Haute patisserie
French bakery manufacturer Bridor has partnered with world-renowned pastry chef Pierre Hermé to launch a collection of Viennese pastries, including a Mini Croissant, a Pain au Chocolat, an Almond & Pistachio Stuffed Croissant, an Almond & Lemon Croissant and an Apple & Ceylon Cinnamon Triangle.
The Bridor x Pierre Hermé Paris collection pays particular attention to the ingredients; for example, vitamin C, which is needed for the elasticity of dough and is typically used in synthetic form, has been replaced with natural vitamin C extracted from acerola, a fruit native to South America. The flaky puff pastry is made with Breton butter, and each product is enriched in sugar and whole milk, incorporated in powder form, to emphasise the buttery notes, giving a unique lingering taste and meltingly soft texture.
“I sought to highlight the lovely taste of Breton butter, the crispiness and the perfect balance of flavours and textures that I like in Viennese pastries,” said Pierre Hermé.
“For the almond paste for the filled croissants, I selected our usual supplier to make an exclusive recipe with Californian almonds. Made in Lübeck, a German city famous for its almond paste, the soft texture and flavour makes the croissants incomparably indulgent and meltingly soft.”
According to the chef, the natural bitterness of the almond paste enhances the flavour of the pistachio, magnifying its delicate and subtle taste. Roasted pistachios add a crunchy top layer to balance the smooth filling. Lemon juice from Sicily was selected for its unique flavour and acidity, and the chocolate used is made from Madagascan pure origin chocolate. Never used before for this kind of product, it was selected for its strong cocoa taste and tangy notes and was developed exclusively for Pierre Hermé.
Finally, the Ceylon Cinnamon & Apple Triangle is a new interpretation of the apple turnover, made from French apples, including Reinettes, for their flavour, soft and smooth texture and freshness.
The collection is an extension of a collab between the duo that began when Hermé and Bridor founder Louis Le Duff met in early 2019.
“We are very proud of this collaboration. The association of our two Maisons unite a historic know-how with that of Pierre Hermé to create exceptional products,” said Philippe Morin, CEO of Bridor.
“This collection brings together the best of both worlds and perfectly embodies our ambition, which is to give access to high-quality products to as many people as possible, in every country and on every table.”
Don’t throw it out
ChicP is on a mission to encourage Brits to waste less and eat more of what’s left in the fridge. According to the UK brand, veggies, fruit and herbs remain completely safe and tasty to eat long after its sell by date and can be whipped up into something nutritious.
On average, UK households throw away a staggering seven million tonnes of food waste every year and the majority of this is still good to eat. ChicP’s founder Hannah McCollum is passionate in stemming this tide, and has used over 30,000 wonky vegetables in the past 12 months for its own snacks. She is now hoping to inspire Brits to turn their own food waste into healthy snacks at home.
“Up to 40% of British crops are rejected because of their shape or size, but at ChicP we never turn a wonky vegetable down,” said Hannah McCollum, ChicP founder.
“If you’re unsure about using raw vegetables that are going off, why not cook them first then blend them which will increase the shelf life of the dip. This will also bring out the flavours and consistency of vegetables like tomatoes.
“There will always be a way to prevent food waste, we just need to be a little more creative in the kitchen. Just half a leftover bendy carrot can create a delicious dip for a family meal.”
Apples or bananas turning brown? The skin is just there to protect the inside, which is still safe to eat. Brown bananas are great for banana bread, but also turned into a sweet dip blitzed with cocoa, honey and chickpeas.
Bruising may not look as appealing, but as long as the skin hasn’t been punctured, it will still be safe to eat.
Wilting is just the produce losing moisture. Try roasting, boiling or blending wilted vegetables.
Scarring are just marks that develop in the growing process; they don’t affect the edibility.
While rotting vegetables are not something you’ll want to eat, the bacteria are not actually toxic. Remove the offending section and use the rest of the veggie in a dip. It only takes half a carrot to make one pot of ChicP hummus as vegetables expand so much when blended.
The ChicP range currently includes five vitamin-rich dips and three falafel-inspired bites, each made from raw, seasonal vegetables that would otherwise go to waste. Every product is also vegan and free from gluten, sugar, dairy, nuts and pesticides. Delivered in reusable packaging, ChicP’s dips and bites also provide a source of plant-based protein.
Available in individual pots and 1kg tubs, ChicP is sold online and in health food stores across the country, including Wholefoods, Ocado, Booths, Co-op and Amazon Fresh for an RRP of £1.99.
Are you a grasshole?
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Country Archer Jerky Co. is hoping its comedically shocking national campaign will engage snackers and instil the grass-fed beef different – a characteristic the brand says sets them apart. According to the meat brand, conventional meat snacks are typically made from processed ingredients like hydrolysed corn protein and mechanically separated chicken.
On the other hand, Country Archer’s meat snacks are crafted with USDA-inspected 100%t grass-fed beef, antibiotic-free turkey and pork. They are also free of preservatives, nitrites, MSG and gluten.
‘Calling All Grassholes’ – rolling out on YouTube, as well as via the company’s social media pages until the end of August – aims to inspire a wave of snackers who are increasingly more aware of the impact their food choices have only on themselves, but their families and the world around them.
Country Archer coined the comedic term ‘grasshole’ to describe people who demand more from their meat snacks. The brand is hoping this rallying call will be a bit shocking but amusing, and will create a sense of pride for those who have higher standards for their snacks.
“We firmly believe in the 100% grass-fed and-finished beef difference, and that it can play a critical role in leaving our world better for future generations versus conventional, grain-fed beef from feedlots,” said Jeff Wong, VP of Marketing at Country Archer Provisions.
“Our mission has been to craft real food to craft a better world, but we wanted to make this concept more approachable by having fun with it and capturing attention for grass-fed through levity and laughter. Our hope is to provide a few seconds of comedic relief in people’s days and make them stop and say – ‘you know, I think I’m a Grasshole too’ – and that’s a good thing.”
Country Archer meat snacks are available at over 17,000 retail locations across the US, including Starbucks, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Costco, The Fresh Market, Wegmans, Walmart, Target, Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, Walgreens and 7-Eleven.
A sneaky snack
The Artful Baker is expanding its snack portfolio with three single baton biscotti offerings – Triple Choc, Sour Cherry Double Choc and a vegan and gluten-free variant, Almond & Roasted Hazelnut – geared at supporting the UK’s ‘bruised but back on its feet’ foodservice, hospitality and independent café sectors.
The Artful Baker is an offshoot of The Great British Biscotti Co, a Dorset bakery that offers a full repertoire of sweet and savoury treats, from canapes to cheese boards, salads and biscotti. In 2020, the duo baked in excess of give million biscotti, and expect that to have tripled by the end of 2021, thanks to the operation’s repivot from hospitality and foodservice to hampers, gifting and export at the height of lockdown.
According to Artful Baker founder, Paul Rostand, both businesses stepped up to the mark during the pandemic.
“We’re proud of the way we not only weathered but extended our customer reach during COVID,” said Rostand.
“We’ve [also] never lost sight of the fact that for all our hamper and Hotel Chocolat success, hotels, hospitality, food halls, airlines and the upmarket independent coffee scene are very much our spiritual homes, so feel duty bound to do our bit to support these under-the-cosh food sectors by showcasing involving biscuit offerings that reflect our ’slow food,’ artisanal snacking and no palm oil convictions.”
The 18g individually packed biscotti are available online and from select retailers around the UK.
Bake at home
Pillsbury has announced a raft of new product launches, designed to elevate everyday mealtimes and offer greater convenience in the kitchen.
Monkey Bread and Garlic Bread Pull-Apart Bites – kits complete with ready-to-bake and pre-cut dough and sauce pouches, great as an accompaniment to a family barbecue, or even topped with an egg for breakfast. Each kit makes eight servings and has an RRP of $4.61.
Mini Pizza Crusts + Cinni Stix – this is Pillsbury’s take to give pizza lovers the option to make their own pizza and breadstick pairing at home. The kits makes eight Mini Pizza crusts and 24 Mini Cinni Stix, and both have an RRP of $3.12.
Birthday Cake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Poppins – these resealable bags of safe-to-eat cookie dough bites can be eaten on-the-go or topped on any dessert. Birthday Cake embraces the celebrations we’ve all been missing this past year, while Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough honours the beloved classic cookie. The bite-size treat must be kept refrigerated and have an RRP of $5.20 from select retailers across the US.
Just like abuela’s
Ethnic food producer Raymundo’s Food Group has expanded its line of authentic Hispanic desserts with Small Batch Flan and Rice Pudding.
Raymundo’s Small Batch is a hand-crafted line of ethnically inspired refrigerated desserts made from real milk, eggs and sugar. Carefully and lovingly made in small batch kettles, the authentic desserts remind consumers how much they love their abuela’s (grandma) food.
“We believe that desserts and snacks are the most special part of your day,” said Tom Lazzari, marketing director of Raymundo’s Food Group.
“Raymundo’s created this handcrafted line of traditional desserts because we know that after one bite, you’ll be transported back to the flavours you know and love from your childhood.”
Raymundo’s Small Batch Premium Caramel Flan and Cinnamon Rice Pudding will be available at big box and ethnic grocery stores across the US this fall, adding new stores throughout the year. Available in 40z singles and a 4-pack for an RRP of $2.99. Please visit Raymundos.com for more
Back to school
With kids heading back to school, Ocean Spray’s Growing Goodness juice boxes are answering stressed-out parents’ need to stock up on healthy essentials to add to lunchboxes.
Every kid loves to show off what their lunchbox holds and Ocean Spray’s offerings are sure to hit the nail on the head. Not only designed to impress, the natural line of juices are packed with Vitamin C and made with real fruit juice. Growing Goodness comes in four variants – Cranberry Strawberry Kiwi, Cranberry Cherry Orange, Cranberry Apple Peach and Cranberry Blueberry Raspberry – all of which support immune and digestive health and are free of artificial flavours and sugars.
Available from select stockists around the country.
From bowl-to-mouth
Zack’s Mighty is on a mission to create tortilla chips that don’t break in guacamole.
The US snack startup is relying on heirloom corn and an old authentic tortilla-first chip process to create the ‘next gen’ of tortilla chips to transport dips from bowl-to-mouth in one piece.
To achieve this, the Zack’s Mighty team knew it had to source the right type of corn … leading to Flint Corn.
According to the brand, this type grew widely across North America in the late 19th century but grew sparse as farmers started focusing on the cheaper – and less flavourful – Dent Corn. In 2019, Zack’s travelled to Italy to acquire enough Otto File Flint Corn (a variety of Flint Corn mostly grown for polenta) to start planting his own crops in the US.
Today, Zack’s Mighty is one of the largest growers of Flint Corn in the US. Its farms use regenerative organic practices, which improves soil health through crop rotations and sequestering carbon through cover cropping.
Zach’s then focused on the production process and after intensive research, settled on the tried-and-true tortilla-first process. And while many brands on the market are tortillas cut straight from masa, Zack’s Mighty sticks to the traditional method by first creating tortillas and then cutting each into triangles to form the individual chips.
Hey presto – a tortilla chips that won’t break in your favourite dip. Zack’s Mighty Tortilla Chips are available online and across the US in Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Wegmans and other specialty stores.