FFD September 2022 by Guild of Fine Food

September 2022 Volume 23 Issue 8 g .co.uk the is embracing Corp certi cation Tastes SpecialityDeli& Fine Food Fair preview A beeline sustainabilityfor I speciality food sector is B Corp certi cation sustainability

Lately it does feel like every man and his dog is selling plant-based substitutes. Vegan sausages, great. Vegan bacon, sure. Vegan fish? I become dubious. I like vegetables, and don’t often see why they need to pretend to be something they’re not.

magazine

Hotter weather is not just going to make living more uncomfortable; it’s already having a big impact on our sector. Someone reminded me the other day about European protected cheeses going unmade because milk producers can’t grow the right feed. And closer to home, I’ve been watching farming friends scrambling in combine harvesters before whole elds are scorched. With that context, my interpretation of ‘sustainability’ is that it should be about actively making changes, rather than passively adapting to what the world throws at us. This might all sound a bit daunting but it doesn’t have to be. There’s actually an accreditation framework in place to help businesses to improve their operations: B Corp. And we’ve explored that process in this issue (see page 24).

But as a lover of pizzas, and a fan of the ‘nduja Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox, deputy editor

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 CONTENTS Turn to page 67 for news from the Guild 3 5 NEWS 10 SHOP TALK 15 CHEESEWIRE 24 FOCUS ON: B CORP 29 SPECIALITYPREVIEW: & FINE FOOD FAIR 53 FOODSERVICE 57 SHELF TALK 62 DELI OF THE MONTH 67 GUILD TALK

Unless you’ve been in an air-conditioned bunker, you’ll know that climate change is a very real phenomenon.

It’s funny how some words lose their meaning the more they’re used. ‘Like’ is almost a youthful verbal tick, ‘literally’ has become little more than an exclamation point, and the abuse of ‘ironic’ has seen the term collapse in on itself. Complex concepts and specialist jargon are especially prone to this kind of fate, and common parlance seems to have done for greenwashing,Years‘sustainability’.ofcorporateinsincere fast-food adverts and political footballing have turned this word into a vague nod towards recycling and other environmentally friendly ideas. As a nation (and possibly as a human race), we need to recover the meaning of ‘sustainability’. Unless you’ve been in an airconditioned bunker for the last couple of months, you’ll know that climate change is a very real phenomenon.

The Guild

publisher’s

in articles and advertisements

Belazu Ve-Du-Ya September 2022 Volume 23 Issue 8 g .co.uk certi cation Speciality & Fine Food Fair preview A beeline sustainabilityfor Cheese Company INSIDE the speciality food sector is embracing B Corp sustainability Editor:EDITORIALMichael Lane Deputy editor: Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox Art director: Mark Windsor Contributors: Nick Baines, Patrick McGuigan, Jules Mercer, Lauren Phillips, Greg Pitcher, Lynda Searby, Edward Woodall ADVERTISING advertise@gff.co.uk Sales director: Sally Coley Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executives: Becky Haskett, ADDRESS Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB United Kingdom GENERAL ENQUIRIES Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0) 1747 Printededitorial@gff.co.uk824065by:Blackmore,Dorset Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £50 p.a. inclusive of post and packing. Published

By Michael Lane, editor

Every stage of the supply chain can be better, while still making pro t. Established producers, suppliers of global ingredients, wholesalers and even a farm shop make appearances in this exploration of B Corp. That isn’t to say that this is just a box-ticking exercise – it’s a tough task and it won’t be for everybody. That doesn’t mean everybody reading this can’t identify small changes to improve their existence. Just look at our Deli of the Month (page 62) to see that. The owner’s introduction of a bakery to their business was a small shi but it has made a big impact. The independent food retail sector is constantly showing the big boys how business should be done. It may not feel like it sometimes but most of you reading this are part of that. Regardless of size, you are literally making a di erence. Keep doing it. by of Fine The Guild of Fine Reproduction of whole or part of this without the prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. trend which has lately gripped the UK, I see a product with a purpose in Belazu’s Ve-Du-Ya. It tastes good, it has heat and sweetness, and because it isn’t trying to mimic the texture of meat, it doesn’t fail to. Read more on page 57

Food Ltd 2022.

Food Ltd gff.co.uk ©

EDITOR’S CHOICE

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 84 More than Truf e! 2022 %001MADEINITALYCERTFCATEITPI #trufollowwww.tartuﬁerevolution.itus VBD SINCE 1987 STEFANIA CALUGI SELECTS THE BEST TRUFFLES OF THE TUSCAN TERRITORY AND REALISES PRODUCTS BASED ON TRUFFLES CREATING NATURAL AND INNOVATIVE RECIPES SUCH AS OUR AWARDED PRODUCTS! SCAN NOW. TASTE SELECTION!OUR We proudly satisfy italian and international safety food standards wbc.co.uk/christmas CHRISTMAS ALL WRAPPED UP Seasonal Gift Packaging for Speciality Food & Drink ECO - CONSCIOUS PACKAGING NO MINIMUM ORDER FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY Over £150

Celebrated greengrocer and deli Bayley & Sage is set to open a twelfth outlet on Lancers Square on Kensington Church Street. The shop will open Monday through Sunday between 8am-10pm and will add to the original Wimbledon store’s sprawling growth. Its other stores are located in Parsons Green, Turnham Green, Fulham, Northcote Road, Parkgate Road, Wandsworth, Chelsea, Belgravia and Marylebone, as well as the company’s general store, Abode, also in Parsons Green.

“Revisit a business rates holiday for small and medium retailers; continue Growth Hub programmes that support leadershipretailers;ofdevelopmenttheindependentshowsomeandput the country first. All the infighting and nothingmanoeuvresMachiavelliandotostrengthen our economy.” “We need stability after Brexit, covid, Ukraine and the government infighting. A good discussion point would be levelling the playing field so the ratesor–withsectorindependentcancompetelargercompaniesofferingincentivesreducingbusinessforsmall businesses.” “We need to help businesses to invest. Government investment needs to be directed locally, to where people live and food retailers trade. It needs to focus on creating safe, vibrant places to live, work and shop.”

DANIELWILLIAMS GODFREY C WILLIAMS AND SON NICKCARLUCCI MARMORELLETENUTA

the volatile businesslevelUKcouldrestrictionsSheitswasandRawstonco-ownerconcern”.hesoaringfarmpowersupportworkers.atothe“risinglegal“strugglemanyoutsaidchairmanenvironment.”economicFarmRetailAssociationRupertEvansinationwas“runningofcontrol”andruralshopswouldtokeepup”.Headdedthattheminimumwagewastooquickly”andsectorwasstrugglingllcertainrolesamidshortageofskilledEvansalsocalledforforrenewableprojectstohelpshopsmitigateenergybillsthatsaidwereof“hugeBarbaraCossins,ofDorset’sFarmButcheryShop,saidthecountryina“fragilestate”asleadershipchanged.calledfortighteronwhatfoodbeimportedintotheaswellasmovestotheplayingeldoncosts.By Greg Pitcher Truss v unak in fight for o who will be best for independents?

BIRA:

theemployment.calledofdirectorgovernmentWoodall,relationsattheAssociationConvenienceStores,foractiontolurepeopleintotheworkplaceandreducethecostofHeadded:“Weneednewprimeministertotaketheedgeoplannedregulatoryinterventionslikerestrictionsonpromotingproductshighinfat,sugarandsalt,andtheimminentintroductionofadeposit-returnscheme.Theseinterventionsarepoorlytimedforbusinessesandconsumersgiven

NEWS 5Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022

EDWARDWOODALL STORESCONVENIENCEOFASSOCIATION WHAT THEY ARE already struggling with rampant cost in ation. The Retail Jobs Alliance, told Sunak and Truss that “urgent action” was required to keep many stores open. “A permanent reduction in business rates for all retailers, regardless of their size, would make a big di erence to retailers’ ability to invest more in shops and stores as well as to create jobs”, it wrote. “If taxes are to be cut, we think a reduction in business rates should be prioritised.”Othermembers of the alliance include the Association of Convenience Stores as well as the Co-op, Greggs, Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

But next year is due to see the rst re-evaluation of business rates since 2017 – when 2015 rental values were used –sparking fears of huge spikes in bills for a sector Business rate cuts should be new PM’s number one priority

FOODFORSHOULDNEXTWHATABOUT...SAYINGTHEPMDOTHEFINESECTOR

Daniel Williams, project manager at Cheshire-based Godfrey C Williams and Son, called for the new PM to tackle household bills “sooner rather than later” with independentwillawe’reonmeaningful“hard-hitting,support”.“I’mconvincedthatourcurrentcourse,hurtlingtowardsfull-fatrecessionthatseriouslydamagetheretailand food producer sector ,” he added. “The implications of disposable income drying up will be deep and far-reaching.”NickCarlucci, director at importer consumingmorefromitsaid.vastsothebuying“chaos”prioritiseincomingMarmorelle,TenutasaidthepremiershouldresolvingtheinvolvedingoodsinfromEU.“Brexitwassoldtomanyasbringinginopportunities,”he“TherealityisthathasmadeimportingtheEUsomuchcomplicated,time-andexpensive.”

Calls for new PM to take action to support the independent food sector Britain’s new prime minister must tackle the cost-of-living crisis, border delays and skills shortages to protect the independent food retail sector, key gures have urged.Former chancellor Rishi Sunak and foreign secretary Liz Truss have been competing all summer in the battle to replace Boris Johnson at Number 10 Downing Street, with the winner set to be announced on Monday, 5th September.

Independent rms have joined some of the country’s biggest retailers in a plea to the next prime minister to slash business rates.An open letter sent to leadership contenders Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak this summer urged a cut in the levy charged for most nondomestic uses of property. Business rates were scrapped for retail premises in 2020/21 followed by a 50 per cent cut in 2022/23, subject to certain criteria.

Edward

IN BRIEF

London cheesemonger Paxton & Whit eld launched a food-togo range ahead of the Platinum Jubilee weekend. Managing director James Rutter said that despite lowering the average basket value, this range “allowed customers to continue to enjoy artisan cheese on more frequent and a ordable basis”.“This has considerably driven footfall, inspired brand loyalty and really helped contribute to double-digit sales growth,” he Meanwhileadded.

By Greg Pitcher

Jennifer Horton, owner of The Corbridge Larder, said the Northumberland deli’s sales were 20 per cent lower this July than in the same month a year earlier.“Given all the hype in the papers about in ation and energy prices, this is not surprising,” she said. “The café is doing well because everyone still needs an indulgence. And we are busy in the shop – so people are out and about but obviously spending less than they have in the past.” Some businesses have altered their approach to grow transaction volumes over the summer months.

FFD about tricky trading conditions in July andTheAugust.Consumer Prices Index jumped by 9.4 per cent in the 12 months to June 2022, according to the O ce for National Statistics, with food and non-alcoholic drink prices soaring by 9.8 per cent in thatMeanwhiletime. ‘staycation fatigue’ has been blamed for a rise in demand for ights abroad this year as Covid-related travel restrictions nally eased. Mark Kacary, managing director at The Norfolk Deli in blamedHunstanton,theeconomy for a signi cant downturn intrade at his seaside store. “If we do an average of 140 transactions on a normal summer’s day, we’ve been doing 30 to 40 this year,” he said. “Both tourists and regulars are coming to the store less and spending less when they are here. People can hardly a ord to do anything even before bills go up over the winter. It is a worrying time.”

South Asian island’s economy.Thecountry has been in a state of turmoil since 2019, experiencing its worst economic crisis since it independenceachievedin1948.

6 September 2022 | Vol.22 Issue 8 CYBER CRIMENEWS

Antonio Picciuto, owner of Buongiorno Italia, said the hot weather had given business a “Workersboost.arereturning to their air conditioned o ces, which has helped our lunchtime trade, and more people are eating al fresco at home; we have seen a big increase in the sale of things like pizza ingredients and deli items,” he said.

Goodacre, chief executive of the British disaidRetailersIndependentAssociation,heexpected“averyculttradingperiod” as the weather grew colder, urging retailers to create added-value experiences by “engaging with their shoppers through the power of social media, diverse product ranges and top-quality service.”

‘Exceptionally worrying time’ for retailers as summer trade slows In ation and the easing of Covid-restrictions created a di cult summer for many ne food retailers as people cut back on spending or took their cash UKbusinessesLeadingabroad.independentacrossthetold

A winter of squeezed household budgets will require independent shops to build strong connections with customers, a key gure hasResearchwarned.

Sri Lanka’s Ruci Foods commits percentage of proceeds to sustainable livelihood projects Ruci Foods is hoping to help alleviate the consequences of Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic crisis by giving away a proportion of its revenue to local charities there.Itwill set aside ten percent of revenue generated by its products to support sustainable livelihood projects and community kitchens providing hot meals to theThevulnerable.company was created to support the country’s growers by paying producers properly and giving professional opportunities to women.Itsrange of smallbatch sauces, chutneys, spice and hoppers mixes are promotingrecipes,accordingcreatedtotraditionalthereforeSriLankancuisineandproductsaswellasreinvestingmoneyintothe

rm Cornwall Insight in August predicted that the average energy bill could exceed £350 per month by January. Meanwhile data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealed food in ation of 7 per cent in July.Although food sales grew by 2.3 per cent in July, according to separate BRC gures, experts warned that serious challenges lay ahead. Susan Barratt, chief executive of retail data analysts IGD, said the Independent retail trade growth a symptom of in ation, says IGD growth in takings was “ attered” by in ation that masked falling sales volumes.“Shoppers are genuinely tightening their belts by buying fewer items in addition to switching stores and buying more private-label products,” sheAndrewsaid.

Borough Market recently published its New Food Policy, setting qualitative and ethical standards to hold its traders and operational framework,accountable.teamsTheitsays, will help it to “provide the opportunity for people of all backgrounds to buy the Planetaproductsminimallyingredientsfreshandprocessedthatunderpinhealthydiet.”Organicisset to open its first store outside of London, in Henley. The 2,440 sq ft store will be the first of a string of new launches around the country, as the brand plans to grow its physical footprint from 13 to 50 stores by 2025, alongside a significant expansion of its online operations.

Staycation trade fell this year as Britons favoured holidays abroad

AMBROSI

ABOUT LACTALIS

The Lactalis Group is a world leader in cheese production, with well-known brands such as Galbani, Parmalat and President. The acquisition of Ambrosi Spa, which operates in the UK through its subsidiary, Rowcliffe, means Italian DOP cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano and Mozzarella di Bufala will be added to the Lactalis Group’s range. The group has 85,000 employees in 94 countries, has a turnover of €20 billion and buys more than 20 billion litres of milk per annum.

ADVERTISEMENT NEWS LACTALIS BUYS

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 82 First in ne for 30 years: ne cheese, ne charcuterie, ne crackers, ne condiments, ne chocolates...

his ad ertise ent does not re ect the ie s or opinions of this p lication or its p lisher

The Frenchdairygiant Lactalis andthe Ambrosi familyhave signedanagreement tosell the entire capital of Italian cheesemaker Ambrosi Spa. The agreement includes confirmation of the current management team,withthe aim further acceleratingthe company’s international growth.

THE FINE CHEESE CO. We work with small, independent and traditional cheesemakers who prioritise quality over profit. We can only match our cheesemakers’ commitment to the exceptional, because of our own independence. We want to support other retailers who share these values, and that is why The Fine Cheese Co. brand will never appear in any British supermarket. ROWCLIFFE-OWNER

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 88 09858 Maple Fine food digest advert_ONLINE_DR2.indd 1 21/04/2021 13:28 Manufacturers of depositors & filling machines for the food production industry Tel: 01282 440040 Email: www.riggsautopack.co.ukinfo@riggsautopack.co.uk

9Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 NEWS

Suffolk Rural (the Otley campus of Suffolk New College) will soon give the students at the college, who already have the facilities to st d agric lt re oristr equine and animal care, a space to grow vegetables and plants to sell in the farm shop. us/our-campusessuffolk.ac.uk/experience-

For Colin Smith, CEO of the Scottish Wholesale Association, to remove the take back element of the scheme would make it much more workable.

For retailers, the main questions revolve around whether to process returns over the counter or to install a reverse vending machine in their outlet, which, despite assurances that they will receive compensation for the space used and inconvenience, is likely to cause some confusion.

Open to those under the age of 30, shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend the World Cheese Awards, hosted at the ICC in Wales on Wednesday, 2nd November 2022, and compete against their peers across four rounds. The winner will be announced on the same day at the WCAs. Full details can be found at the-year/young-cheesemonger-of-academyofcheese.org/ openofCheesemongerYoungtheYear2022forentries

A number of other sticking points have arisen, namely the obligation for those with an online retail arm to also collect empty receptacles directly from customers’ homes.

Retailers will then be charged with collecting the waste to be recycled, either over the counter or through the use of reverse vending machines (RVMs), in exchange for a handling fee – unless they are able to nd a fellow retailer willing to process the returns.Scotland is acting as a test bed of sorts for the scheme, as it is still up for consultation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the aim of implementing legislation in 2024 or later. Should the rest of the UK choose to adopt a di erent system, such as a digital DRS or an environmental producer responsibility (EPR) tax, the country risks being perpetually out of step with the rest of the union. As it stands, producers may need to print di erent labels to di erentiate between the registered products that will enter the DRS system and those destined to be sent abroad, a costly described as “hugely frustrating at a time like this when there are so many other pressures on the business.”

In a bid to celebrate new talent in of cheese retail, The Academy of Cheese is calling for cheesemongers around the world to enter The Young Cheesemonger of the Year competition.

Just outside Lewes in Offham is the new and improved Offham Farm Shop, stocking a variety of homegrown produce and other local Sussex goodies. It is also home to a large butcher’s counter, an in-house smoker and a new café called Flint, serving full Englishes, coffee and cake. offhamfarm.co.uk

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

With less than a year to go, drinks producers, retailers and wholesalers in Scotland are still trying to iron out the detail of the new drinks container recycling scheme due to come into force on August 16thOne2023.producer told FFD the launch of Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) felt like “the train is in motion regardless of whether people are ready or not,” as many details are yet to be clari ed with the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland.Based on an established system in place in Europe, the current plans would see drinks producers add a 20p levy on all beverages sold in aluminium, plastic, and glass containers. This cost would then be passed onto the consumer further down the supply chain as a deposit fee.

The Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop, known for selling fresh local produce direct from the Estate or from nearby producershas recently opened a farm shop café.Just off the A6 in Rowsley, the new café will be serving food cooked on site or from the Chatsworth kitchen. The café has been decorated with a variety of artefacts from the house itself.

“Let’s have it as a sunset clause, let’s say, we’ll implement DRS and then in three years, review the online take back, see if there’s a “Otherwise,solution.”it’s going to clog up this scheme, and add physical, monetary and environmental costs, because you’re now asking somebody to go and upli an empty container from a residence. Let’s take it out.”

“We want to people.”youlargecan’tsafety,issues,gotsmallointoTradingHey,problems,”butbelievesustainableenvironmentallybebecauseit’sagoodthing,areplentyoflogisticalsaidBillDeLaownerofMainstreetCompany.“Whenyoudialdownit,it’salottobitewhenyou’rerunningabusinessandyou’vetodealwithalloftheselikehealthandwhatwecanandaccept,canwerefusequantities…Ittakesawayfromtheshopoortryingtosellstuto

DOWN ON THE FARM

The DRS aims to improve recycling and reduce overall waste

cafefarm-shop/farm-shop-chatsworth/shop-dine/chatsworth.org/visit-

In association with Fabulous Farm Shops fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

The latest from farm shops across the country

Scotland’s drinks sector grappling with the minutiae of upcoming Deposit Return Scheme

Located off the A448, between Redditch and t dle o ill find Rough Hill Farm, a small producer of free-range pork and eggs. The adjoining farm shop has recently undergone a sizeable refurbishment, and has now re-opened with an onsite butcher, a refill station and ero waste bins. co.uk/farm-shoproughhillfarmshop.

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 810 SHOP TALK IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW... EMMA founder,SCHWARZ,TheBarnLittle London, Chichester Interview Lynda Searby Photography Dan Stevens

In my kitchen there hangs a poster with the slogan: ‘You never think it will take as long as it will’. I try to live by that. I never thought it would take as long as it did to obtain the planning permissions for the two buildings that are now our premises. My husband Mark and I discovered the properties in 2017. The barn had a 3000 sq ft courtyard and adjoining that was a building with frontage. It was ideal for the hybrid retail-restaurant I had in mind. Unfortunately they were owned by two different landlords, which meant two sets of negotiations. e wanted permissions for office, storage and residential use, which added to the complexity.

fter three months, I had the confidence to sign the leases. The Barn opened in September 2020 and en oyed a glorious first month. Two lockdowns then taught me the importance of being able to pivot between different revenue streams - at one point we even became a sourdough toastie takeout place. My career with M&S Food and The Rare Brand Market gave me the experience to do this.

Last April, when hospitality reopened, we became a popular option for breakfast, brunch and lunch. People loved our wooden dining chalets, and we were handling 900 covers a week. We traded phenomenally last year - and raised over £40,000 for UKHarvest by encouraging diners to donate 10% of their bill to the charity. Then in January 2022 things started to decline. But I realised that the previous year we had been overtrading post-covid and the resurgence of footfall to high streets. 2021 hadn’t been a ‘real’ year - 2022 is a more ‘real’ year one. So we had to think quick on our feet again. We have reduced our range, being careful about stocking perishables and getting rid of fridges and freezers to cut energy costs. I am on a mission to make local food more accessible on the high street and fill the vast gap between farm shops and supermarkets, but it is a slow journey, and my mode of travel needs to be robust enough to get me there. Wish me luck!

Three years later in February 2020, just as we were ready to sign the lease, the pandemic arrived. Our initial reaction was to pull out, but, after some re ection, we decided the timing might be good for starting a business grounded in the principles of slow food, eating local and wasting less. I went to the landlords with a proposal to trial an online delivery service, using one of the sites as a collection point. I got a website built within a week, populated it with local organic products and used the database from my existing pop-up retail business, The Rare Brand Market, to quickly build up a customer base.

MODEL RETAILING

FFD says: Sustainability is important and almost becoming a prerequisite for your customers. But you need to remember that it comes in many guises (Net-zero waste. Donating to food banks. Being nice to your staff), as do your customers. Make sure you have an explanation that can be made clear to all of your demographics. It’s not really a topic you can bluff your way through anymore.

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.

SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE.

A better question is – do you still use paper, and pencil to list what you need to order? I do. I was watching a friend make his orders the other day. His deli is in a touristy area, with second homes, caravan parks and lots of beach goers. I know his EPOS is superpowered, yet there he was on his hands and knees counting jars of Golden Shred. When I asked him why, surely his stock system gave him at least a starting point, he demurred. In his spot, every week had its own pattern, depending on weather, term and half term times, local events, I’m taking a more youIwhatI’mapproachsustainabletotheshop.notsureyoumeanbutdon’tcare–unlessgetpreachyandmoreexpensive.

I’m taking a more approachsustainabletotheshop.I’mnotsurewhatyoumean,butitsoundsgood–andwillmakemefeelbetteraboutshoppinghere. I’m taking a more Thatapproachsustainabletotheshop.soundsgood,butI’mnotsureyouknowwhatyoumean.Explainyourself.

OFCONFESSIONSADELIOWNER ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER

Do you confuse your ROQs with your MOQs? Does anybody but you even know the passcode?

THERE IS NOT a person reading this who hasn’t, at some point, wanted to throw their over-complicated EPOS system to the vultures, get a pencil and pad and go old fashioned. I didn’t used to have an EPOS, we had an old fashioned till, electric but no computer attached. Back then I knew the price of every single product and each sale laid down an invisible imprint in my brain of what customers bought. A small number of you never went to EPOS. You are probably small post o ces in villages or small cheesemongers. The dress shop opposite me writes down every sale, reminding me of the way my dad used to record the mileage every time he lled up with petrol. Likewise, for a good number, EPOS is the path to e ciency and productivity. Worth investing in. But that’s not me. I have given up on 90% of my EPOS. Pop quiz: do you know what a purchase order is, and do you raise them? Are your stock records accurate? Do you receive goods into your EPOS every order? Does your EPOS give your monthly GM by department? Do you enter your stock losses or your stock take into your EPOS? Do you have a barcode scanner for stock takes? Do you still use paper, and pencil to list what you need to order? I do. weather, waves for sur ng, bank holidays, had he mentioned weather? His home is over the shop, and they look out onto one of the campsites –that tells them a lot right then. There is no way the EPOS system is going to get close. I wish I had that many excuses. I don’t raise EPOS purchase orders because I don’t have the time, and my stock records aren’t that reliable anyway. I enter new stock not on receipt but when the invoices come in. Even then it’s only once or twice a week and that’s just to make sure my margins are right, not to keep my stock accurate. My small team is too full of undertrained sta to delegate EPOS based solutions to, but a printout of a Holleys stock list they can write numbers on, yes they can. My loyalty system? Handwritten cards which I enter periodically into an online email platform. My EPOS counts the money. And I use it to predict, if that is the right word, future sales based on what we did last year. That is pretty much all I ask it to do. The rest of its intellect lies crippled like a Lamborghini in a 20mph zone. And (don’t tell anyone) I’ve given up even pretending I’m ever going to do it di erently.

11Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022

SigstonGreg

...deliveries

Industry View TASH GORSHT OF GATHER IN PECKHAM SAYS DON’T LET RISING COSTS GET IN THE WAY OF SUSTAINABILITY 2

Use-by and best before dates should be checked to ensure they have not expired and that there is adequate shelf life left on the products in line with the retailer’s standards.

3 Straight on the table A couple of years ago, American celebrity chef Christian Petroni gained a lot of social media hype for the way he served a traditional Italian meal by pouring polenta directly onto the table for diners to feast from – an experience that’s still going strong today. In a similar, albeit more formal, vein, Grant Achatz, of the three Michelin-starred Alinea in Chicago, serves p the final dish of his co rse tasting menu by creating an art piece directly onto the table using sweet sauces, spreads, ganaches and creams. Here in Blighty, we’ve got Decatur, a restaurant and pop-up that specialises in traditional cra fish oils here everything is served straight on the table.

For Tash Gorsht at Gather in Peckham, seeing your costs rise doesn’t mean you have to set aside your sustainable aspirations. In fact, she says, “one of the big things about reducing your impact as a business is that there’s a lot you can do that doesn’t cost money.”Reusing or repurposing items in your shop, or investing in second-hand kit is an easy way of keeping your own outgoings low.

•

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

Where you need to increase your prices for sustainable items, or if you are buying items that are expensive because they are environmentally sound, just be clear in communicating this with your customer base.

• Complaints and issues should be documented. Emerging trends should be raised as an issue with the supplier and the use of the supplier may be reviewed.

This month we take a look at...

12 SHOP TALK September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 8 WHAT’S TRENDING NICK BAINES KEEPS YOU UP TO DATE WITH THE NEWEST DISHES, FLAVOURS AND INNOVATIONS IN FOOD & DRINK 13

2 Pastis This aniseed-based apéritif is France’s answer to sherry. As well as the romanticism of something forgotten and overlooked, one of the big draws is that pastis can be made into a longer drink with water (without a frown from your moustachioed barman). Cornwall’s Tarquin’s Gin Distillery produce a British variant with the aptly named Cornish Pastis, while some striking offerings are coming out of Italy too, from the likes of Argala.

“Then you offer a variety, so if they can’t afford for things to cost a little bit more, then there’s something else that’s a bit more affordable so that they’re not priced out of shopping with you, but they can make that choice themselves,” she says.

• If there are serious complaints, use of the supplier must be discontinued pending investigation.

“You could have a sign saying, ‘the reason we don’t have our lights on overnight is because of what we’re trying to achieve for the planet – and it’s saving us money.’”

• Ingredients and food products intended for sale to the customer should be obtained from a reputable supplier. Foods of an animal origin must be approved or exempt from approval under regulation (EC)

If you’re worried about your messaging, don’t be: a lot of customers want to do their bit for the environment, and if you can make it easy for them, they’re more likely to.

CODE OF PRACTICE

• Each chilled delivery must be monitored to ensure the correct temperature. A probe or infra-red thermometer should be used to take a ‘between pack’ temperature for chilled and frozen foods. Some foods will display a maximum storage temperature on their packaging. They should arrive at or below the stated maximum temperature.

• The retailer should have a procedure for returning goods to a supplier.

•

Best practice guidelines for receiving goods: hilled deli eries et een and ffal a i o ltr a i l More information can be found at: ood.gov.uk sites de ault files media document/vacpacguide.pdf

“It’s both cheaper and better for the planet,” sheTurnsays.off your electrical equipment at night, and if you have a display in the window, consider switching it off.

Short wine lists Rather than going for an extensive wine list, many of the UK’s most popular restaurants are offering far fewer wines. Leaning on this authoritative approach, stalwarts like Towpath Cafe, Rita’s and Kiln have all turned to short wine lists. It’s telling that The Star Wine List now has a ‘Best Short List’ category. Down in Poole, Scott Parsons has just opened The Four, where the limitations of the number strengthen the experience with a rotation of just four reds, four whites, four sparkling, and four oranges.

• All deliveries should be checked upon arrival by employees trained to carry out this

“Don’t make assumptions, because you don’t know what your customers prioritise and what they might want you to do if you don’t talk to them. Talk to them, maybe trial it, see if you can do that and then see where that takes you.”The most important thing is that you have ongoing exchanges with your customers.

•duty.Deliveries should not be accepted if the goods are known to have been transported in inappropriate conditions, if they show signs of possible contamination or mishandling. The guide is available in PDF format and is free for Guild members. For non-members, it costs £250+VAT. To request a copy of the Code of Practice, or for further information, email support@gff.co.uk

“If you tell your customers that the reasons you’re making changes, they’re much more brought into the journey that you’re also taking, and they also are likely to want to contribute if they can.”

“Then it’s about having a range. If you want to take steps to be more sustainable in the types of products you offer, having options to begin with and seeing how your customers respond to that, then you can decide if there’s something in the range that you want to grow.”

Biscoff owner Lotus buys up Peter’s Yard

NEWS THE GUIDE TO BELGIAN BAKERIES This advertisement does not reflect the views or opinions of this publication. ADVERTISEMENT

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 82

The Miller’s ranges are only made at the Artisan Biscuits bakery, a mainstay of the Derbyshire Peak District for more than 100 years.

Our bakers still work the old-fashioned way, blending traditional knowhow, fine ingredients and creative flair in biscuits, toasts and crackers that will be checked by 15 different bakery staff before being approved. Look for the Miller’s brand anywhere that caters to the discerning.

The Peter’s Yard founders said, “Our focus was always on finding a long-term partner for the brand…[it] has now found an excellent home within the Lotus Bakeries Group brand portfolio.”

The company has around 2,400 employees, a turnover of €750 million and a market cap of €4.7 billion. One of the company’s stated aims is the globalisation of Lotus products; making its snacks available to every consumer worldwide in order to attain omnipresence in the market.

After initially taking a 20% stake in sourdough crispbread producer Peter’s Yard in 2019, Lotus Bakeries has now acquired the entire business, with its founders set to step down. A staple brand in the UK independent market, Peter’s Yard will now become part of its new Belgian owner’s Natural Foods division.

LotusAboutBakeries

Lotus Bakeries is an internationally-oriented company with factories and production facilities in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, South Africa and the US. Over six billion Biscoff biscuits are produced a year, and other brands offered by Lotus Bakeries include: Nākd, TREK, BEAR and Kiddylicious, as well as a number of cake specialities, gingerbreads and waffles.

14 With the environment and sustainability in mind, we have taken this opportunity to rename our range of sixteen wonderful flavours. Each flavour has its own descriptive eye-catching packaging which is both recyclable and eco-friendly. NEW ECO-FRIENDLYRETAILRANGE Release date 5th September 2022 info@croomecuisine.com | 01905 350788 ' Cheese to tickle your tastebuds ' With a peel-able (top right corner), resealable for freshness a nd recyclable, the packaging can go into household recycling once the cheese has gone. Get in touch to find out more...

Former Courtyard Dairy cheesemongers

The animal and climate change group, which campaigns for a plant-based food system, said 650 activists will take direct, non-violent action to disrupt the British dairy industry in September.

Animal Rebellion protest could a ect makers and cheesemongers because we don’t feel we have any other choice. Transitioning to a plant-based food system and rewilding is the key solution to the climate crisis. There is no need for the deaths of over a billion animals for food each year in thisBathcountry.”SoCheese was the target of a demonstration of around 40 protestors from a di erent vegan group in December. This followed campaigners publishing an edited undercover video, which owner Hugh Pad eld said aimed to mislead the public about welfare standards at the company’s organic farm.

Owner Michaela Myers tted CCTV at a cost of £1,000 following the incidents. “We also spoke to the local newspaper because we felt it was important to get our message across. The cheeses we sell come from small farms with high animal welfare, and we sell vegan cheese.”

Artisan cheesemakers and retailers could be targeted this month in protests organised by Animal Rebellion to disrupt the dairy industry.

15 CHEESEWIRE news and views from the cheese counter Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022

County Antrim sheep farmers Alan and Wendy Dempster plan to create Northern reland s first e e s il cheese he ne hard paste rised cheese is eing de eloped ith assistance fro the ollege of gric lt re ood and ral nterprise at o ghr heshire cheese a er oseph eler has ac ired c tting lending and pac ing siness t ra oods ales t ra s headquarters in Minffordd employs 60 people and processes cheddar o arella territorials and ontinental cheeses i has sold its sta e in talian cheese specialist rosi p hich also o ns o cliffe in the he sta e has een o ght rench ltinational actalis

By Patrick McGuigan

Dopplebock A German cheese deserves a German beer, and the dark lager Dopplebock is just the ticket. Strong, rich and smoky, the style works well with the sweet, roasted nut notes of the cheese, plus there’s a velvety texture to the beer that mirrors the creaminess. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock is a good starting point. Smoked salami There’s a smoky, meaty avour to Hornkäse that comes from the burnt hay rind that calls for a slice or two of salami. Large slices of soft, beechwood smoked German salami are a wonderful match, especially with a slice of toasted rye bread. If you’re looking for a British equivalent, try Brighton-based Rebel, which makes an oak-smoked Smokey Salami, seasoned with garlic and pepper.

NEWS

Sam and Rachael Horton, who now run Long Churn Cheese in Austwick, Yorkshire, have created a soft raw milk cheese called Attermire, which is washed in Riggwelter ale. The new cheese is made with milk from a herd of just eight Dairy Shorthorn and Gloucester cows and is based on French and Belgian monastic cheeses. It has a pliant texture, plus brothy, malty avours. The name comes from a local rocky landmark.

Animal Rebellion’s most recent retail protest saw them pouring milk all over the oor of Harrods’ food hall

Hornkäse THREE WAYS WITH...

“Those who are trying hardest to show dairy farming can be kind to animals and the environment will be targeted by these groups that are fundamentally opposed to all dairy,” said Pad eld. “As a business we talk a lot about how we love our cows and how we try to farm in a compassionate way. That makes us a target for those that would like to see an end to all dairy farming. Artisan cheesemakers, cheesemongers and dairy farmers need to be prepared for the challenge from activists and how they will defend themselves.”

Pad eld recently gave a talk on the subject to Specialist Cheesemakers Association members. He advised them to take steps such as: reviewing practices to avoid unnecessary stress for animals and sta ; installing security cameras; and planning how to respond to accusations.Barney’sDelicatessen in Brighton has also been targeted by campaigners, who gra tied the shop with slogans such as ‘dairy death’.

Hornkäse is made by Hofkäserei Kraus in Bavaria with milk from a biodynamic herd of Brown Swiss cows. Made in 6kg wheels and aged for eight months, the Alpine cheese is washed in a mixture of burnt hay and elder ower cordial to cre ate an unusual brown rind and powerful sweet and savoury avour.

Zhug Cheese specialist Nick Mason at The Fine Cheese Co., which imports Hornkäse, likes to top a rye and buttermilk cracker with a slice of the cheese, half a boiled egg, some crushed tomato and a dollop of zhug – a Middle Eastern hot sauce made from green peppers, coriander and garlic. The spicy condiment brings a refreshing, herbaceous dimension to the sweet, nutty cheese. IN BRIEF

The group staged a protest at Harrods’ cheese counter in July, emptying bottles of milk on the oor, and occupied the cheese room at Waitrose on Oxford St. Kat Chan, one of the Animal Rebellion Harrods protestors, said: “We are taking this necessary action

Variations: None. Cheesemonger tip: Stock both the cutting and versionspre-packedtocater for all needs. Upsell with Prosecco or sparkling elder o er recommendation:Chef’s Toss diced cubes of the cheese in with cherry tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil leaves. Or, alternatively, crumble the cheese and combine with warm beetroot, salad leaves, honey and hazelnuts.

The family run business Shepherds Purse has been creating award winning sheep’s milk cheeses since 1989. Judy Bell’s mission was to create a quality dairy alternative for cows’ milk allergy sufferers. After losing their original oc of sheep in to foot and mouth, Simon Stott at Laund Farm and the Sheep Milk UK collective stepped in to help supply the milk for cheese production.

The deal was signed last month at the Australian High Commission.

What’s the story?

Today, they still supply Cheese courses: online as self-study eLearning, interactive virtual classes or traditional classes at a venue. The Guild of Fine Food, FFD’s publisher, is holding its first in-person Level 2 course on 27th-28th September in London. Visit gff.co.uk/training for more details and academyofcheese.org for other learning opportunities academyofcheese.org

Mrs SaladBell’sCheese

The answer was to employ a local carpenter to custom-build a smart wooden counter in the window that can be used as shelving during the day and turned into a cheese ‘tasting corner’ in the evenings.

CHEESE IN PROFILE with Trade agreement paves way for UK farmhouse exports to Oz

the Shepherds Purse Dairy with ewes’ milk and now, more than ever, the team needs to keep making cheese to ensure this niche British industry Originallycontinues. known as Yorkshire Feta, the company had to change the name to Yorkshire ettle in hen Greece won PDO status for its famous salty cheese n the ree authorities contested the name again, hence the change to Mrs Bell’s Salad Cheese. How is it made? Mrs Bell’s Salad Cheese is handmade from pure pasteurised ewes’ milk from pedigree Lacaune and Friesian sheep. Starter cultures and vegetarian rennet are added, the resulting curd is cut into c c es and o lded where it continues to

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE

16 September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 8 CHEESEWIRE news and views from the cheese counter

t s a e i le h rid space so in the e ening e can sit p to people for cheese tastings,” says Jones. “They’re really popular and a great way to get to know our customers better. People also tend to buy quite a lot at the end.” forest-deli.co.uk

Debbie Jones, Forest GloucestershireColeford,Deli, Housed in what was once a car showroom, Forest Deli is blessed with large shop front windows. But for a long time, openedJones,Debbiewhotheshop ith her h s and i on in regarded them as more of a curse. “I always found it a challenge to know what to do with them,” she says. “It was tricky to dress them and make eye-catching displays.”

By Patrick McGuigan

“When we made contact with Defra in 2018, it was very important to everyone that it not just be an initiative to bene t Neal’s Yard suppliers or a single importer,” said Neal’s Yard buyer Bronwen Percival. “My greatest hope is that introducing more raw milk cheese into the Australian market will help make it more normative, both for consumers and for regulators, and pave the way for more widespread domestic production of raw milk cheeses - produced to the highest farming standards - in Australia.”

The application was eventually approved this year and an agreement approving 12 raw milk cheeses was signed at the Australian High Commission in July. These include Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, Hafod Cheddar and Appleby’s Cheshire as well as cheeses not normally stocked by Neal’s Yard, such as Anster and St Andrew’s Cheddar. The rst pallet will be delivered this month to company’s Australian distributor Calendar Cheese, whose owner Will Studd has long been a vocal campaigner for raw milk cheeses. The agreement also opens the door to other cheesemakers and wholesalers to export.

cheese has no rind and the texture is crumbly, hile the a o r is f ll of dairy, with a saline piquancy and lemony notes. acidify overnight. Each cheese is hand-salted and matured for a minimum of two weeks, allowing the salt to infuse into the whole cheese. The cheese is hand-waxed in round truckles to lock in the fresh a o r and crea texture and more recently available without wax as a g loc retail pac Appearance & texture: Pure white in colour, the

A landmark deal to allow exports of British raw milk cheeses to Australia is expected to result in around eight tonnes of farmhouse cheese being shipped Down Under in the next Australiayear.had previously banned the import of most raw milk cheeses because of stringent food safety rules, but the regulations were relaxed slightly in 2018, prompting Neal’s Yard Dairy to apply to Defra to export British raw milk cheeses.

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 88 OUR INNOVATION? THE SAME RECIPE FOR NINE CENTURIES. GRUYERE.COM

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 818 VOTED THE BEST CHEESE IN THE WORLD* Our Shropshire Blue was selected SUPREME CHAMPION CHEESE of over 4000 UK and overseas entrants to the International Cheese & Dairy Awards enquiries@clawson.co.uk2022 www.clawson.co.uk *Supreme Champion Cheese Winner, 2022, ICDA, Total UK and Overseas. A ANDMATUREMELLOWFLAVOUR LIST AWARD-WINNINGOURCHEESETODAY

“We got strange colours in the cheese, not exactly a rainbow but it started turning pink and brown,” says Tkalez. “We spoke to other cheesemakers and nobody knew the answer. It might have been di erent yeasts, too much proteolysis or because the moisture level was too high.”

“We are still twitchy,” he says. “

The cheese was inspired by Gorgonzola Dolce. The Tkalezs took a trip to Lombardy to research recipes, but found the Gorgonzola industry to be large scale and secretive. Instead, they learned from books, videos and courses.

“I didn’t want to enter because we hadn’t done very well the year before and I have a fragile ego,” jokes Tkalez. “I grumbled about how much it cost to send the cheese up and how far we had to travel, but then we went to the dinner and they served a hot pie and gravy, which cheered me up. Then we kept winning awards, which cheered me up even more. At the end of the night we bought some Champagne from a 24-hours Tesco and drank it back at our B&B.” Away from the bright lights of Melton Mowbray, cheesemaking involves early starts and long hours. The Tkalezs collect milk at 5am and bring it to the dairy where cheesemaking takes place four days a week. They produce around 10 tonnes a year and could sell much more, but are understandably cautious about scaling up again too quickly, especially because they also want to devote time to their young daughter. It’s a very di erent life to living and working in London.

Thankfully, Neal’s Yard and Pevensey’s other main customer, Brighton wholesaler The Cheese Man, stuck by the company during this tricky period. This was partly because Pevensey Blue still tasted good, but also because of an understanding that cheeses take time to nd their feet.

Ultimate reassurance came in the form of a formidable haul of trophies at this year’s Artisan Cheese Awards, where Pevensey Blue won numerous categories, before going on to be named Supreme Champion.

MARTIN TKALEZ REMEMBERS the moment when he thought he’d cracked cheesemaking.

Bronwen Percival, Neal Yard Dairy’s in uential buyer, was tasting a batch of his Pevensey Blue and started nodding.

The cheese has evolved to be a little drier and more savoury than Gorgonzola to overcome issues to do with discolouration. The natural rind has a beneath,breakdownsoftjustaswell as around the streaky blue-green veins. he a o r is long and complex with an initial sweet, double notesbyrichness,creamfollowedfruity,boozyandan a i finish 1 Into the blue A er much tinkering, the pair managed to iron out the problem (see box), but they are not taking anything for granted. Tkalez admits to scanning pictures of cheese counters on Instagram to see if the cheese is behaving itself in the outside world.

Pevensey Blue Pevensey Blue is made with organic, pasteurised cows’ milk from Court Lodge Farm, owned by David and Marian Harding. They have a 150-strong herd of British Friesians and Ayrshires that graze Wildlife Trust-protected Pevensey Levels. The 3kg rounds are pierced at one month and matured for around 12 weeks.

19Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 CHEESEWIRE news and views from the cheese counter

pevenseycheese.co.uk

There is only one colour Martin Tkalez is striving for at Pevensey Cheese Company

“She said to me, ‘this is great, don’t do anything di erent’,” he says. “It was our ‘Man from Del Monte’ moment.” This was in October 2020, not long a er Tkalez and his wife Hazel had set up the Pevensey Cheese Company, making their agship blue cheese on Hazel’s parents’ farm in East Sussex. But while the buyer from Bermondsey said ‘yes’, the cheese had other ideas. As demand grew last summer, the couple scaled up from 30kg to 60kg batches and unexpected things started to happen.

Interview by Patrick McGuigan

CROSS SECTION 2 3

Becoming eye-openerhascheesemakerabeenareal

“I’m embarrassed at how I used to be when I was a cheesemonger,” says Tkalez. “I would be so critical of cheeses, but becoming a cheesemaker has been a real eye-opener. I know how di cult it is now. There’s no magic involved; it’s just really hard work.”

The couple’s foodie backgrounds (Martin managed Neal’s Yard’s London shops for 15 years, while Hazel sold fresh produce) also helped them keep the faith.

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 82 The World Cheese Market takes place on 2 November, alongside the world’s most important cheese awards, at the International Conference Centre Wales. • Welsh Food & Drink showcase and sampling • Over 30 trade stands, including cheesemakers, a neurs and cheese accessories • Young Cheesemonger of the Year, organised by the Academy of Cheese • Watch the Super Jury decide the World Champion cheese 2022 • Unparalleled dairy industry networking Who should attend? Anyone who buys, sells, or makes cheese in a trade environment • Deli, farm shop and food hall buyers • Importers and exporters • Food & drink journalists • Cheesemakers and a neurs Основний логотип Додатковий логотип з підписом Додатковий логотип Знак логотипПовноколірний RGB логотипОдноколірний www.g .co.uk/wca @guildo nefood #worldcheeseawards WORLD CHEESE MARKET 2022 Principal Global Partner World Cheese the world’s • Welsh Food & Drink • Over 30 trade stands, • Watch the UnparalleledSuper cheeseAnyone •• Organised by To register for your free trade or press ticket visit www.g .co.uk/worldcheesemarketWORLDCHEESEAWARDSKEYDATES2022 Open for entry: 25 July Closed for entry: 20 September Judging: 2 November Results available: 4 November 20ENTRYCHEESEWORLDAWARDSDEADLINE:SEPTEMBER

3 STAR WINNERS Allaways Co ee Bay Co ee Roasters –Indonesian Sumatran Fairtrade Organic Mario’s Luxury Dairy Ice Cream Espresso Martini Ice Cream Parva Spices Sambal Hijau Pembrokeshire Lamb Ltd Hogget Mince Pembrokeshire Sea Salt Co. Sea Salt with Sa ron Tasty Bites @ Ionas Kitchen Curried Goat Patti The Wye Valley Meadery Hive Mind: Big Smoke - Smoked Honey Porter 2 STAR WINNERS Anglesey Fine Foods Ltd Black Label Wing Rib of PGI Welsh Beef* Apple County Cider Co Ltd Apple County Cider Medium Dry Atlantic Edge Oysters (Tethys Oysters Ltd)Pembrokeshire Rock Oysters Bev’s Been Baking Raspberry & Morello Cherry Jam Black Mountain Honey Hot Fire Honey Black Welsh Lamb Pasture-fed, Organic, Shoulder of Mutton Cardigan Bay Fish Dressed Crab Cardigan Bay Honey Summer Wildflower Honey Castle Dairies Castle Dairies Welsh Butter with Halen Môn PDO Sea Salt Crystals* Caws Teifi Cheese Teifi Organic Halloumi Caws Teifi Cheese Teifi Mature Celtalan of Conwy Seedless Raspberry Jelly Ceri Valley Orchards Ltd Welshcraft Cider Vinegar Chilli of the Valley PiccaChilli Coaltown Co ee Roasters Union Crwst Aber Falls Whisky Salted Caramel Crwst Welsh Honey Butter Dolwen Welsh Lamb and Beef Dolwen PGI Welsh Rack of Lamb Dragon Brewing Eyton Gold Dunbia (UK) Welsh Hill PGI Welsh Lamb Eye of Loin* Dylan’s Restaurant Leek Oil Edwards, The Welsh Butcher PGI Welsh Beef Steak Burgers* Glaslyn Ltd Halen Môn PDO Salted Caramel* Good For You Ferments Ltd Sea Green Gwenyn Gru ydd Welsh Heather Honey winners!WelshtoCongratulationsallour ® 2022 Love Wales Love Taste *PGI Protected Geographical Indication | PDO Protected Designation of Origin

Hedgerow Honey Soft Set Honey Hilltop Honey Hilltop Spanish Orange Blossom Honey Mabel George Stem Ginger Fudge NS James Family Butchers PGI Welsh Lamb Chump Chop* Pembrokeshire Lamb Ltd Hogget Leg Pointz Castle Ice Cream Pembrokeshire Honey Gelato Rhug Organic Farm Rhug Estate Organic PGI Welsh Lamb Chop* Sarah Bunton Chocolates Orange Fudge Seidr y Mynydd Seidr y Mynydd Premium Cider Selwyn’s Seafoods Ltd Selwyn’s Cooked Cockles Sloane Home Lone Stag Raspberry & Rosebud Gin Infusion Sloane Home Lone Stag Strawberry & Mint Spirit Infusion St David’s Old Farmhouse BreweryCwrw Clôs Still Wild Coastal Gin Terry’s Patisserie Blackcurrant Delice The Preservation Society Candied Jalapenos The Untapped Brewing Company Ltd Ember The Whitford Co ee Company Y Ddraig Goch The Wye Valley Meadery Wye Valley Meadery: Traditional Mead Welsh Speciality Foods Welsh Breakfast Marmalade Williams Brothers Cider Bi yn Sweet Sparkling Bottled Cider 1 STAR WINNERS – SCAN THE QR CODE #LoveWalesLoveTaste#CaruCymruCaruBlasBELOW For a full list of winners, please scan the code below

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

What B Corp does is that it isn’t just us saying what we do. It says, ‘these people do what they say they do.’

Guy Tullberg, managing director, Tracklements

The growing number of suppliers and retailers pursuing the rigorous B Corp certi cation shows how the ne food sector can lead the way in truly bene cial business practices at a time when so-called “greenwashing” is rife in the industry.

"We’ve always thought, as a business, that we should behave as ‘a good citizen'," says Guy Tullberg, managing director of Tracklements.BCorpisn’t the British condiment specialist’s rst rodeo: the company is both Soil Association and BRC certi ed, and has been paying a Living Wage since before the campaign launched. It buys all its produce domestically, with some grower relationships dating back more than two decades. It sends net zero waste to land ll and is committed to reach net zero by 2030.Ithas been making use of so-called ‘wonky veg’ since Day 1 and has run local medlar and crab apple collection challenges for 20 years, rescuing what would be wasted fruit then donating part of the pro ts to charity.Aswell as a roof adorned with solar panels, the Tracklements factory has windows, which may seem like a small thing, but it is one of only a handful of companies in the UK whose workers get to enjoy natural sunlight while they work. Its four mental health rst aiders volunteered themselves to take up the role.

IT ISN’T A stretch to say that the speciality food sector is well positioned to instigate social and environmental change. Why? Because many within it already are.

24 September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 8 ANALYSIS Doing good, for the

“I think that says a lot about the organisation”, says Tullberg. “As a company, we want to look a er people. We’re asking our community to come in and make something really good every day. What there aren’t around the building are signs telling them to make good stu . It has to come from within.”Prioritising employee wellbeing is a common thread across B Corp companies, and something Yorkshire-based Dark Woods Co ee makes sure to do too.

This willingness to give employees a voice within the company should come as no surprise, as Dark Woods was founded as a values-led organisation, aiming to contribute to a more ethical, sustainable supply chain

Members of the roastery team are encouraged to explore hobbies, volunteering opportunities and professional development with a budget to be spent as they choose. A vegetable patch is even being set up outside their headquarters, for those who don’t have green space at home.

Putting people and the environment at the heart of their operation was nonnegotiable for Ash and Nick Sin eld when they opened Somerset farm shop Teals two yearsThoughago. still working through the certi cation process, the outlet was thought up with the the B Corp model in mind. “We both just felt like it was time,” Ash Sin eld tells FFD. “If you’re going to start something, you need to make sure it doesn’t just make money. It needs to have a much wider reason for being.”

It’s a really useful tool to help you go through your processes and actually be a bit more systematic and thoughtful Damian Blackburn, director, Dark Woods Coffee

“What we liked about it is that it focuses on the company as a whole, not on an individual product,” says Agnew. “It’s a re ection of you as a business and you as a team of people running and working in that business and everything you do. It’s very comprehensive.”

Vol.23 Issue 8 | CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

• The B Impact Assessment (BIA) examines a company’s social and environmental impact across five areas Governance, orkers, Community, Environment and ustomers.

• Any company operating or profit in a competitive market for more than one year ualifies to certi y.

“We have changed the way that we’re doing business globally,” says Sin eld. “We need to drastically alter the way we live our lives to secure the planet for the next generation.”Bothretailers and suppliers reading this piece might think a B Corp certi cation is for them, but be warned: the process is by no means easy. It will take time (upwards of two years, by some accounts), energy (as in, a dedicated team) and perseverance (because, no matter how con dent you are in how well you run your business, you will get knocked down).From the o set at Dark Woods, Agnew says, “there are a couple of quite strong commitments you have to make”. Namely, you will be required to change your articles of association within Companies House to give equal footing to what is known in the US as the ‘triple bottom line’ of people, planet, and pro t. You must then agree to give away a proportion of your pro ts (or a slightly higher proportion of turnover) a year to a charitable organisation - so it doesn’t just cost you to commit, you’ve got to give away a chunk of money, time, and expertise away every year. Then, you have to answer a series of just under 200 questions about your business, from general governance to how you treat your employees, whatever work you might do for the community, your impact on the environment and how engaged you are with your customers, to generate an initial Impact Assessment score.

Source: B Lab

• A company must score at least 80 points in its BIA to certify

Collaborative research into micro anaerobic digestion could soon see its energy-hungry co ee roasters running on biogas, with the remaining power also used in the building.

• As of July 2022, there were 5,325 B Corps worldwide, and more than 700 in the UK

sake of it by investing in areas where its custom has the most impact.

• In order to maintain certification, September 2022 In order to maintain B Corps must re-certify every three years.

It is seeking to eliminate all plastic from its supply chain, all of its vehicles run on renewable energy, and it too derives much of its energy from its own solar panels.

As well as working with local youth groups, Dark Woods sponsors a stage at the famed Marsden jazz festival in exchange for opportunities for budding musicians. Within the industry, the barista training the co ee company gives to its customers is e ectively free, driven by the founders’ belief that café and deli operators’ success is a positive for the local community and beyond.

The company runs a multitude of projects at the co ee’s origin, enabling producers to lead said initiatives.

“In the modern era, we talk about greenwashing, where businesses do things because they feel they have to, or because it’s a marketing opportunity”, says director and co-founder Ian Agnew. “Whereas we genuinely set out to do things di erently.”

The Dark Woods roastery is set in an 1850s mill, the test bed for a research project with the local university to develop pico hydro energy generation using the original Victorian waterworks, which could help reconnect other disused mills in the area.

social and environmental impact

The Facts B CORP

• An initial £250 submission fee is payable when the assessment is filed, then an annual certification ee is calculated based on a company’s revenue

The company works directly with hundreds of local independent producers, choosing them on the basis of their own good practices. 85% of the energy powering the kitchen, butchery and refrigeration throughout the building is produced by the solar panels on its roof. Ten electrical charging points are being installed outside the shop in the autumn, boosting the site’s green energy credentials further. Above the tills is a mural of climatologist Ed Hawkins’ ‘Climate Stripes’, representing the global rise of temperatures over two centuries, which speaks to the ideology that underpins everything at Teals.

“It gave us a series of guidelines and a framework to embody all of the things that we felt we were already doing,” says Tullberg.

None are shy about the fact that being a B Corp can be a great marketing tool but are equally eager to dissuade anyone from doing it for the sake of a few extra sales.

By being a B Corp member, “we are e ectively reinvesting our pro ts in people and communities for the future, and that helps us to be a stronger business.”

Anyone with a phobia of administrative processes, however, will probably be deterred.

“We would never normally sit and have chats with people who have nothing to do with our industry, but now we meet up and share ideas and help each other out with some of the policy stu ,” says Agnew.

26 September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 8

Even though some heavy-hitters like Ben & Jerry’s, shoe brand TOMS and Kickstarter are certi ed, there have been very few instances of B Corp businesses making ethical ga es. “There will always be businesses out there that just don’t want to change and think it’s all about the economic value of things. That’s not how it is for us,” says Agnew. “Economic sustainability is absolutely important. It’s no good if you do lots of good things and the business can’t survive, but it’s not pro t for the sake of pro t.”

social and environmental impact “It’s to do with how it structures the way you operate your business.” “Do it as a business because you want to do it,” Tullberg concurs. “All the other bene ts are secondary.”

“I really thought, ‘gosh, we’re going to get it’ – and not just me, we had a team of six very excited people,” adds Tullberg. It was particularly upsetting because this deduction put a dent in the producer’s overall score.

“It’s nice to have it in the toolbox,” Agnew says, but the main appeal isn’t around the extra business it might bring.

B Corp is yet to achieve widespread fame with the general public – with just 700 certi ed companies across the UK – but the certi cation is currently the best way for a company to prove better businesses.

ANALYSIS

For Dark Woods, the certi cation required that it made its endeavours more o cial than it had done up to this point.

If you start something, you need to make sure it doesn’t just make money. It needs a wider reason for being

“What B Corp does is that it isn’t just us saying what we do,” Tullberg tells FFD. “It says, ‘these people do what they say they do’.” “What you can’t do with B Corp is just to say, ‘give loads of money to a charity, quick, we’ll get 10 points’. You can’t do it. It doesn’t work. You can’t throw money at a problem.”

Despite a few bumps in the road, all agree that the process is worth it, if you are committed.

Importantly for Tracklements, becoming a B Corp has meant better sta engagement, and a drive to keep doing better.

Accelerating your certification NEED HELP?

Should it achieve certi cation, hopefully before the year’s end, Teals is hoping for the validation that it is indeed ‘a challenger’, helping to shi the norm of how businesses are run, as well as gaining a platform to in uence positive change among customers and“Forsuppliers.us,it was a bit of a no-brainer,” says Sin eld. “Why wouldn’t you do this? If you’re starting a business from scratch, why would you not strive to become a B Corp?”

ne o the first businesses in the sector to gain certification, otswold ayre is now on a mission to increase the proportion o orp producers in the supply chain, and is helping ellow speciality ood businesses with applications via its orp Accelerator rogramme. reated in anuary in partnership with leader and usiness on urpose ounder Andy awkins, the wholesaler is set to run its third workshop in eptember . hough limited to suppliers generating less than m in annual profits, the programme will also advise bigger operations, including wholesalers and retailers, on where they can get assistance. or more in ormation, contact otswold ayre s Impact anager at clementine cotswold ayre.co.uk.

For every question answered, applicants must also provide assurances in the form of receipts, reports, surveys and photographs.Andalthough B Lab’s advisors are on hand to talk you through how to put the necessary materials together, they aren’t there to make squares from circles. “They want to make sure you’re doing the work,” says Tracklements’ Tullberg. “I felt I really wanted to say, ‘just help us, what’s the answer?’ but of course, they wouldn’t have.” “It’s hard, and so it should be, because the idea is to promote all the right behaviours.”

Ash Sinfield, founder, Teals

Speaking to how rigorous the system is, despite their laudable practices, there was a discrepancy between both Dark Woods and Tracklements’ original, unvetted scores, and the nal validated ones they were given when they were certi ed.

“These things already sit comfortably with you. Now all you need to do is document it and put it in a ow process.”

“B Corp is the most well-established, the most widely recognised and it has the most advanced framework,” says Sin eld. “I don’t think there’s anything else out that that gives you that coverage.”

Dark Woods now has more credibility within an industry in dire need of reform. It has also joined a network of like-minded businesses in the local area, including, incongruously, a so ware rm, a kombucha producer and a funeral company.

“What we realised was that we were doing things really ad-hoc, things that felt right, but weren’t actually putting any structure around it,” fellow director Damian Blackburn says, adding that it has since put multiple structures in place, such as employee and customer surveys, as well as a formal giving strategy. “It has helped. It’s a really useful tool, if you embrace it, to help you go through your processes and actually be a little bit more systematic and thoughtful in what you do.”

The certi cation, as it stands, also appears to be a good deterrent for the greenwashers.

While it may seem a daunting undertaking, for Tullberg, chances are that as a speciality food professional, you’re already doing a fair amount that is required by the B Corp certi cation process, making it a worthy undertaking for the sector.

“Our Initial Assessment was something like 115 and by the time we’d gone through the full-on process, which took three months, we came out with 99,” Agnew says. “I would say to anyone going through it, make sure you think you’re scoring 100 on the index,” says Tullberg, “because you’ll have little points taken away here and there”, something which caused some emotional turmoil at Tracklements, when its wonky veg policy was dismissed due to the company not qualifying as ‘purpose-driven’.

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 27

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 828 NEW BRITISH CHARCUTERIE ⦁ AMAZING SMALL-BATCH CHARCUTERIE ⦁ ⦁ WINNER OF 5 GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2022 ⦁ ⦁ WWW.BRAYCURED.COM“Yum.”⦁ STAND 2653 AT SPECIALITY & FINE FOOD FAIR At Herby Hog we don't just make amazing flavours, we make amazing plant based pig out flavours Follow us @herbyhogfoodco www.herbyhog.co.uk 100% Plant Based | Nothing Artificial Palm Oil Free | Made in the UK Vegan, Vegetarian & Carnivore friendly! Our range of plant based seasonings and foodie gifts add sensational flavour to your culinary creations. Simply coat, rub, sprinkle or stir into favourite foods. Distributed in the UK by The Fine Cheese Co. • BATH ENGLAND www.finecheese.co.uk 01225 424212 Walo von Mühlenen LTD • walo@affineurwalo.ch +41 79 217 54 11 EXCLUSIVELY FOR INDEPENDENT TRADE LOOKING FOR LOYAL CUSTOMERS? The unique taste of my cheese will transport your customers to beautiful Swiss landscapes with fresh grass, crystal water and typical chalets. An experience that they will want to relive again and again. More than 150 years of family-expertise in SwitzerlandAffineurcheese-production:Walohasreceivedmoreawardsthanhasmountains.

G & Tea: Tea Distilled Gin Traditionally distilled in Cornwall, plough to bottle, using unique tea blends to give an incredible depth of a o r and s oothness G & Tea will be showcasing its four distinctively different handcrafted gins at this year’s Fair.

The Discovery Zone is a bustling hub of new product innovation. Home to businesses which have been operating for less than three years, it has been the launchpad for countless successful brands. Here are just a few of the 70+ businesses in the zone at this year’s event.

Takejoypots.comStock

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022

SPECIALITY & FINE FOOD FAIR will return to Olympia London on 5-6 September for two days of learning, networking and product discovery.

Take Stock is an awardwinning, premium bone broth created for foodies, chefs and consumers.health-consciousTheambient blocks have a 24 month shelf life and come in chic en eef fish and egeta le a o rs a e Stock is made from meaty bones, herbs and vegetables, simmered for up to 24 hours then strained to leave a clear liquid. It can sipped as is or used as a cooking ingredient. takestockfoods.com

The Discovery Zone

This summer, London-based gourmet mayo rand arries la nched the s first e er Special Edition Wild Garlic Vegan Mayo. Made withfreewildOxfordshire-pickedwithgarlic,Barries’eggmayocompetestraditional mayonnaise on every level and makes the perfect accompaniment to a picnic, BBQ, or al-fresco lunch. Joypotsbarriesonline.com

Samantha Morgan, owner of Drapers Lane Deli, tells FFD: “Our customers want di erent, they want new, and they also expect quality. To nd producers and artisans that meet this brief for our customers is invaluable. To have them in one show and all under one roof is why we attend Speciality & Fine Food Fair.”

Barriesgandtea.uk

The UK’s leading showcase of artisanal food & drink returns to Olympia London on 5-6 September. In this preview we take a look at some of the new products on show and the discussions planned for this year’s event.

FDReviews Live A who’s who of leading industry experts will be on hand at the FDReviews Live stand offering free in te confidential consultations to food & drink entrepreneurs at every stage of product development, providing insights into key market opportunities in the worlds of retail, foodservice and hospitality, how receptive the ar et is to specific prod cts and the commercial viability of food & drink offerings.

This year’s seminar programme will see a wide range of industry experts, independent and speciality retailers and food & drink entrepreneurs take to the stage to discuss the most pressing issues in the world of food & drink. There will be sessions on tackling food waste, increasing basket spend by improving customer service, driving positive change through ESG, social media best practice and a no-holds-barred look at the highs and lows of launching a food & drink startup.

One of the rst large-scale industry events held post-lockdown in 2021, the Fair is back bigger and better for this year, says event manager Nicola“LastWoods.year’s Fair was a wonderful and quite emotional reunion for the industry a er a di cult couple of years,” she says. “This year we’ll be celebrating the amazing year the ne food & drink sector has since had, with a huge amount of innovation in retail and countless fantastic new products launching onto the market.”

The best yet

“Speciality & Fine Food Fair is a must-attend for anyone looking to nd the tools, products and insights to grow their business,” concludes Woods. “There’s no better way to e ciently source new suppliers, taste a wide range of UK and international products, and hear from leading gures in the world of speciality and ne food.”

The awards were launched in 2021 to celebrate the businesses, individuals, products and initiatives changing the face of the industry. The winners will be announced from 4.30pm on day one of the Fair on the Food for Thought Stage.

The Taste the Trends Kitchen Using products from the Fair, consultant and chef Steve Walpole will be exploring the key trends c isines and a o r profiles i pacting on food & drink in 2022. Expect deep dives into plant-based products, ethical eating and world cuisines alongside partner takeovers from the likes of the World Charcuterie ards rana adano and an e cl si e first look at the Great Taste Supreme Champion.

The Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards return bigger and better to celebrate e cellence in the fine food drin sector

This year’s event, continues Woods, will have everything that makes the Fair so beloved by specialty retailers, wholesalers and hospitality professionals, plus some exciting new additions such as a live demo kitchen, a product feedback clinic and an expanded Speciality & Fine Food Awards roster. In addition to an unparalleled selection of innovative producers from around the UK, the Fair will once again feature a range of quality

Joypots’ range of confectionery was devised to bring something for everyone, with choices such as chocolate-coated Brazil nuts and tiramisu cashews. Its new range of savoury nibbles range includes vegan, vegetarian and gluten free varieties.

international products. Visitors can sample beer from St Lucia, ethical foie gras from Spain, kimchi from Korea, olives from Greece and much more. Areas such as the Discovery Zone, the Sustainability Zone and the Drinks Cabinet will make it easy for visitors to source new, ecofocused products and drinks within the Fair, while the new Taste the Trends Kitchen will highlight some of the key trends in the world of food & drink using products from the Fair.

The Food for Thought Stage

What’s on The Inspiration Bar Mixology School returns for two days of drinks industry insights and delicious concoctions, revealing the best combinations and marketing messages to upsell quality drink products.

The Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards

SHOW PREVIEW 29

Pitch Live Final

15:30-16:15

16:30-17:00 Speciality Thought Bruce Langlands, consultant Vhari Russell, managing director, The Food Marketing Experts Stephen Minall, founder, FDReviews.com

Future food trends with thefoodpeople and Good Sense Research: flexitarian, plant-based and global cuisines

Jennifer Creevy, director of food & drink, WGSN Liam Jones, head of business development, Olio Abbey Short, venue catering manager, Olympia London Matt Whelan, managing director, FieldFare

& Fine Food Fair Awards 2022 Food for

Kate Smith, owner, Holtwhites Bakery Jan Robijns, owner, The Broadway 13:00-13:45Grocery sponsored by Virgin StartUp

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Paul Hargreaves, chief executive, Cotswold Fayre Mary Lynch, key account manager, Lucky Saint Emma Mosey, owner, Yolk Farm Kitchen Annie Gale, head of RAW Talent & apprenticeships, COOK Trading Ltd Emma Lawson, food production & bakery manager, Keelham Farm Shop

•

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 830

/ Mindful Chef DAY 2,

Adrian Boswell, buyer, Selfridges Scott Winston, consultant, Scott Winston Fine Food TUESDAY How to grow your business amidst the costof-living crisis

Waste

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Deli &

Stage •

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Andrew Walker, client knowledge director, Kantar 11:45-12:30 Recruitment and retention: What is left to learn?

•

Darren Preston, funding manager, Virgin 14:15-15:00StartUp not want not: Tackling surplus food in the retail sector

6 SEPTEMBER 10:30-11:15

•

Marcus Carter, owner, Artisan Food Club

SHOW PREVIEW THEGOODNESSUNMISTAKABLEOF GAROFALO PASTA FOR EVERYONEITALIAN ORGANIC WHEAT PASTA ITALIAN WHOLE WHEAT PASTA ITALIAN DURUM WHEAT PASTA ITALIAN GLUTEN FREE PASTA All shapes and ranges of Garofalo Pasta are stocked in the UK for immediate delivery info@garofalouk.com 01438 813444 / 07970 295806 All our pasta is suitable for Vegans All our Gluten Free pasta is Crossed Grain Certified All our Organic pasta is EC BIO Certified Contact our UK team: Food Thoughtfor The Food for Thought Stage is a key source of inspiration, with exciting discussions, presentations and debates focused on the heart of the fine food & drink sector with in-depth discussions with the who’s who of the industry. DAY 1, MONDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 10:30-11:15 Future food trends with thefoodpeople and Good Sense Research: Driving sustainability and ESG in food & drink • Charles Banks, director, thefoodpeople • Kelly Dowson, managing director, Good Sense Research 11:45-12:30 The personal touch: How to increase basket spend by tailoring your customer service • Holly Shackleton, editor, Speciality Food Magazine •

•

Charles Banks, director, thefoodpeople Kelly Dowson, managing director, Good Sense Research

•

grail is ‘clean label’ plant-based protein, avoiding the pitfalls of highly-processed, artificial products. Consumers now look for naturallyoccuring, protein rich ingredients. This session looks at what can be done with the multitude of products available.

Phia Folkes, chief executive officer, Seed Consultant and chef Steve Walpole highlights key trends in food and drink using products from the Fair. The Kitchen will also host a number of partner sessions. Highlights include:

Great Taste Supreme Champion Fresh from their win at the Great Taste Golden Forks Awards the previous evening, we will have the Great Taste Supreme Champion live in the Taste the Trends Kitchen to tell us more about their award-winning product.

14.30-15.00 Grana Padano Chef Demonstration Thanks to its versatility, the famed Grana Padano can be an instrument of creativity in the kitchen. Be inspired by the Grano Padano chef and his suggestions of how to use it.

13:00-14:00

SHOW PREVIEW 31 Golden Fork North of England Wholesale co ee and equipment supply, with curated POS support Award-winning, beautifully presented retail co ees Barista training school and café consultancy We’re a Certi ed B-Corp, and we give 2% of our turnover to community projects Holme Mills Marsden West Yorkshire HD7 6L INFO@DARKWOODSCOFFEE.CO.UK DARKWOODSCOFFEE.CO.UK Adventurous co ee, hand-roasted in the West Yorkshire Pennines GREAT TASTE 2022 3 STAR WINNERS Ethiopia Ardent Yirgache e Carbonic Maceration - Panama La Huella “Café de Panama” Red Honey Panama La Huella “Café de Panama“ 100% Geisha Natural - Ethiopia Ardent Yirgache e Carbonic Maceration SEE US ON STAND 2020 13:00-13:45 Fantastic food failures, and what we learn from them • Stephen Minall, founder, FDReviews.com • Ben O’Brien, managing director, Sessions Kitchens • Joe Gailani, chief operating officer, Bonraw Foods • Georgie Barulis, founder, WOMA WOMA 14:15-15:00 Turning the hybrid business model dream into a reality • Vhari Russell, managing director, The Food Marketing Experts • Svetlana Kukharchuk, founder/CEO, The Cheese Lady Limited • Richard Nicholson, owner, Cannon Hall Farm 15:30-16:15Ltd Defining and refining your social media goals •

exclusive

DAY 1, MONDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 11:00-12:00 East meets West: a look at Japanese and Korean influence on traditional Western cuisine Korean and Japanese influence grows bigger across the social and cultural spectrum, increasing consumer appetite for their wellloved cuisines. This session explores Japanese and Korean ingredients re-imagined in exciting new 12:30-13:30ways. Striving for plant-based perfection Plant-based and high protein diets are both surging. Cue lots of plant-based products fortified with added protein. But now the holy

DAY 2, TUESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 10:00-11:00 The health food movement – an unstoppable trend Healthy eating is becoming a top priority for consumers, and legislative changes such as HFSS mean that retailers and brands are increasingly driving the trend. In this session we highlight some of the health-focused products on offer at the Fair.

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022

Group Taste TrendstheKitchen

Caribelle Foods, Trinidad & Tobago Caribelle is a maker of Asandsauces,includingcondiments,Caribbeannaturalhotdipsseasonings.itgrows,

Caribelle intends on taking this community along with it by recruiting locals to participate in the production process. It is also committed to working with the local farming community to ensure raw materials are freshly sourced. caribellefoods.com BelgiumPipaillon, Returning to the Fair is Pipaillon, the pickleschutneys,spreads,organicpurveyorBelgianofjams,and syrups. Its wide range of products is said to be inspired by the founders’ childhood memories, who equate luxury with simplicity. pipaillon.com/en Cosmogy, Korea Cosmogy will be at the Fair showcasing its naturally carbonised alcoholic beverage its co prised of rice o er and ssal ot makgeolli. Fire CameroonMountain, Fire inbeansmadechocolatesingle-originMountain’siswithcocoaharvestedthevolcanic soil of o nt a eroon hich i parts a o r into the chocolate. The company also sources coffee beans and peppercorns from the volcanic soil, ensuring that producers are fairly paid for the work they put in to grow them. firemountain.ltd

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 832

SHOW PREVIEW CARBON BALANCED PRINT Looking printedfast-turnaroundforpackaging? Enjoy 3-week delivery on ourprintedCarbon-Balancedpackaging Carbon Balanced Printed Packaging Specialists for Lower Runs (1,000–300,000) Sleeves – Boxes – Wallets Get in touch to ﬁnd out more 01626 368986 | hello@newtonprint.co.uk VISIT OUR STAND (H169) FARM SHOP AND DELI SHOW TO CLAIM YOUR FREE PLANT-GROWING KIT! See us on stand 2228 innovationInternational Alongside hundreds of suppliers from around the UK, Speciality & Fine Food Fair welcomes a wide range of international speciality food & drink brands. For those looking to source fine food products from outside the UK, it’s a valuable resource, an opportunity to taste the products and meet the entrepreneurs behind the brands.

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 GUANCIALE SMOKED PANCETTA PANCETTACHORIZODORSET COPPASMOKED MUTTON PANNAGE HAMVENISON SALAMI Ready and open for your Christmas orders! “Artisan Charcuterie ‘made slowly’ in West Dorset by award winning epicureans” Venison and Pork Chorizo DorsetSalamiSoft STAND 1820G

Passion, People, Place Irish farmhouse cheese is not just about ﬂavour, it is also about people. Each cheese tells the story of the cheesemaker and the farm where it was made. Irish Farmhouse cheeses are produced across the country yet each cheese is an expression of its own particular part of Ireland. Lush green pastures, intelligent husbandry of livestock and sound farming practices enable the Irish cheese maker to work wonders with some of the highest quality and tastiest milk available in Europe. cheesemakers who won at year’s awards. Irish cheeses were awarded Taste accolade in cow, goat and sheep milk cheese categories

a Great

For more information on Irish farmhouse cheese, visit: www.bordbia.ie/farmhousecheese In total, 33

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 834

Bord Bia – the Irish Food Board congratulates the 10 Irish farmhouse

and Pasture

stars

this

SHOW PREVIEW # &Poca Ltd 2710 1683 Chocolate Place 1021 33Fuel Premium Natural Nutrition 3164 A ABERYNE 1830f Absolutely Caribbean 1110 Absolutely Caribbean 1120 ACESUR 1940e ACETAIA GIUSTI 2130 Acetaia Sereni - Balsamic Vinegar since 1930 2130 Ada Müller Honey 1930f Agrophoenix SA 1220 Ahura 3135 Allpress Espresso 2500 Alt Farms 2732 Amber Premium 2236 Anatolia Gourmet Food 1610 Angels Dare Cocktails 2756 Antillia Brewing Company 1120e Arrogant Chicken 2663 Artisan Fine Meats 1650 Artisan Olive Oil Company 849 Ask Mummy & Daddy 2504 Aspen Mulling Spices 2918 ATELIER CORSE DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES 1840j Over 150 best in category products from over 35 of Italy’s greatest artisan producers. Come see what all the fuss is about at Olympia Speciality Food Show - 5/6 Sept at Stand #1518 Best in Category Italian Larder Essentials Atrangi Pickles 2766 AUTHENTIC FRUITS 1440 B Baked In 3129 BARON FOODS LTD 1420 Barries 2659 Bay Coffee Roasters 3157 Beckford’s Rum c/o 2639 BELFOND 1640a Bella Chocolate 1520 Bemuse 845 Benlar Foods 1420 Berlin Packaging UK Ltd 1255 BIDBI 2511 BILADI 2744 Blackthorn Salt 3168 Blue Aurora English Blueberry Wine 2615 BLUE LOTUS 360 2704 Booyah Vitality 2762 Bottle Bar and Shop 841 BRAINAPPLE 1930c Brand Organic 3131 Bray Cured 2653 Britzels 2760 BROUWERIJ DER TRAPPISTEN VAN WESTMALLE 1640b Brown Bag Crisps 2515 2022ONWHAT’SFORSHOW Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 35

SHOW PREVIEW Brussels Kvas 1540 Buddy Creative 2533 Business France 1840 Business France 1830 By Julia Ltd. - Gullane Glögg 2126g ByRuby 2531 C Cacao Calling 2738 Cafe Pocco 2248 Cakes From The Lakes 2539 CALLYSTHE 1840h CAMPODULCE CURADOS 1940a CANASUC 1830e Capreolus Fine Foods Ltd 1820g Cardrona Distillery 2752 CARIBBEAN LABS CariBelle Foods 1110b CASCOA - the edible coffee bar 2728 Cawston Press 950 Cedar Baklawa 3143 Celebrate What You Eat 1430a CENTHO - CHOCOLATES 1630d CERVEZA MICA 1930a Charbonnel et Walker and House of Dorchester908 CHARCUTERIE CESARI 1840b Charles and Mike Distilling Ltd 2621 CHÂTEAU CALISSANNE 1840g Chew Chew 2702 Look out for…

Returning to the show is West Dorset’s artisan charcuterie producer, Capreolus. Sticking to time-tested techniques, the family-owned brand uses free-range or wild meat to produce a range of air-dried and smoked meats and salamis, inspired by continental products with a West Country twist. Recent additions to its repertoire incl de ild enison chori o and orset soft spreadable salami, both 3-star Great Taste award-winning products in 2021. capreolusfine oods.co.uk

…BY JULIA

…CAPREOLUS

…BYRUBY The ex-chefs behind ByRuby have focused on the quality of their ingredients to bring fro en food ac fro the real s of disrep te With more than 150 stockists the company is seeking further custom from independent retailers. byruby.co.uk

Look out for…

…SEGGIANO Italian specialist Seggiano has been sourcing and importing artisan Italian produce for more than a quarter of a decade to supply the UK’s independent food sector, holding producers to the highest standards when it comes to provenance, sustainability and quality.Most recently it has focused on growing its free-from offering with a range of glutenfree pastas and a vegan panettone. seggiano.com

What started as a fundraiser at the local Christmas Fayre is now a UK-wide operation, so popular was the artisan blend of orange infused with spices now known as Gullane l gg lia also a es a inter fi lend and a summer ripple mixer. byjulia.uk

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 836

…DELICIOSO Delicioso is an importer and distributor of Spanish food, drink, kitchenware and gifts. Sourcing products from small, artisan producers, the Oxfordshire-based company supplies independent retailers, hospitality outlets and end consumers with cured meats, cheeses, wine and sweet staples. delicioso.co.uk

THE COLD HARD FACTS Delicious frozen food, sold loose. Giving shoppers the choice to buy exactly what they want, not more than they need. FREEZER BRANDING Striking and memorable FULL SOLUTIONMERCHANDISING Advertising Support To promote Fieldfare in your store NO WASTE Frozen to preserve freshness & quality for longer. diverse range With regular new arrivals C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Discover our st Y WWW.HAWKSHEADRELISH.COM Stand 1501 MALLAIGJAFFY’SKIPPERS Our work is never hurried, our ﬂavour never compromised. PROUD PRODUCERS OF THE FINEST SMOKED SCOTTISH SEAFOOD SINCE 1944 JAFFY’S MALLAIG KIPPERS ORDER ONLINE FOR HOME DELIVERY www.jaﬀys.co.uk JAFFY’SSMOKEDPEATSALMON JAFFY’SSMOKEDOAKSALMON

38 handmadeDeliciousfoodforyourfreezerOver15 recipes for 1 & 2, sold to independent retailers, online and to select Booths stores Winners of 9 Great Taste Awards, 2021 & 2022 "Completegamechangerinfrozenfood" byruby.co.uk Will you be our next star retailer? Contact alice@byruby.co.uk for more information Classic Br tish FishPie Classic British Lasagne UNLTD. IPA

SHOW PREVIEW Chilli No.5 2632 Chilli Parmar 2740 Chimilove 2666 Chocobel 1121 Chocolala 1019 Chocolala. 1120b Cibosano 1810 Cocoa Canopy 2900 Cocoba 1115 Conservas Pinhais & Co 2503 Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano 1410 Contour Chocolate 2617 COOK 1218 COOPENOIX 1840f Copperpot 1613 Coren Selecta 1618 Cornfit 1402 CornwallPastaCO 2746 CORSICA GASTRONOMIA 1840k COSMOGY 1330d Crumbs Brewing 3155 D Damoiseau Arrange Fruit Rum 932 DARK WOODS COFFEE 2020 Deerness Distillery 2222 Delicario 1620 Delicioso - the Spanish food company 1510 Deliwraps 2230 Here at Original Biscuit Bakers we create unique and delicious biscuits for every occasion. Each biscuit we produce is lovingly cra�ed before being hand iced by our team of talented ar�sts. @originalbiscuitbakers originalbiscuitbakerswww.originalbiscuitbakers.co.uk For this autumn and winter season we have designed an abundance of wicked and fes�ve treats that your customers will love. Our biscuits make a great spooky trick or treat snack, an enchan�ng stocking ﬁllers, or simply a delectable treat to be enjoyed with a warm glass of cocoa on a cold and starry night.

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 39

…GRANA PADANO

The world’s most sold PDO cheese in the world, Grana Padano accounts for almost a quarter of all Italian cheese production. Its name, familiar to many, bears information about the cheese, as ‘grana’ means ‘grainy’ in Italian, as well as its provenance, Padano being a reference to the ‘Pianura Padana,’ the Po River Valley in northern Italy.

The Grana Padano Protection Consortium brings producers, maturing companies and distributors together to guarantee compliance with the traditional recipe and the quality of the final prod ct ead to stand if o d li e to find o t ore granapadano.it

…MR FITZPATRICK’S Maker of vintage cordials and Great Taste Producer, Mr Fitzpatrick’s, has been going for ears ts range of te perance cordials includes classics like dandelion & burdock and more modern takes like lemon, yuzu and turmeric, as well as an extensive choice of sugar-free drinks. mrfit patricks.com

Look out for…

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 65 Free delivery on orders over £100* Just ask Holleys 0117 938 0084 or visit www.holleysﬁnefoods.com *Minimum order value applies for free delivery and varies by region, please use our online Delivery Calculator for an exact quote. From small orders to tall Whetherorders.you need a scheduled weekly delivery, a we’velast-minuteshowstopperseasonalorashelfﬁller,gotyourback. For over 50 years we have delivered premium groceries to the nation’s most discerning retailers. With over 4,000 product lines, nationwide delivery, 98% stock availability and a minimum order value you won’t need to worry about –whatever your business needs...

SHOW PREVIEW Devon Rum Co 1134 Dimitra Parparas Sa 1220 Dog and Spoon Distillery 3150 Drinks Kitchen 2748 DTM Print 3147 Duroc D’Olives 1650 Dutch Pavilion (Embassy of the Netherlands) 1430 E Easy Jose 3151 Emma Basic 2012 English Tea Shop UK 1805 EU FRESH FRUIT 1340 Eunoia 1220 Eurimac S.A. 1220 Everleaf Non-Alcoholic Aperitifs 1245 F FIAB 1930 FIAB 1940 Fieldfare 2523 Finca Arcadia 1940 FINCA SANTA ROSALIA 1930h Fine Cheesemakers of Scotland 2110c Fine Food Digest 2928 Fire Mountain 1420 Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 41

SHOW PREVIEW Firelli Italian Hot Sauce 3130 Firetree Chocolate 1902 Five Rivers - Indian Spiced Rum 1048 Flanders Investment & Trade 1640 Flanders Investment & Trade 1630 Flauriel 1110c Foie Royale 2005 FoieGood 1940 Forest Feast 2115 Forest Produce 2921 Freda’s Peanut Butter 2929 Fresh Bell Co., Ltd. 1330a Fresh Eric’s 2220 Fudge Kitchen 920 G G & Tea: Tea Distilled Gin 2726 Gablin Foods Limited 1420 GENTLEMEN’S CRAFT 1630b Ginepraio Gin 934 Glenarm Organic Smoked Salmon 2234 Godminster Cheese 1820a GOE WELLNESS 2007 Good & Proper Tea 2508 Good Things 2723 Goüter 2623 Great Snacks Limited 2919 Great Trade Exhibitions & Exports 2040 Great Trade Exhibitions & Exports 1220 GreatDrams Limited Edition Whisky 1034 Growers Garden Broccoli Chips 2110b H Hampton Court Gin 1135 Hasslacher’s Hot Chocolate 2238 Hawkshead Relish 1501 Helios Pasta 1910 Helios Pasta Industry 1910 Herby Hog Food Co 2649 Highball Cocktails 833 Histrade Inc, 1330f Hobbs Chocolates 2647 Holy Carrot by Nojo 2609 HoneyHolics 2730 HOPT Sauce 2643 Hortus Medical International Ltd 2657 Hub.Brussels 1530 Hub.Brussels 1540 Hub.Brussels 1440 Hunter & Gather 2721 I I Love fruit & Veg from Europe 2030 Ian Macleod Distillers 1230 IGP MORCILLA DE BURGOS 1930d Imperial Jade 2736 SPRING 2023 CATALOGUE OUT NOW! Speak to your Account Manager for more information on the range and begin building your order today.CMYCYMYCMYMCK CF Spring Aug.pdf 4 05/08/2022 14:04 Look out for… …GODMINSTER Based in Bruton, Somerset, cheese producer Godminster is best known for its burgundy-waxed vintage organic cheddar, crowned the Nation’s Favourite Organic Product at the Soil Association’s Best of Organic Market (BOOM) Awards in 2019. Godminster’s other cheeses include an oa s o ed cheddar a tr f ed one and the spicier daredevil chilli, available in the classic circular form or shaped like a heart. godminster.com …ROUNTON COFFEE Reducing the impact speciality coffee has on the environment is roaster and wholesaler Rounton’s mission statement. It strives to do this by promoting sustainable social and ecological practices and shining a light on artisan producers around the world.As well as selected coffee ranges, Rounton works with partners to supply organic tea, single origin hot chocolate and plant-based drink blends. Septemberrountoncoffee.co.uk2022 | Vol.23 Issue 842

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 43 Directly from Italy, Stocked Distributed in the United Kingdom Importing Highest Quality Italian ProductsForThe Ultimate Italian Summer Dining Experience. See our full range of authentic oils, vinegars, dressings, and beautiful ceramics Call today 01635 744600 or visit our www.tenutamarmorelle.comwebsite “Tenuta have formed a key part of our ‘further afield’ range, the pasta sauces in are a favourite staple in. Tenuta’s level of support, ‘can do’ attitude, great quality and taste sees a long and fruitful partnership with Farmer Copleys.” Heather Copley, owner Winner of 4 ADDITIONAL Great Taste awards in 2022!

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 844 A truly healthy crisp! Low carb, low sugar, high ﬁbre... yet uncompromisingly DELICIOUS. Winner of a Great Taste 2022 2-star info@8foods.co.uk www.8foods.co.uk @8foodsuk “A delicious welcome addition to gluten free products.” Great Taste Award Judge, 2022 Luxury chocolate brownies handmade in Hampshire Hampshire I’ve 21 flavours as standard, 100% gluten-free and including 5 vegan flavours. Sold online and in selected cafes, coffee shops and retail outlets. For trade enquiries contact adam@homemadebrownie.co.uk for more information. www.homemadebrownie.co.uk TripleBrownieChocolate CoffeeBrownieCaramel High quality labels to help your brand stand out, with advice and support your business can depend on We offer high quality, cost efficient digital printing with a range of specialist ﬁnishes Our team will support you through every step of the process to ensure you always get the best result We have partnerships with award-winning businesses across the UK www.valelabels.co.uk Unit G, Monument View, Chelston Business Park, Wellington, Somerset TA21 9JF 01823 665504

stand

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 45

CHEESE COMPANY Snowdonia Cheese

…SNOWDONIA Company has been producing its famed since 2001. It now exports around the as as its it recently introduced

the little marvel to to 25 countries

li e r

world, and

ell

…DEERNESS DISTILLERY Handcrafting spirits in the Orkney Islands so nds ro antic t it s a hands on approach that keeps the Deerness parish operation churning out bottles. From distilling to bottling, labelling and waxing the bottles shut, the team does it all on site. To add an extra bit of excitment, the company has recently introduced a new ased coffee to its range of drinks. Find out more by visiting 2222 at the show. deernessdistillery.com

range of a o red and ca e aged cheeses,

SHOW PREVIEW Imperial Olives Simos Kalamidas 1220 International Trade Centre (ITC) 1420 Isle of Cumbrae Distillers 2126e Italy 2130 J J&J Spirits, SRL 1120c Japan Rice and Rice Industry Export Promotion Association 2121 JL Bridge Co., Ltd. 1320f Joe & Seph Gourmet Popcorn 2026 Joli 1461 Jomara 1003 Joypots Ltd 2606 JULES & GABRIELLE 1830A K Kabi Chocolate 1420 Kahkow Europa SL 1420 KANKEL BEAN TO BAR 1940c Karen eats 2637 Katie Tinkler illustration 2720 Keats Chocolatier 1619 KellyBronze Turkeys 1027 KILM FOODS 2747 KIMNORI CO., LTD. 1320c KKOH SHAEM FOOD CO,LTD 1330c Klepper & Klepper 1430h Knotty’s - Nutri-Butters 2930 Kohlico Brands 1012 Korea Agro- Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) 1330 Korea Agro- Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) 1320 Korea Agro- Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) 1310 KOREA NATURAL FOOD CO.,LTD 1320e Kyon Drinks 2742 L L.A Brewery 950 La Credenza Ltd 1234 LA RUSTICHELLA TRUFFLES 2130 La Tua Pasta 1002 Labelling Solutions 1342 Labels-U-Print® - KTEC Group 811 Lauden Chocolate 2520 LES ABEILLES DE MALESCOT 1830d Lesley’s Sauces Ltd 2700 London Chocolate 2244 London Vermouth Company 938 Lotus Labels 3132 Loxwood Meadworks 1032 Ludlow Nut Co Ltd 1512 LUXLO Spirits 1035 Luxwells 2722 Look out for…

delicatessen staple, Black Bomber Cheddar, in North Wales

a range of ch tne s incl ding fig apple and spiced to ato od a to ser e ith it snowdoniacheese.co.uk

SHOW PREVIEW M Maclean’s Highland Bakery 2126a Magic Field Co., Ltd 2600 Mahalo Supplies 2644 MAISON MARC 1830b MAISON MARTIN 1840c Mama Buci 3153 Mama Dolce 2655 Manatii 2605 MANUFACTURE CLUIZEL 1830g MARIANITOS 1612 Martín Berdugo - Single Vineyard Estate 1930e Matr Copenhagen 2714 MAY-OH 2716 MEIJITO 3138 Mercato Brands 2628 MEURISSE CHOCOLATE 1630a Mexican Mama 2915 MICHEL & AUGUSTIN 1830c MILÉNICO 1930g Mixology School 847 Moore House Cocktail Company 1150 MORCILLAS EL REVILLANO 1930b MOTIF 2024 MOULIN OLTREMONTI 1840a MR FITZPATRICKS LTD 1029 MSB-Spirits BV 1440 Beef & Bone Marrow Burger “Wonderful! Fantastic flavour... Juicy, delicious with a phenomenal length of flavour. “UnusualBravo!” richness and depth of flavour for a burger - really quite exceptional.” “A great burger with lovely beefy flavour, juiciness without being fatty, and succulent, tender meat. Delicious!” “…We felt this was a truly delicious burger.” Trade & consumer enquiries: hello@thegog.com | 01223 248352 thegog.com September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 846

ﬁelds,

perfecting their craft, creating award-winning cheeses which are now in demand across Ireland and the UK and throughout the international market. For more information on Northern Ireland’s wide range of quality and innovative food and drink products, contact Michelle Charrington T: +44 (0)78 1717 3514 E: michelle.charrington@investni.com

Long renowned for the superb quality of milk produced by cows grazing on its lush green Northern Ireland is now becoming celebrated for the wonderful last movement of talented been

cheeses made from that milk. Over the

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 33 We work with local producers to help identify new trends, bring forward innovative products and grow their business. Northern Ireland. Altogether more. Northern Ireland. Bringing our world-class food and drink to your table.

decade a growing

artisan cheesemakers have

SHOW PREVIEW S Saint Lucia Distillers 1120d Sar ta Salt Sastas-Tapasmar SRL 1540 SAVOURSMITHS 2545 SCEA Les Oliviers de Querubi 918 Seggiano - Peregrine Trading Limited 1518 Seyou Corporation 1320b Shavout International 1120a Sicilian Food Suppliers Ltd 1401 Sleep Well Drinks 2532 Sli i ood Co Snowdonia Cheese Co pany SOOO GOOD CO., LTD 1320d Sous Chef 2240 Speciality Food Magazine 1904 Spice Masters Squished 3152 SS orld Ltd Stag Ba eries Ltd Stefania Calugi tartufi dal 1908 2130 Superbon 1530 Sutherlands of Portsoy d Sweetland London T & M Artisan Chocolates a e Stoc oods Taking The Pea 2525 Taste of the West Ltd 1820 asty Mates Tayport Distillery 2110a eeny Greeny Ltd han s Plants N AKAS O apton Cidery atural Bee SPA Nature Blessed PC 1220 auta Nc’nean Distillery 1133 egan Ice Crea New English Teas Ltd 1014 Newton Print & Packaging 2228 NIO Cocktails 1241 Nirra 1220 OBL AL OO d uisance rin s urhu O Offset Print & Packaging Ltd 1850 O MY G M Ohene Cocoa 1420 Old Duppy Barbados 1110d Old Rectory Preserves 3140 Onedaymore 928 Ootopia 2040 Organic Traditions 2529 Osborne O LA AL CO & I OO P Packaging Mode 1010 Panasia GB 1330e Pancracio Chocolate 2048 Pellas Nature 1220 Peppe’s Gourmet Products Ltd 813 Pin Salt Shed Pinkster Gin 1231 Pipaillon 1530 PLANTIN 1840d Popcorn Kitchen Ltd Popcorn Shed Pra een Ku ar h Pringa’s Natural Flavour 1110a Propeller 1031 Provisions Wine & Cheese 1804 Q C OCOLA c ALI Y K LS LIMI Quality Ornamentals Horticultural 2004 uarter R ade s Chocolate Raslan Enterprise Ltd 831 Region Of Central Macedonia 1220 Repertoire Culinaire Ltd 1240 Reverend Hubert 839 i erside Spirits Rockfish 2908 Rosetta Brands 815 oss s of dinburgh Ltd c Rounton Coffee 2530 Russell & Atwell - the fresh chocolatiers 2502 A AKAI A ALS The Brook: Plant-Based Kitchen 2534 The Fine Cheese Co 1922 The Garlic Farm 1102 The Gorgeous Food Company 2924 he Gour et Chocolate Pi a Co G K S C he oney Lo ers THE INDI ESSENCES he Oil Merchant ltd The Tinned Fish Market 2501 The Virtual Cheese Awards 2210 The Wooden Spoon Preserving Co. Ltd 2541 he oodland rust TINGAY’S 1130 ory Sauce re co Ltd TRUEDE & PENG 2139 Truly Turmeric 1110e TULIP INTERNATIONAL INC. 1320a LI A wo Birds rin s f Two Brooks Craft Hard Seltzers 1233 wo ar ers U UNCLE JOE’S 1803 Universal Marketing srl 2030 Universal Marketing srl 3101 Universal Marketing srl 3104 Universal Marketing srl 2938 Universal Marketing srl 3030 V Vinagres de Yema S.L. olysitalitalirtue W aterdrop WBC 1201 hat A Pic le histler s Stor Whitebox Cocktails 1151 Wignac 1530 ild Cornwall Willies Cacao 1502 Willy’s ACV 2010 World Charcuterie Awards 1918 Y Young Poong Co.,Ltd. 1330b Yu Yu Sushi esserts Y MMA CA Y Z Zazou Emporium Vanilla 2925 ZooteeK, from the Basque Country 821 All listings correct at time of going to press September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 848

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 49 SEASON - DIP - DRIZZLE & TRY THEM WITH EVERYTHING! PLANT-BASED SOUTH CONDIMENTAMERICANSAUCES. IG: CHIMI.UK FB: CHIMIWWW.CHIMI.LOVE COURTESY: DELICIOUSLY CAPTURED BY MARIANNE SEE US ON STAND 2666 SINCE 2007 GLASS JARS & BOTTLES CLOSURES GLASSWORLDWIDESUPPLIER We are a leading global distributor of glass packaging, providing a range of innovative solutions for the food, drink, and cosmetics industries. EVER EXPANDING RANGE WITH STANDARD & BESPOKE SOLUTIONS With over 200 unique jars and bottles available, our carefully crafted range will help match your product with the right glass container no matter the industry. TWIST OFF CAPS & CORK STOPPERS Every container deserves the right closure, and our selection of standard caps can offer just that, from cork stoppers to crown caps, twist off, ROPP and GPI. Our in-house design team can help offer a fully customised option for all closures. GRIMSBY +44 (0)1472 sales@pattesonsglass.co.ukwww.pattesonsglass.co.uk340005ENQUIRE TODAY & JOIN OUR STORY www.stagbakeries.co.uk All-Butter Cheese Straws from the Isle of Lewis For more, visit us on stand 1601 at Speciality & Fine Food Fair

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 33

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 51 PROMOTIONAL FEATURE Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022 33

The dictionary de nition of ‘sustainable’ implies the ability to continue. The word describes methods that cause little or no damage to the environment. This is very relevant to any business, especially growers, producers, and retailers. But how does ‘no damage’ actively repair prior damage? Equally, how do growth and sustainability co-exist without encouraging an o set model that moves rather than solves problems? At the front end of food, the consumer-facing presentation and communication has adopted the word ‘sustainable’ as both a goal and a value. O en the social governance of a brand is bolted into the sustainability pledge,

“A conscious drive toward improvement of environmental and social impacts through measurement is the way we are taking our farm forward,” says Edwards. “We have robust help from both the Soil Association, who steer our farm conversion to organic, and B Corp, who guide our governance of impact.

The Garlic Farm

“There’s also a brilliant network of farmers, producers and other impact-sensitive business who collaboratively point us to better practices. Both these accreditations are brilliantly helpful journeys, but they are not destinations. In both cases, our team feel these organisations are helping us save the world, not just tick a sustainability box. There are big problems that need big ideas that we can action in small ways.” Given the complexities of the food system, from farming to production and consumption, the businesses involved are going to need to work together like never before to create the necessary improvements in commercial resilience alongside the repairs to nature and Edwardssocieties.feelsthat using the right language and careful choice of words would be a good start for his own and like-minded businesses.“’Sustainable’ is ok, ‘restorative’ is better, ‘regenerative’ is the goal. We’ve got to aim for better than just continuity or we won’t get there. We must go for systems that pro-actively repair soils, water, climate, and conditions for people. It’s more motivating (to us) to make things good rather than just keep things going, but keep going we must, or we won’t be able to do good!”

Website: www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk Email: wholesale@thegarlicfarm.co.uk Phone: 01983 865 378 Our full range is also available with Cotswold Fayre

Without wishing to derail the positive momentum toward sustainability, Edwards does feel it is relevant to question whether this notion of “less-damagingcontinuity” is a bold enough goal. He adds that the critical need for active repair of the natural world; the urgent challenge of societal inequality and the opportunity for businesses to react with su cient speed to actively reverse the massive problems is going to require huge motivation.

Continuing to stay in business, let alone thrive, is no small challenge in the food sector. But producer and grower The Garlic Farm wonders whether we are confusing commercial resilience with environmental goals. Is ‘sustainable’ the right word? along with these environmental aims. This combination of accountability within a brand promise has been building momentum. In many cases businesses across all sectors are consciously shi ing their core purpose to integrate these goals, with speci c measurements of impact and targets to improve.

The outcomes delivered by this increased focus on social and environmental impact across those within the ne food sector are positive. Sustainability is arguably more front of mind now than ve years ago. Interestingly, those at the very start of the food chain, the farmers are actively asking whether the question of how to be more sustainable is even the right question.

“I fear that in farming and probably all aspects of business that if we aim to do less harm and set sustainability as the goal, we’ll perpetuate an extractive model,” says Barnes Edwards, director of The Garlic Farm. “Sustainable means carrying on in an ‘ok’ way. Things will be less bad, but still not actively good. We need big, ambitious goals of a restorative and regenerative approach.”

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 852 Oﬀering your customers Health in a glass We use all-natural organic produce, we supply in glass bottles This really is ‘Health in a glass’ Call Lisa Driver today, on 07968272558 or email lisa@booyahvitality.co.uk www.booyahvitality.co.uk Try foryourselfStandS&FFF’222762 www.jameswhelanbutchers.com | Info@jwb.ie JOY ON A PLATE For generations now, our family has been making a real commitment to taste and excellence, hoping to help you add a bit of magic to every mealtime. Introducing this year’s 3-star award-winner Slow Braised Shortrib Outstanding Gift Boxes for Christmas Gluten Free Delicious & Versatile We’re excited to meet you on stand 2627 140 GREAT TASTE AWARDS #WINNER techniques, made by an award-winning chef. Please contact us today for a product list of super tasty Mild to Wild Chilli Chilli condiments. Catering sizes also available. CONTACT ADAM TODAY. WWW.MRVIKKIS.CO.UK OR 01768 210102 repeat trade and good margins, your customers secret recipes with authentic Indian Black AjiChutneyLimeandCriolo

53Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 FOCUS ON foodservice

Prep time: mins Cook time: mins Serves: makes long subs Ingredients: corn weetballbaguetteauberginecobsmozzarellachillisauce optional For the dressing: uice lemon ml olive oil mall handful of finely chopped mint leaves Method: Heat the grill to high. ix the dressing ingredients together. Brush the aubergine with a little oil, grill the corn and aubergine for - minutes each side until charred, turning fre uently. hen the vegetables are cooked through, remove and allow to cool slightly. lice the corn off the cob. Then toss it and the aubergine in the dressing and set aside to marinate.licethebaguette lengthways. pread the vegetables over the base of the baguette, top with torn bits of mozzarella. lace under the grill forminutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. erve immediately with a drizzling of sweet chilli sauce if desired.

Recipe by Jules Mercer for Fine Food Digest

LaneMichael

GRILLED CORN & AUBERGINE SANDWICH WITH MOZZARELLA With plenty of bite and zingy avour, this innovative vegetarian sandwich will satisfy even the most committed meat eaters.

FROM YOUR MARGINS

THE DELI KITCHEN SIMPLE RECIPES TO BOOST

ANDINGREDIENTSPACKAGING er a o rs are on the en at Ginger Bakers, hose latest s eet treat is an pricot istachio e on h e r le a e ade ith an apricot and pistachio sponge inf sed ith le on th e s r p and topped ith a s eet apricot a and cr le the dessert is a aila le to trade in portion tra a es for gingerbakers.co.uk ria s Winter Tarn Dairy is e eing p the foodser ice ar et and has repac aged its trade ar s all atch inaportionsinartisanttergailalepacsofong its ne c sto ers is the high end ser ice area operator est orland wintertarndairy.co.uk ritish start p Oli-Tec has de eloped te perat re sensiti e s art la els hich co ld help retailers significantl red ce their food aste irroring prod cts deca c cle the la els allo the ser to trac the shelf life of ele ents that are either te perat re or ti e sensiti e atchong

The Guild of Fine Food has been training retailers for over 30 years, providing practical hands-on dairy knowledge. Understanding cheese and how to sell it e ectively gives your store a point of di erence.

Be a better retailer. Master your cheese counter.

The Retail Cheese course is supported by YOUR LEARNING ROAD… +44bookings@gff.co.ukgff.co.uk/training(0)1747825200

ACADEMY OF CHEESE LEVEL TWO Two-day classroom with the Guild of Fine Food Join us at the Guild’s HQ close to Borough Market, London, for a two-day course continuing your academic journey in cheese. Building on the Retail Cheese and Level One courses, you will apply more rigour to nine distinct areas within cheese.

You will be introduced to the Academy’s Structured Approach to Tasting and discover a range of tools to help you communicate more e ectively about cheese. You will study and taste 25 iconic cheeses before your online exam and gaining your rst Academy of Cheese certi cation.

ACADEMY OF CHEESE LEVEL ONE Self-study

One-day classroom with the Guild of Fine Food

Combine that retail training with an Academy of Cheese accreditation and you’ll have a shop where customers enjoy their cheese, learn more about it, and ultimately, buy better cheese.

This one-day course for anyone in retail, is an unrivalled introduction to understanding cheese and how to sell it. You’ll be introduced to the major families of cheese and how to identify them through tutored tastings. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to sell better cheese more successfully from your counter.

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 852

RETAIL CHEESE COURSE

RETAIL CHEESE COURSE ACADEMY OF CHEESE LEVEL TWO London 15 September London 27-28 September Scotland 20 September The Guild of Fine Food is a founding patron of the Academy of Cheeseg .co.uk | +44 (0)1747 825200 @guildo nefood

SHØREwww.hebrideancharcuterie.co.uk

Orkneywww.thuleventus.co.ukDistilling

There are lots of inspiring examples of innovative businesses in the Highlands and Islands, many of which HIE has supported along the way. Here is a flavour: Nc’Nean Distillery Nc’nean is a young, independent whisky distillery based on the Morvern peninsula on the west coast of Scotland. Annabel Thomas started Nc’nean in 2017 to create light and delicious spirits that can exist in harmony with the planet. Their award-winning, organic whisky which was first released in 2020 is now sold across the UK and in nine markets across Europe. Light and fruity, and bottled in 100% recycled glass, their single malt is delicious neat or simply mixed with soda to create the signature ‘Whisky Six’ serve. With a strong focus on net zero and using only organic Scottish barley, sustainability has always been at the heart of what Nc’nean does. True to the inspiration for their name: Neachneohain, who was a Gaelic goddess known as a protector of nature and for walking her own path. Chocolateswww.ncnean.comof

Founded by Finlay Macdonald in 2016 at the age of only 16, Chocolates of Glenshiel produce artisanal chocolates based on the banks of Loch Duich in the Scottish Highlands. The team is endlessly inspired by their beautiful surroundings to create a true taste of Scotland. All of the ingredients are sourced from Scottish producers – many of which are small businesses themselves. These ingredients are of extremely high quality and are never combined with any lesser ingredients or preservatives, meaning that all of the chocolates produced are fullflavoured and indulgent.

SHØRE’S ethos revolves around the nature of sustainable seaweed harvesting that works in unison with the environment whilst providing support and employment for its local rural communities. Based in Wick in the far northeast of Scotland – one of the UK’s most remote communities –the small and passionate team of 15 harvests its seaweed by hand, then turns this local umami-rich superfood into all-natural, 100% sustainable super-grain chips that are veganfriendly, gluten-free, low-calorie. High in fibre and iodine, they also have the goodness of 6g of fresh seaweed per 25g Winnersbag.

The food and drink industry is one of the Highlands and Islands’ most important sectors with significant growth potential and is a key employer, providing many jobs and helping to sustain rural communities. The region’s economic development agency, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, works with ambitious businesses, offering one-to-one and sector-wide support to create opportunities, tackle challenges and help them reach their growth potential.

Thulewww.shoreseaweed.comVentus

A spotlight on the Scottish Highlands and Islands

Based in Shetland, Thule Ventus produces award-winning salt fish, and fish-based pates. Their award-winning salt fish is salted and air dried, using the same methods that have been used in Shetland for hundreds of years. Their fish is from the pure waters around the Shetland Islands, landed by local boats in the early hours of the morning and salted the same day. The curing process is done by hand and takes six to eight weeks – they only stop the curing process when they feel each batch is ready. Also known as Brandade de Morue, their salt cod pate combines locally sourced ingredients to re-create this French classic. And, coming soon to the market, is a smoked salmon and smoked mackerel pate. Across the pate range, they use only the best locally caught fish, live culture Shetland Farm Dairies Buttermilk, which makes the pate pro-biotic, and Aberdeenshire’s Ola Oils Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil. Pro-biotic and high in Omega 3, this delicious pate is smooth, yet retains the texture of the fish – and that delicious flavour!

Inspired by the Viking history of their hometown Kirkwall (Kirkjuvagr) in Orkney, The Orkney Distillery offers a range of multi-award-winning craft gins that evoke the freshness of the pristine island environment. Hand crafted in small batches using traditional copper stills at their Distillery on Kirkwall’s historic harbour front, the creation of the Kirkjuvagr range of gins is carried out with the modern, discerning gin enthusiast in mind. Using a unique blend of locally grown botanicals including a variety of Angelica brought to Orkney by ancient Norse seafarers, Kirkjuvagr gin sits within the super-premium end of the gin category. This union of the island’s history combined with their passion for gin, has produced a spirit that’s unmistakably Orcadian. www.orkneydistilling.com made from venison, goose & pork flavoured with crushed black pepper and garlic, earlier this year. Described as “bold” and “rich” the salami has been simply flavoured to allow the quality of the meats to shine through. The couple also plan to develop more lines such as a chorizo and a spiced mutton salami later in the year. As well as looking to the future –boosting the local economy, food sustainability and using packaging free of plastic - the couple have given a nod to the Islands’ Nordic ties in their ‘Wild & Free Salami’ packaging. It features a Nordic King image inspired by the Lewis Chessmen figure, and they plan to continue this packaging theme for future products.

In 2016 upon graduating from high school, despite having been offered a place at Reading University, Finlay decided to combine his passion for chocolatiering and his love of his childhood home and he founded Chocolates of Glenshiel. Five years later, Finlay has established a truly incredible business which he uses to support his local community and economy. Very importantly, the company now offers the prospect of a progressive career to local young people. With a brand-new chocolate visitor centre in Glenshiel, Finlay now employs a team of local people (including his wife) and has plans to create several more roles. www.chocolatesofglenshiel.comHebrideanCharcuterie

Hebridean Charcuterie from Croft No.9, based in Stornoway, Outer Hebrides, was started by Brian and Melinda Whitington. They are passionate about using wild and freerange meats and sustainability, along with cutting energy and plastic use.

of Free From, World Food Innovation and Great Taste Awards, their moreish flavour makes them stand out in “taste” in the better-foryou chips category. The chips are also in Morrisons, Booths, Sainsburys

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 65 Scotland and Coop Scotland as well as hundreds of health stores and independents up and down the country.

After converting their garage to a cured-meats kitchen they launched their first product, ‘Wild & Free Salami’

Glenshiel

September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 856 Nuisance in the garden. Extraordinary in a can. Sparkling botanical soft drinks. LOW IN CALORIES | NATURAL FLAVOURS | NO SWEETENERS Beef Wellington ORDER YOURS NOW Retail and wholesale order info@parsonsnose.co.uk. parsonsnose.co.uk “…as close to perfection as it gets.” Judges of GT 2022

• The larger the pieces of meat and fat, the sweeter the salami; go for fine te t re and or high fat content if you prefer brighter, higher a o rs talian ilano and Hungarian salami are popular examples.

ChristianGlynn offers up some category-specific conversation starters to sharpen your sales technique.

57Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 SHELF TALK

This is an extract from Glynn Christian’s book Taste!, published by Grub Street Salami and saucissons secs writerFood deliformerandowner

• An Italian salame made only of pork has a metal tag stamped `S’; with beef it says ‘SB’.

First trialled as a topping at Neapolitan restaurant Pizza Pilgrims, Belazu is releasing a consumer jar of vegan ‘nduja paste, ‘Ve-Du-Ya,’ created to replicate the a o r and texture of the Calabrian chilli cured sausage, minus the meat. RRP £4.35. belazu.com

Stoke-on-Trent’s cra spirits company, Sixtowns, has relocated the distillery to a 3,500 square foot space at the World of Wedgewood in Barlaston in view of producing more cra gin, rum and vodka, recognisable by its distinctive ceramic kiln-shaped bottles.

In France, spices and herbs may be added

WHAT’S NEW Popcorn purveyor and Great Taste Producer Joe & Seph’s has introduced a 35g Rocky Road bar featuring Belgian chocolate, salted caramel popcorn and chunks of biscuit. The company has topped off its Christmas range with an interactive advent calendar featuring 12 festive creations and an illustrated puzzle, playfully named “Where’s Joe & Seph?” The Rocky Road bars are £0.90 a piece for trade with an RRP of £1.50. The advent calendar is £13.90 + VAT, RRP £30. joeandsephs.co.uk There’s still time to enjoy Bun-dles’ summer edition ao n a o rs Pineapple & Coconut molten custard, and Raspberry & Lychee chocolate topped with edible rose petals. The buns come in many other a o rs incl ding lac pepper por beef rendang and salted custard lava. RRP £12 per six buns. bun-dles.com

• Venison, wild boar, donkey, goose or game birds might also be used or included, particularly in Italy.

• he a o r of sala i is determined by the PhotographyPaley proportion of meat to fat and by the texture that each ingredient is minced

Sta ordshire distillery releases

Founded by distillery equipment professionals Vitalijs and Alex Rackovs in November 2020, who drew on cra vodka recipes passed down from their great grandparents, the company now o ers tours, tastings, cocktail masterclasses and is looking to open a gin school later this Havingyear.recently won the Spirits Business Gin Masters 2022 Silver Award, it has released a 1,000 bottle limited edition run of the London Dry Gin, which is now available for sale, as well as a new Pink Gin product.TheLondon Dry Gin comes in at an RRP of £44.95, or £269.70 for a case of six. sixtownsgin.co.uk

Doves Farm is looking to feed more customers first thing in the orning ith the introd ction of four organic breakfast cereals. As well as three Ancient Grain products, Breakfast Flakes (RRP £3.99 for 375g), Fruit & Fibre Flakes (RRP £4.49 for 300g) and Cereal Hoops (RRP £3.79 fir g are holegrain ocoa ice ops (RRP £2.99 300g), all made using wholegrain, gl ten free ingredients de oid of artificial colo rs a o rs or preser ati es dovesfarm.co.uk

• A salame or saucisson is uncooked pig meat that is then cured with salt and airdried. No heat is used.

• In France, spices and herbs may be added and saucissons have a broader range of sizes and shapes than Italian or other air-dried sausages

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

limited edition London Dry Gin

Counter points

Inspired by the introduction of Mazzard cherries in 16th cent r cider e on ased producer Sandford Orchards has introd ced a s eet ta e on its classic fare ith a ilde Cherry Cider. Traders can buy a case of for sandfordorchards.co.uk

Crosta & Mollica has introduced a range of bronze-die-cut pastas and premium pasta sa ces all priced at he pasta co es in spaghetti rigatoni tagliatelle and fiorelle shapes hile the classical sauce range includes pomodoro (cherry to ato oli e oil and asil p ttanesca to ato caper and oli e all arra iatta to ato and chilli and alla nor a to ato and ricotta

58 September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 8 SHELF TALK

ornish ine a er Knightor has created a ta e on the pre i ap ritif in a can ith pr prit a spar ling ros coc tail inf sed ith otanicals incl ding orange and le on est rosemary and fennel. aila le in pac s of and the drin can e consumed as is or over ice. per cans knightor.com

WHAT’S NEW Continental artisan product importer Delicario is spea ing to c sto ers imagination with some unique new sauces and fruit preserves. he ag of ild enison iolare roccoli rea adicchio alsiccia a ce and p in pec rea all ariants on classic talian sa ces ere concocted for dressing or filling pasta or as a ase for risottos and bruschetta. New to the sweet range are a adicchio range o pote and a o egranate pple reser e

Hampshire’s healthy condiment company Real Good has released a pic ta e on its a ce la o red ith li e coriander and chipotle chilli it is ade using 70% less sugar than rival ar ec e sa ces sing ste ia leaf as a sweetener. All ingredients are plant ased and allergen free the ottle and pac aging are free for g realgoodketchup.com

Venison, pumpkin and radicchio avour new Delicario sauces By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Yeo Valley makes rst foray out of dairy with soup and dip ranges

IN BRIEF

Doughliciouscrostamollica.com has introduced a new heat and eat filled coo ie to its range of finish at ho e treats he per t ffed coo ie co es in fo r a o rs o nt licio s a egan chocolate coo ie ith a cocon t centre the alted hocolate chip hich is also egan affa anna e feat ring an orange centre and the nside t h rro a cinna on coo ie ith chocolate centre

Relying solely on small independent prod cers located ainl in tal and pain elicario sells e er thing fro c red and fresh eats to artisan cheese p t pasta and sa ces to hand ade chocolate tr f es from Belgium and wine from France.Each product features information about individual prod cers infor ed the fo nders ethos ho ilt their rand according to an “international farm-to-table” approach. delicario.com

Babingtonsdoughlicious.co.ukBlends has released its first hrist as tea feat ring traditional spices offering pac s of ra ids loose leaf po ches and caddies with loose leaf tea inside babingtonsblends.com

ith ears e perience a ing dair ased ite s Yeo Valley Organic is releasing a new range of efir drin s and ogh rt ased ids po ches and for the first ti e is ranching o t f rther afield ith a selection of so ps and dips. he l efir rin s a o rs are at ral ango assionfr it and herr ith an of he ittle eos o dded gar po ches which contain raw fruit blended with Yeo alle ogh rt co e in pple ear ango or ed err a o rs The soups feature Cream of Tomato; arrot arsnip h e ee otato Mature Cheddar and Cream of Vegetable. g pot is gi en an ofhe dips arlic er o r rea Chive and Sweet Chilli – are advised for sale at £1.65 per 150g pot. yeovalley.co.uk

Sensing that family gatherings increasingly call for plant-based options – and given that the Italian sweet treat has become a staple for many Britons at Christmas – Seggiano has introduced a Panettone Vegano ahead of this year’s festivities. Containing no ind strial e lsifiers sta ilisers inders or preser ati es it is a ed in s all atches sing cocoa tter candied fr it nat ral anilla linseed o r and the co pan s ear old mother yeast. It comes priced at £16.75 RRP for 500g. seggiano.com

Organic Raw Sulla Honey - Delicious raw honey from sulla owers characterised by a delicate and medium sweet taste with a beautifully thick texture. A perfect addition to your morning sourdough, oats or cheese

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, P.G.I. - Cold extracted organic olive oil carefully obtained from a blend of Biancolilla, Nocellara Etnea, and Cerasuola characterised by fresh herbs, medium spice, medium bitter, with notes of tomatoes and artichokes.

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 55 www.magamila.com | costanza.scelfo@magamila.com | whatsapp: 07726590462

Magamila is a farmland located in the centre of Sicily that sits amongst beautiful rolling hills. The history of Magamila traces back to more than 100 years ago when my grandfather inherited the land from his father. With family, history, and food being the staple of Sicilian culture, Magamila is a window into this life that I have the mission to share.

the Guild of Fine Food and food experts at Cornwall Council, the Deli Retailing Code of Practice is split into three main sections – Food Safety Essentials, Good Hygiene Practices and Trading Standards – the Code is intended as a one-stop reference guide for deli teams, providing the guidance to ensure that both compliance and best practice standards can be achieved in all areas of retail. The Deli Retailing Code of Practice is available in PDF format and can be requested by emailing support@g .co.uk. The Code is free to Guild of Fine Food members and can be purchased by non-members for £250+VAT. RETAILERS : YOU HAVE THE QUESTIONS Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing FIRST EDITION: FEBRUARY 2020 g .co.uk | +44 (0)1747 825200 @guildo nefood OUR CODE HAS THE ANSWERS Can I mature my hard cheeses on shelves?wooden How can I prove that I have not exceeded a given use-by date when the outer packaging has been discarded?Can I cut withandcheesemeatsthesameequipment?DoIhave to mature or ripen cheese under refrigerated conditions? Can I display olives at ambientmeatscheesesCantemperature?Idisplayandstoresomehardandcuredatambient?Is it safe to cook and freeze a previously frozen raw product? When do we clean down knives, cheese wires and our slicer?

Developed by

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 61 Over 20 recipes for 1 or 2, sold online & at selected independent retailers, for trade enquiries contact info@batchandthyme.com for more www.batchandthyme.cominformation. NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED CHEF PREPARED MEALS Its a bit like your mum dropping off some home-cooked meals for you 'just in case'! Trustpilot Sri Lankan Sweet Potato Curry Rich in protein, vitamins and antioxidants, Claire’s Amazeballs are guilt free, loaded with buckets of natural energy. No long lists of unpronounceable ingredients and each energy ball is carefully measured, made and rolled at home by Claire. Claire’s Amazeballs are vegan friendly and gluten free. Homemade, healthy energy balls that taste amazing. Homemade, energy Flavours with Benefits. Simple. Happy. Amazing. clairesamazeballs.com clairesamazeballs FISHING & DINING EXPERIENCES AWARD-WINNING SMOKEHOUSE email:phone:finsandforks@gmail.com07880360909 A unique approach to fish, fish cookery and the art of cold smoking Makers of the only 3-star Great Taste Cold Smoked Trout in England. Order our smokehouse products and find out about our unique ‘Bait to Plate’ experiences at www.finsandforks.co.uk SIGNATURE CURE COLD SMOKED CHALK STREAM TROUT COLD SMOKED TROUT PATE

Baking in success

DELI OF THE MONTH 62 September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 8

“It was a business that was pro table, it was working. It's something completely di erent from what I was doing before, so I didn't want to change things before learning the job,” he explains.

Interview and photography by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox VITAL STATISTICS Location: ton igh tret indsor TypicalTurnover:basket spend: Average NumberNumberFloorspace:margin:oflines:ofstaff:

A job in the telecoms industry wasn’t enough to satisfy Giovanni Canali, so he quit the rat race and took over Tastes Deli in Eton. Now, the only infrastructure he is minded about is Windsor Bridge, and whether the tourists are crossing it in his shop’s direction.

On his third visit, Phillips told him she wanted to move to the States, where her husband worked, and did he want to take over the lease. He seized on the opportunity, as it made all the sense in the world. .

THE SMELL OF fresh bread wa s down Eton High Street, drawing in scholars and passers-by in droves – and keeping them there to browse the carefully curated selection of products on the shelves. Since it opened in 2006, Tastes Delicatessen has been a successful business selling mostly British produce to loyal locals. But two years a er taking the reins, Giovanni Canali decided it was time for a radical change: his customers must have bread. “We make a proper French baguette,” he tells FFD. “No-one else sells real baguettes here.”Canali took over the business from previous owner Karen Phillips in January 2019 and, at the time, he was fearful that he wouldn’t be accepted by her customer base. “The shop was, and is, very well loved by the locals,” he says. “I was afraid of people being upset with me for pushing Karen out, but when they understood that I wasn’t –because she would have closed it – then I became the person who saved the deli, so everyone was very happy.”

“I've always loved good food, I'm interested in ingredients, provenance, and everything. It's just a good t,” he says. “It’s a very good place to be.”

By taking over, it wasn’t just the shop he was giving a new lease of life to, but to his own passion for food. Canali moved to the UK from Parma to study at university some 25 years ago, and worked in the telecoms industry to pay the bills, before a chance encounter with an old friend – the owner of a bean-to-bar chocolate brand – steered him into the world of artisan food. He became the UK distributor for the brand, and a supplier to Tastes Delicatessen, which he had frequented as a customer before.

For the rst two years, Canali wisely changed nothing about the shop.

MUST-STOCKS

But as his bond with his customers strengthened, he worked up the bravery to put his mark on the shop. Now, he involves them in all of his decisions - which items to stock; whether to raise prices or scrap lines; how to use the new space when he bought new fridges (sandwiches, was their verdict). Their relationship is what keeps the cogs turning at Tastes.“Mycustomers trust my tastebuds. If I say, 'I have this, it's new, you should try it', they follow my lead, and they're never disappointed.”Evenwiththe changes, the focus remains the same. An emphasis on British produce, with Brexit having done little to expand his range of European items, and a few items from the US.

lac r f e

“That's another thing my customers appreciate. Obviously, they understand that I need to make a living, but at the same time, I don't rip them o . I have my mark-up but just because I can get it cheaper. I'll keep it honest, because sometimes I feel guilty.”

Colston

To save himself the administrative grief, Canali only accepts foreign produce from wholesalers with a UK distribution arm. “It's not worth it”, he says. “My numbers are small, I'm not buying a pallet of goods, I'm buying a handful of selected lines.”

63Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 CONTINUED ON PAGE 64

Seggiano's

Brets

Navarrico chickpeas

Philotimo greek

“A lot of people here go on holiday to the States, and when they come back they go looking for Gold sh or the NW beer,” he says, or the no-longer available but historically popular Jif peanut butter.

There are, however, a few exceptions to his rule: he makes use of his contacts in Parma to import two of the region’s most prized specialities (you guessed it): Parma ham and Parmigiano Reggiano. “There are di erent Parma ham qualities for di erent regions,” he explains. “The very best is hard to nd outside of Parma, but having a direct link with the place, I'm able to bring over not just the classic Parma ham but what they call Culatta,” like a Culatello, which, to conform with the PDO, must be made using only three particular muscles from a pig’s thigh, but unlike its counterpart, is air-dried rather than aged inside a pig’s bladder.“It's absolutely fantastic and no-one else can get it," he says. “Plus I'm selling it at a price that wouldn't be out of place compared to what Sainsbury's sells the pre-cut ham,” he adds, because even with the rarer items like these, he feels very strongly about not making massive margins on anything.

Wigmore

Fresh

Windsor Great Park honey cheese Bassett Stilton EVO oil honey mustard crisps (garbanzos) marinated olives oil raw pesto Rustic Baguettes

The point is especially prescient at a time when rocketing food prices are driving in ation, but fortuitously for Canali, his customers don’t come to him for cheap items.“The emphasis is on quality, not quantity and they appreciate that, because especially now that prices are increasing a lot, it comes to a point where, if you can a ord it, then you pay that little bit extra and get much better food”, he says. “A product can be expensive but still good value for money. That's the ne line delicatessen owners everywhere need to tread.”Most of Tastes’ customer base can a ord to pay that little bit extra. Many of them work at the College, a brisk ten-minute walk away.“I don't get trade from the students; the students can meet all of their sugary needs before they come to my end of the high street. My trade is with the teachers, with the housemasters,” he says.

“My regulars pay my xed costs, the money for me comes from the tourists,” he explains.“When the teachers are on holiday, they travel, so that period is very quiet, but if the tourists can make up the di erence, or a little bit more, then I'm in a happy place.”Tastes also supplies cheese, charcuterie, and wine for events at the College and private companies, a welcome supplement to the shop’s income in the run-up to Christmas.

DELI OF THE MONTH 64 September 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 8 week, then I would look for somewhere else to expand.”“ThenI can have my store room back!” he says.The addition of a fully- edged bakery would likely be welcome here: even in Windsor, chain businesses ll the streets –yes, there’s a boutique pet shop and a clutch of independent cafés, but there’s a Côte and Costa, a Zizzi’s and a Wetherspoons. The closest grocery store to Tastes is a Budgens, no less, but the fact remains.

“I only wish I'd had the courage to make the move earlier.”

Then, to top up his sales, Canali appeals to the many visitors to Windsor.

If he were to invest in a separate bakery, “we would continue to use this space, then once we are at capacity four or ve days a A product can be expensive but still good value. That’s the ne line treadownersdelicatessenneedto

A thirst for more local businesses even drove Bracknell City Council to reach out to Canali, o ering him support to set up a second shop there. But like his customers, Giovanni Canali is loyal, and committed to serving them as best he “It'scan.one of those shops where if the owner doesn't work in it, it doesn't really work,” he says. Not eager to spread himself thin, Canali is happy staying put, grateful to have found his calling. Telecoms are important, sure, but to purvey great food is a much more enticing reason to get out of bed in the morning.

“On Friday and Saturday we're working at capacity,” Canali says. “On Saturdays, Gabriel works between 10 and 11 hours and we still sell out of bread by three o'clock.”

duo.Divine

Short of redeveloping his websitewhich Canali admits is a relic from back when one would code one's own from scratch - planned in the coming months, he is already doing all the right things to grow the business. The addition of the bakery in April of this year transformed it from a one-man band (unless you count his daughter, a university student, who lends a helping hand out of term time), to a successful intervention jokes aside, half-French baker Gabriel Beecro has a passion for great bread only a Frenchman could understand, and his youthful energy has helped make the bakery a hotbed of innovation at Tastes. Before they charge customers a penny, the pair test out every recipe for as long as it takes to perfect. The list continues to grow: loaves, baguettes, (the most visually-striking of which, the ‘épi’, are shaped like an ear of wheat), focaccia, ciabatta, and bagels. Not every trial is a success. Pastries are still a work in progress, as they lack the equipment to perfect the lamination and an oven suited to enriched doughs, but sandwiches are on the cards, which will help bring in more of the lucrative lunchtime trade.And with a growing list of wholesalers, from local restaurants and pubs to, most recently, a wedding, the bakery might yet become an entity of its own.

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 65 Cod Fillets in White Wine, Lemon & Tarragon Sauce Handmade Smoked Haddock Gratin www.pavilionfoods.co.uk DELI · COOKERY SCHOOL · FINE FOODS @foodsbypavilion Introducing Pavilion, an award winning independent delicatessen and cookery school in the heart of Henley-on-Thames. Our mission is the create and curate delectable handmade artisanal products, direct to consumer and trade. hello@pavilionfoods.co.uk 01491 571814 25 MARKET PLACE, HENLEY-ON-THAMES RG9 2AA Classic Fish Pie Classic SignatureDryGin 01489 878685 | www.hillfarmjuice.co.ukinfo@hillfarmjuice.co.uk| Visit us online or contact us to discover our great range of juices. We supply good food shops, hotels, pubs and restaurants. ENGLISH COX APPLE JUICE ENGLISH COX & BRAMLEY APPLE JUICE ENGLISHAPPLEBRAEBURNJUICE

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 65 Our award-winning flour is produced from the finest ancient grains which are sustainably grown in the beautiful British countryside. Our entire range carry the highly sought after Great Taste 2 and 3 star awards, in recognition of outstanding quality and flavour. Available in 1kg and 20kg bags. Minimum order 2 boxes of 10 × 1 kg bags. No delivery charges. Call or email today for a trade price list farmedSustainably Competitive & stable pricing High in protein & fibre BRC productscertified 01740 629 529 | info@craggsandco.co.uk | www.craggsandco.co.uk

67Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 news rom the guild o fine oodGUILD TALK like the two potential premiers, but we owe it to ourselves to keep our collective peckers up too. As Andrew Goodacre of BIRA (page 6) states we need to remind our customers that we are di erent, we should be informative and engaging to have any chance of navigating through this storm. Therefore, reasons to be cheerful: the doors of Speciality and Fine Food Fair open on Monday 5 September and that same day we hold the rst Great Taste consumer and trade hybrid event at Southwark Cathedral to celebrate the Golden Fork winners. Jazz, excellent food & drink and the good people that make, sell and enjoy it. I’m not sure our new PM will be at either event, although they’d be welcome. I fear, though, that we’d collectively add to that long to-do list.

2nd November Cheese, food & drink tours: 3rd November Results available: 4th gff.co.uk/wcaNovember THE GUILD TEAM: Managing director: John Farrand Special director:projects Tortie Farrand Sales director: Sally Coley Operations & marketing director: Christabel Cairns Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executive: Becky Haskett Marketing manager: Sophie Brentnall Operations managers: Claire MeredithPowellWhite coordinators:Operations Matthew Bunch Chris Farrand Sepi Rowshanael Data & systems project manager: Lindsay Farrar Financial director: Ashley Warden Financial controller: Stephen Guppy Accounts assistant: Julie Coates Chairman: Bob Farrand Director: Linda Farrand Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065GuildGENERALgff.co.ukinfo@gff.co.ukENQUIRIESofFineFood Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK RETAIL CHEESE TRAINING LEARN | TASTE | UNDERSTAND | COMMUNICATE Our one-day course for anyone sourcing or selling cheese, delivered by industry and retail experts. Understand how cheese is made, how it should be stored and sold, gain skills to help communicate with customers and sell more cheese from a position of knowledge. THE NORTH: 29 June LONDON: 4 July & 15 September | SCOTLAND: 20 September To nd out more and book a place on our 2022 courses, visit www.g .co.uk/training +44 (0)1747 825200 @guildo nefood

KEY DATES Closed

20th

View fromHQ

We need to remind our customers that we are di erent Cheese training at The Guild The Guild has updated its cheese training programmes, putting a stronger emphasis on classroom learning and enabling more effective tastings, sharing of knowledge and the ability to swap tips with other retailers. Courses are designed for all levels, from the entry-level Retail Cheese course to the Academy of Cheese Levels One and Two. Find out more by visiting gff.co.uk/training World AwardsCheese2022 There's still time to enter the World Cheese Awards 2022. Entries close on September 20th. Visit world-cheese-awards/gff.co.uk/awards/ to find out more. for entry: September Judging:

By John Farrand managing director WHEN THE NEXT Prime Minister takes their place in Number 10, many will be waiting to see what form, if any, the levelling p agenda ta es or fine food retailers, many of whom are trading in rural and isolated areas, the promise of levelling up is something that would have been welcome given the Government’s attention on funding in town and cityOnecentres.area that should be core to levelling up is giving people reason to feel proud of their local areas, and the businesses trading in those areas are a crucial part of that. Our Community Barometer, Edward Woodall is head of policy & public affairs at small shops group ACS edward.woodall@acs.org.uk which has been running for almost a decade, looks at over a dozen local services and the impact that they have on the area they trade in ear on ear the findings ha e consistently shown that consumers consider convenience stores to be one of the most essential services in their communities, and this year, convenience stores are ranked as number one service that has a positive impact locally, followed by phar acies and post offices The Community Barometer doesn’t just look at the services we have, it also looks at the services that people don’t have locally but want more of. Banks, specialist food shops and non-food shops like hardware stores were the top three services that people want more of, highlighting a real desire for diversity in local retail. This year we also asked consumers about local investment and the results were incredibly interesting. While Government funding and much of the attention has been on town centres, 7 out of 10 consumers would prefer to see investment in their local neighbourhood, compared to just 3 out of 10 who would prefer it in their nearest town or city. We have been sharing this data ith polic a ers and officials as the findings gi e a real insight into consumers’ priorities and provides the Government with a sense of direction, and a reminder that while larger centres are important, it must not forget the parades, villages and rural hubs that also need investment to thrive.

news rom the guild o fine ood

By WoodallEdwardACS The Word on Westminster WE ARE CREATURES of habit. The family is having a few days holiday in Su olk. We’ve done it for years and I’m not mad-keen on change. Regular readers will know that Jane Hadley’s ice cream parlour is very much on our East Anglian route march. The treat is delicious and Lavenham is a good place to hang, especially if you have a penchant for timber-frame houses that are the birthplace of a ctional wizard. Mine was a Blackcurrant Ripple. The fruit supplied by the similarly exacting Sarah Churchill of Artisan Foods. I like an update from Jane who reminded me twice that she is a sole trader, having let her team go during the pandemic: “There aren’t as many tourists this summer, and even if I could a ord more sta a er paying the electricity bill, I wouldn’t be able to nd good ones…” You know the score. For the sake of balance, she was smiling, despite having been making since 4am and was genuinely chu ed with her Great Taste stars and her constructive feedback. How do you get the tone right in these snap-shot industry chats? The dirty-tasting cocktail of in ation, recession, sta issues and the lethargy of Brexit and Covid, is hard to swallow and is an over-facing political to-do list. We’re heading for a ‘full-fat recession’ says Cheshire-based retailer Dan Williams, and Mark Kacary echoes Jane’s words by telling FFD that he is down 100 transactions a day from last year in his Norfolk deli. I don’t want to ignore the issues, pretending all is well (like our departing PM) and nor do I want to enter a slagging match

Vol.23 Issue 8 | September 2022 65 @snowdoniacheeseBEST BRITISH CHEESE BRAND as voted by the Fine Food Digest Survey 2022Give your cheeseboard a touch of luxury SCAN THIS CODE WITH YOUR PHONE CAMERA SALES ENQUIRIES VISIT US AT SPECIALITY & FINE FOOD FAIR | STAND N O 1526 | 5 – 6 SEPTEMBER 2022

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