Speciality Food Magazine June 2024

18 @specialityfood 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 * WHITE FUDGE FROSTY ORKNEY BAKERY The bakery’s shortbread biscuit base, smothered in its smooth caramel, with a fudgy white chocolate topping. orkneybakery.co.uk CHERRY & ALMOND BISCUITS CARTWRIGHT & BUTLER New to the range. Luxury biscuits designed to deliver the taste of a Bakewell, with almond, and chewy nuggets of cherry. Presented in a perfectly pink gift tin. cartwrightandbutler.co.uk HARISSA WITH CHILLI AND CUMIN ISLAND BAKERY The bakery’s organic Isle of Mull Cheddar shortbreads, infused with gently tongue-tingling harissa, chilli and cumin. Melt-in-the-mouth. islandbakery.scot CHILLI, GINGER & CUMIN CRADOC’S CRACKERS CRADOC’S SAVOURY BISCUITS Delightfully warming crackers in eye- catching packaging. Made with only the best ingredients, including flour from a Welsh co-operative. cradocssavourybiscuits.co.uk BALSAMIC VINEGAR & CARAMELISED ONION SEEDED SNACKERS OLINA’S Deliciously piquant and savoury gluten-free snacks with a satisfying crunch. Crammed with nutritious seeds. gourmetpartners.co.uk PUMPKIN & SUNFLOWER SEED SOURDOUGH CRACKERS PETER’S YARD Snappy, wholesome sourdough crackers flecked with seeds. Marvellous with all types of cheese, or alongside dips and pates. petersyard.com WHOLEMEAL & EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL CRACKERS SNOWDONIA CHEESE CO Designed to complement the entire Snowdonia Cheese Co range (and other cheeses of course). Delicious, and with a satisfying snap. snowdoniacheese.co.uk OAT FLIPS FARMHOUSE BISCUITS The brand’s bestsellers. Moreish, crumbly, open-textured biscuits that taste of home. Available in plain, milk and dark chocolate varieties. farmhouse-biscuits.co.uk CHEDDAR WAFERS GOOD GUYS BAKEHOUSE Shaking up the savoury biscuit aisle, these light, crisp and moreish wafers are infused with real Cheddar, and contain just five calories each. goodguysbakehouse.co.uk MATURE CHEDDAR CRACKERS TREGROES A new way to enjoy the brand’s signature waffles. Savoury, filled with real Cheddar cheese, and with a toothsome crunch. Delicious alone or with your favourite toppings. tregroeswaffles.co.uk Olina’s Seeded Snackers are making waves too. “Even consumers who would not normally seek out seed-based products are delighted by the taste of our Roasted Beetroot, or Caramelised Onion and Balsamic Vinegar, bite-sized snack products. In fact, as a business it’s been difficult to keep up with demand for these. But that’s a good problem to have!” Naturally, seeded crackers, which are loaded with fibre and nutrients, appeal to the gut-health set too. Alongside gluten free, another area of potential growth in biscuits is lower sugar, or sugar free. Alex Brassill, founder of JNCK Bakery, says although the sweet biscuit category is growing year-on-year, it’s still behind on other sectors from a health innovation perspective, and he believes it’s remained “relatively stagnant” despite desire from consumers to reduce their sugar intake. There’s plenty of room, Alex says, for sweet biscuit makers to capitalise on the demand for reduced sugar options, whether that’s reformulating recipes, creating new, lower sugar recipes, or even considering formats for portion control. As a child, Alex loved the gooey cookies at school but, even then, recognised they were unhealthy, filling the paper bags they arrived in with grease. “I always wanted to replicate those cookies in taste, without all the bad stuff – hence the launch of JNCK Bakery.” Alex’s products have been rated HFSS compliant, containing 90% less sugar and 50% less saturated fat than the average competitor. “What’s more, we’ve added good stuff. Three times more protein, and five times more fibre than other cookies. We’ve used ingredients such Printed and personalised biscuits are taking off in a big way, says Katrin Hoffman of DTM, which has seen hot demand for its Eddie Edible Ink Printer. The printer (the only one certified for use in a food environment) is being snapped up not just by hobbyists, but by cake and biscuit decorators, cafes, hotels and franchises. “They’re seeing high demand for bespoke and personalised products for corporate events and private occasions such as anniversaries, weddings and christenings,” Katrin explains. “What we realised is, personalisation can help brands make a strong connection with their customers. If there’s something that has your name on it, it builds that connection.” MAKING IT PERSONAL as pea protein for satiation, prebiotic fibre for gut health, and a bespoke, low sugar, protein chocolate.” Alex says now is the time for retailers to sit up and take notice of the amount of sugar on their shelves. “Recent government legislationmeans that high losses are predicted in HFSS categories, with biscuit snacks predicted to be the second worst hit,” he adds. “As more awareness of health continues amongst consumers, retailers and foodservice outlets will have to adapt to selling, and listing and marketing will need to shift to follow rules around what can and can’t be promoted.” Alex says retailers should be prioritising healthier biscuits “in the way they already do in other sectors”, adding he hopes they are increasingly seen not as a ‘niche’ offering or a ‘compromise’, but as “food items that have been created to be indulgent, while still being good for you”.