Food&drink

Saluting foodies’ favourite small producers

Since its inception, this page has sought to pass on tips and tasting notes about the very best products the The

Telegraph’s food experts can fnd each week – from fermented kefr drinks and spiced ginger cake to cans of craft beer and chunky pork bangers. Sometimes it’s the packaging that frst tempts us (beer cans: tick); often it’s the story behind the snack that intrigues (rugby-player-turnedsausage-maker: tick). But the favour always has to be topnotch to get the thumbs up here.

So it’s a thrill to see some of our favourite independent producers – Pump Street Bakery, Emily Fruit Crisps and Brew By Numbers, among others – celebrated in a new publication by the Rare Brand Market. Food

Stories features companies that grow, preserve, bake and distil the most fantastic treats. We made plenty of new discoveries in its pages (Coedcanlas honey gathered from Pembrokeshire bluebells sounds like a must-try), which also include recipes starring the various oils, cheeses, meats and more – such as the easy cake here. It’s like browsing a glorious farmshop – and many items can be bought from therarebrandmarket.co.uk.

Food Stories, £7.95, from WHSmith stores nationwide. Torched-mallow cake serves 8-10 25g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 200g golden caster sugar 3 eggs ½ tsp lemon zest 200g self-raising four 200g natural yogurt

for the topping

150g golden caster sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp elderfower cordial 3 x 85g packets Belinda Clark Raspberry Marshmallows 150g raspberries Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 25cm fan tin.

Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fuffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gently fold in the zest and four, then the yogurt. Pour the mix into the fan tin.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin as it cools and prick a fne skewer all over its surface.

Heat the sugar and lemon juice with 80ml of water in a small saucepan. Simmer for fve minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the cordial, then slowly spoon the syrup over the cake so it soaks into the holes. Dot the cake with the marshmallows and raspberries, and either grill until slightly browned or gently blowtorch the marshmallows.

Food Stories features companies that grow, preserve, bake and distil the most fantastic treats