FFD Jan-Feb 2018

January-February 2018 Volume 19 Issue 1 gff.co.uk

Setting the bar higher Alex Dower on leading Harrods’ food hall rebirth

ALSO INSIDE Retailers ponder the ‘latte levy’ Pickles & chutneys round-up A new Stilton?

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH TURN TO PAGE 31 2018 PREVIEW

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CONTENTS FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH

31

Find out what’s going on and who’s going to be at this year’s Harrogate show 5 THE BIG PICTURE 7 NEWS

MY MAGIC INGREDIENT

18 OPINION Henry Mackley on the ‘latte levy’, Editor’s Choice

60

Food writer Lucas Hollweg kicks off our new Shelf Talk column with mostarda di frutta

23 CHEESEWIRE Sparkenhoe-maker’s Stilton bid, Alsop & Walker, Burrow Mump 27 CUT & DRIED Woodall’s gin salami, recipe video launch

The two stores are too close to be identical. We want to keep them unique from one another.

DELI OF THE MONTH

66

Johns of Instow and Appledore

EDITORIAL

Editorial director: Mick Whitworth

Contributors: Nick Baines, Patrick McGuigan, Lynda Searby

Editor: Michael Lane

Assistant editor: Lauren Phillips Reporter: Andrew Don

Art director: Mark Windsor

Editorial production: Richard Charnley

Cover photo: Isabelle Plasschaert

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48 CATEGORY FOCUS Pickles & chutneys, equipment & services for producers 57 THE SOURCE Six reasons to visit the West Country trade show 59 SHELF TALK Moroccan olive, Sprouted Genius crackers, mushroom coffee trending 70 GUILD OF FINE FOOD NEWS

Published by The Guild of Fine Food Ltd www.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 70 for news from the Guild

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

3

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NEWS

Retailers braced for extra costs as Government wages war on waste

IN BRIEF Wilkin & Sons, the owner of Tiptree, has promoted Scott Goodfellow to joint managing director. He has taken over from Stuart James who retired at the end of last year.

Goodfellow shares the role with Chris Newenham.

By Andrew Don

Speciality food retailers have broadly supported the Government’s latest environmental measures, including the proposed 25p “latte levy” for disposable coffee cups and the incoming 5p charge on all plastic bags in England.

As part of Prime Minister Theresa May’s war on waste, a consultation will be launched on “taxes or charges” on all single-use plastics, including disposable cups, following calls from the Environment Audit Committee for a 25p “latte levy”.

England will join the rest of the UK in extending the 5p single-use plastic bag levy to all sizes of store, although there was no date for implementation when FFD went to press.

Melanie Scragg, of Melanie’s Kitchen, in Bristol, has asked people to pay 5p for plastic bags for the past 10 years, even though not legally obliged to do so.

“We ask people to put

A so-called “latte levy” would require retailers and cafes to charge 25p for every disposable coffee cup

a few coins in the charity boxes,” she said.

She has never been “particularly happy” about selling water in plastic bottles, so she backed any charges on them. But she conceded a charge on coffee cups could be “a pain”.

The shop sells soup in plastic cups but Scragg is scouring the market for fully compostable ones. “You can absorb the cost of that quite easily,” she said.

Ian Long, partner at Harvest Time Delicatessen, in Moffat, Dumfries &

Planet Organic targets new outlets as it seeks investors Planet Organic could grow into a Greater London-wide chain of more than 30 stores over the next five years, pending discussions about new investment.

The seven-strong chain has been seeking investors, which chief executive Peter Marsh hoped would be decided in the early part of this year.

“What we want to do is accelerate the growth,” he told FFD. “We are looking for an appropriate partner.”

The 22-year-old business could open 12 stores over the next five years without investment and double that with the right backing, he added.

The chain has already exchanged on a 4,000 sq ft site in a new development, Filmworks, in Ealing, west London, which would not be

built until 2020.

It also plans to expand its business by supplying its own-brand products wholesale to France, Scandinavia and the Middle East.

Marsh revealed Planet Organic had just linked with courier company Street Stream in order to deliver to consumers in as little as two hours, within a one-hour timeslot.

Peter Marsh: a partner would double growth

Galloway, where small shops already are legally required to charge for bags, would be concerned if a plastic bottle deposit scheme became policy because of limited storage space for empties.

Ian Comer, retail director, of Becketts Farm Shop in Wythall, Birmingham, is “very conscious” the shop uses a lot of carrier bags.

“Our bags are good quality and we pay a lot for them. It encourages people to reuse them.”

He thinks customers

would accept a charge for carrier bags and coffee cups.

Comer added:“I’m happy to do our bit for the environment but it has to be a bit more cost-effective than at the moment.”

Charlie Turnbull, who owns Turnbulls Cheesemonger, Coffee House & Bistro in Shaftesbury, Dorset, already uses compostable coffee cups. He is “slightly more concerned” about the bag charge because he feels plastic bags are a necessity when it rains.

American confectionery giant The Hershey Company has agreed to buy Amplify Snack Brands, owner of Tyrrells, for $1.6bn (£1.2bn).

Frozen ready-meal specialist Cook Trading has posted full-year pre-tax profit down 10.3% to £2.45m. The business, which sells via its own shops and in-store concessions, saw turnover rise 12.4% to £50.59m in the year to the end of December, according to the latest accounts filed at Companies House.

Bakers & Larners revamp to include improved wine offer Department store Bakers and Larners of Holt goes live with its refurbished food hall in March, which will include a serve-over bakery and patisserie, and upgraded wine department.

FFD reported last summer that the 247-yearold business was planning a £250,000 food hall update, and work got under way in January.

But it is only now that plans for a bespoke in-house bakery and patisserie and improved wine department have emerged.

The wine department will include a try-beforeyou-buy facility for high-end bottles and everything in the bakery and patisseries will be sold over the counter, including artisan breads, pastries,

croissants and French sticks served out of a floor-toceiling bespoke glass and steel cabinet.

Sandra Taylor-Meeds, who is in charge of parent company CT Baker Group’s food operations, including the food hall and two Budgens, said: “We will bake in-house and I’m looking at things like lavender breads that we can source locally.”

The company has bought two ovens and it has been looking at the possibility of a bread slicing machine that cuts different thicknesses.

Katrina Coe, who currently works for the group’s Budgens stores, has been appointed bakery supervisor.

The food hall is scheduled to relaunch on 16th March.

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

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NEWS

CYBER CRIME

Festive trading solid in independents despite Sunday blues on Christmas Eve

By Andrew Don

The effect of Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve falling on Sunday put the dampeners on what was otherwise a prosperous 2017 festive trading period for fine food stores.

Retailers contacted by FFD saw improvements or small declines in December sales, compared to 2016, but were hampered by poor Christmas Eves, as well as fire and card terminal failure.

Charlie Turnbull, of Turnbulls in Shaftesbury, Dorset, said trade on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve was down 33% and 70%, otherwise he would have been up overall on previous years.

Turnbull told FFD last month that he was anticipating trading difficulties for independents on these days because customers would not expect delis to be open on a Sunday.

Diane Brown of Provender Brown, in Perth, said Christmas Eve was “a

Sales were up 16% at Rushfields Farm Shop despite poor trading on Christmas Eve, which fell on a Sunday

lot quieter than normal” but the deli had suffered a fire the previous day. It had to evacuate the shop when an out-of-use soup kettle ignited accidentally on top of the ceramic hob.

Sales were 2.3% down for November and December but Brown said it was still better than many years.

Rushfields Farm Shop in Brighton also reported the Sunday effect on Christmas Eve, compared to a busy one the previous year. Owner Pam Langridge said sales in

BBQ on the menu for new Applegates owner Applegates Farm Shop in Milton Green, Chester, plans to become a food-smoking and BBQ mecca after changing ownership.

Seasoned restaurant trade and mobile smokehouse and barbecue catering operator Paul Walker took over from Gareth Scott at the end of last year.

He plans to retail the smoked and barbecue products that his Smohk & Mischief operation produces, subject to local authority approvals.

He makes ribs, pulled pork, brisket, steaks “and everything in between”, cured and smoked bacon, contemporary street food, a limited amount of charcuterie and a range of smoked salmon.

He also makes his own 8

flavoured sales, such as citrus and paprika varieties.

“Every time you have something tested, it’s about £300,” said Walker. “I’ve got a range of 18 different things that would be considered high risk so we will start off small and build it.”

Walker wants to produce as much in-house as he can – not just smoked – such as humous and pesto and make his own baked goods, including flans, pies and cakes.

“When we can, we will work with local producers, such as Little Lodge Confectionery.”

The shop is split into a traditional farm shop, a deli, and a 50-cover café that he will refurbish in March.

He plans to install the smokehouse in a building attached to the farm shop.

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

December were up 16%, but Rushfields had less stock in the final week before Christmas 2016. Alcohol sales climbed 50% and cheese more than 15%.

Gemma Aykroyd, who owns The Cheeseboard in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, said: “We broke our record day from last year on Friday 22nd December, then re-broke it again on 23rd December – our busiest day trading in the history of me owning the shop in 17 years.”

And this was achieved

despite a card terminal failure on the day. “The queue was the longest it’s ever been but it didn’t deter our customers who went off to the nearest ATM across the road,” she told FFD. Bakers & Larners of Holt, Norfolk, saw year-on-year food hall sales increase 5-10%. Food hall manager Richard Lodge said hampers were up 78%. Chocolate climbed 20% during December.

The store sold out of 30g tubs of Oscietra Caviar priced at £45 – the first year it had stocked them.

Apley Farm Shop in Shropshire had an order for 102 hampers to one local company alone.

Its food hall’s turnover climbed 17% – mainly to improved sales of alcohol, confectionery and items with festive packaging.

Turkey sales fell, possibly reflecting competition from online specialists and discount supermarkets, but other prime meat cuts increased.

Co-op plans 100 new sites Following its pledge to increase emphasis on local sourcing, The Co-operative now plans to roll out another 100 new food stores across the UK in 2018 as part of a £160m investment programme.

More than 20 are poised to open in London, 18 in Scotland and 10 in Wales.

The new openings will take the number of its stores to nearly 2,700, after opening at least 100 new shops annually for the past two years.

The news comes as the mutual is vying to get more involved in the independent sector with an agreement to become exclusive wholesale supplier to Costcutter members from this spring.

It also hopes to buy Nisa Retail, subject to Competition and Markets Authority approval.

The Cornish Cheese Co receives royal visit

January saw The Cornish Cheese Company, maker of the former World Champion Cornish Blue, receive a rare visit from the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, in recognition of the business’s substantial expansion in recent years.

“We started making cheese in 2001 but the business really started to take off in 2010 when our cheese, Cornish Blue, was named World Champion,” said owner and founder Philip Stansfield (pictured left).

As demand has grown, the company has expanded production at its base near Liskeard, and developed a goats’ cheese, Cornish Nanny.

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NEWS

Drought, lower volumes and exchange rates fuelling olive oil price hikes

By Andrew Don

Importers have warned of further increases in olive oil prices as a result of poor harvests and exchange rates.

Several suppliers of speciality olive oil have seen recent hikes of as much as 7%, and expect this to continue as new season oils come in.

Prices of olive oil soared in some instances just before Christmas, with national newspapers reporting on retail prices up more than 7% in some supermarkets, including big brands like Napolina and Fillipo Berio.

Reports quoted increases of over 7% on Toscano PGI oil, attributed to harvesting problems after farmers didn’t irrigate groves.

Meanwhile, production in the Spanish region of Andalucia is said to have decreased 15.8% because of drought.

In areas where oil production has increased, the pound’s fall against the Euro has adversely hit UK

5-7% increase in prices of single estate oil Source: The Oil Merchant retail prices.

Charles Carey, proprietor of The Oil Merchant, which deals with small independent farms rather than big multinational co-operatives, said he was currently seeing price increases of 5-7%.

“My understanding is that because of the drought in Spain, that has pushed up the price of oil very much in the commercial sectors,”

he said, adding that farmers working at a smaller scale were able to irrigate and manage crops so had been less badly affected.

“It seems to me that olive oil sales are increasing and people are trading up to more expensive extra virgin oils – specifically the sector we sell which is estate-bottled extra virgin olive oils.”

Carey said it was

IN BRIEF

difficult to predict the near future because it was “totally reliant” on the value of the euro against the pound, which is hinged on Brexit negotiations.

Robert McGlew, proprietor of The Italian Olive Oil Company, which deals exclusively with Italy, said the market had suffered a general hike in prices because of exchange rates and lower volumes coming through for the new season from smaller-scale producers.

“The quality of the oil is excellent but the volume is down so prices go up.

“When new season oil comes in we are looking at 5-8% price increase which will cover the fact we are seeing higher fuel costs, the exchange rate and the cost of the raw product.”

Olive oil suppliers told FFD they are not worried about the increasing popularity of other types of oil, from avocado to grape and rapeseed, and see them as complementary.

Victoria Robertshaw of Keelham Farm Shop has won the 2017 NatWest Everywoman Award. She is credited with taking the business, which has shops in Thornton and Skipton, from an annual turnover of £2m to £21m.

The National Pig Association (NPA) has reported the UK’s first vegan cinema advert to the Advertising Standards Authority as “totally misleading”.

The “Hope Not Hell” ad by vegan campaign group Viva! claims 90% of pigs are factory farmed.

Tony Goodman, CEO of Yumsh Snacks, the company behind crisp brand Ten Acre, received an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours, for services to international trade and exports.

Gove seeks to establish quality benchmarks for UK food and drink

Double burglary deli warns others to tighten security

A successful post-Brexit future for the British food industry could see suppliers creating a single system to ensure traceability of ingredients, integrity in production and distinctiveness in taste.

This is the vision Defra secretary Michael Gove set out at the Oxford Farming Conference in January.

Gove said there was still no single, scaled measure of how a food producer performed against a sensible basket of indicators.

“We’ve been in discussion with a number of farmers and food producers about how we might advance such a scheme and I think that, outside the EU, we could establish a measure of farm and food quality which would be world-leading.”

The owner of a Cambridgeshire delicatessen that suffered two break-ins within five days of each other just before Christmas has appealed to other speciality food retailers to make their premises secure.

On both occasions, thieves broke into The Deli @65, in Sutton near Ely, through the walk-in chiller’s external door.

Owner Karen Scott said they stole £450 of stock the first time and £350 the second, comprising Christmas cheeses, cheese boards, cheese wheels, sausages, alcohol and soft drinks and an under-the-counter freezer.

“The blessing I’ve got from all this is that they

Michael Gove: UK food is at the “top of the value chain”

Food and drink was the UK’s biggest manufacturing sector and one of its fastest growing with an increase of 8% in exports to the European Union (EU) and 10% in exports outside the EU in the first three quarters of last year alone, he said.

Gove said the UK would succeed in the global marketplace because it was competing “at the top of

the value chain, not trying to win a race to the bottom”.

The government could help in that process by underwriting that reputation for quality, he said.

This is why he wants the UK, when outside the EU, to develop new approaches to food labelling and create “a new gold-standard metric for food and farming quality”.

didn’t trash the place,” she told FFD. “It could have been a whole lot worse.”

The shop didn’t have cameras or alarms and, in hindsight, Scott admits she should have installed them, which she has now done.

“I was here for a year and a half and never had anything like this happen,” she said.

“When it does, it’s awful, horrible, so I strongly advise cameras and alarms.

“And never think it won’t happen to you. That was my attitude. I didn’t feel threatened.”

A local resident set up a Just Giving fundraising page and raised £700 which Scott said covered her losses.

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

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NEWS

Flexitarian rise makes vegan and vegetarian options viable for delis

By Andrew Don

Vegan and vegetarian food is becoming a key category for retailers, and independents could thrive by specialising in it, as flexitarianism continues to rise.

That’s the view of analysts spoken to by FFD, as an Essex retailer plans to open a chain of vegan and vegetarian delis, while Ocado staked its claim for the largest vegan range of all supermarkets with a launch in January.

Emma Clifford, senior food and drink analyst at Mintel, said the growth in the meat-free market in the past two years after several years of decline was largely down to the rise of flexitarianism – the practise of a largely plant-based diet supplemented with a small amount of meat.

As a result, the appeal of vegetarian and vegan products now extends far beyond a limited pool of consumers and Mintel estimates some 28% of UK

According to Mintel, 28% of UK consumers have adopted a mainly meat-free flexitarian diet

consumers have adopted a flexitarian approach to eating.

“In order to generate enough custom, winning over flexitarians is set to be vital to the success of retailers specialising in vegan and vegetarian, or vegan-only, food in most locations,” Clifford said.

One new vegan and vegetarian specialist, The Acorn Deli, has revealed

ambitions to open a small group across Essex amid this growing interest.

Jim Anderson, co-owner of the shop, in Old Leigh, is now looking at a second venue with a view to opening “four or five” in the next five years.

Analysts said affluent city centres would be the prime locations for these types of retailer, with interest likely to be limited

Retailers banned from charging customers for card payments New regulations that came into force on 13th January ban retailers from surcharging consumers for paying with credit and debit cards.

The ban, which was billed by the Government as “an end to rip-off charges”, also applies to PayPal and direct debits.

Retailers will still be allowed to set a minimum spend or stop accepting a certain card payment method completely.

The law will apply

regardless of whether a transaction takes place in the shop, online or over the phone. Any consumer that is surcharged is entitled to a refund and can pursue legal action to claim it, while Trading Standards also has enforcement powers.

The Treasury estimates that surcharging cost Britons £166m in 2016.

It said that these kind of fees have become commonplace, particularly online, and some retailers Businesses can no longer add charges for payment by credit cards

have been known to add charges which are far higher than it costs them to process a payment.

Federation of Small Businesses national chairman Mike Cherry described the measure as a “double-edged sword”, because it meant businesses would now have to shoulder the burden of processing fees.

“Today’s changes make insisting on payment by cash all the more appealing,” he said. “With access to cash restricted by a rapidly diminishing bank branch network and threats to ATM funding, small firms now find themselves between a rock and a hard place when it comes to customer payments.”

Blue Tin goes up five sizes outside of these catchment areas.

Nicola Ball, shopper insight manager at the IGD, said many shoppers were now showing an interest in adopting a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle.

Stats from the IGD’s ShopperVista platform show 22% of UK grocery shoppers claim to be interested in buying vegetarian products and 11% vegan.

This rises among younger shoppers, with 37% of 25-34s showing an interest in vegetarian and 22% in vegan products.

“Retailers that can provide a wide range of vegan and vegetarian products to meet the needs of shoppers purchasing for different meal occasions are therefore likely to have high appeal, especially amongst younger shoppers,” said Ball.

The Vegan Society, citing its own research, said there had been a 260% increase in veganism in the 10 years to 2016 in Great Britain.

A farm shop that used to operate out of a small Portakabin in Oxfordshire has opened a new purpose-built unit, at least five times the size of the operation it opened eight years ago.

Named after the corrugated cladding that covered the shop, Blue Tin Produce now boasts a shop, café and separate smokehouse.

Owners Jed Jackson and Emma Darke rear meat on their farm in the Chilterns but the increased space has seen them add more products, including their own homemade preserves, pickles, chutneys and jams made with ingredients sourced from the farm.

“There is room now for loads of different lines of produce and a bigger display of meat. We’ve done this out of necessity in that we felt we wanted more space to put in more produce made locally,” said Darke.

Wales says shops UK-wide can profit from St David’s Day promos With research pointing to growing interest in Welsh food, retailers across the UK are being urged to add St David’s Day on 1st March to their promotional calendar.

Recent research for the Welsh Government shows more than half of UK consumers outside Wales view it as a source of “great food and drink” and almost a third want to see more Welsh produce in shops.

Nearly one in five will choose Welsh butter, cheese and water over others, and consumers believe Welsh food is more ‘natural’ compared to the rest of the UK. More than a third actively want to support Welsh producers.

Andy Richardson, chair of the Food & Drink Wales Industry Board, told FFD: “Nestled between Valentine’s

Day and Easter, St David’s Day presents an ideal marketing opportunity for any food business. Research shows consumers value what’s good, new and exciting about Welsh produce.”

An online toolkit to help stores make the most of St David’s Day is available from: gov.wales/ foodanddrinkwales

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

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January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

INTERVIEW IT MIGHT SOUND PERVERSE but if you want to know what Harrods’ food halls looked like nearly a century ago, you have to visit the most recently redecorated part of the Grade-II listed building.

In November, the Capital’s most famous department store unveiled the initial phase of its comprehensive food and drink overhaul dubbed The Taste Revolution! – the first renovation of the food halls in some 30 years.

Instead of adding yet another layer of design, the retailer has restored the room – which previously housed the floristry department and a double level restaurant – to its 1925 proportions and revived a good deal of the architecture. While the original ceiling, cartouches and marble flooring have all returned, so have a number of services offered in bygone eras. But don’t think that this is some glamourous history exhibition for visiting high-net-worth individuals and the tourist throngs.

“Unashamedly, this first room is about reengaging with London,” says head of food Alex Dower – the man spearheading Harrods’ two-year programme of retail and restaurant redevelopment. “It’s about making sure we absolutely connect with what our local customers’ needs are, because that’s what this business began as – a local grocery company.

That’s what we built our world-leading brand on.”

Until the 1970s, Harrods was running a full-scale scratch bakery at a nearby building

Alex Dower, Harrods

Looking back to go forward Rather than being burdened by the weight of its traditions, Harrods is actively embracing them as head of food Alex Dower leads the first revamp of its food halls for 30 years and looks to offer a full shop to local customers

“This business began as a local grocery company.

That’s what we built our worldleading brand on.” but it hasn’t had one since this latest update.

Now, a bell sounds regularly to herald the latest batch of almond croissants or monogrammed loaves to emerge from the ovens into the new room.

The ringing is a frequent interjection as Dower – whose 25-plus year career includes positions at Tesco, M&S, Woolworths Australia, Pret a Manger and Mars – sits at the new room’s Art Deco coffee bar with FFD and explains how looking back at Harrods’ history has been just as influential as studying food halls of peers across the globe.

Harrods had been roasting coffee for decades off-site since the 1920s, says Dower.

“That was hugely pioneering but we stopped, which was probably the wrong decision.”

Now, there’s a glass-encased roastery barely 20ft from where we’re sat, drinking a coffee blend devised by master roaster Bartosz Ciepaj.

“We’re reviving tradition but doing it in a CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Interview by Michael Lane

Portrait by Isabelle Plasschaert Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

15

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January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

INTERVIEW way that meets the high expectations of our customers,” says Dower, adding that those customers can take away whole beans, ground coffee or even pods within an hour of a batch being roasted.

And the same modern tweaks are being applied to the bakery, run by master baker Lance Gardner, whose creations include a Signature sourdough.

“If you go back 15-20 years, ‘sour’ would not have been a flavour that was important in bread.

Now we’ve recreated the bakery, the hero is sourdough because that’s where people’s tastes have moved.”

Dower adds: “Food doesn’t completely reinvent itself all the time. If you look back to ancient civilisation, bread was the most important product. If you talk to customers today, freshly baked bread is the most important product. So, some things don’t change but you’ve got to make them relevant.”

Bread and coffee are the “lynchpins” of this first new area, which also houses a patisserie counter, ambient pantry goods, a tea room that offers bespoke blending and a new hamper

service counter.

And while Harrods is aiming for the exemplary standards you would expect, convenience is vital in the upgraded shopping experience. Customers can pay for their coffees at the bar or peruse the shelves for other items before paying for it all in one contactless swipe at another point in the room. A self-scan system will also be introduced once more of the food hall has been redeveloped.

“We want the customers to focus on the beauty of the room, the quality of the product, and the service they’re receiving. Not paying.”

Dower still believes in the power of traditional retailing and offering customers a bricks-and-mortar experience at Harrods, through face-to-face counter service and provenance “touch points” like the roaster and bakery. But he says there is a flipside.

“Don’t get me wrong, when we relaunch some of our counters, we’ll be doing much more grab-and-go as well. Because some people don’t want to have to spend the time engaging. That’s fine. But we want to give people choice.”

Harrods has even opened a standalone

“It’s no good coming into Harrods and expecting to pay three times more for a bottle of Coke than you did in Waitrose.

That would be completely wrong.”

Roast & Bake unit – next to the staff entrance across the street from the main store’s rear doors – for those who want to sample the wares of the new room without even entering it.

Whether they are picking up some items on the way home from work or on a more leisurely weekend shop, one thing regular customers won’t be interested in is Harrods’ range of gift and souvenir food items. Dower says these are being moved to a different part of the store where encouraging tourist footfall makes more sense.

“We’re not going to walk away from that in any respect, we value those customers, but if you have those products in these rooms, they get so busy the local customers can’t do their weekly shop. And that’s not right” And as much space as possible will be required, because Dower is even introducing trolleys for the first time in Harrods’ history to encourage fuller shops from customers.

Together with the Fresh hall next door – which will be closed for redevelopment this summer, and is slated to open in October – the roastery and bake hall will provide everything for a weekly shop.

When FFD suggests that, despite improving conditions, a bigger barrier to weekly shoppers might be the price of items in Harrods, Dower quickly dispels any notions that products are expensive for the sake of it.

“You can go over to the bakery and get a 48-hour-laminated all-butter croissant for £2.50, and that is a very accessible product,” he says. “You can also in the food halls buy an Almas caviar which is £600 for 50g – it’s the eggs from an albino sturgeon – and it’s an insanely good product and incredible value but they’re very different price points and very different customers.”

“Price is important for us but it’s about how it works in the value equation.”

When it comes to mainstream items, Harrods has got to be sensible with its pricing.

“It’s no good coming into Harrods and expecting to pay three times more for a bottle of Coke than you did in Waitrose. That would be completely wrong.

“But is there a small premium for shopping in Harrods versus Waitrose? Yes.” Before the updated Harrods weekly shop is realised, other changes are taking place. This March, the department store will be opening the Fine Wine Cellars at Harrods – which Dower says will be a new experiential take on its wines, spirits and cigar business.

Once the Fresh Market Hall is completed by the end of this year, 2019 will see Harrods take on the transformation of its chocolate room into the Decadence Hall, which will house the luxury foods that Harrods is famous for, and the Restaurant Hall.

While details about any of these halls are yet to be revealed, you get the feeling that Dower’s plans will be impressive.

“Harrods has got a history of significant transformation over the last 150 years. It has always led the agenda but it hasn’t made one of those significant steps for 30 years and now is the point where we do it again.”

harrods.com

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

17

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

SARAH GRAY owner, Burtenshaws Butcher & Delicatessen, Rustington, West Sussex Burtenshaws had been my local butcher for many years before I bought it in April 2017. The owner, Ian, was looking to sell up. I had been working in financial services for 22 years but had always wanted to run a deli. I could see potential for expanding the deli side of the shop by turning it into more of a city centre style deli and stocking Continental cheeses and meats alongside regional British produce. It seemed nonsensical to me that people in Sussex had to travel to Borough Market to buy products made in their own county.

As it turns out, this mix suits this town; people love buying Sussex produce. I do tastings every Saturday, our busiest day, as well as encouraging people to try before they buy the rest of the week.

That’s not to say people will buy anything. At the start, because I loved certain products, I felt sure all my customers would too. I bought in a beautiful Iberian salami that I was prepared to pay a premium for, and ended up throwing half of it away because my customers were more interested in the Sussex and Cornish salamis I stock.

So far, I haven’t changed much about the butchery. Ian has helped me out by staying on to run the counter, but I am learning butchery for myself so that, when he goes in six months’ time, I will know what I am talking about. I’m keen to ensure we make cuts of meat more convenient and accessible, for example, selling breast of lamb as a ready-rolled joint. I’d also like to test the appetite for specialist rare breed meats like Wagyu steak.

My goal for year one was to maintain the same sales as the previous owner. I’ve not yet done a full year but sales at Christmas were up £4,000 on the previous year and I am on track to hit my first year target. Despite the advantages of taking on an established and respected business, I am still constantly having to compete against cheap food in the supermarkets. I think the key is finding something different that people will come to you for – without charging a fortune. There is a Waitrose opposite that doesn’t sell any Sussex cheese – I make a big deal of that.

The barrier to this approach is accessing stock; there are lots of suppliers who are prepared to sell 10kg of cheese for the same price Sainsbury’s is selling it at, but sourcing smaller quantities at a viable price is a huge challenge. I have got round this to an extent by working with smaller suppliers who ‘get’ smaller business issues and will break up a case for me, and using larger suppliers for less perishable items.

Interview Lynda Searby Photography Julia Claxton

18

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

A lot has already happened this year.

If you can’t agree with that, you’ve been sleepwalking for weeks.

By Michael Lane, Editor

As I write this, it’s getting to the stage where you can no longer use “Happy New Year” as a pleasantry in emails and phone conversations. By the time you read this, we’ll already be a twelfth of the way through 2018.

Most people in the country will have broken their New Year’s resolutions, some before the hangovers even faded. Many of those who embarked on a fad diet will have, by now, overcome the guilt and ditched the celebrityendorsed shakes, lurid raw juices and fun-free supergrain potions.

On the upside, Veganuary and Dryanuary are pretty much over so we can all abandon the abstinence and get back to consuming meat, cheese and booze.

Sorry, this is all slightly glass-half-empty.

But I know all of you realists are still with me.

What I’m trying to say, is that a lot has already happened this year. If you can’t agree with that, you’ve been sleepwalking for weeks.

Yes, in our personal lives, we all feel the post-Christmas malaise that makes you pursue a sharing-bag-and-box-set-induced coma (interestingly Pipers Crisps has cannily spotted an opportunity there, see below). There’s also the temptation to take it easy at work after a tough and (hopefully) successful 2017.

But professionally everybody (FFD included) needs to be on their game, regardless of the month.

For retailers, it’s a little bit trickier because footfall tends to drop off at the beginning of the year. Even if the shop floor isn’t keeping you busy, the back office should.

Have you analysed your Christmas figures?

From what we hear, not everyone enjoyed a bumper month.

What about the incoming costs your

EDITOR’S CHOICE Chosen by Lauren Phillips Assistant editor

business might face in 2018? Olive oil isn’t going to be the only Continental product that experiences price hikes as politicians continue to flip-flop about Brexit and play havoc with exchange rates.

And whether it’s that mandatory nationwide 5p plastic bag charge, the 25p ‘latte levy’ on every disposable coffee cup or ridding yourself of the increasingly stigmatised plastic bottle, there is plenty that needs pre-empting – beyond the actual food prices themselves.

The good news is that New Years bring new angles, along with the headaches. I may jest about health food and diets but certain areas have very serious retail potential.

If people want to go vegan, let them eat tofu.

Just make sure you’re the one selling it to them.

If your customers want to drink less alcohol, revisit your soft drinks shelves and ensure you have something that fits the bill. Dietary alternatives are nominally a speciality, and you are a speciality retailer.

Even if you’ve missed the ‘anuary’ promotion month, these trends are not going away. Being teetotal is fashionable among the ubiquitous millennials and, if analysts are to be believed (see page 13), meat-free or -reduced diets are going to become the norm as more foodies go flexitarian.

Those of you thinking this kind of mentality goes against the fundamental principle of delis need not worry, though. Take a leaf from Tryanuary, a campaign created by small breweries to get consumers drinking local beer – and keeping pubs and off-licences from closure.

There’s no reason this theory couldn’t apply to cheese, or charcuterie, or chocolate.

No matter how your year has started, how blue you feel or how quiet your shop it, there’s no excuse for not being busy.

Developing a product to target the ‘stay in and binge-watch a boxset’ crowd is quite a novel and niche branding strategy for a snack brand. Yet, the news of Pipers Crisps’ latest MDODSHQR GLOO ŴDYRXU EHLQJ used to drive sales of its 150g sharing bags amongst WKH 1HWŴL[ JHQHUDWLRQ LV an interesting concept and why it’s our Editor’s Choice this month. The seasoning itself is also unique enough to pique the interest of millennials – always seeking DOWHUQDWLYH ŴDYRXUV DQG RSHQ WR WU\LQJ WKHP Read more on page 59. piperscrisps.com

Cup conundrum HENRY MACKLEY Harp Lane Deli, Ludlow, Shropshire It is undoubtedly only a short matter of time before serving a coffee in a disposable cup becomes as socially unacceptable as sparking up a ciggie at a dinner party, reading the Daily Mail, or throwing a shopping trolley into a canal.

We only sell about 200 coffees a week, but half of those are served in disposable cups that can’t be recycled. I feel a great amount of pressure on my sloping shoulders to resolve this without delay. It’s not just the threat of the mooted ‘latte levy’ but moreover, as a chap who sells takeaway drinks, I have a responsibility for the wellbeing of our planet. I don’t want my grand-kids blaming me for the extinct turtles.

ŏ:KHQ RXU e ŴDW ZKLWH becomes £2.55 because you’ve forgotten your wicker cup it’s just going to put you off” On a recent trip to one of the UK’s largest cash-and-carry stores (you go in for till rolls, come out with bulk Haribo), I was disheartened by the great lack of ecofriendly packaging. These guys should be trailblazing, but they’re not.

That 25p? I don’t want to pass it on to my customers. Like many independent shops we encourage and promote greenliving. Not just to save the planet, but because of our bottom line. Those cups cost me about 8p each. Our coffee is as ethically sound as it gets. It’s also jolly reasonably priced. :KHQ RXU e ŴDW ZKLWH EHFRPHV £2.55 because you’ve forgotten your wicker cup it’s just going to put you off. Coffee sales will go down; my coffee guy and his coffee growers will suffer. If you forget to take your canvas bag to Tesco and you need a couple of 5p carrier bags, it doesn’t seem so bad. Quarter of a quid on a coffee is a biggie.

First World problem? Perhaps so, but it’s also a long-term Actual Real World problem.

As yet, I have no contingency plan, but I’m working on it.

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

19

ACADEMY LEVEL 1: ÂŁ175 + VAT 7KXUV )HE /RQGRQ 6DW )HE ĹŠ /RQGRQ :HGV -XQH ĹŠ /RQGRQ

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January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

CHEESEWIRE

news & views from the cheese counter

Sparkenhoe sings the blues as it bids to join Stilton ranks

By Patrick McGuigan

Britain’s small band of Stilton producers is set to be expanded by the makers of Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, who have invested in a new Stilton dairy at their farm.

Jo and David Clarke, owners of Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co, are already making Shropshire Blue and a Stilton-style cheese called Sparkenhoe Blue with unpasteurised milk from their own herd, and will begin making hand-ladled Stilton with pasteurised milk this month.

There are currently only six producers of Stilton, which is protected by a PDO and can only be made with pasteurised milk in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Sparkenhoe Farm has a herd of around 150 Holstein Friesian cows with half the milk currently used to make cheeses, including Red Leicester, Battlefield Blue (a 200g creamy blue) and the semi-soft Bosworth Field. The rest is sold as liquid milk. “We first got the idea when milk prices got so bad in 2016 that they were down to 15p a litre,” said Jo Clarke. “We wanted to use more of our milk in cheese and Neal’s Yard Dairy approached us about making Stilton for them.”

The Clarkes have invested

IN BRIEF Lanarkshire-based Errington Cheese recalled all its Dunsyre Blue cheeses in December after a positive test for Listeria Monocytogenes.

The cheese, which is now pasteurised but was previously made with raw milk, was named by Health Protection Scotland as the most likely source of an outbreak of 26 cases of E. coli O157 in 2016. Errington has always disputed its cheese was responsible with a sheriff court due to hear evidence on the case later this month.

Brindisa has built new cheese maturing rooms lined with terracotta bricks to help control humidity at its headquarters in Balham, which were designed in conjunction with Spanish cheese cave specialist Jose Luis Martin.

Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co is already making a Shropshire and Stilton-style Sparkenhoe Blue (above) with its unpasteurised milk

around £300,000 in the new 12m x 15m dairy, including a grant from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The unit, which is segregated from the Red Leicester facility, includes a make room with 2,000-litre vat, plus rooms for hastening, rubbing up, drying and packing. The couple have already been in touch with the Stilton Cheesemakers Association and will apply to join once production begins.

“We’ve always worked with raw milk, so getting used to pasteurised milk will take a bit of time,” said Clarke.

The move is part of a wider trend with several traditional British territorial cheeses

THREE WAYS WITH...

This new semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese from Somerset-based White Lake Cheese is named after a famous hill and historic site in the county. The cheese is washed in Somerset Cider Brandy and matured to around three months, until it becomes sweet and salty with a mellow orangeybrown rind.

launched in the past year.

Last month, FFD reported that Trethowan’s Dairy in Somerset was developing a raw milk, cloth-bound cheddar called Pitchfork. Other new products include Fellstone, a raw milk Wensleydale made in Cumbria, and Stonebeck Wensleydale, which is made with raw milk from Northern Dairy Shorthorn cows in North Yorkshire and is due to be launched later this year.

“I think the uncertainty of the dairy industry over the past 10 years has been a big driver for new cheeses,” said Clarke. “Consumers are more interested in what they put in their bodies and where food comes from.”

Berkshire-based Village Maid Cheese, which is known for Wigmore, Waterloo and Spenwood, has launched a new washed rind cheese called Maida Vale. The semi-soft cheese is made with Channel Island cows’ milk and is washed with Treason IPA from Uprising Brewery in Windsor.

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE Rather than pre-cubed tasters, which will quickly dry out, use a cheese plane to offer samples. It’s quick and easy to use, while the thin slices cause minimum disruption to the cheese, warm up quickly so they taste better and help you interact with the customer.

Burrow Mump The unusual Sussex Alberts (Spicy Sussex) cheese biscuits from the Horsham Gingerbread House are based on a 200-year-old recipe discovered by the Horsham Museum. Made with oats and muscovado sugar, they are sweet and crumbly, matching delicate honey notes in the cheese, but they also have a hit of spice from the addition of cayenne and allspice, which adds an interesting new layer RI ŴDYRXU

Spices are also a feature of Tracklements’ VWLFN\ ƓJ relish. Cloves, allspice , chillies and cinnamon all go into the mix, adding fragrance to the earthy washed rind of Burrow Mump, which is dotted with pretty spots of yellow mould. The luscious, WDQJ\ ƓJV DOVR GRYHWDLO ZLWK the sweetness of the cheese, but less is more with this condiment. Go for thick slices of cheese with small blobs of ƓJ UHOLVK

Burrow Mump is washed in Somerset Cider Brandy, made by Julian Temperley at Burrow Hill Farm.

7KH VSLULW LV D OLWWOH WRR ƓUH\ IRU the cheese, but the company also makes a range of ciders WKDW DUH D EHWWHU ƓW %RWWOH Fermented Sparkling Cider (8% ABV), made with Stoke Red apples, is a good choice. Bone dry, with plenty of bubbles, it works like a sparkling wine, complementing the funk of the rind and refreshing the palate.

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

23

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January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

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CHEESEWIRE

news and views from the cheese counter

Our cheeses are not a staple product people buy without thinking, like block cheddar. You have to give them a reason.

Nic Walker and Arthur Alsop make a range that includes the unusually shaped Lord London and the Emmenthal-style Mayfield

Sharp sartorial choices, cheffing backgrounds and an unusually shaped cheese have all contributed to a decade of success for Sussex’s Alsop & Walker.

Interview by Patrick McGuigan

It was hard to miss Arthur Alsop in the run up to Christmas. Photos of the cheesemaker delivering to London shops kept popping up on social media, thanks to his natty outfit – a dazzling bright red jacket, emblazoned with snowmen and Christmas trees.

Alsop, who is one half of East Sussex-based Alsop & Walker, laughs when I visit the dairy a few days later and bring up his starring role on the internet. “It was just a bit of fun, but it’s always nice to be noticed,” he says, before dashing off to make more deliveries.

Getting noticed is something that comes naturally to Alsop and business partner Nic Walker, whose award-winning cheeses are regulars on restaurant menus and in the press.

“We’re proactive at marketing,” says Walker as he checks the temperature of a vat full of milk, destined to become the Emmenthal-style Mayfield. “We both had businesses before we got into cheesemaking and we know you have to work at it. Our cheeses are not a staple product people buy without thinking, like block cheddar, so you have to give them a reason.”

The company’s brie-style Lord London is a case in point. Its unusual shape is inspired by a Spanish cheese called tetilla, which translates as ‘little boob’, but was given the name Lord London because it coincided with the 2012 Olympics. “There wasn’t a cheese named after London, so we thought we had to do something,” he says. The cheese was served at a press lunch

for the games, attracting lots of attention from journalists. It was also served at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Clever product development and marketing come naturally to Walker, who previously trained as a chef and worked in NPD for Pret and Caffe Nero. Alsop grew up on a beef farm in Aberdeen and also trained as a chef. The pair planned to open a high-end steak restaurant before they bought what was then called BestBier Cheese near the village of Mayfield 10 years ago.

Today the company makes 80 tonnes of cheese a year using pasteurised cows’ milk from several local farms across 12 products, including Sussex Brie, the cheddar-style Sussex Farmhouse and Sussex Blue. Lord London and the sweet, nutty Mayfield are best sellers with the latter particularly popular with chefs because it melts well, but also holds its own on a cheeseboard.

Customers include Gail’s Bakery, chef Tom Aikens and Roast in Borough Market, where Alsop & Walker also has a stall.

“Because of our backgrounds we can sit down with chefs and speak their language,” he says.

“We know what they want – consistency, regular deliveries and cheese that ripens, but not too quickly.”

The company delivers directly in Sussex and London, but also supplies wholesalers, including Harvey & Brockless, Premier and Rowcliffe’s.

The business has reached capacity at its current site, but will move hard cheese production to Plumpton agricultural college later this year.

The pair have also been trialling a new Manchego-style sheep’s milk cheese called Ewe Eat Me. “We wanted to add a new dimension to our range and there’s so much goats’ cheese already that we thought sheep’s milk could be something a little different,” says Walker.

Expect to see Arthur Alsop in a bright woolly Christmas jumper next year.

CROSS

SECTION

Mayfield 1

It may look like Emmenthal, but Mayfield has much in common with gouda. The curd is heated to around 36°C and then washed, which involves removing a percentage of the whey and replacing it with hot water. This gives the cheese a smooth, pliable texture and sweet flavour.

Paxton & Whitfield

Dynamic dairy duo

2

3

The cheese is made in 18kg wheels and is aged for around six months until it develops caramel, fruit and nutty flavours, and its supple texture.

The holes in Mayfield are produced by a particular bacteria Propionibacterium – which is part of the starter culture mix. The bacteria emits CO2 as the cheese matures which is trapped in the cheese and creates little eyes.

alsopandwalker.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

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January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

CUT&DRIED

making more of British & Continental charcuterie

Woodall’s woos younger market with snack packs

By Mick Whitworth

A gin-flavoured salami made with juniper berries, various botanicals and “a splash of gin” is among three bite-size varieties launched by Woodall’s in a new 40g convenience format.

Woodall’s say the packaging is “designed to appeal to a younger audience and create maximum impact on the shelf”.

With an RRP of £2.00 and supplied in cases of 12, they are flagged prominently as glutenand lactose-free.

The three flavours, which also include Original and Spicy versions, were first launched last year in bulk format, largely for the pub and restaurant trade.

They were also available loose for retail display in a kilner jar, with small branded bags to hold the required

The new packs are designed for eye appeal – and youth appeal

number of sticks.

The new presentation combines a small modifiedatmosphere tray pack with a matt card sleeve, with a window showing the salami inside.

Sales manager James Crease said Woodall’s wanted to “open

the brand to a new consumer and a new occasion”. “We thought the best way of doing this was to create a look for these products which reflected our rich heritage, with a premium, contemporary design, more suited to snacking.” woodallscharcuterie.co.uk

Harrods buyer and top chefs in line-up to judge British Cured Meat Awards Influential chef-restaurateurs Richard H Turner, Dan Doherty and José Pizarro will join Harrods charcuterie buyer Bernadette Lalonde among the final judges at the first British Cured Meat Awards on 27th May. The awards – organised by specialist charcUterie wholesaler Cannon & Cannon – are being staged alongside a new British Cured Meat Festival at London’s Borough Market on the late May bank holiday weekend.

A butcher, writer and serial restaurateur, Richard H Turner is co-founder of artisan butcher Turner & George and brought the Meatopia bbq festival to the UK. Dan Doherty, chef-director of City restaurant Duck & Waffle is known for signature dishes such as Spicy Ox Cheek

Doughnut. José Pizarro has been dubbed “the Godfather of Spanish food” in Britain and runs three restaurants in the Capital.

Other final judges will include Telegraph food writer Xanthe Clay and FFD editorial director Mick Whitworth.

The Guild of Fine Food will lend its judging expertise to the awards as part of its ongoing support for the British charcuterie sector.

Initial product judging will take place across two days in late March at the Guild’s training and events space at 42 Southwark Street, close to Cannon & Cannon’s own Borough Market base.

Products can be entered in four categories – air-dried sausages, air-dried whole meats, cooked/smoked meats and soft/spreadable meats.

Around 40 shortlisted meats will go forward for final judging at the festival.

There will be a cap of 80 products per category, and products will be entered on a first come, first served basis.

There will also be a trophy for the best producer overall, and an individual award for contribution to the cured meats sector.

Borough Market’s all-ticket British Cured Meat Festival will feature an artisan market, a chef’s demo tent, panel discussions and tastings, live music and street food. Tickets go on sale on 3rd February via the festival website, with an early bird price of £7.50 for the first 100.

Award entries can also be made online from 3rd February. britishcuredmeatfestival.co.uk

Recipe videos to go online from this month The first of four recipe videos created

by TV chef Peter Sidwell as part of the industry-sponsored Sell More Charcuterie campaign, run by FFD and the Guild of Fine Food, goes online this month.

Featuring a warming combination of black pudding and spicy British chorizo, the 10-minute video is available to consumers on Sidwell’s Simply Good Food TV recipe app, as well as on Simply Good Food TV’s and the Guild’s YouTube channels.

Delis and farm shops can use the videos to drive sales of charcuterie and other ingredients by highlighting the dishes in-store and in newsletters, providing the recipes and linking to the videos on social media.

The dishes could also be featured on deli-café and farm shop restaurant menus.

The black pudding & chorizo recipe will be followed by three further dishes – rarebit with crispy air-dried ham; chorizo, poached egg & sourdough croutons; and brasaola crostini – during the Spring.

Each recipe gives shops an opportunity to cross-sell with other deli ingredients, from smoked paprika to honey, mustard and cheeses. The dishes will work equally well with British or Continental meats, but there is strong messaging from Sidwell about the wealth of charcuterie now available from UK producers. youtube.com/user/finefoodies simplygoodfood.tv

Chorizo & black pudding

Left to right: Brasaola crostini; chorizo & poached egg; rarebit with crispy ham

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

27

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Rustichella D’Abruzzo

For three generations, the Peduzzi family have been producing Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta in a small artisan factory in the hills around Pianella, near Pescara, since 1924.

Rustichella D’ Abruzzo

28

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

USING ONLY TRADITIONAL methods and innovation, including bronze dies to extrude the pasta, a very slow drying process to help maintain the pasta’s ‘al dente’ bite and the best durum wheat semolina high protein flour.

Low temperatures & slow drying Rustichella still dry their pasta very slowly at low temperatures. This process replicates the way Italians used to dry their pasta by hanging it out in the sun. The Abruzzo region is perfectly suited to this process thanks to the cold, dry air streams from nearby mountains combined with the humid, hot air coming in from the sea. The unique combination of sea and mountain air with excellent quality wheat and water from the Apennine Mountains all help make Rustichella a truly exceptional pasta.

Bronze dies Extruding pasta through a bronze die produces a rough surface texture, which allows the sauce to cling to the pasta. The practice of using bronze dies is expensive, they need to be replaced often and extend the production time, but the result is well worth it in the end.

Tradition and innovation The Peduzzi family are justifiably proud of their pasta-producing heritage, but realise this must be balanced with innovation in order to continually grow. Their latest innovations include the launch of ‘Pasta Rapida’ a spaghetti that cooks in 90 seconds; ‘Pasta Young’, a range of functional pasta; ‘Zerotre’, organic pasta and sauces for children; and Primo Grano, a premium range of pasta made

using heirloom ancient grains grown in a relatively small plot in the Vestina area of Abruzzo.

Quality is paramount to the Peduzzi family, and this is reflected in the various types of pasta produced including classic durum wheat pasta, egg pasta, whole wheat from ancient grains, organic, gluten-free and flavoured pasta such as truffle, saffron and many more – all of which hold their consistency during cooking.

Rustichella pasta is sold through retailers in over 65 countries worldwide and used in dishes prepared by top chefs in cities from New York to Japan, Sydney to London.

Rustichella pasta is not just an ingredient, but genuinely one of the finest pastas produced in Italy.

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

29

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CONNECTS

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Connecting Producers Suppliers and Customers

The Cress Co team and over 60 of our suppliers look forward to welcoming you to our Cress Connects events.

Come along and meet our suppliers who will be showcasing their product ranges and sharing their knowledge, passion and values. See and sample fabulous products and take advantage of exclusive in-show promotions from all our exhibiting suppliers.

A great opportunity to connect.

Register online at Eventbrite for Cress Connects 2018 Wednesday 21st February 2018 10am-4pm Tewin Bury Farm Hotel Hertford Road Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire, AL6 0JB

Thursday 22nd February 2018 10am-4pm A.J.Bell Stadium 1 Stadium Way Barton-upon-Irwell Manchester, M30 7LJ

Thursday 1st March 2018 10am-4pm Perth Racecourse Scone Palace Park Perth Scotland, PH2 6BB

WA L O V O N M Ü H L E N E N than Switzerland has mountains To find out more about stocking these award-winning cheeses please visit

The Fine Cheese Co Stand 165 Fine Food Show North (11–13 February)

is exclusively distributed in the UK Walo with Stärnächäs: Supreme Champion Continental International Cheese Awards Nantwich 2016 30

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

),1( )22' 6+2: 1257+

With a new name and a new date, the Northâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest annual ďŹ ne food & drink show now lets you select a full year-round range from the best local, regional and speciality producers <RUNVKLUH (YHQW &HQWUH 6XQGD\ WK WR 7XHVGD\ WK )HEUXDU\ IF YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;VE BEEN a regular visitor to Harrogate Fine Food Show over the years, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fail to spot some radical changes weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made for 2018.

To begin with, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new name, Fine Food Show North, reflecting the long-standing appeal of the show to trade buyers well beyond Yorkshire.

Then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the move to a new time of year. After more than a decade juggling June dates to fit around Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day and early summer holidays, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve moved to mid-February. Now, both retail and foodservice visitors can chat with exhibitors about new stock and menu ideas for the full calendar year, not just the Christmas-dominated second half.

By adding an extra half-day to the former two-day show, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also giving more time-pressed buyers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially those with cafĂŠs, restaurants or tourist outlets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a chance to attend.

Finally, turn the page and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also given an early springclean to our programme of tastings, seminars and demos too, with more sessions to help you run a better, more profitable business.

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31

FINE FOOD LIVE! FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2018 Sunday 11 February 12.30-1.30pm Pushing the boundaries of the cheeseboard Host: Patrick McGuigan, FFD cheese writer and School of Fine Food tutor Cutting-edge ideas for matching cheeses and accompaniments.

2-3pm Feed the Dragon 1 Host: John Farrand, Guild of Fine Food The first of our Dragons’ Den-style sessions where exhibitors pitch products to leading food buyers.

Monday 12 February 11am - 12 noon Better tea for better margins 1 Host: Marcus Geraghty, National Tea Day Get a higher return from hot drink sales by upgrading your tea offer and integrating it with your menu.

12.45-1.45pm Stake your claim in the gastro-tourism goldmine Learn to tap the appeal of food tourism with our panel of regional and national tourism experts.

2.30-3.30pm Feed the Dragon 2 Host: John Farrand, Guild of Fine Food Four more exhibitors get a Dragon’s Den-style grilling.

4.30-5.30pm Jay Rayner: A Greedy Man in a Hungry World Special guest Jay Rayner gives his frank views on today’s food industry, from supermarket to farmers’ market. Put your questions to Jay in the Q&A session that follows.

Put your business on the food tourism map Sir Gary Verity of Welcome Alan Reading of Penrith to Yorkshire and Maria deli and bakery J J Graham Whitehead MBE of will explain how firms in Hawkshead Relish will be the Cumbrian town are among experts discussing working together to attract ways to make more of the visitors drawn by the Lake UK’s food tourism District National boom.

Park.

Food has been Maria Whitehead identified as a major will discuss how driver of tourism by producers can work everyone from Defra with others to build to the World Trade their region’s foodie Organisation. reputation.

Sir Gary Verity Research among There will also international be input from Sir tourists has ranked Gary Verity, who Britain fifth in the was instrumental world as a food in bringing the destination, with Grand Départ of more than half the 2014 Tour de seeing it as a good France to Leeds, Alan Reading place to try local and Julie Mills, specialities. commercial director So could speciality of Westmorland plc, retailers, farm shops and whose motorway farm even small producers do shops in Cumbria and more to cash in on the fad Gloucestershire created an for all things foodie? entirely new sales channel That’s one of the for speciality foods. question to be discussed • Stake Your Claim in the by experts from across Gastro-Tourism Goldmine the north of England on starts at 12.45pm on Monday Monday 12th February.

12th February.

11.00-11.45am Stephanie Moon’s Pancake Day menu TV chef Steph celebrates Shrove Tuesday with a range of recipe ideas using classic deli ingredients.

12 noon -1.00pm Better tea for better margins 2 Host: Marcus Geraghty, National Tea Day Another chance to enhance your tea offer and learn how to match fine teas ahead of National Tea Day.

2.45-3..45pm Feed the Dragon 3 Host: Nigel Barden, BBC Radio 2 food correspondent A final four exhibitors pitch their brands to a panel of top retail “dragons”.

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January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

Free expert advice at retail workshop Specialists in law, tax, customer service and more will offer free advice to retailers in a two-part workshop on Tuesday 13th.

A one-hour Q&A session, airing key issues facing independent shops, will be followed by one-to-one mentoring from the expert panel: - James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores - Gaile Walters, food & beverage lawyer at LawBite - Rob Durrant Walker, head of tax at Garbutt+Elliott - Scott Winston, fine food consultant - Chris Lowe of Shopper Anonymous • The Retail Workshop & Q&A begins at 12 noon on Tuesday 13th February.

Mentoring starts at 1pm.

Chefs: forage the show with Nigel Barden

Tuesday 13 February

1.15-2.15pm British & Continental charcuterie tasting Host: Nigel Barden, BBC Radio 2 food correspondent Join Nigel Barden and a host of specialist producers to sample a selection of artisan-quality cured meats.

Food lawyer Gaile Walters of LawBite

Join Alec and Matt at the bar Where better to sample Great Taste award-winning beers, ciders and bar snacks than in the convivial surroundings of The Jolly Tasty – Fine Food Show North’s very own “pub”.

Throughout this year’s show, you can join landlords Alec Paterson and Matt Bunch (pictured) – better known as the team behind Taste Distribution, which specialises in Great Taste products – to get your tastebuds around a selection of beers and nibbles from their catalogue.

Monday is ‘foodservice day’ at this year’s show, with BBC Radio 2’s resident foodie Nigel Barden leading two special ‘foraging’ sessions for chefs and caterers in search of new ingredients and suppliers.

Whether you’re a farm shop or deli chef, a café operator or restaurateur you can book a free place on one of these two, hour-long show tours, culminating in a beer and cider sampling session in The Jolly Tasty pub.

Just tick the relevant box when you register online.

• Forage The Show sessions start at 12 noon and 1.30pm on Monday 12th February.

WHAT'S ON BUSINESS Enter the dragons...

How food matching adds value to tea With health-aware younger consumers turning their backs on alcohol and wanting interesting alternatives whether dining out or in the home, new opportunities are opening for speciality teas.

Already, some restaurants are offering a tea menu alongside the usual wine list, and where fine dining leads, retail and other sectors of foodservice will follow.

At Fine Food Show North, the organisers of National Tea Day (21st-22nd April) will run a masterclass for retailers and deli-restaurant operators, to help them

optimise their tea offer, increase profitability and drive footfall.

Visitors to the show have two chances to catch this one-hour session, Better Tea For Better Margins, on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th.

As well as offering a range of ideas for developing a premium tea offer, Marco Geraghty of National Tea Day will be exploring the world of tea pairing too.

• Better Tea For Better Margins can be seen at 11am on Monday 12th February and 12 noon on Tuesday 12th.

Faint-hearts beware: ‘greedy man’ Jay Rayner is sharping his knives As a multi-award winning columnist and broadcaster Jay Rayner has covered everything from sex to cinema.

But the Observer restaurant critic and host of BBC Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet will have the food industry firmly in his sights when he speaks in the Fine Food Live! theatre on 12th February.

Rayner will explore themes from his book A Greedy Man In A Hungry World. Centred around the looming challenges of global food security, he questions much of what the modern middle class shopper – and the fine food sector – holds dear.

How, for example, do we square championing locally reared free-range meats sold at farmers’ markets with the need to feed nine

billion hungry mouths?

Rayner’s well informed views in recent years led him to give evidence to a House of Commons Select Committee, arguing that driving down food prices could undermine the viability of UK food production.

Put your own point of view across directly to the ‘greedy man’ himself – at this year’s show..

• Jay Rayner will be speaking from 3.30-4.30pm on Monday 12th February.

A fearsome line-up of retail buyers and food experts will be quizzing exhibitors Dragon’s-Den-style during three days of live Feed The Dragon sessions.

The 2018 dragons include Julie Mills of Westmorland plc (Tebay and Gloucester farm shops); Adrian Boswell of Selfridges; Victoria Robertshaw of Keelham Farm Shop; John Gill of Booths; Sangita Tryner of Delilah Fine Foods; Lyndsey Nangle of Fenwicks; and pecial guest, Jay Rayner.

• Feed The Dragon sessions run at 2pm on Sunday 11th February, 2.30pm on Monday 12th and 2.45pm on Tuesday 13th.

Selfridges’ Adrian Boswell: back on the panel for 2018

Cheese, cured meats...and pancakes Yorkshire TV chef Steph Moon, FFD cheese expert Patrick McGuigan and BBC food correspondent Nigel Barden will all host free tastings and demos to inspire deli owners and chefs during the how.

On Sunday, Patrick presents Pushing The Boundaries of the Cheeseboard, suggesting innovative accompaniments to enhance menus or encourage cross-selling.

Shrove Tuesday, 13th February, sees Stephanie Moon’s Pancake Day Menu, as Steph creates a range of recipes using classic deli and farm shop ingredients.

And later on Tuesday, Nigel Barden presents our ever-popular British & Continental charcuterie tasting.

WORKSHOPS Sunday 11 February 12 noon - 3.00pm Merchandising Masterclass Host: Jilly Sitch, School of Fine Food Creative visual merchandising, combined with good business planning, can help independent stores generate more sales for minimal investment.

Join Jilly Sitch, of the Guild’s School of Fine Food, for this premium three-hour, interactive masterclass and you’ll come away with stacks of advice to make your displays more effective and profitable.

For just £50 plus VAT per person, you and your key staff can learn: – What effective merchandising can do for your shop – The elements of design – How to create a merchandising calendar – How to create a new look on a limited budget Plus: practical examples of building eye-catching displays – and a chance to try your hand at assembling a set-piece display of your own.

To book your place on this valuable advice session, email jilly.sitch@gff.co.uk or call Jilly on 01747 825200.

Monday 12 February 12 noon - 1pm Forage the Show 1 Host: Nigel Barden, BBC Radio 2 food correspondent Nigel takes chefs on a “foraging tour” of Fine Food Show North Register online at www.gff.co.uk/shows/ffsn 1.30 -2.30pm Forage the Show 2 Host: Nigel Barden, BBC Radio 2 food correspondent A second ‘foraging tour’ in search of great new ingredients.

3.45-4.15pm Beer and cider tasting Join us at the Guild’s new pub, The Jolly Tasty, to sample a selection of award-winning beers and ciders.

Tuesday 13 February 12 noon - 12.45 Retail Workshop and Q&A...

Put our panel of retail, legal and accounting professionals to the test with your business questions.

1-2pm ...and Retail Mentoring A chance to meet personally with our panel members and seek one-to-one advice.

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

33

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January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

0161 667 1477

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2018

WHAT’S

ON SHOW FOR

2018 A Aagrah Foods aagrah.com

6

Alfred Enderby 155 Traditional fish smoker, Alfred Enderby will be displaying award-winning cold smoked salmon and haddock from its stand at FFSN along with recipes and serving suggestions. alfredenderby.co.uk Artisan Olive Oil Company 168 A fine food and premium olive oil distributor working with Mediterranean artisan producers. Its range includes olive oil, sherry wine, balsamic vinegars, truffles, jams, fruit creams, preserves, and couscous. artisanoliveoilcompany.com

B B Chocolates 158 B Chocolates produce artisan chocolates, caramels and other confectionery using local Suffolk produce including coastal honey. The producer was awarded a 1 star in Great Taste for its Classic Honeycomb Thins and honey & gingerbread truffles. bchocolates.co.uk BAD Co. wearebad.co

11

Bitspicy 10 Bitspicy produces hand-blended spices packaged in small cartons, larger boxes and tins. Its Singapore heritage has influenced its blends from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and South Asia. bitspicy.com Bizerba UK 113 Market leaders in retail weighing, labelling and food processing, Bizerba will be demonstrating the latest in retail scales and slicers at the show. bizerba.co.uk

Blue Star Crab Meat 66 Blue Star’s products are sourced from the Blue Swimming Crab caught in and around the estuaries off the coast of Indonesia. Its foil pouches offer an 18-month shelf-life from production as long as kept refrigerated. goldfoods.co.uk Boulevard Cuisine 135 Using a smoking process first introduced in 1883 on the banks of the River Tyne, Boulevard Cuisine produces a range of smoked salts, peppercorns, oils and dried mushrooms. boulevardcuisine.com Burren Balsamics 111 Burren Balsamics produces whole fruit-infused Balsamic vinegars. Its products are available through distributors and trade outlets including farm shops and delis. burrenbalsamics.com

C Caffe Vinci 173 An importer and distributor of espresso beans and coffee equipment. caffevinci.com Cairn O’Mohr Berry Wines 30 For the past 30 years, Cairn O’Mohr has produced its wines using locally cultivated and foraged fruits, leaves and flowers. Today it has a variety of regular, limited-edition and sparkling wines, along with ciders and sparkling nonalcoholic drinks. cairnomohr.com Cake Aspirations cakeaspirations.co.uk

161

Casa Espresso 57 Bradford’s first speciality coffee roasters, Casa Espresso roasts seasonal and ethically-sourced 100% Arabica coffee. The company also provides espresso machine equipment and full training to its customers. casaespresso.co.uk Celtic Marches Beverages 90 A producer of Herefordshire craft cider in Bishops Frome, Celtic Marches Beverages was awarded PGI status for its product to authenticate that it is made from Herefordshire cider apples. celticmarches.com Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

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FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2018 Cheeky Food Company 44 Based in London, Cheeky Food Company makes chutneys, pickles and savoury sprinkles all of which are handmade, gluten-free and vegan friendly. cheekyfoodcompany.com The Cherry Tree 166 The Cherry Tree has been producing premium pickles, chutneys and preserves since 1997. All of its products are hand-cooked in small batches to traditional recipes. cherrytreepreserves.co.uk The Coffee Boss

100

Coffee Care 2 Coffee Care offers a range of award-winning speciality coffees, teas and hot chocolates, along with equipment, barista training, technical support and expert advice. coffeecare.co.uk Craggs & Co 127 Craggs & Co are commercial wheat suppliers farming over 2,000 acres of land in the North East and North Yorkshire. Its spelt flour is grown, harvest and milled within the local area. craggsandco.co.uk The Cress Co 128a Cress Co is a national distributor of ambient and chilled fine food, offering low minimums and weekly deliveries in its own vans. The company was voted No.1 distributor for 2017 in Best Brands. thecressco.co.uk

Cryer & Stott Cheesemongers 24 A cheesemonger and fine food wholesaler, Cryer & Stott has an exclusive award-winning range of its own cheeses – available to taste at Fine Food Show North. cryerandstott.co.uk

D Dark Woods Coffee 54 Coffee roaster Dark Woods Coffee provides speciality coffee, equipment and barista training support. It won the Golden Fork for the North of England at the Great Taste Awards 2016. darkwoodscoffee.co.uk Drivers Pickles 169 Drivers Pickles says it uses the best ingredients for its highquality pickles, relishes and chutneys. It has recently launched a new range called The Deli Range, which includes new products and old favourites with a modern twist. driverspickles.co.uk

E English Spirit Distillery 140 English Spirit Distillery’s range includes Dr J’s Gin, cucumber spirit and Old English toffee vodka. It is the only distiller of rum in England. englishspiritdistillery.com

Visit Bizerba on Stand 113 for an open exchange of ideas about the upto-the-minute challenges and innovations in the retail sector, including our XC800 PC-based scale for unpackaged / zero waste customer selfservice, enabling customers to buy loose products completely free from all packaging by using their own containers

Scales, Labellers, Tills, Labels, Slicers, Mincers & Strip Cutters

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www.bizerba.com Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

37

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2018

F Farraday’s of Windermere 51 Farraday’s of Windermere is stocked in supermarkets in Dubai, Qatar and the British Club in Singapore. It has over 14 different products as well as developing different flavoured crisps and nuts for a hotel in Dubai. farradays.com Fattoria San Paolo 117 Fattoria San Paolo is an organic farm which produces organic extra virgin olive oil which it supplies directly to small retailers. fattoriasanpaolo.it The Fine Cheese Co. & Artisan Biscuits 165 An importer, distributor, wholesaler and retailer of artisan cheese and charcuterie, The Fine Cheese Co also has a range of sweet & savoury crackers, biscuits and cookies. finecheese.co.uk FireFly Barbecue 84 FireFly Barbecue is the home of its BBQ sauces, rubs and marinades all said to be “homemade with passion” and without any additives, flavourings or artificial colours. fireflybbq.co.uk

G Genovese 175 Established in 1999, Genovese hand-makes its products in small batches, using techniques that allow “the taste of fresh ingredients to develop naturally and unhurried”. genovese.ie Gluten Free and Vegan Bakers 119 Bakers of vegan, gluten-, and dairy-free cakes including its Bakewell Tart and Lemon Drizzle cake. They are handmade in different sizes so are suitable for both retail and catering. facebook.com/GlutenFreeandVeganBakers The Great Stuff Company 147 A young Yorkshire brand aiming to “create a new generation of mindful snack-food choices”. Its range comprises of low fat popcorn, protein crisp bread bites and an almond & cashew omega 3 crunch. thegreatstuffcompany.co.uk Guild of Fine Food 131 The Guild – publisher of FFD – was formed in 1995 with a mission to support artisan food and drink producers and the independent delis, farm shops and food halls they supply.

It organises Great Taste and the World Cheese Awards and provides retail and business training to fine food stores. Visit stand 131 to learn about other membership benefits. gff.co.uk

H Harrogate Tipple 50 The distillers at Harrogate Tipple use the area’s spring water to create its premium gin and rum. Its gin is infused with pink grapefruit and lavender grown in the local Royal Horticultural Society. harrogatetipple.com Hawkshead Relish Company 28 Hawkshead Relish Company has a range of over 120 relishes, pickles and preserves made in small batches using traditional open pans and locally-sourced ingredients. hawksheadrelish.com 38

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

Herbal Fusions 64 Herbal Fusions produce non-alcoholic beverages including: Norfolk Punch (a herbal drink containing 30 herbs, berries and spices), and Appletree Hill (fruit juices and coulis made from apples, apricots, pears and quinces). norfolkpunch.com Hider Food Imports 144 Hider Food Imports are a distributor of nuts, dried fruits, confectionery and speciality fine food products from around the world. hiderfoods.co.uk

I Incredible Bakery Company 139 The Incredible Bakery Company is an award-winning bakery manufacturer of ambient, fresh and frozen products that are said to compliment any retail or food service environment. incrediblebakerycompany.co.uk Iron & Fire Speciality Coffee Roaster 108 Iron & Fire supplies high-quality, ethically sourced coffee beans, freshly roasted to cafés, delis, and farm shops. It also offers free barista training, espresso machines and equipment. ironandfire.co.uk Isaac Poad Brewing 23 Barley merchants since 1863, the knowledge Isaac Poad Brewing gained working with brewers & distillers led the company to start producing its own range of beer & gin. isaacpoad.co.uk

J Jeffrey’s Tonic 49 Jeffrey’s Tonic is a range of tonic syrups made from herbs and spices. The range consists of Not So Plain; Original; lime, galangal & orange; and yarrow, rosehip & elderflower. jeffreystonic.com Just Desserts Yorkshire 110 Specialising in desserts and cakes, Just Desserts Yorkshire will be looking to forge additional links with wholesale distributors and will be sampling its new vegan cake range at the show. just-desserts.co.uk

K Kacao Chocolaterie Kacao Chocolaterie offers an assortment of chocolates including smooth truffles, traditional chocolate bars and buttons in an array of fusion flavours and textures. kacao.co.uk

19

Kin Vodka 20 A mix of caramel, vanilla, toffee and vodka, Kin Toffee + Vodka is available in four different sized bottles and can be enjoyed straight, in cocktails or as an ingredient in many puddings. kinvodka.co.uk

L Lakeland Mues 124 Lakeland Mues use a mixture of toasted seeds, nuts and cereals with honey. Different fruits also give a sweetness to the mueslis such as cranberries, mangoes or bananas. lakelandmues.co.uk

Common Grounds Barrel-Aged Coffee (Bourbon Barrel Edition) Panama La Huella “Cafe de Panama” (Natural)

Clean Food, Expertly Made

Panama La Huella “Cafe de Panama” 100% Gesha (Natural)

Adventurous Coffee • Roasted by Hand Coffee Equipment • Barista Training • Retail Visit us on stand 54 at Fine Food Show North

If you believe in clean, additive free, healthier food then our brand is for you. Our fresh chilled products are Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Low Salt, GMO Free, use absolutely no artificial additives, preservatives or colourings and can be used right up to Best Before date, even when opened.

Holme Mills, Marsden, Yorkshire www.darkwoodscoffee.co.uk e: damian@darkwoodscoffee.co.uk • t: 01484 843141

Vi si t at us Fi on Sh ne sta No o Fo n rt w od d 1 75 h’

www.genovese.ie For inquiries please contact Gill Toal on gill@genovese.ie

HONESTY AND INTEGRITY -

F A M I LY E T H O S -

P E RS O N A L C U STO M E R C A R E

With nearly 300 brands and more than 3,500 products to choose from, and supplying farm shops, delicatessens and garden centres throughout the UK... make us your one stop shop.

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

39

e le t m p sa Co sam uct 22 d d nd an ro ta rp s ou FSN F

Premium, handcrafted ice cream and sorbet An exciting range of flavours inspired by travels around East Asia Great Taste winners 5 years running Lovingly created using only the best ingredients Gluten free As seen on BBC’s Dragon’s Den Contact us: hello@yeekwan.com 0114 327 7949

Come and see us at FFSN 18 on stand 27

@yeekwanicecream www.yeekwan.com CAFÉ QUALITY FOOD AND DRINK

®

2015

AWARDS HIGHLY COMMENDED

Yuzu Sorbet

Available now from Ocado & other fine retailers

Smoked Salmon as it should be!

Four generations of excellence using the unique Titanic Cure that was invented by our ancestor who survived the Titanic and started our business!

All wholesale enquiries welcome 07771 786301 | manchestersmokehouse@gmail.com www.themanchestersmokehouse.co.uk 40

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2018 Langleys Distribution 1 Langleys Distribution import hardware such as touch screen terminals, cash registers, printers, coin/note detectors/ counters, alongside software from general point of sale situations to niche applications. langleydistribution.co.uk

The Little Red Berry Co 112 The Little Red Berry Co offers a collection of alcoholic liqueurs DQG Ĺ´DYRXUHG JLQV XVLQJ WUDGLWLRQDO UHFLSHV DQG IUXLW ORFDOO\ sourced whenever possible at its HQ near Ripon, North Yorkshire. thelittleredberry.co.uk

Le Gruyere AOP 163 The subtle and distinguishing taste of Gruyère AOP is attributed to the raw milk used. The cheese is still made to a tried and tested recipe in the dairies of western Switzerland. gruyere.com/en/

Lottie Shawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 153 Family craft bakery Lottie Shawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baked goods and treats will be showcasing its classic range alongside a new tray bake range and gifts for all occasions. lottieshaws.co.uk

LillyPuds 85 LillyPuds creates traditional and gluten-free Christmas puddings which have a reduced-sugar content, no mixed peel and a minimum of 50% fruit blended with ale & brandy. lillypuds.co.uk

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Link Print and Packaging 73 Link Print and Packaging will be exhibiting its labelling systems and packaging ideas, as well as a low-cost stand display printer. labelling-solutions.com Lishmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Ilkley 13 Lishmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire range of charcuterie is available in whole pieces or retail packs. The Ilkley-based butcher and charcutier will be showcasing its home-cured salamis and meats at FFSN. lishmansbutchers.co.uk Little Doone Foods 77 Little Doone Foods has a range of dressings, all based on the IXOO Ĺ´DYRXUV RI LWV RULJLQDO EHIRUH EOHQGLQJ LQ SXUH ]HVWV IUHVK IUXLW RU FKLOOL EXW QR Ĺ´DYRXULQJV littledoone.co.uk

Manchester Gin 123 Manchester Gin offers three gins in its core range: Signature Gin, Raspberry Infused and Wild Spirit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a herbaceous savoury style gin. manchestergin.co.uk Manchester Smoke House 27 0DQFKHVWHU 6PRNH +RXVH SURGXFH WKH Ć&#x201C;QHVW RDN VPRNHG Scottish salmon using a Titanic Cure which gives the salmon a GHOLFDWH Ĺ´DYRXU themanchestersmokehouse.co.uk Masons Yorkshire Gin 137 Masons Yorkshire Gin was launched by Karl and Cathy Mason who wanted a gin with more character and taste. By 2015, the brand expanded with a lavender edition, tea edition and an over-ice vodka. masonsyorkshiregin.com

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New York International Olive Oil Competition

for making delicious, sweet & savoury food & drinks.

H O LY L A M A

ZERO NATURAL EXTRACT

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100% NATURAL NOTHING ADDED EXCELLENT QUALITY SINGLE ESTATE HAND PICKED OLIVES COLD EXTRACTED HEALTH BENEFITS STOCKED IN UK

CURRIES â&#x20AC;˘ CAKES & PUDS â&#x20AC;˘ SMOOTHIES â&#x20AC;˘ DIPS & SAUCES COCKTAILS â&#x20AC;˘ TEAS & COFFEES 150

OVER

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DROPS IN EACH BOTTLE 3 YEARS SHELF LIFE

GREAT TASTE AWARD WINNERS

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Come and see us on stand 130 at Fine Food Show North 2018

ZERO Premium Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

www.tenutamarmorelle.com

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

41

The Cocktail collection We are now launching our brand new cocktail collection - an innovative range of jam and marmalade inspired by our favourite cocktails. Just like our existing range of preserves, these can be enjoyed on a crumpet or used in a range of sweet, savoury or cocktail recipes.

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WHAT THE JUDGES SAY...

hello@serenskitchen.co.uk

www.serenskitchen.co.uk

Come to Fine Food Show North and visit stand D WR VDPSOH WKH OX[XULRXV PRLVW IUXLW ƓOOHG puddings from Nana Lily’s.

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“Very fruity, zesty citrus with a ‘nip’ from limoncello. Lovely taste. Could be useful ingredient for all sorts of things”.

Dalemain Marmalade Award Judge, 2017

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

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Each Presentation pack comes with a recipe booklet

We will be showcasing our EPoS solution for Farm Shops and Delicatessens.

The solution links to either Avery Berkel or Bizerba weigh scales.

01159 677439

01905 745 437 | 42

nanalilys.co.uk

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

www.openretailsolutions.co.uk

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2018 Michael Lee Fine Cheeses 148 Yorkshire’s largest, leading independent specialist cheese wholesaler, stocks over 400 cheeses, deli products and catering foods. finecheesesltd.co.uk Minter’s Fine Foods 37 A family-run business supplying and manufacturing a range of preserves, marmalades, curds and more under the brand “Minter’s”. grocersbrokersltd.co.uk Microtek UK 41 Microtek provide and install point of sale equipment, payment machines and are also a service provider for PC POS machines. microtekuk.com Mrs Picklepot 46 Mrs Picklepot creates pots of pickles with different flavours.

The range is presented in an “eye-catching, modern, colourful brand that will attract customers to the condiment shelves”. mrspicklepot.co.uk Mydorable 105d Mydorable produces confectionery including gluten-free chocolates and vegan fruit jellies. They are all made in France by suppliers working with high-quality ingredients. mydorable.com

N Nana Lily’s 105a Nana Lily’s four generation Christmas puddings are soaked in Kilbeggan Irish whiskey but lack the “gritty heavy taste of many traditional puddings”. nanalilys.co.uk Nutural World 136 Based in London, Nutural World is an artisan producers of nut butters and spreads made using traditional stone grinders. All are vegan with no added sugar, salt, oil or artificial flavours. nuturalworld.com

O Open Retail Solutions 9 Multi Retail is an Epos stock control system that links retailers’ tills and scales together in one solution. Food service is also available with iPad order takers and management information. openretailsolutions.co.uk Origins Fair 159 Origins Fair are fine tea merchants offering speciality tea in an “off the shelf” concept. The business has free in-store branding, full on-site training and staff education. originsfair.co.uk The Orkney Creamery orkneyicecream.com

Peckish Kitchen Co. 38 Peckish Kitchen’s pestos, chutneys and preserves have “a unique twist to rival the traditional style of chutneys and jams”. peckishkitchen.co.uk Pendragon Drinks 12b Pendragon Drinks manufactures a wide range of artisan hot chocolates for catering and retail, including 17 flavours of Belgian chocolate flakes and luxury hot chocolate stirrers. pendragondrinks.co.uk Pennington’s Premium Spirits & Liqueurs 101 Pennington’s Premium Spirits & Liqueurs produce a variety of drinks including its Kendal Mint Cake Liqueur and awardwinning Lakeland Moon Gin. kendalmintcakeliqueur.com Pentic 34 Pentic manufactures display labelling and counter stands, including bespoke durable labelling, chalkboards, ticket holders, clips, spikes and pricing solutions. pendred.com Pieminister 58 pieminister.co.uk Pinkster Gin 36 Pinkster Gin is produced with fresh raspberries grown locally to the company’s Cambridge HQ and described as “deliciously dry, with a hint of fruit and an exceptionally smooth finish”. pinkstergin.com

Q QCR Recycling Equipment 105 QCR Recycling Equipment, suppliers of recycling and waste reducing equipment, will have a selection of its machinery– from recycling balers to glass and can crushers – at the show. qcr.co.uk

R Rakusen’s 61 Rakusen’s has been producing water crackers since 1900.

Now its range includes biscuits, margarines and meal, while adapting its core product to the modern snacking market. rakusens.co.uk RH Packaging Specialist suppliers of fresh food packaging, RH carries products such as Vac bags, self-sealing paper bags and specialist laminated papers for meat, cheese & seafood. rhpackaging.com

97

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170

P Patchwork Foods 145 Patchwork Foods has been hand-making patés for the past 35 years, however recently it has added a range of relishes and patés specifically for chefs in the food service industry. patchwork-pate.co.uk

Seren’s Kitchen 53 Seren’s Kitchen uses the open pan method to cook its awardwinning chutneys, sirops and preserves made from peel, fruit and vegetables all cut by hand. serenskitchen.co.uk Shemins 31 Shemins produce eight spice blends and pastes that can all be used as a marinade, glaze or added to any meat or veg. shemins.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

43

Authentic Indian Cooking Sauces

Produced in the heart of Tuscany Our Love and our Organic Olive Oil

Have you tried our delicious Aagrah Tarka Sauces?

If not, then come and sample them at Fine Food Show North on stand 6.

Based in Shipley, Yorkshire, we are happy to come to your store for taster days – speak to us today!

Allow your customers to create mouth-watering authentic curries at home with our sauces!

• Nothing artificial • Vegetarian • Vegan • Nut and dairy free Catering sized packs also available: contact us for further details.

See us on stand 84 at Fine Food Show North

t sa eu se on nd 18 17 ea 1 m FSN d Co F stan

shezad@aagrah.com | 01274 530880/07917 523595 Visit our online shop at www.aagrahfoods.com

Podere Casetto 33, Montecastelli Pisano (56041) Pisa info@fattoriasanpaolo.it | +39 347 3389336

www.fattoriasanpaolo.it

barncliffe brie lincolnshire poacher boscaiola past arkenhoe red leicester websters blue stilton barber d lochnagar stinking bishop pomodorello tomatoe vacherin mont d’or ribblesdale ewes villa rosso bri ornish yarg roquefort camembert rouzaire proscu nibblenose saint agur baron bigod colston basset charcoal cheddar jericho yorkshire squeaky cheese

michael lee

purveyor of fine cheese Yorkshire’s leading cheese wholesaler, supplying retail outlets, restaurants and catering organisations across the UK.

over 500 cheeses catering foods deli products

Award-winning BBQ rubs & sauces 44

Find out more: pitmaster@fireflybbq.co.uk

Tel: 01977 703061 info@finecheesesltd.co.uk www.finecheesesltd.co.uk

www.fireflybbq.co.uk

Fine Cheeses Ltd, Unit 9 Lister Park, Green Lane Industrial Estate, Featherstone, West Yorkshire, WF7 6FE

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

FINE FOOD SHOW NORTH 2018 Shop of the Year awards 72 An important new free-to-enter awards scheme for independent food stores, Shop of the Year is being launched at Harrogate by the Guild of Fine Food. Visit the stand for details of how to enter. gff.co.uk/awards/shop-of-the-year/ Side Oven 52 Side Oven creates organic breakfast cereals and soft drinks, such as honey toasted granolas and farm pressed apple juice. sideoven.com

Taste Italia 48 Taste Italia imports red, white and sparkling Italian wines produced and imported from the De Palma family vineyard in Campania, Italy. cantinedepalma.co.uk Teesdale Cheesemakers 121 Teesdale Cheesemakers specialise in semi-soft cheeses made with cows’ and goats’ milk on its family farm. teesdalecheesemakers.co.uk

Sloemotion 151 Sloemotion produces a range of spirits and liqueurs including its Hedgerow Gin: one of the core ingredients for its ginbased products and its first neat gin. sloemotion.com

Tenuta Marmorelle 130 Tenuta Marmorelle is a producer of extra virgin olive oil and an importer of Italian products. This year, it is launching a selection of Parma ham, salami and cheese from Italy. tenutamarmorelle.com

Smoky Brae 105c Smoky Brae is an award-winning traditional smokehouse offering naturally smoked ingredients, small batch, blended and packaged by hand. smokybrae.com

Terra Rossa 156 Terra Rossa offers a range of delicious Arabian specialities including olive oils, herb mixes, UK-made sauces, relishes, spreads and sweets. terra-rossa.com

Spice Drops 45 Spice Drops are natural extracts of spices, herbs, flowers and fruits. The company has 31 natural extracts and seven types of gift collections in its line-up. holylamaspicedrops.com

Tip Tap & Top 114 Tip Tap & Top offers a complete display and dispensing system for its range of liqueurs and spirit drinks, giving customers the chance to taste and select the bottle size to be filled. tiptaptop.co.uk

Spice Kitchen 42 Artisanal spice and tea company, Spice Kitchen specialises in home-ground spice and loose tea blends sourced from around the world. spicekitchenuk.com Staal Smokehouse 107 Staal Smokehouse is an award-winning business dedicated to producing the “finest smoked fish and poultry products” for retail, catering and wholesale. staalsmokehouse.co.uk Sturdy Foods 154 Sturdy Foods sell handmade bakery products to food service but specialise in pies and pizzas. Based near Ripon, North Yorkshire, Sturdy Foods supplies its products nationwide. sturdyfoods.co.uk Sugar Therapy 33 Sugar Therapy manufacture chilled patisserie, traditional fruit cakes, contemporary cakes and handmade chocolates. sugartherapy.co.uk The Sweet Beet 109 The Sweet Beet produces a range of five condiments in eclectic flavours: oak-smoked apple butter, maple bacon jam, habanero lime jelly, strawberry chipotle BBQ sauce, and Texas beer. thesweetbeet.co.uk

T Tarte and Berry 160 Tarte and Berry specialise in artisan bakery treats which include salted caramel brownies, raspberry & almond Bakewell and butterscotch flapjacks. tarteandberry.com TASTE 55 CAPS! is a new line of all-natural chocolate pieces and almond brittles infused with blended arctic fruits and berries such as rhubarbs, quinces, blackcurrants, apples and cranberries. tastecaps.com

Trossachs Pie & Pastry Co 4 Trossachs Pie & Pastry Co supplies its pies to food wholesalers, hotels, restaurants, retail outlets and catering events. It is now looking to expand into a larger part of the market. trossachspieandpastrycompany.com

W Weetons Food Hall weetons.com

157

Whittaker’s Gin 18 Whittaker’s Gin has a growing collection of premium, small batch gins and spirits produced in its distillery in Harrogate. whittakersgin.com Wold Top Brewery 138 Founded by arable farmers Tom and Gill Mellor, Wold Top Brewery produces beer from home grown barley and water filtered by the chalk of the Yorkshire Wolds. woldtopbrewery.co.uk

Y Yare Valley Oils yarevalleyoils.co.uk

106

York Coffee Emporium 167 York Coffee Emporium is an artisan coffee roaster that supplies bespoke blends and speciality coffee to the trade and at home customers. yorkcoffeeemporium.co.uk All listings correct at time of going to press

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

45

GREAT TASTE

entry info 2018 Want to know more about food and drinkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most coveted awards? www.gff.co.uk/gta

general entryopen : ! february Entry closes: 16 February or before if we reach 12,500 entries New to Great Taste? Make sure you receive entry information by contacting greattaste@gff.co.uk

gff.co.uk | greattasteawards.co.uk

#greattasteawards

greattasteawards

New for 2018

On trend flavour profile

Order yours today Contact your Territory Business Manager

01538 382020

www.cottagedelight.co.uk

/cottagedelight

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

47

CATEGORY FOCUS

Pickling it up

pickles & chutneys Edinburgh distributor New Alliance, owner of Your Piece Baking Co, has launched a new jams and chutneys brand, Fife Jamming, that draws on Fife and Taysideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tradition of soft fruit preserving.

Winter fruit, beetroot & horseradish and rich & spicy tomato are the three chutneys that feature in the inaugural line-up. Trade price ÂŁ2.65, RRP ÂŁ3.45 for 270g. Ć&#x201C;IHMDP FR XN

Austrian food label furore is hoping to achieve international success with a QHZ UDQJH RI Ć&#x201C;YH SUHVHUYHV marketed under the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;for cheese onlyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tagline. Each product comes with a pairing recommendation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; furore recommends partnering pear with blue cheese, pepper-chilli with cream cheese and green Ć&#x201C;J ZLWK KDUG FKHHVH IRU example. Trade price â&#x201A;Ź2.55 per 180g jar. furore.at

Lauran Wise, founder of new start-up Twee, has pledged that the footprint of her chutneys can be measured â&#x20AC;&#x153;plot to pot in metres not milesâ&#x20AC;?, thanks to the use of home-grown produce. Besides its standard sized jars, the Hemel Hempstead artisan now offers Wee Twee selection packs containing either three or six mini 45ml jars, with respective RRPs of ÂŁ5 and ÂŁ10. tweelife.co.uk

While gardeners and allotment holders have long been pickling runners, runner bean pickles and chutneys are noticeably scarce on retail shelves.

Spotting an opportunity, Myrtleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen in Herefordshire has launched The Runner â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a pickle of organic runner beans, mustard and turmeric.

It is joined by two other new additions: beetroot & orange chutney and Brewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chutney with medlar & Swan ale. myrtleskitchen.co.uk

Mrs Picklepot has unveiled new branding for its â&#x20AC;&#x153;modern dayâ&#x20AC;? pickled onions in a bid to break into the retail market. Since 2014, the Wrexham producer has been championing the pickled onion with a range that takes in nine different varieties, from pickled onions with honey to pickled onions with sweet apple cider. Trade price ÂŁ2.80, RRP ÂŁ3.99-4.50 for 440g. mrspicklepot.co.uk

Part of Manfoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Asian range, Vietnamese pickled onions is a pickle of sliced red onion in a marinade of red wine vinegar and aromatics, including star anise, coriander seed and chilli. In Vietnam, this pickle goes by the name of The Hanh dam and is served alongside Pho or used in Banh mi. Trade price ÂŁ2.80, RRP ÂŁ4.95. welovemanfood.com

Friars Farm in Northamptonshire has adapted a 110-year-old piccalilli recipe to modern taste buds and has also teamed up with Phipps Northampton Brewery Company to create a chutney using Ratcliffe stout. RRP is ÂŁ3.25 for 8oz. friars-farm.com

Mary Berry has put her name to a new trio of chutneys. The peach & apricot, special ploughmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and spiced tomato chutneys are available to order now, RRP ÂŁ2.50 for 290g. maryberrysfoods.co.uk

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re kicking off the new year rounding-up the latest in pickles and chutneys.

In the mix are traditional chutneys, chilli jams and fermented vegetables in the form of kimchis, sauerkrauts and raw slaws.

Food producers in need of new kit turn to page 53.

Compiled by Lynda Searby and Lauren Phillips

Mango, peach & habanero chutney is Rebel Chilliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take on a mango chutney. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is not as sweet as most chutneys, but has a lovely mild heat,â&#x20AC;? says Paul Moore, founder of the Cork-based company. RRP is ÂŁ3.40 for 196ml. rebelchilli.com

48

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

>>

How we stock itâ&#x20AC;Ś

This chutney of apples, apricots and tomatoes comes in an attractive 284g kilner jar with spoon and the promise to enhance ploughmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s platters and door-stop sandwiches. With an RRP of ÂŁ5.95, winter chutney is one of two new introductions from The Wooden Spoon Preserving Co in Kent.

The other is a red onion marmalade (RRP ÂŁ3.15 for 284g). thewoodenspoon.co.uk

African fair trade brand %ODFN 0DPED is following the success of its beetroot & ginger chutney with the launch this month of a spicy mango chutney.

Like the rest of the range, the chutney is made by women in the Kingdom of Swaziland and uses ingredients grown by small local farmers trained in organic farming and permaculture techniques.

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Barrel & Bone preserves are a natural source of probiotics and veganfriendly

CAROL BOSWELL, gifts and goodies manageress, Becketts Farm Shop, Wythall, Birmingham Beckettsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; approach to pickles and chutneys is to stick with three well-known brands: Mrs Darlingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Tracklements and Dart Valley Foods. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t consider smaller producers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we support lots of local producers, are always open to offers and go to all the shows â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but often they only have four RU Ć&#x201C;YH SURGXFWV LQ WKHLU ranges, which would result LQ D GLVSDUDWH Ć&#x201C;[WXUH ZLWK products dotted here,

there and everywhere,â&#x20AC;? says Boswell.

She says all chutneys DQG SLFNOHV Ĺ?Ĺ´\ RXWĹ? EXW certain ones stand out, namely Mrs Darlingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s caramelised onion chutney and sweet apple chutney, Tracklementsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perfect ploughmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pickle and mango & chilli chutney and Dart Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sweet country pickle and hot chilli pickle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anything with caramelised onion sells,â&#x20AC;? says Boswell.

EHFNHWWVIDUP FR XN Fifth-generation family business Shaws of +XGGHUVĆ&#x201C;HOG has secured distribution with Hider and Suma, making its Heritage collection of chutneys available to retailers nationwide. Created with a nod to years gone by, the range features traditional lines such as beetroot & horseradish chutney and piccalilli. For 2018, Shaws is developing several alcoholic products, including a chutney of rhubarb & cranberry with gin. shaws1889.com

Go Wylde in the country Tapping into the trend IRU 1RUWK $IULFDQ Ĺ´DYRXU directions is Kent producer Wylde & Shrub, with its new Moroccan Date Night chutney. A blend of dates with ras-el-hanout spice, this

sweet, sticky and mildly spiced chutney is said to pair well with all cheese.

Trade price ÂŁ2.85, RRP ÂŁ3.95.

Z\OGHDQGVKUXE wordpress.com

Rosebud Preserves has added Ampleforth Abbey Beer to a recipe of plums, dried fruits and allspice, creating a â&#x20AC;&#x153;deep, dark and thickâ&#x20AC;? fruit chutney that complements Wensleydale and farmhouse cheddar. Trade price ÂŁ2.24, RRP ÂŁ3.60 for 198g. rosebudpreserves.co.uk

Something of a misnomer, bread & butter pickle from 5RVLHĹ?V 5HOLVK DQG 3LFNOH transforms cucumber and onion into a â&#x20AC;&#x153;fresh, crispâ&#x20AC;? accompaniment for cold salmon or patĂŠ. Also new from this Wiltshire producer is Boxing Day pickle, which combines red pepper, red onion and cucumber in a spiced vinegar. RRP ÂŁ3.75 for 270g.

URVLHVUHOLVKDQGSLFNOH co.uk

Bradford on Avonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s In a Pickle has refreshed its label designs, changed the size of its jars from 290g to 200g and introduced a new pineapple habanero chutney, which LW GHVFULEHV DV Ĺ&#x201C;IUXLW\ DQG ĹľHU\Ĺ&#x201D; Trade price ÂŁ2.50, RRP ÂŁ3.95. inapicklefoodco.co.uk

One to watch on the Birmingham scene is %DUUHO %RQH, which uses traditional methods to create kimchis (Korean fermented, salted vegetables) and sauerkrauts that tick all the food trend boxes.

Using the preserving properties of Himalayan salt and spices, Barrel & Bone makes live fermented preserves that are a natural source of probiotics and vegan-friendly. It has just signed with distributor Marigold Health Food for the south east and released a 1kg size option for its Naked Kraut and Vegan Kimchi.

EDUUHODQGERQH FR XN

Norfolk-based Essence Foods has created a new umbrella brand, Montyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Products, for all of its savoury chutneys, condiments and mustards. Norfolk sweet pickle, piccalilli, ploughmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pickle and mango chutney are among the products in the new range. essencefoods.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

49

us 28 e d od Se tan Fo rth s e o on Fin w N at h o S

Relish

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embellish with relish... ÜÜÜ° >Ü Ã i>`Ài à °V U ä£xÎ { ÎÈÈ£{

Welsh Lady Preserves present new products following traditional family recipes: Sauces: Tomato ketchup, Brown Sauce, Barbecue Sauce Chutneys: Piccalilli Pickle, Mango Chutney, Spicy Carrot Chutney, Lime Chutney, Balsamic Onion Relish

Fruit Curds: Passion Fruit Curd, Mango and Passion Fruit Curd A selection of 28g mini jars and more varieties available in 3kg catering pails

sit vi n nd o e a SN m FF 21 Co s at tand u s 50

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

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pickles & chutneys

the earthy smoked beetroot chutney is ideal for a tasting, with cheese or patĂŠ

Smoked beetroot chutney (RRP ÂŁ3.30 for 310g) and ploughmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pickle (RRP ÂŁ3.15 for 310g) are the latest additions to Cottage Delightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pickles and chutneys offering. The Staffordshire producer says the earthy smoked beetroot chutney is the ideal candidate for a tasting, paired with cheese or patĂŠ. cottagedelight.co.uk

Tracklements says it has launched its new hot habanero MDP LQ UHVSRQVH WR ULVLQJ GHPDQG IRU VSLF\ SURGXFWV 0DGH ZLWK KDEDQHUR FKLOOLHV IRU D Ĺ&#x201C;KHIW\ NLFN RI KHDWĹ&#x201D; WKLV MDPP\ UHOLVK KDV DQ 553 RI e IRU J tracklements.co.uk

Is it sauerkraut?

No, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s raw slaw Blurring the line between coleslaws and pickles is Hurly Burly, a trio of organic, fresh, raw â&#x20AC;&#x153;slawsâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; already stocked in Whole Foods, Abel & Cole, Planet Organic and As Nature Intended. Bertie Chamberlain, whose wife is German, designed the fermented vegetable accompaniments as a modern variation on sauerkraut. They are made in Germany, have a 16-week

&KXIĹľQĹ&#x2018;FKLOOL Young Yorkshire producer Peckish Kitchen has created a hotter variation of its charred chilli & red pepper chutney.

7KH QHZ Ĺ&#x152;&KXIĆ&#x201C;Q +RWĹ? FKDUUHG chilli chutney is a rich and warming smoky chutney with a kick. RRP ÂŁ3.95. peckishkitchen.co.uk

shelf-life and come in turmeric & cumin, lemon & ginger and jalapeĂąo RUHJDQR Ĺ´DYRXUV 553 ÂŁ5.75 for a 410g pot. hurlyburlyfoods.com

Ginger Beardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Preserves has partnered with the Bristol Spirits Collective to create a Bloody Mary tomato salsa. Packing a punch with real Bristol vodka, this preserve is said to taste exactly like its cocktail namesake. Trade price ÂŁ3, RRP ÂŁ4.50 for 284g. gingerbeardspreserves. co.uk

The Smokey Carterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Cheese Lovers gift set (trade price ÂŁ10, RRP ÂŁ15) packs a trio of chutneys into a neat gift tube. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sweet original chilli jam features in the set alongside two newer creations: spiced pineapple & nigella chutney and tangy plum chutney. thesmokeycarter.com

Calderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen has refreshed its branding to UHĹ´HFW LWV IDPLO\ EXVLQHVV values and use of the traditional raw pickling method to make its â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;piccalilli with a twistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The Sunderland producer has also introduced a gift pack featuring its three inaugural products: Piccalilli, Chillililli and Sillylilli. RRP ÂŁ12.9915.99. calderskitchen.co.uk

Retailers looking for brands with an ethical dimension should check out Botton Village, a range of organic chutneys and preserves made in North Yorkshire by adults with special needs. The Botton Village workshop uses fruit and veg grown on-site to produce red tomato, beetroot, orange & coriander, pumpkin & apple and plum & marrow chutneys. Trade price ÂŁ2.50 for 260ml, RRP ÂŁ2.99. shoppingcamphillpress. co.uk

Scarlett & Mustard has rolled out a new label design across its entire range and introduced )DEXORXVO\ )LJJ\ ĹľJ MDP D FRPSDQLRQ IRU GHOL PHDWV FKHHVH DQG \RJXUWV 7UDGH SULFH e 553 e scarlettandmustard.co.uk

6ZHHW WRPDWR FKLOOL FKXWQH\ and sweet chilli are the two new UHOHDVHV IURP 0LFKDHO 6RKHOĹ&#x2018;V Lovechutney and Lovechilli ODEHOV %RWK IHDWXUH DURPDWLF VSLFHV VXFK DV IHQQHO RQLRQ VHHGV IHQXJUHHN DQG FDURP VHHGV DQG ZKROHVDOH DW e IRU J 553 e

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Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

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January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

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&DSLWDOLVLQJ RQ WKH FRQVXPHU ORYH DIIDLU ZLWK DOO WKLQJV UHG RQLRQ UHODWHG &RUQZDOO EDVHG Boddingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Berries KDV UHOHDVHG D UHG RQLRQ UHOLVK WKDW LV WRXWHG DV Ĺ?WKH LGHDO DFFRPSDQLPHQW WR FKHHVH DQG PHDWĹ? 7UDGH SULFH e 553 e boddingtonsberries.co.uk

6WURXG SURGXFHU Kitchen Garden LV ORRNLQJ WR Ĺ?H[FLWLQJ Ĺ´DYRXUVĹ? WR JDLQ WUDFWLRQ LQ WKH FRPSHWLWLYH SUHVHUYHV VSDFH 3LQHDSSOH SDSD\D UHOLVK SLWFKHG DV D Ĺ?UHIUHVKLQJ VXPPHU WLPH UHOLVKĹ? DQG VXQGULHG WRPDWR FKLSRWOH UHOLVK GHVFULEHG DV DQ Ĺ?XSJUDGH WR D QRUPDO EXUJHU UHOLVKĹ? DUH WKH Ć&#x201C;UVW WZR FUHDWLRQV WR FRPH RXW RI WKLV DSSURDFK 553 e kitchengardenfoods.co.uk

Purely Pickled Eggs is OHDGLQJ WKH UHQDLVVDQFH RI D WUDGLWLRQDO %ULWLVK EDU VQDFN ZLWK D UDQJH RI SLFNOHG HJJV LQIXVHG ZLWK PRGHUQ Ĺ´DYRXUV 7KH ODWHVW Ĺ´DYRXU Ĺ&#x160; &KHHN\ KLFNRU\ VPRNH Ĺ&#x160; VLWV DORQJVLGH EDOVDPLF DQG JDUDP PDVDOD SLFNOHG HJJV LQ WKH &KHHN\ UDQJH DQG KDV D WUDGH SULFH RI e IRU D FDVH RI [ J MDUV 553 e purelypickledeggs.co.uk

Providing outsourced back RIĆ&#x201C;FH VROXWLRQV WR IRRG businesses, Windfall says LW HQVXUHV DOO DGPLQLVWUDWLYH HOHPHQWV Ĺ&#x160; IURP ORJLVWLFV WR LQYRLFLQJ Ĺ&#x160; DUH SURSHUO\ PDQDJHG 7KH RXWVRXUFLQJ KHOSV SURGXFHUV FRQWURO FRVWV DQG UHGXFH RYHUKHDGV Ĺ?+DYLQJ D SDUWQHU organisation taking care RI Ć&#x201C;QDQFLDO LVVXHV HQDEOHV SURGXFHUV WR IRFXV RQ EXVLQHVV GHYHORSPHQW Ĺ?

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Nella Cutlery offers a knife VKDUSHQLQJ VHUYLFH DQG VXSSOLHV IRRG SURFHVVLQJ HTXLSPHQW WR SURGXFHUV LQ WKH 8. 7KH FRPSDQ\ VD\V LWV %HUNHO 6OLFHU 0DFKLQHV FRPH LQ D YDULHW\ RI PRGHOV WR VXLW DQ\ HQYLURQPHQW LQFOXGLQJ VPDOO SURGXFWLRQ NLWFKHQV DQG HDFK PDFKLQH LV VDLG WR ZLWKVWDQG LQWHQVLYH XVH ZKLOH PDLQWDLQLQJ WKH KLJKHVW SHUIRUPDQFH nellacut.com

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Isle of Wight producer The Borneo Pantry has a new summer chutney ready to take over once its Christmas chutney â&#x20AC;&#x153;goes into hibernationâ&#x20AC;?.

Caramelised carrot & orange chutney has a trade price of ÂŁ2.75, RRP ÂŁ3.85 for 200g. borneopantry.com

Spiced gooseberry chutney with pink peppercorns â&#x20AC;&#x153;that burst on the tongue in a peppery hitâ&#x20AC;? is the latest creation to come out of Ajar Ofâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dorset kitchen. Trade price ÂŁ1.85, RRP ÂŁ3. ajar-of.co.uk

The two latest introductions from Oxfordshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Well Preserved â&#x20AC;&#x201C; pear chutney with Hullabaloo best bitter and plum chutney with Hocus Pocus old ale and Christmas spices â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are a marriage of fruit and ale from the local Loddon Brewery. well-preserved.co.uk

Desk-top labellers such as Pack Leaderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ELF series are available exclusively from Advanced Dynamics. Ideal for replacing manual labelling, the ELF 20 and ELF 50 take up little space, increase productivity and accurately label containers, cartons and bottle shapes. advanceddynamics.co.uk

Pentic creates labelling designed to catch the eye, providing full product information, provenance and price. Its latest launch is its ice cream shapes which it says are waterproof and long lasting. pentic.com

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

53

equipment & services for producers As a new addition to its tulip muffing wrap line-up, i2r Packaging Solutions has created a new black ‘tuxedo’ range to offer producers of baked goods a stylish and elegant premium look. Sizes vary from a micro wrap up to a mega tulip (175mm x 175mm x 60mm) and are available in a variety of colourways. i2rps.com

Interbake’s Triple D Depositor allows up to 80 soft viscous fillings or liquids to be accurately deposited per minute through a range of nozzles (including drip free) into numerous types of products or containers.

Described as “hygienic, accurate and user friendly”, the machine eliminates repetitive strain injuries associated with continuous use of piping bags. interbake.co.uk

Artisan distillery 3 Pugs Gin’s new look label was created by The Label Makers. With an illustrationled design, embellishments including foiling and high build tactile printing were added to help maximize the brand’s premium aesthetic.

The shape of the label complements the slanted bottle, achieved by angling the bottom die-lines to follow the contours of the base. labmak.co.uk

Producer of low-in-sugar drinks for children, Tom’s Teas tasked Qualvis Print & Packaging with creating a brand style which told both its story and core values.

The agency’s co-located design studio, Qualvis Innovations, produced the vibrant artwork for the brand. Cartons and online postal packs were then printed by a £2m dual digital packaging line featuring a Xerox iGen 4 sheet-fed digital printer. qualvis.co.uk

For micro-bakeries looking for an oven but who find commercial deck ovens too big, Brook Food claims its Rofco ovens can fill the gap by providing a stone baking surface within a very compact oven. Priced under £2000, the b40 model is said to have three different sized baking surfaces including the capacity to bake 12 x 1kg loaves in one batch.

Brookfood.co.uk

Croxsons has supplied the primary packaging and cork closures for Brighton Gin’s new 350ml ‘Two-Pitch’ product after previously supplying the distillery’s original 700ml bottle.

“We’re so pleased to be using this beautiful bottle with its echoes of the West Pier and with the design features people love in the big bottle, such as the cork with its hand-waxed seal,” said founder Kathy Caton. croxsons.com

Mettler Toledo has launched the X38 x-ray inspection system designed to inspect pumped food applications including jam, yoghurt and fruit purees. The system detects contaminants such as stone or glass shards before removing the contaminated product with minimal waste. mt.com

Food marketing agency DPM Services has re-vamped its development kitchen for producers working on new products or relaunches. Clients can cook, taste and present their products in the space which has chiller cabinets and multi-deck units. dpm-services.co.uk

Bio-Oxygen Europe has launched an electron based air sterilization system to the UK. Said to minimise the risk of airborne contamination, the system is recommended for initial production facilities and packing rooms to improve production and the final product. europe@biooxygen.net

Springetts adds Zing When artisan producer World of Zing challenged brand design agency Springetts to add more ‘zing’ to its identity, they began with a new brand essence: ‘flavour beyond ordinary’.

This was brought to life through “expressive and

playful ways of adding flavour to food and drink” (“a slap of sauce”, “a scatter of spice”, “a mix of spirit”).

Artistic “mark-making techniques” visually expressed these phrases and resulted in a “simple, emotive visual identity”. springetts.co.uk

Hydropac launches UK’s first 3D reflective Air Bag Ice and gel pack manufacturer Hydropac has developed a new 3D reflective air bag designed and shaped to fit a conventional box.

The latest NPD from the temperature controlled packaging specialist, the air bag is combined with a corrugated outer carton and one piece system for hassle-free assembly. Other benefits include high grade bubble cushioning, leak resistance and four standard 54

stock sizes. It also reduces the impact on customers’ storage with a potential for 700 bags per pallet.

“The system works on emissivity or thermal reflection of energy from external temperatures as well as internal,” said business manager Colin Rowland, “this is because it has an aluminium foil lining on both the inside and out, a first to the UK market with a one-piece system.” hydropac.co.uk

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

CMT

Continental Meat Technology Gluten free rusk substitute from CMT CMT introduces a revolutionary new gluten free crumb, which can replace conventional rusk in sausages and burgers or can be used as a coating for meat and poultry products.

Computer Software for Food and Drink Sales and Distribution

CMT gluten free crumbs:

• Are suitable for celiacs • Replace rusk without the need for recipe changes • Are also available as ready made CMT sausage mixes • Are available in two natural colours (pale and golden brown) • Do not contain any e numbers • Are made from GMO free ingredients.

Juergen Maurer, 31 Salford Road, Aspley Guise, Milton Keynes MK17 8HT T: 01908 584489 F: 01908 584317

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01442 505 950 sales@sharp-ax.com www.sharp-ax.com Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

55

JOHN HUNT BOLTON LTD MANUFACTURER OF FOOD AND PASTRY PROCESSING MACHINERY THE FAMILY COMPANY ESTABLISHED 1860

John Hunt - The UK Bakery Equipment and Pie Machine Specialists.

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John Hunt is a small, family owned engineering company, established in 1870. We specialise in the production of “Pie Machines” in its widest sense. We manufacture a wide range of machines from simple hand operated to more sophisticated automatic machines. All shapes and sizes up to 360 mm longest side by 330 mm diameter can be accommodated.

We enjoy a challenge and specialise in customising equipment to produce unique and distinctive products. Please contact us for more information.

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56

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

dpm-services.co.uk

dpm We know food design promotion marketing

SHOW PREVIEW The West Country’s biggest food & drink trade show is back at the Westpoint Exhibition Centre in Exeter on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th February.

Here’s why you should visit:

Six reasons to visit… The Source

1

2

3

Where the West meets you

More than just products

Discover it first

The Source is the South West’s biggest food & drink trade show, and it keeps growing year on year. In 2018, visitors can expect to see well over 200 producers and no other show can boast as many West Country suppliers including, Bell & Loxton, Chunk of Devon, Little Jack Horners, Inkreadible Label Company, Luscombe Drinks, Rodda’s and Salcombe Dairy.

The suppliers on show aren’t just producers. In fact, The Source has exhibitors covering every angle for visiting businesses, whether it’s raw ingredients, foodservice products, furniture, EPoS, kitchen design or business services.

As always, the show features a ‘Newcomers’ area, for companies that are completely new to exhibiting at trade shows. This year’s line-up includes Bristol’s Espensen Spirit, Jurassic Coast Pastries, relish and dressing producer Rugeronis, Bath-based The Leafy Tea Company and the Wild Flour Cake Co.

4

5

6

Hail to the chef

There’s the spirit

Let’s talk tourism

A host of budding and top chefs will take to the stage to inspire visitors in the Intoto Demonstration Kitchen. As well as the 2017 South West Chef of the Year Robert Cox, the line-up also includes Michael Caines MBE and Barrie Tucker of The Luttrell Arms, and Crantock Bakeries Executive Development Chef James Strawbridge.

The LWC drinks masterclass “There’s more to Gin than tonic – how else can you add profitability to England’s national spirit” will provide practical ideas that can be applied in any bar, while a cocktail competition showing how you can be creative with Old J spiced rum, should provide entertainment and inspiration in equal measure.

The Westcountry Tourism Conference will be running alongside the show, with a two-and-a-half day programme featuring tourism businesses and industry experts. The conference is designed for those working in the tourism industry across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and further afield.

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

57

National Flexible’s packaging print technology, “Enigma”, allows higher image resolution, greater contrast and an amazing depth of colour. Georgie Sutherland, owner of LEAFY, stated “we’re thrilled with the result of our packaging film”.

LEAFY foods are one of many companies that have come to National Flexible in search of premium printed flexible packaging. National Flexible provide gravure print quality at a flexographic price. LEAFY wanted to fulfil the fun, playful yet premium design and communicate the honest essence of the brand that “healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring”. This was achieved with Enigma print technology, Georgie stating “National Flexible have really captured the quality of our designs through the vivid colours and excellent print quality”.

“We’re thrilled with the result of our packaging ÀOPµ

Visit us at the Packaging Innovations show to really see what we can achieve.

Held at Birmingham NEC on the 28th February-1st March 2018. Stand number E25. Alternatively email Natalie Bartlett, Marketing Manager, at natalie@nationalflexible.net for a sample pack of our flexible packaging films.

For all Your Bakery Kneads BAKERY RACKS & TRAYS

BAKERY AND CATERING MACHINE SPECIALISTS Fir Street, Heywood, LANCS. OL10 1NP TEL: 01706 364103 FAX 01706 625057 EMAIL: Francis@becketts.co.uk WEB SITE: www.becketts.co.uk OR www.bakeryequipment.co.uk

58

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

SHELF TALK

Moroccan oil hopes to strike gold in UK market

By Lauren Phillips

An artisan oil made from Moroccan olives has launched in the UK, pitched as an alternative to traditional European olive oil producers.

Morocco Gold is a single estate, extra virgin olive oil (RRP ÂŁ18.95, 500ml) using olives grown in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, 200km from Marrakesh.

It was developed by a British-Moroccan partnership involving former business consultant Gordon Davidson and wife Linda Lyons, who owns a riad business in Marrakesh.

The couple have been working with the Moroccan government to modernise olive oil production and satisfy regulations, so the product can be sold to the UK and other European markets.

Moroccan oil has originally only been sold in the local markets of Marrakesh or exported as a bulk product to be mixed in with other oils.

However, Davidson told FFD there are hopes that Moroccan oil can become a legitimate option as production in Italy, Spain and Greece has been affected by drought, disease and fraud. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The whole of the European industry has been tainted by adulteration and fraud that goes on,â&#x20AC;? said Davidson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Morocco is perfectly located to make up the shortfall of olive oil from European countries that have been affected by a blight.â&#x20AC;?

The brand also wants to set a new standard for olive oil, positioning itself at the upper end of the market and particularly looking at delis in London and the south east as stockists. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know there are a number there with a distinct middle eastern flavour,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Made from the Picholine olive, the oilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

flavour is described as â&#x20AC;&#x153;distinctiveâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;fruityâ&#x20AC;? with hints of apples, sweet almonds and herbs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got that distinct peppery taste that you get from good quality extra virgin olive oils,â&#x20AC;? added Davidson.

Packaging is also a factor for the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s positioning and Morocco Goldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bottle features a gold embossed label, integrated pourer and tamperproof cap which helps preserve the longevity of the oil. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our labelling is the kind of presentation you would expect to find on a wine or good Scottish malt whisky.â&#x20AC;? morocco-gold.com

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Netflix generationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inspires latest Pipers flavour

By Lauren Phillips

Pipers Crisps has launched a new jalapeno & dill crisp flavour, in 40g packs and 150g sharing bags, to target 18 to 34-year-olds and their growing penchant for watching box sets and streaming services.

Described as strong and â&#x20AC;&#x153;grown-upâ&#x20AC;?, the flavour is inspired by the current trend for global and fusion flavours. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We now have a younger generation that is exposed to more cultures so are more interested in new and different things and want more fusion flavours,â&#x20AC;? said marketing manager, Katy Hamblin.

The unconventional combination of jalapeno and dill was developed to cater to consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; appetite for heat while not compromising on taste.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We looked at what different chefs were doing and have seen a lot online about the popularity of dill pickles,â&#x20AC;? said Hamblin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, we wanted the product to have strong heat from the jalapeno which is balanced with the dill.â&#x20AC;?

Sales split between 80% foodservice and 20% retail for the brand, but this flavour is about driving the 150g sharing bags in retail for the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Friday Night Inâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; crowd looking for snacks to indulge at home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know there is growth in this area with sharing packs up 2.6% [IRI World Panel] as generations opt to watch box sets and Netflix,â&#x20AC;? said Hamblin.

The flavour joins Pipers full range, including Anglesey Sea Salt, Burrow Hill cider vinegar & sea salt, Biggleswade sweet chilli, and Atlas Mountains wild thyme & rosemary. piperscrisps.com

Displays that pay PEP-UP YOUR SHELVES WITH THE GUILD OF FINE FOODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RESIDENT MERCHANDISING QUEEN JILLY SITCH Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a gloomy time of year outdoors, so your customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eyes will be drawn to any colour you can offer on your shelves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and rainbow merchandising may be just the thing.

More common in fashion retailers, it is little more than grouping products together by colour to create a rainbow effect in your displays. If you Google the term, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see just how impactful it can be â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even with a handful of garments.

Given all of the bottles, jars and boxes that we have in our storerooms, the independent retailerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palette can be a little muddied to begin with, so it might be easier to stick to one brand.

Picture a row of one brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sweet preserves with their bright, colour-coordinated labels or a pyramid of anotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s condiment bottles in various shades.

And if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe me, Welsh producer Câlon Lan told FFD that retailers arranging its rainbow of products in colour order have seen as much as a 20% upswing in sales (see p63). Quite the pot of gold.

Luscombe shows lighter side with new tonic Luscombe Drinks has created a Light Devon Tonic Water, available in a 20cl bottle with 553 e WR MRLQ LWV Ĺ´DYRXUHG mixer portfolio.

Made from Devon spring water, the lower calorie tonic is said to have a â&#x20AC;&#x153;zingy citrus tasteâ&#x20AC;? from Japanese yuzu and Indian quinine. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The tonic water sector is rapidly expanding, with sales exceeding ÂŁ100 million for the Ć&#x201C;UVW WLPH Ĺ? VDLG KHDG RI VDOHV DW Luscombe, Gareth Hess. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new Light Devon Tonic Water is our response to customer demand for a premium tonic water with fewer calories.â&#x20AC;?

It joins the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing range in refreshed labels this month. luscombe.co.uk Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

59

SHELF TALK WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW Ice cream producer Yee Kwan has launchedEd a brandQHZ Ĺ´DYRXU O\FKHH Fortune & rose. Consisting of lychee pieces and rose Ĺ´DYRXULQJ WKH FRPELQDWLRQ ZDV LQVSLUHG E\ owner Yee Kwanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memories of Hong Kong as a child. RRPs are ÂŁ2.50 for a 125ml tub and ÂŁ4.95 for a 500ml tub. yeekwan.com Rocktails KDV XQYHLOHG LWV Ć&#x201C;UVW lightly sparkling botanical blend LQ LWV QHZ GULQNV UDQJH 7KH Citrus Spritz. Aiming to offer a sophisticated approach to alcoholfree drinks, the blend combines lemon zest with juniper berries, grapefruit peel, lavender and basil.

RRP ÂŁ2.75 per 250ml bottle. rocktails.co.uk Chins Kitchen has rebranded the packaging RI LWV 1DQNKDWDL D FUXPEO\ EXWWHU\ ,QGLDQ shortbread. The new packaging has been rolled RXW DFURVV DOO Ĺ´DYRXUV including its Great Taste award-winning almond & pistachio and rose & cardamom. RRP ÂŁ6.50 per 100g tube. chinskitchen.co.uk

My magic ingredient Sperlari Mostarda di frutta LUCAS HOLLWEG Food writer It sounds like mustard and looks like fruit salad in a jar, but mostarda isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite what it seems.

Made by candying whole fruits in a sugar syrup spiked with mustard essence, this classic Italian condiment delivers a delicious combination of sweet fruitiness and nose-tingling warmth. I love its versatility. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the traditional accompaniment to northern Italian dishes such as bollito misto or FRWHFKLQR VDXVDJH ZLWK OHQWLOV DV ZHOO DV D Ć&#x201C;QH partner to ham and charcuterie (a few slivers lift D ELW RI VDODPL RQ WRDVW LQWR D ZLQQLQJ FDQDSÂŤ

%XW ,Ĺ?YH DOVR FKRSSHG LW LQWR VWXIĆ&#x201C;QJV IRU JDPH meat and chicken, purĂŠed it with squash to make D Ć&#x201C;OOLQJ IRU SDVWD VHUYHG LW ZKROH ZLWK FKHHVHV (it works with anything from goatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cheese to JRUJRQ]ROD DGGHG LW WR GUHVVLQJV IRU ZLQWHU leaf salads and even used it to pimp bangers and mash. There are versions made from single fruits, but the most famous, from Cremona in Lombardy, contains a glowing mix of pears, SHDFKHV DSULFRWV FKHUULHV Ć&#x201C;JV DQG FOHPHQWLQHV Lucas bought his at Mercato Italianoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas stall in Bruton. mercatoitaliano.uk

Buckley & Beale launches own-label crackers

By Lauren Phillips Buckley & Beale has launched its first own-label product â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sprouted grain crackers, branded Sprouted Genius.

The UK-based importer, exporter and distributor decided to develop Sprouted Genius after observing many food trends emerge over in the US and later catch on in the UK. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We visit US shows quite frequently and were aware of a growing interest in both sprouted grains and ancient grains,â&#x20AC;? said managing director Noreen Finnamore. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible to get sprouted flour over here, but there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a widely available sprouted grain cracker. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thought it would bring something to the market that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already there.â&#x20AC;?

The crackers are available in three flavours: amaranth & beetroot, plain amaranth and purple corn, sea salt & black pepper (RRP ÂŁ2.99, 90g). â&#x20AC;&#x153;The sprouted grains lend 60

themselves to a cracker rather than a sweet biscuit,â&#x20AC;? said Finnamore. Though the amaranth and purple corn grains are known for their health properties, the brand isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t specifically targeting the healthy food sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not trying to pigeon-

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

hole them into just health shops,â&#x20AC;? said Finnamore, â&#x20AC;&#x153;weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried to make the product and brand appeal to a large market.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Packaging has to be presented in a way that pops off the shelf and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve aimed to make this brand colourful, attractive and fun,â&#x20AC;? she added.

Sprouted Genius is already listed in wholesalers The Gorgeous Food Company and Tree of Life, with more to follow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking to several wholesalers,â&#x20AC;? said Finnamore, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so small delis and independents will be able to get them quite soon.â&#x20AC;? buckleyandbeale.com sproutedgenius.com

It sounds like mustard and looks like fruit salad in a jar Mount Olympus updates labels for kefir range Probiotic drinks producer Mount Olympus Pure )RRGV KDV UHGHVLJQHG LWV NHĆ&#x201C;U ODEHOV WR DGRSW D cleaner, fresher look which focuses on allergen information and the productsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; awards.

The new labels will be launched on all its existing four products (goatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and vegan water NHĆ&#x201C;UV DQG WKH SURGXFHUĹ?V QHZ FRZVĹ? NHĆ&#x201C;U UDQJH launching this month.

Described as â&#x20AC;&#x153;delicious, rich and creamy FXOWXUHG GDLU\ SURGXFWVĹ? WKH NHĆ&#x201C;UV DUH VDLG WR EH D Ĺ?PRUH SRWHQW DQG GLYHUVH VRXUFH RI EHQHĆ&#x201C;FLDO bacteria and yeasts than yoghurtâ&#x20AC;? which contributes to a healthy gut and strong immune system. RRP ÂŁ1.99 for 300ml. mountolympuspurefoods.com

Ciders 500ml KƌŐĂŶŝĐ ^ƉĂƌŬůŝŶŐ ^ŽŌ ƌŝŶŬƐ ϯϯϬŵů

Ashridge, Staverton, Totnes ĞǀŽŶ dYϵ ϲ E Ϭϭϯϲϰ ϲϱϰϳϰϵ orders@ashridgecider.co.uk www.ashridgecider.co.uk

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FS&D 230x315.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2018 17:02 Page 1

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SHELF TALK Heartsease Farm relaunches premium soft drinks with new labels and low sugar recipes Soft drink producer Radnor Hills has relaunched its range of Heartsease Farm Premium PressĂŠ with new reduced-sugar recipes and redesigned labels in a bid to meet the needs of the increasingly health-conscious consumer.

The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;lighterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, lower sugar content approach means that some flavours could contain around 50% less sugar, says Heartsease Farm.

Using only natural ingredients, the new drinks are made using sparkling water sourced from the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farm in Powys, mid-Wales and then sweetened with plant-based sweetener, Stevia, which has become a popular alternative to sugar.

The range will be packaged with a new label design, which still incorporates the signature gate and duck logo, and new sloping neck 750ml glass bottle.

The range comes in seven delicious flavours including traditional lemonade, raspberry lemonade, elderflower pressĂŠ, British blackcurrant crush, apple & rhubarb, ginger beer, and Heartsease Farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest flavour strawberry & mint pressĂŠ. radnorhills.co.uk

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TRENDING NICK BAINES KEEPS YOU UP-TO-DATE WITH THE NEWEST DISHES, FLAVOURS AND INNOVATIONS IN FOOD & DRINK

1

2

3

1 Mushroom coffee anyone? Food and GULQN WUHQGV DOO VHHP WR RIIHU KHDOWK EHQHĆ&#x201C;WV these days, and mushroom coffee is no different. A drink that promotes clear-minded focus without the caffeine crash is surely good in anybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book. Four Sigmatic create a range of mushroom coffee sachets, blending VSHFLĆ&#x201C;F PXVKURRPV ZLWK UHJXODU FDIIHLQH laced coffee. However, the Evening Standard has reported on some upmarket coffee shops getting in on the action too, such as Maryleboneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Curators Coffee, which serves XS \RXU HVSUHVVR ZLWK D V\ULQJH Ć&#x201C;OOHG ZLWK D mushroom consommĂŠ.

2 Straight to the source: Kola nut This little nut is getting a lot of attention in bars where enthusiastic barkeepers are creating exciting alternatives to your standard coke.

In the wellness sector, Botanics Lab partner LWV Ĺ´DYRXUV ZLWK 8PHERVKL SOXP LQ WKHLU Kola+ drink, and restaurants are using the QXW WR Ĺ´DYRXU FUÂŞPH FDUDPHOV DQG LQ JOD]HV IRU PHDW Ĺ&#x160; D UHĆ&#x201C;QHG KRPDJH WR WKH $PHULFDQ BBQ tradition of soaking pork shoulders in Dr. Pepper ahead of smoking.

3 British fondue No longer a relic from kitsch â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s dinner parties, fondues are enjoying a huge comeback and being taken in a more British direction. A blend of Oggleshield, 'RGGLQJWRQ 0D\Ć&#x201C;HOG DQG &RROHD DUH XVHG in the fondue at Camdenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cheese bar, which has become so popular that the restaurant now holds fondue night every Thursday. The Courtyard Dairy knocks out a fondue made solely with Yorkshire cheeses, as well as a version made with cheddar and beer. Owner Andy Swinscoe says itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the interactive nature of the dish that makes it so successful.

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW â&#x20AC;&#x153;World-inspiredâ&#x20AC;? is the theme of Dorset Cerealsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new collection of mueslis, Ultimate Adventures.

Available in two varieties: Machu Picchu (Brazil nuts, goldenberries, dark chocolate & coffee) and American Road Trip (cranberries, almonds & orange zest). RRP ÂŁ4.79, 600g. dorsetcereals.co.uk Divine Chocolate has re-designed its labels IRU WKH Ć&#x201C;UVW WLPH LQ years. The new design has a bolder, cleaner look with a one-colour pattern to give the product name, ethos and cocoa percentage more prominence on the label. divinechocolate.com/ uk/ Newcomer Cotchel make juices from fruit that are â&#x20AC;&#x153;too big, too small or too uglyâ&#x20AC;? to be sold. The idea came from farmer Pete Thompson who is on a mission to reduce food waste. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Instead of letting unwanted fruit be wasted or processed off the farm we decided to turn it into something delicious,â&#x20AC;? he said. cotchel.uk

Rainbow effect is pot of gold for retailers Retailers who arrange Calon Lânâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products in colour order are seeing up to 20% increase on sales, said owner Geraint Hughes.

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;rainbow effectâ&#x20AC;? is used to catch a shopperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye and encourage them to look across a whole range. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The range has been put together to maximise retailersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; selling space with unnecessary duplication,â&#x20AC;? said Hughes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We deliberately look at the colour impact when we sample new recipes for Calon Lân and consider the labelling of the jars.â&#x20AC;?

The range of condiments and preserves include redcurrant jelly, Scotch Bonnet chilli jam, lemon curd and damson jam. madryn.co.uk

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

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NEW YEAR. NEW SHOW. NEW TIME. NEW BUSINESS.

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Visit www.gff.co.uk/ffsn to register for your free trade pass A Greedy Man in a Hungry World Key-note talk and Q&A with Jay Rayner on Monday 12 February

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Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

65

DELI OF THE MONTH Johns has been a grocer on one bank of North Devon’s Taw-Torridge estuary for the best part of a century and it has been trading on both for almost a decade, fuelled by a culture of self-improvement Interview by Michael Lane Additional photos by Lauren Phillips

Best on both sides IT’S NOT UNCOMMON to encounter independent retailers with more than one site.

Nor is it unusual for these outlets to share stock, supplies and staff. But I’d never heard of the transfer happening by ferry. That is, until I visited Johns in North Devon.

“In theory, it’s not supposed to happen because we do have a daily delivery by van that goes between the two stores. But this is an emergency back-up,” says Anthony Johns, the fourth generation of his family to run a shop in the village of Instow on the Taw-Torridge estuary.

Together with his wife Sue, he is also the man who has overseen the business’s transformation from convenience store into a deli-grocer-café and, more to the point, its expansion to a second premises in Appledore on the other river bank.

On a grey and bitterly cold day in January, I have to be content with squinting across the water at Appledore from the Instow branch because the ferry only runs from April to October, during the area’s tourist season. But things have far from shut down here.

VITAL STATISTICS

Locations: Instow (EX39 4HY) and Appledore (EX39 1QS), North Devon Turnover: £2.8m No. of staff: 36 (50+ in high season) Size: Both 2,000 sq ft each Average basket: £8.50 Average margin: 38%

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January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

By the time the boats are in service again, Johns of Appledore will look very different as it is undergoing a makeover, inside and out. And it’s busy on the Instow side too.

Inside the brightly lit shop there are plenty of people milling about, perusing shelves stacked with both mainstream branded goods and specialist deli items. When lunchtime arrives there isn’t a seat left in the café and, by the time I leave, the piles of Johns famous homemade brownies and sausage rolls have been reduced to mere handfuls.

Even in low season, Johns has nearly 40 staff on its books across its two 2,000 sq ft locations.

And a combined annual turnover of £2.8m.

There’s nothing sleepy about that.

The Johns family has been in the area for more than a century – many generations have been involved in the running of the ferry – but they first became grocers in 1926 when Anthony’s great-grandmother Queenie opened a shop a few doors down from the current location.

It moved into its current site during the ’40s and operated under convenience store fascias during the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Since he took

over the business from his father, Anthony has set about shifting the emphasis from general branded groceries to deli foods, bought in from small producers or made in-house.

The Appledore site opened in 2008 and was actually the first of the two to get a café, when the Johns seized the opportunity to take on the neighbouring unit that was previously inhabited

by The Co-op.

Instow followed suit in 2016, when the gallery next door became available. The wall was knocked through to create space for seating and it took its current form. Now it’s Appledore’s turn for a revamp.

Don’t expect it to be a carbon copy, though.

Sue tells FFD that the ideal situation is for customers to experience both Johns of Instow and Johns of Appledore because, despite sharing similar product lists and levels of service, they are run by different teams with different menus and favourite lines.

Anthony adds: “The two stores are too close to be identical. Although they trade similarly and we have a lot of the same principles, we do want to keep them unique from one another. That’s important for our sanity and for our customers’ wishes as well.”

The shops do cater for two different sets of people, whether they are holiday-makers or locals. Some prefer the simple charm of Instow, with its single shop, a couple of pubs, and a beach, while Appledore is a fishing village that has more to offer in terms of shops and activities.

Although the colour scheme chosen for Appledore will set it apart from Instow’s signature sea foam green, the two do help to inform each other despite their differences.

For example, the Johns have learned that an easily maintained stainless steel kitchen will be more useful than the country home fixtures of Instow. Thought has also been given to ensuring there are enough covers and to the layout behind the counter, so the coffee station and other drink-making apparatus is all in one place and laid out to cope with lunchtime takeaway rushes.

Other improvements that will be made include relocation of the Post Office counter (both shops took over this duty in their villages) away from the deli, more shelf and merchandising space and installation of temperature-controlled refrigeration. All told, it’s going to cost £130,000.

“We’ve got a lot of competition in Appledore,” says Sue, justifying the scale of the project. “In Instow, we’re in the fortunate position where we’re just surrounded by pubs. In

MUST-STOCKS Sibling Gin Godminster cheddar Sharpham Brie Johns sausage rolls Johns brownies Dog poo bags Tide table booklets Dunn’s Dairy clotted cream Chunk of Devon steak pasty Johns soups Miles tea Waterhouse Fayre strawberry jam local Instow honey Otter Vale Devon Fire chutney Fourth generation shopkeeper Anthony Johns runs the two-site business with his wife Sue

Johns salads

Appledore you’ve got to make yourself stand out a little bit more.

“Although it’s brilliant being on the seafront, our location is the worst location on the seafront because the car park is the opposite end of the village.”

The Johns say that securing a 40% grant – from North Devon’s LEADER 5 Rural Development Programme scheme – was the only way they could be upgrading the Appledore shop.

It was also a vital component when they carried out the work on Instow.

Getting two grants approved in the last three years is also a testament to Anthony’s accounting skills and he is unequivocal about the importance of knowing your numbers, whether it’s a fiveyear cashflow forecast or your margins.

As it happens, Johns’ are healthy. The average margin across the business is 38% but they are upwards of 40% and 60% in the deli and café respectively. While the average basket might look a little low at £8.50, that’s down to the convenience side of things – plenty of customers still come in for a newspaper, a tin of beans or a pint of milk.

Given its past, some still use Johns of Instow as a c-store, so it carries a variety of mainstream branded food and drink.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 69

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

67

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thrilled to announce that both our Brown sauce and our new Bloody Mary Mix have been selected as award winning products in Great Taste 2017.

Our full range of hand made table sauces, including Tomato, Chilli, BBQ and award winning Brown are now available in 250ml and 45ml bottles.

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www.sugartherapy.co.uk 68

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

DELI OF THE MONTH “It’s a means to an end,” says Sue. “If we don’t have that product range, then a little Tesco direct will appear in the village. That’s not what the village would choose to have.”

Johns buys through Booker, without having to trade under its Londis symbol. The arrangement has its benefits for buying milk and bread but increasingly Johns has moved away from wholesalers where it can.

Despite having some 150 local suppliers, the Johns prefer dealing direct because they can foster a relationship with the producer and it’s easier to manage their own seasonal fluctuations in order volumes.

When it comes to speciality brands appearing in or seeking listings in supermarkets, Sue says they won’t stock them, with very few exceptions.

She insists it’s nothing personal, citing a recent example of one brand.

“We were all being charged a wholesale price that was more than what you could buy it for in Aldi and Lidl two Christmases ago. Then you’ve got this thing where you’re really proud of their success. But for people like us that’s a product you would no longer contemplate being able to sell.

“If people are going to be able to buy something in the supermarket then they’re not going to come and buy it from us. They’ve not got a reason to come through the door.”

The fact is, artisan products do the business for Johns. Lyme Bay Winery’s sparkling variety flew off the shelves in place of Champagne this Christmas. Anthony has had a good deal of success converting loyal Hellmans buyers to Isle of Wight Garlic Farm mayonnaise. And the famous homemade brownies on the counter outsell KitKats five-to-one.

The Johns’ own travels and the need to impress foodie holidaymakers from the South East are constantly spurring them to try out new things. Some have been a success, like the menu of smoothies they now offer, but luxury Continental items, especially cheeses, tend to be a tough sell and often prove too pricey for even the most adventurous of North Devonians.

While Anthony and Sue still can’t agree whether the Shakshuka added to the breakfast menu has been a successful trial (“I still think people just want the Full English,” he says), they are unanimous about their expanding range of Johns-branded retail goods – which include

coffee, fudge and paté.

These products are just one strand of their branding strategy. Every item that comes from the deli counter features a Johns sticker and every member of staff is uniformed in branded aprons and shirts. You’ll also see it on the bags, on the sides of the delivery van and it’s prominent at various market stalls that the business attends.

A punchy outside catering operation (“Our full menu can be for a party of 6 or a party of 300”) is spreading the word locally, as well as supplementing turnover, but Sue wants to increase the number of events put on in both stores to drive even more footfall.

Despite the scale of Johns’ ambitions, there’s a very humble (and possibly genetic) desire behind it all.

“I am very much a salesman, not a marketer,” says Anthony. “I get great, great enjoyment out of selling something to somebody. I have my responsibilities, but some of the time you’ll be down on the shop floor and there is no more fun than selling somebody a piece of cheese.

Whether they knew they wanted it or didn’t.

“What drives us? It’s those moments.” johnsofinstow.co.uk

The two stores are too close to be identical. Although they trade similarly and we have a lot of the same principles, we do want to keep them unique from one another.

Vol.19 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

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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 Whether people go into shops at all might be our biggest worry, not whether supermarkets had a crappy Christmas

By John Farrand Managing Director

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M A REGULAR listener of Radio 4â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Today programme. In fact, I absorb most of my news from the mouths of John Humphrys, Mishal Husain et al.

After New Year, much of the chat was about Christmas trading on high streets and in supermarkets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and Mr Humphrysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; salary versus Ms Husainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

A fair bit of doom is drifting over the airwaves. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard not to smile

gently when M&S or John Lewis report percentage sales decreases or profit slumps, but then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to think more deeply. Are these regular reports of downturns a concern? Whether people go into shops at all might be our biggest worry, not whether supermarkets had a crappy Christmas.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve talked about when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve hooked up with retailers over the past two weeks, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for us all.

Making and selling good food will always make you a success and help you buck the decline in high street sales.

Identifying good food and its makers is the job of Great Taste, which is now open for entry. In my darker moods, during the long winter nights, I question the role of

IRC Small Shops award aims for 2018 relaunch THE ORGANISER of 2015â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Small Shops Competitition, run in conjunction with the All-Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group (APPSSG), is seeking a main sponsor to revive and expand the event in 2018.

The inaugural event

was run by the Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC) with sponsorship from PayPoint. It was won by Guild of Fine Food member Hunters of Helmsley.

IRC chair Mark Walmsley told FFD the competition had been successful in raising

WKH SURĆ&#x201C;OH RI VPDOO VKRSV particularly among MPs. With suitable sponsorship it could be a â&#x20AC;&#x153;credible vehicleâ&#x20AC;? for promoting indies to a wider consumer audience, he said.

In 2015 the IRC largely relied on its members â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which include the Booksellersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Meet the Guild Steering Group *HRUJLH 0DVRQ Owner, Gonalston Farm Shop, Nottinghamshire

ethos. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the Big Five supermarkets swamp them.

Keelham Farm Shop are a very close second. Again, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s their energy and drive.

MOST ADMIRED BRAND...

At risk of sounding Ăźbercheesy, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tracklements. Their horseradish is one of the easiest thing to sell, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re great to work with, and they always give us the margin and support we need. ...AND RETAILER? Blacker Hall Farm Shop, near Wakefield [pictured right]. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s their innovation, consistent energy, attention to detail â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their whole

BEST BUSINESS MOMENT Opening the doors here on the Glorious 12th [of August] in 2003, on an absolute shoestring. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d sold a car, offloaded some Asda

70

indieretail.org â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to make it easier for shoppers to locate indie stores in their locality.

With more than a dozen trade bodies in its membership, IRC has potential to list as many as 50,000 stores, Walmsley said, which would make this the largest online directory of independent shops.

BURGER KING OR M&S SALAD? M&S â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but more likely beans or lentils, not salad.

BIGGEST BUSINESS CLANGER? I used to buy a pallet of 100,000 20-micron plastic carriers from Asia every eight months, but when I found a few lying around on the farm I decided we should switch to paper. It seemed like a good idea until 100,000 of those turned up from Germany â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on a 40ft tautliner. We were already losing 3p on every bag, then we ended up paying for extra storage too!

HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? Definitely half-full, and sometimes right over the top! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trying to be a bit less hyper these days.

GUILTY FOOD SECRET? Laughing Cow cheese triangles and Mr Kipling French Fancies, I always get some Fancies for my birthday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or whenever I need a sugar fix.

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

January-February 2018 | Vol.19 Issue 1

Association, Association of Cycle Traders and Craft Bakers Association, as well as the Guild â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to promote the event. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The variety of retailers who bought into it in 2015 was amazing and heartening,â&#x20AC;? Walmsley said.

The IRC is also to relaunch its consumerfacing website â&#x20AC;&#x201C; currently at

shares and hardly had to borrow anything. I suppose I should thank Asda for that.

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

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

our accreditation scheme, especially when I see lesser beasts launching with much fanfare, backed by celebrity faces but with no credible judging process or integrity.

And then a press release hits our desk from Hawkshead Relish, announcing that its black garlic ketchup had made an unexpected appearance on BBC Radio Twoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foodie Thursday during December. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t possibly claim, could I, that it was chosen to pair with a festive sausage roll because it achieved a Great Taste 1-star last year?

Hawkshead received over 500 orders online during the show itself, countless more afterwards.

Whatever food-buying headwinds we may have to endure in 2018, more people than ever are bothered about simple quality and taste.

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

PRIVATE PASSION? A good dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hunting in Leicestershire, followed by a G&T with Warner Edwardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rhubarb gin in a hot bath. 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

Shop theft cost small grocery retailers ÂŁ43m last year and ONS data suggests it has increased by 11%

The word on Westminster

2 - 3 May 2018 Three Counties Showground Malvern

By Edward Woodall ACS

The deli doctor Paul Thomas Technical and regulatory advice from the Guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new deli helpline Q: Our bacon supplierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s EHO has told him he must reduce the shelf life on his sliced packs to 10 days.

We used to get a good three weeks from him. His bacon is sent away for curing, then returned to him pre-sliced in a vac-pack with a onemonth life. Now, when he splits it down to smaller packs he can only

threshold for shop theft reinforce the IDOVH YLHZ WKDW LW LV D YLFWLPOHVV FULPH" Shop theft cost small grocery retailers ÂŁ43m last year and ONS data suggests is has increased by 11% in a year.

7KDWĹ?V EHIRUH \RX WDNH LQWR DFFRXQW WKH WLPH LW WDNHV EXVLQHVV RZQHUV DQG staff to report incidents to the police and provide evidence, and of course the emotional stress for all the victims. $ QHZ +RPH 2IĆ&#x201C;FH 0LQLVWHU 9LFWRULD $WNLQ 03 LV UHVSRQVLEOH IRU FULPH SUHYHQWLRQ DQG ZH ZLOO EH making sure that preventing crime against retailers is top priority. If \RXĹ?YH KDG D SUREOHP ZLWK UHWDLO FULPH OHW XV NQRZ DQG ZH FDQ KHOS \RX FRQWDFW \RXU ORFDO 03 RU SROLFH DQG OLIW the issue up their agenda.

The trade show for inspirational regional food and drink.

edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

Edward Woodall is head of policy & public affairs at small shops group ACS

put 10 days on â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which makes it a lot harder for us to sell.

A: The â&#x20AC;&#x153;10-day ruleâ&#x20AC;? applies to products in vac-packs DQG PRGLĆ&#x201C;HG DWPRVSKHUH SDFNV WR FRQWURO JURZWK RI non-proteolytic Clostridium ERWXOLQXP ZKLFK FDQ JURZ in the absence of oxygen. But WKH UXOH LV RQO\ XVHG ZKHUH WKH SDFNHU FDQĹ?W GHPRQVWUDWH other controlling factors, such as the aqueous salt content being RU PRUH RU WKH ZDWHU activity being 0.97 (or less). Salt and moisture are both cheap tests to have done by a contract laboratory.

Based on the typical properties RI EDFRQ DQG RWKHU FXUHG PHDWV LWĹ?V highly likely the product in question ZLOO VDWLVI\ WKRVH SDUDPHWHUV If your packer obtains a set of ODE UHVXOWV WR FRQĆ&#x201C;UP WKLV WKH VKHOI OLIH QHHGQĹ?W EH OLPLWHG WR GD\V Dairy and food safety specialist Paul Thomas runs the Guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new e-helpline for retailers with technical or regulatory queries. It can be accessed through the Guild Membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hub at gff.co.uk

â&#x20AC;˘SAMPLE YOUR LATEST PRODUCTS â&#x20AC;˘MEET DECISION MAKERS FACE TO FACE â&#x20AC;˘OPEN NEW ACCOUNTS â&#x20AC;˘GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY

To get your hands on your free trade entry badge register online or call: 01934 733456. Stands are selling fast.

To enquire call: 01934 733433.

Book a stand Find out more

THERE has been a lot of debate recently about retail crime â&#x20AC;&#x201C; VSHFLĆ&#x201C;FDOO\ VKRS WKHIW DQG KRZ SROLFH forces and the justice system are responding.

Shop thieves are not just targeting booze and cigarettes. Our research VKRZV VRPH RI WKH PRVW FRPPRQO\ targeted items are high value meats and cheeses that can be resold TXLFNO\ IRU SURĆ&#x201C;W WR VXVWDLQ RIIHQGHUVĹ? habits.

With policing budgets being cut and priorities changing, forces across WKH FRXQWU\ DUH GRZQJUDGLQJ WKHLU response to shop theft or in many cases not responding at all unless they exceed a locally set monetary threshold. Even if they are caught and prosecuted, those stealing less than e DUH XVXDOO\ GHDOW ZLWK WKURXJK Ć&#x201C;QHV UDWKHU WKDQ EHLQJ WDNHQ WR FRXUW We understand the need for D UDQJH RI VDQFWLRQV WR GHDO ZLWK thieves, but does such a high

@ lovefinefood

www.thefoodanddrinktradeshow.co.uk This trade only event is organised by Hale Events Limited www.hale-events.com

Vol.18 Issue 1 | January-February 2018

71

LIFT YOUR SPIRITS! R

one of them taste wonderful.

Dilute with soda water 1:5 for the perfect cocktail mixer or for seriously delicious and sophisticated soft drinks.

Jeffreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tonic

R

with original herbs and spices Email: sales@jeffreystonic.com I Phone: 07734428857 www.jeffreystonic.com