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Producer of the Month: Sea Sisters

Very minimal introduction needed here as their interview says it all… we might have a crush on Charlotte and Angus, the duo behind Sea Sisters and the East London Canning Co.

SeaSisters is a lockdown creation! How did the idea first strike you?

Before having children we set off in a transit van (kitted out with a bed) down the west coast of France to the Basque region of Spain and then through the midi Pyrenees to Italy. As young loves on a shoestring budget we lived off a lot of tinned fish. We loved the Pintxos eateries of San Sebastián and the simplicity of seasonal food. We shopped solely in markets and local delis and dreamed of our own restaurant one day. When the pandemic hit and the hospitality industry was under threat, we decided it was time to shift gears. Our dream of having our own range of British tinned fish started its journey. More than a year of trials and recipe testing and we launched before Christmas in 2021- the only people canning fish in England.

Tell us a bit about canning culture at the time you started

We did a lot of research about canning but essentially we have learned everything we now know ourselves through trial and error. With each new line of tinned fish comes new skills and experience.

The canning industry is quite secret with each cannery having their own methods and trade secrets- just like us. We have been lucky to work with some brilliant food scientists and thermal processing experts to deliver a range of products we are proud of.

Canning fish in Europe is a huge part of its culture and there are many canneries in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and throughout Scandinavia etc.

We hadn’t considered the lack of fish canneries here in the UK or questioned before where our tinned fish came from. But that piece is now very important to us. We want to know that the tinned fish we are eating comes from ethical and responsible sources. Our brand tells the story of tinned fish. We know where all our fish comes from, we only preserve in season and we use methods that have the least impact on the environment. Our queenies of examples are gathered using sail and oar power.

You work closely with other excellent small producers, tell us about a few?

We love to support producers who also believe in sustainable and regenerative methods. The Real Cure in Dorset is an excellent charcuterie producer making some of the best charcuterie the UK has to offer. Including their award winning ‘nduja which we use with our mussels.

The Somerset Cider Brandy Company in Burrow Hill are fantastic traditional cider and oak-aged cider vinegar producers. We’ve been drinking the fruits of their labour for years and are looking forward to buying a pint at Glastonbury festival next week.

A huge amount of work goes into making a quality product. We enjoy working with people who have a love and passion for not only making something delicious but doing it the right way, which is often the harder way.

Favourite recipe using canned fish?

Our cans of pollock and smoked trout are perfect with eggs so we serve them for breakfast a lot.

We have two lines of cuttlefish. These tins are great served warmed up and stirred through steamed rice with a quick aioli and a squeeze of lemon.

Components for a perfect picnic?

All of our tins are perfect for a picnic. Crusty bread or crackers with crudités and pickles make a delicious picnic accompanied with a glass of wine.

SeaSisters itinerary for a great day out in East London

We named our brand after our two young daughters. If you’ve got children like we do east London is great for children. Daubeny Fields is right by our house and has an adventure play, a playground with sandpit and a skate park. It’s right on the canal so you can walk up the water to Hackney Marshes. The Chatsworth Road food markets on Sundays are great for lunch and we head to the Chesham Arms for a pint. You can order Yard Sale Pizza at the pub-which has a beer garden.

Find Sea Sisters inside Panzer’s near our condiment section or order online.

Bettina’s Chocolate Chip & Orange Pancakes

We love how world-renowned chef, wellness guru and social media star Bettina Campolucci Bordi communicates about food. Through her cookbooks, beautiful recipes & videos, retreats and more, her goal is to make eating more sustainably more accessible (and delicious!) for all. We set her loose in Panzer’s one day and she created two stunning recipes from our shelves. The first below. Find loads more @bettinas_kitchen and her website here.

Chocolate Chip and Orange Pancakes Recipe

These fluffy pancakes are such a treat! A showcase of the incredible produce from Panzer’s, along with some great secret ingredients that take them to the next level. Hello, Tahini halva! And the pistachio whip is incredible as a pairing.

Makes 8 medium sized pancakes

Ingredients/

Coconut oil for frying (or butter)
215 grams of self raising flour
265 grams of plant milk
1 tbsp of maple syrup
2 tbsp of sweet halva paste
Orange zest from (1 orange)
Handful of chocolate chips

Whipped Pistachio & Coconut Yogurt/

1/2 packet of coyo vanilla yogurt
3 tbs of pistachio butter
Pine berries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Maple syrup for toppings

Mix all your pancake batter ingredients together (except the chocolate chips) in a big bowl. Add the orange zest and chocolate chips and stir into the batter.

In a non-stick medium sized pan, add butter or coconut oil and ladle in two to three pancakes at a time. Wait until bubbles have formed at the top and then gently flip to the other side and cook for another few minutes. Stack the pancakes up until all the batter has been used.

Quickly ladle the pistachio butter into the coconut yogurt and whip until well combined. Serve the pancakes, top with pistachio whip, maple syrup and berries!

Producer of the Month: Julienne Bruno

Our team was bowled over when they tried Julienne Bruno’s vegan cheeses. We spoke to founder Axel Katalan to get the inside story behind the newest products in our dairy fridges.

How was the idea for Julienne Bruno born?

Growing up in a Spanish/Turkish household, food was at the heart of every special moment. I wanted products that catered for the foodie palette, and didn’t just create another “ok” product for the sake of it being plant-based. I sought out an idol of mine, Alan Yau and joined his team to learn how a genius of the industry approaches taste, design, branding and everything in between. Fast forward 5 years, we’ve built our first kitchen and a community of early supporters through our collection 01.

Tell us a bit about the team behind the brand – how did you come together?

We are a small team. At the core is myself, and Chi San (our Director of Food) who brings 30 years of gastronomy experience along with our board advisor Alan Yau (Wagamama, Hakkasan and more). We also have a fantastic Head of Product, but their identity will be revealed as a surprise a little further down the road.

Your food is about “seduction, not persuasion…” tell us why

I’ve learned a valuable lesson: If I create a super appetising recipe, that is 100% vegan, and I present it to my friends and family in the light of “here, have a go” – the chances of winning them over and getting them to eat it, even if it’s once a week, are increased. As a brand, I think we can really excel by creating indulgently appetising products/recipes/dishes that inspire even the most carnivorous to go “oh that looks really nice, let me give it a try”. One bite is all it takes; the rest is history.

Its like choosing a favourite child… but your favourite product and how you like to eat it?

Ha! Perfectly said… I love all our products, but if I had to choose one, I’d say our Burrella. We recently placed the creamy Burrella on top of a bed of black olive tapenade along with some rich kalamata olives, and fried fresh oregano. I should make that again today.

Where is one of your favourite places to eat right now?

My Neighbours the Dumplings in Hackney. They have an amazing range of veggie options, the food is always made to order, beautifully designed and good energy overall.

You can find Julienne Bruno’s selection in our dairy fridges in store.

Homemade Gazpacho Recipe

The ideal soup to celebrate the start of tomato season… and its vegan! A perfectly chilled recipe to prepare ahead of time before serving to guests. Make sure you indulge when garnishing.

800 g English ripe tomatoes

1 Red pepper

1 Green pepper

1/2 Garlic clove

2 Cucumbers

70 g Panzer’s Olive oil

15 g Jerez vinegar or cider vinegar

15 g Smoked Maldon salt

Pinch of ground Black pepper

Method:

Rinse all veg with cold running water and chop into 3 cm cubes.

Combine with all liquid ingredients and blitz in a blender until smooth. Pass through a sieve for an even smoother texture.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Serve chilled and garnish with grated hard-boiled eggs, diced vegetables (cucumbers, tomato, red onion), extra drizzles of olive oil and slices of serrano ham or prosciutto.

ENJOY!!!

June’s Best Seasonal Produce

Only abundance for the next few months and June features some of our favourites!

Fennel

This funny little herb (an herb that has essentially gained vegetable status) packs a serious punch in the nutrition department, full of fibre and potassium. They are great thinly sliced and tossed in a salad for extra crunch with green apples, good olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and freshly grated parmesan. Also delicious caramelised in a pan alongside a roast chicken.

Find them in our online shop here.

Strawberries

Its officially British summertime when strawberries come into season. Up until the 16^th century, there was only one variety of strawberry in England – the Alpine (and the Tudors were nervous to eat any fruit raw). But now there are loads to try: the early ripening & sweet Rosie, the long & delicate Gariguette, the popular for home gardening Cambridge, the hardy Hapil and appropriately for this year of Jubilee celebrations: the small but aromatic Royal Sovereign.
Find them in our online shop here.

Courgette flowers

These delicacies make a brief but beautiful appearance that epitomises Italian summertime. We love Chef Dominic Chapman’s recipe for stuffed flowers with ricotta, sultanas and pine nuts. Tom Hunt also has an excellent and easy to find recipe for squash and courgette blossom tofu fritters, served with yogurt or tzatziki.

Find them in our online shop here.

Also in season: Alphonso Mangoes*, Asparagus, Basil, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Courgette, Elderflower, Fennel, Gooseberries, Nectarines, Mangetout, Melon, New Potatoes, Raspberries, Runner Beans, Samphire, Strawberries, Swiss Chard, Turnips

*import

Inside our Jubilee Street Party

WHAT. A. PARTY.

Thank you to everyone who came to join us (from near and far!) for our Platinum Jubilee Street Party on June 4th, just as the sun came back out for a magical afternoon. To our amazing chefs and hardworking team, a GIANT thank you for serving up bowls of pesto pasta with fresh cherry tomatoes in a giant Parmesan wheel, loaded hot dogs, mini bagels with smoked salmon & cream cheese, aranchini (3,000 of them!), homemade gaspacho, our famous chicken drumsticks, Pimm’s and so much more. Thank you to the one and only Simply Grey for keeping the crowds boppin’.

We’re so grateful for the Panzer’s community and for all your smiles, laughter and kind words. Thank you for joining us.

For a video of the day’s festivities, please click here.

Producer of the Month: Brickell’s Ice Cream

We’re firm believers in eating ice cream all year round, especially when it’s as delicious as Somerset based Brickell’s! We caught up with founder Rob Gore to talk to him about all things cold & creamy.

When did your calling for ice cream first begin?

My brother and I always discussed ice cream as a potential business to use the great Westcombe Dairy milk from the family farm. It wasn’t until I saw what was going on with the craft ice cream scene in the US that I got excited about doing it. There aren’t many people doing craft ice cream this way in the UK and it fits in with the same ethos of what we already had going with cheese: focusing on traditional production and quality.

Craft production is at the heart of your business, why?

For us, its the only way to make interesting ice cream. The whole industry has been geared towards low price and ease of production whereas on the craft side of things have been completely minimised. If you’re just buying flavourings from a flavour house and stirring it into an ice cream base and freezing, then there is no real skill to what you’re doing. Freeing yourself from the flavour houses, and making everything from scratch forces you to learn how to formulate ice cream recipes, which enables you to make whatever flavour you want, not what’s on offer.

It is like choosing a favourite child… but if you had to pick a favourite flavour?

Anything chocolate! Always been my go to from a young age. I really like sharp fruit flavours too but they are a challenge to get the flavour through. We are working on a seasonal summer special which will hopefully hit the brief.

Favourite places to visit in Somerset?

Glastonbury town is a great day out. The town is wacky and the views from the Tor across the levels are fantastic. Stourhead house and gardens are stunning, one of my favourite places. Of a similar, slightly more polished ilk, the Newt is a lovely place to walk around and have a cider, as is Hauser & Wirth gallery and garden in Bruton for a bit of culture. We have Bath and Bristol down the road too.

Best Somerset eateries?

So many great places opening up on our doorstep. 2 favourites from down the road in Bruton are Matts Kitchen and the Old Pharmacy (sister to Osip next door which is also great, but more of a Michelin star special occasion). Pub wise, I love the Talbot Inn in Mells and The Bradley Hare where we supply to. On the list to try are 28 Market Place (Somerton) and Landrace Upstairs (Bath).

You can find the latest flavours of Brickell’s Ice Cream in store in our dessert freezer.

Celebrating 100 Years of Burrata

The year is 1922. At a dinner in Paris, the stars of the Modernist movement Sergei Diaghilev, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Proust, James Joyce, Erik Satie and Clive Bell dine together in Paris at The Majestic Hotel – the only time they would all meet together. Centre Court at Wimbledon is opened by King George V. The inventor of the modern telephone Alexander Graham Bell passes away. And in Apulia, one hundred years ago, legend has it that a local cheesemaker Lorenzo Bianchino Chieppa invents burrata.

The world’s favourite cheese was created as a clever use for leftovers from the mozzarella making process while also keeping cheese fresh in the days before refrigeration. Leftover strips of stretched curd were placed in a pouch of mozzarella (made by blowing warm, fresh mozzarella to make a balloon) and topped up with the cream that formed on top of that morning’s milking. The cream acted as a preservative to prevent the mozzarella strips turning acidic. The pouch was dipped in brine to toughen the outer layer before being wrapped in asphodel leaves to keep the burrata moist and fresh. As long as the leaves were green, the cheese inside remained fresh.

It remained a local delicacy until the 1950s when larger Italian cheese production factories caught wind. Yet it is still considered a gourmet cheese to this day, thanks to its complex production process and short shelf-life. Grab a bunch of fresh basil, prosciutto crudo, your favourite olive oil and a loaf of crusty bread… and celebrate 100 years of this glorious cheese.

Find it fresh in store.

May’s Best Seasonal Produce

Things start to get colourful this month ~ some wonderful favourites come into season.

Alphonso mangos

If a single mango could reach perfection, this Indian variety would be it and its season starts in May. Softer and juicier than the reddish green Tommy Atkins mangoes you’ll find more readily in supermarkets, these are less stringy in texture and easier to peel away from the skin. We look forward to them without fail every year. Find them here.

Apricots

We’ll see the start of French apricot season at the end of May. Early varieties like the Early Blush and Tom Cot will arrive first, followed by the delicate Rouge de Rousillon and Kioto as we move into summer and ending with late season sweet Orangé de Provence, Bergarouge and Bergeron in August. We’ll be making Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh’s apricot and amaretto cheesecake. Find them here.

Carrots

English carrots are coming in! We’ll have Baby, Rainbow, Purple, Yellow, Chantenay and mixed bunches. Look for recipes to eat them steamed so they keep their antioxidents and other nutrients. We also love them roasted with za’atar and drizzled with a zesty yoghurt. Find them here. Find them here.

Also in season: Asparagus, Elderflower, French beans, Globe Artichoke, Lamb’s Lettuce, Melon, Nectarines, Peas, Radish

Swedish Grubbröra Recipe

This is one of our favourite ways to eat asparagus as the English season comes in. The recipe combines the best of Swedish and English ingredients together, for an irresistible combination.

“Gubbröra” translates roughly from Swedish to “Old Man’s Mess”, an appetizer commonly served on Smörgåsbord at Christmas and Easter but you can find it all year round. We’ve used Swedish “Matjessill” (herring) but you can also use Swedish anchovies or “Ansjovis”. These are very different from Mediterranean anchovies, usually European sprats (a small oily fish often mistaken for baby sardines).

Grubbröra

Serves 3-4 people

4 hard boiled eggs (boil eggs for 10 mins)

200 g chopped soused herring (discard from the pickled liquid)

1 large red onion (finely chopped)

20 g chopped chives

20 g chopped tarragon

150 g mayo

150 g creme fraiche

1 tsp of dijon mustard

1 bunch of English asparagus

20 g capers

3 g salt

3 gr ground black pepper

Slices of toasted sourdough bread to serve

Method:

Combine all the ingredients apart from asparagus and capers in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Boil the asparagus for 2 mins, take out and cool down in an ice bath.

Heat olive oil in a large pan and fry the asparagus for 3-4 mins, add the capers and cook for 30 seconds. Serve on toasted sourdough bread.

ENJOY!

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