Speciality-Food-Magazine-November-December-2024

Top tips for upselling For Patrick, cheeses also provide a great opportunity to cross sell products fromother ranges. He suggests allowing customers to taste the cheeses and tell the back story through clever merchandising and promotions, whilst thinking about matching with other EU products. Patrick explains, “If someone is buying QuesoManchego PDO for Christmas, it naturally goes well with Oloroso Sherry, Rioja, quince and Spanish olive oil crackers. Camembert de Normandie PDO is great with Normandy cider or Calvados. Smoked Irish cheddar pairs well with Irishwhiskey PGI, or try Roquefort with Sauternes PDO, a French sweet wine, and French walnuts. There is truth in the adage ‘what grows together goes together’ so look at offering a goat’s cheese such as Crottin de Chavignol PDOwith a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc.” Patrick also believes there will be a goodmarket for baking cheeses, such as Camembert, Vacherin PDO and Brie. He adds, “Blues are king at Christmas with softer moremellow blues like Gorgonzola PDO, Cambozola and Bleu d’Auvergne PDO taking somemarket share away fromStilton. Sweet nutty cheeses, such as Comté PDO, are also really popular because they work well on cheeseboards, but alsomelt well.” Wines to toast the festive season Neil McAndrew, advisor to the EU’s ‘More Than Only Food & Drink Campaign’ and a wine industry professional of 30 years standing, specialityfoodmagazine.com 15 The EU’s protected traditional and regional dairy products, extend far beyond the likes of French Roquefort PDO, Italian Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and Spanish Queso Manchego PDO. As with curedmeats, there are longstanding and highly respected examples of cheeses the length and breadth of the continent. Kalathaki Limnou PDO is a soft creamy brined cheese fromGreece, Lithuania’s Lietuviškas varškės sūris PGI has milky, smoky flavours that pair well with jam and honey. The diverse characteristics of cheese come from the milk and production techniques used. Croatia’s Paški sir PDO is produced from a unique breed of sheep known for their intensely saltymilk, whilst Austrian Tiroler Bergkäse PDO is characterised by its powerful, fully aromatic taste from cows that graze on Alpine pastures. Danish Danablu PGI is often referred to as the country’s equivalent to Italy’s Gorgonzola PDO and Sörmlands Ädel PGI fromSweden has tangy, salty flavours expected of blue cheese. According to PatrickMcGuigan, cheese writer and educator and advisor to the ‘More Than Only Food & Drink’ campaign, “Vacherin du Haut-Doubs PDO fromFrance has become a really popular Christmas treat”. He adds, “10 years ago few people in the UK had heard of the cheese, but the start of its production season (Vacherin PDO is onlymade in winter) is now eagerly awaited by Brits. As a festive treat, truffled cheeses are also popular, such as truffled brie, Canestrato di Moliterno PGI and truffled sheep’s milk cheeses fromSpain.” expects French, Italian and Spanish wines to be the best performing this Christmas, with Cava PDO, Crémant, Champagne PDO and Prosecco PDO, likely to have strong sales. “Whilst still relatively small, the growth of natural wines cannot be underestimated, and Petillant Naturel, (naturally sparkling wines made using techniques that predate the times of the traditional method) offer a fresh opportunity for bringing in the NewYear,” he explains. According to Neil retailers planning to capitalise on the consumer’s desire to ‘treat’ themselves at Christmas, should stock up on wines in the £15- £20 price bracket but ensure that consumers understand the story behind the bottle. He says, “Shelf- talkers and imagery highlighting the grape variety, characteristics of the terroir and suggesting foodmatches can help the shopper to demystify the labels. The classics fromRioja, Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône Valley are popular gift choices due to the perceived quality of wines from the regions.” Regardless of the grape, size or location of the vineyard, with full traceability fromvineyard to bottle, retailers can be confident of high standards and authenticity. Classic European bakes transformed to tantalise British tastes The scale of the EU confectionery market is considerable, estimated at €63.9 billion in 2024. It is expected to reach €83.84 billion by 2030. Thanks to its varied cultures, climates and history, the 27Member States offer a wide spectrumof popular baked - iced shortbreads fromCzechia and Hungary’s Beigli - sweetened bread rolls filled with walnuts, poppy seeds and a variety of sweet fillings. When it comes to fillings, Pistacchio Verde di Bronte PDO are Sicilian pistachios known as “green gold” thanks to their unique, aromatic and full flavour. The nuts are used tomake a number of products, including Crema di Pistacchio con “Pistacchio Verdie di Bronte PDO” that can be spread on bread or toast and added to yoghurts for an indulgent breakfast or used as a garnish or a rich addition to cakes and pastries. A chocolate that stood the test of time As with cheese and wine, knowledge of provenance and techniques is key to introducing shoppers to new products and few continents can compete with the EU for the history and provenance of its produce. Even when it comes to something as universally produced and consumed as chocolate. Italy’s Cioccolato di Modica PGI (chocolate of Modica) was the first chocolate to receive the PGI accreditation and also the first PGI product to be given a digital passport. First recorded in the 1700s, the chocolate can only bemade with cocoa and sugar using a cold-working process when ingredients are never heated above 50°C. This method keeps the sugar crystals whole and gives the chocolate its unique grainy texture. Oncemelted other natural ingredients such as salt, pistachios and ginger can be added. The chocolate is often found in some of Italy’s favourite Panettone brands. Christmas shopping for a better world The EU is leading the way in sustainable food production. With an ethos that sustainability is about meeting the world’s needs of today and tomorrow, by creating systems that allow us to live well and within the limits of our planet, the EU has committed to ambitious, long-term environmental and climate goals. This transition towards a sustainablemodel has already yielded results and across the Member States we are already seeing positive improvements both at a national and pan-European level. Greenhouse gas emissions from the EU farm sector have been reduced by 32% since 1990 and the EU’s organic farmland grew by 5% in 2022. With a commitment to sustainable practices, safety, quality and authenticity guaranteed, the EU gives British retailers the opportunity to offer the indulgence of Christmas with a better conscience this year. For more information about the EU’sMore Than Only Food & Drink campaign, visit: enjoy-its-from-europe.campaign. europa.eu/united-kingdom/en The classics from Rioja, Bordeaux, Burgundy and the RhôneValley are popular gift choices due to the perceived quality of wines fromthe regions goods and sweets, oftenmade with techniques and processes that have been perfected over hundreds of years. With consumers tastes becoming more global, last year many retailers moved away from the traditional Christmas pudding with some neglecting the pudding altogether in favour of Italy’s Panettone, the classic Italian sweet bread. Simon Atkins, a professional with more than 35 years’ experience in the UK and EU bakery industry and advisor on the baked goods category for the ‘More Than Only Food & Drink’ campaign identifies a trend for updating classic European recipes for British tastes. Simon explains, “The variations of Panettone are ‘mind blowing’ and compliments the UK’s ability to take a classic andmake it our own, with a range of sizes, shapes, flavours and even vegan variations appearing on shelves.” Simon adds, “Speculoos (more well known as Biscoff), has performed well throughout 2024 and is also set to be a strong flavour for the Christmas season thanks to its warming spices of cinnamon and nutmeg. “For those looking beyond the obvious, Dutch Ontbijtkoek spiced cake in its traditional tins will be popular in bakery gifting , along with Nordic spiced and seeded biscuits such as Pepparkakor Swedish ginger thins.” Stollen, a Christmas classic from Germany, is becoming a staple on British shelves and Simon believes that it will soonmake way for the Panettone treatment, withmultiple shapes and flavours on the way. However, for the original and quite possibly the best, Germany’s Dresdner Christstollen PGI have been carefully baked and perfected for more than 500 years. Germany’s Lebkuchen are also proving popular amongst British buyers with Nürnberger Lebkuchen PGI themost authentic option. Other festive treats include Vánočni Cukrovi The variations of Panettone are ‘mind blowing’ and compliments the UK’s ability to take a classic andmake it our own, with a range of sizes, shapes, flavours and even vegan variations appearing on shelves PARTNER CONTENT