Ingredient Supply
There are 4 parameters we look for when sourcing ingredients:
Quality - taste, texture, freshness.
Supplier - reputability, labour practices, duration of business experience, organic practices & certifications.
Price - we try and find competitive prices; this is always important!
Location - as close to home as possible.
We'd like to introduce you to three of our suppliers; please read below to find out more about Halen Môn, Fatima and Roux Foods.
HALEN MÔN
Widely regarded as the finest sea salt in the world, Halen Môn sea salt is hand-harvested in Anglesey, North Wales, by David and Angela Lea-Wilson and their team. Previously, up until 2023, we used pink Himalayan salt for our butters but turned to sea salt (the best sea salt) having met Angela at Abergavenny Food Festival in 2022. Ultimately, the taste and sustainability credentials of the brand (which were recognised in 2017 with their Queen's Award for Enterprise) swayed us and we switched to Halen Môn's sea salt for batch 28!
Halen Môn's sea salt is an authentic, Great Taste award-winning product with Protected Designation of Origin status. We're proud to use this sea salt in our nut butters.
FATIMA
Fatima Imports & Exports Ltd. work with Indian cashew nut supplier Zantye Cashew Nuts, a responsible grower and employer based in the beautiful region of Goa.
Goa is the only place in the world where every nut is handpicked from the cashew fruit. Harvesting takes place only when the fruit has fully ripened and naturally fallen to the ground, thus enhancing the taste of the nuts. This contrasts with harvesting practices in other Indian states, where the fruit is often picked prematurely and sun-drying is required to obtain the nut.
The grass on the cashew farms, which is grown naturally during the rainy season, is often used for cattle grazing. Milk dairies are often set within cashew farms and the composed cattle dung is used as an organic manure for the cashew trees.
Zantye Cashew Nuts have been exporting 100% organic cashew nuts since 1928 and have set up 4 processing units across Goa and Maharashtra. They are currently leading the cashew processing industry in Goa, selling quality Goan cashew across India through numerous outlets and e-commerce. Due to their ethical practices, Zantye have successfully undergone audit for SEDEX certification. Over 250 farmers in the region are paid a premium for the raw & handpicked cashews, as price rates are controlled and regulated by the state government. Furthermore, Zantye Cashew Nuts’ processing units have generated around 300 employment opportunities in the town of Bicholim, Goa. Around 90% of their employees are women.
Factory employees at Zantye work on a daily contract or permanent basis. They are paid in the range of £8 per day, which is well above the minimum wage as per standard of living in the Bicholim area.
The employees are also entitled to additional benefits, such as festival bonuses and flexible working hours. Employees working on the processing plants are provided with appropriate personal protective equipment to protect against injury and minimise occupational hazards.