News in brief: a round-up of industry stories
We visit different corners of the industry to bring you a selection of stories in bitesize form.
Joyful Food Festival
As part of the #BD100 celebrations The Biodynamic Association hosted a public event to spread the word about the benefits of biodynamic food and farming, and showcase a collection of certified brands.
Held at Rudolf Steiner House, the Joyful Food Festival offered mini talks, short films, awards, market stalls and tastings. Featured among the line-up were Clearspring, Vintage Roots, Weleda, Hampstead Tea, Waterford Distillery, Farmacy, CocoCaravan and Tablehurst Farm.
BetterYou goes B Corp
BetterYou has been awarded B Corp status, a development the brand says is testament to its commitment to becoming ‘a business for environmental and social good, creating a healthier, more sustainable world’ via its initiative, The Better Planet Project.
“Provenance of ingredients, our commitment to science, giving back to our communities and respect for our planet are values we have held from the very start. Being awarded B Corp status three years after being awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise reminds us that we are on the right track … that other people think the same … that good things are worth fighting for,” comments Andrew Thomas, founder & CEO.
Viridian adds to range
A new nutritionally-dense organic B12 supplement derived from shiitake mushrooms has joined the ranks at Viridian Nutrition, providing an ‘elevated level’ of this essential nutrient.
The actives from the organically grown shiitake are extracted using ’a natural blend of spring water, lemon and coconut vinegar, which avoids the use of any chemicals, before being freeze-dried to lock in the nutrients’.
Aimee Benbow, Viridian’s nutrition director, comments: “Vitamin B12 … can be challenging to obtain from food sources, particularly for those following a plant-based diet. Viridian Organic B12 provides a carefully considered pure whole food source from shiitake mushrooms to support whole-body health, and at the same time minimize our environmental impact.”
HFMA’s Welsh partnership
The HFMA’s Primary Authority Partnership has been extended to include the Vale of Glamorgan Council in Wales.
Through the new collaboration the association will provide ‘assured advice and additional support to Welsh HFMA members and Welsh-based businesses utilizing the CLEAR CHECK service’.
Martin Last, HFMA director general, comments: “This … will allow us to be far more connected to and in touch with Welsh-devolved matters.”
Breakfast market reboot
New from The Scottish Bee Company comes this ‘intensely chocolatey’ SKU — decadent, Fairtrade and sweetened with a generous amount of nutrient-rich Scottish blossom honey, Chocolate Spread with Honey offers the ‘stagnating’ jam aisle an inspiring alternative, according to the brand.
“Today jam’s fortunes are far from sunny, whilst nostalgic old classics like lemon curd and marmalade rarely get mentioned in dispatches; an uncomfortably sticky situation made worse by waning enthusiasm for bread. Step forward artisanal peanut butters inspired by our good friends from across the pond and chocolate/nut spreads packed with Continental allure.”
The art of tea for wellness
A ‘naturally powering’ and hormone-balancing blend for mid-life, Tea & Tonic’s new adaptogenic super-herb tea combines calming and rejuvenating organic herbs, meadow flowers, lion’s mane, wild marine collagen and ceremonial grade matcha. The ingredient list was curated by the brand to ease symptoms pre-, during and post-menopause.
With a flavour profile described as ‘smooth, herbaceous with a hint of sweet’ Meadow Secret Rose Collagen Matcha comes in powder form and can be brewed as a tea or latte. Before preparing, the brand recommends taking a moment to focus on the breath, connect your mind with the ‘purity and simplicity’ of tea-making and ‘discover the true art of drinking tea for wellness’.
By Rosie Greenaway, editor