find a supplier NATIVE BREEDS www.nativebreeds.co.uk
NEGRONI www.negroni.com
egroni, one of Italy’s best known ‘salumi’ producers, is a familiar name to the UK’s independents, offering a wide range of premium cured hams and salamis in both whole and presliced packs. Its popular lines include PDO San Daniele and Prosciutto Di Parma hams, bresaola, coppa, pancetta, mortadella and its signature salami, the Negronetto, as well as lesser known specialities such as culatello di Zibello. The success of the business, it says, rest of its ‘farm to fork’ policy – despite its size and scope,
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it breeds and farms its own pigs (including manufacturing its own feed) before processing them and curing its lines of traditional hams and salamis at its own units. This, the company says, makes them more attractive to the independent sector. Over the last year, premium products such as culatello di Zibello DOP and the Parma Reserve 18-24 months have increased in popularity as shoppers step up from the standard range, Joe Zottola, UK agent for Negroni tells FFD, while different styles of salami have also seen a boost. “We’re seeing more regional specialities doing well, say Calabrese or Veneto, with people
moving away from the ‘standard’ Napoli-style salamis,” he says. This growing confidence and familiarity can also been seen in the rise in whole, individual mini salamis, where before demand was greater for pre-sliced packs. Zottola adds: “People are more used to using it on a day to day basis and they are confident to buy it and slice what they need themselves. It looks better on a charcuterie board and slicing adds to the theatre.” Although charcuterie sales are up year-on-year in the independents, Zottola warns that the more “lazy” retailers who have not embraced this new culture are in danger of “falling by the wayside”.
WOZA www.eatwoza.com
Woza is a Zulu word that means “come with me”. It couldn’t be a more appropriate name for this Cornwall-based producer as it looks to gain a following for its South African-style charcuterie. Since setting up in September 2015, the company has launched a traditional and a cinnamon variety biltong, using Cornish sea salt, apple cider and West Country beef. It also makes a West Country wild venison biltong when the meat is in season. Owner Skye Saltzman, who is on a mission to show that South Africa’s cured meat styles can rival any other country’s, is planning to add more products to the range soon.
DELICIOSO www.delicioso.co.uk
Oxford-based importer Delicioso carries a wide selection of products from Spain but its range of artisan hams and charcuterie takes pride of place. Its catalogue covers a number of geographical areas, highlighting both the provenance, variety and quality of the country’s regional traditions. Among the items in its portfolios are chorizos cured in
A supplement to Fine Food Digest
the cool northern mountain air of Leon as well as others smoked over oak in areas of high rainfall like Asturias. Its salamis, including new mini chorizos and mini fuets for tapas, come from Cataluña, while its Ibérico ham is made from pigs that roam the oak forests of Extremadura. This autumn, it will have a new Ibérico ham from Artesanos de Jabugo with a DOP Huelva ‘Summum’ grade – a designation of the highest quality and flavour.
Based on the Lydney Park Estate in Gloucestershire, Native Breeds produces cured, smoked, air-dried and cooked meats from British rare breed animals. The small-scale, top-end artisan company, run by Graham and Ruth Waddington, takes its inspiration from a range of styles across Britain, the Continent and North America but also develops bespoke recipes for many of its larger customers. The core range of fermented salamis and mini salamis includes South African style beef & coriander Droewors, pork & venison with long pepper and a caraway & juniper variety made with pork and wild boar from the Forest of Dean. Its varied cooked and air-dried line-up features a hot smoked brisket, rosemary beef, forest ham and a Great British Frankfurter. Its latest project is working with Highland Wagyu Charcuterie to develop its range using the highly marbled beef.
Match it with cheese
Complex charcu terie like braw needs simple ba n ck Caerphilly wit drop. Gorwydd h it s fresh acid and crumbly te xture does ju ity st that.
WENLOCK EDGE FARM www.wenlockedgefarm.co.uk
No doubt inspired by its founders’ Swiss heritage, Wenlock Edge Farm has been producing a variety of air-dried pork and beef charcuterie for more than fifteen years, which counts it among the pioneers in the emerging British charcuterie scene. It makes bresaola, coppa, pancetta, chorizo, garlic & fennel salami, a hunter’s salami and an 18-month matured prosciutto, which are sold either as whole pieces or pre-sliced. It currently supplies farm shops, delis, pubs and restaurants across Shropshire and the West Midlands direct and also sells its charcuterie, hams, bacons and sausages at the farm’s own shops in rural Shropshire.
Guide to British & Continental Charcuterie 2016-17
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