M&S Food investing in more price locks for customers

M&S Food is investing in the price of over 200 products as part of its promise to deliver trusted value to its 30 million loyal customers.

The investment will see M&S Food reduce the prices of over 70 family staples and extend its price lock on 150 customer favourites, while upholding its market leading quality and welfare standards at the same time.

M&S Food is cutting the price on some of its more popular cupboard staples to support its customers, especially those with families to buy food for, including products like M&S Select Farms DNA traceable Beef Mince, Avocados, Greek style yoghurt and Ciabatta rolls. 

The above are some of M&S’ more popular lines, with over 400,000 Avocado packs and 140,000 Greek Style Yogurt pots sold by M&S in the last four weeks alone.

At the same time M&S Food is extending its price lock on 150 products which will be in place right through to the autumn, and features a number of essentials that customers can rely on at M&S for great value right through the entire summer.

This includes M&S Select Farms RSPCA Assured outdoor-bred British Pork Sausages (pack of eight - £2.00), Super Sweet Corn on the Cob (pack of two - £1.40), Traditional Coleslaw (225g - £1.25) the price lock bestseller, British Mature Cheddar (10 Slices 250g - £2.80) and Select Farms Season's Gold Potatoes (1kg - £1.65).

The investment sits alongside the retailer’s Remarksable Value range of everyday staples, first launched back in 2019, which are continuously benchmarked against key competitors to guarantee best value for customers. The range continues to grow in appeal among M&S Food customers, with Remarksable sales up 40%, and in over 20% of customer baskets over the past year.

Alex Freudmann, who is the MD at M&S Food said: “We know value is everything to our customers right now, and while they’re looking forward to a great summer, they’re also looking for certainty on spending. Our latest price investment across 200 products upholds our trusted value promise and delivers on that certainty.

“Trusted value means offering the best possible quality at the best possible price. I’m proud we are the number one retailer for farm animal welfare, selling the biggest range of RSPCA Assured products, including our Scottish Smoked Salmon fillets and British Pork Sausages, alongside our DNA traceable Beef mince which has the ability to be traced back to the individual farm and the individual animal."

He went on to say: "We’re determined to keep up the pace for our customers. Our value perception is at its highest point in six years because we're relentlessly focused on price with no compromise to the magic of M&S Food, our market leading product quality, innovation and sourcing standards.”

In February of this year, M&S topped consumer group Which?’s annual supermarket satisfaction survey, achieving the highest overall customer score of 77% and receiving five star ratings for store appearance, customer service and quality of own label and fresh products.

Families prioritise healthy eating

While M&S’ latest Family Matters Index shows the focus on value for families has increased since the beginning of the year, healthy eating is also a growing priority with 30% of families looking to eat more healthily in the coming months.

As part of its investment M&S has dropped or locked the price on over 50 Eat Well products which meet key nutritional values and are given a health seal of approval to help customers feel confident in choosing a balanced diet, from M&S Select Farms Mangetout (260g – cut by 15% to £1.70) to Pineapple Chunks (150g – cut by 15% to £1.70). 

On top of M&S Food’s price investment, the retailer continues to run a number of other value initiatives. For example Sparks helps over 16 million signed up customers make the most of M&S with personalised offers and ‘Ways to Save” emails, while every week one customer in every store receives their shopping for free.

Grilling season is here, bang on time for Lidl being crowned Which? Cheapest BBQ basket!

Which? has revealed Lidl is the only retailer where shoppers can pick all their barbecue food essentials for under thirty quid, beating other stores such as Tesco and Waitrose, who came in at a whopping 30% more costly. 

Comprising a list of 13 products, the basket includes some of Lidl’s award-winning items, showcasing that savvy shoppers need never compromise on quality. 

This includes GHI Taste Test Approved own-brand Deluxe Brioche Burger Buns at just £1.10 for a pack of 4, and the Vemondo Vegan Sausages at £1.79, which won GHI’s Best Budget Vegan Sausages.

Peter de Roos, who is Lidl GB Chief Commercial Officer commented: “At Lidl, we’re officially fired up for the summer season, and after being crowned cheapest supermarket for BBQ essentials, our customers will be fired up, too. 

"This latest accolade fuels our passion for great food at best value prices, and it reinforces our unwavering commitment to delivering this time and again to our customers.”

Also, Lidl’s BBQ range has scooped a number of other accolades this summer. Burger fans will flip out over Lidl’s show-stopping Deluxe Aberdeen Beef Burgers, crowned the Best Budget Burger of 2023 by GHI. At just £2.99, these succulent burgers come to less than £1.50 per patty. 

The juicy patties are best topped with Valley Spire Blended Cheese Slices (£1.99) available in Hot & Spicy Cheddar and Black Pepper for a fiery kick - both of which have also been bestowed the GHI stamp of approval.

For a sausage fest, shoppers can pick up a double whammy of fantastic gold medallists: the Deluxe Pork Sausages, £2.49, winner of Which? Best Value title, the Deluxe Honey & Mustard Sausages, £2.49, winner of BBC Good Food taste test. Both pair perfectly with yet another GHI taste test approved bargain buy, Lidl’s Deluxe Hot Dog Buns, £1.10 – coming in at under 19p per bun. Plus, why not make a meal of it by topping with GHI’s Best Budget Mayonnaise, Batts’ Real Mayonnaise, at just 95p for 500ml. (EDITOR: I like Batts; Real Mayonnaise!) 

Shoppers can choose from Lidl’s full BBQ range, including its show-stopping award winners, in stores nationwide now, while stocks last.

lidl.co.uk

Co-op announces biggest ever price investment on everyday essentials with members saving more

Today (Wednesday 2nd August) Co-op has announced its biggest ever single investment in pricing of £70 million, as it extends its ‘member-only’ pricing across everyday essentials, launching with a list of nearly 200 fixed lines including milk, eggs and bread.

This move, reportedly the biggest investment ever announced by a convenience retailer on pricing, sees Co-op, with over 2,400 food stores and 4.58 million active members, accelerate its member price benefits to provide new, lower ‘member-only’ prices on the everyday essential products that are the most shopped by their convenience shoppers, giving Co-op Members a chance to save up to 11% on retail prices with Co-op British Milk one pint at 85p, six Co-op free range eggs at £1.40 , whilst a Co-op sliced loaf will be 76p.

Co-op insight revealed, rather than loyalty pricing on an array of products which change every few weeks, shoppers think there's more benefit from lower prices on the items they buy the most, so it makes the biggest difference to their regular food spend.

This new significant price investment means Co-op Members will be able to save on products from milk, free-range eggs and bread to bacon and fresh chicken, too.

The £70m investment also includes a retail price reduction on more than 600 lines, ensuring they are in line or cheaper than other national convenience stores, and taking the total invested into Co-op prices this year to £90 million overall.

Matt Hood, who is the MD for Co-op Food, said: “Whilst food inflation is starting to slow down, household budgets remain under massive pressure, so this major price investment will make a real and tangible difference for millions of Co-op customers and members.  

"This £70m investment is the most significant ever made by a convenience retailer, allowing us to turbo charge our member pricing proposition for the millions of our members who shop with us every day, by tailoring the price cuts to those key lines we know our members buy the most. 

"We're focused on delivering member-value in a way that will make the biggest possible difference to their weekly budgets, and I’m clear there should be no compromise on quality and value by shopping in convenience. This isn't a loyalty scheme but rather the Co-op difference in action, whereby the people who own our business, our members, benefit every time they shop with the Co-op."

Closely following its business-model principles as a cooperative, Co-op continues to support its members and their communities through the cost-of-living crisis whilst still planning and investing for growth over the medium and longer-term.  

The investment has been made possible by the major cost savings and business improvements introduced over the past year in the face of rising inflation and increased operational costs.

This move follows the introduction of ‘member only offers’ in April, where Co-op members can get exclusive lower priced promotions, an initiative which has seen nearly 40,000 new members sign up every month to take advantage of the deals, as Co-op targets to grow its member base by a million more members over the next five years. 

The member-only offers will continue, alongside member only pricing, providing even more opportunity for savings and means a shopper could save on average £500 a year as a Co-op Member.

Underpinning this investment is the core proposition of Co-op’s membership whereby:

Members own the business and play an intrinsic part in the governance of the organisation

Members enjoy a wide number of benefits including money back on own brand purchases, personalised offers and gamification via the Co-op app, pre-sale opportunities for Co-op Live and music festival tickets

Co-op members help raise significant funds donated by Co-op to fund thousands of community causes, every year. £116m has been donated to communities since 2016

Co-op Member saving examples (all prices relevant for 14.07.23):

- Co-op British Milk 1 Pint: Co-op Member price 85p

- Co-op British Medium Free-Range Eggs 6s: Co-op Member price £1.40

- Co-op White Toastie Bread 800g: Co-op Member price 76p

- Co-op British Chicken Breast Fillet PMP 300g: Co-op Member Price £2.50

A £15 million investment in lowering prices was announced in April and Co-op has also invested an additional £5million into members offers.

Figure based on member purchase frequency and member discount, and total savings from purchasing both member-only promotions and member pricing.

The Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services. 

Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates over 2,400 food stores, over 800 funeral homes and provides products to over 5,000 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited.

Employing almost 60,000 people, the Co-op has an annual turnover of over £11billion and is a recognised leader for its sustainability and community-led programmes. The Co-op exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things it believes in.

https://www.coop.co.uk/

Natural Beekeeping workshop raises funds for Hope Spring

An unusual and very exciting fundraiser was held in aid of Hope Spring, a clean water advocacy charity on Friday the 28th of July, 2023. 

The event, a natural beekeeping workshop, took place at The Hive in Much Birch village, which is in south Herefordshire. 

The workshop was the ideas of Worcestershire natural beekeeper Sara Steward It was facilitated by Hope Spring trustee and natural beekeeper Temi Odurinde and Andrew Collinson.

The event saw the six natural beekeepers compare notes and exchanging ideas, on various beekeeping topics ranging from ideas for total beginners like opting fora bee friendly hive to finding and catching your first swarm of bees. 

The workshop began with Andres Collison, a natural beekeeper with over two decades of experience discussing “The bein of the hive” a holistic look at the life of a colony of bees. 

After their lunch break, the beekeeper returned to discuss swarm catching, dealing with the problems caused by the varroa mite and the best shrubs and trees to plant for bees.

The event raised approximately £300 for Hope Spring. Speaking about the fundraiser Temi Odurinde said “we had a lovely time at the workshop, every participant had a knowledge of one technique or another to share. 

"We all went home better natural beekeepers than we were before the workshop.”

Temi went on to say: “Hope Spring is grateful for the donation each participant made, the proceeds will go to the new borehole project we're working on in Agege which is in Nigeria. I'm also very pleased to have contributed to the fundraiser in my own little way."

Hope Spring raises money to fund their clean water project directly from their supporters, particularly those who support their annual best charity Christmas e-cards campaign. The natural beekeeping fundraiser was a special one-off event. But raising funds with the natural beekeeping community in the future hasn't been ruled out.

You can learn more about Hope Spring clean water projects on their website and social media pages. You can also find out more information about natural beekeeping on the website of natural beekeeping trust.

http://www.hopespring.org.uk

To learn more about natural beekeeping please visit https://www.naturalbeekeepingtrust.org.

International students immersed into French gourmet food industry at NEOMA Business School

Commencing 10th and running to 21st July, NEOMA Business School based in France collaborated with Ecole Fauchon, the school launched by the renowned French brand of gastronomy, to deliver a summer camp to international students on management and the gourmet food industry.

Practical courses were hosted at Ecole Fauchon at NEOMA’s Rouen campus, including classes on CSR and the economy of the French wine sector. Students also had the exciting opportunity to visit producers at the Marché d’Intérêt National (France’s second largest produce market) and the Fauchon hotel.

“Learning to prepare gourmet food under the guidance of skilled chefs during the private cooking classes at Fauchon was a marvellous experience that I'll cherish forever. It not only expanded my culinary knowledge but also ignited a passion for gastronomy within me” said Fadzai Mutingwende, who is studying at the Manchester Metropolitan University.

In the second week, students moved to NEOMA’s Paris campus, to attend a series of conferences on Marketing French Excellence and Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainability topics.

Lectures involved insights from proven industry professionals at Fauchon and NEOMA alumni. The final day finished with group projects.

Teaching was delivered in English to open opportunities for international students to gain insights on the French gastronomy sector. Nine students from the UK enrolled in the programme from Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Strathclyde.

“The second week of the summer school, featuring insightful lectures from industry experts, highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting France’s culinary heritage on a global scale and considering innovative ways to contribute positively to the food industry. 

"I came to understand that culinary excellence and sustainability are not mutually exclusive but rather are interconnected pillars that can drive positive change in the world,” says Orla McConville, who is a student at the University of Strathclyde.

The summer camp further builds upon the strong partnership between NEOMA and Ecole Fauchon. Both institutions already cooperate to deliver a Bachelor’s in Service Management – Gastronomy programme.

(Image courtesy of Paola Baldacci from Pixabay)

'Eggstra' help from Tesco for UK egg farmers

Tesco has revealed it is providing a further £10 million in extra backing for the UK egg industry as it continues its commitment to sourcing all its shell eggs from the UK. 

£6 million of the support will be provided from this month, August, until March 2024. This is on the heels of Tesco’s investment of £27.5m in the sector across 2022/23.

In a further boost to producers and customers, Tesco is lifting its buying restrictions on shell eggs. The restrictions, which mean customers can only buy three packs of eggs at a time, were introduced in November 2022 to ease pressure on a supply chain adversely impacted by price increases in key inputs like feedstuff and energy prices, further impacted by the avian flu outbreak. 

The support package will be paid to suppliers to cover the cost of handling, processing and egg production, including increases in feed for farmers. Tesco will continue to work with suppliers to ensure the extra investment will be passed on to farmers as soon as possible.

Tesco will also continue operating its industry-topping poultry feed model. Poultry feed represents up to 70% of the cost of production on egg and poultry farms. 

The model adjusts to price changes in the market, providing producers with the cost protection and security they require when they are purchasing feedstuffs.

Dominic Morrey, who is the Tesco Commercial Director for Fresh said: “We’re obviously very pleased to be able to provide a further package of financial support to our UK egg suppliers and producers.

"Over the past 18 months the sector has faced some very tough conditions, including increases to inputs like energy and feed, plus the avian flu outbreak, so we hope this support will alleviate some of these challenges.

“As conditions begin to ease, we’re also now able to remove the buying restrictions we’ve had in place on shell eggs since November last year. Customers can be reassured we also remain 100% British on all our shell eggs, with our five-year contracts with our suppliers now well underway.”

Tesco and its suppliers are committed to high welfare standards and together are working towards the retailer’s aim of 100% cage free eggs by 2025. It is hoped the new long-term contracts will help achieve the commitment.

www.tesco.com

Great Taste 3 Stars for Hive Mind Wye Valley Traditional Mead

The Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co has been awarded the highest three-star Great Taste award rating for its Wye Valley Traditional Mead.

The Guild of Fine Food rates three star products as “extraordinarily tasty food and drink” and only 2% of the thousands of products submitted for Great Taste judging every year achieves three stars.

Hive Mind brews meads and beers at its meadery in Caldicot using only natural ingredients and honey from its own local hives, where its beekeeping supports habitat conservation and important pollinator populations.

Hive Mind’s Traditional Mead reflects the flavours from the hills, meadows, hedgerows and woodlands of the Wye Valley through the honey that's harvested each and every season. To make the honey which goes into every bottle, the bees will have pollinated more than 1.7 million flowers and flown in excess of 70,000 miles.

The Great Taste accreditations celebrate the UK’s finest artisanal food and drink and are blind-tasted by a panel including celebrity chefs, Michelin-starred restaurateurs, food critics, buyers, retailers and writers. 

Three-star products will then go on to compete for the Great Taste’s Golden Fork Awards, given to the best products in each nation and region next October.

The judges’ comments described the Mead’ as: “Altogether beautifully crafted and thoroughly enjoyable…This is an absolute joy to imbibe and we loved it.”

Judges’ tasting notes included: “A lovely complexity to this mead - well balanced throughout with woody and toasted notes and a soft sweetness rolling into a soft lemony acidity with a long finish”; “Smooth and silken on the palate with lingering floral notes on the finish. A really delightful and delicious mead with both fragrance and floral complexity”; and “A delightful, promising nose with a heady, blossomed fragrance to this gorgeous pale yellow mead. Softly sweet and nuanced, rounded and complex and deeply floral.”

This year, to help reduce food waste and prevent honey left over after the judging process being discarded, Hive Mind will be working with the Guild of Fine Food to collect the honey and brew a new ‘Great Taste’ mead.

Hive Mind’s tasting notes describe the Mead as sweet, rich and moreish with rich floral and heather notes. Hive Mind Traditional Mead is sold in classic cork-stopped 70cl bottles in numbered batches and is 14.5% ABV.

Hive Mind sells direct to consumers online and from its wonderful Caldicot tap house. It's also available through independent delis, farm shops, bars and restaurants all over the UK through specialist distributors including Pig’s Ears, Cotswold Fayre, Hammonds of Knutsford, Craft Drinks Co and Blas ar Fwyd.

The Traditional Mead, along with the special whiskey barrel-aged version, has recently been added to the shelves of Selfridges and is used by Michelin-starred restaurants including Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck and James Sommerin’s Home, following an appearance earlier this year on a TV series with the Hairy Bikers focused on small artisan producers.

Hive Mind co-founder Kit Newell said: “We describe our Traditional Mead as a distillation of the local landscape - it’s a well-balanced flavour that showcases the seasonality and all the floral notes from our carefully selected local honey, not just its sweetness. 

"It’s a great example of how we’re working to modernise the perception of what mead can offer and how well it works as an alternative to sweet wines, spirits or ciders. It is also a fantastic after-dinner drink and pairs beautifully with tasty blue cheeses.”

“We’ve seen a huge surge in interest in mead in the US off the back of the growth in the craft beer market as people search out new and interesting flavours. And we’re delighted to be growing the profile and availability of mead in the UK through recognition by the Great Taste judges and the growing number of specialist distributors, artisan retailers and high-profile chefs supporting Hive Mind,” he pointed out.

Hive Mind has recently launched a range of specialist flavoured session-strength Sparkling Mead (4%, 330ml cans). Other Hive Mind products include Oak Whiskey Barrel-Aged Traditional Mead (20%, 500ml) and honey beers including honey pilsner, Nectar (440ml 4.5%), smoked honey porter (750ml 7.0%), Citra IPA (330ml 5.7%) and golden ale (330ml 4.5%).

https://hivemindmead.com/

It's Results Day for Great Taste 2023!

Today,1,000s of artisan producers from all over the world will learn if their products are among the tastiest in the world with the wildly anticipated results and judges' feedback for Great Taste 2023, the highest taste recognition of its kind.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group in excess of 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on the 14,195 entries which were submitted from a staggering 109 different countries all over the world. 

Each producer will receive highly valuable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts and find out if they've earned Great Taste 1-, 2-, or 3-star award.

This year, only 5,904 products of the total products entered received an award (41.6%) and of the 2,516 winning companies, 1,837 (73%) are based in the UK and 679 (27%) span all corners of the globe.

Says John Farrand, who is the MD at the Guild of Fine Food: “It's always incredibly exciting to be able to share fantastic tasting food and drink from across the world after so many judging days. We have witnessed an outstanding year of exceptional quality, innovation, and creativity once again. 

"High-quality, straight forward food and drink including meat, fish and dairy products continue to stand out, and highly impressive ingredients, from fermented sauces to spices carry on making their mark. Often simple does best, it's been absolutely brilliant to hear our judges discover the delicious tastes of really well-made ice creams, coffees, chocolate and sourdough bread.

“What's truly remarkable is to see the Great Taste entrants continue to thrive amid one of the toughest economic and social periods, it's nothing short of inspirational. It takes courage and perseverance to establish or grow a food or drink business, and these producers have done an exceptional job. 

"From adhering to strict standards and policies to mastering marketing and sales, not to mention achieving excellent taste and flavour. We want to thank them for their continued passion and skill and look forward to seeing more gold and black Great Taste stickers on shelves around the world over the next year.” Farrand concludes.

So, who are the Great Taste 2023 3-star winners?

To achieve a Great Taste star rating of any level is a really significant achievement. With the highest rating being a Great Taste 3-star, determined by over 65 expert palates collectively during the final judging days, products of this calibre are sought out by food lovers across the nation. This year, just 248 (1.8% of entries) products have been awarded this top accreditation.

Of the 3-star winners, 139 have come from the UK and 109 from international producers, including oak honeys from Greece and Spain, cold brew tea from Germany, Lebanese chilli sea salt, Cambodian flower sugar and cheeses from Hungary, France, Norway, Bulgaria, and Spain, among many other interesting and innovative products.

There were 248 Great Taste 3-star winners this year, including:

VOG Jackson's Black Oyster Shell IPA from Vale of Glamorgan Brewery, one of Wales' oldest microbreweries, who have been brewing in Barry since 2005 and have no plans to stop any time soon! https://www.vogbrewery.co.uk/

Chocolatia, which is a Scottish business set up by former Gleneagles chef Chloe Oswald as a creative outlet during lockdown, impressed judges with a grand total of three 3-stars for their Hazelnut Latte Bonbon, Pecan Pie Bonbon and Sea Salt Caramel Filled Bar. https://www.chocolatia.co.uk/

Hannan Meats, which is one of Northern Ireland's leading butchers and previous Supreme Champion winner continued their winning streak with 3-star for both their Buttermilk Pork Chop and Koji Pork Chop. https://www.hannanmeats.com/

Sarah Churchill from The Artisan Kitchen achieved the highest number of 3-stars from any one company with a staggering 8 x 3-stars for her jams and marmalades produced in Gloucester. https://www.theartisankitchen.co.uk/

A Croatian mint cordial from small family company Imanje Kapronca delighted judges with its “green, verdant freshness”. https://www.imanjekapronca.hr/

Scúp Gelato, an Irish family business and Golden Fork winner from 2022, carried their success into 2023, winning a second 3-star for one of their sorbets, this time for their Natural Yogurt & Blackcurrant Sorbet. https://scupgelato.com/

Anchoas Hazas won another 3 x 3-stars for their anchovy products. A family business in Asturias in Northern Spain, anchovies are often preserved for 26 months before every part of the fish is meticulously used to ensure nothing goes to waste. Sadly no longer able to import to the UK due to Brexit, Anchoas Hazas is a multiple Great Taste winner. https://anchoashazas.com/

A relative newcomer to Great Taste, Finnish distillery Kyrö is awared a 3-star for its Kyrö Rye Malt Whisky, produced in an old dairy in Isokyrö. https://www.kyrodistillery.co.uk/

Taiwanese tea company, Archome Ent. Int'l Co., entered for the first time and came away with 3 x 3-stars for their Oriental Beauty, Sunrise Hike and Spring Blossom teas. https://yoosheetea.com/

The distinguished judging panel consisting of over 500 food & drink experts, included chefs, critics, recipe developers, buyers, journalists, retailers, broadcasters, and reputable industry professionals. The Great Taste 2023 judging line-up included senior buyers and coordinators from Selfridges, Whole Foods Market, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, Waitrose and Westmorland Family. 

MasterChef 2022 winner Eddie Scott, olive oil sommelier and author Irini Tzortzoglou, food writer and owner of Violet Cakes Claire Ptak, chef and co-founder of Island Social Club Marie Mitchell, chef turned farmer Julius Roberts, pastry chef and author Ravneet Gill, restaurateur and producer Amy Poon from Poon's, baker and author Kitty Tait - the youngest and newest judge to join this year. Finally, broadcasters and journalists Nigel Barden and Lotte Duncan (BBC), Andy Clarke and Juliet Sear (ITV), Felicity Cloake (The Guardian), Xanthe Clay (Telegraph) and Joanna Blythman were involved this year, among many others.

What happens next?

These Great Taste award-winners can now proudly display the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo as a badge of honour on their award-winning products. The logo states whether the product was awarded 1-, 2- or 3- stars and that it was awarded in 2023, so make sure to look out for them in your local stockist!

Past winners have stated that displaying a Great Taste sticker has increased sales by as much as 50%, as consumers from around the world are enthused to taste the best food and drink products available each year. In the UK, 55% of all adults are familiar with the Great Taste logo, with 80% saying an award would make them consider a product, according to YouGov research from December 2022 (sample size: 2,021).

Great Taste Golden Fork ceremony

The excitement of Great Taste 2023 doesn't stop here, for the highest scoring winners it's just the beginning. All 3-star winning products were tasted and judged again by the knowledgeable judging panel to crown the Golden Fork trophy winners and the 2023 Supreme Champion – the highest accolade of all.

The Golden Fork ceremony celebrates the best of the best from producers around the world, awarding them with a Golden Fork trophy. Further Golden Fork trophies are given for various categories, including the Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement award, the Great Taste Startisan of the Year award and Nigel Barden's Heritage Award.

All will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Ceremony on Monday 11 September 2023 at the Battersea Arts Centre (trade only event).

What is Great Taste?

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.

New for this year and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Great Taste, the Guild of Fine Food offered 50 micro producers the chance to put one new product in front of its expert panel of Great Taste judges for free. The bursary was aimed at micro producers who have never entered Great Taste before or have a new product, which has never been entered before. The bursary panel, which consisted of Adrian Boswell, buyer at Selfridges, industry commentator and food entrepreneur Mallika Basu, and PR & marketing expert AJ Sharp, selected the 50 most eligible entries.

2023 saw 21 products entered through the bursary scheme win a Great Taste award including Karobi's Ghee from Karobi's (3-star), New Alt from Antur Brew Co. (3-star), Shoogle Junniperous Scottish Navy Strength Gin from Shoogle Spirits (2-star) and Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi from The Ferm (1-star).

Food & Drink Wales is the headline sponsor of Great Taste 2023.  Great Taste Golden Fork trophy sponsors include: Andrew Ingredients, Bord Bia, Food & Drink Wales, Invest NI, Italian Trade Agency, Maltby & Greek, Mevalco, Partridges, Scotland Food and Drink, ShireFoods, and Speciality and Fine Food Fair.  Great Taste is supported by Henderson Group, Horgans, and Peter Green Chilled.

For the full list of this year's winners and where to buy them, head to www.greattasteawards.co.uk from 2pm today where you will also find a wide range of the award-winning products available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country.

Keep up to date on socials: @guildoffinefood #ISpyGreatTaste

Visit – https://gff.co.uk

Plan ahead for Halloween with Trewithen Dairy

Serve your ghouls and goblins trick or treat scones this Halloween with a Trewithen Dairy twist on the classic cream tea. These trick or treat scones are the perfect mix of spooky and surprisingly scrumptious - if you are a fan of yeast extract!

Ingredients

For 6 scones

350g Self-raising flour, sieved

Pinch of salt

100g Trewithen Dairy unsalted butter

110ml Trewithen Dairy whole milk

Black food paste

Trick topping - quantity per scone

1 tbsp Yeast extract

1 tbsp Cornish clotted cream

Drizzle of honey

Sprinkle of chilli flakes

Treat topping - quantity per scone

1 tbsp Blackberry jam

1 tbsp Cornish clotted cream

1 Blackberry

Method

Start with the scones. Preheat the oven to 190c. Grease and line two baking trays.

Using your fingertips only, rub the butter into the flour to create fine breadcrumbs. Mix the black food paste in with the milk and stir until fully combined. Now, stream the black milk in slowly to the breadcrumbs, using a knife to gently mix until it just forms a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of 2cm and cut into rounds with a cutter. Don't twist them out of the cutter, otherwise they will warp in the oven.

Place on the baking trays (you don't need to egg or milk wash these scones) and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

For the trick scones - break the scone in half and spread a layer of yeast extract over the surface. Top with a big spoonful of Cornish clotted cream, before drizzling with honey and sprinkling with some chilli flakes.

For the treat scones - simply split the scone in two and dollop blackberry jam over one side. Pull a generous scoop of Cornish clotted cream and place on top of the jam. Finish with a blackberry.

https://www.trewithendairy.co.uk/

Schnapps! Flävar Vodka Schnapps Announces 3 Million Shots Sold in 12 Months of Trading

“To make the good times taste amazing” is the mission statement of the flavour-first brand that wants to shake up the shots category, with a clear liquid which provides an alternative to traditional higher ABV spirits styles.

Founder, Rolf Munding's Swedish heritage inspired the concept of Flävar: schnapps has always been associated with celebratory moments throughout Europe and the goal was to bring more flavour and flair to spirit drinking occasions. 

With its  bold, vibrant colourful packaging, a bottle neck emblazoned with the Swedish flag, Flävar's standout back-bar presence and vibrant online presence has contributed to the equivalent of 3 million shots being sold, with customers also using the liquid as a cocktail ingredient. 

Rolf Munding is also owner of the Market Taverns Group and this gave the perfect chance for valuable customer insight into what people were after post-covid. It's this feedback and insight that inspired further flavour developments. 

Flävar is a delicious 'spirit to be savoured' - delivering on both the celebratory shot drinking occasion, but also as a spirit to be enjoyed at a slower, more relaxed pace, with a mixer on as a valuable cocktail ingredient.

Rolf says, “Our pubs have been a great test-bed for new spirit innovation. Talking with customers at the bar is the best market research you can get. There seems to be more of an adventurous, considerate element to what people are looking for in these modern days. And a rise in the demand for sweeter, more indulgent tasting spirits. We first started considering the concept of a lower-ABV 'flavour-first' spirit post-covid, after identifying this trend. The timing has been great as the shot market is ripe for invigoration! 

I understand the 'instagram appeal' of the bright coloured liquids and of course you'll always have the age-old favourites like tequila, but there are few options for high-quality, lower-ABV spirits that just taste great. 

"We wanted to be able to supply a smooth, delicious, clear-liquid spirit. So we decide to create it! Strawberry & Lime flavour has been the top seller on-trade on-line since it was launched. But this has recently been overtaken by our newest Flävar: Blueberry & Lemon.”

And Rolf's personal suggested serve?

“Recently I've been pleasantly surprised with how good it tastes with prosecco. A single measure of strawberry and lime with 100ml of  Prosecco makes for a delightful summer drink, (now selling as the 'Flävecco' in the Market Porter, Borough, London). And as a neat shot, Lemon Pie is my personal favourite.

Over the next year Flävar has an exciting NPD strategy lined up, and a possible foray into RTDs. “We've got plenty of imaginative ideas lined up. There's a lot of room for innovation with Flävar.”