FFD October-November 2018

October-November 2018 Volume 19 Issue 9 gff.co.uk

Model retailer Meet our new resident shopkeeper and learn from his experiences ALSO INSIDE: PDO’s post-Brexit future | Great Taste Golden Fork winners | Fillet & Bone

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CONTENTS 5

BIG PICTURE

7

NEWS

We all know that most restaurants don’t give a damn about cheese. But that’s even more reason for retailers to get things right.

12 SHOP TALK 14 GREAT TASTE GOLDEN FORK AWARDS

By Michael Lane, Editor

23 CHEESEWIRE 27 CHARCUTERIE 28 CATEGORY FOCUS 37 SHELF TALK 42 DELI OF THE MONTH 47 GREAT TASTE AWARD WINNERS 50 GUILD OF FINE FOOD NEWS October-November 2018 Volume 19 Issue 9 gff.co.uk

Even though my inbox is full of offers to review restaurants – from clueless PRs that haven’t done their research on what we write about – it’s not often that actually I do eat out. Last month though, I did get the opportunity to enjoy some fine dining (on my own dime!).

The food was pretty good, if a little fussy, and the service was alright but my lasting impression was of the cheese course. And it wasn’t a good one.

There was a small piece of very tangy cheddar, an unmemorable mould-ripened sliver and a soft blue.

“Oh, that’s Beauvale,” said our waiter pointing at the menu. “It’s made by the guys who do Stinking Bishop.”

I didn’t have the heart to correct him – and explain it’s made by Cropwell Bishop rather than Charles Martell – but that’s some serious fake news right there.

What worried me more was how far back that misinformation

started. The head waiter? The chefs?

The proprietor? The supplier? That last one would be bad.

Don’t even get me started about the sad state of the sweaty, clearly pre-cut pieces of cheese that arrived. It’s such a shame to see brilliant cheese not getting a fair crack, especially if that was the first time a consumer would be experiencing them.

This isn’t really a shocking story, we all know that most restaurants don’t give a damn about the cheese they serve. But that’s even more reason for independent retailers to get things right. Where even the best chefs gloss over provenance, you need to be beacons of truth and knowledge.

Yes, we already do our utmost (assisted by Patrick McGuigan, the Academy of Cheese and friendly retailers) to keep your cheese knowledge sharp. But, this incident made me think about how else we could help our readers raise their

retailing game.

The best way to improve is to learn from people that have already been there and got the t-shirt.

So, we’ve created a new section, Shop Talk (pages 12 and 13), which incorporates our already popular ‘If I’d Known…’ column alongside two new regular features that explore the trials and tribulations of running a shop.

While both are light-hearted, they are informed by real life retailing experience and hopefully they’ll get deli and farm shop owners thinking about their own businesses.

And if that’s not enough for you, we’ve also got a farm shop drive-thru (turn the page), Great Taste Supreme Champion pili nuts from The Philippines (page 14) and plenty of suggestions for those who are looking to place a few more late Christmas orders (page 30).

No restaurant reviews, though.

Sorry.

EDITORS’ CHOICE Chosen by Lauren Phillips, assistant editor

Model retailer Meet our new resident shopkeeper and learn from his experiences ALSO INSIDE: PDO’s post-Brexit future | Great Taste Golden Fork winners | Fillet & Bone

PLAYMOBIL used 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 GLVSOD\HG 3/$<02%,/ WR\ ƓJXUHV DUH protected.

Lo Bros Living Drinks Apple cider vinegar tonics It was quite tough picking this month’s Editors’ Choice but Lo Bros’ new apple cider vinegar tonics and Living Sodas just managed to edge it. Although

EDITORIAL

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Editorial director: Mick Whitworth

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

Editor: Michael Lane

Sales director: Sally Coley

Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065

Assistant editor: Lauren Phillips

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam

editorial@gff.co.uk

© The Guild of Fine Food Ltd

Reporter: Andrew Don

Sales executive: Becky Haskett

Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset

2018. Reproduction of whole or

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

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

publisher’s prior permission is

Art director: Mark Windsor Cover photo: Michael Lane, Lauren Phillips Contributors: Nick Baines, Matthew Horwood, Patrick McGuigan, Ioan Said, Lynda Searby

part of this magazine without the prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor

Turn to page 50 for news from the Guild

or publisher.

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NEWS

Defra developing UK’s own protected food name scheme as Brexit looms

By Andrew Don

Defra has said it could create the UK’s own protected food name scheme even if the government strikes a Brexit deal with the EU. The confirmation came after the government department issued a notice covering what would happen to the UK’s participation in the scheme if there was a “no deal” Brexit.

In that instance, Defra would establish its own Geographical Indication (GI) system to cover all 86 products – including Stilton, West Country Farmhouse Cheddar and Cornish Pasties – that currently enjoy protection from the EU. In the event of “no deal”, Defra said it would no longer be required to recognize the long running EU system, which offers three levels of protection: Protected Designation of Origin, Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed.

EU producers would be

Plastic bag fee could double The charge for plastic carrier bags could be extended to all retailers and doubled from the minimum 5p to at least 10p as the battle against plastic waste continues.

The government will launch a consultation later this year following the success of the 5p charge introduced in October 2015, which environment secretary Michael Gove said had taken 13bn plastic bags out of circulation in the past two years alone.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said an estimated 3.4bnplus plastic bags were supplied each year by small and medium-sized businesses.

Foods like Cornish Pasties will need protection if the UK leaves the EU’s scheme as part of Brexit

able to apply for status under the UK’s system, though.

Should the EU not recognise UK protected status, British producers would need to submit their applications to the European Commission as “thirdcountry” producers.

Alternatively, they might consider protecting their products by applying for EU Collective Marks or EU Certification Marks granted by the EU Intellectual Property Office.

Defra talked up the

chances of a deal as FFD went to press, but when asked whether the UK would still create its own protected names scheme regardless of deal or no deal, a spokesman said: “If required, then yes.”

Matthew O’Callaghan, chairman of the UK Protected Food Names Association, said: “Whatever’s going to happen, the government is still going to produce a UK scheme.”

But in the case of a no deal, he said: “What the UK

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT...

is hoping is that there is no law to remove [currently protected] products from the register in the EU and therefore UK products will continue to be registered.

But if we are not recognising their products, why should they recognise ours?”

The Cornish Pasty Association said: “Deal or no deal, a UK replacement scheme needs to be in place from Day One following our exit from the EU and we have made it quite clear over the past two years that this is fundamental to the Cornish pasty industry.”

Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream and Irish Poteen, which can be produced anywhere on the island of Ireland, would continue to be fully protected in the EU as well as the UK after next March, irrespective of the outcome of negotiations.

Any new UK scheme would be compliant with World Trade Organisation rules and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

Delifonseca begins £500k revamp at Liverpool dock food hall

By Michael Lane

The Brunswick Dock food hall is undergoing big changes

Liverpool’s Delifonseca has embarked on a £500,000 expansion project at its Brunswick Dock premises and will soon close its original city centre deli.

The redevelopment, which is currently taking place in phases to allow continuous trading, will add 150 sq ft to the food hall and will see it stock a bigger

in-house product range prepared in a new kitchen.

The kitchen will enable Delifonseca to prepare its classic dishes for takeaway, the restaurant and its corporate catering operation.

A new, larger restaurant will serve shoppers with coffee and cake as well as full meals. The restaurant will seat 140 people, up from 65

currently, and a bar area will be added.

Proprietor Candice Fonseca said that casual dining and retail zones would be separated to better control temperatures, with the restaurant kept warm and the deli area cool.

“There will be more serve-over chilled counters, with the purpose of having a bigger in-house baked range as well,” she told FFD. “We’ll end up with another 8ft of chilled counters at the front and a wall of chilled so we can put more product on display.”

The Edge & Son Butchers concession’s prep area, which is in the food hall, will move out of the deli to back of house to increase the retail floor space.

The Delifonseca site on Stanley Street is scheduled to close next March.

TESCO’S LAUNCH OF DISCOUNTER JACK’S

ROB COPLEY, CO-OWNER, FARMER COPLEYS, PONTEFRACT, WEST YORKSHIRE:

“If I’m honest, I don’t know how it will end.

If I look at it, they are joining the Primark and New Look market.

If you bet on who will survive long term it would be Harrods.

There’s only so many people who can work at the bottom end of the market and somebody is going to fail.”

NICK HEMPLEMAN, OWNER, SUSSEX PRODUCE COMPANY, STEYNING AND GORINGBY-SEA:

“I’m sure they can probably supply British food from enormous-scale farms and I’m sure if they squeeze their suppliers enough – because they are, after all, part of Tesco – they can offer something at a very cheap price. They will not be able to offer a true local range of products to their customers.”

FRASER MCKEVITT, HEAD OF RETAIL AND CONSUMER INSIGHT AT KANTAR WORLDPANEL:

“With its heavy Union Jack branding and promises on provenance, Jack’s is clearly looking to make its name as a solid British retailer. Nearly half of shoppers try to buy local produce when they can so it could be a savvy move, though it’s still very early days.”

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

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NEWS

CYBER CRIME

Gonalston signs up with Budgens as it seeks to boost footfall

By Andrew Don

Gonalston Farm Shop has teamed up with convenience store operator Budgens in a revolutionary supply deal that some believe could be the future formula for successful farm shop retailing.

Proprietor Georgie Mason told FFD she signed with Budgens to tap into the regular footfall that convenience stores command.

Although Budgens outlets are run by independent owners, the stores are supplied by wholesaler Booker, which merged with Tesco earlier this year.

The Nottinghamshire retailer will retain its 80 independent suppliers but the store will now get better terms for popular brands.

“This move to me feels like the right thing because farm shops have this perception of being expensive and, at the end

8

Gonalston Farm Shop in Nottinghamshire is now trading under the Budgens convenience store fascia

of the day, everyone wants to have cheap food,” said Mason.

“We want people to cross our threshold to buy, dare I say, their cigarettes and Monster Munch crisps along with our minced beef and a pint of milk. And artisan bread alongside Warburton’s bread and Tracklements’ mustard alongside Colman’s.”

The new-look store, which had a soft launch of its new set-up on 25th September with a “grand opening” on 6th October,

now features five new Cook ready-meal freezers, as well as a Tchibo push-button coffee machine serving Smokin’ Bean coffee and Suki Tea. Mason has also upped the number of food-togo items, in keeping with trends across modern c-stores.

Sales were double its usual figure on opening day, prompting Mason to speculate that many more farm shops could marry traditional farm shop retailing with convenience.

Report deems food shops most wanted

Dropship Deli offers indies easy online delivery option

The most-wanted service by the public in their local area is a specialist food shop, according to the latest Local Shops Report.

The report, produced by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), found that specialist food shops are more in demand than banks, in second place, and post offices in third place.

When asked what has the most positive impact on their community, respondents told the ACS that post offices ruled the roost, followed by convenience stores and then pharmacies.

Specialist food shops came fourth, ahead of coffee shops/cafes, pubs/bars and petrol stations, among others. acs.org.uk

Fine food distributor The Gorgeous Food Company has launched a new drop shipment service for independent retailers looking to open or expand their e-commerce.

The Gloucestershirebased distributor offers the service via a new website called The Dropship Deli, which it developed after approaches from several retailers.

Customer orders and delivery details are sent to the distributor which ships goods in unbranded packaging directly to the consumer.

“No one appears to offer this within the specialist food sector,” said managing director

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

Grahame Day. “Coupled with the reported continual decline in footfall on the high street, it is more important than ever for retailers to have an online presence.”

Day added that the service will allow new and existing retailers to open or enhance their e-commerce with over 1,500 new products without the need for initial stock outlays.

“We’re continually hearing that storage is an issue for many retailers, so drop shipping has to be the perfect solution,” he added.

“No costly stock purchases, no additional warehouse costs and no need for additional staff to pick and pack the orders.” dropshipdeli.co.uk

NEW OPENINGS Convenience consultant John Heagney, former group symbol director at Nisa, said pairing farm shops with convenience would drive more customers into stores.

“I think we will get more of that,” he said, “although a lot of the farm shops will be very careful not to give up their focus as properly-sourced fresh food centres.

“I think we will see selective sites [go this route]. Gonalston is a highprofile one.”

Local shops group ACS said it was more usual for c-stores to bring in products from other specialist producers, but it could also work the other way around.

James Lowman, chief executive, said: “As with everything in convenience retailing, it is very location-specific and based on a judgement on what’s right for that local customer base and both partners.”

BYO, which stands for Bring Your Own, has opened in Tooting, southwest London. The “zerowaste” outlet encourages shoppers to bring their own bottles, jars and bags to refill with whole foods and other items or they can buy reusable containers in-store.

The Jones family, which runs Fforch Farm in Rhondda, has opened Cwm Farm Shop on Abergorki Industrial Estate, in Treorchy. It stocks Welsh produce only and has a café which also serves local products.

Mobile shop The Sussex Peasant, run by a group of farmers from the region, has been set up to sell local produce direct to consumers. It currently works with 20 producers, including Calcott Farm and Top Paddock Cheese.

Sandford Orchards is top at Taste of the West gongs Devon’s Sandford Orchards and its St Louis dry hopped cider has continued its trophy-winning run by claiming the Supreme Champion Product award at this year’s Taste of the West Awards.

The unusual cider, which is made using local apples and American hops, was crowned at a ceremony held in The Great Hall at Exeter University on 13th September.

The ceremony saw a host of hospitality businesses, retailers and producers from the South West pick up awards.

Somerset’s Keen’s Cheddar took trophies for both Champion Cheese (mature raw milk cheddar) and Champion Dairy (whey butter).

Devon-based Hillside Foods also won two –

Champion Pickle and Champion Snack.

Among the other Champion products were the soft Dorset salami from Capreolus Fine Foods (Cured Meat), Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam from The Artisan Kitchen (Preserve – Jam) and Jack Ratt Lugger Rum made

by Lyme Bay Winery.

Darts Farm was named Best South West Farm Shop.

A full list of champions and award-winners can be found at: tasteofthewest.co.uk

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Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

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October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

Caws Teifi Cheese is the most highly awarded RAW milk cheese in Britain. Its flagship CELTIC PROMISE was Supreme Champion twice at The British Cheese Awards in 1998 and 2005. It is a 3-star Great Taste Award and Golden Fork winner for the Best Welsh Food Product in 2018.

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NEWS

Delifonseca and Keelham among Shop of the Year winners

By Mick Whitworth

Liverpool’s Delifonseca Dockside has taken a brace of titles in this year’s Shop of the Year awards, which celebrate the best in independent food retailing across the UK. The store, opened by Candice Fonseca eight years ago, topped the Best Deli category and saw longserving deli manager Clare Jones collect the inaugural Retail Hero award.

Three other wellestablished stores – Yorkshire’s Keelham Farm Shop, Lincoln’s The Cheese Society and Cheshire’s Godfrey C Williams – also took home trophies from the 2018 awards ceremony in London on September 20th, while Cotswolds start-up Fillet & Bone was named Best Newcomer.

Keelham, which has outlets in Skipton and Thornton, took the Best Farm Shop title for its

(L-R) John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, Helen Daysh from Le Gruyère AOP and Lavinia Cooke and Clare Jones from Delifonseca Dockside.

Thornton outlet. The venerable Godfrey C Williams & Son in Sandbach – in business since 1875 – triumphed in the Best Grocer or Community Shop category.

Cheesemonger, café and online store The Cheese Society was named Best Specialist Cheese Shop.

Fillet & Bone, opened in Chipping Campden 18 months ago by Chris Gates and Pat Willins,

Symbol group Parfetts eyes new speciality format for Go Local

was commended for “a treasure trove of delicious products, with a real sense of individuality”.

Retail Hero winner Clare Jones joined Delifonseca when it moved its retail deli out of the city to a larger site by the Mersey in 2010. She began as a part-timer but quickly became integral to the business.

With a 40-year track record in food, she is credited with creating a strong, stable

IN BRIEF team of knowledgeable staff and delivering an “excellent customer experience” while never losing sight of the bottom line.

This year’s Shop of the Year competition – organised by the Guild of Fine Food and sponsored by Le Gruyère AOP and Petty Wood – saw more categories covered than ever before, including garden centre food halls and community stores.

A beefed-up judging process saw secret visits to 42 shortlisted stores by mystery shopping specialist Insight6.

Each shop was also visited and assessed by one of this year’s team of senior judges: ex Fortnum & Mason buyer Sam Rosen Nash, food hall veteran Stuart Gates (Fortnums, Daylesford Organics and Harrods), former Ludlow Food Centre MD Edward Berry, Academy of Cheese director Tracey Colley and cheese writer and tutor Patrick McGuigan.

The new format is being developed in response to the millennials demographic and their “very different” expectations.

“If you’ve got a shop near students, a craft range of beer would be appropriate,” he said. “It’s all about being famous for certain things, whereas there is a large element of ‘clonism’ in retail stores and refits these days.”

Owners would be allowed to pursue their interests, he added. For instance, if a proprietor was interested in whiskies, Parfetts would assist them.

Italian farming association Codiretti has reported that exports of Prosecco to the UK have fallen for the first time in more than a decade – down 7% in the first half of the year. It blamed the effects of Brexit for the decline.

Gail’s Bakery in London has launched what it claims is the UK’s first ever “waste bread” – a new sourdough made partially from leftover bread. The product is made by turning surplus bread into a porridge which is then added to the dough.

DOWN ON THE FARM

Pinewood Nurseries Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire The refurbishment of The Prop House Coffee Shop at Pinewood Nurseries is now nearing completion and re-opens with a soft launch.

Customers of the shop, which was first opened in 2005, will now be able to enjoy drinks, home-made products and light lunches. pinewoodnurseries.co.uk/ farmshop/

Paisley’s Farm Shop Nether Stowey, Somerset Paisley’s Farm Shop & Café’s new ‘burger ‘n beverage’ evenings (held every Wednesday 6-9pm) are proving a huge hit with customers as their Trip Advisor reviews will show.

Food & drink is served all day at Paisley’s, with breakfasts, light lunches and now a fully licensed evening bar.

Each burger is freshly made using locally-sourced ingredients. paisleysfarmshop.co.uk

Groombridge Farm Shop nr Tunbridge Wells, Kent Groombridge now has planning permission to extend its floor area by 50%, allowing it to improve the range of local produce and customers’ shopping experience.

The extended shop, designed by a local architect to incorporate lots of glass, is scheduled to be completed in May 2019. groombridgefarmshop. co.uk

The latest from farm shops across the country

By Andrew Don Stockport-based cash & carry and symbol store group Parfetts is hatching a new format that will include a focus on speciality food as part of its offering.

The business, which has seven depots and aims to grow its independent Go Local symbol estate to 1,000 independent convenience stores “as fast as possible”, is looking to open a new format that will give each store a specialism.

Greg Suszczenia, joint managing director, envisages the prototype will take its inspiration from specialist retailers.

He said the format would marry the strengths of independent food specialists with convenience to create a “future-proof” hybrid that focuses on the experiential and also technology.

Belvoir Fruit Farms has named Paul Parkins as chief operating officer.

Parkins was previously international MD of Tyrells, and is a former MD of Albert Bartlett and United Biscuits Ireland.

In association with

Fabulous Farm Shops fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

11

SHOP TALK IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

PHILIPPA FRIEDMAN, co-owner, Fauvette, Penarth, Glamorgan When we first opened, our smart new shop stuck out like a sore thumb. It made people think we were going to be expensive and snooty – in the first two weeks we were dubbed ‘the posh cheese shop’. We had to work hard to shake off that perception – being friendly and gaining people’s trust that we were not out to fleece them. I have customers’ birthdays on my calendar and am always trying to make people aware that they can buy any sized slice of cheese, even if it is just a sliver that costs pence rather than pounds.

I think that interaction is the only thing that will stop the internet in its tracks. It’s the one thing online can’t do. It also fits with our vision of creating a shop like the one depicted in the film Chocolat – a place that makes a difference to a community and that people visit for a bit of magic.

Everything we stock has a story, we have met most of the producers and we sell with a passion.

This probably stems in part from our experience in the restaurant trade. I met my business partner and lifelong friend Jean-Marc Delys over two decades ago while working in the restaurant industry. I then went on to join the cheesemaking team at Daylesford Organic and Jean-Marc worked for cheese wholesaler Fromage to Age. So, when we embarked on this retailing venture in 2016, we both knew plenty about cheese, wholesaler relationships and dealing with customers, but nothing about buying fixtures and fittings.

I now know that all the best fridges are made in Bradford, and, if I had my time again, I would use the manufacturer to install our fridges, rather than trying to cut costs by using a local kitchen fitter. It would have been up and running much quicker and made subsequent issues easier to resolve.

Stock control was another learning curve. We initially thought we had to have a full stock room but soon learned that we can’t. And we don’t. The only stock we can afford to hold is on our shelves.

We set out with a focus on artisan cheeses from the British Isles, as well as natural, organic and biodynamic wines. Cheese has turned out to be the steadier, larger volume side of the business, but wine sales growth has been more dramatic.

I think people are drinking less but seeking out higher quality, more natural wines without sulfites.

One of our biggest successes has been our refill wine scheme. We offer four varieties – in 5L Bibs (bag in a box) – and customers buy reusable glass bottles to fill and refill. We’ve sold 600 so far.

Our next move will be to start selling online.

Jean-Marc has started photographing all our products, but we will get Christmas out of the way before launching our internet shop.

Interview Lynda Searby Photography Matthew Horwood

12

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER WHEN DEBATING THE INAUGURAL topic for this new column, the editor and I narrowed it down to landlords or rodents. Some of you might ask what the difference is.

Well, you can kill one of them. Legally. But I’ll get to that in a minute (and we might tackle landlords next month).

We independents like a good, old-fashioned shop front. That means your building is probably more porous than a sieve. Mine is. It sits in a row of similar units in a conservation area, with rat runs from the ladies’ underwear shop down the bottom of the road to the computer shop at the top. You farm shop owners are even more exposed and attractive to rats.

Where there are messy chefs and bins full of food waste out the back, there are our furry enemies.

All it takes is just one customer to see a mouse or a rat in the shop, and bang go the yummy-mummies and their over-dressed offspring. It’s Sword of Damocles stuff. Those pesky critters could be anywhere, at any time, scrabbling around behind the walls. Some of my

MODEL RETAILING Uh oh!

I know what’s coming next...

Hi there!

We had a rat on the shop floor and didn’t notice until after we’d opened.

Not dead, but dying.

team refuse to go into the stock room because every now and then you can hear them in the ceiling.

And the worst bit is they take ages to die.

Most poisons require a couple of days at least, some two weeks, to work. And they don’t go and die in some convenient, well-ventilated, accessible place.

Confession time. We had a rat on the shop floor and we didn’t notice until after we’d opened. Not dead, but dying, throwing a leg

every few seconds. We put a bucket over it until the shop emptied. Yes, we should have seen it. Yes, I’m a bad parent etc. But, come on, I bet you have a couple of heart-stopping pest control stories.

My favourite is about a shop owner out west who had a problem with pigeons covering his bins with listeria-filled droppings. So, after cashing up, he would stand in the back yard and take pot shots with an air pistol.

He lined up a perky number cooing on the roof ridge, and, to his satisfaction, got it. Unfortunately, it rolled the other way and landed on the pavement outside his front door.

So, he rushed through his shop to make sure it hadn’t caused any trouble (HACCP that).

A young couple holding hands were walking by when the bird landed suddenly at their feet.

They were staring intently at it, so my friend sauntered up and he listened with his surprised face on as they said it had just dropped from the sky, dead. “How extraordinary,” he said.

As they stood outside his cheese shop, they decided it must have been a heart attack. Too much cholesterol, perhaps.

SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE.

...five minutes later

Oh dear.

I’ve already banned Wensleydale with cranberries. And pets.

Do I have to ban kids, too?

FFD says: Like it or not, certain customer demographics will visit your store with their children in tow. While not all of them are as disruptive as above, any mess or fuss can be avoided with a cunningly deployed chocolate or sweet when they arrive. Not only will it distract them from setting about your displays but it might relax the parents enough to buy more than they came in for.

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.

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

13

GREAT TASTE 2018 Already in the high-end stores and classy bars of Hong Kong, Mount Mayon’s Supreme Champion pili nut coated in Ecuadorian cacao is coming to the UK. Read all about these unusually creamy Asian nuts, and discover all of the major winners from the climax of Great Taste 2018 over the next six pages.

Interview by Lauren Phillips

Mount Mayon’s stand at this year’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair was particularly busy the morning after its pili nuts (pronounced ‘peelee’) dusted with Ecuadorian cacao took the title of Great Taste Supreme Champion at the Golden Fork awards dinner.

Visitors to the show flocked to their pitch, eager to sample the nuts that wowed Great Taste judges with their “ethereal texture”, “toasty cereal flavour” and “incredible creaminess”.

Two days after the show, the winning variety was already on the shelves of Selfridges’ London

food hall alongside Mount Mayon’s other coated pili nut range (Himalayan pink salt and Kyoto Matcha), with plans to tour high-end food halls across the Capital. Not bad for the company’s first visit to the UK, then.

With recommended retail prices ranging from £2.29 for a 12g pack up to £17.49 for larger 130g tins, these are no ordinary bar snacks.

But the wince-inducing price point is due to the huge amount of processing involved to achieve the nuts’ unusual creamy texture.

“We can only just advance at a gourmet

level and a gourmet price point,” says Dr James Costello, a former dentist who co-founded the business with his brother (and fellow dentist) Dr Steven Costello.

“We have to process the nuts to get the flavour, otherwise people are going to eat peanuts, which are cheap and plentiful. But the pili nut is not plentiful, it’s not cheap and if you sell it cheap, it’s not going to work.”

The lengthy 17-step process includes soaking, pre-sprouting and de-hydrating each nut, transforming it from something that tastes like a green pea and has little nutritional value into a “buttery” nut high in Vitamin E, Omega and fibre.

“It’s very technique-sensitive,” says James. “A roasted or cooked pili tastes like sawdust so they have to be dried but not become too hot.

“It’s got this sweet spot and once you find the it, the challenge is to keep it consistent.”

The brand is looking at the higher end of the UK retail market for stockists and particularly those which marry premium with healthy, with Whole Foods and Planet Organic among those it hopes to gain listings with.

But it also has global targets, with the nuts about to head to New York and already sold in

Pili big ambitions for next-level nuts

The Costello brothers showcasing their Supreme Champion pili nuts at this year’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair

14

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

classy bars and high-end supermarkets in Hong Kong and Macau, where the brothers first began experimenting with pre-sprouting and dehydrating nuts back in 2002 while running their dentistry clinic.

After enjoying commercial success with organic bars made from pre-sprouted nuts, the pair progressed to pili nuts in 2007 when they were introduced to them by a Filipino friend.

The nut grows in large shells on pili trees in volcanic soil surrounding Mount Mayon, the active volcano on the large island of Luzon in the Philippines.

It’s very techniquesensitive. A roasted or cooked pili tastes like sawdust so they have to be dried but not become too hot.

Big winners celebrate at The Golden Forks Dinner (L-R) John Farrand of the Guild of Fine Food, James Costello and Cara Weil from Mount Mayon, Alex Pickering from Kenwood, Dr. Steven John Costello from Mount Mayon and broadcaster Nigel Barden

Mount Mayon Premium Pili Nuts with Ecuadorian Cacao Sponsored by

James likens the pili nuts to Russian dolls because of their many protective layers, but says they can be quite temperamental and are even prone to spoiling inside the shells.

This made importing the nuts to the brothers’ original production facility in Macau a real challenge. So, for a while, James and Steven stopped production, until their business partner Cara Weil suggested they try again in 2016.

The brothers left dentistry soon after to move production to the Philippines where they could be closer to the source ingredient.

The move was just in time as, according to James, many impoverished farming communities in the region were deciding whether to sell off their farming land to international companies for bio-diesel and ethanol to grow corn.

This would have been a huge environmental disaster he says, as the pili trees which surround the outer edge of the rainforest are resilient to strong winds and heavy rain, protecting the eco-system during typhoons which occur in the region 20 times a year.

The company worked with the agricultural department in the Philippines to set up the production site and today the Mount Mayon coop is an NGO designed to be a Fairtrade company.

“We pay a premium for good nuts, we know how to do it, we know how to treat the shells, we have the agricultural ability to make sure it all goes to plan,” says James.

The next task for Mount Mayon is expanding its three-strong range. It has a new spicier variety coated in curry powder launching in March 2019 and the brothers are currently experimenting with a range of pili nut butters.

Whatever their next venture, Mount Mayon has big plans for this little nut. mountmayon.com

Wessex Mill

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(L-R) Guild MD John Farrand, Paul Munsey and Emily Munsey of Wessex Mill and John Shepherd from Partridges

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(L-R) The Guild’s John Farrand, Andras Toth and Kriszti Nagy of Tea Shirt Tailored Refreshments and Bruce Langlands from Selfridges

➔ Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

15

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October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

GREAT TASTE 2018 The Argyll Smokery Kiln Roasted Salmon Sponsored by

Sponsored by

Natural Umber Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

(L-R) Guild MD John Farrand, Karen Baxter and Allan McDougall of The Argyll Smokery and Lucy Husband from Scotland Food & Drink

(L-R) John Farrand of the Guild of Fine Food, Michael Mackle of Natural Umber and Grainne Moody from Invest Northern Ireland

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Terra Rossa Baba’s Rashi & Dibis with Sesame Seeds Sponsored by

Caws Teifi Cheese Celtic Promise Sponsored by

(L-R) The Guild’s John Farrand, Hanan Samara of Terra Rossa and Vincent Carlucci from Tenuta Marmorelle

(L-R) John Farrand of the Guild of Fine Food, John Savage-Onstwedder of Caws Teifi Cheese, David Morris from Food and Drink Wales and Nigel Barden

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

17

GREAT TASTE 2018 Pipers Farm Saddleback Neck Steak Sponsored by

(L-R) John Farrand MD of the Guild of Fine Food, Ruben Porto of Rogue Artisan Ice Cream and Kenny Tutt

Rogue Artisan Ice Cream Sicilian Bronte Pistachio Ice Cream Sponsored by

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The Quirky Cook Honeyed Fig Relish with Black Garlic Sponsored by

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Southport Potted Shrimps Southport Potted Shrimps by James Peet Sponsored by

(L-R) John Farrand of the Guild of Fine Food, Casper Hawkins, Kay Hawkins and Harvey Hawkins of The Quirky Cook and John Potter from Petty Wood

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October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

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Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

19

GREAT TASTE 2018

Carnicas Ibericas Mozarbez Iberico Bellota Ham Sponsored by

(L-R) Guild MD John Farrand, Javier Hernandez, Carmen Hernandez, Carmen Curto and Manuel Hernandez of Carnicas Ibericas Mozarbez and Mick Whitworth of Fine Food Digest’s Charcuterie Campaign

Mount Mayon Premium Pili Nuts with Ecuadorian Cacao Sponsored by

(L-R) The Guild’s John Farrand, Estelle Alley of Bord Bia and Denise Shannon, Sarah Donnelly and Ted Carty from Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland

Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland Signature Tastes Smoked Rack of Bacon Sponsored by

(L-R) The Guild’s John Farrand, James Costello, Cara Weil and Dr. Steven John Costello of Mount Mayon and Eddie Quilty from ABP Cahir

20

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

Capsicana Brazilian Chilli and Coconut Sauce Sponsored by

(L-R) John Farrand of the Guild of Fine Food, Tony and Bee Macneil of Macneil’s Smokehouses and Julie Mills from Westmorland Family

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(L-R) Guild MD John Farrand, Charles Campion and Nigel Barden

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

21

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EST.1897

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October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

Scottish authorities must reimburse Errington after wrongful E.coli case

By Patrick McGuigan

Pressure is mounting on Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) after Errington Cheese won the right to seek substantial compensation after being incorrectly blamed by the authorities for causing a fatal E.coli outbreak.

The company’s Dunsyre Blue was cited as the root of an E.coli outbreak in 2016, but Hamilton Sheriff Court cleared the cheesemaker of food safety breaches last month.

Now the court has approved Errington’s request to seek compensation – a ruling that could see in excess of £1m of public money spent on the case.

The cheesemaker is seeking compensation for legal costs of £380,000, plus costs associated

with products seized by SLC, while the food authorities’ legal bill is estimated at £550,000.

Errington owner Selina Cairns told FFD: “There needs to be a review of the legislation regarding food matters. It is not right that we can be accused of causing an outbreak of illness, including a death, without any possibility of a judicial examination of an allegation, which we believe is wrong.”

Journalist Joanna Blythman called for “heads to roll” at FSS on Twitter, and slammed the Scottish Government for its “silence” over the case, while Conservative MSP Brian Whittle accused FSS of a “heavy handed” approach.

Shane Holland, Slow Food UK executive chairman, said the decision to prosecute Errington

Errington has resumed production of some of its cheeses after being cleared of causing an E.coli outbreak in 2016

was “misguided” and added public money would have been better spent on “initial advice, which would not have led to them taking this action”.

Errington is currently making Corra Linn and Lanark Blue, and Cairns is trialling batches of Dunsyre Blue using unpasteurised milk from Mossgiel Farm. Some of the Corra Linn that was seized during investigations two years ago has also been released.

However, sales are around 25-30% of what they were and a decision on the company’s future will be made in the spring. “Extra support from the cheese-buying and selling side of the industry would be such a help just now,” said Cairns.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Food Standards Scotland acted to protect the public based on the result of an investigation conducted by a multi-agency team, chaired by Health Protection Scotland, into the outbreak of E.coli.

“We continue to liaise with FSS so learning from this and other incidents is used to ensure that Scotland has appropriate, proportionate and effective arrangements in place to retain Scotland’s global reputation for high quality food.”

NEWS IN BRIEF Suffolk cheesemakers Jonny and Dulcie Crickmore of Fen Farm Dairy were the inspiration for a new storyline in The Archers.

A researcher from the Radio 4 soap visited the couple to learn more about their trip to France to buy a herd of Montbeliarde cows for making the Brie-style Baron Bigod. The story has now been replicated in the show.

Belfast-based Mike’s Fancy Cheese, which makes the raw milk blue Young Buck, plans to open a shop in the city this month. The shop on Little Donegal Street is yet to be named, but will focus on Irish raw milk cheeses.

Carmarthenshire Dairy Products, which operates at the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre, has been forced to recall its Boksburg Blue, and a tonne of the cheese must be destroyed, after the owners failed to get council approval to produce it. The business is run by Steven Peace, previously owner of the Carmarthenshire Cheese Company, which went into liquidation earlier this year.

Chef Raymond Blanc (left) was inducted into the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers last month at a lavish event at The French Ambassador’s Residence in London. Hero +LUVK IURP 3D[WRQ :KLWƓHOG DQG $PQRQ Paldi of La Cave à Fromage, plus FFD’s own Patrick McGuigan, were also inducted into the 554th chapter of the cheese society, which was set up in 1969 by Pierre Androuet and is now headed by Roland Barthélemy (pictured right).

THREE WAYS WITH...

Brie de Meaux One of the most famous of PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheeses, Brie de Meaux must be made with raw cows’ milk in the Ile de France region east of Paris. It is a classic – not to mention a UK deli stalwart – but this soft, white-rinded cheese can be tricky to match with other food and drink because of its pungent aroma, gooey WH[WXUH DQG YHJHWDO ŴDYRXU

Cornichons The acidity and crunch of a good cornichon is hard to beat, especially when it’s cutting through a rich, gooey piece of Brie. Cut the pickle into little slices and lay on top of the cheese on a cracker or serve whole pickles on the side. The colour contrast between the green pickle and the ivory cheese is an added bonus.

Lager Champagne works well with Brie – the bubbles cleanse the palate – and you’re matching a classic French cheese with a classic French drink. But a crisp lager will work in much the same way. Try Thornbridge’s Lukas Helles Lager – a light, refreshing golden beer that has low levels of bitterness and a lively carbonation.

Roasted beetroot The sweet, earthy notes of beetroot meld beautifully with the typical mushroom and EUDVVLFD ŴDYRXUV IRXQG LQ %ULH de Meaux. Lay slices of the roasted vegetable on crunchy bread and add a generous amount of the cheese melted over the top for a greatlooking and punchy canapé.

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

23

CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

Gorsehill Abbey to close after death of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;great cheesemakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE John Axon, The Cheese Hamlet, Manchester

By Patrick McGuigan

Tributes have been paid to Michael Stacey, co-owner of Gorsehill Abbey, who passed away in August aged 75 after a long illness.

With the death of the much-respected cheesemaker comes the closure of the business, as his wife Diane decided to stop production and sell the organic farm near Broadway in the Cotswolds.

The Staceys first began making cheese commercially in 2003 using organic milk from their herd of Montbeliarde and Friesian cows to make the brie-style St Eadburgha, the washed rind St Oswald and two hard cheeses: St Egwin and St Kenelm.

On the day FFD contacted Diane, the cows had just been sent to slaughter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have lived here for 47 years so it will be a terrific wrench,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seeing the cows go off today was very upsetting. They were Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pride and joy. He lived for farming and loved his animals. I am very proud of his

CHEESE IN PROFILE with

ValdeĂłn PGI aka Picos de Europa

Michael Stacey had been making cheese with his organic cowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; milk since 2003

achievements, especially his remarkable success with his cheese venture and am grateful for the many expressions of condolence I have received.â&#x20AC;?

King Stone Dairy owner and cheesemaker David Jowett, who worked at Gorsehill Abbey for two-and-a-half years, told FFD: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Michael was a great teacher â&#x20AC;&#x201C; patient, encouraging, kind, and inquisitive. Without

it is made, ValdeĂłn is the (only slightly) milder cousin of the wild and spicy blue Cabrales. This blue cheese has been made in the LĂŠon region of Northern Spain since at least the 19th century when shepherds would make goatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cheese in chalets high up in the mountains and mature it in mountain caves. A key manufacturer of the cheese is QueserĂ­as Picos de Europa, which was set up in 1986 by Javier and Tomas Alonso â&#x20AC;&#x201C; two brothers whose family have made cheese in the region for generations.

Milk: A mixture of cowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and goatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; milk, pasteurised.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the story?

Also known as Picos de Europa after the peaks in Northern Spain where 24

How is it made?

Under the terms of the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) the cheese must

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

doubt, he has been one of the most influential people on my career.â&#x20AC;?

Paxton & Whitfield MD Ros Windsor also paid tribute to Stacey. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Michael was a great cheesemaker and St Eadburgha was such a delicious, awardwinning cheese. It was a firm favourite on the cheese counter at our Stratford-upon-Avon shop as it was locally madeâ&#x20AC;?

Good customer service is easy to get right once, but maintaining it year after year takes real application. John Axon, owner of the Cheese Hamlet, should know. Some of his regulars were Ć&#x201C;UVW VHUYHG E\ his father back in 1972 when the shop opened for business. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve grown up with them; some even came to my wedding,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They might only spend a few pounds, but they come in every day, have a chat and will then go away and say nice things about you to other people.â&#x20AC;?

A good memory is essential, he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really important to remember peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faces.

If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember their name or what they buy normally, then know their football team or where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been on holiday.â&#x20AC;?

Knowing your product range is equally LPSRUWDQW Ĺ?<RX FDQĹ?W JHW DZD\ ZLWK DQ\ Ĺ´DQQHO Ĺ? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Customers can check everything you tell them on Google. It will come back to bite you, if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know your stuff.â&#x20AC;?

wrapper to cover the outer leaf.

be made in the region of Posada de ValdeĂłn (LeĂłn). It is made all year round and mainly from cowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; milk (approximately 90%) mixed with a small amount of goatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; milk (10%) using the blue mould penicillium roqueforti. It is then matured for at least six weeks and traditionally wrapped in dried sycamore leaves (aka maple Acer pseudoplatanus) with a foil

Appearance & texture: The cheese has a coarse yet thin, patchy natural rind, while the texture of the pale yellow interior is grainy and spreadable punctuated with FDYLWLHV Ć&#x201C;OOHG ZLWK dense blue moulds.

7KH Ĺ´DYRXU LV LQWHQVH salty with a spicy kick and a buttery mouthfeel.

Variations: None Cheesemonger tip: This attractive-looking, leaf-covered cheese adds

interest to a counter and is great for those customers asking for a VWURQJ Ĺ´DYRXUHG FKHHVH Use a sharp knife to score through the leaves before cutting through the paste on the cheese wire.

Recommend it with sticky, sweet accompaniments, VXFK DV Ć&#x201C;J UHOLVK RU SLFNOHG Ć&#x201C;JV Chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendation: It is a great spreading cheese for canapĂŠs and melts easily, so is perfect for a blue cheese sauce.

Serve with a sweet fruity cider that will balance with the salty kick of the cheese, or a sweet white wine, such as Spanish Moscatel.

Whether you have a professional or personal interest in cheese, the Academy of Cheese is D QRW IRU SURĆ&#x201C;W RUJDQLVDWLRQ SURYLGLQJ D FRPSUHKHQVLYH LQGXVWU\ UHFRJQLVHG FHUWLĆ&#x201C;FDWLRQ /HYHO 2QH FRXUVHV DUH available across the UK visit academyofcheese.org to VWDUW \RXU MRXUQH\ WR 0DVWHU RI &KHHVH

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October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

Old Winchester, a very hard cheese with lots of flavour. www.lyburncheese.co.uk 01794 399982

CUT&DRIED

making more of British & Continental charcuterie

Delilah deli partners with Welbeck for own-label range

By Mick Whitworth

Multi-award winning East Midlands retailer Delilah Fine Foods has teamed up with the Welbeck Estate’s School of Artisan Food to develop a range of own-brand cured meats.

The Delilah Artisan Butchery range features bacon and sausages alongside bresaola, coppa, pancetta, guanciale, pastrami and salt beef. They will be sold at Delilah’s original city centre food hall in Nottingham as well as its Leicester offshoot.

The lines are being handproduced at the food school by Delilah operations director Nik Tooley and butchery tutor Rich Summers, a meat consultant who runs butchery, pig-in-a-day and charcuterie courses at Welbeck.

All meat is from locally reared animals, which Tooley said influenced Delilah’s decision to partner with the school.

“We knew the provenance of the meat and we knew the expertise of their team, because quite a few of our own staff have been on training courses there,” he said.

The School of Artisan Food was set up as a charity in 2009

by Alison Swan Parente on her family’s historic estate near Worksop to provide training in disappearing craft food skills.

This is the first time it has worked with a commercial client to produce own-label products.

School of Artisan Food MD Julie Byrne said it had

Bacon is one of eight products being made for Delilah’s two stores at the Welbeck Estate’s School of Artisan Food

Patchwork’s ‘old fogies’ firmly on-trend with 0% fat launch

By Mick Whitworth

Buyers at September’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair showed a healthy interest in the latest launch from Patchwork: four virtually fat-free patés delivering fewer than 70 calories per portion.

The Patchwork Light line-up comprises classic chicken liver, chicken liver with mushrooms

been interesting to develop products “informed by Delilah’s customers”. “We teach our students that it’s not just about the quality of the food they can produce but how they can make it appealing to consumers at a price they will pay,” Byrne said.

“It’s been good for us to practice what we preach.” schoolofartisanfood.org

& garlic, smoked salmon with horseradish, and the vegetarian spicy lentil & walnut, all in 120g pots. RRPs are £3.50 apart from the smoked salmon (£5.10).

Texture has not suffered for the lack of fat, said CEO Rufus Carter. “They don’t have the moussy texture you might expect when you see ‘light’. Run a knife over them and they have the same drag as our original patés.”

Gluten-free and high in protein, they’re “very much ontrend”, Carter said. “They should have been developed by a couple of people in a London shed, not old fogies like us.” patchworkfoods.com

Taking a shot at patés Wild & Game is stalking pubs, delis and restaurants with two patés – grouse, brandy & herb and pheasant, pistachio & port – supplied frozen in 120g tubs. They join a line-up of pies, pastries, ready-meals and sausages from Wild & Game, which was launched last year by shooting fanatic Steve Frampton and businessman and landowner Michael Cannon to raise the consumer profile of game meat. wildandgame.co.uk

GO NATIVE ANDREW SHARP, butcher, Rare Breeds Survival Trust supporter, and teacher at the School of Artisan Food

Let’s talk about the pig Good quality pork is at the heart of all charcuterie, and it should also be at the forefront of the sales message.

In Spain and Italy, generations of producers have made a point of talking about the pig, only using a single named breed.

Now, among the growing band of British charcutiers is a core who recognises that in our traditional breeds we also have something special.

British native-breed pigs are slow maturing, give a good fat-to-meat ratio and a depth of flavour that cannot be matched by commercial breeds.

That is something worth talking about.

For the charcutier looking for product differentiation, and the retailer too, native pigs offer an answer. Like their Continental counterparts they can focus on one breed to bring a consistency of flavour that is important to premium products.

Those who take this route do have to go the extra mile – sometimes many miles – to find pig farmers who can provide a regular supply of animals. But by doing this, they add a backstory that will help sell those meats at the deli counter.

The charcutier who builds a relationship with a small handful of single breed suppliers can ask to have pigs raised to a specific size and age – and age is what really delivers flavour.

They will know where and how the pigs are raised and can build that knowledge of terroir into the product that they pass on to the retailer.

The environment these animals are raised in, where they forage and how they are raised are all part of the story that sells premium foods to discerning consumers.

By bringing breed and provenance into the charcuterie sales message, we also contribute to the conservation efforts for British native breeds of pig – all of which are classified as rare by RBST. If charcutiers make the pig part of their sales story, then consumers will understand just what they are paying for and help ensure a future for those breeds. And everyone wins. rbst.org.uk

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

27

CATEGORY FOCUS

Fill up the pantry

store-cupboard ingredients Kadode Kampot Pepper UK says it has mastered a natural process to lactoferment its GI protected Cambodian fresh green and red kampot peppercorns in order to retain their YLEUDQW HVVHQFH DQG Ĺ´DYRXU Fermented fresh green kampot peppercorns are said to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;juicy with a salty/ sweet balanceâ&#x20AC;?. Trade price ÂŁ3.75 for 25g; ÂŁ7.50 for 50g. kadodepepper.co.uk

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more to pesto than the green, Italian variety, as Epicure is demonstrating, with its new internationallyinspired range of pestos.

7KH OLQH XS IHDWXUHV Ć&#x201C;YH varieties, including South American Chimichurri, South African Chakkalaka and Spanish Mojo Verde.

RRP ÂŁ2.99 for 180g. There are 110 SKUs in the Epicure portfolio, which is owned by Petty Wood & Co. pettywood.co.uk

Derbyshire cottage industry Emmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pantry Preserves has launched a trio of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wartimeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fruit vinegars. Following her grandmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recipes, owner Emma Lidington uses the traditional open pan method to make vinegars from English blackberries, blackcurrants, damsons, plums, raspberries and strawberries. Trade price ÂŁ4 per 250ml bottle (RRP ÂŁ9.99). emmaspantrypreserves. moonfruit.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Use sparingly but embrace wholeheartedlyâ&#x20AC;? is Mahbirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advice on cooking with its premium Indian saffron.

The Coventry-based company claims far fewer strands of its saffron are needed compared to other products. Sporting redesigned packaging, this saffron is sourced direct from a farming co-operative in Kashmir, making it fully traceable â&#x20AC;&#x153;from strand to shelfâ&#x20AC;?. RRP is ÂŁ8.99 for 0.5g; ÂŁ10.99 for 1g. mahbir.com

Former stock trader Carol Banahan is targeting the UK market with a bone broth made from grass-fed Irish beef bones that are simmered for 16 hours â&#x20AC;&#x153;to unlock all the goodness of traditional, homemade bone brothâ&#x20AC;?. Tapping into the current bone broth health craze, this latest product joins Irish beef, chicken and vegetable stock in the Carolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stock Market line-up. RRP ÂŁ7.49 for a 500ml pouch. carolsstockmarket.com

The latest arrival on the sea salt scene is Dorset Sea Salt Co, which launched in late 2017 when 25-year old Jethro Tennant decided to restore an ancient regional tradition. The start-up handharvests salt on the Jurassic Coast, producing natural Ĺ´DNHV DV ZHOO DV VHYHQ Ĺ´DYRXU LQIXVLRQV LQFOXGLQJ celery, chilli, and beetroot & apple. RRP ÂŁ3.99 for pure VDOW e IRU Ĺ´DYRXUHG salts (125g). dorsetseasalt.co.uk

Peckish Kitchen has rebranded 0DQFKHVWHU EDVHG UXEV DQG itsseasonings rhubarb jam to become specialist The Yorkshire custard jam, Smokeyrhubarb Carter &has launched using localGhost rhubarb grown Smokey BBQ Rub,within which the rhubarbthe triangle of West contains infamous Ghost Yorkshire. also launching chilli andItisisits spiciest rub a new Raspberry Collins gin price jam, so far.

RRP ÂŁ3.95.

Trade made withper raspberries ÂŁ14.40 case of 6.steeped in Divine Gin. thesmokeycarter.com peckishkitchen.co.uk

$IWHU UHDFKLQJ LWV Ć&#x201C;UVW \HDU RI Halen MĂ´nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oak-smoked business, water nowHungry comes inSquirrel a 100ml has added maple toThis its glass pipette (RRPpecan ÂŁ4.10). Ĺ´DYRXUHG QXW EXWWHUV 0DGH ZLWK seasoning, from the home of pecans, almonds, Anglesey sea salt, maple can besyrup baked and a hint of mixed spices, the LQWR Ĺ´DWEUHDGV RU DGGHG WR VRXSV smoothand butter has a trade risotto casseroles for aprice rich, of ÂŁ3.95 per 150g jar (RRP ÂŁ5-6).

VPRN\ Ĺ´DYRXU GLPHQVLRQ feedthesquirrel.co.uk halenmĂ´n.com

Womersley nownew Sheminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hasFoods addedistwo sellingblends its fruity jams in a newly spice to its collection. designed gift box. balance Biryani / Pilau (RRPThe ÂŁ3.35 for of herbsisand chilli inofthe 50g) a medley 18three herbsjams â&#x20AC;&#x201C; raspberry blackcurrant and spices, & forchilli, inclusion in & rosemary, and strawberry & Indian dishes, while the Smoky mint â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is said to intensify the 0H[LFDQ EOHQG 553 e IRU Ĺ´DYRXU RI WKH IUXLW 50g) can serve as a base for any womersleyfoods.com 0H[LFDQ GLVK shemins.com

From exotic pepper to premium cooking sauces, there is plenty for the home cook in our round-up of the latest ingredients for the store-cupboard. And, those in need of last-minute Christmas ideas should turn to page 30.

Compiled by Lynda Searby

28

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

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New Sweety Drop red peppers, marketed under RH Amarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cooks&Co brand, are pitched as a versatile store-cupboard ingredient for home chefs. The Amazon Inca Red Drops promise to bring sweetness and gentle heat to salads, pastas, starters and pizzas (RRP ÂŁ2.89 for 235g). cooksandco.co.uk

Tapping into seaweedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culinary potential is Doctor Seaweed, with the launch of its Weed & Wonderful Intense Smoked Culinary Essence. This smoked VHDZHHG Ĺ´DYRXU ERRVWHU LV DLPHG at home gourmands wishing to create on-trend umami and VPRNH Ĺ´DYRXUV 553 e IRU D 50ml bottle with pipette dropper. seaweedandco.com

Exotic rare wild peppers and spices

5LVHUYD GL 0DVVLPR &DUQDUROL ULFH DQG (SLFHV GH &UX VSLFHV DQG SHSSHUV DUH DPRQJ WKH ODWHVW RIIHULQJV IURP Vinegar Shed. The &DUQDUROL ZKLWH ULVRWWR ULFH 553 e IRU NJ

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Coming up with an alternative to traditional rice is Free From Italy which has launched rice-shaped legumes. High in SURWHLQ DQG Ć&#x201C;EUH WKH\ FRPH in four different varieties: chickpea, red lentil, green pea and Tricolour. RRP ÂŁ3.49 per 250g pack. freefromitaly.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

29

store-cupboard ingredients

These pasta sauces are as close to homemade as possible

After four years of searching, importer Tenuta Marmorelle has Ć&#x201C;QDOO\ IRXQG D UDQJH RI ,WDOLDQ SDVWD VDXFHV LW LV happy to put its name to.

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The Coconut Kitchen has launched its Thai style sweet & sour stir fry sauce in a 250ml retail glass bottle, on the back of its popularity with restaurant diners. Layering garlic and chilli with pineapple and soy, the sauce has an RRP of ÂŁ3.99; trade price ÂŁ2.85. thecoconutkitchen.co.uk 30

last-minute christmas ideas

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The QuirkyCookĹ?V WULR RI EODFN selling its fruity jams in a newly garlic relishes might appeal to designed giftlike box.

The balance foodies who to keep abreast of herbs and chilli in the three jams RI IRRG WUHQGV 7KH KRQH\HG Ć&#x201C;J â&#x20AC;&#x201C; raspberry chilli, blackcurrant red pepper &&apricot and apple & date rosemary, and garlic strawberry & & with black relishes mint aâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; trade is saidprice to intensify have of ÂŁ2.95 the (RRP Ĺ´DYRXU RI WKH IUXLW ÂŁ4.50-4.95) for 200g. womersleyfoods.com thequirkycook.co.uk

The Garlic Farm has tweaked its black garlic production method so the cloves retain more moisture and break down more easily in a dish. En vogue in the culinary world, black garlic delivers subtle caramel notes much sweeter than fresh garlic. RRP ÂŁ4.95 for a 50g pot. thegarlicfarm.co.uk

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

Peckish Kitchen has rebranded Shibui Tea has two new blends its rhubarb jam to become for Christmas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; gingerbread and Yorkshire rhubarb & custard is jam, mulled spice.

Gingerbread using local rhubarb grown within a caffeine-free herbal infusion the Westtea andrhubarb mulledtriangle spice is of a black Yorkshire.

It iscome also launching a blend. They in plastic-free new Raspberry Collins gin jam, cardboard tubes containing made raspberries eitherwith 100g loose leafsteeped or 15 in Divine Gin. biodegradable pyramid tea bags.

RRP ÂŁ6. peckishkitchen.co.uk shibui-tea.co.uk

OMGTea has created a gift set for business, Hungry Squirrel matcha lovers. With a trade price of has added pecan ÂŁ29.21 (RRPmaple ÂŁ38.95), the to giftitsbox Ĺ´DYRXUHG QXW EXWWHUV 0DGH ZLWK contains 30g AAA organic matcha pecans, almonds, syrup green tea, a chasenmaple bamboo whisk and a hint of mixed spices, the DQG DQ 20*7HD WHDVSRRQ 7DUJHWLQJ tradeisprice of asmooth slightlybutter lower has priceapoint ÂŁ3.95 per 150g jar (RRP ÂŁ5-6).

20*7HDĹ?V $$$ JUDGH PDWFKD VDFKHW feedthesquirrel.co.uk 14-pack (RRP ÂŁ14.95). omgteas.co.uk

Womersley Foods is now

Experts in vanilla since 1897 A commitment to unrivalled quality has earned Taylor & Colledge a reputation as one of the world’s finest vanilla producers.

Sourcing only the best sustainably-grown vanilla, the range captures the true flavour and aroma of this versatile ingredient.

These are essential products for all baking enthusiasts!

For delicious and inspiring recipes, visit taylorandcolledge.co.uk Taylor & Colledge products can be purchased at all good health and speciality wholesalers

Simply Sensational Ingredients

Ummera Smoked Products Ltd Inchybridge, Timoleague, Co. Cork, WND-86-6WN, Ireland Tel: +353 23 8846644 info@ummera.com · www.ummera.com www.twitter.com/ummera www.facebook.com/ummera

www.cooksandco.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

31

CMT

Continental Continental Meat Meat Technology Technology

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NO COMPROMISE ON QUALITY

THE TASTE OF BRAZIL MADE IN THE UK Sauces to make your taste buds dance!

OUR SAUCES ARE UNIQUE, FULL OF FLAVOUR, AND A GIFT TO IMPRESS.

persian rice pudding recipes and more at www.littlepod.co.uk 32

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

EMAIL: alex.crowe@the-crowes.co.uk WEB: www.the-crowes.co.uk

last-minute christmas ideas The Salthouse & Peppermongersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new Gravadlux kit contains everything that food lovers need to produce beetrootor juniper-cured salmon from home. That includes: four curing pouches with printed cooking instructions, two 100g pouches of Gravadlux curing mix and two small Himalayan salt cooking blocks. Trade price ÂŁ32; RRP ÂŁ46.99. salthouseand peppermongers.com

Play in Chocâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new 24-door advent calendar provides an alternative Christmas countdown option for those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind paying more for a product that is organic, vegan, handmade, mindful of the environment and free IURP GDLU\ DQG UHĆ&#x201C;QHG VXJDU

The Fine Cheese Co has assembled four gift sets for cheese lovers. These include Ĺ&#x152;*LYH D Ć&#x201C;JĹ? Ĺ&#x160; IHDWXULQJ Ć&#x201C;J IUXLW SXUÂŤH VZHHW Ć&#x201C;J FKXWQH\ DQG Ć&#x201C;J Ĺ´DYRXUHG crackers for pairing with goatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, eweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and soft cheese (RRP ÂŁ17.50), and Cherry Pick â&#x20AC;&#x201C; containing FKHUU\ IUXLW SXUÂŤH SLFNOHG cherries and Toast for Cheese as partners for blue cheese (RRP ÂŁ23). Ć&#x201C;QHFKHHVH FR XN

The only added extras are natural colours and flavours

.LGV RSHQ WKH GRRUV WR Ć&#x201C;QG 3D animal self-assembly toys made from biodegradable card, and chocolate treats made from just three ingredients: vanilla, coconut and Peruvian cacao beans.

RRP ÂŁ65. playinchoc.com

How we stock itâ&#x20AC;Ś

With panettone now well established in the UK, this Christmas Tenuta Marmorelle is extending its confectionery offering to take in two types of panforte â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a traditional dessert made in Siena, Tuscany. Margherita panforte (RRP ÂŁ4.15 for 100g; ÂŁ8.25 for 250g) combines almonds, honey, spices and candied citrus SHHO ZKLOVW Ć&#x201C;J QXW SDQIRUWH (RRP ÂŁ4.90 for 100g; ÂŁ8.90 IRU J IHDWXUHV Ć&#x201C;JV DQG walnuts. tenutamarmorelle.com

Cake Aspirations owner Beccy Whittal has launched a new separate brand, Whittalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, for her fudge, which has racked up a number of Great Taste awards, including a threestar in 2017 for its salted caramel variety. At launch, WKHUH DUH Ć&#x201C;YH Ĺ´DYRXUV LQ WKH 100g retail range, as well as advent calendars featuring the three-star salted caramel fudge (RRP ÂŁ7.95-12.95). whittals.co.uk

Fruit & nut toffee is the latest addition to the Walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nonsuch â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;traditional slabâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; UDQJH 7KHb J VODE RI DOPRQG Ĺ´DYRXUbWRIIHH LV WRSSHG ZLWK UDLVLQV DQG WRDVWHG DOPRQG Ĺ´DNHV DQG FRPHV FRPSOHWH ZLWK D WRIIHH KDPPHU 553 e walkers-nonsuch.co.uk

1HZ IRU IURP &RUQLVK FRQIHFWLRQHU\ SURGXFHU Buttermilk LV DQ DGYHQW FDOHQGDU ZLWK D VHUYLQJ RI IXGJH EHKLQG HDFK GRRU (DFK RQH RI WKH KHOSLQJV FRPHV LQ D QRQ SODVWLF KRPH FRPSRVWDEOH ZUDSSHU 553 e buttermilk.co.uk

Just in time for Christmas, Pandora Bell has added a new OHPRQ HOGHUĹ´RZHU Ĺ´DYRXU WR LWV WUDGLWLRQDO sweet collection. Also available in raspberry URVH EODFNEHUU\ FKDPSDJQH UKXEDUE vanilla and grapefruit PLQW WKH VZHHWV DUH vegan and contain only natural colours and Ĺ´DYRXUV 553 e IRU D 370g glass jar. pandorabell.com

SIMON MACDONNELL Papadeli, Clifton, Bristol As Clifton foodie institution Papadeli has been in operation for 18 years, the deliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owners, Simon and Catrin MacDonnell, have established a pattern of sales on which to base Christmas ordering. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just repeat the previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s order, tweaking it according to what sold and what didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell. We do the bulk of our ordering in July/August,â&#x20AC;? says MacDonnell.

During September and October they visit a few food fairs and pick up another three or four new

lines. This year, they are trying out Greek brand Philotimo.

After that, it is just a matter of stock replenishment, with Christmas stock on display from November onwards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With a framework in place we keep topping up throughout November and December â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we place orders right up to 22nd December. From 1st December, most wholesalers start reducing prices so we take advantage of that too.â&#x20AC;? papadeli.co.uk

The Bay Tree KDV FUHDWHG D QXPEHU RI &KULVWPDV JLIW SDFNV WR VXLW D UDQJH RI EXGJHWV IURP WKH PXVWDUG DQG FKLOOL Ĺ&#x152;VXUYLYDOĹ?

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thebaytree.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

33

last-minute christmas ideas

Isle of Man producer Berries is staking its claim as the first food manufacturer in the world to create a range of palm oil-free Christmas puddings, bringing a more ‘ethical’ dessert option to the table. Featuring vine fruits,

Awani Bali’s tropical gift baskets are handwoven by basket weavers in northern Bali and contain colourful hand-printed batik napkins and a selection of tropical fruit preserves. The ‘Balinese breakfast basket’ features pink guava, strawberry kaffir lime and Balinese 34

Free-from chocolate brand Booja Booja is encouraging retailers to make some refrigerator space for its new ‘wonder box’ – a selection box of 20 organic chocolate truffles.

Hazelnut crunch, almond salted caramel, honeycomb caramel, toffee strudel, espresso, rhubarb & vanilla fool, cherry cognac and fine de Champagne all feature in the dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan chilled truffle selection (RRP £17.49). boojabooja.com

Bring a ray of Caribbean sunshine to your Christmas range with Harrison & Griffiths’ rum and fruit cakes, which are hand-made by the Nottingham family bakery. The cakes come in silver gifting tins and have RRPs of £29.50 for a ‘half strength’ 7” rum cake, £24.50 for a 7” fruit cake, and £12.50 for a 4” ‘full strength’ rum cake. harrisonandgriffiths.co.uk

The Chicken Shed’s new cinnamon spice chocolate bar is inspired by a Dutch/Belgian spice mix traditionally used at Christmas time to flavour biscuits and cake. The Oxfordshire chocolatier says the warming flavour of the dairy-free, honeysweetened bar is perfect for a cold day on its own or melted into milk to create a Christmassy hot chocolate. thechickenshed.eu

Lakeland Liqueurs is pitching its new real fruit gin and vodka bauble gift packs as ideal stocking fillers.

Each pack contains 3 x 50ml baubles (RRP £10) and there is a choice of either damson, mulled fruit and rhubarb & ginger gin or raspberry, honey and cherry vodka. lakelandartisan.co.uk

Bursting with sultanas, citrus and candied fruit

Pedro Ximenez sherry and Louis Royer XO brandy, the puddings come in three varieties – luxury, traditional and gluten-free – in two different sizes (454g and 907g). berries.co.im

tangerine preserves in 98g jars (trade price £19.25; RRP £32), while the ‘exotic fruit conserves for cheese’ basket contains tamarillo, lime ginger, passionfruit guava and Balinese tangerine preserves (RRP £40; trade price £24.20). awani.com

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

Raw Halo’s new ‘raw chocolate bar collection’ features three of its best-selling flavours: pure dark 76%, dark & salted caramel and mylk & vanilla. The gift box contains six 22g bars of coconut sugar sweetened, organic, vegan friendly, dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate. RRP £8.99; trade price £5.62. rawhalo.com

teapigs has cited a “big boom in premium advent calendars” as the reason for launching its own tea-themed calendar for the first time this year. ‘24 days of teapigs’ allows tea drinkers to try a new blend every morning in the run up to Christmas. RRP £35. teapigs.co.uk

Responding to growing consumer demand for gluten-free alternatives, Arden & Amici has added a gluten-free recipe to its 100g mini panettone line-up, which it says “offers all the flavour of Italy without compromise” (RRP £2.50). Also new from the Italian bakery is a the ‘tipsy tiramisu’ low bake panettone (RRP £10 for 750g). ardenandamici.com

Meridian Sea has starters covered with three new seafoodbased offerings (portioned to serve 10-11 people). Charlotte of crayfish with rock crab, john dory & mushroom dome and pre-sliced salmon fillets with a prawn mousse are all handproduced by chefs. meridian-sea.com

E S T. 2 0 1 6

We have the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest selection of small-batch vinegars, made with love and care by some of the best European artisans + speciality oils, hand-harvested salts, rare spices, wild peppers & other exciting pantry items including 22 new Great Taste 2018 winners!

For more information on our 3-star, 2-star and 1-star Great Taste 2018 award-winners & trade prices, contact us on 07854892065 or sales@vinegarshed.com www.vinegarshed.com

Most smoked nuts have ďŹ&#x201A;avour added Ours are real - real nuts, real smoke, real taste

Visit cheshiresmokehouse.co.uk for more information Exclusively distributed by Hider Foods. tel: 01482 504333 www.hiderfoods.co.uk

Hickory Smoked Almonds and Cashews

Hickory Smoked Cashews with Black Pepper

Hickory Smoked Almonds

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

35

PINK PEPPER KITCHEN

O R G A N I C â&#x20AC;¢ D A I R Y, G L U T E N & S O YA F R E E

500ml Ice Cream 6 varieties

12 Truffle Gift Box 4 varieties

sales@boojabooja.com | www.boojabooja.com |

FFD CHILLED AD OCT 18.indd 1

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October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

FOR

FRESHER

CHOC OLATES

O R N DE O R W

6 Truffle Treat 8 varieties

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The finest festive free-from treats From stocking fillers to show stoppers Perfect presents and delectable desserts Melt-in-the-mouth and multi award-winning

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FILL YOUR SHELVES WITH JOY THIS CHRISTMAS

The Wonderbox Ultimate Selection

05/10/2018 09:33

SHELF TALK

Ice cream maker ventures into bean-to-bar chocolate

By Lauren Phillips

Established Devon-based ice cream producer, Salcombe Dairy, has begun making bean-to-bar chocolate in a bid to offer a year-round product that it can sell nationally.

The new range, called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Barâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, includes seven varieties (RRP ÂŁ4.95, 80g) all of which mirror Salcombe Dairyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ice cream flavours: milk chocolate orange, dark chocolate with cacao nibs, honeycomb, dark chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate ginger.

The range launched earlier this year but was only sold through the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ice cream parlour in Dartmouth and factory shop in Salcombe.

Having already gained a listing with Darts Farm, Salcombe Dairy is now seeking stockists across the south of England with hopes of national distribution in the future.

Managing director Dan Bly told FFD that the ice cream producer decided to expand into chocolate-making because it was more of a yearround product. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ice cream is very seasonal. It misses out on all the occasions like Christmas and Easter,â&#x20AC;? said Bly, who was inspired by a recent visit to a chocolate operation in Austria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t gift it or send it via the internet and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re stuck selling it within a certain radius. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bean-to-bar market has really developed over the last 10 years and it was an area that we felt we could add value.â&#x20AC;?

Bly travelled to Italy to learn more about the skills needed to create bean-to-bar chocolate. He

also brought in outside expertise to train current staff as well as specialist machinery for a new production facility on site. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chocolate production is a dry process. I see well-known adverts saying they have a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;glass & a halfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in a chocolate bar and it makes me laugh,â&#x20AC;? said Bly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cocoa beans have at least 50% cocoa butter so have a high fat content and the rest is liquid. Liquid and oils donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work together.â&#x20AC;?

With the initial launch under its belt, Salcombe Dairy is now launching two new flavours in time for the Christmas period including a Salcombe gin & juniper bar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also developing a new bar which is half way between a dark and milk chocolate,â&#x20AC;? added Bly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really love the flavour of it. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hoping to eventually release it and call it Evening Star.â&#x20AC;? salcombedairy.co.uk

Hodmedodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s releases first ever British-grown chia seeds

By Lauren Phillips 7KH Ć&#x201C;UVW KDUYHVW RI FKLD VHHGV WKDW KDYH JURZQ RQ %ULWLVK VRLO DUH ODXQFKLQJ WR PDUNHW E\ SXOVH DQG JUDLQ SURGXFHU +RGPHGRGĹ?V 7KH OLPLWHG KDUYHVW RI FKLD VHHGV ZLOO EH DYDLODEOH WR EX\ LQ J UHWDLO SDFNV 553 e DQG LV DOUHDG\ VWRFNHG E\ 0DQFKHVWHU EDVHG LQGHSHQGHQW ZKROHIRRG UHWDLOHU 8QLFRUQ *URFHU\ Ĺ?:H DUH GHOLJKWHG WR EH DEOH WR RIIHU %ULWLVK JURZQ FKLD VHHGV DV DQRWKHU VWHS LQ RXU PLVVLRQ WR LQFUHDVH WKH GLYHUVLW\ RI ERWK %ULWLVK IDUPLQJ DQG %ULWLVK GLHWV Ĺ? VDLG FR IRXQGHU RI +RGPHGRG 1LFN 6DOWPDUVK

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Displays that pay PEP-UP YOUR SHELVES WITH THE GUILD OF FINE FOODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RESIDENT MERCHANDISING QUEEN JILLY SITCH 7KH\ PD\ PRYH D OLWWOH PRUH IUHHO\ WKDQ \RXU VKHOYHV FKLOOHUV DQG WDEOHV EXW \RXU VWDII DUH VWLOO YHVVHOV IRU WKH VWRFN LQ \RXU VKRS 6R \RX QHHG WR PDNH VXUH WKH\Ĺ?UH ORRNLQJ JRRG Ĺ&#x160; DW all times. ,Ĺ?P QRW VD\LQJ \RX QHHG WR GHFN WKHP RXW LQ GLFNLH ERZV RU WDEDUGV EXW DW WKH YHU\ OHDVW \RX QHHG RQH SLHFH RI FORWKLQJ WKDW HDVLO\ LGHQWLĆ&#x201C;HV WKHP DQG XQLWHV WKHP DV VWDII $ EUDQGHG DSURQ LV D EDUH PLQLPXP Go further, though, and VWLSXODWH WKH colour of t-shirt and shade of denim that goes under WKDW DSURQ 7KLV ZLOO PDNH WKLQJV LQĆ&#x201C;QLWHO\ tidier and SURIHVVLRQDO (YHU\RQH VKRXOG KDYH a name badge, too. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s common sense DQG ZLOO DOVR ERRVW WKH LPSDFW RI DQ\ Ĺ&#x152;VWDII UHFRPPHQGDWLRQĹ? PHUFKDQGLVLQJ LQ WKH VKRS /LNH LW RU QRW ZH DOO MXGJH E\ DSSHDUDQFH 6R LI \RXU VWDII ORRN ZHOO SUHVHQWHG DQG UHDG\ for action, customers will buy more from them.

3OXV HYHU\RQH ORYHV D PDQ RU ZRPDQ LQ uniform, right?

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW SODQW LQ WKH PLQW IDPLO\ QDWLYH WR &HQWUDO $PHULFD KDV LQFUHDVHG LQ SRSXODULW\ LQ WKH 8. LQ UHFHQW \HDUV 7KH Ĺ´RZHULQJ SODQW QDPHG 6DOYLD KLVSDQLFD ZDV SUHYLRXVO\ WKRXJKW WR EH XQDEOH WR JURZ WR PDWXULW\ LQ WKH 8. FOLPDWH EXW WKH )DLUV VHOHFWHG D VWUDLQ WKDW KDV ULSHQHG DQG \LHOGHG ZHOO RQ WKHLU (VVH[ IDUP Ĺ?:H EHOLHYH ZH KDYH VXFFHVVIXOO\ KDUYHVWHG WKH Ć&#x201C;UVW FRPPHUFLDO FURS RI FKLD VHHG LQ WKH 8. 7KH FURS UHFHLYHG QR SHVWLFLGHV DQG ERWK \LHOG DQG TXDOLW\ IDU H[FHHG RXU H[SHFWDWLRQV Ĺ? VDLG 3HWHU hodmedods.co.uk

3RUN EDVHG VQDFNLQJ VSHFLDOLVW Serious Pig has branched out with the launch of two QXW SURGXFWV RYHQ EDNHG SHDQXWV DQG DOPRQGV seasoned with Cornish Sea Salt Co. The nuts are DYDLODEOH IRU UHWDLO DQG LQ FUDIW beer outlets. RRP ÂŁ1 for the SHDQXW YDULHW\ DQG 553 e for the almonds. seriouspig.london Cream & Country is a new ice cream brand with a range of 120ml tubs. Its Ĺ´DYRXUV DUH LQVSLUHG by the â&#x20AC;&#x153;classic tastes of Britainâ&#x20AC;?, including English cream tea, rhubarb & ginger, an (QJOLVK VSDUNOLQJ ZLQH HOGHUĹ´RZHU VRUEHW DQG D FODVVLF YDQLOOD creamandcountry.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

37

SHELF TALK My magic ingredient

WHAT’S NEW Popti Cornish Bakehouse has developed a range of crackers for cheese in four flavours: oat & Cornish buttermilk (strong, blue cheese), beetroot & caraway (soft goats’ cheese), multiseed (mature cheddar) and cracked black pepper (soft brie). RRP £2.75, 100130g, available in boxes of 12 units. theartisanfoodvillage.com Ice cream producer Yee Kwan has created a chocolate flavour which has the addition of sweet miso for a “salty caramel taste which is naturally gluten-free”. The new flavour joins the existing line-up including lychee, matcha green tea and toasted coconut. RRP £4.99, 500ml. yeekwan.com Kentish Oils has launched three new blended rapeseed oils: garden mint, rosemary, and basil.

The full range now has seven varieties, including lemon, garlic & herbs, and jalapeño chilli. Trade price £3.06, 250ml (RRP £4.25). kentishoils.co.uk

Natural Umber Organic apple cider vinegar CHARLES CAMPION Food critic At the heart of all good cooking you’ll find balance and contrast: sweet meets sharp; salt meets sour; bitter meets umami. Look into any cheffy storecupboard and you’ll find a range of bottles and potions that offer a belt of concentrated flavour to adjust that all-important balance.

Natural Umber is an organic apple cider vinegar made by the Mackle family in County Tyrone. This is a raw, organic and unfiltered product and is bottled including pieces of the “Vinegar Mother”. It is amazingly powerful – lots of apple fruitiness and acidity to balance the natural sweetness. Just the thing to replace balsamic in dressings, add zip to soups and casseroles and to drink by the tumbler! (Two dessertspoons of Umber in a tall glass of water).

Cider vinegar has long been a folk remedy and with the increasing emphasis on fermented food Natural Umber is a great source of good bacteria.

On top of which it tastes good enough to have picked up three stars at Great Taste.

Charles got his from the Jesse Smith Farm Shop in Cirencester

Cake Aspirations launches sister company Whittal’s

By Lauren Phillips

Custom cakemaker and confectioner Cake Aspirations is taking its award-winning fudge in a new direction with the launch of a sister company.

The new confectionery brand, called Whittal’s, will house five fudge flavours originally sold under the Cake Aspirations banner: salted caramel, maple & pecan, rum & raisin, chocolate orange and classic vanilla (RRP £3.50-3.95, 100g).

Chef and proprietor Becky Whittal said she decided to develop the sister brand to push both her cake and confectionery businesses in clearer, separate directions.

“Selling the fudge under the original name was very misleading, so both businesses will benefit from this new launch,” said Whittal.

The fudge comes in 100g bags with a logo featuring an image of a lion and a tagline reading ‘deliciously proud,

Whittal’s has opted for bolder, more dramatic packaging

38

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

courageously different’.

Whittal told FFD she wanted to move away from the twee imagery often used in confectionery and take the new brand in a much cleaner, bolder and edgier direction.

“We wanted the brand to look regal, high-end and strong,” says Whittal. “I’ve got a small team, we’re not massproduced and I wanted the branding to show that we’ve come a long way in the last two years.”

She added: “There is nothing else like it on the market and I like to think it reflects who I am and how far my business has come.”

The range will be available on Whittal’s new website at the beginning of November.

Retailers looking to list the products can get in touch with the company directly. Trade price £1.99 per 100g unit, available in cases of 12.

whittals.co.uk cakeaspirations.co.uk

Lots of apple fruitiness and acidity to balance the natural sweetness

Hot, spicy flavours are not typically associated with Spanish cuisine but Brindisa is hoping to change that with its latest import.

The wholesaler is introducing two hot sauces which are made by Salsa Bastarda, a small producer from Cantabria on Spain’s north coast.

The Bastarda Green hot sauce is said to have a fruity flavour with touches of spice and a moderately hot finish. The red variety has a rich, umami aroma with “notes of ripe tomato and a late arriving heat which lingers in the mouth”.

RRP £6.25, 120g bottle. brindisa.com

Great British Cheese Awards 2016 Winner: Best Artisan Cheese Producer Great Taste 2017 3-Star award-winner · Great Taste 2018 2 star Great Taste award winner

The last farm made UDZ PLON /DQFDVKLUH &KŸVH At Mrs Kirkham’s we have been making our award-winning Lancashire for 3 generations, using the same techniques and ingredients as the generations before.

We use only the rich creamy milk from our own closed herd of Holstien Frieisan Cows, to create what we believe to be a true traditional Lancashire, which is an ivory yellow in colour and has a rich buttery crumble.

www.mrskirkhamscheese.co.uk info@mrskirkhamscheese.co.uk · 01772 865335

Cheesecake Available to Order Now Telephone 01274 590698 or email: Sales@just-desserts.co.uk www.just-desserts.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

39

SHELF TALK Nut-stuffed red dates hit UK snack market

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW 'DLU\ IUHH FKRFRODWH SURGXFHU Booja-Booja has XQYHLOHG WZR QHZ FKRFRODWH WUXIĹ´H Ĺ´DYRXUV KRQH\FRPE FDUDPHO DQG WRIIHH VWUXGHO 553 e

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By Lauren Phillips

London-based start-up Abakus Foods has entered the market with a new on-the-go snack food: nut-stuffed red dates.

The new product comes in 18g packs, which include three red dates filled with either almonds, walnuts, cashews or a mixture of each.

RRP ÂŁ1.19-1.49.

Abakus Foods said the addition of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;creamy and nutty flavour of the nuts complements the natural sweetness of the red datesâ&#x20AC;? creating a guilt-free snacking treat.

Red dates, also known as jujube fruits, originate from China and are consumed for their health benefits.

Helen Wang, founder of Abakus Foods brought the fruit to the UK last year and said she was overwhelmed by the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s positive response to them.

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TRENDING NICK BAINES .((36 <28 83 72 '$7( :,7+ 7+( 1(:(67 ',6+(6 )/$92856 $1' ,1129$7,216 ,1 )22' '5,1.

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October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Despite being largely unknown in the UK people have quickly embraced the lovely sweet red dates, and our loyal following is growing each day,â&#x20AC;? said Wang. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are committed to bringing the highest quality products for the best value, and to make tasty and wholesome snacks more accessible to everyone.â&#x20AC;?

The company is also introducing a smaller snack pack version of its original Chewy Red Dates and Crunchy Red Date Crisps. abakusfoods.com

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civitafood.com

A producer behind an award-winning range of beetroot ketchups has developed a range of Ĺ´DYRXUHG PD\RQQDLVHV LQFOXGLQJ WKH 8.Ĺ?V Ć&#x201C;UVW FRFRQXW PD\R The Foraging Fox QRZ PDNHV JOXWHQ IUHH DQG YHJHWDULDQ IULHQGO\ PD\R LQ WKUHH Ĺ´DYRXUV FRFRQXW FKLOOL OLPH DYRFDGR OHPRQ DQG VPRNHG JDUOLF 553 e J JODVV MDUV foragingfox.com

Cakes for Gifting A new cake range from Stag Bakeries

Available in three varieties. Launching November 2018. www.stagbakeries.co.uk Tel: 01851 702733 e-mail: sales@stagbakeries.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

41

DELI OF THE MONTH It began with a vague plan to revive a historic high street butcher’s shop. Less than two years later, Cotswolds start-up Fillet & Bone has just been named the UK’s best new specialist food store.

Interview by Mick Whitworth

Take a butcher’s PLENTY OF DELIS OPEN on a wave of enthusiasm, only to fail for want of a realistic business plan. It takes luck and a whole heap of commercial nous to get away with no plan at all – and even more to go from zero to hero in less than two years.

But that’s pretty much the story at Fillet & Bone, which, barely 18 months from start-up, has just been crowned Best Newcomer in the national Shop of the Year awards.

Nestled amid the honey-coloured limestone store fronts of Chipping Campden high street, the store – a butcher’s, greengrocer, deli and wine shop – was started almost on a whim by veteran West Midlands entrepreneurs Pat Willins and Chris Gates.

Willins had just retired from her family’s electrical contracting firm, while her partner was starting to wind down from his global engineering business. They were looking for a Cotswold home and fell for the former L Smith VITAL STATISTICS

Location: High Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6AT Minimum margins: ambient 35%, fresh 40% Turnover: Over £300k in year one Staffing (including owners): 5 full-time, 2 part-time, 2 casual 42

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

butcher’s shop – complete with redundant abattoir at the rear – which had recently closed after generations in the same hands.

“We thought it was an amazing building,” says Willins, when I meet her and general manager Tom Greenstock at the shop on a glorious late September morning. “So we moved into the flat above for a while, and thought we’d develop the whole site.”

At this stage, she admits, there was no grand plan for the shop, which had closed six months earlier. (It was as if the previous butcher had just hung up his coat and left, she recalls.) “Chris and I just thought we’d refit it and let it out. But it became evident early on that any butcher would want a fairly long lease - three to five years – and no-one really struck us as right for it.”

The couple were already rashly toying with re-opening the butcher’s themselves when news emerged that Chipping Campden’s fruit & veg shop, owned by wholesaler Drinkwater, was also

closing. Neither of Campden’s other two delis – one more focused on bakery, the other on cheese and wine – sold fruit & veg. For Willins and Gates, who were already starting to feel part of the local community, this was the clincher.

“In the space of two or three months, people here were losing their butcher and their greengrocer,” says Willins. “So we spoke to Drinkwater, and said, ‘If you’ll supply us, we can replace them both.’”

The couple have no lack of business experience, but moving from engineering into two notoriously difficult sectors of fresh produce is still a bit of a leap. “We thought, ‘How hard can it be?’” says Willins, tongue firmly in cheek. “‘We have the right background... in manufacturing and electrical contracting!”

To see them through the set-up phase – and as the vision widened to take in “beer and cheese and perhaps a bottle of wine to go with it” – they brought in short-term foodie assistance in the

MUST-STOCKS Cotswolds Distillery gin Own-label wines: - Slaughter House Red Chilean Merlot -B one Dry White Italian Pinot Grigio Garganega Windrush garlic & herb goats’ cheese Spoonable Gorgonzola The Handmade Scotch Egg Co scotch eggs (whole range) Willy’s organic apple cider vinegar Cotswold RAW Meaty Sticks dog chews Cotswold Gold rapeseed oil Svensson’s Swedish crispbreads Cotswold honey Ethical Addictions coffee – Macharé Blend Love Smoked smoked salmon Mr Filbert’s French rosemary almonds The Parsnipship Glamorgan Crumble

shape of Barry Hancox, a retail and restaurant consultant whose CV included stints with Claridges, The Daffodil in Cheltenham and (briefly) Dalesford Organic. “Barry was a great asset during start-up,” says Willins, “especially with helping us find local suppliers. Without his input we would never have fast-tracked as well as we did.”

But it was another hospitality specialist who subsequently joined Fillet & Bone to bolster its food skills and take the business forward.

Tom Greenstock comes from a family of hoteliers and spent 12 years running the Horse & Groom in Bourton-on-the-hill with brother Will, culminating in winning Best Pub in the Good Pub Guide 2016. He had just sold the business when he hooked up with Willins and Gates. “I had a non-compete agreement as part of the pub sale,” he said, “and this was everything I love, but in retail, not foodservice.”

Greenstock is now general manager, with Willins working full-time alongside him and Chris Gates filling in as one of the shop’s two part-time staff.

Other full-timers include Ben Allan, a former

builder who has thrown himself heart-and-soul into his new trade – and who joined Greenstock in London to collect the Shop of the Year award last month.

“It’s a small team, but everyone’s commited,” says Willins. “Ben has taken some courses and also spends a lot of his own time learning more about butchery. He’s intelligent, keen and really cares about it – which is the great thing about all our staff.”

Although the vision for Fillet & Bone swiftly grew beyond fresh meat, Greenstock says it’s central to the business. “It’s a hard one to quantify, because the sheer value of meat means it consistently provides six of our top 10 biggest sellers. But it’s going very well – especially since we’ve moved from buying joints to whole animals.

“For beef, we have two local farms, one producing Highlands and the other one Dexters.

One of those animals tends to last us a couple of weeks, and we alternate between them. Even if we don’t have space for the whole carcase we buy it whole and the abattoir holds it for us.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

43

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DELI OF THE MONTH “It’s more work for Ben, but our margin is that much bigger.”

Turkeys for the crucial festive market come from Adlington, and brought the shop “fantastic feedback” after its first Christmas.

Free-range corn-fed chickens come from Label Anglaise - a supplier linked to Adlington and one that Greenstock brought with him from the Coach & Horses. “We’re getting all our poultry from them now,” he says. “They’re a great company to deal with.”

Clear provenance is seen as a vital point of difference for Fillet & Bone, most of whose customers do their weekly shop at Waitrose. As newcomers to retail, both Greenstock and Willins are reluctant to catalogue-shop from the usual speciality wholesalers, but admit that finding and dealing with small suppliers has been a challenge.

“It’s consistency, as much as anything,” says Greenstock. “You might find a chutney maker who has set up in business because they love what they’re doing, but they don’t have a clue about labelling, best-before dates or deliveries.”

Willins adds: “Pricing is the classic thing.

Some people have not even thought about the fact we need to make a margin too.”

Love Smoked salmon, Windrush goats’ cheese, Svensson’s Swedish crispbreads and, surprisingly, Cotswold RAW dog chews are among the local suppliers on Fillet & Bone’s must-stocks list. But it also carries some familiar national brands – Tracklements, Atkins & Potts, Shropshire Herbs, Steenberg’s, Border Biscuits – where a better local alternative isn’t available.

But the shelves are more curated than crammed, and Greenstock says he has pared back the range as the real money-makers have emerged. “It’s been a serious learning curve on ambient. We’ve sold around 1,800 different lines over the past year, but you won’t find that number on the shelves now. We’ve phased out things that didn’t sell.”

The cheese counter too has been reined back a little. Set up with valuable help from Simeon Hudson-Evans of wholesaler Aubrey Allen, it’s a tight but appealing mix of Brits and Continentals, with some cheeses on rotation.

Locals include both Rollright and Evenlode from local man-of-the-moment David Jowett, and Truffle Gloucester: a collaboration between Simon Weaver Cotswold Organic Dairy and The Truffle Hunter. But a spoonable Gorgonzola is also among the must-stocks here.

Alongside Aubrey Allen, Fillet & Bone buys cheese from H&B, Ceci Hill and Fowlers of Eastwood. “It’s useful to have more than one supplier,” says Greenstock. “They tend to sharpen their pencils more when they have a bit of competition.”

Switching from hospitality to retail has been “a real eye-opener”, he says. “One of the things I struggled with at first was waste, especially on fresh stuff. It breaks your heart to see food going in the bin.”

But these losses have already been cut as weekly and seasonal trading patterns have become clearer. Waste will be mitigated further when a proposed new kitchen and eatery are

opened at the rear of the premises. Exactly what form this will take is still being decided – “bistro, cafe, restaurant - who knows?” says Greenstock – but it should dramatically improve usage of fresh produce.

Plans have already been approved for this new phase of development, which will see the removal of the former abattoir immediately behind the shop. Out of use for at least 15 years, it’s still rather unnervingly intact, complete with killing stall - a reminder of a time when slaughtering was a much more local and small-scale operation.

This history may not be one to dwell on once the new eatery takes its place, but a bit of black humour has crept into the naming of Fillet & Bone's own-label wines: Bone Dry White and Slaughter House Red. A functioning funny-bone comes in handy for any start-up, but Willins doesn’t underestimate the special challenges of retail.

“Chris and I both have a business background, and the fundamental rules – the profit and loss – apply wherever you are. But this is a tough old business. You’re dealing with the general public, not with manufacturing components. The volume of paperwork is never ending. You can never get your wastage spot on and you’re always trying to hit minimum order values.”

But she adds: “This has been hugely interesting. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy it.”

And Newcomer of the Year in a national competition? Surely worth coming out of retirement for. filletandbone.co.uk

We’ve sold around 1,800 different lines over the past year, but you won’t find that number on the shelves now

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

45

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AWARD WINNERS

Rising stars

Out of a record-breaking 12,634 entries, Great Taste 2018 saw a total of 4,653 products awarded a 1-, 2- or 3-star. Discover a selection of products which scooped the coveted award.

Derbyshire-based The Creative Kitchen Company picked up a two-star award in Great Taste this year for its gluten-free Lemon Drizzle loaf. The judges were impressed by the product, adding that they wouldn’t have guessed the loaf was gluten-free if they hadn’t been told. Hand-made to order, this awardwinning cake can be enjoyed by those with or without dietary requirements. Trade £12 per cake, 12 portions (RRP £3.50 per portion). thecreativekitchencompany.co.uk

Hunter & Gather received two one-star awards this year for its Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Avocado Oil and classic Avocado Oil Mayonnaise. The avocado oil (RRP £6.29, 250ml) is a “luscious emerald green colour with a soft buttery taste and aroma”, and ideal for drizzling, cooking, or as a dipping oil. The mayonnaise (RRP £5.99, 250g or £4.49, 175g) is made with four ingredients (avocado oil, British free-range eggs, apple cider vinegar and Himalayan salt) and has “a homemade taste” – perfect for dolloping on salads or dipping sweet potato fries into. hunterandgatherfoods.com

$OUHDG\ ZRZLQJ WKH OLNHV RI 0LFKHO 5RX[ -U ZKR praised the juices for being “distinct, delicious, and unique”, Cotchel impressed Great Taste judges this year with its Topaz & Evelina apple juice which received a three star. This classic juice KDV D EDODQFH RI VZHHW DQG VKDUS ZLWK D VRIW ƓQLVK and is available in 750ml (RRP £3.50) and 240ml (RRP £2) bottles. What is even more impressive is that Cotchel creates its delicious juices from unwanted and wasted fruit. cotchel.uk

Cheesemaker Joseph Heler has been making its Cheshire cheese to a traditional family recipe for over 60 years. This year, the cheese was awarded a two-star by the judges who described it as “delightful” and “a pleasantly crumbly Cheshire with a characteristic tang”. The cheese sits alongside Leicester (a one-star award winner this year), Gloucester and Blackstone Cheddar, making up a small range of Classics now available in deli or pre-packed formats. joseph-heler.co.uk

Mighty Fine Things produces a range of liqueurs, gins and shrubs (a mixture of apple cider vinegar, IUXLW ŴDYRXUV XVLQJ .HQWLVK IUXLW DQG KRQH\ XQGHU the brand Coxy’s Kent Liqueurs.

This year, four of its products received Great Taste awards including three stars for LWV HOGHUŴRZHU KRQH\ YDULHW\ -XGJHV ZHUH bowled over by the “honey that gives a beautiful texture and mouthfeel, and a lingering very pleasant sweetness”. It also received one-star awards for its Kentish Raspberry Shrub, Spiced Kentish Damson Shrub, and Cherry Bomb.

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Munchy Seeds has been blending, URDVWLQJ DQG ŴDYRXULQJ SUHPLXP VHHGV in the UK for more than 19 years using UK-grown seeds where possible. It picked up a two-star award this year for its Choccy Ginger, an “indulgent mixture of rich, dark chocolate coated seeds and crystallised ginger” (RRP £0.87, 25g). Pitched as a healthier alternative to a chocolate bar, the award-winner sits alongside its other seed blends including honey seeds, savoury seeds, smoky chipotle and salted caramel. munchyseeds.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

47

THE GALLERY, SPRINGALLS WHARF, 25A, BERMONDSEY WALL WEST, LONDON SE16 4TH 020 7237 1750 WWW.FRENCHFLINT.COM

A selection of ‘Great Taste’ award winning sticky puddings, handmade from our kitchen in the Cotswolds

‘Gloriously Handmade’ is our tag line and these delicious puddings really are just that! Produced in the small village of Poulton in the Cotswolds, each pudding requires just a handful of locally-sourced ingredients to create their sumptuous flavours with light sponges and rich, sticky sauces.

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Sticky Lemon Pudding

48

Gluten-Free Sticky Toffee Pudding

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

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THE FINEST SMOKED AT L A N T I C S A L M O N FROM THE ISLE OF LEWIS W W W. U I G L O D G E . C O. U K T. 0 1 8 5 1 6 7 2 3 9 6

AWARD WINNERS Robert Wilson’s Ceylon Tea received a total of seven awards for its range of premium blends including five two-star awards. Its single-estate Nayapane F.B.O.P loose tea was among the two-star winners. Nayapane is a mid-country estate in the Kandy tea district of Sri Lanka and lies in the central mountains at an average height of 2,900 feet (884 metres). The company says this location is what gives the tea its reddish colour and “some body to take milk”. Trade price £5.14 per single unit and £95 per carton of 20 units (RRP £7.71). wilstea.com

Teesdale Cheesemakers in County Durham picked up a one-star this year for its new Barney Brie. A unique take on traditional brie, this pasteurised cheese has “a soft texture” and “robust mouthful of flavour”. The producer doesn’t use cultures to create the usual white coat, instead the brie develops a natural rind which is influenced by the local flora and fauna of Teesdale and changes throughout the year. teesdalecheesemakers.co.uk

St. Bartholomew and Bix are the two award-winning, organic cheeses produced

by Nettlebed Creamery in South Oxfordshire. The alpine-style semi-hard St. Bartholomew received two stars. Weighing in between 1.6kg and 2kg with a diameter of 20cm, the cheese has a smooth texture and deep, nutty flavour. Bix (pictured left), a soft triplecream cheese inspired by the soft French cow’s milk cheese Chaource, picked up a onestar award. nettlebedcreamery.com

Artisan cake producer Liza Bakes was awarded a one-star for its fruit and ale cake.

Described as “beautifully moist and very fruity”, the cake has a distinctive character of rich, intense flavours and aroma. Each cake is topped with a sweet glazing of Demerara sugar and chopped almonds to add a crunchy texture. Serve with a morning coffee, afternoon tea or try pairing with a fine wine, beer or sliver of cheese. The fruit and ale cake is supplied as a wrapped loaf cake 15cm x 10cm for resale or 30cm x 15cm for slicing. lizabakes.co.uk

Worcester-based Teme Valley Brewery has been brewing cask and bottle conditioned beers since 1997. This year, the brewery received two one-star awards for its Hearthwarmer and Talbot Blonde. Hearthwarmer is a deep coloured winter beer with Herefordshiregrown Cascade hops which offer berry aromas. Trade price £18.35 + VAT for 12 x 500ml. Talbot Blonde was bottled for the first time in 2017 and is a golden and hoppy best bitter. It uses Pilgrim and Minstrel hops to balance the light biscuit malt flavours, making it a very drinkable beer. temevalleybrewery. co.uk

Haven Distillery won two stars this year for its Sly Gin – a classic London dry with rich sprucelike juniper with deep complex herbal and spicy notes. The gin is hand-crafted in very small batches by Duncan and Alex Fox in their cottage distillery situated in the Herefordshire countryside using botanicals grown in their garden. The herbs and flowers are cold-distilled to preserve their fresh flavours, merged with vapour infused juniper and proofed to 43% ABV with naturally pure Malvern Holywell water to create a “genuinely good gin”. Sold in 20cl (RRP £13.50-15) and 70cl bottle (£35-38). havendistillery.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

49

GUILD TALK 7KH *XLOG RI )LQH )RRG UHSUHVHQWV ƓQH IRRG VKRSV DQG VSHFLDOLVW VXSSOLHUV :DQW WR MRLQ WKHP"

View from HQ

The real revelation was meeting and talking in a real room rather than a chat room

By John Farrand managing director

SHOP OF THE YEAR was a triumph for all involved: the judges, the retailers and the organiser (that’s us).

But its gong-giving climax last month (see page 11) came with a rather unexpected bonus.

Along with all the Tweeting, Instagramming and other virtual stuff around the event, the revelation was (say it quietly) meeting and talking in a real room rather than a chat room.

Look at these testimonials that

Meet the Guild Steering Group &KDUOLH Turnbull

Academy of Cheese director and founder of Delishops MOST ADMIRED BRAND...

I really like Peter’s Yard. The product is fantastic, price point good, packaging distinctive, plus it’s brilliant with some of my

favourite cheeses. A real banker over the counter and I never don’t want some in my own kitchen. I am slightly watching this space as they’re in supermarkets as well as the independent sector, which always makes for choppy waters. ....AND MOST ADMIRED RETAILER I’ve worked a lot with Georgie Mason at Gonalston farm shop, and her attention to detail is fantastic, plus she has built her business from nothing. The shop is a converted calving shed but her business is as professional as one person can make it. On a bigger scale, 2018’s Shop of the Year

50

popped into my inbox after the event at No. 42 Southwark St, our London home.

“It was a great gathering of food shop people, and we put quite a few faces to email addresses and Instagram photos – such fun!”

"The final event was a great networking opportunity. It's not often you get that number of retailers in a confined space from across the country, forced to talk to each other – a real opportunity going forward!”

The key word above is ‘forced’.

It took a lot of arm-twisting to get some of those retailers out of their shops and on a train to London.

But once they were there, they actually had a ball.

Fun, yes, but by the measure of the feedback it was also massively useful for swapping ideas.

At its simplest level, it’s just useful to get to know other independents. It can be a lonely trade. And we may have picked up

some fresh retail blood to sit on our steering group.

There’s some useful stuff in the feedback given to all this year’s shortlisted shops by our judges and Insight6 mystery shoppers.

Their hints, tips and constructive criticism will resonate with any deli or farm shop, and we'll be sharing some of it here in Guild Talk in the coming months.

Some themes that leapt out at me: delis and grocers in London who seemed to love their locals more than a strange face; farm shops that just had too many lines (especially in cheese, it seems); a disappointing experience at the till.

In 10 years the multiples won’t have tills. You’ll pay via your phone as you cross the monolith’s threshold. We must keep ours. It's not just your last chance to upsell; it lets you do something that, before long, the big boys clearly will not: talk to your customer.

farm shop winner, Keelham Farm Shop, is a role model for us all. At £20m-plus turnover they really are breaking boundaries for our sector.

%85*(5 .,1* 25 0 6 6$/$'" Neither. Ginster sausage roll, if I can’t find better. Quite partial to the M&S sushi if I can find a selection that has fish in all the pieces, not just the ones not hidden by the label.

BEST BUSINESS MOMENT Opening my shop and closing my shop in Shaftesbury, Dorset.

Loved doing it, very happy to have called it a day.

35,9$7( 3$66,21" The other afternoon, I saw a guy reading in the sunshine on a bench in a park. I wish I had time to do just that.

:+$7ō6 <285 *8,/7< )22' 6(&5(7" I eat a pork pie every day I work from home. And I drink Coke, like baked beans and finish my kids’ fish fingers off the plate.

WHO’S WHO AT GUILD HQ

Guild of Fine Food Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK

Managing director: John Farrand Marketing director: Tortie Farrand Commercial director: Christabel Cairns Sales director: Sally Coley

October-November 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 9

HALF FULL OR HALF (037<" Life is always half full, my stomach is always half empty.

AND YOUR BIGGEST %86,1(66 &/$1*(5" Not enough space here.

Probably trying to get a website buIlt in India.

Worse than a complete waste of time and money, it created problems I’m still sorting out.

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065 info@gff.co.uk gff.co.uk

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Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executive: Becky Haskett Events assistant: Stephanie Rogers Operations manager: Karen Price

• The retailers and suppliers on the Guild Steering Group meet quarterly to help shape and improve services to members and the wider industry. Want to join them? Email john.farrand@gff.co.uk for details.

Operations assistants: Claire Powell, Janet Baxter Training & events manager: Jilly Sitch Circulation manager: Nick Crosley

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

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For the Conservatives, the overarching conference message was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;we are the party of businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

The word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall ACS THE PARTY CONFERENCE season KDV Ć&#x201C;QLVKHG DQG QHLWKHU /DERXU QRU WKH &RQVHUYDWLYHV SURGXFHG WKH Ć&#x201C;UHZRUNV , H[SHFWHG %RWK OHDGHUV GHOLYHUHG VROLG VSHHFKHV SOD\LQJ VXFFHVVIXOO\ WR WKHLU EDVH DQG PRYLQJ SDVW WKH LVVXHV WKDW KDYH GLYLGHG RU GLVWUDFWHG WKHLU SDUWLHV %\ ZKLFK , PHDQ 7KHUHVD 0D\ QRW PHQWLRQLQJ Ĺ?&KHTXHUVĹ? DQG -HUHP\ &RUE\Q PXPEOLQJ WKURXJK NHHSLQJ DOO %UH[LW RSWLRQV RQ WKH WDEOH /DERXU FRQWLQXHG LWV QDUUDWLYH WKDW WKH FXUUHQW HFRQRPLF PRGHO LV IDLOLQJ RUGLQDU\ SHRSOH FDOOLQJ IRU PRUH ZRUNHUV RQ ERDUGV DQG VWDWH RZQHUVKLS LQ VHFWRUV ZKHUH PDUNHWV DUH IDLOLQJ WKH FRQVXPHU 7KH\ DOVR GHWDLOHG D SODQ IRU WKH KLJK VWUHHW IRFXVHG RQ EXVLQHVV UDWHV UHIRUP EDQQLQJ $70 FKDUJHV DQG IUHH :L )L 7KH 30 FXW D UHOD[HG Ć&#x201C;JXUH DV VKH GDQFHG RQ WR WKH FRQIHUHQFH VWDJH DQG WKHUH ZDV QR KLQW RI D

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6R ZKDW GRHV WKLV PHDQ" 7KH 30 KDV SUREDEO\ GRQH HQRXJK WR GLVPLVV DQ\ OHDGHUVKLS FKDOOHQJH LQ WKH VKRUW WHUP EXW LJQRULQJ WKH Ĺ&#x152;FKXFN &KHTXHUVĹ? VHQWLPHQW IURP KHU SDUW\ LV XQVXVWDLQDEOH /DERXU KDYH KRQHG D QDUUDWLYH WKDW FXWV WKURXJK ZLWK WKH SXEOLF EXW VWLOO WUDLO LQ WKH SROOV Ĺ&#x160; PRUH ZRUN WR GR WR FRQYLQFH WKH FRXQWU\ DV D ZKROH Edward Woodall is head of policy & public affairs at small shops group ACS

edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re

OPEN

Shop of the Year is the UK accreditation that recognises and promotes fine food retail excellence. Every business shortlisted will be visited twice; one mystery shop and one announced visit.

All those shortlisted will also receive constructive feedback from the judges.

Enter online: gff.co.uk/soty Six categories:

The deli doctor Paul Thomas Technical and regulatory advice from the Guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deli helpline Q: One of my staff members is pregnant and suffering from morning sickness. Should she be kept away from work for 48 hours?

A: 7KH )RRG 6WDQGDUGV $JHQF\ LVVXHG JXLGDQFH FRYHULQJ WKLV LQ LQ )RRG +DQGOHUV )LWQHVV WR :RUN 5HJXODWRU\ *XLGDQFH DQG %HVW 3UDFWLFH $GYLFH IRU )RRG %XVLQHVV 2SHUDWRUV

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Ĺ?GLHWDU\ LQGLVFUHWLRQ VXFK DV RYHUGRLQJ WKH DOFRKRO RU HDWLQJ WRR PXFK VSLF\ IRRG $ IXOO OLVW RI H[FHSWLRQV FDQ EH IRXQG DW food.gov.uk/sites/ GHIDXOW Ć&#x201C;OHV PHGLD GRFXPHQW Ć&#x201C;WQHVVWRZRUNJXLGH SGI Dairy and food safety specialist Paul Thomas runs the Guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e-helpline for retailers with technical or regulatory queries. It can be accessed through the Guild Membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hub at gff.co.uk

â&#x20AC;˘ Delicatessen & Grocer â&#x20AC;˘ Specialist Cheese Shop â&#x20AC;˘ Farm Shop (farmer owned) â&#x20AC;˘ Food Hall â&#x20AC;˘ Specialist food or drink shop â&#x20AC;˘ Newcomer (to be awarded to any entrant from any category who has been trading less than 24 months)

Timings 2019 Free entry from:

Friday 21 September

Close for entry:

Friday 19 October

Shortlist announced:

November 2018

First round anonymous visits

December 2018

Second round announced visits January 2019 Winners announced:

March 2019

Giving recognition for excellence and innovation to independent fine food retailers

gff.co.uk/soty

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Vol.19 Issue 9 | October-November 2018

51

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH SAVE THE DATE Sunday 10 - Monday 11 March 2019 Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate gff.co.uk/ffsn

gff.co.uk/ffsn

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