Whether the dawn of a new year has tempted consumers towards Dry January, Veganuary or a more indulgent start to 2024, Speciality & Fine Food Fair has you covered with our top food & drink recommendations from artisan suppliers.  

In this guide, we've curated a selection of delectable products designed to delight customers no matter their diet, reflecting some of the amazing diversity and innovation across the fine food sector.  

Gin in a Tin 

The extremely British gin brand Gin in a Tin is on hand to please all comers this January, with a wide range of delicious and quirky flavours on offer plus a lovingly crafted non-alcoholic ‘Juniper Juice’ brand.  

As the name suggests, the gins come in unique tins with complex flavours including orange peel, nutmeg & allspice, beetroot, grannie smith apple & dill, pink pepper, cardamom & coffee and many more.  

The brand’s alcohol-free spirit is as lovingly crafted as its gins, with the team experimenting with 158 prototypes and more than 80 ingredients over the course of two years before settling on the recipe for the ultimate non-alcoholic botanical spirit, which doesn’t compromise on quality or flavour.  

Discover their full range at gininatin.co.uk. 

La Tua Pasta 

Ever popular artisan pasta brand La Tua Pasta is encouraging consumers to banish the January blues this new year with a delicious vegan range including Pumpkin & Sage Tortelloni with Vegan Sage Butter, Trofie with Vegan Genovese Pesto, and bright Beetroot Gnocchi & Vegan Pesto. 

La Tua Pasta’s range of fresh pasta can be found in selected delicatessen, farm shops, major retailers and Food Halls throughout the UK, find out more at latuapasta.com. 

Esphan 

For retailers seeking out new soft drinks and low & no alternatives this January, Esphan real Persian iced tea is a fantastic low-calorie option with flavours including lemon, peach, saffron and saffron & orange.  

Iced tea offers customers a refreshing, hydrating beverage option with a wide range of potential applications in mocktails mirroring the complexity of cocktails, ensuring a vibrant and enjoyable drinking experience for everyone, regardless of their alcohol choices. 

Learn more about Esphan at esphan.com. 

Lauden Chocolate  

Husband and wife duo Stephen and Sun Trigg launched Lauden Chocolate over 15 years ago after finding they were often dissatisfied with the chocolate they could find in their local chocolate shops. 

No matter how your customers are approaching the start of 2024, Lauden are on hand to provide decadent, painstakingly crafted chocolates, from Japanese Nikka Whisky chocolates to rich dark sea salted caramel and from classic milk chocolate to intense vegan chocolate truffles  

Check out their full selection at laudenchocolate.com. 

Whitebox Cocktails 

Martini anyone? For customers keeping it classy (and boozy) this January, Whitebox Cocktails are on hand with a range of single serve 100ml classic cocktails including Pocket Negroni, Prêt à Boire Boulevardier, Classic Cosmo, Freezer Martini, Chipper's Old Fashioned and Squeezy's Margarita. 

With quirky branding and pocket-sized products, Whitebox Cocktails are the perfect solution to the January blues and an ideal winter warmer.  

Find out more at whiteboxcocktails.com. 

The Cheshire Cheese Company 

For those still enjoying the delights of dairy this January, The Cheshire Cheese Company is on hand with a diverse range of products, from classic flavours like vintage mature cheddar and smoked red Leicester to more eccentric offerings including chilli & garlic cheddar cheese, chilli, lime & tequila cheddar cheese and spiced mango chutney and nigella seeds red Leicester.  

Committed to the independent retail market, The Cheshire Cheese Company works hard to maintain a premium brand with fair margins and supplies a wide range of farm shops, delis, garden centres, cheese shops and more.  

Learn more at cheshirecheesecompany.co.uk.  

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