‘After years where the emphasis has been on bland uniformity, far sighted companies are recognising a consumer hunger for personality, adventure and excitement. Here we examine this new spirit of individuality, and how one food lover is tapping into it to launch a tea range with a difference.’
Running counter to the idea that shoppers want perfection and consistency, there has been a surge in the popularity of vegetable box schemes (over 400,000 boxes of sometimes misshapen and muddy produce are delivered in the UK each week) and farmers’ markets (there are now over 550 in the UK). Likewise there are a growing number of online companies selling traditional breeds of meat, and it’s also being snapped up by key food trendsetters – chefs.
You may have noticed menus specifying Gloucester Old Spot’, ‘Middle White’, ‘Aberdeen Angus’ or ‘Longhorn’ rather than just ‘pork’ and ‘beef’. Even supermarkets are starting to realise the importance of provenance and variety: witness packs of pork chops bearing photographs of the farm from which they originate, the launch of ‘finer’ ranges extolling the pedigree of the ingredients involved, or cheese sections offering an impressive choice of farmhouse cheeses from around the country.
Read the full article as featured in ‘Making Life Richer’ article July’09, PDF: Chateau Rouge Tea – A change is brewing in food consumption trends
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