Speciality Food Magazine May 2024

@specialityfood 26 SUPER-PREMIUM-PLUS TEQUILAS ARE FORECAST TO ACCOUNT FOR 50% OF THE CATEGORY’S GLOBAL VOLUME, UP FROM 13% IN 2016 IWSR 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 * TORTILLA CHIPS CAPSICANA Made with just three ingredients, using a traditional Mexican method, before being cut, flash-fried and lightly salted. Great on their own, or with a dip. capsicana.co.uk CHIPOTLE SALSA SALSA STORIES A complex, layered salsa, with coriander, lime and smoky overtones of chipotle chilli. A delicious way to enhance any meal. salsastories.co.uk EL YUCATECI HABANERO GREEN MEXGROCER A fiery hot sauce made with fresh green habareno peppers. A staple in authentic Mexican cuisine. mexgrocer.co.uk TEX MEX SPICE BLEND SPICE KITCHEN A feisty blend of chilli, garlic and oregano, with a hint of cumin. Suitable for use in many Mexican dishes. spicekitchenuk.com BLUE TEQUILA BUTTERFLY CANNON A beautiful, colour-changing tequila with notes of clementine and prickly pear, and a finish of strawberry, watermelon, fig and banana. butterflycannontequila.com WHITE CORN TORTILLAS MASA TORTILLAS Gluten-free, soft corn tortillas, made fresh at Masa’s UK tortilleria three times a week. At 13cms in size, they are ideal for tacos, taquitos, quesadillas and more. masa-tortillas.co.uk M exican cuisine has been bubbling under the radar for years in the UK. With numerous trend-watchers citing its fiesta of flavours as a must-stock for 2024. “Mexican food is one of only four cuisines that have been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity fromUNESCO,” Eduardo Gomez, sales director at Mexgrocer, an importer and distributor of authentic Mexican food, tells Speciality Food . quesadillas and chilli con carne, newer recipes making headway include birria, a spicy smoky hearty stew; tamales, a tasty street food made from corn dough with a multitude of fillings and steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf; and corn elotes (corn cobs smothered in creamy/spicy sauce with chilli and Cotija cheese,” Heather says. Even a taco or burrito can be dressed up with authentic mole sauce and freshly made salsa or a new filling, like tacos al pastor, made withmarinated pork, which is a national dish inMexico. Authentic Mexican dishes are oftenmade with fresh ingredients, including many that fine food shops will already stock – from chicken, fish and seafood to pinto beans, coriander, chilli and lime. MEXICAN TIPPLES On the drinks front, tequila and mezcal, spirits made from the country’s agave plant, have seen a spike in popularity in the UK – and globally. Now, the market is favouring premium products: by 2026, drinks analysts at IWSR say super-premium- plus tequilas are forecast to account for 40% of the category’s global volume, up from 13% as recently as 2016. Eduardo has long been banging the drum for authentic tequila and mezcal in Britain, having founded the first ever Tequila and Mezcal Fest in the UK, which is now the largest festival of Mexican spirits in Europe. “Mexican alcoholic drinks are ever increasing in popularity,” Heather says. “Premium tequila and mezcal sales continue to grow as consumers become more aware of their quality. The rise in cocktail culture has also added to the sales increase, with the Margarita being the most popular according to Google.” There are numerous brands fitting into this trend, such as El Rayo Tequila, Tequila Enemigo, Mirror Margarita and more. “Interest inMexican alcoholic drinks is extending to others, including sotol, which unlike tequila and mezcal is made from the sotol plant from the Chihuahuan desert,” Heather adds. Examples that are available in the UK include La Higuera Wheeleri Sotol and Nocheluna Sotol. Mexican soft drinks also pose an interesting stocking idea for retailers who want to promote the ‘authentic Mexican experience’. “Tepache, a delicious, refreshing drink which is made from fermented pineapple peels is small but growing, and I forecast as one to watch,” Heather says. “It fits in so well with the interest in all things fermented. “Hibiscus flavoured drinks are another one to watch; it’s unique sweet but earthy taste combines so well withmany fruits, bringing another dimension to sodas,” she says. Frommixers, like Belvoir Farm’s Floral Fizz Botanical Mixer, to health-focused drinks like Pomegranate & Hibiscus Kefir Water fromAgua de Madre or simple Hibiscus Lemonade from Sipp’d, hibiscus drinks are already hitting the UKmarket. Mexican food and drink have taken off in a big way in the UK... and consumer appetite only looks to be growing WHY MEXICAN FOOD IS THETRENDTO WATCH IN2024 Traditional Mexican food, UNESCO says, is founded on corn, beans and chilli, as well as unique farming methods, cooking processes and utensils, like grinding stones and stone mortars. The country is also home to native ingredients, such as varieties of tomatoes, squashes, avocados, cocoa and vanilla, that “augment the basic staples”. What’s more, Mexico is one of the top five most visited countries in the world, attracting people from all over the planet, “and once you’ve tried the real, authentic food, there is no way back,” Eduardo says. WHY IS THE TREND RISING? Why is there a sudden buzz around all things Mexican? According to Bidfood, althoughmany Brits are familiar withMexican cuisine in its TexMex form– with nachos and burritos featuring onmany a menu – it’s the authentic experience that consumers in the UK are now after. “Mexican cuisine has a much greater breadth and depth of food culture to discover than the handful of recipes we are most familiar with,” the wholesaler says. Indeed, 44% of Brits have already tried Mexican food, says Bidfood, and the cuisine has been around in the UK for decades. “Café Pacifico claims to have been first on the scene in London, having opened in 1982,” says Heather Morris of SH Foodie, which supports food and drink brands with development. “Inmy own Bristol neighbourhood, Casa Mexicana (opened in 1986) has been serving up Mexican favourites from the same address ever since.” Another reason for the change in heart is the sheer adaptability of Mexican cuisine. With varied food options and spice levels, it can shift to suit most food preferences, including bothmeat and non-meat eaters, and young and old alike. “It’s a bit more exciting, but so accessible,” Heather says. Eduardo adds that the growth of the Mexican restaurant scene in the UK has also been instrumental. Restaurants and bars like KOL, Hacha, Doña and Cavita have appeared in London, for example. This is “creating brand awareness and better reputation of Mexican food in the UK,” he says. THE TOP MEXICAN FOODS TO STOCK Retailers should be quick to jump on the Mexican bandwagon, as there are plenty of opportunities to explore. Start by getting the basics right. For Mexgrocer, bestsellers right now include speciality dried chillies, like chipotle and ancho, as well as corn soft tortillas, which also happen to be gluten free, and green and red salsas. For those who are ready to look beyond familiar formats, Mexican food offers countless options. “As well as the well-known fajitas, enchiladas, BRITS’ FAVOURITE MEXICAN FOOD TO MAKE AT HOME Chilli con carne Burritos Nachos Salsa Fajitas Guacamole