FFD July 2016

www.gff.co.uk |

July 2016 · Vol 17 Issue 6

@guildoffinefood

CHARLOTTE GURNEY 6 ‘If there are more customer cars than staff cars I know we’re okay’

CHEF’S SELECTION 46 Richard Davies of the Celtic Manor and TV’s Great British Menu

DELI OF THE MONTH 50 We head to Ireland to meet Ardkeen Quality Food Store’s Kevin Jephson

BREXIT: WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU LAURRA DAVIS’S SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS SELLING SOFT CHEESES JAMS & PRESERVES

GET INTO THE GROVE From plump Gordals to raw Kalamatas, we bring you our pick of this year’s new olives

JOIN THE GUILD OF FINE FOOD FOR THE GREAT TASTE GOLDEN FORK AWARDS DINNER 2016 Be the first to hear the major results of Great Taste 2016, when the Golden Forks and Supreme Champion are revealed.

Monday 5 September The Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London Drinks reception followed by dinner and award presentations Hosted by John Farrand and Nigel Barden Ticket price includes a drinks reception and four course award-winning menu, showcasing winners past and present curated by Executive Head Chef, Steve Munkley. £140 including VAT for Guild of Fine Food members £160 including VAT for non-members

18.30 Drinks Reception 19.15 Seats for Dinner 23.00 Carriages Dress: Jacket & tie Tickets are limited. To avoid disappointment, please reserve your tickets today. Contact joanne.myram@gff.co.uk or call +44 (0)1747 825200

www.gff.co.uk | www.greattasteawards.co.uk |

@greattasteawards |

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contents news analysis: Brexit cheesewire selling soft cheeses improving counter service

guide to importers & distributors olives jams, preserves & honey shelf talk deli of the month

p4 p12 p17 p19 p21

p23 p33 p35 p45 p50

opinion

BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, those of us who felt physically sick and disorientated by the outcome of June 23’s vote may have settled to a mild queasiness.

That depends, in part, on what’s happens to share prices and exchange rates over the coming weeks – a moving target I won’t attempt to hit.

After all, if I had the gift of foresight we probably wouldn’t have scheduled our annual guide to importers and distributors for this issue.

In the days running up to press, straight after the referendum, we had several conversations with nervous importers wondering what the heck was going to happen to their businesses now.

One told me: “If it’s a Leave vote, we’re basically finished”. That may or may not have been catastrophising, but it doesn’t just come down to what happens to the value of sterling. At importer and retailer Scandi Kitchen, which brings in product both from Denmark and Sweden (in the EU) and Norway (outside), co-owners Bronte and Jonas Aurell made it clear that dealing with non-member Norway is nothing like as simple as the Leave campaign wanted us to believe. Despite being a member of the European Economic Area, Norwegian red tape, it seems, is easily a match for anything the EU’s bureaucrats can throw at its own businesses.

As Patrick McGuigan found with his June 24 phone-round of the industry (see p12), it’s uncertainty that could do as much damage as anything.

We’re years off knowing whether we face punitive tariffs from our disgruntled ex-partners in Europe. Or, indeed whether – as I heard one German politician suggest today – we will end up paying back all our supposed £350 million-a-week “saving” as a fee for unfettered access to the Single Market.

When everything is up for negotiation, nothing is certain.

One of my fellow pub-economists assures me that it will all be okay, because big business will make it so. “It’s not politicians who decide these things,” he told me, “it’s the multinationals.”

Which (sorry, pal) sounds like the kind of sweeping and unsubstantiated statement that got us into this mess. My drinking buddy did vote Leave, after all.

About the only laugh to be had here on June 24 was when a press release arrived from the Forum of Private Business headed “Keep calm and carry on”.

It contained five pieces of brilliant advice such as “Keep a positive frame of mind” and “Be in control – don’t let circumstances control you”.

Every bit as useful, I imagine, as that infamous civil defence advice to “duck and cover” in the event of a nuclear strike.

If you want me, I’ll be hiding under my desk.

One of my fellow pub-economists assures me that it will all be okay, because big business will make it so

MICK WHITWORTH, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

editors’ choice MICHAEL LANE, DEPUTY EDITOR

Rocktails non-alcoholic frozen cocktails

www.rocktails.co.uk

p45

It’s practically the law that trained journalists don’t drink cocktails unless they’re free, but Rocktails could persuade me to part with my cash, and they don’t even contain any alcohol! The range only launched last December but it already has improved branding, in response to customer feedback. The end result is miles ahead of the trashy, shiny pre-mixed cocktails you find perched on the supermarket shelves and each flavour is cleverly named and clearly defined.

The content of the pouches is just as classy and well-executed. The natural flavours listed on the pack all come through on the palate and the quirky additions in each recipe – thyme, yuzu, guanabana – actually add something.

They’re also an excellent proposition for retailers. Not only are they keenly priced (£2.75 per 250ml pouch) but, because they are supplied ambient, you don’t need a freezer to stock them.

Best of all, they are good enough to be merchandised both on their own merits as refreshing soft drinks or alongside your spirits offer as mixers.

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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finefoodnews AmazonFresh set to hit supermarkets hardest EDITORIAL editorial@gff.co.uk

Editor & editorial director: Mick Whitworth Deputy editor: Michael Lane Reporters: Arabella Mileham, Andrew Don Art director: Mark Windsor Editorial production: Richard Charnley Contributors: Clare Hargreaves, Patrick McGuigan, Lynda Searby ADVERTISING advertise@gff.co.uk Sales director: Sally Coley Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executive: Becky Stacey Published by the Guild of Fine Food Ltd Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £45pa inclusive of post and packing. © The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2016. 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.

GENERAL ENQUIRIES Tel: 01747 825200 Fax: 01747 824065 info@gff.co.uk www.gff.co.uk Guild of Fine Food, Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB United Kingdom

Managing director: John Farrand Marketing director: Tortie Farrand Operations manager: Karen Price Operations assistant: Claire Powell Events manager: Christabel Cairns Training co-ordinator: Jilly Sitch Circulation manager: Nick Crosley Financial controller: Stephen Guppy Accounts manager: Denise Ballance Accounts assistant: Julie Coates Chairman: Bob Farrand Director: Linda Farrand

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July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

BY ANDREW DON

Amazon‘s new homedelivery service for fresh food could prove more of a threat to the multiple grocers long term than to specialist fine food shops, preliminary analysis suggests.

Out of the major supermarkets, only Morrisons looks likely to escape any negative impact from AmazonFresh, because of the deal signed in February for Amazon to deliver the grocery chain’s core food products to UK shoppers.

Amazon is to offer home delivery of over 100,000 fresh and frozen grocery items, mostly mainstream manufacturers’ brands – a service it already offers in the US. However, starting its home-delivery service in London, it has also linked with more than 50 small food producers and shops based in locations such as Borough Market and Notting Hill.

It will now deliver items supplied by butcher C Lidgate, FishWorks, Gail’s Artisan Bakery, Konditor &

AmazonFresh will sell mainstream brands like Philadelphia and Warburton’s alongside products from 50 specialist shops and producers in London

Cook, Paxton & Whitfield, Daylesford, Bad Brownie, Chegworth Valley and Turnips.

This echoes the pickup and delivery service already offered in London

by Hubbub, which offers same-day home delivery of food and drink from independents like The Ginger Pig and Gail’s.

AmazonFresh has launched in 69 central and east London postcodes but it is aiming for more widespread coverage eventually.

Ajay Kavan, vicepresident of AmazonFresh, said: “We will be very

methodical and considered in how we roll this service out further in the UK.” Hubbub insists the launch of AmazonFresh will be an “opportunity”.

Co-chief executive Marisa Leaf said: “Amazon is fantastic at getting things to you cheaply and quickly.

That attracts a certain kind of customer used to shopping in a supermarket or superstore.

“The possibility Amazon might start to tune these customers in to using independents is exciting.”

She believed there was a “good chance” AmazonFresh customers

Academy of Cheese recruiting ahead of 2017 launch Plans for an Academy of Cheese, offering formal qualifications for UK cheese specialists, have taken a step forward, with its industry backers seeking to recruit a project manager ahead of a launch early in 2017.

Companies including cheesemaker Quickes, wholesalers Paxton & Whitfield and Harvey & Brockless and the Guild of Fine Food have formed a steering group to establish the Academy, which they hope will gain similar status to qualifications in the

wine industry.

There will ultimately be four stages of qualification, from a basic level suitable for deli counter staff up

to a level 4 Master of Cheese, similar to the internationally recognised Master of Wine.

The Academy has begun looking within the UK cheese world for a part-time project manager to prepare Levels 1 and 2 for general launch early next year, and to assess ‘fast track’ candidates who will be piloting the scheme later this year.

For more details, contact Jilly Sitch at the Guild.

Closing date for applications is July 14. jilly.sitch@gff.co.uk

would move on to Hubbub “given that we’re the home of independents online”.

Danny Lidgate, whose butchery company C Lidgate is supplying AmazonFresh, said the US giant chose producers and sellers in London it thought were best in their category.

“When they go national I think more fine food producers will get involved because I doubt whether they’d get London producers to deliver to Manchester.”

Bassel El Koussa, chief executive of ‘on-demand’ delivery service Quiqup, which delivers for Whole Foods Market in London, said Amazon was proof there was demand and an opportunity.

Ros Windsor, managing director of Paxton & Whitfield, said she was waiting to see how big its AmazonFresh sales would be. “Some cheesemongers in the States had good results. We’ll just be monitoring it carefully to make sure we can deliver.”

Sources have indicated Amazon takes about a 15% cut of the retail price of each order.

Stag completes £500k expansion Outer Hebrides producer Stag Bakeries has completed a £525,000 investment in its premises in Stornoway that will give it more capacity for both production and new product development.

The family-owned firm, whose seaweed water biscuits won the Best Scottish Speciality at Great Taste 2013, has added 350 sq m to its bakery, warehouse and offices, as well as bringing in new machinery.

Owner Charlie Macdonald said the firm has seen “exceptional sales growth” in the UK and overseas, particularly in ambient biscuits, since rebranding three years ago.

finefoodnews Early autumn promo for sourdough

BY ANDREW DON

Better food and farming charity Sustain has urged farm shops and delicatessens to get behind #SourdoughSeptember – a month of feasts, baking classes and “other sourdough shenanigans”, running as part of its Real Bread Campaign.

Sustain suggests shops hold sourdough toast and tea mornings, pizza evenings and real bread classes.

Chris Young, campaign co-ordinator, said the promotional month was not just aimed at supporting

those who baked their own sourdough bread, but those selling bought-in product, too, by teaming up with a local bakery and offering tastings, or organising “feasts” with other producers, which could include sourdough, cheese and real ale.

He said an element of the public still existed that did not know what sourdough was and was put off by the name – thinking it was really sour.

“I hear anecdotally that some people think it’s like soda bread, which is pretty much as far away from sourdough as you can get.”

Young said the overall campaign, which had been running since 2008, was designed to help more people enjoy “real bread” – bread without artificial additives, which probably ruled out about 95% of product that was sold as bread in the UK, he said.

The Real Bread Campaign’s website includes a calendar to which SourdoughSeptember event organisers can add details.

People who do will be sent the SourdoughSeptember logo and a limited number of promotional postcards. www.sustainweb.org/realbread

Eataly deal is off, says Selfridges

BY ANDREW DON

Selfridges and upmarket Italian chain Eataly have abandoned plans to open a joint-venture food hall in London.

The food hall had been earmarked to launch at Selfridges’ flagship Oxford Street store this September but a spokeswoman told FFD: “I can confirm that Eataly will not be going ahead.”

The news came only weeks after Selfridges announced it had poached Harrods food and restaurants director Bruce Langlands to run its food operations (FFD last month), fuelling speculation that a revamp of the food hall was in the offing.

Eataly did not respond when FFD asked whether it would be going it alone in London, partnering anyone else, or whether it had ditched its ambitions of opening in the capital altogether.

Retailers are urged to prepare for the new £5 polymer bank notes this autumn by making use of free training materials on the Bank of England’s website. Materials include a New Fiver leaflet detailing security features, and its Take a Closer Look poster can be put behind the counter for reference.

The new notes will be smaller than the existing paper versions and supposedly harder to counterfeit. They will launch on September 13. The old fivers will be withdrawn from circulation next May. Polymer £10 and £20 notes will launch later. www.thenewfiver.co.uk

Eataly has nearly 30 sites worldwide, from Tokyo to Chicago, but if it comes to London now it won’t be part of Selfridges

The proposed tie-up has looked shaky for more than a year. Selfridges was understood to have been unhappy when Eataly CEO Luca Baffigo Filangiere announced the move as a done deal at an investor conference in October 2014.

Eataly has grown to

nearly 30 stores in eight years, with sites in Italy, the US, Japan, Dubai, Turkey and Brazil. Incorporating cookery schools, coffee bars, an inhouse brewery, restaurants and market-style retailing formats, it has been seen as an innovative role model for premium retailers worldwide.

Delight in plans to open Scottish food hall chain

BY ANDREW DON

The entrepreneur behind a single delicatessen in Perthshire has revealed plans to open a chain of upmarket food halls in towns and cities north of the border late summer.

Jamie Landale, managing director of Delight Deli, in Aberfeldy, is poised to open a 3,500 sq ft Delight Food Hall with production kitchen and licensed café, in James Square, Crieff. The new store will be nearly four times the size of the 950 sq ft Aberfeldy unit, which opened in June last year.

Landale said it would be the first of what he thought could grow to more than 10 stores in three to five years.

The Aberfeldy store sells charcuterie, cheese, olives and general grocery items

Bank gives advice on polymer fiver

Jamie Landale: the fresh range in his new Delight Food Hall will be ‘more whole-foody’

but Landale hopes to have a bigger butchery counter in the new unit, possibly run as a concession. “We are still in negotiations with people,” he told FFD. It will have a bigger fruit and vegetable offering than Aberfeldy and more chiller space for products such as

in brief l Buckfastleigh,

Devonbased Riverford Farm Shops is raising money to help Syrian refugee charity Luck of Birth by giving 50p from the sale of each £2.25 pot of labneh and muhammara – mezze-style dips. The company raised £500 last winter with profits from sales of Shorbat Adas, an Arabic lentil soup.

l Popular

local yoghurt, organic milk, cheese and butter, and goats’ and ewes’ milk butter – “a little bit whole-foody”, he said.

The ethos will be to buy local, and the café will also sell products made in its own production kitchen, such as home-made quiches, pies, bruschetta, locally smoked chicken and venison, as well as complete meals and salads for consumption in the café or to take away.

Landale worked in London and the Far East in sales and marketing before setting up catering business Wilde Thyme in 2003.

He sold it in 2010 to business partner and head chef Andrew Hamer, former executive chef at the Gleneagles Hotel, for an undisclosed sum.

French delicatessen Chanteroy in Southfields, a suburb of Wimbledon, southwest London, is one of several independent shops that face demolition so flats can be built. An online petition against the plan had gained 5,129 supporters when FFD went to press.

l Dominic

at David North, a delicatessen in Rothley, Leicester, plans to open an in-store café possibly as early as next month with a maximum of 20 covers.

It has found extra space by relocating its coffees, teas, jams and pickles. The business also supplies wholesale patisserie via wholesalers and distributors.

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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finefoodnews

Hardings to share new MAP facility

BY MICK WHITWORTH

Plans by Cornish Charcuterie to expand the slicing and packing operations at its base near Bude could provide a leg-up for other small British producers.

Co-owner Richard Harding says the business aims to put in a new slicing and MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) line, not just for its own cured meats and salamis but to pack on behalf of other small charcutiers.

It already produces a small range of MAP packs for wholesaler Cannon & Cannon featuring thirdparty products, including Trealy Farm veal & sage salami and Great Glen green pepper salami.

“Cannon & Cannon supply us with the raw material and the labels, then email us when they need X number of packs,” said Harding. “If it’s a small order we send it direct to their client. If it’s a bulk order we send it to Cannon & Cannon at Borough Market, all labelled up in their livery.”

The high cost of MAP

Fionagh and Richard Harding: in talks with other makers

equipment means many small producers only sell sliced meats in cheaper vacpacks. But these can crush thin, delicate slices making them hard to separate.

This can hold back sales, especially in the restaurant market, where presentation, portioning and ease of use are all-important.

Cornish Charcuterie is in negotiations with Bizerba about an automated slicer and must now decide between a MAP packer, holding various sized of bought-in tray, or a thermoformer, which makes its own tray as it packs.

The latter is more efficient but can only produce one

DoH obesity plan could hit speciality producers Campaigners have besieged the Department of Health (DoH) with suggestions for its forthcoming Childhood Obesity Strategy, which could impact many speciality producers.

The DoH has not yet suggested that manufacturers will be forced to reformulate products that contain high levels of ingredients it deems unhealthy.

But lobby bodies such as The Obesity Health Alliance and the Richmond Group of charities have been pushing hard for the reformulation of packaged foods, including reductions in salt, sugar and portion size.

Pipers Crisps founder Alex Albone said the

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July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

company was in the indulgence market, and any strategy that called for reformulation would be taking choice away from the consumer.

Pipers Crisps were deliberately not targeted at children, he said, and “probably wouldn’t taste so good” if they had to be reformulated to reduce salt or fat.

“I’m not going to pretend a packet of Pipers Crisps is a healthy product… [but] a packet of crisps advertised by Gary Lineker on TV will appeal to a child’s mentality.”

The DoH told FFD the Childhood Obesity Strategy will be published “later in the summer”.

pack size. “We’re currently talking to three producers about what their needs might be, and the optimum size,” said Harding.

The new line will form part of an Artisan Food Village that Harding and wife Fionagh are planning at their Norton Barton Farm base. It already houses Sue Proudfoot’s Whalesborough Cheese, North Coast Cider and baker Popti.

The farm has been designated a Food Enterprise Zone, and the Hardings are waiting for planning consent to build a further 3,000 sq m of production units, visitor facilities and offices.

Deli and sauce maker to join forces in kitchen The Cheeseboard, a familyrun cheese shop and deli in Sidmouth, east Devon, has revealed plans to open a production kitchen in a joint venture with a local sauces supplier.

The unit will initially supply the shop with quiches and pies, and owners Rob and Helen Sandover say they could look at wholesaling to other businesses.

They also see potential to cater for parties, outdoor events and buffets.

Rob Sandover, a former chef, said the aim was to partner with Eat The Smoke, which makes its own Original BBQ Sauce, BBQ Hot Rub and Helluva Hot BBQ Sauce.

“If I’d known then what I know now” CHARLOTTE GURNEY WHITE HOUSE FARM, NEAR NORWICH THE FRUIT FARM had been in my husband Ollie’s family for 150 years when we took it over in 2013. It was a pick your own (PYO) business that was open for just five months of the year and wasn’t very profitable.

Ollie is a former marine and I used to work for Apple in London so this was a complete leap of faith.

The first change we made was to start serving tea and cake alongside the PYO. That was very successful, so we converted an old farm building into a shop and café. That was three summers ago and we’ve ripped out and replaced the café three times since then, expanding it from 10 to over 30 covers.

We also knew we had to open year-round.

The winter that has just passed was the first time the business had ever stayed open. To support our transition to a year-round business, we hold farmers’ markets here. At the start we virtually had to pay stallholders to be there. Now it has become hugely popular with local producers. The only downside is that we’ve noticed a lull in the run-up to and immediately after, as people hold out for the market, so we are wondering whether it is denting sales.

I find people’s shopping patterns both fascinating and infuriating. There’s no predicting what they are going to buy. I hoped local ales would be better than they have been, but our butchery has surpassed all expectations. I also hoped people would buy fairly priced milk from us, but I’ve learned that when it comes to milk, people aren’t interested in quality or supporting local businesses. It cost us £1.20 for four pints and the fact we couldn’t sell it for £1.60 breaks my heart.

Initially we thought we’d be able to build on the existing footfall from the fruit farm. That hasn’t happened – PYO customers who come in summer don’t come back the rest of the year, so our client base has mainly been built up by attracting new customers.

I used to worry about Tesco down the road. Now I never even bother to go in. I’d like to think that we have a different type of shopper, who cares about how food tastes, about minimising packaging, about customer service and the community. I’m conscious of making it a very different experience.

The most difficult thing is staff – both finding good people who share our vision and knowing how many staff to roster on. Now, we employ 10 staff and I never say no to anyone who asks if they can send me their CV. Looking to the future we have ambitious plans: there’s a courtyard of barns and outbuildings that we are converting into retail space for like-minded businesses, and we have planning permission to open a playbarn on site.

I am naturally cautious, but I find the tangible nature of this business reassuring. I can look out of the window and if there are more customer cars than staff cars in the car park, I know we are okay. And so far, the business has exceeded our expectations. The focus has shifted away from fruit farming – which is hard to make a profit from – towards retailing, and the shop is more lucrative than the PYO.

I find people’s shopping patterns both fascinating and infuriating.

There’s no predicting what they are going to buy.

INTERVIEW BY LYNDA SEARBY

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finefoodnews

It’s all butter at new Malton store

BY ANDREW DON

A specialist handmade butter shop in celebrity chef James Martin’s home town of Malton is doing a roaring trade just a few weeks after its opening.

The 320 sq ft Butterbees unit includes a prep area in the main shop where husband-and-wife team Lucy and Stephen BridenKenny produce butter in view of customers.

The Briden-Kennys – she’s a former trainee solicitor, and he’s worked in a laboratory – began making butter from home in February but quickly outgrew it and opened their shop on May 28.

Lucy said: “We both wanted to be in food but neither of us wanted to be chefs because of the hours, so we decided to go into food production.”

They initially sold five varieties: unsalted butter (hand-made from organic cream and nothing else); sea salt butter (using 50:50 fine sea salt and flake sea salt); honey butter (a sweet butter

National launch for organic charcuterie Organic meat producer Eversfield Organic is launching a range of 12 British charcuterie products, made from grass-fed animals reared on or near its farm near Oakhampton, on the northern edge of Dartmoor.

Already listed by Whole Foods Market and Ocado, the all-organic range includes pastrami, salt beef, roast topside with crushed peppercorns, smoked ham and honey-smoked streaky bacon. They will be available to delis and farm shops from mid-July. www.eversfieldorganic.co.uk

Stephen Briden-Kenny of Butterbees, which sells only its own handmade flavoured butters

to go on bread and made with honey from a local farm); paprika & chilli, which goes on steak or monkfish; and ‘Sunday Roast’ butter (made with garlic and rosemary and designed to go under chicken skin, to baste beef in the oven or to toss on vegetables). The packs come in 150g bars retailing at £3.50.

Butterbees is currently launching a sixth variety, Café de Malton – a take on Café de Paris sauce, with Henderson’s Relish and Dijon mustard – selling at £4.

The Briden-Kennys also

sell online and to local delis and farm shops, as well as supplying catering blocks to businesses in the area, and talks are in progress with restaurant wholesaler Wellocks.

“We will soon be doing buttermilk and bottling it for bakers, because there are lots of them here,” said Lucy.

Malton is known as “Yorkshire’s food capital” but Lucy said they recognised a gap in the market and other food purveyors sold complementary products.

Rhug farm shop rolls out breakfast promotion

Rhug Organic Farm Shop was one of more than 70 stores to take part in Wake Up To Organic, a national campaign to get the UK to enjoy an organic breakfast.

Other participating retailers this year included Oliver’s Wholefoods in Kew, west London, Bwyd y Byd in Crymych, Wales, Ceres in Yeovil, Somerset, Arch House Deli in Clifton, Bristol, and Infinity Foods in Brighton.

Rhug Farm manager Gareth Jones, took visitors on a tractor-trailer tour and gave them an insight into managing a 21st-century organic farm business.

Campaign organiser the Organic Trade Board said it hoped to grow Wake Up To Organic as an annual event with the aim to keep raising awareness of organic and increasing footfall into independent retailers.

The event’s pilot last year saw 30 retailers take part.

Advice LAURRA DAVIS, BRILLIANT SOCIAL MEDIA “IF YOU’VE EVER WONDERED why your Facebook page doesn’t grow or few people see each post it’s because using Facebook for business is not really free anymore.

Signing up is the free bit. Making it achieve something has a cost – primarily in time, and ultimately cash. But the potential payoff can be huge.

You have three main choices of what to pay for on Facebook: page likes, post boosting and website traffic.

• Page likes – Imagine your Facebook page is an island in the middle of a huge ocean. You know it’s there and you’ve told family and friends where to find it. A few people have bobbed past on a boat and found it too but the only real way to get more people to your island is to pay a travel agent – in this case Facebook itself – to signpost people to your page.

So to grow page likes you need to assign a budget to making this happen and you can expect to pay 20p-50p per page like on average. But the beauty is that this then becomes your audience who you can advertise to from then onwards.

Which brings us to the number of people that will actually see your posts...

• Post boosting – It’s nice to think that if you have 2,000 followers on your page they will see everything you post. Sadly this isn’t the case.

With so many posts now, competition for space in the Newsfeed is fierce.

Your business posts are not only competing with other business pages but with Aunty Jane’s holiday snaps, news, people sharing posts and adverts.

Facebook also just shows the posts that it feels are most relevant for the user so if someone happened to like your page a few months ago but hasn’t interacted with you since, chances are they aren’t seeing your posts.

• Website traffic – Advertising on Facebook means that you can be proactively selling to your target customers without constantly posting onto your Facebook page. The adverts appear both in users’ timelines and in the sidebar.

If you sell online you can install a Facebook Pixel in your website that will allow you to both track conversions from Facebook but also re-target people who have previously visited your website. This is free and an essential insight into whether your social media activity is working.

So how much should you spend? Well the good news is that Facebook ads are very cost effective. You can get decent results on £100 a month. Nudge that up and you can really begin to drive sales. If you want to drive traffic to a website, Facebook asks for a budget of £5 a day but you can stop and start this as you choose.

You can target Facebook users locally so if you own a deli or farm shop where the only people who really need to know about you are locals, you can make sure they’re the only people who see it.

Can you run a Facebook business page with zero advertising? Yes. Can you expect to gain much in return? Probably not.

• Laurra Davis is the founder & creative director of Brilliant Social Media, a specialist agency helping food and drink brands tap the potential of social media.

It’s nice to think if you have 2,000 followers on your page they’ll see everything you post. Sadly that isn’t the case.

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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The UK’s favourite brand of olives* Crespo and RH Amar have worked in partnership since 1955 to supply the best quality olives to UK consumers.

www.rhamar.com www.crespo-olives.co/uk *Source: Nielsen scantrack 52 w/e 26.03.16

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July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

finefoodnews Opening or expanding a shop? Email details to editorial@gff.co.uk new openings

new openings

BY ARABELLA MILEHAM After years of uncertainly, an independent store focused on Cornish food and drink has opened shoulder-to-shoulder with a new 15,000 sq ft Waitrose in the controversial £40m Truro Eastern District Centre development.

The 5,000 sq ft Great Cornish Food Store includes a deli counter serving charcuterie and around 30 Cornish cheeses, along with meat, fish and food-to-go counters, and a production kitchen and café under head chef Paul Ripley.

The concept of a local food shop co-located with Waitrose originated nearly 15 years ago as a partnership between the supermarket chain, Cornwall Council, landowner the Duchy of Cornwall and a consortium of farmers and producers called Taste of Cornwall (ToC).

After a battle with local objectors it was given the go-ahead by planners in 2012. But, last August,

All pictures: Simon Burt

Waitrose-linked Cornish food hall finally opens

rumours emerged of a rift between ToC and Waitrose, and the retailer subsequently sought a new partner to deliver the local food store – a key planning requirement in the Eastern District Centre development.

The new store is being financed and managed by Great Cornish Food Store Ltd, a new, independent company with links to local marketing and promotion business Cornwall Food & Drink.

The shop will carry around 1,000 local lines from 95 suppliers (three from Devon) including: Baker Tom, Tregida Smokehouse, Trenance Chocolate, Cornish Ketchup Co, Padstow Brewing Co, Fowey Valley Cider, Deli Farm Charcuterie, Cornish Meadow Preserves, Ninemaidens, Kernow Chocolate and Hubble relishes and jams. Meat comes from Launceston butchers’ Philip Warren and

Sons, and fresh fish from Wing of St Mawes.

Marketing manager Claire Vickers said it offered convenience and would “stand apart from the normal run-of-the-mill supermarket offering or farm shop” due to its scale and scope.

“People won’t have seen the number of products and ranges that we have on display. They are used to going to farm shops and seeing a small array,

Driffield farm shop undergoes major expansion

but we are able to show practically everything that is produced in this county,” she said.

Sharing the site with Waitrose would give people the opportunity to make a conscious choice to choose local and supplement their weekly shop without having to travel further, she said, while the chef-led all-day café would differentiate it from the on-site Waitrose café. www.greatcornishfood.co.uk

At a glance l

BY ARABELLA MILEHAM The former Manor Farm Shop in Hutton Cranswick, Driffield has doubled its footprint with a new purpose-built shop that includes an in-store bakery and a café catering for around 80-covers.

The old store will be demolished to create more parking space, and the whole operation has been rebranded as Farm Shop at Cranswick.

The family-owned shop first opened in December 1989 and was extended in 2008, but business had outgrown the current building, joint owner Helen Stones told FFD. The move offers a chance to increase turnover

from £700k to around £1m in the first year of trading, she added.

The expansion has boosted the overall footprint to 7,200 sq ft, giving a third more retail space, much of which will be devoted to products baked in the new in-house bakery.

In addition, the new café and dedicated kitchen is likely to broaden the shop’s appeal and bring in new customers by making it more of a destination shop.

“We’re a very local village shop, and want to develop that and get people to spend time here,” said Stones. “We already have a huge takeaway sandwich trade, so the café will be good for those who want

l

Farm Shop at Cranswick now covers 7,200 sq ft overall

to sit down, as well as keeping our shop customers happy.”

She added: “We have a large cross-section of

customers and are very community-based, so we don’t want to alienate any of them.” www.farmshopatcranswick.co.uk

l

anor Farm Deli will M include a 1,600 sq ft farm shop, with inhouse bakery, storage and chillers, and a 1,400 sq ft café with 80 covers, alongside its own café kitchen.

L ocal suppliers include Yorkshire Provender, Laverack’s traditional pork pies, the Chilli Jam Man, fresh East Yorkshire tomatoes, St Quintin’s Boozy Custard, Parlour Made’s Mordon Blue Cheese, Queen’s Yorkshire Heather Honey, and Yorkshire Rapeseed oil. anor Farm plans to M use the in-store bakery to boost its own range.

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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finefoodnews

What does Brexit mean for fine food’s future? news analysis Last month’s surprising result in the referendum has got everybody speculating about its impact.

BY PATRICK MCGUIGAN FFD asks the industry about its hopes and fears as Britain begins the process of leaving the EU.

A

s the dust settles on the UK’s momentous decision to leave the European Union, its impact on the country’s fine food sector looks likely to be far reaching.

Retailers, producers, wholesalers and importers contacted by Fine Food Digest voiced anxieties about a dizzying array of issues following the Leave campaign’s stunning victory last month. A decline in the value of sterling, increased costs and the possibility of recession were all serious areas of concern, as were topics such as staffing, bank lending and the future of EU support schemes. One word was repeatedly used to sum up the biggest challenge facing the sector: ‘uncertainty’.

“The uncertainty the result brings is going to have an impact on business,” said Ruth Huxley, MD of Cornwall Food and Drink. “The food sector is like the fashion industry. It’s incredibly fast-moving. Trends change all the time and businesses need to reinvest constantly. The uncertainty that the result brings could hamper

that.”

At wholesaler Cotswold Fayre, MD Paul Hargreaves highlighted the slide in the value of the pound as a serious threat. “Who knows how far it could fall,” he said. But he was also confident that the sector would be resilient during an economic downturn. “Our fastest years of growth were during the last

The food sector is incredibly fast-moving. Trends change all the time and businesses need to reinvest constantly.

The uncertainty that the result brings could hamper that.”

RUTH HUXLEY, MD, CORNWALL FOOD AND DRINK

recession. Speciality food does sit in a slightly different place from the rest of the economy.”

Milly Stokes, chair of farm shop group FARMA and co-owner

Uncertainty over Protected Food Names and rural funding The future of EU initiatives that benefit British food are now in a precarious position following the Brexit result.

According to Matthew O’Callaghan, chair of the Protected Food Names Scheme in the UK and the Melton Mowbray Pork O’Callaghan: No UK law for protected foods Pie Association, British products would only keep their protected status following Brexit, if the UK was willing to respect EU protected foods here. However, there is currently no British legislative framework in place to do that. “I have written to Defra to find out their future plans for the scheme in the UK,” he said.

Meanwhile, The Rural Development Programme for England, which is jointly funded by the UK government and the EU, is meant to run until 2020. It has a total budget of £3.5bn and has helped fund numerous farm shops in recent years. Michael Mack, managing agent at FARMA, said that he expected the funding to run its course. “If Article 50 is activated in October then we wouldn’t leave the EU until October 2018, which is pretty close to the end of the funding period.”

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July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

of Farndon Fields Farm Shop in Leicestershire, said she was also confident that the public would continue to shop with indies.

“There’s a danger that businesses will baton down the hatches and not invest, although I think shoppers will remain loyal to supporting local food.”

However, she said she was

worried by the prospect of restrictions on migrant labour.

“Immigration has provided a reliable and valuable work force for the agricultural and food industry which, without, many businesses would find it difficult to function.”

In Lambeth, south London, an area that voted more heavily for Remain than any other in the UK, Spanish food company Brindisa was also concerned about what Brexit would mean for migrant workers.

“We’re deeply shocked and our hearts are very heavy,” said marketing manager Caroline Muir.

Around 99% of Brindisa’s products are imported from Spain and many of its 300-plus staff come from EU countries, and are vital to its business, she said. “Our master carvers are all from Extremadura – there is nothing they don’t know about ham and it is really important to have that expertise.”

At Epicerie Ludo in Manchester, owner and Frenchman Ludovic Piot said he expected the price of his imported products to rise because of the exchange rate and possible tariffs. “I guess I will have to look at prices and it may also be more difficult to source from abroad because there will be more paperwork.”

“what they're saying about...” ...Brexit We understand that the negotiations will take some time to deliver but it is vital that there is early commitment to ensure British farming is not disadvantaged.

It is vital that British farming is profitable and remains competitive, it is the bedrock of the food industry – Britain’s largest manufacturing sector.

Meurig Raymond, president, NFU Keeping the cost of goods down for consumers and providing certainty for businesses must be at the heart of the government’s plans for life outside the EU. In its exit negotiations, the government should aim to ensure that the trade benefits of the Single Market (i.e. the absence of customs duties) are replicated in the UK’s new relationship with the EU. Helen Dickinson, CEO, British Retail Consortium Despite enormous efforts by growers, government departments and Job Centres, it has proved impossible to recruit from the UK any more than a small proportion of the numbers necessary. Unless they can be recruited from abroad, many growers will be forced to cease production Adrian Barlow, chief executive, English Apples and Pears

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finefoodnews

Top ‘dragons’ add buying clout to Harrogate show

Leading food buyers from Selfridges, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Fenwicks food halls were among the big hitters who joined deli, farm shop and catering buyers in visiting last month’s Harrogate Fine Food Show.

The big names were there across two days to take part in the longestablished Feed The Dragon session in the Fine Food Live theatre, where brands ranging from recent

start-ups like Rocktails to established names like Williams Chase pitched new products to a panel of hardbitten buyers.

Booths’ head of ambient buying John Gill, consultant chef Stephanie Moon, Keelham farm shop owner

Victoria Robertshaw and BBC Radio 2’s Nigel Barden also took part in Feed The Dragon, while other Fine Food Live sessions included a packed presentation by Laurra Davis of Brilliant Social Media on using Facebook and Twitter to

build business for shops and small producers.

Woodall’s, TRU Seasons, Oxsprings, Patchwork Paté, Cornish Charcuterie and The Bath Pig all took part in a charcuterie tasting hosted by Nigel Barden and featuring recipes ideas from

chef Simon Woods.

Over 50% of exhibitors at the show, held once again at the Yorkshire Event Centre on the Great Yorkshire Showground, were appearing for the first time, ensuring plenty of new ideas for the 1,000-plus buyers who visited the event on June 19-20.

The award for Best Stand in Show – chosen as usual by veteran retailer Tony Howard of Lewis & Cooper in Northallerton – stayed in the county this year, going to fudge-maker York & Dulgent.

And it was another supplier to the sweettoothed – Wood’s Brownie Co – that took the Visitors’ Choice award, sponsored by Hider, with one lucky visitor also winning a hamper of Hider goodies in a free prize draw.

• See our Editors’ Choice of new products at Harrogate on p49. www.gff.co.uk/harrogate

Sampling small-batch jams with Thursday Cottage

Fenwick food buyer Adam Barber takes the microphone at Monday’s Feed The Dragon session, where he’s flanked by (l-r) Katie Williams of Selfridges, Victoria Robertshaw of Keelham Farm Shop and Jennifer Clark of Harrods

Phil and Helena Wiggins of fudge-maker York & Dulgent collected the Best Stand In Show trophy from veteran retailer Tony Howard of Lewis & Cooper

Jay Jarviz offers tasters of Yaadgaar curries – a spin-off from the brand’s Bradfordbased bakery business

Amelia Buffett of North Yorkshire’s Coffee Care – producer of the Editors’ Choice-winning Guatamalan Maragogype ground coffee Among a strong contingent of British charcuteriers was first-time exhibitor Alex Oxspring

First-time exhibitor The London Jam Factory was only set up in 2014 – by a Frenchman, Pierre-Louis Phelipot

Helen Daysh and Jenny Willows of long-time Harrogate show supporter Le Gruyère

Chris and Katie from Devon’s Rocktails kept visitors happy with their fresh-flavoured frozen fruit and herb ‘mocktails’

With so many people sampling Edinburgh firm Wood’s 100% Belgian chocolate brownies, no wonder it walked off with the Visitor’s Choice award for best stand, sponsored by Hider Foods Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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A promotional feature on behalf of Le Gruyère AOP

Me and my cheese counter This month we talk to central London cheesemonger Rhuaridh Buchanan

Y

ou might not have visited Rhuaridh Buchanan’s small cheese shop, which is tucked away on a well-to-do street just of London’s Edgware Road. But if you’ve ordered a cheeseboard in one of London’s top restaurants, there’s a strong chance you’ve already tried some of his fabulous fromage.

Beneath the cheesemonger’s eponymous shop, which was opened two years ago and won last year’s Cheese Counter of the Year sponsored by Le Gruyère AOP, there are a series of temperature- and humidity-controlled maturing rooms, where up to 150 different cheeses are aged.

These are delivered daily on a customised bicycle to restaurants including The Ledbury, The Ritz and The Square, while 25-30 lucky cheeses also make it on to the shop’s open-top, tiled counter. It means that not only do chefs receive cheese when it is perfectly ripe, but so do Buchanan’s retail customers.

“Most of our wholesale customers want to serve the cheese we supply them that day – they want it ready to eat – so it is always in really good condition,” he says. “Our retail customers benefit from that. A cheese will only be on the counter

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July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

the counter include Dorstone goats’ cheese and Perl Las, a Welsh blue, as well as Le Superbe – a 14-month Le Gruyère AOP. Sheep’s milk cheeses are also a favourite. “I always have Ossau-Iraty, Berkswell, Haut Barry and Lord Of The Hundreds on because I think sheep’s milk cheeses are absolutely delicious,” he says. “If people want something specific, I’m happy to pop down to the cellar and bring it up for them.”

This is more common than you might think – the shop’s customer base is made up of affluent locals who know a thing or two about good food. Average spend per head is just short of £20 with people often spending £100 or more for dinner party cheese.

“The general public are getting more knowledgeable about cheese,” says Buchanan. “They know what they like but they don’t necessarily know what they want to buy before they come in.

“So it’s about making them comfortable. That can be as straight forward as a smile and welcome. The second thing is to get some cheese into their hand. It could be something you think is tasting nice or something

for a couple of days and then we’ll take it away again and send it to the restaurants.”

The line up on the counter changes regularly because the shop mixes up the selection virtually every day, picking what tastes good from the much larger wholesale range.

The potential downside to this is that the wholesale business dictates what happens in the shop, but Buchanan also sources products specifically for the shop. Most recently some new Italian cheeses, including Gorgonzola Dolce, Pecorino Sardo and ricotta, supplied by Vallebona.

“They’re great cheeses and help liven up the counter,” says Buchanan. “We Le Gruyère AOP’s Helen Daysh buy our French comments: and Swiss cheeses Buchanan’s Cheesemonger was direct from the a worthy winner of last year’s Continent, but Cheese Counter of the Year we don’t have the competition, sponsored by volumes yet to do Le Gruyère AOP. that with Italian Rhuaridh Buchanan is highly cheese. The next experienced and it shows in his goal would be excellent customer service and to build up how cheese that is always in tip top condition. much we sell, so This business is a great example of the we can buy from importance of having different strings to your Italy.” bow – wholesale, retail and excellent cheese Stalwarts of accompaniments.

you sold to the last customer, the point is to start a conversation.”

The same also goes for the shop’s superb range of cheese accompaniments. Buchanan and his team are happy to open a jar of Rosebud Preserves red onion marmalade or even a buttery white Burgundy, if customers want to try for themselves.

The Burgundy in question – a 2013 Mersault – was recently paired with great success with a toasty Ossau-Iraty at one of the shop’s regular monthly tastings for the public.

“They have been a great way of getting the word out among the local community,” says Buchanan. “We also had flyers printed, which we put through people’s doors, just letting them know we were here. It’s really helped put us on the map.”

Shop sales have increased steadily since the business opened, with the Cheese Counter award and resulting publicity also helping to increase turnover. This could potentially be boosted further if the local landlord, the Church Commissioners, follows through with plans to change the mix of retailers in the area.

“I’d like to see more independent food shops – a baker and a butcher perhaps – they would all help footfall,” he says. “We have a Waitrose about a 100 yards away, but I don’t see them as competition.

We’ve got quite a switched on audience and although they can buy some of the cheeses I sell in Waitrose, they know they wouldn’t be in such good condition.”

cheesewire Unsung Blackwoods raising heroes cash for Kent move

news & views from the cheese counter

HIDDEN GEMS FROM BRITISH PRODUCERS

BY PATRICK MCGUIGAN

South London cheese company Blackwoods has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help finance a move to larger premises at the farm in Kent where it sources its milk.

The company, which is run by former Neal’s Yard Dairy employees Dave Holton and Tim Jarvis, has been based at a business centre in Brockley for two years, collecting unpasteurised milk from Commonwork Organic Farms in Chiddingstone to make its range of soft cows’ milk cheeses.

The crowdfunding campaign aims to raise £30,000 to help fit out a unit at the farm with specialist flooring, walls and production equipment.

Blackwoods has already raised £1,000 thanks to a bursary from the Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association.

“We don’t have the space to mature cheese at our current premises, and it’s time to step up production and increase volume,” said Holton, who worked as a cheesemaker in his native

BREFU BACH In a nutshell: Made at the Food Technology Centre (FTC) in Anglesey by start-up company Cosyn Cymru, this young sheep’s milk cheese has only been in production for around a year but was named Best New Cheese at the recent British Cheese Awards. Made with thermised milk in 100g discs, it develops a bloomy white rind after two to three weeks.

Cheesemakers Tim Jarvis (left) and Dave Holton want to shift production from London to the Kentish farm that supplies them with milk

Australia, before maturing soft cheeses for Neal’s Yard for five years. “The move will enable us to combine all our skills and experience in one place, so we can make more and develop new products, such as washed rind cheeses.”

Blackwoods’ products

include fresh cows’ milk curd, a marinated fetastyle cheese sold in jars, called Graceburn, and two lactic cheeses named after Australian convicts Edmund Tew and William Heaps.

Customers include Neal’s Yard Dairy, where some of the cheeses are currently

matured, Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges.

The company uses 1,500 litres of milk a week, but will have the capacity to process 1,000 litres a day at its new premises, which it hopes to open in September. www.blackwoodscheesecompany. co.uk

Bishop crowned king of Brits

Alpine-style cave opens at Westcombe

Cropwell Bishop is famous for its Stilton, but it was the company’s Shropshire Blue that was named Supreme Champion at last month’s British Cheese Awards.

The orange-hued blue cheese, which is made to a Stilton recipe, also picked up the Best English and Best Blue trophies at the awards, held at the Royal Bath & West Show in Somerset.

St Thom – a new goats’ cheese made by Lightwood in Worcester – was named Reserve Champion, Best Goat and Best Soft Cheese.

Other winners included Golden Cenarth (Best Semi Soft, Best Welsh); Lockerbie Vintage Cheddar (Best Scottish); Wicklow Blue (Best Irish); and Rosary Ash (Best Fresh).

BY PATRICK MCGUIGAN

After 18 months 100,000 tonnes of concrete and the transfer of more than 4,500 truckles of cheddar, Westcombe Dairy has finally opened its new maturing cave, which is patrolled by a cheese-turning robot.

Construction of the new maturing cellar, in the side of a clay hill on the company’s Somerset farm, first began in October 2014 as Westcombe’s previous ageing rooms started to near capacity.

It took a year of digging and laying foundations before the cave could actually be built using enormous concrete structures imported from the French Alps.

The site includes a new

packing and cutting room, while Westcombe has also purchased a robot from Switzerland to brush and turn the cheeses as they mature.

Thousands of truckles

were moved into the new cellar last month.

“One aspect I’m particularly excited about is a system we’ve developed that will let us use our own water spring to cool the cellar,” said director and cheesemaker Tom Calver. “[It lets] us maintain the delicate atmosphere we need to mature our cheeses for less energy consumption than a domestic fridge.”

Calver, whose family has been making cheddar at Westcombe since the 1960s, took inspiration for the project from a visit to Comté affineur Marcel Petite in France, which matures 180,000 wheels of the mountain cheese in caves beneath a Napoleonic fort.

Flavour and texture: The cheese has a firm, buttery centre and a gooey breakdown under the rind. Creamy and lemony with mushroom notes from the rind.

History: Carrie Rimes spent several years making cheese in France and helped develop Bodnant’s Aberwen hard cheese at the FTC. She set up Cosyn Cymru last year, producing Brefu Bach (which translates as Little Bleat) and a Manchegostyle cheese called Olwyn Fawr (Big Wheel).

Cheese care: Can be matured in the fridge, so it becomes firmer and more intense. Cheeses matured at warmer temperatures become softer and runnier.

Perfect partners: Good in a salad or lightly grilled on sourdough bread.

Try it with a glass of Champagne or English sparkling wine.

FFD features a different ‘unsung hero’ from Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association members each month. To get involved, contact: patrick.mcguigan@gff.co.uk

www.westcombedairy.com Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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cheesewire

soft cheese

To brie or not to brie?

Soft cheeses are quite a diverse bunch, both in the flavours they offer and the rate at which they mature. PATRICK McGUIGAN speaks to the owner of Cheshire retailer The Cheese Yard about how she manages her selection.

T

here’s nothing quite like the glorious gooeyness of a perfectly ripe brie or camembert. But getting soft cheeses to reach optimum ooze levels is no easy task. Too young and they can be chalky and underwhelming; hold onto them too long and the unappetising honk of ammonia soon develops.

That’s why Sarah Peak, owner of The Cheese Yard in Knutsford, Cheshire, devotes much more time to looking after the 20 or so soft cheeses on her counter than the more durable cheddars and Parmesans.

“I always try to sell soft cheese close to the use-by date rather than too young or you don’t get the lovely creaminess and the full flavour,” she says. “We closely monitor the short-date cheeses when we are serving them to see what condition they are in. Every day or two we will also go through the fridge and re-wrap the more delicate cheeses to help them breathe and so they don’t get sweaty.”

Talking to customers about the kind of cheeses they like and when they plan to eat them is also essential when it comes to soft cheese, she adds.

“The shelf-life on our soft cheese can really vary when they come in,” she says. “Sometimes they can have three weeks, sometimes five, so I always try to find out when customers are eating them. Depending on whether it’s tomorrow or in 10 days’ time, we can then look at what we’ve got on the shop floor and see what dates we have.

soft suggestions Elmhirst A rich triple cream cheese made with raw Jersey milk by the Sharpham Partnership in Devon. It has a moussy texture when young, but develops a luxurious, creamy interior with mushroom and earthy flavours as it matures. Try it with a palate-refreshing Pilsner. www.sharpham.com

Pavé Cobble This flat-topped pyramid-shaped sheep’s milk cheese is the latest creation from Somerset-based White Lake. Made with thermised milk and sporting an ash dusted rind, the cheese’s texture runs from springy to gooey, while the flavour intensifies with age. Creamy and lemony when young with hazelnut and roasted lamb notes developing over time. www.whitelake.co.uk

There are around 20 different soft cheeses in The Cheese Yard and owner Sarah Peak (above right) has to monitor all of them closely

of wedding cheese cakes.

If cheeses are in danger of going “past the point”, they can also go on the daily changing cheeseboard in the café, which serves dishes such as goats’ cheese and avocado on sourdough toast, and a colourful salad of roasted squash, carrots, pomegranate pearls and Taleggio.

Different sales channels keep the cheeses turning over, which helps manage ripeness levels, says Peak.

“It’s also about managing your ordering process. I was ordering yesterday for today and saw that I had a lot of washed rind and bloomy rinded cheeses that were quite mature so I didn’t order any more. You also have to watch the cheese as it comes in from suppliers – if it’s short dated or not in good condition, we will send it back.”

Making sure staff are wellinformed, and know which cheeses are getting close to their best so they can sample them, is also key.

“Customers might come in for

The shelf-life on our soft cheese can really vary when they come in. Sometimes they can have three weeks, sometimes five.

“Not all people like really gooey cheeses, either. I have one customer who doesn’t like her cheese too mature so I make sure to pick something younger for her – everybody is different.”

Top sellers include Tunworth, Wigmore, Délice de Bourgogne and Rosary goats’ cheese, which are also sold at farmers’ markets and as part

one soft cheese, such as Tunworth, but we can easily sell them another piece because there are so many different styles,” says Peak. “People think of camembert and brie, but there are some lovely alternatives like Perl Wen, which is really buttery.

It’s also nice to have a story – so Baron Bigod is good for that.

We can explain it’s the first time someone has made a raw milk brie in this country.”

Suffolk-made Baron Bigod retails for a punchy £2.95 per 100g, but the shop also stocks Brie de Meaux Dongé at £1.75.

“We try to be competitive on price because we have a lot of supermarkets nearby,” says Peak.

“Booths, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Co-op are all within a five-minute walk.”

Peak may see them as competition, but the big supermarkets will always struggle to match the levels of care and attention that an independent can give their product range. And that makes all the difference when it comes to maturing mercurial soft cheeses.

Doublet An unusual mixed milk cheese from Somerset-based Wootton Organic Dairy, Doublet combines a 50:50 mixture of the farm’s own unpasteurised ewes’ and Jersey cows’ milk in a camembertstyle cheese.

Incredibly rich with mushroom and vegetable notes, this is a great baking cheese. www.woottondairy.com

St Thom Former Neal’s Yard Creamery head cheesemaker Haydn Roberts took over Lightwood Cheese in Worcester last year and is already making waves. His brick-shaped, unpasteurised goats’ cheese St Thom was named Best Soft and Best Goats’ Cheese, plus Reserve Champion, at the recent British Cheese Awards.

It has a dense, fudgey texture with a softer breakdown just beneath the rind.

Sweet, nutty, herbaceous and with a pleasant earthiness.

www.cheeseyard.co.uk Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

www.internationalcheesefestival.eus

counter service

retailing advice

Present and correct Body language is a vital ingredient for success in any customer-facing job and working in a deli is no exception. With the help of Dorset’s Udder Farm Shop, FFD shows you how get it right behind the counter. By MICHAEL LANE. 1 Be presentable.

Not everyone likes a uniform but a clean apron, tidy hair and sensible shoes are a must. Also avoid jewellery that could interfere with the food and the job at hand.

2 When a customer approaches the counter, say ‘hello’, smile and try to make eye contact.

Even if you are serving another customer.

3 Offer a taster to the new customer. Break the counter barrier early, relax them and then leave them to make their selection.

4 If the customer selects or asks about something behind the counter, demonstrate your product knowledge. Actually pointing things out on an item is a good visual aid when telling a product’s ‘story’.

5 Remember, no one thinks in grams. So make sure the customer can see the board and indicate where you are cutting cheese on the wire or, at least, with your hands.

8 Even though you’ll regularly be cleaning your hands or wearing gloves, keep contact with cut products to a minimum. Always transfer items from board or slicer to the scales using butchers’ film.

7 Most counter set-ups mean that you’ll have to turn your back on the customer at some point during service. Try to keep them engaged by keeping your stance open.

6 Similarly, when portioning charcuterie show how many slices are coming off the whole piece. Even 100g is a lot of meat so showing a customer how it is going on the slicer may make them re-evaluate.

9 Point out the weight and price of an item (which should displayed in full view anyway), to double-check the customer is happy with it.

11 Always make sure you ask if the customer needs anything else and, when they leave, say goodbye with a smile.

10 Once the product is wrapped and ready, hand it to the customer.

Don’t just dump it on the top of the serveover.

FFD would like to thank Lynn Solman, Ellen Biggs and David Rhodes at Udder Farm Shop for their assistance.

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

21

HONESTY AND INTEGRITY

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importers & distributors

Delivering the goods

Welcome to Fine Food Digest’s annual Guide to Importers & Distributors. Over the following pages we will take a look at the full spectrum of companies supplying the fine food retail sector with products from abroad and closer to home. By ARABELLA MILEHAM.

COTSWOLD FAYRE

www.cotswold-fayre.co.uk

Cotswold Fayre was started in the cellar of founder Paul Hargreaves’ South East London house 17 years ago and has become one of the leading UK wholesalers, supplying quality fine food to independent retailers across the UK from its Berkshire base.

It prides itself on partnerships with producers, ensuring it can give good service and great

DELICIOSO UK www.delicioso.co.uk

This Oxford-based importer has focused on supplying gourmet, artisan-made products from Spain to independent delis, fine food retailers and restaurants since it was established 12 years ago.

Close relationships with specialist producers, many of them familyrun businesses, ensure high quality product with strong provenance, it says, pointing to its haul of 14 awards at last year’s Great Taste.

Delicioso’s 450-strong range includes both traditional and innovative products, spanning Iberico hams and charcuterie, pulses, olives, spices, snacks, honey,

offers across its almost 300-strong product range of well-known exclusives and brands. This year it extended this further by rolling out a series of regional trade events to act as “a conduit for new suppliers”.

Cotswold Fayre was also one of the first UK companies to gain certification from the B Corporation for its ethical practises.

The distributor is planning future growth and expansion with the relocation of its ambient

chocolate and sherry.

The brands it represents include Bernardo Hernandez, Torre de Nunez, Palcarsa, Artequeso, Pujado Solano, Conservas de Cambados, La Cuna, Jose Lou, Turron 1880 and Leyenda.

warehouse to a larger site that will accommodate more orders, and new office space that will act as a dedicated hub for its marketing, customer service and accounts teams.

The Sweet Potato Spirit Company

The UK’s first sweet potato spirit range launched a range of hand crafted bespoke spirits, available in four variants: sweet potato moon shine, raspberry liqueur, spiced rum and orangecello liqueur.

Featured brands Froosh

Mash Direct

A new 100% bottled fruit and smoothie range, Swedish company Froosh provides consumers with a convenient and healthy way to pack more fruit into their diet.

Launched in 2004 by Martin and Tracy Hamilton, Mash Direct offer quality, convenient steam-cooked vegetable and potato dishes from its farm in County Down.

Featured brands

Sangria ‘Mar y Sol’, Celler Sort del Castell in Tarragona

Tortas de Aceite

These olive oil biscuits (cases of 20x6 individually wrapped packs) from Upita de los Reyes in Seville, are hand-made in the traditional way using a mixture of extravirgin olive oil and high-oleic acid sunflower oil to give a lighter, less oily biscuit.

Made with red wine, sugar and natural extracts of three different kinds of oranges, lemon, banana, cassis, vanilla, strawberry and curacao, this Sangria is available in a case of six bottles for £31.95.

Choricitos and Fuetets from La Selva

These mini chorizos and firm-cured mini fuets come from Girona in northern Cataluña. Available in small and handy sealed packs of 60g (trade price £10.95 for case of 10), these new Spanish bites don’t require chilled storage.

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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importers & distributors THE CRESS COMPANY www.thecressco.co.uk

Originally set up in 2004 by Joe Wall to serve the independent retail market in Scotalnd, The Cress Co has been inching ever southwards since. 2015 saw its reach extended across London and the South East and there is definitely more to come.

The Dunfermline-based chilled and ambient fine food distributor has seen a positive reaction to its steady expansion south, according to buyer Nikki Castley (pictured right), with customers “very receptive” to its service and extensive product range.

“We have been delighted with how The Cress Company has been received and have had no resistance entering the market,” she says.

Even though trading is competitive, she adds there is enough business for everyone who can offer a point of difference.

“Our extensive ambient and chilled range means we have a distinctive offer and that can open doors in slightly different markets,” she says. “We like retailers to judge us on our own merits. But the most important factor for a retailer is their need to choose a reliable distributor that can offer an efficient service and a product offer that fulfils their customer demand.”

With this is mind, the company has a clear strategy to boost its own van distribution to cover the entire UK, which it says makes it easy for customers to take advantage of its low minimum order amounts.

There is good capacity at its existing three depots in Dunfermline, Wetherby and Luton – the latter delivering to London and most of the South East on a weekly basis – but it is adding a fourth depot in the South West in 2017 to help it fulfil its ambitious growth plan. It also has a dedicated account manager looking after its new regions.

The company offers a range of around 12,000 chilled and ambient products from some 200 suppliers, the majority UK-based. They include Tracklements, Mo’s Cookie Dough, Mrs Crimbles, Duskin Apple Juice, Folkington’s, Burtree Puddings, Claire’s Handmade, Gordon Rhodes, Three Little Pigs, Rannoch Smokery and

Great Glen Charcuterie.

It is the chilled range that has grown fastest, says Castley, while the ambient side has seen a number of “star products” emerge, such as Snaffling Pig gluten-free pork crackling, Little Herb Farm handmade fruit vinegars, Spoon Cereals granola, and Scottish Fruit Company artisan fruit cordials.

“It is important for stores to remain interesting and provide consumers a reason to shop, so offering a diverse product range is vital,” says Castley. “That is why we continually source new things – which is a challenge on its own!

But we really love to support the smaller brands, bringing them into a wider market and helping them grow.

“We work in a fiercely competitive environment, but we are seeing increased consumer demand as more people search out foods with provenance – people want to know where their food comes from.”

DIVINE DELI SUPPLIES www.divinedeli.com

Since being bought in 2013 by Andrew Chadwick, Yorkshirebased distributor Divine Deli has continued to expand its range of fine food, ceramics and olive wood from around the world.

It sells these through small delis, specialist food shops, farm shops and garden centres nationwide.

The company is the exclusive UK distributor of Wildly Delicious Foods, creator of a range of bread dippers, which include infused oils and vinegars, flavoured salts, tapenades and mustards. This year has also seen it add chocolate sauces and fruity compotes for

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July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

cheese. Among the other lines in Divine Deli’s varied line-up are small batch preserves from Kent, authentic Indian spices, traditional cordials, pizza stones, brie bakers and bespoke ceramics from Spain.

Featured brands Trotters Independent Condiments

Trotters Independent Condiment specialises in small batch production at its Fife base. Best-sellers include

Mostarda Italian pickle, Uncle Alan’s Chutney and Mojito Marmalade.

Global Harvest

Karimix

New for 2016 is the Great Taste award-winning Global Harvest range of ‘fruit for cheese’. Its set fruit conserves include Quintessentially Quince, Figilicious Fig, Perfectly Pear, Bittersweet Orange, Damn Good Damson, and Mulled Spice Apple.

A South East Asian fusion range of award-winning curry pastes, marinades, chutney’s and sauces, Karimix has clocked up a number of Great Taste awards and all products are GM-free with no artificial additives.

importers & distributors BELLOTA

www.bellota.co.uk

Given that it is named after the primary feed (acorns) for the pigs that become Spain’s best cured hams, you would expect a strong focus on charcuterie from Bellota, which was founded in 1998.

In fact, around half of its range is Spanish charcuterie, including top quality Jamon Ibérico de Bellota from Salamanca, Serrano hams from Trevélez, a number of chorizo dulce and picante,as well as lesser-known varieties like Sobrasada Ibérico.

But the company has a strong line-up of other Spanish delicacies.

Some 20% of its catalogue comprises cheeses such as Manchegos, Queso Azul Hojas and a 6-month-aged rosemary sheep cheese, while Bellota also carries olives, sherry vinegars, olive oils, olive oil crisps and Pimientos de Padron as well as storecupboard items like butter beans and lentils.

Among the new lines rolling out this year is salami, which contains flecks of black truffle, but so far the best-sellers are undoubtedly its hand-sliced Ibérico hams, which are aged for 24 or 36 months.

“It is immediately the stuff that people think of when you say Spanish food,” says owner Nic Tolhurst, “and because the time something has been aged for can

RH AMAR www.rhamar.com

Mediterranean produce is at the heart of RH Amar’s business, with a broad portfolio covering olives and olive oils, meze and regional sauces. The third-generation familyrun company also carries many products from Northern Europe but imports from more than 20 countries across the

change the flavour substantially, we try to offer a full range.”

Chorizo has been in increasing demand and Bellota’s recent addition of pinchos dulce (mini cooking chorizo) has proved popular.

“People cook them up in cider or red wine and they make a very quick and easy snack or starter,” says Tolhurst, pointing out that the sausages offer retailers a good margin, thanks to the short and relatively inexpensive production

globe, including Australia, Japan and Morocco.

Its 30-strong portfolio of brands includes Cardini, Cooks&Co, Crespo, Ella’s Kitchen, Gaea, Kikkoman, Kühne and Sacla’.

In the last 12 months, RH Amar has also broadened its snacking range with the introduction of natural meat snacks from Top Herd and The Meat Makers as well as its soft drink offering with a canned relaxation drink from Tranquini.

process. “They only take around a week of curing, so you don’t pay a huge amount for it.”

He also notes that the pinchos suit the trend for delis to offer customers cheese and charcuterie platters, which don’t require prep from fully qualified chefs.

TENUTA MARMORELLE www.tenutamarmorelle.com

Featured brands This Great Taste award-winning oil is from olives picked early in the harvest and cold-pressed on the same day.

Featured brands This brand includes speciality seed and nut oils, rapeseed oil, a range of meze and a selection of peppers, such as the recently added Sweety Pepp Cherry Peppers and Sweety Drop Red Peppers.

Bearing the name of the famous TV cook, this range of gourmet sauces, marinades, mayonnaises and salad dressings are all made to original Berry family recipes. The latest additions to the line-up are roasted garlic & red onion, honey & balsamic and lemon & mustard vinaigrettes.

It also has a selection of gluten-free pastas that are slowdried and bronze-drawn to give an authentic Italian taste and texture.

Ten types are available, including spaghetti, penne and the Great Taste award-winning calamarata and lasagne.

Zero extra virgin olive oil

Cooks&Co

Mary Berry’s

Around a third of Bellota’s business comes from supplying independent delis, farm shops and food halls. The remainder comes primarily from Spanish and tapas restaurants and pubs, as well as a small percentage of direct online sales. But whatever the channel, Tolhurst says demand for Spanish products is strong despite growing availability of British alternatives.

“Customers expect really interesting things on the counter and there are plenty of people who want authentic Spanish produce,” he says, “A lot of British producers simply can’t compete on say a basic Spanish chorizo, which is a very hard product to get right. While a lot is down to price, they also can’t naturally dry them without the right climate.”

Amore Italiano antipasti

Tenuta Marmorelle specialises in premium products from artisans in Puglia, where the company has its own farm. It carries extra virgin olive oil, pasta, authentic Casanova balsamico vinegar and luxury pannetones and pandoros from Borsari, and it has just added a selection of Proseccos from Valdobbiadene.

This range includes sun-kissed cherry tomatoes from Puglia, large Bella di Cerignola olives and a fresh pesto. They are available in both retail and catering packs for the deli counter.

Borsari panettone

Tenuta Marmorelle says these slow-cooked panettones and pandoros have superior taste and texture, thanks to being made with real butter, fresh eggs and milk.

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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importers & distributors BLAKEMORE FINE FOODS www.afblakemore.com/fine-foods

Specialist importer Blakemore Fine Foods started life as Heart Distribution, in partnership with regional food group Heart of England Fine Food, in 2007, but since parting from HEFF four years later, and then rebranding in 2014, it has added around 85 new producers from around the UK. The core portfolio of 2,500 chilled, ambient and frozen lines is drawn from 255 smaller producers across the UK, with only around half coming from its original central England sourcing area.

It now also offers products from Devon, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but commercial manager Patrice Garrigues (right) says the distributor is also prepared to look outside the UK if necessary.

“If we can’t find it here and there’s a need for a product then we will look outside,” he tells FFD. “It is pretty much an open field. It is about getting the right product and the best product.”

Last year, Blakemore Fine Foods separated its alcohol lines from the rest of the chilled,

ANGEL CAMACHO

www.acamacho.com/en/productos/

Angel Camacho provides a selection of Spanish olives, edible oils, preserves, condiments and other specialties, primarily under its flagship Fragata brand.

Founded back in 1897 as an Andalucían olive oil producer, the company launched the Fragata brand in 1925, which has grown to encompass a broad range of green and black, pitted, whole, sliced and stuffed olives, as well as oils, pickles

ambient and frozen ranges to create a ‘Best of British’ catalogue, a 470-strong range of products from more than 75 distilleries, cider mills and breweries.

Garrigues says this has been one of the company’s biggest successes in the last 6-9 months, citing beers from Newport-based brewery Tiny Rebel and Purity brewery as well as the rise in popularity of canned beers such as Hobsons Brewery’s Hat Collection range.

As part of this new direction the company has added more gins from small distilleries across the country that reflect a local interest, and doubled its singlepick spirits in response to customer demand.

“Spirits are a category that is growing, but it is also an expensive category if you have to stock everything in the range, so we are breaking down the barriers to make it easier for retailers,” says Garrigues. “We are doing what nobody else is currently doing in the marketplace by bringing such a comprehensive range of quality British alcohol together.”

The next category to tackle is

and condiments.

Its Manzanilla and Queen olives are still hand-picked from the original groves of founder Don Santiago Camacho Roman and collected in a padded, esparto basket called a macaco, which the company says ensures they stay in perfect condition.

In addition to Fragata, its other brands include Bulerias oils, tea and tisane brand Susaron and jams, preserves and marmalades from La Vieja Fabrica and its Polish brand, Stovit.

gluten-free, also on the back of increased customer demand, and a variety of products is set to come out in September. Healthy snacks and food-on-the-go options are also being added as more consumers embrace lower salt and sugar options.

While its core customer base

H & A NADER

www.lebanesefinefoodsandwines.co.uk

H & A Nader has been importing traditional artisanal foods from Lebanon since 2003. It supplies high-end shops and restaurants with all-natural authentic items from Mymoune – a leading Lebanese brand that specialises in the country’s Mediterranean cuisine.

Nestled in a small village in the foothills of Mount Sannie, the family-run company harvests and produces storecupboard products, including pomegranate molasses

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stretches from Manchester and Wales across to the South East and East Anglia, Garrigues says Blakemore is looking to do more around London, where it already has a number of customers, as well as potentially spreading a little further north.

And new accounts are being opened, thanks in part to the appeal of Blakemore’s chilled food offer and its willingness to allow retailers to try marketleading brands without having to meet individual minimum order quantities.

Yet, Garrigues is keen to stress that the company will continue to focus on its existing clients to improve the offer for them.

“From an independent retailer’s point of view there is a lot more to choose from, so it is important that we look at the quality of our service to ensure it is customerbased, and the range we’re offering also meets their needs.”

As a result, Garrigues says the company is becoming increasingly choosy about the products it lists and the working relationship between a manufacturer, distributor and retail customer is becoming closer and more important.

“There is a lot more synergy between the three parties to make sure it is consistent [offer] now.

To sell, the taste if paramount, but the look and price is also important,” he says.

made solely from pomegranates, damask rose water and orange blossom water.

Mymoune’s preserves are cooked in small batches – varieties such as mulberry with 80% fruit, sundried fig with walnut and rose petal – while it also blends a number of seasonings, such as sumac and zaatar.

H & A Nader is in the process of adding several new Lebanese brands, which will be introduced during 2016.

The Home of Fine and Gourmet Food NORFOLK EAST ANGLIA

Minimum Order for Carriage Paid

Celebrating a successful Pallet Delivery £350 first year delivering in £125 Own Vehicles Delivery £500 London andPallet the

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ambient & chilled fine food & drink

weekly deliveries in our vans, by our drivers

s uits • Cole c is B r e d r o tts • B Atkins & Po lkingtons o F • s n a Fentim • Divine • • Stokes n a b ja n u P les • Mrs Crimb • Tiptree e g a t t o C y es Thursda ry Meringu t n u o c t s e ill • W Wessex M ny more a m y n a m ao and Willies Cac

£125 minimum order The Small Print to deliver d e l i v eUnfortunately r i n g we f iare n unable e fo o d chilled lines to any customers who do not receive contact us thecressco.co.uk 0845 643 1330

.co.uk fnorfolk o s d o fo e ir h .s w w w m, Mon – Fri 6 381250 9am – 5p Phone: 0136 Fax: 01366 381213 o.uk foodsofnorfolk.c Email: sales@shire

For all your needs

delivered throughout the UK Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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LH FineFoods Distributors of Fine Food and Beverages 01268 407610 | @LH_FineFoods | info@lhfinefoods.com

www.lhfinefoods.com

DELICIOSO

ARTISAN SPANISH FOOD IMPORTER telephone 01865 340055 | info@delicioso.co.uk | www.delicioso.co.uk

New York International Olive Oil Competition

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www.tenutamarmorelle.com | +44 (0)7535286028 28

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

importers & distributors BUCKLEY & BEALE WORLD FOOD www.buckleyandbeale.com

Buckley & Beale World Food is a relative newcomer, having been founded in 2011 as R.B. Distribution, an importer of American speciality food. Since it relaunched in 2015 with a portfolio of British and Irish products, it has emerged as a new contender in the speciality and fine food market.

Products sourced from the UK and Ireland account for around 80% of the portfolio, according to co-director and owner Adrian Beale, and it has around 50 British producers on its books, including Halen Môn, Stag Bakeries, Huffkins tea, Mara Seaweed, Culllisse, Dilly & Wolf and Fox Gourmet Foods.

The range is deliberately kept tight. “Our job as a wholesaler is to promote and make the buying decision easier for the retail buyer,” Beale says. “If we put 20 products [per category] in the brochure, that provokes the question, ‘Which should I buy, which is the best seller?’

“If only three or four are clearly better than the other 15, why offer those other 15?”

Beale says that adding the British lines has actually brought on an increase in sales of its American products, which includes deli pickles, maple syrup, and BBQ sauces, and it is picking up new accounts. Its core customerbase includes independent delis, garden centres and food halls, such as Partridges, as well as Marks & Spencer, Ocado, Lakeland and Whole Foods Market.

“Having the British and Irish range has given us a lot more credibility as a wholesaler,” he

adds. “In our first four years, people who turned us down flat wouldn’t even look at what we were importing, assuming it would be sugary and artificial.

“But now they are stopping at our stands [because of the British and Irish lines] and seeing our American range and seeing it for what it is – very good speciality food.

And our existing customers for the American lines are delighted we’re doing British and Irish and placing far larger orders than before.”

Other than its bestselling Koeze Peanut Butter, the most popular lines of the last six months have had an emphasis on innovative packaging that appeals to a broad customer base, including Agroposta’s sachets of cordial for lunchboxes

SHIRE FOODS

HIDER FOOD IMPORTS

www.shirefoodsofnorfolk.co.uk

Shire Foods was founded 30 years ago, initially focusing on packing and supplying wholefoods, confectionery and savoury snacks.

The Norfolk-based business has been expanding its catalogue ever since and now lists oils, preserves, wines, sauces, seasonings and gluten-free products as well as a variety of own-label items.

and handbags, Spiffing Flour’s retro styled re-sealable pouches and the London Honey Company. “When producers get their packaging right, even products that would otherwise appeal to an older demographic can tap into a younger age group,” Beale says.

The business mainly ships to order but also carries a selection of its most popular stock at its Bristolbased warehouse.

“Only having part of your order arrive is probably the biggest annoyance to most retailers when dealing with wholesalers, so we try and do things a little differently,” says Beale. “Maintaining stock levels is incredibly hard, but if a customer places an order that includes lines from a British or Irish supplier, then

no matter how large or small, if we don’t have it, we’ll get it – even if it’s only one case.

“Making them wait until their next order, or until we are ready, isn’t good enough.”

But it’s not just about delivery.

Offering producers support with marketing, sampling, point of sale and in-store activity, as well as business mentoring are also important. “We want to be helping small producers get their food to market and have the opportunity to get into larger stores where they would struggle on their own.”

This explains why Buckley & Beale has scrapped minimum orders, on a trial basis, to simplify the process for retailers and remove barriers.

Over time, it will add more global foods, arguing that retailers shouldn’t limit their offer to only local food. “To have that as a long-term strategy means you will inevitably end up selling the same as the local competition,” he says, adding that there is “a big case” for having 70:30 localimported split, to tap into demand from well-travelled 20- and 30-somethings.

“We called ourselves Buckley & Beale World Food deliberately as we are looking to other countries – South America, Scandinavia, Australia and the Far East – to see what can be brought to the UK market that isn’t at the cheaper, commercial supermarket end of the market. We want to be the go-to wholesaler for something a bit different that is tricky to import directly.”

www.hiderfoods.co.uk

Its portfolio covers a host of top speciality brands, including Aspall, Belvoir, Border Biscuits, Cawston, Doves Farm, Farmhouse Biscuits, Fentimans, Folkingtons, Kents Kitchen, Peter’s Yard, Mrs Crimbles, Tiptree and Wessex Mill.

In the last few years, Shire Foods has also set up its own bakery, producing traditional loaf cakes and resurrecting old British recipes such as the 18th century black pepper cake. Demand for these lines has come from both within the UK and in Europe, which has seen it expand its facility to increase capacity.

Shire’s most recent additions to its range have been products imported from Spain, including fruit slabs and olive oil.

With more than 50 years of trading under its belt, Hider is one of the largest suppliers of ambient products to the independent retail sector.

It supplies delicatessens, food halls, farm shops and garden centres across the UK with more than 3,500 products and, while it specialises in British-made artisan brands, it also imports and packs dried fruit and nuts from around the world.

The Yorkshire-based company remains family-run and joint MD, Duncan Hider (right) is the third generation at the helm.

Hider carries a wide range of brands, including Hazer Baba,

Border Biscuits, Wessex Mill Flour, Lindt, Peter’s Yard, Belvoir, Cotswold Meringues, Atkins & Potts, Pipers Crisps, Joe & Sephs, RJ’s licorice, Angelic Gluten Free and Teapigs.

It has recently added a range of loose olives to its catalogue, which has been developed in partnership with existing supplier Olive Branch.

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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importers & distributors SAMWAYS FINE FOOD DISTRIBUTION www.samways.uk.com

With a growing portfolio of 300 chilled and fresh lines alongside its ambient range, Samways Fine Food Distribution stocks products from the UK, Europe, America, and the Middle and Far East.

The fresh range is predominantly made up of Spanish and Italian meats and cheese from suppliers including Brindisa, Empire Bespoke, Petty Wood and La Credenza as well as UK producers Laverstoke Park and Luss Smokehouse. Other brands include Belvoir, Atkins & Potts, Wilkin & Sons, Moores Biscuits, Little Turban, Doves Farm, Olives Et Al, Belazu, Wilton Wholefoods, Epicure, Truffle Hunter, Folkingtons Juices and Sugar & Spice Tray bakes and cakes.

Its direct links to manufacturers and an “incredibly” short supply chain enables it to deliver orders directly to independent delis, farm shop and fine food shops in the same week.

its fresh, crunchy flakes.

Pure Maple

Produced and packed in Canada, this 100% pure Canadian maple syrup comes in three strengths – delicate for glazing, amber for topping porridge and pancakes, and a dark & robust sweetener – all packed into distinctive glass bottles.

Gustalto

A range of Italian craft products, Gustalto includes arborio and carnaroli rice plus ready-to-use risottos, a range of different egg, wheatgerm and traditional durum wheat pastas, rich pasta sauces from Sicily, antipastis and high quality olive oils and balsamic vinegars.

Featured brands Nordur Arctic Sea Salt

Located on Karlsey Island in North West Iceland, Nordur Salt uses an ancient traditional Icelandic/ Danish method, whereby Arctic sea water is pumped into open pans and slowly heated with water from natural hot springs, to create

LH FINE FOODS www.lhfinefoods.com

Essex-based LH Fine Foods is a newto-market distributor of fine food and drinks into both foodservice and retail. It works with a small group of suppliers, some established and some new start-ups or local, to ensure it has a “focused but diverse” range to offer to customers in farm shops, delis, garden centres and premium retailers.

The brands on its books include Mr Trotters, Let’s Chocolaat, Chiltern Cold Pressed rapeseed oil and The Truckle Cheese Co. Whether with customers or suppliers, LH Fine Foods looks to establish longlasting working relationships and offer personal service. It offers free delivery on orders over £50 within a 50-mile radius.

Featured brands Yau’s

Bonnie Yau’s oriental sauces – Black Bean, Cantonese, Kung Po, Szechuan, Sweet & Sour and

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Zum Dipping Sauce – are MSG- and gluten-free. The producer also supplies chow mein and udon noodles as well as a number of rice styles.

SCANDI KITCHEN www.scandikitchen.co.uk

Punjaban

Punjaban’s range of sauces includes bases for Bombay Potato, Tasty Tamarind, Keema, Butter Chicken and Naga Chilli curries. It also offers a range of chutney (lime pickle, mango, apple & mango) and kits for preparing rice and naans.

Amanida

Amanida produces a range of Mediterranean olives and pickles. The range features Queen Green Cordial and Black Kalamata olives as well as marinated garlic, sweet peppers, gherkins and baby onions. All products come in 350ml, 580ml and 720ml sizes.

Created by Bronte and Jonas Aurell as a deli-café in London W1, Scandi Kitchen is now the go-to importer for authentic foods from Denmark, Sweden and Norway, with clients ranging from ex-pat stores to Selfridges food hall.

Felix wild cloudberry jam

This ‘rare and intensely flavoured’ golden cloudberry jam makes a good accompaniment to strong cheeses or can be stirred into creamy desserts.

Featured brands

Leksands crispbread

Abba pickled herrings

Swedish households will have crispbread on the table at virtually every meal, and Leksands is a high quality ‘everyday’ brand for which Scandi Kitchen is UK agent.

Nothing says ‘Scandinavia’ more than pickled herring, and this MSC-approved brand comes in a variety of flavour options.

Our Blue & White Fish hand crafted ceramics have been extended for Summer 2016. This best-selling range now includes two jugs in both colour ways and the beautiful new popular 42cm platter. Designed and created in Spain by a small family business on our behalf, each piece is unique and has the signature of the artist on the base. This exclusive production makes them an ideal gift and collectable.

Divine Deli Supplies has been distributing fine & speciality food products for nine years.

The company provides distinctive gourmet food products, tableware and traditional olivewood and artisan ceramics.

Our customers include delis, farm shops, garden centres and independent retail stores throughout Great Britain.

You can view all the new products in Volume 9 brochure, for a copy please call or email on the details below.

Summer at Divine Deli Suppliesâ&#x20AC;Ś For all enquiries, please contact sales@divinedeli.com | 01706 3131001 | www.divinedeli.com

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

31

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ĐĂƉƚƵƌĞƐ ƚŚĞ ƐĞĂƐŽŶƐ Mymouné is a premium Lebanese brand imported by , Θ EĂĚĞƌ ƚŽ ŽīĞƌ ƐƵƉĞƌď ŶĂƚƵƌĂů͕ ŇĂǀŽƵƌƐŽŵĞ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ƐƚŽƌĞ ĐƵƉďŽĂƌĚ ŝƚĞŵƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ h<͘ tŝƚŚ ĂŶ ŝŵƉƌĞƐƐŝǀĞ ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ĂǁĂƌĚƐ Ăƚ 'ƌĞĂƚ dĂƐƚĞ ƚŚĞ ƐƚƵŶŶŝŶŐ ƌĂŶŐĞ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐ ƉŽŵĞŐƌĂŶĂƚĞ ŵŽůĂƐƐĞƐ͕ ƌŽƐĞ ǁĂƚĞƌ͕ ƌŽƐĞ ƐLJƌƵƉ͕ ŽƌĂŶŐĞ ďůŽƐƐŽŵ ǁĂƚĞƌ͕ ŵƵůďĞƌƌLJ ƉƌĞƐĞƌǀĞ͕ njĂĂƚĂƌ͕ ƐƵŵĂĐ ĂŶĚ͘​͘​͘ ůŽƚƐ ŵŽƌĞ͘​͘​͘ ĞŵĂŝů ͗ ůĞďĂŶĞƐĞĮŶĞĨŽŽĚΛďƟŶƚĞƌŶĞƚ͘ĐŽŵ Žƌ ĐĂůů ƵƐ ŽŶ ϬϭϵϬϯ ϴϵϮϴϴϲ 32

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

olives

product update

Get stuffed

products in brief

The premiumisation of jarred and ambient lines is the big news in speciality olives.

LYNDA SEARBY reports.

O Silver

O Olive

Branch has translated the concept of ‘do it yourself’ kits into olives, launching the industry’s first ‘marinate your own olives’ kit.

Each kit contains two 500g bags of olives (Chalkidiki and Kalamata) along with an assortment of seven herbs and spices.

Wholesale price is £9.98 per unit, available through Hider, Gorgeous Food Company and Diverse Fine Food.

O From this month, five new olive and antipasti lines from Italian brand Castellino will launch with distributor Rowcliffe.

Mixed whole olives in brine, spicy olive mix, Greekstyle seasoned olives mixed with cheese, green olives stuffed with basil pesto and sun-dried plum tomatoes all have a one-year ambient shelf-life and are available in 1.9kg trays. Some of the products are also available in 180g glass jars.

& Green has added “plump, meaty” Spanish Gordal olives to its loose olive line-up.

Grown and cured in the Andalusia region, these pitted green olives are famed for their size (gordal means ‘giant’ in Spanish).

Priced at £21.60 for a 3kg (2kg drained weight) jar, they offer retailers a margin of 50% when sold at £1.90 per 100g.

O Harvey & Brockless’s Dell’ami range has been expanded with three flavoured loose olive lines.

Firecracker olives are pitted Kalamata and Halkidiki olives marinated in a mixture of Naga, Aleppo and Bird’s Eye chillies, black peppercorns and garlic.

Verbena Sunshine is whole Nocellara and Halkidiki olives in a marinade of lemon verbena, lemon zest and preserved lemons,

After a year on the market, Olives Et Al’s snacking pouches have been given a makeover.

The new re-sealable pouch design is currently being rolled out across all four varieties.

O

www.olivesetal.co.uk

Mani Bläuel, a Greek producer of olives and oil, has secured its first UK wholesaler listing. Its products, which include organic Kalamata olives in 330g and 460g jars, will be listed with Essential Trading from this month.

O

Greek food brand Odysea has rolled out new-look packaging and introduced a four-strong range of single estate olives in marinades and extra virgin olive oil. Odysea cracked green olives with lemon, garlic & coriander; Kalamata & green olives with red pepper & herbs; Alexandria-style olives with sweet bukovo chilli & cumin and Kalamata olives with red chilli flakes are all made with olives grown on the Rovies estate in Evia, and come in 315g jars www.odysea.com

while Three Shades of Green is a mixture of whole baby Nocellara, red-pepperstuffed Halkidiki and caperberries.

O Olives and martini have always gone hand in hand, and now Cheshire start-up Alco Olives has taken this association to the next level by creating the UK’s first alcohol-infused olives.

Since the company launched the boozy jumbo Greek olives in 2014, NB Gin has become the best-selling flavour, with Malt Whisky and NB Vodka the two newest additions.

Wholesale price £3 for an 8oz jar (RRP £5.99).

O Cooks&Co

has unveiled a new range of ambient stuffed jumbo and colossal Greek olives in 1kg screw top plastic jars to provide deli counters with a quality alternative to chilled olives.

Carried by RH Amar, the range includes various stuffed olive options including with sun-ripened sundried tomatoes, whole jalapeños, whole garlic cloves or Greek feta.

www.myolivebranch.co.uk www.rowcliffe.co.uk www.silverandgreen.com www.harveyandbrockless.co.uk www.alco-olives.co.uk www.rhamar.com

www.blauel.gr

Tresors de Grece has secured a wholesale listing with Cotswold Fayre for six olive products marketed under the Aelea label, including Kalamata olive pâte, and 200g jars of whole Halkidiki green olives, Mt. Pelion green olives pitted & stuffed with red peppers and Mt. Pelion black olives.

O

www.tresorsdegrece.gr

Organic Kalamata olives are the latest addition to The Raw Greek’s raw olive offering. Like the other olives in the Greek food importer’s portfolio, they are raw, unpasteurised and sourced directly from the grower.

O

www.therawgreek.com

customers, not to mention also being a [Fine Food Digest] Best Brands winner”.

Olive Branch produces its own extra virgin olive oil and supplies Greek food products, such as jarred Greek Mezze and Chunky Olive Tapenade, to the retail trade.

Seggiano has launched three of its olive lines in 200g bags to make them more convenient for snacking, picnicking and cooking.

Southern Italian Super Bariolé olives, Moroccan oven dried olives and Sicilian Etna Nocellara olives are all available in the new format.

www.hiderfoods.co.uk

www.seggiano.com

O

Hider Foods moves into loose olive space Distributor Hider is partnering with Olive Branch for a move into the loose olives market.

Olive Branch’s full range of marinated loose olives – which features flavours such as wild mountain oregano and fiery red chilli alongside Greek classics and giant hand-stuffed olives – is

available from this month.

“Loose serving and serveover counters are a

growing area in farm shops and delicatessens so this is a natural move for us,” says MD Duncan Hider.

He says that his company chose to partner with Olive Branch, an existing supplier, as the company had proved to have “consistently high product quality and a great reputation with our

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

33

olives & antipasti

Authentic Mediterranean food hand-prepared especially for independent retailers

We love to chatâ&#x20AC;Ś why not get in touch!!

01768 48 33 32 / info@silverandgreen.com / silverandgreen.com

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07944 347377 | Info@therawGreek.com | www.therawgreek.com

020 7740 1717 ¡ www.theoliveoilco.com 34

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

jams & preserves

product update

Stars in jars

products in brief Edinburgh social enterprise In a Jar has experienced an uplift in sales since redesigning its labels to reinforce the brand’s Scottish identity.

O

Jams with a dram, nut butters and raw honey are just some of the newest launches in speciality preserves. LYNDA SEARBY reports.

www.tiphereth.org.uk

Kimberley Wilson founded The Glamorous Jam Company in 2015 after making it to the finals in the BBC’s Great British Bake Off. With the strapline ‘Jam. Upgraded’, the company’s aim is to elevate jam to an “everyday luxury”.

The core flavours are Seville orange & Persian rose petal marmalade, blackberry & amaretto jam and raspberry & basil jam, but Wilson also produces seasonal flavours such as quince & lavender and spiced plum & port, and is currently working on an apricot, cardamom & tonka bean jam.

O

The Artisan Kitchen cleaned up at The World’s Original Marmalade Awards this year, scooping 17 awards including Double Gold for its new Seville orange Aperol marmalade which is now listed with Fortnum & Mason.

The Gloucester producer has also added West Country cider orange marmalade, sweet spiced citrus marmalade, sweet orange espresso marmalade and leafy lemon limoncello marmalade to its line-up.

New under Urbangrains ‘upscale food essentials’ label is organic mount flower honey from Mount Olympus.

O

www.urbangrains.net

Fen End Country Kitchen has expanded its range of citrus curds, to take in gin & lemon, St. Clement’s and coconut, lime & ginger. RRP 3.65 for 227g.

O

www.fenend.net

www.theartisankitchen.co.uk

Wild Fig has paired Dark Matter, from the first and only rum distillery in Scotland, with Seville oranges, lime, ginger and dark brown sugar to create a “warming, beautifully balanced” marmalade. RRP £5.95.

O

The Bit on the Side’s revamped range of quirky preserves makes a refreshing change to the mop-topped and minimalist offerings that dominate the category.

Eye-catching new jar designs

O

Raspberry jam & red berries tea, blackcurrant jam with liquorice tea, three fruit marmalade with earl grey tea, blackcurrant with sloe gin and plum with damson gin are the five new flavour combinations from the Malpas producer. Wholesale price £2.25 for 240g, RRP £3.50.

www.wildfigfood.com

Chuckleberry: no laughing matter Chuckleberry – a hybrid of redcurrant, gooseberry and jostaberry – first appeared on FFD’s radar earlier this year when Granny Gothard’s launched an ice cream

are matched by fun new flavours including toffee apple jam, lime, gin & tonic marmalade, orange marmalade with cardamom and peach melba jam.

O Tea infusions and fruit gins are giving traditonal fruit jam an unexpected and modern twist at Berry Fresh Bakery.

Apricots (76%), unrefined sugar, water, lemon juice and vanilla are the only ingredients in Rosebud Preserves’ new apricot & vanilla jam.

RRP £3.40 for 227g.

O

www.glamorousjam.co.uk www.thebitontheside.co.uk www.berryfreshbakery.co.uk

with the berry. Now Cheshire Chutney Co is debuting a chuckleberry jam.

Wholesale price is £1.65; RRP £2.50 for a 220g jar.

Word of the new berry has spread to the

West Country too, with Deerview adding a chuckleberry preserve to its line-up. Wholesale price £11.70 for a case of 6.

www.rosebudpreserves.co.uk

www.cheshirechutney.co.uk www.deerview.co.uk

Evo3 has two olive jams – one with orange & cloves, the other with mountain tea & cinnamon – that can be paired with yogHurt, ice cream, cheese, or fish. RRP is £3£4.50 for a 156g jar.

O

www.evo3oliveoil.com

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

35

jams & preserves

product update

How we stock it…

SUSANNAH HEWETT, CO-OWNER, EGGS TO APPLES, HURST GREEN, EAST SUSSEX

“Our approach with jams and honeys is to go local first, and our definition of local spans three counties: Kent, Sussex and Surrey,” says Hewett.

Ouse Valley Foods is the biggest local brand stocked by Eggs To Apples – the farm shop has been a supporter of this Sussex preserves producer from the start and Hewett says “people recognise it as local

products in brief Trésors de Grèce is now exporting Meli label heather blossom honey, an unblended and unpasteurised honey from the Greek island of Ios.

O

www.tresorsdegrece.gr

The Garden Pantry in Norfolk has introduced sloe & tequila, strawberry daiquiri, blackberry & gin and raspberry & amaretto jams made with local fruit.

O

www.thegardenpantry.co.uk

and good quality”.

The two smaller local brands it stocks are Wylde & Shrub and Martha & Ed’s Kitchen, which contrast and complement one another nicely, according to Hewett.

“Martha & Ed’s are traditional mop top jams and marmalades with letter press labels, while Wylde & Shrub’s presentation is more modern and the range includes some quirky names

Raisthorpe Manor is making the most of the synergies created by its jamand gin-making operations, launching two new jams made from fruit that has been steeped in gin for nine months to produce its rhubarb and gooseberry gin liqueurs.

The gooseberry gin and rhubarb gin jams have a 3% alcohol content and come in 340g jars (RRP £3.50).

O Thanks to the balance of sweet and sharp flavours, Brindisa’s new orange blossom honey can be spooned over natural yoghurt, baked with sobrasada, or drizzled over

and products,” she says.

Wylde & Shrub also supplies the shop’s café with pails of jam so there is an opportunity for cross-selling.

On the honey front, Paynes Southdown Bee Farms is the shop’s main supplier, supplemented by five or six local small batch producers, depending on who has available stock.

“They run out so we have to have several different suppliers,” explains Hewett.

The only supplier that

O

deep-fried Monte Enebro goats’ cheese.

Produced

by Alemany in Catalonia, the single varietal, unpasteurised honey has a wholesale price of £16.20 for 6 x 250g jars. RRP £3.95.

Preserves don’t get much more decadent than Likoris & Aromatikus’ new line-up, which includes honey enriched with 23 carat gold flakes, organic blueberry jam with port wine and organic pumpkin jam with almond & port wine.

O

bucks Eggs To Apples’ local sourcing philosophy is Staffordshire producer Cottage Delight.

“We started stocking Cottage Delight recently because we needed a range that isn’t stocked by the supermarkets but has a lower price point; not all customers want to pay £4 for a jar of jam,” says Hewett.

All preserves are displayed in a standalone unit and the top of the display is used to showcase new or seasonal lines.

The range, a celebration of Portuguese flavours and ingredients, isn’t yet on sale anywhere in the UK. O Freddie Thorneycroft, founder of Cheshire-based Fruits of the Forage, is on a mission to find ways to use wild ingredients – from haws to sloes, elderflowers and dandelion.

This has yielded creations such as sloe Seville marmalade, hogweed Seville marmalade, Lady Elder jam, Hedgerow Harvest (elderberry, blackerry, damson, plum & apple jam) and Hot Crabby (crab apple & wild garlic chilli jam). www.raisthorpemanor.com www.brindisa.com www.likorisaromatikus.pt www.fruitsoftheforage.co.uk

Jake’s is showing that marmalade can be cool, with its ‘weekend’ breakfast spreads and recordlabel inspired branding. Salted buttered set honey, red grapefruit marmalade and cinnamon curd are the first lines.

O

www.jakeslondon.com

36

O

Plan Bee is creating a buzz with new labels for its Origin Honey brand.

Hawkshead Relish has taken inspiration from the world of fashion with a chic new gifting range that marries preserves in both sweet and savoury varieties with elegant presentation. Lemoncello curd, strawberry daiquiri jam and five fruit marmalade are three of the lines in the new ‘Couture’ collection.

www.planbeeltd.com

www.hawksheadrelish.com

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

Spread a little happiness with a new treat from Tiptree When Tiptree decide to create a new spread it g oes

double cream and natural Maldon ® sea salt. It’s delicious

without saying that we’ll only ever use the finest

on toast, wonderful on waffles and rather tasty

ing redients. Our new Salted Caramel Spread is no

spooned straight from the jar. Why not treat yourself

exception, with specially selected g olden syr up, finest

and help spread a little happiness of your own?

The preser ve of g ood taste

WILKIN & SONS LIMITED

TIPTREE

COLCHESTER

ESSEX

CO5 0RF

W W W. T I P T R E E . C O M

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

37

GAIA PULSES The Food of the Gods

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www.advancelabels.co.uk 38

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

Bespoke digital labels from £49.00

jams & preserves

product update

products in brief

The Cherry Tree in Dorset has gone curd crazy with its latest creations: Turkish Delight, chocolate, lime & chilli and Mojito passion fruit curds. RRP £3.85-£4.25.

O

New from Paxton & Whitfield for trade customers to purchase from this month are two jams and an apple & chilli jelly.

The gooseberry & elderflower and blackcurrant jams have a wholesale price of £38.88 for a case of 12 x 227g jars (RRP £4.99).

The apple & chilli jelly, which can be paired with strong flavoured soft and washed rind cheeses, has a wholesale price of £72 for a case of 32 x 113g (RRP £3.50).

O Having built up a following at events and fairs in and around Norfolk, Old Rectory Preserves has started supplying the deli and farm shop trade.

O

Bowjars is a new entrant whose signature kirigami (like origami but with a little help from scissors and glue) bow should ensure stand-out on shelf. Its range of gifting preserves includes fig & ginger jam, raspberry & pomegranate jam, strawberry & rose petal jam, pear & lavender jam and Sicilian lemon marmalade.

www.cherrytreepreserves. co.uk

www.bowjars.co.uk

The newest addition from Wiltshire’s In a Pickle is passion fruit curd. RRP £3.65.

O

Then, last month, it launched a threestrong range of handmade curds – lemon, passion fruit and raspberry – which all come in 320g jars (RRP £3.95).

O The Fine Food Forager has tracked down a French jam maker, Maison Francis Miot, that is lauded internationally by

professional chefs, but only stocked in two UK retail outlets: Fromage & French deli in Kent and Laveli bakeries in London.

The producer’s flagship flavour is La Parisienne (strawberries, morello cherries & poppies). Wholesale price £2.15; RRP £4.15 for 220g.

O Welsh Lady Preserves

has moved into the reduced sugar space with a range of single fruit favourites that have a 60% fruit content, contain 30% less sugar than the producer’s regular jams and marmalades and are softer set.

Blueberry jam, apricot jam, strawberry jam, raspberry jam and Seville orange marmalade are the five varieties, available in 200g jars. www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk www.norfolkrectory.com www.fromdorsetwithlove.co.uk www.thefinefoodforager.co.uk www.welshladypreserves.com

www.inapicklefoodco.co.uk

Plum, orange & star anise is the new jam or ‘jamalade’ from Devonbased Louise’s Larder. RRP £5.

O

www.louiseslarder.co.uk

Greek food distributor Maltby & Greek has sourced five new lines from preserves producer Idiston. These include fig marmalade made with vasilika (imperial) figs, plum jam and strawberry marmalade (RRP £5.80 for 380g), as well as quince and sour cherry ‘spoon sweet’ preserves (RRP £5.70 for 280g).

O

New additions for 2016 are strawberry & rhubarb preserve and orange & lemon marmalade, available in three jar sizes (55g, 110g and 227g), with respective RRPs of £1.50, £2.50 and £3.50.

O In May, From Dorset With Love rolled out a new look across its portfolio of jams, chutneys and preserves.

Preserving a Portuguese tradition

www.maltbyandgreek.com

Portuguese brand Casa de Encosturas has had a packaging redesign. The line-up includes tangerine marmalade, wild blueberry jam, tamarillo jam and quince jelly.

O

Tucked away in Carvalhal, a small hamlet in central Portugal, Doces Saberes is one of the best kept secrets in jams and preserves.

The creation of Rita Santa Cruz, who maintains her mother’s 40-year tradition of making jams, conserves and crystallised fruits, this cottage industry relies on seasonal produce grown in the family’s well-stocked orchards and vegetable gardens.

Besides classics which

are produced every year, for example, quince jelly and fig jam, this producer also experiments with new flavours. Pear, pineapple,

cognac & mint and apple, raisin, prune & almond are new for this year.

Each 230g jar is handdecorated with a paper cover and dried flowers.

These ‘perpétuas’ (immortelles) are also home-grown, home-picked and home-dried. This is done in tribute to Rita’s mother.

The jams aren’t currently on sale in the UK, but have an RRP of €3.25 a jar in Portugal.

www.casadeencosturas.com

www.docessaberes.pt

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

39

Specialists in Private Label Jams. Marmalades. Fruit Curds. Chutneys. Mustards.

Sauces. Jellies.

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Choose from nearly 100 different products available from stock or we can work closely with you to create bespoke recipes.

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You have the brand ~ We have the product To discuss your options please contact us.

Tel: 01766 810 496 or email us at sales@welshladypreserves.com

www.scarlettandmustard.co.uk 01728 685210

40

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

product update

jams & preserves

products in brief

products in brief

Ajar Of’s latest creations include raspberry, chocolate & vodka jam, Dorset sea salted caramel spread and dark chocolate truffle spread.

An increase in sales of organic products has prompted Kitchen Garden Foods to develop an organic plum jam.

O

O

www.ajarof.co.uk

www.kitchengardenfoods. co.uk

The new production of Hasapis honey, expected at the beginning of August, will be certified organic. There are two varieties – organic raw wild thyme and organic raw wild thyme with wildflowers – both produced on Lemnos.

O

www.honeylimnos.com

Wild fig jam (RRP £5.30 for 235g), organic lemon & apple geranium marmalade (RRP £4.60 for 235g) and wild thyme raw honey from mount Hymettus (RRP £6.80), are among new products in Gaia Pulses’ portfolio.

O

www.gaiapulses.com

Pure Maple is a new brand of Canadian maple syrup, created by a family of British Canadians who recently moved to the UK and were surprised by the lack of real maple syrup. RRP £6.95-7.45.

O

www.puremaple.co.uk

Cottage Delight has released details of its Christmas range, available to order now, for delivery in September.

Festive lines include chocolate strawberry jam with Marc de Champagne (wholesale £1.70), Hot Toddy marmalade (£1.50) and The Honey Hive – clear honey in an orcio gift jar with wooden honey dipper.

The Staffordshire producer has also added two jams to its current range: peach melba extra and strawberry & rhubarb (wholesale £2.14, RRP £3.20).

O Seggiano has introduced three new conserves centered on Italian fruit cultivars noted for their flavour.

Seggiano pink grapefruit jam uses fresh O

Sicilian grapefruit while its mandarin conserve is bursting with Sicilian Late Ciaculli mandarins, which are recognised by Slow Food International for their sweet, juicy pulp and thin skin.

Its Calabrian fig conserve combines the Dottato fig variety with lemon zest and juice.

O Bim’s Kitchen has made African baobab & cacao syrup and African hibiscus syrup permanent fixtures.

RRP £4.95.

O Best known for its truffles, Italian chocolatier La Perla di Torino also makes chocolate spreads, and has just added two new varieties to its line-up.

La Perla Pistacchio is a sweet milk spread with the aroma of Sicilian pistachios,

FruityFoods has revamped its packaging and introduced four new marmalades: grapefruit, blood orange, lemon with passion fruit and orange with mango.

O

www.fruityfoods.co.uk

and La Perla PURO is an intense Gianduja spread without added sugars.

Wholesale price £60 for a case of 12 x 50g pots RRP £10. www.cottagedelight.co.uk www.bimskitchen.com www.seggiano.com www.laperladitorino.it

www.heavenlyhedgerows. co.uk

contain no palm oil. RRP £5.99-6.99 for 170g.

Meanwhile, Pip & Nut, whose range is listed with Sainsbury’s, Whole Foods, Ocado and Selfridges, has launched a cashew nut butter (RRP £3.95, 250g)

Clare’s Preserves has added pink Exmoor gin marmalade and Seville orange with Dartmoor honey marmalade to its lineup and secured a listing with Fortnum & Mason.

O

Nut butters venture beyond peanuts While peanut is still the mainstay of nut butters, consumer interest in more unusual varieties – particularly those that are free from palm oil and refined sugars – is at an all time high.

Capitalising on the trend, Meridian has added pecan, macadamia and Brazil to its range, which already includes peanut, almond, cashew and hazelnut butters. All the butters are made from 100% nuts and

Heavenly Hedgerows’ trio of English Country Garden preserves – gooseberry & elderflower, Avon Valley plum jam and strawberry & rhubarb jam – are made with fruit collected locally. The RRP is £3.95.

O

made using roasted cashews and a pinch of sea salt.

London-based Nutural World is a newcomer to the nut butter space, and its point of difference is that it does everything but peanut butter – so its products can

be eaten by people with peanut allergies. Its extensive range includes Brazil, macadamia, pistachio, cashew, pine and pecan nut butters, all free from added sugar, syrup, sweeteners, salt and oil. www.meridianfoods.co.uk www.pipandnut.com www.nuturalworld.com

www.clarespreserves.co.uk

Larkin’s Larder has created a Breakfast in Brazil marmalade to mark the Olympics.

This lime marmalade with Cachaça captures the flavours of Brazil’s national drink, the Caipirinha.

O

www.larkinslarder.co.uk

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

41

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...The Original Fruit Crisp Brand

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www.nuturalworld.com | admin@nuturalworld.com | 07973 269614 44

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

01332 666285

shelf talk

packs, promotions, people

Rocktails rebrands and shakes up range

By MICHAEL LANE

Non-alcoholic frozen cocktail producer Rocktails is targeting listings beyond its current West Country customer base after rebranding and reshuffling its range.

Although it was only launched at the tail-end of 2015, the company has overhauled its packaging to be clearer about its contents and to appeal to its core audience.

“We were very conscious that we are a new product on the shelf and we had to be clear with our messaging,” said director Katie Bain, adding that all of the changes were down to feedback from customers.

“What we realised was more of our age bracket was 25-45 year-olds, drinking it either as an alternative to alcohol or using it as a mixer.”

Bain, who runs the business with partner Chris Yandell, told FFD that the consumer preference for

Bay Tree rolls out new look The Bay Tree has redesigned branding that will take more than six months to roll out.

The first phase has seen the new labelling introduced on eight products listed with Waitrose – including apple sauce, cranberry jelly and mint sauce – before the producer gradually rebrands its entire portfolio, completing the job in 2017.

The Bay Tree’s popular gifting ranges and festive packaging will remain unchanged for 2016.

The new branding was developed with consultancy GillFoxJames and After Hours design studio. www.thebaytree.co.uk

what’s new...

Glutenfree baker Honeybuns has created a “cleaner” version (reduced refined sugars) of its top selling chocolate caramel shortbread.

Available in 85g individual slices and 1kg traybakes, the Squillionaire consists of a date-sweetened base, a date caramel centre and a dark chocolate topping. www.honeybuns.co.uk

citrus flavours had also seen Rocktails introduce its newest line, The Thyme Collins.

The producer’s strawberry, lemon & goji cocktail has been shelved – partly because of a shortage of the berries – but Bain said it might return as a seasonal blend, together with other new products in the pipeline.

She said she hoped the range would grow to as many as eight products, including a spicy winter blend and the end results of some experiments with botanicals and tea.

Although the brand was set up by Yandell to cater for restaurant customers who wanted an interesting drink despite driving, consumers are split about 50:50 on using Rocktails with and without alcohol.

“Some people like to add them to their morning smoothies with added fruit,” said Bain. “Some are enjoying them straight up.

The non-alcoholic drinks market is growing – 22% of adults are not drinking in the UK.” www.rocktails.co.uk

in the range...

The Mock-ito lime, mint & yuzu The Sunset Sling passionfruit, mango & guava The Coco-Colada pineapple, coconut water & guanabana The Thyme Collins - fresh lemon & fragrant thyme Supplied ambient (shelf life 9 months) in 250ml pouches (RRP £2.95).

Merchandise on the shelf or in the freezer.

More capacity and products as Wood’s moves brownies to Yorkshire

By MICHAEL LANE

Wood’s Brownie Co is plotting a raft of new products and hopes to satisfy a queue of potential wholesale customers by moving production from Edinburgh to West Yorkshire.

As FFD went to press, founder Kenneth Cairns was finalising the sale of Wood’s Deli – where he first began making and selling the brownies – on the outskirts of the Scottish capital and was also on the brink of moving into a 3,000 sq ft production unit in a converted mill building in Shipley.

The new bakery will allow Cairns to upscale from 5,000 brownies-a-week (at his current unit in Scotland) to 8,000 a day, once it is fully operational while

maintaining his handmade process. He also plans to develop a white chocolate & raspberry brownie, as

Looking for suppliers accredited by the Guild of Fine Food? Follow the logo

well as ice cream made with brownie off-cuts and sauces based on his range of flavours, which include Morello cherry & almond, stem ginger & cardamom and salted caramel.

Cairns said sales are currently split evenly between wholesale and direct-to-consumer, which have helped to fund the move to Yorkshire, but he wants to move away from selling products at shows and markets.

Cairns said he soon hoped to be able to supply larger independents but wasn’t targeting the multiples.

“I don’t intend on going into Tesco,” he said. “It would cheapen the brand in a heartbeat.”

Frozen food specialist field fare has added three potato products.

Its sweet potato chips are gluten-free and a source of vitamins A and C while the cubed herby parmentier potatoes can be used as a side or added to salads. Completing the range is 60g swirls of bubble and squeak. www.field-fare.com

Joe & Seph’s has teamed up with Unilever to create the UK’s first official Marmite flavoured popcorn, which features a smooth, sweet caramel glazed with the iconic spread.

It comes in 75g packs (RRP £2.99, cases of 12) and 21g impulse foil packs (RRP 99p, cases of 22) for food-to-go and foodservice outlets. www.joeandsephs.co.uk

Atkins & Potts has launched six gravies and sauces. British Beef Gravy and British Chicken Gravy come in cases of 6x350g pouches while the Classic peppercorn sauce, mushrooms sauce, red wine sauce, white wine sauces come in cases of 6x275g pouches (£9.45). www.atkinsandpotts.co.uk

www.facebook.com/ woodsbrownieco Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

45

shelf talk

packs, promotions, people

Chef’s selection

what’s new...

It may be famous for its oatcakes but Wooleys of Arran has turned its attention to other oat biscuits with the launch of its latest wholesale range. Punchy Ginger Rounds, Raspberry Infused Cranberry Rounds and Seriously Coconut Rounds are all made with rolled oats, as well as rapeseed oil and soya flour. Each pack (RRP £1.50) contains 20 biscuits.

FOOD WRITER CLARE HARGREAVES INTERVIEWS TOP BRITISH CHEFS ABOUT THEIR FAVOURITE STORECUPBOARD PRODUCTS

Richard Davies

Head chef of Epicure by Richard Davies, Celtic Manor www.celtic-manor.com/epicure

Richard previously worked at the 3-starred Gordon Ramsay in London before winning Michelin stars of his own as head chef at Sawyards in West Sussex and the Manor House at Castle Combe. He opened Epicure

by Richard Davies at Celtic Manor near Newport in February 2016. He has represented Wales three times on BBC’s Great British Menu.

www.wooleys.co.uk

Grumpy Mule has unveiled its latest seasonal single origin coffee – Hakuna Matata. Sourced from Ecuador’s Pichincha province in the Andes and processed in small batches, the coffee offers jammy and strawberry flavours with milk as well as lime acidity and mandarin orange sweetness. It comes in 227g and 500g craft bags. www.grumpymule.co.uk

Flower & White, the bakery behind the Merangz, Tweeners, Custardz and Eggz brands have created Pavs to take the hassle out of making meringue-based desserts. Made with free-range eggs, the meringues come in three flavours – vanilla, strawberry and chocolate – in boxes of eight single serves (RRP £3.95) and boxes of one medium serve (RRP £4.60).

Tracklements rich redcurrant jelly I cycle past Tracklements every day on my route to work. I love what they do. This jelly is a fantastically versatile product which can be put to all sorts of uses. It’s sweet yet tangy, and lends a deep rich flavour.

In the restaurant, I use it to finish sauces that accompany meats such as venison or lamb. At home, I eat it with blue cheese. www.tracklements.co.uk

Halen Mon sea salt I always have two salts on the go, a table salt and a sea salt from Halen Mon which I’m a big fan of. I’m Welsh so like to fly the Welsh flag where possible, provided the quality is there.

I use Halen Mon for finishing meats as it gives a lovely crisp crunch which contrasts with the soft melting texture of the meat. I also use it in the bases of sauces, such as a rich red wine sauce, as it opens up the flavour from the beginning.

www.flowerandwhite.co.uk

www.halenmon.com

Northern Irish company Harnett’s Oils has created a new Atlantic sea salt harvested on the remote island of Duvillaun off the coast of county Mayo in the Republic of Ireland. The Northern Irish business processes and packages the salt at its Co Down premises on the Waring Estate. The salt, which is the first product of the Duvillaun brand, comes in 40g bottles (RRP £4). www.harnettoils.co.uk

Quinola Mothergrain has added three products to its Express Quinoa line-up.

The golden vegetables, Indian-style chickpeas (both RRP £2.55) and wholegrain quinoa (£1.99) varieties all come in 250g pouches.

Made with quinoa grown in France, they can be served cold, as part of a salad, or hot as an alternative to rice or pasta. www.quinola.com

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July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

Ossau-Iraty ewes’ milk cheese People are often put off ewes’ milk cheeses as they expect something strong. But if you like cheddar it’s definitely worth giving this unpasteurised cheese a try. It’s quite a new discovery for me and I love it because it has plenty of nutty flavour without being overpowering. You can cook with it, too. I make a rarebit with it for the tasting menu as the cheese course. I buy it from Premier Cheese. www.cheese.biz

Caws Cenarth Perl Las blue cheese Perl Las stands up to any blue in the world. Before I discovered it, my favourite blue used to be Fourme d’Ambert. Perl Las is similar in terms of creaminess and mildness, while also being sweet and smooth. It’s always on our cheeseboard at Celtic Manor but it’s good to cook with too. In the restaurant I sprinkle crushed Perl Las onto a mushroom & truffle risotto, and it’s also superb with pears, apple and duck, or with cured meats. It’s wonderfully versatile. www.cawscenarth.co.uk

Netherend Farm butter This butter is traditionally churned from fresh local dairy cream. I used it when I worked at The Manor House at Castle Combe, and now I use it at Celtic Manor. I try to buy produce that’s both high quality and local and this ticks all the boxes – the farm is very nearby. I use the unsalted butter for the tables as the salted one can overpower the flavour of the bread. People often comment on the butter and ask where they can get it. www.netherendfarmbutter.co.uk

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48

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

shelf talk

packs, promotions, people

The selected few Every Harrogate Fine Food Show sees FFD’s MICK WHITWORTH and MICHAEL LANE choose their favourite new launches from exhibitors.

Here are their picks from last month’s event.

Guatemalan Maragogype coffee COFFEE CARE www.coffeecare.co.uk

This certainly lives up to Coffee Care’s ‘outrageously good’ tag line.

There’s a huge burst of sweet, spicy and nutty flavours up front with a very pleasant mellow finish. The packaging is also a cut above the usual brown bag dourness – colourful, informative labelling and it’s also easy to open and re-seal.

Mags & Jen Smooth Patés PATCHWORK PATÉ www.patchwork-pate.co.uk

Given Patchwork’s track record, there’s little surprise that the paté is good, particularly the subtly flavoured versions that boost rather than mask the base flavour.

Although this is essentially just a convenience, chilled format of one of its core products, this range is a big departure, both from the Patchwork name and style.

Sliced Smoked Goosnargh Duck Breast ABBEY SMOKEHOUSE www.abbeysmokehouse.com The esteemed Lancastrian duck breed only gets a subtle smoking so there is still plenty of natural flavour and meaty texture, not to mention a generous layer of tasty fat. Mick also liked the fact that packaging wasn’t overly slick and actually displayed the product in full.

Cider Vinegar (with The Mother) Popcorn WILLY CHASE’S www.willychases.co.uk

Already an FFD Editors’ Choice in the May issue, William Chase’s latest venture delivers both on

looks and taste across the range.

This cider vinegar variety offers a decent tang but it doesn’t overpower the flavour of the corn itself and it boasts plenty of healthy credentials.

Natural Indian Tonic Water FRANKLIN & SONS www.franklinandsons.co.uk

It’s about time a brand emerged to challenge the dominance of Fever Tree in the premium tonic arena.

Franklin & Sons’ old-fashioned branding and bottle shape give it shelf presence over more modern-looking competitors while the tonic’s deliberately gentle fizz and muted bitterness allows the gin to do the talking.

Truffle BBQ Sauce DIE TRÜFFELMANUFAKTUR www.dietrueffelmanufaktur.eu

On paper, it sounds like heresy but this sweet ketchupstyle sauce – with a whopping truffle content of 15% – is highly intriguing.

Even though its uses are slightly unclear and the price point is potentially scary, this product makes the challenging flavour of truffles more palatable and it would be a great talking point at barbecues.

salsa-like consistency is a great platform for the heady mix of sweetness and deep caramelised flavours. And, with an RRP of £3.95, it really offers bang for your buck.

Sour Cherry Curd THURSDAY COTTAGE www.thursday-cottage.com

If you thought curds were becoming a little too experimental, this sour cherry will restore your faith with its clarity. The concentrated sour cherry juice keeps it just short of oversweet, and we slightly favoured this thicker texture over the also-very-good chocolate & orange curd that Thursday Cottage has launched.

Caserecce Lunghe Pasta TENUTA MARMORELLE www.tenutamarmorelle.com

Italian food specialists Tenuta Marmorelle make the list for a second time in a row with another terrificlooking pasta.

This is the long form of traditional Sicilian casarecce (literally ‘homemade’) pasta. This chunky style is a good foil for pesto and perfect for those who like their pasta on the heartier side.

www.thequirkycook. co.uk

Although we had concerns about the clarity of the branding and the miniscule type on the label, this is a fabulous product. The

Mondovino Wild Mushroom Crackers ARTISAN BISCUITS www.artisanbiscuits.co.uk

It takes a few seconds to break down the dry cracker in your mouth but then you’re rewarded with a subtle flavour of the 5% dried mushrooms in the mix. As with all Artisan Biscuits/Fine Cheese Co crackers, the packaging is spot-on and the product is perfect for purpose (in this case with drinks) but equally excellent on its own.

Norfolk Mustard Salami WOODALL’S CHARCUTERIE www.woodallscharcuterie.com

Another product we had tried in advance of its launch at the show, this slickly branded product embraces the emerging trend of adding British touches to Continental-style charcuterie. The flecks of mustard grain also lend a unique hue to this soft and subtly flavoured salami.

Pecan & Fig Spread NUTURAL WORLD www.nuturalworld.com

Pepper & Courgette Vegetable Crisps NIM’S FRUIT CRISPS www.nimsfruitcrisps.com

Tomato & Chilli with Black Garlic Relish THE QUIRKY COOK

price compared with other produce-based air-dried snacks.

Of all the new Nim’s vegetable products, this is the one that gets away without seasoning the best, and it also also looks prettiest.

The novel production process gives it a decent back-story and £1.15 is a sensible retail

A price tag of £6 and the muted ‘wholefoods’ branding might deter some consumers, but Nutural World has nailed what goes on inside its jars.

All of the products we tried (both smooth or crunchy) delivered on taste and texture but the rustic crunch and hint of cinnamon in this variety proved the favourite.

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

49

shelf talk

‘Some sell cheaper.

We sell better.’

Not so much a deli as a Supermarket of the Month this time, but one that’s independently owned and genuinely unique, selling ‘The world’s biggest selection of Irish artisan food’.

I

don’t want to be accused of stereotyping, but the Irish really do have a gift for words.

Take some of these snippets from my interview with Kevin Jephson, second-generation owner of Ardkeen Quality Food Store in Waterford, which begins with both of us perched on stools in this unusual store’s packed barista bar.

“We want to be ahead of the competition, not ahead of the customer.”

“There are plenty of people who sell cheaper. We sell better.”

And, talking about the Ardkeen’s heavy focus on Irish artisan products: “We do traceability on a product by meeting the guy who made it, not

by DNA testing.”

For all I know, Jephson has used these lines many times before. But a stroll around his 15,000 sq ft store in the suburbs of Waterford, two hours south of Dublin, suggests he’s just very clear about its business model, its points of difference – and the need to protect them.

“There’s a big grocery offering around here,” he says. “There’s a Tesco Extra half a mile away that’s

Deli of the Month INTERVIEW BY MICK WHITWORTH

one of the best in the country. On the way here you’d have passed Lidl and Aldi, and there’s a SuperValu on the inner ring road. So there’s very, very strong competition.”

SuperValu, owned by Musgraves (the Irish wholesaler that owns Budgens in the UK) has recently pipped Tesco to become Ireland’s biggest grocer, and offers what Jephson describes as “a veneer” of speciality food – nothing like Ardkeen’s depth of range, but enough to keep Jephson’s business on its toes.

“They’re good on local food – which is our space,” he says.

“And that’s the reason we need to be different. We claim to sell ‘the world’s biggest selection of Irish artisan food’, and it’s a claim we can stand up.”

He adds: “Hopefully I’ll prove that to you over the next 20 minutes.”

And with that we’re off for a tour of the store, which looks not unlike any mid-size supermarket – until you look close-up at the shelves.

There are plenty of familiar mainstream brands here in both food and non-food aisles. But where quality Irish alternatives exist, the big players are firmly relegated to the harder-to-reach top and bottom shelves.

Irish brands, often from smaller producers, are placed right in the shopper’s eyeline because, as Jephson tells me several times, these are the ones “we want to talk about”. In other words, premium or artisan names that reinforce what makes Ardkeen special.

This is particularly evident in sections of the fresh food cabinets – meat, dairy and seafood – where Irish makers are particularly strong.

In yoghurts, for example, the UK’s popular Rachel’s is there, but slotted onto the top shelf. Pride of place goes to Glenilen, Killowen Farm and Knockeen.

Ardkeen has a long-running concession deal with speciality cheesemonger and wholesaler Sheridans, whose counter greets shoppers near the main store entrance

50

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

In the smoked foods section, salmon from national brand leader William Carr gets a single hanger at the bottom right of the display, while the visual focus is on Duncannon, Woodcock Smokery, Burren Smokehouse, Ummera and Gubbeen – names that will be familiar to fans of Irish speciality foods.

In the bacon cabinet, market leader Denny languishes the bottom shelf. “We have it, but we don’t want to talk about it,” says Jephson.

“You’ll see Denny’s in Tesco. We want to talk about O’Neills in Wexford; about Crowes Farm.”

Small local or specialist producers also get prominence on gondola ends and display tables – Deise honey, for example, whose local owner will often come in to do tastings and chat with shoppers, accompanied by a frame of bees (safely behind glass).

When I visit, another feature table is stacked with soda breads and sourdough from Spelt Bakers in Kilkenny. It’s part of a local bread and cakes offer that includes products from Jaybees Bakery – part of a nearby Amish community that

deli of the month vital statistics Location: Waterford, Co. Waterford, Ireland Turnover: “Between €10m and €20m” Employees: 115 (half of them full-time) Floorspace: 15,000 sq ft

must-stocks

l Ardkeen

sourdough bread Farm chicken l Ardkeen’s Cookshop ready meals l Zanna Cookhouse quiches l Crowe’s Farm bacon l O’Neill’s rashers l Ring’s

l Metalman

beers Brewing beers l Waterford Blaa PGI (a white bread bun) l Hickey’s barmbrack (fruit loaf) l Flahavan’s porridge oats l Blackwater gin l Highbank Orchard gin l Dungarvan

only sells through Ardkeen and its own shop – and sourdough from Ardkeen’s own in-store bakery.

The latter is “going great”, says Jephson, as his head baker sets out to replace bought-in bake-off breads with more produced on the premises.

“We’ve joined a community called Real Bread Ireland,” he says, “which is all about setting some standards.

“There are people out there promoting bake-off as ‘fresh bread’.

We want to promote the fact we’re baking from live dough every day.”

One obvious challenge is getting this message over to the customer. “Our competitors may sell sourdough that’s, say, 60% as good as ours,” says Jephson, “but we have to explain the difference.”

He continues: “Our greatest challenge is to prove to people the value in food – prove the value proposition.

“A better quality chicken costs a bit more, so we have to show that it’s worth it.”

Of course, many shoppers in Ireland, as in the UK, don’t really give two hoots about that difference. They’re buying on price and convenience. Jephson is happy to leave them to it and focus on those for whom quality and provenance really matter.

“Some people can’t afford to care about that, and some just don’t care anyway. Without being snobbish about it, that’s not who we’re interested to talk to. We’re very much about people who’re interested in provenance – the why,

Kevin Jephson: ‘We like to spend our time and effort on the small guys – the ones that hardly know what an invoice or a docket is.’

possibly meet the volume needs of a multiple chain.

“Because we’re a one-off store they don’t need to have big production,” says Jephson, “so we can deal with the guy who makes chutney every month or so.”

As a result, it has literally hundreds of suppliers, with three or four new ones coming on board each month.

There are people out there “And we don’t see that promoting bake-off as ‘fresh bread’. as a burden.”

Ardkeen has also We want to promote the fact we’re become recognised as baking from live dough every day. the go-to store for new producers trying to take the first step beyond farmers’ the where, the who.” markets.

It may look like a supermarket, “Some people are daunted by but as a single-site operator Ardkeen that, but we welcome them,” says has one huge advantage over its Jephson. “We can’t list them all – competitors: it can stock product some work, some don’t – but we’re from small suppliers that couldn’t

happy to take them on a trial basis.

“Christine Fowler, our purchasing manager, will give them a few pointers – like don’t go into a category that’s already full. And she can also advise them on food safety regulations.”

Crucially, by encouraging sampling in-store, Ardkeen can give fledgling producers direct access to their prospective consumers. “If they can talk direct to the customer, not filtered through us, it can be very helpful for them.”

The store’s sprawling supplier base is exactly what many UK delis and farm shops are trying to avoid, preferring the ease and minimal admin of using the one-stop shop of a distributor, but Jephson says: “We like to spend our time and effort on the small guys – the ones that hardly know what an invoice or a docket is.”

To make this work in a supermarket environment, Ardkeen takes the opposite approach to big brands and non-foods, buying almost all of these through one Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

51

Kent’s Kitchen stockpots make winter cooking easier and tastier.

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If you slice, Bizerba will save you £££’s By reducing electricity usage and reducing yield losses

Contact us for slicing consultancy or a free trial on 01908 682740 or info@bizerba.co.uk 52

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

shelf talk

deli of the month

source: the UK-based convenience store buying group Nisa.

“We don’t deal with Irish distributors for the bulk stuff, and that’s about price,” says Jephson.

“If you asked 100 of our customers, none of them would have heard of Nisa, but we get three trucks a week from them – two chilled and one ambient – and it means we’re able to offer really good value from the big brands.”

No-one shops for artisan and premium foods all the time, he adds.

“You can’t be too purist about it.

We do sell things we’re not terribly proud of – we sell Pot Noodles and Coca Cola. But we have to allow people to have that fluidity.

“Some people will go high quality in one category then buy the brand in another. They’ll buy block cheddar one day and a beautiful Knockdrinna goats’ cheese the next.”

As in the UK, the days of loyalty to one store are gone. “Shopping here has fragmented.

Ireland’s vicious and prolonged recession, many are still wondering where the retail market will go next.

One answer for Jephson is online.

With limited growth available now from within Waterford’s 45,000 population, he's keen to build Ardkeen’s online store, which provides a valuable shopfront for many small artisan makers.

“You can already buy Irish products online, but no-one else can bring you these tiny producers,”Jephson says.

He’s happy to build the online We do sell things we’re not terribly offer now – it proud of – Pot Noodles and Coca Cola – already features but we have to allow people that fluidity 1,000 products – and learn how to commercialise it later. to create Ardkeen Shopping Centre, But in the meantime, neither which now houses a restaurant, discounters nor the mainstream pharmacy, jewellers and Subway grocers can quite match Ardkeen’s sandwich shop among others. “We unique mix of Doritos and Fosters’ are the anchor tenant, if you like, in lager with the best of Ireland’s local our own property,” says Jephson. and artisan foods.

With provincial towns still struggling to find their feet after www.ardkeen.com “Most of our customers shop everywhere. Everyone would go to a discounter every four to six weeks, and a good proportion would shop at Tesco every week or two, then come to us for the better quality stuff. And we’re happy to coexist with that.”

Today’s Ardkeen Quality Food Store is a far cry from the small petrol forecourt shop started by Jephson’s parents in 1967. The shop and its surrounding land were redeveloped by the family in 1998

Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

53

Ponaire Coffee are please to announce the opening of their new Coffee Roastery, Production Facility, Coffee Bar and Barista School in Newport, Tipperary, Ireland The new facilities enables Ponaire to expand coffee roasting and production as well as serve retail customers in a comfortable coffee bar. Since 2006, 3RQDLUH KDV EHHQ LPSRUWLQJ WKH ¿QHVW VSHFLDOLW\ EHDQV IURP DURXQG WKH ZRUOG and roasting them for key cafes, speciality shops, restaurants and hotels.

They have won over 15 Gold Stars in the Guild of Fine Foods Awards and 10 Bridgestone/McKenna Awards. All coffees are roasted and cupped onsite by their master roasters. All coffees are fully traceable.

Contact: +353(0)61 373 712/713 or info@ponaire.ie or the website at www.ponaire.ie.

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Made to measure training courses from the Guild of Fine Food Training is vital to retail success and our carefully tailored Guild of Fine Food courses are designed to help increase sales and give you and your staff the tools to improve your knowledge and understanding of the products you sell. Give your customers a better shopping experience and a reason to return again and again.

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www.gff.co.uk | 54

July 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 6

@guildoffinefood

AINING

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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 OR EMAIL spencer@johnhuntbolton.co.uk

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Vol.17 Issue 6 | July 2016

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N RY T PE T C O EN 1 O R G -1 FO U A 17

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2016-17

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BE A WORLD CHAMPION Kursaal, San Sebastián – the venue for World Cheese Awards 2016-17

The World Cheese Awards sees more entries, from more cheesemakers, from more countries, judged by more international experts than any other cheese competition.

In November 2016 we are helping San Sebastian celebrate their status as European City of Culture by taking the awards to the Basque Country.

Find out more at www.gff.co.uk/wca 16-19 November 2016 INTERNATIONAL CHEESE FESTIVAL

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AUSTRIAN CHEESE PIONEERS

Guild of Fine Food · Guild House · 23b Kingsmead Business Park · Shaftesbury Road · Gillingham · Dorset SP8 5FB · UK · +44 (0)1747 825200

www.gff.co.uk |

@guildoffinefood #worldcheeseawards