Product
Product is King
Never has it been more true to say that product is king than for the Specialist Retailer SME shops. Your customers need to have a reason to visit you and recent research by the FRA published in March 2022 has shown that it is your personalised service and your commitment to local, innovative, great quality product which are the key drivers for making that trip.
Sourcing interesting and well curated product is always challenging but probably one of the more fun jobs on the list. Whilst we are unable to highlight all of those local producers that you need to find, we want to bring to your attention some suppliers and products who we admire and are inspired by. We will focus on those doing something exciting, ethical, innovative, seasonal and which has a proven track record of successful sales in our experience. We are not affiliated in any way to these producers but simply want to connect you to some of the great products made here in the UK. We advise you to always review your own sales looking at best and worst sellers because they will vary across the country. Ask yourself why these items are behaving as they are and chase after products which have similar drivers to the fast ones. Don’t forget to clear out the slower sellers so that you don’t block up your valuable shelves with poor stock.
Jersey Royal Potatoes in May
It is the unique microclimate, soil and environment in Jersey that makes it the ideal place to grow the country’s best seasonal potatoes. Jersey Royals are firm, nutty and creamy making them ideal as a simple salad or for a whole host of recipes. They should be something that you celebrate in May when the season is in full swing.
The farmers in Jersey have been growing Jersey Royals since the late 1800’s with many still using the age-old tradition of fertilising with Jersey’s natural seaweed, known locally as vraic, which is a practice that dates back to the 12th century. Most of the potatoes are lifted by hand and before they are packed they are carefully quality controlled to ensure the reputation of these jewels of Jersey are maintained.
So precious are these potatoes that they have a PDO, or EU Protected Designation of Origin status much like Champagne or Parma Ham. They are the only fresh fruit or veg in the British Isles to boast of this.
Whilst you can look up a plethora of recipes for new potatoes, we believe that Jersey Royals should be prepared simply by boiling in cold salted water for 12-15 minutes depending on their size. You could go crazy and add some sprigs of mint in the water if you want. Serve with really good butter melting over the top.
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Marmalade
It is not only Paddington who enjoys marmalade. Your customers are likely to be good marmalade eaters and there is a whole world of winning marmalades to choose from. Did you know that there really is a World Champion Marmalade? Established in 2005, the World Marmalade Awards were created to celebrate the long-standing British tradition of making marmalade. They are held at the Dalemain Mansion which is a Georgian stately home in Cumbria that holds a rich archive of marmalade recipes. The awards are judged at the quirky Marmalade Festival which is takes place in May (14th May 2022) and whilst there are awards for homemade products, it is the Artisan Awards that you will be most interested in. Entries are accepted from across the world from as far as Australia and Japan to the East and Canada and Brazil to the West, but many are going to be made by producers local to you so it is worth looking up the winners because they will be great additions to your range. Think about bringing in special ranges in January to support the breakfast opportunity which you can feature at that time of year. It coincides with the Seville orange and Blood orange season, both of which make the best marmalades.
Someone who knows a lot about marmalade, as well as jams and chutneys, is Elspeth Biltoft of Rosebud Preserves. Elspeth grew up in the idyllic Yorkshire countryside inspired by both her parents to connect with nature. She preserved seasonal ingredients with her mother learning eight key recipes which ignited a passion for seasonal produce and has been the grounding of her hugely successful business. Despite significant growth and demands for her product, Rosebud Preserves maintain their values using the best quality source ingredients, traditional techniques and natural sets. Elspeth won gold medals at the World Marmalade Awards in 2018 and 2021 and has gone on to produce other award-winning marmalades under her own brand and also as bespoke brands for others. Discover one of Rosebud Preserve's recipes here taken from their website.
Elspeth is the perfect person to talk to if you want to create your own-brand jar of goodness. She will take you through the process, can support with label design and printing as well and will deliver a product that you will definitely be proud of. Incidentally if you do have any produce of your own that you want to use she is happy to make the best of that too. Give them a call.