Plenty Of Greens At The Speciality & Fine Food Fair

A good proportion of the exhibitors have a “green” dimension.  Exhibition director Paul MacDonald said:  “It’s noticeable that small producers are taking the lead in this area.  Where big companies may find it difficult to change established patterns, new entrants into the market are setting out from day one to create a business that is carbon neutral, supports local communities, deals fairly with suppliers (especially those from less developed countries), avoids chemical additives, and does its best to be a good corporate citizen.”

These are just a few examples of companies to look out for at the show.

Eco-champions!

Olivacion won the fresh ideas award at the International Food Exhibition (IFE) earlier this year for its Oloves – a 45g bag of all natural olives, with no liquid mess or preservatives.  Not only is the product a winner, it’s also doing its bit for the planet. Olivacion is donating 1% of the sales value of the product to organisations working in the field of climate change and the environment.

Today was Fun is a great name for a company and it’s not surprising that it has already established a reputation as a pioneer.  Its ‘Tea & Philosophy’ range won a Green Award and a silver Soil Association Award in 2006 and in the same year, it became the first company to launch a carbon-neutral food and drink product, called Green Green Tea.

Montezuma’s Chocolates is one of the biggest food success stories to come out of West Sussex in recent years.  Started by ex-lawyers Helen and Simon Pattinson, after they gave up the rat-race and went to “find themselves” in South America, the company not only makes delicious chocolate, but also won Chichester’s Environmental Business Award in 2005 and was a finalist in the SEEDA Environmental Awards in 2006.

Sustainability!

Nudo is a British company based in rural Italy, with a unique scheme whereby people can adopt one of the olive trees in the company’s grove. They then receive the produce from their tree over the course of the year - olive oil, lemon oil and olive oil soaps.  By adding local producers into the adoption scheme and forming local co-operatives, the company is helping the economic vitality of the region, as well as helping keep the Italian countryside looking like a picture postcard.

Nudo’s other claim to eco-fame is that it is one of the few companies that is highly carbon positive. It even uses dissolvable maize baubles as its packing filling and profits go into planting new baby olive trees.

Exhibitor WISTCO (the West Indies Sugar and Trading Company) has been established as a joint venture between the government of Barbados and private business as part of a package of measures to support the island’s sugar industry which is under threat after a drastic reduction in subsidies.  Visitors to the show can try its Plantation Reserve - a natural cane sugar from Barbados made with the season’s best sugar cane, selected for its quality. It is a coarser, lighter sugar with a naturally superior taste and aroma and is best used sparingly in tea and coffee, or on seasonal fruits and cereals.

Take a trip around Glebe Farm to see a sustainable business at work.  The company makes organic and gluten-free wheat, wheat-free and gluten-free bread and cake mixes, using its own flour stoneground on the farm or in local windmills.  The farm is not only home to a successful commercial enterprise, but also home to 57 different bird species.  It provides good wildlife habitats for insects to breed to maintain bird population in winter. 

Two Fishwives, which started in 2005 making fish cakes and fish pies, uses fresh fish from sustainable stocks, mainly from British waters. 

No nasties, naturally!

Quai Sud, the French producer of flavoured cane sugars, will be using the show as the UK launch pad for its new 100% organic cocoa, cocoa beans and flavoured cane sugars.

The Original Candy Company was one of the pioneers of natural flavours and colours for its sweets and this policy has won its products a place in Hamleys, the Tower of London and the Tussauds Group – family attractions looking for a healthier alternative.

Likewise, Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls from William Santus & Co are not only 100% natural, containing no artificial colours or additives, they are also GM-free and suitable for vegans and those on a gluten-free diet.

Bensons has become the first company to offer an ice-pop that contains simply fruit and can count towards your recommended 5-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables. The Chilly Billy ice-pop consists of no added sugars, waters, preservatives, e-numbers or colours, just pure English pressed apples and a handful of raspberries.

In the bag!

R H Packaging Ltd is well-known in the food trade for its innovative approach to packaging design, so it was no surprise when its Naturalbox picked up the trophy for best packaging in the Meat Industry Awards last December.  Naturalbox is a bio-compostable tray for meat and fish.

The name Ecobags says it all.  The family-run company, founded in 2003, has developed into a brand name for eco-friendly alternatives to throw-away carrier bags.

Register for your free Guest Pass today at: www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk