REGIONAL PRODUCT FOCUS: THE NORTH

NORTH OF ENGLAND

SPECIAL

The only way is up

Rather than concentrate on a single category, FFD has gone geographical this month. In keeping with our issue’s theme, we’ve rounded up a host of new launches from the North of England. Whether it’s cheese, co ee or even rum, this bountiful region has buyers covered.

Compiled by Lynda Searby

Infused with a bouquet of over ten botanicals, Yan Gin (RRP £35 for 70cl) from Herdwick Distillery is the latest addition to Lakeland Artisan’s portfolio. Fell Tonic (RRP £1.90 for 33cl) made from Cumbrian fell water, Cinchona bark, lemongrass and other natural botanicals is the perfect foil for this smallbatch London dry gin.

lakelandartisan.co.uk

Benji’s Bites is a new range of toddler food that promises both nutrition and convenience. The meals are frozen in small cubes so they can be quickly microwaved. The 10-strong range includes ‘Mains’ such as Veggie Chilli and Mild Chicken & Veg Curry, and ‘Carbs’ such as Cauliflower & Mixed Rice and Mixed Grains. Each compostable pouch contains 12x30g cubes. RRP £6-9.

benjisbites.co.uk

The Fine Cheese Co. is carrying two new cheeses from Northern cheesemakers. Creamy, smooth Old Roan from The Home Farmer Dairy in Yorkshire is the only raw milk Wensleydale to come from Wensleydale. The other new addition, Lady Grey, is made in batches of only 16 cheeses by St James Cheese in Cumbria, with each one different from the last.

finecheese.co.uk

In time for Christmas, Carlisle-based Xocolate has launched its Medjoul Date Collection. The dates are paired with six different handmade fillings and coated in Belgian chocolate. Varieties include White Chocolate with Strawberry Ganache, Milk Chocolate with Salted Caramel Ganache, and Dark Chocolate Coffee Mousse. RRP £8.49 for a box of six.

xocolate.co.uk

Clotton Hall Dairy has expanded its range to take in Fresh Luxury Custard and Clotted Cream Rice Pudding. The Cheshire producer is pitching its range as the perfect dairy selection for any farm shop or food hall. Both have an RRP of £3.99 for 500ml and are produced on-site using milk from the farm’s free-range dairy herd.

clottonhalldairy.co.uk

Lost Barn Coffee has rolled out sustainable packaging options for its wholesale customers. Retailers, cafés and hospitality venues can now have their beans delivered in refillable airtight containers, which are swapped out when empty (for local customers) or refilled from compostable paper bags for those further afield. The Cheshire roastery has also created refillable metal tins for retail situations.

lostbarncoffee.co.uk

The Yorkshire Crisp

Company has partnered with Sacchi Tartufi in Italy to develop a truffle seasoning for its potato crisps. Italian Summer Truffle crisps launched this summer in a 100g drum as the first flavour in the company’s new Gourmet Range.

yorkshirecrisps.co.uk

Belle & Herbs is a new fermentary, specialising in smallbatch, handmade fermented foods – think pickled red onions, dill gherkins, pink pickled mouli, preserved lemons, kimchi and sauerkraut. Belle & Herbs was originally founded as a restaurant in 2003 by chef duo Sam Storey and Pan Phyu Phyu Hmwe.

belleandherbs.farm

Tipped as the secret to making “amazing Southern fried chicken at home with no fuss”, Wingman is the latest seasoning to come out of Rub & Roll’s Cheshire kitchen. RRP is £8.99; wholesale price £5.50 per unit.

rubandroll.co.uk

The more eagle-eyed retailers and buyers out there might have spotted some changes on packs of Artisan Biscuits.

The Ashbourne-based bakery has begun a comprehensive rebranding exercise, and is introducing its Miller’s name – which already appears on the popular Damsels range – as the umbrella brand spanning its line-up of sub-brands. The name already appears on the Mondovinoand Grate Britain ranges, with more packaging upgrades to follow over the coming months – as well as further design assets being introduced.

The change is being implemented to give Artisan Biscuits’s wide range of lines a more unified presence and will also allow parent company, The Fine Cheese Co., to register trademarks for its products in a number of export markets more easily.

artisanbiscuits.co.uk

Following in the footsteps of other counties including Cheshire, Yorkshire and Lancashire, Cumbria now has its own brand of tea.

Launched in 2020 by Mark Cant and Duncan Bond, Cumbrian Tea’s Ramblers’ Brew is said to be “dedicated to the great Cumbrian people and visiting ramblers alike”.

The tea is ethically and sustainably sourced from Kenya and Malawi and uses unbleached biodegradable tea bag paper, biodegradable inner wrapper material and FSC-certified cardboard minimize environmental impact.

It is currently available in an 80-bag retail carton and a 1,120-bag catering pack.

cumbrian-tea.co.uk

Husband-and-wife team Kelvin and Kelly Linstead have launched The Yolker – a gourmet Scotch egg company based in Newcastle-uponTyne. The pair are using Gloucestershire Old Spot meat and Northumbrian free range eggs to produce eight varieties of scotch egg, including glutenfree and veggie varieties, named after movie titles. RRP £3 each.

contacttheyolker@ gmail.com

Cooper King claims to be the first distillery in England to produce carbon-negative gins, The Yorkshire producer’s Dry and Herb Gins are now classed as carbon-negative, which means that for every bottle of spirit created, more carbon is removed from the atmosphere than is emitted. The gins have an RRP of £39 for a 70cl bottle.

cooperkingdistillery.co.uk

Loving Foods, a Manchester-based producer of fermented food and drink, has created what it believes is one of the first organic, fermented, unpasteurised hot sauces. Organic red chillies, red peppers and sea salt are fermented for six months with the producer’s own kimchi juice, yielding a spicy, tangy, slightly sweet, hot sauce with no nasties. RRP £5.95 for 150ml.

lovingfoods.co.uk

Decorrum aims to fill a gap in the market for an elegant, feminine boutique rum. The ginger, cinnamon and clove spiced rum is made with honey from Manchester Printworks’ bees, and for every bottle sold Decorrum adopts a bee to help protect the local bee population, as well as donating £1 to Forever Manchester. RRP is £29.99 for 70cl.

decorrum.co.uk

Responding to demand from consumers for a crisp and refreshing mixer from “God’s Own Country”, Yorkshire Tonic has introduced Paradise. Featuring natural extracts of quassia and Mediterranean botanicals including Sicilian lemon and rosemary, the tonic is named after a field in front of the distillery in Thixendale where it is made, which is known locally as Paradise.

raisthorpemanor.com

Northumbrian Wildflower completes The Tea Enthusiasts’ regional tea trio. Covering Durham, Newcastle and Northumberland, the blends are a homage to the North East as well as the tea merchant’s northern roots. Northumbrian Wildflower is a herbal blend of natural flowers, fruit, herbs and leaves, inspired by the rolling hills, sleepy valleys and coastal paths of ancient Northumberland.

tea-enthusiasts.com

Coffee Care has launched its Three Peaks Blend in fully recyclable aluminium capsules. The blend combines Arabica coffees from Kenya, Colombia, Costa Rica and Brazil to make an espresso that is enjoyable with or without milk. RRP £3.50 for a carton of 10 capsules.

coffeecare.co.uk

Rafi’s Spicebox has treated its retail curry boxes to a packaging revamp. There are eight curry packs in the range – Balti, Jalfrezi, Korma, Ma’s Paretal, Madras, Pasanda, Rogan Josh and Tikka Masala – providing the base ingredients for making authentic curries at home. RRP £5.70.

spicebox.co.uk

East Yorkshire’s Side Oven Bakery has launched two fruit loaves in sustainable gift wrapping for the festive season. Both the Organic Fruit Loaf and Organic Spiced Sultana, Fig & Apple Fruit Loaf are handmade and have an RRP of £9 for 500g; trade price £6.50.

sideoven.com

Chocolate, confectionery and patisserie producer Eponine has expanded its drinking chocolate line-up with two new flavours. Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel join the existing Classic Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Gianduja flavours, offering a slightly sweeter drinking chocolate experience. The Wirral producer has also repackaged its whole range to make it more eco-friendly.

eponine.co.uk The Russian Food

Company has rebranded as Bakes of the World to reflect the extended variety of products it now offers. Georgia-inspired Triple Cheese Khachapuri, Russian Beef, Onion & Cabbage Piroshk, Spanishstyle Basque Chicken & Chorizo Tarta and North Africa-influenced Moroccan Veggie Bastilla are three of the savoury bakes available from the Sheffield firm. RRP £3.50-4.50.

russianpies.com

Whittaker’s Distillery in North Yorkshire has crafted two new gins. Rather English Camomile Gin (RRP £36) is a London dry with a base of juniper, coriander and angelica root overlaid with camomile flowers for a bright, grassy gin with fragrant summer aromas. Rampant Raspberry Gin (RRP £37.50) is a slightly sweetened compounded gin made by macerating raspberries in the distillery’s Original Gin.

whittakersgin.com

Lakes Ice Cream has collaborated with fellow Lake District producer, the Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding Company, to create a Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding ice cream. Lakes Ice Cream has signed a five-year exclusivity deal with Cartmel, giving it sole rights to produce authentic ice cream with the iconic sticky toffee pudding.

lakesicecream.com

AB Gold Rum launched in December 2020 with the strapline ‘Jamaican rum, perfected in Yorkshire’. The rum is a blend of traditional pot-stilled, oak-barrel aged Jamaican rums, which is then perfected using Yorkshire spring water to produce a spirit with rich caramel tones, mild influences of vanilla and accents of fruit. RRP £39.95 for 70cl.

ab-gold.com

Butlers claims to have become the first speciality cheesemaker to make all of its packaging fully recyclable. This includes the Lancashire producer’s ‘This is Proper’ range, which takes in six farmhouse cheeses in 250g portions: three varieties of Lancashire, Double Gloucester, Red Leicester and Goats’ Cheese.

butlerscheeses.co.uk

Mr Vikki’s is showing that it is more than a hot sauce producer with its latest introductions. The Cumbrian producer’s take on an Ecuadorian Aji Criollo is a refreshing, mild passion-fruity condiment, while Black Garlic Roast Habanero Relish is said to be ‘fiercely hot…with masses of umami’, and doubles up as a jerk paste for fish/meat or a chilli condiment. RRP £4.50.

mrvikkis.co.uk

Libations claims to be Yorkshire’s most decorated rum brand, having won Gold at the World Rum Awards and Rum and Cachaca Masters 2021 for its Original Spiced Rum. The rum starts its journey in the Caribbean before being distilled and perfected in Yorkshire using heather, vanilla, cinnamon, clove and orange peel and North Yorkshire honey. RRP £37 for 70cl.

libationsrum.com

Sustainable approach to a classic Italian product

The Yorkshire Pasta

Company says it has taken a sustainable approach to a classic product, using locally milled wheat flour and solar power to produce artisan pasta that is packaged in recyclable paper bags. The pasta is bronze drawn and slow dried to deliver a wholesome flavour and robust texture. There are five shapes – Fusilli, Penne Rigate, Conchiglie Rigate, Tortiglioni and Mezze Maniche Rigate – available in 500g format (RRP £3.50).

yorkshirepasta.co.uk

Leek chocolatier Misco’s Chocolates has launched a five-strong hot chocolate range for wholesale. These include the company’s Classic blend, which mixes five different chocolates, the biscuity white-chocolate based Blonde blend, and three vegan varieties. RRP is £8.50 for a 300g bag.

miscoschocolates.com

Kendal-based Penningtons has taken the view that great coffee shouldn’t cost the earth, launching its 250g hand roasted coffees in 100% recyclable packaging. The bag is no longer pre-printed to help reduce its carbon footprint.

penningtonscoffee.co.uk

Disillusionment about the state of jarred sauces has prompted a group of Cheshire-based “foodie friends” to launch their own offering. Developed in collaboration with a Michelinstarred chef, the Jarrd range includes Tuscan Pomarola Sauce, Puttanesca, Murgh Makhani and South Indian Chettinad.

jarrd.co.uk

Since taking over Northumbrian rapeseed oil brand Baste & Bray last year, new owner Karen Park has extended the line-up to include 500ml bottles and will soon launch 100ml bottles. The brand has also recently attained LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) status.

basteandbray.co.uk

Durham-based Whitehouse is the latest entrant to the kombucha space. Chef Liam Whitehouse is behind the venture, which currently offers three fermented drinks: Ginger Green Tea, Elderflower Earl Grey and IPA Style Beer. RRP £2.50 per bottle.

whitehousekombucha. co.uk

Ghee Appétit has made ghee – the butter-like cooking fat used in Indian cuisine – accessible to home cooks with a range of ghee infusions in 300ml glass jars. It is an organic, grass-fed product that is slow cooked as per Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicine doctrine, as well as triple-filtered to ensure that it is mostly free of lactose and casein. There are six different varieties – Turmeric, Roasted Garlic, Chilli, Cinnamon, Herbes De Provence and Morel Paté – with RRPs from £9.90 for 300ml.

gheeappetit.co.uk

Tea-Pop has collaborated with Chester University to conceive an innovative ‘tea-on-a-stick’ product. TeaPops are natural extracts that are crystallised in novel shapes which dissolve fully in water. The crystals retain the goodness of the fruits, plant and herbs they are extracted from and are free from the dust, dirt and fertiliser commonly found in leaf tea, says the Cheshire producer.

Choose from herbal and fruit blends such as Lemon Ginger and Passionfruit Punch, or Classic blends like Earl Grey and English Breakfast. RRP £8.99 for a tube.

myteapop.com

L’éclair Pâtisserie is a small French-inspired Leeds bakery that was set up during lockdown. As well as supplying high-end cakes, tarts and patisserie to cafés and restaurants, the bakery has a packaged retail offering, which includes 6” family style cakes such as Lemon Drizzle, Classic Victoria Sponge, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Coffee & Walnut and Carrot, Orange & Walnut, with an RRP of £5.

leclairpatisserie.com

After 30 years of making “dem bellies full” at festivals and carnivals as well as through the family takeaway in Manchester, Jamaican-born Buzzrock has bottled his magic in a range of Caribbean style marinades and spice blends. Jerk Marinade, Mild Jerk Marinade and Jerk BBQ have an RRP of £4.50 for 250ml; trade price £3.20.

buzzrockcaribbean.co.uk

In creating Tarsier, globetrotters Sherwin Acebuche and Tim Driver have created a gin brand that stands out in a crowded marketplace by taking inspiration from their travels in Southeast Asia. The new Backpacker Series continues this theme, with Khao San Gin, which harnesses the flavours of Thai cuisine, and Taipei Old Tom, which takes gin lovers on a taste journey through Taiwan’s tea plantations.

tarsierspirit.com

After launching the world’s first Hazelnut Rum in 2019, Lakes rum producer Belgrove is claiming another world first with the introduction of its Spiced Fig & Blackberry rum. The rich, fruity spirit is made by infusing single origin Demerara rum from Guyana with notes of fig, blackberry and cinnamon. RRP is £39.99 for 70cl; trade price £24.

belgroverum.com

Difficult to discern from dairy chocolates

Kakoa, Friars’ vegan chocolate label, is poised for expansion, following a six-figure investment in its production process to keep pace with demand after a busy 2020. Kakoa uses rice and almond milk to create chocolates that are said to be difficult to discern from normal dairy chocolates. Sea Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter and Champagne truffles are among its best sellers. They can be purchased in six, eight and 24-piece boxes.

kakoa.co.uk

Neighbourhood Gin, made on the outskirts of Manchester, is now a double award-winner, after scooping silver in the IWSC awards and being named finalist in the Gin Guide awards this year. The distillery plans to launch a Rouge Edition later this year. RRP £32 for 50cl.

neighbourhooddistillery. com

Northumbrian Pantry’s latest introduction is a piccalilli made according to 18th century food writer Hannah Glasse’s original recipe. Alice Murray, founder of Northumbrian Pantry, is a descendent of Hannah and the launch of Paco Lilla marks 250 years since her passing. RRP £4.25 for a 186g jar.

northumbrianpantry.com

York Gin has unveiled a new Chocolate & Orange variety, inspired by Terry’s Chocolate Orange, which was invented in York in 1932. Orange and chocolate have been added to its classic bouquet of nine botanicals to create this festive unsweetened dry gin.

yorkgin.com