Matthews Cotswold Flour Named One of Britain's Top Regional Food Producers

Bertie Matthews and some milled flour

Matthews Cotswold Flour has been rightfully recognised as one of Britain's top 25 regional producers in Speciality Food magazine and Speciality & Fine Food Fair's Regional Stars initiative: a project designed to uncover the businesses most passionate about sharing an authentic taste of their region with food lovers far and wide.

Founded in 1820 and still family-run, Matthews Cotswold Flour has earned national acclaim for its unwavering commitment to regenerative agriculture, traditional stoneground milling methods, and its support of artisan and home bakers across the UK.

“We're hugely proud to represent the Cotswolds in this list of food heroes,” said Bertie Matthews, managing director and eighth-generation miller. “From the farmers we work with to the bakers who choose our flour, it's always been about community, sustainability and variety.”

Holly Shackleton, editor of Speciality Food Magazine, told That's Food and Drink: “As a nation, we have a proud heritage of excellent produce and it's exciting to see how these 25 businesses have not only joined forces with other producers to create supportive ecosystems in their local area, but worked tirelessly with a pure focus on quality to ensure that what they create is a celebration of the land under their feet.”

Bertie Matthews in a field of local grain

Nicola Woods, event manager of Speciality & Fine Food Fair, added: “This initiative is about more than just celebrating quality products, it's about recognising the people behind them who are championing local sourcing, sustainability, and a deep-rooted connection to the place they call home. 

"These producers are the heartbeat of the speciality and fine food sector. They work tirelessly, not only to craft exceptional products, but to champion independent business, support their local economies, and build genuine relationships with their customers and industry partners.”

Matthews Cotswold Flour continues to innovate whilst also staying true to its roots, leading the charge in sustainable food production and helping to build a more resilient, localised food system. Bertie and the mill recently featured on Jeremy Clarkson's popular Amazon Prime series Clarkson's Farm. It showcased the mill's distinctive character and regional significance as well as its high standards, particularly whilst working closely with its farming partners pushing boundaries in British agriculture and milling. 

25 small-scale businesses were hand-picked from rafts of entries to share their inspiring stories of community spirit, dedication to traditional values, and hunger for showcasing the very best of their local area – and they are brought together in a special feature running in the June issue of Speciality Food Magazine. This group of passionate food lovers will join forces at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair, taking place at Olympia on 9th -10th September 2025, where they will come together to celebrate the very best of Britain's regional food and drink. 

With a milling legacy spanning eight generations, Matthews Cotswold Flour is one of the UK's oldest family-run flour mills. Trading grain and milling flour in the heart of the Cotswolds since the 1800s, the mill believes passionately that their local partnerships, traditional stoneground milling methods and premium grains make for better baking. 

They are proud to offer premium quality Organic and Stoneground Wholegrain flour, using grain from local farmers and time-honoured milling techniques. With an eye to the future and wanting to share their wealth of milling experience, Matthews Cotswold Flour is launching a New Generation Milling Apprenticeship programme that encourages and supports the next generation of millers.

https://cotswoldflour.com

Fudge Kitchen Partners With Iconic British Landmarks and Attractions for 2025

Fudge Kitchen Expands Customer Portfolio with Prestigious New Stockists Across the UK

Popular artisan fudge producer Fudge Kitchen, famed for their handcrafted recipes and use of only high quality, premium ingredients, is delighted to announce a series of significant new partnerships with some of the UK's most respected retailers and cultural institutions.

Now proudly producing bespoke fudges for several iconic British landmarks and destinations in a range of boxed, gifting formats, Fudge Kitchen's wholesale business is thriving in the tourism and destinations sector. 

This year, visitors to the British Museum, Chatsworth House, the National Gallery, the London Museum, Castle Howard, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh will be able to purchase a range of Fudge Kitchen-produced bespoke treats such as fudge slider boxes, fudge trio boxes and other confectionery, each product with bespoke, branded packaging.

Other UK tourist attractions, including London's iconic Tower Bridge Gift Shop, the Sherlock Holmes Museum, and the Raby Castle, Park and Gardens in the 18th Century Coach House Shop which spans County Durham and Shropshire, have also become stockists, now offering Fudge Kitchen's own-brand range across their gift shop shelves.

These new partnerships reflect the brand's unwavering reputation for quality, heritage appeal, and timeless flavours. “We're incredibly honoured to be working with such distinguished and iconic locations,” Richard Parson, Fudge Kitchen MD told That's Food and Drink.

“Each new partner shares our commitment to quality, authenticity, and celebrating British heritage and we're so proud to partner with them to deliver products that align with these values.”

As Fudge Kitchen continues to grow, the team remains focused on delivering exceptional quality while embracing new opportunities to showcase their products in some of the UK's most admired settings.

www.fudgekitchen.co.uk

Facebook: fudgekitchen

Instagram: @fudgekitchen_UK

Twitter: @fudgekitchen

LinkedIn: fudgekitchen

FUDGE KITCHEN FACTFILE:-

Fudge Kitchen makes unique confectionary, from traditional handmade fudge to brittles and caramels, maintaining traditional values and artisan confectionary skills honed over four decades.

Producing delicious fudges for gifting, wholesale, premium department stores and hotels, the employee-owned company also operates six high street shops in historic cathedral and university cities: Bath, Windsor, Canterbury, Cambridge, York, and Edinburgh. Here, visitors can taste and experience traditional fudge making with contemporary and totally unique immersive theatre.

Alongside impeccable taste and premium packaging, Fudge Kitchen's products feel just as good as they taste, with responsibly-sourced ingredients and a commitment to ensure that packaging is fully recyclable, and in some cases they are compostable too. This employee-owned business puts sustainability at its heart, committed to making life that little bit sweeter.

Why You Should Welcome This Tiny Predator to Your Garden

If you've spotted a tiny yellowish insect with fierce-looking jaws in your garden or near your kitchen windowsill, don't panic. 

That little creature might just be your best garden ally, a lacewing larva, often nicknamed the “aphid lion.”

What Is a Lacewing Larva?

Lacewing larvae are the immature form of the adult lacewing, an elegant insect with gauzy, transparent wings. But don’t let the adult’s delicate appearance fool you, their larvae are ruthless garden predators.

Small, alligator-like, and armed with curved mandibles, these larvae feed on aphids, thrips, mealybugs, mites, and even small caterpillars. One lacewing larva can eat up to 200 pests a week, making them a brilliant natural alternative to chemical pesticides.

Why Hospitality Venues Should Care

If you have a vegetable garden at home, run a pub with a beer garden, a restaurant with outdoor seating, or a café with herbs growing in pots, having a healthy insect ecosystem is essential. Aphids and other pests can decimate your decorative or edible plants, leaving your space looking poorly maintained.

Encouraging natural predators like lacewings helps keep your plants lush and healthy — without the smell, cost, or eco-impact of sprays.

How to Attract Lacewings to Your Venue Garden

Grow flowering herbs: Dill, coriander, and fennel attract adult lacewings.

Provide shelter: Insect hotels, bark mulch, and hedgerows create safe spaces.

Avoid pesticides: These chemicals kill beneficial insects as well as pests.

Leave the lights low at night: Lacewings are attracted to light and may become disoriented by strong outdoor lighting.

A Sign of a Healthy Garden

Finding a lacewing larva clinging to a piece of paper or crawling on a leaf means your garden is working. It’s a sign that nature is doing what it does best, keeping things in balance.

Natural Anti-Inflammatories That Really Work

Fight inflammation naturally with these powerful supplements.

Inflammation is a root cause of many chronic conditions. These supplements offer natural support.

1. Turmeric (Curcumin) – Potent anti-inflammatory with joint and gut benefits.

2. Omega-3 – Reduces inflammation in joints, skin and heart.

3. MSM – Eases muscle pain and supports joints.

4. Ginger – Reduces inflammatory markers and eases digestion.

5. Boswellia – Ancient herb for arthritis and chronic inflammation.

Note: Consistency is key—take daily for best effects.

Why Shrinking Portions and Downgrading Ingredients Is a Recipe for Losing Customers

In today’s economic climate, many food brands are feeling the pinch, rising costs for raw ingredients, energy, packaging, and transport have created serious challenges for producers of ready meals, cakes, loaves, and other convenience foods. 

But there’s one common response to these pressures that risks doing far more harm than good: quietly reducing portion sizes or downgrading the quality of ingredients.

At first glance, it might seem like a clever cost-cutting solution. Keep the product looking broadly the same, tweak a few details, and most consumers won’t notice, right? Wrong.

Your Customers Are Not Stupid

Let’s be clear—today’s customers are more informed than ever. They check labels, compare products, and share their opinions online. Whether it’s a smaller slice of cake, fewer vegetables in a ready meal, or a once-premium loaf that’s now dry and bland, people notice—and they talk. Social media is filled with side-by-side comparisons, angry rants, and disappointed reviews.

A once-loyal buyer who feels short-changed is far more likely to walk away from your brand than accept the decline as "just how it is."

Shrinkflation and Ingredient Swaps Break Trust

Reducing portion sizes while keeping prices the same, or worse, raising them, has become known as "shrinkflation." Add in the switch from quality ingredients to cheaper alternatives, and you’ve got a perfect storm of consumer resentment.

What these tactics really do is undermine trust. When a brand no longer delivers what it promised, whether it’s in taste, satisfaction, or value, customers feel betrayed. And in a crowded market, they have plenty of other options.

Short-Term Saving, Long-Term Damage

Sure, these changes might protect your profit margin in the short term. But the long-term cost is customer loyalty, and once that’s gone, it’s hard to win back. Reputation is everything in food. If consumers feel a brand has compromised on quality or honesty, they’ll move on, and they might never come back.

Instead of cutting corners, brands need to be transparent, innovative, and value-driven. If costs must go up, communicate it clearly and offer something in return, be it more sustainable packaging, better sourcing, or new product features.

Consumers Want Value, Not Just Cheapness

Let’s not confuse "cheap" with "value". A product that’s £1 cheaper but disappointing isn’t good value, it's just a bad buy. Customers are willing to pay more for food that satisfies, nourishes, and feels worth it. Whether it’s a microwave lasagne, a traybake cake, or a seeded loaf, the principles are the same: quality counts.

If your product no longer delivers the experience your customers expect, they will look elsewhere—and they won’t be shy about saying why.

Conclusion: Don't Alienate Your Customers

Businesses that think consumers are passive or easily fooled are writing their own downfall. Instead of quietly cutting back, brands should focus on honesty, quality, and consistency. Be the name that customers trust—even in tough times.

Because the truth is simple: if your ready meals are smaller, your cakes are drier, or your loaves are no longer satisfying, your customers will notice. And they’ll take their money elsewhere.

Digestive Health Support with Natural Remedies

Natural supplements and herbs to soothe digestion and heal the gut.

If you're struggling with bloating, IBS, or slow digestion, these natural remedies could help.

1. Probiotics, Balance gut flora and aid digestion.

2. Peppermint Oil, Soothes IBS and gut spasms.

3. Slippery Elm, Coats the stomach lining and reduces inflammation.

4. L-Glutamine, Repairs gut lining and supports immunity.

5. Ginger, helpful for indigestion and nausea.

Tip: Take before meals and avoid trigger foods for best results.

Update: After suffering from indigestion and bloating I am chomping down on some ginger kindly provided by my wife!

Adaptogenic Herbs for Stress, Fatigue and Focus

Discover the top adaptogens to reduce stress and boost clarity.

Adaptogens are natural herbs that help your body adapt to stress and restore balance. Here are four of the most effective.

1. Ashwagandha, Lowers cortisol, improves sleep.

2. Rhodiola Rosea, Enhances energy and mental performance.

3. Holy Basil (Tulsi),  Calms anxiety and supports the immune system.

4. Schisandra Berry, Supports liver and improves resilience.

Best Use: Take regularly during times of stress or fatigue.

10 Powerful Medicinal Herbs for Everyday Wellness

Explore 10 powerful medicinal herbs that help with immunity, mood and digestion.

Herbal medicine has been used for centuries, and many still hold up under modern research.

1. Ashwagandha, Reduces stress and cortisol.

2. Rhodiola Rosea, Boosts energy and mental clarity.

3. St. John’s Wort, May ease mild to moderate depression.

4. Milk Thistle, Supports liver detoxification.

5. Elderberry, Traditionally used to fight colds and flu.

6. Ginkgo Biloba, Enhances memory and circulation.

7. Echinacea, Immune system booster.

8. Peppermint Oil,  Relieves digestive symptoms and headaches.

9. Turmeric (Curcumin), Anti-inflammatory and joint pain relief.

10. Ginger, Aids digestion and eases nausea.

Caution: Always consult a qualified herbalist or GP before taking herbs or combining herbs with medications.

10 Natural Supplements Backed by Science

These top 10 natural supplements are supported by scientific research and can help you feel your best.

Introduction:

Supplements can support everything from brain function to heart health. Here are 10 natural options that are backed by evidence.

1. Omega-3 (Fish or Algae Oil) – Improves brain, joint, and heart health.

2. Probiotics – Enhance gut flora, boost immunity and may ease IBS.

3. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) – Supports heart function and energy in cells.

4. Collagen – Improves skin elasticity and supports joints.

5. NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) – Antioxidant support and liver detox aid.

6. Alpha-Lipoic Acid – Helps nerve function and blood sugar.

7. Astaxanthin – Protects eyes and skin from oxidative damage.

8. Glucosamine – Used for joint health and arthritis support.

9. MSM – May reduce inflammation and improve mobility.

10. Resveratrol – Anti-ageing antioxidant found in red grapes.

Note: Check quality and dosage on each supplement’s label.

The Best Minerals for Energy, Immunity and Hormones

Learn which minerals are essential for energy, hormone balance, and immunity—and how to take them.

Introduction:

Minerals are just as important as vitamins. These powerhouses support your body’s most vital functions.

1. Magnesium – Calms the nervous system, supports sleep, and helps muscle recovery.

2. Iron – Needed for red blood cell production. Best taken with vitamin C.

3. Zinc – Essential for wound healing, immunity, and skin.

4. Calcium – Vital for strong bones and teeth.

5. Selenium – Powerful antioxidant and key for thyroid health.

6. Iodine – Required for thyroid hormone production.

7. Chromium – Helps stabilise blood sugar levels.

8. Potassium – Supports muscle contraction and heart function.

9. Copper – Assists in iron metabolism and immune health.

10. Manganese – Needed for bone formation and enzyme function.

Tip: Many minerals compete for absorption—space them out when supplementing.