FFD March 2016

www.gff.co.uk

March 2016 · Vol 17 Issue 2

SEBASTIAN SNOW 49 The Cotswolds chef-patron talks us through his kitchen essentials

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

Inside Fenwick’s revamped Newcastle food hall with buyer Adam Barber

IF I’D KNOWN THEN... 6 Ebony Harding on EPoS, organic produce – and vinyl records

EDWARD PERRY 9 Why all food producers should be obsessive about taste

SOFT DRINKS SAVOURY SNACKS BREAKFAST CEREALS CHOOSING CHEDDAR

We look forward to seeing you at stand H191

delivering fine food contact us thecressco.co.uk 0845 643 1330

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March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

David Account Manager

Neil Driver

Stewart Warehouse

Hannah Buying Assistant

Nikki Buyer

Tanny Tanny Gill Artisan Cheese

Marie Customer Services

Dougal General Dogsbody

contents news cheesewire

p4 p15

how to buy cheddar cut & dried soft drinks savoury snacks

p17 p21 p23 p29

cereals & cereal bars show preview – Farm Shop & Deli Show shelf talk deli of the month

p37 p43 p45 p52

opinion FARM SHOPS, DELIS AND DECENT RESTAURANTS have always known the value of provenance – the back-story of the products and ingredients they sell.

The trouble with provenance – particularly in a country where the food culture has been largely created by marketeers and the media, not by family or community tradition – is that it’s so easily manipulated. What may increasingly matter, in the posthorsemeat-scandal world, is authenticity. Or, in a word of fewer syllables: honesty.

Once it was picked up by the multiples as a sales tool, provenance lost something.

Supermarkets were filled with endless images of gamboling lambs and flour-dusted millers, sited above aisles full of over-processed, under-priced, taste-bereft products.

Even in our own sector, where it’s a lot easier to be honest about the products we work with, we have fallen into using a template for provenance that is not just ridden with clichés – smiling Barbour-clad families on tractor-trailers; farmers clutching happy brown hens under their arms; well-thumbed notebooks filled with granny’s secret chutney recipes – but borders on myth.

In artisan food businesses, these Photoshopped versions of real life are generally harmless. While many good cheeses and salamis get made in plastic-clad factory units and not every chicken spends its life tucked cosily in a farmer’s tweed-clad armpit, our sector’s products and their ingredients do stand up to scrutiny.

As recent scares and scandals have shown, however, not everything in the UK food chain stands up quite so well – especially when it comes to authenticity of ingredients.

As we report on p13, two Gloucestershire farmers have launched a new food ‘passport’ scheme designed to track products from farm to consumer, to prevent the passing-off of imported ingredients as British.

I don’t know that their scheme – none too snappily named Happerley – will succeed. But the concept fits snuggly with what middle-class shoppers, and our sector’s core consumers, are looking for.

As last month’s City Food Lecture in London (p9) heard from trend-watcher Christophe Jouan, risk-averse young consumers are becoming far hotter about knowing what they’re eating. With improving technology, Jouan says, “It will become much easier for people to find out where things come from, and we’ll see the end of ‘fake authenticity’.”

At the same event, the University of Belfast’s Professor Chris Elliot declared: “If UK plc could have the world’s most transparent supply system, it would be to the benefit of the whole industry.”

While provenance contains an element of myth, authenticity is about honesty and transparency. And no sector is better placed to offer authenticity to its shoppers than ours.

We have fallen into using a template for provenance that is not just ridden with clichés but borders on myth

MICK WHITWORTH, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

editors’ choice MICHAEL LANE, DEPUTY EDITOR

Karkli Indian snacks

www.chomponkarkli.com

p33

If you’re one of the many retailers jumping on the craft beer bandwagon and you’re seeking snack merchandising opportunities, then look no further than these curiously shaped, deep fried pieces of extruded lentil dough.

If that sounds implausible then Karkli’s reputation on the British brewing scene should convince you.

The truth is, these Indian snacks have been around for a while now and founder Kumar Kolar has even collaborated with the respected Weird Beard Brew Co on a special beer-matching flavour. But, having earned his place at the bar, Kolar is looking to make the push into retail.

There’s something here for everyone – the classic flavour delivers a gentle Bombay Mix level of heat, the coriander variety adds a zest to it and the ghost naga version will keep even proper chilli-lovers happy.

In a sea of greasy “hand-fried” crisps, these deliver a decent crunch and they’ll stand out on the shelf.

Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

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finefoodnews EDITORIAL editorial@gff.co.uk Editor & editorial director: Mick Whitworth Deputy editor: Michael Lane Reporter: Arabella Mileham Art director: Mark Windsor Editorial production: Richard Charnley Contributors: Anne Bruce, Clare Hargreaves, Patrick McGuigan, Lynda Searby ADVERTISING advertise@gff.co.uk Sales director: Sally Coley Sales executives: Becky Stacey, Ruth Debnam Published by the Guild of Fine Food Ltd Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £45pa inclusive of post and packing. © The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2016. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

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

Small firms warn against ‘blanket’ soft drinks tax

BY ARABELLA MILEHAM Artisan soft drinks producers have called for a more nuanced approach to a potential sugar tax, saying smaller producers who traditionally use less sugar in their products will be penalised if a blanket tax is introduced.

The call follows recommendations from the World Health Organisation to introduce a sugar tax on all soft drinks to limit childhood obesity, with the NHS last month announcing it would charge a 20% “tax” on soft drinks on its premises from 2020.

However Alistair Scahill of Thor Drinks warned that the heavy handed approach would “throw the baby out with the bathwater”. He was suspicious of a “blanket tax” approach that lumped all producers into one category, he said, calling for proper classification.

“What classifies as a sugary drink – are there any thresholds?” he asked.

Robyn Simms of Square

Breckland Orchards owner Claire Martinsen feels soft drinks have become the ‘whipping boy’ of food and drink

Root Sodas said consumers recognised the difference between products made by larger commercial producers and those by small companies – and the Government should too. “People see them as being made from better ingredients and therefore

Bristol wharf to receive Macknade plays down a Cargo of food outlets talk of new food hall

BY ARABELLA MILEHAM

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

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March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

not associated with the same [ingredients or quality] as the big commercials,” she told FFD. “Artisan products also tend to be at the lower end of the sugar spectrum, so any tax should be banded to take this into account.

This happens in the beer

industry and my hope is that the more sugar you add, the more you’ll pay.”

However she pointed out that the focus on “added” sugar was likely to drive larger producers to add extra apple concentrate as a sweetener instead. “It just shifts the problem,” she argued.

Claire Martinsen of Breckland Orchard said soft drinks were primarily treat items and their sugar content was transparent, with nutritional information clearly on the label to inform consumers.

“What I find more worrying are the myriad of foods that contain high levels of sugar, where people wouldn't expect to find them,” she added. “Sometimes the media obsession with soft drinks can seem to deflect attention from a whole host of 'hidden' sugar products.

“At times it can feel like soft drinks are the whipping boy of the food and drink industry.”

A Bristol developer is hoping to develop a new food destination on the city’s harbourside.

The Cargo development at Wapping Wharf, which is currently going through the planning process, will see a cluster of small independents shops, cafés and restaurants, created out of 10 8ft x 20ft shipping containers.

It will sit alongside a new residential site containing 600 apartments.

Although developer Umberslade said the project was at an early stage and it could not officially confirm the line-up, it said it had already created a “huge” amount of interest from

Cargo will house shops and eateries in 10 converted shipping containers

pop-up street vendors to Michelin-starred chefs and independents shops.

“We are open to a broad range of retailers and it will be a case of carefully selecting the most appropriate type and mix of retailers,” a spokesman said. “Cargo will have a foodie focus and for us it is about diversity and creating a destination.”

Kent’s Macknade Fine Food, based in Faversham, has played down reports it is to open a second site in a new development in Ashford.

The Ashford Herald said a Macknade food hall and café could form the ground floor of a six-storey, £13m development in the town’s Commercial Quarter by Quinn Estates and George Wilson Holdings.

Quinn Estates director Mark Quinn told the paper he was in talks with the retailer – runner-up for Great Taste Shop of the Year in 2015 – which would be a “superb addition”.

But shop owner Stefano Cuomo told FFD that while Ashford could offer longterm potential, discussions

Macknade: priority is to upgrade Faversham unit

were “at an early stage”.

The priority was to upgrade its Faversham site with better EPOS and back-end systems to boost stocking efficiency and link better with a growing trade business.

“We are unlikely to make the move soon – and not necessarily to that site,” he told FFD, adding: “We want to make sure we don’t overstretch ourselves.” www.macknade.com

finefoodnews In brief l Tebay

Services, part of the Westmorland group of businesses, has raised over £36,200 for the Cumbrian Community Foundation Flood Appeal, with more than £26,200 coming from donations from customers at the services’ well-known farm shop. The appeal has raised around £5m since December 5 last year.

l Harrods

Food Hall is adding Michelin-starred restaurant Lima to its deli and food-to-go offering from March 1. The Peruvian specialist, which has two restaurants in London, will offer its own range of prepared lunches and on-the-go products for the first time.

Borders Biscuits has invested £4.3m in boosting capacity at its Lanarkshire site, as well as refreshing its branding.

The move coincides with the launch of a major new national advertising campaign.

l

Marks and Spencer is to open a new food hall in Bath in the summer.

It will be situated on the Western Lock retail park, a spokesman confirmed.

l

Call for clear exemptions from nutrition label regs

BY ARABELLA MILEHAM A consultancy representing UK food firms is pushing the EU to clarify which small businesses will be exempted from new regulations requiring calorie and nutritional information to be displayed on all pre-packed food, generally on the front of packs.

The rules – part of the Food Information to Consumers Regulation EU 1169/2011 – come into effect in December this year.

Bob Salmon of Food Solutions, a food safety consultancy and lobbying firm, said pressure was mounting from member states to ensure small-scale producers are protected from the “unrealistic” rules, which could hit around 280,000 businesses – including delis and farm shops.

Foods termed as “handcrafted” that are made by small producers and sold locally are supposed to be exempted from the regulations.

But Food Solutions

Many small supplier of pre-packed products could be hit by calorie and nutrition labelling rules from this December

argues these terms are too vague, leaving the rules open to widely different interpretations across member states.

Salmon said whereas there was a good definition of local and small firms – micro-businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees and less than £2m turnover – the term handcrafted was “a bit more difficult and hasn’t

Foodservice specialist to head sales at Seggiano

Bring back rate relief, ACS tells Chancellor

Peregrine Trading, owner of the Seggiano brand of Italian foods, has recruited Gianfranco Perri (pictured) as sales & operations director.

UK-born of Italian parentage, Perri has spent many years in foodservice, working for leading Italian food brands. He will now focus on sales of the Seggiano Cucina bulk range both into higher-end restaurants and the kitchens of delis and food halls as well as building branded sales in independents.

Smaller businesses should be granted rate relief in order to offset the increased cost of reforms introduced by the Government, according to a retail lobby group.

The Association of Convenient Stores, which represents over 30,000 small shops, including delicatessens and rural food shops, has called for a reintroduction in March 16’s budget of the Retail Rate Relief scheme, which would provide a £2,000 discount for smaller high street shops.

Chief executive James Lowman said the Government has announced measures likely to increase

www.seggiano.com

costs for local shops, such as the National Living Wage, while “quietly neglecting” to renew incentives such as Retail Rate Relief.

“2016 is already set to be a year of difficult trading conditions for local shops dealing with higher wage costs and uncertainty over their business rates bills,” he said.

“The Government cannot take these businesses, and the essential services they provide in communities, for granted."

In January, the ACS called for a simpler appeals process for business rates, claiming the current system was neither simple nor accessible.

been sorted out yet”.

Food Solutions is also worried about calls to extend the legislation to non pre-packed and loose foodstuffs as well, which the EU said it had not ruled out. Such a move, proposed to combat growing obesity levels, would be “very concerning” for small producers.

“It couldn’t be made mandatory for practical

reasons,” Salmon said.

“Small businesses won’t have the background information to give information on all packs.”

“Nutritional information is quite a big issue, but labelling is a major problem for small businesses in all member states,” he said, adding that it was important to find out what other countries will do. Austria, Germany, Holland, Italy and Greece are among those voicing their support for clearer guidelines.

“If there is a clear mandate, the Commission will go along with it but it won’t unless there is,” he said. “They’ve made significant changes to draft legislation in the past.”

Food Solutions is working alongside the European Association of Craft Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (UEAPME), which is pushing for greater clarity and exemptions for micro-businesses across the EU. It will be discussing the matter at a high level forum with EU ministers.

Marshfield mooves to modern look

Marshfield Farm Ice Cream has rolled out a more contemporary pack design across its 30-strong line-up and added a new 500ml tub size to its retail range.

The tubs were previously only available for retail in 1L and 125ml mini-tubs. Owner Will Hawking said the clean, modern design underlined the role of the farm’s herd in producing the ice cream and was part of a “significant” investment to increase sales and extend distribution. The business, based near Bath, recently secured an additional 1,000 acres of pasture and added 30 cows to its herd. www.marshfield-icecream.co.uk Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

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finefoodnews

Borough revamps wine refill system

Indies need to offer a good ‘entry level’ wine, according to Borough Wines’ Muriel Chatel

BY ARABELLA MILEHAM London merchant Borough Wines is set to relaunch and expand its Borough Wine Corner fixtures, hosted in independent farm shops, delis and upmarket convenience stores.

The North Londonbased specialist rolled out the in-store wine system in 2013 as part of its wholesale arm, supplying

In brief l An

important national cider apple collection from Hereford containing around 300 different varieties has been left to the National Trust. Each variety will be propagated and planted in several different National Trust sites to ensure the orchards are futureproofed.

l Slow

Food International has warned that 17% of the world’s animal breeds are at risk from extinction, up 2% from 2006. The warnings were based on the publication of a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report.

l Cawston

Press has appointed Steve Kearns, formerly of Unilever, as its first managing director.

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retailers with a curated wine list and refill system within a branded fixture.

It is set to relaunch the refill system, allowing customers to fill bottles of red and white wine from a barrel, at the Farm Shop & Deli Show in April, replacing the current 10 litre bagin-box system with more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective wine kegs.

“It’s important to be able to supply a good entry level wine in independent shops.” founder Muriel Chatel told FFD. Chatel is looking to build the Borough Wine Corner network nationwide and is working on areas where the corners would do well. Farm shops and delis are the “ideal market”, she said, as people increasingly use them for the weekly shop.

“There are a lot more smaller, interesting food chains with three or four shops, and we’re finding retailers want it because the recognise the Borough Wine brand,” she added.

“Not everyone goes to wine shops and there are lots of people who are interested in wine, who appreciate it and drink it, but don’t like the interaction [of a specialist store] and prefer to buy it with their groceries.”

The wine merchant has also developed an app to help retailers sell wine more knowledgably. www.boroughwines.co.uk

Good take-up for LEADER grants after slow start

BY ARABELLA MILEHAM Micro-food businesses across England are showing strong interest in the current round of LEADER funding, which provides capital to help small rural firms grow – despite delays in getting the scheme off the ground.

The scheme, administered by Defra as part of the Rural Development Programme for England, offers grants of up to £200,000, or £130,000, on a matchfunding basis.

They are delivered through around 80 Local Action Groups (LAGs) across the UK, which decide who should receive helo in their area, and was announced last year.

While LAGs contacted

by FFD reported that interest from food businesses had been high, some had not been in a position to accept applications as the scheme had taken a long time to launch. Some elements of the “very rigid” process were not in place in the early stages, according to one LAG. The first round of applications are already being assessed in some regions across the South and West, but several Yorkshire LAGS only opened for entries few weeks ago.

The take-up suggests investment by small businesses is getting back on track, as they have to fund around 60% of the project cost themselves to be eligible.

“If I'd known then what I know now” EBONY HARDING HARRINGAY LOCAL STORE, LONDON MY HUSBAND PAUL AND I are both from Australia. He works in the music industry and I was working for an oil trading company – not what I wanted to be doing.

We weren’t sure how much longer we were going to be over here and wanted to do something worthwhile with our time.

We set out to create the kind of shop we always wanted to shop in. A lot of people assume we’re a health food store. We’re not. We do sell vegan and vegetarian food, but alongside free range British meat, organic fresh produce, charcuterie, dairy, artisan bread from local bakeries and a range of craft beer and wine.

As music-heads, we have also dedicated a corner to selling vinyl records.

We were lucky to find premises quickly, and after a six month refurb we opened our doors in January 2015.

We had hoped to do the work ourselves but halfway through we realised we needed professional help and got a retail designer in. Initially we spent too much

The purchase that has caused most headaches has been our Epos system. It wish I’d done more research before buying on things that weren’t necessary, before realising how much we still had to buy. We also bought a couple of pieces of equipment we’ve never used: a vac-packer for packing individual wedges of cheese, and a labeller.

The purchase that has caused most headaches has been our EPOS Now system. It might be popular but hasn’t been right for us. There’s no synergy with our supplier systems, so we can’t import price updates and everything has to be done manually. I wish I’d done more research before buying that particular system.

Originally, our vision was for everything to be organic. We’ve had to relax that for availability and price reasons – there is a limit to what people will pay for organic. We have, however, kept all our fresh produce organic, as that sets us apart from other greengrocers in the area.

Beer and wine are out most profitable lines. At the beginning we planned a wine store for the back of the shop but we became nervous about it and ended up with a shelf for white and a shelf for red. This has since expanded, and we now have a fairly decent range.

One product that surprised us for the opposite reason was baby food. Young mothers and families are some of our biggest customers, yet Ella’s Kitchen didn’t sell. Then we worked out why: the price we were buying at was the price Sainsbury’s was selling it for. In the end we sold them off at cost price and now, before we take on any new products, we look to see whether they are on sale in Tesco – our closest supermarket.

The records are my husband’s department. They’re quite slow moving but have picked up since the start of the year. Sometimes we wonder if we should be dedicating space to something that doesn’t turn over a lot, but it gives the shop personality.

I’ve not yet seen the accounts for the first year, but I know we’re not trading at a loss and I hope to make profit in the second year. We’ll probably be in the UK for another five years at least and I’d like to see what I can make of this business – potentially opening another shop in North London once we’re making money.

Interview by LYNDA SEARBY

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For more information call 01825 732497 or visit www.southcoastsystems.co.uk Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

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Food and Drink Expo attracts Welsh producers 34 companies will be part of the Food and Drink Wales stand at this year’s Food & Drink Expo, at the NEC in Birmingham from 18-20 April 2016.

Visit stand number:

N150, P150 and P160 in Hall 6

Welsh producers exhibiting will include Patchwork Pâté, Halen Môn, Snowdonia Cheese, Clark’s UK, Cradoc’s Savoury Biscuits and Princes Gate Spring Water. Plus a number of producers will be exhibiting as part of the Food and Drink Wales Showcase, including the winner of the Great Taste Golden Fork Award 2015, Apple County Cider.

There will be numerous new product launches and a display of varied produce ranging from cheese and pâté, to confectionery and drinks.

If you are involved in the food and drink industry please visit the Food and Drink Wales stand – N150, P150 and P160 in Hall 6 to discuss your specific interests and how your business could work with the Welsh producers present.

For more information on Food and Drink Wales go to www.gov.wales/foodanddrinkwales. @FoodDrinkWales

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finefoodnews

Why ‘flexitarians’ are the future

BY MICK WHITWORTH Fine food retailers face a world in which shoppers increasingly ‘off-set’ the fun of indulgent eating with a carefully planned combination of healthy diet and exercise.

According to Christophe Jouan of global trends consultancy The Future Foundation, “indulgence is under threat” from changing consumer attitudes and tighter government regulation.

Presenting this year’s City Food Lecture at London’s Guildhall, where his audience ranged from farmers, retailers and academics to HRH The Princess Royal, Jouan looked forward to what, when and how we will eat in 2025.

It’s a world of selfreplenishing fridges that order top-ups direct from Amazon, gadgets that track your food intake and advise you what to eat, and new artificial proteins to replace meat.

While convenience and speed become ever

In brief l Supermarkets

in France will be forced to donate unsold food to charity and food banks after the French government passed legislation banning them from throwing away or destroying food approaching its bestbefore date. Fines of up to £53,000 will be imposed on retailers who flout the rules.

Provision Trade Federation (PTF) has appointed Andrew Kuyk CBE as its new director general, who will take over from outgoing boss, Terry Jones on April 6.

Kuyk was the director of sustainability at the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) from 2009-2014 after joining the FDF from the civil service.

Christophe Jouan: People will flex their diets more to balance health and pleasure

more important, shoppers will look for higher quality, healthier alternatives to fast foods, Jouan said – like London-based firms Pronto and Deliverance, which deliver fresh chef-cooked meals to customers’ homes and offices.

“We’re seeing more and more sophisticated means of getting food to people’s doors,” he said.

“There will be a blurring of the boundaries between restaurant food and what we eat at home, so restaurants will have to be more creative to provide an

experience you cannot get at home.”

Consumers – particularly the under-30s – are becoming more safety conscious and risk averse in all areas of life, and actively welcome regulations that promise a “safer” diet, such as sugar or fat taxes.

“Among the young, it’s fashionable to be seen to be in control,” Jouan said, highlighting how wearable technology like Fitbit wristbands was making it easier for consumers to take charge of their diet and health. “In 2010, 3% of people used some kind of health tracking app. In 2016 it’s 16%. By 2025 it will be 32%. And that fact captures the mood of the nation.”

While only 7% of UK consumers are vegetarian or vegan, two-thirds of the population say they control their meat-eating to some degree. Producers and retailers will need to carefully target these “flexitarians”, providing options for both high days and healthier days. www.cityfoodlecture.com

Oil that glitters...

l The

Northern Ireland’s Broighter Gold has launched a version of its rapeseed oil flecked with edible 24-carat gold.

The company, based on a family farm near Limavady in Co Derry, developed Liquid Gold oil (50ml, RRP £9) for finishing fish and salad dishes and is pitching it at professional chefs as well as home cooks.

The producer is also currently applying, via Defra, for EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for its original oil. www.broightergold.co.uk

Comment EDWARD PERRY CO-FOUNDER, COOK I’M NOT SURE ANYONE EVER TOLD ME I’ve got great taste. Mismatched, scruffy clothes, yes. Almost total blindness on aesthetic matters. And I don’t even own a music collection.

Yet I’ve made my career in the business of taste. My success depends on COOK making great tasting food, and I definitely know what my food should taste like.

What‘s more, I religiously, almost pathologically, taste it, day after day.

Plenty of food entrepreneurs do the same. But I’m pretty sure there are others who don’t. Or who, after years making the same product, believe they’ve got it nailed.

Last week, I sat down with Paul Hargreaves to taste various lines distributed by his company, Cotswold Fayre. Paul generally picks the best artisan and fine food products out there, but a few of these left me frustrated. I was pretty sure the taste I experienced was not what the brand aspired to. If I was tasting this lack of quality, why weren’t they?

Consistency is the holy grail of our industry. When you combine the potent variables of fresh ingredients

Our daily taste panel is the most important meeting of the day and even fresher human beings, things will inevitably go wrong. At COOK, we try to combat this through our daily taste panel, sampling every batch we make. It’s the most important meeting in the business and gives us a daily barometer of quality in our kitchen.

Obsessing about taste is the only way to get ahead in fine food. Your FD or accountant may tell you it’s about margin, distribution, packaging or marketing but don’t let them distract you. There really is no accounting for taste. It’s far more important than that. www.cookfood.net

Kay goes back to her roots at Croots A former senior retail executive at Boots and Asda has returned to the family farm shop to help her husband with the strategic direction of the business.

Kay Croot, who most recently ran the Hertfordshire and Middlesex region of Boots, has joined husband Steve at Derbyshire’s Croots Farm Shop following a recent revamp.

Prior to joining Boots as store development director in 2005, Croot was a merchandising director at Asda, and previously worked as a buyer at Aldi.

She will take on a strategic role, focusing on events and longer term development, while Steve will continue to run the farm shop and Shires

Eatery café on a day-to-day basis.

The farm shop has been revamped with “homely” new shelving displays and fixtures, which have slightly increased the space for a wider range of gifts and homewares, and better lighting throughout the shop. www.croots.co.uk

Kay Croot: senior roles at Asda and Boots Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

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Not all mustards are created equal voted ‘best supplier of pickles & chutneys’ for 5 years on the trot.

Find us online: tracklements.co.uk or call us on: 01666 827 044

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March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

design: bigfish.co.uk

made using a fine & malty wadworth beer, our british beer mustard is brimming with good cheer.

finefoodnews Comment CLARE MCDERMOTT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, SOIL ASSOCIATION CERTIFICATION WITH SO MANY PRODUCT CLAIMS in today’s marketplace, making an ethical choice that is kind to the environment and good for animal welfare can be complicated.

So many logos, labels and ‘standards’ are just marketing. They don’t mean what they imply or have the consumer’s best interests at heart. For example, phrases like ‘farm fresh’ have nothing do with animal welfare. With so much choice and so little explanation, it can be difficult for people to know which to choose.

There are strict laws laid down about organic food, which must comply with EU regulations in order to display a logo. But on-shelf alongside other products claiming health or environmental benefits, ‘organic’ might look like just another form of marketing.

It is up to us, the standard setters and certifiers, to explain what’s behind the logo and why shoppers should pick one ethical label over another. We all need to take responsibility and help tell people the truth about what they are buying.

In the face of climate change and rising diet-related ill health, the challenges of producing healthier food,

New openings

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

Cranstons banks on Brampton site

Phrases like ‘farm fresh’ have nothing do with animal welfare cutting greenhouse gas emissions, reducing pollution and protecting wildlife and animal welfare grow more acute by the year. Organic farms use lower levels of pesticides, no weed-killers or artificial fertilisers and practise more sustainable management of the natural environment. But it’s not easy to squeeze all of this into one label.

To win over consumers looking for the ethical purchase we need to take people on a journey. People want to make the right choice, but also know why it’s the right choice. We hope our business support, from training days to free marketing materials, helps people understand more about organic and make it part of their ethical shop. www.soilassociation.org

Single origin move for drinking chocolate Hans Sloane Chocolates is looking to expand distribution in farm shops and delis with a premium range of single origin drinking chocolate.

The company, set up in 2010 but relaunched with new products and packs in 2014, is targeting independents and hopes to supply 100 farm shops and delis within the next year.

As well as listings in the Historic Royal Palaces and the Chelsea Physic Garden, Hans Sloane supplies coffee shops and around 260 Waitrose stores with its standard Smooth Milk and Rich Dark range.

But founder Brian

Watts said the business had been working on a separate range of origin chocolate – Madagascar 67%, Ecuador 70% and Taste of Honey drinking chocolate – specifically for independents.

“Single origin is accepted in coffee, but less so in drinking chocolate,” he told FFD. www.sirhanssloane.com

BY ARABELLA MILEHAM Cranstons has created its latest food hall in Cumbria, after relocating its traditional butchers’ shop in the town of Brampton, nine miles south-east of Carlisle, to a former high street bank.

At 2,000 sq ft, the new food hall, which opened in February, has twice the footprint of the previous shop, allowing its ambient offering to grow substantially, MD Philip Cranston told FFD. The deli and ambient side comprises 12m of shelving, stocking around 1,800 of the company’s most popular lines, primarily from suppliers who already supply its Orton Grange Food Hall and flagship Cumbrian Food Hall in Penrith.There is also a 2m aisle for wine and local ales.

“Our main local brewery is Eden Brewery at Brougham Hall near Penrith,” Cranston said, “but at Brampton we will also feature Hesket Newmarket Brewery and a fairly new supplier, Tractor Shed Brewing Company, which is based on a farm near Workington.”

He said the high ceilings and large original windows of the Grade II listed former HSBC bank in Brampton had

proved a “challenge” for the architects, as certain walls had to be retained, but the traditional details made “a great ambience”.

The ground floor banking hall, offices and safe have been knocked together to create a split level shop floor, with the butchery and ambient goods on one elevation and a ramp and steps leading to the deli area beyond.

Back offices were converted into storage and preparation areas with chillers and freezers.

However the project was delayed by several months because it took longer than expected to remove the bank’s strongroom.

The shop is being managed by Mark Mallinson, who rejoined the firm in 2003 and has managed Cranston’s previous Brampton shop since 2011.

He started working for the butchers’ as a 14-yearold Saturday boy, later serving his apprenticeship and moving into product development.

“Cranstons have been looking for new premises for a long time,” he said, “so it’s great to see something we have been talking about for years come to fruition.” www.cranstons.net

At a glance l

l

l

The new shop is in a Grade II listed former bank on Front St, opposite the company’s original butchers’ shop.

Relocating across the road and doubling the floorspace has helped create four new jobs.

Suppliers include: Appleby Creamery, Cumberland Mustard, Farrer’s of Kendal, Claire’s Handmade, Brysons of Keswick, the North Lakes Dairy, Country Puddings, English Lakes Ice Cream, Lakes Free Range Eggs, Little Salkeld Watermill, Mr Vikki’s, Wild & Fruitful, Paddigill Rum Butter, Silver & Green, Traybakes, The Toffee Shop and the Gretna Bakery.

The deli also stocks local ales, wines and spirits, including Bedrock gin, Kin vodka, and beers from the Eden Brewery, Tractor Shed Brewing Co, Cumbrian Legendary Ales and Hesket Newmarket Brewery.

Some French wines is imported direct from the vineyard.

Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

11

LE GRUYÈRE AOP

*

BORN IN SWITZERLAND, 1115 A.D. And remains the only cheese that’s 100% Natural, 100% Traditional, 100% from Switzerland and 100% Le Gruyère AOP *AOP = PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) – must be traditionally and entirely prepared and produced within the region, thus acquiring the unique properties of Gruyère AOP cheese, to bear the name Le Gruyère AOP.

The uniquely smooth, savoury flavour you’ll find only in Le Gruyère AOP is a product of its upbringing – where the cows that supply the milk are grazed (only in the villages of Western Switzerland), the way the cheese is aged and cared for (slow-aged in the region’s cheese cellars and caves), and the recipe that’s remained, unchanged, for centuries (hand-made, in small batches). For a smooth and mild yet extremely satisfying taste, Le Gruyère Classic is aged 5 months minimum. Le Gruyère Reserve, which has been aged for 10 months or more, has a smooth but more robust flavour. Both varieties are great in recipes, or sliced as a snack. Either way, we’re sure you’ll enjoy the only cheese that can call itself Le Gruyère AOP.

Switzerland. Naturally.

12 March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

Castle of Gruyères

Born in Switzerland in 1115. www.gruyere.com

Cheeses from Switzerland. www.cheesesfromswitzerland.com

finefood news

Analysis BY PATRICK McGUIGAN

The team behind a new food passport scheme hope it will restore belief in the supply chain and reconnect farmers and consumers Consumers can discover the full provenance of Happerleycoded products by scanning an on-pack QR code

F

armers and fine food retailers have welcomed a new passport scheme designed to improve traceability at every stage of the food chain, through to the end consumer.

Launched last month by two Gloucestershire beef farmers, the Happerley scheme (named after a local village) enables primary producers to create a unique passport and traceability code for their produce.

This can then be validated online at each stage of the supply chain by processors, wholesalers or retailers, and consumers can then access the information as they shop, via an onpack or on-shelf QR code.

Co-founders Matthew Rymer and Clifford Freeman said the scheme would help to reduce food fraud, reconnect consumers with farmers and validate claims about local production.

“Fifteen years after foot-and-mouth,” said Rymer, “the British farmer and consumer continue to be sold short by food processors, manufacturers and retailers working together to disguise and mislead on provenance and collectively collude in

driving down farm-gate prices.

“Producer margins are now squeezed to the point where we see most sectors losing money in the face of anonymous meat and dairy imports.

“Until there is upfront consumer-facing traceability on packaging, on fresh meat counters and on menus, to connect producers to the consumer and empower the consumer to make considered choices, the future is as bleak as ever.”

Many farm shops and delis already have good traceability because they have short supply chains, working directly with primary producers. This is an advantage over the supermarkets that Happerley will help to highlight, said co-founder Freeman. “Shoppers can scan the QR codes and see for themselves.”

The challenge of traceability was highlighted in January when retailer Bodnant Welsh Food was criticised for labelling gammon as ‘Welsh’, when

the pork was originally from Belgium. The shop apologised after a shopper noticed the word ‘Belgie’ stamped on the ham.

Chris Morton, Bodnant’s managing director, said the joint had been incorrectly labelled due of a misunderstanding with Welsh supplier Farm Fresh Foods, which described the gammon as Welsh on its delivery note. “The company clarified that the pork used in their curing

which produces most of its own food on site. He welcomed the Happerley passport scheme as a way of adding clarity to the food chain, while also preventing serious fraud.

“I could see this being very helpful to smaller businesses,” he told FFD. “People are much more interested in where their food comes from and you can see how tempting it would be for unscrupulous suppliers to sell meat as organic or a different breed, if they can get a premium.

How will Joe Public ever know?”

At Suffolk Salami, co-owner Ian Whitehead said mislabelling further down the supply chain was relatively common. “We’ve seen Suffolk Salami on the menu in pubs and we know it’s not our product.

It happens more than we’d like.

“We rely on Trading Standards to do something about it and we approach operators directly. Once a product leaves a producer, it is difficult to keep trace of it.”

Lincolnshire pork farmer Sally Jackson, who runs the Pink Pig Farm Shop and chairs farm shop association

Until there is upfront consumerfacing traceability on packaging, on fresh meat counters and on menus the future is as bleak as ever MATTHEW RYMER, CO-FOUNDER, HAPPERLEY process was from the EU,” Morton said, “[and] we immediately ensured that our labelling was altered to reflect this.”

A legal loop-hole means products made with meat and dairy ingredients from outside the UK can be labelled as British if they are processed here. “You can buy chicken from Thailand, put it in a gourmet readymeal and claim it’s ‘British’,” said Jon Edwards, MD of the Ludlow Food Centre,

FARMA, also hailed the new initiative, but warned it would face challenges.

“I like the idea of printing a QR code for the counter that customers can scan, but the danger is that it will be left up there for months and won’t actually relate to the product [on display]. Producers don’t want another level of bureaucracy and there is only so much space on packaging.” www.happerley.com

BY MICK WHITWORTH A West Country supplier of free range eggs to Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges is ruffling feathers among fellow producers with a campaign flagging the growing use of multi-tier hen housing by larger operators.

Blackacre Farm, run

by Dan and Briony Wood, will promote its No MultiTier Here campaign at exhibitions, in schools and online. It says many farmers have turned to the more cost-efficient, “industrialised” multi-tier method, housing up to 64,000 birds on several levels in “the equivalent of highrise urban living”.

It contrasts this with its own, more traditional singletier system, and says the

BFREPA

Can Happerley restore trust in traceability?

Blackacre takes pop at multi-tier free-range hen housing

More big free-range producers are switching to multi-tier hen housing

term ‘free range’ is losing all meaning.

Dan Wood told FFD: “There’s a real split between producers using single-tier and multi-tier methods. As demand increases and prices are driven down, it is more difficult for smaller farmers who want to remain true to traditional methods to compete.

“Our campaign is designed to raise awareness of the difference in these methods, so consumers can make an informed decision.”

The British Free Range Egg Producers Association, representing firms of all sizes, says neither system offers better welfare than the other. Stocking densities are the same and the birds are equally free to roam.

Chairman Myles Thomas told FFD: “Regardless of the choice of housing system, the same high welfare standards are applied and all birds have access to the range, to food, to water and space to move around in.”

Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

13

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14

March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

cheesewire

news & views from the cheese counter

Military base maker unveils new recruits

BY PATRICK McGUIGAN The former sales director of Scottish wholesaler Clarks Speciality Foods has swapped distributing cheese for actually making it with the launch of a new company in Perthshire.

The Strathearn Cheese Company, which is based at a former military camp in Comrie, has been set up by Pierre Leger, who worked for Clarks for 15 years, and his business partner Drew Watson, who previously worked in fire prevention.

Production started at the beginning of this month with a 200-litre Asta vat, which is used to make two pasteurised cows’ milks cheeses weighing 200-250g each.

Strathearn is a soft cheese, which is washed in

Strathearn’s eponymous cheese is washed with whisky at its premises on the site of an old POW camp in Perthshire

whisky as it is matured for around four weeks, while Lady Mary is a lactic cheese brushed in Summer Harvest rapeseed oil and sprinkled

with locally foraged wild garlic. The cheese is named after a beauty spot near the River Earn where the garlic grows.

“I used to look after hotels, restaurants and delis, so know very well that these two profiles of cheese are not available in Scotland at the moment,” said Leger. “Washed rind and Continental cheeses were not always so popular, but now people want pretty little cheeses with nice colour and more character.”

The company’s production premises are based at the former kitchen unit at the Cultybraggan camp, which was originally used as a prisoner of war camp during World War II. Leger, who trained at the School of Artisan Food, will make around 170200 cheeses each day and aims to supply wholesalers such as Clarks, Harvey & Brockless and Brakes.

Brits sought for global raw milk event

Continental inspiration takes hold at Oxforshire’s Nettlebed Creamery

The organisers of the worldwide Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day have urged British retailers to get involved.

Launched last year by the French cheese association Guilde Internationale des Fromagers and the USbased campaigner Oldways Cheese Coalition, it takes place this year on April 16 and the aim is to beat the total of 500 events that took place under the banner in 2015.

“We had everything from simple samplings of raw milk cheeses, to meetthe-cheesemaker events, pairing classes and quiz nights,” said programme director Carlos Yescas.

Retailers can post information about their events on the website and should use the hashtag #rawmilkcheese if they are promoting on social media.

BY PATRICK McGUIGAN

www.oldwayscheese.org/ registration

Several new artisan cheeses are being developed at the production facilities of Oxfordshire cheese-maker Nettlebed Creamery.

The company, which was set up last year by Rose Grimond, is trialling a cheese called Bix, which is a cross between a Chaource and a Brillat-Savarin. The 200g triple cream cheese, which is named after the village where the cows are kept, is made with Jersey cream and is rich and creamy with a pleasing lactic tang. When young, Bix has a fluffy inner core and dense breakdown just underneath the rind.

“I’ve always loved Chaource but think it’s hard to find a really good one in the UK, let alone a British version,” said Grimond.

The company has also radically changed its flagship Saint Bartholomew cheese, which started out as a Taleggio-style soft washed

Unsung

heroes HIDDEN GEMS FROM BRITISH PRODUCERS

FRESCO ANGELICO In a nutshell: A lactic goats’ cheese from Brock Hall Farm, famed for its Dutch Mistress and Capra Nouveau. Made with raw milk from pure Saanen goats, it is set slowly over 18-20 hours and sold just a day or two later in 180g sealed pots.

Flavour and texture: Owner Sarah Hampton describes the cheese as “feminine and billowing” thanks to its silky texture and clean, lemony flavour.

History: Former PR director Hampton moved to Brock Hall Farm in 2000 and started making cheese in 2010 after building up her herd of goats.

Cheese care: The sealed pots have a two-week shelf life and should be stored at 4°C. Eat within 3-5 days of opening.

Why stock it? It’s versatile and can be used in salads, to stuff pasta or mixed into sauces. Also great on a cheese board.

Nettlebed is now making the triple cream Bix (left) while Norton & Yarrow’s new line-up includes the Pouligny-style Sinodum Hill (right)

rind cheese, but is now an Alpine-style hard cheese.

The milk is scalded and the 2kg rounds are washed for the first few weeks before being matured for four months until they have a creamy, nutty flavour.

Nettlebed is also home to start-up goats’ cheese company Norton & Yarrow.

Set up by Fraser Norton and partner Rachel Yarrow, the company make goats’ curd and two cheeses: Little Wittenham – a lactic

cheese that is similar to Rocamadour – and a Pouligny-style cheese called Sinodun Hill. Both are made with raw milk sourced from a local farm and the couple are also in their process of building up their own herd of Anglo-Nubian goats.

Yarrow has also been helping to make make Nettlebed’s cheeses while Grimond is on maternity leave. www.nettlebedcreamery.com www.nortonandyarrow.co.uk

Perfect partners: A crisp white wine, like Chablis or Loire sauvignon blanc.

Or good topped with pink peppercorns, fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes or beetroot.

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

Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

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cheddar

Selling it by the truckle Where better for a discussion about the country’s favourite cheese than a deli named after the stuff? PATRICK McGUIGAN headed for west London to talk maturing, pricing and flavour profiles.

The Cheddar Deli in Ealing carries a wide range of cheddars, both in taste and price

Cheesemonger Brent Wilkinson is such a cheddar nut that he named his shop after Britain’s best loved cheese.

The Cheddar Deli in Ealing, west London, opened nearly five years ago and has gone from strength to strength.

It was named as a finalist in the 2013 Cheese Counter of the Year competition and most recently added a walk-in maturing room to the shop, most of which is dedicated to Wilkinson’s favourite cheese.

“I’m pretty passionate about cheddar,” he admits.

“I can put together a whole cheeseboard of different cheddars and each one has got something different about it in terms of flavour and texture.”

The shop’s counter is home to between 150200 cheeses and cheddar is always one of its top five best-sellers, with options ranging from West

Country classics such as Montgomery’s, Westcombe and Keen’s to modern cheddar-style cheeses such as Hafod and Lincolnshire Poacher. Wookey Hole Cave Aged and Isle of Mull are also firm favourites.

“Each one has its own unique profile, which means we can normally find a cheddar to suit most people’s tastes, whether that’s a buttery, medium cheddar like Westcombe or the Isle of Mull which is

cheddar – some people want a big hit up front,” says Wilkinson. “They are also at a nice price point for people who are going to cook with it.”

The temperaturecontrolled walk-in maturing room that Wilkinson added to the shop around a year ago has taken the cheddar range to new levels and whole truckles, bought directly from cheese-makers, are matured for several months longer.

Not everybody wants a long finish on their vintage cheddar. Some people want a big hit up front.

Brent Wilkinson, The Cheddar Deli

strong and salty, almost like Parmesan.”

The range are also covers a variety of price points. Montgomery’s sells for £26.50/kg, Wookey Hole for £19.50/kg and there also entry level cheddars, such as Colliers and Coastal, at around £14/ kg.

“Those cheeses are important because not everybody wants a long finish on their vintage

Montgomery’s, for example, is bought at a year old but typically sold at 16 months. Offering this kind of service helps ward off competition from the big retailers.

“We’ve got a Waitrose not far from us with a car park and a lovely café, says Wilkinson. “We share that customer base so we need a difference.”

The room is kept at 10-12°C and Wilkinson has been experimenting with different cheeses. A truckle of Tain cheddar from Highland Fine Cheeses, which was bought at 10

months, was recently opened at 17 months.

“When we tried it – wow! – I had tingles down my spine,” he says. “Such a beautiful full flavour, milky but also spice coming through. I’m sure the cows had been eating clover.

“It hadn’t gone too dry and had started to develop some crystals, but still had a beautiful yellow colour.”

The next step is to allow customers to buy their own truckle and let them age it in the shop. Once matured, they can either sell it back to the shop for a 15% return or come in and have an ‘opening up’ party with their friends.

“We want customers to come in and show their friends their truckle in the maturing room.”

Other ways of getting his customers as excited about cheddar as he is include regular tastings with local pubs, restaurants, and suppliers, as well as visiting cheese-makers.

The shop’s weekly £5 and £10 bags are also popular. The £5 bag contains three pre-wrapped cheeses, one of which is likely to be a cheddar (last month’s included Winterdale Shaw from Kent), while the £10 bag also contains olives, charcuterie and bread. Cheese hampers and a Cheese Club with monthly deliveries are also good ways of boosting sales and allowing the shop to stock a larger range of cheddars.

With so many to choose from, Wilkinson is at first reluctant to reveal his favourite. “I love all cheddars. I’m really into the Tain at the moment,” he says. But when pressed a little further he admits that Westcombe would be his ‘desert island’ cheddar.

“It’s a good buttery cheddar at a good price,” he says. “You can have it on a cheeseboard or in a sandwich. And it’s great in my homemade moussaka.”

cheddars to try Hafod, Carmarthenshire Sam Holden and his wife Rachel make Hafod (pronounced 'havod') using organic unpasteurised milk from their own herd of Ayrshire cows. They work to a 100-year-old recipe, which results in a buttery, sweet and mellow cheese with a hint of sharpness.

Winterdale Shaw, Kent This fruity, raw milk cheddar is made just over 20 miles from the centre of London. Robin (pictured above) and Carla Betts started production in 2006 after building their own oak-framed cheese barn complete with a maturing cave dug into the chalk downs.

Barwheys, Ayrshire Former London management consultant Tricia Bey moved to Scotland in 2005 and makes a raw milk cheddar with Ayrshire milk. It is matured for 12-14 months and has a close, creamy texture and a long flavour with caramel and nutty notes, plus a decent tang.

Quickes Vintage, Devon Cheddar legend Mary Quicke matures this cheese (above) for 24 months, making it one of the most mature farmhouse cheddars in the country.

Quicke describes the resulting cheese as having a “staircase of flavours”, taking in creaminess, savoury umami notes and a mellow caramel sweetness.

www.cheddardeli.co.uk Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

17

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making more of british & continental charcuterie

Expansion fuels product development at Deli Farm

BY MICK WHITWORTH Biltong and nduja are among lines that could soon be added to the list of salamis and air-dried meats from Deli Farm Charcuterie.

It follows an expansion project that has lifted production capacity at the north Cornwall firm to around 1.5 tonnes a week – equivalent to 800-900kg of dried product.

Owners Jean and Martin Edwards were set to host an open day at the farm-based operation near Delabole as FFD went to press, to celebrate 10 years in business and show off the new facilities. These include a 160 sq ft maturing and storage room and a 300 sq ft slice-and-pack area and adjoining dispatch room.

“With the extra storeroom we can do more production during quiet periods and take some of the pressure off the busy times,” Jean Edwards said.

Ironing out seasonal

Insulated shipping containers have been used to create extra production, storage, slice-and-pack and dispatch space

peaks and troughs also means Deli Farm can keep its six permanent staff employed full time.

The extra space has been created using insulated shipping containers “grafted on” to the original buildings at Deli Farm, Edwards said.

“Once it became obvious we needed to expand, we really had to do it ASAP. Although we had planning permission for a new

building, putting it up from scratch would have taken a long time and been very disruptive.”

Deli Farm still produces in “artisan-size” batches but now has scope to double output to three tonnes a month (wet weight).

Growth will come mainly from restaurants and delis, Edwards predicted. “Farm shops are a bit harder now, because there are a lot more

charcuterie makers all over the country and farm shops tend to go local.”

New product development is being driven partly by client requests.

Since last summer, Deli Farm has been making beef and venison biltong for a South African customer in London.

A semi-cured cooking chorizo developed for Mustard Foods, which makes ready-to-use ingredients

Meat Merchants ‘pub snacks’ rebranded after shift to all-British production

What works best with what beer?

• Chorizo Slices – With smoky paprika, spices, herbs and chilli, these pair well with a rye IPA or amber ale.

• Salami Slices – Blended with fennel seed and spices, then cured and air-dried, these complement a pale ale.

• Strips O’Beef – A porter or black IPA will set off these strips of silverside, which are marinated in coriander seeds, white pepper and nutmeg then cured and air-dried.

• Hot Strips O’Beef – Like the plain strips but with a “poky kick” of Yorkshire chilli jam, they match with a wellhopped IPA or a sour beer.

www.cleaverandkeg.co.uk

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beers. Priced at £1.18 per unit with an RRP of £2.50, they come in cases of 25, with a minimum order of 100 packs. Shelf life is four months (ambient).

Danny Searle runs craft beer-focused pubs and created the snacks brand with Cannon after concluding that real beer lovers also appreciated artisan foods. “We thought it was a crying shame that the default bar snack was a packet of crisps or peanuts,” he said.

www.delifarmcharcuterie.co.uk

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they are also “keen to find a retail distributor for selected placement”.

•

Four-strong range is now all made with British meat

The relaunch coincides with a switch to fully British manufacture using Cleaver & Keg’s own recipes.

The range is now being made by the British Premium Sausage Co in Bradford, using “high welfare” meat, reared to a minimum of Red Tractor standards.

The same producer also makes The Bath Pig brand of mini salamis.

Cleaver & Keg’s line-up currently comprises four products, formulated to match well with craft

•

BY MICK WHITWORTH The Meat Merchants range of cured meat snacks, introduced in 2013, has been relaunched under the name Cleaver & Keg as the brand looks to gain more traction in the pub market.

National drinks distributor Matthew Clark is already offering the snacks brands to the on-trade, but its co-founders – Norfolk publican Danny Searle and London charcuterie specialist Sean Cannon of Borough Market-based Cannon & Cannon – say

for restaurant groups, has also been added to Deli Farm’s general product list.

“Mustard Foods have been supplying it to [Mexicanthemed chain] Wahaca, and we’re sending out 600kg800kg a month.”

The firm is also working on a recipe for nduja, the spicy Italian spreading salami traditionally made with Calabrian chillis. “We shied away from it at first,” said Edwards, “and we haven’t quite perfected yet. But a client asked for some, so we’ve sent out samples and are waiting for feedback.”

Also new to the Deli Farm product list is salami made with big chunks of lardo – pork back-fat cured with salt, herbs and spices – rather than simple pork fat.

Flavoured with cinnamon, cloves and star anise, it was originally developed as a Christmas product but now appears on the year-round list as lardo salami.

Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

21

Far ms hop & Deli S how S tand D200 16 Great Taste Awards Just add food!

Come & taste our new products Order direct or through fine food wholesalers

www.scarlettandmustard.co.uk

Tel: 01282 440040 Email: info@riggsautopack.co.uk www.riggsautopack.co.uk 22

March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

productupdate

soft drinks

Give it some spritz and sparkle

products in brief O Importer

Heathwick has added American soda brand Dominion to its portfolio.

www.heathwick.com

Raw smoothies, apple spritzers and superwaters are among the soft drink innovations tracked by LYNDA SEARBY in her category round-up O Ginger

On-trend matcha green tea, hailed for its detox and antioxidant properties, is the star ingredient in a new range of cold pressed teas from Modo Drinks. Made via a cold brew process to preserve the integrity of the fresh ingredients, the matcha tea is combined with raw fruit juices to create two ready-todrink green teas: lemon & matcha and pineapple & matcha. The teas have been stocked by Selfridges since January. www.mododrinks.com

The benefits of rooibos are now available in sparkling iced tea format, following the arrival of newcomer Cape. The blend of rooibos tea and fruit juices with added vitamins, ginseng and botanical extracts,

Azerbaijani pomegranate juice producer Aznar has the UK in its sights as a potential market for its Grante brand of not-from-concentrate pomegranate juice drinks. The company says its method of direct extraction with membrane presses gives it an advantage over other producers, as it preserves the properties of the fresh fruit.

comes in slimline matte cans in three flavours: cherry & açaí, peach & lychee and pineapple & passion fruit.

RRP £1.50-£2.

www.granteworld.com

There are six flavours to choose from: original (apple & grape), hibiscus, cranberry, mango, cherry and lemon & lime (RRP £1.89 per 250ml can).

www.capedrinks.com

From protein coconut water to maple and birch water, so called ‘superwaters’ aimed at health-conscious hydrators have been tipped as a big trend for 2016.

One of the brands riding this wave is newcomer Buddha Water, described as a “lightly sparkling superwater, with a healthy dash of unadulterated Scandinavian birch sap – known for its powerful hydrating and detoxifying effects”.

Pitched as a refreshing

www.buddha-water.co.uk

and come in St Clements (orange & lemon), apple, pear & elderflower, sparkling raspberry and sparkling ginger flavours.

Metro Drinks’ offering, meanwhile, is based on spring water and Englishgrown ingredients and presented in slim 250ml cans. Marketed under the Folkington’s Garden banner, the range comprises ginger beer plus three pressés – lemon & mint, elderflower and rhubarb & apple – with an average of less than 100 calories per drink. RRP £1.20 per can. www.frobishers.com www.metrodrinks.co.uk

www.sideoven.com O Building

on the launch of its first light pressé - elderflower - in January 2014, Belvoir Fruit Farms has introduced raspberry lemonade light and elderflower & rose pressé light. www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk O Combining

alternative to sugary fizzy drinks and alcohol, Buddha Water contains no artificial flavourings or sweeteners.

Adding some fizz to their ranges Two speciality juice producers – Frobishers and Folkington’s – have moved into the adult soft drinks space, both launching fruitbased sparklers in singleserve formats.

Containing less than 90 calories per 330ml bottle, Frobishers Classics target a female audience

& lemon is the latest organic cordial to come out of the juicery on Carr House Farm, East Yorkshire.

a secret spice blend with a fruity base and Gran Stead’s signature ginger kick, spiced ginger punch is geared towards adults looking for no-alcohol alternatives to their favourite drinks. www.Gransteadsginger.co.uk O Cawston

Press’s new spiced tomato juice contains 88% pressed tomatoes, blended with a splash of apple juice and the company’s signature spice mix.

www.cawstonpress. com O Breckland

Orchard’s Posh Pop pressé has been treated to a packaging redesign. www. brecklandorchard. co.uk Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

23

productupdate Trendwatch: A is for apple The Germans have been quaffing Apfelschorle (apple juice and sparkling mineral water) for years, and now this combo is starting to gain popularity in the UK – it’s a concept that fits with the growing consumer desire for healthier soft drinks made from natural ingredients.

Former Coca Cola boss Chris Banks has embarked on a new venture – Newton’s Appl Fizzics. While it doesn’t take Einstein to figure out that

combining apple juice with sparkling water will result in a lower sugar content, the drink’s “40% less sugar than apple juice” claim has already caught the interest of Harrods and the on-trade. Appl Fizzics is available in 330ml and 750ml bottles, with respective RRPs of £1.29 and £2.49.

Meanwhile, Thør dry apple spritz has just emerged from a rebrand and is available in three varieties: mint, apple and ginger.

It went on sale on a trial basis in 275ml

bottles in Revital stores in February.

Five Valleys Cordials claims to be first in the category to offer a sugarfree range for healthconscious consumers. The new cherry & elderflower and apple & lemonbalm cordials are sweetened with sucralose and stevia and have an RRP of £3.50 for 375ml.

The Cotswold producer has also moved into sparklers with an offering that is free from preservatives, artificial flavours, colours and sweeteners. The 330ml bottles of lemon & mint, pomegranate & rose and peach & lychee have an RRP of £2.20.

Le Fruit, whose juices are made entirely from fresh produce sourced from Vietnam, has launched its first veggie juice. The carrotorangepineapple juice launches at the same time as a new mango nectar, in new-look packaging that is being rolled out across the brand’s juice and nectar ranges.

will also be unveiling a Blood Mary mix, based on its own vine ripened and handpicked tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce equivalent.

www.newtonsapplfizzics.com www.thordrinks.com

www.thetomatostall.com

Originally an iced tea brand, Jenks Brands-owned Daymer Bay Drinks has branched out into juice, water and botanical blends.

Cloudy lemon & ginger, orange, mango & ginseng and pear, elderflower & jasmine have now replaced

www.vergersmekong.com

This month sees the return of The Tomato Stall’s tomato & cucumber cordial, which can be mixed with sparkling water and dressed with mint (with or without a splash of gin) for a “sweet and delicate” summertime drink. RRP £3.95 for 250ml. The Isle of Wight tomato producer

New to soft drinks… Rocktails

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without alcohol – straight from the freezer.

The four blends - lime, mint & yuzu (Mockito), passionfruit, mango & guava (Tropical Cooler), pineapple, coconut water & guanabana (Coco Colada) and strawberry, lemon & goji berry (Berrylicious) – are designed to “instantly

Radnor Hills has updated its bottle design, altering the shape to make it easier to grip while on the go, and adding a dragon emblem to reinforce the water’s Welsh provenance.

The Welsh mineral water company’s Heartsease Farm range of pressés now includes an apple & rhubarb variety, available in 425ml PET as well as glass.

The company’s schoolcompliant drinks range has also been enlarged with a new Radnor Fizz sour cherry variety and and cherry & raspberry in Radnor Fruits.

Each 330ml bottle counts as one of your five a day and contains 45% fruit juice. www.radnorhills.co.uk

www.fivevalleyscordials.co.uk

Chris Yandell and Katie Bain’s holiday romance with mocktails has become a long-term commitment, following the launch in January of Rocktails.

The Devon duo have created a range of mocktails in pouches that can be frozen at home and then served as a crush – with or

soft drinks

transport you to somewhere exotic”.

The trade price is £1.50+VAT and RRP is £3 per 250ml pouch.

Stockists so far include Dartington Food Hall, Riverford Farm shops, Mange Tout in Kingsbridge and Lazy Cow, Modbury. www.rocktails.co.uk

Products in brief O Originally released in 2012 to celebrate the Olympics and Will and Kate’s Wedding, Wobblegate’s Sussex apple juice with its Union Flag outfit is back for 2016 by popular demand.

www.wobblegate.co.uk

O Square

Root Soda Works is releasing a cream soda which has been aged and fermented in bourbon barrels for three months.

www.squarerootsoda.co.uk O Chegworth

Valley’s new apple & plum juice is made from fruit grown on the farm in the heart of the Kent countryside. www.chegworthvalley. com

three of its iced tea flavours, and the entire range has been treated to a redesign.

Trade price is £7.99 for 12 x 400ml bottles. RRP £1.25. www.jenksbrands.com

NEW Naturally lovely drinks for Spring...

Try our two new PressĂŠs for 2016, refreshing & delicate Cucumber & Mint available in 25cl & 75cl, and fabulously fruity Dragon Fruit & Raspberry available in 25cl.

Available to order from March.

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Take a look at the full range of our lovely drinks at www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk or phone 0044 1476 870286

Folkingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Juices, The Workshop, Endlewick House, Arlington, East Sussex BN26 6RU 01323 485602 - info@folkingtons.com

www.folkingtons.com Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

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OWLET Fine quality Kentish juices available in 250ml & 1litre bottles.

an d St

Numb e

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J160

41 Awards Celebrating 30 years as fruit growers.

Food & Drink Expo

Super Premium Sparkling Soft Drink Range Available in 750ml Glass, 6 Delicious Flavours Elderflower Pressé, Traditional Lemonade, Fiery Ginger Beer, Raspberry Lemonade, British Blackcurrant Crush and Apple & Rhubarb

t: 01892 890553 e: hello@owletfruitjuice.co.uk

owletfruitjuice.co.uk

Apple Juice with (OGHUÁRZHU

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Traditional British Recipes www.radnorhills.co.uk

productupdate Drinks with a social conscience Two like-minded beverage producers, Lemonaid and ChariTea, are pioneering an ethical approach to soft drink production – 5p from every bottle sold goes towards overseas development aid projects.

The companies have jointly founded a charity called Lemonaid and ChariTea e.V, which has, to date, raised almost £1m for education, childcare, mental health and infrastructural initiatives. As an example,

Granny’s Secret has had to go outside of the Balkans to source the fruit for its latest introduction.

The Serbian producer, known for its 100% fruit juices made from local fruits such as sour cherry, quince, pear and wild blueberry, has added orange juice to its line-up on the request of private jet company NetJets.

Bottles from the first batch of cold pressed orange juice will be taking to the skies in April. www.grannyssecret.co.uk

the project has financed a solar power system that supplies farms in the South African rooibos growing Heiveld cooperative with electricity.

Besides contributing to a higher cause, the drinks are ethically produced from Fairtrade, organic and vegan ingredients that are sourced from small-scale farming cooperatives in Sri Lanka, Paraguay, Mexico and South Africa.

There are three

Lemonaid sparklers (lime, passion fruit and blood orange) and four ChariTea ice teas (rooibos tea with passion fruit, green tea with ginger & honey, black tea with lemon and mate) to choose from.

The initiative has already caught the attention of buyers at Whole Foods, Selfridges, Harrods and Planet Organic, who are stocking the drinks. www.charitea.com www.lemon-aid.com

soft drinks has also added an apple variety to its Joosed! Junior range. www. bensonstotallyfruity. co.uk

Best known for its non-alcoholic ginger drinks, Rochester, carried by Cotswold Fayre, has unveiled a range of pressés based on natural ingredients from around the world.

Blood orange & mandarin, root ginger and lemonade are among the sparklers available in 275ml (RRP £1.69-1.89) and 750ml (RRP £2.69-

2.95) glass bottles.

Another brand represented by Cotswold Fayre is cucumber soft drink Qcumber, which has just launched in a spicy ginger version. RRP £2.55 for 750ml or £1.69 for 330ml. www.rochester-drinks.com

Sourced from a spring within the untamed forests of the Carpathian mountains in Central Europe, Aqua Carpatica claims to be the only nitrate-free natural sparkling mineral water known to man.

The brand, which also offers a sodiumfree still water, is already listed in Harrods and Whole Foods Market. RRP £0.99 for 500ml, £1.50 for 1.5 litre PET. www.freshorganicproducts.co.uk

Bensons, producer of Totally Fruity and Joosed juices, has introduced a third brand to its portfolio. Refresher is a trio of 50:50 fruit juice and spring water drinks, available in blackcurrant & apple, lemon & lime, and orange & apple varieties. The company

Trendwatch: Some like it raw The raw food movement continues to gather pace, and one of the companies leading the charge is Nosh, whose products are all treated using HPP cold sterilisation rather than traditional preservation techniques.

The brand has added a carrot, orange & ginger cold press juice to its Raw Fruity range, taking the line-up to four juices: passion fruit, pineapple, melon & mango, raspberry, apple & pear and orange & strawberry, all available in 250ml bottles (RRP £2.49).

This follows the launch last year of the company’s Raw Veggie green smoothies, in combinations such as broccoli, parsley, avocado & peach and

courgette, pineapple & mint.

Smoothie brand Nudge is also cashing in on the raw trend with the launch of two organic raw superfood smoothie kits, on sale in Planet Organic and Whole Foods since January.

One contains

individually quick frozen portions of kale, spinach, mango, parsley and ginger, with a sachet of cashew nuts, sunflower seeds and chia seeds, while the other combines beetroot, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries and carrot, with a mix of almond nuts, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds.

The kits are designed to be blended with coconut water, fruit juice or soy milk to create a nutritious smoothie in 30 seconds. Trade price £2.80; RRP £4.995.50 (two servings). www.noshdetox.com www.nudgedrinks.co.uk Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

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Available exclusively through Cotswold Fayre in the UK. w w w. c o t s w o l d - fay r e . c o. u k

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productupdate

savoury snacks

Snacking happy

Products in brief O Sweet

While potato crisps are still at this category’s core, healthier snacks made with seeds, pulses and seaweeds are on the up. LYNDA SEARBY reports.

Claudia’s Kitchen has given the classic British pork scratching a Caribbean twist, launching the first jerk marinade flavoured pork crackling. “Fiery and explosive”, Mr. Jamaican jerk pork crackling is already stocked by outlets in the Midlands, and chef Claudia Yap has ambitions for nationwide expansion.

Trade price £1.30 for 50g bags and £1.20 for 35g plastic tubs. Minimum order four cases. www.claudiaskitchenuk.co.uk

www.justcrisps.co.uk O AMC

Foodsowned Kent Crisps has made its sea salt flavour crisps available in a miniature 20g pack.

Pipers Crisps has won a DBA Design Effectiveness Award for a second year in a row, this time scooping Gold in the food producers category. The award recognises the ongoing effectiveness of the producer’s packaging design – created by BrandOpus – which was first introduced in 2012.

In the three years since the redesign, Pipers has doubled their number of stockists, achieved 25% year on year sales growth and created 44 more local jobs. www.piperscrisps.com

Mackie’s has become the latest potato crisp producer to diversify into popcorn with a four-strong range that takes in traditional lightly sea salted and sweet & salted varieties, as well as Scotch Bonnet chilli pepper and butterscotch flavours

in 70g bags. Three of the varieties are on sale in Sainsbury’s stores across Scotland. www.mackiescrisps. co.uk

For those retailers in search of affordable foodie luxuries, potato chips flavoured with black summer truffle and real caviar could be just the

ticket.

Available from Spanish food importer Brindisa, Torres truffle crisps are flavoured with black summer truffles, giving an “intense aroma” and “sweet and fruity notes”, while the caviar crisps are pitched as the perfect partner to a glass of cava.

RRPs are higher than usual for potato crisps, but not prohibitively so – the truffle crisps have an RRP of £3.50 for a 125g bag or £1.40 for a 40g bag, and the caviar crisps have an RRP of £3.75 for 110g.

of baked and roasted pulses in countries like Turkey, India, Japan and Morocco, the snacks are said to be “global in outlook but baked, roasted and toasted in Britain”.

The snacks

www.kentcrisps.co.uk O Devon-based

Burts Chips has linked up with local butcher The Well Hung Meat Company to create Devon roast beef crisps, and with Wychwood Brewery to launch Hobgoblin spit roast steak chips.

www.burtschips.com

www.brindisa. com

On the pulse: Dilly&Wolf A group of friends have got together to harness the power of the pulse by creating a new breed of savoury snacks from Britishgrown ingredients such as broad beans, chick peas and seeds, selected for their macro- and micro-nutrient density.

Inspired by the tradition

chilli is the latest flavour to join Just Crisps’ range of potato crisps, which are cooked in cold pressed rapeseed oil on the Froggatt family’s farm in Staffordshire.

O Besides

first appeared on shelf last autumn, when Ocado and M&S listed Dilly&Wolf’s Roaster pots of snacking pulses. The five-strong line-up includes wasabi & horseradish roasted peas, soy & ginger roasted peas, beans

and seeds, and sweet & salty roasted peas, beans and seeds.

This year sees the brand branch out into bagged snack format, with the launch of chickpea, spelt and British fava bean Chisps in 35g compostable bags (RRP from £1.69). www.dillyandwolf.com

moving into a new bakery in Merseyside, Plain Tasty has treated its rye crisp brand Rysp to a packaging redesign, to better communicate the ingredients, health benefis and flavours.

www.plaintasty.com O By

using defatted peanut flour in its new smooth peanut & almond flavour popcorn, Propercorn claims to have brought a healthier nut popcorn to market. www.propercorn. co.uk

Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

29

Cornish sea salt make it into the bag.

There are five flavours – sweet’n’salty, bacon & maple, sea salted, jalapeño and cinnamon – which have a trade price of £0.42 for 22-28g bags (RRP £0.90). Bare is offering trade customers 15% off wholesale orders of four cases or more during the month of March. www.barepopcorn.co.uk

Beer and crisps have always gone hand-in-hand but now Fairfields Farm Crisps has put them in the same bag.

The Essex-based producer has teamed up with Adnams Brewery in neighbouring Suffolk to launch beer-flavoured crisps (40g) that are made with Ghost Ship pale ale.

Since we covered their story in last year’s savoury snacks round-up, Selwyn Seafoods has stepped up its game with the development of a professionally branded range of snacks based on Nori seaweed that has been roasted on the Gower, Swansea. The British provenance and Japanese inspiration for the snacks is reflected in the choice of varieties: coconut & chilli, honey & sesame, and sea salt & vinegar. In terms of calorie count, it outrivals any other ‘healthy’ snack – each 4g pack contains 14 calories. www.selwynsseaweed.com

Following last year’s investment in a vegetable fryer, Cambridgeshire’s Corkers has extended its vegetable crisp offering to include two new varieties: parsnip, honey & black pepper and sweet potato &

chilli, both available in 40g and 125g packs. Last month also saw the rollout of new-look packaging across the company’s portfolio of potato and vegetable crisps. www.corkerscrisps. co.uk

Having secured

listings with Harrods and Avoca, Bare Popcorn, the brainchild of Dom Ebbetts, is proving that there is still space for another gourmet popcorn brand.

The Buckinghamshire start-up’s ethos is to keep everything in-house with “no middleman, no suits, no nonsense”. Corn is popped in small batches and only natural ingredients such as

www.fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk

Ten Acre continues to roll out new flavours for its range of gluten-, dairyand MSG-free crisps. It has even retained its vegan credentials for Pastrami in the Rye, which still manages to evoke the classic New York deli combo. When the Pepper Crack’d, flavoured with black pepper, is the other new launch.

Both are available in 40g and 135g bags www.tenacresnacks.com

RH Amar has trio of new lines in the bag In recent months, distributor RH Amar has introduced two new overseas snack brands to the UK speciality trade.

Top Herd meat snacks are made from quality cuts of beef, pork and turkey, with the beef coming from grass-fed herds reared on Alpine Austrian farms. The six-strong range of jerky and air-dried salami sticks includes lemon turkey jerky, smokey BBQ beef jerky and tomato & paprika skinny salami. The jerkies have an RRP of £1.99 for 35g and £3.29 for 70g, and the salami has an RRP of £1.79 for 40g.

RH Amar has also tracked down a Greek producer of

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gluten-free baked snacking chips based on pulses and other nutritious and on-trend ingredients.

Wellaby’s lentil, pitta and hummus chips have an RRP of £1.99 per pack (120140g).

Meanwhile, Buiteman, the Dutch cheese snack brand carried by RH Amar, has introduced 12 new lines based on authentic European cheeses. These include matured Gruyère cheese puffs (RRP £1.69 for

65g), Parmigiano Reggiano crumbles (RRP £1.69 for 75g) and all butter Gouda cheese straws (£1.99 for 85g). www.rhamar.com

Fin d an a us d t F at D ar sta el m n iS S d ho ho G1 w p 81 ,N EC

Crisps as they should taste. @Piperscrisps

Piperscrisps

www.piperscrisps.com Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

3950 Pipers Crisps Fine Food Digest Advert ART.indd 1

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03/02/2016 16:21

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Baked in small batches, using only matured authentic cheeses

OVEN

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At Buiteman we emphasize the importance of ingredients of the highest quality. Our biscuits are prepared in small batches, according to family recipes with love and attention for traditional craftsmanship. For our biscuits we source a selection of the best authentic cheeses available in Europe.

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Full range available at T 01494 530200 | F 01494 472076 | E sales@rhamar.com

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productupdate

savoury snacks

A passage to India While Indian food has long been popular with the British public, Indian snacks have lagged behind, with Bombay mix the extent of most people’s involvement.

Now, several producers are on a mission to put other traditional Indian snacks on the map.

Kumar Kolar, founder of Nottinghamshire start-up Karkli, is using recipes “straight from the family tree” to make these green lentil and rice flour snacks.

At launch there are three varieties: classic Karkli – the mildest of the three with the gentle warmth of cumin; coriander Karkli – characterised by the aromatic flavours of coriander and caraway seeds and little more chilli; and fiery ghost naga Karkli - which packs flavour and heat through smoked habanero and ghost naga chillis.

So far, Karkli has built a following in the tap rooms

of craft breweries across the country, as the flavours work well with beers.

Karkli is also stocked in Tate Modern, Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium

and Fodder of Harrogate, and the company is keen to develop its trade with delis, who can upsell Karkli as a starter/ nibble to accompany Indian sauces or dishes, or to complement craft beers.

Trade price for a 40g bag is £1.

Having made a name for itself in foodservice, Spice Prince is hoping to take the retail market by storm, with the help of distributor Cotswold Fayre. The snacks are available in five varieties: Bombay mix, mild Chevda, hot Chevda, Faradi Chevda and savoury rice mix, with a trade price of £8.40-£12.20 for 60 x 120160g.

Cottage Delight, meanwhile, is redefining

Tyrrells has created a new sub-brand for adults wanting to explore “new taste and snack experiences”.

The first products to launch under the Emporium of Tyrrells banner are hexagonal shaped tortillas in two flavours: sour cream with poppy seeds and chilli with chopped jalapeño (RRP £2.19 for 125g).

The investor-owned snacks firm has also been busy developing new popcorn flavours, introducing the first

seasonal flavour – strawberries & cream – under its Poshcorn brand.

In addition, a new sweet Poshcorn variety completes the company’s premium take on the traditional

cinema trio of salted, sweet and sweet & salted.

On the crisps front, the latest introduction is ‘red, white and blue crisps’ – a patriotic combination of red Highland Burgundy

potatoes, blue Salad Blue potatoes and white Lady Rosetta potatoes, all seasoned with sea salt. RRP £2.99 for 150g and £1.29 for 40g.

perceptions of Bombay mix as heavy, oily and salty, with two new artisan mixes. Sourced for their authenticity, both the classic Bombay mix and chilli & garlic Bombay mix include curry leaves, cashews, peanuts, cassava chips and sunflower oil to create a light and delicate mix.

Trade price £2.34 per 130g unit, RRP £3.50. www.cottagedelight.co.uk www.cotswoldfayre.co.uk www.chomponkarkli.com

www.tyrrellscrisps.co.uk

Punch Foods reevaluates Superseeds In response to customer feedback, Punch Foods has relaunched its on-trend Superseeds seed mixes with new recipes, new product names and new

packaging formats.

Alexandra Dudley created Superseeds in 2014, making the mixes in her home kitchen, packing them in portable metallic 75g tubes and selling them in and around London.

However, as the fledgling business took off, it became apparent that there were two distinct usage occasions for Superseeds: people were sprinkling them on cereals, soups and salads at home, or consuming them on the hoof, and the 75g tube didn’t really address either.

With this in mind, Punch Foods has relaunched in 200g ‘at home’ pouches (trade price £4.46, RRP £5.95), and smaller 25g resealable tubes (trade price £1.46, RRP £1.95), which launched last month.

The recipes have also been tweaked, the mixes renamed and a new cinnamon spice mix added to the line-up.

There are now five varieties: chocolate brownie, cinnamon spice,

maca caramel, chilli smoke and Japanese tamari. www.punchfoods.com

Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

33

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March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

Sunday 19 June 11am-4pm Monday 20 June 9.30am-4pm Halls 1 & 2, Yorkshire Event Centre HG2 8QZ

All good things come in small packages

All buyers & chefs welcome: Butchers, Farm Shops, Food Halls, Delis, Village Shops, Garden Centres, Bakers, Cheesemongers, Fishmongers, Greengrocers, Cafés, Restaurants, Pubs

Experience the very best of fine food and drink at Harrogate Fine Food Show. Packed full of new ideas, the show combines first-time as well as long-standing fine food & drink exhibitors. You will 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 place your customers will want to return to again and again.

Learn from the experts – maximise

FineFoodLive! Theatre – take part

profits and discover key industry trends Helpful resources – talk to the Guild of Fine Food and pick up useful publications and tips New product innovations – touch and taste the latest new products on the market Try before you buy – speak to producers, learn more about the foods you stock Educate – find out more about deli training courses for you and your staff

in tastings, workshops and meet face to face with key industry figures Stay connected – learn how to use social media to grow your business Award-winners uncovered – discover Great Taste and Editor’s Choice Feed the Dragon – present your products & services directly to key industry buyers Christmas is coming – learn how to maximise sales at the Cracking Christmas workshop

www.gff.co.uk |

“

There is so much innovation in food and drink right now across the UK, so the Harrogate Fine Food Show plays an important role in getting new products in front of buyers.

”

Adrian Boswell, Selfridges & Co

@guildoffinefood #harrogateffs #ISpyGreatTaste

The best bread I ever tasted!

G R Wright & Sons Ltd. Ponders End Mills Enfield, Middlesex EN3 4TG Website: www.wrightsflour.co.uk

36

March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

Just one of the compliments you can enjoy with Wright’s bread mixes.

Available from delicatessens, farm shops & garden centres

focuson

breakfast cereals & cereal bars

Best ways to start the day

@cobraphoto/dreamstime.com

ANNE BRUCE finds out what consumers are looking for in their breakfast bowls

R

eaching for the cereal isn’t just about locking up that hunger until lunch.

Consumers these days are seeking more than sugary stodge. They want great-tasting products but these also need to be good for their health, display some level of provenance and come in convenient packaging.

Thankfully for retailers there’s a wealth of suppliers that could potentially tick all of these boxes. But with a cornucopia of granolas, mueslis and porridges available, the challenge is to sort the fads from the growth areas.

Paul Hargreaves, chief executive of distributor Cotswold Fayre, says that gluten-free is one of the things that he looks for when assessing breakfast

products to add to the catalogue.

“More and more people are choosing glutenfree as a lifestyle choice, even if they do not have a gluten intolerance,” he says, adding that customers are also looking for something

extra with their cereals, such as nut milks or goji berries for sprinkling on top.

A little entertainment also goes down well, he says. Cotswold Fayre recently added Wolfys porridge to the range, and it is selling well, with

customers liking the fact it comes with a little pot of jam.

While porridge remains a big seller and continues to see good growth, Hargreaves says granola may be at its peak now after three years of popularity and Convenience is becoming more and more important in the category and a number of porridge pot producers, like Wolfys, are seeing growth

muesli is perceived as a little old-fashioned, although it is still an important part of a breakfast line-up.

One emerging trend Cotswold Fayre has identified is sprouted cereals – his supplier of choice is Rude Health – and Hargreaves says there may also be a developing consumer taste for “two breakfasts”: grabbing a cereal bar or banana on the way out and then something more substantial later in the morning.

That’s not to say that everybody in the category is trying to be cutting edge.

Sharon Davies, who set up Midfields Granola in Devon in 2003, says she does not follow fashions but sticks to uncomplicated handmade recipes and focuses on taste.

“We just use pumpkin Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

37

Visit Bizerba on Stand J201 for an open exchange of ideas about the up-to-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

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March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

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focuson and sunflower seeds,” she tells FFD. “We don’t overcomplicate our cereals, we keep it simple, we don’t use sultanas and raisins which you find in a lot of granolas to bulk the product out cheaply.”

That said, even Midfields has launched a glutenfree granola, alongside its wheat-free version.

“Wheat-free has been one of our bigger sellers for years and our gluten-free is very popular,” says Davies.

“Gluten-free is more than just a passing fashion, as more and more people are diagnosed with Caeliac disease or opt for glutenfree as a health choice.”

Consumers are also much more aware of sugar levels and nutritional information than in the

past, she adds, and they like the fact that Midfields uses honey as a sweetener instead of less healthy alternatives.

Kris McGowan, customer insights manager at the Raw Chocolate Company says that the breakfast market is growing and consumers are buying ingredients to upgrade an otherwise mundane meal.

“There has been an explosion in people wanting to enhance their breakfast over the last couple of years, adding toppings to muesli or smoothie bowls such as hemp seed or raw chocolate berries,” he says.

Clean-eating (avoiding all unprocessed foods) diets are also a “growing market”.

The 10-year-old company is seeing

breakfast cereals & cereal bars

New products need to be interesting but also healthgiving. The Raw Choc Co has seen a surge in sales of breakfast toppers like its chocolate goji berries while sprouted grains, such as those offered by Rude Health, are another emerging trend.

increasing demand for its products including raw chocolate-covered goji

berries, mulberries, apricot kernels and golden berries as well as ‘superfoods’

such as chia seeds and mulberries.

At the more conventional end of the spectrum, porridge still appears to be doing the business for many consumers and for producers. Scottish company Stoats saw a strong performance across the entire range in 2015, says MD Tony Stone.

Sales of grab-and-go bars and porridge pots in particular, were up more than 30% and more than 25% respectively, he says, adding that Stoats’ mantra is “convenience, without compromising on quality”.

That means no artificial flavours and a strong focus on provenance.

Traditional, it seems, can still be trendy.

What’s new in cereals? cranberry and goldenberry – during the 2016 Tour De Yorkshire cycle race. RRP £2.10 for a pack of two.

Clearspring has launched Gluten Free Power Porridge, made with buckwheat flakes, wholegrain white quinoa and chia seeds as an alternative to oat-based porridge. It is available via health food wholesalers, priced at £3.49 for a 160g pack (four servings).

www.sideoven.com

www.clearspring.co.uk

have all won a Great Taste one-star award. www.wolfys.co.uk

The newest additions to the Wolfys porridge pot range are two 100% organic varieties. Blackcurrant features the brand’s signature portion of jam – provided by sister business Kitchen Garden Foods – while Plain & Simple comes naked for consumers to top as they choose.

The full range includes mocha with maple syrup and nutty with honey flavours as well as creamy berry, spiced pear & ginger and coconut & lime, which

Side Oven Bakery is adding a wheat-free cashew & cranberry flavour to its muesli range. It comes in 500g, 1kg and 3kg weights.

RRP £4.50 (500g). The East Yorkshire producer’s whole muesli range is also being repackaged in stand-up re-sealable pouches with bright labels.

Side Oven will also be selling an organic Pedal Power bar – made with oats with added ‘superfruits’,

Edinburgh porridge company Stoats is about to launch two new mueslis made using Scottish oats combined with Scottish ancient grains like rye and spelt flakes: hedgerow fruit with rhubarb, apples & brambles and triple berry muesli with soft fruits.

Both come in 400g packs with an RRP of £3.99.

It is

also moving into porridge sachets (200g-240g, RRP £2.99) with a range that includes hedgerow fruit, original, multigrain with chia and a Cranachan with raspberry & honey variety that is based on the traditional Scottish dessert. www.eatstoats.com

Oaty Hearts are the latest launch from importer Arden’s. The individual heartshaped granola bites, are portionpacked in three flavours: cranberry, chocolate and hazelnut. They are high in fibre and boast less than 100kcals per 22g pack.

Available in 110g boxes (5x22g portions) or 30g mini pots. The Coventrybased importer has also unveiled Nibbles (200g, RRP £1.69) snacking mixes – toffee bites with nuts and seeds – in fruit and

chocolate chip varieties. www.ardens.co.uk

Gluten-free specialist Provena has added two new gluten-free instant oatmeal cereals – one featuring apricots and one featuring raspberries – to its range. Boxes contain five single-serve 40g sachets (RRP £3.49). Also debuting on the breakfast fixture is Oat Muesli (RRP £6.49, 600g). Both available via RH Amar. www.rhamar.com

Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

39

DUNNET BAY DISTILLERY Hand Crafted Scottish Spirits

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WE’RE DELIGHTED TO LAUNCH OUR NEW WEBSITE, DEDICATED TO WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS. Find our sublime range of handmade chocolates, designed for the independent retailer, at: www.guppyschocolateswholesale.co.uk or call Fran on 01904 690399.

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

The stockpot range includes beef, chicken and vegetable that all add a great depth of flavour to home-made dishes.

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March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

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Imoon Lighting (UK) Ltd Caspian House, Caspian Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 5HH Tel: +44 161 710 3170, Email: info@imoongroup.co.uk www.imoongroup.co.uk Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

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showpreview

Get your food fix William Reed’s Farm Shop & Deli show is back for its sixth year at the NEC in Birmingham

H

aving struck out on its own last year, William Reed’s Farm Shop & Deli Show is back co-locating – with the trio of Food & Drink Expo, National Convenience Show and Foodex – at Birmingham’s NEC but remains in the same April slot.

As usual, the show will feature a range of suppliers exhibiting to visiting buyers from farm shops, delis and food halls, as well as garden centres, cafés, butcheries, bakeries and coffee shops from across the country Among the big names in speciality food already signed up to stands are Spanish importer Brindisa, frozen ready-meal specialist Cook, chocolatier Crème D’Or and Olives Et Al. Hider Foods, Cotswold Fayre and Blakemore Fine Foods will be among the distributors showcasing their latest ranges.

The show will also house a number of informative features,

from live cooking and masterclasses to expert advice sessions and product presentations in the Farm Shop & Deli Live theatre, Long-time baker, Colin Lomax of Rank Hovis will provide insights into the latest trends in bread, while chef and food writer Phil Vickery will return to the event this year, hosting a masterclass on making speciality food dishes for people of all diets, including those with free-from requirements.

Writer and broadcaster Richard Fox and Iain Hemming, owner of Thyme and Tides, will run a live craft beer tasting session while Olives Et Al CEO and co-founder Giles Henschel will provide attendees with advice on maximising sales of premium products.

There will also be sessions from deli owner Charlie Turnbull on creating a charcuterie counter, TV chef Rachel Green on cooking with game and master chocolatier Will

Torrent on practical ways to meet the growing demand for speciality chocolate.

Simon Rimmer, co-host of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, will be doing a live cooking demo showing the audience how to reduce their food waste and retailers might want to watch Eve Reid from Metamorphosis Group & Retail School delivering a session on visual merchandising.

As always, the theatre will also host the Dragons

Need to know Where and when?

National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham; Monday April 18 - Wednesday April 20.

How do I get there?

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

Registration for this tradeonly event (over-16s only) and the other co-located shows is free at www.farmshopanddelishow. co.uk

Pantry sessions, where industry experts assess pitches from food and drink producers in front of a live audience. For those companies who are slightly less brave, there is the opportunity to enter the Best New Ideas Awards, the winners of which will be announced at the show.

“There really is no better place to visit for the decision makers responsible for sourcing artisan products,” says event director Jack Halliday. “The Farm Shop & Deli Show provides a unique opportunity to source regional produce, while learning about the trends shaping the future of the industry.

“We’re confident that the programme delivered this year will help businesses identify new ideas and techniques that will allow them to continue making the most of the growing speciality food sector.” www.farmshopanddelishow. co.uk Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

43

E S 9 M E U 17 OP CO SE D A SH W D N M O AN STA FAR SH N E LI O TH DE AT &

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44

March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

CHOCOLATE WITH FLEUR DE SEL CARAMEL SAUCE A rich and silky dessert sauce blended with a hint of fleur de sel to bring out the delicate nuances of the complex flavours of cocoa and caramel. Use on ice creams, your favourite desserts or anywhere a touch of decadence is needed.

PEPPERMINT FUDGE SAUCE This pure peppermint sauce offers the cool taste of peppermint blended with rich dark chocolate for a dip into elegance, perfect for holiday desserts. Spoon over ice cream or fresh cake.

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shelf talk

Looking for suppliers accredited by the Guild of Fine Food?

Follow the logo

Chilled cocktail range seeks indies for launch

BY MICHAEL LANE A range of premium premixed chilled cocktails will be pitched specifically at independents, particularly delis, as it launches in the UK this month.

Already available in Paris, the Fine Cocktail Company brand consists of four varieties: Lemon, Vodka, Ginger & Honey; Raspberry, Vodka, Lemongrass & Agave; Lychee, Gin, Elderflower & Ginger and Mango, Whiskey, Mint & Agave.

All of the 12.5%ABV drinks are made with natural ingredients, come in 200ml single-serve glass bottles (RRP £4.99) and can be purchased in cases of 12 from Easier Sales, which imports them from France into the UK exclusively.

Graham Abbott, of Easier Sales, told FFD that he will supply retailers direct to begin with but ultimately wants to sell via wholesalers, who can handle chilled distribution.

“In terms of target outlets we very much see an

What's new...

Yorkshire Provender has launched two new “world soups” inspired by the travels of founders Belinda and Terry Williams.

Thai Green Chicken Noodle and Indian Spiced Vegetable both contribute two portions of a person’s 5-a-day. RRP £2.49 per pot. www.yorkshireprovender.co.uk

The Fine Cocktail Company range features four 12.5% ABV chilled pre-mixed drinks

opportunity with upmarket licensed delis and coffee bars,” he said. “We don’t think there are many, if any, managed grocery operators that could sell such a premium, ready-to-serve product.”

Given his previous experience working with the on-trade, Abbott said that the Fine Cocktail Company range is better suited to retail in the UK and the

concept of a fresh product was a first in the drinks category.

“We are able to give independents and smaller retail groups something that is unique to them and that will give them a USP over the established retail groups,” he said, adding that some independents could use it to combat emerging supermarket convenience formats.

The first UK retailers to stock the products will be a duo of London shops: Dugard & Daughters in Herne Hill and Bean & Hop in Earlsfield.

As well as being served over ice, the cocktails can also be mixed with sparkling water for a lighter drink or with sparkling wine. info@easiersalesltd.co.uk www.thefinecocktailcompany. com

Somerset cidermaker Sheppy’s has marked its 200th anniversary with the launch of Old Conky.

Available in 500ml bottles (RRP £2.19), the 6.5% ABV cider takes its name from an affectionate term for the Duke of Wellington, whose title originates from the nearby town of Wellington. www.sheppyscider.com

Miena’s Handmade Nougat has created three new flavours in its kitchen

Devon producer debuts with dairy-free avocado ice creams

BY ARABELLA MILEHAM A Devon start-up has developed a range of avocado-based ice creams as a dairy-free alternative to more traditional versions of the frozen dessert.

Disappointed with her options after switching to a dairy-free diet, ice cream lover Becky Osborne developed Fravocado from avocado and coconuts using

agave nectar and vanilla as a sweetener. She now has three retail-ready flavours – original avocado, avocado & raw cacao nibs and avocado, raspberry & basil swirl – that come in 100ml and 500ml tubs (RRPs £2.25 and £6.25 respectively).

“It was quite easy to develop, but has been more difficult to do at scale, while maintaining the consistency,” said Osborne, who is now seeking a distributor after several retailer enquiries.

“We originally aimed ourselves at the dairy-free and vegan market but I have been very surprised that the people who’ve purchased it aren’t going for it because it is dairy-free,” she added.

WBC’s latest signage and ticketing items have been developed with a certain statistic in mind – 76% of UK shoppers never speak to a sales assistant.

The packaging and display specialist said the new items – including floor standing and wall mounted signage, table top chalkboards and artisan ticket holders – address the need for increased choice and more effective in-store communication

www.facebook.com/fravocado

www.wbc.co.uk

in Ireland. The County Wicklow confectioner now offers chocolate & hazelnut and almond & cranberry as well as a variety made with almonds, figs, orange peel & cinnamon. All nougats are available in 100g bags and 120g boxes. www.mienas.ie

WBC aiming for clarity

Cotswold Fayre is now the exclusive distributor for Loz & Olly’s gourmet pouring mustard. The new black pepper & horseradish mustard comes in cases of 12x285g priced at £31.95. www.cotswold-fayre. co.uk Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

45

Enter the fast-growing UK market for the flavours of real barbecue with Championship-winning BBQ rubs & sauces from the United States

From these great products... ...to these great results

Visit us on Stand J200 at the Farm Shop & Deli Show

For more information, contact BBQ Gourmet on 01666-829-200 or email info@bbqgourmet.co.uk

46

March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

Looking for suppliers accredited by the Guild of Fine Food?

Follow the logo

shelf talk

Brindisa launches pickles and mayo

BY MICHAEL LANE Brindisa has reached a half century of own label products with the introduction of three mayonnaises and four pickles to its catalogue of Spanish foods.

All made using the company’s own North & South extra virgin olive oil, the mayonnaises are supplied in cases of 6x250g.

Similar to the classic alioli, confit garlic mayonnaise (RRP £3.45) works well with seafood like squid and prawns as well as steak, potato and rice dishes.

The saffron mayonnaise (RRP £4.45) is also good with a variety of seafood while the paprika mayonnaise (RRP £3.45) offers spicy and smoky flavours that complement a range of foods, from grilled chicken and barbecued lamb to sweet potatoes.

Brindisa’s line-up of pickles – caper berries, garlic cloves, guindilla peppers and gherkins – represent all of the classics you would expect to see in a bar in Spain but can all be used in cooking as well as being

What’s new...

South America-inspired TeaTonics is to re-brand its teablends as Yuyo – a name taken from the Latin American Spanish word for ‘herb’. The six-strong range of blends includes four mate-based varieties, including Yerba Zing (yerba mate with rosehips and grapefruit), as well as two rooibos-based lines.

All are certified organic by the Soil Association and all come in retail packs of 14 infusion bags, as well as loose leaf and single bag formats for wholesale. www.yuyo.co.uk

Hot on the heels of its recent rebranding, Border Biscuits has added its popular dark chocolate gingers to its Mini Pack range.

The mini packs – each containing two biscuits – are available from wholesalers in boxes of 48 units.

The Scottish company unveiled new look packaging and a revamped website last month. It also announced that it would be investing £4.3m over the next 12 months on a TV advertising campaign and boosting production capacity at its Lanark factory.

The four new pickles and three mayonnaises have increased Brindisa’s own label line-up to more than 50

accompaniments. All four come in cases of 12x345g jars, with an RRP of £2.45 each.

“We add new lines where we are certain our brand name indicates consistently excellent quality and where we can innovate on packaging in a way

that helps the product gain presence in the UK,” said Brindisa founder Monika Linton. “In addition, where it is possible to produce a recipe in the UK to the best standards we also reduce our food miles in a small way.”

www.borderbiscuits.co.uk

Coco Hernando to focus on gift boxes

www.brindisa.com

Home-cooking drives new lines from Somerset’s The Bay Tree The Bay Tree has launched three new lines that can be used in, and alongside, a variety of home-cooked dishes.

Inspired by Italian cuisine, the new mascarpone & marsala cooking sauce (300g, RRP £3.15) is made with Sicilian wine and is well-suited to chicken and pork.

The Somerset-based company has also introduced its own take on a Jamaican jerk sauce (275g, RRP £2.99). The Caribbean sauce – made with honey, apricot, ginger, allspice, red chilli and garlic

– can be used as both a condiment and a marinade for chicken or pork.

The final new launch is a chillii &

ginger dressing (240g, RRP £3.75), described as a “zinger”. As well as a topping for salads, the dressing can be deployed as a dipping sauce, marinade or even in a stir fry.

“These new launches are really versatile – we encourage people to use them in numerous ways, and hopefully discover their new favourite dinner,” said The Bay Tree founder Emma Macdonald. www.thebaytree.co.uk

Coco Hernando’s chocolate discs were inspired by travel

BY ARABELLA MILEHAM Coco Hernado has relaunched with a selection of chocolate disk gift boxes to tap into the gifting market.

The range comprises four 95g boxes (RRP £10), all of which are inspired by founder Paul Tomlinson’s travels.

India was the inspiration for milk chocolate with masala chai, cardamom & cinnamon while the flavours of the Himalayas are in the milk chocolate with pink diamond salt variety.

Completing the range is a 70% dark chocolate with mandarin and a 70% dark

chocolate with raspberries, which draws upon Tomlinson’s experiences closer to home in the Lake District.

Tomlinson originally launched a range of Discover bars in 2013, which were listed by Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, but he told FFD he had stopped producing the bars in order to concentrate on this new gifting range.

The new range was partly funded by a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign, which raised more than £5,000 towards the initial production run. www.cocoahernando.com Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

47

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shelf talk What’s new...

Chef’s selection

Ethical food brand Mr Organic says it is the first company to offer a complete BPA-free range of tinned tomatoes – whole, cherry and chopped. Often used in food packaging, bisphenol A has been deemed harmful to health by a number of scientific studies.

RRP of £0.99-£1.29.

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

Sebastian Snow Chef-owner, The Plough & The Five Alls Sebastian Snow worked under chefs including Antony Worrall Thompson before going on to run Snows on the Green in west London, with his wife Lana.

After success at the Swan at Southrop in the Cotswolds, the Snows took on the lease of The Five Alls at Filkins nearby.

Last year, they also opened The Plough restaurant and rooms, at Kelmscott.

www.mr-organic.com

Co Down’s Rademon Estate Distillery has developed a limited edition cask-aged version of its award-winning Shortcross Gin. Launched in Fortnum & Mason, the gin has been rested in French oak casks from the Chateau de La Ligne in Bordeaux, adding summer berry flavours and rose and vanilla notes. Just 300 bottles (70cl, RRP £40) of the 44% proof spirit are available to the trade. www.shortcrossgin.com

Marriage’s has boosted its home baking range with two Golden Wholegrain flours. Both the bread flour (RRP £1.59) and the plain flour (RRP £1.29) come in 1kg bags and are said to have a sweeter, milder flavour and lighter colour than traditional wholemeal flour.

www.theploughinnkelmscott. com www.thefiveallsfilkins.co.uk

Trevelez 1862 Serrano Ham set These hams are cured for 24 months in the village of Trevelez in Spain’s Sierra Nevada, and are called 1862 because that’s when this ham gained its royal seal of approval. I like its pleasing taste and texture, nice and dry, but it’s also a sensible price. We keep the leg out on the bar and sell it as a nibble, sliced thinly onto boards. We also use it to wrap chicken breasts and when we get down to the bone, we use it in pea & ham soup or casseroles.

www.goldenwholegrain.com

www.bellota.co.uk

Coffee Care covers the full spectrum with extensive retail bag range After more than 30 years of supplying foodservice, Coffee Care has launched a retail range 20 different coffees in response to growing demand from consumers.

The range (RRPs £5.50-£7.50) features coffees ground for filter and cafetiere, whole beans and beans roasted darker for consumers who “enjoy a more traditional espresso flavour”.

The line-up includes the Yorkshire company’s Great Taste award-winning El Salvador Monte Sion Estate coffee and its triplecertified (Fairtrade Foundation, Soil

Association and Rainforest Alliance) Peruvian Etico.

Each bag features a guide offering notes on strength, acidity and body and the ideal brewing equipment and method for each type of grind.

“We regularly receive calls and visits from customers of our customers enquiring how they can buy Coffee Care coffee to take home,” said operations director Sarah Oliver. “It’s fantastic that we have now made accessible not only a great looking product, but one that is designed to be as informative as it is enjoyable.”

Brinkworth Blue cheese A firm fixture on our cheeseboard, this pasteurised cheese is one of several crafted in Wiltshire by Ceri Cryer, whose family has kept dairy cows at Hill End Farm since 1910. I also use it in salads and to stuff fowl. It’s less peppery and moist than other blues such as Roquefort. It’s also less creamy than some of the Continentals. More like a Stilton. www.brinkworthdairy.co.uk

Upton Smokery smoked sea salt This beige-coloured salt is smoked just up the road from our Five Alls pub and Chris Mills is one of the first producers we met when we moved to the Cotswolds. The smoked salt is good with fresh fish or meat, especially roast chicken. We also use it – together with vodka and beetroot – to cure salmon. www.uptonsmokery.co.uk

Fino white balsamic This is produced by a British couple who emigrated with their three children to Spain and bought a 30-acre farm in Andalucia. They mainly produce olive oil but I really love their white balsamic, something that’s relatively rare. It’s made in Montilla from the Pedro Ximenez grape, and is unbelievably good – sharp but also sweet. I put it to a range of uses, from dressing salads in the summer to deglazing fish dishes like scallops. You only need a tiny bit as a little goes a long way. www.finooliveoil.co.uk

www.coffeecare.co.uk

Coln Valley smoked salmon I like this smoked Scottish salmon as it’s not too dry but not too greasy either. It’s smoked over oak and beech in traditional brick kilns. It’s a real go-to ingredient. We serve it to our breakfast guests, for instance, and I also do a slate of smoked salmon accompanied with an Asian dressing that includes avocado, coriander, lime, chilli and soy. www.colnvalley.co.uk

Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

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shelf talk

Finely balanced Last October, Fenwick’s flagship Newcastle department store opened a totally revamped food hall.

FFD takes a look inside and speaks to buyer Adam Barber about a modern retail approach in a very traditional environment.

Adam Barber joined Fenwick as a buyer to lead the redevelopment of its Newcastle store’s food hall

Deli of the Month INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL LANE

D

o you know where the UK’s fourth largest department store is?

I didn’t but, like most, I would assume London, Manchester or Birmingham. The truth, apparently, lies further north in Newcastle.

That’s not to say Fenwick hasn’t got pedigree. It’s been trading on Tyneside since 1882 and has grown into a towering presence on the city’s Northumberland Street. Still family-owned, the shop is also the HQ for a business that runs a group of 10 other department stores –

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March 2016 | Vol.17 Issue 2

many of which bear the Fenwick name – across the country.

Its hometown store has sold food since the 1950s, when it opened a section on the ground floor to take on other emerging ‘volume’ food retailers in Newcastle.

And it kept with the times by evolving into a food hall during the ‘80s and ‘90s, aided by a major overhaul in 1988.

But not a great deal had changed since then, at least internally.

“Since the ’80s, food retailing has changed massively – big supermarkets, internet retailing and there’s a Tesco on every corner,” says food hall buyer Adam Barber.

“That meant we had to take a decision to revamp our food hall.”

Together with head of food & catering Rhys McKinnell and executive chef Kelly Richardson, he has overseen the multi-million-

pound project that transformed Fenwick’s offer. The end result, which opened in October, is a “food hub” that features a traditional deli counter at its heart as well as a chocolate counter, wine bar and shop, two restaurants, a wealth of premium ambient fixtures and a myriad of concessions, including a butchers and fresh fish.

Barber’s job title belies the fact that he is involved in every aspect of running the retail side of things and planning the new food hall in the two years running up to its official opening. While he had amassed a wealth of buying experience over five years at Morrisons before he was hired by Fenwick, he hadn’t ever been involved with something like this.

He and his colleagues certainly started with a tough brief after sifting through some 4,000 responses to online surveys and

focus groups. “The key message that shone through was they wanted it to be timeless and classic,” he says. “They didn’t want it to be ultra modern, cold and uninviting. They wanted it to look new but it also needed to look like it had been trading for 100 years.”

Thankfully, experienced interior design firm CADA – whose clients also include Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Liberty and New York retailer Dean & Deluca – were on hand and worked closely with Fenwick, visiting almost every week for a year to get things right.

Although Barber admits it would have been easy to spend more on certain tiles and finishes, very little expense was spared in kitting out the shopfloor using a contractor from Italy. He is particularly proud of a number of features.

The central fresh food counter – stocked by the likes of Neal’s Yard Dairy, French cheese specialist Hennart and The Ham & Cheese Co – was designed piece by piece, and some areas of the cheese section are contact-cooled rather than air-blown to suit specific cheeses. The sculpted gold chocolate counter, stocked both by Fenwick itself and Leedsbased Lauden Chocolate, is another of his favourite features.

The wine shop, previously a big draw, now boasts a library-style display of spirits and features an Enomatic wine dispensing system that allows customers to buy credits and self-select 50ml portions from a wide selection of wines. These can be supped alongside a range of tapas, charcuterie platters and pizzas at the neighbouring wine bar and restaurant Fuego.

Throughout the food hall, there is a strong focus on customer interaction and cross-over between the different sections. The other Fenwick-operated eatery, Mason & Rye, is a café that offers customers a more informal daytime eating option but also acts as a counter for the in-store bakery and patisserie output.

This theme is continued through the concessions, which are a mixture of innovative and traditional.

Yummy mummies can grab a cold pressed juice, salad or raw cake

deli of the month from The Naked Deli and curry enthusiasts can buy bespoke spice mixes blended in front of them by Rafi’s Spicebox.

For the less adventurous souls, there is a butchery counter run by Blagdon Farm Shop, on-site coffee grinding from local micro-roaster Ouseburn Coffee Company, and the return to Fenwick of a fresh fish slab at The Saltwater Fish Company fixture. As you would expect, the latter also has an oyster and Champagne bar.

“It’s all about offering service and experience,” says Barber.

“You don’t just come in, pick up a sandwich and walk out. We want people to stay for a couple of hours.”

Barber adds that there are still plenty of “bread and butter” customers grabbing their lunch or doing some top-up shopping during the week and the layout of the hall, which has three entrances, means they can breeze through unimpeded.

“If you come in on a Sunday though, we have people that come in, have brunch, read the newspaper, have a coffee and then pick up some meat from the butcher

for Sunday lunch.”

As well as their behaviour, the new food hall has also changed the profile of customers dramatically, says Barber.

“There were whole swathes of people that maybe didn’t shop

One of his must-stocks – the beautifully packaged Five Olive Oil – has really informed the buying process, though. Given its £20 price tag, the oil’s rise to top-seller has surprised but it is proof to Barber that customers want to be “visually wowed” and they will pay for it.

Even though the food hall has taken a step upmarket, that doesn’t mean it has forgotten its loyal customers, some of whom have shopped at the store for decades. It has retained a flavour of the North East with lines like Ringtons ginger biscuits (another top seller), ham & pease pudding and stottie cakes permanently in stock.

Local food is a vital part of the food hall’s offer, says Barber, who is still reeling from discovering a black pudding made with Magalitza pork just down the road in North Yorkshire.

“We love working with people locally and we’re happy to give advice tool,” he says, adding that tasting space is often given over to

You don’t just come in, pick up a sandwich and walk out. We want people to stay for a couple of hours. with us at the old food hall. We are now appealing to a younger, more foodie, more premium customer that would not have shopped with us before.

“That was not because we weren’t selling the right products, it was because it wasn’t the right environment.”

But Barber knows his, and his team’s, work is far from done.

They are constantly hunting for new premium products to satisfy their new customer base. Healthy but indulgent products seem to be doing well at the moment (“People still want to purchase anything with coconut in”) but they are still learning what makes them tick.

new suppliers on the shop floor.

It is both personally rewarding and in Fenwick’s interest to encourage and deal directly with smaller producers, he says, because they provide a major point of difference from other premium retailers both in the city and beyond.

“There are brands in our food hall that aren’t in London, which we believe are fantastic. There is local food in our food hall which we believe is the best in the UK.” In order to keep his range at this level, Barber’s main focus is the quality of the product and the people behind it rather than costs and potential margins. Fenwick even has what Barber calls an honest pricing policy – charging what it thinks a product is worth to a person from the North East – rather than slapping on a London-style premium.

It just goes to show that, like me, you shouldn’t assume anything about department stores.

“You don’t have to live in London or the South East to eat some great food, or experience some great flavours or meet some great suppliers,” concludes Barber. www.fenwick.co.uk/stores/newcastle

Fenwick’s

Must Stocks

Ringtons Ginger Biscuits Coconut Merchant Coconut Jam The Teashed Pop a Ball Lauden Chocolate printed collection Ouseburn Coffee Company Foundry No1 Ground Coffee Five Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml Doddington Original cheese Fenwick Hand Raised Victorian Pie Blagdon Farm Shop Old English Sausage Daylesford Lemon & Ginger Curd Mason & Rye Fine Patisserie Roederer Estate Quartet sparkling wine Hepple Gin

Vital statistics

The new look Fenwick food hall features a number of counters, concessions and eat-in areas

Founded: 1882 No of staff: 70 people (Food Hall), 20 people (concessions) and 60 people (restaurants Fuego / Mason & Rye restaurants) Number of lines: Between 5,000 and 7,000 individual products, depending on the time of year.

Vol.17 Issue 2 | March 2016

53

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