Your top ten North East producers

May 22 2009 The Journal

THE Journal's Taste campaign has showcased some of the best food producers the North East has to offer. But it's not just food and drink where this region excels, as your list of your favourite producers reveals.

Greggs

North East-based bakers Greggs could have been equally at home in the Top Ten Brands list, but with rolling production of sandwiches, cakes, bread, pasties, and all manner of baked goods it seems fitting the company has found its way into the Producers category. Truly one of the giants of North East perishable production, the comforting sight of one of their stores is apparent in most communities in the area, and a regular stop-off for many of us.

Sunnyhill eggs

It was always going to be the case that among the region’s top producers would be those churning out the top ingredients. Any cook will tell you no pantry is complete without eggs, which might explain why Sunnyhill eggs has secured its place in the Producers category. Based at Detchant Farm, near Belford, in north Northumberland, the company has RSPCA Freedom Food accreditation as the region’s largest producer of free-range eggs. And if you fancy giving them a go – boiled, fried, or scrambled, you can find them in Asda, specialist delicatessens, butchers and greengrocers across the region.

Palatine Beds

Our Think North East First campaign has claimed you can find almost everything you and your family need from producers in the region. With this entry you can add beds to the list. Originally based by the banks of the Tyne, Palatine Beds can now be found in their 150,000 square feet Westerhope factory, Newcastle. The company were one of the first to sign-up to the Journal’s Think North East First ‘Roll of Honour’, and boasts more than 60 years of producing ‘luxuriously comfortable and durable’ beds.

Cake Root

The Cake Root company is everything the Journal’s Think North East First campaign has sought to champion. Founded by sisters Jane Slater and Fiona Woodcock, their root-vegetable-based cakes are 100% natural, sourced locally and eco-friendly. The quirky enjoyment of their products has attracted the interest of retailers across the region from farm shops and delicatessens to city-centre department store Fenwicks. From vegetables in the earth to cakes on the table the company is truly a North East producer.

Scenic Photos Ltd

There are no shortage of budding photographers lining the region’s vantage points, from the winding streets of Durham to the hilltops of Northumberland. There is still room for the professionals, however. Scenic Photos Ltd has made its trade out of sharing the spectacular views on offer in the North East. Since 1986 photographer Michael Goonan has offered framed, commissioned and elevated shots of the region, many of which can be found for sale in shops in the Bedlington, Blyth and Keswick Grasmere areas.

Nichols bakery

Greggs may be the undoubted market leader when it comes to high-street bakers, but it's got some competition right here in the region. Young entrepreneur Greg Phillips is making quite a name for himself with his growing bakery business – and he's ready to open two new stores soon. The firm trades under the Nichols brand, but you can tell how proud it is of its roots simply be the name of the company – North East Bakery.

Guroo Ltd

Information production has found its way into this category, with readers getting in touch to tell The Journal about Guroo Ltd. Based in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, the company offers a range of learning resources for students learning functional skills in mathematics, English and ICT at level 1 and level 2. Combining on-line and off-line learning the firm produces resources from videos to podcasts, engaging students with real-life themes.

Doddington Dairy

The success of Doddington Dairy is no secret. But the ice-cream and cheese specialists’ popularity has seen them voted into our Top Ten Producers. With something for everyone, the Northumberland-based family firm has hit the headlines in the past for its quirky choice of flavours – where else would you find Newcastle Brown Ale ice-cream? Available at retailers across the North East, ice-cream fans can now enjoy the taste of Doddington at Newcastle’s Metro Radio arena between bands.

Coquet Preserves

Another Northumberland-sourced big hit with our readers is Coquet Preserves. Since 2000 Sandy Higson has turned her part-time jam-making hobby into a full-time flourishing business. Currently offering more than 80 flavours of jams, chutneys, and relishes the Rothbury-based firm boasts ‘an array of flavours to suit every occasion and palate’. To help you get a flavour of the range - Hellish Relish, Cheviot Choker and The Rothbury Rager are among Sandy's most famous creations.

Alternative Supply Company Ltd

Few outside North East industry circles were aware of the reach Alternative Supply Company Ltd commands before it was featured in the Journal. Now it’s in our Top Ten Producers category. If you buy yoghurt, coleslaw, ice-cream or a host of other dairy products, chances are they have been packaged by this Northumberland-based firm. Now in its eighth year, the company specialises in environmentally-friendly plastic containers, producing more than 350 million items a year for customers including Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose.