Free From & Vegan Trade Issue 1 by CJM Media

Free From & Vegan Trade ISSUE 1

ONE PLANET PIZZA

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WE MEET THE UK’S FIRST FROZEN VEGAN PIZZA COMPANY! P.52

PEP & LEKKER

READ ALL ABOUT PEP & LEKKER’S RANGE OF NATURAL FOOD PRODUCTS P.21

GLUTEN FREE AND VEGAN BEER FEATURE We review a great range of different gluten free and vegan beers

EDITOR´S WELCOME & CONTENTS

Editor´s Welcome

elcome to the first edition of the new Free-From & Vegan Trade Magazine! As the need for more and more free-from and vegan products increases, there are many new brands popping up with great offerings, as well as existing food brands bringing out free-from or vegan ranges. However, it’s not always easy to keep abreast of what’s going on, so we wanted to take the stress away and help you find what a growing number of your customers will be undoubtedly looking for. We hope you enjoy reading through and discovering about the great brands and products that we have been enjoying testing and writing about for the last month, and I do hope that you will consider adding some of these products to your shelves soon.

A small taster of what´s inside this issue...

CHOCOLATE GNAWFULLY GOOD CHOCOLATE P. 44

BAKERY B RAW CAKES P.8 SAUCES CALDER´S KITCHEN P. 27

BREWING BARNAMY´S BREWHOUSE P. 34

Chris McNeill, Editor Chris Keightley, Commercial Director

BREAKFASTS BREAKFAST BY BELLA P.24

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SNACKS PEP & LEKKER P. 21

EDITOR Chris McNeill E: chrism@thedelimagazine.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Chris Keightley E: chrisk@thedelimagazine.co.uk DESIGNER Sharon Larder E: inthedoghousedesign@gmail.com CONTACT US: T: 01206 240 798 E: chrism@thedelimagazine.co.uk PUBLISHED BY: YES KNOW MEDIA LTD/CJM MEDIA LTD Head Office: Tower House, 298 Main Road, Harwich, England, CO12 3PJ PRINTED IN THE UK

BREWING WESTERHAM BREWERY CO P. 36

The Publisher cannot accept any liability for transparancies, disks or any written material submitted for publication. Reproduction of any written material or illustration wholly or in part for any media is expressly forbidden without prior consent of the publisher.

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PACKAGING

ost people are aware of the damage that single-use plastics can cause, but very few know the true extent of their impact on the planet. A single nonrecyclable plastic cup can take up to 500 years to completely break down – a sobering statistic which reveals the undeniable impact of packaging on the world around us. Biopac, formed in 2002, took a leading role in identifying and sourcing sustainable materials which can allow businesses to make a smart switch. By converting from harmful plastics to more eco-friendly alternatives, the Vegan and Free From industry can provide a more responsible form of catering.

ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS EXPLAINED

Three materials already seeing widespread adoption across the UK are, the compostable PLA bioplastic, Sugarcane (Bagasse) and recyclable PET plastics. PLA is a plastic-like material manufactured from renewable cornstarch. PLA’s main advantage is its ability to be composted along with other food and drink waste, cutting the need for sorting and separating. Sugarcane is another commonly used product, also known as bagasse. This sustainable material is a by-product of the sugarcane industry. Once the sugar has been extracted, the strong, natural fibres (usually discarded) are treated and pressed into a variety of clamshells, hot food boxes and trays. As well as being fully compostable and biodegradable, these containers naturally absorb

BIOPAC’S OFF-THE-SHELF PRODUCTS INCLUDE:

excess steam and moisture, preventing foods from sweating, ensuring their quality for a longer time. Available in a variety of sizes, they are a great alternative to standard polystyrene trays. PET is a form of plastic that can be used to create items such as drinks bottles, food packaging and disposable cups. Where PET differs from ordinary plastics is its versatility when recycling. After being broken down, PET becomes a new product, now known as RPET (or Recycled PET). You can find out more about these materials on Biopac’s website at www.biopac.co.uk

BESPOKE, BRANDED AND OFF-THE-SHELF PRODUCTS Biopac is proud to supply packaging with principles. From compostable cups to fully bespoke containers, offering a range of sustainable solutions for all your packaging needs. With a focus on delivering safe and easily recyclable or compostable products, you can team up with Biopac and ensure that the Vegan and Free From industry’s packaging is eco-friendly.

“

• PLA Hot and Cold Cups • PLA and Paper Straws • Sugarcane Hot and Cold Food Containers and Trays • Kraft Burger Boxes and Trays • PLA Ice Cream Containers • PLA Soup Pots • Kraft Pizza Boxes • RPET Tumblers • Kraft Sandwich Packaging • Kraft Bakery Packaging • Sugarcane and Palm Leaf Tableware • Paper Bags • PLA Cutlery • Paper Napkins • Janitorial Products

BOAST ABOUT YOUR ECO-CREDENTIALS

With standard products such as the ‘I’m a Green Cup’ and ‘I’m not a Plastic Straw’ available alongside custom branding options, you can boast about your eco-credentials to all your customers with pride. Biopac is proud to support many Vegan and Free From outlets, to include: • Tibits, London • Vegan Blue, Slough • The Veganic Kitchen, Grimsby To learn more about the responsible range of packaging from Biopac, please get in touch with the office via sales@biopac.co.uk or call 01386 555777.

We understand what businesses need – top quality environmentally friendly products, great customer service, free delivery, stock availability and to partner with a supplier who thrives on the same principles as them.

”

Sam Walker, Business Development Manager, Biopac UK Ltd.

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ELVIRA’S SECRET PANTRY We find ourselves indulging in some goodies from Elvira’s Secret Pantry!

BAKERY

sk most free-from consumers when they last had some good cake, bread or pasta and they’ll likely have to think about it. It’s often a real treat to find an actual great tasting (with nice consistency!) baked treat or pasta. However, we have found a great bakery who can supply you exactly what your free-from customers will want and come back for. Elvira’s Secret Pantry is a free-from artisan micro bakery based in South London. The bakery is dedicated to baking a variety of freshly homemade sweet and savoury treats full of mouth-watering Italian flavours. All their produce is gluten free, dairy free and yeast free. Using English seasonal produce and traditional family recipes with a twist of creativity, all products can be enjoyed by everyone not just for people who are careful about what they eat. All ingredients are also sourced ethically, cooked seasonally and they use organic and free-range produce whenever possible. Elvira’s already successfully stocks a range of retailers and restaurants around London and the UK, and is happy to stock more. From experience, retailers and food purveyors who stock good quality free-from produce often get talked about via social media within the social circles and groups for free-from consumers, so taking on a supplier like

Elvira’s Pantry isn’t just great for any current free-from customers, but also to market your business to the wider audience and area. With it being fairly hard work as a free-from consumer to find decent baked goods, finding a stockist of Elvira’s Pantry’s products would see me travel the miles very often!

THE RANGE The range is substantial, and includes sweet, savoury, bread and pasta.

SWEET

With a large range of sweet produce, it’s hard to know where to start! There are some great products in the range such as Banana Loaf, Carrot and Pistachio cake, Nutty Brownies, and Lemon tart – and even mince pies! So much choice!

consumers struggle to find any decent bread, let me just tell you that you’d struggle to stop them eating all of this range.

PASTA

Another issue for free-from consumers normally, but not anymore! From a simple Farfalle and a Tagliatelle, to filled pasta like a Potato Gnocchi, a Mushroom Ravioli even a Spinach and Ricotta (Lactofree cheese) Ravioli.

ELVIRA’S SECRET PANTRY

Web: www.elvirassecretpantry.com Email: elvirassecretpantry@gmail.com Tel: +44 7817 798 650

SAVOURY

With a range of flans and tarts, such as Mushroom and Leek, Potato and Rosemary and Tomato and Olive, there is a flavour for anyone – to be honest; we’re getting hungry again writing this.

BREAD

There is some seriously good bread here! From Beet Loaf, to a Sourdough Loaf, a Cornbread Loaf and Soda Bread all with interesting flavours, there’s something for anyone here. Many free-from

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B RAW CAKES

hen someone says ‘raw’ as a buzzword about food products, I often think ‘healthy’ or ‘green’ – cake isn’t something that in the past I’d thought of, so to my delight, when I heard about B Raw Cakes, I was quick to suggest we get in touch! Their range of raw cakes are handcrafted in London from healthy fruits and nuts and created to offer a healthier option when it comes to cakes and treats. They believe the best place to start improving your health is by improving what you eat - which is why they jam-pack their delicious cakes with as much pure & seasonal produce as they can get their hands on!

BAKERY

We test out the range of raw cakes from B Raw Cakes!

THE RANGE 8 INCH RAW CAKES l l l l l l l l l

Chocolate Raspberry Raw Cake

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Assorted Raw Cake Raspberry Raw Cake Chocolate Raspberry Raw Cake Lemon Blueberry Raw Cake Orange Raw Cake Chocolate Raw Cake Strawberry Raw Cake Tiramisu Caw Cake Pineapple Matcha Raw Cake

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Snikkerz Bar Brawnty Bar Walnut Bar

B RAW CAKES

Email: info@brawcakes.co.uk Web: www.brawcakes.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 789 454 1421

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Lemon Blueberry Raw Cake

OUR VERDICT

j Considering that so many of us in the UK have allergies, intolerances, dietary needs or are health conscious – we are often disappointed when going to a shop or café and not able to partake in the eating of cakes with our drinks. Trust me -being a lactose intolerant vegan with a partner who is vegan and has to have a low sugar diet, cake is something we watch others enjoy most of the time we are out… but we’d be able to join in and enjoy if these eateries stocked B Raw Cakes! B Raw Cakes are not only delicious and filled to the brim with goodness, there is also a real feeling of handmade and small batch about them – a good way of impressing your customers!

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CHIRRUP FOODS

remember a couple of years a go being at a trade show and being offered a cricket flour energy ball, and remember at first being a little put off by the fact it was made from insects, then when enjoying eating the food given to me, realizing that actually insect protein is a useful resource. Since then, a few brands have popped up using insect protein, however they have been more focused on the health industry or making snack bars. What really stood out for me with Chirrup Foods (apart from the awesome branding and packaging) was the idea of eating cookies but made in a sustainable way and also then being gluten, dairy and refined sugar free.

BAKERY

We meet Prabhsimran Badal, founder of the cricket flour cookie brand, Chirrup Foods

WHY CRICKET FLOUR?

Cricket flour and entomophagy (the human use of insects as food) are good for both the body (high in protein, iron, calcium, B12 and a prebiotic etc) and good for the environment (very resource efficient, means of good production; cricket’s take a fraction of water and feed as compared to traditional protein sources like beef, chicken and steak).

Taste wise, I’d very much doubt you’d notice a difference, and if anything, these cookies taste amazing and you can be rest assured whilst eating them that you aren’t causing much disruption to the planet of your health!

THE RANGE The range of cookies currently available includes the below flavours, however, there are many plans for expansion in the pipeline! l l l

Chirrup are also busy working on a vegan plant protein based cookie. Avocado Dark Chocolate and Banana Chocolate Chip being just some flavours they’re experimenting with.

CHIRRUP FOODS

Web: www.chirrupfoods.com Tel: 07577 037 732 Email: prab@chirrupfoods.com

Espresso Minty matcha Chai latte

OUR VERDICT

j Stocking an item that contains cricket flour will give you a chance to flex your marketing muscles through social media, and in store. Many will buy these as an impulse and for the novelty value. However, many more (especially the health conscious) would buy these, as they are a much healthier alternative. Not forgetting that the Free-From consumers you have will also appreciate these no end!

PROMISE GLUTEN FREE

BAKERY

We put the ‘impossibly good gluten free bakery’ to the test!

remember very well when my sister was diagnosed as a coeliac. She was insanely jealous of my bread, as the strange shaped and hard lump of bread substitute she got to eat was rather unappetising. Roll on a decade and look where we are now! Yes, there are some fairly mediocre offerings out there still, but we also have some very good ones too. Promise Gluten Free was founded to help those with coeliac disease and gluten sensitivities love bread again. Sure, there are more gluten free choices than ever, but if you’ve ever tried them we’re sure you’ll agree, their taste and texture leave much to be desired. Their passionate bakers looked at the gluten free market and then went to work. The result? You’ll be able to figure that out with your very first bite. The exclusive recipes created by the bakers at Promise Gluten Free have changed people’s lives, and they’re constantly looking forward to improve upon their tried and true, delicious and healthy ingredients.

THE RANGE Brioche World first formulation of gluten free brioche, a premium quality brioche that tastes grea Chocolate chip brioche rolls Delicious decadent sweet Brioche rolls scattered with devine chocolate chips. Brioche soft loaf Delicious sweet sliced brioche loaf, the perfect weekend breakfast treat.

BUNS, ROLLS AND BAGELS

Supersoft white sandwich rolls Delicious Supersoft White Sandwich Roll that have no wheat, no gluten and no dairy

Promise Gluten Free have a delicious range of burger buns, hotdog rolls, sandwich rolls and bagels suitable for every occasion

LOAVES

Seeded wholegrain sandwich rolls Tempting Seeded Wholegrain Sandwich Rolls are great tasting baked with a nutritious seed mix, packed full of fibre the perfect lunch time snack.

Chia seed loaf Delicious soft bread baked with fibre and protein rich chia seeds. Super seed loaf Delicious Healthy Gluten Free loaf bursting with goodness with a mix of seeds and grains.

The Promise Gluten Free range of bread is low in fat, high in fibre, gluten free, wheat free, dairy free and yet, packed full of flavour

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RANA’S BAKERY

’ve had the pleasure of trying Rana’s bakery products a few times at trade shows in the past. Each time I do, I wish that I could get hold of some more local to where I live, so luckily they do mixes too, so I can still get my fix! Bread is something often missed by coeliacs, and a lot of what is currently about is fine, but what is lacking is real tasty artisan bread – until now.

BAKERY

We meet the multi award winning bakery who’s free from bread not only tastes amazing, but also is packed with great superfood ingredients!

RANA’S STORY

In 2012 Rana was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease. Before her diagnosis, she started suffering from the usual symptoms; tiredness, bloated stomach, digestion problems, foggy brain and irritability to name a few. For years it seemed normal to feel sluggish and tired. After being diagnosed by her GP and Gastroentrologist she was relieved to finally understand what was actually wrong. To help adapt to her food, she tried everything! The one thing she couldn’t find anywhere was delicious, crusty bread, and being that it was the thing she missed the most, she knew she had to find the solution. After teaming up with Alexander, a friend and lifelong foodie, they scoured the globe to find ideas and recipes for artisan breads, and this was how Rana’s Bakery got started. Together, they now create the most delicious, gluten free, sourdough loaves, rolls, bagels, baguettes, pizza bases and so much more!

THE RANGE FRESH BAKED BREAD • Sourdough Sandwich Loaves • Black Charcoal Sourdough Loaves • Bold Buckwheat Sourdough Loaves or Rolls • Nearly Rye Sourdough Loaves or Rolls • New Italian Sourdough Loaves or Rolls • Super Sourdough Loaves or 16 Rolls • Sourdough Baguettes • Sourdough Bagels with Chia Seeds • Sourdough Burger Buns BREAD MIXES • Super Sourdough Mix (250g) • New Italian Sourdough Mix (250g) • Bold Buckwheat Sourdough Mix (250g) • Nearly Rye Sourdough Mix (250g) • Ingenious Flatbread Sourdough Mix (250g)

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WHOLESALE The gluten free bread and bread mixes are available in larger quantities and sizes for trade and wholesale customers. All breads are baked to order so all your gluten free breads are fresh when you receive them. They will also deliver baked bread throughout the UK. If you want to go direct to a distributor, they use the Fine Food Angel.

RANA´S BAKERY

Web: www.ranasbakery.com Tel: 0800 2461102 Email: info@ranasbakery.london

THE FREE FROM BAKEHOUSE

s someone who suffers from lactose intolerance and is also vegan, and with a sister who is a coeliac and lactose intolerant, our parents have always stressed over the idea of a birthday cake for us. Well, if they had of been able to buy any of the baked treats from The Free From Bakehouse, we’d have been super impressed and they’d have saved a lot of time, effort and disappointment. The usual free from cakes I’ve grown up being forced to eat at my sisters parties were often overly dry and crumbled at the sight of a knife or too wet, and as Mary Berry always said, nobody likes a soggy bottom. When I heard about the Free From Bakehouse and learnt how they supplied delis and cafés around the UK, I knew we immediately needed to get in touch to find out more. About the free from bakehouse The Free From Bakehouse is an independent award-winning artisan producer specialising in gluten free & wheat free baked goods. Not only are they handmade in a dedicated gluten & wheat free kitchen, about two-thirds are also dairy free (no butter, yogurt, cream or cheese) and an increasing number are sugar free (using natural sugar replacements) and/or egg free (making them suitable for vegans) or diabetics. How do they stack up compared to ‘normal’ cakes? Many people who aren’t free from or vegan are often surprised when they eat a good quality free from cake. They anticipate that it will be inferior to a normal cake, but this couldn’t be any further from the truth. The cakes from the Free From Bakehouse are handcrafted in small batches using high quality ingredients and where practical, fresh seasonal fruit and (yes!) vegetables, single-origin

BAKERY

We meet Caroline Aherne, founder of The Free From Bakehouse to find out more about their range of baked products that your free from and vegan customers would love to sink their teeth into!

chocolate (and certified dairy-free chocolate) along with free-range farm eggs from local producers.

THE RANGE TRIPLE LAYER WHOLE CAKES AND LOGS Original and popular, this is an introduction to some of their ‘decadent’ category range.

Salted caramel chocolate cake Serves 12: Behind it’s showstopping appearance, discover a chocolate sponge with a brownie layer, sandwiched between a home-made sea-salted caramel sauce & buttercream. Covered with a rich chocolate ganache & Criolla cacao nibs. Matcha, sour cherry & white chocolate cake Serves 12: Our triple layer Matcha (green tea) sponge uses Ceremonial Grade Matcha. Each layer contains our home-made sour cherry compote and white chocolate

buttercream. Serve with a Matcha tea for even more antioxidants. Hazelnut praline log cake Serves 14: A light hazelnut sponge filled with hazelnut praline buttercream and completely covered with toasted hazelnuts. No chocolate - only nuts. Coffee, pecan & date cake Serves 12: Coffee with coffee? Then get your fix with our lightly flavoured coffee & date sponge, decorated with expresso frosting, date pieces and toasted pecans. Spiced carrot cake & orange zest icing Serves 12: Sweet warm spices and fresh carrot combined with toasted walnuts contribute to this celebrated favourite, sandwiched with a fresh orange frosting, more walnuts and glazed with a fresh orange icing and coconut. Plus it’s raisin free.

THE FREE FROM BAKEHOUSE

Web: www.sugargrain.com Tel: 020 3601 6199 Email: hello@thefreefrombake house.com

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WILLOW COTTAGE KITCHEN

BAKERY

From responsibly sourcing their free-range eggs, to sourcing ingredients as locally as possible – Willow Cottage Kitchen make cakes with a true artisan feel, so we needed to put these to the test

ou’ll probably have gathered from reading this issue that we are unashamed cake fans, and with that in mind, finding a company that makes cakes using locally sourced ingredients where possible and eggs vetted by their own chicken, we needed to get involved! Willow Cottage Kitchen believe that everyone deserves something special and even if you have Dietary Requirements this shouldn’t mean you have to compromise on taste or quality or accept something that only approximates to what you really want. With regards to using the finest ingredients, they only use Free Range eggs for example. They have to - Millie, Willow Cottage Kitchen’s resident Quality Control chicken wouldn’t accept anything less! A regular supply of cake crumbs may go some way to easing Millie’s mood but seriously ‘the Cottage’ ensures the provenance of all of its ingredients guaranteeing we can deliver superior product to you in the finest condition and where possible locally sourced from within Cheshire. Not all the ingredients can be sourced locally however. For their Gigly cakes they source Matcha from Japan, Organic sustainable Tiger Nut flour for our Paleo products and the Cacao they use in their chocolate cake comes from an environmental centre in the Ecuadorian Amazon where it grows wild and is sustainably cultivated. They are also fully committed to Allergen testing, as we know its importance, and regularly test our facilities to ensure no cross contamination and strive

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The Curly, part of the new TeaTime range

to not only meet but exceed the required standards. Allergen Free food has come a long way in recent years but it can still improve. In their opinion, Allergen Free, especially cake, doesn’t have to be limited in flavour, compromise on texture or taste, be dry or lumpy and packed with extra sugar and additives. If its good enough then Allergen Free cake can be served to anyone and they shouldn’t even know its Allergen Free. Indeed since opening their Lymm Cake Studio approximately half of their customers have no Allergies at all! Their products are suitable for Gluten Free, Vegan, Paleo, AIP and FODMAP diets.

THE STORY

Willow Cottage Kitchen was primarily inspired by the desire to bring excellent Allergen Free food to the market. Food that we all can eat. Charlie, the Creative Director, has been in the Food and Customer Service business for many years and has previously run a craft cake and baking business with an associated coffee shop. However

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after a period of illness and subsequent diagnosis for multiple Auto Immune conditions she had to concentrate purely on customer facing roles. Fortunately now re-focusing exclusively on Allergen Free means she has been able to start creating beautiful Occasion cakes once again. Willow Cottage Kitchen is however more than just a pretty cake. They are planning to introduce other Allergen Free products in the future and have just released their TeaTime range.

THE RANGE The range from Willow Cottage is huge and their ability to be versatile is staggering, so it’s well worth getting in touch to find out what you can be supplied, however here’s a taster of some of their cake flavours! CAKE FLAVOURS • Victoria Sponge • Vanilla Madeira • Luscious Irish Cream • White Chocolate and Rose • Coconut and Lime • Sicilian Lemon • Chocolate Stout Cake • Triple Citrus Marble • Coffee • Carrot Cake • Rich Fruit

WILLOW COTTAGE KITCHEN Email: sales@willowcottage kitchen.com Tel: 07594 433185 or 01925 757111 Web: www.willowcottagekitchen.com

VICTORIA BAKES We interview Victoria Ramskill – the free-from cake baker who’s cakes are so good; we needed to feature them here!

BAKERY SO VICTORIA, WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR YOUR BUSINESS COME FROM?

The idea for my baking allergy friendly cakes and treats business started when my youngest son was born (10 years ago) and diagnosed as Cows milk intolerant. I found lots of snacks that were gluten free and eating out easier but dairy free was hard. The very first thing I mastered dairy free was carrot muffins and he still enjoys them. I have always enjoyed baking luckily. My aim at the start was to let everyone eat the same cake or treats without complaint! My hubby works long hours and we eat together later so I didn’t want to start making three different teas for the kids! WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNT ALONG THE WAY?

I attended a food and drink festival under the name Happy Tummies but it was very quiet, and when folk realised it was free from passed me by. The extra cost for gluten free ingredients also doesn’t help when baking on a small scale. While my son Nicholas was young he had many appointments, orthopaedic insoles, he broke his arm twice in a year so this combined with my other 2 children saw me give up and find work at a local charity doing outreach work in the community. I am Selby born and raised apart from 3 years at St Martins college in Lancaster. After uni I trained to be a primary school teacher then joined the civil service before having my eldest son in 2002. While on maternity leave with my daughter (born 2005) they announced the office was closing so I took redundancy from there.

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2015 and I finally decided to choose a new name, logo and order some business cards. Victoria Bakes was born. Starting with birthday cakes then traybakes for cafes, pubs and nurseries. I started attending networking groups, which gave me the confidence to quote to our local council for functions and my sons high school. It was hard work producing 250 portions of different cakes and biscuits in a day but I did it! My poor single oven was struggling so we remodelled our kitchen so I now have 2 super Neff ovens, larger fridge and more storage. I have listened to what my customers like and constantly adapt what I offer. WE LOVED READING THROUGH YOUR BLOG, WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE THIS?

I try and blog whenever inspiration strikes which I post on my website www.victoria-bakes.co.uk. The diabetic and vegan market are my largest new areas along with developing a refined sugar free treat range for kids and protein balls ideal for cyclists or walkers. I was asked to supply a local cycling race with some energy bites so did my research and thought I can improve those! I recently signed up with SIAF’S scheme (Stimulating Innovation in the Agri-food sector) and look forward to their workshops on packaging and funding to help me move forward and hopefully create an attractive as well as tasty product range for farm shops and independent shops to sell. I would like to make more use of my teaching skills and knowledge about free from and allergy friendly baking so if anyone

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would be able to help me make that side of my business work I would be very interested in working with them. SO, WHAT’S NEXT?

New opportunities are never far away and only this week I have been asked to quote for children snack boxes for parties and workshops which are gluten & dairy free. Having experienced first hand at playgroups and school the isolation and upset having different food to everyone else due to intolerance and allergies I am determined to make these all look the same and be delicious! My regular weekly gluten free customer Pete (not his real name) is typical of what I find with my business, he is about to turn 60, still working part-time but as a recently diagnosed coeliac is keen to look after his health and improve his condition. He hates the supermarket free from aisle once telling me the box would have more taste! He likes that I make his Victoria sponge without buttercream and I adapt things to use less sugar. I think there will always be room for small food businesses like mine because I can adapt quickly and offer the personal touch many can’t. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST BUGBEARS IN THIS INDUSTRY?

I have lost count of the times people say “There wasn’t all these allergies years ago or a little bit won’t hurt” which I find sad when there is so much research and data which proves why this is the case, ignorance and banal comments are simply inaccurate and unkind to a mother especially with a young child who struggles to thrive. Victoria is well equipped to deck our your cake platters in your shops and café’s with her Free-From baking excellence, just get in touch with her and she’ll happily quote you! Trust us, it’ll be worth it.

VICTORIA BAKES

Email: victoriabakes@yahoo.com Web: www.victoria-bakes.co.uk

ZUR GLUTEN FREE

BAKERY

ith over four decades of experience processing cassava, Zur Gluten Free Ltd has developed an innovative twist on catering to the dietary needs of those who are coeliac, diabetic, or desire substantial dietary health benefits. They are upholding the tradition of processing cassava, which has been passed down through many generations of both Caribbean and African influence. Zur Gluten Free uses the unique method of processing farina, a cereal based product, as a central ingredient to theirgluten free cassava bread. In the recipe, they include a dynamic blend of sweet potato, quinoa and teff grain to satisfy the taste buds with a mouth-watering, authentic taste.

We find out more about Cassava bread from Rosario Wilson, founder of Zur Gluten Free

WHAT IS CASSAVA FLOUR?

to use in your recipes. Additionally, the nutritional content of cassava flour can be very beneficial to you and your family. Cassava flour is all-natural organic flour and free of preservatives. It is very low on the glycemic index, which is of importance to diabetics who must limit their intake of sugar. Cassava flour is a great alternative for people diagnosed with autoimmune disorders following a wheat-free/gluten-free diet, or who have sensitivity to wheat flour or gluten-based products. It is both wheat-free and glutenfree, and it can be used in virtually any recipe that normally calls for wheat flour. As a bread flour, it is used to create tasty breads of both sweet and savoury varieties. Cassava root is much like a potato in that it’s inedible when raw, but when cooked or processed it can be used in dishes of almost every sort. Cassava is also very nutritious; it has twice the fibre of potatoes and a much higher level of potassium. It is very versatile, since it can be used in so many different ways; in dessert dishes such as cakes, pies, and puddings, but also in savoury soups and stews.

If you’ve been using ordinary flour until now, you’ve been missing out on the many benefits of cassava flour. Cassava flour is very fine flour derived from the root of the cassava plant. Most people have first encountered cassava as an ingredient within tapioca pudding, but there are far more ways to use it. Not everyone can eat wheatbased flour; therefore, some people must turn to other types of specialty flours in order to continue to eat their breads, cakes, and pies. Cassava flour is an ideal alternative

THE RANGE The range of breads offered by Zur Gluten Free is huge – however, they are categorized into different sections such as: Sweet Cassava Products Savoury Cassava Products l Sugar Cane Cassava Products l Cassava Wraps l Limited Edition Products l l

ZUR GLUTEN FREE

Tel: 07821743744 Email: zur_glutenfreeproducts@ outlook.com

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CHIKAS

SNACKS

We test out some of the Chika’s snacks range that have taken the market by storm

o turn down investment from a dragon on the famed ‘Dragons’ Den’ BBC show might seem a bold move, but if you knew Chika’s founder, Chika Russell, you’d understand why.

After turning down Peter Jones’s offer of £30,000, she instead went on to find her own private investors and managed to gain around £800,000 instead. Chika was born in London, to Nigerian parents, who wanted her to get an English education, however each summer, Chika and her six siblings would return to Nigeria where they would spend all the time outside learning more about their culture and traditions. Chika says: “Before launching CHIKA’S, I spent a year sourcing the finest ingredients, refining recipes and testing the products on willing and hungry friends. The positive response was overwhelming – they simply went down a storm! We try to do things differently to many larger companies and hopefully this comes across in the stylish packaging, our strong, chic female logo and products that are exciting to eat. CHIKA’S sets out to inspire our friends and partners, support producers and give our customers beautiful foods to share and to indulge.” “I set out to create something that was defined by more than just delicious products, albeit that was a very important part. It was about an edible experience that would take people on a journey to a beautiful and exotic part of the world that is incredibly close to my heart.”

OUR VERDICT

j There are many snacks out there in this market, so obviously competition is rife. However, there are important aspects to ascertaining what will make a brand succeed. Not only are these products really tasty, but also the branding is stylish and stands out on the shelf. There is a reason Sainsbury’s and Waitrose were quick to adopt these products! Also, with a founder like Chika, with her steely determination and great work ethics at the helm, this brand is one well worth you stocking.

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THE PRODUCTS WE TESTED CHILI AND LIME NUT MIX – 130g The combination of these exotic flavours creates a flavour sensation that will see you diving back in for more. SMOKED ALMONDS – 41g Lovingly cooked and seasoned with paprika. Piquancy perfection!

CHIKA´S

Web: www.chikas.co.uk Tel: 020 3176 6716 Email: hello@chikas.co.uk

BAKES AND BALLS

here are many energy balls out in the market now days and many of them would appear to be similar in ingredients and size and appearance. When I heard about Bakes and Balls, I was thinking that they would be similar again, however I was wrong. The major difference between the Bakes and Balls products and some of the others is that albeit these still have a good home/ handmade feeling about them, they still look great and the texture is great. You can tell a lot of thought and preparation has gone into making these perfect.

GLUTEN-FREE

Stephen wondered why should coeliacs have to accept that glutenfree products are a compromise on taste and texture. It took him around three months to develop a glutenfree flour blend that he was happy with for the original Chocolate and Bean Bake. It then had to pass the taste test with the children – were they as happy with this version as they were with the original? The same applies to all diets, allergies and intolerances – no compromise on taste. When adapting a recipe to make it work for somebody on a particular diet – whether they are vegan, dairy-free or have a nut allergy – there should be no compromise on taste and texture.

THE RANGE FROCOLATE TRUFFLE SHORTBREAD SLICE What is Frocolate Truffle? It is their name for a fruity-chocolate mix which tastes delicious and is packed full of healthy ingredients. This is a completely new recipe and despite pleas for it to be written down, it is staying well and truly locked away! It is also the base for the Frocolate

SNACKS

We get in touch with Stephen Hall of Bakes and Balls to find out more about his ‘feel good food’

Sauce, which is coming soon! This ‘slice’ has an intense chocolate hit with a delightful fruity undertone. There is a sweetness; but it is not sickly-sweet. The base is a pressed ‘shortbread’ which includes tigernut flour and psyllium husk! The fact that there are no free-sugars is remarkable.

BALLS Chocolate Orange Energy Balls With a texture more like a truffle than an energy ball, because they use the finest Grand Cru Cocoa from Madagascar, the taste is sure to please the most hardened of chocoholics. Coffee, Mango and Goji Berry SuperBall Launched in conjunction with Dallaglio Rugby Works as a charity ball. 20p from the sale of each pack goes to support their unique mentoring programme working with young people. Not happy to rest on their laurels, this new ball is packed with antioxidants and thanks to Brown Rice and Hemp has 50% more protein than the standard balls! Howgills’ Gingerbread Energy Balls Made in the shadow of the Howgill Fells, this is their take on Cumbrian Gingerbread. By using

root ginger alongside their own special blend of spices, this Howgills’ Gingerbread energy ball has great length of flavour. The sweetness comes from dates and a little blackstrap molasses and the crunch from buckwheat groats. It has become a real favourite – and the secret recipe is yearned for by Michelin starred chefs! Summer Pudding Energy Balls The Summer Pudding Energy Ball combines the sweet and sharp flavours of some of the best of Summer fruits – Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackcurrant and Sour Cherry – which altogether gives a fantastic burst of flavour. The sugars come from the fruits used as the base for all of the balls – sumptuous dates from Saudi Arabia, Prunes from California and Figs from Spain. These slow releasing sugars work with the seeds and coconut oil to give you a healthy, nutrient dense snack you can really enjoy.

SPREADS Frocolate Spread – coming soon! This fruity-chocolate spread is a combination of tasty and healthy dried fruit with rich cocoa powder, cocoa butter and raw coconut oil, all of which forms a delicious chocolate spread with a difference. This is not your traditional chocolate spread – for a start there are no nuts. More importantly this is ‘Feel Good Food’ so no additional sugars; only the best natural ingredients and it tastes fantastic!

BAKES AND BALLS

Web: bakesandballs.com Tel: 01539 267998 Email: feelgood@bakesandballs.com

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PURL POPS

SNACKS

We find out more about Purl Pops from founder Parul – the roasted and popped foxnut snack!

love popcorn and any other corn snacks in general, so I’ve been super happy about the huge rise in popcorn snacks available on the market in the past few years. Hearing about a snack not too dissimilar but healthier got my interest piqued, and I’m glad I went in search. Purl Pops is a healthy snack created by roasting and popping Lotus Seeds (also known as foxnuts, makhana, gorgon nuts, onibasu or prickly water lily seeds) and all natural ingredients. It combines the goodness of a seed & crunch of popcorn. Each serving (20 grams) consists of approximately 50 crunchy pops, and is less than 81 calories, a good source of protein and also gluten free.

PARUL’S STORY

I hail from a small town in India and have now lived, studied and worked across 3 continents and travelled to more than 40 countries in the world. While travelling or living in these fabulous cities across the world, I have always held dear my small town charm inside. One of my fond memories while growing up is that of my mom serving me these amazing crunchy makhanas (local name for lotus seeds/ foxnuts) roasted in home made ghee (clarified Indian butter) and salt. Whether it was Mumbai, Leuven (Belgium), New York or London, I have always craved this snack which reminds me of home, mom and something innocent and healthy from my childhood. It’s during one of those evenings when I was craving for lotus

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seeds, I wondered why I could not I find these easily in stores or online like any other crisp or popcorn. Being the consultant that I am, I did a bit of research which led to further validation of the health benefits of lotus seeds. I also found out that my home state (Bihar) in India accounts for majority of the production of lotus seeds in the world and the production of these seeds provides livelihood to several communities; especially the women who do a lot of the sieving, sorting and popping. I also realized that most ‘health snacks’ today are too serious or not tasty enough to sustain interest or worse still, not truly healthy despite the claims. Hence, I decided to start Purl Pops which bridges the gap in the market for a healthy snack that is fun, tasty and nutritious. It brings the principles of well being and detox from Asian cultures to the Western Markets. It’s also my chance & opportunity to share the fruits of their labour with the women who contribute to the production of purl pops. Our Product is unique and is our hero and I would love to tell you more about it or hear any feedback from you on how we can make it better and tastier. My vision is to see this

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as part of daily meals and make healthy snacking fun!

THE RANGE Classic Ghee & Pink Himalayan Salt (Pack of 3) An attempt to re-create her mother’s recipe for the snack that she grew up eating. Use of ghee (with its good fatty acids and vitamins) and Himalayan pink salt is in line with Purl Pops principles of healthy snacking. Ingredients: lotus seeds (83%), pure butter ghee, whey protein, pink Himalayan salt. Salted Caramel (Pack of 3) Who doesn’t love a salted caramel, specially in this weather. Ingredients: lotus seeds (73%), unrefined sugar, fine salt, natural flavours, whey protein. Spiced Turmeric & Ginger (Pack of 3) An ode to the Indian spices and all that’s healthy and good about incorporating turmeric and ginger into our daily diets! Ingredients: lotus seeds, coconut nectar, whey protein, sea salt, black pepper, ground ginger, turmeric.

PURL POPS

Web: www.purlpops.com Tel: +44(0)7576123614 Email: hello@purlpops.com home2table@gmail.com

THE NUT SHACK

he Nut Shack is a family run business based in Paisley, Scotland. Enjoying deviating from the mainstream flavour combinations often seen in this genre, the team specialise in making uniquely flavoured products that delight the taste buds. Their main focus is to raise the flavour profile of the humble peanut to new heights. With their five strong core range of fantastic flavours, and the occasional limited edition, in three different sizes – we made sure we got stuck in!

SNACKS

We go nuts for the range of snacks from the family run business who have deviated from the mainstream and have created some amazing flavour combinations! are blended with basil, onion and a pinch of cayenne along with some chilli. They are low on heat and high on flavour, a balanced well rounded snack.

THE FLAVOURS! BACON The flavour that started it all! With hundreds of kilos sold since they created this game changing flavour, it’s pretty safe to say the flavour works. It has a great base smokey bacon flavour that builds on the palette that only ends when the bag does. Trust the thousands of people who have tried these and loved them before you and pick up a bag, you won’t be disappointed. CAJUN To say these little guys are full of flavour would be an understatement. Peanuts blended with a traditional cajun recipe with deep spice flavour with a herby finish. These peanuts are a great for snacking on the go or with a relaxing beverage in the evening CHICKEN The team originally made this flavour combination a couple of years ago. However, due to ever-rising costs they discontinued it but they have

managed to bring it back for a short run. We can’t say how long it will be around for but they will try and keep it on as long as possible. These truly are a showstopper of a flavour, 99% of the customers who try them love them. Chicken flavoured peanuts that are vegan friendly. What’s not to love? HABANERO & GARLIC This fantastic blend of habanero chilli and garlic has been one of their top sellers since they were introduced. These were the team’s very first hot nuts and they come in at around the 350,000 Scoville mark and are not for the faint hearted. So grab a cold drink and a handful of these nuts and get a sweat on.

GHOST NAGA (Limited edition) After the success of the Habanero & Garlic and Scotch Bonnet flavours, they developed what can only be called little nuggets of lava. These come in at around the 1 million Scoville units. These nuts are ridiculously hot and are not for the faint hearted. Please take care when consuming this product. Have a cold beverage handy when trying these. Due to safety concerns these nuts are only available in 60g bags TIKKI MASALA (Limited edition) Here’s their take on the Nations Favourite Dish. These nuts are packed full of flavour, with a wellbalanced level of spice and low heat. These are made with summer in mind, BBQ, sun, beer and a bag of these, simple. For those of you who have tried them buy them whilst you can and for those who have never had them buy them and don’t miss out, as they will not be around forever!

PIRI PIRI We call these our session nuts as they go well with almost anything you can imagine. These peanuts

OUR VERDICT

j The snack industry has many, many producers grappling for shelf space, however we feel that this range needs some attention. Vegan friendly flavours, interesting flavour combinations and a family run business with quirky packaging – what’s not to love. For those of us who are a little bored of seeing the usual dry roasted, or honey roasted peanut taking all the space on the shelf – these are perfect.

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PEP & LEKKER

ep & Lekker is a business that was started by two best friends who are also sisters-in-law. Both Susan and Juliette enjoyed successful careers while bringing up their families before moving into the health food industry. Fundamentally, Susan’s background was in business and law and Juliette’s in psychotherapy and, all things creative. Pep & Lekker is their answer to a tricky family problem - how to give a gang of fussy eaters (and one keen vegan) the nourishment they need, hidden within the flavours and textures they love. They worked for over a year with award winning chefs and nutritionists to create what was to become a range of soups and snacks – soups and snacks that really are both delicious and healthy. The new brand focuses on organic plant protein promoting healthy living. Susan is the unstoppable marketeer (the ‘Pep’) and Juliette is the merchant of flavour (the Lekker), behind every bowl of goodness! We really love the branding and design on the Pep & Lekker products. Simple and classy with a vibrant modern feel. Their products don’t just scream ‘health food’, they scream “eat me”.

SOUPS AND SNACKS

We meet the founders of Pep & Lekker, the all natural food company to test their organic, vegan and gluten free products! THE RANGE Fresh organic vegan soups A range of fresh of creamy organic vegan soups, creamy texture from cashews and sold with seed & nut sprinkles. Packed with simple wholesome ingredients that make the soup a meal in itself. Organic and packed with nourishing plant protein. They are creamy from blended cashews or walnuts and gluten and dairy free too. They are honestly the healthiest and tastiest soups you will find. These soups are made to restaurant quality with no flours, potato, starch, to bulk them up. Just like you would make at home if only you had the time. Suitable for vegans – with a portion of seed and nut sprinkles that comes with every pack, the soups are a balanced, nutritious and satisfying meal in themselves. If you want to eat them as a starter then just add water and they can go even further.

Soup range:

Tomato, Red Pepper & Walnut Ravishing Red Soup Gorgeous Green Soup Beautiful Broth Gleaming Gold Soup Savoury organic seed snacks Pep & Lekker’s new super tasty organic savoury seed snacks are set a solution to a tricky problem. How

to snack in a healthy way and reduce reliance on sugar? With at least 5 nutritious and delicious seeds packed into every pouch Pep and Lekker’s new seed assortments are guaranteed to satisfy even the most hungry and health conscious of snackers. With three distinct flavours, rosemary, cumin & fennel, they’re perfect as a stand alone snack grabbed to eat on the go or as an accompaniment with soups, salads and dips. Adhering to Pep & Lekker’s environmentally friendly ethos, these new products come in 30g fully recyclable and compostable pouches. “Savoury, gluten free, vegan little squares of nourishment in a convenient, crispy and flavoursome snack- my description of Pep & Lekker’s Organic Seed Snacks. As a Nutrition practitioner, it can be very challenging to find tasty, high quality snacks that are nutrient dense and low in sugar – Pep & Lekker have delivered exactly that!” Ann Garry, Zest4Life Director and Registered Nutritional Therapist

PEP & LEKKER

Web: www.pepandlekker.com Tel: 020 3488 2762 Email: gafsen@pepandlekker.com

OUR VERDICT

j We love that each of the soups have unique flavour profiles, taste amazing but are still healthy and nutritious. Same with the seed snacks – you can eat anything Pep & Lekker gives you and know it’s going to taste amazing but also be amazing for you. As a retailer, I’d suggest that these products would sell well based on their vibrant packaging and great branding.

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AFIA’S SAMOSA SHOP INTERVIEW WITH...

Afia Akram – Founder SO, AFIA, TELL US ABOUT HOW IT ALL STARTED?

APPETISERS

We meet Afia Akram, founder of Afia’s Samosa Shop – the business behind the tastiest gluten free samosa’s you’ll likely ever find!

I started with my first farmers market at Brindley Place in Birmingham back in 2009 with a complete sellout. In 2012 I restarted as a limited company with the brand and trading name Afia’s Samosa Shop with the help of Mum who retired that year. Mum has had Coeliac Disease since mid90’s; at a time when it was relatively unknown and free from food was only available on prescription. WE SEE YOU HAVE A LOT OF AWARDS, TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THESE?

In 2013, received our first awards: Great Taste and Free From. Since then have grown from strength organically and by reputation. So far we have been awarded: • 2016 Quality Choice Food Awards - Wheat & Gluten Free Samosa • 2015/2013 Free From Food Awards - Wheat & Gluten Free Samosa • 2014 BBC Good Food Champion • 2013 Great Taste Gold Award Gourmet Wheat Pastry Samosa TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR ALLERGY CREDENTIALS?

All our foods are free from, but we label them in two groups: Wheat & Gluten-Free and Traditional Wheat Pastry. Over half our products are vegan. All hand made in small batches for maximum quality control, using dedicated utensils to keep vegan and non-vegan, gluten-free and non-gluten free contact free from each other. We take risks of contamination of food allergens and the associated implications very serious. I am a vegetarian since

OUR VERDICT

my late teens out of choice. We all are spoilt for choices for what to eat. Respecting each person’s wish to what to consume, either for religious, ethical beliefs or medical necessity is important. Our business speciality is purely Free From traditional Indian foods i.e. Wheat & Gluten-Free or non-Gluten-Free. Wheat & Gluten Free Vegan range (free from all 14-food allergens): • Samosa: Traditional Vegetable (mild and tasty), Spicy Mix Vegetable (fuller flavour from mixed spices), Mirch (trad. veg. with fresh chilli), Scotch Bonnet Chilli, Spicy Daal, The Inferno Samosa (for extreme chilli lovers)

j There’s no doubt that Samosa’s are one item many will miss if they have tried them before being diagnosed as a coeliac, but with Afia’s solution to this issue, any samosa loving coeliac would be delighted by these! Incidentally, the gluten free version of the samosa tastes so good, any consumer would proudly devour one.

• Pakora: Onion, Mix Vegetable, Spicy Vegetable, Mirch (whole chilli), Scotch Bonnet (whole chilli) • Indian Flatbreads: Plain Roti, Aloo Paratha, Gobi Paratha • Achar (Indian pickles): varied restock in production, takes min 6 months to 2 years to mature before ready to consume (some contain mustard) Non-Gluten Free Vegan Samosa range (free from all 12 major food allergens except wheat and gluten): • Samosa (same filling as wheat and gluten-free range): Traditional Vegetable, Spicy Mix Vegetable, Mirch, Scotch Bonnet Chilli, Spicy Daal, The Inferno.

AFIA’S FOOD

Web: www.afias.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)7974 669 194 Email: info@afias.co.uk

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GREEN SISTERS

APPETISERS

Hungry for a samosa? – that anyone can enjoy?

reen Sisters is about two sisters who are mad about food and love to share! It all stems from their family values and culture – where food isn’t just about eating, it’s about sharing the experience too. Along the way, they have been challenged by nature and genetics, to consider how they can bring the vital sharing culture to those who also have limited dining experiences. The sisters call it ‘considered dining’. It is part of their daily make-up. You may ask yourself, what do they mean by ‘considered dining?’ Well, as the name suggests, it is dining that is considerate of a variety of dietary needs, whether a diet is being followed through choice or necessity. All of their products are free from 14 allergens

THE RANGE Green Sisters manufacture a wide variety of innovative, vegan, free-from samosas in the authentic Indian style. Their hope is for individuals to learn about their passion for introducing foods that they can share, which are truly inclusive for

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the majority of dietary needs, without compromise of taste, quality and choice. With a range of over 13 sweet and savoury samosas, including Vegan fair-trade organic chocolate (less than 89 calories!), they find their customers simply cannot resist the range.

GREEN SISTERS

Email: hello@greensisters.co.uk Web: www.greensisters.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 789 454 1421

BREAKFAST BY BELLA We meet Jessica Vella-Templeton, founder of Breakfast by Bella whose breakfast jar company is going from strength to strength

BREAKFASTS

any of us nowadays follow various healthconscious cookingfrom-scratch types on Instagram and feel inspired to make meals as lovely looking and tasting as theirs, yet when it comes to it, we never really get the time. I am very guilty of this, as I spend too long writing about food and not enough time cooking it! Breakfast By Bella’s founder Jessica Vella-Templeton spent a lot of time in Europe enjoying meeting friends for breakfasts rather than the UK’s customary dinner culture. Once back living in the UK in Surrey and commuting into London each day, she found that she was struggling to fit in making a tasty and healthy breakfast with the rigours of the day getting in the way. In her own words, she gets ‘uber grumpy’ when she’s not had a good brekkie, so something had to be done! Having watched her bank balance quickly decline from buying breakfast on the go during her commute, she thought she’d try the cheaper option - cereal in the office.

Even then, it was always a scramble to get hold of a clean bowl and cutlery. In any event, for both options, she was loading her body with processed food and artificial sugar. It was from this that Breakfast by Bella was born; Jess’s own sourced goodness in a jar…quick, easy, portable and delicious.

THE RANGE Breakfast by Bella’s granola has been created to give you the healthy, nutritional and home-baked start to the morning you have been searching for. They have worked tirelessly to create a granola that is refined sugar free, vegan and made with gluten free and organic ingredients, containing none of the nasties associated with artificial preservatives and colourings. Cacao Crazy 250g/400g/1000g Nutty Nosh 250g/400g/1000g Peanut Butter Me Up 250g/400g/1000g

BREAKFAST BY BELLA

Web: www.breakfastbybella.com

OUR VERDICT

j To be able to boast organic ingredients, gluten free, vegan and no refined sugar but also taste nice – we can’t help but be in awe of Jessica. The big issue when having a particularly sugary breakfast is the inevitable ‘crash’ after. Some ‘healthy’ granolas on the market are stacked with refined sugars to add to the taste rather than using other creative and tasty ingredients. We feel that any retailer from deli, independent retailer to multiple would benefit from having these products on the shelves. Definitely get in touch!

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NOTHING BUT THE TROOTH

BREAKFASTS

Having been a fan of Troo Granola for a long time, we finally get to talk all about them here!

’ve met the lovely founders of Troo at trade shows all around the UK over the last year – not only are they great people, they also couldn’t do enough for the retailers that support them. Their granola is also amazing (not that I stand there pinching handfuls at a time when I see their stands!).

WHAT IS TROO?

• Prebiotic-Packed • Very Low Sugar / Very High Fibre • Nothing Artificial - 100% Natural • Plant Protein - Vegan • Plastic Free Packaging • Gluten-Free • Super Tasty Not bad accolades at all eh? – however, I must reiterate the super tasty part here, it truly is!

TEAM TROO LOOKING AFTER YOUR CUSTOMERS GUT HEALTH

More than 10,000 species of bacteria have been identified in the gut, outweighing human cells by 10:1. These bacteria even have their own genes, which outweigh human genes by 100:1. Growing research suggests that many diseases can now be traced back to the MICROBIOME, the collective name for these bacteria and genes. Having a healthy gut can protect you against disease and boost both your physical and mental health and wellness. Our microbiome helps to digest food, absorb nutrients, produce vitamins, regulate hormones and metabolism and excrete toxins.

Prebiotic foods are non-digestible fibres that are necessary to ‘feed’ our microbiome and aid digestion. At TROO, they use inulin, derived from chicory root to both sweeten and add fibre to their granola. Their granola is packed with prebiotics - so they have the perfect combination to help you and your customers gut health!

THE RANGE Chocolate And Orange Granola There’s nothing wrong with a bit of chocolately indulgence at breakfast – particularly if it comes packed with lots of other good stuff and it’s only 3% sugar. Low sugar, high fibre, gluten free granola, the perfect gut healthy start to the day. Chocolate with orange; made with super rich cocoa and natural orange oil – you can feel indulgent with a completely guilt free option! Using beautiful gluten free jumbo oats from Cambridgeshire as a base with a fragrant and punchy orange oil and the rich taste of chocolate. Packed full of antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals from the nuts and seeds, it really is a flavour packed, nutrient frenzy. Troo Granola, Nicely Nutty with Soothing Cinnamon Enjoy Troo Nicely Nutty Granola – the choice for nut lovers. Low sugar,

high fibre, gluten free granola, the perfect gut healthy start to the day. Nicely nutty with soothing cinnamon – this is one of our favourites, we get lots of positive feedback on this one. Using beautiful gluten free jumbo oats from Cambridge as a base lightly spiced with a cinnamon boosted spice blend. A must for nut freaks, this has proper chunks of nuts you can see and easily identify; not little bits of nutty crumb… Troo Granola, Super Seedy with Calming Ginger If you like ginger and a good crispy, crunchy roasty toasty start to the day then you’re going to like this…Troo Super Seedy with Gentle Ginger Granola; jam-packed with natural goodness. Low sugar, high fibre, gluten-free granola, the perfect gut healthy start to the day. Super Seedy with Gentle Ginger – this is particularly good if you like that warming ginger flavour. Using beautiful gluten-free jumbo oats from Cambridge as a base gently spiced with a gingery spice blend. With 5 different seeds (Sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, chia and flaxseeds); well known for their powerful health benefits.

TROO SPOONFUL OF FIBRE

Chicory Root Fibre Syrup (Inulin) The easiest way to add prebiotic fibre to your diet. Just a spoonful a day is scientifically proven to bring lots of gut health benefits. Delicately sweet with no aftertaste – use as you would honey. This is one of the key ingredients in Troo Granola. Particularly suitable for people looking to add fibre to their diet; those on low carb diets (KETO); if you are looking for low sugar options and those who have trouble sleeping.

TROO GRANOLA

Web: www.eattroo.com Email: hello@eattroo.com

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CALDER’S KITCHEN

alder’s Kitchen was formed by husband and wife team Andrew and Anne-Marie Calder in 2015. They started making Piccalilli in the family kitchen after discovering Andrew’s late Granddad, Charlie’s favourite family recipe and deciding to ‘give it a go’. After initially giving the first batch to family and friends to try and receiving great feedback, they started to sell hampers at Christmas to raise money for a school in Tanzania, East Africa. Later, they developed two variations on the traditional recipe, Chillililli which has a delicious medium strength sweet chilli glow and later, the slightly naughty spicy Sillylilli (Andrew’s favourite which he now eats with, well pretty much everything!) They are growing quickly, now stocking around 40 outstanding independent retailers across the North of England, Scotland and beyond and cover a wide range of foodie events across the year. They have won awards for our products including a Great Taste Award and Theo Paphitis SBS in 2016.

THE RANGE Albeit not gluten free, these products are vegan friendly, and are stocked by various vegan retailers around the UK. Calder’s Kitchen Chillililli The Chillililli is based on Grandad Charlie’s traditional Piccalilli recipe.

SAUCES

We meet the makers of the best picalilli we’ve tried in a long time! Here’s the award winning Calder’s Kitchen!

Each jar is packed full of crunchy vegetables with an easy balance of sweet/sour that allows the spice and vegetable to shine with a subtle chilli glow. Calder’s Kitchen Sillylilli The Sillylilli is based on Grandad Charlie’s traditional Piccalilli recipe. Each jar is packed full of crunchy vegetables with an easy balance of sweet/sour that allows the spice and vegetable to shine with a fiery chilli glow for those that like it hot hot hot!

Calder’s Kitchen Traditional Piccalilli Our award winning Great Taste Piccalilli was based on Grandad Charlie’s traditional recipe. Each jar is packed full of crunchy vegetables with an easy balance of sweet/sour that allows the spice and vegetable to shine.

CALDER’S KITCHEN

Web: www.calderskitchen.co.uk Email: info@calderskitchen.co.uk

OUR VERDICT

j We love these condiments! The Sillylilli being a firm favourite with the additional heat coming through. A perfect accompaniment to many dishes, and even for dipping. It’s no surprise this business is growing quickly! Quickly packaging and labelling also make for products that should fly off the shelves.

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ANILA’S SAUCES

Award winning Anila´s Sauces range, we had to get our hands on some for ourselves!

et’s face it, we are all so busy now days that cooking from scratch is often near impossible to find the time for. Coming home from work on a weekday, sorting out the kids, the house and the inevitable life admin that needs doing, the last thing on my mind is getting my apron on and getting cooking. This is where it’s all too easy to throw a microwave meal in, which albeit fulfilling, is often lacklustre in flavour and nutritional balance. This is where Anila’s Sauces save the day for me. I love nothing more than a curry, especially when the flavour is authentic, fresh and also still healthy. As a retailer, you’d likely have a jar or two of curry sauce – It’s

worth keeping tabs on ingredients and nutritional info as some are healthier and fresher than others. From our side, we wanted to recommend a range with a good history and a plethora of awards.

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ANILA

Anila comes from a family of great cooks. She inherited her skills from her mother, grandmother and great grandmother. As a working mother Anila identified a gap in the market for authentic curry sauces and in 1998 launched her premium range. Her philosophy is to serve food cooked with love and care using fresh ingredients. Her sauces are free from added sugar, gluten/ wheat, dairy, onion & garlic with no preservatives, colouring or

additives making them suitable for almost anyone including those on a low FODMAP diet. The range also includes 14 exceptional chutneys and pickles to complement the curry sauces, winning numerous awards including the Best Speciality Award for the South East for one of her pickles.

AWARD WINNING PRODUCTS

In the 2018 Free From Food Awards, Anila’s Sauces won a Gold Award for their Fruity Mild Curry Sauce in the FODMAP friendly category, plus another 2 Silver Awards and 3 Bronze Awards for products such as their Goan Green, Spicy Mild and Dhansak Korma sauces in the No Top 14 Allergen category.

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SAUCES THE RANGE SAUCES Fruity Mild Curry Sauce A mild and slightly fruity sauce made with mangoes, red peppers and coconut milk. Ideal for the whole family and perfect for children. Gluten free, dairy free, nut free, Onion free, Garlic free, no added sugar. Goan Green Curry Sauce A mildly spiced, fragrant sauce (Goan Recipe) made with mint, coriander, spinach and coconut. Perfect with fish, prawns and vegetables. Gluten free, dairy free, nut free, onion free, garlic free, no added sugar. Two Star Gold – Great Taste Awards Winner 2010 Best Vegan Product 2011 – Cook Vegetarian Magazine Winner in the Ingredients Category of the Free-From Food Awards 2012 Dhansak Korma Curry Sauce (formerly known as Mild Korma) A mild to medium sauce that is mildly spiced and made with chickpeas and creamy coconut with a hint of tamarind to give a

nutty and creamy flavour. It is a concentrated sauce to be used with part water plus the main ingredient to create curries in minutes. Great Taste Awards Winner

spiced to give a delicious spicy curry with a hint of creamy cashews. Gluten free, dairy free, onion free, garlic free, no added sugar. Great Taste Award Winner

Spicy Mild Curry Sauce A mild to medium curry sauce like a Rogan Josh. Made with tomatoes, mangoes and spices giving a full rounded flavour. It is a concentrated sauce to be used with part water plus the main ingredient to create curries in minutes. Gluten free, dairy free, nut free, onion free, garlic free, no added sugar. Three Star Gold Award Winner in the Great Taste Awards 2007 The Best Speciality Reserve Award 2007

Hot Methi Curry Sauce This sauce is made using fenugreek leaves giving a distinct smooth flavour with a bite. Use to make delicious curries for vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Gluten free, dairy free, nut free, onion free, garlic free, no added sugar

Spicy Korma Curry Sauce This Spicy Korma curry sauce is made with creamy coconut and richly spiced. Its slightly hotter taste with the creamy coconut flavour is unusually delicious and welcoming. Gluten free, dairy free, nut free, no added sugar. Great Taste Awards Winner Spicy Medium Curry A medium to hot curry sauce made with ground cashews and richly

Spicy Hot Curry Sauce A hot curry sauce like a Vindaloo, made with tomatoes, green peppers, chillies, spices and some ground almonds to give a distinct hot sauce with an after kick. Gluten free, dairy free, onion free, garlic free, no added sugar. Great Taste Award Winner Chilli Pasta Sauce Tomatoes, Fennel, Virgin Olive Oil, Red Peppers, Scotch Bonnet Peppers, Tomato Puree, Herbs, Salt, Black Pepper.

CHUTNEYS • Sweet Mango Chutney • Tamarind & Date Chutney • Shredded Mango Chutney (Limited) • Chilli Chutney

PICKLES • Carrot & Date Pickle • Lemon Pickle • Sweet Lime Pickle • Aubergine Pickle • Tindori Pickle (Mini Gherkin) • Hot Lime Pickle • Hot Mango Pickle • Chilli Pickle

DIPS

OUR VERDICT

j As always said in our sister title The Delicatessen Magazine, we have a lot of time for products made with good ingredients, as we are what we eat. However, convenience is king for consumers more often than not. Stocking Anila’s Sauces on your shelves is a dead cert for return purchases from your customers in our opinion.

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Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce

ANILA’S SAUCES

Web: www.anilassauces.com Tel: +44 (0)845 474 2027 Email: info@anilassauces.com

NOWT PONCY

SAUCES

Low calorie, low sugar, vegan friendly & suitable for coeliac’s, but with oodles of flavour and ease of cooking – introducing the Nowt Poncy range of sauces!

here is nothing quite like reproducing the flavour’s of far-off places you have visited when you’re back home. It brings back so many memories of aromas, places visited and, of course, the local food. For the guys at Nowt Poncy®, it has to be simple and delicious, albeit authentic, just like the locals make it. We love the attitude of the team behind Nowt Poncy®, who have managed to create what many of us struggle to find time to do. They have managed to create products which are nutritious, without nasty preservatives, and as healthy as possible – however, you don’t have to spend hours preparing it either. Just open it up, stick it in a pan, heat it and add to your favourite pasta or ingredients. You can rustle up an amazing meal in under twenty minutes that’s easy on the calories and huge on flavour. Each jar of their sauces are hand cooked, and made using only fresh herbs so as to maintain flavour and consistency. However,

OUR VERDICT

their sauces are low in calories, salt, fat, sugar, saturated fat yet they still taste amazing!

THE RANGE SAUCES Nowt Poncy® Tomato & Basil This sauce is a delicious Pomodoro made from Italian tomatoes & olive oil. Add freshly crushed garlic and fresh basil for a wonderfully herby flavour and it’s a winner. Low in fat, saturated fat, sugar and calories too so it’s easy on the waistline AND it’s also Gluten free so it’s ideal for coeliacs! It’s vegetarian and vegan friendly too! Only 38 kcal/100g, just add it to your favourite pasta to get those taste buds tingling or use it as a base for a Bolognese. Nowt Poncy® Curry Sauce This sauce is a simple base to which you can add your favourite vegetables, meats, prawns or fish.

j At home, being vegan and having to cook low sugar meals, low in sat fat’s and other health criteria such as macro tracking due to our sporting pursuits, dinners can be a real faff and require hours of planning and preparation. Had I have known about Nowt Poncy earlier, I’d have kept many hours back to do other things, but not been worse off for it diet wise. This is an incredible range of sauces, and they also do pasta and have partnered with another supplier for great pizza bases. The guys have won various accolades and short listings for awards along their travels and I can see why. Some jarred sauces are very high in sugar and preservatives and other nasties, do your customers a favour and get some of these stocked. Home style cooking made easy.

It’s nothing like you will find at your local takeaway because it’s a traditional Indian recipe. Just simple ingredients and some fresh chillies to add a little “how you doin?” and wake up those taste buds. Fresh chopped coriander is added at the end of cooking to add another layer of flavour – it’s delicious! Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan friendly to. Nowt Poncy® L’Amore È Pizza Sauce This sauce only has 6 ingredients and is the ideal sauce to then add all your favourite toppings on a Pizza. Nowt Poncy® Arrabbiata Sauce So arrabbiata means angry in Italian and it’s because of the chillies that give it heat and the red of the tomatoes. The Nowt Poncy® Arrabbiata Sauce has some ooomph by means of fresh red chillies to wake up those taste buds with a little picante tickle. NEW! Nowt Poncy® Big Easy Creole Sauce Inspired by the cooking in New Orleans the Creole is AMAZING with chorizo and prawns or chicken. It’s simple to prepare and has only 30 kcals/100g. It’s low calorie and low sugar and simply delicious. It’s certified Gluten Free at less than 5ppm and legally low in sugar, salt, fat and saturated fat just like the other sauces!

NOWT PONCY

Web: www. nowtponcy.co.uk Tel: 01706 228251 or 07966 637620 Email: info@nowtponcy.co.uk

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REAL GOOD KETCHUP THE RANGE Real Good Tomato Ketchup No Added Sugar and 78% Less Salt* Winner Best New Reduced Sugar & No Sugar Product 2017 and the Food Talk Clean Eating Gold Award 2018. The Real Good Tomato Ketchup is deliciously made with plant-based, allergen free ingredients including sun kissed Mediterranean tomatoes and natural plant sweeteners, stevia leaf and birch sugar xylitol. Happy to share 78% less salt than other regular ketchups*. Real Good Tomato Ketchup in glass RSP £2.75 Real Good Smokey BBQ Ketchup No Added Sugar and 80% Less Salt* The new Real Good Smokey BBQ Ketchup is deliciously made with plant-based, allergen free ingredients including sun kissed Mediterranean tomatoes, natural plant sweeteners (stevia leaf and birch sugar xylitol) and an amazing natural Hickory & Oak smoked water from the deep South of Tennessee. Happy to share 80% less salt than other Smokey and BBQ ketchups*. Real Good Smokey BBQ Ketchup in glass RSP £2.75

SAUCES

We interview Elizabeth Jones; founder of Real Good Ketchup, to find out more about their range of ketchups which are suitable for those of us with allergies! SO, WHO IS BEHIND REAL GOOD KETCHUP?

We are a small family Hampshire based food business in special dietary needs, my background (Founder Elizabeth) is in baby/ children’s food and free from. My personal story is a Mum of an anaphylactic son with complicated food allergies and fully understand first-hand how important ‘clean and allergen free ingredients’ are in food preparation. WHAT MAKES REAL GOOD KETCHUP DIFFERENT?

To achieve a no added sugar and reduced salt, we chose all plant- based allergen free ingredients to create a tomato ketchup that delivered the full ketchup experience from a real tomato taste to sticking to the end of a chip as you would expect a regular ketchup to do. We scrutinise all our ingredients, no hidden additives or preservatives tucked away in the small print. WHAT FEEDBACK HAVE YOU HAD?

Lots of fantastic feedback, particularly on the amazing taste without sugar!

WHAT NEXT FOR THE REAL GOOD RANGE?

We are launching our Real Good Tomato Ketchup in glass in July and a fabulous new Smokey BBQ Ketchup, also in glass, with all the same health credentials. HOW ELSE CAN THE REAL GOOD KETCHUPS BE USED?

Both are delicious mixed with hummus as a dip, as a marinade, in home-made burgers and even desserts! We are creating new and different ways to enjoy Real Good Ketchup as an ingredient to share online. SO, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR REAL GOOD KETCHUP? ARE YOU PLANNING ON ADDING IN ANY MORE PRODUCTS TO YOUR RANGE IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

We have one more product in mind to complete the ketchup range. We are launching a catering pack – we want to avoid large pouring jars, as they are not recyclable so we have an innovative solution we can share coming soon. Watch this space!

REAL GOOD KETCHUP

Web: www.realgoodketchup.com

YOU HAVE WON SEVERAL AWARDS OVER THE PAST YEAR?

Yes, we are still blown away with being awarded 2 Free From Food Awards (a Gold in Ireland), winning the Best New Sugar Reduced or No Sugar Product 2017 at the Sugar Reduction Award last November and recently the Food Talk Gold Clean Eating Award – which is what it is all about for us.

ste

rea

VEGAN •

FREE FROM •

LOW SALT •

Sugar Reduced or No Sugar

Product 2017

Winner

Food Talk Clean Eating

Gold Award 2018

MADE IN HAMPSHIRE | RETAIL & TABLE TOP For wholesale/trade orders please contact hello@realgoodketchup.com or call 07753 278872 | Case of 6 | RSP £2.75 Join our 12k foodie followers on social media www.realgoodketchup.com

GLUTEN FREE/VEGAN/VEGETARIAN BEERS

THE BOUDICCA BREWING COMPANY We get hold of some real vegan ale from Norfolk!

and gentle on the nose, with sweet fruit, malt and hops. It is distinctly agreeable and well balanced on the palate, with a pleasant and lasting finish. A good combination of gently tangy hops and bitterness.

s a vegan, when I go into most pubs, I know which main brand lagers and ciders are vegan and usually have to either go for one of those, or get myself onto the internet to find out which other drinks are vegan friendly. Not such an easy task when under pressure with a barman staring you down. One thing I have really missed is getting a good real ale when out and when I heard about The Boudicca Brewing Company, I knew I needed to get in touch! The Boudicca Brewing Co is an independent brewery, set up in 2015 to brew great beer in Norfolk using the finest ingredients. Their ethos centres on inclusivity and they have ensured their beers are all suitable for vegans and vegetarians, as they will not use isinglass finings or any other animal products in any of their beers, as well as doing their best to produce their beer with as little impact to the environment as possible. The company was set up by real ale enthusiasts from Norfolk, with the intention of producing great beers, which could be enjoyed by anyone. Their vision is to produce high quality new beers, which are true to Norfolk’s long brewing tradition. The rather powerful name is influenced by the famous Queen of the Iceni who led a rebellion against the Roman Empire in Britain. She won several victories, and burnt Colchester, St Albans and London to the ground before finally being defeated. She wasn’t captured by the Romans and while it is unknown what happened

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to her, it’s thought she probably committed suicide to avoid capture and certain death at the hands of Emperor Nero. A strong name for a good strong company! The names of each of the beers reflect Celtic and East Anglian history and artefacts. So, not only when you stock any of the beers from this company are you getting a great beer that is also vegan friendly, but also one with an interesting story behind it and great labelling.

THE RANGE Spiral Stout Spiral Stout is a traditional stout. The name comes from the spiral motif which is one of the most common symbols in Celtic culture. The beer itself has an aroma of dark autumnal berries, and is full bodied with flavours of the berries and undertones of coffee and dark chocolate. It has a gentle lingering dry roast finish with a hint of smoke. It received the Silver award in the Stouts and Porters category at the Norwich Beer Festival in 2015. Three Tails Beer Named after the three tailed horse which was a popular symbol on Iceni coins, this is a classic English Bitter, but with a touch of peppery spiciness. Amber in colour, well flavoured

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Prasto’s Porter Prasto’s Porter is named after Boudicca’s husband King Prasutagus and the pump clip features an Iceni coin with his portrait and nickname Prasto along with the dragonheaded torc. The beer is a Porter with dark fruit and hops on the nose and hints of roast malt and smoke. Full bodied in the mouth, smooth with a dry and very subtle smoky finish with fruit and hop notes skittering over the top of it. Golden Torc This beer is named after the Golden Torc, which was an important status symbol for the Celts. The beer is a hoppy golden ale with a lasting finish. A complex blend of late hopping is at work here, but the hops are balanced with a steady base of malt and bitterness, with only the merest hint of grapefruit and citrus. Queen of Hops Queen of Hops has a soft fruity aroma, rounded and grassy with hints of marmalade. Followed by a tangy burst of hops on the palate, with some underpinning of malt and bitterness. There are more hop flavours in the finish, but zestier, more citrus, with a pleasing bitterness. A refreshing pale ale with a satisfying, lasting finish.

THE BOUDICCA BREWING COMPANY

Web: www.boudiccabrewing.co.uk Tel: 07864 321732 Tel: info@boudiccabrewing.co.uk

BARNABY’S BREWHOUSE

WE GET IN TOUCH WITH BARNABY AND TIM FROM BARNABY’S BREWHOUSE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR VEGAN BEER RANGE

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GLUTEN FREE/VEGAN/VEGETARIAN BEERS

lbeit we will mainly be featuring Gluten Free beers in this feature, we also wanted to talk about veganism and beer. As a vegan myself, I find myself having to take extra time during shopping and in bars to find out which beer is vegan friendly. Believe it or not, a lot of beer isn’t vegan friendly. Beer is typically made from barley malt, water, hops and yeast and so is often suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Some brewers however then add finings to clarify the beer when racking. Finings can include plant-derived products, like Irish moss, or animal-derived products, like isinglass and gelatin. Down in Riverford’s Hole Farm in South Devon, Barnaby’s Brewhouse is located with in the heart of an organic farming ecosystem. With their ecological ethic and passion for their products, Tim and Barnaby have created products that are vegan and vegetarian friendly that are also planet conscious too. They are aiming to be totally sustainable as a business, using renewable energy sources and repurposing or reusing any waste product.

THE RANGE PILSNER – 4.8% ABV Subtle Malt Flavour. Ideal with spicier foods, fish and Mediterranean flavours, or just as an aperitif.

Cows at Riverford enjoying spent brewery grain

OUR THOUGHTS

j With an impressive list of stockists and growing, it would be well worth you considering stocking these beers! Not only are these beers vegan friendly, they are also certified organic. They use organic malt and hops sourced in the UK, and with water coming from a natural spring a few hundred metres away from the brewery, you can’t get much fresher and purer than a nice cold bottle of Barnaby’s Brewhouse beer!

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RED HELLES – 4.8% ABV Refreshingly malty lager. Well matched with lighter dishes, salads or perhaps a mature cheddar and fresh baked bread. DARK DUNKEL – 4.8% ABV Smooth dark lager with a hint of chocolate. Perhaps with caramelised and rich flavoured dishes.

BARNABY’S BREWHOUSE

Tel: 01803 762730 Email: info@barnabysbrewhouse.com

WESTERHAM BREWERY CO GLUTEN FREE, MADE WITH HISTORIC YEAST STRAINS, THE FINEST MALTED BARLEY AND WATER FROM THE NEARBY GREENSAND AQUAFIER; WE HAD TO GET SOME OF THESE BEERS!

stablished in 2004 by Robert Wicks, the Westerham Brewery Company is not only proud to bring brewing back to the historic town of Westerham, but also to offer a whole range of gluten free beers to the market. With a rich brewing heritage, Westerham can once again be proud of locally brewed, top quality real ale and craft lagers. Producing exceptional craft beer for the local market, they support the initiative to reduce food miles in the supply chain. Many ‘national brands’ are transported long distances and suffer from poor storage and handling. Westerham Brewery Company has revived many of the much-loved flavours of the old Black Eagle Brewery, which closed in 1965 following the catastrophic consolidation by the ‘Big Brewers’ in the 1950’s. The local water, which percolates through the Lower Greensand Ridge to the North of Westerham, is excellent for brewing pale bitter beers for which Westerham was once famous. The Vale of Holmesdale has over the years supported many breweries on account of the water including at one time two breweries in Westerham, the Swan and the Black

Eagle. The Brewery has it’s own borehole 90m drilled down into the Hythe beds of the Lower Greensand. They are mad about hops specifically Kent hops. Why be a small brewery in Kent and not use the wonderful hops grown by the valiant Kentish hop growers. 96% of the hops used are grown in Kent and they use 9 different Kent hops in the Spirit of Kent. One of my favourite pieces of information is the re-cultured yeast from the famed ‘Black Eagle Brewery’. After the takeover first by Taylor Walker in 1948 and the subsequent takeover of Taylor Walker by Ind Coope in 1959, the head brewer deposited freeze dried samples of their yeasts with the National Collection of Yeast Cultures, no doubt sensing that it might be lost forever. Now, 50 years later, the yeast has been revived. Westerham Brewery has acquired the sole rights to these yeast strains from Carlsberg UK. With water from the same aquifer that served the old brewery, the same yeast strains and some of the old recipes, they really hope to capture the essence of what made Westerham’s ales famous.

GLUTEN FREE BEER

After meeting with someone who had just found out they were a coeliac and their dread that they would have to forgo drinking beer, Robert came across an article about gluten free beer made by a US brewery using the traditional ingredients for beer

making. After visiting their Portland brewery and learning about how they make their gluten-free beer using a naturally occurring enzyme to remove the gluten, Robert set about experimenting on some batches himself. After some rigorous testing and many discussions with the relevant bodies, Robert decided to invest fully into making gluten-free beers, which as a business, is far more expensive to make than traditional. With a bottle of enzymes costing over £800 and having to spend a further £100 per laboratory test for each beer to check it can be certified as gluten-free, not to mention a lot of other soft costs involved in ensuring there is no cross-contamination in the brewery. This goes to show a real level of commitment from the Westerham Brewery to coeliacs’ and I can tell you from experience that with these beers being as tasty as they are, it’s a commitment we need to thank them for!

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GLUTEN FREE/VEGAN/VEGETARIAN BEERS THE RANGE There is a great range of beers from this brewery, however let’s look at the bottled range considering your retail business needs. Grasshopper A dark, malty red ale with nutty, roasted notes from the chocolate malt. This session bitter is hopped with Kent Target hops from the National Trust’s hop farm at Scotney Castle and Finchcocks’ Kent Goldings. A satisfying and flavoursome pint.

British Bulldog A rich, full bodied best bitter in the traditional Kent style. Finest pale ale malt and crystal malt for colour and richness. Hopped with local Kent Northdown and Finchcocks’ Whitbread Golding Variety and finished in the Hop Rocket with Progress hops from Scotney Castle for a full flavour and aroma.

Spirit Of Kent The Spirit of Kent celebrates the Kent Spitfire, a Mark IX Spitfire housed at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar 5 miles north of Westerham. The Spirit of Kent also recalls the “XXX Modification Depth Charges” that flew out of Biggin Hill in June 1944 filled with Westerham Ales. The “XXX Joy Juice” was racked into the unused auxiliary fuel tanks and flown over to the forward airbases in France – click here for more details. The Spirit of Kent is hopped with 9 different types of Kent bred hops in a total of 9 separate additions. Most of the hops are picked and dried at the National Trust’s only hop garden in Lamberhurst, Kent by Ian Strang. Ian is one a dwindling number of noble hop growers left in Kent. This is the Spirit of Kent.

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Viceroy A true Viceroy IPA. The hops are Target and Progress grown from the National Trust’s Scotney Castle hop garden. The inspiration behind this beer, the Marquis Curzon of Kedleston, was a figure of enormous importance. While Viceroy of India he restored the Taj Mahal. On his return to England he restored Tattershall Castle in 1911 and Bodiam Castle in 1916, both of which he left to the Trust. In his memoirs he wrote about a journey on horseback in India where he dreamt of drinking a beer: “At that moment I would have given a kingdom, not for champagne or hock and soda, or hot coffee but for a glass

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of beer”. This is a true India Pale Ale brewed with lots of hops to produce a golden ale, hoppy and bitter. Audit Ale A strong ale, brewed to the 1938 strength and using the same ingredients as the original best selling bottled beer of the Black Eagle Brewery. We brewed this beer for the 2nd SIBA South East of England beer festival and the beer took the Gold Medal in the strong ales category. Since then Audit Ale has gone on to win a range of regional and national awards including Supreme Champion Cask Beer two years in a row. Made with pale and crystal malts and huge charge of Kent Goldings hops. Bottle Conditioned. Double Stout First brewed in 2009 to the style and strength of the Black Eagle Brewery’s famous Double Stout 1938 gyles. Made with a blend of coloured and roasted malts. Late hopped with Kent Goldings. The label design is inspired by the 1930s and 1940s bottle labels of the Black Eagle Brewery.

WESTERHAM BREWERY CO

Tel: 01732 864427 Web: www.westerham brewery.co.uk

GLUTEN FREE/VEGAN/VEGETARIAN BEERS

NIRVANA BEER CO

o, you are in the pub with your friends and as the designated driver you have the choice of either another glass of coke, or a dull tasting low alcohol beer… great. Lucky enough, this last couple of years has seen a real drive in some great low alcohol and alcohol free beers being produced and we have found you guys a really good one! Also, the Kosmic Stout is GlutenFree making for an all round great product to get in stock. Nirvana Brewing Co. decided to take on the challenge of making a great range of low and nonalcoholic beers to challenge the perception that no alcohol means no flavour, and they are revolutionising the market. Being dedicated craft beer fans, their main focus is on quality. Being a traditional brewery, they use their advanced brewing knowledge and technology to

Vegan friendly craft beers which are also alcohol free, and a gluten free stout in the range? We need to find out more!

make flavoursome alternatives without compromising on good ingredients or taste. So, whether you’re feeling a Pale ale, Lager, Stout or IPA, Nirvana has the perfect brew. If you’re a craft beer fan looking for a lighter alternative, cutting back for health reasons or your turn to drive, say goodbye to tasteless low and non-alcoholic beer, and hello Nirvana.

THE RANGE KOSMIC (GLUTEN FREE) Style: Stout ABV: 0% Taste: Dark and rich with deep aromas of chocolate and hints

OUR VERDICT

j We loved these in the office! These are perfect for the home and for out. Of an evening, I am often wanting something other than another cup of green tea or glass of water, so to turn to a low alcohol beer and feeling fine after, or the next morning is a perfect scenario but without compromising flavour. Well worth considering stocking.

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of vanilla, all well balanced by a smooth toasted malt base. TANTRA Style: Pale Ale ABV: 0% Taste: A traditional English pale ale made with lightly roasted barley, giving a caramel malt body that is balanced with a lingering crisp hop bitterness. KARMA Style: Pale Ale ABV: 0.5% Taste: A light refreshing pale ale with classic citrus and floral hop aromas leading to a dry bitter finish. SUTRA Style: IPA ABV: 0.5% Taste: A classic IPA, light amber body, lightly carbonated, the hops bring pine, spice and floral flavours and aromas for you to savour and enjoy. CHAKRA Style: IPA ABV: 1.0% Taste: American hopped pale ale with fresh notes of passion fruit, pine & a light bitter finish.

WEST BERKSHIRE BREWERY WE TEST THE VEGAN FRIENDLY RENEGADE RANGE BY THE WEST BERKSHIRE BREWERY!

he West Berkshire Brewery is a brewer who uses traditional brewing techniques, and uses the finest UK hops to produce high quality, distinctive and awardwinning real ales and craft beers. They are an independent brewery with over 23 years of brewing experience, and with their brand spanking new packaging line, they are capable of producing and packaging their beer and ale in cask, keg, bottle and can. We wanted to find out more about their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Renegadeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; range, which is vegan friendly and in fact registered with the Vegan Society.

BEERS

The core range is brewed all year round, and is available in keg, can and bottle. The inspiration and recipes for each beer comes from the brew team, who are always experimenting with ingredients and flavours. Everyone in the brewhouse gets to play!

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GLUTEN FREE/VEGAN/VEGETARIAN BEERS Tropic Like It’s Hot It’s a pineapple explosion in your mouth with coconut undertones thanks to the Sorachi Ace hops. It’s light, fruity and crushable. The super cute artwork was done by Kev Winter, and they’ve also called the pineapple Kev!

THE CORE RANGE RENEGADE CRAFT LAGER This uncompromising lager is crisp, clean and utterly refreshing. Lagered for six weeks and loaded with Progress and Fuggles hops for masses of flavour. Delicious with lighter foods such as white fish or chicken salad. A great summer BBQ partner. Renegade West Coast pale ale Pow! Hops! This APA is inspired by the great craft beers of the U.S. West Coast. Shedloads of Cascade, Summit, Colombus and Chinook result in a big, fat, hop bomb of a beer. Thai food is a particularly good match, the lemongrass and coriander merge well with the citrus hops. Renegade Vienna Lager The modern Vienna Lager delivers a complex hop aroma with an equal amount of maltiness. Expect understated sweetness, contemporary bitterness and more than a hint of hops.

Go classic and match this beer with a traditional Viennese schnitzel, hot dogs or smoked meats and cheeses. Renegade India Session Ale Brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops, this beer provides a smack of tropical fruit with balanced bitterness. Oats provide a full body to support the intensely hoppy flavour. The bitterness of our ISA has a cooling affect and will fan the flames of a banging Chicken Jalfrezi or Lamb Madras.

SPECIAL EDITIONS

The ever-changing selection at Renegade is what makes them so special. They have a specific 100L pilot kit to trial new recipes. Some of them make it to the core range, and some are kept as limited editions. We feel it’s well worth keeping an eye on these as there are some great beers that come up here.

Mashed & Wired – Coffee Pale Ale Coffee and fruit dominate the nose, the aromatics provided by coldextracted Muburi AA Kenyan coffee and a blend of Mosaic and Vic Secret hops. Crisp and light on the palate, the immediate hit of coffee fades into rich earthiness overlaid with a well-balanced hop character. Finish is dry, bitter and moreish. Dead Men Brew No Ales Coming soon! The design on the can is enough for us to be excited about, this beer looks amazing!

WEST BERKSHIRE BREWERY Web: www.wbbrew.com Tel: 01635 767 090 Email: info@wbbrew.co.uk

CONSIDERIT CHOCOLATE

CHOCOLATES

We meet the plant-based brand who are challenging perceptions until they become the norm

s a vegan, being able to eat a doughnut is a real rarity - ice cream and chocolate less hard to find, yet hard to find good luxury products without putting in a lot of research first. When I came across Considerit, I was over the moon! The idea of indulgence but all plant-based was very exciting. One look at their range and you’ll see why I got excited. Considerit offer wholesale options, and with the growing vegan trend, and for those who like myself, are lactose intolerant – this brand is one to take seriously.

THE RANGE: PREVIEW Artisan Ganache Filled Chocolate Bars Indulgent artisan chocolate bar filled with our own secret recipe ganache infused with either cinnamon, mint, orange, amaretto or Talisker Single Malt Whisky. Artisan Chocolate Bars Indulgent chocolate topped with either honeycomb, raspberry, pistachio & cranberry, ginger or roasted hazelnut.

OTHER CHOCOLATE

From vegan crème egg’s to truffles, there is plenty of choice available here for any chocolate counter! With a wide array of flavours and fillings, there really is something for everyone!

DOUGHNUTS

Considerit make a great range of small batch doughnuts and ice cream, get in touch with the team on the details at the end of the article to find out which can be wholesale ready for you.

CONSIDERIT CHOCOLATE

Web: www.consideritchocolate.com Tel: 0131 667 4064 Email: hello@consideritchocolate.com

COME BACK NEXT ISSUE TO READ AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FOUNDER CLAIRE BAKER!

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ADVERTISE IN THE

FREE FROM &

VEGAN TRADE

MAGAZINE Call 01206 240 798

Email chrism@thedelimagazine.co.uk or chrisk@thedelimagazine.co.uk

GNAWFULLY GOOD CHOCOLATE HEALTHIER CHOCOLATE

Chocolate innovators, Gnaw have launched a range of indulgent chocolate bars with a healthy twist. That’s right – the Gnaw team have succeeded where most fail; making healthy taste delightful

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CHOCOLATES

esigned specifically as a ‘grab and go’ impulse purchase, the small 35g bars are handcrafted in Norfolk with 35% healthy ingredients and with no added nasties; seeds, fruits, nuts and British granola – grown in the finest Norfolk fields. As such, they are great source of fibre too; up to 14% of the bar. People are more conscious than ever about the importance of maintaining a healthier lifestyle, parents are conscious of the treats they give their children and increasing numbers of people have a food intolerance or are making food-consumption lifestyle choices. Gnaw’s forward-thinking new product development team have developed this new range with these audiences in mind. All three products in the new range are all gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians; the dark bar is also dairy-free. Always keen to make life as easy as possible for busy retailers, Gnaw supply the new bars pre-packed in their own eye-catching counter top display unit – simply remove the top and display. Designed to sit next to your till point, these impulse bars are flying off the shelves. There are three bars in the range; Milk Chocolate with Peanuts, British Granola & Seeds, Milk Chocolate with Cranberries, Raisins, British Granola and Seeds and Dark Chocolate with

Orange, British Granola & Seeds – Crunchy deliciousness.

72% COCOA DARK RANGE

And Gnaw’s free-from range doesn’t stop there… July saw the launch of their new 72% dark chocolate range – Toasted Coconut and Raspberry Crisp; both dairy-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarian’s.

OTHER FREE-FROM PRODUCTS IN THE QUIRKY GNAW RANGE: NO ADDED SUGAR: l Cranberry & Hazelnuts No Added Sugar

No Added Sugar Milk Chocolate Bar

DAIRY FREE & VEGAN l New 72% Raspberry Crisp l New 72% Toasted Coconut l Coffee & Mint Dark Chocolate l Crystallised Ginger Dark Chocolate l Chilli + Lime Dark Chocolate l Dark Chocolate l Orange Zest Mini Bar

GNAW CHOCOLATE

Tel: 01603 501518 Web: www.gnawchocolate.co.uk

OUR VERDICT

j In our office, chocolate is seldom eaten – a stark difference from my past. I used to eat a lot of chocolate before lactose intolerance really took hold of me and I ended up going vegan too. So, when I come across a dairy-free, vegan chocolate bar I naturally got quite excited (understatement). I earnt even more brownie points when I discovered Gnaw’s ‘no added sugar’ chocolate; a revelation, as my partner has to have a low sugar diet so there is something for both of us to enjoy on movie night’s in! This chocolate isn’t ‘normal’ or ‘average’ it’s pretty special and we love the taste and texture of this chocolate, as well as the packaging. Gnaw produce a real high-quality product range, well worth considering for your shelves.

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GREENCITY WHOLEFOODS

reencity Wholefoods is a wholesaler of fine food and drink based in Glasgow’s vibrant east end. They operate as a worker co-operative - democratically run by their members, which means all of their 42 staff have a say (and a vote!) in how they conduct the business. We love this idea, and it apparently seems to work very well! With Greencity expanding and adding ever more products to their portfolio. Greencity Wholefoods strives to treat customers, suppliers, the community and their workers with fairness and respect and champion co-operative working as a successful alternative business model, and we wish them the best of luck, a shining example of this business model they are too.

WE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CO-OPERATIVE DRIVEN FINE FOOD WHOLESALER FROM GLASGOW – GREENCITY WHOLEFOODS

THE RANGE The range of products supplied by Greencity Wholefoods is vast, however it’s worth noting that amongst other items, they also supply a great deal of gluten free and other free-from products. Let’s take a look at a few notable brands and products in the range! Sgaia Sgaia are now a well-known brand, however it’s worth pointing out that they started on their journey with Greencity Wholefoods. Sgaia make a range of vegan meats, which simply put - are fantastic! Well worth considering stocking some of the Sgaia range for vegetarians and vegans alike. Their trademark ‘Mheat’ is a vegan meat made with a uniquely crafted blend of wheat & soya

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WHOLESALERS protein and very few other, whole plant-based ingredients. Just like an artisanal bakery makes its bread, it all starts from a dough, which is then seasoned and cooked differently according to several carefully devised recipes. They’ve used Mheat to create a variety of products that authentically reproduce conventionally meatbased foods such as Pastrami, Streaky Bacon, Rare Roast Beef and Italian Salamino (pepperoni). www.sgaiafoods.co.uk

Almighty Foods Founders Josh & Molly create hand crafted chocolate bars and nut butter, traditionally stone milled by passionate people in the rolling hills of Scotland. Using only plants such as fruits, nuts, seeds, roots, flowers, tree sap and essential oils, their recipes are full of natural, wholesome, goodness. They also support organic farming as it helps to promote healthy sustainable ecosystems worldwide, it promotes a greater amount of wildlife, reduces the amount of agriculture pollution and it also produces noticeably tastier produce. All their products are sweetened with evaporated coconut nectar, and are vegan friendly and contain no soy, dairy or palm oil. www.almightyfoods.co.uk Merchant City Brewing Merchant City Brewing is a small brewery in Glasgow with a delicious vegan beer selection, all stocked with Greencity Wholefoods. With great reviews and lovely labeling design, these beers should definitely be on the hit list. Bute Island Foods Greencity Wholefoods have worked with Bute since 1996, and

are super excited by their new bulk offerings for catering. We love Bute Island products here, their Sheese being a staple part of the editors diet! With nearly 30 years of experience they’re one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of dairy, lactose and gluten free vegan cheese products. They’ve grown significantly since their humble beginnings and thanks to a brand new stateof-the-art facility they’re able to satisfy the huge demand in the growing vegan cheese market for those who want excellent taste without the dairy! The Sheese range is award winning and they’re proud to

say that all of their products are certified Vegan and Kosher and their ingredients sourced as nonGMO. The production process is also completely animal free in their dedicated Free From Factory on the Isle of Bute in Scotland and everything is done to the highest ethical standards. Leftfield Kombucha Leftfield Kombucha was the first Scottish kombucha to develop into a brand that was viable for a larger market. Their range features four healthy drinks using hand picked teas and full of fermented goodness. Made with only the finest, ethical teas for a full drinks experience without the hangover. They are fermented for taste. No juices or added flavourings. Kombucha as it should be. Raw. Alive. Unfiltered. Full of healthy acids. Probiotic. Low in sugar and calories. High in tea. And bubbles.

GREENCITY WHOLEFOODS Web: www.greencity.coop Tel: (0141) 554 7633 Email: sales@greencity.coop

JAKE’S BOOST

’m an unashamed fan of nut butters; in fact, nearly every meal and snack on my Ironman training days incorporates nut butters (he says just after polishing off a bowl of GF porridge almond milk, agave nectar, chia seeds and two table spoons of almond butter!) So when I found out about Jake’s Boost, naturally I got in touch as quick as I could. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the team behind Jake’s Boost are also outdoors people who love nothing more than walking, hiking, skiing and running – I immediately knew that their product range would suit me down to the ground as they’ll know exactly what is needed to make a high energy and tasty product with that background! Their blends of multiple nuts and seeds are taking on nut butter rivals with new flavour combinations, whilst also taking action against UK child hunger. As a business, they dedicate 5% of profits to the UK child poverty charities, including Make Lunch. The butters are also available in snack pots to appeal to consumers on the go. A handful of air-dried fruit from Kent, including banana chips, apple and orange slices, are matched to each butter. Made on British soil, all of the products are free from added sugar, salt, palm oil and additives, with a boost of additional nutrients from the array of ingredients. The 190g jars retail at between £6.39 and £6.79 and £2.20 for a snack pot. The products are available from their online shop, at selected delis across the UK such as EAT17 Hackney and several online marketplaces, including Yumbles, Nurtured Foods, Big Barn and Tabl.

NUTS ABOUT BUTTERS

Contrary to most peoples beliefs, there is much more you can do with a good nut or seed butter than spread on toast! Personally, I use products like this for all sorts of cooking uses,

WE GET OUR HANDS ON THE RANGE OF JAKE’S BOOST ALL NATURAL NUT AND SEED BUTTERS!

from mug cakes to adding to porridge, adding to risotto or salad dressings – and my favourite – vegan satay noodles! Out of the range from Jakes Boost, the ‘Super Boost’ is great for all of the above, a real stalwart of the range and one of the best sellers.

THE RANGE The range up until recently has comprised of three main flavours, however this growing health conscious start up has added another flavour to the mix! The new Banana Boost is an amazing addition to the collection, and due to the banana’s natural sugar content, the overall product is popular with children and those wanting to remove refined sugar from their diets (in fact, it has five times less sugar than the certain famous ‘chocolate hazelnut spread’ we’ve been plying children with for years!)

Super Boost Butter, 190g This spread will make your taste buds dance- it’s like no other nut butter you have ever tasted. 6 nuts & 4 seeds in one jar! Complex flavours with an earthiness from the seeds and extra crunch from roughly chopped premium nuts make Jake’s Boost Superboost a perfect match for smoothies and porridge but also as an ingredient in savoury dishes like a stir-fry and your favourite cake. It might even give you superpowers…. Ingredients: Almonds, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Brazils, Pecans, Sunflower Seeds, Walnuts, Linseed, Chia Seeds & Hemps Seeds. No added sugar, salt and never ever any palm oil. Registered with The Vegan Society. Cacao Boost Butter, 190g Rich & chocolatey, with espresso notes- this is your favourite high quality dark chocolate in a jar without the rubbish. Creamy peanuts, chia and cocoa nibs for

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BUTTERS AND SPREADS crunch. Stir it into smoothies, add it to brownies, muffins and energy balls- or just grab a spoon and tuck in. We won’t judge. Ingredients: High-Oleic Argentinian peanuts, cacao nibs, chia seeds No added sugar, gluten, salt and never ever any palm oil. Registered with The Vegan Society. Tiger Boost Butter, 190g Indulgently rich and biscuitey, with cashews, brazil nuts, toasted coconut, sunflower seeds and tiger nuts. This spread is perfect on its own but why not stir it into your favorite frozen yoghurt, dollop on your overnight oats or spread it on your bagel for a rich indulgent treat without the guilt... Ingredients: cashews, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, tiger nut flour, coconut (May contain traces of Sulphur Dioxide) Allergen Warning: Contains nuts. produced in a facility handling peanuts and tree nuts. Registered with The Vegan Society.

And now for something new - it’s nut butter but not as we know it! Peanut Butter and Banana in a jar doesn’t exist? Now it does! Move over, plain peanut butter, here comes Banana Boost. It’s a creamy blend of hi-oleic Argentinian peanuts, 5 seeds, and freeze-dried banana pieces.

“This started out as our new smooth nut and seed butter for dogs. We developed it with a canine nutritionist and included all the seeds that are beneficial for dog’s health. But people started buying it for themselves as they like the idea of banana in peanut butter’, explains Dan Pearce, cofounder and director of Jake’s Boost. With one serving providing 15% of your daily-recommended intake of potassium and magnesium- 2 minerals that support hundreds of biochemical reaction in the human body- Dan and Ansje decided quickly to make a version for humans, with added crunch. “We know from our own customer research that crunchy nut butters are more popular than smooth. We then decided to put crunchy banana in the spread. It’s like banana popping candy when you chew it. When people first try it they surprised and delighted by the unusual flavour and texture, and then they are hooked,” says Ansje Germann, co-found and director of Jake’s Boost. For the moment, the Banana Boost is only available as a limited edition in 190g jars but the snack pot version is in the works, this time maybe even with a veg crisp instead of fruit.

JAKE´S BOOST

Web: www.jakesboost.com Email: jake@jakesboost.com

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LATINO GOURMET FROM PREMIXES TO ASSIST IN MAKING TREATS, TO RICE PASTA’S – LATINO GOURMET HAVE GOT IT COVERED! WITH A NEW PRODUCT READY TO LAUNCH SOON TOO, WE JUST HAD TO ADD THEM IN OUR FIRST ISSUE!

PASTAS

atino Gourmet´s primary focus is to promote health and nutrition for consumers with special dietary needs or people who are looking for a healthier lifestyle. We do this by offering high quality products; rich in nutrients, naturally gluten free, and with no added MSG. Their products are recommended for the dietary management of people with the following conditions: autism, celiac disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, including steatorrhea due to the gluten sensitivity, stomach ailments and dermatitis herpetiformis. They are also ideal for athletes in need of a high source of carbohydrates and energy, and those who must eliminate gluten from their food intake or for people who want to take care of their health Their brand Nnova Rice offers a versatile range of Rice Premixes and Rice Pastas that help you to have a varied, delicious and healthy diet. Products made of rice are easy to digest and with a high nutritional value. Nnova Rice products are produced in a facility specially design to eliminate the possibility of cross contamination. It also complies with the Codex

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Alimentarius standard for “Gluten free foods”, they are “NSF Gluten free certified” and their pastas are “Kosher Parve Certified”. They offer a wide variety of Rice Pastas including: Spaghetti, Vermicelli Noodles, Cannelloni, Lasagne, Small Shells and Macaroni. They have a amazing range of premixes, which include: Bread, Pancakes, Vanilla Cake, Brownies, Sugar Free Butter and Vanilla Biscuits, Savoury & Sweet Biscuits. With Nnova Rice Premixes, you can make your favourite treats while continuing to enjoy a gluten free diet. These premixes are characterized by their excellent taste and easy preparation.

THE RANGE NEW PRODUCT! We are super excited by the impending arrival of the new 200g Rice Mac & Cheese – I know I’ll be in the queue to get my hands on one! This is a convenience food for most, but a luxury for those who

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can’t indulge. Perfect as a pre-mix and easy to make, this product with its shelf life and stand out graphic design will be a good shelf stocker for any free-from aisle. PREMIXES Latino Gourmet offers a great range of Savoury and Sweet Gluten Free Rice Premixes. Easy to make, great for entertainment, school lunch boxes or desserts. Their gluten free selection includes: Brownie, Pancake, Vanilla Cake, Vanilla Biscuits, Butter Biscuits, Savoury & Confectionary Biscuits Premixes. Nnova Rice premixes ranges are designed to mimic the texture and performance of glutencontaining products. Easy-to-use premixes guarantee optimal performance with the addition of specified ingredients depending of the finished product. PASTA’S Nnova Rice Gluten Free Pastas, are Kosher and Gluten Free certified. Our pastas are formulated for people who must eliminate their consumption of gluten, eggs, milk, soy, wheat or sodium (Salt). This pasta is recommended for the following conditions: Gluten –sensitive enteropathies including steathorrhea due to glutensensitivity, Celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis. The Rice Pastas hold together when boiled, and have a similar texture to wheat-based pasta, and taste excellent!

LATINO GOURMET

Web: www. latinogourmet.co.uk Tel: 020 8352 1040

ONE PLANET PIZZA

PIZZAS

We met the rather interesting and already successful team behind the uk’s first frozen vegan pizza company!

ased just outside Norwich in Nortfolk, a team of successful entrepreneurs running plant-based businesses teamed up to create One Planet Pizza, the UK’s first frozen vegan pizza company, and I for one was super excited by that! Especially with the knowledge that one of the founders - Mike, like myself - is a keen runner, triathlete and Ironman. Eating pizza has connotations with bad health and convenience eating, yet the pizzas from this fast growing business are super tasty, but also have health in mind. Since 2017 One Planet Pizza have been proudly producing their classic range of artisan, hand-stretched pizzas. And they wholeheartedly believe these are Good for you, the Planet and the Animals we share this world with…and of course Great Tasting! They even add flaxseeds and chia seeds in case you were wondering- and we all know how super nutritious they are. After already smashing their goal to become the first frozen vegan pizza company in the UK, they are now setting their sights on Europe! Within 12 months, they already have over 250 independent retailers and health stores stocking their rather amazing pizzas! These pizza’s are really inspiring and amazing, they really have revolutionized home eating for vegan followers who also want great tasting and healthy convenience food. You can keep one of these pizza’s in the freezer and

save it for a rainy day, or demolish the entirety on the day you get it… Although that’s a no brainer for me, with pizza tasting that good, there is no way it would last in my freezer!

THE CLASSIC RANGE Three sheese margherita With a hand-stretched artisan pizza base, topped with a homemade tomato sauce, white cheddar & mature cheddar style ‘sheese’, vineripened tomatoes, topped with mozzarella style ‘sheese’. Hawaiian With a hand-stretched artisan pizza base, topped with a homemade tomato sauce, white cheddar style ‘sheese’, red onion, juicy pineapple chunks & ham style Vegandeli pieces. Exotic funghi feast With a hand-stretched artisan pizza base, topped with a homemade tomato sauce, exotic garlic mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, topped with a white cheddar style ‘sheese’. Mediterranean roasted vegetable Hand stretched artisan white and wholemeal mix base, homemade tomato sauce, white cheddar style ‘sheese’, marinated roasted vegetables, topped with mature cheddar style ‘sheese’.

WHAT MAKES A ONE PLANET PIZZA DIFFERENT? Hand Stretched Every single pizza is hand stretched to perfection using only authentic Italian pizza flour. They then generously top with their family recipe tomato sauce that’s packed with flavour and naturally thickened by magical chia seeds. They don’t hold back on fresh herbs or garlic either. From fruit & vegetables to virgin rapeseed oil, they cherry pick our suppliers and source locally where possible, such as their‘sheese’- cheese sourced from the rather clever bods at Bute Island Foods, who have made a vegan cheese that actually melts! Planet Friendly The food choices we make are the most significant environmental decisions we face on a daily basis. That’s why One Planet Pizza’s products will always be 100% plant-based. • One Planet Pizzas have been calculated as having just 46% of the carbon footprint of a typical meat and dairy pizza. • Their pizza boxes are 100% biodegradable and so can be composted. • Their pizza box wraps are fully recyclable and made from recycled materials.

ONE PLANET PIZZA

Web: www.oneplanetpizza.com Tel: 07923495065

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DRINK BAOTIC

DRINKS

We meet Isatou and Paul of Drink Baotic, who are on a mission to inspire and empower communities around the world, whilst using Baobab to make delicious drinks!

aul and Isatou met in The Gambia (Isatou’s home country) in 2008, through Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) where Isaotu and her family use to produce similar Baobab drinks on the local market, and when we first dreamt to bring them to UK stores. Now that they have finished travelling, working and studying they can’t wait to see where the journey takes them. Since 2008 they have led community development projects in The Gambia, in both Education & Health. They have supported rural schools, village development committees and entrepreneurial female co-operatives to develop agricultural gardens to improve income, health and nutrition. Partnering with international charities, non-government organisations (NGO’s) and local community groups, they’ve had a number of successes, a national showcase garden, award winning school gardens, and their latest Mansajang project is now EU backed. Their plan is for Baotic to be a more sustainable vehicle to continue to lead on these projects, and to empower communities with far more impact. They commit a minimum of 10% profit to this work, and they’d like that to be more depending on business growth, so please do consider being part of this journey.

WHAT IS BAOBAB? Baobab is a highly unique and natural dry super-fruit that grows across many parts of

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Africa. The Baobab tree is one of the oldest trees in the world; one having said to be carbon dated as 4,500 years old. In African culture it is known as ‘The tree of life‘ because of its many health properties. In many African folk tales it can be referred to as the upside down tree, because its branches look like roots. They live deep in tradition and culture representing strength, wisdom & resilience. And if you have still not heard of them, well it was also Home to Rafiki, the wise old monkey in Disney’s lion King – every family’s favourite! The Baobab fruit has been enjoyed throughout the millennia for its health and unique sherbety taste. Baobab packs a mouthful of flavours as vibrant as the African culture itself. African forefathers, and many sub-cultures to this day, believe the fruit is rich in goodness and can settle the stomach, relieve diarrhoea and constipation, and give energy and strength.

THE RANGE Baotic Original Single Pack (100ml). The Original, the native Baobab version in its purest sense. The true taste-bud tingling zest of the super Baobab fruit. High in multivitamins and fibre, beneficial for regular daily intake, and help you stay

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fuller for longer so a small, easy, convenient pouch packing an enormous impact. Baobab & Orange The refreshing citrussy drink with a zingy baobab kick! High in Vitamin C, with more natural multivitamins. High fibre will help keep you fuller for longer compared to your normal breakfast juice. Baobab & Banana Single Pack (100ml) The high energy Baotic, with a super sherbety kick! A super smooth blend, improving the normal banana consistency with an additional health boost. Strawberry Low in sugar with sweet summery strawberry notes and a sharp sherbety kick! Organic Baobab Powder Single Pack (250g). Pure, raw and organic certified Baobab Superfruit Powder. One of the highest nutritional profiles on the market, in Biodegradable environmentally friendly packaging. No added Sugar. From ethically sourced co-operatives of female wild-harvesters, supporting income generation and community development initiatives.

DRINK BAOTIC

Web: www.drinkbaotic.co.uk Tel: 07443643366 Email: hello@drinkbaotic.co.uk wholesale@drinkbaotic.co.uk

SO GUD!

ot all oat squares and seed squares are born equal, and there are many to chose from. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a shop that doesn’t sell similar. However, a lot of these products albeit looking healthy, really aren’t. Many are laden with sugar and other nasties to keep shelf life up and the taste amazing, yet they don’t do much food for your health of the health of your customers. We’ll soon be doing a cereal bar review, that’ll be an interesting read for sure!

WE TEST OUT IF THE SO GUD RANGE IS AS ‘GUD’ AS THEY MAKE OUT!

WHAT’S SO GUD THEN?

Sogud are passionate about making products that have a high nutritional profile while still tasting scrumptious. They carefully select their ingredients because they are among the richest sources of many of the nutrients you need for optimal health. It’s important to fuel your body right, and their aim is to ensure that you are left full of energy but in the healthiest manner possible.

THE RANGE GLUTEN FREE SEED SQUARES AND BITES Chewy Seed & Apricot Bites GLUTEN FREE (4 X 100g) Gluten-free, sweet seed squares created with natural ingredients such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, apricot and honey.

Chewy Seed & Apricot Square (pack of 10) Chewmungously tasty with appetising apricots and 43% seeds and nuts – almonds and sunflower, pumpkin and chia seeds. Moist chewy meltingly delicious Nutty Seed And Walnut Square (pack of 10) Nuttilicious! Chewy and packed with wonderfuel walnuts, powerhouse pumpkin seeds, delectable desiccated coconut and protein-rich chia seeds. Chewy Seed & Apricot Squares GLUTEN FREE (box of 18) Gluten-free, sweet seed squares created with natural ingredients such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, apricot and honey.

GLUTEN FREE OAT SQUARES AND BITES Chunky Oat & Carob Bites GLUTEN FREE (4 X 100g) Indulgent bites of oat complemented with natural ingredients including carob, dates, honey and coconut. Chunky Oat and Almond Bites GLUTEN FREE (4 X 100g) Delicious oat bites made from natural ingredients such as almonds, chia seeds, honey and coconut. Chunky Oat and Almond Squares GLUTEN FREE (pack of 18) Delicious oat squares made from natural ingredients such as almonds, chia seeds, honey and coconut.

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CEREAL BARS Chunky Oat and Carob Squares GLUTEN FREE (pack of 18) Indulgent squares of oat complemented with natural ingredients including carob, dates, honey and coconut. Chunky Oat Squares Mix GLUTEN FREE (pack of 18) Combination of 10 Oat & Almond and 10 Oat and Carob Squares, made from natural ingredients such as rolled oats, chia seeds, honey and coconut. Fruity Oat And Almond Square (pack of 10) Delectavacious, fruity, oaty, nutty deliciousness! Enjoy lotsa natural oats, fruit, almonds, protein-rich chia seeds and luscious honey Juicy Oat And Raspberry Square (pack of 10) Raspidacious! Richly creamy! Tastilicious! Natural ingredients include premium Scots oats, tangy raspberries, butter, honey, coconut and more. Spicy Oat And Apple Pie Square (pack of 10) Mouth-watering rich creamy taste, with premium Scots oats, juicy apples, high-protein chia seeds, mixed spices and luscious honey.

SOGUD

Web: www.sogud.co.uk Tel: 0333 577 5751 Email: hello@sogud.co.uk

OUR VERDICT

j One of my biggest annoyances is unhealthy food pretending to be healthy, but with Sogud they actually are healthy and nutritious but they also taste great too. The packaging Is vibrant and branding really nice with a premium feel to it, and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inside is even more special. If you are looking to take on any oat or seed squares of flapjacks, do consider Sogud!

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THE

SWEET

BEET 2

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DESSERTS

he Sweet Beet founder, Lizzy Hodcroft, is inspiring customers, producers and entrepreneurs across the food industry with her passionate ambition. Not only has she forged a food brand and helped it blossom into a fine food industry favourite, she is also a spokesperson for mental health within the start-up community as well. Although Lizzy now has a burgeoning business and charisma that’s infectious, it hasn’t always been easy. She suffered from depression during her formative years, which she spent hopping between Scotland, England and Texas. She now talks openly about her own struggle through her blog page www.weirdlyrelatable.com Born in Texas but made in the UK, The Sweet Beet is fighting back with flavour and inspiring cooks to get creative in their own kitchens. With consumers looking for bolder, deeper flavours (and not just heat) The Sweet Beet harnesses the best quality ingredients to produce condiments that taste great straight from the jar, slapped on a steak or incorporated into a more complex dish. Lizzy has put together two mouthwatering recipes for us to try!

BEER GLAZED MARGARITA CHEESECAKE Ingredients l 225g Digestive biscuits, crushed l 60g unsalted butter, melted l 450g cream cheese, softened l 125g powdered sugar l Juice and zest of 1 lime, reserving some zest for topping l 2 tbsp. tequila l 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract l 100g Texas Beer Jelly, melted/ warmed l Large pinch of kosher salt Method Line a 9”-x-9” baking dish with two strips of parchment paper, leaving an overhang. l In a large bowl, mix together biscuits and butter until combined. l

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WE GET OUR HANDS ON SOME PRODUCTS AND RECIPE’S FROM THE FAST GROWING AND QUIRKY CONDIMENT BRAND, ‘THE SWEET BEET’ TO GET US IN THE KITCHEN!

Press in an even layer into the bottom of the baking dish. Freeze for 10 minutes. l Meanwhile, in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Then, mix in lime juice and zest, tequila, vanilla, and salt until creamy and smooth. Spread evenly on top of the crust. Pop in the freezer for 5 minutes. l Place the Texas Beer Jelly in the microwave for 1 minute and stir. Once soft and malleable, spread across the top of the cheesecake to create an even spread. Top with more lime zest for garnish. l Freeze until set, about 1 hour more. Once firm, remove from baking dish and cut into 16 bitesize pieces. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

PULLED JACKFRUIT Ingredients l 800g canned young green jackfruit, in brine or water (not in syrup!) l 1 tablespoon olive oil l 1/2 yellow onion, sliced l 3 cloves garlic, minced l 70ml vegetable stock or water l 150 ml Strawberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

jackfruit into smaller pieces by cutting it from core to the edge for the most pulled texture. l Add the olive oil to a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat, and when hot add the onions and garlic. l Sauté until the onions are tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. l Add in the chopped jackfruit and vegetable stock. Cover and continue to cook another 8 to 10 minutes, until the jackfruit is soft enough that it can be mashed. Mash the jackfruit with a potato masher, until it breaks apart and looks pulled or shredded. l To finish the jackfruit spread in an even layer across the baking pan and then pop it in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and pour over 100ml Strawberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce and stir to combine. Toss it back in the oven for about 10 minutes, until it looks delicious and golden and even a few strands get a bit burnt. Remove from the oven and if desired stir in the remaining Strawberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce to make it even saucier.

THE SWEET BEET

Web: www.thesweetbeet.co.uk Tel: Office: (+44) 0191 261 1001 Mobile: (+44) 07532 497 419 Email: info@thesweetbeet.co.uk

Method Preheat your oven to 200C. Lightly grease a baking pan. Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Cut the

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SHEMIN´S We meet the multi-award winning Shemin’s – who’s traditional and versatile curry pastes are simply divine!

hilst growing up in Uganda, some of Shemin’s most treasured memories were of her mother preparing food in the courtyard of the kitchen. She was surrounded by foods flavoured with fresh fragrant herbs and spices, and a love for great cooking. Inspired by these memories, Shemin created a range of fresh curry pastes based on her traditional family recipes. These pastes are super versatile too, we love that you can knock up a fairly simple dish in under 15 minutes, or with some more preparation and time, make a full traditional meal too. A particular favourite for us is the Medium

Indian Curry Paste as well as the BBQ Blend. We’ll delve into the range further in more detail below.

THE RANGE The range offered by Shemin’s is great. There is something for everyone here, from those who like a little less spice, to full on spice, even a barbeque blend! They mix and grind the perfect blend of fresh herbs and spices, then immediately blend them with sunflower oil. This way the ground spices and herbs are caught at their freshest, enabling you to easily make traditional curries and mouthwatering marinades.

PASTES & SPICES All of their products are made in small batches to their own original recipes, using only fresh and quality ingredients.

PASTES

• Shemin’s Chilli Free Curry Paste • Shemin’s Mild Indian Curry Paste • Shemin’s Medium Indian Curry Paste • Shemin’s Hot Indian Curry Paste • Shemin’s Thai Green Curry Paste • Shemin’s Seafood Curry Paste

SPICES

• Shemin’s Biryani/Pilau • Shemin’s Smoky Mexican • Shemin’s Garam Masala • Shemin’s Harissa • Shemin’s Ras El Hanout • Shemin’s Cajun • Shemin’s Peri Peri • Shemin’s Jerk • Shemin’s Tandoori • Shemin’s Barbeque

SHEMIN´S

Tel: 01344 291 216 Email: info@shemins.co.uk

OUR VERDICT

j Personally, I enjoy hot spicy food and am often getting in trouble for putting hot sauce on a lot of my food, albeit I also really appreciate a super mild curry as long as the flavours are there. The mild pastes that Shemin’s do are sublime and flavourful, leaving me feeling content. I also love the fresh taste of their products, something that can often not be replicated with lesser quality pastes. You genuinely can tell how much love has gone into each of these.

Delicious Gluten Free Nutritious Products For Health-conscious Consumers Delicious wholesome snack made from natural ingredients

No added preservatives or artificial colours

No added refined sugar

Gluten Free

Sustained energy for busy people

hello@sogud.co.uk l 0333 577 5751 l www.sogud.co.uk