SHOP TALK

IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

ED ARMSTRONG, co-owner, Ginger Butchers, Bakewell, Derbyshire

My brother, Tom, and I – The Ginger Butchers – are the fourth generation of butchers and farmers in the Armstrong family. We’ve been involved for as long as I can remember. As children, we used to stand at the sink and wash trays.

But it was in 2010, after we’d both finished studying, that we joined the business. We opened the Bakewell shop to provide an outlet for the native breed meat from our mixed livestock farm in Over Haddon. We have an onfarm bakehouse and butchery where our meat, sausages, pies, pasties and so on are produced.

Tom and I joined full of enthusiasm and ambition to grow the business, so when, in 2020, we were offered a farm shop and café in the Denby Pottery Village in Belper, we jumped at the chance. We opened in August 2020 and for the first few months, everything went well. We already had an established customer base in Belper from the farmers’ markets we had been doing for many years, plus the Pottery Village attracts people who are looking for quality products. We had a very busy Christmas period, but then, at the start of 2021, the country went back into lockdown. We stayed open, but with the rest of the outlets closed, business was quiet.

We soon found out that staffing a farm shop and a butcher wasn’t going to be easy as there is a shortage of retail butchers. It’s a specialist job and takes a while to train someone up, so I was in the Bakewell shop full-time. We are only a small business (15 staff) and we realised that in spreading ourselves too thin we were in danger of risking our entire business. Last month, we took the difficult decision to close our outlet at Denby to focus on our Bakewell shop and our growing events catering business.

The figures have vindicated this decision. At the end of last year, we extended the shop into the unit next door, which allowed us to install display freezers for our ready meals, gluten-free products and game. This also increased the number of display windows from one to three, as we are now occupying a corner unit. Since the extension, turnover has been up by 50%.

We are currently in the process of extending yet again and taking a further unit next door that enables us to have a separate deli counter in the shop and offer hot and cold ready-to-eat options.

Our foray into a second retail site was shortlived, but it opened our eyes to the potential that still hasn’t been explored in our Bakewell shop. We might look at opening another shop in 18 years when our lads are old enough, but for now, we are sticking with what we’ve got.

I’M HAPPY TO let people think I know everything there is to know about food and drink. But the truth is I don’t.

I am very con dent about knowing a lot. Thanks to judging at various awards and mixing with specialists in nearly every walk of the food world, I have discussed and tasted things that, 20 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed. However, talking about the di erence between kimchi and sauerkraut in the comfort of a judging room doesn’t mean I can recall it on tap.

And then there is the personal element. I just don’t eat kimchi (or sauerkraut). It doesn’t grace my kitchen table at home. Yes, I know the funky stu is supposed to go with everything and that I will live forever if I eat four pots a week – even if it makes my insides like lava – but it just isn’t my thing.

If you’re anything like me, you will have two to three times the national average of half-open jars on the top shelf of your fridge. Jalapeno & raspberry pickle, weissbier & coriander mustard, and gold leaf jam. You know the stu . O en individually delightful, but not for the end of a hard day when all you want is ham, egg & chips.

MODEL RETAILING

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER

ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER

I’d bet that everyone reading this is ‘winging it’ frequently. Imposter syndrome? It’s a way of life.

So, if it’s di cult to keep up with trends and you don’t know much about a certain product beyond what it tastes like, how the hell do you sell it to a customer? Who really knows what they’re talking about?

Can you talk knowledgeably about why brewers are using more Ekuanot than El Dorado hops right now? If beer is your thing, then yes, that is everyday reading for you. And you can explain those good-for-your-gut bacteria in the dreaded kimchi if you’re into health foods or Korean cuisine. Maybe you like to o er Coulommiers instead of Petit Brie in autumn, because of those woody and mushroomy notes that only a committed turophile would know about. Perhaps you only take your water to 82°C in your café to preserve those fragile Taiwanese esters barely detectable by mere mortals. But can one person do (and know) all of this? I think not.

The world of cuisines and cooking is vast –and getting bigger. There is so much going on, I’ve got kaleidoscope eyes. I’d bet my Christmas pro t that everyone reading this is ‘winging it’ frequently. Imposter syndrome? It’s a way of life.

So, I have a system when talking to customers. Aside from when I’m raving about cheese with sage-like authority, I try to be the next person in the queue. I put myself by the customer’s side – tasting with them rather than talking at them. Just have a few little nuggets of information or some factoid in your back pocket that will encourage them to explore this strange jar of wonder with you.

Otherwise, it’s just going to end up on the top shelf in your fridge.

SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE.

Mr Deli, are you interested in this parsley wine I make in my garage? It’s selling really well at the farmers’ market. Hmm. What’s the case size? How much does it cost?

Erm. It comes in crates, not cases. And people pay me £6 a bottle at the market, so I suppose I could sell it to you for the same… Actually, I’m not sure I’ve got any space for it on the shelves right now.

Oh, ok.

FFD says: Start-up producers can be a little naive about dealing with retailers but you shouldn’t dismiss them out of hand. While they may not understand margins, they’re likely to have bags of enthusiasm and the product itself could be ingenious. And if you can give them a bit of advice, then you might end up with an exclusive item in your shop. Engaging with the supply chain at this level is what being an independent retailer is all about.

editorial@gff.co.uk

CODE OF PRACTICE

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

This month we take a look at... in-house

production of cooked meats

Where retailers are cooking their own meats, it is essential the process has been checked so that the cooking time ensures the core temperature of the meats reaches at least 70°C for two minutes or equivalent (80°C for six seconds, 75°C for 30 seconds, 65°C for ten minutes, and 60°C for 45 minutes).

If cooling joints, Safer Food Better Business suggests the ham is placed in a watertight bag (food grade) and completely covered with clean, iced water.

Make sure the water is as cold as possible before adding the ice and stir from time to time.

Campden BRI has undertaken research on the cooling of large cured and uncured

The process can only be relied on if the method of cooking is consistent

meats and suggest the cooling times in the table below. If using this method, the use of a data logger is advised.

The process can only be relied on if the same method of cooking, cooling and the size of the joint is consistent.

Uncured products Temperature Cooling times Maximum (hours) (hours)

Down to 50°C 1 2.5 From 50°C to 6 6 12°C From 12°C to 1 1.5 5°C Total 8 10

Cured products Temperature Cooling times Maximum (hours) (hours)

Down to 50°C 1.25 3.25 From 50°C to 7.5 7.5 12°C From 12°C to 1.25 1.75 5°C Total 10 12.5

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

Expert’s view

INSIGHT 6’S LUCY KNIGHT EXPLAINS HOW THE ‘F’ WORD CAN HELP YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS

Throughout their interaction with your business, customers will experience a host of feelings that influence how much they spend, how often they come back and whether they recommend it to their friends.

The importance of creating an emotional connection won’t come as a surprise. After all, we are all customers and have been for years. We know how it feels to have a great – or dismal – experience and we know how this influences our purchase decisions. Quite simply, ‘good enough’ is not; when there is so much choice, why would we choose ‘meh’?

So, how can we deliver great experiences consistently? These are my top tips. l Start by taking time to consider how you want your customers to feel when they interact with your business. l Be specific. For example: ‘happy’ or ‘content’? The emotions are similar but may hold slightly different meaning. Give it some thought and clearly define the goals. l Be consistent. Make sure that you can articulate how you want your customers to feel and that you share that with the whole team. l Work on behaviours. When you are clear on how you want your customers to feel, work with your team to define the behaviours that will deliver the right experiences. l Measure. Just as you would measure financial performance it’s important to measure how your customers feel when they interact with your organisation. There are many ways you can do this, including customer surveys and mystery enquiries.

So, have a think about your business for a minute. What do your customers say, think and feel about your business? How does that influence your business performance?

The ‘F’ word is definitely not fluffy... it’s financial. Ignore customer feelings at your peril.

WHAT’S TRENDING

1 NICK BAINES KEEPS YOU UP-TO-DATE WITH THE NEWEST DISHES, FLAVOURS AND INNOVATIONS IN FOOD & DRINK

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1 Dirty Chai The heady mix of chai spices is being woven into the coffee landscape right now by a drink referred to as the ‘dirty chai’. Essentially a double shot of espresso with chai spices and steamed milk, loose blends from producers like Chai By Mira are creating potent, peppery and fragrant long drinks with all types of milk. A more complex and grownup alternative to the pumpkin spice latte that unlike its gourd-based counterpart can be offered across all seasons.

2 Potato milk The Swedes appear to have an unreckonable strength when it comes to alternative milk brands and the Scandinavian plant-milk powerhouse has now turned its attention to milking potatoes. With roots in Sweden’s Lund University, DUG has launched a trio of creamy potato milks that are dairy- and gluten-free as well as boasting perhaps the strongest sustainability credentials of any plant milk to date. The crop is twice as efficient as oats, uses 56 times less water than almonds, and has a 75% lower climate footprint than dairy milk.

3 Borek This filled flaky pastry is the cornerstone of Balkan snacks and has sustained anyone venturing to Eastern Europe and North Africa. But nestled in south London is a start-up that’s catapulted the filo wrapped food into Instagram dominance. Mystic Borek has been selling a variety of creatively filled boreks from collection points around London since the lockdowns and is now opening a new kitchen, website and delivery system as well as pop-ups across the city. Prepare yourself for fillings of ‘nduja, soft sheep’s milk cheese and herbs, or slowcooked brisket, creamed leeks and ras el hanout.

GUIDE TO GRATE BRITAIN

DULL You might think the village of Dull in Perth and Kinross a rather uneventful place. Not so in October, when it celebrates its membership in the ‘League of Extraordinary Communities’ along with Boring in Oregon and Bland in New South Wales. MATCHING TYE The implied dress code for this village in Essex is actually much more relaxed than you might expect. For those wanting to throw shapes at the local discotheque, you’ll feel much more at ease opting for smart-cazj. SHITTERTON The origin of Shitterton’s name is as unfortunate as you might suspect. Unscrupulous souvenir seekers repeatedly stole the hamlet’s sign, until the canny Shittertonians replaced it with an unfeasibly large boulder, which weighs over one a half tonnes, or a metric Shitterton.

MOUSEHOLE Pronounced ‘Mowzle’, the inhabitants of this picturesque Cornish fishing village are fiercely proud of their history. Notable events include their heroic resistance to a Spanish raid in 1595, and to a second raid in 1832, from a particularly large cat. WITTS END The residents of Witts End in Milton Keynes have long debated whether they should change the name to something more appropriate. The suggested alternatives of Wirral Doomed, Endiss Nye and Abandonall Hope were all rejected for being too upbeat. SCRATCHY BOTTOM The opening scene from 1967’s ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’ was filmed here, where an errant sheepdog drove a flock of sheep over a cliff edge. The valley’s name is unrelated to anatomy, yet it is another instance of a dog going mad because of a Scratchy Bottom.

LLANFAIRPWLLGWYNGYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLLANTYSILIOGOGOGOCH This famous village on the Welsh island of Anglesey has the longest place name in Europe, and second longest in the world after New Zealand’s Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu. Rougly translated from Welsh, the village name means ‘Less is more’. FRYUP Despite the name of this Yorkshire hamlet, there’s no proof that the area holds any connection with the greatest of morning traditions, the ‘Full English’. Attempts to find a link in 2008 yielded no evidence at all. Not a sausage.

Some names aren’t all they suggest. But for our Grate Britain range, we really do freshly grate or crumble real cheese in every batch. No artificial powders or flavouring, just real cheese and natural ingredients. We put the ‘Grate’ in Grate Britain.

buttercrumb biscuits and cracker pouches