Speciality-Food-Magazine-September-2024

other offerings around your store. “Youmight put farmhouse pickles by the coldmeats, or mango chutney by the poppadoms. Show people their purpose. Plus, people are goingmad for British cheese at the moment. Think about perfect pairings there. We now have an online hub where we make suggestions of what to match our chutneys with. You can come up with all sorts of surprising things, like rosemary jelly with goats’ cheese. Spark excitement. Make a point of difference. Make people stop and think ‘ah, I never thought about putting that with that’.” Maria also believes conjuring up and having ready a list of pairing suggestions, alongside offering tastings, will help retailers make the most of their chutney range. “So many people have said to us, ‘I’ve got this black garlic pickle or this red onionmarmalade, but apart from having it with coldmeat I don’t know what to do with it’. So we brought out a book a few years ago which shows to encourage engagement.” Becky wants retailers to “make chutney sexy again. They are powerhouses of flavour!” Like Marcus, she suggests lifting some products out of the ambient aisle andmatching themup with people how to use our products in cooking and everyday dishes, because they really are treasure troves of flavour. You can use them for all sorts of things!” Think outside of the box, Maria says. Advise customers to spread a little black garlic pickle over a piece of salmon before grilling it, for example. “We talk about waste a lot. I hate any kind of waste so I don’t want anybody to have one of our jars in the fridge to use on one occasion and then be left to go beyond the sell by date. Retailers need to encourage customers to embrace chutneys and use them in different ways.” Beyond getting shoppers to trial products, Maria wants retailers to get staff involved in product tasting. “We often send over extra jars and I want them to have staff taste the products so they can talk about them, and talk about themwith real authority.” One thing’s clear, chutneys are here to stay. “They will never go out of fashion!” says Becky. specialityfoodmagazine.com 31 CHRISTMAS 2024 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 * WELSH LADY PRESERVES HOT BANANA CHUTNEY A unique, spicy chutney packed with ripe bananas and filled with flavour. Use in sandwiches, alongside a curry, or even as a dip. welshladypreserves.com CANDI’S CHUTNEY THE NONMANGOMANGO CHUTNEY A traditional Kashmiri mango chutney – made with East Anglian Bramley apples for lower food miles. Excellent with cheese or alongside curries. candiscupboard.com THE WOODEN SPOON DRAGON’S BREATH A fiery, tasty chutney filled with loads of slow-cooked onions, chilli, garlic and red peppers. Free from anything artificial. thewoodenspoon.co.uk STOKES SAUCES STICKY PICKLE A big hitter from this brand, combining their blend of vegetables with a sticky, spicy, sweet concoction made from molasses and treacle. stokessauces.co.uk GODMINSTER STICKY FIG CHUTNEY Deep, rich, and filled with fresh figs. This crunchy, sticky chutney is a game-changer when paired with truffle cheese or alongside game dishes. godminster.com WILD & FRUITFUL SMOKY TOMATO CHUTNEY Made with ripe summer tomatoes, caramelised garlic and smoky spices. Ideal with cheeses and barbecued meats, or even stirred into sauces and pastas. wildandfruitful.co.uk TRACKLEMENTS MANGO & CHILLI CHUTNEY Tangy, sweet, and with the warmth of chillies and the finest spices. Use this with curries, as a base for stir fries, a marinade, or even to pep up a cheese sandwich. tracklements.co.uk THE GARLIC FARM FIG, APPLE AND GARLIC CHUTNEY This gluten-free chutney partners beautifully with cheese and game dishes, and also compliments curries, casseroles and rice dishes. thegarlicfarm.co.uk CROOKED PICKLE CO SWEET & SOUR PINEAPPLE Juicy pieces of pineapple pickled with chillies, Szechuan pepper and turmeric. Deliciously different. crookedpickle.co COOKS & CO FIG SPREAD An all-natural, thick, sweet, rich spread made purely with figs. Wonderful alongside strong Cheddars and blue cheese, or stirred into gravies and stews. cooksandco.co.uk