NEWS
Work to be done on Campylobacter in indies By Michael Lane
Spanish food still in demand despite Brexit With two forthcoming food trade shows in Spain, Alimentaria has said UK demand for Spanish products remains strong despite Brexit. The events company – which organises both its centrepiece Alimentaria show to be held in April and now the more specialised Fórum Gastronómico Barcelona in November this year – said that the number of British professionals participating in its main show has been increasing every year. It added that the UK accounted for 6.7% (€2.037 billion) of total Spanish food exports last year. Alimentaria takes place in Barcelona on 20th-23rd April in Barcelona, while Fórum Gastronómico Barcelona will run from 18th to 20th November 2019. alimentaria.com
FSA tests have shown smaller retailers have failed to reduce the highest levels of the harmful bacteria in the last four year while supermarkets have improved
and farm shops, but an FSA spokesperson told FFD that consumers should ‘not necessarily” assume it was less safe to purchase chicken from independents. The spokesperson said that supermarkets had been able to improve because they had been collaborating with larger slaughterhouses with the resources to adjust conditions. They added: “It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what interventions have been the most effective in achieving this. The
slaughterhouses which supply smaller retailers tend to be small-to-medium processors, who may not be in the same financial position to implement more sophisticated interventions.” Rob Copley, co-founder of Farmer Copleys Farm Shop in Yorkshire and chairman of the Farm Retail Association told FFD that there was no reason why smaller shops couldn’t match up to supermarkets on campylobacter. “If you assume all the supermarkets have 5-star
DOWN ON THE FARM
Bury Lane Farm Shop’s gift hall is currently being refurbished and being treated to a brand-new layout and new lighting. It will offer customers an increased range of products, including a wider range of china, jewellery, toiletries, greetings cards and baby toys. burylanefarmshop.co.uk Due to the success of its summer parent & toddler group, Herrings Green
Farm is now offering a regular parent and toddler group. Each session will vary, allowing children to get up close to Herrings Green’s farm animals, birds and tractors. herringsgreenfarmshop. co.uk Nestled between the Devon and Cornwall border, Strawberry Fields Farm Shop (formerly known as Lifton Farm Shop) has recently unveiled a new
Marazem/Dreamstime.com
The Food Standards Agency has said it will continue to work with smaller slaughterhouses and independent retailers to reduce levels of harmful Campylobacter bacteria found on raw chicken, after its latest results showed they were lagging behind supermarkets in tackling it. A data set and report, published by the Food Standards Agency in August, showed that the proportion of whole chickens contaminated with the highest level of Campylobacter – the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK – has decreased overall since 2014. While supermarkets have shown significant progress during testing, chickens tested in “smaller retailers” had shown no decrease in levels on average. The smaller retailers category includes butchers
hygiene ratings, then 80% of smaller shops should too,” he said. Echoing the FSA’s advice to retailers, Copley said farm shops need to start their prevention at the source. “In the first instance, they need to be buying from a reputable or audited supplier,” he said. “And, in-store, its basic hygiene practice, a temperature check on delivery, and keep it separate in the fridge.” Copley added that shops should also make sure customers know how to prepare chicken safely and this could be achieved by including cooking instructions on labels. Between August 2017 and July 2018, 1,769 samples of whole, UK-produced, fresh chicken were tested across the country on behalf of the FSA. During the first four months, 1,044 chickens were sampled from all retailers. The FSA tested only minor retailers after this period, as it was agreed that the Top 9 retailers would publish results of their internal testing on their websites.
IN BRIEF Fresh herb champion and condiment brand A Little Bit Food Co, has been taken over by Kent-based entrepreneur Laura Bounds, owner of Kentish Oils & Kentish Condiments. The buy-out will see the new owner carry out new product development to extend the existing range. New forecasts from IGD reveal that the UK convenience market is set to grow by £6.9bn in the next five years, reaching a sector value of £48.2bn by 2024. Store openings are predicted to be the main drive of the channel’s growth. Suffolk-based premium juice manufacturer, James White Drinks, has invested significantly in a new shot production line and expanded storage facility, thanks to support from the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development.
The latest from farm shops across the country Dessert Bar. The shop’s dessert team has developed a range of homemade desserts, using fresh homegrown produce wherever possible. strawberryfieldslifton. co.uk
Following a makeover and now under new management, Meadgate Farm Shop in Timsbury, North East Somerset, has now re-opened its refurbished plant nursery. meadgatefarmshop.co.uk
A brand-new shop is set to open this month at Whitley Castle (Epiacum), in Alston, Cumbria. The uniquely shaped Roman Fort’s site also features a visitor centre and an education centre along with the farm shop and café. epiacumheritage.org
The Newt in Somerset is a country estate, set in the landscaped woodlands and gardens, that has recently opened to the public near Bruton. It offers a luxurious hotel, numerous eateries, a spa and a farm shop, which celebrates all things local –including cheese, meat and produce – and has a strong focus on sustainability. thenewtinsomerset.com
In association with
Fabulous Farm Shops fabulousfarmshops.co.uk
Vol.20 Issue 9 | October-November 2019
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