FFD June-July 2025

Refresh your charcuterie offer with the latest NPD from the UK and beyond

ALSO INSIDE A closer look at the frozen category The Lambing Shed Importers and distributors directory

No waste & less packaging

Sold loose, shoppers can pick exactly what they need

award winning range 26 awards in the last 3 years

Your Shoppers:

• 1 in 3 said they would prefer to have loose foods over pre-packed amounts*

• Over 1/3 of your shoppers have bought premium frozen food from speciality stores, farmshops and foodhalls in the past*

• Seek flexible eating with almost half personalising the evening meal (1 in 6 eat entirely different meals)*

* YouGov/Fieldfare survey of 2,000 British shoppers - February 2024

Join the Frozen Revolution

We will:

• Set you up with a fully branded solution, installation with marketing support

• Advertise the offer to ‘sophisticated foodies’, over 8m so far!

• Introduce new products to the range

To stock Fieldfare get in touch at enquires@field-fare.com or call us on 01732 864 344

CONTENTS

Cyber-crime,

This is the time when our market makes hay. Customers want to stay longer in that café and buy that extra pack of burgers.

Must Be Crackers, using AI in your business

Carron Lodge to make soft cheeses, Val Bines tribute, Chiswick Cheese Market

Cider & Perry Awards, the

Charcuterie and plantbased

How different sized retailers approach

Referencing the weather, and the prevalence of sunshine in the last couple of months, seems to have become a national pastime. Almost every email exchange, phone call and conversation I’ve had in the last six weeks has begun with some kind of comment about those positive vitamin D vibes. No one does platitudes like the Brits. To me, it’s just hollow-butpolite chat. And even though I audibly agree that everything is better when the sun is shining, I’m not sure it’s true.

It doesn’t make me feel better whenever I’m trying to find a parking space at the nearby village shops. Or when I’m queueing in slow motion at the Post Office. Or when I feel my neck getting burned as I realise that I’ve yet again hung the canvass incorrectly on the pergola frame in the back garden (yes, that is quite the boujis middle class mini crisis, isn’t it?).

When it comes to work, that blue

All The Aunties paneer,

Retail data and how to

editorial@gff.co.uk

Editor: Michael Lane

Deputy editor: Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Art director: Mark Windsor

Contributors: Nick Baines, Karolina Grabara, Patrick McGuigan, Greg Pitcher, Lynda Searby

opportunities@gff.co.uk

Sales and publishing director: Sally Coley

Senior sales account manager: Becky Haskett

Sales assistant: Henry Coley

By Michael Lane, editor

sky doesn’t ease the doom I feel thinking about packaging taxes, import-export difficulties and the imminent threat of cyber-crime in our market. You can catch up on all of these in this issue’s news section.

I suppose nice weather is some consolation when the sky metaphorically feels like it’s about to fall in on us. Or actually am I just being too negative?

This time last year, local festivals were being cancelled because the fields for parking were sodden. It was probably colder than it should’ve been. And the thing is, we still felt the way we do about all of those pesky macro-economic problems.

So, let’s say “yes” the sun is a good thing. When the weather comes out, so do we. I can hear people in our usually-mortuarylike local pub’s beer garden every night. There are even fewer parking spaces when I go to the shops and the smell of barbecues hangs in the

evening air.

This is the time when our market makes hay. Customers all buy more food and drink. They want to stay longer in that café, buy that extra pack of burgers for the barbecue, and make sure that wine fridge (too boujis?) is well-stocked.

At a time when there are so many uncontrollable variables, this weather really is good for retail –even if our suppliers and farmers could do with some much-needed precipitation soon.

And now, it seems there’s some proper metaphorical sunshine to ease the nerves with the announcement that our Government and the EU are going to untangle some of Brexit’s knottiness (see page 8). Let’s hope we see these measures on the ground sooner rather than later.

Anyway, enjoy those literal golden rays while they last. Because, now that I’ve got that annoying pergola up, it’ll probably rain soon.

Paneer is one of those cheeses that is often overlooked in anything but curries – because a lot of the commercially available stuff isn’t up to scratch. But All the Aunties has created something much more versatile, with a smooth, soft texture that crisps up beautifully in a pan. The original is neutral but creamy and a great canvas for marinades; the Garlic & Herb and Chilli & Cumin are primed for sandwiches, salads and rice bowls. More on p.37

Sales support: Tamsin Bullock

Accounts assistant: Julie Coates

Finance director: Ashley Warden support@gff.co.uk

Managing director: John Farrand

Associate managing director: Christabel Cairns

Partner relations director: Tortie Farrand

Chairman: Bob Farrand

Marketing officer: Jenna Morice

Marketing and operations assistant: Frances Coleman

PR & partnerships officer: Claire Fry

Data strategy & insight manager: Lindsay Farrar

Operations manager: Claire Powell

Operations coordinators: Chris Farrand, Sepi Rowshanaei, Chloë Warren-Wood

Operations & events coordinator: Zara Williams

Operations assistant: Jessica Radley Published by The Guild of Fine Food Ltd Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £50 p.a. inc P&P.

Guild of

Reproduction of

or part of

without the

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox, deputy editor

IN BRIEF

The HFSS law set to ban junk food ads on TV before 9pm, and outright online has been pushed back from October 2025 to January 2026 as the Gov’t works through clarifications which will exempt branded ads provided they don’t advertise specific HFSS products.

CBD drink brand Trip has accumulated losses of almost £14m following significant investments in US expansion. The FSA’s guidance on CBD products has created uncertainty, leading some UK retailers to delist Trip.

20 year-old family owned shop, Wenlock Edge Farm, was destroyed in a fire last month. An investigation into what started it is still underway, but co-owner Peter Themans said the source appeared to be next to a chest freezer.

Indies urged to bolster cyber defences amid high-profile breaches

By Greg Pitcher

Retail and security experts have urged fine food purveyors to take steps to protect their businesses and customers from cyberattacks in the wake of major incidents involving high street grocers.

Marks & Spencer is still reeling from a “cyber incident” first disclosed in April, which has disrupted its website, app and phoneline orders. The retailer has warned the outage could cost it £300m, with some services not expected to resume until July. Meanwhile, more than 300 customers have reportedly joined a class action over the incident, which is alleged to involve compromised payment data.

The Co-op also confirmed in May that hackers had accessed and extracted information from one of its systems, affecting a “significant number” of past and present members.

The incidents have sparked warnings for

Importers deplore uncertainty over border check delays

Fresh produce importers have expressed outrage after a key minister was unable to confirm delayed border processes would come into force as expected in July.

Last year, the Government pushed back the implementation of post-Brexit checks on medium-risk fruit and vegetables imported from the EU by six months to 1 July 2025.

Asked by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee whether the revised date remained, borders minister Baroness Hayman of Ullock said ambiguously: “At the

smaller, independent businesses to be on their guard.

Darran Lindley, business development director at Fresh Retail, said the specialist consultancy had recently run an approved test where it had been able to hack into fine food firms’ systems.

“With a computer, YouTube and artificial intelligence, it is easy to set up an authentic phishing email that gains data,” he said.

“You can have a security plan in place but you

don’t know how good it is until you test it. Marks & Spencer and the Co-op would have thought they had bulletproof systems but it just takes one phonecall.”

Lindley said collecting customer data was a valuable tool for increasing loyalty and spending but warned that it must be protected.

“The average hack is said to lead to losses of £4,000 and comes with obligations to report,” he added.

Emmeline Taylor, professor of criminology at City St George’s, University

of London, said retailers were in the sights of cyber criminals.

“With e-commerce burgeoning and loyalty programmes expanding, the range and nature of sensitive data held by businesses is growing,” she added. “This makes an attractive proposition for offenders who will try to access this data to commit fraud or to leverage money from the business.

“Cyber-attacks can have a big impact – not just in the immediate aftermath as services and operations are disrupted but in the potential for irreversible reputational and brand damage.”

Mike Gillespie, chief executive of information security consultancy Advent IM, said many independent retailers did not have the benefit of large IT budgets or access to dedicated specialists.

But he warned: “It is vital that organisations of all sizes do the basics and do them well.”

Fresh Retail’s cyber-security tips

moment, that is what our intentions are.”

She later added: “At the moment we are discussing it with other departments. Beyond that, I am unable to provide any more information.”

Mike Parr, chief executive for UK and Ireland at food logistics giant PML Seafrigo, described the minister’s comments as “incredibly disappointing”.

The Parliamentary session “represented yet another painful example of the Government’s failure to understand the critical issues that we face” he added.

According to a Times report, some UK food producers and importers have already spent millions setting up the infrastructure, staffing and compliance systems required to meet the July deadline – funds that may now have been wasted if the checks are delayed again.

Gareth BaynhamHughes, director of animal plant health at the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs told MPs there could be “proportionate and pragmatic” early implementation of the checks to “get to a level of compliance but also confidence from traders using the system in a painfree way”.

1. Discuss risks Talk with your team. Have they received any suspicious texts or emails? Think about what could be at risk: customer data; your till system; accounts.

2. Educate your team Training doesn’t need to be technical. Everyone just needs to know how to spot risks.

3. Practice good IT hygiene

Avoid predictable passwords. Don’t reuse passwords across systems. Always turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for key logins.

4. Spot red flags Are any systems still running old software?

Are updates being done? Are passwords written down, or are logins shared?

5. Segment your network

Ask your IT provider about splitting your WiFi. Customer access should never connect to your systems.

6. Consider smart protection tools

Even basic antivirus, a simple firewall or a business VPN can help protect your systems.

7. Get advice

Your IT support provider shouldn’t just be who you call when something breaks, they are a great resource of knowledge and support.

Operations at M&S have been disrupted since April, when the retailer was the victim of a cyber attack

Proposed sugar tax extension “an opportunity” to promote healthy options

By Greg Pitcher

Fine food retailers have called for greater efforts to educate consumers after the Government set out plans to expand a tax on sugar in beverages.

In May, ministers published a consultation on proposals to lower the threshold for products to be caught by the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), and remove an exemption for milk-based items.

Under the tax, most sweetened, pre-packaged, non-alcoholic drinks with 5g total sugar per 100ml are subjected to a charge of at least £1.94 per 10 litres sold. Exceptions include non-alcoholic beer and wine, fruit juices, cocktails, certain formulas and those that are at least 75% milk.

The Government is now consulting on proposals to reduce the threshold to 4g per 100ml and remove the exemption for beverages based primarily on milk or substitutes. It said this

would capture significant additional sales.

Farm Retail Association chair Emma Mosey said tightening the levy was “a positive direction of travel”.

“The problem is that consumers don’t realise from packaging which products are healthy or otherwise because of the marketing methods of larger retailers in the past,” she added. “I am not generally pro-taxation but it is great that we are encouraging people to make healthier decisions.

“It offers an opportunity for farm shops to highlight and promote healthy options.”

Heather Copley, owner at Farmer Copleys, said the Yorkshire farm shop offers drinks at various sugar levels.

“People choose which they want, they don’t seem to be affected by the price,” she added. “I don’t think the tax will impact consumer choices; it might be better to educate and use labelling to raise awareness.”

Retailers call for reform of EPR following administrator’s appointment

Retailers have welcomed a Government move to install packaging producers at the heart of delivering a new packaging tax – but insisted the system still has “fundamental flaws”.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has called for expressions of interest in forming a new “producer responsibility organisation” to support “closer producer involvement” in the waste management initiative.

Under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, in-scope packaging producers are required to pay set fees

to cover the management of relevant waste material placed on the market from 1st January 2025.

PackUK, led by former recycling-labelling chief Margaret Bates, is currently administering the tax, and recently published rules for firms to use when classifying their materials under it. Producers are expected to begin paying base fees from October 2025. Modulated fees based on recyclability are also set to come into force from 2026.

But the Government said a statutory instrument to be laid in Parliament in November would bring in changes.

“In response to

However, she conceded that tightening the SDIL could affect stocking decisions.

“It could make some products commercially unviable for us. It is also another headache but we have to take it in our stride.”

Laura Roberts, owner of South London deli Laura’s Larder, said a balanced view was required of the pros and cons of different foods.

“As a parent, I have always thought it is up to me to educate my children on the health aspects of sugar. Some of the Frappuccinos on the market have ice cream and cake; they are sundaes.”

Roberts cautioned that the tax could drive manufacturers towards artificial sweeteners that are not counted as sugar under the current legislation.

“As a fine food retailer, I believe in championing quality, balance and real ingredients.”

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

ABOUT...

…THE NEW SUGAR TAX

“If this instigates product innovation with health benefits then it is positive. If companies will look to ultra-processed alternatives or it is just going to cost more for people to buy the same sugary products then those are negatives. I don’t think we will notice changes to the tax much in our store.”

requests for greater producer leadership in the operation of the packaging EPR scheme, the amending regulations will enable the appointment of a producer responsibility organisation (PRO) and will allow the transfer of functions to this new organisation,” said Defra.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said he was “supportive” of the new producer organisation but warned the amendments “fall short of fixing the fundamental flaws” in the scheme.

“It remains a tax

with no clear link between fees paid and improvements in recycling,” he added.

“With EPR set to cost retailers £2bn, we need to see further adjustments made to ensure it delivers the improvement to recycling rates businesses and consumers expect to see.”

Jim Bligh, director of corporate affairs and packaging at the Food and Drink Federation, said “many of the changes” were “huge leaps forward in the right direction for EPR”.

But he added: “There’s still significant work to be done to make the policy viable.”

“There is an educational piece –people need to know what is in their food, then they can enjoy it, treat themselves and break the rules occasionally but behave afterwards. This is called a balanced diet. We have as a society got a long way to go and I would like to see this start with schools and for the Government to take a lead.”

“I think it is good that we are addressing a hidden danger if drinks such as coffees are containing too much sugar. I believe this could be an opportunity for independent coffee sellers who can concentrate on authenticity and quality of product.”

LAURA ROBERTS, LAURA’S LARDER

HEATHER COPLEY, FARMER COPLEYS

ANDREW GOODACRE, BRITISH INDEPENDENT RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

The Government has said it will increase the tax rates by 27% by 2027 to make up for a freeze in rates since the levy’s introduction.

Taste of the West and its awards saved after going into administration

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Taste of the West will live to see another day, as administrators have agreed a deal to sell the West Country trade organisation and awards organiser to a consortium of food professionals.

South West & Wales Business Recovery (SWBR) was appointed as the administrator for the independent regional food group on 8th May and the Taste of the West website was taken down, leaving its more than 1,000 paying members in the dark as to the status of their subscriptions and awards entries.

SWBR confirmed that a sale has reached a conclusion, and was preparing a full statement as FFD went to press.

When the news of the group’s collapse broke in May, Charles Baughan of Westaway Sausages said he and “a consortium of people who

M&S plans food expansion

Marks & Spencer has acquired 12 former Homebase sites with a plans to opening its largest M&S Food Stores to date.

The biggest will be a 22,000 sq ft store in Godalming, Surrey, due to open in the summer of 2026.

Three 18,000 sq ft shops will open in Addington, Oxfordshire; Cannock, Staffordshire and Farnham, Surrey in the spring, and a 16,000 sq ft M&S Food Store will open in Northampton in the summer of 2026.

The retailer says it plans to have 420 Food stores across the UK, up from 316 in 2023 when it launched its store rotation and renewal programme.

care” wanted to continue Taste of the West’s work, and that it had entered into discussions with the administrators.

It is understood that this consortium bid successfully for Taste of the West’s assets, because the group was liquidated prior to the deal and unable to be sold as a going concern.

Sources close to the deal said the group includes Mike Anderson, managing director at Hale Events; James Simpson of Somerset Charcuterie; food &

hospitality advocate Steve Ashworth; the managing director of marketing firm Daneswood, Nigel Wilkinson; former managing director of SPAR UK Jerry Marwood and Chris Milton, formerly of Thatcher’s Cider.

The new business will be trading as Taste of the West, and the group is working towards reestablishing the trade organisation with new benefits, and protecting the 2024-2025 awards for those who have already entered.

DOWN ON THE FARM

at

Farm

applied to develop a new site on land at

Junction near

with the idea of moving the premises from its current location. The farm shop currently runs a weekly delivery round in the surrounding area so is already known to locals. drakesfarm.net Adam’s Happy Hens in Chesterfield has applied to change the use of a large, modern barn to bring all the current farm shop activities under one

The new farm shop would open 7 days a week and would remain on the farm. facebook.com/ AdamsHappyHens

While it is yet to bring the website back online and set up a phone line, members were encouraged to be patient as an official statement from the consortium was also being prepared at the time of publication.

Established in 1991, Taste of the West was created to champion West Country producers, retailers, and hospitality businesses, as well as to support tourism to the region. It offered a membership programme and ran a popular annual awards scheme, the logo of which is now wellrecognised as a symbol of quality.

CEO of 20 years John Sheaves retired in March. Posting on his LinkedIn profile, he said: “What a fantastic journey it has been. I have loved working with you all, it has been an absolute pleasure. I send my very best wishes to colleagues and friends old and new.”

The Black Farmer is planning to open two more farm shops in London, following on the original Brixton shop and the recently opened White City shop at the old Television Centre. Plans are already afoot to open shops in Bermondsey

IN BRIEF

Booths is set to close its Rippon branch after 16 years due to struggling to remain profitable. The retailer has 27 stores across the North of England, but this was one of only three in Yorkshire.

Luxury department store Harvey Nichols has ceased selling food and hampers in a move it says will allow it to focus on its fashion, beauty and hospitality offerings. The retailer reported net losses of £34m in the year up to March 2024.

The number of UK breweries is continuing to fall amid rising costs and a decline in consumer spending. According to SIBA’s Brewery Tracker, there were 136 fewer breweries in March 2025 compared to spring 2024.

in September 2025 and Wood Wharf, near Canary Wharf in 2026. The retailer and own label producer is planning further shops outside of the capital. theblackfarmer.com

A Norfolk farmer has been granted planning permission to convert part of a barn into a pop-up shop to sell the farmreared meat and homegrown vegetables to the public. Garvestone Farm Shop will initially open only on Saturdays but has permission for further openings if it proves successful.

The latest from farm shops across the country

Oinkers

Drakes

has

Woodleigh

Cheriton Bishop

The trade association and awards organiser has been saved by a group of food professionals, who hope to continue its work.

Lack of timeline is a concern but new UK-EU trade deal offers hope

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Professionals from across the food & drink industry breathed a sigh of relief following the announcement of a new trade deal between the UK and the EU, which is expected to ease exchanges with the bloc. Many are reserving judgement, however, pending clarity on the detail and timeline.

Billed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “historic”, the deal was officially agreed at an EU summit hosted in London on 19th May. Perhaps the most important measure for the food & drink industry is a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) zone, to reduce the number of checks on incoming animal and plant products, which will cut paperwork and prevent border delays.

But with Defra still in talks with EU negotiators, the new measures may not be implemented anytime soon.

Brindisa’s NPD and buying manager Francisco Pombal told FFD that for the Spanish product importer, wholesaler, retailer and hospitality business, products of animal origin like charcuterie, cheeses, tinned and cured fish would be the primary beneficiaries of the agreement.

But, he said, “any cost savings will be directly linked to the extent of simplification in customs and SPS requirements” –which isn’t yet clear.

While Brindisa has continued working with all of its suppliers since Brexit, Pombal doesn’t foresee adopting a different approach to sourcing EU products until the detail of the deal emerges. However, he said, “it is encouraging that both the UK and the EU acknowledge the potential for significant improvement, which

promises mutual benefits.”

This was echoed by Alison Trozzi of Just So Italian, a familyrun importer, who said that although the new SPS measures sounded promising, “we haven’t seen any changes as yet, but we do anticipate a reduction in the massive amount of documentation required at the border”. She also hopes that the new framework will allow the company to resume imports of fresh cheeses – which it discontinued due to increased prices and delivery time. “Until now, we have tried to absorb as many of the extra costs as possible.

What

If we do see significant changes in import duty and administration costs, we will definitely pass this on to our customers.”

Before Brexit, Kentbased foodhall Macknade also imported a lot more cheese, sourcing it directly from affineurs. “Now, you’d need certification for each product on a mixed pallet”, said CEO Stefano Cuomo. “It’s just made the cost higher and process harder – especially for premium products.”

Dan Williams of the family-run Godfrey C. Williams in Cheshire also hopes the deal will help the shop recoup dropped lines. Although it buys

does the new EU-UK trade deal mean for food & drink businesses?

• A new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) zone, removing many routine checks on animal and plant products imported from and exported to the EU

• A lift on the export ban of certain animal products from the UK to the EU, such as sausages, burgers, and some shellfish

• An end to separate labels or packaging to meet EU-specific requirements for UK food exporters

• Updates to the Windsor Framework to reduce the barriers when sending food between Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• Alignment with EU food standards

• Continued access by EU fishing vessels to UK fishing waters for the next 12 years

most of its products through wholesalers, he said, “we had to cut our lines. Initially there were disappointed customers coming in for certain German meats, but we just couldn’t get them. Our suppliers said they weren’t available, and over time that turned into, ‘we’ve delisted the product.’ Hopefully that’ll change.”

Williams said the lack of a timeline was “a worry”, adding: “stagnation could lead to confusion and lost business. Something, at least by the end of the year, would be welcome.”

Director of the Guild of Fine Food, John Farrand, said that “less friction at the border for dairy and meat products has to be a good thing, especially for those smaller producers who have struggled over the past two to three years with the complexity of paperwork and unfathomable customs declarations and duty costs.”

Applauding the inevitable economic benefits, he said it would also deliver “the slightly softer, but equally important cultural advantages, nurturing stronger more meaningful relationships across the EU”.

Cuomo agreed that rebuilding these relationships would be a positive on a human front, “and it should be a real economic gain. I’d be surprised if the Government doesn’t try to capitalise on it.

“There’s criticism its reneging on Brexit, but if it can show a clear economic benefit from a closer EU relationship, it could become a political win. If not, it just looks like backtracking with no commercial gain. So I’d expect it to push this forward – and yes, it would help our margins.”

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT...

...THE NEW UKEU TRADE DEAL

“The world has been distracted by ‘Tariff Man’ over the past few weeks and looking at headline deals with India and others, but anyone in food & drink knows that our most valuable trading partners are our neighbours in Europe, especially Ireland. The movement of perishables must be done quickly, for obvious reasons and the trading volumes therefore lie with those closest to us.”

“We’ve had long-term relationships we let go that we’re trying to rekindle. But we’ll be sticking with the current processes and suppliers until we can see how to get back into direct engagement with producers in Europe again. That would give us a broader, more interesting offer.”

“I’d love to see more products from unsung European countries that don’t get the spotlight here. I’m always going on about German cheese and meat – there’s huge regional variety that just doesn’t get the publicity it deserves.”

JOHN FARRAND, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GUILD OF FINE FOOD

STEFANO CUOMO, CEO, MACKNADE

The Gov’t says the agreement will slash red tape, open up access to the EU market and add nearly £9bn to the UK economy by 2040

DANIEL WILLIAMS, PROJECT MANAGER, GODFREY C. WILLIAMS & SONS

Blas Cymru Taste Wales

Discover a nation of food and drink innovators

22 & 23 October | 2025

International Convention Centre Wales, Celtic Manor, Newport, South Wales

Join us for the signature event of the Welsh food and drink industry, bringing together producers, suppliers, buyers, and food industry professionals from across the world.

The Welsh Government’s Food & Drink Wales team have designed Blas Cymru / Taste Wales for professional buyers from retail, foodservice, hospitality, along with developers and chefs.

Key event highlights include:

• Meet an industry under one roof – participation from SALSA and BRCGS accredited companies

• Focus on innovation, with 200 new product ranges

• 3,000 product showcase with buyers able to browse independently

• Time efficient – diary system to arrange short introductory meetings

• Access expert knowledge from Food & Drink Wales to help identify suitable suppliers

• Rising Star Marketplace – connect with up and coming suppliers

For further information or to register to attend:

gov.wales/foodanddrinkwales

f FoodDrinkWales @FoodDrinkWales Food_Drink_Wales

l Bwyd a Diod Cymru | Food and Drink Wales

by the Welsh Government

IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

AILEEN WRIGHT, owner, Must Be Crackers, Dunfermline, Fife

10 years ago, my husband and I bought an old haberdashery shop. By 2020, it had completely outgrown its space so we moved it two doors down, leaving the smaller shop space empty.

Having spent a decade talking and listening to customers, I was confident that if we opened an independent cheese shop, people would use it. They were already committed to shopping locally, so why wouldn’t they buy their cheese here rather than driving to the next town? As a resident, I was keen for this to happen too.

I knew that the shop had to offer more than just cheese and crackers. In the winter we sell tonnes of cheese but in the summer, nibbles and cold drinks are a bigger seller. Gluten-free and vegan customers are an important market for us so we also cater for them, although we try not to be everything to everybody. We have distinct sections for different categories - snacks, crackers, condiments etc - which keeps us focused.

We don’t have a license because there’s an independent wine shop and a craft beer shop on the same block. Instead of trying to do everything ourselves, we work with neighbouring businesses, sending customers back and forth and hosting joint wine and cheese tasting events.

We are currently trialling fresh fruit and veg, because there is no greengrocer on the street, and that is a learning curve. With haberdashery, it doesn’t matter if stock takes three years to shift, whereas fresh produce is a ticking time bomb.

Some time ago I had an issue with a freezer that wasn’t keeping its temperature, which resulted in damaged stock and losses. I lost sleep. I lost Beef Wellington. It was soul destroying but what was really difficult was putting on a brave face for customers. When they said to me, ‘how’s your day going Aileen?’, I couldn’t exactly say I had been crying my eyes out over a freezer defrosting at seven o’clock that morning, because that’s not the story they want to hear. It would be like breaking the fourth wall. Instead, I went to see my friend, the butcher down the street, and we talked about our problems over a cup of tea.

And I guess that is how you make a success of high street retailing. You have to connect with your customers, but you also have to have a filter.

I’m a shopkeeper through and through. I love good retail and strongly believe that high streets can succeed – even in a tough climate. But it needs to be done well. And that comes back to the story you are selling. All you need is one good idea, as most customers have very simple requirements. Our customers don’t want over-the-top themed seasonal offerings. They just want a warm welcome – and more cheese.

Interview Lynda Searby

Photography Karolina Grabara

View from HQ

I’D LIKE TO think I have a conventional, almost ordinary face, but over the years I have been likened to a few celebs, and they seem to be those with extreme and distinguishing features. I’ve been compared (often shrouded in blokey banter) to Bruce Forsyth, Rodney from Only Fools & Horses and Tom Fletcher of McFly. I tend to mention the latter when playing the popular ‘look-y like-y’ game, partly because it’s a more modern cultural reference and partly because he’s the most attractive of that unappetising bunch.

A few weeks ago, I was passing through Greenford tube and was aware that two London Underground (LU) employees were guffawing as I approached

GREAT TASTE PODCAST NOMINATED

‘Great Taste Podcast – Episode 1: It’s Written in the Stars’ has been shortlisted for the Guild of Food Writers Food Podcast or Broadcast Award 2025.

A joint venture from the Guild and RATCHET, it takes listeners behind the scenes of Great Taste and into the world of independent producers and retailers. It was hosted and produced by Katherine Nathan, with Nick Usher and Mary Gregory, in collaboration with Christabel Cairns and Jenna Morice.

Series two is already underway – more coming soon…

FFD’s publisher and Guild of Fine Food managing director John Farrand has his say

the information desk. “Hello Fabio,” said LU employee one. I looked at him quizzically. “You’re Fabio Capello, mate,” chirped LU employee two.

I had my glasses on and with the generous nose and (slightly) pronounced chin they may have had a point, although I politely pointed out that Fabio Capello (exEngland football manager) would not be travelling on a dirty Central Line service across London.

A case of welcome, goodhumoured mistaken identity.

A little like a friend chomping through our cheeseboard at the weekend proudly naming and celebrating the ‘Brie de Meaux’ we had supplied her, which was in fact a Baron Bigod. A flawed observation in many ways. But it chimes rather well with the news this week that there is national mood to buy British. Waitrose has been busy PR-ing year-on-year sales increases for British steak (193%), British mature cheddar (78%), Jersey Royal new potatoes (89%) and early British asparagus

(25%). Those last two hint at an understanding of seasonality as well as an admirable intention to support our farmers and growers.

Could it be the clout of Clarkson, again? Could it be the fact that our friends in the EU, after five years of border friction, have given up exporting their good stuff, leading to the UK punter discovering our homegrown food & drink excellence? Excellence that has been available in independents for an eternity

Excellence has been available in independents for an eternity – we just find it harder to shout about it

– we just find it harder to shout about it.

The recent UK-EU trade summit and consequential deal is analysed on page 8 and the early signs are that our borders should be easier and cheaper to navigate. It just might not happen any time soon, with many experts citing 2026 as the earliest the red tape will be cut.

When we get there, we may be able to embrace terroir again, whilst considering seasonality and our environment. If we get that right, there is an opportunity for UK farmers, growers and makers to succeed alongside our most relevant trading partners in the EU, as we share and trade the products we have when in season, when they are plentiful and when they are at their best.

And do we think the supermarkets will rally behind our farmers rather than investing in faux farm names and ambiguous branding that only leads to duplicity and yet more mistaken identity? Unlikely, but we can.

The Word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall Association of Convenience Stores

WESTMINSTER IS AWASH with analysis of what the May election results means for the Government and our wider political system. But the reality is we’re probably four years away from the next general election, so we should focus on the current Government and its very active legislative agenda.

We are approaching the end of the Government’s initial legislative agenda aimed at fulfilling its manifesto commitments. There are a host of significant bills for food businesses - the Employment Rights Bill, the Non-Domestic Rates Bill, the Crime and Policing Bill, and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, all at various stages of the legislative process. We are now shifting from legislative debates to practical policy design, with tangible consequences for businesses. Therefore, we can anticipate a

summer of consultations, and debates on the implementation of this legislation and its potential implications.

One notable policy announcement that may not have been widely recognised by fine food retailers is the appointment of the UK Deposit Management Organisation (UK DMO) by the Government. This industry body is tasked with implementing the landmark recycling policy, the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). This milestone in its implementation signals the need for all retailers to prepare for its introduction by October 2027. Retailers selling drinks in plastic or aluminium containers will be required to charge consumers a deposit on these products and offer the option to return the containers at their stores, effectively turning part of their premises into recycling and storage centres. Leading up to the October 2027 deadline, the UK DMO must establish

labelling requirements, IT systems, exemption processes, and return handling fees to be paid to retailers. Retail businesses have three options: invest in reverse vending machines, manually take back and store containers, or apply for an exemption from DRS, meaning customers cannot recycle their containers on their premises. Each of these options presents significant commercial trade-offs. Scotland’s challenging experience with DRS has taught us that swift action is essential. Businesses that delay will likely face difficulties later on. We strongly encourage all retail businesses selling drink containers to sign up for updates at UKDMO.co.uk and closely monitor policy discussions this summer, as they will have substantial impacts on your businesses in the coming year.

Edward Woodall is government relations director at the ACS edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER

ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER

TODAY, I THOUGHT I’d tell you about the time we were harassed on social media.

It started innocuously enough. A sly comment on a socials post. Then, a short, punchy, abusive message dropping into our DMs. Easy to delete, or ignore. We’d had comments from militant vegans before on our posts about our locally sourced meat, and I’d learnt then to delete rather than engage.

Then there was an email, claiming to be from an exemployer of someone on our books. Apparently, the employee owed them money, and they were requesting that we pay up on their behalf. The email came from a random source, but had the same name as the profile on social media.

We took legal advice, reporting it to the police. We spoke to the employee in question, who said there was no truth to the

Expert eye

allegations. We saved the email in a special file marked ‘Evidence’ and moved on with our busy lives.

police, who would file them and tell us there was nothing they could do.

Then there was an email threatening to come down to an evening event and get the money owed. My partner waited in the back with a makeshift weapon in case someone turned up. Nobody did. And again, the police could do nothing until a crime had been committed.

The threats got worse. They said they would burn down the shop, and made comments that suggested they would hurt family members.

The employee had a suspicion as to who it was, and managed to extract a recorded confession on the phone one night. It had been another staff member all along –who was then arrested and charged with online harassment.

The threats got worse. They said they would burn down the shop.

Then the comments got worse. Left late at night, on random recent and older posts. Personal attacks on team members, and on us. Bad reviews left on review sites. I’d check my phone each morning, ready to screenshot them for the folder, and then delete. We’d report them to the ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE?

This article was written with AI. Only joking. But would you know if it had been?

According to one survey, 78% of companies are now using generative AI. This is up from 20% in 2017, with a huge surge over the last three years. In deepest, darkest Yorkshire, I think the first time I heard about it was the beginning of 2024. At the Farm Retail Association Conference in March of that year, we held a popular session on it.

The mentality then (and now in many cases) was one of fear. People were concerned about it replacing jobs, or simply scared it would steal their data or take over the world. These are legitimate concerns: I recently read Yuval Noah Harari’s book Nexus, in which he highlights its benefits, but also raises concerns about its ability to create narratives and influence human society.

AI isn’t acting maliciously, but if you give it an instruction, it will find the best way to achieve it. Harari gives the example of how social media platforms are tasking AI with increasing

I’m not the only one with outrageous stories from my time in the trade. I’m sure you’ve got your own. Needless to say, there isn’t much that surprises me anymore.

It’s a stark reminder that running a business is about more than just products and sales; it’s about navigating the unexpected, supporting your team through incredibly tough times, and finding the resilience to carry on.

engagement, which initially resulted in them presenting more and more shocking content. It also resulted in AI creating extreme stories, which were not true.

Beyond existential fears, AI is a useful tool in a retail business. The main thing I find it useful for in my own business is for generating branded copy for our website or social media. I have been impressed by its ability to generate on-brand content which needs editing, but saves time as a starting point.

There are other uses for AI, which many of the larger food retailers are already employing. Demand forecasting, inventory optimisation and dynamic pricing are a few ways we might be using technology to streamline our processes in the future. As a small business, we find a glance at the shelves and stock room for a reordering is still the least labour-intensive method in a world where staff are our most expensive commodity.

Whatever you do, do not enter financial data or other sensitive information into publicly available, free-to-use AI tools. And you should even check confidentiality protocols if you’re paying for a service.

The future of the world with AI might have terrifying consequences and it’s important that governments are working hard to understand them. But I don’t see any harm in utilising it to save time in writing copy about events and new products. I might even ask it for feedback on this article.

in 2024 (year ending Dec) compared with the previous 12 months.

Source: ONS

Whether it’s staff training, business advice, event space, making industry connections or opportunities to meet trade buyers and food lovers, the Guild of Fine Food does far more than publish FFD. The Guild has been championing independent food & drink for over 30 years. Join us today and find out what we can do for your business.

Support & ideas: support@gff.co.uk

Training & venue hire: bookings@gff.co.uk

Exhibition stands: opportunities@gff.co.uk

MyGuild assistance: myguild@gff.co.uk

gff.co.uk/join

FRA CHAIR EMMA MOSEY DEBATES THE MERITS OF USING AI IN YOUR BUSINESS

The

ExCLusivELy For iNDEpENDENT TrADE

Discover in spring: Creamy wild garlic cheese

Carron Lodge sets up major soft cheese production at Singletons site

By Patrick McGuigan

Cheese supplier Carron Lodge is to become a major producer of Continental-style soft cheeses, after investing around £1m at the former Singletons dairy in Lancashire.

The company, which is best known as a wholesaler but also makes cheese, acquired the dairy in Longridge as part of a deal to buy Singletons and its brands out of administration in 2023. Production of Grandma Singleton’s Lancashire has since been moved to Carron Lodge’s Park Head Farm production site in Inglewhite, while Longridge has been transformed into a hub for soft cheeses.

It has capacity to process 100,000 litres of milk, equivalent to 8-10 tonnes of cheese, a week.

Fresh goats’ curd logs under the Ribblesdale brand, including Plain, Ashed and Honey & Flower, are already being made at the site with plans to roll out several new cheeses in the coming months including aged goats’ cheeses, plus triple cream and Camembert-style cheeses made with cows’ milk.

“Honey and Flower is the most successful product launch we’ve ever done,” said director Tom Rhodes. “After

we bought Singletons we sat down and looked at where British cheese was heading and while we remain committed to traditional British cheeses, it’s clear the market is evolving.

Soft cheeses like burrata and goats’ curd are being used as ingredients in starters and mains, as well as in sharing dishes with wine.”

Around 2-3 tonnes of the weekly production at the new site is expected to go into retail with the rest earmarked for foodservice and manufacturing.

“We are fully committed to the wonderful cheesemakers we already work with in our wholesale business, but we can see there is demand for more British soft cheeses,”

NEWS IN BRIEF

The UK Government has banned the public from bringing cheese and meats for personal consumption from the European Union into the country to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. Offenders could be fined up to £5,000.

Stinking Bishop producer Martell & Son in Gloucestershire has launched a new semisoft blue cows’ milk cheese called Hulla Ballo.

Yorkshire Pecorino has developed a new Taleggio-style cheese called Town Crier. Formed in a round (rather than square) shape, the washed rind cheese is made with cows’ milk and aged for around two months.

said Rhodes. “Our aim is to complement the cheeses we already sell, rather than replace.”

Carron Lodge has its own herds of cows and buffalo at Park Head Farm, where it makes territorial cheeses. As well as taking over Singletons, it has also acquired Ribblesdale Cheese Co and the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Co in recent years.

The company has secured planning permission to expand the Cheddar Gorge dairy and visitor centre in Somerset as part of plans to increase production and footfall.

“Cheddar Gorge is the only cheddar still made in Cheddar. It has huge potential,” said Rhodes.

The results of a collaborative experiment between the Trethowan Brothers and Lincolnshire Poacher were revealed last month in a collective tasting exploring the idea of terroir in cheese. Guests at the event at the Kernel Taproom in London tried Pitchfork cheddar made and matured at Lincolnshire Poacher’s dairy (using milk from the Lincolnshire farm), alongside Lincolnshire Poacher made at Trethowan’s dairy in Somerset. The limited edition cheeses, dubbed Lincolnshire Pitchfork and Somerset Poacher, are currently being sold by wholesalers, with further collaborations expected in the future

THREE WAYS WITH...

King Fisher Blue

This new unpasteurised goats’ milk blue from White Lake Cheese in Somerset was launched last month to coincide with Goats’ Milk Appreciation Week (12th-18th May). It’s made in 2kg rounds and aged for around two months, and has a tender, slightly grainy texture with greenyblue veins. The flavour is sweet and floral with a salty, piquant kick a bit like Roquefort.

Quince

There’s a fieriness to Kingfisher which contrasts pleasantly with the sweet, perfumed flavour of quince. Membrillo and ‘fruits for cheese’ work well – toning down the heat and bringing out a fruity flavour in the cheese that is otherwise easy to miss. Another good option is Fruits of the Forage Quince Preserve, which is made with quinces farmed in Kent and foraged in Cheshire and Shropshire.

Onion Grissini

The sweet tangy flavour of roasted onions echo similar notes in Kingfisher, but the delicate soft cheese also needs some crunch as a contrast. Seggiano Grissini, made with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and Calabrian PGI Tropea red onions, do the job admirably.

Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise Blue cheese and dessert wine is a sure-fire winner, but Kingfisher needs something with a little bit more power. Step forward Beaumes-de-Venise, a sweet fortified white wine made with Muscat grapes in the Rhone Valley. At 15% it has enough intensity to stand up to the spicy blue, but there are also honey and floral notes, which pick up similar flavours in the cheese.

Carron Lodge acquired Singletons, Ribblesdale and the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Co in 2022 in order to make more cheese and develop new ones

CHEESE

Cheesemakers mourn the loss of renowned instructor Val Bines

By Patrick McGuigan

Cheesemaker, teacher and consultant Val Bines, who taught many of Britain’s artisan cheese producers, passed away last month aged 85.

Described as “one of the last great ladies in cheese” by cheddar-maker Mary Quicke, Bines had a career in dairy spanning more than 60 years.

She taught at the Durham School of Agriculture and Reaseheath College, before working for the National Institute for Research into Dairying. She also worked for Reading University and as head of dairy at the School of Artisan Food. She received the Dairy Industries Award for Exceptional Contribution to the Cheese Industry in 2006.

Together with her colleague Christine Ashby, who passed away last year, they created AB Cheesemaking, which provided practical training at Reaseheath. She taught many of the country’s best known cheesemakers including Lye Cross Farm, Hampshire

CHEESE IN PROFILE with

What’s the story?

A soft rind washed cheese named after the town Livarot in Normandy, France. Livarot PDO is also

Bines was extremely influential and taught many of Britain’s best-known cheesemakers over the course of her 60-year career

Cheese and Winterdale Shaw. She also worked for Quickes, improving the quality and consistency of its cheddar, and created the company’s Hard Goats Cheese.

“There are few cheesemakers making today who don’t owe her a debt of gratitude either directly or in creating practice in cheesemaking that was rooted in scientific knowledge, technical capability, practical

known as the ‘colonel’ due to the 3-5 strips of dried grass-like sedge plants wrapped around it, resembling the decorative braids found on a colonel’s uniform that signify rank. These strips are made with reedmace grown in the wetlands before being gathered in bundles and left to dry. Livarot has a reputation for its strong pungent smell and flavour.

How is it made?

Livarot is produced in small vats, holding less than 320 litres each, to maintain consistent acidity and moisture levels during moulding. The cheeses are aged for a minimum of 35 days and are regularly washed in brine during

focus, while understanding economics,” said Mary Quicke. “She delivered her advice with courtesy, humility and unfailing good humour, and from a depth of knowledge of the science and practice of cheesemaking at all scales. She worked equally with MDs of companies and the most junior operator, always giving the reasons why delivered quietly, in the kindest way possible and with a twinkle in the eye.”

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE

Cynthia Lamptey, The Larder Deli, Lewisham, London

The Larder was voted London’s best deli in last month’s Muddy Stilettos Awards, helped in no small part by its excellent cheese counter.

Like the rest of the shop, co-founded by Cynthia Lamptey in 2014, local sourcing is a key focus, although this is easier said than done with cheese in South East London.

“You won’t find Lewisham Reblochon, but we do have cheeses like Graceburn, which was first made in Brockley,” she says. “Likewise, Canterbury Cheeses, High Weald and Alsop & Walker are not far away. And in the absence of local cheeses we stock artisan cheeses from Mons and Neal’s Yard.”

Lamptey and cheesemonger Ollie Robertson-Glenn also take a personal approach to which cheeses they stock.

“If we like it, we champion it with tastings and events, and we often change products depending on what’s available and good,” she says.

Raedwald from Fen Farm is a prime example. The washed rinder has been hugely popular but is now out of season, but goat’s cheeses from Mons are coming into their own as temperatures rise.

thelarderdeli.com

this time to promote the growth of the sticky orange bacteria that forms on the rind. Cultures and annatto may also be added to the wash to support rind development and enhance its distinctive colour.

Appearance & texture:

Livarot’s sticky, aromatic rind ranges in colour from

pale straw to rich reddish tones, while the interior is soft and dotted with small holes. Its flavour profile combines creamy dairy notes with subtle floral and earthy undertones.

Variations: None.

Cheesemonger tip:

Pairs well with a cider or Calvados, both from Normandy. Also great with a light fruity red wine, such as Chinon from the Loire Valley.

Chef’s recommendation:

Livarot works well baked with Calvados, eaten on toasted sourdough with air-dried ham.

Livarot PDO

Setting out the stalls

Born from the pandemic but steeped in more history than you’d think, Chiswick Cheese Market has thrived in West London.

By Patrick McGuigan

LUCY CUFFLIN CATCHES up with FFD via a video call from France, where she’s busy with her day job as the executive chef for the ski company she runs with her husband. Thousands of people enjoy chalet menus devised by her every year, including the option of a full cheeseboard every night. Deciding which cheeses go on it is a part of the job Cufflin particularly enjoys. “I’ve loved cheese forever,” she admits. “Some people are just cheese heads, and I’m one of them.”

Her devotion is so strong that back home in Chiswick, West London, where she lives, Cufflin is part of a group of 10 women who founded Chiswick Cheese Market in May 2021 to help cheesemakers during the Covid pandemic. In a quirk of history, there was a precedent for this kind of thing in Chiswick, which in the 1800s was known as Cheesewick.

“The area was home to a dairy farm –Cheesewick means ‘cheese farm’ – and cheese used to come up the Thames to the main toll gate, where a market took place until the early 1800s so people didn’t to have to pay the tax into London,” says Cufflin.

The modern iteration of the market started with 20 socially distanced traders (a drum of Parmigiano Reggiano was cracked to celebrate the opening), but now nearly 60 stalls set up every third Sunday, offering upwards of 200 cheeses, plus wine, bread, condiments, books and cheeseboards. Key traders include: Big Wheel, the French Comté, No 2 Pound Street, White Lake and Bianca & Mora.

Cufflin says maintaining a mix of stalls

which don’t overlap or step on the toes of local retailers is essential. “One of the reasons we have been successful is that we have curated the market very carefully. We spend a lot of time thinking about what our traders sell.”

Local shops are encouraged to take stalls and the quality of traders’ products is kept under close scrutiny. Street food is limited to just four operators, so the focus remains firmly on retail, while the line-up changes regularly – the organisers are always keen to hear from new traders, especially cheesemongers and makers. A 3x3m pitch costs £75, which is small beer when you consider the market attracts up to 5,000 people.

“Three-quarters of our footfall are serious cheese buyers rather than tourists,” says Cufflin. “Regulars come and buy a month’s worth of cheese at a time.” She adds that the traders that do best are those that have the gift of the gab, without making people feel pressurised to buy. [See box for more tips].

The market is a Community Interest Company and the founders all volunteer their time. Profits are used to fund local causes (£40,000 has been raised so far) and to help the British cheese industry through initiatives such as annual cheesemakers grants, which are awarded to start-up makers in the form of Academy of Cheese courses and consultancy. The market has also funded students at catering colleges to take the Academy of Cheese Level 1 course – part of an ongoing scheme to improve cheese knowledge in the restaurant trade. It’s a project that is naturally close to Cufflin’s chef heart.

“We are constantly tasting and learning ourselves,” she says. “There’s always a new cheese to discover and enjoy. I’m currently working with a bakery to develop a hot doughnut filled with goat’s curd.”

Once a cheese head, always a cheese head. chiswickcheesemarket.uk

The

area was home to a dairy farm –‘Cheesewick’ means ‘cheese farm’

TOP TIPS FOR MARKET SUCCESS

Cufflin says that less can be more. “Some of our most successful traders sell just three or four cheeses, so they can really focus and taste those out. People are overwhelmed by lots of choice. It’s about giving people a simple decision to make: ‘Do you like this one or this one?’

“People want to learn about the cheese, so traders that are chatty and interactive do really well, but nobody wants a hard sell. It’s about being relaxed and fun.

“Cutting cheese from a whole wheel sells best. Traders with lots of pre-packed wedges don’t sell nearly as much as those that cut to order. Pre-pack looks a bit like something you’d find in a supermarket and that puts people off.”

WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2025

will take place in Bern, Switzerland as part of the Capital of Cheese festival from 13 – 15 November

KEY

OPEN FOR ENTRY 12 JUNE

DATES 2025

Entry opens: 12 June | Entry closes: 16 September

Cheese staged: 12 November | Judging: 13 November

Results available: 15 November

ORGANISED BY

COST OF ENTRY (all

Small

Medium

Large

(Turnover

(Turnover

(Turnover

HOSTED BY

PRINCIPAL PARTNERS

www.bushbarnfarm.co.uk @bushbarnfarm

Torabhaig

Distillery has released ‘Sound of Sleat’ whisky, blending

Concerto and Laureate malted barley, peated and fermented with yeast for 72 hours, then matured in first-fill American oak and ex-Bourbon casks. It promises notes of orange, apricot and seaweed, and a palate of bonfire smoke, honey and sea salt – with an extra long finish. RRP £57.

torabhaig.com

Small producers shine in International Cider & Perry Awards

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Hereford’s Museum of Cider hosted its International Cider & Perry Competition last month, naming a single variety, Foxwhelp cider from Henhope Cider, the Best in Show.

Celebrating the craft, tradition and ongoing practice of cidermaking in the UK and beyond, the awards were first held in the early 1980s – in line with the charitable trust’s mission when it opened the museum in the former Bulmer’s factory.

appointed chair of judges, told

FFD

13 categories included classic dry, medium and sweet for both perry and cider, as well as classes for naturally sparkling styles and one for speciality –grouping entries made with traditional techniques like keeving and bottle conditioning.

Though the Best in Show cider isn’t available to buy, other class winners were Dee Cider from Flintshire in Wales’ 6% flagship cider, named best in the dry class, and Gregg’s Pit, which earned

the top spot for dry perry. Rosie’s Triple D took this year’s sweet cider title, while Ross-on-Wye Cider and Perry’s sweet perry topped that category. Newton Court’s special keeved cider was awarded best in the speciality class.

For independent retailers, the awards are a showcase of rising talent and established quality in the world of cider and perry.

“It’s really lovely to see small-scale producers compete alongside some of the best-established names in the cider world,

sometimes going on to win,” Elizabeth Pimblett, Museum of Cider director said. This kind of recognition can open doors for them from a commercial perspective, but, she added, “there’s also an educational side, so that people are learning about how to better their products.”

Cook said the UK is currently experiencing “growing public interest in cider”, which he linked to the increased appetite for “food & drink, rural traditions, and sustainability”.

Jamaica’s Hampden Estate 1753 rum is made with local spring water and fermented with natural indigenous yeasts, distilled in double retort copper stills, then aged in exBourbon casks. The 46% spirit is said to burst with ripe banana and pineapple, with hints of spice, nuts and a zesty freshness. RRP £65. hampdenestaterum. com

Low and no brewery

Nirvana has introduced a 500ml format of its signature 0.5% ABV IPA. It has tweaked the recipe to add body, flavour and head retention, resulting in a more balanced, bolder drink, which retains the qualities that made it a best-seller. RRP £2.80. nirvanabrewery.com

This year, 125 entries from 33 cidermakers across England, Wales, Germany and Hungary entered the awards, judged by a panel of cidermakers, consultants, retailers and journalists.

“Every single product is assessed to the same standard, regardless of who made it, where it’s from or what its scale is,” Gabe Cook, cider author, educator and recently-

Still wine on the rise as British producers grapple with vintage volatility

Retailers looking to stock English and Welsh wine should consider increasing their still wine offer and diversifying sourcing, following whiplash vintages in recent years. 2023 brought the highest grape yield on record – over 20,000 tonnes and around 20–23 million bottles of wine, according to WineGB. While many producers diverted surplus fruit into sparkling, Wine Britannia reported an uptick in high-quality still wines, particularly Bacchus and Pinot Gris, which are now hitting the market. According to WineGB, sales of English and Welsh still wines more than doubled in five years, rising by 117% from 1.2 million bottles in

2018 to 2.6 million in 2023.

Nick Brewer, founder of Oastbrook Vineyard in Sussex, whose production is 70% still, told FFD the 2023 glut created risks around overstocking –especially for traditional method sparkling, which takes at least 3–5 years to release.

“Stock-to-use ratios rose, but that doesn’t automatically mean lower prices for retailers.”

At Heppington Vineyard in Canterbury, Kent, co-founder Henry Blaxland said it dropped 15 tonnes of “perfectly good Chardonnay” due to overproduction.

Heppington, with 15.5 acres under vine, was initially planted for

sparkling, but its Burgundy clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay have allowed it to build a strong still wine portfolio.

By contrast, 2024 was “wet and wretched”, said Blaxland, and yields fell by up to 70% in some areas due to poor flowering and mildew. Heppington’s harvest totalled 47 tonnes – around 75% of its best – with most Chardonnay diverted to sparkling. Still wines were made from Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, which, he said, “ripened better than we’d feared”.

Oastbrook managed an adequate vintage despite the weather.

“Quality was decent, if yields were lower – slightly higher acidity, lower sugars.

Despite a very poor harvest year for perry pears, this year’s entries, he added, included “the highest quality and selection” of naturally sparkling ciders and perries he could recall. “It had a great range and differentiation. It was amazing.”

To discover the full list of winners in this year’s competition, visit cidermuseum.co.uk

Further west and north, it was much harder.”

As for 2025, it is too early to predict – but Brewer is cautiously optimistic.

“We’ve avoided frost, and buds look good. If we get a warm June and September, we’re in for a good year.”

With most English wine sold DTC or at the cellar door – over 57% of total sales in 2024, according to WineGB – Brewer advises retailers: “English wines have higher acidity, making them excellent for food pairing. That’s undercommunicated. They might not be ideal apéritifs, but they shine alongside rich dishes. Menu pairing is a great way to present them.”

CATEGORY FOCUS

Graze your own way

Whether you want to give your customers more options for their charcuterie boards, or tap into the growing market for plant-based food, we’ve got you covered.

Compiled by Lynda Searby

Rare & Pasture has introduced what it claims is the first British pastrami made with 100% regenerative British beef - with Harrods its first stockist. “We have been championing the regenerative movement for some time, so we are delighted to see it gathering momentum,” says the company’s Dhruv Baker. rareandpasture.com

Dry cured acorn-fed 100% Ibérico pork ham marketed under the Alta Expresión label is the latest product to come out of Spanish farmers’ cooperative COVAP. In a closed production loop, Ibérico pork from the valley of Los Pedroches is reared, aged and sliced to produce a marbled ham with a melt-in-the-mouth texture and intense flavour. WSP £40.15/5 x 50g units. tienda.ibericoscovap.com

This chunky salami from El Conchel, a producer based in La Mancha, central Spain, is Delicioso’s latest discovery. It is made from Duroc breed Serrano pigs, which are well known for producing flavoursome meat thanks to fat marbling throughout. WSP £3.95/200g. delicioso.co.uk

Macneil’s Smokehouse has redesigned its cures and released two new lines. Smoked Coppa (WSP £5.82/75g; RRP £8.20) is a collaboration with Shropshire Salumi, made with pork collar. The second - Smoked Pastrami Duck Breast - is slow cured, smoked and coated with Macneil’s pastrami flavouring. WSP from £6.46/170g; RRP £9.10. macneilssmokehouse. co.uk

This month [June] sees the arrival of Somerset Charcuterie’s Seasonal Wild Garlic & Black Pepper Salami - a limited-edition salami that is said to capture the essence of spring. Made with freerange pork, it is flavoured with foraged wild garlic from the farm and whole black Tellicherry peppercorns. RRP £4.70/60g sliced. It follows the launch last month of Mutton, Rosemary & Garlic Salami. somersetcharcuterie.com

This gift set showcases The Greek Farmer’s salamis, which are handmade on its farm in Hertfordshire using British free-range pork. Priced at £18.40 to the trade (RRP £30), the set contains 4 x 120g oak smoked whole salamis: Chorizo, Signature, Zaatar and House. thegreekfarmer.com

In a radical departure from its understated rustic brown styling, Ispini Charcuterie has unveiled a new visual identity. The producer says the new red sleeves have been conceived to stand out more and communicate its commitment to sustainability. The redesign coincides with Ispini securing distribution with Rowcliffe, giving the brand coverage throughout Great Britain. In Northern and Southern Ireland, distribution is via Craic Food. ispinicharcuterie.com

South African born shop owner-producer Steve Livens, also known as Uncle Beef, has introduced Yellow Fat Biltong, handmade in his Crayford store using traditional drying methods and 100 percent grass-fed Aberdeen Angus beef. He says the distinctive yellow fat is a natural sign of pasture-raised cattle and gives the biltong a rich flavour and tender texture. WSP £4.80/100g; RRP £6. unclebeef.co.uk

British cooked and smoked meat specialist Adlington has introduced a chicken charcuterie product with a low ingredient declaration. Made entirely from breast meat, the product is available in whole joint form or sliced in 125g packs, and is already on sale in Booths. adlingtonltd.com

SaltPig Curing Company has come up with the idea of preserving the back fat from mature pigs to create a store cupboard essential for cooks. The fat is salted and cured for several months before being smoked, minced and whipped into a soft spread. Smoked Whipper Lardo is designed to be eaten on bread, perhaps with a pickle, or used in cooking - the Cotswold producer recommends spreading it under the skin of a chicken before roasting or using it to enrich sauces, vegetables and grilled meats. WSP £3.57/165g; RRP £5.95. saltpigcuring.co.uk

Newcomer Fulling Mill has made its foray onto the British charcuterie scene with a range that supports Hampshire smallholders and farmers.

The business is housed in ‘The Old Bunching Shed’, a building that overlooks the River Test and historic watercress beds by Fulling Mill in Whitchurch, Hampshire, and was once integral to heritage watercress production.

Fulling Mill plans to continue this spirit of small-scale food production, making small batch charcuterie using high welfare, free-range, rare breed pork from its own pigs and local suppliers.

Its inaugural range includes three salamis: Fennel Salami, Garlic & Black Pepper Salami and Rosemary & Garlic Salami. WSP £3.20; RRP £5.95.

The startup is currently in ‘soft launch mode’, producing small quantities and selling locally, but says it is finalising its new production facility and hoping to use this year’s Great Taste Awards to break into the trade. fullingmillwhitchurch@gmail.com

Wholesaler Blackwell & Co is targeting the retail channel with a pre-packed sliced offer made from ethically reared beef and Dingley Dell pork. The range includes classic styles of salami (chorizo, fennel, garlic) as well as coppa, prosciutto, lomo and bresaola – all matured in Blackwell’s charcuterie rooms. WSP £3.50/70g pack; RRP £5.75. blackwellandco.co.uk

May saw the The Fine Cheese Co add a selection of products from Jamones Blázquez to its charcuterie offer. Whilst new to the UK, Jamones Blázquez is well known in Spain. It controls the entire process from breeding and rearing free-range pigs to slaughtering, curing and maturing. The range includes Bellota Black Label Pata Negra 100% Iberico, Bellota Chorizo and Salchichon, and more. finecheese.co.uk

The Fresh Pasta Company is now carrying products from Italy’s Golfera and Spain’s Boadas and Palacios, such as Golfera Italian Prosciutto Crudo San Valentino, Boadas Jamón Serrano Gran Reserva 50% Duroc and Palacios Chorizo IGP. thefreshpastacompany. co.uk

The founders of challenger supplement brand INDI have launched Gut Bar, their take on a truly healthy snack bar. Containing just 4.1g of (natural) sugar, the nutrient-dense, fibre-rich bar is formulated with the brand’s own superfood powder, and packed with Brazil nuts, almonds, flax seeds, grains, dates and blueberries. WSP £1.68; RRP £2.80. indisupplements.com

April saw the arrival of Hoop Chips - a new snack brand created with the mission of supporting youth basketball. It has chosen Costa Rican plantain - the savoury cousin of the banana - as the base for its chips, which are available in four flavours: Lemon Pepper, Sea Salt, Garlic and Cinnamon. WSP £0.90/35g; RRP £1.49. 23p from each bag sold goes to grassroots basketball clubs. hoopchips.com

Sunny & Luna has added Spinach Ravioli to its plant-based fresh pasta offer, which already includes Cauliflower Gnocchi, Spinach Gnocchi and Lentil Tagliatelle. Filled with fresh spinach and plant-based cheese, the vegan pasta parcels pack 11g of protein per portion. RRP £6.15/250g; WSP £3.76 via CLF, Suma and CN Foods. sunnyandluna.co.uk

Following the success of its ricotta alternatives, Adela’s Vegan Deli has shifted its attention to bringing feta analogues to market. First up was Fetamorgana, a plantbased feta marinated in spiced oil with herbs and a touch of chilli. It is now joined by Fetamorgana in Brine, designed with chefs in mind for use in mezzes, pasta dishes and more. WSP £8/100g; RRP £12. instagram.com/adelas. vegan.deli/

Claire’s Amazeballs has launched Strawberry & Cream Energy Balls, combining strawberries and cashew cream to provide a vegan, gluten-free energy boost that is said to be “nostalgic, natural and nourishing”. WSP £2.75 for 2 x 25g balls; RRP £4.95. clairesamazeballs.com

Popcorn Shed has introduced two new ‘Sheds’: Carrot Cake and Cinnamon Roll. The popcorn spiced caramel carrot cake flavoured popcorn in the Carrot Cake Shed is said to taste exactly like the real deal - it is even drizzled with cream cheese frosting. RRP £4.50/80g. popcornshed.com

Forest Feast’s latest addition to its Slow Roasted Nuts range mixes peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans and macadamias, seasoned with Italian Pecorino cheese and black truffle. Every batch is handcrafted at the company’s manufacturing site in Co. Armagh. RRP £3.40/120g. forestfeast.com

The Good Grain’s Pistachio Overnight Oats launched last month [May], inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate trend. This ready-to-eat breakfast option is said to deliver the creamy, nutty indulgence of a pistachio treat in a nutritious, convenient, low sugar format. RRP £4.95. goodgrain.co.uk

plant-based

Granola in a spreadable form

In a space dominated by nut butters, Oat Avenue is bringing a new proposition to the the table: granola in a spreadable format with a crunchy-smooth texture. The brand has just launched a new Matcha variety, bringing its total number of SKUs to five. This latest introduction blends gluten-free oats, Japanese matcha and coconut sugar in a creamy, nutrient-rich spread that can be eaten on toast, in smoothies, or straight from the spoon. WSP £3.60/180g; RRP £6. oatavenue.com

Realfoods by Organico has ushered in a new six-strong family of beans and pulses in response to “growing curiosity for high-end beans and pulses”. The Borlotti Beans, Chickpeas, Red Kidney Beans, White Cannellini Beans, Black Turtle Beans and Fine Peas are sourced from Italian family farms. organicorealfoods.com

Retailers looking for up and coming ‘healthy’ snack brands should check out Düng, which offers nutrient-packed bars and balls. As well as being high in protein, magnesium and thiamine, Düng Balls carry a ‘healthy hearts’ claim on pack. They come in Matcha Mint, Salted Caramel and Cinnamon Swirl flavours, and have a WSP of £1.25 per unit; RRP £2.49. dungsnacks.com

Having established its name in speciality granola, Forthay has moved into the bar space. Its handmade granola bars landed at the start of this month [June], with a gluten-free, 100% natural, no refined sugar sell. There are four varieties - Cacao & Orange, Goji Berry & Super Seed, Spiced Pear & Ginger and Honey, Nuts & Cranberry. WSP £2.25/2 x 60g; RRP £3.80. forthaygranola.co.uk

Hearing that many of its customers were giving sauerkraut to their children gave Loving Foods the idea of creating a kraut specifically for kids. This classic organic sauerkraut is made with carrot, a touch of beetroot for colour and apple for sweetness. WSP £4.53; RRP £6.95. lovingfoods.co.uk

The Vegan Patty Lady’s frozen, gluten-free Jamaican patties are billed as a plant-based celebration of Caribbean flavour, combining a walnut base with mushrooms, chickpeas or lentils to mimic the taste of beef, saltfish or chicken. Encased in a turmeric crust, they offer a ready-tobake, meat-free twist on a cultural classic. RRP £8.99 for 2 x 150g. theveganpattylady.co.uk

In rural Worcestershire, Umami Chef is employing traditional Japanese fermentation techniques to craft misos from British fava beans. As well as being soy- and glutenfree, they contain live bacteria and around half the salt of other misos. Having started with a sweet white miso, the producer has now developed three flavoured misos. WSP £3.90/200g; RRP £7. umami-chef.co.uk

Julienne Bruno’s Mozzafiore Pearls might look like buffalo mozzarella but they are entirely dairy-free – crafted using soybeans. Their delicate, tangy flavour is developed naturally through fermentation, and lends them to inclusion in salads, pasta and sandwiches. RRP £3.95/150g. juliennebruno.com

Plant Heads has come up with a vegan alternative for the number one use for eggs, in the form of Crackd “no-egg” scrambled egg pucks. The discs can be microwaved from frozen in two minutes to replicate the scrambled egg experience. They are available in four-packs for retail (WSP £1.64; RRP £2.50) and 50-packs for food service (WSP £20.50). crackd.com

Nottingham-based newcomer Origin Kitchen has set out to redefine desserts for a whole food, plant-based lifestyle, starting with cheesecake. Its handmade cheesecake pots are sweetened with organic agave and dates, packed with fruit and nuts (50-70%) and free from refined fats, using organic cold-pressed coconut and cacao instead. They are available to the trade via Suma, CLF and Hunt’s Food Group. RRP £2.25. originkitchen.co.uk

Norfolk fermented food producer Le Digestif is kicking off its fifth year of trading with the launch of Pineapple & Turmeric Sauerkraut. Pineapple and turmeric are blended with fresh ginger, carrots and mixed peppercorns, imbuing the crisp cabbage and carrot base with flavour. WSP £4.55/380g; RRP £6.50. ledigestif.co.uk

Teff, an ancient grain and a staple of Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking, is the star ingredient in this new soft-baked snack. Pitched as a healthier, alternative to sugar-laden treats, Teffies are said to be packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals. Single-serve packs (RRP £2.50) come in Chocolate Date, Chocolate Orange and Cinnamon Sultana flavours. teffie.me

James White has launched two new organic beetroot-based shots: Beetroot & Ginger and Beetroot & Turmeric. Both are targeted at those who will benefit from improved blood circulation and an increased energy boost. With a 12-month ambient shelf life, these shots are said to be perfect for retailers seeking a slice of the sales growth that shots have enjoyed in recent years. RRP £1.85/70ml. jameswhite.co.uk

That Green Life has designed its latest kimchi with warmer weather and lighter dishes in mind. The cornerstone of the recipe is crunchy fennel, complimented by chunky napa cabbage and underpinned by green apple and Northern Irish seaweed. WSP £3.60/300g; RRP £6. thatgreenlife.uk

Our award-winning flour is produced from the finest ancient grains which are sustainably grown in the beautiful British countryside. Our entire range carry the highly sought after Great Taste 2 and 3 star awards, in recognition of outstanding quality and flavour.

Dancing on ice

Frozen food has been growing steadily both in terms of sales and NPD over a number of years in the independent sector. FFD talks to three retailers about their approach to this category, as well as rounding up some of the latest launches

By Michael Lane

Heather Copley

Farmer

Copley’s

Farm Shop West Yorkshire

We try not to give customers multiple choices for the same product.

“Our approach to frozen is a bit different to what other retailers do,” Heather Copley tells FFD, before explaining how the chest freezers are dotted around the shop floor, as options within each category, rather than frozen food being a category on its own.

“The frozen journey is part of the shop’s journey.”

This begins with the produce section where there’s a block of four freezers alongside the fresh fruit & veg housing loose fruit, vegetables and potato items – all from Fieldfare.

Next to the butchery section is another block of four. One houses fish dishes (some made inhouse, some from Chapman’s), one has curries produced by Yorkshire firm Chef Alika and another contains meat pies and sausage rolls all made in-house using meat from the butchery.

The fourth in this block contains fruit pies and begins the transition into the jams and preserves area of the shop.

Towards the end of the customers’ route through the shop are more chests – with ready meals from Supper Club – aimed at the convenience and “something quick for tea” sales.

Then there are freezers for breakfast items –bake off croissants and other pastries near the coffee grinding area.

Copley’s set-up has been working like this since 2016 so that alone is proof of concept, with margins across its frozen items ranging from 36% to more than 50% for items produced in-house.

Among Copley’s keys to success in this category is regular maintenance of freezers (with a monthly defrosting schedule) and making sure that they don’t stock multiple versions of the same item, for instance they only have curries from their curry supplier and they don’t buy in branded versions of products they make themselves.

“We try not to give customers multiple choices for the same product. We’d rather say: ‘this is the best you can get’.”

While the approach differs from the classic retail approach of sticking all the freezers in one area, Copley explains that this was partly dictated by the premises.

“The building is 450 years old so it’s awkward to work with. We couldn’t have put the freezers up against the back wall because we don’t have the sockets in the places where you would want them for that.”

“But this also makes us feel like a retailer where you can come and do your shop on a weekly basis.”

NEW PRODUCTS

Alongside its famous fish cakes and seafood Wellingtons, Chapman’s Seafoods also offer a range of frozen gourmet ready meals. Its Luxury Fish Pie (480g, trade £4.60) features a mix of smoked haddock, cod, salmon, and prawns cooked in a classic béchamel sauce, and topped with mashed potatoes. This classic will soon be launched in a new larger two-person sharing portion size. The Thai-style Fish & King Prawn Curry is another (400g, trade £4.60) is another award-winning dish in the line-up and the producer says it has plans to launch a second curry in the near future. chapmans-seafoods.co.uk

Nourish by Sumith offers a range of nonvegetarian, vegetarian, and vegan meals –covering starters, mains, biryanis, and cooking sauces. All meals are hand-cooked in small batches blast-frozen to preserve quality.

The roster includes classics like Paneer Matar, Tarka Dal and Chana Masala, as well as Kerala Vegetable Stew and Rajma Masala, a kidney bean curry from Northern India.

Free from colourings, additives, or preservatives, the meals are packed sustainably in paper-based packaging (with 350g portion sizes for curries). They can all be heated in the microwave or the oven, with RRPs ranging from £8-£10. chefsumith.com

FROZEN

Tom Newey Cobbs Farm Shops South East & Midlands

We’ve seen significant growth in the category in the last 2-3 years and we’ve had to accommodate that in all of the shops.

When Tom Newey first walked into one of the shops that the Cobbs group had acquired he wanted to remove the frozen section entirely but times have certainly changed.

“We’ve seen significant growth in the category in the last 2-3 years and we’ve had to accommodate that in all of the shops,” he tells FFD

.

“There’s a lot more choice and, dare I say it, the quality has got much better, at a decent price.

“The rub is that we’re primarily a fresh food business. We could probably put more chest freezers in if we wanted to, but we don’t want to sacrifice the space to it.”

The set-up is consistent throughout the group’s current portfolio of four shops – in Hungerford, Winchester, Stratford and Englefield on the outskirts of Reading – with the offer broken down into two main elements.

The first is four chest freezers that are almost entirely stocked with loose items from Fieldfare.

“Customers love the interaction of putting a scoop in and taking as little or as much as

they want,” he says, adding that the supplier’s croissants and pains au chocolat are some of the biggest sellers in Cobbs’ shops, let alone within the frozen category.

The second element is packaged items. The shops have a smaller chest freezer with children’s item from Pots For Tots and then double-door upright freezers that house ready meals from Field Goods and items like frozen pastry and bagged ice. There are also single width uprights at each location for a number of lines from Brick Pizza.

“Certain products just sell better from the glass fronted uprights, while other items get lost in a chest freezer,” says Newey, explaining the mix of the two displays. That said, the chests do provide natural cross-merchandising opportunities with Newey and his team using spaces created by freezer configurations to dress up island units and create hotspots for promoting things like meringues next to loose frozen berries.

Last year, Wildly Tasty updated its packaging from pots to trays in order to make its plant-based meal range retail ready and pop out more on shelf. This new tray is more convenient for the customer, it can be cooked in the oven as well as the microwave, and has allowed the producer to include more helpful info and imagery on the sleeve.

Including dishes like Mushroom & Lentil Bolognese, Sweet Potato & Bean Chilli, Apricot & Chickpea Tagine and Yellow Thai Veggie Curry, the line-up has designed to be family friendly.

Every dish is available in a two-portion children’s size (200g, trade £3.25) and family size (500g, trade £6.75) which serves two adults or one adult and two children.

What’s more, 1% of sales are donated to protecting British wild life. wildlytasty.com

Persuaded by friends and family to start sharing her favourite Indian and Asian cuisine beyond her own table, the founder of Emily’s Kitchen, Trish Winterbottom (whose daughter is called Emily) is now hoping move further into retail having enjoyed success at farmers’ markets.

Her signature dish is Chicken Tikka Masala but the repertoire also includes a number of classic Indian dishes, Spaghetti Bolognese and a new line-up of South African curries (including Durban Lamb and Cape Malay curries).

Available in three sizes: 450g (wholesale £4.81-£8.08), 700g, (£7.48-£12.57) and 1kg, (£10.68-£17.96). emilys-kitchen.co.uk

Puff Pizza produces a range of Sfoglietta –Italian-Style mini puff pastry pizzas supplied frozen in 6-piece retail pouches (560g–570g). These pizzas are ready to bake from frozen at home and all feature Mediterranean ingredients between two layers of golden puff pastry. The producer suggests they are ideal both for entertaining or as a snack.

Its vegetarian range includes Classica, Bruschetta, Marinara, Fusion, which all have and RRP of £14.50 (trade £10.15). It also offers three protein flavours – Cagliari, Carloforte, Pepperoni (RRP £15, trade £10.40). Currently available to the trade via distributor Mareterra Ltd. puffpizza.co.uk

Well-established in the frozen ready meal scene, ByRuby is now offering new ‘serves 4’ portion sizes of its Classic Lasagne (1.42kg) and Classic Fish pie (1.44kg) with an RRP of £19.95. The range also features Thai Green Chicken Curry and Thai Red King Prawn Curry in 300g and 600g portions, to serve one and two people respectively. RRPs £6.95 and £10.95.

These lines are available to the trade directly or via Fieldfare. byruby.co.uk

Despite trading from its Bath HQ for more than four years, Bistro Chef has been a strictly local affair – until now. Founded by Chef Patron Christophe Lacroix, the brand strives to replicate restaurant dining at home and offers a range of more than 40 small-batch French-inspired dishes.

Each comes in individual portions (350g, 100% recyclable packaging) that can be microwaved or oven cooked.

The line-up includes Boeuf Bourguignon (trade £ 5.10), Chicken Chasseur (£ 5.20) and Confit Duck with Sauté Potatoes (£7.35), as well as Smoked Haddock Linguine with Lobster Sauce (£ 5.70), Wild Mushroom Risotto (£ 4.60) and Coq au Vin (£ 4.35).

Many of its recipes are gluten- and/or dairyfree and cases of 10 units can be supplied with a mix of two SKUs. bistrochef.co.uk

Hedonist Bakery continues to expand its range within the frozen bakery sector and this year alone it has introduced nine new lines, which are aimed squarely at the deli and farm shop market. This has seen the expansion of its Gluten Free range, which includes a Sundried & Garlic Flatbread ideal as a sandwich carrier or for dipping and a Gluten Free Mature Cheddar Cheese & Onion Pasty. Just in time for summer the bakery has launched a pack of frozen sourdough pizza doughballs with easy-to-follow instructions on the label.

Other additions include a Vegan Croissant, handmade Yorkshire Puddings, Savoury Cheese Whirls, Apple & Custard Lattice Danish and Sweet & Savoury Scones. hedonistbakery.co.uk

Kate Forbes The Trading Post Somerset

People come and buy a ready meal and then they buy the vegetables to go alongside and then they’ll buy themselves a bottle of wine to go with it.

When Kate Forbes got the keys to The Trading Post in 2017, she had somewhat of a frozen revolution.

“When we first took on the shop, it was chest freezers and I hated them. Everything would get lost in the bottom of them. You couldn’t display certain things because the packaging was the wrong way up or it didn’t fit.”

So, she and husband Andy replaced these with a single-door and a double-door upright freezer and it has been the same ever since –although the location on the shop floor has moved a couple of times.

The single-door is for tubs of ice cream, and the double-door houses mainly ready meals bought directly from two Somerset-based suppliers: Bini Fine Foods’ curries and Bistro Chef, which has a range inspired by classic French cooking.

Aside from adhering to her sourcing principles, working with local suppliers in this way also allows Forbes to reorder quickly and

easily, avoiding using any storage freezers off the shop floor – and it helps to keep energy bills from getting too high.

“I don’t have any stock anywhere else for my frozen items. It just comes in, and goes in that freezer, and then when I think I can fit in another delivery, I buy more things.”

Although there are frozen peas and chips, which have both become decent sellers, the ready meal offer is the primary function of The Trading Post’s frozen section.

Given that she stocks a large range of fresh produce and ingredients, Forbes doesn’t have the inclination (or the space) to expand into a broader offer. Instead, this tight range compliments the rest of the shop’s stock and works together as part of a basket that normally ends up being around the £40 mark.

“People come and buy a ready meal and then they buy the vegetables to go alongside and then they’ll buy themselves a bottle of wine to go with it,” says Forbes. “And you know, with curries, people never buy just one.”

Renowned throughout the independent trade for its unpackaged, self-service frozen products Fieldfare has a wealth of recent NPD to bolster both its sweet and savoury offerings.

Its Salmon & Prawn (300g, RRP £5.99) and Smoked Haddock Parcels (300g, £5.49) showcase seafood in a creamy sauce encased in puff pastry.

Also new are the Rustic Roasted Vegetable Tart (335g, £4.59) with a basil and polenta pastry base, and a duo of savoury puff pastry roulades – Beef, Cheese & Horseradish and Sweet Potato & Goats’ Cheese – that both retail for £5.49.

Not to be outdone, the sweet side of the range now boasts vegetarian-friendly Chocolate Orange Brownies and Bakewell Blondies (both RRP £2.79), as well as a vegan Belgian Chocolate Tartlet with a nut & date base (135g, £3.49). field-fare.com

The latest launch from Girl Gone Wild is a Venison Lasagne. Weighing in at 720g (RRP £11.95) this new dish serves two, cooks from frozen in 45 minutes and has a 12-month shelf life.

Featuring a wild venison and pork ragu, this lasagne has been launched to capture the attention of consumers looking for an easy summer supper, and joins the company’s game-focused range that also includes Wild Venison Chilli & Fennel Meatballs with Puttanesca Sauce and Pheasant with Creamy Tarragon Sauce.

Like its fellow dishes the new line is supplied in cases of six units, with the minimum order being 24 meals (any mix of the Girl Gone Wild range). ggwfoods.co.uk

ALPA is on a mission to redefine healthy eating and tap into the growing demand for allergen-friendly, nutrient-rich, and convenient meal solutions with its frozen, gluten- & grain-free foods. It is launching with the UK’s first almond flour pastas and ready-to-bake doughs, frozen at peak freshness to lock in nutrients and taste.

The range includes almond flour-based pastas, pastry pie shells, pastry dough, pizza, cookie dough, and other frozen essentials designed to simplify homemade cooking and baking.

Its Almond Flour Pastas come in Penne and Tagliatelle varieties (RRP £5, 300g), while its pie shells are lsated for launch in August. alpafoods.co.uk

Already in the readymeal game, Lady Buddha developed a range of frozen meals following the Covid pandemic and hasn’t looked back. Its menu features nourishing superfood and vegetarian options alongside a few thoughtfully selected meat curries. These are dishes you won’t usually find at standard Indian takeaways, priced between £6–£11 for 450g–650g trays, which It says will generously feed two.

Some of its standout dishes include Patiala Aubergine (with aubergines slow-cooked in pomegranate molasses and cashews) Superfood Beetroot Daal and Okra Masala, cooked with caramelised onions and nigella seeds.

The business is now looking to increase its listings in the independent retail sector. ladybuddha.co.uk

Casa Dias is seeking retail stockists for its gluten-free Cheese Dough Balls (known as Pão de Queijo in Brazil. Its Traditional variety is based on a classic Brazilian recipe – made with cassava flour to achieve a crispy outer and chewy inside – and comes in both 450g and 900g packs (trade £4.05 and £7.65 respectively.

It also offers a number of variants, such as Smoked Pork Sausage, Green Olive and BrieStuffed – and a sweet Guava-Stuffed version – in 450g packs (trade £4.95).

Casa Dias says the product will appeal to customers who are curious about global cuisine, as well as those with gluten-free requirements. The bake-from-frozen format (the product takes just 30 minutes to prepare) makes them convenient for both retailing to athome consumers and foodservice operators. casadias.co.uk

LA BANDIERA ORGANIC SINGLE-ESTATE

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL APRIL 2025

La Bandiera Olive Oil is produced in the wine growing area of Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. Over 1100 mature olive trees are harvested to produce the estate’s exclusive label, ultra premium olive oil. The olives are harvested from the moraiolo, leccino and frantoio trees when they are just beginning to ripen in October and the characteristics are so typical of the area - full bodied with grassy, fruity and spicy aromas.

La Bandiera extra virgin olive oil is endorsed by the IGP (lndicazione Geografica Protetta). This certification is important to La Bandiera as it is a guarantee of origin; it provides consumers with a guarantee that the oil meets certain quality standards associated with the specific geographical area and the IGP label helps consumers identify and choose authentic olive oils of premium quality. The acidity levels of La Bandiera olive oil is consistently very low at less than 0.3% which puts us in the category of ultra premium extra virgin olive oil.

La Bandiera Olive Oil is produced in 500ml bottles (with a gift box) and 1 litre can. It is available through the online shop. The prices are £25 and £45 respectively. The wholesale price for a carton of 6 x 500ml bottles is £90.

FOCUS ON importers & distributors

Cotswold Fayre

cotswold-fayre.co.uk

Min order value: Depending on location

Delivers to: UK and international

Established in 1999, Cotswold Fayre supplies more than 2,000 UK retailers with around 4,000 artisan products. A B Corp company, it prioritises sustainability in its own practices and its suppliers. It wholesales ambient, chilled and frozen products, primarily from the UK and Ireland, supplemented by items from further afield.

Fine Cheese Co. finecheese.co.uk

Min order value: £150

Delivers to: UK wide

Specialising in British artisan Cheese, the Fine Cheese Co. not only imports, exports and sells cheese wholesale and retail, but holds and matures cheeses, too. The Bath-based business also supplies biscuits & crackers, condiments, charcuterie, fish, fresh pasta, sweet treats and drinks. It carries several exclusive brands including La Tourangelle, Babbi, Venchi, Tartuflanghe and Aceto Modena.

Petty Wood pettywood.co.uk

Min order value: £400

Delivers to: UK wide

As well as providing sales, marketing and brand management services, Petty Wood has a catalogue of roughly 2,000 ambient food & drink products. It serves the independent trade, wholesalers, foodservice, convenience and the multiples. Based in Andover, Hampshire, it operates its own logistics platform. As well as recognised brands like Rummo, Baci and Bendicks, it also manages its own: Epicure, Burnt Sugar and Salad Makers.

Our annual guide to importers & distributors is designed as a resource for sourcing, spanning everything from British farmhouse cheese and craft drinks to all-organic products.

Seggiano seggiano.com

Delivers to: UK wide

An importer and wholesaler to the independent trade, Seggiano has made organic and sustainably sourced ingredients central to its offering since it was founded in 1985. Supplying regional Italian products under its own brand to the UK, it has a portfolio that includes olive oils, vinegars, pestos, pastas, jams and cakes. Acquired by Certified Origins Italia in 2024, the company says it remains committed to its founding values.

Maltby & Greek maltbyandgreek.com

Min order value: Dependent on location

Delivers to: UK wide

Maltby & Greek has made a name for itself as one of the UK’s principal Greek food & drink suppliers. It imports wine and fine foods including olives and olive oil, dairy products, fish and meat, bakery items and confectionery, as well as spirits and beer, selling them wholesale to restaurants, department stores and bottle shops as well as delis and farm shops.

Harvey & Brockless harveyandbrockless. co.uk

Min order value: N/A

Delivers to: UK and UAE

Harvey & Brockless is both a producer and a distributor of cheese –and claims to have the UK’s largest collection of British farmhouse cheeses. It also sells British and Continental charcuterie, accompaniments and other dairy products, storecupboard ingredients, and its own brands of sauces and dips.

importers & distributors

Tartufi Stefania Calugi tartufi.it

Delivers to: UK, USA, Asia, EU

Tartufi Stefania Calugi specialises in the production and sale of truffles – including fresh, frozen and preserved products. It also sells other Tuscan specialities – mushrooms in oil, sauces and jellies – and an organic range of truffle products. It supplies importers, wholesalers, foodservice and fine food retailers.

Cress Co. thecressco.co.uk

Min order: £175 for free delivery, dependent on location

Delivers: UK wide

21 year-old Cress Co. is a key wholesaler to the UK’s independent trade, supplying a broad range of artisan food & drink. It has hubs in Dunfermline, Milton Keynes, Maltby, Telford and Bristol, and its own fleet of dual-temperature vans. It works with hundreds of independent producers and supplies retailers, garden centres, restaurants, cafés and hotels.

Cottage Delight

cottagedelight.co.uk

Min order: £390

Delivers: Worldwide

Cottage Delight began as a fudge producer but has long supplied independents with jams, preserves, condiments, chutneys and pickles. Based in Staffordshire, it now offers a broad own-label range of storecupboard staples, alongside brands like Cavendish & Harvey, Grandma Wilds and John Lusty. It supplies independents, department stores and foodservice.

Odysea odysea.com

Min order: £100 in London, £350 ambient / £750 chilled and mixed rest of UK

Delivers: UK and International

Odysea imports and distributes Greek and Mediterranean food & drink, with a strong focus on own label. It exclusively carries Koryatis, Roussas Dairy (a Great Taste Golden Fork winner) and Elviart Pita Bread. Its range includes EVOOs, olives, vinegars, meze, antipasti, speciality ingredients, dairy, raw honey, pita, pies, pasta and wine.

Holleys Fine Foods holleysfinefoods.com

Min order: TBC

Delivers: UK and Ireland

Holleys Fine Foods serves the independent trade as a distributor of ambient speciality and fine foods from around the world. With more than 4,000 lines, it carries brands considered staples in many delis and farm shops, such as Summerdown, Cornish Sea Salt, Little’s, Bold Bean Co., Pommery mustard, Arizona and more – as well as its own label items.

Taste of Sicily / Diforti shop.diforti.com

Min order: TBC

Delivers: UK wide

Taste of Sicily, otherwise known as Diforti, imports, wholesales and directly sells traditional Sicilian products. These include olives, cheese, cured meats, antipasti, pestos, pasta and rice, dolci and wine. As well as a broad range of Diforti products, it carries well-known Italian brands such as Mulino Bianco, Baci, Rummo and Lazzaroni.

Best of Hungary bestofhungary.co.uk

Delivers: UK and international

Best of Hungary sources and sells premium artisan food & drink from small and medium producers. Its catalogue includes classics like paprika, the famous sweet wine, Tokaji, and truffle products, as well as a wide selection of cured meat, cheese, oils, preserves, foie gras, caviar, Hungarian cakes and more.

Victus Emporium victusemporium.co.uk

Delivers to: England, Wales, Scotland, Channel Islands

Wholesaler Victus

Emporium sells food from France, Spain, Italy and Portugal – mainly to independents, of which it supplies around 300 in the UK, and department stores, including Fortnum and Mason and Selfridges. Its suppliers include Bret’s Crisps, Noirmoutier Salt, Flott fish products, Cacaolat and La Trinitaine. Next day delivery is available to trade partners.

Delicioso delicioso.co.uk

Min order: N/A, free delivery on orders over £500

Delivers to: UK wide, fees apply to ship to nonmainland

Delicioso imports premium Spanish food, drink, homeware and gifts. Its range includes pâtés, seafood, condiments, snacks, sweets and chocolates – with items like Peñagolo Truffle Crisps and own-label smoked morcilla. Based in Oxfordshire, it supplies independents and foodservice, and sells online.

Carnevale carnevale.co.uk

Min order: N/A, excluding specific products with minimum order quantities

Delivers to: UK wide

Carnevale produces, imports and distributes Italian food & drink –from cheese, pasta and charcuterie to baked goods. Its own-label range, made daily in the UK, includes fresh cheeses, sausages, arancini and filled pasta. It has two manufacturing sites, six depots and its own delivery fleet.

Italy, Uncompromised.

Artisanal ingredients from devoted Italian producers. No shortcuts. No substitutions.

At Seggiano, we honor real food — grown with care, made with purpose.

Minimal ingredients. Maximum integrity. Always from Italy. Always uncompromised.

Explore the collection at seggiano.com

The Craft Drinks Co craftdrink.co.uk

Min order: £200 + VAT. £50 charge on pallets worth less than £250

Delivers to: UK wide

Cotswold-based drinks wholesaler The Craft Drinks Co. launched in 2014 with founder Richard Chamberlain’s mission to champion British craft drinks and create a onestop shop for the trade. It works with 170 artisan producers and supplies over 1,000 retail and hospitality businesses with beer, cider, spirits, liqueurs and RTDs, plus a growing range of low & no, soft drinks and bottled water.

Tenuta Marmorelle tenutamarmorelle.com

Min order: N/A, delivery costs based on location Delivers to: UK wide

Tenuta Marmorelle is a family-run producer, importer and distributor of artisan Italian food & drink. The Carluccis make their own EVOOs and infused oils, and have close ties with their suppliers. Selling these under the company’s private label, they say, reflects their quality. Staples include pasta, gluten-free pasta, sauces, antipasti, cannoli, chocolates, panettone and a selection of wines and liqueurs.

Bidfood bidfood.co.uk

Min order: £175

Delivers to: UK wide

Bidfood is a wholesale distributor supplying the foodservice and catering industries. With more than 40,000 customers on the books and 27 depots across the UK, it offers a broad range of own brand and third-party food and drink products, as well as catering equipment and non-food items such as cleaning products, cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils.

Tazaki Foods tazakifoods.com

Min order: On request Delivers to: UK and international

Tazaki Foods produces, imports and distributes Japanese food across the UK and Europe. Its own brand is Yutaka, alongside well and lesser-known names like Kewpie, Little Moons, Lee Kum Kee and Uchibori Vinegar. It also holds Europe’s largest collection of Japanese sake and shoshu. With a major London distribution centre and a 30,000 sq ft warehouse for chilled and frozen goods, it supplies retailers, restaurants and bars.

RH Amar rhamaronline.com

Min order: £750

Delivers to: Nationwide

RH Amar is an ambient grocery distributor active across all UK trade channels – including independents, multiples, wholesalers, foodservice and manufacturers. It supplies over 1,000 products to delis and farm shops via wholesale partners. These include Mutti, Divine Chocolate and Belazu, alongside its own brands: Cooks & Co, Camp Coffee and Mary Berry’s dressings.

Dalter Foods dalterfood.com

Min order: N/A

Delivers to: UK and International

Dalter Foods produces, imports and distributes Italian cheese and other foods, including Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, Pastamore and Burrata. It supplies manufacturers, foodservice and retail with cheese in flaked, ribboned or grated formats, and also develops own-label products like filled pasta.

Bellota bellota.co.uk

Min order: £100

Delivers to: UK-wide, additional feels apply for non-mainland

Bellota supplies gourmet Spanish food to the independent trade and foodservice, working with artisan producers using traditional methods. Originally focused on Jamón Iberico de Bellota and Jamón Serrano from Trevélez, it now offers a wider range of meat, charcuterie, olives, organic olive oils, cheeses and premium preserved seafood.

Ormos Trading ormos.co.uk

Min order: free delivery over £250

Delivers to: UK wide

Ormos Trading imports and wholesales Greek artisan food & drink from small regional producers. Its 1,500-strong range includes fresh meat, cheese, yoghurt, dips, spices, honey, bread, cakes, wine and spirits. Best sellers include Spanakopitta, pork souvlaki, baklava, organic EVOOs and own-label Halloumi. It supplies both hospitality and speciality retail.

Clarks Speciality Foods clarksspecialityfoods. co.uk

Min order: £100

Delivers to: Scotland only

Clarks Speciality Foods, now owned by B Corp Lomond Wholesale, is a speciality and fine food wholesaler serving independent retailers and foodservice outlets in Scotland.

The acquisition was a bid by Lomond to increase its presence in high level hospitality – adding Clarks’ range of frozen, chilled and ambient food and drink to its portfolio. Brands include Cakesmiths, Toppings Pies and Bridor pastries.

Negroni

negroni.com

Min order: N/A

Delivers to: N/A

Negroni is a longstanding Italian producer and distributor of traditional charcuterie, including dry-cured hams, salami and Mortadella, as well as regional specialities like Cotechino and Zampone. After more than a century in business, it is a household name in Italy. Its range includes whole and pre-sliced formats for retail and foodservice. In the UK, Negroni works with wholesaler Rowcliffe to reach independent retailers and delis.

importers & distributors

CATEGORY FOCUS

The Fresh Pasta Company thefreshpastacompany. co.uk

London-based The Fresh Pasta company makes and distributes premium fresh pasta, as well as importing and distributing specialist chilled food from France, Spain and Italy. It supplies foodservice, independent retailers, the multiples and wholesalers – offering bespoke pasta for restaurants, and a range of own brand fresh pasta for retailers.

Carron Lodge carronlodge.com

Min order: None

Delivers to: UK wide

Carron Lodge is a UK cheesemaker and wholesaler supplying indies, manufacturers and foodservice. Cheese accounts for 90% of its 2,500 lines – its own range and other British and Continental varieties. It also offers charcuterie, olives, dips and crackers. Its Inglewhite Buffalo won Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards. Exclusive brands include Ribblesdale, Cheddar Gorge, Farm Maid and Singletons.

Diverse Fine Food Diversefinefood.co.uk

Min order: Free delivery over £150 + VAT in England and over £450 + VAT in Scotland

Delivers to: UK-wide

Taunton-based Diverse Fine Foods specialises in artisan food & drink for the UK’s independent retail sector. It selects what it calls “striking brands” based on taste, origin and quality, aiming to give retailers a competitive edge. Of its 350 suppliers, 67 are new for 2025, with a growing focus on lifestyle products –including laundry, bath and dental care, health supplements, functional drinks and pet treats.

Olive Olive oliveolive.co.uk

Min order: £150

Delivers to: UK mainland

Olive Olive imports and distributes extra virgin olive oil, Cypriot Halloumi and Cretan spice blends to both the trade and consumers. Its olive oil is produced on the family’s grove in Cyprus, using hand-picked olives and traditional cold extraction methods. Sold in a range of formats from 100ml to 5L, it caters to delis, refill stores, foodservice and direct to consumers.

Pure Maple puremaple.co.uk

Min order: £75

Delivers to: UK and International

Pure Maple is a producer, importer and distributor of one of Canada’s best-known exports –maple syrup. Working with a co-operative of producers, it supplies food manufacturers, retailers and foodservice. Its own-label range includes grade A syrups in a variety of shades and intensities, including three new organic options. It also makes maple butter, popcorn, biscuits (or cookies, in Canada) and maple sugar.

Emmi group.emmi.com

Min order: £300

Delivers to: UK and International

Emmi is one of Switzerland’s most prominent cheese manufacturers, known for its cave-aged Kaltbach range, and also owns Dutch goat’s cheese brand Bettine. It produces other dairy products, including yoghurts under the Onken brand and Emmi’s own-label ready-to-drink coffee. Its range offers independent and specialist retailers access to a selection of established continental lines.

Eurilait eurilait.co.uk

Min order: on request

Delivers to: UK wide

Eurilait is a producer and farmer owner of speciality cheese, yoghurt and dairy products from its own farms in France across Europe. It deals with retailers, wholesalers and food manufacturers. It is one of the UK’s main suppliers of Paysan Breton products, and has an extensive private label offer.

Suma Wholefoods suma-store.coop

Min order: £325

Delivers to: UK wide

Health and sustainabilityfocused Suma Wholefoods has operated as a wholesale co-op since 1975, supplying health food and speciality stores across the UK, alongside its online retail platform. An own label covers a broad range of plant-based food & drink, plus body care and cleaning products under the Alter/native and Ecoleaf brands. It also stocks thirdparty lines from brands like Clearspring, Biona, Rude Health, Sojade, Hu, Oatly and Yeo Valley.

Il Gusto ilgusto.com

Min order: £300

Delivers to: UK mainland

Sourcing gourmet food and drinks directly from producers, wholesaler Il Gusto prioritises items with premium appeal. Its main products are oils and vinegars, wines, spirits and liqueurs. Exclusive lines include RTD cocktails from Le Barteleur; 22 Carat Gold sparkling wine and spirits by Gold Spirits, and Padre Azul Tequila. Il Gusto also offers own label options, including refills sold in recycled glass bottles.

Windmill Organics / Biona

biona.co.uk

Min order: None

Delivers to: UK and international

A producer, importer and distributor of organic food & drink, Biona has a 500-strong portfolio that includes over 450 plantbased products. The range spans storecupboard staples like canned beans and tomatoes, oils and vinegars, pasta, rice, nut butters and breads. Biona is part of the Windmill Organics Group, which also owns Amisa, Bonsan, Profusion, Raw Vibrant Living and Biofair.

importers & distributors

Brindisa brindisa.com

Min order: dependent on location

Delivers to: UK wide

Founded in 1988, Brindisa has helped shape UK access to authentic Spanish food & drink.

The importer, distributor and retailer also runs six London restaurants focused on regional, traditionally-made products – from cured meats and cheese to pulses, anchovies, olives, spices, oils and vinegars. Alongside its own label, key brands include Perelló, Ortiz, El Navarrico and La Chinata.

Brand Organic brandorganic.co.uk

Min order: varies on a brand-by-brand basis

Delivers to: UK wide

Brand Organic is a UK importer and distributor of speciality, natural and organic food, drink & wellness brands. It offers support with import, NPD, labelling, private label and retailer activation. Wholesale customers include GreenCity, Bidfood, Cress Co, Victus Emporium, Carron Lodge, Delicioso and Odysea. Brands include Vivani chocolate, Wild Thingz sweets and Trafo crisps.

Mevalco mevalco.com

Min order: £120

Delivers to: UK wide

Mevalco imports and distributes premium Spanish food & drink, working with small artisan producers to ensure provenance and traditional methods. Its range includes Ibericó charcuterie, cheeses, olive oil, conservas and regional wines. Exclusive brands include Trasacar, World Cheese Award-winning Quesos y Besos, and Pujadò Solano anchovies and boquerones.

The Artisan Olive Oil company artisanoliveoilcompany. co.uk

Min order: £250

Delivers to: UK wide

The Artisan Olive Oil Company imports, wholesales and distributes olive oils, fine foods and ingredients from the Mediterranean. It works with award-winning producers in France, Italy, Spain and Tunisia –including Frantoio Franci, Olio Bono and Nobleza del Sur. Its range also includes pestos, harissa, balsamic vinegar, olives and preserved fish.

Infinity Foods infinityfoodswholesale. coop

Min order: dependent on location

Delivers to: UK and Ireland

West Sussex’s Infinity Foods imports, distributes and wholesales organic products to independent and health food retailers and foodservice. Its own-label range includes muesli, grains, pulses, flours, dried fruit & nuts. It also stocks brands like Biona, Pip & Nut, Belvoir Farm and Sojade, along with cleaning products, supplements and pet food.

The Oil Merchant oilmerchant.co.uk

Min order: £85 (London) £350 (UK) for free delivery

Delivers to: UK wide

After 41 years of selling olive oil – and being the first to import single estate extra virgin olive oil to the UK – The Oil Merchant has now branched out into balsamic vinegars, flavoured oils and Italian sauces, mostly from small producers. Lines include Frescobaldi (Tuscany), A L’Olivier (France), Marina Colonna (Southern Italy), Marques de Valdueza (Spain) and LIA (Greece). It supplies independent retailers, and high-end foodservice across the UK.

Just So Italian justsoitalian.co.uk

Min order: free delivery over £100

Delivers to: mainland UK

Just So Italian imports and distributes traditional Italian products from small artisan producers, avoiding anything found in supermarkets. Its range includes cheese from Ciresa, meat from Golfera, chilli products from Fattoria la Sila, pasta from Masciarelli and Umbro, Panettone from Gilber and oils from Olearia del Chianti.

Martins Meats martinsmeats.com

Min order: none

Delivers to: UK wide by courier

Cotswolds-based Martins Meats is not only a family butchers’ but a wholesaler, too, selling its own Long Horn dry aged beef, Cotswold lamb and Old Spot pork. Retailers can add on local eggs and honey, seasonings from Dustbros, Halopeños jars, The Real Cure charcuterie, and Fruitpig Black Pudding, among other products.

Curd & Cure curdandcure.co.uk

Min order: £100 for free delivery

Delivers to: UK wide

Curd & Cure specialises in premium British and Continental cheese and charcuterie. It offers private label lines and a broad range of thirdparty food & drink. Recent additions include HFSScompliant snacks, cheese from Golden Hooves, and dairy from Organic Herd. It also exclusively imports raw-milk cheeses from France’s Hennart.

Horgans horgans.com

Min order: None

Delivers to: UK and international

Horgans is an Irelandbased importer, distributor and wholesaler of Irish farmhouse cheese, continental cheeses, meats, antipasti, pâtés, pasta, sweet and savoury ingredients, prepared foods and its own-label ‘Signature Range’. It supplies both multiples and independents across Ireland, and exports to the UK, France and Canada.

Piled high but not sold cheap

The British public loves a sandwich at lunchtime but a new wave of specialists is guiding the trend away from soggy ‘meal deal’ fare towards towering, big ticket, high quality sandwiches.

By Nick Baines

WITH AROUND £8BILLION spent on packaged sandwiches in the UK each year, it’s safe to say that the national appetite for this lunchtime staple is strong. But while the cheap and cheerful ‘meal deal’ accounts for the lion’s share of business (with spending expectations almost always below the £5 mark), there are an increasing number of modern sandwich outfits are generating long queues and social media buzz with their creations – and they’re easily breaking the £10 barrier. Clearly there’s a market for delis looking to offer a bit more quality between two pieces of bread.

Perhaps the most famous operation in recent times is Sandwich Sandwich. It has had a meteoric rise to fame, first starting out in Bristol, before opening in London. “Expanding into London has been a game-changer for us,” explains founder Nick Kleiner. “It’s pushed us to raise the bar across the board. The pace is faster and the expectations are higher.”

“We believe the standard lunchtime offering has become dull and uninspired,” he continues. “The age of the lacklustre meal deal is over, and we’re here to fill that gap.” Its City of London operation near St Paul’s serves over 1,000 fresh made-to-order sandwiches every day, including best-selling Southern fried chicken, the chicken Kyiv, and Hot Stacksbrioche buns with towering fillings like onion

bhaji, vegan slaw, mango chutney, fresh spinach and crushed poppadoms.

South of the river in Peckham, Mondo Sandwich is something of a cult icon, with the Standard declaring it, “probably the best sandwich shop in Britain.” It started life as a pub residency, but has since become a dedicated café knocking out monstrous sandwiches loaded to the hilt with fillings like house made fish fingers, sauce gribiche, anchoaide-dressed lamb’s lettuce and peas, and shaved Red Leicester. The list of London sandwich hotspots continues to expand with outposts of Dusty Knuckle, Crunch on Soho’s Dean Street, and Panadera in Marylebone.

Dom’s Subs is another outlet that catches the eye, not only because of its huge sandwiches with lengthy ingredient lists, but because this three-location business in East London has dropped collaborations with a line of TikTok and Instagram influencers, as well as big name brands like Timberland.

This appetite for loaded sandwiches, where diners can only just about hold them together, isn’t just a London-centric affair. In Liverpool, Bakesale Bakery is servicing queuing customers with hefty filled focaccias; as is Maurie’s in Southampton.

And the prices? All of these businesses sell sandwiches north of £12, with the base line sitting around the £10 mark.

What this raft of new wave sandwich shops demonstrates is that the sandwich is far from obsolete. There is scope for development, advancement and experimentation. While some might baulk at the price of a sandwich being anywhere near a tenner, it’s obvious that the gap between the supermarket meal deal, and what many consumers are actually willing to pay, is increasing.

THREE

OF THE BEST

Loaded sandwiches to inspire your own creations

The Grapow - Dom’s Subs

This firey sub contains spicy Thai ground chicken, gem lettuce, mayo, pickled cucumbers & carrots, coriander, pickled red chillies, crispy shallots and fragrant toasted rice powder. impeccablesandwiches.co.uk

Corned Beef Hash Sando - Panadera

Gooey corned beef is encased in a croquette to stop the bread going soggy for Panadera’s best selling sandwich. It sits alongside lettuce, fried shallots and a garlic aioli. panaderabakery.com

Katsu Sando - Crunch

Deep fried Tonkatsu pork sits between crunchy, toasted brioche alongside Japanese apple jam, nori & shichimi togarashi, mayonaise, and shredded cabbage. sandwichuprising.com

CHEESES FOR YOUR DELI SANDWICHES

Spinoro

Aged Italian cheese that helps elevate your sandwiches with depth of flavour and texture. Suitable for vegetarians, Spinoro comes pre-sliced for rapid sandwich building, as well as in chunky shavings and flakes. dalterfood.com

Barber’s Farmhouse Red Leicester

The fresh, creamy flavour of this four month matured cheese pairs well with high acidity sandwich fillings. Perhaps that’s why Red Leicester is used in Mondo’s fish finger and sauce gribiche sandwich… barbers.co.uk

Beemster Gouda

With its caramel nuttiness, this Dutch cheese proves a powerful choice in sandwich design, delivering punch without dominating the rest of the sandwich. Perfect for multilayering flavours. beemstercheese.us

LEARN | TASTE | UNDERSTAND | COMMUNICATE

RETAIL CHEESE

TRAINING

Our one-day course for anyone sourcing or selling cheese, delivered by industry and retail experts. Understand how cheese is made, how it should be stored and sold, gain skills to help communicate with customers and sell more cheese from a position of knowledge.

The World of Food Starts in Downham Market

From the most exotic foods across the world to probably the best biscuits and cakes in the country, Shire Foods continues to supply an extraordinary range of local, national and international products to every corner of the UK.

NEW LOOK SAME GREAT TASTE

Our newly packaged premium range of products are available to order now!

We also offer an exclusive own-label service!

Add your shop’s logo to our premium products for Shire Fine Foods’ quality but with a personal touch. Contact us today for more information!

Nationwide delivery, right to your doorstep! View our full range of products online

From forest to fork

Katya Gorska and Ben Nickson of Kindred Forest are promoting biodiversity in rainforested areas by supporting sustainable production of rare chocolate, coffee and palm

sugar.

Interview by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

What were you doing before launching Kindred Forest, and how did the idea come about?

Ben Nickson: I worked for a legal research and publishing company called Chambers, and Katya worked at a law firm too. Just after the lockdown period we went travelling in Latin America and stayed with a couple of indigenous communities, and realised we didn’t want to work in the legal sector anymore. We started thinking about what we could do that would actually achieve some good.

Katya Gorska: We wanted to support nature and the people who live in rainforest areas and promote biodiversity. I had a background in conservation – I volunteered for an orangutan charity in Sumatra for a few years. I’ve always been passionate about nature conservation and working with local and indigenous communities.

How did you decide what to sell and where to source it from?

KG: The product decision was guided by the conservation aspect. We looked at regions with some of the highest biodiversity in the world – the Amazon and Indonesian rainforests. We researched communities and projects that were already there and producing products.

BN: We’re product agnostic – we have to be able to meet and get to know the people we’re working with directly; what matters is that there is high biodiversity which is under threat.

Are there any product categories you’re focusing on now?

BN: To begin with, it’s all food and beverage –cacao, chocolate, coffee, green bean wholesale.

Also, there’s something called Arenga palm sugar, from Indonesia.

KG: It comes from Arenga Pinnata, a palm that benefits the rainforest. Its roots don’t compete for water and it supports soil health.

BN: It’s low GI, unrefined, retains its minerals and is processed using volcanic geothermal energy – so completely carbon negative.

KG: We call it Arenga Forest Sugar to help distinguish it. There’s some education to be done

so people understand what it is. We’re also doing R&D around cosmetics – that’s a whole new area for us.

And we offer storytelling. We work with local artists to create illustrations for our packaging. Every product has artwork from an artist local to the origin.

How do you manage all the processing without doing it yourselves?

price, trade price and retail price. We’ve used benchmarks and tried to set entry prices a little lower. We want to start by breaking even and build from there.

How do you ensure your supply chain reflects your values?

BN: We keep the supply chain as short as possible. We don’t work with any intermediaries, except for shipping, and we’re looking into lowering the carbon footprint further.

KG: And we try to carry those values through everything – our website, marketing, listings.

Are you pursuing any certifications?

BN: B Corp is on the roadmap, but in many ways we feel like we’re already operating beyond those standards. We’ve got Soil Association certification for the sugar and are part of the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network. Two of our Indonesian coffees are certified Wildlife Friendly.

What’s next for Kindred Forest, short and long term?

KG: In the next six months, we’d like strong relationships with more independents. Longer term, we’d love to be in Selfridges with the truffles and bars, and in places like Planet Organic. We’re open to collaborations with high-end UK producers. We are a business, but the purpose is the bigger goals. So if there are like-minded people with good ideas, we’d love to hear from them.

Our role is sourcing, working with communities and promoting conservation

BN: We’ve partnered with high-quality specialists. We work with a number of specialty coffee roasters and craft chocolate makers, such as Solkiki and Chocolarder. We don’t pretend to be roasters or chocolatiers. Our role is sourcing, working with communities and promoting conservation. We also sell green coffee beans to roasters and cacao to craft chocolate makers.

How do you approach retail pricing?

BN: It’s trial and error – we’re figuring out what the market will accept. We balance cost

Where did the name Kindred Forest come from?

BN:“Kindred” is about shared values, community, togetherness. “Forest” is obvious but meaningful – it reflects our philosophy.

KG: It’s about interconnectedness. In our society, we often don’t know where things come from. We want to rebuild those connections. Kindred Forest includes us in the UK too – it’s everyone. We want to regenerate forests and reconnect people and their stories.

kindredforest.co.uk

PRODUCTS & MERCHANDISING

All The Aunties on a mission to promote paneer across cuisines

By Lynda Searby

All The Aunties is fresh to market and on a mission to champion paneer as a protein-rich cooking ingredient for all cuisines – not just Indian curries.

The brand is the creation of Riya Patel, who, together with co-founder Jack Newton, has created three distinctively branded paneer products made from British dairy.

The recipe is inspired by Patel’s mother, who is the face of the startup’s Original paneer, while Patel’s aunties feature on the flavoured varieties.

Patel told FFD that by bringing strong branding to what has historically been a generic product, the duo is hoping to broaden paneer’s appeal.

“I think paneer is mainly associated with being a curry house ingredient because there hasn’t been a brand to promote it,” she said. “It’s been treated as a commodity ingredient, vacuum packed and stuck in the ethnic aisle. There have been no brands taking the lead on education, as they have on products like hummus and tofu, which has meant people don’t know how to cook with it.

“We want to champion paneer and educate people on how to eat it so that they start to include it in their weekly shop.”

To this end, All The Aunties is working on promoting paneer as a minimally processed vegetarian protein option – Patel points out that a 100g serving contains 23g of protein, which is the equivalent of three eggs.

“We are not saying it’s a health product,” she added. “It is healthy in the same sense that a feta cheese is healthy. There is a big shift away from

Paddy & Scott’s claims to have launched its greenest brew yet with the introduction of Earth Coffee. As well as being carbon tracked “from farm to flat white”, this wholebean coffee is based on climate-resilient robusta beans grown via regenerative methods.

Paddy & Scott’s has teamed up with farmers in Espirito Santo, Brazil, who are employing farming techniques supported by the Federal Institute of Espirito Santo to grow robusta beans. They are blended with arabica beans to produce a profile that features notes of raspberry jam, almond and chocolate biscuit. RRP £24.99/1kg. paddyandscotts.coffee

low-fat and processed foods and it fits with that. We are exactly what we say we are.”

Patel originally made the paneer herself, but then moved production to a contract manufacturer in the Midlands to achieve scale.

“They make it by hand, using a method that retains a lot of the moisture, resulting a softer product than a traditional paneer,” she said.

In addition to its Original unflavoured paneer, All The Aunties offers two flavoured varieties: Garlic & Herb and Cumin, Chilli & Turmeric. All three are already on shelf in Whole Foods Market and Bayley & Sage, with plans to launch in Ocado later in the year. It costs £2.55 from wholesaler CLF.

instagram.com/alltheauntiesuk

WHAT’S NEW

The Saucerer has collaborated with Northern Pasta to launch what it claims is the UK’s first Gochujang Arrabbiata. This stirthrough pasta sauce is a fusion of Korean spice and classic Italian heat, blending gochujang’s umamirich complexity with Italian chillies, garlic and tomato. Flagship stockists include C Lidgate and DELLI, where it retails at £5.40. thesaucerer.co.uk

The Herbtender’s five-strong collection of organic herbal teas are infused with medicinal mushrooms and adaptogenic herbs, including reishi, lion’s mane, ginseng, holy basil, lemon balm and turmeric. Each blend addresses a specific ‘need state’, promising a moment of calm (And Breathe) or supporting the bedtime ritual (Good Night). RRP £4.75. the-herbtender.com

April saw British jam brand Fearne & Rosie enlarge its reduced-sugar jam range with the addition of Mango Preserve 70% (RRP £3.30, 310g). As the name suggests, this concentrate-free jam contains 70% fruit, which means it is high in fibre as well as a source of vitamin C. It is also said to contain 40% less sugar than standard jams. fearneandrosie.co.uk

Dipping and dunking moves up a notch with premium alternatives to big brands

The portable dipping snack space has long been ripe for development. Options are largely limited to cream cheese and breadstick products from Kraft Heinz’s Dairylea and Mondelez’s Philadelphia, with a lack of premium offerings.

There are signs that dip producers are tuning into this potential, with two notable introductions in the first part of 2025.

April saw B Corp Holy Moly launch its Guacamole Chip & Dip snack pot – a two-piece format that pairs the producer’s signature guacamole with tortilla corn chips. It delivers

“on the go goodness” through real, simple ingredients.

The guacamole is made from avocado, tomato, red onion, jalapeño, coriander and lime juice, while the salted corn chips are made from corn masa and rosemary extract. The pot has been listed with Sainsbury’s where it retails at £1.85 as well as being part of the meal deal. This followed the launch of ChicP’s new Chilled Hummus Snack Pack range in January. Billed as “snacking for people who want more from the

everyday”, ChicP’s Snack Packs are said to be “big on flavour, generous with veg and made to nourish without compromise”. Packaged in recyclable trays, this format brings together ChicP’s hummus and glutenfree corn tortilla chips in a snack that is high in fibre, plant-based, made without preservatives and enriched with aquafaba to reduce waste. The 153g packs are available in two flavours: Beetroot & Horseradish Hummus and Velvet Hummus. Trade per trio pack: £2.32; RRP £4.49. chicp.co.uk

WHAT’S NEW

Olives Et Al has created three Mediterranean spice blends, all with a charcoalcooking slant. Adana contains the spices used in Turkish koftes. Souvlaki showcases the flavours of Greek tavernas. And Shawarma can be mixed with olive oil for a marinade. Trade £2.65 for 120ml jar (RRP £4.50). shopolives.co.uk

Biona has introduced a trio of organic chocolate coated fruit & nuts. Oven-roasted almonds and freeze-dried strawberries and cherries are enrobed in 62% cocoa dark chocolate for an indulgent, yet conscious treat.

RRP £2.29/30-45g. biona.co.uk

Gnaw is looking to offer “small moments of joy” with four 35g milk chocolate bars. The producer says the launch of Popcorn & Peanut, Honeycomb & Caramel, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Seville Orange in the new format is central to its plans to take it from the confectionery aisles into the impulse arena. RRP £1.75 for 35g. gnawchocolate.co.uk

My magic ingredient

Bedlam Farms organic asparagus

In our shop we sell produce from our own farm, but we also work with other local farmers who share our ethos. Like us, Bedlam Farms is committed to organic farming and to growing what is in season - working with mother nature rather than against it.

Asparagus is notoriously difficult to grow organically, but Bedlam Farms has succeeded in cultivating a pesticide-free crop that is rich in nutrients such as folate and fibre. The farm doesn’t rush or force its growth - it takes a slow food approach and you really can taste the difference. It also cuts the stalks a good distance from the soil so there is no woodiness - the stalks are thick yet tender, with a strong flavour.

From the start of May until the weather gets too hot or the harvest runs out (whichever happens first), this asparagus is a top seller for us. I don’t have much time to cook because I am always in the shop, but when I do, I pan fry the asparagus with butter, salt and pepper, and serve it with meat, fish or poultry.

Superkeen says free-from

cereal is the “most inclusive on the market”

By Lynda Searby

Superkeen is a new cereal brand that addresses an emerging niche in free-from foods - AIPfriendly foods.

AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) is a diet designed to reduce inflammation, support gut healing and regulate the immune system. It excludes grains, dairy, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, nightshades, processed foods, refined sugar, industrial seed oils, caffeine and alcohol, and emphasises nutrient-dense, whole foods.

While it was originally developed for

those with autoimmune issues, according to Superkeen, many others are finding it beneficial, setting the scene for the arrival of what it claims is the UK’s first AIP-friendly cereal brand. While it is proud to be blazing this trail, Superkeen is hoping its appeal will extend well beyond this niche.

Founder Caragh Keane told FFD: “Our cereal was created to be the most inclusive cereal on the market. We’re proud to be the first AIP-friendly cereal brand in the UK, but beyond that, we’ve designed our products to suit the widest range of dietary needs possible.

“We’re here for those navigating complex health journeys and for anyone simply looking to eat clean, gut-friendly food without compromise.”

There are three popped cereals in the range, all based on tiger nuts and cassava

Keane added: “Together, they form a delicious, clean, crunchy base that’s free from the top allergens, yet full of flavour, fibre and function.”

Superkeen launched into Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic, and Selfridges in March, with an RRP of £6.99/300g, and says it is working on other retailer listings and a launch into Ireland next.

superkeenfoods.com

it takes a slow food approach and you really can taste the difference

Following a successful foray into cidermaking last year, potato crisp producer Two Farmers has added 0.0% Cider to its portfolio.

The Herefordshire operation says the alcohol-free cider responds to growing consumer demand for lower alcohol options and sustainability. The cider is brewed from 100% locally grown apples.

It also claims to be one of the first artisan cider makers to use cold filtration technology to extract the alcohol. This technology is said to retain more flavour and give a truer cider finish than other methods. With no added sugar, the cider is sweetened with apple juice and low in calories too. RRP £2.99, 440ml. twofarmerscider.co.uk

JAMES MARTIN Shop manager, Fordhall Farm

JOIN US AT THE UK’S LEADING SHOWCASE OF ARTISANAL FOOD & DRINK

Are you a buyer or producer and want to get involved? Scan the code to find out more

Speciality & Fine Food Fair, THE event where the fine food & drink community meets, is returning to Olympia London from 9-10 September 2025. Make sure you come along to discover innovative producers and condense a year’s worth of product sourcing into one inspiring journey.

Set to celebrate 10 years in business, The Lambing Shed is still growing – while striving to remain an asset to the local community, a model retailer and an exemplary purveyor of hospitality.

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Worth the detour

AS THE LAMBING Shed comes into view during an unseasonably sunny spell in the run-up to Easter, the air is filled with the bleats of baby sheep and the sight of serene-looking customers sporting hats and sunglasses. Relaxing under parasols with iced lattes and chalices of rosé in hand, they seem to suggest that this is a place where people feel compelled to come and spend the day.

Stepping through the doors reveals an impressive display of food & drink, and in the bright open dining space that flows into a conservatory, owner Kathryn Mitchell is combing through an order list.

Mitchell has the affable demeanour often associated with this part of the world –Knutsford, in Cheshire – but also the aplomb of a business owner with a firm handle on it. The Lambing Shed may be a sizeable operation, but it runs with unmistakable intention.

The shop opened in 2015 on the family farm, which is still managed by Mitchell’s father and brother. She was working as a

VITAL STATISTICS

Location: Moseley Hall Farm, Chelford Rd, Knutsford WA16 8RB

Square meterage of the farm shop: approx. 250 m2 Annual

hospital lab technician when her father decided to open a small farm shop and asked her to help.

“He definitely sold it to me as, ‘you’ll be your own boss, you can take time off whenever you want.’ It didn’t really work that way,” she says, laughing.

By 2020, the shop had grown enough to justify an extension, doubling the size of the retail area and adding a café.

While it underpins the business, the farm is largely separate from the farm shop. Most of the Mitchells’ 3,000 sheep and 300 cattle are sold to third parties, but almost all of the meat on offer at The Lambing Shed – pork excluded – is raised here.

“I’d love to have pigs, but haven’t convinced my brother yet,” Mitchell says. “Pigs are more labour-intensive. We tried last year – we had a couple and some piglets – but it’s a whole different thing from sheep.”

Not having to buy in meat provides a notable advantage. Mitchell can “twist [her]

brother’s arm” to get the best cuts, and the business is far less vulnerable to fluctuating prices.

“The price of beef is insane right now. Since it’s our own, we’re competitive – cheap even –considering the quality.”

It also gives The Lambing Shed a strong sales pitch.

“People do want to know where their food comes from – particularly meat – because there’s so much rubbish that can go into it and poor practices that go on. So you do need to talk about it,” she says.

The meat from the farm is a point of difference across the business: as well as a well-stocked butcher’s, there is a deli counter full of pies, and a freezer stacked with homemade ready meals. It also features heavily on the café’s so-called ‘men-ewe’.

Beyond the edible offerings it provides, being a working farm draws in young families as well. At the time of our visit it had just hosted a series of live lambing events, with an

Easter trail planned for the weekend.

“I wish I could sell everything as quickly as the lambing tickets,” she says. “Every year people ask, ‘When are you doing it?’ They’re desperate to come.”

“We hope once they’ve been to an event, they’ll come back as regulars. Some never will – they’re just event-goers – but even if 10–15% convert, that’s great.”

These attendees do shop differently, though, so to cater for beige-loving children, the team creates picnics to suit, sold as a package with event tickets.

“We try and do things like our own sausage rolls. We keep everything in line with who we are, we don’t want to just buy Coca-Cola and succumb to that. But it’s hard, parents are on a budget and want something easy to feed their kids. So we’ve tried lots of different things.”

The shop has long hosted events like pumpkin picking and Christmas tastings, but the addition of the 25-45 demographic to the traditional core of customers is largely a postCovid development.

Whereas older customers favour the classics like the homemade sausage rolls and cakes, these are customers who like to cook, and come to the shop looking for particular ingredients.

“They tend to spend more. They buy

different products, and they cook more from scratch too, which is great.”

That said, cooking isn’t always an option, which is why Lambing Shed’s frozen items, many of them also made here, are popular across the board.

“Frozen’s not how it used to be. It’s good food and convenience – everyone wants that. Even I take stuff home after working with food all day.”

This broad product selection is a curated one, focusing on quality and a breadth of both classics and speciality items. These are mostly local and bought direct – but not always.

“They want lemons in their gin,” says Mitchell.

“It’s not always been feasible to source locally, especially when we were new to retail. Back then, we’d often go through wholesalers just to keep things simple. And we do still work with a few great companies – but going direct often means access to a wider product range, better pricing and stronger relationships. They might offer us promotional support or come in for tastings, which is great.”

While the product selection is a point of pride at The Lambing Shed, it’s not always easy to ensure customers see the products

MUST-STOCKS

Homemade sasusage rolls

Homemade cakes (the bestseller is carrot cake)

Home-reared lamb burgers

Homemade steak pies

Random Apple Juice

Tracklements – Chilli Jam

Isle Of Wight – Tomato Pesto

Local Cheshire Potatoes

Shepherd’s Tipple Gin (Collaboration with Wild Fox Distillery)

Bay Tree – Chutneys and Jams

DELI OF THE MONTH

they might be tempted to buy. Without the supermarket’s linear aisles and shelves, experiments in product placement can make or break sales, Mitchell explains: “It’s crazy – a product doesn’t sell on a shelf, then we put it on a barrel and it sells out in days. It’s total trial and error, so we’re constantly moving stuff around.”

Food-to-go is also a growing category, as the shop has become a frequent detour for drivers travelling up the M6.

“We’d like to do more food-to-go –especially on weekends. We get loads of people off the motorway who don’t want to stop at services. They come here for lunch or a quick shop – takeaway lunches, ice cream and milkshakes.”

Located on walking and cycling paths, with a dog-friendly policy, the café is almost always busy. The menu includes breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, with a gastro farm shop touch.

But all of this food requires prep, and the farm shop production team and the café chefs share the same kitchen space – for now. Mitchell doesn’t see it as tenable longterm, given the appetite for more own-made products and the busy foodservice outlet.

“We’re investing in bigger ovens and better equipment. Time is our biggest cost right now,” she says.

A food truck in front of the shop catches more of the passing trade, offering coffee and hot food, and encourages visitors to visit the little plant nursery adjacent to it, run by a former supplier.

“It really does [bring people in]. I’d love to have more local suppliers like her on-site, but they’ve got to be the right fit – same customer service standards, same ethos. Lou is brilliant – great service, great products, fairly priced.”

With so many divisions to oversee and no general manager, Mitchell has structured the business around delegated leadership.

“The head chef and front of house manager handle hospitality; then there’s a farm shop manager, deli manager, and butchery manager for the retail. And my marketing manager works closely with me. I’m still on the floor, wherever they need me.”

The team has 32 full-time members, many of them long-term. While hiring has become harder since Covid, Mitchell tries to create a positive team culture and offer a good worklife balance.

“The pay might not match some bigger organisations, but we do pay well, and we also offer freedom, flexibility and respect.

“I want it to be a nice place here. I don’t want the atmosphere to die when I walk in the room.”

Recognition goes a long way too, and awards like the Farm Shop & Deli Retailer Award and the FRA’s Best Farm Shop Café and Restaurant have helped the team feel a sense of pride.

“It’s great for them – it’s a real boost. And it does increase footfall. The awards really matter to customers.”

But even with accolades and loyal customers, running a business like this hasn’t come without its challenges. Labour and production costs are both pressure points.

“Many businesses probably feel the same – you can’t take your eye off the ball for a second. There’s always something. But that’s part of it.”

Staying relevant to its customer base –especially as it has evolved over time – and building loyalty is something Mitchell is constantly grappling with.

“We’re trying not to forget traditional

marketing – we do a little newsletter that goes out on tables and in bags. It includes dates, new products, events. People take it with them. It’s really good.”

She’s also had to confront the fact that while being on TikTok and Instagram matters, the Lambing Shed’s most important platform to have a presence on is Facebook.

“It still works really well for us. It fits our core demographic. Local community pages are brilliant – people want to support local, and they actually engage with posts in those groups.”

While they’ve always rewarded loyalty with a points-based scheme, they are now plotting a more experiential system.

“People don’t always use points. They prefer offers or early access to things. That’s what motivates sign-ups – ‘I’ll get that offer today.’ Then they stay and get regular emails with the latest deals.”

Promoting what it does is important, but Mitchell understands the value of progressing as a business too – and she has plans to expand the production and retail capacity.

“We’re 10 years in this September, so we’re aiming to announce the plans then. It feels like the right moment to say ‘here’s what’s next.’”

No matter how much the business grows, it mustn’t lose touch with its values, she says.

“We don’t want customers to feel like it’s changed too much. We still want to be friendly, local; we just need more space to do what we already do, only better.”

It certainly feels like The Lambing Shed is managing the balance of adapting to modern demands while staying true to its original mission – making it feel like less of a shop, and more of a destination.

thelambingshed.com

The price of beef is insane right now. Since it’s our own, we’re competitive – cheap even – considering the quality.

Smoked Whipped Lardo

• Inspired Product Collection • Innovation is in our DNA • Consolidation for Positive Impact

• A Complete Customer Experience • Social Responsibility Guides our Decisions

Expert View

STRATEGY

CONSULTING’S DUNCAN THE TYPES OF RETAILERS COLLECT HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS

Data isn’t just for big retailers anymore. The explosion of technology in EPOS systems has put powerful insights within reach of every business, no matter its size. The real question is: are you making the most of it?

Those supermarkets have entire teams of analysts dedicated to extracting valuable trends from the wealth of data collected every day. Meanwhile, many delis and farm shops either don’t know where to begin or simply lack the time to dive into the numbers. But ignoring this goldmine of information means missing out on a major opportunity for growth.

Two types of retail data

EPOS systems collect data that falls into two primary categories: accounting data and customer data. Most retailers already use accounting figures, tracking revenue totals, topselling items and stock levels. While crucial for financial reporting, this is only part of the story.

The real key to unlocking business growth lies in understanding customer data – how shoppers interact with your store, what they buy, how often, and in what quantities i.e their

MODEL RETAILING

Madam, would you be interested in signing up for a loyalty card.

spending habits. This behavioural insight is the foundation for boosting revenue.

Three levers to increase sales

Every retailer, large or small, can enhance their revenue by focusing on these three goals and the measurable data to achieve them:

1. Sell – Attract new customers to your shop or encourage existing ones to explore different products or departments. Measure this through transactions at total, department and product level.

2. Sell more – Instead of simply tracking

average transaction value, analyse the components of spend (namely quantity and pricing) of individual items purchased. Have your price increases decreased quantities? How could you get customers to buy one more item? And do your customers have the headroom to buy more?

3. Sell more often – Loyal customers are your most valuable asset. Understanding shopping patterns and reducing the gap between visits can enhance repeat business, though tracking this requires a loyalty scheme.

Strategy starts with data

By monitoring customer behaviours, retailers can identify both the opportunities and threats, shaping a more strategic approach to growth. The insights hidden in your EPOS system can reveal actionable steps for maximising profits. In future issues, I’ll be diving deeper into retail data and how businesses can turn numbers into success. But if you can’t wait until then, please get in touch.

datastrategyconsulting.co.uk

Do tell me more…

What

information

is required

Setting up shop for good hygiene

on pre-packed and loose foods?

Loose

If you sell food loose – or package it for sale –you only need to show:

• The name of the food.

• If any ingredients have been irradiated.

• If any ingredients are from GM sources.

• Certain warnings.

• Allergen information (or a notice advising that this is available on request).

Pre-packed

For pre-packed you must give the following:

• The name of the food.

• A best before or use-by date.

• Quantity or weight marking.

• Any required warnings – for example, if food contains aspartame

• A list of ingredients

• A quantity declaration of certain ingredients (known as a QUID).

• If it contains any of the 14 specified allergens these should be highlighted

• within the ingredients list.

• The name and address of the responsible food business operator.

• The lot number (or use-by date if you wish) for traceability.

Fine

Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing

The guide is available in PDF format (free for Guild members, £250+VAT for non-members). To request a copy of the Code,

This advice is an excerpt from the Guild of Fine Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing. The guide is available in PDF format (free for Guild Members, £250+VAT for nonmembers). To request a copy of the Code, email support@gff.co.uk

SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE.

Well, it’s quite simple really. Once you’ve decided which colour card suits you then you’ll start accumulating points. Fresh products earn you double. For every 100 points you earn, you get £1 off your next shop but you can only use the points on certain types of products on the deli counter…

...your points total will reset every month and you can only spend them on weekdays. Terms and conditions apply.

Just keep smiling and back away slowly.

FFD says: Loyalty cards can be a great thing but don’t overcomplicate how they work, or they’ll confuse and put customers off. These schemes are meant to draw people in and get them shopping and spending more regularly. So, email them exclusive offers and upsell these deals on in-store signage – just like the supermarkets do. Remember, it’s also an exercise in acquiring all-important shopper data, which will help you run your business better.