FFD March 2022

March 2022 Volume 23 Issue 2 gff.co.uk

Aisles ahead Can innovative concepts work in independent retail?

ALSO INSIDE Jams & preserves round-up Westcombe’s new cheddar Panzer’s Delicatessen

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

CONTENTS 5

NEWS

10 SHOP TALK

Winter is a time of discontent.

There’s always something to get you down.

15 CHEESEWIRE 21 CHARCUTERIE 26 CATEGORY FOCUS: JAMS & PRESERVES, SAVOURY SNACKS

By Michael Lane, editor

The pessimist in me feels like 2022 is shaping up to outdo the last two years in terms of bad news. The pandemic is still with us, Brexit is back with a bureaucratic vengeance and we’re potentially on the verge of a new Cold War. All of these things have and will continue to contribute to a cost-ofliving crisis that is creeping across the country like a black cloud.

And speaking of weather, you can add in all the amusingly named but intense storms that have been pounding the UK. Unsurprisingly, many of these issues (including the dreaded wind) came up in this edition’s Deli of the Month (page 56). Panzer’s is a very impressive operation, but it isn’t immune to all of these challenges.

No independent retailer is.

So, now that I’ve set the mood, I’d forgive you for beginning to panic about whether the lights will still be on next month, let

34 DISCUSSION: THE FUTURE OF RETAILING 45 FOODSERVICE 47 IFEX PREVIEW 51 SHELF TALK 56 DELI OF THE MONTH 63 GUILD TALK

alone pondering what might be happening a year or two down the line.

The optimist in me and the rest of the FFD team has chosen to cast aside the bleak immediate future and focus on the longer-term prospects for retail – specifically physical stores.

Yes, almost all of the ideas stress-tested by my colleague Tom Dale with a panel of retail experts for our cover feature are in play already. What we were more concerned with was whether they can work in an independent environment. The resulting discussion (starting on page 34) will hopefully both enlighten you and lighten the mood in equal measure.

Putting global chaos and retail fantasies aside, I’ve also been thinking a lot about the day-to-day running of an independent food shop. Despite everything that’s

going on, the basic challenges remain the same.

For one thing, there’s counter service. Given Tesco’s latest cull (page 6), this form of retailing is effectively now our market’s USP and it’s something I think delis and farm shops will need to focus on this year to drive sales.

Then there’s the deli’s eternal battle: justifying their prices. That certainly isn’t going to change in this climate. Even though margins will be squeezed tighter, independents should remember that they have managed to gain and retain customers in very tough trading conditions for quite some time now.

Winter is always a time of discontent. Whether it’s the weather, the economy or warfare, there’s always something to get you down, but we’ve all got to stay positive.

Spring isn’t far away now.

March 2022 Volume 23 Issue 2 gff.co.uk

EDITOR’S CHOICE Tom Dale, assistant editor

Tracklements

Soured Plum & Black Pepper Chutney

Aisles ahead Can innovative concepts work in independent retail?

ALSO INSIDE Jams & preserves round-up Westcombe’s new cheddar Panzer’s Delicatessen

Cover illustration by Garen Ewing

The stalwart producer has surprised again with its latest ‘Special Edition’: Soured Plum & Black Pepper Chutney. The umeboshi-inspired chutney (umeboshi are Japanese pickled ume, or plums) ticks and tickles all the right boxes and senses for me. The multi-layered preserve is peppery, hot,

EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

Assistant editor: Tom Dale

Sales director: Sally Coley

Contributors: Nick Baines, Richard Faulks, Patrick McGuigan, Jules Mercer, Lauren Phillips, Lynda Searby

Sales executive: Becky Haskett,

Editor: Michael Lane

Art director: Mark Windsor

advertise@gff.co.uk

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam

ADDRESS Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB United Kingdom

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

sweet and sour. There is a lot going on in this jar flavour-wise, but the elements dance around each other, and don’t compete for dominance.

Purist turophiles will perhaps find it too powerful for cheese, but I thought it paired well with a mature Comté.

And (don’t judge) I’ve been loving it on well-buttered toast. l Read more on page 53

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200

Published by The Guild of Fine Food Ltd gff.co.uk

editorial@gff.co.uk

© The Guild of Fine Food Ltd

Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065

Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset

2021. Reproduction of whole or

part of this magazine without the

publisher’s prior permission is Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £50 p.a. inclusive of post and packing.

prohibited. The opinions expressed

in articles and advertisements are

not necessarily those of the editor

Turn to page 63 for news from the Guild

or publisher.

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

3

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NEWS

Supermarket counter closures a ‘golden opportunity’ for independent retailers

By Greg Pitcher

Retailers have urged independent food businesses to make the most of their service areas after Tesco announced the closure of 317 of its staffed counters.

The supermarket giant blamed falling customer demand for its decision to remove meat, fish and hot snack kiosks from stores around the country.

It is the latest in a series of similar announcements by large retailers.

Sainsbury’s announced in late 2020 that it would not reopen the in-store cheese, cooked meat and nibble counters it closed at the start of the pandemic.

Data from retail insight specialist IGD showed that just 6% of shoppers used an in-store counter in the last quarter of 2021 compared to 9% in the previous three months.

Steven Salamon, owner of Wally’s Delicatessen &

Counters like those at Wally’s are a valuable point of difference

Kaffeehaus in Cardiff, said it could be “very tempting” for smaller retailers to copy some of the larger chains and remove service spaces.

“You could cut down on staff and just have someone on a till,” he said. “But then you are no different to a supermarket.

“The fact we have served counters with goodquality personal service is why people come to an independent.”

Supermarkets often did a poor job with their deli counters, Salamon added, and fine food

Prince Charles in good spirits as he visits Kent whisky distillery HRH The Prince of Wales paid a visit to Copper Rivet Distillery in Kent, following an official visit to the nearby Historic Dockyard in Chatham.

Famously a whisky connoisseur, Prince Charles was intrigued by the distillery’s three Masthouse Whiskies, made with Kentish grains grown by local farmers Ryan McCormack and Dale Burden; but, in addition to these exciting English Whiskies, it was the distillery’s commitment to architectural restoration, urban regeneration and to the agricultural community which caught the Prince’s eye.

During his distillery tour, The Prince of

Wales set to work as he hammered in the bung for a Masthouse Grain Whisky cask, which the family have offered his Royal Highness as a gift when the whisky comes of age. copperrivetdistillery.com

retailers should focus on presentation and training workers.

“You need staff who remember a customer’s name, preferences and can have a nice chat while understanding the balance when there is a queue of people.”

Antonio Picciuto, owner of Buongiorno Italia in Hertfordshire, said he always made a point to his team that customers had a choice of supermarkets available. “When a client walks into a deli they usually want to be served,

inspired, stimulated and presented with choices and opportunities to try something new or of higher quality,” he added.

“Smaller retailers should be looking at their deli counters and thinking ‘how much more quality fresh produce can I put in there? This is a golden opportunity for all in the independent fine food sector.”

Nick Gladding, senior UK retail analyst at IGD, said the pandemic had accelerated a long-term decline in customer use of in-store counters.

“Improvements to the quality and merchandising of pre-packed deli lines means that fewer shoppers see the need to use a counter,” he added.

“At the same time, the expense of running counters, combined with the need to reduce costs to be more competitive, is prompting more large retailers to close them.”

Sourced Market closes after going into liquidation Sourced Market has ceased trading and has been placed into liquidation by its directors, with all three of its remaining retail sites now closed.

The retailer and food-to-go specialist had its flagship outlet at London’s St Pancras railway station, as well as branches at the Leeds Skelton and Cobham motorway service areas, and is understood to have been impacted heavily by a lack of footfall at transport hubs during the pandemic.

An email sent to suppliers, seen by FFD, confirmed that insolvency practitioner Begbies Traynor would be handling a Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation and that all creditors would be contacted in due course about making a claim.

One producer said that orders had been dwindling in the run-up to the announcement.

They added: “It’s the location of their sites, like at St Pancras, that’s been their downfall with COVID. I know I haven’t been on a train much in the last 18 months.”

Sourced Market had already closed its other sites near Victoria station and in the Barbican area of the Capital.

As FFD went to press, Begbies Traynor had not responded to a request for further comments.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT...

TESCO DELI COUNTER CLOSURES ANTONIO PICCIUTO BUONGIORNO ITALIA

“This is a golden opportunity for all in the independent fine food sector. A deli counter is our biggest asset and the area of our business where we can differentiate the most from the supermarkets. If we had more room we would be investing in a bigger deli counter.”

STEVEN SALAMON WALLY’S DELI & KAFFEEHAUS

“It is brilliant news for indies. Served counters with goodquality service is why people come to an independent.

Discerning shoppers who want to be served with unusual products have to come to the delis more. It is a fantastic opportunity. The move may be because customers are now shopping with independents.”

NICK GLADDING IGD

“We don’t see food counters coming to an end – they are just evolving to meet changing shopper needs. For smaller retailers serving more affluent catchments, counters could remain an opportunity. For farm shops, counters should still have a positive future.”

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

5

NEWS

CYBER CRIME

Price increases and fewer restrictions may put pressure on fine food sector

By Greg Pitcher

Fine food retailers face pressure to increase their prices at a time when their customers have less money and an increasing range of places to spend it.

Data published by the British Retail Consortium showed that food inflation hit its highest rate for more than eight years in January as supply issues started to bite.

Businesses and householders across the UK are braced for a cost-ofliving crisis this spring as taxes, energy and fuel prices and many other bills soar.

Jennie Allen, owner of West London-based deli group Bayley & Sage, said around a third of her suppliers had mooted price increases recently.

“The highest suggested was 10% – they got told no,” she said. “The average is more like 4 - 5 %.

“People are saying they haven’t put their prices

Retailers are under pressure to increase prices

up for two years and they are also hedging their bets against a future of higher labour, distribution and raw-ingredient costs.”

Bayley & Sage will accept a level of increased cost in certain cases while arguing that this should be mitigated by higher volumes and a shifted exchange rate, Allen said.

After two years of keeping its prices stable, the retailer will have to push them up in some areas but Allen is more

‘Use known value items to influence pricing strategy’ The British Independent Retailers Association said price rises represented a “real problem” for shops this year.

“As well as supply chain inflation we are seeing other overheads such as energy and labour increase significantly,” said chief executive Andrew Goodacre.

“Retailers will have to pass on some of these costs but there is only so much the consumer will pay, especially as shoppers are also facing an economic challenge.”

He encouraged retailers to use small, regular increases to prices rather than passing on the occasional hikes they receive from contracted suppliers in one hit.

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

“Be aware of known value items (KVIs),” added Goodacre. “These are often the more popular items sold and are often used as a benchmark in the eyes of customers.

“For supermarkets, these items are milk and bread, which is why you will see little inflation on these products.”

He conceded that it was harder for independent retailers to identify clear KVIs but said they needed to do their homework to create a pricing strategy that “reflects increased costs while still looking like good value to the customers”.

Goodacre added that the level of inflation expected this year was higher than that which many retailers will have ever experienced.

concerned about increased competition for custom as restrictions fade away after the pandemic.

“People might change their shopping habits but lifestyle will affect us more than prices. We see customers eating out more and going on holidays.”

Andy Swinscoe, coowner of the Courtyard Dairy, said the Lancashire business had been hit with a “flurry” of price increases in recent months.

“We have seen a lot of

our suppliers’ prices go up,” he said. “Pretty much every cheese we have has gone up in cost over the past six months.”

The Courtyard Dairy tries to make logistical efficiencies and juggle its costs but ultimately it seeks to maintain its cash margin on a product, so prices for end consumers are rising.

“Our market is quite diverse,” said Swinscoe.

“The local community is more price conscious than our tourist trade.

“For those to who we are a one-off treat, I think it will become more challenging if prices keep rising.”

The changing nature of the pandemic also put pressure on demand for fine cheese, Swinscoe added.

“A year ago people were very restricted in where they could spend their disposable income. Now we are competing with people eating out or going to the cinema.”

IN BRIEF Following the news that this year’s Veganuary was the most popular yet, wholesaler Cotswold Fayre is now offering 300 plant-based SKUs, double the number available in 2021.

“Plant-based is now mainstream,” said chilled buyer Ellie Gunn. cotswold-fayre.co.uk According to research from NFU Mutual, 90% of visitors to farm shops during the festive period said the biggest draw was the friendly service they receive. nfumutual.co.uk Asda workers are moving closer to strike action after the GMB union reported that 70% of staff rejected the supermarket’s latest pay offer. asda.com

International Food & Drink Event returns to Capital IFE (the International Food & Drink Event) returns to London’s ExCeL on 21st-23rd March.

Over three days, IFE will welcome 30,000 industry professionals to sample the latest products, develop their knowledge on the trends affecting the food and drink sector and network face-to-face with suppliers.

The show runs alongside three other food & drink industry events – IFE Manufacturing, The London Produce Show and Hotel, Restaurant & Catering – together showcasing more than 1,500 suppliers.

New for 2022’s event is a dedicated Vegan & Plant-Based

area, reflecting the huge growth of the sector. Additionally, representatives from the Department for International Trade will be on hand to provide guidance on export.

At The Certification Clinic, food & drink

brands can receive oneon-one, personalised advice on how to apply for a number of recognised certification schemes.

Those interested in attending can register for a free visitor pass on the IFE website: ife.co.uk

OUR BETTER HALF COMES from E U R O P E Our other better half comes from the UK

W E S E E K O U T T H E B E S T, A N D, W H E N W E F I N D I T, W E K E E P LO O K I N G .

That’s why we’re in a three-way marriage.

First in fine for 30 years: fine cheese, fine charcuterie, fine crackers, fine condiments, fine chocolates...

2

March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

Great Business Opportunity Popular online retail business ‘The West Country Cheese Co’ goes up for sale Are you looking to invest in an established and successful business in the increasingly profitable cheese industry?

‘The West Country Cheese Co’, known for its show-stopping cheese wedding ‘cakes’, as well as a variety of celebration cakes, gifts, hampers, and even a cheese subscription service.

The business has been so successful the husband and wife team have never needed to advertise. They have always been dedicated to exceptional customer service, with hundreds of positive reviews, most of them calling out the team’s dedication and attention to detail. As such, they have a projected turnover this year of £350k with exceptional net profit figures.

The West Country Cheese Co is currently valued in the region of £200k. The couple are also willing to consider alternative ways of purchasing for the right candidate if unable to pay the upfront cost, such as an initial deposit payment and monthly repayments.

Anybody interested in this fabulous business opportunity should call 01271 379944 or email debbie@westcountrycheese.co.uk for further information.

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

NEWS

Organic market sees strong growth in indies despite challenging conditions

By Tom Dale

In a year in which FCMG businesses had to deal with the impact of the pandemic, Brexit, supply chain issues and labour shortages, the organic sector continued to grow, with the market breaching the £3bn mark in the UK. In its tenth consecutive year of growth, the organic market grew nearly four times as much in independents than in supermarkets between 2020 and 2021, according to research by Soil Association Certification.

In the group’s Organic Market Report 2022, it announced that sales of organic products in independents grew 9% (£36.9m) during 2021, from a total market of £409.8m in 2020 to £446.7m.

Meanwhile, in the multiples, sales of organic goods grew 2.4%, while the

Popular deli set for expansion Hampshire deli and bistro Thyme & Tides is set to open a second site over the county border in Wiltshire.

The Stockbridgebased business – under the stewardship of Iain Hemming – has been seeking a new location for some time and has found it in a roadside site in Firsdown, Wiltshire, just off the busy A30.

The new store will comprise 40 inside café covers, 1,000 sq ft of retail space, 50 car parking spaces and a half-acre of landscaped green space, giving plenty of outside seating.

Aiming to cater for the local population, the store will be open from 7am7pm, seven days a week. thymeandtidesdeli.co.uk

ORGANIC MARKET GREW BY IN INDIES

9%

overall organic market in the UK grew 5.2%.

The report also revealed that the pandemic had varied effects on sales of organic products in independent retail.

“Sales in some citycentre retailers have been negatively affected by more people working from home,” said Soil Association Certification business development director Clare McDermott.

However, reduced visits to restaurants during the pandemic led to increased sales of organic wine in independent retail – particularly Malbecs and

Proseccos.

Independent retailers who responded to the Soil Association Certification’s survey reported that sales of fresh and chilled organic products – including fruit & veg, dairy, eggs and meat – saw the strongest growth.

This is reflected in the overall report as the only product category that saw sales shrink was ambient grocery.

Confirming this trend, wholesaler Cotswold Fayre has seen increased interest in organic products, particularly in chilled.

Ellie Gunn, chilled buyer at Cotswold Fayre said: “We

DOWN ON THE FARM Sky Park Farm recently opened a farm shop on its deer farm in West Harting, West Sussex, offering a range of local and seasonal produce, with Made in Our Kitchen frozen meals and its own venison on the butchery counter.

The operation is home to Observation Beehive where visitors can watch bees making honey.

There is also a milk station with fresh cows’ or oat milk where customers can fill their own bottles and The Grazing Rooms restaurant, offering seasonally inspired quality modern British cuisine. skyparkfarm.com An old barn at the Wyland Angling Centre near Battle in East Sussex has been

have increased the number of organic chilled lines that we offer by almost 10%.”

Anecdotally, retailers reported that these trends were driven by “younger customers coming into independent stores looking for organic options because they want to eat healthily,” said the report.

The report also stated that the predominant reasons for consumers choosing to buy organic are health and environmental concerns.

The growth of this consumer group is behind independent retailers’ prediction that the sector will continue to grow in their stores by 6% in 2022, as reported by Soil Association Certification.

However, retailers are concerned about availability of organic products, supply chains and the effect inflation may have on sales, said the report.

converted into a farm shop with further expansion planned for early this year, adding a gift & gardening section and a waterside café – expected in the spring.

Wylands Farm Shop offers a large variety of local farm produce, including fresh vegetables, game and meat, beer, wine and cider, as well as jams, chutney and eggs.

Fresh bread is delivered

Waitrose has scrapped its offer of free newspapers for loyalty card holders in the latest example of supermarkets cutting costs amid surging inflation. The change caused outrage among some shoppers. waitrose.com Owner of Kent Crisps, Laura Bounds has been awarded an MBE, for Services to International Trade as part of the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. kentcrisps.com The Co-op’s food boss Jo Whitfield is set to take a break from the business for four months later this year in order to “support her family”. Whitfield will stand aside in May, with group chief executive Steve Murrells taking over.

The latest from farm shops across the country to the site daily. facebook.com/wylandsfarm-shop

Sky Park Farm

IN BRIEF

Field of Dreams farm shop in Suffolk has moved to nearby Woolpit so the farm can focus on producing food and providing workshops to benefit the mental health of various groups in the area.

Anyone struggling with their mental health can go along for support through activities on the farm like animal care and growing vegetables.

The polytunnel where the shop used to be is

now a therapy area for relaxation, mindfulness and arts and crafts. fieldofdreamsfarm.co.uk The Isle of Wight Farm Shop in Godshill, previously owned by the Brownrigg family – now retired, has recently been taken over by two Island farmers, Andrew Hodgson and Phillip Morris, who are keen to build on the success of their predecessors as well as introducing new lines.

It reopened its doors at the beginning of January brownriggfarm meats.co.uk

In association with

Fabulous Farm Shops fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

9

SHOP TALK IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

RICHARD CLIVE, owner, Clive’s of Cropthorne, Cropthorne, Worcestershire Our family has owned the site at Cropthorne since the 1980s. Back then it was a commercial fruit farm. In 2003, we stopped packing apples – we couldn’t compete with the big operators. We continued growing for our juice business, but the cold store and packing shed stood derelict.

We’ve had a thriving farm shop at nearby Upton-Upon-Severn for nearly 70 years, so in 2018, we decided to transform our Cropthorne site into a second farm shop. Essentially, we took the best parts of our Upton shop and replicated – or even improved on – them here. We wanted to make Cropthorne more of a ‘destination’. We have a bigger restaurant here – 50 covers – and we focus on cooked lunches and breakfasts, whereas at Upton the menu is limited to cold food and cakes. Both shops have the same broad selection of fresh produce and, as apple juice is a major part of our business, both have a large display dedicated to our juice and its story.

Operating two shops has its advantages. We can use the same local suppliers, and we have found that we are being better looked after since we started purchasing in larger volumes. That said, we only buy fresh fruit, veg and meat jointly; there is too much variability in ambient sales patterns between the two sites.

We have core staff at each location and staff who float between the two. We also try to spread the workload across both shops throughout the year, doing PYO strawberries, raspberries and cherries at Upton and PYO pumpkins at Cropthorne, for example.

What is interesting is how different the clientele is, although the two shops are only 12 miles apart. Average basket spend is slightly higher in our Cropthorne shop. We put this partly down to its location closer to the Cotswolds.

Our Cropthorne shop was a year old when COVID hit and then put us on the map, as people started shopping local. Our model was flipped on its head as we went from running a farm restaurant to operating a delivery service.

We bought two vans and closed the restaurant.

This gave us a chance to double the size of the kitchen. The ‘old’ kitchen hadn’t long been installed but it became apparent during our first year that it needed to be bigger if we were to realise the restaurant’s full potential. We are looking at expanding the restaurant side of the business. We have a temporary marquee with 30 covers and are considering building a more permanent timber-framed structure. We are also looking forward to harvesting our first asparagus, which we planted during lockdown.

Interview Lynda Searby Photography Stuart Key

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER I WAS VISITING a nice market town the other day (it’s on one of those “Best places to live in the South East” lists) and couldn’t help noticing there were three health food shops within 300m of each other. Now, banks flock together I’m told – it creates a critical mass – and there isn’t a high street on the planet that doesn’t have 10 hairdressers and a dozen estate agents, but health food shops?

Back at home, I have often considered my own local competition – as I’m sure you have. There is no other deli in town, no other specialist cheesemonger in the county, but there are obviously a few cafés and coffee shops to contend with.

There’s the one that hardly ever opens and, when it does, it probably has an ambulance on standby for its few elderly patrons. Then there’s the one run by a father-son duo who work bloody hard but always shut for holidays.

Lastly, there’s the artisan bakery that was once caught recycling boxes for part-baked bread from a well-known wholesaler. Are any of these competition?

Compare my scene to the town just along,

MODEL RETAILING First the cobbler wouldn’t re-sole my glass slipper and then the garage wouldn’t MOT my pumpkin!

People often ask me for tips on opening a deli.

My answer is always to look for good neighbours. which has gone from zero to hero recently.

It’s got a deli, a couple of butchers, a good fishmonger, a farm shop’s satellite outlet, and more. Even the little Co-Op blends in by covering the basics. There are no other chains, the landlords are local and rents are (for the moment) low. What’s more, all those good neighbours are driving footfall. There is a buzz.

Frankly, I’m jealous.

People often ask me for tips on opening a deli. Apart from “don’t”, my answer is always to look for good neighbours. They are already doing the heavy lifting in terms of footfall –

SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE.

…and that’s why I had to give up Netflix and avocado toast

Oh dear…

Oh dear…

the locals already know it’s worth visiting. A long time behind the counter has shown me that it’s often not comparable food shops.

Across the street from me is a great shop selling ladies’ clothing, posh knick-knacks and greetings cards. They mirror my customer base exactly and I love them for it.

It’s not uncommon for a customer to chirp that they’re popping over the road for a birthday card (this is sometimes followed by: “Do you mind keeping an eye on my children?”). Perhaps I should sell cards, but this synergy is a blessing. So, I will often deliver coffees to them and do the odd DIY favour.

In the round, neighbours are more important than all the tweeting and Facebooking and local rag adverts in the world.

It is collectively that retailers draw people into town. I joined my Chamber of Commerce because of them, put up the Christmas lights every year because of them, and sign endless petitions because of them. My shop would die without good neighbours.

As for bad neighbours, maybe we’ll talk about them another time.

I can’t believe the nerve of that EHO. Fancy saying my shop was dusty...

This is tedious. Just give me the coffee.

FFD says: In a world that has been starved of face-to-face interaction, plenty of people will probably want to vent about their day when they come in. If you sometimes feel that you are becoming an agony aunt for your customers, that’s no bad thing. It indicates a certain level of comfort in your shop – and cheering them up is a sales opportunity for you, too. But remember that they do not want to hear about your problems. Sadly shopkeeping isn’t always a two-way street.

With kind permission of Geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG, Germany. PLAYMOBIL is a registered trademark of Geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG, for which also the displayed PLAYMOBIL toy figures are protected.

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

11

SHOP TALK

CODE OF PRACTICE

WHAT’S TRENDING NICK BAINES KEEPS YOU UP TO DATE WITH THE NEWEST DISHES, FLAVOURS AND INNOVATIONS IN FOOD & DRINK

Technical and regulatory advice from the Guild of Fine Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing This month we take a look at... cleaning & disinfection

Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, Annex II Chapter I and V requires: “Food premises must be kept clean,” and that: “All articles, fittings and equipment with which food comes into contact are to be effectively cleaned and, where necessary, disinfected.”

Cleaning should be planned and scheduled so as to ensure that no area or item is missed.

Sufficient time for all cleaning tasks must be allowed to ensure an effective and efficient cleaning regime. Cleaning and disinfection must take place at a frequency sufficient to avoid any risk of contamination.

Ensure all areas and equipment that are hard to access or are out of immediate sight are included. Consideration should be given

Cleaning should be planned and scheduled so that no area is missed

Expert’s view DAN SANDS OF GS1 UK EXPLAINS HOW THE UPCOMING HFSS LEGISLATION WILL AFFECT RETAILERS Research shows that more than half of independent retailers have not heard of the upcoming HFSS legislation, due to come into effect this October. Are you one of the 54% that are unclear on what the changes will mean for your business?

HFSS products are foods or drinks high in fat, sugar or salt, as classified by the Department of Health’s nutrient profiling model (information on which can be found online), but what are the restrictions as laid out in the legislation?

For now, the laws will only apply to England.

The restrictions apply to HFSS products that are pre-packed and in one of 13 food categories: prepared soft drinks, confectionary, biscuits & cereal bars, pizza, crisps & snacks, ice creams & lollies, morning goods (incl. pastries), potato products, breakfast cereals, cakes, desserts, sweetened yoghurts, ready-to-cook/reheat foods.

Retailers are cannot offer volume-based price promotions – such as BOGOF – and are 12

March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

to when equipment used for ready-to-eat products should be cleaned.

Where applicable, knives, cutters and other equipment should be cleaned using the retailer’s cleaning methods between products to help prevent allergen cross-contamination.

Where appropriate, colour-coded equipment can help prevent cross-contamination, both microbiological and allergenic.

Employees must be trained in cleaning procedures and the chemicals to be used, ensuring chemicals are used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and are correct for the cleaning task.

Cleaning and chemical disinfection should be carried out using six basic stages: PreClean – Sweeping, wiping or scraping of loose debris. Main clean – Application of a detergent to loosen dirt. Rinse – Removal of loosened dirt and detergent residues.

Disinfection – Destruction of microorganisms either by chemical or heat disinfection. Final rinse – Removal of disinfectant residue. Drying – Removal of final rinse water and air dry.

The guide is available in PDF format and is free for Guild members. For non-members, it costs £250+VAT. To request a copy of the Code of Practice, or for further information, email support@gff.co.uk

restricted on the in-store location of promotions on HFSS products. Promotions cannot be placed in checkout and queueing areas, end-of-aisle displays, and entrances.

Exemptions include out-of-home deals (such as meal deals) and non-pre-packed foods, and, importantly, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from any restrictions, and stores below 2,000 sq ft are exempt from location-based promotions.

Retailers are liable under this legislation, not producers. Businesses must ensure that they are placing HFSS products in the right place in store and that there are no volume-based promotions on the products. However, retailers can’t do the calculation to determine whether products fall under HFSS, and that presents an issue. In our experience, retailers are now approaching manufacturers to supply this information. l For more information on the upcoming changes to legislation, visit gs1uk.org

1

2

3

Non-alcoholic bottle shops In case anyone was wondering how serious the alcohol-free beer and spirits market is, there are now bottle shops popping up selling nothing but booze-free alternatives.

According to The Independent, New York is now home to seven non-alcoholic bottle shops. Closer to home, Club Soda opened its alcohol-free off-licence pop-up in December and ended up extending its run through to the end of February. As the trend continues to bloom, these bottle shops could become a permanent fixture.

1

2 Real veggie burgers While it’s clear the demand for fake meat has grown, some are lamenting the loss of the traditional veggie burger. However, there are fast-casual establishments pushing veg-forward burger alternatives, such as those made from panko-coated mushrooms, and various takes on the falafel. At Camden’s VBurger, you can find the Up-Beet, a burger made from slowroasted beetroot and quinoa.

3 Pop-up collaborations Over the past 10 years, pop-ups have become a wellknown route to permanent residency. In their first iterations, pop-ups were mainly in the realm of supper clubs. Version 2.0 saw them migrate into street food markets. Now, some of the most exciting pop-up operations are moving into existing establishments for a limited stint. The pop-up gets a chance to flex its culinary prowess and the venues get to bring something exotic to the table while drawing from a new and enthused clientele.

Ling Ling’s is currently holed-up at The Gun in Hackney, while Afro-Caribbean Passa Passa has taken over Peckham’s music venue Tola.

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Spend your time attempting to set pointless world records for a laugh. Such as floating around the world in a hot air balloon. Plus, there’s no more relaxing way of getting to your own off shore, tax-haven private island.

Self-driving cars are definitely safe. Keep your company’s share price safe by courting controversy online. By orchestrating pile-ons and car crashes on Twitter, you’ll distract from the real ones your cars are causing.

For a better experience of the mega rich, make an investment in Grate Britain’s Buttercrumb Biscuits. Baked by hand, using freshly crumbled or grated British cheese.

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

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CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

Cheesemongers want more British blues and softs to plug Euro gap

By Patrick McGuigan

Gaps in the market for new British cheeses are growing as online sales boom and Brexit requirements make Continental cheeses harder to import.

While COVID initially presented serious challenges to British artisan cheesemakers, sales have bounced back and are growing rapidly with big opportunities for new and innovative products, according to cheesemongers.

Better packaging and branding, smaller products and new soft and blue cheeses were all identified as gaps in the market.

“We’re looking for more British lactic goat and sheep’s

milk cheeses in different shapes and sizes,” said Rory Mellis, director at IJ Mellis in Scotland. “That’s only going to continue because new paperwork requirements for imported cheeses are likely to mean price increases and delays, especially for small, soft cheeses.”

He added that packaging was also a more important consideration to protect cheeses during delivery.

“Online sales are such a big part of what we do now that cheesemakers need to work with us on that, supplying individual cheeses in wooden cases or boxes.”

At Paxton and Whitfield, buyer Dan Bliss echoed these comments.

“There’s definitely more

Paxton & Whitfield is one of several retailers seeking more UK cheese

room for British goat and sheep’s cheeses in different styles, shapes, sizes and age profiles,” she said. “I’d also like to see more innovation in blues beyond crumbly and Gorgonzola-style cheeses.

Rogue River Blue and Cabrales are good examples of [foreign] blues that are really different.”

Different sizes are also an easy way for cheesemakers to innovate, she added. “If you look at Baron Bigod, it comes in 3kg wheels for large farm shops, 1kg wheels, which are great for foodservice, and 200g cheeses for delis and hampers.”

Ruth Raskin, care & quality manager at The Fine Cheese Co., also highlighted British blues as an area for evolution.

“It would be nice to see some really spicy, piquant blues, as well as more oozy, gooey cheeses,” she said.

“There’s also a burgeoning market for retail-ready cheeses, but better label design and good quality paper are essential.”

Paxtons’ Dan Bliss added that the name of a cheese is also vital. She said: “A lot of British cheeses are named after a saint or for some reason start with the letter ‘B’.

Choosing a name that stands out and is easy to remember can make a big difference.”

NEWS IN BRIEF Retail cheese sales at Christmas fell in volume by 2.8% compared to 2020, but were up by 13.8% compared to Christmas 2019, before the pandemic began, according to data from Kantar for the four weeks ending 26th December 2021.

Derbyshire Stilton-maker Hartington Creamery has launched a new soft blue cheese to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The limited-edition Platinum Blue is “sweet, savoury and mild”.

Brighton-based The Great British Charcuterie Co has opened a cheese shop and wine bar in Worthing. Curds and Cases in the Montague Quarter is the company’s second shop, joining Curds and Whey in Hove.

Ivy’s Reserve Vintage Cheddar is the world’s first carbon-neutral cheddar, according to maker Wyke Farms in Somerset. The 18-month cheddar was recognised as carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust, which has undertaken a “cradle-to-grave” footprint analysis of the company’s processes. Wyke has reduced its carbon footprint by cutting farm emissions through incentive schemes and regenerative farming practices, but also by focussing on areas, such as cheesemaking techniques, green energy and conservation.

THREE WAYS WITH...

La Retorta Made by Finca Pascualete in Extremadura, Spain, this 160g tortastyle cheese is made with raw sheep’s milk and cardoon rennet. It’s aged for more than two months and has a pungent, orange rind with a smooth, soft interior that liquefies over time.

Flavours range from sweet sheepy notes to hay and mustard, with a distinct herbal bitterness at the finish.

Vermouth For a small cheese, La Retorta packs a big flavour punch, so needs a wine that can match it for intensity. Amontillado is a popular choice – the salty, nutty sherry faces up to the intense cheese – but vermouth also works well, dovetailing with the sharpness in the cheese. Sussex-based Bolney Estate’s Rosso English Vermouth is lovely with a rich fruity flavour, taking in sloes and blackcurrants, plus a floral, herbal bitterness. Serve it with tonic and ice in the summer or straight up in the winter.

Sauerkraut Sweet chutneys and honeys jar with the bitterness of La Retorta, making condiment matching tricky. There are no such problems with a sharp, crunchy Sauerkraut, however, which contrasts with the richness of the soft cheese and brings complementary vegetal notes to the cheese’s funky rind.

Breadsticks In Spain, the cheese is often smeared onto crusty bread, while ‘picos’ breadsticks are also good dipped into the silky paste. Try Picos Artesanos from UK distributor Delicioso, which are made with extra virgin olive oil in Andalusia and won a one-star award in last year’s Great Taste.

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

Westcombe launches “higher tier” extra-mature cheddar brand

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE Laura Billington, Graze Cheshire, Warrington

By Patrick McGuigan

Somerset cheesemaker Westcombe Dairy hopes to spark a discussion about farming practices with the launch of a premium, extramature cheddar called Oxonlees.

The new cheese is aged for 18-24 months, compared to around 14 months for standard Westcombe, and fetches a higher price.

It was first released last year and is being sold exclusively

by Neal’s Yard Dairy, which charges £29.30/kg for Oxonlees compared to £24.05/kg for Westcombe.

“We’ve honed in on big changes in our farming process and in the dairy and now have more confidence to have a higher tier,” said owner Tom Calver. “Oxonlees has a bigger, rounder flavour.”

Westcombe has been changing the way it farms to improve biodiversity and the quality of its cheese, which is being documented in a podcast called The Westcombe Project.

Herbal leys and paddock

CHEESE IN PROFILE with Corra Linn What’s the story?: Errington Cheese was set up in 1983 when Humphrey Errington took on a smallholding at the foot of the Pentland Hills in South Lanarkshire.

The rugged landscape lent itself to sheep, as opposed to cows. So, with that in mind, Errington travelled to France and sourced his herd of Lacaune sheep (the breed

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

The new Oxonlees brand will sit as a premium option in the dairy’s line-up

grazing have been introduced, while soya and maize silage is no longer fed to the cows.

The dairy has also been trialling historic cheddar recipes by influential 19th century cheesemakers, including Joseph Harding, Edith Cannon and TC Candy, while the company also plans to explore making its own starter cultures by culturing raw milk.

Named after one of the fields on the farm, the Oxonlees brand aims to highlight these changes, used for Roquefort) and started making Lanark Blue. The company is now run by his daughter, Selina Cairns and her husband Andrew, with a farmhouse herd of 450 sheep. With an abundance of milk in the spring and summer, they needed to develop a cheese that could be aged for longer than the blue cheese, so they developed Corra Linn in 2008. This hard sheep’s milk cheese, similar in style to a cheddar, is now one of the most sought-after Scottish cheeses.

Milk: Sheep’s, Unpasteurised How is it made?

The cheese has a similar make to that of a small cheddar. After animal rennet is added, and the curd is finely cut, it is then scalded at 37°C before

especially on the farm.

“Terms like mature, extra mature and vintage have been eroded by block cheddars that use different adjuncts and starter cultures to speed up the maturing process,” said Calver.

“Oxonlees helps tell the story of what we’re doing on our farm.

It will promote conversations in cheese shops and allow cheesemongers to talk to their customers about farming and cheese.” westcombedairy.com

After 20 years in the legal profession, Laura Billington started creating cheese grazing platters for special events, business meetings and parties in 2020. Inspired by a trend in the US, the eye-catching platters comprise pre-cut slices of cheese and a colourful array of accompaniments, such as berries, dragon fruit and carved kiwis, plus edible flowers, nuts and charcuterie. Prices range from £12 for an individual box to £145 for a 10-person platter.

“Blues or goats’ cheeses are quite controversial, so I tend to stick with more popular cheeses like cheddar, Emmental and Manchego.”

Picking a theme is also a good idea, she adds, so use greens and reds at Christmas or Welsh cheeses for St David’s day.

Customers collect from her and the platters are best eaten on the day, she says. grazecheshire.co.uk

Variations: None Cheesemonger tip: You can compare a Corra Linn to a fine Manchego.

If eating on its own, suggest pairing with fruit and nuts, such as figs and almonds. On an oatcake, a partnering of spiced apricot chutney or quince jelly wouldn’t go amiss.

Chef’s recommendation: Corra Linn lends itself well to any recipes that call for a Pecorino. It would work particularly well in a homemade pesto or melted with roasted vegetables. Serve with a brown ale, or even a single malt whisky.

being pitched, piled, milled and salted in the vat.

The cheeses are pressed overnight, then rubbed in locally produced rapeseed oil before being bound in muslin and aged for between 4 months and 2 years.

age, the paste becomes progressively harder and more crystalline. At 9 months, the cheese exhibits sweet, floral, hazelnut notes which develop into rich, brothy flavours and a long-lasting caramel complexity.

Appearance & texture: At a young age, cheeses have a delicate flavour and are smooth and creamy in texture. As they

There are a number of ways you can study Level 1 & 2 Academy of Cheese courses: online as self-study eLearning, interactive virtual classes or traditional classes at a venue. Visit academyofcheese.org for more information.

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

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CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

We used to be price-takers, not price-makers

Bought by the farm Meet the new owners of the Traditional Cheese Dairy Interview by Patrick McGuigan

DRIVE ALONG ONE of the lanes that criss-

cross Burnt House Farm near Horam, East Sussex, and you may well see owner Joe Delves in a field waving what looks like a vacuum cleaner.

Despite what it looks like, he is not hoovering the grass. Instead, he is actually measuring how much is growing in each field, using an upright device called a plate meter, so he can calculate the exact amount his cows will be able to graze most efficiently.

It’s all part of Delves’ farming mantra, which is focused on efficiency and sustainability rather than chasing volumes.

“Dairy farming is a low-margin game,” he says. “And there are two types of farms. Those that push up volumes to dilute costs. Or those that actually look at the costs. We’re definitely in the second camp.”

A third-generation farmer who took over the business from his father in 2005, Delves has an approach that is influenced by a research trip taken in 2013 to visit dairy farms in the UK, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and the US as part of a Nuffield Farming Scholarship. As well as introducing ideas such as efficient paddock grazing and improving pastures with different plants, the trip also convinced him to introduce hardier Jersey cows to the previously all-Holstein herd.

“Wherever I went in the world I saw Jerseys because they can cope with so many different climates and landscapes,” he says.

“They’ve got hard feet, handle temperature stress well and are very efficient converters of food into fat and protein. They were thriving in places where most Holsteins would have rolled

over and had their hooves in the air.”

The scholarship also highlighted a need to add value to the farm’s milk, which led to the acquisition of the Traditional Cheese Dairy in nearby Stonegate in 2020. Previously run by the Dyball family, the company is best known in Sussex for Burwash Rose and Lord of the Hundreds. After learning how to make cheese with the Dyballs, Delves moved production to a purpose-built dairy on the home farm in June 2021, where it has become very much a family affair.

Delves’ wife Becky handles orders and packaging, while mum Liz looks after maturation. Dad Andy, who celebrates his 70th birthday this year, is the head cheesemaker – a role he wasn’t expecting to have after a life spent as a farmer and then as a local pastor.

“I was meant to be retired, but Joe had other ideas,” he says. “But seriously, I get bored easily and I like to be busy. We used to be price-takers, not price-makers. We got what people wanted to give us for our milk. But the cheese business is an opportunity to make a premium product that recognises its true value.”

The dairy currently makes two or three times a week, producing around 1.2 tonnes of cheese a month, much of which is sold

by Brighton-based wholesaler The Cheese Man. Other customers include Harvey & Brockless and Curd & Cure, while direct sales to local retailers are also on the up. The cheese business now brings in almost as much as the farm with plans to bring in a new cheesemaker to work alongside Andy.

It means there will be plenty more grass measuring going on in the future, or as Andy Delves puts it, with a pastoral turn of phrase: “Grass underpins the business. What we do is turn sunshine into food.”

CROSS

SECTION

Burwash Rose

1 Burwash Rose is a soft, pasteurised cows’

milk cheese with a washed rind, it was named after a local village and because it used to be washed in rose water. Today the cheese is only washed in brine.

2

3

The company has a 2,400-litre vat for its Olde Sussex cheddar and hard sheep’s milk cheese Lord of the Hundreds. Burwash Rose is made in a smaller 450-litre vat, where the curd is cut into small pieces and stirred, before being ‘washed’ by replacing some of the whey with hot water. Each batch renders around 95-100 of the 700g cheeses.

Orangey brown with yellow hues, the sticky rind is washed every few days in brine as it matures in around five weeks. The aroma is smokey and brothy with an earthy pungency, while the paste is golden and buttery, thanks to the higher butterfat and betacarotene content of the Jersey-Holstein milk. The cheese breaks down over time to a gooey texture, which balances out the fragrant rind.

thetraditionalcheesedairy.co.uk

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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28/05/2021

09:36

CUT&DRIED

making more of British & Continental charcuterie

Chilli specialist Michael Price only started making charcuterie as a ‘lockdown project’ but having won a Great Taste Golden Fork for his Chipotle Coppa last year, he is now launching a fully-fledged charcuterie brand

By Michael Lane

Price is getting it right OVER THE COURSE of his career, Michael Price has driven 7.5-tonne trucks, worked at an airport, written computer programmes for major retailers, developed manufacturing systems at Aston Martin and grown chillies commercially.

So, it’s not wholly surprising that the latest entry on the Warwickshire-based producer’s CV is “award-winning charcutier”.

“Apart from being an astronaut or doing brain surgery, I’ve tried a hell of a lot of things,” says Price, who started making charcuterie in 2020 as “a bit of a lockdown project” to boost sales at his existing chilli products company Prices Spices.

Now the charcuterie is very much a business in its own right, and Price will be relaunching it and adding new lines under a separate brand, called Cureights.

In little over a year, he developed a number of whole-muscle products, including a chipotle coppa that won a 3-star in Great Taste 2021 and also took the Golden Fork for Best Charcuterie Product.

All of a sudden, this self-billed “jack of all trades” finds himself in esteemed company, with Capreolus, Trealy Farm and Great Glen among the handful of British charcuterie stalwarts that have won Golden Forks in the last decade.

But Price is about as far away from resting on a laurel as you could get. Less than a month after picking up his Golden Fork in mid-October, he was in Italy on an intensive charcuterie course, touring various producers and picking up as many techniques as his hosts would reveal.

When FFD catches up with him in early February, he has just been on a visit to a local

farmer to look at some British Lop piglets that will soon grow into his raw ingredients. And this month will see him launch Cureights [see box], which will cover his current line-up of salumi as well as a new range of products including salamis and pancetta.

If you had to find a common thread running through all of Price’s various jobs over the years, it would be scientific curiosity. His enthusiasm for finding out how things work has seen him learn computer programming languages and refine automotive manufacturing processes, but it was his hobby of growing chillies that led him into food. After expanding his home greenhouse operation several times, he had such a glut of produce that he started making chilli jams and sauces as Prices Spices in 2013.

He quit the day job at Aston Martin in 2015 (“It was well paid but it didn’t interest me”) as he started to build up a following for his creations, like Haitian Sensation sauce and Reclus Red Chilli Jam, at consumer food events.

By 2017, he had a production unit and was growing chillies on land at nearby retailer The Farm Stratford and then during the pandemic relocated to a 90sq m production kitchen just outside Warwick.

Having the extra space allowed Price to diversify during lockdowns. He has put his chilli expertise to good use by offering heat-and-eat takeaway curries at weekends and then decided to add yet another new skill.

It all started with a bacon-making kit he CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

INTRODUCING… … CUREIGHTS Michael Price will now be selling all of his charcuterie under a new brand called Cureights.

Not only will the line-up include his Fennel Coppa and the Golden Forkwinning Chipotle Coppa but there will also be a new Gin Coppa, made with by-product from Shakespeare Distillery.

Price has developed a saucisson sec, which he says he has already trialled with French friends to great acclaim, and he has also produced his take on a Tuscan salami, which is lighter on the mace and nutmeg.

Completing the range is a pancetta and guanciale, the latter of which may be low on supply for the launch after a local Italian restaurant placed a big order for their Valentine’s Day carbonara.

The compound name of the brand is inspired by other British charcutiers, who reference their own processes and ingredients. The “cure” element speaks for itself but the “eights” is a nod to the seven prime cuts of pork used in charcuterie, with the eighth being the meat used in salamis.

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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CUT&DRIED received as a gift. Needless to say, following instructions and using pre-weighed ingredients was not enough for Price and he was soon buying out-of-print books, like Maynard Davies’s Secrets of a Bacon Curer and carrying out his own experiments. From there, he made batches of smoked salmon for Christmas and then started working with pork shoulder cuts – specifically Boston Butt – to produce the whole muscle charcuterie that has impressed food judges and consumers alike.

Citing publications like the Guild of Fine Food’s Charcuterie Code of Practice, Price is a voracious reader but he is also very hands-on when it comes to understanding the process of making charcuterie.

A case in point is the second-hand fridge he converted into his first maturation chamber.

“You can buy one of those cabinets for thousands of pounds but you can also do it yourself for 200 quid, as long as you know what you’re doing,” he says. “I’d rather see how a basic system works – and know all about adjusting the humidity and how long it takes for temperature to go up – before you just plug something in, punch in the numbers and let a machine do its thing.

“If something goes wrong, and you’ve done that process before, you know how to fix it.”

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

Although he is reassuringly preoccupied with the technical aspects of charcuterie (and regularly veers into quoting temperatures, nitrite levels and pH figures during conversation), Price is also very concerned with the flavours of his products.

“The one thing I’ve always been focused on when making products with chilli in, is not putting too much chilli in. Less is more.

“Some people whack way too much in and you lose all flavour.”

This would explain the rationale behind using a relatively mild smoked variety like chipotle in that much-vaunted coppa of his. While this ingredient works in “harmony” with the umami notes in the meat, it also affords the product a degree of marketability.

“You’ve got to work with something that somebody knows,” says Price. “If you use a chilli in a product and they’ve never heard of that variety, people are damn well not going to buy it.

“It’s not just about what’s got a good flavour profile, it’s about what people will understand.”

The same rationale is behind the creation of Gin Coppa, made with the waste botanicals from fellow local producer Shakespeare Distillery.

“It’s a bit like the fennel coppa but there’s far more depth of flavour in there,” he tells FFD. “You get a little bit from the rose and the citrus, so it’s

Apart from being an astronaut or doing brain surgery, I’ve tried a hell of a lot of things quite an interesting one.”

He says it’s this kind of innovation that excites him, recalling how he was told off on the trip in Italy for preferring a lardo producer’s variations flavoured with Cognac over the original plain product.

Marrying classic Continental techniques with new flavours is something that Price feels the best British charcutiers excel at, and he is also embracing the lack of tradition in this country.

“Obviously I’ve not got my salumi hanging in a middle of a castle that’s got the sea breeze blowing in and my pigs aren’t from half a mile up the road, but I think: what can I do that is a local product and make it the best thing that I can?”

The idea of being a local business excites Price in every sense of the word, whether it’s the opportunity to really shape his raw ingredients with a nearby farm, or to represent Warwickshire as one of its very few (if only) charcutiers, or to sell to businesses in his area.

Keeping it local is very much the launch plan for his nascent charcuterie brand and he is targeting a sales split of 50:50 between retail and foodservice eventually. Initially, it is the latter he will look to drive because products like pancetta and guanciale lend themselves well to that sector.

Retail is on the cards too and Price’s hope is that retailers well sell prepacked formats as well as whole cuts for slicing to order on the counter.

Retailers are looking at around £4 for a 500g salami, while whole muscle meats are sold at £30/kg and 60g packs cost £3.76.

However, he is under no illusion about the challenges faced by producers like him in an increasingly price-conscious world.

“Yes, you can go in Aldi and pick up a pack of something for £1.40. But if you want something that’s British-made, you’ve got to put your hand in your pocket,” he says, adding that decent Continental products carry a similar premium.

“You’re always going to have the people that just want to buy some crappy chorizo. The people that want high-end stuff, that’s your market.”

And if the current Cureights line-up doesn’t grab their attention, then Price says he is already developing a host of other ideas. This includes a still-in-development chorizo an and ‘nduja, which would befit his chilli background.

One thing is for certain, Michael Price is only just getting started.

“Perfection is never achieved. Even if I go on to win more Golden Forks, I’m not going to stop.

The day I stop learning is the day you can put me in a box and cook me at 1,200°C.” cureights.com pricesspices.com

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

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Directly from Italy, Stocked & Distributed in the United Kingdom Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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CATEGORY FOCUS

Sweet or savoury?

jams & sweet preserves Launched for the Christmas trade, Pink Gin Marmalade is now available year-round from Jilly’s Homemade Preserves at a trade price of £3 (RRP £3.99).

This marmalade is made in batches of 15-20 jars from ruby grapefruit and pink gin. The Hull-based producer has also created a limited-edition version for spring with pomelo for an intense citrus hit. jillyspreserves.co.uk

ManiLife has combined its signature peanut butter with responsibly sourced cocoa to create Rich Cocoa Smooth Peanut Butter (RRP £3.99). The butter contains just four ingredients: Argentinian peanuts, unrefined golden cane sugar, Tanzanian cocoa powder and sea salt. The cocoa is 100% traceable to a cooperative of small-scale farms, known as Kakoa Kamili, in Tanzania. mani-life.com

The sky seems to be the limit in preserves and spreads NPD at the moment. Whether it’s exotic fruit jam, quirky nut butter or curious curds, this round-up has all categories covered. For those with a saltier tooth, you’ll find the latest in savoury snacks from pg 29.

Compiled by Lynda Searby

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

Malaysian coconut curd

Wiggle & Park’s yuzu jellies are an antidote to the “obvious fruit flavours” usually found in preserves, according to the brand’s Korean founder Saehwan Park. Although made in the Yorkshire Dales, the jellies use yuzu sourced directly from farmers in Korea. They can be eaten together with nut butter on toast or as a condiment on a creamy cheese board.

RRP £7.14 for 227g. terranamdo.com

Yorkshire producer Fearne & Rosie has secured distribution with Cotswold Fayre and launched six of its “more fruit, less sugar” jams in a 300g ‘family size’ jar (RRP £3).

Geared towards families and named after her own two children, the brand was developed by teacher Rachel Kettlewell to provide a reduced-sugar jam option. fearneandrosie.co.uk

Darlington & Daughters has applied its curd-making expertise beyond the usual citrus realm with the launch of a Ginger Curd. Described as “velvety with the warming spice of ginger”, the new addition has an RRP of £2.85. mrsdarlingtons.com

Plum Jam and Three Fruit Marmalade are the sweet options in Ouse Valley Foods’ new literature-themed Spread the Word collection. The jars feature fruity Shakespearian illustrations and a lighthearted plot summary. They can be sold individually or as a gift trio with Potager Pickle (RRP £21.08). ousevalleyfoods.com

Madam Chang’s x Ping Rum Kaya is a modern reimagining of a traditional Malaysian coconut curd, blended with Aluna coconut rum.

Created in collaboration with MasterChef Champion of Champions Ping Coombes, this variant can be spread on toast or poured over ice cream. Madam Chang’s makes four other kayas: Original Pandan Kaya, Gula Melaka Kaya, Vegan Ube Kaya and Pandan Zero Kaya (sugar-free).

RRP £12.50 for 190ml; trade price £9.30. madamchangs.co.uk

Global Harvest has boxed up its three top-selling Fruits for Cheese in a gift set that is on shelf in Booths and Harvey Nichols. With an RRP of £12.95 (trade price £9.30), the set contains 100g jars of Quince, Damson Plum and Bittersweet Orange conserve. fruitforcheese.com

>> By roasting strawberries to reduce the water content and intensify the fruit flavour, Nicola Gregory, founder of Violet’s Orchard, says she has succeeded in creating a soft-set strawberry jam without pectin. Also new is Blackcurrant & Coffee Jam, which is made by simmering local blackcurrants in freshly brewed coffee. RRP £3.50. violetsorchard@gmail. com

Toasted Sicilian almonds and salt are the only two ingredients in the latest addition to Nutcessity’s Toasted & Textured range.

Available from Diverse Fine Food and Infinity Foods at a trade price of £3.72 per 180g jar (RRP £4.99), the single-origin almond butter contains no palm oil or added sugar and is made in England to Soil Association organic standards. nutcessity.co.uk

Last month saw Surrey-based Jam Packed Preserves unveil new branding that lauds British pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Each product label features a different hero from the insect world in a bid to demonstrate the producer’s social mission – being a “force for good” and making preserves that “won’t cost the earth”.

In terms of respecting the planet, as well as sourcing locally and using recyclable, plastic-free packaging, the company keeps its own bees and supports the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and the Bee Friendly Trust.

Jam Packed also works with the local community, supporting Surrey Choices and offering work experience placements to adults with neurodiverse conditions and who are disabled. jampackedpreserves.co.uk

Stout-infused peanut butter

Lawrence Bennett, founder of Nutjam, says he is on a mission to “develop peanut butter beyond peanuts and salt to new depths of flavour and complexity”.

The venture launched in 2020 with three varieties made from whole, natural ingredients. Salted Date, Cinnamon Raisin and Banana Swirl all have an RRP of £4 for a 165g jar; £6.50 for a 330g jar. nutjam.co.uk Young entrepreneur Alice Talbot is bringing youthful energy and “culinary creativity” to the preserves scene.

The 22 year-old went straight from finishing sixth form in 2020 to launching her own business, ART’s Craft Kitchen, in 2021.

“The core ethos of ART’s Craft Kitchen is to celebrate everything that is delightful about hand-crafted home cooked preserves. As an artist combines colours on a palette to generate new hues, so I look at the relationship between flavours and combine them to create bespoke recipes,” says Talbot.

Working from her Suffolk home kitchen, she is sourcing ingredients as locally as possible to make products such as Plum Bob (plum jam with port), Jolly Jam (strawberry & raspberry jam) and Summer Punch Preserve (strawberry, cucumber & mint united with an alcoholic punch). Her latest project is a Scottish Speciality Range, with Tayberry Jam the inaugural product.

So far, ART’s preserves are only listed locally, at Slate Delicatessen in Southwold, and sold via farmers’ markets and events. RRP for a 226g jar of jam is £5. artscraftkitchen.co.uk

Lorusso’s new mango jam has an 85% mango content and is said to contain 40% less sugar than a traditional jam. Made in Andalusia, Spain, Mango & You is available to the UK trade through The Gourmet Experience. RRP £7.49; trade price £4.10 for a 305g jar. thegourmetexperience. co.uk

Hawkshead Relish has enlarged its already extensive jam portfolio with three new introductions, designed to inspire home cooks and lift the breakfast routine.

Blackberry & Apple Jam is a rich, dark soft-set recipe, Rhubarb & Ginger Jam is sweet but tart with a hint of ginger, and Strawberry & Rhubarb Jam has a subtle note of redcurrant.

RRP £3.25 for 220g; trade case price £12.60. hawksheadrelish.com

Single Variety Co’s new fruit preserve gift box is launching with Selfridges for Mothers’ Day. With an RRP of £22.50, it contains four of the company’s high fruit preserves: Raspberry Preserve, Blackcurrant Preserve, Seville Marmalade and Passionfruit Preserve. singlevariety.co.uk

Taste Joy Co has ventured where few nut butter brands have dared to go – infusing its peanut butter with alcohol. The marriage of gluten-free Irish stout from Lacada Brewery and peanut butter delivers a deep, rich, creamy flavour with hearty malty tones. The vegan-friendly butter contains no added sugar or palm oil and has an RRP of £4.49. It can be served as a cheeseboard accompaniment, mixed into porridge or eaten straight from the jar. tastejoyco.com

Following its Golden Fork success at the 2021 Great Taste awards, The Artisan Kitchen has added Tropical Marmalade to its core wholesale range. This marmalade is made with fresh pink grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes, passion fruit and pineapple. RRP £6. theartisankitchen.co.uk Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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A passion for local Raspberry & Lavender Jam Lemon Vurd

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

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jams & sweet preserves Fruit vinegar veteran Womersley is embarking on a new chapter in its story with the launch of a jam range.

“I have always felt that our vinegar recipes lend themselves to inspiring new jam recipes,” says the company’s Rupert Parsons.

Raspberry & Chilli, Strawberry & Mint and Blackcurrant & Rosemary, all with an RRP of £4.49 for a 215g jar, are its first three jams. womersleyfoods.com

ButterNut has treated its jars to new livery after winning the Seed Fund in 2020. The new pearlescent labels, designed by The Collaborators, feature hand-drawn illustrations that reflect the brand’s bold flavours and London edge. Rose & Pistachio and Coconut Cardamom Cashew are among its more unusual nut butter varieties. butter-nut.com

savoury snacks Stokoe House 1611 Preserves is the very definition of ‘cottage industry’. Not only does owner Louise Folkard make all the preserves by hand in Alston Moor, Cumbria, she also picks her own fruit and forages the elderflowers used in the jams. Gooseberry & Pink Elderflower Jam is currently available as a limited edition, with an RRP of £3.75; trade price £2.80. stokoehouse.co.uk

>>

Well & Truly, the snack brand that is on a mission to “unjunk” popular snacks, has launched its baked corn snack Crunchies in a new Punchy Pickles flavour. Salty-sour with hints of gherkin, the “naughty-ish” snack is said to contain 40% less fat than the average crisp, as well as being veganfriendly and gluten-free.

RRP £0.80 for a 30g pack; £2 for a 100g pack. wellandtruly.co.uk

Delivering a nutritionally available level of turmeric

The Atlas Mountains meet the Brecon Beacons in this spiced orange, apricot and carrot marmalade, which was created during lockdown last year. Made

by Helen Dunne using the open pan method in her home kitchen in Talgarth, Moroccan Marmalade is part of Black Mountain Preserves’ new World Collection. RRP £5.50-£6 for 330g. blackmountains preserves.com

Cumbrian producer Wild & Fruitful has translated a classic flavour combination into preserve format, with the launch of Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Jam. Said to be perfect for topping or filling cakes or spreading on a warm croissant, the jam has a trade price of £2.30; RRP £3.45 for 227g. wildandfruitful.co.uk

Slovakian food label Oskarove Lakocinky is looking to launch its jams into the UK market. Tatra Peach Jam (with 42% Tatratea peach liqueur) and Rosehip Jam with Currants & Cardamom are available as a gift set or individually with an RRP of £12.50 for 212g. oskarovelakocinky.sk

BeauDurée is seeking to fill a gap in the market for healthier toast toppers with its Earl Grey and Matcha spreads. “In the UK, spreads are either unhealthy or nut-based,” says founder Hee Jang.

The milk and cream-based Earl Grey tea spread has a distinctive bergamot flavour and silky texture.

RRP £7 for 360g. beauduree.co.uk

Flintshire producer Mostyn Kitchen Garden has launched a new range with the strapline ‘rescued and preserved by us’ after being given some fruit that was destined for landfill.

The Pineapple Jam and Plum Jam are marketed under the Handleys brand. mostynkitchengarden.co.uk

Hembridge Organics has created a gift pack (RRP £11.99) showcasing three of its jams, which repurpose “gluts, over the hill and unloved organic produce”.

Retailers can order direct or from Organic North who looks after distribution in the northern regions. hembridgeorganics.co.uk

This spring, The Real Smoked Nut Co is overhauling its range, relaunching in biodegradable resealable stand-up pouches and with new mixes. The new range comprises Hickory Smoked Almonds, Cashews & Peanuts and Hickory Smoked Cashews – both available in 80g, 250g and 1kg pouches.

The nuts are smoked over hickory chips in brick smoke kilns then dryroasted and salted. smokednuts.co.uk

Popcorn Kitchen’s new Cheddar Cheese flavour is described as “the perfect stay at home with wine sofa treat”. Available via Cotswold Fayre, Cress Co and Diverse Fine Foods, the handpopped corn snack has an RRP of £1.39 for a 20g pack. popcornkitchen.co.uk

Nourish, a producer of nutritious handmade snack bites and bars, has released its first savoury line. Previously only available in Strawberry, Vanilla and Cacao flavours, Coconut Bites have now launched in a Turmeric flavour.

Like the rest of the family, Turmeric Coconut Bites only contain plant-based, natural ingredients and are free from gluten, grains, dairy and refined sugar.

RRP £1.89 for a 40g pouch; case price £14 for 10 units. nourishgrowcookenjoy.com

Forest Feast has launched six of its best-selling roasted nut and chocolate covered dried fruit snacks in 40g impulse packs.

Pitmaster Smoked Almonds & Peanuts, Heather Honey Roast Peanuts & Cashews and Sea Salt & Black Pepper Nut Mix are among the mixes available in this new format. forestfeast.com Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

29

savoury snacks Nut purveyor Borna Foods has branched out into trail mixes on its ongoing quest to support “everyday, healthier living”, launching two new lines: Blueberry, Cashew, Banana & Toasted Coconut Trail Mix and Sour Cherry, Almond, Tanzanian Chocolate & Jumbo Flame Raisins Trail Mix. Both recipes prioritise “nutritionally robust” ingredient decks”. RRP £3.99 for 125g. bornafoods.com

Sussex has become the latest county to lay claim to an eponymous crisp brand. The Sussex Crisp Company uses British potatoes with the skin left on and has collaborated with local food producers to source flavours such as Yellowcoate Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt, Romney Marsh Lamb with Rosemary & Garlic and Rib of Sussex Beef with Horseradish.

RRP £0.95 for 40g, £2.492.99 for 150g. sussexcrisps.com

The new Savoury Sprinkles range from Munchy Seeds features three new seed mixes: Toasted Tamari Mega Omega 7; Spicy Peri Peri Chilli, Sunflower & Pumpkin; and Warm Cumin & Fennel Sunflower, Pumpkin & Cumin. Designed to be both “nutritious and delicious”, the mixes can be used for snacking, baking or sprinkling. RRP £2.99 for 125g. munchyseeds.co.uk

Joe & Sephs has made its Camembert Cheese & Herbs De Provence popcorn available in a single serve pack. Each pack contains 18g of extra large, mushroom-shaped popcorn made with real cheese, which the producer says is ideal for pairing with white wine.

RRP £1.20; trade price £0.59. joeandsephs.co.uk

Cambrook Foods is moving all of its baked nut mixes into recyclable packaging. Cocktail Hour Nuts (RRP £3.19 for 140g) is one of the first to launch in the new LDPE (low density polyethylene) pouch. This combination of chilli cashews & peanuts, hickory smoke seasoned almonds and caramelised sesame hazelnuts is served in some of London’s most famous hotel bars. cambrookfoods.co.uk

Torres Black Truffle crisps are something of a fine food icon, but not all retailers know that the crisps are available in seven other varieties – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Iberian Ham, Smoked Paprika, Caviar, Cured Cheese, Veggie and Fried Egg – in 40g and 125g bags, as well as in a newly launched 500g party format. Available through Naturally Spanish. naturally-spanish.com

Garlic Farm’s garlic-infused aircured biltong is now made from Isle of Wight beef – enabling it to be marketed as 100% handmade on the island. Beef Biltong with Garlic is high in protein and free of additives.

RRP £2.95; wholesale price £1.98. thegarlicfarm.co.uk

RollaSnax - sister brand to RollaGranola - has enlarged its Wild Trail Mix collection with the launch of a new mix that packs a nut, fruit and cassis punch. The Cassis & Cashew trail mix has an RRP of £9.45 for a pack of five. rollagranola.com

Two former engineers – Alex Rus and Grigore Davideanu – have come up with a low-carb, highprotein crisp alternative for snackers in search of potato-free indulgence.

Monarchs crisps are made in Warwickshire from mature British Cheddar which is baked to produce a crunchy snack that is likened to a cheese toastie, with “a tangy taste that coats the back of your throat in savoury satisfaction”.

Following its launch in 2020 and subsequent success in winning Great Taste awards, the company has added a fourth flavour to the line-up. Roasted Onion & Thyme joins Tangy Mature Cheddar, Spicy Chilli & Herbs and Fresh Garlic & Oregano. RRP £4 per 32g pack; wholesale price £2. monarchscrisps.co.uk

Just Crisps has treated its range to a new look that uses bold block colour to make the different flavours more identifiable and to help retailers build more impactful displays.

Every pack features a QR code that links to a video showing the journey from plough to packet, reinforcing the brand’s positioning as the “only 100% British crisps”.

Founder Anthony Froggatt, who created Just Crisps on his family farm in Staffordshire, says: “We are very proud to be the only hand-cooked crisps made using British potatoes and cold-pressed rapeseed oil and the new branding tells our story brilliantly.”

As well as being fiercely committed to using only British potatoes and frying in British cold-pressed rapeseed oil, Just Crisps refuses to supply the major multiples, selling its crisps exclusively via the independent trade.

The whole range is now gluten-free and the 150g sharing bags use 30% less plastic while the producer finds a recyclable option. justcrisps.co.uk 30

March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

Brave Foods has extended its line-up of roasted chickpea snacks to take in three new variants: Salt & Vinegar, BBQ and Cookies & Cream. Plantbased, and high in protein and fibre, the pulse snacks hit on several consumer trends. bravefoods.co.uk

Stoney Cross suits a very broad section of customer.

Even those that like a strong cheese will enjoy the subtle flavours and the smooth texture of this little cheese.

WOW – NEW JAMS FOR THE DISCERNING PALATE FROM THE WONDERFUL WOMERSLEY RANGE. A TONGUE TWISTER FOR JAMS WITH A TWIST! We use herbs and spice to complement traditional fruits and can vouch that this is a delightful way to upgrade the breakfast table, baking projects and all manner of other culinary adventures.

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WWW.HAWKSHEADRELISH.COM Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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CRISPS THAT PACKAGING

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

The Garlic Farm

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Wild Island will be looking to the mainland

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

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The Isle of Wight based small-batch producer of oils, dressings and vinegars has been given a new lease of life, thanks to The Garlic Farm WITH PLENTY OF Great Taste awards under its belt and a first-class reputation from speciality chefs and fine food retailers across the south coast, Wild Island clearly knows how to work with high quality ingredients and combine flavours.

But founder Nuala Grandcourt, was ready to move on and had begun thinking of a successor for the business. Given that her SALSA-accredited production kitchen was already housed on The Garlic Farm’s premises, her landlords proved to be a very natural and symbiotic choice.

Now the acquisition is complete and both brand’s full ranges are available from one point of contact and despatch. This alliance will build on the relationships with local chefs and customers as well as enable Wild Island’s mainland distribution to flourish, fulfilling both in a more efficient way.

Combining this well-loved brand with the established distribution network enjoyed

by The Garlic Farm will not only support the island’s economy but also enhance its reputation as a region blessed with high quality food and drink producers.

“Thanks to The Tomato Stall, Mermaid Gin, Island Roasted, Isle of Wight Meat Co, Isle of Wight Cheese Co, Goddards and many others, the island has established itself as a nationally recognised producer region,” says Barnes Edwards, director of The Garlic Farm.

“With numerous awards between them and hundreds of thousands of passionately positive customers, the Isle of Wight brands are shaping the reputation of our island – one mouthful at a time!

“It’s very exciting that Nuala has chosen us as guardians of her fantastic flavours. The team at the farm can’t wait to send these small bottles of deliciousness far and wide

across the country.”

There have been many reports of collaboration in these pages. With the Isle of Wight benefitting from short distances between producers, the region is well-placed to encourage close relationships and sharing of best practise.

“There’s a strong meeting of minds among the island food and drink scene,” says Edwards. “Several local producers have experienced steep growth in recent years, so learning from each other has been a good way to keep on top of this. We’re all aware that together we are lifting the perception of the island, so there’s a very clear common goal and shared benefit.

“It’s also great because this generation wants to operate their businesses with the lowest possible environmental impacts. They all want to do good, not just on a product quality and service level but also with social and ecological goals. It’s a brilliantly exciting time and we’re very lucky to be surrounded by great people.”

The efficiency and advantage of shared resource among food producers can be of real benefit to everyone in the supply

chain. There are many examples of this consolidation and, with more sophisticated ways of measuring the full lifecycle and carbon impact of all aspects in making and moving product, Edwards feels there are huge opportunities to reduce impact.

He adds: “We see the Wild Island team as alchemists! Their products are first class.

By taking on the business, we are hoping to secure its future and share tasks for the benefit of current, as well as new customers.”

Website: www.wildislandstore.co.uk Email: sales@wildislandstore.co.uk Phone: 01983 868305 Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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DISCUSSION

Can indies be cutting-edge?

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

the future of retail

Driven largely by technology, a number of new retailing concepts and trends have emerged in the last 24 months. FFD assembled a panel of independent shop specialists and asked whether any of these ideas could take hold in delis and farm shops.

By Tom Dale, Illustrations by Garen Ewing

MEET THE PANEL

Nigel Bogle, founder, The EPOS Bureau

Sangita Tryner, owner, Delilah Fine Foods, Nottingham

Charlie Furnivall, operations manager, Tre, Pol & Pen, Launceston, Cornwall

Julie Mills, Shrewd Foodie Food & Drink Consultancy, formerly of Booths and Keelham Farm Shop

RECIPE BOXES With Waitrose harnessing the consumer power of recipe box brand Mindful Chef to drive interest in its Cooks’ Ingredients range, is the concept something the indie retail sector should consider adopting?

“We’re already doing this in our own little way,” says Tryner. “People want meal solutions – those industries wouldn’t be growing in the way they are without that demand.”

With uncertainty around COVID still lingering, Delilah offered an at-home Valentine’s meal kit in lieu of an in-store event.

“We put the kit live on Friday and by Monday already had more sales than we would ever get through the door,” she says. “You’re missing a trick if you don’t have some sort of product like this now.”

Furnivall is also keen on the concept. Tre, Pol & Pen has recently hired a chef with cookery school experience to boost the offer, and, he says, the concept ties in with the store-wide brief at the farm shop: “as easy as possible”.

“That’s what consumers want,” he says.

Bogle and Mills have both seen a rise in collaborations between celebrity chefs and independent retailers. Business owners are utilising their food-world connections to harness the brand power and authority of chefs and restaurateurs.

“Find a great local restaurant and do a tieup with them,” says Mills. “That way you’re making the most of both businesses’ reach.

Both of you get that PR and coverage from it.

“It’s a win-win.”

And for Bogle, the growth in the market is too big to ignore when the execution is already at the fingertips of most independent retailers.

“It’s a huge opportunity for indie food retail. If they’re not doing recipe boxes with the whole process of the cooking etc., they’re providing certain things like intelligent vouchers.

“As people buy certain ingredients, the tills are watching and if you’re at or close to a set of ingredients that match a particular recipe, then it’ll produce a recipe for you on the receipt; The EPOS Bureau has been doing that for a few years now.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

You’re missing a trick if you don’t have some sort of product like this now Sangita Tryner, Delilah Fine Foods Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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Outstanding New Branding

The Only 100% British Crisps All Gluten Free New Veg Crisps

www.justcrisps.co.uk Made at Wade Lane Farm, Staffordshire

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

DISCUSSION

the future of retail

If they don’t deliver – so to speak – then you are going to be slammed online, and that’s going to be quicker than 15-minutes Nigel Bogle, The EPOS Bureau

SUPER-FAST DELIVERY 15-minute grocery delivery businesses such as Getir and Gorillas are popping up in major cities in the UK and take-up has been strong. Should this trend worry the traditionally ‘slow’ retail experience of delis and farm shops, and are there any take-aways we can apply to our industry?

“I can’t see a need for it in our customer base,” says Furnivall of Tre, Pol & Pen. “We’re in a remote, rural location, so I don’t think our customers are really considering that as something they need.”

Bogle agrees. Demand for this delivery model is very low among The EPOS Bureau’s customers, though he concedes that convenience is of increasing importance to consumers. “Several farm shops we work with during the pandemic created drive-thru farm shops, so there obviously is a demand.

“But super-fast delivery for delis? Part of the enjoyment is walking in, enjoying the theatre, and engaging with a knowledgeable server – it’s a point of difference and we shouldn’t be ashamed of it,” he says.

Tryner, of Nottingham city-centre deli Delilah Fine Foods, believes that in making ambitious claims like those made by Getir, businesses are doomed to fail. “If you’re promising something like that you have to hit it more often than not, and I think it’s a promise too far.”

She says that Delilah offers 24-hour delivery but will frequently deliver on the same day. “They’re bowled over by that service because they’re not expecting it.”

Echoing Tryner’s thoughts, Mills says that you’re inevitably going to be disappointing customers, and that will be plastered all over

social media. “A few bad reviews and the service is over,” she says. “We should be aware of the trend, but it’s not the customer that we should be aiming for.”

Bogle added that the potential for damage to your brand is not worth the risk. “You’re putting your whole brand in the hands of the company tasked with delivering in that short window, and if they don’t deliver – so to speak – then you are going to be slammed online.

“That’s going to be quicker than 15-minutes, and it’ll spread,” he says.

“Obviously there’s a market for this sort of thing, but for our sector there are a lot more downsides than positives, and I don’t think it suits this type of business.”

Retail consultant Mills agrees that independent retailers should keep one eye on the trend toward convenience. “We should be concerned because that little bit of the market is going to be squeezed, but fundamentally we just need to get better at what we do well: service and expertise.”

The 15-minute delivery model, says Mills, is for those consumers who know exactly what they want, and who want it now. “Customers should be coming to us knowing they want something amazing, but not what it is, and it’s our job to inspire them,” she says.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

37

DISCUSSION NO-CONTACT AND SELF-SERVICE Amazon Fresh led the way in nocontact, walk-out retailing, and Tesco, Aldi and others have followed suit.

This is a trend that arguably began with self-service tills, but is there space in independent retail for this sort of tech?

Being a city-centre store, putting a selfservice till in doesn’t distinguish us from the Marks & Spencer down the road Sangita Tryner, Delilah Fine Foods 38

March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

the future of retail “If you’d offered me self-service tills here at Tre, Pol & Pen at the start of the pandemic, then yes,” says Furnivall. “Now, though, people are looking for that interaction, to find out more about the products from staff.”

He says he doesn’t believe it’s an investment that would ever pay for itself, and that in installing self-checkouts, he would lose an opportunity to ask customers the most vital question: “Did you find everything you were looking for?”.

“I totally agree,” says Tryner. “Being a city-centre store, putting a self-service till in doesn’t help to distinguish us from the Marks & Spencer down the road.”

Bogle adds: “It’s a psychological thing as well. You’re nudging your business in the direction of Tesco Metro.

“Both stores sell a camembert, but how does the customer know which is better if you lose that opportunity for interaction.”

Tryner says she would lose more trade than the little gained from servicing the

few customers who need convenience. “I’d be more interested in why my staff member isn’t serving my customers as quickly as they’d like to be served.”

However, Bogle says that he has seen an increase in interest in this sort of tech among its clientele over the past 18 months, and, as a result, is currently developing a slim, lowprofile self-service unit suitable for indies.

These businesses, though, are those already with a convenience offering or larger food halls with more supermarket-esque operations, says The EPOS Bureau MD. “It’s a first foray for us and we’re interested to see what the feedback is in a year’s time.”

“However, the thing with these tills is that they’re not replacing staff. I go up and can’t scan my lemon, then have to stand there – like a lemon – while I wait for someone to come and help me,” he adds, questioning whether the technology really solves an issue in independent retail.

For Tryner, the chance of giving a customer a bad experience is too high. She cites the frustration of having to have your shopping bag checked for anomalies and the distrust this

displays. “Before the technology gets all the way there – or we do – it would do more harm than good to my business.”

Furthering the discussion of the practicalities of self-service technology for small businesses, Mills says that the investment of time and resources would be immense and ongoing for a questionable return. When dealing with small producers whose labels may not have consistent barcodes, and with everchanging ranges, she says, you risk missing the convenience mark entirely. “If you’re going to do it, you’re going to have to do it very well, so doing it for that one customer is a bit of a false economy.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

DISCUSSION

ONLINE, NATIONWIDE GROCERY DELIVERY The pandemic saw independent retailers rushing to e-commerce.

Some have seen the potential and are now offering their ranges for nationwide delivery. 44 Foods, a fully online farm shop has been launched during the pandemic, and Tre Pol & Pen is looking to offer its full range, including chilled, for next-day delivery in the coming months. Is this a service that all indie retailers should consider adding to their offer?

“During the pandemic, so many people were introduced, or reintroduced, to the world of independent food retail and as we creep back into normality, the accessibility of farm shops is – frankly – a bit of a hassle,” says Mills. And this is why, she says, retailers need to offer these consumers a more convenient way to access their offer, to capitalise on that loyalty that was developed during COVID. For Furnivall, Tre, Pol & Pen’s recent move to selling its full range online was a “nobrainer”. “The stock is there. The customer base is there. It’s just another avenue, another way of selling.”

“We missed the boat of the pandemic,” he says, but is confident that the shop’s offer has the appeal to keep its largely tourist-based clientele coming back out of season.

“It gives people who don’t necessarily have 40

March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

the future of retail

The stock is there.

The customer base is there. It’s just another avenue, another way of selling.

Charlie Furnivall, Tre, Pol & Pen

the access to a shop like ours a chance to have that rural food experience. People in London don’t have the options we have here, and they are really interested in produce from the South West.”

For Tryner, whose deli Delilah has offered next-day delivery for years, the issue is growing the brand’s presence online with a small team.

Through the pandemic, Tryner saw success with experiential at-home boxes like wine and cheese tastings, and wants to keep growing the offer. “It could be massive, as we proved in the pandemic. Where we struggle is our expertise and knowledge of how to get the word out, rather than the service we’re providing.”

Referencing the recent collapse of online artisan retailer Farmdrop, Mills says that, while anyone can start an online shop with the tools available today, it is the authenticity and

experience that independent retail brands can offer that people are seeking.

“In Charlie’s case, people want that Cornish experience from Tre, Pol & Pen,” she says.

“As good as a website can be, it can’t get you emotionally like a great retail space can. It’s the memory of that experience that you have that keeps you coming back.”

Tryner agrees: “People come to your website because it’s you.”

But, says Bogle, it is precisely this that can make the transition to online so difficult.

“There is so much information involved in running a deli – from the prices on the shelves, which may be fluctuating, to the information on the cheese label in your deli counter, and even the stories inside your head. Transferring that to your website is huge.”

“The level of detail you have to get to in order to scale a truly nationwide, full farm shop-style grocery delivery system online is immense,” he says. “But not impossible.”

The one thing that no independent is doing well with their online offer according to Bogle is harvesting the data. The opportunity in that data for specific targeted marketing and tying up in-store and online is huge, he says.

“I think online is a huge opportunity in our sector. Consumers expect it these days and expectations have been ramped up over the pandemic.”

“But, it comes at a cost, and you need to think seriously about what your capacity is and how you can – and want to – engage with consumers online.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

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Available from mrsdarlingtons.com, your favourite wholesalers and retailers Find us on social media search “mrsdarlingtons” 36

March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

DISCUSSION DELIPOP & VENDING MACHINES While initially the Delipop model – a type of centralised click-and-collect service – seems about as far away from our industry as it’s possible to be while still selling foodstuffs, the introduction of vending machines – for milk and other fresh and chilled goods – in indies up and down the UK is not a million miles away conceptually. Could this trend be of use to our sector in an age obsessed with convenience?

“The main positive with this concept is that it’s pretty low cost,” says Mills. “So, while it may be a narrow opportunity, you can use it to help manage waste and extend your opening hours with little risk.”

Mills cites the success of the vending machines installed by Andy Swinscoe at the Courtyard Dairy in Yorkshire. “They have a good position on a busy road which must help, but it gives people the opportunity to grab some cheese from him during the week even if they work full time.”

Mills admits that rural locations are far more suited to this offer than urban areas, a sentiment shared by Tryner.

“If we were to try that here in Nottingham city centre, I think ‘Please help yourself’ would have to be our catchphrase,” she says.

“If I wanted Delilah in the outskirts and the suburbs, then maybe, possibly, one day. But not this side of my lifetime, maybe my kids’.”

Furnivall also saw the benefit in extended opening hours as people return to an officebased, full-time life post-COVID, though was uncomfortable about losing the chance to get the brand message across and upsell.

The Dublin Meat Co., a customer of The EPOS Bureau, has launched vending machines into gyms in the Irish capital selling ready meals made with the family butcher’s meat under the brand Fit Foods. The move proved so successful that the machines are now being installed in Lidl stores in the city. For Bogle, this shows the scope of tech-infused diversification for canny retailers.

the future of retail

AUGMENTED REALITY Augmented reality has entered the retail space. M&S and others are exploring how the concept can assist customers with wayfinding and product information. This may be some way off, but the potential for this in a retail world where storytelling is as important as in ours is difficult to ignore.

This was – perhaps unsurprisingly – the most divisive retail concept discussed. For Tryner, the deli experience is about knowledgeable staff selling the story of a product, and, as you would need the staff either way, “why would adding something virtual be worth it?”

“It’s a massive investment,” she says. “You’d spend hours programming in information, only to have to change it a few months later.”

For her, this is a gamble the multiples can afford to take a risk on, but not Delilah.

In contrast, Mills was effusive in her enthusiasm for the concept and saw potential in connecting producers and consumers in-store. “The wayfinding element may be redundant in our sector,” she says. “But if we had QR codes on shelf edges that linked to videos from the producers which tell the customer all about the product, they’re going to sell it far better than you or I can.”

“Where provenance is of increasing importance to consumers, there is a real

QR codes on shelf edges that link to videos from the producers are going to sell it far better than you or I can Julie Mills, Shrewd Foodie

opportunity here,” she added.

Clearly sold on the concept, Mills also saw the potential for improving staff training with a similar QR-based system.

Bogle says that with a little creativity, it would not be too difficult to use QR code technology to add some digital theatre into a retail space.

“I can definitely imagine walking into my local deli and scanning a shelf edge for the story of a product,” says Bogle. “This technology is already very much out there, and I think that it’s very much closer, and more simple, than people think.”

Citing the simplicity of generating QR codes in most web browsers, and free video hosting platforms like YouTube, he believes that the effort and cost involved would be lower than expected.

“I wouldn’t want to see the whole shop plastered in these things, but for certain products it could be very useful. Whether it’s to talk about the provenance, the process or the allergens.”

At Tre, Pol & Pen, Furnivall has installed some A4 boards alongside certain lines with the relevant producer’s story. These, he says, have helped foster the connection between supplier and consumer that is such a core part of many independent retailers’ businesses.

However, the transition to a digital system may be some way off. “While I can see the potential, it seems a little out there for our market. It’s not something we’re thinking about right now,” he says.

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

43

Invest Northern Ireland looks forward to welcoming you at IFE Northern Ireland. Altogether more.

Northern Ireland is renowned for the Pure Natural Quality of its food and drink. Characterised by a unique blend of tradition and innovation, NI producers use the highest quality local ingredients to deliver the finest natural products. Visit us on Stand 3429 to learn more about how our dedicated business development team can help grow your business.

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

For further information contact Michelle Charrington, t: 07817 173 514 e: michelle.charrington@investni.com or Drew McIvor, t: 07813 544 535 e: drew.mcivor@investni.com

FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT

FROM THE DELI KITCHEN SIMPLE RECIPES TO BOOST YOUR MARGINS

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES With many consumers easing up on the health-conscious eating and looking to treat themselves after January, these cookies should strike the right note on your counter. Peanut butter helps keep the biscuit fresher for longer, too.

Makes: 30 cookies (approx.)

Prep: 20 minutes Cook:15 minutes

Michael Lane

Ingredients: 200g butter 200g caster sugar 100g light brown sugar 2 eggs 150g peanut butter 200g plain flour ½ tsp salt 75g coconut chips 75g cornflour 1tsp baking powder 1tsp bicarbonate of soda 100g peanuts, slightly crushed, to top

Method: • Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Line two large baking trays.

• Beat the butter and caster sugar together until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the peanut butter.

• Beat to a smooth batter.

• In a bowl, mix together the flours, coconut flakes, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Stir the dry mixture into the peanut butter mixture and

bring together to form a soft dough.

• Roll the dough into walnutsized balls and place on a baking tray. At this point you can freeze the batch if you like.

• Press down with a fork and sprinkle over the peanuts.

• Bake for 10-12mins until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and allow to cool before serving or storing.

In response to customer requests, Lincat has developed a new hot holding unit to join its Panther range.

The HHB12100 has been designed to both retain moisture in some items and keep fried foods crispy. The unit can be used to house all manner of pre-cooked foods, including breakfast items, roasted meat, steamed vegetables and curries. lincat.co.uk Two new high-speed ovens have joined the line-up at Welbilt’s Merrychef brand.

Both the conneX 12 and the conneX 16 feature digitally connected controllers with touchscreens that allow users to monitor progress. The ovens have been designed with speed and convenience in mind and allow kitchen staff to concentrate on serving food and minimising queues. welbilt.uk

Recipe by Jules Mercer for Fine Food Digest

Foodservice Equipment Marketing is now supplying Alto-Shaam’s latest range of control cook and hold smoker ovens. The fanless and waterless ovens can infuse flavour into food with no artificial additives or added sodium, fats or sugar – thanks to innovative Halo Heat technology. The manufacturer claims the range provides greater yields compared to traditional barbecues and smokers. fem.co.uk Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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See us at IFEX, Belfast stand C51 Blackberry and Thyme Balsamic Vinegar & Christmas Pudding

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Ireland’s Oldest Independent Tea & Coffee Merchants More Information, Products and Recipes on:

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Walker’s Nonsuch make 14 delicious varieties of TOFFEES and CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIRS

www.walkers-nonsuch.co.uk Email: sales@walkers-nonsuch.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1782 321525 46

March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

Lemon Heaven

Divine Lime

Matcha Gold

SHOW PREVIEW

Belfast is open for business and that means the return of IFEX, Northern Ireland’s premier industry trade event, at the Titanic Exhibition Centre on 29th-31st March

Six reasons to visit… … IFEX 2022

1

2

3

All buyers covered

Ease of access

Experience Great Taste

IFEX is Northern Ireland’s largest industry showcase of food & drink, catering equipment and services.

Whether you’re a buyer in retail, foodservice or hospitality, there will be a host of exhibitors to pique your interest.

However visitors intend to travel there, the TEC in Belfast is well connected by road, with two airports and a ferry terminal close by. The show will be open 10am-6pm on 29th and 30th, and 10am-4pm on 31st March.

IFEX has partnered with The Guild of Fine Food – the organisers of Great Taste – to bring back a popular feature. The Great Taste Market will feature a plethora of award-winning food & drink producers and their wares.

4

5

6

Check your technique

Raise the bar

Catch the cutting edge

Addressing an industry-wide problem, the NI Hospitality Skills Hub at the show is a hands-on demo area to assist visitors with a wide range of skills, from barista techniques to mixology. There is also a Salon Culinaire area hosting competitions and classes for chefs.

Visitors will be able to see, smell and taste the latest drink trends at the allnew IFEX Bar, which will be hosting cocktail demos, tastings and business advice from drinks experts.

Judged by an independent panel of experts, the IFEX Innovation awards showcase new stand-out products from exhibitors in categories including ‘food & drink’ and ‘equipment, design & technology’.

Register for your free ticket at ifexexhibition.co.uk

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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MEET BUYERS FACE-TO-FACE THIS SUMMER AT FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH Book your stand now at one of the most trusted trade events in the industry. With over 40 years’ experience, we know the independent food and drink industry better than anyone and will ensure that exhibitors meet hundreds of quality buyers across the two days.

From independent retailers to food-service operators, show visitors are genuinely looking to source the finest food & drink and discover new ideas and ingredients to fill their shelves and menus in 2022.

To find out more about exhibiting, email: opportunities@gff.co.uk or visit: gff.co.uk/ffsn

INTERESTED IN VISITING THE SHOW? REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE TICKET ONLINE AT: GFF.CO.UK/FFSN gff.co.uk | +44 (0)1747 825200 |

@guildofinefood

Axicon were, we have to say, amazing. They delivered our labels on time and perfectly printed and took our last minute phone calls in their stride.

They understood the importance of the perfect label and gave us the product that (hopefully!) stands out from the crowd!

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BREAKFAST WITH BENEFITS

Helps energise the body

Lowers Cholesterol

Supports the immune system

Discover more at www.naturya.com | For enquiries please contact enquiries@naturya.com Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

49

Where the specialist retail sector meets Informing, inspiring and connecting the industry

TASTY FRIES FOR MIND BLOWING SALES

We look forward to April when the industry comes back together at the UK Food & Drink Shows, encompassing Farm Shop & Deli Show, Food & Drink Expo, National Convenience Show and The Forecourt Show.

Make sure you come along to Farm Shop & Deli Show to build your network face to face, touch and taste the latest product launches, discover business building insight and save time by seeing everyone in the same buzzing space.

Register now at www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk This is a trade event. No under 18s will be admitted.

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

FS&D Product 100x287 11222.indd 1

14/02/2022 13:15

NEW

SHELF TALK Granola brand expands production capacity and extends range Alongside this, the brand’s zero-waste programme has been growing rapidly. Retailers are increasingly seeking packaging-free options, and this saw the producer’s zero-waste service grow 115% from 2020 to 2021, with it now accounting for 10% of Rollagranola’s business.

The rapid growth in production may be seen as a sign that the brand is destined for supermarket shelves, though the brand’s founders Robin and Sean Longden said it is committed to independents.

“Independent retail is a core sector for us and we love working with the retailers who helped us on day one,” said Robin Longden. “We really do see them as an important part of the business.”

Sustainable growth is key for the founders, and while they could not rule out being found on the shelves of the multiples in future, they remain committed to the independent sector.

“We’d always aim to look after our loyal independent customers and maintain those great relationships that form the foundations of Rollagranola.”

The brand has also recently launched two new lines: Keto Warrior (300g) and Almond & Pecan Crunch (400g), RRPs £4.99. rollagranola.com

By Tom Dale

Popular independent granola producer Rollagranola has expanded its production capacity in response to growth, allowing the brand to offer better value to consumers while retaining its artisan production methods.

The Hertfordshire-based brand has more than doubled its square footage – from 2,500sq ft to around 5,500sq ft – by expanding into neighbouring units, restructuring its production space and outsourcing warehouse storage and logistics.

This move has allowed Rollagranola to increase the size of the packs in its oat granola range from 300g to 400g with no increase in the price.

WHAT’S NEW Great Taste award-winning producer, Ghee Appétit has launched a UK first: unpasteurised, cultured ghee.

Made using raw-milk butter that has been fermented using lactic cultures, the ghee is probiotic and ayurvedic. A 300ml jar retails at £16.90 and 500ml for £26.90. gheeappetit.co.uk The Great British Porridge Co. has launched High Protein & Low Sugar Instant Porridge targeting health-conscious consumers seeking simple breakfast options.

Containing no added sugar, the porridge is sweetened naturally with dates and contains 20% protein thanks to its high nut content. thegreatbritishporridgeco.co.uk Belvoir Farm has launched three new lowcalorie botanical sodas. Floral Fizz, Bitter Orange Spritz and Spicy Ginger Fizz (each 500ml, £2.25) contain less than 4.5g of sugar and fewer than 20 calories per 100ml. belvoirfarm.co.uk

Paley Photography

Counter points Pasta

Oat milk chocolate brand HAPPi has launched two new products for Easter – a White Raspberry Easter egg and Oat Mi!k Chocolate Bunny Lollies. The new products join the brand’s full Easter product range, which launched with three Easter eggs - Orange, Plain Mi!k and Salted Caramel in 2021. The bunny lollies come in a shop-ready display case, and all HAPPi products are made with fully recyclable packaging. Easter Eggs have RRPs of £9.99, and the Chocolate Bunny Lollies RRP at £2.00 each. happifreefrom.com

Food writer and former deli owner Glynn Christian offers up some category-specific conversation starters to sharpen your sales technique.

• Pasta is wheat flour and water. Eggs or olive oil might be added.

• Soft flour is used for domestic pasta making; hard or durum flour by factories.

• Traditional pasta is shaped through bronze dies; looks dull and feels sandy to the teeth, but bronze-extruded pasta absorbs more sauce.

• Pasta shapes extruded through plastic are shiny and smooth, sauces slip off.

• Sauces should be a clingy dressing for pasta, not a pool for paddling.

• Cooked pasta should never be rinsed in water, hot or cold.

Pasta should steam-dry for a few minutes before adding sauce • Pasta should steam-dry for a few minutes before adding sauce. This makes it more absorbent, especially traditional bronze-drawn.

• Italians use 20% of the volume of sauce added in the UK, but it is much more concentrated.

This is an extract from Glynn Christian’s book Taste! How to Choose the Best Deli Ingredients, published by Grub Street

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

51

BIG RED

THECOFFEEFACTORY.CO.UK

So What Keeps Us At Khanya Craft Award-Winning Coffee Up At Night?

Silly Question.

Khanya Craft Coffee is borne out of an obsession to find the best, ethically sourced single estate Arabica beans and the best blends on the planet. Which is why our coffees have won so many awards.

Sourcing, service and innovation for our clients is what makes us tick – like our great coffee.

Call Bernard on+353 (0) 086 388 3001 | e: bernard@khanyacraftcoffee.com | www.khanyacraftcoffee.com 52

March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

SHELF TALK WHAT’S NEW Single-origin spice brand BoTree has launched its first sweet ofering, Palmyra Flower Sugar.

Hand harvested from the blossom nectar of the wild coconut palm in Cambodia’s Kampong Speu region, the product won 2 stars in Great Taste 2021. RRP £8.95. botreefarm.co.uk Premium Italian brand Crosta & Mollica has entered the desert market with its Tartufi. The traditional frozen Italian dessert is available in three variants – Caffè Latte, Chocolate & Hazelnut, Pistachio & Almond, and the new SKUs have RRPs of £5 for two Tartufi. crostamollica.com LAKRIDS by BÜLOW has launched its new LOVE collection for 2022, including two new flavours – Strawberry & Cream and Fruity Caramel – and a selection box including some of the Danish liquorice confection brand’s favourite varieties. 125g packs of the new lines have an RRP of £10. lakridsbybulow.co.uk

My magic ingredient Single Variety Co. Fireflame Chilli Jam (mild) CLARE JACKSON Owner, Slate Cheese I absolutely love the Single Variety Co.’s chilli jams – they are definitely the items I swipe most from the shelves to take with me to use at home.

I’m not great with intense chilli heat, so I go for the mild, Fireflame Chilli variety. It’s got more of a sweetness and tang than pure heat.

I love it with cheese (obviously), but my guilty pleasure is fried halloumi on a rocket salad with a dollop of this chilli jam on top.

Also, I often stick a spoonful into sauces that I’m cooking like bolognese, chillis or lentil dahls. Its sweetness and acidity give tomato-based sauces more depth and add a subtle heat.

It’s got such great balance, a lovely rich flavour and its beautiful jewel-red colour looks amazing against pale yellow or white cheeses, or slathered on top of a cheese toastie.

Its beautiful jewelred colour looks amazing against pale yellow or white cheeses

singlevariety.co.uk

Ethical olive-farming co-operative is seeking UK-based stockists A Greek olive farming group is looking for stockists in the UK for its range of awardwinning olives and extra virgin olive oils (EVOO).

Green Land Co-Farming is a co-operative comprising six farmers and a food technologist which follows a fair-trade business model, making its entire production process open to everyone.

Operating from the village of Sterna Messinia, near Kalamata, the group sells EVOO and traditionally cured Kalamata olives.

“We looked for a forgotten homemade recipe for the olives and, with the help of our food technologist, implemented large

scale production of this traditional method,” said Julia Xirogianni, a member of the cooperative.

Due to the co-operative’s commitment to environmentally friendly practices and good working conditions, the producer became a probationary member of the World Fair Trade Organization in 2021, the first in Europe to be eligible to apply for the certification.

The brand’s olive oils are not refined or treated and its olives are hand picked and naturally processed. All the farms in the cooperative are either organic or being converted to organic methods, and employ a raft of eco-friendly methods to reduce waste and reuse materials.

Green Land Co-Farming products are currently available in seven European countries and are seeking stockists and wholesalers in the UK. Its range includes flavoured and mixed olives, and olive oils available in 500ml (RRP ~£9.50) and 1l bottles (RRP ~£11.50). greenlandproducts.gr

Preserves producer Tracklements has launched its latest Special Edition: Soured Plum & Black Pepper Chutney.

According to the brand, the new limitededition line is an ode to traditional Japanese chutneys made with umeboshi; soured plums.

Tracklements Special Edition Soured Plum & Black Pepper Chutney is vegan and gluten free and is available in cases of 6 x 250g. RRP £3.50. tradetracklements.co.uk Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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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.

Available in 1kg and 20kg bags. Minimum order 2 boxes of 10 × 1 kg bags. No delivery charges.

Call or email today for a trade price list Sustainably farmed

BRC certified products

High in protein & fibre

Competitive & stable pricing

01740 629 529 | info@craggsandco.co.uk | www.craggsandco.co.uk

THE E xm oor Orig inal ©2021 ‘Wicked Wolf ®’, ‘Exmoor Vodka™’ and ‘The Spirit of Exmoor ®’ are trademarks or registered trademarks of ‘The Old Chapel Brendon Limited’ registered in the UK.

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

SHELF TALK MEET THE PRODUCER

WHAT’S NEW British popcorn snacking brand Joe & Seph’s has launched a new range of Chocolate Popcorn Slabs including milk and vegan dark varieties. Hand-made in the brand’s London kitchens, both are vegetarian friendly and gluten free with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

Each 115g slab has an RRP of £7. joeandsephs.co.uk

Dr Tom Martin-Wells launched SLAKE SPIRITS after leaving a career in organic chemistry. The brand combines his love of science, foraging, and flavour, and its principal product, Sussex Dry Gin, has already picked up a Great Taste Golden Fork What were you doing before you launched Slake Spirits?

I used to work in academia as a research chemist. I spent most of my time in the lab tinkering with exotic and often toxic chemicals, making novel synthetic inorganic compounds.

Why did you decide to start distilling?

I fell out of love with academia, but not chemistry. It was time to move on. I wanted to work in an environment that brought innovation and research closer to the consumer, and to experience that journey from start to finish. I was also a passionate forager and foodie, so making wild-inspired spirits, drawing on my chemistry background to build and explore a library of wild flavours, felt like a natural progression.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned?

There is never enough time to do it all. You need to work with people that truly understand your vision and ethos. A brand’s values are like a lens through which you must view the world. Once you start the journey you must not put that lens down or you may not arrive where you expected.

How has your career in organic chemistry influenced your distilling?

The ability to break down the complexities of a finely balanced recipe into the constituent stages and ingredients has been invaluable.

When combined in just the right way, this creates something much greater than the sum of its parts. That’s always the goal and there are no shortcuts, but the scientific approach helps immensely, particularly when untangling the sometimes raucous and variable nature of wild ingredients.

Set to be launched later this month, Coldpress Juices has two new flavours in the pipeline: Valencia Orange Juice With Pulp (1l) and Orange, Mango, Carrot, Passionfruit, Apple Rise & Shine juice with added vitamins (750ml). Both juices benefit from the brand’s recently upgraded pressing process. Coldpress’s Thrive & Survive and Mend & Defend lines have also had a recipe refresh. cold-press.com

Why do you forage for regional ingredients?

Natural connection is at the heart of what Slake is about. It’s through our passion for harnessing wild and locally grown ingredients that we hope to foster this connection to land in others. While it’s not yet possible to grow or gather all the ingredients we use in Sussex, by drawing our focus to such ingredients it unlocks the unique character of a place, and the necessity of a limited palate boosts our creativity.

A brand’s values are like a lens through which you must view the world

Wellness tea brand D’Amazonia has launched its third SKU, Sleep Tea. Containing lavender, chamomile, rose petals, lemon balm and oat flowering tops, the British-made tea is designed to assist in a good night’s sleep. Available in packs of 20 two-use biodegradable tea bags with an RRP of £15. damazonia.co.uk

What is the best thing about being a small business?

Everything about Slake, from the products to the working environment is built around the company’s and my values.

We’re passionate about quality and believe in the importance of people and place.

We unashamedly put our whole heart into everything we do.

What makes your spirits stand out?

Putting our passion for quality aside, the importance of people and place cannot be overstated. It is our meticulous methodology and wild inspiration that creates spirits of unique character, crafted to reflect where and how they are made. We pursue character through natural connection because we believe there is great value in that relationship.

…and the worst?

There are an awful lot of resources needed to support and grow a brand, particularly in a crowded and noisy global market. As a small business, even with a strong brand and good products, it’s tough to compete and you have to choose how you allocate resources carefully.

What’s next for Slake Spirits?

We’ve been kept rather busy of late renovating an old Victorian granary in Worthing to rehome our growing distillery and there will be two new spirits from Slake launching later this year Ground to watchFreshly out for, too.Sponsor advert 2016 print ready.pdf C

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Shifting its focus from West to East Africa for the inspiration for its new SKU is Chilli.Inc and its latest sauce, Mango Pili Pili.

“We wanted to offer something hotter and a bit fruitier to our customers,” said founder Nki Ogunro. “We looked towards East Africa and found that the mango and chilli10:37 combination 16/08/2016 was perfect.”

The sweet and savoury sauce is made with Kesar mangoes and has an RRP of £5.99 for a 200ml bottle. It is available direct from the producer. chilliinc.co.uk Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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DELI OF THE MONTH Panzer’s has served the St John’s Wood area of London for more than 75 years but it wasn’t that long ago that this deli looked doomed to close and become just another supermarket. Here’s the story of how customer and entrepreneur David Josephs revived this retail institution.

Interview by Michael Lane

Corner shop cornucopia THE TAIL-END OF Storm Corrie is putting the kerbside displays at Panzer’s Delicatessen to the test as FFD sits down with its owner at an outside table. One particularly heavy gust sends a display of flowers crashing to the pavement and nearly robs the tahini cookies from the plate in front of us.

But while the shop’s trademark green awnings flutter violently, David Josephs seems untroubled by the blustery weather. Maybe it’s because he himself swept through this iconic business when he bought it in 2015 like a wind of change – and a much-needed one at that.

“When I came along here, this was an institution, but it was tired,” he tells FFD. “It hadn’t been invested in since the ’80s. I don’t think there was a fridge that was under 30 years old, and everything was going wrong.”

Thanks to Josephs’ investment in it over the last five years, the current incarnation of this iconic deli couldn’t be more different.

The 2,000 sq ft of retail space manages to be both brightly lit and extremely densely VITAL STATISTICS

Location: 13-19 Circus Rd, London NW8 6PB Retail area: 2,000sq ft No. of staff: 64 No. of suppliers: 500 Turnover: ca £10m 56

March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

packed. There’s a vibrant greengrocery area, carrying all manner of staples and exotic varieties of produce. Add to that a wine and alcohol section, chilled and frozen cabinets, numerous shelves of ambient ingredients, a coffee bar, a sushi concession and the deli counter serving up cheese, charcuterie, sandwiches and (of course) the traditional house speciality – hand-cut smoked salmon.

Even late on a Monday morning, the shopfloor is bustling. There seems to be a staff member for nearly every customer – and there are plenty of them perusing the vast array of goods sourced from all over the globe.

“One of the reasons I wanted to do this is because I wanted to show that independent stores can work,” says Josephs. “If you have the right mix.”

And a brief overview of the numbers bears his theory out. In his time at the helm, Josephs has seen staff numbers double to more than 60, turnover grow several times over to around £10m, and profits continue to rise.

While his self-described “corner shop cornucopia” approach to retailing is paying dividends, that doesn’t mean Josephs isn’t conscious and deeply proud of the shop’s traditional Jewish deli roots.

Panzer’s has stood on the same spot in the affluent district of St John’s Wood – within minutes of Lord’s Cricket Ground and the Abbey Road Studios – for more than 75 years.

Josephs can remember visiting it as a child with his grandparents to pick up those revered smoked salmon bagels at the weekend. So, he was dismayed to discover that it was on the verge of being sold to a supermarket chain.

With the deal pending, he approached owner Peter Vogel, the son of the business’s cofounder, and made him an offer.

“I said ‘It would be a tragedy. The last thing we want is another bloody supermarket destroying the high street.’ This is not just a store, it’s an anchor for St. John’s Wood.

“So, I said, ‘I’ll buy it’.

“He said, ‘You’re insane. What do you know

about retail?’ I said, ‘Nothing’.”

Josephs is beaming as he recalls this exchange and, in truth, he was probably underplaying his abilities as a businessman and a shop owner. Within the space of seven years, he has started a second career in food, built a greengrocery chain across the city and started a wholesale and import business that brings in produce from all corners of the planet.

It all began in 2010 when Josephs struck up a friendship with Kamil Demir, the owner of a greengrocers on Newington Green that he passed regularly while commuting to the premises of his former business, an electrical component manufacturer.

“I was always led by my stomach,” says Josephs, trying to explain his curiosity about calling in to the store. “As a child, I wanted to have a restaurant.”

After becoming a regular visitor, Josephs’ friendship with Demir soon became a business partnership, with Josephs offering his expertise in logistics among other things. The shop became Newington Greens and was followed

by Clifton Greens in Maida Vale. The group has continued to expand, adding shops in Camden and Crouch End, and developing a wholesale operation, called All Greens, that has premises at New Covent Garden and Spitalfields and buyers in Milan and Paris.

A certain Yotam Ottolenghi was impressed enough to write about his admiration for the retail business and is also a wholesale customer.

Even though Josephs had the pedigree to transform Panzer’s fortunes, he still spent a year shadowing Peter Vogel after buying the business to learn the ropes before taking over fully and embarking on a major refit in 2018.

“Quality. Choice. Service. That’s the strapline we inherited, and it hasn’t changed,” he says. “And hopefully we’ve invested in it.

Everyone goes the extra mile.”

Josephs has certainly bolstered that third aspect by more than doubling the number of staff during his time at Panzer’s. And it shows on the shop floor. FFD is offered assistance at least three times in five minutes when browsing and you never seem to be more than a few feet from someone in a green apron.

“There are lots of staff who’ve been here 10-years-plus, which is unusual in retail,” says Josephs. “We are the United Nations. We have 64-odd people and probably about 50 different nationalities.”

This melting pot of influences is mirrored by the range at Panzer’s and the owner is open about having emphasised the international element of the offer, introducing more than 3,000 new lines and countless new suppliers since buying the store.

You’ll find every deli item and ingredient you could possibly imagine in the shop but there’s plenty of luxury nestled in between them.

As we walk through the front doors, Josephs grabs a Brazilian lychee, exclaiming: “We’re the only people in the country to have these, they’re sensational.” Within moments he’s pointing out a display of Australian seaweed products and, later on, Panzer’s owner stops in the basement stockroom to extol the virtues of a chocolate he has recently started bringing in from New Zealand.

As you might have guessed, sourcing and importing from abroad doesn’t faze Josephs in the slightest.

“We’ll find anything anywhere,” he says.

“We’re renowned for it.

“My previous business exported to 88 countries, so I’d spend six months of the year travelling around the world. I know how logistics works and I always know someone somewhere who I can ask to find me something.”

There are some extreme examples of his capabilities. When it can, Panzer’s will stock cherries from Washington state in the US that retail for as much as £150/kg and then there are the highly prized R2E2 mangoes from Australia, weighing in at 1kg.

“We airfreighted them in and sold them at a loss, but we just wanted people to try them.

They are ridiculously priced. £20 retail, for a mango.”

While many retailers would baulk at this kind of strategy, Josephs insists that this is all

MUST-STOCKS Panzer’s hand-cut smoked salmon Panzer’s house-made bagels Panzer’s house-made granola Panzer’s egg & mayo salad Panzer’s house-made Schnitzels Panzer’s house-made cholla & cholla rolls Panzer’s freshly squeezed orange juice Chicken matzo-ball soup Brogdale apples Tahini cookies Cacklebean Eggs Olive oil range Cherries (especially British Kent variety) Fresh truffles Cime di Rapa St George’s bottled mineral water

CONTINUED ON PAGE 58

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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DELI OF THE MONTH part of his mission to offer the absolute best in class when it comes to food.

Profit is not everything when it comes to this business, he says, adding: “We could make it much more profitable, but then it wouldn’t be something I would enjoy.”

That said, Brexit has stripped away some of the pleasure that comes with running this operation. Josephs is dismayed at how damaging Brexit has been thus far. Not only have six staff departed but he is also lamenting the loss of at least a dozen suppliers from Italy. One cherished “Mama and Papa” taleggio producer has told him they just cannot deal with the paperwork. Currently, Josephs is concerned by increasing costs and delays to his twice-weekly shipments from Milan, which are now running at €94,000 annually.

“I want one Government minister to come on and tell me one benefit of all of this,” he says, exasperated. “Just give me one.”

Thankfully, Josephs is just as keen on showing his customers the best of British. He was part of the recent effort to save Brogdale Farm, with its collection of heritage fruits, and is now both a customer and a trustee there.

And every single egg sold and used in Panzer’s on-site kitchen is from Cotswolds-based

Cacklebean Eggs (“The best egg on the market, I think”).

The small but well-equipped in-house kitchen, installed in the basement during Josephs’ extensive refurbishment of Panzer’s, has also been charged with producing as much for the shop as possible – whether it’s the deli’s salads, falafel or the very popular chicken schnitzels.

In a rare move for an urban retailer, Josephs is now trying to take his supply chain one step further and hopes to set up a partnership that will see him take a stake in a biodynamic farm.

“We’ve gone from being a retailer to a wholesaler, then to an importer, and now we want to be the farmer and take it to the stage where we can produce things.”

Whether it’s Josephs’ approach to what he sells or how he sells it (the shop’s refit has been followed by a smart rebrand, an own-label range and the addition of online sales), he has certainly courted a new customer base from the local area and beyond.

While celebs like Nigella Lawson, Harry Potter star Emma Watson and singer Rihanna have joined Paul McCartney (a long-time St John’s Wood resident) in becoming customers, the most noticeable change has been the shift

to a younger demographic.

“When we took over this business, 25% of it was account customers and, not exaggerating, I would say the average age was octogenarian.”

“Having worked on livening the shop up and changing it, I would say now the average age is in the 40s.”

It’s certainly evident in terms of the footfall and the shop is “heaving” at weekends, with many people having travelled from other parts of London.

Surely, then, the Panzer’s brand is ripe for expansion?

For now, Josephs is focused on the next greengrocery, which is opening on Abbeville Road in Clapham and bringing all of the stores under the All Greens brand. But he doesn’t rule out an expansion of Panzer’s beyond its current footprint (he jokingly says that he has been eyeing up the branch of Barclays next door) or into other locations.

“I would think there’s probably room for three or four Panzer’s in London,” he tells FFD, admitting that he has had more than a few sites offered to him already. Whichever direction Josephs chooses next, it’s hard to see it being anything other than a success. panzers.co.uk

I wanted to show that independent stores can work, if you have the right mix.

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

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Discover the New Spirits that are Making Waves

Multi-Award-Winning Free Range Eggs Ethically Produced Husband and wife team from County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, producing free range eggs since 2002 and launched the Cavanagh brand in 2012 to satisfy consumer demand for a quality artisan free range egg ethically produced. We grade and pack multi-award-winning free range eggs from 75,000 birds in 7 flocks across 4 separate sites. Our flocks and Packing Centre are all British Lion Accredited and are rotated to ensure a constant supply of the various sizes all year round for foodservice and retail. Awards include Great Taste, Blas na hEireann, Irish Quality Food Awards, Family Business of the Year 2018, Poultry Farmer of the Year 2017 and 2018, Delicious Produce Award Winner 2018 and Made in Northern Ireland Food and Drink Producer of the Year 2018.

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www.riggsautopack.co.uk 62

March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

GUILD TALK

View from HQ

By John Farrand managing director

ONLY SOME OF you are going to get this cultural reference. I wasn’t a Star Wars or Star Trek boy. I was very much Back to the Future. I loved that foray looking ahead to 2015 in part two. There were hoverboards, people chatting over video phones and flying cars.

Technology to get excited about.

So, I tucked into the rushes of this month’s lead feature looking at the future of retailing (p34) with

news from the guild of fine food child-like enthusiasm. What’s to come, what will it look like, and most importantly, will we need a flux capacitor? The article looks at key areas of innovation, broadly looking at what the supermarkets are doing. We should all embrace technology, but independents shouldn’t be implementing it for the same reasons as the multiples.

Surely the food and drink goliaths are embracing no-contact and self-service to have fewer employees and lower costs? They don’t need to chat to customers or tell them the story behind why that cheese has a layer of olive stone ash running through it, or indeed ask them how their mum is.

Which is what I did this morning in our local fishmonger.

We’d promised him some of the Great Taste Golden Fork-grabbing Sublime Butter No. 55. We made that delivery, having promised Ash some after swapping recipe ideas before Christmas. We chatted about trade generally, our family, his family, and left. We didn’t even buy anything. But we’ll be back because

The Word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall ACS

WITH ALL THE discussion around No.10 it is easy to forget that there is some policy work going on in Government. The regulation of products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) is one area where the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is focusing on in order to tackle obesity.

For shops, this means restrictions on how you can promote and position certain products in your stores. Despite the complex nature of these regulations, there is little detailed advice from Government, so we have launched a new comprehensive guide on the HFSS regulations due to be implemented in October that can be viewed at acs.org.uk/advice/hfss-regulations.

The delay to the Government

issuing advice to industry is in part because these types of interventions are unpopular with many Conservative backbench MPs whose views weigh more heavily on the Prime Minister’s mind postparty-gate. The Prime Minister’s attempt to woo the more libertarian side of the Conservative party has been dubbed ‘operation red meat’, and HFSS regulations are rumoured to be on the chopping block.

The HFSS regulations, which aim to restrict the location and promotion of over a dozen product categories, clearly do not align with the right of the Conservative Party. Firstly, it will affect thousands of businesses – including many small businesses – requiring many to carry out a fundamental rethink of their strategy and the way that their store is laid out. Secondly, it will also require the enforcement community to be out visiting stores with their tape measure to check

news from the guild of fine food

we like Ash and we like shopping there and the fish is top-drawer.

Our trade needs people, service and contact. And technology could remove that as well as help you. I can see a place for having an online

We should embrace technology, but not for the same reasons as the multiples offer bolted onto your shop, and I quite like the augmented reality angle: we’ve been looking at QR codes on shelves for award-winners for a couple of years. E-commerce can find you more customers and the latter could help you explain that Morbier-like goats’ cheese from southern Spain through a well-made video. Whether I’ll be watching it on Star Trek-style Smart Glasses is questionable. I may just stick to my phone. everything is in the right place.

It is no secret that we think these regulations hit small shops hard and that the Government should re-think their approach. However, the current situation represents the worst of both worlds; no clarity on the detail of the policy and no certainty on the implementation date. This leaves many businesses undecided on whether to invest thousands of pounds to refit their stores.

This approach to policy development is a textbook example of how not to be the party of business; costly and opaque interventions with no clear timetable. We think that the Prime Minister should listen to the concerns of small shops and his backbenchers. But with only eight months to go, we need decisive action.

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

Entry now closed Great Taste 2022 entry has now closed, with over 14,000 products submitted from around the world.

After four successful coordinator workshops last month, the judges are ready, and judging will take place between mid-March and midJune across two main locations – No. 42 in London and Guild House in Dorset. We will be in touch with every producer that has entered two weeks before judging to request delivery of their products. We’d like to remind producers that they do not need to send anything until they receive this request. gff.co.uk/greattaste

Fine Food Show North returns Fine Food Show North will return to the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th June this year, showcasing some of the most exciting food & drink producers from across the UK. Retailers, buyers, chefs and restaurateurs join us for two days of new product launches, tastings and demonstrations, including the opportunity to meet the team behind the Great Taste Supreme Champion-winning product from 2021, Jaffy’s Mallaig Kippers. Don’t miss out on this essential industry event this summer.

Contact Sally Coley at opportunities@gff.co.uk if you are interested in exhibiting. gff.co.uk/ffsn

The Guild of Fine Food represents fine food shops and specialist suppliers. Want to join them?

GENERAL ENQUIRIES Guild of Fine Food Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065 info@gff.co.uk gff.co.uk

THE GUILD TEAM: Managing director: John Farrand Special projects director: Tortie Farrand Sales director: Sally Coley Operations & marketing director: Christabel Cairns

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executive: Becky Haskett Operations managers: Claire Powell Meredith White Operations coordinator: Chris Farrand

gff.co.uk

Events manager: Stephanie HareWinton Marketing manager: Sophie Brentnall

Chairman: Bob Farrand Director: Linda Farrand

Financial controller: Stephen Guppy Accounts assistant: Julie Coates

Vol.23 Issue 2 | March 2022

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Immerse yourself in product discovery at IFE 2022 • 3-day seminar programme

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March 2022 | Vol.23 Issue 2

• 15 trends and insights talks • 70+ influential speakers