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Provenance Ingredients
TasteConnection coined the phrase Provenance Ingredients in 2002, pioneering the market, and have continued to be at the forefront of developments in this area.
This continuing trend for provenance ingredients is being driven by consumers who are increasingly hungry for authenticity and transparency in the food and beverage products and brands they consume. People want to know about where the flavours and ingredients in their food have come from e.g. Mexican Limes, Sicilian Lemon, Somerset Cheddar Cheese, etc., and to understand what journey their food has made from ‘field to fork’. So linking flavours and ingredients back to their point of origin is an approach increasingly used by food and beverages manufacturers, which appeals to consumers, who are keen to know more about the ingredients in the food and beverages they are eating and drinking.
TasteConnection has a wide range of Provenance Ingredients available ranging from cheese and dairy powders, through chillies to vinegar and beverage products.
Our cheese and dairy spray dried powders include:
- Cheddar cheese
- Buffalo Mozzarella
- Goats Cheese
- Double Gloucester
- Gouda Emmental
- Feta
- Lancashire Cheese
- Red Leicester
- Manchego
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Long Clawson Stilton
- Crème Fraiche
- Italian Mascarpone
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yoghurt
Our provenance chillies include:
- Ancho Chilli Powder
- Red or Green Jalapeno Powder
- Trinidad Scorpion Chilli Powder
- Ancho Chilli Powder
- Habanero Chilli Powder
- Naga Chilli Powder
- Scotch Bonnet Chilli Powder
- Thai Chilli Powder
Our provenance Vinegar & Beverage spray dried powders include:
- Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
- Chardonnay White Wine
- Ruby Port
- Somerset Scrumpy
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Chardonnay Vinegar
- Dijon Mustard
- Malt Vinegar
- West Country Cider Vinegar
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Mexican Lime Juice
If you would like further details of our range of Provenance Ingredients, please get in touch:
01453 844868
info@tasteconnection.com |
The History of Snacks
The potato crisp, or something very like it, has been around in this country for nearly two centuries.
Dr William Kitchiner’s early 19th century compendium The Cook’s Oracle, enjoined readers to “peel large potatoes… cut them in shavings round and round, as you would peel a lemon; dry them well in a clean cloth, and fry them in lard or dripping.” Americans like to tell the tale of how chef George Crum invented potato chips in 1853 as an angry response to a fussy diner who kept sending back his fried potatoes because they were too thick for his liking. Crum, enraged, sliced the potato into wafer-thin slivers, deep-fried and over-salted the result, and sent the dish out again hoping the customer would choke on it. The diner, however, loved them so, accidentally a delicacy was created, but Crum wasn’t born when Kitchiner’s tome was published in 1829. So as far as these things can ever be settled, the British got there first. A century on, we’d become crisp-obsessed.
The first confirmed sighting of native British crisps was reported, in 1913, they were being made in London by a man called Carter, who had supposedly stumbled across them in France.
Smith’s Potato Crisps Company Ltd was formed in Cricklewood, north London, with Mrs Smith peeling, slicing and frying the potatoes in the garage and Frank Smith packing them into greaseproof bags (later with a pinch of salt in a twist of blue paper inside) and selling them across London from his pony and trap.
In the years immediately after the Second World War, Mr Henry Walker, a successful pork butcher in Leicester was facing bankruptcy, as rationing saw his shops in Cheapside and Oxford Street, London, cleared of meat before 10am, with nothing left to sell. As a result he decided to diversify into crisps and in 1949 Walkers began with crisps hand cut with a vegetable slicer, cooked in a chip-shop fryer, sprinkled with salt and sold for thruppence a packet under the slogan Potato Crisps by Walkers: Guaranteed Absolutely Pure.
Although the spectacularly competitive British market (remember Golden Wonder?) has been evolving and expanding pretty much since the crisp first arrived, aficionados point to three key revolutionary events: game-changing moments. The first was in the late 1950s, when years of kitchen experimentation by the late Joe “Spud” Murphy, proprietor of Tayto crisp company in Ireland, culminated in the invention of what is agreed to be the world’s first crisp seasoning: Cheese & Onion.
The second major event was the arrival on these shores, in 1987, of an Oregon businessman called Cameron Earl, who brought with him a concept known as the Kettle Chip: thick, gnarled, irregular, crunchy, authentically flavoured and (naturally) more expensive. This was the premium product the hitherto classless world of the crisp had been waiting for, and it wasn’t long before we saw an array of home-grown, artisan-inspired, hand-fried, organic rivals: Tyrrells, Burt’s, Piper’s and the rest. Walkers jumped in, too, with Sensations.
The Third major event happened in 1993 when Walkers began to package their crisps in foil bags to promote the freshness of their products and this became the industry benchmark.
In recent years potato crisps, have seen some strange flavours being developed. Branching out from traditional styles like cheese & onion & onion or salt & vinegar, crisp companies are now making everything from meat and seafood, condiment, takeaway and even sweet flavours. On top of this, their names are becoming more intricate and gourmet-inspired.
Hand-fried crisps are mostly known as “sharing” crisps, because they’re sold in bigger bags, for more sociable consumption, and they’re changing the shape of the market and the way we eat crisps. “They’re for sitting on the sofa watching The X Factor, not munching with your lunchtime sandwich.” Sales of individual packets are falling slowly as sales of sharing packets rise.
A posher product image, though, does not make for an inherently healthier product. Sharing crisps are almost all still cooked in fat and sprinkled – most of them – with salt (albeit Maldon sea salt) just as much as their down-to-earth cousins.
But before the health lobby begins banging its drum about salt, fat and calorie consumption, it is worth exploring the kind of snacks and brands driving the growth, because ‘healthier’ snacks and premium vegetable crisps marketed on their lower fat content and natural credentials are booming.
Sales of baked snacks are showing double digit growth, extruded and savoury popcorn are also performing well. Non potato based snacks based on: grains & lentils, multigrain, sweet potato, seaweed, kale, carob and root vegetables are available. Protein snacks based on crickets or egg whites are also available to those looking for ‘healthy’ snacks.
The UK’s population gets through an estimated 6bn packets of crisps and 4.4bn bags of savoury snacks a year – around 150 packets a person – you do wonder what our love affair with crisps is doing to us. Looked at by tonnage, we consume more crisps, crackers and nuts than any other European country. |
Herbs
Basil
Harvesting began in May and will continue until October and there is a cut every 25 days. The best quality would be available by May till July meaning the best time for purchasing will be August. In 2016 the quantities will be decreased & prices will be increased.
Marjoram
The Harvesting times are in May, September & December. May & June will be best for both quality & best time for purchasing. In 2016 prices will be increased as raw material prices are increasing recently.
Mint
Harvesting will be in May & October. May will be the optimum time for quality and purchasing. In 2016 prices will be increased as raw material prices are increasing recently.
Fennel
Harvesting begins in April. Prices will be higher than last year. Best quality will be available by July. Best time for purchasing is according to the crop. Growth of plants in fields are good, and weather conditions will be the main determining factor in plant development.
Albanian Sage
Provided weather continues to hold well, and no major difficulties in local dynamics arise, we do not foresee any shortages in Albanian Sage in 2016. This also points towards a relative stability in price expectations. We are expecting a crop of similar size to 2015. There are no major carryover stocks from 2015 crop.
Turkish Sage
Turkish Sage remains a 100% wild collection product. During the whole of 2015, collection was on par with demand, and supply was not stressed to meet demand. New campaign of collection will commence in May 2016, and we do not expect to see any major jump in demand until then. Due to its wild nature, Turkish Sage is fully dependent on weather conditions.
Rosemary
The greatest concern over Rosemary collection remains the timing of the Holy Month of Ramadan. This year, Ramadan will run from early June until early July, which is normally the harvest period of Rosemary. Collections will therefore start from July onwards.
Suppliers are not coming forth with fixed price offers, but our understanding is that prices will remain relatively flat, with no major up or down movement from 2015 levels.
Moroccan Thyme
Contrary to the favorable weather patterns of North Morocco, serious draught in South of country continues. We foresee that draught will impact plant growth, however, unless there is a significant increase in demand, prices will most likely remain stable. Suppliers are quiet over pricing, however in terms of volume, we are starting to get reports of a short crop due to lack of rains. Volumes remain uncertain. Similar to Rosemary, Ramadan will effect Thyme collection as well, and coupled with draught, volumes will likely go down.
Polish Thyme
With weather conditions returning to normal, supply market has relaxed, and product is available on the market. Exporters are buying up all material that comes online. The bottleneck of winter months is finally over.
Based on the high price plateau of 2015 winter, farmers are increasing their acreage. Whether that translates into more volume remains dependent on weather conditions. Weather during summer months will be a critical factor.
Winter Savory
Albanian harvest has been fully completed by October 2015 and we do not see any significant carryover stocks. New harvest is expected to start in July 2016.
Savory has absolutely no cultivation in Albania, and all material is collected from the wild. Therefore, availability will be determined as collection starts. However, unless a major weather pattern develops, or conditions deteriorate unexpectedly, we are not forecasting any major issues with Savory.
Summer Savory
Sources in Bulgaria indicate a quiet market until August 2016.
Laurel
Harvest has ended in April. Stocks in stores are of low quality. High grade material availability is limited until new collection starts in August/October period.
Aggressive purchase by the Far East and exchange parity expectations may result in a high price market. Consequently, exchange rates in August 2016 and increased demand from Far East may create a sellers’ market.
Mexican Oregano
Mexican suppliers indicate early spring rains in March have been favourable, and 2016 crop is looking good. However, unseasonal draught or heavy rains could have a detrimental effect as we approach collection season. Spring rains in North and Central Mexico have been normal, while on the East coast, unseasonal mild weather continues.
Price wise, we are not seeing any carryover stocks, and Mexican Oregano is expected to start with a clean slate in 2016.
Turkish Oregano
Oregano supply from Denizli has slowed down to a trickle. The raw material available on the market is of very poor quality, and low VO. Carryover going into 2016 will effectively zero. |
In each edition we will bring you some of the best and also most strange new product concepts to emerge on the global stage.
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African-inspired snacks
UK: Chika, a recent story from BBC show, Dragon’s Den, is launching her new line of African-inspired snacks in the UK.
Chika’s includes Plantain Crisps, Hand-toasted Peanuts, Sea Salt and Black Pepper Cashews, Smoked Almonds and Chickpea Crisps.
The range is available in over 750 retailers nationwide including Waitrose and Wholefoods.
Packed with nutrients, all GMO free, natural and made in the UK, Chika’s snacks are vegan-friendly and gluten-free and are aimed at those seeking a healthier food experience.
Häagen-Dazs launches limited edition spring flavours
With spring in the air, two new flavours of Häagen-Dazs ice cream are coming into bloom: Häagen-Dazs Lychee Raspberry Rose and Häagen-Dazs Apricot Lavender.
Häagen-Dazs Lychee Raspberry Rose is a balance of rose, lychee and raspberry, whilst Apricot Lavender is a combination of fruit and aroma.
Eggs Benedict Pringles
Launched in Japan, these are said to resemble a New York breakfast.
US: Taco Heat & Eat Snack
Want chilli pie on the go? Lunchables Uploaded says you can with its Chili Pie Taco Heat & Eat Snack, which comprises ground beef, chilli sauce, corn chops and cheese. Simply microwave for 15 seconds and enjoy.
US: Bean Chips with Sweet Potato & QuinoaThe Good Bean has created a ‘power-protein’ blend of chickpeas, navy beans, red lentils and peas with sweet potatoes and red quinoa for added superfood power. The BBQ Bacon Bean Chips are gluten and corn free.
For more information about what we do or to view previous editions of Taste News please go to our website www.tasteconnection.com.
If you would like to talk to us about how we can help your business, please get in touch T: 01453 844868 or E: info@tasteconnection.com
01453 844868
info@tasteconnection.com
TASTECONNECTION LTD
MILL STREAM HOUSE
ALDERLEY
WOTTON UNDER EDGE
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
GL12 7QT
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