Monday 4th July – Start Spreading the News
It’s time to Rise & Shine. We’re a fresh slice of hospitality news for the south and south west, set to arrive in your inbox every Monday morning. We aim to set you –and over 20,000 other industry professionals – up for the week ahead with an espresso shot of essential news, fresh products and the latest food trends plus legislation, appointments and much more. Anything and everything, in fact, that will help you and your business succeed.
We know how busy you are, so let Rise and Shine bring all the important news to you with a unique regional focus that helps keep it relevant and useful. Don’t forget, this is your newsletter. So if you have any news about your business or the industry in general, we’d love to hear it. Get in touch with Carolyn, our Hospitality News Editor at news@breadandbutter.media. Enjoy your Rise & Shine and have a good week.
Robin Alway
Group Editor
INDUSTRY NEWS
St Austell Brewery Buys Bath Ales
Two of the discerning south west drinker’s favourite breweries are coming together. Cornwall-based St Austell Brewery Company announced on 1st July that it has acquired fellow west country brewer and pub company, Bath Ales Limited.
The deal, which has been completed for an undisclosed amount, includes: the Bath Ales brewery, situated between Bath and Bristol, its portfolio of beer brands and its 11-strong pub estate which includes three Graze outlets and three Beerd bars.
James Staughton, chief executive, St Austell Brewery, said: “For a long time Bath Ales has been a company I have admired and this exciting acquisition provides the coming together of two like-minded businesses.
“Bath Ales brews great beer and has a thriving pub estate both of which complement those of St Austell Brewery and with the acquisition we are committing to a long-term significant investment in the Bath Ales brands, pub estate, people and brewing facilities. We already operate a successful free trade business across the region, and a wholesale service to free trade customers, which will also bring additional routes to market for Bath Ales’ beers.”
Staughton added: “As a business, St Austell Brewery has a strong commitment to Cornwall and South West England and the deal supports our strategy to strengthen and extend our presence in the Bristol and Bath region. Together St Austell Brewery and Bath Ales will deliver solid and distinctive offerings to customers combining conscious innovation, service excellence and the scaling of what works.”
Roger Jones, founder of Bath Ales, said: “This is a really exciting move for Bath Ales. With the investment and broader support from St Austell Brewery we are better placed to capture the opportunity that exists for Bath Ales.
“We are confident that we can also make a strong contribution to their operations so that the combined organisation can really set the standard for quality beers and outstanding venues.”
Jones added: “From the first contact with St Austell Brewery we genuinely found people and an operation that have a consistent set of values and the same commitment to quality. The combined business will be a force to be reckoned with.”
All of St Austell Brewery’s beers will continue to be brewed in Cornwall. Likewise, all Bath Ales’ beer brands will continue to be brewed at the Bath Ales Brewery where a schedule of investment to expand the brewing and packaging facilities will take place.
The only problem for punters will be deciding between St Austell’s Tribute and Bath Ales’ Gem…
Marco’s New Pizza Place
Marco Pierre White has launched his new ‘ultra-casual’ dining concept, Bardolino Pizzeria, Bellini and Espresso Bar at Cadbury House in north Somerset.
Taking its name from the home town of Marco’s mother, pizza will be the star dish at Bardolino with an all-day express menu of authentic Italian food also including pasta, coffee and Bellinis.
“Bardolino represents affordable, friendly and casual dining with recognisable family favourites and classic Italian dishes.” says White. “I truly believe that Italian food is affordable and delicious. Bardolino is a restaurant concept created for both discerning diners and aspirational families alike. After all, pasta is a child’s favourite food.”
Restaurant goers can expect a variety of authentic stone-baked pizzas from the Zingara with ham, mushrooms and truffle oil to the Bresaola e Mozzarella with cured beef, tomatoes and mozzarella. The menu also boasts homemade pasta dishes that have all been created using some of Italy’s finest ingredients.
Bardolino will be operated under licence from the celebrity chef’s Black & White Hospitality business, which plans to roll out the concept in further locations during the next two years.
Nick Taplin, CEO and owner at Black & White Hospitality, said: “Bardolino is sure to be a hit with club members as well as day-time and evening diners. A lot has changed in the past few years and the demand for casual dining has become increasingly popular. A trend we believe is here to stay.
“This concept is designed to offer a fresh alternative, where authentic, uncomplicated food served promptly is absolutely essential. “The setting, although influenced by a rustic Italian village, will be vibrant and a little bit quirky with the décor reflecting both old and the new.”
The Pig at Combe Opens Next Week
The acclaimed restaurant-with-rooms is set to open its newest hotel in the Otter Valley near Honiton, Devon on July 11th. Set in 3,500 acres of lush Devonshire countryside, three walled gardens – vegetable, herb and infusion – will be the “beating heart” of this new addition. As with the other Pigs, produce that can’t be grown on site will be sourced from within 25 miles of the hotel. Owners Home Grown Hotels promise “this is no cookie-cutter roll-out” with big changes to the traditional layout of hotel public rooms that underlines The Pig’s informal ethos. So the historic entrance and Great Hall are now the main bar, ditching formal entrances for heading straight into the heart of the action. The wood panelled banqueting room has been stripped back to bare wood floors and restored shutters. The old garden folly has been semi-restored to create an atmospheric outdoor dining area. The original Georgian stable block and attic floor in the main house are now guest rooms. Whereas the original kitchen with range and fittings becomes a ‘below stairs’ private dining room featuring Mrs Beeton’s recipes.
CEO of Home Grown Hotels Robin Hutson said: “We’re really over the moon with the building progress at THE PIG at Combe – outside we are busy planting and seeing new shoots in the kitchen garden, and inside whilst deformalising the space we are renewing every pipe and wire, stripping off layers of varnish, and scouring the country for quirky and unique artefacts. Combe sits well within the footprint of our other four locations. Demand has been very high for the existing properties and our guests want more PIG’s in more locations but we will only create them if we find exceptional sites like this – possibly the finest hotel building in this neck of the woods.’
Soil Association Teams up With the NUS
The Soil Association have announced a new partnership between their Food for Life Catering Mark and the National Union of Student’s Green Impact scheme. By closely aligning standards, the aim is to help universities provide more sustainable catering. It means that from July 1st organisations meeting the Green Impact standards for catering will be well positioned to achieve the Catering Mark too.
The Food for Life Catering Mark is the only standard which is independently inspected, giving students, unions and staff an independent endorsement that the food on site is ethical, sustainable, free from undesirable additives and at least 75% of the menu is freshly prepared. This new partnership will consolidate the importance of sustainability in universities.
Rich Watts, senior Catering Mark manager said; “We know students are looking for more freshly cooked, responsibly sourced food, which is why schemes like the Catering Mark are already playing a part in university catering across the UK. We’re really excited that Green Impact are aligning their standards to our own as it will help link up sustainability across all aspects of catering on campus.”
Piers Telemacque, NUS vice president for society and citizenship said; “Green Impact works closely with students’ unions to embed sustainable behaviours in day to day life. Food is a huge part of this. The Food for Life Catering Mark truly reassures students that the food they’re eating is better for the environment, animal welfare and freshly cooked.”
Those achieving both awards will receive a discount and additional support.
New Farm Shop Launches in West Country Village of Portesham
Offering fresh, local produce from nearby Dorset farms and specially selected artisan brands from across the country, Ducks Farm Shop will also boast an international delicatessen counter selling a wide range of charcuterie and cheeses. Supporting Fair Trade international programmes and working in partnership with Dorset farmers, the Farm Shop will also have a cafe, open 7 days a week. Proprietor Jo Worsley, also owns the popular Kings Arms Pub in Portesham. Ducks Farm Shop opens on Thursday, 7th July.
Making Rare Burgers Simply Safer
Simply Safer are launching an association to bring together small independent restaurants that want to offer rare burgers to their customers while meeting all health and safety standards. This will enable them to share good practice on how they ensure the burgers they serve are safe to eat. With many years experience, Simply Safer work with small independent food businesses offering support and guidance to ensure they are complying with the law and running safely, also removing the confusion and myths of food safety. The company also provides accredited or bespoke training for Food Safety and Health and Safety. Audits can be undertaken to ensure all staff are following the systems that have been put in place and to maintain a positive food safety culture. As ‘5 out of 5’ Food Hygiene Rating Scores are becoming more important, Simply Safer often inspect food businesses before an EHO inspection so any procedures required can be put in place. Simply Safer is an integral member of the Food Safety Team at Glastonbury Festival working with the street food vendors at this event.
NEW PRODUCTS
Dorset Vodka Made With Apples Launches
Named Porter’s Perfection after the heritage apple it’s made from, this craft spirit has been developed by artisan producers Liberty Fields with help from Lloyd Brown, head mixologist at the Venner Bar in Bridport (3 times runner up in the Observer Food Monthly Best Bar). Liberty Fields describe the taste as “like the first bite of the apple” and say it’s “delicious as a sipping vodka: pure, smooth and with a slightly peppery finish adding an extra dimension. It’s also the perfect base for longer drinks and classic cocktails with a twist like a Jurassic Jackass (our take on a Moscow Mule) or a Bloody Perfect Mary using Dorset Naga chillies”.
Porter’s Perfection vodka is hand-made in small batches on their organic dairy farm in West Dorset from apples, wheat grain spirit, spring water and botanicals. It’s available from farm shops and wine merchants in Dorset, priced at RRP £29.50 for a 70cl bottle.
Purbeck Ice Cream’s New Flavours for Summer
Awarding winning ice maker Purbeck have announced three new flavours and a sorbet, all made on their farm in Wareham, Dorset with local milk, cream and natural ingredients. Dorset Marmalade uses home made marmalade from fellow Dorset producer Tracey Collins from Ajar Of and blends thick cut seville orange shreds with Purbeck milk and Dorset cream. Mango Mango Ripple brings the unique flavour of the increasingly popular tropical fruit to their ice cream. Cracking Choc is Purbeck’s take on Stracciatella ice cream, with shards of chocolate making for a tempting texture. Finally, their Beetroot sorbet, is full of minerals and antioxidants and stunning to look at. All are available now.
Langley’s No 8 Gin Gets a New Bottle
With the gin category still growing fast, Langley’s No 8 gin now comes in a new glass bottle created by Allied Glass to give the brand an even more distinctive profile. Featuring the Langley’s logo boldly embossed on the shoulder along with the distinctive Langley’s figure ‘8’ embossed on the back, the bespoke white glass bottle also includes a slimmer bottleneck, which helps bartenders insert a pourer more easily, improving the speed of service at busy times.
Mark Dawkins, co-founder of Charter Brands, said: “When we launched Langley’s No 8 Gin three years ago, we set out to create a classic, timeless feel for our quintessentially English spirit. Both the logo and the No 8 have always been well received on the printed label of the bottle and therefore incorporating them into the glass itself means we have increased the brand’s premium credentials even further.“We always planned to have our own glass bottle once Langley’s No 8 had established a following and that has become even more important as the number of gins available increases and also as other premium gins followed us into the market using the original bottle design. “As well as improving our distinctiveness and giving us even stronger stand-out on the back bar, we’ve listened carefully to the feedback from the bartenders who work with the gin. As a result, the new bottle also has practical benefits in terms of both security and speed of pour.”
Skinners Unveil New Look
Cornwall community brewers Skinners are giving their award-winning beers a fresh look as they target consumers outside the south west. The recipes of their classic beers like Betty Stogs and Cornish Knocker remain unchanged but Skinner’s have worked with some leading artists from the worlds of music and fashion to give them a distinctive new look. Cornish Trawler’s tattoo-inspired design has been illustrated by Alex T Frazer, who works with many musical artists including Mogwai and Ben Folds Five while Lushingtons’ label has been created by A-Side, a dynamic Cornwall-based team of illustrators that have worked with pioneering brands such as Dorset Cereals and the Port Eliot Festival.
Along with a new look and website, Skinner’s review of their brand sees them retire Ginger Tosser and change the name of Heligan Honey to Hops ’n’ Honey, better reflecting its provenance.
The brand refresh for Skinner’s core range of ales has rolled out across key accounts, including wholesalers and national retail partners.
APPOINTMENTS
Food and Drink Devon Get New Chair
Barbara King, managing director of The Shops at Dartington, is taking over the role of chair of this local food group from the beginning of July.
“I look forward to exploring different ways of putting Devon’s food and drink on the map, and working with both new and existing members, creating long-lasting relationships that will benefit the county.” she says.
Food & Drink Devon is the county’s only dedicated membership organisation supporting quality, provenance, sustainability and trading across the food and drink sector. It has over 250 Devon-based members, including cookery schools, hotels, speciality retailers and farmers’ markets.
NEW EQUIPMENT
Hamilton Beach Blender Warranty Now Three Years
Foodservice Equipment Marketing Ltd (FEM) is now supplying its Hamilton Beach Commercial high performance food and drink blenders with an upgraded three year parts and labour warranty, which is says is the best in the industry.
The new warranty applies to seven high performance blenders including the Fury and the Eclipse. As well as the 3 years parts and labour warranty, the blades and motor drive coupling are under warranty for the lifetime of the unit.
CMSIT Microwave and Chill With Two New Products
Their new ProWave 1900W microwave is a heavyweight entrant in the microwave oven market, with a genuine 1900W of power. This robust and powerful all stainless steel oven has a 30 litre cavity, removable middle ceramic shelf, a 20 programmable memory capacity, offers multi-stage cooking and comes with a 3 year parts and labour warranty.
Their ProCool back bar cooler is available in single, double and triple door – sliding or hinged. Standard features include auto-defrost, auto-closing lockable doors, LED lights, 900mm high and a 2 year parts and labour warranty.
INDUSTRY EVENTS
Send your event listings to [email protected]
Imbibe Live 2016
4th & 5th July
Olympia, London.
Annual event for the Licensed ‘On-Trade’ Industry
www.live.imbibe.com/
The Yeovil Show
16th & 17th July
The Showground, Yeovil, South Somerset.
The South Somerset show includes the very best Food & Drink from local food and drink producers from the county and beyond.
www.yeovilshow.org/
Mid Devon Show
23rd July
Knightshayes, Tiverton, Devon
Celebrating food, horticulture and farm life across Mid Devon.
www.middevonshow.co.uk/
2016 Cotswold Food & Drink Awards
25th July
Cheltenham Racecourse
14th Annual Cotswold Life Awards, celebrating the region’s food & drink industry.
New Forest & Hampshire County Show
26th-28th July
New Park, Brockenhurst.
www.newforestshow.co.uk/
2016 Great Dorset Chilli Festival
30 & 31st July
St Giles House, Wimborne St Giles, Dorset
www.greatdorsetchillifestival.co.uk/
AND FINALLY…
Vegan Secret Ingredient is Fab
It’s called Aquafaba, it’s one of the hottest new ingredients in US food and chances are, you’ve been pouring it down the drain until now. Yes, that gloopy liquid you get in a can of chickpeas or other legumes has turned out to be a fantastic vegan egg substitute. Rebranded with a new name, (from the latin for water and bean), website and a 45,000 strong Facebook group, it’s being used in perfect whiskey sours and airy meringues in the booming vegan restaurant scene from New York to LA. Chefs and bartenders are busy experimenting with it, using it to create foams in coffees and cocktails and New York condiment brand Sir Kensington have just launched a vegan mayonnaise substitute made with aquafaba called Fabanaise. Crack open a can of chickpeas and see what you can come up with…
Watch What You Eat
We’re used to sharing pictures of dishes through social media but the Chinese are way ahead of us. Mukbang is a type of video where ordinary people live-stream themselves eating meals and often earn as much as $10,000 a month in donations from their large fan bases. Viewers stream mukbang during their own mealtime to virtually share a meal and alleviate loneliness at what is traditionally a time when families eat together. As well as the glitzier videos featuring attractive young men for adoring female audiences, there are more banal ones featuring regional specialities that provide visual comfort food for homesick Chinese who have had to relocate away from their family for work.