Monday 21 November 2022
That's Christmas: Welcome return for Co-op charity Christmas sandwiches
That's Christmas: Welcome return for Co-op charity Christmas sandwiches: The Co-op’s special charity Christmas sandwiches are now back in stores with sales helping to tackle inequality in communities all over the ...
Just in time for Christmas baking! Matthews Cotswold Flour Launches New Range of Bread Mixes
Because Matthews Cotswold Flour, which is proud to be able to reveal that it is Britain's leading speciality flour producer, is launching a new range of Bread Mixes, ideal for those home bakers who want to enjoy all the benefits of freshly baked bread in half the usual time.
Ancient Cotswold Crunch Bread Mix, Heritage Bibury Barley Bread Mix, Cotswold Malted Rye Bread Mix, Sicilian Italian Pizza Mix, Cotswold Rye & Spelt Bread Mix and Traditional Stoneground Artisan White Bread Mix will be available from early November from www.cotswoldflour.com and select retail outlets (RRP £9.48 for 6 x 500g bags).
Bertie Matthews, the dynamic and youthful MD of the two hundred year old family business, Matthews Cotswold Flour, told us: “During lockdown, thousands of Brits became home bakers for the first time ever.
"Many enjoyed the process of creating their own loaves, from the relaxation of kneading to the fabulous aromas pervading the house, to the delicious and nutritious bakes and the satisfaction of enjoying the end product created by their own hands.
"But with lockdown now a distant memory, most of us are spending less time at home and not everyone has enough hours in the day to bake their own bread from scratch. Our customers told us that whilst they were looking for a shortcut in the process, they didn't want to compromising the end result, and this is the reason why we developed our new range of bread mixes.”
Each of the six new bread mixes comes with full and detailed instructions and contains carefully selected flours, including durum from Italy and ancient and malted grains from the UK, each combined with yeast. All the home baker need do is mix in water and olive oil and leave it to rise, before creating your desired loaf or pizza base. The bread mixes are also perfect for using in bread machines.
Ancient Cotswold Crunch Bread Mix
A pioneering blend of wholegrain ancient Emmer, Einkorn, Cotswold Spelt & Torrefied Spelt Flakes.
Cotswold Malted Rye Bread Mix
A delicious blend of wholesome Malted Rye with Malted Rye Flakes for a unique flavour.
Heritage Bibury Barley Bread Mix
A mouth-watering blend of Cotswold Heritage High Fibre Barley and locally grown High Protein Wheat.
Sicilian Italian Pizza Mix
A speciality blend of heritage Italian Durum wheats from the hills of Sicily. Perfect for pizza doughs with a unique taste from this rare grain.
Traditional Stoneground Artisan White Bread Mix
A crowd-pleaser, this loaf! A traditional stoneground artisan strong white flour bread mix.
Cotswold Rye and Spelt Bread Mix
A nutritional blend of wholegrain Cotswold Rye and Cotswold Light Spelt Flour which produces a light wholegrain flour bread mix.
Matthews Cotswold Flour is committed to supporting sustainable food sources, developing an unparalleled range of top quality, award-winning, products and inspiring, educating and partnering with the nation's artisan and home bakers.
The new bread mixes will be available directly from Matthews Cotswold Flour's new website www.cotswoldflour.com as well as other speciality and high street retail outlets. For more information visit www.cotswoldflour.com or follow @CotswoldFlour on Instagram or Facebook.
Get 15% Off the famed MEATER Wireless Meat Thermometer this Black Friday
Or why not buy a MEATER for that perfect "must have" gift for the cook or chef in your life, or the person who just has got to have the latest in high tech kitchen gadgets?
MEATER is a no wires, no fuss wireless meat thermometer with a smart guid cook system. Whether you want to ensure your Christmas turkey is tender and juicy, or your are cooking a heart-warming roast for your family and friends, shaking up your meaty recipe repertoire, or firing up the BBQ, MEATER delivers the very best results each and every time it is used.
It’s so simple and easy to use. Just link your MEATER thermometer to any smartphone or tablet, then using the special patented technology, MEATER will provide the cook with estimated cooking times, monitors meat whilst it’s cooking and will send alerts to mobile devices or tablets when your meat is cooked to perfection and ready for you and your guests to enjoy.
MEATER provides the confidence to cook different types of meats and also fish, plus it meats enables you to step away from the oven or BBQ for a while so you can prep your vegies, deal with a dessert, socialise or just take a moment to relax. This simple to use, must-have culinary gadget is truly cooking 2.0!
As we have pointed out, MEATER also makes an excellent gift for hard-to-buy-for foodies, plus tech lovers, busy parents and many more, and with this 15% Black Friday deal, you can save some of your hard earned cash and give the gift of cooking 2.0 for less than you might have thought possible.
Tech lovers will enjoy the feature rich app, busy parents can enjoy the freedom to get on with other tasks, budding chefs have access to a massive, subscription-free, library of fantastic recipes and foodies can get adventurous with their meat selections and their cooking styles, too.
MEATER options:
The Original MEATER, RRP £99.00. The first truly wireless smart meat thermometer. This meat probe, with dual temperature sensor, connects with Bluetooth mobile devices within 10 metres.
MEATER Plus, RRP £119.00. All of the bells and whistles of the Original MEATER but it comes with a very useful extended 50-metre wireless range. Thanks to a built-in Bluetooth repeater you can monitor your cooking from a smartphone or tablet and receive cooking alerts while enjoying more freedom away from your BBQ, smoker or kitchen.
MEATER Block, RRP £299.00. Perfect for the cook and BBQ enthusiast, the MEATER Block stores and charges four MEATER Plus probes ready to cook and monitor four delicious meats or fish simultaneously. In addition to access to the MEATER app via Wi-Fi (and Bluetooth to Wi-Fi range extension), these probes also boast Standalone Mode, so if you don’t have Wi-Fi, no problem! A touch control screen allows you to cook easily, with built-in speakers providing audible notifications. MEATER Block also includes dedicated numbered probe clips.
MEATER has celebrated over eleven million cooks from its users with numbers continuing to grow every day. Check out @MEATERmade, the possibilities are endless.
MEATER was developed to help meat lovers with different cooking skills achieve consistent results when frying or grilling. This fantastic gadget is a must-have for all cooking methods and preparation methods.
Follow MEATER on Instagram @meatermade, like them on Facebook at @MEATER, or learn more at http://www.meater.com.
Sunday 20 November 2022
They're round and they're gorgeous! Anadas Vegan Waggon Wheel Cakes!
You will probably remember when you were a child, munching your way through those wagon wheel biscuits?
Now the very clever and conscientious folks over at Anada Foods in Derbyshire have re-invented the wheel and they are handmaking the most exquisitely gorgeous Round Ups which are vegan friendly!
The Round Up, a plant-based delicious chocolate biscuit sandwiched with marshmallow, a delightfully gooey centre, all rolled and covered in Belgian chocolate.
And they only use a very special type of jam, Mrs Darlington's Jam!
There are Festive Gift boxes, Gift boxes, Let's Celebrate varieties, Black Current Jam, Salted Caramel, Classic Strawberry, King Mint, Orange, etc.
They also produce a range of vegan marshmallows, too.
To learn more or to place orders please visit https://www.anandafoods.co.uk.
We feel they'll make excellent Christmas gifts for the vegans in your life.
Driftwood Spars Brewery. Gluten free beers are available
Although they are a small batch brewery they produce a wide and eclectic range of different beer and ale styles. There are IPAs, Red Ales, Porters, Session Ales, Golden Ales, Pale Ales, Milk Stouts, Cornish Saison, Milds, Blond Beers, Strong Bitters, Pudding Ales, etc.
And they do produce some vegetarian and gluten free beers. Just ask for their advice.
https://www.driftwoodsparsbrewery.com.
And they also have their own pub, The Driftwood Spars in Trevaunance Cove, St Agnes. It is described as: "A rambling, cosy and historic freehouse, it was built in the 1650s using huge beams (or spars) salvaged from local shipwrecks."
Gluten Free Black Puddings From Bury Black Puddings
They are properly made traditionally styled black puddings and very tasty indeed.
They are a renowned source of iron, are under 3% fat content and they are gluten free because the recipe that they are made to calls for the inclusion of rice and potato.
And you can purchase them directly from their own website at www.buryblackpuddings.co.uk, although you should be able to purchase them at your nearest Morrisons supermarket www.morrisons.com to locate your nearest branch.
However, The Bury Black Pudding Company are also mindful of vegetarians and vegans so they are producing some equally tasty but entirely meat free vegan black puddings that are Vegetarian Society Approved.
They are produced to a special recipe consisting of black beans, cereals and carefully selected herbs and spices.
These are also available from their own website and also stocked by Asda, www.asda.com.
That's Christmas: Enjoy a King's Cross Christmas this year
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That's Christmas: Healeys Christmas Markets in Cornwall are back
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That's Christmas: Plymouth Christmas Market
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That's Christmas: Cirencester 2022 Christmas Markets
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That's Christmas: Blenheim Palace Christmas Market 2022
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Saturday 19 November 2022
That's Christmas: Ware Christmas Farmers and Craft Market
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UK food industry unites to ensure all soy is deforestation and conversion free in landmark agreement
The move comes on the first anniversary of the UK Soy Manifesto and will help protect some of the world’s most valuable forests and natural habitats.
UK Soy Manifesto signatories include 38 brands, retailers, food service companies and livestock producers operating in the UK such as Tesco, Waitrose, Nando’s, KFC UK and Ireland, Lidl and McDonald’s UK and Ireland.
38 leading UK food producers, representing almost 60% of the UK’s soy consumption, and the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), representing the four major soy importers and the animal feed industry, have today set out a series of comprehensive actions to deliver on the aims of the UK Soy Manifesto. An ambitious commitment which aims to move all UK soy imports to being free from deforestation and conversion.
Acknowledging that mainstream transformation on this scale can't be achieved by companies working within their individual supply chains alone, all businesses along the supply chain, from soy producers to retailers and brands, will take responsibility and act together. This announcement demonstrates the group’s commitment to collective, cross supply chain action with agreement to:
Produce a quarterly soy deforestation risk register for UK soy imports, tracking the UK’s progress in the importation of deforestation and conversion free soy.
Agreeing a joint transition plan, coordinated by a high-level cross supply chain governance group, with support of expert stakeholders to monitor and review the transition, ensuring the risk and responsibilities are shared.
A key element of the transition plan will be to ensure UK companies producing and selling meat and dairy products (using soy in animal feed) have a practical mechanism to specify that they require deforestation and conversion free soy, with robust checks and controls to assure standards are met. That’s why this announcement critically includes:
a commitment from AIC to develop a new verified deforestation and conversion free (vDCF) standard for the UK which will be independently verified
Together, these actions will ensure Signatory companies can turn their ambitions into practical actions, supporting a mass market move to deforestation and conversion free soy use in the UK that would have been difficult to achieve even just a year ago.
This package of measures provides the building blocks for this transition, recognising the need to accelerate the pace of action to protect forests, balanced with the need to support the livelihoods of farmers in the UK and abroad and maintain strong resilient supplies of this critical raw material in challenging market conditions.
James McCulloch, Head of feed sector AIC said: "The AIC Soy Supply Group commitment to providing quarterly data for a UK risk register is significant as the group is the sole source of data on what is shipped and sold to the UK as vDCF.
"The data helps all parties involved understand the progress that has been made and focusses attention and resource on areas where there is still work to be done. Whilst market challenges are real, our industry remains committed to delivering DCF soy and sustainable supply chains."
"Around the world nature is in freefall, and unsustainable agriculture is driving its catastrophic decline. To protect precious natural habitats like the Cerrado in Brazil, we must urgently ensure soy imported to the UK is not driving the destruction of nature overseas."
Given that almost a quarter (23%) of global human-caused greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, forestry, and other land uses, and most of these emissions are due to deforestation this announcement is well timed as countries come together to meet in Sharm-El-Sheikh for COP27.
Many countries and companies made bold commitments last year at COP26, hosted by the UK in Glasgow. Together governments of producer and consumer countries committed to promote sustainable development and trade while protecting forests and other critical natural habitats, through the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use and the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade Dialogue (FACT) Joint Statement and Roadmap For Action. The development of the UK Soy Manifesto, alongside today’s announcement are key, practical steps that will helps to deliver on these ambitions, consistent with a 1.5-degree pathway.
As well as the commitments announced today, Signatory members are also calling for global markets to provide financial incentives and technical support to boost sustainable production. UK supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, for example, have invested US$ 11 million in the Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF), a new system of financial incentives for farmers in Brazil who commit to deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF) soy cultivation. Governments in producer and consumer countries and regions also have an important role to play. Ensuring environmental legislation that protects ecosystems are enforced at source, and that downstream companies are obligated to undertake due diligence on their use of forest risk commodities will be key.
David Edwards, Director of Food Strategy at WWF said: "Today’s announcement – the product of collective action across the supply chain, including retailers, traders and suppliers – has the potential to drive the long overdue actions the soy sector so urgently requires. But, to ensure it delivers for nature and climate, we urgently need to see an explicit roadmap for implementation to meet the 2025 ambition - including measurable milestones to track progress, and a clear focus on bringing the rest of the sector on board."
Ashwin Prasad, Chief Product Officer at Tesco said: "We’re absolutely committed to ensuring we meet our target of sourcing soy from whole areas verified as deforestation-free by 2025, and the launch of the UK Soy Manifesto last year marked a significant milestone on that journey. We’ve made good progress this year with the introduction of the Responsible Commodities Facility, which provides direct support to soy farmers in Brazil, but we can’t solve the issue alone."
"It’s vital we bring together retailers, brands, food service companies, livestock producers and soy traders themselves to set out a clear pathway to achieving our goal of guaranteeing all soy imported into the UK is deforestation free by 2025."
The UK Soy Manifesto aligns with and builds upon similar initiatives in other markets such as the French Soy Manifesto, to show increasing demand and action plans from industry on removing all deforestation and ecosystem destruction from soy supply chains.
Following this announcement, the national soy profile is expected to become publicly available in April 2023. Details of the joint transition plan will be made available on the UK Soy Manifesto website.
The UK Soy Manifesto is facilitated by Efeca, the convenor of the UK Roundtable on Sourcing Sustainable Soya and collectively led by all its industry signatories. Other civil society organisations (including WWF and Global Canopy), consultancies and research/academia partners provide support to the Manifesto.
To learn more about the UK Soy Manifesto, visit www.uksoymanifesto.uk.
The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) is the agrisupply industry’s leading trade association. AIC has over 230 Members in the agrisupply trade and aims to promote the benefits of modern commercial agriculture in the UK and support collaboration throughout the food chain. AIC members represent 90% of the animal feed sector and grain and oilseed sectors. AIC has established the Soy Supply Group to take this work forward, comprising of representatives from the four main soy imports to the UK: ADM, Cargill, Cefetra and Viterra.
The current full list of signatories to the UK Manifesto includes:
2 Sisters Food Group
ABP UK
Aldi GB
Avara Foods
Bakkavor
Compleat Food Group
Co-op
Cranswick Plc
Danish Crown
Danone UK and Ireland
Dew Valley
Dunbia
Foyle Food Group
Greencore Group Plc
Greggs
Gressingham Foods
Hilton Food Group Plc
Iceland Foods Ltd
Kepak Group
KFC UK & Ireland
Labeyrie Fine Foods (Lyons Seafood and Farne of Scotland)
Lidl GB
Marks and Spencer
McDonald's UK & Ireland
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Ltd
Moy Park
Müller UK and Ireland
Nando’s UK & Ireland
Princes
Ocado
Oscar Mayer
Pilgrim’s UK
Sainsburys
Samworth Brothers
Seafresh Group
Tesco Plc
Waitrose & Partners
Yorkshire Farmhouse Eggs
The Manifesto is supported by other leading sector and trade associations representing the broader livestock industry including:
British and Irish Associations of Zoos & Aquariums (BIAZA)
British Meat Processors Association (BMPA)
British Egg Industry Council (BEIC)
British Retail Consortium (BRC)
Chilled Food Association (CFA)
Dairy UK
National Pig Association
National Farmers Union
Red Tractor
Sustainable Restaurant Association
To learn more about existing UK industry action on sustainable soy visit:
UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya
Retail Soy Group
Consumer Goods Forum Forest Positive Coalition
Friday 18 November 2022
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Farming with the Environment - Thirty Years of Allerton Project Research
For over three decades the Allerton Project, established by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), has been at the cutting edge of research into sustainable farming methods, biodiversity and habitat creation, and rural landscape management.
Combining a modern, productive farm with a full-time research team, the Allerton Project has advised farmers and influenced policy decisions since its inception.
Farming with the Environment presents and discusses 30 years of research into the challenges of integrating profitable farming with often competing environmental and societal objectives. The book is especially relevant to the implementation of the government’s Environmental Land Management scheme.
“The book draws together peer-reviewed research and some as yet unpublished work to tell a coherent story about the effects of different farming methods on wildlife and the environment that is very relevant to the development of current policy,” said Chris Stoate.
Topics included in the book are soil health and management, farmland ecology, development of management practices to enhance biodiversity, natural flood management, water quality and aquatic ecology.
The book is designed to provide accessible guidance and recommendations to farmers, conservationists and policymakers alike.
It reveals complex topical debates about land and wildlife management, examining the historical context and pointing the way for future direction of travel.
“I hope I have demonstrated how the findings of the Allerton Project’s research relate to agricultural and conservation policy more broadly as well as how they are applicable to similar projects throughout Europe,” said Chris.
“The book is also a celebration of the collaboration between the Allerton Project’s small research team and the many PhD students, research organisations, universities and NGOs we have had the privilege of working with over thirty years.”
Farming with the Environment – Thirty Years of Allerton Project Research, is published by Routledge and available from the GWCT Shop www.gwctshop.org.uk for £29.99.
This will make an ideal Christmas gift for those involved in farming and agriculture.
Flower Farm Spread. Tastes great, saves the planet.
The health benefits from eating spreads made with palm oil are real. But at what cost? Because palm oil deforestation is a very real concern and the loss of habitat is a dreadful scandal as it is further endangering already at risk animals such as the orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino.
But this is where Flower Farm Spread comes into its own. It doesn't use any palm oil, it is made with rapeseed oil, shea butter, some water, some lemon juice, some sea salt (not much!) some carrot juice, pectins some vitamin and and d and some natural flavouring.
The interesting fact about Shea butter is that it is a fully sustainable crop grown in Africa which does not require any deforestation or intensive farming.
Who is the person behind The Flower Farm? Meet Marcel van Wing, who, after witnessing first-hand the destruction of the tropical rainforest, realised that something had to be done to address this issue.
Marcel said: “The Flower Farm grew out of my personal love for the rainforest. I lived in Indonesia for four years and saw with my own eyes the devasting damage to the rainforest for the construction of palm oil plantations. And yet still, this continues.
"The Flower Farm is a member of the Global Shea Alliance, a non-profit organisation dedicated to shea sustainability. It also supports Orangutan Rescue, a non-profit which focuses on relocating endangered orangutans to a safe area of rainforest."
To learn more about The Flower Farm visit them at https://theflowerfarm.world.
Not only is it a great tasting spread it's also absolutely excellent in baking and cooking and my wife has declared it "absolutely brilliant for making light, delicious pastry and wonderful cakes! I give it my thumbs up!"
It comes in regular and light versions.
And here is a recipe created by my wife which you can try with Flower Farm Spread or "Eat Plants Free of Palm" as it says on every tub.
It requires 175g of Flower Farms Spread
175g of dark brown sugar
225g of Plain flour
3 eggs
1tsp baking powder
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp ginger
550g of luxury dried mixed fruit
400g of cherries
100g chopped almonds
zest of an orange
zest of a lemon
150ml of Vodka
Pre-heat your oven to 160C 325F or Gas Mark 3.
Cream together the margarine and the sugar. Beat the eggs and add the egg mixture a little at a time, mixing well.
In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients together, then carefully fold this into the cake mix and stir well.
Add the dried fruit and 200g of the cherries to the mixture and make sure they are thoroughly mixed in. For a better result you could mix 100g of the cherries and the dried fruit and marinate them in the Vodka overnight. If you can't do this, just pour the Vodka into the mix once the dried fruits have been added and mix well.
Place the cake mix into a greased and papered cake tin (the Aldi one shown in the pictures is ideal) and put the remaining 200g of cherries on the top of the cake and put it in the oven for approximately two hours.
After two hours test the cake with a skewer. When it comes out clean, the baking is complete.
If it starts to look a little too brown, cover it with some aluminium baking foil.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for at least an hour before you remove it from the cake tin.
At this stage you can add more Vodka to the top of the cake. You can also prick the cake in several places to ensure that the cake is well fed with the additional Vodka.
For a bit off added decadence serve the cake with shots of chilled Vodka straight from the freezer!
At present it's available throughout Holland and also in Booth's stores in the UK https://www.booths.co.uk.
If you would like to stock Flower Farm Spread please contact them at
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England's Northernmost Distillery Launches Its Inaugural Whisky Blend
Opening in February 2023, Ad Gefrin will comprise a £14m world-class visitor experience revealing the fascinating history of Northumberland's Anglo-Saxon 'Golden Age'. The immersive museum will showcase the court of the 7th Century Northumbrian kings and queens that drew people from all over the world to visit their summer palace nearby. One of the most exciting facets of Ad Gefrin is the complete integration of museum experience and whisky distillery - the county's first (legal) distillery in 200 years.
Tácnbora, which means 'Standard Bearer' in Old English, is a fitting name for the spirit that comes before all the others. The Venerable Bede records that King Edwin was always preceded by a standard bearer carrying a standard with a goat's head effigy, and that goat symbol is now central to Ad Gefrin's brand marque. The whisky blend will pave the way for the distillery's Ad Gefrin Single Malt in years to come
The Tácnbora whisky blend features Scottish and Irish whiskies, reflecting two of the peoples that would have made up the Anglo-Saxons of Northumbria (Scottish, Irish, English and Scandinavian). Future editions will reflect different pairings.
As for all four nationalities, Ad Gefrin are saving the option of bringing all four together for its exclusive blend for their Corenkyn (meaning 'Chosen Family' in Old English) founding members. Tácnbora has a strong Northumbrian provenance; the intertwining of the past and present, cultures and landscape, to bring people together to share.
Tácnbora is made with a mix of malt and grain whiskies and aged in virgin American oak and Oloroso sherry casks, creating a distinctive and palatable spirit. On the nose, it has notes of honey, vanilla, candied citrus peel and spices, backed up on the palate with the flavours of sultanas, cream soda and nutmeg. The finish lingers and coats the mouth with the tastes of honey, vanilla and sweet citrus.
The Distillery team brings youth, passion and energy together under the leadership of rising star Ben Murphy, Director of Distilling. Ben has enjoyed successful stints as Head Distiller at Berentsens Brygghus, Egersund, Norway; and at Poetic License Distillery in Sunderland.
Ben is passionate about traditional methodologies but not afraid to be innovative, either. Joining him is Craig Stock, a Canadian with diverse experience latterly at Durham Distillery; and recent postgraduate from Heriot Watt University's Institute of Brewing and Distilling, Germano Molinari of Sambucca heritage.
Whilst this is an exciting young team, Ad Gefrin enjoys an enviable level of knowledge and wisdom being invested in its whisky with non-executive whisky royalty on board through Alan Rutherford, former President of the Malt Distillers Association of Scotland, and Council Member of the Scotch Whisky Association and recipient of an OBE for his 'services to whisky'.
Tácnbora is now available to purchase online for £42.50/70cl.
Incidentally as a totally new whisky blend Tácnbora will make an ideal Christmas gift for the whisky aficionados in your life.
Start-Up Free-from Brand Crave Win - Channel 4 TV Show and Aldi Listing
The Store Cupboard episode of the Channel 4 TV Show Aldi's Next Big Thing aired last night (17th November) and follows British food and drink start-ups who are looking to become the next big thing.
Rob Brice and his free-from brand Crave successfully made it through the initial assessment rounds of the competition before making it to the final in the store cupboard category. “We almost didn't enter, as we thought they'd be looking for artisan foods, and we didn't think a vegan and free-from brand was what they were after but what the hell. They can only say no right? So, we entered online and thought nothing of it”, says Crave founder Rob Brice.
Having launched Crave in 2020, Rob set out to develop tasty foods which are allergen free so nobody need miss out. Having began with two very successful free-from chocolate bars, Rob then went on to launch the snacks, Pickled Onion Monster Feet and Smokey Flavoured Streakers. “My inspiration for Crave was seeing that so many free-from foods were either bland and boring or firmly focussed on health, so I wanted to shake things up a bit, bring bold flavour and add a bit of fun.”
Having passed the initial assessment rounds, Crave was invited to Aldi HQ to present products to Julie Ashfield, who is the Managing Director of Buying at Aldi.
“All I had to do was present some of our snacks, I think our pitch went down well and we tried to get across who we are and how we like to do things a bit differently. We always say "we stand out, so you fit in", so that's what we tried to do!
“The whole filming experience was surreal and unreal! As a start-up brand we were pinching ourselves to even have this opportunity and potential exposure on TV. It's a money can't buy sort of thing for us, and we were super happy to have got that far!”
After a successful presentation to the Aldi team, Crave was then selected as one of two brands in the store cupboard category to be announced as finalists. The next stage of the process required them to come up with a brand-new product complete with a packaging design within two weeks.
Crave's new product development resulted in a maize snack with a Flamin' Hot flavour; Wots'inits are of course gluten free, lactose free and vegan, developed as an 80g share bag as well as a smaller multi pack option.
“We travelled back for the final and presented our new product to the team, lots of work had gone into it, the packaging and product itself. To then hear Julie call our name out as the winner of our category. Well, I was gobsmacked. I turned to my fiancé, open mouthed and both of us immediately burst into tears.”
The winning products from Aldi's Next Big Thing will appear as Specialbuys in stores nationwide.
“The listing in Aldi for us is huge, our biggest order to date and we hope the start of a beautiful relationship! The Aldi team have been great to deal with and we like to think they get Crave, what we're about and what we're trying to do.
“It goes to show vegan and free-from can be in the mainstream. Julie and the team loved that Crave is all about delivering those normal food products that people may be missing out on, they loved our cheeky tone of voice and what we do.”
Winners of the other categories include:
Dinners episode: Mud Foods Chip Shop Chicken Curry Pie
Bakery episode: Harrison & Griffiths Rum Cake
Healthy & Wholesome episode: Freddie's Farm Fruit Shapes
Fresh & Deli episode: The Greek Farmer Charcuterie
Crave's Pickled Onion Monster Feet will be on shelves from today, along with the brand's Smokey Flavoured Streakers. But shoppers need to get in quick to get a chance to try, as with all Specialbuys, once they're gone, they're gone!
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Thursday 17 November 2022
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"Beep, beep, here's your shop!" Co-op introduces food delivery robots in Cambridge
Following a popular pilot in nearby Cambourne earlier in the year, with 98% of people revealing they'd saying recommend the delivery robots to friends, the decision was made by the Highways and Transport Committee to welcome the robots to the streets of the city of Cambridge, with the grocery delivery service available to 12,200 residents within the Cherry Hinton and Queen Edith areas of Cambridge.
Orders are made via the Starship food delivery app, available for download on both iOS and Android Stores, with groceries picked fresh in local Co-op stores on Perne Road and Cherry Hinton Road and delivered quickly and conveniently within the community.
Residents can order their delivery to arrive within under an hour and watch the robot travel in real-time via a special interactive map. Once the robot arrives, residents receive an alert and can meet and unlock it via the app.
Councillor Alex Beckett, who is the chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways and Transport Committee, said: “We're excited to see how the robot delivery service integrates into the day-to-day lives of the residents of Cambridge.
"The advancement of technology has been a backbone of Cambridge for many years now and this is just another step towards a cleaner more sustainable future. As well as a reduction in short car journeys, the robots will provide assistance to working families and the elderly who struggle to leave their houses to go shopping.
"The pilot gives us a chance to showcase how history and technology can combine throughout the city streets as we become the leading light in the future of personal, eco-robotic delivery services.”
Chris Conway, eCommerce Director at the Co-op, said: “Co-op is committed to exploring new and innovative ways to increase access to its products and services. Our members and customers lead busy lives and so ease, speed and convenience is a cornerstone of our approach.
"Co-op stores are well placed in local communities to provide quick and easy home deliveries , whether its for a full shop or for last-minute top-ups. We're pleased the trial has expanded into Cambridge and has been seen to contribute to the reduction in unnecessary car journeys while providing flexible options online for shoppers within our communities.”
Andrew Curtis, who is the UK Operations Manager at Starship Technologies, added: “We're delighted to be expanding our on-demand, quick, sustainable grocery delivery service to an additional 12,200 residents in Cambridge.
"Our friendly robots have been very well received, and as a result are actively reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions in the areas they operate in. We're really looking forward to working closely with Cambridgeshire County Council and the Co-op, and hope to further expand our service over the coming years.”
The robots are battery powered, lightweight and travel at the speed of a pedestrian (no faster than 4mph). They use a combination of sensors, AI and machine learning to travel on pavements and navigate around any obstacles, while computer vision-based navigation helps them map their environment to the nearest inch.
An average delivery for a Starship robot consumes as little energy as boiling a kettle to make just one cup of tea, thereby delivering tangible environmental benefits compared to driving to a store.
Starship, which was created by the co-founders of communications system Skype in 2014, currently operates a fully commercial service in five countries around the world and partners with Co-op in several towns and cities in the UK including: Milton Keynes, where Co-op was the first supermarket to use autonomous robot deliveries; Bedford and Northampton.
(Image courtesy of OpenClipart-Vectors and Pixabay)
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Can't always find the reduced items in store? Tesco is here to help!
A new YouGov survey commissioned for Tesco shows 69% of shoppers now seek out marked down items in store and the thrifty trick is gaining appeal with 33% of customers seeking these reductions more often.
Tesco’s clever new hack will help customers save on their weekly shop no matter when they pop into store with a facelift for its ‘Reduced to Clear’ areas which will roll out to 100 stores by Christmas, and more stores throughout 2023.
The new signage will let customers know the items are “Reduced in price – just as nice” and Tesco hopes it will tempt the 29% of people who said they would shop reduced items more often if the section was made more visually appealing.
Reduced to clear sections feature a wide range of products from fresh produce like salads, meats, bread and sweet treats which are nearing their expiry date. Which makes them ideal for tonight’s supper or for popping into your freezer for another day to end of season as well as discontinued grocery, plus some non food products.
Tesco Chief Customer Officer Alessandra Bellini said: “We want our customers to spend less at Tesco, and our ‘Reduced in Price’ sections in stores now offers the reassurance these products are just as nice and are another reminder that there's great value to be found on every aisle at Tesco.
"We’ve locked the price of in excess of 1,000 everyday staples until 2023 through our Low Everyday Prices, and we will continue to price match on 100s of Aldi products.
“We’re also helping millions of customers spend less with their Tesco Clubcard, with Clubcard Prices giving up to 50% off thousands of products and helping customers collect points for money off their shopping.”
Tesco’s survey also revealed:
Meat products prove most popular in the reduced-to-clear section followed by ready meals, vegetables, then desserts.
Of those who tend to keep an eye out for yellow label reductions, 71% said it’s a cheaper option when they want to eat the food straight away. Also, 51% revealed it to be a clever great value way to stock up their freezer.
Yellow sticker reductions are most popular in the east of England with 75% of customers looking out for them whilst shopping. This is closely followed by Wales (74%), and the South of England (72%).
The move also work well with Tesco’s plans to halve food waste in its own operations by 2025. Tesco has already achieved a 45% reduction in food waste across its own operations since 2016/17 and just 0.35% of food it handled last year ended up as waste.
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Wednesday 16 November 2022
Aldi supports Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme
Colleagues at Aldi’s over 970 stores have undergone special training around hidden disabilities and the Sunflower symbol, so they can offer additional assistance to customers who may require it.
Shoppers with hidden disabilities, this can include autism, chronic pain, mental health conditions and mobility or speech impairments, can also use the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower store finder to locate their nearest Aldi store.
Aldi colleagues across all other areas of the business have also completed the training, and have the option to wear a Sunflower badge to signal to others that they too may need extra support.
Richard Shuttleworth, Aldi's Diversity and Inclusion Director, said: “We're committed to ensuring Aldi is as accessible and inclusive as possible, both for shoppers and workers, which is why we're delighted to be able to further assist our customers and colleagues through our support of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.”
Paul White, who is CEO, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower said: “We're very pleased Aldi has joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network. Grocery shopping is a basic requirement but can be very challenging for a variety of reasons for people with non-visible disabilities.
"With such a large number of stores in the UK it means millions of Aldi customers that choose to wear the Sunflower will feel confident that they will be offered help, understanding or just more time should they need it.”
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In the Welsh Wind partners with KWS to produce an amazing three grain vodka
And a truly eye-catching augmented reality label tells the 'seed to glass' story of the vodka.
Three Grain Vodka officially launches on November 18 at a RRP £40 (40% vol / 70cl)
The collaboration between award-winning distillery In the Welsh Wind and KWS, one of the world's biggest seed suppliers, has produced an exceptional Three Grain Vodka.
The Three Grain Vodka, which will sit alongside In the Welsh Wind's other premium spirit drinks, will officially launch on November 18 in Cardiff, the Capital city of Wales, and opens another exciting chapter in the distillery's history as the brand expands and grows its range of spirit drinks.
It's the first vodka produced by the Cardigan-based distillery for the In the Welsh Wind brand and the story of this spirit, from 'seed to glass,' will be told on every bottle thanks to its eye-catching augmented reality label. This is yet another first for distillery, with the label commissioned by KWS and developed by tech company Juice Immersive.
The Three Grain Vodka is a combination of barley and rye supplied by KWS, which was blended with a wheat-based spirit to create this latest addition to the In the Welsh Wind range.
The origins of this vodka began earlier in the year when KWS' Digital Innovation Team sought an authentic partner to produce a consumer end product from its seeds.
Close connections brought KWS and 'maverick' In the Welsh Wind together and the vodka was born. The story of the vodka using AR technology to share the journey, from the fields to the glass, was also established at the onset.
Available in 70cl bottles and priced at £40, Three Grain Vodka (40% vol) is available online from www.inthewelshwind.co.uk.
Ellen Wakelam, co-founder of In the Welsh Wind said: “It's been a great journey bringing together barley and rye grown from KWS seed with our wheat-based spirit to create our Three Grain Vodka.
“The final product is smooth and very rich. As a varietal vodka, the flavours of the barley and grain are present, and that's just as we wanted them to be. There's a distinctive rye finish, alongside the with flavours of vanilla and cold ice cream on a warm crepe. It's as good to sip neat as it is mixed into a cocktail or served long with a high quality tonic.”
She went on to say: “Bringing the story to life via our very first AR label is also incredible. We're excited to have the opportunity to tell the story of the grain, from seed developed by KWS and nurtured by farmers, to a finished vodka. We believe that the label, which is artistically stunning, complements our other In the Welsh Wind products.”
Meredith Mendola, Operations Lead for KWS' Digital Innovation Team, said: “We couldn't pass up the opportunity to partner with an authentic bespoke spirits brand and a talented extended reality agency to show how our high-quality seeds become the products you enjoy.”
For the latest news and updates from In The Welsh Wind follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
That's Food and Drink feels that this new vodka, especially with its highly innovative Augmented Reality label, will make an excellent Christmas gift.
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Tesco urges shoppers to ‘take stock before they shop'
It points out that "failing to plan sees food wasted as UK shoppers forget to check their cupboards, fridges and freezers before stocking up."
At a time when household budgets are squeezed, making the most of food is essential. But a new study from Tesco reveals nine in 10 (92%) shoppers don’t always know what they already have in their kitchens before heading to the supermarket.
Despite 65% of shoppers acknowledging a store cupboard stock take would help them reduce food waste, the majority (80%) don’t always do follow through with that and instead hit the aisles or order in a takeaway without checking what they already have.
This leads to increased spending, duplicated purchases, incomplete meals and ultimately, food ending up in the bin as ingredients are overlooked and left to spoil. The research found:
• 68% of people have purchased food without realising they already have the same item waiting at home
• 62% of UK adults have missed items from their food shop because they mistakenly believed they already had the item
• As a consequence, 53% have had to change meal plans
The research, commissioned by Tesco via YouGov, shows three quarters (73%) of UK households have thrown away forgotten items lurking in cupboards, fridges and freezers that they never got around to eating. The amount of edible food an average UK household wastes each year equates to approximately £800.
Much of the food going to waste is produce that is often stored out of sight in kitchens, including:
• Baked goods like loaves and rolls are thrown out by 60% of households that admit to having ever thrown out unused store cupboard items
• 27% of such households bin jars of condiments like ketchup and mustard
• Even tinned produce, despite typically long use-by dates, is going to waste, with 13% of offending households throwing away cans of beans or tuna fish
As the cost of living increases and many households are looking for ways to be smarter with their budgets and their food, Tesco is encouraging shoppers to make a shopping list and take stock before they shop, order in a takeaway or even go out for dinner.
Tesco is encouraging the nation to implement a Use Up Day where, once a week, people cook a meal using up food already in their kitchen, without needing to go out to buy more. By adopting this simple food hack, the average family could reduce the amount of food thrown away at home by a third, equalling a potential financial saving of £260 per year.
This weekly kitchen clear out helps shoppers to take stock to see what food they already have, making it easier to write a list of what is needed before going out to by more food.
Tony McElroy, Tesco Head of Campaigns said: “At Tesco, we want our customers to be able to get more out of their food shop whilst keeping delicious meals on the table. That’s why we’re encouraging shoppers to implement a weekly Use Up Day, take stock of what they have in their kitchens and make a shopping list before venturing out to the shops. A little planning can help us spend less and reduce food waste, helping both our pockets and the planet.”
To provide inspiration, Tesco's chefs have compiled their top five budget and waste-friendly recipes to help everyone make the most of the most forgotten about items, all costing less than £1.50 per serving.
Tasty recipes from Chefs at Tesco to inspire Use Up Day:
• Chilli bean soup with cheesy garlic bread. Perfect for using up bread, tinned beans, onions and chopped tomatoes.
• Crispy chicken Caesar wraps. Perfect for using up potatoes, lettuce, wraps, and any chicken.
• Tomato and pesto spaghetti. Perfect for using up tomatoes, pasta, pesto and lemons.
• Slow-cooker sausage and butter bean casserole. Perfect for using up any sausages, peppers, pitta breads and cheese.
• Banoffee pie. Perfect for using up bananas, milk and biscuits.
Why not visit the Tesco food waste hub for more recipes and resources: https://realfood.tesco.com/reduce-food-waste.html.
Incidentally, we at That's Food and Drink are enjoying a very delicious bread and butter pudding made with stale bread this evening.
(Image courtesy of RitaE and Pixabay)
Tuesday 15 November 2022
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Fresh from the Press! Luscombe's Organic English Apple Juice
The apple press is whirring away and the sweet aroma of fresh apple juice fills the air, the apple harvest is well underway! Apples have been growing in the orchards of Luscombe since the 12th century.
A long, hot, dry summer followed by September downpours resulted in a later harvest than normal, but a bumper crop of succulent apples, producing Luscombe's delightfully sweet Organic English Apple Juice (12x27cl bottles, £22.40 from luscombe.co.uk).
Apples require plenty of moisture to grow and the late summer rain was very welcome and just in the nick of time! The apples have since swelled, bringing out their best taste, an exceptional, sweet juice. It is this special taste that Luscombe apples are grown for, with carefully timed picking, and a trusted community of growers help to craft a delicious blend of varieties.
Key to the recipe are the heritage apples which date back many generations, with Devon Crimson, Pig's Snout and Slack-ma-Girdle some of the best named among them!
With an impressive depth, Luscombe Organic English Apple Juice is a heavenly match for traditional roast pork and crackling and is magnificent served chilled with cold ham and chicken, grilled sweet fish, green leafy salads and goats' cheese. (It sounds to us at That's Food and Drink that this apple juice should be bought in for Christmas.)
Luscombe is justifiably proud to be the first drinks brand to have gained organic accreditation from the Soil Association and like all Luscombe drinks, it's important to know that Organic English Apple Juice contains no artificial additives, sweeteners or concentrates.
Producing beautifully crafted drinks on a farm in Devon since 1975, Luscombe gather nature's best ingredients and, with very little and careful intervention, turn them into their superb range of organic fruit juices, crushes, bubblies, tonic waters and mixers, plus a traditional organic Devon cider.
Founder and owner, Gabriel David, has become renowned for his pursuit of perfection and no compromise approach to creating the elegant and multi-award-winning range of drinks.
It's Luscombe's attention to detail along with the expertise and passion of their growers, which ensures only the very best quality ingredients go into their drinks.
For further information on Luscombe Drinks visit www.luscombe.co.uk, follow luscombedrinks on Instagram or 'Like' luscombedrinks on Facebook.
Tropical Sun Launch Ready-to-Eat Jackfruit Range Exclusively in Asda
Whether preparing fresh or tinned jackfruit, the process can be long and manually intensive, making it impractical for those who are short of time or not inclined towards cooking from scratch. Or who live in a home which don't have a particularly good kitchen?
But fear not, faster food fans, for the UK’s top World Food brand, Tropical Sun, has partnered with Asda to offer its vegetarian and vegan customers two ready-to-eat jackfruit products that will delight anyone looking for a plant-based ‘pulled meat’ experience.
Tropical Sun’s BBQ and Tex Mex Pulled Jackfruit hit the shelves of the Asda World Food aisles on the 26th November, just in time for ‘Veganuary’.
The 400g tins will retail at £2.49 (check for current pricing) and are the perfect base for a quick and simple plant-based meal. Stuff the BBQ jackfruit into a lightly toasted brioche bun, top with salad and serve chunky chips for the ultimate ‘pulled pork’ experience. Load a tortilla wrap with the Tex Mex jackfruit, rice, black beans and guacamole for a burrito that goes beyond!
Says Vas Sideras, Tropical Sun’s Supermarket Lead said of the jackfruit products: “We’ve seen a soaring demand for plant-based foods in recent years and these ready-to-eat products build off the success of our Jackfruit in Brine and Jackfruit in Water products which are amongst the most popular foods in our entire range.”
Tropical Sun has been importing fantastic World Foods including spices, oils drinks and snacks from all over the world since 1996.
Monday 14 November 2022
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Sandford Orchards Reveals Cider Done Right Is Better for Cider lovers and the Planet
Orchards' natural, low-impact approach to producing cider is good for soil health and wildlife diversity. It also has a short supply chain and uses a lot less energy and water than many of its counterparts.
Barny Butterfield, Chief Cidermaker at Sandford Orchards reveals why: “Starting from the ground up, our apples grow in local orchards, many of which contain diverse and often historic apple tree types.
"Once planted, the soil in these orchards remains untouched, often for centuries, allowing the natural drawdown of carbon into the earth. Undisturbed soils are better for natural fungi, small and large invertebrates, burrowing insects, small mammals and all the greater food web that relies on them. Healthy soils are the super-power at the heart of any thriving ecosystem.”
Barny went on to say: “The apple trees are fantastic carbon sinks too. The deep roots, the trunk and branches all lock in carbon, as do the leaves and unharvested fruit. They are also an amazing food source for a huge range of creatures.
"During blossom time, a 20 acre orchard serves up 900kg of nectar and 3.5 tons of pollen and the apples, both on the tree and later on the ground, all provide a hugely welcome larder for insects, birds, bats, hedgehogs mice, voles, owls, foxes, badgers and more.”
Also, Sandford Orchards has put a number of features in place to reduce their energy consumption and use renewable sources, where possible.
Barny added: “We like to keep our supply chain short and to recycle any waste. Our furthest orchard is only 20 miles away and our by-products of pressing and fermentation are both sent locally to be bio-converted into natural green gas, and to re-capture CO2. This CO2 is then returned to the ciderworks to carbonate our ciders.”
Barny elaborates: “We use locally coppiced regenerating woodlands for fuel for heating water and have installed solar panels which produce 25% of our required electricity. We have switched to electrical forklifts, and currently two of our company cars are EV with a plan in place to have all our company vehicles charged by renewable power.
"We use the clever architecture of the building to keep the premises at a constant temperature and also maximise the use of natural lighting, plus we move the apples into the mill using rainwater harvested from our roofs. In areas where we require temperature control, we have retro-fitted full insulation and rapid closing doors, hugely reducing the energy required to keep an even temperature.”
Another key point that sets Sandford Orchards' cider apart from many other drinks is that they use minimal heat in the production process.
Barny explains: “By using filtration and cold sterilisation much of the time, the warmest our cider gets is when you drink it! Compared to other drinks that require massive heat inputs to boil ingredients, the energy we need to use to make our cider is really tiny.
"It's all about fabulous apples, grown in wildlife-rich local orchards with minimal other inputs. Our low impact approach to cider-making means you can enjoy a pint in the knowledge that you've made a sustainable choice.”
Founded in 2002, independent, family-owned Sandford Orchards is based in Crediton, Mid Devon and is based in the UKs oldest working cider mill.
The area has long been known as one of the most fertile parishes in all of Britain, both for its grazing and ability to grow apples. Crediton sits in the lee of the moors, so receives the perfect amount of rain and the right units of summer heat.
Sandford Orchards takes a fresh, natural and low impact approach to producing cider. Combining tradition and innovation, Sandford Orchards produces an award-winning range of core session, traditional, fine and fruit ciders.
For further information on Sandford Orchards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk, follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Ideal for Vegetarian November: The Collective Suckies range
Now they come with dairy free and no added sugar options. But without compromising on taste, of course!
The No Added Sugar Suckies are made with British milk and real fruit for a sweet and mild taste, providing a source of Vitamin D for immune support. Available in three brand new flavour combos, strawberry & banana, banana & cocoa or mango & peach, the delicious new range is available in Tesco and Ocado from the 12th September for just 85p.
Available in three flavours, strawberry, peach and apricot and banana, Dairy Free Suckies are available in Tesco, Ocado and Waitrose for just £1.
Made with a unique combo of oats and coconut blended with real fruit, the dairy-free alternative boasts a thick and creamy texture (with no pips and bits!). What’s more, each pouch is packed with live cultures and provides sources of vitamin D & B12 for immune support and calcium for strong bones.
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