FFD July 2018

July 2018 Volume 19 Issue 6 gff.co.uk

Special deliveries Find new supply lines in our guide to importers & distributors

ALSO INSIDE: Market Halls: a new concept Brixton’s Guzzl Sinodun Hill goats’ cheese

DELI

INDUSTRY ONLY

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

CONTENTS Inferior sherry vinegar can be too meaty and unsubtle but this is so special, I could almost drink it MY MAGIC INGREDIENT

50

Journalist and author Joanna Blythman on Valdespino vinagre de Jerez

5 THE BIG PICTURE

BRITISH CHEESE AWARDS

7 NEWS

25

13 INTERVIEW Market Halls’ Simon Anderson

Meet the Supreme Champion Sheep Rustler. Plus, all of the trophy winners and an interview with culinary legend Michel Roux OBE.

14 OPINION Lord Price, Editor’s Choice 17 CHEESEWIRE Three ways with Sparkenhoe, Norton & Yarrow’s Sinodun Hill

£10 is a lot for a jar of chocolate spread but you’d spend that on a round of drinks DELI OF THE MONTH

54

Guzzl

EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Editor: Michael Lane

Sales director: Sally Coley

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28 THE DELI COUNTER Savoury selections for your serve-over 31 ANNUAL GUIDE TO IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS 47 SIAL PREVIEW Six reasons to visit Paris 49 SHELF TALK Wine in a can, Ollands Farm Foods’ marmalade 58 GUILD OF FINE FOOD NEWS

Published by The Guild of Fine Food Ltd gff.co.uk © The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2018. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

Turn to page 58 for news from the Guild

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

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A brand new event for 2018 On the opening day of BBC Countryfile Live, the very first British Charcuterie Awards will take place.

British Charcuterie is booming, with artisan producers popping up across the country, from the Welsh Hills and Cumbrian mountains to the Cornish shorelines. These new awards will be hosted by BritishCharcuterie.live and will have a star-studded panel of judges.

Four days of live slicer demonstrations from Bizerba

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

Scan for more information this event

www.bizerba.com Proudly sponsoring The British Charcuterie Awards 2018

THE BIG PICTURE Meeting the mentors Francis Oyewole (right), co-founder of sparking tea brand Green Lady, takes advice from Camilla Barnard (left), brand director at breakfast foods specialist Rude Health, at the second of 2018’s The Seed Fund Academy mentoring days for food and drink start-ups.

Tracklements owner Guy Tulberg, Paul Vita of ethical drinks company The One Brand, and Planet Organic founder Renée Elliott were among trade gurus on hand at WKH *XLOGōV 1R 6RXWKZDUN 6WUHHW RIƓFH in London on 12th July. They met small producers ranging from wild garlic pesto maker Bridge Lodge to Columbian sugar alternative Pure Panela in a series of speeddating-style 20-minute advice sessions.

Photograph: Isabelle Plasschaert

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“Fish4Ever have been doing sustainability since the beginning, before it was trendy, and they’re the only brand I know who put small boats and local communities first.”

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“I love that Fish4Ever are so selective. They seem to have a craft approach. You can really taste the quality in every product, and I absolutely love the new Seaweed Pâtés”.

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

NEWS

Sainsbury’s to mentor small brands as part of ‘destination’ plans

By Andrew Don

Sainsbury’s is the latest supermarket to encroach on deli and farm shop territory with a new scheme that will see it mentor and support small brands in their early stages with a view to listing them.

The retail giant, which has recently proposed a merger with Asda, has even appointed a dedicated member of staff, Rachel Eyres, to take control of the process who has taken up a new post of head of future brands.

This sourcing strategy – part of a plan called Destination Sainsbury’s – is unlikely to be welcomed by independents, especially those that stock brands chosen by Sainsbury’s.

Pippa Murray, founder of Pip & Nut, which Sainsbury’s has already begun working with, told FFD she understood that some smaller stockists would look on her listing as an issue but she believed

Sainsbury’s plans to take more fledging brands under its wings

some brands had the ability to span both.

“Us and brands like Fever-Tree and Bear Nibbles are great examples of how a solid brand equity and quality products allows us the ability to span both,” she said.

Murray added: “It’s a real challenge to maintain your premium status through delis and farm shops while also growing national in supermarkets but it’s totally achievable.”

She said the key was not to take your eye off the

Bakers, brewers and butchers take BBC Food & Farming gongs founded by Mark Tranter in Two bakeries, a South 2013 with the ambition of Downs brewery and an combining acclaimed English and butcher Belgian from brewing Northern traditions in Ireland were East Sussex. among the Peace winners at and Loaf the 2018 Bakery, run BBC Food

by Caroline & Farming Caroline Davies and Lucas Davies Awards.

Hogg of Peace and Loaf and Lucas Small Hogg in Barrow, scooped Food Bakery’s Kimberley Best Shop. They use Bell, who bakes artisan 100% green energy from bread and pastries, won Ecotricity and bake the the Best Food Producer traditional way with organic category. The Nottingham and local ingredients bakery focuses on where possible. small-batch, high-quality Multiple Great Taste products which use local, Supreme Champion Peter seasonal ingredients and Hannan received the Derek no artificial additives.

Cooper Outstanding Best Drinks Producer Achievement Award. was Burning Sky Brewery,

specialist food retailers who helped maintain brand value, and look at ways of “activating these brand building accounts, whether that be through bespoke displays, sampling, or an amazing field sales team.”

Sally Colter of Mrs Bumbles Delicatessen in Burford, Oxfordshire, told FFD: “I think some specialist suppliers need to make their mind up, whether they go to a supermarket or a specialist.”

She said listings

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT...

in supermarkets were prestigious for producers but she did not think they would make money long term.

“If they go into supermarkets, I can’t afford to sell them,” she added.

Another producer Sainsbury’s has taken under its wing is Mallow and Marsh, maker of a range of chocolate-coated snacking marshmallows which is now listed in 1,300 stores.

According to an IGD trade briefing titled “Destination Sainsbury’s – An Update”, Rachel Eyres will spearhead “the origination, onboarding and growth of distinctive brands across the Sainsbury’s range”.

Attendees at the briefing on 5th June heard how the Destination Sainsbury’s strategy was striving to turn the group’s outlets into destinations for its customers to experience new and innovative food brands.

IGD predicts indie shrinkage IGD has warned that specialist food and drink retailers face falling sales over the next five years despite a forecast that grocery overall will grow 14.8% by 2023.

The specialist sector is grouped in the “others” category – along with CTNs (confectionery, tobacco, news) and food sales from non-food retailers and street markets – which is forecast to decline 3.5% to £9.9bn.

All other sectors are forecast to grow their sales, including online (up 52.4% to £17.3bn), discounters (up 36.7% to £31.5bn) and convenience (up 17.6% to £347.2bn).

Nick Gladding, senior business analyst at IGD, told FFD that specialist food and drink retailers would be most challenged by operating cost increases because a lack of scale

would make it harder for them to remain price competitive against the major multiples.

“In addition, initiatives by larger retailers to strengthen their local ranges and talk more about product provenance will create more competition for specialist food and drink retailers,” he said.

Specialists would need to focus on differentiating their customer experience and product offer from other channels, Gladding added.

-3.5%

predicted decline in specialist and “other” food retail by 2023 Source: IGD

LAB-GROWN AND PLANT-BASED ‘MEAT’

JOE WALL, MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE CRESS CO

“I think our customers are more interested in provenance and authenticity and I think, even if they are vegetarian, there would be a certain resistance. They tend to like more of the traditional items. They are not keen on additives and preservatives.

It’s a hard sell. A lot will depend on the technology involved.”

AL OVERTON, HEAD OF BUYING, PLANET ORGANIC

“If this is a way to feed the planet by 2050 then I don’t think this is a veganism choice or a health choice but an environmental and food sustainability issue. Growing cows for beef is a very inefficient way of turning essentially farmland into protein and if all developing nations develop the same appetite for beef that we already have, then globally we have a problem.”

ROBIN HUDSON, PARTNER, ASHBURTON DELI

“I can’t understand why you would want to eat something that looks like and tastes like meat but that isn’t meat, if you’re vegetarian. I would be much more keen on people taking more interest in animal welfare and promoting small farmers and eating less but higher quality meat than lab-produced meat alternatives.”

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

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NEWS

CYBER CRIME

Plastic purge pushing up greaseproof wrap prices

By Andrew Don

The focus on reducing plastic packaging and switching to paper has left deli counters facing cost increases as the price of greaseproof has soared.

Higher wood pulp prices have affected the cost of the coated papers used to wrap cheese across the UK and retailers have been forced either to absorb increases or pass them on to their customers.

Martin Howitt, director of specialist supplier Deliwraps, told FFD that many of the paper mills he buys from have increased prices 3-8% since the middle of last year and affected its delicatessen customers by an average of 3%.

“Pulp is a commodity and the focus on reducing plastic packaging and turning to paper has increased demand for paper and hence pulp,” he said.

He added that the focus on paper-based packaging

would see price increases continue for a couple of years until extra capacity began to come on stream.

Howitt said the closure of many mills in China because of environmental issues had also put strain on the European supply chain.

Hero Hirsh, head of retail at Paxton & Whitfield, said the company was aware of increased greaseproof prices.

“Unfortunately, rising costs are part and parcel of doing business today,” she said. “As an artisan cheesemonger, we use greaseproof paper to wrap our cheeses for our customers as it is the best wrapping to use and it is part of our overall customer experience.

“We have no current intention to stop using greaseproof paper and at the moment we will not be passing this increased cost onto our customers.”

Robert Freckingham, owner of The Cheese

FSA to get tougher on producers of raw drinking milk The drive to impose tougher restrictions on the retailing of raw drinking milk (RDM) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is expected to step up a gear following a crucial Food Standards Agency (FSA) board meeting at the end of last month.

The RDM sector has been worried that the three nations might follow in the footsteps of Scotland, where unpasteurised milk is banned.

A board meeting paper shared with FFD states that improvements are required to ensure “better controls, accountability” and the need for food business operators to provide “assurance” to their customers and the FSA. It adds that this should be coupled with a better explanation of the risk to consumers.

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

The paper proposes a staged approach with the introduction of better control measures followed by a review of their effectiveness.

The recommended measures include changes to the registration process for new entrants to the market.

It also proposes that all suppliers must have a validated and verified food safety management plan based on HACCP principles.

All businesses would also need to have a pathogen sampling and water testing programme in place.

An FSA meeting earlier this year highlighted a fivefold increase in the volume of RDM products in the UK between 2012 and 2017 and an increase in outbreaks of associated illness in the UK since the beginning of 2015.

NEW OPENINGS

Colaren Farms has won planning permission for a new eco-friendly farm shop with a café and play area, which will form part of the 2017 Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan for Fraserburgh.

Greaseproof wrap will cost delis more as the price of paper pulp increases in the wake of demand for non-plastic packaging

Shop in Nottingham, has managed to avoid being hit by increases because he bought enough in bulk at a favourable price to keep him going until 2020.

“I went to our original supplier and his price had gone up,” said Freckingham.

“I did some shopping around and got a really good deal. You play one off

against the other at times.

It worked for us extremely well this year. We are trying to keep counter prices as respectable as possible to keep the volume going through the shop.”

Another paper manufacturer, Nordic Papers, will increase prices on greaseproof papers by 6% from 1st July.

The Saracen’s Head pub in Ashbourne, Derbyshire has opened a farm shop and delicatessen with the help of Pub is the Hub. Suppliers include Owen Taylor Butchers of Leabrooks, in Alfreton, and fishmonger RG Morrison and Sons.

Fane Valley Cooperative Society has applied for permission to open a new 12,000 sq ft farm shop in Armagh, Northern Ireland. The farmer-owned mutual describes itself as one of the country’s most progressive agri-food businesses.

British charcuterie the real winner at inaugural Borough festival Borough Market’s inaugural British Cured Meat Festival culminated with the crowning of Lishman’s of Ilkley as Producer of the Year at the British Cured Meat Awards.

The festival – organised by specialist wholesaler and market stall-holder Cannon & Cannon – was held on 27th May, with more than 500 punters in attendance to taste charcuterie from a range of UK producers and witness the culmination of the awards.

Butcher David Lishman (pictured with TV chef and festival stage host Simon Rimmer) received two trophies on the day, including the overall award and one for his Yorkshire Frankfurter (Best Cooked or

Smoked Meat).

The final judging for the very first inaugural British Cured Meat Awards was conducted during the festival by a panel including chefs Jose Pizarro, Dan Doherty and Tim Maddams, food writers Sabrina Gayhour and Xanthe Clay, and Harrods charcuterie buyer Bernadette Lalonde.

Among the producers offering tasters at the event were Great Glen Charcuterie and Peelham Farm from Scotland, Dorset’s Capreolus Fine Foods, Trealy Farm from Monthmouthshire and Worcestershire-based air-dried ham specialist Oxsprings. britishcuredmeatfestival. co.uk

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NEWS

Abattoir decline threatens to impact on farm shops

IN BRIEF

The Sustainable Food Trust is preparing to lobby the government as the rapid decline of small abattoirs threatens to impact the sale of traceable meat in farm shops.

The trust is currently gathering signatories for a letter to Environment Secretary Michael Gove to highlight the issue, which has also been flagged up to FFD in recent months by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

Sustainable Food Trust policy advisor Bob Kennard said there were nearly 2,000 red meat abattoirs in the UK in 1971 but fewer than 250 were in business today, with many smaller operators having shut in the last decade.

Kennard told FFD that if all the smaller local abattoirs were to close, it would mean the end of fully traceable local meat – a major point of difference for farm shops and butchers.

Most farmers who sell

Smaller abattoirs are vital to maintaining the traceability of meat

their own meat direct to the consumer or via local retailers and caterers rely on smaller scale local abattoirs to slaughter their animals.

Kennard said that many larger operations won’t slaughter small quantities of livestock and their premises would be so far away that transport costs would be

Business rates appeals stay low in first year of new system The business rate appeals system, launched by the government in April last year, is flawed and not fit for purpose, property experts have warned.

The new three-pronged system, called Check, Challenge, Appeal, is believed by many in the property sector to have been designed to deter appeals rather than improve the process.

The government’s Valuation Office Agency (VOA) revealed that, one year since its introduction, only 23,770 checks have been made which means only 1.3% of the 1.85m rateable properties in England have been contested in the year to 31st March 2018.

John Webber, head of business rating at Colliers

International, said: “It beggars belief that businesses are so happy with their rate bills in 2017 that hardly anyone is contesting. Given the numbers in 2010, I can’t believe 98.7% of businesses are happy with their rating assessments.

“It is pretty obvious that the figures are so low purely because, despite claims otherwise, ratepayers still can’t navigate through the new system.”

Business rates now represented a property tax of 50p in the pound.

If the government was going to maintain such high taxes, it must at least give businesses a system that gave them a chance for a proper appeal and one that was transparent – not this “nightmare hospital pass”, Webber said.

Deborah Benbrook

By Andrew Don

prohibitive for farmers.

He added: “Ancillary businesses such as charcuterie and meat product producers using traceable local meat would similarly find it virtually impossible to source raw material,” he said. “This is primarily a problem for the smaller artisan producers,

processers and retailers.”

Anne Mitchell, joint owner of Rumwell Farm Shop near Taunton, Somerset, said she was fortunate that two small abattoirs operated locally.

“We are very lucky but if we have to travel further afield, the impact would be great because of the time and labour,” she said.

She added that it would have a greater impact on the animals because the meat was better from animals that were treated “calmly and kindly” and did not suffer stress before slaughter.

David Richards, director of charcutier Capreolus Fine Foods, warned that if illegal abattoirs were to spring up because of a lack of local ones then traceability would be lost “because there’s no paperwork and it would be difficult to prove anything”.

Fine Food Digest publisher the Guild of Fine Food is one of the signatories on the Sustainable Food Trust’s letter to Michael Gove and Defra.

The Traditional Free Range Egg Company has expanded its purpose-build headquarters, The Egg Shed, in North Cadbury, Somerset, which it says will allow it to process 50% more eggs. The extra space will be used for grading, packing and distribution.

Abernethy Butter, of Northern Ireland, is now supplying Claridge’s Hotel in London’s Mayfair. Meanwhile, its dulse & sea salt butter was served at the gala meal at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May. Intersnack Group has agreed for its KP Snacks business to buy Tyrrells from The Hershey Company for an undisclosed sum. It is the third time in two years the business has changed hands.

Twelve selected for 2018 Seed Fund Academy Twelve food and drink start-ups have joined the Seed Fund Academy, which nurtures foundling enterprises.

Among them are cold brew single origin coffee and Irish whiskey spirit Black Twist; Pep & Lekker – organic plant-based soups; Norty Puds – handmade pudding pots that are free from gluten, dairy, soya and refined sugar; The Bridge Lodge – foraged wild garlic leaf products and Loving Foods – organic, raw, natural cultured, fermented food and drink.

The 12, which also include Dorset Sea Salt, Green Lady, Made for Drink, Pura Panela, Rathlee Distilling Company, Sloshed Sorbets and Wild Flour Cake Company, will work with top names in

food and drink.

They include Planet Organic founder Renée Elliott, John and Tortie Farrand from FFD publisher the Guild of Fine Food, Rude Health’s Camilla Barnard and Guy Tullberg of Tracklements.

Their time in the academy will culminate with a “meet-the-buyers” event on 16th August.

One winning enterprise, which will be

announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Awards Dinner in September, will benefit from a further year of support, brand development and ongoing guidance from industry experts – a prize estimated to be worth more than £100,000.

Previous winners include Yuyo – Yerba Mate beverages, Adam’s Chocolate and FIREPOT by Outdoorfood.

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INTERVIEW

Simon Anderson, Market Halls

People want more these days. They like choice.

The halls are alive The concept of the ‘food hall’ is not easily defined but Market Halls has burst onto the scene with a clear dining-led model and plans to take it across the country. Head of operations Simon Anderson meets FFD at the first branch in Fulham.

By Michael Lane

WHEN YOU THINK of a food hall, an old tube station packed with football fans drinking craft beer and eating some pre-match pizza isn’t exactly what springs to mind. Nor is a group of young mums watching their kids play over a morning coffee while some late breakfasters enjoy a mid-week bacon sarnie.

The latter scene is what FFD encounters when it visits Market Hall Fulham – recently opened in the former ticket hall of Fulham Broadway station – to meet the co-founder of a new operator that plans to open a number of venues across London and the wider UK in the next few years.

Simon Anderson says that the site has already experienced a couple of Chelsea match days (Stamford Bridge is a minute’s walk away) but there is also the reassuring and constant presence of 18 to 35-year-olds across its sevendays-a-week, breakfast-lunch-dinner opening hours.

Despite the incessant rumblings about global firm Eataly’s arrival in the UK and the long-mooted Time Out Market slated for opening in the hipster heartland of Shoreditch, Market Halls has beaten everyone to the punch with this opening. So, it’s only fair to hear its interpretation of the term food hall.

“Our definition is that it’s above 10,000 sq ft and is a covered permanent space on a longterm lease,” says Anderson, whose official title

is head of operations. “If you look for places like that, there aren’t many that compete with us.”

Most well-known as one of the original backers of Pitt Cue, Anderson says that the Market Halls concept is based on similar operations in other parts of the world, especially venues like Brooklyn’s DeKalb Market Hall.

“People want more these days. They like choice,” says the experienced restaurateur. “I don’t know if it’s an overthrow from the gig economy that’s coming into the way we eat.

So, to have spaces that offer choice and scale, it works.”

Rather than jostling for business with street food markets, Anderson says Market Halls’ competitive target is more the “£20 that’s being spent in a nondescript chain”.

The Fulham site, which Anderson estimates is probably going to be the smallest at circa 11,000 sq ft, features a number of concessions selling food and drink to be consumed in the hall’s central communal bench-seat dining area.

These include Yard Sale Pizza, Thima (Thai food), fried chicken specialist Butchies, Calcutta Canteen (Indian food) and ice cream vendor Soft Serve Society.

Although Market Halls takes a percentage of turnover– rather than flat rent – from traders, it did not just give space to the highest

bidders. There has been a careful curation process and everyone who got a pitch needed to be small and independent, and have a good backstory. And, most importantly, the food was all tasted before any deals were signed.

To prove how much thought has gone into the mix, you won’t find a burger at the Fulham site.

“If you’ve got a burger operator it kind of kills people’s decision-making process,” says Anderson. “In a pub, if you put a burger on your menu it’s going to be your bestseller but then people aren’t trying your best dishes.”

There is also a bar in the old ticket office, and coffee shop and deli units (selling food-togo), but no retail. And there is none planned at Market Halls next location in a former night club near Victoria, either.

Anderson says the presence of retail depends on each site and the third hall – in what was previously the BHS flagship store near Oxford Circus – will feature “retail and food experiences” on the ground floor with bars and dining on the next two levels.

Although Anderson has received countless emails from suppliers, Market Halls won’t be changing its model for retail.

“We’ve got an idea of what we want to run there – a butchers, baker, coffee shop, cheesemaker. We will go to an operator that excels in that field and get them to take a concession in the space.”

It’s not just the Capital that’s in line for the Market Halls treatment. Anderson says the business is aiming for around 11 sites and it is known to be exploring sites in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and York.

One to watch, even if you’re beyond the London bubble. markethalls.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

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OPINION IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

ADAM VERLANDER, owner, Jericho Cheese Company, Oxford I started at Neal’s Yard Dairy as a Christmas temp in 2010 and ended up assistant managing two shops and staying for over six years. Then my circumstances changed – I was getting married and planning on moving out of London. I’d always thought Oxford needed a good cheese shop so I set out to create a business inspired by Neal’s Yard Dairy but outside of London.

A selection of 30-35 British and Irish cheeses is the focal point. This is a manageable number to care for and take a personal interest in. I know that taking a subjective approach to stock selection doesn’t always work, but these cheeses are of such an objective quality that it does. Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire is my favourite and isn’t always easy to get people to engage with, but here it is popular.

I think my belief in cheese must be infectious to customers. Of course, the quality of the product must be impeccable and that can only really be communicated by encouraging customers to taste the cheeses.

I have diversified from my original plan only in that there is a nice space in the back where I do monthly tastings. This is not a big part of the business – 95% of what we do is selling pieces of cheese.

I draw on my experience from Neal’s Yard Dairy in everything I do, from managing the retail space to getting the humidity and temperature right. The only area that was new to me was accounting, so I had to learn all about the nuts and bolts of running a business, how to control costs and how to keep a record of figures. Thankfully there is software available that made it easy to understand – I used a package called Xero and found it to be ideal.

The business is performing well. While the number I had in my mind as a weekly target didn’t happen at the beginning, we’ve now caught up with and exceeded it. I put that down to growing awareness, returning custom and personal referrals. We don’t advertise. We rely entirely on customers having a good experience and telling their friends about it. It’s a slow burner but once it starts to stick, it stays.

I employ one other person at the moment.

From last Christmas to last week I ran the shop single handedly, which was a challenge and not sustainable. I’ve now got a good number two, Cristina, who is learning quickly and starting to take the pressure off me. When recruiting, I think personality is the most important factor. Are they warm? Are they engaging? And do they like cheese? By sticking to selling great cheese and delivering great service, I don’t think you can go far wrong.

Interview Lynda Searby Photography Isabelle Plasschaert

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

People will still step away from their TVs, abandon their laptops and get off their backsides for food

By Michael Lane, Editor

Putting your money in bricks and mortar always used to be the safe bet. But recently this most solid of clichés looks on very shaky ground – at least in retailing.

Neither the top end or the bargain bucket of the high street is immune, with M&S, Mothercare, Toy R Us, Carpetright and Poundworld closing stores – and in some cases disappearing entirely. Even that very British concept, the department store, is struggling as House of Fraser looks to halve its estate.

The UK’s high streets have been perennially “in crisis” but this latest raft of high profile closures has dragged the issue up the news agenda and partially out of Brexit’s shadow.

Supposedly, retailers are closing outlets at a faster rate than during the last recession.

But, at the risk of sounding overly bullish, this doom-laden retail landscape needs to be put in context. It might not be a great place for larger chains to hang out but it isn’t dead. It’s just changing. When a tenant leaves, it’s usually not the fault of the building or the road it’s on but the idea they were storing in it.

Take a look at new operator Market Halls (read our interview with its co-founder on page 13). Yes, it’s not strictly retail but its concessionpacked casual dining concept shows that food can still be a big draw.

Its first venture in the old Fulham Broadway station ticket hall (which was previously the site of possibly-before-its-time indie retailer Union Market) could be a glimpse into the future of

EDITOR’S CHOICE Chosen by Lauren Phillips Assistant editor

buildings in shopping areas. Further to the point, Market Halls will be bringing its concept – with retail added to the mix – to the former BHS flagship store on Oxford Street.

It’s worth pointing out that Market Halls is also eyeing up sites outside of the London bubble, including one in York.

At the smaller end of the spectrum, this issue’s Deli of the Month, Guzzl (page 54), started out as an online subscription box service. While the start-up costs were low, owner Andrew Murray-Watson found that you need a seriously big budget to maintain and grow your subscriber base – he estimates VC-backed operations spend around £200 to acquire each customer. No wonder he became a retailer!

Guzzl is doing well now in a small unit in Brixton Village, a covered arcade that is packed with all manner of interesting food businesses.

That’s the real key here. The difference between these two positive examples and the ailing bigger boys I mentioned at the beginning is food, or rather a lack of it.

People will still step away from their TVs, abandon their laptops and get off their backsides for food.

Even Sainsburys has plans to make its stores a destination for consumers (see page 7) by nurturing small producers (another article there in itself).

Try not to worry too much about the confines of your shop but make sure what you’re doing inside it is top notch.

Tipsy Drink Cards Raisthorpe Manor Fine Foods Yes, this month’s Editor’s Choice is another ginrelated product, but before you cast aspersions on me, hear me out.

Just when you thought there couldn’t be another way to re-package the must-have spirit, Raisthorpe Manor delivers a greeting card range with miniature bottles of its gin, called Tipsy Drink Cards.

The packaging is fun with quirky slogans such as ‘You Are The Gin To My Tonic’, to offer consumers a different all-in-one card and gift set. And it cleverly promotes the product range and raises the profile of the Raisthorpe brand too.

Read more on page 52. raisthorpemanor.com tipsydrinkcards.com

The happiness dividend LORD (MARK) PRICE Founder of Engaging.Works and former MD of Waitrose What if I told you there is a guaranteed way to increase sales, productivity and profit and no capital investment was required? In fact, you’d spend less as wastage, staff turnover and sick absence would all fall. Interested?

Academic evidence shows that those businesses with the happiest and most engaged workforces have 20% higher productivity and profits, and earnings per share up 134%. Wastage is on average 43% lower.

Happy and engaged employees care more about the success of the business they work for. They give extra discretionary effort. So how do you achieve that extra engagement?

There are six components. First are reward

“Academic evidence shows businesses with the happiest and most engaged workforces have 20% higher productivity and profits” (being paid fairly) and recognition (being told when you do something well). On average employees are told the latter around three times a year.

Next there’s the sharing of information: providing context to employees. From that context flows empowerment: giving responsibility, and rewarding and acknowledging it.

Fourth is that the employee feels you care for their well-being. And people want to feel they are doing something worthwhile for a manager with whom they have a good relationship and who is prepared to help them develop.

That’s it. Those things done well, consistently, lead to happier and more committed employees.

You can measure these things. I built www. engaging.works and the workplace happiness survey to allow employees and businesses to measure themselves against others.

The improvements which flow benefit everyone: individuals, businesses and society.

Happiness pays.

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

15

Hot Roast Smoked Salmon

Best Cheddar British Cheese Awards 2018

Smoked Haddock Sliced

Smoked Venison

Multiple Award-winner

8VEHMXMSREPP] WQSOIH ½WL meats and cheeses created [MXL TEWWMSR TVMHI ERH GEVI

Westcombe Dairy

For our wholesale price list contact Andrew Tel: 01580 879601 Email: info@wealdsmokery.co.uk wealdsmokery.co.uk Search Weald Smokery

@wealdsmokery

Lower Westcombe Farm, Evercreech, Shepton Mallet , Somerset BA4 6ER Tel: 01749 838033 sales@westcombedairy.com www.westcombedairy.com

artisan, sweet and creamy

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EST.1897

Award winning, Artisan Blue Cheese and Pates To find out more visit: www.cornishcheese.co.uk Call Philip Stansfield on: 01579 362416 16

July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

CHEESEWIRE

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Brits could see thriving exports hit by hard Brexit tariffs

By Patrick McGuigan

British cheese exporters are preparing for an “earthquake of change� following Brexit when EU rules on imports of ‘food of animal origin’ kick in and heavy tariffs could be imposed.

The value of British cheese exports soared 23% last year, according to HMRC, with Europe the main destination.

But at a stakeholder meeting in Brussels last month, the European Commission warned the British exporters of foods, such as meat, dairy and honey, faced disruption to trade following Brexit, when the UK becomes a ‘third country’, subject to different rules. “They made it very clear that the possibility of disruption to exports of foods of animal origin from Britain should not be underestimated,� said Paul Thomas of the Farmhouse & Artisan Cheese & Dairy Producers European Network.

Britain will become a ‘third country’ if it leaves the EU in March 2019 and, without a withdrawal deal and transition period in place, access to European markets could be

limited by EU import rules.

According to a report from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), a hard Brexit could also see tariffs ranging from 14% to 68% imposed on cheese. If a transition period is agreed, the UK would have until December 2020 to finalise a trade deal. “With third country status, British cheese exporters may have to pay additional inspection fees at the border,� said Thomas.

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“Other implications include requirements to change labels, and organic certificates issued

by UK bodies may not be valid.�

Neal’s Yard Dairy director Jason Hinds said he was planning for “an earthquake of change� if there was no deal, but suspected a softer Brexit would be negotiated, which would still mean increased “soft costs� related to bureaucracy. “No business should be burying their head in the sand over this,� he said. “I’m calculating a 5-7% increase in our costs due to added soft costs and up to 20% with tariffs. You look at what that means to our cheeses on a counter in France and that’s a significant retail price increase.�

He added the company is targeting non-EU export markets to offset the risk, with a new deal to supply Peru and plans to explore other markets in Latin American and South Africa.

Andrew Kuyk, director general of the Provision Trade Federation, said that until negotiations became clearer there was little its members could do.

NEWS IN BRIEF .LQJ 6WRQH 'DLU\ LQ 2[IRUGVKLUH ZKLFK LV EHVW NQRZQ IRU WKH VRIW ZDVKHG ULQG 5ROOULJKW KDV launched a new cheese. (YHQORGH is a lightly pressed tomme-style cheese with a washed rind and semi-hard texture. It is named after a ORFDO YLOODJH LQ WKH &RWVZROGV

Sparkenhoe Red Leicester Britain’s only raw milk, farmhouse Red Leicester, Sparkenhoe is still made in the county by the Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co. Aged for six months, it has a striking orange DSSHDUDQFH ŴDNH\ WH[WXUH DQG D VZHHW QXWW\ ŴDYRXU ZKLFK PDNHV LW D YHUVDWLOH cheese for matching.

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THREE WAYS WITH...

Tottenham cheesemaker Wildes is working with the Hyatt Regency in Delhi, India, to set up a dairy, which will make cheese for the luxury hotel’s restaurants. Founders 3KLOLS :LOWRQ DQG .HLWK 6LGHV ŴHZ WR ,QGLD last month to set up the new dairy and train staff. The cheese will be served in the hotel’s restaurants under the Wildes Cheese of London brand.

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Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

17

CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

Ex-Carmarthenshire Cheese Co boss re-emerges at Bodnant dairy The former owner of the Carmarthenshire Cheese Company, which went into liquidation in May, is renting the dairy at the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre to develop a new cheese.

Bodnant in Conwy closed its dairy last February because of unsustainable costs, but is now renting the space to Steve Peace, who is looking to bounce back after his previous company folded owing more than ÂŁ700,000.

The Carmarthenshire Cheese Company, which was best known for the soft Pont Gar, was started by Peace and his wife Sian in 2006. The company moved to larger premises in Llanllwch, near Carmarthen in 2014 with a ÂŁ100,000 grant from the Welsh Government, but production stopped last year and insolvency practitioner McAlister & Co was appointed as liquidator on 26th May. According to documents at Companies House, the company owed creditors ÂŁ726,000, including ÂŁ263,000 to HMRC,

CHEESE IN PROFILE with

Rollright

TOBY ARCHER, The Cheese Plate, Buntingford

Steve Peace (pictured) used to run the Carmarthenshire Cheese Co

ÂŁ140,000 to Lloyds Bank and ÂŁ20,000 to Hartington Creamery. Steve and Sian Peace were also listed as creditors, owed a total of ÂŁ130,000.

Peace told FFD that “severe failures� at the factory in Llanllwch played a part in the business’s demise. He added that information on the new cheese being made at Bodnant

What’s the story?

David Jowett trained at the School of Artisan Food and worked for some of the country’s best cheese shops and makers, before setting up King Stone Dairy near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire with dairy farm manager Antony Curnow.

would be released soon.

Bodnant stopped production of its own cheese at the dairy in February with the loss of five jobs. “The artisan process of making traditional handmade cheese is very costly and the dairy was sadly unable to make the business profitable in what is a very competitive market,� it said in a statement.

He uses milk from a mixed herd, with the majority of cows being of the Brown Swiss breed. The cheese is named after a local landmark – a collection of Neolithic and Bronze Age standing stones called the Rollright Stones.

Milk: Cows’, Pasteurised How is it made?

This modern British cheese is made to a recipe similar to French Reblochon. It is washed in a brine solution and then, like the seasonal Mont D’or cheese, its circumference is wrapped in a spruce wood band to hold the paste in place as it matures. It is made with animal rennet and matured for four to eight weeks.

Appearance & texture: Rollright is a very handsome cheese with a pretty orange rind and, when cut, reveals

18

July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE

You might think owning a cheese shop was all about selling cheese. Wrong, according to Toby Archer of The Cheese Plate in Buntingford, Herts. “Cheese accompaniments are just as important as the cheese itself,� he says. “You’ve got to know your chutneys, wine and crackers, and know which cheeses they go with, or you’ll miss out on sales.�

Archer prides himself on having numerous cutting edge matches, which he backs up with in-store tasters. “Put Beauvale blue on an orange Torta de Aceite cracker and pair it with Somerset Ice Cider and you will sell all three. It takes what was originally a ÂŁ5 sale to well over ÂŁ20.â€?

Archer regularly refreshes his accompaniments range and constantly tries them with different combinations. “You get a feel for what will work, like sweet and savoury, but you need to test matches as well. We do a lot during cheese tasting events when our staff also get to try them.�

Ć“QH VHUUDWHG NQLIH WR ĹŒVDZĹ? through the band when cutting the cheese. If you do decide to remove the rind remember to cost it into your retail price. a soft, golden yellow paste with a velvety texture. The Ĺ´DYRXUV UDQJH IURP ULFK dairy notes to a long savoury Ć“QLVK SOXV DURPDWLF KLQWV RI pine from the spruce rind.

Variations: Rollright (1kg) and Little Rollright (250g) Cheesemonger tip: When possible serve with the spruce band intact. Use a

Chef’s recommendation: It is a great alternative to Reblochon or Vacherin Mont D’or especially when the latter is out of season.

The smaller version can be baked whole and served with new potatoes, charcuterie and cornichons.

Brown craft ale’s malty backbone matches up well to the rind, while bitterness from the hops contrasts with the creaminess.

The Academy of Cheese has been set up to promote cheese knowledge and provide career development, both within the industry and amongst enthusiastic consumers. It culminates in the KLJKO\ TXDOLĆ“HG DQG LQGXVWU\ DFFUHGLWHG UROH RI 0DVWHU RI Cheese.

Visit academyofcheese.org WR Ć“QG RXW PRUH DQG VLJQ up to a course.

SUPREME CHAMPIONS 2 YEARS RUNNING

PavĂŠ Cobble

The Team

Sheep Rustler

Thank you to our supreme team and to our existing customers A Rowcliffe & Son, Arthur David, Aubrey Allen, Carnevale, Cheese Plus, Cheese Shop Chester, Country Cheese, Crook and Churn, Elite Finefoods, Fine Cheese, Harvey & Brockless, Henson, Longman's Cheeses, Mellis Cheese, Paxton and Whitfield, Pong Cheese, Premier Cheese, Ritter Courivaud, Somerdale.

For more information on our range please look at whitelake.co.uk or follow us on facebook (white lake cheese) or Instagram (whitelakecheese).

Contact Roger Longman (roger@whitelake.co.uk) for info on becoming a customer or buy from our existing wholesalers above.

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

23

Exceptional Cornish Cheddar Our multi-award winning cheddar is made with exacting care in the Cornish village from which we take our name. Inspired by our natural surroundings, our recipe has been meticulously crafted for over 60 years to ensure that every bite is never less than exquisite.

This is the Davidstow Way

Discover more at davidstowcheddar.co.uk 20

July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

We did experiments with kid rennet but the curd was too firm

It’s all in the texture Since arriving on the scene in 2016, Oxfordshire’s Norton & Yarrow has wowed consumers and cheesemongers with its moussey goats’ cheese Interview by Patrick McGuigan

There’s something about the texture of Oxfordshire goats’ cheese Sinodun Hill that gets cheesemongers waxing lyrical. It’s “light and almost whipped”, according to Neal’s Yard Dairy; the Fine Cheese Company thinks it’s “smooth, rich and mouth-filling”, while George & Joseph in Leeds goes for “fluffy”.

Fraser Norton, who makes the cheese with his wife Rachel Yarrow at the Earth Trust farm just south of Oxford, prefers the term “moussey”, but is certainly not going to argue with the enticing descriptions of some of the country’s best cheese shops.

Just how Norton & Yarrow achieves this beguiling texture is complicated. “There are lots of different factors involved,” says Norton. “It’s hard to say which is most important.”

One of the secrets is the use of thistle rennet from the cardoon flower to coagulate the milk – a technique more associated with Spanish and Portuguese cheeses. “We did experiments with kid rennet but the curd was too firm,” he says.

“Thistle rennet gives a lovely light set.”

Another factor is that the curd is drained in bags overnight, before being broken up again as salt is mixed in by hand, giving the texture a certain airiness. Or it could be the milk itself.

Norton & Yarrow uses raw milk from its own herd of Anglo-Nubian goats, known as the Jerseys of the goat world because of the high fat content in their milk.

Whatever the reason, Sinodun Hill’s unique personality has helped it become a rising star of British cheese since it launched in early 2016,

with several major awards already under its belt.

Norton previously worked in project management and Yarrow was an English teacher, but they decided to change careers after reading an article in Woman & Home magazine about a goats’ cheesemaker, while on holiday in Sicily.

“It really struck a chord with us,” he says. “On the plane on the way home we were doing some soul searching and started getting excited about doing something similar.”

After taking courses at the School of Artisan Food and talking to retailers, including Neal’s Yard and La Fromagerie, the couple rented production space at fellow start-up Nettlebed Creamery and started building up their own herd of goats at the Earth Trust farm as part of a scheme called FarmStep, which helps people from outside farming set up agricultural businesses.

The business moved to the farm earlier this year, building its own bespoke production premises from two shipping containers. “We don’t have a permanent tenancy, so we wanted something that was portable,” says Norton. “They would take a lot of porting – but technically we could disconnect them and stick them on the back of a lorry and take them where we want.”

The move, which was supported by a Leader grant, cost around £90k in total, with the company now processing around 1,000 litres a week, which equates to around 700 cheeses.

The aim is to double capacity in the next year by increasing the number of milking goats from the current 45. “The target is 100 goats with yearround production because we’re satisfied that with 2,000 litres of milk a week it will make us sustainable,” says Norton. “But growing your herd takes time. We have to wait for nature.”

In the meantime, trials are taking place on a new cheese, which Norton is remaining tightlipped about for the moment. If it’s anywhere near as good as fluffy, moussey, mouth-filling Sinodun Hill, it will be one to watch out for.

CROSS

SECTION

Sinodun Hill 1

Norton & Yarrow used a French cheesemaking book called The Making of Farmstead Goats Cheese, by Jean Claude Le Jaouen, when they first began researching the business. Sinodun Hill was originally based on a Pouligny-Saint-Pierre recipe, which has a similar truncated pyramid shape and wrinkly rind. The Sinodun Hills is the original name for the Wittenham Clumps, which stand just above the farm where the goats graze.

2 The cheese has a clean, creamy flavour with fruity and nutty notes – think citrus and almonds. The wrinkly rind comes from the addition of the yeast geotrichum, but spots of bluey green mould do sometimes spontaneously appear.

3 Each cheese weighs 200g and is aged at the farm for around three weeks.

The creamy texture and flavour is due to the high fat content of Anglo-Nubian milk, which averages around 4.8%, compared to below 4% for British Saanen and Toggenburg.

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

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A truly global cheese event, the CARLOS YESCAS, CHEESEMONGER

World Cheese Awards has been bringing

AND AUTHOR (MEXICO)

The World Cheese Awards offers a unique opportunity to meet producers, consumers, industry experts and aficionados all in one event, setting the path for our industry.

Here you have the most trusted cheesemongers and buyers rubbing shoulders with the most respected cheesemakers.

together cheesemakers, retailers, buyers, consumers and food commentators worldwide for over three decades. This year we take this unique event to Bergen, as part of a food festival celebrating Norwegian culture.

FIND OUT MORE AND ENTER YOUR CHEESE FROM 5 SEPTEMBER AT WWW.GFF.CO.UK/WCA 2-3 November 2018, Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway

gff.co.uk/wca | @guildoffinefood #worldcheeseawards

We have grown from a 'one man with an idea and a love of good, down to earth food’ operation to today employing several people to make and supply our gastronomic products

MORROW FOODS - AN INTRODUCTION History of Morrow Foods Morrow Foods was established in 1996 and has been making the very finest patés ever since. We have now added great stews and broths with a potato from locally sourced ingredients. Our range of products are supplied to local shops, restaurants and supermarkets across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

We have grown from a ‘one man with an idea and a love of good, down to earth food’ operation to today employing several people to make and supply our gastronomic products.

Ingredients & Gastronomy Morrow Foods always has a focus on delivering good quality gastronomic products that are free from added additives and preservatives. We also work closely with local suppliers ensuring that only the best ingredients are in our pates, soups and stews. To ensure freshness to our customers, everything is freshly made each day and are usually delivered on the day they are made!

Our founder Graham Morrow brings inspiration and innovation. He has been awarded by both Tesco & was also a Supplier of the Year award from Sainburys. Indeed when Sainsburys were opening up in Northern Ireland Morrow Foods were specially sought as suppliers having previously been a very popular pate (in those days) with customers of the high-class Supermac.

We are passionate about buying local and supporting other local businesses.

Rick Stein, the famous chef, very highly praised our pate saying it had 'a very homemade quality and better than he himself could make' and we recently have been sourced to supply a speciality pate to the Caribbean

Our Mission

Our products are readily available both online and in-store in large retailers, including Asda, Tesco NI, Sainsbury, NISA UK & Ireland we also supply numerous deli’s, restaurants, hotels and smaller shops.

At Morrow Foods we believe everybody has the right to eat pure unadulterated quality gastronomical foods, and that’s why everything we produce from now to the end of time is of great quality.

In terms of our interactive, online audience and share of voice, Morrow Foods have a substantial Facebook following of 2.2K followers, comprising of many loyal customers, spanning throughout the nations with 5 Star reviews.

E info@morrowfoods.com

W www.morrowpate.co.uk

th

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

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www.snowdoniacheese.co.uk

snowdoniacheese

TM

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‘best nEw cheese’ winner INDULGENT BLUE CHEESE, handmade AT WILSON fields FARM, LANCASHIRE hello@butlerscheeses.co.uk butlerscheeses.co.uk @ButlersCheese

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

BRITISH CHEESE AWARDS

White Lake Cheese’s Sheep Rustler a semihard cheese made with thermised ewes’ milk was named BCA Supreme Champion

Best of British White Lake emerged as the Supreme Champion for the second year running but a host of top cheesemakers were honoured at the 25th British Cheese Awards

By Michael Lane

Somerset’s White Lake Cheese received the Supreme Champion trophy at the British Cheese Awards for the second year running with another one of its ewes’ milk creations.

Sheep Rustler, a semi-hard cheese made with thermised milk, is made a few miles from the Royal Bath & West Showground where the awards were held on 30th May, within the annual show.

White Lake saw off more than 1,000 entries to take the title at the awards’ 25th instalment.

Somerset’s cheesemakers collected a number of trophies at a dinner held after the day’s judging. Montgomery’s mature cheddar was named Reserve Champion while Westcombe Dairy picked up three awards – two for its

Duckett’s Caerphilly (Best British Territorial and Best English) and the Best Cheddar trophy. Bath Soft Cheese won awards for Best Packaging and Best Organic for the washed rind Merry Wyfe.

The trophy for Best Soft White Cheese, sponsored by Fine Food Digest, was awarded to Nettlebed Creamery’s Bix. Among the other award winners were Golden Cross’s Flower Marie (Best Sheep’s Cheese), Butlers Farmhouse Cheese’s Stratford Blue (Best New Cheese ) and Teifi’s Celtic Promise (Best Welsh and Best Semisoft).

This year’s competition attracted over 1,000 entries from 147 makers, with 77 judges reviewing 123 classes of cheese. Cheeses entered

came from 54 counties across the UK and Ireland.

All the cheeses were scored on presentation, texture, aroma, flavour and balance. Dependent on the scores that each cheese received, gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded.

Among this year’s senior judging panel were Mary Quicke, the Awards’ founder Juliet Harbutt and chef Michel Roux OBE. Peter Mitchell, chairman of the British Cheese Awards, said: “The number and quality of the cheeses entered for this year’s awards has been exceptional and made judging and choosing the winners a real challenge.”

TROPHY WINNERS ON NEXT PAGE Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

25

BRITISH CHEESE AWARDS

Michel Roux: British cheese is often equal to Continental FFD caught up with the culinary heavyweight after judging was done When FFD asks what such a revered French chef is doing judging at an event celebrating British cheese, Michel Roux is quick to point out that he has been in the UK for nearly half a century.

“When I first came to this country there were barely 20 kinds of cheese and now we have hundreds of artisan cheeses,” says Roux, whose restaurant in Bray has held three Michelin stars since 1985.

“I’ve seen it growing – the industry, the quality of the cheese – and on my trolley, at The Waterside Inn where I offer 40 kinds of cheese, I’ve got at least 15 kinds of British cheeses.”

Roux, who was at the British Cheese Awards as part of the supreme judging panel, says that some modern British varieties are now as good as the Continentals they were modelled on.

“I can tell you it’s been, more than once, a big surprise for me to find a [British] cheese which I know very well – it has the same style, same milk, same maturation – and I think ‘Oh it will kill the French’.”

While he won’t mention specific names, Roux is effusive in his praise for the improvements in quality of cheese in his adopted country.

“You had to work hard to find a ‘good’ cheese, and then it’s gone up to ‘very good’, ‘excellent’, and now we do have some superb cheeses, equal to any country in Europe – including France.”

Major trophy winners Supreme Champion Sheep Rustler White Lake Cheese

Best Welsh Cheese Celtic Promise Caws Teifi Cheese

Best Fresh Cheese American Style Soft Cheese Dairygold Food Ingredients

Best Soft White Bix Nettlebed Creamery

Best PDO/PGI Cheese Stilton Colston Bassett

Reserve Champion Montgomery’s mature cheddar J A & E Montgomery

Best Blue Blue Swaledale The Swaledale Cheese Company

Best Modern British Killeen Goat Mature Killeen Farmhouse

Best Cheddar Westcombe Cheddar Westcombe Dairy

Best Sheep Cheese Flower Marie Golden Cross Cheese Co

Best English Cheese Ducketts Caerphilly Westcombe Dairy

Best Dairy Product Whey Butter Barbers Farmhouse Cheesemakers

Best New Cheese Stratford Blue Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses

Best Cheese from a Member of the Specialist Cheesemakers Association Killeen Goat Mature Killeen Farmhouse

Best Territorial Ducketts Caerphilly Westcombe Dairy

Best Irish Cheese Boyne Valley Bán Boyne Valley Farmhouse Cheese Best Scottish Cheese Smoked Mull Of Kintyre First Milk Campbeltown

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

Best Export Rollright King Stone Dairy Best Flavour-Added Cerney Pepper Cerney Cheese

Best Packaging The Merry Wyfe Bath Soft Cheese Best Semi-Soft Celtic Promise Caws Teifi Cheese

Best Goat Cheese Ashlynn Cheese Cellar Dairy Best Organic Cheese The Merry Wyfe Bath Soft Cheese

Best Prepared Block Cheese Extra Mature Dairy Crest Davidstow Best Show Dressed Cheese Wensleydale Joseph Heler

Clean Food, Expertly Made

If you believe in clean, additive free, healthier food then our brand is for you. Our fresh chilled products are Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Low Salt, GMO Free, use absolutely no artificial additives, preservatives or colourings and can be used right up to Best Before date, even when opened.

www.genovese.ie For inquiries please contact Gill Toal on gill@genovese.ie

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lynherdairies.co.uk

@lynherdairies Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

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CATEGORY FOCUS

Service your serve-over Pep up your serve-overs and hampers with this new product round-up. Whether you are on the look-out for on-trend lines like gourmet Scotch eggs, salmon curing kits and vegan pâtés or for more traditional charcuterie and cheeses, there’s something here for every deli counter.

Compiled by Lynda Searby

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

deli counter Air-dried meats specialist Deli Farm Charcuterie has launched two new products: smoked cullatello and smoked fiocco. Both are dry cured in a simple mix of salts, cure and spices, gently smoked over apple wood, air dried and matured.

Cullatello has a trade price of £2.12 for a 40g sliced pack (RRP £2.85), whilst fiocco has a trade price of £2.07 for a 50g pack (RRP £2.79). delifarmcharcuterie.co.uk

Despite being free from preservatives, Pyman Pates’ new trio of organic pâtés has a chilled shelf life of up to 22 weeks. Made from British ingredients, the range takes in chicken liver with brandy & cranberries, chicken liver with chestnut mushrooms, and chestnut mushroom.

RRP is £3.89 for 125g.

The Devon producer has also revised its packaging, reducing the plastic content by 30% and switching to a recyclable plastic. pymanpates.co.uk

Earlier this year, Pieminister welcomed Kevin, its first vegan pie, to the menu. The pie marries a “rich ragu-like filling” made with British chestnut mushrooms, tomato, red wine, baby onions, red quinoa and thyme, with vegan pastry. RRP £2.80 for an individual 270g pie. Like all Pieminister pies, Kevin is available wholesale, delivered fresh and chilled with a minimum eight-day shelf life. pieminister.co.uk

The Patchwork Food Company is harnessing the vegan trend with the introduction of four new pâtés: red lentil & sundried tomato with chilli; brown lentil, mushroom & garlic; brown lentil & hazelnut; and red pesto. The pâtés are available in 120g retail packs (RRP £3.50; trade price £2.15) and 450g packs for deli counters (RRP £2.65 per 100g; trade price £7.15) via The Cress Co. patchworkfoods.com

Made from rare breed freerange pork and currently only supplied to eight delicatessens in North Yorkshire, The Clucking Pig Company’s “gourmet” Scotch eggs have been given the seal of approval by the Queen’s chef, after being invited to a “Pitch to the Palace”. Other varieties include Whitby kipper and kid goat & harissa. thecluckingpig.com

Peckish Kitchen Hepburns Foodhas hasrebranded developed itsa seasonal rhubarb jam become newtoham recipe.

Yorkshire rhubarb jam, Its Christmas ham& iscustard steeped using local treacle, rhubarbcinnamon, grown within in honey, the triangle of West starrhubarb anise, fresh oranges and Yorkshire.

It issugar also launching a dark brown before being new Raspberry Collins gin jam, smoked over beechwood and made with Trade raspberries steamed. price issteeped about in Divine Gin. £50 for a 6kg ham. peckishkitchen.co.uk hepburnsfood.co.uk

After reaching its first year of Yorkshire’s Three Little Pigs business, has treatedHungry its rare Squirrel breed chorizo has added pecan to its and salamimaple snacking sticks to a flavoured nut butters. with packaging revamp.

TheMade snacking pecans, syrup sticks arealmonds, availablemaple in three and a hint of mixed spices, flavours – spicy chorizo, mildthe smooth and butter has a trade price of chorizo Yorkshire salami with £3.95 per&150g jarTrade (RRPprice £5-6). oregano thyme. feedthesquirrel.co.uk £2.60; RRP £3.75. threelittlepigschorizo.co.uk

Womersley Foods is now from This smoked black pudding sellingMaguire its fruity jams in a newly Hugh Butchers in designed box. The Co. Meath,gift Ireland, wasbalance crownedof herbs andChampion chilli in the Supreme in three Great jams – raspberry chilli, blackcurrant Taste 2017. & Each traditional& rosemary, strawberry & recipe blood and pudding is gently mint – isover saidbeech to intensify the smoked chippings flavour of the fruit. for 45 minutes.

RRP £2.75 per womersleyfoods.com 100g. hughmaguirebutchers.com

A full-bodied, rich ragulike filling in crispy pastry

>> The Artisan Olive Oil Company has tracked down several organic Tunisian products from Moulins Majoub and is making them available to the UK deli trade. These include meski olives with harissa, sahli olives in brine, harissa paste, black olive spread and shak-shuka. artisanoliveoilcompany. com

Having perfected a glutenfree shortcrust pastry, Shropshire’s 7UHŴDFK )DUP is putting it to use in a new six-strong range of veggie pies. Homity, Moroccan spiced veg with red onion & raisin relish topping and buttenut squash & goat cheese are three of the meat-free recipes. Trade price £2.20; RRP £3.08 for an individual pie; trade price £5.12; RRP £7.17 for a family size.

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Duck rillette with black cherry, potted beef with horseradish, chicken liver pâtÊ with sage butter, edamame bean pâtÊ and marinaded pulled pork are the latest creations to come out of Cornish Charcuterie’s Bude kitchen. These potted products, preserves and pâtÊs come in 110g kilner jars, have a 12 month shelf life (six months for the chicken liver pâtÊ) and retail at £5.95-£6.15 (wholesale price £3.95-4.35).

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Ilkley-based Lishman’s is eschewing “mechanically recovered meat� and “chicken from dubious sources�, producing German-style Frankfurters that use only best cuts of high welfare Yorkshire pork from the same farm. The sausages were crowned Best Smoked Product at the British Cured Meat Awards 2018 and are delivered frozen in chill boxes for retailers to refreeze or sell. lishmansbutchers.co.uk

Cornwall’s Lynher Dairies is best known for its iconic Yarg, but the dairy’s Kern, which was crowned Supreme Champion at the World Cheese Awards in 2017, is making a name for itself too. Kern takes 16 months to mature into a hard cheese with “buttery sweetness and salted caramel notes�.

Originally derived from a Gouda style cheese, Kern is made with Alpine starter cultures which means it bears some resemblance to both Dutch and French-Swiss cheeses. lynherdairies.co.uk

Tenuta Marmorelle LV WKH Ć“UVW 8. ZKROHVDOHU WR RIIHU FKDUFXWHULH IURP ,WDOLDQ SURGXFHU 9LOODQL ,WV SRUWIROLR LQFOXGHV VWRIHORWWR VDODPL ZLWK JDUOLF DQG ZKLWH ZLQH

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Spanish food importer Delicioso is now carrying two sizes of salted Cantabrian anchovies – a 50g boxed tin and a 110g sleeved tray – from Spanish company Pujado Solano.

The anchovies are only slightly salted to keep them “plump and tastyâ€?, which results in a shorter shelf life than those on sale in the supermarket, but Delicioso claims the difference in Ĺ´DYRXU LV Ĺ?LQFUHGLEOHĹ? delicioso.co.uk

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Everything you need to cure your own bacon at home

Ross & Ross has extended its collection of salmon and bacon home-curing kits with the addition of 12 new cures. New bacon cures include maple & chipotle, fennel & juniper and English mustard & pink peppercorn, while beetroot, citrus and sansho pepper are among the new salmon cures. Each kit contains the curing mixes, muslin, curing bags, gloves, hook and instructions.

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Great Glen Charcuterie’s QHZ 6FRWWLVK SRUN VDODPL LV GHVFULEHG DV Ĺ?PHOORZ DQG VZHHW ZLWK D KLQW RI SHSSHUĹ? ,W LV D GHSDUWXUH IURP WKH +LJKODQGV SURGXFHUĹ?V Ĺ´DJVKLS YHQLVRQ FKDUFXWHULH EXW ZDV D Ć“QDOLVW LQ WKH %ULWLVK &XUHG 0HDW $ZDUGV 7UDGH SULFH e SHU NJ greatglencharcuterie.com Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

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Old Winchester, a very hard cheese with lots of flavour. www.lyburncheese.co.uk 01794 399982

Awarded original Swiss Cheese since five generations presented

by Affineur Walo von Mühlenen.

Exclusively distributed in the UK by The Fine Cheese Co. www.finecheese.co.uk 01225 424212 30

July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

2018 GUIDE TO IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS

A SPECIAL REPORT ON FINE FOOD IMPORTERS, WHOLESALERS & DISTRIBUTORS

Vol.18 Issue 6 | July 2017

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delici├Шoso :H DUH D ринQH IRRG ZKROHVDOHU SDFNLQJ DQG GLVWULEXWLQJ WR IDUP VKRSV JDUGHQ FHQWUHV GHOLV DQG LQGHSHQGDQW UHWDLOHUV :H SDFN D ODUJH UDQJH RI SUH SDFNV VXSSRUW ORFDO QDWLRQDO DQG LQWHUQDWLRQDO EUDQGV

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

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IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS GUIDE FIVE MINUTES WITH...

Nick Carlucci, Managing Director

As Brexit negotiations continue, it’s business as normal for Tenuta 0DUPRUHOOH 0DQDJLQJ GLUHFWRU 1LFN Carlucci says the company has grown quite rapidly in recent years and is now looking at new markets within the UK, ,UHODQG DQG (XURSH “It’s just about powering on,â€? he tells FFD, “we’re hiring new staff and we’ve increased the size of our chilled store to hold more fresh products like our pasta UDQJH Ĺ?

There is an uncertainty for the importer over what will happen after the UK leaves the EU, with logistical issues EHLQJ WKH FKLHI FRQFHUQ Additional paperwork could mean ORQJHU TXHXHV DW WKH ERUGHU 7KLV PD\ EH Ć“QH IRU DPELHQW JRRGV VD\V &DUOXFFL EXW QRW IRU SURGXFWV OLNH IUHVK SDVWD That said, the importer isn’t too worried about the future of imported Italian products, as Europe still needs to trade with the UK and British consumers will still want to buy Italian products, UDWKHU WKDQ KRPH JURZQ DOWHUQDWLYHV “Popular products like Prosecco and Parma ham can’t be made in the UK and there is still a demand for those,â€? says &DUOXFFL Ĺ?0DUNHWV KDWH XQFHUWDLQW\ VR , WKLQN WKHUH ZLOO EH VRPH VRUW RI GHDO Ĺ?

Tenuta Marmorelle tenutamarmorelle.com Minimum order value: ÂŁ250 Delivers to: UK and Ireland

Vinegar Shed YLQHJDUVKHG FRP 0LQLPXP RUGHU YDOXH e IRU IUHH LQQHU /RQGRQ VKLSSLQJ e IRU IUHH 8. PDLQODQG VKLSSLQJ Delivers to: UK 9LQHJDU 6KHG VSHFLDOLVHV LQ UDUH VPDOO EDWFK DUWLVDQ YLQHJDUV EXW DOVR LPSRUWV RWKHU DPELHQW SURGXFWV VXFK DV )LQFD /D %DUFD VPRNHG ROLYH RLO %UDV GH 3RUW 6SDQLVK VDOWV DQG $UUR\DEH DQFKRYLHV WXQD DQG VHDIRRG 2QH YLQHJDU EUDQG WKH LPSRUWHU FDUULHV LV /D *XLQHOOH SURGXFHG E\ 1DWKDOLH /HIRUW LQ &RVSURQV RQ WKH &RWH 9HUPHLOOH FRDVW FORVH WR 6SDLQ /HIRUW XVHV WKH IDPRXV IRUWLĆ“HG UHG %DQ\XOV GHVVHUW ZLQH IURP ORFDO YLQH\DUGV IRU KHU FRUH YLQHJDUV WUDGH SULFHV VWDUW DW e PO ERWWOH EXW DOVR PDNHV OLPLWHG SURGXFWLRQ VLQJOH JUDSH YDULHWDO YLQHJDUV VXFK DV VDIIURQ 0XVFDW DQG $JHG %DQ\XOV

Tenuta Marmorelle sources fresh and ambient products exclusively from Italy, with brands including Casanova Balsamics, Villani Charcuterie, Vedova Prosecco and Tartufo -LPP\ 7UXIĹ´H Most of the products come from Puglia, including the LPSRUWHUĹ?V =(52 H[WUD YLUJLQ ROLYH RLO The company also has the UK’s widest range of glutenIUHH SDVWD XQGHU LWV RZQ EUDQG 7HQXWD 0DUPRUHOOH 3DVWD 0DGH ZLWK FRUQ Ĺ´RXU ULFH Ĺ´RXU DQG ZDWHU WKHUH DUH VKDSHV DQG SLHFHV SHU ER[ 3ULFHV UDQJH IURP e WR e

The Fine Food Forager WKHĆ“QHIRRGIRUDJHU FR XN Minimum order value: ÂŁ100 Delivers to: UK

7KH )LQH )RRG )RUDJHU RIIHUV D UDQJH RI WDVWH WHVWHG DUWLVDQDO EUDQGV IURP WKH 8. DQG WKH &RQWLQHQW 7KHVH LQFOXGH 3RSWL VDYRXU\ ELVFXLWV 7LQ\ 5HEHO FUDIW EHHU DQG 3HDUO\ 4XHHQ KRQH\ 3HUFHYDO LV DQ DZDUG ZLQQLQJ VSDUNOLQJ QRQ DOFRKROLF GULQN SURGXFHG LQ 1RUPDQG\ DQG LPSRUWHG E\ WKH FRPSDQ\ 0DGH IURP SUHVVHG GHVVHUW DSSOHV ZKLWH WHD DQG VHD EXFNWKRUQ WKH UHIUHVKLQJ DSHULWLI LV DYDLODEOH LQ

PO RU PO ERWWOHV The importer also carries Sri /DQNDQ EUDQG $FH 7HD D FROOHFWLRQ RI DZDUG ZLQQLQJ WHDV SUHVHQWHG LQ D VSHFLDOO\ FUDIWHG ĹŒVWRFNLQJĹ?

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Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

33

Luisa’s family have been making pasta by hand for generations. When one of her best friends was diagnosed with a gluten allergy she couldn’t believe the poor taste and quality of the gluten-free pastas available, and set about creating the perfect alternative. Freshly milled in small batches from organic corn, wholegrain sorghum, wholegrain rice, buckwheat and quinoa, this really is perfect gluten-free pasta. Varieties include tagliatelle, penne, fusilli, spaghetti and gnocchetti.

www.organico.co.uk Tel: 01189 238767

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS GUIDE %HVW RI +XQJDU\ bestofhungary.co.uk Minimum order value: None Delivers to: UK mainland and Northern Ireland

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

Giles Reynolds, brand director

Petty Wood pettywood.co.uk (Company website) / pettywood.direct (online shop) Minimum order value: from ÂŁ100 Delivers to: UK and ROI

Petty Wood source its products from across the globe, covering categories like grocery, world food, biscuits, drinks, confectionery and snacks. It carries brands such as Walkers Shortbread, Great British Sauce Co and its house brands Epicure. Following a change in ownership two years ago, Petty Wood is in the process of re-engaging with the LQGHSHQGHQW DQG Ć“QH IRRG WUDGH ODXQFKLQJ D QHZ WUDGLQJ website and dropping its minimum order value to ÂŁ100.

The British public will continue to have a WDVWH IRU LQWHUQDWLRQDO Ć“QH IRRG HYHQ LI ZH do leave the EU, says Petty Wood brand director Giles Reynolds. “British consumers continue to be interested in food, Brexit or not,â€? Reynolds tells FFD. “The population is now so diverse and well-travelled that there is a big trend for quality and authentic food.â€?

Petty Wood import many premium ethnic brands such as Lee Kum Kee and Geeta’s for its world food portfolio. ,QĹ´XHQFHV OLNH VRFLDO PHGLD KDYH created well-informed, multi-faceted consumers who are price sensitive yet eat for occasion, says Reynolds. “What we’ll see is a change in shopping habits,â€? says Reynolds. “People will go to major retailers for their basic purchases like milk but then shop at higher end retailers for premium goods.â€?

This year, Petty Wood is refreshing its Epicure brand with a new look and new products. Launched in 1891, Epicure covers a wide selection of grocery staples and ingredients from canned fruit to pulses and pickles, sourced from around the world. “We’re reinvesting in the brand,� says Reynolds. “Under the previous structure it had not been invested in, but it has a lot of potential.�

Best of Hungary carries artisan food from Hungarian producers, many of which are SMEs and social cooperatives. The importer represents 18 brands but specialises in paprika, sourcing from two world-renowned paprika growing regions: Szeged and Kalocsa.

It also specialises in honey, with the importer offering 15 out of GLIIHUHQW VLQJOH Ĺ´RZHU KRQH\V available in Hungary.

Hungarian Acacia Honey is one of its brands which has a “harmonic taste and aroma of fresh acacia blossoms�.

The Raw Wild Acacia range includes KRQH\FRPE DQG EODFN WUXIĹ´H YDULHWLHV Sizes range from 60g-500g, wholesale prices ÂŁ4.30-9 (RRP ÂŁ6.50-15).

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Delivers to: National 'ROĆ“Q 8. LPSRUWV DQG GLVWULEXWHV food products from Turkey and USA, carrying brands such as Sarelle, Simply7, and Full of Beans snacks.

Sarelle is one of the most iconic brands in Turkey. Its dark FKRFRODWH FUHDP ZDIHU J LV Ć“OOHG ZLWK KD]HOQXW FUHDP Ć“OOLQJ ZLWK D chocolate coating. Price ÂŁ42 per case of 20x6x33g).

The Full of Beans Puffs (85g) is a snack made from Navy Beans which are gluten-free and free-from other common allergens.

,QĆ“QLW\ )RRGV VRXUFHV DPELHQW SURGXFWV IURP DFURVV the globe but specialises in organic brands such as Biona, Clearspring, Oatly, Rude Health and Suma.

Lesbian Donkey is an organic olive oil produced on the island of Lesbos in the mountains near 3ORPDUL ,W LV D SUHPLXP UDZ XQĆ“OWHUHG ROLYH RLO PDGH from the local olive variety Valanolia. Distinguished E\ LWV H[FHOOHQW Ĺ´DYRXU JROGHQ FRORXU DQG IUXLW\ aroma, its acidity does not exceed 0.5% of oleic acids ranking it as one of the highest quality EVOOs on the market.

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

35

IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS GUIDE Shire Foods of Norfolk shirefoodsofnorfolk.com Delivers to: East Anglia & Kent on its vehicles. Able to send pallets nationwide.

6KLUH )RRGV RI 1RUIRON FRYHUV D UDQJH RI categories, from alcohol, coffee and crisps to desserts, pickles and pasta. While the FRPSDQ\ PDQXIDFWXUHV PDQ\ RI LWV RZQ products in Norfolk, it also stocks East $QJOLDQ EUDQGV OLNH 7KH 5HDO 1RUIRON &DNH &RPSDQ\ DQG (DVW $QJOLDQ 5DSHVHHG 2LO The Real Norfolk cakes are produced LQ 'RZQKDP 0DUNHW XVLQJ ORFDO ingredients to make the company’s eggIUHH UDQJH )ODYRXUV LQFOXGH FKHUU\ DOPRQG DSSOH FLQQDPRQ DQG OHPRQ DV ZHOO DV PRUH XQXVXDO YDULHWLHV OLNH 5LFK Tea and Walsingham Honey.

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Nadine Gould, director

Shire Foods has recently begun importing products from Danish FRPSDQ\ 1RUGLVN PDNLQJ LW WKH Ć“UVW ZKROHVDOHU WR GLVWULEXWH this range in the UK. 2ZQHG E\ FKHI &KULVWLDQ &RQUDGVHQ 1RUGLVN SURGXFH VSHFLDOLW\ 1RUZHJLDQ SURGXFWV VXFK DV PXVWDUGV SLFNOHV DQG chutneys. Ĺ?:H ZHUH RXW YLVLWLQJ IDUP VKRSV LQ 1RUIRON \HVWHUGD\ GRLQJ WDVWLQJV ZLWK WKH SURGXFWV Ĺ? GLUHFWRU 1DGLQH *RXOG WHOOV FFD Ĺ?2QH ZDV D ODQJRXVWLQH VRXS ZKLFK LV KRPHPDGH LQ VPDOO EDWFKHV LQ 1RUWK 'HQPDUN ,W ZHQW GRZQ ZHOO ZLWK FXVWRPHUV Ĺ?

In addition to these products from Denmark, Shire Foods DOVR LPSRUWV RLOV ROLYHV DQG RWKHU 6SDQLVK IRRGV IURP 'RP Gastronom, and last year took on a number of French products.

'HVSLWH WKLV WKH FRPSDQ\ LV QRW ZRUULHG DERXW SRWHQWLDO tariff hikes on imports due to Brexit. Fine food is still needed QR PDWWHU ZKDW WKH RXWFRPH VD\V *RXOG DGGLQJ WKDW SURGXFW price increases shouldn’t affect the market too much because consumers that buy from farm shops and delis aren’t as price VHQVLWLYH DV VXSHUPDUNHW VKRSSHUV “Say a bottle of Fentiman’s lemonade increased from a ÂŁ1 WR e Ĺ? VKH VD\V Ĺ?,I D FXVWRPHU OLNHV WKH SURGXFW WKHQ WKH\ ZLOO NHHS EX\LQJ LW DV WKH\ VWLOO ZDQW WKDW TXDOLW\ Ĺ?

36

Brindisa brindisa.com Minimum order value: £60 for free delivery (London). Free delivery on orders over £300 (outside London) Delivers to: UK 6SDQLVK ƓQH IRRG LPSRUWHU %ULQGLVD imports some 60 cheeses including Manchego, Monte Enebro goats’ cheese and the raw milk Ermesenda.

It is also known for its cured meats, carrying Serrano and Iberico hams, Morcilla, Sobrasada and a wide variety of chorizos.

Aside from its fresh ingredients, %ULQGLVD RIIHUV RWKHU 6SDQLVK specialities such as olive oils, vinegars, nuts, olives, snacks and cheese accompaniments.

Its Perello Gordal olives offer an LQWHQVH Ĺ´DYRXU EXUVW ZLWK D WRXFK RI heat from the guindilla chillies in the marinades. It uses the Gordal Reina olive which is a large, oval-shaped green olive from Sevilla in Andalucia.

RRPs are ÂŁ2.95 (150g), ÂŁ9.95 (600g), and ÂŁ33 (2kg).

Top Op Foods

Delicioso UK

top-op.com

delicioso.co.uk

Minimum order value: ÂŁ500 plus delivery charges

Minimum order value: None

Delivers to: Across UK & Europe

Delivers to: whole of UK

Sourcing from Europe, Asia and India, Top Op specialises in Indian food and speciality oils, carrying brands like Niharti, Purvi, and Top Op. Its lines include RLOV FRFRQXW SURGXFWV Ĺ´RXUV SLFNOHV FKXWQH\V OHQWLOV whole and ground spices and seasonings.

Top Op – one of the oldest world food brands in the UK – recently launched a range of premium natural MXLFHV LQ PO UHWDLO SDFNV LQ ŴDYRXUV VXFK DV JRML berry – made from 100% natural berries sourced from the Himalayan region. Trade price for the pack of 6 units is £45.60.

Delicioso sources a wide range of artisan products from all regions of Spain, from charcuterie, seafood and cheese to kitchenware and DFFHVVRULHV %UDQGV LQFOXGH 7RUUH GH Nunez, Sal de Ibiza, Finca la Rosala, Vira and Garcima.

It’s own Delicioso brand features a range of traditional handmade tortas biscuits in colourful packaging, made in a small town near Seville XVLQJ H[WUD YLUJLQ ROLYH RLO 7KHUH DUH IRXU ŴDYRXULQJV VXJDUHG ZLWK VHVDPH & anise seeds, salted with rosemary, caramelised Seville orange, and chopped almonds & crunchy sugar.

July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

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chilled & ambient fine food & drink weekly deliveries nationwide i n o u r v a n s, b y o u r d r i v e r s £125 minimum order

delivering fine food contact us thecressco.co.uk 0345 307 3454 Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

37

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IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS GUIDE Fine Food Angel

Blakemore Fine Foods

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Fine Food Angel has grown rapidly since launching last year and now represents over 200 UK artisan producers.

It operates a different model to traditional wholesalers with deliveries going direct to store from producers, giving retailers access to every suppliers’ full range and maximising product shelf life. Ordering is handled under one account and one monthly invoice.

The company covers 42 product categories of ambient, chilled and frozen food, including well-known brands Great British Biscotti and Manfood, alongside smaller names The Smokey Carter, Ouse Valley foods and Cloudberry.

Charlie’s Trout is harvested to order from the Longford Estate in Wiltshire. Oak-smoked for up to 16 hours, it is a silky textured smoked trout. Available in 100g, 200g and 500g cold-smoked, 125g kiln smoked, and 175g patÊs.

Hider Food Imports KLGHUIRRGV FR XN 0LQLPXP RUGHU YDOXH IURP e XSZDUGV VXEMHFW WR ORFDWLRQ 'HOLYHUV WR 8. DQG ,UHODQG

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It sources products mainly from the UK, although several of its Christmas seasonal brands arrive from Europe and the US.

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38

July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

Aside from importing, Hider also has its own production and processing facilities, re-

cleaning, mixing and packing a wide range of imported nuts, snacks and dried fruits.

The company has been representing Hazer Baba as its exclusive UK distributor of Turkish Delight for many years.

The relationship with goes back to the early ‘90s and many packaging innovations and QHZ Ĺ´DYRXUV KDYH emerged in that time.

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Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

37

BRINGING SPAIN TO YOUR TABLE SINCE 1988 Order from our expert team: 020 8772 1600 / sales@brindisa.com

www.brindisa.com

HONESTY AND INTEGRITY -

F A M I LY E T H O S -

P E RS O N A L C U STO M E R C A R E

With nearly 300 brands and more than 3,500 products to choose from, and supplying farm shops, delicatessens and garden centres throughout the UK... make us your one stop shop.

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS GUIDE The Cress Co

Holleys Fine Foods

thecressco.co.uk

holleysfinefoods.com

Minimum order value: £125

Minimum order value: varies by region, from £100. Free delivery available on all orders.

Delivers to: National

Delivers to: UK & Ireland Initially set up for the independent retail market in Scotland, The Cress Co now distributes over the border and across the South East of England. The company carries ambient goods but over the past year has increased its chilled ranges.

Among the suppliers in its catalogue are Luscombe Drinks, Rora Dairy, Abernethy Butter, Snowdonia Cheese Company and Patchwork Paté.

Rora Dairy is a range of premium yoghurt made with fresh milk from the producer’s farm in Middleton. Available in five flavours: natural, natural set, honey, strawberry, and raspberry.

Fine Italian Foods fineitalianfoods.co.uk Delivers to: Nationwide

Fine Italian Foods carries a range of brands including Castelli, Mandara, Dolcezze di Nanni and Gustibus.

This year, the importer is launching a buffalo burrata from Mandara – hand-made in Mondragone from 100% buffalo milk and cream. It will also be selling the stracciatella filling used in the burrata.

Fine Italian Foods now carries Tuscanetto, a new range of fresh sheep’s milk cheeses in both cubes

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

Nikki Castley, Buyer While The Cress Co doesn’t import many products from the Continent, the distributor did experience pricing issues after the Brexit referendum.

“There were price increases on things you wouldn’t expect,” says buyer Nikki Castley. “We’d find that a local jam producer buying jars from Italy would see an increase on packing costs.”

But it’s business as usual for the company as political negotiations remain in the balance. In the past year, it has relaunched its website to include an system allowing retailers to order stock through the site.

Despite the uncertainty over what regulations will be brought in and how they will affect the company, Castley says the strategy is to continue supporting British local artisan products.

“Consumers are demanding traceability in their products and in turn retailers are demanding it,” she says, “so it’s important for us to continue buying British and buying local.”

Castley acknowledges the trend for raw, vegan products but that’s not the market the company deals in. “I’m aware of those trends coming through, but as a buyer I’m looking for products for farm shops and delis,” she says, “and health foods are not what they want.

“It’s about traceability in products, like Abernethy Butter. Those things count for our customers.”

or slices. The cheeses are made in the famous Tuscan town of Pienza and are available in green pepper, truffle and chilli flavours as well as the natural product.

Holleys Fine Foods covers a whole range of ambient categories including bakery, confectionery, preserves and world foods. Products are sourced from the UK, Ireland and Europe, with the company specialising in free-from and seasonal ranges. Recognisable brands include Barney Jack’s, West Country Legends, Wessex Mill, Darlington’s, and Garofalo Pasta.

West Country Legends produces a range of tangy cheese straws made with all-butter puff pastry and West Country Farmhouse Cheddar.

Barney Jack’s offers some nostalgia with its range of confectionery which features a British bulldog. Produced in the UK, it is made with only natural colours and flavours.

Heron Fine Food Importers heronfinefoods.co.uk Minimum order value: £50 Delivers to: UK mainland Heron Fine Food Importers specialises in whole leaf single origin teas and tisanes. Tea brand Te Reval has 18 single origin whole leaf speciality teas and tisanes in its range, including English Breakfast and Marrakech Mint.

Heron also carries its own-brand Cocolio Organic Virgin Coconut Oil and Cocolio Organic King Coconut Water (350ml glass bottle), sourced exclusively from Sri Lanka.

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

41

IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS GUIDE

Other useful contacts Artisan Food Club

Cotswold Fayre

Harvey & Brockless

Rowcliffe

The Old Church School Butts Hill, Frome, BA11 1HR 07971 270299 artisanfood.club

The Clock House, 22 High Street, Theale RG7 5AW 03452 606060 cotswold-fayre.co.uk

44-54 Stewarts Road, London SW8 4DF 020 7819 6000 harveyandbrockless.co.uk

Asia Foods Europe

Cryer & Stott Cheesemongers

Mediterranean Direct

Unit B, Paddock Wood Distribution Centre, Tonbridge, Kent TN12 6UU 01892 838999 rowcliffe.co.uk

5 Anthony Way, London N18 3QT 020 7018 0420 rucifoods.com

Bellota Unit 3, Wick Road Business Park Burnham on Crouch, Essex CM0 8LT 01621 770132 bellota.co.uk

Blas Ar Fwyd Cyf Llanrwst, Cymru, LL26 0BT 01492 640215 blasarfwyd.com

Bradbury’s Cheese Staden Business Park, Staden Lane, Buxton SK17 9RZ 01298 23180 bradburyscheese.co.uk

Buckley & Beale Somerset House, Church Road, Tormarton GL9 1HT 01454 219445 buckleyandbeale.com

Cannon & Cannon Unit 4W, Jubilee Place Winchester Walk, London SE1 9AG 020 7403 5481 cannonandcannon.com

Carnevale 107 Blundell Street, London N7 9BN 02076078777 carnevale.co.uk

Cibosano Unit 3, Lismirrane Ind Park, Elstree Rd, Elstree, Borehamwood WD6 3EE 020 8207 5820 cibosano.co.uk

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

20-24 Station Road, Allerton Bywater Castleford WF10 2BP 01977510638 cryerandstott.co.uk

Drossa 78 Mill Lane, London NW6 1JZ 020 3393 0859 drossadirect.co.uk

Districts of Italy Bryn Melyn, Bodafon Road, Llandudno, Conwy LL30 3BB 07725 010015 districtsofitaly.co.uk

Diverse Fine Food

Unit 177 John Wilson Business Park Whitstable, Kent CT5 3RB 01227 261909 mediterraneandirect.co.uk

Michael Lee, Purveyor of Fine Cheeses Unit 9, Lister park, Green Lane Industrial Estate Featherstone, West Yorkshire WF7 6FE 01977 703061 finecheesesltd.co.uk

Neal’s Yard Dairy Arch 6, Apollo Business Park, St James’s Road, London SE16 4ET 020 7500 7520 nealsyarddairy.co.uk

Units 105 -107 Bridgwater Business Park, Bristol Road, Dunball, Bridgwater TA6 4TB 01278 792426 diversefinefood.co.uk

Odysea

Divine Distribution

Olives Direct

2 Dorma Trading Park, Staffa Road Leyton E10 7QX 020 7608 1841 odysea.com

Unit E, The Pavilions, Bridgefold Road, Rochdale OL11 5BY 01706 313001 divinedistribution.co.uk

Units 8-10 Williams Industrial Estate, New Milton, Hampshire BH25 6SH 01425 613000 olivesdirect.co.uk

Empire Bespoke Foods

Ormos Trades

45 Rowdell Road, Northolt, Middlesex, UB5 6AG 020 8537 4080 empirebespokefoods.com

35 Grafton Way, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 5DB 020 8200 5037 ormosfoods.com

Greencity Wholefoods

Paxton & Whitfield

23 Fleming Street, Dennistoun, Glasgow G31 1PQ 0141 554 7633 greencity.coop

Grocer’s Brokers Childs Lane, Brownlow, Cheshire CW12 4TG 01477 500660 grocersbrokers.weebly.com

Unit 6, Willow Court, Bourton Industrial Park, Bourton on the Water GL54 2HQ 01451 823460 paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

R H Amar Turnpike Way, High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 3TF 01494 530 200 rhamar.com

Taste Distribution 42 Southwark St, London SE1 1UN hello@tastedistribution.co.uk tastedistribution.co.uk

Tresors De Grece 121 Thessalonikis Street, Nea Filadelfia GR14342 030 210 2515162 tresorsdegrece.gr

The Fine Cheese Co 29 & 31 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BN 01225448748 finecheese.co.uk

The Gorgeous Food Company 17 - 18 Corinium Business Park, Speculation Road, Cinderford, Gloucestershire GL14 2YD 01452 225175 gorgeousfoodcompany.co.uk

The Oil Merchant 5 Goldhawk Mews, London W12 8PA 020 8740 1335 oilmerchant.co.uk

Yorkshire Dales Cheese Company Lowlands, Leeming Bar, Northallerton North Yorkshire DL7 9BN 01677 423248 yorkshiredalescheese.co.uk

Suma Lacy Way, Lowfields Business Park, Elland HX5 9DB 01422 313840 suma.coop

Seggiano Unit 4, 3 Wedmore Street London N19 4RU 0207 272 5588 seggiano.com

VINEGAR Borsari Authentic Luxury Italian Panettone 2018 Range Exclusive to Tenuta Marmorelle

SHED

Now Taking Orders For Christmas 2018

www.tenutamarmorelle.com | +44 (0) 1189 298480

Purveyors of Inspired Foods

Sourcing & supplying award-winning artisan food & drink from the UK & around the world

We have the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest selection of small-batch vinegars, made with love and care by some of the best European artisans + speciality oils, salts, rare spices, peppers & other exciting pantry items including Stephane Reynaudâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terrines and Arroyabe anchovies & tuna For more information & trade prices, contact us on getintouch@thefinefoodforager.co.uk 07445 243 976 www.thefinefoodforager.co.uk @finefoodforager

07854892065 or info@vinegarshed.com www.vinegarshed.com Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

43

GREAT TASTE GOLDEN FORK DINNER SUNDAY* 2 SEPTEMBER 2018

THE INTERCONTINENTAL LONDON PARK LANE, ONE HAMILTON PLACE, LONDON *please note the change from Monday to Sunday night

The evening kicks off with a drinks reception in the Park Lane Suites; meet and chat to a host of producers who will serve up their award-winning products.

A four-course 3-star dinner, curated by Executive Chef Ashley Wells, will be served in the glittering setting of the Ballroom.

The evening will unfold, revealing the Golden Fork winners from each region, before the climax and announcement of the 2018 Supreme Champion.

A cheese-board curated from the World Cheese Awards will be served and there will be dancing in the Park Lane Suites.

TICKET PRICE INCLUDES: 1800

Drinks & Reception; sample 2018 award-winning products

1945

Four-course Dinner with wine

2230

Cheese Board and Dancing

Guild of Fine Food Members Non-members Dress: Jackets

Tickets are limited and sold on a first come, first serve basis. To avoid disappointment, please reserve your tickets today.

Contact: Joanne Myram +44 (0)1747 825200 or email joanne. myram@gff.co.uk

To reserve tickets or a table, please contact joanne.myram@gff.co.uk

Reserve your ticket(s) today

gff.co.uk/gta | greattasteawards.co.uk

£140 +vat £160+vat

$KYMPHSJ½RIJSSH KVIEXXEWXIE[EVHW

A SPECIALIST SUPPLIER OF HUNGARIAN FINE FOOD SOURCED FROM ARTISAN FOOD SUPPLIERS. THE RANGE INCLUDES PREMIUM QUALITY PAPRIKA, RAW RARE SINGLE-FLOWER HONEYS, GREAT TASTE AWARD WINNER OILS, PRODUCTS WITH TRUFFLE, TOKAJI WINE VINEGARS AND GOOSE LIVER AND FOIE GRAS PRODUCTS For the full catalogue and your Free Samples Contact us on 0780 671 8730 E-mail: zoltan.kopacsi@bestofhungary.co.uk www.bestofhungary.co.uk

Fine Italian Foods F L A V O U R S O F I T A L Y T E W

+44 (0)20 8671 6622 enquiries@fineitalianfoods.co.uk www.fineitalianfoods.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

45

AWARD-WINNING, NATURAL PRODUCTS FROM HERON FINE FOODS

ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS E enquiries@heronfinefoods.co.uk T 02380 803007 W www.heronfinefoods.co.uk

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46

July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

SHOW PREVIEW Paris’s biggest biennial event takes place at Paris Nord Villepinte from Sunday 21st to Thursday 25th October 2018. Here’s why you should make the trip:

Six reasons to visit… SIAL 2018

1

2

A global audience

The food of tomorrow

Visitors can meet food companies from all over the world across SIAL’s 21 exhibition sectors. Some 7,020 companies, from more than 109 countries, will be presenting everything from ingredients through to equipment.

SIAL 2018 will welcome a new feature event dedicated to forecasting trends, called Future Lab. Dubbed the “new nerve centre of the event”, it will accommodate European start-ups, global studies and experiential spaces exploring the future of food innovation.

4

5

3 The springboard for start-ups Within the Future Lab will be a space dedicated to young start-ups bringing the next big thing to the food market.

It will feature around 50 budding European businesses, throwing a spotlight on the most cutting-edge products, services and packaging.

6

Discover new products

Dissecting the industry

Alternative options

Looking for new ideas? Visitors can find a host of new products at the event.

More than 2,500 items will be unveiled to the world for the very first time as part of SIAL Innovation.

Which alternative proteins will be feeding the world’s 8.6 billion population in 2030? Meat “cultivated” in the lab from stem cells? Insects?

Vegetal solutions? This is just one of the topics addressed in SIAL’s Food Lab: an immersive tunnel which addresses today’s food issues.

Continuing to promote emerging food sectors, the Alter’Native Food Forum will contain 300 exhibitors of organic, “free-from”, eco-friendly, sustainable and semi-processed products. It will also include bilingual guided visits.

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

47

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CHEESE PROGRAMME 2018 ACADEMY LEVEL 1: £175 plus VAT 7KXUV 6HSW Ŋ /RQGRQ 7XHV 2FW Ŋ /RQGRQ RETAIL CHEESE: MEMBERS £100 plus VAT/ NON-MEMBERS £135 plus VAT 7XHV -XO\ Ŋ /RQGRQ 7XHV 6HSW Ŋ /RQGRQ 7XHV 6HSWHPEHU *LOOLQJKDP 7XHV 2FW Ŋ /RQGRQ 0RQ 2FW Ŋ /RQGRQ 7XHV 1RY /RQGRQ DELI COURSE: MEMBERS £100 plus VAT/NON-MEMBERS £135 plus VAT 0RQ -XO\ Ŋ /RQGRQ RETAIL READY: cContact Jilly Sitch for further info 2FWREHU Ŋ /RQGRQ

)RU PRUH GHWDLOV RI DOO 6FKRRO RI )LQH )RRG SURJUDPPHV FRXUVHV IHHV DQG GDWHV YLVLW gff.co.uk/training RU FRQWDFW jilly.sitch@gff.co.uk, +44 (0)1747 825200

www.gff.co.uk | academyofcheese.org |

$KYMPHSJ½RIJSSH

SHELF TALK

Sparkling cans aim to put fizz back into English wine

By Lauren Phillips

A start-up brand has created the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first sparkling wine in a can, in a bid to promote the English wine category to a new generation of drinkers.

The Uncommon was founded in South East London by long-term friends Henry Connell and Alex Thraves. Connell came across canned wine in the States while working in New York and saw an opportunity to create a similar product for the UK market. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As an idea was germinating, England was beating Champagne in global sparkling wine competitions,â&#x20AC;? Connell told FFD, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so I wanted to marry the two together with the aim of shaking up the wine category in the UK, while raising the profile of our homegrown produce.â&#x20AC;?

The cans feature sparkling wine made under Protected Designation of Origin guidelines in Surrey, 20 miles from The Uncommonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Peckham office. Made with 100% Bacchus grapes, it is a lightly sparkling dry white, with notes of pear and elderflower.

Convenience, sustainability and wine

wastage are the motivators behind the brand, said Connell.

Packaging sparkling wine in cans, rather than glass, eliminates the risk of spoilage by air and light, and the company hopes the single-serve aluminium cans will help reduce the billion litres of wine thrown away each year. The can is also recyclable and lightweight meaning its carbon footprint is 80% less than glass.

The slim 250ml size is equivalent to a large glass of wine, and the onthe-go format is ideal for outdoor dining, offering an â&#x20AC;&#x153;unpretentious and funâ&#x20AC;? contemporary brand which raises the profile of English wine. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not trying to put an age on the consumers who can buy this product,â&#x20AC;? said Connell, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but sparkling wine is an old-school industry and we wanted to create a product that would promote English wine to the more outgoing consumer.â&#x20AC;?

The Uncommon will launch exclusively via Selfridges with an RRP of ÂŁ5 per 250ml can, with the company planning to introduce a rosĂŠ and organic variety next year.

Midlands-based Droitwich Salt has partnered with celebrity chef Brad Carter to create a range of Ĺ´DYRXUHG DUWLVDQ VDOWV Well known for his DSSHDUDQFHV RQ %%& 6DWXUGD\ Kitchen, Carter worked with RZQHU :LOO .HUWRQ WR GHYHORS WKUHH QHZ Ĺ´DYRXUV &KDUFRDO 6HD 7UXIĹ´H DQG &RDVWOLQH It is hoped that the range ZLOO UHYLWDOLVH VHYHUDO RI WKH 8.Ĺ?V LQGLJHQRXV LQJUHGLHQWV &KDUFRDO LV LQĹ´XHQFHG E\ British forests and contains FKDUFRDO 6KLLWDNH PXVKURRP DQG JDUOLF 6HD 7UXIĹ´H LV FROOHFWHG IURP rock pools and beaches, while Coastline is inspired by British shores and contains wild fennel DQG OHPRQ YHUEHQD (DFK J SRXFK KDV DQ 553 RI e

PEP-UP YOUR SHELVES WITH THE GUILD OF FINE FOODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RESIDENT MERCHANDISING QUEEN JILLY SITCH %HIRUH \RX RSHQ XS WRPRUURZ VWRS IRU D VHFRQG DQG DVN \RXUVHOI LI \RXU VKRS VWLOO KDV Ĺ?NHUE DSSHDOĹ? ,W PLJKW LI \RX GLG D VSRW RI ZHHGLQJ VFRRSHG XS WKDW GRJ PHVV DQG VZHSW DZD\ WKRVH FLJDUHWWH EXWWV IURP WKH SDYHPHQW $QG QR ,Ĺ?P QRW VXUH \RX FDQ FODLP WKH Ĺ´DNLQJ SDLQW RQ WKDW ZLQGRZVLOO DQG WKH ZLOWHG Ĺ´RZHUV LQ WKH KDQJLQJ EDVNHWV PDNH WKH VKRS ORRN Ĺ?HGJ\Ĺ? :HOO DW OHDVW \RXĹ?UH SURPRWLQJ \RXU 0D\ FKHHVH ZLQH HYHQLQJ LQ WKH ZLQGRZ Ĺ&#x160; H[FHSW LWĹ?V -XO\ DQG \RX FDQ EDUHO\ UHDG WKH Ĺ´\HU WKURXJK WKH JULPH RQ WKH JODVV 6RPHWLPHV \RX FDQ VSHQG VR PXFK WLPH RQ ZKDWĹ?V JRLQJ LQ \RXU GHOL WKDW \RX IRUJHW DERXW WKH RXWVLGH )LUVW LPSUHVVLRQV DUH VR LPSRUWDQW LI \RX ZDQW SHRSOH WR DFWXDOO\ FRPH LQVLGH 7KH JRRG QHZV LV WKDW LWĹ?V HDVLO\ Ć&#x201C;[HG $GG WKH VKRS IURQW WR \RXU VWDII FOHDQLQJ URWD EX\ \RXUVHOI D SRW RI SDLQW DQG PDNH VXUH \RX WKURZ WKDW GRRU RSHQ ZLGH <RX WRR FRXOG ORRN DV LQYLWLQJ DV WKH OLNHV RI -RKQV RI ,QVWRZ EHORZ

wearetheuncommon.co.uk

Droitwich partners with celeb chef to create flavoured salts

By Lauren Phillips

Displays that pay

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anyone interested in food NQRZV KRZ YLWDO VHDVRQLQJ LV LQ KHOSLQJ Ĺ´DYRXUV DQG LQJUHGLHQWV UHDOO\ FRPH WR OLIH Ĺ? VDLG &DUWHU Ĺ?$V LWĹ?V VXFK KLJK TXDOLW\ \RX GRQĹ?W QHHG WR XVH PXFK RI 'URLWZLFK 6DOWĹ?V SURGXFWV WR LPSDUW WKH ULFK Ĺ´DYRXU WKDW UHDOO\ HOHYDWHV FRRNLQJ Ĺ?

3URGXFHG QHDU &DUWHUĹ?V Birmingham-based MichelinVWDUUHG UHVWDXUDQW &DUWHUV RI 0RVHOH\ 'URLWZLFK 6DOW LV VRXUFHG from one of the oldest salt brine VSULQJV LQ WKH ZRUOG ,W LV KDUYHVWHG E\ KDQG EHIRUH WKH QDWXUDO EULQH JRHV WKURXJK D gentle process of crystallisation ZKLFK UHPRYHV WKH PRLVWXUH WR FUHDWH VDOW FU\VWDOV 7KH VDOWV DUH QRZ DYDLODEOH online or at Food at Webbs in :RUFHVWHUVKLUH droitwichsalt.com

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW 8QLRQ +DQG 5RDVWHG &RIIHH KDV GHYHORSHG Union Brew Lab Cold Brew LQ D JUDE DQG JR ERWWOH IRUPDW 553 e 0DGH ZLWK VLQJOH RULJLQ FRIIHH IURP *XDWHPDOD LW LV VORZO\ VWHHSHG LQ VPDOO EDWFKHV IRU KRXUV WR Ĺ?HQKDQFH WKH ULFK QRWHV RI GDUN FKRFRODWHĹ? unionroasted.com Cottage Delight has added three QHZ Ĺ´DYRXUV WR LWV UDQJH RI JRXUPHW GUHVVLQJV LQ WLPH IRU VDODG VHDVRQ URDVW JDUOLF KHUE 553 e PO Ć&#x201C;J SRPHJUDQDWH 553 e PO DQG $OSKRQVR PDQJR FKLOOL 553 e PO

cottagedelight.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

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SHELF TALK WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW Old Hamlet, a subbrand of Steenbergs, has created a range of botanical mixes containing instructions on how to make homemade Ĺ´DYRXUHG VSLULWV DQG cocktails. The range FRPHV LQ WKUHH YDULHWLHV Ĺ&#x160; RUDQJH JLQ JLQJHUEUHDG YRGND DQG FODVVLF JLQ Ĺ&#x160; ZLWK DQ 553 RI e HDFK steenbergs.co.uk

Sheminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has created two QHZ VSLFH EOHQGV 6PRN\ 0H[LFDQ 553 e DQG %LU\DQL 3LODX 553 e

7KH IRUPHU RIIHUV D Ĺ?VPRN\ VSLF\ OLIWĹ? LQ PDULQDGHV DQG Mexican dishes, while the latter is an addition to its Indian range, offering an DURPDWLF PHGOH\ RI KHUEV DQG VSLFHV shemins.com

Ringtons KDV DGGHG 5ZDQGDQ +LOOV FRIIHH EHDQV WR LWV SRUWIROLR $ VLQJOH RULJLQ ZDVKHG ERXUERQ $UDELFD EHDQ LW LV D ULFK and sweet medium roast with Ĺ´DYRXUV RI VWRQH IUXLWV DQG EHUULHV 553 e IRU NJ ringtons.co.uk

My magic ingredient Valdespino cask-aged sherry vinegar (Brindisa) JOANNA BLYTHMAN Journalist and author Since I discovered this astonishing product I have more or less stopped using any other vinegar. Inferior sherry vinegar can be too meaty, unsubtle, but this one from the distinguished bodega of Valdespino is so special, I could almost drink it.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made using Jerezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time-honoured Solera and Criadera methods where younger wines are blended with older ones, and aged and concentrated in oak casks for an average of 20 years.

Even a couple of drops add sparkle to a dish. I often use it to deglaze a skillet after frying liver, or combine it with extra virgin olive oil to dress a salad of bitter greens, such as IULVÂŤH HQGLYH DORQJVLGH ULFK IDWW\ GXFN FRQĆ&#x201C;W It also lends backbone to a Romesco sauce, balancing the sweetness of the peppers, and holding its own against smoked paprika.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Joanna bought hers from 181 Delicatessen in Edinburgh

New collection targets â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;marmalade connoisseursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

By Lauren Phillips

Ollands Farm Foods has unveiled its Connoisseur Collection, a range of upmarket marmalades with specialist flavours aimed at â&#x20AC;&#x153;real lovers of marmaladesâ&#x20AC;?.

The preserve producer, located on the North Norfolk coast, launched the collection with an initial range of three flavours: Single Malt, Norfolk Saffron, and King Harry. RRPs

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range from ÂŁ4.50 to ÂŁ6 per jar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We called the collection â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;connoisseurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; because it is for the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;connoisseurs of marmaladeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,â&#x20AC;? owner Mary Ann Stuart told FFD. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to offer products that were upmarket, specialist and unique for those customers who are really into their marmalade.â&#x20AC;?

The Norfolk Saffron and King Harry marmalades have

been developed in collaboration with neighbouring producer Norfolk Saffron, using its Great Taste award-winning saffron and King Harry Liqueur. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had been in discussion with Sally Francis from Norfolk Saffron and came up with the recipes for a marmalade using her product,â&#x20AC;? said Stuart. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a very special spice with an earthy flavour which works well in the marmalade and gives it a beautiful golden colour.â&#x20AC;?

Ollands has also refreshed the logo and branding across its entire range. Stuart said the labelling offers a cleaner look for the brand but the logo still maintains its signature cockerel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a nod to the view seen from the skylight in Stuartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen where she makes all her products. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to move away too much, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more about freshening up the brand.â&#x20AC;? ollands-farm-foods.co.uk

Inferior sherry vinegar can be too meaty and unsubtle but this is so special, I could almost drink it Launching this year is Huskup, a Bath-based business making plastic-free reusable coffee cups from rice husks in response to the 7 million single-use cups thrown away every day.

Using the outer hull of a rice grain, a natural and robust material which would otherwise be burnt at the mill, creates a durable and biodegradable coffee cup.

Each cup is dishwasher safe and can withstand temperatures of -30°C to 120°C. Available in 12 different designs with an RRP of £10.95 each, Huskup can be purchased by stockists via its UK retail distribution partner Half Moon Bay. huskup.com

New Southover Sussex Cured retail range from Southover Foods

WE ARE PROUD TO INTRODUCE A SELECTION OF OUR PRODUCTS IN 200G RETAIL PACKS, UNDER OUR NEW SOUTHOVER SUSSEX CURED BRAND

Southover Food Company

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®

We’ve been making award winning cooked meats in Sussex for nearly thirty years. Our newest venture features a selection of our award-winning products in 200g retail size packs. Available in this range is our Sliced Roast Topside Beef and two of our Great Taste Award winners, Honey Roast Farmhouse Gammon and New York Style Pastrami.

Southover Food Company Limited, Unit 4, Grange Industrial Estate, Albion Street, Southwick, Brighton, BN42 4EN 01273 596830

www.southoverfoods.com

sales@southoverfoods.com

www.sussexcured.com

Finest ‘Seasonal’ Ceylon Teas

Authenticity · Quality · Health

Since 1999 we have won 52 Taste Awards 12 x 3 Star, 17 x 2 Star and 23 x 1 Star Contact www.wilsonfamilyteas.com to discuss purchase details Importer: www.wilstea.com

It is important to us that our products are authentic. That’s why we carefully select producers that have an ethical approach to food and production

020 7740 1717 | orders@theoliveoilco.com | theoliveoilco.com Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

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SHELF TALK Raisthorpe raises bar with gin greetings card Known for its range of fruit gins, vodkas and liqueurs, Yorkshire-based Raisthorpe Manor Fine Foods has branched out into greeting cards which contain miniatures of its dry and flavoured gins, called Tipsy Drink Cards.

The range includes cards for all occasions, including birthdays and weddings, which contain messages such as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Let The Birthday Celebrations Be Ginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chin Chinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You Are The Gin To My Tonicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

With an RRP of ÂŁ9.99 each, the cards hold a 5cl miniature of the producerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dry- or oak-aged gin, or one of its rhubarb, gooseberry and elderflower gins. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Tipsy Drink Cards are an innovative and fun way of expanding our product range and the Raisthorpe brand,â&#x20AC;? said the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founder Julia Medforth.

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TRENDING NICK BAINES .((36 <28 83 72 '$7( :,7+ 7+( 1(:(67 ',6+(6 )/$92856 $1' ,1129$7,216 ,1 )22' '5,1.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The addition of our miniatures means the cards are more of a gift for customers to send to their family and friends, or for use as corporate gifts.â&#x20AC;?

Each card is packaged in a brightly coloured padded envelope to ensure safe delivery. raisthorpemanor.com tipsydrinkcards.com

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW $ 0HQWD /LFRU PLQW OLTXHXU

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7KH SURGXFHUV RI Botonique â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the sparkling QRQ DOFRKROLF GULQN Ĺ&#x160; KDYH GHYHORSHG D %OXVK YDULHW\ 5HVHPEOLQJ D VSDUNOLQJ URVÂŤ EXW ZLWKRXW JUDSHV RU DOFRKRO %RWRQLTXH %OXVK RIIHUV QRWHV RI VWUDZEHUU\ rose and bramble. $YDLODEOH LQ PO 553 e DQG PO 553 e ERWWOHV botonique.com 1 Doughnuts :KLOH /RQGRQĹ?V &URVVWRZQ 'RXJKQXWV SLFWXUHG KDV VSUHDG RXW DFURVV WKH FLW\ JRXUPHW GRXJKQXWV VHHP WR EH UROOLQJ RXW DFURVV WKH FRXQWU\ 9LFN\Ĺ?V 'RQXWV LV hot on the heels of the slightly more seasoned VWUHHW PDUNHW UHJXODU <RX 'RXJKQXW ZKLFK VHUYHV IUHVK GRXJKQXW ELWHV WR RUGHU ZLWK Ĺ´DYRXUV OLNH PDOWHG FKRFRODWH VDOWHG SRSFRUQ SHDQXW FDUDPHO 0HDQZKLOH %ULVWROĹ?V 3LQNPDQV %DNHU\ QRZ NQRFNV RXW SHUIHFWO\ VSKHULFDO Ĺ&#x152;VRXU GRXJK QXWVĹ? ZLWK Ć&#x201C;OOLQJV WKDW LQFOXGH WLUDPLVX DQG EOXHEHUU\ DSSOH FRPSRWH 2 Alcoholic iced tea *LQ DQG WHD DUH SHUKDSV %ULWDLQĹ?V EHVW ORYHG GULQNV DQG ULJKW QRZ WKH PDUULDJH RI WKH WZR LV EHLQJ H[SORUHG E\ LQTXLVLWLYH EDUWHQGHUV DQG GULQNV SURGXFHUV DOLNH 1HZFDVWOHĹ?V 1RYHOWHD SLFWXUHG PDNH WZR DOFRKROLF WHD EOHQGV RQH PL[LQJ (DUO *UH\ DQG JLQ WKH RWKHU D 0RURFFDQ PLQW WHD LQIXVHG ZLWK UXP 7KH $TXD 6KDUG EDU ORFDWHG LQ /RQGRQĹ?V 6KDUG VN\VFUDSHU KDV ODXQFKHG D UDQJH RI WHD EDVHG FRFNWDLOV LQFOXGLQJ RQH PDUU\LQJ ODSVDQJ VRXFKRQJ ZLWK PDQGDULQ MXLFH DQG JLQ 3 Venezuelan arepas &RQVXPHU IRFXV DSSHDUV WR KDYH VKLIWHG IURP $VLDQ VWUHHW IRRGV WR WKRVH RI &HQWUDO DQG 6RXWK $PHULFD )ROORZLQJ RQ IURP WKH UHFHQW LQĹ´X[ RI DXWKHQWLF 0H[LFDQ WDTXHULDV 9HQH]XHODQ DUHSDV VHHP WR EH QH[W LQ OLQH 7KH VWXIIHG FRUQEUHDG ZKLFK LV RIWHQ IULHG RQ D JULGGOH FDQ FRQWDLQ HYHU\WKLQJ IURP SODQWDLQV EODFN EHDQV DQG DYRFDGR WR VORZ FRRNHG SRUN FKLFNHQ DQG EHHI 3RSXODU DUHSDV RXWĆ&#x201C;WV LQFOXGH 3HWDUH ZKR RSHUDWH RXW RI 3RS %UL[WRQ $UHSD]R %URV DW .HUE 0DUNHWV DQG $UHSD &R ZKLFK recently opened its second bricks-and-mortar UHVWDXUDQW LQ %HWKQDO *UHHQ

Belvoir Fruit Farms has DGGHG DQ RUJDQLF OHPRQ PLQW Ĺ´DYRXU WR LWV UDQJH RI FRUGLDOV 7KH EULJKW \HOORZ OLTXLG EHFRPHV FOHDU DQG SDOH RQFH GLOXWHG ,W LV described as â&#x20AC;&#x153;zesty and FRROĹ? 553 DURXQG e PO ERWWOH PDNHV JODVVHV

belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk

New fudge flavour offers taste of Italia Cornish-based confectioner Copperpot Originals KDV DGGHG D OLPRQFHOOR Ĺ´DYRXU WR LWV UDQJH RI IXGJH DQG DQQRXQFHG WKDW LW LV QRZ DYDLODEOH WR VWRFNLVWV YLD GLVWULEXWRU 7KH *RUJHRXV )RRG Company. &RSSHUSRW GHFLGHG WR DGG WKH Ĺ´DYRXU WR LWV UDQJH DIWHU GHYHORSLQJ D EHVSRNH EDWFK IRU D ZHGGLQJ RQ WKH $PDOĆ&#x201C; &RDVW ODVW VXPPHU 7KH DGGLWLRQ RI the Italian lemon OLTXHXU LV VDLG WR offer a â&#x20AC;&#x153;zesty zing WR WKH VZHHW EXWWHU IXGJHĹ? ZKLOH WKH FUXPEO\ WH[WXUH FRPELQHG ZLWK WKH lemon creates an Ĺ?LQGXOJHQWO\ PRUHLVKĹ?

SURGXFW 553 e

copperpotoriginals. co.uk

Adventurous Coffee • Roasted by Hand Coffee Equipment • Barista Training • Retail

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Panama La Huella “Cafe de Panama”

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Holme Mills, Marsden, Yorkshire de Panama” 100% Gesha www.darkwoodscoffee.co.uk e: damian@darkwoodscoffee.co.uk • t: 01484 843141

Treleavens has been making award winning ice cream and sorbets in Cornwall for 20 years, using local milk and cream. We source the finest ingredients to make top quality products. We supply the best restaurants and hotels in Cornwall with our own products, bespoke collaborations and white label development to ensure we have the right product for the right market.

It's worth screaming about.

www.mauds.com Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

53

DELI OF THE MONTH Guzzl in Brixton started life as a subscription service but when trading online proved to be too hefty an investment, owner Andrew Murray-Watson found himself on a more traditional retailing path – and loving it Interview by Michael Lane

Thinking outside of the box THEY SAY THERE’S A FIRST TIME for everything. I had never been interrupted midinterview by a kombucha sales rep before, but that’s exactly what happened in south London last month.

After patiently listening to the plainclothes interloper (no suit or briefcase here!), taking the sample bottle and cheerily waving goodbye, my interviewee Andrew Murray-Watson turns to me, slightly jaded, and says: “We get at least one of them in here every week.”

As it happens, he already has three different brands of the fizzy stuff among the colourful array of items in his shop.

Whether you’ve enjoyed a glass of this sparkling fermented tea or not, you will have heard or read something about its magnetising effect on health-conscious Millennials. And the

VITAL STATISTICS

Location: Unit 9, Brixton Village, Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PR Turnover: £150K+ (projected for 2018) Retail space: 280 sq ft Staff: One full-time; two part-timers Average basket: £12

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

volume of people peddling to this retailer should tell you all you need to know about how trendy the locale is.

The aptly named Guzzl has a modest unit in the Brixton Village covered arcade. Its largely ambient grocery offering fits nicely into the mix of cool eateries and more traditional grocers offering produce from the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America. Even though it has been trading less than 12 months, it was named ‘most loved local shop in Brixton’ in this year’s Time Out Love Awards and counts food critic Jay Rayner among its customers.

Filling a gap in the market (literally), in a prime retailing spot, in one of the hippest parts of the Capital? It sounds like the result of a meticulously executed business plan, but Guzzl wasn’t ever supposed to be a retail business.

After a decade in journalism, including a stint as the business editor of The Independent on Sunday, and several more years in corporate communications and PR, Murray-Watson decided “one rainy morning at a farmers’ market” to pursue a career in food. Thinking that there had to be a better way of doing things, he hatched a plan to start Guzzl as an online subscription business – supplying consumers with boxes of ambient deli foods. But what appeared to be a low-risk venture, when he set up last September, soon left Murray-Watson in a quandary.

“The start-up costs are really low,” he tells FFD. “You buy some boxes and packaging material, you find a few local suppliers, and you clear a space in your spare room at home and get off-the-shelf website design.”

This is achievable for roughly £1,000, he says,

but getting even one customer to sign up requires some serious investment.

“The really big healthy eating subscription box companies are happy to spend £200 per customer acquisition.”

These costs usually come in the form of heavy initial discounting to attract subscribers.

“There’s a really high churn rate when people get to the end of their discount period and say, ‘Thanks very much, I’m off’.”

The only other approach is to spend a fortune on social media advertising, marketing and PR. “Either way, it’s a really, really expensive business and I didn’t have deep enough pockets to do it,” he says. “I realised quite rapidly that a subscription business alone was not going to produce results in the time frame I had in mind.”

Funnily enough, it was a walk in the park that helped Murray-Watson overcome his dilemma.

When his dog befriended a Boston Terrier one morning, he got talking to the owner, Joe StoreyScott, who runs 20 Storey – a gift shop just around the corner from Guzzl in Brixton.

The two decided to submit a proposal to Brixton Village and before Murray-Watson knew it a unit was available, he had signed the lease and was rushing to open by the end of November last year.

There could not have been a better time to open than during the Christmas run-up, because the basic premise of Guzzl is that it is a shop filled with treats rather than offering a complete shopping trip.

“You only have to look outside to see the area’s well-served with fresh fruit and veg, and fresh meat, so it didn’t make sense for me – in such a small space – to create a rival,” says Murray-Watson. “The ethos of the business is to sell amazing tasty things that complement homecooked meals.”

The range takes in a host of store-cupboard items, like preserves, honey, tea, coffee

and condiments along with chocolate and confectionery, snacks, soft drinks and charcuterie.

The fresh selection is small, like Guzzl’s chiller, and niche: jars of kimchi, Abernethy Butter (a vehement recommendation from Mr Rayner) and that all-important kombucha.

There is also an assortment of non-food items, including dog treats, classy kitchenware from Guzzini and restored vintage lamps – a side project of Murray-Watson’s that helps to fill the spaces above the shelving and attracts the odd high-margin sale.

“It’s probably a more eclectic mix of stuff than in most places,” he says. “Had I accumulated 20 years of conventional retail wisdom, the shop would probably look very different.”

What he lacks in retailing experience, Guzzl’s owner more than makes up for in an eye for what looks good. From the array of good-looking brands on display through to the furniture they’re sitting on, the shop is well-dressed.

There’s a custom-built “industrial” counter, an old mangle that doubles as a hot spot and several Dexion shelving units, which MurrayWatson “picked up for a song” from a farmer on Ebay. And, with some more clever carpentry still to come, he estimates he can increase the number of lines by 20% in the 280 sq ft space he has to work with.

And he’s going to need it because there are none of the high volume, fat margined items – like coffee and food-to-go – that you would find in a standard deli.

As he gets more space, Murray-Watson will continue to add premium lines and maintain what you might call premium pricing. After all, if people want cheap food they will go to the supermarket, he says.

“Some brands work in very competitive markets where they’re used to dealing with retailers working at very low margins,” he says.

MUST-STOCKS Mercanti di Calabria unfiltered cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil Cloudberry Bakery salted caramel spread Abernethy Butter Single Variety jams Pao Pickles kimchee Remedy Kombucha Cornish Charcuterie patés Wiltshire Chilli Farms chilli sauces Chocolates by Eloise Coco Choclatier Coaltown Coffee Snaffling Pig pork scratchings The Little Herb Farm salad dressings The Olive Branch loose olives Old Post Office Bakery bread

CONTINUED ON PAGE 57

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

55

WAREHOUSE

EVENTS & TRAINING

KITCHEN

Hold your next event with us.

No. 42 Southwark Street is perfect for meetings, product launches, entertaining, demonstrations, training sessions and tastings. The main room is a bright, blank canvas for your event.

“A superbly well equipped, brilliantly flexible and inspiring venue.”

David Webb, Marketing director, thecollaborators.com CAPACITIES: ENQUIRIES:

• 65 M2 EVENT SPACE • DEMO COMMERCIAL KITCHEN • TWO STATE OF THE ART FALCON RANGE COOKERS AND TWO RANGEMASTER OVENS • WAREHOUSE STORAGE SPACE, INCLUDING CHILLER ROOM & FREEZERS • PROJECTOR & AV • DISABLED ACCESS & FACILITIES • STREET ACCESS & GROUND FLOOR LEVEL

Reception 80 | Banqueting 50 | Theatre 50 | Boardroom 24 | Classroom 24 | U shape 18

stephanie.rogers@gff.co.uk | +44 (0)1747 825 200 gff.co.uk/no-42 | @guildoffinefood

DELI OF THE MONTH “They set an RRP accordingly but that doesn’t necessarily mean the product is not worth more than that.

“If you have five chocolate bars between £4 and £6.50, you don’t suddenly want to put one in that is £2.50 because it looks cheap and doesn’t do that brand any good. And it makes everything else look expensive.”

That’s not to say that everything in Guzzl is priced at the higher end of the spectrum. For instance, the Calabrian olive oil Murray-Watson sources direct from the producer is sold for a very reasonable £12 a bottle. He knows for a fact that a very similar product is sold by other London retailers at more than double that price.

“It could be it’s worth £20 a bottle, easily. But I’m happy doing it at 12 quid because the margin is reasonable and people keep coming back for it.”

Getting the price right of these staple products – and taking a hit on margin – is vital because it offers value for money and encourages customers to browse and try bigger ticket items.

The popularity of truffle products (oils, salts and vinegars) took Murray-Watson by surprise but he has also been able to get lots of customers to part with £10 for a jar of gianduja (Italian hazelnut-chocolate spread) “At first I didn’t stock it because I thought, no one’s going to pay that for a jar of chocolate spread,” he says. “That’s lunacy.

“£10 is a lot of money but you’d spend that on a round of drinks and don’t think twice about it. Why not spend that on chocolate spread?

You’re probably going to get 8 or 10 wonderful helpings out of it.”

He sounds like he’s almost having to convince himself but Murray-Watson’s definitely turned lots of customers on to this logic. He’s managed to sell out of espresso martini chocolate bars made by NomNom at an RRP of £8.50, which he points out is the same price as the drink itself.

Guzzl’s nuanced, and justified, approach to pricing isn’t the only secret to its success so far. During my visit, Murray-Watson opens numerous jars and packets to proffer samples and customers get the same treatment. His enthusiasm for every product is apparent without ever seeming like salesmanship.

“It’s very satisfying to introduce customers to new products,” he says. “The best compliment I’ve had is, ‘This shop is full of things I didn’t realise I needed, until I saw them’.”

His mission to introduce customers to new things is helped by numerous producer tastings on a table outside the shop, but still within his pitch in the market.

“We’ll generally shift about 20-40 units of whatever they’re selling. The last chocolate company we did shifted about 30 bars at £5 a pop and created 30 new customers who loved their

product and will come back.”

Being able to recruit the guest producers with ease is just one of the benefits of having direct relationships with almost all of them – assisted

by Marcus Carter’s Artisan Food Club, which is like dealing direct in all but the consolidated user-friendly invoicing.

Working with distributors isn’t really an option for Guzzl, because it can’t meet minimum orders given the lack of storage. Besides MurrayWatson prefers to pick up producers who are right at the beginning of their lifespan.

He’s still looking for healthy snacks that actually sell and ambient ready-meal solutions like the risotto mixes he’s recently listed.

The formula is clearly working, attracting Millennials, tourists and plenty of the unexpected, like the man who comes in while I’m there and clears the chiller of kombucha to the tune of £50.

“It’s probably going to take 12-18 months before we get well-known in the local community but we’re trading at a level now that is fully sustainable and we’ve got more to go.”

Murray-Watson even mentions the “next Guzzl” when we discuss his current space’s limitations for fresh products and food-to-go.

Given his situation less than a year ago, it shows how quickly the retailing bug can take hold. guzzl.club

If you have five chocolate bars between £4 and £6.50, you don’t suddenly want to put one in that is £2.50 because it looks cheap and doesn’t do that brand any good

Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

57

GUILD TALK 7KH *XLOG RI )LQH )RRG UHSUHVHQWV ŵQH IRRG VKRSV DQG VSHFLDOLVW VXSSOLHUV :DQW WR MRLQ WKHP"

View from HQ

I’d hate any deli to drop their fave finocchiona for an insect salami that just doesn’t taste as good as the fully leaded variety

By John Farrand managing director

THE SEED FUND DOES very good things. We’ve been involved with this philanthropic scheme, supporting food and drink startups, for a few years now, and walking into No 42 Southwark Street one day in June reminded me why nurturing fledgling producers is incredibly fulfilling.

There was a worthy sound boom as I strolled into the room, which looked a little like one of those desperate speed-dating fixtures of the early Nineties (no I

Meet the Guild Steering Group 5RE $PDU Managing Director, RH Amar, High Wycombe, Bucks

MOST ADMIRED BRAND There are many within our current brand portfolio – Kikkoman, Ella’s Kitchen, Del Monte et al – but I can’t appear biased, so I’ll pick a current favourite from outside our world: Fever-Tree. They’ve created a highly desirable brand through premium (but affordable) positioning, great marketing, and revitalising a stagnant category – and they’ve achieved some phenomenal growth. It’s what we’d look for in any brand we partner with.

$1' 0267 $'0,5(' RETAILER Beyond food I don’t like shopping, but I enjoy the occasional visit to Selfridges for its sheer scale and variety. I admire Amazon for what it has achieved against its mission statement (less so the impact its growth is having on warehouse rents in our area!).

July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

didn’t). Advice, ideas, pats on the back, investment, schmoozing – it was all there.

Mostly young folk were taking part in this Seed Fund mentoring day, wide-eyed and, quite frankly, full of it.

I’m one of 30-or-so mentors corralled by Seed Fund founder Jayne Noblet and her team of branding experts at The Collaborators, and it is fair to say these industry-savvy and experienced sages get as much out of it as the rookies. It felt healthy.

Very healthy. Almost vegan.

Yes, among the start-ups there was a fair mention of free-from et al. And I understand why. But my take-away comment of that day was from a senior London food buyer (a young, cool one I hasten to add) who looked at me at one point and said: “I just want someone to pitch a product that’s full-fat.”

She meant it. None of us believe the vegan bubble is about to

burst but we sometimes get lost in food fads and I’d hate for any deli to drop their fave finocchiona for an insect salami that just doesn’t taste as good as the fully leaded variety.

You must stock free-from, there is no doubt, but don’t become a health store. They’re very different.

My stand-out producers from the Seed Fund day will explain all you need to know about me. A man harvesting salt in Dorset in a very small way – its simplicity pleased.

Another who made bar snacks finely-tuned to match certain alcoholic drinks (surely not).

An attractive couple from north Wales with their seasonal wild garlic pesto (remember when food and seasonality?).

And then, at the end, a brownie. Crisp outer, that essential gooey inner and a rich chocolate sweetness that carried on without cloying. It was gluten-free.

Irritating. theseedfund.co.uk

$1' BIGGEST BUSINESS CLANGER Hitting “reply all” to an email from our biggest customer which I meant to forward internally. My comment was misinterpreted, and it took a lot of grovelling to put things right.

GUILTY FOOD SECRET I have so many! Guiltiest currently – Mini Babybel. My wife buys them for our daughter. There’s something strangely addictive about unwrapping those little red wheels of bland.

BURGER KING OR M&S SALAD Subway. +$/) )8// 25 +$/) (037<" Always half full. Unless it’s ale, or gin, or red wine – then I like it very full.

35,9$7( 3$66,21" Sport and travel. I play golf, support Arsenal, and watch a lot of other sport. Regular holiday destinations are Finland, my wife’s homeland, and Oman for its great weather, food, people and adventure. Now our daughter is a bit older we’ll start expanding our repertoire again.

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

WHO’S WHO AT GUILD HQ

Guild of Fine Food Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK

Managing director: John Farrand Marketing director: Tortie Farrand Commercial director: Christabel Cairns Sales director: Sally Coley

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065 info@gff.co.uk gff.co.uk

58

BEST BUSINESS 020(17 Becoming MD of our family business in 2010. I didn’t expect to be running a £50m-plus business at the age of 34.

ZZZ JII FR XN

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executive: Becky Stacey Events assistant: Stephanie Rogers Operations manager: Karen Price

• The retailers and suppliers on the Guild Steering Group meet quarterly to help shape and improve services to members and the wider industry. Want to join them? Email john.farrand@gff.co.uk for details.

Operations assistants: Claire Powell, Janet Baxter, Hugo Morisetti Training & events manager: Jilly Sitch Circulation manager: Nick Crosley

Financial controller: Stephen Guppy Accounts manager: Denise Ballance Accounts assistant: Julie Coates Chairman: Bob Farrand Director: Linda Farrand

QHZV IURP WKH JXLOG RI Ć&#x201C;QH IRRG

Mary Portas was successful in diagnosing the problems of the high street, but little progress has been made

The word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall ACS THE WORD FROM WESTMINSTER has, as ever, remained Brexit as the Commons considered the Lordsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill. But what is also sparking interest is the withdrawal of many retailers from high streets across the country.

7KH KLJK SURĆ&#x201C;OH DGPLQLVWUDWLRQV of Maplins and Toys R Us as other retailers shrink their store estates has sent political alarm bells ringing, and politicians are right to be worried.

The state of high streets and local shopping parades is easily visible to their constituents who are quick to ask, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where has my branch of Mothercare gone and what are you doing about it?â&#x20AC;?

Back in 2012, Prime Minister David Cameronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s answer was Mary Portas. Portas was successful in diagnosing the problems and made 28 recommendations about what needed to be done. But limited progress has been made, leaving 7KHUHVD 0D\ ZLWK DQRWKHU GLIĆ&#x201C;FXOW

The deli doctor Paul Thomas Technical and regulatory advice from the Guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deli helpline Q: Can I hang whole Spanish airdried hams above my deli counter?

My EHO thinks they should be refrigerated.

A: Foods must be refrigerated if they pose a food safety hazard kept at higher temperatures. The physical and chemical make-up

legacy issue to deal with.

Clearly there are big technological and societal changes impacting high streets, which the Government is trying to contend with through its newly formed Retail Sector Council. But real action needs to take place in the Treasury and Ministry of Communities, like delivering fundamental reform of business rates. Key actions include how we apply those rates (and other taxes) to online business and get the system to incentivise investment instead of penalising those trying to improve.

Clive Betts MP has set up a parliamentary inquiry to look again at high streets. Let us know what you think needs to change or tell the committee directly by tweeting your comment using #myhighstreetmatters to @CommonsCLG. Edward Woodall is head of policy & public affairs at small shops group ACS

edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

of many dried charcuterie lines may not support growth of Listeria monocytogenes and other harmful pathogens.

Regulation (EC) 2073/2005 GHĆ&#x201C;QHV WKH S+ DQG ZDWHU activity levels at which foods wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t support Listeria growth.

Air-dried hams have high salt levels and low moisture, so water activity typically falls below the 0.92 set out in the regulation.

8QOHVV WKH PDNHU VSHFLĆ&#x201C;HV a lower storage temperature on the label, these products should be stable displayed at room temperature, as they often are in restaurants in Spain. Your supplier may be able to provide a VSHFLĆ&#x201C;FDWLRQ GHWDLOLQJ WKH SURGXFWĹ?V physicochemical parameters. +DPV VKRXOG QRW KRZHYHU EH kept in humid conditions, which can cause meat to spoil, and they should be protected from sources of contamination such as insects.

Dairy and food safety specialist Paul Thomas runs the Guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e-helpline for retailers with technical or regulatory queries. It can be accessed through the Guild Membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hub at gff.co.uk

Online market will drive business in-store too, says Good Sixty A NEW REGIONAL ONLINE marketplace offering consumers premium foods direct from independent shops, producers and cafĂŠs has agreed discounts to Guild members who want to feature on its site.

Good Sixty was established in Bristol in 2016 by digital media expert Chris Edwards and Jon Simon of Pieminister, the speciality pie business, which is also based in the city.

It aims to provide an online presence for businesses that also have traditional bricks-and-mortar outlets, connecting shoppers with local independent businesses.

7KH ODXQFK UHĹ´HFWV WKH HPHUJHQFH of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;omni-shopperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; who makes no distinction between buying online or in-store and expects the full range of shopping and delivery options. With

Good Sixty, consumers can have food delivered to their home or click-andcollect.

Jon Simon said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are loads RI VWXGLHV VKRZLQJ WKH EHQHĆ&#x201C;W RI having an online presence and that it drives incremental business into the store rather than the opposite.â&#x20AC;?

Initially focused on Bristol, Good Sixty is hoping to expand throughout the South West and London in 2018.

It has recently completed a successful crowdfunding campaign, with over 300 investors, raising ÂŁ188,650 (25% over the original target).

Guild members are being offered a free set-up on the Good Sixty website (usually costing ÂŁ250) and a 20% saving on the sales commission, which is usually 12.5% for bricks-andmortar stores. goodsixty.co.uk

Rebrand reflects insights that go beyond the mystery shop GUILD RETAILERS WHO sign up to receive their free mystery shopper visit will see a new name on their follow-up report.

Service provider Shopper Anonymous is rebranding this month, under the new name LQVLJKW WR UHĹ´HFW D UDQJH RI â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;customer experienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; services that, according to founder Jonathan Winchester, has now grown much wider than the traditional mystery shop.

This includes a focus on training and mentoring clients to help them â&#x20AC;&#x153;innovate and improve their customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experienceâ&#x20AC;?, and using insight6â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accumulated knowledge to

help shops benchmark themselves against the rest of the sector.

Services will continue to be delivered through a network of regional directors with strong local knowledge.

The basic insight6 mystery shopper report was added as a free EHQHĆ&#x201C;W IRU *XLOG UHWDLO PHPEHUV earlier this year, and stores throughout the UK have already signed up to the service.

Guild members also receive a VLJQLĆ&#x201C;FDQW GLVFRXQW RQ RWKHU LQVLJKW tools that go further in improving the in-store experience insight6.com Vol.19 Issue 6 | July 2018

59

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Drink it neat, pour over ice, add a splash of milk, split with ginger ale or add a measure of gin for a caffeinated cocktail.

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July 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 6

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