CATEGORY

Sweet or savoury?

The sky seems to be the limit in preserves and spreads NPD at the moment. Whether it’s exotic fruit jam, quirky nut butter or curious curds, this round-up has all categories covered. For those with a saltier tooth, you’ll nd the latest in savoury snacks from pg 29.

Compiled by Lynda Searby

Launched for the Christmas trade, Pink Gin Marmalade is now available year-round from Jilly’s Homemade Preserves at a trade price of £3 (RRP £3.99). This marmalade is made in batches of 15-20 jars from ruby grapefruit and pink gin. The Hull-based producer has also created a limited-edition version for spring with pomelo for an intense citrus hit.

jillyspreserves.co.uk

ManiLife has combined its signature peanut butter with responsibly sourced cocoa to create Rich Cocoa Smooth Peanut Butter (RRP £3.99). The butter contains just four ingredients: Argentinian peanuts, unrefined golden cane sugar, Tanzanian cocoa powder and sea salt. The cocoa is 100% traceable to a cooperative of small-scale farms, known as Kakoa Kamili, in Tanzania.

mani-life.com

Wiggle & Park’s yuzu jellies are an antidote to the “obvious fruit flavours” usually found in preserves, according to the brand’s Korean founder Saehwan Park. Although made in the Yorkshire Dales, the jellies use yuzu sourced directly from farmers in Korea. They can be eaten together with nut butter on toast or as a condiment on a creamy cheese board. RRP £7.14 for 227g.

terranamdo.com

Yorkshire producer Fearne & Rosie has secured distribution with Cotswold Fayre and launched six of its “more fruit, less sugar” jams in a 300g ‘family size’ jar (RRP £3). Geared towards families and named after her own two children, the brand was developed by teacher Rachel Kettlewell to provide a reduced-sugar jam option.

fearneandrosie.co.uk

Malaysian coconut curd

Madam Chang’s x Ping Rum Kaya is a modern reimagining of a traditional Malaysian coconut curd, blended with Aluna coconut rum. Created in collaboration with MasterChef Champion of Champions Ping Coombes, this variant can be spread on toast or poured over ice cream. Madam Chang’s makes four other kayas: Original Pandan Kaya, Gula Melaka Kaya, Vegan Ube Kaya and Pandan Zero Kaya (sugar-free). RRP £12.50 for 190ml; trade price £9.30.

madamchangs.co.uk

Darlington & Daughters

has applied its curd-making expertise beyond the usual citrus realm with the launch of a Ginger Curd. Described as “velvety with the warming spice of ginger”, the new addition has an RRP of £2.85.

mrsdarlingtons.com

Plum Jam and Three Fruit Marmalade are the sweet options in Ouse Valley Foods’ new literature-themed Spread the Word collection. The jars feature fruity Shakespearian illustrations and a lighthearted plot summary. They can be sold individually or as a gift trio with Potager Pickle (RRP £21.08).

ousevalleyfoods.com

Global Harvest has boxed up its three top-selling Fruits for Cheese in a gift set that is on shelf in Booths and Harvey Nichols. With an RRP of £12.95 (trade price £9.30), the set contains 100g jars of Quince, Damson Plum and Bittersweet Orange conserve.

fruitforcheese.com

Last month saw Surrey-based Jam Packed Preserves unveil new branding that lauds British pollinators and other beneficial insects. Each product label features a different hero from the insect world in a bid to demonstrate the producer’s social mission – being a “force for good” and making preserves that “won’t cost the earth”.

In terms of respecting the planet, as well as sourcing locally and using recyclable, plastic-free packaging, the company keeps its own bees and supports the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and the Bee Friendly Trust.

Jam Packed also works with the local community, supporting Surrey Choices and offering work experience placements to adults with neurodiverse conditions and who are disabled.

jampackedpreserves.co.uk

Young entrepreneur Alice Talbot is bringing youthful energy and “culinary creativity” to the preserves scene. The 22 year-old went straight from finishing sixth form in 2020 to launching her own business, ART’s Craft Kitchen, in 2021.

“The core ethos of ART’s Craft Kitchen is to celebrate everything that is delightful about hand-crafted home cooked preserves. As an artist combines colours on a palette to generate new hues, so I look at the relationship between flavours and combine them to create bespoke recipes,” says Talbot.

Working from her Suffolk home kitchen, she is sourcing ingredients as locally as possible to make products such as Plum Bob (plum jam with port), Jolly Jam (strawberry & raspberry jam) and Summer Punch Preserve (strawberry, cucumber & mint united with an alcoholic punch). Her latest project is a Scottish Speciality Range, with Tayberry Jam the inaugural product.

So far, ART’s preserves are only listed locally, at Slate Delicatessen in Southwold, and sold via farmers’ markets and events. RRP for a 226g jar of jam is £5.

artscraftkitchen.co.uk

By roasting strawberries to reduce the water content and intensify the fruit flavour, Nicola Gregory, founder of Violet’s Orchard, says she has succeeded in creating a soft-set strawberry jam without pectin. Also new is Blackcurrant & Coffee Jam, which is made by simmering local blackcurrants in freshly brewed coffee. RRP £3.50.

violetsorchard@gmail. com

Lawrence Bennett, founder of Nutjam, says he is on a mission to “develop peanut butter beyond peanuts and salt to new depths of flavour and complexity”. The venture launched in 2020 with three varieties made from whole, natural ingredients. Salted Date, Cinnamon Raisin and Banana Swirl all have an RRP of £4 for a 165g jar; £6.50 for a 330g jar.

nutjam.co.uk

Toasted Sicilian almonds and salt are the only two ingredients in the latest addition to Nutcessity’s Toasted & Textured range. Available from Diverse Fine Food and Infinity Foods at a trade price of £3.72 per 180g jar (RRP £4.99), the single-origin almond butter contains no palm oil or added sugar and is made in England to Soil Association organic standards.

nutcessity.co.uk

Hawkshead Relish

has enlarged its already extensive jam portfolio with three new introductions, designed to inspire home cooks and lift the breakfast routine. Blackberry & Apple Jam is a rich, dark soft-set recipe, Rhubarb & Ginger Jam is sweet but tart with a hint of ginger, and Strawberry & Rhubarb Jam has a subtle note of redcurrant. RRP £3.25 for 220g; trade case price £12.60.

hawksheadrelish.com

Stout-infused peanut butter

Taste Joy Co has ventured where few nut butter brands have dared to go – infusing its peanut butter with alcohol. The marriage of gluten-free Irish stout from Lacada Brewery and peanut butter delivers a deep, rich, creamy flavour with hearty malty tones. The vegan-friendly butter contains no added sugar or palm oil and has an RRP of £4.49. It can be served as a cheeseboard accompaniment, mixed into porridge or eaten straight from the jar.

tastejoyco.com

Lorusso’s new mango jam has an 85% mango content and is said to contain 40% less sugar than a traditional jam. Made in Andalusia, Spain, Mango & You is available to the UK trade through The Gourmet Experience. RRP £7.49; trade price £4.10 for a 305g jar.

thegourmetexperience. co.uk

Single Variety Co’s new fruit preserve gift box is launching with Selfridges for Mothers’ Day. With an RRP of £22.50, it contains four of the company’s high fruit preserves: Raspberry Preserve, Blackcurrant Preserve, Seville Marmalade and Passionfruit Preserve.

singlevariety.co.uk

Following its Golden Fork success at the 2021 Great Taste awards, The Artisan Kitchen has added Tropical Marmalade to its core wholesale range. This marmalade is made with fresh pink grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes, passion fruit and pineapple. RRP £6.

theartisankitchen.co.uk

Fruit vinegar veteran Womersley is embarking on a new chapter in its story with the launch of a jam range. “I have always felt that our vinegar recipes lend themselves to inspiring new jam recipes,” says the company’s Rupert Parsons. Raspberry & Chilli, Strawberry & Mint and Blackcurrant & Rosemary, all with an RRP of £4.49 for a 215g jar, are its first three jams.

womersleyfoods.com

ButterNut has treated its jars to new livery after winning the Seed Fund in 2020. The new pearlescent labels, designed by The Collaborators, feature hand-drawn illustrations that reflect the brand’s bold flavours and London edge. Rose & Pistachio and Coconut Cardamom Cashew are among its more unusual nut butter varieties.

butter-nut.com Stokoe House 1611

Preserves is the very definition of ‘cottage industry’. Not only does owner Louise Folkard make all the preserves by hand in Alston Moor, Cumbria, she also picks her own fruit and forages the elderflowers used in the jams. Gooseberry & Pink Elderflower Jam is currently available as a limited edition, with an RRP of £3.75; trade price £2.80.

stokoehouse.co.uk

Well & Truly, the snack brand that is on a mission to “unjunk” popular snacks, has launched its baked corn snack Crunchies in a new Punchy Pickles flavour. Salty-sour with hints of gherkin, the “naughty-ish” snack is said to contain 40% less fat than the average crisp, as well as being veganfriendly and gluten-free. RRP £0.80 for a 30g pack; £2 for a 100g pack.

wellandtruly.co.uk

The Atlas Mountains meet the Brecon Beacons in this spiced orange, apricot and carrot marmalade, which was created during lockdown last year. Made by Helen Dunne using the open pan method in her home kitchen in Talgarth, Moroccan Marmalade is part of Black Mountain Preserves’ new World Collection. RRP £5.50-£6 for 330g.

blackmountains preserves.com

Slovakian food label Oskarove Lakocinky is looking to launch its jams into the UK market. Tatra Peach Jam (with 42% Tatratea peach liqueur) and Rosehip Jam with Currants & Cardamom are available as a gift set or individually with an RRP of £12.50 for 212g.

oskarovelakocinky.sk

BeauDurée is seeking to fill a gap in the market for healthier toast toppers with its Earl Grey and Matcha spreads. “In the UK, spreads are either unhealthy or nut-based,” says founder Hee Jang. The milk and cream-based Earl Grey tea spread has a distinctive bergamot flavour and silky texture. RRP £7 for 360g.

beauduree.co.uk

This spring, The

Real Smoked Nut

Co is overhauling its range, relaunching in biodegradable resealable stand-up pouches and with new mixes. The new range comprises Hickory Smoked Almonds, Cashews & Peanuts and Hickory Smoked Cashews – both available in 80g, 250g and 1kg pouches. The nuts are smoked over hickory chips in brick smoke kilns then dryroasted and salted.

smokednuts.co.uk

Delivering a nutritionally available level of turmeric

Nourish, a producer of nutritious handmade snack bites and bars, has released its first savoury line. Previously only available in Strawberry, Vanilla and Cacao flavours, Coconut Bites have now launched in a Turmeric flavour. Like the rest of the family, Turmeric Coconut Bites only contain plant-based, natural ingredients and are free from gluten, grains, dairy and refined sugar. RRP £1.89 for a 40g pouch; case price £14 for 10 units.

nourishgrowcookenjoy.com

Cumbrian producer Wild & Fruitful has translated a classic flavour combination into preserve format, with the launch of Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Jam. Said to be perfect for topping or filling cakes or spreading on a warm croissant, the jam has a trade price of £2.30; RRP £3.45 for 227g.

wildandfruitful.co.uk

Flintshire producer Mostyn Kitchen Garden has launched a new range with the strapline ‘rescued and preserved by us’ after being given some fruit that was destined for landfill. The Pineapple Jam and Plum Jam are marketed under the Handleys brand.

mostynkitchengarden.co.uk

Hembridge Organics has created a gift pack (RRP £11.99) showcasing three of its jams, which repurpose “gluts, over the hill and unloved organic produce”. Retailers can order direct or from Organic North who looks after distribution in the northern regions.

hembridgeorganics.co.uk

Popcorn Kitchen’s new Cheddar Cheese flavour is described as “the perfect stay at home with wine sofa treat”. Available via Cotswold Fayre, Cress Co and Diverse Fine Foods, the handpopped corn snack has an RRP of £1.39 for a 20g pack.

popcornkitchen.co.uk

Forest Feast has launched six of its best-selling roasted nut and chocolate covered dried fruit snacks in 40g impulse packs. Pitmaster Smoked Almonds & Peanuts, Heather Honey Roast Peanuts & Cashews and Sea Salt & Black Pepper Nut Mix are among the mixes available in this new format.

forestfeast.com

Two former engineers – Alex Rus and Grigore Davideanu – have come up with a low-carb, highprotein crisp alternative for snackers in search of potato-free indulgence.

Monarchs crisps are made in Warwickshire from mature British Cheddar which is baked to produce a crunchy snack that is likened to a cheese toastie, with “a tangy taste that coats the back of your throat in savoury satisfaction”.

Following its launch in 2020 and subsequent success in winning Great Taste awards, the company has added a fourth flavour to the line-up. Roasted Onion & Thyme joins Tangy Mature Cheddar, Spicy Chilli & Herbs and Fresh Garlic & Oregano. RRP £4 per 32g pack; wholesale price £2.

monarchscrisps.co.uk

Just Crisps has treated its range to a new look that uses bold block colour to make the different flavours more identifiable and to help retailers build more impactful displays.

Every pack features a QR code that links to a video showing the journey from plough to packet, reinforcing the brand’s positioning as the “only 100% British crisps”.

Founder Anthony Froggatt, who created Just Crisps on his family farm in Staffordshire, says:

“We are very proud to be the only hand-cooked crisps made using British potatoes and cold-pressed rapeseed oil and the new branding tells our story brilliantly.”

As well as being fiercely committed to using only British potatoes and frying in British cold-pressed rapeseed oil, Just Crisps refuses to supply the major multiples, selling its crisps exclusively via the independent trade.

The whole range is now gluten-free and the 150g sharing bags use 30% less plastic while the producer finds a recyclable option.

justcrisps.co.uk

Nut purveyor Borna Foods has branched out into trail mixes on its ongoing quest to support “everyday, healthier living”, launching two new lines: Blueberry, Cashew, Banana & Toasted Coconut Trail Mix and Sour Cherry, Almond, Tanzanian Chocolate & Jumbo Flame Raisins Trail Mix. Both recipes prioritise “nutritionally robust” ingredient decks”. RRP £3.99 for 125g.

bornafoods.com

The new Savoury Sprinkles range from Munchy Seeds features three new seed mixes: Toasted Tamari Mega Omega 7; Spicy Peri Peri Chilli, Sunflower & Pumpkin; and Warm Cumin & Fennel Sunflower, Pumpkin & Cumin. Designed to be both “nutritious and delicious”, the mixes can be used for snacking, baking or sprinkling. RRP £2.99 for 125g.

munchyseeds.co.uk

Joe & Sephs has made its Camembert Cheese & Herbs De Provence popcorn available in a single serve pack. Each pack contains 18g of extra large, mushroom-shaped popcorn made with real cheese, which the producer says is ideal for pairing with white wine. RRP £1.20; trade price £0.59.

joeandsephs.co.uk

Sussex has become the latest county to lay claim to an eponymous crisp brand. The Sussex Crisp Company uses British potatoes with the skin left on and has collaborated with local food producers to source flavours such as Yellowcoate Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt, Romney Marsh Lamb with Rosemary & Garlic and Rib of Sussex Beef with Horseradish. RRP £0.95 for 40g, £2.492.99 for 150g.

sussexcrisps.com

Cambrook Foods is moving all of its baked nut mixes into recyclable packaging. Cocktail Hour Nuts (RRP £3.19 for 140g) is one of the first to launch in the new LDPE (low density polyethylene) pouch. This combination of chilli cashews & peanuts, hickory smoke seasoned almonds and caramelised sesame hazelnuts is served in some of London’s most famous hotel bars.

cambrookfoods.co.uk

Torres Black Truffle crisps are something of a fine food icon, but not all retailers know that the crisps are available in seven other varieties – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Iberian Ham, Smoked Paprika, Caviar, Cured Cheese, Veggie and Fried Egg – in 40g and 125g bags, as well as in a newly launched 500g party format. Available through Naturally Spanish.

naturally-spanish.com

Brave Foods has extended its line-up of roasted chickpea snacks to take in three new variants: Salt & Vinegar, BBQ and Cookies & Cream. Plantbased, and high in protein and fibre, the pulse snacks hit on several consumer trends.

bravefoods.co.uk

Garlic Farm’s garlic-infused aircured biltong is now made from Isle of Wight beef – enabling it to be marketed as 100% handmade on the island. Beef Biltong with Garlic is high in protein and free of additives. RRP £2.95; wholesale price £1.98.

thegarlicfarm.co.uk

RollaSnax - sister brand to RollaGranola - has enlarged its Wild Trail Mix collection with the launch of a new mix that packs a nut, fruit and cassis punch. The Cassis & Cashew trail mix has an RRP of £9.45 for a pack of five.

rollagranola.com

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Wild Island will be looking to the mainland

wild island rosemary & garlic b alsamic dressing & marinade

The Isle of Wight based small-batch producer of oils, dressings and vinegars has been given a new lease of life, thanks to The Garlic Farm

WITH PLENTY OF Great Taste awards under its belt and a first-class reputation from speciality chefs and fine food retailers across the south coast, Wild Island clearly knows how to work with high quality ingredients and combine flavours.

But founder Nuala Grandcourt, was ready to move on and had begun thinking of a successor for the business. Given that her SALSA-accredited production kitchen was already housed on The Garlic Farm’s premises, her landlords proved to be a very natural and symbiotic choice.

Now the acquisition is complete and both brand’s full ranges are available from one point of contact and despatch. This alliance will build on the relationships with local chefs and customers as well as enable Wild Island’s mainland distribution to flourish, fulfilling both in a more efficient way.

Combining this well-loved brand with the established distribution network enjoyed by The Garlic Farm will not only support the island’s economy but also enhance its reputation as a region blessed with high quality food and drink producers.

“Thanks to The Tomato Stall, Mermaid Gin, Island Roasted, Isle of Wight Meat Co, Isle of Wight Cheese Co, Goddards and many others, the island has established itself as a nationally recognised producer region,” says Barnes Edwards, director of The Garlic Farm.

“With numerous awards between them and hundreds of thousands of passionately positive customers, the Isle of Wight brands are shaping the reputation of our island –one mouthful at a time!

“It’s very exciting that Nuala has chosen us as guardians of her fantastic flavours. The team at the farm can’t wait to send these small bottles of deliciousness far and wide across the country.”

There have been many reports of collaboration in these pages. With the Isle of Wight benefitting from short distances between producers, the region is well-placed to encourage close relationships and sharing of best practise.

“There’s a strong meeting of minds among the island food and drink scene,” says Edwards. “Several local producers have experienced steep growth in recent years, so learning from each other has been a good way to keep on top of this. We’re all aware that together we are lifting the perception of the island, so there’s a very clear common goal and shared benefit.

“It’s also great because this generation wants to operate their businesses with the lowest possible environmental impacts. They all want to do good, not just on a product quality and service level but also with social and ecological goals. It’s a brilliantly exciting time and we’re very lucky to be surrounded by great people.”

The efficiency and advantage of shared resource among food producers can be of real benefit to everyone in the supply chain. There are many examples of this consolidation and, with more sophisticated ways of measuring the full lifecycle and carbon impact of all aspects in making and moving product, Edwards feels there are huge opportunities to reduce impact.

He adds: “We see the Wild Island team as alchemists! Their products are first class. By taking on the business, we are hoping to secure its future and share tasks for the benefit of current, as well as new customers.”