Meet the Makers:

SELFRIDGES SELECTION

Join us in the kitchens of our inspiring makers to discover the stories behind our incredible Selfridges Selection range.

Words by: Amy Newson

MEET THE MAKERS:

SELFRIDGES SELECTION

Join us in the kitchens of our inspiring makers to discover the stories behind our incredible Selfridges Selection range.

Words by: Amy Newson

Here at Selfridges we love nothing more than bringing the extraordinary to you, and there’s no better example of this than our Selfridges Selection range. Created by expert tastemakers who grow the finest ingredients, use traditional methods and create innovative and planet-friendly recipes, this 100% palm oil-free range includes everything from the crumbliest Scottish shortbread to ethically sourced chocolate and coffee, and much more. We asked a few of our incredible makers to share their fascinating stories, show us round their kitchens and give us a few of their insider tips along the way.

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Here at Selfridges we love nothing more than bringing the extraordinary to you, and there’s no better example of this than our Selfridges Selection range. Created by expert tastemakers who grow the finest ingredients, use traditional methods and create innovative and planet-friendly recipes, this 100% palm oil-free range includes everything from the crumbliest Scottish shortbread to ethically sourced chocolate and coffee, and much more. We asked a few of our incredible makers to share their fascinating stories, show us round their kitchens and give us a few of their insider tips along the way.

Shop now

Chocolarder works with independent farmers on various single-estate, family-run plantations around the world

CHOCOLARDER

Our bean-to-bar chocolate makers

Headed up by Mike Longman, Cornwall-based Chocolarder works with independent farmers on various single-estate, family-run plantations around the world. The organically grown beans are transported back to the UK using sailboats, before they are roasted, ground and turned into chocolate (and wrapped in our 100% recyclable, plastic-free packaging). Needless to say, Chocolarder was a must for our Selfridges Selection team.

Meet Mike Longman, Chocolarder’s founder

How do you source your cocao beans?

We only source the very best cocoa beans, looking not only at the flavour, but also at the farmers or the communities that grow them and the conditions they are grown in. Did you know that cocoa trees actually grow best under the canopy of trees, as they like shade? The farmers we work with grow their cocoa in harmony with nature, rather than tearing it all down when it comes to harvest.

How do you make your bean-to-bar chocolate?

Our chocolate factory is full of beautiful antique machines, each with its own role to play in the process from roasting, shelling, grinding, refining and conching – this ensures we have the very best flavour and melt for all our chocolate. It’s then aged in giant blocks for at least 25 days before being tempered and poured into bars.

Explore some of our favourites

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Fudge Kitchen uses locally sourced British ingredients and sustainable packaging

FUDGE KITCHEN

Our British fudge makers

Handmaking gloriously indulgent fudge creations in Kent for more than 38 years, Fudge Kitchen makes (in our opinion) the world’s best buttery fudge. Our fudge heroes’ use of locally sourced British ingredients and sustainable packaging has earned them a top ranking in our Selfridges Selection range.

Meet Sian Holt, Fudge Kitchen’s managing director

Tell us about your fudge…

Fudge Kitchen fudge is famous for its smooth and creamy texture and innovative flavours, made using quality all-natural and locally sourced ingredients. During our zero-waste fudge-making process, our team of artisans are always developing and exploring new recipes, flavours and methods.

What’s special about the way you make fudge?

Uniquely, our recipe doesn’t contain condensed milk; instead, we use fresh whipping cream and a distinctive process to control the size of the sugar crystals, working the fudge as it cools to achieve an unbeatably velvety taste experience. Our fudge is cut and decorated by our team of confectioners, before being carefully presented in FSC-certified sustainable (we only use plant-based inks and water-based glues, too) packaging.

Thursday Cottage makes its jams and preserves in small batches, using open copper pans before filling its jars by hand

THURSDAY COTTAGE

Our expert jam makers

Based on the idyllic Trewlands Farm in Tiptree, Essex, Thursday Cottage makes its jams and preserves in small batches, using open copper pans before filling its jars by hand. With their delicious fruity flavours and traditional cooking methods, Thursday Cottage’s preserves were ideal for our Selfridges Selection range.

Meet Lily McBlain, Thursday Cottage’s sales coordinator

Tell us about Thursday Cottage…

We make our handmade jams, marmalades and curds in the middle of the beautiful Essex countryside. The ingredients we use, our open-pan cooking method and our tasty and characterful products are what really makes Thursday Cottage.

How do you make your jams and preserves?

We take great care in choosing the best ingredients and use a mixture of traditional and unusual fruits (look out for our Seville Orange Marmalade with Honey & Ginger that we made for Selfridges as part of its Christmas range). All our products are made in small batches, and we fill our jars by hand because you get more whole fruit in the product this way, which means a more hearty and fruity taste.

We carefully choose our incredible makers based on a range of qualities close to our hearts – delicious flavours, and sustainable and ethical practices. From family recipes to traditional methods handed down through generations and even new and exciting food crafts, our makers’ skills, passion and commitment to creating delicious food speaks for itself.

– Jessica Abela, Selfridges Selection Product Developer

Notes Coffee trades directly with the farmers who grow the coffee beans – picking only high-grade, seasonal, single-origin beans

NOTES COFFEE ROASTERS

Our English coffee makers

We source our coffee from Fabio Ferreira, who has been roasting beans at Notes Coffee Roasters in east London since 2013. He trades directly with the farmers who grow the coffee beans – picking only high-grade, seasonal, single-origin beans that are roasted in small batches for a delicate and unique flavour. We wouldn’t have it any other way!

Meet Fabio Ferreira, Notes Coffee’s co-founder

How do you source, transport and roast your coffee?

Every year we visit countries in South and Central America, Africa and Asia sourcing from farmers cooperatives and estates to secure the very best seasonal single-origin coffees. We also believe it’s important to build great and fair communities where we buy our coffees, so we make sure to pay over the fair-trade floor price.

How do you transport your coffee back to the UK?

Our coffees arrive on boat to the UK – we never use air freight to transport our coffees to the country. We believe it’s our responsibility to keep the sourcing process as sustainable as we can. We only roast in small batches too, allowing for the delicate and unique flavours of each coffee to fully translate into the cup.

Say hi to our extraordinary treats

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Tregothnan grows its tea in Cornwall and is home to Europe’s largest tea garden

TREGOTHNAN

Our English tea makers

The first ever English tea company to create a range of British teas, Tregothnan has been growing tea in Truro, Cornwall, since 1999. Blessed with the perfect microclimate, Tregothnan is home to Europe’s largest tea garden (pretty amazing, right?).

Meet Jonathon Jones, Tregothnan’s managing director

Tell us about your tea…

Once we plant the tea (12–18-month-old bushes), we the embark on a new stage of conservatorship; caring for the tea, allowing it to grow and flourish without chemicals for five or more years before it is ready to harvest. This means weeding by hand, planting hedges, encouraging pollinators by placing our beehives in the tea gardens. Our ambition is that after eight to ten years of care we can harvest some of the best tea in the world. If we get it right, our tea bushes should go on to live for 500 years or more!

How do you make your tea blends?

Once harvested (the season stretches from April to October), the tea is made using the traditional method – the Orthodox Method. The tea is allowed to rest, wilt and soften, before being carefully rolled to break up the whole leaves. Once oxidised and dried, you have a wonderful, stable tea, ready for grading and blending to make the perfect cup of tea.

Nevis Bakery is nestled at the foot of Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands, and makes a scrumptious range of traditional Scottish treats

NEVIS BAKERY

Our Highlands shortbread makers

Family-run Nevis Bakery has been headed up by Archie Paterson since 1980. Nestled at the foot of Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands, the bakery makes a scrumptious range of traditional Scottish treats (think crumbly shortbread and oatcakes).

Meet Archie Paterson, Nevis Bakery’s co-founder

How long have you been baking for Selfridges?

We are now in our ninth year of baking for Selfridges, and we’ve just launched a new range of shortbread, too. Make sure you try our sea salted caramel shortbread – or the all-butter, if you like it classic.

How do you make your products?

Our small team (many whom have been with us for more than 15 years) use tried-and-trusted baking methods. Our biscuits are all handmade and hand-dipped at the bakery (although this is more time-consuming, we feel the result is far superior to machine-based recipes). For our ingredients, we only use butter from the United Kingdom and our wheat flour is milled in Kirkcaldy, Scotland.