FFD March 2015

DELI OF 50 THE MONTH

VIEWPOINT 10 MARC LINCH 7 Luscombe’s Gabriel David on the danger of multinationals hijacking the artisan market

How Charlotte Bowers overcame cynicism and unhelpful banks to open her London deli

“As a shop owner, if you find staff you can trust, you have to give them the freedom to go for it”

March 2015 · Vol 16 Issue 2

WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST? Give your customers a great start to the day with a choice of healthy or indulgent cereals and bars

CHEF’S SELECTION 45 Kikkoman soy sauce, Valrhona Manjari chocolate and Yuzu citrus juice are always in Matt Gillan’s store cupboard at The Pass in West Sussex

CHARCUTERIE 21 Eyemouth’s Rachel Hammond prepares to take her oak-smoked venison, air-dried ham and more to a wider market

NEWS 4 EXPORTING 13 CHEESEWIRE 17 SOFT DRINKS 23 SAVOURY SNACKS 29 BREAKFAST CEREALS 37 FARM SHOP & DELI SHOW 41 SHELF TALK 43

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What’s new this month:

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Luscombe Drinks (see his Viewpoint ack in September we ran a piece on page 10) asking why a feature asking if the artisan magazine published by the Guild of food sector was being quietly Fine Food would even give Nestlé hijacked by major plcs and wealthy the oxygen of publicity. private investors.

My argument was that we We chose September because only reported what our readership that’s the edition we take to the was telling us, and that every shop Speciality & Fine Food Fair at needs a few easy money-spinners.

Olympia, where many faux artisan Of course, in my heart I am 100% brands set up by ex-City types now with him – and I had said as much get launched into our world. in the pages of Best Brands. I am, Some small producers were every after all, a man who hasn’t shopped bit as indignant about this trend as in Tesco for four years (although I I’d hoped. Claire Martinsen of posh have had a snotty letter from them pop maker Breckland Orchard talked for over-using their free car park!) about the new “third category” of Gabriel and I met up a couple start-ups, sitting between corporates of weeks ago, fumed at each other and true artisans, that have deep pockets and “a clear vision of exit for profit”.

Compared with, say, farming, Others sounded this really isn’t an industry that more philosophical – perhaps even defeatist engages in endless politicking – and the brief flurry and ranting, is it? of debate soon died down. Compared for 90 minutes, agreed to differ on with, say, farming, this really isn’t some points but actually concluded an industry that engages in endless we were in pretty much the same politicking and ranting, is it? place. His concern (I think) is that But it came back with a we might be sleepwalking towards vengeance last month after we’d disaster – shrugging our shoulders published Best Brands, our annual while major producers edge onto poll of the best-selling products in deli and farm shop shelves with delis and farm shops. Nestlé-owned cheapo versions of genuine artisan Sanpellegrino topped products, killing the market for the the soft drinks small guys. category, with Is he right? Maybe it’s time to get Coca Cola in third just a little more agitated. Speciality place. It sparked shops do need brands that make a scathing them some money, but they might email to me also need a nudge if they are drifting from Gabriel too close to the mainstream. Not David of least because (see Tesco, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer…) the mainstream is not a great place to do business right now.

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MICK WHITWORTH Editor

EDITORIAL

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

editorial@gff.co.uk

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

Editor: Mick Whitworth Deputy editor: Michael Lane Art director: Mark Windsor Editorial production: Richard Charnley Contributors: Clare Hargreaves, Patrick McGuigan, Arabella Mileham, Lynda Searby

ADVERTISING advertise@gff.co.uk Sales manager: Sally Coley Advertisement sales: Becky Stacey, Ruth Debnam Published by Great Taste Publications Ltd and the Guild of Fine Food Ltd Managing director: John Farrand Marketing director: Tortie Farrand Chairman: Bob Farrand Director: Linda Farrand Operations & Guild membership: Charlie Westcar, Karen Price, Jilly Sitch, Claire Powell Accounts: Stephen Guppy, Denise Ballance, Julie Coates

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

Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset, UK © Great Taste Publications Ltd and The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2015. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations.

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Editor’s choice

Selected by MICHAEL LANE Deputy editor

Planglow ‘street food’ themed packaging www.planglow.com

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Whether you buy into the hype or not, ‘street food’ is most definitely a phenomenon that’s here to stay. And, if you’re producing food-to-go items, then you may well be competing with businesses that fall into this rapidly growing category.

Just because you’re not operating out of an old truck or trailer, that doesn’t mean you can’t hop on the bandwagon, and Planglow’s latest hot food containers and deli paper could be the ticket.

The build quality and design – which features a map of the world and a mock passport stamp – is smart but generic enough to suit all manner of hot and cold foods offered from the serveover, regardless of global origin.

What’s more, it’s all made with sustainable materials and is fully compostable.

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

www.gff.co.uk/ffd Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

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fine food news Evidence shows councils are not following national planning policy as indies rally against supermarkets

Government backs indie calls to curb out-of-town developments

By PATRICK McGUIGAN

The shopkeepers of Malton, North Yorkshire, are fighting against proposals for an out-of-town supermarket while Henry Mackley (below) is leading a similar campaign in Ludlow, Shropshire

The York Press

The Government has been forced to remind local authorities of its Town Centre First planning policy as councils continue to favour out-of-town retail developments over high street investment.

Last month, ministers sent a letter to councils, emphasising that developments deemed to have a negative impact on town centres should be refused planning permission, in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

This intervention has been welcomed by a number of campaigners seeking to protect towns and their independent retailers from the perceived threat of new supermarkets.

Henry Mackley of Ludlow’s Harp Lane Deli is part of a group fighting proposals to build a 25,000 sq ft supermarket for an as-yet-unnamed retailer on the edge of the Shropshire town. They say the new development will undermine Ludlow’s thriving town centre and is simply not needed – key criteria that should be taken into account by local planners under the Government’s Town Centre First principle, which is designed to encourage high street investment but is frequently being ignored by councils.

“We already have three supermarkets in Ludlow, which is fine,” said Mackley. “We can deal with those because they actually bring people into the town, but the moment you put one on the edge of town it’s very tempting even for the most ardent of Ludlow shoppers.

“We’re one of the very few

thriving market towns in England but an out-of-town supermarket could mean empty shops, charity shops and tumbleweeds.”

The Government’s letter follows the release of statistics, by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), showing that 76% of retail floor space granted planning under the NPPF has been delivered out of town.

There is also growing concern about the number of out-of-town developments being closed, or built and not opened, or granted planning permission and not built. According to property consultants CBRE, of the 46m sq m of grocery retail space in the planning development pipeline, 84% of this is planned for out-oftown locations, yet only 6% of this is currently under construction.

“When an out-of-town planning application is granted, it undermines investment in nearby town centres and that’s why we’ve seen a sharp decline in retail space being developed in town centres since 2013,” said ACS chief executive James Lowman.

“Many councils have been seduced by the prospect of new developments, but they now look short-sighted, and if they had applied the Town Centre First policy more strictly the result would have been greater investment in town centres, as opposed to the empty fields once earmarked for new superstores but now abandoned.”

The issue is one affecting retailers in Malton, North Yorkshire, where local planners gave permission for a controversial out-of-town supermarket last year. The application

was contested by local residents and business groups over many years, but despite being given the go-ahead, no building work has yet been started and it is not known which multiple, if any, will be located there.

According to Margaret Shaw, coowner of Malton’s Fine Food Theatre deli, the lack of clarity surrounding the development has deterred investment in the town centre.

“We’re nearing retirement age, so put the business up for sale three years ago and had a lot of interest, but people weren’t willing to invest because they were worried about whether a supermarket would be built or not,” she said.“It’s still not clear what is happening, which is like having a sword of Damocles over our heads. There is too much uncertainty.”

Pickles slaps down councils’ call for ‘Tesco Tax’

Eric Pickles: Taxing supermarkets would be a ‘lazy’ policy

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March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

Labour-run Derby Council and others will continue to lobby for support for a plan to levy a tax on large supermarkets, dubbed the Tesco Tax, despite the idea being dismissed by central government.

The proposal under the Sustainable Communities Act, which was supported by more than 20 other local authorities, called for town halls to be given the power to levy an additional tax of up to 8.5% of the business rate on large supermarkets with an annual rateable value over £500,000.

However, Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, slapped down

the suggestion in an open letter in October as “lazy” and likely to push up the price of food.

“Your proposal is sadly an all-too predictable siren call from some parts of local government: namely, the solution to every policy issue seems to be how to impose new taxes. This is a lazy way of thinking.”

Derby Council leader Ranjit Banwait said he planned to appeal the decision and seek support for the proposal this year. “It is a well-known fact that large retail outlets have a negative impact on local shops, jobs and businesses, while independent retailers ploughed investment back into their local area,” he said.

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Defra plans more Enterprise Zones to boost local food

By MICHAEL LANE

The Government has invited bids from Local Enterprise Partnerships across the country for a second wave of Food Enterprise Zones (FEZs) after announcing the first batch last month.

Defra’s unveiling of these zones, which aim to generate investment by simplifying the planning process for businesses in them, has been welcomed by local food organisations – with a degree of caution.

There are currently 11 zones – including projects in the South Downs, Somerset and Cumbria – that will be given grants of up to £50,000 but Defra has invited all 39 of the UK’s Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to make bids for more grants.

The closing date for applications is March 16.

Tracy Carroll, founder of online directory Local Food Britain, told FFD that she would support any initiative that reduced the red tape her members have to face.

“Taken at face value, if the scheme can help unlock the planning process, it could be promising,” she said. “We have seen cases where growth and diversification opportunities have been blocked by long, drawn-out planning requirements that can stifle business development.”

Two of the initial FEZs – in Cornwall and Somerset – are in the geographical area covered by food group Taste of the West. CEO John Sheaves said the project appeared to be “a little bit of a postcode lottery” and that more detail was needed following the announcement.

While the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly LEP is still establishing the location of its zone, the Somerset zone – run by the Heart of the South West LEP – will be focussed

Secretary of State Elizabeth Truss unveiled the first Food Enterprise Zones in February

on developing a new food business centre at the Bath & West Showground near Shepton Mallet.

“If you’re in one of those areas then that’s great,” said Sheaves.

“Then what happens to any other food business that isn’t in these areas?

“If you’re a cider maker in North Somerset, a cheese-maker in Gloucester or a pasty maker in Devon, you’re going to miss out on these Food Enterprise Zones.”

Despite uncertainty over the impact of the new FEZs, both Carroll

and Sheaves were quick to praise the work of Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss in supporting British food.

The 11 proposed Food Enterprise Zones are in Somerset, the South Downs, Cornwall, Cumbria, Lincolnshire (3 FEZs) Worcestershire, Leicestershire, Cheshire and West Sussex.

Details of specific projects have emerged in some areas, including plans to develop several sites at Reaseheath College in Cheshire and boost dairy production in the South Downs National Park by re-using brownfield sites.

Defra said that grants for the initial 11 zones would be paid before the end of the financial year and should be unaffected by the outcome of the next General Election.

“Food Enterprise Zones will help unlock the potential of local food and farming businesses, boosting local economies and attracting more investment,” said Elizabeth Truss.

“Consumers both here and abroad want to buy Great British food. These zones will ensure we can grow more top quality produce and expand our food industry, which is worth more than £100bn a year to the UK economy.”

What is a FEZ? Local Enterprise Partnerships can apply to Defra for grants to set up Food Enterprise Zones, which are designed to make development easier for food-related projects.

“FEZs are underpinned by Local Development Orders,” a Defra spokesperson told FFD. “These are a feature of the planning system, which allows a Local Planning Authority to ‘pre-approve’ certain types of development or define criteria in certain areas, so that developers have more certainty that this will be in place.”

FEZs will not be groups run by individuals. Instead, Local Planning Authorities will determine exactly what will be covered by each LDO and where it will be applied.

DRESSED TO IMPRESS: For the first time in Harrods’ history, its Food Halls will take over the department store’s windows on Hans Crescent.

On show until March 27, the themed window displays will feature a host of luxury food brands as well as own label products, paired with exotic creatures.

Among the brands on show are Laurent-Perrier, Caviar House & Prunier, Le Gruyère AOP, Parmigiano Reggiano, Delice, Fiona Cairns, Roberto Cavalli Chocolates and Moyses Stevens.

Customers will also be able to sample these products in a number of tastings taking place in the Food Halls throughout this limited period. www.harrods.com/food-and-wine

IN BRIEF l The Low Pay Commission has recommended that the Adult National Minimum Wage rate be increased by 3% from £6.50 per hour to £6.70 per hour. The Commission also recommended a 3.3% increase for 18 to 20-yearolds to £5.30 and a 2.2% increase to £3.87 for 16 to 17-year-olds.

The Government must now consider the Commission’s recommendations and decide whether to accept them. The decision could be made in time for the March budget. l Bensons Totally Fruity has made what it hopes is the first of many forays outside of the UK and is now exporting its Chilly Billy iced lollies to Dubai. The Red Tractoraccredited company has partnered with Melt Frozen Yogurt in Dubai to distribute the lollies, which contain no added sugar, colours or flavourings. l Coffee pods now account for more than a third of all ground coffee sales in the UK, according to research from IRI. In 2014, a total of £102m of pods were sold across the country. Kraft’s Tassimo branded pods accounted for more than half of those sales (£58m) but Nespresso compatible pods saw the biggest year-on-year growth (354%). l West Yorkshire’s Little Valley Brewery has increased its bottle production five-fold with the recent installation of a brand new bottling plant. The brewery now has capacity to produce 2.5 million bottles-a-year of its premium beers – on a one shift per day/five day week – in order to meet increased demand from both UK and international customers. l Producer and street food business The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company has been shortlisted for the inaugural Making Business Happen Awards, organised by The University of South Wales.

The company is contesting the SME Business Growth category, the winner of which will receive £12,500 cash investment. www.uswbusinessawards.co.uk

l Harrogate farm shop Fodder is inviting Yorkshire producers to an ‘open call’ event during the evening of March 5, where they can show up with their products and spend up to 10 minutes with the buying team. Those who wish to attend should email: enquiries@fodder.co.uk

l Cumbrian retailer Cranstons has bought a former HSBC bank in Brampton and plans to convert it into a food hall. It is expected to open in October.

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fine food news Snubbed over a PDO rule change, Richard Landy is trying a different tack

Village of Stilton gears up for blue cheese production Richard Landy with the restored Austin van that he will use as part of the promotions for Stilton’s Village Blue

By MICHAEL LANE

The man behind the campaign to make Stilton cheese in the Cambridgeshire village of the same name is seeking a cheese-maker as he looks to begin production of his own blue cheese later this year.

Under the terms of its EU Protected Designation of Origin status, Stilton can only be made in the counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire but Richard Landy plans to sell a cheese called Stilton’s Village Blue.

Following the rejection of his recent application to Defra for a change to the PDO to include the parish of Stilton, Landy trademarked the name Village Blue and intends to launch his operation in May. He said he has the backing of Cambridgeshire Trading Standards against objections from the Stilton Cheesemaker’s Association, which represents the six dairies that currently produce Stilton cheese under the PDO. Landy, who has spent years compiling historical evidence of Stilton production in his village during the 18th century, is vacating part of the property he occupies for a cheesemaker to both work and live in.

“I don’t have bags of money to throw at it but I do have accommodation and I’m willing to fund the set-up costs,” he told FFD, adding that he would welcome

applications from both experienced cheese-makers and those that had recently completed diplomas such as those at the School of Artisan Food.

As well as taking a stall for his cheese at the village of Stilton’s annual cheese-rolling event on May 4, Landy plans to unveil a specially commissioned Axminster carpet and Harris Tweed waistcoats featuring blue cheese designs.

In addition to his Original Cheese Company, which will produce Village Blue, Landy has also set up The Cracking Cheese Company to distribute the product, The company owns a 1964 Austin A35 van, restored to look like a replica of the Anti-Pesto van from Wallace & Gromit film The Curse of The Were Rabbit.

A blue cheese has previously

been produced on an ad hoc basis for the Original Cheese Company in a spare kitchen of his local pub, The Bell Inn. Landy now wants to ramp up production and said he had already held discussions with one speciality retail chain.

He told FFD there was scope for the Original Cheese Company to produce both pasteurised (in keeping with the PDO rules) and unpasteurised blue cheeses.

He also vowed to continue contesting the Stilton PDO. “We’re either going to be included in the PDO or they’re going to lose their name,” he said. “If they continue to oppose us they will see the short end of the stick. We will get there in the end.” www.originalstiltoncheese.com

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

printer and the customer would get exactly what they ordered with the minimum fuss. Configuring the system took time but I felt it would ensure seamless interaction between MARC LINCH GREEN OWL CAFÉ AND DELI, BUCKHURST HILL the kitchen and front of house.

We originally envisaged the business as a combination of café in while we brought our deputy In this business, you can train your and deli, where people come in for manager up to speed and recruited staff and get your EPOS system ready, brekkie and buy some cheese and a new head chef. I had a clear vision but until you open the doors on day bread, but we found it difficult to run of what I wanted and having a good one, you don’t know what you’re the two side by side. There wasn’t core of people around me was a going to be faced with. enough demand for deli products and major part of that.

When my wife Jane and I opened the deli was very labour the Green Owl Café and Deli in Our head chef turned out to intensive. So we run it more August 2013, we were no different from any other new owners in this be very temperamental and our as a café.

Food is split between respect. The only difference was that manager wasn’t coping, so we short order cooking, such I had my experience of founding The had to let both go early on as breakfasts, and food Food Company in Colchester to draw made up in the counter, for example, Something else I knew I needed on. salads, quiche, arancini, parmigiana to get right was the EPOS system.

In the first weeks and months and paninis. This takes a lot of I wanted a system that could be we had a lot of pressures in the pressure off the kitchen at busy times. configured to deal with customer kitchen. Our head chef turned out We’ve been trading for 18 demands, so, for example, if to be very temperamental and our months and take £8-9,000 a week. someone asked for an extra strong manager wasn’t coping with the The business is standing on its own cappuccino, this request would be demands of the job, so we had to let two feet and will be debt-free within transmitted accurately to the ticket both go early on. Jane and I stepped

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Ayrshire Dunlop in line for protected status Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop cheese looks set to become the latest Scottish product to gain protected food name status from Europe.

The cheese, which is made by Ann Dorward at Dunlop Dairy on West Clerkland Farm, is in the final stages of being awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.

Under the terms of the PGI, the cheese bearing that name can only be produced in a designated area around the traditional parish of Dunlop in Ayrshire from the whole milk of Ayrshire cows.

The application for the mild nutty cheese has progressed through several stages, both with Defra in the UK and the European Commission, and has now been approved by both. It is currently in the public consultation stage and is open to objections or comments before being granted the PGI later this year.

Meanwhile, a host of other UK products are progressing towards protected status. PGI applications for Conwy Mussels and London Cure Smoked Scottish Salmon were submitted to the EC in January 2015 and December 2014 respectively.

Dundee Cake and Vale of Evesham Asparagus have both cleared the Defra’s national consultation stage with their PGI applications, as has Traditional Welsh Caerphilly’s bid for Protected Designation of Origin, the strictest level of protection. All three will soon be sent to the EC.

three years of opening.

Much of this is down to what I learned at The Food Company. I knew it was vital to make sure every single item was costed out to achieve the necessary margin. I knew which suppliers to go to for equipment and which bits of kit could be bought refurbished rather than new. When it came to our glass display counter we bought new – this is a real feature and has to be as good as it can be.

I had also learnt how to understand people – when to take control and when to accept that in some situations, other people know more than you. As an owner you have to maintain control, but if you find staff you trust, you have to give them the freedom to go for it.

There’s no grand master plan.

It’s just my wife and I doing what we want and trying to stay true to our ethos of offering great service and quality food in an independent way.

Interview by LYNDA SEARBY

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

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Would you like to live and work beside the seaside?

An extraordinary range of sweet and savoury condiments

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FS&D Stand R108

Great Taste Great Provenance Great Branding Great Service

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www.scarlettandmustard.co.uk 01728 685210

The Whitby Deli opened in October 2014 and is looking for an Experienced Deli/Shop Manager to cover the owners maternity leave of 6 months with the possibility of a permanent position thereafter.

You’ll need to have great knowledge of food and wine and at least 2 years shop/deli experience preferably with 1-2 years in a management role.

We are going to be a very busy cafe/deli as summer approaches so you will have to be able to cope with fast pace and pressure resulting from our desire to deliver top quality service to our guests. Knowledge of wine is a must.

Your main responsibilities will include: managing a team of 4-8 assistants, stock control & rotation, advising guests on food choices both from the counter & café, oversee the kitchen, organise and execute events.

In exchange we offer excellent pay, food & wine tastings, staff meals, staff discounts, considered rota and a great environment for working together.

If you care about food and drink, about your self-development, about your colleagues and about your guests, it is likely you will thrive here.

You must be eligible to work in the UK and only successful candidates will be contacted.

Thank you.

Call Catherine Cook on 01947 229062 for an informal chat. email hello@thewhitbydeli.co.uk

Visit Bizerba on Stand Q101 for an open exchange of ideas about the upto-the-minute challenges and innovations in the retail sector Our main focuses, which together sum up what really matters in today’s world of retail; Open Technology, Shopper Experience, Energy Efficiency and Process Improvement Scales, Labellers, Tills, Labels, Slicers, Mincers & Strip Cutters

@ 01908 682740 info@bizerba.co.uk www.bizerba.com 8

March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

fine food news Scotland’s first food hub to include small producers

By MICK WHITWORTH

Perth & Kinross Council says it will make room for five smaller businesses in what it claims is the first food and drink hub of its kind in Scotland.

The new Perth Food & Drink Park is a 16 acre site at North Muirton, to the north of Perth. It has 11 development plots, each provided with services including electricity, superfast broadband, water and drainage.

It is designed to attract inward investment to Perth, as well as providing space for existing or startup units to expand, and according to the Council “could sustain up to 400 jobs once fully occupied”.

While the Council’s inward investment arm, Invest In Perth, said some of the planned sites could be combined to accommodate even larger manufacturers, it is also making provision for a number of small operations.

A spokesman told FFD: “While the site is earmarked for up to 11 units, ranging in size from one to three acres, one of the units is earmarked to create a facility which will provide five small business units, ranging in size from 100-300 sq m, for food standard accommodation.

“The units will be made available on flexible lease terms – and indeed the whole Park is being designed fully

The new 11-acre site will include units of 100-300 sq m for small food businesses

flexible to meet varying needs from the food & drink sector.”

Councillor John Kellas, convener of the Enterprise & Infrastructure Committee at Perth and Kinross Council, said the Park offers a unique opportunity for food businesses to occupy a flexible, bespoke site to develop or expand their operations, in one of Scotland’s most attractive locations.

“Perthshire has unrivalled heritage and credentials in food and drink, evidenced by the likes of its

superb beef, lamb and venison, its soft fruit industry and world-famous whisky distillers, as well as a range of artisan and specialist producers.

Food and drink is one of Scotland’s key growth sectors with ambitions to grow from £13.1bn today to £16.5bn by 2017. Within Perth and Kinross, the annual turnover of the food and drink sector is estimated at £280m and there are an estimated 130 companies in the processing sector. www.perthfoodanddrinkpark.co.uk

Alliance demands stricter meat labels The Countryside Alliance has called for the Government to lobby Europe over the extension of country of origin labelling to cover processed meat products.

From April, all fresh meat sold in the UK must be labelled showing where the animal was reared and slaughtered but this does not cover products such as sausages, bacon and ready-meals.

The European Parliament has voted for the extension but the European Commission must adopt it before it comes into force.

“Since the horsemeat scandal, consumers are taking much more notice about where the meat they eat originates,” said Countryside Alliance head of policy Sarah Lee. “Currently, sausages made in Britain from Danish pork can be legitimately labelled as British because the meat has been processed in the UK.” This campaign is a key point of the Countryside Alliance’s General Election Manifesto 2015. www.countryside-alliance.org

Dee takes helm at expanding Booths

By MICHAEL LANE

Upmarket retailer Booths has promoted Chris Dee to the role of chief executive officer and appointed an estates director as it embarks on a rapid expansion plan.

Dee, who has worked for the family-owned northern chain for the last 20 years, will oversee the opening of five new stores in 12 months.

The first of these – in Barrowford, Lancashire – opened in December 2014 and will be followed three more stores in the county in Burscough, St Anne’s and Poulton Le Fylde as well as an outlet in Hales End, Greater Manchester.

Booths has also promoted Mike Thomson, who has managed numerous construction projects for the firm in the last decade, to the operating board as estates director.

Chris Dee began his career with Booths in 1995 as the wine & spirits buyer and has also held the roles of trading director and chief operating officer.

Booths said Dee had been “instrumental” in creating strong relationships with suppliers, citing the recently introduced Fair Milk scheme, which pledges to pay dairy farmers the highest farm gate price in the market.

Since joining the firm in 2004, Mike Thomson has managed the construction of 11 new stores as well as the relocation of distribution and central office facilities.

As part of this re-structure, supply chain director Simon Booth and property director Graham Booth will leave the operational board this year, but remain on the family board. www.booths.co.uk

CHAMP OF CHAMPS: Gemma Melton, Oliver Paul and Abby Bumstead of Suffolk Food Hall collected an award from Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss (second left) after triumphing in a special 10th anniversary Countryside Alliance Awards.

The farm shop, which is based in Wherstead near Ipswich, was named Champion of Champions in the Local Food category after being pitted against a host of previous champions in a public vote of more than 35,000 people.

Suffolk Food Hall, which first won the Local Food title in 2011, was one of several winners at the ceremony held on February 4 at the Houses of Parliament.

Shropshire rare breed farm and farm shop Park Hill Farm (Enterprise), Co Kildare butcher Nolan’s of Kilcullen (Traditional Business) and Ludwell Stores of Dorset (Village Shop/Post Office) were all named Champion of Champions in their categories.

Meanwhile, Berwickshire’s organic meat specialist Peelham Farm won the second annual Clarissa Dickson Wright Award. www.countrysideallianceawards.org.uk www.suffolkfoodhall.co.uk

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fine food news Uncle Henry’s wins Lincs producer gong Uncle Henry’s farm shop in Grayingham, near Lincoln, has been named Producer of the Year in the Select Lincolnshire Food, Drink & Hospitality Awards 2015.

General manager Emma Ward and café manager Julie Hall collected the award from Cllr Colin Davie, executive member for economic development at Lincolnshire County Council, at a ceremony last week.

Uncle Henry’s farm shop, butchery and café opened in 2006 and sits alongside a mixed arable and livestock farm owned by Emma Ward’s parents, Steve and Meryl.

It offers a “real farm to fork experience”, with pork and potatoes from the farm on sale alongside products from more than 40 other local producers. The instore butchery has won over 100 awards with lines including ready-meals made with the farm’s own pork.

Manor Farm Shop in Swineshead, near Boston, was named Retailer of the Year. www.unclehenrys.co.uk www.manorfarmshop.co.uk

Emma Ward (left) and Julie Hall from Uncle Henry’s collected the award from Cllr Colin Davie

Blakemore re-launch rolls on with new premises and staff Commercial director Caoire Blakemore has overseen the expansion of Blakemore Fine Foods

By MICHAEL LANE

Blakemore Fine Foods has expanded its team and will shortly unveil an online ordering portal as it continues to ring the changes after last year’s rebrand.

The wholesaler, which changed its name from Heart Distribution last July, has increased staff numbers from 15 to 33 as part of its phased re-launch.

As a result it has boosted its customer service team and established new trading and sales teams headed by national account manager Patrice Garrigues and sales controller Neal Harris respectively.

This month will see Blakemore Fine Foods – a division of major wholesaler AF Blakemore – open a new 15,000 sq ft warehouse and launch an online ordering portal, featuring product photos and information, as part of its website.

This follows last September’s launch of a producer portal, where suppliers can access their own sales data and documentation.

“The team have worked really hard in programming and updating marketing information and I am thrilled with the results,” said Blakemore Fine Foods commercial director Caoire Blakemore.

“Fine Foods has worked with British producers on a national basis for some time now and the decision to rebrand was reflective of this.

Since January we have also begun to offer a small international and wholesale range following requests

from customers. This allows our customers to have access to the ranges supplied across the wider A.F. Blakemore Group.”

Originally set up in 2007 as Heart Distribution in partnership with now defunct food group Heart of England Fine Food, Blakemore

Fine Foods currently works with 206 British independent producers.

Since splitting with HEFF four years ago, it has broadened its geographical scope beyond the Heart of England area it began serving. www.afblakemore.com/fine-foods

Big business has our sector in its sights

Viewpoint

GABRIEL DAVID Owner, Luscombe Drinks Does anyone else in the independent retail world hear the rumblings of storm clouds? My ears hear those rumbles in my sector – artisan soft drinks – but I think all sectors are in the sights of big business. From tea

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March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

to charcuterie, the speciality market is seen by others to be ripe for growth.

Nestlé has a brand called Sanpellegrino which pours, in huge volumes, from the mouth of this multinational, masquerading as an artisan product. According to Fine Food Digest’s Best Brands survey, published in January, this is the best selling soft drinks brand in many delis and farm shops. Coca Cola was in third place.

It affects my business, but more than that, it challenges one of the core reasons why customers shop in the independents – the search for genuine artisan products.

It’s a point of differentiation that multiple retailers haven’t done well, to date. But if the multinationals are now selling into the independent camp, in coming years can the smaller, ownermanaged shop maintain enough points of difference to live alongside

multiple retailers and halt their rubbish government in a few months’ incessant march into our high streets time but if we fail to uncloak these and our hearts? masqueraders we will be sleepwalking Independents are the nursery for into mediocrity. new, upcoming producers. What will This development will change replace this nursery for small, nascent the way we shop in under 10 years. I brands if supermarkets dominate our have rejected approaches from all the shopping or multinationals take over supermarkets for Luscombe because our artisan sector? These questions I want to shop in the independents need the oxygen of in my lifetime, but debate.

I was seriously If we fail to uncloak You might to read these masqueraders we depressed ask: is this the statistical will be sleepwalking melodramatic? findings in the Possibly. Alarmist? into mediocrity magazine published Debateable. A by the Guild of Fine threat? Yes, I would say, it is definitely Food. Are there enough people out a threat. there who despise mediocrity and who But the biggest danger is if many are not simply eating jam today? Or haven’t even heard this rumble, or am I an outdated food snob? if we choose not to hear it and eat HAVE YOUR SAY our jam today and let the future Tweet us: @ffdonline look after itself. Apathy may get us a Email us: editorial@gff.co.uk

❛

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Follow us on

@ffdonline

Winner of Best Brands survey Distributor of the Year 2014 - 2015 for the third year in succession.

WHAT A RIDE! It was 1965 and you could buy yourself a very beautiful E-type Jaguar for £1,867, and why not? A gallon of petrol cost 26p. With the bossa nova rhythm of ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ drifting from your radio, you could drive to the local pictures and watch Goldnger in the comfort of a dralon seat. The song might be interrupted with the announcement that the rst man had walked in space. Hider Food Imports Limited meanwhile, had unloaded from Hull quayside their rst ever imports of nuts and dried fruits. Douglas Hider opened the doors for business on Robinson Row, Hull Old Town, and his ne food family business was born.

The ne food industry has come a long way since the year that the rst boil-in-the-bag graced our kitchens! But whilst times change, business evolves and new technology advances apace, we are proud to say that our values are the same now as they were when we started in 1965: HONESTY AND INTEGRITY F A M I LY E T H O S PERSONAL CUSTOMER CARE

Thanks to our customers, old and new here’s to the next 50 years, pussycats.

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Over the sea and far away Interview

British producers exhibiting at IFE 2015 in London this month might enjoy the windfall of an unexpected export enquiry. But those hoping to pursue exports more seriously with their first overseas trade show need to do a bit more groundwork, as international event specialist Sandra Sullivan tells MICK WHITWORTH.

I

f you’re heading abroad this year to find new outlets for your chutneys, chocolate or cheese, don’t get too tempted by thoughts of a busman’s holiday in sunny Spain. You might be better off in the cooler climes of Scandinavia.

According to Sandra Sullivan of the UK Food & Drink Exporters Association (FDEA), it pays to target countries with an affluent middle class and a proven penchant for imported specialities.

One useful clue, she says, is a nation’s ranking in the annual World Prosperity Index produced by the independent Legatum Institute. The 2014 list (www.prosperity.com) shows Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands in the top 10, along with the US and Canada.

Spain, while still a big market for British food, is languishing at 26th in the prosperity league. Don’t even ask about Greece.

The Index is just one indicator, but matches Sullivan’s view of the obvious targets for novice exporters of premium food. The Nordic nations, Netherlands and North America all hold out good prospects, she says, along with much of Asia.

The FDEA is a not-for-profit body with around 130 members, ranging from Britvic and Warburtons to specialist suppliers on the scale of Tracklements, Mrs Darlington’s Preserves and Little Valley Brewery You won’t see an FDEA pavilion at this year’s biggest UK food show, IFE, which takes place at London’s Excel from March 22-25, because the FDEA is focused strictly on overseas shows. But you might spot Sandra Sullivan. For many years she was head of exhibitions at promotional quango Food From Britain, and she’s now on the IFE advisory board.

Sullivan is a director of Food & Drink Exportese, the consultancy that runs the FDEA on behalf of its membership, and of PS8, the event management company that delivers the FDEA’s programme of overseas shows.

Already this year, the FDEA has taken 10 UK firms to the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco and nearly 70 to ISM, the sweet, snack and biscuit trade fair in Cologne. Over the course of 2015, Sullivan and her colleagues will run British pavilions at events ranging from the Hofex food and hospitality show in Hong Kong (May 6-9) to

Sandra Sullivan (left) and her colleagues will run UK pavilions at shows as far afield as New York and Shanghai this year

Anuga in Germany (October 10-14) – the biggest European show of 2015.

And November will see a mixed party of established and first-time exporters heading to Shanghai for FHC, China’s equivalent of Anuga or IFE. Anuga is already fully booked, with FDEA member Hawkshead Relish among those exhibiting. It's clearly a chance to meet overseas buyers, but also draws in many British buyers, says Hawkshead marketing manager Kate Nicholson. “Anuga is key to furthering our presence in Europe,” she told FFD. The FDEA is a partner in the UKTI Trade Challenge programme, in which UK Trade & Investment has linked up with around 100 trade associations to help get more SMEs exporting successfully. This means companies that exhibit at overseas shows as part of an FDEA-run British pavilion can generally access government funding – typically £1,500 towards attending European shows and £3,000 for those in Asia, Sullivan says. But international shows are still a big commitment of time and money, and she also stresses it’s important to get your ducks in line before investing in a stand.

“If anyone rings up wanting to go to a trade show, I’d say the strategic approach is to first

make sure they have everything in place that they need to succeed, like their packaging and labelling. We would usually expect them to have made inroads in the UK already, and to have reached the point where export is the obvious next step. And if they’ve set up specifically to export, they really need to have done their groundwork first.

“And I would also refer them to their local UKTI international trade advisor. They have a scheme called Passport to Export which helps companies get fit for export.”

Then it’s about carefully exploring potential markets, she says. Desk research is a good start, but there’s no substitute for getting out to the intended market, visiting retailers and seeing how they work. “Go and look at the price point they are selling at, and where your products would fit.”

Finding the right distributor or sales agent in unfamiliar markets can be crucial. “Don’t go with the first person you meet, just because he seems like a nice guy. People do FDEA member Little Valley Brewery is successfully exporting its Stoodley Stout to Sweden’s state-owned Systembolaget liquor store chain, while its Vanilla Porter is on sale in Finland

make wrong choices, and sometimes you can end up as just one line in a portfolio of hundreds, so no-one is putting enough time into building your brand.”

Hawkshead Relish’s Nicholson says the Cumbrian company is starting to make inroads into China, but adds: “Crucially, we’ve already secured an importer, which is a huge benefit in accessing this complicated market.”

Similarly, Wendy Darlington of Mrs Darlington’s Preserves says that, while she is focusing more on the UK this year, finding an import partner in the US has made North America a viable target. “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback on our brand from both trade and consumers and we’ll be attending the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York – this time with our importer.”

The closest or apparently easiest markets are not always the simplest to service. “People think the US market is easier than it is, because we speak the same language,” says Sullivan,“but in reality you have to really understand their supply chains.

But in some Asian markets, like Hong Kong and Singapore, the retail chains are very consolidated and may already have UK export partners. So if you get your product into Park & Shop in Hong Kong, you could find you’re dealing with someone in Kent.”

•The FDEA has space for exhibitors at several shows this year, including the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. enquiries@ukfdea.com www.ife.co.uk

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

13

Sunday 21 June 11am-4pm Monday 22 June 9.30am-4pm Halls 1 & 2, Yorkshire Event Centre HG2 8PW

Register for your free ticket to visit the north’s largest food trade show www.gff.co.uk/harrogate

“Harrogate Fine Food Show is the reason why regional food shows are so important. The show offers an exciting and efficient way for buyers, from all sectors of the trade, to see first-hand what’s new and where the next big launch might be coming from.”

Scott Winston, Harrods

Harrogate Fine Food Show combines first-time and long-standing exhibitors. As a visitor you will get to meet new producers and taste products that will have never been seen before at a trade show. Come and discover food and drink that will make your shop, restaurant, café or pub a more interesting place to visit.

Featuring this year: Feed the Dragon: producers pitch to big-name food buyers Cracking Christmas: retailer’s workshop to maximise sales Fine Food Live! Theatre: Demos & tutored tastings hosted by radio’s Nigel Barden Expert advice & support from the Guild of Fine Food Great Taste: sample many award-winners Deliciouslyorkshire@Harrogate Fine Food Show

WHO SHOULD VISIT: delis, farmshop, foodhalls, garden centres, pubs & restaurants, hotels, cafes & coffee shops, butchers, bakers, high-end grocers, heritage & gift shops Easy access and free parking. Under 18s will not be admitted. Students by prior arrangement only

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15

AOP, the sign of special products...

A traditional cheese

Appellation d'origine protégée

The cheese of western Switzerland, with a delicate, distinguished flavour.

Made since at least 1115 AD in and around the small town of Gruyères, today it is still produced by village cheese dairies in western Switzerland according to the traditional recipe.

Le Gruyère AOP owes its characteristic delicacy and flavour to the top quality raw milk produced by cows fed on grass in the summer and hay in winter, coupled with the skill of the mastercheesemakers.

No less than 400 litres of fresh milk are needed to produce a single wheel weighing around 35kg.

During the slow maturation process, which takes several months in special cheese cellars, the wheels are turned regularly and rubbed down with saltywater. The maturing process lasts between five and 18 months.

Each cheese is systematically identified by the number of the mould and code of the cheese dairy. The day and month of production are also noted on the wheel. These black markings are made with casein, the cheese protein. No artificial additives are involved here either.

Le Gruyère AOP takes pride of place on any cheese platter. It makes for a delicious desert and can be used in tasty warm dishes. What’s more, no real fondue would be complete without genuine Gruyère AOP.

From this time on, the name ‘Gruyère AOP’ and the code of the production facility appears on the heel of each wheel of Gruyère AOP as an effective way of preventing fakes and guaranteeing authenticity.

This technique employs branding irons, which give an indentation in the wheel. It is this marking that makes it possible to identify and trace each individual cheese.

The humidity and rind washing process develops the characteristic appearance of the cheese and assists in bringing the cheese into full maturity.

This is what gives Le Gruyère AOP its famous, distinct flavour. It’s no great surprise that this authentic gift of nature is appreciated by cheeselovers throughout the world.

www.gruyere.com ruyere.com Cheeses from Switzerland.

Switzerland. Naturally.

16 March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

www.switzerland-cheese.com

cheesewire Unsung heroes Hidden gems from British producers

Haydn Roberts and Courtyard Dairy team up for raw goats’ cheese

By PATRICK McGUIGAN

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BLUE In a nutshell: According to Gary Bradshaw, Northamptonshire has long been a dairy wasteland, with little or no cheese-making tradition.

That was until he set up Hamm Tun Fine Foods in 2013, first producing a mellow, hard cows’ milk cheese called Cobblers Nibble and most recently Northamptonshire Blue.

Made in 2kg truckles with pasteurised milk from a local farm, the cheese is matured for six to eight weeks and is described as being somewhere between a Roquefort and Gorgonzola.

Flavour and texture: A semisoft cheese with a moist texture, the flavour is buttery with a gentle tang from the pockets of blue.

History: Bradshaw previously worked as a graphic designer, but was a keen cheese-maker in his spare time. Spotting a gap in the market for a local cheese and following interest from his local cheese shop St Giles, Bradshaw set up his own business in 2013.

Cobblers Nibble has already won a star at the Great Taste awards and he also makes a washed rind version called Cobblers Nibble Gold, using ale from Nobby’s Brewery.

Cheese care: Sold in whole or half truckles and has a shelf life of four to six weeks. Keep it refrigerated with other blues in the counter.

Why stock it? It’s a creamy crowd pleaser with a great story and is a rare example of a Northants cheese.

Perfect partners: Perfect with a sweet wine, but would also work with a porter or stout.

Where to buy: Direct from the producer. www.hammtunfinefoods.co.uk FFD features a different ‘unsung hero’ from Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association members each month. To get involved, contact: patrick.mcguigan@gff.co.uk

news & views from the cheese counter

Award-winning cheese shop The Courtyard Dairy has teamed up with one of Britain’s best producers to develop a new goats’ cheese, and is now asking the general public to give it a name.

Currently sold in the North Yorkshire shop as ‘the cheese with no name’, the raw milk goats’ cheese is made by Haydn Roberts, who worked for many years at Neal’s Yard Creamery in Herefordshire, making goats’ cheeses such as Ragstone and Dorstone.

He left in 2013 to set up on his own and developed the new cheese with Courtyard’s owner Andy Swinscoe over the space of a year, renting production space at Lightwood Cheese in Worcester.

The pair have struggled to come up with a name for the cheese, so Swinscoe decided to launch a competition, asking people to suggest names, with the winner receiving a three month subscription to the Courtyard Dairy’s cheese delivery service.

Name that (unpasteurised, natural rind, goats’ milk) cheese

“It’s a bit of fun that will hopefully engage people,” said Swinscoe. “They can choose any name they like, but I don’t want another ‘saint’. We’ve already got lots of great cheeses named after saints.”

The ‘cheese with no name’ is slowly set over 24 hours or more and has a thin, undulating, natural yeast rind. It is light and fresh, with

Cornish Blue producer doubles capacity ahead of export drive

By PATRICK McGUIGAN

The Cornish Cheese Co, whose Cornish Blue was supreme champion at the 2010 World Cheese Awards, plans to double capacity following a £500,000 expansion.

The company is adding new cheese-making, packing and maturing rooms to its premises in Liskeard with the project due to be completed at the end of March.

Capacity will rise from 120 tonnes a year to around 250 tonnes, enabling the company to grow sales across its customer base, which includes retailers such as Paxton & Whitfield and Waitrose. It is also planning to significantly increase exports. “[The expansion] will mean the production process runs more smoothly from cow to final cheese, with many of the improvements making life easier for our staff as well,” said MD Philip Stansfield.

“The export market is one that we’ve shied away from in the past, but we think there is a lot of potential to sell our cheese in Europe, the US and Australia.”

The project has been partfunded by the South West Rural

a soft creaminess and delicate, herby finish.

Swinscoe won the Cheese Counter of the Year and the Cheesemonger of the Year titles at the World Cheese Awards in 2013.

The naming competition runs until the end of the April and suggestions can be emailed to: andy@thecourtyarddairy.co.uk

Newcomer from the ‘Alps’ of Northern Ireland

Development Agency and follows a big jump in demand for Cornish Blue after its WCA success. It saw record sales at Christmas, almost doubling revenue compared to the previous year.

Northern Ireland’s Dart Mountain Cheese, based in the Sperrin Mountains of Derry, has launched a new Alpine-style cheese – its third new product in under two years.

Named after a local townland, Kilcreen is made with pasteurised cows’ milk and is similar to Emmental, with a mild nutty flavour and eyes (holes) in the cheese caused by propionic bacteria. The cheeses are washed in a brine and whey solution and matured for four to eight months.

Set up in 2012 by cheese-maker Julie Hickey, who is originally from Massachusetts, and her husband Kevin, Dart Mountain also makes two semi-hard cheeses – Sperrin Blue and Dart Mountain Dusk.

The husband and wife team also own Tamnagh Foods which has won Great Taste awards for its handmade granolas that are now being stocked

by Harrods in London.

www.cornishcheese.co.uk

www.dartmountaincheese.com

Christmas sales of Cornish Blue almost doubled year on year

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

17

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cheesewire

What a carry-on

Interview

Three decades after its co-founder protested against milk quotas with a PR stunt worthy of Carry On Cleo, Carmarthenshire’s Caws Cenarth is still battling with a dysfunctional milk market, as PATRICK McGUIGAN reports.

I

t may have been be 30 years ago, but locals still talk about the day that Thelma Adams dressed up like Cleopatra, complete with bikini and black wool wig, and bathed in milk in the streets of Carmarthen.

The dairy farmer (below) was so outraged by the introduction of milk quotas in 1984 that she, along with 10 other women, paraded around town in cast iron bath tubs to highlight the fact that it was cheaper to bathe in milk than water.

It was an inspired publicity stunt, attracting a huge amount of press and turning the Carmarthen’s Cleopatras into local celebrities, but did nothing to halt the juggernaut of milk quotas.

Farms were forced to reduce herd sizes and diversify or in many cases close altogether.

Thelma and husband Gwynfor took the former option, setting up cheese company Caws Cenarth in 1987 to turn their excess milk into raw milk Caerphilly. The business is today run by their son Carwyn Adams and his wife Susanna, and the farm no longer has its own cows – a TB outbreak and the growth of the cheese business mean the company now uses pasteurised organic milk from local farms. But the issue of milk prices is just as relevant now as it was when Adams’ mum was taking to the streets in her bath tub.

Milk quotas will be abolished in April, but the British dairy industry is still struggling with record low prices caused by a global glut, rising feed costs and the dominance of the supermarkets where milk is still cheaper than water.

According to the NFU, the number of dairy farmers in England and Wales has halved in just over a decade, which is also bad news for artisan cheese-makers, says Adams.

“Farms have got bigger and better at milking since my mother’s days,” he says. “There’s a farm near here milking 2,500 cows – it’s pure factory farming. It’s damaging smaller traditional farms with, say, 60 cows, who just can’t compete.

“These are the kinds of farms we want to deal with, but it’s going to be very difficult for cheesemakers to get milk in the future, unless they’ve got their own herd.”

The issue is a pressing one for Caws Cenarth, which has to top up the organic milk it gets from a small local farm with supplies from the large Calon Wen dairy co-operative.

“We’ve not had problems before, but there’s a shortage of organic milk so we’re now playing second fiddle to a big organic yoghurt producer, Rachel’s,” he explains.

“They need all the milk so we’re struggling to get enough.

The big farms don’t want to bother with us.

“Ideally I’d like to work with another small farmer and help them turn organic.”

Adams admits that abandoning his organic principles would make sourcing easier, but he would risk losing important customers, such as Abel & Cole and Riverford. Organic milk also has a natural richness, even when pasteurised, which comes from the lush pastures and makes a big difference to the final cheese, he adds.

Caws Cenarth still makes Caerphilly (it is part of a PDO application to protect the term Traditional Welsh Caerphilly), but the cheese accounts for a relatively small part of the 130 tonnes it makes each year.

Its best-sellers are those developed by Adams after he joined the business in the early 2000s: Perl Wen (a white mould-ripened soft cheese), Perl Las (a semi-soft blue) and Golden Cenarth (a soft, washed rind).

There’s a farm near ❛here milking 2,500

cows – it’s pure factory farming. It’s damaging smaller traditional farms, who just can’t compete.

❜

Carwyn Adams

Caws Cenarth is today run by Carwyn Adams (above) and wife Susanna, who took over from Carwyn’s parents

Golden Cenarth

Perl Wen

Ironically, in his early life, Adams was never really interested in cheese-making. He previously worked in former Russian states such as Uzbekistan as a field technician for agricultural machinery companies, but a course at Reaseheath College when he returned sparked a passion that he retains today.

“My mum said I must have been brainwashed because I came back full of enthusiasm,” he says.

“It wasn’t long after that we came up with Perl Wen.” Best-seller Perl Las came a little later, while the washed rind Golden Cenarth, which was named supreme champion at the British Cheeses Awards in 2010, came about by accident.

“We had a piece of vac-pac Caerphilly that got put to one side and after a week it started getting a red tinge,” Adams explains. “We tasted it and it had softened the cheese in a really lovely way, so we

tried to make it again.”

The latest addition to the range is an Alpine-style cheese called Llain, made with Montbeliarde cows’ milk from a local farm and matured for two years.

Turnover has grown steadily to around £1.2m and the company opened a new cheese-making facility on the farm in 2012, complete with a viewing gallery, which has proved popular with tourists and locals.

Independents remain the company’s core customers, as well as a few local Waitrose stores, but Adams is wary of supplying the major multiples.

“We’re not really looking to go down the supermarket route,” he says. “We get approached all the time by Tesco and Sainsbury’s, but for the customers that helped my mum and dad set up, it would be like a kick in the teeth for them if our cheese was in Tesco.” www.cawscenarth.co.uk

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

33 19

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Oxsprings plans for growth with investment in slicing and drying

Hider extends Three Little Pigs range

By MICK WHITWORTH

By MICK WHITWORTH

Worcestershire air-dried ham specialist Oxsprings looks set to increase output significantly next year after extending its premises and making a “major capital investment” in a Weber 305 slicer.

Weber is among the world’s biggest suppliers of high-tech meat slicing equipment, and the 305 is its compact, entry-level model.

Owner Alex Oxspring told FFD: “If you’re going to sell a pre-sliced, interleaved product this really is the only machine to have – but it comes at a price.”

The unit has overcome a bottleneck in production, he said, and attention will now shift to increasing volumes. But with Oxsprings’ hams aged for a minimum of eight months the full benefit won’t be felt until 2016.

“We’re currently building a new drying room, so I can double production from mid year,” he said.

The artisan producer, based in the Vale of Evesham, will be launching an 85g pack in April, with

most of my customers,” Hammond added. “Mine are air-dried for at least a year, which gives a much deeper, fuller flavour, and a firmer texture in the lean, while the fat becomes softer and more melting.”

Hull-based Hider Foods is adding two flavours to its range of ambient charcuterie from fellow East Yorkshire business Three Little Pigs, which it began working with last year.

The Triple Sec (pictured below) and Ancho Chilli salamis (trade price £4.89, RRP £6.99-£7.99) will join hot fennel salami, mild chorizo, spicy chorizo and oregano & thyme salami on Hider’s list from April, in cases of 6x180g.

Three Little Pigs, run by husband and wife Jon and Charlotte Clarkson, is based at Kiplingcotes Farm near Beverley, 20 miles from Hull.

It has been making the Ancho Chilli and Triple Sec salamis in small batches for some time, selling at food festivals and local shops, and both flavours picked up Great Taste awards last year. But the Clarksons didn’t have capacity last year to put the newcomers into full-scale production.

“Festivals give us the chance to test out products and get an immediate reaction from people,” Charlotte Clarkson told FFD, “but we haven’t had the room to add new products for distribution. So, while Hider have been keen to build up the range, we have had to stay with our four main flavours “But we’re in the process of putting in a new 30 sq m drying room that will give us extra space, and we’ve already got some other ideas.”

The Ancho Chilli version has a South American flavour kick from dried Polano pepper, while the Triple Sec gains a “hint of fresh zesty orange” from the orange liqueur of the same name.

Three Little Pigs charcuterie is made with pork from free range, rare breed pigs reared mainly at the family’s Kiplingcotes Farm. “We’ve also spent the last year expanding the pig farming side to make sure we have enough of our own pork,” Clarkson said.

www.hammondcharcuterie.co.uk

www.threelittlepigschorizo.co.uk

Oxsprings will be offering an 85g pack from April to hit the £4 price point

interleaved slices vacuum-sealed on boards.

Compared with the existing 100g (6-8 slice) vac-pack, this should enable retailers to sell “at or below the £4 price tag”, Oxspring told FFD. The firm also offers a 250g modified atmosphere tray pack, containing 18-20 interleaved slices, as well as deboned whole air-

dried hams for slicing in the deli or catering kitchen.

The Oxspring family has been in farming and food production for at least two centuries. Alex Oxspring began air-dried ham production in 2007, and now sells through distributors including Cheese Cellar, Cannon & Cannon and Blakemore Fine Foods. www.oxsprings.com

Air-dried ham is ‘benchmark’ line for fledgling Borders producer

By MICK WHITWORTH

Scottish artisan producer Rachel Hammond hopes to start serving specialist shops in southern and central Scotland and northern England this year, after getting her business underway at “tiny markets in the Scottish Borders”.

Hammond makes a wide range of charcuterie, from guanciale to rillettes, using locally-sourced free-range meats and wild game, at her workshop in Eyemouth. They include smoked lines produced in a 160-year-old traditional smokehouse.

In recent months she has begun trading at Edinburgh Farmers’ Market, where she picked up business from the Edinburgh Larder café-bistro.

She has also has secured sales with Whynot? in North Berwick, a mixed retail operation featuring artisan food, fashion and craft businesses.

Hammond said her products had been well-received by “a very food-educated audience” at the

Edinburgh market and she now planned to target trade outlets where the provenance and artisan nature of her meats would have most appeal. “I would like to sell my whole charcuterie items – like guanciale, lomo, lonza or hams – into delis that will slice the meats themselves,” she said. “It’s important the person selling my products understands where they come from and what can be done with them.”

Favourites among market shoppers include sliced, oak-smoked wild venison, which is popular for dinner parties. Retailing at £3 for a 50g vacuum pack, the slices can be wrapped around cream cheese or used in a sophisticated salad.

Chorizos, rillettes and air-dried hams are other key lines. Hammond’s long, slender chorizos are based on a Venezuelan recipe and made with a “non-standard” culture for a sweeter flavour.

“Air-dried ham is a benchmark for

Rachel Hammond is targeting outlets where provenance matters

Vol.16 Issue 2 ·March 2015

21

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March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

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product focus

soft drinks

Pop culture

l Kids’ smoothies brand Happy

Frozen smoothies, dairy-free ‘mylks’ and lavender lemonade are among the soft drink innovations tracked by LYNDA SEARBY Smug Drinks is looking to expand distribution of its antioxidant and B vitamin-rich juice-based drinks beyond its Yorkshire base. Since launching last year, the company has secured listings with delis, cafés, gyms and health food shops around Yorkshire, including Bagel Nash, Holdsworth Foods, Nosh Retail and Suma. The drinks are naturally sweetened with stevia, keeping the calorie count low, and come in three herbal extract-infused flavours: orange & passionfruit with milk thistle & B vitamins, apple & blueberry with ginseng & ginkgo & B vitamins, and lemon & lime with green tea & B vitamins. RRP is £1.40-1.80 per bottle. www.feelsmug.co.uk

Soft drink dispensers tend to be used by fast food chains and self-service restaurants serving up low quality fizzy drinks, but Bradley’s Juice is set to change this with the launch of a refrigerated counter-top machine. The Somerset juice producer says the new dispenser can provide the same juice that Bradley’s delivers in traditional glass bottles but at a fraction of the cost and with far less waste – which translates to more generous margins for retailers. The dual unit, available on a free-loan basis, dispenses farm-pressed apple juice and freshly squeezed orange juice from 2x10-litre bladders. www.bradleysjuice.co.uk

Monkeys has refreshed its packaging and introduced a new apple & blackcurrant smoothie. www.happymonkeysmoothies.com

l Super Orange, made from mango, passion fruit, apple, celery, orange and carrot, is the newest smoothie variety from SaVse. www.savsesmoothies.com

l Wenlock Spring has London-based Ideas 2 Launch has created a new range of green iced teas said to be “high on great tasting tea and low on sugar”, in contrast to the more sugar-laden options out there.

The brainchild of doctor Hua He and marketer Sophia Nadur, Tg Green Teas are made with real green tea leaves, as opposed to flavours or extracts, and each 330ml bottle (RRP £1.39) contains no more than 30 calories and 7g of sugar – about a fifth that of other iced tea brands. There are three variants: green tea with ginseng, green tea with mandarin & ginseng and green tea with jujube & ginseng.

made its 330ml glass bottle 18% lighter and its 750ml glass bottle 17% lighter, in a bid to reduce its environmental impact. www.wenlockspring.co.uk

l Belvoir Fruit Farms has taken an uncharacteristically exotic flavour direction with its newest canned introduction: coconut & lime pressé. www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk

www.drinktg.com

l Cucumber flavoured The announcement by Breckland Orchard Drinks that it is to unveil a range of low sugar sparklers this month suggests that the light soft drink trend is taking hold in the speciality sector. The launch of Posh Pop Lighter follows the introduction last year of a lighter elderflower pressé by rival Belvoir Fruit Farms. Breckland Orchard’s lighter range features elderflower, ginger beer with chilli and cloudy lemonade, all of which contain no added sugar and fewer than seven calories per 275ml bottle (RRP £1.50-1.65). www.brecklandorchard.co.uk

PIP Organic has launched a range of organic juices for kids.

Made from Soil Associationcertified fruit, the cloudy apple juice, strawberry & blackcurrant juice and pineapple & mango smoothie drinks have an RRP of £2.99 for a pack of 4 x 180ml.

The firm is also the latest to use HPP (high pressure processing) technology to produce a range of cold-pressed organic juices.

The new 750ml cold-pressed range takes in cloudy apple juice, apple with cherry and fresh orange juice. RRP £2.99-3.49. www.piporganic.com

Trendwatch: Mylking it Dairy-free drinks made from vegetable or plant sourced ‘mylk’ are giving a new lease of life to this old Scottish word.

Rebel Kitchen, a venture founded by Tamara Arbib in January 2014, is leading the charge, with its date nectar sweetened coconut mylk drinks.

The brand has a kids’ range comprising chocolate, banana and orange chocolate mylks (RRP £2.49 for 3x200ml or £3.19 for 4x180ml)

as well as an adult offering in 330ml cartons (RRP £1.89).

Grown-up flavours are chocolate, matcha green tea, chai, and, most recently, coffee.

Start-up Wunderworkshop is coming at mylk from a different angle. Its golden mylk beverage is inspired by Ayurveda – the ‘science of life’ – and its main ingredient, besides coconut milk, is ‘healing turmeric’. RRP for 250ml is £3.90; trade price is £2.33 (excluding VAT).

soft drink brand Qcumber is making use of another flavour that is under-used in drinks with the launch of Qcumber with mint. www.q-cumber.co.uk

l The latest producer to harness beetroot’s superfruit status is Granny’s Secret, with a coldpressed beetroot & apple juice that packs 13 fruits into every 700ml bottle. www.grannyssecret.co.uk

l Somerset’s Stream Farm has launched its organic apple juice and natural spring water in smaller 330ml bottles. www.streamfarm.co.uk

www.Rebel-Kitchen.com www.wunderworkshop.com

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

23

What can you do in 30 seconds...?

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Make the move to higher refreshment

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March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

product focus Trendwatch: Lavender lemonade We’re tipping this fragrant, soothing and refreshing twist on a traditional lemonade for greatness this summer, with several boutique beverage producers adding a lavender lemonade to their repertoires.

Summerhouse Drinks in Fraserburgh, Scotland, has named lavender lemonade as its newest sparkler. The “subtle and aromatic flavoured lemonade infused with lavender flowers” fits perfectly with the company’s ethos of producing sophisticated soft drinks which are free from artificial preservatives, colours or flavours. RRP £3.95

soft drinks Top sellers…

l Available

atessen, ildhall Delic ...at The Gu ire Bath, Wiltsh

in France since 2009, Pimento, a chilli infused ginger beer, is now making inroads into the UK market, assisted by importer Coles Trading.

e still water Prince’s Gat ill lemonade JuiceBurst st ange JuiceBurst or

for 750ml and £1.50 for 250ml.

Lavender lemonade is one of the first four varieties – alongside lemon & lime, orange & lemon and elderflower & lime – in Ringden Farm’s new Bentley’s traditional recipe drinks collection, launched to mark the producer’s 50th anniversary. It comes in cases of 24x330ml and 12x750ml.

ango JuiceBurst m ple JuiceBurst ap

www. pimentodrink. com

l James White’s Classics English apple juice range is sporting a new label design.

www.ringdenfarm.co.uk www.summerhousedrinks.com

www.jameswhite.co.uk

Cawston Press says its new fruit and vegetable juice blends capture the spirit of the juice bar in a convenient and accessible way. There are three blends: Sweet Greens (apple, iceberg lettuce, pear, cucumber and garden mint), Sunshine Blend (apple, carrot, orange and celery) and Radiant Roots (apple, carrot, beetroot and ginger), all of which will be stocked in Tesco.

RRP £2.99 for a 750ml carton. www.cawstonpress.com

Luscombe takes brakes off product development with trio of flavours

By MICK WHITWORTH

“People say I’m neurotic, but I prefer to describe it as ‘attention to detail’,” says Gabriel David, explaining his approach to production – and the painstakingly slow new product development process at Luscombe Drinks.

Along with a handful of firms including Belvoir, Bottle Green and James White, Devon’s Luscombe was one of the pioneers of “adult soft drinks”.

While Bottle Green is now firmly in the mainstream and Belvoir successfully straddles supermarkets and independents, Luscombe remains focused on the latter.

It offers a range of artisanquality drinks spearheaded by its Sicilian lemonade, made with “the best lemons in the world – from Sicily”, and a brace of hot and cool ginger beers, both produced using Peruvian root ginger milled on site.

Since taking over his parents’ ailing cider business in 1998 and reinventing it as a (largely) soft drinks maker, David could not be accused of flooding the market with hastily conceived flavours.

There are fewer than two dozen products in his range, including his firm’s original

organic Devon cider. But after four of five years of very little activity on the NPD front, Luscombe has recently introduced two new lines, with a third about to join them.

The first, Passionate ginger beer, took the company’s existing ginger beer recipe and added 6% organic passion fruit juice. It was on the market in time for Christmas.

Valentine’s Day last month saw the arrival of Damascene Rose Bubbly. Offering “a serious

alternative to a glass of Champagne for the discerning non-drinker”, it’s made with Muscat grape juice and Damascene rose water.

And spring 2015 sees the launch of Madagascan vanilla soda, described as “an innovative twist on an age-old classic” and combining Muscat juice and spring water with “the king of vanillas, from Madagascar”. All are in 32cl glass bottles, with an RSP from £1.79.

Well into its second decade of trading, Luscombe turns over £4m a year, filling somewhere between six and seven million bottles, and employs 28 people.

Growth could probably have been faster if David had been more willing to compromise on product quality: for example, using bought-in fruit extracts instead of pressing fruit on site, or farming out production to a contract bottler.

Instead, where he has invested in new kit, it has often been to ensure that firm’s original manual methods are not compromised by the move to higher volumes.

For example, he has recently spent £300,000 on a centrifuge to spin the juice out of everything from berries and apples to milled ginger, giving him higher output but also – since the process happens inside a sealed tank – more control over the product than his old belt

press. Keeping oxygen off the juice immediately after pressing is key to a superior product, says David, and Luscombe also holds all its pressed juices in chilled tanks to minimize deterioration before blending, bottling and pasteurising.

Virtually everything is made with freshly pressed juice, and the only extract used is elderflower, which Luscombe produces itself during the wild shrub’s very short flowering season.

“I could have gone down the path of buying extracts,” says David. “We’re big enough now that we could buy in everything that we need. But that would be a slippery slope. It would be the same if we went over to contract packing – we would have no point of difference.”

There’s an expectation that artisan products will be handmade, he says. Then, as a growing company, “you reach a crossroads” where, for example, most producers would go over to extracts.

“But we’ve got around that, and we’re still getting the same flavour as when I was doing it all myself and watching every process like a hawk.”

• Read Gabriel David’s Viewpoint column on page 7 www.luscombe.com

Vol.16 Issue 2 March 2015

25

product focus They say every cloud has a silver lining and in SoSmoothies’ case, the adage has certainly proved true. The theft of the company’s fruit supplies has led to the creation of a new iced tea range in collaboration with product developer Harry & Parker.

SoSmoothies founder Ben Nichols tells FFD: “During the winter of 2014 our fruit supplies got stolen.

We had nothing to sell so we sat down with Harry & Parker and had a mug of their new fruit tea. While we discussed our woes we let our tea cool and discovered some spectacular iced tea. With a little bit of tweaking, and help from tea experts, our iced tea recipe

was perfected.”SoIcedTea comes in three varieties – berry & vanilla, mango explosion and peppermint & lemon – with two new flavours – spiced chai and coconut – launching this month. RRP is £1.69 for a 330ml glass bottle.

soft drinks Joosed Junior is pitched as a ‘quirky sidekick’ of Benson Totally Fruity’s Joosed drinks. Like the grown-up version, the Junior version is made from spring water and fruit juice. It comes in a 250ml sports cap bottle in apple & blackcurrant and apple & orange flavours (RRP £0.99). www.bensonstotallyfruity.co.uk

www.harryandparker.co.uk

Although aloe vera is revered for its healing and health benefits, in its pure form its unpleasant taste is a deterrent for some. Simplee Aloe is hoping to surmount this obstacle and “bring aloe vera to the masses” by blending it with grape juice and lemon. Simplee Aloe comes in 330ml (RRP £1.69) and 1-litre (RRP £3.50) bottles, and is already listed in Sainsbury’s and Whole Foods Market. www.simpleealoe.com

For a juice drink with great provenance, check out Hill Farm Juice’s new English apple juice with damson & sloe. To make this autumnal drink, juice from Russet and Cox apples is combined with damsons and sloes picked from ancient hedgerows on the Hampshire farm.

RRP is £2.50 per 750ml bottle; trade price is £15.75+VAT for a case of 12.

Mr Fitzpatricks says it has left out the girders but added real iron to its new Lancashire-made iron brew tonic cordial.

Also new from the vintage cordial maker is a blackcurrant cordial. RRP £3.99-£4.25 for 500ml (trade price £2+VAT). www. mrfitzpatricks. com

Top sellers…

d, elds Fine Foo ...at Bloomfi Wiltshire Highwor th, Coca Cola

o Limonata

Sanpellegrin

e still water Prince’s Gat t drink Purdey’s frui ple/orange JuiceBurst ap

www.hillfarmjuice.co.uk

The big freeze British smoothie-makers are taking inspiration from Down Under to create frozen fruit smoothies that are easy and quick to prepare.

“Consumers can just keep a box in the freezer, then when they want a smoothie, they just blend the contents of the sachet with some apple juice. Because the fruit is frozen, they don’t have to add ice,” explains Jack Cookson, founder of Colchester-based Nudge Drinks, whose smoothies consist solely of blended, frozen fruit. The initial range comprises Strawberry Split (strawberry & banana), Mango Magic (mango & banana), and Tropical Twist (mango, pineapple & kiwi). They come in boxes of

four individual pouches (RRP £3.50, trade price £2.30).

Three vegetable smoothies are also in development: Green Lean (apple, kale & cucumber) Veg Delight (carrot, mango, pineapple, parsnip & apple) and Kale Kick (kale, spinach & pineapple).

Love Smoothies has been doing a similar thing since 2004, but with a focus on supplying cafés, restaurants, gyms and corporate sites. Recently, the London company has notched up some significant wins in retail. Its smoothies are now available in Cook stores, where they retail at £4.79 for 5 x 140g pouches, and are going live with Ocado this month.

Love Smoothies has just added a Broccoli and the Beast smoothie – a blend of broccoli, spinach, celery, mango, pineapple & banana – to its line-up. www.lovetaste.co www.nudgedrinks.co.uk

26

March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

The Isle of Wight’s Tomato Stall has launched the world’s first pressed tomato cordial.

Made exclusively with fruit grown on the island, which has a unique maritime climate for growing sweet, juicy and flavourful tomatoes, the cordial builds on the popularity of the company’s tomato juice. www.thetomatostall.co.uk

Step aside cherry, Classic Cola Company has got all inventive on the cola flavour front, with new cinnamon, vanilla, toffee and chilli-flavoured cola drinks. The retro drinks producer has also launched a traditional range, comprising five old school classics: cloudy lemonade, root beer, ginger beer, cream soda and dandelion & burdock. RRP is £1.50, trade price is 80p. www.colaclassic.co.uk

New naturally delicious drinks for spring…

We’re making 2015 fruity, fragrant and delicious with new pressés: Summer Fruits, Mango & Peach, Cox Apple with no added sugar, and new cordials: Elderflower & Rose and Mango & Peach.

Why not visit us on stand N1202 at the IFE? You can view our whole range of drinks at: www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk

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March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

product focus

savoury snacks

A quest for crunch LYNDA SEARBY chips away at the latest introductions in savoury snacks After years of hogroast catering, John Stoner has set out to capture the essence of a slow-roasted crackling in snack format. He claims his Posh Pig pork crackling snacks are unique in that they are made from shank rind which is triple cooked. They are currently available in original, chorizo, smoked bacon and chilli varieties, with a maple & mustard flavour scheduled for launch this summer. RRP is £1.25 for 40g; trade price is £0.75 per unit. www.theposhpig.com

Rude Health has shrunk its corn and brown rice thins and packaged them in 30g bags, creating an on-the-the go format for these low fat, high fibre, puffed grain snacks.

RRP is £0.99 and trade price is £8.91 for a case of 12 x 30g. They are already stocked by Ocado. www.rudehealth.com

Last year saw Somerset company Mr Filbert’s launch a new three-strong range of ‘tasty seeds’.

The honey roasted, herb roasted and chilli roasted seed blends are available from Cotswold Fayre priced at £13 for 12x50g bags (RRP £1.55 per bag). The “inventive” snack company also plans to unveil a new West Country range later this month. www.mrfilberts.com

Last month, Corkers Crisps became the second crisp company to produce root vegetable chips in the UK after investing £1 million in a new vegetable fryer.

Corkers’ founders Rod Garnham and Ross Taylor said the realisation that there was only one other vegetable crisp manufacturer in the UK (Tyrrells) prompted them to buy a vegetable crisp fryer, allowing them to produce crisps from parsnips, carrots and beetroots grown on the farm.

Mixed veg chips come in 40g and 125g bags (RRP £1.20 and £2.50) will be followed by the introduction of parsnip, honey & black pepper and sweet potato & chilli chips in April.

Another speciality of Corkers’ is Gressingham ducks, which have been reared on the company’s Cambridgeshire farm for the last 15 years.

Now the producer is using it in its new new Gressingham duck & hoisin sauce flavour in 40g and 150g packs (RRP £1 and £2 respectively). www.corkerscrisps.co.uk

Popcorn: changing flavour behaviour A decade ago, popcorn was limited to three varieties: sweet, salted, or, if you were lucky, toffee. Now, gourmet popcorn makers are getting inventive on the flavours front.

Catherine and Richard Furze, who have been involved in the popcorn industry since 2008 when they founded the Consett Popcorn Company, have launched five new flavours under a brand new label, Love Popcorn.

l Whisky & haggis and venison & cranberry are the latest Scottish flavours to join Perthshire crisp manufacturer Mackie’s ridge cut range. www.mackiescrisps.co.uk

l AMC Foods has re-launched its Kent Crisps brand and added a new chipotle chilli flavour. Each bag now features an image of Kent to emphasise the provenance of the Garden of England crisps, and the crisps have a longer, 26-week shelf life. www.kentcrisps.co.uk

l Third generation Spanish charcuterie producer Mitjans is on the look out for a UK distributor for its mini cured meat snacks, which come in mild and chorizo flavours (80g bag). www.mitjans.es

l Liberation’s Fairtrade oven baked salted cashews & peanuts and chilli & lime cashews with peanuts & roasted corn are now available in smaller 40g packs. www.chooseliberation. com

l Mr Trotter’s, the British pork crackling brand conceived by Tom Parker Bowles and Matthew Fort, has launched an English mustard variant.

Love Popcorn flavours include sea salt & cracked black pepper, fiery salsa – made with real tomato, chilli and cumin – cocoa crisp, salty sweet and sweet vanilla.

Meanwhile. Jonty White and former Burts colleagues have been busy developing some sweet offerings for their

Portlebay Popcorn label. New flavours Cinnamon Swirl, Very Berry and Lemon Sherbet join existing savoury varieties Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup, Chilli & Lime, Wasabi & Sweet Ginger, Orchard Wood Smoked Cheddar and Original Kracklecorn Sweet & Salty. RRP is £0.85 for 25g and £1.89 for 75g. www.lovepopcorn.co.uk www.portlebaypopcorn.co.uk

www.mrtrotter. com

l New mature cheddar & onion flavoured Popchips went on shelf in Asda and independent retailers on February 1. www.popchips. co.uk

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

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PROUD TO BE...

@Piperscrisps 30

Piperscrisps www.piperscrisps.com

March 2015 路 Vol.16 Issue 2

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09/02/2015 15:57

product focus Hand-cooked potato crisps might be a crowded marketplace, but Cheshire company Great Food Affairs believes it has hit on a concept that hasn’t been done before – über thick crisps.

Slabs, which officially launch in April, are a massive, chunky crisp, four times thicker and bigger than a regular hand-cooked crisp.

While they might be a novelty to UK consumers, Slabs are actually based on a Mediterranean recipe from the small Spanish town El Chaparral, and are produced in one of the company’s Spanish factories from a potato variety that can’t be cultivated in the UK. Flavoured with natural English seasoning, they come in four

savoury snacks “unpretentious” flavours: sprinkled with sea salt, mature cheddar & onion, salt & malt vinegar, and sweet red chilli (RRP £1.99 for 80g).

So far, they are only on sale in Cheshire, where their flagship stockist is The Hollies Farm Shop, but Great Food Affairs offers nationwide distribution. www.greatfoodaffairs.com

Essex’s Fairfield Farm Crisps is following in the foosteps of rivals Pipers and Burts by introducing a chorizo & tomato flavour crisp.

Fairfield’s take on the on-trend flavour uses chorizo sourced from the Suffolk Salami Co and sun-ripened British tomatoes for a “smoky and spicy crisp that offers a taste of the Mediterranean but uses all-British ingredients”.

Chorizo & tomato is already listed with Amazon. It has an RRP of £0.65 for 40g and £1.65 for 150g. www.fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk

Ludlow Food Centre is the flagship stockist for Wil’s Smokehouse’s new nut and seed snacks. Wil’s Voodoo chilli (smoked organic seeds marinated with chilli) and Voodoo cashew (smoked organic seeds marinated with chilli with roasted cashew) both have an RRP of £3.99 for 200g. www.wilssmokehouse.co.uk

Top sellers…

Farm Shop, ...at Foxholes erfordshire Her tford, H

The Garlic Farm has expanded its snacks portfolio to take in biltong and mixed nuts. Made on the Isle of Wight from British beef, the biltong comes in two varieties: with garlic and garlic & chilli (RRP £2.45 for 30g). The slow roasted nut mixes combine cashews, peanuts, almonds and hazels with varying degrees of ‘kick’ (RRP £2.95 for 100g).

a salt s Anglesey se Pipers Crisp ackers chilli rice cr Tyrrells Thai crisps Tyrrells veg rseradish t beef & ho Tyrrells roas crisps scratchings made pork Own home-

www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk

New to savoury snacks…Ten Acre Ten Acre is the latest player to enter the hand cooked crisps game, with eight flavours of crisp, each featuring a story involving the characters who live in the fictional village of Ten Acre, from ‘the secret of Mr Salt’ to ‘the story of when cheese met the onion’. RRP is £0.69 for 40g. The Manchester-

based company has also added five varieties of popcorn to its cast, including Ambrose Popperley’s wasabi and Cousin Maisie’s fennel & lemon. They come in 28g bags, except Aunty Winifred’s sweet & salty popcorn, which comes in 30g bags. RRP £0.69. www.tenacrepopcorn.co.uk

NEW LOOKS: The Yorkshire Crisp Company, Popcorn Kitchen and Bloom’s Popcorn are all sporting new packaging. www.yorkshirecrisps.co.uk www.popcornkitchen.co.uk www.bloomspopcorn.co.uk

Vol.16 Issue 2 March 2015

31

Sh u op s a Vis t i st & D Fa t an e rm d li S P6 h 8 ow ,

Our delicious potato crisps are hand cooked, flavoured, bagged and boxed here on the farm.

Our potatoes are cooked in award winning Just Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil giving our crisps a unique crunch and flavour.

M O HA N LF O EM AL PR F BE L IC FE R JU CO E T R S’ N UR RA E 2 S IN 01 ES IN 5 UN G TI L

For more information call us on 01543 493081 Email us at feedback@justcrisps.co.uk or visit us at www.justcrisps.co.uk

Guild Retail Cheese Training March 16 Guild HQ, Dorset April 14 Solihull April 15 York May 11 London May 12 London June 23 Harrogate

Cheese retail: it’s all in the detail

Course costs Guild Member Offer: 50% off normal price of £70 (now £35) plus 20% VAT Non-members: £95 plus 20% VAT

Training is vital to retail success and will dramatically improve sales. Guild retail cheese training will help you to: • Enhance your understanding of the cheese making process • Understand the impact terrior has on cheese • Recognise the main families of cheese • Comparatively taste over 40 cheese types • Sell proactively rather than reactively

Call 01747 825200 or email jilly.sitch@gff.co.uk www.gff.co.uk

Book a Guild Retail cheese training day for you or a member of your team and take advantage of our members’ half price training offer of just £35 plus vat.

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www.gff.co.uk | 32

March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

@guildoffinefood

product focus Sushi for beginners?

Selwyn’s Seafoods has created a Japanese style snack with British provenance from wild Nori seaweed.

With sales of Welsh laverbread declining, the fifth generation seafood business has been investigating alternative uses for wild, boiled, Nori seaweed. This search took the company’s Ashley Jones all the way to the Far East, where he discovered Nori was a popular snack – pressed into the sheets made for sushi, triple roasted and flavoured with all manner of unusual toppings such as sea urchin.

Convinced that this natural, low fat snack would be a hit in the UK, especially given the popularity of sushi, Jones started importing snacks, under the Selwyn label, in original, hot ’n’ spicy and sesame flavours.

Besides demonstrating a receptive market, test marketing underlined the need to produce the snack in the UK rather than importing it.

Selwyn Seafoods has now built a seaweed roasting facility on its existing site in Penclawdd, Swansea – the first of its kind in Europe.

The Nori snacks are currently on sale in Whole Foods Market as well as a number of independents, where they retail at £1 per pack (wholesale price £0.50).

“As we now have complete control of our products we can offer a flexible minimum order quantity and prompt delivery at a competitive price,” says Jones.

The company is now in the process of rebranding and launching a new website.

savoury snacks Punch Foods is cashing in on the superfood status of seeds with a new range of seed mixes packed in portable metallic tubes made from recycled materials. The four Superseed blends – Feel the Heat, Meet your Maca, Mega Omega and Raw Cacao Boost – are each said to pack ‘numerous specific health benefits’. RRP £3.95. www.punchfoods.com

West Country outlets now have a local producer of beef jerky on their doorstep, with the launch of Bumble & Boots. Andrew and Fran Gillett are making their own jerky using locally reared beef, and selling it via local farm shops and pubs. RRP is £2.50-3.50 for 35g and trade price is £1.75. www.bumbleandboots.co.uk

www.selwynsseafoods.co.uk

A gluten-free range of sweet potato chips from US grower Scott Farms and African plantain crisps, chickpea crisps, peanuts and almonds from Chika are among the latest additions to Cotswold Fayre’s catalogue. The sweet potato chips have a trade price of £17.60 for 24 x 40g bags (RRP £1.05), and the Chika African snacks range in price from £10.95-14.30 for 12 x 3545g bags (RRP £1.30-2.05).

Tom Layton has taken inspiration from his Scandinavian roots to develop a new rye sour dough crisp called the Rysp. Pitched as a natural and healthy snack alternative, Rysps are high in fibre and low in fat and come in garlic & rosemary, dulse and caraway & black pepper flavours. RRP is £1 for 30g and £3 for 120g.

www.cotswoldfayre.co.uk

www.plaintasty.com

Pipers picks new packs and targets more sales growth

By MICHAEL LANE

Pipers Crisps founder Alex Albone (left) has never been afraid of nailing his colours to the mast, especially when it comes to his resolute stance on not selling to the supermarkets.

But his most recent move shows he can change some colours, at least on pack, as several of his lines have been given a refresh.

The company’s most recent flavour (launched in 2013), Kirkby Malham Chorizo will now be sold in purple packs, while Karnataka Black Pepper & Sea Salt packs will be a darker black

and Biggleswade Sweet Chilli packs will be a deeper red.

The pack alterations have been made to boost shelf presence rather than make way for a new flavour.

Pipers’ notoriously perfectionist NPD process won’t be yielding any results soon, according to Albone, who rejects most samples that arrive on his desk.

While the new packs are being rolled out, Albone is concentrating where, rather than what, he can sell next.

Pipers’ turnover stands at £6.8m and it produced approximately 23 million packets of crisps in the last 12 month, but Albone is in search of new markets both at home and abroad.

He tells FFD there is “undoubtedly” more growth to be found in independent

retailers, especially given the waning popularity of supermarkets but Albone has also capitalised on a change in attitude at British pubs.

With the well-documented rise of craft beer, he says the snacking offer at most pubs has moved upmarket in the last few years.

“If you’re going in to a pub and looking for something interesting to drink you’re not going to want a snack made by PepsiCo to go with

it,” says Albone.

Pipers has the figures to back this claim up, with its average pub customer shifting 90 40g packs, or £100-worth of product, each week.

Compare that to the latest figures from consultant CGA Strategy, which places the weekly rate of sale for premium crisps at 60 packs and £65 in each pub.

Having had some success selling in Europe, Albone is also looking at the export market to provide more sales although his crisps’ selling point in the UK – provenance – is not much help abroad.

“It’s tricky. Because what does Biggleswade Sweet Chilli mean to somebody in Italy? The product has to stand up on its own.” www.piperscrisps.com

Vol.16 Issue 2 March 2015

33

We supply our exquisite range to farmshops, deli's, food halls and independents nationwide.

Farm Shop & Deli Show Stand T48 Established for over 25 years and still a family concern National distribution Bake off pies Deli Pies Retail Packed Cooked Meats Pates Ox Tongue

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SPOTLIGHT YOUR GREAT TASTE

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Join hundreds of independent fine food shops around the UK promoting Great Taste award-winners on their shelves during February and March. At a time of year when sales can be slow, introduce your customers to thousands of Great Taste awardwinning products, many of which you already stock.

To help you get started the Guild of Fine Food will send you a promotion pack free of charge, including: Posters to display in-store 100 copies of Great Taste book to give away to your customers l Great Taste apron l Branded bunting l Window sticker for your shop door l l

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www.gff.co.uk | 34

March 2015 路 Vol.16 Issue 2

@greattasteawards |

/greattasteawards

Quality and Excellence Chances are you may have never heard of us before? That’s because we go about doing what we do best.

Making great products you can trust for your customers to enjoy.

The perfect finish to winter roasts – rich, glossy gravies from Kent’s Kitchen The chicken, beef, onion, turkey and lamb & mint gravies will enhance any roast, are easy to make and don’t need refrigeration after opening.

Just add a couple of teaspoons of gravy concentrate to cold water, dissolve and heat to give your roast a delicious finish.

www.debaere.co.uk

All the Kent’s Kitchen gravies are wheat free, gluten free, dairy free and suitable for coeliacs.

Visit www.kentskitchen.co.uk, email emma@kentskitchen.co.uk or call 01732 758024

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Christmas Pudding Ice Cream

Blackcurrant Sorbet

Chocolate Ice Cream

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

35

• Il Gelato di Ariela was born in 2006 out of Ariela’s pure frustration of not finding proper Gelato in London • Her mission was to make the most amazing Gelato just like the one her dad had been making for the past 40 years back home.

Helen Dean began baking shortbread in her kitchen to raise money for the Huntly Pipe Band where her husband Bill was drum major.

Forty years on, Dean’s continue to bake their shortbread to Helen’s original recipe – still delicious and guaranteed to melt in the mouth.

We also offer a delicious range of ‘homestyle’ biscuits and cheese oat nibbles.

Browse our full product range at www.deans.co.uk

Dean’s, Huntly, Aberdeenshire AB54 8JX

• Made the artisan way, using only natural ingredients, real fruit and banning all artificial flavourings and colourings, small batches of each flavour are made and each tub is lovingly hand crafted.

• As well as the best Gelato in the UK, Il Gelato di Ariela is able to supply businesses with everything needed to sell Gelato from the cones, the toppings to the point of sale.

• We provide the full package, so if Gelato is what your business needs then look no further, we will set you up before you can say GELATO!!

Visit our brand new website

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Lime & Mint Sorbet winner of 2 stars at the Great Taste Awards 2013

Unit C34, Hastingwood Trading Est. Harbet Road, Edmonton - London N18 3HU tel/fax: +44 020 8803 5344 mobile: +44 079 732 948 56 email: info@ilgelatodiariela.com

Howlin’ Good Porridge To enjoy Wolfy’s you will need: Wolfy’s 1) A kettle I salute you! I’ve just eaten the best 2) A spoon porridge I’ve ever 3) A healthy appetite. had Wolfy’s comes with a little pot of jam, marmalade, honey or syrup to stir into your hot porridge (from our sister brand Kitchen Garden).

Call us on 01453 759612 or email admin@wolfys.co.uk www.wolfys.co.uk 36

March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

product focus

cereals & cereal bars

Going with the grains ARABELLA MILEHAM works her way through the latest creations in speciality cereals, including a host of new gluten-free products In December, distributor RH Amar became the exclusive UK distributor of premium gluten-free brand Provena from Finnish company Raisio. The range includes Provena Jumbo Oats (RRP £3.49, 500g box), single serve instant oatmeal with fruit, in raspberry or apricot, which is available in a 200g box containing five 40g single serve sachets (RRP £3.49) and Provena gluten free oat muesli with apple, date, raisins & sunflower seeds (RRP £6.49, 600g).

Lesley Parker, senior brand manager at RH Amar, says there are “substantial opportunities” for Provena in the UK as demand for free-from foods continues to increase. “We have already started to see a strong demand from our customers,” she says.

l Northern Irish company Tamnagh Foods has rebranded its threestrong range of granolas to highlight its handmade production and artisan roots in the Sperrin Mountains of County Derry.

Last month the company won its first English listing, with Harrods Food Hall in Knightsbridge.

www.provena.fi/en www.rhamar.com

Alara Wholefoods has launched a new breakfast range under its the organic Pertwood Farm label that contains Peruvian “superfood” sweetener yacon. The root vegetable is high in complex sugar fructooligosaccharide, making it suitable for diabetics, but contains far fewer calories than sugar. It is already popular in the USA and Japan, but Alara is the first company to bring it to Europe.

The range comprises an organic yacon porridge with yacon, milled linseed and jumbo oats (RRP £3.39, 500g); an organic yacon muesli, containing yacon flakes, oats, pumpkin seeds, mulberries, amaranth and quinoa (RRP £3.79, 500g); and organic yacon granola, with yacon syrup, toasted coconut, buckwheat, dates and linseesds (RRP £4.39, 350g). The company has also relaunched its Alara Cereals high fibre muesli Into the Garden organic goji & yacon muesli (RRP £4.99, 600g) which includes yacon flakes, kamut flakes and goji berries. www.pertwood.co.uk www.alara.co.uk

www.tamnaghfoods.com

l Free-from brand Perkier has revamped and extended its porridge pot range, adding a new high protein porridge containing whey proteins.

Available direct, through Marigold, CLF, Goodness Foods and Epicurium Wholesale. www.perkier.co.uk

l Northern Irish brand Whites Oats has rebranded its packaging to become more contemporary, as it seeks to boost its distribution in the independent sector. It has also added new on-the-go formats to its range.

It has launched Toat’ly Oaty Original porridge pots (55g) as ActivOat High Fibre instant sachets and ActivOat High Protein instant sachets (6x40g), which are available now. www.whitesoats.co.uk

Sprouted grains and ‘living foods’ have being tipped as a big trend, and since launching the UK’s first sprouted oat porridge in November, Rude Health has seen strong demand.

“It has been flying off the shelves,” marketing director Camilla Barnard says. “It is early days but it is appealing to the independent shops and real foodies, whether from a taste or a health point of view.”

Sprouting helps break down the raw grain’s starch into simpler, more digestible sugars and valuable nutrients are released. The oats that go into the organic gluten-free porridge oats (RRP £4.49) are then dried at a low temperature and rolled without being steamed.

Rude Health says this produces a porridge with an earthier, complex flavour, a creamy texture and a satisfying bite. www.rudehealth.com

l Wiltshire-

The Ludlow Nut Company has added a new chocolate & date flavour to its luxury granolas, which is available from this month. The granola, which contains 70% cacao chocolate, crushed linseeds and pumpkin seeds, is sweetened with organic dark agave syrup. It is sold in 500g re-sealable pouches and available in wholesale cases of six for £19.80, with an RRP of £4.95 per pack. www.ludlownut.co.uk

New startup Moosie Munch launched its Americanstyle granola this year.

The pecan, maple syrup and cranberry granola was inspired by founder Katerina Angliss’ travels in Vermont and comes in 300g tubs (RRP £5.00) and single serve 75g pots (RRP £2.00), available at wholesale for £3.25 and £1.35. Katerina is looking to increase production as distribution grows. “The response has been very positive, so I am very encouraged,” Katarina said. “We’re expanding slowly but surely.” www.moosiemunch.co.uk

based Doves Farm has brought out a range of free-from flapjacks sweetened with low GI agave syrup. The range features six flavours – agave nectar, fig & linseed, banana & hemp, chocolate chip, apricot & chia and apple & sultana – which come as single bars (RRP 69p) or in a multipack of four (RRP: £2.49). www.dovesfarm.co.uk

l Sensible Dave is extending its range with a no-added sugar granola from March.

The Wholesome One, which was trialled at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair, is sweetened with honey and contains almonds, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, coconut and sunflower seeds (RRP £5.95, 600g). It is also available, along with The Berry One, as a 50g ‘Baby Dave’ portion pot (RRP: £1.80) www.sensibledave.co.uk

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

37

at on W th s e & e F tan are De ar d R li m 75 Sh S ow hop

What Will You Enjoy When You Order From The Ludlow Nut Co?

Chiltern Natural Foods would like to introduce four new exciting flavours of hand roasted and flavoured gluten free granola: Cherry Bakewell, Maple Pecan Pie, Blackcurrant and Apple Crumble and finally Mandarin, Date and Fig. We will ship to mainland UK.

Healthy, Wholesome Food • We don’t add artificial preservatives, colourings, sugar or salt to any of our granola or porridge mixes.

• The Vegetarian Society has approved all of our products.

• When you buy our products you can be assured of quality because we adhere to strict, externally audited standards - we are a Safe And Local Supplier Accredited (SALSA) quality food producer.

Bags of Quality, Bowls of Flavour • We don’t outsource our production. As artisan producers we make, bake and mix our products by hand in small batches in our kitchen in Ludlow. Our attention to detail means you will enjoy exceptional quality.

• We store all our products in our modern, climate controlled production unit, which means you’ll always receive them in peak condition.

Call or email Helen for a trade price list. Quote GFF03 and receive a 10% discount off your first order.

Tel: 01584 876512 helen@ludlownutco.co.uk www.ludlownutco.co.uk

Our award-winning range of Granolas, Porridges, Mueslis & Cereal Bars All handmade by us in Shropshire using only natural ingredients

www.chilternnaturalfoods.com 01494 449638

Stand P97

We use the very finest, fresh ingredients, sourced locally from the best suppliers

Over the years we've won accolades for our hand made savoury pies, delectable quiches, indulgent cakes and cheesecakes, and exquisite tarts.

www.islandbakery.co.uk

Visit our web site for more details www.okemoor.co.uk Call Holly today on 01837 53601 or email mail@okemoor.co.uk

Winner of 15 Great Taste Awards since 2010 38

March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

product focus

cereals & cereal bars

Family-run granola producer Just Live a Little has added three granola on-thego’pots to its range of handmade products. The 50g portions, which have room for a splash of milk or yoghurt, come in whole almond, cranberry cashew, and strawberry (RRP £1-£1.25). It has also brought out a Fruit Chew superflapjack (RRP 99p each), which it describes as a “breakfast bowl in a bar”, following the soft-launch of the Yogurtberry bar last summer. The full range, which includes two lighter, crispier granolas designed especially for kids, is now available from Diverse Fine Foods and Irish Wholefoods (from February) as well as existing suppliers, Artisan Food Club and Scottish distributor Greencity Wholefoods.

l Thanks for Frank’s granola bars have altered production in order to go completely gluten-free. The range currently comprises original, salted caramel, Belgian chocolate, flame raisin & hazelnut, and cashew, raspberry & chocolate, which come as single 55g wrapped bars and 1.2kg traybakes for the deli counter. It is available through CLF Distribution.

www.justlivealittle.co

www.thanksforfranks.com

Wolfy’s has extended its range of porridge with two new pots, offering something a bit different to conventional flavours. In September, it launched a mocha porridge, which contains a pot of maple syrup, and a summery coconut porridge containing shredded coconut with zesty lime marmalade from sister company, Kitchen Garden. Sales have been strong, according to sales and marketing manager James Horwood. Mocha, he adds, is very on-trend. “We’re seeing it starting to replace chocolate and coffee flavours.” The wholesale price per 100g pot is £1.25 (RRP £1.99). www.wolfys.co.uk

Yorkshire-based Side Oven Bakery is rolling out improved recipes of its range of traditional, wood oven-toasted granolas and introducing new 3kg catering tubs. The nutty, seedy and fruity honey-toasted spelt flour granolas have been tweaked to bring a crunchier flavour and the shelf life has been extended from six to 10 months. The new improved 500g retail packs, which come in With Seeds & Cereals (trade £3.13, RRP £4.07), With Nuts (trade £3.83, RRP £4.98), and With Hazelnuts & Mixed Berries (trade £4.03, RRP £5.24) hit shelves this month.

Health food brand, The Chia Company has rolled out two on-thego breakfast products combining superfood chia with wholegrain oats. The chilled readyto-eat orange and Brazil nut Chia Pod Bircher Muesli contains grated apple, almond milk and coconut sugar, (RRP £3.49, 220g pot) to make chia more accessible, the company says. It follows on the heels of the ‘just add water’ porridge sachets, Oats+Chia with fruit and virgin coconut oil, which launched in October 2014. It comes in four flavours: mixed berry, apple spice, banana & mango, and blueberry & lemon flavour (RRP £4.69).

l Stoats rolled out four fruit and seed porridges last summer for consumers to make at home. The 550g boxes come in sunflower & poppy seed, apricot & sultana (RRP £2.49), apple & cinnamon (RRP £2.99) and unique Scottish original porridge (RRP £2.29), which is made up of different types of oats. They are available through Hider Foods, Cotswold Fayre and The Cress Company. www.eatstoats.com

www.thechiaco.com

www.sideoven.com

Trendwatch: Gluten-free cereals When it comes to breakfast, it’s all about gluten-free. With consumers increasingly going for healthier options, gluten-free is no longer just for coeliac sufferers and the free-from market has risen steadily in the last year (up 15%, according to Mintel’s free-from report published in November 2014, to around £184m). It’s no wonder that artisan producers are keen to offer shoppers a more luxurious, easily digestible, and tasty start to the day.

Dartmoor-based Midfield Granola added two new glutenfree granolas to its range in January. Its buckwheat, millet

& cranberry granola with honey, and gluten-free oat & almond granolas are available to the trade at £3.95 and £3.75 respectively (RRP £5.30 and RRP £5.20). “There is a gap in the market for a tasty gluten-free granola,” owner Sharon Davies says. “It has taken me six months of research and development. Our shop outlets have all been very positive about them.” www.midfieldsgranola.co.uk

Last month Filmore & Union launched a gluten-free version of its granola, which is set to replace its original signature granola in its cafés, delis and retail range.

Containing almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, goji berries, agave syrup, rice and millet flakes, the granola is available to the trade at £4 for 400g bag (RRP £6.95-£7.95), as

the company looks to increase its wholesale business. www. filmoreandunion. co.uk

Gluten-free brand Hale & Hearty has also released a Fruity Wholegrain Flakes cereal, made with flakes of brown rice and corn with popped quinoa, currants, figs and cherries (RRP is £3.89).

Targeting independent and fine food stores, they are distributed through Tree of Life, Queenswood, The

Health Store and Independent Irish. www.halenhearty.co.uk

Free-from brand Delicious Alchemy has also ticked the convenience box, by adding on-the-go formats to its dairy and gluten-free porridges.

These come in two flavours – original and golden syrup – and comprise a porridge pot (RRP £1.49, 55g) and a multi-pack of eight sachets (RRP £2.79). www.deliciousalchemy.co.uk

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

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Over 100 award winning preserves

A toast to culinary creativity...

It’s often been said that it’s the little things in life that make a big difference, and we couldn’t agree more. From a secret family recipe, our award winning dressings are lovingly made and it’s our commitment to detail such as the use of extra virgin olive oil that ensures the perfect blend and perfect taste for each and every one of our numbered dressings.

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19/02/2015 15:43:22

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www.1chef4u.com 40

March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

sales@thesmokehouse.co.uk

show preview Food and drink galore Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre will host the fifth instalment of William Reed’s Farm Shop & Deli Show

A

fter co-locating with the biennial Food & Drink Expo last year, William Reed’s Farm Shop & Deli Show now moves to an April slot at Birmingham’s NEC. Taking place alongside The Forecourt Show and National Convenience Show, Farm Shop & Deli currently has more than 250 exhibitors signed up to showcase their products from Monday April 20 through to Wednesday April 22.

Exhibitors already confirmed range from artisan jam-makers, crisp producers and bakers through to soft drinks and tea manufacturers.

The line-up includes a number of established names as well as newer companies looking to attract visiting buyers.

Soft drinks producers in

attendance include Belvoir Fruit Farms (S78), Mr Fitzpatrick’s (M90) and Cawston Press (S109) as well as Metro Drinks (R68), producer of the Folkington’s brand of juices.

The show also will also feature a number of hot drinks specilaists, such as Williamson Tea (T100), Birchall Tea (K74) and Coopers Coffee (S70).

Visitors with a sweet tooth might pay a visit to confectioners and chocolate suppliers like The Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company (N101), House Of Sarunds (N90), hf Chocolates (S68), Holdsworth Chocolates (P72) and Bon Bons (J99).

Preserve- and condiment-makers already signed up for stands include Thursday Cottage (K88), Rosebud Preserves (K98), Manfood (R49),

Need to know

Dart Valley Foods (N70), The Bay Tree Food Company (M98) and Atkins & Potts (R78).

Those in the market for snacks will find a number of producers, large and small, like Tyrrell's (K78), Propercorn (K71), Corkers Crisps (P78), Pipers Crisps (Q69) and Olives Et Al (N89).

A number of major specialty food distributors will be highlighting their ranges, with Cotswold Fayre (R90), The Cress Company (S50) and Hider Food Imports (Q90) all signed up to take space at the show.

In addition, the show will be growing its machinery, packaging and equipment offering. Among these service providers exhibiting are A-Cold Distributors (J81), Brook Food Processing Equipment

NEC, Birmingham; Monday April 20 and Tuesday April 21 2015 (10am-5pm), Wednesday April 22 (10am-4pm)

major roads. Visitors can travel directly by train to the NEC by alighting at Birmingham International station, which can be reached via Birmingham New Street.

Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is located close to the NEC and is served by a free Air-Rail Link.

How do I get there?

How do I register?

The NEC is accessible via the M1, M5, M6, M6 Toll, M40 and M42. It is signposted on motorways and

Registration for this trade-only event is free at www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk

Where and when?

(M78) and Lakeland Computer Consultancy Services (N91).

As well as the exhibitors, the show will also host the Farm Shop & Deli Live area where a programme of demonstrations, live debates and tastings will be hosted.

Sessions will include a talk on trends from “food futurologist” Dr Morgaine Gaye and advice on boosting footfall from Olives Et Al founder Giles Henschel as well as cheese and charcuterie masterclasses.

While the majority of activities are focused on helping retailers improve their bottom line, exhibiting producers will also get a chance to test themselves against the Dragon’s Pantry panel, similar in format to the BBC’s Dragon’s Den. The organiser will also be seeking out the top product launches at the show with its Great New Ideas campaign. Visitors should look out for the Great New Idea logo around the show and vote by tweeting #FSDGNI to @FarmShop_ Deli.

The winners will be unveiled in the Farm Shop & Deli Live area on the final day of the show. www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

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Responsibly Sourced Atlantic Salmon We’ve now go ne STAN D S6 Farm 0 S h op D on

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March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

Tel 01472 355217 contact@bigfishbrand.co.uk www.bigfishbrand.co.uk @BigFishBrand bigfishbrand

shelf talk

products, promotions & people

Theft fails to dent Ultimate English’s growth ambitions

what’s new

By MICHAEL LANE

The Serious Sweet Company has created three new locally inspired lines as it looks to bounce back from a major stock theft and gain more listings in independents beyond its native Yorkshire.

The Harrogate-based firm’s Ultimate English brand, which had £65,000-worth of sweets stolen last November from its premises, debuted a coconut ice made with Yorkshire rhubarb and a Parkinthemed ginger fudge at the end of February.

The new trio, completed by a sea salt caramel fudge, joins Ultimate English’s nine-strong line-up of sweets and fudge as the brand looks to build on its 300-plus listings in Yorkshire.

Managing director Rob Whitehead told FFD that the brand had recorded sales of over £150,000 in its first year. He said that the company would be focussed on sales to delis, farm shops and other independents with plans to sell further afield later in 2015.

Whitehead said the new flavours were in line with the Ultimate English ethos.

“We are trying to revitalize

Caribbean seasonings FOOD TRULY

www.foodtruly.com

The confectionery brand’s new lines are made with Yorkshire ingredients

traditional English sugar confectionery – products like fudge, toffee, honeycomb, coconut ice, nut brittles – by developing new flavours and twists on old favourites,” he said. “Rhubarb coconut ice, for example, combines a classic with a classic. Both were maybe in need of a lift and a resurgence.”

The sweets are made with rhubarb supplied by renowned farmer D Westwood & Sons, while the sea salt caramel fudge is made with salted butter produced in its home county.

All three of the new varieties

come in cases of 8x180g boxes for £16.40+VAT. Each box has an RRP of £3.99.

Whitehead said that – despite a twitter campaign with the hashtag #findourfudge – the police were still searching for the stolen sweets and the thieves.

“The theft happened at a particularly difficult time in the run-up to Christmas,” he said. “The value at retail was more than £50k so it hurt a lot of people, not just us, as our customers were out of stock too.

Fortunately our customers stuck with us and we’re back on track now.” www.ultimateenglish.co.uk

Planglow taps into street food The rise of street food has inspired a new takeaway pack range from ecopackaging specialist Planglow.

The three-piece collection includes a hot food box, dubbed the Street Box, plus deli paper and a black gloss sticker, bearing the words ‘Eat around the world’, to seal the package.

The new lines feature a white distressed map with black ‘passport stamp’ print, and are made using easily compostable materials from renewable and sustainable sources.

Planglow marketing director Rachael Sawtell said: “We’ve been looking at eco hot food packaging solutions for a few years as we felt the market lacked branded packaging that supports the quality of street food being served.”

She added that the new collection would suit food businesses “looking to introduce a street food image to their takeaway products”. www.planglow.com

Catering company Food Truly has launched a range of five Caribbean seasonings under its Turnahpot brand (100ml bottles, wholesale £6.99). Hot Jerk, the milder Sweet Jerk and the Caribbean Fusion (Original) mix are all suggested for use with meat and vegetable dishes, while Caribbean Fusion (Lemon) is said to be good with fish. The range is completed by Caribbean Sweet Spice, which can be used in desserts and cakes or to flavour punches and mulled wine.

Jams, crisps and oil

RIVERSIDE LIFESTYLE www.riversidelifestyle.co.uk

Developed by Hampshire holiday home Riverside Cottage, this brand now offers a range of artisan preserves, some of which feature its own home-grown lavender. The range – which includes raspberry & lavender jam, lemon & lavender marmalade and a savoury orange & basil marmalade – comes in boxes of 6 jars for £18.60. The company also sells Andalucian extra virgin olive oil, both pure and infused, and tins of Galician potato crisps.

Tea blends

STEENBERGS www.steenbergs.co.uk

The Yorkshire company has come up with five new blends. The gender-specific Bloke’s Herbal Tea and Moon Brew (150g and 100g bags respectively) are priced at £3.50, as are the Energising and Morning Brew blends (both 150g bags). The stress-busting Chillax blend, which includes catnip and skullcap, comes in 115g bags (£5.50).

BREW IN A BAG: The Coffee Brewer is a patented new system from Grower’s Cup that yields two cups of speciality coffee just by adding boiling water. Each pouch (RRP 99p) contains ‘real’ ground coffee – including organic and single estate Fairtrade varieties – with details of the source on the pack. Once the water is added, the coffee brews in the disposable bag and can be served from an in-built pouring spout. It’s Danish inventor Ulrik Skovgaard Rasmussen recommends it for use in offices or for travellers looking to guarantee a good cup of coffee wherever they go. The Coffee Brewer, which won several gongs at the recent World Beverage Innovation Awards in Germany, is available from wholesaler Tree of Life. www.growerscup.com www.treeoflife.co.uk

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

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March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

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shelf talk

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CHEF’S SELECTION

Top chefs tell CLARE HARGREAVES their deli essentials

Fudge Kitchen unveils sugar confectionery range

Matt Gillan Head chef The Pass, South Lodge Hotel, West Sussex www.southlodgehotel.co.uk

Matt Gillan trained under Daniel Clifford and John Campbell, two of Britain’s top culinary talents. He holds a Michelin star at The Pass, at South Lodge Hotel, where he has been head chef since 2011.

Kikkoman soy sauce www.kikkoman.co.uk

By MICHAEL LANE

It may offer more than 40 different flavours of fudge in a myriad of formats but, for the first time in its history, Fudge Kitchen has launched a range that doesn’t contain any fudge.

The producer’s Delectables range features three handmade takes on confectionery classics – peanut brittle, fruit caramels and pecan turtles – in 150g packs.

Fudge Kitchen’s pecan turtles (RRP £6.50) feature a slightly salted caramel that is fully covered with milk chocolate, unlike most of the American versions it has researched.

Its peanut brittle (RRP £5.50) has the “sweet snap of glassy caramel countered by the salty crunch of whole peanuts”, while the fruit caramels (RRP £6.50) are a combination of caramel shot through with real fruit granules, dark chocolate and red forest fruit topping.

“Over the last three years Fudge Kitchen has been honing the skills of

NPD and sugar magic,” said Fudge Kitchen MD Sian Holt, “so it seemed a natural progression to explore further afield and push ourselves to embrace other opportunities that use many of the same base ingredients and for which there is either established demand, or that fit into current trends.”

The company has also been busy with more traditional NPD and will now offer a third option in its Twelve Flavours gift sets. Twelve Flavours of the World (RRP £15) features 20g chocolate-coated fudge balls in 12 different flavours, including dulce de leche (Argentina), coconut & lemongrass (Thailand) and Madagascan vanilla.

In addition, Fudge Kitchen has developed a range of single serve items for confectionery counters and foodservice. Formats include loose fudge miniatures and fudge pearls in a variety of flavours, dipped fudge fingers and fudge loaves for portioning. www.fudgekitchen.co.uk

Nisi’s targets retailers and cafés with new-look range Small batch bakery Nisi’s has undergone a major re-brand and launched a range of handbaked biscuits for retailers and cafés.

It offers three varieties of butter shortbread (classic, with a hint of lemon and with chunks of chocolate) and two types of garibaldi (classic currant and with chunks of chocolate).

Its expanded range also features all butter oat biscuits with dark chocolate chunk and with crystalised ginger. These are all available in 120g multi-pack boxes (8x15g biscuits) from distributor Cotswold Fayre or direct, for larger orders.

The summer will see the bakery launch individually flow-wrapped 30g twin packs of all butter shortbread, currant garibaldi and all butter oat biscuits with chocolate chunks.

Some soy sauces are like oyster sauce in consistency, quite tarry, but this is thinner and more delicate in flavour, so a good all-rounder. We use it as a seasoning. We put it in the dressing for our scallop ceviche, for example. We also use it in desserts, like our honeycomb panna cotta with bee pollen and soy sauce – the saltiness and umami helps the honeycomb. We buy it in 1.5 litre bottles.

Valrhona Manjari chocolate www.valrhona-chocolate.com

There are so many chocolates to choose from out there but this one is a real staple for us. It has a 64% cocoa content, perfect for mousses and ganaches. It’s not too soft and it actually has a fruity flavour, which is not what you expect. I use it in chocolate mousse; it makes it really light and the fruit comes to the fore. We serve the mousse with chocolate sorbet, Baileys and gingerbread.

Fregola www.wellocks.co.uk

This is a pellet-shaped pasta that’s been boiled, cooked and toasted, and is not to be confused with Israeli couscous. I was introduced to fregola by the chef John Campbell when he cooked at a pop-up here. I treat it like risotto rice in our mushroom fregola. I cook it for around 14 minutes in a mushroom stock, then add butter and cheese. It’s more consistent than risotto rice as it’s hard to overcook, and the price is similar to a good risotto rice. Fregola is great for the vegetarian menu. It’s important to get the toasted version, which has a lovely nuttiness. We buy fregola a kilo at a time through Wellocks. A cracking little ingredient.

Unio Moscatel vinegar www.brindisa.com

I came across this Moscatel vinegar three or four years ago and it’s streets ahead of other fine vinegars. We use a lot – around 2 litres a week – so it’s definitely one of our top storecupboard ingredients. It’s not like white wine vinegar because it has a sweetness and fruitiness as a result of its slow acetification. It’s really versatile. I use it with mackerel, and with oxtail and pork – it cuts through the fat but not in an aggressive way, and bizarrely it has an appley taste to it.

I even use it in desserts. For example, I serve vinegar pearls with my roasted apple ice cream.

Yuzu citrus juice www.japancentre.com

Yuzu juice costs the earth but I love it. It’s a citrus unlike any other, with a flavour that’s both acidic and fruity. You can use it with so many ingredients. Traditionally it’s been a chef’s secret so I was gutted when they started selling it in Waitrose. I use it in the marinade for our scallop ceviche, and pop it into my braised Jacob’s ladder dish (along with Coca Cola). I also make a yuzu tart, which I serve with sourdough ice cream.

www.nisis.co.uk

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

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FS&D 230x315>16215 aw_Layout 1 16/02/2015 17:51 Page 1

Due to exceptional demand, the Farm Shop & Deli Show 2015 is expanding and is now set to be the biggest show yet with a 100% increase in exhibitors compared to 2014. The exhibition will now bring together over 400 speciality food and drink exhibitors, as well as safety & hygiene, packaging & technology suppliers.

The Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2015 will be held at the show, on Monday 20th April.

New for 2015, this area is a must-attend destination to anyone seeking innovation and inspiration.

The show will play host to Great New Ideas launched within the speciality retail market.

The show will be growing its machinery, packaging, epos, refrigeration and equipment offering.

The show will see the return of the hugely popular Dragon’s Pantry and live events.

farmshopanddelishow.co.uk @FarmShop_Deli #FSD2015 This is a trade event. No under 16s will be admitted.

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March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

Co-located with:

shelf talk what’s new

Looking for suppliers accredited by the Guild of Fine Food?

Follow the logo

100% cocoa

Gamekeeper’s Relish is a combination of fresh courgettes and onions with spices and “a good dollop” each of English and Dijon mustard. Each 12oz hexagonal glass jar wholesales at £2.50 (RRP £3.95).

MADÉCASSE / EMPIRE BESPOKE FOODS www.madecasse.com

Tamarind chutney LOVEPICKLE

www.love-pickle.com

Mustard trio CUSACKS

www.cusacks.biz

The Surrey-based condiment-maker has added three more handmade mustards to its line-up. Its horseradish mustard works well with roast beef while its traditional, hot English mustard is described as “not for the faint-hearted”. A balsamic mustard, which is said to work well with roasted vegetables, completes the trio. All three come in cases of 6x200g jars (trade £2.45, RRP £3.69 each).

Green tea mints

SENCHA NATURALS / TREE OF LIFE www.treeoflife.co.uk

Available in the US for more than a decade, Sencha Naturals’ range of green tea mints is now being launched into the UK by distributor Tree of Life. The mints, which come in five flavours, freshen breath but also deliver the antioxidant hit you would expect from a cup of green tea. Original, Bombay Chai, Moroccan Mint, Pink Dragonfruit and Tropical Mango, all come in 60-mint boxes (RRP £2.99).

The Indian-inspired pickle-maker has developed a tamarind chutney, based on an old family recipe. Already a Great Taste one-star winner, the preserve is made with tamarind and jaggery then infused with a blend of spices to create a “sweet tangy chutney with a hint of spice”. It is recommended as an accompaniment to Indian snacks or cold meat and cheese. It comes in 180g jars (RRP £3.25).

Chocolate chips DOVES FARM

Flavoured sugar THE SUGAR TREE

www.thesugartree.co.uk

Nut butters PIP & NUT

www.pipandnut.com

Conceived while founder Pippa Murray was training for the Paris marathon, the Pip & Nut range features three butters: peanut (RRP £2.29), almond and coconut almond (both RRP £4.29). These all-natural nut butters are made from justroasted nuts and a sprinkling of sea salt, with no refined sugar, additives or palm oil.

Already listed in Selfridges and Partridges, all three come in 250g jars with labels designed by agency B&B.

Gamekeeper’s Relish IN A PICKLE

www.inapicklefoodco.co.uk

Wiltshire-based In A Pickle says its latest creation is “a sweet and tangy accompaniment that sets off the rich flavours of game and poultry” but adds that it also marries well with grilled meats and cold cuts.

Palestinian oil TERRA ROSSA

www.terra-rossa.com

Arabian food specialist Terra Rossa has added Al’Ard premium Palestinian Fairtrade extra virgin olive oil to its catalogue. Al’Ard (Arabic for ‘The Land’) is made from olives pressed within 24 hours of harvesting for a “superior fruity taste, texture and aroma”. Al’Ard olive trees are organically grown and naturally irrigated and stand on steep mountains slopes gathering sunlight. These conditions are said to be the reason behind the oil’s thickness and its high levels of the antioxidant polyphenol. It comes in 250ml, 500ml and 1 litre tins, with RRPs of £6, £10 and £15 respectively.

Madagascan bean-to-bar chocolate company Madécasse has bolstered its range of Exquisitely African bars with a 100% cocoa variant made using three of the country’s rare heirloom cocoa varieties.

The new sugar-free chocolate, which showcases a blend of the Pure Ancient Criollo, Amelonado and Trinitario cocoas, comes in 75g bars with an RRP of between £2.99-£3.29. Retailers can order it from Empire Bespoke Foods.

New start-up The Sugar Tree has launched with a range of handmade, naturally flavoured sugars, in the hope that it can dispel “the misconception that sugar is a cheap over-used and abused commodity”. It offers a variety of flavours in single 56g jars (wholesale £2.09, RRP £2.99) as well as a Citrus Selection (wholesale £3.14, RRP £4.49) containing 21g jars of lemon, orange and lime flavours. It also offers a 5x21g selection (wholesale £4.54, RRP £6.49) featuring strawberry, cinnamon, raspberry, ginger and vanilla flavours.

www.dovesfarm.co.uk

Doves Farm is targeting home bakers seeking free-from ingredients with the launch of a 140g container of organic Fairtrade plain chocolate chips (RRP £4.19). The miller recommends using the gluten-, peanut-, soya- and dairy-free chips in cakes, muffins, brownies, pancakes and, of course, cookies. The 55% cocoa chocolate is said to be the first of its kind to enter the market.

Hot lime pickle TRACKLEMENTS

www.tracklements.co.uk

The Wiltshire condiment specialist’s latest addition is a “sharp and juicy” hot lime pickle. Made with Persian limes and “plenty of chilli and spice”, the pickle has been developed with curry lovers in mind. It comes in cases of 6x200g jars (RRP £3.40 each).

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

47

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www.LittleDoone.co.uk Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

49

shelf talk

The experience of youth Opening a shop on a shoestring is tough at any age but the owner of Charlotte’s Fine Foods in Islington has taken the burden on her particularly young shoulders and survived a year of trading

Deli of the Month INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL LANE

F

or what is essentially a small grocery store in a residential area of North London, there was a quite a media fuss when Charlotte’s Fine Foods opened its doors in January 2014.

Not only did the 370 sq ft shop in Islington attract the interest of local papers but The Huffington Post and The Telegraph also ran pieces within its first few weeks of trading.

It seems the hook that every journalist hung their story on was not the eponymous shop but its owner Charlotte Bowers and, more specifically, her age.

At 26, Bowers is the exception to the rule. The stereotypical deli owner is over 40 and has swapped their corporate suit for an apron in search of a new lifestyle. If you find people in their 20s working in a shop, they’re usually the counter staff, baristas or apprentice butchers rather than the proprietor.

Bowers has found a pleasant spot five minutes’ walk from Angel tube station and the bustle of Upper Street on the staunchly independent Amwell Street, whose other residents include a corner shop, a florist, three hairdressers, a pub, a vet and a cult textile designer.

Set back off the pavement, Charlotte’s Fine Food’s demure grey frontage belies the colourful display of ambient speciality lines within.

An array of baked goods, eggs and chocolates occupies a central display table, while at the rear of the shop is a small display of fruit and veg and an upright chiller holding a small range of fresh lines.

It’s neat and tidy rather than cramped and chaotic and, most strikingly, there’s no serveover; just a simple wooden counter, behind which Bowers has been present for the last 12 months.

It’s not patronising to say this is an achievement, regardless of her age. Lots of retail projects fail to make it to their first birthdays against a perennial backdrop of gloomy trading conditions, spiralling business rates and non-lending banks.

That said, you get the impression that Bowers has encountered a fair amount of cynicism about her

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March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

success, too. So, FFD has to ask, at night. how did a 25-year-old manage to “It really depends what day you open a shop in one of the Capital’s catch me on,” she says. “Because most expensive boroughs? the business is so young I don’t have Although she borrowed some anything to go on. The past few money from her family to get the weeks have been the first where I’ve shop off the ground, Bowers points been able to look back year-onout that if her parents were rich year.” enough to buy her a shop, she Even on the back of a bumper probably wouldn’t be running one December and an improved January, day-to-day. Or, you suspect, have the It needs to keep growing level of ambition for Charlotte’s Fine Foods because I’m not happy to just sit here and have a business that that she does.

“To be where I want ticks along. Otherwise, I wouldn’t it to be it needs to have started a business at 25. It’s keep growing because not a little pet project.

I’m not happy to just sit here and have a business that ticks along,” she says. she remains cautious. “It looks like “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have started we’re in a brilliant position but it’s all a business at 25. It’s not a little pet relative. This time last year I’d only project.” just set up.”

Currently she describes her shop’s And it was quite an effort to get status as “just about profitable”, to that point. which is better than she expected Bowers had always aspired from her forecasts. That’s not to say to run her own business but it her sales figures don’t keep her up seemed a distant ambition when

❛

❜

she graduated and moved from the family home in West Yorkshire to London. She worked in legal PR (“It wasn’t really my thing”) and then at strategy consultancy The Storytellers, which counts multinationals like GlaxoSmithKline, Hilton Hotels and Unilever among its clients.

The 18 months she spent working with big companies gave Bowers good grounding in how businesses are run and made her realise she could start one of her own sooner than anticipated.

After researching viable options in her free time she settled on speciality food, which was of personal interest, and retailing seemed a natural choice given that she had grown up watching her mother run a small chain of pet supplies shops.

She pooled advice from family and friends with websites like Smarta and GoThink Big, to draw up a business plan for Charlotte’s Deli (a working title), which she took to “every single high street bank” in search of a loan. Some

products, promotions & people were unequivocal, others were encouraging and one even praised her business plan but the answer was always ‘no’.

“So many red flags pop up, like being young, not having a history of doing anything with credit and not having run a business before,” says Bowers. “That was difficult to hear and you think ‘If I can’t get this money, can I do anything at all?’”

Rather than give up, Bowers edited the plan down to a “properly shoestring budget” and combined her own savings with some loans from family and friends to scrape together a start-up fund of £25,000.

“It is hard because you have a grand idea about what you want and that takes a lot of money,” she says. “You see other start-ups, especially in London, and there’s so much money going into them and they look incredible because everything has been covered. I knew quite quickly if I was going to do it I’d have to cut things out.”

With the benefit of a year’s trading, Bowers admits she is not as disappointed as she once was about having to go for a smaller space with less stock, not to mention lower rent.

The search was gruelling – “There was a point where I must’ve known every single property within Zone 4 in my budget,” she says – and she would have liked space for a kitchen to produce food in-house, but she’s happy with her lot.

The rent is under the £20,000-a-year mark and she’s made some successful business rates relief applications, so Bowers believes her property costs are reasonable. Rent on nearby Upper Street can be up to four times what she pays.

“I talk to people up north where I’m from and they just laugh their heads off,” she says. “Some businesses have huge premises and a café but they’d be paying half.”

The trade-off, she says, is London’s guaranteed footfall.

It may look quiet but Amwell Street’s largely residential surroundings provide a steady bank of regular customers – retired browsers in the afternoon and younger professionals who pop in to grab things for dinner on their way home in the evening. The average spend can be anything between £10 and £20.

Weekends see bigger baskets of £20-£30, as customers in search of hangover cures raid the fresh options – like Havensfield Farm eggs, Mackenzie’s bacon and bread from London bakery Flour Power City – that Bowers has steadily introduced over the course of her first year.

Bowers opened her store purely with ambient products – she didn’t even have a fridge for the first four

S’ ’S FINE FOOD CHARLOTTE KS MUST-STOC

months – but now has ugh City sourdo nearly 50 fresh and short Flour Power Farm eggs shelf life lines on her Havensfield books. Already in 2015, l tomatoes Tomato Stal she has begun to develop dar Bomber ched a lunchtime offering, Little Black mer cheese which includes Smoke & Sussex Char sta Pickle Food Co soups and Seggiano pa es uc sa ready-made sandwiches apoli from Flour Power City, to Sapori di N satisfy an increasing number pasta of office workers that have Peter’s Yard been wandering in and crispbreads spending as much as £10. s Inifinity Food Among the other ains gr successful additions she Tea Studio has made are dog treats (a tea chamomile suggestion from her mum), h Black Bomber cheddar and Rude Healt seasonal fruit and vegetables, almond milk sourced from Perry Court Farm in Kent, while Tomato Stall tomatoes from the Isle of Wight are one of her biggest ‘Ottolenghi effect’ have seen za’atar, sellers. sumac and dukkah spice mixes Asian ingredients and curry become popular items. sauces haven’t worked but pasta As she’s explaining her approach and Italian sauces are popular and to sourcing new lines – almost on the seemingly endless ripples of the cue – a customer arrives looking for

golden syrup. After offering honey as an alternative, Bowers charitably directs her to the corner shop up the road.

“Whenever someone comes in and asks for something that I don’t have, I will see if I can find a good version,” she says. “But I wouldn’t stock Tate & Lyle because it isn’t in keeping with the idea.”

As she’s expanded her ambient range of storecupboard items, Bowers has remained focused on small British producers and suppliers with a smattering of well-established speciality brands.

Around 75% of her 500 lines come from distributors, including Cotswold Fayre, Infinity Foods and Empire Bespoke, but she also buys direct, often with the help of Marcus Carter’s Artisan Food Club scheme.

Despite the need to provide essentials, she’s steered clear of the kind of names, and prices, you’d find in the local supermarket.

Customers do point out that Waitrose now lists something she’s got or they sell an alternative item cheaper. She remains undeterred and sets the margins and prices that suit her.

She may appear confident now but Bowers admits that at times she’s had “literally no idea” what she’s doing. There has been a good deal of trial and quite a few errors.

She has both under- and overordered, including accidentally buying a case of each product in a range when she only meant to order a single case. She’s set margins to make a loss and only realised a week later and she’s taken on fresh food with no understanding of how to manage the stock.

More often than not, the fearlessness has paid off and helped her steadily upgrade her shop towards her original vision but she is open to moving in other directions too. More fruit and vegetables or fresh items will follow – she concedes that she’d love to have some way of cutting cheese to order – but only if there is appetite from customers.

Bowers has also been boning up on her Search Engine Optimisation as she looks to generate more sales from her online shop, which she hopes will improve its ad hoc sales.

Even if she still begrudges losing weekends and waking up at 3am thinking of unpaid bills, it’s clear that Charlotte Bowers loves being a shopkeeper.

“I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” she says. “As hard as it is and as much stress as it is just for you – there’s no one to palm that off on – I wouldn’t want it to be any other way.” www.charlottesfinefoods.com

Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

51

CMT

Continental Meat Technology Gluten free rusk substitute from CMT Deluxe Christmas Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding

W

Winners of

22

Golden Syrup Pudding

CMT gluten free crumbs:

Juergen Maurer, 31 Salford Road, Aspley Guise, Milton Keynes MK17 8HT T: 01908 584489 F: 01908 584317

www.continentalmeattechnology.co.uk

No compromise on quality

great taste Awards

Gluten Free Christmas Pudding

5A W ARD

2

• Are suitable for celiacs • Replace rusk without the need for recipe changes • Are also available as ready made CMT sausage mixes • Are available in two natural colours (pale and golden brown) • Do not contain any e numbers • Are made from GMO free ingredients.

NER O IN F

Truly SCRUMPTIOUS

S

CMT introduces a revolutionary new gluten free crumb, which can replace conventional rusk in sausages and burgers or can be used as a coating for meat and poultry products.

Voted...

“The best gluten free Christmas Pudding.’ theguardian

www.burtreepuddings.co.uk enquiries@burtreepuddings.co.uk @burtreepuds 01325 463 521

CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS STICKY PUDDINGS

Sh Sh F ow op arm st & an De d li U1 10

0831 A5 Flyer Burtree.indd 1

12/06/2014 15:52

+44 (0) 1494 530182 www.hydropac.co.uk sales@hydropac.co.uk

Visit us on stand L100 at Farm Shop & Deli Show Manufacturers of insulated shipping boxe s

a nd

ice p acks

All products available from stock

• 100% recyclable environmentally friendly materials

Suitable for vegetarians, gluten & nut free

• Designed for all your cold chain requirements, mail order and carry home water/gel ice packs

ADESSO REBRANDING & NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH

• Lighter weight for lower shipping costs

Bring food to life

We are proud to announce recent additions to our family of products, a range of balsamic creams & infused oils All are products are natural and ambient, so no need to refrigerate, even once open Tel/Fax 0161 2738088 Email: mail@adessodeli.co.uk

SALAD DRESSINGS, MARINADES & BREAD DIPPERS 52

March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

• Bespoke packaging design service free of charge

Insulated boxes Insulated carrier bags

Keep it cool, keep it with Hyd ropa Buy online at www.hydropac.co.uk c!

NEW BISCUITS FROM S. MOORES

To satisfy demand for biscuits with a lowered sugar content and an increased wholegrain content we have introduced a range of Barley and Oat Crumbles.

Made with barley grown in East Devon, just a few miles from our bakery, these biscuits are naturally high in fibre with a crumbly, melt in the mouth texture. The lowered sugar content enables the flavours of the grains to stand out, making this perfect for breakfast or any time of the day.

FOR SUPPLY, PLEASE CONTACT: S Moores, The Biscuit Bakery, St. Andrew’s Well, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3BS Tel: 01308 428520 · Fax: 01308 428521 Email: enquiries@moores-biscuits.co.uk

White Lake Cheese make a range of artisan cheese by hand on the farm. Our range includes Super Gold winning Rachel and Goddess. Gold winning Katherine and Driftwood (pictured), along with Tor, Morn Dew and many others

Goddess

Rachel

The LymeContact Bay Winery, Axminster, Devon EX13 7PW us: Shute, info@whitelake.co.uk Tel 01297 551 355 · sales@lymebaywinery.co.uk Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

53

classified • baking equipment

• design & branding



Do you make PIES or other sorts of pastry products?

We make incredibly versatile PIE MACHINES

0 1 9 2 0

Packaging Ltd 4 8 4 0 5 0

                

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

JOHN HUNT (Bolton) Ltd Rasbottom St, Bolton, England BL3 5BZ

• baking equipment

• food processing machinery

• food processing machinery

@Refractoshop

www.refractometershop.com • food processing machinery

• labelling

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

• bottles & jars

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

Fabrications for the food industry Stainless Steel & Aluminium Fabrications Tables • Sinks • Racks • Trolleys Bespoke Fabrications • Ware Washing Contact:

John Armstrong on either

07825 44 44 03 or 01909 519098 Unit 4G, The Leathermarket, Weston Street, London SE1 3ER Tel: 020 7407 3200 Fax: 020 7237 9093 www.FrenchFlint.com

54

March 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 2

e-mail: john@jkstainlesssolutions.co.uk www.jkstainlesssolutions.co.uk

PECTIN CITRIC ACID GUMS SORBATES LACTOSE & more Contact: LORETTA ATKINS loretta@crestchem.co.uk T: 01494 434660 - F: 01494 434990 www.crestchem.co.uk

The heart of UK food manufacturing

Sugar & dairy Standard & ingredients bespoke dairy blends Starches & sweeteners Emulsifiers & stabilisers Fats & oils Tel: (01454) 411446 sales@garrettingredients.co.uk www.garrettingredients.co.uk

• labelling

Celebrating 35 Years of Business Success To see how this amazing grill works please visit www.contactgrills.co.uk to see live real time demonstrations Tel: 01430 879967 Contact: Martin Scott Email: martin@silesiavelox.co.uk • 2 Years Warranty, available in Single or Double Sizes • Versatility, Performance & Choice

tel: 01404 892100 email: sales@vigoltd.com www.vigoltd.com • ingredients

Food Division - suppliers of

Example of Cooking Times • Omelettes 25 Seconds • Bacon 30 Seconds • Toasted Sandwiches 1 minute • Pannini/Baguettes 2 Minutes • Steaks 2 Minutes • Crepes 15 Seconds

Apple Juice & Cider Production Equipment

Talk to us about increasing production or starting up

Crestchem

Crestchem Ltd., 10 Hill Avenue, Amersham, Bucks, HP6 5BW

• ingredients

• ingredients

Refractometers for Quality Control

• bottles & jars

• ingredients

• ingredients

Sweeten up your sales.

Advertise in Fine Food Digest

01747 825200

• labelling

“We can help you label every step of the way, manually, semi and fully automatically”

Proudly supplying British made packaging equipment and labelling machines for 50 years 1964-2014

01274 681022 info@norpakltd.com www.norpakltd.com

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

• labelling

• labelling

• packaging

• software

AFFORDABLE LABELLING TECHNOLOGY

Lease ELF labellers from £250 per month

Tamper evident & film sealable plastic food packaging

Advanced Dynamics Ltd T +44 (0)1274 731222 E info@advanceddynamics.co.uk Visit www.advanceddynamics.co.uk

Reliable leadtimes and service – sensible minimum order size Sizes available from 30ml to 5000ml – transparent products in stock

Visit www.innavisions.com or call us for a brochure TEL: 01886 832283 EMAIL: nick.wild@innavisions.com

• refrigeration

• refrigeration

Don’t leave advertisers in the dark – tell them you saw them in Fine Food Digest

• vacancies

WANTED

• Digital short run labels • Inkjet printing • Hot foiling and domed labels • bar coding, variable data and consecutive numbering • Reeled/laminated/sheeted • High volume plain labels (We have turret winding capacity) • High volume printed labels upto 8 colours

A passionate Cheese maker to produce cheese in the historic village of Stilton in Cambridgeshire.

• All remunerations to be discussed • Equipment required to be discussed • Suitable accommodation available on site

In addition with in-house design and plate making we can offer unrivalled service and response to meet your needs

Contact in the first instance: Richard Landy 01733 240321 Email: rh.landy@virgin.net

Unit C McKenzie Industrial Park Birdhall Lane, Stockport SK3 0XX TEL : +44 (0)161 428 1617 FAX : +44 (0)161 428 1603 www.windmilltapes.co.uk

• packaging

• packaging

RetailReady ❝

No one should even consider entering any form of fine food retail without completing the Retail Ready course at The Guild of Fine Food. The two day course • ingredients • packaging is brilliantly structured offering advice on every aspect of the business from insider experts and successful retailers. It gave me insight I was lacking, to feel fully confident about getting started.

RetailReady is a two day course that will steer you through the minefield of opening and running a fine food store.

The course is designed to equip managers of prospective, new or developing delis and farm shops with the business essentials of fine food and drink retailing.

The next course takes place on October 27-28 2015.

Visit www.gff.co.uk/training for more details and an application form.

Call us to find out more on 01747 825200.

❞

Matthew Drennan, former editor of delicious. and aspiring deli owner

www.gff.co.uk |

@guildoffinefood Vol.16 Issue 2 · March 2015

55

Special Offer!

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when ordering from

deliciousontap.co.uk sales@deliciousontap.co.uk

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*Offer Ends 30-04-2015 The leading professional OnTap Oil & Vinegar producer & supplier in the UK All Natural Quality Ingredients Products with Provenance The widest selection of internationally award winning, OnTap Oils and Vinegars The largest choice of Bottles, OnTap Dispensers & Display Furniture - we supply everything you need Customise our OnTap system to suit any space or budget - Start small & grow tall FREE Merchandising and Marketing Support Full Training & Advice for all our OnTap Stockists Next Day Delivery - No Minimum Orders Supplied by Rowcliffe - the nations favourite Excellent, Achievable Profit Margins Guaranteed Return Sales

56

March 2015 路 Vol.16 Issue 2