh to over 40 countries. Woolley said: “Nothing gives me greater pleasure in exporting than getting an order from Japan, Korea or the United States for a British West Country farmhouse cheese. The order might be small in the great scheme of things, but that farmer’s pride knowing his cheese is being bought overseas is immense.”

l A fifth of Britain’s high street shops will close in the next five years, according to a new report from the Centre for Retail Research. In areas such as Wales and the North West, closures are predicted to rise to three out of every five stores. The report blamed the rise of online shopping and said the UK needs a £320 million redevelopment programme to build new homes, leisure centres, schools and offices where derelict shops are currently taking up space.

l Four in 10 UK shoppers avoid small businesses that don’t accept payment by card or require a minimum payment amount, according to research from iZettle and Santander UK. The demand for card payments is strongest among the young, with 56% of 18-34 year olds avoiding small businesses that don’t accept cards or charge minimum payment amounts. The most common places where respondents were unable to pay by card were small, independent retailers (25%) and market stalls (13%).

l Almost a third of UK primary school pupils think cheese is made from plants and a quarter think fish fingers come from chicken or pigs, according to the poll for the British Nutrition Foundation. Nearly one in 10 secondary school pupils thinks tomatoes grow under ground.

l PGI Welsh Lamb is urging chefs across the UK who serve Welsh lamb in their restaurants to reference its PGI status on their menus. Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC), the organisation that supports PGI Welsh Lamb, believes that citing EU protected-name status reassures customers of the origin of the meat they are ordering. PGI Welsh Lamb’s exports are growing to markets in Europe, Canada, Dubai and Hong Kong.

For regular news updates from FFD visit: Denhay’s decision to quit cheese-making has shocked the sector

www.ffdonline.co.uk Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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fine food news Farm shop boss helps put Ceredigion on tourist trail

Pop-ups put ‘producers on a pedestal’ Local producers are the focus of a new series of “pop-up dinners” in Bristol co-organised by Fine Food Digest columnist Clare Hargreaves.

The food writer behind our monthly Chef’s Selection column has teamed up with chef Katherine Marland, of cookery school Kather’s Kitchen, to set up the Producer on a Pedestal events.

Every dinner will feature a regional star ingredient as well as a talk from the producer behind it.

The first dinner, due to take place in Kingsdown as FFD went to press, included an appearance by Someret cheese-maker Tom Calver of Westcombe Dairy, with the producer’s famed cheddar and new ricotta appearing on the menu.

A second dinner will be held at the same venue on July 19 with Richard Vaughan from rare breed meat specialist Huntsham Court Farm as the ‘Producer on a Pedestal’.

Dinners for up to 40 guests cost £29.50 per person for three courses. www.katherskitchen.co.uk

Jenny and Teifi Davies with Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones (centre) at the launch of Taste Trail Ceredigion

The owner of Llwynhelyg Farm Shop in Ceredigion in West Wales has helped set up a food trail with backing from the Welsh government to promote the county as a food destination.

Jenny Davies, whose shop is near Cardigan, used Twitter to team up with other businesses in the area to develop Taste Trail Ceredigion.

With help from the Welsh Government’s food and market development division and Tourism Partnership Mid Wales, the scheme

managed to secure financial backing from the LEADER project, which is funded by the Wales Rural Development Programme with support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

The trail has so far brought together 27 like-minded food businesses based around Ceredigion with the aim of working together to market their produce and promote the county as a food destination.

“We want to use new,

If I'd known then what I know now...

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www.tastetrailwales.co.uk

up for Christmas by approaching companies about corporate hampers, so having that extra space will be essential.

We left it too late in our first Christmas. By the time we started approaching businesses about hampers most of them had already sorted out what they were doing.

We’re being much more organised this time round. We took a lot of notes about what worked and what didn’t last Christmas, which is

Reece Lippolis Urban Pantry, Sheffield I used to work in construction as a site manager, but I wasn't enjoying it. Food has always been a big part of my family. My grandpa was Italian and would always buy the best for the table and I spent a lot of time baking with my mum when I was younger. My partner is from Exeter and I was really impressed with the farm shops there when we visited and always disappointed when I got back that there weren't similar shops in Sheffield.

Everything about retail was new to me, so I've learned a lot. If I could do it all again, I would definitely pay more attention to shop design.

We have a great retail area, but

innovative ideas in social media to spread the message far and wide that Ceredigion produces a fantastic range of good food and drink and, at the same time, it is a great place to visit,” explained Davies.

First Minister Carwyn Jones paid a visit to the National Trust property Llanerchaeron to launch the trail last month. He said: “This project is an excellent example of how businesses can come together and reap considerable benefits for each other.”

not enough storage or preparation space. I didn't realise how quickly the product range would grow, so we've already had to build a timber extension, which has given us more storage and can be used Last year Easter just crept up on me as a hamper and I definitely missed out on sales preparation area. because we weren’t prepared That was the other thing proving really useful as we plan for I didn’t realise would be so popular. this year. For example, we didn’t have Our hamper business has really taken enough cheese – I probably could off through Twitter, Facebook and have sold three times the amount word of mouth. We’re now looking we did but I was being too cautious. at refurbishing the cellar so we have That hopefully won’t happen again more space for the hamper side of this time round. things. We’re already getting geared

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Westcombe’s Tom Calver: guest appearance

It’s a similar story with other seasonal events. Last year Easter just crept up on me and I definitely missed out on sales because we weren’t prepared. Now we have a big calender with things like Mother’s Day marked up so we can order products and think about displays and promotions much earlier.

I still find it a struggle to keep up with the paperwork. Until I started I didn't realise just how much you have to do as an independent retailer. Part of the problem is that I didn't invest in a full EPoS system so I spend a lot of time entering data into Excel spreadsheets. Our till was £650, while a full EPOS system would have been around £1,500, so it wouldn’t have cost that much more. Looking back I should have invested that bit extra. It would have saved time and given me a clearer picture of how the business is doing.

Interview by PATRICK McGUIGAN

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

fine food news new openings

Opening or expanding a shop? Email details to editorial@finefoodworld.co.uk

Deli brings a taste of South Africa to Glasgow

At a glance l The eight-seater café serves conventional sandwiches and salads alongside South African dishes such as rooster brood – a kind of barbecued toastie – and ‘curry bunny’ rolls stuffed with curry. Homemade cakes include Victoria sponge and coffee cake made with South African Dear Green coffee.

l Veldt claims to be the first deli in Scotland to offer coffee-style drinks made with rooibos tea.

Instead of using ground coffee, the café uses a special rooibos blend from South African company Red Espresso to make caffeine-free tea drinks, such as red cappuccinos and red lattes.

l Gisela Hans is a classically trained

Billed as a Scottish/Afrikaans deli, Veldt offers a range of South African brands and Scottish deli items as well as its own homemade biltong and baked goods

Scotland meets South Africa at newly opened Glasgow deli Veldt, which stocks products such as homemade biltong and Dunlop cheese.

Set up by husband and wife team Mark Laing and Gisela Hans, the shop and café’s unusual fusion of food cultures reflects the owners’ nationalities: he’s a Scot and she is from Cape Town.

As well as iconic South African brands, like Ouma rusks, Sparletta

Crème Soda and Black Cat peanut butter, the shop also sells a wide range of products baked in-house.

These include milk tarts (similar to a custard tart), koeksisters (a plaited, deep fried sweet pastry) and vetkoek – a deep fried bread filled with curried mince.

“There’s a big South African community in Scotland and we’ve had lots of people saying how pleased they are that we’ve opened,” said Hans. “We’ve also had good feedback

Weston Park Shropshire

Leicester Market Leicester

The stately home has replaced its farm shop with a new deli and café in its restored Granary building.

The move comes after the business closed its butchery counter last year and introduced a deli counter in its place. The re-styled shop incorporates a 24-seater café and a deli with cheeses, cured meats and olives on the counter. It also sells a selection of sauces, dressings, biscuits, local beers, wines and prepared meals. Retail consultant Iain Hemming, who owns the Thyme and Tides deli and bistro in Hampshire, advised on the project.

A new food hall is set to open later this year as a part of a £7m redevelopment of the city’s 700-year-old market.

The new glass and timber building, which is expected to open in December, will give more space to the meat, fish and deli traders currently based in Leicester’s dated indoor market hall. A flexible space for hot food stalls and temporary traders is also planned.

By PATRICK McGUIGAN

www.weston-park.com

from Scottish customers, who are interested in the food. Shops like ours are more common down south, but it’s not been done here before, so it’s something different.”

Veldt makes all its own biltong, seasoning Scottish meat with a coriander rub and drying it out in specially designed boxes. These are hung above the counter, which is stocked with Scottish cheeses, such as Ayrshire Dunlop, Mull of Kintyre and Arran whisky cheddar, plus

The food hall is the first phase of a major refurbishment of the market, which will see the old hall demolished and a pedestrianized square built in front of the historic Corn Exchange.

The city council hopes to regenerate the surrounding area, attracting investors and developers to transform the shops and buildings in the adjoining streets. www.leicestermarket.co.uk

violinist who toured the world with Scottish indie group Belle and Sebastian. Mark Laing previously worked for the civil service and now works as a subtitler when he is not at the shop.

charcuterie from Great Glen Game.

The South African-Scottish fusion could be developed into a street food concept in the future, said Hans. “Street food is only just taking off in Glasgow and South African food is all about cooking outdoors.

We have braais (barbecues) all the time back home and would love to do something similar at festivals and food events in the summer in Scotland.” www.facebook.com/VeldtDeli

Reaseheath College Farm Shop Cheshire The college has opened a farm shop that is staffed and stocked by students. It will carry items made in Reaseheath’s Food Centre by those studying for diplomas in patisserie and bakery. It also stocks Reaseheath’s own cheeses, butter and ice cream, as well as seasonal vegetables, preserves, relishes and local meat.

“We created the shop to give students the opportunity to experience the demands of an actual retail environment,” said Reaseheath’s head of food Toni-Anne Harrison. www.reaseheath.ac.uk

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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fine food news IN BRIEF ‘Ottolenghi effect’ boosts Middle Eastern food sales l Carmarthenshire Cheese hopes to

shift production from a rented Food Centre Wales facility in Horeb to a new site in Carmarthen.

Owners Steve and Sian Elin Pearce have applied for permission to build a unit off the town’s Llysonnen Road. The company’s products include the soft Pont Gâr, in white, blue, smoked and garlic & herb varieties, and the dry, crumbly Llangloffan farmhouse cheese.

www.carmarthenshirecheese.co.uk

l Farrington Oil’s Mellow Yellow range has been accredited by the Vegetarian Society. The company’s products, which include garlic mayonnaise and chilli oil, are all made to the Society’s criteria and will now feature its logo on their packaging. www.farrington-oils.co.uk

l Annan-based St James Smokehouse was the big winner at the Scottish Food & Drink Excellence Awards, bagging three prizes including Business of the Year. The smoked salmon producer was also named Export Business of the Year and its founder Brendan James Maher picked up the trophy for Scottish Food and Drink Entrepreneur. Other winners included Hebridean Sea Salt (soup, preserves & accompaniments), Rannoch Smokery’s dry-cured smoked wild Scottish venison (red, white & game) and Dean’s Mary Steele biscuit range. A special award for Outstanding Achievement in Food and Drink was presented to Paul Grant, chairman of Mackays, which owns the Mrs Bridges brand.

Forget the ‘Delia effect’ – the TV chef that is influencing people’s food buying habits in the 21st century is Yotam Ottolenghi, whose Middle Eastern recipes are sending sales of spices, such as sumac, through the roof.

Spice company Steenbergs says the ‘Ottolenghi effect’ has helped boost sales of its Middle Eastern and North African ingredients by 40% in the past two years.

Waitrose has also seen a big jump in sales of ingredients such as preserved lemons, which grew by 72% in the last year, while sales of harissa increased by 62%.

“Ottolenghi with his restaurants, cookery books, Guardian column and TV show has been a big driver of interest in Middle Eastern food,

especially the use of ras al-hanout, sumac and zaatar,” said Steenbergs’ co-owner Axel Steenberg. “‘Middle East’ covers a huge array of different cuisines from Moroccan through to Lebanese, so the range of styles and flavours is vast.”

The spice company said that a starting range of Middle Eastern spices for delis and farm shops should include sumac, ras al hanout, zaatar, dukkah, Lebanese 7 spice and baharat.

“Our main advice is to be imaginative with merchandising,” Steenberg said. “It‘s good to link sales with other relevant ingredients and recipe cards to give a regional approach, rather than just leaving items to sit passively on the shelf.” www.steenbergs.co.uk

Cook deal gives The Dip Society national reach The Dip Society has invested in blastcooling equipment at its production kitchen in Lincolnshire so that it can supply its dips in frozen form to readymeal retailer Cook.

The company’s Wasapea (pea chickpea and wasabi) and Sweetbeat (beetroot mint and chilli) dips are being stocked in all 67 Cook shops, which specialise in frozen meals.

Set up in 2011 by business partners Helen Boyle and Claire Chapman-Duffy, the Dip Society’s products are normally sold fresh,

but can also be frozen. “All our dips freeze really well and we have a similar brand and ethics to Cook, so it was a good fit,” said Boyle. “It secures us nationwide listing without supplying the supermarkets.”

The Dip Society also supplies Selfridges, Ocado, Daylesford Organic and Whole Foods Market, as well as delis and farm shops. The company’s production premises are housed in a converted barn in Wold Newton and have SALSA accreditation. www.thedipsociety.co.uk

l A Double Gloucester from Wensleydale Creamery has been named Show Champion at the National Cheese Awards, held at the Bath & West Show. The Yorkshire firm won a number of categories, including Mature Red Leicester and Wensleydale, while Belton Farm’s Cheshire won the Reserve Champion trophy among several awards. Woodland Dairy’s organic sheep’s milk yoghurt took the yoghurt and chilled dessert prize.

Keen’s was named best PDO West Country Farmhouse Cheddar and best Cylindrical Cheddar while Quickes won the Traditional Cylindrical Cheddar and Mild Cheddar categories.

l Upmarket supermarket chain Booths has appointed Paul Minett to replace retiring retail director David Benson.

For regular news updates from FFD visit:

www.ffdonline.co.uk 10

July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

SAVING THE GREY: Farmers have launched a campaign to save the endangered Blue Grey rare breed cattle, calling on consumers to ask their local butchers and farm shops to stock the beef.

Blue Grey cows are native to northern England and the Scottish borders but are close to extinction through lack of promotion, according to the Blue Grey Cattle Group – a not-forprofit group of hill farmers who still breed the cattle.

“Consumers have the power to change demand and we hope to educate them about the Blue Grey, the quality of its slow grown beef and where to find it,” said a spokesperson. Shops already stocking the beef include Aireys in Grange-over-sands and Haigh’s in Yorkshire.

Yotam Ottolenghi: the new Delia?

Odaios takes on Broighter Gold in Irish Republic Attempts by rapeseed oil producer Broighter Gold to expand outside Northern Ireland received a boost with the signing of new deal with Dublin-based distributor Odaios Foods, which will market the oils across the Republic of Ireland.

“Odaios is an especially good fit for us because of its network throughout the Republic and its focus on quality artisan foods,” said Broighter Gold’s founder Leona Kane, who runs the business with her husband Richard at their Co Derry farm.

The company has also launched a range of four 250ml flavoured oils in chilli, lemon, basil, and rosemary & garlic flavours. www.broightergold.co.uk

www.bluegreycattle.org.uk

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fine food news

Cottage industry Interview It may be part of the mainstream Wilkin & Sons jam empire but Thursday Cottage revels in its no-supermarkets ethos, as MD Tim Came tells MICK WHITWORTH

T

hey live side by side on the same Wilkin & Sons site in Essex, but Thursday Cottage and its big sister brand Tiptree are distinctly different beasts.

The small-batch jams & preserves specialist Thursday Cottage turned over around £2.5m last year, including sales of the Jules & Sharpie hot pepper jelly brand it purchased in 2011.

That’s big by the standards of the speciality market, but it’s less than a tenth the size of Tiptree, which is one of the few brands to sit comfortably both in fine food stores and in virtually every supermarket in the land.

Tim Came, MD of Thursday Cottage for the past five years, has worked on both ranges – he was sales manager of Tiptree for six years, selling to both multiples and independents – but he’s clear which market he prefers.

“One of the best things about being involved in fine food is it’s not all driven by numbers,” he tells FFD. “My personal experience of supermarkets is that quality never comes into it.”

Wilkin & Sons is the third owner of Thursday Cottage, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The brand, best known at one time for its ‘diabetic’ products, was founded in the eponymous cottage in Somerset in 1963, then bought

by Dorset’s Pam and Hugh Corbin.

They sold to Wilkin & Sons in 2002, but Pam Corbin – a national authority on jam-making – remains on the payroll. “She keeps me on the straight and narrow when it comes to quality,” says Came, who reckons Corbin’s original marmalades remain the best products in the Thursday Cottage’s sprawling portfolio of around 120 lines.

Came also admits: “We’ve got too many products. A more sensible range would be nearer 80 – and that’s still huge. If we were owned

by Premier Foods we’d probably make eight.”

Part of the pressure to innovate comes from the company’s dozen or so private label customers, including Harrods and the National Trust.

“I’m proud to say we’ve never lost a private label client,” says Came. But they can be “extremely demanding” and their more outlandish recipe suggestions sometimes need reining in.

“Private label customers are

Tim Came: ‘My personal experience of supermarkets is that quality never comes into it’

from buying clout that its scores always looking for new variations on of small competitors can only gaze a theme, and, as anyone who makes upon with envy. preserves knows, some fruits marry He says: “Sugar is bloody well and some don’t.” expensive. Fruit is bloody expensive.

This private label work does Glass and caps are bloody expensive. not extend to supermarkets, and It’s all Came says incredibly it never will.

We’ve got too many products. expensive Small-batch A more sensible range would be unless production with lots of nearer 80 – and that’s still huge. you have got the hand-working scale. Of course, being part of – the company will press around Wilkin & Sons we benefit from their 30,000 lemons this year for its bestpurchasing power, and the great selling lemon curd – does not fit news is that we can pass that on to with price-led multiple business. customers.”

But Came doesn’t downplay the Came’s wife Annabel is a member advantages of a parent company of the Wilkin clan (a point he plays with mainstream sales in the tens of down, saying only “I married an millions. Thursday Cottage benefits

❛

❜

Essex girl”) but there is no sign he receives special treatment. He works from a modest office on the side of the main Tiptree operation and says he shares the dilemmas of other small businesses.

“We have a fantastic sales director, Donna Smith, but she really has a full-time job looking after existing customers,” he says. “I find it frustrating there are still hundreds of shops that don’t sell Thursday Cottage, and we have this constant debate about how we can have more impact. We’re on the cusp of being able to put someone full-time on the road, but it’s expensive.

It’s the classic small manufacturer business challenge.”

After he took the helm in 2008, Came spent a couple of years getting “the right people in the right place”, particularly in production.

“Having hands-on managers on the line is key, so when something isn’t working as it should be, almost invariably, they can fix it straight away. Re-working product or chucking stuff away can rip the heart out of a business, and we’re in a far better place now than we were five years ago.”

Current projects include refreshing the design of the Jules & Sharpie range. “We quickly discovered how competitive the chilli market is, with new entrants coming in all the time. So we’ve appointed a brand manager and we’re revisiting the packaging and the jars.

“We’re going to produce a limited range in a 110g/112g jar size for the more price-sensitive export and hamper markets and to give independents an alternative to the standard 300g sizes. We hope a lower price might encourage firsttime buyers to try the products.”

It will also bring Jules & Sharpie in line with the “affordable quality” ethos espoused by Pam Corbin, and which sees most Thursday Cottage products pitched to retail at no more than £3 a jar – a price many local jam-makers are trying to achieve at trade level.

“I worry that some small producers set themselves up to fail,” says Came. The preserves market is “hugely competitive – simple as that”, he says, adding: “Since the start of the current crisis, consumers have stayed loyal to quality brands.

But it’s all about that combination: affordable quality.” www.thursday-cottage.com

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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cheesewire Unsung heroes Hidden gems from British producers

Welsh cheddar takes cave-aging to new depths

By PATRICK McGUIGAN

Ailsa Craig In a nutshell: Cheese-maker Ann Dorward of Dunlop Dairy is probably best known for Ayrshire Dunlop, but she also makes a fresh seasonal goats’ milk cheese called Ailsa Craig, which is named after and shaped like a famous rock in the outer Firth of Clyde. The small 200g cheeses are made between March and November with pasteurised milk from Dunlop’s own herd of goats.

A Welsh cheese company has teamed up with the National Showcaves of Wales at Dan Yr Ogof in the upper Swansea Valley to age cheddar deep beneath the ground.

The Blaenafon Cheddar Company stores 200g mini truckles of cheddar and goats’ cheese a quarter of a mile beneath the surface at Dan yr Ogof, which are then sold in the Showcaves’ coffee shop.

The cheeses, which are made

by Pant Mawr Farmhouse Cheese in Pembrokeshire for Blaenafon, are matured in special containers in a fenced off area of the caves for two weeks.

MD Susan Fiander-Woodhouse said that was enough time for the cave environment to affect the cheeses.

“The cave-aged cheeses are creamier and nuttier and have less

acidity,” she said. “We already make a really popular cheese called Pwll Mawr, which is matured at the bottom of the mine shaft at the Big Pit mining museum, so I approached Dan Yr Ogof with the idea and we have spent six months trialling the cheeses.”

Blaenafon Cheddar Company, which is based at the World Heritage attraction at Blaenavon, specialises in blended cheeses using Welsh ingredients, such as leeks, ale, whisky and bara brith. All the flavoured cheeses are hand-blended at the company’s shop where customers can watch the process through a viewing window.

“Food tourism is increasingly important and all our products have a unique story to tell about the landscape and food traditions of Wales,” Fiander-Woodhouse said. www.chunkofcheese.co.uk

Flavour and texture: When it’s young, Ailsa Craig is fresh with zingy citrus notes, developing more intense goaty flavours as it matures.

The texture is light, almost mousselike at the start of the season, but becomes denser and creamier during the summer months.

History: Ann Dorward first started making cheese in Stewarton in 1989 and today makes cheeses such as Bonnet, Crowdie and Paddy’s Milestone (a cows’ milk version of Ailsa Craig) using milk from the farm’s own herds of goats and Ayrshire cows.

Shelflife and cheese care: The cheese has a 6-8 week shelflife and is individually wrapped. Customers should unwrap the cheese and let it breathe for a while before serving.

Why should I stock it? The pretty packaging makes it perfect for hampers and as a gift.

Perfect partners: Cheesemonger Tanny Gill likes a slice of Ailsa Craig on hot sourdough with honey drizzled over the top. He says a crisp white Chablis is a good match or, for something a bit different, try Pimms or Sangria.

Where to get it: Contact the dairy directly: ann@dunlopdairy. co.uk FFD will feature a different ‘unsung hero’ from Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association members each month. To get involved, contact: patrick.mcguigan@finefoodworld.co.uk

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July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

As well as its new Showcaves venture, Blaenafon already ages its cheddar at the Big Pit mining museum

Kearney Blue pens distribution deal

Hartington to make blue while it waits for Stilton

By PATRICK McGUIGAN

A new British blue is in production at the revived Hartington Creamery with the company due to get approval to start making Stilton in around six months.

As previously reported in Fine Food Digest, two former Dairy Crest executives, Adrian Cartlidge and Alan Salt, have teamed up with the local cheese shop in the village of Hartington to relaunch the Hartington Creamery brand, which was best known for Stilton.

Much smaller than the original Hartington Creamery, which was shut down by parent company Dairy Crest in 2009, the new business has launched Peakland Blue and Peakland White, while it goes through the auditing steps required to gain a licence to make Stilton.

Peakland Blue is a pasteurised cows’ milk cheese, which is similar

to Stilton but uses a milder strain of blue mould and has a drier, denser texture.

Peakland White is a fresh cheese with a creamy, slightly acidic flavour, which is sold around 10 days after it is made. Both cheeses have proved popular with local delis, farm shops and restaurants.

“There used to be a lot of cheesemakers in Derbyshire, but they have all disappeared over the years. At the same time there is great demand for local food,” said Cartlidge. “We also think there is a void in the Stilton market with the closure of Quenby Hall and the original Hartington Creamery.”

Hartington Creamery was part-funded with a grant from the LEADER programme, which is part of the Rural Development Programme for England. www.hartingtoncreamery.co.uk

Northern Ireland’s Kearney Blue Cheese has signed a distribution deal with Dublin-based fine food supplier La Rousse Foods.

The County Down-based cheese company was set up in 2010 and makes a semi hard blue cheese of the same name. It was acquired by milk producer Farmview Dairies last year and has since increased production five-fold to meet demand from hotels, restaurants and delis.

Cheese-maker and company founder Paul McClean said: “La Rousse is a good fit for us because of its commitment to gourmet foods, including cheese, its base in Dublin and its network of 3,000 foodservice and retail customers across Ireland.”

The cheese is also being exported to Belgium and is attracting enquiries from Italy. “We’ve experienced a significant growth of interest since its launch. What’s behind the success is the supply of high-protein milk from 11 dairy farms that supply the basic raw material. These are located in the rich pastures in the Castlereagh hills and all within five miles of our purpose-built production plant.” www.facebook.com/pages/KearneyBlue-Cheese/170861966294165

news & views from the cheese counter

The one and only Profile

The seasonality of milk can be challenging for a cheese-maker but Devon’s Ticklemore uses it to its advantage. PATRICK McGUIGAN finds out how it copes with producing a famed trio of blues.

C

heese lovers still struggle to put the intense flavours of Beenleigh Blue into words more than 20 years after Robin Congden first started making it at Ticklemore Cheese near Totnes.

La Fromagerie’s Patricia Michelson detects ‘flinty mineral sweetness’, Juliet Harbutt reckons it has ‘hints of burnt caramel’, while other descriptions range from ‘herbaceous and savoury’ to ‘floral’. Neal’s Yard Dairy pushes the boat out even further, describing the ewes’ milk cheese as being reminiscent of ‘toasted nuts and fino sherry’.

One of the reasons why people can’t seem to agree on how to describe Beenleigh is that the cheese changes throughout the season, reflecting differences in the milk and maturing times. In June when the cheese is sold at around four months old, it is light, fresh and crumbly.

But later in the year, when it has been aged for up to 10 months, it becomes richer and more intense.

Ticklemore’s other highly acclaimed cheese, the goats’ milk Harbourne Blue, is similarly difficult to pin down, evolving as the summer progresses into a powerful spicy blue with glorious floral notes.

Both cheeses, along with the company’s cows’ milk Devon Blue, are often hailed as being among the very best blues Britain has to offer, which is ironic when you consider they are actually made to a recipe for one of France’s most famous cheeses: Roquefort.

Congden’s attempts to replicate the spicy open-textured cheese in the UK stretched to building his own maturing room with a special humidifier that created an air flow similar to the caves of Roquefort.

He even tried to grow mould spores liberated from the French caves in his own dairy.

“Robin tried to mimic what they do in France, but although our cheeses are made in a similar way to Roquefort they are unique because of the difference in climate and altitude,” explains head cheesemaker Ben Harris. “Beenleigh Blue is much more juicy, lemony and crumbly. It also has more subtle blueing as opposed to the intense harsh blue of Roquefort.”

Ticklemore’s head cheese-maker Ben Harris produces Devon Blue, Beenleigh Blue, and Harbourne Blue from cows’, sheep’s and goats’ milk respectively.

Congden is regarded as a pioneer of British blues and played his part in the renaissance of cheese in the UK in the 1980s and ’90s, along with James Aldridge, Randolph Hodgson and Patrick Rance. Beyond blue cheese, he also developed Ticklemore Goat and Devon Rustic, which were passed on to Sharpham Creamery. Today, Congden takes a much less hands-on approach, leaving production and the day-

❛

to-day running of the business to Harris.

One of the biggest challenges Ticklemore faces is using three different types of milk, which involves some skilful juggling in the cheese room. Sheep’s milk comes from Burton Farm in Dorset and is only available in the spring and early summer when the company has to make as much Beenleigh as possible, some of which is held back and

We adjust each batch on a daily basis, making changes to the amount of rennet and time. It is a juggle to take everybody’s milk when they are in full production.

❜

stored at colder temperatures so that supplies last all year round. Goats’ milk is also seasonal, supplied from April to November by a farm on the edge of Dartmoor, which has a herd of free-range goats.

“We go by what is happening in the season,” says Harris. “We’re getting sheep’s and goats’ milk three times a week at the moment, so we cut our cows’ milk right down and fit in Devon Blue where we can. We wouldn’t be able to cope otherwise.”

Keeping on top of the seasonal variations in the sheep and goat’s milk is also a challenge, he adds.

“We adjust each batch on a daily basis, making changes to the amount of rennet and time. It is a juggle to take everybody’s milk when they are in full production.”

Ticklemore produces around 40 tonnes of cheese a year, making two big batches a day in its 950- and 500-litre vats and is now pretty much at capacity. Harris launched a new cows’ milk cheese last year called Blue Bay, which is sold exclusively through Country Cheeses’ shops and won a Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards. But production schedules are so tight that he finds it hard to find the time to make the cheese. Growing the business further would require investment to expand the cheese room and the cave – something that is not on the horizon at the moment.

“We struggle to keep up with production, but we don’t want to get any bigger because that would mean having to supply supermarkets, which would be pointless,” he says.

“We’re happy with where we are and what we’re doing.”

That will come as music to the ears of independent cheesemongers, who want to keep the complexities and quirky characteristics of Ticklemore’s blues all to themselves.

Just don’t expect them to agree on what they taste like. www.ticklemorecheese.co.uk

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

15

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July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

A promotional feature on behalf of Le Gruyère AOC

Me and my cheese counter We talk to Robert Marsham of MacFarlane's Fromagerie & Fine Foods.

Robert Marsham is very much a fine food retailer in the old style, the very essence of an English gentleman. His years at Fortnum & Mason ensured that when he finally acquired his own delicatessen, the emphasis would be on quality food presented with panache, but with a careful eye on margin.

It’s just three years since he bought an established delicatessen in London’s well-heeled SW4, which had been trading well for almost twelve years. He knew it was a good business, “packed with quality, integrity and a passion for food,” but it presented a very different set of challenges to those posed working in the hospitality department of an iconic food hall. “I knew one or two of the suppliers, “ he recalls, “but in the main, I needed to get used to a very different supply base.”

Two serve-over chill counters totaling 4m hold between 70 and 90 cheeses depending on the time of the year and are displayed in sections, by type. Cows’ milk hard and soft cheeses are together, all sheep’s milk, all goats’ milk and finally the blues. He likes to mix the different countries of origin but believes his customers are happy with the layout.

He displays small plastic animals on cheeses to help recognition of the

type of milk. “We’re in the middle of ‘nappy valley’ so mums and nannies appreciate anything that keeps their children amused.” He says.

The store attracts a wide cross section of customers, a mix that has been enhanced further following the opening of a Sainsbury Local.

“There was a lot of objection to it and it has done little for the character of the street but it has introduced new customers to us,” he says. “We live in the real world and landlords want security so they prefer large corporations as tenants.” Competition

What Robert merchandises close to his cheese counter: 1. Cheese biscuits (merchandised in old fruit boxes in front of the counter) 2. Pickles on top of the counter 3. Biscuits on shelves behind 4. Bread in front of the counter 5. Wine wall behind counter

is already heavy in the area, nine supermarkets within a mile radius.

Robert operates a very special cheese counter to create a recognisable point of difference to the supermarkets. He visits France at least once a year in search of new ideas but relies mostly on his Rungis wholesaler to come up with cheeses relatively unknown to the UK. “I buy a pallet a time and quite often he’ll send end-of-line cheeses destined for the French market and we promote them as Saturday specials,” he says.

He continues, “I buy my 24-month Le Gruyère AOC direct from Rungis, it’s fabulous and we sell an awful lot of it. We also have quite a lot of customers asking for ‘just one perfect cheese’ for a dinner party, they prefer it to four or five small pieces of cheese. A single cheese lasts longer than cut portions and we like it too because it’s good for business.”

He is the first to admit not every new cheese has been a winner. “I found this wonderful cheese from Switzerland called Belper Knolle,” he recalls. “It’s made from raw cow’s milk

and rolled in powdered Himalayan salt, local garlic and Oberland pepper. It’s as solid as a rock and beautiful to look at but incredibly expensive – so much so it sells very well if we promote it by grating it into customers’ hands and letting them taste but when we don’t, it sits on the shelf for ever.“ He recruited a good manager, also from Fortnum & Mason who handles much of the buying with Robert and at weekends, he employs local youngsters. “They are mainly our customers’ children, we start them at 14 and by the time they leave for university they’ve developed incredibly from the experience gained dealing with customers face to face. And of course, it helps us build better relationships with their parents and the money we pay them stays in the community.”

Robert is also relaxed about wastage. “We use almost everything from the counter in sandwiches,” he says, “wastage is minimal, just the trimming of the cheeses for display.”

And his biggest seller? “It’s got to be Gruyère,” he says, ”followed closely by Brie de Meaux, Vintage Lincolnshire Poacher and Oxford Blue.

Montgomery’s 12-month-old West Country Farmhouse is a good seller along with Black Papillon Roquefort and Stilton at Christmas. And an awful lot of Godminster Organic, which sells at nearly £30 per kilo – almost £10 more than Monty’s cheddar.

Robert doesn’t care for it himself but as he says, “if it sells well and delivers a good margin, I’ll stock it.”

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

importers & distributors

Keeping choice alive While national wholesalers and smaller, regional operators keep battling to be the one-stop-shop of choice, retail buyers are the main beneficiaries, says MICHAEL LANE

From left: Heart Distribution’s commercial manager Caoire Blakemore, Duncan Hider of Hider Foods, Nicki Stewart of newcomer Diverse Fine Food Distribution and Cotswold Fayre MD Paul Harvgreaves

D

espite the ever-present economic gloom and muchdocumented high street closures, the speciality food trade is in a buoyant mood.

As recently as May, retailers were reporting sales growth and forecasting more to come.

Wholesalers contacted while Fine Food Digest was compiling this guide seem to share a similarly positive outlook.

Most have seen double digit improvement in their sales and many are either boosting their catalogues or extending their geographical reach.

While Cotswold Fayre MD Paul Hargreaves says some of his sales growth is coming from new shop openings it is also down to larger orders from existing customers, who need to save time and staff costs.

“A lot of people have always used wholesalers but there’s more consolidation going on,” says Hargreaves, although he adds that retailers looking to make life easier for themselves do need to strike a balance between ease of buying and stagnation in their product range.

“I’ve though a lot about this,” he tells FFD. “From the retailer’s side of things, there’s so much fragmentation in the supply chain.

But you don’t want every farm shop and deli looking them same.”

Hider Foods’ joint MD Duncan Hider says the size of his family firm’s catalogue, which features more than 3,500 items, allows them to offer something different to every independent retailer.

“Some would argue this means we are no longer ‘speciality’,” he says, “but we feel we’re in a strong

position to offer an incredible range “It was not ever a decision we of products and price points to a made to be regional; that was huge range of customers, both in because we were partnered with sectors and geographically.”

HEFF,” explains Blakemore. “We While he says there is some space need to carry some signpost brands in the market for niche or regional because customers look out for distributors to emerge and survive, them. It’s just what they want and Hider believes the bigger firms we listen to our customers. already cover some of this territory.

“Retailers do source products “We, and some of the larger in the local area, then they look wholesalers, already have a niche regionally, then nationally.” range of products within a large Paul Hargreaves sees Cotswold portfolio,” he says. “This really does Fayre’s role as filling in around a allow a one supplier approach for retailer’s local sourcing policy. “If many customers and allows them to there’s a good, local alternative concentrate on running their own product, then do it,” he says, businesses, while trusting us and adding that his firm aims to supply other wholesalers to bring fresh new 20-30% of a retailer’s stock. products and ideas to them.”

“Their core remains the local Caoire Blakemore, commercial offering but in terms of people manager at not-for-profit operator buying stuff in decent volume Heart Distribution, Most distributors have seen says retailers double digit improvement in their face many sales and many are either boosting problems they cannot do their catalogues or extending their anything about, geographical reach but sourcing more stock from distributors is one thing they they should have the well-known can do to make their businesses run speciality brands too.” more smoothly. “Taking 10 deliveries Volume, he says, is the main in a day is not efficient,” she says. reason why a regional or specialist Heart, which was originally set distributor might struggle. up to help producer members “The problem with the regional of regional food group Heart of model is this kind of business only England Fine Food (HEFF), has since makes money when you’re doing expanded its remit. a decent number of millions of While it no longer works in turnover,” he says, adding that partnership with the food group, those that limit their catalogues to the firm retains a strong focus 30 or so products will find retailers on small local producers but it complaining that “they can’t buy also supplements this offer with enough stuff”. bigger brands including Tyrrells and The director of new SomersetWestons Cider. based distributor Diverse Fine

❛

❜

Food Distribution would beg to differ. Nicki Stewart, who has been running Diverse as a hamper company since 2007, has now expanded into distributing a range of 35 “hand-picked” brands, primarily within the South West.

“This is not to say anything bad against any other distributor but they didn’t work for us,” she tells FFD. “They were quite rigid and tend to offer the same products.”

Diverse’s range is a mixture of small brands, like Belgian chocolate firm Zaabar and Purely Pickled Eggs, and more established names such as Grumpy Mule coffee and Corkers Crisps.

She hopes retailers will see a new product they like and then be encouraged to make up orders to the minimum with the better-known brands.

Stewart has set out to be as flexible as possible for her customers, whether that means delivering nationally despite the regional focus or providing some leeway for retailers who can’t quite make up a minimum order.

She has also pledged to work against delis all stocking the same products.

“We wouldn’t let one deli take a product without telling them that someone down the road already has it,” she says.

Whether there is enough room for large and small distributors appears to be a moot point. At the moment, it seems retailers still have a wealth of choice. www.cotswold-fayre.co.uk www.diversefinefood.co.uk www.heartdistribution.com www.hiderfoods.co.uk

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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importers & distributors Bespoke Foods 1st Floor, 80-84 Bondway, London, SW8 1SF 020 7091 3200

sales@bespoke-foods.co.uk www.bespoke-foods.co.uk

Since starting out in 1982, when it began selling Belgian butter biscuits to Harrods, Bespoke Foods has grown its range of imported goods to 87 brands from around the world. Sourcing its products from Europe, America, Asia and Africa, Bespoke supplies a range of products from traditional Italian pasta to German gingerbread and Madagascan chocolate. The company distributes to over 700 delis and farm shops throughout the UK, in addition to department stores and supermarkets.

Nem Viet Made using traditional recipes, this range of Vietnamese meal kits and sauces is produced and packaged

Infinity Foods

exclusively in Southeast Asia. Each product features an onpack recipe, product information and cooking tips to help create a real Vietnamese experience. This range includes a spring roll kit with a trade price of £1.70 per 156g pack.

Delouis Mayonnaise Made using authentic French recipes, this mayonnaise is created using sunflower oil, fresh lemon and free range eggs. This product, which was relaunched this year with a new fresh and modern look, is available in 250g packs from £1.88 Ibsa This Spanish-made range of products includes roasted peppers, caramelized onions and two tortilla mixes.

These “simple and easy to prepare” mixes make

46 Dolphin Road, Shoreham-by Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6PB 01273 456376 www.infinityfoodswholesale.co.uk

traditional Spanish omelettes in two flavours – potato and potato & onion – and are available in 350g packs (trade £2.08).

Brands include: Amaretti del Chiostro, Briannas, Buiteman, Connétable, Delouis, Filet Bleu, Filotea, Frank’s RedHot, French’s, Jardine’s, La Mortuacienne, La Truffe Cendréem, Leksands Knäckebröd, Madécasse, Malay Taste, Marine Gourmet, Maretti Bruschette, Ndali, Nem Viet, Peanut Butter & Co, Pertzborn, Plaza del Sol, Quinta D’Avo, Rufus Teague, S&B, San Marcos, Soul, Thai Taste.

Since starting up in 1971 with a small shop in Brighton, Infinity Foods has expanded into a national distributor of organic, Fairtrade and natural products.

It boasts an extensive range of vegetarian and gluten-free products, from store cupboard essentials to freshly baked bread and seasonal fruit and vegetables.

The West Sussex-based company sources its fairtrade products from around the world.

The first company in the UK to stock Fairtrade organic Basmati rice from Pakistan, its range now includes quinoa from Ecuador and dates from Tunisia as well as cashew nuts, brazil nuts, sesame seeds, mango and various rices.

Its Infinity Foods organic range is all certified by The Soil Association.

Alongside hundreds of food lines, the company also supplies a variety of non-food items including cleaning products, packaging and publications.

Anthony Rowcliffe & Son Paddock Wood Distribution Centre, Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6UU 01892 838999 sales@rowcliffe.co.uk www.rowcliffe.co.uk

Founded in the late ‘60s, Anthony Rowcliffe & Son supplies artisan Continental and British farmhouse cheese to independent retailers, selected multiples and the foodservice trade.

But just because his family’s firm has been around a long time doesn’t mean that chairman Tim Rowcliffe (left) isn’t looking to improve its offer.

“We were in danger of becoming a ‘Play It Again Sam’ company,” Rowcliffe tells FFD. “We needed to up our game with the supply base. Just about anybody can bring in cheese from France or Italy.”

Over the last couple of years, Rowcliffe has secured deals to become the sole UK agent for a number of Continental exporters. Its catalogue now features exclusives such Le Cret Gruyère, Cantile Mozzarella di Bufala and Arrigoni Taleggio.

Currently Rowclifffe is working on his firm’s Spanish offer. He is particularly proud of the Don Juan Manchego from Alimentias and recent addition Monte Enebro.

He now plans to upgrade the company’s offering of Spanish charcuterie.

He also has his eye on some lesser-known gems from French producers. While his current focus is on redeveloping the Continental side, Rowcliffe stresses the company is still very committed to supporting British artisan cheese-makers.

Among the other products Rowcliffe offers exclusively are Castellino olives, Deli-cious On Tap oils & vinegars and Negroni charcuterie.

Monte Enebro Described by Rowcliffe as “perhaps Spain’s greatest goats’ milk cheese”, Monte Enebro is made by Rafael Baez, a retired builder-turned-cheese-maker, and his daughter in Ávila. “Mild, bright and tangy” when young and more pungent as they mature, only 7,000 of these pasteurised cheeses are produced every year.

Trou de Cru This miniature Epoisses was developed by cheese-maker Robert Berthaut in France’s Bourgogne region. Ivory in colour with an orange edible sticky rind, it is moulded in small rounds and washed with Marc de Bourgogne brandy.

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July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

Vol.14 Issue 6 路 July 2013

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New catalogue out now!

Bespoke Foods: Making Food Special For more information, get in touch: Phone: 020 7091 3200 Fax: 020 7091 3300

Email: sales@bespoke-foods.co.uk

Web: www.bespoke-foods.co.uk

25 years of top quality spanish food and ingredients

From The Mediterranean to the Atlantic, the Sierra Nevada to the Pyrenées we import some of Spain´s finest foods. Ibérico ham, rare cheeses and regional charcuterie are a few examples of the great Spanish foods we offer.

Great Customer Service • Own van deliveries in London fast turnaround for out of London deliveries • Low minimum orders • Sales support and inspiration • Free Ibérico ham training with our master carver • Tastings, recipe cards and serving suggestions • Peace of mind: we have our own technical team • Experience: from the Brindisa deli in the heart of London’s Borough Market and four London Tapas Restaurants

Our deli selection boasts some of the finest food in Spain.

CALL OUR SALES TEAM TO FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU. TEL 020 8772 1600 WWW.BRINDISAWHOLESALE.COM I sales@brindisa.com I @brindisa

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July 2013 · Vol.141 AFFineFoodadv.indd

Issue 6

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importers & distributors Brindisa

Carnevale

sales@brindisa.com www.brindisa.com

info@carnevale.co.uk www.carnevale.co.uk

9B Weir Rd, Balham, London, SW12 0LT 0208 772 1600

Celebrating its 25th year of trading, Brindisa specialises in supplying British retailers and restaurateurs with artisan food from Spain. The company, which also runs a shop and four tapas bars in London, offers a range of products covering a wide spectrum, from cured hams and charcuterie to sweets and honey.

Brindisa’s team of experienced staff can also assist customers in shaping products to their individual needs and the firm now operates a fleet of its own vehicles to deliver to customers in and around London.

Organic heather honey Produced in the mountains of Cantabria, this heather-infused honey is said to be perfect for making curd, accompanying walnuts, and cheese or just to be enjoyed on its own.

This “flavoursome treat” is available from Brindisa in 500g jars.

107 Carnevale House, 107 Blundell Street, London, N7 9BN 020 7607 8777

Founded in 1966 as a mozzarellamaking operation in central London, Italian specialist Carnevale now provides over 3,000 food, drink and non-food items to customers across the UK and Ireland. The family-run company manufactures, stocks and distributes a number of its own brands of Italian products including mozzarella, ricotta, fresh-filled pasta, sliced pepperoni, cured meats and fresh sausages. It also imports a large range of Italian specialities, from pasta, rice and polenta to fruits, nuts and wine.

The company has six depots with its own fleet delivering direct to customers throughout the UK and Ireland.

The firm’s specialist knowledge of Italian cheese was recently

demonstrated by a number of wins at the 2012 World Cheese Awards. The biggest winner was its Gorgonzola, sourced from producer Igor, that claimed a Super Gold, Best Italian Cheese and Best PDO Blue Cheese at the event.

Valerio The company boasts a unique range of premium Italian cheeses from fresh mozzarella and pizza cheese to ricotta. Its award winning mozzarella is manufactured

by Carnevale in one of its six depots. It is made from UK Farm Assured milk and is Red Tractor approved. All products are made to order.

Carnevale pasta As a specialist in made-to-order high quality pasta, Carnevale’s brand of pasta is made from flour, semolina and free range eggs from Italy.

Produced by experienced pasta-

makers, it comes with a variety of fillings including Gorgonzola & walnut, pumpkin & veal, lobster & crab and prawn. Also available is handmade shapes to enhance the pasta’s premium quality.

Carnevale’s Napoli and Lucanica sausages Made to a traditional Italianstyle recipe, these sausages are produced using a mixture of UK and Irish fresh pork shoulder and belly cuts. All meat is deboned by Carnevale’s own butchers and mixed with a distinctive blend of herbs and spices. Seasonings include mild, pepper, chilli & pepper or fennel, in addition to tailor-made sausages upon request. Available in vacuum-packed 400g or 2kg pouches.

Brands include: Cucina Carnevale, Valerio and Pasta & Pasta as well as Barilla, Bonifanti, Cinquina, Concilio, De Cecco, Ferrarelle, Igor, Levoni, Mario Fongo, Moretti, Mulino Bianco, Mutti, Nastro Azzuro, Parmalat, Pivetti, Pomi’, San Pellegrino, Santal, Sartori, Soresina, Strianese

Cibosano

Unit 3, Lismirrane Ind Park, Elstree Rd, Elstree, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 3EE 020 8207 5820 info@cibosano.co.uk www.cibosano.co.uk

1605 Manchego New to Brindisa’s range of authentic Spanish cheeses, the 1605 Manchego takes its ingredients from Manchegan sheep to create a traditional Spanish cheese, which is cured for either five or 11 months.

Idiazabal This award winning cheese from the green pastures of the Basque Country and Navarra is created using the milk of two native breeds of sheep to produce a “complex and characterful” texture. Available smoked and unsmoked.

Brands include: Ortiz, Navarrico, Alejandro, Casa Riera Ordeix or Señorío de Montanera, La Maja, Queserías del Tiétar, Castro y González, Perelló, Nuñez de Prado, Casta Diva

Hertfordshire-based Cibosano supplies a range of Italian products, from seafood to oils, but it specialises particularly in Italian farmhouse charcuterie and cheeses.

Led by founder Totuccio Castiglione, who began working in the food industry in 1984, the firm has been importing products from family-run Italian firms since 2003.

Today the business works with retailers, wholesalers, food halls and farmers’ markets across the UK. It services its client base using both its own fleet and through business partners that offer a complete chilled distribution service.

Prosciutto Arrosto Alle Erbe The Leoncini family’s artisanal method of cooking has made this Cisosano’s best-selling prosciutto.

Made with fresh herbs, slow cooked and roasted it is available in pack sizes of 7.8kg for the whole leg and 3.8kg for half, at a trade price of around £9.80/kg.

Langhiranese Based in Landhirano, the native town of prosciutto di Parma, Langhiranese produces a 24-monthold genuine Parma ham that has proved to be one of Cibosano’s most popular products. It comes in whole legs (approx. 8kg) at a trade price of £15.50/kg.

Brands include: Leoncini’s Salumi, Langhiranese Prosciutti di Parma, Clai’s Salami, King’s Prosciutti di San Daniele,

Salcis Tuscan Charcuterie, Madeo Calabrian Charcuterie, Sosio’s Bresaola, Agriform Grana Padano & Venetian Cheeses, Parmareggio’s Parmesan, Mauri’s Gorgonzola & Taleggio, Peck’s Speciality Cheeses, Pinna Sardinian Ewe’s milk cheeses, Salcis Tuscan Cheeses, Centroform Sicilian Cheeses, Nonno Nanni, Antipasti Collesano, Biscottificio Belli, Vicenzi’s amaretti, Grisbi’ Biscuits, Tre Marie, Paluani, Condorelli seasonal products Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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importers & distributors Medallion Chilled Foods

153 Camford Way, Sundon Park, Luton, Beds LU3 3AN 01582 590999 sales@westphalia.co.uk www.westphalia.co.uk

The Luton-based company, launched in 1977, distributes over 1,000 chilled food products to its customers across the UK. Its carefully selected Continental products range from Reinert meats from Germany and Fiorrucci Italian products, to sausage rolls and smoked salmon. All of its products are distributed in bulk for the deli counter and pre-packed for the convenience trade. Medallion Chilled Foods now operates a fleet of refrigerated vehicles and use insulated packaging to keep its quality produce chilled for 24 hours in transit.

Cheese Cellar

44-54 Stewarts Road, London SW8 4DF 020 7819 6001 info@cheesecellar.co.uk www.cheesecellar.co.uk @CheeseCellarUK

Cheese Cellar is an importer and distributor of speciality cheeses and charcuterie, as well as other Mediterranean delicacies, patisserie and chocolate. It supplies retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and caterers with both British and Continental artisanal products including brands such as Viron and Shipton Mill flour, and frozen fruit from Fresh As and Ponthier. While imported products are an important part of the business, Cheese Cellar also manufactures and distributes its own brands: Croxton Manor, Dell’ami olives and Huge Sauce.

Dell’ami Olives Cheese Cellar’s own brand of Italian inspired olives come in several “taste-bud tingling” Mediterranean flavours. These include Modina mix, a blend of large Bella di Cerignola olives and the smaller Gaeta olives.

It also offers Santorini – a mixture of Halkidiki and Kalamata olives, cheese, red pepper, oregano, thyme and rosemary - and Clarissa pitted olives with rose petals & lemon zest. All three varieties of olives come in 2.5kg or 3kg buckets, along with Dell’ami’s collection of display bowls and dishes for retailers and delis.

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July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

New Cheese Spring Selection Cheese Cellar “religiously” updates its broad selection of cheeses to provide something fresh and seasonal for its customers. This spring’s range includes Cropwell Bishop’s soft blue cheese Beauvale and two creations from washed rind specialist James’s Cheese: Francis and Burwood Bole.

Fresh As Fresh As uses the newest methods of freeze drying – freezing in conjunction with pressure – across its range of fruits to ensure that the moisture, flavour, colour and health benefits are secured within. Its products are available from Cheese Cellar in powder, flakes, slices or whole fruit formats and can be used by patissiers, home bakers or as a healthy snack.

The Cress Co

Unit 8, Castle Industrial Estate, Queensferry Road, Dunfermline, Fife KY11 8PT 0845 6431330 info@thecressco.co.uk www.thecressco.co.uk @TheCressCo

Launched in 2004 by Joe Wall, The Cress Company started out in a 30 sq m lock-up, working with five or six Scottish fine food producers aiming to provide greater distribution in Scotland. It has grown its customer base to more than 1,000 retailers and now carries lines from more 100 suppliers.

The Dunfermline-based company has extended its coverage into Northern England and now works with customers in Manchester, York, Leeds, Derby, Sheffield and Cheshire, which are serviced from a new distribution point in Preston.

The Cress Company sources 80% of its range of deli products including pasta and black pudding – from British companies and food specialists. In addition, it works with suppliers in Italy, France and America.

Rannoch Smokery Rannoch Smokery is a dedicated meat and game smoker. The Scottish firm uses traditional smoking methods and whiskyinfused oak to create a wide range of lines. Its smoked venison, beef carpaccio, chicken, duck and terrine are all available in retail-ready packaging.

Bundaberg Ginger Beer The traditional and well-known

Australian firm’s range includes the Cress Company’s bestselling line, Bundaberg Ginger Beer.

Made using dried root ginger grown in Queensland and mixed with the cane sugar that thrives in their all-year round sunshine, the Australian firm “brews the product to perfection.”

Bundaberg’s classic ginger beer and root beer are both available in cases of 12 x 375ml while its diet ginger beer and lemon & lime bitters come in cases of 12 x 340ml.

Berry Scrumptious The Aberdeenshire-based company specialises in growing fresh, natural produce on the family farm. It then uses these to make a range of chocolates by hand, such as berry truffles, chocolate blended with berries, chocolate buttons, fudge with berries, toffee with berries and rocky road chocolate bars.

Brands include: Belvoir, Bundaberg, San Pellegrino, Burts, Summer Harvest Rapeseed Oils, Berry Scrumptious Chocolates

Servicing the art of Gastronomy t: 020 8207 5820 ~ e: info@cibosano.co.uk ~ w: cibosano.co.uk

Charcuterie ~ Cheeses ~ Fresh Pasta ~ Antipasti ~ Seafood ~ Cakes ~ Oils ~ Vinegars Food Digest July Ad AW.indd 1

31/05/2012 12:16

For our all year round and seasonal catalogues please contact our sales team: 08448 404 048

Vol.14 Issue 6 路 July 2013

27

Top quality speciality food from Spain!

For a wide range of 400 products, no minimum order quantity and next-day delivery throughout the UK, let us bring you the best that Spain has to offer For our catalogue or more information please ring 01865 340055 or email info@delicioso.co.uk

Speciality Importer of the Year 2008 telephone 01865 340055 | info@delicioso.co.uk | www.delicioso.co.uk

We’re the fine food suppliers with a difference.

We work hard with a range of suppliers to bring you a selection of the best chilled and ambient products Britain has to offer. When buying from suppliers overseas we choose responsible sources who have as big a passion for food as we do.

Our friendly flexible customer service comes as standard and we mix this with our low minimum order quantities and regular deliveries in our own dual-temperature vans.

For more information contact the team or head to our website.

0845 643 1330 / www.thecressco.co.uk distributors with a difference/ 28

July 20131 advert.indd

· Vol.14 Issue 6

31/05/2012 16:05:34

importers & distributors The Olive Oil Co

Cotswold Fayre

info@theoliveoilco.com www.theoliveoilco.com @theoliveoilco

sales@cotswold-fayre.co.uk www.cotswold-fayre.co.uk

Unit 38 Raymouth Road , SE16 2DB 0207740 1717

The Olive Oil Co was founded in 2001 by Danilo Manco with the main objective of importing high quality, sustainable olive oil from small, family-run producers in Italy.

Since then, the London-based company has won 17 Great Taste Awards for its range of Italian oils and vinaigrettes. The importer and distributor specialises in extra virgin olive oil – both flavoured and unflavoured – and balsamic vinegars from several regions across Italy.

Basil extra virgin olive oil This flavoured Italian oil is pressed with basil leaves grown beside the olive plants. Available in 250ml bottles at a trade price of £3.69 and an RRP of £6.50.

Vellutato white balsamic vinegar A naturally aged, fruity condiment, said to be perfect for salads, fish and fruit. Available in 200ml bottles (trade price £6.65, RRP £13.50).

Sicilian extra virgin olive oil Made with Biancolilla olives, this extra virgin olive oil (trade £5.65, RRP £9.50) is described as “truly traditional”.

Brands include: Danilo Manco, Acetaia Malpighi, Az Agr San Pietro A Pettine, Oleificso Coppini

River Barn, 14 Tessa Road, Reading, RG1 8HH 08456 121201

Cotswold Fayre warehouses, sells and distributes a range of products that cover all ambient speciality food categories including confectionery, beverages, essential store cupboard items, snacks, and bakery items.

The Berkshire-based firm primarily sells British and Irish products to retailers but also carries a small range of goods imported from further afield.

Its catalogue features more than 150 brands, which range from core exclusive lines to many of the wellknown brands independent retailers request.

Working through its eight regional account managers, Cotswold Fayre strives to help brands grow and reduce the distance between the producer and the consumer. It organises tastings and promotions every week of the year across its customer base, which consists entirely of independent retailers in the UK and Ireland. It is also growing its export business.

Willie’s Cacao The subject of two Channel 4 TV series, Willie Harcourt-Cooze uses only single estate cacaos that he has sourced from around the world for their depth and different flavours.

He is one of the few UK producers making ‘bean to bar’ premium chocolate.

The Real Basmati Rice Company This firm works with single farms and small estates so that it can track the entire process from sowing, growing, harvesting, polishing and drying through to bagging by hand.

All of its rice is sun-dried for over 12 months to improve its flavour.

De Siam One of Cotswold Fayre’s “runaway success stories” in 2013, De Siam produces a large range of genuine Thai products in BRC-accredited

Brands include: Awfully Posh Snack Co, Bath Pig, Bellevue Tea, Besmoke, Biscottea, Bonny Confectionery, Breckland Orchard, Brown Bag Crisps, Cheddar Sweet Kitchen, Cocoa Loco, Corn Again, Cotswold Meringues, Crosta & Mollica, Curry Sauce Company, DeSiam, Devilishly Delicious, Bacon Jam, Folkington’s, Garlic Farm, Hawkshead Relish, Kent & Fraser, Kent’s Kitchen, Little’s Coffee, Maxims, Monty Bojangles, Mr Filbert’s, Mr Fitzpatricks, Mr Stanley’s, Ouse Valley, Pelagonia, Peter’s Yard, Portlebay Popcorn, Potts Partnership, Prestat, Real Basmati Rice Company, Scrubby’s, Serious Pig, Stokes sauces, Stonewall Kitchen, Teoni’s, Union Coffee, Wessex Mill, Wild at Heart & Willies Cacao black truffle. All are available in 5 litre cans at £63 each.

Deli-cious Fine Foods

5, Queen’s House, 176 South Lambeth Road, Vauxhall, London. SW8 1QS 0203 397 4701 sales@deliciousontap.co.uk www.deliciousontap.co.uk @DeliciousOnTap

Established in 2006, Deli-cious Fine Foods specialises in oils and vinegars. Sourcing from across Europe, the firm supplies extra virgin olive oils, flavoured olive oils, nut and seed oils, British pure and flavoured rapeseed oils and speciality flavoured pure balsamic vinegars. All of these are available to retailers in its on-tap format, which includes refillable glass bottles, dispensing amphorae and display furniture.

Deli-cious also supplies gourmet dips, herb blends, bruschetta mixes, salsas and salt, which are all made with

factories in Thailand. All products are affordably priced and come in bright packaging.

all natural ingredients.

Its On Tap range is available through distributor Rowcliffe but it also supplies other lines direct to customers.

Deli-cious OnTap flavoured extra virgin olive oils The base for this range is a premium quality Spanish extra virgin olive oil created with a blend of three types of olive - Arbequina, Picual and Hojiblanca. The oils are infused with a range of flavours including rosemary, chilli, garlic, lemon and

Deli-cious ‘Every Day Gourmet’ bruschetta dried herb mixes These are made with a blend of tomato flakes, herbs, spices and special ingredients including wild garlic, porcini and forest mushrooms, jalapeno peppers, paprika and mango. Made with freeze-dried ingredients to capture all the freshness and flavour, these lines are available in case sizes of 12 x 50g or 75g packs.

Deli-cious OnTap balsamic cream vinegars This range of cream vinegars is sourced from a producer in the Mosel region of South Germany.

The artisan firm combines Silan date syrup from Israel, with wine vinegar and Balsamico di Modena from Italy.

This range, which comes in 5 litre cans at £54.88 each, can be used as accompaniment for an array of dishes, whether it’s meat, salads or desserts. They can also be used in sauces and gravies. It’s newest variety is Crema di Frutta, which features a high percentage of fruit pulp.

Brands include: Deli-cious Fine Foods, Delicious OnTap Oils & Vinegars, aMust, Mussini, Bonsecco, Wajos Gourmet, DeliGreece, Galantino, Balsam, Sansone Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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20% OFF FOR THE MONTH OF JULY

MONTE ENEBRO

Monte Enebro is perhaps Spain’s greatest goats’ milk cheese. Made by Rafael Baez a retired builder turned artisanal cheese maker and his daughter Paloma, in Ávila, it is produced in limited numbers of about 7,000 a year.

Flavours in the younger cheeses are mild, bright and tangy, with distinct citrus notes combined with a cellar-like aroma and flavour imparted by the blue rind. As the cheeses mature, the aromas become more pungent and the flavours evolve and strengthen, becoming quite assertive, tasting of citrus and goat.

A delicious, pasteurised, semi soft goat’s cheese, served on a cheeseboard with crusty bread Monte Enebro pairs well with Sweet wine.

Random Weight 1.2kg-1.6kg FOR THE MONTH OF JULY ONLY £15.96

To place your order call our telesales team on

01892 838999

The UK’s Favourite Wholesale Supplier of On Tap Oils & Vinegars

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Extra Virgin Olive Oils Flavoured Olive Oils Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oils Flavoured Rapeseed Oils Nut & Gourmet Oils

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Call us: 0203 397 4701 www.deliciousontap.co.uk Email: sales@deliciousontap.co.uk 30

July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

ACCESSORIES Deli-cious Fine Foods & Deli-cious OnTap is an Accredited Supplier and Member of the Guild of Fine Food, UK

importers & distributors hf Chocolates

5 Fitzhamon Court, Wolverton Mill South, Milton Keynes, MK12 6LB 01908 315003

Delicioso UK

Unit 14 Tower Business Park, Berinsfield, Oxon OX10 7LN 01865 340055

sales@hfchocolates.co.uk www.hfchocolates.co.uk

info@delicioso.co.uk www.delicioso.co.uk

hf Chocolates’ supplies small, independently-owned specialist food shops, including delicatessens, fine food shops and department stores, as well as gift shops, garden centres, farm shops and hamper companies.

Established in 1957, the business operates from fully temperature-controlled premises.

It re-packages a significant number of lines and also supplies own-label products as well as personalised confectionery.

Its sources chocolates and confectionery from a variety of countries including Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, USA and the UK.

Delicioso is a distributor of gourmet products sourced from family-run businesses throughout Spain. The Oxford-based company supplies delicatessens, restaurants and retailers across the UK with a wide range of products including charcuterie, seafood and cheeses as well as biscuits, chocolate and wines. Named Speciality Importer of the Year in the 2008 Great Taste awards, Delicioso continues to expand its range of products with new and seasonal lines, including its Christmas catalogue due for publication in August.

Brands include: Amarelli, Amatller, Barú, Booja Booja, Bovetti, Boynes, Cavalier, Chocolotol, Confiserie Weibler, Divine, Dolfin, Droste, Fudge Kitchen, Gina, Gnaw, Grown Up Chocolate Co, Gudrun, Hint Mint, Kingdom, Klett, Ko-Koá, Koska, La Suissa, Leone, Lessiter’s, Limar, Madelaine, Messori, Meybona, Montezuma’s, Original Gourmet Co, Prestat, Quaranta, RJ’s, Simón Coll, Steenland, Storz, Sweet Boutique, Union Edel, Venchi

methods to infuse flavour while keeping the health benefits. Azada’s hazelnut oil was winner of 3 stars at the 2012 Great Taste Awards, and Delicioso also carries the producer’s walnut and almond oil in 100ml bottles (£39.80 for a case of 12).

Vira This classic Spanish chocolate is sourced from a ‘master chocolatier’ in Barcelona.

Delicioso stocks sachets and tins of Vira’s hot chocolate, as well as its new chocolate fig

bombons filled with brandy truffle and dipped in dark chocolate.

Brands include: Bernardo Hernandez, Bodega Iberica, Palcarsa, Pamplonica, Cecinas Nieto, Embutidos Sola, Embutidos Dany, Embuastur, Pujado Solano, Conservas Cambados, Artequeso, La Cuna, Delicioso, Leyenda, Vegatoro, Jose Lou, Arroz Tomas, Hacienda la Laguna, Oleic Bovera, Mykes, Azada, Mykes, El Majuelo, Sanmel, JM Fuster, Rierra Rabassa, Flaper, De lo nuestro artesano, Jose Pelluz, Colmeneros, Mykes, El Artesano, Upita de los Reyes, Franjuba, Casa Eceiza, Nicanores de Bonar, Especialidades Vira, Rioja Vega, Dios Baco, El Gaitero, Trabanco, Solan de Cabras, Vichy Catalan, Regas, Fenix, Garcima

Smoked Asturian Charcuterie Sourced from a family-run company in the Picos de Europa mountains, this range is available in four flavours: chorizo dulce, chorizo picante, traditional morcilla (Spanish smoked black pudding) and a mixed pack called ‘Compango’.

Available in cases of 12 at £31.95 per case, except the Morcilla (£24.50/case).

Azada nut and olive oils This range of imported products is roasted in Cataluña using traditional

Heart Distribution

Longacre Industrial Estate, Rosehill, Willenhall, WV13 2JP 01902 308996 heartdistribution@afblakemore.com www.afblakemore.com/heart @HeartLocalFood

Heart was set up by distribution giant A F Blakemore & Son to help small regional producers get their food and drink to market, allowing them to concentrate on developing their products.

From its Wolverhampton base, the firm delivers to customers as far east as Derbyshire and its coverage extends through the Midlands all the way to the south coast. The distributor is now looking at servicing more retailers in London and is even beginning to develop a customer base in Devon and Cornwall.

Heart now supplements the many locally produced ambient and chilled lines it carries with a number of bigger brands, such as Tyrrells and Westons Cider. Despite its geographical expansion and growing catalogue, Heart is sticking firmly to its philosophy of “One Order, One Invoice and One Delivery”, allowing delis and farm shops to continue supporting their local producers while reducing food miles.

The Cotswold Cider Co The company’s range includes Side Burns with a toffee apple infusion, SweetCheeks Blush with blackberry & elderberry, BlowHorn with a hint of spice and its classic No Brainer cider. All made with organic apples.

Little Round Cake Co ‘Merangz’ Made using a traditional Swiss method, these meringues have a crispy outer shell with a soft gooey centre. They come in in six flavours, including strawberry & white chocolate, pistachio, lemon and caramel.

Cheshire Farm’s Hand Prepared Chips Made with potatoes sourced from the family farm and prepared by hand, these potato chips come with a range of seasonings.

Brands include: Croome Cuisine cheese, Fatherson Bakery, Cheshire Farm, Bibijis curry sauces, The Flavoured Butter Co, Windmill Hill Fruit Farm, Mr Trotters, Coopers Gourmet sausage rolls, Hobsons, Valley Brewery, Purity, Qcumber sparkling water, Treflach pies, Tiresford yogurts, The Cotswold Cider Company, The Orchard Pig cider and juice

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

31

importers & distributors Divine Deli Supplies

The Pavilions, Bridgefold Road, Rochdale OL11 5BY 01706313001 info@divinedeli.com www.divinedeli.com

Divine Deli was founded in 2007 with the aim of supplying independent fine food retailers with unique foods and accessories from “the world beyond jam and chutney”. Divine Deli’s products range from bread dippers and brie bakers to olive wood and slate platters. The Rochdale-based company works with businesses from Canada, the UK, Tunisia, Spain and Holland to source high-end products for its UK-wide customer base.

Wildly Delicious A family-run fine food business based in Toronto, Canada, Wildly Delicious supplies brie bakers – a “firm favourite with many retailers” – and a range of bread dippers.

Divine Deli Ceramics Divine Deli’s ‘signature’ range of ceramics is amongst its most popular products to date.

Brands include: Wildy Delicious, ‘Decorate!’ Cake Decorators, Mr Jones Teas

Samways

Chilbolton Down Farm, Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20 6BU 01264 810440 sales@samways.uk.com www.samways.uk.com @samwaysfood

Samways is a Hampshire-based firm specialising in the distribution of goods directly from their manufacturers and importers to its customers in the UK, Europe and the Far East. With over 6,500 products, Samways’s catalogue includes olive oil, charcuterie, cheese, chocolates and chutneys. The company offers “an incredibly competitive price” and a same-week delivery service, as well as a “quick and easy” ordering process via its website.

Belvoir Fruit Farms Belvoir Fruit Farms’ range of soft drinks now includes elderflower and raspberry lemonade in cans, as well as cherry and elderflower & rose

pressés. The entire range is available to order from Samways in either 25cl or 75cl bottles.

Cambrook Nuts A British-made selection of nuts and nut bars, including caramelised sesame peanuts and caramelised Macadamias.

Kent’s Kitchen This producer’s range is dedicated to making life in the kitchen easier.

It includes stocks, sauces, gravies, meal kits, rubs and noodles.

Brands include: Belvoir, Olives Et Al, Jme, Paxton & Whitfield, Atkins & Potts, Organic Andalus, Tiptree, Sugar

& Spice cakes and tray bakes, Tyrrells, Wilton Wholefoods, Folkingtons, The Berry Co., We are Tea, Moores Biscuits, Doves Farm, Bloc Candy, Gordon Rhodes, Truffle Hunter, La Mortuacienne, Brindisa, Thai Taste

Hider Foods

Wiltshire Rd, Hull, East Yorkshire, HU4 6PA 01482 561137 (office), 01482 504333 (sales) sales@hiderfoods.co.uk www.hiderfoods.co.uk

Established in 1965, Hider is a family-owned importer, supplier and distributor working with farm shops, delis, garden centres and leading department stores up and down the country. Its expanding product portfolio features more than 3,500 lines, including speciality food brands as well as nuts, dried fruit, confectionery and cakes. It also offers a large range of seasonal products through its Christmas and Easter brochures. The Yorkshirebased company, which operates its own fleet of vehicles, also imports, cleans and packs an array of nuts and dried fruits on-site.

Granny’s Secret Hider is now the exclusive UK distributor for the Granny’s Secret range of Serbian products in jars. These include Ayvar (roasted red pepper spreads) as well its whole fruit coulis, extra fruit jams and 100% fruit spreads.

Hazer Baba Turkish Delight This brand of Turkish delight (Lokum) is available exclusively from Hider Foods in over 50 varieties, from the classic flavours such as rose and lemon to mint, cherry or amaretto. These traditional sweets are available enrobed with chocolate or studded with pistachios. They come in a range of sizes, from 125g to 3kg, and packaging, including hexagonal boxes and traditional wooden drums.

Corsini Corsini, an Italian family business established in 1921, is a leading manufacturer of Cantuccini, the classic Tuscan biscuit with almonds. It also produces an extensive range of speciality biscuits, panforte and panettone for the Christmas season along with a boxed range of Cantuccini, Biscotti, Amaretti and Croccoli.

Brands include: Granny’s Secret, TT Sauce, The Persia Trader, Border Biscuits, Belvoir Cordials, Green & Blacks, Tyrrells, Farrington’s Oils, Atkins & Potts, Peter’s Yard, Hazer Baba Turkish Delight, Corsini cantuccini and panettone, Schlunder stolen cake, Bloomsberry designer gift chocolate bars, Fischer & Wieser Texan gourmet food, La Buena Vida tapas products, and Essence of Quality pre-packed nuts, snacks and dried fruit.

32

July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

0480 Melodia Ad

23/11/10

15:38

Page 1

Importers and distributers of fine hams and charcuterie For a full list of charcuterie products, please go to our web site and register www.melodiafood.com

Ideal for men – the black brie baker gift set

For more information visit our website or call 01254 707142 Melodia Food Company Limited Unit 8 Darwen Enterprise Centre, Railway Road, Darwen, Lancashire BB3 3EH www.melodiafood.com

Depots in London, Worcester, Manchester and the South West.

Supplying and supporting independent retailers, restaurants, caterers, national hotel groups, events, stadia and travel.

Perfect gifts – over 50 new serving and tapas ceramics

Fabulous ideas – sugar cubes redefined

Welcome to the world beyond jam and chutney! www.divinedeli.com

Our Brands 0207 819 6001 01905 829 830 0141 428 3391 0161 279 8020 01392 908 108 www.cheesecellar.co.uk Head Office Central Scotland North West South West

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

33

AWARD-WINNING SINGLE-ESTATE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Discover La Bandiera Premium Olive Oil

Connoisseurs of olive oil will delight in tasting the exceptional extra virgin olive oil from La Bandiera. This delicious olive oil is produced in the traditional wine growing area of Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast – home of the Super Tuscan vineyards of Ornellaia and Sassicaia.

The team at La Bandiera continues to use the traditional methods of selecting the best time to harvest the olives to ensure the acidity level is low thereby creating the perfect blend. The result is a smooth yet full-bodied olive oil, endorsed by the IGP in recognition of its quality and origin.

A recent winner in the 2012 Great Taste Awards, La Bandiera olive oil is available for delivery throughout the UK in sizes ranging from 250ml bottles up to 5 litre cans.

Visit www.labandieraoliveoil.com or call 0207 243 5150

“Very interesting nose – aroma herbs and hay, meadow flowers in abundance, rustic but balanced and the warmth is very good.”

• Family company established 1977 • BRC certified at the highest level • Over 1000 products • Specialists in quality cooked meats and continental charcuterie • Full range of British and continental cheeses also supplied

01582 590999 www.westphalia.co.uk

• Vast selection for the deli counter and retail packs for the chilled cabinet • FREE delivery anywhere in England & Wales (Ts & Cs apply)

34

July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

uinE GEn k YOR nEW ami R PaSt

importers & distributors El Olivo

27 Ratcliffe Terrace, Edinburgh EH9 2 NU 0131 6684751 info@elolivo-olive-oil.com www.elolivo-olive-oil.com

El Olivo was founded by Maria Cumming in 2005 with the goal of bringing high quality Spanish olive oil to the UK from regions throughout Spain. In 2008, the company began listing other speciality Spanish food including chorizos, ham and chocolate.

Its 13 varieties of olive oil are made using many of the 260 types of olive grown in Spain. It also distributes speciality products, made by small artisan producers, under its own brand name to independent retailers across the UK.

Spanish Chorizo Amongst El Olivo’s range of ham and chorizo imported from its Spanish artisan producers is this E-number free chorizo. Sold under El Olivo’s own label, this chorizo is available in 330g packs.

Fig Bombons with Pisco New to the range this year are these fig bombons with pisco – an amber coloured grape brandy. They come individually wrapped in a canister.

Serrano Ham El Olivo says this is the only preservative-free Serrano ham on the market. This product is packaged to lock in as much freshness and flavour as possible.

La Credenza

Unit 9, College Fields Business Centre, Prince George's Road, London, SW19 2PT 020 7070 5070 info@lacredenza.co.uk www.lacredenza.co.uk

Italian food specialist La Credenza has over 10 years’ experience of importing traditional products from artisanal producers and family-run businesses across the 20 regions of Italy. The London-based company’s range includes cured and cooked hams, salamis and cheeses, which are distributed to food halls, independents and restaurants.

Burrata Sourced from Caseificio Maldera, a

Puglia-based artisan factory, Burrata is a cows’ milk mozzarella variety, made from fresh cream and unspun mozzarella curds.

San Daniele Prosciutto Dok Dall’Ava Prosciutto di San Daniele - the “king of Italian cured ham”- made from personally selected heavy pig’s thigh produced in Friuli in the North of Italy.

Buffalo Mozzarella, La Casearia Carpenedo cheeses, Carozzi cheeses, Gennari Parmigiano, Bonfatti Mortadella, Bonamini Olive Oil, Mulino Marino, Molino Pasini flour

Unit 8 Darwen Enterprise Center, Railway Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2EH 01254 707142 info@melodiafood.com www.melodiafood.co.uk

Melodia Food is an Italian fine food specialist that supplies independents, delis and farm shops with artisanal products from the southern regions of Italy.

The Darwen-based company personally selects its products, which range from olives and oils to sweets, biscuits and cakes, from small producers in Calabria.

In addition to its Calabrian products, Melodia Food imports

Unit 1, Holland Way Business Park, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 7TA 01258 450 200 www.sarunds.co.uk

Founded by Robert Verdonk, House of Sarunds was set up with the aim of providing fresh, high quality Belgian chocolate. Today, the Dorset-based company – now run

by Peter and Julie Martin – is one of Britain’s leading confectionery specialists, sourcing, importing and distributing Continental chocolates and confectionery. House of Sarunds provides services including in-house packing, custom labelling and next day delivery to retailers across the UK. The company’s extensive range includes macaroons and marshmallows, cakes and caramels, including a range of speciality items such as Fairtrade, gluten free, dairy free and no added sugar.

Giant Green and Belal di Cerignola olives These giant green olives are carefully treated to give a sweet taste and natural green appearance.

Brands include: Dok dall’Ava San Daniele, S.ilario Parma Ham, Acquerello Rice, Maldera Burrata, Casamadaio

Melodia Food

House of Sarunds

products from other regions, including pasta from Naples and amoretti biscuits from Piedmont.

Many of its range of authentic Italian items are DOP, or protected name, products.

N’Duja Menotti, a family-run charcutier based in the southern region of Calabria, has been supplying Melodia with spicy, spreadable N’Duja salami for over eight years.

The N’Duja, which is among a number of products Menotti makes, is a tradional Calabrian delicacy made with locally reared pork and the region’s cherry chillies. It comes in small jars or in Budello, a natural casing.

Brands include: Candy stripe non-chocolate gift confectionery, Cavalier/Stevia no added sugar chocolate, Chocolate Alchemist, Guylian, Hamlet Belgian chocolates and biscuits, Kimberley’s English chocolates, NatraJacali chocolates, Niederegger, Pralibel Belgain chocolate, Sebahat Turkish delight, Van Coillie, Anthon Berg, Belgid'Or, Boynes, Caluwe, Carlier, Choc-o-Lait, Cote D'Or, Dean's, Droste, Duc d'O, Fini, Gardiners, Gudrun, Gwynedd, Jelly Belly, Moo Free, Newberry Fruits, Rausch, Ritter, Rivoltini, RJ's Liquorice, Schokodragee, St. Valentine's, Weibler and Wheels Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

35

Atlantico ad_Layout 1 07/06/2013 09:37 Page 1

Free delivery for new UK based clients.

To take advantage of our superb July promotions please call Maria or Ian on 0131 668 4751

HIDDEN SECRETS FROM PORTUGAL

THE BEsT THaT sPaiN Has To oFFEr aT CoMPETiTivE PriCEs

viNEgars NEW

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5 litre plastic containers of Balsamic Vinegar £15.99

oils

MUST BE TRIED

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aNCHoviEs, BaBy squid, oCToPus, MussEls

Fig BoNBoNs

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roasTEd rEd PEPPErs olivEs

sPiCEs

allioli & PÂTÉs

T 0131 668 4751 E info@elolivo-olive-oil.com www.elolivo-olive-oil.com No minimum order & you can mix and match products

36

July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

Barrancos chorizo

Barrancos cured pork loin

Barrancos cured “Paio”

importers & distributors A S U P PL E M E N T T O

2013 Guide to Importers & Distributors Including: Bespoke Foods Brindisa Carnevale Cheese Cellar Cibosano Cotswold Fayre The Cress Co Deli-cious On-Tap Delicioso Divine Deli Supplies El Olivo Heart Distribution hf Chocolates Hider Foods House of Sarunds Infinity Foods La Credenza Medallion Melodia Food The Olive Oil Co Rowcliffe Samways

Other useful contacts

YOUR PULL-OUT-AND-KEEP DIRECTORY OF FINE FOOD IMPORTERS, WHOLESALERS & DISTRIBUTORS

Auguste Noël

2-6 Griffin Manor Way, Thamesmead, London SE28 0AA 020 8854 3500 www.augustenoel.co.uk

Blas Ar Fwyd

25 Heol yr Orsaf, Llanrwst, Conwy, Wales, United Kingdom, LL26 0BT 01492 640215

Fromage to Age

Michael Lee Cheese

www.fromagetoage.co.uk

www.finefoodcheesesltd.co.uk

5 Battlebrook Drive, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, GL55 6JX 01386 849 345

Gastro Nicks

Unit 4 Garlands Estate, Cadley Road, Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire, SN8 3EB 01264 852701

Unit 9 Lister Park, Green Lane Industrial Estate, Featherstone, West Yorkshire, WF7 6FE 01977 798012

Neal’s Yard Dairy 104 Druid Street, London, SE1 2HH 02075007520

www.blasarfwyd.com

www.gastronicks.co.uk

www.nealsyarsdairy.co.uk

Bradbury’s Cheese

Grey’s Fine Food

Odaios

Staden Business Park Staden Lane Buxton.

SK17 9RZ 01298 23180 www.bradburyscheese.co.uk

Castell Howell

Cross Hands Food Park,, Cross Hands, Llanelli ,Carmarthenshire, SA14 6SX 01269 846060 www.chfoods.co.uk

Cryer & Stott

Office 5 Weir View, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 2SF 01977510638 www.cryerandstott.co.uk

Unit 20M, Marston Moor Business Park, Tockwith, Nr Wetherby, YO26 7QF 01423 358159 www.greysfinefood.com

www.odaios-foods.com

Guidetti Fine Foods

Odysea

Unit C Astbury Business Park, Astbury Road, London, SE15 2NW 020 7635 9800

Unit 2, Monkton House Industrial Estate, Mark Road, Highbridge, Somerset TA9 4QY 01278 429843 www.diversefinefood.co.uk

Essential Trading Unit 3, Lodge Causeway Trading Estate, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JB 0117 9583550

Kings Fine Food

6 Mill Farm Business Park, Millfield Road, Hanworth, Middlesex, TW4 5PY 020 8894 1111

Lefktro

Unit 3D, Lopen Business Park, Mill Lane, Lopen, Somerset, TA13 5JS 01460 242 588 www.lefktro.co.uk

Longman Cheese

The Offices North Leaze Farm, North Cadbury, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 7BD 01963 441146

www.essential-trading.co.uk

www.longmancheese.demon.co.uk

France Gourmet

Macknade Fine Foods

www.francegourmet.co.uk

www.macknade.com

Fratelli Camisa

Marigold Health Foods

18 Gemini Project, Landman Way, London, SE14 5RL 020 7252 0438

Unit 4, I.O.Centre, Lea Road, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, EN9 1AS 01992 763076 www.camisa.co.uk

3rd Floor, 29-31 Cowper Street, London, EC2A 4AT 020 7608 1841

Selling Road, Faversham, ME13 8XF 01795 534497

Turnpike Way, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP12 3TF, 01494 530 200 www.rhamar.com

Seggiano

Unit 4, 3 Wedmore Street, London, N19 4RU 0207 272 5588 www.seggiano.com

Sheridans

Virginia Road Station, Carnaross Co, Meath 046 924 5110 www.sheridanscheesemongers.com

Shire Foods

Plot 3 Soverieign Way, Trafalgar Industrial Estate, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 9SW 01366 381250 www.shirefoodsofnorfolk.co.uk

www.odysea.com

www.guidetti.co.uk

www.kingsfinefood.co.uk

Diverse Fine Food

11 Magna Drive, Magna Business Park, Citywest, Dublin 24, Ireland 0353 1 469 1455

R H Amar

Pallas Foods

Stratford Fine Foods

Pallas Foods, Newcastle West, Limerick, Ireland 035369 20200

Goldicote Business Park, Banbury Road, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7NB 01789 740094

www.pallasfoods.eu

www.stratfordfinefoods.com

Patriana

Suma

www.patriana.com

www.suma.coop

Paxton & Whitfield

The Bay Tree Food Co

The Goods Shed, Station Road West, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 8AN 07734114295

Unit 6 Willow Court, Bourton Industrial Park, Bourton on the Water, Gloucestershire, GL54 2HQ 01451 823460 www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

Petty Wood

Livingstone Road, Walworth Business Park, Andover, Hants, SP10 5NS 01264 345500 www.pettywood.co.uk

Plough to Plate

Unit 10, St Pancras Commercial Centre, 63 Pratt Street, London, NW1 OBY

Unit 26, Pensilva Industrial Estate, St Ives Road, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 5RE 01579 363 942

www.marigoldhealthfoods.com

www.ploughtoplate.co.uk

Lacy Way,Lowfields Business Park, Elland, HX5 9DB 01422 313 840

Unit 5 Lawrence Hill Business Centre, Saxon Way, Wincanton Business Park, Somerset, BA9 9RT 0845 900 3981 www.thebaytree.co.uk

The Fine Cheese Co 29 & 31 Walcot Street, Bath , Somerset, BA1 5BN 01225 448748 www.finecheese.co.uk

The Oil Merchant

5 Goldhawk Mews, W12 8PA 02087401335 www.oilmerchant.co.uk

Vallebona

Unit 14, 59 Weir Road, London, SW19 8UG 02089445665 www.vallebona.co.uk Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

37

To all our cusTomers who ask how much we keep in sTock?

The answer: noT a sausage.

Or an artichoke quarter.

Or a smoked oyster. Not a bean. No, not even a bean.

by Friday. So you get the best products with the best dates. Direct.

Dust free.

Call us old fashioned, (as many do), but at Samways, we stick to our belief that our fine foods should be delivered to you direct from the manufacturer or importer, the same week that you place your order.

So your Jalapeno stuffed olives aren’t left lying around gathering dust for months. When you order on a Monday, we deliver

You see we’re not big on warehouses. That’s why we don’t have a big warehouse.

we haVe To DeliVer. Find us at samways.uk.com or call 01264 810440 for a chat.

20

July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

A promotional feature for the Guild of Fine Food

JULY’S MONEY MAKING PROMOTIONS MIKES HOMEMADE

KEZIE FOODS

THE FOOD MARKETING EXPERT

Set up in 2008, Mikes Homemade produces chutneys, pickles, preserves and marmalades. Chef and founder Mike Dentith has also recently added mustards to his range and has his own bees, which are now producing honey. None of his products contain artificial ingredients or setting agents.

All lines are supplied in cases of 12 jars.

Dentith specialises in wholesaling to independents and likes to work closely with customers to promote sales.

AVAILABILITY: UK mainland free delivery (additional delivery costs apply to some areas of Scotland & NI) THE DEAL: 5 cases for the price of 4 (offer is for new stockists, excludes honey) CONTACT: Mike Dentith on 01785 284767 or mike@mikeshomemade.co.uk

The exotic meat specialist has launched a range of ready meals under the Wild Gathering Gourmet Meals brand. The meals, which are made by hand using fresh ingredients, are available in 300g or 600g portions. The additive- and preservative-free range includes traditional, exotic and seafood dishes, many of which are low in fat and free from gluten or dairy.

THE DEAL: 20% off first order of the Wild Gathering range AVAILABILITY: Nationwide CONTACT: Lauren Hoddinott on 01361 885159 or laurenh@kezie.com

The Food Marketing Expert creates professional websites that it says “deliver results” for food businesses. Its company website package includes the design and building of the site, which will be SEO-optimised, integrated with social media and feature a built-in blog. The package, which usually costs £2,000, also covers the first year of hosting the site, all copywriting, a three-month social media plan, and a press release.

THE DEAL: £500 off the price of company website package AVAILABILITY: Nationwide CONTACT: Vhari Russell on 07769 683020 or vhari@thefoodmarketingexpert.co.uk

ROWCLIFFE Described by the Kent-based distributor as “an overnight success story”, Monte Enebro has only been in Rowcliffe’s catalogue for a few weeks. This pasteurised semi-soft goats’ milk cheese is made by Rafael Baez and his daughter Paloma in Ávila. Monte Enebro is produced in limited numbers with Baez family able to make around 7,000 of the mould ripened cheeses each year.

THE DEAL: 20% off orders of Monte Enebro cheese in July AVAILABILITY: Nationwide CONTACT: 01892 838999 or sales@rowcliffe.co.uk

UNCLE ROY’S Uncle Roy’s “Sweets And Treats From Yesteryear” range features a number childhood favourites, many of which are exclusive to Uncle Roy. Among the 50 varieties available are Tiger Nuts, Lemon Crystals, Liquorice Root, Coulters Candy, Spogs, Jiquorice Juice sticks, Lucky Tatties, Salt Liquorice, Cinnamon sticks, and Sweet Tobacco.

Each line comes in cases of six tall jars (£12.40), which have a shelf life of 24 months. RRP per jar is £3.45.

THE DEAL: Buy 2 cases of “Sweets And Treats From Yesteryear”, get 1 case free, as part of any carriage-paid order (£150) AVAILABILITY: Nationwide CONTACT: Uncle Roy on 01683 221076 or Uncleroy@uncleroys.co.uk

CELTIC MARCHES

The company’s Abrahalls cider is made by Rob Hancocks using 100% fresh pressed juice from his Herefordshire farm. The cider is a blend of bitter sweet and sharp cider apples – Dabinett, Michelin and a smattering of Kingston Black. This creates a dry but smooth drink with a clean aftertaste. This medium cider (6% abv) comes in cases of 12 x 500ml bottles. Each case costs £15 excl. VAT. THE DEAL: Buy 5 cases of Abrahalls cider, get 1 free AVAILABILITY: England and Wales CONTACT: Susan Vaughan on 01684 569142 or sales@celticmarches.com

YOG

Yog frozen yogurt is made by hand in a churn from fresh British milk – produced on its own farm in Kent – and only natural ingredients.

The company’s range is is available in 500ml & 172ml sizes (with own spoon in lid) and comes in five flavours: natural, passion fruit, dark chocolate, summer berries and pomegranate. Yog is gluten-free, suitable for vegetarians and free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

THE DEAL: Buy 2 cases of 172ml Yog and get 1 free AVAILABILITY: UK (terms & conditions apply) CONTACT: Stratford Fine Foods on 01789 740094 or sales@stratfordfinefoods.com

CHAPMAN’S SEAFOODS Chapman’s produces a range of frozen hand-made fish and seafood dishes using the finest Grimsby fish. Products in the range include eight flavours of fishcakes, three varieties of fish wellingtons, haddock bakes and luxury fish pies.

This year, the firm has launched a range of natural plain fish fillets, salmon supremes, scallops and prawns. Chapman’s has a low minimum carriage-paid order of 40 units.

THE DEAL: 15% off any first order AVAILABILITY: Nationwide CONTACT: Justyna on 01472 269871 or sales@chapmansfishcakes.co.uk

GUILD RETAIL PROMOTION SUMMARY (Available to Guild members only) COMPANY

DEAL

CELTIC MARCHES Buy 5 cases of Abrahalls Cider, get 1 free CHAPMAN’S SEAFOODS 15% off any first order KEZIE FOODS 20% off first order of the Wild Gathering

Gourmet Meal range MIKES HOMEMADE 5 cases for the price of 4 ROWCLIFFE 20% off orders of Monte Enebro cheese UNCLE ROY’S Buy 2 cases of “Sweets And Treats From Yesteryear”,

get 1 case free YOG Buy 2 cases of 172ml Yog and get 1 free

TEL

EMAIL

01684 569142 sales@celticmarches.com 01472 269871 sales@chapmansfishcakes.co.uk 01361 885159 laurenh@kezie.com 01785 284767 mike@mikeshomemade.co.uk 01892 838999 sales@rowcliffe.co.uk

RETAIL MEMBERS – To sign up to the retail promotion scheme contact: tortie.farrand@finefoodworld.co.uk or ring her on 01747 825200 to ensure you receive your shelf-barkers to help promote these discounts instore.

SUPPLIER MEMBERS – want to take part? Contact sally.coley@finefoodworld.co.uk for more information.

01683 221076 Uncleroy@uncleroys.co.uk 01789 740094 sales@stratfordfinefoods.com

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

39

Follow the Star, find the true Italian quality.

Since 1907 Negroni has been producing traditional premium delicatessen meats and is the most known brand of quality charcuterie in Italy.* The success of Negroni products is based on the wide and traditional top quality recipes, and on its full unique integrated “farm to fork” policy, added to over a century of craftsmanship, love and passion. It is no wonder that Negroni is the STAR of Italian charcuterie. *(source: Lexis 2012, Survey on top brand image of charcuterie brands in Italy)

PLEASE CONTACT: WWW.NEGRONI.COM – EMAIL: NEGRONI.UK@NEGRONI.COM 40

July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

THE STAR OF ITALIAN DELICATESSEN MEAT SINCE 1907

cut & dried

making more of british & continental charcuterie

East Yorkshire artisan maker says ‘time is right’ to take its salami and chorizo to a wider market

Newly expanded Three Little Pigs wins distribution deal with Hider

By MICK WHITWORTH

Hider Foods has become the first distributor of Three Little Pigs’ ambient salamis and chorizos, produced in the Yorkshire Wolds by husband-and-wife team Jon and Charlotte Clarkson.

The Clarksons have been making cured sausages at Kiplingcotes Farm near Beverley for six years, and have built on their initial sales through farmers’ markets to supply delis and restaurants from Yorkshire to London, including Beverley’s own Michelin-starred The Pipe & Glass Inn. Charlotte Clarkson told FFD: “We decided early on that we would use a distributor when the time was right.

“As a small business we’re hoping it will allow us to make some time savings in being able to send a large order with just one invoice, as well as reaching fine food outlets further afield.”

There are three hand-tied, 200g horseshoe-shaped products in the Three Little Pigs range: a mild chorizo with La Vera smoked paprika, a spicy chorizo made with

New recipes could be added to the Three Little Pigs range later this year

Habanero chilli and an oregano & thyme salami. All are supplied in cases of six, priced £28.50 (£4.75 per unit) with an RRP of £6.99£7.99.

Hider first approached Three

Little Pigs at the Harrogate Speciality Food Show a year ago. “They are geographically very close to us,” said Clarkson, “so it has been easy to meet with their buyer, who has helped us enormously.”

Chance arrival of wild boar proves a bonus for Capreolus

By MICK WHITWORTH

The unexpected acquisition of a large wild boar carcass has enabled Dorset’s Capreolus Fine Foods to produce an alternative to its usual traditional-breed pork coppa, or cured neck.

David Richards, who runs Capreolus with wife Karen, told FFD: “There are wild boar around here but not as plentiful as in areas like the Forest of Dean, so when we were offered a large, locally shot boar we jumped at the chance.”

He continued: “To make the coppa, we cured the meat in the same way as we approach our usual goats’-whey-fed Oxford Sandy & Black pig: with black and white pepper, coriander, mace and allspice.”

After curing, the meat was air-

dried for several weeks to mature and intensify the flavour.

Richards said: “Flavour-wise it is not dissimilar to our normal coppa, but it’s richer and deeper. The colour is also much darker than pork.”

Specialist chefs’ ingredients supplier Global Harvest and Lyme Regis’s Town Mill Cheesemonger are among the few local businesses to have sampled this “limited edition” coppa.

“Regretfully, there’s not a lot available – about 4kg in total – and all of that has either already sold or has been spoken for,” said Richards, who is now on the look-out for his next wild boar.

In true nose-to-tail fashion, Capreolus also produced lomo from the wild boar’s loin, pancetta with the belly and guanciale from one

The couple plan to focus on their core product range with Hider for now, although new recipes could be launched in the Autumn. “We’re concentrating on our three flavours initially. We think that will be easier from a production point of view, although we’re developing new flavours. We like to test those out at the food festivals we attend, so we can gauge people’s reactions.”

Clarkson said she and her husband were looking forward to working with Hider after taking the decision to expand at the end of last year. “It’s made things much easier.

We now have a larger wet butchery, a new drying room that has more than doubled our drying capacity, and a dedicated packing room and store.”

Kiplingcotes Farm has a herd of around 150 traditional breed pigs, with 15-20 going through the butchery each month. “Nothing’s ever certain,” said Clarkson, “but with a company like Hider behind us we may need to expand quite rapidly, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.” www.threelittlepigsonline.co.uk

With just 4kg available, the wild boar coppa has quickly sold out

cheek (the other was shot-damaged).

“We made salami with the rest,” said Richards. “The legs were so big they would have taken more time than I have available to dry.”

Based at a smokehouse at Rampisham, near Dorchester,

Capreolus produces a selection of cured, air-dried and smoked meats and charcuterie ranging from lardo (cured pig fat) to cold-smoked wild venison. Its smoked mutton was a Great Taste two-star winner in 2012. www.capreolusfinefoods.co.uk

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

41

Simple Simon’s Perfect Pies

A simple solution to serving top quality British produce.

60 varieties of Perfect Pies A complete meal for one, wrapped in light crisp puff pastry.

Quick, convenient and easy to use.

Heat and serve perfectly with a mixed salad.

www.simplesimonspies.co.uksales@simplesimonspies.co.uk tel 01899 220118

The latest edition to our deli range... vegetable crisps

We plant, we grow, we harvest, we cook, we bag - all here, just for you. salami - chorizo - pepperoni - smoked venison - bresaola winning Charcuterie made made with pure wildwild venison AwardAward winning Charcuterie with pure venison sustainably sourced from the Scottish Highlands. sustainably sourced from the Scottish Highlands.

Contact Anja – Tel: 01397 712121 · Email: info@greatglengame.co.uk www.greatglengame.co.uk

salami - chorizo - pepperoni - smoked venison - bresaola 42

July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

sales@fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk

Tel: 01206 241613

www.fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk

product update

olives

Pitted and proper Nigel James

MICHAEL LANE checks out the latest olives available to retailers Kalamata specialist Oliveology is now producing a new version of its mid-harvest olives, which are marinated in Ouzo, organic olive oil, star anise and fennel seeds. As with all of its mixes, the organic olives are hand-selected and naturally cured in fresh water on a small farm in Sparta.

Oliveology, which sells its products online and at London’s Borough Market, wholesales its olives at £27 for 2kg (net weight). The products are supplied in metal tins and have a shelflife of 18 months.

Greek Land Foods, the firm behind the Esti brand, has just acquired Greek olive brand Lelia and is launching two new Kalamata lines into the UK market. It offers “rich, fruity” whole olives in 200g jars (RRP £2.50) as well as an olive spread (180g, RRP £1.99), which is made by blending finely minced Kalamata olives with oregano from the Mani region.

www.oliveology.co.uk

www.esti.com.gr

Dorset-based Olive Et Al’s latest creation is a coriander & red chilli olive mix inspired by the flavours of the Middle East. Available in two formats, the new blend features Amphissa pitted green olives with extra virgin olive oil infused with hot red chillies crushed with garlic, herbs and spices. The firm says that the mellow, mildly sweet olives are the “perfect complement” to the heat and spices used.

It comes 2.5kg trays (trade £23.97) or cases of 6x250g jars (£15.30).

Olive Et Al, which has recently overhauled its branding, has also launched two new lines loose in trays. Capricciosa an Italian antipasti mix of green and black pitted olives, mushrooms, artichokes, sweet and sour peppers and spices – comes in 3.8kg trays and is priced at £36.43. It is also offering Sicilian Nocellara del Belice olives in in 3.5kg trays for £24.49. www.olivesetal.co.uk

Greek olive and olive oil producer Mani Bläuel has launched all of its products in updated packaging. The range includes Kalamatas in olive oil, in brine and pitted in brine and similar formats for green Amfissa. It offers both of these varieties ‘al Naturale’, vacuum-sealed in jars, as well as a jar featuring a mixture of the two. Other products include Amfissa olives stuffed with garlic of Arundel, ...at Pallant and almonds. All of these lines come in jars with a net West Sussex d ith sun-drie drained weight of 150-180g. een olives w Castellino gr Mani Blauel also sells 4.7kg owcliffe) tomatoes (R (drained weight 3kg) of illi, garlic & Kalamata olives in organic extra assic with ch lives et Al Cl O virgin olive oil.

The Fresh Olive Company added three new products to its range in June. All of them are available in 4.5kg trays (drained weight 2.5kg) with a trade price of £20.95. The first, pitted Siena olives, is a mix of large green Chalkidiki and purple Kalamata olives with orange zest, parsley & fennel seeds. Meanwhile, its pitted Jerba mix features large green Chalkidiki and purple Volos olives with rose harissa. The third new line, pitted Valencia olives, includes large green Chalkidiki olives with orange zest & coriander.

Bagged olive brand Oloves has been busy overhauling its packaging and will launch its redesigned bags this month. The firm, which supplies 30g bags of several olive mixes to airlines, is now launching a 60g bag that it says is more suited to retail. It is also adding its first black olive mix (with Harissa marinade) to its range, which includes four green olives with marinades: basil & garlic, chili & oregano, lemon & rosemary and chilli & garlic. www.oloves.com

www.fresholive.com

Top sellers…

www.blaeuel.gr

pepper

h cumin, Moorish wit Olives et Al cardamom coriander & ives Co Pistou ol Fresh Olive ack olives Co pitted bl Fresh Olive

Distributor Cheese Cellar has launched four new olive mixes under its dell’ami sub-brand.

The Italian-style Modena mix (trade price £26.95 for 3kg net drained weight) combines Bella de Cerignola and Gaeta olives with an infusion of four-yearold balsamic and hint of basil.

Santorini (£21.95 for 2.5kg) is a tapas blend of Kalamata and Halkidiki olives with diced cheese, red pepper, oregano, thyme and rosemary. The other newcomers are orange-stuffed Queen Greens (Halkidiki) and the Clarissa Pitted, comprising Kalamata olives flavoured with harissa, spices, rose petals and fresh lemon zest. www.cheesecellar.co.uk

As featured previously in FFD, Lefktro’s new brand The Black Dog Delicatessen will include several olive mixes in jars.

Toscana, Provencal, Ducca spiced with orange, pitted green olives with herbs and pitted Kalamata olives with herbs all come in 250g jars with RRPs starting at £3.09. The full Black Dog range, which also features three olive oils, risotto mixes, balsamic vinegar and four types of pasta, will be available by August.. www.lefktro.co.uk Additional reporting by Ella-Rose Sitch

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

43

Marnie Searchwell Handmade Cakes

Marnie Searchwell

Spiced Boozy Prunes Organic prunes in a light syrup with whole spices, and Appleton Jamaica Rum. Delicious on their own or with rice pudding for dessert, decadent on porridge!

All our preserves are handmade in small batches using seasonal fruit and vegetables. Wherever possible, we use produce that is organic and locally grown

We also make fabulous gluten-free cakes!

www.marniesearchwell.com cakes@marniesearchwell.com•020 7735 1444

Available in loose and jarred Naturally ripened Olives Et Al formats, and suitable for olives are carefully selected vegan, vegetarian and from top artisan suppliers in the gluten free diets. sunniest Mediterranean groves, and lovingly prepared in Every Taste has a Story to Tell...

Dorset to our all natural, Get in touch to find out more: multi award winning recipes... EVERY TASTE HAS A STORY TO TELL... team@olivesetal.co.uk

OLIVESETAL COTOUK EVERY TASTE HAS A STORY TELL...

DORSET ENGLAND OLIVESETAL CO UK DORSET ENGLAND

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July 2013 ¡ Vol.14 Issue 6

01258 474 300

product update

jams & preserves

Reach for the jars When it comes to new product development, the sweet preserves sector never fails to deliver. ANNE BRUCE rounds up the latest flavours and revamped classics.

For a “lovely hint of nutty sweetness” try Paxton & Whitfield’s new Nuts About Figs.

This sticky fig paste with walnuts has been developed by Paxton & Whitfield with an artisan food producer from the French Pyrenees. It is made in small batches using dried and fresh figs and walnuts. RRP is £2.95 for a 90g jar while trade cases of 18 units cost £34.20. www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

The outside is changing, but what’s inside is not, says Thursday Cottage MD Tim Came, as the company prepares to relaunch its range of lower sugar jams and marmalades. The preserves will be known as “Reduced Sugar” from this month instead of “Diabetic”. The authorities in Brussels and Trading Standards in the UK have been signalling that the ‘suitable for diabetics’ label is possibly misleading, Came explains.

Made with fructose, and with just over half the amount of sugar found in traditional preserves, these high fruit content jams are popular with consumers who need to watch their sugar intake, he says. Thursday Cottage hopes to recruit a whole new group of customers following the name change. The 315g jars have an RRP of £2.39 for marmalades and £2.55 for jams. www.thursday-cottage.com

Chef Mike Carnell has rebranded his Chef on the Run products as Passion Preserves, which come in square glass jars with newlook labels. The range currently includes Scrumptious Strawberry & rose jam and Lush lemon & fresh ginger marmalade. Three new products have also been added: raspberry jam with dark chocolate, blackcurrant jam with Welsh heather honey and British blackcurrant jam with liquorice.

A winter special, Lush lemon, cranberry & red chilli marmalade, will also be on sale soon. Each 227g jar has an RRP of £3 and a trade price of £2. Delivery is free on all orders of more than £100 www.chefontherunfoods.co.uk

Gloucestershire preserve company The Artisan Kitchen has introduced a new look, which it says reflects the vibrant flavours in the range. All handmade by chef Sarah Churchill, the range includes seasonal flavour combinations such as toffee apple jam, damson & raspberry jam, Tutti Frutti jam and strawberry, apple & vanilla jam. Throughout the year the company also produces a range of limited edition lines such as rhubarb strawberry & fennel blossom and apricot, white chocolate & vanilla jam. The range comes in cases of 6 x 227g (£13.54). www.theartisankitchen.co.uk

Top sellers…

nend, Kitchen, Dow ...at Melanie’s stershire South Glouce

ge & ginger eser ves oran Highfield Pr marmalade wberry jam eser ves stra Highfield Pr wberry jam mpany stra Bath Food Co y jam de strawberr Bit on the Si rry jam and 4 oz strawbe The Bay Tree lemon curd

l Yorkshire food company, Curry Cuisine, has created a Scrummee fusion jam range. The line-up includes raspberry & black pepper, plum & cinnamon, kiwi & lime and strawberry & cardamon varieties.

Jars are sold in cases of six at a trade price of £9 (RRP £2.49 each). www.currycuisine.co.uk

l Roots & Wings has launched a range of mini jams for delis and independents as well as the foodservice sector. The miniature pots (28g) are blackcurrant, raspberry & apricot, Luscious strawberry jam and Tantalising Seville orange marmalade. They are available to order now. www.rootsandwingsorganic.com

l Huntly Herbs

Ouse Valley Foods has come up with two seasonal speciality preserves. The first is a greengage preserve, which could not be produced last year due to a poor harvest. This will be sold from August to October as long as summer keeps going, says Ouse Valley. The second, for the Christmas season, is pear & Bramley apple conserve with cinnamon, which will be available from September to the end of January. Both lines, which come in 227g jars (RRP £3.85), are made with produce from growers in East Sussex and no artificial preservatives or colours are used. www.ousevalleyfoods.com

has registered with the United States Food and Drug Administration to allow customers to export its Huntly Herbs Little Box of Jams to the States in gift hampers. Gift boxes contain 6 x 40g jars (trade price £7.15, RRP £9.80). www.huntlyherbs.co.uk

l Kitchen Garden Gin & tonic marmalade from Jammy Cow is a new lemon & lime based marmalade made with Fever Tree tonic water and “good gin”. Reported as a huge hit both at farmers’ markets and with retail stockists, it is a sharp marmalade with a hit of gin to finish. RRP is £3-£3.15 for a 190ml jar with a trade price of £2.20.

launched an apricot & almond jam last Autumn in a 227g jar (RRP is £3.10). www.kitchengardenfoods.co.uk

www.thejammycow.co.uk

l Launched in February, Mrs The Bay Tree is now selling its jam in standard sized jars, as well as the mini 100g jars which it is known for. Strawberry extra jam, raspberry extra jam, morello cherry extra jam and blackcurrant jam are now all available in 340g jars (RRP £3.35). These new lines sit alongside the existing range, which includes gooseberry & elderflower jam, strawberry jam with Champagne, stem ginger jam and morello cherry jam with port, in 400g globe jars (RRP £4.25) as well as mini jars. www.thebaytree.co.uk

Bridges raspberry curd can be eaten on its own, spread on toast, or used as an ingredient for cupcake frosting, or in baking. The curd is sold in cases of six units, with a RRP of £2.65 per 340g jar. www.mrsbridges.co.uk

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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product update The latest selection of jams and preserves from Staffordshirebased Cottage Delight includes sherry trifle extra jam – a combination of raspberries, strawberries, vanilla and sherry – with an RRP of £3.10 for 340g. Also on offer is mango marmalade (340g, RRP £2.75), which is made with ripened mangoes and mango juice. The 2013 range also includes a new seedless raspberry, summer berries and dumpsy dearie jams as well as lemon curd and hand poured strawberry extra jam (all RRP £3.10 for 340g jar). www.cottagedelight.co.uk

jams & preserves Top sellers…

an Garden, Ob ...at Kitchen berry

y, straw ies raspberr Struan Apiar eser ves & ginger pr and rhubarb rry & pink er ves strawbe Isabella’s Pres Champagne & cinnamon er ves apple Isabella’s Pres jelly

A “rather unusual” jam, containing nothing else but Mediterranean fruit – not even pectin – is now available. The new Fruit Tree Organic Crush range is made in Italy from freshly harvested fruit and contains 130g fruit per 100g and no added sugar. The jam, which is pressure cooked on a low heat to set, comes in 200g jars (RRP £2.99) The eight-strong range includes raspberry, strawberry, apricot and kiwi. The RRP for a 200g jar is £2.99. The product has also been approved under the Department of Health’s 5-a-Day scheme as containing a portion of fruit in one serving. www.thefruit-tree.com

ncoctions Comestible Co Uncle Roy’s curd passion fruit ncoctions Comestible Co Uncle Roy’s ple curd fruity pineap

Distributor Hider Foods’ latest catalogue will feature the wares of Serbian food brand Granny’s Secret. The range includes jams and fruit spreads such as sour cherry, quince and wild blueberry, made using hand picked fruits, many growing wild.

These products, which come in stackable 300g or 375g jars, can be used as traditional jams but also as compotes, or in yoghurts and cocktails. Trade prices range from £2.25 to £3.24 per jar. www.hiderfoods.co.uk www.grannyssecret.co.uk

New to the Lady Jay range of jams, is Headcracker marmalade, which is made with quince, Seville oranges, and Woodforde’s Ale, from a local Norfolk brewery. Headcracker (RRP £3.95 for 227g) joins the boozy range of Lady Jay flavours, which includes lime & gin, orange & whisky, orange & Champagne, ruby orange & orange liqueur and citrus delight marmalades. The preserves in the range are blackberry & sloe gin, raspberry & vodka, raspberry & gin, strawberry & sparkling wine, strawberry & Champagne, apricot & brandy, Pina Colada, blackcurrant & rum, blackberry & fruit brandy, and summer berry & sparkling wine. www.myspecialities.com

Top sellers…

s, a Fine Food ...at Valentin don Putney, Lon

(Confettura k cherry jam ac bl lia ’E nt Sa di Amarene) onfettura di berry Jam (C ue bl lia ’E nt Sa Mir tilli) lo Amarene al Della Nonna Le Conser ve Sciroppo ueberry jam di Mir tilli bl Dolce Voglia ve estnut conser Seggiano ch

Born out of a small monthly market in 2006, Heather’s Harvest jams feature a high percentage of fresh fruit and contain no added thickeners, emulsifiers or artificial preservatives. The jams come in raspberry, blackberry & apple, strawberry & apple, summer berries, seedless summer berries, apple & ginger and blackcurrant varieties. Each 340g jar has an RRP of £3.95. Seasonal recipes and 100g jars are also available. www.heathers-harvest.co.uk New from Cumbria-based Claire’s Handmade Kitchen are Cherry Berry extra jam (cherries, berries and raspberries), strawberries with Champagne conserve, peach melba preserve with amaretto, St Clements marmalade (orange & lemon), and pink grapefruit & ginger marmalade. These lines come in cases of 6 x 227g (wholesale £1.45, RRP £2.45 per jar). www.claireshandmade.com

Galore! is living up to its moniker with three new marmalades. They are the “not too sweet” blood orange marmalade, blood orange marmalade with a dash of Campari and lemon & lavender. It also has a limited edition preserve, early rhubarb with orange blossom, made with Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb cooked in Seville orange juice with perfumed orange blossom. Each 190g jar has a cost price of £1.95 and an RRP of £2.95. www.galorefoods.co.uk

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July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

l Chilli jam specialist Ciren Calui introduced new labels across its sweet and savoury ranges last year.

All jams are handmade in small batches and free from artificial preservatives, additives and colourings. Jams are available in 235g glass jars (trade price £2.50, RRP £4.50, sold in cases of 6). www.cirencalui.com

l Irish producer Crossogue Preserves has introduced strawberry & chocolate jam, chocolate orange jam and blackcurrant & Pernod jams alongside its Seville pepper marmalade. The strawberry & chocolate jam is described as popular with men and teenagers in particular and the firm says the chocolate orange jam is aimed at Jaffa Cake fans. The blackcurrant & Pernod is also recommend for topping ice cream and desserts. They all have an RRP of £3.75 for an 8oz hexagon jar. www.crossoguepreserves.com

l Polish food specialist Morgiel Fine & Organic Foods is relaunching its range of preserves under a Forgotten Preserves banner in 200g jars. The range includes sea buckthorn confiture, aronia jam, sloe jam, mirabelle plum jam and wild rosehip confiture as well as lingonberries with pear jam and wild blueberry mousse. Prices start at £10.14 for a case of six jars. www.morgielfoods.co.uk

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July 2013 路 Vol.14 Issue 6

Crossogue Preserves is a small multi award winning Irish company launching into the UK market with nine unique and distinctive flavours.

Blackcurrant & Irish Stout preserve just one of the Irish themed products available,made using the world famous “Guinness” just one of the Irish themed products available.

Miller Park, Station Road, Wigton, Cumbria CA7 9BA Tel/Fax: 016973 45974 Email: claire@claireshandmade.co.uk Web: www.claireshandmade.co.uk

Handmade sweet and savoury preserves and condiments Multi-award winning recipes made with all-natural ingredients A colourful array of products from traditional favourites to innovative specialities Powerful branding and packaging with comprehensive retailer support Call Claire Kent for wholesale information…

Call or e-mail us at 00353 504 54416 info@crossoguepreserves.com

Fosters Traditional Foods Ltd, Great Bowden Road, Market Harborough, LE16 7DE | Tel: 01858 438000 www.fosters-foods.co.uk

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FFD0513 Fosters Rebrand Advert.indd 1 July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

28/05/2013 17:03

shelftalk

products, promotions & people

Kitchen Garden launches instant porridge with jam R

AC

D

www.asirifoods.co.uk

www.kitchengardenpreserves.co.uk

By MICHAEL LANE

Serbian food brand Granny’s Secret has secured distribution through Hider S U P LI E P Foods as it prepares to release a host of new lines, including an organic range.

The firm’s Ayvar – a roasted red pepper spread – and its woodland fruit spreads and jams will appear in the national distributor’s latest catalogue.

Meanwhile, it has added a wild strawberry variety to its range of 100% fruit juices as well as a range of vegetable cocktails, including carrot & apple and tomato & celery, in 200ml bottles (RRP from £1.95 each, case size 12 units). Tomato & celery also comes in cases of 6x700 ml bottles.

The brand will also be releasing mini jams for foodservice in cases of 40x30g.

This month will see Granny’s Secret launch organic versions of many of its lines including Ayvar, fruit jams, such as wild blueberry and rosehip, and organic juices, including Cornelian cherry and wild strawberry.

EDITE CR

www.grannyssecret.co.uk

Luscombe upgrades bottles and branding

By MICHAEL LANE EDITE CR

Luscombe has unveiled a re-designed 32cl bottle as S U P LI E P well as new labels that it will use across its range of organic soft drinks.

While they hold the same volume, the taller 32cl bottles have allowed the producer to increase the size of its labels, which now feature images of fruit and more white space, to strengthen shelf presence.

The new bottles also feature the brand name embossed in the glass.

The Devon firm’s managing director, Gabriel David, told FFD that the while the labels were being improved, the changes had been brought on by practical problems, chiefly breakages on the production line during pasteurisation.

“We were using the cheapest [bottle] option,” he said. “We would never do that with ingredients, but we were doing it with the bottle.”

David said changing the packaging has taken more than a year from design through to R

R

AC

D

Malvern-based Asiri Foods has developed a Ceylon S U P LI E P curry sauce for its Giggy & Goo label and a steak sauce with tamarind under its artisan label. The two lines , which were originally created after a request from Midlands Co-op, are available to order this month.

The Ceylon curry sauce (350g, RRP £1.99), which is available in three heat strengths, and the steak sauce (270g, RRP £2.95) both come in cases of six units.

While Moinet still sees it as at a “soft launch” stage, Wolfy’s has been available since the beginning of May. So far, the biggest customer has been North West chain Greenhalgh’s Bakery, which operates more than 60 outlets as well as several sandwich vans across the region.

Granny’s Secret gets out more

D

EDITE CR

Wolfy’s has been launched in three flavours: Creamy with berry (featuring Kitchen Garden’s mixed berry jam), nutty with honey and spiced with pear & ginger (with pear & ginger jam).

Each pot (100g, 90g, and 102g respectively) has an RRP of £1.99 and a trade price of £1.25.

Retailers can purchase it in cases of six units.

AC

Asiri adds two to sauce ranges

What’s in the range?

Moinet is currently in discussions with a public transport company as well as several wholesalers about taking on the product.

“It’s perfect for some, but not right for others,” she said.

“It’s possibly more suited for more urban delis but not really appropriate for farm shops.”

Currently there is no Kitchen Garden branding on the Wolfy’s pots but Moinet said that retail customers have asked for it. “If people can refer it back to us it gives it some credibility,” she said. “We had thought it might be confusing because the market we’re aiming at would not associate this new funky brand with our traditional brand.”

Moinet said there were other flavours in the pipeline, including a Christmas edition, but the plan is to keep three core lines with seasonal releases.

She said that Kitchen Garden had recently invested £100,000 in developing the Wolfy’s brand and increasing production capacity at its West of England base.

Moinet added that this diversification would also help the firm protect its Kitchen Garden brand.

“There’s a limit to how much jam you can sell,” she said. “We want to keep that brand with the same principles as we have always done.”

D

Preserve maker Kitchen Garden has S U P LI E P expanded into a new category with a completely new brand: Wolfy’s instant porridge pots.

The Gloucestershire-based producer has launched the brand with three varieties of porridge mix in individual portion pots (see box), each of which also contain a jar of jam or honey.

Kitchen Garden MD Barbara Moinet said that the pots (RRP £1.99, trade £1.25) had “huge potential” across a wide range of markets, including independent retail, coffee shops, convenience stores and even outdoor & leisure shops.

“Although it’s a very traditional product, porridge is enjoying a revival particularly with people who are eating away from home, for instance, at their desks,” she told FFD, adding that Wolfy’s target demographic is 25 to 40-year-olds.

“It’s a much younger market,” she said. “Preserves is a mature market both in terms of the people and because there’s a lot of it around.”

Although these products are a departure from her firm’s usual artisan style, Moinet stressed that the jam in the pots was made to the same standards as all of Kitchen Garden’s preserves.

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manufacture. “Every drink from Luscombe is made with an incredible amount of attention to detail and we want our bottle to portray that,” he said.

Luscombe’s larger bottles will not be changing for now, although David said this was on his radar.

Despite increased competition and tough trading conditions, Luscombe is enjoying double-digit sales growth, he said.

It is also continuing to turn away enquiries from the multiples. “The

buyers change, and I don’t suppose they put up on the board that ‘Luscombe don’t do supermarkets’.

In these financial times, I think am I being stupid?’ but I’m not panicked into supermarkets.”

“If we’re not careful and let supermarkets cherry-pick the best brands we won’t have any independents left.”

Luscombe currently has a number of lines in development with a view to a summer launch. www.luscombe.co.uk

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www.bespoke-foods.co.uk

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Bespoke is now carrying the latest lines from Peanut Butter & Co, which began life in 1998 as a specialist sandwich shop in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The firm’s range of all-natural peanut butter is produced in the USA using American-grown peanuts. Its latest additions, The Heat Is On (peanut butter blended with fiery spices) and Mighty Maple (peanut butter made with maple syrup), both come in cases of 6 jars for £16.80.

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Ready-to-eat quinoa QUINOLA

www.quinola.com

The Fairtrade, organic quinoa brand now offers two varieties of the Andean grain that can be eaten straight from the pack and used in salads. These 250g pouches, which are available in trade cases of 12 units, can also be heated in the microwave with the product ready to serve as a side dish in two minutes.

The nutty pearl & red quinoa and the crunchy pearl & black quinoa both have shelf lives of 14 months. Each pouch has an RRP of £2.55.

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www.joeandsephs.co.uk

The London-based company is now offering two new flavours of its handmade, air-popped gourmet popcorn: peanut satay and cheddar & smoked paprika.

These varieties are available in 80g pouches (trade £1.84 + VAT, RRP £3.15) for retail. Orders can be placed direct or with distributors including Hider, Town & Country, Shire Foods and Auguste Noel.

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Ramael Scully

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Head chef at Nopi, Soho www.nopi-restaurant.com

Palestinian freekeh www.moonvalley.co.uk

This is wheat that’s picked green then roasted to burn off the chaff, which gives it a wonderfully smoky flavour.

We use it in a salad, served with globe artichokes, peas and pink peppercorns.

It’s also great in a pilaf, with caramelized onions and a dollop of yoghurt on top, a dish we used to serve at Nopi. I am now working on a cold rice pudding using freekeh, so watch this space.

Palm Sugar www.northsouth.com.sg

White chocolate AMELIA ROPE

www.ameliarope.com

The chocolatier has turned her hand to white chocolate with the launch of a spring-summer 2013 range that features three bars.

White Edition 01 is a creamy white chocolate, made using 100% cocoa butter, with a hint of pure Bourbon vanilla. White Edition 02 builds on this with crystals of Maldon Sea Salt, and White Edition 03 also contains pistachios. All three bars retail at £5.60/100g.

In Malaysia, where I was brought up, we call this Gala Jawa. It’s made by boiling down the sap of palm trees until it becomes a dark caramelly sugar.

I buy it in brown lumps, which are ideal for grating. I mix grated palm sugar and water, caramelize it, then add lime juice, fish sauce and rice wine vinegar to make an Asian vinaigrette. Great for Asian slaws and salads. It’s less sweet than ordinary sugar so it balances nicely with the lime. I also use it in jams and curries, and I drizzle a palm sugar syrup on top of my rice pudding.

Sea Spaghetti www.theatlantickitchen.co.uk

This is wild seaweed that grows in long spaghetti-style strands and is foraged by hand and naturally air-dried on the Atlantic coast of Ireland.

It’s not cheap but it’s worth the money – and full of fantastic nutrients too. We serve it with scallops with a soy and ginger beurre blanc. We blanche it in boiling water for about five minutes, rinse and leave to cool, then marinade with white soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar, dry chilli flakes, sesame seeds and oil. We coat the sea spaghetti with the beurre blanc and lime juice before serving.

Belper Knolle cheese jumilondon.wordpress.com/26-2

This amazing raw cows’ milk cheese is made by Herr Glauser in a small dairy in Belp in Switzerland. I buy it at Borough Market – it’s like a really cool feta.

The cheese’s name literally means “The Tuber from Belp,” a reference to its truffle-like appearance. Glauser, whose family has been making cheese for three generations, rolls his hand-formed cheeses in a spicy mix of powdered Himalayan salt, local garlic and Oberland pepper, then matures them for up to 12 months.

The resulting cheeses have an amazingly creamy taste and mouthfeel and are great for grating or shaving. I grate it into a salad of samphire, asparagus, nigella seeds, tarragon and truffle vinaigrette. I also use it in our black bean hummus, mixed with tahini and ginger.

‘Grown up’ juices and cordials Pixley Berries

www.pixleyberries.co.uk

The producer has launched two ranges this month. Its Pixley Court range, which comes in 250ml bottles, is described as ‘grown up’ fruit juices that should be enjoyed from a wine glass with a meal. Meanwhile, Pixley Press is a fruit juice range made with single variety apples and fruit, all juiced on the producer’s own farm in Herefordshire. The firm has also added a cranberry & apple cordial to its range of cordials made with just fruit, water and sugar.

These lines are available direct from Pixley or through Heart Distribution, HEFF’s Delivery Service, Bristol Fruit Sales, Minton & Donello and Country Flavours.

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shelftalk

Looking for suppliers accredited by the Guild of Fine Food?

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Nuoc Me Chua concentrate cooking tamarind www.siamworakitfood.com

One of my favourite foods is rasam, a broth from South India that my mum used to make at home. It contains sautéed onion, garlic, tomato, chilli, pepper, cumin and the pulp of fresh tamarind, which gives it a tartness a bit like lemon juice. At Nopi, we use tamarind paste with crushed turmeric potatoes and pan-fried seabass. We also use it in our date pickle, sweet potato salad and in a cocktail mixed with tequila.

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July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

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enquiries@cirencalui.com · 07548 664589 · www.cirencalui.com Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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shelftalk Deli of the Month INTERVIEW BY mick whitworth

Organic food on the slide? Not according to Soil Association council member Phil Haughton, owner of The Better Food Co in Bristol.

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’ve hardly been able to mention organic food in the last three or four years without one eyebrow heading cynically towards the ceiling.

It has become a given that organics are on an inexorable slide, while ‘local’ is the new shorthand for all that is good and honest in food.

So it’s oddly refreshing to talk to a retailer who is not only bullish about organics, but sounds equally cynical about the the alternative.

“The term ‘organic’ isn’t serving people very well,” admits Phil Haughton when we meet at The Better Food Co on Bristol’s Whiteladies Road, the smaller of his two organic shops in the city. “But what people want to know is that their food is sustainably produced, with high animal welfare, and that it’s locally produced. And with organic food, that’s certified.

“Once you move away from that, people can start putting all sorts of words on food to make you think it’s good, and it’s a lot of hooey. For example, you’ll see meat labelled as ‘local’, which it is – but it’s produced by a local factory farm.”

Haughton is not only a life-long advocate of organics, having started his food education at 14 on a backto-the-land Scottish smallholding, but is currently in his second stint as a council member of the Soil Association, the UK’s biggest organic certification body.

He pays around £1,100 a year per shop to have The Better Food Co certified as organic and sees it as money well spent – not just on ethical or ecological grounds.

“It’s important to us because we’re supporting the only charity in the country that certifies products with integrity and the interests of Mother Earth at heart.

“But what is interesting is that, as a company, we’ve seen an awful lot more growth since the recession, and I think that’s because we offer something people can trust.”

Haughton has suggested we meet at the 2,500 sq ft Whiteladies Road shop, in Bristol’s upmarket suburb of Clifton, because it’s closer to FFD’s deli heartland in terms of

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July 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 6

Son of the soil

Phil Haughton: ‘You hear all this stuff about organics being expensive, and some of it is, but a lot of it isn’t’

range and layout. His original store in St Werburgh’s, opened in 2003, is a more functional building and at 4,500 sq ft is “more of a trolleyshop supermarket” with a greater emphasis on everyday purchases.

“We do a lot more health & beauty and cleaning products.

“Whiteladies Road is much more of a high street location. In both stores, but more so here, people use us because it’s a good shopping experience, and it’s interesting, as much as because it’s organic.It’s a bit more lifestyle here, a bit more

spontaneous, a bit more ‘treat’. But as we get established we’re seeing more people using trolleys.”

The offer at Whiteladies Road is a mix of deli, farm shop, health food and natural products store. Perhaps 10% of the floorspace is given over to non-foods such as Greenscents Nonscents laundry liquid and natural bodycare products like Dr Hauschka rose day cream. Bodycare accounts for 7% of turnover. “It’s really important. It’s non-perishable, and the margins are 35-38% and in a lot of cases more like 45%.”

There’s a central deli counter that produces 11% of sales, and a sizeable organic beers & wines section, responsible for a further 8% of turnover. But the first thing that hits you as you walk through the door (other than the flowers, herbs and vegetable plants on sale outside) is the fresh produce – a firm reflection of the shop’s roots.

Haughton has spent long spells as an organic grower as well as a retailer. His early experience in Scotland formed his interest in “good food and good farming” and left him

products, promotions & people

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We’ve seen an awful lot more growth since the recession, and I think that’s because we offer something people can trust

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have. But it was a project I wanted to “absolutely committed to organics”.

For example? “The first thing is see happen.”

Moving to Bristol, he worked at the that we didn’t put enough expertise He worked with the new Windmill Hill City Farm, a community from the first shop into this one. management for 18 months to farm where he created a plot-toAlmost 100% of the staff were new, get them up to speed, at around plate demonstration area, growing so they had none of that beddedthe same time he was opening crops and producing its own meat in cultured. We had to fix that by the Whiteladies Road shop, which and cheese. changing the job descriptions of presented its own challenges.

His first venture into retailing – a people at St Werburgh’s so they With a slightly less committed, brace of shops named Real Food worked 30% of their time at more ‘lifestyle’ audience and more Supplies – ran into the “end of the the new shop. Luckily our office competition than at St Werburgh’s, yuppie era” and went to the wall, to manager was doing a human The Better Food Co had to work hard be followed in 1992 by The Better resources diploma at the time, and to generate footfall.

Food Co. It began as an organic she was able to put a lot of what “This was not an easy start-up. food delivery service, based out of she was learning into the business.

We were losing money for a lot a warehouse in St Werburgh’s, but “I also had to make sure that longer than I had allowed for. We Haughton soon moved into growing I didn’t have any fixed job in the re-fitted it from top to bottom, and too. Most recently, he took on a 24new structure so I was free to float in the end we spent £80,000 on acre site at Chew Magna between between the two shops and offer the infrastructure of someone else’s Bristol and Bath, developing it into support and training.” property. That included the fridges, a producer, wholesaler and boxThe Better Food Co also now but it was still a lot of money. scheme operator, before helping employs two people, including “Going into year two we still had convert it into The Community Farm, marketing manager Lucy Gatward, not broken even. But it’s sailing now, a Community Benefit Society that is to raise the company’s profile and I’ve learned a lot about how to now owned by around 500 members. through everything from instore manage two stores.”

The Community Farm is now the signage to social media. chief supplier of produce to The Better Haughton is very much Food Co, and Haughton the company’s public tells me: “We would face, promoting both the KS MUST-STOC O C D not exist if it wasn’t shops and wider messages O FO R d THE BETTE for their fresh produce. about sustainable food ugh rye brea do ur so c ni orga s That relationship is so production. “We’re more ou Hobbs House um ho & mint Food Co pea important, and we’ve than just a food store,” he The Better almond slice e re got close partnerships says. “We enter a lot of -f en ut y gl Clives Baker with a lot of other awards to get us profile, chard iss Sw rm ity Fa rm) Fa b farms too.” and we use me, because er The Commun H ’s ney (Jekka estershire ho The sale of this I have a lot of interest in South Glouc farm to the community the organic movement r da ched Godminster was “quite interesting”, and also in social ken ic ch c ni ga roup or says Haughton. He entrepreneurship.”

The Story G mint tea clearly needed to make He adds, mattere re th a er kk be Pu ery organic w re B money from the deal but of-factly rather than ud ro St mixed says there was a degree immodestly: “There’s yogurt with t nu co co CoYo of suspicion about how no doubt that I’m a berries eam much he would benefit very significant part of cr y da se ro a Dr Hauschk personally. In the end, he the brand.” y dr un Nonscents la says: “I did make money, The Better Food Greenscents but not as much as I might Co turned over £2.5m liquid yme th ursery potted Southbank N

last year, and the numbers look healthy. St Werburgh’s grew by 8%, the newer Clifton store by closer to 20%. “Last week we did £22k in this store,” says Haughton, when FFD visits in mid-June. “Last year it was £15k. That’s because we’ve got better and better at what we’re offering, and our staff have really got the plot now. They’ve settled in, they know their customers.”

While the “organic premium” is still a major obstacle for many retailers, Haughton seems entirely relaxed about prices, even in the current climate. “You hear all this stuff about organics being expensive, and some of it is, but a lot of it isn’t. The last time we did a direct comparison between our organic fresh produce and Sainsbury’s conventional produce there was only a 5-10% difference overall, and some of ours was cheaper.

“We work very hard with suppliers to do offers. We’ll have running offers on cider and wine; we have fresh produce offers all the time, as well as regular grocery offers on things like baked beans. We like to make sure people can get a bargain as well as a treat.”

And while you’d expect shoppers in affluent Clifton to be less priceresponsive, the St Werburgh’s store is holding up well, driven by the organic ethos. “We have an amazing diversity of people shopping there.

Whether they’ve got money or not, people make choices.

“It’s the bargain-basement stuff that has suffered in the recession, and we are certainly not bargainbasement – but then, you can’t compare an organic wholemeal loaf with a Sainsbury’s white sliced.” www.betterfood.co.uk

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classified • baking equipment

Do you make PIES or other sorts of pastry products?

We make incredibly versatile PIE MACHINES VISIT www.johnhuntbolton.co.uk TO SEE OUR RANGE OF MACHINES, PLUS VIDEO CLIPS OF THE MACHINES IN OPERATION OR CALL + 44 (0) 1204 521831 / 532798 OR FAX + 44 (0) 1204 527306

Call our sales team on 01747 825200 today to discuss the right classified heading for your equipment, ingredients or services

 Packaging Ltd • food processing machinery

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• baking equipment

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Suppliers of equipment for artisan producers of fruit juices, wines, ciders and oils. Our wide range extends from extraction processes to filtration, bottling, sealing and labelling.

Tel: 01404 892100 Fax: 01404 890263

All prices are in GB Pounds Sterling and are supplied ex-VAT and ex-Works unless otherwise stated. The goods hereby supplied shall Email: the info@vigoltd.com remain property of the seller until such time as payment for the product has been made in full. Any discrepancies to be made in www.vigoltd.com writing within 7 days of receipt. All goods are supplied against our standard terms and conditions which are available on request.

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• bottles & jars

HS HS French Flint Ltd FF Speciality Glassware for the more discerning producer.

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Tel: 020 7407 3200 Fax: 020 7407 5877

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• food processing machinery

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Crestchem

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Food Division - suppliers of

PECTIN XANTHAN GUM CITRIC ACID POTASSIUM SORBATE GLYCERINE & more Contact: LORETTA ATKINS loretta@crestchem.co.uk T: 01494 434660 - F: 01494 434990 www.crestchem.co.uk • ingredients

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The heart of UK food manufacturing

Sugar Dextrose Sweetened condensed milk

Butter Dairy powders Bespoke dairy blends

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Self adhesive labels and swing tags for food and drinks Visit our website for examples of our work and testimonials www.inkreadible.com

Freshness & Flavour sealed in ice

Real baking – real easy Tel 44 (0)1706 364103 mike@becketts.co.uk www.becketts.co.uk www.bakeryequipment.co.uk

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Pure, Chilled or Frozen Lemon, Lime & Orange Zest & Juices

can be supplied as non-organic, organic or wax-free

Produced to order by FA Young Farm Produce Ltd., Timsbury, Bath, Somerset BA2 0FQ

01761 470523 F: 01761 471018 E: info@zumozest.com w: www.zumozest.com

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or ring us to discuss your requirements 0800 096 2720 email: sales@inkreadible.com

Tamper evident & film sealable plastic food packaging Reliable leadtimes and service - sensible minimum order size Sizes available from 30ml to 5000ml Visit www.innavisions.com or call us for a brochure TEL: 01886 832283 EMAIL: nick.wild@innavisions.com

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Training & Consultancy Make sure you’re meeting legal requirements for food safety.

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• packaging

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Training from the Guild of Fine Food What will you learn?

1. The five golden rules for increasing deli sales 2. How to select the best cheese and charcuterie 3. How to create the best counter display 4. How to avoid bad quality cheese and charcuterie 5. How to sell proactively rather than reactively 6. The difference between artisan and mass-produced cheeses and meats through comparative tastings • ingredients • packaging

Cheese

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Wednesday July 3, York Course costs

Members of The Guild of Fine Food just £70, plus VAT (@ 20%).

Non-members £95, plus VAT (@ 20%). *NB. Unfortunately there is a £10 plus VAT (@ 20%) surcharge for London training dates due to higher venue costs.

For more information:

E-mail: linda.farrand@finefoodworld.co.uk Tel: 01747 825200 www.finefoodworld.co.uk

National Flexible helps out Dragon’s new project Since being chosen by investor Peter Jones on TV’s Dragons Den, Love Da Pop popcorn recruited National Flexible to redesign its packaging.

While the three entrepreneurs behind the brand and the product itself impressed Jones, it was decided that the packaging needed an overhaul.

National Flexible was briefed to retain the authentic paper feel of the original bags whilst improving the quality, appearance and feel of the original packaging.

• washing equipment The packaging specialist’s technical team opted for a laminate with a thicker outer paper layer and a metallised inner layer. This new pack not only increases the popcorn’s shelf life, but it also significantly enhances its rigidity • refrigeration giving it a high quality “feel”.

The orginal graphic was also altered to reduce the number of plates and hence the cost of printing the six designs across the range.

“The result is a pack which feels great, looks great, whilst better preserving the product, and keeping the cost down,” said National Flexible regional sales manager Aaron Abbs.

01274 685566 www.nationalflexible.co.uk

Adande’s drawers are in demand Adande has seen increased demand for its refrigerated drawer systems as retailers expand their food-to-go offerings.

The firm’s patented drawer systems may be supplied in one, • training two or three drawer modules, all of which require only a 13 amp power supply, for plug-and-go operation.

“Operators are recognising that the drawer systems offer considerable benefits over traditional upright refrigerators, in terms of functionality, performance and energy efficiency,” said Adande sales director Karl Hodgson.

The the temperature of each drawer may be regulated at 0.1°C increments from -22°C to 15°C. Adande’s systems can be supplied as standalone units or integrated into service counters.

The drawers’ high efficiency panel insulation means that cooking

equipment can be mounted on units with no effect on temperature.

Systems can also be configured to accommodate a blast chiller and drawers can be customised using dividers.

• training 0844 376 0023 www.adande.com

Vol.14 Issue 6 · July 2013

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1963 - 2013

50 Years of Preserving Excellence

Thankfully, some things never change thursday cottage ltd

trewlands farm

tiptree

colchester

essex

co 5 0 rf

Telephone: 01621 814529 Fax: 01621 814555 jams @ thursday-cottage.com www.thursday-cottage.com 56

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