Speciality Food Magazine -November/December 2025

47 LAST WORDS The final word on fine food TRACKLEMENTS LIMITED EDITION SHALLOT & GARLIC JAM Just what youwant at this time of year, this special edition launch fromTracklements is an instant store cupboard essential. Deeply rich in umami, it offers an ideal sweet/savoury balance that makes it as versatile as you could wish for. We love it with meat or cheese, but it’s just as delicious stirred into soups and stews for instantaneous slow cooked depth. tracklements.co.uk OTHER FOODS CRUNCHY SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS Crunchymushroomsmay be a concept that it takes a while to get your head around, but actually once you’ve tried this innovative product you’re bound to be as hooked as we are. Surprisingly flavourful with rich umami, and moreishly crunchy, they tick the experiential boxe s of conventional savoury snacks with added fun (and fibre). otherfoodsuk.com DARKWOODS COFFEE KENYA EEGADS (WASHED) Coffee is just one of those products where quality – or a lack thereof – is instantly noticeable. In this one, part of Darkwoods’ speciality range, it shines through in its fruity tang which makes for a supremely satisfying cup. This coffee ismade using traditional Kenyan methods on a small scale, and this attention to detail reallymakes it stand out. darkwoodscoffee.co.uk THE INDEPENDENT SHOPPER community. Front of house staff are encouraged to share these stories with guests, so every plate comes with context, care and a connection to our region. Some fish will have been out of the water for only four hours before it reaches the table, and that is the standard we hold ourselves to. Sustainability continues further in the way we our source seafood. Outside of Rexdown Fisheries, we also source scallops from a free- diving supplier who hand-selects only the largest, leaving smaller ones to reproduce and help protect the local beds. Lobsters with eggs go back into the sea. We are incredibly particular about this because it is important to us that we protect the environment and ensure the longevity of local species. Everything that enters our kitchen has passed this ethical standard, and that responsibility is something I take personally. Vegetables follow the same principle. We source fromWest Country, who operate a strict field-to- fork concept. All our vegetables come A t Burgh Island, our philosophy is simple: exceptional food begins with exceptional sourcing. Everything we serve has a story, and as a chef, I want to know every step of that story. That means knowing exactly where our ingredients come from, how they are produced and ensuring they meet the highest possible standards. It also means keeping that food local, not just for flavour but for sustainability. Our carbon footprint is a key part of our approach. Why would I buy green beans from Kenya when I can get the freshest from just down the road? Take Rexdown Fisheries in Kingsbridge, for example, just 30 minutes away. They supply us with everything from scallops to smoked fish. The Southcom Smokies are caught and smoked locally, and the mackerel we serve for breakfast is caught off Bigbury, smoked in Salcombe, and delivered straight to our kitchen. It is not just about freshness; it is about traceability and supporting our local fishing Charlotte Vincent, head chef at Burgh Island Hotel TRIED & TESTED from within 50 miles of Burgh Island, from farms stretching from the Cornish border to Exeter, and into Devon and Somerset. The short journey means a lower carbon footprint and incredible flavour, thanks to Devon’s rich soil. From farm to depot to kitchen, everything stays local. It also allows our team to explain to guests exactly where their food is coming from, which we believe enhances the dining experience. Foraged ingredients like mushrooms and sea herbs also come from the immediate area. Seaweed and seabed produce are harvested from clean waters just a few hundred feet from our front door. It is about knowing exactly what we are serving, being intimately connected to the land and sea, and ensuring nothing comes in that we would not be proud of ourselves. If I cannot see it, we do not use it. Building strong partnerships with local suppliers is essential. It is more than just getting the best produce; it is about understanding each other’s values, maintaining ethical standards, and building trust. A good supplier relationship also resonates with our customers. When people see that care and integrity reflected on the plate, they talk about it, share it. At the end of the day, supporting local businesses, protecting the environment and serving food we can truly stand behind is exactly what Burgh Island is about. CREATE A SPECTACLE Makemagic with Italian food’s innate style and story I talians are renowned across the world for their style, and this skill is not reserved just for what they put on their bodies. We’ve all appreciated the sight of a beautifully designed and presented food or drink item, but howmany readers have proactively turned it into a selling tool? Yes, some Italian packaging is so beautiful that it doesn’t require any additional bells and whistles, but that’s not to say that these products couldn’t also benefit from a little extra magic. This doesn’t need to be expensive, or time consuming. If you have a shelf or section filled with stunning Italian produce, why not highlight the beauty of the products themselves by corralling them into ‘stories’? Gorgeously designed, bronze-dyed pasta with some POS explaining its story artfully placed alongside some fresh on-the-vine tomatoes and a basil plant, plus a sign advising shoppers to pop to the cheese counter for a deliciously aged Parmesan if they don’t already have some, creates a scene that many shoppers would find hard to resist – particularly if they are time-poor and fancy levelling-up their weekday supper. Similarly, fabulous Italian coffee presented with a stylish Moka pot, biscotti and maybe some classy espresso cups could inspire some gifting, especially as Christmas looms. It’s simply a question of getting creative. It might well be that time is especially tight for you right now as the fine food world’s busy season enters its final flurries, but a little extra thought around how to create ‘moments’ could make a real difference to the experience of your customers. If you really are short on resources, though, there’s certainly no harm in piling beautifully- packaged Italian food and drink high in the spirit of festive generosity. Panettone lends itself particularly well to this style, as well as being strung up from the rafters where room format allows. Of course, this isn’t just an opportunity at Christmas – each season, and product, brings with it an opportunity to make the most of the stunning produce hailing from across Italy. Telling the story, both visually and literally, will only add to the romance that will get customers reaching a little deeper into their pockets. specialityfoodmagazine.com Sponsored by TALKING ITALIAN