Co-op store in Oakham launches new Carefully Crafted range featuring some of Rutland’s finest independent producers
The Oakham branch of Co-op is shining the spotlight on quality local producers by launching a new range featuring some of the best products Rutland has to offer.
The society has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting quality locally-sourced products with its new Carefully Crafted range at the Burley Road store, while also showcasing the wide array of artisan and homemade products produced by independent manufacturers.
Carefully Crafted features enhanced ranges of local products previously available in the Oakham store, as well as brand new ones from newly sourced suppliers, some of which are based within a short distance of the Oakham supermarket.
Among those featured are the award-winning Rutland Charcuterie Company, based in Braunston-in-Rutland and Vivia Crump’s chutneys, based just over a mile from the supermarket in Oakham.
Jennifer Hargrave, local buyer at Central England Co-op, said: “We are really proud of continuing our long tradition of working with local suppliers to give shoppers in Oakham a varied and distinctive range of quality locally-sourced products, highlighting some of the amazing products available right on their doorstep.
“From locally-produced ales and ciders, to delicious homemade cakes, pies and chutneys and so much more in between, the Carefully Crafted range makes a fantastic addition to our Oakham supermarket and highlights Central England Co-op’s point of difference as a community-focused retailer, supporting local manufacturing.”
The Rutland Charcuterie Company was founded in 2014 by former cabinet maker Nick Brake, who developed a passion for charcuterie – where meats are cured and air-dried – while living in the French Alps and after returning the UK, he saw an opportunity when he found out that 97 per cent of all charcuterie available in the UK was imported.
He said: “It’s been a mission of mine to educate people that British is great and you don’t have to import charcuterie. We specialise in making salamis and air-dried meats, all made with our three core values at their heart: Provenance, High Animal Welfare Standards and, of course, Great Taste.
“I’m so delighted to be selling my products in the Central England Co-op in Oakham – to be in our nearby store is a dream as local is what we are all about. We employ local people and use local meat. We hope customers taste our products and are moved to spread the word about local, British charcuterie.”
Vivia Crump’s range of chutneys were designed by Vivia to complement a wide variety of different foods, taking a quintessentially British classic and putting her own spin on it. All of her range is gluten-free, lactose-free, vegetarian and vegan friendly and free from palm oil.
She said: “I’m really happy to team up with Central England Co-op. They are a good fit with the way I like to do business when it comes to their ethics and concern for the environment.
“It is great to see them give shelf space to proper, locally made products and support local businesses. We are all concerned about minimising our carbon footprint and want to shop locally for local products and you can’t get much more local than us!”
Also included in the Carefully Crafted range will be ales and ciders from Oakham’s own Grainstore Brewery and a selection of meats and pies from Grasmere Farm in Market Deeping.
