Speciality-Food-Magazine-September-2024

variety to the foods available to the growing number of free-from consumers in the UKmarket, Iva landed on the idea of an oat-based spread during a Covid-19 lockdown. “I looked around the supermarket shelves and thought there are almond, cashew and oat milks, and almond and cashew butters, but where’s the oat butter?” After months of trial and error in the couple’s home kitchen, they found a winning recipe for their range of granola butters, and with a delicious array of flavours in the range – Original, Chai Spiced, Chocolate and Raspberry – and a successful social media presence, the brand has experienced exponential growth. No doubt this success was partly down to the attention to detail Iva and Thiviyan paid at every stage of the process. It was important to the pair to produce a product that was free of allergens, because from experience Iva had learned that to make a product gluten-free or vegan it was often replaced by an additive or ingredient that wouldmake it unsuitable for allergy sufferers. The duo went above and beyond in the quest tomake their products truly allergen-free – spending countless times the amount of money to ensure full compliance in the factory where their range is produced. Something that has certainly stood in Oat Avenue’s favour is its delicious versatility. Fromflavour- packed bakes to healthy snacks and smoothies, a wide range of recipes can be found on their website. With a raft of new products making waves in the spreads category, and the consumer appetite for better becoming ever more apparent, there’s never been a better time to explore the jam, honey and spreads sector. 35 of honey. Field bees visit 50 to 100 flowers during each trip in order to collect enough pollen,” she explains. “There are also environmental factors such as the weather, availability of flowers, and other conditions which limit the supply and can affect the quantity and quality of raw honey. However, the end product is worth the wait and justifies the higher price point.” Where nutrition meets indulgence Nut butters have been amainstay on food retailers shelves for decades, but the tide is turning, withmore consumers than ever eager to experiment andmake themost of its innate health credentials – note: not all nut butters were born equally, and doing it right will reap delicious rewards. “Down at our small batch makery in Hampshire, we deep roast our peanuts and grind them fresh to create naturally flavour-packed peanut butters. We source the finest hi-oleic peanuts for maximum taste andminimum fuss – no added oils necessary – simply delicious nuts and natural fruit, spice and flavours,” begins Jeni Reeve, founder of Butter Bike. Home to such varied options as Chocolate, Smoked Chilli, Everything Bagel and Jalapeno (a current limited edition) peanut butters – and a whole lot more besides – the Butter Bike team is active and adventurous, and caters for the growing number of shoppers who share its spirit. “While we offer the classics – smooth and rugged blends, as well as unsalted 100% peanut butter –we think themagic lies in our wildly different flavoured butters. Keeping ingredients simple and natural, our blends bring together the finest deep OAT AVENUE GRANOLA BUTTER RASPBERRY A free-from spread made from simply oats, coconut sugar, raspberries and a pinch of salt. oatavenue.com STOKES RASPBERRY EXTRA JAM Oodles of sweet, tart, glorious raspberries, bursting with the flavour of British summer, fill this jar with joy. stokessauces.co.uk ROOTS & WINGS ORGANIC TANTALISINGLY TANGY SEVILLE MARMALADE Seville oranges, sun ripened in family- run orchards, are used to create this deep and tangy marmalade with a tangy bite. rootsandwingsorganic.com WILD & FRUITFUL STRAWBERRY & ROSE PETAL JAM A harmonious blend of summer sweet strawberries and subtle hints of rose for an exotic twist on a traditional English jam recipe. wildandfruitful.co.uk BUTTER BIKE CINNAMON RAISIN PEANUT BUTTER Plump, juicy raisins and toasty warm cinnamon lace this rugged peanut butter for a naturally sweet and moreish spread. butterbike.co.uk THE LONDON HONEY COMPANY SHROPSHIRE HONEY An old-fashioned unpasteurised creamed British Spring honey from the clover pastures and wildflower hedgerows of Shropshire. thelondonhoneycompany.co.uk specialityfoodmagazine.com roast peanuts with punchy flavours. Where our peanut butters lack added oils, emulsifiers, artificial flavours and refined sugars, their absencemakes way for big flavour of toasted nuts, punchy seasonings and spices, seeds and fruity additions.” With Butter Bike’s customers spooning their nut butters over a pre-cycle porridge, stirring it into yoghurt or using it as an ingredient in nutritious sweet and savoury dishes, the teamhas had to be unwavering in its dedication to offering a healthy product for conscientious consumers – and have had to do some education of their own. “The definition of nut butters has changed considerably,” says Jeni. “What was once a highly processed blend of peanuts, sugar and sweeteners, stabilisers and emulsifiers like palmoil, is, more often than not, now an incredibly simple blend of peanuts and perhaps a little sea salt or natural ingredients. We often hear comments like, oh no, I can’t eat that, I’mon a diet, which is frustrating because actually it’s a really naturally wholesome and satisfying snack or ingredient to use. Yes, it is almost 50% fat, but our peanuts are hi-oleicmeaning they contain a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats which can actually help normalise cholesterol, blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease. Enjoying these simple, useful fats as part of your diet is counter to the traditional diet culture which favours calorie-counting, low- fat, high processed stuff.” Stepping away fromnut butters to an altogether innovative category, granola butters were unheard of before Iva Danchova and her partner Thiviyan, founders of Oat Avenue, arrived on the scene in 2020. Gluten- free, vegan and keen to addmore 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 *