EDITOR’S CHOICE FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH

This is the complete package from the West Yorkshire roastery.

While the darker winter roast hits the mark, this product was chosen just as much for its packaging. Those distinctive colours continue to set Dark Woods apart in a sea of brown paper bags and extending that eye-catching branding to a gifting format is a great idea.

These should be an easy win for retailers catering to the hamper-buying masses in December.

With all of English Lakes’ creations, it’s the base ice cream that strikes you first.

You can actually taste the milk, and it’s creamy and so, so smooth. The on-trend flavour of speculoos (slightly gingerbready caramelised Belgian cookies) blends in seamlessly and this is one of those products that delivers exactly the flavour it says it will on the tub.

Given the name, you might have to sample it to customers to really drive sales but this has potential to be a cult hit on ice cream counters and in the freezer cabinets of independents.

The FFD team loves a good hot sauce but this is not a blow-your-head-off kind of product. There’s chilli warmth in this Mexican condiment but it’s the marriage of this with smokiness and sweetness that really appeals, not to mention real depth and length to this flavour. The rustic texture (there are whole chipotle chillies in there) may not appeal to everyone but it is part of the charm. It is, after all, an organic product and also passes the vegan and sustainability tests.

Perhaps the branding doesn’t quite convey all of the above, but retailers could easily demonstrate its versatility (and cross-sell) by using it in sandwiches or other café dishes.

of product. There’s chilli warmth in this Mexican condiment but it’s the marriage of this with smokiness and sweetness that really appeals, not to mention real but retailers could easily demonstrate its versatility (and cross-sell) by

The editorial team had an idea that this panettone might be something special. Tenuta Marmorelle has a nose for sourcing Italian brilliance and this product has recently won a 3-star in Great Taste. Despite all that anticipation, this was still astounding. The best panettones hit the textural sweet spot between textural sweet spot between fluffy, chewy and melting and there’s a perfectly pitched sweetness too. But the generous amount of limoncello cream added into this one elevates it beyond any panettone we had ever eaten before. It’s also very well-presented so we expect it well-presented so we expect it to fly off the shelves everywhere it is to fly off the shelves everywhere it is stocked. stocked.

We could’ve picked any of the kayas – curd-like Malaysian-style preserves – on show at Madam Chang’s stand. Given that the green Pandan variety had already won a 3-star in this year’s Great Taste, we went for the caramel-hued Gula Melaka, made with sugar derived from coconut flower nectar.

Super smooth and rich, it tastes like liquid birthday cake but somehow the sweetness stays the right side of cloying.

The packaging hits the mark and matches the impact of what’s inside the jar, too. The only snag is the lack of ‘everyday’ potential for retailers. With 190g retailing for £9.90, it’s definitely a luxury item – but it will impress.

The editorial team were planning what cocktails could be created with this liqueur from the moment it passed their lips. That said, it is pretty impressive neat: smooth and rich with a nicely judged amount of sweetness. And, of course, it’s got proper coffee character to it.

The spirits and liqueur space is crammed already and there are more new launches all the time, but this one really has the chance to stand out. There aren’t many options for making independent coffee-flavoured cocktails, Derw’s branding is classy and the bottle is pitched very competitively (50cl retails for £27).

How many products do you see in jars where the oil is purely functional? Well, this cheese is an exception to the rule. Yes, this goats’ cheese is pleasingly dense and soft but its flavour is elevated by garlic, thyme, peppercorns and the olive oil that this all sits in. Whether you’re pitching it as the ultimate salad topping or as the ideal accompaniment to fresh crusty bread, this is bound to be a winner in lots of delis. You can see why The Fine Cheese Co. thought it was worth bringing in from Australia – another testament to the company’s sourcing capabilities.

accompaniment to fresh crusty bread, this is

This latest creation from Dorset’s Capreolus demonstrates the clever balancing of flavours and attention to raw ingredients that has earned it so many awards over the years.

The first thing you notice about this salami is not the truffle but the natural flavour of the pork coming through. Then, as you chew, those truffle notes begin to arrive but they never overpower the meat or the cure. Not everyone loves truffle but this product showcases how it can be used to enhance, rather than nuke the palate.

Like its sister business The Fine Cheese Co., Artisan Biscuits has a knack for presentation and developing very sellable products for retail, and this selection box is further proof. The pastoral scenes on the box are appealing but this is balanced with practical information and photos of the products on the sides. The selection inside works nicely – one sweet, two varieties for serving with cheese – and when it comes to texture and flavour everything delivers, all while being entirely gluten-free.

You could easily pitch this to a customer as a gift or just upsell it on the deli counter.

In summary, this is a box-ticking box.

“Surely, all kimchi is vegan?” the editorial team said when sampling this take on the potent fermented Korean staple. But, it seems that most varieties usually contain some sort of fish sauce or seafood condiment to bolster them.

This certainly doesn’t lack umami or those funky fermented flavours that make this such a popular product with consumers. It is fresh and spicy with good crunch and with the chilli heat pitched at a level that will appeal to most, it’s a product for all, not just vegans.