Speciality Food Feb/March 2024

12 @specialityfood U p and down the country there’s a common and pressing challenge facing the likes of speciality food and drink businesses such as delicatessens, farm shops, and cheesemongers. Dwindling footfall, and intense competition from high street corporate entities requires a call to action. But what can be done? It is said that one can measure the pulse of the high street by the level of footfall and the sense of community. The link between the two is like an ever-decreasing circle. As footfall declines, shops are quieter, resulting in a slow death of that sense of local community. Businesses such as fine food retailers, with their array of artisanal produce, stop being the social hubs they were in the past. The struggle they face is not just economic and is not just theirs alone. It’s about preserving the unique character of neighbourhoods, and maintaining that sense of ‘togetherness’ that is lacking in the striplighted worlds of the megastore supermarkets. The issue is that we can all wait for a miraculous turnaround, but that’s not my style. I feel that if we want a change to happen, we as business owners need to try and do something proactively to make a difference. Sitting on my local town advisory group, ideas were floated around on what could be done to bring more shoppers into the town centre and our independent shops – to encourage the footfall naturally generated in this space to move around the town and to get businesses involved and engaged. By forging partnerships with the town council and local event teams, we set about creating the type of attraction that’s popular across venues and destinations in MARK KACARY THE NORFOLK DELI The issue is that we can all wait for amiraculous turnaround, but that’s notmy style. I feel that if wewant a change to happen, we as business owners need to try and do something proactively tomake a difference Collaboration is key to the survival of high street indies the UK, but next to non-existent in many town centres – a food and drink festival. The inception of the first regional festival of its kind on our high street is a beacon of collective effort and innovation. This initiative represents more than a single celebration – it's a testament to what can be achieved when local businesses and authorities unite with a common goal: to revitalise the heart of the community. March will mark a pivotal moment for our high street with the launch of the inaugural food and drink festival, which is set to host more than 30 local producers, showcasing a kaleidoscope of regional culinary delights. From artisan cheeses to homemade preserves, it promises a feast for the senses. Based on numbers seen at other similar events, and combined with the anticipated pent-up demand for something like this locally, the anticipated footfall increase is significant. This surge should not only serve as a much-needed lifeline for local businesses, but also as a day where community spirit and local commerce blend harmoniously. For high street businesses, particularly those in rural locations, attractions like this present a golden opportunity. Businesses can benefit by showcasing their best offerings, creating special promotions, and engaging actively with the community. Think outside the box – collaborate with fellow vendors, host mini-events, and leverage social media. It's a chance to not only boost sales but also to forge lasting customer relationships. An event, whether it’s a food and drink festival in a town centre or something else, shouldn’t be seen as just a day's event - it's a blueprint for revitalisation. It demonstrates how collaboration and innovation can breathe new life into our communities. I’m not saying that this model will work everywhere, and it might not be 100% successful from day one, but even with it being just a few weeks away, it is already creating a buzz locally, and that’s not a bad starter for 10. NEWS IN NUMBERS 16Weeks Is the amount of time free-range eggs can currently be labelled as such if mandatory housing measures are introduced during outbreaks of avian flu. After this time they must be labelled as barn eggs according to Egg Marketing Standards Regulations. New proposals, currently under consultation, seek to amend the rules so that producers will no longer need to change how eggs are labelled during housing orders. This could save farmers considerable money and reduce pressures on industry. £198.1 million Worth of food was exported to Canada from the UK in 2023, with cheese high up the list of products sought by the country. Currently trade talks between Britain and Canada are halted due to repeated attempts to force the UK into altering its food safety rules. “The government’s decision to walk away from trade talks aimed at enhancing the trading relationship between the UK and Canada would have been difficult, but it’s the right decision,” said NFU president, Minette Batters. 1950s Scientists who selected singular strains of mould for ripening Camembert in Normandy in the 50s may have inadvertently set the course for the cheese’s demise. Restricting the multitude of fungi used to one variety has had a huge impact on the production of spores, with the future of both Camembert and Brie at high risk. Olives Et Al pulls out of wholesale supply The business will sell direct to independents for the forseeable future Olives Et Al, the 30-year-old artisan food business specialising in olives, extra virgin olive oils and other Mediterranean foods, has chosen to cease distribution through its wholesale partners due to huge increases in the cost of olive oil and olives. “Extra virgin olive oil has tripled in cost since last January, and the cost of olives is up by between 50% and 80% for this harvest,” reported founder Giles Henschel. “With regret, we’ve had to inform a number of our wholesale partners, like Cotswold Fayre, Cress, Holleys, PWFine Foods and Artisan Food Club, amongst others, that we can no longer supply under the current onslaught of cost increases. As a result, we have brought our supply to them to a close until prices and costs return to more normal levels. Instead, we are choosing to keep our prices as they are so we can supply direct to the independents without increasing costs to consumers, which, in the current cost-of-living crisis, we feel is the best thing we can do to support our customers.” Asked why the rises had been so dramatic in the last 12 months, Giles reported that climate change was now both a major factor and reality. "Some areas of Greece were 90% down and we know of producers in Italy who simply didn’t harvest at all as there was nothing to pick."