Roy had been running a successful speciality food store in Moffat, Dumfriesshire, called Harvest Time for over twelve years. About two years ago, frustrated by the lack of subtlety of the mustards available to him and his customers, he began producing his own, experimenting with recipes until he came up with the Sweet & Mild version that has formed the base of the Mellow Moffat Mustard range. The original varieties have recently been joined by Ginger and Onion (Roy's current personal favourite) and Earl Grey, which may sound bizarre, but is dangerously moreish.
Its a matter of good taste
Uncle Roy's is the company in question: a business formed by Roy Anderton-Tyers in response to his lifelong dislike of English Mustard.
The result is a portfolio that has taken Scotland and the north of England by storm, with leading industry professionals such as Clarissa Dickson-Wright rapidly becoming great fans. Clarissa, for instance, loves putting the Earl Grey Mustard on pork chops, while The Guardian food critic Mathew Fort, talking about the Honey & Malt Whisky Mustard claimed "I can't stop tasting it!"
The Mellow Moffat Mustard range now numbers 10 distinctive varieties: Original Sweet & Mild; Wild Scottish Garlic;Honey & Malt Whisky; Wild Cranberries; Earl Grey; Ginger & Onion, Sweet & Spicy (grainy); Hot & Chilli (grainy); Tarragon & Dill; and Hickory Smoke. Various Gift Packs and lovely mustard pots are available too, and all products are available in 29g and 1250g jars for the catering and hospitality trade.
We mustn't forget Moffat Dollop either, a relish that is perfect for chips, burgers, hot or cold meats, cheese or fish, crisps or crudites.. There's the gravy salt too, and a new product that goes under the banner of 'Moffat Magic', a delicious mushroom and mustard table sauce.
And after taking the decision to move into new premises in order to cope with the ever growing demand, Uncle Roy's is now actively seeking representation and distribution throughout the rest of the UK.
We hope you found that bit of history of interest.
In 2003 we sold the deli and moved to our new premises - which we promptly outgrew and moved again in 2004! Increasing our ranges and products to over 250 items has meant that we constantly struggle for space but Uncle Roy just can't stop himself coming up with new ideas - and with 24 GREAT TASTE AWARDS for 44 judged Mustards, Sauces, Extracts, Extra Special Condiments, Mustard Oils, Dressings and Smokies - we guess he must be doing something right!!.
Quality You Can Taste
In recent years there has been a growing awareness of the importance of the provenance of the food we eat and a consequent emphasis on quality control. Large companies have huge departments ensuring traceability, cleanliness and contamination avoidance - and there are established Standards to which they must conform and are measured.
Early in 2007 Uncle Roy's Comestible Concoctions was the smallest of 15 companies used in a pilot project to develop a Quality Assurance Scheme which could be applied to small producers. We are proud to say that following a successfull process and consequent audit we were the first in Britain to be awarded our SALSA Certificate (Small And Local Suppier Approval) the latest of which can always be viewed at www.salsafood.co.uk