Main picture credit: Rubies in the Rubble Ketchup
Sea Salt
Halen Mon
Anglesey-based, Halen Mon is the brainchild of couple David and Alison Lea-Wilson. After running an oyster farm as well as, improbably, Wales’ largest aquarium, they decided to turn their watery passions to another briny venture on the island: sea salt. Known for the quality of the sea water off the Crown-owned coastline, the salt produced is some of the purest in the UK. You can buy it unadulterated, fresh from the sea to sprinkle on your chips; oak smoked in their own in-house smokery – or how about added to caramel for a toothsome topping to your pud? There’s even a Halen Mon gin with, you guessed it – a pinch of sea salt. And they don’t just stop at seasoning: the black garlic ketchup is amazing in a sausage bap, while their gherkin relish has become an essential burger ingredient in our taste-tester’s household.
Ketchup
Rubies in the Rubble
The creation of ex-financier, Jenny Costa, Rubies in the Rubble ketchups and condiments were created to tackle the huge fruit and veg wastage problem in the UK. Since launch it has saved 126,000 of lumpy, misshapen (but otherwise delicious) ingredients from the compost heap. Instead, they have been transformed into tasty relishes and sauces; the classic tomato ketchup beats any big-name brand and has twice the fruit and half the sugar. Not only that; each bottle off-sets 627g CO2 emissions, too.
Kimchi
Yumchi
Lily Hirasawa, aka the ‘Kimchi Queen’ is using her family’s recipe to soothe the guts and pep up the palettes of east Londoners, one jar of fermented vegetables at a time. Leiths-trained, Lily combines the age-old wisdom of kim-jiang – the art of kimchi making that has passed through her female relatives in North and Southern Korea – with fun, modern branding and a focus on zero-food waste, plant-based recipes.
Jams
Single Variety Co.
As the name suggests, the Single Variety Co. focuses on single ingredients in its preserves and jams. And with no need for adulteration, the natural ingredients are left to sing. They focus on small-batch production with heritage, using specialist varieties of fruits and vegetables. As such, they have won a cabinet full of awards, most particularly for their chilli and jalapeño jams. Why not try a four-pack selection and see who can stand the heat in your kitchen?
BBQ Sauce
Dr. Will’s BBQ Sauce
Using only naturally occurring sugars, wholefoods (it was founded by a doctor after all) and sustainably sourced ingredient, you can forget the sugary sludge that may spring to mind when you think BBQ Sauce. Expect instead beautiful smoky flavours and a gorgeously balanced tang. The beetroot ketchup is a great earthy twist on the classic tomato, too.
Wasabi
The Wasabi Company
The only commercial growers of wasabi in the UK, Hampshire-based The Wasabi Company use their fiery roots to create a range of tongue-tingling condiments. Based in what was originally a watercress farm since the 1850s, it later turned its hand to the Japanese native plant, which is notoriously hard to grow in Europe. Yet where others failed, The Wasabi Company succeeded thanks to its pure, natural spring water source. Now supplying top chefs across the UK, you can purchase fresh roots directly for your own recipes, or try their ‘ready to devour’ range of mustards, mayonnaises, vinegars and even vodka.
Bacon Jam
Eat 17 Bacon Jam
Is it a jam, a spread or a relish? Who knows, but the smoky bacon/onion jam hybrid that Eat 17 has concocted is just a little bit genius and a lot delicious. Spread it in your sarnies, top your burger with a dollop, it’s incredible under cheese on a toastie, the list goes on. There’s even a chorizo jam version, if you’re looking for something with a little kick.
By Lydia Mansi
December 2020
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