Allergico Magazine Summer 2022

ALLERGICO SUMMER

2022

TONY SINGH - TASTE TIBET - OLIVEOLOGY

Contents: 3

Tony Singh MBE

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Free From Food Awards 2022

This iconic British chef explains why Indo-Scottish fusion food is an integral part of his identity.

All of this year's winners from the biggest allergy-friendly food awards!

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Taste Tibet How one man's love of his homeland's cuisine led to an award-winning restaurant.

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Oliveology We find out why one of the world's oldest cuisines is a staple in London's oldest working market.

Also: tipple tips, puzzles & games!

Editor's note Hello Allergicos, Welcome to our summer 2022 magazine. So much has happened over the past year that it seems impossible we're already at the summer again!

I can't wait for you to see all the delicious content we have for you in this edition. I'll be speaking to iconic British-Asian chef Tony Singh MBE about his food heritage. Also, I'll be interviewing Yeshi and Julie from Taste Tibet, an award-winning Oxford eatery.

Last but by no means least I'm also talking to the owner of Oliveology, a famous Greek food stall in London's Borough Market.

There will also be some delicious summer recipes for you to try!

So sit back, enjoy this latest edition in the summer sunshine.

Best wishes, Sophie 2 |

Sophie Wallace Founder & Editor of Allergico

Since first appearing on our TV screens over two

Tony Singh

decades ago, Tony Singh MBE has delighted audiences with his food.

Combining Scottish produce with dishes from his Indian heritage has given him a unique style of cooking. As one half of The Incredible Spice Men alongside Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL, he further cemented his status as a household name in the UK. Much to his fans' delight, his famed supper clubs coming back and his street food venture Radge Chaat is expanding.

We sat down to talk to him about all things food and the future.

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1.What are you most looking forward

3.What are the staples of Punjabi

to in 2022?

cuisine that everyone needs to know about?

A food odyssey trip to Vietnam I’m doing!

2.If you could make the ideal Punjabi spring dinner party menu, what would be on it and why?

Perthshire lamb: the chops marinated and cooked in the tandoor, the shoulder cooked in kala masala, the legs minced and made into vurhas with a sabzi of local asparagus, tandoori rotis and tarka dhal.

Desert would be a salpicon of alphonso mango, pomegranate, watermelon, lime syrup and alphonso mango kulfi.

Because these are the best products of the season, and it showcases how robust and delicate Punjabi spicing can be.

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How to make dal makhani, roti, Punjabi samosas, tandoori chicken and motichoor ladoo.

4.Why was it so important to you to create an Indo-Scottish fusion for your food?

For me, it was never a conscious decision to create Indo-Scottish fusion food. Having been born and bred in Scotland, we always used the best produce my parents brought back from the market and made our traditional meals with that. As I worked through my career, those dishes got refined for restaurant settings and have led me to have the repertoire I use now.

5.What’s the most unusual fusion dish you’ve ever created?

A scallop tartar gol guppa.

Where to find Tony's food: Radge Chaat

6.What’s your biggest achievement

St James Quarter Fourth

from 2021 and why?

Floor, 415-417 St James Square,

Surviving 2020 and 2019!

Edinburgh EH1 3AE

7.You’re well-known for TV shows like The Incredible Spice Men, will

Supper Clubs

we be seeing you back on our TV

These take place at his

screens any time soon?

house, full details are on the

Yes! I am super excited to be on ITV’s Cooking with the Stars this summer.

8.Do you have any advice for fellow British-Asian chefs who are looking to experiment with fusion cuisine?

Don’t be afraid. If your mum and dad like, customers will too! Just add your own finesse and you’re on to a winner.

9.What’s your favourite food memory?

Oh gosh, I am lucky to have so many! I think, right now it has to be having masala baked Scottish brown crab with my kids and wife, on the harbour of the Isle of Jura.

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website tonysingh.co.uk

FREE FROM FOOD AWARDS 2022: THE WINNERS

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FOOD PRODUCT OF THE YEAR: VIOLIFE VIOBLOCK WITH SEA SALT

Credit: NOMO

LARGE INDEPENDENT BRAND OF THE YEAR: NOMO

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Credit: Voakes

Credit: Damm Brewery

Credit: Violife

DRINK PRODUCT OF THE YEAR: DAMM BREWERY FREE DAMM NON-ALCOHOLIC LAGER

Credit: CO-OP

CONVENIENCE RETAILER OF THE YEAR: CO-OP

SMALL INDEPENDENT BRAND OF THE YEAR VOAKES FREE FROM

Credit: TESCO

RETAILER OF THE YEAR: TESCO

Credit: Good It's Gluten Free

Credit: Alexa Baracaia

Credit: Bellfield Brewery

START UP OF THE YEAR: GOOD IT'S GLUTEN FREE

FREE FROM HERO AWARD: ALEXA BARACAIA

GLUTEN-FREE BEER: DAFT DAYS PORTER - BELLFIELD BREWERY

Credit: Bax Botanics

Credit: ASDA

LOW AND NO ALCOHOL: BAX BOTANICS SEA BUCKTHORN ALCOHOLFREE SPIRIT

Credit: M&S

WINE, SPIRITS, FUNCTIONAL DRINKS & MIXERS: SO GOOD KOMBUCHA TASTER PACK

BREAKFAST AND MORNING GOODS: M&S MADE WITHOUT WHEAT 2 ALL BUTTER CROISSANTS

Credit: Violife

Credit: Booja-Booja

MILK PRODUCT ALTERNATIVES: VIOLIFE VIOBLOCK WITH SEA SALT

CONFECTIONERY: BOOJABOOJA CHOCOLATE ORANGE TRUFFLES

Credit: Creative Nature

GROCERY: ASDA FREE FROM TIKKA MASALA SAUCE

Credit: So Good Kombucha

Credit: Mama Dolce

DESSERTS & PUDDINGS: MAMA DOLCE COCONILLA LUXURY ICE CREAM 8 |

Credit: Lazy Day Foods

SWEET SNACKS: CREATIVE NATURE CHEEKY CHOC HAZLENOT GNAWBLES

TEA TIME TREATS: LAZY DAY FOODS CHOCOLATE CHIP SHORTBREAD

ALMOST TOTALLY FREE FROM: VOAKES FREE FROM TRADITIONAL PORK PIE 9 |

MEAL COMPONENTS: MACSWEEN GLUTEN FREE VEGETARIAN HAGGIS

SAVOURY SNACKS: BLANCO NIÑO ANCIENT GRAIN BLUE CORN TORTILLA CHIPS WITH TOASTED AMARANTH

Credit: White Rabbit

BEST PRODUCT IN FOOD SERVICE: WHITE RABBIT 10" FOODSERVICE PIZZA BASES

Credit: ASDA

CHEESES AND CHEESE ALTERNATIVES: MOUSE'S FAVOURITE TRUE BLUE VEGAN ALTERNATIVE TO CHEESE

SOUP & BOWL MEALS: ASDA CARROT & CORIANDER SOUP

Credit: ASDA

Credit: Voakes

PASTA & PIZZA: DOU_H AT HOME GLUTEN FREE PIZZA KITS

Credit: Macsween

Credit: BLANCO NIÑO

Credit: Amisa Credit: DOU_H & CO

BREADS: AMISA GLUTEN FREE ORGANIC ITALIAN STYLE FOCACCIA ROLLS

Credit: Mouse's Favourite

CHILD AND TEEN-FRIENDLY FOOD: ASDA FREE FROM 4 SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN STEAKS

GIFTING: BOOJA BOOJA THE SIGNATURE COLLECTION

Credit: Cocoa Libre

NUT & PEANUT FREE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR: COCOA LIBRE MINI SLAB VARIETY PACK

Credit: Miller's Toast

Credit: Biotiful

INNOVATION AWARD: BIOTIFUL PLANT-BASED OAT KEFIR ORIGINAL

Credit: CO-OP

PREPARED MEALS: CO-OP IRRESISTIBLE AROMATIC & CREAMY CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

SPECIALITY FOODS: ARTISAN BISCUITS MILLER'S TOAST GLUTEN FREE CRANBERRY & RAISIN

Credit: TESCO

Credit: Booja-Booja

BEST LABELLING FOR A FREE FROM PRODUCT: TESCO FREE FROM LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE KIT

Credit: F2F EVENTS LTD

Credit: ASDA

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BEST PACKAGING FOR A FREE FROM PRODUCT: ASDA EXTRA SPECIAL FREE FROM, EASTER EGG SELECTION

DIGITAL PRESENCE: F2F EVENTS LTD - THE ALLERGY & FREE FROM SHOWS

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THIS YEAR'S WINNERS, YOU CAN FIND THEIR DELICIOUS PRODUCTS ON THE COMPANY WEBSITES AND IN MAJOR SUPERMARKETS.

Tipple Tips Summer and good drinks go hand-inhand, so with the Jubilee coming up and warm days ahead, we've rounded up some amazing seasonal tipples.

If cocktails are your thing, we have some simple but effective recipes set to go down a storm. As well as some classics, we'll be exploring a refreshing international drink too.

We've also got some spot-on beer and cider recommendations that will set your celebrations off right.

For those not drinking, we've also got some low & no-alcohol offerings.

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Tequila & Lime Did you know that in Mexico, Tequila is meant to be sipped, not put in shots? Well this drink will hopefully introduce you to the delicious slowdrink side of this fresh, delicious spirit.

INGREDIENTS: 50ml Tequila Half a lime Splash of water (optional) Tajín seasoning (optional)

Photo credits: Tajín & 1800 Tequila/Beckmann Family

METHOD:

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1. Run the lime around the inner and outer rim of the glass.

2. Place some of the Tajín seasoning on a plate, flip the glass upside down and coat the rim of the glass with the seasoning.

3. Add the tequila, remaining lime juice and serve!

Dry Martini A certified Allergico favourite, this drink last featured in our Winter 2021 magazine but we love it so much it's back!

This time we're using our favourites, 6 O'clock Gin's Brunel variety and Bramley & Gage's Dry Vermouth.

INGREDIENTS: 50ml Dry Gin 25ml Dry Vermouth METHOD:

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Photo Credits: 6 O'clock Gin, Bramley & Gage

1. Combine in a glass with ice & a splash of water, enjoy!

Beer & Cider The refreshing raspberry taste is sublime.

With nearly 300 years of cidermaking history under their belt, it's no wonder that Aspall are at the top of their game!

This is their Imperial Cyder, it's a strong one but it has a rich, candied fruit flavour that goes down a treat on a hot summer day.

Where to buy: Sainsbury's

Where to buy: All major UK supermarkets

Price range: £2.50

Price range: £2.50 - £2.60

Photo Credits: Aspall

Photo Credits: Bacchus

Is it a summer's day without a refreshing Belgian beer? We think not! This is a classic style of fruit beer that works perfectly with everything from summer salads to a barbecue.

Low & No alcohol This no-alcohol variety of the classic Irish Stout blew us away the first time we tried it. All the smooth richness of the original, without any of the alcohol.

Guinness Draught alcohol-free does the brand's legacy proud, it's a great way to enjoy a gentler pint.

Where to buy: Waitrose Price range: £4.50 14 |

Photo Credits: Guinness

Whether you're not drinking or looking for something to space out your party beverages, this is perfect. You feel just as if you're enjoying a hefty pint of the original drink.

Taste Tibet

Since opening their first stall in Oxford in 2014, Taste Tibet have won fans across the UK. Even the Covid-19 lockdown of November 2020 couldn't stop the opening of their restaurant!

Recently, they've gone from strength to strength and recently were nominated in the BBC Food & Farming Awards' Street Food category.

The restaurant is run by husband and wife team Yeshi and Julie and it was inspired by the former's Tibetan upbringing. All the food is traditional fare, from world-famous momos to their signature tsampa truffles.

We talked to them about why it was so important to bring Yeshi's food to the global stage.

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Why did you decide to found Taste Tibet?

Why is Tibetan food the best in the world?

When Yeshi first moved to the UK he found the food landscape quite lacking and uninspiring. Everybody loved his cooking, and he felt like he had a job to do helping people to eat better. Cooking from scratch is central to the Tibetan approach, and Yeshi had lots to say on the subject. Food turns out to be a great vehicle for connecting people and sharing experiences, as well as treating them right.

That’s a big claim! There are all kinds of amazing food cultures out there, of course, but the Tibetan cuisine is more than just about flavour. Naturally we believe that the from scratch approach always delivers the best results, and Tibetan people rarely cook with pre-prepared ingredients or sauces etc.

Freshness and using locally-sourced ingredients are key, and deliver delicious results. There’s also a lot of comfort in this cuisine - it’s designed to warm hands and bellies at high altitude, after all. But it’s arguably the way that Tibetan food is enjoyed that tips the balance. Togetherness is key: meals are prepared and cooked in family groups. Respect and reverence for food also plays its part - before tucking in, Tibetan people give thanks to the people and the the labours involved in getting food from field to table. Eating together and focussing the mind in this way leads to a savouring of the experience and serves to make the food taste even better.

What inspired you to focus on Tibetan food?

Yeshi grew up in rural Tibet, learning to cook inside a yak hair tent out on the Tibetan Plateau at a young age. Preparing and eating Tibetan food provides meaning and comfort for him now that he lives so far from his home. It’s also a way for him to kickstart conversations about Tibet and help people to place his country on the map. When we began to understand how few Tibetans live here the UK and how little represented the cuisine really is, we felt increasingly that we had a responsibility to give it the stage that it is due.

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What kind of dishes make up quintessential Tibetan cuisine?

The Tibetan diet typically changes with the seasons.

In wintertime people tend to consume root vegetables predominantly, and dinnertimes feature a lot of soups and stews. Hand-pulled noodles in soup are daily fare - they provide warmth and comfort.

During summer, cooling foods such as yoghurt and chilled jelly noodles are widely enjoyed. There is a wider choice of raw ingredients during this time. The Tibetan cuisine also features a lot of breads. These are the typical accompaniment to stir-fried dishes as rice is scarce on the Plateau. Bread is steamed or pan-fried: ovens are rarely used.

Momos are arguably the most famous Tibetan dish, why do you think they are so popular?

Momos are a great finger food - they are more robust than other types of dumpling, and squigded into hot sepen (chilli condiment) they are incredibly moreish.

Larger than the average dumpling, they also contain a substantial amount of filling. This tends to be incredibly juicy, making them a super satisfying feed.

What’s an under-rated Tibetan dish which you think deserves recognition?

I am a big fan of thenthuk, Tibetan hand-pulled noodle soup. The noodles are easy to make as they are just pieces pinched off from long pieces of dough. You can make the broth using a wide variety of vegetables, and meat, if you enjoy this. For me it’s the most comforting dish of all, and I could eat one version of this or another every day during winter.

What’s the most unusual dish/product you sell?

Our chocolate tsampa truffles are made using roasted barley flour (tsampa), which is the Tibetan staple food. Inside Tibet sweet treats are rarely consumed, except for fruit, which grows everywhere

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in the valleys and low-altitude parts, and which is delicious both fresh and dried for enjoyment overthe winter months. Tsampa can be enjoyed as both a savoury or sweet snack. In its sweet form it is mixed with honey, and in our truffles we use chocolate as well. We love telling the story of tsampa through this dish, and these truffles are so delicious!

What’s the response been like to your food?

We have never had a tough time persuading people to try Tibetan food - our menu, featuring momo dumplings and curries, is accessible and inviting. But we’re always amazed by the queues of people who line up to try our food at festivals. No matter where we go there is always the interest and demand. It is humbling and very exciting.

Have you had any feedback from Tibetans/central Asians on your food and what were their responses like?

We have a lot of Asian diners at our restaurant tourists and students hankering after a taste of home. Tibetan people travel from far and wide to sample our dishes as well, and the feedback is always so warm and positive! This is wonderful for us because we’ve always sought to produce food that provides a sense of nostalgia and familiarity, as well dishes that nourish and pique interest.

If you had to recommend three dishes to someone who’s never eaten Tibetan food before, what would you pick and why?

Momos are a must - they are such a quintessentially Tibetan food. Choose your filling, and whatever you go for (vegan, cheesy or meat), there is just so much comfort and pleasure there. Momos in soup are delicious in wintertime and shouldn’t be missed.

Our kids’ all-time favourite food is Bhatsa Marku, a typical nomad dish that also deserves mention. It’s a little like gnocchi mixed with butter, mushrooms and either beef or cheese (feta is a great substitute for yak cheese).

Finally, mooli (also known as daikon radish) is a much overlooked vegetable outside of Asia, but widely used in the Tibetan cuisine. Mooli and yoghurt salad is a classic Tibetan dish. Sprinkled with Tibetan yerma peppercorns (also known as Sichuan peppercorns) there are some really authentic Tibetan ingredients and flavours in here.

It’s lovely and light and refreshing - a delicious summertime snack.

On your menu, there aren’t many desserts listed, is this typical of Tibetan cuisine?

Tibetan people do not eat desserts, as such, but sweet treats are widely enjoyed during Tibetan New

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Year (Losar), and well beyond this given the quantities that are usually made during this time. Cookies, walnut and honey snacks, and many other sweet treats are prepared by the sackful. These tend to be eaten here and there during the course of the day while preparing other dishes, or are designed to greet visitors calling in over the New Year period.

Your restaurant has a very communal feel, why did you decide to take that approach?

Our roots are in street food, which is a very communal place. When we opened the restaurant we didn’t want to create something that anybody felt intimidated by: we wanted to keep that very direct-to-customer feel, and we wanted to be able to welcome everyone in, rich or poor. In the teahouses of Tibet people dine together at long tables and we wanted to create a similar vibe somewhere that everyone would feel welcome, and where you might strike up conversation with your neighbour and make a new friend along the way.

Taste Tibet recently was a finalist on the BBC Food and Farming Awards’ Street Food category, how did that nomination make you feel?

That was the most amazing feeling in the world. To be shortlisted as one of the top three street food/takeaways in the whole of the UK was actually unreal. The best thing of all was to understand that it was our community had given us this opportunity: the finalists were selected from among public nominations, and this was not a tick-box exercise: people really had

to spend time noting why they considered we deserved this honour, what made us so special, etc.

It was an incredible validation of all the hard work that we have undertaken to make Taste Tibet what it is today, including the efforts that we made to support our frontline NHS workers during the first Covid lockdown, and the free food parcels that we have been offering to the most vulnerable people in our community every week since. We are so proud and humbled by this amazing accolade.

What future plans do you have for the business?

We’d love to open more Taste Tibets, but for the time being we are just focusing on making our restaurant the best that it can be, and keeping our festival stall gong at the same time - we cater at huge festivals such as Glastonbury, and we love this nomadic outdoor life! We are driven to put the name of Tibet out there in bright lights, so we’d love to grow the business, maybe the freezer food arm that we’ve developed over the last year. Our curries and momos love the freezer so we’re excited to get to work on packaging them up a bit more attractively for sale outside of our own four walls.

WHERE TO FIND TASTE TIBET: 109 MAGDALEN ROAD, OXFORD OX4 1RQ

The most important thing is to continue providing nourishing, delicious food as affordably as possible.

If we can do this on a larger scale that would be fantastic - it would be a great showcase for Tibet, and we’re really motivated plant both Tibetan cuisine and its culture on the map a lot more firmly.

We’d love to keep writing about it too: we so enjoyed the process of putting together the cookbook, and we’d love to develop this research in myriad ways. This is a challenging time for the hospitality industry in general, but we try to stay focussed on the good that it does: there’s plenty of good karma in feeding and treating people right.

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Credit: Amanda Knight

What would be your dream for the business going forward?

Foodie Spotlight: Tajín For nearly 40 years, this iconic Mexican seasoning mix has been tantalising the delicious condiment that is a must-have for Mexican households, it's not as wellknown in Europe.

Our Editor Sophie finally tracked down a bottle of this seasoning in London and it did not disappoint.

The simple combination of mild chilli peppers, lime and sea salt combines to make a flavour explosion.

It's the perfect balance of a citrusy, salty, peppery flavour.

Tajín is as flavoursome as it is versatile, it can be used in so many ways across both food and drink.

It's especially good as part of a salad dressing, where it encompasses Samin Nosrat's "salt, fat, acid, heat" elements to successful cooking perfectly.

As you saw earlier in the magazine, it's also amazing in drinks, if Tequila isn't your thing, it'd be wonderful stirred into lemonade.

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Credit: Tajín

tastebuds. But despite being the fresh,

Japanese food may well be extremely popular in the UK, but we've barely scratched the surface of its potential and this paste proves it. Made from

Credit: Clearspring

Foodie Spotlight: Umeboshi Paste salt-pickled plums, it is an iconic seasoning in its homeland of Japan.

The taste is unique in the food world and absolutely delicious. Imagine if you had a salted plum crumble, that's what it tastes like. A sweetsharp hit of fruity plum, followed by a gentle umami aftertaste.

Commonly, this is used with rice and are a common component of onigiri. In this dish, they're used as

This is the perfect condiment to use in any summer

the filling for the iconic rice ball snack.

dishes, as it elevates them to an entirely new taste level.

This also works well in a salad, as it provides a

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fruity freshness which is perfect for the summer. It

My advice? Use sparingly, a teaspoon is often

is also wonderful stirred through cold noodles, this

plenty due to its strong flavour. However beyond

makes a very refreshing summer breakfast. For

that, you can get creative as it works in just about

drinks, it's great shaken through gin.

everything!

Oliveology Right at the main entrance to Borough Market, you're greeted by a stall belonging to a nation famed for their hospitality. Oliveology is a staple for visitors new and old to London's oldest market, providing a Greek welcome in the heart of the English capital.

Whilst the stall is small, it offers a big hug of all the best Greek food, from the colourful myriad of olives, to little kourabiedes (almond sugar biscuits). They also sell Olive Leaf Tea which, with a sales pitch of "Would you like to try a tea from before the time of Christ?" is too good to resist! We couldn't wait to ask them all about the stall and of course, its food!

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What inspired you to set up Oliveology?

When Marianna, our founder, arrived in the UK as a student, she couldn’t find high-quality Greek produce.

So, she founded Oliveology as a means of sharing Greek culinary treasures of the highest quality, flavour, and nutritional value with London and the wider UK. We also saw an opportunity to support organic, sustainable farming practices that respect the land and conserve the naturally balanced ecosystem for their conservationist value as much as for the quality of produce these methods create.

Why did you decide to make it a Greek produce stall?

Marianna is from Greece, the home of some of the best produce in the world. It was a no-brainer!

Why do you think Greek food is so popular in the UK? The UK has a thriving food scene where the best of the world’s cuisines are well-represented to a high standard across the country. Greek food, with its emphasis on fresh, seasonal, world-class produce, as well as the wonderful health benefits it offers, means it has been well-loved in this country. We’re happy to be one of those flying the flag!

What’s the most popular product you sell?

Our best selling products vary from month to month.

It’s usually a close race between our Unsalted Kalamata Olives, Wild Thyme Honey, and Pistachios.

What’s the most unusual product you sell?

This is a tricky one as most of our products are highly traditional in Greece with provenance dating back to ancient times. But one quite distinctive product that we stock is our cold-pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Apples, Walnuts, Cinnamon, Honey & Sage, one

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of our flavoured olive oils. It’s quite a unique combination of flavours to find in an oil, and was very tricky to balance, but the result is absolutely delicious and incredibly versatile.

What would you say is the most underrated product you sell that you feel deserves more popularity?

Our baked goods are outstanding. We buy most of them from a fantastic, small and independent bakery in Chania, Crete and everything they do is brilliant.

Whether it’s their rusks for making things like a Cretan Dakos Salad or their delicious breadsticks, it’s all impeccably made. I think the product I’d like to draw attention to here though is their Carob and Almond Cookies. The chocolatey carob flour and crunchy almonds go together brilliantly, and they’re not too sweet either. But it’s their perfectly crunchy texture that makes them! They’re so good with tea or coffee!

Olives are a big theme in your store, why did you decide to focus on them?

Well, we’re called Oliveology for one thing - you don’t

start a business under that name if you want to sell fish and chips! Olives have been a foundation for Greek cuisine for millennia, prized for their amazing flavour and immense health benefits - olives are high in monounsaturated fat and are a good source of protein, vitamin E, antioxidants and polyphenols.

Ours are completely organic, unpasturised and naturally cured, which is hard to come by in the UK (and outside Greece in general!) Of course, there’s olive oil too, one of the world’s great foodstuffs, and Greece is home to some of the best. Unendingly versatile and delicious, it’s a true superfood, especially when it’s made from single variety Koroneiki olives which are known to contain the highest levels of antioxidants and polyphenols. Ours are single estate and single variety (Koroneiki), and produced on small, independent, family-run farms. If you want to champion Greek food and healthy eating, there’s no better place to start than olives.

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What’s the best food and drink accompaniments to olives?

Olives go fantastically with wine of all varieties, especially Greek wine with the overlapping terroir.

Their salty, savoury flavour also makes olives a great accompaniment to beer. In terms of food pairings, cheese is always a favourite of ours - the intense flavour of olives can be complemented with a nice mellow cheese. Aside from that, things like vegetables, fish and other meze plates go great with olives too.

One of your staff once called olive leaf tea “a tea from before the time of Christ”, why do you think it has lasted that long?

I’d say Olive Leaf Tea has lasted as long as it has for three reasons: the olive tree has been cultivated for millennia and is still a fundamental crop in many cuisines. It’s also completely delicious and very good for you. Olive leaves are exceptionally rich in vitamins A, B, C and E, and can give your body an antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal boost.

If someone could only buy one product in your shop, what should it be and why?

It would have to be our award-winning 18°C Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It’s a single variety, single estate, unfiltered, cold-pressed organic olive oil made on our farm near Sparta in the Peloponnese. It is an exemplary oil in every way - flavour, colour, aroma, texture, and health benefits. It’s smooth and silky in texture; has warm, fruity and peppery aromas; and a delicious, grassy taste. The incredibly low temperature that it’s pressed under doesn’t yield very much oil, so it’s quite limited in quantity and we only get it once a year. But it ensures a very high-quality product, much higher in health-giving antioxidants and polyphenols than higher-temp presses, and especially flavoursome.

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up there in 2009, so our relationships with the market, the other traders, and customers are beautifully well-established. We have many loyal regulars and an unending flow of spontaneous visitors. It’s rare that someone leaves anything other than enamoured with our products, Greek produce in general, and our fabulous staff. Mission accomplished!

If people can’t get to Borough Market, where can they get your products?

We also have an outlet in Bermondsey’s thriving culinary quarter at Spa Terminus along with our online shop, from which we deliver to everywhere in the UK and most places around the world.

What’s the response been from Greeks to your stall?

The Greeks that visit us always have a great time.

Most of our staff speak Greek, so that’s always a pleasure away from home. Our shop also acts as a little slice of home, full of the culinary treasures they know and love, just as Marianna originally envisioned.

We love our Greek customers as much as they love us!

What are your future plans for the business?

We are excited to expand our very popular events programme. This side of the business took a really big knock from the pandemic, so we’ve been happy to ramp it up again. We’ve enjoyed reviving our Wine Tastings and Cooking Workshops, and we’ve got three new dinner experiences lined up over the next six months from Greek culinary masters. The Oliveology Holidays are another thing we’re looking forward to doing again. Aside from that, we are always growing our product range and developing relationships with new retailers who love our products. We’re looking at growing our home-made produce. After the success of our dips, we’re exploring ideas including selling homemade Gigantes!

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What would your dream scenario be for the business in the future?

Just being able to keep doing what we’re doing would be fantastic. We’re grateful to have survived the pandemic so we’re just happy to be championing healthy, seasonal food, sustainable farming and business practices, and the very best of Greek produce. We’d also really like to put together an Oliveology cookbook to share recipes and stories from families and producers from all over Greece.

Watch this space!

If you could describe Greek food in three words, what would they be?

Fresh. Seasonal. Healthy.

FIND OLIVEOLOGY AT: BOROUGH MARKET, LONDON

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Puzzles & Games See how you fare with these fiendish summer brainteasers!

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Pigpen Cipher This cypher is all about an ingredient featured in one of the recipes in this issue, see if you can decrypt the message!

Answer: Did you know that tequila comes from the agave plant?

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Wordsearch Umeboshi Tequila Biryani Momos Lime Salt Chilli Olives Ouzo Allergyfriendly 31 |

Big Quiz See how you fare on our Summer quiz!

From the Platinum Jubilee to classic summer dishes, we've got all sorts of questions, good luck!

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Which of these is an alternative fruit used in a Victoria Sponge? a) cherries b) plums c) raspberries

Which of these is commonly served with the spirit Pimm's? a) lemon curd b) lemonade c) lemon coulis

Which of these is NOT a kind of cake from the British isles? a) Dundee cake b) Welsh cake c) Limerick cake

In which nation did tea growing originate? a) India b) China c) South Africa

What is reported to be the Queen's favourite drink? a) Gin & Dubonnet b) Gin & Tonic c) Babycham & Brandy 33 |

Answers: QUIZ: 1:c, 2:b, 3:c, 4:b, 5:a PICTURES (starting top left): Black Forest Gateau, Bundt cake, Charlotte cake, Pound cake, Victoria Sponge cake, King Cake

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Can you guess the names of these classic cakes?

Picture Round!

Thank you for reading, see you in the Autumn!