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CHEF’S SELECTION
Top chefs tell CLARE HARGREAVES their deli essentials
Kitchen Garden boosts Wolfys Tim Maddams
cookery writer and
range with two organic pots Chef,
teacher
By MICHAEL LANE
Kitchen Garden
Foods is targeting
health conscious
consumers with two 100%
organic additions to its
Wolfys Porridge pots range.
The Gloucestershirebased business will now
offer organic blackcurrant
and Plain & Simple
varieties, taking the line-up
of instant porridges to
seven in total.
“The addition of the
two organic flavours will
be aimed very much at the
health food market,” said sales
manager James Horwood. “We’re
using lower fat milk powder and not
adding any sugar to the porridge
mix.”
While the blackcurrant variety
sticks to the successful formula and
features a pot of Kitchen Garden’s
own jam alongside the instant oats,
Plain & Simple is the first Wolfys pot
not to come with a portion of jam
or honey.
“It has been
developed for
consumers who
like to add their
own toppings,” said
Horwood.
Plain & Simple and
blackcurrant porridges
are supplied in cases of
6x60g pots, for £6.60
and £8.10 respectively.
Horwood said that
Kitchen Garden was still
seeing week-on-week
sales growth for Wolfys,
which was launched two
years ago and is listed
with many independents
as well as Whole Foods Market,
Waitrose and First Great Western
trains.
Last month, Kitchen Garden
also added to its extensive range of
preserves by relaunching organic
sweet onion relish (cases of 6x280g,
£15) and blueberry & apple jam
(6x227g, £15.90) due to customer
demand.
www.wolfys.co.uk
CRAFTY PAIR: As a result of a Food Standards
Agency crackdown on additives, imports of root
beer from the USA were banned. But instead
of wallowing in homesickness, London-based
Ken Graham decided to bring an additive-free
version of his favourite drink to the UK. Devised
by Graham in the style of drinks from his native
state of Colorado, root beer and cream soda are
the first two “craft sodas” to be launched under
his Soda Folk brand. Both come in 330ml cans
(RRP £1.40) and the cream soda has already won a
Great Taste one-star award.
www.sodafolk.co.uk
Bussle & Bliss begins life
with four fondant fancies
By MICHAEL LANE
Fondant Fancies are the first cakes
to be launched by the new Bussle &
Bliss brand, which is looking to gain
listings with independent retailers
across the UK.
Producer Gorg’ Cakes – which
boasts 15 years of experience in
private label cake-making – supplies
the beehive-shaped cakes in retail
packs of three cakes (RRP £5) with a
shelf life of 21 days.
As well as gearing up to supply
foodservice, Gorg’
is also seeking retail
distributors for the
four-strong range,
which comprises
passionfruit, Sicilian
lemon, hazelnut &
caramel and chocolate
46
October 2015 · Vol.16 Issue 9
& cherry flavours.
“Fancies are really on-trend at
the moment, stealing the limelight
from the cupcake,” said director
Fiona Rooza, adding that Bussle &
Bliss was aimed at female consumers.
The fancies have been developed
to be contemporary – Gorg’ has
replaced the traditional buttercream
with flavour-infused mallow – and
contain no artificial colours or
flavours.
www.gorgcakes.co.uk
www.greensauce.co.uk
Tim is a chef, food writer and cookery teacher
living in Devon. Author of the recently
published River Cottage Game handbook, he’s
worked for Fergus Henderson, Alistair Little,
Marco Pierre White and Mark Hix, among
others. From 2007 until 2012, he worked at
River Cottage, heading its Axminster Canteen.
Zaytoun organic fair-trade extra-virgin olive oil
www.zaytoun.org
I don’t use much olive oil but if I do, it has to be this acidic one from apostolic
olive trees. It’s produced by farming cooperatives within the Palestinian
Fairtrade Association who harvest their trees by hand every October. I use it
as a finishing oil, rather than cook with it, and I’m blown away every time.
I came across it when I was working at River Cottage. It’s not cheap, but it’s
organic and Fairtrade, so one mustn’t underestimate its value. One of my
favourite dishes using the oil is slow-cooked courgettes on pasta
Hodmedod’s whole dried fava beans
www.hodmedods.co.uk
We don’t eat pulses enough. We’ve been growing
them as animal feed, while importing huge quantities
of beans from abroad, which seems mad – until
Hodmedod’s came along. Fava beans are perfect
in their bittersweet soupy loveliness. You can make
them into humus, and they’re great in stews – which
is why we serve them at our Hall & Hearty village hall
suppers. I love them as a substitute for marrowfat
peas in pease pudding. I also combine fava with goats’
curd as a nutritious filling for ravioli.
Heavenly Hedgerows hawthorn jelly
www.heavenlyhedgerows.co.uk
I used to make this myself, but then I
discovered Chris Westgate, who runs Heavenly
Hedgerows, and I realised there was no longer
any point – I simply can’t match hers. It has
the perfect sweet and sour balance, it’s light
and yet it carries flavour, and it’s packed with
aroma. Chrissie adds apple to help the jelly gel.
I love it with cold wild duck. It’s also great on
cheese, or on scones for a cream tea.