SHELF TALK Chef’s selection Dianazh Dreamstime
FOOD WRITER CLARE HARGREAVES INTERVIEWS TOP BRITISH CHEFS ABOUT THEIR FAVOURITE STORECUPBOARD PRODUCTS 2
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BILLY LITTLEJOHN Head chef at The Star Castle Hotel, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly Originally from Scotland, Billy Littlejohn began working at the Star Castle Hotel in 2001 and has worked his way up to head chef. www.star-castle.co.uk
1 Trufflehunter’s black truffle & porcini salsa It’s hard to get truffles on the Isles of Scilly, but West Country Fruit and Veg is able to supply me with this lovely salsa. I use it to make a truffle butter sauce to pour over the fine tart of lobster which I serve with locally caught turbot in our main restaurant. I also use the salsa in an autumn dish I make with beef fillet, braised ox cheek and king oyster mushroom. I add a spoonful to the port wine jus. trufflehunter.co.uk 2 Cornish Blue cheese We serve an all-Cornish cheeseboard so this
blue, produced on Philip Stansfield’s farm on Bodmin Moor near Liskeard, is invariably on it. It’s wonderfully full flavoured and creamy – very different from traditional English blues. We use it in our poached pear and Cornish Blue salad. I also use Cornish Blue in an ice cream to partner a caramelized pear tarte tatin with hazelnut cream cornishcheese.co.uk 3 Rodda’s clotted cream We use this lovely clotted cream in our cream teas. It’s truly Cornish and supports Cornish farmers as it’s made
New branding affirms Olive Branch’s oil credentials By Michael Lane Olive Branch has unveiled new branding for its flagship single varietal extra virgin olive oil in a bid to strengthen the message about the provenance of its Cretan oil. The new labels across the
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August 2017 | Vol.18 Issue 7
three sizes – 250ml, 500ml and1litre – feature a map of Crete showing the location of Olive Branch’s own Koroneiki olive groves in the South Eastern Lasithi province on the Greek island, along with a personal message from the company founder Maria Koinaki.
“It’s been six years since we launched Olive Branch and during this time we’ve learned a lot about what appeals to consumers about our extra virgin olive oil,” said Koinaki. “We’ve added this information to our new label to further reinforce the strength of the product and provenance. We are confident these changes will help strengthen sales and consolidate our position as one of the top olive oils in speciality retail.” Regulation to crack down on incorrectly labelled blended olives oils has strengthened in recent years, and Defra now has its own dedicated compliance officer in place to check oil labelling. This new labelling from Olive Branch is fully approved. The 250ml, 500ml, and 1l bottles all come in cases of 6 units. Trade prices are £3.50, £5.15 and £8.20 per unit, respectively. myolivebranch.co.uk
from milk from farms within a 30-mile radius of the creamery. roddas.co.uk 4 Eurovanille vanilla
essence and pods Eurovanille produces the best vanilla pods you can get, using varieties from around the world. I’ve been using them for years and always buy them direct. I also use their bouquet extract which is a blend of various vanilla varieties and origins. Both products go in my crème anglaise, ice creams and biscuits. eurovanille.com
Union revamps seasonal blend Union Hand-Roasted Coffee has launched its latest Equinox Coffee, a blend changed twoto-three times a year to reflect the change in the seasons. Released on the Summer Solstice, it is a combination of two coffees both hailing from South America. Mariela Valencia from Colombia will be the backbone of the blend, lending it its sweetness, acidity and complexity, while Huadquina from Peru brings distinct chocolate flavours. unionroasted.com