Speciality-Food-June-2025

2 @specialityfood EDITOR’S LETTER 34 41 James Grant No2 Pound Street REGULARS 10 FarmShop Focus: Craigie’s FarmShop 12 Product News 24 Centre Spread: Northern Irish Pantry 26 TrendWatch: Chilli 38 Counterpoint: Tastings & Samplings 40 Cheese Uncut 46 Last Words FEATURES 14 Regional Stars 21 Love Your Pantry 22 On the Pulse 27 Pantry Heroes 30 Stocking Essentials 32 Flavour Boosters 33 Sweeten Your Sales 34 A Canny Crunch 39 Great Yorkshire Show Cheese & Dairy Awards 2025 42 International Cheese & Dairy Awards 2025 44 Striving for Better 27 W elcome to the June issue of Speciality Food, where summer is well and truly in full swing. This issue we've honed in on the glory of a well-stocked pantry. A boon to both retailers and consumers, a cupboard full to the brimwith an array of delicious food is a pleasure like no other; and in 2025 it offers an opportunity for fine food independents to really shine. We all know the power of provenance, and pantry essentials are a great place to start. Frompasta hailing from the heart of Italy to flour that brings local communities together, the storecupboard is a cornucopia of potential for foodies who love a story. Speaking of which, we're proud to share the winners of our Regional Stars project in this issue, too. Alongside Speciality & Fine Food Fair, we've travelled the length and breadth of the UK to uncover 25 food and drink businesses whose locale runs through their veins. These regional stars are prime examples of what this great nation is capable of when it comes to food and drink: truly excellent produce created with love in support of their community. I hope you enjoy. HOLLY SHACKLETON | EDITOR holly.shackleton@artichokehq.com 44