FFD July 2023

Sock it to ’em

Get those stockings lled early with our guide to Christmas

ALSO INSIDE

Keeping it seasonal at Groombridge Farm

FSA changes to hygiene inspections

Wales’s rst

vegan deli

CONTENTS

5 NEWS

FSA’s plan for inspections, shoplifting on the rise, and Cobbs’ expansion

9 VIEWPOINTS

Karry’s vegan deli in Barry, Paul Castle on loyalty, and the problem with DRS

13 CHEESEWIRE

Import headaches, Yorkshire Pecorino, and Scottish buffalo mozzarella

23 FOODSERVICE

Whip up a seasonal green bean salad

27

Provided you get the right seat and there’s not too much noise from fellow travellers, the train can be a great place to get work done. That second factor scuppered things for me slightly on a recent trip, though.

The distraction all started when a passenger near me asked his neighbour if there was a trolley service on the train. The lady rather Britishly replied “on the other line there is but, on this one, all you get are cancellations and delays”. She then explained they haven’t had them on the train for years.

Anyway, the thirsty customer politely voiced his exasperation and declared he was going to write to the “chairman” to explain the business case, and the pro t margins, for on-board co ee. I’d imagine this chairman (a mythical gure revered by people of a certain age) would just brush the complaint o by citing the cost of the employee serving the co ee as the reason for the service’s decline.

By Michael Lane, editor

As it turns out, this consumer champion was so desperate for co ee that he hatched a plan to dart from the train at the next station, buy a drink on the platform and get back on before it le – all while leaving his bag in his seat.

There was a moment of collective panic in the carriage when the train started moving and he had not returned. But he did make it back, albeit emptyhanded – thwarted by a complicated Frappuccino order ahead of him.

Once my heart rate returned to normal, I couldn’t help but re ect on this farcical episode (and return to my actual work). This was a perfect example of the soul-destroying experience of buying even the most basic food & drink in the UK right now: joyless, unnecessarily complicated and ultimately fruitless.

Whether it’s through poor service, price increases or lack of availability (in any combination), the bigger boys seem hellbent on

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox, deputy editor

Made For

Drink

Baron Bigod

Cheese & Onion

Potato Crisps

making life miserable for consumers. And even if you can get what you’re a er – it so o en disappoints. Perhaps I should’ve consoled that poor man by telling him he had dodged a very watery, over-roasted, barely-functional bullet.

Or maybe I could have li ed his spirits by telling him that better things are out there. You and I already know this but so many people don’t.

As always, there are examples galore of excellent retailers and producers in this issue. Check out the dedication to seasonal produce in our Deli of the Month (page 64), marvel at Westcombe Charcuterie’s marriage of sustainability and avour (page 51), or just sit back and let the wave of Christmas NPD wash over you (page 27).

And once you’ve done that, we all need to think about how to direct more hungry and thirsty people o the miserable mainline and into our world.

The cheese & onion crisp is a timeless classic, so improving on it would be no mean feat. But Made For Drink may have just done that with its combination of Baron Bigod and caramelised onion. And this resounding success is said to be the perfect match for a drop of cider, which is ideal for this time of year.

What’s more, a portion of the sales of this variety will go towards helping English Heritage with its many renovation projects – so indulging in a bag or two of these is actually a good cause.

Crisp sandwich, anyone? More on page 57

editorial@gff.co.uk

Editor: Michael Lane

Deputy editor: Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Art director: Mark Windsor

Contributors: Matthew Horwood, Patrick McGuigan, Greg Pitcher, Lynda Searby

opportunities@gff.co.uk

Sales director: Sally Coley

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam

Sales executive: Becky Haskett

Accounts assistant: Julie Coates

Financial controller: Stephen Guppy

Finance director: Ashley Warden

support@gff.co.uk

Managing director: John Farrand

Special projects director: Tortie Farrand

Operations & marketing director: Christabel Cairns

Marketing & PR officer: Jenna Morice

Data strategy & insight manager: Lindsay Farrar

Engagement & sales support

assistant: Nick Rose

Operations manager: Claire Powell

Operations coordinators: Chris Farrand, Sepi Rowshanaei

Operations & events coordinator: Zara Williams

Customer services assistant: Chloë Warren-Wood

Chairman: Bob Farrand

Director: Linda Farrand

Whether it’s through poor service, price increases or lack of availability, the bigger boys seem hellbent on making life miserable for consumers

FSA’s revised guidance could lead to fewer EHO inspections

By Greg Pitcher

Controversial changes to the food hygiene regime could see retailers going a decade without an environmental health visit, dangerously driving down standards, key voices have warned.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in June published an updated code of practice for upholding food law in England and Northern Ireland. This introduced a new risk assessment model for local authorities deciding when to check a company’s compliance with mandatory standards.

Depending on how they score on a complex matrix, a retailer could be inspected as frequently as every month or as rarely as every 120 months. This is a huge widening of the range, which currently sees most rms visited every one to ve years.

A summary of council responses to a consultation,

published by the FSA, noted “concerns that they would not be able to meet all the intervention frequencies speci ed under the new model due to current resource levels”.

Some local authorities felt they would be so busy with high-risk businesses they may struggle to regulate those deemed a lower threat. Others said the long lags between interventions for some “could give rise to the possibility of signi cant changes to business management and practices going unnoticed”.

Sangita Tryner, owner of Delilah Fine Foods, said the Nottingham retailer relied on its ve-star food hygiene rating for marketing and to secure pitches at events.

“When we do pop-ups, the organisers want to know our food hygiene rating and how recent it is. They might choose someone with a more recent certi cate,” she said, adding that the threat

Paramount buys up Montezuma’s and restores founders at helm

after it was placed into administration by previous investor Inverleith.

Former lawyers Helen and Simon launched the company in 2000 following a trip to South America.

IN BRIEF

Perthshire farm shop

The Crieff Food Company – which features a food hall, café and gift shop – is up for sale via Christie & Co. The current owner, who set up the operation in 2017, is selling due to other business interests.

of an EHO visit is also good for maintaining standards.

“It keeps us sharp and makes us better. This could turn good businesses into mediocre ones.”

The FSA said its new matrix only suggested minimum frequencies. “O cial controls can be brought forward in light of relevant intelligence or where resources allow,” said its response to the consultation.”

The body also acknowledged the need for

said in a statement.

“We are confident that we can quickly restore the company to its former glory by reinstating the core values that are so close to our hearts as the business founders.”

su cient local authority resource and said it was exploring how it could potentially support local authorities in this area.

FSA director of strategy & regulatory compliance

Katie Pettifer said the number of professional sta working on food standards in councils had halved in the last decade.

“The updated guidance will enable local authorities to use their resources more e ectively, targeting their e orts towards the greatest risks within the supply chain,” she added.

Last month, Morrisons said it was cutting the prices of 47 products by an average of over 25%, while Tesco chief exec Ken Murphy claimed that food inflation had peaked at 19%. During June, Asda froze the prices of more 500 products until the end of Augustand Waitrose reduced prices of around 200 products.

London is set to get its first ever dedicated Scottish deli. Masterminded by popup vendor Auld Hag, The Shoap is scheduled to open on St John Street, in Angel, later this summer.

How the new food safety system will work

Sheffield-based Paramount Retail Group has bought troubled West Sussex food manufacturer Montezuma’s Chocolate from administrators – and reappointed founders Helen and Simon Pattinson as managing directors. Paramount’s Great British Confectionery Group acquired the brand and assets of the chocolate-maker from Grant Thornton

The husband-andwife duo became nonexecutive directors in 2018 when Inverleith put its money into the firm.

Montezuma’s was placed in administration on 1st June but Paramount soon came to the rescue and invited the pair to rejoin.

“With the backing of Paramount we shall set a strategy that will drive the business back to its previous financial success,” the founders

Montezuma’s products have been sold in both independents and national retailers including Waitrose, John Lewis and Selfridges.

Ravi Sharma, executive director at Paramount, said: “The purchase of Montezuma’s will strengthen our confectionery division, offering instant synergies with our existing brands and manufacturing facilities, giving us a strong presence in hard boiled, fudge, toffee and now premier chocolate.”

The incoming food safety model requires councils to rate all food businesses on nine factors from scale of supply and distribution to management systems and procedures. These are then used to create ratings for ‘inherent risk’ and ‘compliance’.

A retailer scoring the maximum in both these areas would only need to be subject to controls, such as inspections and other measures, once every 120 months, with a sliding scale down to monthly interventions for the worst performers.

However, the FSA is at pains to point out that these are minimum rather than maximum

timeframes. Councils are expected to take account of any intelligence they receive such as complaints, sample results and notifications from other authorities.

The new regime also includes greater flexibility to monitor compliance in other ways such as remote checks and use of data. Ultimately it seeks to help councils prioritise resources on highest risk businesses.

Evaluation of a pilot scheme had shown the new regime to be “more effective, providing a greater degree of consumer protection” said a spokesperson for the body

Delis and farm shops may go years between inspections to earn their hygiene ratings

© Navorolphotography | Dreamstime.com

Farm shops being hit as shopli ing increases

By Greg Pitcher

Criminals are increasingly targeting farm shops, key gures fear, as food in ation and the cost-of-living crisis sends shopli ing soaring.

Business leaders and sector chiefs said rural retailers had become a key focus of both organised and opportunistic the that was hitting pro ts, sucking up resources and damaging morale.

Figures published by data analysis project

CrimeRate recently showed a 24% jump in the volume of shopli ing reports made to police forces in England and Wales last year.

Erin Je ery, operations manager at Somerset farm shop Farrington’s, said incidents were happening in the attraction’s farm shop on a weekly basis as the resale price of stolen goods rockets.

“Items usually taken are spirits and meat,” she said. “As a small independent

food business, I imagine we are favourable to target over large supermarkets as we don’t have the same levels of security.”

Je ery said that Farrington’s had been forced to stop workers addressing suspected thieves. “There have been a number of occasions recently where shopli ers have been aggressive towards sta ,” she explained.

“The owner of a farm shop in Hampshire, who wished to remain

Supply chain to miss out on £7.3m in the wake of Farmison revival

Rescued butchers

Farmison entered administration owing £7.3 million to unsecured creditors who are unlikely to see a penny in return, an official report has revealed.

The North Yorkshire firm appointed FRP Advisory in April before being acquired in a pre-pack administration deal by investors, led by former Asda boss Andy Clarke.

Now a statement from FRP, published on Companies House, has revealed the extent of the impact of the administration process.

A huge number of companies were listed as creditors but the

report said: “It is currently estimated that there will not be sufficient funds available to make a distribution to unsecured creditors.”

Farmison owed Santander almost £2 million, and employees about £86,000. Staff were expected to receive less than a third of what they were owed.

Administrators said Farmison more than doubled its revenue in 2020 to more than £12 million, “mainly as a result of the impact of Covid”.

However, forecasts of £43.5m turnover over the following two years proved optimistic, the firm actually posting around half that level.

prices on the black market, the owner said, but it hits businesses hard.

“The worst thing is it ruins your day. We run events which contribute 90 per cent of our pro t, yet 90 per cent of the hassle is from the farm shop.”

Emma Mosey, chair of the Farm Retail Association, said opportunist crime also a ected the sector.

“Farm shops have low security, high value stock and are o en in rural areas,” she said.

“Customers might have less money and more tendency to steal. But o en it’s chance - oh I could just slip that in my bag.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT...

… TACKLING SHOPLIFTERS

ERIN JEFFERY

anonymous, said he had also instructed employees to leave suspicious people alone, despite o en being able to “spot them a mile o ”.

“It’s always the same –there is a driver who is paid to take two or three people around. In the butchery there might be a square foot of emptiness where they’ve been in – that happens once every six weeks or so.”

With the cost of meat soaring, criminals are able to sell their loot for high

“One shop told me recently about a well-heeled lady who was spending £200 every week but was caught putting two bottles of wine under her shopping every time.”

A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesperson urged retailers to phone 999 in an emergency and 101 at other times. They added: “We know that any the has a signi cant impact on a business and individual and we take all reports of the seriously.”

“We have had a new CCTV system installed across the whole site, covering inside and out. We hope this will not only act as a deterrent to shoplifters but mean that we can provide evidence to the police for any incidents. It cost around £10,000 but we do have a big site so we wanted to make sure everywhere was covered.”

“We have CCTV. We moved the entrance to be nearer the exit so we have a staff presence on both. We have sliding doors with sensors. I might use strong words or video them or get their licence plates. I have put photos on social media and been contacted, had phonecalls and people come in and pay for what they took.”

Perry Wakeman (pictured above), director at Rennet and Rind in Cambridgeshire, won the Affineur of the Year award for the second year running with a Baron Bigod cheese he had wrapped in a spruce band and aged like a Caerphilly rather than a brie. Other

winners at the Academy of Cheese awards included The Courtyard Dairy in the Quicke’s Cheddar category and retailer No 2 Pound Street in the Cropwell Bishop Stilton category. Leeds-based George & Joseph received the People’s Choice Award. academyofcheese.org

“Definitely we tell staff not to get involved. You don’t know anything about these people, they may have weapons or be aggressive. My advice is to do regular stock takes and don’t have high-value items hidden from staff view. Consider installing alarms and CCTV and looking through it regularly.”

FARRINGTON’S FARM ANON, HAMPSHIRE FARM SHOP

EMMA MOSEY, MINSKIP FARM SHOP AND FARM RETAIL ASSOCIATION

Delis and farm shops may go years between inspections to earn their hygiene ratings

Cobbs buys The Farm and is now looking for more retail opportunities

By Michael Lane

Retail group Cobbs Farm Co has said it is targeting more sites and looking to expand geographically a er its recent acquisition of Midlands operation The Farm Stratford.

“We are actively on the acquisition trail and already in negotiations over a number of new site possibilities,” Cobbs CEO Tom Newey told FFD “We’re open to most locations throughout England but it has to be operationally sensible.”

Signage and branding for Cobbs at The Farm was installed at the end of June, a er the retailer took the reins at the award-winning farm shop and restaurant on the outskirts of Stratfordupon-Avon at the end of April.

“The site locations we look for have traditionally been in Berkshire and Hampshire area but we have always been looking slightly

Scotland’s DRS delayed until October 2025

The long-mooted deposit return scheme (DRS) for single-use drinks containers in Scotland has been delayed again – until at least October 2025

Run by the Scottish Government, the DRS was originally supposed to roll out this summer and was then delayed until March 2024 but the latest postponement has been caused by the UK Government requesting that glass be excluded – to bring it in line with nationwide proposals.

Designed to boost recycling, the scheme would see a refundableon-return 20p charge on drinks bottles and cans.

further a eld,” said Newey, explaining the decision to acquire a business outside of its current sphere of operation, where it currently runs three shops.

“Stratford is a strong demographic, we’re on the edge of the Cotswolds, and Warwick and Leamington are key towns that could produce some excellent customers.”

Newey added that, so far, Cobbs had introduced more than 1,000 extra lines to the retail area of the business, which was set up by the Wells family in 2018. He estimated that it would take 18 months to bring the site in line with Cobbs’ other sites, with a key aim being to adjust the balance between retail and restaurant sales.

DOWN ON THE FARM

The latest from farm shops across the country

Fordingbridge Farm Shop has returned under new management on the Wiltshire-HampshireDorset border. The shop threw open its doors on 10th May and celebrated with a big Family Fun Day. Open Tuesday to Sunday, the large farm shop, café and bar boasts an improved courtyard area for al fresco dining and a children’s playground for the little ones. fordingbridge farmshop.cafe

There has been a double win for The Goat Shed, Norfolk which was recently awarded Best Large Retailer in East Anglia at the Farm Shop & Deli awards to add to its Rising Star of the Year title from the Farm Retail Association awards. Originally cheesemakers, The Goat Shed team of four has since expanded to 40 and the large farm shop has now received planning permission to expand its offering with more retail space, a bigger kitchen and an onsite butchery. fieldingcottage.co.uk

Shop, near Basingstoke, which has now closed but has submitted a planning application for a new site at nearby Woodgarston Farm, which it hopes to open in 2024/2025.

Newey said that Cobbs’ growth strategy re ected the operator’s faith in the farm shop sector.

“We see the demand continuing to grow. Yes, we’re in a cost-of-living crisis and it’s hard but we have con dence that the market is here to stay.”

“Big sweeping changes are not good for consumers or for sta either. It is a gradual process,” he said. “The Wells family have created something amazing and we’re simply looking to take it to the next step.”

Cobbs’ other sites are located in Hungerford, Winchester and Engle eld, near Reading. It also operated Manydown Farm

A Nottinghamshire farm shop shut its doors for a few days in May before bursting open in brand new premises

“We think bricksand-mortar, experiential, positive retail experiences in food particularly are a strong part of the future mix.”

Since opening in 2018, The Farm Stratford won a slew of awards, including the FRA’s Rising Star in 2019 and Best Small Farm Shop in 2020 it was also a regional winners in The Farm Shop & Deli awards in 2021. cobbsfarmshops.co.uk

with a beautiful new tea room and kitchen. The locals are already said to be embracing the new look and menu at Maxey’s Farm Shop in Kirklington. maxeysfarmshop.co.uk

Strawberry Fields Farm Shop in Lifton, Devon has announced that it will be opening a second site near Buckfastleigh just off the A38. It will be a slightly smaller farm shop than the award-winning Lifton site but will also include a coffee shop. strawberryfieldslifton. co.uk

In association with Fabulous Farm Shops fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

Cobbs took the reins at The Farm Stratford in April and is now looking for more retail acquisitions

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Northern Ireland. Altogether more.

Image by kind permission of Indie Fude’

IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

KARRY MEYRICK, owner, Karry’s Deli, Barry, South Wales

Like many other people during the pandemic, I started taking more interest in health and diet. I reduced my meat and dairy intake but when I started looking for places locally to shop for plant-based food, I found nothing independent. What started off as consumer’s curiosity became a business idea, inspired by Rudy’s in London, and in August 2021 I ended my contract as a swimming instructor to open a plant-based deli.

One of the very first things I did – even before finding premises – was to contact Business Wales. They talked me through what I needed to research and assigned me a mentor. He was a former butcher, which might sound like the direct opposite of what I needed. But actually it was surprisingly similar in terms of set-up. He guided me through finance and forecasting, which was invaluable as I had never worked in food or retail.

I quickly realised that the key is getting structures in place. I run my whole shop through Shopify, which makes stock management easy and efficient – no counting of packs on shelves. If something is sold, whether online or in store, it gets taken off the inventory. It has also given me the infrastructure to build up to nationwide online sales, which are vital on weekdays.

I funded the business with £20,000 of my own savings and a £10,000 Development Bank of Wales loan. In retrospect, this wasn’t really enough and I spent too much of it on flooring and brand new equipment. This meant I could only afford to buy limited stock initially – I opened with just 50 products – and couldn’t afford to take any staff on. Although I now stock over 600 products and am running out of space, being underfunded has meant slower growth.

Being a one-person business also makes it difficult for me to get out to events. My mentor’s advice was to use the shop as a magnet instead. So, to celebrate the deli’s first birthday, I organised a month of pop-ups. The Cheesecake House in Caerphilly, for example, made some vegan cheesecakes for my shop and I sent some of my products there in exchange. Collaborations have since become an important element of my business model.

My original vision was to have a deli counter full of olives, vegan cheese and meat alternatives, but there isn’t enough demand for this. People want scotch eggs, pies and pasties; these products have become my cash cows.

People seem to think you have to be vegan to eat vegan food. Changing the narrative around the term ‘vegan’ remains one of my biggest challenges.

Interview Lynda Searby Photography Matthew Horwood

IF YOU READ last month’s missive, you’ll know that I bashed AI and was consequently – and humorously – cautioned by the editor for not providing a balanced piece. AI can’t answer back, apparently. Oh yes, it can. More importantly, you’ll know that tempers were fraying at the lack of inclusivity at Rishi’s Food & Drink Summit.

At a recent Food & Drink Sector Council meeting I had a chance to ask Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural A airs, Therese Co ey, for her opinion. I was less rant-y than in this column, and she’d preempted my point by stating that

GUILD OF FINE FOOD UPDATE

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Mark your diaries

Across 89 judging days, 14,195 products have now been judged by more than 500 judges, who have determined which products will receive a 1-, 2- or 3-star award. Results will be announced on Tuesday 1st August gff.co.uk/greattaste

View from HQ

FFD’s publisher and Guild of Fine Food managing director John Farrand has his say

she didn’t want any bleating from folk who weren’t on the guest list. I still went for it.

The response was as expected, majoring on the fact that most food & drink is bought in the supermarkets. And that is, of course, true. But is it where innovation is? Is it where the creative thinking is? How o en are the CEOs of the multiples stood in a shop chatting to their customers or visiting one of their suppliers?

Our opinions should not be excluded because we don’t og enough processed meals. We understand the issues of the makers, because independent retailers are closer to their supplier base.

Also, we are seeing, hearing and living what the customer wants and needs as we actually talk to them and serve them. You need the macro thinking and policies, but you also need to understand the micro issues to establish what needs solving. You also need wide-ranging, balanced

opinion.

So, with Mr Lane’s plea for objectivity still ringing in my ear, I copied and pasted the piece I’d written in the June issue into ChatGPT. Have your say, clever sod.

It’s actually an interesting exercise and you should engage, if only to be more informed in the

inclusive decision-making processes. Engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including independent retailers, farmers, experts, and consumer representatives, is vital for developing robust strategies that address the challenges of food security e ectively.”

Blimey. That’s more even-

discussion. This is the closing paragraph of the dalek’s response:

“…while AI may have the potential to contribute to food security in the future, it should not be seen as a substitute for

handed and inclusive than the line from Government. And, unlike most politicians, AI understands its own limitations.

Can I make a U-turn and vote for AI?

The Word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall Association of Convenience Stores

THE IMPENDING DEPARTURE of Boris Johnson and Nadine Dorries from Parliament has refocused attention on division in the Conservative Party.

From a No.10 perspective, such events are deeply unhelpful as they remind voters about “Partygate” – and the beginning of the Covid inquiry reminds the public of the Conservative’s rollercoaster ride in government. This deviates from Rishi Sunak’s plan to be a “safe pair of hands”.

The more telling political divisions and events for food retailers and their suppliers have happened in Scotland, where it was recently confirmed the Scottish Government has delayed the implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) until 2025.

This is welcome news for many retailers and suppliers

that were facing substantial costs and operational burdens. However, the UK’s intervention to prevent the Scottish Government including glass bottles and forcing interoperability across the UK will have a big political impact too.

It would be fair to say that relations between Westminster and Holyrood were not great, with the new First Minister seeking to assert his authority and maintaining the SNP’s independence commitment.

The UK’s government intervention in Scotland through the Internal Market Act has soured relations further. The problem is that the plan going forward is for all UK nations to work together to deliver DRS.

This is going to take a lot of political will from all nations. But, at present, I cannot imagine cosy meetings between Ministers in Holyrood and Westminster to agree future plans. Moreover, the Welsh Government committed

to include glass in their scheme, surely this can no longer happen if Scotland has been denied this option? Policy development and devolution do not go hand in hand, and this will be a longstanding challenge in the British political system.

The key lesson from DRS in Scotland is the need for businesses to have clarity on what they are delivering and how to do it. At present there will be three different regulatory frameworks for DRS (England & NI, Wales and Scotland) meaning the format of DRS is opaque and we haven’t even got to the operational problems yet. So, a plea from me for political leaders from all UK nations to set aside their differences and come together to develop an interoperability plan for DRS as quickly as possible.

edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

Edward Woodall is government relations director at the ACS

Our opinions should not be excluded because we don’t og enough processed meals. We understand the issues of the makers, because independent retailers are closer to their supplier base.

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER

ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER

My wife and I have o en drink what we call “Tuesday night wine”. It’s not like “Saturday night wine”, where we take an interest in the grape vareity, region and winemaker – the Tuesday stu just has to taste nice, and be at a price point that doesn’t bother us very much.

We buy them on promotion, or from wine clubs, or (dare I say it?) from the supermarket. A recent purchase at the last one of these options has highlighted something that bothers me a lot.

The next time you head into a supermarket go to the wine section and just look for a moment. The cheapest wine will be in the bottom le and the most expensive wine will be in the top right, with a wine pitched for every budget in between – a smooth escalation of value. The inference is that price equates to quality and you, the consumer, can move your dial up and down the obviously priced shelves for something to suit your intentions.

Retail eye

FLOURISH FOOD HALL’S PAUL CASTLE DISCUSSES HOW TO CREATE A MEANINGFUL LOYALTY SCHEME

The winemaker and region of the wine will be prominently displayed as proof of value.

Now, head to the cheese section of your local supermarket. Except in rare cases, the majority of products will not show the cheesemaker, it probably won’t even show where the cheese is made. Packaging is

homogenised and uninteresting.

Cheese and wine are supposed to be fellow travellers but somehow we’ve got ourselves into a spot of bother. Wine is a pleasure. Spending a little extra is customer choice, and gives the buyer a buzz. Whereas Cheese is a commodity the supermarkets feel obliged to dumb down. Spending a little extra is tantamount to being ripped o .

In our independent world, it is essential for every shop to know who made a cheese and its provenance. But we don’t mention price until we absolutely have to. We are the exact opposite of supermarkets, and we see it as a badge of honour. I think we’re making a huge mistake.

Comparing a £25/kg cheese with a £35/kg is something we should engage with. Is it 40% better? To prove it I intend to try a new layout in my counter and go from cheapest on the le to most expensive on the right. I want to see if it engages those customers in a just-for-Tuesday or something-forthe-weekend mentality.

As long as we don’t talk about price I believe that too many customers, trained by supermarkets, won’t relate to us. Being the opposite of supermarkets is wrong. Giving the customers both informed choice and wide choice is right.

18.4% The increase in the price of food & non-alcoholic beverages in the year to May 2023

Just a few weeks a er Flourish opened two years ago, we launched our loyalty scheme Flourish Rewards. We were very clear what we didn’t want it to be. Firstly, we didn’t want to burden the balance sheet by giving money as an incentive, like the usual 1p in £1 or similar. Secondly, we did not want something which was used to save up money just be spent at Christmas.

What we did want was a rewards programme which made customers feel special and thanked for spending their hard-earned cash with us.

Thanks to our friends at The EPOS Bureau, we were able to o er a card which still amassed points but, instead of money we gave customers free co ee, invites to music evenings or access to special product o ers.

When we launched, customers were keen to sign up. They wanted to be part of the gang. Everyone in the team was excited to sign customers up, until the question was asked, “so what do I get?”. I found that the team were struggling to articulate this, other than “well, you

19.1% which is the same statistic for the year to April 2023.

Source: ONS

get some special o ers”.

A er six months we decided to upgrade and create a three-tier system of monthly rewards, depending on how many points customers had accumulated. Top, Middle and Bottom levels generated promotions, discounts and a free thank you respectively. But this didn’t improve the situation. Customer feedback was that those achieving the top tier wanted all of the lower tier rewards too. So, with a little head-scratching, we made this happen.

What we were not expecting is the next ra of feedback from customers, saying: “What we really want is o ers which are tailored to us, more as individuals. A er all, you are collecting our data, and we are receiving your emails and newsletters, so we want better more meaningful rewards.”

We had now been trading for around 18 months, and we did have many thousands of reward card-holders signed up. But how were we going to o er meaningful rewards if we didn’t really know what their behaviours and habits were?

Thankfully we have a lot of data, especially as we have three main trading areas – Hospitality, Retail and then Home & Lifestyle. Now what we need to do is regular analysis (with the help of a consultant).

Hopefully then we can move on from simply collecting email addresses to something that is truly personal for our loyal customers.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE?

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Support & ideas: support@gff.co.uk

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gff.co.uk/join

We are the exact opposite of supermarkets, and we see it as a badge of honour. We’re making a huge mistake.

APPLEBY'S HAND MAKE AWARD-WINNING TRADITIONAL CHESHIRE CHEESE AND WHEY BUTTER

follow: applebyscheese

Our new Dragon Handcrafted Cavern selection has been developed in partnership with Llanfair Slate Caverns near Harlech, adding a real depth of flavour to our premium selection of cheese.

Made to bespoke recipes and matured underground over a number of months until selected at the perfect point by our expert grader.

This traditional ageing process takes place in original mining caverns, which have been specifically converted into cheese caves,

Our Handcrafted Cavern Aged range has a rich flavour true provenance, and its story is steeped in Welsh history.

01766 810251

www.dragonwales.co.uk

Importers braced for impact as postBrexit food controls nally arrive

By Patrick McGuigan

Artisan cheese from Europe is likely to be hit by delays, shortages and increased prices in October when new postBrexit food controls are nally introduced.

A er four previous postponements, the British Government plans to implement new border controls for food from the EU on 31st October, under the new ‘Border Target Operating Model’. These will align with similar controls in place for British food exported to the EU and will be particularly onerous for dairy products.

Cheese has been classi ed as a medium-risk food under the system, so consignments

from the EU will require export health certi cates signed by a vet. A new border tax of up to £43 per consignment will come into force, along with documentary and physical border checks. The importer’s details will also have to appear on packaging.

At Spanish food importer Brindisa, cheese buyer José Bueno Marin said the new requirements could cause serious disruption. “I think we will see delays and many small producers will stop trading with the UK at least in the short term, but they might just stop altogether. It’s de nitely going to add extra cost too. There’s all the paperwork involved, but also

vets’ bills, new packaging and border inspections.”

He estimated that Brindisa’s import costs of around £180k a year would at least double. “October is the worst possible time to introduce the new requirements,” he added. “It’s the busiest time of the year ahead of Christmas.”

At wholesaler Harvey and Brockless, purchasing director Nicky Philp, agreed the extra paperwork and costs “would have to be accounted for in the long run”.

“However, the exact cost depends a lot on the size of the importer and the countries they are dealing with,” she said. “Each country in the EU will organise things di erently and no doubt will have di erent charges.”

Shane Brennan, Cold Chain Federation chief executive, described the proposals as “a massive disappointment” and said small meat and dairy producers would be hardest hit.

“Groupage, which is the only cost-e ective way to move smaller volumes of food goods into food retail, restaurants and more, will no longer be workable under the new regulations so we can expect a collapse in the volume of speciality products coming into the UK.”

THREE WAYS WITH...

Corinium

This new cheese from Paxton & Whitfield is made by King Stone Dairy in Gloucestershire and aged in Paxtons’ maturing rooms. A Tomme-style cheese, made with pasteurised cows’ milk, the rind is washed seven times at King Stone, before being aged for three months in Paxtons’ state-of-theart maturing rooms in Gloucestershire. Beneath the white-terracotta rind, the paste is supple with small holes, while the flavour is buttery and savoury with notes of roasted nuts.

Fino Sherry

Paxtons recommends a glass of chilled Fino with Corinium (which is the Roman name for the nearby town of Cirencester). The almondy and freshly baked bread notes of the fortified Spanish wine blend nicely with the smoky, buttery flavours of the cheese.

Roasted almonds

NEWS IN BRIEF

Hebden Goat from Tenacres Cheese in Yorkshire was named Supreme Champion at this year’s Artisan Cheese Awards in Melton Mowbray. Read more about it on page 14.

Cheese wholesaler Rowcliffe has launched a new delivery service to the public called Boxed Deli, which includes cheeses and other fine foods, paired with wines, ciders and craft beers.

James Grant of No2 Pound Street in Buckinghamshire has launched the Great British Cheddar Challenge. The event will see cheesemongers across the UK selling tasting boxes of six unlabelled artisan cheddars, which will then be discussed by experts in an online blind-tasting on 16th September.

Snowdonia Cheese Company has launched a new ‘Make it Exceptional’ point-of-sale promotional campaign for retailers.

The company has also produced a limited number of sampling kits, which contain 1kg diced Black Bomber cheddar; 50 summer recipe leaflets with a display dispenser; and branded paper.

snowdoniacheese.co.uk/wholesale-trade/

There’s a nuttiness about Corinium, which is emphasised by a handful of almonds. The crunch also contrasts nicely with the springy, smooth texture of the cheese. Brindisa’s Smoked Catalan Almonds are particularly – offering a woody aroma and sweetness to bring out a smoky note in the cheese.

Coppa

Made from pork neck loin and aged for 3-6 months, Coppa is delicate, savoury and creamy, and makes for a wonderful match for Corinium, bringing out satisfying savoury flavours in the cheese. Tempus’ Spiced Coppa, which won a 3-star award at last year’s Great Taste, is worth seeking out. It’s matured for six months and spiced with black pepper, cinnamon, juniper, and cloves.

Importing cheese looks set to become more difficult and costly from 31st October, when new border controls are introduced

Yorkshire Pecorino the latest maker to bene t from Bradburys’ investment

By Patrick McGuigan

Derbyshire wholesaler

Bradburys Cheese has invested in Yorkshire Pecorino, a er the producer secured a listing for its cheeses in 200 Waitrose stores.

The deal, which sees Bradburys take a small stake in return, has enabled the Otleybased producer to increase capacity by 70% with a new 800-litre vat.

Bradburys has worked with Yorkshire Pecorino owner Mario Olianas for a number of years, helping him design his premises, achieve the correct technical status and gain a listing for Yorkshire Pecorino Fresco in Waitrose’s counters.

The wholesaler also has relationships with other artisan cheesemakers. It took a small stake in Norfolkbased goats’ cheese business Fielding Cottage in 2018, and fully acquired white Stiltonmaker Shirevale in 2017 and Northumberland Cheese Company in 2016.

“If we nd a cheese we

CHEESE IN PROFILE with

Hebden Goat

What’s the story?

Gillian Clough and her husband Tim bought their smallholding, TenAcres Farm, in the hills above Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, in 2007. A couple of years later, they decided to buy their first two Anglo Nubian goats. They were originally intended to provide milk and dairy produce for just the household, but Gillian’s love for the goats led her to start breeding them as a hobby, which in turn led to a surplus of milk.

like, we try to understand the cheesemaker’s aspirations,” Bradburys MD Michelle Jackson-Hanstock told FFD

“We then try to work with them and help in di erent ways. That could be technical support, help with human resources, accreditations, getting listings in certain channels or just help with increasing capacity. There’s big demand for Continentalstyle cheeses with British provenance, which is why we have backed Yorkshire Pecorino.”

Mario Olianas said he was

A lecturer in radiography by profession, Gillian had no prior experience of cheesemaking, so decided to enrol on a course and started producing fresh goats’ curd. In 2015, with the support of Andy Swinscoe at The Courtyard Dairy, she created her new lactic seasonal cheese, Hebden Goat. The 14-strong handmilked herd is grazed on the local hills, weather permitting, from March to October and they are fed hay throughout the year. The Cloughs’ pasture hasn’t been reseeded in decades, and the variety of herbage in their diet is thought to contribute to the flavours within Hebden Goat – which has recently been named Supreme

grateful for the support.

“It’s helped take Yorkshire Pecorino to the next level and to see our products in a retailer such as Waitrose is fantastic,” he said.

Jackson-Hanstock added: “We want to see cheesemakers grow. What makes us attractive to our customers is that we have interesting cheeses with a story and provenance. It gives us a point of di erence. We will continue to look for and, where necessary, invest in cheeses that t those criteria.”

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE

Nick Birchall, The Cheese Shop Nantwich, Cheshire

Most cheese shops want to be part of the local community, but what does that mean in practice? Nick Birchall, co-owner of The Cheese Shop, has the answers judging by the glowing reviews online.

“A lot comes down to old-fashioned customer service,” he says. “I greet everyone who comes in with a smile and a hello, and I remember names and faces and what we talked about last time. If I don’t know them, I’ll always use ‘sir’ and ‘madam’. People want to feel valued.”

The shop’s place in the community is strengthened by holding regular tasting events, joining forces with a local wine merchant, while Birchall is a regular speaker at Women’s Institute meetings. Working with other local indie retailers is also important.

“We’re organising an independent retail weekend in the town, and in December all the shops open late on Thursday nights and the Salvation Army playing in the town square,” he says. “People come from all over to shop in Nantwich because we have so many good independents.”

cheeseshopnantwich.co.uk

the lactic set curd is ready to be handladled into individual moulds to drain for a further 24 hours. Each cheese is then removed from its mould, lightly salted and left at room temperature until the Geotrichum rind blooms. The cheese then goes through a maturing process for 4 to 5 weeks.

cheese becomes more complex and goaty, with prominent-yet-delicate grass notes.

Variations:  None

Milk:

Goats, unpasteurised.

How is it made?

Each morning, fresh milk is transported to the dairy in churns and then poured into the cheese vat. Starter and ripening cultures are added to the milk, followed by a small amount of kid rennet a few hours later. After approximately 24 hours,

Appearance & texture:  Similar in size and style to a French Crottin, the cheese’s white chalky paste breaks down under its wrinkled rind to a silky-smooth creamy texture as it ages. The light lemony lactic flavour of the younger

Cheesemonger tip:  Anything too flavoured will adulterate the delicate notes of this cheese; as such, Gillian likes to eat her cheese either on its own, with slices of Pink Lady apple, or on an unsalted and unflavoured cheese biscuit.

Chef’s recommendation:  A cheese that sings on its own, serve on the board with a glass of Sancerre or Savoie.

There are a number of ways you can study Academy of Cheese courses: online as selfstudy eLearning, interactive virtual classes or traditional classes at a venue. Visit academyofcheese.org for more information.

Champion at the Artisan Cheese Awards 2023.

Mario Olianas can now increase production capacity by 70%

We found the bu aloes with the biggest udders and milked them

From television to reality

bu aloes. It raised more than £850k and the new dairy opened in 2021, making Mitchell the only bu alo mozzarella maker in Scotland.

By Patrick McGuigan

IT WASN’T LONG a er Gordon Ramsay rode one of his bu aloes like a horse that farmer Steve Mitchell was nally convinced to make mozzarella in Scotland.

The famously sweary chef was visiting The Bu alo Farm near Kirkcaldy, Fife, in 2007 to lm his TV show The F Word and decided to jump astride one of the beasts for the cameras. It was a genuinely funny moment in the show, which also saw Ramsay make mozzarella back at the farmhouse, before rustling up a summery salad with the cheese.

Ironically, the 600-acre farm was only rearing the animals for meat at the time, but had been persuaded by Ramsay’s production team to give cheese a go.

“They originally wanted to make a bu alo burger with us, but then called to say they had too much meat in the episode and would have to cut us,” Mitchell tells FFD. “They asked whether we could make mozzarella instead. I couldn’t pass up such a great opportunity, so I said I’d try. We went into the elds, found the bu aloes with the biggest udders and milked them. The milk was fantastic and the cheese was pretty good. Gordon kept saying how much avour it had, so I thought let’s give it a try as a business.”

The idea slowly grew to the point where Mitchell launched a crowd-funder to nance a new mozzarella dairy in 2019. The scheme, called the Founders’ Club, encouraged people to invest a minimum of £1,000, with interest paid in the form of £100-worth of the farm’s produce, and the chance to name one of the

“The Founders’ Club has been successful, but it does put signi cant pressure on us to grow sales,” he says. “We have capacity for ve tonnes a week and are currently doing around one tonne. The idea is that, as we grow, we will encourage other Scottish farmers to invest in bu aloes, who will then supply us with milk.”

Customers include House of Bruar, Loch Leven’s Larder and restaurants, as well as 100 Aldi supermarkets across Scotland. The Bu alo Farm also has its own farm shop, café and bistro, plus two butchers’ shops. “Aldi has helped grow volumes, but we don’t want to be overly reliant on one customer,” he says. “Farm shops and delis are really important to us too.”

Indie retailers like the cheese because of the back story but, just as importantly, they can buy it much fresher than most mozzarella imported from Italy. According to wisdom, mozzarella is at its best when it’s hours (rather than days) old, although Mitchell says his cheese o en confounds this advice by becoming so er and creamier towards the end of its shelf life.

“There are so many con icting opinions about what makes a good mozzarella,” he says. “If it’s too so , people criticise you. But if it’s too rm, that’s not right either. We make it rm enough to slice, but not too hard.”

What really sets his cheese apart, he says, is the animals’ welfare and diet. “Too many mozzarellas are bland and tasteless, and a lot of that is down to diet. What you feed the animals makes a big di erence to the avour. A lot of the bu aloes in Italy are zero-grazed. They are kept inside and fed maize. I think we make a better cheese because ours are out at pasture. We’re renowned for our grass in Scotland.”

thebuffalofarm.co.uk

Scottish Buffalo Mozzarella

The cheese is made with pasteurised milk and vegetarian rennet in 125g balls, which are sold in brine-filled tubs or bags. Shelf life is 21 days. The flavour is sweet and creamy with a grassy note, while the texture is firm enough to melt, but soft enough to slice.

There are around 75 milkers in the 500-strong herd of buffaloes at the farm. Each one produces around 10 litres of milk a day. This equals roughly 2,700 litres a year – a tiny amount compared to a cow, which produces 8,000 litres a year on average. The company aims to get around 25% yield from the milk (approximately 25kg of cheese per 100 litres)

Mitchell researched buffalo mozzarella by taking a trip to Naples, where Mozzarella di Bufala Campana

PDO is made. He also employs a Venezuelan cheesemaker called Juan Vicente Reggeti, whose family have a herd of around 1,200 buffaloes and are one of the country’s leading producers of mozzarella.

A

TV chef rst gave bu alo farmer Steve Mitchell the idea of making cheese. Now, his mozzarella is a Scottish sensation.

BEST CHEESE IN THE WORLD.

World Cheese Awards 2023 will take place in Trondheim, Norway as part of the Oste V-M from 26-28 October 2023

NOW OPEN FOR ENTRY

KEY DATES 2023

Entry open: 5 June

Entry closes: 8 September

Cheeses staged: 26 October

Judges arrive: 26 October

Judging: 27 October

Results available: 29 October

COST OF ENTRY (all +VAT)

Small companies (Turnover less than £1m) £54 per cheese

Medium companies (Turnover £1m – 5m) £62 per cheese

Large companies (Turnover more than £5m) £79 per cheese

ORGANISED BY

FROM THE DELI KITCHEN

SIMPLE RECIPES TO BOOST YOUR MARGINS

GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH APRICOTS, HAZELNUTS AND CHANTERELLES

Makes two portions, multiply as needed

Ingredients:

For the girolles

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

¼ tsp English mustard powder

1 tsp sea salt flakes

1/3 clove garlic, peeled and finely grated

1/3 tsp finely ground black pepper

1 tbsp demerara sugar

50ml vegetable or sunflower oil

50ml olive oil

100g chanterelles

100g fine green beans

2 fresh or dried apricots

50g hazelnuts

Small piece of Parmesan for grating

Sea salt flakes

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 150°C | 130°C (fan) | gas mark 2.

• Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking tray and roast until golden. This will take about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and split them down the middle.

• While the hazelnuts are roasting, you can make the dressing for the chanterelles. Put the vinegar, mustard powder, salt, pepper, garlic and sugar into a medium sized, round bottomed mixing bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. Then, slowly whilst still whisking, incorporate all the oil until the dressing is emulsified. Trim, wash and dry the mushrooms and submerge in the dressing. Leave at room temperature for at least an hour.

• Trim the tops of the beans and cook in boiling salted water until tender (no more than 4 minutes). Wash and dry the apricots and then slice into wedges.

To serve

Build the salad by layering all the ingredients evenly and spooning over the chanterelle liquor. Finish with the hazelnuts and a grating of Parmesan.

Recipe by Phil Howard, chef and co-owner at Elystanstreet.com

INGREDIENTS & SNACKS

Kendal-based Ginger Bakers has developed a new traybake which it believes will help independents increase their margins from tea-drinkers this summer. The Salted Caramel Jewel Bar layers oat shortbread, sea-salt caramel, freeze-dried raspberries, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate. £25 per 18-slice traybake. gingerbakers.co.uk

HFSS-compliant snacks can just as well find their place in your café as on your shop shelves, if Jnck Bakery’s range is anything to go by. The sweet snack purveyor’s fresh cookies, made with pea protein and without palm oil, are said to contain 90% less sugar, 50% less saturated fat, three times the protein and five times the fibre of existing products on the market – but remain “highquality, sweet, chewy, crunchy”. Available as Milky Chocolate, Trippple Chocolate, White Gold Chocolate and White Ruby Chocolate. RRP £1.99 per 48g cookie. jnckbakery.co.uk

Eat Natural’s fruit & nut bars range is now available in foodservice formats from parent company Ferrero. Ideal for graband-go areas in cafés, there are a host of combinations on offer, including cases of 12 x Almond & Apricot with Yoghurt Coating and Protein Packed Peanuts & Chocolate as well as the Assorted Box – a 28-bar mix. ferrerofoodservice.com

This is Food and Drink. This is Wales.

FOCUS ON

Stocking to the plan

Christmas isn’t here yet but it always comes around quicker than you think. With that in mind, we’ve collated as much of the latest gi ing and festive NPD as we could nd. Over the next eight pages, you’ll also nd categoryspeci c advice and some glimpses into what other retailers are planning.

Compiled by Lynda Searby and Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Norlo’s coffee gift box will appeal to fans of Scandi styling and the smooth, bright coffee that is served up in Oslo’s coffee houses. The reusable magnetic gift box houses a coffee gifting tin (ground), ceramic cup and engraved beechwood saucers. It is listed with Selfridges and available to the trade via Diverse Fine Foods at a wholesale price of £21.50 (RRP £34.95).

norlocoffee.com

Having shared its oyster shells to create The Isle of Bute Distillery’s Oyster Gin, Loch Fyne is now using the spirit to infuse its Scottish smoked salmon. The gin is handcrafted in a copper still, charged with oysters and blended with botanicals for a delicate maritime essence that complements the gentle smokiness of the salmon. RRP £7.50 for a 120g sliced pack. Trade price £4.70.

lochfyne.com

Thursday Cottage has relaunched its High Spirited trio in new luxury packaging, in time for the festive season. The three preserves – Spiced Cherry Jam with Cherry Brandy, Strawberry Jam with Champagne and Fine Cut Orange Marmalade with Whisky – are available via Cotswold Fayre, The Cress Company and Greencity Wholefoods. RRP £2.84 for 210g. thursday-cottage.com

Green Room is advising retailers to stock up on its Sloe Gin now, with just 600 bottles available in this year’s batch. The Sloe Gin combines the producer’s eponymous gin with handpicked sloes. Green Room was started in 2020 by two friends from the world of theatre, when Covid hit and stage doors closed. Its small batch spirits are distilled “behind the scenes” in London.

greenroomdistillery.com

Just Desserts has put its own almond twist on a Christmas classic with the launch of the Mincepie Franzipan. Sweet butter pastry encases a mincemeat filling topped with franzipan sponge and a dusting of sugar snow. Trade price £25.99; RRP £3 per portion. just-desserts.co.uk

Zeet’s Olive Lover Hamper is a curated selection of olive products, including organic arbequina olives, organic caspe broken olives and spicy gordal olives, as well as olive oil pearls, and green and black tapenade. Wholesale price £26. zeet.co

Billed as “the epitome of luxury”, Adamas

Imperial Beluga Caviar is a Christmas offering with the potential to attract affluent consumers.

Imperial Beluga boasts exceptionally large eggs of over 3.5mm in size that are said to deliver a more intense flavour experience, complementing the brand’s Classic and Premium Oscietra varieties. Trade price for a 30g tin is £75, RRP £135. caviarandcocktails.com

Harley House Distillery is about to bottle this year’s batch of Quintessential Gin Punch in time for the festive season. Packed with winter spices and fruit, this sweet seasonal punch can be served warm as an alternative to mulled wine or cider. The East Sussex distillery will also be selling gift packs and boxed miniatures of its Sussex Sloe Gin, Clementine Gin and Toffee Spiced Rum. harleyhousedistillery. co.uk

Essential cheeses

VACHERIN MONT D’OR

An alternative to pork bacon

Turkey bacon is popular in the USA, and Ambry is hoping it will soon catch on here as people become more conscious of health, sustainability and provenance. The brand’s free-range turkey bacon is made on a turkey farm in Norfolk, cured with sea salt and dark muscovado sugar, and naturally highprotein and low-fat, with only 33 calories per rasher. RRP is £4.95£5.95 for 150g based on a 30% retailer margin. ambryfoods.com

From November, Italian duo Matteo and Clara (aka Non Solo Pasta) will be baking panettone in their Cotswolds kitchen. They use a centuries-old mother yeast, strong flours for a long natural leavening, and local eggs and cream to create a soft panettone with a citrusy aroma. It is available in Traditional, Dark Chocolate and Pistacchio di Bronte variants; wholesale price £17; RRP £25 (750g). nonsolopasta.co.uk

Frozen food specialist Fieldfare has unveiled a Christmas range that reflects the trend for nostalgia, providing a contemporary, often lighter, take on the classics. The brand has entertainment covered with starters (such as its new Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Roulade), individually portioned desserts (including Chocolate Fondants), party nibbles and buffet options. field-fare.com

This is perfect at Christmas as it’s only available September to March. As well as selling individual ones that people might take home we usually have a big cutting version of it on top of the counter. It provides a bit of theatre, because it looks beautiful and tastes amazing. People are drawn to it straight away.

GORGONZOLA DOLCE

Because it’s spoonable, we’ll put a whole cheese up on the counter and one of the guys will be scooping it into pots for customers. If it’s getting served to someone, the people two or three behind are looking going “actually I want some of that”.

INDIVIDUAL CHEESES

Sales of individual cheeses go up at Christmas. Cheeses like Dorstone or Tunworth – that people might not buy in day in, day out, or they usually just buy half of – suddenly become the showpieces of all the bigger cheeseboards.

IN-HOUSE FLAVOUR-ADDED CHEESES

We truffled our own brie last Christmas, and it went down really well – mainly because we were able to dial in the right level of truffle as the ones we were buying in were just too strong for most customers’ tastes.

We just did a Délice de Bourgogne with wild garlic in, which we could have kept going all year if we’d got enough wild garlic and stored it. We’ve also done Brie with basil.

We’ve also aged a Baron Bigod, which we’ve washed in beer, for the Affineur of the Year competition. If that tastes as good as it smells and looks, that’s something we’ll be looking to have on as a special at Christmas

PLAIN BRIE

Lucela’s has built a tasting experience around its flagship Chocolate & Rum Spirit Drink with the launch of two Christmas gift sets featuring chocolate cups. The sets target two retail price points: £35 for the 500ml set with 10 cups and £8.50 for the 50ml two-cup set. lucelas.co.uk

New for this year from Rosebud Preserves is a range of gift packs starting from a £15 (RRP) price point. Presented in the company’s grey branded boxes, they are made up of classics like Cranberry Sauce with Port, Boxing Day Chutney and Seville Orange Marmalade. rosebudpreserves.co.uk

Mugmuffins are the latest idea from Kandy Kitchen Creations, a Rochdale-based start-up producing layered cooking kits. With an RRP of £12.99 (trade price £9), the gift box contains five different cake mixes which can be cooked in the microwave. kandykitchencreations. co.uk

We get through an absolute tonne of Baron Bigod at Christmas because everyone wants a big chunk of it. It’s also a good chance for us to showcase the locallyproduced cheeses because we have quite a few of those coming in new. Customers want something special for their cheeseboard so we can show them a brie that’s only made down the road in small batches. It’s good to give people that feeling of exclusivity at Christmas as well.

Stephen Fleming, owner of Chapel Allerton cheesemonger, George & Joseph, tells FFD what they like to stock up their counter with at Christmas

unique and delicious biscuits for every occasion. Each biscuit we produce is lovingly cra�ed before being hand iced by a team of talented ar�sts. This Christmas we have designed an abundance of fes�ve treats that your customers will love. Our biscuits make enchan�ng stocking fillers, wonderful secret Santa gi� or simply a delectable treat to be enjoyed with a warm glass of cocoa on a cold and starry night, see our full fes�ve

www.originalbiscuitbakers.co.uk

New for Christmas 2023 from ChalkStream are whole sides of sliced trout gravadlax. The trout fillets are dry cured in a traditional marinade of salt, sugar and dill, then dressed with rum, black pepper and fresh dill to produce a Nordic classic. RRP £30 for a 600g side. Trade price £26 per kg. chalkstreamfoods.co.uk

The new Miller’s range of sweet buttercrumb biscuits has been created especially for the festive season. Presented in round gift tins with decorative wraparound labels, the biscuits come in three seasonal flavours: Gingerbread, White Chocolate & Cranberry and Mince Pie. They are available via The Fine Cheese Company and have an RRP of £7.25 for 200g.  finecheese.co.uk

Heading up the festivities at Wild & Fruitful is Christmas Chestnut & Fig Chutney, which combines seasonal sweet chestnuts, figs and a blend of festive spices. It is joined by Christmas Cheeseboard Chutney - a deep fruity cheeseboard accompaniment with cranberries and dried fruits. Cranberry Relish, Cumberland Rum Butter, Festive Chutney, Festive Jam and Christmas Marmalade with a sparkle are also available from the Lake District-based producer. Wild and Fruitful makes everything in small batches, combining artisan production with professional presentation. All Wild & Fruitful Christmas lines are available 1st October to end December. Trade prices on all the chutney products are £2.63 for 210g (RRP £3.93). For Festive Jam trade price is £2.47 for 227g (RRP £3.70).

wildandfruitful.co.uk

Booja-Booja has launched its first ever seasonal winter lines in response to popular demand. The Winter Collection is a festive selection box containing 16 chocolate truffles, including three new flavours: Yuletide Spice, Cherry Bakewell and Salted Caramel Mocha. RRP £12.99; trade price £8.12. The Norfolk-based freefrom chocolate brand has also introduced Yuletide Spice Chocolate Truffle Loglets. RRP £9.99; trade price £6.24. boojabooja.com

something different and delicious

Designed to engage children aged 3+ in the kitchen, Stroodles x Diddy Diners eco activity kits are a gifting concept that combines fun foodie activities for kids with edible tableware. There are two kits in the range, for making Magic Colour Changing Lemonade (includes pasta straws) or Gooey Choccy Cake in a Mug (includes biscuit spoons). RRPs are £14.99 and £16.99 respectively. stroodles.co.uk

In what is surely a festive first, Somerset Charcuterie has created Mulled Wine Salami and Mulled Cider Salami. Available both whole and in sliced packs, these salamis are said to balance red wine or cider with the taste of Christmas from mulling spices along with a slight sweet hit. The salamis have a trade price of £5.51 for whole (170g) and £3.12 for sliced packs (60g). Respective RRPs are £6.89 and £3.90.

somersetcharcuterie. com

It isn’t just kids who like toasting marshmallows – there are plenty of adults who enjoy it too – and Grown Up Marshmallows is catering to this demand with its new Christmas Toasting Kit. The kit contains everything you need to toast marshmallows without the need for a campfire, including marshmallows, skewers and toasting gel: a non-toxic, low aroma ethanolbased gel which is both easy to light and resistant to occasional gusts of air. It comes in a box made from 100% recyclable material that has been produced via a carbon neutral process and the inner bag is home compostable. Grown Up Marshmallows are handmade using ingredients such as fresh fruit and Fairtrade organic chocolate in small batches on Exmoor National Park. The Toasting Kit wholesales at £11.44 and has an RRP of £18.99. It is VAT exempt. grownupmarshmallows.co.uk

The Rutland Chef has created a Dragée collection of chocolate-covered hazelnuts for gifting. Caramelised Chocolate Hazelnuts, Lemon & Raspberry Chocolate Hazelnuts and Black Truffle Chocolate Hazelnuts all have an RRP of £13.95 for a 375g jar; wholesale price £9.76. therutlandchef.uk

Panunzio’s Kitchen Gelati Italiani in Bristol has combined two Italian culinary greats – gelato and panettone – to create two seasonal flavours: Panettone Gelato and Pandoro & Nutty Chocolate Sauce Gelato. Wholesale price £9 for 500ml; RRP £12.75. pskgelati.com

This miniatures set condenses the Spirit of Japan range into a compact gifting format. A collaboration between The Wasabi Company and English Spirit Distillery, the range has been created to showcase the art of blending authentic Japanese flavours in spirits. RRP £22; trade price £13. thewasabicompany.co.uk

christmas

Deliciously Different’s Spice Rhubarb & Mandarin Chutney with Cranberries was originally going to be called Festive Chutney but the producer changed its name to give it year-round appeal. Said to combine “all the flavours of Christmas”, the FODMAP-friendly chutney is available to the trade in cases of six units, priced at £14.40. RRP £3.95. deliciouslydifferentfood. com

Serve over ice with ginger beer or tonic water

Christmas Yan Gin is Herdwick Distillery’s seasonal offering for Christmas 2023. The gin is based on the distillery’s small-batch London dry gin, which is infused with a bouquet of over ten botanicals before being blended with damsons, oranges, apples, blackcurrants, ginger, cherries, elderberries and a hint of mixed spice.

Christmas Yan Gin is available in three sizes (700ml, 200ml and 50ml) with respective RRPs of £37.50, £9.95 and £5.50, and wholesale prices of £23.10, £12.30 and £3.05.

lakelandartisan.co.uk

New Forest Shortbread’s new six-strong gifting range of flavoured shortbreads offers a contemporary twist on traditional shortbread. The producer has collaborated with other local food businesses, including coffee roaster Mozzo, Lavender Fields Hampshire and New Forest Tea Company, to source natural flavourings for the range, which features onpack illustrations drawn by a local artist. Trade price £4. newforestshortbread. co.uk

Christmas sees the return of Seggiano’s Vegan Panettone (500g) after its successful debut last year. Available alongside the brand’s Classic Panettone, Seggiano’s vegan take on the Italian Christmas cake is made by a family bakery near Lake Garda, using ingredients such as cocoa butter, candied orange peel, vanilla, linseed flavour and turmeric. RRP £18.20; trade price £10.90. seggiano.com

Taking things lower

Increasingly, even at Christmas, people are seeking moderation in their alcohol intake, presenting a fresh opportunity for retailers. Drinks consultant James Morgan has some suggestions.

WINES & WINE ALTERNATIVES

Oddbird Spumante made from 100% Glera, the Prosecco grape, tastes better than many full alcohol versions. The rest of the Oddbird range, especially their Low Intervention Red No 1 is also excellent.

Kolonne Null specialises in collabs with respected winemakers to produce high quality non-alc wines.

Sparkling Shiraz is not well known in the UK, but in Australia it is a Christmas favourite. Cimicky makes an excellent non-alc version.

For your adventurous customers, Three Spirit has two botanical wine alternatives. Blurred Vines: Sharp and Spark, don’t try to imitate wine, but do deliver on the essential elements of wine – with balanced acidity, complex flavours and a moreish spiced character.

The Smokey Carter says it is tapping into the continuing Korean flavour trend with the launch of its Taste of Asia BBQ Tube for gifting. Korean BBQ Sauce, Korean Sweet Chilli Sauce, Salt & Pepper Chinese Rub and the producer’s new Honey, Soy & Chilli Rub stack up to give an oriental flavour dimension to barbecues and everyday meals. RRP £18; trade price £10. thesmokeycarter.com

Well-made Kombucha, much more than a health tonic, makes a superb alternative to sparkling wine. LA Brewery’s Sparkling English Blush and Mighty Brew’s Heritage Elderflower Sec both presented in Champagne bottles are excellent examples.

The range of sparkling cold-brewed teas (Jasmine, Darjeeling and Hojicha) made by Saicho are also a superb alternative to wine.

SPIRITS AND

APERITIVI

Aperitivo-style drinks are a great choice for moderators, delivering complexity and bitterness. Two makers in this category won gold at World Alcohol Free Awards this year. Italian producer Conviv makes exceptional alcohol-free vermouths, in both Bianco & Rosso versions, while Botivo is a herbal aperitif with a base of citrus and honey.

The quality of non alcoholic spirits has grown exponentially in the past few years. Bax Botanics, distils two varieties in its Yorkshire distillery. Verbena is freshly floral and herbaceous, while Sea Buckthorn is aromatic with fruit and warming spice. Both work well with tonic, and are also available in beautifully designed ready-todrink (RTD) format.

Making similar waves is Sea Arch With botanicals like sea kelp and rock samphire, it has a freshness that reflects its Devon home. It also offers RTD cans.

Christmas 2023 sees the return of Panettone Pastry Stout from Jiddler’s Tipple

A collab with By The Horns, this 6.5% ABV stout has been brewed with real vanilla, raisins, orange, rum and brandy to exude the aromas of Italian Christmas cake. 440ml; trade price £2.75. jiddlerstipple.com

Hampshire based T&M Artisan Chocolates is offering bonbons with Christmas-themed transfers and artfully decorated bonbons alongside its signature hand-crafted chocolates this Christmas. Trade price for a box of six starts at £4.45. tmchocolates.co.uk

Ralph’s Boutique Catering in London is taking orders for its hand-crafted Christmas gifting lines. These include twice-baked Tuscan-style Biscotti and Apricot Amaretti in cellophane bags, Mini Mince Tarts and Fig & Almond Log (a condiment for cheese). ralph-s.co.uk

Three Spirit also makes botanical spirits designed to enhance your mood. Bold and fruity Livener makes a great addition to a Christmas punch and Nightcap also lives up to its name – serve it over ice or with ginger ale.

Gnista Barreled Oak is a perfect post-pudding dram, smokey and spicy, with hints of coffee, chocolate and dried fruits.

brimfuldrinks.co.uk

At the most wonderful time of the year, you deserve the most wonderful products!

Our Christmas Price List is now available. We are taking orders for our seasonal range including Panettone, Nougat, Chocolates, Panforte and much more!

We are also offering bespoke hampers Call today 01635 744600 or visit our website www.tenutamarmorelle.com

The Kaltbach Cave

EXPERTISE: Aged in a 22-million year old sandstone cave in Switzerland where cavemasters have been refining cheese for more than 60 years.

NATURAL CLIMATE: The cave climate is stable throughout the year, therefore artificial climate control is not necessary.

TRUSTED BRAND: The Kaltbach brand gives consumers a trusted and recognisable family of cheeses to explore.

christmas

LillyPuds has unveiled a new addition to its Christmas pudding line-up for the 2023 season. Figgy Pudding with Ginger Conserve is said to “redefine the boundaries of traditional pudding”. The addition of chunky ginger conserve and Brentwood Brewing Company’s Chocolate Orange Beer bring warm spicy flavours to a rich, moist pudding mix that blends sultanas, figs, ginger, apricots and whisky. The new pudding joins an established Christmas Pudding range that includes Traditional, Gluten Free, Without Nuts, Vegan and Plum Puddings, all suitable for vegetarians. RRP £15 for 454g. lillypuds.co.uk

Grasmere Gingerbread says its Cumberland Rum Butter is popular at Christmas dolloped on warmed mince pies and Christmas pudding. A twist on brandy butter, this creamy blend of rum, butter and sugar originated in the 18th century ports of West Cumbria during the international spice trade. Trade price is £2 per jar (including delivery); RRP £3.50-3.95. grasmeregingerbread. co.uk

Kent-based Simply Ice Cream is offering an alternative to traditional Christmas desserts with two festive options from the freezer: Christmas Pudding and Gingerbread ice cream. The Christmas Pudding flavour combines pudding pieces with handmade ice cream while Gingerbread ice cream is swirled through with stem ginger biscuits. Both are available in 500ml tubs (RRP £5.99).

simplyicecream.co.uk

Year-round gifting lines trend

It’s all about gifting at The Bay Tree, with a selection of new gift packs that draw on its year-round lines. One that particularly shines is the Superstars gift pack – a curation of five award-winning products in 100g jars. These include Sticky Figgy Chutney, Gooseberry & Coriander Chutney and Glorious Garlic Pickle. RRP £18; trade price £11. thebaytree.co.uk

Harry’s Cider says its gift set targets the discerning cider-lover, who is looking for a stand-out traditional cider with a high juice content made from heritage Somerset apple varieties. Its flagship cider is a 4.5% ABV single variety Dabinett, which is back-sweetened with juice from the Dabinett apple. This is flanked by the Somerset producer’s 6% ABV Original Dry and 5% ABV Applemoor Medium. harryscidercompany. co.uk

Cotswold Fayre says its customers are looking for gifting lines that are suitable for year-round gifting, rather than being Christmas-specific. In line with this trend, the wholesaler predicts that the Spice N Tice range will perform well, as it offers a great retail price point from £15 upwards and combines elements of fun and practicality. Other products that are tipped for success this Christmas include Gin Etc’s gin-making kits (RRP £34) and Italian brands such as Borgo De Medici that enable retailers to make bold displays. cotswold-fayre.co.uk

Bristol producer Single Variety Co is offering three new jam gift boxes, each containing a selection of four preserves (4 x 125g). Choose from Fruit Preserve Selection, Chilli Jam Selection or Marmalade Selection, all available via Cotswold Fayre, The Cress Co or Holleys. RRP £20-25. singlevariety.co.uk

Tracklements is offering four of its festive favourites in embossed bespoke jars. The new presentation promises to elevate Christmas Spice Chutney, Particularly British Piccalilli, Caramelised Onion Marmalade and Cranberry, Port & Orange Sauce to premium foodie gift status. RRP £6.80 for 315-400g. tracklements.co.uk

New to Grandma Wild’s 2023 Christmas biscuit range, this embossed keepsake tin is filled with 160g of Stem Ginger & Lemon Biscuits and Clotted Cream Chocolate Chip Shortbread Biscuits. A santa and snowman design is also available with the same contents. grandma-wilds.co.uk

GROWN UP MARSHMALLOWS are handmade in small batches and flavoured with organic fruits grown in nutrient rich soil on Exmoor

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How we’re approaching festive trading

Iona Gordon

Lennox, fresh food lead, Teals, Somerset

This is our third Christmas. We approached the first one in a haphazard way. For the second one, we really tried to get ahead but inevitably didn’t. This year, we’re trying to hold off and be as local as we can, because we found that you have to place the wholesale orders so far in advance.

By the time it gets to a couple of months before, local suppliers (who are a bit slower to the game in terms of having their whole range ready in advance) would say, “we’ve got this wonderful product” and we could’ve already bought something similar.

There are certain things sourced through big distributors that we know we’re going to sell. But for the more interesting local slant on things, we’re trying to be bold and hold off. We

want to use the next couple of months to put some feelers out and find some gems.

I think it can be the case where people commit to half a supplier’s catalogue, which takes away from the charm of Christmas a bit.

At Christmas you can get carried away, you are just busy, you have more people coming through the door and therefore sales are always good, but we want to hold strong to our values. We want to wait a bit and find more little, artisan, sustainable products and keep true to our values, despite it being a very commercially crazy time.

Christmas is a travelling time. We are located on the A303 and you might think that summer is the time of year where everyone heads down to Devon and Cornwall, but actually at Christmas time we see a lot of traffic as well. So, it’s nice to give them a snapshot of what we’re all about, even at a busy time of year.

Frankie Dyer, managing director Barbakan Delicatessen, Manchester

We start our Christmas preparations at the beginning of June and are usually finished by the end of July for preordering stock. We use our EPOS system Bleep to analyse product sales from the year before and compare them to the year before that, then take into account our current sales. Year on year, we tend to see a steady 3-4% increase.

We also fill in a ‘sell-out sheet’ each year of what date we sell out of what products so that we know for next year if we should order more initially, or less.

One of our bestselling stocking fillers is a chocolate £50,000 note. I have seen this year, the Queen has been replaced with King Charles so I’m sure they will be quite a novelty this Christmas.

We buy Loison Panettone direct from the manufacturers. We usually sell a good two pallets at Christmas and they are delivered by October.

A couple of years ago we started our own ‘Breakfast with Santa’, a ticketed event where kids and parents get a fresh hot breakfast and drink, they sit and decorate their own freshly baked gingerbread cookies and then Santa and his elves appear to have photos and give

out presents. We start selling those tickets early November.

Our wicker hampers are a big seller at Christmas time, with our bespoke Barbakan ribbon. Customers can select the items they wish to put in from the shop. Bestsellers include local raw honey, olive oils, chocolates and mulled wine sachets.

We also do catering for events and are always very busy for Christmas parties. Our platters feature everything we make in our kitchens and at the deli counter – cheeseboards, charcuterie platters, antipasti, and a selection of salads & sandwiches.

Importantly, we have to prepare for staffing our busiest period. Our onsite bakery produces 15,000 hand-made mince pies in December alone.

Our customers in the deli aren’t too price sensitive. We have been trading for nearly 60 years and Christmas is always a very busy time. We negotiate as much as we can to get the best prices and our suppliers tend to be very helpful giving us great deals – because we have such longstanding relationships with them.

But sometimes it can just be a guessing game. For instance, this year we are ordering more of the less expensive panettones, as we are conscious that some customers will be watching the pennies.

Bean-to-bar maker Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates is making bespoke wreaths from directly sourced cacao. M*lk Casholate, 75% Raspberry Solomon Islands, 75% Dark Solomon Islands and Sicilian Orange all come in hand-wrapped gold gift boxes. RRPs £9.50-£10. luisasveganchocolates. co.uk

Flower & White has launched a four-strong range of stocking fillers: Double Dipped Pretzels in two flavours (Salted Caramel and White Chocolate & Raspberry), Mallowettes (chocolate enrobed mallow bites) and Baby Chocolate Kisses – a spin on the Shropshire producer’s classic meringues. All have an RRP of £4.99. flowerandwhite.co.uk

Liverpool bean-to-bar chocolate maker TABLE has launched its first limited edition bar. Made with organic cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic, the bar balances 62% milk chocolate with spiced mulled wine notes, speculaas and orange zest. RRP is £6.50 for 70g.  tablechocolate.com

Popcorn Shed describes its new 272g Popcorn Flavour Selection Tin as the perfect gift for adventurous popcorn fans. With an RRP of £25, the reusable tin is packed with 12 popcorn snack packs in flavours ranging from Goat’s Cheese to Millionaire’s Shortbread and Pecan Pie. popcornshed.com

After its debut success last year, Babingtons Blends’ Christmas Tea is returning for 2023 and is available to purchase from September. The tea, which blends black teas with traditional Christmas spices, is presented in a looseleaf caddy. RRP £13.99. babingtonsblends.co

We want to wait a bit and nd more little, artisan, sustainable products and keep true to our values

We ll in a ‘sell-out sheet’ each year of what date we sell out of what products, so that we know for next year if we should order more initially, or less

BarBuoy’s new gift box provides pre-mixed serves of on-trend cocktails Espresso Martini and Raspberry Daiquiri. The use of local ingredients and spirits in the cocktails also adds a “Devon dimension” – the Espresso Martini uses Owen Coffee from Ivybridge and TORS Vodka from the foothills of Dartmoor. RRP £10.95; trade price £6.95. 1% of sales is donated to Project Seagrass.  barbuoy.co.uk

For consumers who have had enough of cooking over the festive period, Delita’s gourmet Italian ready meals offer a respite. There are more than 20 chef-made dishes on the menu, but Delita expects Slow-cooked Veal Ossobuco with saffron rice pie au gratin Milanesestyle to be a top seller this Christmas. Individual portions start from £4.70 (wholesale). mydelita.com

Hawkshead Relish’s new Slow Cooker Sauces have been conceived to help consumers make light work of dinner during summer as well as the colder months. With the simple addition of protein, the Lemon & Garlic and Blood Mary Slow Cooker Sauces are all that is needed to create a onepot dish that slow cooks in four hours. RRP £4.99; case price £20.95 (6 x 250ml). hawksheadrelish.com

Make meat the centrepiece

Cottage Delight has unveiled a selection of seasonal gift packs, but the one that caught our eye was its festive preserve tree. The Magic of Christmas is a pyramid pack containing six preserves, including Bucks Fizz Thin Cut Marmalade, Magical Mulled Wine Jam and Perfect Party Pickle. RRP £18.99; trade price £12.77. cottagedelight.co.uk

Borsari has refreshed the parcel-style packaging for its 1kg panettones

available via Tenuta Marmorelle The hand-tied parcels feature prints with a more muted colour palette. The Italian pasticcere has also introduced Panettone filled with Pistachio & Raspberries, covered in White Chocolate and Freeze-Dried Raspberry and Panettone with an Almond & Sugar Glaze. Wholesale prices range from £14.65 to £16.25. tenutamarmorelle.com

Available to pre-order from September, How to Cook Good Food’s Christmas pudding uses Spanish sherry and a rye coffee porter from Reigate based Crumbs Brewing, while the Surrey producer’s mince pies marry a short, buttery pastry with a matured mincemeat flavoured with whiskey. Mince pies wholesale at £1 (RRP £2); Christmas puddings start at £2.50 for the smallest (RRP £5). howtocookgoodfood. co.uk

RIB OF BEEF

This Matcha Active caddy from The Tea Makers of London is inherently giftable, providing 20 sachets of green tea powder in a reusable tin. The tea is a 50/50 blend of Ceremonial Grade Matcha and Young Barley Leaves. RRP £18. theteamakers.co.uk

Olive Olive’s new gift pack rounds up three Cypriot olive oils that are fused with basil, chilli and garlic. The fresh ingredients are pressed with the olives at the mill, resulting in a “fusion of fresh flavour” and oils that can be used for drizzling, dressing and dipping. RRP £15; trade price £9 (3 x 100ml bottles). oliveolive.co.uk

Mrs Darlington’s says it is bringing Christmas nostalgia to the festive table with the launch of Winter Berry Preserve with Mulled Wine (340g). The Crewebased producer describes its latest creation as a “delicious combination of rich, dark fruits infused with mulled wine”. mrsdarlingtons.com

Eleanor

O’Brien, managing director of retail trade

body National Craft Butchers, looks at the cuts your butchers should be selling this festive season.

For a family gathering you can’t beat a Rib of Beef and it’s very popular as a Christmas joint nowadays. On the bone, the ribs serve as insulation from the harsh heat of the oven, the outside will char beautifully with a decent layer of golden fat, and the inside will cook to perfection with a little rare meat for those who like it. And the entire joint will flood with deep savoury flavour from the internal fat. Butchers can prepare it so you can cut nice slices of meat down to the bones.

TURKEY BUTTERFLY

Sometimes called a boneless turkey crown, this is a turkey breast joint with all the bones removed. They are quicker to cook than a whole turkey, less leftovers, and super easy to carve (as you don’t have to navigate any bones). They are perfect for those who are less skilled in carving, and ideal for those who prefer white meat. Add some bacon rashers around the outside and offer to stuff it for customers to make it extra special.

ROLLED PORK LOIN

A rolled loin or a porchetta can make a great costeffective centrepiece for Christmas day. A juicy and tender meat, with a delicious stuffing or herb mix rolled into the joint it will render beautiful slices. Offer to score it for your customers to ensure great crackling.

CELEBRATION WELLINGTON

While still a very small proportion of Christmas sales for our members, beef wellington has seen growth in popularity especially for those celebrating a smaller family or couple’s Christmas. You can choose individual portions or a larger one to share.

nationalcraftbutchers.co.uk

Our family business continues to bake in time-honoured fashion using many of the same recipes created by our great-grandmother, Annie Wild, over 120 years ago.

Our biscuits are made using only the nest ingredients; to maintain the delicious traditional taste for which Grandma Wild’s is justly famous.

Sales manager Patrick Lynch Tel 01535 6505000

www.grandma-wilds.co.uk

ELEVATE YOUR BISCUIT RITUAL WITH BOLDLY AROMATIC, PREMIUM INDIAN BISCUITS!

Biskut Bar is the first premium Indian biscuit company pioneering the Indian cookie tin. With sustainability top of mind, you’ll find single-origin spices grown using regenerative farming practices, unrefined sugars and organic ingredients in each of their offerings. Their colorful packaging uses eco-friendly materials with a focus on reusability.

Here is their best-selling Indian Afternoon Tea Biskut Tin filled with 4 dynamic flavors: Cardamom & Homemade Ghee, Cumin & Orange, Coconut & Cashew and an Ayurvedic Herbal Mix Biscuit.

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christmas

For Christmas 2023, Claire’s Amazeballs are available in two seasonal limited edition winter flavours: A Taste of Christmas and Cacao Orange. These nutritious balls promise to not only energise the body, but also warm the tastebuds with spices, zest and texture. 100% natural, vegan, gluten-free and handcrafted in Buckinghamshire, the balls are pitched as a perfect hamper or stocking filler. They come in boxes of six (RRP £16, trade price £12), and packs of two (RRP £4.50, trade price £2.80). clairesamazeballs.com

Somerset’s White Lake Cheese has answered calls for a good quality pressed goats’ curd cheese with the launch of Glaston Tile. This sister cheese to Glastonbrick is a firm, fresh and creamy goats’ cheese that is equally at home on a cheeseboard or chopping board. The cheese weighs around 150g and costs £3 through the company’s trade portal.  whitelake.co.uk

Popcorn Kitchen is taking orders for its 12 days of Christmas Gift House – an alternative advent calendar with a pack of popcorn behind each of its 12 doors. The Gift House gives popcorn-lovers the chance to try eight different flavours: Salted Caramel, White Choc Raspberry, Chocolate Orange, Cherry Bakewell, Chocolate Brownies, Cheddar Cheese, Lemon Drizzle and Mint Chocolate. RRP £26.99.

The producer has also introduced two Christmasthemed Home Poppin Bottles – a gifting idea that brings the theatre of popcorn-making to home movie nights. With an RRP of £12.99, each kit contains mushroom popcorn kernels, Belgian chocolate chips, a seasonal topping and preparation instructions. Choose from Christmas Sprouts and Chocolate Snowies. popcornkitchen.co.uk

The team behind Gin Bothy is venturing into jams and marmalades with the launch of a second Bothy venture. Surrounded by a plentiful supply of Scottish berries in the Angus Glens, Jam Bothy supports rural farmers who deliver their fruit within hours of picking, enabling it to produce small batch preserves that are “bursting with berries”. RRP £3.654.25 for a 227g jar. ginbothy.co.uk

The Awarded CoffeesModern tasting box from Slovak coffee roaster Ebenica Coffee contains sample packs of six coffees that have been awarded Great Taste stars. The set includes a tasting guide for the five single origin coffees and one low-caffeine coffee. ebenica.com

For the first time ever, Orkney Gin Company is offering its hand-crafted gins in miniature form. The Trio of Award-Winning Gins Gift Pack (RRP £22) showcases three of the producer’s expressions in 5cl/50ml white bottles with helpful ‘ginfo’ and serves on the back. Mikkelmas Gin (41.3% ABV) is said to be warming, spiced and smooth, Rhubarb Old Tom (43% ABV) is zesty, fresh and smooth and Johnsmas Gin (41.3% ABV) is fresh, fragrant and floral.

Made using the centuries old ‘bathtub’ method, these three gins are distilled seven times, then botanicals are added in stages. This technique can take up to a month for each small batch. orkneygincompany.com

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CelebrateChristmaswithWomersley’sawardwinning Fruit&HerbVinegarGiftBoxes. IdealGiftfortheSeason

ourversatile,eclecticandmaybeslightlyeccentricmedleyofFruits&HerbsVinegars willtransformyourfood,enhanceyourtasteexperienceanddelightyourtastebud bybringingthecountrytoyourkitchen.Madefromnaturalingredientsandbursting withrealfruits.SuitableforvegetariansandCHOSENBYCHEFS.

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Insights into the trends of tomorrow

Speciality & Fine Food Fair Event Manager Nicola

Woods discusses some of the latest trends and topics making waves in the world of ne food –and outlines some of the new additions to this year’s event.

It might be hard to believe but we have officially entered the second half of a busy year in the world of fine food & drink. As plans continue to come together for the next edition of the Fair, we’ve been exploring some exciting trends in the speciality food sector and some diverse products from creative and innovative producers.

NEWER THAN NEW

Highlighting exciting new products and celebrating producers pushing the boundaries in the food & drink sector is one of the central aims of the Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards and this year, in addition to our existing awards, we’re launching a brand-new category called the Not Yet On The Shelf Award.

As the name might suggest, for this award we’re on the lookout for truly new products that have yet to be listed with any retailers and are ready to step into the limelight.

One of our Speciality & Fine Food Fair Ambassadors and award judges, Food Marketing Expert’s Vhari Russell, says: “It’s always great to see new products coming to market and hear how brands are innovating and ensuring their green credentials are at the forefront of what they are doing. The awards are a wonderful way for brands to showcase what they are doing and to get the recognition they deserve.”

Connecting visitors to the show with innovative new products is one of the key aims of the Fair, and already producers are preparing exciting new products to launch at this year’s event, including a truffle hot sauce from The Truffle Guys, a regenerative vintage cheddar from Golden Hooves and Mumbai Chai by Alchemy Elixirs. It goes without saying, that the all-new Start-Up Village at the Fair will be a must-attend

area for buyers looking to connect with up-andcoming producers and small businesses.

GREEN CREDENTIALS

According to a UK Brand Sustainability Benchmark Report composed by market research agency Glow late last year, one in four consumers are switching to more sustainable brands and many are dissatisfied with the progress made by the industry thus far.

Many consumers, and indeed buyers, are craving clear, straightforward indicators of progress in the environmental and social aspects of running a business. It’s particularly important for them to find ways to distinguish between real innovation and potential greenwashing.

To help with this, we will be highlighting producers at the Fair who have secured B Corp accreditation and are leading the way when it comes to implementing Environmental, Socal & Governance (ESG) best practices across their business and supply chain.

FLAVOUR FUSIONS

Creative flavour combinations are all the rage, from complementary global cuisines to innovative products.

At Speciality & Fine Food Fair this year we will be welcoming culinary consultant Steve Walpole back to the Trends Theatre, where he will be whipping products from the Fair into a range of delicious dishes and sharing insights into the latest NPD and flavour trends.

Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2023 takes place on 11th-12th September at Olympia London. To keep up to date with the latest news from the event, visit specialityfinefoodfairs.co.uk

we’re on the lookout for truly new products that have yet to be listed with any retailers

How one Alpine shepherd became a Swiss cheese legend

The story of Antoine the Cheese Artist is set in the Gruyère district of the 17th century, with mercenaryism in decline and the need for new sources of income. Cheese, the gold of the Alps, proved to be the solution.

THE PRODUCTION OF rennet cheese has existed in Europe since the time of the Romans. A er the fall of the Roman Empire, this art fell into oblivion and most cheese in Europe was made by extracting the protein with acid – like today’s ricotta production.

In the Alps, especially in the territory of the Counts of Gruyère, the knowledge of rennet cheese production was preserved. In the 17th century, the Swiss sought new sources of income and developed modern cheese production and cheese export. A development that began in western Switzerland, more precisely in the Gruyere district of the canton of Fribourg – with one young man called Antoine.

At that time, France was ourishing under King Louis XIV and Germany was weakened by the 30 Years War. Antoine hired himself out as a mercenary for the French. That was until he had to ee a er unintentionally inciting a revolt among the mercenaries.

Tired of war, Antoine returned home and decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and take up the profession of shepherd and cheesemaker.

Cheesemakers at that time were artists, they did not have the modern instruments such as thermometers or pH meters at their disposal and had to rely on their senses. Antoine, who had learned to read and write in his youth in the neighbouring monastery, was one of the rst to

vary and record his recipes. In this way, he was able to re ne his cheeses, guarantee consistency and train other cheesemakers.

Chance brought him together with his former commander from mercenary times, who had made a considerable fortune and was looking for new investment opportunities. So, it came about that the two of them developed the export and production of cheese in Switzerland.

The rst thing the commander was looking for was cheese for the army of the King of France, who wanted something that matched perfectly with the sparkling wine from the Marne.

Antoine oversaw production, rst taking several alps in the Gruyere district under contract. He organised an annual cheese competition and the best cheesemakers were allowed to produce for him and the commander.

THERE ARE ALREADY 5 DIFFERENT CHEESES UNDER THE NAME “ANTOINE THE CHEESE ARTIST”:

• L’Antoine the strong-delicate, a hard cheese matured for 8 months.

• L’Antoine the creamy-aromatic one, a semi hard cheese matured for 4 months. This is a must for Moitié-Moitié Fondue (half L’Antoine the creamy-aromatic and L’Antoine the strong-delicate, plus 2–3 slices of L’Antoine extra hard).

• L’Antoine Raclette, matured for 4 months.

• L’Antoine Alpage, summer production, matured for 12 months.

• L’Antoine Alpage extra, summer production, matured for 36 months (best shaved with a wood planer).

Later he extended the production area to the neighbouring Simmental.

300 years later, the team at a neur Walo von Mühlenen were looking for a new cheese from the Fribourg region and they came across the legend of Antoine.

They were fascinated by this story and slightly adapted his recipes without changing the original character of the cheeses and sold the products under the brand name L’Antoine the Cheese Artist. Just like 300 years ago, a few friends helped to export the cheese and today they are also available in United Kingdom for all independent stores via The Fine Cheese Co.

L’Antoine’s cheeses, like all cheeses from A neur Walo, are produced under the Flower Meadow Cheese label with natural raw milk.

This label and production method guarantees that the diverse aromas of the blooming ower meadows in Switzerland are preserved. The herbs and owers give the cheese a mild yet spicy aroma that makes it a real treat.

These cheeses do not only taste fantastic, but they are also very healthy. Due to the fast and gentle processing of the milk, the vitamins, the trace elements, and the natural enzymes of the milk are preserved. Thus, it supports digestion, the immune system and general well-being.

Distributed in the UK by The Fine Cheese Co., Bath, England 01225 424212

www.finecheese.co.uk

Walo von Mühlenen Ltd.

Stornoway Black Pudding Stornoway White Pudding Stornoway Black Pudding

Westcombe expands its site and its range

By Michael Lane

An expanded area for maturing whole muscle cuts will allow Somerset’s Westcombe Charcuterie to increase its production capacity – which could prove useful as it has also developed two new salamis.

The operation, which is a sister business to cheddar-maker Westcombe Dairy and based on the same farm, is in the process of building a second maturing area.

This will give it nearly eight times the amount of storage it currently has for its range of whole muscles and salamis – but the man in charge of this part of the business says growth will remain “organic” rather than rapid.

Paul Burton said this

expansion would allow Westcombe to move even closer to its “raison d’être”, which is to make use of all of the veal (currently deployed in its salami recipes) that is a byproduct of the farm’s dairy herd.

He also told FFD about two new lines he has been developing – one out of necessity and the second to capture the “ avours of Somerset”.

The former, Arratolatta, is created by rolling sheets of pork belly – rather than mincing them – and placing them in casings for maturing. This Italian method creates a spiralshaped, marbled crosssection and results in a product that Burton says is “halfway between a coppa and a salami”.

This salami was developed to utilise belly cuts in carcasses, from their pork partner Gotheleney Farm, that were unsuitable for making into pancetta because there was was too much fat on them, compared to lean

“It felt like a shame not to be using it as a whole muscle cut but we’re now able to create something that behaves more like a whole muscle cut and create more textural interest,” said Burton.

World Charcuterie Awards to go ahead in August – and there’s still time to enter

The first-ever World Charcuterie Awards is back on track, after being postponed earlier this year, and judging will now take place in August.

Judging for the competition, created by Henrietta Green as a successor to her British Charcuterie Live Awards, will now be held on 23rd-25th August at The Billingsgate Kitchen, in London.

The results will be announced online and at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2023, Olympia, London in September.

Entry opened to producers from around the globe during May and they have until Sunday 9th July to enter their charcuterie.

For producers outside of the UK, the World Charcuterie Awards is working with Defra to ensure ease of entry for imported samples.If they already have a UK distributor, producers are being encouraged ask these partners to submit the samples on their behalf.

“All over the world, there’s an appetite for and an interest in charcuterie,” said Green. “The time has come to run a worldwide competition for professional producers to compete against each other for this first-time opportunity to champion the very best in charcuterie of every type and origin.”

Headed by Keith Fisher of the UK-based Institute of Meat, a team of judges – including international importers, buyers, makers, chefs and food writers – has been assembled to

Saucisson and Finocchiona fennel salami. But the idea behind it was to capture some truly local avours in a salami.

“I was walking through orchards one evening at the end of the summer. There was woodsmoke on the breeze, apple pomace under foot and all those grassy notes. I’d been thinking about what the avours of Somerset are for a while, and then it hit me!”

The resulting large gauge salamis have a “fresh zesty, herby quality” to them and, a er 7-8 months of maturation, the rst batch is almost ready. The initial run is already accounted for by pre-orders but Burton says more are already in production.

The second of Burton’s new salamis is called Pomona – referencing the Roman goddess of orchards – and is similar in size and shape to Westcombe’s

A er a year of trials, Burton landed on a recipe that captured these avours. Pomona is lightly smoked and studded with green peppercorns, which have been steeped in Pomona liqueur from cider brandy maker and fellow Somerset business Burrow Hill.

“You get these grassy, fruity, spicy bursts against this mellow smoked backdrop.”

westcombedairy.com/ charcuterie

Su olk’s Little Oinkers are turning heads

Suffolk Salami is seeking more listings for its recently launched snacking product, called Little Oinkers, after it picked up an award at a trade show in May.

The Original variety of this snacking salami was deemed worthy of a medal at the Farm Shop & Deli Show and the concept was also highlighted by trade magazine The Grocer as one of the most innovative products at the entire event.

Both the Original and Fennel varieties of Little Oinkers come in 30g packs and are made on Lane Farm in Brundish using the business’s own pork.

assess entries across a variety of different classes.

These cover all aspects of charcuterie from air-dried and cooked hams through to salamis and bacon. Entries can be made from meat, game or poultry. There are also classes covering regional specialities from around the globe.

The judges will use a points system to ensure that eating quality will be the prime factor in winning awards.

There will be bronze, silver and gold medal winners in each class, with a World Champion Product and World Champion Producer selected from the results of all classes.

To enter or for more information, visit worldcharcuterieawards.com

Established in 2003, Suffolk Salami offers a host of salami and chorizo lines in both loose and packaged formats (whole and pre-sliced), available to delis nationwide.

suffolksalami.co.uk

Arratolatta and Pomona are the latest salamis from Westcombe

Judging will take place 23rd-25th August in London

Winemakers cautiously endorse proposal to reform UK wine industry

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

UK wine producers could be free to use more weather-hardy grapes and access diverse revenue streams under a raft of new measures proposed by Defra last month – but they could also be threatened by the deregulation of bulk imports.

The measures under consultation would scrap retained EU regulations on domestic production and marketing in the UK, and, according to Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Thérèse Coffey, could provide a £180m boost to the wine industry.

Under the new system, producers would be allowed to use hybrid grape varieties within PDOs and PGIs –meaning they could pick more disease-resistant ones, or varietals better suited to the British climate. They would also be allowed to make ‘piquette’ –made by fermenting the skins,

seeds and stems discarded in the winemaking process – and to make and market low- and no-alcohol wine.

Winemakers would be allowed to display the grape variety and provenance of their wine without submitting a lengthy application process, as was the case under EU law.

The new legislation would also remove the mandate to use mushroom stoppers and foil caps on sparkling wines.

Other measures would include allowing importers to blend and transform (ie. sweeten, carbonate and dealcoholise) bulk domestically.

The move to allow producers to use hybrid grape varieties would be widely welcomed among UK winemakers, according to production manager at New Hall Vineyard in Essex’s Crouch Valley, Rachel Appleton.

“These hybrids have been purposely chosen to adapt to

different climates,” she said. “Being able to deal with frost, to maybe ripen a little bit earlier or later, having disease-resistant grapes – these are all tick-boxes in this climate.”

For Duncan Schwab, head winemaker at Devon’s Sandridge Barton Wines, “the proof will be in the pudding” as to whether further dropping regulations on bulk imports will have a detrimental effect on UK production.

Schwab, producer of the Sharpham Wines range, said: “For the last number of years, we’ve been calling our product English and Welsh wine, which is grown and produced in the UK. So there’s a slight concern that it’s going to be awash with wine brought back, particularly from Australia, and sold as British wine.”

Schwab added that the success of the new measures would depend on how effectively they are enforced.

In a statement, the trade body representing the English and Welsh wine industry, WineGB, said these fears had been addressed by Defra, which had given “strong assurances” that any products using imported ingredients would have to be labelled accordingly.

“This will close the door on the current ‘British Made Wine’ category, as these products will need to carry the origin of the grapes as their provenance.

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE

Douglas Harrison Founder, Best of Wines

Over the years, The Best of Wines has lived up to its name by carefully putting together a diverse selection of wines from independent growers and small estates which all share an unfailing passion for their “terroir”, a dedication which dictates both quality and quantity.

They do not produce volume; they make distinctive wines which are designed to marry with appropriate cuisine.

A wonderful example of this is the House of Albert Bichot, where each domain has its own winemaker. Other treasures are Clos Louie, a pre-phylloxera Claret from vines planted in the 1850s; Grenat Noble, a single vineyard red Vacqueyras with Noble Rot but it is not a sweet wine; and a Fleurie Cuvée Hugo, made from 112-year-old vines.

That said, the world of wine is constantly changing, so we are always looking out for new wines with a difference, especially rare and little-known varieties which our customers always love to learn about.

Examples include Sauvignon Gris from the Loire, Petite Arvine from Valais in Switzerland and a White Merlot from Ticino. Also from Ticino, we have Platinum, a Merlot which beat Pétrus in a blind tasting.

The lesson of all this is to build a core portfolio of high quality wines from small family estates, but never rest on your laurels and always keep an eye out.

WHAT’S NEW

The Naughton Cider Company’s new cuvée, Overture, is a 2020 vintage blending traditional cider apples with cooking apples. The former are oak-fermented to soften the tannins, and the latter are aged in steel and oak. Made using the traditional method usually associated with Champagne, the 7.7% cider is aged on lees for 23 months. The result, the producer says, is “crisp, fruity with notes of toffee, toast and lemon peel”, the ideal partner for hard cheeses.

Hop-infused craft brewed kombucha brand Raw Culture is striking while the summer is hot with the introduction of the Mangosaurus. Adding to its range of Original, Hopical and Lemondrop Kombucha, the Scottish producer said it managed to hit tropical mango flavours by infusing a particular blend of Citra hops with its signature loose-leaf green and black tea leaf-ferment. The drink is said to balance sweet, tangy and bitter notes, and comes in at an RRP of £2.80 per 330ml can.

rawculture.co.uk

Canned Wine Co. has added a Sparkling Chardonnay to its range. Made with Italian grapes from Piemont, in the cool continental climate of Montferrato, it is first fermented in stainless steel tanks before undergoing a second slow fermentation in a pressurised tank. This results in a “naturally sparkling Blanc de Blancs with aromas of grapefruit, lemon and pastry with gentle bubbles and a fresh and light finish.” RRP £16.50 per three 330ml cans. cannedwine. co

Hitchin’s Crossover Blendery has released the first of four new barrel-aged beer, Walled Gardens 2022.

The 5.8% fruit season blends one-, two- and three-year-old ales brewed with malted barley and raw wheat, which are then naturally fermented and aged in old French oak barrels before being refermented on Lady Cot apricots from the Isle of Wight. RRP £9 for a 37.5cl bottle, £16.50 for 75cl.

crossoverblendery.co.uk

The proposed legislation would allow winemakers to use weather hardy grape varietals without infringing PDO and PGI regulations on production

What were you doing before starting Sea Sisters, and how did it come about?

A: I was a chef. I trained in Trullo in Highbury, worked in various other restaurants in the city and Australia. I had returned to Trullo as a senior chef when the pandemic hit.

C: I’m a Jack of Many Trades. I’ve worked across so many different industries - in the community services sector, for a non-profit. I managed UK membership for Soho House & Co, I did a stint in fashion…

We both have a strong love of food and we had this idea to have a range of fish - we didn’t really know that the canning industry in Cornwall and on the South West Coast had dwindled, and we were getting most of our fish canned overseas, in France.

When we found out no-one else was doing it, it became a massive drive to become the first.

A: The original idea was planted when we were travelling through Europe prior to having children. We ate a lot of canned fish from Brittany all the way down through France, down into Spain and Italy.

The product itself, the idea of conservas, rather than just tinned fish, sparked so much - how it looks, how convenient it is, how long it lasts, how good it tastes, the variety and all of these things sewed the seed of how cool it would be to have this as a project.

Then we forgot about it. It was only during the pandemic that we decided to go for it.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Inspired by the culture of ‘conservas’ on the continent, Charlotte Dawe and Angus Cowen created Sea Sisters. As they settle into their new cannery, they hope their soon-to-launch range of canned fish and seafood will be a cut above the rest.

Interview by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Q: How did you go about finding suppliers, and how did you get the canning operation up and running?

C: As a chef, Angus had already built relationships with the best suppliers across the UK, doing things that were already in alignment with what we wanted from the brand – for it to be regenerative, ethical, and to represent quality.

Then we started experimenting at home with a big old retort - setting up the fish processing, salting fish, trialling different

methods, hanging fish all over the place.

It was a crazy time.

It wasn’t until a year later that we moved into a micro-cannery in Hackney. .

Q: When did you decide the product was ready?

C: When we started renting the equipment within the unit, we went out and did markets every weekend for six months to get live feedback from people. We went to stockists and got advice on what was selling and what wasn’t, what the top products were, what margins we were working with.

At the end of 2022, we made the decision to move the business down to the West Dorset Jurassic Coast, where we found a unit to build a cannery, which is 20 times the size of our original testing kitchen.

Q: Talk us through the development of your products

A: Canned fish is only starting to be considered interesting in the UK, so the idea was to do something different with it, using species that potentially haven’t been seen before and are also responsibly sourced, plentiful, native to Britain and ethical.

We use cider from Somerset and ‘nduja from Dorset. We use pollock - which is really selective in the way it’s fished, it’s one of the most sustainable fish out there - to make something like a bacalao, but more succulent.

C: We use mussels from great offshore farms between Lyme Bay and Cornwall. They

clean the waters as they grow, they create ecosystems and sequester carbon. They’re a superfood and they’re nutrient-dense, they’re full of protein and they’ve got really good stories. We would have a batch of cuttlefish because they have quite a short lifespan and they’re plentiful in Cornish waters. We tried cockles from Essex, we canned a farmed chalk stream rainbow trout.

With all our products we were using great ingredients, like extra virgin olive oil from Two Fields, one of the only real regenerative producers of olives - so we’re thinking about every step that we take.

Q: What’s the short term plan, what’s on the cards right now?

C: We’re working with distributors, we want to get a presence across the UK. We’re looking to get SALSA-accredited, we want to work with UK supermarkets on some of our products, and then eventually we’re looking to expand in other countries.

A: In terms of the creative side of things, lots of recipe development, we’re going to be working with some really exciting chefs. Each restaurant that they represent has a different style of food or cuisine and we’re going to be working side by side with them to create a range of collaborations.

We’re a really young company and that’s the beauty of it, we’re not limited in any way.

We’re a really young company and that’s the beauty of it, we’re not limited in any way

Made For Drink bags up classic deli items in its latest crisp creations

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Producer of premium snacks Made For Drink has introduced two new crisp avours in its English Heritage range which it hopes will help it secure more listings in independent retail. Both have deli favourites as their central ingredient - Gentlemen’s Relish and Baron Bigod.

The Baron Bigod Cheese and Onion crisps – a ri on the classic, as tasked by English Heritage –were developed in tandem with Fen Farm Dairy, who will also distribute the crisps through its own channels. Combining the Brie-de-Meaux style cheese with caramelised onion shines the cheese in its best light, Made For Drink founder Dan Featherstone told FFD. “It tastes amazing, you get the citrus avour you would get when it’s nice and mature. It’s creamy and it’s tasty and it’s a beautiful product, so my job was really easy.”

The Gentlemen’s Relish avour was inspired by Featherstone’s fondness for anchovies, acknowledging that the sh is a harder sell than the celebrated Patum Peperium paste which blends anchovies with butter and spices.

“I needed to make something that could live alongside English Tru e that I can go out to the trade with,” he said. “That avour pro le is so good, and nobody’s ever done it.”

“But I was like, ‘we can’t call it a sh crisp, British people do not like the idea of sh crisps. Gentlemen’s Relish was the one.”

This avour, he said, would pair well with a Bloody Mary, ales and stouts, or even a Black Velvet (Guinness and Champagne).

Both varieties were designed to be distinctive from classic crisp avours, as even these place premium producers in competition with big players in the food industry.

“Cheese & onion and salt & vinegar sell themselves once people buy into the rest of our range, but it’s hard to get your foot through the door with them.”

As well as expanding its presence across English heritage sites, the brand best known for its English Tru e crisps predominantly sells on-trade. Featherstone said the brand’s growth in speciality retail slowed down during the pandemic, and hopes the new avours will help remedy that.

“It’s great to be working with two great companies who we get on well with and can talk openly with. We’ve got two great products that have come together and taste great. I’m really hoping they’re get us back into speciality retail, because that’s where we started.”

RRP £2.75 for 150g bags, and £1.35 for 40g. madefordrink.com

WHAT’S NEW

Tracklements is hoping its latest Special Edition Rhubarb and Ginger Chutney will appeal to consumers on the lookout for seasonal British ingredients, and is counting on retailers to spread the word. The producer says the Norfolk rhubarb, ginger, sultanas and spices make for a great all-rounder, suitable for serving in sandwiches, curries, sandwiches, or atop a buttered crumpet. RRP £3.75, available in cases of 6 x 200g. trade.tracklements.co.uk

With barbecue season in full swing, Hunter & Gather has launched a limited edition Avocado Oil White Truffle Mayonnaise. The decadent condiment combines avocado oil with white truffle oil, British free range egg yolks, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic. RRP £10 per 250g jar. hunterandgatherfoods.com

Srsly Low Carb’s latest attempt at making an almost sugar free condiment is a take on Nam Jim Kai, or sweet chilli sauce. Made with chillies, ginger, paprika & garlic, it only racks up 14 kcals per 100ml, of which 1.9g are carbohydrates and 0.3g sugar. RRP £3.99 per 150ml. seriouslylowcarb.com

Counter points Chocolate

Food writer and former deli owner Glynn Christian offers up some category-specific conversation starters to sharpen your sales technique.

Drinks producer Luscombe has built its brand on the basis of using what it says is the best organic fruit from around the world and the latest addition to its range is no different. Luscombe Raspberry Crush combines the berries with Sicilian lemons, Madagascan vanilla, Damascene rose water and spring water from Devon. RRP £27.90 per 12 single serve 27cl bottles. luscombe.co.uk

• Cocoa butter is the only fat that melts immediately at body temperature, giving it its mouth appeal.

• Chocolate that melts slowly in the mouth contains little cacao butter or uses substitutes.

• Percentage numbers on packaging mean the content by weight of cocoa solids.

• The higher the cocoa solid content, the deeper, richer and more bitter the taste and flavours.

• High cocoa solid content does not automatically mean low sugar or low sweetness.

• Chocolate’s theobromine elicits feelings of being in love, but too much causes poisoning.

• 100g/4oz bar of high-cocoa solids is about 95 mgs of

Chocolate’s theobromine

of

caffeine: a double-shot of espresso is about 80 mgs.

• Quality chocolate is a profound brown; redness is a good sign.

• White chocolate is not true chocolate as it contains no cocoa solids but is solely cocoa butter/fat with milk and sugar; it is always sweet.

Paley Photography

elicits feelings

being in love, but too much causes poisoning.

This is an extract from Glynn Christian’s book Taste! How to Choose the Best Deli Ingredients, published by Grub Street

WHAT’S NEW

Solley’s Ice Cream has been given a new look, with a design refresh across its retail and foodservice ranges. As well as giving it a more modern edge, the colourful packaging and illustrations are complemented with what it says is useful information about the product. Based in Ripple Vale, Kent, Solley’s sells its 20 ice cream flavours in 120ml single serve cups, 750ml tubs and 4.75L napolis. solleys.co.uk

Introducing India’s Madhuka flower to the UK is newcomer ōForest, with nibs, powder and a range of five teas – for drinking, as a breakfast topping or for mixing into smoothies. High in natural sugars, the flower is said to have a flavour, similar to coffee. It also contains manganese, potassium, vitamin B3, fibre and antioxidants. oforest.co

Confectionary brand Goupie has introduced a White Chocolate & Raspberry variety to complement its sweet cocoa butter-topped range.

The vegan, gluten-free bites have a golden syrup crisp rice base dipped in beetroot for colour, and are topped with freeze-dried raspberries. RRP £5 per 160g. goupiechocolate.com

My magic ingredient

The Little Herb Farm Fruit Vinegars

The Little Herb Farm is quite local to us. They’re based in Fife, and make fruit vinegars from Scottish berries and herbs. At the helm is Lindsey Anderson and her family, a small team of six. They make all of their vinegars by hand on their farm just outside Cupar.

I always like to have a few of their vinegars in my cupboard at home. They’re really useful for deglazing a pan and adding a bit of zip to a gravy or a dressing.

Their Raspberry & Rosemary or Tayberry & Sage vinegars. I quite often stick a glug in chicken gravy or to make a sauce when I cook pork medallions in a pan. It adds some fruitiness and sharpness to the sauce. They are delicious in salad dressings as well.

Their Blueberry & Lime and Strawberry & Basil flavours would work in sweet dishes, you could drizzle them over ice cream or use them for all sorts of things savoury or sweet. You can use them to put in drinks like you would use a bitters. A few drops of the Rhubarb & Ginger Vinegar is delicious in a gin and tonic.

Rollagranola targets health-conscious consumers with nootropic cereal range

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Rollagranola is piloting a range of ‘Nootropic’ cereal consisting of four products, each developed with a specifc goal in mind.

The Energize, Calm, Body & Soul and Complete Veganproducts, Rollagranola founder and CEO Robin Longden told FFD, were created for health-conscious consumers, curious about or already interested in this new category.

Nootropics claim to deliver a range of bene ts from aiding concentration to helping with relaxation using certain ingredients, and are experiencing something of a boom.

“We were interested in functional foods back when we started our product,” said Longden, who began making low-sugar, gluten-free cereal in 2014 and has multiple lines designed for particular diets. “But the cost of the ingredients didn’t really justify themselves in the minds of the consumer at the time.”

Now, with a “younger, Google generation, there is a greater level of understanding of these ingredients”.

The range was also developed with taste in mind, hence the use of what Longden called “slightly more mainstream” ingredients than

Rollagranola’s original range.

The Energize cereal, which is Cappuccino avoured, o ers “focus and prolonged productivity”, containing a blend of ca eine, ginseng, lion’s mane, matcha green tea and alpha lipoic acid.

The Calm cereal has cashew, mango and chocolate chunks in it and is said to help with stress management, while The Body & Soul item features summer berries and cashew nuts, and strives to boost memory, mood and stamina.

The Complete Vegan is said to contain “all the essential nutrients vegans need but don’t get from their diet”.

rollagranola.com

A Belgian milk chocolate ‘spoon’ topped with rainbow marshmallows is Cocoba Chocolate’s new offering for hot chocolate lovers. At £3.50 RRP per unit, it joins the chocolatier’s range of existing hot chocolate spoons and bombes, as well as chocolate bars, chocolate coated bites and truffles. The producer also offers a vegan and dairy-free chocolate selection.   cocobachocolate.com

DIANE BROWN, Provender & Brown

They’re really useful for deglazing a pan and adding a bit of zip to a gravy or a dressing.

Soups, Stews and Risottos:

• Can add meat and veg if required.

• Herbs, spices and stock all included, just add water.

• Four portions per packet.

• Gluten Free and Vegan options available.

• Some can be made in a slow cooker as well as on the hob.

Puddings:

• Simple, easy to follow instructions

• Just need eggs and margarine, a cooker or fridge.

Ideal for: Camping, self-catering welcome baskets, hampers and gifts etc. Deli, Farm Shop, Garden Centre and Food Hall shelves.

“Artisan Charcuterie ‘made slowly’ in West Dorset by award winning epicureans” Proud to supply the finest charcuterie to retail and foodservice.

Adopting the same meticulous approach reserved for tea and coffee, and applying it to herbal infusions, Nazani Tea was born. Partner with the UK’s only luxury herbal brand based on transparency and ethical sourcing for the finest collection of caffeine-free infusions. The Nazani Tea family is here to work alongside you to ensure your clientele or guests experience the most exclusive and memorable infusions either in or out of the home.

T: 01935 83883

E: sales@capreolus.co.uk Uphall Farmhouse, Rampisham, Dorset, CAPREOLUSFINEFOODS.CO.UK

VENISON AND PORK CHORIZO DORSET SOFT SALAMI

New owners of Deli Farm Charcuterie Continuing the heritage

GUANCIALE SMOKED PANCETTA PANCETTA CHORIZO DORSET COPPA SMOKED MUTTON PANNAGE HAMVENISON SALAMI

Cocoa Bean, Damask Rose Buds, Lemon Verbena, Lavender & Greek Mountain Tea

Red Amaranth & Lemon Thyme

Kykeon (Modern) & Chamomile

Mountain Mint & Olive Leaf

Damask Rose Buds & Lemon Verbena

Kykeon (Traditional)

Interview by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Asparagus et al.

WITH ALL THE talk of needing to grow more of our own food in the UK, there is at least one crop which we can meet our own demand for – for two months of the year, at least. The same sweet-tasting perennial has a particular signi cance for Groombridge Farm Shop owner Michael Bourne.

“When I grew up, there was an asparagus farm close to me and I saw carts going in and out all the time,” he tells FFD. “So, I thought to myself, ‘when I’ve got a farm of my own, I’ll grow asparagus’.”

That’s exactly what he did. And some 30 years ago, Bourne bought a little stall with a Punch & Judy appliqué on the side. “I carried it on the front of a tractor on an A Road – and for two months a year I plonked it here and we sold asparagus, and we sold a lot of it.”

On the road adjacent to his farm on the

VITAL STATISTICS

outskirts of Langton Green, in the Borough of Tunbridge Wells, he built the rst iteration of the bricks-and-mortar shop – appropriately called The Asparagus Hut.

To meet the needs of a year-round retail outlet, Bourne started growing other things –like strawberries and raspberries, cherries and plums, rhubarb, blueberries, gooseberries and greengages. He bought a ock of 40 hens so he could sell eggs, and decided to sell wood from the farm’s forested areas during the winter.

There wasn’t enough space on the farm for high-yield crops, Bourne says, “so we le the carrots and the potatoes to the bigger scale farms”.

50 acres isn’t a huge amount of land to work with, but it is enough to grow intensively, and more gratifying than running a massive farm.

“I could have been a big asparagus grower. Earlier on, I grew lots of corn, about 1,000 and a few hundred acres on di erent farms,” he says, but it le him feeling unsatis ed.

“A lorry would come and pick up the grow and go; you would have no idea whether it was a good crop or a bad crop, you would have no idea of the quality.

“But when you see people eating your asparagus or eating your strawberries, it gives you a bit of a buzz. And it still does”.

Inside the shop, a blackboard sits behind the spread of fruit and vegetables, listing which items are grown here, and which are bought in.

“We have a menu which is always updated with what’s coming from the farm and what’s in season,” says shopkeeper Diana Finn. “People come in and say, ‘why don’t you sell

Location: Groombridge Hill, Tunbridge Wells TN3 9LY

Number of employees: 10 (shop only)

Average basket spend: £16.35

Annual turnover: £1,131,00.00 (shop only)

Average margin: 45%

Floor space: 70m²

When Michael Bourne started selling asparagus from a cart on the side of the road, he had no idea that his wagon would one day become Groombridge Farm Shop. But a focus on high-value crops and close connections with many Kentish producers has seen his retail operation thrive.

blueberries?’, so we point to that and say, ‘they’ll be here in July, we’re not going to get them own halfway across the world to sit on a shelf when we can grow them ourselves.”

“I’m a big piggish like that”, Bourne agrees. “I won’t do strawberries until there are strawberries here.”

“We could have asparagus year-round, but with what’s happening to the planet, we won’t. It doesn’t taste very nice anyway, and there’s an excitement to enjoying it during the seasons.”

Aside from agreeing on an attachment to locality and seasonality, there is a sense that everyone at Groombridge is driven by a common cause. Shop manager Samantha Green, who came into the fold a er a career in nursing, says she stuck around because it felt like being part of something worthwhile.

“It’s like a family”, she says, and what started o as a seasonal role to help sell asparagus has turned into 11 years at the shop. “A er the refurb four years ago, I applied for a job as a manager. Now I’ve got my own team and I love it.”

The rebuild in question was one of three since the original Asparagus Hut, and the reason it was renamed Groombridge Farm Shop – to re ect a wider range of products, an impressive proportion of which are sourced from neighbouring villages.

“Fruit and veg is our bread and butter”, says Green, but actual bread comes from local bakeries, and a hobbyist sourdough maker who started making it professionally in lockdown. Around the same time, Samantha even convinced one of their employees into baking cakes because they were selling too many of them.

There is no deli counter, but a selection of meat is delivered daily by the butchers in Southborough – supplemented by Kieron’s Game, sausages from wild boar and venison

shot in the farm’s woods. Cheese comes from further a eld, from The Cheese Man and Curd & Cure.

Then is Southborough’s Temper Temper chocolate; Anno Kent Dry Gin was founded by two local ex-chemists. There’s wine from Sanden vineyard in Groombridge and co ee from the Tunbridge Wells Roastery.

Though one might be convinced of it at a sweeping glance, not everything in the shop is supplied by small producers. There is a Fieldfare freezer, and a Cook one, both of which are popular with customers – but still in line with the shop’s ethos.

“It’s really good for us to encourage people just to buy what they need to buy and not to waste food,” says Green. “Because of our location, people can come and park, pick up what they need and pick up all their fresh fruit and veg.”

Other staples come from further a eld, supplied by Holleys in Bristol, but the minimum order sizes most wholesalers need to sell into shops is more than they can store.

“That’s a lot of stock for a small farm shop,” says Green, a er showing us a small space under the roof, where anything not placed directly onto the shelves upon delivery kept.

Being a small operation can be helpful, in a sense, as it comes with a level of exibility. Green tells us that times are tough for some customers, so they try to o er a broad price range across their products, and aren’t afraid of changing prices as costs uctuate.

“We go to Covent Garden Market twice a week, and we look at all the prices, then we change them. If something is cheaper, we’ll put the price down, if it’s more expensive, we put the price up, but we’ll say to our customers, ‘do you really want to buy this broccoli, because it’s pricey. Why not buy this

MUST-STOCKS

Groombridge Farm asparagus

Soft fruit from the farm (strawberries, raspberries and rhubarb at the moment)

Sourdough from The Bread Smith

The Good Home Cook Granola, cheese scones and other tarts

Tunbridge Wells Roastery coffee

Baketastic Salted Caramel Brownies and other cakes

Salter’s Must Chup (Original)

Temper Temper Chocolate

Southborough butcher, meat and game

Sanden Vineyard sparkling wine

kale instead?’”

They know most of their customers, so they can talk to them straight.

“We’re very much a repeat business,” says Bourne. He describes the bulk of customers as “mums from Tunbridge Wells”, who either visit in person or use the farm shop website for delivery.

“And we have some older customers who ring up and just have a chat and put an order in,” says Green.

While investment into the digital side of things has been important in recent years, diversi cation is the name of the game for farmers up and down the country – and Groombridge is no di erent. Recently, Bourne has repurposed some of the asparagus acreage (with little detriment to the overall crop) and built a Glamping site on the farm.

“It’s not much to do with food”, says Bourne, “but it’s going to give us another dimension and complement the shop, because we do the hampers in the shop for the campers.

“Everything we do on the farm has got to have a relationship to the shop. We grow crops because we want to sell them at the shop. The campsite will hopefully bring people in to spend in the shop as well.”

An additional area of investment could be another extension of the indoor space: currently a local catering company sells co ee outside three days a week, and while they recently purchased their own machine for the other days, Bourne says a bigger co ee area could be on the cards.

Green adds: “We would like the online side of things to pick up a bit, but at the moment we’re so busy in the shop that it just doesn’t really matter.”

Why do customers prefer to pick things o the shelves, rather than pre-order them? “It’s about the experience and about community – talking to your customers about products, asking how they are and asking about their day. It’s just so important,” says Green.

Online sales have dipped from the highs of

the pandemic, despite an investment allowing for deliveries within a ve-mile radius six days a week, and order collection all week.

Most of their customers, it seems, would rather shop in person. And it’s easy to see why. In the space of an hour, FFD strikes up a conversation with three shop workers, including Green’s daughter Charlotte. We even catch up with Scott Farnden, busy picking asparagus in the eld closest the shop, who is happy to talk us through how it grows and what to look for in a good spear (not too thick, not too thin. Tips tightly closed.).

For Bourne there is a straightforward explanation as to why people keep returning.

“If there is such a thing, asparagus is a destination item,” he says. “People come a long way for it - they’ll come some miles for a bunch of asparagus and not buy anything else.”

In most instances, a single vegetable shouldn’t be the basis of a business model. But sometimes it can be that simple. groombridgefarmshop.co.uk

It’s about the experience and about community - talking to your customers about products, asking how they are and asking about their day

Time, patience and e finest ingredients

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Join us for another sensational edition of the UK’s leading showcase of artisanal food & drink.

At Speciality & Fine Food Fair, you can expect to unearth the latest products from heritage producers and dynamic start ups, as well as discover future food trends from leading industry experts.

“It’s my favourite trade show to attend! It offers a great opportunity to discover new products, connect with our existing suppliers and take part in important industry conversations.”

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Expert View

AJ SHARP OF SHARP RELATIONS ASKS

WHETHER LINKEDIN IS THE RIGHT PLATFORM FOR RETAILERS

LinkedIn started as an online representation of your CV, primarily for recruitment purposes, but has evolved into a professional networking platform used widely across the food industry. When it comes to retailers, we’re often asked if LinkedIn is worth the effort.

The honest answer is: this depends on the type of retailer you are, the products you stock and customers you attract.

Brand owners need retailers to reach a wider array of customers. Some have a good D2C website, but with privacy restrictions reducing the effectiveness of paid traffic, the fulfilment headache, and the desire to reduce waste packaging, many brands are still looking for growth via a retail network.

LinkedIn is where you can connect with brand owners, identifying those with a really proactive social media network. You can leverage this to drive your footfall and awareness.

If sharing your expertise is part of your marketing strategy, then you’re on the right platform. Publishing regular trend or insightbased articles via LinkedIn will give you an authoritative voice that has some powerful SEO capability behind it – appearing in search engines, not just the platform itself. There is also a newsletter feature, so you can share your bulletins and reach a wider audience beyond your

MODEL RETAILING

own subscribers. Used correctly, LinkedIn can help to dramatically increase your share of voice.

But what do you do with that influence? You’ll network with brand founders, potential partners, customers, and even media representatives seeking expert opinions. You’ll see what your peers are doing well, from sampling to meet the maker evenings.

These opportunities are so valuable to brands. Do not view this activity as divulging secrets to competitors, consider it a network of valuable ideas where knowledge exchange will flow both ways, and embrace the opportunity to showcase your industry leadership.

If you’re the type of retailer who is keen to grow your network, attract new brands, generate awareness and build your authority in the industry, then LinkedIn is the place. If not, then you would be better focusing your efforts on Facebook and Instagram to drive local footfall. sharprelations.com

Maintain your weights

Weighing equipment can give incorrect readings because of poor practice or misuse and the following points should be noted to ensure continued accuracy:

• Weighing equipment should be used on a stable, vibration-free, level surface. Most equipment has a level-indicator device.

• Equipment must be correctly balanced before use, with any indicators reading zero (on electronic equipment the digital indications should not be blank prior to weighing).

• Strong draughts, caused by a breeze or air conditioning systems, can affect some weighing equipment and this should be considered when selecting its position.

• The weighing pan should be kept clean and free from any debris or obstructions beneath it to ensure accuracy.

• Regular checks of the accuracy of weighing equipment should be carried out using known quantities, such as stamped weights. Keep a record of these checks.

• A maintenance contract with a weighing machine service company should be considered especially when your equipment is in constant use

This advice is an excerpt from the Guild of Fine Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing. The guide is available in PDF format (free for Guild members, £250+VAT for nonmembers) To request a copy of the Code, email support@gff.co.uk

This ice cream is lovely, Mr Deli, but you’re probably already thinking about Christmas.

Love that you’re going big on Halloween and all, but shouldn’t we think about Christmas?

Oh no. Is it nearly December? How did I not see this coming?

Alright, Mr Deli? Where are the advent calendars?

You what? No, it’s far too early for that nonsense.

Please do not use the C-word in my shop. It’s not even November.

Erm, ah, yes, coming in next week…

FFD says: No one likes to think about Christmas in July but it is a retailer’s burden to bear. If you choose to ignore it or put it off until later in the year, the likelihood is you’re going to get caught out. Don’t delay. Start pondering your panettones, sizing up the Stilton and looking through those catalogues as soon as they arrive on your doorstep.

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

LinkedIn is where you can connect with brand owners, identifying those with a proactive social media network. You can leverage this to drive your footfall and awareness