Best Brands 2011-12

The best of everything in regional & speciality food

Ingredients Top-selling fine food & drink brands, as voted by FFD readers Must-stock products in UK delis Deli of the Year finalists Britain’s Best Cheese Shop winners

with added Award winners from major regional & national schemes including: Great Taste Awards Wales The True Taste Awards Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards Deliciouslyorkshire Awards World Cheese Awards

A Special Report from

In Association With

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12

WELCOME

An email wends its way to my desk from the upper echelons of the Guild of Fine Food. It’s from a Guild accredited supplier. “We’re opening a shop,” it says, “and we were wondering what would be your top 20 ambient brands – apart from ours, of course!”

This being the speciality food & drink sector, there’s no IGD ShopperTrack, TNS Global or Kantar Worldpanel data that retail buyers can turn to for guidance when compiling a stock list, simply because there are no mega-brands or national deli chains to fund the research.

When we get enquiries like this, we reply using a mix of gut instinct and educated guesswork based on the many conversations we have with deli and farm shop owners month by month. We also, of course, know which small producers are consistently good performers in our own Great Taste Awards and World Cheese Awards.

This Fine Food Digest Best Brands special edition is an attempt to answer that email in a way that helps everyone – pulling together the knowledge we have here at the Guild, together with other good indicators of brands that any serious fine food store should think about stocking.

We’ve scoured all the major regional and national award schemes, then made our selection of the most deli-friendly products among the big winners. We’ve revisited our regular Deli of the Month features to bring you ‘must stock’ product lists from quality food stores up and down the country. And we’ve also carried out our own research among Guild retailer members and visitors to the 2011 Speciality & Fine Food Fair at Olympia, asking them to name their best performing brands in nine key categories – a list that includes a few surprises.

Best Brands has been sponsored by Le Gruyère AOC, a Swiss cheese brand that has been a consistent supporter of the Guild, of the World Cheese Awards and of the independent retail trade over many years. In these pages you’ll find the results of the first Le Gruyère AOC Britain’s Best Cheese Shops competition, open to all independents that staged in-store promotions with Le Gruyère AOC earlier this year.

My colleague Michael Lane has also interviewed all the regional winners in the 2011 Olives Et Al Deli of the Year competition, so we can tell you more about Britain’s best delis as well as its best deli brands.

So if you’re looking for pointers to the fine food trade’s top performers during 2011, Best Brands is a pretty good place to start.

Mick Whitworth Editor

Best Brand Survey Britain's Best Cheese Shops National & Regional Award Winners Deli of the Year Must Stocks Ones to Watch

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EDITORIAL Editor: Mick Whitworth Assistant editor: Michael Lane Art director: Mark Windsor ADVERTISING Sales manager: Sally Coley Advertisement sales: Becky Stacey, Gavin Weeks Circulation manager: Tortie Farrand Publisher & managing director: Bob Farrand Associate publisher & director: John Farrand THE GUILD OF FINE FOOD Membership secretary & director: Linda Farrand Administrators: Charlie Westcar, Julie Coates, Nik Davies Accounts: Stephen Guppy, Denise Ballance t: 01963 824464 Fax: 01963 824651 e: firstname.lastname@finefoodworld.co.uk w: www.finefoodworld.co.uk Published by: Great Taste Publications Ltd and The Guild of Fine Food Ltd. Fine Food Digest is published 10 times a year and is available on subscription for £40pa inclusive of post and packing.

Printed by: Advent Colour, Hants © Great Taste Publications Ltd and The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2011. 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.

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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Cash converters Biscuits 1st Artisan Biscuits* 2nd The Fine Cheese Co 3rd Border Biscuits 4th Fudges 5th Moores *owned by The Fine Cheese Co

INTERVIEW Ann-Marie Dyas, founder The Fine Cheese Co “There can’t be many businesses in this country where the people in production are also retailers,” muses Ann-Marie Dyas, owner of cheese wholesaler and retailer The Fine Cheese Co and its sister company Artisan Biscuits.

Operating its own The Fine Cheese Co shop in Bath means Dyas’s business is “never far away from the end consumer,” she says.

This dual perspective also helps when dealing with trade customers.

“We have empathy. We know what the challenges are and we face them every day. We also know how to sell our own product. Whatever we learn in our own shop we pass on.”

Dyas attributes the popularity of her firm’s biscuits to the careful matching of their recipes with cheese, made possible by the acquisition of baker Artisan Biscuits in 2006. “Everything has always been about cheese,” she says.

Despite the success of her current products, Dyas is in almost weekly NPD meetings as she looks to find the next thing to capture the imagination of our “savoury nation”.

“I’m always looking at moving things on. It’s probably boring to say, but you need to be like Madonna: you’ve got to constantly reinvent yourself,” she says.

“If you have a successful range, someone will come and copy it. I try to be one step ahead so by the time they’ve caught up with me I’m already moving on.”

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Want to know what’s got the tills ringing in delis and farm shops? We asked retailers to name the brands that did the business for them this year in nine key categories. Here, MICHAEL LANE brings you the rankings and talks to the crowd-pleasing brand-owners.

best brands survey 2011 Chocolate & confectionery 1st Montezuma's 2nd RJ’s 3rd Summerdown

INTERVIEW Helen Pattinson, director and co-founder Montezuma’s Montezuma’s Helen Pattinson says independents are the firm’s “bread and butter” and adds that her small sales team tries to speak with each stockist regularly.

“We check they're happy with the products and the service we're providing and ask if there is anything

we can do to help,” she explains, adding: “Maybe it's also what we don’t do which helps – which is we don’t sell to the big four [supermarkets]. And never will.

So our stockists can be confident that our chocolate will not be seen on continual promotion in the supermarkets.”

Pattinson says that as Montezuma’s grows the chocolatier will be able to get closer to retailers as she can afford to hire more people to talk to customers rather

than just react to sales calls.

Montezuma’s own retail operation gives it a greater understanding of merchandising, not to mention appreciating the pressure its customers are under, she adds.

Next year, Pattinson says Montezuma’s will continue with tastings of its products at food events with its Roadshow – launched last year – and, of course, her partner and co-founder Simon has a list of new products “as long as his arm.”

INTERVIEW Louise Cheadle, chief tea-taster and co-founder Teapigs “Our objective is to be seen as a must-stock item for anyone who stocks premium foods,” says Louise Cheadle, adding: “It’s been a really good 2011. We’ve seen more growth into the independents.”

Take-up of Teapigs’ newer lines, such its Winter special blend, has been particularly good in this sector, she says.

Next year’s objective is to get more of the range and more of Teapigs’ larger 50-bag packs onto the shelves, as well as targeting significant growth in sales of its Matcha product.

Teapigs shuns mainstream advertising, says Cheadle, using consumer events instead to grow the brand awareness. “Our focus is on getting the product into people’s hands.”

With roughly two events every month and a rebranded website featuring an improved stockist finder, Teapigs is hoping to attract more consumers. And Cheadle adds that independents will also remain a priority.

“When we first started we knew every customer and that’s something we really like,” she says. “We really appreciate independents and how they have helped us and we want to keep that going. Even if some lines are in Waitrose, the range that independents offer is always going to be bigger than that of the multiples.”

Tea & coffee 1st Teapigs 2nd Union Hand Roasted 3rd Taylor’s of Harrogate

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12

best brands survey 2011 INTERVIEW Guy Tullberg, managing director Tracklements “We’re all having to work a little bit harder,” admits Tracklements boss Guy Tullberg, but despite tougher times he says the brand can always rely on its strong bond with stockists to help it get its products right.

“We don’t use wholesalers so we have an instant rapport [with retailers],” he tells FFD. “If there’s a new product launch we can now guarantee that 200-300 retailers will take it – and we also get some vigorous feedback.”

A redesign of the brand in September went down particularly well, he says, and next year the focus will be on promoting both new products and the provenance of their ingredients, from UK-grown mustard seeds to onions.

“We realised a long time ago that although there can be a conversation [with retailers] about the taste of the product, we’ve gone way beyond that. We will be shouting about how we’re the most ‘local’ product you can buy, and it’s as good as handmade.”

Pickles & chutneys

Savoury snacks

1st Tracklements 2nd Cottage Delight 3rd Mrs Darlington/ Ouse Valley

1st Tyrrells 2nd Pipers 3rd Glennans/

Olives Et Al

INTERVIEW Oliver Rudgard, marketing director Tyrrells On the back of a whopping 40% growth in sales, Tyrrells’ Oliver Rudgard hails 2011 as an “amazing year” but stresses that expansion will not change the firm’s approach.

“We’re still all about the farm and sourcing potatoes locally but what we’ve also done is think about the personality of the brand – typically English and quirky.”

More pertinently, Rudgard says

Jams & preserves 1st Tiptree 2nd Cottage Delight 3rd Rose Farm

Tyrrells is intent on maintaining a relationship with independent retailers, doubling the size of the customer support team handling them – despite its well-publicised rapprochement with Tesco.

“We’ve invested in our team that look after independent trade. I think of it as the foundation of the Tyrrells business.”

In 2011, Rudgard says its overhaul of packaging has helped to ensure maximum visibility on the shelf.

Meanwhile limited edition flavours have done well in independents, he says, adding that Tyrrells will be launching another new range.

“It’s never been seen before. We’re going to help independents unlock a new snacking occasion.”

INTERVIEW Ian Thurgood, joint MD Tiptree While Tiptree’s sales in 2011 are expected to show further improvement on the previous year’s “record” performance, MD Ian Thurgood says the Essex-based company very much takes the long view.

There’s a business plan looking as far forward as 2030, he says – but there are also some major objectives for 2012.

Next year will be pivotal, as the firm pushes on with the development of a new factory, and Thurgood is also looking to boost Tiptree’s range beyond the jams and preserves it is best known for.

“Our biggest growth area is honey,“ he says. “We doubled our retail sales in the last two years and we want to grow them by a further 50% next year.”

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best brands survey 2011 Soft drinks 1st Luscombe 2nd Fentimans 3rd Belvoir

INTERVIEW Gabriel David, owner Luscombe Organic Drinks Since the recession bit in 2009, Luscombe Organic Drinks has made a lot of changes to the way it operates, says owner Gabriel David.

The Devon-based drinks maker has cut waste but, more importantly, improved customer service.

“We listen to our customers much more,” he tells FFD. “We like talking to clients and finding out what they want. We like to hear complaints.”

“We ask them if they want to be called – we’re proactive on that side – and we don’t take it personally if they don’t have an order.”

But Luscombe doesn’t just engage with retailers on the phone,

Distributors & wholesalers 1st Rowcliffe 2nd Cotswold Fayre 3rd Hider Foods

it also has a strong presence on the ground, which David says helps to stress its commitment to the trade.

“Mostly we deliver with our own vehicles. We used to send orders on small wooden pallets but [distributors] may arrive at lunch time or may not take the pallet away.”

“It’s a huge benefit. Customers are getting it direct from us and we’re reinforcing that we’re there

and we’re not working with supermarkets.”

Despite the family firm’s growth during his tenure, David insists he will not change the way it operates.

“It’s not about scale, it’s about who owns the business.

“I’m not going to sell to supermarkets and I’m not going to sell Luscombe.”

Oil & vinegar 1st Deli-cious 2nd Seggiano 3rd Farringtons

INTERVIEW Steve Smith, sales director Rowcliffe “What we try to do is give everyone advice and help,” says Rowcliffe’s Steve Smith. “We are not just sales people, we help shops be successful.

It’s lovely to come top in our sector because it endorses what we do. We don’t just drop off the goods and go.”

He adds: “We’ve had to work harder to give customers more to keep them loyal.”

Smith says Rowcliffe has made a number of improvements over the past year, including revisiting its range of French cheeses, adopting Negroni as its salami supplier and hiring a new sales person to handle customers in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Next year, it will focus on promoting what Smith calls its “hero producers” giving shops more information about how, where and by whom each product is made. “Customers can then pass on that provenance to the consumer.”

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

INTERVIEW Craig Riches, director Deli-cious Next year, on-tap oil and vinegar specialist Deli-cious is planning to get more involved with both retailers and consumers.

“Up until now we’ve left it with [distributor] Rowcliffe to manage but things are going to change in the New Year,” director Craig Riches tells FFD. “We want to make sure customers have as much access as possible. We’re upgrading the website for both traders and consumers.”

The firm’s relatively low marketing profile has not limited sales, he says, with a 20% growth over the last year. Riches attributes this in part to upgrading the presentation of its in-store dispensers so that it looks more professional and appealing to consumers.

“The plan for next year is to continue in the same vein,” adds Riches. “We’ll introduce new product lines with Rowcliffe in vinegars and oils, but if it’s not broken we won’t choose to fix it.”

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Feast

for the

eyes

Georgie Mason (left) with deli supervisor Lesley Yates behind the counter at Gonalston. There’s a ‘tremendous feeling of exploration’ to the shop’s range

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

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BRITAIN'S BEST CHEESE SHOPs

2011 saw Le Gruyère AOC launch a new competition celebrating the best cheese displays in independent stores.

Here, chief judge GLYNN CHRISTIAN (left), author of deli owners’ bible Real Flavours, gives his personal take on the winning counters.

WINNER Gonalston Farm Shop Gonalston, Nottinghamshire Before Gonalston Farm Shop opened eight years ago it was just a barn, a few yards off the A612 trunk road that runs from Nottingham to Southwell. Georgina ‘Georgie’ Mason was the driving force and although there’s now a big professional team in place she says more than 90% of what’s sold is chosen because it’s what she wants to buy and to eat.

Since opening, the shop’s floor space has doubled and it now turns over more than £2 million annually.

As much as possible is locally sourced, such as the beef raised on the Masons’ own pastures and Stiltons made of milk from the district’s meadows.

Gonalston’s cheese counter has always been a top attraction and it’s located at the farthest end of the shop so customers can’t avoid passing the extraordinary range of speciality meats, fish, fruit, vegetables, frozen pastries, sauces, jams – a range most metropolitan shops couldn’t equal.

There’s a tremendous feeling of exploration, of openness to what’s new and the range of cheeses reflects that. Three cheddars, a pasteurised Somerset brie and then two styles of unpasteurised Brie de Meaux, including the Rouzaire chosen because it ripens more quickly and develops an edgier flavour. Traditional

and cave-aged Gruyère. Blues, from the gentle powder-blue veins of a Devon Blue via Cropwell Bishop and Long Clawson Stiltons, followed

by Fourme d’Ambert (unusually) to St Agur. English regionals are represented only by the very best farmhouse makers.

Generally, the lesser-known and more expensive cheeses are displayed in the counter’s centre, with basics like cheddars and Stiltons at either end. But putting straw-lined boxes of unusual small goats’ cheeses at one end meant sales dramatically picked up because it’s easier for customers to ask about them; one thing they’ve got plenty of here is cheese chat.

All Gonalston’s cheese comes from Mason & Lee in Loudham, in which Georgie Mason is a partner. She says: “We pressure them to find something special, and they come to us first with something new. Whatever’s new is tasted over the counter on pieces of cracker or bread.”

The level of knowledge and happy customer interaction was universally good wherever we went to judge the Le Gruyère competition. But at Gonalston, the choices and opportunities for discovering individual preferences make cheese shopping measurably exciting, enhanced by the setting of unashamed culinary pleasure. Further proof that farm shops continue to lead the way in innovative and customer-sensitive retailing. www.gonalstonfarmshop.co.uk

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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Card payments speed into the future

Terminal may vary from image displayed

If your business takes card payments and has a broadband connection, having to pay for a dedicated fixed phone line for your terminal could soon become a thing of the past.

A revolutionary new communication technology that sends information to your card payment provider via your existing broadband connection is changing the way that businesses operate across the UK. The Fine Food Digest gets the lowdown…

Data can be transmitted via your existing broadband connection, meaning that businesses no longer need to pay for a separate landline for their terminal. For businesses with multiple terminals at the same premises, the cost savings could work out to be even greater. Better still, using technology that’s already in place makes it incredibly simple to switch to the new system. The benefits of broadband card payments also include greater security, with card fraud an ever-present concern for any merchant.

Even if you don’t already have a broadband connection, it is quick and easy to get one installed. Once this connection is up and running, you can use it for everything from computer access to telephone calls, as well as card payments through a broadband capable terminal.

Streamline offers a range of services relating to the adoption and ongoing use of broadband payment terminals, covering everything from authentication to installation. For those of you who wish to trade online or

via mail or telephone order (MOTO),we have a number of different payment options which can be tailored to suit your needs.

Streamline is the UK and Ireland’s leading card payment processor†, offering a range of products from fixed, portable and mobile point of sale solutions. Helping over 165,000 small and medium sized businesses accept card payments.

Nilson report 2010, by transaction volume and value

†

John Wheeler at Streamline comments: “At Streamline, we work hard to make that switch to new technology as smooth and easy as possible. We also believe our customers deserve market-leading technology, so our broadbandconnected card payment terminals are among the fastest on the market.”

Make the most of your member benefits with discounted card processing rates through Streamline For discounted card processing rates for Guild of Fine Food members, call us today on 0800 015 3301 quoting code GFF11A or visit us at streamline.com/ipbroadband The information in this document is published for information purposes only. Views expressed in marketing and promotional materials are not intended to be and should not be viewed as advice or as a recommendation. You should consider the relevance of the information contained in this material to you and your financial and operational needs and resources and any other relevant circumstances. You should also make sure you understand the products and services we offer and any agreement you may enter into with us. You should take independent advice on issues that are of concern to you. We have taken steps to ensure the information is correct at the time of printing. However, we make no representation, warranty, or assurance of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this document. We shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, punitive or exemplary damages, including lost profits arising in any way from the information contained in this communication. This communication is for the use of intended recipients only and the contents may not be reproduced, redistributed, or copied in whole or in part for any purpose without Streamline’s prior express consent. Streamline is a service provided by WorldPay (UK) Limited. Registered in England No. 07316500. Registered Office: 55 Mansell Street, London E1 8AN. Authorised and regulated as a Payment Institution by the Financial Services Authority 530923. Business Gateway 350 is a service provided by WorldPay Limited. Registered in England No. 03424752.

Registered Office: 55 Mansell Street, London E1 8AN. Authorised and regulated as a Payment Institution by the Financial Services Authority 504504. ©2011 Streamline. All rights reserved.

IP FineFood Split_v1.indd 1

05/12/2011 15:03

N O Y TI B TI D PE RE M SO CO ON SP

BRITAIN'S BEST CHEESE SHOPs

John Axon (centre) with colleagues Chris Coley (left) and Laurence Malt, in front of the shop’s striking ‘wall of cheese’

SECOND PLACE The Cheese Hamlet Didsbury, Manchester Opened in 1973 by Arthur Axon, The Cheese Hamlet is less than five miles from Manchester city centre, in the prosperous but traditionalist suburb of Didsbury. Now overseen by son John, it makes the most of restricted floor space with one of

the deli world’s best retailing ideas: a wall of cheese.

The wall behind the chilled counter, often bland and boring even in the best cheese shops, here becomes the main cheese display.

With signage big enough to read at a distance, customers can’t avoid seeing and thinking about cheese and, best of all, seeing it in wheels, blocks and cylinders – something

Cheese Hamlet founder Arthur Axon

cheese counters rarely manage.

John Axon believes his customers aren’t interested in higher flavoured, esoteric goats’ milk cheeses and he has few chances to buy locally made cheese, except for Bert’s Blue, a 1kg blue-green cushion with elegant dairy flavour and cloudy veins. Made just a couple of miles away by an ex-employee, it’s already a favourite.

But generally since the recession, the shop has seen customers move away from specialty cheeses and back to the regionals, especially their extensive Lancashire range.

The Cheese Hamlet clearly has the best website of our finalists.

This helps customers clarify personal preference from the considered but wide range. This includes three types of Gruyère; Keens and Quickes cheddars; Lancashire Organic Blue, Crumbly, Creamy, Mature, Smoked and with Garlic & Chives; and a traditional, uncoloured Sage Derby.

This is a great example of a specialist shop that listens to its customers and moves with the time.

But it’s that sunny, smile-provoking wall of cheese that guarantees The Cheese Hamlet is a continuing success. www.cheesehamlet.com

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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Jolly fine stuffings and sauces

For recipes or more information: T: 01274 758007 E: ask@gordonrhodes.co.uk www.gordonrhodes.co.uk

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

N O Y TI B TI D PE RE M SO CO ON SP

BRITAIN'S BEST CHEESE SHOPs

Cheese Please: Many local cheeses but ‘only if they taste good'

THIRD PLACE Cheese Please Lewes, Sussex Cheese Please has been on Lewes High Street for only five years – tough years to start and succeed with a speciality business. Founder Fiona Kay puts her achievement down to one thing.

“We make things as difficult as we can for ourselves – then it’s more exciting for our customers.”

By this, she means she has dozens of suppliers to juggle and

please including Rowcliffe, Alsop & Walker and Bookham Fine Foods.

The South East’s High Weald is groaning with artisan cheesemakers and almost a third of the 100 cheeses on offer at Cheese Please are local, many of them bought directly but “only if they taste good”.

The shop is an Aladdin’s Cave experience, with a tightly packed cheese counter that’s smaller than expected for the space. But every offer is carefully marked, with

information on both sides of the ticket – and there’s an impressive willingness to let customers taste.

The range promises at least 10 blues and 10 cheddars, including Quickes’ Smoked.

Regular events might include tasting the new range of wines or presenting a cheese made specially for the local October Feast.

“We reduce wastage by offering cheese baguettes or sandwiches for just £3.75,” says Kay. “They include any cheese from our

range, salad and the right sort of chutney or pickle.” The cheese accompaniments range sold here is enormous and includes such rarities as medlar or fennel jelly and a tailormade piccalilli and chutney.

For lovers of both traditional and artisan cheeses and of all the good things to eat with them, Cheese Please shows that even in difficult times, determination to find a top site followed by clear focus and hard work will always succeed. www.cheesepleaseonline.co.uk

Best of the rest Anderson & Hill Birmingham

Deli on the Square Ludlow, Shropshire

@AndersonandHill

www.delionthesquare.co.uk

Leonardo’s Deli Ruthin, Denbighshire www.leonardosdeli.co.uk

Tully’s of Rothbury Rothbury, Northumberland

Higginson’s Butchers Grange Over Sands, Cumbria www.higginsonsofgrange.co.uk

rothbury.deli@btopenworld.com

Arcadia Delicatessen Belfast

Bakers & Larners Holt, Norfolk

www.arcadiadeli.co.uk

www.bakersandlarners.co.uk

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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PEDDLE THE

MEDALS If you want to sell the best-tasting food & drink in Britain, where better to start than with the current crop of major food award winners? To save you hours trawling through websites and magazines, we’ve made our own selection of the most deli-friendly products from the all the big UK schemes, starting with our own Great Taste Awards.

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

NATIONAL & REGIONAL AWARD WINNERs

BEEF ENCOUNTER George McCartney is used to winning prizes but the success of his corned beef at this year’s Great Taste Awards has brought widespread recognition – and created nationwide demand

S

taff at McCartney’s of Moira take calls every day from people who want a piece of George McCartney’s corned beef.

For the last four years he has made it by hand in a small room at the back of the family-run butcher’s shop in County Down. Since it was named Supreme Champion at the Great Taste Awards in September, it’s not just the locals that want to buy it.

“I’ve won major competitions since 1980 but nothing compares

to the Great Taste Awards,” he says. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of publicity and the attention from the public.”

His corned beef has truly gone global. Enquiries have been made from Sweden and as far afield as Dubai. McCartney politely describes business as “hectic” then tells FFD that four different delis placed orders on the same day.

The family firm has started up an online shop to cope with demand for the corned beef and there is already a waiting list. McCartney

☞

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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NATIONAL & REGIONAL AWARD WINNERs thinks the site has potential for selling a wider range of products as some customers already travel from Limerick and Dublin to buy meat and award-winning sausages from his counters.

“It’s a new avenue, maybe for the quieter months like January and February. We’re a destination store, but people will not travel so much in the bad weather. There are so many ringing up [for corned beef] but when we tell them where we are they say ‘That’s too far.’”

In November 2011 only five lucky retailers – Selfridges, Partridges, Farmer Copleys, Gonalston Farm Shop and Turnbulls Deli – could officially call themselves stockists.

But with Fortnum & Mason due to join that list, McCartney says he would like to supply more – but he won’t overstretch himself.

“There’s just no way we can cope because we make it by hand.

We’re going very slowly and don’t want to take on too many people in case we have to let them down,” he explains, adding: “I used to stand out front and sell stuff. Now it’s a treat if I get onto the counter because I’m in the cook-room making corned beef.”

Making the hallowed product is a time-consuming process. Firstly heels of silverside from local heifers are dry-cured for around 12 days before being cooked overnight in vacuum bags with pigs’ trotters. The meat is layered into a rectangular press and gelatine is sieved over it before it is set in a cold room for six hours. McCartney monitors every step meticulously and says the wait is always worth it when the meat emerges from the press.

It’s a sight he is likely to see more and more, not just because he recently ordered another six presses to go with his original two but also because McCartney’s of Moira is due to double in size.

“We’re building a new shop and will be putting in a wee corned beef factory on the back,” he explains.

The “wee” factory will be a 40ft by 18ft purpose-built cook facility – part of McCartney’s extension into the neighbouring plot on Moira’s Main Street.

The move, which the family hope to have completed in around a year’s time, will add another 2,000 sq ft, boosting total floor space to 4,000 sq ft. The new shop will feature a deli counter, cheese counter and cooked meats while the existing building will house an expanded fresh meat offer.

“I do believe now that just selling red meat on its own is no longer a viable way to make a living, you have to be selling other things,” says McCartney. “We are going to make a lovely shopping experience for people to come in, have a cup of coffee and have a look around.”

Speciality Producer of the Year Quickes Traditional www.quickes.co.uk

Spurreli

Best Speciality from Northern Ireland Corned Beef

www.spurreli.com

McCartney’s of Moira www.mccartneysofmoira.com

Best Speciality from the South East Royal Merina Chocolate

Speciality Importer of the Year Wan Ling Tea House

Demarquette Fine Chocolates

www.wanlingteahouse.com

Best Scottish Speciality Jaffy’s Mallaig Kippers

www.demarquette.com

J Lawrie & Sons www.jaffys.co.uk

Best First-Time Entrant Alternative Meats www.alternativemeats.co.uk

Ambient Product of the Year Sweet Raspberry Vinegar Stratta www.stratta.org

Best Speciality from the Midlands and East Anglia Beech Smoked Gammon Hill Top Smokehouse

Best Irish Speciality Yeats Country Organic Full Fat Soft Cheese Green Pastures (Donegal) www.greenpasturesdonegal.com

Best Welsh Speciality Dark Side of the Moose www.purplemoose.co.uk

BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

www.hilltopsmokehouse.co.uk

Great Taste Award Champion 2011 Sheila Dillon Journalist & Presenter of BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme

Purple Moose Brewery

www.mccartneysofmoira.co.uk

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Best Speciality from the North of England Sicilian Pistachio Ice Cream

Best Speciality from the South West Duchy Originals Dry Cured Unsmoked Bacon Denhay Farms www.denhay.co.uk

Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement 2011 Tim Rowcliffe Anthony Rowcliffe & Son www.rowcliffe.co.uk

S10103_Exclusivity Advert_A4_A5 04/11/2011 13:07 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

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Just a few of our best-selling brands...

Kitchen Garden is proud to have won over forty industry awards in the last twenty years including:

Beetroot juice in all sizes Best New Drink 2011 – for Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice Guild of Fine Food: Great Taste 3 star Gold Award 2011

Visit www.beet-it.com or call 01473 890111

21 Taste of the West Awards including Best of Ready Meals, Snacks and Sauces 2008 and Best of Preserves 2005 13 Great Taste Awards including Reserve Winner for the South West 2005 5 Soil Association Organic Food Awards including 3 times overall category winners 3 Cotswold Life Awards including Outstanding Achievement Award 2005 and Food Producer of the Year 2007 Taste of Gloucestershire Food and Farming Awards finalists in 2011 for Outstanding Contribution to Food and Farming in Gloucestershire, Best Food Producer and Food Business of the Year Country Living Highly Commended in the Enterprising Rural Women Awards 2001 www.kitchengardenpreserves.co.uk + 44(0)1453 759612 Follow us on

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12 BI Best Brands (Nov 11).indd 1

4/11/11 12:46:33

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ffd_ad_geetas_Layout 1 30/11/2011 12:31 Page 1

Treat your customers to the real (award winning) flavours of India

To find out more about Geeta's award winning premium products visit www.geetasfoods.com or contact R.H.Amar on 01494 530200 or at info@rhamar.com. Your customers will thank you for it.

SOME T HI NG DI FFERE N T. . .

I f you’ d like to offe r your c ustom ers a ran g e o f aw ar d- winning drinks that a re mad e t o ex act i n g standards, go perfectly with a w i d e r a n g e o f f o o d and that they won’t find in a sup e r m a r k e t , call us f or some sa mple s.

T. 01364 64 30 36

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20

BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

THE REAL FLAVOURS OF INDIA

www.geetasfoods.com

NATIONAL & REGIONAL AWARD WINNERs Wales The True Taste Awards 2011 Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, The True Taste Awards organised by the Welsh Government recognises the best food, drink and hospitality across Wales.

Here’s our selection of gold winners. For the full list, visit www.walesthetruetaste.co.uk

Mark Baravelli of The Little Deli in Llandudno

Wales The True Taste Product Of The Year Lemon Marmalade with Brecon Welsh Gin

Confectionary Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Fudge

Baravelli's

www.unclepetersfudgecompany. co.uk

Uncle Peter's Fudge Company

www.baravellis.com

Other Speciality Foods Mince Pies Harvies pastry5@btinternet.com

Condiments, Sauces & Chutney Halen Môn Smoked Over Welsh Oak

Non-Alcoholic Drinks Egremont Russet

The Anglesey Sea Salt Company

Welsh Farmhouse Apple Juice

www.halenmon.com

www.welshfarmhouseapplejuice. co.uk

Cheese – Small Producer Hafod Cheese

Beer, Cider & Perry (Under 10% Abv) Celt-Golden

Holden Farm Dairy www.hafodcheese.co.uk

Ice Cream – Small Producer Raspberry Ripple Dairy Ice Cream Baravelli's www.baravellis.com

Milk, Yogurt, Butter & Cream – Small Producer Melys Strained Yogurt with Seville Oranges Sanclêr Organic www.sanclerorganic.co.uk

www.celticspirit.co.uk

Cradocs Savoury Biscuits

Special Dietary Options No Added Sugar Raspberry Preserve

The Anglesey Sea Salt Company

Homemade Country Preserves www.homemadecountrypreserves. co.uk

Deli/Speciality Store Ultracomida, Aberystwyth

Retailer Of The Year – Direct Sales/Local Sourcing Llwynhelyg Farm Shop

www.ultracomida.co.uk

www.llwynhelygfarmshop.co.uk

www.halenmon.com

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

Pictures by Kiran Ridley (except Gorno's)

www.gornosausages.co.uk

Wine, Spirits & Other Alcohol (Over 10% Abv) Danzy Jones Wysgi Licor Celtic Spirit Co.

Organic Halen Môn with Organic Celery Seeds

Gorno’s Speciality Foods

www.theceltexperience.co.uk

Other Baked Goods Perl Las Savoury Biscuits knight.thomas55@btinternet.com

Burgers & Sausages Spicy Chorizo Sausage

The Celt Experience

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NATIONAL & REGIONAL AWARD WINNERs World Cheese Awards 2011 The awards were 2011 again staged at the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham this year. More than 2,500 cheeses were reduced to a shortlist of just 16 Super Gold winners by around 200 international judges, before a final tasting by an expert panel determined the World Champion. There were also major winners in a further 17 categories, shown here. For a full list visit www.finefoodworld.co.uk Best USA Cheese Limited Edition Cognac BellaVitano Sartori Company www.sartoricheese.com

Best French Cheese Ossau Iraty AOP 10 months QST / Cheese de France www.agour.com

Best PDO Blue Cheese Gorgonzola Erborinato C. Carnevale www.carnevale.co.uk

World Champion Cheese 2011 Ossau Iraty AOP 10 months produced by Fromagerie Agour imported by QST / Cheese de France www.agour.com

The Cornish Cheese Co.’s Philip Stansfield with his Cornish Blue, which won Best British Cheese and World’s Best Unpasteurised Cheese this year

World Cheese Awards Exceptional Contribution to Cheese 75 Mulder Best Le Gruyère AOC Kaltbach Le Gruyère

Rohmilchkäserei Backensholz www.backensholz.de

www.cornishcheese.co.uk

Best Cheese entered by a Provision Trade Federation member Pilgrims Choice Extra Mature Lighter www.pilgrimschoice.com

Best Mature Cheddar Mature Farmhouse Cheddar A J & R G Barber

Best Welsh Cheese Medium Creamery Cheddar

www.barbers.co.uk

Milk Link Llandyrnog Creamery www.milklink.com

Best Italian Cheese Gorgonzola Erborinato

Best Canary Island Cheese Queso Semicurado Ahumado Benijos

C. Carnevale www.carnevale.co.uk

Best Spanish Cheese Queso Tierno de Almazora

Best Australian Cheese Mossvale Blue

Quesos De Almazora, S.L

Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese www.berryscreekcheese.com

www.coplacandelaria.org

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The Cornish Cheese Company

Adams Foods

Best New Cheese Deichkäse

Dairy 4397 Peney Le Jorat

Soc. Coop. del Campo La Candelaria Queseria de Benijos

World’s Best Unpasteurised Cheese Cornish Blue

Best British Cheese Cornish Blue

Best South African Cheese Ladismither

Best Irish Cheese Killeen Goat

The Cornish Cheese Company

Ladismith Cheese Factory

Killeen Farmhouse Cheese

www.cornishcheese.co.uk

www.ladismithcheese.co.za

www.irishcheese.ie

Hand Cooked English Crisps

THANK YOU

to all of our customers for voting Tyrrells the

AUTHENTIC CURRY SAUCES : CHUTNEYS : PICKLES For a superb dine in experience prepare delicious Indian meals using our range of concentrated, authentic curry sauces, suitable for vegetarians and vegans, accompanied by mouth-watering chutneys and pickles.

Available at food halls, health food stores, delicatessens and farm shops. +44 845 474 2027 www.anilassauces.com

‘Best Brand in Savoury Snacks 2011’, from all of us at Tyrrells Crisps.

www.tyrrellscrisps.co.uk

The Hive is situated along the harbour side and river bank of the beautiful town of Aberaeron. Featuring a cosy bar, bright and sunny conservatory, elegant restaurant and Our Winter opening open air courtyard, the Hive looks forward times are: to welcoming you whether it be for a quick Monday and Tuesday Closed cup of Fairtrade coffee or tea and a cake, a cold refreshing beer, a more leisurely lunch Wednesday: 9-late with a bottle of our carefully selected wine, Thursday: 9-late 9-late a more formal dinner with friends, or one of Friday: Saturday: 9-late our award winning, homemade Honey Ice Sunday: 9-3 Creams as you wander along the seafront to Lunch 12-2.30 admire our town. We always strive to use the Dinner 6.30-9 freshest ingredients and wherever possible produce from the surrounding area. Anila’s ANI49697 Our fish is supplied from our own fishmongers, “Fish at the Hive” which is also open to the public.

- Advert Stage1 C 11/01/11

The Hive, Cadwgan Place, Aberaeron, Ceredigion SA4 60BU Tel 01545 570445 Email: info@thehiveaberaeron.com www.thehiveaberaeron.com

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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Gold Award Winner We’re delighted to say that our Elderflower Cordial and Elderflower Pressé both won Great Taste 1 Star Gold Awards 2011.

We’ve always believed our drinks are 100% good. They’re made from lovely, fruity ingredients so they taste natural, refreshing and delicious.

This year we’re spreading lots of loveliness with promotions, competitions and other fun stuff.

To find out more, visit our website

Our Honey Nougat uses a simple timeless 19th Century recipe

Once Upon a Time Confectionery www.pandorabell.ie

AWARD-WINNING SINGLE-ESTATE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Discover La Bandiera Premium Olive Oil

Connoisseurs of olive oil will delight in tasting the exceptional extra virgin olive oil from La Bandiera. This delicious olive oil is produced in the traditional wine growing area of Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast – home of the Super Tuscan vineyards of Ornellaia and Sassicaia.

The team at La Bandiera continues to use the traditional methods of selecting the best time to harvest the olives to ensure the acidity level is low thereby creating the perfect blend. The result is a smooth yet full-bodied olive oil, endorsed by the IGP in recognition of its quality and origin.

A recent winner in the 2011 Great Taste Awards, La Bandiera olive oil is available for delivery throughout the UK in sizes ranging from 250ml bottles up to 5 litre cans.

Visit www.labandiera.eu or call 0207 243 5150

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

NATIONAL & REGIONAL AWARD WINNERs Delicouslyorkshire The regional food group for Yorkshire and Humber calculates that around 15 million consumers will read or hear about its well-publicised Deliciouslyorkshire awards this year. We’re happy to add to the total with our pick of the 2011 winners. For more info, visit: www.deliciouslyorkshire.co.uk Best Retailer of Local Produce Williams Farm Kitchen www.williamsfarmkitchen.co.uk

Best Dairy Monks Folly Cheese Shepherds Purse www.shepherdspurse.co.uk

Best Savoury Condiment Redcurrant Jelly The Fruity Kitchen www.thefruitykitchen.co.uk

Best Drink Jamaica Ginger Cake Infusion

Best Bakery Product Yorkshire Ale Cake Little Barn

Best Sweet Preserve Yorkshire Strawberry Conserve

www.littlebarnltd.com

Best New Product Sloe Liqueur with Port

York Speciality Foods/Mercers www.mercersofyorkshire.co.uk

Raisthorpe Manor Fine Foods

Boozy Infusions 01226 791245

Best Ready-to-Eat Product Roast Lamb & Mint Crisps

www. raisthorpemanor. com

Yorkshire Crisp Company www.yorkshire-crisps.co.uk

Best Confectionery Seriously Ginger Chocolate Thins Sciolti Chocolates www.scioltichocolates.com

Telegraph Magazine Best Small Shops in Britain Awards 2011 Best for Food The Cheese Shop in Louth www.thecheeseshoplouth.co.uk

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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NATIONAL & REGIONAL AWARD WINNERs HEFF Diamond Awards 2011

Regional food group Heart of England Fine Foods’ annual awards, now in their fourth year, celebrate the best of local food and drink from across Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Birmingham and the Black Country. For a full list of 2011 winners, visit: www.heff.co.uk

Bakery Very Lovely Mulled Wine Mince Pies

Dairy Shropshire Blue Cheese

Taste of the Moorlands

www.shropshirecheese.co.uk

The World’s Original Marmalade Awards 2011 Held every year at Dalemain Mansion & Gardens in Cumbria

Shropshire Cheese Company

Double Gold Three Fruit Marmalade

www.tasteofthemoorlands.co.uk

Condiments & Preserves Barbecue Sauce Kit's Kitchen www.kitskitchen.co.uk

Confectionery Sea Salted Caramel The Chocolate Nest www.thechocolatenest.co.uk

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Desserts The Treacle Pudding

Ludlow Food Centre www.ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk

The Pudding Club

Gold Clementine Marmalade

www. puddingclub. com

Susie’s Preserves www.susiespreserves.co.uk

Poultry & Game Smoked Chicken Breast

Farrington’s Farm Shop

Bings Heath Smokery

Farrington Gurney, Somerset

01939 250141

www.farringtons.co.uk

Drinks Auntie Myrtle's Mayfields Brewery www. mayfieldsbrewery. co.uk

BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

Countryside Alliance Awards 2010 Local Food British Champion

Free samples of our award winning pies are available on request

Better by Hand Tom’s Pies are purveyors of the finest handmade gourmet pies.

Created from only the best ingredients, sourced locally, our mouth-watering fillings are made by top chefs and wrapped in our unique and delicious short-crust pastry.

"Hand Made in Devon"

T 01395 239000 E info@toms-pies.co.uk W www.toms-pies.co.uk

• Award-winning handmade fudge made using only natural ingredients.

• Each batch is hand beaten, hand cut and hand wrapped for the authentic homemade taste.

• Available in a range of exciting award-winning flavours.

• Our new fudge fondues are a deliciously different dessert - just heat it and dip it !

Tel: 02890 658221 www.blackthornfoods.co.uk FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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Bring the warmth of Spain to your business in 2012 with our award-winning range of Spanish foods and wines!

We offer next-day delivery throughout the UK with no minimum order.

For more information, please phone 01865 340055 or email info@delicioso.co.uk

Speciality Importer of the Year 2008 telephone 01865 340055 | info@delicioso.co.uk | www.delicioso.co.uk

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

NATIONAL & REGIONAL AWARD WINNERs Taste of the West Awards 2011 First staged nearly two decades ago, the Taste of the West Awards, span everything from cider and cheese to dining pubs and tea rooms in an area from Cornwall to Hampshire and Gloucestershire. This year’s major winners were announced in the warmth of the Mediterranean biome at Cornwall’s Eden Project. Here’s our pick of the bunch. More details: www.tasteofthewest.co.uk South West Local Retail Outlet of the Year Washingpool Farm Shop, nr Bridport, Dorset

Best New Product Oat & Seed Crunch Biscuits Hillside Speciality Foods www.specialityfoods.co.uk

www.washingpool.co.uk

British Pie Awards For a full list of winners, visit www.britishpieawards.co.uk

Luke and Ian Hartland of Mrs King’s Pies

Melton Mowbray Pork Pie

Supreme Champion Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie

Mrs Kings Pies

Graham Aimson, Morecambe Football Club

www.mrskingsporkpies.co.uk

www.morecambefc.com

South West Online Retailer of the Year Lobbs Farm Shop, Heligan, Cornwall

Best of Sauces & Accompaniments Cornish Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil

www.lobbsfarmshop.com

Simply Oils/Coswarth Farm Partnership www.simply-oils.com

Best of Sweet Bakery Date & Pecan Bars Dorset Cereals

Best of Cured Meat Smoked Chicken Mike’s Smokehouse www.mikes-smokehouse.co.uk

Best of Desserts Chrimbo Pud Feeding Your Imagination www.feeding-your-imagination. co.uk

www.dorsetcereals.co.uk

Best of Savoury Preserves Redcurrant & Mint Jelly Cranfield’s Foods www.cranfieldsfoods.co.uk

Best of Sweet Preserves Marrow & Ginger Jam Shute Fruit & Produce

Best of Ice Cream Blackberry & Blueberry Ice Cream

Best of Alcoholic Drinks Somerset Dabinett Perry’s Cider www.perryscider.co.uk

www.shutefruit.co.uk

Otter Valley Dairy

Carol Trewin South West Producer of the Year Dartmoor Farmers Association www.dartmoorfarmers.co.uk

www.ottervalleydairy.co.uk

Best of Fish Traditional Smoked Salmon Mike’s Smokehouse www.mikes-smokehouse.co.uk

Best of Bacon Denhay Unsmoked Back Bacon Denhay Farms www.denhay.co.uk

Best of Confectionery Timeless Truffles Collection Lick the Spoon www.lickthespoon.co.uk

International Cheese Awards Nantwich 2011 Supreme Champion Cave-Aged Cheddar (April 2010) Ford Farm www.fordfarm.com

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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Artisan food manufacturer freshly prepared in London

BRINDISA SPANISH FOODS

Brindisa sells an extensive range of carefully sourced Spanish foods, bringing you quality, tradition and expertise. We enjoy sharing that expertise to help you make the most of Spain’s rich gastronomy.

88

E 19

SINC

Contact Thomas about our exclusive sale and return policy on your first order WWW.BRINDISAWHOLESALE.COM

www.1chef4u.com info@1chef4u.com

07721 677485

The Miniature Bakery is a specialist craft bakery based in Batley, West Yorkshire. Where we lovingly create hand baked biscuits using only the finest natural quality ingredients. The latest addition to our range is our Chocolate Biscuit Selection, featuring a selection of all our favourites, this is the perfect introduction to our range, combining the textures and flavours of bake and chocolate.

From Meringues to Viennese, this pack also includes our new chocolate Crisp which has been shortlisted in the Deliciously Yorkshire ‘Best New Product 2011’ category.

Only small in size, but big on taste.

tim@theminiaturebakery.com www.theminiaturebakery.com | www.twitter.com/TMB_Batley M 07969 345342 | T 01924 359900

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

NATIONAL & REGIONAL AWARD WINNERs Food North West Fine Food Awards 2011 While some 106 products won Food North West Hearts, only 12 products took home Gold Hearts (see below) at this year’s awards. For a full list of winners visit, www. foodnw.co.uk

Academy of Chocolate Awards This year two chocolatiers shared the Golden Bean – the top prize in the Academy of Chocolate’s awards.

Supreme Champion (and winner of two Gold hearts) Steak & Oxtail Pie with Old Tom Ale and Homemade Bramble Jelly; Cheese & Onion Pie with Butler’s Tasty Lancashire Cheese, Caramelised White Onion & Pine Nuts Great North Pie Company www.thegreatnorthpiecompany.co.uk

Gold Heart Winners: Stem Ginger Biscuits

Golden Bean winners: 75% “9” Bar Amadei

Vegan Mud Pie Cupcake

www.amedei.com

Fantasy Cupcakes

Duffy’s Honduras Indio Rojo 72% Extra Dark Bar

www.fantasycupcakes.co.uk

Red Star Chocolate

Alison’s Homemade

www.redstarchocolate.co.uk

www.alisonstreats.co.uk

Pear Frangipane Tart Sugar Daddy Patisserie www.sugardaddypatisserie.com

Bowland Lamb Hotpot Pasty The Lancashire Pasty Company www.lancashirepastycompany.co.uk

Dried Cured Bacon A Picton & Sons/ Highfield Farmshop www.highfieldfarmshop.co.uk

Salted Butter William’s Butter 01204 411 886

Victoria Sponge; Raspberry & Almond Tart Admiral of the Blues Beer

Gorge'Us www.gorge-us.co.uk

The Bowland Beer Company www.bowlandbrewery.com

Pork Pie with Caramelised Onion Chutney H Clewlow Butchers www.clewlows.co.uk

British Cheese Awards Supreme Champion Kilree Goats’ Cheese Knockdrinna Farmhouse Cheese www.knockdrinna.com

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

31

Scottish Speciality Food Producer 2011

For over 60 years our family have been traditionally smoking locally caught Scottish Seafood on the west coast of Scotland.

Why not try a taste of tradition today? Our products make any occasion complete and make a fantastic gift to family, friends or as a personal treat!

Oak Smoked Salmon – Hot Roast Smoked Salmon Smoked Shellfish – Smoked Trout – Smoked Mackerel

* Scottish Speciality Food 2011 - Oak Smoked Mallaig Kippers *

Real Nice Organic is a family company.

Our lollies are made from the whole fruit, and have no additives whatsoever –not even water.

We are Soil Association approved These fruit smoothie ice lollies come in three mouth-­‐watering flavours – Banana and Raspberry, Mixed Berry and Mango. They are perfect for everyone; even those with allergies can indulge safely, while actually doing themselves good.

We are proud to have been awarded a Great Taste Gold Award for our Banana & Raspberry ice lolly.

If you would like to stock our products in your shop or deli then we would be delighted to hear from you.

www.realniceorganic.co.uk

www.jaffys.co.uk 01687 46 22 22

Tel:020 8274 9259 info@realniceorganic.co.uk

a

Winner of over

40 Great Taste

Awards

®

Speciality Producer of the Year

embellish with relish

TM

Handmade with passion

WORLD CHEESE AWARDS CHAMPION 2010 Supreme Champion Bath & West 2010

info@hawksheadrelish.com The Square, Hawkshead, Cumbria, UK LA22 0NZ

NO minimum order

015394 36614

www.hawksheadrelish.com

FREE from | artificial flavours | colourings | preservatives | gluten | nuts | Suitable FOR | vegetarians | vegans | coeliacs

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

NATIONAL & REGIONAL AWARD WINNERs Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards The Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards are the self-styled ‘Oscars’ of the food and drink industry north of the border. For a full list of winners, visit www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org Product of the Year and Product Innovation of the Year Highland-Grown Salad, Herbs & Edible Flowers

2011 Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards Now in their seventh year, these awards showcase a wide range of food and drink products in the Highlands and Islands region. For a full list of award winners, visit www.hifoodanddrinkawards.com New Business of the Year Argyll Smokery www.argyllsmokery.com

Saladworx

Healthier Food & Drink Saladworx

www.saladworx.co.uk

www.saladworx.co.uk

Best New Product Shortbread and oat biscuit range

Distance No Object Award

Reid’s of Caithness

Reid’s of Caithness

www.reidsofcaithness.com

www.reidsofcaithness.com

Bakery & Cereal Gourment Goodness range

Soup, Preserves & Accompaniments Hot Lemon Relish

Border Biscuits

Huntly Herbs

Business of the Year and International Business of the Year St James Smokehouse

www.borderbiscuits.co.uk

www.huntlyherbs.co.uk

www.stjamessmokehouse.com

Grampian Food Forum Innovation Awards The Grampian Food Forum Innovation Awards – which take place in March – cover food and drink companies based in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Moray, concentrating mainly on products launched in the previous year.

New Innovative Retail Product (businesses with more than 25 employees) DeviliShh Posh Puds

The Taste of Grampian Local Independent Retailer of the Year The Store Ellon, Aberdeenshire

Meat Sleeping Warrior Hot Smoked Sausage Taste of Bute

Healthy Eating Cold Rapeseed Oil

Confectionery & Snacking Scotch Bonnet Chilli Pepper Potato Crisps

supernature

Mackie's of Scotland

www.supernature.uk.com

www.mackies.co.uk

www.tasteofbute.co.uk

Drink – Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Edinburgh Gin Spencerfield Spirit Co www.spencerfieldspirit.com

www.thestorecompany.co.uk

Macphie of Glenbervie www.macphie.com

New Innovative Retail Product (businesses with 25 employees or less) Almond, Hazelnut & Stem Ginger Oaties Tilquhillie Fine Foods www.tilquhilliefinefoods.com

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

DELI OF THE YEAR What makes a great speciality store?

We spoke to the finalists from Olives Et Al’s Deli of the Year competition to find out

TOP

OF THE

SHOPS

WINNER Arch House Deli Clifton, Bristol “Fame is a fickle mistress,” sighs David Greenman, who, with partner Debbie Atherton, collected the Olives Et Al Deli of the Year title this year. “Straight after the awards ceremony we had ITV’s West Country News here, I was

☞

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

35

pdo peza Smooth & slightly fruity taste

pdo viannos Fruity & peppery taste

THERE R AR ARE RE OLIV OLI IVE OILS OIL S & THER THERE RE IS • Best of the harvest • Single estate thus limited quantity • Exceptional characteristics

is a top quality range of Extra Olive Oils from the Mediterranean island of

Virgin

Crete.

The best olive oil comes from a perfectly healthy, nutrient rich soil cultivated by small local producers. The “koroneiki” olives are hand picked and the oil is family produced.

Our olive oil is traditional and artisanal. Only this authentic olive juice is bottled.

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

www.candiasoil.com

pdo sitia Intense fruity taste

DELI OF THE YEAR on Drivetime radio and we had a two-page feature in The Times. But two days later I was back in here, doing the washing-up!”

It’s typical of Greenman and Atherton that, while basking in their Clifton deli-café’s newfound glory, they got straight back to business, analysing what customers and competition judges liked about Arch House Deli and how they could ensure it lives up to the “best in Britain” tag.

“We’ve been generally upping our game since September to make sure what you find here is something you won’t find in supermarkets,” says Greenman.

“If you’re going to be the top deli, you’ve got to be really special.”

“With charcuterie, for example, we were selling quite a mix from all over the place, including hams and salamis you could get in supermarkets. So now we’ve sought out the ones that are most highly regarded in Italy, and then looked at some of the English producers too.”

For Debbie Atherton, winning the 2011 trophy, which was presented to the couple at the Great Taste Awards dinner in September, has speeded up a process of improvement that was already underway. “When the press come in to take photographs you look around and think, ‘That signage could be clearer, this product could be better, that one shouldn’t be in a deli like this…’.”

The pair see “constantly reviewing what we do, listening to customer feedback and improving the experience” as key to their success. Greenman describes it as “the Daley Thompson approach”, referring to Britain’s double Olympic gold-winning decathlete of the 1980s. “He always used to focus on his weakest event. So we just try to improve our worst thing, one step at a time.” www.archhousedeli.com

Winning smiles: Debbie Atherton and David Greenman

Joint runner-up The Deli Downstairs Victoria Park Village, East London Owners Theo and Sarah FraserSteele are always looking for new ways to make their Hackney deli accessible to the borough’s varied population given the high footfall that their London location guarantees.

“In Hackney we’ve got quite a mixed demographic and it’s really important that it’s not exclusive,” says Theo. “I don’t care if somebody pronounces something incorrectly.

There are no barriers.”

Theo says that giving shoppers – whether they are casual browsers or regulars – some clarity is key to the success of The Deli Downstairs.

“People need to know where to stand to wait to be served, where things are, where the bags are, and so on,” he says. “It’s really simple.

If something hasn’t got a tag on it saying what it is or how much it is, people won’t buy it.”

They originally planned to open a café in the premises next door, but having been turned down by the landlord, the couple are now focusing on improving the layout of their 32 sq m shop to boost sales.

Theo says that during busy times potential customers have left due to queues and he hopes that an additional till as well as new blackboards will improve the shopping experience. www.thedelidownstairs.co.uk

Best deli in Wales Leon’s Deli Presteigne

Joint runner-up El’s Kitchen Ladywell, South London Eleanor Thompson says the key to her success has been fostering a relationship with her customers, a process that began long before she even opened El’s Kitchen in Ladywell, south east London.

“I did a lot of market research in the area I was going to open. I spent two years harassing people with a clipboard in the street,” she says.

She made sure to collect as many emails as possible and put them to good use, updating her potential customers about the deli.

“With [the email addresses] I could start an online community about the project, years before it happened,” she explains. “By the time I was opening there was demand and when we did open, it was to a huge wall of customers.”

Many customers now come in more than once a day and some have even become suppliers.

“We sell produce from our customers’ gardens.

People love it. They get paid in cheese and I get to sell at the going rate so it’s quids in for everybody.”

As well as local products, Thompson also stocks a range of vegan and gluten-free items and she also does her best to fulfil customers’ requests for single items.

She says health food and organic wholesaler Goodness Foods has been particularly helpful with this.

While there is no room for tables in her 35 sq m store, Thompson is planning to start producing readymeals to sell on-site.

“Hopefully it will turn into supplying meals, under the El’s Kitchen brand, to other businesses but I want to keep it small for now,” she says. www.elskitchen.co.uk

“The single most important things are the price I’m buying at and the price I’m selling at,” says Joanna Griffiths, owner of Leon’s Deli in Presteigne on the Welsh borders.

Griffiths, whose deli stocks both local and Spanish specialities, makes sure that she gets as good a margin as possible and believes the new generation of deli owners are much shrewder.

“I don’t really use wholesalers much at all and I try to negotiate really big discounts [with suppliers].

If I can’t make the margins I need,

especially on things with RRPs, something somewhere has got to give,” she says.

“It depends on the company but the really big ones are quite generous, which shows how much slack they’ve got in there. You would be crazy to pay those list prices.”

Griffiths says that joining food group Heart of England Fine Food was another good move for her business as it provided access to a lot of producers from nearby Herefordshire and Shropshire. info@leonsdeli.com

Best Deli in Scotland Provender Brown Perth Diane Brown prides herself on the welcoming atmosphere that she and her five staff create at Provender Brown. But her continuous sourcing of new products also goes a long way to keeping her 800 sq ft shop in Perth one step ahead of both the

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

☞ 37

DELI OF THE YEAR supermarkets and other delis in the area.

“We have a particularly large range. People know if they can’t find something somewhere else then they can find it here,” she says. “We try and have things that you wouldn’t expect to see in a provincial town like Perth.”

However Brown warns retailers not to underestimate how much capital is required to stock and run a deli properly.

She attributes some of her success to the fact that she is very involved in the day-to-day running of her shop.

“It’s also important to empower staff to make decisions so that they too feel a sense of ownership,” she adds. www.provenderbrown.co.uk

Best Deli in the South East

Best Deli in the East Midlands

Limoncello Cambridge Owner Steve Turvill says he and his staff try to make people feel that they are actually in Italy when they shop in his Cambridge deli, which specialises in Italian food.

“It’s all about creating a different shopping experience, not being the cheapest. We gave up on that a long time ago,” he says.

“Ambient sales are getting weaker and weaker. Is that because the larger retailers are getting better at selling things? There’s nothing worse than having stuff that people can see they can get cheaper in Sainsburys or Waitrose.”

“We put in a coffee bar a couple of years ago and there was a massive improvement in sales.”

Using the products on Limoncello’s shelves in food cooked in-house, extending opening hours to 9pm and getting an alcohol licence for serving wine have further strengthened trade, not to mention the authentic Italian experience. www.limoncello.co.uk

Jacobs and Field Oxford “I think the modern era of delis is about being be as diverse as you can. That’s the angle we’ve taken,” explains Johnny Pugsley, who set up Jacobs & Field last year with business partner Damion Farah – on th e doorstep of a Waitrose store in Oxford.

Pugsley says they use every ingredient and product sold in the shop in dishes that they produce in their kitchen. “You should produce as much as you can yourself. We make 95% of everything we sell.”

Both the food they serve in-store and their outside catering jobs have also been vital to the success of Jacobs & Field, says Pugsley. “If we didn’t do outside stuff and have the tables and chairs in here we would not survive just as a shop.”

As a result Pugsley and Farah are now looking to double the capacity of their store and increase the size of the kitchen so that they can make more of their own-branded products and start doing some short order cooking. www.jacobsandfield.com

Best Deli in the West Midlands

Brown and Green Trentham, Staffordshire The Trentham branch of Susie Keenan’s Brown and Green makes full use of its large premises in the Staffordshire town’s shopping estate by hosting tastings and demos by suppliers.

Keenan says she wants to create “theatre” in-store and this is one of the best ways, especially as the 4,800 sq ft store can accommodate several producers on one day.

“The suppliers in-store are a big part of our offer. We plan where they are going to go and what products to promote. I’d like to think we look after them.”

As well as upping stock levels of the products on promotion, recipe ideas are also put on display to help boost sales.

Although there are three Brown and Green stores up and running Keenan still does all the buying for the business.

“We are fastidious about the products we stock and have clear relationships with our local suppliers.

Supporting local producers is very important to us,” she says.

“If we like your product we’ll stock it but we do ask for a lot of support from our suppliers.” www.brown-and-green.co.uk

Best Deli in Northern Ireland

names of her regular shoppers, their children and where they’ve been on holiday, but Berry sticks close to home when it comes to selecting her stock.

“We’re in a suburb of Leeds called Roundhay and we stock Roundhay honey. All our jams and marmalades are made a mile away. All our savouries and cakes are made in the shop. It’s very local and very fresh.”

But packing this all into no more than 200 sq ft means she has to be especially discerning about the products she carries.

“We’re not scared to take something off sale. You’ve got to be really ruthless about it,” she says, adding that if the quality of the products is good enough then customers are happy to pay for them. www.haleyandclifford.co.uk

Arcadia Belfast Although Arcadia deli, on Belfast’s famous Lisburn Road, has been in his family for decades current coowner Mark Brown says running the business is still a learning process.

The latest step Arcadia has taken is into social networking, specifically Twitter and Facebook, and using it to promote the deli to a younger audience and grow its customer base.

“On Twitter we follow high profile chefs in Northern Ireland, and there are a lot of media types going to Lisburn Road and shopping in the area, so we follow them.”

While Twitter gains Arcadia more exposure through its network of followers (who in turn have thousands of followers themselves), Facebook has proved a useful way of advertising tastings and promotions.

“The great thing about the digital side of things is it’s free,” Brown adds.

He says that Arcadia is also looking to sell more through the internet over the coming year, and thinks it could “substantially” improve sales of hampers. www.arcadiadeli.co.uk

Best Deli in the North East

Best Deli in the North West

Monkey Tree Wigton, Cumbria Well-known for the live music and food evenings they host at their house, Jil Barke and Ishka SandersonDickson found that they already had a customer base when they opened their Monkey Tree deli in Wigton, Cumbria, just over a year ago.

“I don’t think we’re normal – we’re more of a community-based business,” says Sanderson-Dickson.

And through a plethora of home-made products – whether it’s lavender biscuits for children, paneer cheese, or sauces cooked and bottled on the premises – they are able to tailor their recipes to customers’ allergies and dietary requirements.

While this is a tough ask for the pair, who run Monkey Tree on their own, it allows them to keep a tight control on the finances of the business as they buy in very little.

“We stock cheese, olives, chutneys and biscuits from other producers but we want to keep that side small because that’s where the risk lies,” says Sanderson-Dickson.

“We didn’t get an overdraft on our business account and we pay for things as we go along.” www.monkeytree.eu

Haley and Clifford Leeds “The main thing is to know your customers and products,” says Val Berry, who owns and runs Haley and Clifford.

Not only does she know the

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

39

n pe try 12 O en 20 r y fo uar br Fe

They’ve made it.

J Lawrie & Sons, Best Scottish Speciality

Spurreli, Best Speciality North of England

Denhay Farms, Best Speciality South West Green Pastures (Donegal), Best Irish Speciality stratta, Ambient Product of the Year

Purple Moose Brewery, Best Welsh Speciality Wan Ling Tea House, Speciality Importer of the Year

McCartney’s of Moira, Best Speciality Northern Ireland

Demarquette Fine Chocolates, Best Speciality South East

Striking GOLD in the GREAT TASTE AWARDS is much more than a pat on the back for your products. It’s your access to the most exclusive speciality food club in the country.

A club that helps you increase sales through greater trade and consumer awareness driven by promotions, endorsements, events 2012 and tutored tastings.

So can you.

In 2012 Great Taste Awards winners will be part of: • GTA-branded pop-up restaurants featuring winning products on the menu • 80-plus Aga Rangemaster cookery demos at food shows • Over 200,000 copies of Taste Gold, the consumer magazine showcasing award winners • Over 30 Great Taste Markets across the UK • Tasting theatres at major consumer food shows

Be a part of it and put your food to the test. Open for entry February 2012. www.finefoodworld.co.uk/gta + 44 (0) 1963 824464

THUR SDAY COT TAGE H A N D M A D E

Unique and delicious Brown Bag Crisps are the only crisps in the UK to be hand cooked in light olive oil. Hand flavoured with natural seasonings and then sealed in a stylish brown paper bag, these are unique potato crisps for unique fine food stores, delicatessens, farm shops and restaurants

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P R E S E R V E S

Thursday Cottage is famous for our lemon curd - we sell more than any other product we make. Perhaps the secret to success is the fact we start with whole fresh lemons which we juice and zestby hand. The result is a wonderfully lemony curd that has an army of followers both at home and abroad. Available in all good farm shops, delis, garden centres and food halls countrywide. thursday cottage ltd trewlands farm tiptree colchester essex co5 0rf Telephone: 01621 814529 Fax: 01621 814555 jams@thursday-cottage.com www.thursday-cottage.com

Exquisite Award Winning Arabian Specialities

Perfect for Foodies and those who seek the highest quality products, Lyme Bay Winery’s award winning tipples are a must at Christmas and the New Year.

Celebratory Sparkling Wines, warming Mulled Wine and luxurious Cream Liqueurs – to

name a few.

Proud Winners of the

Regional Speciality Products South West in the Great Taste Awards 2009 and Triple Gold for Jack Ratt Scrumpy cider, plus seven Golds for 2010 and seven in 2011.

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

020 8661 9695 www.terra-rossa.com FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

41

pi

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

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Page 1

‘Must-stocks’

HIT LIST

Every deli has a few lines it just couldn’t survive without – like these ‘must-stocks’ from 2011’s Delis of the Month

Duke shill W iltshir Gord e ham al oliv es Isle o f Mu ll che Adam ddar sons of Pit Inver tenw awe eem smok Char oatca ed sa les M kes lmon a cleod Dalc honz S t o rnow ie Fru Scar ay bla it Fa letts rm pr ck pu Scot eser dding Carn t ves is h blos aroli rice som h Paté oney de C ampa Char gne ( bonne Row l et W cliffe Patc alker ) hwork pink bran Cook Cham dy & ing c pagn herb horiz e tru Teru and W o ffles el Se elsh r r Drag ano h Spin on pa am ata C tés alabr Prov ese s ende alam i Pert rB

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rown

Leksands crispbread Kalles Kaviar/Mills Kaviar creamed cod roe Tillmans arctic cloudberry jam Västerbotten - the ‘King of Scandinavian cheeses’ Gamle Ole mature Danish cheese Abba pickled herring in dill & onion Fazer Tykisk Peber hard salty liquorice Amo rye bread mix Felix sliced pickled gherkins Rydbergs Rödbetssallad (beetroot & apple salad) Aalburg aquavit Druvan gravlax sauce K-Salat remoulade (sweet piccalilly sauce)

Scandinavian Kitchen London W1

La Mortuacienne pink lemonade Valrhona chocolate (catch-weight packs) Hobbs House Bakery fig & walnut loaf Mendip Moments vanilla ice cream Kitchen Garden blackberry vinegar Henshelwoods ‘chutney for cheese’ Zaramama pop-a-cob popcorn Deli-cious loose oils Tom’s Pies chicken & leek pie Montgomery cheddar Rachel washed rind goats’ cheese Local honey (Brian Steadman) Lahloo tea Arch House gluten-free polenta cakes Camaya chocolates Melting Pot fudge Choc Chic chocolate shoes (Clifton Cakes) Luca English roast ham Arch House mixed salad boxes

Arch House Deli Clifton, Bristol

lours rian f thumb r o oil N d esee ganics n rap rs Or ia e r t b s e um Gilch North n) Fields seaso lates o c o Yellow lies (in h il c h c ’s t h npor fres ht) Dave ntals of Wig , Isle rname m O r a le uces F Edib arlic hilli sa rm, The G any C ( p c m li ey Fa o r Ga e Hon hilli C g C id f r f b tu Chain Hot S oney ( ons H s b o R s land) tcake umber tillas ish oa t t North o rn tor c o c S h e s c e ie r P yf Your ompan hile C s.

C ac l o m o u lasse C te mo pice s a S n a a r ic omeg Arab pickle pice p ica S a chilli b a r A g Nag in K ikkis ta Mr V passa i Italia Mutt

Capr a Nou veau (Bro goats ck H ’ chee all Fa Bark se rm) ham B lue ch Light eese wood Chas Verd er ch olina eese olives Finoc chion a s alam Mulin i (Fio o Bia rucci) nco b Lusc iscuit ombe s Orga Mion nic D etto rinks Pros La F (whole ecco iamm d rang i V ante aldob e) Upita cann biade de los ed ch ne erry Rey Pan es to toma Duca rtas toes le cro La M de ac stini olisan eite a dry Hobs past ons a a les

And er Birm son & H ingha ill m

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Mmm stle a c w Ne

Trackle ments onion m Hender armala son’s R de e lish Hunter s of He lmsley le Elizabe mon cur th Sme d dley lem Sorriso o n chees sun-dr e ied tom Briann atoes a’s hone y musta Arran rd dres smooth sing honey m Casa R u s tard inaldi b alsamic Wharfe syrup Valley Yorksh Bendic ire rap ks Bitt eseed o ermints il Lottie Shaw’s Y orkshir Taylors e parkin of Har rogate SloeM Lazy S otion slo unday c e gin offee Yorksh ire Bak e r Yorkish Amplef pasty orth cid er Mrs B ell’s Yo rkshire Rare r Blue oast be ef Traditio nal cook ed ham Brymor vanilla ic e cream Divine Deli ro ast gar lic & pa Hunte rmesan rs of H bread d elmsle ipper Helmsle y

y, North

Yorks

e ream hees and c milk c ’ k il s t m goa ouse rickle Ivy H ke T a hup L c t e o ke Whit omat t s e s n egg Stok salmo quail oked idge m af s lo a e Ellbr nuk whit e ma inet er ehous Bert ic be k o m e g S r an o ’s hees w e e Mik for C t ney D o s a H ’s char it To Fuller ber a e Fru m s u e c e u Ch ds c Fine e Foo a Fin h k r lami u a Gh lls rk s a P ge ro on ausa s Nest k nison r ed ve on Pa k t o s m e N rk s r on Pa é edda Nest – ros ry ch e m o rigio g G t t o in Mon oP a Cess int te Villa perm p e p Shop igs Teap Farm

ark ire h on P Nest rth, Wilts o w At

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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Join the Guild of Fine Food and save time and money.

As an independent retailer have you ever thought how much of your day is spent doing the bits that don’t actually earn you any money? You are not alone: 1300 other like-minded businesses felt the same, so they joined the Guild of Fine Food. The Guild can help you:

• drive more customers to your door

• stay in the loop on food shows, political views and member activities, with an e-newsletter direct to your desktop

• track down artisan-made food & drink specialities that won’t be found in supermarkets • train your staff in cheese & charcuterie product knowledge and improve retail management through Retail Ready

• save money with business & vehicle insurance, card transactions, personnel issues, health & safety advice plus much more

• keep informed on industry news, services and new product launches through Fine Food Digest magazine

To find out how to become a member TODAY call 01963 824464 or email tortie.farrand@finefoodworld.co.uk

Check out our consumer websites too, driving more customers to Guild members’ shops and deli-cafes

www.finefoodworld.co.uk

www.britainsbestdelis.co.uk

Training from the Guild of Fine Food

www.greattasteawards.co.uk

I’ve now got ❝ boundless enthusiasm, real confidence and I really want to talk to my customers about my deli counter

❞

Jo Davies, Stokely Barton Farm Shop

What will you learn?

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

Course costs Members of The Guild of Fine Food just £65, plus VAT (@ 20%). Non-members £90, plus VAT (@ 20%).

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

44

BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

We would like to introduce our kitchens in Leigh on Sea, where we produce our exciting range of high quality produce all handmade by chefs and not machines.

Our range of very popular pies have been developed over many years and been proven to be a great success both in the trade and at selected butchers, farm shops & deli’s.

We are always looking to develop new ranges and we also specialise in small production runs of your own products, we can cater for large or small quantities in our fully approved kitchens, we have full HACCP controls in place ensuring safety, quality & traceability to the highest levels.

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ck er EE Sto rd FR ng st o 01 r i pl fi FD m ur F Sa yo ote ith qu w –

Yorkshire’s finest

Try some of our award-winning hand-made plum puddings and luxury fruit cakes on your shelves!

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AWARD-WINNING FINE FOODS EXCEPTIONAL OLIVE OILS, BALSAMIC VINEGARS, OLIVES AND PREMIUM INGREDIENTS – PERFECT FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS RANGE DELIVERING GREAT VALUE PRODUCTS FROM THE EVERYDAY TO THE EXCEPTIONAL

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FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

45

Scrumshus Granola was only launched in January 2011 and has already been awarded a Great Taste Awards 1-star gold!!

Using the finest natural ingredients including jumbo oats, coconut, honey, maple syrup, almonds, cashew nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cranberries raisins and hazelnuts, slowly baked to create a delicious aroma, texture and flavour. And with no added sugar, salt or preservatives.

Scrumshus retails in Fortnum and Mason, Wholefoods Market, Planet Organic and many other fine food and health food retailers.

Available in cases of 12 x 500g recyclable (non glass) PET jars, which can be reused as a lovely storage jar.

To order please email fay@scrumshus.co.uk

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We supply the finest loose leaf teas and accessories to Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés and Delis.

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at nk 2 d us ri 01 an e D 2 st & h Se d & arc nd nal a o tla o en Fo M o gi r po Sc e y A Ex he he R alit t t ci on in pe S

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46

BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

Mill Farm Dornoch IV25 3NB Tel: 01862 811 591

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winner

ONES TO WATCH

Watching

brief

And finally… here are a few brands, stores and fine food trends to keep your eyes on during 2012

Roll out

the barrel

Whole foods’ breakthrough store?

I

t’s Knightsbridge store it often dubbed its UK ‘flagship’ but Whole Foods Market’s new unit in Giffnock, Glasgow, opened in November, looks like being its real British breakthrough.

“It’s by far the biggest fine food retailer in Scotland,” says Joe Wall of Scottish wholesaler The Cress Co, which has been working with the new store on regional lines. “They’ve got about 20,000 sq ft of retail space alone, and we wouldn’t have any other customer that comes close to that.”

Wall says Whole Foods’ adoption of a former supermarket building has enabled it to create a much more logical and practical space than the multi-floor Kensington premises, where shoppers have to cope with taking trolleys on different floors. “Giffnock is much more of a shop than a hotchpotch of bits and pieces.”

So is this a speciality food shop – or a supermarket? “It’s really hard to describe,” says Talia Giles, the Whole Foods account manager at Neal’s Yard Dairy. “The space

means it’s more like a supermarket, but it’s much more of an interactive experience. You can really get involved with the staff, you can taste almost anything before you buy, and you can ask questions. So that makes it much more like a specialist cheese shop or deli.”

She adds: “The look, the feel and the atmosphere are far more enticing than if you walked into High Street Kensington.”

And how would it compare with a Waitrose? “It’s 10 times better than a Waitrose,” says Giles.

Refillable olive oil is big in delis. Now wine and beer could go the same way. New stores ranging from Whole Foods in Glasgow to Thornes in Brighton are selling beer from the cask, while Theo and Sarah FraserSteele of London’s Deli Downstairs are offering a refillable wine service through merchant Borough Wines.

Customers buy 750ml swing top bottles and refill them from the refrigerated barrels in the shop for £5 a time.

Theo Fraser-Steele says that he’s currently selling 100 litres of red and 60 litres of white a week, but it is the footfall the barrels drive that’s most pleasing.

“The margins are tiny, but it gets people in the shop,” he says.

For a £500 deposit Borough Wines supplies two 20 litres barrels, along with point of sale material. The wine selection, from suppliers in France, Italy, Hungary and Spain, changes every six weeks. www.boroughwines.com

Free-from free-for-all Gluten-free looks set for further growth next year as more producers like Happy Kitchen (pictured) find ways to deliver texture and flavour without compromise.

Emma MacDonald of Somerset distributor The Bay Tree says many gluten-free products “used to taste like cardboard” but improved product quality and taste means more people are buying into the sector “I could open a gluten-free shop at

the moment and make more money than the deli,” says Eleanor Thompson – owner of El’s Kitchen in Ladywell, South London – adding that lots of products catering for food intolerances are taking off.

“Every child seems to be lactose intolerant now. We’ve started stocking a lot more Vegan Society-stamped chocolate and our sales of soya milk are really strong.”

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

47

Thank you very much from all the staff at Rowcliffes for voting us the most preferred supplier. It is so gratifying as although we all feel we are doing our very best you really do not know how it is appreciated until something like this happens. We have all been uplifted by this award and assure you that it will not go to our heads and we will continue to find ways to improve and do even more for our customers who are truly valued

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

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ONES TO WATCH

A new model for retail?

With sales heading for £500,000 in its first year of trading Exeter’s communityowned Real Food Store is already attracting attention from other operators.

The shop and café opened in April, with around 300 Devonians investing between £100 and £1,000 to help create one of the largest community-owned food enterprises in the country, selling locally-sourced food at honest prices as an alternative to mainstream supermarkets.

David Mezzetti, a founding director, says The Real Food Store is already “actively engaged” with a group in Plymouth that wants to open a similar operation. Others may see the attraction of this business model if 2012 proves as tough as expected. “We raised £153,000 from a community shareholding, so we must be more resilient than people who have mortgaged themselves or borrowed from the banks in an unstable environment.”

According to the Plunkett Foundation, which advises on setting up this form of business, there are now 268 UK shops under community ownership – up from 252 in January 2011. Many emerge from rural ‘save our shop’ campaigns, but Plunkett press spokesperson Katherine Darling says: “We’ve also seen existing community enterprises – shops, pubs, etc – taking the idea of local food and community and applying it on the high street, to give better access to more people.

“This can be seen in places like the new Milland Stores in Hampshire: it’s a lot more than a shop; they have a café, a bookswap, and they are making sure that where possible they are supporting local farmers and stocking their produce.” www.realfoodexeter.co.uk www.plunkett.co.uk

Savouring the moment

Premium snacks look a good bet for next year, offering low-cost treats in a stumbling economy. “I see opportunity for quite a lot of companies, not just us,” says Wild Trail snack bar founder Gordon Leatherdale, pointing to brands like Mr Trotter’s pork crackling from Tom Parker Bowles, while Joe Wall of Scottish distributor The Cress Co tells FFD premium popcorn is still on the up.

Boyd’s back

Make a tentative diary date to visit Bodnant Welsh Food Centre in North Wales in the early summer. The site – comprising a farm shop, bakery, butchery, cheese dairy, restaurant, tea rooms and cookery school – is the latest project overseen by Sandy Boyd, who previously masterminded Ludlow Food Centre. “It’s one to watch,” says Jonathan Winchester of mystery shopping consultancy Shoppers Anonymous.

The new ice age Best of the bunch

Top dog

Mark Brown of Belfast’s Arcadia Deli’s tips Red Dog Foods’ Sour Cherry Chili Jelly for next year. The jelly, which also won two stars at this year’s Great Taste Awards, goes particularly well with brie. www.reddogfoods.co.uk

Coconut water is going to be big next year, according to distributor The Bay Tree’s Emma MacDonald, even though it may not be an obvious deli line.

It’s ticks a lot of boxes for health fanatics, she says. “People obsessed with keeping fit would drink it because they ought to, not because they want to.”

With shoppers – and shop owners – increasingly averse to throwing out good food, marketing and NPD consultant Jane Milton (below) of Not Just Food predicts a growth in sales of upmarket frozen ready-meals, especially those made locally, on a modest scale, with seasonal ingredients.

Whether for easy entertaining or midweek family dining, premium frozen food “reduces the risk” of buying fresh foods that might be unused, wasting both food and cash.

She adds: “Premium frozen allows people to feel indulged without the costs of eating out.”

At producer Eazycuizine, co-owner Julie Smith agrees.

“We get the impression people are eating more at home,” she says, adding that the biggest growth is coming from family-size dishes rather than individual meals for one. www.notjustfood.co.uk www.eazycuizine.com

Get in the Peruvian groove

Start digging out recipes for marinated fish dishes like ceviche (below) and tiraditos – Peruvian cuisine will be firmly on the menu in 2012, according to former Harrods product manager Andre Dang.

Two Peruvian restaurants – Ceviche and Lima – are set to appear in London in the Spring, while La Mar Cebicheria will open in New York after launching in San Francisco.

Dang, who now handles PR for various fine food and fine dining accounts, says Peru’s food is a fusion of Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Italian and Andean flavours and dishes.

We’re not sure how Peruvian favourite Cuy will fare in the Home Counties though – it’s a dish of whole roast guinea pig.

FINE FOOD DIGEST BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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FOOD PRODUCTION PREMISES TO LET Comprises: • Separate staff canteen, changing area, WCs. • Reception/office with WC. Main office.

• Main production kitchen with separate veg prep and pot wash area.

• Separate food packing area with large walk in chiller, new 2 years ago.

• Both production areas are white rooms with wash down ceilings, walls, floors with drainage.

• Fully integrated ventilation system to exhaust and replace stale air.

• Goods in and storage area with large walk in chiller and freezer, both installed new 2 years ago • Separate goods out area.

• Calor gas for heating and cooking • Monitored alarm system throughout.

This is a superb facility that has been designed to meet the highest standards of high risk food production accreditation (STS/BRC) We will offer a rent free period to assist new tenant.

Please contact Paul for full details and terms.

01963 220368 07855898452

Ouse Valley Foods re-brands, the heron flies high

jules & sharpie began making their hot preservaments in 2002 and have won awards every year since

Ouse valley reinforces authenticity, originality and a desire for quality

Award winning jams, preserves, fruit curds, marmalades, pickles, chutneys and jellies produced in Sussex, England. es,

Pric New ew N ing kag Pac

Thursday Cottage now own the brand and have reduced the cost and sell prices to encourage greater sales

Try them in sauces, stir fries, sandwiches, dressings and marinades.

Or try as a dip, glaze or barbecue flash. Wonderfully versatile preservaments.

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BEST BRANDS 2011-12 FINE FOOD DIGEST

For further details call: 01825 721155 email: caroline@ousevalleyfoods.com www.ousevalleyfoods.com

ONES TO WATCH

From pop-ups to ‘community food clubs’

P

op-up restaurants and shops, home-based supper clubs and paid-for “guerilla dining” events have been on the foodie agenda in bigger cities for a couple of years. But 2012 will see them head further into the provinces – and exploited more cleverly by restaurateurs, retailers and producers.

“I’ve seen supper clubs being used by smart suppliers as a way to generate buzz about their products, often fuelled by social media and blogging,” says Edinburgh-based food writer and consultant John Cooke. “Some supper clubbers are branching out into pop-up events, sometimes in conjunction with local chefs/restaurants. Others are running mini-markets at which micro-producers can flog their wares and meet their fans.”

At the same time, less profit-driven ventures such as community bread clubs, where foodies group together to

buy from a local baker, are also, ahem, on the rise.

Lea Harris, another Scottish-based food writer and blogger, highlights tea clubs and baking clubs, where groups of amateur bakers take over a café for the afternoon or invite fellow foodies to a home baking party.

Lynn Hill founded the Clandestine Cake Club in Leeds in 2010, “purely to get more people together over tea and cake, without having to do all the baking myself”. Now, she says, there are offshoots up and down the country, from Newcastle upon Tyne to Cornwall. Participants bake cakes at home, then converge on a “secret venue”, often organising themselves via social media.

Finding venues can be an issue though, surely opening doors for deli-cafés and farm shops that can offer a warm environment – and a source of ingredients.

‘Convenient provenance’ for chefs

Many restaurateurs give a leg-up to local artisanproducers of icecreams, preserves, cheeses and beers.

Yet few speciality food producers go out of their way to provide formats specifically for the busy commercial kitchen.

Kirsty Grieve (above) of consultancy Mad For Food predicts 2012 will see chefs offered more products that combine provenance with convenience – like a “paté in a piping bag” currently under development at premium patémaker Patchwork.

Grieve also cites cheese-maker Barbers doing “excellent-quality sliced and grated West Country Farmhouse Cheddar” and Brue Valley offering “a great British alternative to Lescure butter – a favourite with chefs”. www.madforfood.co.uk

www.clandestinecakeclub.co.uk

All in the rind

Bubbling up English wines have been quietly winning over the cynics, with some of our sparkling whites in particular performing well at wine awards.

Lyme Regis cheesemonger Justin Tunstall tips Dorset’s Furleigh Estates as a wine-maker to watch. “It has been outselling all other wines at Town Mill Cheesemonger this summer,” says Tunstall, his choice seconded by 2009 Masterchef winner Mat Follas, who runs The Wild Garlic in nearby Beaminster.

Run by Ian Edwards and Rebecca Hansford, Furleigh Estate makes around 50,000 bottles of fizz each year plus 10,000 bottles of still red, white and pink.

Hansford tells FFD: “Our first sparkling wine – Classic Cuvée 2009 – was released in September this year. We thought it was good when it won Best in Show at the South West Vineyards Association competition. Then, two weeks ago, it won a Silver Medal in the Effervescents du Monde competition so it really is up there with the best in the world.” www.furleighestate.co.uk

2012 is the year when British washed-rind cheeses cease to be a joke, says FFD news editor and cheese blogger Patrick McGuigan.

“It’s remarkable how many cheese-makers I’ve interviewed in the past year have been developing new washed rind cheeses,” he says.

“There’s the Gouda style Dutch Mistress and younger Capra Nouveau from Brock Hall Farm, Brother David from Holker Farm (who already make the excellent St James) and Cote Hill's new Reserve washed rind cows’ milk cheese to name but a few.”

2012 will see British washed-rind cheeses “finally gain the respect their French counterparts have had for decades”, he predicts. www.cheesechap.com

‘Follow your local beer geek’ Want to give your bottled beers a boost next year? Ale aficionado Melissa Cole suggests Magic Rock from Yorkshire, Redchurch from London's East End, Green Jack in Suffolk and “the everinventive Moor Beer in Somerset” as ones to watch for 2012.

“The key to finding great beers to stock in your shop is to look locally,” she says, but make sure you shy away from anything that's on a supermarket shelf. You can't compete on price, so don't bother trying.

“Follow a few local beer geeks on Twitter or Facebook, find out what's exciting them and reach out to get their recommendations, whilst also stocking some safer local brands.”

Melissa Cole’s Let Me Tell You About Beer (£14.99, Pavilion Books) was published in October. girlsguidetobeer.blogspot.com

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AOC, the sign of special products...

A traditional cheese

The cheese of western Switzerland, with a delicate, distinguished flavour.

Made since at least 1115 AD in and around the small town of Gruyères, today it is still produced by village cheese dairies in western Switzerland according to the traditional recipe.

Le Gruyère AOC owes its characteristic delicacy and flavour to the top quality raw milk produced by cows fed on grass in the summer and hay in winter, coupled with the skill of the mastercheesemakers.

No less than 400 litres of fresh milk are needed to produce a single wheel weighing around 35kg.

During the slow maturation process, which takes several months in special cheese cellars, the wheels are turned regularly and rubbed down with saltywater. The maturing process lasts between five and 18 months.

Each cheese is systematically identified by the number of the mould and code of the cheese dairy. The day and month of production are also noted on the wheel. These black markings are made with casein, the cheese protein. No artificial additives are involved here either.

Le Gruyère AOC takes pride of place on any cheese platter. It makes for a delicious desert and can be used in tasty warm dishes. What’s more, no real fondue would be complete without genuine Gruyère AOC.

From this time on, the name ‘Gruyère AOC’ and the code of the production facility appears on the heel of each wheel of Gruyère AOC as an effective way of preventing fakes and guaranteeing authenticity.

This technique employs branding irons, which give an indentation in the wheel. It is this marking that makes it possible to identify and trace each individual cheese.

The humidity and rind washing process develops the characteristic appearance of the cheese and assists in bringing the cheese into full maturity.

This is what gives Le Gruyère AOC its famous, distinct flavour. It’s no great surprise that this authentic gift of nature is appreciated by cheeselovers throughout the world.

www.gruyere.com ruyere.com Cheeses from Switzerland.

Switzerland. Naturally.

BEST BRANDS 2011-12

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www.switzerland-cheese.com