Speciality-Food-Magazine-September-2024

such as panettone offer high quality alternatives to Britain’s tradition of heavy and strongly spiced options. “There is nothing quite like the sweet lightness of a panettone or pandoro at Christmas,” begins Gianfranco Perri, founder of Just Gourmet Foods. “In a period of feasting when foods are rich and often heavy, a good panettone brings relief and versatility, which is welcome. British traditional festive sweet bakes are based on richness and heavily spiced flavours, which are simply not to everyone’s tastes, especially after a bigmeal. They also bring an Italian elegance to proceedings which an iced fruit cake just doesn’t quite deliver!” As well as being a lighter foil to the richness of British Christmas, panettone can be enjoyed at any time of day and can even be cooked with. “Suitable for occasions throughout the day, a panettone can be transformed into a decadent breakfast of French toast, a light accompaniment to mid-morning coffee, an afternoon sweet to have with tea or even a dessert when used as a bread and butter pudding.” There’s a myriad of variations to choose from in Just Gourmet Foods’ range, including a savoury option. “Loison produce a Dark Chocolate & Rum range which is at the decadent end of the scale, but we also love their Frutta & Fiori collection with flavours such as Fig or Amarena Cherry. From Salted Caramel to Pistachio &Matcha, Tirimisu to Limoncello, we even have a savoury version fromLazzaroni – a Pizzatone which has the lightness of crumb but is flavoured with tomato, mozzarella and oregano – perfect for a festive sharing board or perhaps with an aperitivo moment.” A sizeable step away from tradition choose? Highlight the showstopper. “Everyone is looking for the wow- factor. Something that creates a centrepiece for the celebration, whether on Christmas day itself or for the other meals and social events around it,” says Alison. “Our Chelsea Bun Christmas Tree is very popular for larger get-togethers as its perfect to tear and share.” Buon Natale For many foodies, Italian fare is a popular choice year-round, and during the festive season delicacies 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 * SEGGIANO CLASSIC VIN SANTO PANETTONE Handmade by a family-run bakery in Tuscany and enriched with 12% DOC Vin Santo del Chianti. seggiano.com STAG BAKERIES SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR CHEESE FRUIT CAKE This rich, crumbly, fruity cake is an exciting alternative to biscuits with cheese. stagbakeries.co.uk ORIGINAL CAKE CO BELGIAN CHOCOLATE YULE CAKE An individual portion of yule log made with rich and creamy Belgian chocolate. holleysfinefoods.com COLE’S SIGNATURE CHRISTMAS PUDDING A rich and traditional pudding made extra special with the addition of bourbon and ginger. colespuddings.com LILLYPUDS PREMIUM VEGAN CHRISTMAS PUDDING The finest vine fruits, apples, apricots, almonds and ginger blended with vegan/gluten free ale and brandy. lillypuds.co.uk POSITIVE BAKES CHRISTMAS PUDDING BROWNIES A pack of six vegan and gluten-free brownie bites with the taste of a luxurious Christmas pudding. positivebakes.com these flavours may be, but the team are catering to a growing demand. “We see an increasing sense of exploration amongst our customers as panettone becomes an embedded feature of their Christmas ranging, and we love bringing new flavours to the offer to spark inspiration and ensure that sales remain buoyant,” says Gianfranco. Panettone isn’t the only delicious festive Italian bake in Just Gourmet Foods’ portfolio. “While panettone may get the majority of the airtime over the festive period, we also provide lesser known options in the form of Filone, essentially a slightly denser panettone in a loaf shape, which is perfect for an afternoon tea. Sbrisola, which is a type of crumble cake, baked in a round tin and topped with a crunchy layer is another great option for a seasonal sweet treat and provides a point of difference in the parade of iced fruit cakes andmince pies,” says Gianfranco. They’re great for gifting, too. “Italian festive cakes are a great choice for gifting as they are so beautifully presented: fromhand wrapped papers and satin bows to ornate tins which will find a future life as storage for all manner of things,” says Gianfranco. “Just Gourmet’s Festive Italian selection has been constructed with the intention of ensuring that we satisfy our retailers’ festive needs,” concludes Gianfranco. “We recognise that a large part of Christmas for our retailers is how products fit into the overall look and feel of their stores. By offering a wide selection of packaging types, sizes and price points, as well as all the flavours you could wish for, our customers will be able to build a range which will deliver both visual impact and sales.” By offering a wide selection of packaging types, sizes and price points, as well as all the flavours you could wish for, our customers will be able to build a range which will deliver both visual impact and sales