Tag Archives: Food producers
26 Mar |
2026 Drink Trends |
If last month was all about food, then this month, it’s 2026 drink trends. Here there has been some good research done by Bid Food. It throws up some interesting challenges for traditional pubs as well as those, who might function as rooms for tea in their mass catering or restaurant establishment. So basically, anyone in catering!
Zebra Striping
The way we drink has changed considerably over the last 50 years. Drink-drive laws impacted on what could be consumed. While drinking at home became more common as a cheaper less risky option. Younger consumers are driving this further with a no/low alcohol trend. This is a long-term trend that caterers must not ignore. Research like CGA by Nielsen IQ noted that even more consumers chose these options last year.
It is not simply a case though of no alcohol at all. Rather it’s the increase of so-called zebra striping. This where customers alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Consumers say this keeps them in control of their alcohol consumption (55%) and helps them avoid getting drunk (44%). 41% are drawn to low and no alcohol options for their health benefits, 38% for their refreshing qualities, and 34% because they still feel like a treat.
Is this completely new? No, most of wine-growing Europe traditionally puts a water glass on the table alongside the wine glasses. What is novel is the deliberate choice is not simply water.
Simple Fruit Alternatives?
The challenge for all caterers is to find flavoursome alternatives that fit the zebra model easily. It needs to appeal immediately to being non-alcoholic, functional and hydrational.
While the offer of slice of lemon in your water is unlikely to suffice, it does point the way to sun-kissed fruit flavours that refresh the palate and implicitly feel to rehydrate. The immediate thought is tropical and global. Hence the growth of the likes of mangosteen, passion fruit and yuzu. Growing in 2026 are:
- Korean pear for strong hydration and wellness;
- pink guava for its simple colour, good for socials and sweetness;
- while Calamansi gives an alternative sharp citrus.
But perhaps there is another trend about to break? Hidden in the last few years by the increasing numbers of craft brewers and gin distilleries has been the growth of local producers of fruit-flavoured drinks. National names include Bradley’s Juice, Barn Farm Drinks, James White and the Berry Company. But have a look locally for the likes of Cotswold Juice Company or Day’s Cottage. Why? Because that also ticks the local feelgood box for the consumer.
Time for Tea
There are increasingly few homes that only have traditional brown tea in their cupboard. Partly as a result of picky guests, but also because the world of infusions has rapidly expanded beyond the traditional. Now there are a host of cold refreshing brews, exotic flavours and functional tonics. And that’s before we consider bubble tea that has seen a 20%+ increase each year in product launches in the last 4 years.
As with food, it’s a case of tradition meets global adventure with tea flavours. The familiar combines the adventurous and then adds to it with either indulgence or a nod to functional trends. The four flavours touted for 2026 are:
- Thai Tea – fusion of wellness and indulgence;
- Rooibos – caffeine-free and natural positioning;
- Oolong – premium heritage cues of vague recollection;
- Passion Flower – emerging, floral and globally inspired.
Now it’s probably time for a cuppa to mull over how to combine these 2026 drink trends with your business model for a profitable future.
Published Date: 26th March 2026
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Food Sourcing, Local food, News
Tags: Catering business, farm shop, Food producers, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant
27 Aug |
Who Doesn’t Love Blueberries? |
The UK eats 53 tonnes of blueberries annually. M&S makes more money from blueberries than from apples and pears combined. While Aldi sells 3 times as many punnets as bags of oranges. Yet blueberries were not sold in UK supermarkets until the 1990s, nor at all commercially until 1916! And with the UK crop surging to over 5,000 tonnes from below a 1,000 on 2009, they can be sourced locally.
What’s not to like?
Is it a coincidence that blueberries were one of the original superfoods in the 1990’s? They certainly went from being only included in muffins and other baked goods, to a fruit in their own right. Consider the options if you want to get the beneficial effects of the antioxidant anthocyanin. Would you prefer beetroot, red cabbage or blueberries? This might explain why the over 55’s particularly pick them.
Given they’re small and don’t need peeling nor leave fingers sticky, they’re also a hit with parents with young children. A great way to get some of their five a day without too many tantrums. Ideal in smoothies or the finishing touches as a topping, they’re in favour with young adults as well. This is why blueberries are in 58% of all UK fridges.
The UK Future
A quarter of blueberries eaten in the UK come from Peru, while 10% now come from the UK. Back in 2009 we struggled to supply 5% of a much smaller market. Driving this growth is the demand for premiumisation. Tesco value range is £9 per kilo, it’s finest over £13. The difference is size; 14mm diameter is the smallest allowed, while 18-22mm is where the premium sits.
The good news is British farming is responding with new growers and programmes to produce better more consistent growth at the times when there is a market lull in early summer. A downside is the need for pickers as mechanical picking can’t currently sort between ripe and unripe fruit leading to a loss of up to 20% of the crop. Yet getting pickers is difficult as it’s not a highly paid role. Given time there will be more premium British blueberries with better picking machines to meet the demand.
Opportunities
Both farming and catering are sectors under threat from rising costs and difficult conditions. Both need to adapt to feed the nation. Innovation and giving consumers more of what they want is key.
It’s also about exploring the different. After all the blueberry was ignored as a fruit until Elizabeth White noticed them growing well in the boggy acidic soil of her family New England cranberry farm and decided to cultivate them. Are blueberries on your menu and are they sourced locally from the UK? Why not seize the opportunity?
Published Date: 27th August 2025
Category: Blog, Food Sourcing, Local food, News
Tags: Food producers, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant, schools
01 Mar |
Food and Drink in Trouble |
Pre-Covid when AC Services Southern published a weekly blog, we ran a series on the food and drink in trouble in the world due to climate change and disease. We were reminded of these, last month, when the Economist published an article on how a “warming planet threatens the world’s favourite drug”.
Aside from the catchy attention-seeking headline, the article confirmed the changes that will be coming for coffee.
Healthy Food
Sadly, coffee is not alone as anyone trying to buy olive oil will know. Last year prices rose by over 70%. And this on top of hefty increases the year before.
Spain is the world’s biggest olive oil producer and accounts for 70% of European consumption and close to 45% of the world’s. It’s harvest typically takes place in October and November. With Spain in its second year of drought, 2022’s bad harvest has been followed by one of the worst on record.
Using alternatives will cut down on the agreed health-giving benefits of olive oil consumption. Sadly, this may become necessary.
Drug-connected Drink
Coffee is grown in over 70 countries. More than 2B cups are drunk every day. Caffeine is by some measures the most popular recreational drug. Directly and indirectly, it supports the livelihoods of some 125M people.
Again, global warming threatens the areas in which it can be grown. Brazil is the world’s largest producer. Yet in 70 years’ time, between a third and three quarters of its coffee-producing land will become unusable.
The bigger problem is that the most popular bean Arabica, accounts for 70% of the beans sold. It is incredibly fussy as to where it will grow- it needs temperatures to remain constant between 18-23°C. A solution would be to grow it higher up. In Ethiopia, some plantations are already 600m higher. But this solution only works to a certain height, given changes in soil and slopes which affect growth, survival and harvest.
The second most popular bean is Robusta. This is less fussy to grow but is known for its bitter taste. This does not go down well with coffee snobs, which is why most ends up in instant coffee.
While there are over 130 other coffee varieties, ramping them up to fit the Arabica void may not work. In part this is due to taste, but also to their abilities to withstand disease such as coffee-rust fungus or wilt. A bean called Excelsa with an equivalent flavour to Arabica was able to overcome the fungus threat and expanded widely in Africa in the 1910s-30s, but then was devastated by wilt.
Alternatives and Substitution
Many alternatives are now being considered to solve the coffee problem. Sadly, even if a winner is found it will be at least 10 years from selection to commercial production.
Unlike olive oil for many uses, there isn’t a simple substitution for catering colleagues. But as our company comic put it; the positive is they might no longer be in the biggest drug trade in the world!
Published Date: 1st March 2024
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Food Sourcing, Local food, News
Tags: Catering business, Food producers
26 Oct |
Saving Catering Business Energy |
With the clocks changing and peak autumn colours reached, now is the time to review hotel and catering business energy costs. Doing it now will maximise profits of the coming festive season and be ready for the winter of 2023.
Many of the changes required on catering business energy will cost some money to implement. Given some sources estimate that catering overspent more than £100Mpa on energy before the cost acceleration of 2022 and is responsible for 8M tonnes of carbon; acting now is good for your future business profit.
Measured start
With any business change, it’s always good to start with measurement. Aside from the regular bill, how do you monitor use? Do you use and does your supplier offer a Smart meter? This gives ongoing readings of your total use. Plug appliance monitors costing £25-30 allow you to check on individual items which use mains plugs. Both enable positive action to reduce waste.
Another conversation with your supplier is whether they are part of the National Grid Off-peak scheme starting in November. Here smart meters enable consumers and businesses to switch some of their use to off-peak hours (typically 1.30-4pm and 11pm to 7am) and receive a substantial reduction on their cost per unit. It also balances the load more effectively to reduce the potential for national and local blackouts.
All caterers could also consider their menu choices based upon the energy required. This is both in the cooking, preparation and storage. Analysis by the Carbon Trust showed that preparation accounts for a quarter of energy use.
Heating balances
40% of total catering business energy use is typically heat. This is skewed upwards by the inclusion of larger hotels, but is key for all in the winter months. A 1°C reduction in temperature can reduce the bill by 8%. Ideal room temperatures are:
- Bars/lounges 20-22°C
- Restaurants 22-24°C
- Kitchens 16-18°C
- Corridors 19-21°C
Key savers are ensuring the boiler is serviced regularly and that thermostats are not badly placed so they’re affected by radiators or draughts. Another one often overlooked is ensuring there is a 5°C deadband between heating and air-conditioning; so that one does not work against the other.
Lighting and water savings
The simple fix is LED and energy efficient bulbs, which can halve the energy used in lighting and will last long enough for the future price increases.
The longer fix is the installation of occupancy sensors to ensure that the lights are only on when needed as there is someone there. The word of caution is to be sensible in areas like corridors and stairwells for safety reasons. These again typically save 30-50%.
Low flow aerators on taps use fewer gallons of water per minute of both hot and cold supplies saving energy and money. Forced air hand driers use 80% less energy due to their efficiency than traditional heated driers. And the simplest saving tip is to remove the scale build-up wherever water is boiled.
Equipment reviews
Refrigeration is a necessary cost for all catering businesses. Regular cleaning and defrosting of fridges and freezers should be a given. But how many of us remember to carefully clean and remove the dust from the coils/panel at the back? Clean panels allow the heat to clear quicker meaning less energy used.
The ideal fill of a fridge is ¾ as this allows air to circulate and food to absorb the cold. Once a fridge has chilled, it uses the same amount of energy whether full or empty. What massively affects energy usage is the door being open for long periods and the fluctuations. It’s worth reviewing:
- how the fridge and other equipment is used and
- optimising by turning off other equipment when not in use.
For equipment it is always essential to consider the whole lifecycle costs not just the cost to purchase. The cost to run a fridge is way higher than the purchase price. Consider the efficiency of all equipment. Tests have shown the two most efficient cooking technologies for catering businesses were induction hobs and combi-ovens. The Caterer estimated that the latter were 25-50% more efficient than the equivalent back in 2015. AC Services would say wouldn’t we, that for Rational efficient energy use has always been a prime consideration.
Act now
Catering business energy costs are set to stay at high levels for some time. Now is the time to act with a mix of easy changes based on reviews of use; and some investment in those that give a longer payback period for the money that needs to be spent.
Our final thought is about community. If your trade only half fills the restaurant, is there space for those who can’t warm their homes to positively nurse a coffee for a couple of hours? Could this be wrapped up into a pay forward scheme, where both are jointly promoted publicly? After all, Covid taught catering businesses to consider all options to survive and manage goodwill.
Published Date: 26th October 2022
Category: Blog, Catering Business, News
Tags: Catering business, Combi Oven, farm shop, Food producers, Hotel, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant
26 Apr |
Celebrating 70 Years of Service |
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend is fast approaching to celebrate her 70 years of service to the country and Commonwealth.
She has served longer as the British monarch than Queen Victoria, who managed almost 64 years. And in case it comes up in a quiz, she needs to go beyond 72 years and 110 days to beat Louis XIV of France for the ultimate record as longest serving monarch.
Any way you look at it, it’s an impressive feat of service in the many senses of the word.
Four Day Weekend
The official Platinum Jubilee celebrations take place over the 4-day weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June:
- 2nd June Trooping the Colour from 9-12.30, followed by the official fly past at 1pm
- 2nd June lighting of the beacons across the country at 9.45pm
- 3rd June Service of Thanksgiving at St Pauls
- 4th June Queen to go racing for the Epsom Derby
- 4th June Platinum Party at the Palace broadcast by the BBC
- 5th June Platinum Pageant Procession with a carnival atmosphere at Buckingham Palace
- 5th June official Big Jubilee lunch
In all a good mixture of celebration, fun and traditions, old and new. Trooping the Colour always happens on the Queen’s birthday weekend, but has been moved to a June spot to coincide with the weekend. Beacons have always been lit on the Queen’s Jubilees in what seems to be increasing numbers of sites. While the Queen’s favourite hobby gets a look-in at the Derby, because life cannot always be about work perhaps?
Catering Service
Parties, processions and lunches always provide opportunities for catering businesses of all kinds. So, the question for all is what could you do for this weekend with your catering business? If, for example, it’s hospital catering, how could you mark the key days for staff and patients unable to join the main festivities? If you’re a sports bar is there a link to the Derby to be made? And for all what links could be made to national or local events?
It’s not too late to plan so that food, drink and staff are all available in this opportunity to celebrate and create memories. Start by checking out the many planned events on the official government website. This is a listing of events already planned by geographic area, so there may be an easy link to something already happening. A pre-beacon lighting drinks/meal or watching the beacons in comfort? Even better there is the opportunity to submit your own event to help publicise it more widely as well as telling your local media.
The Big Jubilee Lunch has its own website for more ideas. The key here is that lunches can and will take place on any of the 4 days, not just the Sunday. It’s all about pulling local communities together to celebrate in whatever format that works. This could be a single venue lunch or getting together with others for a multi-stop tasting menu. Or working with local groups to help their fundraising and awareness on one of the days.
Above all the Platinum Jubilee is the opportunity to celebrate service and those who have managed to overcome the challenges that life has thrown at them along the way.
Published Date: 26th April 2022
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Events, News
Tags: Care homes, Catering business, Events, farm shop, Food producers, Hotel, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant
25 Feb |
Is British Beer in Trouble? |
The Office for National Statistics confirmed last year what British beer drinkers have been complaining about for the past decade. Over the last ten years, the price of a pint has risen by more than 30%.
In May 2009, you could buy a pint for £2.81 and as of March 2019, the price was £3.67 on average. However, this varies from city to city: a beer in London was more than double in 2019 (55%) of the price of a beer further north.
A survey by St Austell Brewery’s Proper Job IPA also revealed that the perfect pint should:
- have a head of 9mm,
- be served in a ‘proper’ pint glass preferably at 5.30pm on a Saturday,
- with a partner or best mate in a beer garden accompanied by a bag of crisps and
- a singular lack of mobile phones!
Climate Impacts
However, this may all be academic in light of various issues encircling the brewing industry. The first is climate change: over the past few months globally we have seen severe drought, rising temperatures and epic floods. All have a substantial effect on barley yields worldwide impacting the supply used to make beer. They also affect all the other key ingredients.
Don’t think you’re safe if you drink wine…combining long-term records with global data, researchers have suggested that if temperatures rise by 2°C, the regions suitable for growing wine grapes could shrink by as much as 56%. Stoke that up by a further 2°C and 85% of those regions would no longer be able to produce good wine.
Tax Impacts
In addition, there has been an ongoing constant battle with the tax burdens facing the pub industry. UK Hospitality chief executive, Kate Nicholls spoke about the issue of rising prices overall across the trade. She commented “costs continue to increase for businesses. So it is no wonder that the average price of a pint continues to climb. Even with the scrapping of the beer duty escalator, many businesses have no choice but to pass costs on to customers.”
Rise of Independents Affects Style
Also affecting British beer consumption is consumers shifting from mass-produced, low flavoured lagers from well-known, well-established beer companies to quality independent beers from craft brewers. A recent report points out a considerable growth of the no- and low-abv category. This registered a massive 381% sales increase compared to its market share only two years ago.
Traditional British beer styles such as mild, bitter and golden ale are experiencing challenges with overall production dropping from 14% in 2016 to 5% in 2019 and the percentage of featured producers brewing these styles decreasing accordingly, from 44% in 2016 to 31% in 2019.
Worker Challenge
Finally, the drinks trade has warned that the UK government’s announcement this week to deny visas to low-skilled workers is set to cause a massive challenge to the UK’s pub, bar and restaurant sector.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said the points-based immigration system would present significant challenges for the pub sector. She commented “many pubs rely on workers from overseas. So it is hard to see how they will cope with such fundamental changes coming into effect in just ten months. Pubs will especially struggle with the costs and complexities of becoming a sponsoring employer in order to take on staff from outside the UK.”
Published Date: 25th February 2020
Category: Blog, Food Sourcing, News
Tags: Catering business, Food producers, Hotel, Pubs, Restaurant
28 Jan |
Regional News Meat, Climate & Opportunity |
With the ongoing debates on climate change and with plant-based foods on the increase in terms of both popularity and availability; the meat industry is being vocal in explaining the “vital importance of livestock farming” to the South West region.
At a recent seminar, stakeholders heard from a panel of industry experts and farmers. They educated visitors on a sector often unfairly blamed for its contribution to global warming.
The seminar focused on long-standing reports that livestock farming involved a choice between food production and caring for the environment. This has long been a contested issue. As Jonathan Foot, head of environment at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) pointed out, producing one kilo of beef takes a fraction of the water used to produce two pairs of jeans. He also highlighted the high nutritional value of meat.
Livestock Standards
NFU president Minette Batters said: “UK farming has some of the highest standards in the world both in terms of animal welfare and the environment…we need to encourage a return to whole foods.” The seminar also advocated the benefits of livestock resources to improve the quality of soil. This is becoming degraded but good soil equates to better crops. Livestock is also a source of natural fibres which will become more important in the move away from plastics.
Farmers in Wales are also having their say. This follows a statement by the UK Government’s Committee on Climate Change hinting at the need for taxes on meat and dairy products to curb consumption by a fifth. There is also the suggestion of increasing UK tree cover from 13% to at least 17% by 2050.
According to the Farmers Union of Wales; even if all UK food production ceased overnight, the carbon emissions of the country would fall by just 10%. Farmers believe that introducing such measures will simply increase Britain’s reliance on food imported from countries with greater carbon footprints. This clearly defeats the object.
FUW president Glyn Roberts commented: “as acknowledged by the Committee, switching away from UK red meat would increase the nation’s carbon footprint because we have some of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions of meat reared anywhere in the world.” In addition, farmers in the uplands of Wales argue that on windswept thin soils; only livestock rearing is suitable as crop production is impractical.
Moreover, the union stressed that plant-based foods aren’t necessarily more environmentally friendly. All manufactured food, it argues is very dependent on agricultural systems and available natural resources; as well as transportation and how far the product has travelled.
Give Us Your Food
Meanwhile, down in Devon, ‘imaginative’ stallholders and food sellers are being sought for the 2020 festival in Exmouth in May. The four-day event is the largest free festival in the South West and now in its 24th year.
An Exmouth Festival spokesperson said: “We’re looking for imaginative and customer-focused local food sellers, offering a wide variety of tasty choices for our hungry festival-goers to cater for their different tastes and diets”. Time to get your applications in!
Published Date: 28th January 2020
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Food Sourcing, Local food, News
Tags: Food producers, monthly news
29 Oct |
T’is the Season… |
There is a school of thought that advocates eating seasonal produce , this is an interesting dietary and ecological idea. As it reconnects us with food and the land and alerts us to the reality that different crops such as pumpkins, are produced at different times of the year.
It also cuts down on the carbon footprint of importing and transportation. So for us in the UK, this represents a viable option.
We live in a temperate climate but with the assistance of technology; we can grow many exotic crops in the UK which would otherwise perish in the climate.
It’s easy to follow this in summer as we can feast on a wide range of fruits and vegetables. We can literally eat the rainbow with a broad spectrum of colourful fruit and vegetables as possible. Think strawberries, tomatoes, radishes, blueberries, summer leafy salads; but as we enter autumn, much of the more delicate foodstuffs start to disappear. This is when the roots come into their own, with carrots, beetroot, potatoes, swede and parsnips; as well as the leafy brassicas such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale.
Going Back to Our Roots
And that brings us to pumpkins! It’s very nearly pumpkin time and luckily for those planning to spend hours of frustration carving a hideous and unrecognisable face out of a solid block of fruit for Halloween, the fruit is now well and truly in season!
Although the UK doesn’t have as much history with pumpkins as in the Americas, where pumpkins actually originated over 9,000 years ago, there is no doubt about the value of the fruit. In fact, worldwide, the production of pumpkins exceeds 27 million tonnes, with China and India the main producers.
Pumpkins are part of the squash family. When cooked, the whole pumpkin is edible from the skin to the pulp and seeds. The nutritional value is undisputed; a great source of potassium and beta-carotene, and containing minerals including calcium and magnesium, as well as vitamins E, C and some B vitamins.
Another root vegetable that has accelerated in UK popularity in recent years is the sweet potato. This is also about to come into season. With a creamy texture and sweet-spicy flavour, this food has become the norm on menus to replace the humble chip. And its nutritional value is also high, as it is rich in fibre, vitamins A, C and B6, and an excellent source of carbohydrates. There are two varieties and the orange-fleshed one is also rich in beta-carotene.
Other fruits and vegetables reaching their peak in autumn include apples, aubergines, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, dates, figs, turnips and marrow.
Pronounce It Keen-wah
October is harvest time for quinoa! Quinoa is fast becoming a staple food among vegans and vegetarians for its incredible health benefits. This is a bead-shaped grain with a slightly bitter flavour and firm texture, and unlike wheat or rice, quinoa is a complete protein.
It contains all nine of the essential amino acids and has been recognised by the United Nations as a supercrop for its health benefits from dietary fibre, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. It is also gluten-free. Initially grown in the Andes in South America, it was known for thousands of years as the ‘mother grain’. High in anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, it is potentially beneficial for human health in the prevention and treatment of disease.
All of the above-mentioned foods are now grown successfully in the UK. Once considered exotic and relatively rare, they are now acceptable commonplace foods. At the risk of mentioning the B word, who knows how self sufficient we will need to be in future? The rewards of a seasonal food supply are exciting, especially with the contemporary emphasis on health and environmental benefits. After all, variety is the spice of life!
Published Date: 29th October 2019
Category: Blog, Food Sourcing, Local food, News
Tags: Brexit, Food producers, Pubs, Restaurant, schools
15 Oct |
Foods at Risk |
There’s been constant activity in the global media over the past few years regarding climate change and the effect that it is having on the food we eat. We may be in danger of losing some of the food we are familiar with; due predominantly to the changes that are taking place in our climate.
This year, the British brassica has been affected by unusually heavy summer rains bringing flooding to the UK’s main growing region for cauliflowers, Lincolnshire. Elsewhere, the record-breaking heat-wave wilted fields of cauliflowers across the whole of Europe. This left a shortage in not only cauliflowers, but also cabbages, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
America’s organic apples, mostly grown in Washington State, are also in trouble. As is coffee, with at least three-fifths of current coffee species facing extinction, according to a recent study. More worryingly is the decline in wheat crops, a staple global food which is sensitive to temperature changes. Places like India could see a reduction in wheat harvests of between 6% and 23% by 2050.
Even the humble sushi roll is under threat. Japanese farmers are blaming warmer, cleaner seas for a decline in nori seaweed production. The nori production fell to its lowest level in 2018 since 1972, pushing up prices and decimating supply.
Maple Syrup
The 2019 maple syrup harvest has also been affected. According to The New York Times, 2012 saw production of maple falling by 12.5% overall due to an unusually warm spring. This impacts negatively on syrup production because the process depends on specific temperature conditions.
More recently, in 2018, production of maple syrup fell by 21.7% throughout Canada. The culprit was Canada’s warm weather during the winter with later than normal snow. Sugar content is determined by the previous year’s carbohydrate stores with sap flow depending on the freeze-thaw cycle.
The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers has even had to tap into its strategic reserves this year to avoid any shortages or price spikes for maple syrup. Quebec has put in place additional harvest areas to meet with high demands, and they are now being used widely.
From High to Low
In Vermont in America, sugar maple harvest has witnessed a renaissance in the 21st century following decades of decline. The revival comes as many Americans are turning their backs on refined sugars for natural products such as maple syrup, agaves and honey. Production of maple is now one of Vermont’s pre-eminent industries. In 2018, the value of Vermont’s maple syrup production exceeded $54.3M. This accounted for 38% of the maple syrup produced nationwide.
Producers are doing what they can to avoid any shortages; such as collecting the sap later in the season and introducing technological advancements. These cut down on traditional collection using buckets and replace it with miles of vacuum pump-operated tubing.
As Keith Thompson of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation says: “It’s not just about keeping the individual trees healthy, it’s about keeping the entire forest healthy.”
The maple syrup industry is currently keeping abreast of the problem. It’s initiating solutions to combat the inevitable changes in climate. It urges other industries to follow suit in order for our favourite foods to remain available. At AC Services, we thoroughly commend that approach.
Published Date: 15th October 2019
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Food Sourcing, News
Tags: AC Services, Catering business, Food producers, mass catering
01 Oct |
Autumn Regional Food News Roundup |
With chaos in the world of politics, rain toppling World Championship cyclists in Yorkshire and Japan upsetting Ireland rugby; it is good to have sensible regional food news for catering business in South West England and South Wales.
Wales has received a pat on the back from new Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers who recently toured South Wales. She discussed opportunities for Welsh agriculture as the UK leaves the EU with key representatives of the farming, food and drink industries. This visit coincided with the publication of the latest export figures for Wales. They indicate that £231.5m of produce has already been exported in 2019. This includes a 14% increase in Welsh meat compared to the same period last year.
Elsewhere, food and drink from West Dorset has been recognised for its excellence. The Taste of the West Awards celebrates the best products and establishments in the region. Finalists included Bridport-based Bayside Bakery for its salted caramel brownies and Cedrics at the White Swan in Misterton for its beekeepers orange and honey marmalade cake.
Curious Pig beech-smoked dry cure back bacon by the Curious Food Company made the finals; as did the Devon-based Salcombe Brewery, which won the best drinks category for its Island Street Porter. While West Bay’s Baboo Gelato was in the finals of the Producer of the Year category.
Oscar Time
Also in the South West, Bristol-based Swoon is celebrating being awarded supreme champion of the Great Taste Awards. Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the acknowledged benchmark for fine food and drink. It’s considered the Oscars of the food world. The gelateria serves a huge range of exceptional desserts including Neapolitan coffee, pistachio and hazelnut gelatos and its chocolate sorbetto.
Swoon’s nocciola gelato won over the judges, made from hazelnuts from a small property in Piemonte, a region of Italy. John Farrand, Managing Director of the Guild of Fine Food, said: “Simplicity has won the day at Great Taste again this year, rising to the top in a field packed with new concepts, innovative flavour combinations and products from every corner of the world”.
Vegan Beer
In North Wales, a micro-brewery with a range of vegan beers has also bagged one of the Great Taste Oscars. Dovecote Brewery in Denbigh produces exclusively vegan-friendly beers. These include Dove Down Under, a 4.8 per cent strength ale made with New Zealand hops. All Dovecote’s ten regular beers are vegan as are the 16 seasonal specials brewed. The brewing process adheres to the 503-year-old German Purity Laws, which insist that beer can only be brewed from barley, hops, water and yeast.
Finally, if you are looking for somewhere to go at the end of summer, try the Orchard Street Food & Craft Market taking place on Saturday 5 October and Sunday 6 October at Gloucester Quays. It features stalls and live music for all of the family by bringing the finest local food, drink, art design, vintage and modern craft all local to the South West.
AC Services Southern is always happy to share good news about food and catering companies in the region we serve. Look out for our next regional food news round-up for fresh ideas and successes.
Published Date: 1st October 2019
Category: Blog, Local food, News
Tags: Food producers, monthly news