SHELF TALK Former refugee launches first readyto-use Somali and Ethiopian sauces By Tom Dale
A former child refugee who fled civil war in Somalia has launched a food brand inspired by North and East African cuisines. Saida Mia – and her brand of the same name – has recently unveiled her debut range of three sauces: Spiced Tagine, Berbere and Maraq, inspired by Morocco and Tunisia, Ethiopia, and Somalia respectively. Mia aims to bring what she said is an under-represented cuisine to independent high-end food retailers throughout the nation and believes that the rich African spice blends are perfect for modern British tastes. “All my life I have been trying to start this
business,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to build on my heritage to promote and sell African food. Whatever else has happened in my life, now is the time to do it.” Mia, who now lives in Westminster in London, came to the UK as a 15-year-old after fleeing the bloody civil war in her home country of Somalia, which claimed the lives of her father, grandfather and two brothers. While working for the NHS, the 49-year-old developed the range from old family recipes she inherited from her grandmother. Mia said the sauces incorporate influences from various countries her grandmother visited during her lifetime, as well as the Middle Eastern, Indian and Italian influences, which African cuisines already incorporate. Now released, the range represents the first Somali and Ethiopian ready-made cooking sauces on the market and is vegan friendly and free from added sugar, gluten, preservatives and dairy. The range comes in two formats – 300g sauce jars and 115g spice paste jars, with RRPs of £4.95 and £4.30 respectively. Until the end of June, Saida Mia is offering 10% off on orders of six cases or more, and free delivery on orders over £40. saidamia.com
WHAT’S NEW The latest offering from Orkney-based family business, JP Orkney is its Bloody Mary Sauce. The twist on the classic cocktail contains Deerness Distillery vodka and the producer recommends using it on grilled halloumi, roasted salmon, or eggs and avocado. The 410g jar has an RRP of £6 (trade, £2.85). jporkney.co.uk Premium tea brand Teapigs has launched a kombucha range, as the fermented drink’s popularity continues to grow. The drink is available in three flavours – original, ginger & lemongrass and peach & mango – each brewed in small batches with live cultures and Teapigs tea and contains no artificial flavours or sweeteners. Each 250ml can has an RRP of £1.90 and a 12-month shelf life. teapigs.co.uk Oat milk chocolate brand, Happi Free From, has launched two new lines: Happi Plain White and Happi White Raspberry Oat Milk Chocolate. The chocolate is 100% natural, made with gluten-free oat milk and rice syrup and promises a ‘rich & creamy’ taste with no artificial flavours or sweeteners. The two new products are available in 40g and 80g bars (RRP £1.75 – £3.50). happifreefrom.com
Premium meal delivery service launches in indies
Booja-Booja, the Norfolk-based vegan chocolate truffle and ice cream producer, has launched four new truffle flavours and five new packs, in what the company is calling its “most significant and exciting launch in a decade”. The new truffles flavours are Chocolate Orange, Deeply Chocolate, Chocolate Salted Caramel, and Honeycomb Caramel – previously only available as a chilled truffle, each of which comes in 92g, eight-truffle packs (RRP £4.99), and all four can be found in the brand’s 184g, 16-truffle Signature Collection (RRP, £9.99). boojabooja.com
A premium, pre-prepared frozen food delivery service which launched during the pandemic is expanding into the retail sector with a focus on independent farms shops and delis. Noble House Prepared is launching its range of high-end ready meals, designed by executive chef Owen Sullivan who previously run restaurants for Gordon Ramsey, to the retail market. The brand’s range includes starters, mains, sides, desserts and children’s meals and, said a spokesperson, its dedication to provenance, high-quality ingredients are a good fit for retailers wanting to offer convenience to a “discerning, time-poor clientele”. Noble House is also offering its retail customers branded freezers to help maximise the producer’s presence in-store and has recruited two employees to handle retail sales. The brand’s range includes 11 meat-based main meals, six fish mains, 11 vegetarian mains (including five vegan options), five single meal pots, a choice of ten side dishes, and ten desserts – with many coming in two- or oneserving packs. The main dishes’ wholesale cost per unit (based on cases of eight or 12) is between £4.15
and £5.65 for a single portion pack and RRP between £6.50 and £7.50, while side dishes cost from £2.45-£3.15 (wholesale) and have RRPs from £3.99-£4.50. The brand also sells a range of children’s meals and coffees. noblehouseprepared.com
Vol.22 Issue 6 | July 2021
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