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Robin Alway
Editorial Director
INDUSTRY NEWS
Marco and Pierre to launch new restaurant in Bath hotel
Marco Pierre White and Pierre Koffmann are planning to launch a new restaurant at the Abbey Hotel in Bath.
Koffmann & Mr White’s will be a brasserie-style eatery serving a mix of English and French classics from the two influential chefs, who have held six Michelin stars between them. Koffmann was awarded three Michelin stars at his restaurant La Tante Claire in London. White trained there before moving on to attain his own three stars at Harvey’s and The Restaurant Marco Pierre White in the dining room at the Hyde Park Hotel.
Operating under licence from the celebrity chef’s Black & White Hospitality business, plans are to roll out Koffmann & Mr White’s to further locations during the next two years, following a year’s exclusivity for The Abbey Hotel.
Marco said: “For many, many, many years I reflected on my career and one of my deepest regrets was not spending more time with Pierre in the kitchen. I am looking forward to being the apprentice once again.
“Personally, I’m also thrilled to be opening in Bath, a city which is very close to my heart. The Abbey Hotel has a brilliant central location and together we’re looking forward to creating a fantastic new restaurant for the city.”
Pierre added: “Marco is one of the most talented chefs I have ever worked with. I am very much looking forward to our collaboration.”
Nick Taplin, CEO of Black & White Hospitality added: “To sit down between two chefs who have attained six Michelin stars is quite something. They both have loads of ideas on what the new restaurant should be and are very close to all elements such as the menus, décor and styling.”
Koffmann & Mr White’s is Black & White Hospitality’s seventh brand alongside Steakhouse Bar & Grill, New York Italian, Wheeler’s of St James, Mr White’s English Chophouse, Bardolino Pizzeria, Bellini & Espresso Bar and Marconi.
Wookey Hole buys second caravan park
Somerset tourist attraction Wookey Hole Caves have purchased Homestead Caravan Park in Wells in a six-figure deal with funding from Handelsbanken.
This move comes just over a year after Wookey Hole Ltd acquired Bucklegrove Holiday Park in the Cheddar Valley, which has seen a doubling of business since an extensive upgrade.
The second park includes a campsite and holiday lodges and joins a portfolio for the tourist attraction which includes a 58-bed hotel and 10 lodges at its Wookey Hole site.
Daniel Medley, managing director of Wookey Hole Ltd said: “The success of Bucklegrove Holiday Park showed us the potential this sector has for us. At our busiest times, we have 1,400 guests a night staying with us across our resort. Homestead Caravan Park is a great fit for us, as the site is right beside us in Wells. We have plans to develop it by adding more lodges. We will also be looking to add to our portfolio of holiday parks in the Somerset area as opportunities arise over the coming years.”
Commenting on the performance of the business as a whole Medley added: “Last year was our best yet and despite the snow bringing challenges earlier this year, we have had a great Easter and look forward to a busy summer. Our aim is to provide affordable days out and affordable quality accommodation for families – and staying true to that market is working for us.”
Taste of the West’s 2018 Product Award Winners
The UK’s largest regional food and drink awards programme, the annual Taste of the West Awards scheme, has announced this year’s winners. Over 1000 products were tried and tested by a panel of 80 expert judges. They awarded 304 Gold, 220 Silver and 170 Highly Commended Awards.
Among the winners were a Rosemary & Sea Salt Lavosh Flatbread made by Step & Stone, a Bristol based producer who works with young people with learning disabilities. They picked up a Gold Award, along with last year’s supreme champion product winner Sharpham Partnership with their Cremet cheese. Other winners included Denhay Farms Ltd with a string of awards for their bacon and Dorset-based Lakesbrook Farm for their eggs among a host of West Country products taking in beef, beer, cider, jam and chutney.
John Sheaves, Chief Executive of Taste of the West, commented: “This year we are particularly pleased that the level of innovation in product development has been higher than usual. Through our experience of running the UK’s largest regional food and drink awards programme, our aim is to raise the bar in terms of excellence. In this way, we know that we can offer a product to a discerning consumer market which has been thoroughly tested and evaluated.”
The highest-scoring Gold award-winning products will now go through to the next round of judging, which will be held at Exeter Cookery School at the end of July. The final Champions in each class will be announced at the Taste of the West Awards ceremony on 13th September.
For a full list of winners, go to https://www.tasteofthewest.co.uk/product-award-winners-2018
Latest winners for £40m Discover England fund
VisitEngland has announced the latest successful bids to receive funding from the £40 million Discover England Fund for tourism product development.
The 11 applicants will receive up to £250,000 in the third year of the fund. They include, from the South West, new project Uncover the Cotswolds, led by Cotswolds Tourism, and two amplification projects: England’s Seafood Coast, led by English Riviera BID and Developing The Urban Food Hub, led by Destination Bristol.
Tourism minister Michael Ellis said: “The Discover England Fund helps to promote our brilliant tourist destinations to visitors all over the world. This round of funding will showcase the North West and North East of England, including its beautiful scenery, historic places and dynamic cultural scene. It will also expand tourist products in the Midlands, South and South West so that communities across the country can share the benefits of our booming tourism industry.”
VisitEngland chief executive Sally Balcombe said: “The Discover England Fund continues to bring imaginative projects to life, increasing the choice of tourism products available to international visitors and in markets that research shows they will appeal.
“From cultural experiences that allow visitors to acquire new skills and products that get people exploring our UNESCO World Heritage sites to projects that help groups get acquainted with regional England, activity delivered through the Fund is driving tourism growth throughout the country.”
Independent café chain reveal results of coffee cup ban
One month after it banned single-use coffee cups, the independently-owned café chain Boston Tea Party (BTP) said it has saved over 17,500 disposable coffee cups from going into landfill.
BTP has sold over 7,500 reusable cups from Ecoffee Cup, in addition to customers bringing in their own reusable cups, since bringing in the ban on 1st June across its 22 sites.
However, the chain has seen a fall of 24% in sales compared to the same period last year. Owner and MD Sam Roberts said: “We always knew we would see a drop in takeaway coffee sales with the ban, being the first to make the move means if customers choose not to get behind it there are still plenty of competitors using disposable cups. We did this because it’s the right thing to do, not the easy option, this is the start of the story for us. We’ve had calls from cafes & coffee chains asking us to guide them through a ban, and that is the real success story here. We can’t solve this problem on our own, we’re on the hunt for organisations, however big or small, to help this campaign to gather momentum.”
BTP are running an operator workshop on 31st July focused on how they manage to make the ban work. For more details go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-tea-party-no-excuse-for-single-use-workshop-tickets-47509716842.
Cornish Pasty Association launch retailer scheme
Producer group the Cornish Pasty Association has created a Recognised Retailer scheme for businesses who sell pasties but don’t necessarily make their own.
The Association, which successfully fought for eight years to gain official recognition for genuine Cornish pasties, hopes the new scheme will help consumers buy the real thing.
Retailers who sign up will be encouraged to use the Association’s Genuine Cornish Pasty Trademark. More businesses will also be able to take part in Cornish Pasty Week, a “massive celebration of the product that generates millions for the Cornish economy, accounts for thousands of jobs and is probably the most well-known of the UK’s 80 or so Protected Food Names.”
Jason Jobling, Chairman of the Cornish Pasty Association, said, “Our Association was created to give the much coveted Protected Geographic Indication to the Cornish pasty, which means that only pasties made in the correct way, to the specified recipe and, of course, in Cornwall, can be sold using the Cornish pasty name. It’s now time for us to evolve, raising awareness of the Cornish pasty’s distinctiveness even further and giving pasty businesses more reasons to get involved.”
For more information, you can get in touch with the Cornish Pasty Association by emailing info@cornishpastyassociation.co.uk or calling 01872 865101.
FOOD & DRINK NEWS
Dartmoor Brewery unveil wheat beer for summer
The South West craft ale producer, Dartmoor Brewery, has launched a new wheat beer as part of its Discovery range of small-batch craft ales.
Designed with “summer drinking in mind”, it has a “30% wheat content, a distinctive spicy flavour from the Belgian yeast, and a hint of lemony hop.”
Richard Smith, managing director of Dartmoor Brewery, commented: “We’re thrilled to be rolling out this refreshing new beer, which should be a hit for thirsty ale-lovers during the summer months. This is the latest small-batch ale in our Dartmoor Discovery Range, which has given our award-winning head brewer the chance to demonstrate his creativity to the full and give our customers something a little different.”
Sheppy’s launch low alcohol cider
Somerset cidermaker Sheppy’s have launched their new Low Alcohol Classic Cider. The 0.5 ABV cider “has all the same flavour profile of their traditional cider, but with less alcohol. It is made with a carefully selected blend of Somerset’s finest traditional and dessert cider apples – and is just as enjoyable as Sheppy’s award-winning Classic Draught Cider.”
According to the cider maker, the low alcohol sector is booming. Sales grew by nearly 30% last year and the sector is set to be worth £300 million within ten years and will account for 5% of the beer and cider market.
Master of cider David Sheppy comments: “We spotted the growing trend for low alcohol as consumers’ lifestyle choices are changing. People like to enjoy a drink or two but are looking for options with lower alcohol – that still taste great and are made well. Our new cider offers all our craft credentials; flavour and excellent quality, with a lower ABV. I have spent a lot of time perfecting this recipe to ensure that it stays true to our traditional craft cider roots.”
Moonroast’s new single origin coffee
Hampshire coffee roaster Moonroast have added a Sumatra Jagong single origin coffee to its range of 80+ graded, ethically sourced speciality coffees.
According to Moonroast, it’s “A fascinatingly complex coffee with an unrivalled depth of flavour possibly due to the unique way in which the beans are processed, known locally as Giling Basah. The deep chocolate, treacle and even a hint of tangerine flavours give a unique character to the coffee and good body.”
For wholesale enquiries, email coffee@moonroast.co.uk or call 01256 389996.
EQUIPMENT NEWS
Fem’s nice ice storage
Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM) has launched Manitowoc’s latest ice bins, the D Series, to accompany the company’s Indigo icemaker.
The D Series ice bins’ exterior has a stainless steel DuraTech finish that is resistant to fingerprints, dirt and corrosion. The stay-open bin door design makes it easier to scoop ice.
The smallest model of the range holds 95kg of ice cubes, the largest 322kg and list prices start at £1,330 + VAT and go up to £2,260 + VAT.
The Indigo Series icemakers are modular, air-cooled machines, that produce Manitowoc Ice’s dice cubes – “a hard, clear, slow-melting ice cube that provides maximum cooling and quick production.”
For more information and details of local stockists call FEM on +44 (0) 1355 244111, email sales@fem.co.uk or visit www.fem.co.uk
INDUSTRY EVENTS
July
Hampshire Food Festival
1st – 31st July 2018
Various locations across Hampshire
“Organised by Hampshire Fare, Hampshire is preparing to celebrate all things food and farming throughout July with over 60 tempting events taking place across the county.”
To take part and to find out more, please visit
https://www.hampshirefare.co.uk/news-events/hampshire-food-festival