The Bulletin - July/August 2019

The magazine for the frozen food industry

Celebrating product excellence at the 2019 BFFF Annual Awards

ANNUALFEATURE LUNCHEON

Event roundup Lights, camera, action!

A COMMUNITY EFFORT GALA DINNER Interview with John Marren Event roundup

INTOANNUAL THE DEEP FREEZE AWARDS Feature Winners revealed

We can handle surplus across all categories and we are trusted by all major retailers and brands to redistribute their surplus and own label products.

FROZEN, TEMPERATURE - CONTROLLED, overweight

Product to be tempered Work in progress & Ingredients

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BRITISH FROZEN FOOD FEDERATION Registered office: Warwick House, Unit 7, Long Bennington Business Park, Main Road, Long Bennington, Newark NG23 5JR.

Richard Harrow Chief executive

WELC OME

A company limited by guarantee.

Registered in England and Wales No: 7687541

01400 283090 www.bfff.co.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE Richard Harrow richardharrow@bfff.co.uk 07930 345326 ADVERTISING & MEMBERSHIP Kate Miller katemiller@bfff.co.uk 07793 499871

Welcome to the July/August edition of The Bulletin

BULLETIN CO-ORDINATOR Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary neeshacleary@bfff.co.uk 01400 283090

Welcome to our special edition of The Bulletin, featuring coverage of this year’s hugely successful Product Awards and Gala Dinner, as well as a glimpse behind the scenes at what it takes to pull this incredibly exciting event together.

PUBLISHER

This was my first awards event as chief executive and I was proud to find myself among so many pioneers of product excellence.

Pelican Communications www.pelicancommunications.co.uk EDITOR Suzanna Bain suzanna.bain@pelicomms.co.uk CHIEF WRITER Emma Scott emma.scott@pelicomms.co.uk @BFFF_Tweets @BFFF British Frozen Food Federation @britishfrozenfoodfed

IN THE NEXT ISSUE...

'FREE FROM'

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners - as well as the hard-working and dedicated BFFF team - and say how impressed I have been by the standard of entries and the creativity demonstrated.

It is this innovation and ingenuity that continues to drive the category.

Something else I've been focusing on since I became your CEO is how we as an industry can go about tackling a problem we all have a vested interest in: food waste.

Every year, millions of tonnes of edible food is thrown away. When 8.4 million people in the UK are classed as ‘food insecure’ this is nothing short of scandalous, but it’s a scandal that has wide-reaching and long-lasting consequences.

In response, a new food waste reduction initiative - Step up to the Plate - was launched in May by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and Ben Elliot, the government’s first food surplus and waste champion.

To contribute to this issue or advertise, contact your account manager or email: bulletineditorial@bfff.co.uk

Attendees were asked to commit to measuring and reducing their own food waste while inspiring others to do the same.

Go online

Our industry is ideally placed to support this objective, especially given that 70% of food waste from retail is in the consumer’s home. We need to come together to send the message that frozen food - both in the home and in professional kitchens - can play a major role in helping to tackle this issue.

The Bulletin is the exclusive magazine for BFFF members. Printed six times a year, it has a readership in excess of 3,000 industry leaders, decision makers and buyers.

The Bulletin is available to read online at www.bfff.co.uk/about-bfff/bulletin – where you can also read all the latest news from BFFF and its members.

The frozen food category is in a very strong position to address the issue, so I had no hesitation signing up.

E-mail: richardharrow@bfff.co.uk Tel: 07930 345326

•

Read more about Step up to the Plate on page 17.

July/August 2019 3 |3

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CON TEN TS

Bulletin THE

The magazine for the frozen food industry

Free-From In the next issue:

06

BFFF NEWS

To advertise contact: katemiller@bfff.co.uk neeshacleary@bfff.co.uk To request a media pack or submit your content contact: bulletineditorial@bfff.co.uk

DEADLI N ES:

Copy: 2nd Aug Artwork: 23rd Aug

C O MI NG UP:

08

Nov/Dec - Convenience & Bakery Jan/Feb - Fish/Seafood March/Apr - Meat, Fruit & Veg British Frozen Food Federation www.bfff.co.uk Tel: 01400 283090

MEMBER NEWS

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17

NEW PRODUCTS

20

TECHNICAL & LEGISLATIVE

30

INDUSTRY NEWS

62 DIARY DATES

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FEATURE: LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

BFFF ANNUAL GALA DINNER DANCE

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REMEMBERING 'MR FRANK'

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PRODUCT AWARD WINNERS July/August 2019 | 5

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BFF F NE WS

Updates from BFFF team

‘Fresh from the Freezer’ - changing the perception of frozen food An update on our member-funded marketing campaign.

‘Fresh from the Freezer’, which ran from November 2018 through to April this year, has proved incredibly successful. The aim of the campaign was to improve the perception of frozen food by targeting younger consumers and chefs, who are less likely to be ‘set in their ways’ and therefore more likely to be receptive to our new frozen story.

By bringing hero products and ingredients to life in short video recipes, the campaign overachieved its objectives, reaching 2.5 million consumers on Facebook and 1.7 million views on YouTube. The foodservice content was equally successful, reaching chefs 1.5 million times and the films viewed more than 40,000 times.

Here’s how we did it…

Campaign approach The messaging in this campaign was critical, as we know that shoppers and chefs understand the advantages of frozen food but, typically, frozen messaging has communicated rational and functional benefits, such as great value for money and convenience.

But because emotional messaging tends to be more persuasive than logical messaging, we set out to shift the tone to a more emotional platform, using the power of the unexpected to build interest and reappraisal of the category.

The campaign highlights the surprise of frozen; building emotional appeal and interest by showcasing innovative and unexpected ingredients found in the freezer aisle, while emphasising the brilliant quality of the food and how it can be part of the solution to food waste.

Fresh from the Freezer We know our target consumers and chefs are very active on social media, so we created a digital campaign that changes perception through driving appeal and emotional connections, inspiring consumers and chefs to re-evaluate the significance of frozen.

The consumer campaign was delivered through a series of six 30-second films showcasing amazing-looking, surprising, showstopping food and recipes that are made 'fresh from the freezer'.

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The recipes each had a seasonal twist, from premium frozen Christmas dinners to Valentine's steak and lobster, as well as healthier January smoothies. Each film showcased stunning, unexpected and appetising food and recipes with a big reveal that all the ingredients came from the freezer - smashing the myth that frozen is inferior in quality and reinforcing its benefits.

To achieve this, each video starts with the finished plate of food then plays backwards, deconstructing the dish and finishing by landing on shots of the frozen ingredients, which then morph into the freezer.

Supporting the delicious recipes and surprising ingredients, rational messages were woven into each video to highlight the simplicity, ease, convenience and wider benefits of frozen.

The consumer campaign was amplified over six months via targeted Facebook and YouTube video advertising.

We mirrored the consumer approach in foodservice but increased our credibility with this audience by partnering with the Staff Canteen, tapping into their 65,000 members and 100,000 YouTube subscribers.

Working with its development chef, the campaign created three thematic chef recipes; showstopping desserts, meat-free alternatives and frozen shortcuts/premium bread. The foodservice films were amplified over three months via the Staff Canteen partnership and targeted video advertising on Twitter.

Campaign results We set out to reach three million consumers at least three times during the course of the campaign and reach half of all chefs and three quarters of new chefs. We estimated there were around 250,000 chefs in the UK and more than 28,000 chef students in 2015/16.

The consumer campaign reached 2.5 million unique consumers 2.9 times via Facebook, while YouTube delivered a further 1.7 million views. These results were impressive, with Facebook 123% ahead and YouTube 101% ahead of their targets.

The Bulletin

B FFF N E WS Updates from BFFF team

The campaign's recipes were very well received.

Engagement with the YouTube content was particularly high with 45% of consumers watching the films through to the end.

The partnership with the Staff Canteen showed our content 205,000 times across the Staff Canteen Youtube, Facebook and Instagram

channels, resulting in 28,500 video views. The chef-targeted Twitter campaign, aimed at chefs aged 18-34, showed our content a further 1.3 million times resulting in more than 12,000 video views.

The campaign has exceeded all our expectations and has been a great step on the way to repositioning frozen as a quality go-to choice that can drive down food waste, rather than an inferior last resort.

We’re looking forward to working with our members to drive this messaging forward even further throughout 2019 and beyond. ● www.freshfromthefreezer.co.uk

MICHAEL WARD L I M I T E D

FLEET REFRIGERATION SERVICES

YOU CAN

RELY ON!

JOBS CARRIED OUT

ROUTINE SERVICES

COMPLETED

BFFF welcomes two new members Quicook and Glenhaven Quality Foods join the BFFF family.

Membership continues to grow and since the last issue we are pleased to welcome two new members to BFFF.

Call us today on: 01204 669 247 www.michaelwardonline.co.uk

Quicook is a people-centred food company that promotes tasty, healthy and easy meals so we can all enjoy eating in a balanced way from our experience and know-how in the kitchen.

Follow us:

8,991 REPAIRS

CARRIED OUT

Creativity, innovation, quality and nutrition are part of Quicook’s DNA, so we’re really excited to have them on board.

Glenhaven Quality Foods, meanwhile, is one of Ireland’s largest poultry processors, specialising in coated, cooked and raw frozen poultry across foodservice and retail.

Authorised service partner We also service and maintain all marques, Thermo King, Carrier, GAH, Hubbard/Zanotti, Webasto, Eberspacher

Its passion for food, coupled with a customer-centric mindset, has helped the business evolve and grow in the UK and Irish markets over the past 30 years.

July/August 2019 | 7

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M EM BER NE W S Updates from BFFF members

Allergen data enters the world of AI

Web app to offer easier access to allergen information.

Country Range Group year-end results announced

Year-end results boosted by impressive performance of the Group’s own-brand range.

Despite testing conditions within the foodservice sector and uncertainty around Brexit, the Country Range Group has announced YOY sales turnover growth of 9.5% after releasing its final year results for 2018.

Highlighting the strength of the Group’s 12 independent wholesalers, total sales reached £460 million in 2018, accounting for organic like-for-like sales growth of £30 million.

Additionally, purchasing through the Group increased by 12% in 2018.

A core reason for the strong Group figures is the impressive performance of the Country Range brand which now accounts for over 750 product lines and is continuously expanding. Fourteen new product launches in 2018 helped the brand’s sales grow by 8% in 2018, taking the total sales value of the brand to the £100 million mark, with a busy NPD schedule already planned for the year ahead.

Coral Rose (pictured), managing director of the Country Range Group, said: “2018 was another strong year as our members once again outperformed the market, delivering impressive YOY sales growth. With record amounts spent on infrastructure, personnel and resources in 2017,

our members and their customers are definitely seeing the returns and benefits, which bodes well for the future.

“While new business and sales growth are obviously vital for our individual members, from a Group perspective our strategic goal is to optimise the level of purchasing throughout the Group. Increased purchasing from suppliers provides greater scope for national promotional and marketing activity and ensures our members have an unassailable range of branded and own-brand products when it comes to price, quality and trends.

“It’s competitive pricing, exciting promotions, access to the Country Range brand and extensive marketing support, along with the personal, reliable and professional customer service that sets our members apart in the foodservice market and highlights the positives of being independent.”

Within the Group, inward investment has seen increased spend on digital marketing, additional freezer space, vehicles and new test and demo kitchens, benefitting the individual businesses, the supply chain and the Group as a whole.

Tech start-up 443 AI is aiming to help foodservice wholesalers ‘leapfrog the last 20 years’ when it comes to digital and e-commerce, and has now linked its platform with Erudus, which offers a collaborative solution to sharing product data.

443 AI is a progressive web app which bridges the gap between websites and apps, removing the limitations of each one.

This means it looks like an app and has push notifications enabled, but it is on the web, so no download is required for installation or updates as is the case with apps.

The integration allows 443 AI’s users to view enhanced product specifications including allergen and nutritional information before ordering.

Jason Finch, founder of 443 AI, said: “The integration partnership with Erudus is another illustration of our commitment to helping foodservice wholesalers. Nutritional menus and allergen information is high on the agenda for all caterers.” ● www.443.ai. ● www.erudus.com

Customised Assurance – Powered by Technology • Supply Chain Management

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saiglobal.com/assurance Email: information@saiglobal.com I Call: +44 (0)1908 793245 SAI Global ABN 67 050 611 642 ©2019 SAI Global. The SAI Global name and logo are trademarks of SAI Global. All Rights Reserved. 133058 0119

● www.countryrange.co.uk

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M EM B ER N EWS

Updates from BFFF members

JB Foods supports Scottish Foodbank launch Scottish wholesaler responds to growing demand for foodbanks by opening second site.

Food Sector Lawyers • Contracts • Debt recovery • Product recalls • Agents and distributors • Employment • Intellectual property and branding • Transport and logistics • Competition • Corporate and commercial

JB Foods is supporting the launch of Scotland’s ‘Food Facts & Friends’ second foodbank, following growing demand for support in Midlothian.

JB Foods, a member of the Caterforce foodservice buying group, has been a supporter of Food, Facts & Friends since September 2018, supplying short-dated stock to the charity and its first foodbank in Penicuik.

The organisation endeavours to distribute as much fresh produce as possible, so relies heavily on the support of local supermarkets, stores and wholesalers.

It has now expanded its work in Midlothian, opening a second site in Dalkeith, which the wholesaler will also help to support through its partnership with the foodbank.

‘Food, Facts & Friends’ officially launched the second site on 15th March. JB Foods supplied complimentary food on the day alongside support from M&S, Costco, Asda, Greggs and Lidl.

The day was attended by the Lord Provost of Midlothian and television star Sister Rita, who was the star of a BBC series following families living on the breadline in North Manchester.

Charlotte Thompson of JB Foods said: “We’ve been an active supporter and supplier to Food Facts & Friends for almost a year now, so it’s great to see it growing in the region as the work it does is vital. The second foodbank will allow the charity to help even more people and families in need. We will continue to support the organisation as part of charitable endeavours across Scotland.”

Contact Peter Cusick or Peter Seary of our Food and Drink team

01775 842500 www.roythornes.co.uk @roythornes_food

"We’ve been an active supporter and supplier to ‘Food, Facts & Friends’ for almost a year now, so it’s great to see it growing in the region as the work it does is vital."

● www.jbfoodservice.co.uk

JCS Fish achieves BRC Global Standard Family-owned Grimsby seafood firm achieves BRC Global Standard despite tough new regime.

JCS Fish has become one of the first businesses in the Humber region to achieve accreditation to the new Issue 8 of the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety.

Auditing to the new standard started in February and JCS Fish undertook its annual BRC audit in the same month, later receiving its AA Grade certificate.

The BRC Global Standard for Food Safety is the most widely used of the commercial standard for assuring production of safe food and a universal benchmark set by the UK’s major retailers to identify suitable suppliers.

JCS Fish has been accredited to the BRC standard since 2008 and first achieved AA status in 2017.

JCS Fish specialises in the processing and supply of salmon products and continues to grow both its foodservice business and its BigFish Brand. It recently achieved an important new listing for its BigFish salmon fillets and smoked salmon products in As Nature Intended, a fast-growing Londonbased natural foods retailer with six outlets. ● www.jcsfish.co.uk July/August 2019 | 9

The Bulletin

M EM BER NE W S Updates from BFFF members

Addressing the gender pay gap at Oakland International Multi-temperature supply chain specialist leads the way on salaries.

With fewer than half of the UK’s biggest employers narrowing the gender pay gap in 2019, supply chain and distribution specialist Oakland International is ahead of the national trend.

Oakland International employees are 75% male and 25% female, working in a predominantly warehousing and storage setting.

In real terms Oakland pays on average 9% more to its female employees despite having far more men working across the business, with female employees tending to be in more senior roles with the ability to earn higher bonuses.

Dean Attwell, Oakland International chief executive and co-founder, said: “We have always had a strong policy of employee equality, with good performers irrespective of gender able to earn more. We also operate part-time roles throughout our business which suits single

parents, meaning they can work around nursery hours and the school day.”

Oakland International operates sites and facilities at Redditch and Corby in the UK, Dublin in Ireland and has a partner in Spain, and is an expert at reducing food losses in the supply chain due to load contamination.

Dean added: “Where we can, we recruit locally, as we recognise the value and strength family members bring to the business.

We employ mums, dads, sons and daughters as we offer good rates of pay for both full and part-time roles in an environment which is both flexible and family friendly. Families, particularly single parents, need flexibility from employers. By being accommodating you create a positive environment which helps to retain staff and their valuable skills.

New UK MD for Destiny Foods

“We are committed to our family values and are focused on ensuring all team members are treated equally. We regularly monitor our pay rates and bonus payments along with a variety of other factors to ensure we remain fair and equal to all.”

Oakland International is a BRC double A accredited business and a specialist at providing contract packing, storage, picking, food distribution and brand development support for ambient, chilled and frozen food to the retail, convenience, discount, wholesale and foodservice markets. ● www.oakland-international.com

Industry stalwart to retire after six decades All good things must come to an end. After an impressive stretch in the sector, John Catherall is saying a fond farewell to frozen.

John Catherall is retiring after nearly 60 years in the UK food industry. He has been an important factor in the growth and development of companies like Smedleys, Ross Foods, Dawnfresh Seafoods, United Biscuits, Seabay and Faroe Seafood, the latter now a Bakkafrost subsidiary based in Grimsby.

Having joined Faroe Seafood, John immediately identified an opportunity to build sales of the company’s highquality salmon, farmed in the clean waters around the Faroe Islands and focussed initially on the Irish Market, having lived there himself for 10 years.

He said: “I soon became a trusted advisor to this new and exciting market and created a workable 10 |

FAST NEWS

logistics plan to enable the reliable delivery of fresh salmon to all 32 counties twice a week.”

He quickly learned that the short-life fresh fish sector had to be handled very differently from the frozen market with which he had earlier become familiar, but the successful Irish experience enabled Faroe Seafood to develop sales throughout the UK and into many other markets.

Looking back on six decades of the food business, John said it had been a pleasure to work for Bakkafrost, a great company that focusses on the all-important and sustainable aspects of the business; fish welfare and employees and customers. ● www.bakkafrost.com

Following its acquisition of Destiny Foods in December 2016, La Compagnie des Desserts (CDD) has announced the appointment of Andy Underwood as UK managing director for the CDD Group.

Andy will replace Richard Watts, current Destiny Foods MD and original founder of the business, after a short handover period.

Andy joins Destiny Foods/CDD UK from Macphie Ltd, where he was managing director for over four years, having joined as commercial director in 2011.

Valerie Kaminski joins NewCold Valerie Kaminski has joined NewCold, a market-leader in automated frozen storage warehousing and logistics, in the role of managing director, North America.

The business is expanding quickly in the US and has grown its network with nearly 200,000 additional pallet positions in two new facilities.

Valerie will be responsible for the company’s expansion in the region.

She has a long track record in supply chain management and operational efficiency, including positions with Starbucks and HP.

New appointment for Roythornes The Litigation team at Roythornes Solicitors has appointed a new food and drink expert.

Hannah Leese joins the legal practice’s Nottingham office as an associate and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team. Her background is in food litigation with a niche understanding of the meat industry – a highly regulated sector.

She said: “I’m delighted to join the Roythornes team as the practice is renowned for its expert agriculture and food and drink teams – two areas I work very closely in."

The Bulletin

M EM B ER N E WS

Updates from BFFF members

SECR – don’t get caught out Jon Swain, head of sales at NFU Energy, explains how changes to the energy and carbon reporting scheme could affect you.

The new Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) scheme came into effect on 1st April 2019. It’s the new mandatory compliance scheme for large companies, replacing the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) and designed to simplify energy and carbon reporting for large organisations.

If you are exempt from CRC and the Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS), don’t automatically ignore SECR – it draws more large businesses into its net as the criteria differ slightly to the other schemes.

While the CRC was just for companies listed on the stock exchange, with SECR you must now report if you meet any two of the following three criteria, whether you are listed, unlisted or a limited liability partnership: •

More than 250 employees

•

Turnover greater than £36 million

•

Balance sheet value greater than £18 million

If you must comply, your first report will relate to your next full financial year starting on or after 1st April 2019 and form part of your company’s annual report. Although that means this first report will not be due until April 2020 at the earliest, you must make sure your record keeping is fit for purpose from this year, 1st April 2019 onwards. This includes details of energy use relating to electricity, gas and transport as well as the associated greenhouse gas emissions.

Transforming Temperature Control

If you have been or are reporting under CRC or ESOS you are likely to be collecting most of the information needed for SECR already, but you may need to prepare additional disclosures and commentary and it is your responsibility to check specific reporting requirements. In addition, SECR is an annual obligation which is different to the four-yearly cycle of ESOS.

www.seventelematics.co.uk

To check your SECR obligations and find out how we can help with this and other compliance schemes call the NFU Energy team on 024 7669 6512.

Seven Telematics is part of The Connexas Group

For more information visit our website

● www.nfuenergy.co.uk

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M EM BE R N E W S

Updates from BFFF members

Research into 3D-printing with food

Campden BRI begins research into 3D-printing within the food industry.

For 90 years Campden BRI has provided practical scientific, technical, legislative and information support to the food, drink and allied industries. It is now applying its expertise to assessing how 3D-printing applications could benefit the food industry.

Gael Delamare, the ingredient scientist leading the team, said: “There have been major steps forward in 3D-printing in recent years and it has made a huge difference to many industries.

“However, applying the technology to the food sector isn’t straightforward. There are many factors to consider such as shelf-life, microbiological contamination, printing temperature, textures, rheology and ultimately whether different foodstuffs even lend themselves to being printed. All of these issues need to be catered for in order to meet the expectations of the consumer and to do so safely.”

3D-printing of food is a rapidly growing technology and new printers are becoming available that can be used for various types of food materials. These are typically paste-type materials which include chocolate, vegetable

and meat purees, pancake batter, cream, cakes, and biscuits.

The technology is capable of manufacturing product structures which cannot be achieved, or are difficult to achieve, using conventional technology. The project aims to provide an objective and independent evaluation of the capabilities and limitations of 3D-printing technology through practical trials on a wide range of food materials.

The team is working on a range of products and areas, including the potential of the technology for personalised nutrition based on the dietary requirements of different consumers groups, such as fortification with vitamin D, calcium and protein for the elderly.

The project will also use an X-ray micro-CT scanner to scan simple and complex designs to explore the scope of the possible structures and shapes that could be replicated by printing food. The modification of rheological properties to improve printing quality will also be examined. ● www.campdenbri.co.uk

Interim opportunities as Brexit doubts linger Brexit caution is leading to an increase in interim staff, says recruitment specialist.

Jonathan Lee Recruitment supplies the engineering, manufacturing and technical sectors with permanent, contract, interim and executive candidates both in the UK and overseas.

It is warning the pressure on manufacturers to keep costs down while maintaining margins means businesses need to innovate and adopt new technologies to stay competitive.

However, Brexit uncertainty is putting pressure on new product development departments.

According to Scott Williams, senior consultant at Jonathan Lee Recruitment, this means we may see the need to innovate being compromised to make quick savings.

He said: “I have seen senior, permanent positions within NPD departments being replaced by interim roles. It is an unusual situation and seems to have emerged as food processing and manufacturing businesses wait until Brexit uncertainty is resolved.”

info@1cold.com www.1cold.com

Call us today on 01564 702269 Specialists in the Design, Project Management and Construction of Hygienic, Fire Rated and Temperature Controlled Environments

INDUSTRIAL CHILLERS / COLD ROOMS / COLD STORES

The FMCG sector is familiar with the benefits of using interim managers and is within the top four sectors using interim executives.

However, the move looks to be a defence strategy.

Hiring experts on a short-term project basis suits businesses because it gives them more flexibility and reduced risk while allowing them to benefit from the skills and experience of the individuals.

However, many companies fear the cost of taking on interim managers as day rates are higher for experienced interims. But the cost of direct employment adds around two thirds on top of basic pay, so comparing day rates with basic salary is not a fair measure. In fact, paying the right rate for the right individual can mean that projects are delivered in shorter time frames and more efficiently, ultimately saving the business money. ● www.jonlee.co.uk

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M EM B ER N E WS

Updates from BFFF members

Company Shop Group secures funding to tackle food waste Defra commitment to significantly reduce food waste in England leads to funding boost for social enterprise.

Company Shop Group, a commercial redistributor of surplus food and household products, has been awarded nearly £2 million of funding as part of The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) commitment to significantly reduce food waste in England.

Defra invited food redistribution organisations to apply for the first £5 million round of funding under a multi-million-pound pilot scheme.

Company Shop Group will use the funding to support its new ‘Harnessing Harder to Reach Surplus’ project.

The project aims to identify, re-purpose and redistribute surplus from higher up the supply chain which until now has not been redistributed due to the cost and complexity of accessing it.

The Group’s specialist team will spend time working in manufacturing sites alongside internal teams to identify and provide practicable solutions for food safe product. For a variety of reasons, including financial, these products are currently being identified as ‘waste’ instead of valuable ‘surplus’.

Company Shop Group handled more than 70 million surplus items in 2018 and with this additional funding it can widen its reach.

Alongside the team of specialists and support already provided by the Group to the industry, the fund will also go towards the production of a suite of awareness raising assets to influence and educate manufacturers about the possibilities and values of redistributing hard to reach surplus. It will also see the roll out of toolkits across the supply chain to increase the redistribution of this surplus.

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Secure admission tickets at www.anuga.com/tickets International Business Media Services 42 Christchurch Road Ringwood BH24 1DN United Kingdom Tel. +44 1425 48 68 30 info@koelnmesse.co.uk

One collaboration being explored as a result of the Defra funding is with Samworth Brothers, with a view to seeking new solutions to the surplus created in sandwich production. ● www.companyshop.co.uk

Anuga_2019_Anzeige_Bulletin_BFFF_90x252mm_GB.indd 1

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July/August 2019 | 13

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M EM BER N E W S Updates from BFFF members

Sweet success for Bidfood

One of the largest food wholesalers in the UK has exceeded sugar reduction targets set by the government.

Bidfood has been working hard in its commitment to reduce sugar in a number of own-brand products and is now finishing its second phase of reformulations.

The foodservice provider has so far achieved an average of 25% sugar reduction across some of its bestselling cakes and 20% across pie fillings.

Last year, Bidfood revealed a 23% sugar reduction within its ice cream range and has continued to exceed the targets set by Public Health England (PHE) of 20% sugar reduction by 2020.

Some of Bidfood’s most popular cakes such as the pre-cut Everyday Favourites Black Forest gateau have been reformulated to reduce sugar by as much as 30%. This has been achieved by increasing the real fruit content

and refreshing the flavour profile.

Laura Manning, bakery and desserts category manager, said: “Within the bakery and desserts category, consumers generally won’t choose a low sugar option.

It is therefore important to reformulate the current offering to improve the nutritional value without impacting the taste. In order to ensure that the recipes are equally delicious, we have been working with suppliers who are implementing innovative techniques and ingredients to add sweetness without the sugar.”

The initiative aims to support The Childhood Obesity Plan and the government’s fight against childhood sugar consumption. ● www.bidfood.co.uk

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Grocer Gold for Birds Eye New marketing strategy a hit with the judges at this year’s Grocer Gold Awards.

Birds Eye was among the 28 winners at the 2019 Grocer Gold Awards on 11th June, scooping the coveted Brand of the Year award.

The judges were impressed by what has been a huge turnaround for the brand.

Determined to tackle a decline in sales, the new leadership team set about creating a ‘cultural shift’ to give teams greater autonomy and began work to change consumer perceptions of both the brand and the frozen sector as a whole.

The team worked on modernising existing segments with products such as Chicken Shop, and celebrating its ‘heroes’ such as fish fingers, coated fish and peas.

There was also a rethink of the marketing strategy, which led to the creation of the new Captain Birds Eye, who proved a media sensation – he even has his own 2019 calendar.

The results of this multi-faceted approach are reflected in the statistics: Birds Eye grew more than 4% in value last year, double the rate of the frozen foods category as a whole, while penetration rose to 75% of UK households. ● www.birdseye.co.uk

apetito rewarded for sustainability efforts Health and social care food producer scoops Queen’s Award for Enterprise for a third time.

apetito, the UK’s leading food producer for the health and social care sector, has won the UK’s highest business accolade; The Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development.

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MADE IN BRITAIN

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The award recognises apetito’s commitment to conducting business in a way that impacts positively on the environment, society and economy, which has included membership of the UK Plastics Pact and Ethical Trade Initiative, plus work with customers to reduce food waste.

Only awarded for ‘the highest levels of excellence’, the awards attract thousands of entrants from across the UK. The business is one of 201 organisations nationally to be recognised in

this year’s honours, with just six winners in the ‘Sustainable Development’ category.

CEO and chair of apetito UK, Paul Freeston, said: “This award is testament to the hard work, dedication and vision of our entire team.

“Sustainability informs not just the way we work, but how we treat people, the impact on the environment and our contribution to the economy. Leading from the top, we’ve worked to embed this belief into the whole business.”

This is the third Queen’s Award for Enterprise awarded to apetito. ● www.apetito.co.uk

The Bulletin

M EM B ER N E WS

Updates from BFFF members

#IceColdBalls hits the road

Ice manufacturer and apparel brand unite in fight against testicular cancer.

The Ice Co and sister company The Ice Co Storage & Logistics have joined forces to support the OddBalls Foundation in raising awareness of testicular cancer.

The OddBalls Foundation was set up in 2016 following on from the success of underwear and sportwear brand OddBalls Apparel. The brand was launched after former Newcastle United goalkeeper Steve Harper, former Scotland International rugby player Richard Metcalfe and former Newcastle Falcons CEO Paul Varley met and discussed ways to raise money for testicular cancer awareness.

The underwear brand they created along with managing director Will Cooper is supported by sports stars and celebrities including Alan Shearer, Dame Kelly Holmes, James Haskell and the Welsh Rugby Union Team. This year The Ice Co companies have partnered with them to co-brand one of their trailers for the campaign.

The eye-catching design will be used every day in The Ice Co Storage & Logistics operations travelling approximately 160,000km in the year across the UK promoting testicular cancer awareness and the great work the OddBalls Foundation has been doing over the last three years. This will be supported with social media activity and competitions on The Ice Co platforms using #IceColdBalls. ● www.theiceco.co.uk ● www.myoddballs.com

Bühler win for food safety and recycling innovation Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation awarded to Bühler UK Ltd for new camera technology.

The development of unique camera technology used in sorting machines has been recognised with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation for Buhler.

doubled. The technology is now being used by the world’s top nut producers globally to detect blemished nuts along with the smallest shell fragments in walnuts, pecans and pistachios.

Capable of recognising subtle colour and shading contrasts in materials and foods, the camera significantly increases detection rates for foreign materials, potential choke hazards or contaminated foods.

Similar inroads are being made into the frozen vegetable market thanks to the ability of PolarVision technology to detect even the most challenging foreign material in frozen vegetable production lines.

The technology is currently being used by food producers in Europe and the United States, who are reporting increased detection rates for foreign materials, up from 85% to 95%.

Ardo, one of the world’s largest fresh-frozen fruit, vegetable and herb producers, has introduced PolarVision in its European sorting plants.

Steven Van Engelandt, Ardo’s group project engineer, said: “In our experience, PolarVision technology is one of the best digital-vision technologies when it comes to detecting foreign material in the industrial frozen vegetables process. It’s a jump forward.”

The UK-developed technology uses hyperspectral imaging to record vast amounts of wavelength data to generate highly accurate colour and shading contrasts for specific products. This data is then statistically analysed to create algorithms that inform the sorting camera about what to look for when detecting contamination or a foreign object in a production process.

Over the past four years Bühler has used this technology to produce a range of specialist cameras for different markets. Its BioVision camera is targeted at the nut industry, PolarVision at producers of frozen vegetables and PolyVision designed to improve plastic recycling rates.

One of the criteria for a Queen’s Award is that the technology should not just be innovative, but also be scalable, commercially viable and have resulted in a material improvement to a commercial process.

Since the introduction of the Sortex E optical sorter using BioVision technology, sales of Bühler sorting solutions into the nut sector have

The Bühler camera technology is also being used to detect foreign material and lower grade or discoloured polymers to ensure the highest grade recyclate can be achieved by plastic recyclers. By detecting such high rates of contamination, it is now possible to produce food grade plastic packaging from 100% recycled material, cutting the need for virgin plastic production and levels of plastic being sent to landfill.

While the technology has so far been applied to detect foreign materials, future developments will also be able to detect mycotoxins and even pathogens.

● www.buhlergroup.com

July/August 2019 | 15

However, following the death of his brothers, he made the decision to sell his share when he retired because he knew he had to be either ‘in or out’, a perspective typical of his nononsense pragmatism.

Frank Brake

22 December 1933 – 22 December 2018

Richard Harrow remembers frozen food pioneer and former BFFF president Frank Brake.

On Saturday 8th June I attended a memorial service for Frank Brake.

Frank, together with his two brothers William and Peter, created the business that we know today as Brakes. It was wonderful to hear more about his life in and out of the business, and about his involvement with local charities and sport clubs.

The son of publicans in New Oxford Street, Frank was born into the hospitality industry and the Brake brothers followed in their parents’ footsteps when they opened a pub in Swindon in the 1950s. It was here their entrepreneurial spirit began to show when a local farmer offered the brothers some chickens which had stopped laying.

As well as being a pioneer of the frozen sector, Frank was an incredible supporter of BFFF. He served as president from November 1997 to November 1999 and was actively involved with the federation for many years.

"

We would do well to remember Frank’s ethos of driving a business with vision and strong NPD combined with employing good people and treating them with kindness and respect.

"

We operate in a marketplace that is very different today from the one that saw the creation of Brakes Frozen Food. However, the fundamentals remain the same. We would do well to remember Frank’s ethos of driving a business with vision and strong NPD combined with employing good people and treating them with kindness and respect.

Frank, or as he was called within the business ‘Mr Frank’, was a humble, hard-working man with an entrepreneurial spirit. He leaves a lasting legacy and will be remembered fondly.

And so the Brake brothers’ business was born. Brake Bros (Poultry Packers) Ltd was incorporated in 1961, with the business carrying out poultry processing and packing, specialising in delivering poultry to caterers in Kent and London.

In 1963, believing freezing food to be the way forward, the brothers began to distribute frozen foods alongside the main business of selling poultry. By 1969, and with frozen food becoming more popular, the next logical step was to produce their own ready meals.

Poultry processing ceased in 1974 when the decision was taken to expand the frozen food side of the business and the name of the company was changed to Brake Bros (Frozen Foods) Ltd on 1st July, 1977.

Frank was a real pioneer in terms of both developing a foodservice concept and products that meant frozen food was at the heart of the business.

In 1991 the company was looking beyond its traditional frozen food market with a view to further expansion. Accordingly, the name was changed once again and Brake Bros Foodservice Ltd came into being. Moves into fresh food and an international focus followed and completed the journey from humble beginnings to a major listed company.

Peter Day, our current Honorary Lifetime Member, was also at the memorial. I have known Peter for some 34 years now and he has much experience and some wonderful memories. Do share time with him if you have the good fortune of bumping into him.

The Bulletin

IN D U STRY N EWS

Waitrose announces ‘refillable zone’ trial

Updates from the frozen food industry

The initiative, which includes frozen fruit, will provide shopper insight while feeding consumer appetite for sustainability.

A dedicated refillable zone, the UK's first supermarket frozen ‘pick and mix’ and first borrow-a-box scheme, are among a series of ideas being looked at in a unique test from Waitrose & Partners, with the aim of saving thousands of tonnes of unnecessary plastic and packaging.

we help the growing number of customers who want to shop in a more sustainable way.

The test is designed to determine how customers might be prepared to shop differently in the future. The retailer has transformed its Botley Road shop in Oxford and taken hundreds of products out of their packaging.

“This test has huge potential to shape how people might shop with us in the future so it will be fascinating to see which concepts our customers have an appetite for. We know we’re not perfect and have more to do, but we believe this is an innovative way to achieve something different.”

It has the largest number of loose fruit and vegetable lines of any national supermarket, has removed plastic wrap from its flowers and indoor plants and has launched refillable options for everything from wine and beer to cereals and coffees, as well as cleaning products.

Head of CSR for Waitrose & Partners, Tor Harris, said: “We are determined to build on the work we’ve already done to reduce packaging and this test will take our efforts to a whole new level as

The test - branded ‘Waitrose Unpacked’ - will run for a period of 11 weeks until 18th August as the supermarket seeks as much feedback as possible. Packaged equivalents of the products will remain in their usual areas to create an effective test. ● www.waitrose.co.uk

CEO Richard Harrow pledges commitment to government food waste campaign Groundbreaking ‘Step up to the Plate’ initiative gets frozen backing.

Food waste in the UK totals 10.2 million tonnes per year, of which 1.8 million tonnes comes from food manufacture, 1 million from the hospitality sector and 260,000 from retail, with the remainder from households.

The Government is committed to supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 to halve food waste by 2030, report on progress and prioritise action.

To this end, the flagship ‘Step up to the Plate’ symposium was held on 13th May in London, inviting food industry representatives to sign a pledge to take ground-breaking action to drive down food waste.

BFFF’s chief executive Richard Harrow was one of the first to commit.

The pledge, relevant to both organisations and individuals, outlines the commitments needed to address food waste from farm to fork.

It includes commitments to significantly increase activity to address citizen food waste, such as becoming involved with WRAP’s behaviour change intervention programme and supporting the ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaigns.

“The scale of food waste in the UK is truly

shocking and I firmly believe frozen has a vital role to play in waste reduction efforts, so I had no hesitation whatsoever in signing up to Step up to the Plate,” said Richard.

“Government has woken up to the fact the UK has a huge problem that needs to be fixed but needs to start seeing frozen as a significant part of the solution. The Step up to the Plate symposium was a great start but clearly there’s more to be done,” he concluded.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “Congratulations to BFFF for stepping up to the plate and committing to game-changing action to cut food waste.

“The UK is showing real leadership in this area and together we will end the environmental and economic scandal that is food waste.”

Expert speakers and panel discussions took place on the day to challenge the status quo and ignite a cultural shift in how we view and treat food.

Big-hitters from the world of food and sustainability including Aldi, Asda, Café Nero, Co-op, Costa, FDF, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Starbucks, Tesco, M&S, Morrisons, Nestlé, Ocado, UK Hospitality, Unilever, WWF and Waitrose have also signed the pledge and

committed to raise public awareness of the issue through a week of action.

This is due to take place in the first week of November and will be called ‘The Food Conversation’, an initiative designed to wake citizens up to the impact of wasting food and empower them to take personal action.

All those who have signed the pledge are encouraged to fully support the Food Conversation in whatever ways fit their organisation, amplifying the key messages.

WRAP is developing partner resources which will be produced and circulated, ensuring consistent messaging is used by all partners but with the versatility to be tailored.

The hospitality and foodservice sectors can also get involved with another wastereduction campaign; ‘Guardians of Grub’.

Aimed at empowering professionals to reduce the amount of food thrown away in their establishments, the initiative is all about making simple, low-cost changes to the way food is bought, prepared and served that have waste reduction in mind.

Sign up to the Step up to the Plate pledge today: simply send a signed copy of the pledge to www.wrap.org.uk/stepuptotheplate

July/August 2019 | 17

The Bulletin

NEW

Caterforce launches new Chefs’ Selections cake range

New cost-effective range leverages ‘Instagram effect’ to bring customers high impact product that taps into consumer trends while being big on quality and taste.

Foodservice buying group Caterforce has launched eight new cake products as part of its own-label Chefs’ Selections range, which offer a cost-effective range of celebratory cakes based on the latest trends.

“Cakes are a key category for the hospitality and catering sector and we’re confident our Chefs’ Selections range is offering our customers a cost-effective product line that doesn’t compromise on quality or taste.

The eight products are split into two categories; ‘Colour Pop’ and ‘Elegant and Fresh’.

“Our award-winning Chefs’ Selections range has been a huge success since its launch in 2012 and we’ve taken our experience with existing products to ensure the new cake range is competitively priced while meeting the demands of consumers.”

The Colour Pop range is made up of four brightly coloured celebration cakes: Pinata, Rainbow, Funfetti and Citrus Sunbeam, aimed at familyfocused establishments.

The Elegant and Fresh range also contains four products: a Persianstyle lemon cake, a lemon and elderflower cake, a Victoria sponge cake and a blueberry muffin cake. With a more upmarket focus, the elegant cakes are perfect for afternoon tea and special occasions.

Nick Redford, managing director at Caterforce, said: “Consumers love eye-catching and aspirational cakes they can’t make at home or buy in supermarkets. They are ideal for coffee shops, pubs, restaurants and hotels.

18 |

The cake range has already been recognised with its Persian Style Lemon Cake and Chocolate Pinata Cake given accolades as finalists in the Chefs’ Choice Awards, which reward foodservice excellence.

Nick added: “Consumers want cakes that taste as good as they look. We’ve been rigorously testing during the product development process to ensure each ingredient is the best for that product. The designs have also been carefully considered to create a range of Instagram-worthy cakes that an outlet will be proud to show off and will entice people in.”

The Bulletin NEW PRODUCTS

New look for Big Fish Traditionally Smoked range

Kara and Weetabix launch nutritious breakfast muffins

JCS Fish has unveiled a new design for its BigFish Traditionally Smoked products. The redesign marks the first step in a project to improve packaging across the BigFish range. The move will increase visual appeal and improve the environmental credentials of the packaging, with less waste and increased recyclability.

Despite the smaller format, pack weights for both BigFish Traditional Smoked Salmon and Traditional Smoked Sea Trout remain the same. Products are available in either 100g or 200g, in both chilled and frozen formats.

Kara, the foodservice arm of the Finsbury Food Group, has announced its partnership with Weetabix to bring new breakfast muffins to the foodservice sector. The muffins come in two flavours; Apricot & Oat and Apple & Raisin. Each muffin is low in saturated fat and a source of fibre, giving consumers a delicious, nutritious on-the-go breakfast option. The muffins come wrapped in a Weetabix-branded tulip case and are exclusively available through Kara Foodservice.

Richmond launches Thin Chicken Sausages

Stock up on Sriracha for summer

Kerry Foods is launching new Richmond Thin Chicken Sausages to complement its existing chicken sausages range. Available in a 12 pack, each sausage is just 48 calories, offering consumers a broader range of choice within the sausage category and providing a versatile ingredient for a variety of meals. The Richmond Thin Chicken Sausage range is available now in Asda stores nationwide and will continue to roll out across the market in 2019 and 2020.

Meadow Vale Foods has launched Sriracha chopsticks in time for barbecue season. The boneless and skinless chicken fillets are coated in a mild, sweet and spicy marinade of traditional ingredients. They can be thawed and served, or cooked from frozen. Individually quick-frozen, they allow full portion control and can be cooked from frozen in a microwave within three minutes.

This makes them an ideal choice for those with smaller kitchens or limited freezer and holding space.

July/ August 2019 | 19

The Bulletin

TEC H NI CA L + L E G I S L AT I V E & H E A LT H + S A F E T Y

update

Agency workers: your rights and responsibilities From time to time Health & Safety and Technical articles are combined with a topic which has synergies across both disciplines. In this case we look at agency workers, these falling into a very grey area for companies in terms of an employer’s liability.

Many companies really do need to firm up their arrangements with agencies, especially in areas such as training and the management of medical conditions.

The following advice was recently published by Richard Turnell, large loss claims specialist at NFU Mutual.

The number of agency workers employed in Great Britain is set to number 1 million by 2020 according to research by Resolution Foundation. That is a rise of 150,000 from numbers in 2017.

There are undoubtedly a great number of benefits to companies in the UK employing agency workers. While I don’t pretend that I can assume the role of HR director or financial director, the speed with which agency workers can be taken on, the ability to fill positions as production demands increase, the flexibility of hiring seasonal workers without the need to offer permanent contracts; these would all be cited as positive reasons for employing agency workers.

However, there are also some balancing factors that need consideration, particularly when it comes to matters of employers’ liability. What do companies need to be wary of when taking on shortterm agency workers? I hope to set out some considerations and observations from the perspective of a technical claims handler who frequently deals with a caseload of employers’ liability claims involving agency workers.

THE LEGAL STATUS OF AGENCY WORKERS Agency workers are supplied by an agency to a business. They do not have a contract of employment with the company or with the agency and are not, strictly, employees of either.

THE LEGAL POSITION UNDER THE ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM ACT 2013 (ERRA) Before any discussion can take place concerning the considerations that employers have to take from a health and safety perspective in employing agency workers, it is worth restating the position for the employer now that The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (the ERRA) is firmly entrenched in law in England and Wales.

The aim of ERRA was an attempt to level the claims playing field. It has done so by reversing the presumption in section 47 of the Health and 20 |

Safety at Work Act 1974 that a breach of statutory duty (as imposed on employers by the host of health and safety regulations colloquially referred to as the '6-pack') could give rise to civil liability.

The ERRA does away with the ‘strict liability’ imposed on employers for breach of certain regulations (for example, Regulation 5 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) and means that employees and agency workers must now prove negligence on the part of the employer. Has the employer taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the agency worker is kept safe at work? If they have then they will not be liable to compensate the agency worker for any personal injury suffered.

Those regulations still apply to employers however, and breach of them will invariably be cited as evidence that the employer was negligent.

In most cases, so far as employers’ liability claims are concerned, and the exceptions will not be discussed here, the employer - not the agency supplying the worker - will be deemed to have control over the worker and therefore be deemed to be the employer for the purposes of health and safety obligations.

So, when the agency worker arrives for his first shift, what considerations need to be made by the employer and what does the employer really need to be certain of? What will the technical claims handler be looking for evidence of when a claim is commenced?

The Bulletin

From head of technical, Denise Rion

From head of health and safety, Simon Brentnall

“

TRAINING

Can an employer be certain that the agency worker has been given adequate training by the agency? Never assume that they have.

The ERRA does away with the 'strict liability' imposed on employers for breach of certain regulations (for example, Regulation 5 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) and means that employees and agency workers now have to prove negligence on the part of the employer.

Think about the job the agency worker will be required to do: •

Does it involve lifting crates or other heavy and bulky objects?

•

Are you relying on a piece of paper from the agency stating the agency worker has had manual handling training sufficient to satisfy the tasks to be undertaken and the requirements of the manual handling operations regulations?

•

Has the risk involved really been reduced to the lowest practicable level?

If, when a claim is presented, it cannot be demonstrated that the agency worker has received suitable or adequate training, manual handling or otherwise, then can the technical claims handler realistically say that you as the employer has done all that is reasonably asked of you?

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT The agency worker arrives on the first day wearing trainers and a pair of gloves: •

Is this footwear appropriate for the job to be done?

•

If they are lifting heavy and sharp objects or working with cutting objects are the gloves going to protect them?

Do not just assume that an agency worker will come safely equipped.

It is your duty to check. Make sure too that the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) fits. Remember that under PPE Regulations, all PPE must be appropriate to the risks involved and if the agency worker is going to be staying for a number of months, remember that the employer is under a duty to maintain, repair or replace PPE. •

Has the agency worker been told what to do if their gloves get holes or the grip on their boots/shoes wears out?

•

Is PPE being monitored?

If, when a claim is presented, it cannot be proved by reference to

”

clear documentation that suitable PPE was provided, that failure will be considered negligent by the court. If the agency worker can prove that the injury would not have been sustained had suitable PPE been provided, the employer will be liable.

PROVISION AND USE OF WORK EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS

If the employer is going to require the agency worker to use equipment that carries a specific risk, for example band saws, forklift trucks, T20s, use should be restricted only to workers with specific training.

•

As an employer, are you confident that the documents provided by the agency demonstrate sufficiently that the agency worker has received the requisite training in order to safely operate your equipment?

•

Will they need a specific induction and specific site training before you are satisfied?

•

Will the agency worker need a period of supervision after their training?

•

Does the agency worker know where the emergency stops are and what to do in an emergency?

July/ August 2019 | 21

The Bulletin TECHNICAL & LEGISLATIVE / HEALTH & SAFETY

If, when a claim is presented, the employer cannot demonstrate specific evidence of training on a particular piece of equipment that required specific safety training and instruction, is the technical claims handler going to be able to deny liability knowing that training had not been provided?

WORKPLACE (HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE) REGULATIONS The temptation on the first day is to accompany the agency worker to their workstation and to allow them to get on with their job.

It goes without saying that any claim made for problems associated with DSE will most likely have evidence of issues taking place over a medium to long period of time and it may not be easy to prove causation as a short-term agency worker in such scenarios.

Nonetheless it would be complacent and risky to not consider this area when taking on an agency worker.

If the employer is going to require the agency worker to use equipment that carries a specific risk e.g. band saws, forklift trucks, T20s etc., use should be restricted only to workers with specific training.

•

As an employer, are you confident that the documents provided by the agency demonstrate sufficiently that the agency worker has received the requisite training in order to safely operate your equipment?

•

Has the agency worker been shown where is safe to walk on site and where not to walk on site?

•

Have they been told to use handrails on staircases?

•

•

If a chair is being used at a workstation, is it safe and suitable for the worker?

Will they need a specific induction and specific site training before you are satisfied?

•

Will the agency worker need a period of supervision after their training?

•

Does the agency worker know where the emergency stops are and what to do in an emergency?

If the answer any of these is no, do not just make do. It is far easier, as a technical claims handler, to defend a claim – for example where somebody has fallen on a stairway or been struck by a moving vehicle whilst in an unauthorised area – if clear and specific evidence can be produced to show a detailed induction.

A quick tick box sheet is highly unlikely to suffice. Give details or be prepared to provide evidence that shows a detailed induction has been undertaken, pointing out prohibited areas and specific hazards and highlighting how to behave safely on site.

If, when a claim is presented, the employer cannot demonstrate specific evidence of training on a particular piece of equipment that required specific safety training and instruction, is the technical claims handler going to be able to deny liability knowing that training had not been provided?

The problem that is frequently encountered when looking at documentary evidence is that a tick sheet confirming a site induction does not give details as to what it entails. This in turn limits the document as a piece of evidence.

OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS The accident report

DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT (DSE) REGULATIONS If the agency worker is going to be using a computer or display screen all day, consider the following before they start work at such stations.

•

Has the routine been planned and explained to that worker?

•

Are you going to monitor breaks?

•

Has the agency worker been trained on the associated risks?

•

Has information on measures to control those risks been given?

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In the event of a claim, the first thing that the technical claims handler will need to see is the contemporaneous accident report. This is, after all, the first record of what happened.

It is amazing just how many claims there are involving agency workers where the employer does not have an accident report filled out and signed by an appropriate company officer. It is sometimes left to the agency to fill out a report, offsite and after the event, or other times left for the agency worker to fill out the form themselves.

The danger in this is that a claim-minded agency worker who has sustained an injury whilst at your work may be likely to give details only that assist his potential claim. Their evidence cannot be challenged nor easily corroborated.

The Bulletin TECHNICAL & LEGISLATIVE / HEALTH & SAFETY

If an agency worker has an accident on site, you need to get the report completed, signed by the claimant and countersigned by an appropriate officer of the company before that agency worker leaves site. If this simply is not possible, the agency needs to be chased without fail to provide the report as soon as possible and then upon receipt, this document needs to be challenged and verified as part of the accident investigation.

Conclusion

Do not leave things to chance. The accident report is a crucial document and too many employers of agency workers overlook this.

An employer who wishes to utilise agency workers must therefore ensure that:

Wage details and ongoing absence

•

they have not assumed the agency have prepared that worker for safely working at, and for, that employer

•

training records are not taken for granted, but are considered and examined prior to the commencement of work

•

full consideration has been given to the relevant health and safety legislation, and whether everything has been done that could be reasonably asked of them

•

in the event of an accident and/or claim, the agency is utilised and made to provide as much information about their worker to you in order that the claim may be managed most effectively.

Under normal circumstances when a full-time employee has an accident, the company will know what the employee’s ongoing loss of earnings and future capacity for work is. They will have an HR department and may also have an occupational health department in constant contact with the employee while they are absent from work.

It is easier for a technical claims handler to consider the appropriate reserve and to manage the claim, because there are many known quantities.

Is this the case with an agency worker? Invariably not. Picture this scenario: an agency worker falls from a ladder, lands on their shoulder and head and leaves work in an ambulance. As a technical claims handler, this is potentially a serious injury with possible long-term consequences, especially when considering the setting of the reserve for the claim.

How can the technical claims handler know when the injured agency worker is back fit for work?

Frequently, employers fail to utilise the agency to ascertain a present and ongoing position from them. There are no sick notes obtained and no knowledge of whether the agency worker is doing work for a new employer. The only hint as to the ongoing condition of the injured party that can be gained are from the Compensation Recovery Unit and whether ongoing benefits are being claimed; albeit not every long-term injured party will necessarily claim benefits.

While economics dictate that there are many positive benefits to employers for the intake of agency workers. However, there are risks and pitfalls from a claims management and defensibility perspective in integrating agency workers swiftly into the workplace without giving due thought and attention to the risks involved.

NFU Mutual is an expert in the corporate insurance market and provides specialist advice and guidance to its members on a range of subjects.

Please remember that this article contains general information and that you should take advice on your individual circumstances.

Next steps For more information on how NFU Mutual can help your business, please call 01789 412 569 or email corporate_enquiries@nfumutual. co.uk.

The technical claims handler benefits from certainty and complete information. So, if you have an agency worker who has an injury, use the agency. Make sure they are keeping you appraised and updated on the injured party. You need to know as much as you can, because if you don’t then this invariably has consequences for you in terms of the potential reserve to be held and the management of that particular claim.

Will an agency worker claim?

Most likely, yes. An agency worker is not a full-time employee and therefore does not have the ties of loyalty to the employer that a fulltime employee might. Neither does an agency worker have the benefit of company sick pay that most full-time employees have, so time off work starts to hurt financially from the date of the accident.

It is therefore of paramount importance that the employer, in the event of an accident, adopts the attitude that the accident will result in a claim right from the start and needs to be investigated and prepared accordingly. This means maximum utilisation of the agency to assist with this.

July/ August 2019 | 23

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July/August 2019 | 29

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Gala Dinner Dance Product Awards

2019

Gala Dinner & Annual Product Awards SPONSORED BY:

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The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

An excited hush descended on the room.

The lights dimmed.

The anticipation rose.

The 'Oscars' of the frozen food industry were finally here.

BFFF president and joint MD of Iceland Nigel Broadhurst opened proceedings by taking to the stage to welcome attendees and introduce the federation’s new leading man: CEO Richard Harrow.

Richard spoke about how proud and excited he was to be joining the BFFF family in an official capacity, as well as the approach he’s going to be taking. It was clear to everyone how passionate he is about frozen and listening to member needs.

Then the showstopping food arrived – a delectable line-up of orange-cured sea trout with clementine gel, followed by sublime beef fillet nestling on creamy leek mash, finished off perfectly with a strawberry and cream ‘cushion’.

On to the live entertainment for the evening, which this year came in the irresistible form of the foot-tappingly excellent Frankie’s Guys, a feel-good Jersey Boys tribute act who relished getting everyone to shake their stuff on the dancefloor and bring the BFFF house down.

Cue the much-anticipated awards themselves, which this year were handed out by Richard Harrow, with a firm handshake and a warm smile for all the winners.

Read more about the winning products across the next few pages, as well as get more of an insight into how impressed the judges were by the creativity and innovation on display.

With all the awards handed out, guests partied with resident house band Rollacoaster well into the night, buoyed as always by breakfast at 1.30am when they could refuel, recharge and kick off their dancing shoes to dine on bacon butties and sausage sandwiches – as well as tea, of course.

In addition to American Express, which sponsored the President’s Reception at the very start of the night, the event was also supported by headline sponsor XPO Logistics.

Other businesses to get involved were Lineage (awards sponsor), Iceland (brochure sponsor) and event partners ABP, Freiberger, Meal Creations, NewCold and Sai Global.

Speaking to The Bulletin at this year’s event, Richard Harrow told us: “I couldn’t have asked for more from my first Gala Dinner Dance and Product Awards as BFFF’s CEO – I’ve loved absolutely every minute of it.

“The team have been incredible and it’s been wonderful to meet so many of our valued members and sponsors.

“The standard of awards entries was once again really high for 2019 and testament to the thriving industry in which we all work. I’m really looking forward to the Annual Conference and People Awards in March – nominations will be open later this summer.”

The Craft Guild of Chefs and consumer panels, who judge the foodservice awards and retail awards respectively, always have a tough job making their decisions and this year was no different.

July/August 2019 | 31

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Abbeydale, Jungheinrich, NFU and The Big Prawn Company

American Express having fun – sponsors of the President’s Reception

apetito

ABP and Nigel Broadhurst

Andrew Hetherington and Tiffany Cole of American Express

32 |

Laila and Nazir Remtulla of Laila’s Fine Foods

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Best Foods

American Express and Magnavale

Westbridge Foods, Destiny Foods and Havelok

Chris Healey, Mike Robinson and Martin Atkinson of XPO Logistics

Richard Harrow, BFFF chief executive, with guests

Denise and Tony Worthington of Ibex Foods

BFFF Commercial with guests

July/August 2019 | 33

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Kate Miller, BFFF membership account manager, and Sheila Young

Lakeland Dairies

CROP's

Froneri and Northcoast

34 |

Birds Eye

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

American Express, NewCold and Creative Foods Europe

Birds Eye and Arco

Richard Harrow, BFFF, Martin Atkinson and Nila Patel, XPO and Rodney Steel, BCMPA (l-r)

Siobhan O’Callaghan, BFFF, Alex Gipps, Joe Buckner Associates and Suzanna Bain, Pelican (l-r)

Brian Young and guests

Sheila and Brian Young – former chief executive of BFFF

Freiberger and Aldi

July/August 2019 | 35

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Cargill

David Wood Baking

Michael Bennett, Pelican, Brian Young, former chief executive of BFFF and Andrew Green, Craft Guild of Chefs

Innovate Foods, Kerry Foods, Roswel, SAI Global and Tulip

American Express sponsors of the President’s Reception

36 |

Guests of the president mingle in his reception

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Dawn Foods

Doughlicious and Pacific West Foods

Innovate Foods, Kerry Foods, Roswel, SAI Global and Tulip

July/August 2019 | 37

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Icefresh

Karro Food Frozen

Kuehne and Nagel

Alice McGuinness, Henry Craven, Sean Webb and Anthony Gosling of Froneri (l-r)

Lineage Logistics

Guests checking brochure for their seats

38 |

Frankie's Guys

Jonathan Baker, Lineage Logistics, meeting guests

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

XPO Richard Harrow, BFFF chief executive, and Nigel Broadhurst, BFFF president

Reg Hannaford chatting with guests in Wellington Ballroom Reception

Oakfield Foods

Shakespeare Martineau and Sea Products International

Three Oceans

July/August 2019 | 39

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Join us for

LUNCH! BFFF Annual Luncheon

Tuesday 26th November 2019 London Hilton on Park Lane To book tickets visit: http://bfff.co.uk/category/annual-luncheon

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

BFFF staff

Emma Clark and Felicia Tang of American Express

Bidfood with Andrew Roberts

Billington Group

Annie Harrow, Sheila Young and Emma Cranidge, BFFF (l-r)

Lineage Logistics team

July/August 2019 | 41

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Public warehousing Port-centric warehousing Automated warehousing On-site processing Transporation

Manufacturing High-pressure processing Re-distribution Packaging Customs brokerage

Reimagining the world's food supply chain

LEARN MORE AT LINEAGELOGISTICS.COM

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Thank you for attending!

July/August 2019 | 43

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

44 |

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Gala Dinner Dance Product Awards

BFFF Annual

2019

Product Awards SPONSORED BY:

July/August 2019 | 45

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

SPONSORED BY:

RETAIL AWARDS SUMMARY RETAIL PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

Double Chocolate Cookie 14 Allergen Free Frozen Dessert

Yorica UK Ltd.

BEST NEW INGREDIENT, COMPONENT, ACCOMPANIMENT PRODUCT: GOLD

Luxury Pork, Cranberry and Orange Stuffing Parcels

Iceland Foods Ltd.

SILVER

Steamfresh Indian Rice

Birds Eye Ltd.

BRONZE

All Mixed Up Potato Shapes

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BEST NEW ETHNIC OR WORLD CUISINE PRODUCT

46 |

Aldi Stores Ltd & Freiberger UK Ltd.

GOLD

Carlos Rocket & Grana Padano Flatbread

SILVER

Lime & Coriander Pulled Chicken Rice

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Carlos Chicken & Mango Flatbread

Aldi Stores Ltd.

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

BEST NEW FISH PRODUCT GOLD

100% Cod Fillet Chunks

Whitby Seafoods Ltd.

SILVER

Chunky Fish Fingers

Birds Eye Ltd.

BRONZE

Fish Nuggets

Birds Eye Ltd.

BEST NEW PARTY FOOD, STARTER PRODUCT GOLD

Let’s Party Oriental Vegetable Selection

SILVER

Let’s Party 12 Red Thai Chicken Wontons

BRONZE

Luxury Ultimate King Prawn Ring with Sweet Chilli Sauce

Aldi Stores Ltd. Aldi Stores Ltd. Iceland Foods Ltd.

BEST NEW MEAT PRODUCT GOLD

Luxury Argentinian Sirloin Steak

Iceland Foods Ltd.

SILVER

Luxury New York Strip Loin Steak

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Luxury Wagyu Beef Quarter Pounders

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BEST NEW POULTRY PRODUCT GOLD

Specially Selected Chicken, Bacon & Monterey Jack Cheese Parcel

Aldi Stores Ltd.

SILVER

Boneless Perfect Turkey Crown

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Taste of Summer – Red Hot Chilli Thighs

Invicta Foods Ltd.

BEST NEW FREE FROM, MEAT FREE, VEGETABLE-BASED PRODUCT GOLD

Double Chocolate Cookie 14 Allergen Free Frozen Dessert

Yorica UK Ltd.

SILVER

Morrisons Gluten Free Breaded Pollock Fillets

Crown Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Goodfella’s Vegan Falafel

Birds Eye Ltd.

BEST NEW DESSERT OR CONFECTIONERY PRODUCT GOLD

Asda Apple and Walnut Cake

Coppenrath and Wiese (UK) Ltd.

SILVER

Passion Fruit Naked Gateau

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Luxury Winter Berry Christmas Tree Cheesecake

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BEST NEW ICE-CREAM PRODUCT GOLD

Specially Selected Christmas Ice-cream – Mince Pie and Brandy Butter

Aldi Stores Ltd.

SILVER

Mini Strawberry Vienna

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Iceland Mini Ice Cream Cones

Icefresh Foods Ltd.

SPECIAL AWARD FOR INNOVATION GOLD

Broccoli and Purple Carrot Bites

Strong Roots Food Company Ltd.

*Results Sheet compiled from information supplied on entry forms

July/August 2019 | 47

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Retail Product of the Year – Michael Simpson-Jones of Waitrose receives the award on behalf of Yorica from Jonathan Baker of Lineage Logistics (l-r).

RETAIL Product of the Year

SPONSORED BY:

Retail gold went to Double Chocolate Cookie 14 Allergen Free Frozen Dessert

by Yorica UK Ltd. Yorica UK Ltd walked away with the gold award for it’s cocoa-packed allergen-free dessert. Other gold winners on the night included Whitby Seafoods Ltd in the New Fish-Based Product category and Aldi Stores Ltd’s selection of oriental vegetable starters.

The BFFF Retail Awards provide a unique opportunity for independent consumers from across the UK to really put these products through their paces. Each one is scored on its appearance, taste, innovation, packaging, preparation instructions, likelihood of purchase and value for money.

To be presented with an award after such rigorous scrutiny really is something to be proud of.

Commenting on this year’s winners, BFFF chief executive Richard Harrow said: “This is my first awards event as chief executive and I am incredibly proud of the hard work and creativity demonstrated by all the entrants and the BFFF team.

“The impressive innovation happening across frozen is incredibly encouraging, especially considering the important role the sector has to play as we look towards a future of increased value for the consumer and decreased food waste for us all.”

48 |

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

1

Judges said this was ‘a lovely product with excellent flavour’ and commented that the taste of the different ingredients came through well, with one adding that the product is ‘a great accompaniment to a Sunday roast as a little something different from plain stuffing.’

Silver: Steamfresh Indian Rice by Birds Eye Ltd.

2

Bronze: All Mixed Up Potato Shapes by Iceland Foods Ltd.

3

1. Steve Ford of Iceland, 2. Jessica Stephens of Birds Eye, 3. Iceland Team

1

Carlos Rocket & Grana Padano Flatbread by Aldi Stores Ltd & Freiberger UK Ltd clinched gold in this category. The consumers were impressed by what they described as ‘a tasty product at a fair price.’

Crucially, the flatbread looked exactly as it did on the packaging and tasted just as good.

Silver: Lime & Coriander Pulled Chicken Rice by Iceland Foods Ltd.

2

3

1. Matt Whitwood of Freiberger UK and Rachael Keogh of Aldi Stores, 2. Iceland Team, 3. Martin Shields and Rachael Keogh of Aldi Stores.

Bronze: Carlos Chicken & Mango Flatbread by Aldi Stores Ltd.

Ethnic or World Cuisine Product

The gold award went to Luxury Pork, Cranberry and Orange Stuffing Parcels by Iceland Foods Ltd.

Ingredient, component, accompaniment

Retail awards Best new...

July/August 2019 | 49

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Retail awards Best new...

A traditional family favourite came out on top in the fish-based category with 100% Cod Fillet Chunks by Whitby Seafoods Ltd taking the gold.

Judges loved the ‘lovely crispy texture’ and ‘good, firm, meaty fish’, but also praised the packaging and appearance.

Silver: Chunky Fish Fingers by Birds Eye Ltd.

Party Food, Starter Product

Fish Product

Bronze: Fish Nuggets by Birds Eye Ltd.

50 |

2

3

1. 100% Cod Fillet Chunks by Whitby Seafoods Ltd., 2/3. Jessica Stephens of Birds Eye

1

Aldi Stores Ltd walked home with a gold award for its Let’s Party Oriental Vegetable Selection. The selection of frozen starters was described as really tasty, good value and a nice starter for a Chinese meal that also looked good on the plate.

Silver: Let’s Party 12 Red Thai Chicken Wontons by Aldi Stores Ltd.

2

3

1. Rachael Keogh of Aldi Stores, 2. Martin Shields and Rachael Keogh of Aldi Stores, 3. Iceland Team

Bronze: Luxury Ultimate King Prawn Ring with Sweet Chilli Sauce by Iceland Foods Ltd.

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Retail awards Best new...

Silver: Luxury New York Strip Loin Steak by Iceland Foods Ltd. Bronze: Luxury Wagyu Beef Quarter Pounders by Iceland Foods Ltd.

2

3

1. Steve Ford of Iceland, 2/3. Iceland Team

1

This proved to be another strong group for Aldi Stores Ltd. Its Specially Selected Chicken, Bacon & Monterey Jack Cheese Parcel took gold after wowing our independent judges with its ‘lovely flaky pastry and flavours that complement each other well.'

Silver: Boneless Perfect Turkey Crown by Iceland Foods Ltd.

2

3

1. Rachael Keogh of Aldi Stores, 2. Iceland Team, 3. Red Hot Chilli Thighs by Invicta Foods Ltd.

Bronze: Taste of Summer – Red Hot Chilli Thighs by Invicta Foods Ltd.

Poultry Product

1

Meat Product

It was a triple-win for Iceland Foods Ltd in the Best New Meat Product category with the retailer taking home all three awards. However it was the Luxury Argentinian Sirloin Steak that impressed judges most with its juicy texture, flavour and eyecatching packaging.

July/August 2019 | 51

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Dessert or Confectionery Product

Free From, Meat Free, Vegetable-Based

Retail awards Best new...

52 |

Overall retail winner Yorica UK Ltd was awarded gold in the free-from category for its Double Chocolate Cookie 14 Allergen Free Frozen Dessert

by Yorica UK Ltd. Free from all 14 major allergens and Vegan Society approved, judges were impressed by the flavour and texture, with one commenting: 'Loved it! Loved the cocoa bits.'

1

Silver: Morrisons Gluten Free Breaded Pollock Fillets by Crown Foods Ltd. Bronze: Goodfella’s Vegan Falafel by Birds Eye Ltd.

2

3

1.Michael Simpson-Jones of Waitrose on behalf of Yorica, 2. Ivor Rawlins, James Rasor, Tracey Wakelin and Trisha Rasor of Crown foods(l-r), 3. Alex Brown of Birds Eye

1

The gold award for dessert or confectionery went to the Asda Apple and Walnut Cake by Coppenrath and Wiese (UK) Ltd. This was praised for its delicious flavour that would pair perfectly with ice-cream or custard. One judge said it ‘exceeded expectations’ and was ‘excellent value for money.’

Silver: Passion Fruit Naked Gateau by Iceland Foods Ltd.

2

3

1. Rob Thomas of Coppenrath & Wiese (UK), 2/3. Charlotte Durant of Iceland Foods

Bronze: Luxury Winter Berry Christmas Tree Cheesecake by Iceland Foods Ltd.

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

1

Silver: Mini Strawberry Vienna by Iceland Foods Ltd. Bronze: Iceland Mini Ice Cream Cones by Icefresh Foods Ltd.

2

3

1. Martin Shields of Aldi Stores, 2/3. Mike Victor-Smith and Charlotte Durant of Iceland Foods

Striking in their appearance and flavour, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Broccoli & Purple Carrot Bites by Strong Roots Food Company Ltd were awarded gold for Innovation. Cut into the crunchy purple coating to reveal a vibrant green filling. One judge said they ‘loved everything about this product’ – welldeserved praise for this healthy snack.

Retail Special Award Michael Simpson-Jones, Waitrose for Strong Roots

Special Award for Innovation

Aldi Stores Ltd came out on top again in the ice-cream category, winning gold for its Specially Selected Christmas Ice Cream – Mince Pie & Brandy Butter. Hailed ‘a must for Christmas’, this product was described as ‘very unique’ with an amazing taste.

Ice-cream Product

Retail awards Best new...

July/August 2019 | 53

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

SPONSORED BY:

FOODSERVICE AWARDS SUMMARY FOODSERVICE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

MSC Coated Whitebait – Headed and Gutted

Paramount 21 Ltd

BEST NEW INGREDIENT, COMPONENT, ACCOMPANIMENT PRODUCT GOLD

Bacon Jam

Patchwork Foods Ltd

SILVER

Hot2Home

Lamb-Weston/Meijer VOF

BRONZE

Squeeze Professional Chipotle Sauce

Daregal Gourmet Ltd.

BEST NEW ETHNIC OR WORLD CUISINE PRODUCT

54 |

GOLD

Giraffe World Kitchen Lamb, Apricot & Chickpea Tagine

SILVER

JD Wetherspoon Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Spinach Curry

BRONZE

Chicken Murgh Makhani

KK Fine Foods Ltd

KK Fine Foods Ltd Brakes

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

BEST NEW FISH PRODUCT GOLD

MSC Coated Whitebait – Headed and Gutted

Paramount 21 Ltd.

SILVER

M&J MSC Atlantic Haddock with Soba Noodles and Vegetables in a Miso Broth

Brakes

BRONZE

Crispy Battered Tropical Snapper

Pacific West Foods (UK) Ltd.

BEST NEW STARTER PRODUCT GOLD

Mac Cheese Bites

SILVER

Lemon and Pepper Haddock Goujons

BRONZE

Crispy Calamari and Cheese Bites

KK Fine Foods Ltd. Havelok Ltd. Pacific West Foods (UK) Ltd.

BEST NEW MEAT PRODUCT GOLD

Homestyle Salt & Pepper Shredded Chicken

Meadow Vale Foods

SILVER

Chef’s Selection American Battered Chicken Fillets

Caterforce Ltd.

BRONZE

Beef Lasagne

KK Fine Foods Ltd.

BEST NEW BAKERY PRODUCT GOLD

Premium Selection Jewelled Carrot Cake

Bidfood

SILVER

Chicken and Chorizo Pie

Billington Foodservice

BRONZE

MAB Chicken, Cheese, Chorizo and Piperade Pie

Oliver James Foods & Proper Pies

BEST NEW DESSERT, ICE CREAM, CONFECTIONERY PRODUCT GOLD

Premium Selection Salted Caramel Figgy Pudding

Bidfood

SILVER

Chocolate Souffle

Brakes

BRONZE

Premium Selection Triple Chocolate Calypso Mousse

Bidfood

BEST NEW FREE FROM, MEAT FREE, VEGETABLE-BASED PRODUCT GOLD

Beetroot, Red Pepper and Quinoa Burger

Brakes

SILVER

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Loaf Cake

Bidfood

BRONZE

Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

Moy Park

SPECIAL AWARD FOR INNOVATION GOLD

Bacon Jam

Patchwork Foods Ltd

*Results Sheet compiled from information supplied on entry forms

July/August 2019 | 55

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Foodservice Product of the year - Ali Hannaford of Paramount 21 receives the award from Jonathan Baker of Lineage Logistics

FOODSERVICE Product of the Year

SPONSORED BY:

MSC Coated Whitebait – Headed and Gutted by Paramount 21 Ltd was crowned best new Foodservice Product of the Year.

It’s been another incredibly strong year for NPD in the foodservice sector. Paramount 21 Ltd beat off stiff competition from other gold winners, including Bacon Jam by Patchwork Foods Ltd, which took home gold in its category as well as the Special Award for Innovation.

These awards are highly respected throughout the catering industry.

Judged by representatives of the Craft Guild of Chefs, including executive chefs, catering managers and recipe developers, all products are meticulously scrutinised.

On the night of the awards BFFF chief executive Richard Harrow said: “Standards were exceptionally high, showcasing the very best in new product development and innovation. I’ve been really encouraged by the number of businesses and brands putting their products forward, which speaks volumes about the confidence they have in their offering, as well as the future of frozen.”

56 |

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

1

Silver: Hot2Home by Lamb-Weston/Meijer VOF.

2

Bronze: Squeeze Professional Chipotle Sauce by Daregal Gourmet Ltd.

3

1. Rufus Carter and Graham Jackson of Patchwork Foods, 2. Lamb Weston, 3. Cyriac Gourdin, Kirsty Bell and Martin McIlroy of Daregal Gourmet

1 Gold was awarded to Giraffe World Kitchen Lamb, Apricot & Chickpea Tagine by KK Fine Foods Ltd. Described as a superb product and authentic with chunky lamb pieces beautifully cooked, the judges also noted that the balance of lamb to sauce and vegetables was just right.

Silver: JD Wetherspoon Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Spinach Curry by KK Fine Foods Ltd.

2

3

1. Paul Chittenden and Samir Edwards of KK Fine Foods, 2. Samir Edwards, Oliver Addis, Paul Chittenden and Donna Thompson of KK Fine Foods, 3. Emma Hilbrands and Charlotte Laity of Brakes

Bronze: Chicken Murgh Makhani by Brakes.

Ethnic or World Cuisine Product

Bacon Jam by Patchwork Foods Ltd took the gold award for Best New Ingredient, Component, Accompaniment Product. This unusual concept won over judges with its strong bacon taste, wellseasoned flavour and nice consistency. The fact that there are lots of applications for this product no doubt contributed to its success in Innovation too.

Ingredient, component, accompaniment

Foodservice awards Best new...

July/August 2019 | 57

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Foodservice awards Best new...

Overall Foodservice winner Paramount 21 Ltd also took the gold for its MSC Coated Whitebait – Headed and Gutted. Judges said it had a ‘light, tasty crumb’, was ‘well-seasoned’ and ‘easy to eat with a good taste.’ The whitebait is MSC-certified, packed and breaded in Paramount’s UK factory.

Fish Product

1

Silver: M&J MSC Atlantic Haddock with Soba Noodles and Vegetables in a Miso Broth by Brakes.

2

3

Bronze: Crispy Battered Tropical Snapper by Pacific West Foods (UK) Ltd.

1. Ali Hannaford of Paramount 21, 2. James Bowden of Brakes, 3. Martin Finegan of Pacific West Foods (UK) Ltd.

Starter Product

1

58 |

Mac Cheese Bites by KK Fine Foods Ltd was awarded the top prize for the Best New Starter Product. Praised for its ‘great cheese aroma’, the judges also commented that the product is ‘well flavoured and visually good with nice flavour, texture and a crispy coating’.

Silver: Lemon & Pepper Haddock Goujons by Havelok Ltd.

2

3

1. Paul Chittenden and Oliver Addis of KK Fine Foods, 2. John Blewett of Havelok, 3. Martin Finegan of Pacific West Foods (UK) Ltd.

Bronze: Crispy Calamari and Cheese Bites by Pacific West Foods (UK) Ltd.

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Foodservice awards Best new...

Silver: Chef’s Selection American Battered Chicken Fillets by Caterforce Ltd. Bronze: Beef Lasagne by KK Fine Foods Ltd.

2

3

1.Nigel O’Donnell of Meadow Vale Foods, 2. Gary Mullineux and Stephanie Bradley of Caterforce, 3. Samir Edwards, Oliver Addis, Paul Chittenden and Donna Thompson of KK Fine Foods

1

The Premium Selection Jewelled Carrot Cake by Bidfood was named Best New Bakery Product, taking home gold in a category that attracted both sweet and savoury entries. The cake delighted judges with a ‘good texture and flavour’ and ‘good balance of cream and cake’.

Silver: Chicken & Chorizo Pie by Billington Foodservice.

2

3

1. Laura Manning, Rachel Cook and Shekinah Siringwani of Bidfood, 2. Aisling Kemp and Nicola Mills of Billington Group, 3. Oliver James Foods & Proper Pies.

Bronze: MAB Chicken, Cheese, Chorizo and Piperade Pie by Oliver James Foods & Proper Pies.

Bakery Product

1

Meat Product

Top spot for the Best New Meat Product went to Meadow Vale Foods for its Homestyle Salt & Pepper Shredded Chicken. Boasting a ‘nice crunch and seasoning’, this product was described by judges as ‘a good eat which will go well with chutneys’.

Result sheets compiled from information supplied on entry.

July/August 2019 | 59

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Free From, Meat Free, Vegetable-Based Product

Dessert, Ice Cream, Confectionery Product

Foodservice awards Best new...

60 |

With a portion size that’s just right, generous amounts of fig and a nice fruity flavour, the Premium Selection Salted Caramel Figgy Pudding

by Bidfood was a clear winner with the judges who awarded it gold in the Dessert, Ice Cream, Confectionery category.

1

Silver: Chocolate Souffle by Brakes.

Bronze: Premium Selection Triple Chocolate Calypso Mousse by Bidfood.

2

3

1. Rachel Cook, Shekinah Siringwani and Laura Manning of Bidfood, 2. Sarah Newbold and Vanessa Baker of Brakes, 3. Laura Manning, Rachel Cook, and Shekinah Siringwani of Bidfood

1

This was always set to be a competitive category as the trend for meat-alternatives continues to rise in popularity. This year the gold award went to Brakes for its Beetroot, Red Pepper and Quinoa Burger. It was described by judges as a ‘nice looking product with generous amounts of filling and a tasty crumb which complemented the vegetables’.

Silver: Gluten Free Carrot Cake Loaf Cake by Bidfood.

2

3

1. Charlotte Laity and Emma Hilbrands of Brakes, 2. Laura Manning, Rachel Cook and Shekinah Siringwani of Bidfood, 3. Ian Hyland and Ian Hempsall of Moy Park

Bronze: Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets by Moy Park Ltd.

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2019

Thanks to its versatility, unique flavour and great consistency, Bacon Jam by Patchwork Foods Ltd won not only the Special Innovation Award but the Best New Ingredient, Component, Accompaniment Product too.

Rufus Carter and Graham Jackson of Patchwork Foods

Special Award for Innovation

Foodservice awards Best new...

Thank you to our sponsors!

Result sheets compiled from information supplied on entry.

July/August 2019 | 61

DATES

The Bulletin

f o r y our

D IARY 2019

2020

12th September

5th March (date change)

Corporate Social Responsibility Training Workshop Alveston Suite, NFU Mutual CV37 7BJ Email: Carlabrown@bfff.co.uk

5th-9th October

Anuga Kolnmesse, Cologne, Germany www.anuga.com

Leading trade fair for food and beverages

26th November

Annual Luncheon London Hilton on Park Lane www.bfff.co.uk

Top networking event for retail and foodservice

27th November Industry Forum Venue TBC www.bfff.co.uk

Keep up to date with the latest industry news.

62 |

BFFF Annual Business Conference & People Awards Chesford Grange Hotel Kenilworth, Warwick CV8 2LD www.bfff.co.uk

Find out about the future of frozen foods

April (TBC)

Technical and Health & Safety Seminars www.bfff.co.uk

For more information on any of our events or to book tickets, please call: 01400 283090 or email: jillywallis@bfff.co.uk visit us at bfff.co.uk

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