Speciality Food Magazine June 2024

14 STOCK CHECK S P E C I A L I T Y F O O D M A G A Z I N E * 2 0 2 4 * MR ORGANIC AUBERGINE RAGU A sweetly savoury sauce made with all-organic ingredients, including Mr Organic’s own ripe tomatoes. Wonderful in pasta or as a pizza topping. mr-organic.com TRUE ORIGIN KILOMBERO LONG GRAIN BROWN RICE A tasty rice grown sustainably in Malawi, with a fair price guaranteed for farmers. Nutritious and ideal for consumers tapping into the gut health trend. trueorigin.org.uk SEGGIANO WHOLEWHEAT BUSIATI Premium organic pasta with a low gluten index. Made from freshly milled ancient wholegrains to maximise fibre. Crafted by a family in Sicily. seggiano.com GAROFALO ORGANIC WHOLEWHEAT FUSILLI A smooth, wholesome, delicious organic product, made in the birthplace of pasta by artisans. pasta-garofalo.com RISO GALLO CARNAROLI RISOTTO 1856 PORCINI Prepared with a traditional recipe, mixing high quality dehydrated ingredients with the very best Carnaroli rice. Easy to prepare, and utterly delicious. risogallo.co.uk BIO ORTO PUTTANESCA TOMATO SAUCE Bio Orto grows all of its own produce organically, and this exquisite sauce is an authentically delicious expression of its ripe tomatoes, olives and capers. justgourmetfoods.co.uk SAUCERER WILD MUSHROOM & TRUFFLE OIL PESTO Elevate your pasta with this vegan- friendly sauce, packed with five different wild mushrooms and generous amounts of natural black truffle oil. thesaucerer.co.uk SUMA ORGANIC RIGATONI OAT PASTA A gluten-free, light pasta, made using organic rice, corn and oats in the traditional way, with bronze dies. suma-store.coop IBIS RICE SEMI-MILLED LONG GRAIN RICE Sustainably grown in Cambodia where farmers are given a better price for their crops, while caring for local nature. A versatile, delicious rice. ibisrice.com PROFUSION RED LENTIL FUSILLI Protein packed, and powered by plants, this grain-free pasta delivers on flavour and function. Quick to cook. Just add your favourite sauce. profusionorganic.co.uk @specialityfood SPICY NDUJA BOLOGNESE AMATRICIANA PESTO (ESPECIALLY TRUFFLE-INFUSED) ARRABIATTA BASIL AND TOMATO PUTTANESCA NORMA MUST-STOCK SAUCES those looking tomanage their weight, and those eating a plant-based diet.” Suma has also recently increased its pasta line, offering an array of new organic, gluten-free oat pastas which mimic the texture of the wheat-based classic perfectly. “We try to give people choice and options,” says Suma’s Sophie Ziegler-Jones. “We have our wheat pastas, many of which aremade fromheritage grains, and gluten free options. Our new oat pasta is one of the first tomarket, and we have some NPD going on in other types of legume-based pastas.” The demand for gluten free products endures, Sophie says, with food in this category being chosen not only by coeliacs and those with intolerances, but by consumers searching for ingredients that feel lighter, andmore digestible. “Our oat pasta ismade with a combination of oat, corn and rice flours, so it’s got quite a delicate taste, and a tender texture. It works really well in a pasta salad,” she adds. “I think customers are looking for quality pasta, authentic pasta and for unusual ingredients – and this ticks all of those boxes.” Shapes include rigatoni, linguine and casarecce –made in Italy, using bronze die casts. They all cook quickly, making them ideal for time- pushed shoppers. “It can be quite easy to go over when cooking pasta,” Sophie admits. “But our oat pastas are a bit more forgiving and hold their firmness well.” Beyond its texture and taste, Sophie says the brand hits themark on sustainability as well. “The pasta comes in a cardboard boxmade from sustainablymanaged forests, and it lasts just as long as it would in plastic packaging. “And our heritage wheat pasta is made with organic wheat grown by a Fairtrade co-operative of farmers, ground in their ownmill, andmixed with local hillside spring water before being crafted on site, using 100% renewable energy. “Being Fairtrademeans a transparent and fair method is used to calculate the price the farmers get, which reduces the volatility inmarket price, and gives a guarantee the farmers harvest will be collected and paid for at an agreed rate.” Within the co-operative work is ongoing into growing and trialling ancient organic wheat varieties which will adapt to challenging climates, promoting sustainable agriculture, and better soil fertility. Addison agrees that organic farming practices remain crucial to consumers. “Seggiano champions organic farming, usingminimum- intervention agriculture and local cultivar preservation to nourish healthy ecosystems and a thriving food system,” Addison says, adding that the commitment extends beyond certification, with a focus on traceable, high-quality ingredients. “We avoid industrial blends, favouring single- source ingredients that connect food to its terroir and guarantee origin.” Rice that sustains Much has beenwritten about the sustainability of rice, with bad practice in the industry pointed out by environmentalists. But a new breed of rice purveyor is coming up through the ranks. Sun Valley Rice in California works with farms within a 100-mile radius to bring nutritious, sustainably grown kernels (processed in its solar-poweredmill) tomarket. Nice Rice launched to sell heritage basmati rice with fairer prices for farmers, and a lower carbon impact. And IBIS rice ismakingmoves to showhow sustainable rice can be, giving better choice to retailers and consumers. Al Overton, the brand’s UK advisor says UK consumers want tomake better choices but “much of the time we are so far removed from where our food comes from, how it is produced, or who it is grown by, that it is impossible to knowwhy better options are needed and the impact that they can have.” He takes rice as an example. “It is generally bought and soldmore than 10 times between the customer who eats it and the farmer who grew it. Farmers who are often stuck in a hand-to-mouth cycle, with no ability to invest in their future, and no insurance against the impact that climate change or water shortages could have on the harvest.” IBIS Rice is proving different businessmodels are possible, by short-cutting lengthy supply chain models, working withmore than 2,000 farming families in Cambodia, living in the last remaining indigenous forest of South-East Asia. “They grow one crop a year of organic rice in rhythmwith the seasonal flooding of the land and, in exchange for their stewardship of the forest, are paid a 70% premium for their crop, given training on climate resilience, free seed, and pre-harvest financing if needed,” Al says. Our recommendation to retailers is ‘know your customer’ and, of course, cater for different wallets, but don’t dismiss selling a higher quality line GIANFRANCO PERRI, JUST GOURMET FOODS