Speciality Food September 2025

WHATWOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WEREN’T IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY? I would probably be in a band. There’s a rumour (which might be true) that I was in a band when I was younger… and I love a bit of karaoke. WHATWAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Student brand manager for Red Bull. A friend saw the job opening and told me about it. I asked if he minded me applying as well thinking there was more than one position. Anyway, long story short, I got the job, he didn’t… still feel bad. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Meaningful progress inspires me. Building CANS for example: it’s something that will improve people’s lives and will help change the industry and that is really inspiring. WHAT’S THEWORST JOB YOU’VE DONE? I once had a job selling financial products. It’s a solid profession, but I hated it. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB? Working with my amazing team, the vibe is fire! AND YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE? Dealing with our financial data. As a start-up we currently have it all in Google Sheets and it’s horribly messy and manual. That bit is no fun. HOWABOUT THE FOOD INDUSTRY? It’s messed up, I hope we can help to change that just a little bit with our non- sweet CANS. TEA OR COFFEE? Coffeeeeeeeeee. 62 FINAL CALL W e’re creeping into autumn. And while lots of retailers’ minds will (justly) be focused on the impending budget, and how it will impact their operations, there’s the business of preparing for Halloween and Christmas to think about. As you’ll have read in this edition, Halloween has become a key core activity in speciality, not least in farm shops where it can big as big, if not bigger in some cases, than Christmas. If Halloween hasn’t previously been on your radar, maybe use the next month or so to carry out a bit of market research. Reach out to brands creating themed, seasonal or autumnal products, frompumpkin-shaped biscuits to chai spiced cakes and cookies, and trial them in-store on customers to gauge feedback for 2025. And, if you have time, take a road trip to see what other speciality food shops are up to. Are they offering farm trails, pumpkin picking or half term activities and how busy do these appear? Have they altered their cafe or restaurant menu in any way? How are theymerchandising Halloween? Anecdotally farm shops tell us the juice is verymuch worth the squeeze when it comes to this holiday, and bigger is better. Beyond Halloween, Christmas is something that should be firmly in your mind. Think about: • Considering your gifting range. What terms can your suppliers offer? It’s better to order little and often if you can when it comes to gifts – after all, nobody wants to be lumbered with box upon box of Christmas chutney come 1st January. • Getting your staffing in order now. The students you relied on in the summer months will have plans of their own for the Christmas holidays andmight not be available exactly when you need them. Plan your opening hours, see who might be around and build up your rota • Using social media more effectively. Design a content plan now. Work out which products, activities and events you need to push, andmeasure results to see what’s resonating best with the public to help you plan better for next year. Youmight have a gift showcase, or a digital advent calendar with promotions or a ‘product of the day’. We’ll have more Christmas inspiration for you in the October ediiton of Speciality FoodMagazine. We love hearing fromour readers. Do you # have a story to share or expertise to pass on? Please get in touch with charlotte.smith-jarvis@artichokehq.com specialityfoodmagazine linkedin.com/company/ speciality-food @SpecialityFood BE CONNECTED FOLLOW SPECIALITY FOOD ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO HEAR MORE FROM FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRY VOICES CONTENT Editor Holly Shackleton, 01206 505110 holly.shackleton@artichokehq.com Content Creator Charlotte Smith-Jarvis, 01206 505981 charlotte.smith-jarvis@artichokehq.com Art Director Lee Whiteford lee.whiteford@artichokehq.com Published by ArtichokeMedia Ltd, Global House, Global Park, Moorside, Colchester Essex, CO1 2TJ COMMERCIAL Senior Account Manager Jessica Brett 01206 505901 jessica.brett@artichokehq.com Senior Account Manager Louise Barnes 01206 508629 louise.barnes@artichokehq.com Accounts artichokemedialtd@integral2.com Publisher Sam Reubin 01206 505936 sam.reubin@artichokehq.com WHATWOULD BE YOUR LAST SUPPER? A large British Sunday Roast dinner with loads of gravy, followed by a nice siesta. WHAT’S YOURMOTTO? Speed is more important than perfection > embrace failure. WHAT’S THEWEIRDEST THING YOU’VE EVER EATEN? Rotten Shark (Hakarl) – I once tried it in Iceland where it is locally considered a delicacy. For me, absolutely the most disgusting thing I’ve ever had in my mouth. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK? A recent read I would recommend is The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. SWEET OR SAVOURY? Savoury all the way! @specialityfood 5 MINUTES WITH DOMRICE, CANS Christmas Edition: All you need for your most successful festive season yet Christmas Trends Christmas Merchandising Seasonal Parties Christmas Gifting Centrespread Home Baking British Cheese Soups & Ready Meals For more information contact: louise.barnes@artichokehq.com 01206 508629 with the next issue of Speciality Food