The show is only two weeks away now! We’ve got a wide range of exhibitors for you to meet – and WOW! have they been busy this year! If they’re not winning awards, they’re launching new products or ventures, and some of them have been doing both! Why not have a read and see for yourself what they’ve been up to? Bear with us though, there’s a lot to tell you about!
If you’re going to cook great food, you need great ingredients right?
Denhay, in the beautiful West Country, are dedicated to bringing you bacon that is truly great. They use traditional hand crafting methods and their own special cure, resulting in bacon that people says tastes exceptional and reminds them of how bacon used to taste. In 2018 their multi award-winning premium dry cured bacon won yet more awards – 9 Golds, 3 Silvers and a Bronze at the Taste of the West Awards, as well as Denhay being named as Producer of the Year! They’ve been hand crafting bacon for over 20 years, and their delicious bacon can now be delivered direct to your kitchen – find out more at the show! (Stand F47).
The Venus Awards – dubbed by Channel 4 as “The Working Women’s Oscars” – celebrate the vital contribution that women in business make to the local, regional, and national economy. Rachel Bell of Bell and Loxton was delighted to have been awarded for her Marketing and PR work for Bell and Loxton and named a national winner. Named a regional winner at the Crowne Plaza in Plymouth back in April she battled against all the other regional winners and came out on top scooping the National Award. Bell and Loxton are a family business producing cold pressed rapeseed oil from the family farm; all the rape is grown, pressed and bottled on the farm. Winning a number of awards for their oils and packaging this award shows the complete package of Bell and Loxton and their ‘award winning oils in award winning packaging’. In July of this year they were awarded Gold with Taste of the West for their original cold pressed rapeseed oil. The following month they were awarded 1 star with the Great Taste Awards for their original oil and garlic oil. Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the acknowledged benchmark for fine food and drink. It has been described as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world and the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize’. Quite simply the Great Taste logo is the sign you can trust when buying food and drink in your local, quality retailer. They were also delighted to have been awarded Gold for their original cold pressed rapeseed oil and garlic oil and Silver for their Indian Spice Blend with Food and Drink Devon. (Stand G27).
From the crashing waves of the Jurassic Coast to the bright spotlight of the London stage, Dorset Sea Salt Co. has been named The Seed Fund 2018 champion, supported by The Collaborators and Great Taste. 25-year-old founder, Jethro Tennant will now embark on a year-long journey of business development and mentoring with the philanthropic project’s hand-picked industry experts, as he aims to transform his big idea into big business. Coming just one year after Jethro made the leap from humble hobby to fledgling producer, with the help of mentorship and a small loan from The Prince’s Trust, the prize completes a remarkable 12 months for this ambitious south west start-up. Beginning when Jethro discovered the historic and cultural significance of salt production in Dorset, followed shortly after by the first buckets of water being lugged up the beach by hand, Dorset Sea Salt Co. has restored an ancient tradition in the county. Hand-harvesting sea salt is an artisan craft with centuries of history behind it on the Jurassic Coast and and this sea salt tastes like no other thanks to the particular minerals found in those waters. (Stand E42).
Koppert Cress introduces Sweet Peeper! Sweet Peeper goes perfectly with both hot and cold dishes such as soups and salads. It takes dishes to the next level thanks to its high creative value and good bite in combination with the long-lasting, simple, dry, and bittersweet taste. The yellow leaves and pink/red shoots add an extra dimension to the dish while giving a nod to its origin: the sweet potato. In addition to the leaf, you can also use the pickled shoots as a fine addition to salads and sandwiches. The sweet potato was originally discovered in Mexico, though in contrast to what the name would suggest, it is not related to the potato. Instead of starch, the sweet potato contains inulin which takes longer to digest. This makes it healthier for diabetes patients. They carefully select and package the sweet potato’s shoots, which are normally used for multiplication. Sweet Peeper is available year-round and can be kept at a temperature of between 12-16°C, in the dark, for up to seven days. Produced according to socially responsible cultivation methods, Sweet Peeper satisfies hygiene standards in the kitchen. You can use this product directly, as it is cultivated cleanly and hygienically. (Stand C7).
Maybe it’s one of those days, maybe you’ve got a sweet tooth, maybe chocolate is the answer?
Moo Free have just launched a new range of ‘free from’ chocolate bars. The bars within this range will be carefully crafted with a high single origin cocoa content to satiate sophisticated tastes. In addition, they won the Best Vegan Chocolate category in the VegFest UK Awards 2018 with an astonishing 41% of the popular vote. This prestigious award is voted for each year by the public and so their win is a real indicator of the popularity and great taste of their chocolates. (Stand C63).
In 2018 Salcombe Dairy launched a new venture in Bean-To-Bar chocolate – a new range of chocolate bars which mirror their ice cream flavours. They source organic, fairly traded cacao from the Peruvian rainforest and melange the nibs in Salcombe with raw cane sugar before conching, tempering and moulding into chocolate of the highest quality. THey then add natural, local ingredients when possible (and the best from around the globe when not) to make flavours which include dark chocolate with cacao nibs, milk chocolate with seasalted caramel, white chocolate vanilla, and dark chocolate with Salcombe Gin, Sloe and Juniper to name a few! Their “Dark Chocolate and Ginger”, entered at a really early stage of the range’s development, has already won a Great Taste Award. In October the “Dark Chocolate”, “Dark Chocolate with Nibs” and “Milk Chocolate Orange” were all winners at the Food and Drink Devon Awards. The new chocolate brand is called “The Bar” named after the sand bar at the mouth of the Salcombe Estuary made famous by Tennyson’s poem, and it’s great for gifts, with terrific packaging. Back to what they’re more traditionally known for however…and in June 2019 Salcombe Dairy will also be celebrating forty years of making glorious, scrumptious and sophisticated ice cream from their factory in Island Street, Salcombe! Holders of thirty awards for the ice cream and sorbets, they have also been awarded the accolade of producing one of the top fifty foods in Britain for their honey frozen yoghurt. Happy Birthday Salcombe Dairy – flying the flag for South West produce all year round! (Stand G66).
If you don’t fancy chocolate…maybe crackers or cake or ice cream is the answer?
Easy Bean have launched three varieties of new Bean & Seed Crackers, handmade by the Easy Bean team in Somerset using British pulse flours and 100% natural ingredients. Nutritious pulse flour provides fibre and is a good source of plant protein, typically more than double the protein found in wholemeal wheat flour. These crackers are gluten free, dairy free, with no added sugar, and are suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The three flavours currently available are Green Pea & Chia Seed, Fava Bean & Poppy Seed, and Red Lentil & Poppy Seed, all packed in 160g retail cartons, each containing 4 handy packs, with and RRP of £2.95. They’re perfect as a savoury healthy snack or served with cheese or a dip. (Stand C4).
Market research has shown that the gluten free market now stands at 7% of the population increasing by 50% last year alone, and The Wholesome Baker has developed a gluten free option containing only natural ingredients throughout their range. The taste is as light as normal dough based products, not heavy and stodgy, and they will have samples from major stores for “taste the difference sampling”. The same applies to their sugar free almond and cherry scone new for 2019. Diabetes is getting massive media coverage. They hope to have developed a natural ingredient cup cake with a 365 day shelf life by the time the show opens. (Stand NC17).
Liberty Loves specialise in vegan, gluten free & refined sugar free goodies from nut butters to delicious raw tarts. They also use organic produce whenever possible (organic certification in process). They won a Silver Free From Food Award for their Raw Raspberry Tart 2017 and a commendation for their Raw Millionaires Tart at the 2018 Nourish Awards in Cheltenham. They also very proud to announce that Liberty Loves is now available on Amazon UK and Amazon Europe! (Stand E37a).
Have you tried the award winning pop range from Marshfield Farm Ice Cream? You can choose from their Orange Crush and Blackcurrant Crush which are all natural and made on the their family farm, ideal for all the family, or opt for their Vanilla Milkshake which is made from over 75% Organic milk from their herd. They have two new ice cream flavors for 2019. First is Irish Cream Liqueur, a rich clotted cream ice cream flavoured with a boozy Irish cream liqueur and a rich and luxurious Irish cream and chocolate ripple. The second is Birthday Cake ice cream is which is packed with flavour and excitement; cake flavoured ice dairy ice cream with sponge pieces, sugar stars and a strawberry flavoured shimmer ripple. Which would you chose? (Stand D23).
Baboo Gelato make artisanal gelato from their commercial kitchen near Bridport, Dorset. They use real, local, seasonal ingredients, so they’ve always got something new to launch! At Source they’ll be rolling out their Spring flavour range which will include an awesome Blood Orange Sorbet. Since they only buy fruit when it is in season, there is only a very limited window when their Blood Orange is available, and they can never make enough to keep their chef customers satisfied. This year has been the third year in a row that they’ve been a finalist for Best Ice Cream & Sorbet at the Taste of the West Awards. They also were awarded four Gold, two Silver and 2 Highly Commended by Taste of the West; and three Two Star awards and two One Star awards by the Guild of Fine Foods’ Great Taste. Their founder Annie Hanbury was short listed as Great British Entrepreneur of the Year 2018; and they were a finalist for Eco Champion in the Dorset Food & Drink awards. Although it might not seem like ice cream weather, it’s always the right weather for a cocktail spiced up with some ice cream! (Stand D53).
Having cooked, and eaten, what would you like to wash it down with? Beer? Cider?
Red Rock Brewery have a variety of new products that they will be showcasing at the show. They will be introducing their craft beer range; a new and edgy range of beers from Red Rock brewed to perfection. Brewed for bottle and keg, there are 4 in the range. A deliciously dark Porter 4.5% ABV, a sweet and zesty EPA 4.5% ABV, a flavoursome Red Ale 3.8% ABV and the multi-award winning Devon Pilsner 4.1% ABV. They also be introducing their award-winning slow beer range. Using local, botanic ingredients these beers are flavoured and produced slower. Brewed for bottle and keg there are 4 in the range. A rich and full bodied original wheat 5% ABV, a strong and punchy Elderflower IPA 6.7% ABV, a pale and sweet honey 5% ABV and a fruity blackberry 4.8%. They have received a number of silver and gold SIBA regional awards for their new craft beers including: Devon Pilsner: SIBA Regional winner – Gold in the Small Pack Lagers category in 2016 and 2017. Original Slow: SIBA Regional winner – Silver in the Speciality Beers category in 2017. Elderflower IPA: SIBA Regional winner – Silver in the Speciality Beers category in 2016. Honey Slow: SIBA Regional winner – Gold in the Speciality Beers category in 2018. (Stand F36).
Thatchers marries four generations of experience and passion for innovation to create an acclaimed range of exciting ciders, from light and fresh for those who love a fruity apple pint through to full-bodied bittersweet for connoisseurs of traditional cider. They are excited to announce the launch of Thatchers Rosé (4% ABV). It’s a deliciously sweet sparkling pink cider made with a blend of naturally sweet, rosy-red dessert apples, including Pink Lady, Fuji and Gala to create a deliciously sparkling cider bursting with fruity apple flavours. It’s best served chilled, and is now available in 440ml cans and 500ml bottles. It’s also gluten free and suitable for vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs. It’s perfect for laid back, relaxed and sociable drinking occasions. (Stand A37).
Cornish Orchards had a very busy 2018! First of all their Dry Cider won the ‘Gold Award’ for the Open Dry Class at the first cider championships held by the Royal Cornwall Show in 200 years, where they were also selected as one of the stalls to receive a Royal Visit from their Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Then they invested in a new canning line that was shipped across from the USA and installed on site. This new canning line enables them to can their products and they now have Blush and Gold cans available in 330ml in newly designed cans. And now they’ve released a new fruity cider; Hedgerow Cider, inspired by the dark fruits of the Cornish Hedgerows.This cider is blended using freshly pressed juicy dessert apples, sweet blackberries and refreshing sloe berries, and is 4% ABV. It’s currently available in 500ml bottles, and will be launching into keg in the new year. They will also be introducing some very exciting new products in the spring of 2019 which will be available to selected wholesalers. Why not ask them about them at the show? (Stand B42).
It looks like the current trend for artisan gins is still on the up, with a whole range of emerging trends predicted for 2019 from quirky botanicals to savoury gins and even colour changing gins! These five have all got something unique to bring to the mix – as you can see below:
Dartmouth Distillery Co was launched in 2018 and has already achieved great success. They were delighted when their newly launched Dartmouth English Gin was unanimously selected as the ‘Classic Gin of the Year’ by the judges of the 2018 Craft Distillers Awards in September, having been selected from among over 100 other gins from 63 distilleries across Europe in a blind-pool tasting by top spirits industry judges. They were also selected from hundreds of UK and international brands for Gin Foundry’s Ginvent 2018 Christmas Advent Calendar, in cooperation with Master of Malt, being one of just 24 distilleries chosen for this amazing opportunity. With gin advent calendars proving so popular last year, were you one of the lucky ones who found them behind your 18th December window? (Stand F49).
Devon Distillery are back at the Source with their new Vintage Dappa 2017, which won Gold Medal at the Food and Drink Devon Awards 2018, Silver Medal – Taste of the West Awards 2018, Bronze medal at the International Wines and Spirits Competition 2018 (IWSC), and was awarded One Star at the Great Taste Awards 2018. They also won the Food Talk award for Best Kitchen Gadget for their mobile still ‘Ginny’. They are also bringing two new products to the show; ‘Devoncello’, which is Devon’s version of limoncello and also their SloeD Gin. (Stand F40).
Salcombe Distilling Co. have launched The Voyager Series; a collection of limited-edition gins each developed in collaboration with a world-renowned chef or iconic winemaker, to reflect their individual personality and style. Each release is presented in a stunning white ceramic bottle with a bespoke debossed copper stopper commissioned for the series, complete with a bespoke Salcombe Gin gift box with copper detailing and cocktail card. ‘Arabella‘ – the inaugural release from the Voyager Series, is a collaboration with Michael Caines MBE. ‘Mischief‘ – the 2nd release, is a collaboration with Mark Hix MBE, the celebrated chef, restaurateur and food writer. The collaboration commemorates the 10th anniversary of HIX restaurants. The 3rd release ‘Guiding Star‘ is a Sloe and Damson gin, and a collaboration with the iconic Portuguese winemaker Dirk Niepoort. Niepoort is one of the most respected port houses in the world. (Stand B29).
Conker Spirit has begun a new voyage and partnered with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to launch a Navy Strength gin, the brand’s first gin offering since the award-winning Dorset Dry. Since Conker launched the first gin distillery in Dorset back in 2014, gin-lovers and admirers of the brand have been long awaiting a gin sequel to the Dorset Dry. Clocking in at the traditional Navy Strength of 57%, Conker’s new RNLI Navy Strength is a bold and purposeful gin, worthy of its cause. With a symphony of fresh pine and sweet spiced fruits, this gin lengthens beautifully to hold a presence in the glass. For every 70cl bottle of Conker Spirit RNLI Navy Gin sold, five pounds will be donated to the RNLI, making a significant contribution to the RNLI’s mission to save lives at sea. Why not raise a glass of Conker Spirit RNLI Navy Strength Gin and toast to the success and endless work of the RNLI which continues to save lives at sea every day? That’s the spirit! (Stand A25).
English Spirits distil a wide range of spirits and liqueurs, entirely from scratch in small batch copper pot stills. As the UK’s original small batch distiller, they have a lot of experience when it comes to spirits, which has won them over 100 international awards. They’ve been based at Treguddick Manor, near Launceston, since Spring 2018. Their big news story is the brand new distillery and visitors’ centre that they are opening in Spring 2019. The distillery will be the largest in the South West, made up of no larger than tiny 200L copper pot stills (truly small batch) while the visitors centre facilities will include tours, tastings, shop, bar, cafe & kitchen, as well as a multi purpose event space. Their focus there will be on educating visitors about how a wide variety of spirits and liqueurs are made from scratch, as well as how to consume them, while providing an entertaining and relaxing experience for all. They have won an extensive variety of prestigious international awards for both the products they’ve created for their own English Spirit range, and the products made for the 100+ clients that they’ve worked with since 2011: which is a wonderful endorsement of their products’ high quality standard. (Stand D66).
If you prefer your drinks a little softer – we’ve got those for you too:
For over 25 years, James White Drinks have been tasting, testing and experimenting to bring you their most delicious range of vegetable juices. They pride themselves on the fact that there’s a James White juice for everyone and any occasion. They have just launched a re-brand of their intense pocket sized Zinger shots, with a new design and new packaging. Little drinks with a big zing! (Stand B30A).
As you may be aware, our goal for all our trade shows is to go single-use plastic free. We have introduced an innovative badging system for exhibitors and visitors that removes the need for any plastic wallets, and we are working with our show contractors to reduce their single use plastic too. We’re pleased to see we’re not the only ones working on this:
Most people are aware of the plastic in tea bags, however not many are aware of the amount of plastic used in enveloped teas and Westcountry Tea Co have taken it as their mission to be a forerunner in the UK in offering the first plastic free string, tag & enveloped teas for the catering industry. They have invested into machinery to be able to produce the UK’s first 100% plastic free string & tag enveloped teas in 2019! The new enveloped teas are an exciting new addition to their existing and popular ranges: Time out Tea, Lazy Days Tea and Loose Leaf Tea. In fact all their teas are 100% plastic free, from the tea bag material to the outer packaging. They offer unusual blends and high quality teas/herbal infusions, which prove very popular with consumers and have won them awards from Taste of the West and Great Taste. They have also made a conscious decision to only supply independent retailers, having turned down various requests from supermarkets in the past. Being a family business they understand the need for flexibility in dealing with small businesses. (Stand G26a).
It’s not all about food and drink though. There’s far more to see at the show – from packaging to payment and booking systems:
Craftis specialise in off the shelf and bespoke children’s activities, activity meal bags and party goods to entertain young visitors in your business. They will be showcasing some exciting new designs and their popular new brown kraft range at this year’s show. They are also totally over the moon to announce that they had been recognised for their work with many companies in the indoor play, family entertainment centres (FEC), theme parks, piers and attractions sectors by winning Supplier of the Year at the FEC BALPPA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2018. This award is presented to the BALPPA trade supplier who consistently offers excellence, goes the extra mile and helps customers achieve their company visions and goals. What an outstanding accolade! (Stand F28).
Founded in 2008 by George Karibian and Jan Farrarons, Paymentsense was born out of a need to fix a broken card payments industry, and a vision to take on the big banks to help small businesses get paid for less. Fast forward to 2019 where their combination of cutting edge technology, extraordinary customer support and an unconventional way of thinking, means they can offer lower rates, better service and peace of mind for their customers. They provide merchant services that put their customers first, such as card machines that take money on the move, or at the till; cloud based technology to sync card machines with all major electronic till systems, and virtual payment solutions that allow customers to pay online, by phone or by secure link. They’ve been named as one of Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200, have been in the Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 for 5 years running, in Inc. 5000 Europe for the second consecutive year, and won “Growth Business of the Year” at the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards as well as being shortlisted for the Innovation Award and Customer Focus Award. (Stand H43).
freetobook provides free online booking capabilities and optional paid services like channel management and online payments. freetobook recently launched their connection with Google Hotel Ads, charging only a 7% advertising fee, and tipping the scales in favour of their customers by letting them compete directly with big OTAs on Google for direct bookings. They were finalists in the ‘Customer Service’ category at the Scottish Herald Family Business Awards 2018, and won the ‘Business to Business’ category at the Scottish Herald Digital Business Awards 2018. The ‘Business to Business’ award is given to the organisation that can “best demonstrate the effective implementation of digital platforms and tools in a business capacity”, with judges looking for evidence of “how the technique was adopted and has delivered consistent results in unpredictable market conditions”. At freetobook they constantly strive to deliver cutting edge technology to help independent accommodation providers thrive in their business – and it looks like they’ve been pretty successful so far! (Stand C36a).
If you’ve made it this far – well done! There was so much to tell you about, and we didn’t want to miss anybody or anything out! We’re really looking forward to seeing all these companies, and everyone else, at the show. If we’ve whetted your appetite, why not register for your free trade entry badge now? See you in February!
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