Supplier Spotlight - Belazu - Interview with Account Executive Jonathan Penny
For this month’s Supplier Spotlight we shine the light on a company supplying stunning goods from the Mediterranean and Middle East; Belazu
Balazu Balsamic Onions
Jonathan Penny, Account Executive, was kind enough to take some time out of his very busy schedule to answer a few questions for us.
How long have you been supplying Houston & Hawkes?
We’ve been supplying Houston & Hawkes sites now for about 6 months but go back with some of the chefs much longer. It’s brilliant to see familiar faces rejuvenating the industry as part of a new company.
What would you say is the Belazu ethos?
People. Product. Planet.
We’re all about the people we work with and the people we serve. From holding strong supplier relationships through decades of change to doing the absolute best we can to support our chefs, our work is defined by the people it involves.
In equal stead comes product and planet, without which none of this is possible. We hold ourselves to very high standards of product quality and innovation, all the while doing everything that we can to protect the Earth the provides all this.
What was your biggest challenge over the pandemic?
As we never stopped production, the biggest and most important challenge for us was keeping our staff safe. On top of this, as much as we could, we wanted to make sure we could help our customers stay afloat in any way possible. It was important for our customers to know that they aren’t just our customers, and that our relationship with them does not weaken when faced with a crisis, such as the pandemic.
How important to you is the relationship between supplier and client?
It is everything to us to not only have a relationship between supplier and client, but to keep building on it and making it as close as it can be. We have supplier relationships that go back to the 90s that we would never want to lose.
Would you say that client-supplier relationships have changed since the pandemic recovery?
Yes, absolutely. Events of the past few years have had a dramatic effect on kitchens, and chefs are having to manage the post-pandemic demand in new and exciting ways. Suppliers need to pivot to support them.
For instance, a chef-shortage leaves kitchens in need of ready-to-go quality and consistency. Belazu have adjusted, launching 3 new antipasti lines, freeing time in the kitchen without compromising on quality. Additionally, B+I caterers are tasked with ‘wowing’ a nation back into the office. Product innovation can play a key role in aiding creativity to help achieve such objectives. Secure client-supplier relationships have never been more important. Thankfully, our client-supplier relationships are stronger, more versatile, are more resilient than ever.
What are your best-selling products this time of year?
People enjoy warming foods this time of year, and our pastes are ideal for stews, curries, marinades, or tagines, for example. They also work incredibly well stirred through grains alongside our antipasti which offer a heartier healthy salad option.
What’s new at Belazu?
We recently became accredited as a B-Corp brand, meaning we have been recognised for our efforts to push sustainability. This is great news, as being part of the B-Corp community will give us the tools and support to push forward innovative projects and be part of a move towards sustainability goals with likeminded people and businesses around us.
We have also recently launched Ve-Du-Ya, which is our vegan ‘nduja paste. With the rising popularity of ‘nduja, we saw an opportunity to bring this to the plant-based diet, and our innovation team developed this recipe until it was the perfect substitute for the classic ‘nduja in terms of flavour and characteristics such as its melting qualities.
What do you think will be the upcoming food trends as we head into the Summer?
We’re seeing a growing interest for the regionalization of ingredients, encouraging transparency in supply chains and certainty in product quality. Also, we see fresh influences float in from across the Mediterranean. In London, ex-Ottolenghi chef Esra Muslu has opened Zahter, a revitalization of the London food scene using vibrant Turkish cooking. Enthusiasm for pushing further east in search of flavour follows on from the ever popular ‘cooking over flames’, which itself continues to thrive. Upcoming trends are also expected to respond to recent changes in the industry. Staff-shortages, for example, are generating greater demand for time saving products capable of taking the hassle out of the kitchen.
What's your personal favourite product from Belazu?
It’s got to be the Apricot Harissa. We’ve taken a Belazu classic, our Rose Harissa, and worked in apricots and Ras el hanout. Apricot sweetness and a jammy mouthfeel is offset by a developing heat, both bridged by a vibrant and flavoursome Ras el hanout. As a go-to for adding ‘Zing’ to pretty much any meal (yes, even my morning eggs), I’m never without some.
Those morning eggs sound pretty good to us.
Thank you, Jonathan.