Duchy Originals Blog

The new face of British Organic food

We're delighted to be bringing you our new Duchy Originals from Waitrose range. Together, we share a belief in the value of British organic food, grown and produced sustainably. By choosing Duchy Originals from Waitrose, you can enjoy delicious, great-quality food and drink, while helping to preserve our food heritage and support British charities. We've worked hard to perfect our recipes and track down fantastic British products. As well as Duchy Originals favourites, you'll find specially selected Waitrose organic products in the range, plus lots of new lines. Tastes good From hearty soups to tangy chutneys, we've chosen the finest products made with high quality organic ingredients, using meat sourced with sound animal husbandry and high welfare standards. Is good All the products are made in the UK and we only source British meats and dairy products. We have also been working to reduce the amount of packaging on all the Duchy range. Does good We trade fairly with our suppliers and growers. And every product raises funds to support good causes. Read more about the Good Food Charter. Preserving our food heritage By encouraging British organic farming, we can help to preserve our heritage in the countryside. The range includes products based on traditional British recipes and uses the highest quality ingredients. Choosing British organic is now easier There are hundreds of tempting Duchy Originals From Waitrose products to enjoy, from everyday items such as milk, beef and tea to favourite treats such as scones, treacle tart and clotted cream fudge. We've carefully selected every item to make sure it follows the Duchy Originals Good Food Charter: tastes good, is good, does good. Some products are only available in our larger branches. All items are subject to availability.

Waitrose supports The Prince's Countryside Fund

Waitrose and other top business leaders have partnered with The Prince's Countryside Fund to support Britain's rural areas. The Prince's Countryside Fund, is a unique collaboration of businesses working together to secure a sustainable future for British agriculture and the wider rural economy, launched by HRH The Prince of Wales. The Prince's Countryside Fund is the brainchild of The Prince of Wales who has a long-held commitment to supporting Britain's hard pressed rural areas. The Fund is raising money from a wide range of businesses, including Waitrose who have responded to the Prince's call to action to improve the long-term viability of the British countryside and its rural communities. The intention is to inspire other businesses and the general public to get involved and recognise the importance of the countryside to the nation's well-being and the wider British economy. "The vision and commitment of The Prince of Wales has brought together in common cause this extraordinary alliance of food businesses. The Fund will be a lifeline for Britain's most vulnerable farmers and communities, helping them to secure a sustainable future for themselves," said Mark Price, Managing Director of Waitrose and Chairman of The Prince's Countryside Fund trustee board. The funding raised will be channelled into providing grants to projects, large and small, that are delivering the three core objectives of The Prince's Countryside Fund. These objectives focus on improving the sustainability of British farming and rural communities, targeting the areas of greatest need; reconnecting consumers with countryside issues; and supporting farming crisis charities through a dedicated emergency funding stream. Waitrose are proud to be one of the companies supporting the launch, as we already have a special connection to the British countryside through the products we make and sell. The Prince's Countryside Fund logo will feature on Waitrose own brand milk to communicate to our customers this commitment.

Charities to benefit as Duchy Originals joins forces with Waitrose

Duchy Originals has joined forces with Waitrose in an exciting and groundbreaking partnership which will cement its position as one of the country's leading organic and free-range food brands. The new licensing and distribution agreement - the first of its kind ever undertaken by Waitrose - will significantly increase the charitable donations made by Duchy Originals as Britain's fastest-growing supermarket invests in and develops the brand. The partnership gives Waitrose, Duchy Originals' largest and most long-standing client, the exclusive right to originate, manufacture, distribute and sell Duchy Originals products in the UK. Waitrose, whose aim is to expand the range from the current 200 products to around 500, will pay a royalty to Duchy Originals on all wholesale and retail sales. Both companies are confident that increased investment in the development of Duchy Originals will achieve sufficient sales growth over the next 10 years to generate a substantial increase in the royalties going to charity. To date, Duchy Originals has donated almost £7million to charitable causes throughout the UK and overseas. For customers, the partnership means that Duchy Originals products will continue to be sold in all 214 Waitrose branches throughout the country, with new lines being introduced from Spring 2010. Waitrose will also sell Duchy Originals products wholesale, enabling independent and family-run stores and restaurants to continue to stock and sell the brand. The Duchy Originals brand will continue to promote sustainability and organic produce. Andrew Baker, Chief Executive of Duchy Originals, said: ''This is a hugely important moment for Duchy Originals. This new partnership will take our pioneering company to the next level, accelerating the growth of the brand, and amplifying its voice as a champion of sustainably grown and produced food from the UK. ''Because of our constitution, and the fact that we are owned by a charity, Duchy Originals has never been able to build up reserves for investing in future growth. Instead, Duchy Originals has given all its profits to The Prince's Charities Foundation. This has been very successful, with almost £7million donated. But now is the time to make the next step and this agreement is the best way for us to realise our growth ambitions. This is a deal where everyone wins - it is good for Duchy Originals, good for Waitrose, good for our consumers and good for charity.'' Mark Price, Managing Director of Waitrose, said today: ''This is a match made in heaven, creating a partnership with a shared passion for quality food, sustainable farming, excellent relationships with suppliers and for charitable giving.'' ''Duchy Originals' products have always been firm favourites with our customers and we now have the opportunity to develop the range into the definitive premium, sustainable British food brand. ''Our plan is to make Waitrose a food democracy and today's announcement signals to customers that they can come to us for the most comprehensive everyday to gourmet food range in the UK'' Notes to Editors About Duchy Originals Duchy Originals Ltd was established by HRH The Prince of Wales in 1990 to promote organic food and farming and to help protect and sustain the countryside and wildlife. Today Duchy Originals is one of the UK's leading organic and sustainable food companies, producing a range of over 200 products from biscuits to preserves and gifts to garden seeds. All profits are donated - almost £7m so far - to The Prince's Charities Foundation. Duchy Originals supports a wide variety of projects from the environment, to health, arts and education. About Waitrose Waitrose has 214 branches across Britain, dedicated to offering quality, value and customer service. The retailer and its sister company, John Lewis, have taken the two top slots in the Which? Magazine Consumer Satisfaction Survey for the last four years and Waitrose has scooped more major wine awards than any other supermarket. Co-owned entirely by its 44,000 'Partners' , Waitrose combines the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop. Waitrose is dedicated to offering quality food that has been responsibly sourced, combined with high standards of customer service. For more information go to www.waitrose.com

Bring the summer to your table

Bring that quintessentially British taste of summer, Strawberries and Cream, to your table this weekend with our NEW Strawberries and Cream Yoghurt. Juicy organic strawberries have been blended into thick organic West Country Yoghurt to produce a yoghurt that is delicious on its own or spooned over crushed meringues with some strawberry slithers for a simple pudding. Our Strawberries and Cream Yoghurt is priced at 69p a pot and is available to buy in Waitrose and Budgens stores.

Golds for Duchy at Great Taste Awards

We're delighted to have been awarded seven gold awards at this year's Great Taste Awards! The following Duchy products were awarded gold: Duchy Originals Ale Duchy Originals Lemon Curd Duchy Originals Rosemary & Thyme Oaten Biscuits for Cheese Duchy Originals Black Pepper Wheaten Biscuits Duchy Originals Gooseberry Posset Duchy Originals Free Range Smoked Back Bacon Duchy Originals Free Range Oak Smoked Wafer Thin Ham

Do try and them and tell us what you think.

Strawberry-liscious!

Last week we went to Norfolk to help with the harvest of the organic strawberries destined for our organic strawberry preserve. It was a perfect English summer's day and the fields were full of the brightly jewelled Florence strawberries, known for their rich scent and bright velvety red flesh. We were kept busy and this picture shows Kirsty, a member of our marketing team, getting stuck in. Once the harvest of the strawberries is completed they will be taken to Somerset where they'll be gently cooked by hand to preserve their sweet juicy flavour and texture. The jam made from the strawberries we picked will be available in Waitrose from October and will I'm sure, laden on warm buttery crumpets, bring back a taste of our English summer.

Duchy Hog Roast - Special Offer!

Now is the time to gather friends and family for a traditional British Hog Roast with our special Hog Roast offer at Ocado. We're offering a discount of £1 off per kg on orders for our Duchy Originals Free Range Pork Shoulder placed before the 20th of July or till stocks last. Our succulent, sweet and tasty Free Range Pork Shoulder Joint is stuffed with a roasted shallot and sage stuffing and has everything you need to entertain a large gathering, including some bramley apple sauce! Simply follow the cooking guidelines provided on the pack, carve the joint, and serve with the delicious hot Bramley apple sauce and soft granary bread rolls. The Duchy Originals Free Range Pork Shoulder Joint is available exclusively through Ocado, click here to buy. All our pork comes from dedicated free range herds in Norfolk, where the animals are reared to spend their lives in open fields giving them the freedom to roam, root around and socialise in keeping with their natural instincts and behaviour.

Duchy Ham - Delicious!

Delicious Magazine has named our Organic Dry Cured Ham with Juniper Berries and Herbs as the 'Best Organic Ham' in this month's edition of the magazine. Our Organic Dry Cured Ham with Juniper Berries and Herbs (Waitrose, £3.39) is infused with rosemary and bay leaves and then roasted with heather honey. It is made using the finest organic pork leg meat and cured for four days before being cooked, for a rich and subtle flavour. Perfect on a piece of crusty fresh bread with some Duchy Originals Tomato Chutney. Animal welfare is core to Duchy Originals and so we make sure that all of our pigs live an outdoor life, with typically two to three times more space than intensive operations and far more pasture, allowing them to root and forage and display their natural behaviour. Our organic ham is made from Duchy pigs reared in Gloucestershire. We have a dedicated Duchy herd on the farm which means we can confidently trace our pork from farm to fork.

Bring a taste of Summer to your Meal

If you want to recreate a taste of summer in your kitchen, look no further than our NEW Duchy Originals Citrus Tortes (Waitrose, £3.99). These sunshine-infused miniature tortes contain zesty Sicilian lemon and freshly squeezed orange juice mixed to a mousse like texture with organic West Country Cream and placed on a bed of buttery baked biscuit crumbs. The tortes are topped with an orange glaze containing refreshing slithers of candied orange peel. The perfect way to end your meal on a light refreshing note. If you're out to impress, dress your plates with slithers of orange segments and fresh lemon and orange zest.

We've been stung!

As you may have seen in the news, a small number of our Duchy honeybees have been stolen. Our Duchy bees have a wonderful time buzzing around the pine forests of the Balmoral Estate, collecting the sweet nectar from the colourful wild heather which flowers there over the summer. The result is our delicious and distinctive Duchy Originals Heather Honey. While there may have been a run on our honey, we have plenty more bees who will buzz that much harder over the summer to make sure our honey is still available. Our honey is available from Sainsbury's and is priced £3.59. Click here to find out more about our honey. Contact us if you think you know where our stolen bees might currently be buzzing!