Speciality Food April 2024

47 LAST WORDS The final word on fine food TRIED & TESTED POMELLO & ELDERFLOWER APERITIF, POMELLO This is such a gorgeously elegant drink. Let’s talk about the bottle first –whichwouldn’t look out of place in a 1920s boudoir. The baby pink, ridged glass screams sophistication and certainly catches the eye in store. But, as they say, it’s what’s inside that counts, and here that’s a real treat. Pomello is fresh, aromatic and floral, with an edgy bite of citrus. We loved it neat over ice with a slice of fresh grapefruit, but it alsomakes for a dreamy spritz with tonic or bubbles – amodern take on the Hugo (whichwas one of the ‘it’ drinks of summer 2023). Position it alongside some interesting citrus/floral mixers or, if you have a cafe or restaurant on site, consider this as a bougie addition to your spring and summer drinksmenu! pomello.world LEMON CHEESECAKE BAR, DIVINE CHOCOLATE This is part of Divine’s bright new dessert- inspired range. We tried the complete trio, froma really fruity Bakewell, to a Tiramisu bar that packed a punchwith coffee (in fact it’s one of themost delicious coffee- flavoured chocolates we’ve eaten). But it was Lemon Cheesecake that reigned supreme in tastings. Combining creamy white chocolate with buttery biscuit pieces and a zing of lemon oil, the bar was not too sweet, well balanced, and so fresh. It’s like a bite of springtime in everymouthful. Divine only uses 100% Fairtrade cocoa and sugar, all-natural flavours, and is free frompalmoil too. Aworthy contender to bring a touch of light to your confectionery selection. divinechocolate.com TRUFFLE CHIPS, RUSTLE CRISPS We found these crisps completely irresistible. Made in small batches using 100% sunflower oil, and cooked at a lower temperature to reduce oil absorption, they are thicker cut, and have themost perfect, toothsome crunch. They’re created by chefs, andmade in Croatia using locally-grown potatoes froma cooperative of farmers who pride themselves on quality. Available in green jalapeno and paprika flavours, it was Truffle that piqued our interest most. Every single bite was speckled with flecks of real truffle, gathered from land along the Istrian peninsula. The flavour is phenomenal. And the crisps’ thicknessmakes them ideal for scooping and serving alongside dips. rustlesnacks.com A FRESH START FOR SPRING PARTNER CONTENT As the weather gets brighter, our plates demand a lighter touch THE INDEPENDENT SHOPPER Alex Crepy, Amelie my father has been an award- winning chef in East Anglia he’s been able to source excellent food, wines and ingredients, and has good personal relationships with fabulous suppliers. Tim Partridge, a farmer in Lavenham, for example, supplies our lamb, which is grass- fed and meltingly tender, almost like fillet steak. Nethergate Wines, the independent merchant near Bury St Edmunds, has recommended wines for my father’s restaurants for years. As specialists in sourcing different wines from around the world that are often relatively unknown, we’ve been able to introduce our customers to a varied and interesting selection and at a good price. It’s always exciting to discover new suppliers doing interesting M y father Regis and I own Amelie - a restaurant in Cambridge known for flammekueche (a skinny pizza which we’ve adapted from the traditional Alsace dish and introduced over here). It’s a tasty fast food that has attracted loyal customers and numerous awards including the Good Food Guide’s 2024 only ‘Little Gem’ in Cambridgeshire. We’re pleased to have also launched Amelie Distribution, the UK’s first flammekueche distribution and wholesale service supplying quality bases to the hospitality and leisure industries. With the simplicity of our dishes, top quality ingredients are key, and having trust in our suppliers to consistently provide that quality is crucial. Over the 30 or so years that With the simplicity of our dishes, top quality ingredients are key and having trust in our suppliers to consistently provide that quality is crucial T he debate over whether fresh or dried pasta is better is one that will likely never be settled. There is one school of thought that pasta made and consumed on the same day is infinitely better. But ask any Italian (they eat an average of 20kg of the stuff per year), and they’ll tell you it really depends on the season and the dish you’re cooking. Dried pasta – the artisan bronze- drawn type – really is superior at ‘holding’ sauces, which cling effortlessly to its porous surface. Dried pasta is often cheaper, easy to store, has a long shelf life, and gives consumers and chefs access to numerous grain varietals. Fresh pasta eating, on the other hand, tends to fall into two camps. There are the home cooks who want to roll up their sleeves of a weekend, flexing their muscles as they wrestle their own dough into silky folds of pasta sheets or lengths of spaghetti. Then there are the convenientists –who appreciate the snappy cooking time of ready-prepared fresh pasta. Sheets for layering al forno dishes and getting them to the table super-quick. Or filled pastas that cook inminutes, packing a punch of flavour that requires little more than a dressing of oil or butter and a dusting of Parmesan. Artisanal fresh filled pasta is the perfect solution for today’s consumer, who research shows is increasingly looking for easymeal solutions that put quality first. There’s a world of choice in this sector. From the rich, slow-braised lamb-filled agnolotti parcels of the Piedmont region, to delicate- skinned tortellini, and plump, deep-filled ravioli. Their time-saving quality, and appeal to a broad spectrum of people (from singles, to couples, to families trying to squeeze a decent meal in between swimming lessons and homework) makes these pastas an excellent choice for retailers wanting to tick all the convenience boxes this spring. Garofalo has six varieties to choose from– all made with the same rich, yolky coloured dough, formed with just flour, semolina and free-range eggs. Porous and delicate, yet toothsome, each piece is deeply filled for maximum impact, and crafted without anything artificial. things. Messiah Mushrooms, for example, is run by Kelly and Arash, whose innovative skills turn waste into high value products. To address food scarcity and demand for fresh non-meat produce locally, they’ve developed ideal living conditions for fabulous fresh oyster mushrooms, mixing waste cardboard with straw, waste coffee from local cafes, and oyster mushroom spawn. As the mushrooms grow they are bathed in a 528Hz frequency sound and misted with restructured water. The delivery of a basketful of these unique tasting fungi really inspires us to cook. Hot Numbers Coffee is another great local independent. Being able to offer our customers a really good cup of coffee is a must for us. This speciality roaster in Cambridge loves its coffee! It ethically sources quality beans and trades directly with suppliers to ensure farmers get rewarded for their hard work based on a quality score that each coffee is given. Working closely with them, we’ve got a great choice for our customers and can buy at a competitive price to pass on.