SF-June-20

30 @specialityfood Editor Holly Shackleton, 01206 505981 holly.shackleton@aceville.co.uk Deputy Editor Lucy Macdonald, 01206 505971 lucy.macdonald@aceville.co.uk Group Editor Charlotte Smith charlotte.smith@aceville.co.uk Group Advertising Manager Sam Reubin 01206 505936 sam.reubin@aceville.co.uk Advertising Manager Jessica Stevenson 01206 505901 jessica.stevenson@aceville.co.uk Accounts Sue Carr 01206 505903 Art Director Lee Whiteford lwhiteford@btconnect.com Publisher Helen Tudor 01206 505970 Published by Aceville Publications Ltd, 21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8JY Next issue available: July/August 2020 Subscriptions 01293 312188 specialityfood@subscriptionhelpline.co.uk BAR rate UK £29.25. Overseas £40.00 Tel. 01778 392464 5 MINUTES WITH… NATASHA BOWES, FOUNDER OF BIOTIFUL F or those who work within the fine food and drink industry, the impact the Coronavirus pandemic has had on our sector – among many others –may have come as a shock, but what won’t be surprising is the initiative, creativity and spirit of collaboration which have emanated fromwithin our ranks. The ‘unsung heroes’ hard at work every day to feed the nation are being appreciated by politicians and consumers around the UK, but the spirit within our sector is something which is at present perhaps only seen by the people who work in it. I’ve been buoyed to see collaboration – already a popular endeavour within food and drink – taken to new levels during the past two months. Independent retailers have worked with producers local and not-so-local to produce hampers to celebrate and support the local food ecosystem; websites have been launched within days to allow customers to purchase much-needed resources and to support producers who may have lost their primary route to market; retailers and foodservice businesses have performed impressively swift about-turns, adapting their offering to suit the changing needs of the shopper and industry. We may be sorely missing one of our most valuable methods of face- to-face communication within our industry, as trade events throughout the year are postponed until safer times, but we have all stepped up to communicate and collaborate nevertheless, and I feel confident that when we are all able to meet in person again we will relish the opportunity more than ever – and have more to catch up on than ever. Personally, I have seen a number of businesses withinmy orbit take the decision to close down completely. Some of these decisions were taken just a week or so after the pandemic hit our shores and so I dearly hope that they will be using this time to take stock and rethink their business approach, just as so many others in our industry have done. It’s the patchwork of personalities, passions and creativity that make the fine food and drink industry such a wonderful sphere to work within, and I for one hope that the outbreak of Covid-19 won’t put an end to that. I’m sure it won’t. In fact, thanks to the creative thinking of individuals and businesses around us we could be soon welcoming a new era of appreciation for what we all do and what makes us great. Until then, stay safe. We always want to hear the opinions of our readers – do you have a story to share, expertise to pass on or a comment to make? Please do get in touch with us via holly.shackleton@aceville.co.uk . TALKING SHOP specialityfoodmagazine linkedin.com/company/ speciality-food AND YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE? Every Sunday, catching up on my emails. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LAST SUPPER? I would not be thinking about food then! WHAT’S YOUR MOTTO? Balance, and respect others. WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING YOU’VE EVER EATEN? I am a safe eater. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK? Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. SWEET OR SAVOURY? Savoury. BE CONNECTED Follow us on social media for the latest news and views from Speciality Food @SpecialityFood WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WEREN’T IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY? Either running a food tech business or a kids protection focused charity. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? First proper one – KPMG Corporate Finance in Moscow. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? People who are great at what they do. WHAT’S THE WORST JOB YOU’VE DONE? None. TEA OR COFFEE? Jasmine tea. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB? Making a great product that people enjoy and that does good for them.