SHELF TALK

SHELF TALK Tubby Tom’s expands production capacity to meet huge demand

By Tom Dale

Midlands hot sauce and spice mix producer Tubby Tom’s is expanding into new premises to keep up with the increase in demand the brand has seen since the e ects of coronavirus hit the UK in 2020.

The Great Taste-winning company is doubling its manufacturing space by moving into a new unit two doors down from its current base in Gloucester, while owner Tom Hughes said the current production unit will be transformed into a test and show kitchen for NPD and social media cooking demos.

The brand has seen exponential growth since last year, owing to the popularity of the Shop Local movement and huge growth in online direct-to-consumer sales.

“It’s been di cult to keep up with demand because we just didn’t predict that the sauces would take o like this – surprised would be the wrong word, but we’ve been really happy with the numbers of people who support us,” said Hughes.

All of Tubby Tom’s sauces and spice mixes are cooked, blended and lled by hand. “We roast all our own spices, cook all our sauces, and even ll the bottles by hand using a funnel,” said Hughes. “We’re investing in some new machinery in the move to make the whole process more e cient.”

To help keep up with the increase in demand, Hughes is also doubling his sta by taking on four new full-time sta members over the coming year, but despite the growth, he is committed to keeping the handmade touch to the operation.

“We make everything by hand, and we love the way we do things – sauce just tastes better when you make it like that. Mass-produced stu just never tastes as good.” The founder said that it is for this reason that he isn’t interested in being stocked in supermarkets. “It makes things a numbers game,” he said. “When you start making deals with the big supermarkets there’s a lot of risk, and I don’t want to play that game,

I’d rather just make really good sauces with nice ingredients, employ good people and push it that way.” As well as the expansion, the brand is set to release three new lines to its already large range – Carolina Mustard BBQ sauce,

Taco Seasoning and Burnt Peach & Bourbon

Glaze.

tubbytoms.com

WHAT’S NEW

Boxer Gin – from the Sustainable Spirit Co. – has created a pre-mixed version of the classic Negroni cocktail. Export strength Boxer Gin is blended with Negroni Antica Distilleria amaro and red Torino vermouth with a dash of red mandarin bitters to make the pre-mixed drink, which is sold in a unique blue glass bottle and has an RRP of £29.95

boxergin.com

Bristol-based Wild and Game has launched its new Huntsman 1lb Pie – a cold chicken, pheasant & pork pie with a wild boar herby stuffing and a traditional hot water crust pastry casing. It is the brand’s take on the more familiar pork pie and has an RRP of £7.99.

wildandgame.co.uk

Nairn’s has added to its range of gluten-free cereals with Oats Your Way. Available in two varieties – Apple & Cinnamon and Blueberry – the product is a combination of fruit pieces with Nairn’s wholegrain oats. It is available in 375g packs with an RRP of £2.79.

nairns-oatcakes.com

Eco Green Living is launching a new pointof-sale unit aimed at increasing awareness of eco-friendly products and providing of eco-friendly products and providing a one-stop solution for retailers a one-stop solution for retailers to provide consumers with ecoto provide consumers with ecoalternatives to everyday items. alternatives to everyday items. The point-of-sale unit is The point-of-sale unit is fully stocked with premium fully stocked with premium alternatives to plastic products that are 100% compostable. The products are made The products are made using a resin from the using a resin from the stalk of sweetcorn, and stalk of sweetcorn, and thistle made from GMO thistle made from GMO crops. All products are crops. All products are third-party certified third-party certified compostable. compostable. The unit contains the following Biobag the following Biobag products: food and freezer bags, caddy liners, dog waste bags, bin liners, wheelie bin liners, eco cling film and eco tin foil. ecogreenliving.co.uk

New plant-based dips brand hopes to Do Goodly

A new producer of plant-based foods has launched its debut range of dips aimed at the growing market of health-conscious consumers and is set to donate a portion of all pro ts to a mental health charity.

True to its name, Do Goodly’s founders Richard Abbey and Scott Davis have said the company will donate 10% of its earnings to Mind.

Michelin-trained chef Davis created the four-strong range of vegan dips – Mighty Beetroot Borani, Smashed Pea Guacamole, Superstar Salsa and Tasty Tomato & Bean Houmous – a er the pair spotted a gap in the market for purely plant-based dips that cater directly for health-conscious consumers.

Abbey said: “Scott and I aimed to create a range of food that looks and tastes wonderful and is good for you.

“We’re also proud to be supporting Mind, especially during lockdown when so many people are experiencing pressures such as loneliness, worry and nancial uncertainty. We aim to expand our range over the coming year, introducing more fresh, original and healthy products designed by Scott.”

The co-founder also said that the brand is a perfect match for independent retail, being a unique, premium product. He said the lines are currently listed with Castell Howell & Blas Ar Fwyd, but that they are happy to deal directly with independent retailers.

The dips come in trade packs of six with an RRP of £2.50.

dogoodlydips.com

WHAT’S NEW

Premium chocolate makers Doisy & Dam has announced that its seasonal special Dark Chocolate Truffles will be available year-round after the line’s success. The vegan, GMO- and palm oil-free chocolates use single-origin Colombian cocoa and have an RRP of £5.50.

doisyanddam.com

East Yorkshire-based Wold Top Brewery has launched its first lowalcohol beer. Intuition (<0.5% ABV) is a hop-forward pale ale that has been brewed in response to consumer demand for no- and low-alcohol drinks. The new brew is available direct from the brewery and has an RRP of £1.26 for a 330ml bottle.

woldtopbrewery.co.uk

Healthy snack brand This Is Nuts has launched a range of skin-on cashews. The brand has decided to preserve the thin layer of skin on the cashews to boost the snack’s fibre content by 4.5 times and boost the health credentials and boost the health credentials by adding 10 more polyphenols – by adding 10 more polyphenols – powerful antioxidants. The range powerful antioxidants. The range comprises three flavours: Tropical comprises three flavours: Tropical Cacao, Roasted & Sea Salt, and Cacao, Roasted & Sea Salt, and Garlic & Pepper. Garlic & Pepper.

thisisnuts.se thisisnuts.se

My magic ingredient

Tubby Tom’s Squealer hot sauce

CHARLIE WELLS

Director, The Farm Stratford

Tubby Toms is a brand that’s local to us here – it’s made in Gloucester – and it’s an amazing smoky, scotch bonnet hot sauce that won a Great Taste two-star in 2017.

I use it on loads of food at home. I stick it on every pizza I have and, this may sound a little weird, I always put it on my greens as well, like broccoli – it just makes them more interesting.

It works because it’s got loads of flavour from the smoked chillis, tomato and garlic, but it’s still really hot. It’s one of those hot sauces that’s got a bit more depth of flavour than the usual.

It was the first sauce that the producer made, and the first that I tried. I’ve been using it for about a year but we’ve only stocked it for about six months. We wanted to stock the brand since I first tried it, but his sauces are pretty hard to get – they’re massively in demand. A lot of our chefs know him personally and were telling me I needed to get his sauces on our shelves. He’s got such a good following – as soon as we got it in we sold out.

It’s one of those hot sauces that’s got a bit more depth of avour than the usual

Charlie buys hers from tubbytoms.com

Smoked salmon ‘Gilltong’ is the latest o er from innovative sh brand

By Tom Dale

Brighton-based experimental boozy salmon brand The Pished Fish has bolstered its reputation for interesting NPD with its latest launch, Gilltong.

The new product is described by the producer as halfway between jerky and biltong but made with smoked salmon instead of the traditional dried meats.

The high-protein snack is made with sliced prime smoked salmon llets which are then marinated in teriyaki, honey, Tabasco sauce and black pepper before being air-dried.

The Pished Fish’s founder James Eagle said the product was created in response to the surge in popularity of healthy, at-home snacking since the coronavirus pandemic drove the nation from their workplaces.

The brand was launched in 2017 and found its footing in Sussex’s farmer’s markets and street food scene before it was launched into food halls – such as Selfridges and Fortnums – and independent retailers.

At the beginning of the COVID lockdown in 2020, the company lost a major food hall contract. This allowed its founder more time to focus on developing new lines – including this latest concept, as well as pâtés, sh pies and potted salmon.

Eagle says that despite a pandemic-inspired push for more direct-to-consumer sales, independent delis and farm shops are still central to the business.

Gilltong comes with an RRP of £5.49 per 50g pouch.

thepishedfish.com

Great Taste award-winning family business Popcorn Shed has added a new flavour to its Mini Pop range of mini popcorn snacks – Maple Bacon.

Like the other five lines in the range, the new addition is also, surprisingly, vegan. It joins Sweet & Salty, Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar, White Truffle, and Toffee, each with an RRP of 89-99p. popcornshed.com

MEET THE PRODUCER

Gemma Standeven is the founder of GATTERTOP DRINKS CO, a premium spirits company based in Herefordshire on an ancient farm. All the traditional botanicals used in the brand’s two-strong range are sourced from its on-site orchard

WHAT’S NEW

What were you doing before you launched Gattertop Drinks?

I worked in international development for 15 years, both overseas and from the UK. My work focused on humanitarian response programmes, bringing an end to sexual violence in war zones and putting more women at the centre of conflict resolution. After becoming a mum, I wanted to bring out my entrepreneurial side, move to the countryside and be closer to my family. During lockdown, Ellen Halpin-Barnett of Nana Lily’s discovered some more of her great grandmother’s recipes and has since added two more lines to the brand’s range: Raspberry & Gin Jam and Whiskey Marmalade. Both are made using traditional methods and have no additives or preservatives. RRP, £3.50-£3.95.

nanalilys.co.uk

Premium condiment producer Stokes Sauces has launched a new range Why did you decide to start the brand? of ‘MealI identified a gap in the vodka market – drinks. The traditional orchards at Gattertop Making using it as an alternative to gin – and more have a huge amount of history attached to Sauces’ recently a gap in the botanical vodka them, so it was the obvious choice to use comprising market. I spotted an amazing opportunity, traditional ingredients and plants, if they lived Red Wine & using vodka as the perfect alcohol base. in harmony in nature, surely they could in my Green Peppercorn, Katsu Curry, Salsa Roja and It doesn’t have a distinctive taste, aroma drinks! I was also fascinated to see what flavours Pomodoro. Each 175g jar has a simple threeor colour, which is brilliant I could produce. step recipe on its label. The Red Wine & Green for showcasing beautiful botanicals in their own right. What is the biggest lesson I let the Why is sustainability important to you and your business? Peppercorn sauce has an RRP of £2.65 and trade price of £10.56 (6x175g) and the three other sauces have an RRP of £2.45 (trade £9.84). you have learned so far? ingredients of What kind of planet our stokessauces.co.uk Be brave and bold. Follow your instincts, lead with your heart, don’t compromise, and invest time in getting it right. I have learned where my strengths and weaknesses lie and where to ask for help. What makes your spirits stand out? Provenance, taste and premium quality. I am proud to say that many factors make us stand out, including children will inherit if we don’t consider live more sustainably is something I think about a lot. My children won’t eat Nutella anymore because they learned about palm oil and the destruction of the rainforest at school. I’m not going to be on the stage at the UN, but I like to do my bit on an individual basis. I aim to use the B-Corp framework to help our business meet sustainability targets. the orchards determine the route and pro le of my drinks Inspired by the predicted summer outdoor dining and BBQ boom this year, Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses has created Blacksticks Blue Mega Burger Slices’ Each pack contains four 80mm diameter, thickcut slices, which are designed to melt onto the single-sourced natural ingredients we What is the best thing about being a small burgers. RRP £3. use that are led by nature, all from one business? butlerscheese.co.uk ancient farm and orchard in Herefordshire. Working on every element of the business has I use a truly innovative, authentic and considered approach to developing a flavour profile to capture the English Orchard in a glass and both drinks have had rave reviews; Damson No 12 has won a Great Taste award five years in a row and Difford’s Guide has given both our drinks a 4.5 out of 5 rating. flavour profile to capture the English Orchard in a glass and both drinks have had rave reviews; Damson No 12 has won a Great Taste award five years in a row and Difford’s Guide has given both our drinks a 4.5 out of 5 rating. its challenges, but huge rewards, and working alongside people who believe in you and want to see you succeed is empowering. …and the worst? The small hits can be huge, and before I brought in more team members it was a lonely place. You need to bounce ideas around, share the highs and lows, and feel part of a team. What’s next for Gattertop Drinks? We’d love to do another spirit that is in keeping Husband-and-wife business Real Handful has launched two new ranges of savoury snacks – Craft Baked Nuts and Savoury Trail Mix. The baked nuts range includes high-oleic Argentinian peanuts and Californian almonds. The almonds come in Smoky BBQ flavour (112g, RRP ££2.99) and the peanuts in Sea Salted or Salt & Vinegar (50g or 112g packs, RRP £1/£1.99). The trail mixes come in three ££2.99) and the peanuts in Sea Salted or Salt & Why did you decide to use traditional Why did you decide to use traditional with the brand story, and the orchard is big enough to support expansion.Freshly Ground Sponsor advert 2016 print ready.pdf 1 16/08/2016 10:37 varieties in 112g packs – Super Sweet ingredients and ingredients and C & Salty, Salt & Vinegar & Salty, Salt & Vinegar botanicals? botanicals? M Verve and Smokin’ Verve and Smokin’ I started to experiment I started to experiment Y BBQ – all with an BBQ – all with an with flavours, letting with flavours, letting CM RRP of £2.50. The the ingredients of the the ingredients of the MY range is available to orchards determine the orchards determine the CY independents through route and profile of my route and profile of my CMY Delicious Ideas Food Group. Group.K

realhandful.com realhandful.com