mr funny
21-04-07, 04:24
Published April 21, 2007
What's hot on gourmet shelves
Singaporeans' appetite for high-end foodstuff is growing and they don't seem to mind paying more for it. JAIME EE has the details
WHEN Graeme Pullen, manager of the Cellar Door Wholesale Foods, started selling marinated figs at the deli in Bukit Timah, he could not believe his eyes when they started flying off the shelves.
The Telegraph Hill figs, marinated in an orange and balsamic dressing, are plump figs soaked in a sweet-tangy orange and balsamic dressing which are great served with ice creams or with cheese. At $55 a kg, Mr Pullen says price is no deterrent for trendy foodies when it comes to upmarket gourmet products.
Local foodies' appetites for high end foodstuffs really started growing in the last 12 months, says Mr Pullen.
'The Cellar Door has been opened for eight years and sells imported gourmet foods and wines. When it originally opened, customers were mainly from the expatriate community, but today local customers make up over 50 per cent of the regular customer base and this number is growing.
'In the last two years, we have seen a huge uptake in the sales of wine as Asia moves to embrace the wine culture. But in the last 12 months, we have experienced double digit growth in imported gourmet foods, like marinated figs, olives, pastes and cheeses. There is also an increased popularity in entertaining at home and customers often come in asking for ideas on how to put together a cheese board or what wine to serve with what cheese.'
He adds: 'It's a very different market today than it was eight years ago - customers have more disposable income, have more sophisticated tastes, they are willing to be more adventurous.'
Over at Archangel, co-owner Edina Hong agrees that 'despite the kiasu culture, Singapore is a fairly affluent city with a lot of well-travelled people who are willing to pay for quality'.
So much so that they are willing to pay $56 for a small (150 gm) box of truffles by Gallar, a premium Belgian chocolate brand. This is in addition to the bottled French lemonade and biscuits that are the fastest selling items at the Great World City shop.
Concludes Mr Pullen, 'Along with the increased number of people entertaining at home there is also a growing sense of keeping-up-with-the-Wangs mentality. Brand conscious customers want to make sure they are serving their friends and neighbours top quality products - and they are prepared to pay for it.'
That said, we shopped around to find out what's hot on gourmet shelves now. Here's a quick shopping list:
TELEGRAPH HILL MARINATED FIGS
Available at Cellar Door,
611 Bukit Timah Road. Tel: 6469-7665
AT $55 per kilo (although they are sold in smaller packages) the high price comes from the fact that figs are not a cheap fruit. Totally different from dried figs, these plump, juicy morsels from New Zealand have been soaked in orange and balsamic oils for a unique flavour that's totally different from the more common dried variety.
KAPITI CHEESE
Available at Cellar Door
and Cold Storage
THIS New Zealand brand has been around for the past few years, but business started booming around six months ago and, as a result, so has the range of cheeses available here. The kikorangi makes a great introduction to blue cheese for those averse to the really strong versions - mild, creamy with just a slight pungence of blue cheese. New items include creamy havarti which is a buttery smooth trappist style cheese, kirima - a double cream camembert that has a slight hint of mushroom, and Port Nicholson - an orange washed rind cheese with a mild flavour.
PASTABILITIES
Available at Culina,
617 Bukit Timah Road. Tel: 6468-5255
THIS quirkily named Sydney-based pasta maker offers a wide range of home-made style frozen pasta and ravioli. Pick from ravioli stuffed with four cheeses, mushrooms or potato and roasted garlic. Or create your own pasta dish with their saffron angel hair pasta, squid ink linguini or parsley and shallot spaghetti. $25 per packet.
GALLER CHOCOLATES
Available at Archangel,
#03-32/33 Great World City.
Tel: 6836-4424
THIS boutique chocolate company was founded by Jean Galler, who was inspired to create his own line of chocolates after working in the family confectionery business that was founded by his grandfather in 1930. He apprenticed with Gaston Lenotre in Paris at the age of 16 and opened his own shop when he turned 21. Thirty years on, his chocolates have won countless awards but all chocoholics need to know is that his pralines simply melt in the mouth.
MILAWA AFFINE GOAT'S CHEESE
Available online at
www.redgum.com.sg
and selected gourmet shops
GOATS' cheese is growing in popularity despite its general pungence that tends to put off unadventurous cheese lovers. While European goat's cheese has always predominated, Australia and New Zealand are coming up the ranks as prime cheese producers. Milawa is a small-scale but highly acclaimed cheese maker in north-east Victoria and its owners specialise in producing Australian farmhouse cheese using traditional European methods.
PASTILLA NASH PRUNE and WALNUT LOG
Available online at www.redgum.com.sg
WITH cheese platters being the order of the day for domestic goddesses, here's another treat to go with your favourite brie. Organic prunes and walnuts are combined into a compact log that's easy to slice and serve.
PITANGO SOUPS
Soon to be available at Cold Storage
A RANGE of organic soups from New Zealand started by a former chef and his dancer wife. Exotic flavours include Thai pumpkin with lime leaves and rice, Moroccan chicken and Indian vegetable. Or go with the soup that launched the business - tomato and thyme. Made from organic ingredients with no preservatives.
What's hot on gourmet shelves
Singaporeans' appetite for high-end foodstuff is growing and they don't seem to mind paying more for it. JAIME EE has the details
WHEN Graeme Pullen, manager of the Cellar Door Wholesale Foods, started selling marinated figs at the deli in Bukit Timah, he could not believe his eyes when they started flying off the shelves.
The Telegraph Hill figs, marinated in an orange and balsamic dressing, are plump figs soaked in a sweet-tangy orange and balsamic dressing which are great served with ice creams or with cheese. At $55 a kg, Mr Pullen says price is no deterrent for trendy foodies when it comes to upmarket gourmet products.
Local foodies' appetites for high end foodstuffs really started growing in the last 12 months, says Mr Pullen.
'The Cellar Door has been opened for eight years and sells imported gourmet foods and wines. When it originally opened, customers were mainly from the expatriate community, but today local customers make up over 50 per cent of the regular customer base and this number is growing.
'In the last two years, we have seen a huge uptake in the sales of wine as Asia moves to embrace the wine culture. But in the last 12 months, we have experienced double digit growth in imported gourmet foods, like marinated figs, olives, pastes and cheeses. There is also an increased popularity in entertaining at home and customers often come in asking for ideas on how to put together a cheese board or what wine to serve with what cheese.'
He adds: 'It's a very different market today than it was eight years ago - customers have more disposable income, have more sophisticated tastes, they are willing to be more adventurous.'
Over at Archangel, co-owner Edina Hong agrees that 'despite the kiasu culture, Singapore is a fairly affluent city with a lot of well-travelled people who are willing to pay for quality'.
So much so that they are willing to pay $56 for a small (150 gm) box of truffles by Gallar, a premium Belgian chocolate brand. This is in addition to the bottled French lemonade and biscuits that are the fastest selling items at the Great World City shop.
Concludes Mr Pullen, 'Along with the increased number of people entertaining at home there is also a growing sense of keeping-up-with-the-Wangs mentality. Brand conscious customers want to make sure they are serving their friends and neighbours top quality products - and they are prepared to pay for it.'
That said, we shopped around to find out what's hot on gourmet shelves now. Here's a quick shopping list:
TELEGRAPH HILL MARINATED FIGS
Available at Cellar Door,
611 Bukit Timah Road. Tel: 6469-7665
AT $55 per kilo (although they are sold in smaller packages) the high price comes from the fact that figs are not a cheap fruit. Totally different from dried figs, these plump, juicy morsels from New Zealand have been soaked in orange and balsamic oils for a unique flavour that's totally different from the more common dried variety.
KAPITI CHEESE
Available at Cellar Door
and Cold Storage
THIS New Zealand brand has been around for the past few years, but business started booming around six months ago and, as a result, so has the range of cheeses available here. The kikorangi makes a great introduction to blue cheese for those averse to the really strong versions - mild, creamy with just a slight pungence of blue cheese. New items include creamy havarti which is a buttery smooth trappist style cheese, kirima - a double cream camembert that has a slight hint of mushroom, and Port Nicholson - an orange washed rind cheese with a mild flavour.
PASTABILITIES
Available at Culina,
617 Bukit Timah Road. Tel: 6468-5255
THIS quirkily named Sydney-based pasta maker offers a wide range of home-made style frozen pasta and ravioli. Pick from ravioli stuffed with four cheeses, mushrooms or potato and roasted garlic. Or create your own pasta dish with their saffron angel hair pasta, squid ink linguini or parsley and shallot spaghetti. $25 per packet.
GALLER CHOCOLATES
Available at Archangel,
#03-32/33 Great World City.
Tel: 6836-4424
THIS boutique chocolate company was founded by Jean Galler, who was inspired to create his own line of chocolates after working in the family confectionery business that was founded by his grandfather in 1930. He apprenticed with Gaston Lenotre in Paris at the age of 16 and opened his own shop when he turned 21. Thirty years on, his chocolates have won countless awards but all chocoholics need to know is that his pralines simply melt in the mouth.
MILAWA AFFINE GOAT'S CHEESE
Available online at
www.redgum.com.sg
and selected gourmet shops
GOATS' cheese is growing in popularity despite its general pungence that tends to put off unadventurous cheese lovers. While European goat's cheese has always predominated, Australia and New Zealand are coming up the ranks as prime cheese producers. Milawa is a small-scale but highly acclaimed cheese maker in north-east Victoria and its owners specialise in producing Australian farmhouse cheese using traditional European methods.
PASTILLA NASH PRUNE and WALNUT LOG
Available online at www.redgum.com.sg
WITH cheese platters being the order of the day for domestic goddesses, here's another treat to go with your favourite brie. Organic prunes and walnuts are combined into a compact log that's easy to slice and serve.
PITANGO SOUPS
Soon to be available at Cold Storage
A RANGE of organic soups from New Zealand started by a former chef and his dancer wife. Exotic flavours include Thai pumpkin with lime leaves and rice, Moroccan chicken and Indian vegetable. Or go with the soup that launched the business - tomato and thyme. Made from organic ingredients with no preservatives.