Spotlight on small food businesses

Halen Môn Sea Salt, Anglesey

The oak-smoked sea salt from Halen Môn is the kitchen ingredient is produced by the food-obsessed Lea-Wilson family whose love of all things culinary comes through in everything they do.

“Halen Môn started when my parents left a saucepan of seawater to boil on the Aga in our kitchen. As the salt crystals started to form, they knew they’d struck culinary gold,” explains Jess Lea-Wilson.

“We make Halen Môn from the crystal-clear waters that surround the island of Anglesey, off the coast of North Wales. We have protected designation of origin status – the same accreditation as champagne – to show that we make a unique and authentic product. Our salt is used by lots of brands, from Green & Black’s milk chocolate to Pipers Crisps.

“Ultimately, sea salt is used to add flavour, which also depends on when the crystals are used. At the beginning of meal prep to help sunny tomatoes sing, to coat meat before cooking to help the salty char form and the meat to stay juicy, or right at the very end, scattered over a chocolate torte to make it all the more chocolaty.”

Empress Market Pakistani

Bringing Pakistani traditions to London

Numra Siddiqui is chef-creator of Empress Market Pakistani street food and supper clubs in London. Her evocative food is filled with stories, history and flavour. “My menus centre around my Desi heritage – family recipes from India and Pakistan, handed down through generations. Pakistani food is a melting pot of flavours and techniques, and I share the multicultural nature of Karachi and Pakistani cuisine on my menus here in London.

“The name Empress Market is after a 19th- century Victorian market based in the heart of Karachi. Its colonial history is a complex one but the red brick building still functions as a market. I like to call my girl gang of staff the Shehzadis – the princesses of Empress Market, capturing my feminist ideals.

“My signature is the bun kabab, a classic Karachi street food. It starts with a spicy pulled beef patty known as a shami kabab that’s dunked in whipped egg whites and seared in a pan, served in a brioche bun.” empressmarket.co.uk

Berry and Brie

Family business creating inspired feasting platters

Feeling inspired by feasting tables and platters from Australian creators, Mako Ndoro, founder of Berry and Brie, decided to try it out for herself: “My friend was having a baby shower and I suggested the idea, and offered to set it up for her. From there Berry and Brie naturally grew from one event to the next. Mako describes herself as a creative person who is into styling. “For me, Berry and Brie offered a bridge between my love for delicious food and visually appealing displays.” Through word of mouth and a growing social media presence, Mako, who was working full time in the City, decided to take the leap and commit, allowing her passion for styling to thrive. “I see each job as a piece of art. I particularly love when I can be playful with the brief, using intricate florals and staging to make our food shine.” Berry and Brie is expanding with grazing workshops as its next venture but Mako’s family, especially her sisters who joined Berry and Brie, keep her grounded: ‘I am a big believer that your family can be the best asset you have. From honest and raw opinions, to support and trust that you naturally get from this relationship.” berryandbrie.com

Right to roam, Craigellachie

Reinventing the Scottish buttery

Chef Ed Barnard left London to relocate to Craigellachie, Scotland, with his family, where he set up Right to Roam and has since developed a cult following for his revival of a traditional Scottish speciality – the most delicious baked delicacy I’ve eaten this year. “Our flavoured version of the north-east Scotland speciality called a buttery (or rowie). Originally a calorie-dense snack for fishermen, it resembles a crushed croissant, normally made with lard and butter. Our cinnamon one is especially popular but we’ve created lots: cheese and Marmite, almond, kimchi and a ‘rocky rowie’ choc- marshmallow version.” @itsrighttoroam

Jenny Lau at the Hackney Chinese Community Centre

The A-Z of Chinese Food is an online essay series written by Jenny Lau that explores identity through the lens of food. Jenny’s food events supporting the Hackney Chinese Community Centre are equally inspiring. “I’m a British Chinese Londoner with roots in Malaysia and Hong Kong. I’ve lived in three countries and consider myself somewhere between diasporic and transnational in identity. I organise events such as potlucks and fundraising supper clubs for a grassroots community of East and Southeast Asian food lovers. In the run up to Lunar New Year, HCCS always hosts a community celebration, which involves a lion dance, speeches and activities for all the family. My potluck club has catered the last few New Years – I’m incredibly proud of them for putting on epic spreads that feed up to 100 hungry people. It’s the only place you might taste Filipino lumpia alongside Chinese roast pork belly and Burmese chicken curry. I love these parties because I get to celebrate with my chosen family. My favourite dish is a tradition I recently adopted, called Prosperity Toss Salad. It’s theatrical and raucous, and I love it.” celestialpeach.com

Weyfish fishmongers, Weymouth

Connecting a community through selling fish

Sean Cooper had been looking for a pub to run in retirement but found Weyfish instead. “It was started by Colin Horne and Bob Goodwin in 1985. I invested in 2017 and worked to change the relationship between Weyfish and the inshore fleet of Weymouth.” By doubling the price paid for local fish, an armistice between the fishmongers and fishermen was quickly set. “Since, 30 inshore boats have returned to land with us. We invested in our own boats to ensure a greater supply, too. We buy from day boats in the harbour that fish using sustainable methods – if we have to source from other markets, we employ our own buyers who, where possible, choose fish not caught on beam trawlers or dredgers.” Serving the community is important, too: “This fishmonger is a cornerstone of the fisher community. We support a wide group of fishers and provide full-time careers to 10 people in-house.” Weyfish contributes to the economy in both the local fishing industry and within town. “It’s fantastic to be able to tell customers where the fish was caught and on which boat, with what method. Most times we can even tell them the name of the fishermen who caught it.” weyfish.com

Kreative hampers, London

Authentic Caribbean food capturing happy memories of the Islands

Four years ago Kim Rowland, who is Jamaican-born but based in London, was not sure what to give her mother for her birthday. She came up with the idea of a hamper of Caribbean Island foods. After a long search, she found that there were hampers from different countries, but none from the Caribbean. “When you come from abroad you have this affinity to where you’re from and so when I gave my mum the gift, she was so overwhelmed by it and surprised that I had made it, she suggested I make it a business.” Kreative Hampers offers a range of different foods – from savoury snacks to cakes and drinks – so that people can taste the flavours of the Islands: “The hampers are not just for Caribbean people. With gifts, people end to get the typical foods like chocolate, which is lovely, but we want to recognise that there are other products out there and people often come to us for memories of honeymoons or happy holidays spent in the Islands.” Kim tries to give back to small business: “I try to include lots of local businesses from around the Caribbean like Haiti and Trinidad, to get different tastes of the Islands.” kreativehampers.com

Yorkshire Squeaky Cheese, Yorkshire

The Syrian entrepreneur who created an award-winning Yorkshire cheese company

Razan Alsous fled the war in Syria in 2012 with her husband and three young children, and moved to Yorkshire. Despite having a pharmacy degree, her lack of work experience in the UK made it difficult for her to find a job, so she started brainstorming. “When we came to the UK, I noticed how amazing British milk is, full of flavour and creamy. But I couldn’t find a great-tasting halloumi – it’s mainly imported from other countries and made using powdered milk. I wanted to start a business making a squeaky cheese close to the one we have in Syria using local Yorkshire milk.” They received a small start-up loan and bought basic equipment. Her husband was the first tester and said it tasted just like Syrian halloumi. She knew she was on to a winner and they launched Yorkshire Squeaky Cheese. After just four months, they won a World Cheese Award. They have since expanded to make various varieties of Squeaky Cheese, ricotta, yogurt balls, labneh, butter and halloumi fries. You can grill the halloumi but Razan suggests eating it “raw with jam or fruit – this is what we do in the Middle East in summer”. yorkshiredamacheese.co.uk

The Dartmoor Ice Cream Company, Dartmoor

The friends who launched a Devon ice cream company

Carol Bache from West Devon was a stay-at-home mum when she came up with the idea of starting her own ice cream business with her friend, Sue Allerton. “I used to make ice cream at home and was often disappointed by ice cream in the shops – it never seemed to measure up to my expectations,” explains Carol. They decided to make the most of the fabulous local produce on offer and launched The Dartmoor Ice Cream Company. “We use milk and cream from a farm on the north of Dartmoor and we use Devon producers as much as possible.” Using local produce and artisan production methods makes all the difference to the taste, and has resulted in them winning a number of awards. They appear at local events over the summer and have recently released several new flavours. “We’ve just launched a creamy coconut flavour to launch our vegan range and are working on more plant-based options.” dartmooricecream.uk

Pearly Queen Honey, London

The London beekeeper who makes nutritious raw honey in the city

Meetal Patel, based in east London, enjoyed beekeeping in his spare time so much that he decided to launch Pearly Queen, a collective of urban beekeepers who prove that delicious raw honey can be made in cities. “People were fascinated that my honey came from hives in east London rather than the countryside,” explains Meetal. “I started contacting other urban beekeepers as I wanted to highlight the variety of flavours unique to each area of the city.” Beekeeping in London has its challenges. “A big issue is space,” says Meetal. “I don’t have a garden, so my hives are in churchyards, urban farms and historical buildings.” Raw honey has lots of health benefits and may even help hay fever sufferers. “Raw honey contains good bacteria,” says Meetal. “Many swear by it to help with hay fever. I’m inundated with queries from people in the spring, desperate for local honey. But the main UK honey harvest is towards the end of the summer, so my advice is to stock up early. pearlyqueenhoney.com

Saffron Tree, Yorkshire

The Yorkshire-based mum who creates authentic Indian ready meals

Monalisa Fathima was planning to set up a cooking school in 2018 when she was diagnosed with a congenital eye condition. During her post-surgery recovery, the single mum relied on ready meals and was disappointed with the range on offer. “We were unable to get a decent Indian meal,” she says. “Why could I get great Indian food in a restaurant but not a shop? So I created a range of meals based on family recipes that my grandmother Iona taught me to cook.” Saffron Tree launched in 2019 with dishes such as dum ka murg (chicken in masala sauce) and aloo methi (potatoes roasted with spices and fenugreek). When Covid-19 hit, Monalisa launched Together blends, spice mixes that could be used to make Indian meals at home. After appearing on BBC Two’s The Hairy Bikers Go North, “the mail order side hit the roof. I’m now planning to launch new blends and a range of masala pastes”. saffrontree.co.uk

Just Italian Food, Essex

The husband and wife team bringing authentic Italian food to Essex

When Marco and Luana Trovato moved to the UK from Sicily, they were disappointed by the range of Italian products on the supermarket shelves. Marco says: “My dream was to open a business where people can find all the great produce Italy offers, such as high-quality pasta, cookies, cheeses, meats and bread.” They launched Just Italian Food in 2019 with a website and small warehouse, and then a shop in Chelmsford, Essex. It was a success, particularly when Covid hit and supermarket shelves were bare. “When the pandemic began, we were one of the few places with essentials like pasta and tomato sauce, so we became very popular.” It was such a hit with locals, the shop was enlarged twice during 2020-21. Marco hopes to open a chain of supermarkets, and is now expanding into London and Essex restaurants, with plans for them to stock their best-selling products. justitalianfood.co.uk

Cajuu, Tanzania

The cashew company championing Tanzanian farmers

Habil Ibrahim’s grandfather worked in the cashew industry in the 1970s, forming bonds with communities across southern Tanzania. Looking for a way to leave a positive mark, Habil left his job in finance to continue this work: “We source exclusively from the Makonde Plateau in southern Tanzania, a region known for producing amazing crops. We have full traceability back to the farm and the farmers who grow, harvest and process the nuts. Cajuu [from the word ‘caju’, which translates as cashew] is as much about educating people about Tanzanian cashews and ethical farming as it is about providing quality, healthy snacks.” Cajuu supplies tools to farmers to ensure the nuts can be harvested safely, and all packaging is plastic-free and recyclable. It’s also working towards being carbon negative: “We’d like to plant cashew trees to offset the carbon and ‘give back’ to the atmosphere.” cajuu.co.uk