FFD May 2018

May 2018 Volume 19 Issue 4 gff.co.uk

Ignite your summer Everything you need to get ready for the outdoor dining season

SPECIAL EDITION FEATURING: Beers, wines & spirits Barbecue meat Dressings & sauces Ice cream

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

CONTENTS Jamie Oliver is ruining my life with his lamb neck fillets.

People don’t want fatty meat for their kebabs.

SUMMER DINING SPECIAL

32

Butchers have their say on barbecue meat

5 THE BIG PICTURE 7 NEWS

CHEESE IN PROFILE with the AoC

14 OPINION Richard Knight charts customer journeys, Editor’s Choice

21

21 CHEESEWIRE British washed rind explosion, St Andrew’s Farmhouse Cheese

Kicking off our new cheese feature from the Academy of Cheese with an in-depth look at Gorgonzola

35 CUT & DRIED Charcuterie code of practice unveiled, Tom Beeston on saving rare pigs

24 SUMMER DINING SPECIAL (PART 1) Dressings & sauces, ice cream

I used to joke that the coffee machine pays the rent DELI OF THE MONTH

50

Penylan Pantry

EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Editor: Michael Lane

Sales director: Sally Coley

Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065

Editorial director: Mick Whitworth Assistant editor: Lauren Phillips Reporter: Andrew Don

Art director: Mark Windsor Cover photograph: Nick Hook Contributors: Nick Baines, Nick Hook, Patrick McGuigan, Lynda Searby

advertise@gff.co.uk

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executive: Becky Stacey

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

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 editorial@gff.co.uk

Printed by: Blackmore, Dorset Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £50 p.a. inclusive of post and packing.

39 SUMMER DINING SPECIAL (PART 2) Beers, wines & spirits; mixers 45 SHELF TALK Olive Branch launches The Greek Kitchen, Karen Barnes’s magic ingredient 54 GUILD OF FINE FOOD NEWS Rufus Carter, National Living Wave, AoC converter course Published by The Guild of Fine Food Ltd gff.co.uk © The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2018. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

Turn to page 54 for news from the Guild

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

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THE BIG PICTURE Sign of the times When it comes to signs in foodie places, the one in this photo could take some beating.

Spotted near the market in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront area by the Guild of Fine Food’s MD John Farrand (in South Africa meeting the country’s World Cheese Awards winners), this board is a masterclass in stopping passers-by in their tracks.

Even if they don’t expressly ask you to enter the premises or buy anything, humourous signs can drive footfall through force of personality – provided potential customers do see the funny side of it.

Turn to page 45 for more advice on signage in our Shelf Talk section.

Photograph: John Farrand

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NEWS

Space will be big issue for Gove’s proposed bottle return scheme

By Andrew Don

Space and storage limitations are the chief concerns among retailers scrutinising government proposals to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) for single-use drinks containers – whether plastic, glass or cans.

Environment minister Michael Gove’s announcement last month that he would consult on the scheme has galvanised retailers to consider the logistical implications for their businesses.

Many smaller retailers would struggle to house an indoor reverse-vending machine – which receive empty receptacles in return for cash – that are used successfully in Scandinavia and Germany.

Those that do not have car parking facilities to house recycling units would be at a disadvantage compared to major supermarket chains.

Gavin Partington,

The Government is on a mission to tackle plastic waste

director general of the British Soft Drinks Association, said: “This is precisely why we need a good and thorough consultation process.

There are some challenges businesses could face depending on their size.”

Malcom Crease, coowner of James Patrick Delicatessen in Hessle, East Yorkshire, said he owned land at the back of the shop so space would

Fortnum & Mason is coming to The Royal Exchange Fortnum & Mason is poised to open its fourth London location at The Royal Exchange, in the City, featuring a selection of products from its Piccadilly flagship.

The business will occupy two positions – a 2,368 sq ft retail space and a 90-cover dining and bar area sited separately in the Exchange’s courtyard.

The shop will cater for the global financial community, offering its gift and hamper selection and what it said was “the very best food and drink” from its food halls.

The opening, by October, is conditional and subject to planning consent from the City of London.

Stock will include a range of its most popular teas, preserves and hampers

F&M will open in London’s Royal Exchange by October

alongside a confectionery counter and fresh produce scetion.

Fortnum & Mason will join a collection of other traders on the site, such as espresso and cocktail bar Grind and Paul A Young Fine Chocolates.

Its other London stores are at St Pancras International Station and Heathrow Terminal 5 and it has worldwide stockists of its products in Australia, Asia, Europe, the Americas and Canada, and Russia.

not be an issue for him but he was worried about hygiene issues.

“How would it work?

Do we send the bottles back to wholesalers? Would they pick them up?

“We have drinks delivered by people who are bringing us bread and other food. I’m sure Environmental Health wouldn’t be happy with dirty bottles going back on their vans.”

IN BRIEF Priory Farm Shop in Redhill, Surrey, sells single-used plastic bottles for still and sparkling water but does not want to sell anything in single-use plastic for environmental reasons.

General manager Will Edwards said a DRS would be a struggle for small shops.

“They would have to sit on a stock of bottles and cans going for recycling and if they had to wait two weeks for someone to collect them that would be a nightmare.”

Selfridges Group announced last month it had stopped selling singleused plastic bottles of carbonated drinks in favour of cans and glass bottles.

It ousted all singleuse plastic water bottles in 2015. Alannah Weston, deputy chairman, said: “We are seeing a huge change in people’s attitudes to single-use plastic water bottles, and now, carbonated drinks.”

The Sussex Peasant mobile farm shop, Peace & Loaf Bakery in Cumbria and the Severn & Wye Smokery in Gloucestershire are the final three shortlisted for the Best Shop or Market category in the BBC Food and Farming Awards.

The results will be announced in June.

Frozen food retailer Iceland has committed to stop using palm oil as an ingredient in all its ownlabel food by the end of 2018. Production is seen as unethical given links to deforestation and climate change.

The British Medical Journal has reported on a newly discovered side effect of chillies. A 34-year-old man suffered bouts of intense neck and head pain after eating a Carolina Reaper chilli – officially the world’s hottest.

Selby farm shop devastated by vandalism just days before Easter Spuds & Berries farm shop and restaurant, in Selby, North Yorkshire, still managed to trade through Easter despite suffering a devastating break-in at the end of March.

The thieves stole thousands of pounds of stock and vandalised almost every fixture and remaining product on the premises.

Owner Ross Marshall told FFD: “The damage was fairly total in the shop – most stock was stolen or destroyed, glass display fridges were smashed and damaged, alcohol and oil were smashed or pierced and left to pour all over the floor.”

Windows were broken, as were electronic systems, crockery and glassware in the restaurant, water was

left running and fridges were left open to destroy whatever stock the culprits did not take, he added.

“This wasn’t just about robbery. We believe it was about causing damage,” said Marshall.

He did not think it was anyone local with a grudge.

“We are a local business. We are shocked and perplexed

by the whole situation.”

Thanks to a “massive effort” by staff, customers local business suppliers and the local community, the business were open in reduced capacity by Easter weekend.

“Customers have been extremely supportive in the real world and on social media,” added Marshall.

Spuds & Berries was totally ransacked by thieves

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

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NEWS

CYBER CRIME

Grow-your-own craze is help and hindrance to farm shop sales

By Andrew Don

A surge in the popularity of allotments and homegrown fruit and vegetables has dented some retailers’ sales but also proved to be a useful new supply source for others.

Nick Hempleman, who owns The Sussex Produce Company, told FFD that home-growers’ impact begins in July as runnerbean season starts.

“You can pretty much kiss their trade goodbye for the year, as people with large gardens and allotments are producing enough for themselves and all of their road, which they give away freely,” he said.

Rachel Empson, marketing manager at Blacker Hall Farm Shop, in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, said “inevitably” the growth in popularity of grow-your-own would impact shops if people were buying less. But she added: “Someone’s garden will also have limitations on what

they can grow. They can’t grow every single type of vegetable.”

The Udder Farm Shop in Gillingham, Dorset, is among those farm shops to benefit from home growers because some of its customers bring their excess crops in for the shop to sell.

Deputy manager Karen Hennessey said the produce included damsons, medlars and squashes.

“We look at how much we would get them for on the market and price them as though they are coming from another wholesaler,” she said. “Sometimes customers give them away.

That’s great for us because it’s 100% margin.”

Tony Heeson, chairman of The National Allotment Society, said grow-yourown fans were turning to more difficult crops, inspired by ethnic minority gardeners.

“Some allotments in Birmingham are full of exotic vegetables. It’s

Free-range chicken the big draw at new Suffolk shop Six Suffolk farmers working on the same family farm, in Stonham Aspall, have opened the Hog & Hen Farmshop to sell their own corn-fed free-range chicken.

The 345 sq ft shop sits on the 350-acre Mill Green Farm, which grows wheat, barley and oilseed rape.

The success of a smallscale roadside business prompted them to open the shop which occupies a former farm workshop and machinery store.

The shop is a joint venture between husband and wife Nathan and Naomi Wiffen, Naomi’s parents Mark and Rachael Howson and cousin Anna Salisbury and husband Luke.

Nathan Wiffen said: “Our free-range, corn-fed chicken we rear on the farm sets us apart.

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

“That’s a big reason for opening the shop because people want good quality free-range chicken and want the flavour.”

Hog & Hen also sells value-added products, such as chicken parcels stuffed with Suffolk Farmhouse blue cheese, cranberry & orange sauce, and a selection of local meats, milk, cheese, bread, sauces and chocolate.

Other products stocked include Essex asparagus tips, Suffolk apple juices, and local Sagitta potatoes.

IN BRIEF Riverford Organic is set to become 74% employee-owned on 8th June. Founder Guy Watson will retain a 26% stake in the veg box company. Watson believes giving staff a stake in the business will lead to them achieving more of their potential.

Both personal allotments and market gardens are on the increase

almost all for their own consumption,” he said. “It’s an increasing trend.”

The Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens (FCFCG) said the increase in home-grown fruit and vegetables came not solely from hobby and allotment gardeners but also from local communitymanaged farms and gardens.

FCFCG spokesman Ken Elkes said the UK had

enjoyed “steady growth” in the number of such groups, with an estimated 2,500, including 1,200 community gardens and an increasing number of community orchards and user-managed allotments.

He added: “Not all of these groups produce food, and those that do range from small ‘pocket’ gardens, with a few beds for vegetables, through to market gardens.”

Deborah Sagar, who spent much of her career promoting Welsh meat on the Continent, has opened Bonta Deli in Caernarfon, Gwynedd.

Bonta specialises in Welsh products but also carries European specialities.

Cornwall’s Camel Valley has become the first English Sparkling Wine producer to gain a Royal Warrant, thanks to The Prince of Wales.

He also granted a warrant to organic meat supplier Rhug Farm, in Denbighshire.

Selfridges launches edible drinks packs Department store group Selfridges has introduced a novel way of tackling pollution from plastic bottles of water – a receptacle you can eat.

Developed by London start-up Skipping Rocks Lab, Ooho is an edible, biodegradable packaging membrane made from 100% seaweed – so customers can eat or chuck it without guilt.

Selfridges said the material could be treated just like food and disposed of with food waste, but even if it ended up in landfill, it would degrade to its original elements.

Bruce Langlands, Selfridges’ food and restaurants director, said: “As part of our continued efforts to raise awareness of plastic pollution and the

damaging effects on the ocean, Ooho is a radical new way to help reduce the amount of plastic we use.

We hope our customers join us in our journey to try and eradicate as much plastic use as possible.”

Selfridges is selling Ooho-packaged drinks in blackcurrant, elderflower & cucumber, strawberry & rose, plain, Hot Shot Juice and charcoal & lime flavours – at prices from £1 to £2.

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

The Garlic Farm

Garlic Retail FROM ITS ORIGINS as a mixed farm to what is now a diversified garlic-gastro-tourism endeavour, The Garlic Farm remains focussed on the seemingly endless fascination with the mighty bulb. It is unusual for a brand to pin their product range, restaurant, visitor-centre, retail outlet, event-catering, holiday cottage and yurt accommodation all onto a single ingredient but this third-generation family business is as energised as ever.

“Garlic has been central to the flavour and folklore of cultures from around the world for many thousands of years so we are confident it will hold our customers’ interest” says director, Barnaby Edwards, who now runs the business with his wife Natasha.

“The team here at the farm shop and restaurant really enjoy giving customers an insight into where garlic has come from and what it can do. It’s a small but very powerful component to any dish, sauce, mayo, pickle or chutney and it’s great to see the surprise on the faces of visitors who experience the breadth of flavour it can offer” says Natasha.

This singular focus has not limited the breadth nor depth offered by the Isle of Wight business. This is partly due to an active and inventive team at the farm, lead by an impassioned family who constantly experiment with the versatility of garlic. Phil Hopkins, the head chef, manages to include garlic in every element of the meals, even pudding!

“Garlic doesn’t always need to be the hero.

The rounded ‘mid-tones’ of garlic are often where the magic is” says Phil. With different preparation methods, the full spectrum from sulphurous to sweet flavour profiles are explored. Black garlic is what transforms the garlic ice cream from something that sounds

We have seen customers more than double their profit-persquare-foot by merchandising our range together, using POS and tasters strange, into an addictively smooth, caramel treat. The restaurant on the farm is a great way to experience what this brand is about and by using the condiments, pickles, chutneys and sauces alongside the garlicky food, it’s an immersive way to support the retail arm.

Although they offer a selection from other producers and some chilled, this is not a traditional farm shop in the classic sense as the bulk of product on the shelves is their own. Pivotally, every single one of their lines is available to taste.

“I am surprised by the number of speciality retailers who don’t offer tastings…” says Barnaby “… at farmers’ markets (where our business began) you are unlikely to sell enough to make

your day worthwhile unless you draw people in to taste what you have…”.

Natasha adds: “The ‘Taste Experience’ at the farm is an investment, for sure, but visitors really enjoy themselves, particularly when they get to the very hot sauces! It supports sales both at the farm as well as for repeat purchases when they get home. We aim to turn our visitors into avid garlic fans!”

The results of effective merchandising are well known to readers of Fine Food Digest and The Garlic Farm has built its range to exploit the ‘rainbow effect’ in its own shop. Positioning fresh produce (which smells great) and some display plaits amongst the various themes within their ambient lines works well for them as well as the key accounts they supply.

“Being retailers ourselves helps us be better producers” says Barnaby. “We have seen customers more than double their profitper-square-foot by merchandising our range together, using POS and tasters and putting some fresh or smoked garlic at the heart of the display along with a quirky ‘magpie’ product like our black garlic beer or garlic vodka”.

Although farming on the Isle of Wight as well as with partners in France, Spain and eastern Europe is the core of what they do, this brand is pushing forward. They bring their garlic and garlic products to consumers at markets, shows as well as festival and event catering.

The reason for committing to invest in reaching consumers in this way is to support retail growth.

“We exist in and supply the independent, fine food sector so we need to give consumers really strong reasons to buy our products from specialist shops. Getting out to markets, into fields and events is important to build awareness and, pivotally, taste what we do. Over 200,000 people visit us on the farm every year, so we have a good head-start but we recognise that part of the reason our products perform for the retailers we supply is that we get out there, in front of people.”

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NEWS

Vegan Society denounces threats after trolls’ latest farm shop attack

By Andrew Don

People threatening farm businesses in the name of veganism have been branded extremists by The Vegan Society after yet another farm shop received abuse last month.

The latest incident, at Tottingworth Farm Shop, in East Sussex, has seen both physical protests and offensive comments on the business’s Facebook page.

This comes hard on the heels of online threats against the Crickmore family, who produce cheese and raw milk at Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk, and social media posts about egg production aimed at Chelmsford’s Lathcoats Farm Shop earlier this year.

“There are extremists in every movement but they are not representative of the movement as a whole,” said Vegan Society spokeswoman Dominika Piasecka.

She added that online threats were not uncommon and had been an ongoing

Several farm businesses have reported online abuse from trolls identifying as vegans in the last few months

issue between farmers and vegans.

The Vegan Society does not support “any threats of violence or abusive behaviour or language towards anyone”, she said, and it encourages activists to share their message peacefully and positively.

Tottingworth Farm Shop’s owners said it has been subject to on-site protests on a regular basis and “offensive and insulting”

Muslin, cotton or paper but not plastic at Devon shop An Exmouth farm shop employee has persuaded her boss to switch from plastic for packaging fruit and vegetable to more environmentally-friendly paper, cotton and muslin bags.

Sharon Jenkins, who works at The Farm Shop, said she was frustrated every time customers asked for plastic bags when they already had carriers.

As a result, she started buying paper bags online and making her own muslin bags with draw strings.

Her action persuaded boss Gez Reilly that other materials were better for the environment as well as for the fruit and veg, which sweated in plastic.

“They’re great for things like mushrooms, because they can breathe,” said

Jenkins.

She added the 5p plastic bag charge was “ridiculous” and should be a lot higher to deter people.

“Shoppers should make a point of telling shops to get rid of plastic.”

comments on its social media pages but a recent assault on its Facebook page had forced them to act.

“We have chosen during this time to ignore their actions but sadly over the last few months, they have expressed their views by giving irrelevant one-star reviews purely down to their own beliefs,” the business owners said on their Facebook page. “This has therefore reduced our rating

IN BRIEF unfairly.”

The review section of its Facebook page has been closed for the time being.

Piasecka told FFD that The Vegan Society received threats regularly on social media.

She added: “We are also aware that some of these alleged threats and online abuse are being made by trolls who are not vegan and have no concern either for farmers or for veganism.”

Dulcie Crickmore, who runs Fen Farm Dairy with husband Jonny, said extremists were moving from business to business but farmers and shop owners should not try to engage with them unless there was an indication they were prepared to listen and argue cogently.

The Crickmores were targeted by supposed vegans after posting a photo of calves from their farm online and only contacted police when trolls made threats against their children.

Waitrose is planning to phase out all disposable coffee cups from its shops by this autumn.

Customers who claim free coffee and tea under the MyWaitrose scheme will now have to use reusable cups.

The retailer will also no longer stock plastic drinking straws after September and has already replaced all straws in its cafés with paper versions.

Fairfields Farm Crisps has appointed Richard Glennan as its managing director. Glennan previously ran vegetable crisp specialist Glennans, which was bought by Tyrrells in 2012.

Wilfred EmmanuelJones, CEO and founder of The Black Farmer brand, has launched The Hatchery, a collaborative incubator for ambitious food entrepreneurs.

Fresh veg specialist opens new store The Sussex Produce Company has opened its second outlet – in Goringby-sea, an affluent suburb of Worthing.

The 1,000 sq ft shop, is about half-an-hour’s drive from its existing outlet in Steyning, the larger of the two at 5,000 sq ft with restaurant, production kitchen and warehouse.

The expansion comes just over 10 years since founder Nick Hempleman opened the business focusing on Sussex farmers and producers.

Hempleman had hoped to open the new branch on 8th March but it was not until about a month later that the shop was able to start trading because of issues trying to get a three-phase electricity

supply installed to power refrigeration.

He said the new branch focused solely on retail.

“It will hopefully double the amount of money we spend with our suppliers.

“We want to shake our range up a bit and get more local producers in.

“We will be flexible

on the merchandising because there will be products that do well in Goring that don’t in Steyning.”

He added: “We make an awful lot of our own ready meals using local ingredients and I can foresee those being particularly popular.”

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NEWS

Manchester farm shop’s mince mix-up proves a costly warning

By Andrew Don

A Greater Manchester farm shop has warned other stores with butchery counters to check their HACCP plan and beware of crosscontamination from their mincers after being caught out by its local council.

Albion Farm Shop and Café, in Saddleworth, incurred penalties of nearly £2,000 for selling lamb mince containing 20% beef to an incognito official from Oldham Council.

The presence of other meat in the lamb sample was a result of carry-over from the previous mincing of beef that same hour.

Albion director Laura Sneath-Hirst director told FFD she is confident such a situation will not arise again because the counter has introduced a new policy – it will no longer mince most types of meat on walk-in requests.

The shop now displays a notice asking customers to either pre-order at least

24 hours ahead or visit the display fridge for pre-packed minced lamb and other meats.

“We have been made aware of other butchery counters also following suit and deciding to mince all their meats in advance,” Sneath-Hirst said.

“We believe it is the only way we can continue to offer a great product and minimise risk for everyone.”

In total, the shop was

A sample of ‘lamb’ mince from Albion Farm Shop was 20% beef

Patchwork hires specialist trio for foodservice push The Patchwork Food Company has hired three experienced food professionals as it looks to do more business with the foodservice sector.

Dr Graham Jackson (former chairman of KK Fine Foods), Jo Rudkin (previously sales manager at Bidfood) and Jon Spencer (ex-factory manager for 2 Sisters) have all joined the senior team, as Patchwork prepares to launch a new foodservice format.

The Welsh producer is launching no-waste, portion-controlled patés in 20 different flavours, which it says will capitalise on the trend towards bar snack foods rather than threecourse meals.

“We have been making paté for over 35 years and have recently had numerous requests from the various

fined £1,000 plus £700 costs and a £100 victim surcharge under the Food Safety Act 1990, Section 15 1 (a), covering false descriptions.

Sneath-Hirst said: “Given the action taken on the small sample that was tested, we would encourage all farm shops to take precautionary measures to ensure they could not become subject to a similar case.”

Pattisons Family

pub groups for real quality patés as opposed to the bland Brussels and Ardennes patés which currently exist and dominate the marketplace,” said Patchwork MD Rufus Carter.

Carter added that the recent hires were a “declaration of our commitment” to expanding in foodservice. patchworkfoods.com

Experienced: (l-r) Jon Spencer, Jo Rudkin and Dr Graham Jackson

IN BRIEF Butcher, in Mossley, Greater Manchester, said on Facebook that it was not practical to take a mincer apart “every time a little old lady wants half a pound of minced lamb”.

It added that it would be adopting Albion’s system of refusing ad hoc requests for minced meat – other than beef – if it wasn’t already on the counter.

An FSA spokeswoman told FFD it was the responsibility of all food businesses to comply with food safety and hygiene laws to ensure food was handled safely, was safe for consumers and met consumer expectations.

“Food Hygiene Regulations are based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, used to identify any potential safety hazards in the production of food,” she said.

“It also helps businesses look at how they handle food to avoid issues like crosscontamination.”

Organ’s Vegan Easy Egg mix has won the FAIR trophy for the best overall product at the FreeFrom Food Awards 2018.

Booja Booja’s Hazelnut Crunch Truffles were one of the runners-up for the top prize.

Shops of the future are likely to need more loos, more space at the tills and more ready-meals to meet the needs of an ageing population, according to Hidenori Tsunematsu of Japanese retailer FamilyMart. He was speaking at the Annual Summit of small shops group, the ACS. A new award, for Best Sheep Cheese, has been created for the 2018 British Cheese Awards, to recognize the increased popularity of the style. Last year’s Supreme Champion was White Lake Cheese’s sheep’s milk Pavé Cobble.

Campaign promotes new combos to get Brits into Japanese sake Sake with fish & chips could become the norm if the latest efforts of the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Centre (JFOODO) strike a chord with food and drink aficionados.

JFOODO is vying to transform the way sake is served and enjoyed in the UK. A new multimedia campaign aims to inspire wine enthusiasts and food lovers to fully appreciate the versatility of the drink by trying it with non-Japanese food such as fish & chips, oysters, and even cheese.

The diverse flavours, textures and temperatures of sake, and the way it is created, means it is as flexible as wine, and works perfectly with any dish, according to the

promotional organisation.

It has also launched a new website, www. foodandsake.com, which introduces a range of sake brands and their food “harmonies”.

Yoko Shuto, spokeswoman for JFOODO, said sake was enjoying a revival, with many more enthusiasts discovering new premium brands that had appeared in the UK in recent years.

But misconceptions still persisted, she said, including that sake should only be paired with Japanese food and that it’s best enjoyed hot, served in ceramic cups.

“This campaign challenges consumers to reframe their experience of sake by highlighting the many different grades and tastes of sake and how they enhance a wide range of other dishes, from Italian to classic British food,” said Shuto.

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

13

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

JEREMY CLEVETT, owner, Wildmoor Deli, Bovey Tracey, Devon Before moving to the UK with my British wife Kate, I spent many years in my native Canada working in the restaurant and wine trades, followed by some time in Australia, where I furthered my education in wine-making.

When the deli came up for sale, it had been in the same family for 150 years, during which the town had changed considerably. The shop had been operating as a deli-grocer, but with the opening of both a Tesco and a Spar, we wanted to make it more of a fine food deli with an accent on wine and cheese pairings. Taking it in a new direction presented an interesting challenge.

We knew we couldn’t come in and change everything overnight, so we let people get used to us first, then, after three months in July 2015, we rebranded, installed a café and revamped the courtyard, for outdoor dining. We now open every Friday evening during the summer months serving wine and charcuterie boards.

There were some aspects of the old business we would have been silly to change. For example, this deli has always carried Tiptree products.

I support small local producers but quickly realised that it made sense to stick with Tiptree as well, even though it isn’t a local brand, as customers were asking for it. We also have a large wholefoods section, driven by customer demand.

With my background in the restaurant industry, which is more predictable, one of the biggest challenges has been how to manage fluctuating trading patterns. It can rain one day and be really quiet, then on another rainy day the shop is teeming. I’ve learned to ride out this unpredictability by planning in weeks rather than days and taking advantage of quiet days to work on other projects.

We’re just going into our fourth year of trading.

Growth has largely gone to plan, although losing the bank next door was detrimental to footfall in town, so we have had to come up with new ways of generating revenue. We do a lot of events and hold wine tastings every three months. One recent event, a gin masterclass followed by a jazz concert at the Dartmoor Whisky Distillery, was an outstanding success. I do these events because I love doing them but also because they raise our profile as a business.

Last autumn, we launched an online shop with our signature wine & cheese boxes. In retrospect we should have done this sooner, as establishing an online presence is a slow burner – it takes time to build up trust. That said, building a good website is expensive and at the time we were busy focusing on getting the café up and running.

Interview Lynda Searby Photography Nick Hook

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

Multipacks of sausages, sticky ribs and drumsticks seem like good value if you only ever expect to cremate them

By Michael Lane, Editor

This is the part of the magazine where I’m supposed to tell you that the sun is coming out and it’s all going to be ok.

There is an element of truth to that most vanilla of statements. After Christmas, summer is surely the independent retailer’s biggest seasonal selling opportunity. And FFD has you covered with more than 10 pages on some key categories for the warmer (in theory) months.

But it’s not as simple as cramming your store with products and opening the doors to the sandal-clad masses.

Whatever they’re selling, retailers need to take a bit of responsibility. Whether it’s down to the heat or the holiday spirit, customers can get carried away. It look be great on the till roll if a pair of picnickers ends up with six scotch eggs, four pieces of cheese and a family-size jar of chutney but will they ever come back?

Unless they step in to advise the customer on volume, a retailer is leaving themselves open to resentment for saddling a customer with too much food and for being too expensive.

Sacrificing repeat business for one payday is not a long-term plan.

A different kind of heat (that of the moment) can get to counter staff, too. When you’re busy, it’s easy to let a customer just have their stuff but you still need to impart the knowledge that sets you apart from the big boys.

As I discovered when speaking to butchers for our section on meat, barbecuers are trying

out larger, more expensive cuts of meat these days. If someone takes a £50 piece of brisket home and slaps it on the grill without the important piece of cooking advice from the retailer – don’t cook it over flame – then the blame will lie with the person who sold it to them.

And that punter will go to the supermarket next time – multipacks of sausages, sticky ribs and drumsticks seem like good value if you only ever expect to cremate them.

Despite the march of veganism, people will still want meat for the barbeque this year but it might not be the same as last year. Apart from the aforementioned big cuts of meat, the trends in steak are for cuts like bavette and hanger. More than one interviewee told me that rump has completely fallen out of favour. So, it’s always worth updating your ranges even if items have sold well in the past.

Unlike some branches of food retail, running a deli or farm shop isn’t just about reacting to sunlight and consumer trends. You have the freedom to experiment, as well.

Whether you want to promote a new product you really believe in, shift over-ordered stock or just drive footfall, then getting your signage right is key. Have a look at page 5 for a risky attention-grabbing example or read my colleague Jilly Sitch’s advice, on page 45.

Don’t let the sun define your summer, make sure you do.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

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Retail mapping RICHARD KNIGHT Regional Director, Shopper Anonymous How well do you know your customer journey? No, I’m not talking about the make of car or the number of the bus they take to your shop but rather the journey that takes them from “unaware” to “loyal customer”.

It might sound like the dark arts of the supermarkets but “mapping” your customer journey could help delis and farm shops attract new consumers and keep them. Essentially, what you’re doing is learning about any customer’s (potential or regular) experience with your business.

Your customers will have multiple touch points with your business and brand. They can be before (for instance, marketing through a local newspaper), during (talking to staff in store) or after (engaging with you on Facebook or Twitter) a purchase. Whether it is via people or media, you will have a level of LQŴXHQFH RQ DOPRVW HYHU\ SRLQW Some of you may think you know your customers inside out but these experiences are changing month on month and mapping their current interactions with you is key to meeting and exceeding their expectations.

Here’s a step-by-step process: 1 – What is your goal for your customers? And what will they be saying, feeling and doing at each touch point?

2 – Who are your customers? Create personas, or stereotypes, for the main customer types and try to get inside their heads.

3 – Get the team together. Ask staff to be involved in the mapping process – they see things you don’t!

4 – Map it. Plot the journey in a visual format identifying stages, the various communication channels and the customers’ emotions.

5 – Test it. Gather insight on the customer journey through surveys, focus groups or mystery shopper.

6 – Review it. Is your understanding of the journey really the reality?

This technique will allow you to highlight those points when repeat customers could potentially “get lost” or why some future FXVWRPHUV QHYHU ƓQG WKHLU GHVWLQDWLRQ Ŋ \RX So, what does your customers journey look like?

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CHEESEWIRE Bath’s Merry Wyfe adds to tide of British washed rinds

Bath Soft Cheese Co’s Merry Wyfe is one of several new washed rind varieties from British makers that have hit the market recently

By Patrick McGuigan

We’ve had the rise of goats’ cheese and the British blues explosion, now home-grown pungent washed rind cheeses are set to become the next big thing on deli counters.

That’s the view of Hugh Padfield, MD of Bath Soft Cheese Co, which is the latest in a growing number of British producers to move into the world of cheese washing.

The company, whose Bath Blue was named Supreme Champion at the World Cheese Awards in 2014, has launched Merry Wyfe, which is made with the same curd as the gouda-style Wyfe of Bath,

but is pressed and washed in Padfield’s homemade cider.

It joins a host of new washed rind cheeses from British artisan producers, including Trethowan’s Wendolyn (washed in Somerset Cider Brandy), Julie Cheyney’s St Cera (a brine-washed version of St Jude) and Village Maid’s Maida Vale (washed in IPA). “The reason we are seeing such a boom in washed rind cheeses is because of the journey British cheese eaters have been on,� said Padfield. “We’ve had a boom in soft cheeses and British blues, which have introduced people to cheeses with bigger flavours.

news & views from the cheese counter

Washed rind is the next step because they deliver such a diverse spectrum of flavours.

You don’t tend to find them in supermarkets and people want to explore and conquer new cheeses.�

Sales of the sprucewrapped, washed rind cheese Rollright, which launched three years ago, are growing at around 30% a year, said David Jowett, who makes the cheese at King Stone Dairy in Oxfordshire. He said that retailers have played an important part in its success. “The quality of cheesemongers has improved so they can better explain these styles of cheeses to customers and get them to try them.�

Patricia Michelson, owner of La Fromagerie, said the success of washed rind cheeses from the verdant pastures of southern Ireland has also encouraged British producers. “For UK cheeses like Rollright and more recently Maida Vale, they also come from regions that have a temperate climate with good humidity in the air and lush but not overly wet pasture – all ideal conditions for grazing and the style of cheese that reacts well to surface rind washing,� she said. “British cheesemaking is taking on a much more informed approach to ‘terroir’ and what it has to offer.�

More than a third of British cheese is now exported, according to data from AHDB Dairy.

Exports jumped 23% in January compared to the same month in 2017. “There is a growing WUHQG IRU FKHHVHERDUGV ZLWKLQ Ć“QH GLQLQJ experiences, particularly in the US and Japan,â€?

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5HVHDUFKHUV DW WKHb)UHQFKb1DWLRQDO ,QVWLWXWH for Agricultural Research have developed a way to slash cheese ripening times from months to just days. The technique, which is EUDQGHG )URPĹ?,QQRY LQYROYHV VHSDUDWLQJ WKH production of the cheese and its aroma in the laboratory, before mixing them later to create the desired product.

Elsdon The Northumberland Cheese Company is arguably best known for its naturalrinded goats’ cheese Brinkburn, but the Newcastle-based company also makes a fresher, crumblier cheese called Elsdon.

Aged for up to four months with no rind, it is creamy, crumbly and tangy.

Sour cherry curd A collaboration between Essex preserves company Thursday Cottage and the National Trust, this vibrant preserve is made using traditional kitchen cupboard ingredients, including cane sugar, free range egg and butter. The tartness of the cherries and the ULFK EXWWHU\ ŴDYRXU VLW QLFHO\ ZLWK WKH DFLGLW\ and creaminess of the cheese. The curd’s racy pinky-red colour also provides a nice contrast with the brilliant white cheese.

Fig tart Easily crumbled and made with vegetarian rennet, Elsdon is a great cooking cheese, especially for veggie dishes. Use in VDODGV VRXIĹ´ÂŤV DQG VDQGZLFKHV 7KH FRPSDQ\ recommends a sweet and savoury recipe for Ć&#x201C;J DQG JRDWVĹ? FKHHVH WDUW E\ <RWDP 2WWROHQJKL which contains thyme and is drizzled with lemon icing, made by whisking lemon juice and icing sugar.

NEWS IN BRIEF

The countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest Stilton producer, Long Clawson Dairy, has invested ÂŁ7m in new machinery and an extension at its Leicestershire factory. The expansion will boost capacity to meet rising export orders to countries including the US, Canada, China and Australia.

THREE WAYS WITH...

Award-winning cheese shop The Courtyard Dairy has called on the public to help it learn more about Wensleydale.

Owner Andy Swinscoe is asking for old photos (such as the one pictured of a housewife in the 1930s), books and recipes to help him better understand how the iconic cheese was made before the advent of industrial production. He hopes to recreate a 1930s-style Wensleydale as part of the Yorkshire Dales Cheese Festival in September. thecourtyarddairy.co.uk

Vouvray Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley is a classic match for goatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cheese, but the area is also home to sparkling Vouvray. Made with Chenin Blanc grapes using the traditional method, the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;brutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wines have plenty of acidity to cut through the creaminess, while the bubbles help refresh the palate. The ZLQHV DOVR KDYH D GHOLFDWH Ĺ´RUDO VFHQW ZKLFK VRIWHQV WKH HDUWK\ Ć&#x201C;QLVK RI WKH FKHHVH

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

17

CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

New dairy harks back to 18th century with Double Gloucester

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE ALAN WATSON, manager, La Cave à Fromage, Hove

By Patrick McGuigan

The resurgence of British territorial cheeses has received further impetus with the creation of a new farmhouse Double Gloucester, based on a description from the 18th century.

Chedworth Double Gloucester has been developed in a joint collaboration between Manor Farm in Chedworth, Gloucestershire, which has a 260-strong herd of Shorthorns and Friesians, and cheesemakers Neil Robinson and Dominique Lizé-Beaulieu, after the couple were introduced to the farm by Neal’s Yard Dairy.

The 8-10kg raw milk cheese, aged for four months

by Neal’s Yard, is one of several territorial cheeses to have been launched recently. As reported in FFD, Trethowan’s is making a new cloth-bound cheddar, the producer of Sparkenhoe Red Leicester has moved into Stilton production and Whin Yeats is making a raw milk Wensleydale.

“There’s definitely a trend for rediscovering British territorial cheeses,” said LizéBeaulieu. “The more people

CHEESE IN PROFILE with

Gorgonzola What’s the story?

Gorgonzola was reportedly discovered more than a thousand years ago when a cheesemaker in Lombardy abandoned his curd overnight in pursuit of a beautiful woman. He returned the next morning and tried to cover up his mistake by adding fresh curds to the previous day’s production. Little did he know that the higher acidity of the overnight curd would prevent it from knitting together with the new batch, leaving cracks for the blue mould to develop.

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

Mellow, delicate and rich: the description of Double Gloucester from William Marshall’s Rural Economy written in the 18th Century.

taste them, the more they seek them out.”

Canadian Lizé-Beaulieu and Robinson, a Brit, started making cheese as a hobby several years ago, before moving to the farm’s kitchen. A new dairy at the farm will be operational in June.

The cheese is based on descriptions of Double Gloucester found in the 18th century book Rural Economy of Gloucestershire by William

Marshall. “He used words such as ‘mellow, delicate, rich and pungent without being sharp’, which is what we have tried to recreate,” she said.

“We personally love British territorial cheeses and the farm is in Gloucestershire, so it made sense to make Double Gloucester. There are other producers out there, but there’s room in the market for another.”

One of the best (and most frustrating) things about cheese is that it is always changing.

Season, feed and ageing all have an effect, which is why Alan Watson tries to taste every cheese that comes into the shop.

“Even if I think I know a cheese inside out, I’ll still taste it because they can vary so much,” he says. “We had an Appenzeller in the other day that was absolutely delicious, but didn’t taste like any of the others – it wasn’t sticky and spicy, but more nutty like a Gruyère.”

Watson samples as he works, taking slivers with a cheese plane, but also sits down with the team every Friday for an in-depth tasting and discussion of six randomly selected cheeses.

“I want customers to ask me ‘what’s tasting good?’,” he says. “But I can only answer that if I’m tasting it myself.” la-cave.co.uk

it has a crumbly texture DQG VWURQJHU ŴDYRXU Whichever the type, the rind should not be eaten.

Milk: Cows’, pasteurised How is it made?

Today, Gorgonzola is made LQ RQH SURFHVV Ŋ VSHFLƓHG by a Protected Designation of Origin – using pasteurised milk in the Lombardy and Piedmont regions of Italy.

Once the curds are drained in moulds, the cheese is dry-salted over several days before it is vertically pierced to allow oxygen to activate the blue mould.

Appearance and texture: Predominantly available as a soft cheese, it is

Cheesemonger tip: When it’s at its gooey stage, it is best to dispense Gorgonzola in a resealable tub rather than cheese paper.

renowned for the “eyes” or tubes of the blue moulds that tend to form mainly down the vertical piercing lines. The pH is high in the paste and the moisture is high too, so the cheese breaks down until nearly liquid. The mycelium created by the mould is not targeted by this breakdown so it appears to form tubes instead, especially as the paste becomes more liquid.

Variations and character: There are actually two types

of Gorgonzola. The Dolce (“sweet”), which accounts for the vast majority of production, is soft and creamy with a delicate blue spice. The Piccante (“spicy”) is aged at higher temperatures for longer, so

Chef’s recommendation: For a quick and delicious lunch, stir unctuous Gorgonzola Dolce into shallots sautéed in butter, ground coriander and black pepper. Add cream and pour over warm tagliatelle or gnocchi.

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

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CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

My heart sank when I got the letter because it’s another layer of bureaucracy

Jane Stewart oversees the production of some 20 tonnes of cheese annually

A life in the raw Despite more stringent environmental inspections, St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese is sticking with unpastuerised cheeses and with other makers Interview by Patrick McGuigan

Previously limited to the food pages of Sunday supplements, artisan cheese has become front page news in Scotland for reasons that have nothing to do with fluffy soufflé recipes.

Last year’s decision by food authorities to blame the unpasteurised Dunsyre Blue for a fatal E.coli outbreak continues to make headlines today, with cheesemaker Errington embroiled in a bitter legal battle to clear its name. A ruling from Lanark Sheriff Court is expected soon.

At the same time, the sector has featured regularly in the business pages with stories of cheese shipments to the US, Asia and even France as the Scottish Government supports the dairy sector in a bid to boost food exports.

For the country’s close-knit band of artisan cheesemakers, it’s been a turbulent time of highs and lows. Jane Stewart, who owns St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese with dairy farmer husband Robert, has been following the news more closely than most, partly because she makes raw milk cheese, but also in her role as the chair of the Fine Cheesemakers of Scotland – a producer group set up with government funding in 2016.

The Errington’s story has thankfully had little impact on public perception of artisan cheese, she explains over coffee at the café and production unit, overlooking the Forth of Firth, which was built 10 years ago to add value to the farm’s milk.

“Nobody at markets asks if it’s raw milk cheese unless they are actively seeking it out as a sign of quality,” she says. “Most people are far more concerned with supporting

local producers. The public have been hugely supportive of Errington and cheesemakers in general.”

There have been other consequences, however, with some producers reporting big increases in testing costs as EHOs clamp down on raw milk cheese. This has not been an issue for St Andrews, which already implements rigorous testing as part of its SALSA accreditation, but the company has been chosen by Fife Council to trial a new tougher food inspection system being piloted across eight councils in Scotland in conjunction with Food Standards Scotland.

“I think it’s been introduced because of the Errington case,” says Stewart with a frown. “My heart sank to my boots when I got the letter because it’s another layer of bureaucracy, which takes up time and seems to duplicate what we’re already doing with SALSA.” St Andrews produces 20 tonnes of raw milk cheese a year, including Cheshire-style Anster and St Andrews Farmhouse cheddar. Around 80% stays in Scotland, but sales south of the border and overseas are a big focus. It exports to chefs in France and now supplies Canadian distributor Finica Foods, after Stewart met the buyer at Showcasing Scotland – a trade event in Gleneagles organised by the governmentfunded Scotland Food & Drink.

“That’s why Scotland Food & Drink is so important,” says Stewart. “We need to take a collective approach – we’re stronger as a group.

Getting Anster into one of the big London food halls by itself is hard, but as part of a range of Scottish cheeses, it’s a stronger proposition.”

Fine Cheesemakers of Scotland is part of this collective approach, with regular meetings to develop ways of promoting Scottish cheese, from grading techniques to adding value to cheese.

“It might be 10 years since we first started, but I still see myself as an enthusiastic amateur,” says Stewart modestly. “We’re always learning.”

CROSS

SECTION

Fleet Valley Blue 1

Anster (pronounced ‘Ainster’) is the nickname for the nearby fishing village of Anstruther. The cheese was developed with the help of Welsh cheesemaker Leon Downey, who trained Jane Stweart when she was first setting up. It was based on the recipe for his famous cheese Llangloffan and is similar in style to Cheshire.

2 Made with traditional pint starters, animal rennet and raw milk from the farm’s 200-strong herd of Holstein-Friesians, the 15kg cheese is aged for around two months and has a natural rind (no cloth).

3 The texture is moist and flaky with a milky flavour and bright citrus notes, plus an interesting earthy character just beneath the thin rind.

standrewscheese.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

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CUT&DRIED

making more of British & Continental charcuterie

Guild cracks code for specialist producers

By Mick Whitworth

The Guild of Fine Food’s longawaited Code of Practice for Artisan Charcuterie Production is published this month.

The 94-page reference document gives producers guidance on meeting many of the essential food safety and trading standards requirements for Continental-style meats.

It includes detailed advice on creating a HACCP plan to protect against potential safety risks around charcuteriemaking, and spells out the main parameters around pH, water activity, times and temperatures that EHOs will be looking out for.

There is also extensive advice on the legal requirements for labelling, allergen declarations, weights and measures and other trading standards issues.

Written by technical specialists at Cornwall Council, with input from leading charcuterie producers, the code is backed by a coordinated Primary Authority (PA) partnership between the Guild and the Council.

Assured Code of Practice for

Guild-member charcuterie producers can opt in to the PA scheme at no extra cost. If they then follow the advice in the code, it will give a level of protection if their processes and procedures are challenged by their local inspecting authority.

Artisan Charcuterie Production

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FIRST EDITION: APRIL 2018

Which products are covered?

•F ermented meats (salamis etc) • Air-dried meats (including biltong) • Smoked meats • Ambient and chilled patés Key sections • HACCP steps •P ersonnel and work procedures • Approvals and inspections • Sampling • Traceability, product withdrawal and recall •L abelling and allergen declarations • Use By and Best Before • Animal waste management • Weights and measures

Primary Authority advice is shared across England and Wales, and their enforcement officers are required to bear that advice in mind when carrying out inspections.

Any producer can buy a copy of the code, but they will only benefit from PA protection if they are Guild members.

Cornwall Council already has experience of working with the fine food sector, thanks to a PA partnership with the Specialist Cheesemakers Association.

The charcuterie code is available free to Guild members as an interactive PDF, or for £20 plus VAT as a print copy.

Non-members can purchase the PDF and one print copy for £75 plus VAT. info@gff.co.uk for details

Cured meat awards shortlist announced Producers from all corners of the UK will see their charcuterie represented at the finals of the British Cured Meat Awards (BCMAs) later this month.

BCMA organiser Sean Cannon of wholesaler Cannon & Cannon revealed the 50 shortlisted products in April.

The final judging will take place at the inaugural British Cured Meat Festival at London’s Borough Market on Sunday 26th May. The shortlist includes mace coppa from Ispini in Northern Ireland, leek salami from Cwm Farm in south Wales, hot smoked venison sausage with elderberries & juniper

from Scotland’s Highland Charcuterie and spreadable chorizo from Three Little Pigs in East Yorkshire.

They were selected during two days of first-round judging at 42 Southwark St, the Guild of Fine Food’s events venue near Borough Market, which saw

Veteran butcher Andrew Sharp and London retailer Holly Chaves at the first-round judging

TOM BEESTON CEO, Rare Breeds Survival Trust

To keep a pig, you have to eat it The code is available free to Guild members as an interactive PDF

Q&A

GO NATIVE

nearly 160 entries tasted and assessed.

Judges included charcutier and meat consultant Illtud Dunsford, Brindisa product training manager James Robinson, MasterChef finalist Juanita Hennessey and Sunday Times Magazine food editor Lisa Markwell.

Other products through to the finals include a hot smoked beef brisket from Native Breeds, spicy boudin noir from Trealy Farm, organic ’nduja from Peelham Farm and Islington saucisson from Cobble Lane Cured. britishcuredmeatfestival. co.uk/awards

If pushed to name a traditional British pig, most people could probably come up with the Tamworth and the Gloucestershire Old Spots.

You can buy Old Spots sausages in M&S and Waitrose, after all, and Tamworths pop up on the odd gastro-pub menu.

What most wouldn’t realise is how close these breeds are to disappearing from our menus forever.

Our 2018-19 Watchlist of endangered native breeds shows every single one of Britain’s 11 traditional pig breeds are under threat of extinction.

The Middle White, once popular with butchers everywhere as the “London Porker”, is one of those most heavily at risk. There are fewer than 200 registered breeding females in the UK. The British Landrace, British Lop and Large Black fall into the same endangered category. Even the Old Spots has only 500 pedigree breeding sows left.

To save these animals, we have to eat more of them. Rare farm breeds can’t exist just to look pretty in the countryside.

There has to be a commercial incentive for farmers to put the time and effort into them.

Does it matter than these breeds could disappear? It does if you care about flavour, quality and the ability to command premium prices.

We desperately need to create consumer demand for products using – and naming – traditional breeds.

Cotswold chef-turned-charcutier Ben Dulley, of The Salt Pig Curing Company, is one champion of traditional breeds. “At the higher end of fine dining,” he says, “you look for the best of the best. Customers buy into the whole story – the quality of the product, the care taken over the animals, the time spent in producing the best, authentic charcuterie.”

We need more farmers producing traditional breeds, but we also need more deli counters and farm shop cafés pushing these premium products out to discerning consumers. rbst.org.uk

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

23

SUMMER DINING

Let’s go outside We begin FFD’s mammoth round-up of products for summer dining with a look at the latest dressings and sauces. Later on, you will also find ice cream (p31), beers, wines & spirits (p39), and mixers (p43).

For those with butchery counters, we’ve written about the cuts you should be considering, too (p32).

Compiled by Lynda Searby, Lauren Phillips and Michael Lane

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

dressings & sauces

A Caribbean and South American fusion

A splash of Irish poitin gives Fitzpatrick’s Ketchup its distinctive flavour profile.

Described in the Irish Times as “less sweet than many similar condiments…with a nice mild kick from the added poitin”, this burger accompaniment is not yet listed by any retailers in the UK. Trade price is €3.00; RRP €4.50. frank@fitzpatricks-ketchup.com

The latest addition to The Smokey Carter’s range of world inspired BBQ rubs and sauces promises to take the taste buds on a journey to Mexico. The smokey chipotle mayo is a rich and smoky recipe made with free range eggs, rapeseed oil, spices and Mexican chipotle chilli. RRP £4.20.

Trade price £15 (case of six). thesmokeycarter.com

This new chilli sauce from The Chilli Alchemist is a Caribbean and South American fusion, with rum and citrusy, tropical Amarillo chilli the star ingredients, alongside fresh mango, lime, vanilla bean and spices. It imparts mild/ medium heat to white fish and meat dishes and comes in a 200ml hand finished cork and wax sealed apothecary bottle. RRP £9.99. chillialchemist.co.uk

Hot off the hob is Dorset Inferno from the Dorset Chilli Shop. Ready to wholesale but not yet on shelf in any retail outlets, the super hot sauce combines locally grown Naga chilli, tomatoes, roasted red onions and garlic with steamed fennel, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

Wholesale price £3; RRP £5 for 100ml. dorsetchillishop.co.uk

Having redefined ketchup and BBQ sauce with a range that rebukes refined sugar and other nasties, natural condiments producer Dr Will’s is moving onto mayonnaise. Its three new mayo varieties – avocado, classic and spicy – are said to be lower in fat than others on the market. They come in 250ml pots. dr-wills.com

Tapping into the smoked chipotle trend is Cool Chile Co, with a spicy ketchup made from Mexican chipotles in adobo and tomatoes.

The London producer says the chipotle chillies give this sweet, tangy ketchup a smoky depth of flavour. RRP £4 for 260g. coolchile.co.uk

“Hot-happiness itself on a sausage and the star of barbecues” is how Tracklements introduces its latest creation – hot mustard ketchup.

Golden in colour and velvety in texture, the hot table sauce is available in cases of 6 x 230ml. RRP £3.20. tracklements.co.uk

Roast garlic & herb, fig & pomegranate and Alphonso mango & chilli are the three latest flavour combinations to join Cottage Delight’s collection of dressings. They come in 250ml bottles and have an RRP of £3.954.60. cottagedelight.co.uk

>>

So new that they are not yet listed with any retailers, KĂźhneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Made for Meat sauces are billed as â&#x20AC;&#x153;big taste table sauces WKDW SDFN D Ĺ´DYRXUVRPH punchâ&#x20AC;?. Chipotle burger style, Sriracha hot chilli,

7KH Ć&#x201C;UVW EDWFK RI Rebel Chilliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s QHZ EDUUHO DJHG hot sauce is ready, and with just 900 bottles available, the sauce quite literally is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;limited editionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Ageing for 62 days in an Irish whisky EDUUHO JLYHV WKH PLOG medium roasted pepper VDXFH D VPRN\ Ĺ´DYRXU 7UDGH price â&#x201A;Ź5.25. RRP â&#x201A;Ź7 for 150ml. rebelchilli.com

Newcomer Big Bowse is hoping to shake up the hot sauce category with a new K\EULG VDXFH PDULQDGH WKDW can be used for cooking, dipping, sauteing and Ć&#x201C;QLVKLQJ 7KH Ć&#x201C;UVW WZR â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sarinadesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the range are Tropical Tang (pineapples and scotch bonnet chillis with a butterscotch sidekick) and Spicy Sarinade (thick and smoky with coffee and chipotle chilli). Trade price ÂŁ3.50; RRP ÂŁ4.50. bigbowse.com

World of Zing claims to have brought to the table â&#x20AC;&#x153;exciting new ingredient combinations and spicy twists on condiment FODVVLFVĹ? ZLWK D QHZ Ć&#x201C;YH strong range that features some unusual chilli varieties.

Pasilla & chipotle chilli BBQ sauce, Naga chilli piri piri ketchup and pineapple & Habanero chilli table sauce are among the new sauces.

Trade price ÂŁ16.50 (6 x 250ml). RRP ÂŁ4.25. worldofzing.com

The hottest sauce in Crazy B Sauceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s range at about 90,000 Scoville units, Carolina Reaper & blueberry SDLUV WKH Ĺ´RUDO DURPD RI WKH worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest chili with sweet blueberries. The heat builds slowly and lasts for up to 15 minutes, says the Berlin producer. Crazy B Sauce is stocked widely in Germany, but so far only in a handful of British stores. crazybsauce.com

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Cheekily capitalising on the royal wedding

black garlic and smoked pepper BBQ are among WKH LQWHUQDWLRQDOO\ LQVSLUHG recipes that feature in the collection, available in the UK via RH Amar. RRP ÂŁ1.69 for 235ml; ÂŁ2.99 for 375ml. rhamar.com

How we stock itâ&#x20AC;Ś

Wittily named HMS (Hot Mayo Sauce) Sussex is Cheeky Boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own take on the sauce originally created in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Timed to coincide with the royal wedding this month, WKH 6XVVH[ PDGH VDXFH lends a â&#x20AC;&#x153;creamy kickâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;exotic spiceâ&#x20AC;? to poultry dishes and chips. It is available to the trade via Tree of Life and has an 553 RI e cheekyboysauces.com

DARREN PAYNE, The Orchard Deli, Gloucester Owner of The Orchard Deli Darren Payne views condiments and dressings DV D Ĺ?QLFH DGG RQĹ? DQG D â&#x20AC;&#x153;way of adding colour to the shopâ&#x20AC;?.

To prevent jars and bottles from gathering dust LQ KLV EXWFKHU\ OHG GHOL Payne says he â&#x20AC;&#x153;whittles the range down to what sellsâ&#x20AC;?, and only accepts delivery of sauces with at least 12 monthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shelf life on the label. He also does VDPSOLQJ LQ WKH UXQ XS WR the BBQ season.

The Orchard Deliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top

sellers are Stokesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ketchups and mustards, The Bay Treeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s salad dressings and Jethroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marinades and sauces from the West Midlands â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ranges that Payne says arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t available elsewhere locally.

He adds that he also carries a local chilli sauce brand called Tubby Tomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that has a â&#x20AC;&#x153;massive following in Gloucestershireâ&#x20AC;? and particularly appeals to younger customers. facebook.com/ GloucesterDeli/

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bestofhungary.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

25

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finest k

A unique range of plastic food packaging

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

fitzpatrick’s gourmet ketchup with poitin

All packs are re-usable and made from 100% recyclable PP Tamper evident and film seal ranges injection moulded in PP 25ml to 5000ml size range in round, square, oval and rectangle Available from stock in transparent PP Reliable lead times and service - sensible minimum order size Visit www.innavisions.com or call us for a brochure TEL: 01886 832283

EMAIL: nick.wild@innavisions.com

BBQ FLAVOUR

For more information contact FireFly Barbecue on T 01457 854891

26

May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

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W fireflybbq.eu

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A Northern Irish take on great hot sauces

Very Chipotle Wow describes its sauces as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a Northern Irish take on some of the great hot sauce and ketchup varietiesâ&#x20AC;?. Hand-produced in Banbridge, County Down, using locally sourced ingredients, the range takes in original, chipotle, green pepper and Habanero sauces as well as seasonal ketchups. This summer will see two new introductions: sweet & smokey barbecue and pineapple & red chilli sauce. Trade SULFH e IRU PO YHU\FKLSRWOHZRZ FRP

Best known for sweet preserves, Welsh Lady Preserves has branched out into table sauces, with a three-strong range that features classic recipes. The SĂ´s Coch (tomato ketchup), SĂ´s Barbiciw (BBQ sauce) and SĂ´s Brown (brown sauce) wholesale at ÂŁ1.38-1.47 for 285g. welshladypreserves.com

LFH FUHDP &KDUOLH DQG ,Y\Ĺ?V own cold-pressed rapeseed oil and free-range eggs are key ingredients in the Yorkshire producerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dressings and mayonnaises range, which has been enlarged to take in six new products. The mango & chilli and beetroot & raspberry dressings have an 553 RI e IRU PO ZKLOVW the smoked garlic, chipotle, mustard & ale and lemon & dill mayonnaises have an 553 RI e IRU J FKDUOLHDQGLY\V FR XN

>>

+RRUD\Ĺ?V %ULWLVK *HODWR .LWFKHQ in Stratford upon Avon has launched 40+ new JHODWR Ĺ´DYRXUV WKLV \HDU IURP VSULQJ Ĺ´RZHUV ZLWK primroses, unicorn and hot cross bun, to vegan and dairy-free crea-tions such as ginger & basil, vegan coffee and dairy free rocky road.

Wholesale 5l napolis cost e KRRUD\VJHODWR FRP

6SHDNHDV\ ,FH &UHDPV VD\V LW LV VHHNLQJ WR UHGHĆ&#x201C;QH alcoholic ice cream, moving away from its reputation as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;novelty impulse purchaseâ&#x20AC;?. The Kent producer has worked with craft spirit produc-ers to produce its inaugural range, the Ableforthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Collection, which includes cherry brandy, VSLFHG UXP DQG UDPRV JLQ Ĺ´DYRXUV 553 e IRU PO VSHDNHDV\LFHFUHDPV FRP

Husband and wife team Guy and Carly Thorpe have set out to replicate the American smoky barbecue tradition whilst championing Yorkshire produce. )RP WKHLU +ROPĆ&#x201C;UWK NLWFKHQ the duo, aka 7KH 1HZ <RUNVKLUH (PSRULXP, are making chilli sauces and NHWFKXSV VXFK DV &KXIĆ&#x201C;Q Byâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;eck chilli sauce and Blue Murder rhubarb ketchup.

553 e e IRU J 7UDGH SULFH e QHZ\RUNVKLUHHPSRULXP FR XN

Recently awarded nine out of ten in the Sunday Telegraphâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hot sauce review, Jockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hot Sauce is made by hand on the Welsh border using homesmoked Habanero chillies, garlic and very little added salt or sugar. Wholesale price ÂŁ3 for 150ml. RRP ÂŁ4.49. jockshotsauce.com

Italian â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;healthyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; gelato brand &RSSD GHOOD 0DJD has launched a vegan range, made with coconut milk.

The matcha green tea ice cream, coconut & strawberry sorbet and chocolate & goji berries ice cream are made from natural ingredients and contain no DGGHG VXJDU UHĹ´HFWLQJ WKH companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ethos of marrying indulgence with health and ZHOOEHLQJ 553 e for 125ml.

FRSSDGHOODPDJD FR XN

Gooey chocolate brownie joins sticky toffee pudding and clotted cream in Judeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s British classics range, inspired by the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite puddings.

Pure Colombian cacao and soft brownie pieces promise to pack a chocolatey punch. RRP of ÂŁ3.95 for 500ml judes.co.uk

0DUVKĆ&#x201C;HOG )DUP is marking 30 years in business this year with the launch of an on-trend gin & tonic sorbet.

Developed in collaboration with the local 6 Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock Gin distillery, the celebration sor-bet combines a generous PHDVXUH RI JLQ ZLWK WRQLF Ĺ´DYRXULQJ PDGH IURP DOO QDWXUDO ingredients. It is available in 1 litre, 2 litre and 2.4 litre tubs as well as 125ml theatre tubs.

PDUVKĆ&#x201C;HOG LFHFUHDP FR XN Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

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>>

ice cream Riding the plant-based food wave, Northern Bloc has become the latest ice cream maker to develop a vegan offering. Two years in the making, the four-strong Vegan Society approved range takes in peanut & chip; chocolate & orange blossom, hazelnut & rose and strawberry & yuzu varieties. RRP £5.49 for 500ml. northern-bloc.com

Down in Plymouth, startup Ollylolly is quietly making inroads with fresh fruit lollies that offer up “a no frills, simple, natural blast of flavour” with no refined sugar. Pear & gentle ginger joins the line-up for summer 2018 and, owner Mel Mackie has ambitions to start expanding through Devon, Cornwall and beyond. Wholesale price is £1.25; RRP £2. ollylolly.co.uk

Following the launch of its single serve gelato pots at the new Bridge Theatre in London last December, Jack’s Gelato is making this new format available to retailers. Trade price for the 120ml pots is £1.50 (RRP £3) and there is an extensive menu of flavours, from salted treacle, black sesame and gianduja to about ten variations on the vanilla theme. jacksgelato.co.uk

Kent’s Simply Ice Cream has created a banana ice cream and an elderflower & lemon sorbet for the royal wedding and summer season. This follows the introduction in recent months of several new ice cream flavours, including cinnamon, coffee and peanut brittle. RRP is £4.99 for a 500ml pot of ice cream or sorbet made “the old fashioned way”, by hand, in small batches. simplyicecream.co.uk

Previously only sold via the company’s Dufftown parlour, Balvenie St. Scottish single malt whisky ice cream now comes in three varieties: Sweet & Sexy (Speyside whisky), Rich & Fruity (whisky aged in sherry casks) and Smoky & Peaty (Islay whisky). RRP £2.75 for 125ml and £9.90 for 1l. whiskyicecream.co.uk

Claudi & Fin, the natural brand of kids’ lollies, has a new multi-pack for summer. The pack, which is listed with several of the multiples, has an RRP of £2.703.00 and contains nine mini (30ml) frozen Greek yoghurt lollies in strawberry, mango and peach & apricot flavours. claudiandfin.co.uk

Gelato made by a slow churn process

Taking inspiration from Dorset’s famous coastline, Purbeck’s new Jurassic range takes in three pre-historic-themed flavours. Dig-a-saurus comes in 125ml tubs (RRP £2.20) containing vanilla bean ice cream with a hidden chocolate dinosaur; Purbeck Rocks incorporates nuggets of honeycomb and milk chocolate footprint fossil shapes; and Ammonite Bites combines vanilla bean ice cream with milk chocolate fossil ammonites and trilobites. Both Purbeck Rocks and Ammonite Bites are avail-able in 500ml tubs, (RRP £6) and catering sizes for scooping parlours.

For every tub sold, the Dorset producer will donate five pence to the Jurassic Coast Trust. purbeckicecream.co.uk

Fravocado, a dairy-free ice cream made in Devon with avocado and coconut milk, has secured na-tionwide distribution for summer 2018. Using plant-based ingredients picked specifically for their nutritional benefits and agave syrup as a sweetener, Fravocado is pitched as a healthier option. It is now available to the trade via The Health Store and Stratford Fine Foods at a trade price of £21.70 for a box of 6 x 500ml tubs (RRP £5.99). fravocado.co.uk 28

May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

Gelato and sorbet label Remeo hopes to bring some Italian style to the UK artisan ice cream scene, with packaging created by a cosmetics designer and gelato made by the slow churn ‘mantecazione’ process.

Remeo, like any good gelato, contains more fresh milk and less cream that traditional ice cream, resulting in a 35% lower fat content.

(RRP £5.49 for 500ml). remeogelato.com

Miall’s Boozy Sorbets in West Sussex has only making its small batch sorbets since November.

It is now seeking stockists for its Premium Brighton Gin G&T (RRP £5.99 for 340ml), raspberry prosecco, minty mojito, and classic G&T (RRP £3.99 for 340ml) flavours. mialls.co.uk

Our sorbets are naturally fat free and are packed with real fruit, making them perfect piquant palate cleansers.

All our creations are lovingly hand-crafted in small batches and are fashioned for an adult palate.

Our dedication to quality has resulted in 103 awards at Great Taste, including eight of the coveted 3-star awards and best from our region four times. In 2008 we were honoured that our blackcurrant & kirsch sorbet was voted the Great Taste Awards Supreme Champion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the ultimate crown for any artisan producer.

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

29

award winning ice cream To find out more about our a ice cream, new flavours and the fantastic support we offer visit us at www.marshfield-icecream.co.uk call us on 01225 891 221 or follow us on;

Indulgently creamy alcohol infused ice cream crafted in partnership with award winning spirits and liqueur producers.

speakeasyicecreams.com

01622 831597

Exquisite

Award-Winning Ice Creams and Sorbets Get in touch for a tasting: enquiries@treleavens.co.uk | 01503 262499 Treleavens has been making award winning ice cream and sorbets in Cornwall for 20 years, using local milk and cream. We source the finest ingredients to make top quality products. We supply the best restaurants and hotels in Cornwall with our own products, bespoke collaborations and white label development to ensure we have the right product for the right market.

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

Archers Ice Cream handmade on the farm New Moor Farm, Darlington DL2 2UD ¡ 01325 300 336 www.archersjerseyicecream.com Archers at The Station, Station Yard, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10 4LD ¡ 01748 828263 www.thestation.co.uk Trade price list available

ice cream

Vegan ice cream using homemade cashew nut and coconut milk

Newcomer Black Mylk is hoping to harness the plant-based food WUHQG ZLWK D YHJDQ LFH cream offer-ing based on cashew nut milk and coconut milk. The London producer says that honeycomb & pine nut, black sesame, dark chocolate & smoked salt are among its most popular options. They are DYDLODEOH LQ PO WXEV with an RRP of ÂŁ8. blackmylk.com

Fourth generation Italian ice cream producer Sidoliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has refreshed the design of its 125ml spoon in lid tubs. The South Wales producer says the new design portrays its heritage and tradition as well as its positioning as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;premium ice cream tub made from quality ingredientsâ&#x20AC;?. sidolis-icecream.co.uk

Partial to its sorbets with a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tipple twistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Beckleberryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has once again taken inspiration from â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drinks cabinet to create a blackcurrant & martini sorbet.

This joins other â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;squiffy sorbetsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; such as blackcurrant & kirsch and sour cherry & amaretto in 500ml retail tub format (RRP ÂŁ4.99).

Beckleberryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s introduced the retail tub this spring following the success of its sorbets as cocktail bases in top end hotels. beckleberrys.co.uk

Besides launching its ice cream in butterscotch pecan and rhubarb FUXPEOH Ĺ´DYRXUV Kellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Cornwall has announced a collaboration with celebrity father and son foodies Dick and James Strawbridge. The brand has worked with the duo to create â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;warm up with ice creamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; recipes, such as skillet cookies and sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;mores, showcasing how ice cream can be enjoyed beyond the summer months. kellysofcornwall.co.uk

Drunken Dairy, a producer of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;no nastiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, boozeinfused dairy ice creams DQG VRUEHWV FODLPV WR KDYH FUHDWHG WKH Ć&#x201C;UVW DOFRKROLF YHJDQ LFH FUHDP &DULEEHDQ Queen (3.2% ABV) is made from soya and coconut milk, fresh bananas and white rum, with a sprinkle of Oryx Kalahari desert salt. Also new are a Morning Martini summer sorbet and Salty Nuts ice cream. RRP ÂŁ3.50 for 125ml; ÂŁ7.95 for 550ml. drunkendairy.co.uk

POPS has partnered with Pimmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s No 1 to create a popsicle that is said to represent a glass of Pimmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and lemonade in frozen IRUP Ĺ&#x160; HYHQ FRQWDLQLQJ UHDO cucumber, strawberries, mint and 4.3% ABV. The 80ml popsicles come in a multipack of three; trade price ÂŁ3; RRP ÂŁ5.99, DYDLODEOH IURP 6WUDWIRUG )LQH )RRGV wearepops.com

*Äą<5 *RZHU *LQ has teamed up with Narbeth gelato and sorbet maker )LUH ,FH WR GHYHORS D JLQ pink grapefruit tonic sorbet.

7KH QHZ VRUEHW LV IRU RYHU 18s only and is already on gin tasting menus at Morgans Hotel in Swansea DQG WKH &OLII 5HVWDXUDQW LQ Southgate on Gower. RRP ÂŁ2.50 for a 100ml single VHUYH SRW RU e IRU D O tub. thegowergincompany. wales

)RU Joe Delucciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has DGGHG IRXU QHZ Ĺ´DYRXUV for scooping operations to LWV ,WDOLDQ JHODWR OLQH XS ZDOQXW Ć&#x201C;J FKRFRODWH & orange; blood orange, lemon & carrot and lemon YRGND 7KH :DUZLFNVKLUH producer makes its gelato with milk, whole fresh fruit and natural ingredients. The QHZ Ĺ´DYRXUV DUH DYDLODEOH LQ 5l napolis at a trade price of ÂŁ19.95. joedeluccis.com

In line with its strategy of â&#x20AC;&#x153;pushing into the dairy free DQG YHJDQ VSDFH RI JHODWRĹ?

Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s La Gelatiera has introduced a new roasted Sorrento walnut sorbet. &RQWUDU\ WR PRVW GDLU\ IUHH ices, this this doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use substitutes such as soya or coconut milk â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just spring water and the mantecazione artisanal churning WHFKQLTXH ,W LV DYDLODEOH LQ napoli tubs. lagelatiera.co.uk

)URP LWV EDVH LQ 6FDZE\ Brook, North Lincolnshire, new start-up Tuckers Ice Cream is churning out â&#x20AC;&#x153;super-creamyâ&#x20AC;? ice cream that owner Josh Dewick sums up as â&#x20AC;&#x153;more cream than iceâ&#x20AC;?. So far, Tuckers is only selling locally in 4l napoli containers with a trade price of ÂŁ17.50 and online direct to consumers (RRP ÂŁ7.50 for 1l) but Dewick has ambitions to expand. tuckersicecream.co.uk

Thanks to a new Irish frozen yogurt, it is possible to indulge while taking in your RDA (recommended daily allowance) of vitamin D and omega 3. Made by Ice Cream Treats in Cavan, Yomega3 is available in WKUHH Ĺ´DYRXUV Ĺ&#x160; YDQLOOD UDVSEHUU\ DQG PDQJR Ĺ&#x160; LQ PO 553 Ĺ&#x17E;

and, from this summer, 100ml pots. yomega3.com

Alcoholic ices are hot right now, and Cheers FODLPV WR EH WKH Ć&#x201C;UVW EUDQG WR include the same amount of alcohol as a regular cocktail. Its recipes use organic milk and double cream and include 5.8% ABV toffee & vodka (with Thunder vodka), 8.4% mojito and 6.9% ABV chocolate espresso martini. cheersicecream.co.uk

Isle of Man producer Manx Ices is rolling out redesigned SDFNDJLQJ WKDW LW VD\V UHĹ´HFWV LWV positive environmental stance.

The new-look biodegradable cardboard tubs feature a picture of the 18th century water mill (its renewable energy source) where Manx produces its ice creams. manxices.com

Essexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Saffron Ice Cream Company has been celebrating regional produce with its new WULR RI %ULWLVK HOGHUĹ´RZHU VRUEHW lemon curd & meringue ice cream (using Tiptree lemon curd) and spiced Essex rum & raisin ice cream, made with English Spirit Distillery rum. RRP ÂŁ4.50, 400ml. saffronicecream.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

31

SUMMER DINING

barbecue meat

The grill of it all

32

May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

bank closures >> CYBER CRIME Thanks to the influence of American culture, the modern British barbecue is very different from burgers and sausages burnt beyond recognition. Aside from the staples, more consumers are now asking butchers for larger cuts of meat and both sides of the counter need to know what they’re getting into.

Photographs by Nick Hook. Burgers supplied by Good Game, good-game.co.uk

By Michael Lane

FOR GENERATIONS OF BRITS, the barbecue conjures up a lot of dark imagery. In fact, it’s mainly black. Blackened discs that used to be burgers, sausages rendered to charcoal and sooty kebabs with a hint of colour from the odd sliver of pepper. All accompanied by a brooding sky and the threat of rain.

Where we once used to look on jealously at the Australians and, chiefly, the American, their styles of outdoor cooking are now having a heavy influence on the equipment available and also the cuts and types of meat UK consumers are looking to stick on their barbecues.

Customers are now seeking out larger, whole joints, which provides a wealth of opportunity for anybody with a butchery counter beyond the standard trio of sausages, burgers and drumsticks.

But none of these newer preferences are without their pitfalls, for both the butcher and the consumer.

Thanks to the rise of BBQ restaurants in the UK and readily available footage of American competitions with gigantic animals smoking away on enormous grills, more and more in the UK want to tackle the “Holy Grail” of barbecue – brisket.

This large cut of beef, which runs from the bottom of the cow’s neck down under the ribs, has become iconic – thanks to numerous “food porn” shots of slices of tender pink meat with a blackened edge.

What many don’t realise is that replicating the American BBQ dream is not necessarily as easy as slapping it on the grill and waiting for a few hours.

“Most people fail first time because it is such a tricky thing to do,” says Sam Wanstall of specialist caterer Torque Pit BBQ. “That’s why it’s the king.”

Wanstall, who is also a judge at the Q Guild of Butchers’ National BBQ competition, says that our free-roaming grass-fed beef needs more care and attention compared to the American corn-fed stuff.

“The major difference is the quality of the brisket,” he says. “The USDA prime brisket is sub-par. British and Irish meat is a lot leaner and better quality. But the American brisket cooks better because it’s got more fat in it.

“That fat gives you a margin on temperatures and how long you can cook it for.”

He adds that the way brisket is portioned in the UK also affects the cooking outcome.

If you ask for brisket at a British butcher, it’s often confusingly served as a trimmed rolled up roasting joint. The Americans will work with the whole, or packer, cut of brisket, which includes the flat and the point – and all of that fat.

As if to prove a point, Charlotte Mitchell

of Charlotte’s Butchery in Newcastle has just sold 5kg of brisket when FFD calls to discuss barbecuing. She agrees that UK beef is a “different beast” from American.

“Even their rib eyes are way more marbled.

Everything is just bigger there,” she says, adding that she does her best to advise customers on how to treat their meat on the grill.

Regardless of the size of what is being cooked, Wanstall says that more needs to be done by retailers to explain the low and slow method beloved of Stateside barbecue enthusiasts.

One man who can, and does, is recently appointed Q Guild chairman David Lishman.

“This is very different from cooking supermarket drumsticks, sausages and burgers,” says the Ilkley-based butcher, adding that it’s vital to explain how to set up the barbecue for indirect cooking with a safe zone, that doesn’t have coals or flames underneath it.

“It can be the difference between ‘I’m not going to bother again’ and the customer having a wholesome meal with good flavours and textures.”

Even though you can buy US-style smokers with separate flame and smoking chambers, creating an indirect zone can be as simple as placing a metal drip tray in the base of a kettle barbeque and surrounding it with charcoal.

This is particularly important to stress when selling fattier meats like pork belly or lamb shoulder, says Lishman, because otherwise the customer will end up with unwanted blazes and acrid burnt flavours. Keeping the lid on, and the heat in, is also a vital detail to relay, as simple as it sounds.

“Barbecuing is one of those things that does need attention, even if that’s with a can of beer in one hand and the tongs in the other,” adds Lishman. “You need to get temperatures right and sauces should not be going on at the beginning.”

It may be the Holy Grail of American BBQ but

brisket in the UK is a very different cut

CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

33

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barbecue meat

If they are taking on these kinds of large joints then Wanstall suggests that barbecuers should be using a temperature probe, which can be relatively inexpensive. For some retailers this could even be an upselling option.

“Burgers and sausages you can do by look and feel, we’ve done that forever,” he says, but not even experts risk it with bigger pieces of meat.

Wanstall also agrees with Lishman’s point about adding sauces. While marinades, dry rubs and other seasoning can be added before and during cooking, that sticky BBQ sauce (a favourite on spare ribs) should only be brushed on in the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Price permitting, lamb could and should also feature more on the barbecue according to some.

While David Lishman recommends lamb shoulder as a good alternative to pulled pork, Charlotte Mitchell says she sells butterflied legs marinated in oil and garlic. Sam Wanstall even has a recipe for healthy doner meat, grilling a really thinly rolled mixture of herbs and lamb mince for a healthier version of the drunken takeaway favourite.

Discussion of lamb kebabs, leads Mitchell to raise an important point about the suitability of some types of meat.

“Jamie Oliver is ruining my life with his lamb neck fillets but people don’t want fatty meat on their kebabs,” she says. “I wish they did!”

Even if they ignore their favourite celeb chefs, consumers are definitely more knowledgeable about steak than they used to be with both Lishman and Mitchell reporting that they struggle to sell rump any more. The trendy slabs this summer will be more flavoursome ones previously regarded as “butcher’s cuts”, like bavette (or flank) and hanger steaks. Both

Jamie Oliver is ruining my life with his lamb neck fillets but people don’t want fatty meat on their kebabs. I wish they did! butchers also predict that larger steaks, like T-bones, for portioning after cooking will become more popular for barbecuing too.

Some will be pleased to hear that there is still some room in the counter for more traditional barbecue fare. Butchers agree that burgers are not a thing to mess around with. Mitchell offers high grade beef just seasoned with salt and pepper, while Trevor Stark, butchery manager at Rumwell Farm Shop in Somerset, makes just three varieties – beef, lamb & mint and pork & apple.

“People are more open to flavoured sausages than they are with burgers,” he tells FFD, adding that he makes 16 different varieties. The newest, developed last summer, are ginger & spring onion and smoked hickory & chipotle, which has

proved a more gentle way tapping into the smoky American BBQ trend.

Lots of these summer lines (along with minted lamb chops, ribs, etc.) are sold in prepacks from a multi-deck by Rumwell’s counter because many customers want to grab and go even from independents.

“No one truly understands meat anymore so customers are a bit scared and wary of asking questions,” says Stark. But for those that do still have the courage, he needs to think like a chef to recommend uses and marinade recipes.

While Stark says most of his customers are “plain eating”, he does get the odd Americanstyle barbecue enthusiast in the shop.

And, being one himself, Sam Wanstall, says farm shops are really well-placed to capitalise as more consumers take the same level of interest as he does in art of outdoor cooking.

“Farm shops are up there [with specialist butchers] because they slaughter their own animals and are able to go out the back and pull out half an animal.”

“Enthusiasts want to try bigger cuts, not just burgers and sausages,” he adds. “Once you find a good butcher they become your favourite person.

They’re on speed dial. And you spend a lot of money with them.” lishmansbutchers.co.uk charlottesbutchery.com instagram.com/torquepitbbq rumwellfarmshop.com Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

35

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

SUMMER DINING

beer, wines & spirits

A 2017 Renegade Bacchus and 2017 Nat Fiz Rose are two new wines from Renegade London Wine.

The former is a naturally fermented 11.5% wine which has a long finish and “zing on the palate”. The latter is made using Spanish and Italian grapes to deliver a fruity taste of strawberries and red fruits. Trade price for both is £15+VAT in cases of 6. renegadelondonwine.com

Launching this month is Silly Moo; a medium dry, slightly sparkling farmhouse cider from Trenchmore Farm. The cider is made with 100% freshly-pressed apple juice which is fermented with wild and wine yeasts over winter. Recommended as an aperitif but also complements fish and cheese. Trade prices are £1.90 per 500ml bottle (case of 12) or £1.40 per 330ml bottle (case of 24). trenchmore.co.uk

Sussex-based distillery Slake was created by an ex-research chemist who decided to use his skillset to make gin. Its Sussex Dry Gin is a take on the London dry style and is bold with flavours of juniper, warming spice and a citrus taste on the finish.

Recommended with Fever Tree’s Mediterranean tonic and a slice of red grapefruit or orange garnish. RRP £35+, 500ml. slakespirits.com

Manchester Gin has unveiled a new-look bottle across its range of four gins: Signature, Raspberry Infused, Wild Spirit, and Overboard.

Designed in collaboration with Allied Glass, the bottle is described as an “elegant adaptation” of its predecessor with a cutglass feel. The producer has also taken its signature honeycomb label design and embossed it through the glass itself. manchestergin.co.uk

Newcomer The Orchard Gin Co produces rhubarb and damson gin liqueurs.

The rhubarb variety (ABV 32.5%) is made with no added ginger or lemon resulting in a taste of summer fruit which is refreshing and slightly tart.

The producer recommends it with ginger ale for a classic pairing but prosecco offers a fancier tipple. Trade price £19.85 per 500ml bottle. RRP £24.95. orchardginco.co.uk

Herefordshire-based Celtic Marches has released its single-estate apple cider in 330ml cans, a format which has seen its profile raised by the craft beer market.

The lightweight aluminium cans provide a lower carbon footprint, improved storage, display capabilities and can be easily recycled. Available in packs of 24, pricing starts from £30+VAT. celticmarches.com

Stroud Brewery, which produces a range of organic beers, has launched a new beer called Alederflower.

Made from organic New Zealand Taiheke and Nelson Sauvin Hops balanced with rubbed elderflowers.

Recommended with cold meats, it is available in 330ml cans with a trade price of £35 per case of 24 (RRP £2.70). stroudbrewery.co.uk

Produced on the Dalmeny Estate six miles from Edinburgh, Wermod Dry Great British Vermouth is a floral and herbal fortified dry wine. It is made using botanicals foraged and cold-infused including the perennial herb wormwood (known to aid digestion), bay, orris and coriander.

Other ingredients, such as lemon balm and elderflower, give the wine its floral and citrus depth.

RRP £26.99, 75cl bottle. great-british-vermouth. com

Herefordshire-based Gun Dog Gin has decided to release 500ml bottles of its range of five flavours – blackcurrant, damson, quince, raspberry and rhubarb – after initially introducing it as a limited edition last summer. Paired with cheese, the damson and quince flavours are recommended as an alternative to port, while the raspberry and blackcurrant varieties work well as an addition to Prosecco. gundoggin.co.uk

GWYR – Gower Gin is a new craft gin produced on the South Wales peninsula. The Gower Gin Company uses eight foraged botanicals including bronze and green fennel combined with lemon zest and pink grapefruit to create an “intense, warm and aromatic character”. Available in three sizes: 5cl, 20cl, and 70cl. The flagship 70cl bottle has an RRP of £39.99. thegowergincompany. wales

A new brand of pre-mixed canned cocktails from Thomas Tipple will be launching this June. Made from sparkling wine, the drinks come in two varieties: raspberry Bellini and passionfruit mimosa. RRP £3 per can. thomastipple.com

McCallums Liqueurs has launched a summer fruits gin liqueur made using fruit grown on its 15-acre farm in South Yorkshire. Recommended with tonic, lemonade or prosecco, it comes in a 350ml bottle (RRP £14.95) and a 700ml bottle (RRP £24.95). mccallumsliqueurs.co.uk

Following in Italian footsteps, Devon Distillery has launched its own Devoncello; a smooth lemon liqueur made with a triple distilled Dappa base steeped in organic lemons. It is sweetened with a little sugar and some Devonian spring water. devondistillery.com

Cranes has developed a 20cl bottle for its cranberry & blood orange liqueur (RRP £9), complete with a cocktail recipe card neck hanger. The liqueur offers up red berry sweetness on the palate, followed by an orange oil bitterness. Trade price around £31.50 per case of six. drinkcranes.co.uk

Kalosa Spritz is the new brand from KOLD GROUP, a, light spritz-style alcoholic drink (ABV 4%). Its initial range consists of elderflower & gin and pink grapefruit & vodka. Trade price £1.75, available in cases of 24 x 275ml bottles (RRP £3). kold-group.com

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

39

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

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beer, wines & spirits

>> Newcomer Aber Falls Whisky Distillery produces a UDQJH RI SUHPLXP Ĺ´DYRXUHG gins (orange marmalade and rhubarb & ginger) and OLTXHXUV YLROHW VDOWHG WRIIHH and coffee & dark chocolate).

The latest addition is a Welsh Dry Gin (41.3% ABV), which is said to have a juniper lead with prominent roles of grapefruit, lemon and orange, followed by a subtly VSLF\ DQG VZHHW Ć&#x201C;QLVK 553 ÂŁ24, 70cl bottle. aberfallsdistillery.com

The Fine Food Forager has added a small-batch gin from Surrey Hills to its catalogue. Hidden Curiosities (ABV 42%) features 20 botanicals LQFOXGLQJ Ć&#x201C;YH SHSSHUFRUQV and green cardamom, which JLYH WKH JLQ LWV EROG Ĺ´DYRXU EDODQFHG ZLWK Ĺ´RUDO QRWHV RI violet and a burst of citrus notes from the Japanese yuzu. Trade price ÂŁ24 (RRP ÂŁ39-45, 500ml bottle).

WKHĆ&#x201C;QHIRRGIRUDJHU FR XNb

Jenny Halse

Cuckoo Gin launched to market after Lancashire-based +ROPHV )DUP GLYHUVLĆ&#x201C;HG LQWR JURZLQJ EDUOH\ DQG wheat to create its neutral grain spirit which is distilled by the farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brindle Distillery. The complex gin has a VWURQJ Ĺ?SLQH\Ĺ? MXQLSHU Ĺ´DYRXU DQG IUHVK FLWUXV EXUVW RI grapefruit, orange and lemon peel followed by a long Ć&#x201C;QLVK RI FLQQDPRQ DQG OLTXRULFH URRW 553 e IRU D 20cl bottle or RRP ÂŁ38 for the 70cl bottle. brindledistillery.co.uk

How we stock itâ&#x20AC;Ś

A 5.1% ABV KĂślsch-style lager in a funky can

Norfolk-based St. Giles Gin has developed a new Diversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Edition, made from a blend of 10 botanicals including Norfolk samphire, sea kelp and cubeb berries.

The gin has a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hay-like sweetnessâ&#x20AC;? on the nose turning into a â&#x20AC;&#x153;crisp apple and caramel combinationâ&#x20AC;? on the palate. Wholesale per case of six is ÂŁ144 +VAT. RRP ÂŁ38. stgilesgin.com

Fair Oak Cider has created a new medium-dry gently sparkling cider in wine-sized bottles. The business has been producing still ciders on a small scale since 2012 in a restored 17th century horse-drawn mill on its farm in. However, producing the sparkling cider in similar VPDOO TXDQWLWLHV ZDV WULFNLHU so it has been bottled by Westons. RRP ÂŁ4.50 per bottle. fairoakcider.co.uk

Clives Wines has launched retail-ready mini bottle packaging to replace its cellophane bags. The packs come with three of the producerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fruit wines, such as rhubarb, cherry, damson or HOGHUĹ´RZHU 7UDGH SULFH e 553 e

cliveswines.co.uk

Deco Spirits has launched a premium London Dry Gin called Deco No.22. Inspired by â&#x20AC;&#x153;the decadence of the roaring 7ZHQWLHVĹ? WKH $%9 JLQ LV said to have a juniper lead and fresh citrus notes. Trade price IURP e SHU ERWWOH 553 e decospirits.co.uk

Launching from Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Treboom Brewery this month is Trommel (German for â&#x20AC;&#x153;drumâ&#x20AC;?), a 5.1% ABV KĂślschstyle lager presented in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;funky visually appealingâ&#x20AC;? can. KĂślsch beers are made using top fermenting yeast, fermented at lower temperatures similar to lager. The strawcoloured Trommel contains German Hallertau Blanc and Tetnang hops resulting LQ D Ĺ´RUDO DURPD DQG grassy taste. RRP ÂŁ2.50 per can. treboom.co.uk

KATE KINDRED, co-owner Ginhaus Deli, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire Fruit-based gins infused with berries or citrus fruits are the best summery drinks for the warmer weather, says Kate Kindred co-owner of the Ginhaus Deli.

Aber Fallsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rhubarb & ginger gin is a popular choice for summer. Kindred says the deli pairs this slightly pink, fruity, sweet gin with a simple tonic for a classic G&T. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pinkster is another nice summery gin,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a raspberry gin and it looks great on the bar because of

its pink colour. We serve it with a pink lemonade or an HOGHUĹ´RZHU WRQLF Ĺ?

Of the citrus-based gins, Kindred recommends Italian brand Malfy Ginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Con Limone, which delivers D IUHVK OHPRQ\ Ĺ´DYRXU LGHDO for the hot summer weather.

The deli also offers gin tasting boards, which contain three shots of regularly rotated gin and two tonics. Ginhaus always features more fruit-based gins on the boards over the summer months. ginhaus.co.uk

Penningtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Premium Spirits & Liqueurs QRZ KDV %DNHZHOO DQG JLQJHUEUHDG Ĺ´DYRXUHG liqueurs. The former has a tang of sweet raspberry complemented by soft almond. The latter has an aroma of butterscotch with a hint of lemon and warm ginger. RRP e IRU FO RU e IRU FO kendalmintcakeliqueur.com Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

41

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beer, wines & spirits

mixers & mocktails

St Ives Gin is the debut launch from Saint Ives Liquor Co, made using 13 botanicals from the Cornish FRDVW )RUDJHG JRUVH Ĺ´RZHUV offer bold notes of sweet vanilla which contrast with herbs of basil, rosemary, thyme and coriander. Orange peel and lemongrass add citrus elements with pink peppercorns, cardamom and liquorice offering â&#x20AC;&#x153;warmth and balanceâ&#x20AC;?. RRP ÂŁ37-40, 70cl; RRP ÂŁ22-25, 35cl. stivesliquor.co

This month Yorkshire-based Sloemotion is releasing a pink gin made using the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rhubarb and raspberries which gives the drink its pink hue and subtle sweetness. The company worked with Zeppo Creative to design the pink bottle decorated in an intricate, ivory â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hedgerowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sketch and a 6-pointed label which nods to each of its six original botanicals. Trade price ÂŁ23.50 per 70cl bottle (RRP ÂŁ36.95). sloemotion.com

Producer of premium tonics, mixers and soft drinks Franklin & Sons has reformulated its drinks ahead of the sugar tax implementation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Health issues around sugar are important, but the levy is nothing more than a tax on taste,â&#x20AC;? said founder Steve Perez. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only a shame and frustrating that people may have to pay more for one drink than another from the same range.â&#x20AC;? globalbrands.co.uk

Big Tom Spice Tomato Mix is now available in a 150ml cans for measured convenience. The ready-todrink mix, made from more than 20 ingredients, can be paired with different vodkas for a convenient Bloody Mary cocktail. bigtom.co.uk

Start-up Silver Swift launched four months ago with its debut range of premium sparkling, low-calorie craft cocktails.

Made with British gin and YRGND WKH Ĺ´DYRXUV LQFOXGH Wild Rose (gin, raspberry & blackberry), Fresh Venture (vodka, strawberry & basil), and Tipsy Iced Tea (vodka, JRRVHEHUU\ HOGHUĹ´RZHU earl grey). silverswiftdrinks.com

Poulton Hill Estate has created a Bulari Sparkling White 2015 and a Bulari Sparkling RosĂŠ 2015 wine.

The former is pale gold in colour with green apple & pear and notes of orange peel, lemon & lime zest.

Trade price ÂŁ18.50 ex. VAT (RRP ÂŁ27.99). The latter has hints of rose petal with passionfruit & orange OHDGLQJ WR D GU\ FULVS Ć&#x201C;QLVK Trade price ÂŁ16.50 +VAT (RRP ÂŁ25.99). poultonhillestate.co.uk

Belvoir Fruit Farms has extended its PressĂŠ range to include pink grapefruit; rhubarb & apple; botanical juniper & tonic; and light ginger beer. The new drinks aim to cater to the increasing number of consumers looking to reduce their alcohol intake, with the botanical juniper & tonic recommended as a non-alcoholic alternative to a G&T. Available in 750ml bottle size, RRP ÂŁ3.10. belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk

Newcomer Jeffreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tonic produces a range of four tonic syrups which are relatively unknown in the UK and use Peruvian Cinchona bark as a natural source of quinine. Flavours include original; lime, galangal & orange; yarrow, rosehip & HOGHUĹ´RZHU DQG SODLQ WRQLF (475ml ÂŁ11 trade+VAT, RRP ÂŁ18-29). jeffreystonic.com

Malvern Pils is a new pilsner style lager from The Friday Beer Co brewed using Malvernâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only commercial spring water well.

A bright and pale golden lager, it is brewed using traditionally Ĺ´DYRXUHG PDOWV DQG (XURSHDQ hops. Trade price ÂŁ1.30 +VAT per 330ml bottle. RRP ÂŁ2.20-3. thefridaybeer.com

Cocktail mixer producer Tipplesworth has launched a QHZ (VSUHVVR 0DUWLQL 0L[HU $ combination of cold-brew coffee, vanilla and maple, consumers can add vodka, Irish cream liqueur or whisky to create a classic cocktail. Trade price ÂŁ3.49+VAT (RRP ÂŁ6.99). tipplesworth.com

Botonique Blush is the newest product from Botonique with added strawberry, rose and bramble. Ideal as a non-alcoholic alternative, the producer also recommends it with gin, vodka, tequila blanca or a white rum.

RRP ÂŁ7.99, 750ml or ÂŁ3.99, 250ml. botonique.com

Kanpai London produces a Junmai Clear Sake (14% ABV) described as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;clear, dry and smooth with notes of apricot and toasted almondâ&#x20AC;?. It also has a Nigori Cloudy Sake â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a dry, full-bodied beverage with notes of green apple & cinnamon (14.6% ABV). kanpailondon.co.uk

The same clear taste, but fewer calories

This year, Luscombe Drinks has launched a Light Devon Tonic Water following the success of its premium natural tonic range. Sitting alongside the existing Devon Tonic :DWHU HOGHUĹ´RZHU WRQLF water and grapefruit tonic water, the light variety is said to have the same clear taste but with fewer calories. RRP ÂŁ1.20, 20cl bottle. luscombe.co.uk

Ringden Farm has developed a new line of lightly sparkling fruit juices containing 80% (QJOLVK IUXLW MXLFH DQG sparkling water. Available in PO FDQV Ĺ´DYRXUV FRQVLVW RI gently sparkling apple; pear & apple; and apple & raspberry.

Trade price is 85p +VAT. ringdenfarm.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

43

0DGH ZLWK DOO QDWXUDO LQJUHGLHQWV DQG QR DGGHG VXJDU VRIW 'HYRQ VSULQJ ZDWHU FDUERQDWHG DQG ORWV RI WDVW\ RUJDQLF IUXLW Call 01364 64 30 36 for your free sample pack.

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Artfully brewed in Yorkshire www.treboom.co.uk

Iechyd da! info@thegowergincompany.wales @Gowergin

info@treboom.co.uk @TreboomBrewery 44

May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

Shipton-by-Beningbrough, York YO30 1AA 01904 471569

thegowergincompany

@Gowergincompany

SHELF TALK

Olive Branch extends with new The Greek Kitchen brand

By Michael Lane

Olive Branch has created a sister brand to expand its offer beyond olive-based products and into traditional foods from across Greece.

While an everyday extra virgin olive oil will feature under The Greek Kitchen label, it is also launching with three raw honeys: wild thyme & multifloral, orange blossom, and pine. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We feel the time is right for us, as a business, to explore Greece much further,â&#x20AC;? cofounder Kamil Shah told FFD. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We already have really good relationships with fantastic producers so we feel there is an opportunity to bring over some of these lovely items that are more familiar and what people expect when they see a Greek brand.â&#x20AC;?

Shah, who founded Olive Branch with partner Maria Koinaki to commercialise her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s olive groves on the island of Crete, said that The Greek Kitchen was about offering consumers flavours they remembered from holidays. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When people travel to Greece the two things that they bring back in their cases are extra virgin olive oil and honey,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see that when you go to duty-free shops â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the stores are overstocked with these.â&#x20AC;?

All three of the honeys are produced using cold extraction, so they are raw and unfiltered, and have been selected to offer a range of flavour profiles, including the earthier notes of the pine variety and the sweet orange blossom honey.

They come in cases of 6x250g jars with a trade price of ÂŁ3.49 per jar and an RRP of ÂŁ4.99.

Like Olive Branchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, The Greek Kitchenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s olive oil is from Crete but from a different cooperative in the west of the island.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has a different flavour profile which is slightly stronger and that makes it more suitable for everyday use,â&#x20AC;? said Shah. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice for cooking, whereas Olive Branch is great for finishing dishes and for dressings and dipping.â&#x20AC;?

Shah said that more products would be added to The Greek Kitchen line-up in due course.

The Greek Kitchenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s range is available direct and via distributors Hider and The Gorgeous Food Co.

PEP-UP YOUR SHELVES WITH THE GUILD OF FINE FOODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RESIDENT MERCHANDISING QUEEN JILLY SITCH My husband told me the other day that the average attention span of a human being is 10 seconds. So Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get to the point. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what your signage needs to do, too.

At its most basic, a sign should be informative. Customers need to be able to Ć&#x201C;QG ZKDW WKH\ FDPH LQ IRU DQG NQRZ H[DFWO\ ZKDW WKH\Ĺ?UH ORRNLQJ DW RQ D GLVSOD\ 6LJQDJH is also your number one promotional tool for GLVFRXQWV RIIHUV DQG QHZ VWRFN 6LJQV FDQ EH GLUHFWLYH DV ZHOO 0DNH VXUH whatever youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re writing is a call to action. You FRXOG EH HQFRXUDJLQJ WKH FXVWRPHU WR ORRN closer at the shelves, telling them to try a sample or, best of all, suggesting they buy something.

But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more to signage than functionality. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an opportunity for you, the retailer, to show your personality. Whether LWĹ?V D MRNH D SRHP RU D SHUVRQDO SURGXFW recommendation, it will all add to the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s H[SHULHQFH 2K DQG UHPHPEHU WR NHHS \RXU VLJQV FOHDQ and renew them regularly. People do get bored YHU\ TXLFNO\ Hey, are you still there?

myolivebranch.co.uk

New look for baked beer snack Barmies Nottingham-based Barmies has unveiled a fresh new look for its baked beer snacks following its time with The Seed Academy.

The rebrand has been designed to tell the story behind companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fermented snacks, made using surplus yeast, known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;beer barmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from breweries.

The new-look 30g pouches (RRP ÂŁ2.30) are available in three Ĺ´DYRXUV &KHHVH 6HVDPH ZLWK Portland Porter; Olive Tapenade with Moonshine Pale Ale; and 6PRNH\ &KLSRWOH ZLWK +DUYHVW Pale Ale. The new packaging features a logo of a baker and brewer entwined and an illustration on the back of each pouch explaining how the beer barm is fermented and worked into the dough before baking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incredibly exciting to

Displays that pay

be launching the new Barmies brand just 18 months after , EDNHG WKH Ć&#x201C;UVW EDWFK DQG Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so grateful to The Seed Fund for all its support,â&#x20AC;? said founder Sophie Wood.

The Seed Academy is run by The Seed Fund, a philanthropic project to help Ĺ´HGJOLQJ IRRG DQG GULQN businesses grow their brand

DQG Ĺ´RXULVK â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Academy unravelled everything I thought about my business, product and brand, and put it back together with a clear strategy of how to move forward,â&#x20AC;? Wood added, Ĺ?DV ZHOO DV Ć&#x201C;OOLQJ FUXFLDO JDSV LQ DUHDV VXFK DV Ć&#x201C;QDQFH DQG distribution.â&#x20AC;? eatbarmies.co.uk

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW Dalstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has launched WKUHH Ĺ´DYRXUV RI LWV FUDIW VRIW GULQNV Ĺ&#x160; )L]]\ (OGHUĹ´RZHU &KHUU\DGH DQG *LQJHU %HHU Ĺ&#x160; DQG UHYDPSHG LWV SDFNDJLQJ with bright colours and hand-drawn illustrations WR UHĹ´HFW WKH Ĺ?SXQFK\Ĺ? Ĺ´DYRXUV 553 e PO dalstons.com Calon Lân and Blodyn Aur DUH ZRUNLQJ ZLWK Anglesey-based Plas )DUP WR FUHDWH WKH Ć&#x201C;UVW commercially-available Welsh-made pesto.

The new products are available in two varieties: basil and sundried tomato.

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

45

SHELF TALK WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW

My magic ingredient

*UHDW %ULWLVK %LVFRWWL &R has unveiled a selection of sweet DQG VDYRXU\ Ĺ´DYRXUV GXEEHG (G â&#x20AC;&#x153;quintessentially Englishâ&#x20AC;?. Red )RUWXQH onion marmalade & walnut, Stilton & raisins, spiced apple & chocolate DQG VRXU FKHUU\ GRXEOH FKRFRODWH all come in 100g packs, with an RRP of ÂŁ2.99.

JUHDWEULWLVKELVFRWWL FR XN Frozen food specialist )LHOG )DUH has added several ready-to-cook OLQHV &KHHVH EDFRQ kievs (cases of 12 x 140g, wholesale 75p each), SRUN EHOO\ [ J ÂŁ3.50 per unit) and spicy EHDQ FKLOOL [ J e SHU XQLW FDQ DOO EH prepared in the oven in under an hour. Ć&#x201C;HOG IDUH FRP 4XLQROD 0RWKHUJUDLQ has added two Ĺ´DYRXUV WR LWV ([SUHVV range: Pilau Style and Mediterranean with tomatoes & olives (RRP e 0DGH ZLWK quinoa grown in France, ERWK FDQ EH HDWHQ either hot or cold.

TXLQROD FRP

Tracklements Sticky Fig Relish KAREN BARNES Editor, delicious. magazine

,Ĺ?YH ORQJ EHHQ D IDQ RI WKLV ,WĹ?V MXVW VKDUS VZHHW HQRXJK DQG IXOO RI WKDW URXQGHG JHQWOH FUXQFK\ VHHG Ĺ´DYRXU SHFXOLDU WR Ć&#x201C;JV ,Q RXU KRXVHKROG WKH UHOLVK WHQGV WR EH VSRRQHG IURP WKH MDU VWUDLJKW RQ WR D SODWH ZKHUH D VKDUS JRDWVĹ? FKHHVH PD\EH 7\PVERUR RU D OLWWOH &URWWLQ GH &KDYLJQRO OLHV ZDLWLQJ ,WĹ?V VXUSULVLQJO\ JRRG ZLWK RQH RI WKH PRUH SXQJHQW EOXH FKHHVHV DV ZHOO , XVH LW LQ FRRNLQJ WRR Ĺ&#x160; ORRVHQHG XS ZLWK D VSODVK RI FLGHU RU DSSOH MXLFH 6SUHDG LW WKLQO\ RYHU WKH EDVH RI D MXVW FRRNHG SXII SDVWU\ FLUFOH ZLWK WKH PLGGOH SUHVVHG GRZQ 7RS ZLWK D VSULQNOLQJ RI IHWD IUHVK WK\PH DQG PD\EH D IHZ DQFKRYLHV WKHQ Ĺ´DVK LW WKURXJK D KRW RYHQ IRU D %ULWLVK YHUVLRQ RI D SLVVDODGLÂŞUH Ĺ&#x160; H[FHOOHQW ZLWK D VKDUSO\ GUHVVHG JUHHQ VDODG $OWHUQDWLYHO\ XVH DV D EDVH IRU WKH Ć&#x201C;OOLQJ LQ D FKHHVH TXLFKH RU VWLU LQWR D SDQ RI RYHQ FRRNHG FRFNWDLO VDXVDJHV WR JOD]H WKHP GXULQJ WKH ODVW Ć&#x201C;YH PLQXWHV RI URDVWLQJ Karen bought hers at 1HDOĹ?V <DUG 'DLU\

A cold-brewed cure for the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;afternoon slumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; %\ Michael Lane

Cold brew coffee specialist Sandows is pitching a new trio of canned drinks as an alternative to cola and energy drinks.

The brand has launched its original cold brew in 250ml stubby cans along with two cold brew sodas: Citrus, flavoured with lemon and lime, and Spice, flavoured with ginger, orange blossom and black spice.

Dairy- and gluten-free, the drinks (RRP ÂŁ1.99) are made with speciality grade coffee and are so low enough in sugar that they fall below the recently introduced sugar tax. The Original variety is sugar-free.

Sandowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; co-founder Hugh Duffie said the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four years of trading and research had led them to this latest range. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our key learning has been to understand the cold brew occasion and how it differs

46

May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

from the morning flat white as a coffee moment,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cold brew plus milk makes people think breakfast coffee, but cold brew doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to be a breakfast drink. Our range gives retailers the opportunity to position cold brew as a great low or no sugar pick-me-up for the afternoon slump.

We are looking to position the new sodas alongside their functional competitors, such as

Coke and Red Bull, rather than alongside iced coffee brands, with the aim for them to become an everyday staple.â&#x20AC;?

Sandows has already gained listings for these products in Selfridges, Sourced Market and Whole Foods Market, as well as 150-plus independents.

Wholesalers that carry the cans include Wholegood and The Estate Dairy.

VDQGRZV FRP

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sharp-sweet enough and full of that rounded, gentle, crunchyseed flavour peculiar to figs %RWDQLFDO GULQNV EUDQG )LUHĹ´\ KDV UHEUDQGHG ZLWK D SODQW LQVSLUHG ERWWOH GHVLJQ WKDW UHĹ´HFWV LWV FRQWHQWV DV LW ORRNV WR DWWUDFW WKH JURZLQJ QXPEHU RI YHJDQ FRQVXPHUV LQ WKH 8.

7KH Ć&#x201C;YH DOO QDWXUDO Ĺ´DYRXU RSWLRQV 553 e PO JODVV ERWWOH DUH D OLYHO\ SHDFK JUHHQ WHD NLZL OLPH PLQW OHPRQ OLPH JLQJHU SRPHJUDQDWH HOGHUĹ´RZHU DQG JUDSHIUXLW SDVVLRQIUXLW )LUHĹ´\Ĺ?V KHDG RI PDUNHWLQJ Sara Brooks said WKH UH GHVLJQ FDUULHG RXW E\ % % 6WXGLRV ZDV D UHVXOW RI FRQVXPHU IHHGEDFN Ĺ?)URP WDONLQJ WR RXU IDQV LW EHFDPH FOHDU WKDW PDQ\ RI WKHP ZHUH XQDZDUH RI )LUHĹ´\Ĺ?V provenance and WKH ERWDQLFDOV WKDW KDYH DOZD\V EHHQ DW WKH KHDUW RI WKH GULQN Ĺ? Ć&#x201C;UHĹ´\GULQNV FRP

01302 770224 info@McCallumsLiqueurs.co.uk McCallumsLiqueurs.co.uk

toffee+vodka ... a welcome warmth from the heart of the English Lakes

Award winning liqueurs, traditionally crafted by hand in small batches using smooth English gin infused with our home grown fruits.

The McCallums range of gin liqueurs are versatile, inviting, delicately balanced and full of natural fruit flavours.

,WJǧǹ ȓȜȤYJ ǧǿȜȦI KTǶ ȢǼȦ 8ZRDzǪȦ +WǼNǹȤ ,ǮS ɁǯșZǪǼȦ

This delicious hand blended, small batch toffee vodka spirit is from the heart of the Lakes.

kinvodka.co.uk

f

Visit us online or contact us to discover our great range of juices.

We supply good food shops, hotels, pubs and restaurants.

01489 878685 | info@hillfarmjuice.co.uk www.hillfarmjuice.co.uk |

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

47

“Exceedingly good cakes….

Exceedingly good packaging” National Flexible helped Premier Foods, Mr Kipling, transform their famously boxed “exceedingly good” Cherry Bakewell’s in to an “On-the-go” snack wrapped in flexible film. Mr Kipling have begun moving their packs in to individually wrapped portions to aid snacking convenience and to help consumers eat just one!

“Exceedingly good cakes” don’t have to exceed snack calorie allowance as all of the individual packs are less than 150 calories!

Kath Gilbert, Material Supply Manager at Premier Foods said “We have a really positive relationship with National Flexible and would recommend them to everyone”.

Strike The Gold Foods Ltd are the sole distributor in the U.K. and Europe for Blue Star, the world’s leading producer of Crab Meat. Wild caught and hand picked, fully sustainable and ethically caught. Packed in foil pouches, with an 18 month shelf life, in 142g (retail packs) or 454g (food service industry) packs. t: 0800 987 5431 | e: info@goldfoods.co.uk www.goldfoods.co.uk

48

May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

at od us Fo er sit od m Vi Go um S C w BB ho S

If you are looking to transform your packaging then call Natalie Bartlett, Marketing Manager, on 01274 68 55 66 or email at natalie@nationalflexible.net

SHELF TALK New packaging for Coconut Kitchen pastes

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW Well&Truly has a new look DQG D QHZ Ĺ´DYRXU Ĺ&#x160; VPRNH\ paprika baked corn snacks (30g bags, RRP 99p). This joins the Really Cheesy DQG VRXU FUHDP YDULHWLHV as well as Loaded Salted Tortilla Chips. All lines are JOXWHQ IUHH DOO QDWXUDO DQG YHJHWDULDQ wellandtruly.co.uk

By Michael Lane

Thai sauce company The Coconut Kitchen has unveiled more consumer-friendly packaging for its curry pastes and added a new stir-fry sauce to its range.

The Wales-based producerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Easy Thai green paste, Easy Thai massaman paste, Easy Thai red paste and Easy Thai yellow paste (all RRP ÂŁ3.29) will now come in sachets with cardboard sleeves, rather than glass bottles.

As well as more space for branding and product information, the new packaging has reduced the price of the pastes and allows consumers more flexibility on the amount they want to use.

It also launched a Thai style sweet & sour (RRP ÂŁ3.99), that will join its other stir-fry sauces in 250ml glass bottles.

The company is also the UK importer of Thai snack brand Banana Joe Chips and, last month, introduced new branding and single-serve 23g packs (previously 50g), with an RRP of 99p. thecoconutkitchen.co.uk

'DLU\ IUHH YHJDQ IULHQGO\ FKRFRODWH EUDQG Goupie has launched a EUDQG QHZ Ĺ´DYRXU 6HVDPH Butter, in its 80g snack ER[HV 7KLV Ĺ´DYRXU DGGV to the Kentish producerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UDQJH RI Ć&#x201C;YH UHJXODU Goupie Minis, which all come in retail ready packaging. goupie.co.uk

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

1

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Rachel Palmer

2

1 House ferments :HĹ?YH EHHQ GHYHORSLQJ D WDVWH IRU SULFNO\ Ć&#x201C;]]\ DQG IHUPHQWHG IRRGV ZLWK HYHU\WKLQJ IURP NRPEXFKD WR VDXHUNUDXW EH FRPLQJ PXVW VWRFN LWHPV 7DNLQJ D ',< DSSURDFK could be a strong leap forward, allowing you to \RXU Ĺ´H[ FXOLQDU\ PXVFOHV EXW DOVR RIIHULQJ FXV tomers something they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get anywhere else.

One of the most talked about new restaurant openings, Scully, is home to a beautifully broad range of house ferments that arm the kitchen ZLWK DQ HQWLFLQJ DUUD\ RI TXLFN WR VHUYH LQJUH GLHQWV OLNH OHHNV SUHVHUYHG LQ OHIWRYHU 3URVHFFR and gherkin juice.

2 Baobab in everything According to the Guardian, Ocado has reported a 27% increase in sales of this African superfruit since the start of 2018. Baobab has been doing a lot of mileage within the juice and smoothie crowd for a while, EXW DV YDULRXV $IULFDQ FXLVLQHV JDLQ HYHQ PRUH traction, we can expect to see it being used HYHQ PRUH DEXQGDQWO\ $W =RHĹ?V *KDQD .LWFKHQ EDREDE LV XVHG LQ PDULQDGHV IRU Ć&#x201C;VK EXW DOVR infused into butter to season popcorn. Thanks WR LWV ORQJ OLQH RI KHDOWK\ QXWULHQWV Ĺ&#x160; LQFOXGLQJ DQWLR[LGDQWV SRWDVVLXP DQG SKRVSKRUXV Ĺ&#x160; LWĹ?V also the star ingredient in prebiotic health drink brand Baotic.

3 Renewed enthusiasm for seafood ,QVWD JUDP IXHOOHG GLHW FKRLFHV KDYH FDXVHG KXJH VZDWKHV RI WKH SRSXODWLRQ WR VWDUW Ĺ´LS Ĺ´RSSLQJ RYHU ZKHWKHU WKH\ GR RU GRQĹ?W HDW PHDW 6HD food is the famous grey area for the undecided DQG VHHPV WR VKRZ JUHDW SRWHQWLDO *LOO\Ĺ?V )U\ %DU LQ )LQVEXU\ 3DUN LV D PRGHUQ WDNH RQ WKH KXPEOH FKLSS\ DQG LV LQĹ´XHQFHG E\ -DSDQHVH NDWVX WHFKQLTXHV 0HDQZKLOH 3DUVRQV LQ &RYHQW Garden has taken classic British seafood in some LQQRYDWLYH ZD\V ZLWK SRWWHG VKULPS FURTXHWWHV pork and seaweed chipolatas, and lobster mash.

Peanut Blondie DQG KD]HOQXW dark chocolate & cranberry cake are the two latest EDNHV IURP JOXWHQ free specialist Honeybuns.

Both come in 56g LQGLYLGXDO VOLFHV and 950g whole traybakes. honeybuns.co.uk

Doctor Seaweed debuts with infused oils Dr Craig Rose, aka Doctor Seaweed, has launched three organic oils infused with seaweed under the new Weed & Wonderful brand.

Pure Scottish seaweed infused oil is recommended as a salad dressing or for adding XPDPL Ĺ´DYRXU WR VWLU IULHV ZKLOH WKH VPRNHG VHDZHHG LQIXVHG RLO ZLOO DGG D VPRN\ Ĺ´DYRXU WR JULOOHG Ć&#x201C;VK URDVW YHJHWDEOHV RU HJJ GLVKHV Also launched under the brand are intense smoked seaweed oil, a natural HVVHQFH IRU Ć&#x201C;QLVKLQJ GLVKHV and organic seaweed capsules to be taken as a dietary supplement.

All of Weed & Wonderfulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seaweed is selected for its natural LRGLQH OHYHOV DV 'U 6HDZHHG VWULYHV WR DGGUHVV the UK populationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GHĆ&#x201C;FLHQF\ LQ WKLV QXWULHQW seaweedandco.com Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

49

DELI OF THE MONTH From humble beginnings as a deli-wholefood shop, Penylan Pantry has evolved into a multi-site enterprise. But owner Melissa Boothman still holds sustainability and ethical sourcing at its core.

Interview by Lauren Phillips

A deli at heart IT’S 11 O’CLOCK ON A TUESDAY morning when I visit Penylan Pantry in Penylan, one of Cardiff’s leafiest suburbs, known for its Edwardian townhouses and spacious tree-lined roads.

Each table is occupied by people in their mid-20s to early-30s and I watch as one couple are served plates of smashed avocado on toast. Without a word to each other, they both whip out their phones faster than you can say #foodiegoals and spend the next five minutes taking photos of their plates from various angles, presumably to show off the best one on social media.

This is the typical customer for the café section, owner Melissa Boothman tells FFD. “We’ve got quite a young following especially on weekends,” she says. “We get a lot of 20-to 40-year-olds that come in for brunch. They love their food and are great on social media.”

But Penylan Pantry is more than millennials eating the ultimate hipster dish. It has grown

VITAL STATISTICS

Location: 72 Kimberley Road, Cardiff, CF23 5DN Annual turnover: £295,000 Sales split: 80% foodservice, 20% retail No. of staff: 8 No. of retail lines: 85 Average spend: £15 50

May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

into a multi-site business with a second retail stall in Cardiff Market specialising in British cheese, and a newly opened outdoor wholefoods café, called the Secret Garden, in a park in the city centre.

“I’ve seen a lot of my customers from Penylan Pantry go down to support,” says Boothman, when I ask her about Secret Garden’s first day of opening over the Easter weekend earlier this year. “That is half the battle because those customers get what we do. They’ve already bought into the brand and ethos.”

It’s persuading new customers that is going to be the challenge, she adds. “We don’t do chips and we don’t sell PG Tips or instant coffee.”

Penylan Pantry was created in December 2013 after Boothman, a former hairdresser, was looking for a career change. Holidays spent visiting food halls and farmers’ markets were the inspiration to open her own deli.

The opportunity arose during her morning commute through Penylan when she saw a To Let sign on an Edwardian-fronted shop – one of the few left in the city – with its curved glass windows and awning.

The location was familiar territory for Boothman who then lived in the area, while expensive business rates made the prospect of opening in the city centre off-putting.

“There’s less of a community to support you [in the city], and being an independent you need a core community,” she says. “That is your bread and butter.”

“People aren’t quite as loyal in a city centre as they are to their neighbourhood. That was my thought process: get the community to support you then hopefully your business will survive.”

This was the case for Penylan Pantry. After beating off bids from a beauty spa, estate agents and gluten-free bakery, she had four weeks to get the shop ready for opening.

Boothman called in DIY help from friends

MUST-STOCKS Penylan Preserves Coedcanlas maple syrup Welsh Honey (Cardiff) Hangfire mustard sauce Halen Môn oak smoked water Prava Spices turmeric latte blend Manumit Coffee Hafod cheddar Perl Wen Holy Yolk scotch eggs Trealy Farm black pudding Blodyn Aur rapeseed oil Homemade frittata Homemade vegan muffins Oatly Barista oat milk

while the neighbourhood donated wood for shelving, old worktops and even a set of large cast iron scales, which now sit on a top shelf in the deli for decoration. Before it had even opened, word had spread about the new deli in the area partly because the local community had a hand in its creation.

Fast forward four-and-a-half years and the deli is bustling on a midweek morning.

Customers fill every available table on the shop floor, surrounded by shelves filled with ambient jars of chutneys and jams, bags of wholegrain pulses, bottles of nut oils and tins of organic legumes.

When the store first opened it was predominantly a deli-wholefood shop with three small tables. But the café side has expanded over the years as it brought in the most revenue, with 80% of the Pantry’s sales made from foodservice between January and November. December is the exception, when shop sales overtake the café at 60% to 40%.

“I used to joke that the coffee machine pays the rent,” says Boothman. “And to be completely

honest, if we stayed as a deli with two or three tables we would have closed, which make me a bit sad, but that’s the truth of it.”

The business model might have changed but Boothman insists she is still staying true to her original ethos. “Our main core is good food, sustainability and ethical sourcing.”

Locality, sustainability, branding, taste and uniqueness are all considered in the buying process and potential products have to fulfil at least three of those criteria before Boothman will stock them.

She is also committed to Welsh products, with local brands like Manumit coffee, Welsh Honey, Barry-based sauce producer Hangfire, Coedcanlas (“Their maple syrup flies off the shelf”) and neighbouring Penylan Preserves all in store.

The margins on each product are a minimum of 40%. Boothman says she used to take as little as 30% but found the deli still getting the reputation of being more expensive than supermarkets.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 53

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

51

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May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

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“Our organic leeks here were £2.95 per kilo and in one of the supermarkets they were £5.75.

And because they put them in a packet with a £1 sticker on them people think ‘oh bargain!’”

She admits this is partly to do with being in an affluent area of Cardiff, and the look of the deli. “We wanted the shop to look rustic and also make customers feel it’s somewhere that is going to be serving good quality food, but what that also does is make people think you’re expensive.”

Average basket spend on a weekend is £20.

Typical purchases include fresh bread, Welsh organic milk, half a dozen local eggs, a chutney or jam and a couple of takeaway items from the deli counter.

The deli counter is one of the busiest parts of the business as it supplies the café and takeaway with salads, antipasti and baked goods such as sausage rolls, frittatas and quiches.

Boothman reduced her cheese counter as demand for other deli foods grew, until deciding to go seasonal with her cheeses after opening the Cheese Pantry in Cardiff Market 18 months ago.

The second site is a business venture between Boothman and Owen Davies, cheese buyer for Harvey & Brockless, who she got to know while sourcing cheese for the counter in

Penylan.

The stall has over 40 different British cheese on display. Unsurprisingly, its native varieties are the most requested, but Boothman struggles with the shortage of cheesemakers in Wales prepared to make enough for wholesale.

“There are a lot of tiny little farms that make cheese on the side but if you contact them and say, ‘would you supply us?’ it’s not frequent or consistent enough,” she says.

“And considering Wales is a country famous for its sheep, there’s not enough amazing ewes’ milk cheeses.”

Davies handles the sourcing and buying for the Cheese Pantry, while Boothman deals with the marketing, HR, payroll and staffing. But both try and be at the business at least one day a week.

Allowing enough time to manage each business across multiple sites can be extremely challenging, says Boothman, especially when trying to open a new business at the same time.

“When you’re pushing all your energy and focus into that new business to get it open and off the ground, you then take your eye off the ball with the other ones and you’ll find that standards slip and staff become complacent.”

Branding and marketing are also important elements of running the business, especially as

it grows.

All three sites share a similar round logo and font which can be seen on tote bags and aprons in different colour schemes depending on the outlet.

“Each business has a different identity, but they carry the same imagery to tell people that the brand values are the same.”

She adds: “It’s all about trust. You spend years trying to gain people’s trust, so it’s about passing that over to the new businesses, saying ‘it’s us and we’ll be delivering that same quality even though it’s different’.”

A strong social media strategy also helps drive the business’s ethos across all its sites but under different themes. For example, the Cheese Pantry’s Instagram account is also about driving engagement with cheese and promoting local dairy farmers and British cheesemakers, Boothman explains. While one post may show the cheeses on offer that day another will focus on cooking with cheese and offer recipe ideas.

With three sites under her belt in less than five years, will we see more businesses under the brand in the future? “I never plan to expand,” she says. “I’m more about opportunities than planning. Would I expand? Who knows.” penylanpantry.com

I used to joke that the coffee machine pays the rent. If we stayed as a deli with two or three tables we would have closed, that’s the truth of it.

Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

53

GUILD TALK 7KH *XLOG RI )LQH )RRG UHSUHVHQWV RYHU ĹľQH IRRG VKRSV DQG VSHFLDOLVW VXSSOLHUV :DQW WR MRLQ WKHP" ZZZ JII FR XN

View from HQ

Distinctive names like Boland and Huguenot give Dalewoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s South African cheese its own identity without lazily following European monikers

By John Farrand managing director

YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D IMAGINE my professional life would be full of overseas food junkets. Glamorous trips supping expensive wines, looking over traditional orchards, rare veg varieties or free-ranging animals, all about to be transformed into delicious things.

Truth is, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m normally found at my desk in our rather nondescript warehouse-cum-office-cumjudging facility, looking over a patch of waste ground thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lined up for development. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve waited years for some sort of food tourism perk â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Meet the Guild Steering Group Rufus &DUWHU Chief Operating 2IĆ&#x201C;FHU 3DWFKZRUN 3DWÂŤ 5XWKLQ Denbighshire MOST ADMIRED BRAND...

How many brands ooze attitude and rebellion, stick the middle finger up but also weep heritage? How many are loved by mods, punks, Twilight vampires and Rihanna? Dr Martens are the thinkersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shoes and have been my brand of choice since 1984.

....AND MOST ADMIRED RETAILER Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have preferred to give my top 100, but if I really have to pick just one it would be Delilah Fine Foods. Going from one awesome shop in Nottingham to a second in Leicester was such a brave declaration, and raised the bar for retailing in the 2010s. And they put sauerkraut in their pastrami toasted soughdough sandwiches! I honestly donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know whether to eat it or marry it! %(67 %86,1(66 020(17" Our first Great Taste award â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in 1994, I think. Oh, and the Golden Fork a few years ago, obvs. Great Taste has always been the most credible award scheme. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re as excited about this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entries as the first, 24 years ago.

May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4

price, the nuances of seasonality, the importance of good husbandry all have parallels in the UK. The familiarity left me with a rather warm feeling.

The Vissers are clever too. They give cheeses distinctive names â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not South African brie, cheddar or ComtĂŠ, but the likes of Boland and Huguenot. This gives their cheese its own identity without lazily following European monikers. The terroir is, after all, fundamentally different.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;world flavoursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; thing thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of the romance of the delicatessen: bringing the best and most interesting foods from around the world to your customers.

As I got home, news broke that Charlie Turnbull was closing his deli and cheese shop, close to our Dorset HQ. Fifteen Christmases is deemed positively ancient in deli years, but excessive and unreasonable high street rents have cost my local town some culinary colour.

Thud, back down to retail earth.

AND BIGGEST BUSINESS &/$1*(5" Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve deleted most of them from my memory banks, but recently I ignored an export enquiry, convinced the email was fraudulent.

Long story short â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and thanks to their persistence in ignoring me ignoring them â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they paid cash upfront for a full pallet and it looks like theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take four pallets for their second order.

and sometimes my mood calls for something very fast and very junk.

*8,/7< )22' 6(&5(7" Really, really cheap, rubbery cheese, ideally on a BOGOF. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nearly cheeseâ&#x20AC;?, I call it. (I also shop at the outstanding Liverpool Cheese Company stall at Warrington indoor market, before all you cheese snobs have a nervous breakdown!) %85*(5 .,1* 25 0 6 6$/$'" Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m indiscriminate with fast food on the road. Food is all about mood,

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WHO AT GUILD HQ

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

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

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

54

and it finally came: a trip in March to Cape Town to celebrate its cheesemakers.

South Africa and farmhouse cheese may not leap out at you as the most holy alliance. But thanks mostly to one man, Kobus Mulder, we see over 100 entries from his country in the World Cheese Awards (WCA) each year.

South Africa now has its own dairy awards, and its celebratory dinner was on my tour agenda.

Of course, as in the UK, there are big boys over there making plenty of anonymous cheeses, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a good number of farmers creating distinctive products with milk from their own herds. I visited Dalewood Fromage, home of the Visser family and their attractive Jersey herd. Dalewood scooped Best South African Cheese in WCA 2017 and has won numerous other gongs over the years.

The world becomes very small when you chat to a cheese-making dairy farmer. The politics of milk

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

+$/) )8// 25 +$/) (037<" Stupid question.

35,9$7( 3$66,21" I love to write. I was told by a wellmeaning teacher when I was about 14: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not dyslexic, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just very thick.â&#x20AC;? So every time I pick up a pencil to write a poem, a blog, a novel (far from finished) or a TV series (which C4 have looked at), itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my FU to her.

â&#x20AC;˘ The retailers and suppliers on the Guild Steering Group meet quarterly to help shape and improve services to members and the wider industry. Want to join them? Email john.farrand@gff.co.uk for details.

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

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

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

Kenwood leads line-up of award sponsors for 2018

It's tough to argue against increasing wage rates, but we need a balanced approach from government

By Mick Whitworth

The word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall ACS APRIL SAW the introduction of a new National Living Wage rate, taking the lowest legal pay for workers aged 25 and over to ÂŁ7.83 per hour.

0DQ\ Ć&#x201C;UPV KDYH VWUXJJOHG ZLWK D MXPS LQ KRXUO\ ZDJH FRVWV EXW there is no sense from government WKDW LW ZLOO EDFN GRZQ IURP LWV 1/: WDUJHW RI RI PHGLDQ HDUQLQJV E\ 2020 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; currently projected at ÂŁ8.62.

As an election gets closer you can also see a political imperative for ministers to show theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve acted to increase the volume, value and quality of work in the economy.

At the forefront of government HIIRUWV KDV EHHQ 0DWWKHZ 7D\ORUĹ?V Review of Modern Working Practices, ZLWK UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV IRU EULQJLQJ LQ OHJDO GHĆ&#x201C;QLWLRQV RI ZRUNHUVĹ? DQG employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; status and setting out WKHLU ULJKWV IURP GD\ RQH LQ WKH MRE It also recommended a premium wage rate for employees working non-guaranteed hours. You can envisage the challenge this would

present when calculating wages or managing shift patterns and contracts.

It is tough to argue against improving wage rates and quality of ZRUN EXW LW LV LPSRUWDQW ZH FRQYH\ WKH QHHG IRU D EDODQFHG DSSURDFK IURP JRYHUQPHQW WR DGGUHVV ERWK employersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs.

7KLV PHDQV SUHVHQWLQJ REMHFWLYH HYLGHQFH DERXW WKH WRXJK FKRLFHV EXVLQHVVHV KDYH WR PDNH ZKHQ SD\ rates increase, like reducing staff hours, delaying investment and, in the long term, eroding the rewards for entrepreneurial activity.

ACS is seeking retailersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; YLHZV DERXW WKH LPSDFW RI KLJKHU wage cost, through our annual NLW survey. Please give us your thoughts: surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ ACSNLW2018se Edward Woodall is head of policy & public affairs at small shops group ACS

Q: If we cut whole cheeses to make our own pre-packs, what are the legal labelling requirements?

A: Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 requires the following: â&#x20AC;˘ 3UH SDFNV VKRXOG EH PDUNHG LQ a conspicuous place, using a font x-height (height of a lower-case â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;xâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;)

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

Paul Thomas

Technical and regulatory advice from the Guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deli helpline

Fortnum & Mason and Harrods.

Guild sales director and head of sponsorship Sally Coley said: Ĺ?:HĹ?UH REYLRXVO\ GHOLJKWHG WR JHW VXFK DQ HVWDEOLVKHG EUDQG RQ ERDUG WKLV \HDU ,W SURYHV KRZ LQĹ´XHQWLDO *UHDW 7DVWH LV EHFRPLQJ ZLWK ERWK

consumers and the trade.â&#x20AC;?

Other new trophy sponsors for 2018 include Italian foods importer Tenuta Marmorelle, East Anglian wholesaler Shire Foods and two PDMRU ,ULVK EDVHG IRRG SURFHVVRUV ABP Cahir and Dawn Meats.

0DMRU EDFNHUV KDYH DOVR EHHQ FRQĆ&#x201C;UPHG IRU WKH UHYDPSHG Shop of the Year competition.

Formerly part of Great Taste, this is now a standalone scheme. Not only KDYH VKRSV EHHQ putting themselves forward for MXGJLQJ EXW IDQV RI Delicious. magazine KDYH EHHQ YRWLQJ for a special â&#x20AC;&#x153;readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; awardâ&#x20AC;? .

Long-time Guild supporter Le Gruyère AOP is now headline sponsor for Shop of WKH <HDU ZLWK QDWLRQDO GLVWULEXWRU Petty Wood supporting a trophy for farm shops and garden centre food halls. sally.coley@gff.co.uk

edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

of at least 1.2mm, or 0.9mm if the smallest surface area of the pack is less than 80 sq cm: â&#x20AC;˘ The name of the food and net TXDQWLW\ LQ WKH VDPH Ć&#x201C;HOG RI vision) as well as the name and DGGUHVV RI \RXU EXVLQHVV â&#x20AC;˘ A list of ingredients. (This PD\ EH RPLWWHG IRU FKHHVH LI the only ingredients other than milk are food enzymes, starter cultures and salt). â&#x20AC;˘ An allergen declaration identifying any ingredients FRQWDLQLQJ RQH RI WKH VSHFLĆ&#x201C;HG DOOHUJHQV ,Q WKH DEVHQFH RI DQ ingredients list, the presence of the DOOHUJHQ VKRXOG VWLOO EH GHFODUHG â&#x20AC;˘ A nutritional declaration (inc HQHUJ\ IDW VDWXUDWHV FDUERK\GUDWH sugars, protein and salt.) Your VXSSOLHUV DUH REOLJHG WR SURYLGH you with this information. â&#x20AC;˘ Use By or Best Before date. â&#x20AC;˘ Storage conditions or conditions of use.

The deli doctor

ONE OF THE BIGGEST names in domestic and commercial kitchen hardware has signed up as a major sponsor of Great Taste 2018.

Kenwood, part of the Deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Longhi group, is to sponsor the Supreme Champion trophy at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DZDUGV Ĺ&#x160; D UROH SUHYLRXVO\ Ć&#x201C;OOHG E\

Cut to the chase with AoC converter course

By Mick Whitworth SHOP OWNERS and counter staff who have completed the Guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retail cheese training course can now gain IDVW WUDFN /HYHO 2QH FHUWLĆ&#x201C;FDWLRQ ZLWK the Academy of Cheese too.

The Academy was launched last year to promote cheese knowledge DPRQJ ERWK WUDGH and enthusiastic consumers. The Guild was one of WKH Ć&#x201C;UVW WUDLQLQJ providers to offer one-day courses covering the ZKROH $FDGHP\ /HYHO 2QH V\OODEXV Anyone attending this course can go on to take the Academyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Level One exam online in their own time.

Now the Guild has launched a stripped-down AoC Level 1 converter course, strictly for trade delegates. It HQDEOHV WKRVH ZKR KDYH SUHYLRXVO\ completed the Guild retail course to gain AoC Level 1 in a single day and qualify as an Associate of the AOC.

Guild training & events manager Jilly Sitch said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anyone who has taken our retail course will already KDYH SLFNHG XS D ORW RI WKH EDVH NQRZOHGJH DERXW FKHHVH DQG KRZ LWĹ?V made, as well as all those retail skills â&#x20AC;&#x201C; customer service, upselling and so on â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that the AoC doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cover.

Our converter FRXUVH Ć&#x201C;OOV LQ WKH JDSV EHWZHHQ WKH retail course and WKH $R& V\OODEXV so it puts you on the path to an AoC mastersOHYHO TXDOLĆ&#x201C;FDWLRQ without repetition or overlap. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, we let you take the Level 1 exam there and then. So, IRU EXV\ UHWDLOHUV LW NHHSV WKH WLPH commitment to the minimum.â&#x20AC;?

The AoC Level 1 converter costs just ÂŁ150 plus VAT and will run at the Guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s London training venue on WK 0D\ WK -XQH WK 6HSWHPEHU DQG WK 2FWREHU jilly.sitch@gff.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 4 | May 2018

55

Fish4ever

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

Fish4Now

“I try to eat well but it’s hard when you’re always on the go. I need quick solutions for my busy lifestyle. Fish4Ever is super versatile and now I’ve got loads of ideas for healthy meals when I need them”.

Fish4Health

“I like to get my nutrition from food not pills. Canned fish is one of the most incredible superfoods and I trust Fish4Ever not to add any dirty ingredients.”

Fish4Quality

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

ZZZ ¿VK HYHU FR XN 0118 9238767 52

May 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 4