Amazing Artisans: Richard and Fionagh, Founders of Cornish Charcuterie

All of our artisans have their own motivations behind their decision to take the plunge and start their own businesses. For Fionagh and Richard, their decision was driven by their want for a better life for their young family and, after fleeing the home countries in search of a bit of countryside charm, they found themselves a 350 acre farm in the Cornwall. Cornish Charcuterie came about as a culmination of  Fionagh and Richard’s interest in charcuterie, and gradually became a way to make their farm profitable. Continually expanding their range, they now run a thriving business that produces award winning products made with delicious local ingredients. We caught up with Richard to find out a little more about their startup journey, their signature products and why they were attracted to the Cornish food scene. Read the interview in full on our website.

Amazing Artisan: Tamsin, Founder of Luponde Tea

Luponde are a great example of a family company who continue to maintain their commitment to their artisan values. It was great to see how passionate founder Tamsin is about the heritage of their tea, and it’s lovely to hear how the Luponde tea estate aims to support small, independent farmers, social welfare projects as well as endeavouring to preserve and improve the natural environment both here in England and in Tanzania. We caught up with Tamsin to find out a little bit more about her company and what makes being an artisan so exciting - read the interview in full here to find out what she said.

Amazing Artisan: Hilary, Co-founder of Choctails

London Cocktail Week sees everyone from budding amateur bartenders through to expert mixologists come together to share their passion for their favourite tipple. So what better time to feature the artisan who brings together two of Kitchen Table Projects’ foodie loves;  innovative cocktails and decadent chocolate? Founded by husband and wife team Simon and Hilary Delamare in 2012, Choctails was borne from Simon’s suggestion of putting cocktail flavours into chocolate.  The result?  Praise from family and friends for her concoctions, giving Hilary the motivation to turn her chocolate-making hobby into a full-time business. Turning her domestic kitchen into a production factory by day and giving up the dining room to become a chocolate store, Choctails was born. Read the interview in full here, where Hilary talks to Kitchen Table Projects about her startup story so far, and explains why running your own business is so awesome.

Speciality Food Fair 2014 - Our Top Picks

Whilst we know that we’re a nation that values tradition, it’s clear to see that us Brits are becoming increasingly less afraid of try new flavours and ingredients. Our supermarkets are now filled with a variety of products from around the globe, the popularity of fusion cuisine has taken off along with pretty much everyone who’s anyone opting for street food over more traditional, fine dining restaurants.

At the beginning of September we visited the Speciality and Fine Food Fair at Olympia and to say that there was a huge variety of products on show would be an understatement. Being a trade-only show and having never visited before, I was expecting something a little more corporate and a little less exciting. With over 700 producers exhibiting it was certainly nothing like that; we were blown away by not only the scale of the fair but the huge diversity of producers, experts and foodies that came far and wide to visit and exhibit at the fair. It was so exciting to meet and chat to so many passionate, innovative food producers, and the fair really affirmed our mission and inspired us to continue working towards something really awesome.

Tempted by the delicious smells that filled Olympia, there was loads to look at and try (okay, there was definitely a lot more trying than looking!) We tried pretty much every kind of food you could imagine, from cured meats to pasta to olive oils and artisan chocolate. It was all delicious, but if we had to whittle down our favourites, these guys from the small producer village had to come top:

The Frozen Fruit Company

As ice cream devotees, it’s usually hard to convince us that something healthy would make a delicious alternative to our usual creamy treat. First taste and we were sold; this super fruity fat-free frozen dessert is just the right amount of sweet. The Strawgo has to be our favourite, and is sure to be our go-to treat when we’re next reaching inside our freezer.

Emily’s Fruit Crisps

Our guilt-free snack of choice in the KTP office. Delicious fruit crisps for when the 4pm snack attack hits, these crisps are free from nasties (and the packaging is gorgeous, too). The pineapple is delicious, but the crunchy apple variety have to be our favourite.

British Cassis

The super-friendly, outgoing guys on the British Cassis stall immediately drew us in; it helped that their drinks were delicious, too! These guys are big on providence and celebrate the traceability of all their British ingredients. We loved their story and look forward to hearing what these guys are up to next!

We Love Jelly

The idea behind this product is awesome! Their cocktail infused jellies come in three flavours and are perfect for a dessert or even an alternative to your usual tipple. Watch out for these cocktail chemists (complete with lab coats)...we predict they're going to be big business in the food world!

Warner Edwards

It doesn’t take a lot to tempt us into trying Gin. Warner Edwards have it down to a tee - great tasting gin, fab branding and interesting flavour combinations. We’re looking forward to seeing a lot more of these guys very soon!

Image from http://bit.ly/1Chx4Wg

Wicked and Wonderful

We’d already met chocolatier Ben when we interviewed him as an Amazing Artisan a couple of months ago. His new chocolate venture, Wicked & Wonderful, was one of our favourite takeaways from the chocolate show; mouth-wateringly good chocolate in decadent packaging that feels as luxurious as it tastes.

Cloudberry Bakery

The thought that entered our minds on trying their Great Taste 3 Gold Star salted caramel sauce? Why haven’t we tried this before!? Deliciously decadent, we think this sauce would be perfect heated over a brownie or drizzled over ice cream (or, if we’re feeling really greedy, straight out of the jar on a spoon!)

Little Dabbas

Another Great Taste three gold star winner, we loved these quirky little pots holding their authentic Gujarati masala shots. With a different pot for vegetables, seafood and meats, Mistry and Co. are on a mission to educate people that Indian food can be delicious and healthy. Oh, and their website is awesome, too!

Proper Beans

Ben and his team are on a mission to recreate everyone’s favourite baked beans by using delicious ingredients and a slow cooking process. With six unique recipes in their range and already stocked in Fortnum and Mason, these guys look ready to make a storm and shake up the world of beans as we know it.

Mrs Middleton’s Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil

With Mrs Middleton’s it was pretty simple; bags of enthusiasm mixed with a premium (not to mention delicious) product from their family farm in Bedfordshire. We loved trying their samples - the oil is just as perfect on it’s own with some freshly baked bread than it is in all types of cooking. Looking forward to seeing more from these guys.

Jaz and Juls

With the nights drawing in and winter firmly on its way, Jaz and Juls hot chocolate is the perfect treat. Amazing variety of flavours and ethically sourced cocoa from Madagascar, Peru, and Granda. Sounds good to us!

We can’t wait until next year!

Were you at the food fair? What was your favourite find?

Celebrating British Food Fortnight

Britain is at the heart of global gastronomy. Year on year we continue to grow delicious produce which quality is hard matched anywhere else in the world. We’re innovative, we’re diverse and we’re passionate about providence; eating is and has always been central to the British way of life. From your mum’s Sunday roast, to juicy strawberries from Kent or the highest quality hand-reared bacon from your local butcher, food continues to remain at the heart of every Briton’s life. The meaning of British food stretches beyond our stomachs; it reflects our love and pride for our produce, for our farmers and producers, for our country. Because of this, it’s never been more important to champion the plethora of produce our country continues to produce every year.

British Food Fortnight was first curated in order to do exactly that. Starting out in 2002, the team set out to organise a celebration of all things food, primarily aiming to highlight the importance of buying quality, fresh, local and seasonal foods and the health benefits of doing so. British Food Fortnight has since firmly established itself as a significant event in the British gastronomic calendar, attracting the attention of food producers, farmers, the press, chefs, the government and the public alike. Today, the team use the two week celebration as a time to  educate people on all the different and exciting ways you can cook, eat, grow and enjoy British Food, encouraging people to understand more about the plot-to-plate provenance of their food.

As you guys know, Kitchen Table Projects are big on providence and love hearing all the fantastic stories behind our Amazing Artisans’ products. So, in celebration of British Food Fortnight, we put together a list of our ten favourite, can’t live without, British exports.

Meat

Wander down any supermarket meat aisle and you’ll be confronted with huge variety of homegrown offerings. Britain is famous for our delicious Beef, Lamb and Pork, but we also produce amazing game and venison, too.

Tea

Need we say more? Black tea, Builders Brew or Milk’ n ’two… Blighty wouldn’t be without a Great British brew. We’re a thirsty bunch, consuming on average 62.2 Billion cups of the stuff every year.

Marmite

The jar that’s always lurking at the back of the cupboard, the spread we love to hate...the KTP team are firmly in the ‘love it’ camp - do you love it or loathe it?

Strawberries

The British summer staple. The sweet snack of choice at Wimbledon, only bettered with a little cream and a dashing of sugar.

Clotted Cream

Dressing our naked scones for, well, forever. And no, we’re not about to get into the ‘cream then jam’ or ‘jam then cream’ debate.

Cheddar

Tall blonde 5 year aged cheese seeking: creamy butter, handsome ham and a toasty machine to tuck him in at night.

Colman's Mustard

Nigella famously carries a tube wherever she goes - we’re not sure we’d go to quite the same lengths, but it certainly is a firm favourite in British cupboards far and wide.

Oxo Cubes

The underdog of the spice world. Your friend when you forget to buy gravy, perfect for jazzing up a Shepherd’s pie. No Brit cupboard is complete without a tin.

HP Sauce

The tangy friend of bacon butties and Sunday fry ups. Simples.

The Yorkshire Pudding

And we’re not talking about Aunt Bessie’s here, either. Step outside Britain and it’s a crispy eggy mess; To all englishmen - the holy grail of roast dinners.

You can support the campaign by going to www.lovebritishfood.co.uk, where you can find out more about the events going on near you and the ways you an help raise the profile of amazing British food.

Tell us - what British foods get your mouth watering? What in your cupboard could you absolutely not live without?

Industry Insiders: Helen Santer,

We love hearing from other Londoners who are keen to champion small businesses, so it was great to catch up with Helen, from Waterloo Quarter to find out about all the amazing things they're up to at the moment. They're mission is to make Waterloo a better place to do business, and are working on loads of cool projects to make sure that happens. Helen shares her thoughts on small businesses, startups, and supporting independents.

Tell us a bit about yourself! Who are you and what do you do?

I’’m Helen Santer. I run Waterloo Quarter, which is a Business Improvement District (BID) that works with 320 businesses next to Waterloo station. Local businesses pay a small annual levy  to Waterloo Quarter, which we use to run projects to improve the area. I am also the Director of Lower Marsh Market. Lower Marsh is a historic street market in Waterloo, which went through a long period of decline, but has recently benefited from significant investment and a growing number of stalls. We run lots of services to support our members – ranging from recycling to events, a promotional website and lobbying the Council on issues that affect them.

What does your typical day look like?

My typical day is very varied – I can be setting budgets with the Directors, meeting new members, commissioning new projects and supporting the team with delivering events – all in the space of a few hours!

What does ‘Artisan’ mean to you?

‘Artisan’ to me means something made with love and attention. It doesn’t need to mean expensive or exclusive, but it does need to mean high quality and made from the heart.

How can small artisans stand out?

Small artisans can stand out by focusing on their unique qualities that make them so different from larger producers and chains. By focusing on the quality of the product and the personality behind it artisans can give themselves a real point of difference.

How do you think small artisan food producers should be supported?

Small artisan food producers deserve our support. At Lower Marsh Market we offer very favourable rates to producers looking to trade and support them with their marketing as they start out on the market. We also work with food producers looking for retail space in the area, putting them in touch with landlords with appropriate space to let.

What are your words of wisdom for starting out?

To anyone starting out as an artisan food producer I would say have faith in the quality of your product and be honest about your sales skills. The most fantastic product in the world will struggle to sell if customers are not tempted in and encouraged to come back. Consider whether you need any support to improve your sales skills or whether it’s worth partnering up with someone who does this better than you.

What do you think about our big ideas and what we’re trying to achieve?

We’re completely sold on Kitchen Table Projects’ model for creating a food hub that supports emerging artisans to access the high street. Street markets in particular present an affordable opportunity for even the newest start-up to access a piece of the high street. From a consumer perspective, this can only be a good thing, as it increases the range, affordability and point of difference to the high street, helping it to stand out from the norm.

We love what Waterloo Quarter are doing and think their ideas are great. To find out more about Waterloo Quarter BID visit www.waterlooquarter.org, and for all the information about Lower Marsh Market visit www.lowermarshmarket.co.uk. For all queries, please email info@waterlooquarter.org

Are you an Industry Insider who wants to be featured on our blog? We'd love to hear all your foodie insider tips and tricks- drop us a Tweet @KitchTablePro with the hashtag #IndustryInsiders or send us a message to hello@kitchentableprojects.com