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Made in Sheffield gets a taste for food and drink
THE fast-expanding Made in Sheffield (MIS) brand – initially more closely associated with the industrial/engineering sector – has recently welcomed several food and drink manufacturers into its fold.
The latest members are all young businesses founded by local entrepreneurs who have seen a gap in the market and responded by creating a niche brand with a strong local identity.
Our Cow Molly ice cream, cupcake maker Fancie Ltd and herbal and fruit drinks producer Citrus Hits have all chosen to concentrate on selling their Made in Sheffield products within the immediate Sheffield area.
Our Cow Molly ice cream, which has recently won a national award for its quality, is only available direct from the Dungworth farm run by the Andrew family and from local venues such as The Blue Room, Mish Mash and The Lyceum and Crucible theatres.
The family started making traditional dairy ice cream in July 2007, aiming to produce a high quality natural product. Farmer and ice cream maker Eddie Andrew explains that the ice cream is made using traditional methods such as natural stabilisation. This takes 10 hours and gives a better flavour than mass-produced varieties.
"We can make 60 litres a day and aim to keep the production process as simple and traditional as possible. Our Just Molly dairy ice cream, for example, is purely our farm's milk and cream. We want to make a local product and only sell it locally, keeping it exclusive. That's why it was important to us to join the Made in Sheffield brand."
Amanda Perry founded her cupcake company Fancie Ltd. in February 2008 and already has three full-time and two part-time employees. The initial impetus to start the business came from the enthusiasm of friends and colleagues when she took her cupcakes into work.
"When I eventually decided to take the plunge, the first step was to create a strong local brand. Factors such as shelf-life obviously make it sensible to concentrate on supplying a local market but I also love the fact that we're getting well known in Sheffield and that people have heard of us. There's a bit of a myth that to build a successful brand you have to be in London but I think we're proving that a northern city like Sheffield offers just as much potential."
Fancie now has its own cafe on Sharrowvale Road and also supplies cupcakes for corporate events and weddings. Baking at the Carlisle Street premises starts at six o'clock every morning and Fancie currently sells up to 2,000 cakes in Sheffield every week. Favourites include the '99' (a traditional Victoria sponge recipe) and Snicker-licious with caramel, chocolate and peanut butter.
Amanda adds that having a strong local identity also encourages businesses to form local networks. For example, she already uses Our Cow Molly ice cream in the cafe's milkshakes and sells locally-made candle holders and cards. There are also plans to introduce Pollards coffee.
Shelf-life is also an important factor in the local focus of fruit and herbal drinks maker Citrus Hits, which is part of PJ Taste.
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Co-founder and owner Peter Moulam currently sells some 250 bottles of juice a week and says he believes that identifying and focusing on a niche market can be a recipe for success:
“We see ourselves as supplying the small premium-end market – people who are interested in where their food comes from and don’t mind paying a little extra for local provenance and quality ingredients. The tendency is often for local companies to want to make it big but we believe the integrity of our product is one of our key selling points and this would be compromised if we starting mass producing.”
Citrus Hits drinks (whose flavours include Real Lemonade with a Hint of Yorkshire Mint, Pennine Lavender with Lemon and Spiced Sheffield Apples) are not pasteurised so only have a shelf-life of 7-10 days. Peter adds that this ensures that their natural flavours shine through. His ideal would be for the delivery of Citrus Hits to local food service outlets to be combined with existing daily milk or fresh fruit/vegetable arrivals.
He added: “When you’re making a specialised, natural product, a large city like Sheffield provides a big enough market. We’re keen to expand our customer base by supplying premium venues such as theatres and cafe bars – but there are more than enough commercial opportunities right here on our doorstep. And we’re proud to be continuing the city’s tradition of high quality manufacturing.”
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Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
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