Speciality Food April 2025

55 LAST WORDS The final word on fine food SMASH FOODS RASPBERRY CHIA FRUIT SPREAD We’re all leading busy lives, and we’re all conscious of what we put into our bodies, and products that provide health benefits without needing to add or take away from our usual habits and preferences tick a lot of boxes in 2025. Smash Foods’ Raspberry Chia Fruit Spread is the perfect example; an easy switch-out for conventional raspberry jambut with the added health boost of chia seeds, it’s delicious on toast, with porridge, and however else you enjoy your jams. All that, and it contains no added sugar. atlanteuk.co.uk LOUISEBEES SOMERSET BEES’ RAW SOFT CREAMED HONEY A great quality honey is undoubtedly one of the finer things in life, particularly when you consider the headlines about the dark side of mass-produced honey, so this jar fromLouisebees holds a much-loved place in my store cupboard. I’ve been using it in place of sugar for all manner of drinks and dishes, and its raw credentials mean that every health-giving part of the honey is retained for my family and I to benefit from. Created by lovingly cared for bees in Frome, Somerset, this honey satisfies the growing demand for both ethics and taste. louisebees.com POCO PICANTE SALSA CHIPOTLE All too often salsas can be overly (and unnecessarily) sweet, which is one reason why I was delighted to discover Poco Picante’s two-strong range of 100% natural and no-added-sugar salsas in squeezy pouches. The chipotle option was particularly appetising, bringing a subtle smokiness to all manner of dishes –we even tried it as a base for a Mexican- inspired pizza – and the fact that it’s suitable for both vegans and those following a gluten-free diet makes it even better. It’s not too chunky, either, which helps with its delicious versatility. pocopicante.co.uk PARTNER CONTENT THE INDEPENDENT SHOPPER though this changes weekly, we don’t have to go too far for anything we need. What we can’t source from the Estate itself, we get from brilliant local suppliers – this might be local cider, rapeseed oil, cheese... As we’re prepping each dish in front of our twelve guests, we talk about producers and suppliers of different ingredients that are going onto a plate. We describe what it is that guests are about to eat, including where the produce has come from and if relevant, the people involved in making or supplying the ingredients. We’re proud to celebrate the best of Yorkshire during every service. We work with Cryer & Stott who are local cheese producers and suppliers based out of Castleford. W e’re based in the Cookery School at Swinton Estate near Masham in North Yorkshire. This is perfectly set up for our countertop delivery of my cooking style, which is a bit of a mix of the classic with the modern. Chef’s Table is all about seasonality with a menu that changes every week and it’s driven by the ingredients we can source from the Estate – especially the fantastic game – and from the local Yorkshire area. Everything is pretty much right on our doorstep as the Estate itself is 20,000 acres – that’s plenty to inspire our menus! Swinton is a bit of a food lover’s paradise, and we have an ‘estate to plate’ ethos across all of the restaurants, including Chef’s Table. It’s very important for us to work closely with all our suppliers of Chef’s Table ingredients.The menu at Chef’s Table is very ingredient led and even Josh Barnes of Chef’s Table with Josh Barnes at Swinton Estate TRIED & TESTED They do some pretty exciting, really mature cheeses and make cheese for the Royal family. Then there’s Thornborough Cider about five or so miles away – like us, they’re located on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales (near Ripon). This is a small batch craft cider made from local apples, all from a small barn. We serve Thornborough’s Prosecco-style cider in a flute glass as a fruity and aromatic sparkling welcome drink (and it’s on the drinks menu, too). And where Swinton ends, the farmland of R&J begins – their farm in Nidderdale is called Waterford Farm. They are a family bovine farm and butcher who are very passionate about beef, so when we can’t source our own from the Estate, we buy our beef from them. We try to meet up with our supplier teams at least a couple of times a year to try new produce and see what they have happening. Our menu is changing all the time anyway and we will always try and use the Estate produce as much as possible. Where we can’t, we fill in the gaps with artisanal suppliers and responsible sourcing is something that the whole Estate is committed to. SPRING CLEAN YOUR ITALIAN SELECTION It’s time to give your range of Italian goods a refresh I talian cuisine is loved across households throughout the UK, with the vast majority of households considering a simple pasta dish a weeknight staple. High quality sauces and pestos, not to mention world- famous Italian cheeses such as Parmiggiano Reggiano, are family favourites – and top-sellers – on these shores with good reason, providing ample flavour alongside convenience and long shelf lives, but it’s worth experimenting beyond the tried and tested products to inspire your customers to try something new. This doesn’t have to be scary – or expensive. Jars of antipasti, think sunblushed tomatoes and artichoke hearts as well as nocellara and expertly brined black olives, could well rev up your customer base to level-up a cheese and/or charcuterie board or whizz up a sauce for pastas or risottos. For those struggling for time, a range of mouth watering ready-to- cookmeal solutions are a boon and can help elevate a speedy family meal. For example, truffle and pistachio pesto will enhance family- favourite (basil) pesto pasta into something all adults will be excited to eat, especially when topped with crisped-up charcuterie. Penne and spaghetti are the most likely pasta shapes to be in British cupboards at any given time, so it makes sense to stock them– an elevated version using traditional techniques, at least – but it’s worth branching out into lesser-known shapes to intrigue your customers andmake what could be a basic 20-minute dish into something special. Some work best with chunkymeat and vegetable sauces, some with smooth tomato or cream ones, and others still can be used to add bolster to soups and broths. Burrata may be a little diva-ish when it comes to shelf life, but with its popularity across social media and restaurant menus – it’s ubiquitous these days, especially during the warmer months – it is worth stocking in addition to Mozzarella and offers those who haven’t tried it an indulgent alternative to the more staple cheese. Everything is prettymuch right on our doorstep