Tasting Winter 2027
From pies to party foodOur Development team created a variety of applications for the session, including pies, sausages, burgers, meatballs, kebabs, sauces and crumbs, demonstrating just how versatile the collection can be.
Pies play a key role in Winter 27, with flavours including Steak & Stilton, Festive Creamy Chicken Pie, Chicken Kyiv Pie and North Indian Curry Pie showcasing everything from comforting classics to globally inspired twists.
Across other applications, the team explored smoky, sweet, savoury and spicy combinations. Smoky Maple Chipotle brings warming chilli together with smoke and maple sweetness, while flavours featuring black garlic, cheese, apple, tamarind, jalapeño and warming spices offer plenty of inspiration for winter menus and product development.
The trends behind the flavours
Crafted by Fire explores the continued appeal of smoked, charred and wood-fired flavours, bringing depth and warmth to familiar products through concepts such as Dark Velvet Glaze, Smoky Apple & Cheese and Smoked P...
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01/09/2026 00:00
What we ate at Wing Fest
Wing Fest returned with its biggest event yet, bringing together some of the UK's best traders, restaurants, and BBQ teams for a weekend of incredible wings.From award-winning recipes to bold new flavour combinations, we had a great time tasting our way around the festival and chatting with the talented people behind the food. Here's a look at some of our favourites.
Hot Chick's multi-award-winning wings were a real standout. Their naga-infused sauce packed some serious heat, balanced perfectly by a chaat poppadom bomb chaser to cool things down. Their Korean BBQ gochujang wings were equally impressive.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Naga sauce was fantastic and the chaat bomb was a great addition!
Chicken Ting served up one of the most unexpected combinations of the day. The matcha, white chocolate, and raspberry topping seemed unusual at first, but paired with their crispy chicken it c...
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27/07/2026 00:00
FIFA Hot Dog Tour
Congratulations to Spain, the FIFA World 2026 champions!??To celebrate the tournament, we took our own flavour journey across some of the World Cup's iconic host cities, creating a series of hot dogs inspired by local favourites and paired with our Summer ‘27 seasoning blends.
Here's a round-up of the creations that took us from kick-off in Mexico City to the final in New York:
Opening Match: Mexico
We kicked off our World Cup flavour tour in Mexico with our Mexican Baja blend of smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic, onion, chilli and lime.
Finished with jalapeños, sour cream, red chillies and crunchy tortilla chips, it was a spicy nod to the opening match.
Getting Rowdy in Dallas
Inspired by the famous Rowdy Dog at Dallas Stadium, we loaded a bacon-wrapped beef frank with homemade pico de gallo, candied jalapeños and spicy crema.
Paired with our Texas Style seasoning, bringing sweet smoky notes with black pepper, chilli and garlic.
Loaded Miami 'dog...
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20/07/2026 00:00
Everything we ate at FUME BBQ Festival
Sadly, we're back to reality (and sandwiches) in the office this week, but we're still thinking about the incredible food we sampled at FUME. From smoked meats and loaded burgers to creative BBQ twists, here's a round-up of some of our favourites.Jolly Hog's Picky Bits ??
Known for their award-winning sausages and commitment to high-quality British pork, Jolly Hog brought plenty of flavour to FUME Festival.
We sampled their Marmite, Spicy One and Korean sausages, each offering something different. The Marmite sausage was a particular highlight, delivering rich, savoury flavours that were both comforting and heady.
Interstellar BBQ's Peach Iced Tea Pork Belly ??
One of our favourite dishes of the day came courtesy of Interstellar BBQ and Electric Bar & Diner.
Their Peach Iced Tea Glazed Pork Belly struck the perfect balance between sweet and smoky. The rich pork belly...
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15/06/2026 00:00
BBQ Week: Round-up
BBQ Week: Round-upNational BBQ Week gave us the perfect opportunity to showcase some of our favourite Summer '27 concepts - combining trend-led flavour, vibrant presentation and commercially focused food manufacturing solutions.
Created by our NPD team and brought to life by Andy, this year's concepts explored everything from tropical flavours and Mediterranean-inspired glazes to lighter, allergen-conscious BBQ dishes and classic Southern American smokehouse flavours.
All of our flavour concepts can also be adapted for gluten-free and allergen-conscious development without compromising on flavour or performance.
🍍 Meet the Sweet Heat: Pango Our Southeast Asian-inspired pineapple and mango seasoning combined sweet heat, smoky chilli warmth and tropical fruit for a bold flavour profile. Paired with spicy wings, dragonfruit, lime and pineapple, the concept also highlighted the importance of colour stability and strong visual appeal across production.
🌿 Tuscan flavour with a twist Inspired by rustic Tuscan summer dining, this herb-led glaze delivered fresh Mediterranean flavour with garlic, tomato and gentle chilli warmth. Served in loaded ciabatta sliders with chicken, slaw and avocado, the concept showcased...
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29/05/2026 00:00
Mental Health Week
At Foodmaker, our Family & People First core value is at the heart of everything we do 🧡As a family business, we know that looking out for one another matters - and this Mental Health Week is a great reminder to check in and start conversations around mental wellbeing.
That's why we're proud to be supporting Andy's Man Club again over the next few months through The Good Slice of Pizza in Corby 🍕
Andy's Man Club is a fantastic charity founded following the tragic loss of Andrew Roberts, who sadly took his own life in early 2016 at just 23 years old. His family had no idea he was struggling to that extent.
After researching men's mental health, they discovered that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 54 in the UK. Wanting to create something positive from such a devastating loss, Andy's mum and brother-in-law launched Andy's Man Club - a safe, supportive environment where men can talk openly about their mental health without judgement.
The groups provides free peer-to-peer support groups across the UK lad by volunteers, helping to break the stigma around men's mental health and encouraging people to speak openly. You can find your nearest group here 👉🏻
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13/05/2026 00:00
Bangers for the Bank Holiday
Planning a BBQ This Weekend?With the bank holiday weather looking a little unpredictable, we've pulled together a few sausage ideas that work just as well on the grill as they do in the oven. Big flavours, flexible formats - for the grill or the oven!
🌭 Southern Slaw n' Brine Our Alabama White BBQ-style sausage is made for summer. Think black pepper, mustard, garlic and onion, finished with a cayenne kick. With fermented flavours trending, we've paired it with smashed cucumber and pickled onions for a tangy, refreshing contrast that cuts through the richness perfectly.
🍋🟩Zesty Fiesta For something a little lighter, this one brings a fresh, vibrant twist. A Mexican-style rice salad with guac and salsa pairs with our Baja-inspired sausage. Warming spices meet a bright lift of lime, striking that perfect balance between heat and citrus.
🍛 Fully Loaded Naan Loaded is a big trend for 2026 - from chips to nachos, it's all about building flavour. So why not naan? This South Asian-inspired sausage is packed with cumin, fenugreek and garam masala, served with spicy rice, roasted tomatoes, and finished with pineapple, raita and mango chutney. Every bite brings something differe...
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01/05/2026 00:00
Sponsoring The Good Slice
We're proud to share that The Good Slice of Pizza raised ?455 over the weekend for Andy's Man Club, Off the Streets Northamptonshire and Marie Curie UK! 🍕Part of the proceeds also went towards funding a bleed box for Rockingham Food Centre in Corby, installed by Off The Streets Northamptonshire - a fantastic initiative supporting such a hardworking local charity.
We even had the chance to get involved behind the scenes. Gill and Zara volunteered this month and had a brilliant time helping out - from cutting and boxing pizzas to creating the dessert pizza masterpiece, complete with a generous drizzle of Nutella, Mini Eggs and chocolate sauce. Of course, there was also the important job of sampling a few slices along the way!
It’s great to see local businesses and charities coming together to make a real difference within the community.
If you're local to Corby and would like to get involved, you can sponsor a month and choose three charities to support. Just drop them an email at thegoodsliceofpizza@gmail.com....
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27/04/2026 00:00
Earth Day
This Earth Day, we're proud to share some of the progress we're making on our ESG journey 🌍Our goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by the end of the year, with Foodmaker leading the way before the wider group follows - including the introduction of future carbon offset programmes.
To help us stay accountable, we track our environmental metrics every month, including gas and electricity usage, water consumption, waste streams and vehicle mileage. This allows us to measure year-on-year CO₂ reductions and set clear, achievable targets for the future.
🚛 Less fuel, more power We've installed EV chargers on-site and are continuing the transition towards hybrid and electric vehicles wherever possible.
📦 Recycled packaging We're introducing 30% recycled content into our Rip 'n Flow sacks, helping to reduce single-use plastic across our packaging.
⚡ Renewable energy Foodmaker now operates on 100% green tariff electricity and gas, meaning all our energy is sourced from renewable providers.
🌱 Smarter supply chains By simplifying sourcing and focusing on core ingredient routes, we're reducing transport distances and associated emissions - all while maintaining full traceability...
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22/04/2026 00:00
Corby Technical School Career Fair
Yesterday Zara and Sioned went to Corby Technical School Career Fair chatting with students about the many different routes into the food industry.It’s was a great chance to show that working in food isn’t just about being a chef or manufacturing – there are loads of different paths depending on your interests and skills! 💡
We had so many fantastic students sharing their passion for food making, baking and tasting and expressed how much they'd like a job in food in the future. We loved seeing the competitive side of the students doing our quiz too!
The food and drink industry is growing fast, and with new technology playing a bigger role, there are exciting opportunities ahead for engineers, scientists, creatives and other skilled professionals to help shape the future of food. 🥘
A big thank you to Shona Smart for a fantastic and well organised event and Mayor Callum Riley for stopping by for a chat and a pic!...
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20/03/2026 00:00
Celebrating St Paddy's Day
Nothing says St. Patrick's Day quite like Guinness and Irish whiskey! 🥃To celebrate Andy Benn combined the two to create this rich brownie loaf with deep chocolate flavour with the malty notes of Guinness, finished with a light Irish whiskey honey cream and red-berry compote.
Ingredients
180g dark chocolate (70%)
180g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
3 free-range eggs
120ml Guinness
85g plain flour
20g dark cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
Method
1. Melt the butter and dark chocolate together over a bain-marie until smooth.
2. Gradually add the Guinness to the melted chocolate and butter mixture
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and caster sugar until thick (this helps create a crisp brownie top).
4. Add the vani...
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17/03/2026 00:00
Foodmaker Celebrates Success at The British Pie Awards
This year, Andy entered three pies into the awards, alongside Foodmaker proudly sponsoring Class 1 - The Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Class. Supporting The British Pie Awards is something we're incredibly proud of, as it celebrates the craftsmanship, passion, and skill that define so many of our customers and the wider food industry.Andy has been working tirelessly behind the scenes between presentations, perfecting his pie creations ahead of this year's awards - and we're delighted to share the results!
🥇 Gold Award Foodmaker Greek Pulled Pork & Feta Pie Awarded in the Hot-Eating Savoury Pie category
🥈 Silver Award Foodmaker Smoked Tandoori Salmon & Green Masala Pie Awarded in the Fish Pie category
These fantastic achievements are a true reflection of Andy's creativity, dedication, and passion for developing exceptional flavours. We couldn't be prouder of the recognition his hard work has received 👏
Adding to the excitement, while Tony and Sioned were busy judging the Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, they also featured on ITV's This Morning coverage of The British Pie Awards! During the segment, Phil commented that a pie should always be "beautifully seasoned" and we couldn't agree mor...
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09/03/2026 00:00
Preparing for The British Pie Awards in Melton Mowbray
As proud sponsors of Class 1: Melton Mowbray Pork Pie at this year's British Pie Awards, we were given the opportunity to nominate two of our own team members to judge the pies on the day.First up was Sioned, our NPD Technician and self-confessed fan of all things bakery and pastry. Sioned said "I am truly delighted to be judging at The British Pie Awards. As someone with a genuine passion for all things pastry, it is an honour to be involved in such a prestigious and well-respected event."
Joining her was Tony, our Technical Sales Manager, who brings over 40 years of experience supporting meat processors, bakeries, and catering businesses. When asked about his favourite pie, Tony commented "There are some great vegetarian pies out there these days.. but I'm traditional when it comes to a pie -minced beef and onion all the way!"
To sharpen their pork pie judging skills ahead of the event, Tony and Sioned took a trip to the famous Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe in Melton Mowbray.
The visit gave them the chance to learn more about the history behind the iconic Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, the traditional skill of hand-raising pies using a dolly, and even have a go at making their own at the Samworth Brothers Craft & Innovation Centre.
A huge thank you to Guy from Samworth Brothers for sharing expert judging tips and insights along the way!...
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27/02/2026 00:00
