Fine Food Digest Volum 16 Issue 9 | Page 57

shelf talk Stratta says it has captured the essence of summer with its sweet elderflower vinegar and, given the three stars they awarded it, so did the Great Taste judges. The Eastbournebased company has previous, having picked up three-stars for its black mulberry and raspberry vinegars in previous years. Its fruity vinegars come in 250ml glass bottles (RRP £6) with a minimum order value of 12 units, chosen from across the range. Complimentary ‘tasters’ and recipe fliers are also available to retailers. www.stratta.org Established in 1966, Welsh Lady produces a range of curds and jams by hand and is a serial Great Taste award-winner. This year’s winners were the two-star Scotch Bonnet Chilli Jam. Available in shelf-ready boxes of 6x227g jars, the sweet and sticky, medium heat chilli jam can be served with hot or cold meats and cheese or stirred into mayo to produce a spicy dip. Meanwhile, the producer’s ever-successful lemon curd (boxes of 6x311g) won a one-star. The “zesty and punchy” pickled lemon spread can be used to liven up a variety of dishes, according to its producer Yossi. The one-star spread can used as a marinade for meat or as a salad dressing, while the Bristol-based producer also recommends mixing it with oil, yoghurt or mayonnaise to make sauces. Suitable for vegetarians. the handmade product comes in cases of 20x130g jars for £50 with each jar having an RRP of £4.95. www.yossifoods.com www.welshladypreserves.com The Tomato Stall’s pure Isle of Wight Tomato juice is made with hand-picked, vine-ripened tomatoes captured at their peak. With no added salt, sugar or water it boasts “the natural taste of freshly picked tomatoes” and is totally additivefree. Available in cases of 12x500ml and 12x200ml (£18.60 and £12.96 respectively), the drink can be served chilled on its own or used as a base for a Bloody Mary. Trinca specialises in producing certified organic, gluten-free granola. Its four “nutrient-dense” products contain no added preservatives, “doubtful” oils, refined sugars or hidden ingredients. Great Taste 2015 has seen it take two stars each for its cranberry & coconut and goji berry & almond granolas. Trinca is currently seeking a distributor for its granolas, all of which come in 400-475g re-sealable stand-up pouches (wholesale £5.60-£6.30) www.thetomatostall.co.uk www.trinca.tictail.com The Tea Experience describes its Antu Valley Green Tea as a “special tea from the roof of the world”. Hailing from Nepal, the one-star tea produces a light coloured liquor and delicate taste with an “almost buttery” aroma. It comes in 50g and 100g flavour-sealed bags (RRP £3 and £5.50 respectively) for retail and is also available in catering packs. www.teaexperience.co.uk Produced from the same free range herd of pigs that delivered its threestar dry-cured bacon and the Best Speciality from the North trophy in 2014, Metcalfe’s dry-cured sweet middle bacon bagged two stars this year. Available vacuumpacked to order in a variety of sizes, the bacon is cured with both molasses and Demerara sugars. It has a wholesale price of £9/ kg and an RRP of £16/kg. Uig Lodge’s smoked salmon has picked up yet another award in 2015. MD Dickon Green says the consistency of the two-star product is down to his obsession with the quality of the fish used. The Isle of Lewis smokehouse, which was also named Speciality Producer of the Year in Great Taste 2014, sources only the freshest farmed salmon it can find in the Hebrides. The fish is then dry-salted rather than brined – a process that is better suited to farmed fish – before smoking. www.uiglodge.co.uk www.metcalfesbutchers.co.uk Vol.16 Issue 9 · October 2015 57