Food & Drink News January/February 2019

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ONLIN E MA NOW AGAZINE VAILAB LE!

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

EXCLUSIVE FEATURES SHELDON’S BAP TO THE FUTURE ENCASE THINKING INSIDE, OUTSIDE AND BEYOND THE BOX

W W W. F O O D A N D D R I N K N E W S . C O . U K

{ January / February 2019 }

Contents ONLINE E MAGAZINABLE! AIL NOW AV

05 INDUSTRY NEWS 18 ‘FREE-FROM’ FOODS 20 CHICKEN COTTAGE 23 KENTAS OF LONDON 25 SHELDON’S 28 ENCASE 31 CAFFÉ CONCERTO 33 BARNIES FOODS

TO VIEW THE 2019 FEATURES LIST PLEASE VISIT WWW.FOODANDDRINKNEWS.CO.UK OR CONTACT US AT +44 (0)1484 321000 TO EMAIL A COPY TO YOU

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January/February Food & Drink News

{ Editor’s Foreword }

New Year’s revolutions?

PUBLISHER Planet Media & Design Ltd Brooke’s Mill, Huddersfield HD4 7NR

MANAGING DIRECTOR Jillian Evans

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paul Roper

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Sarah Hoyer

CHIEF EDITOR David Barnett

SUB-EDITOR Rachael Whiteley

SOCIAL MEDIA Benjamin Wainman

CONTACT US: FACEBOOK @food&drinkmagazine

INSTAGRAM @food&drinkmagazine

TWITTER @food_drink_news

CONTRIBUTE info@planet-media.co.uk

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e’re well into a new year now, and many of us will have let our well-intentioned resolutions slide already.

But not for the food industry. As we settle into 2019, it seems that those traditional promises we make to ourselves on New Year’s Eve – to be healthier, to think more about our environment – have been taken up by suppliers, manufacturers and retailers.

In this first issue of the year we’re taking a look at how the ‘free from’ market for those with food intolerances, such as to dairy or gluten, has exploded massively in the last decade.

We’re also, through our focuses on individual businesses, seeing a greater emphasis on sustainability, especially in packaging.

Hopefully you’ll find much to interest – and perhaps inspire – you in our latest issue.

ADVERTISING advertising@planet-media.co.uk EDITORIAL editorial@planet-media.co.uk MAG SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@planet-media.co.uk

David Barnett CHIEF EDITOR

Food & Drink News is published by Planet Media & Design Ltd. Company registered in England & Wales, number 09365661. All material is the copyright of Planet Media & Design Ltd. All rights reserved. Food & Drink News is the property of Planet Media & Design Ltd. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, whole or part, without the written permission of a Director of Planet Media & Design Ltd. Liability: while every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers can not be held responsible for the accuracy of information herein, or any consequence arising from it. In the case of company or product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the Editor at the time of going to press.

January/February Food & Drink News

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{ Industry News }

NEW GLOVE SAMPLING SERVICE LAUNCHED BY UNIGLOVES Single-use glove specialist Unigloves has launched a new free glove sampling service enabling food and drink companies and workers to test suitability, quality and performance of their gloves for themselves.

The new glove sampling service – available at: https://info.unigloves.co.uk/request-a-sample – is the latest customer support service developed by Unigloves.

Covering the complete range of its singleuse gloves, suitable for sectors including food and drink processing, manufacturing and handling, new sample packs have been designed containing small, medium and large samples of individual glovestyles.

The new service enables companies and workers to try specific gloves for both sizing,

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comfort and suitability for the task at hand free of charge and supplements Unigloves’ free glove audit service, which sees one of the team work with companies to assess the best single-use glove solution for them.

Through the service, a Unigloves glove expert goes on site to conduct an audit on work areas requiring single-use hand protection. The data gathered will include the frequency of use, conditions of use, materials in contact, user feedback and typical working temperatures.

The captured data is then entered into the Unigloves Glove Audit System, which recommends the optimal single-use glove solution for the designated work areas. By using this data-driven approach companies can improve working practices, increase

January/February Food & Drink News

worker protection and safety to ensure compliance with safety regulations.

“The new glove sampling service is the latest addition to our range of resources to help companies ensure they are selecting the right single-use glove solution for their specific needs, enabling them to tap into our knowledge and expertise in a convenient, cost-effective way,” said Unigloves Marketing Director, Donald Gillespie.

To find out more about the glove sampling service visit https://info.unigloves.co.uk/req uest-a-sample or call Unigloves on 0800 049 6602.

{ Industry News }

CARGILL OUTLINES PLAN TO END COCOA DEFORESTATION Cargill has outlined its plan to eliminate deforestation from its cocoa supply chain.

The Protect Our Planet plan provides concrete actions the company is taking to achieve 100% cocoa bean traceability and includes a commitment of ‘no further conversion’ of any forest land in Ghana and Ivory Coast for cocoa production. It also expands the company’s forest efforts to Brazil, Indonesia and Cameroon.

“We recognise there is considerable urgency to address climate and deforestation challenges. This means engaging in programs to stop deforestation in the countries from which we source cocoa,” said Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate President, Harold Poelma.

In October 2017, Cargill introduced five sustainability goals aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Protect Our Planet, outlines how the company will achieve those goals and eliminate deforestation from its supply chain by 2030, including: 1. Supply Chain Transparency: Cargill intends to achieve 100% cocoa bean traceability. The company will map its entire cocoa supply chain, using GPS and polygon farm mapping globally, to identify the exact location of the farms and accurately assess farm size. Cargill has already achieved 100% traceability in Ghana using these technologies and is aiming to achieve the same in Ivory Coast in 2020.

2. Cargill Cocoa Promise: Cargill is integrating environmental protection projects into its Cocoa Promise programme.

This includes expanding existing programmes related to growing more cocoa on less land, economics and labour issues to include agroforestry and conservation.

3. Supplier Engagement: The company is committed to managing the risk of deforestation not only in the Cargill Cocoa Promise supply chain, but also within indirect cocoa and chocolate ingredient supply chains.

4. Transformation, Together: The journey towards sustainable business practices is far greater than the actions or interests of any one company. Last year, Cargill co-signed

the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) alongside 34 other chocolate and cocoa companies, the World Cocoa Foundation and the IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative to achieve a fair and secure cocoa supply chain.

5. Reporting & Sharing: Cargill has

committed to reporting annually to all its stakeholders, including customers, CFI, NGOs and others.

www.cargill.com

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{ Industry News }

CARGILL LAUNCHES VELICHE GOURMET IN THE NETHERLANDS – SUPPORTED BY FIRST E-COMMERCE CHOCOLATE SALES PLATFORM IN EUROPE Cargill has launched its artisan chocolate brand Veliche Gourmet in the Netherlands at the country’s leading hospitality fair – Horecava, in Amsterdam.

Inge Demeyere, Managing Director for Cargill’s chocolates and compound activities in Europe explains: “We are proud to launch Veliche Gourmet, our high quality Belgian chocolate range with outstanding sensorial profile that brings a full, smooth and superior taste to professional artisans in the Netherlands. The whole range is 100% sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, meaning our chocolate is a treat well treated – right from its origin”.

The Veliche Gourmet range is suitable for every application and is remarkably workable, thanks to its optimal melting curve, producing perfect results for the professional artisan.

“The launch of Veliche Gourmet is

supported by our new e-commerce platform – which makes us the only vertically integrated chocolate producer in Europe to provide an e-commerce platform where end users can purchase directly from the supplier,” continues Demeyere.

“This creates a direct link between the professional artisan and us, facilitating a unique partnership based on our shared passion for artisan creations – and the endless possibilities chocolate offers.”

Benefits of the e-commerce platform also include: • No minimum order requirement • Next day delivery* • An ‘always-in-stock promise’ • Free delivery** For those preferring to purchase via the more traditional route, Veliche Gourmet has partnered with Bidfood – the main premium supplier to professional kitchens in the Dutch market – which serves 25,000 customers across the Netherlands.

Veliche Gourmet is currently available in Belgium, the UK, Ireland and selected countries in the Asia-Pacific region and its launch in the Netherlands is the first step in expanding its availability across Europe. * On orders placed before 11pm **On orders over 90 Euros

www.velichegourmet.com

MACSA ID UK INVESTS IN FIRST EVER DEMONSTRATION ROOM Further underlining its commitment to an ambitious growth strategy, Macsa ID UK – division of Barcelona-based laser coding, marking and scoring systems manufacturer, Macsa ID – has boosted its services by establishing its first ever demonstration room at its facility in Shefford where it will showcase its wide range of equipment.

Neil Greatorex, Managing Director at Macsa ID UK Ltd, comments: “This investment represents the growing demand for our advanced coding and marking systems across a wide range of applications in the UK. The space will be perfect for sales training sessions, events and customer meetings. It will also serve as an area for testing equipment and a flexible working space for the sales team”.

The new demonstration area features many of Macsa ID UK’s latest coding and marking systems from its diverse product portfolio for the automotive, aerospace, defence, packaging, food, personal care and pharmaceutical industries.

Macsa ID UK equipment on display in the

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demonstration room includes laser machines, continuous ink jet printers, thermal transfer printers, high resolution printers, label printing and labelling machines and laser marking workstations.

The company’s integra software and consultancy services are also highlighted.

Macsa ID delivers advanced solutions to meet the coding, identification and traceability needs of the manufacturing industry. It is one of the five largest international companies in the laser and

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coding sector. Macsa ID is supported by a sales and service network that spans more than 80 countries and has direct offices in Spain, China, Malaysia and now the UK. Macsa ID’s head office is located in Barcelona, Spain and is the only Spanish company that manufactures laser marking equipment. The company invests more than 8% of its revenues in R&D annually to maintain its position as a technological leader in the market.

In 2017, Macsa ID achieved double-digit growth for the nineth consecutive year and is on target to have done the same in 2018.

For product information please contact: Tel: 01462 816091 Email: sales.uk@macsa.com www.macsa.co.uk

{ Industry News }

LORIEN EXPANDS TEAM WITH NEW APPOINTMENTS Lorien Engineering Solutions has made two senior appointments to its UK team based at Burton-upon-Trent.

The multi-disciplinary engineering and project management business has appointed Hein Schade as Principal Engineer in the Process Department, while Barry Creswick has been appointed as Business Development Manager.

Hein Schade brings more than 23 years’ experience as a principal engineer in the process engineering industry to Lorien. He was previously engineering manager with Nalco Chemical Company (Suez), and has worked extensively within Europe and Africa on projects in the metallurgical, energy, water and chemical process engineering sectors.

Hein is an experienced design consultant to blue chip manufacturing, process construction and installation companies, specialising in the design of fresh water and wastewater engineered solutions. He has delivered technical solutions including

anaerobic digestion, sequential batch reaction, membrane bio-reaction, ultrafiltration, nano-filtration and reverse osmosis and de-salination plants.

At Lorien, he will lead on process projects within the brewing, food and drink, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, water and waste-water industries.

Barry Creswick joins Lorien with 12 years’ experience within the industrial, construction and civil engineering sectors.

A trained chef before moving into sales, Barry has honed his business development skills with industrial services company

Actavo UK and in the power division of Interserve Industrial Services.

At Lorien his focus will be on developing client accounts in the food and drink sector, selling the complete range of professional engineering and project management services offered by Lorien.

Steve Slater, Managing Director of Lorien Engineering Solutions, said: “We are pleased to welcome Hein and Barry to the expanding Lorien team. They bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience that will further strengthen our expertise in engineering and project management and enable us to deliver an even more focused service to customers across the UK.” Lorien Engineering Solutions, a division of GP Strategies Corporation, specialises in engineered capital projects for the food, brewing, drinks, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and logistics sectors, and offers a range of safety compliance services.

www.lorienengineering.com

NEW HYGIENE STATIONS FROM IWM Industrial Washing Machines (IWM) has launched a comprehensive range of hygiene stations that are ideal for use in the food manufacturing and packaging, brewery, bakery, confectionery and pharmaceuticals sectors. The range includes hand-sanitising stations, boot wash equipment, combination products that offer both hand-sanitising and boot washing functionality, boot driers and drying racks.

IWM’s new hand-sanitising stations have been designed to significantly reduce the risk of introducing contamination into production areas. The range extends from single-user wash basins to special-purpose sinks with knee or sensor operation. The new boot and shoe washer and disinfection stations range from simple manual versions to sophisticated walk-through models with multiple brushes, automatic chemical dispensing and access control options.

To help ensure the highest levels of hygiene are maintained in demanding applications, IWM offers sensor-operated combined hand wash and disinfection

stations with access control turnstiles. These are manufactured from stainless steel and feature automated chemical dosing and dispensing. In addition, advanced models monitor the user’s actions, allowing them to exit only when they have completed the prescribed washing and disinfection sequence.

Single- and two-sided driers for working footwear are also on offer. Equipped with 2kW heaters, these machines use hot ozoneenriched air and drying temperatures of up to 32ºC to achieve drying times of between two and six hours.

The temperature control and time delay functions available on selected models give users the flexibility to pre-program and schedule operation for the maximum convenience.

To complement its washing, sanitising and drying machines, IWM can supply shoe and apron disinfecting racks in a multitude of dimensions to make best use of available floor space.

Tel: 0121 459 9511 www.indwash.co.uk Email: sales@indwash.co.uk

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{ Industry News }

MAINTAIN WINTER WELLNESS WITH GOOD HAND HYGIENE This winter, GOJO, THE INVENTOR OF PURELL™, is advocating a ‘Total Solution’ approach to hand hygiene, in an effort to boost wellness and lessen the impact of seasonal viruses. Good hand hygiene is one of the most effective measures to prevent the spread of infection; and is particularly pertinent at this time of year, when viral illnesses tend to increase.

Viruses are transmitted through contact with others via the hands and surfaces, yet hundreds of studies have shown that good hand hygiene can break this chain of infection, helping to prevent the spread of germs and reduce the chances of getting sick in the first place.

The PURELL SOLUTION™ from GOJO, combines scientific expertise, effective formulations and state-of-the-art technology to promote hygienic and compliant hand hygiene behaviour. Working in partnership with managers, GOJO can help implement effective hand and surface

hygiene regimes, including: • Innovative dispensers • Fully virucidal formulas with short contact time • Practical support • Best practice training • Awareness-raising signage and leaflets • PURELL SMARTLINK™ technology, consisting of two mobile smart apps that measure hand hygiene compliance and monitor dispenser health.

For more information, please call +44 (0)1908 588444, email infouk@GOJO.com or visit www.GOJO.com

COMPLETE CO-PACKING SERVICES LIMITED TO UNVEIL LATEST INVESTMENT – STAND G32 Contract packing and fulfilment specialist Complete Co-packing Services will use its participation at this year’s Contract Pack at Packaging Innovations to highlight the benefits of its new state-of-the-art BRC accredited food packing, storage and distribution facility.

The £2m investment comprises a 69,000 sq ft building, with over 20,000 sq ft of purpose-built hygienic food packing area and 45,000 sq ft warehouse space which is Soil Association-certified for the storage of organic products, raw materials and finished goods. In total, this provides over 3,500 pallet storage positions.

The new operation will further enhance Complete Co-packing’s range of services for the fast and efficient packing of organic and non-organic dried foods, super foods, powders, granules and liquids. It incorporates dedicated liquid and powder filling cleanrooms, which are constructed to ISO 8 Class D level ventilation, along with mixing and blending facilities.

A variety of premade pack formats can be handled including pouches, sachets, bottles, jars and composite cans, with in-pack pasteurisation also available. Packing

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equipment includes auger fillers, vertical and horizontal form fill seal, sachet making, shrink sleeving and labelling.

In addition to its BRC and Soil Association certifications plus membership of the Organic Trade Board, Complete Co-packing Services also holds ISO 9001,14001 and Kosher accreditations and is HMRC-licensed to handle alcohol with duty in suspension.

As well as its capabilities in the food

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sector, the company is experienced in a range of non-food markets. It can provide support for a variety of contract packing requirements, including NPD work, promotional re-work and gift assembly.

Tel: 01443 740786 www.complete-copacking.co.uk

{ Industry News }

SANTE BENEFITS FROM WEIGHING ACCURACY Ishida weighing technology is delivering pinpoint accuracy for Poland’s leading manufacturer of cereals, helping to achieve brand consistency across its wide range of products.

Sante’s factory in Sobolew, near Warsaw, produces over 100 tonness of cereals per day. The company currently has dozens of Ishida multihead weighers, the most recent of which are two CCW-RS-216B 16 head models in a three mix configuration.

The introduction of Ishida multihead weighing technology to replace the linear systems previously used has reduced product giveaway from around 5g per pack to within 1g.

Equally important, the weight accuracy has also enabled Sante to control costs through the removal of giveaway on the more expensive ingredients, such as dried fruits and chocolate.

A unique feature of the Ishida weighers at Sante is the special design of the radial feeders that handle the chocolate products.

The company had found that the normal feeder design caused chocolate pieces to build up, resulting in too-large amounts being despatched into the pool and weigh hoppers. To solve this problem, Ishida

engineers devised a special V-shaped design that provides greater control of the feeding process. In addition, embossed surfaces and Teflon coating for the weighers’ contact parts help to keep the chocolate and other slightly sticky ingredients moving throughout the weighing process.

Sante Established in Poland in 1992, Sante specialises in the production of healthy food and is one of the biggest producers of crunchy, muesli and granola in Europe, supplying both the domestic market and countries throughout the world. Today, the company produces over 200 SKU, which as well as breakfast products include soy food products, bran, kasha and grain, cane sugar, bars, and oat cookies.

Sante’s production plant was built in 2002 in Sobolew.

In 2010 and during subsequent years the factory underwent a programme of expansion and the current building covers nearly 50,000m2. The factory employs several hundred people.

www.ishidaeurope.com

SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF DIGITISATION IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY Many food manufacturers believe digitisation will have a huge role to play in the future of the food sector – but the majority still see several hurdles that need to be overcome in order to maximise the opportunity.

This was a key finding of the 2018 CSBSystem survey which canvassed the

opinions of decision-makers within the food and beverage production industry across 29 countries. Respondents identified increasing retailer requirements, strict international legislation on food safety and traceability, and growing consumer demand for quality and freshness as key challenges that information technology (IT) could help to solve.

Potential benefits outlined included networked production becoming the standard, which will bring producers and consumers much closer together. Producers will be able to create

increasingly personalised products costeffectively and placing orders directly with the manufacturer will become more commonplace.

Although these factors mean that twice as many respondents than in the 2017 CSB survey rated IT as ‘very important’, the figure was still only 17%. Furthermore, only 15% of respondents spend more than 1.5% of their turnover on IT, while nearly 70% do not invest more than 1% in digitisation. This compares to medium-size US enterprises which, according to Forrester analysts, spend 4.3% of turnover on IT.

www.csb.com

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{ Industry News }

AUTOMATICALLY CLEANABLE MAGNETIC SEPARATOR FOR POWDERS AND GRANULATES At Powtech in Nürnberg (Stand 1-416) Goudsmit Magnetics of Waalre will introduce an automatically cleanable ‘Easy Clean’ magnetic separator. This is used to remove metal particles (>30µm) from powders in the food and other industries. The Easy Cleanflow magnet is notable for its high magnetic flux density of over 12,000 gauss on the bars that come into direct contact with the product, as well as a deeply

penetrating magnetic field that effectively makes powders and granulates iron-free at high flow rates. The magnet is dustproof to an overpressure of 1.5 bar and includes a simple controller. The user-friendly cleaning requires 6 bar air and a 24 VDC start signal.

The captured ferrous particles land in a collection tray.

www.goudsmitmagnets.com

PRIMERA EUROPE BECOMES DTM PRINT Primera Technology Europe, pioneer in speciality printing with over 32 years of experience in developing individual printing services and representative of the US company Primera Technology, Inc. in EMEA for 18 years, recently announced their new company name DTM Print.

Over three decades DTM, an abbreviation for Data Technology Management, has grown fast from a garage company to a reliable partner and solution provider for speciality printing systems.

DTM has been developing individual solutions for printing and computers since 1986. The DTM Group formally unites all of the group’s subsidiaries together into a holding company under the header of DTM Holding GmbH. “With our passion for custom-made solutions we became a specialist for niche products. Since 2013 we develop label printing solutions used by well-known manufacturers such as Coca-Cola, Mars and L’Óreal,” said Andreas Hoffmann, a Managing Director of DTM Print. “Our goal is to find the perfect match in hard-, software and consumables to put our customers’ ideas in print.”

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DTM has changed a lot over the years.

Today it has more than 40 employees, 1,500m2 in offices, a workshop, as well as demo and training rooms and 1200 sqm storage space. Now the company is looking to the future with an expansion of its product and service portfolio. To reflect this evolution the company has decided to give their original brand ‘DTM’ a fresh look.

Asked about the advantages for customers who work with DTM Print Mr Hoffmann replied enthusiastically: “Besides our experience and know-how in the printing

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industry our company is still based in Wiesbaden, Germany, where it was founded in 1986”. Wiesbaden is conveniently located near Frankfurt with Europe’s largest airport (cargo). “From here we look forward to serving our customers and partners in EMEA with more passion than ever.”

Complete company and product details are available at http://dtm-print.eu

{ Industry News }

ECLIPSE MAGNETICS EXHIBITING MAGNETIC SEPARATION AT POWTECH 2019 Eclipse Magnetics will be showcasing its comprehensive range of high performance magnetic separation systems at POWTECH Exhibition from 9 – 11 April in Nuremberg, Germany. As the world-leading trade fair for processing, analysis and handling of powder and bulk solids, Eclipse Magnetics will be exhibiting its popular Auto-Shuttle magnetic separator for high-volume applications, and its housed easy clean grid magnet for dry free-flowing products.

General Sales Manager for Magnetic Technologies, Martyn Cotterill, said: “POWTECH Exhibition is an important date in the Eclipse Magnetics exhibition calendar and we’re once again looking forward to what promises to be a fantastic event.

As experts in powder processing, particularly for the food industry, we have a proven track record of producing high-quality, highpower magnetic separators for applications including bulk, grain and powders. Our products ensure the maximum integrity of the finished product by eliminating the risk of contamination, bolstering robust HACCP

systems and providing ATEX certified equipment”.

Products to be showcased include the Auto-Shuttle magnetic separator for high-volume applications, which enables screening of processed products 24hrs a day, seven days a week, without the need for manual intervention.

Depending on product density, the AutoShuttle can provide high-performance separation for processes with flow rates up to and above 200m3 per hour, and contains an ultra-high intensity Rare Earth magnet which enables it to remove the finest magnetic and para-magnetic particles from food, pharmaceutical or

chemical processing lines.

Also exhibited will be Eclipse Magnetics’ housed easy-clean grid magnet which is ideal for removing fine iron and para-magnetic contamination from a range of dry free-flowing products such as sugar, grain, flour, granulates and powder.

In addition, the PneumagTM high intensity magnetic separator will be on show, which has been specially designed to operate on pneumatic conveying lines to provide protection against ferrous and paramagnetic contamination of dry powders and granulates.

Join Eclipse Magnetics at POWTECH 2019 to find out more about their vast experience in industries such as food, pharmaceutical and chemical processing. To take a look at our range of magnetic separation systems, visit us in Hall 3, Stand 3-441, at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center, from 9 – 11 April 2019.

USA-BASED ENJOY LIFE FOODS® INSTALLS LOMA SYSTEMS’ X5C COMPACT X-RAY INSPECTION MACHINE Space-saving X-ray unit ensures reliable inspection of allergy-friendly snack products wrapped in metallised film.

Enjoy Life Foods – a rapidly growing manufacturer of certified gluten-free and Non-GMO Project verified snacks – recently installed four X5C Compact X-ray inspection units from Loma Systems (www.loma.com) at its 200,000 sq ft baking facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Chosen for its reliability, robustness and space-saving design, the compact machine is inspecting a range of allergen-free snack bars wrapped in metallised film for contaminants.

Founded in 2001 by Scott Mandell, Enjoy Life Foods is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mondelez International®, which acquired the company in 2015. The state-of-the-art plant produces cookies, snack bars, chocolate bars, baking chocolate, seed and

fruit mixes, and savoury snacks which are free from gluten and 14 common allergens.

The product is supplied across the USA and Canada, as well as global markets such as South Africa, Israel, Mexico and Singapore.

Aaron Jackson, Project Engineer at Enjoy Life Foods, comments: “We decided to

upgrade our inspection technology when we moved to the new plant and began using more metallised film packaging across some of our product lines. We approached Loma due to past experience with their metal detectors and checkweighers, their proven track record in the global food industry inspection market and the fact that they always stand behind their products”.

Loma’s X5C model is developed for food manufacturers, processors and packers running multi-product lines who are looking to make the switch to X-ray technology for the first time. It is a compact yet highly functional system designed to reduce the cost of ownership of X-ray inspection technology by up to 30%. The fully specified X5C offers quality contaminant inspection using well-proven subcomponents and a streamlined design.

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{ Industry News }

RECORD NUMBER OF PRODUCTS UNVEILED AT INTERNATIONAL TRADE EVENT Over 100 new food and drink products are to be launched by the food and drink industry at the forthcoming BlasCymru/TasteWales international trade event (20–21 March).

The milestone has been reached in part thanks to initiatives put in place by Food & Drink Wales over recent years, such as their Cluster Network approach that brings likeminded businesses together to share best practice and develop new ideas. This has been boosted further by the support on offer to start-ups by Cywain and the innovationfocused Project HELIX programme.

The new products to be launched vary widely and include new yoghurts, baked products, new food service offers and product packaging. They will be sharing that stage with some of the food world’s leading speakers and thinkers that will be taking part in the event and accompanying conference, as Welsh food and drink continues to

develop its reputation on the international stage. These include Claus Meyer, whose Noma restaurant has been named the world’s best on four occasions.

Commenting ahead of BlasCymru/TasteWales, the Welsh Government’s Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, added: “We can clearly see that the extra support given in the food and drink industry over recent years, from a Cluster Network approach through to food innovation and start-up programmes, continues to help the

industry in leading the way in new innovative products. With the challenge of Brexit it is more important than ever we support Welsh food and drink businesses in every way we can and help ensure their future sustainability.

With preparations by the Welsh Government’s Food Division already well underway, new figures show that 2017’s inaugural BlasCymru/TasteWales generated over £14m in additional sales and contracts, with high hopes for an even better performance this time round.

It was announced last year that industry giant Princes have been unveiled as headline sponsor, with a range of other companies lending their support for the largest showcase of Welsh food and drink ever put together.

Visit tastewales.com for more information

LEADING FOOD-ON-THE-GO BUSINESS OPENS STATE-OF-THE-ART INNOVATION CENTRE One of the UK’s leading food-to-go development businesses has taken occupancy of a brand-new facility, placing it at the forefront in the delivery of innovative and exciting new products.

Following an investment of over £750,000, The FSC Group has now opened its state-of-the-art innovation centre where its new product specialists and team of technologists will develop and present the very latest in food-on-the-move trends and ideas.

Located in the village of Flax Bourton, on the outskirts of Bristol, the new facility is housed within a converted chapel, giving the 20-strong team ample room to research and test the latest concepts in areas such as bakery and confectionery, hot and cold sandwiches, salads, drinks, snacks, smoothies and juices.

Already serving clients from across the globe, customers include Shell UK (deli2go), Dunelm, Thorntons, Tchibo, Debenhams,

Insomnia, Esquires, Autogrill and Statoil. Headed by James Simpson, the family-run business, which has been in operation for 30 years, is now looking to expand its reach.

As well as the food-to-go sector James and his team also operate across the convenience retail, forecourt retail, grocery

retail and café/coffee shop sectors. He is now looking to develop the firm’s reach either as a one-stop-shop for all elements of businesses’ food offering or where clients can cherry-pick one element of The FSC Group’s area of expertise.

http://thefscgroup.com/

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{ Industry News }

LOTUS BISCOFF ICE CREAM LANDS IN THE UK! Lotus Bakeries has announced the highlyanticipated launch of Lotus Biscoff ice cream in the United Kingdom. After huge demand, the brand behind the iconic ‘little red biscuit’, and the hugely addictive spread, has opened the gates to caramelised ice cream heaven with Lotus Biscoff fans across the country set to rejoice over the new crunchy, chocolate-coated ice cream sticks.

And, with three hits of Lotus Biscoff in each bite, this is a Lotus Biscoff lover’s dream. Each stick features a crisp outer layer of Belgian milk chocolate containing crunchy Lotus Biscoff pieces, before a

delicious layer of Lotus Biscoff spread leads you to the real dairy Lotus Biscoff ice cream inside.

Whether enjoyed as the perfect refreshing treat on a hot summer’s day, or as that moment of true indulgence at home, Lotus Biscoff ice cream sticks are set to become the go-to flavour for Biscoff lovers across the

UK. Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream Sticks are available in packs of 3x90ml individually wrapped ice creams in selected branches of Waitrose.

Renowned for the unique caramelised flavour of their biscuits, the Lotus Biscoff brand has over 80 years of biscuit heritage.

The brand is currently stocked by many major retailers and wholesalers as well as specialist coffee distributors across the country".

CIAO LISA! PREMIUM ITALIAN LAGER LANDS IN THE UK nnovative Italian brewery Birra del Borgo has released LISA, a premium lager, exclusively on draft in the UK to on trade.

Deeply rooted in its Italian origins, LISA is brewed using Senatore Cappelli wheat grain from the countryside of Puglia, a region in southern Italy, and the best Italian orange peel. Boasting a rounded, bready malt flavour with citrus notes and spicy floral hints, LISA finishes with a subtle bitterness that’s dry and refreshing.

Touted as the new drink of choice for aperitivo, the Italian ritual of a drink and light snack to catch up with friends and family, unwind after a day at work, and whet your appetite ahead of dinner, LISA is a lager that lends itself impeccably to pairing with food whether that’s a classic margherita pizza or a pack of tarallini.

With this in mind, Birra del Borgo has partnered with Crosta & Mollica to treat UK customers to aperitivo at select establishments with a complimentary pack of tarallini accompanying each purchase of a pint of LISA between 5pm and 8pm.

A classic aperitivo snack, tarallini pair particularly well with LISA thanks to their ingredients’ shared Puglian origin. Working with producers across Italy to bring the finest Italian bakery products and regional

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specialities to the UK, Crosta & Mollica’s tarallini are made in a small family-owned bakery, from a traditional recipe using local durum wheat, extra virgin olive oil, and white wine.

Founder of Birra del Borgo, Leonardo di Vincenzo said: “Following LISA’s unprecedented 2018 sales growth in Italy, we’re incredibly excited to bring this perfect sessionable lager to the UK, as well as a touch of classic Italian aperitivo culture. We

strongly believe that the genuine simplicity of Italian style and culture can be expressed also through beer, creating a new standard of quality and originality. Our premium beer – one that harks back to Italy with its distinctive Senatore Cappelli wheat – presents a refreshing choice for those who wish to explore flavour and expect quality.”

Find LISA at London’s Craft Beer Rising, 21st-23rd February, in London at Luppolo Pizza and The Chelsea Corner.

{ Industry News }

UK FIRM LAUNCHES NEXT GENERATION FOOD COATINGS FOR GLOBAL GLUTEN-FREE INDUSTRY UK food coatings manufacturer Bowman Ingredients has unveiled an innovative new portfolio of products for the global glutenfree market.

Established in the UK in 1992, Bowman Ingredients has been at the forefront of innovation in the free-from sector for over 15 years. The business is an international market leader in the supply of gluten-free coatings to food manufacturers across Europe, South Africa, Thailand and Australia.

Bowman Ingredients has now developed a new gluten-free coatings portfolio with an enhanced nutritional profile. In addition to nutritional benefits for consumers, the new gluten-free coatings range is produced from sustainable raw ingredients using a unique and energy-efficient manufacturing process.

Bowman Ingredients CEO, Rory Bowman, says: “Our food technologists have been working in direct response to consumer trends and general criticism of the nutritional profile of gluten-free products.

We’re excited to announce that our unique manufacturing process has allowed us to

develop and launch a fresh portfolio of nutritionally enhanced gluten-free coatings with a range of textures”.

Bowman Ingredients’ purpose-built manufacturing plant in Bedford uses stateof-the-art technology to manufacture gluten-free crumb through an innovative extrusion process. This process delivers significant product and environmental benefits compared to more conventional ‘tin bake’ crumb manufacture. In addition, the extrusion process requires no yeast which allows the use of a wide range of raw materials not traditionally associated with bread or crumb production.

In 2017 Bowman Ingredients invested

£8m in a new UK manufacturing plant dedicated to dairy, egg and gluten-free production to meet increasing demand from its growing customer base in Europe. In addition, gluten-free production facilities have now been enhanced at the company’s manufacturing sites in South Africa and Thailand.

As well as gluten and dairy-free crumb systems, Bowman Ingredients produces a range of free-from coatings including batter mixes, pre-dusts and dry mix marinades.

Typical applications include coatings for convenience foods such as fish and poultry, as well as vegan and vegetarian brands.

Gluten-free rusk is also used as a binding and textural aid in meat products, such as burgers and sausages.

Bowman Ingredients is dedicated to product innovation, with dynamic teams of food technologists and industry experts analysing market trends and developing new coatings technology. For more information visit: www.bowmaningredients.co.uk

DELAMERE EXTENDS THE RANGE OF NEW PLANTED DRINKS TO ‘ON-THE-GO’ SECTOR Delamere Dairy, the home of speciality dairy and dairy alternative drinks, has launched its new Planted range into 330ml cartons (RRP £1.50) following the launch of 1L cartons of two of the variants in 2018.

Two new flavours – Almond Drink with Coffee and Oat Drink with Date & Vanilla join the range to sit alongside the existing Oat Drink with Banana and Coconut Drink with Cocoa variants. The drinks are intended to capitalise on the ready-to-drink sector targeting lunchtime chillers and food on the move.

Pat Brunt, Sales & Marketing Director for Delamere, comments: “We have built a strong reputation over many years for speciality drinks and we are really proud of the Planted proposition.

“The range is designed to target those

wanting a dairy-free, chilled drink that delivers on taste. We’ve seen healthy sales in supermarkets of the 1L carton and it seemed a natural move for the range to be consumed on the go.”

While suitable for those following specialist diets, Planted will also appeal to more mainstream consumers looking for great tasting refreshment. Planted is a

source of calcium for maintenance of bones and teeth, vitamin D for calcium and phosphorous absorption, and B12 for normal function of the immune system.

Planted has partnered with the Woodland Trust, the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, to stand up for trees and support the work they do. 1p from every 330ml carton and 2p from every 1L carton sold will be donated to the Woodland Trust to plant and protect trees and woods across the UK. All the drinks are approved by the Vegetarian Society as suitable for vegans.

www.planteduk.com

January/February Food & Drink News

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{ ‘Free-From’ Foods }

Cry freedom for the food-intolerance revolution For many years, the weekly shop for those with foodbased intolerances could be a pretty miserable task.

B

ut given that, according to the British Nutrition Foundation, around two people in a hundred suffer from adverse reactions to foods that contain milk, gluten, wheat and eggs, to name just a few of the intolerances experienced by people, it was inevitable that suppliers would eventually come round to the idea of a sizeable market who were ready to pay good money for good food they could eat.

It’s only relatively recently the idea of ‘free-from’ foods has taken off, but now you’ll see them in pretty much every supermarket.

Michelle Berriedale-Johnson has been involved with food sensitivity for three decades, ever since she and her family were diagnosed with milk intolerance.

She set up a magazine aimed at both health professionals and patients, and has written a number of books on food allergy and intolerance.

She also started, in 2008, the FreeFrom Food Awards to recognise those manufacturers, suppliers and retailers who make a difference to those with food

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allergies.

And what a difference a decade has made, says Michelle. “Anyone looking at the free-from market today would be truly shocked if they were transported back to the judging sessions that we ran for the first FreeFrom Food Awards in 2008,” she says. “Solid lumps of glued-together gluten-free pasta in the bottom of the pan, chalk-like soya milks, teeth-breakingly hard blocks of ‘free-from’ bread, gluten-free biscuits so filled with fat and sugar as to be all but inedible. And now?

“A market heading for a billion pounds a year turnover. Gourmet foods in every category from gifts to pork pies – most gluten free, many milk product free, many soya and nut free. And an amazing number of products free of all 14 major allergens. And most of them indistinguishable from – and often better than – the non-free-from originals.

“Certainly, when we established the awards to raise the awareness of food allergy and free-from food – and to set a standard of excellence for the industry – we

{ ‘Free-From’ Foods }

never expected to have come so far.”

One of the big winners at the 2018 awards was Tesco, who scooped the Gold standard in the Retailer of the Year category for the fourth time. Tesco has been offering its Free From range since 2003, and according to the Brand Manager, Nicki Clowes, the secret of Tesco’s success is listening to what people want.

She says: “As more consumers choose the range for lifestyle reasons, remaining focused on our core, medically-diagnosed customers is critical. These customers make up the bulk of our Free From sales.

That’s why I spend a good deal of my time going to allergy awareness exhibitions and shows, or Coeliac UK regional events, to hear stories, understand what people are missing and identify particular unmet needs”.

Many independent companies are finding great success with free-from ranges, including Dove Farm Foods. Established by Michael and Clare Marriage, Doves Farm Foods is an award-winning, British familyowned organic flour, gluten-free flour and food producer which is regarded as a pioneer in organic, and sustainable farming and food production. Doves Farm Foods has been Soil Association-certified since it was founded in 1978.

The business has two brands: Doves Farm offers a

range of leading organic premium flours, ancient grain flours and organic biscuits. FREEE by Doves Farm is its new gluten-free brand, which offers a popular glutenfree flour range in the UK, as well as other products for gluten-free home baking, snacking, breakfast and more.

Clare Marriage, the CEO of FREEE by Doves Farm, says: “The growth of the free-from food sector has been driven by both innovation from brands and continued changing consumer lifestyle choices.

“Innovation has kept the market fresh for all consumers; whether new to, or with a long history of, making free-from food choices. The increased choice on offer and the high quality of these new products has led to sustained growth in the category, with consumers buying more and making repeat purchases.

Indeed in many cases the quality of free from options is now comparable to the traditional.

“The free-from sector is also benefitting from consumer lifestyle trends. An increasing number of people are choosing to enjoy free-from food for not only medical but also lifestyle reasons, and many are drawn to these products for the other benefits they offer such as being high fibre, high protein or suitable for those following vegan or kosher diets. These additional health benefits can be found in any of the products in our FREEE by Doves Farm range.”

January/February Food & Drink News

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Bowman Ingredients specialises in the production of coating systems for customers in the global food processing industry.

UK Headquarters Arlesey Road, Ickleford, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 3UN Tel: 01462 422722 Email: info@bowmaningredients.co.uk

Through our strong customer focus and dedication to product innovation we have grown to become one of the UK’s leading food coatings companies and a major player worldwide, supporting many of the world’s leading brands through our international network of manufacturing sites and commitment to new product development.

We produce a full range of dry cereal based coating systems for frozen and chilled food applications.

Our coatings include: • Breadcrumbs • Batter Mixes • Dry Mix Marinades • Breaders

Applications suitable for meat, poultry, fish, seafood, potato & vegetable products.

We are proud to supply Chicken Cottage and wish them continued success for the future.

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{ Chicken Cottage }

Chicken Cottage going for global domination Chicken Cottage is celebrating 25 years in business… and is marking the milestone with a major global expansion drive that will cement its reputation as one of the fastest-growing fast food chains in the market.

T

he original idea was to create a fried chicken menu prepared according to Halal standards, initially to cater for the Muslim market. But with the opening of the first store in Wembley, it became quickly apparent that there was a much wider appetite for this fusion of traditional fast food fare with Easternflavoured spices and herbs.

The Chicken Cottage franchise rapidly took off and branches opened at a steady rate across the country, and by 2011 there were 93 shops in England, 10 in Scotland and 10 in countries outside the UK. But the story soon took another turn when a couple of years later the company was taken over by TI Global Food Holdings, a business controlled by the Terengganu State Government of Malaysia.

Halim Lim, Group COO of Chicken Cottage Limited, explains further: “We invest in oil and gas, hotels and agriculture but in 2014 we set up new diversity targets and realised that the Halal food industry has huge potentials and opportunities.

“We looked at the Chicken Cottage business and saw it was a perfect fit for us. With more than 120 existing stores, the new owners set about a deep rationalisation project, and decided that around 50 of those outlets

needed to close to allow the elevation of brand standards. They then embarked upon a massive rebranding exercise and took a long look at the food offer, and how it could be more concise and improved upon.”

Lim says, “And by 2018 we had reached a stage where we were confident that we could extend our business, and that is our major plan for 2019”.

Chicken Cottage is run as a franchise business but under the umbrella of strict quality control standards and a constant innovation in the product line. The business is headquartered in Croydon, where around 24 people are employed managing the franchise operations around the UK and building up Chicken Cottage’s portfolio of stores around the world.

And global expansion is certainly the name of the game for the coming few years in a bid to make Chicken Cottage one of the most recognisable high street names, up there with McDonald’s and KFC. “This year, we are ready to cope with the demands of expansion,” says Lim confidently. “Our core values are really all about quality, and that is the message we want to send worldwide via all our franchises. We want to create value for our consumers, for our franchisees,

January/February Food & Drink News

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{ Chicken Cottage }

for our employees and for our shareholders.”

This year Chicken Cottage will open its first selfmanaged corporate store in South London, which will be a flagship restaurant where they will pioneer new menu items.

After opening their first store in Malaysia in 2015, there is now a major programme to get the Chicken Cottage brand into the Middle and Far East. The end of 2018 saw the opening of a store in Dubai — the first of a 103-store contract for that part of the world which will be followed up over the next five years with expansion into Qatar and the rest of the Middle East.

Chicken Cottage also has two newly-opened stores in Abuja and Yola, Nigeria which has been a huge success in the region. This is part of an 18-store contract, and they are hoping that will open up for them a gateway to the rest of Africa.

And next on the agenda is India, where the company is hoping to open between 50 and 60 shops over a period of two to three years.

It’s all part of Chicken Cottage’s world domination bid which they expect to result in them being listed on

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the Stock Exchange sometime over the next five years.

And the ambition doesn’t stop there. Lim says: “On top of all that, we are working with several agencies and participating in B2B events in a bid to look at potential partners across Europe”.

It’s very exciting times for Chicken Cottage, and while they are already a familiar and trusted brand on many UK high streets, their expansion plans look set to put them at the forefront of consumer consciousness in practically every continent on the planet.

The company knows that its reputation rests on being able to deliver top-notch, unique products to customers via its carefully-controlled franchises in the most efficient and quality-led way possible.

From very humble beginnings with one fried chicken store in Wembley, Chicken Cottage has acquired an international reach that the original owners could barely have conceived of a quarter of a century ago.

Tel: 0208 683 3553 www.chickencottage.com

{ Kentas of London }

Sleeping giant is waking up with ambitious expansion plans Kentas of London describes itself somewhat modestly as the ‘sleeping giant’ of the food supply industry… but that doesn’t mean it’s resting on its laurels.

F

ar from it, in fact, as Kentas, which works out of a 16,000 sq ft facility in Luton, is entering the next phase of its 50-year evolution with plans to become the name on everybody’s lips.

It’s been a long journey for the company, which began life as a single butcher’s shop in London. But even from day one, innovation was the name of the game.

Back in the late 1960s, David Barke was working in that shop and when the owner decided he wanted to sell up, David bought the business from him.

The entrepreneurial David was just 18 at the time, and inspired by his parents’ Italian heritage he began to make hams, sausages, and to experiment with bringing Italian meats to the customers.

“Back then, people weren’t really as familiar with Italian meats as they are today,” says Steve Burwood.

Steve became MD of Kentas last year, and is continuing the legacy that David begun half a century ago.

David moved the business to a shop in the capital’s famous Smithfield market, increasing his range of products and adding cheeses to the mix. Steve says: “Everybody else was really just selling the traditional

meats — pork, lamb, beef — but David in effect set up a deli-style shop in the market.

“Possibly one of the first in the country, and customers couldn’t get enough of it. We also had a unit in Bow in the East End of London until 2004 when we managed to win a contract with P&O cruise liners that enabled us to move to our current site in Luton, Bedfordshire, we had the contract for seven years and were regarded as one of their top suppliers but they then brought in consultants who changed the way they did their purchasing and alas we got squeezed out. David is still the owner of the Kentas, and takes a keen interest in the day-to-day running of the company.”

Eventually, David decided that it was time to sell Kentas branch at Smithfield market and put his efforts in the business at Luton, from where it provides meat, both fresh and cooked, cheese, seafood, bakery products, deli items and more.

It still operates in London but also covers Birmingham, Oxford, Cambridge and Essex areas, supplying sandwich shops and cafe bars across this huge patch. The company has a £5.5m turnover and

January/February Food & Drink News

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{ Kentas of London }

there are 27 employees in the Luton branch.

It has a fleet of vehicles and a team of what Steve calls ‘superb drivers’, many of who are on the road from 2am ensuring that Kentas is supplying everyone in their patch, right when they need it.

But in the last year, since Steve became MD, the accent has been very much on moving forward and growing the business.

It’s here that Steve refers to Kentas as a ‘sleeping giant’ — they’re a big business, and supply a wide range of outlets, but they want to get their name out there and become recognised as a major player in the industry.

He says: “Although the company has been going for 50 years, people don’t really know who Kentas are and what we are about”. That, though, is going to change.

“The company is having a very transformational time,” says Steve. “In the last year we’ve taken on a Sales Director to help take us in new directions. We still want to continue supplying our current outlets but we want to move into the restaurants and hotels as well.”

What Kentas don’t want to change, however, is their policy of building up personal relationships with both their own suppliers and their customers, which has served them well for five decades.

Among their long-running supplier link-ups are Bonta Italia, who produce Italian products under the stewardship of TV chef Gino D’Acampo.

To help get the Kentas name out there, the company is planning a series of high-profile appearances at trade shows this year, including the Casual Dining Show at the Excel at the end of February.

They’ve also secured the rights to sell one of Australia’s most well-known brands — Vili’s Pies — in the UK. Vili’s Pies have the profile there of brands such as Pukka over here, and Steve is planning to get the name Vili’s as equally recognisable.

“And we’ve got more big projects about to take off,” promises Steve. “We’re putting in place everything to help us move forward as a company, and we aim to keep growing now.

“We’re definitely looking to expand the size of the company and we want to be the best out there.”

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But despite the big ambitions, Kentas wants to maintain one special aspect that’s been the company’s mantra since day one: the personal touch.

“We want to be the caring face of this industry,” says Steve. “Our Sales team gets to know the customers and the suppliers, we’re not just an anonymous voice on the end of a phone. We get to know our people, we make relationships with them.”

Where does he envisage the company being in a year? When many of the big plans have got off the ground? “I want everybody to know the name Kentas,” says Steve.

Tel: 01582 430800 www.kentas.co.uk

Proudly serving Kentas for over 20 years SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) approved, you can be confident our products meet the highest of standards.

Tel: 020 8888 7447 Email: brook.farm@btconnect.com

{ Sheldon’s }

Bap to the future Sheldon’s might be one of the fastest-growing baked goods brands in the country, but they remain fiercely proud of their northern roots and their range of traditional products.

Indeed, at the beginning of this year, the company’s Sarah Sheldon appeared on the regional BBC radio station Radio Manchester to extol the virtues of their hugely popular Oven Bottom Muffin, and to talk up all things Lancashire in the process.

Sheldon’s was started in 1949 by Harold Sheldon, who had left school and begun to learn the baking trade in Newton Heath, Manchester in 1924. He set up his own company and it grew from there, with son Graham taking over the reins and building the business even further.

Now Graham is still overseeing the company his father built up, but with his son and daughter Lee and Sarah joining him to make it a 21st century concern even as it holds on to the values that Harold begun it with.

Sheldon’s most famous product is its Oven Bottom Muffin, known the length and breadth of Lancashire and the north-west, but its fame is growing even further afield.

Over the past couple of years the company has secured national distribution of the Oven Bottom Muffins along with other Sheldon’s branded products to major retailers and you can find their products on the shelves of big supermarkets across the UK.

And the quality of their baking is becoming so well known you can even pick up some of the company’s products in convenience stores in ‘That London!’

Sarah Sheldon, fresh from talking up the business on the radio, said that it was fantastic to see their signature product performing so well across the country.

She said: “The fact that shelf space has been allocated for this product is a real testament to the performance of this unique, high-quality versatile product”.

But while the Oven Bottom Muffin continues to do the business for Sheldon’s, it’s by no means the only weapon in their arsenal as they fight for even greater recognition across the UK. Sales have grown massively in their multi-packs of products such as 12- and 8-pack sliced baps and sliced hot dog rolls, which have perennial appeal for barbecue season, parties and winter celebrations such as Bonfire Night and Halloween.

But while Harold’s skill as a master baker still informs everything they do in terms of quality and providing exactly what their customers want, Sheldon’s is never afraid to innovate.

They recently developed a new artisan range, building on the qualities they infuse into every product

January/February Food & Drink News

25

{ Sheldon’s }

but with a more luxurious feel and taste to appeal to a different market.

Other recent products they’ve launched include a high-quality brioche which has proved a great success with customers and retailers.

The business is now based in Openshaw, Manchester, and they recently invested £1m in new equipment to streamline the roll-making production process, as well as researching automation of some parts of the production process.

Sarah says: “The recent investment puts us in a position of strength in terms of securing 100% order fill for the customers, particularly if the weather is good, as we see phenomenal spikes in the demand for our rolls.

Putting money back into the business assists with quality, consistency and efficiency, as well as offering health and safety benefits”.

The company is also in the process of setting up a further production unit along with taking on additional warehouse and distribution space. The new production unit and warehouse facility are due to open in April.

Sheldon’s is also heavily involved in the community in which they operate. For the past six years they’ve run a fundraising drive every Christmas, asking local people to donate presents for needy children in the Manchester area.

The company says: “More than half the children living in Manchester are living in poverty, and every year these children and their families face a Christmas without gifts. Sheldon’s firmly believes that no child should go without gifts at Christmas, and pledged to take part in the Mission Christmas campaign back in 2012. Every year the fundraising, done by Sheldon’s and

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January/February Food & Drink News

the hundreds of volunteers in Manchester taking part in Mission Christmas, ensures that Christmas can be a day of giving for every child”.

In the short term, Sheldon’s goal is to significantly increase the company’s brand growth and exposure by continuing with ongoing marketing activity, securing further national coverage and continuing to offer top-quality products and excellent service.

“The long-term goal is to spread the brand in order to maintain a healthy business and keep employing our trained, loyal workforce,” says Sarah Sheldon.

With a commitment to innovation, a strong community presence and a range of products that caters to those who demand their old favourites but also looks to bring in new customers with new launches, Sheldon’s is certainly honouring the ethos on which the company was founded 70 years ago, but also firmly looking to the future.

European Process Plant www.eppltd.co.uk Tel: 01372 745 558

Congratulates

on their continued success

World Class Bakery Equipment Enabling You To Bake The Best

January/February Food & Drink News

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{ Encase }

Thinking inside, outside and beyond the box: putting the customer first is the key to success for Encase Celebrating 50 years in business in 2019, corrugated cardboard packaging company Encase puts its success and longevity down to a strong focus on customer service.

T

hat’s what comes with being an organisation with a global reach but which still holds by the principles of a family-run firm — Encase is now in the hands of the third generation of the family that founded the company back in the late 1960s.

The company has three main hubs across the UK — East Kilbride, Banbury and a facility at Leeds-Bradford International Airport in West Yorkshire.

As part of an international packaging group, Canadian Overseas Packaging Industries, Encase is very much a worldwide concern, with plants across the Caribbean and East Africa.

“We have 50 years’ experience making corrugated boxes of all shapes and sizes,” says David Hainsworth, the Group Sales and Marketing Director. “We work with a wide range of companies and market sectors, from food and beverages to automotive and household goods. E-commerce in its widest sense is a huge

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January/February Food & Drink News

growth area for us, and we have extensive experience supplying both small start-up businesses as well as blue chip organisations with tailored solutions and corrugated packaging for machine erect systems.”

David puts Encase’s success and strength down to a key factor. “We are proudly independent,” he says. “And that means our whole ethos is about customer delight.

Not being tied to paper manufacture gives us a different dynamic to many of our competitors, and allows us to provide genuine choice and truly take cost out of the supply chain. Each and every one of our customers is equally important to us, whatever the size of their spend.”

“Our people make the difference,” he says. “We don’t just supply our customers, we partner with them for the longer term. We begin with the customer’s needs and objectives and work back from there to ensure they get everything they want, from the size, shape and

{ Encase }

performance of the box to the way in which it is delivered.

“We’re extremely proud of what we do. We work with passion and integrity and we’re really focused as a business on delighting our customers.”

Across its three UK sites, Encase employs over 250 people, and the UK operation has a turnover of some £40m. Having now assembled a team of industry professionals, Encase is not only perfectly positioned to firmly establish itself as the packaging partner of choice but is also currently going through a full brand refresh that brings to life its ethos and culture – a modern, forward-thinking customer-focused business.

And, of course, with an increasing focus on the sustainability of packaging of all kinds, Encase is hugely proud of its environmental policies.

Hainsworth says: “We use between 75–80% recycled materials in our manufacturing process, and what we make is 100% recyclable. We as a company are hugely pro-sustainability”.

And if you thought a box is a box is a box, think again, because Encase is heavy on the research and development of new products and new methods of working.

These include development of machinery that runs faster and more efficiently, embracing digital printing of boxes, and developing cardboard solutions through a team of experienced designers.

They partly achieve this through being members of Alliabox, a pan-European network of family-owned corrugated packaging businesses.

Being part of this wider alliance, formed of 10 companies with 70 plants operating in 16 countries, provides members the opportunity to share best practice, enter new markets and work together on development of products.

Being so invested as a company in the European business landscape does, of course, raise the spectre of Brexit and what might happen. But Hainsworth is confident that Encase has, as far as it’s possible to do so, made itself ‘Brexit-proof’.

“We have prepared as well as we can,” he says. “We have necessary stocks of raw material and parts and we’re confident that whatever happens, we are in a strong position.”

As to what else the future holds, that comes back to Encase’s core principle. Hainsworth says: “Our future strategies are determined by the customers, and what they want from us, a personal touch as it were”.

New procedures in place include the setting up of design centres where customers can ‘test drive’ their packaging needs… literally while they wait; within just a couple of hours Encase clients can hold a printed

prototype in their hands.

So innovative is Encase’s approach that the company caught the attention of the owner of one of the UK’s most exciting start-up businesses, supplying confectionery to the premium retailers. And when she wanted “premium, personalised packaging to create must-have gifts” she went straight to Encase, who mocked up exactly what she wanted while she waited.

It’s that personal touch which makes Encase one of the biggest and most forward-thinking independent packaging companies in the UK. The company’s stated aim is “to challenge and provide choice, not driven by tonnage or paper cycles but by the provision of a solutions approach to market with the ability to analyse the supply chain survey and expose unnecessary costs to our customers”.

It’s that passion for customer service, honed over half a century, combined with a hunger to keep innovating, which keeps Encase in its enviable position as one of the most fast-reacting and trusted packaging brands in the country.

Tel: 0113 2505 616 www.encase.co.uk

January/February Food & Drink News

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{ Caffé Concerto }

Hildon Natural Mineral Water Hildon Natural Mineral Water hails from a quiet corner of rural Hampshire but is flying the flag for the Best of British produce all over the World.

T

he reasons behind this natural mineral water’s success are perfectly clear. First and foremost, is the unique ph balance, low sodium content and delightfully pure flavour, ensuring that Hildon consistently wins in blind tastings conducted by some of the world’s most discerning palates, and making it the only bottled water to have scooped the prestigious Readers Choice Award, nominated and voted for by chefs themselves, for the past seven consecutive years.

As a perfect backdrop to the beautiful characteristics of this water, lies the secondary reason for Hildon’s success – the company’s absolute commitment to protecting the environment for generations to come using sustainable practices, and operating ethically to ensure that Hildon Estate has only a positive impact on the local environment, businesses, residents and charities alike.

In 2017, after many successful years of supplying the Royal Household, Hildon was proud to be awarded the coveted Royal Warrant to Her Majesty the Queen, to qualify for which it had to meet very strict criteria surrounding not only the water itself but also the company’s ethical and sustainable business practices; The ultimate testament to the sheer quality of Hildon Natural Mineral Water and the business behind it.

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January/February Food & Drink News

Hildon are quietly proud of their discerning customer base and their global success; not many people know, for example, that Hildon Natural Mineral Water is exported to over 30 countries.

And back home in UK, Hildon is a prominent figure in some of the most outstanding and prestigious gastronomic experiences within London, partnering some of the best restaurants and hotels in London, such as Caffe Concerto - synonymous with chic dining and the highest quality of entertaining.

Simon Prosser, Director at Hildon, said of the relationship; “Hildon is so proud to have been the sole supplier of Natural Mineral Water to Caffe Concerto for over 8 years. We admire Café Concerto enormously for its enduring quality in everything that they do. Working closely with such amazing establishments to deliver together the best customer experience is Hildon’s ultimate goal and our partnership is so rewarding because we share the same values.”

Whether at home or abroad, it would appear that Hildon Natural Mineral Water is the go-to brand for those who value quality, provenance and sustainability and they will be very proud to partner the best establishments like Café Concerto for many more years to come.

{ Caffé Concerto }

Caffé Concerto hitting all the right notes Elegant dining and exemplary customer service are the watchwords of Caffé Concerto — and they must be doing something right, because the business is expanding far beyond its roots.

N

ot that those roots were in any way humble.

When the business first opened in 1996 it did so as a single restaurant on London’s famous Regent Street.

The Italian businessman who set up Caffé Concerto wanted to share his passion for coffee, patisserie and Continental foods with the capital, but in a way that was friendly, accessible and comfortable.

It was obviously a winning combination, because the company has gone from strength to strength since then, and there are now 17 branches across London, and the brand has expanded into other parts of the UK. But the company’s ambition is not limited to these shores, as Caffé Concerto restaurants are now a welcome site across the Gulf states — Qatar, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.

According to Caffé Concerto, it operates a threepronged policy that has served it well over the past 23 years. Firstly, they want to bring customers into an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere in their restaurants, with luxurious and tasteful decor that can be invitingly seen from outside. Great care is given to the window

displays, which change with the seasons, and the beautiful merchandise that the restaurant also provides is also tantalisingly in sight.

Secondly, the welcome is all. As soon as a customer steps into a Caffé Concerto, they are instantly greeted with a warm smile and a pleasant hello. The company says it is all about going the extra mile to offer the most pleasant experience possible.

Part of that welcome is offering complementary performances — the name of the restaurant says it all!

— to bring together food and music. The restaurants often showcase the finest up and coming artists in the blues and jazz genres.

And thirdly, of course, is the food and drink on offer.

At Caffé Concerto, you can savour many fresh and innovative dishes. They work with premium suppliers who provide them with excellent ingredients.

While Caffé Concerto makes sure to keep their most loved dishes on their menu, they also work with their dedicated head chefs to respond to their customer needs, which is in part what they attribute their success to.

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{ Caffé Concerto }

For example, in the last year they have responded to changing trends in the way people eat by introducing many vegan dishes such as Super Food Salad, Tomato and Chickpea Risotto, and even their patisserie chefs have been hard at work, creating light and delicious vegan cakes.

It’s this responsiveness to the market that keeps Caffé Concerto popular, catering to the customer is of optimal importance, whether it’s creating new Halal, gluten-free or vegan dishes, Caffé Concerto listens to their customers.

There are around 600 people working for Caffé Concerto, and they are all carefully selected for their skills in whichever area of the business they are employed, with the accent on providing the very best customer service. And it’s a policy that works both ways, as many of Caffé Concerto’s employees have faithfully remained with the company for many years.

Despite the success, Caffé Concerto is never resting on its laurels, and is constantly looking at ways to improve their restaurants. They have recently renovated their branch at 152 Brompton Road, giving it a warm, fresh and contemporary look.

Caffé Concerto has also invested in new equipment such as their Italian pizza ovens at selected branches.

Furthermore, in order to provide excellence in service, Caffé Concerto has recently opened a cake showroom at their branch on South Molton Street; this

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January/February Food & Drink News

allows them to give tasting sessions to couples and their guests who may want to discuss their wedding cake designs as well as corporate companies who want to discuss employee rewards such as birthday cake delivery accounts.

The venues are adaptable settings for many different occasions ranging from business meetings or corporate events to family occasions such as Sunday roast. Due to their wonderful central locations, customers vary from tourists to locals and regulars as whoever you are, a classic Caffé Concerto’s Afternoon Tea will always be the way to sweeten your day.

From that first restaurant on Regent Street, Caffé Concerto has not only grown its range of outlets but also turned its name into a trustworthy and popular brand.

Caffé Concerto places a strong emphasis on their marketing and customer services, which enables the constant progression of the brand. And they are always listening to their customers, and keeping a close watch on what people want from the food industry as a whole.

The innovation inspiration is a combination of being reactive to online feedback and combining this with fashion trends. Caffé Concerto remains unique in its ability to provide individuals with the perfect duality of sophistication and elegance in both style and food.

{ Barnies Foods }

East Anglia’s upper crust Barnies Foods is fiercely proud of its independence and the company’s mantra is “local folk supplying local folk”… but that doesn’t mean they ever stop expanding, innovating and moving forwards.

Suppliers of bread products, cakes, savouries and salads, Barnies is headquartered on a former RAF base from where they make all their products and distribute them across their core business areas of East Anglia, Norfolk and Suffolk.

They supply a wide variety of outlets, focusing on small shops and petrol stations where they are making great strides against the corporate giants trying to monopolise these traditional local retailers.

“In many places like these you’ll get a big company, such as say Costa, which moves in to supply fresh coffee,” says Tracy Leggett of Barnies. “But then they’ll

Tel: 01508 532277 Email: info@coldlink.co.uk www.coldlink.co.uk

insist that sandwiches and other products are supplied through them, cutting out local suppliers such as us, and that’s what we are fighting against.”

And it’s a fight that Barnies is hungry for, just as the customers of the increasing number of outlets who take their products are hungry for the freshly-made goods with a strong accent on supporting the local economy.

“All our veg is sourced from farms within a few miles of our headquarters,” says Tracy, “and we get our meat from a local butcher and all our pork is local.”

This is why ‘Barnies’ Sarnies’ have achieved almost legendary status around East Anglia, and the personal touch certainly helps… Barnies is very much a family business, with Tracy’s parents Doreen (known to all as Dor) and Rick Jenner setting up the company almost 30 years ago.

Rick was originally an engineer, and retrained as a baker so the couple could take over the business from the two friends who had originally set it up.

It’s very much a family affair, with direct family such as Tracy and General Manager Brian Underwood and extended family members among the 40-strong workforce based at the New Green Business Park near

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{ Barnies Foods }

Watton, Norfolk. Dor and Rick retired 15 years ago and the next generation is now running the show.

But, says Tracy, all the employees feel like family at Barnies. There are many workers from the European Union, and with the ongoing uncertainty over Brexit the company has been pulling together.

Tracy says: “We believe in giving our staff permanent contracts and we’ve been doing everything we can to help our European workers, giving them time and assistance to get all the relevant paperwork in order”.

As well as getting their products into the small shops and garages that dot the surrounding countryside, Barnies has also been making forays into business and corporate contracts, recently getting the chance to supply outlets at the University of East Anglia.

And with 10 supply vehicles working out of their site (they also make sure they use a local garage for all the maintenance and servicing of their fleet) and covering a wide geographical patch, they’re not about to rest on their laurels any time soon.

“We’re always looking for new markets and outlets,” says Tracy. “It’s a fact that small shops often change hands so we’re always making sure we are the best suppliers that these shops can hope for.”

Since Rick and Dor took over the company and began expanding it in 1989, it’s been a long journey to the success story that Barnies is today. Tracy says: “That first year I don’t think anyone got paid, and in the first few years there were a lot of personal loans taken out to prop up the business. It was certainly a bit of a rollercoaster and we’ve had our ups and downs, and been through recessions, but those tough times give us an opportunity to reassess what we’re doing, analyse our business, and make sure we’re the strongest we can be”.

Things are going the right way — staffing levels have grown, the vehicle fleet has expanded and profit levels are heading up.

In the early years, Barnies used to buy in certain bread and cake products, but now with their skilled

staff and production and distribution hub they bake practically everything on site and get it out across East Anglia every day.

And the company constantly has one eye on the future, especially when it comes to ticking the ecologically-friendly boxes that many people require from their food suppliers in these days of concerns over single-use plastics and their effect on the environment.

Barnies has been experimenting with bio-degradable non-plastic packaging that has all the durability and hygiene benefits of plastic but is actually made from much more environmentally-friendly corn starch, and they are planning to roll out this hi-tech new packaging to most of their products over the next year.

“This is a very hot topic right now and obviously Barnies wants to do what it can to reduce waste,” says Tracy. “We’ve already stopped using black plastic packaging and our next phase is the corn starch covering and using cardboard wedges rather than the clear plastic ones for our sandwiches.”

It’s that combination of innovation, ambition and core family values that has made Barnies such a local success story over the last three decades.

Tel: 01953 884325 www.barniesfoods.co.uk

HEYGATES The independent

family flour millers We are pleased to supply Barnies Foods and we wish them every success in the future.

Bugbrooke Mill, Bugbrooke, Northants NN7 3QH Tel: 01604 830381 Fax: 01604 831865 www.heygates.co.uk 34

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