What’s trending in chutneys and pickles?

Chutneys. They’re the condiment that just keeps on giving. When our cooking efforts fall flat, or inspiration fails us, unleashing the contents of our favourite jar can provide that punch of flavour we’ve been reaching for in an inexpensive, and impactful way.

Changing tastes and global influences have ensured the category remains fresh, with tantalisingly new and exotic combinations landing on shelves on a monthly basis, appealing to a broad spectrum of shoppers. But, as in the entire food and drink sphere, it’s tradition and the classics that are currently reining. Home cooks are combining experimental ingredients and tastes with a generous spoonful of relishes that spark comfort and nostalgia.

They’re also looking for better quality preserves…from brands that are taking stock of their desire for cleaner labels, reduced sugar and additives, and more fruit and veg.

The importance of chutneys in retail

They might not have the instant ‘wow’ factor of, say, the cheese counter, but chutneys remain a key product for independents, and deserve lots of love and attention, says Tracklements’ Becky Vale, who explains that shoppers rely on speciality stores to give them a greater breadth of choice than supermarkets.

“We did a bit of research recently, and we know people buy based on flavour, quality and taste in this category. It makes sense for speciality retailers to stock brands that deliver on those three things,” Becky says.

We have expectations when we visit an independent shop, Becky adds. “We go to them because we trust them to have curated a quality offering for us. That is such an important thing to remember.”

And there’s more choice than ever before for the retail sector, says The Hawkshead Relish Company founder Maria Whitehead, adding that this category has come a very long way since she started her business more than 25 years ago. “It’s not just the standard ploughman’s pickle now. There are so many different variations on flavour, texture, colours and ingredients. In years gone by people would cook a chutney down for hours on end and it would be dark brown and all very standard. When you look at what’s being made now it’s incredible. There is so much to choose from.”

Maria believes both shoppers and retailers have “woken up” to the fact a chutney can add something to a dish, rather than just being something you put on the side of the plate. 

“They form a component of a lot of meals,” agrees Markus Endt, senior technical manager at RH Amar. “There’s a big movement for charcuterie boards at the moment and chutneys and spreads are interchangeable here, allowing people to add extra characteristics to what they’re eating. They are quite important.”

Echoing Maria’s thoughts about the direction of travel for chutneys, Markus says, “People haven’t been scared to incorporate more exotic flavours. There’s a lot more experimenting going on with flavours across different brands,” which is shaking up what retailers have access to. “There are some flavours I never thought would marry well, but they do. It’s a wonderful segment at the moment, and a very exciting one.”

Why quality matters

As Becky has already explained, shoppers visiting farm retailers, delis and food halls have high expectations. Choosing your chutneys and relishes carefully, with their key purchasing needs in mind, will put you in good stead.

Markus says the best place to start is by “looking at the ingredient declaration and the order of ingredients. If there is a higher fruit and vegetable count, and the list starts off with that, then you know that’s the primary focus of the product. If water or glucose syrup are the first ingredients, you’re probably looking at a more watered down version of what good looks like.”

Increasingly brands are adding honey, rather than sugar, to their chutneys, which Markus also sees as a sign of commitment to quality and premiumisation.

“When you look at the ingredients you should understand everything on that label,” agrees Maria. “There shouldn’t be anything on there you wouldn’t expect to use if you were making a chutney at home. Vinegar, sugar and salt are all natural preservatives. There’s no need to use anything artificial.”

Like Markus, she also suggests looking for brands that put fruit and vegetables high up on the list in each jar. “Making sure it’s all proper ingredients.” And also that what’s in the jar looks vibrant, not ‘gloopy’. “There’s a place for a chutney that is darker, but you should be able to distinguish the ingredients that are in there, both visually and on the palate,” Maria adds.

A really good chutney will help your customers to “jazz up their food”, she says. And placed alongside cheese and charcuterie on the ever popular grazing platter, there’s nowhere to hide if your chutney fails to hit the mark.

“They have to look as good as they taste. We eat with our eyes. Customers should look at the product and think ‘I want to dip in and try that’.”

For this reason, Maria says Tracklements doesn’t cook its chutneys down for hours on end. “It’s important to retain that texture and colour so not everything looks the same. When you open the lid you should get a burst of freshness. So, with our mango chutney, we roast and grind our spices, and when you open the lid you get a really fragrant smell.” The chutney, a customer favourite, is finished with lemon juice so there’s “a finish of citrus when you eat it, which really cleanses the palate, ready for the next mouthful of curry.”

Chutney should “always be something that adds to the dish you’re serving it with”.

The difference between good and bad chutney, adds Becky, isn’t just where ingredients sit on the label, but where those ingredients have come from. “We are big believers that you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,” she laughs.

“You have to select the best ingredients, and treat them with love, respect and care. When you put in great ingredients, you know what you’re making will taste delicious. We have an expression here that if your grandmother wouldn’t recognise it, it doesn’t go in!”

Time is essential to getting quality right as well. “A good chutney is not something you can rush,” Becky explains. “Getting the flavours to meld into each other and taste of something greater than the sum of their parts takes time. That’s a very precious ingredient. Get it right and the taste will shine though.”

Tasting, of course, is important to assess quality too. As is, says Becky, seeking out award winners, which have been chosen by experts for meeting and exceeding expectations.

What’s trending in chutneys?

Markus says the ‘swicy’ trend (with hot honey leading the charge) is infiltrating the world of chutney. “Honey is being included in a lot more chutneys and relishes,” he explains. “We’re seeing more of that, and more chilli – marrying that heat and sweetness together. It’s very exciting. Brands are also using more exotic fruits and vegetables and creating a real point of difference.”

RH Amar has just tapped into this area of ‘newness’ by launching the Cooks & Co Fig Spread, available in original, orange and chilli-infused varieties. It’s smooth, contains less sugar than a jam, and is incredibly versatile, Markus says, working in place of a traditional chutney on a cheeseboard or charcuterie platter.

Customers are looking for slightly stronger flavours, Maria says, adding that she too has seen an uptake in chilli-infused chutneys and relishes. “We’ve done a limited edition aubergine pickle, and as it matures in the jar it’s absolutely amazing. It really packs a punch of flavour, and that’s doing so well.”

There’s no getting away from the allure of nostalgia though, with Hawkshead seeing strong sales of its piccalilli and Westmorland Chutney. “It’s the first chutney we did,” says Maria. “It’s got dates and prunes and apricots. It’s softer than a lot of ploughman-type pickles andhas been a bestseller since day one. It’s just all those lovely flavours you’d expect to have with a cheese sandwich.”

Pickles have experienced 28% growth at Tracklements, says Becky, driven significantly by classic flavours such as Apple & Cider Brandy Chutney and Apricot & Ginger Chutney. “They are just brilliant combinations,” she adds. “They really work well. They are the ones people come back to time and time again. I think that in interesting times people do like to stick to what they know…the familiar and the cosy.”

Maria has noticed that consumers are becoming more sophisticated in their choice of chutney too. They’re really thinking about what pairs well with various ingredients. “For instance, they might be looking for a fig chutney to go with a softer goats’ cheese, or for something more robust with hard cheese like Cheddar. A bit like wine pairings, they want to know the best way to complement things.”

And that extends beyond the cheeseboard. “Beetroot and horseradish goes well with something like a shepherd’s pie,” adds Maria. “We’ve gone beyond the days of people having a red sauce, a brown sauce and ploughman’s pickle in the fridge.”

How to get the most out of your chutney aisle

The advice from all three experts is to offer samples. Putting these products in front of customers, and letting them experience what’s in the jar, beyond the label, is an essential tool for selling.

“Pair them with something,” says Markus. “With cheese at the cheese counter, for example. Give customers ideas of how to use the chutneys. There’s only so much information you can put on a label, and sometimes people will fumble around thinking ‘how do I use this?’. If retailers put the products in the right place and show consumers how to use them and where to use them, while giving out treats and snacks using the chutneys, that’s a good way to encourage engagement.”

Becky wants retailers to “make chutney sexy again”. 

“They are powerhouses of flavour!” Like Marcus, she suggests lifting some products out of the ambient aisle, and matching them up with other offerings around your store. “You might put farmhouse pickles by the cold meats, or mango chutney by the poppadoms. Show people their purpose. And people are going mad for British cheese at the moment. Think about perfect pairings there. We now have an online hub where we make suggestions of what to match our chutneys with. You can come up with all sorts of surprising things, like rosemary jelly with goats’ cheese. Spark excitement. Make a point of difference. Make people stop and think ‘ah, I never thought about putting that with that’.”

Maria also believes conjuring up and having ready a list of pairing suggestions, alongside offering tastings, will help retailers make the most of their chutney range. “So many people have said to us, ‘I’ve got this black garlic pickle, or this red onion marmalade, apart from having it with cold meat, I don’t know what to do with it’. So we brought out a book a few years ago which shows people how to use our products in cooking and everyday dishes, because they really are treasure troves of flavour. You can use them for all sorts of things!”

Think outside of the box, Maria says. Advise customers to spread a little black garlic pickle over a piece of salmon before grilling it, for example. “We talk about waste a lot. I hate any kind of waste so I don’t want anybody to have one of our jars in the fridge to use on one occasion and then be left to go beyond the sell by date. Retailers need to encourage customers to embrace chutneys and use them in different ways.”

Beyond getting shoppers to trial products, Maria actively wants retailers to get staff involved in product tasting. “We often send over extra jars and I really want them to have staff taste the products so they can talk about them, and talk about them with real authority.”

One thing’s clear, chutneys are here to stay. “They’re brilliant,” says Becky. “They will never go out of fashion!”