Food 'n' Drink – Food and Drink news |

Kallo Foods, Dorset Cereals, Windmill Organics, The Food Doctor, Tree of Life, Green & Blacks, Infinity Foods and Clipper Teas are just some of the big names that will be exhibiting in this years Natural Food Show at Olympia on the 1st and 2nd of April 2012. This is the only event in the UK dedicated to organic and natural products and is a trade event run by Natural and Organic Products Europe.

The Natural Food Show will be showcasing thousands of speciality brands of food and drink from well over 300 exhibitors, as well as providing products for thousands of professional buyers from the likes of caterers, specialist retailers, restaurants, cafes, delis and farm shops.

These establishments get the opportunity to purchase a vast array of organic, natural, Fairtrade, biodynamic, and free from and special diet item from suppliers across the globe who all converge to give the trade a real treat as a far as natural and organic produce goes.

Although there has been a dedicated food section at Natural & Organic Products Europe throughout its 16-year history, the launch of the rebranded Natural Food Show last year, in 2011, reflected the ongoing shift in consumer awareness and demand for natural, more sustainably and ethically produced, food and drink. Having worked on the show for nine years, event director Simon Barry has personally witnessed many former niche exhibitors become internationally-recognised brands with mass-market appeal. Commenting on recent research carried out by IGD ShopperTrack (source: ‘Jamie Oliver generation’ emerges from the UK foodie revolution, 28 November 2011), which found that shoppers under 35 were twice as likely to want organic food as those over 35, Barry said:

“There has been a huge increase in the understanding of the benefits of natural and organic food. Companies like Amy’s Kitchen, nakd, innocent smoothies, Green & Black’s and Nairn’s Oatcakes, were virtually unknown outside of the industry before they exhibited at Natural & Organic Products Europe and now they have a huge consumer following. And, based on the evidence, it’s a trend that’s going to continue.
As each new generation becomes more and more health conscious, stores and eateries will need to ensure that they expand their natural, organic, free-from and special diet selections to cater for the growing number of customers who care about provenance and sustainability, and how their food and drink is processed. ”
With just under three months still to go, visitor pre-registration, which opened just last week, is already up over 50% on the same time in 2011, and exhibition space is now 90% sold out.

While this is largely due to the enthusiastic return of many big name brands – including The Health Store, Essential Trading, Suma Wholefoods, Community Foods, Clearspring, Marigold Health Foods, Alara Wholefoods, Amy’s Kitchen, Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, Pukka Herbs, James White Drinks, Queenswood Natural Foods, and Redwood Wholefood Company – a wealth of first time exhibitors will also be in attendance. These include Morgiel Fine & Organic Foods, importers of high quality Polish produce; Devon-based Rookbeare Farm, with its uniquely-flavoured ice-creams and sorbets; award-winning organic seasonal soups producer Rod & Ben’s;
The Botanical Drinks Co, creators of Lull – a sparkling fruit and botanical relaxation drink; Bravura Foods, exclusive distributor for award winning Panda Confectionery products in the UK and Ireland; The Tomato Stall, who’ll be showcasing 100% natural tomato products from the Isle-of-Wight; and Dr Lucy’s, with its gluten, nut, egg and milk free cookies.

New features include the Natural Food Show’s first ever dedicated Vegan Society pavilion. Plus, there’ll also be plenty of opportunity for buyers to refresh their international ranges, with an all new French pavilion joining Austria, Brazil, USA, France, Italy, and Latvia.

While the show’s mainstays – The Fairtrade Trail, Vegetarian Trail, Free-from Trail, New Product Showcase, FoodLovers Approved pavilion, The West Country Food & Drink pavilion, Organic Trade Board pavilion, and the popular Soil Association Organic Marketplace promoting local delicacies from innovative new start-ups, all return with an eclectic mix of real food with sustainable provenance.

It’s not just the exhibitors at The Natural Food Show that promises to draw in the crowds however. This year’s live Natural Food Kitchen sessions will see a host of top chefs and nutritional experts demonstrating how a renewed focus on raw, vegan, vegetarian, organic, allergy-free and medicinal cookery can increase healthy menu options and boost business in the process.

The Natural Food Show at Natural & Organic Products Europe on 1-2 April 2012 is free to attend for pre-registered trade visitors and relevant press representatives only. To register, and be kept fully up-to-date with all the latest news and exhibitor information, please visit http://www.naturalproducts.co.uk quoting priority code NPE12050.

Folly Russian Matryoshka measuring cups

Folly, the stylish boutique found on the internet have added a clever and strictly limited edition set of Matryoshka  Russian measuring cups to their already abundant collection of home wares, vintage items and designer led gifts. Like the Russian dolls, these cups all fit inside each other to create an essential kitchen item that won’t clutter up the worktops.

The cups range in measurements from ¼ through to a full cup size, encompassing both quarter and third cup sizes, making 6 in all. They have been created from heavy duty and food safe Engineering plastic that ensures they will be invaluable for years to come. These Matryoshka cups are useful, easy to store and will add a charm to any kitchen.

Tea drinking in England goes back centuries, since the first tea was imported in the mid 17^th century, the British have gone mad for it. Although tea didn’t originate in England, we have China to thank for that, the craze took hold of England with such gusto that drinking tea is now very much thought of as an English tradition. Whilst its popularity has peaked and troughed over the years it has never gone out of fashion.

Tea is available absolutely everywhere these days; cafes, tea shops, restaurants, gastro pubs, supermarkets, health food outlets, anywhere you go sells tea in some shape or form. You can now buy tea online from a tea shop, and it is increasingly popular due to both convenience and the variety and ranges available. Those with a more discerning palate who like a tea that is out of the ordinary invariably head online to track down their favourite blend.

Master tea producers Twinings offer one of the most comprehensive online ranges of tea that you will find anywhere. The greatest teas from around the world are all covered by Twinings globally recognised and respected brand, and there literally is a tea to suit everybody and every occasion.

The rise in popularity of herbal and fruit teas has been phenomenal, and Twinings have been right at the forefront of this revolution. A trip to their website will take you into a world of teas that you never knew existed. There are loose teas, tea bags, traditional teas, green tea, exotic teas, you name it, and you can buy it online from Twinings. There are even 2 free samples available so you can try before you buy.

Whether you have a penchant for a Chai Black tea, or a revitalising cup of lemon and ginger tea, or even a caffeine free Redbush blend, you will find it online from Twinings. Whether you are already an avid tea drinker, or want to try something new and exciting, head down to the Twinings website and see what they have available. There is so much available that you would be hard pressed to have a drink of the same tea twice.

You can order multiple packs to try, or simply stock up on your favourite type and rest in the knowledge that you are never going to run out. As long as there are British citizens there will be tea, and as long as there is tea, we will have Twinings.

Article for Twinings

A new study has recently suggested that chocolate might become increasingly expensive in the future because of climate change. The UK is one of the biggest chocolate consumers anywhere in the world and has an unrivalled selection of chocolates in its stores.

There are two main factors that could drive up the price of chocolate, the first is an increasing demand in developing countries such as China and the second is the increasing frequency of conflicts in countries where the crops required for chocolate are grown.

The study has been conducted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and suggests that global warming might also play an important part in the rising price of chocolate. Most of the world’s cocoa is grown in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, but it is expected that within 40 years the amount of appropriate land for growing the crop is going to have shrunk by up to 50 percent, this is due to temperature rises expected to take place in the country.

Dr Peter Laderach, a researcher in the area, has said that he is not able to estimate how much the price of the commodity is going to rise but he has stated that prices will go up if something doesn’t change. He commented, “Shortages of cocoa could mean that the product becomes a luxury item.”

The political turmoil that has been occurring in Africa recently has increased the price of cocoa by nearly 10 percent, making it worth about £2000 per tonne. If climate change continues then it is even more likely that this price is going to increase, ultimately this will affect the consumer by the increased price of chocolate bars.

Nestlé and Cadbury, who are responsible for most of the chocolate bars on our shelves are increasing their prices by around seven percent, double the current inflation rate.

A pub landlord who is producing a cheese using the same ingredients as the world famous Stilton brand but marketing it under a different name has been warned by existing traders that he could be facing a court appearance.

Stilton’s Bell Inn Pub is producing cheese and selling it to locals. For years the cheese has been banned from being made anywhere except  for Melton Mowbray because a PDO, Protected Designation Order, stated that is could only be  made in Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire.

Liam McGivern, the landlord of the Bell Inn Pub is selling his cheese under the name of Blue Bell, but the Melton Mowbray food partnership believe that McGivern is using the traditional Melton Mowbray cheese recipe, and that has no links to the village in Cambridgeshire except for their name.

Dr Matthew O’Callaghan is the groups chairman, and he feels that this is a contradiction of the PDO and says that unless the Bell Inn changes its recipe, or receives official permission to carry on making it, they would be taking them to court. He said that they are effectively attempting to steal their food heritage and that he will fight them all the way, if necessary, to both the courts and the European Commission.

He added that the Bell Inn must prove that they aren’t simply making a knock off Stilton and giving it a different name, and unless they could prove that, they would have no case to defend. They would have to go to both DEFRA and the European Commission to see if they could get the PDO extended to include the village of Stilton, and they could make as much cheese as they wanted as long as it wasn’t using a Stilton recipe.

Mother’s Day is Sunday 18 March
and this recipe from Loseley is ideal for all the family to make.

Cooking supplies:

• 6-7 eggs
• 1/4 cup of pineapple orange banana juice
• 1 cup of flour
• 3/4 stick Loseley Summer Meadow butter
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Whipped cream
• Strawberries
• Powdered sugar

Cooking directions:

- Have the children mix all the ingredients together the eggs, flour, salt, milk, sugar and juice.

- Next, have the children place the Loseley Summer Meadow butter in a 7X11 baking dish and place in the oven.

- Turn oven on to 425 degrees.

- When the Loseley butter is bubbling, add the batter to the baking dish.

- Cook it in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the edges turn deep golden brown.

- While the batter is baking, have the children cut up the strawberries.

- When the Pancake Puff is ready, have the children add on whipped cream, then strawberries and powdered sugar.

And, voila, the children are now ready to serve Mother’s Day Pancake Puff with Strawberries to mom!

Loseley Summer Meadow Butter is packed in a 250g tub and available for £1.39p.

Loseley Chilled Foods are available from the chilled cabinet of local independent grocers, Ocado and Waitrose. Visit www.loseley.com for more information

The independent UK-based research group, Leatherhead Food Research, produces reports on trends and innovations in the preferences and consumption of food amongst the general population.

The most recent report on upcoming trends for 2012 indicates that a higher percentage of products and ingredients in demand by people of retirement age will be on offer, as well as a demand from younger consumers for foods free from specific ingredients such as gluten, nuts and milk/dairy products.

The researchers designated ten food and drink trends they say are influenced by concerns about fitness and health, and also by the general atmosphere of ‘belt-tightening’ driven by the present economic situation.  The trends are mostly ongoing from the past few years; and it’s predicted that they will continue to gain popularity in the coming year.

In the category of health and wellness, we will see a continuing effort to reduce sugar, salt and fat content as well as active promotion of specific products as beneficial to good health.  That sort of promotion involves slogans like ‘one of the five foods you should eat every day’ and other incentives for the health-conscious among us.

There is a continuing and growing concern about sustainability that involves a lot of issues like ethical sourcing, recyclable packaging, and the emphasis on locally grown products as opposed to those imported or brought to localities from distant areas of the UK.

The issue of convenience is another rather tricky subject, with the benefits of ‘home cooked’ meals often taking a back seat to the freedom of quick, ready-to-eat-in-minutes packaged meals that are becoming more and more prevalent.  Food manufacturers are expected to continue making more of the quick and easy yet premium quality meals that busy consumers depend upon to save them a lot of shopping and cooking time, not to mention the cost of eating out.

The food industry is constantly working to add more flavour to convenience foods without adding more harmful substances in the form of chemical additives and/or fat, cholesterol, sodium and a whole list of other ingredients that health experts have warned against. On the other hand, there is growing demand for more variety in the form of spices such as ginger, lemongrass, lavender and other ‘unusual’ ways of satisfying the taste buds.

The market for ‘free from’ products is also getting larger, not so much because of the number of people who have food allergies but  because of all the information available on the subject of which foods may contribute to one health problem or another.  Products with labels such as ‘gluten-free’ or soy,  dairy, or nut-free, for example, are expected to be in such big demand that they will break out of the ‘niche’ market and into the mainstream.

Older consumers show a growing tendency to look for products that advertise ingredients ‘proven’ to improve heart function; the researchers say products that promise to unclog arteries are going to be big sellers with older people in search of  cardiovascular health.   Also in demand are products with extras  such as glucosamine for joint health and added omega-3 for brain health.

The massive emphasis in recent years on ‘natural’ foods has faded somewhat, mostly due to the relative costs involved.  However, the idea of  ‘pure, natural’ foods is still a strong attraction for both the older and the younger generations, and companies advertising natural foods are going to be balancing cost and profit with the sustainability of their market suppliers.

Consumers are now more aware of where their food comes from, and there will continue to be a strong demand for locally sourced foods like meat/poultry, cheese, eggs, vegetables and fruits.  Many chefs are incorporating locally produced ‘specialty’ items into their recipes to add distinction and variety to the menu, and a dish presented as being made of foods grown right in the locality is usually a favourite choice for customers.