MEET THE WINNERS
The champions of the New Producer Awards 2017
Supreme Champion & Sustainable Category Champion
Change Please
A London-based business with a range of three ground coffees, Change Please is supporting sustainability in two ways...
By not only supporting the farmers who grow their coffee – their work with Peruvian farmers supports female victims of domestic abuse, and they source from a farm in Tanzania which supports land mine victims and young people not in education or training – but by putting all profits towards helping London's homeless get off the streets. Once in the UK, the beans are roasted by people who are homeless before being sent to the business's coffee shops and vans across the UK – these employees are paying the London Living Wage and supplied with a bank account and therapy support.
The environment is supported to; solar panels are used when making Change Please's coffee, its waste coffee grounds are converted to bio fuel, and all of its cups are bio-degradable. These ethics don't come at the cost of quality or taste; the brand has won countless awards, including Best New Social Enterprise and Best Coffee 2016 at the World Beverage Innovation Awards. The judges of the New Producer Awards were blown away by their commitment to not leaving any stone unturned, and never compromising.
YOUNG PRODUCER
Tigg's
Already having garnered a strong reputation and legion of fans despite the brand – and founders' – young age, Tigg's is a fine example of the quality and passion abound in the younger generation of producers making their mark on today's industry. Not only has the two-brother team created a range of truly delicious and versatile sauces based on the recipe handed down to them through generations of their family, but they've innovated within the category, too; the business has launched the range in a format perfect for on-the-go and impulse buying – something previously unseen in the sauce and dressing category. Tigg's range and innovation, together with their solid family foundations, should see their already-impressive success continue for generations to come.
NEW CONCEPT
Co-Created
Truly delicious baked products with heart – that's what Co-Created offers retailers and consumers with aplomb. It's often said that baked treats made at home taste the best, and Co-Created expertly brings together brilliantly skilled bakers and hungry, discerning consumers in a combination sure to be a long-term success. It's important to founder Katarina Tencor that she offers opportunities to bakers with the best possible recipes which would otherwise not have a chance to be appreciated by the wider public; profits are shared with these bakers too, so communities benefit from the collaborations, too. Representing and celebrating real people is the name of the game, and we're excited to see more.
CROWDFUNDED
World of Zing
The demand for quality cocktails is showing no sign of slowing down, as consumers are becoming more and more interested in international flavours and unusual ingredients – not to mention fine, boundary-pushing spirits. World of Zing satisfies this demand as well as the modern need for convenience in their range of attractive and adventurous bottled spirits including a Bordeaux Barrel Aged Negroni and Persian Lime & Nori Margarita. The business has seen rapid growth in its short lifespan, but is passionate about maintaining its craft, handmade ethos – a refreshing change from a sector all too well known for often 'less considered' products. This approach has seen the business win multiple gold medals at the International Spirits Masters Competition – success which we can easily see continuing.
INNOVATOR
Big Drop
Not only does Big Drop fit perfectly into the craft beer industry's desire for delicious, well-made beer, but it takes it up a notch by lowering its alcohol content – a big plus for lovers of beer who want to lessen their alcohol intake. Conceived by Rob Fink following a period of abstaining from beer and discovering that the low or no-alcohol options available weren't impressing him with their taste or depth, he set about creating beer which would not only satisfy discerning beer-lovers but come in a range of flavours. Big Drop currently has two low alcohol beers in its arsenal: a Milk Chocolate Stout, and a Citrus Pale Ale which was launched in April 2017.
BRITISH BRAND
Eastgate Larder
At once traditional and modern-thinking, Eastgate Larder is on a mission to bring the medlar back to the tables of Britain. With a delicious range including Medlar Jelly and Medlar Fruit cheese presented in beautifully-branded packaging, Eastgate Larder was inspired by the traditional produce of its home county including game, meat, cheeses, bread and pates to produce truly outstanding products which sing with provenance – the fruit are homegrown by founder Jane Steward – and quality.
FARM-TO-FORK
D & J Wignall Farms
Grown, pressed and bottled on the farm, Wignalls Yallo Cold Pressed Rapeseed oil is a stand-out example of a food product with provenance. The original oil is an instant classic, but the Wignall family has produced a range of delicious flavours: Garlic & Garden Herb, Lemon & Thyme, Habanero Chilli and Rosemary & Thyme, sure to tempt the tastebuds of discerning customers. Not only is the product fully produced on the farm, but the family uses sustainable farming methods to safeguard the Lincolnshire landscape for generations to come. This is a business and product which Britain should be proud to call its own.