Speciality-Food-June-2025

PANTRY STAPLES specialityfoodmagazine.com Organic Strong White). “We think this reflects the fact that more andmore people are baking bread at home, with the rise in breadmaker technology (both in terms of improving results and wider availability), as well as the growing interest in sourdough baking in recent years.” It’s time to consider stocking organic Organic products are also a valuable option for discerning retailers and customers. “With health and SUMA ORGANIC HARICOT BEANS Plump, creamy and organic, these are packed full of fibre and can be used in all kinds of cooking, from home- made baked beans to stews. suma-store.coop MATTHEWS COTSWOLD CRUNCH FLOUR A speciality blend of strong bread flour, malted wheat flakes and malt flour with a nutty taste and a signature darker colour. cotswoldflour.com DOVES FARM WHOLEMEAL RYE FLOUR A distinctively tangy stoneground ancient grain flour for making close- textured breads, cakes and biscuits. dovesfarm.co.uk BOLD BEAN CO QUEEN BUTTER BEANS Protein-rich and with a creamy texture, these add a touch of luxury to storecupboards. boldbeanco.com STOCK CHECK sustainability continuing to be key drivers for consumer purchase, organic flour with its ‘better for me and the planet’ proposition is leading the way inmeeting this demand, says Clare Marriage, founder of Doves Farm. “Whilst there has been an emergence of brands making green claims, organic is recognised as the authentically (and only legally defined) sustainable option in the market: shoppers realise that buying organic has a positive outcome for nature, soil and the health of our planet with proven benefits, whilst also enabling them to reduce their own exposure to a potential cocktail of chemicals.” The hot topic of ultra processed foods feeds into this, too. “The ongoing conversation surrounding UPFs is also fuelling a trend towards cooking and baking from scratch,” says Clare. “Consumers are becoming more aware of product ingredients, their overall nutrition and how they are made, which again plays in organic flour’s favour, as it is always made with fully traceable ingredients grown to the toughest and independently verified, organic standards and with no artificial additives, pesticides and fertilisers. Next-gen pulses Far from supermarket scenes of row upon row of tinned pulses, fine food independents can offer pulses in an appetising cornucopia of jars and rustic bags to bring them into the foodie gifting market as well as store cupboard stockers. Alongside this attractive new appearance, the flavours showcased by high quality products is better than ever before and opening shoppers up to their culinary potential. “I think the shopper got used to quite one-dimensional flavours and now sees that these foods, if selected well, contribute to the flavour of a dish in their own right,” explains Monika. “They are food and gastronomy in one.” MUST-STOCK PULSES Monika Linton of Brindisa shares insight into the pulses category gleaned from 30 year of selling them in the UK ● Lentils are the most popular because they are easy to cook from dry (no soaking needed and cooking time quite short) and have been around for years at a level of quality that is very respectable thanks to the Puy variety from France. They are also super full of iron so very healthy. Pre- cooked lentils have added convenience. ● Chickpeas would be the biggest seller of all thanks to the Eastern Mediterranean influences and humous that has taken over every party in town. ●White beans of varying shapes and sizes come next, with the plump Spanish Judion butter bean being quite a revolutionary item. This was the bean that blew our chef’s minds in the 90s, a butter bean that was 3cm long by 1cm by 1 cm plump. Despite the high price they attract they never stop selling, but they have to be good.