NEWS

NEWS Lawyer’s warning over ‘legal minefield’ of retail coronavirus vaccine passports

By Greg Pitcher

Using tests and vaccines to control who enters a shop is a “legal minefield”, a food retail legal specialist has warned.

Dominic Watkins, head of retail, food and hospitality at legal services firm DWF, said COVID-19 compliance was becoming “the new PPI” for certain law firms seeking to bring mass claims.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has long spoken of the key role mass testing and vaccination will play in the country’s exit strategy from lockdown.

Pilots began in April of a system the government said could eventually allow higher-risk settings to open up more safely by allowing people in based on their vaccination history, natural immunity from contracting the disease or a recent negative test result.

While the prime minister ruled out the use of status certification –dubbed COVID passports – when pubs fully opened in May, he did say lateral flow testing would be “a great advantage to us all as we go forward”.

Watkins said that while it was “theoretically possible” to use tests and vaccines to create COVIDfree food shops, such a move could be difficult to implement in practice without inviting legal claims. “Discrimination claims have been a massive growth area through the pandemic,” he said. “Some of them are genuine, some less so.”

Refusing entry to a member of staff or the public who turned down a vaccine for medical reasons could be seen as discriminatory, Watkins explained, while expecting someone to take a test could be viewed as unreasonable.

“Look at posts about face coverings on social media,” he added. “You could lose a week on the comments sections.

“There are dozens of claims management companies looking at COVID-19 as the new payment protection insurance, the new emissions scandal. Unions have created apps asking people to upload information about their work conditions to identify where businesses are not COVID-secure.

“There are law firms specialising in discrimination and you can download template letters from their website.”

Ultimately employees and customers have to consent to having tests or vaccines, and can’t be treated differently if they don’t, Watkins said. Aside from this, companies conducting tests take on a responsibility to report them and have to be careful they don’t breach data protection law.

“It is wonderful that the prime minister says these things but the practicalities are often somewhat more challenging to implement without significant risks,” he added.

COVID passports could create legal issues for retailers

Cottage Delight founder Nigel Cope dies at home aged 72

The man behind iconic fine food company Cottage Delight has died aged 72.

Nigel Cope – who started the famous brand in 1974 after leaving a corporate job at food giants Unilever – died at his Staffordshire home earlier this year.

Cope, who was born in Carmarthen in 1948, founded the award-winning business as a fudge producer but went on to develop a range of products sold in delis and farm shops across the UK.

The businessman sold the Leek-based producer to Vestey Holdings in 2016, but the company remains committed to its independent roots.

Cope was handed the Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement award at the 2012 Great Taste Golden Fork ceremony, attributing the honour to sticking to his principle of keeping the business independent-only.

Cope is survived by his wife Diana; his children, Lisa, Paul and Michael; his step-children, James, Tom and Sam; and his five grandchildren and six stepgrandchildren.

Next steps in Government’s roadmap out of lockdown

From 17th May, if the government remains happy with England’s progress in exiting the winter lockdown, hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants will be able to welcome customers back inside for the first time in more than four months.

Groups will be limited to six people or two households, and customers will have to remain seated while they eat, drink and order.

Cinemas, hotels and children’s play areas will also reopen at this point, again with the same limits on visiting groups.

Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, funerals, receptions, wakes, christenings and similar events.

Indoor events will be allowed attendances of half their capacities up to a limit of 1,000 people. For outdoor events the attendance limit will be raised to 10,000 where the capacity is 40,000 or higher.

People will still be advised to work from home where possible and keep a distance of at least a metre from others outside their household or legal support bubble.

If the data shows the country is still moving in the right direction then the government has said it hopes to remove all legal limits on social contact on 21st June.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT... FOOD SHOPS REQUIRING COVID JABS

JENNIE ALLEN

OWNER, BAYLEY & SAGE,

LONDON

“I have personally been vaccinated and a lot of customers have too. It is up to the staff whether they have tests and vaccinations. We have lived with too many rules for too long. For all of us it will be good to get back towards normal life. Serving olives is a long way off. But it will just be nice to have some form of normality back.”

“All of our staff have had their first vaccinations and are all extremely careful both in the shop and away from it. We don’t feel that it is appropriate for our staff to have to police customers and so we won’t be asking for any proof of vaccination or a Covid test. I think the public, on the whole, have been wonderful.”

“If a member of staff refused to get the jab without a reason which I consider valid, I would see that as a problem and would have to consider what further action I might take. New staff will be asked for proof they have had the jab, where it has been offered. It is putting other staff and customers at unnecessary risk.”

JEN GRIMSTONE -JONES

CHEESE ETC.,

BERKSHIRE

STEVEN

SALAMON

PROPRIETOR,

WALLY’S DELI, CARDIFF

NEWS Supermarkets adapting to challenge indies after growth of ‘shop local’ movement

By Greg Pitcher

Supermarkets and online grocers are adapting their business models to compete with delis and farm shops that have thrived during the pandemic, key figures have warned.

Industry commentators said independent food retailers faced a major battle with multiples that had seen a switch in buying behaviour over the last 12 months and were now looking to capitalise.

Although supermarkets have benefited from the closure of non-essential shops, they have also watched some customers switch to buying from smaller specialists during the COVID-19 crisis.

Now, many are looking to play up their community credentials – opening neighbourhood stores, launching environmental initiatives, rolling out rapid delivery and luring parents with discounts (see box).

Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, said the large chains were always changing their tactics in light of customer behaviour. “No doubt some of it will challenge the independent shops,” he said. “The extra competition will keep them on their toes.”

“The supermarkets all realise that there has been a shift to local shopping and so we can expect to see more of the smaller store format.

“There are also a couple of companies in London doing basic grocery deliveries within 30 minutes, tapping into the convenience need of young working people.”

Goodacre said independent retailers should focus on the elements they can do better than the chains, including personality and offering a bespoke service. “I genuinely think they will continue to thrive,” he added.

Rob Copley, chairman of the Farm Retail Association, said the challenge was to be expected from big companies who could deliver at scale. “The whole country has changed over the past 12 months, and food purchasing has become more like the fast-food industry,” he said. “Customer service used to be king but now you are two metres away behind a mask – safety and speed are the new kings.”

Copley said that as supermarkets muscled in on the convenience of local stores, independents had to get back to becoming attractions. “We need to get back to being a destination. People are desperate to have something to do. But safety will still override customer service.”

He added: “The cream will rise to the top. Some very average indies have done well over the last year because of demand, but several will be struggling in six months.”

l Morrisons is allowing customers to bring their own containers to its butchery and deli counters as well as removing plastic bags l Co-op has teamed up with Deliveroo to offer people home delivery in as little as 30 minutes from ordering l Iceland has opened a trial convenience store under the banner ‘Fast. Fresh. Local’ l Tesco is rolling out recycling points for soft plastic items such as cling film and crisp packets l Waitrose is launching a wine brand developed and owned by staff at a South African winery and is offering extra subsidies to low-income parents given government vouchers for healthy food l Sainsbury’s is opening 18 ‘Neighbourhood Hub’ stores that the firm says have ‘community at heart’ l On-demand grocer Weezy has expanded into Brighton offering delivery at a claimed average delivery time of ’15 minutes or less’

Good customer service is one area where indies can maintain a point of difference from supermarkets

MPs call for further support in foodservice supply chain

MPs have demanded an urgent review of how small suppliers have been affected by the enforced closure of foodservice during lockdown.

The cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee called for ministers to provide financial support for suppliers as hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars began to reopen.

In a report to government, the group raised “concern” that suppliers did not receive the same financial help as the hospitality businesses forced to shut their doors.

“Many of these suppliers are small businesses, who will be particularly vulnerable as the economy starts to reopen,” added the report. “Both hospitality providers, and many public sector organisations, are reliant on them.

“The government’s support to hospitality businesses will be wasted if their supply chain collapses. We therefore recommend that the government urgently assesses the impact of the closures to the hospitality sector on its suppliers, especially small businesses, and provides additional financial support to them during the period of reopening.”

Ministers should also look to reverse any loss of market share suffered by small retailers as a result of the temporary relaxation of competition law during the pandemic and “encourage greater market access for locally produced foods” said the study.

The committee also said momentum to provide food security across the country must be maintained as the roadmap is followed and lockdown restrictions are eased. Highlighting that almost one in 10 households had suffered food poverty during England’s winter lockdowns, the panel of MPs called for the creation of a minister for food security and consultation over a national right to food.

IN BRIEF

Parmigiano Reggiano

Walter Smith Fine FoodsPDO enjoyed a 7.9% has announced theincrease in sales in Italy closure of three storesand a 10.7% increase in the Midlands. Theabroad, including a butcher chain revealed21.8% uplift in the UK over Christmas that itslast year according to Denby Village, Westthe Consortium. 2020 Bromwich and Coventrywas also a record year shops would stop trading,for production of the leaving it with 11 outlets –cheese, which saw a total many of which are withinincrease of 4.9%. garden centres. Tracklements has hired Ben Hallam for the role of commercial manager, which includes identifying new market opportunities. Hallam joins the Wiltshire-based condiment specialist after 11 years at dairy firm Yeo Valley. Health food retailer Planet Organic has moved into the hot food delivery market and teamed up with high-end service Supper, which will courier a selection of to-go items and sushi from two Central London stores.

There are changes to EU law now in effect that will affect traders who move certain live animals, germinal products and products of animal origin to Northern Ireland, or the EU. All EU Export Health Certificates (EHCs) need to be updated to reflect the new rules, but this will be phased in before August.

Connage Highland

Dairy, based at Ardersier near Inverness, has opened a vending machine operation, selling its organic milk (both pre-bottled and refills), the dairy’s cheeses, and products from other local businesses such as eggs, bacon and chutneys. The vending machine will be open seven days a week from 7am to 7pm.

According to research by Wren Kitchens, a quarter of Brits can’t correctly identify common kitchen utensils. 51% of Brits surveyed didn’t know what a fish slice is, 48% couldn’t pick out a lemon squeezer, one-in-five mislabelled a carving fork as an ice pick and 16% wrongly identified a pasta maker as a paper shredder.

Wholesaler Cure & Curd is launching a bid to tackle food waste with its ‘Rescue Range’. This will make use of products nearing the end of their shelf life. The first line is a Broccoli & Stilton Soup.

curdandcure.co.uk

NEWS ‘Critical’ guide to technical and regulatory deli retailing released by Guild of Fine Food

By Tom Dale

The Guild of Fine Food has released its Deli Retailing Code of Practice, a package of technical and regulatory advice for specialist food retailers.

Launched in April, The Code provides specific guidance on safe retailing of key deli products and addresses the most common issues arising between small shops and environmental health officers (EHOs).

Karen Price of the Guild of Fine Food, who is leading the project, said: “This is critical information about processes and procedures involved in running a deli that all retailers should know and be following.”

It includes food safety essentials, good hygiene practices and up-to-date trading standards, as well as answers to questions that the Guild encounters regularly, and also offers retailers protection against EHOs who may not fully understand the nuances of fine food retail.

John Farrand, managing director of the Guild said: “We identified a critical need for this guide, driven by significant confusion in the deli world between retailers and their EHOs.

“The Guild insisted that a marker be put down on an agreed-upon set of standards that in turn encourages safer retailing.

“It’s really about how products are stored and sold and giving the retailer knowledge on how they are made. It gives us all a standard to adhere to across the industry so that the customers get food that is safe but is also sold in the right condition to enjoy.”

The guide was compiled by a team of legal, food safety and retail experts – including former FFD editor Mick Whitworth –together with advisors from Cornwall Council, with whom the Guild has formed a coordinated Primary Authority (PA) partnership.

The PA partnership –which members of the Guild are automatically opted into – offers a level of protection from challenges raised by hygiene officers against deli owners’ procedures, if they are following the advice laid out.

The Code is not set in stone, said Farrand, and will be updated as new information and legislation comes to light. “This is a living, breathing piece of work and we will have a technical committee that will look at queries and objections from either EHOs or retailers when they raise points against it and we’ll have to consider them and continually tweak the document.”

The guide is available in PDF format and is free for members of the Guild of Fine Food. For non-members, it costs £250+VAT.

To request a copy of the Code of Practice, or for any further information, email

The Code of Practice includes food safety and hygiene practices

support@gff.co.uk

IN BRIEF

Walter Smith Fine FoodsNorth Wales farm has announced theshop Rhug Estate has closure of three storesintroduced sustainable in the Midlands. Thepackaging for the butcher chain revealedmajority of its organic over Christmas that itsmeat products. The Denby Village, Westintroduction of new Bromwich and Coventrycardboard meat trays, shops would stop trading,which can be disposed leaving it with 11 outlets –of in a standard recycling many of which are withinbin, is the latest move garden centres.by the retailer to combat plastic waste. Tracklements has hired Ben Hallam for the roleHigh-street butcher’s of commercial manager,shops have enjoyed a which includes identifyingbumper year over the last new market opportuni-12 months with new data ties. Hallam joins theshowing that 630,000 Wiltshire-based condi-more households visited ment specialist after 11independent butchers years at dairy firm Yeo in Britain, compared to Valley. the previous year and have spent nearly 50% more per trip compared Health food retailer Plan-to other retailers when et Organic has movedpurchasing meat. into the hot food delivery market and teamed up with high-end serviceThe organisers of the Supper, which will courierNatural & Organic a selection of to-go itemsProducts Europe and sushi from two Cen-trade show decided tral London stores.to postpone this year’s event. The natural products, health food and organic industries show will now take place on 3rd-4th April 2022.

No slow-down in online shopping DOWN ON THE FARM The latest from farm shops across the country

Despite the imminent return of physical retail, online sales in March were up 62% on the same period in the first lockdown.

According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, online sales boomed 0.6% in March against February – the largest monthly growth since June 2020 – and over 60% year on year. The ONS also reported growth in the portion of overall consumer spend taken up by online. Last March, internet sales took just 23.1% of the UK’s entire retail spend; this March, that figure had climbed to 34.7%.

Footfall soared over 80% during the first week that non-essential stores reopened, but the early signs are that in-store shopping was still down by 25% on 2019’s pre-COVID levels. Essex foodies have a new destination to sink their teeth into. Poplar Food Hall is a 3,000 sqft specialist food retailer based at Poplar Nurseries outside Colchester stocking a range of locally sourced produce and its opening on 24th March was set to create ten new jobs. Built to cope with growing demand for more local produce in the farm shop, the new larger premises will stock more of their home-cooked treats, ready meals, a larger selection of local fruit and veg and fresh fish.

poplarnurseries.co.uk/ food/poplar-food-hall

A brand-new Cornish farm shop has recently opened its doors.

Located in Saint Austell,

Poplar Food Hall

Trevithick and Trays Farm

Shop & Café is stocking its shelves with numerous West Country products and offering fresh, local produce and locally sourced artisan delights.

Trevithick’s new on-site café is due to open later in the month.

facebook.com/trevithick andtraysfarmshop

By converting neighbouring barns, Pennbury Farm Shop has

as B&B accommodation.

pennburyfarm.co.uk

recently undergone an expansion. Located in the beautiful Leicestershire countryside, Pennbury’s newly converted barns are now home to an expanded farm shop offering a butcher, a deli, homewares, a café and an animal feed store, as well Permission has been granted for a brand-new farm shop and café to open in East Bergholt in Suffolk.

Cleverly and beautifully located alongside a fully furnished yoga studio,

Fields Farm Shop & Café

is sure to become part of a ‘wellness’ destination this summer by stocking sustainably sourced, local produce. Open seven days a week, Fields Farm Shop’s rustic styled café will be serving delicious seasonal dishes daily.

fieldskitchen.co.uk

In association with

Fabulous Farm Shops

Cheese treasure islands

The warm, volcanic landscape of the Canary Islands is home to some of Spain’s finest cheeses, each with their own story to tell

VISITORS TO THE CANARY ISLANDS understandably find it hard to leave the pristine beaches that have helped make the Spanish archipelago such a popular destination for holidaymakers. The islands’ position in the Atlantic Ocean, close to the coast of Morocco, guarantees warm sun almost all year round on some of the finest coastlines in the world.

But venture beyond the tourist hotspots and explore a little deeper, and you will soon discover a unique volcanic landscape. Each of the eight main islands has its own distinct character, thanks to a variety of different geographies, altitudes and micro-climates. These range from lush and sub-tropical to rocky, arid and mountainous – sometimes even on the same island.

Wherever you roam, there’s a good chance you might bump into a goat or sheep. The animals are well-suited to the diverse terrain and are an important part of the islands’ history, economy and food culture, providing milk for cheeses that are as varied as the countryside.

The arid plains of Fuerteventura, which measures just 62 miles long and 19 miles wide, are home to a particularly special goat breed, linked to one of the Canaries’ most famous cheeses.

Majorero goats have been bred over centuries to adapt to the desert-like conditions, producing large quantities of rich, aromatic milk, which is used to make a hard cheese of the same name. Aged from just a few weeks to several months, Queso Majorero is protected by a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), which specifies that the cheese must be made with at least 85% milk from the island’s native goats (sheep’s milk is also permitted up to 15%).

The cheese is unmistakable thanks to a diamond pattern on the sides, which originally came from the plaited palm leaves used as moulds. The top and bottom are protected by rubbing the rind in olive oil, paprika or ‘gofio’ – a roasted maize flour that is a speciality of the islands.

The flavours and texture depends on the age of the cheese and what it has been rubbed with. They vary from pliable and milky in younger cheeses to hard and intense with a slight bitterness and pronounced spicy notes, especially if rubbed in paprika.

The cheeses are exported all over the world and are an important part of Fuerteventura’s

identity. The island’s capital, Puerto del Rosario, was known as Puerto de Cabras (the Port of Goats) until the late 18th century, while the word ‘Majorero’ (also used to describe inhabitants of the island) comes from the shoes worn by goat herders. Called ‘mahos’ or ‘majos’, the sandals were made from hairy, untanned goatskin.

Not to be outdone, the mountainous island of La Palma in the North West of the Canaries also has its own unique goat breed. Palmera goats have adapted over the centuries to the island’s originates, and the use of flowers from the cardoon thistle to coagulate the milk (‘flor’ means flower in Spanish). It’s thought the cheese was first created 500 years ago by immigrant cheesemakers from Extremadura and Portugal where cardoon is often used. Different levels of thistle rennet (see panel) are used to create different styles of cheese, but the paste is typically soft and elastic with herbaceous, aromatic notes. Shepherds still graze their sheep on the diverse grasslands that cover the ‘midlands’ of Guía, Moya and Gáldar between January and July. Each has its own distinct flora with nearly a thousand plant species growing wild, which are expressed as complex flavours in the final cheese thanks to the craft of the cheesemakers.

In the south of the island, the skill of Gran Canaria’s cheesemakers was put to a different kind of test in 2019, when Quesos Bolaños decided to make nine enormous raw goats’ milk cheeses to highlight the quality of Canary Islands produce. Eight of the giant cheeses weighed 135kg, but the largest of them came in at a backbreaking 174kg and was matured for 11 months before being cut up and sold across Spain.

There’s much more to the Canary Islands than sun and sand.

cloudier, wetter conditions, which result in permanent vegetation and rich pastures (La Palma is known as the ‘green island’ and ‘isla bonita’). Their raw milk is the key ingredient in the PDOprotected hard cheese Queso Palmero, which is smoked over almond shells, dried prickly pears or pine needles to help preserve it in the humid climate.

Sold at different ages – from eight days to more than 60 days – the cheese typically has clean, milky flavours with hints of grass, hay and nuts, plus a gentle smokiness. Mature cheeses are traditionally fried and served with ‘mojo rojo’ - a sauce made with small red peppers and paprika.

While goats are the queens of the milking parlours on La Palma and Fuerteventura, on Gran Canaria it is sheep that are highly prized. The island’s PDO cheese Flor de Guía specifies that at least 60% of the milk used to make it must come from ewes, specifically the rare Canary sheep breed.

The cheese takes its name from the Guía area in the north of the island, where it WHERE TO BUY CANARY ISLANDS CHEESES IN THE UK

Delilah Fine Foods, Nottingham

www.delilahfinefoods.co.uk

Azahar Artisan Spanish Food, Cambridge

www.azaharartisanspanishfood.com

Mediteria, Surrey

www.mediteria.com

Degusta, Bristol

www.degusta.co.uk

Amazon

www.amazon.es/ b?ie=UTF8&node=11529232031

QUESO MAJORERO PDO, FUERTEVENTURA

Milk: Whole milk (raw or pasteurised) from the Majorero goat breed with up to 15% sheep’s milk. Shape & Weight: Cylindrical; 1-6kg Age: 8 days to 6 months Flavour: Pliable and milky in younger cheeses to more intense with a slight bitterness and pronounced spicy notes in ‘curado’ cheeses. Some cheeses are rubbed in paprika or ‘gofio’ roasted maize flour, which also add flavour. Perfect pairings: Softer, younger cheeses work beautifully with medium-dry Platano Wine – a speciality, which is made by fermenting Canary Islands bananas. Or try mature cheeses with Malvasía sweet wines, plus a scattering of pistachios or almonds. QUESO PALMERO PDO, LA PALMA

Milk: Whole raw milk from the Palmera goat breed

Shape & Weight:

Cylindrical; 1-15kg Age: Eight days to over 60 Flavour: Clean, milky flavours with hints of grass, hay and nuts, plus a gentle smokiness from being smoked over almond shell, Canary pine needles and dry prickly pears. The texture is semi-firm and elastic. Perfect pairings:Local wines from La Palma pair very well with the cheese, including white Malvasía wines for younger cheeses and red wines from the Matías i Torres winery for more mature cheeses. It also pairs well with local Mojo Picón Palmero – a sauce made with spicy peppers – or try cactus jam, a sweet, fragrant condiment made from the native prickly pears. FLOR DE GUÍA PDO, GRAN CANARIA

Milk: Raw or pasteurised. Minimum 60% milk from Canary Sheep. Maxmium 10% goats milk and 30% cows’ milk. Shape and weight: Cylindrical; 2-5 kg. Age: 15 days to more than 60 Flavour: There are three varieties under the PDO. Flor de Guía, which is made with 100% cardoon rennet; Queso de Media Flor de Guía, made with 50/50 cardoon and animal rennet; and Queso de Guía, made with 100% animal rennet. The cheeses typically have a bitter, salty and acidic taste with a creamy, melt in the mouth texture. Floral, animal and nutty notes can also be detected. Perfect pairings: Young fruity La Higuera Mayor wines, made with the local Listán Negro or Listán Blanco grapes work well or try a tot of ‘ron miel’ (honey rum) from the Arehucas Distillery. Sweet, honey-like Palm Tree Syrup is also a popular accompaniment.