News, Comment and Buying Ideas for Fine Food Retailers
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specialityfoodmagazine.com July/Aug 2017 £3.25 SPECIALITY FOOD NEWS, COMMENT AND BUYING IDEAS FOR FINE FOOD RETAILERS OPINION TRENDS SEASONAL IAN WRIGHT, FDF: AMERICAN ANDRÉ BIRKETT, WHAT BREXIT CHEESE SOCIETY: CHATSWORTH: MEANS FOR FOOD WHAT’S HOT PREPARING FOR AND DRINK ACROSS THE POND CHRISTMAS P. 10 P.29 P. 42 2 EDITOR’S LETTER NEWS IN BRIEF KENTISH OILS EXPANDS WITH elcome to NEW BRAND the July/ The company has launched sister 10 Brexit: August issue brand, Kentish Condiments, The Industry Speaks Wof Speciality Food. At following the success of its award- We hear what those in the know this stage of the year like This industry winning Classic Mayonnaise. have to say to take a step back and evaluate “is nothing if not Kentish Condiments is the brand the months passed, its successes, that its condiment products are now its lessons, as well as make plans dynamic, and as presented under, with new Garlic and for the months ahead. As we all Chilli Mayonnaise options released know, this kind of reflection and reporters on that to mark its launch. subsequent planning are key to the market we're Laura Bounds, owner of Kentish running of a successful business, Oils said, “Our company ethos is but it's all too easy to fall into the excited to cover its to create products that use local comfortable groove of what's been ebbs and flows ingredients and support local 12 Trend Watch: Protein done before and choose not to veer ” producers in Kent. Our decision How to embrace the latest health too far from the tried and tested. to rebrand the products has come food du jour At Speciality Food, as much as from our desire to grow our range we try to mirror your schedule of products and expand into the when it comes to season-specific condiments market with distinctive content, we sometimes like to cheese industry in order to boost new products.” shake it up a bit. After all, this your dairy offering, find out industry is nothing if not dynamic, which products to stock for the ROWCLIFFE CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF SUCCESS and as reporters on that market upcoming year (p. 14), or how best we're excited to cover its ebbs to begin your preparations for the The cheese distributor is set to and flows. We will continue to festive period (p. 42). You'll also mark its birthday celebrations with 26 The International report on current and upcoming find a look at the changing world several events organised for both Cheese Show 2017 trends, must-stock products of seafood (p. 44), and the story customers and the Rowcliffe team. Who to meet, what to see and how to for upcoming occasions and, of behind the success of this year's The company still remains a get there course, sector news and views, Farm Shop & Deli Retailer of the family-ran operation with Anthony's but I would like to hear what you Year, Keelham (p.40). son, Tim Rowcliffe, at the helm. want from this magazine. More big Also with this issue comes this Tim Rowcliffe, chairman of name interviews? More business year's edition of Snack Buyer, your Rowcliffe said, “As a 15-year-old boy advice? I'm excited to make this indispensible guide for stocking I can still remember my father had a publication as invaluable to you and selling snacks. From trend vision for Rowcliffe. With just a car as possible, so do always feel free reports to the producers and with a large boot and sheer dogged to get in touch with comments products to know, we've got determination, he drove to France and requests. it covered. to seek the top-quality food and 32 The Interview As for this issue, within it you'll Enjoy this issue, and I look cheeses from farmhouse producers find a whole host of features forward to hearing from you. which were yet to be available in the We speak to legend of the British UK. The essence of Rowcliffe hasn't cheese industry, Ann-Marie Dyas which will benefit your business, whether you're looking to gen Holly changed and we still uphold his ethos up on the latest going on in the [email protected] of buying the best products and selling at specialist places.” 42 Preparing for Christmas Get set for the busiest trading period In this issue of the year @specialityfood 3 It's been a tough year – we're not ollowing the unexpected struggling as we've been able to put the general election result, prices up in a small way and we have the plans set out in the Preparing for Brexit enough products that we can spread FQueen's Speech and withdrawal out the damage. negotiations formally commencing, I don't know what is going to this year has proven to be just as happen when the deal is sealed, but SIAN HOLT, unpredictable as 2016. The only economy. We are actively MANAGING when we officially leave the EU. I can't really see things getting any consistent theme is that Brexit building a plan to create new DIRECTOR OF However, I think for any business better. However, being diplomatic, remains an underlying factor jobs in Spain as opposed to here FUDGE KITCHEN: there will be some good and bad it's what the voter wanted, so we're influencing the retail world. in the UK. Since the vote to leave the Being in the things that come out of it, and going to have to deal with it. In Ludlow We catch up with food business EU, the most noticeable change has confectionery business I definitely feel that export is we've got customers from across the owners to learn about their Brexit been the loss of value of the pound. there are a number of raw something that we all need to look at, demographic spectrum, and from our experiences, whether they have had The cost of our goods, which are ingredients that we purchase that and spurred on by our experiences point of view, customers seemed to to diversify their operations, and if all imported from Spain, has are not produced in the UK, so they with packaging, we should look at be generally opposed to Brexit, as it's they have any contingency plans in increased materially as a result, have to be bought from abroad. The trying to get product from the UK actually quite a liberal town. However, place to weather the uncertainty of which forced us to increase our exchange rate fluctuations had an wherever possible. Obviously if there were certain connotations that Britain leaving the EU: prices some time ago. immediate and rather unpleasant you're talking about vanilla, that's a went with Brexit, and not just from a There is a great level of volatility effect on the cost of raw materials, little bit on the tricky side! commercial point of view. We were MONIKA LINTON, in the currency markets affecting and we had to become a lot better at shocked by certain opinions suddenly FOUNDER OF GBP and predicting where things considering exchange rates. HENRY MACKLEY, becoming legitimised. Most noticeably BRINDISA: are going to be in the future is an We used to purchase a lot of our CO-OWNER OF there were a few incidents, one which Brindisa was founded impossible task. This is forcing us to packaging overseas, and we saw a 20 HARP LANE DELI: involved an Eastern European girl in 1988 with the help of tread carefully and postpone major per cent increase in the cost of that From the outset when employed by the cheese shop next door £1,000 from the pro-EU and pro- non-essential investments to make overnight. The benefit to that is as we opened our deli three who was asked questions like: “when entrepreneur Enterprise Allowance sure we have room for manoeuvre a lot of UK suppliers realised that years ago, we wanted to run one just are you going to go back home?” It felt scheme. In the years that have should things get worse. it's an opportunity for them to get like the outlets that we love to shop like suddenly there seemed to be a bit followed, we’ve fought hard to grow It is still very unclear what sort back in the game. Where we might in, so we sourced items from all over of a turn and became legitimate for and our expertise is truly European of post-Brexit deal will be reached have 60 per cent of our printing done Europe and the world. So, Brexit hit people to spout these opinions, which I and multilingual. Therefore, I between the UK and the EU, so overseas, that number has dropped us hard. We noticed that within a find abhorrent. remain distraught over Brexit and preparing for the future in the face of dramatically in the last year and we couple of weeks of the referendum We don't know what's going hope for an outcome where we stay this uncertainty is not easy. are now printing far more in the UK. result some of our European to happen, but unless the pound in the single market. As a contingency plan for We're quite early on in our export wholesalers were getting nervous absolutely sinks then I'd like to Brexit threatens our food diversity whatever comes, we are looking journey, but over the last year it has about the weakening pound, and think we wouldn't have to take any and quality.