FFD May 2023

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o er with our look at the latest in refreshments

ALSO INSIDE

ArtChocolat’s origin story

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The Marches Deli

The UK’s only

raw milk brie

Even before the internet ooded our lives with clickbait lists, we all used to compile them. Things like ‘Best albums ever made’, or ‘Most hated professions’. The rankings for the latter are probably still the same in our digitally enlightened age, though.

If you were to do a poll of people today, you’d certainly nd journalists on there – nestled between estate agents and tra c wardens. You know what? In some ways, I agree.

When I say “journalists”, I don’t mean your friendly, neighbourhood trade journalists like me. What we’re talking about here is the newspapers, the huge national ones. And, I’m sorry to say that the bigger boys’ coverage of an issue in our sector has irked me – and many people within our industry.

Now, I’m sure most of you are aware of the problems with Listeria at certain cheesemakers and the subsequent recalls that have ensued over the last month or two (you’ll

By Michael Lane, editor

nd the details on page 17).

These things do happen and the facts should be reported because they are in the public interest. From my perspective, every business a ected has responded accordingly and followed the proper procedures, by removing cheeses and trying to minimise impact.

Even though this is far from a trivial matter, this news alone was simply not sensational enough for some national newspapers.

Some of the things I’ve read about this outbreak contain factual errors. That is annoying, given the delicate circumstances, but I am not about to stick a halo on myself while I demonise fellow professionals. We all make mistakes from time to time.

I might even forgive the editors for giving in to the temptation of rhyming listeria with hysteria in the headlines.

The real issue, for me, is that some of what I’ve read leaps from the actual story into detailed

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox, deputy editor

FATSO

King’s Ransom

EDITORIAL editorial@gff.co.uk

Editor: Michael Lane

Deputy editor: Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Art director: Mark Windsor

Contributors: Nick Baines, Patrick McGuigan, Greg Pitcher, Isabelle Plasschaert, Lynda Searby, Tom Vaughan

ADVERTISING opportunities@gff.co.uk

Sales director: Sally Coley

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Sales executive: Becky Haskett

Dark chocolate can sometimes feel like a compromise between indulgence and restraint - in other words, not majorly exciting. But relative newcomer to the game, FATSO, wants to make tucking into a bar of 60% cocoa chocolate as decadent as eating ice cream straight from the tub. Its latest release is ‘a chocolate bar fit for a king’

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scaremongering about the dangers of unpasteurised milk – something that wasn’t a factor in the initial outbreak at all.

One industry commentator charitably called these reports “unhelpful”. I would go further and say they are potentially damaging: to the businesses directly named, cheesemaking in general and the shops who sell such products.

How many people will read these articles and conclude that “raw milk = dangerous” or worse, that “artisan cheese = deadly”?

At FFD, we try to approach everything we write about with the balance, accuracy and care it deserves. This magazine exists to inform and guide its readers –independent retailers and the supply chain – not make your already stressful lives even more di cult.

I hope that this issue is a help to you and reassures you that there are still a few journalists out there that you can trust.

indeed, crunchy with cocoa nibs and pistachio pieces and flavoured with a hint of mint. Some might even say it’s more memorable than a quiche. More on p. 46

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© The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2023. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

One industry commentator charitably called newspaper reports “unhelpful”.

I would go further and say they are potentially damaging.

Scottish drinks sector hails delay to Deposit Return Scheme

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Drinks industry professionals have hailed Scottish rst minister Humza Yousaf’s decision to delay the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) until March 2024, calling for more work to be done to make it workable.

The waste management plan, administered by Circularity Scotland (CSL) and circularity minister Lorna Slater, was due to begin in August 2023. It set out that a 20p levy be placed on single-use drinks containers, including PET, aluminium, steel and glass. The cost would be passed down to the consumer as a deposit fee – with retailers and hospitality businesses collecting the used receptacles for recycling. The Scottish Wholesale Association’s chief executive Colin Smith welcomed the deferral, recognising the rst minister’s “continued

IN BRIEF

Northern Ireland’s Suki Tea has a new 7,500 sq ft factory and headquarters in Lisburn, and is set to expand its offering and grow its workforce.

Tesco is launching a circular solution for its range of ready meal trays, which it says will be recycled and converted back into food grade plastic trays.

Tupperware has warned it is likely to go bust without investment, as it grapples with an ageing customer base and cheaper alternatives on the market.

commitment to support small businesses impacted by the scheme.”

He stressed, however, that all parties must now work together to address the “myriad practical issues” standing in the way of a workable implementation next year.

The scheme has been criticised for failing to align with the rest of the UK, where similar schemes are under consultation, to be deployed in 2024 at the earliest. The fact that it would include glass is also a sticking point,

with critics saying this would make the scheme complex and expensive to implement. The ten month delay may give the Scottish government time to clear up issues relating to return points, mandatory in all retail outlets in the previous plan.

Bill de la Hey, owner of Main Street Café, told FFD: “While I applaud the need to recycle more, there has been a huge sigh of relief from the drinks and retail businesses in Scotland, especially small producers and small independents

Decline in British pig farming puts native breeds at threat

where the cost implications and logistics of handling the recycling don’t add up.”

He said Reverse Vending Machines should placed alongside community recycling points or in supermarkets, “where there is space and sta ng to manage the recycling”.

For wine importer Daniel Lambert, one of the main problems with the plan was that the administrator and the nation’s circular economy minister Lorna Slater have failed to engage with the industry.

“The reason why it hasn’t gone ahead is because out of the 4,500 businesses that needed to sign up, they had 776.”

Part of the di culty of implementing a closed loop scheme in Scotland before doing so across the UK is that products would need separate SKUs in each nation, which would be both costly and subject to fraud.

“Particularly if you have separate bar coding, it’s a whole world of pain to relabel, putting Scotland at a disadvantage when it comes to the cost of a bottle.”

in the UK, which have dropped 15% in the past year, as it becomes too costly for farmers , ofte offered less than the cost of production for their products.

RBST chief executive, Christopher Price, told the Guardian: “The crisis in the pig industry over the past two years is driving a very worrying and worsening situation for several of our rare native breeds.”

A UK-wide programme – excluding glass - Lambert said, would iron out most of the issues.

“Ultimately, I think this is where it’s going. I suspect that there’ll be a secondary delay, and it will be taken back to Westminster as a national thing.”

Shortly before FFD went to press, Lorna Slater announced that small containers – below 100ml – and products with low sales – under 5,000 units a year – would be exempt from the desposit fee.

Additionally, she promised to make it easier for hospitality businesses and retailers to be exempt from acting as return point operators.

Smith said the SWA was “delighted” with many of the improvements, adding: “There are a number of matters which must still be addressed around invoicing, labelling, PMP, bonded warehouses and crucially about fair imposition of the UK EAN surcharge based on the real fraud threat posed to businesses which choose not to change labels – but the announcements have been welcome steps.”

Farmison to resume trading

Native breeds of pigs are becoming rarer every year, a “worrying” situation created by the decline in British pork farming, according to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST).

The UK currently has 11 native pig

breeds, all considered rare and at risk of extinction. Most at threat are the British Saddleback, Gloucestershire Old Spots, Oxford Sandy and Black and Welsh.

Underlying this is a sharp decline in overall numbers of breeding pigs

“Fewer people are keeping these breeds now, and the number of new piglet births is falling too. Each of these breeds has unique characteristics. They are part of the UK’s heritage but they also have an important role in food production today and the resilience of our pig industry into the future.”

Former Asda chief executive Andy Clarke has led a group of investors to rescue Farmison after it ceased trading last month. The North Yorkshire butchers employed 75 people before FRP was appointed as an admistrator. Clarke said the deal was an opportunity to scale the business and develop its direct-to-consumer and wholesale plans, adding that nevertheless, “there is much work to do to get the business back on its feet and trading again – not least re-engaging with Farmison’s important network of farmers across the region and reemploying colleagues.”

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme, due to be implemented in August 2023, has been pushed back by ten months

The Gloucestershire Old Spot is among the breeds of pig at risk of extinction

Indies should promote trustworthiness following latest meat scandal

By Greg Pitcher

Independent retailers should market themselves as “bastions of trust” as the country reels from another food scandal, a key gure has urged.

Farm Retail Association (FRA) chair Emma Mosey said small shops had an opportunity to convince consumers to rely on them for the integrity of what they eat.

The Food Standards Agency recently launched a criminal investigation into potential food fraud, while a Farmers Weekly investigation uncovered allegations of rotten meat being sold to major retailers.

Mosey, who also owns Minskip Farm Shop, said negative headlines on food quality and availability should encourage small businesses to maintain the reputation they built up in the early years of the pandemic.

“During Covid, we saw there were shortages everywhere else but farm shops and independent retailers and that is because we pay more and can source products all the way through,” she said.

“We need to become bastions of trust not only for meat but all produce – that is what makes us unique. The key thing is to do everything properly with integrity but then tell the stories and market ourselves in a way that pushes the uniqueness of what we do.”

David Lishman, founder of Ilkley-based butcher Lishman’s, said food scandals “concentrate the customer’s mind”.

“Independents on the whole do make sure the product they sell is high quality and tend to do well [at times of crisis],” he said.

“We are constantly

Demijohn relaunches website and grows concession portfolio

Demijohn is pushing ahead with changes to its business model, having stepped away from bricks-and-mortar in 2020, focusing on concession stores and e-commerce instead.

Last year, the Scottish supplier secured a fifth site at Little Verzons Farm Shop near Ledbury in Herefordshire, following on existing concessions at Craigie’s Farm Shop in Queensferry, Fiona’s Wholefoods & Refills in Moray, Juniper in Fife and Loch Leven’s Larder in Kinross. The shops have been kitted out with refill stations - large glass jars containing a selection of spirits,

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT... … SOURCING MEAT

not to compromise on understanding where their meat comes from.

“Independents are in di cult times but never believe you have to nd cheaper products as that is when you lose integrity,” he said. “Our customers want a quality product but also an experience and assurance so that’s what we give them.”

Last

Farmers Weekly

trying to inform our customers about what we do and how we do it. It’s not like the supermarkets who have to convey information on a label on plastic packaging, we can talk to people and tell a nice story. It sets you apart.”

Lishman urged retailers

Eleanor O’Brien, managing director of National Cra Butchers, said the trade body was “very aware and concerned” about the allegations of fraud and hygiene breaches by a meat supplier.

“We would urge customers who are concerned about where their meat comes from to speak to their local cra butcher, who will normally have a much shorter supply chain than supermarkets,” she said.

“We source all our meat very locally to the farm and we know the farmers and where their meat comes from, which reduces the risk of any bad meat coming into our supply chain. Most farm shops and indie retailers would only source meat from someone they have a good relationship with. This is key.”

liqueurs and eau de vies, wines and cordials, as well as oils and vinegars. It is understood the producer is open to new concession proposals.

Additionally, Demijon has also relaunched its website, which MD Angus Ferguson said would allow it to run a successful online business and sell its products widely from its Galloway Farm.

“These are challenging times for us all. However, we can build on two years of profit post the 2020 pandemic and are now forecasting 30%+ growth in online sales this year.”

demijohn.co.uk

Cumbrian food producer Winter Tarn Dairy has automated its butterwrapping process as part of a £150,000 investment in production facilities at its new factory on the edge of Kendal.

The family-owned business, founded by Jeremy and Tricia Jackson in 2009, has brought in a specialist machine to package the product.

The Corazza moulding

and wrapping equipment will free up dairy staff for other duties, providing a major boost to productivity.

Other new equipment at the facility – which replaces the dairy’s original Eden Valley site – includes two walk-in fridges and modern butter churners.

Winter Tarn says it will be able to produce almost 280 portions of butter every minute using its new set-up.

“We go to the farms, see the animals, meet the famers. Two weeks ago, 10 of us turned up at our pig farm and spent two hours there. The staff enjoy it and come back talking about what they have seen. We have dealt with suppliers for decades, they know what we want and we have an understanding.”

“We ensure we know what we are selling in the butchery through direct relationships with small local farms. We have visited the farms that we use – Bagnell Farm and Otter Valley – and know the farmers well. It is very important to us to know where meat has come from and both farms are close to the store so that we are minimising food miles.”

EMMA MOSEY MINSKIP FARM SHOP, NORTH YORKSHIRE

DAVID LISHMAN, LISHMAN’S, WEST YORKSHIRE

ASH SINFIELD, TEALS, SOMERSET

month

revealed an industrial scale country of origin fraud affecting the UK’s food retail and foodservice sectors

Founders return to save Planet Organic from the brink of collapse

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

With multiple retailers apparently hovering, Planet Organic was saved from the brink of collapse – as FFD went to press – by a team of investors lead by the chain’s founder Renée Elliot.

The deal struck between administrator Interpath Advisory and Bioren Limited, set up last month by Renée and her husband Brian Elliott secures 194 store jobs, 71 head o ce roles and keeps 10 stores open.

However, it is understood that four stores will be closed –in Henley-on-Thames, Teddington, Bermondsey and Tottenham Court Road – with the loss of 64 sta .

Reports suggested that Holland & Barrett, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose were in the running to buy the embattled retailer, which opened its doors in

Fieldfare one of UK’s fastest growing brands

Premium frozen foods supplier Fieldfare has been named as one of the UK’s fastest growing brands. It ranked 34th in the Alantra’s annual Fast 50, which assesses companies’ CAGR over two years.

The 44 year-old company attributes recent growth to a successful rebrand and a public education campaign as to the benefits of frozen food.

“The way people shop has changed significantly, and in spite of current challenges, the opportunity for the independent and fine foods trade is stronger than ever,” said MD Matt Whelan. “We believe that fine frozen foods are here to stay, and so are we.”

IN BRIEF

Asda is now offering to deliver shopping to customers in a self-driving vehicle. Customers within the Park Royal catchment area will be selected randomly to have their orders delivered in a driverless, electric Jaguar I-Pace.

1995 and currently has 13 London stores as well as one in Berkshire.

Planet Organic had issued consecutive notices of its intention to appoint an administrator.

Despite speculation that a big name retailer could swoop for the struggling business, no concrete bid had been declared by the middle of April.

Bioren Ltd’s approach

had not been previously reported.

Latest accounts show Planet Organic made a £3.5 million pre-tax loss in the year to 28 August 2021 following a £1.4m de cit in the prior 12 months. The company’s cash reserves halved in the latest reported period to £3.2m.

Gareth Slater, director at Interpath Advisory told the Evening Standard: “A er a competitive

DOWN ON THE FARM

The latest from farm shops across the country

The Old Forge Farm Shop & Café, Wiltshire

process, we’re delighted to have concluded this transaction which will see the Planet Organic name continue to trade and, importantly, protects a large number of jobs.”

“We know that the new owners have exciting plans for the business and we wish them the very best for the future and look forward to seeing the business go from strength to strength.”

Sustainability-focused Bay Roasters Coffee has reached the quarter finals in the Amsterdam Roast Masters 2023 competition. It called the victory “a huge moment”, after competing against some of the best coffee roasters in the world.

Devon-based vanilla supplier LittlePod was among 148 recipients of a King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. Fellow Devon producer Moo Free was another, awarded for Promoting Opportunity.

Rumwell Farm Shop & Café, Somerset

Trinity Farm Shop & Home Delivery, Nottinghamshire

Newly-relocated Trinity Farm Shop places a strong emphasis on sustainability with its offering of organic produce and bulk provisions. The Phoenix Mills shop on Nottingham Road offers fruit and veg, pastries and fresh bread, meat, fish, a refill station and a coffee machine. trinityfarm.co.uk

Old Forge Farm Shop & Café is the latest addition to Berwick St James village. The five star reviewed farm shop offers fresh fruit and vegetables, pies and pastries, store cupboard essentials. Café customers can feast on cakes, coffees and full English breakfasts. Open Tuesday to Sunday.

The Cheshire Smokehouse, Cheshire

This Wilmslow farm shop has been inviting customers and locals to comment on its planning proposals for improvements to the current smokehouse, as well as a new café. The new plans will include solar panels, bikestorage facilities and a fully landscaped car park. cheshiresmokehouse. co.uk

Rumwell Orchard is the new extension to the café at Rumwell Farm Shop near Taunton. The space is now available for private functions and parties. It can seat up to 150 people or be divided up for smaller dos. rumwellfarmshop.com

In association with Fabulous Farm Shops fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

The buy-out will see 10 of 14 Planet Organic stores saved from closure and more than 260 staff retained

MEET YOUR MATCHLESS MATCHMAKER

We were the first to link specific crackers with specific cheeses, and our matches work because we are cheese experts who also bake crackers. Who else can match that?

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

IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

KELLY

SHEARER, co-owner, Middle Lane Market, Hornsey, London

My husband and I are both originally from Texas. We worked for Whole Foods Market in the US before transferring to the UK in 2014. Not long after, Andrew started managing the cheese room for La Fromagerie, while I moved into a brand account management role. I enjoyed it but felt too far removed from the products and the customers.

We started talking about setting up our own business, and in 2019, we found our premises. The front room is the main retail space and structural features prevent us from using the back area for anything other than food prep and storage. However, there are always going to be compromises and we lucked out in other ways –there is a huge swathe of pavement for outdoor dining and we have a cellar.

Having so much backroom space means we have to be strict about holding too much stock, but it also allows us to follow our dream of building up a wine cellar. Wine is an important category for us. We buy from eight different wholesalers. To facilitate cashflow, we spread out our orders rather than placing five in one week.

Business finance is not something either of us have any background in and we have learned the hard way the importance of cashflow management.

During the pandemic, some suppliers got really behind and we were hit with back invoices several months later. This was closely followed by VAT, rent and staff wages. Although we got through this period, it wasn’t an experience we’d care to repeat. Now we use a business credit card to give us more control and flexibility over payments.

Surprisingly for a shop that majors in cheese and wine, cocktails are one of our best sellers. We started this because frozen margaritas are big in Texas. We make our own mixes and have a frozen cocktail machine, which is always a talking point and adds an element of fun and excitement. Making our own mixes is great for our margins but means we have to perform calculations and use a refractometer to measure alcohol content.

We’ve had less success with basics such as beans, grains, cereals etc. When we started, we had a dedicated refill area. This never really picked up; it was rare that customers remembered to bring containers so we were having to use our own packaging. In the end we replaced this with higher value, higher margin products. We have realised that customers come to us to treat themselves rather than to buy everyday products.

Interview: Lynda Searby

Photography: Isabelle Plasschaert

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER

WHAT ARE WEBSITES actually for? I’m not talking about ecommerce, more about all the other stu they do. Pretty pictures of cheese, of me and of my team, plus an elegiac ‘About me’ section detailing how I’d found my calling, sitting in 1000sq of retail space.

But what is it actually for? Is it just to show we are as pretty in digital as we are in analogue? Does it really boost our footfall? Most of the time my website feels like a poorly maintained liability. I’ve tried to delegate it, but that is either expensive (when outsourced) or a disaster (when insourced).

I got a grant for my rst website. Seems like a long time ago now, probably 15 years. It was exciting, I had to get pictures and choose colours, and write a biography of my checkered past and future dreams.

Then the next web designer I hired was recommended by a publican friend, and we fell out pretty quickly. He quoted me then the invoice came in half as much again. We had a heated conversation, and he said everyone knew I didn’t pay my bills (for the record, I do). That upset me quite a bit – because it’s a small

MODEL RETAILING

Hey

town and I was worried what the whole high street thought about me behind closed doors. Anyway, I paid him. Then bad-mouthed him to everyone I knew.

Then there was the teenager who disappeared to university and I couldn’t access the backend of the site for six months. Let’s say no more about that one.

My current IT guy has become a friend, though. We use Wordpress and I can do a lot of it myself but keeping it current is hard. At one point I had all the team’s photos up there and what they did, complete with a quote about their favourite cheese. Then some le

and we stopped stocking some of the cheeses mentioned and I gave up.

And as for SEO – search engine optimisation – what for? People aren’t comparing the delis within a 12-mile radius. Almost all my ecommerce customers know me already. My IT guy keeps talking about blogs and pillar pages, and I hear him and say, “I will if I have the time”. But I don’t, and I don’t see how it turns into ready cash.

So, I have decided to take most of it down. Besides, my ‘to do’ list is stacked with more urgent matters like ordering more deli tubs, getting the new starter her employment contract, picking up the laundry as we’ve run out of aprons, updating Google on our bank holiday opening hours and putting the daily soup and quiche on the socials.

All customers really want to know is whether I’m open, an address and a phone number to book a table or order some lasagne for 10 to pick up on Saturday – with side salads!

That’s all websites are really good for, isn’t it?

Erm… Well…?

What’s any of that got to do with the price of fish?

The thing is… I mean… you’ve seen the news haven’t you? Everything just costs more now… it’s a crisis… something, something, inflation… and my overheads might have gone up a bit.

FFD says: It’s safe to say that most customers can accept that prices have to go up but make sure you can justify your reasons for your increases. There’s no shame in it. What’s more, if you can’t explain your calculations – factoring in all of your costs rather than just citing vague macroeconomics – some of your shrewder visitors are going to think you’re making a fast buck. It’s not an easy game but honesty is the best policy.

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.

ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER

Anyway, I paid him. Then bad-mouthed him to everyone I knew.

MANAGING EMPLOYEE FITNESS TO WORK

Technical and regulatory advice from the Guild of Fine Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing

Fitness to work

Where it is possible for disease to be transmitted through food, food handlers must report illness immediately to their supervisor. The following infections can be passed on through food:

• Salmonella including Typhoid and Paratyphoid

• Dysentery

• Hepatitis A

• Parasites

• Infected lesions (scaling, weeping, discharging) of the skin, eyes, ears and mouth

• Food poisoning

• Viral gastroenteritis

Cuts should be covered by a blue waterproof dressing. If necessary, vinyl (non-powdered), food-safe gloves can be worn on hands in addition to the blue waterproof dressing. Cuts or infections that may not be possible to cover adequately (including weeping eyes, ears, nose,mouth and gums) may require the member of staff to be excluded from food handling duties.

Expert v iew

PROJECT MANAGER AT MARKETING ENGLAND, ESME JEPP, ON SHIFTING CONSUMER ATTITUDES TO SCIENTIFIC INTERVENTIONS IN FOOD PRODUCTION

Against a backdrop of climate change, geopolitical instability and the resulting concerns around food supply, it has never been more important for sustainable methods of food production to be applied.

However, an understanding of the current perception of scientific interventions in food is needed before any real progress can be made in bringing the public on board.

The recently launched policy and communications platform, Science for Sustainable Agriculture, recognised this and commissioned England Marketing to establish opinion on this topic.

After polling 2,000 engaged members of the public (who report a keen interest in food, agriculture, heritage, and sustainability), the results of the research demonstrated that much more needs to be done to bring consumers on board.

We established that even among these consumers, knowledge of native crops is low, with many unaware that the majority of food

Return to work

Employees must continue to be excluded from food production and handling operations following a bout of diarrhoea and/or vomiting until 48 hours has elapsed since the last episode, however a shorter period of time (such as 24 hours) may be acceptable where a single episode of illness occurs without further symptoms or evidence of ongoing infection. It is recommended that an employee returning from work or holiday should be asked to complete a medical questionnaire prior to handling food.

In the event that infection with Salmonella or Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (e.g. O157) is confirmed clinically, additional actions or exclusion may be required. Further guidance is contained in the Food Standards Agency’s Guidance: Food Handlers: Fitness to Work available at food.gov.uk

The guide is available in PDF format and is free for Guild members. For non-members, it costs £250+VAT. To request a copy of the Code of Practice, or for further information, email support@gff.co.uk

crops grown on British farms, e.g. wheat, barley, oats, sugar beet and potatoes, originate from other parts of the world and have been adapted to our growing conditions through human ingenuity and scientific intervention.

So, how will the industry bring consumers on board?

Trust and communication are most pressing factors when it comes to answering this question. Many respondents reported feeling “blinded by science” and with technical terminology, reporting a lack of accessible information. This must change.

Trust is also a key factor here. 88% of respondents believed the Government should be communicating this information to them, but just 11% felt it to be a trustworthy source. Clearly, this is not a favourable metric when considering how to bring consumers on side. Trust is much higher in farmers and scientists, at 68% and 59%, respectively.

Public levels of concern around climate change are high, and consumers are largely open to accepting the contribution of scientific intervention in tackling these challenges when they are communicated clearly and directly.

The time is ripe for harnessing these attitudes and encouraging support for more sustainable approaches to food production with accessible information communicated in consumer-friendly terms from trustworthy sources.

You can download the full report at scienceforsustainableagriculture.com

WHAT’S TRENDING

1 Tepache This refreshing drink from the depths of Mexico is produced by fermenting pineapple skin and brown sugar. With a subtle acidity and sweet caramel notes, it’s enjoyed on its own as a non-alcoholic cooler, but can be taken in boozy directions too. Usually mixed with beer or tequila, some bars are now utilising it with rum, Cointreau, and in some cases, sherry. Cassia and Sun is one UK outfit bringing canned tepache to the market, while Fermentation Station makes a bottled one with ginger and chilli.

2 Mutant-croissants If you thought we’d hit peak croissant, it appears the world’s most famous pastry still has more to give. You will probably remember when Dominique Ansel unveiled the cronut to the world at his eponymous bakery in NYC. But the novelty of experimenting with croissants hasn’t run dry. Bedros Kabranian in Sweden is ground zero for the current cubed croissant craze that has taken hold on social media. Places as far reaching as Robuchon and Dorset’s M’s Bakery have also got in on the action.

3 Solo dining In the US, restaurants are working to improve the dining experience for solo diners, who according to Forbes, accounted for 15.4 billion visits to US restaurants in 2019. With the increase in working from home, many are turning to cafés and lunch spots to eat while crushing the inbox. Counter seating has long catered to the solo diner, but is being used more widely in some of the world’s coolest restaurants. Delicious magazine praised London’s Kricket for its expansive, fast-paced and immersive counter service. Vox Media also covered the rise in solo dining this year, with the claim that eating alone is no longer socially feared.

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Product recall widens a er initial Baronet Listeria alert

By Patrick McGuigan

More than 25 British cheeses were recalled by Cambridge wholesaler Cheese+ last month over concerns they may have been cross-contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes from a batch of Baronet. As reported in FFD last month, several batches of the pasteurised washed rind cheese, made by the Old Cheese Room in Wiltshire, were recalled in March a er Listeria was discovered during testing.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and UK Health Security Agency issued a warning about “exceptionally high levels” of Listeria in the cheeses and linked them to a Listeriosis outbreak in which one person has died.

The problem escalated

further on 7th April when the Cambridge Food Company, which trades as Cheese+, recalled 26 other cut cheeses that may have been crosscontaminated by Baronet. These were recalled as a precaution, but the story was picked up by The Daily Mail and The Telegraph in articles that incorrectly linked the outbreak to raw milk cheeses, implying that the 26 recalled cheeses also contained Listeria.

The articles also reported on a recall for Pennard Red Cheese from the Somerset Cheese Company, which also tested positive for Listeria, but was not linked to the Baronet case.

Catherine Mead, chair of the Specialist Cheesemakers Association, sent an email to members describing the

coverage in The Mail as “poorly written” and “factually incorrect”. The technical manager of one well-known retailer described the story as “wildly irresponsible and confusing” in an email to sta providing the facts of the case and guidance on how to talk to concerned customers.

A spokesperson for the FSA con rmed that raw milk cheeses were not linked to the outbreak and said work was ongoing to establish the root cause.

“A closely genetically related strain of Listeria monocytogenes found in samples of Baronet cheese was found in human cases in this outbreak,” he said. “Three con rmed cases had con rmed consumption of Baronet cheese.”

The Old Cheese Room said that Baronet was not in production and that it was working closely with the EHO and FSA. “We have the utmost concern for the well-being of our customers and are taking all the steps we can to support the investigation,” it said in a statement.

The Cambridge Food Company said the quantity of cut cheese that was recalled was relatively small and had been sent to a small number of customers “with all traceability in place”.

SELL ALONGSIDE...

Red Leicester

Sparkenhoe is famously the only raw milk Red Leicester still made in the county, but there are other options such as Rutland Red, Westcombe Red and Lincolnshire Red. Whatever you choose, Red Leicester is typically aged for around six months and has a gentle, savoury flavour. The sunset colour comes from the addition of annatto – a vegetable dye from the seeds of the achiote tree.

Mango Chutney

Maybe it’s their gloriously orange tones, but mango chutney and red Leicester have a surprising affinity. The sweet accompaniment contrasts with the salty, savoury notes of the cheese, while the fragrant spice takes the experience in an interesting new direction. Try Mr Vikkis Mango Chutney, made in Cumbria, which won a star at last year’s Great Taste Awards.

Potatoes

Sparkenhoe cheesemaker

NEWS IN BRIEF

Scottish cheesemonger George Mewes is up for sale. The retailer, set up by former chef George Mewes in 2010, has put its two shops in Glasgow and Edinburgh on the market for offers over £300,000.

Worcester-based Croome Cheese has launched a new range of flavoured cheddar wedges in ‘peel, reseal and recycle’ packs. Products include The Musketeer (charcoal), Stinking Rose (garlic) and the Lazy Mule (chilli).

The price of cheddar rose by 28% in the year to March 2023, according to research from consumer group Which?, which looked at prices across eight supermarket chains.

Skipton-based Swaledale Butchers has teamed up with The Courtyard Dairy to develop a new sausage flavoured with smoked Wensleydale.

Made with native breed pork, wild garlic and Millerwood (an oak-smoked version of Old Roan from the Curlew Dairy), the seasonal sausages are described as a “a marriage of traditional artisan techniques and a celebration of the farms, woodlands and dales of Yorkshire’s ancient landscape”.

David Clarke uses his famous Red Leicester to make a simple snack called ‘cheesy dums’. This involves mixing 2/3 cold mashed potato with 1/3 grated cheese, shaping the mixture into patties and then frying in pan on a low heat until golden brown. A great way to use up leftover mash and nice served with charcuterie and pickles.

Bitter

Expert food & wine

matcher Fiona Beckett goes well beyond the grape on her useful website matchingfoodandwine. com, where she also recommends pairings for beers, ciders, soft drinks, spirits and everything in between. For Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, she’s a big fan of Extra Special Bitter styles, such as Fuller’s ESB or Marble Extra Special. These full-bodied ales often have fruity and bitter flavours that combine with the tang of the cheese.

Several batches of the pasteurised washed rind cheese Baronet were recalled in March

Godminster targets younger audience with an eye-catching rebrand

By Patrick McGuigan

Bruton-based Godminster is encouraging customers to “chop the top o and tuck in” to its organic cheddars, a er unveiling a new rebrand aimed at appealing to younger shoppers.

The new range includes the original organic vintage cheddar, renamed Bruton Beauty, in the familiar burgundy wax, while Oak-Smoked Cheyney’s Fortune, Red Chilli Devil’s Dance; and Black Tru e Howling Hound come in black wax.

Di erent coloured labels will feature on the truckles with new ‘belly bands’ appearing on the sides of the 200g cheeses, visible to shoppers when stacked on top of each other.

Head of marketing Sarah Norris told FFD that the new branding would be backed by a marketing campaign to encourage shoppers to cut their cheeses widthways, rather than into vertical wedges, so that the slices retain the shape of the cheese – round, star or heartshaped.

“We want to appeal to younger customers who like to entertain at home with friends,” she said. “Why bring owers or chocolates to a dinner party when you can bring delicious cheeses and have that shared moment? We’re encouraging people to chop the top o and tuck in to create ritual and theatre.”

The new branding, which was developed by consultancy

Young Buck

To mark the roll out of Academy of Cheese Level

Three Fellow Certification modules we will, over the coming months, be featuring cheeses studied at this Level. This month it’s Young Buck, a raw milk cheese made in Northern Ireland using a 1917 recipe for Stilton.

What’s the story?  Mike Thomson, founder of Mike’s Fancy Cheese, left

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE

Amber Lee, The Cheese Press, Richmond, Yorkshire

When Amber Lee set up shop in Richmond last year, the vaulted back room at her premises was initially used for storage. But, in September, she transformed it into an events space that has quickly grown into a profitable side business.

Lee hosts monthly cheese tastings in the room, which sits 20 people, charging £30 a head for four cheeses and two wines. She has also launched a supper club with a local chef and even ran a wreath-making workshop, with cheese and Prosecco, before Christmas.

Big Fish, takes inspiration from Wessex myths and stories - the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom that spanned the South of England, including Somerset in the 6th -10th centuries. The new designs appear on 200g, 400g, 1kg and 2kg waxed truckles, as well as Godminster’s range of chutneys, crackers, accompaniments and gi s. godminster.com

Northern Ireland to enrol on a cheese making course at the School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire. After graduating, he stayed in the UK, working for artisan cheesemakers before becoming head cheesemaker at Sparkenhoe Farm. When he returned to Northern Ireland, he set up his own company, naming it after a quote in James Long’s cheesemaking book, describing a man as a producer of “fancy cheese”. He developed his Newtownards cheesemaking facility in 2013

to make Young Buck, the first raw milk blue cheese in Northern Ireland.

Milk:

Unpasteurised cows’ milk, animal rennet.

How is it made?

The milk is collected daily from Smyth McCann’s herd of 150 Holstein-Friesians,

“The events are worth doing from a financial point of view, but they also allow me to introduce new cheeses and build a loyal customer base,” she says. “We often see people from the tastings back in the shop a few days later.”

The next step is to offer bespoke private tastings as well as working with local holiday homes on events for people where they are staying.

“The tastings have helped my confidence as a new retailer,” she adds. “It’s really affirming to read positive reviews on Facebook when people have had a good time.”

thecheesepressrichmond.co.uk

just 10 miles away. The cheese itself is based on an old Blue Stilton recipe from the 1917 book Practical Cheesemaking and uses a slow and gentle acidification of the milk. The curd is cut into 2cm pieces, before being handladled onto a draining table and left overnight. After cutting into blocks, it is milled, salted and packed into hoops. They are turned regularly in the “hastening” room, and pierced at between six and eight weeks. It is still made in small batches.

Appearance & texture:   Young Buck is lengthy on the finish, delivering complex sweet, salty and savoury flavours with

notes of fruit and spice. It is creamy in texture, becoming crumbly towards the natural gnarly white and brown rind.

Variations: A full wheel weighs approximately 8kg.

Cheesemonger tip: Mike Thomson enjoys eating his cheese with a dark stout, but it pairs equally well with Port or a spicy Shiraz.

Chef’s recommendation: The creamy texture and saltiness of this blue teams well with a sweet fig or quince jam and marries surprisingly well with a square of chocolate or brownie.

There are a number of ways you can study Academy of Cheese courses: online as self-study eLearning, interactive virtual classes or traditional classes at a venue. Visit academyofcheese.org for more information.

This is Food and Drink. This is Wales.

This is proper food: made with skill and care, by people who love what they do, in a beautiful place. Real food, real drink, real Wales.

Last of the raw bries?

Interview by Patrick McGuigan

THE RAW MILK revolution seems to have stalled. At least when it comes to so cheeses. For various reasons, producers have been switching to pasteurised milk in recent years with big names such as Sinodun Hill, Dorstone, Ragstone and Baron Bigod now no longer made with raw milk. There are still a few notable exceptions – such as St Jude, Ingot and Golden Cross – but it’s a sign of the times that there is no longer a raw milk brie made in Britain.

At least that’s what FFD thought, until we heard of a new cheesemaker in Aberystwyth called Caws Penhelyg, which started making cheese in 2021 and, as far as we know, is the country’s only raw milk brie producer.

“When I rst started this escapade, I didn’t care a dot whether the milk was raw or pasteurised, but the more I read up on the subject, the more it seemed to way to go in terms of making the best cheese,” says owner Roger Yorke. “The fact that other cheesemakers have started using pasteurised milk has opened the door for us a little.”

Yorke’s journey to becoming a cheesemaker is an unusual one. Turning 65 this year, he’s had a varied career working at the Rowntree Mackintosh confectionery factory in York, going to drama school in London, before ying hot air balloons and becoming a property developer in London.

A cheesemaking kit, received as a Christmas present in 2017, was the start of a hobby that ended up becoming a business, operating from a converted garage at his home

Everyone picked the raw milk brie in blind tastings

near Aberystwyth. Here he makes Abaty brie and newly launched Abaty Glas blue cheese, using organic raw milk from Jenkins farm in nearby Talybont. Yorke’s decision to use raw milk was cemented when he made trial batches, comparing pasteurised and unpasteurised versions of the brie to see if there was a di erence.

“Everyone picked the raw milk brie in blind tastings,” he says. “The avours were better. There was much greater complexity. My EHO has been really supportive and we’ve got a good relationship where there can be conversations about how we make the cheese.”

Yorke also works closely with dairy technologist Mark Jones at Food Centre Wales, while every batch of cheese is tested for pathogens before being released to customers.

“In 20 months, we’ve never had an issue in terms of safety,” he says. “I’ve thrown away plenty of batches, but that’s because I made some bloody awful cheeses in the early days!”

The cheese is proving popular with Welsh retailers, such as Ultracomida, Watson & Pratt’s and the Little Cheesemonger, as well with wholesaler the Welsh Cheese Company.

Hywel Gri th, chef at the Michelinstarred Beach House restaurant in Swansea, recently posted an Instagram reel of a dish using Abaty Glas melted on a crumpet with asparagus, rhubarb and Monmouthshire tru e. “Just like that we got very busy,” says Yorke. With endorsements like that, the next step is to start growing sales in England. “And I want to try to hold onto the cheeses a little longer, so they are more mature when they hit shelves. I want them a little gooier.”

Maybe the raw milk revolution still has some life in it yet.

instagram.com/caws_penhelyg/

Penhelyg, which means ‘top willow’ in Welsh, makes three 65kg batches a fortnight, processing 400-litres each time. The target is to make twice a week. Abaty (‘abbey’ in Welsh) is made with vegetarian rennet and DVI starters and comes in 230g and 1.6kg rounds.

The cheese is currently aged for 3-4 weeks, but Yorke is looking to mature the cheeses for longer so they are more broken down when they leave the dairy. He is also experimenting with the rind, using less Pencillium candidum to get a thinner coat, and is looking to develop a truffled version in the future.

The cheese has classic mouldripened cheese flavours and textures: yoghurty and chalky at the core when young, but becoming progressively more vegetal and gooey as it matures with the paste breaking down beneath the white rind.

Penhelyg is relative newcomer but it has already joined the dwindling ranks of raw milk producers

CATEGORY FOCUS

chocolate & confectionery

A ernoon delight

This month’s round-up of new launches covers every category you’ll need to help customers improve their tea breaks – before and a er lunch. We start with chocolate & confectionery but you’ll also nd in NPD in cakes (p.25), tea & co ee (p. 26) and sweet biscuits (p. 33).

Compiled by Lynda Searby

BeanCraft dips candied orange peel in bean-tobar 70% dark chocolate to make Orangettes. The producer makes the chocolate and the candied peel from scratch - beans from the Kokoa Kamili cooperative in Tanzania are roasted, cracked, winnowed, ground and conched into chocolate and the peel is candied in small batches over several days. RRP £5 for 80g; wholesale price £3.50. beancraftchocolate.co.uk

March saw the launch of PLAYin CHOC’s new Sea Animals Collection in partnership with marine charity Sea Life Trust. Aimed at kids aged from three upwards, each box in the 18-strong collection contains two 10g organic chocolates, a 3D animal puzzle toy and a fun facts card. Proceeds from each sale will benefit Sea Life Trust, helping to protect the world’s oceans. RRP £2. playinchoc.com

Chocolate with a social conscience

Under new ownership, Devon Cottage Organic Fudge has moved production up to the Blackmore Vale in Somerset while continuing the tradition of organic West Country fudge-making. The range features six dairy flavours, including Clotted Cream, Coffee and Chocolate, and two dairy-free varieties: Chocolate and Sea Salt. Trade price £2.20 per 150g bag (RRP £4.25). devoncottagefudge. co.uk

WOW Chocolao! is a new lighthearted take on French-style chocolate truffles. The Dutch brand is hoping to inject some fun into truffles with colourful packaging and creative flavours such as Cookie, Salted Caramel and Lemon Pie. The truffles have a 16-week shelf life and can be ordered at wholesale prices (£3 for 130g) via the company’s website, for shipment from its UK warehouse. peppeltd.nl

Retailers looking for brands that support a social cause should check out chocolate brand Harry Specters, whose mission is to provide employment and work experience opportunities to autistic people. In November, the brand enlarged its line-up with three new ‘inclusion bars’: Hazelnut Crunch (milk chocolate with caramelised hazelnut bits), Caramel Crunch (60% dark chocolate with salted caramel crunch) and Honeycomb Crunch (milk chocolate with honeycomb pieces). RRP £4.95 for a 100g bar; trade price £2.27. harryschocs.co.uk

Last month, saw the launch of the Peanut Caramel Bar (RRP £1.69) from plant-based chocolate label LoveRaw A m:lk chocolate coating enrobes roasted peanuts, nougat and caramel. The bar is available to the trade via Epicurium. eatloveraw.com

Chef John Short launched Mallowdramatic with the aim of “redefining marshmallows”. Described as “soft, fluffy, melt-in-the-mouth”, they are made completely from scratch and come in 10 flavours, from Lemon Sherbet and Banoffee to Chocolate Fudge Brownie. RRP £7.95. mallowdramatic.co.uk

Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Co has collaborated with artisan chocolatier Dolci Delizie to develop an 80% dark vegan chocolate with seaweed salt & chilli seasoning. The handharvested NI seaweed chocolate wholesales in cases of 12 (£42). RRP £5 per 80g bar. crawfordsrockseaweed. co.uk

Already available in spicy cinnamon and fresh mint flavours, Oh My Gum! launches this month in cherry flavour. The plastic-free and sugar-free chewing gum is pitched as a natural, sustainable alternative to mainstream chewing gum. It is made from 100% plantbased ingredients including chicle (a tree sap from the sapodilla tree) and tooth-friendly sweetener xylitol.

Oh My Gum! Is available to the trade via Diverse Fine Food, Cress Co and CLF priced at £1.85, and has an RRP of £3.25 for a 10-piece packet. Stockists of the brand include Erewhon, Daylesford, Partridges, Panzer’s, Soho Farmhouse, Caviar House & Prunier and Belmond Royal Scotsman. ohmygum.com

Wholesaler PW Fine Foods has added a new range of Belgian truffles to its portfolio. Marketed under the Chocolat Lacroix label and available exclusively from PW Fine Foods, the truffles come in six varieties: Champagne, Crème Brulee, Chocolate Cherry, Irish Cream, Lemon Cheesecake and Salted Milk Chocolate Caramel. Trade price £20.22 for a box of six truffles. pwfinefoods.co.uk

Oakham bakery

Cakehead is bringing summery citrus to the cake counter with its latest offering: an orange and polenta sponge with a tangy orange and lemon soak, topped with a creamy orange frosting and nibbed pistachios. Every wholesale Lemon, Orange & Polenta Traycake is pre-portioned into 14 slices. Trade price is £16; RRP £2.75-£3.50 per slice. cakehead.co.uk

For retailers who are already looking at their Christmas ordering, Jam at the Doorstep is now offering Christmas pudding alongside its jams, chutneys and curds. Handmade in the Northern Ireland producer’s farmhouse kitchen, the puddings are packed with fruit, fed with Guinness and have a one-year shelf life. RRP £8.95/£9.50 for 500g.  jamatthedoorstep@ gmail.com

Newcomer Délicieux Chocolat (AKA dechoc) has rounded out its collection with the addition of Plant Based M!lk chocolate. The new variety is available alongside Plant Based Dark, Colombia (white), Ecuador (milk), Madagascar (dark), Ruby and D’OR, in 100g bar, 20g bar and 200g drinking chocolate pouch formats.

Délicieux Chocolat was established in 2021 by pastry chef and chocolatier Reece Hunt, who was named Young Pastry Masterchef of Great Britain 2015. The West Yorkshire chocolate business has committed to 100% recyclable, plastic-free packaging and is listed with BonBon’s Wholesale. Bars wholesale at £0.89 for 20g and £2.47 for 100g and have respective RRPs of £1.50 and £4.50. dechoc.co.uk

Last month, Raw Halo launched a new range of 90g chocolate bars with truffle fillings. Sweetened with coconut sugar, the Truffle Centre bars combine raw, vegan chocolate with a smooth nut butter truffle. They come in two flavours: Mylk & Hazelnut and Dark & Salted Almond. RRP £3.50; trade price £17.52 for a case of eight from Suma Wholefoods and Crème D’or. rawhalo.com

Berkshire bakery Epic

Brownies has translated the classic coffee and walnut cake combination into brownie format. Marrying moist, chocolate brownie with walnuts and real espresso coffee, it is topped with coffeeinfused buttercream and walnuts. It is wheat free and made with freerange eggs and Fairtrade chocolate. Trade price is £21 for a box of 12; RRP £3.50 per brownie. eatepicbrownies.com

BakesterBox is gearing up to launch its home baking kits to the trade later this year after nearly three years of selling online. The brainchild of Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef Tamsin Robinson has taken home baking beyond the usual realm of cookies and breads into patisserie lines such as Chocolate Fondants, Butterscotch Rye & Nut Tart and Coconut Financiers. bakesterbox.com

T&M Artisan Chocolates has created a new six-piece selection box that showcases its colourful hand crafted bonbons. The Little Box of Caramels incorporates Belgian couverture encased Espresso, Yuzu and Raspberry Caramels. RRP £7.99; trade price £4.55. tmchocolates.co.uk

Co Wicklow’s Daisy Cottage Farm has launched a range of five baking mixes for making Irish scones and bread. The mixes are layered in recyclable plastic bottles printed with QR codes to give home bakers access to instructional YouTube videos. RRP £3.95-£4.  daisycottagefarm.ie

All of Creamberry Artisan’s treats tick at least one free-from box, whether that is dairy free, gluten free or vegan. There are ten creations to choose from, including Basque Cheesecake, Turkish Baklava, Portuguese Nata and British Carrot Cake. Trade price is £2 per slice; RRP £3.90.

creamberryartisan.com

Team Tea has partnered with the Ashmolean Museum to launch two licensed products: a black tea blend and Way of Tea gift set (RRP £27.50) containing six loose leaf teas. The blend is rooted in a malty second flush Assam, combined with Darjeeling and Black Gunpowder - a link to Guy Fawkes’ lantern, a highlight of the museum collection. RRP £13.50 for a 100g caddy. teamtea.co.uk

Shibui Tea says it launched Vanilla Rose as it “genuinely couldn’t see a decent rose tea on the market”. Reminiscent of Turkish delight, this blend is built on a classic black tea base with the addition of red rose petals and vanilla pieces. RRP £6 for 15 bags. Wholesale price £3.50. Also new from the Edinburgh tea company are Coconut Oolong and Golden Mate. shibui-tea.co.uk

Kenya Kaiguri Nyeri AA is The Lost Barn Coffee Roasters’ latest single origin coffee and its first offering from Kenya. The Cheshire company roasts the beans, which are said to be bursting with flavours of blackberry and Darjeeling tea, in 20kg batches. Available packaged as either whole beans or ready ground, the coffee has a wholesale price £7.20 per 250g bag; RRP £10.50. lostbarncoffee.co.uk

Everyone’s cup of tea

Diaz Ayub, managing director of The Tea Group, thinks it’s a great time for retailers to up their tea game –as speciality varieties increase their market share.

TEA DRINKERS ARE GETTING YOUNGER, AND SAVVIER

The majority of growth in tea consumption comes from people aged 21 to 35, and nowadays, 55% of Brits prefer herbal teas or other types of tea such as greens, oolongs, or something a bit more interesting than the old classic builder’s brew.

The perception of tea is that it’s a commodity product, but the reality is that there’s a dark side to the industry, both on a human and an environmental level. Specialism in tea helps to ensure that there is fair practice across the industry as well as sustainable, planet-friendly approaches to harvesting.

TEA AS AN ELEVATED EXPERIENCE

The Bay Coffee Roasters range is backed by a sustainability policy that has earned it a place as a finalist in the Welsh Food and Drink Awards. No fossil fuels are used in the producer’s roasting process, which is powered by 100% renewable electric energy, and its coffee bags are recyclable and made within 45 miles of the roastery in west Wales. baycoffeeroasters.com

Japanese food specialist Clearspring claims to have launched the UK’s first organic Japanese Kuwa Matcha (mulberry powdered tea). The caffeine-free tea is made from mulberry leaves grown in Kagoshima, Japan. The leaves are steamed, dried and ground into a fine powder that yields a tea with a mellower, less astringent taste than green teas and matcha tea powder. RRP £8.99 for 40g. clearspring.co.uk

Farrer’s has introduced a new coffee from CECOVASA, a collective of ten cooperatives from the Tambopata and Inambari valleys on the eastern slopes of the Andes. This fully washed single origin coffee is said to deliver notes of maple and chocolate with subtle tones of sweet lemon to finish. RRP £11.99 for 250g; wholesale price £7.19 farrerscoffee.co.uk

Drinking tea nowadays is focused on taste, experience and socialising. People are celebrating moments with afternoon tea because it’s sophisticated, there’s a story, there’s a ceremony, and tea is being used for mindfulness and relaxation.

Retailers should look at how hospitality has taken loose leaf on board. People want this at home - don’t just sell a tea, sell interesting teas. Have a teapot, have a strainer, offer the whole experience.

TEA TECH

Capture the data, look at how technology can inspire the way that you grow your teatime experience and offering. Which green teas are people buying? Are people interested in matcha ceremony? Are people leaning more towards glassware? This will really inspire your information when growing your own teatime offering.

Spend some time during the point of service or create a mechanism where guests can learn more about the teas, like a QR code linking to the story, the provenance. Simple information that inspires the consumer.

BRITISH TEA

Natural & Noble has taken inspiration from the dessert trolley with the introduction of its Pudding Tea Variety Pack. Carrot Cake, Banoffee, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Bread & Butter Pudding, Victoria Sponge and Cherry Bakewell blends all feature in this collection. RRP £8.99 for 12 bags. Trade price £5.13. naturalandnoble.co.uk

Retailers looking for a farm-to-cup coffee brand should check out Kawah (derived from the word for coffee in several languages), which sources its coffee from a single estate family farm in Rwanda. As a social enterprise, Kawah allocates 50% of its profits to community products that support female farmers. kawah-rwanda.com

London-based Karma Tea says its range celebrates South Asian teas whilst helping to build a positive future for growers through transparent trade. Its single garden, fresh loose whole leaf teas include Peppermint Leaves, Indian Tulsi, Kolkata Chai, Esha Grey and Malabar Maofeng. karmateaco.com

We at the Tea Group are really intent on inspiring the next generation of tea growers and working with small, family-run brands, and we now have a very small amount of British-grown speciality tea. Even though it’s some of the rarest tea in the world, we’ve decided to offer a small amount to some of the retailers here in the UK.

For more information about how to elevate your tea offering – where to source sustainable tea, how to talk to your customers about it, how to do visual merchandising, and more – visit theteagroup.com

Suki Tea’s loose leaf teas are now being produced in an ‘eco factory’ in Lisburn, Co. Down, following a £500,000 investment in a 7,500 sq ft site powered by solar and renewable energy. The company says the new factory will enable it to increase production by over 600% over the next decade whilst supporting its goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030.

suki-tea.com

made from 100% roasted golden buckwheat kernels

T. Buckwheat Tea is on a mission to convert UK palates to buckwheat tea. A popular brew in many Asian countries where it is variously known as Soba-Cha in Japan, Memil-cha in Korea, and Kuqiao-cha in China, buckwheat tea is largely unknown in the UK. Naturally caffeine free, buckwheat tea has a nutty, sweet, rich flavour and none of the bitterness of green tea. It has already captured the attention of Selfridges, where it retails at £9.99 for 15 bags.

buckwheat-t.com

Following its investment in a new 15kg Giesen roaster, Luckie Beans now roasts all of its coffee in the Scottish Borders town of Galashiels and is looking to expand its trade customer base. The company, which is run by husband and wife team Jamie and Esther McLuckie, has a coffee cart inside Edinburgh station and supplies Proven Goods Co in Newcastle and The Hirsel in Coldstream. luckiebeans.co.uk

Originally established through the online B2C channel, organic cold brew tea brand Kaytea has pivoted to target the trade with a refreshed brand identity and new hero flavour. Mango Yuzu will sit alongside Grapefruit Jasmine, Peach Green Tea and Rose Pink Guava in the range, which is designed to refresh rather than overpower. Trade price £1.25 per 330ml can kaytea.co.uk

Co ee trends

Speciality & Fine Food Fair Event Manager

Nicola Woods discusses the latest hot topics stirring up the world of coffee – a category that often leads the way in food & drink.

Volcano Coffee Works has made its coffee pods 100% home compostable and relaunched them in bright new packaging. There are four SKUs: This. All Day. Everyday (Brazil), POW! You’re awake (Colombia), Mmm… Time for a treat (Ethiopia) and HOW is this decaf?. All come in nespresso-compatible pods made from natural material derived from biobased cellulose and vegetal oils. RRPs £7-7.50; trade prices £4.55-5.25. volcanocoffeeworks.com

ECO EFFORTS

From farming to energy to packaging and waste disposal, sustainability is at the heart of every stage of coffee production.

Bay Coffee Roasters, who can be found at Speciality & Fine Food Fair this year, are a Welsh company exemplifying this wide-ranging approach to sustainability. The company sources all its electricity from a 100% traceable renewable energy supplier using a mix of wind, hydro and solar, uses no fossil fuels in its roast process, and uses recyclable bags for its range of coffees.

When it comes to coffee pods, more and more businesses, such as Rounton Coffee, are offering certified home-compostable coffee pods with the aim of reducing single-use waste and appealing to consumers who want to do their bit for the environment.

ICE, ICE BABY

Iced coffee is nothing new, but recent months and the approach of summer (finally!) have seen a number of new product launches in the retail space including a trio of functional cold brew coffees from Rokit Health and NPD from major brands, such as Nescafé’s Ice Roast cold instant coffee and iced coffee mocha lattes from Mars and Galaxy.

This increasingly competitive space is also becoming more and more diverse, with boozy options, alternative milks and a wide variety of flavours, but ultimately we expect flavour to win out with consumers in this category.

FORM AND FUNCTION

It’s been fascinating to watch the development of functional coffees using everything from turmeric to mushrooms, coconut oil to collagen, not to mention “adaptogens” aimed at reducing stress and anxiety levels while increasing focus and concentration.

The Tea Makers of London claims its new 50/50 mix of ceremonial grade matcha powder and young barley is the perfect natural energy drink. The Matcha Active Blend is said to provide slow-release energy without inducing jitters and sugar spikes. RRP £18 for a 20-serve caddy. theteamakers.co.uk

Vida is Hundred House Coffee’s nod to the Costa Rican ‘Pura Vida’ lifestyle. The organic espresso blend is described as bearing notes of orange, hazelnut and caramel. Sales support creative community projects through the company’s Art + Industry programme. RRP £9.50 for 227g. hundredhousecoffee.com

While there’s still a level of education to be done with both retailers and consumers for functional coffee producers, these inventive new products represent an exciting evolution of the coffee category.

Speciality & Fine Food Fair takes place at Olympia London on 11-12 September 2023.

To keep up to date with the latest news from the Fair, visit specialityandfinefair. co.uk.

Marulin is pitching its English Beauty tea as a lighter alternative to a traditional English Breakfast tea. A complex blend of Oriental Beauty oolong and Formosan black tea from Taiwan, the tea is characterised by delicate floral and sweet notes. RRP from £4.89 for 12 tea tents. marulin.co.uk

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A truly healthy crisp! Low carb, low sugar, high fibre... yet uncompromisingly DELICIOUS.

Asseen,andtasted,atScotHot’23!

Winner of a Great Taste 2020 1-star

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From local pubs to national patisseries, LittlePod’s award-winning ingredients are used by the best professional kitchens and home bakers in the UK and beyond.

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Winners of the 2023 King’s Award for Enterprise (Sustainable Development)

handmade pies with golden butter pastry made at a sustainable farm in the highlands of Scotland delivered frozen, fully ready to be baked

In developing Northern Irish Shortbread, Iconic Biscuits says it set out to create a giftable product that reflected authentic flavours.

“We wanted to provide a genuine Northern Ireland product that reflected our best-known tourist attractions – the Mourne Mountains and stone walls combined with the hexagonal stones of the Giant’s Causeway,” says the company’s Mike Thompson. He says he refused to add palm oil, instead making a pure butter shortbread with local butter.

RRP is £5.99 for a 10-biscuit box; trade price £3.30. iconicbiscuits.com

Seggiano says it has refined its Organic Buckwheat Digestive Biscuit recipe as part of its mission to offer glutenintolerant consumers the best quality and taste. The reimagined wholegrain gluten-free biscuits are handmade using unrefined sugars and cold-pressed oil by a family bakery in Puglia, Italy. Living up to the name ‘digestive’, the biscuits are a source of fibre. RRP £4.75 for 150g; trade price £2.95. seggiano.com

Bridge Baker has launched a vegan and gluten-free version of the quintessentially American ‘snickerdoodle’ cookie. Swapping butter out for coconut oil and flour for almonds and oats, the Fulham bakery says it has created a crumbly cinnamon cookie with a melt-in-the-mouth texture that is even more nutritious than its regular counterpart. RRP £4.65 for a pack of five. bridgebaker.co.uk

Shortbread baked in the New Forest

The latest gift box from Ananda Foods brings together three of its classic Round Up variants and introduces a new Prince Peach flavour. Featuring Mrs Darlington’s jam and delivering a crunchy, soft and gooey experience, the fruity wheels offer a plant-based alternative to conventional ‘Waggon Wheel’ biscuits. RRP £14.50; trade price £8.30. anandafoods.co.uk

Prendi il Biscotto is a new, home-based baking business, producing handmade Italian biscuits. The start-up is currently supplying lines such as Amaretto Infused Almond Biscotto and Canestrelli Lemon Shortbread Biscotto to cafés and delis around Manchester. Stockists are provided with branded glass jars to display and sell the loose biscuits. RRP per biscuit is £1.70-£1.80 and wholesale price is £1. prendiilbiscotto.co.uk

New Forest Shortbread has added six flavours to its original shortbread recipe, collaborating with other local producers, including New Forest Tea Company and Lavender Fields in Hampshire. Coffee, Earl Grey, Lavender, Lemon, Raspberry and Rosemary are the flavoured varieties. Their provenance is underlined by the box design, which feature illustrations drawn by a local artist. Trade price is £4 for a box of eight flavoured shortbreads. newforestshortbread. co.uk

London-based Biscottilicious has introduced a fourbiscotti taster box. Wrapped in printed butter paper and with an RRP of £12, the box is said to be ideal for gifting or as a wedding favour.

Biscottilicious’ founder Charu Malhotra makes the biscotti by hand, dipping them in Belgian chocolate and coating them with nuts, berries, rose petals, 24-carat gold or other finishing ingredients. Raspberrilicious (pictured) is a pistachio and raspberry biscotti, enrobed in white chocolate and hand-finished with freeze-dried raspberries. biscottilicious.com

Yorkshire’s Just Delicious has unveiled a range of gingerbread houses that are handmade, filled with an assortment of sweets and ribbon tied. Trade prices start from £3.50 for a Tiny House, through to £12.50 for a Medium House. just-delicious.co.uk

This spring sees the release of a new biscotti range from Tenuta Marmorelle Traditionally made in Tuscany to an artisan recipe, the range includes three variants: Chocolate, Lemon and Mixed Fruit, Seeds & Berry. Wholesale price is £3.86 per 200g bag. tenutamarmorelle.com

Roots & Wings has introduced three organic shortbreads, available individually (trade price £3.50 for 150g) and in a new Selection Pack (trade £8.99). All Butter Shortbread, Gently Warming Ginger Shortbread and Zingy Lemon Shortbread are all made with organic West Country butter. rootsandwingsorganic.com

An award-winning traditional Welsh butter, churned and packed in Carmarthenshire. Available salted, unsalted and spreadable.

Mr Jon Lewis – Managing Director | sales@gowerviewfoods.co.uk

The Old Slaughterhouse, Marine Terrace North Cromarty IV11 8XZ

Colombia El Vergel “Guavabanana”

Ready for the future of tea?

three principles (luxury, integrity and elegance), the company’s ethos is to provide consumers with a truly unique herbal infusion o ering, based on ethical sourcing, health and wellness, and transparency, giving herbal infusions the same love and care usually reserved for the nest co ees and loose-leaf teas.

Herbal infusions’ popularity

Along with the decline of the standard black tea bag, another trend which has not gone unnoticed is the massive growth in herbal infusion sales. In fact, one particular major player owes its recent sales growth entirely to launching a cold brew herbal infusions range. And another household black-tea-only brand has taken the plunge with launching a brand new herbal range.

OVER THE PAST few years, a couple of trends have become very apparent – not just within the tea industry, but further a eld in the press. The secret is out. Major players within the market have reported a slump in sales of black tea and teabags due to traditional tea drinkers being a dying breed. The consumers of tomorrow are taking more of a wholesome approach to tea drinking. Not only that but they are opting for herbal infusions over the standard cuppa.

Being more ethical

In the age of awareness and the ‘conscious consumer’, people’s tea consumption habits are based more and more on the ethical sourcing and transparency of what they buy.

Are suppliers taking care of their teas and the environment?

Who picks and processes the teas? When were the teas harvested? Consumers want to be

a part of the journey from seed to cup, and appreciate naturally grown and processed teas and herbals.

‘Wildcra ed’ and ‘biodynamic’ are terms being used more and more within the industry, as consumers demand natural, sustainable and honest speciality teas and herbals.

“Consumers are thinking twice before grabbing their standard ca einated tea bag, simply because it is ‘tea’,” says Nazani Tea’s founder Arleen Ouzounian. “People’s consumption is not a given, it is a conscious decisionmaking process. Convenience and homogeneity are no longer the determining factors for tea buying, which is one of the reasons for the drop in sales. Finally, the tea industry may enjoy the same revolution as co ee once did.”

Nazani Tea aims to provide consumers with an elevated and emotive tea experience. Based on

WHAT NAZANI TEA’S CUSTOMERS SAY

“Nazani Tea is the perfect 5* tea experience for our 5* spa. Besides the well-being aspects of this tea experience, the aesthetic experience is food for the soul and eyes! Most beautiful teas ever!”

Taffryn Kinsey, spa director, Four Seasons London Park Lane

“Nazani’s Tea Wild Mountain Mint is the best mint I have ever tasted.”

Guillaume Glipa, founder & coowner, Louie Restaurant

“The ca eine-free lifestyle is growing year on year, with consumers increasingly becoming functionality driven and looking for health bene ts such as antioxidants, detox/purifying, immune boosting, calming and energising,” says Ouzounian. “Camellia sinensis (tea) cannot provide all these health bene ts alone, and so consumers are splurging on herbal brews.”

Nazani Tea is working to resurrect ancient herbal infusions and with a focus on bringing innovative and new concepts to the market, including a new type of mint, a world- rst herbal infusion (red amaranth), unique cocoa blends and colourchanging wildcra ed brews. Commissioning harvests and working with small farming families across the world ensures freshness and traceability, which inspires consumers and sta alike. Handpicked, altitude-grown and foraged, are all words which appear in Nazani Tea’s vocabulary, and they’re proud of it.

Partner with Nazani Tea, says Ouzounian, and partner with the future.

nazanitea.com

With consumers becoming ever more discerning about what’s in their cup and how it got there, Nazani Tea explains how it can help you keep your herbal infusion o ering up to date

Damask Rose Buds & Lemon Verbena

Red Amaranth & Lemon Thyme Kykeon (Traditional) Kykeon (Modern) & Chamomile Mountain Mint & Olive Leaf

ON

FROM THE DELI KITCHEN

SIMPLE RECIPES TO BOOST YOUR MARGINS

JERSEY ROYAL POTATO AND ROASTED RADISH SALAD

One of the main things I look forward to in spring is the arrival of Jersey Royals.

Muddy as a hippo’s lair, wash them off – boil or steam them –and serve with lashings of salty butter and pepper, or put them into a salad like the one below. They’re packed with a distinctive nutty flavour and an absolute joy to the tastebuds. And if you’ve never roasted a radish, now is the time to try. It’s surprisingly delicious. This salad can be made in advance –actually, it gets a bit better with time, because the onions have time to mellow a little.

Per 8 portions, multiply as desired

Ingredients:

400g radishes

600g Jersey Royal (or Pink Fir) potatoes

200ml full fat Greek or unset natural yoghurt

60ml olive oil

8 spring onions

1 large bunch of parsley, finely chopped Salt & pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C (fan) / gas mark 4.

Cover the new potatoes in water, season with salt and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes or until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the meantime, prepare

the radishes by washing and cutting them into quarters. Keep some of the smaller, more delicate radish leaves if they are fresh. Dress in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Oven cook for 15-20 minutes.

Thinly slice the spring onions and put all but a handful into the yoghurt with most of the parsley. Stir in the oil to make a dressing, then use it to coat the radishes and potato to make the salad. Stir in some of the smaller radish leaves and scatter over the and remaining parsley, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and serve.

EQUIPMENT

Soft-serve sorbet and frozen yoghurt maker Fwip believes it can save operators thousands pounds a with its new machine, uses dispenses ice cream via Nespresso-style recyclable pods. The Portobello unit is 30cm wide, plugs into a 13-amp socket and uses 95% less power than a traditional soft serve machine. fwip.com

Winterhalter’s new specially designed dishwasher rack makes it possible to wash reusable plastic bowls without the usual challenges of them flipping over. Paired with its latest models’ program for cleaning lightweight plastics safely, the innovation follows on the company’s introduction of a rack for reusable plastic cups, which was used to wash 60,000 of them at the COP26 conference in 2021. winterhalter.com

Fri-Jado has introduced a new combi-oven range designed specifically for retail, with doors on both sides to separate food preparation from food service areas. It features a smart display with the option of setting and locking parameters in advance and a cloud-based monitoring system. The oven itself replaces the conventional combi oven boiler by injecting steam directly onto the water element, and its cleaning function is intuitive and automated, both for the sake of cost and energy

Recipe by Charlie Hibbert, Head chef at Thyme thyme.co.uk

THE UK’S LEADING SHOWCASE OF ARTISANAL FOOD & DRINK

Speciality & Fine Food Fair is set to return for another sensational edition on the 11-12 September 2023 at Olympia London.

“The Fair has been an amazing experience and a really great opportunity to meet people and to get my product in front of key decision makers.”

Kristal Baker | Founder, Luxwells

SCAN HERE to sign up to our newsletter.

Interested in exhibiting? Email sfffteam@montgomerygroup.com to find out more.

#SFFF23 | #SFFFNEW www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk

WHAT THE GREAT TASTE JUDGES OF 2021 HAD TO SAY…

“This is a stunner! Not only does this look gorgeous - it tastes absolutely perfect.”

“…perfectly pitched lemon notes. The texture is what draws you back for more - this is so moreish”

“…one of the best panettones we’ve experienced Exquisite.”

Call today 01635 744600 or visit our website www.tenutamarmorelle.com

What were you doing before you founded ArtChocolat?

I was a law student, then I tried out being a chef. I worked at a bakery, a chocolate shop, and eventually discovered that I didn’t really like being told what to do, so I used my savings and set up a business.

I started o at home, from my parents’ house. Now we’ve got a team, three units, a dedicated professional kitchen and packing rooms.

Where did the idea for ArtChocolat come from?

I worked on pastry as a chef, and learned about chocolate.

I started scrolling social media, looking at what other chocolatiers were doing and that’s when I saw some people in America doing very colourful chocolates like we do now.

How did you get your product out to consumers?

I didn’t have any money for advertising or to open a shop so I used the Internet and social media as the shop and marketing.

I went around local farm shops, delis, taking the cold approach, going in there and introducing myself, giving out lots of samples.

Our rst break was with a big hotel, then we built it up from there.

Like a box of chocolates

When Jack Ralph stepped away from a career in law, he turned to food. Five years later, he is a successful chocolatier, whose vibrant creations y o the shelves as fast as he can make them.

Interview by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

How important was social media in building your brand?

So important. TikTok didn’t exist then, so we used Instagram, because we had no other way of telling our story, short of going around to every shop in person.

It started o very slow and as it’s gone on the curve has started to trend upwards.

some nice chocolates.

We just redid our whole range and we’ve now got 20 avours, which is the most we’ve ever had. I’ve tried to make sure that they’re all nice and importantly that they sound appealing. There are some avours in there that are a bit di erent, but not weird. For instance, we have a chocolate inspired by apple pie and custard.

How do you communicate that the quality and provenance of your chocolate is above and beyond what customers might get from run-of-the-mill chocolate bars? I like to let the product do the talking. I mention sustainability and the assurances every now and then, but if you do it too much some people see it as a bit snobby. Our chocolate comes from sustainable sources in Columbia, we work directly with the farmers and make sure that they’re paid fairly and we use the best ingredients in general across the board.

How You have a wide selection of chocolates now. How do you develop new products?

A lot of experimentation.

When we rst started, I was doing simple avours. I didn’t have very much equipment, I bought ready-made nut pastes, I didn’t have the knowledge of how to make ganaches or caramels or how to use additives, or salt, or citric acid to bring out avours.

Over the course of time, we started playing with lots and lots of di erent avours and combinations. We went through a period where I was going down the whacky route, playing with avours that my chef brain liked. We had a black tru e and smoked olive oil chocolate, which to me was all very intriguing, but not to the majority of my customers, who are just trying to buy

That means the price is more than Galaxy, and customers know from the price that it should be better, and when they taste it, hopefully they agree with that. It’s more chocolatey than supermarket brands, they’ll taste the quality of the llings, the avours are much cleaner. You can tell with chocolate when the avour is arti cial versus when it’s natural.

If the retailer wants information, where it’s sourced from, we can give them that, and then they can communicate that how they see t.

art-chocolat.com

I mention sustainability and the assurances every now and then, but I like to let the product do the talking.

KEPT Foods sets out to prove cans can be premium

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Newly-launched KEPT Foods wants to up the UK’s ready meal game with a range vegan dishes in tin cans.

The company was created by Adam Tynan, formerly in charge of business development at Peter’s Yard, in partnership with Norton Barton Artisan Food Village in Cornwall.

The initial range is made up of four products: Spanish Bean Stew, Black Dal Makhani, Harissa Chickpea Tagine and Spiced Masoor Dal, all of which were developed to challenge preconceptions about the avour and quality of tinned food. Further Cuban, Mexican and Punjabi inspired recipes will follow.

The idea behind KEPT was to create something that was sustainable by virtue of the format.

Unlike refrigerated or frozen ready meals, cans are recyclable, don’t require refrigeration

and prevent the occurrence of food waste.

The company worked with the London Southbank University to ascertain a tangible comparison with other products, and found that a KEPT tinned meal had a 60% smaller carbon footprint than a typical chilled or frozen ready meal.

“The simple genius of canning is that it gives you a really long shelf life without the need for refrigeration, freezing or preservatives and all in metal container that is easily and endlessly recyclable,” said Tynan.

“If you compare that to a chilled ready meal that might pass its use by date and be thrown away before it’s even le the supermarket – the carbon savings are huge.”

KEPT ready meals are available from keptfoods.com and Norton Barton’s distribution network - now home to the country’s rst approved artisan cannery. keptfoods.com

WHAT’S NEW

Their plans to collaborate delayed by the pandemic, Hawkshead Relish and Kendal’s English Lakes Ice Cream have finally come together to create two ice cream flavours: Seville Orange Marmalade and Rhubarb & Ginger Crumble, made with Hawkshead jams and English Lakes’ local organic milk. Currently available in 4L and Napoli catering packs, one litre retail packs are due to be introduced in June, and the producers are looking to develop more flavours together in coming months.

lakesicecream.com

Counter points Sugar

Food writer and former deli owner Glynn Christian offers up some category-specific conversation starters to sharpen your sales technique.

Flagging the importance of a healthy gut microbiome, FHIRST is launching with a range of three sugar-free functional drinks supplemented with probiotics and prebiotics. Customers have a choice of Cherry Vanilla, Passion Fruit and Ginger Mandarin flavours. RRP £2.49 per 330ml can. fhirst.com

Plant-based ice cream brand

importance

Mochi Bros has tweaked its rice cake recipe to make it softer and more flavoursome. It has also introduced five new flavours: Salted Peanut Butter, Tahini with Date, Cocoa Nib Cookie Dough and Chai Latte.

Available nationwide via CLF Distribution. RRP £3, trade £1.50 + VAT. mochibros.co.uk

Matthews Cotswold Flour has added four items to its 100-strong range of Stoneground Heritage Grain product: Broadway Flour (RRP £3.95/1.5kg);

Fifield Light Bread Flour, a white T80 style strong bread flour (RRP £4.95/1.5kg); Light Barley Flour (RRP £2.50/1.5kg) and YQ ‘Yield & Quality’ dark wholemeal flour (£2.89/ 1.5kg). cotswoldflour.com

• Sugar is sucrose, a white carbohydrate with a sweet flavour that remains the world’s most popular sweetener.

• Anything that ends in ‘ose’ is a sugar: sucrose, glucose, galactose, fructose, maltose, laevulose.

• Invert sugar is sucrose broken down into glucose and fructose.

• Honey’s sweetness is invert sugar.

• Sugar does not cause disease other than tooth decay, but too much of it leads to obesity and other negative health outcomes.

• Sugar is mainly obtained from sugar cane and sugar beets.

• Other natural sugars are made from maple syrup, palm trees and sorghum, a type of millet.

• Corn and rice syrups are processed.

• Beet sugar only makes white sugar.

• Brown sugars made from beet are coloured with molasses from cane sugar.

• Raw sugar means sucrose crystals produced without bleaching: it is little different from white sugar.

• Sugar in cake mixtures keeps the gluten soft and pliable, so it expands to give volume and lightness.

• Sugar and honey are preservatives.

• Stevia is a calorie-free herb with powerful natural sweetening potential.

• Agave syrup is a vegan sweetener mainly of fructose.

This is an extract from Glynn Christian’s book Taste! How to Choose the Best Deli Ingredients, published by Grub Street

Paley Photography

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Marmalade Flapjack

Almond Slice

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Apple&Red Onion Chutney

Cherry Berry Flapjack Fruit Cake

WHAT’S NEW

Battersea-based confectionary brand Prodigy has given its range a new look. The B-Corp company sells plant-based chocolate snacks containing no refined sugar, sweeteners or sugar alcohols. Co-founder Neena Vaswani says the rebrand will “pay homage to the bold and retro style seen in confectionery across the ages, while maintaining a contemporary feel for today’s market”. prodigysnacks.com

Mr Filbert’s is now offering its range of flavoured Halkidiki olives from Greece in 50g retail pouches. Green olives are available in Chilli & Black Pepper and Lemon & Oregano flavours, and the mixed olives are marinated in Rosemary & Garlic. Each 50g pouch has an RRP of £1.95, sold in cases of 12. mrfilberts.com

SRSLY Low Carb’s Sweet Pickle is true to the company’s motto – containing considerably less sugar, calories and carbohydrates than traditional condiments. The company says its small chunks, slight acidity and sweetness make for the perfect Ploughman’s. £4.99 per 300g jar. srslylowcarb.com

My magic ingredient

La Carmina Asturian Smoked Chorizo

I take some of this home most weeks. When you see TV chefs using the loop style chorizo, they are missing a trick - the sausage style semi-cured link is packed full of paprika, and most importantly, fat, which will add heaps of flavour to any dish.

My favourites include Fabada bean stew and soups - I even put it in chili con carne and add it to pasta dishes.

I regard it as a sausage-shaped stock cube: wherever it goes, it brings flavour. This particular version has a natural casing that disappears when cooked, so doesn’t need peeling.

*A quick note on adding chorizo to Paella. Many Spanish folk will wag their finger and tell you off for using it, but there are plenty of Spanish rice dishes containing chorizo, like the famous one from Elche. Just don’t call it Paella, call it Arroz de Elche. That way you will remain on the right side of Spanish culinary correctness.

East Anglia gets a new wholesaler: McCarthy’s

Fine Foods

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Norfolk & Su olk’s fresh fruit and veg supplier

D & F McCarthy has created a new distribution company which it says will improve local food producers’ route to market.

McCarthy’s Fine Foods will sell 350 lines from 30 suppliers of dry goods, drinks, dairy products, charcuterie and fresh meats from East Anglia, with listings from the likes of Fen Farm Dairy, Old Rectory Preserves, Norfolk Spirits Company and Lane Farm Country Foods.

The McCarthy family has been selling fruit and vegetables since 1877, and it was its involvement with the locally-backed

Broadland Food Innovation Centre Project that gave managing director Sam McCarthy the idea to give local producers better access to a distribution network – simplifying their entry into delis, farm shops and food halls, as well as restaurants and hotels. He said: “There were dozens of local producers creating really special wares yet had little reach in the marketplace. A er a few conversations and being asked if we would be interested in stocking ‘the odd product’, we realised that we could launch the Fine Foods initiative. To support the work of the Broadland Food Innovation Centre Project and build the region’s food community bene ts everyone involved.”

Timed to coincide with Charles III’s coronation, FATSO is introducing a fourth chocolate bar to its range. King’s Ransom has a 60% cacao single origin Colombian chocolate base, to which are added cocoa nibs, pistachios and mint essence. As with its existing offering of ‘Mor’n Glory’ (Cornflake, Toast & Marmalade); Nan’s Stash (Peanut, Toffee & Digestive biscuit) and ‘Home Run’ (Salted Pretzel, Whole Almond & Honeycomb), FATSO is out to prove that dark chocolate “can be just as fun as milk”. All Cocoa comes from Luker’s Farm in Columbia, which the company says is committed to ethical, sustainable production, and is among the small percentile of producers to have been awarded the Fino De Aroma classification – meaning the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) has deemed it to have an especially good aroma and flavour. RRP £6.50 per 100g bar. sofatso.com

DOUGIE BELL, Owner, Lupe Pintos Edinburgh & Glasgow

I regard it as a sausageshaped stock cube: wherever it goes, it brings avour.

Sam & Annabel McCarthy with Old Rectory Preserves’ Annabel Anderson

For enquiries please email: sales@frenchflint.co.uk | tel: 020 7237 1750 www.hsfrenchflint.co.uk

JOY ON A PLATE

For generations now, our family has been making a real commitment to taste and excellence, hoping to help you add a bit of magic to every mealtime.

Hurstwood Farm Kentish Cobnut Oil

Kentish Cobnut oil is an intensely nutty virgin cold-pressed oil. The nuts are grown, pressed and bottled in the UK. This is a delicious oil which can be used in salad dressings, drizzling on vegetables and grilling (especially chicken and sh). It is also useful in baking and is wonderful for roasting vegetables.

www.cobnutoil.co.uk

www.jameswhelanbutchers.com |

ME M BER

Thanks to a laser-focus on producers from Wales and the Welsh borders, The Marches Deli has earned a reputation as the place to go in Monmouth for rare and small-batch cheeses. The dedication of owner Tom Lewis to this ethos has allowed him to build a loyal following despite the rigours of Covid and relocating the business

Feature and photos by Tom Vaughan

Unearthing local gems

AS A DISAFFECTED corporate banker staring down his 30th birthday, Tom Lewis wrote down a career-change shortlist.

“Either I wanted to play rugby for Wales, become an archaeologist or open a cheese shop,” he tells FFD. “The rugby was never going to happen, I realised archaeology is nothing like Indiana Jones, and so I decided to open a cheese shop.”

VITAL STATISTICS

Nine years on, and Lewis’s Marches Deli has been through various incarnations –starting life in Abergavenny before moving to Monmouth – but despite the changes, his original vision for its DNA remains undimmed.

“From the very start I wanted to be very niche. I wanted to concentrate on and showcase local Welsh cheeses.”

At the heart of this o ering is Lewis’s network of local cheesemakers, which he has painstakingly built up over the last nine years.

“In the last months of my job as a banker, I basically Googled Welsh cheese suppliers and made a list of them. Then, when I quit, I drove around and visited them all. It was hard work but it’s the best thing I’ve ever

Location: Chippenham House, 102 Monnow St, Monmouth NP25 3EQ

Turnover: £300,000

Average basket spend: £20

Retail space: 30sq m across deli and coffee shop

Average margin: 40%

done. To be able to say: ‘Oh that cheese was made by Ross or John’ and to be able to talk about them and their process, rather than just have bought it in from a wholesaler, is amazing.”

Lewis now deals directly with 12 producers across Wales, Hereford and Gloucestershire (with a few guest cheeses thrown in depending on availability), and at any given time stocks up to 40 cheeses. While more taxing than relying solely on wholesalers, these personal connections bring with them considerable business bene ts. “You end up getting amazing cheeses from producers who don’t make enough to supply wholesalers. For example, there was this incredible one that was made a few years ago just outside Monmouth: Wye Valley Mellow, Wye Valley Mature and Wye Valley Ewe’s. They only supplied it within a 30-mile radius – to us and a few farmers’ markets. So, when people came in, they got a unique product.”

The deli was the rst shop to stock Trefaldwyn Blue – a small-scale artisan cheese that started production in Montgomery, 50 miles north of Monmouth, in 2019. It also won a Gold and Best Welsh Cheese at the 2021-22 World Cheese Awards.

“Literally, we had batch number one. Because of that, we now have a dialogue with Claire [Jones, the cheesemaker] where she put her trust in us and we put our trust in her product. We’re at a stage now where, four years later, it is in high demand and she doesn’t make much of it. But if I ever need a spare wheel she can o en nd it for me.”

Lewis’s ability to root out new producers and get in on the ground oor is, he says, what sets the deli apart from the crowd, and is only possible thanks to tip-o s, connections and an enquiring mind. “There’s a really great one I’ve just found in Aberdovey – made by Roman [Hackelsberger] and Hamish [Dunkinson]. They have a ock of 50 sheep and make sheep’s milk cheese. They’ve got Caws y Bugail and Caws Dy , which is a sort of sweet, nutty pecorino and it’s absolutely delicious. As far as I’m aware, you can only buy that from me or from their front door. That was all randomly thanks to a customer who said they were going to Aberdovey and I said, ‘There’s a new cheese producer there I’ve heard about’. Two weeks later she came back in and, having randomly played croquet with them, brought me back some cheese to try.”

Social media is also an invaluable resource that has helped Lewis connect with cheesemakers. “If you follow the right people, you can see people posting about what they are doing before they start doing it. There’s this one supplier, Rog Yorke, in Aberystwyth, who makes Abaty Glas –which is sort of like a Welsh Baron Bigod, a rich, creamy, blue. He had about 20 followers on social media when I messaged him. I thought it was unlikely we could stock it because of where he is based, but it turns out he was commuting to London and could drop cheese o enroute. It’s little stu like that –rather than waiting two to three years down

CONTINUED ON PAGE 51

MUST-STOCKS

Brooke’s Wye Valley Co – Angiddy soft cheese

Trefaldwyn Cheese – Trefaldwyn Blue

Holden Farm Dairy – Hafod Cheddar

Caws Teifi Cheese – Celtic Promise

Untapped Brewing Co – Monnow

The Preservation Society – Figgy Mostardo

Kontext Coffee

Monmouth Gin Co. range

Silver Circle – Damson Negroni

Ancre Hill Orange Wine

Hollow Ash Orchard – Pure Apple Juice

Coedcanlas preserve range

Cradocs savoury biscuits

Calm Cocoa – Rich Mix Hot Chocolate

The Marches Bakewell slice

Presenting our award winning, internationally acclaimed 'Peel, Reseal and Recyclable' packaging in an exciting range of sixteen delicious varieties. Specially created by family run, Croome Cheese, in Worcestershire striving to help the environment by introducing our new eco-friendly packaging.

the line when it appears with wholesalers, you’ve got something that no-one else has.”

As well as the dozen producers he deals directly with, Lewis also uses wholesalers such as The Fine Cheese Co. to help plug the gaps in his o ering, although these few cheeses must sill tie in with the shop’s DNA.

“I don’t want to stock a French brie or an Italian cheese. There’s nothing wrong with it – it’s beautiful cheese, it’s just not what I am showcasing.”

The cost-bene t of dealing directly with producers versus wholesalers is negligible, adds Lewis.

“Once you factor in delivery from the producers, there’s not much in it.”

Its advantages come with the point-ofdi erence it gives him over competitors. It also means he is much more plugged in to the challenges producers face. “Sadly, you see a lot of cheese suppliers going out of business. We used to get a cracking cheese, Copa Glas, that was made up in Snowdonia. It was a sort of Welsh answer to Cashel Blue. But [the cheesemakers] had to give it up and go back to their normal jobs during Covid. Or Tysul Blue, made by Mark Jones in Llandysul, Ceredigion – he stopped making that a year ago because of rising costs. And I can see why, some cheeses I’m paying twice what I used to pay a few years ago. And there is a ceiling to what customers are prepared to pay, especially in a little market town.”

When Lewis set up his rst shop in

Abergavenny in 2014, the intention was to solely sell cheese, supplemented by locally sourced chutneys and crackers. “That rst shop was bigger than the current deli so it looked very, very empty, and I quickly realised I had to source other things. We lled it with lots of beer, we tried for a year to do an Italian range – because that seemed like traditional deli stu – but it didn’t sit well with what I was trying to create. But once you start chatting to one or two local producers, they start telling you that you’ve got to have this or that other product, and you nd that doors start to open.”

Now, the 15sq m deli squeezes in a whole host of local items, with favourites including Pembrokeshire-based Coedcanlas’s spreads, jams and jellies; Untapped Brewing Co beer based seven miles away in Raglan; and Kontext Co ee, a Monmouth-based smallbatch roaster whose founder used to work at The Marches Deli.

Another early realisation was that the business needed another arm to help cash ow, which led Lewis to set up a sister co ee-shop in Abergavenny. This was soon followed in 2016 by the Monmouth deli site, and Lewis quickly found himself spread too thinly – taking the decision in 2019 to close his Abergavenny sites and concentrate on Monmouth – a 30sq m space split into two rooms, with a picturesque courtyard.

He adds: “We toyed with having a microdairy [in the back room]. But nancially

there’s so much more money and repeat business in a co ee shop.”

The small menu comprises toasties and homemade cakes, with everything used also for sale in the deli and an alcohol licence so that customers can enjoy the range of local beers and wines. “On a sunny day, we can get 40 covers in the courtyard. It draws people in who have some cake, some co ee, then go and spend £30 on produce they love to take away.” The original intention was that the co ee shop would cover its costs but it has grown so that the turnover is now split roughly 50-50 between the two arms of the business.

Having tasted life with two sites spread across two towns, Lewis is in no hurry to go back. But there is one pipedream that he retains – opening his own micro-dairy. “When the chap who made Wye Valley cheese had to stop because of Covid, they gave us rst refusal on the equipment. I was close to doing it, but £10,000 is a lot to spend on that sort of venture. Renting space at the Food Centre Wales [in Cardigan] seems like a better place to start. That’s for a few years down the line when the kids are bigger. But I’m still young enough to have a crack at it one day.”

Does he have his dream cheese in mind? “I’d probably to go so and blue, so you don’t have to spend time maturing it. But in honesty, anything really – I just love cheese.” marchesdeli.co.uk

I don’t want to stock a French brie or an Italian cheese. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not what I am showcasing.

A NEW CAT IN TOWN...

INTRODUCING OUR NEW, CONTEMPORARY LOOKREVEALED EXCLUSIVELY AT THE FARM SHOP & DELI SHOW!

We have given our branding a facelift to mark a new era of ownership. Our new look design ushers in a contemporary modern appearance, along with new and improved recipes, enhancing our entire range. Our award-winning cheese strongly connects consumers with our fun, premium and memorable Cheshire Cat branding. Our significant growth strategy encompasses a large investment in marketing to increase our brand awareness nationally.

· STRONG, MEMORABLE, PREMIUM BRAND OF CHEESE

· AWARD-WINNING UNIQUE FLAVOUR COMBINATIONS

· HERITAGE OF BEING HANDMADE IN CHESHIRE SINCE 1957

· SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT TO INCREASE BRAND AWARENESS

Caramel Bon Bon

View from HQ

and architecturally compelling one at that. It piqued my curiosity. In the past, these buildings were at the heart of our high streets, and this makes it relevant to us independent retailer sorts.

The trusted organ Wikipedia states: The local government may endeavour to use the building to promote and enhance the quality of life of the community. In many cases, “town halls” serve not only as buildings for government functions, but also have facilities for various civic and cultural activities.

By John Farrand managing director

WE’VE BEEN RECCEING venues for the climax of Great Taste: The Golden Forks. It has been many things over the years. Tables of ten in a ashy hotel, drinks on the shop oor of Fortnum & Mason and now informal tastings with meet the maker stations a bar and live music. Whatever the format, it celebrates the very best in food & drink and it’s a great night to boot.

One of the venues was a former Town Hall, and a re ned

These may include art shows, stage performances, exhibits and festivals. Modern town halls or “civic centres” are o en designed with a great variety and exibility of purpose in mind.

Now my interest was piqued too. An idea came to me. What if we had a virtual Town Hall for all our members? A place where we could discuss and share matters, confront them, and enhance our trade. We could raise common issues that could be elevated to policy makers. We could identify what would make our collective

The Word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall ACS

The upcoming local elections are an important test for both Labour and Conservative campaigning machine, and a bellwether for the impact that successive Conservative Party leadership issues have had on the public. Polling suggests that the Conservatives are set to be punished at the local election, with some estimating 1,000 seat losses. This will be a blow for Sunak’s leadership strategy and disciplined focus on his five priorities.

As these elections are fought on local issues, it is difficult to gauge how much they are driven by national political dynamics. Nevertheless, they provide good

insight on what the political parties think are the issues that matter to voters. In my view there are two standout issues parties are talking about in these local elections: high streets and crime.

We know from our own polling that people see their high streets as key indicators of the performance of their local area. Post-Covid, high streets in market towns have struggled as businesses contend with higher operating costs and lower footfall. Labour have issued their five-point plan to support high streets and used it to attack the Government’s mismanagement of the economy.

It includes support for SMEs on business rates, energy bills and reopening empty shops. This an important issue for Labour as they want to dial up their credentials as

businesses better and explore how we could learn more to achieve that.

At its core will be a revolving committee of 20 or so individuals made up of retailers, wholesalers and producers representing diverse business size, di ering communities, and regional spread. We will ask this initial cohort to join us for 1-2 years, which will then create a rotating group in the future. All we ask is that you attend quarterly online meetings: three online and one more social, networking event. At all our meetings, other members will have a chance to drop in, especially if the issues on the agenda are pertinent to them.

We’re looking for invested individuals to join the Town Hall committee. I can’t promise upli ing architecture, but I can promise you will have your say and be a part of making independent food & drink more resilient and successful. Whatever you do in our trade and wherever you are in the UK and Ireland you’re welcome to apply. Email me and be a part of it: john.farrand@gff.co.uk

the party of business.

When it comes to crime, it is clear that reduced investment and, following recent events, trust in policing, have led to an erosion of public trust. This has led both parties to refocus on anti-social behaviour and a tough message on crime.

There will be much analysis of the local election results, but there is still a long way to go before the General Election.

There will be much analysis of the local election results, but there is still a long way to go before the General Election. Nevertheless, I believe the high street and crime issues will be key battlegrounds and both parties will be working hard to promote their credentials in these areas.

Edward Woodall is government relations director at the ACS edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

Training at the Guild

Help new staff get to grips with their role and inspire experienced staff to refresh their skills and product knowledge with a Retail Cheese Training course. Oneday courses now available to book in West Yorkshire, London, and Dorset. To find out more and book, visit  gff.co.uk/training

World Cheese Awards 2023

World Cheese Awards 2023 will take place in Trondheim, Norway on Friday 27 October. Entry to the awards will be open from Monday 5 June. For more information, visit  gff.co.uk/worldcheese

A new and improved member committee

The Guild is launching a new and improved ‘Town Hall’ initiative for members: a place to share and encourage opinions, develop ideas that will help shape policy and independent retail. A representative and rotating committee will meet quarterly. If you are a member of the Guild and would like to join the committee, you can find more information at gff.co.uk/townhall

gff.co.uk/join

Finance director: Ashley Warden

Chris Farrand

Sepi Rowshanaei

Operations & events coordinator: Zara Williams

Customer services assistant:

Chloë Warren-Wood

Financial controller: Stephen Guppy

Accounts assistant: Julie Coates

Chairman: Bob Farrand

Director: Linda Farrand