FFD May 2020 by Guild of Fine Food

May 2020 Volume 21 Issue 4 gff.co.uk

Staying in touch Find out how small food businesses are coping with the COVID-19 crisis

ALSO INSIDE Exclusive industry research Online retailing guide Stock up for outdoor dining

Farm ➡ Market ➡ Table

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May 2020 Vol.21 Issue 4

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CONTENTS 5

NEWS

It really feels like the independent sector is proving to the British public how vital it is

10 SHOP TALK

17 CHEESEWIRE

By Michael Lane, Editor

21 CHARCUTERIE

24 COVID-19 EXPERIENCES: REGIONAL ROUNDUP

34 CATEGORY FOCUS: OUTDOOR DINING

41 FOODSERVICE

45 SHELF TALK

50 GUILD TALK

Retail journalism has always been a jargon game but there are some new terms that I find myself typing nearly every single day. There’s the weird ones like ‘furlough’ – a term I will confess I had never heard two months ago. Then there’s the re-purposed terms like ‘social distancing’, which would’ve sounded very severe if you’d used it in January. But the one that sticks with me most is ‘pivot’. Yes, this one has existed for a while – often deployed by trendier start-ups. Now, though, it has become common parlance in our little corner of industry. From what I’ve seen and heard getting this issue to print, many independent retailers are really “owning” (sorry, another modern cliché) this term. Some have continued to serve their customers in store despite the restrictions, others have been repurposing themselves as online

delivery services and there are plenty setting up click & collect points and drive-throughs, too. All of these are great examples of pivoting, or adapting, in an era that has been proven to be the most dangerous in our lifetime – both for business and people’s health. It really feels like the independent sector is proving to the British public how vital it is – and that there is a genuine alternative to the supermarkets. Hopefully, they will keep turning heads when this is all over. You’ll find lots of accounts from retailers, and the supply chain, in this edition. While we haven’t been able to get out to visit a Deli of the Month (my very own pivot), the team has has spoken to a variety of businesses and gauged the mood across the country. Some of these stories (starting on page 24) should broaden your perspective on how the coronavirus

crisis has affected the fine food sector. As should our coverage of exclusive research – carried out by our publisher The Guild of Fine Food – into how retailers and producers are coping (page 6). We’ve got plenty of practical advice on pressing matters, like what to do with your foodservice operation while it’s on hold (page 41), how to set up an online shop (page 14) and suggestions for new items to stock in time for the crucial outdoor dining season (page 34). It is also worth pointing out that not everybody is doing well in our sector. Some retailers have been forced to close and some producers, especially cheesemakers (see below) are in a difficult situation. There are more challenges to come and surely more pivoting to be done but FFD will be here – both in print and online – to try and keep you going. Stay safe.

May 2020 Volume 21 Issue 4 gff.co.uk

EDITOR’S CHOICE British artisan cheese

Staying in touch Find out how small food businesses are coping with the COVID-19 crisis

ALSO INSIDE Exclusive industry research Online retailing guide Stock up for outdoor dining

Montage: Mark Windsor Original image: Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

Rather than find some NPD for you this month, the editorial team wants to encourage everyone in the industry to get behind British artisan cheese. With the foodservice industry disappearing overnight, most of the country’s cheesemakers have lost a significant chunk of their sales. Some, like Baron Bigod and Caws Cenarth, have had to give it away to raise awareness. Cheddar-maker

Mary Quicke has warned that we face losing some cheeses entirely. The industry has already responded, with encouraging stories like Kirkham’s Lancashire rallying through the help of wholesalers and independent retailers, but everyone needs to continue in this vein. Keep buying it, keep selling it and keep extoling its virtues wherever you are.

EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Assistant editor: Tom Dale

Sales director: Sally Coley

Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065

Editor: Michael Lane

Art director: Mark Windsor

Contributors: Nick Baines, Sean Calitz, Patrick McGuigan, Jules Mercer, Lauren Phillips, Greg Pitcher, Lynda Searby, Mick Whitworth

advertise@gff.co.uk

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam

Sales executives: Becky Haskett, Sam Coleman

ADDRESS Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200

Published by The Guild of Fine Food Ltd gff.co.uk

editorial@gff.co.uk

Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset

2020. Reproduction of whole or

Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £50 p.a. inclusive of post and packing.

publisher’s prior permission is

about how to sell

Kirkham’s on page 18

part of this magazine without the prohibited. The opinions expressed

in articles and advertisements are

not necessarily those of the editor

Turn to page 50 for news from the Guild

or publisher.

Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

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NEWS

Independents finding it difficult to access government’s coronavirus cash Some independent food businesses are struggling to get hold of desperately needed cash promised by the government to help them cope with the drastic measures introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19. Fine Food Digest has learned that companies throughout the sector are still waiting for loans, grants and employee payments designed to get them through the unprecedented situation. Martin Gott, who runs Cumbrian cheesemaker St James, said the business had so far been deemed ineligible for the government-backed loans as capital investments had reduced its reported profits over the past few years. He added that the farm-based dairy didn’t qualify for business rates so was locked out of the retail grants. Staff are being kept busy feeding and milking animals and using the output for long-lasting hard cheese, so the furlough scheme doesn’t apply. “We are worried – everything depends on

Bank of England

By Greg Pitcher

Getting hold of government support money has not been as easy as hoped for small food businesses

how long this goes on for,” said Gott. “Our capital will come under pressure and eventually costs will fall on to our personal income. “There is a divide emerging where some people are staying at home with nothing to do and being propped up by the government while others are working hard with no support and no income.” Sangita Tryner, owner of Delilah Fine Foods, furloughed all 22 members of staff at the Nottingham outlet in March. As FFD went to press, she was in a race against time to get cash through the Employee

Retention Scheme (applications opened on 20th April) before paying salaries at the end of April. Her problem was exacerbated because her city-centre premises is valued too high for the business to qualify for the Retail Grant. “Trade in the city centre just died when the lockdown was announced,” she added. “We are usually 75% foodservice, 25% retail. Now we are doing delivery boxes, but it’s just me and my hubby.” One Midlands farm shop owner, who didn’t want to be named, said

they had received a Retail Grant from their local authority just in the nick of time as bills from suppliers were mounting up. “Suppliers who might have given us 60 days to pay are now asking for cash on order as well as payment up to date,” they said. “So if you bought £4,000 of goods last month, you have to find £8,000 to make a £4,000 order for this month. It messes up your cashflow.” Andrew Goodacre, chief executive at the British Independent Retail Association, said the government’s coronavirus loan scheme “is not working for our members”. “The banks have been inundated with requests,” he added. “Their processes are slow and they have reduced headcounts with staff isolating. There is a long wait to get decisions – and time is one thing companies don’t have.” Goodacre added that getting hold of Retail Grants from councils was proving to be “a postcode lottery” and that the wait for the Job Retention Scheme portal to become operational was also damaging.

Explained: The financial support available to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) If your turnover is below £45 million you can access government-backed loans of up to £5 million from commercial banks. You can approach one of 40 accredited lenders. Retail grants If you’re mainly a shop or café, and your property has a rateable value below £51,000 or you already get small business rate relief or rural rate relief, you will be eligible for a one-off payment of up to £25,000. Councils have this cash and

are distributing it through different processes. Business rates holiday If you are based in England and mainly operate as a shop or café then you don’t have to pay business rates in the tax year from 6th April 2020. Schemes vary elsewhere in the UK. Job Retention Scheme The government will reimburse you for payments to furloughed workers in March, April and May that cover 80 per cent of their wages up to £2,500 a month plus associated minimum

employer contributions to national insurance and auto-enrol pensions. An online system to claim this cash was launched toward the end of April. Self-employment Income Support Scheme You may be able to claim a one-off payment of up to £7,500 to cover April, May and June. The amount will be based on a proportion of your average profits over the past few years. HMRC will contact eligible businesses in May. VAT deferral There is no need to pay

VAT between 20th March and 20th June but you will have to make it up by the end of the tax year. Statutory Sick Pay rebate If you have less than 250 employees and any of them self-isolate following government advice you can claim back the cost of paying them statutory sick pay. The system to get hold of this cash was not set up as FFD went to print. General tax support If you are struggling to pay tax, contact HMRC and they will consider ways to help you.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT... …THE GOVT’S FINANCIAL SUPPORT

SANGITA TRYNER, DELILAH FINE FOODS, NOTTINGHAM

“I haven’t paid VAT for the biggest quarter. But we will have to spend that money on wages for furloughed staff if I don’t receive anything in time through the job retention scheme. It is kicking the can down the road. There will be problems for independents in the future.” ANONYMOUS FARM SHOP OWNER IN THE MIDLANDS

“The grant we’ve received and the business rates holiday have made a material difference, so it’s a shame some councils are not getting this support out as quickly as others.” MARTIN GOTT, ST JAMES CHEESE, CUMBRIA

“We have lost up to 90% of sales but we are not quite qualifying for any of the support packages. The government should be paying a percentage of wages of those who are staying in work. If we have to cut production now there will be less food for people to buy. There is a divide emerging where some people are staying at home with nothing to do and being propped up by the government while others are working hard with no support.” Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

NEWS

CYBER CRIME

Retailers thrive while producers suffer in face of coronavirus lockdown By Tom Dale

While many independent food retailers are doing brisk business despite the coronavirus crisis, lots of producers have seen a sharp drop in sales since lockdown began, according to new research from the Guild of Fine Food. After surveying more than 200 fine food businesses, including 47 shop owners, the Guild found that just over half of these retailers (53%) saw a year-on-year increase of at least 10% in sales during March. Two in three shops reported new customers shopping with them. On the supply chain side, nearly half of all producers who responded – 176 in total – said they had endured losses of at least 26% in turnover during the same period. The survey – investigating the effect of coronavirus on the independent food businesses – also revealed that the trade is positive about the future, with 95% of respondents reporting that they believe their business will survive the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, nearly two thirds of the surveyed businesses have not or do not intend to make any staff redundant. However, 35% of producers and 62% of retailers have or intend to furlough employees, the data revealed. John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, said: “The key metric for me is that two-in-three retailers are

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

seeing an increase in new customers. “It’s widely reported that independent food shops are seeing healthy levels of trade from new shoppers. “What we all need to work on in the next couple of months is how to keep them.” The research also highlighted that companies in the sector have found it difficult to access government assistance to combat the economic effects of the virus, announced in March. The £330bn loan pledge promised was rated as “not at all useful” for 62% of businesses responding. Meanwhile, only around one in ten (87%) has

applied for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) via their bank and 80% have not claimed on business interruption insurance. As highlighted above, fine food producers have been disproportionately hit by the crisis because foodservice has all but halted. Of the producers surveyed, 63% have reported that wholesalers have stopped ordering from them, while 54% have had their incoming supply lines affected. In an attempt to plug the gap, just over a quarter (26%) have implemented delivery services for the first time.

IN BRIEF Moved by the plight of Lancashire cheesemaker Walter Smith Fine Foods Kirkham’s, Northern has announced the food retailer Booths closure of three storeshas launched a campaign in the Midlands. The to support Britishrevealed artisan butcher chain cheesemakers are over Christmaswho that its struggling to cope Denby Village, Westwith the COVID-19 and Bromwich and crisis, Coventry it will encourage shops would stopmore trading, shoppers to be11 buying leaving it with outlets – the under-threat cheeses. many of which are within garden centres. Farms to Feed Us is a new online resource Tracklements has launched connect hired Ben to Hallam for growers, and the role ofproducers commercial fishermen with local manager, which includes communities. It gives identifying new market shoppers the opportunity opportunities. Hallam to source fresh produce joins the Wiltshire-based grown closespecialist by and after condiment support sustainable 11 yearssmall at dairy firm Yeo businesses. Valley. farmstofeedus.org Health food retailer North PlanetLondon-based Organic has popcorn brand Joefood & moved into the hot Seph’s received deliveryhas market and a Queen’s for teamed upAward with high-end Enterprise in International service Supper, which Trade, having tripled its will courier a selection sales overseas in the last of to-go items and sushi three years. from two Central London stores. In its latest trading update, Waitrose reported sales growth of 8% year-on-year between 26th January 2020 and the last week of April. Products in the storecupboard, home baking and frozen categories were all highlighted as top sellers. It said demand for home delivery had been strong and it had increased its order capacity by 50%. Events specialist Bread & Jam isn’t letting the coronavirus get in the way of its mission to assist food start-ups. Entrepreneurs can sign up to a full programme of online sessions – including webinars, motivational panels and virtual meet-ups – all aimed at helping them deal with the current climate. breadandjamfest.com/ our-events/

Thank you To our customers, producers, and everyone on the food front line. YOUR VITAL WORK IS SUSTAINING OUR LAND, OUR PEOPLE AND OUR SPIRITS.

First in fine for 30 years: fine cheese, fine charcuterie, fine crackers, fine condiments, fine chocolates... 2

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

NEWS

Delishops and Hider to launch ready-made online stores for indies By Michael Lane

E-commerce provider Delishops has teamed up with Hider Foods to offer independent retailers an online shopping platform that will allow them to sell hundreds of the distributor’s products without having to handle them. Brought forward to launch this month in light of the coronavirus crisis, the concept sees retailers pay a monthly subscription for their own branded ‘delishop’, where they can list their own stock along with a large range of pre-stocked items from Hider’s catalogue. All of the Hider products are dispatched direct from the distributor’s warehouse to the consumer, with the retailer making 15% on each item sold. Hider will pre-populate each site with essential products so that it will be

Trade body to certify CBD foods A trade body called The Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) has revealed plans for a certification scheme for food products that contain the much-debated cannabis extract CBD. Businesses that make these products have less than a year to prepare for the FSA’s new regulations, which requires any CBD foods, at very least, to prove that they have applied for Novel Food status. There will be three tiers of certification for all ACI members. The first requires them to pass an ACI audit of their manufacturing standards, while the second is achieved by having a Novel Food application validated by the FSA or its European equivalent. The final stage requires approval of the application. theaci.co.uk

The customisable websites will come pre-loaded with products from fine food distributor Hider

up and running as soon as the web shop is set live. “This allows retailers to continue to offer products to, and make a living from, their customers without needing to hold stock or dispatch goods, or even open their doors,” said Delishops founder Charlie Turnbull, adding that a click & collect facility could also be introduced once the restrictions on

public movement were relaxed. “For now, we are focusing only on retailer partnerships, even though there will be many customers who aren’t near participating retailers. “We need to help the businesses of today survive and grow. This online network will help keep customers engaged with Britain’s independent

DOWN ON THE FARM

IN BRIEF

food retail sector.” Delishops plans to broadcast a new ‘adopta-deli’ hashtag on social media, to encourage people buy through an independent via this new concept, even if they aren’t local to it. Prior to launch, Delishops and Hider want to hear from any retailers that are interested in using this new platform. Before he set up Delishops, Charlie Turnbull ran his own deli in Shaftesbury for 15 years. He is a patron of the Academy of Cheese and instructs on both retail and cheese courses for professionals. Retailers can register their interest in the new platform by visiting hider.delishops.co.uk For more practical advice about online retailing, turn to page 14

The latest from farm shops across the country

Essington farm shop in Wolverhampton has found it can outpace the supermarkets because it produces all of its goods on the farm. Not only can it re-stock much quicker, but the retailer has also reconfigured its shop for social distancing and is delivering food parcels with no delivery charge to vulnerable local residents. essingtonfarm.co.uk The restaurant chefs at Drewton’s farm shop on the Drewton Estate, near Hull, are now creating ready-meals. Customers can easily place orders via the shop’s website for delivery or collection. drewtons.co.uk Poplars Farm, in Nuneaton, has hit the ground running by quickly

Coventry-based teaFoods Walter Smith Fine and spice entrepreneur, has announced the Mahbir set closure Thukral of threehas stores up a website to highlight in the Midlands. The small businesses to butcher chain revealed potential consumers over Christmas that its during coronavirus Denby the Village, West pandemic. Originally Bromwich and Coventry started for fine food shops would stop trading, businesses, the11 site leaving it with outlets – now manyincludes of whichother are within services, like florists and garden centres. hairdressers. creativelocals.uk Tracklements has hired Ben Hallam for the role New research manager, of commercial commissioned Tesco which includes by identifying has that more than newfound market opportunia fifth of Britsjoins are the now ties. Hallam cooking every meal Wiltshire-based condifrom – compared mentscratch specialist after 11 to justatone in eight years dairy firm Yeo before Valley. the lockdown was introduced by the government. Health food retailer Planet Organic has moved The hasfood drawn up into FSA the hot delivery a new set ofteamed guidelines market and up for raw withproducers high-end of service drinking milk will in England. Supper, which courier While thereofhave been a selection to-go items no to the andchanges sushi from twolaw Cen–tral unpasteurised milk London stores. can still be produced and sold, the document encourages producers to commit to carrying out their own regular tests for pathogens in the milk.

through. Read more on page 29. tulleysfarm.com

adapting its small shop into a drive-thru. And, with zero contact in mind, it is also offering a collection service where customers can email their order 24 hours ahead and pick it up from a separate and newly adapted unit on the site. poplarsfarm.co.uk Until a few weeks ago,

Tulleys had taken a step back from retail, but demand from visitors during the COVID-19 crisis has seen it revive its shop in the form of a drive

Digital ticketing, one-way systems, and re-purposing surplus produce are just some of the measures that farm shops with pick-your-own areas have been discussing with a view to opening these attractions in early summer, in the face of the outbreak. To read more from a meeting on this topic, convened by the Farm Retail Association last month, visit: farmretail.co.uk/pyoand-coronavirus

In association with

Fabulous Farm Shops fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

SHOP TALK HOW WE’VE COPED WITH CORONAVIRUS… EDWARD GARTHWAITE, MD, Blacker Hall Farm Shop, West Yorkshire

People need food, don’t they? And they are eating three whole meals a day now at home. Our café and the gift shop are closed but the butchery, bakery and greengrocery is more than making up for it in sales. If you’d told me that at the start of this, I would’ve said ‘No way is that possible’. We’ve got all the social distancing measures on site to give customers a bit of confidence to come in – but it has been very slow in the shop. Half of our turnover is coming from new channels now. Our delivery round was growing quite quickly once lockdown came in. At first, we gave a member of staff the keys to a van and a sat-nav. It didn’t go well, so we hired a local taxi driver. He takes the van out, gets paid per drop, and we handle about 40 of those a day. You’ve got to find someone else to do that kind of job. We’re not logistics people, we’re butchers and bakers and farmers. Soon after that, we started offering click & collect, as it appeals to people who can make it to us but don’t want to come inside – especially those with young children. Within a couple of days, we were overwhelmed with orders and I had to shut the service down for a few days and get us properly ready. Many of these customers are new to us, and have come because there’s a three-month wait for a supermarket delivery slot. Luckily, there’s already a packing line system for Christmas orders so we’ve set that up and are fulfilling around 140 a day. There were already pre-packed boxes of meat, fish, veg, salad and fruit going out for the Click & Collect, so it made sense to start offering a drive-thru service. It appeals more to our existing customer base. They pull up in their cars, choose the boxes they want from a menu board (as well as basics like milk, bread and eggs), and away they go. Some might spend £70 in two minutes so it’s an efficient transaction. I hope we are doing right by our customers. One guy came in and said ‘I’m going to buy my food from you for the rest of my life because of the way you’ve helped me’, then you get others that accuse you of trying to make a quick buck by charging £3.50 for click & collect. In truth, that doesn’t cover the cost of putting that service on. I’m pleased to say I haven’t had to furlough anybody. All 35 staff from the foodservice side have come over to other areas. Some are on headsets taking orders, others are loading customers’ cars. We’ve been talking about getting people trained across different parts of the business for a long time and have achieved more in a few days than we have in the last two years! Interview Michael Lane Photography Blacker Hall Farm Shop

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER OK, WE’RE SCREWED. Or are we? We closed more than a week ago, and are now making deliveries for customers ordering in over the phone and by email. We have closed what little we did on eCommerce. Mother’s Day hampers aren’t really the solution. We have sold a lot of cheese, some crackers, and quite a lot of chocolate. My head keeps wandering off, though, as I’m trying to pin down some kind of routine. Why is my landlord so heartless that he won’t give me a month’s rent holiday? Is my car actually insured for home deliveries? How can you be sure what to do when you’ve got to reinvent it all tomorrow? I came across a marketing plan yesterday focussing on the “The Grey Pound”. Well, that’s out the window. My “Grey Pound” campaign right now is making sure we disinfect anything that goes out the door, in case we crosscontaminate some over-70 gent with a liver transplant. Social media isn’t helping my anxiety right now. Us deli owners aren’t exactly NHS nurses, sure, but we are selling food and people need to

MODEL RETAILING COVID-19 BY DAY

A small business like ours is one decision away from never opening the doors again. eat, which has to count for something. Yet, some keyboard warriors on the town Facebook group gave us a beating for being open on Tuesday, 24th March (remember when that was?). A small business like ours – and many others on the high street – is one decision away from never opening the doors again.

Even though my team can’t be the required two metres from each other (and me) all the time in our premises, they are being very helpfu, and willing. They all want to come in – just like all the other key workers out there. This country makes me proud and I’m sure other retailers out there feel just like I do. We are all anxious. We have families. We are all facing that constant ebb and flow of people, some of whom must be infected. Again, I’m not the doctor on Twitter who can’t hug his son when he comes home from work. But I’m sort of in the same situation. I’ve never taken so many showers. I don’t want to be responsible for the life and death of my community. I just want to sell cheese. And I have no idea, none whatsoever, if staying open is worth it financially. I don’t really trust the government schemes to cover all my lost costs, and if they do we won’t see the money until Christmas. But we have to do what we can. To all you shopkeepers out there, good luck. See you on the other side. Or probably next month.

SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE.

Wow, the shop’s a mess. But sales are up 300%

COVID-19 BY NIGHT

Is… anyone… there?

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

FFD says: The current crisis is a rollercoaster of emotions. For many people working in retail, the chaos on the shop floor is contrasted by the isolation we all experience at some point when the working day is over. Keep active, practice social distancing and make sure you wash your hands regularly, but try to look after yourself (and your mind) as well. Everyone in the supply chain seems to be talking more than ever, so get involved. And you can always drop us a line on editorial@gff.co.uk

Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

Best Biscuit Brand 2020 as voted by independent retailers

Every recipe in the Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Yard range is now a Great Taste award-winner.

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

SHOP TALK

THE DELI DOCTOR Paul Thomas Technical and regulatory advice from the Guild’s deli helpline Q: My customers are concerned about the transmission of the virus both in store and during home deliveries. How likely is it that loose food can be contaminated? And what about packaging? Or surfaces?

A: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has stated: “There is currently no evidence that food is a likely source or route of transmission of the virus.” In the UK, the Food Standards Agency has prepared a guidance document for food business operators. They state that: “COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. It is not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging.” This is consistent with guidance from the World Health Organisation. Official advice does not identify an elevated risk associated with different types of food, such as those sold loose. Food businesses are able to control the risk of spreading the virus through basic prerequisites. Many of these were in place long before the current crisis and include: • Effective hand washing.

Being social-able GUILD OF FINE FOOD DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER DONNA STOKES ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA APPROACH The best place to start with any type of marketing – and that includes social media – is to ask yourself who your existing and future customers are. Who are you trying to reach? Identify what their needs are, and how your business uniquely provides them. Think about the behind-the-scenes stories of your business, from how your operation began to the day-to-day goings on. People want to connect with you, your history, your place and your processes. Images containing people, rather than simply products, have a measurably higher engagement rate than those without, so capture some images of your products being made. Don’t forget in these times to tell the stories of how you’re supporting your local community, too. Once you’ve identified your story, go back to who your target customers are, and think about where they spend their time online. If you sell predominantly direct to consumer, you might use Facebook, or Instagram for a younger market. If you sell more direct to trade, twitter and Linkedin

Official advice does not identify an elevated risk from different food types • Effective cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and equipment. • Exclusion of food handlers who are ill. • Self-isolation of food handlers who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. It is important that staff, including delivery drivers during home-deliveries, are able to observe rules on social distancing while working and that customers can do so while shopping. It should be remembered that outer packaging (eg. the outer box, carton or bag) can still become contaminated by a variety of harmful microorganisms, including Listeria. When receiving deliveries, retailers should remove outer packaging hygienically to avoid contamination of foods or work surfaces. To reassure your customers you may wish to display a notice which summarises the FSA guidance and states the appropriate measures that your business is taking to protect health. The FSA guidance can be found via food.gov.uk Dairy and food safety specialist Paul Thomas runs the Guild’s e-helpline for retailers with technical or regulatory queries. Send your questions to myguild@gff.co.uk

would be more appropriate. Go where your customers are. Don’t try and put content out on every social media channel just for the sake of it. More posts on fewer channels to the right market are better. If you decide to use multiple channels, apps like Hootsuite help streamline keeping on top of multiple accounts at once. Don’t forget the ‘social’ in social media. Because it is being used as a marketing tool, people often think about it in quite commercial terms. However, you have to remember that these are social platforms and here you can’t create loyalty without emotion – you have to connect with your base on a personal level to make them revisit your channels and start buying from you. Be conversational in tone. Try to create a ‘loyalty loop’. It’s very easy for people to get lost in social media marketing. If you remember who your customers are and target emotionally driven ‘social’ content to them, you’re on the right track.

SUSTAINABILITY & SURVIVAL

NICK BAINES EXPLORES HOW SUSTAINABILITY STILL HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN BUSINESS DURING LOCKDOWN

Bulk revisited “Convenience” has taken on a new meaning in the wake of COVID-19. Instead of buying little and often, consumers are now becoming accustomed to staying stocked up on storecupboard essentials. There’s often less margin selling items in bulk to customers, but the practice shows potential as a new form of loss leader. Multi-kilo bags of pasta, flour and other dry goods being sold by bakeries, delis and farm shops could help stimulate transactions both in store and online. It could significantly cut down on packaging, while presenting a multitude of cross-selling options for the retailer. Buying 10kg sacks of potatoes might hark back to a bygone era, but it will help reduce plastic footprints. Smaller supply chains Using local producers does a multitude of good things, from lowering food miles to stimulating community growth. While many are well-worn sales messages, you might find the food security advantages will appeal to consumers too – particularly in the wake of international supply chains hindering the provisions of PPE to frontline NHS staff. Local, or even national producers, have far fewer variables when it comes to the supply chain – compared to imported foods – so pass that message on to customers.

Live virtual content Conference call apps like Zoom and Google Hangouts have thrived in recent months, allowing face-to-face group communication during the lockdown. Many customer-facing classes have migrated to this platform, expanding their reach globally. For instance, someone living in the Scottish Highlands can now take a yoga class from a renowned teacher in Brooklyn. Whether it’s to deliver tasting notes and food pairings, or masterclasses and cookery lessons, live conferencing allows you to nurture a loyal, highly-primed customer base very easily. Expect to see brands and retailers innovate in this space. Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

SHOP TALK

You have got to do something – your customers are at sea right now and you could lose them. You don’t want to have to rebuild on the day you reopen.

Open your digital doors As the coronavirus crisis continues, many food retailers are looking to set up an online offering. But what are the dos and don’ts of such a move? By Tom Dale

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES CALL for new measures, and for many selling online was not necessary, or an unwanted headache, prior to the crisis. Now, though, it could be vital for survival. According to Charlie Turnbull, founder of Delishops, an online platform to help small food retailers get their business on the internet, setting up some sort of e-commerce side to your business is crucial. “People are changing their habits fast and if they go off and find a new place to buy cheese online because you’re not offering it, that customer might never come back to you,” says Turnbull. “You have got to do something – your customers are at sea right now and you could lose them. You don’t want to have to rebuild; you want the day you open to have the same number of customers as the day you closed.” He advises small retailers who have not had an online store to get even a small number of products online. “Even if it’s just putting some pictures of products up online with prices and a telephone number, it is valuable. “I’ve spoken to a lot of retailers and right now that is their life-blood – selling products via email.” But this has its drawbacks. “If you have a range of 1,000 to 2,000 products unless they’re up there, you can’t sell them,” says Turnbull, adding that there is no stock control, no pricing and no browsing. Alec Paterson, chief commercial officer at BoroughBox, an online marketplace offering 14

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

the company’s own boxes and a platform for fine food producers to sell their products, recommends keeping things simple by using a pre-existing online platform like Shopify, Delishops or BoroughBox, among others. Also crucial in maintaining a simple offering, he says, is to package items together. “Instead of offering 200 different lines of vegetables, offer a vegetable box in different sizes. “It is far easier to manage, can be packed in batches, and can be flexible to your supply.” Paterson adds that the thing people most often overlook is the added cost of selling online. “Just make sure that when you’re delivering or packaging up and sending out you have a keen understanding of what the costs of delivery and any packaging are going to be,” he says. “Remember that most supermarkets lose money on their delivery service – it’s expensive to pick, pack and deliver, make sure the costs are accounted for.” Turnbull echoes this message, suggesting retailers focus on their local area for deliveries at first, and, if retailers did have to send packages further afield, to make sure customers are spending enough to make it profitable. He adds: “It is likely that you will have too many orders to deal with. I know of three businesses who have had to pull their websites down as they could not handle the influx of customers and are now dealing with all orders through email.” Summing up his advice to FFD, Paterson says: “It’s not rocket science. If you already operate a shop and you already understand customer service, it’s as important online as offline. “Make sure customers have a way of getting in contact with you, and if things go wrong make sure you apologise and make things right. Replicate your good in-store customer service online.”

Turnbull’s conclusion is even more forceful and should grab every retailer’s attention: “The most important reason to do business online or do deliveries right now is to make sure you have a business to go back to.”

BE SOCIAL Social media is a great way to stay in communication with your customers during lockdown and increase your reach beyond your traditional base, with some research claiming engagement is up by 76% on some platforms. “Keep it local to start with,” recommends Vhari Russell of The Food Marketing Experts. “Use Facebook Marketplace and look for village or town Facebook groups to promote your online shop and delivery.” She also advises stocking lines from producers in your area, then they can provide a boost for your store on social media. “Always remain positive in your posts,” recommends Russell, “and avoid getting into any political views or discussions.” She also suggests drafting responses to scenarios you may encounter. “I would draft a response to a complaint and a response to a positive comment just so that even if you’re not the person responding, whoever does has some guidelines.” Key to keeping your customers engaged, says Russell is to not be too sales focused. “It’s like going to a networking event and only talking about yourself. It’s really important to support the industry as a whole and not get caught up in your own issues. “Always be consistent with your message and with the frequency of post – if you’re going to post every day, make sure you do.”

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

Craggs and Co is a family business producing a range of Ancient Grain flours. Farmed, harvested and produced 100% in the UK, Craggs & Co work tirelessly to produce exceptional quality ancient grains, in a sustainable manner. Over recent years ancient grains have exploded onto shelves and menus and are now within most households. This is predominately due to their high fibre/protein content and in connection with good gut health and clean eating lifestyles. Currently available in 1kg Retail bags • White Spelt Flour • Wholegrain Spelt Flour • Wholegrain Emmer Flour All Craggs & Co Ancient Grain Flours were awarded the highly sought after Great Taste 2 stars at 2018 & 2019 Great Taste, with our Wholegrain Spelt Flour being awarded an outstanding Great Taste 3-star award in 2018. 10% GFF discount available on all orders until 30th June Minimum order 2 boxes of 10 × 1kg bags No delivery charges Request a trade price list from info@craggsandco.co.uk (quoting GFF to secure discount)

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CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

Makers and retailers staging tastings online to boost sales By Patrick McGuigan

Cheesemakers and cheesemongers are heading online to deliver virtual masterclasses as the sector continues to innovate during the coronavirus crisis. Belfast cheesemaker Mike Thomson, who produces Young Buck and has a cheese shop in the city, has seen dozens of customers sign up for his new online cheese and beer tastings, conducted through video conferencing site Zoom. Thomson switched to online sales and local delivery when the Coronavirus crisis hit and is currently making up to 60 drops a day, many of which are cheese and beer tasting packs, costing £40. Customers who

buy them tune in to an online tasting on Saturdays, hosted by Thomson, brewers and cheesemakers. “We lost over half our sales when the restaurants closed and had to stop making cheese for two weeks, but we’re back making once a week now because of deliveries and the tastings,” he said. York retailer Love Cheese has also been hosting virtual cheese and wine tastings on Facebook. Tickets cost £40, and in return customers receive a box with five drinks and five cheese, plus access to an online masterclass. So far around 150200 customers have signed up. Curds & Whey in Hove has a similar offer. “Doing the virtual tastings keeps us

Belfast cheesemaker and retailer Mike Thomson is holding cheese & beer tastings via Zoom

relevant and in mind, so when normal business returns people will book on the tasting dates, but we could also keep the virtual tastings going,” said manager David Deaves. The artisan cheese sector is in crisis, after many cheesemakers saw sales drop by up to 85% when the hospitality sector was closed down. Patrick Holden, director of the Sustainable Food Trust, who has seen sales of his organic cheddar Hafod fall by 75%, said that “a very significant percentage of artisan cheesemakers could be forced out of business”. But as the virtual tastings show, the internet has been central to helping cheesemakers and mongers pivot their businesses during the crisis. Neal’s Yard has launched a Dairy Box for online sales containing cheese, milk, bread, eggs and butter, and has teamed up with Natoora to provide cheeses as part of the produce company’s online delivery service. Meanwhile, cheese wholesalers – including The Cheese Man, CheesePlus and Harvey & Brockless – have switched to supplying the public direct with new online ordering and selection boxes.

NEWS IN BRIEF Cumbria-based cheesemaker Martin Gott, who makes the soft, washed rind St James, is aiming to offset a decline in sales because of the lockdown by switching to making a long-ageing tomme-style cheese called Crookwheel. Fen Farm Dairy gave away 3,000 vacuumpacked wedges of Baron Bigod brie to residents in Suffolk rather than see it go to waste. The goodwill gesture has seen the community rally behind the business with increased sales online and at the farm shop. Dairy farmer and cheesemaker Robin Betts, owner of Winterdale Shaw, was forced to dump 3,500 litres of milk after wholesaler Freshways refused to pick up from his farm. Other dairy farms have had to follow suit as demand for liquid milk from cheesemakers and the hospitality sector has plummeted.

Carwyn Adams, owner of Caws Cenarth in Carmarthenshire, offered to give away his cheese for free last month in an emotional plea on YouTube. The cheesemaker was left with a quarter of a year’s worth of soft and blue cheeses after the hospitality sector was put into lockdown. So, in what Adams described as “a social experiment”, he launched three different online offers for customers: pay the full price for a selection box of cheeses and receive a 50% discount at Christmas; get 50% off immediately; or have the cheese for free. The experiment paid off with Adams thanking people, who overwhelmingly paid for the cheese, for their “phenomenal” support. cawscenarth.co.uk

THREE WAYS WITH...

London Fettle Founded by Anthony Heard in 2015, Enfield-based Kupros Dairy uses English sheep’s milk to make a halloumi-style cheese called Anglum and the Feta-style London Fettle. Before the coronavirus outbreak most of Kupros’ sales were to restaurants, but it is now selling direct to the public and wholesalers. London Fettle is perfect for spring. Aged for just a few months in brine, it is milky and lemony with delicate vanilla notes and a salty tang. Nectarine In Greece, Feta is often matched with watermelon and a few mint leaves, but this style of cheese works with all types of fruit. London Fettle has a fresh citrus flavour that complements the sweet acidity and perfume of a few slices of ripe nectarine. There’s also a good textural contrast between the juicy fruit and the crumbly cheese. Herbs Feta-style cheeses carry flavour so well, which is why they are a key ingredient in dishes such as spanakopita or roasted lamb. But London Fettle is good enough to be served on a summery cheeseboard. Cut a few cubes and drizzle with peppery arbequina olive oil and a few herb leaves. Thyme leaves are classic, but you can go with whatever’s to hand – fresh basil, mint, dill or oregano work. Chilli flakes are also good. Sherry As they know all too well in Spain, chilled Fino sherry is a fine match for anything salty, from salted almonds to jamon or Manchego. It’s a similar story when matched with London Fettle. The salty, tangy cheese is refreshed by the dry, aromatic Fino. It’s a great aperitif combination, especially if the sun is shining. Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

Shepherds Purse reformats Fettle to help ewes’ milk supplier By Tom Dale

A Yorkshire cheesemaker is hoping that reformatting the production of one of its bestselling cheeses will help save its sheep’s milk supplier who is in dire straits due to the COVID-19 outbreak. After hearing that the supplier had lost all but two of his customers, the cheesemaker decided to bring forward a project to reformat its Mediterranean salad cheese, Yorkshire Fettle, into feta-style packs with new moulds. “He was in absolute distress about what to do with his milk,” said Caroline Bell, MD of Shepherds Purse. Bell said that the cheesemaker is taking on 75% more sheep’s milk than usual in order to fast-track the reformatted Fettle. “We’ve escalated that project so we can take more milk from our sheep’s milk farmers, just to

CHEESE IN PROFILE with Traditional Lancashire What’s the story? One of Britain’s famous territorial cheeses, Lancashire was purely a farmhouse cheese right up to 1913. It was made by lots of farmer’s wives in the region, using the surplus milk. When there was insufficient milk from a single day to make a whole cheese, each subsequent day’s 18

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

Shepherds Purse MD Caroline Bell and, inset, the new Fettle pack

try and keep them going – taking on the risk ourselves. “We will be launching the new Fettle on May 4th, just in time for the British Cheese Weekender on May 8th.” She added: “Obviously, this is cash we would like to keep in the business right now, but we believe in trying to create this

milk was curdled and accumulated for the next day, or the day after, when there was enough curd to fill the 10-20kg cylinder moulds. Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire, first made by Ruth Kirkham in 1978 and now by her son Graham, is the last remaining raw milk multi-day curd, traditional, handmade Lancashire. It is made using milk from the family’s herd of Holstein Friesians at Beasley Farm near Goosnargh Village, Lancashire. How is it made? Today’s traditional Lancashire cheesemakers are all located within a few square miles on the edge of the Forest of Bowland and the Ribble Valley, which

CALLING ALL CHEESEMONGERS

lifeline for the sheep’s milk, so we’re going to have to take that risk.” Bell said that Shepherds Purse is taking a holistic view of how to respond to coronavirus and hopes that others will do the same, stressing that communication at all levels of the industry is key. She has also made a plea to retailers to maintain orders of products like Shepherds Purse cheeses to keep small producers alive and is confident that consumer demand for fine foods will return after the initial surge in panic buying. “Retailers dropped a lot of products in that first week, which has had the knock-on effect that producers stop producing thinking that customers don’t want their product. But in the coming weeks, I can’t believe that people aren’t going to want decent food. “We were very clear with our customers from the beginning that if you stop buying now, you may not have us here in two weeks.” shepherdspurse.co.uk

By Mary Quicke, Quicke’s Cheese Independent retail and artisan cheese have a mutually beneficial association. Gorgeous artisan products need independent retail to buy their wares and independent retail needs great products to get people to walk through their door rather than go to the supermarket down the road. So let’s mutually support each other while this is going on. Stock your shelves with great products so that your customers maintain their taste for good food and that they don’t go elsewhere to buy their fine cheese. If we do that, we won’t have to start again from nothing when this is all over. Your customers are locked into survival mode and they need the joy and pleasure that great food brings. Everybody has the time now to slow down and enjoy special food – so let them by keeping on stocking fine artisan cheeses.

maturing. Lancashire is not a protected cheese so the cheese can be made anywhere, however there is a PDO for Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire which must be made from milk in the Fylde area of Lancashire.

is renowned for its rich grassland meaning high quality milk and, inevitably, great cheese. Rennet is added to the milk to form curds that are cut when acidity is still low, the curds are drained and broken up throughout the day to remove the whey as acidity slowly increases. Mixed curds are salted and pressed into moulds, turned and removed from the moulds before being clothbound ready for

Appearance & texture: The raw milk Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire is wrapped in cloth and matured for 2-6 months, it is white in colour, crumbly in texture with a mellow, lactic and yoghurt-y tang. Creamy Lancashire is mellow and buttery when young and sharp & tangy when matured, it has a

loose open texture that melts in the mouth. Variations: ‘Creamy’ is matured for 8-12 weeks but it becomes the ‘Tasty’ when matured for 12-24 weeks. ‘Crumbly’ Lancashire matured from 6-8 weeks Cheesemonger tip: It makes the perfect cheese toastie and also pairs well with Eccles cakes. Chef’s recommendation: Lancashire is ideal for pastry-encased cheese & onion pies. Serve it with a smoked beer, such as Ashover Smoked or a German Rauchbier.

Whether you have a professional or personal interest in cheese, the Academy of Cheese is a not-for-profit organisation, providing a comprehensive industry recognised certification. Level One courses are available across the UK. Visit academyofcheese.org to start your journey to becoming a Master of Cheese.

Grants of Speyside traditional Scottish haggis

Grants of Speyside Black and white pudding

The Original

Highly acclaimed Great Taste Award winning products from the Highlands of Scotland The Grant family have been making top quality traditional Scottish products for five generations. The Black pudding and Haggis recipes used today were first made by Jessie Grant in the 1890â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Contact us for more information: 07977 442996 | info@grantsofspeyside.co.uk Deliveries throughout mainland UK Next day delivery

Jessie Grant Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

Sales@hiderfoods.co.uk 01482 504 333

Hider Foods and Delishops launch online shops for independent retailers Hider Foods has teamed up with E-commerce provider Delishops in an exciting new partnership. This partnership gives Hiders customers the opportunity to have their own branded “delishop” website, where they can list their own products along with a large range of fantastic products from the Hider’s catalogue. All of Hiders products are distributed direct from their warehouse to the consumers, resulting in the retailer having zero stocking, delivery or order processing overheads, whilst making 15% on each item sold. For further information or to apply for one of our fantastic shops please see our website https://hider.delishops.co.uk/ This is one of a number of initiatives that Hider are working on keeping their customers engaged, stocked and trading in these unprecedented times of crisis. For further information contact sales@hiderfoods.co.uk

Open to all! Any retailer can get a Delishop eCommerce website.

Your brand Each Hider Delishop can be individually branded by the retailer.

key products Hider will prepopupate each site with essential products so that you can be up and running instantly.

Delivery Hider products are sent direct to the consumer.

Your products Add your own products and sell them at your usual markup.

Money for nothing Retailers get 15% of everything bought from Hider sold through their delishop.

https://hider.delishops.co.uk/

Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

CUT&DRIED

making more of British & Continental charcuterie

Prospects of Cannon & Cannon rescue ‘hindered’ by COVID-19 By Mick Whitworth

The virus-driven closure of bars and restaurants across the UK from 21st March may have stymied hopes of a rescue package for charcuterie distributor Cannon & Cannon. The London-based British cured meats specialist was put into voluntary creditors’ liquidation just before the lockdown, with debts of over £500,000. Liquidator David Rubin & Partners told FFD that agent Williams & Partners had been instructed to market the business as a going concern, but that “due to COVID-19, the sale process has been hindered”. At least two-thirds of Cannon & Cannon’s revenue came from foodservice – the sector that could take longest to bounce back when the lockdown ends. “We anticipate there will be demand once the crisis is over,” the liquidator said. However, some charcuterie experts have questioned whether the concept of a specialist British charcuterie distributor has run its course. Cannon & Cannon hit serious cash-flow trouble after sales failed to keep pace with heavy investment in slicing and packing facilities at a new production base at Spa Terminus in Bermondsey, as well as a major rebrand. At least one hoped-for supermarket contract,

Cannon & Cannon had invested heavily in slicing and packing in anticipation of supermarket orders - as well as for its own brand

with Aldi, failed to materialise. While finance companies are the biggest individual creditors, figures seen by FFD suggest Cannon & Cannon’s failure leaves at least 17 British charcuterie producers, including most of the sector’s big names, facing losses totalling around £70,000. One high-end producer told FFD it had become obvious Cannon & Cannon was struggling as bills took longer and longer to be settled. “Towards the end we were acting as their bank,” he said. It is understood Cannon & Cannon’s directors considered buying its assets under a pre-pack adminstration deal, while at least one producer was interested in acquiring the business outright. But it appears all potential buyers got

cold feet as the lockdown deepened. A piecemeal sale of assets is now one possibility, with a consortium of four British producers among those rumoured to be interested. Founded by Sean Cannon in 2010, initially in partnership with his brother, Joe, Cannon & Cannon is credited with raising awareness of British charcuterie and creating a route to market for small producers. Starting with its own stall on Borough Market alongside the wholesale operation, it developed consumer training courses and an online shop, as well as launching the British Cured Meat Awards. New international trade body The Charcuterie Board (TCB) was due to work with Cannon & Cannon on judging this year’s awards, which are now on hold.

A concept whose time has come and gone? With coronavirus and the closure of Cannon & Cannon forcing British charcutiers to find new ways of reaching consumers, some are questioning the need for a dedicated wholesaler for British makers. Coronavirus is “changing the landscape,” according to John Gower of trade body The Charcuterie Board. “Producers have had to look at direct marketing and web-based sales platforms and the staff to deliver that. Once they’ve invested in that, there may be no real incentive to go back to the old ways.” At Trealy Farm Charcuterie in Monmouthshire – one of Cannon & Cannon’s most prestigious suppliers – owner James Swift said he was no longer convinced Cannon & Cannon met a need. “In a way, you could say it has done its job,” he told FFD. “Sean was good at getting the message out there, talking positively and uncompromisingly about British charcuterie. “But he carried a smaller range of products than we do as an individual producer and, at the end of the day, he was adding 25-30% to our prices in a market where price has always been an issue.”

Ruthin becomes capital of paté as Patchwork and Pyman merge Production of Pyman Patés is to move from Devon to Denbighshire, home of Patchwork Paté, after the two firms announced they are merging. Former chef Thomas Pyman has been making fish, meat, game and vegetarian patés at his base in Lifton, near Plymouth, since 2006. Patchwork is one of the speciality sector’s best known family businesses, started in 1982 by Margaret Carter and now led by her son Rufus. Customers of its BRCaccredited factory in North Wales range from independent delis to major airlines.

In a joint statement, the two firms described the merger as “Brexitdriven”. Combining production will enable their brands to compete with “cheaper and generally inferior imported patés from Europe”. “We believe in 2021 that provenance will be a major selling point for British consumers and that will drive retailers and wholesalers to towards more national producers,” they added. A new range of vegan patés was due to go into production last month. patchworkfoods.com pymanpates.co.uk

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

smoked mutton 80g

chorizo 80g

A family owned West Dorset charcuterie producer working with chefs and retailers since 2009

air-dried ham 80g

air-dried pork loin 80g

A family owned West Dorset charcuterie producer working with chefs and retailers since 2009

Dorset Coppa 80g

Guanciale 100g

winner of 9 great taste 2019 awards and a 2019 golden fork award

pastrami 100g

Chorizo for cooking 100g

dorset warmer salami 80g

truffle-infused lardo 80g

pastrami 100g

dorset soft salami 100g

dorset air dried beef 80g

DORSET ROSETTE SALAMI 80g

truffle-infused lardo 80g

Pork & Wild Venison Pepperoni 80g

dorset warmer salami 80g

rampisham tingler salami 80g

Chorizo for cooking 100g

smoked duck breast 80g

Dorset Nduja 100g

dorset soft dorset air dried smoked duck Dorset Nduja www.capreolusfinefoods.co.uk 100g salami 100g beef 80g breast 80g

Capreolus Fine Foods Ltd. www.capreolusfinefoods.co.uk Uphall Farmhouse, Rampisham, Dorset, DT2 0PP email: Fine sales@capreolusfinefoods.co.uk Telephone: 01935 83883 Capreolus Foods Ltd. Uphall Farmhouse, Rampisham, Dorset, DT2 0PP Telephone: 01935 83883

XL REFRIGERATORS Specialists in refrigerated displays Tel: 0113 2577 277 www.xlrefrigerators.com

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

email: sales@capreolusfinefoods.co.uk

LARDO

SMOKED MUTTON

GUANCIALE

LARDO

SMOKED MUTTON

GUANCIALE

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Garofalo quality of the wheat and therefore the quality of the pasta. All Garofalo wheat pasta is made using robust durum wheat semolina. The result a pasta high in protein that resists over cooking and retains the al dente texture. BRONZE DRAWN Most of Garofalo’s pasta shapes are bronze drawn. Bronze drawing is the original way to extrude the dough to make the different pasta cuts. Pasta made using the traditional bronze die has a slightly rough texture and a porous surface that helps the sauce ‘stick’ to the pasta.

Garofalo have dies to produce more than 50 shapes between, long, short and speciality.

Garofalo Pasta: the goodness revealed THE HISTORY OF OUR PASTA Pastificio Lucio Garofalo is an Italian company specialising in the production of pasta. In 1789 in Gragnano in the province of Naples, with the Royal Decree, Michele Garofalo obtained permission for the production and sales of “well-made pasta”. Since then Garofalo has been synonymous with excellence. The pasta factory was located, and still is today, in Gragnano. It is a small city south of Naples and very close to Pompei and considered ‘the birthplace’ of the pasta industry, thanks to its ideal climate for the production and drying of pasta.

200 years of experience are a huge advantage in the development of Garofalo signature pasta. Second and third generation workers have decades of knowledge in the skills of pasta making and combined it with the efficiencies of today’s technology. HOW OUR PASTA IS MADE PRECIOUS RAW INGREDIENTS Pasta is made from two simple ingredients; durum wheat semolina and water. With only two ingredients it would be difficult to make a premium quality pasta if the best wheat was not used. It is the quality and quantity of the protein in the form of gluten that primarily determines the

THE DRYING PROCESS The drying process is decisive for delivering the right firmness of the final pasta shape. The thickness of the shape makes all the difference at this stage; the correct drying of Vermicelli (the Italian shape) can take twice the time of Spaghettini. To ensure the final pasta with the optimum firmness, removing the water from the dough at the right pace is absolutely key. Whilst everything is planned to follow a detailed program for each shape, the knowledge of the pasta maker remains fundamental taking into account the climate on the day. NOTHING TO HIDE Garofalo signature pasta is wrapped in transparent packaging inspired by the philosophy that “there is nothing to hide and everything to share”, and high-quality pasta is beautiful to look at! PASTA DI GRAGNANO PGI Many of our signature packs now proudly display the Pasta Di Gragnano PGI (IGP in Italian) symbol. Pasta di Gragnano is the only dry pasta variety recognised by the European Commission as a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication). Gragnano IGP was founded to testify

the history of Gragnano and its production methods. There are specific rules that govern the production of “Pasta Di Gragnano IGP” : • The pasta must be produced within the municipality of Gragnano. • The pasta dough must only be produced with high quality durum wheat semolina and water from local aquifers. • The extrusion of the dough to form the pasta shape must take place through bronze dies. • After cooling, and within 24 hours, the pasta must be packaged in the place of production to prevent the loss of moisture that would compromise the organoleptic qualities of the product. • The protein level of the final product must be 13% or above. Gragnano IGP pasta is produced by fourteen companies belonging to the Consorzio di Gragnano IGP, with Garofalo being the largest producer. THE PEOPLE Garofalo’s quality is unmistakable and the product speaks for itself. At the base is our dedication to excellence, our desire to make good food an exact science without giving up creativity. In the UK we are a very small but dedicated team looking after the 120 lines of Garofalo pasta, sauces, pesto and other products that enrich the Garofalo range. All are stocked in the UK for immediate delivery through national and regional wholesalers.

www.pasta-garofalo.com Contact us in the UK office for product and wholesaler details Tel: 01438 813444 or 07970 295806 Email: info@garofalo.co.uk

Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

COVID-19 EXPERIENCES

Stories from the aisles of Britain Although FFD has been desk-bound this month, it has still managed to check in with businesses across the country. Here’s how the trade is getting on across the British Isles. Interviews by Michael Lane and Tom Dale Addtional reporting by Nick Baines and Greg Pitcher

Provenance should be and will be massive after this. RUFUS CARTER, Patchwork Paté

The city centre is now like a ghost town. It would have been pointless staying open and keeping staff on the books, and at risk. STEVE SALAMON, Wally’s Delicatessen 24

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

People are starting to come out a lot more, but social distancing is still manageable in the shop. JOHN SINCLAIR, Craigies

One of the benefits of being a small producer is that we can be agile, and we are just trying to think of all the ways in which we can adapt to the situation. CAROLINE BELL, Shepherds Purse

Suddenly weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found ourselves with an online grocery business. The shop has been converted into a warehouse. MATT BUNCH, The Camden Grocer

Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

COVID-19 EXPERIENCES CAROLINE BELL, MD, SHEPHERDS PURSE, NORTH YORKSHIRE As reported in Cheesewire (see page 18), Yorkshirebased Shepherds Purse Cheeses has taken the decision to up the production of its feta-style cheese, Yorkshire Fettle, in order to offer a lifeline to its sheep’s milk supplier during the COVID-19 crisis. “We must take a holistic view and decide what we want to have remaining when we get through this,” said Caroline Bell, MD, “Because we will get through this.” “One of the benefits of being a small producer is that we can be agile, and we are

just trying to think of all the ways in which we can adapt to the situation, but we can’t do it on our own,” she said. “We need all of our customers and all of our suppliers working with us.” Bell says it is important to have constant communication between suppliers of raw ingredients, producers and retailers, so effective decisions can be made at all levels for the good of the industry as a whole. “We don’t operate without our customers and we don’t operate without our suppliers, so we need to stay in as close communication with them as possible.” She added: “It’s not easy not find time because we are all so busy but try to think of the ramifications down the line as well because you may lose the option.”

RUFUS CARTER, PATCHWORK PATÉ, DENBIGHSHIRE “Things are somewhere between catastrophic and okay, depending on what day it is,” says Rufus Carter, director at Patchwork Paté. “Today is a good day,” he adds. Manufacturing at the North Wales business has become less efficient due to social distancing and the need for new PPE. Despite this and a drop-off in sales, the business is treading water, says Carter, adding that amid the crisis he has been picking up new retail customers. Carter says the whole food industry – from suppliers through retailers to consumers – needs to be united in reviving eating British if it is to survive after the coronavirus crisis begins to ease. “Provenance should be, and will be, massive after this,” he tells FFD. “Consumers should be demanding that their food is British – end of discussion. “If it’s coming in from outside of this country then you shouldn’t be buying it; provenance needs to be top of the list of consumer’s concerns. If it’s not British cheese, not British pâté or if it’s not British bread, we need to be saying, ‘I don’t want it’.”

SANGITA TRYNER, OWNER , DELILAH FINE FOODS, NOTTINGHAM “The city is dead. It’s not a destination at the moment so we’ve had to go to the customer,” says Sangita Tryner of Delilah Fine Foods, which has lost 75% of its trade by shutting its café. “I have always wanted to do a ‘farm-shop-inthe-city’ thing but we’ve never had the time or the inclination to do it,” she says. 26

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Now, however, Tryner is selling all of the basics: milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables and some fresh meat, alongside the artisan bread that the shop already carries. With the majority of her staff furloughed, Tryner is keeping the shop open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and taking care of around 20-25 home deliveries together with her husband. A similar number of customers have been coming into the shop, but spending larger amounts than normal. Tryner is still committed to selling the

>> ROB COPLEY, FARMER COPLEYS, WEST YORKSHIRE Not all retailers have found home delivery is the best solution. “We started a home delivery service, and we’ve now shut it down,” director Rob Copley tells FFD. “We could not even cope with 30 orders a day. At least half of the deliveries were not to high-risk people.” “It was not for me. It’s not just about the money anymore. It felt like we were being busy fools to serve the wrong people.” Despite this, Copley says that his shop has remained busy in social distancing mode, with his butchery counter and produce departments reporting 100% year-on-year growth every week since lockdown began. A drive-thru, click & collect service run out of the closed café space is also doing brisk business – with customers choosing from a selection of pre-packed boxes of meat and produce. While basics like flour are very popular (seling 30 bags a day) so are toilet roll and McVities Digestives, both of which Copley has started stocking. Luxury and gift items have not been selling as well Copley is now gearing up to open his pickyour-own area in July. He thinks this will be possible with reduced numbers of people and social distancing measures.

more specialist fine food products that Delilah is known for. And customers are buying them online, too. “I’ve been selling Iberico ham in 100g packs and I’ve sold more of that than I usually do outside of Christmas.” Tryner hopes to expand online deliveries into regular subscription services for products like coffee and wine and her next move is to start promoting stock more prominently on social media. This includes a range of frozen home-made pies and potentially ready-meals.

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

COVID-19 EXPERIENCES

>> JENNIE ALLEN, OWNER, BAYLEY & SAGE “We opened a shop on the 26th February [in Chelsea] and launched our Bayley Blue cheese,” says Jennie Allen. “Those were supposed to be the highlights if 2020 but they’re a dim and distant memory.” Seven of Allen’s eight outlets across London have been open and trading throughout the lockdown. Only the smallest, on Old York Road, has been closed due to staffing issues – chiefly the manager being stuck in Argentina. Despite this hitch, sales are booming – with greeters on each door and full social distancing measures and staff PPE in place – and Allen describes every day as being “like Christmas Eve”. Customer numbers are holding steady but average spend across the estate has doubled from £15 to £31. She qualifies this by pointing out that smaller food-to-go spend (of £5-£6) has ceased, which affects the figures slightly, but customers are still spending more. “The supply chain was the hardest thing the first few weeks but there was only one day where we didn’t have eggs,” she says. “I was putting them out in one shop and customers were getting on their phones saying ‘Bayley & Sage’ has eggs!’” Although the stores shave been making some ad hoc deliveries to vulnerable customers, Allen says she won’t be moving into that market properly. “We’ve taken the view that we can just about cope with people in the stores and we don’t want to overburden ourselves.”

MATT BUNCH, CO-FOUNDER, THE CAMDEN GROCER The Camden Grocer suspected the closure of its home, Camden Market, was coming in March and shut its doors a week before lockdown. Matt Bunch tells FFD they were faced with two choices: mothball the business and furlough the staff or find a way to keep trading. “Suddenly we’ve found ourselves with an online grocery business,” he says. “The shop has been converted into a pick-and-pack warehouse.” The Camden Grocer has tried to keep its sphere of delivery “hyper local”, given the volume of

STUART BEARE, PARTNER, TULLEYS FARM, WEST SUSSEX Tulleys Farm Shop closed its doors in 2014 when its owners decided to focus solely on their burgeoning events business, but the COVID-19 outbreak has seen the shop relaunched in a format that’s very of its time. As the virus began to spread in mid-March, the farm was inundated with visitors searching for the long-closed farm shop. “We were having to turn people away,” partner Stuart Beare tells FFD. “When the heavier measures were put in place, we had hundreds of people coming looking for the shop, and we didn’t want people getting out

competing delivery services in the capital and the practicalities of staffing. Currently, Bunch and the rest of the team are picking, packing and fulfilling up to 100 deliveries a day, using two vans and some supplemental bike couriers. Handing over the goods themselves, rather than via a third-party, seems to appeal and Bunch says it is building the brand’s personality. This approach is working and the customer base is growing through word of mouth. “We have an order on a street one week. The next week, there are several people placing orders from that same street.” Average basket spend started at around £40 and is now sitting at an average of £60. This is partly down to the retailer being able to “stay true” to its mix of quality groceries and deli items.

and putting themselves and others at risk.” Beare re-established old supply lines, put up marquees and set up a contact-free system for ordering and collecting on site. Pretty soon he had one of the country’s first drive-thru farm shops. Customers arrive in their cars, place an order via a socially distant staff member with an iPad and pay using a card machine on an extendable pole. Vehicles are then driven to a collection point while the orders are packed up and placed in the boot. After initially offering a stripped back range of essentials – meat, vegetables and staples – the shop has expanded its selection to include items like fresh fish, pies and cakes, alcohol and even home entertainment and garden plants.

STEFANO CUOMO, OWNER, MACKNADE FINE FOODS Stefano Cuomo of Macknade says the coronavirus crisis has “supercharged” ideas that the Faversham-based food hall had been considering already. “We had always thought about doing deliveries, so we jumped on the opportunity. We’re now thinking through whether it’s something we can transition into a long-term channel,” he says. The Macknade owner acknowledges that there will be inevitable losses in the industry, but says there is also an opportunity for change. “People are realising that we may be selling a more expensive product, but it’s better-quality, and because more people are coming to us now, they are understanding what it is they’re paying for,” he says. “They are realising that the cash that they spend is positively impacting all the way down the supply chain.” Social distancing has brought new people to the independent food sector, says Cuomo, and he hopes that this change of habit can start a food revolution. “Our industry is going to be massively important to the economic kick-start and there is this new awareness of our sector. “Looking long term, it’s crucial that we lead from the front. The relationship between humans and food and drink has been led by the supermarkets for too long.” Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

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COVID-19 EXPERIENCES STEVE SALAMON, OWNER, WALLY’S DELICATESSEN, CARDIFF Cardiff institution Wally’s Delicatessen has had to close its doors entirely, foregoing the online and delivery services that have been successful for other food retailers. Due to its city-centre location, the deli is facing some unusual challenges: both the business’s units are located in arcades containing non-food retailers and cafés. “If we had kept trading, the arcade’s owners would have to keep it open just for us and we would have incurred all the costs of cleaning and maintaining,” owner Steven Salamon tells FFD. “Also, we are in Cardiff city centre which is now

like a ghost town. It would have been pointless staying open and keeping staff on the books, and at risk ,when there was no business left.” Wally’s has also closed its online shop. Even if demand had risen from pre-coronavirus levels, it would have been difficult to justify continuing – given the logistical challenges posed by the arcades, says Salamon. Salamon says he is most concerned about Wally’s post-lockdown future, especially if government financial support is withdrawn. “If business is massively down and all my costs return to a normal level, then it will be dangerous. “It’s not a great feeling being sat at home without any income, but it’s going to be a darn sight worse when we go back, which is a bit bizarre.”

SUE JOHNS, JOHNS OF INSTOW, DEVON “With the closure of our cafés and 1.75 of our delis we have inevitably been doing less trade,” says Sue Johns, who runs Johns of Instow & Appledore, along with husband, Anthony. But the pair remain positive and have launched a delivery service and an online shop for the North Devon-based deli. And they are looking to continue it after the coronavirus crisis, having picked up new customers. “Key to holding on to this new clientele is maintaining communication now and giving them exceptional customer service by thanking them for their support each time they shop so that we stay in their minds as being trusted for quality produce and service.” Seeing the demand for luxury items and pre-prepared meals rise as customers settle into lockdown, the team has started cooking signature deli items again. “The novelty of cooking at home all the time is wearing off a little,” says Johns. Looking to the future, and predicting a slow recovery, Sue is lamenting the loss of tourist trade. “Living in an area where the population doubles from Easter onwards, our income has been hit,” she says. “From engagement on social media, a yearning is apparent from those visitors to come back to North Devon again. We shall welcome them back warmly.”

PETER JOY, BAKEHOUSE 24, HAMPSHIRE

EMMA MACDONALD, OWNER, THE BAY TREE, DEVON Having lost both the foodservice and the tourism markets that account for a good portion of sales, The Bay Tree’s Emma MacDonald has had to slow down production at the West Country preserve- and condimentmaker’s site in Ivybridge. That said, retail orders are still coming in and she is also listing the other producers that she distributes goods for, such as Teoni’s Cookies, on The Bay Tree’s consumer-facing website. “We have opened up our website to all of our other suppliers, because all of them still want to supply product.” MacDonald describes the offer as a “small grocery store” and there is a minimum order of £30 for free delivery. She is also willing to hear from other producers that have ambient lines, even if there’s no previous relationship. “We’re going to stay open and carry on distributing these goods to retailers and consumers, keeping them in the goods they need,” she says, adding that retailers should contact her if they are looking for help sourcing a particular item.

“80% of our wholesale businesses are shut, which is a big blow, but weirdly, we’ve picked up some new customers, supplying zero waste refill shops.” says Peter Joy of Bakehouse 24, who, has added a home delivery service, like many other businesses. As well as delivering his sought-after sourdough loaves, cinnamon buns and a scaled down offering, Joy has brought in home pizza-making boxes with two balls of dough, tomato sauce, blended cheese, toppings and cooking instructions. “It's something easy that parents can do with kids.” The Ringwood-based bakery has also tapped into the home sourdough baking trend, giving out starters and fresh yeast for free in the hope that it will create new customers. Access to flour and eggs hasn’t been a problem for the business, as Joy remains in weekly contact with his local mill. He adds: “Having access to local suppliers has been amazing. It would be a completely different story if we were based in the city.” On the retail side (Bakehouse 24 has stores in Ringwood and Southbourne), Joy has kept things going with reduced hours, moving the counter to the doorway and only taking contactless payment. Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

COVID-19 EXPERIENCES JOHNNY MCDOWELL, CO-OWNER, INDIE FÜDE, COMBER, NORTHERN IRELAND

JOHN SINCLAIR, DIRECTOR, CRAIGIES FARM, EDINBURGH After initially fearing the worst, John Sinclair, director of Craigie’s farm shop, is now positive about the business’s outlook. When speaking to FFD shortly after lockdown was implemented, Sinclair said that the shop, just outside Edinburgh, had been through a “rollercoaster”. But he quickly made changes, instigating click & collect and home delivery options and Craigie's has been thriving ever since. “Deliveries are still going strong,” he tells FFD as it goes to press, “We’ve taken on extra van drivers and have now invested in a refrigerated van. It’s something we’re going to continue going forward.” In the first few weeks of lockdown roughly 90% of the farm shop’s trade was home deliveries but Sinclair says that has settled down now. “Now we’re delivering around 60% of orders, roughly 20% are click and collect and about 20% are in-store.” “People are starting to come out a lot more, but social distancing is still manageable in the shop.” Sinclair reported that basket spends were up considerably. “People can’t go and have a meal out, so they’re doing a bigger shop and buying some treats to make up for it.”

Indie Füde in Northern Ireland has reduced its trading hours to four days a week and seen physical footfall drop by nearly two thirds, but it is making up for this by getting food out to its customers. “The home deliveries have replaced the income from the shop so we have not lost anything,” said Johnny McDowell, co-owner of the deli, which is based in the town of Comber, just south-east of Belfast. “But we are also doing it for the benefit of the local community.” He added that while a sale in the shop would typically have a 35% margin, deliveries were closer to 20%, partly because Indie Füde has waived delivery charges at the moment. The shop is open Thursday to Saturday and it is sending out around 100 orders over the four days it’s closed, with an average spend of £50. Introducing an online form for ordering has made life easier for both the customers and McDowell’s co-owner Laura Bradley, who is picking the orders in the shop. “We could go out there and get more customers but we’re constrained by staffing and capacity,” says McDowell, who adds that he would rather keep people engaged and the local community served.

Max Jones

MARTIN GOTT, ST JAMES CHEESE, CUMBRIA

SALLY BARNES, OWNER, WOODCOCK SMOKERY, CO CORK

The owner of West Cork-based Woodcock Smokery says a steady stream of online sales is helping to plug the financial gap left by the loss of foodservice customers. “Production is down by about 10%,” says Sally Barnes, “But we’re doing okay. The real problem will be if we don’t get the salmon we need next month when the season starts. That involves a lot of borrowing, and if we don’t have the stocks for Christmas we could be in trouble.” 32

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On a more positive note, Barnes hopes the outbreak will allow fish stocks to recover in Irish waters. “Because the fish markets have largely closed, the fishing effort has been reduced and it’s spawning time. I’m hoping that this will give the fish an opportunity to boom.” Fellow Woodcock smoke-curer Max Jones says it is no surprise if fish stocks have been suffering as commercial fishing operations exploit the natural congregation of haddock during spawning season, which runs from March to May. “It makes you pause to think how absolutely relentless our consumption of the fish in the sea is,” he tells FFD. “It’s great to think that nature will get a little break.”

As covered in the issue’s news section (see page 5) Cumbrian cheesemaker Martin Gott has lost 90% of his business because the nationwide foodservice shutdown. “When the restaurants closed, distributors stopped buying,” he says. “They’re already carrying stock for a sector that doesn’t want it. “We can’t stop feeding our animals, or milking them, and then we have to do something with that milk so we’re diverting it into longer-lasting hard cheese. This means our staff are still working, so we can’t furlough them.” “We don’t pay business rates as we are a farm dairy so we don’t receive that grant. And both the self-employment scheme and the business loans rely on levels of profitability in recent years. We’ve been investing in livestock and building a new dairy, and that has brought our profits down.” Gott said banks had so far not deemed St James viable for a coronavirus emergency loan, and the business was relying on capital reserves to pay wages and bills. He wants the government to support farm businesses with grants – similar to those enjoyed by high street retailers – and help pay wages of those who remained in employment, not just those furloughed.

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

CATEGORY FOCUS

Get ready for the sun With the entire country dining at home as the weather picks up, it’s time to start thinking about some of the key selling categories for the next few months. We start off with dressings, sauces and marinades, but there is also the latest in ice cream (p37), as well as new launches in drinks – both non-alcoholic and alcoholic (p38) Compiled by Lynda Searby and Michael Lane

table sauces Puckett’s Pickles has taken a classic chip shop accompaniment and turned it into a pea-based ketchup that promises to “take fish & chips to a whole new level”. Pea & Mint is one of three new seasonal ketchups from the York producer for spring/summer 2020, along with on-trend beetroot & seabuckthorn and fiery chilli. RRP £4. puckettspickles.co.uk

Essex Garden Foods is looking to expand the retailer base for Proper Classic Mayonnaise beyond its heartland in the South East after treating the range to improved recipes and new labels. Available in three flavours – golden turmeric & zesty ginger, garlic & black pepper and gently spiced with scotch bonnet chilli – the mayos are currently on sale in over 100 outlets. RRP £2.99-3.99 for 250g. essexgardenfoods.com

Red pepper & chilli is one of ten new sauces launched by Sonia Fox, after identifying a gap in the market for low FODMAP foods. The ‘Slightly Different’ range is vegan, free from all 14 major allergens and suitable for IBS sufferers. RRP £3.95. This summer will also see the launch of an orange, ginger & chilli salad dressing under the label. slightlydifferentfoods.com

Ginger Beard’s Preserves has combined chipotle chillies with Bristol Beer Factory’s milk stout to to create a BBQ sauce that is said to be “creamy, smooth and sticky…boasting a nice smoky kick”. Milk stout chipotle BBQ sauce is intended for dipping, glazing, marinating and “slathering on meat of all descriptions”. RRP £4; trade price £2.50 (£30 for 12 units). gingerbeardspreserves. co.uk

Tipped as “the hottest wholegrain on the block”, Tracklements’ new hot wholegrain mustard combines “nose-tingling” brown mustard seed with “sock-knocking-off” mustard flour. RRP £2.05 for 140g. The Wiltshire producer celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and is marking the milestone with a limited edition stoneware jar containing 280g of robust wholegrain mustard. RRP £6.95. tracklements.co.uk

After two years on the food festival circuit, The Chilli Project has made its foray into retail, with a range of hot chilli sauces developed by husband and wife team Rick and Laura Saunders. Grizzly garlic hot sauce (a slow roasted garlic & ginger chilli sauce) and Hammerhead hot sauce (a Louisiana style scotch bonnet chlli sauce) are two of the sauces on offer from the Surrey start-up. chilliproject.co.uk

Hunter & Gather has added a chipotle chillli & lime extension to its avocado oil mayo line-up. Like the producer’s classic avocado oil mayonnaise, garlic avocado oil mayonnaise and egg-free vegan ‘Mayocado’, this latest introduction is sugar, grain and vegetable-oil free. RRP £4.49 for 175g. hunterandgatherfoods.com

The Foraging Fox claims to be first to market with a turmeric mayo. Made with free-range eggs, avocado and aromatic spices, the spicy mayo ticks the no added sugar, low salt, gluten-free and dairy-free boxes. It launched with Ocado in April. RRP £3.49. foragingfox.com

Designed to enhance grilled and barbecued dishes, Hawkshead’s BBQ sauce has been reworked and now features smoked paprika for extra depth of flavour. The Lakes producer says the sauce is brim full of tomatoes, treacle, honey and spices. RRP £2.99 for 295g. Trade price £12.55. hawksheadrelish.com 34

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TV chef Fiona Uyema says she is aiming to bring premiumisation to the Asian category by providing a range of ‘real’ soy sauces and marinades with no nasties, MSG, preservatives or artificial flavours. Cheeky Chilli (soy sauce & chilli), Glorious Ginger (soy sauce & ginger) and Clever Classic (classic soy sauce) retail at €2.29 to €2.99, bringing the total number of products under the ‘Fused’ umbrella to ten. Although initially launching in Ireland, Fused is now said to be “fully geared up” to enter the UK market and is looking for distributors. fusedbyfionauyema.com

Instead of corn syrup, cane sugar and artificial sweeteners, organic apple juice is used to sweeten Coppola no sugar added organic tomato ketchup. The Italian food specialist claims its ketchup contains more tomatoes than standard brands; 250g fresh organic Italian tomatoes are used to produce 100g ketchup, which equates to 15 tomatoes per 480g bottle. RRP £3.40. coppolafoods.com

Mediterranean food label Belazu has launched four new antipasti pastes for dipping, spreading and stirring into summer dishes. These are: roasted aubergine mezze with garlic, Spanish paprika and parsley; courgette mezze with lemon, Italian basil and garlic; tomato & olive tapenade with black olives, grilled red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes; and roasted red pepper tapenade. RRP £2.65 for the mezzes and £3.30 for the tapenades (165g). belazu.com

Proving there is room for a new challenger in the hot sauce marketplace is Tom’s Sauces, whose chilli-based creations have been picked up by retailers in Scotland and beyond. The habanero, chipotle, scotch bonnet and scorpion hot sauces are listed with Hop Burns & Black, London, Balgove Larder, Fife and Keep it Cool, Amsterdam. RRP £5. Trade price £3. curioussauces.co.uk

Ancho chillies are the star ingredient in this new marinade from Mexican food specialist Cool Chile Company. Blending the chillies with cider vinegar, garlic & spices results in mild heat and a fruit flavour, ideal for making traditional dishes like barbacoa. RRP £4. coolchile.co.uk

Joining rosemary & tomato ketchup, thyme & roasted red pepper ketchup is A Little Bit’s latest creation. The sauce is made using fresh herbs with a gentle chilli kick and is available via Curd & Cure, at a trade price of £2.80 (RRP £4.20) for 260ml. alittlebit.co.uk

Sweet, savoury, spicy and garlicky Sawuchay

Newcomer Hambis has built on the success of its inaugural hot & tangy BBQ and sweet curry sauces with the launch of a third Sawuchay variety – chilli garlic. With a thicker texture than most hot sauces, this new Sawuchay is said to be sweet, savoury, spicy and garlicky. The last few months have also seen the Hertfordshire craft sauce brand achieve vegan certification, roll out new labelling and secure listings with local shops and restaurants. RRP £3.50 for 250ml. sawuchay.co.uk

Launched to “disrupt the endless flow of houmous offerings”, LŌTOS is a new brand of plant-based dips. Rather than plastic packaging, they come in reusable, table-ready terracotta pots and are free from any artificial additives and preservatives. So far there are three dips in the line-up, with further introductions planned post-lockdown. Smoky black bean dip is a chipotle flavoured black bean dip for pairing with nacho chips or spreading on tacos with plantains or sweet potatoes; roasted red pepper, spices & walnut dip is said to compliment seed crackers, grilled veg or pasta; and sun-dried tomato, olives & feta dip is an intense combination that partners well with lavash and sesame flat breads. Available via Wholegood, the dips have an RRP of £3.50-3.95. lotosfoods.com

In line with its philosophy of making condiments from surplus produce that would otherwise be wasted, Rubies in the Rubble has developed a chilli mayo based on aquafaba – the nutrient-rich water left over from cooking chick peas. Aquafaba also eliminates the need for eggs, making the mayo vegan friendly. It launches this month with an RRP of £2.99. rubiesintherubble.com

TruffleHunter’s truffle dust shaker, available via Cotswold Fayre, is pitched as an easy way to add the taste of truffle to a variety of dishes. The dust can be used to season meat or fish before cooking or to sprinkle on popcorn, risotto or pasta dishes. RRP is £9.95 for 50g. trufflehunter.co.uk

Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

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May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

ice cream

mixers

West Country producer Granny Gothards has launched a premium retail range in new packaging. The five flavours are Royal Crown vanilla, double espresso coffee, 70% dark rich Belgian chocolate, strawberry & cream, and salted caramel made with Dorset Sea Salt. 500ml tubs come in cases of 8 units. RRP £7.99 each. grannygothards.co.uk

Purbeck Ice Cream has reduced the sugar content of its sorbet range by 15%. This includes its new pink grapefruit and coconut varieties as well as the relaunched Bucks Fizz flavour. All come in 2-litre tubs. The Dorset-based producer has also redeveloped a smoother coconut ice cream (which comes in four-litre foodservice or 500ml retail tubs) and introduced a vegan Rhubarb & Rosehip Ripple flavour. purbeckicecream.co.uk

Using its own natural spring water, Kingsdown Water has developed a range of sparkling pressés. Elderflower, rhubarb, cloudy lemonade, orange, apple, blackcurrant, and ginger beer all come in 330ml glass bottles. kingsdownwater.com

Gusto Organic is pitching its new Sicilian Lemon with Yuzu drink (275ml, RRP £2.05) as a sophisticated take on lemonade. Made with Exmoor spring water and Spanish-grown yuzu, it is low in sugar, packed with vitamin C and contains less than 100 calories a bottle. drinkgusto.com

Formerly known as Coconuts Naturally, certified organic and vegan nondairy ice cream producer Coconuts Organic has had a complete rebrand in the last 12 months. All made with coconut cream and unrefined coconut sugar, flavours include Double Caramel, Choc Orange, Mint Choc Chip and Pure Chocolate which retail at £5.29. Available through wholesaler Hunts in cases of 6x460ml tubs (£15.84 per case). coconutsorganic.com

Key Lime Bye & Bye, Chocolate from the Andes, and Orange Amaretto are among the June launches in the Pangealato range (trade price £15-£23/kg), from Fabulous Ice Fires, that explores flavours from across the globe. The company is also relaunching its Supergelato range that will include both free-from and vegan flavours, such as Cashew Vanilla, Golden Milk with Turmeric, and olive oil gelato. facebook.com/icefires/

Gimlet Bar’s range of cordials can be enjoyed with fizzy water, added to lagers or cider, or mixed with spirits. There are four staple flavours (trade £5.30 for 50cl bottle) – Spiced Lemon, Lime, Pineapple & Bay, Blood Tonic – as well as three limited edition varieties: Hot Gondola (£8.15), Elderflower and Twelfth Night (both £6.50). gimlet-bar.com

Gut healthy, low in sugar and an alternative to beer, cider and champagne, the five-strong range of teas from Go Kombucha has received a re-brand. Red Pu-erh and Green Sencha come in 750ml bottles (trade £4.49) while there are four varieties in 250ml bottles (£1.72), including the new Ginger Sencha with an “invigorating kick”. The producer is also looking for a wholesaler. gokombucha.co.uk

In March, Hackney Gelato unveiled two new flavours. Both the vegan-friendly Alphonso mango sorbetto and the Muscovado sugar gelato come in cases of 6x500ml tubs with a trade price of £22.60. RRP £54.9 per tub. hackneygelato.com

Remeo Gelato has developed a Tiramisu al mascarpone flavour (462ml, trade £5.49), which includes DOP Cataratto Marsala wine, as well as Sorbetto Sticks (retail packs of 3x70g, trade £4.49) in blackcurrant and mango. remeogelato.com

a brand refresh, which sees the vegan message taking centre stage Plant-based confectioner Booja-Booja has created two new vegan ice creams: Honeycomb Caramel and Heavens on Earth (mint chocolate truffle). It now has a range of eight vegan ice creams. The launch is part of a brand refresh, which sees the vegan message taking centre stage on bold, colourful pot designs. All ice creams are made with just a handful of simple, organic ingredients. boojabooja.com

Jude’s now produces a vegan range in three flavours. The Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel and Chocolate Brownie varieties are all made with an oat ‘milk’ base, which the producer says has the lowest environmental impact of the dairy alternatives available. Cases of 6 x 460ml. RRP £5. judes.co.uk

Having created a range of tonics for gin, Franklin & Sons has turned its attention to dark spirits. Both the new pineapple mixer with almond and the mandarin mixer with ginger have been developed to complement flavour notes in rum and whisky respectively. franklinandsons.co.uk

Elderflower is a classic summer drink flavour, and Momo Kombucha has combined it with its organic loose leaf tea (Sencha, Pu-Erh and Assam). The drink can be served as an alternative to alcohol or mixed with gin and apple juice in a cocktail. 330ml, trade £2.15. momo-kombucha.com Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

mixers In the past year, Middle Way has boosted its line-up naturally brewed water kefirs with key lime & mint and blackcurrant. The former can be deployed as a “no-jito” while the latter is an all-natural take on a classic soft drink flavour. 290ml, trade £0.99+VAT. middle-way.co.uk

no alcohol

alcohol

Northern Irish cider producer MacIvors has introduced an alcohol-free cider that’s also glutenfree, low in calories and vegan-friendly. With only 76 calories per bottle, this novel drink was created by experienced cider maker Greg MacNeice, who is also the company’s managing director, to offer a range of benefits for healthconscious consumers. Available in 330ml bottles with an RRP of £1.50. macivors.com

Hallets Real Cider has launched Deviation (trade £60+VAT), an 8% ABV celebration cider made using the Charmat Method and to be served in champagne flutes. The producer’s award-wining 6% ABV medium cider is now available in both 12x500ml and 24x330ml bottles (trade 20.10+VAT and £35.82+VAT). It also has a light, fruity 5%ABV cider in 330ml cans in cases of 24 (£26.18+VAT). halletsrealcider.co.uk

Whitby Distillery has two new additions in its range. Bramble & Bay is a fruit-led dry gin flavoured with British blackberries and bay leaves. Wild Old Tom champions native botanicals, like gorse and gooseberry, to create what the producer describes as “the wildest member of our gin family”. Both come in 70cl bottles with a trade price of £28+VAT. RRP £38. whitbydistillery.com

For those consumers in a more decadent mood, The English Whisky Co has unveiled its Small Batch Rum Cask single malt whisky. Distilled in March 2014 and produced in rum casks, this whisky is described as sweet and spicy on the nose and peppery and malty on the palate. It comes in two strengths – 59.9% single cask and 46%. RRP £75 and £47.50 respectively. englishwhisky.co.uk

As part of an overhaul of its spirit brands, Yorkshire-based Sloemotion Distillery has introduced the Finders Spirits range. Incorporating two Oak Aged rums (orange & raisin and chocolate & coffee) and two vodkas (Pure and sherbet lemon), the line-up also features three gins: a classic London Dry Gin, Fruits of the Forest and Lemon & Lime. RRP £25 across the range. finders-spirits.com

6 O’clock Gin launched two ready-to-drink formats at the beginning of the year. London Dry Gin & Tonic (7% ABV) and the low-alcohol, low calorie Light & Low Gin & Tonic (0.8% ABV) both come in cases of 12x250ml cans. 6oclockgin.com

Silent Pool’s Rose Expression gin is distilled with a unique rose tea infusion to create a distinctive flavour, that also features notes of pear, bergamot and lemon. The 70cl bottles have the same £37 RRP as the distillery’s core gin. silentpooldistillers.com

cutting through confusing names, varieties and ingredients

Long Tail Mixers has added two new products to its range: hibiscus and lemon sour. Both are recommended for mixing with rum and tequila but will also work well in combination with other spirits. Available in 250ml and the new larger 500ml bottles, which have been launched across the range. longtailmixers.com

Yorkshire Wolds Apple Juice has rebranded and expanded its range of 100% British juices, including Cloudy (Cox’s Orange Pippin), Bramley and pear & apple (Conference Pear, Bramley & Cox’s Orange Pippin). All come in cases of 12 x 750ml (trade £30.24). yorkshirewoldsapplejuice. co.uk 38

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

Dutch company Lowlander is now brewing a 0.00% ABV Wit beer using orange and lemon peels reclaimed from bars and restaurants. Available in both bottles and cans, the beer pairs well with spicy Asian dishes and seafood. £2.29 per 33cl. lowlander-beer.com

Bax Botanics makes two nonalcoholic spirits using organic botanicals. Both the verbena and sea buckthorn variants are sugar-free and can be mixed with tonic. RRP £18.99 per 50cl bottle and £9.50 per 20cl. baxbotanics.com

Thoughtful Forager is a new brand created by Cottage Delight to help consumers “cut through confusing names, varieties and ingredients” in craft beer and cider (330ml, RRPs £3.29£3.59). The 11-strong beer ranger includes Malty Golden Ale, Raspberry Wheat Beer and Sparkling Mango Sour. There will also be a range of ciders – made by Herefordshire company Celtic Marches RRPs range from £3.29£3.59 per bottle. cottagedelight.co.uk

Ver Viola is a 100% naturally coloured purple gin from The Oxford Artisan Distillery. Infused with organic butterfly pea flower and organic rose, the 40% ABV gin can be used in vibrant G&Ts and floral cocktails. Available in 50cl bottles (trade £24.47, RRP £34.95) spiritoftoad.com

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May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

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FOCUS ON

foodservice

Time to pivot those tables Your café may be closed to the public but there are plenty of ways to put the area, facilities and staff to good use in your retail operation while you wait to re-open. By Lauren Phillips

WHEN PM BORIS Johnson announced the closure of all cafés, pubs, bars and restaurants in March, it forced many farm shops, food halls and delicatessens to close one of the most lucrative parts of their business. Despite this, some resilient indies have repurposed their whole foodservice operations and staff members overnight to serve their communities and survive during these unprecedented times. Haley & Clifford, a deli-café in Leeds, turned its closed café area into additional retail space, allowing more room for social distancing and essential food items like tinned tomatoes, flour, and milk that it wouldn’t ordinarily have sold. The deli continues to sell pastries, quiches, cakes, salads, sandwiches and soups for takeaway, but is also now doing home deliveries after losing its corporate catering revenue stream which made up half of its turnover. “We have never done home deliveries before, but it meant that we could use our vans and serve the community,” owner Val Berry tells FFD. “It’s entirely different because we’re used to delivering 50 lunches to one address, whereas now we might have five drops on one run and then get back to the deli and have another five drops ready to go.” Minskip Farm Shop, near York, was a week away from opening its newly built café when the country went into lockdown. “We had built the café and hired all the staff ready to work in it,” says co-owner Emma Mosey. “It was quite terrifying because we’d done our cash flows, but obviously we needed our café income to make sure we didn’t go out of business.”

Moving swiftly, the farm shop launched a home delivery service and moved the newly hired kitchen and café staff into new roles. The farm shop’s new head chef is now head delivery driver, delivering bread, milk, and fruit & veg boxes to customers within a six-mile radius or to the nearest town of Harrogate. Mosey estimates they’re now making between 80 and 100 deliveries a day (with 50% of orders coming from new customers). “The deliveries have been successful enough that we’ve managed to replace the income lost,” she says. “Plus, the shop is busier so, at the moment, everything is fine with what we’re expending.” Blacker Hall Farm Shop redeployed its 30-strong café team to other areas of the business including the shop, home deliveries, click and collect, and its new drive through (where customers order selection boxes of meat, veg, fruit, and dairy products from their cars). “There’s nobody we have

People are getting bored of cooking, and rather than being able to go to a restaurant, they’ll bring the restaurant to them.

furloughed,” says head of buying and value, Karen Close. “We might have 100 veg boxes, 100 fruit boxes and 100 meat boxes that need to be packed for deliveries and collections. We need staff to do that.” Scotts of Alnmouth, in Northumberland, has also started doing home deliveries and drive-by collections, but it is its homemade ready-meals that are doing the business. Prepared by owner Andrew Scott, the idea for the take home meals stemmed from dinner events that the deli has hosted over the last three years. Scott has already made Tuscan ragu, lasagne, cottage pie and sticky toffee pudding, as well as a chicken ruby and black bean dhal inspired by a Dishoom-themed event last year. The deli sold around 120 meals in the first two weeks and interest continues to grow. A woman living in Australia ordered meals for her 12 family members in the area in time for the Easter weekend. “People are getting bored of cooking, and rather than being able to go to a restaurant, they’ll bring the restaurant to them.” While the meals haven’t replenished the lost income from the café, they have given Scott food for thought about continuing the readymeals beyond the crisis. “It has been obvious that people have appreciated them,” he says. “We have talked about doing our ownbranded stuff, so maybe we’ll go into own-branding these meals and selling them from frozen.” “I don’t think I’ll open our café very quickly when this is over, though,” he adds. “We don’t know culturally how people will change after this.”

HOW TO START A DELIVERY OR CLICK & COLLECT SERVICE l Get products up on your website so customers can browse your stock before they order. This doesn’t need to be a sophisticated e-commerce operation – just clear images and prices. l If you are offering breakfast/ lunch dishes or ready meals for takeaway or delivery from your kitchen, add a menu with prices online, too. l Make sure to include an email address and phone number to take orders until an online ordering system can be set up. l Don’t put every product in the shop on your website. You will have staff packers inefficiently running around the shop looking for things and stock availability might mean you run out sooner than you think, disappointing customers in the process. l Be ready to move staff around – especially your café team – and utilise them in the shop for food preparation or packing deliveries. Delivery drivers should be kept in the vehicle, and not moved to food preparation or packing, to avoid cross contamination. l Send out a newsletter via email promoting your home delivery and click & collect service to existing customers and advertise the services on social media to attract new ones. Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

Arabian Specialities

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May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

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FOCUS ON

foodservice

FROM THE DELI KITCHEN SIMPLE RECIPES TO BOOST YOUR MARGINS

CHOCOLATE BABKA Apparently the name Babka comes from the Slavic word for grandmother: ‘babcia’ Because grandmothers are known for making the best baked gifts, of course, and this one definitely delivers a sweet and comforting hit – which we could all do with right now. This could be a good added value product for your kitchen to turn out to sell in the shop, or a recipe to suggest to customers alongside a merchandised display. Prep time: 45mins, plus proving time Cook time: 45mins Serves: 8

120ml milk 1 x 7g sachet yeast 300g strong bread flour 1 tsp salt 2tbsp caster sugar 1 large egg, beaten 50g butter, cut into 6 cubes For the filling: 75g butter, softened 70g dark muscovado sugar 100g dark chocolate, melted For the glaze: 2tbsp sugar 2tbsp water

Method: • Heat the milk in a saucepan until lukewarm, then remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl. Sprinkle over the yeast and leave for 5-10 mins until foamy.

• Preheat oven to 170°C and bake for 45mins until cooked through. Just before the bread has finished cooking, make the glaze. Heat the sugar and water in a pan until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for a couple of minutes. As soon as the babka is out of the oven, brush over the glaze. Allow to cool before serving.

• In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and sugar. Add the beaten egg to the milk mixture and mix into the dry ingredients. Using your hands, or a dough hook, knead on low speed until a smooth, elastic dough has formed. Beat in the cubes of butter, a couple at a time, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky.

Ice cream manufacturer fwip has launched what the company claims is “the most hygienic commercial ice cream machine on the market”. The machine uses airtight, recyclable capsules to quickly make gelato, sorbet or frozen yoghurt with minimal contact – only the push of a button. fwip says the machine makes over 200 portions per hour with zero server preparation and can deliver the company’s awardwinning ice cream in to-go and self-service options. The capsules create products with RRPs between £2.50 and £3.25 with a gross profit of 5070%. Distributors include Brakes, Bidfood, Eden Farm, Consort Frozen Foods, and First 4 Frozen. fwip.com

• Cover the bowl with a wet cloth and leave at room temperature to prove for 5 hrs, or overnight, until doubled in size. • To make the filling, mix together all the ingredients. Roll out the proved dough to form a 35 x 25cm rectangle. Spread over the filling evenly. From the long side of the rectangle, roll up the dough. Pinch together the edges to seal. • Cut down the length of the middle of the cylinder of dough, leaving about 3cm intact at one end. From this end, plait the two strands around each other, keeping the exposed filling facing up. Secure the plaited ends together and place in a loaf tin, cover and leave to rise until almost doubled in size - about 1.5hrs.

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Award-winning fermented food producer Eaten Alive has launched a new range aimed exclusively at the foodservice market. The lines include vinegarpickled cucumbers, hot & sour roots, pink onions and fermented citrus. Ex-Michelin starred chefs Pat Bingley and Glyn Gordon are behind all of the recipes. The Eaten Alive range is additive free, completely raw, vegan and teeming with good bacteria. The company also offers a range of fermented hot sauces for foodservice. Prices start at £5/kg. eatenalive.co.uk Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

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May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

SHELF TALK MEET THE PRODUCER

DEALS FFD has collated a range of exclusive deals from producers across Europe to help retailers during the coronavirus lockdown.

Janet Craggs and family run CRAGGS & CO – a County Durham-based producer of ancient grain products and flours, initially growing spelt and more recently adding einkorn, emmer and rye to its range

Banhoek Chilli Oil When ordering a minimum of one 12-bottle case of chilli oil, retailers can take advantage of free delivery. Winner of a 2019 Great Taste one-star award, Banhoek Chilli Oil is made from just two ingredients, highquality rapeseed oil and dried Thai bird’s eye chillies. ed@banhoekchillioil.co.uk

What were you doing before you started Craggs & Co? Our family began farming at East Close Farm over 70 years ago, and has since expanded farming activities to over 2,000 acres of arable land. Before Craggs & Co, our farming business concentrated on the production of group-1 bread-making wheats to supply the large scale UK flour mills. We are renowned in the industry as one of the UK’s largest suppliers of group 1 wheat, supplying over 6,000 tonnes per year, prior to our diversification into ancient grains.

Capreolus Until lockdown is lifted, West Dorset-based artisan charcuterie producer Capreolus is offering 15% off all orders and free delivery on orders over £100 – please quote GFF15 when placing orders. Its multiple Great Taste award-winning range comes in new 100% recyclable packaging. capreolusfinefoods.co.uk

flour shortage. This has forced consumers to search further afield than their usual suppliers and has led to many new customers coming our way. In addition, the fact that we grow the grain and have it milled locally into our flour has enabled us to maintain stock levels throughout the crisis, even if only in trade-sized sacks. Another benefit is that it is creating a new way of thinking among consumers, who are now recognising the benefit of buying UK produce. In addition, the flexibility of small producers and suppliers has enabled them to adapt quickly – they are now filling the gaps that supermarkets are unable to, providing a safe shopping experience, and offering home delivery to the vulnerable.

Why did you decide to launch the brand? Around five years ago, we became despondent with diminishing returns from the UK milling wheat market, so we decided to have a change of focus. At the same time, people were looking for healthier alternatives to traditional wheat so we decided to diversify a portion of our land into the ancient grain, spelt. The Craggs & Co brand was launched to give the new business an identity, based on the supply of high quality ingredients and products.

In the past six weeks we have sold almost 60 times more flour online than in the whole of the previous year

Why do you focus on ancient grains? We focused on ancient grains to make our business unique within the UK, and to futureproof our farming operations. Our intention is to provide a sustainable supply of spelt wheat and other ancient grains on a commercial scale, that are 100% British and sourced from assured farms.

What are your hopes for the coming months and the post-lockdown world? The COVID-19 crisis has given us a much greater brand exposure. We are hopeful that the quality of our products, and the increased public awareness of them, together with the current desire to buy local produce will help us to continue to grow our customer base. Freshly Ground craggsandco.co.uk C

… and have there been any upsides? The best thing for us as a business is the national

Croome Cuisine Retailers can enjoy 20% off artisan cheeses from Worcester-based producer Croome Cuisine throughout May. The range includes pre-packed 150g wedges, 150g waxed truckles and 1-1.3kg halfmoons, as well as four varieties of homemade relishes. croomecuisine.com

What advice would you give to other producers during the crisis? Don’t over-promise, but do everything you can to provide your customers with what they need. Seize the opportunity to fill the gap in the market while the supermarkets struggle to restructure their ways to meet demand.

How has the recent rush to buy flour affected you and the business? Since mid-March our flour sales have gone through the roof! In the past six weeks we have sold almost 60 times more flour via our website shop than in the whole of the previous year. This is great for our business and brand awareness but has resulted in us working seven-day weeks to meet demand. Luckily we have a school leaver in the family so have an extra pair of hands to help with packing! What has been the worst aspect of the COVID-19 crisis? Apart from the obvious human impact, the most difficult aspect of the COVID-19 crisis for us is managing stock and production to meet the huge demand.

Chapman’s Offering free frozen delivery, Grimsby-based producer Chapmans is endeavouring to keep retailers supplied with fish cakes and other seafood favourites during the COVID-19 lockdown. It is also taking on new customers. chapmans-seafoods.co.uk

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10:37 Folkington’s juice and mixer brand Folkington’s is offering free flavoured tonic water (3x fridge packs of English Garden Tonic Water and 3x fridge packs of Earl Grey Tonic water, retail value £30), with any order over £150. Free mainland UK delivery. orders@metrodrinks.co.uk

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Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

SHELF TALK MEET THE PRODUCER

DEALS Glastry Farm Ice Cream Ice cream producer Glastry Farm is offering a reduced price for customers on the island of Ireland on its new range of 500ml ‘home enjoyment’ tubs during the coronavirus crisis. The lower price of £2.49 per tub (based on a case of 6) has a £3.99 RRP. glastryfarm.com The Greek Kitchen The Greek Kitchen provides a comprehensive range representing the food and flavours of Greece and is now offering free delivery on all orders over £70. The range includes dolmades, olive tapenade, olive oil, Greek honey and tahini. info@myolivebranch.co.uk Hawkshead Relish Producers of more than 100 varieties of handmade pickles and condiments, Hawkshead Relish is offering no minimum order and free delivery on all orders over £100 to support retailers during the covid-19 crisis. info@ hawksheadrelish.com Hill Farm Juice New retail customers can take advantage of Hill Farm Juice’s riskfree sale or return plan and 10% off all orders during the COVID-19 crisis. The producer’s range of Great Taste-winning juices comes with free delivery as standard. sales@hillfarmjuice.co.uk Olive Branch Free delivery is now available on all orders over £70 from Olive Branch. The award-winning range includes extra virgin olive oil, salad dressings, olive tapenade, jarred Greek mezze and sweet olive, fig & almond relish. info@myolivebranch.co.uk Peter’s Yard Retailers can claim a free case of crispbread sample packs (while stocks last). Each case contains 100 packs, each with three of the bakery’s Great Taste two-star original sourdough crackers. Perfect for sampling when added to online orders, deliveries or as an accompaniment to takeaway meals. adam@petersyard.com 46

Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

The team at South West coffee roasters VOYAGER COFFEE are on a mission to make the best espresso while knocking single-use plastics out of the nation’s coffee industry. We speak to Tobias Taylor. What were you doing before you started Voyager Coffee? Andrew, our founder had been doing everything he could to raise the standard of coffee in the South West. For over 10 years, he ran barista training, installed espresso machines, and did everything he could to create a better coffee scene here in the South West. Why did you decide to launch the brand? Voyager was born out of a desire to be able to enjoy great coffee everywhere. When we say everywhere, we mean it – quaint Cornish coves, miles down National Park trails, and in the middle of Dartmoor. We’ve always felt that great coffee isn’t just an enjoyable pastime but it inspires productivity and creativity. What makes Voyager stand out against the other coffee roasters in the UK? For some time now, the consistent awards have attested to our head roaster Rachael’s attention to detail when it comes to sourcing and roasting. This culminated in winning 50% of the highest Great Taste awards for espresso last year. However, what truly sets Voyager apart is that the whole team comes to work driven by a desire to eradicate single-use plastic packaging in our industry.

to grow more plants. It’s key to understand the difference between a compostable product and a degradable product. The latter is usually a form of plastic that breaks down into small pieces of plastic whereas something compostable is 100% made from plants. How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected you and the business and how are you coping with the effects? We work with some incredible businesses across the UK and unfortunately, most of them have had to close temporarily. However, we’re still working with some passionate and highly-adaptable zerowaste shops, delicatessens, and farm shops. What has been the worst aspect of the COVID-19 crisis? Seeing ground lost on sustainability, with some businesses moving back towards single-use items because there’s no time or resources to find sustainable alternatives.

The team is driven by a desire to see great coffee eradicate singleuse plastic

Could you explain your decision to use biodegradable and recyclable packaging? The Voyager roastery sits just on the edge of Dartmoor National Park and it would be an understatement to say that the team loves the location in which they work. We love living in such a beautiful part of the world. However, like the rest of the world, we were beginning to see the devastation caused by single-use plastics and realised finding a solution was a necessity. We had to do a lot of research to make sure we chose the right packaging. What we use is 100% compostable, uses less energy to produce, and once composted improves the soil

Tenuta Marmorelle Importers of high-quality produce from Italy, Tenuta Marmorelle is offering a 5% discount on all orders placed when quoting FFD5. The company has taken on extra stock of their award-winning range to ensure it can continue to supply its customers during the COVID-19 lockdown. tenutamarmorelle.com

… and have you seen any positives in the crisis? We’ve seen a rise in orders for coffee to enjoy at home and it’s awesome to see so many people engaged with the need to choose sustainable products and packaging.

What advice would you give to other producers during lockdown? With the majority of customers having more time on their hands, they can be be more critical of the producers they choose to buy from. Make sure that the products you sell are a reflection of your company’s reason to exist. What are your hopes for the coming months, and the post-lockdown world? We’re excited to see other producers innovate. Crises usually yield a few incredible results. It’s also going to be great to see the specialty coffee and fine food scene evolve with the new social and cultural environment we’ll find ourselves in. voyagercoffee.co.uk

Affineur Walo – distributed by the Fine Cheese Company A producer of traditional cheeses such as Emmentaler Switzerland AOP, Stärnächäs and Le Gruyere AOP, Affineur Walo is offering free delivery on orders over £150 during the coronavirus lockdown. robert.bowden@finecheese.co.uk

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Dear Customers, Thank you so much for your support in this crisis. Like so many other artisan cheese producers we were hit hard by the lock down of restaurants but thanks to you we have managed to sell our stock of soft cheese at 50% off. We are now back up to full production, although we have had to drop a few of our selection to simplify processes. This has also enabled us to slowly take back the few staff we had to furlough and we are looking forward to the new normal. In direct response to your requests we have setup a trade shop accessible f rom our website Whitelake.co.uk. This is for wholesale only and we welcome you registering by clicking on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tradeâ&#x20AC;? button and are here to help as needed. To help us all to recover we will be continuing to offer 25% off for a short while so why not try some new cheeses f rom our range to see if your customers will enjoy them. We look forward to growing together in the future.

Roger Longman ROGER LONGMAN Whitelake Cheese P.S you may have noticed our new logo. This was supposed to be unveiled in a blaze of publicity, but this seems a better way in these times.

Morn Dew & Tor

www.whitelake.co.uk 48

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

Pave Cobble & Rachel

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o N nli Sh EW n e o p w on eb o si ur te !

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www.lyburncheese.co.uk 01794 399982 Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

GUILD TALK

news from the guild of fine food

Guild-backed initiative hopes to rescue Britain’s struggling artisan cheesemakers Food journalist and FFD’s cheese columnist, Patrick McGuigan is the catalyst for an initiative to support small cheesemakers as the coronavirus threatens to wipe out a previously thriving industry. And to generate trade and consumer momentum, he has recruited the Academy of Cheese, Specialist Cheese Association (SCA) and the Guild. It is hoped that together they will raise awareness of the crisis and help shoppers connect with local cheesemakers and independent retailers by providing online directories of the companies that can deliver or are safely open for business. The initiative’s big push is the British Cheese Weekender, on 8th-10th May (If the postal service is quick enough delivering this magazine, you might even be able to take part), when the public were encouraged to enjoy the country’s best cheeses with a series of free, online tastings. Farmhouse and artisan cheesemakers are being forced to pour thousands of litres of milk down the drain and give away cheese for free after many lost up to 90% of their business overnight when the hospitality

New government loan scheme for SMEs launched For smaller businesses that don’t qualify for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), the government has announced that small and medium-sized businesses will be eligible to apply for bounce back loans worth up to £50,000. It is a new scheme that allows businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 to help them through the COVID-19 crisis. The loans will be 100 percent backed by the government, unlike under the CBILS which is 80 percent. The scheme will launch for applications on Monday, 4th May and businesses will be able to apply after filling out a short online form. The government has said that funds will be deposited into bank accounts within 24 hours of application. 50

May 2020 | Vol.21 Issue 4

Cheese production at Baron Bigod maker Fen Farm Dairy

sector was forced to close. The situation has been compounded by shoppers using supermarkets to stock up on hard and grating cheeses made by large food manufacturers. The result is that small producers have been left with maturing rooms full of cheeses, which by their nature have limited shelf lives. The problem is particularly pronounced for soft and blue cheeses. At the same time, cows, sheep and goats are now out at pasture

and continue to produce milk every day that must be used or thrown away. The industry has been quick to respond with cheesemakers, cheesemongers, farm shops and delis rapidly pivoting their businesses to be able to sell cheese online to be delivered to people’s doors, as well as introducing strict social distancing systems at shops so people can buy safely. Find out more at academyofcheese.org/britishcheese-weekender

CYBER CRIME

Join us for a pint at The Jolly Tasty Anyone that’s joined us at Fine Food Show North in previous years will know that our pop up pub, The Jolly Tasty, is where the real action happens. It’s where everyone meets up for a drink, industry gossip is shared, and even where new partnerships are born. We don’t know about you, but we’re craving a pint and a natter right now. Join us for the first of our pub chats at The ‘Virtual’ Jolly Tasty. We haven’t settled on a date just yet, but the plan is there will be 15 seats available at the bar each week to keep the conversation manageable, bookable on a first-come firstserved basis. This isn’t a webinar, and it won’t be recorded, but we’ll be jotting any thoughtful discussion points and ideas down. We’ll also chat through some of the FAQ themes from our survey. Feel free to bring a glass of your favourite beverage – and be prepared to talk about it too. Interested? Reserve your seat by emailing us at support@gff.co.uk

Bitesize tips to improve your marketing Each week, the Guild of Fine Food is sending out an email support bulletin packed with helpful advice on how to survive these strange times. Getting your marketing right is vital. In fact, it is the key to being seen and heard when customers are stuck inside, and can’t discover you by chance. That’s why the Guild is including bitesize marketing tips in each release. Below are those tips that the Guild has shared so far. But do keep an eye on your inbox for more over the coming weeks. Retain your new customers with a loyalty offer It’s time to start thinking about your next steps, as we transition out of the initial ‘all hands to the pump’ phase of COVID-19. 2 in 3 businesses who completed our survey saw an increase in new customers during March. Convert those new customers to loyal

ones with a loyalty offer, whether that’s on a regular e-newsletter to your customers, on social media, or simply a printed voucher in-store. Make loyalty your focus today to grow your customer base tomorrow! Take a behind-the-scenes picture to use on social media Your business is unique, so share the stories only you can tell. Customers want to connect with a brand’s story and its people; now

more so than ever. Take a picture of your team working behind the scenes, whether that’s packing up the next delivery, or cooking up a fresh batch of your product. If customers connect emotionally with your business, they are more likely to buy from you again, now and in the future. Remember though, do get written permission from your staff before you use their pictures in your marketing. #beGDPRwise Write a list of your competitors and follow them on social media It seems simple, but you’ll be surprised how may businesses don’t get around to this! We’re all consuming more social media content during the lock down, so why not put the endless scroll to good use. See what content engages their followers (and what doesn’t) and help spark new ideas for your business.

View from HQ

By John Farrand managing director

HAS A LINE like, “All the world’s a stage” ever been more true than right now? We are now all certainly defined by them. In January and February, it was the ‘Not sure what’s going on in China’ stage. Then in March we had the ‘Actually, this could cause some disruption’ stage followed shortly by the ‘We have a catastrophic problem’ stage. And in the last five weeks we’ve enduring

the ‘Locked down, pivot-mybusiness, and survive’ stage. What is coming next? I’m going for the ‘Shouty recovery’ stage. The most encouraging snippet from our recent COVID-19 survey (see page 6) is that 2-in-3 retailers have seen new customers shopping with them since lockdown began. Coupled with the fact that more than half of the retailers who responded to our survey said they saw an increase in sales of at least 10% in March (year-on-year), and it must mean that more food & drink is being sold through our nation’s independent shops. More consumers than ever are now seeing the quality and service that our sector offers, and it is our job to remind them regularly and loudly from now on. So, how is the Guild shouting? We’ve collected a bevy of good news stories celebrating innovation and ingenuity and we’ve pumped that out to national and local press. We’ve been bashing government about loans,

The Word on Westminster By Edward Woodall ACS

THE FULL POLITICAL repercussions of COVID-19 are yet to be realised but they will be far reaching both nationally and internationally. Boris’s political position has been turned on its head, from a secure 80-seat majority, to a crisis government overseeing the biggest state underwriting of the UK economy and facing a reinvigorated opposition party. Despite early confidence and support to the government’s approach, the continual underperformance on testing, PPE and vaccine development is starting to chip away at public confidence. Calls are coming thick and fast for a clear path out of lockdown and this will accelerate as other

European nations ease restrictions, but the Conservatives are not prepared to show their hand. One imagines (and hopes) that somewhere in government the lockdown exit strategy exists in draft form and we will see more detail within the coming weeks. Failure to act quickly by the government will embolden the new Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer, who appears poised to probe, scrutinise and challenge government thinking. So too are the new, digitally enabled, Parliamentary Select Committees that are queuing up with COVID-19 inquiries. I don’t envy Boris Johnson, caught between saving lives and saving the economy. What COVID-19 has brought to the fore for everyone is the value of a strong and diverse food supply chain that can respond to shocks to meet consumer demand.

grants and furloughs via partner organisations like the IRC and the ACS and we’re yelling about how good our regional producers are through the consumer-facing delicious magazine and across social media. But there’s more to

We’ve been enduring the ‘Locked down, pivot-my-business, and survive’ stage

SUPPORTING THE INDEPENDENT FOOD TRADE

The Guild is still here for you...

do. You can read more about our next steps – like our virtual pub discussion and the British Cheese Weekender – on the page opposite this column. Once we’re back to a normal stage it will be caring, communitydriven, supportive and calmer. And with a resistance to rampant globalisation, in the Bard’s words again, it might well prove to be “as we like it”.

As per government advice, the majority of the Guild of Fine Food team are currently working from home. We are operating a skeleton staff at our HQ.

The value of food retailers to people’s daily lives has risen significantly as they have gone the extra mile to support the vulnerable or those self-isolating. We have seen a huge increase in businesses adapting to provide home deliveries, collection services, changes to product ranges and most importantly enforcement of social distancing measures to protect staff and customers. There is still a long way to go with the outbreak, as evidence suggests the exit from lockdown will be slow and a second wave is possible later in the year. I urge you to remain focused on delivering for your colleagues, customer and community’s needs. The ACS will continue to be on hand, updating its guidance regualrly on its website.

l Great Taste: greattaste@gff.co.uk

Edward Woodall is head of policy & public affairs at small shops group ACS edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

Please contact the team via the following email addresses: l Support & ideas during Covid-19: support@gff.co.uk

l Advertising: advertise@gff.co.uk l Editorial: editorial@gff.co.uk l MyGuild account help: myguild@gff.co.uk l Training & venue hire: bookings@gff.co.uk l Judges: judges@gff.co.uk l Logos & labels: logos@gff.co.uk All inboxes are monitored Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm, with the exception of support@gff.co.uk, which is being monitored more frequently.

The Guild of Fine Food represents fine food shops and specialist suppliers. Want to join them? GENERAL ENQUIRIES Guild of Fine Food Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065 info@gff.co.uk gff.co.uk

THE GUILD TEAM: Managing director: John Farrand Marketing director: Tortie Farrand Sales director: Sally Coley Operations director: Christabel Cairns

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executives: Becky Haskett Sam Coleman Operations manager: Karen Price Operations assistants: Claire Powell, Janet Baxter, Meredith White, Emily Harris, Hugo Morisetti

Training & events manager: Jilly Sitch Events manager: Stephanie HareWinton Events assistant: Sophie Brentnall Business development: Edward Spicer

gff.co.uk Financial controller: Stephen Guppy Accounts manager: Denise Ballance Accounts assistant: Julie Coates Chairman: Bob Farrand Director: Linda Farrand

Vol.21 Issue 4 | May 2020

Introducing our new Italian Ceramics

Handmade Ceramics from Puglia We are fully stocked with pasta, pasta sauces & much more... For our full wholesale food & ceramic price list Call 01635 744600 or visit www.tenutamarmorelle.com