FFD March 2013 by Guild of Fine Food

DELI OF THE MONTH 47

“It’s a small community shop. That’s all it is, and all it needs to be.”

HEAVEN SCENT 18

James McCall on the odorous art of washed rind cheese

SPAR-STYLE PRICE DEALS 15

“If you’re going to do it, keep doing it, and advertise it,” says retail mentor Richard Shorney March 2013 · Vol 14 Issue 2

SOFT FOCUS With warmer weather on its way, it’s time to squeeze in those new-season soft drinks CHEF’S SELECTION 44 David Everitt-Matthias of Le Champignon Sauvage picks Capra Nouveau goats’ cheese, Go-Tan Ketjap Manis and R-oil rapeseed oil

CHARCUTERIE 4 Cut the pork talk, says Harrods, as it courts Middle East shoppers

NEWS CHEESEWIRE SOFT DRINKS TRAINING UPDATE IFE PREVIEW GREAT TASTE UPDATE RETAIL DESIGN SHELF TALK

4 17 24 29 33 35 37 43

FS&D>230x315>FFD 11213 aw_Layout 1 11/02/2013 12:46 Page 1

The place for people

passionate about food We understand that when you're passionate about what you do, finding the right specialist suppliers is a necessity to make your business succeed. The Farm Shop & Deli Show gives you the unique opportunity to negotiate face-to-face with over 150 speciality suppliers, develop your business network and build strategic partnerships. Supported by

Co located with

Organised by:

visit www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk 2

No under 16s will be admitted March 2013 路 Vol.14 Issue 2

@FarmShop_Deli

FarmShopDeliShow

What’s new this month:

Opinion

new EU directive that became effective on January 1 banning confinement of sows in stalls, a practice we outlawed 14 years ago. According to the National Pig BOB FARRAND Association (NPA), up to 40,000 pigs an hour are delivered to Continental processing plants from illegally operated pig farms. According to Waitrose supremo We import 60% of our Mark Price, “in return for families processed pork from the EU but knowing food is safe and genuine, can’t ban it until someone gets it cannot be seen as a cheap sick. So we’re eating illegally commodity any longer”. farmed pork because supermarkets Apart from stating the bleeding won’t pay a decent price to British obvious, his comments following farmers. the horsemeat scandal show that The NPA has built a wall of supermarket bosses are still in shame (http://www.npa-uk.org.uk/ denial. It’s their fault that British WoF-1.html) naming retailers they consumers became wedded to believe are importing illegal pork. It cheap food in the first place. makes interesting reading. Aside from several horses dying But it’s the during the making self-righteous of Horse-gate, I Aside from several smugness of see no downside. horses dying during supermarkets that As with BSE, took the heaviest E-coli, Salmonella the making of Horseknock during and Foot & Mouth gate, I see no Horse-gate. For before it, this downside. years they’ve latest scare is boasted their standards are the driving yet more British consumers most stringent in Europe and each through the doors of good delis, successive government has heaped farm shops and butchers. knighthoods on their bosses for Politicians did what politicians bringing cheap food to the poor do: sat on their hands and blamed and needy. each other for a mess that could Who believes the soft focus have been avoided if funding for rhetoric now? We were assured British regional food and drink we could eat for under a fiver hadn’t been cut to shreds (page 5). at the tables of St Delia, his Their Brussels counterparts Hestonness and Lord Jamie of Essex were far too pre-occupied ramping but somehow, they all forgot to up the regulatory burden on check the provenance of the main small businesses (page 9) to offer ingredients. anything other than a dire warning. They led the horse to slaughter Whatever animal your Spaghetti and the rest of us up the garden Bolognese is made from, it’s illegal path. to ban imports from the EU – until someone dies. Then they’ll have a chat about it. Bob Farrand is publisher of Fine Food None of this has discouraged Digest and chairman of the Guild of member states from ignoring the Fine Food

p24 p40

p17

p25 p44

❛

❜

EDITORIAL editorial@finefoodworld.co.uk Editor: Mick Whitworth Assistant editor: Michael Lane News editor: Patrick McGuigan Art director: Mark Windsor Editorial production: Richard Charnley Contributors: Lynda Searby, Clare Hargreaves

ADVERTISING advertise@finefoodworld.co.uk Sales manager: Sally Coley Advertisement sales: Becky Stacey, Gavin Weeks Published by Great Taste Publications Ltd and the Guild of Fine Food Ltd Chairman/FFD publisher: Bob Farrand Managing director/associate publisher: John Farrand Director/membership secretary: Linda Farrand Marketing & circulation manager: Tortie Farrand Administrators: Charlie Westcar, Julie Coates, Karen Price Accounts: Stephen Guppy, Denise Ballance

GENERAL ENQUIRIES Tel: 01963 824464 Fax: 01963 824651 info@finefoodworld.co.uk www.finefoodworld.co.uk Guild of Fine Food, Guild House, Station Road, Wincanton, Somerset BA9 9FE UK Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £45pa inclusive of post and packing. Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset, UK © Great Taste Publications Ltd and The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2013. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations.

For regular news updates from the industry's favourite magazine visit:

p27

p45

p44

Editor’s choice

Selected by Mick Whitworth

The Black Dog Delicatessen range www.lefktro.co.uk

❛

I had my eye on Provence d’Antan’s gloriously old-school French herb tins for Editor’s Choice before images of this new range from Lefktro popped into my inbox via assistant editor Michael Lane. It was like one of those Great Taste moments when several pair of eyes meet across the judging table and you know everyone’s in total accord. The Black Dog branding wowed us instantly, and proved that having a particularly customer-unfriendly company name is no barrier to creating a separate, shopper-friendly brand. ‘Black Dog’ is as non-Mediterranean as you can get – apparently it was inspired by MD James Tyler’s pooches – and that’s one reason the whole package works: a thoroughly modernBritish look for a very unBritish range.

❜

p43 www.ffdonline.co.uk Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

fine food news Food boss Bruce Langlands calls for more pork-free lines to widen charcuterie’s appeal

Harrods urges producers to get creative with charcuterie Trealy Farm’s multi-awardwinning lamb carpaccio is a relatively rare example of Continentalstyle British charcuterie with no pork content

By MICK WHITWORTH & PATRICK McGUIGAN

Harrods has challenged British charcuterie producers to develop more pork-free products to help the retailer meet growing demand from Middle Eastern and Asian shoppers. As FFD kicks off a year-long promotion for cooked and cured meats with this month’s Guide to British & Continental Charcuterie, the Knightsbridge department store has revealed plans to launch a new charcuterie section dedicated to halal products. The move is partly a response to a big rise in the number of wealthy Middle Eastern tourists shopping at the store. Shopper research ahead of a revamp of the charcuterie range last November revealed many customers avoided the section altogether because they saw it as a ‘pork counter’. Director of foods Bruce Langlands told FFD that while the new wave of British charcuterie producers had done a good job of producing high quality salamis, chorizos and hams, there was a lack of pork-free alternatives. “If you can get a man to the moon, you can get pork out of salami,” he said. “We need to be a bit more creative, and we need something that’s available to more consumers. A great starter for 10 would be to look at chorizo, and instead of using pork to use lamb or beef or poultry. That would be really exciting.” Harrods already stocks some British charcuterie made with venison, lamb and beef, but these products either contain added pork fat or are not certified halal. So the retailer is planning to dedicate a section of its charcuterie counter to fully halal products, such as salamis and prosciutto made from 100% goat, mutton and beef. These would be located next to, but segregated from, pork-based lines. Some British producers have already spotted the gap in the market and are working on new products. James Swift, MD of Monmouthshirebased charcuterie producer Trealy Farm, told FFD he was developing new 100% beef and lamb products, which would be made with meat from halal-accredited slaughterhouses. The company already produces four pork-free products: air dried bresaola, and cured beef, venison and lamb carpaccio, the last of which was named Best Welsh Speciality at last year’s Great Taste Awards.

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

products, such as beef and venison bresaola and lamb prosciutto, although they are currently not made with halal meat. “It’s something we would definitely look into, if there was a specific request,” said co-owner Jean Edwards. At turkey producer Adlington, MD Rod Adlington told FFD that he had received requests for poultrybased charcuterie, such as turkey ‘bacon’. “That is absolutely massive in the Middle East, and we have been approached in the past to produce a turkey bacon for that market,” he said. “But there are downsides. You need to use nitrate salt, and that means you need a separate factory [because nitrates can taint the meat of other products] and the Asian community will walk away from anything called ‘bacon’.”

Looking east

“The flavour of air dried beef and lamb is quite powerful for British palates, and beef and lamb fat also has a strong taste, so the compromise solution has been to add pork fat, which provides succulence,” he said. “But there is a market there Bruce Langlands: ‘If you can get a man to the moon, you can get pork out of salami’

for 100% beef, lamb and venison products. We’ve recently been in talks with a London-based restaurant supplier about non-pork products. There’s also potential for export.” The new products that Swift is working on include basturma (an airdried spiced beef product from Turkey, lamb & lemon merguez salami, hot beef pepperoni and Serbian lamb & beef sausage kebabs called Cevapcici, which are made with spices and minced meat. Deli Farm Charcuterie in Cornwall also makes a range of non-pork

Top sponsors add weight to FFD charcuterie drive Eight influential food businesses, including Harrods and Italy’s Parma Ham Consortium, are sponsoring a trade drive led by FFD this year to refresh the charcuterie offer in delis, farm shops and food halls. Producers Trealy Farm, Deli Farm Charcuterie, Patchwork Foods, Adlington and Negroni are also supporting the campaign, along with distributor Cheese Cellar, which launches a new range of Continental

charcuterie under its Dell’Ami brand this month. The promotion kicks off with our biggest ever Guide to British & Continental Charcuterie, included free with this month’s FFD, to be followed by a regular page on charcuterie throughout the following 12 months. The Guild of Fine Food will also be organising a charcuterie trade event to take place at the Harrogate Speciality Food Show on Sunday June 23.

Harrods’ plan to revamp its charcuterie counter reflects a wider trend for tailoring product ranges to attract super rich tourists from the Middle East and China. According to a recent report from tax free shopping company Global Blue, the amount spent by Middle Eastern shoppers in the UK last year grew by around 14%, accounting for the majority [26%] of non-EU spend. Middle Eastern customers make up a large percentage of international shoppers at Harrods with the retailer employing Arabic-speaking sales staff across the store. It also offers employees language and inter-cultural etiquette training. The company’s Bateel gourmet dates concession is particularly popular with Middle Eastern shoppers, as are products such as cocoadusted almonds and Harrodsbranded tea, which is a popular gift to take home to friends and relatives. Chinese customers are also a key target market with Harrods installing 75 terminals specifically for Chinese UnionPay bank cards last year. It also employed more Mandarin speaking staff, launched a Mandarin-translated phone app and printed a Mandarin store guide.

@ffdonline

Tourism provides new focus for regional food groups

IN BRIEF l Waitrose plans to open 10 new Little Waitrose convenience stores and one full size supermarket in central London this year. It will be the largest number of new stores the business has opened in the capital and will double its London convenience store tally.

l Over 150 British cheeses will be on sale at the Artisan Cheese Fair in Melton Mowbray from May 5-6. The event includes a programme of talks, demonstrations and tastings from industry specialists. www.artisancheesefair.co.uk

l The Scottish Government is funding a new food hub to help establish links between food manufacturers and Scottish farmers. The Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) has been given £230,000 to complete the project, called the Sourcing for Growth Initiative, by 2015. Events like Cornwall Food & Drink Festival (September 27-29, www.cornwallfoodanddrink.co.uk) are providing a new focus for regional food promotion By PATRICK McGUIGAN

Regional food organisations are working more closely with local tourist boards in the wake of government funding cuts and as more people choose to stay in the UK for their holidays. A wave of new projects has been launched this year by food groups and tourist bodies across the UK, with food tourism now a major force in the development of the regional food and drink sector. The trend follows severe cuts to direct government aid for regional food in England, with food groups now looking to collaborate more with tourist organisations to build sales. At the same time, tourist boards are keen to promote ‘local food’ as a way of attracting holidaymakers as people holiday more at home. Recent initiatives include a producer exchange programme in Cumbria, organised by food tourism body Taste Cumbria, a Truly Cornish Café Trail launched by Cornwall Food & Drink and a new tourism website

Pam Billingham: ‘It makes sense to work in harmony with tourist boards’

promoting North Wales as a food and drink destination. The Scottish government is also investing £1.5m in a new Think Local campaign, which will fund food tourism projects. Taste Northwest, a commercial company that champions local food, has recently launched a new Taste Accreditation scheme for rating food retailers and restaurants in association with Quality in Tourism, backed by VisitEngland. “The future is collaboration,” said Taste Northwest director and founder

Pam Billington. “It makes sense to work in harmony with tourist boards. “We didn’t receive any start-up funding from anyone; it’s been built on blood, sweat and tears. But I hope there will be more funding as we go forward and we will always look for grants or projects. “That’s why it’s important to have that collaboration with the tourist board. It keeps us up to the minute with what’s going on nationally and regionally.” In Brighton, Nick Mosley, who heads the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival and is also vice chair of the Brighton Tourism Alliance, said that cuts to government-funded regional food organisations had led to the rise of more commercial food groups, which saw the business advantages of working more closely with tourism bodies. “The recession has created leaner, meaner food groups, which are headed up by business people who understand the commercial benefits of tourism,” he said.

Ludlow centre takes FARMA shop award The Ludlow Food Centre paid tribute to its staff after being named UK Farm Retailer of the Year last month. The Shropshire-based business picked up the accolade at last month’s Farm Retail Awards, organised by the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets’ Association (FARMA). ‘‘To win this award is the highest honour in our sector,” said MD Edward Berry. “It is testament to the passion and quality of our

staff, the food they produce and the local food made by artisans in this region.” Other winners included Church Farm Shop in Nottinghamshire, which was named Best Small Farm Shop, and Hopetoun Farm Shop in West Lothian, which won the Best Farm Retail Newcomer award. A special Lifetime Achievement Award was also given to Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall, who is a patron of FARMA. www.ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk

l Broighter Gold, the Northern Irish rapeseed oil business, has turned its farm-based operation near Londonderry into a visitor attraction. The company, owned by Richard and Leona Kane near Londonderry, is now hosting visits from chefs and women’s organisations keen to see how the rapeseed oil is processed, as well as giving cookery demos. The business has been listed as part of Economusee, an international network of artisan businesses that open their doors to the public.

l The Food Standards Agency plans to take Selfridges to court for breach of food hygiene regulations after the retailer sold unpasteurised milk from vending machines in its London food hall. The milk was supplied by Stephen Hook, a Sussex dairy farmer, who is also being prosecuted. An FSA spokesman said: “There is an inherent food safety risk associated with drinking raw milk because germs normally killed by pasteurisation may be present.”

l Booths decided to stop selling dredged scallops last month ahead of a programme in Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s Fish Fight series, which condemned the ecological impact of the practice. The Northern retailer will only sell hand-dived scallops on its fish counters from now on.

The food centre’s marketing manager Tom Hunt (left) and managing director Edward Berry collected the award from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall

For regular news updates from FFD visit:

www.ffdonline.co.uk Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

1963 - 2013

50 Years of Preserving Excellence

Thankfully, some things never change thursday cottage ltd

trewlands farm

tiptree

colchester

essex

co 5 0 rf

Telephone: 01621 814529 Fax: 01621 814555 jams @ thursday-cottage.com www.thursday-cottage.com 6

March 2013 路 Vol.14 Issue 2

fine food news Lakeland Herdwick Lamb and Stornoway Black Pudding gain Protected Food Name status this month

100 UK PFNs ‘achievable’, says Defra By MICHAEL LANE

Lakeland Herdwick Lamb is set to become the country’s 52nd PFN product

Graham Taylor Dreamstime

The Government hopes to double the number of UK protected food names (PFNs) in a matter of years with at least six more foods in line to secure their status by this summer. Lakeland Herdwick Lamb, reared in Cumbria, and Stornoway Black Pudding, from the Outer Hebrides, have both passed the European Commission’s scrutiny and will be officially unveiled this month. The foods, which have gained PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) respectively, will be the 52nd and 53rd UK products to join the scheme. Last November, food & farming minister David Heath said PFNs were not only important for keeping traditional foods and recipes alive but “make a significant contribution to the local and national economy”. The two latest additions come as new European legislation, some of which will speed up applications (see box), is brought into force. Defra, which recently brought handling of the UK’s applications inhouse, will now look to increase the volume of applications and the speed at which they are processed. “We don’t have a target as such, because it’s about whether they’re good applications, but we certainly think getting to 100 should be achievable,” said Simon Johnson, who was a senior policy advisor for PFN at Defra until switching to a new role last month. “In terms of when we might get there, it’s difficult to say. It would be nice to think that we can get to that stage in the next three years, which would be quite an achievement given

how long it’s taken to get to 50.” Johnson added that another 40 applications, at various stages, are currently in the pipeline. The next in line for approval is Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar, which was going through the final stages of a PGI application as FFD went to press. East Kent Goldings hops, Fenland Celery and Fal Oysters from Cornwall are all undergoing the EU consultation process, which would see them gain protected status later this year. Irene Bocchetta, who previously handled the scheme when it was outsourced at Food From Britain and then ADAS, has continued her role with the programme and is now a senior policy advisor for PFNs at Defra.

Consultation process cut at UK and EU level The final stage of the European consultation process that allows anyone in the EU or worldwide to raise objections to Protected Food Name applications by member states has been shortened. Previously a six-month fixed period it could now be as short as three months under new EU rules if no objections are received in that time. This potential time saving has encouraged Defra to look at its own timescale for handling the initial stages of application. Previously around four months, it could now

www.defra.gov.uk/food-farm/food/ protected-names

If I'd known then what I know now...

it was difficult to look at the business as a whole. That delayed things that we should have introduced earlier, such as our loyalty card scheme, which didn’t Craig Stubbs Ops manager, Rhug Farm Shop, WALES launch until August last year. It’s been phenomenally successful. Customers get one point for every pound they spend, which they redeem in store. recruiting left, right and centre. It Our new farm shop, which opened With 100 points you might get a free would have been better to have in 2011, is about 5,500 sq ft, with a burger and drink from the takeaway, them with us from the start because shop, restaurant and takeaway burger while 500 points we ended up bar. It’s certainly different from what to an evening training and we had previously, which was two The fact someone had equates meal for two in the developing new trailers and a Portakabin. spent £3,000 here in restaurant. Our top systems while If I was opening the shop again just a few months really prize was a Christmas we were busy in tomorrow, I would employ more staff. hamper if you the shop. We knew we had a solid customer made us sit up collected 1,000 points. The MD, base, but we didn’t anticipate how One of our customers actually had Jonathan Edwards, and I spent a lot of busy we would be from the start. enough points for three hampers. The time getting stuck in during those first We thought we’d see an increase in fact that someone had spent £3,000 months. In a single day I remember footfall of 20-30%, but in the first here in just a few months really made sitting in a boardroom meeting, three months it was in excess of us sit up. working as a potwash, emptying bins, 100%. That took us by surprise. The information we get from our stacking shelves and being on the till. We had increased staffing levels loyalty card is like gold dust and we We were so busy running around that slightly, but within a month we were

❛

❜

@ffdonline

be reduced to as little as six weeks. “The reason we’ve done 12 weeks is that’s always been the standard Whitehall timescale for consultation, whether it's a consultation on the High Speed 2 line or Protected Food Names,” said Defra’s Simon Johnson. He added that changes to laws requiring compulsory use of the EU’s official PFN logos on all products by 2016 would be an opportunity to increase awareness of the scheme among consumers and help Trading Standards with enforcement.

should have been doing it from the beginning. We’re able to show our appreciation to our best customers by inviting them to tastings, and we now know that a lot of our customers are locals, so we make sure we are always stocked up with bread and milk. We missed another trick when it came to conferences. We had a lot of people trying to book the restaurant for seminars and meetings, but we turned them down because we didn’t want to upset our regular customers by closing for private events. In the end, we built a conference room, which has been really successful. We’ve had companies such as the Countryside Alliance and HSBC hiring it out and then staying for lunch. In the first three months we’ve taken £10,000-£15,000 and people are telling their friends and coming back on a Saturday to do some shopping. Interview by PATRICK McGUIGAN

Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

A tasty investment... As a busy food buyer, you need to spend time wisely. Invest a day at the North’s biggest fine food trade event and you’ll sample the tastiest local, national and international specialities from hundreds of producers in one easy visit.

Come and be inspired. Harrogate Speciality Food Show is the biggest annual trade event for delis, farm shops, food halls, cafés, restaurants, hotels, tourist shops and independent food stores in the north of England. The 2013 show brings together over 150 producers and distributors Cracking offering a huge range of regional, national and Christmas international specialities Monday June 24 • Source new products to refresh your range • Taste rival brands and compare prices • Meet producers face to face and learn more about their products • Benefit from exclusive show offers • Search out Great Taste winners • Gain expert business advice and support • Take part in seminars and tutored tastings in the Great Taste Live theatre • Watch suppliers pitch to big-name buyers in Feed The Dragon sessions • Benefit from easy access and free parking at the Yorkshire Event Centre

Enrol on this one-day workshop, taking place at the show, and maximise profits this Christmas £45 +VAT, 10.30am-2pm To find out more call 01963 824464 or email tortie.farrand@finefoodworld.co.uk Sponsored by

Sunday June 23-Monday June 24 Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate

Food firms could face £400 inspection fees By PATRICK McGUIGAN

Small business groups across Europe are lobbying against European Commission plans to charge food companies for official inspections. The proposals, which are part of draft legislation to standardise controls in the food sector, would mean that delis, farm shops and food producers would have to pay to be inspected by EHOs. EC officials estimate that businesses that are

inspected twice a year would end up paying around £400. If the proposals are passed, it would be up to individual member countries as to whether they enforced the legislation. Food hygiene consultant Bob Salmon, who has been lobbying against the proposals on behalf of small businesses in the UK, told FFD he believed the FSA would be keen to charge, following meetings with

Business groups hope they have won exemption from inspection charges for firms with fewer than 10 staff

officials from the government body. “Changes won’t come into effect for anywhere between two to five years, so there is time to lobby against this,” he said. “The danger is that if we don’t nip this in the bud, it becomes entrenched and then you have a real battle on your hands.” Bob Farrand, chairman of the Guild of Fine Food, said the proposals should be objected to in the “strongest terms”. “It will become an open door for local authorities to charge time and time again for re-inspections they decide should be conducted,” he said. “This is a consumer protection issue and should therefore be funded by the state, out of the existing high tax burden we all pay to central government and to Brussels.” Other organisations fighting the proposals include the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and the German Bakers’ Association. The EC has already made some changes to its initial draft legislation under pressure from lobby groups, introducing scope for microbusinesses, with fewer than 10 fulltime employees, not to be charged.

Distribution holds back growth of community food shops By PATRICK McGUIGAN

The burgeoning community food sector still needs support despite making huge strides thanks to a £10m Lottery-funded project. That’s the view of the Plunkett Foundation, which headed up the Making Local Food Work project from 2007-12. Around 120 new community food enterprises, including retailers such as The People’s Supermarket and the Real Food Store in Exeter, were established during the project, but there is still work to be done to ensure a sustainable future for the sector. “We’re proud of the legacy that we’ve left after five years,” said communications manager Kat Darling. “The sector has grown significantly in that time, but it still needs support.” In a recent report, the Foundation highlighted distribution issues, such as minimum orders, and a lack of availability of local food as key challenges for communityowned retailers and buying groups. Balancing social, ethical and Follow us on

@ffdonline

IN BRIEF l Videos of presentations given by leading dairy experts at last year’s Science of Artisan Cheese conference in Somerset are now available to watch online via the Neal’s Yard Dairy website. The event was organised by the Specialist Cheesemakers Association and Neal’s Yard. www.nealsyarddairy. co.uk/scienceofartisancheese/ presentations.htm

l Shropshire based Belton Cheese has secured a listing in the US for its new cheese brand, Belton Farm Red Fox. Working in partnership with its US distributor, Anco Fine Cheese, the company will export the Red Leicester-style cheese to Publix stores throughout the US. l Abernethy Butter, the Northern Irish artisan brand of natural, hand churned and rolled butter, is now on sale at Fortnum and Mason in London. Abernathy was started in 2005 by husband and wife team Will and Allison Abernethy on their farm at Dromara, Co Down. www.abernethybuttercompany.com

l Lincolnshire speciality meats producer Redhill Farm’s pork pies have been selected for Union Jack’s Bar, a Jamie Oliver concept restaurant at Gatwick’s north terminal that showcases British products. Redhill Farm MD Jane Tomlinson said she had been relieved the TV chef’s buyers wanted the free range pies exclusively for this outlet, not nationwide. “If they had wanted thousands per week sending all over the country we wouldn’t have been able to supply them.” www.redhillfarm.com

The People’s Supermarket was among stores established during the fiveyear Making Local Food Work project

environmental issues with making a profit was also a key lesson for startup co-ops. The foundation has received some extra funding to do further work in three key areas, which will run until the middle of 2013. These are: Local Food Systems,

encouraging community food projects to collaborate with each other; Enterprise Support, to help improve business planning; and Strengthening Networks, so that groups can learn from each other and be self-sustainable in the future. www.plunkett.co.uk

l Ashton Court producers’ market in Bristol, jointly run by Sophie Bowden of artisan biscuit-baker Mullion Cove and Bristol City Council, which owns the historic house and 850 acre estate, is reopening this month with extended opening hours. On March 17 the 25-plus stallholders will sell from 10.30am-3.30pm, to the accompaniment of music from the Brunel Sinfonia. www.mullioncove.net

For regular news updates from FFD visit:

www.ffdonline.co.uk Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

fine food news new openings

Opening or expanding a shop? Email details to editorial@finefoodworld.co.uk

It’s all Greek to London deli with artisanal focus

At a glance l Products on sale in the shop include: Arvanitis cheese; One olive oil; Marianna’s vineleaves; Ozone Roastery coffee; and a wide range of Greek wines from producers such as KyrYanni, Nico Lazaridis, and Euxes Erateines.

l The restaurant serves dishes such as: rice meatball soup; roasted peppers with aubergine and tsadila feta; beef braised in tomato sauce with orzo pasta; and Greek sausage in pepper sauce. Cookery classes are also planned.

l The deli will act as a shop window

The Life Goddess sells items sourced from more than 50 Greek farmhouse producers

A newly opened deli and café aims to put artisan Greek food on the culinary map in London with a wide range of products imported from small producers. Named in honour of Amalthea – a character in Greek mythology who raised Zeus – the Life Goddess shop on Store Street, just off Tottenham Court Road, sells products from over 50 Greek farmhouse producers and co-ops, many of which are packaged in the deli’s own distinctive brand.

The shop also makes Greek food on-site for takeaway and to serve in the café. The new business is the brainchild of three Greek businessmen: brothers Nikos and George Nyfoudis and Elias Koulakiotis, who also run a wholesale business importing and distributing fine foods from Greece called Gen Trading. “We share a vision about raising up the level of Greek food abroad,” said Nikos Nyfoudis. “London is the

Wilsons of Crossgates

Fitzroy & Bailey

By PATRICK McGUIGAN

Leeds

Brothers John and Andrew Green have taken their high street butcher’s shop in Leeds in a new direction. The new-look Wilsons of Crossgates store has been desgined to compete more effectively with the major multiples. Wall display chillers have been installed so shoppers can browse undisturbed, as they would in a supermarket, while there is a larger range of speciality food products, grocery items and a grab-and-go sandwich and salad bar. www.wilsonsbutchers.co.uk

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

Windsor, Berkshire

Scandinavian baked treats and ‘new wave’ Scotch eggs are just some of the homemade products on the counter at this newly opened deli and cafe in Windsor. Opened by Lee Richardson and Kara Emmott, who hail from Malaysia and Japan respectively, the new shop specialises in homemade food, inspired by different cuisines from around the world. Other products, which are also on the menu, include Nutella Dutch doughnuts, rabbit & fennel pie and pain perdu. The

gastronomy capital of the world and we believe that Greek gastronomy has an important role here.” The owners have personally met all the producers who supply the deli and will continue to make frequent trips to Greece to search out new products with quality a key consideration. “Greece has underestimated its ‘product’ in the past. We focused on promoting the Greek sun, the Greek sea and didn’t realise that food was just as important,” said Nyfoudis. Scotch eggs come with fillings such as cheddar and sundried tomato. The deli counter stocks around 30 types of cheeses from suppliers including Neal’s Yard Dairy and Mons. The shop has already launched a loyalty card scheme and is planning cookery classes and tastings. www.fitzroyandbailey.com

for the wholesale business, with potential customers, such as retailers and restaurants, able to sample the product range before buying, as well as seeing how they can be used in recipes.

l The modern branding for the Life Goddess product range was developed by Beetroot – a design group based in Thessaloniki, which was named European Design Agency of the Year in 2008.

“There is tough competition from Italy, Spain and Turkey, but because we are a small country with small production levels we need to focus on quality. Greece is like a boutique hotel. We can’t increase the number of rooms, the only thing we can do is improve our product and service.” www.thelifegoddess.com

The Pantry

Stockbridge, Edinburgh The Pantry is bringing a taste of the countryside to the city centre, after opening a “farm shop and kitchen” in Stockbridge, Edinburgh. Designed to be a “one-stop shop for Scottish produce”, the new store has been set up by Chris and Charlotte Thompson, who previously worked in hospitality and specialist ingredient sourcing. Local lines include Arbroath smokies and vegetables from East Coast Organics. The café is led by chef Ian Henderson, who has worked in restaurants across Europe. www.thepantryedinburgh.co.uk

S11465_Exclusivity Advert_v3_A5_v3 01/11/2012 15:55 Page 1

- a great choice for the independent trade A family owned business supplying the very finest food & drink for almost 50 years Call our dedicated sales team on

g 01482 504333

C www.hiderfoods.co.uk

View all our product ranges online at

Hider Food Imports Ltd Wiltshire Road, Hull, East Yorkshire HU4 6PA e. sales@hiderfoods.co.uk

Just a few of our best-selling brands... Vol.14 Issue 2 路 March 2013

fine food news IN BRIEF l Organic oats producer Pimhill Farm and bacon curer Maynard’s Farm will be among an estimated 100 producers taking part in the first Shrewsbury Food Festival, to be staged in the Shropshire county town’s Quarry Park on the weekend of June 29-30. Shropshire chefs supporting the event include ITV This Morning’s Marcus Bean, who runs Brompton Cookery School and the New Inn, and Great British Menu star Will Holland from La Bécasse. www.shrewsburyfoodfestival.co.uk

l Forest Pig, a charcuterie maker that rears its pigs in Worcestershire’s Forest of Arden, has been named as one of 10 regional Start-Up Business of 2012 winners in the Countryside Alliance awards. The overall winner will be announced this month during an event at the House of Lords.

Accountant does the sums on career behind counter British accountant Matthew Feroze is pondering a career in cheese after becoming the first foreigner to win France’s top competition for cheesemongers. Feroze is taking a twoyear sabbatical from his job as a government accountant to work with French affineur and cheesemonger Mons. He represented the company at the Concours National des Fromagers (National Cheesemongers’ Contest) in Lyon, beating 15 other contestants to be named Champion des Fromagers de France. He now plans to complete his training with Mons before considering a new career in the cheese sector. “It’s great to get real confirmation that I deserve a place in this industry and it has made me seriously consider my next steps,” Feroze told FFD. “I find it hard to imagine that I won’t be working with cheese. In

Matthew Feroze and his award-winning cheese platter

what capacity I’m not yet sure. Most likely I would be in the UK and faceto-face with clients, trying not to bore them with my excessive interest in cheese.” To win the top prize at the biannual competition Feroze had to

prove his cheese expertise through blind tastings, knowledge tests and by cutting slices of cheese to exact weights. He also had to present a platter of cheeses that he had chosen and matured himself, which included Stilton and cheddar.

www.forestpig.com

l Organiser Patrick Davis is looking for Midlands cheesemakers, confectionery companies and bakers to join the line-up for the first Droitwich Spa Food & Drink Festival, taking place on Saturday June 22 as part of the Worcestershire town’s three week Summer Festival. Around 30 companies have already booked stalls for the local & regional food showcase, including Churchfields Farm Ice Cream, the Little Black Pig Company and butcher-cum-deli Checketts of Ombersley.

Bay Tree reshuffles offices as consolidation continues Emma Macdonald: Last year was a ‘mixed bag’, but sales through Waitrose grew strongly

patrickdavis@btinternet.com www.droitwichspa.com

l Sawers in Belfast, claimed to be Northern Ireland’s oldest gourmet food shop, is launching a range of artisan foods under its own label, which it aims to market in Great Britain and the Irish Republic. Producers in Britain and Northern Ireland are behind the initial range of Sawers relishes, chutneys, jams and balsamic vinegars. For regular news updates from FFD visit:

www.ffdonline.co.uk 12

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

Producer and wholesaler The Bay Tree Food Co has moved offices as it continues to consolidate its business after merging with Forest Products at the end of 2011. The company, which employs around 80 staff, has moved to a new office in Wincanton, Somerset, from its original HQ at Lower Westcombe Farm near Evercreech as part of a reorganisation of the business following the deal with Bridport-based jam maker Forest Products. Bay Tree moved production of its chutneys, preserves and sauces from Westcombe to Forest’s manufacturing site in Ivybridge, Devon, last year and has now also relocated its office to a new premises close to its 10,000 sq ft distribution warehouse in Pylle. The company also has another warehouse in Bridport. “The consolidation process

was always going to take a little time, but once it’s complete we will have a lot more capacity and flexibility to grow,” said director Emma Macdonald, who co-founded The Bay Tree in 1994 with former business partner Lucie Lewis. The company’s sales to Waitrose grew by 17% last year, while Macdonald said there was “consistent, but not massive growth” with fine food retailers. “It was a mixed bag last year,” she said, “with the West Country badly affected by the poor weather during the summer, although we did very well in the East of England. “There’s more competition from regional producers with some customers deciding to go completely local in terms of suppliers, but we know there are big opportunities to grow sales in foodservice wholesalers and online.”

Demarquette hosts visit by Duke of York Artisan luxury chocolatier Demarquette hosted a visited to its London ‘production lab’ by the Duke of York last month as part of his efforts to support small firms. Prince Andrew was welcomed by founders Marc Demarquette (pictured below left), François Demarquette and Kim Sauer. Since launching the company in 2006, Demarquette has pioneered the introduction of rare cocoas to the UK. In early 2010 it introduced cocoa from Vietnam’s Ben Tre region to Britain and collected two threestar Great Taste awards for Ben Tre products. The Duke of York heard how Demarquette’s purchase of cocoa beans from the Vietnamese Cocoa Cooperative (Vietcacao) is helping to finance a long-term vocational rehabilitation centre at a school for handicapped children in Ben Tre. www.demarquette.com

www.thebaytree.co.uk

@ffdonline

INDULGE IN THE LUXURIOUS AND NATURAL TASTE OF OUR GOLD STAR WINNING PRODUCTS

The combination of the finest naturally sourced ingredients the world has to offer with luxurious Swiss cream, creates our renowned smooth and delicate texture. All products are made without artificial additives, flavours or colours - just nature delivering at its best.

THE FINEST INGREDIENTS  SWISS CREAM  PASSION FOR GASTRONOMY Available in 175ml, 900ml and catering tubs. To sample our ﬂavours, contact our dedicated sales team on 01483 205500, or visit: www.moevenpick-icecream.co.uk Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

11800 MPK Fine Food Digest Ad W230 x H315 (2) JB.indd 1

13/02/2013 12:57

M PL E

F SA R

HAVE YOU TRIED LANCASHIRE SAUCE? We have brought the famous taste of Lancashire Sauce to crisps. If you’d like to try a pack just get in touch Tel: 01704 823 572 Email: info@fiddlerslancashirecrisps.co.uk Web: www.fiddlerslancashirecrisps.co.uk

March 2013 · Vol.141 FFD_07.03.12_003.indd

Issue 2

08/03/2012 08:34

fine food news Interview

Running his own cheese shop convinced Spar development manager and online retail guru Richard Shorney it’s risky to over-specialise. MICHAEL LANE asked for more tips from the world of convenience.

No more Mr Niche Guy W

hen your twitter followers include Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps and TV foodie Loyd Grossman, you must be doing something of note. A great number of FFD’s readers will be particularly heartened by Richard Shorney’s stream of tweets and re-tweets punctuated with hashtags like #SaveYourHighSt and #localfood. Alleged ex-punk Grossman might particularly appreciate Shorney’s recent conversion of the famous Sex Pistols album cover into ‘Never mind the supermarkets, here’s the local shops’. But there is more to Richard Shorney, who by day is a business development manager for Spar wholesaler A F Blakemore, than digital tub-thumping and antisupermarket sentiment. His @retailmentoring twitter feed, which has gained around 1,000 followers in the last month alone, is packed with links to news items, retweets promoting small producers, and conversations about various towns’ high street battles. Most importantly, there’s plenty of advice for retailers. When he’s not recruiting and mentoring new franchisees – some of his recent success stories include Walthamstow’s Village Stores and Spar’s recent tie-up with The People’s Supermarket – Shorney wants to offer his help to other indies. When FFD called, it found he had plenty of ideas for its readership,

of Brie de Meaux from a shop. Local and artisan food, needless to say, are also point scorers. While delis could certainly be more convenient, Shorney says they could also borrow other business practices from the convenience store sector. When it comes to pricing, he thinks delis can be a bit “marginhungry”. “You can’t just go at the range with 35-40%. You need to mix and match with your margins.” Convenience retailers, and the multiples, often focus on ‘known value items’, a handful of lines such as a litre of milk or a Mars bar. If you keep the prices of these low then it creates You can’t just go at the items the impression that your range with 35-40%. You store is cheaper. need to mix and match Although this doesn’t automatically transfer to with your margins. speciality retailers, you could keep your farmhouse cheddar that farm shops and delis run the prices low to bring people in, he risk of being too specialised. suggests, but claw back money with “A 600sq ft shop in Notting Hill, bigger margins on fresh produce or for arguments sake, selling pieces other chilled items. of Parmesan for £60 might go great Another thing Shorney flags up guns,” he says. “But I don’t think as key is careful sales analysis. If delis on their own work. I’ve seen his retailers can monitor their stock so many close down. My personal levels and record wastage correctly opinion is you’ve got to have a it has a noticeable effect on their wider offer. You need to be making bottom lines. An EPOS system will something on the premises to give help with this but if everything is it a USP.” scanned in and out, retailers will get Fresh coffee and a loaf baked a clearer picture on what sells well on the premises are the kinds of and what doesn’t. things, he says, that could convince “You might think Joe Brand a punter to buy their weekend slice who he believes could defeat the supermarkets with a little more business nous. His first piece of advice stems from owning and running Heritage Cheese Shop in Ely, Cambridgeshire, during the early ‘90s. “Don’t take yourself too niche and get as much range as possible into your shop,” he says. “That’s exactly what I didn’t do when I had my cheese shop in Ely. I had all the product knowledge, I’d just come from [a sales job at] Rowcliffe, but none of the business knowledge.” Shorney’s own experience and the convenience stores he works with on a daily basis have convinced him

❛

❜

sauces are the best thing since sliced bread, and you’re making a huge margin on it, but it only sells two units per week,” he says. Promotions, too, play a big part in driving convenience store sales. Shorney estimates that it accounts for around 40% of a shop’s sales and encourages other independents to try it, provided they use “professional” point of sale and “If you’re going to do it, keep doing it, and advertise it.” While these tactics all mimic supermarket behaviour, Shorney says there is one area that independents will always have the edge. “Supermarkets know their customers from electronic data, but your readers have the personal touch. They will know your name, recognise you and cater to your wants and needs.” The Spar way of doing things is hardly rocket science and Shorney acknowledges that there are lots of fine food retailers who run their businesses well. It is the ones who aren’t doing so well that he wants to help. There are more tips on his blog including ‘14 ways to beat the supermarkets’ or you could get in touch for some ad hoc, but free-ofcharge, advice. “If I can help a retailer, they are more than welcome to tweet me or email me.” @retailmentoring richardshorney.blogspot.co.uk

The 'known-value items’ in delis might be different to those of a mainstream store, but it’s worth trying similar promotional tactics, says Shorney Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

The true source of food and drink inspiration

15-16 April 2013 Westpoint Exeter Stand enquiries 01934 733433 Ticket hotline 01934 733456 www.sourcefoodanddrink.co.uk

01/02/2013 11:08

MODULAR

COMPACT

FLEXIBLE, ADAPTABLE, UNIQUE With K-class flex, screens, load cells, printers etc. can be freely combined resulting in space-saving integrated solutions for merchandising with all the technology features of the KH100.

CONVENTIONAL, STYLISH, MODERN Counter scale with the cutting edge Bizerba K scale App designed to be informative to the operator so the customer feels like they are talking a foodie or a chef. Not to mention industry leading application integration and power savings backed by Bizerba workmanship.

K-FLEX

March 2013 路 Vol.14 Issue 2

KH-100 Retail Portfolio: High performance with a wide range of different models and equipment variants.

info@bizerba.co.uk

01908 682740

SOURCE-FineFoodDigest-Jan13v1.indd 1

cheesewire Le Grand Fromage Bob Farrand

oes British cheese need Protected Food Names? Defra wants to double the number of products labelled Protected Designation of Origin, Protected Geographical something-or-other and whatever the third PFN is (see News, p9). But our track record, compared with the rest of Europe, isn’t good. Just 11 of our cheeses have achieved PFN status since 1996. Seven of those were fast-tracked in that first year, and in the past decade just one has been added: Staffordshire Cheese in 2007. Hands up if you’ve ever tasted it. Of our 11, I can find no trace that Buxton Blue, Dovedale, Teviotdale or Bonchester are currently in production, although Nigel Cope of Cottage Delight is attempting to resurrect Dovedale. The two heavyweights on the list are Stilton and West Country Farmhouse Cheddar. Stilton has long been protected with a worldwide trademark, which perhaps makes a PDO redundant. And why bother with a PDO for white Stilton when almost all of it gets mixed with ginger,

During the past ❛decade just one

British PFN cheese has been added: Staffordshire.

❜

orange, lemon peel or anything else that happens to be lying around. The PDO rules for Stilton say that it must be made in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire with pasteurised cows’ milk. Stichelton is made with raw milk, so it can’t use the name. In the USA, Stilton’s largest export market, they have little respect for PFNs and Stichelton is sold as ‘unpasteurised Stilton’. West Country Farmhouse Cheddar should, by rights, be our strongest PFN but not all producers are members. Slow Food has even persuaded three of the best – Keen’s, Montgomery and Westcombe – to go into its Ark of Taste instead as ‘Artisan Somerset Cheddar’, to the bafflement of locals. Sorting out stable milk prices in the face of rising feed costs and forcing supermarkets to tell us the country of origin of their cheap cheddar might be a better use of everyone’s time than chasing more PDO labels. FFD publisher Bob Farrand is chairman of the UK Cheese Guild

news & views from the cheese counter

Bodnant chooses Cheshire as model for first cheese By PATRICK McGUIGAN

The Cheshire-style Aberwen is the first cheese to come from a new dairy at the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre in North Wales. The centre launched last July, but the opening of the 1,100 sq ft dairy was delayed until just before Christmas because of problems with the hot water supply. However, the first cheeses are now on sale in the farm shop, with head of dairy Aled Rowlands describing the pasteurised Aberwen as creamy and crumbly with a lemony flavour. “It’s based on an old farmhouse recipe that we’ve tweaked during eight months of trials at a local food college,” he said. “Cheshire cheese has been made in this part of Wales for hundreds of years, so it felt like a good one to start with.” Aberwen, which means ‘white estuary’ in Welsh, is named after the nearby Conwy estuary. The bandage-wrapped 9kg and 11kg rounds are matured for two to five months. The dairy is currently producing around 450kg a week from its 1,500-litre vat for the farm shop and

North Wales has a long history of making Cheshire-style cheeses

restaurant at the £6.5m food centre. An orange version, coloured with carrot juice, called Abergoch, is also in production and there are plans to increase output to around 1,000kg a week by supplying regional and national wholesalers. Another hard cheese is due to be launched later in 2013. Rowlands previously worked for South Caernarforn Creameries,

Winslade is Hampshire’s answer to Vacherin By PATRICK McGUIGAN

Hampshire Cheeses, well known for its Camembert-style Tunworth, has taken inspiration from another Continental classic to develop a new cheese called Winslade.

Winslade was developed with input from Neal’s Yard Dairy

Wrapped in a spruce band with a runny centre, the new pasteurised cow’s milk cheese is named after a Hampshire village, but has much in common with Vacherin – the French and Swiss seasonal mountain cheese that is much loved across Europe. “It has the gooey texture of Vacherin when it’s fully ripe, so you can eat it with a spoon, and there are pine notes from the spruce, but it also has its own character,” said the company’s co-owner Stacey Hedges. “We don’t wash the rind like you would with Vacherin, so it has a delicate bloomy rind and quite a gentle creamy flavour.” Hedges developed the cheese after a discussion with Neal’s Yard Dairy, which was looking to stock a new kind of British cheese. The retailer is the only company currently selling Winslade, although Hedges said she planned to step up production from the current output of 200-300 cheeses per week later in the year, so she could supply wholesalers. “There’s nothing really like it being made in Britain and we’ve already had some really exciting feedback from Neal’s Yard’s customers,” she said.

producing cheese in automated 20,000-litre vats – a very different experience to the handmade process at Bodnant. “It’s been great to get back to the basics of cheese-making,” he said. “I have to adjust and adapt production every day depending on the milk, rather than a pushbutton process which runs to a set programme.

Jongia awards first scholarships

Heyes and Candlish: ambitious

Dairy equipment and ingredient company Jongia has announced the winners of its scholarship, which supports artisan cheese-makers. Chris Heyes from High Weald Dairy in Sussex and Jennifer Candlish, who previously worked at Bertelin Cheese in Staffordshire, were chosen to receive the scholarships because of the dedication they have shown to the industry. Heyes will attend a three-day soft cheese-making course at AB Cheesemaking, while Candlish will take a three-day course at the School of Artisan Food, both of which will be paid for by Jongia. Since Bertelin ceased trading earlier this year, Candlish has had a temporary position at Ram Hall Dairy, but is keen to find a permanent position in the industry. Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

cheesewire

The sweet smell of success Interview

Dorset-based cheese-maker James McCall gives Patrick McGuigan a sniff of what it takes to produce a serious washed rind cheese while keeping the recipe for his special solution tightly under wraps

he Cheesewire pages have been ripe with some rather pongy cheeses in recent months as an increasing number of British producers launch new washed rind cheeses. Bathed in alcohol or brine as they mature, these kinds of cheeses famously develop a particularity pungent rind thanks to the growth of sticky red-coloured bacteria, which are also the cause of smelly feet. The French have been blowing our socks off for centuries with classics such as Munster and Epoisses, but now a new generation of British cheese-makers are also dipping their collective toe in the whiffy waters of rind washing. These new products not only meet growing demand for strong British cheeses, they are also seen as a relatively easy way to expand a business. Rather than developing a completely new recipe, all the cheesemaker has to do is take an existing cheese, give it a wash in local cider or ale as it matures and, hey presto, he or she has a brand new product to sell. It sounds simple, but the odorous arts of cheese washing are anything but, according to James McCall. He worked for the granddaddy of British washed rind cheeses-makers, James Aldridge, for 17 years from the late 1980s, making Tornegus and Celtic Promise, and today runs his own company specialising in these types of cheeses. In an article in last year’s FFD, he branded many new washed rind cheeses as “gimmicky” and voiced concerns about “unskilled” cheesemakers risking health and safety, which could damage the reputation of the category as a whole. “You have to be dedicated to do washed rind cheeses, and take them very seriously,” he explained to me last month as we discussed his Dorset-based business James’s Cheese. “They are not something to just fit in between other cheeses. They really need their own dedicated maturing room, so you don’t get different bacteria jumping from cheese to cheese, and it takes time and commitment to develop a really good product.” McCall, who has also worked at Daylesford Organic, Cranborne Chase and Chalke Valley Cheese, set up James’s in a converted barn in Child Okeford in 2011. The company’s main product is Francis – a pasteurised cows’ milk cheese, made

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

James McCall produces two washed rind cheeses: Burwood Bole (left) and British Cheese Award-winner Francis, which is named after his mentor

by washing young Stoney Cross rounds from Salisbury-based Lyburn. Last year, the cheese, which is named after James Aldridge (his middle name was Francis), won the Best New Cheese category at the British Cheese Awards. Listings with The Fine Cheese Co and Paxton & Whitfield soon followed with the Cheese Cellar listing it this month.

The wholesaler will also carry the company’s other cheese, Burwood Bole – a washed rind cows’ milk log, which is based on a cheese made by McCall himself at Chalke Valley’s production premises. “Entering that award was the best fifteen quid I ever spent,” says McCall. “It raised the profile of the cheese and opened doors for me.”

As washed rind cheeses go, Francis is quite mild. The pink marbled rind has a pleasant tangy smell without the nose-wrinkling niff you get with other cheeses, while the interior has a fresh appley flavour. “I don’t like it when a washed rind cheese is mega matured. I like firmer younger cheeses where the flavour from the rind is in the background,” says McCall. The cheeses are washed every other day for eight to 10 weeks in temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms with around 1,000 in stock at any one time. McCall uses a special solution to wash the cheeses, which he is understandably keen to keep under wraps, although he reveals that alcohol is not one one of the ingredients. “You see a lot of cheeses being washed in cider at the moment, but I didn’t want any gimmicks with Francis. I didn’t want to use anything that would detract from the flavour of the cheese itself. I wanted it to stand up in its own.” The business currently produces around 200 cheeses a week with space at the maturing room to triple that amount, but much depends on Lyburn stepping up production. Currently, the company can only produce a maximum of 120 cheeses a week for McCall to turn into Francis, although this could easily be increased with an investment in more moulds. McCall could also expand production by developing new products with other companies. “I’ve had enquiries from a few other cheese-makers about it,” he says. “They like the idea of making cheese one day and then it’s out of their hair the next.” By working with other cheesemakers and building James’s Cheese into a specialist hub for washed rind cheeses, McCall is following in the footsteps of his great mentor James Aldridge. The cheesemonger and maturer died in 2001, but his influence on McCall and British cheese in general is still being felt today. “I learned everything from him,” says McCall. “He could be awkward and difficult to work with, but he was so inventive. He would read everything he could lay his hands on and then tweak recipes and play around with them to come up with something completely new. British cheese owes him a great deal.” @jamesscheese

The Kent’s Kitchen glazes add great flavour and a visual appeal to meat or fish. Simply dust on and grill or oven bake. Flavours include: Bbq glaze Chinese glaze Garlic & herb glaze Mint glaze

Kent’s Kitchen glazes Glazes work brilliantly on all meat and fish and are a quick and easy way to add a delicious taste dimension. All Kent’s Kitchen glazes are available from Cotswold Fayre and Samways or at www.kentskitchen.co.uk | Contact emma@kentskitchen.co.uk or call 01732 758024

Our new Popcorn Chickens How come take care of you get all the credit at Egg production Easter?

Oh stop rabbiting on.

Handmade in Somerset for cracking sales this Easter. Call 01749 831 330.

top

r selle

201

We’re still taking orders for Easter

www.jameschocolates.co.uk Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

UNCOMPROMISING ON HEALTH, TASTE AND QUALITY… Half the saturated fat of olive oil and rich in Omega 3.

Your Complete Confectionery Solution

Britain’s original seed to bottle producer

New taste tingling Garlic Mayonnaise… Packed full of roasted garlic pieces Taste me… stand N1106 IFE

Another fantastic addition to the range of Farrington’s MELLOW YELLOW® cold pressed rapeseed oil products. www.farrington-oils.co.uk

01933 622809

It’s a whole world of honey out there • Best sellers stand. • Complete confectionery solutions from £130. • 3 x Stand sizes available with product solutions suitable for any retail establishment. • Versatile and flexibility of products. • Point of sale included. For more information or to request a Spring/Summer 2013 brochure, please contact our customer service team and quote FFD0313

01858 438000

The Ogilvy’s Honey Tasting Collection bundles 4 of our award winning 100% pure artisan honeys from across the world in eye catching packaging offering a superior honey sampling experience for your customers. Ogilvy’s honey scouts the world for the best honey available, often getting on first name terms with our beekeepers to make sure we get the best to deliver to your customers. Winner now of 6 Great Taste Awards in just two years, we like to think we’re on the right track.

Fosters Traditional Foods Ltd, Great Bowden Road, Market Harborough, LE16 7DE

www.fosters-foods.co.uk | asktheteam@fosters-foods.co.uk

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

MBER

A promotional feature on behalf of Le Gruyère AOC

Me and my cheese counter We talk to Svetlana Redpath of The Guid Cheese Shop. Any cheese counter run by a Russian lady who learnt to mature cheeses at MonS in France and sell them at the celebrated Murray’s store in New York is likely to be special. Svetlana Redpath’s doesn’t disappoint. Her original plan had been to open her own shop back home in Russia but meeting and marrying a Scot forced a change and she took her dream to St Andrews in Scotland, where she opened The Guid Cheese Shop in December 2010. By her own admission, she’s loving the challenge. “Customers here in Scotland are similar to those in the States,” she says. “They are big foodies with a need to know more about the cheeses they buy.” Which explains the wonderfully ordered counter, smart, well positioned and each cheese meticulously labeled and described. “I write all the descriptions myself and constantly check each one is clearly visible and on the right cheese.” Her winter selection of 50 rises to 60 during the summer ‘tourist’ months and what marks the selection is her measured understanding of good affinage. She has two counters – one for soft cheese and the other reserved for hard and blue. Several varieties are duplicated, offering various

age profiles. “I always have two Le Gruyères,” she says. “a 15-month Premier Cru and a 14-month cave aged and occasionally, I add in a third, the 1655 Gruyère produced by JeanMarie Dunand at Fromagerie Le Cret. Each one offers a slightly different flavour profile” Her cheddars inevitably include the unpasteurised, cloth-bound Isle

What Svetlana merchandises close to her cheese counters My shop is so small that everything is pretty close to my cheeses However, I would say the closest are the following items: 1. Your Piece Baking company Oatcakes 2. Variety of Mondovino Crackers 3. Variety of The Fine Cheese Co. Crackers 4. Spanish Quince Paste (Membrillo) 5. A selection of wines and beers 6. Spanish Llargueta and Marcona almonds

of Mull, which she claims is sharp and tangy and by a measure, the strongest in her counter. “They use the druff, (a by-product from the grain used to make whisky) to supplement the feed which adds a unique level of flavour to this cheese,” she adds. She stocks English cheddar too, including Ford Farm and Quickes and also Anne Dorward’s Dunlop made from her herd of Ayreshire cows. “Anne’s been making her cheese for over 30 years,” Svetlana says. “She matures the 3 kilo cloth-bound truckles for four to six months and the breed of cow really shows in the rich colour of the cheese.” She holds much admiration for the French, “as a nation, they’ve given the cheese world so much and continue to surprise us with

fascinating flavours. Tome du Berger is her current favourite, a washedrind cheese made using a mix of unpasteurised cows’ and goats' milk. “It is made by two brothers,” she explains. “One farms goats for milk in Provence, the other farms sheep in Corsica.” The balance of the milk mix used in the cheese depends entirely on availability on the day but the story is further complicated by the two milks being transported to Sardinia, where the cheese is actually made, then shipped via Corsica back to Provence where it is matured, Then, of course, 4-months later it finds its way to a cheese shop Scotland which may explain Svetlana’s great love of the facts and the stories that inhabit the world of cheese – much of it you just couldn’t make up. Does she ever switch off? Anyone who has ever run a small retail business knows the answer to that one. “Last Christmas was incredible,” she says. “by the 24th December, virtually anything resembling cheese had been sold.” Which left New Year for a little R & R. “I traveled to Le Gruyère in Switzerland to see the cheeses being made and how they’re matured. It was a fantastic trip, spending time at the castle and visitor centre and I learnt so much about how the various flavour profiles are created.” So where else would the Russian owner of a Scottish cheese shop who trained in France and the USA go on holiday?

Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

Rocks Organic Cordials are as they should be made, naturally without any artificial sweeteners, colours, flavours or additives

Velvety Blackcurrant Zesty Lime Spring Elderflower Summer Fruits Spiced Fruit Punch Fiery Ginger for further information please call 01962 761935 or visit

For all trade enquiries please email sales@gransteadginger.co.uk

www.rocksdrinks.com us s! ll ple Ca am

Summer is a-comin in

The Lyme Bay Winery Beautifully packaged award winning Ciders, Wines and Liqueurs. All great sellers for Fine Food retailers, Gift Shops, Garden Centres and Farm Shops.

Folkington’s Juices, The Workshop, Endlewick House, Arlington, East Sussex BN26 6RU +44 (0) 1323 485602 info@metrodrinks.co.uk www.folkingtons.com

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

W to e a em Ex re ai po no w de l fo rt. a ta r m Ca ble ils o ll/ . re

NEW s ng Anni t u Fr i rs Cide

The Lyme Bay Winery, Shute, Axminster, Devon EX13 7PW Tel 01297 551 355 · sales@lymebaywinery.co.uk

Y 3 EN TR 01 OP EN 4 2 R RY FO UA BR FE

Isabel Domecq, Jamones Juan Pedro Domecq, 3-star Jamon Iberico de Bellota Jim Harrison, Thornbridge Brewery, 3-star Jaipur IPA

Peter Hannan, Hannan Meats, Supreme Champion 2012 Moyallan Guanciale

“ The world is a very big place. Being Supreme Cha mpion of Great Taste 2012 has brought the world to my door”

ird B y Earl fer y fees Ofoff all entr ORE

25% r BEF Up to ived ON o ch 1. rece iday Mar L entries Fr AL e for LY t a d ng ICT Closi – STR 2 2013 h2 Marc

Ewan Donaldson, Donaldson’s of Orkney, 3-star Hot Smoked Salmon

TIME TO GET RECOGNISED

Buyers and consumers look for and trust this symbol. Great Taste is the recognised benchmark for speciality food & drink within the UK and Ireland. It tells buyers they are selecting a great product. It helps discerning shoppers decide which product they should choose from the over-crowded shelf. It is the badge of honour that every great-tasting product should be wearing in 2013.

NEW FOR 2013 ★ Great Taste goes to Ireland – judging in

Dublin w/c April 22

★L ondon Press launch of the Top 50 foods

from UK and Ireland

★T rophy award for a small artisan producer ★ Special award for the best signature dish

produced by a deli or farm shop ★ Great Taste Store Cupboard ingredients – specially selected hamper products used by chefs at over 80 Aga Rangemaster cookery demonstrations

Get recognised and put your food & drink to the test. Open for Entry Feb 4 2013 Download an entry form from www.finefoodworld.co.uk/gta Email taste@finefooworld.co.uk Call +44(0)1963 824464

product update

A thirsty business

www. peterspantonbeverages. com

Metro Drinks has taken inspiration from both near and far for two new Folkington’s fruit juice varieties. The new additions are a mango juice, pressed from Magdalena River variety mangoes grown in the Colombian Andes; and an English elderflower drink, made from wild elderflowers handpicked from local Sussex bushes. Both new varieties are available to the trade in packs of 12 x 250ml glass bottles (RRP £1.30).

Competition is hotting up in flavoured spring waters following the launch of Joosed from Bensons. Pitched as a ‘healthier’ alternative to brands like This Water and Drench, Joosed is said to contain a third less sugar than its rivals. There are four variants: lemons & limes, apple & raspberries, apple & blackcurrants, and apple & oranges, all of which come in 500ml plastic bottles. www.bensonsapplejuice.co.uk

Top sellers…

, Hampshire ...at Caracoli

sé rflower pres Belvoir elde monade ienne pink le La Mor tuac ginger ley apple & Firefly bram tea on & green Mangajo lem & green tea megranate Mangajo po

www.folkingtons.com

Functional beverage brand Mune is gearing up for growth after securing wholesaler listings with Petty Wood and Tree of Life. It has also invested in new packaging to communicate its health credentials, which are approved under the new EU health and nutrition claims regulations. There are four drinks in the Mune range: Mune Water Revive and Original both have an RRP of £1.79 for 330ml and combine still spring water with seven vitamins and zinc. The company’s two ‘boost’ drinks, Mune Revive Boost and Mune Original Boost, meanwhile, provide a 50ml shot of vitamins, zinc and betaglucans. www.munehealth. co.uk

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

Cawston Press is looking to exploit a gap it has identified in the adult soft drinks market for drinks that are not made from concentrated juice or artificial flavours. It has launched four juice-based sparklers – apple, lemon & lime, ginger beer and apple & rhubarb – in 330ml glass bottles (RRP £1.69). These products are 25% juice and have “none of the usual cloying sweetness you get in adult soft drinks”. www.cawstonpress.com

Future Drinks has secured listings for its Koji sparkling fruit infusions with retailers As Nature Intended and The Grocery Store as well as wholesalers Marigold and The Health Store. At 49 calories per 330ml bottle (RRP £2.50), Koji is designed to appeal to calorie-conscious consumers, wanting something refreshing and more grown-up than a sweet fizzy drink. The two flavours, mandarin & cranberry and lemon & ginger, are inspired by traditional Japanese infusions blending fruits, herbs, spices and spring water. www.kojidrinks.com

Inn

By balancing bitter quinine with Sicilian lemon oil and the essence of orange peel, Peter Spanton Beverages claims to have created a tonic water that will “complement rather than drown out a fine gin”. No.1 London tonic joins Peter Spanton’s tonic range, which also includes flavoured tonics no.3 cardamom, no.4 mint & bitters and no.5 lemongrass.

www.orchardpig.co.uk

...a Ch

LYNDA SEARBY wets her whistle with the latest speciality soft drinks

Poor apple harvests in recent years have prompted Orchard Pig to venture beyond pure apple juice, launching six adultoriented 25cl applebased drinks (case of 12 units £9.09+VAT). The range includes sparkling apple & elderflower, as well as quirkier ‘twisters’ such as Totally Minted (pink grapefruit, mint and lime) and Very Berried (strawberry, blackberry and poppy).

soft drinks

Top sellers…

Chaplais, ...at Maison shire , Gloucester Cheltenham ange juice Innocent or bbly derflower bu Luscombe el ion Rubicon pass lemon This Water o aranciata San Pellegrin

Best known for producing apple juices on its farm in rural Somerset, now Bradley’s is making naturally brewed ginger beer, which uses fresh ginger and takes over seven days to brew. Trade price is £10.20 for 12 x 33cl bottles and £21.50 for 12 x 75cl bottles. www. bradleysjuice. co.uk

Vita Coco says its latest introduction taps into the two fastest growing beverage categories in the UK: coconut water and ready-to-drink coffee. Billed as delivering “natural hydration with a caffeine kick”, Coco Cafe blends coconut water, a shot of organic fair trade espresso and semiskimmed milk. Coco Cafe is already listed in Waitrose, Selfridges, Whole Foods, Planet Organic and Aqua Amore, where it retails at around £1.99 for a 330ml carton. www.vitacoco.co.uk

l Rhubarb & rosehip, the latest vintage cordial from Mr Fitzpatrick’s, is said to be a “refreshing infusion of two quintessentially British ingredients”. www.mrfitzpatricks.com

l As of mid March, Gococo coconut water is available in a larger litre pack, meeting consumer demand for a multi-serve format that can be stored in the fridge. www.gococodrinks.com

l Fusion, the blended juice range from Frobishers, has been treated to a new look. www.frobishers.com

l From spring 2013, Wenlock Spring will be available in a smaller 250ml sports cap format, said to be ideal for kids and for the impulse market. www.wenlockspring.co.uk

The English country garden has inspired three new pressés and two new cordials from Belvoir Fruit Farms. Cherry pressé (25cl), elderflower & rose pressé (75cl), cranberry & raspberry pressé (75cl), blueberry & blackcurrant cordial (50cl), and rhubarb & strawberry cordial (50cl) are all produced on the family farm in the Vale of Belvoir in Lincolnshire.

l Shaken Udder has switched its Strawberry Stash milkshake from full-fat to semi-skimmed milk to make it more appealing to healthconscious consumers.

www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk

www.shakenudder.com

One to watch... SoSmoothies Ben Nichols is only 18 years old, but the young entrepreneur, who recently won a ‘young person of the year’ community award and has founded a burgeoning smoothie business, is not to be underestimated. Spotting a gap in the market for a reasonably priced fresh fruit smoothie with no additives, in summer 2011 he spent his school holidays sourcing bottles, printing labels and experimenting with the blender. He has gone on to sell thousands of blueberry & banana, strawberry & banana and pineapple & mango smoothies at farmers’ markets and secured listings for So Smoothies with local delis, health food stores and cafés. “We now sell around 1,000 smoothies per month in summer and there is no sign of that changing anytime soon,” he says. At the moment he’s managing to juggle his studies with smoothie making, but in the long term he has big ambitions for the business. “We plan to expand the range of products we make and eventually sell our smoothies nationwide. We will also be entering the 2013 Great Taste Awards,” he says. sosmoothies@mail.com

l Scheckter’s

Sparkling yellow egg plum pressé might sound like a revolting concoction, but in fact it’s made from a single variety Pershore plum that used to be the mainstay of the Vale of Evesham plum industry. Nurses Cottage has taken this forgotten fruit and created a drink that it describes as a “modern twist on our cultural and rural heritage”. The pressé is available through Heart Distribution in cases of 19x33cl bottles (RRP £1.50-£2.50) and 12x75cl bottles (RRP £3.20-£3.80). www.nursescottagedrinks.co.uk

Organic Energy, the alternative energy drink, no longer contains any sugar. Both the Lite and Original variants are now sweetened with agave nectar, a natural sugar substitute. www.schecktersorganic.com

l Blossoms Syrup has added sloe berry to its range of fruit syrups, which can be used as a cordial or in cocktails and are available to the trade in 500ml retail glass bottles and pouches. www.blossomssyrup.co.uk

Breckland Orchard has branched out beyond ‘posh pop’, introducing a ‘posh squash’ range of highly concentrated cordials. Initially available in three varieties – plum & cherry, lemon & mint, and rhubarb & ginger – the 330ml bottles have an RRP of £3.25. www.brecklandorchard.co.uk

Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

A taste you won’t find in the supermarket We don’t sell to supermarkets. And we never will, because we refuse to compromise on quality. Our Sicilian Lemonade, for example, is made with fruit sourced directly from trusted growers in Sicily, home of the world’s best lemons. With a delicious, sharp and fresh citrus taste that’s the result of a long growing season, mild climate and rich volcanic soil, it’s distinctive and different. And it’s not available just anywhere.

To order your sample pack call

01364 64 30 36

oo r Co M s D x o isc & or ov Br O er am rg y le ani App y c Ap Ju le pl ice Jui e ce Ju ic e

www.luscombe.co.uk

the finest organic apple & pear juices

conventional, but not ordinary

exceptional juice from traditional varieties Nichol Farm, Deerton Street, Teynham, Kent ME9 9LJ

Tel: 01795 521341

www.moororganicjuice.co.uk

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

product update

soft drinks

Gusto Organic has launched two sparkling fruit drinks that are said to be ‘bursting with botanicals’. Its organic sparkling lemon no.3 (RRP £1.49) contains ginseng, lemon grass and whole crushed lemons. Meanwhile its organic sparkling orange no. 7 (RRP £1.99), contains seven botanicals including echinacea, astragalus, turmeric, chilli and orange blossom water. The drinks are available from Tree of Life in cases of 12 x 250ml bottles.

Serbian food importer Granny’s Secret is hoping to introduce UK consumers to some slightly unusual juice varieties, from quince to Cornelian cherry, sour cherry, apricot and tomato & celery. The 100% pure fruit and vegetable nectars come in 200ml and 700ml glass bottles and prices start from £0.86 for a small tomato & celery juice, and from £1.95 for a 700ml wild apple juice. www.drinkgusto.com

www.drinkgusto.com

Lovely Drinks has created two new pressed fruit drinks with a helping hand from 20-year-old Jemima Fields, a catering student at City of Bristol College. Jemima spent a day working with the Bristol beverage producer to perfect the new apple & raspberry juice and rhubarb & ginger varieties after winning a ‘drinks making experience day’ in a student competition. Both drinks can be ordered direct from the producer in cases of 24x250ml bottles, priced at £18.95 per case, and in Somerset they are available from distributor LF Jones in cases of 12, from £9.57 per case. www.lovelydrinks.co.uk

There’s more than one way to enjoy a cordial, according to Rocks Organic. The company recommends adding a slug of its fiery ginger cordial to cake and pudding recipes, Asian stir-fries and sauces. It says its elderflower cordial can be mixed with fizz to serve as an aperitif or blended with winter berries to make a compote, and that its summer fruits cordial is delicious drizzled over vanilla ice cream and summer sorbets. www.rocksorganic.com

Top sellers…

radford y Badger, B ...at Grump iltshire on Avon, W

ge juice ueezed oran Frobishers sq juice essed apple Frobishers pr ginger ley apple & Firefly bram a h & green te Firefly peac al Farm miner Heartsease s ill H r no Rad water

James White Drinks has extended its Beet It brand to include two new variants, Beet It with passion and Beet It with ginger, in the hope that it will court consumers who aren’t so keen on the distinctive taste of the vegetable. Both products still contain 80 per cent beetroot juice and so still contain a useful dose of dietary nitrate, which has been found to lower blood pressure and boost sporting stamina. RRP is £2.70 per 70cl bottle.

Elixia’s French lemonade has arrived in the UK for the first time exclusively with Cotswold Fayre. The lemonade is made with water from the Jura Mountains, natural flavours and pure cane sugars, and the line-up includes lemon, blueberry and wild strawberry lemonade.

www.jameswhite.co.uk

www.cotswoldfayre.co.uk

Pershore College: a rare breed Richard Toft, juicing manager at Warwickshire College’s Pershore Centre, is one of a rare breed of academics who also understands business. Under his stewardship, the Juicing Enterprise, which offers contract production services as well as producing the Pershore College brand of juices and ciders, has gone from strength to strength. The own label juices are now on sale in 21 outlets across Worcestershire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, including Webbs of Wychbold and all of the National Trust’s catering operations in the region. “We sell around 40,000 bottles of our juice and 7,000 litres of our cider per year,” says Toft. The juices are made, for the main part, from fruit grown at the college. They tend to use popular varieties like Cox, Bramley, Egremont Russet and Discovery, as

Toft says this is what consumers seem to want. “The trend is for quality juice from apple varieties people recognise. We have produced from many varieties that make exceptionally good juice, such as Ashmead’s Kernel and Red Pippin, but really it’s the wellknown names that sell,” he says. Whatever the variety used, it is understanding fruit biology that makes the difference between a good and a great juice, according to Toft. “One of the main constituents of under-ripe apples is starch. This starch is converted into sugars via ethylene gas from the pips. You’ve got to know how to manage that process so that you catch the fruit when all the starch has turned to sugar, but the apple hasn’t started degrading.” It is this kind of knowledge that has given businesses in the region the confidence to entrust

Richard Toft: ‘We sell 40,000 bottles of juice a year’

the Pershore Centre with their production contracts. The unit also runs apple juice and cider making courses for those interested in producing apple and cider, either as a hobby or a business, and offers product development support to businesses. Nurses Cottage’s elderflower pressé, for example, was born out of this service. All in all, it is a unique model,

which benefits not only the college’s students – whose experience is enriched by learning in a real life working environment – but also local businesses. “We are not aware of anyone doing exactly what we’re doing,” says Toft. “There are small pilot plants and people who offer teaching, but none offering the business support or volume we do.” www.warwickshire.ac.uk

Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

STOCK IT NOW

We’re all a flutter over our new drinks for 2013! Fresh and fruity Rhubarb & Strawberry Cordial

Our

50cl and Blackcurrant & Blueberry Cordial 50cl are real thirst quenchers, Elderflower & Rose Pressé 75cl and Cranberry & Raspberry Pressé 75cl are perfect for entertaining, and our Cherry Pressé 25cl is a bit like summertime in a bottle. We think they’re just the thing for the coming spring, so why not stock up now?

PRESSED FRUIT

& SPARKLE full of rhubarb fruitiness sales@cawstonpress.com

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

BE5977_Press_the_publicans_morning_AD_100x287_PR01.indd 1

11/02/2013 09:53

training update

Learning potential MICHAEL LANE checks out some of this year’s short course opportunities for retailers and producers

The Guild of Fine Food will be providing a number of training programmes over the course of 2013. One new addition to the roster is Cracking Christmas, which will be staged during the Guild’s annual Harrogate Speciality Food Show (June 2324). “December is so critical to independent delis and farm shops but people don’t spend enough time thinking about Christmas,” says managing director John Farrand. “This is a day’s course about how to get it right.” The course, which will include talks from Charlie Turnbull of Turnbull’s Deli (pictured) and Gonalston Farm Shop’s Georgie Mason, has been designed so attendees also have plenty of time to peruse the show. There are two chances to take the Guild’s two-day RetailReady course, designed to equip managers and owners of new delis and farm shops. If you can’t make this month’s dates (March 12 and 13) then there is another opportunity on October 8. This year’s programmes, which will both be held at the Guild’s new headquarters in Gillingham, Dorset, will feature a new session on social media delivered by Paul Haslam, creative director at sponsors The Web Bureau. The Guild’s cheese training days, hosted by Guild directors Bob and Linda Farrand, will be taking place throughout 2013. Cheese sessions will be held in London, York, Solihull, Gillingham (Dorset) and West Retford (Notts). There will be charcuterie days in London and Gillingham. Contact linda. farrand@finefoodworld for dates. For more on Cracking Christmas and RetailReady email charlie.westcar@finefoodworld. co.uk. www.finefoodworld.co.uk

Among a number of new options at Nottinghamshire’s School of Artisan Food are a series of Complete Professional courses (£1,995) covering three different types of cheese. Complete Professional Blue Cheese, Lactic Cheese and Soft Cheese (starting April 8, June 5 and April 4 respectively) are all spilt into three 3-day tranches that take place over several months, depending on the make. The first session covers dairy science and recipe development and the second will see students produce their cheese. Once the product has matured, the final session will be reserved for analysis and troubleshooting. “We’ve changed it as we’ve been listing professional making courses of 3-4 days in length,” explains the School’s director Joe Piliero, “but you couldn’t do the whole production process – from science to maturation – in real time.” Piliero adds that the School is now looking at developing courses with this kind of structure for other food categories. Meanwhile the firm has also introduced three-day Advanced Bakery Sessions (£620) for those professionals looking to diversify into varieties like long fermentation bread, focaccia and fougasse. Instruction is provided by Wayne Caddy, the UK’s representative at the baking Coup de Monde, with dates in March, May and June. The School has upgraded its butchery offering with a “fully practical” Pig in a Day course (£245, May 11 and July 12) and a British pies course (£190, April 5 and July 14), which would be well-suited to deli and farm shops looking to create added value products.

If you’re thinking of diversifying into apple juice or cider making, it might be worth a trip to Pershore College in Worcestershire. Its juicing operation, run by Richard Toft, won three-star gold in Great Taste 2012 for both its Concorde pear juice and its organic cider. The Warwickshire College offshoot has a two-day apple juice processing course (£335) running from September 9 and a three-day cider making course (£490), which starts on October 14. Both courses will cover all aspects of production including fruit selection, technical processes, hygiene, packaging and financial control. For those also planning to grow their own fruit, Pershore will run its two-day course on orchard management (£335) from October 17. Contact the college’s short course coordinator on jbaldwin2@warkscol.ac.uk

www.schoolofartisanfood.org

Food industry training specialist Verner Wheelock Associates has added to its range of modular online courses with Practical Allergen Awareness. Areas covered include the definitions and symptoms of an allergy, foods classified as allergens, how to control allergens on site, avoiding crosscontamination, and the consequences of not controlling allergens. Like all of VWA’s courses, this has been designed to allow employees in the food manufacturing sector to fit in training around their work. The course costs £20+VAT per person. The firm is also running a one-day face-to-face course at its Skipton HQ later this month. Managing Food Allergens in Manufacturing, which takes place on March 19, costs £230+VAT per person or £350+VAT for two people. VWA also has a number of new specialist courses including Understanding Flavours (two days, £750+VAT), which covers technical and legal aspects of food flavourings and a Food Information Regulations workshop (one day, £270+VAT). www.vwa.co.uk

Retail consultant Metamorphosis Group plans to offer a series of retail sessions, in conjunction with display and packaging supplier WBC, specifically aimed at independent retailers. Each course will cover different subjects including store design, visual merchandising and window dressing. www.wbc.co.uk www.metamorphosisgroup.co.uk

• For more from Metamorphosis Group and WBC, see the retail design feature on p37 Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

RetailReady ❝

No one should even consider entering any form of fine food retail without completing the Retail Ready course at The Guild of Fine Food. The two day course is brilliantly structured offering advice on every aspect of the business from insider experts and successful retailers. It gave me insight I was lacking, to feel fully confident about getting started.

❞

Matthew Drennan, former editor of delicious. and aspiring deli owner 30

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

RetailReady is a two day course that will steer you through the minefield of opening and running a fine food store. The course is designed to equip managers of prospective, new or developing delis and farm shops with the business essentials of fine food and drink retailing. The next course takes place on March 12-13 2013. Visit www.finefoodworld.co.uk/ retailready for more details and an application form. Call us to find out more on 01963 824464.

A promotional feature for the Guild of Fine Food

MARCH’S MONEY MAKING PROMOTIONS ANCIENT RECIPES The firm’s range of chutneys, relishes and jams are all handmade using traditional, open pan cooking methods. Among the varied line-up is Spicy Beetroot Relish, Celery & Cider Relish, Cheeseboard Chutney, Rhubarb Chutney, Tangy Sandwich Pickle, Damson & Brandy Extra Jam, Strawberry Extra Jam with Mint, and Orange & Whisky Marmalade. THE DEAL: Buy 6 cases, get 2 cases free (The free cases will be chosen by Ancient Recipes and may vary from customer to customer) AVAILABILITY: Nationwide CONTACT: Katy Hamblin on 07854 437511 or katy@ancient-recipes.co.uk

DELICIOSO Delicioso offers a range of four salsas created using its own unique recipes. These include Catalan Ali Oli – a garlic mayonnaise made with purple garlic, olive oil and sherry vinegar – and Salsa Brava, which is a spicy tomato and pepper sauce from Madrid made with smoked paprika. Its pepper-based Mojo Picon and Mojo Verde both hail from the Canary Islands and are based on a mix of olive oil, sherry vinegar, vegetables and garlic. All four salsas are free from additives and preservatives and come in cases of 6x200ml jars. THE DEAL: Buy 3 cases of salsas, get a 4th free (single variety or selection of all four) AVAILABILITY: Nationwide, standard next-day delivery £6 CONTACT: 01865 340055 or info@delicioso.co.uk

FUDGE KITCHEN

UNCLE ROY’S

Fudge Kitchen makes both traditional and contemporary flavours of fudge in small batches including Rich Chocolate, Vintage Vanilla, Sea Salted Caramel, White Chocolate and Peanut Butter. It has also launched a range of pudding flavours like Cherry Bakewell, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Apple Crumble. Its starter pack (£72.50+VAT) includes 50 pieces of fudge, shelf ready packaging (each holds 25 x 90g squares), promotional point of sale material and fudge samples. THE DEAL: Buy a starter pack of 50 pieces and get 10 pieces – any flavour of your choice – free AVAILABILITY: UK only CONTACT: Emily Murren on 01303 864400 or emily@fudgekitchen.co.uk

Uncle Roy’s range of natural flavour extracts and essences can be used for cake-making but can also be added to a number of recipes – including desserts, soups, meat dishes and home-made sorbets. The range features 90 varieties of herb, fruit, seed, vegetable, nut, flower, spirit and ‘brown note’ flavours like caramel and coffee. There are also several natural colourings too. The producer makes 8”x 8” display stands with 12 shelves for displaying these products. THE DEAL: Buy 15 cases of natural flavour extracts and essences (£10.95 each) and get 1 free stand, buy 30 cases and get 2 stands AVAILABILITY: Nationwide CONTACT: Uncle Roy on 01683 221076 or uncleroy@uncleroys.co.uk

DEVNAA Devnaa’s Indian-inspired luxury chocolate bars are available in a variety of flavours including Milk Chocolate with Chai Masala, Dark Chocolate with Honey & Almond, Milk Chocolate with Orange & Spices and White Chocolate with Pistachio, Cardamom & Saffron. 5p from each bar sold is donated to a UK registered charity. The bars come in retail-friendly cases (15 x 75g bars per case) for easy presentation and re-stocking. All Devnaa products are made in London, suitable for vegetarians and alcohol-free. THE DEAL: Buy 3 cases, get 1 free AVAILABILITY: Nationwide, free delivery orders over £100 CONTACT: Jay Rawal on 0208 4277110 or sweet@devnaa.com

LIME TREE PANTRY FOODS Based in rural North Nottinghamshire, Lime Tree Pantry Foods supplies traditional award-winning savoury and sweet pies made using a pastry recipe that has been passed down through the generations. Its Lamb in Mint Gravy pie was a Great British Pie Award winner in 2012. The company also produces a range of traditional cakes, sausage rolls and pasties THE DEAL: 15% off any first order of pies and cakes AVAILABILITY: Nationwide CONTACT: Martina Sobczak on 01623 836288 or sales@limetreepantryfoods.com

CHOCCA MOCCA Chocca Mocca has recently launched a range of heartshaped chocolate lollipops, available in four different flavours: Real Pieces of Blueberries in Milk Chocolate, Real Pieces of Raspberry in White Chocolate, Real Hazelnut Sprinkles in Milk Chocolate and Real Pieces of Orange in Dark Chocolate. The 40g lollipops, which are each decorated with a ribbon, are available in two mixed trays of 24 units. They can be ordered direct at a trade price of £0.75 and an RRP of £1.50 a unit. THE DEAL: 20% off all Chocca Mocca Lollies AVAILABILITY: Nationwide. Minimum order £200.00 + VAT, carriage paid CONTACT: Claudia Alfano on 01628 520927 or calfano@originalcandyco.com

KUMAR’S Exclusively sold to the UK’s independent retailers, Kumar’s range of curry sauces are now available to purchase in a fully stocked counter display rack. Each rack features 7x80ml of each of the seven varieties: Butter Chicken, Green Curry, Korma, Red Curry, Rendang, Tandoori and Tikka Masala. Each 80ml tub (RRP £1.59) serves two. Display racks have a cost price of £49.99. THE DEAL: 20% off price of fully stocked counter display racks (was £49.99, now £39.99) AVAILABILITY: Nationwide*, free delivery (*excludes some areas) CONTACT: Jon Childs on 01206 250200 or info@kumars-curries.com

GUILD RETAIL PROMOTION SUMMARY (Available to Guild members only) COMPANY

DEAL

ANCIENT RECIPES Buy 6 cases, get 2 cases free CHOCCA MOCCA 20% off all Chocca Mocca Lollies DELICIOSO Buy 3 cases of salsas, get 4th free DEVNAA Buy 3 cases, get 1 free FUDGE KITCHEN Buy a starter pack of 50 pieces of fudge, get 10 pieces (any flavour) free KUMAR’S CURRY SAUCES 20% off price of fully stocked counter display racks LIME TREE PANTRY 15% off any first order of pies and cakes UNCLE ROY’S Buy 15 cases of natural flavour extracts and essences and get one free stand

TEL

07854 437511 01628 520927 01865 340055 0208 4277110 01303 864400

katy@ancient-recipes.co.uk calfano@originalcandyco.com info@delicioso.co.uk sweet@devnaa.com emily@fudgekitchen.co.uk

01206 250200 info@kumars-curries.com 01623 836288 sales@limetreepantryfoods.com 01683 221076 uncleroy@uncleroys.co.uk

RETAIL MEMBERS – To sign up to the retail promotion scheme contact: tortie.farrand@finefoodworld.co.uk or ring her on 01963 824464 to ensure you receive your shelf-barkers to help promote these discounts instore. SUPPLIER MEMBERS – want to take part? Contact sally.coley@finefoodworld.co.uk for more information.

Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

Training from the Guild of Fine Food What will you learn?

he five golden rules for increasing deli sales T H ow to select the best cheese and charcuterie H ow to create the best counter display H ow to avoid bad quality cheese and charcuterie H ow to sell proactively rather than reactively T he difference between artisan and mass-produced cheeses and meats through comparative tastings

Cheese

Tuesday April 16, Gillingham, Dorset May tbc, Solihull Thursday May 2, London Monday July 1, West Retford, Notts. Wednesday July 3, York

Charcuterie

Monday April 30, London* July tbc, Gillingham Dorset

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

NING

ot g m, s w a o i n s u e ‘I’v enth nd I s s e l d boun nfidence a k to l o real c want to ta ut o really stomers ab my cu li counter.’ my de vies, ton a D o J Bar y l e k Sto hop S m r Fa

Course costs Members of The Guild of Fine Food just £70, plus VAT (@ 20%). Non-members £95 plus VAT (@ 20%). *NB. Unfortunately there is a £10 plus VAT (@ 20%) surcharge for London training dates due to higher venue costs.

For more information: E-mail: linda.farrand@finefoodworld.co.uk Tel: 01963 824464 www.finefoodworld.co.uk

show preview

IFE returns to London’s Docklands The show is back at the Excel centre with a host of exhibitors from the UK and far beyond

iennial food industry show IFE returns to London’s Excel exhibition centre in 2013 boasting a new look, revised layout and an upgraded programme of interactive events. The show, which runs from Sunday March 17 to Wednesday March 20, will play host to more than 1,200 exhibitors. While there will be a number of big international brands like Tabasco and California Raisins at the show, there will again be a dedicated section housing the UK’s speciality producers. The Speciality & Regional Food from Britain area will play host to well-known brands including Belvoir Fruit Farms, Rude Health and Olives Et Al as well as firms like cream ice maker Alder Tree, Pipers Crisps and The Ginger Pig. Fine food distributors including Cotswold Fayre and Hider will also be showcasing their offerings while food groups from Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland will be flying the flag for native producers in dedicated sections nearby. Cheese and dairy firms will be housed in a separate part of the show with exhibitors including Cornish Cheese Co, Barber’s and Fine Cheese Co as well as major national producers and firms from abroad. Of course, there will also be a raft of first-time exhibitors across the show from countries as far ranging as Morocco, Japan, Italy, Sweden and the USA. As a change of pace from the wealth of buying opportunities, visitors can also take in a comprehensive programme of seminars and presentations in The Hub area, with speakers including the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food David Heath MP and the Chair of the London Food Board Rosie Boycott. There will also be a series of New Products Live seminars, staged in association with market research firm Mintel, on trend forecasting and analysis as well as guided tastings from industry experts. IFE13 will also feature some of the UK’s top chefs, with cooking demonstrations from Will Torrent, Steve Munkley, Sophie Wright and Brian Mellor in The Skillery area. Other chefs ate the show will include Stephen Scuffel, Mat Owens, Alyn Williams,

There will be a wealth of buying and networking opportunities with more than 1,200 exhbitors at IFE13

Cyrus Todiwala, Ben Bartlett and Lee Maycock, who will also demonstrating how foodservice providers can improve their skills

Need to know Venue ExCeL London, London Docklands, E16 1XL How do I get there? ExCeL London is accessible via London Underground and the Docklands Light Railway: Custom House is the main station serving the venue. The closest airport is London City Airport, which is 5minute drive from ExCeL but all of the capital’s airports are within easy reach either by car or

and profit margins. Visitors also have an additional chance to see chefs in action at the British Regional Kitchen in the Speciality & public transport. For those travelling by car, it is 25 minutes from junction 27 of the M25 and there are 5,700 parking spaces on site. More adventurous commuters can take river boat services from any of the Thames piers or they could try the Emirates Air Line (Cable Car) connecting ExCeL London to the O2 Arena. How do I register? Registration for this trade-only event is free on the show’s website: www. ife.co.uk

Regional Food from Britain section of the show. Even more culinary prowess will be on display on the Meet the World Stage, which will be the venue for two pizza-making championships. The final of the continent’s biggest competition Giropizza takes place on March 19 followed on the next day by the UK Final of the World Pizza Championship. A new award scheme, Fresh Ideas, will give exhibitors the chance to get in on the prize-winning with the most innovative product launch crowned at the show. As with previous years, IFE13 will be complemented by neighbouring food and drink processing and packaging show Pro2Pac. www.ife.co.uk

Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

Liven up lunch,

with a little crunch. Nothing sets off your lunch like the crunch of our thick cut, delicious, traditional British crisps. That’s why at Corkers we’ve grown our own variety of luscious potatoes in rich Fenland soil. Expertly sliced and sprinkled with a taste of England, they’re sure to add a kick & a crunch to any lunch. Call us today on 01353 699 000 or email: info@corkerscrisps.co.uk

See us at IFE, ExCeL London 17-20 March 2013, Stand N1271 NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH! www.corkerscrisps.co.uk /officialcorkers

/corkerscrisps

Butler’s Grove Finest Preserves and Provisions Dart Valley Foods Limited.1 The Calvert Centre, Rownest Wood Lane, Woodmancott, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 3BN

Tel: 01256 397979 Fax: 01256 397127 Email: enquiries@dartvalleyfoods.com

www.dartvalleyfoods.com

To stock these products or to find your nearest wholesaler, visit our website: www.elite-imports-limited.co.uk Tel: 020 7819 9704 Email: info@elite-imports-limited.co.uk 34

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

Vi si on t us N sta at 18 n IFE 60 d

We are proud to announce our success at Nantwich International Cheese Show and the prestigious World Cheese Awards. Give your customers a real treat.

Great Taste 2013

Changes are afoot This year’s Great Taste will feature a number of new trophies and a special week of judging in Ireland. Organiser and Guild of Fine Food MD JOHN FARRAND explains the changes.

Small Artisan Producer Award Experience has shown us that the increase in demand for any product awarded three stars can take small and medium sized producers by surprise. We want to do our bit to help out. The winner of this award will be offered a year-long programme of business monitoring from a team of seasoned professionals – a successful artisan producer, a leading deli or farm shop owner, a food hall buyer, a marketer and a PR pro – to help them manage their orders and benefit from the increased interest generated by Great Taste To qualify, the 3-star winning producer must employ two or fewer employees, including the owner, and have a turnover of below £1m.

The Nigel Barden Heritage Award This is an idea close to the heart of Great Taste chair of judges and Radio 2 Drivetime chef Nigel Barden. He wants to identify the best entry in Great Taste 2013 that features largely forgotten, under-used or ignored foods and ingredients. It could be a traditional variety of fruit or vegetable or a particular breed of animal or type of fish or even a lesser-spotted cut of meat. Last year’s Supreme Champion Guanciale, a pig’s cheek bacon produced by Hannan Meats, is the perfect example of this kind of product.

Charcuterie Product of the Year Award The idea for this award was borne out of the Guild’s charcuterie initiative being spearheaded by Fine Food Digest and sponsored by seven UK and international producers. We’ve always backed the artisan cheese sector and now we want to get behind the charcuterie movement, give it a voice and reinvigorate people’s counters. In the last two or three years British charcuterie has really found itself, with the likes of Trealy Farm (pictured) coming through to win Best Welsh Product last year and a host of others who have perfected their art and are

getting their quality right. We are convinced this award will help to raise the profile of charcuterie in the UK.

Deli and Farm Shop Signature Dish Award

Great Taste Judging in Ireland Whether you agree or not, we treat all of Ireland as one wonderful food isle. Clearly there has been a great deal of Great Taste success from producers in both the north, like recent supreme champions McCartney’s of Moira and Hannan Meats, and for producers from the south, such as Oliver Carty and cheesemaker Yeats Country Cheese. Last year, we received around 1,500 entries from Ireland and the Irish media and retailers alike have embraced Great Taste. It’s about time we took Great Taste to Ireland and all those who have supported us. This April (23-26), the Guild will hold a week of judging in Dublin at Bewley’s Hotel. Distributor Pallas Foods will assist us, acting as a hub for entries, which will reduce producers’ costs and food miles. It will also be a chance to forge new business links with a host of top foodies and buyers travelling across the Irish Sea for the judging.

This second new Golden Fork Award has been created to recognise the growing number of delis and farm shops operating food service businesses. Entries can range from quiches and soups through to a full main course signature dish but they must be the original creation of the in-house chef, wholly produced inhouse, and must use locally sourced ingredients. It must also be a dish, rather than a solitary sausage roll or pork pie. All submitted recipes will be assessed by a panel of experts, including Masterchef judge Charles Campion, and no more than 20 chefs will be invited to a cook-off at the Guild’s new headquarters in Gillingham, Dorset. Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

07/2012

: FE tI sa 6 it u 173 Vis N For more information, please contact Jerome Reignier : jreignier@entremont.com - T茅l. + 44(0)208 834 1440, or write to Entremont, 25 Faubourg des Balmettes - 74001 Annecy Cedex France www.entremont.com AP-COUPE-A5-2012.indd 1

Secret Sausages

When it comes to exceptional cheddar, the old ways are still the best. Our award-winning, traditional truckles are wrapped in muslin and allowed to breathe as they slowly mature, resulting in a creamy complex flavour with a long finish.

Vegetables in Disguise

Stuff of legend

Gold winners at

Home Farm . Newton St Cyres . Devon . www.quickes.co.uk .quickes.co.uk

March 2013 路 Vol.14 Issue 2

B ES

Fresh garden vegetables, smuggled inside a unique vegetarian casing and blended with natural flavours and spices - BRILLIANT! Come and see us at IFE | 17-20 March | Stand S2958

British Cheese Awards (Best Cheddar, Best Goats Cheese, Best Export Cheese & Best Traditional Cheese) World Cheese Awards, Great Taste Awards, Nantwich, Royal Bath & West EES ISH CH E AWARD Great Yorkshire, Devon County Show, Taste of the West and Frome RIT 20

18/07/12 10:01

T OF CATEGORY

www.secret-sausages.com

retail design & merchandising

Fix up, look sharp MICHAEL LANE checks out the latest kit for your shop and picks up store layout tips form the experts More and more retailers are opting for flat rather than curved glass counters according to the owner of specialist counter supplier SRDS. Everyone wants counters done in the “Daylesford style”, Mark Smith tells FFD, as seen in the recently re-fitted Daylesford Organic concession in Selfridges’ London Food Hall. While not all of his customers are specifying the use of Cotswold stone (SRDS had to get in a drystone waller for the Selfridges installation), they do want to copy the flat UV bonded glass display sections. “I’ve not a done a curved glass counter in a while now, probably not in the last year,” says Smith adding that there are a number of practical as well as stylistic benefits. For a start, it’s much cheaper. Smith says counters with curved glass, which has to be imported from Italy or France, work out at £5,000-£6,000/m. Units with flat glass, which can be made in Liverpool, work out at around £4,000/m. Flat glass affords retailers much more versatility on height and length, says Smith, whereas curved glass usually comes in

Frozen food specialist field fare is introducing an upright freezer in response to demand from retailers for a smaller-store merchandising solution. Taking up less than 0.5sq m of retail floor space, the upright will hold at least 20 field fare pre-packed products. The firm says it will allow retailers to merchandise complete meal solutions such as, chicken en croute with Tuscan roasting veg followed by sticky toffee pudding.

Flat glass counters as seen in Daylesford Organic’s concession in Selfridges are proving more popular, as are butchery counters with meat hanging fixtures

3ft or 5ft sections, which means counters have to be built around the glass. “I think it’s here to stay for a while,” he adds. ”The big boys [manufacturing counters] are all bringing out and updating their

flat glass counters. I think they’ve realised.” While it’s not a new trend, Smith says that meat-hanging counters are being requested beyond the regions they are traditionally in demand. “It has been around for a while.

It used to be only northern shops and Cornwall that had them because people are squeamish,” he says, attributing it to ”TV chefs telling people to find out about the provenance of meat.”

Many of Gadsby’s new arrivals this year are geared up to retailers striving to upgrade the look of their shops. It has a number of new additions to its range of display items for 2013, many of which are geared to helping retailers improve their existing look. The Somerset-based firm,

which has supplied wicker goods to the trade since 1864, has returned to its roots with its new willow bundles. They come in two sizes (1m high bundles cost £12.95, 1.4m are each £14.95) and can be used to create more atmosphere in-store. Gadsby should also have a range of seven slate products in stock by the middle of March. The line-up includes a pack of four 10cm x 10cm slate pieces (£2.75) and packs of two 30x20cm pieces (£5.00), which are both ideal for use as chalkboards. There are also heartshaped and rectangular products with hanging ropes, a two tier cake stand (£5.75), and packs of five pieces with

plastic clips (£14.50) In addition, Gadsby’s customers can now upgrade their polywicker baskets and counter-top wicker display baskets with plastic lids (most sizes cost around £12.50). There are also new two-tier counter-top stands in stock, made by a local social enterprise for disabled workers. Each stand costs £32.50 and can accommodate a range of the firm’s baskets.

www.srds.uk.com

www.gadsby.co.uk

www.field-fare.com

Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

retail design & merchandising EVE REID, director at retail consultancy Metamorphosis Group, picks out five retail trends emerging for 2013

‘show-rooming’, where consumers come to view products in store and then leave and buy online, primarily for a better price. While supermarkets are employing dieticians and personal stylists in their stores to maintain customer engagement, independents can play to their strengths with eye-catching point of sale material and making sure there are dedicated areas for tasters and demonstrating how to use certain products.

‘The Clockless day’

Integrated retail As technology continues to shape society, retailers need to adopt and adapt to these developments to remain competitive. In previous years there was a clear divide between an online and offline retailer, but this line is beginning to blur. Retailers need a hybrid model that combines the social networking and research aspects of online shopping with physically being in a shop. The recently opened Biscuiteers in Notting Hill emphasises both offers, with iPads in-store that show what the retailer is doing online while customers are browsing the shelves.

Individual attention As shopping becomes increasingly remote, retailers need to combat

The pace of life is ever increasing and working hours are breaking from traditional norms. People want to eat and shop 24/7, so retailers need to provide something during standard trading hours and when the shutters are down. I was in Ludlow for a conference recently and, walking through the town at 6pm, everything was closed but Tesco was heaving. Maybe independents should reconsider their opening hours or perhaps they should consider the next trend… As the food shopping demographic becomes increasingly male, retailers should arrange their shelves more logically

Window shopping Windows are now 24/7 retail platforms. There are a range of possibilities, like touch screens, QR codes, [interactive advertising app] blippAR and digital signage. Windows seem to be the last thing food retailers think about but they

are your way of connecting with customers when nobody is home. Show me what you sell when you’re open and, if you’ve got a website, show me where I can buy it when you’re shut.

Dads in aisles The number of stay-at-home dads has increased considerably and, with the rise of the career woman, these men are taking on the domestic responsibilities on the high street. Your marketing, products and store

layout all need to reflect this change. John Lewis and Waitrose are very popular with men because they are logical. Women need inspiration but in a clothes store men just need belts next to the trousers. Indies need to zone things more clearly. Bear in mind that men are also more likely to give into children’s demand. I know it sounds terrible but think about kids’ eyelines when placing certain products.

Coldkit to offer fit-out services Refrigeration equipment specialist Coldkit has launched a new division that will offer counter design and installation to UK businesses. Retail Solutions by Coldkit has a range of packages for retailers looking to fit out or upgrade their premises, and can provide full design services with 2D and 3D CAD drawings. Customers can choose from three design ranges – Nassau, Bali and the modular Saona – of

ambient and refrigerated displays, with a large choice of finishes and granite work tops. Whether a retailer wants to have serve-overs or self-service chilled display, layouts can be can customised to individual needs. Retail Solutions has its own in-house team of service engineers and can also ease the effect of a fit-out on your cash flow with a number of leasing options on units. www.coldkit.com/en

BOARD APPEAL: WBC’s newest line-up of free standing merchandising units, the Kingsley range, features waxed-metal frames and lockable castors with shelves made from reclaimed wooden floorboards. The firm says this range, which is made in Brixton up the road from WBC’s HQ, can be used in-store or on the move at market stalls, trade shows and pop-up shops. Prices start at £275 (excl. VAT) www.wbc.co.uk

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

MADE IN WIGAN

www.uncle-joes.com 12/2/13

09:10

Page 1

D AN R ST BE 0 E IF UM 136 N N

Food HP Fine Food Cat.

MANUFACTURERS OF TRADITIONAL, HAND-MADE CONFECTIONERY INCLUDING UNCLE JOE’S MINT BALLS, UNCLE JOE’S FAVOURITES AND LOZENGES

Food is changing

...discover the future at The Natural Food Show Discover 1000’s of delicious Vegetarian, Fairtrade and Free-From products Source new food products from around the world Enjoy live demonstrations in the Natural Food Kitchen Save £££’s with show discounts

7-8 April 2013 Olympia | London Part of

Cater for all your customers growing needs with a visit to The Natural Food Show!

7-8 April 2013 Olympia | London

Find us on:

Twitter: @NatProductsShow #npe13

Save £20 – register FREE* at www.naturalfoodshow.co.uk *quote priority code: NPE1383 Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

retail design & merchandising

HUGH’S LOOKING AT YOU: River Cottage has been working on a number of projects in 2013 already. Its original Axminster Canteen and Deli (above) has recently undergone a makeover, with the opening up of the previously concealed kitchen into the dining area. The firm, which is owned by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, says it wanted to add a bit more theatre to the dining experience. Meanwhile, River Cottage has also employed this technique in the designs for its latest outlet on Whiteladies Road in Bristol (below), which opened at the beginning of this month.

Trolley and shopping basket supplier Formbar says its recently launched Shophie baskets would be ideal for the deli and farm shop market. Both the 15-litre and 6-litre Shophie can be customised with a range of options: rigid or flexible plastic, opaque or translucent colours, branding, and single or double handles. As well as a customer basket, Formbar recommends selling the Shophie as a branded bag for life. Prices for 15-litre Shophies start at £6.45 per unit while the 6-litre units start at £7.25, depending on options taken regarding handles and printing. The firm also supplies UKdesigned Ellipse baskets, which its says would be well-suited to independents. The 25-litre baskets start at £7.40 (excl. VAT) per unit but the price decreases depending on the quantity ordered. www.formbar. co.uk

JONATHAN WINCHESTER, MD of mystery shopping consultancy Shopper Anonymous, tells FFD his tips for successful store layouts l You need a powerful statement at the entrance, which reflects your values and brings in the curious passer-by. If you sell fresh food and you’re a local business with history, make it vibrant and try to bring out the building’s traditional features. Whole Foods Market does this well.

l Make sure, on entry, it is easy for the customer to find what they are looking for. Ensure each department is easily recognisable either with strong branded signs or images. If you have a larger store install a directory or a map.

l Keep high value products within eyeline of a team member. This will help reduce theft. l Cleanliness and maintenance are also a major factor in store design. Think practically and make sure all areas can be reached by those who have to clean and maintain the store.

l Ensure that customers pass as many products as possible on their journey through the store. Don’t have any dark alleys where the customer doesn’t need to go. Ikea are the masters at this.

l Check the sequencing of your products as it can put customers off. If they encounter delicate products early in their journey, a customer may not put something in their basket or trolley if they think it may be squashed!

l Think about which customer is buying a product when deciding where to place it. Can the products be reached and easily picked up by

l Keep it simple. Remove all unnecessary signs.

The striking look of Whole Foods when it launched in Kensington in 2007

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

the people that would buy them? There is no point having children’s items six foot up on the shelf.

l Simple and consistent signage is important. Ensure your brand is on each sign with a simple statement of the product, eg. its locality or benefit and a clear price. Customers will not buy products that are not priced.

l Avoid pinch points where queues can build. For example, don’t put a taster display in a busy aisle. This leads to frustrated customers especially those with young children and prams.

l The customer generally shops from left to right, so ensure the journey works that way. If you can’t do that, force them to go right so they won’t miss product engagement opportunities.

l Round aisle displays are good. They allow the customer to walk around the whole display and generally keep traffic flowing. If well built, they can also make a bold statement and are especially good for seasonal selling, like Easter or Christmas.

Round aisle displays seen here at Gonalston Farm Shop

F Deliree very To ma inland ord UK

PACKAGING & CREATIVE PRESENTATION

Your one stop Shop!

ers ov on a exclud er £125. Pr ll ices e VAT. Ter condit ions a ms & pply.

Retail Display

per HamGift & ging ka a P c

CODE CA105 5

£10 C DIS

IM E

L IN E

O OM

ENTER P R

WBC Bags fe For Li

E YOU ORD

Retail Display • Protective Packaging • Gift Boxes Gift & Shoppers • Deli Trays • Wooden Boxes Wicker Baskets • Bows & Ribbons

Freephone 08000 85 85 95 | sales@wbc.co.uk | wbc.co.uk Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

March 2013 路 Vol.14 Issue 2

shelftalk

products, promotions & people

Lefktro’s Black Dog offers pedigree at multiples’ price

The Black Dog range will bring a number of Lefktro’s Great Taste-winning products under one brand

Bim’s gets a big break in America By MICHAEL LANE

Producer Bim’s Kitchen has gained a bumper listing in the US that will see it S U P LI E P supply 2,400 units from its African-inspired range to two chains owned by retail giant TJX. The North London-based producer, run by husband and wife team James ‘Bim’ and Nicola Adedeji, was approached by TJX after one of its buyers spotted the products in a UK store. The gourmet food sections of up to 50 TJ Maxx and Homegoods stores across the USA will now carry a selection of eight lines “For our small scale of production, this order is huge,” James Adedeji told FFD. “In fact, it’s our biggest single order to date. As all our products are handmade in small batches, we have had to dedicate the equivalent of over a month of production time to fulfil the order.” He added that TJX, which also owns UK retail chains TK Maxx and Homesense, had been supportive despite Bim’s small-scale production. The initial products to be stocked in TJ Maxx and Homegoods include Bim’s smoky baobab BBQ sauce, smokin' red hot sauce, baobab chilli jam, African chilli coconut relish and hot African lemony Piri Piri. Since setting up production in their Palmers Green home, the Adedejis have grown their business from selling at a local market into supplying independent retailers across the UK and in Ireland. Last year, Bim’s had eight of its products listed by Australian-owned firm jones the grocer in its United Arab Emirates stores, after being championed by fusion cooking chef Peter Gordon. 2012 also saw the producer pick up Great Taste two-star gold for its spicy African ketchup and its African lemon, garlic & pepper sauce as well as one-star gold for its African bean & nut curry sauce. EDITE CR

Importer and distributor Lefktro has created a S U P LI E P “competitively priced” branded range that will include award-winning products from its existing suppliers as well as a new collection of marinated olives. Launched this month, the Somerset-based firm’s Black Dog Delicatessen range also includes three Extra Virgin Olive oils from Crete, Spain and Sicily, a Balsamic vinegar from Modena, three flavoured Italian risotto mixes and five varieties of authentic Italian dried pasta. The oils, vinegar and several of the new olive lines were among Lefktro’s haul of 19 Great Taste Awards in 2012. Lefktro said the Black Dog range, which has been designed specifically for the deli and farm shop market, will offer a “premium brand experience at a mid-range supermarket price point”. Managing director James Tyler told FFD that the launch was something Lefktro had wanted to do for a while. “We love Lefktro but it's a little bit of a mouthful and it’s very much our wholesaling brand,” he said. “Over the last five or six years we’ve

found a range of suppliers but stores like consistent branding.” The Black Dog, inspired by Tyler’s two black Labradors and created by local design firm Footprintz, has been designed to appeal to UK consumers. Tyler, who runs the business with his brother Duncan, added: “My brother and I are staunchly Middle England. We’ve tried to create a product that would appeal to us.” The new brand has also given Tyler the opportunity to expand Lefktro’s olive offering. Although the importer previously supplied just unfinished olives, he said a number of

Oils: Extra virgin olive oils from Crete, Spain and Siciliy (RRPs from £6.99, £5.99 and £7.99) all come in 500ml bottles Olives: Toscana, Provencal, Ducca spiced, pitted green olives with herbs and pitted Kalamata olives with herbs all come in 250g tubs with RRPs starting at £3.09. Vinegar: 250ml bottles of Balsamic vinegar from Modena (RRP from £5.99) Risottos: All three mixes (Porcini mushroom, asparagus and tomato) come in 300g packs, RRP from £2.09 Pasta: The dried pasta selection (500g, RRP from £1.99) includes less well-known varieties Vermicellioni, Orzo and Black Squid Ink Spaghetti.

EDITE CR

SWEET STUFF: Ogilvy’s now offers a tasting S U P LI E P collection featuring four of its pure, Great Taste-winning artisan honeys. The set (RRP £10.95) includes Balkan Linden, organic Zambezi Plains, organic Himalayan Highlands honey from the Kashmir Valley and New Zealand Rainforest honey. www.ogilvys.com D

The Drury Tea & Coffee Company has created a wooden display box to house S U P LI E its 21-strong range of pyramid tea bags. P The firm has recently added varieties including British breakfast, Christmas tea, lemon verbena and white tea with rose & pomegranate. Each box carries the Drury logo on the top and inside of the lid and has nine individual compartments, which each hold 15-teabag caddies. In total the box holds 135 teabags and has an RRP of £65. www.drury.uk.com

www.lefktro.co.uk

What’s in the range?

Drury’s display box showcases tea range EDITE CR

delis had requested marinated olives after a competitor began supplying supermarkets. Tyler stressed that the range would complement Lefktro’s existing business rather than replace it, adding that the move had been made easier due to spare capacity in shipments from existing European suppliers. Depending on the success of Black Dog, Tyler would like to add a number of other Mediterranean lines to the range including artichokes, semi-dried tomatoes, dried mushrooms, pasta sauces and flavoured oils.

EDITE CR

By MICHAEL LANE

www.bimskitchen.com

Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

shelftalk

CHEF’S SELECTION

Top chefs tell CLARE HARGREAVES their deli essentials

Distributor debuts with Provencal range

David Everitt-Matthias Chef-patron, Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham www.lechampinonsauvage.co.uk

Cider vinegar from Jean Francois Guillouet-Huard www.calvadoshuard.com

We came across calvados-maker Michel Huard, whose grandson JeanFrancois is now in charge, ten years ago. We fell in love with his calvados and vinegar which we still go over to Normandy to buy. We get the vinegar in a 10-litre container. It lacks the harshness of some vinegars, it’s beautifully sweet, and really tastes of apples. It’s great with pork or mallard, and it brings out the apple in a parfait – just add a teaspoon and it creates layers of apple. I also love this vinegar in a salad with scallops, or with mackerel, mixed with raw apple and some mustard seeds.

R-oil rapeseed oil www.r-oil.co.uk

Hamish Campbell, who makes this sweet, vibrant gold oil in the Cotswolds, brought me a sample eight years ago. At that time, there were few people producing rapeseed oil. I use it in salad dressings rather than to fry with. I mix the oil with white balsamic vinegar, shallots, crushed coriander seeds, and fresh mint and use that on a salad to accompany red mullet, for instance. I also put it into a light vegetable broth to go with fish as it adds a nice nuttiness.

By MICHAEL LANE

A range of organic dried goods from Provence in France, including herbs and teas, is now available to UK speciality retailers through a new distributor. Hampshire-based firm George Luther, which has been set up by the founders of online ethical retailer Devlin Rhodes, is the exclusive distributor for the Provence d’Antan range of herbs, seasonings and teas. George Luther will sell the range, most of which is available in both tins and carton refills, to the independent trade directly and through other wholesalers. Provence d’Antan’s dried herbs (trade £3.05 for tins, £2.25 for refills) include coriander, lavender, oregano and thyme from Provence while it also offers a number of herb and spice mixes (trade price range £2.80£7.65) like Bouquet Garnis and Court Bouillon. Its range of 11 Tisanes (herbal teas) come in 30-sachet tins (trade £7.65) and 30-sachet refills (£6.75) and includes Marsellaise, Pyrenees and Detox blends. The distributor is also selling the producer’s range of branded metal tea trays.

Capra Nouveau goats cheese from Brock Hall Farm www.brockhallfarm.com

While the other two ranges that George Luther will soon launch to customers are French non-food lines, co-founder Tara Bowers told FFD that the firm is working on bringing in a range of Spanish foods including nuts and honeys. Bowers added that George Luther has set out to be as flexible as possible for smaller retailers. Items can be purchased in any quantity and do not have to be ordered by the case. Orders of more than £75 receive free delivery and discounts are available on wholesale orders of over £250. www.georgeluther.com www.devlinrhodes.com

A new UK brand of basmati rice says its focus on provenance means its product is fresher and better tasting than others on the market. The Real Basmati Rice Co, whose rice is available to the independent trade through distributor Cotswold Fayre, sources direct from single estate farms in the Punjab that still use traditional and sustainable production methods. The farmers dry the rice reeds in the sun before

Go-Tan Ketjap Manis (sold in UK as Sweet Indonesian Soy) www.go-tan.com

This Indonesian sweet soy sauce is slightly thicker and sweeter than normal soy sauces. We have it on stir fries at home on our day off on Mondays. In the restaurant we use it in the base for our Chicken Moshi: we cook chicken, vegetables and garlic, and add this sauce just before serving. Its combination of savoury and sweet really lifts the dish.

The Spicery’s Ras el Hanout www.thespicery.com

Traceable basmati hits the market By MICHAEL LANE

Wholesaler Fromage to Age introduced us to this smooth, semi-soft rindwashed cheese produced by Sarah Hampton on her goat farm in Bridgenorth, Shropshire. It’s made from young fresh milk and washed in the farm’s homemade cider, offering acidity and sweetness at the same time. Last year, it was named as one of Great Taste’s Top 50 Foods in Britain. It goes on our cheeseboard and we also use it in salads, and in walnut cookies to accompany starters. I also love Sarah’s Dutch Mistress semi-hard rindwashed cheese, and her Pablo Cabrito ash-rolled fresh goats’ cheese.

removing the grains and drying them in jute sacks for at least 12 months to bring out flavour and ensure that they do not stick together during cooking. Each grain is then polished before being packed, by hand, and put on a slow boat to the UK. The firm’s packaging is made from 100% recycled material and each 1kg bag (RRP £3.50) has a sticker revealing which farm the rice has come from. The familyrun Aslam Farm in Gujrat, Pakistan is the firm’s current supplier. www.therealbasmatirice.com

We buy this Moroccan blend from The Spicery in Bath a kilo at a time. What I love about James Ransome, who runs the Spicery, is that he sells whole ingredients which ensures they’re totally fresh and flavourful. In his Ras el Hanout the only thing James grinds is the hard stuff like ginger and turmeric. It means we can just toast what we need in a pan, and add a pinch to a split pea soup, or a coconut foam. Sometimes I sprinkle it onto a caramel, let it set, then serve the perfumed shards with scallops, or with apple or pear desserts. David’s latest book, Beyond Essence, is published by Absolute Press, this month. Sponsored by

Found in all good delis Cheeses from Switzerland.

Switzerland. Naturally.

www.switzerland-cheese.com

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

GRU_Annonce_99x29_EN.indd 1

11.06.12 17:59

products, promotions & people

Greek food brand looks to boost UK oil sales By MICHAEL LANE

www.freshline-gourmet.com

what's new

FOUR TIMES THE FLAVOUR: Following a soft launch last summer a new Indian-style chilli tomato pickle is now available to retailers nationwide. Lovepickle, created by former investment banker Michael Sohel, comes in four heat strengths: mild, medium, hot and extra hot. It is sold in cases of 24x180g jars with an RRP of £2.95 to £3.25 per jar. www.love-pickle.com

Tortilla producer targets delis By MICHAEL LANE

A new UK brand of tortilla and seed chips is hoping its three street foodinspired varieties will prove a hit with independent retailers. Each chip in Manomasa’s range, all of which come in 160g sharing bags, is a distinctive shape and is made with different types of seeds. The triangular Totopo – chipotle chilli & lime with millet and pumpkin seeds – comes in cases of 10 bags at a trade price of £12.70. The Scoop (white cheddar &

Organic chilli stuffing STEENBERGS

www.steenbergs.co.uk

S U P LI E P

BESPOKE FOODS

www.bespoke-foods.co.uk

The international food specialist is hoping to capitalize on the growing interest in Vietnamese food with the launch of exclusive lines that are EDITE CR

S U P LI E P

Spring chocolates

HOUSE OF DORCHESTER www.hodchoc.com

The British chocolatierhas unveiled a collection of lines designed to capitalise on the seasonal opportunities presented by Valentine’s Day, Mothering Sunday and Easter. Its raspberry caramel hearts, which are topped with white chocolate and freeze-dried raspberries come in cases of 12x125g (£45.60). House of Dorchester is also producing rose & violet truffles made with 70% dark chocolate and Hot Cross Bun flavoured white chocolate truffles, in cases of 12 boxes for £45.60. EDITE CR

Vietnamese meal kits

shelf life and ensure a longer-lasting moist, chewy texture. Fudges has added wholemeal and malt flour to the Marmite biscuits (RRP £2.35) to strengthen their flavour and malty taste. Meanwhile, the cheese straw recipe now includes rapeseed oil, resulting in a lighter, flakier texture and reduced salt content. Its cheese straws have an RRP £1.65cheese straws with cracked black pepper have an RRP of £1.99.

S U P LI E P

sourced, produced and packed in the south east Asian country. The Nem Viet range consists of kits to make the national dish, Pho noodle soup (160g), and Vietnamese spring rolls (156g). Cases of six cost £9.36. The Nem Viet range also features a Nuoc Cham dipping sauce (Cases of 6x 200ml bottles cost £5.58), which is a mixture of fish sauce, garlic and chilli.

Improved recipes FUDGES

www.fudges.co.uk

The firm has updated a number of its products. Its flapjacks dipped in Belgian chocolate (RRP £2.99) are now infused with agave syrup to increase EDITE CR

Gloucestershire-based producer Sarah Churchill has re-designed the packaging for her range of preserves, marmalades, pickles and chutneys, in order to give them more shelf presence. While not all of the range is sold to the trade a large proportion of The Artisan Kitchen’s small-batch output – including toffee apple jam, and Great Taste 1-star winning damson & raspberry jam – is available to the trade in cases of 6x227g jars (£13.54). EDITE CR

www.manomasa. co.uk

www.theartisankitchen.co.uk

THE ARTISAN KITCHEN

New branding

The organic specialist’s latest addition to its stuffing range is a combination of fiery chilli powder and piquant chilli flakes with organic breadcrumbs, kibbled onion flakes, tomato powder, parsley, sage, thyme, garlic and black pepper. This “intensely savoury” stuffing comes in a 150g resealable pouch with an RRP of £3.55. The firm also offers five other stuffing flavours in 150g pouches : apple & onion, sultana & onion, herby lemon, sage & onion and cranberry & apple. RRPs for this range vary from £2.95 to £3.70. All of these stuffings, which are made with hand-blended ingredients, can be prepared in minutes by just adding water, or an egg for extra indulgence, and heating in the microwave. The range is delivered in shelf-ready kraft box packaging for convenient and attractive displays.

coriander with golden linseeds) and the hexagonal Sixer (salt, cracked black pepper, golden linseeds, brown linseeds, poppy, caraway & sunflower seeds) both come in cases of 12 bags for £15.24.

Greek food brand Freshline Gourmet is hoping to gain more customers in the UK deli market with its extra virgin olive oil from the Kalamata region. The oil can be supplied in a range of bottle sizes, which can be branded with either Freshline Gourmet’s own logo or with a private label if ordered in a large quantity. The Cyprus-based firm, which was recently set up by Greek food inspection firm I.C.B Services, sources from selected growers of Koronieki olives and describes the resulting cold extracted oil as “fruity fresh”. The product is additive-free and has an acidity of less than 0.8%. Branded glass bottles of the oil are supplied in cases of 24x250ml, 12x500ml, 12x750ml and 12x1 litre. Prices range from €1.96 to €4.28 per bottle, based on a minimum order of 10 cases. Firms wanting a private label service would have to order at least 1 Europallet (48-90 cases depending on bottle format) but can expect to pay less per bottle. All prices exclude transport costs, which Freshline is happy to discuss individually with customers.

S U P LI E P

Vol.14 Issue 2 March 2013

Fine Food March Fruit Cake Ad.qxp_Fine Food March Ad 13/02/2013 17:20 Page 1

The best cakes just got better

Our premium quality cakes are beautifully rich and moist and are now made with a new ALL BUTTER recipe for first class taste. Contact us now to discuss our latest innovations, seasonal launches and new products on 01538 382020 or sales@cottagedelight.co.uk

www.cottagedelight.co.uk

A family company passionate about good food.

IT’S NOT ABOUT SMART PACKAGING OR CLEVER MARKETING IT’S ALL ABOUT GREAT TASTE GREAT tAste 20

than just a place en with a range the hom e.

Join hundreds of other independent fine food shops around the UK, and run a Great Taste promotion. We will send you, free of charge, all you need to help your customers understand more about Great Taste and help you to sell more products with this distinctive logo.

12-13

This year ’s fines as judged t food and drink by the expe rts

What will you get? • Copies of Great Taste book for your customers • Great Taste aprons • Branded bunting and posters • Window sticker promoting your award-winning food and drink • Recipe cards highlighting Great Taste winners

37 A foodie ’s feAst: 200+ of th yeAr’s w is inners li sted insi de

rangemas

ter.co.uk

Taste Gol

d Cover

2012-13

final.indd

Order now while stock lasts 20/11/20

12 13:0 5

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

shelftalk

products, promotions & people

Downstairs upstairs Deli of the Month INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL LANE

Having started life below ground, The Deli Downstairs has become a fixture at street level in East London’s Victoria Park Village. Now it is expanding into the building next door.

Theo Fraser Steele, an actor by trade, set up the deli with his wife Sarah in May 2009

ven if the concept of a village in the middle of London’s East End defies logic, Victoria Park Village fits its billing perfectly. Located on the northern edge of one of Hackney’s more tranquil spots, it’s a treasure trove of independent businesses, with a greengrocer, butcher, fishmonger, wine shop, fashion boutique, pharmacy, two pubs, several restaurants – and The Deli Downstairs. The name seems odd, since it sits comfortably on street level at 211 Victoria Park Road. But it began life, within view of its current location, in the basement of The Ginger Pig’s butchery in the

village. Since founding the business, husband and wife team Theo and Sarah Fraser Steele have moved the operation up the road and, more importantly, upstairs. Now the pair has taken up the lease on a neighbouring property and there will soon be a café next door. There wouldn’t be much room for tables in the existing space of just 635 sq ft, which includes the kitchen area at the back. From its

street corner entrance, the deli runs in an L-shape. The serveover that greets you is filled with pies, scotch eggs, hummus, olives and charcuterie and topped with brownies and wedges of tortilla made in-house. There are usually several trays of fresh pasta, made in the shop’s kitchen, on sale too. Opposite the counter, a large and rustic display of organic vegetables in various crates and boxes sits under the shop window. The feature I don’t call anyone ‘sir’. wall, a Victorian I don’t want anyone to call me checkerboard of cubby ‘sir’. I want it to be the sort of holes packed with shop I’d like to go in. well-known deli brands

❛

❜

and more obscure ingredients, leads you round to a chiller cabinet for dairy and cheese, a cutting table and a wine dispensing fixture. Even on the grey, sleety Monday that FFD visits, there always seems to be a customer in the store. Some browse the walls and shelves for ingredients. Others go straight to the serve-over and know exactly what they want. Pretty much everyone leaves with something. As delis go, this one is welcoming and part of its charm is the combination of the building’s original features (it was originally a Victorian grocery shop) and a modern approach to service. Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

shelftalk “We don’t all wear liveried aprons,” says Theo Fraser Steele. “I don’t call anyone ‘sir’. I don’t want anyone to call me ‘sir’. I want it to be the sort of shop I’d like to go in.” Weekly sales in the region of £12,500 are a testament to this formula, which was also acknowledged with a runner-up spot in 2011’s Deli of the Year competition. Not bad going for a pair of actors, who had very little retail experience when they set up just under five years ago. Keen home cook Theo, who has had roles in a number of TV shows and films, had turned to cheffing when the couple had their first child and needed extra income. He landed a job at The Marques Tavern in Islington (then owned by the people who would go on to set up renowned London steak chain Hawksmoor), which eventually led him to working for The Ginger Pig. He ran the basement grocery area of the Ginger Pig’s shop for a year and was offered the operation as a going concern by owner Tim Wilson in May 2009. The Fraser Steeles re-branded as The Deli Downstairs and were making a living despite the challenge posed by the location. “It had no street frontage at all,” says Theo Fraser Steele. “The reason we’ve got our logo like a street sign is because the only place we had to put it was on the sides of the awning.” It certainly taught them how to drive footfall and the art of a getting the chalkboards right. “It was a battle to get people down into the basement to get things,” he says. “Even after being there for a year under the Pig and a year on our own, people were still coming in and saying ‘I didn’t know you were here.’” They might have stayed in the basement forever had 211 Victoria Park Road, 100 yards up the road, not come onto the market in Summer 2010. It had been a Threshers since the ‘60s but when the off-licence chain went bust there were a lot of businesses sniffing around. With The Ginger Pig’s blessing, a “terrified” Theo contacted the landlord directly and bagged the prime location before anyone else could. “They came with an angle grinder, ground off the padlocks, gave us the keys, gave us three months rent-free and said, ‘You do it’,” he recalls. “It was a Threshers with everything but the wine. It was all still turned on, the video was recording nothing and the telephones were still connected.” The six fridges they inherited were the only things they kept (they have slowly been phasing them out over the last two years), and once the false walls and brushed

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

The Deli Downstairs carries a range of speciality foods, ingredients and everyday items to cater for its wide customer base

aluminium fittings had been stripped the Fraser Steeles were left with an “extraordinary Victorian building”. Among the features they’ve retained are the original wooden floor (Theo excitedly points out the sag where former grocers once stood behind their counter) and a mural of old biscuit signs, one of which is the exact match of an old Huntley & Palmer’s tin Theo used to keep odds and sods in.

The old building seemingly has more to give, as the pair discovered they could knock a hole in the wall and connect their existing kitchen to an old stable unit next door. They have wanted to expand into this section and start a café for more than year. Their landlord pulled the plug on the idea at the end of 2011 and opted instead to convert it into a flat. Luckily, Hackney Council refused the change of usage and the landlord has handed over the keys to The Deli Downstairs. They came with an angle Construction work is grinder, ground off the padlocks, well underway and gave us the keys, and said they hope to open this month. ‘You do it’.

❛

❜

The most important feature of the new 300 sq ft area, says Theo, is actually its outdoor space. While the apron of grey tarmac spreading out towards the pavement might sound unappealing, it is the Holy Grail for a London retailer. Not only is the spot south facing, it also belongs to the building rather Hackney than council, so outside tables and chairs are permitted. It may be a prime space but it doesn’t really explain why The Deli Downstairs is making the move, especially given the number of eating places within two minutes’ walk. “Since we’ve been open, at least

products, promotions & people retailing. “It’s not just a special treat shop,” she says. ”We have people that shop with us every day for milk or vegetables and we didn’t want to annoy our regulars . She adds that the new space will not be branded as a café and currently has the working title of “refreshment room”. While they have bought a second-hand 3 group La Marzocco Linea espresso machine at £3,500, the Fraser Steeles want it to be about more than coffee. They will sell the wares of local roaster Climpsons but they are also applying for an on-licence. If all goes well, they hope to offer glasses of local beer with pies and wine from their dispensing barrels (They sell 100 litres a week from the unit supplied by Borough Wines) for customers to have with charcuterie and cheese boards. Everything that they serve will be taken from the shop with the intention of encouraging diners to buy from the deli. Theo is now in the process of sourcing catering packs from his kaleidoscopic supplier base. The Deli Downstairs doesn’t have the look of a place stocked

base

Building work is well underway on the the ‘refreshment room’ annex, which will be ready to open later this month

from one or two catalogues. It has nine cheese suppliers, including Neal’s Yard, Mons and Bianca la Buffala (just for Mozzarella and Burrata). Fraser Steele buys from big distributors like Bespoke, Cotswold Fayre and Hider but also from one-man bands like Steve Benbow of The London Honey Company. He even has three suppliers for his largely organic range s K C O ST-ST nstairs MU of vegetables. w o D li e D The e ng He only uses Hider ra m Ja ough of London Bor because he can’t ) x (Käseswiss source Kallo organic Gruyère Vieu chicken stock cubes (Mons) se eu ay cr e Tomm rd cu anywhere else and s’ at go y Creamer Neal’s Yard (The sells enough of ca en al M ta d Carne Sala an Odysea’s hummus an es rm Pa eese Co.) (15-20kg a week) Ham and Ch ufala) B la and Rusticella corn a nc ia Burrata (B m pie pasta to fulfil a ha & n ke ic ch Eat My Pies minimum order d sons coffee with just a couple on Climpson an nd Lo d nel, Crate an er of lines. K e Th Beer from He buys the ies er ew br ds el Fi Ella’s Kitchen mus Odysea hum organic baby food ke ca Guinness (one of many TDD’s own ranges he has pudding d ea br D TD that taps into the TDD frittata area’s “Nappy i Valley”) from TDD piccalill two wholesalers: bread n io at St r ra Flou and noccella o one for the meat st pe ny Compa Fresh Olive versions, another three people a day come in olives for meat-free and say, ‘Can I have a cup of o oking choriz options. coffee?’” explains Theo. “And I Mediteria co e Fraser Steele ng send them to the other places, ra es Tom’s Pi is always on either over the road or across the lookout for there and you think, ‘Actually new suppliers, that seems a bit silly’.” and all the “I didn’t want to muddle chopping and one thing up or another, which changing has is why we hadn’t done it until obvious price now. You don’t want somebody benefits, doing their £50 of shopping with although somebody else standing behind he adds: them saying ‘Can I have an “There’s espresso?’” no great Sarah was also concerned game plan. that serving coffee in the existing It’s really space would shift the focus from

sprawly and sometimes I think it would be really nice to just get it all from two people.” The shop’s range is quite ingredient-led and is usually linked to the chef of the moment. “That’s what it’s driven by. People say, ’I’m doing [Israeli chef] Ottolenghi. Have you got this, this and this?’” He’s got the za’atar and the sumac but Fraser Steele is still searching for a supplier that has pomegranate molasses. It looks like he will have to make a trip to a cash-and-carry or ask one of the many Turkish stores nearby where they get theirs. Curiously, his customers aren’t willing to search as hard. “People want it now, they want it here on their doorstep.” There are two good Vietnamese supermarkets within a 15 minute walk away, but The Deli Downstairs carries a potted version of their range for customers who like to make the occasional Tom Kha Gai. With such a range of shopping habits to cater for, there are certain items Theo is willing to stock and “take a hit on”, such as eggs from Treflach Farm in Shropshire, which sell at £1.50 for half a dozen. Seasonal produce is another area that he is prepared to make very little margin on, particularly the “preposterously expensive” PDO Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb he has in at the moment. The average spend at The Deli Downstairs is around £10, and the Fraser Steeles aim for a 40% gross margin, multiplying their cost prices by 1.7. The policy has served them well, with monthly sales running at £50,000. “We don’t want to be greedy,” says Theo. “We’re not business people, we’re actors. We’ve got no great wish to have a big chain and franchise it all out. It’s a small community shop, and sometimes it’s difficult to remember that, but that’s all it is and that’s all it needs to be.” www.thedelidownstairs.co.uk

Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

 

classified • baking equipment

Do you make PIES or other sorts of pastry products? We make incredibly versatile PIE MACHINES VISIT www.johnhuntbolton.co.uk TO SEE OUR RANGE OF MACHINES, PLUS VIDEO CLIPS OF THE MACHINES IN OPERATION OR CALL + 44 (0) 1204 521831 / 532798 OR FAX + 44 (0) 1204 527306

 Packaging Ltd • food processing machinery

Fine Food Classified 2012_Layout 2 28/06/2 • ingredients

• food processing machinery

Suppliers of bottling and packaging equipment to Refractometers artisan producers in the food production industry.

Quality Control

for

Depositing & filling machines Capping and crowning machines Labelling and coding machines Label dispensers

The one-stop shop for everyone working with chocolate... Chocolate Ingredients

Tel: 01920 484050 E: nosborne@acosales.co.uk www.acosales.co.uk

Décor Packaging Equipment

OR EMAIL spencer@johnhuntbolton.co.uk

Moulds

JOHN HUNT (Bolton) Ltd

@Refractoshop

www.refractometershop.com

Rasbottom St, Bolton, England BL3 5BZ

• baking equipment

• food processing machinery

• ingredients

www.keylink.org Tel: 0114 245 5400

• labelling

Crestchem

Top Quality In Cutting Worldwide provider of high quality sharp edge products

Crestchem Ltd., Crest StationAmersham, Rd, Amersham, BucksHP6 HP6 5BW 5DW Crestchem Ltd., 10Hse, Hill152 Avenue, Bucks,

Food Division - suppliers of

PECTIN XANTHAN GUM CITRIC ACID POTASSIUM SORBATE GLYCERINE & more Contact: LORETTA

ATKINS

loretta@crestchem.co.uk Rapid Steel All prices are in GB Pounds Sterling and are supplied ex-VAT and ex-Works unless otherwise stated. The goods hereby supplied shall McDonnells Ltd of P: the +353 1 6778123 01494 434660 - F: 01494 434990 remain the property seller until such time as payment for the product has been made in full. Any T:discrepancies to be made in E: sales@mcdonnells.ie writing within 7 days of receipt. All goods are supplied against our standard terms and conditions which are available on request. Buy online at www.mcdonnells.ie www.crestchem.co.uk E & O.E. Company Reg. GB996055 VAT Reg. No. 801981926 • bottles & jars

• ingredients

HS HS French Flint Ltd FF

• labelling

Don’t leave advertisers in the dark - tell them you saw them in Fine Food Digest.

Speciality Glassware for the more discerning producer.

• labels

The heart of UK food manufacturing

Sugar Dextrose Sweetened condensed milk

Tel: (01454) 411446 sales@garrettingredients.co.uk www.garrettingredients.co.uk

Unit 4G, The Leathermarket, Weston Street, London SE1 3ER

Tel: 020 7407 3200 Fax: 020 7407 5877

www.FrenchFlint.com

• food processing machinery

Suppliers of equipment for artisan producers of fruit juices, wines, ciders and oils. Our wide range extends from extraction processes to filtration, bottling, sealing and labelling. Tel: 01404 892100 Fax: 01404 890263 Email: info@vigoltd.com www.vigoltd.com

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

Butter Dairy powders Bespoke dairy blends

• ingredients

• labelling

Call our sales team on 01963 824464 today to discuss the right classified heading for your equipment, ingredients or services

• labelling

• packaging

• training

RetailReady CODING AND MARKING SYSTEMS FOR FOOD AND PHARMACEUTICAL New

Refurbished

Hire

Hire-to-Buy

Offline sleeve and watch strap band feeders Ink jet printers - 5yr warranty on new units Hot Foil & Thermal Transfer Printers Laser coding systems

• packaging

• refrigeration

RetailReady is a two day course that will steer you through the minefield of opening and running a fine food store. Next course: March 12-13 2013 For an application form visit finefoodworld.co.uk/retailready Call us to find out more on 01963 824464.

• training

DEPOSITORS & PACKAGING SYSTEMS MEATS/SEAFOODS & READY MEALS Depositors for sauces and dressings Pot fillers and liquid fillers Vertical Form Fill Seal Thermoformers Tray sealers Pumps

For more information call 01962 761761 info@printsafe.co.uk www.printsafe.co.uk

• packaging

Ser ving the Food and Drink industr y since 1980

Self adhesive labels and swing tags for food and drinks Visit our website for examples of our work and testimonials www.inkreadible.com

Need a new van? Find it in

or ring us to discuss your requirements 0800 096 2720 email: sales@inkreadible.com

• ingredients

• refrigeration

TRAININ

Training from the Guild of Fine Food

digest

• packaging

• training

FOOD SAFETY

Training & Consultancy

Do your labels lack lustre? Find something flashier in digest

• washing equipment

• packaging

Make sure you’re meeting legal requirements for food safety. Level 2 Food Safety online £25 Level 3 Food Safety online £125 Meat managers hygiene and HACCP training of all levels

Tamper evident & film sealable plastic food packaging Reliable leadtimes and service - sensible minimum order size Sizes available from 30ml to 5000ml Visit www.innavisions.com or call us for a brochure TEL: 01886 832283 EMAIL: nick.wild@innavisions.com

At your own premises or in Skipton, North Yorks.

What will you learn? 1. The five golden rules for increasing deli sales 2. How to select the best cheese and charcuterie • training 3. How to create the best counter display 4. How to avoid bad quality cheese and charcuterie 5. How to sell proactively rather than reactively 6. The difference between artisan and mass-produced cheeses and meats through comparative tastings For more information: E-mail: linda.farrand@finefoodworld.co.uk Tel: 01963 824464 www.finefoodworld.co.uk

Verner Wheelock Associates 01756 708526 / office@vwa.co.uk

www.vwa.co.uk Vol.14 Issue 2 · March 2013

NOW

ife.co.uk

ION INSPIRAT

& IDEAS

INCR

ASE your mE argins

E E FR TRY

S U D N I ARS N I SEM

r u o y d e e f business the international food & drink event 17-20 March 2013 the international foodExCeL & drinkLondon event 2013’s largest gathering of international food & drink suppliers will take place at IFE. 17-20 March 2013 ExCeL London From big brand suppliers to local & regional producers, over 1,100 exhibitors from around the world will showcase thousands products. will take place at IFE. 2013’s largest gathering of international foodof& NEW drink suppliers From big brand suppliers to local & regional producers, over 1,100 exhibitors from Quote web around the world will showcase thousands of NEW products. code ife13

March 2013 · Vol.14 Issue 2

Quote web #ife13 code IF222

#ife13