Condiments can make a dish come alive, and if anyone knows a thing or two about them, it’s Tracklements. They’ve been perfecting their recipes for half a century.
Based in Wiltshire, the company started to make wholegrain mustard in 1970, which flew off the shelves. Today, they produce over 45 award-winning chutneys, pickles, relishes and sauces – all by hand.
Luxurious Magazine’s Sabi Phagura caught up with owner Guy Tullberg to talk all things condiments and how we can create mouth-watering dishes at home using their produce.
LM: Congratulations on 50 years of Tracklements! What does it feel like to reach such a milestone?
GT: I’m thrilled that Tracklements is marking 50 years of manufacturing, although it’s a tough year to be celebrating. I’m a huge advocate of our style of British manufacturing – artisan, small-batch, craft production.
From the outset, we’ve been on a mission to be part of the renaissance in British food, and I’m immensely proud that Tracklements has proved that doing things well, and taking time to get it right, pays off in the long run.
LM: Has the pandemic dampened your celebration plans at all?
GT: Yes, a little. But we’re very proud to be playing our part in keeping the food supply chain going. We’ve worked hard to keep our customers’ shelves stocked and to maintain continuity of demand for our top-quality ingredients from our farmers and growers.
LM: Mustard is your heritage. Tell us how important the mustard is and the process it has to go through before it is locked up in jars?
GT: We’ve always been culinary explorers, and 50 years ago, my father made the UK’s first-ever batch of English wholegrain mustard. We still make it in the same unique way, grinding whole seeds with spices and maturing it in barrels for five to seven days, before filling into jars. The only difference is that he used a coffee grinder, but now we use a traditional stone mill.
LM: You keep a close on all your food origins. Explain to us why this is important?
GT: Our sourcing principles are simple: we use the best and nicest ingredients, treat them with respect and make sure the final product is the very best tasting condiment we can make. We have a policy of local first, then regional, national and international, but it’s always the very best.
LM: We spotted recipes on your website. Who comes up with these, and how easy is it for people to recreate them at home?
GT: I’m a firm believer that every meal can be improved by the addition of a Tracklement!
We’re food enthusiasts, and are constantly trying new things and new combinations. From the very simple Tracklements Twists, to more complicated recipes developed by Tracklements’ friends and fans that we’ve made over the past 50 years, can all be found on our website – there’s something for everyone.
LM: With so many people with allergies, what has Tracklements done to cater for them?
GT: I’ve never met anyone with an allergy to Tracklements! But seriously, most of our products are naturally gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan friendly.
LM: Your sauces and condiments are environment friendly. Could you briefly run us through that?
GT: Sustainability has always been in our DNA; from using environmentally friendly packaging and wonky veg that would otherwise be wasted, to more recently using 100% green electricity, and treating our wastewater on site. We have a stated aim to put back more than we take out. We want to have a beneficial effect on our environment rather than be a drain on it.
LM: Have you any special celebrity fans?
GT: We don’t like to brag, but there are a few well-known household celebrities who are a fan of our products and are repeat customers. We’re also so lucky that lots of marvellous chefs and food writers say very nice things about Tracklements, and I hope they will continue to do so!
LM: And finally, what’s next for Tracklements?
GT: Well, it’s always been on our agenda… global domination, one jar at a time! We supply over 20 countries today, so just 170 more to go! We never rest on our laurels and will strive to be the best at what we do, and get as many people around the globe to enjoy our products.
Tracklements – Where and How?
For more information about the Tracklements product range, visit www.tracklements.co.uk.
Read more interviews and industry profiles in our dedicated section here.
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