Interview with Sam Nundy, Regional Buyer for the East of England
Sam Nundy, 30, is one of five Tesco regional buyers throughout the UK. His area is the East of England.
"Whether I'm in the carrot fields on a tractor, or looking at sausages in a freezer, I'm out meeting producers most of the time. They can't come to me because often they're two-man – even one-man – bands and if they're not there, no work gets done."
Getting down to earth
"I grew up on a farm in Boston, on the south-east coast of Lincolnshire, and I feel so privileged to be able to champion local produce in an area I know and love. East Anglia is pretty much the biggest food-producing area in the UK. It includes the Fenlands, where the silty soil is the best there is for growing brassicas (cabbages, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts). In Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, the soil is more peaty and just the thing for root veg. Whereas, in the coastal areas, there's a thriving fish economy, including Colchester oysters and, of course, crabs from Cromer."
Big brands, local heroes
"If customers ask for something, we do our best to provide it. People love to see what grows in the fields appearing in their local store. Everyone is concerned about food miles now, and we feel regional sourcing is the future. Some local brands will be familiar: Maldon salt, Colman's mustard, Wilkin & Son Tiptree preserves. Plus there are plenty of famous breweries, such as Adnams in Southwold and Batemans, whose XXXB is for those who like their beer good and strong! Of course, it's the brewing method that forms the beer's character, but it's also the East Anglian water that gives it a unique taste."
Passionate producers
"I love the enthusiasm of some of the small producers. Robert Strathern of Fairfields Farm in Essex makes the potatoes he grows into crisps, flavoured with local ingredients. He does one with Aspall Cyder vinegar, and another with locally-grown chillies. We will soon be selling these locally, and who knows what could happen in the future? For example, there's this marvellous mustard dressing by the Suffolk Mud brand, but the producer wanted to start out with small quantities. So at first, we launched it just in central London. It went down a storm, so we're now planning to sell it more widely."
Customers know best
"A lot of the pork in this region is born or bred outdoors and the pigs are bred for quality. Most are a cross, such as Large White, Land Race and Duroc. The area has quite a few pork specialities, such as Suffolk Black – a traditional cure for ham, made with treacle, stout, molasses and spices; and everyone knows Lincolnshire for its delicious sausages. Another Lincolnshire favourite is plum loaf – it's always been on my radar and I'm proud to say it will soon be on sale in local stores. Products like this have to be well produced. After all, our customers are the experts – they've been buying this stuff all their lives."