The food producers to watch in 2018

When it comes to eating, the simplest items often bring the most pleasure - a crumbly homemade oatcake, a chunk of creamy Cheddar, a pile of ripe strawberries.

John Farrand is “a firm believer” in “simple, well-made and nutritious food.” As organiser of Great Taste and World Cheese Awards, part of The Guild of Fine Food, he spends his time focused on the slower end of the food market: delicatessens, farm shops and markets.

Last week, the Guild’s new space, No. 42, opened near Borough Market, aimed at giving aspiring and existing food makers and sellers a place to meet, network and cook.

He says: “We are seeing so many new food producers entering the market… [In spite of the gloom of 2017] it feels to me like the speciality fine food end of things is growing.”

Here are five simple products that Farrand thinks we will be buying more of in 2018.

Butter

We’re seeing more engagement in the shops, where you can choose the amount you want, and that means less wastage and less packaging. More important, though, is the quality of the butter - people are returning to proper fat and realising low fats are not good for you, aren’t right and lack flavour. I’m banging the same old drum but I think a smaller but better piece of butter is much better for you.

One to watch in 2018: Ty Tanglwyst Dairy, which makes a salted butter that is excellent, genuine and true, and was a two-star winner in The Great Taste Awards 2017. It also delivers to all the schools around the dairy.

Tonic

I think we’ve all overdone the gin revolution. It is cool that it has now taken over whisky and vodka as the leading spirit, but I still don’t understand why there aren’t more tonics of a conventional nature filling in Fevertree’s void as the little person.

One to watch in 2018: Jeffreys is doing something different, being more maverick by not having a clear fizzy liquid and by using ‘botanicals’ like rosehips and galangal root. One to watch, and set to be the star at next month’s Fine Food Show North.

Eel

Eel is slightly full of politics in some ways as it’s in short supply and there’s some protectionism about who has the licences to harvest them, but it’s a good debating point, and I think that eels were eaten so much in the East End of London 50 years ago and they are absolutely delicious, that it would be great if we can start to see a bit of a renaissance for them. I was bowled away when I tried Jeremy Lee’s smoked eel sandwich last year.

One to watch in 2018: The best eel is most likely from Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland and available in the capital. Their product is amazing.

Rye Bread

Every year we have the bread of the moment and I think it’s rye’s turn. An excellent bread, this is often slightly denser than conventional bread, and seems to claim additional health benefits.

One to watch in 2018: I like what Flour Power City does in London, and they always win a lot of Great Taste awards.

Cured meat

In a deli the cheese counter is the one that everyone goes to; charcuterie is its poor relation. But in the trade, talk of its renaissance has been going on for around a year or so, so I think it’s on the up. There are some fabulous UK cured meat producers, who don’t necessarily mimick the continental cured meat products but come up with their own styles and methods. A couple of UK charcuterie festivals are also coming up this year.

One to watch in 2018: Ex-MasterChef winner Dhruv Baker’s new range - his rillettes has a wonderful abandon of cumin, fennel seed and mustard seed. Meanwhile Cannon & Cannon serves excellent products, some straightforward salami, some more maverick things.

No 42. is at 42 Southwark Street, SE1.