Food & Drink News January/February 2017

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CONTENTS PAGE 04 NEWS UPDATES 14

ONBOARD CATERING FOCUS

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PENINSULA PRINT & DESIGN

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KARMELLE

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O’BRIEN FINE FOODS LTD

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YORKSHIRE PACKAGING

04

SYSTEMS 27

KECOL PUMPING SYSTEMS

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TO VIEW THE 2017 FEATURES LIST PLEASE VISIT WWW.FOODANDDRINKNEWS.CO.UK OR CONTACT US AT +44(0)1484 321000 TO EMAIL A COPY TO YOU 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.

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EDITOR’S FOREWORD chief editor michelle hodgson deputy editor rachael whiteley art director paul roper senior designer jamie quarmby graphic designer ben wainman advertising production rachael whiteley production manager rachael whiteley accountant kerry monkhouse MICHELLE HODGSON - CHIEF EDITOR

proofreader becky ashwell

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HAVE YOU GOT THE ENERGY? Saving costs is always going to be a priority for any business operating in the food and drink sector, and energy efficiency measures are a key solution for forward-thinking companies.

New research from Barclays (‘Powering On: Energy Resilience in UK Manufacturing’, based on analysis by economics consultancy, Development Economics and a bespoke survey on British manufacturing attitudes towards energy resilience by YouGov Plc, released November 2016) indicates that almost a third of UK manufacturers are more concerned about energy supply following the Brexit vote, with nearly half (47%) expecting significant price rises in the coming year.

To mitigate the effects, smart manufacturers are investing in energy management technologies. The report found that if all manufacturers followed the lead of those at the top of the sector when it comes to energy efficiency, it would create an industry worth £160bn to the wider economy by 2025; a £306m increase on the projected value of the manufacturing sector.

Mike Rigby, Head of Manufacturing, Transport and Logistics at Barclays, said: “Energy resilience and costs are vital considerations for UK manufacturers and are a

critical element of our manufacturing sector’s ability to compete internationally. In recent months, attention has focused on the future of energy supply but we need to look at all aspects of energy. By considering energy management on the demand side in intensive sectors such as manufacturing, we can ensure the UK remains competitive.”

Energy efficiency is, of course, not restricted to manufacturers – most businesses operating in the food and drink sector can benefit, from growers to transport companies and from retailers to catering and hospitality. There are many opportunities to reduce energy bills: installing biomass boilers, replacing old air compressors with new Variable Speed Drive models and fixing leaky pipework, replacing traditional bulbs with LEDs and motiondetecting systems, to name but a few.

The benefits are not restricted to cost savings, but are also positive for the environment and can improve the working conditions of employees, as well as helping to safeguard the future of the business in question.

This issue we are focusing on the growing ‘free from’ sector, as well as inflight and onboard catering, with our usual features and news stories.

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NEWS UPDATES ®

AVERY DENNISON HELPS COCA-COLA EUROPEAN PARTNERS TO RECYCLE 70 TONNES OF PET WASTE ANNUALLY Avery Dennison has collaborated with partners throughout the supply chain, namely Viridor and PET UK, to help Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) reduce waste, costs, and the carbon footprint of Smartwater production in the United Kingdom.

According to Joe Franses, director of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at Coca-Cola European Partners: “This example shows how we can turn the crisis of resources into a business opportunity through close collaboration across the value chain.

Businesses which can be truly innovative with the products and services they provide, optimising the resources they use and encouraging consumers to do the same, have the potential to transform our economy.”

Xander van der Vlies, Sustainability Director for Avery Dennison Materials Group Europe, said that CCEP wanted to further improve Smartwater production in line with its focus on recycling, sustainability and creating a circular economy: “Avery Dennison was a natural choice of partner for this project, given our ambitious yearon-year sustainability goals, and the various initiatives we promote around the reduction of waste created in the self-adhesive label value chain.

“We have close relationships both with PET UK and with CCEP’s waste management company Viridor, and together we have been able to establish a strategy that saves on waste and emissions while at the same time giving CCEP concrete business benefits and cost

reductions.”

More than 50 million bottles of Smartwater were produced in 2015.

The PET liners used (carrying the self-adhesive labels before dispensing) generated more than 40 tonnes of waste in that year, costing around £8,500 in disposal/handling costs. Under the new recycling scheme, PET UK shreds and extrudes the waste PET liner and then produces a material suitable for making new items such as PET staple fibre, strapping or thermoformable sheets. There will also be significant savings in CO2 emissions – around 180-200 tonnes in 2016.

Van der Vlies noted that creating awareness on PET recycling will continue: “Since we launched this initiative with PET UK in 2014, we have signed up many wine, spirits,

beer, and beverage brands. Avery Dennison has set an ambitious sustainability goal for 2025 of eliminating 70% of liner waste from the industry value chain.”

RPC HIGHLIGHTS ITS VERSATILITY Global plastics specialist RPC Group will have one of the largest stands at this year’s Packaging Innovations at the NEC where the company will showcase its abilities as a one-stop packaging solutions

provider across a wide range of markets and applications.

Ten of the group’s UK operations will be represented on the stand, demonstrating the breadth of the company’s offering in containers and

closures, its technical leadership in all the major plastic conversion processes, and the many sustainability benefits of its packs.

A key feature will be plastic’s design flexibility with RPC’s ability to create bespoke solutions, tailored to specific customer requirements, that help deliver brand differentiation in terms of both aesthetics and functionality. These same benefits are also built into the company’s extensive standard container ranges where a choice of advanced decoration techniques can also help to individualise finished packs.

Stand highlights will include a variety of multilayer technologies to deliver extended ambient shelf life for food products, along with many

examples of packs that meet everincreasing demands for consumer convenience and on-the-go consumption. In the personal care and beauty sector, innovative dispensing systems and high-end cream jars will be two examples of how plastics can deliver the premium image required in this market.

For industrial and household chemicals, and paint, garden, automotive and DIY products, the focus will be on plastics’ ability to combine superb functionality with effective on-shelf appeal.

TEL: 01933 416528 WWW.RPC-GROUP.COM

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NEWS UPDATES GOURMET ICE LOLLY BRAND ‘ICE KITCHEN’ AIMS TO DISRUPT THE MAINSTREAM HAND HELD ICE CREAM MARKET

The Ice Kitchen, artisan ice lolly brand, created a storm when it first launched on London’s South Bank in the hot summer of 2013. This resulted in early success with a national listing with the frozen retailer ‘COOK’, and was followed by star appearances on The One Show with Lord Alan Sugar, Radio 4 and James Martin’s Home Comforts TV show. The Ice Kitchen has since secured listings across Holland, Finland and Ireland with exports now making up 70% of sales.

In 2016 the gourmet lollies were awarded four Great Taste Awards (the only ice lollies to do so!) and from January 2017, The Ice Kitchen is planning a sales push in the UK after securing a six-figure investment from Dutch food entrepreneurs.

Transforming a nostalgic classic childhood treat into a

gourmet pleasure for adults and children alike, founder Cesar Roden and his team hand make their lollies in their Ice Kitchen in London. The recipes include classics and twists on classics, as well as exciting creations with surprising flavour combinations – Earl Grey, Mojito, Peach & Hibiscus to name a few.

Founder Cesar Roden says: “Our mission is to offer an exciting, refreshing and 100% natural alternative, and take on the mainstream industrial brands that dominate the ‘hand held’ ice cream market”.

Ice Kitchen has developed a range of 11 artisan lollies, including whole

fruit, dairy and alcoholic lines, using only the finest ingredients and containing nothing artificial. All ingredients are hand blended to create the rich and unique flavours of the ice lollies, with some of the creations having whole pieces of fruit suspended in the middle.

The Ice Kitchen story started in New York when Roden travelled there to help his aunt Nadia, an artist and chef, on what was the first gourmet ice lolly venture in the city.

The overwhelming response, and the fact that there was nothing similar in the UK, encouraged him to launch over here.

Ice Kitchen released their hardback recipe book in 2014, which topped the Amazon desserts bestseller list in the UK and has since been published in 15 countries. A new book of quirky and delicious poptail recipes is due to be published in 2017.

The gourmet lollies are available at all COOK stores nationwide, select wholefoods stores as well as select independent delis and farm shops across the UK. WWW.ICEKITCHEN.CO.UK

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NEWS UPDATES CHRISTMAS DESPATCHED ON TIME FOR VEG PRODUCER, ALAN BARTLETT, THANKS TO THORWORLD’S RENT-A-RAMP

To ensure fresh carrots and parsnips were delivered to customers on time during the busy festive period, vegetable producer, Alan Bartlett and Sons, used a tried and tested method for dealing with the seasonal boom by hiring a Thorworld Industries loading ramp for the ninth consecutive year.

“When December comes, we need to be ready to fulfil the additional distribution demands placed on our business,” Toby Bartlett, Company Director and son of founder, Alan Bartlett, explains.

“While our existing three loading bays are ideal for much of the year, an additional resource is required to give us that extra capacity to meet client demand and ensure deliveries are on time throughout December.

“We rent the equipment for a four-week period, which enables us to distribute three average months’ worth of parsnips in just two weeks. Hiring the ramp allows us to up the pace when loading pallets into lorries enabling deliveries to leave our sites on time and in the most efficient way possible.”

Thorworld Industries offers a variety of yardramp models for hire, all of which can be made available for periods between a month and five years. The hired equipment can then be returned once it’s no longer needed, or purchased at a reduced rate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THORWORLD AND ITS RENT-A-RAMP SERVICE VISIT WWW.THORWORLD.CO.UK/RANGE/RENTAR AMP OR CALL 01246 260 981.

THE COLLECTIVE LAUNCHES TUB4GRUB CAMPAIGN Award-winning gourmet yoghurt brand, The Collective Dairy, has launched its ‘Tub4Grub’ initiative to help consumers ‘share some good’ within their local communities and on a wider, global scale.

Three million of the brand’s iconic yoghurt tubs now bear a unique and innovative ‘peel back’ label that reveals a blank gifting label underneath. The ‘Tub4Grub’ campaign allows consumers, once they have enjoyed their yoghurt, to reuse and personalise the tub, fill with snacks and share with someone locally who is in need of a treat.

The new initiative, which launched in November 2016 and ends in mid-February 2017, will also see The Collective donate a minimum of £10,000 to humanitarian organisation, Action Against Hunger, through sales of its ‘Tub4Grub’ tubs. In addition to this, The Collective will also donate a further 50p to the charity every time someone passes on a tub and shares their good deed on social media using the hashtag #tub4grub or via the campaign website: www.tub4grub.com.

Through the money raised for this campaign, The Collective could provide up to 20,000 days’ worth of therapeutic food to save the lives of malnourished children across the world, not to mention raising smiles and spirits nationwide within smaller communities.

WWW.THECOLLECTIVEDAIRY.COM

A DECADE AT MULTIMODAL FOR HOWARD TENENS Howard Tenens, one of the UK’s largest privately owned logistics companies, are exhibiting at Multimodal once again this year for the tenth consecutive year. Multimodal, taking place between the 4 to 6 April this year is the biggest exhibition of its kind within the logistics industry.

Beth O’Neill, Group Commercial Manager at Howard Tenens, comments, “Showcasing Howard Tenens at Multimodal for the past nine years has enabled us to meet with some of our leading customers including Costa Coffee and Asahi.”

This year, Howard Tenens will be showcasing a new edition to their warehouse portfolio with a newly refurbished 179,000 ft warehouse in Manchester, due to be fully operational by the end of April, as well as promoting Howard Tenens services including expertise within the pick and pack sector for logistics.

Furthermore, Howard Tenens will not only be attending the Multimodal awards evening in

partnership with the FTA on Tuesday 4 April, but this year Howard Tenens are proud to be sponsoring the Rail Freight Operator of the Year award.

If you are interested in finding out more about Howard Tenens’ 3PL solutions, please visit stand 4020 and speak to a member of the team.

TEL: 08702 415640 WWW.TENENS.COM

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NEWS UPDATES SNACKS WEIGHER/BAGMAKER COMBINATION DELIVERS FAST PAYBACK An Ishida iTPS (Integrated Total Packaging System) is delivering a fast payback on investment at leading Italian dried fruit and nut supplier Madi Ventura.

The new Ishida multihead weigher and bagmaker combination at Madi Ventura’s factory in Chieve, supplied by Ishida’s Italian agent Itech Italia, has replaced two packing lines for the company’s ranges of pine kernels, shelled and blanched almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts, delivering speeds of up to 140 packs per minute.

The iTPS comprises Ishida’s latest 14-head RV multihead weigher, integrated with the advanced Atlas-204 snack food bagmaker. The Atlas incorporates an innovative double rotary jaw motion and superior control technology, which minimises raw material waste, film loss and downtime for film changes.

Key benefits of the Ishida system, according to Madi Ventura, are its accuracy, consistency and ease of operation.

Dried fruit and nut products are expensive so

accuracy is particularly vital. “Giveaway has been reduced to less than 1%,” reports Madi Ventura’s Operations Director Giuseppe Calvini. “We have practically eliminated film waste, and when you take into account the overall savings the iTPS offers and the increased production that it delivers, the purchase price is more than justified by the fast payback.”

WWW.ISHIDAEUROPE.COM

CEETAK’S QUICK PULSE HEAT (QPH) SEALING TECHNOLOGY INSTALLED AT LEADING FOOD PROCESSOR ALBERT BARTLETT Ceetak Ltd continues their series of successful Quick Pulse Heat (QPH) sealing installations with leading food processor Albert Bartlett, who have recently retrofitted the technology on their Vertical Form Fill and Seal Machines within their Norfolk production facility.

Nigel Vincent, Chief Engineer at Albert Bartlett, explained: “With the introduction of a range of exciting new products we were able to improve production efficiencies across our range of products and films. Ceetak’s QPH sealing technology offers the ability to cope with a wide variety of films and significantly reduces the need for timely seal jaw changes’.

Ceetak’s QPH Product Manager, Philip Hyde, continues: “When Ceetak engage with food processing companies the key benefit is usually focused on film savings - typically between 7-15% with the 1.5-2mm seal width - with the addition of stronger overall bag seals. However, once QPH systems are installed on production lines a number of additional benefits are achieved including

reduced maintenance, higher running speeds, improved hygiene and safer machinery operation”.

Ceetak can retrofit the QPH system to any make and model VFFS machine; extending the lifetime of the machine and offering manufacturers significant production flexibility to help keep up with ever-changing and challenging market conditions.

Further information on Ceetak’s products and services, including product and machinery demonstration and customer sample trials are available at Ceetak’s dedicated test facility.

Alternatively customer site demonstrations are also possible.

TEL: 01234 832200 WWW.CEETAK.COM

DIAGNOSTICS SERVICE DRIVES DOWN STRESS LEVELS

Drive lifetime is prolonged with a new service from ABB which analyses existing conditions to predict future maintenance needs and optimise operation. ABB-certified engineers analyse the performance and condition of the drive on-site, and use their expertise to provide detailed diagnostics and maintenance recommendations for the end user.

Two variants of the service are available: Drive Health Check, for ABB’s ACS607 and ACS800-07 drives, offers detailed measurement and inspection which takes place during planned shutdown. The current condition of the drive is assessed, and recommendations are given for short-term and long-term maintenance.

Drive Stress Check, for ACS800 and ACS880 single drive and multidrive modules, requires no shutdown, and can be performed during normal operation. The stress status of the drive resulting from harsh environments or heavy-duty applications is identified, and recommendations are provided to mitigate their effects.

As part of the inspection and diagnostics service the drive will be registered with ABB, giving customers access to ABB’s worldwide service network, including online product manuals and maintenance recommendations, further protecting the condition of their drives.

ABB LIMITED, DARESBURY PARK, DARESBURY, WARRINGTON WA4 4BT FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: LAYLA HEWITT TEL: 01925 741517 EMAIL: LAYLA.HEWITT@GB.ABB.COM WWW.ABB.CO.UK/ENERGY

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NEWS UPDATES NEW MODELS EXTEND LASER CODING CAPABILITIES

Linx Printing Technologies is launching two laser coders that will open up the benefits of the technology to more companies and applications. Key benefits of the Linx CSL range are even faster printing speeds and greater versatility, along with quicker and easier installation and set-up that help to make laser coding simpler and more accessible.

The Linx CSL10 (10 watt) and CSL30 (30 watt) laser coders feature a new, more powerful processing board that delivers higher speeds. Equally important, the coder can handle complex messages and graphics without any loss of quality, ideal for the requirements of high speed packing and bottling lines. Both models apply crisp codes onto many different packaging materials including coated paper and card, plastic, glass, rubber, coated metal and anodised aluminium.

A new marking head for wide web applications enables the coders to code across multiple lines using just a single laser where previously two machines would have been required. An area of up to 440mm x 600mm can be coded – ideal for applications such as flexible sheet for lids.

A wider range of marking heads and positions means that the Linx lasers can be tailored to the precise requirements of each coding application. Both models can be specified in an IP65 version, allowing them to operate in harsh, wet and dusty environments such as frozen, dairy and beverage.

WWW.LINXGLOBAL.COM

KEY FINANCE APPOINTMENT STRENGTHENS 4 ACES’ HAND 4 Aces has appointed experienced, commercial finance professional, Neil Dockar, as the popular packaging specialist’s nonexecutive Financial Director to help drive the company’s growth path, with a ‘20/20 game plan’ to double the company turnover.

Having originally qualified as a chartered accountant with Deloitte, Neil has over 35 years’ business experience including roles as European FD within P&G and Group FD at Capespan Int PLC. He currently supports a number of SME businesses with expansion and acquisitions.

Neil says: “It’s a pleasure to work with a company that is so focused and intent on developing its commercial presence and achieving real growth. I look forward to taking them on this journey and affecting positive change while minimising the impact of any future market uncertainty. We have established a clear structure to deliver the 20/20 plan and I’m looking forward to bringing this proposal to fruition over the coming years.”

4 Aces is also working closely with a qualified treasury expert to ensure future currency requirements are efficiently managed. This input is crucial to the company’s foreign currency strategy, introduced in the wake of Brexit, to help it to consider its requirement over a long-term period and to ensure the most profitable purchases.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON 4 ACES AND ITS PRODUCTS, VISIT WWW.4ACESLTD.COM OR CALL 01992 535774

NEW 12 LITRE BUCKET MAKES VIKAN’S AWARD-WINNING BUCKET FAMILY EVEN BETTER

Launched in January 2017, the new 12 Litre Bucket is a welcome update to Vikan’s awardwinning bucket range, and includes a number of features to improve hygiene and usability, and simplify storage and handling.

The Vikan 12L bucket at a glance: • Stackable design saves storage space • Snap-on lid improves security and safety • Easy-to-read measures include litre, UK and US gallon marks • Sloped design makes stirring, mixing and emptying faster • Drainage hole prevents water accumulation during storage • Available in nine colours for hygienic colour coding

Debra Smith, Vikan’s Global Hygiene Specialist, says: “Buckets are one of the most commonly used pieces of equipment when it comes to ingredients handling and cleaning in the food and beverage industry. With the redesign of our 12 Litre Bucket, industry professionals can now choose from a range of bucket sizes that all feature smart design solutions to improve hygiene, safety and usability.

The new buckets also combine perfectly with our bowl and hand scoops to make measuring and handling easier.”

The new 12 Litre Bucket is made from premium quality and highly durable materials, and is compliant with all relevant EU and FDA regulations. It is available in nine colours: pink, green, blue, red, white, yellow, orange, purple and black.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE VIKAN BUCKET FAMILY, PLEASE CONTACT VIKAN CUSTOMER SERVICE ON 01793 716760 OR SALES@VIKAN.CO.UK OR VISIT OUR BUCKET WEBSITE ON BUCKETS.VIKAN.COM

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NEWS UPDATES

B&G COLLABORATE WITH SKYMARK TO DEVELOP REUSABLE ANTIBACTERIAL CARRIER BAG

Leading UK flexible packaging manufacturer Skymark has been working in collaboration with B&G products, manufacturer of reusable bags and pouches, to create a reusable cool bag that prevents the growth of bacteria.

The insulated bag is designed to inhibit 99.9% of bacterial growth, thanks to its inbuilt Biomaster® antimicrobial technology.

Phil Perrin, Business Development Manager at Skymark, said: “Recent studies have found harmful bacteria can survive for up to eight weeks in the lining of a reusable shopping bag. It follows that reusable cool bags could support bacteria in a similar way and consumers needed a safe, affordable product that prevents potential cross contamination between shopping trips.”

The new cool bag incorporates a special multilayer inner film and is designed to help maintain warm goods at a good temperature and keep chilled or frozen products cold.

Mr Perrin continued: “Previously we’d been working with B&G on a new product development, utilising Skymark’s unique production line to manufacture a new inner layer in

their cool bag, to enhance performance. Together we decided to refine the new material further and include antimicrobial technology from leading solutions provider, Addmaster. This resulted in the product being a hybrid technology that is highly effective in all of the core requirements of the end product.”

The inbuilt antimicrobial technology from Addmaster uses silver ion-based additives that are designed to help prevent cross contamination from bacteria such as campylobacter, which is widely recognised as a key challenge for the food retail supply chain.

According to the Food Standards Agency, campylobacter is the most common form of food poisoning in the UK, with an estimated 280,000

people a year affected by it. Cross contamination from poultry products being the source in most cases.

B&G Commercial Director, Peter Ralten, explains: “Campylobacter can be present on the outer packaging of chicken products and can be transferred to bags when carrying the products home. This cool bag will help to protect and eliminate dangerous bacteria such as campylobacter. This patent pending technology makes B&G cool bags the choice for safely transporting consumers’ chilled and frozen products.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.SKYMARK.CO.UK AND WWW.BANDGPRODUCTS.COM

SALMONELLA TESTING MADE FAST, CONVENIENT AND ACCURATE Salmonella bacteria are the most commonly reported cause of foodborne illnesses. Hygiena International’s recently developed InSite Salmonella micro-organism colorimetric test is rapid, convenient and extremely accurate. It combines both swab, pre-enrichment and selective enrichment in a single selfcontained swab device for testing environmental surfaces, giving results in 24 hours.

Hygiena InSite is a cost-effective salmonella screening test for food contact surfaces, processing equipment and general environmental samples that combines the principal steps of preenrichment and selective

enrichment in an all-in-one swab device. The test consists of a large sponge swab pre-wetted with a neutralising agent – to counter the effects of residual sanitisers – and a pre-enrichment broth to enable the detection of low numbers of salmonella.

The bulb contains the AOAC enrichment Salmonella Indicator Broth PDX-SIB. After activation and incubation, a colour change of the selective enrichment broth from purple to yellow is considered as a ‘presumptive positive’ result.

A brief pre-enrichment period of just six hours enables the detection of presumptive positive samples within a 24-hour period.

Alternatively, optional overnight or 24-hour pre-enrichment permits the detection of such samples in 48 hours. The test requires fewer materials, fewer steps and less manipulation by users. Furthermore, its all-in-one format maintains security by confining hazardous pathogens.

Hygiena InSite is quick, straightforward and reliable, while further benefits include reduced risk of crosscontamination and the retention of active culture for any subsequent verification and identification tests.

An instructional video can be viewed at: http://www.hygiena.com/insitesalmonella-food-and-beverage.html TEL: 01923 818821 EMAIL: CONTACTUS@HYGIENA.COM WWW.HYGIENA.COM TWITTER: @HYGIENAINT

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NEWS UPDATES

INTERNATIONAL TRADE EVENT TAKES WELSH FOOD AND DRINK TO THE WORLD

Over a hundred Welsh producers will be joined by national and international buyers, journalists, dignitaries and industry leaders at Wales’s first ever international food and drink event.

BlasCymru/TasteWales takes place at the Celtic Manor resort on 23-24 March and will bring the entire industry under one roof to showcase the best of the nation’s growing food and drink offer.

Attendees include niche and

artisan producers such as Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company and specialist meat curers Cwm Farm Charcuterie, who will join established household favourites such as Edwards of Conwy, Penderyn whisky and Snowdonia cheese, as well as larger manufacturing businesses such as Fruitapeel and Radnor Hills.

Industry professionals are being urged to secure one of the limited remaining spaces at the conference.

With delegates coming from as far afield as the United States, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, it will also feature the recent BBC Apprentice victor, Alana Spencer, who will appear alongside Christine Tacon CBE, the Groceries Code Adjudicator, and other key industry figures.

Group Editor of The Grocer, Adam Leyland, who will deliver the keynote presentation, said: “I will be addressing the international food and drink market and how Wales and the UK can make a significant impact globally.

Hopefully the day will prove to be insightful and inspirational to both Welsh producers and conference delegates.”

The Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths AM, will be hosting the event and making a number of exciting announcements in connection with the sector: “Bringing together individuals and organisations from across the industry, BlasCymru/TasteWales will provide the platform for us to

display the strength, success and pride we have in Welsh food and drink and help us continue with the positive trajectory we are currently on as we strive to reach our 30% growth target by 2020.”

Flying in from the United States will be John Rodger from Atalanta Corporation, who is very much looking forward to seeing what Welsh delights are on offer: “While at BlasCymru/TasteWales I’ll be on the lookout for new and innovative products, with it also being an excellent opportunity to forge new partnerships.”

Capacity is limited with tickets available on a first come first served basis from www.tastewales.com

TOTALLY WILD LAUNCHES ALOE 247 JUICE Totally Wild unveils its unique, Organic Aloe 247 Juice and Gel to the UK market for the first time, from South Africa. Organic Aloe 247 Juice is stocked in the national premium supermarket, Waitrose, and is available online from Amazon.co.uk.

Accredited ‘Organic’ by EcoCert and the Soil Association, Aloe 247 is made using South Africa’s ‘miracle plant’ Aloe Ferox, which is wild grown and wild harvested. The new products are made from the purest form of Aloe – unfiltered and pulped, meaning it is full of nutrients beneficial to the body, inside and out. Naturally rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, dietary fibre and its own active healing ingredient, glyconutrients – found

in the Aloe Ferox plant – the Juice and Gel offer many health benefits for all users.

The Organic Aloe 247 Juice is used to sooth the digestive tract with its syrupy, ‘bitty’ texture, enabling the body to ingest all its goodness, providing health benefits from the inside out. It is recommended to have 30-50ml twice a day, to help tackle an array of digestive tract ailments such as indigestion, heartburn, stomach ulcers, IBS, diverticulitis, colitis and even infant colic. The organic juice can also help heal from within notably helping those with shingles and eczema.

Organic Aloe 247 Juice is unrivalled because it has a neutral, palatable taste. Consisting of only

30% pulp, 69.6% Juice and citric regulator, naturally rich in calcium, iron, magnesium and dietary fibre to soothe the digestive tract. 30ml twice daily as a natural immunebooster or consumed throughout the day. Additional flavours coming soon include: Organic Cinnamon & Honey and Organic Lemon, Ginger & Honey – both retaining the Organic certification. These two exciting new flavours add a distinctive, beneficial alternative to the original Aloe 247 Juice and contain no preservatives, thickeners or sugar.

During 2017, Totally Wild is exhibiting at the Pharmacy Show and has been accepted to exhibit with the prestigious Organic Only section at NOPE show. For more

information about Totally Wild and its organic products, please visit: www.aloe24-7.co.uk www.facebook.com/aloe247aloef erox www.twitter.com/Aloe247

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NEWS UPDATES LEROY SEAFOOD GROUP AND LINPAC DEVELOP NOVEL SUSHI PACKS FOR MERCADONA

Leading fresh food packaging manufacturer, LINPAC, has collaborated with Norway’s Leroy Seafood Group to produce a range of resourceefficient sushi convenience packs, which will be supplied exclusively to leading Spanish retailer, Mercadona.

Made from laminated PET with a printed film base tray and a clear anti-fog PET lid, the range comprises single and double portion and family sized packs that are designed to contain ready-toeat maki, nigiri, sashimi and Japanese salads.

Notably, in a move from previous designs, LINPAC has developed a total pack solution that taps into the on-the-go snacking market by including internal cavities for wooden chopsticks and condiments. These innovative features ensure neat, hygienic presentation of the contents and

facilitate quick and easy dispensing and consumption for the consumer.

Diego Fernandez, Product Manager at LINPAC, commented: “We turned the full range around in a very short space of time by presenting designs and prototypes to Leroy throughout the process. The resulting food-safe solution completely eliminates the need for additional packaging.”

A variety of raw fish, cooked fish and non-fish sushi and sashimi will be packed into the trays, for purchase on the same or following day, to comply with food safety regulations. The offer is currently on sale in 16 Mercadona stores in Madrid, Valencia and Southern area. Due to a successful trial period, progressive implementation is expected from early January 2017.

Group Marketing Manager at LINPAC, Nikki Clark, added: “This is a fantastic example of how collaborative innovation processes truly add value to our customers. In this case, the design has been streamlined to make it fit for purpose and removes the need for additional materials. It’s a truly resource-efficient, total pack solution.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT LINPAC.COM

IT’S A SEVEN FROM G’S GROWERS Fleet-based Paramount Packaging Systems Ltd – exclusive distributor of Fuji Machinery Company’s horizontal and vertical form-fill-seal equipment in the UK and Ireland – has announced that G’s Growers Ltd recently confirmed an order for seven custom-designed Alpha VII FW3710BS/B back seal flow-wrappers.

G’s Growers Ltd is an independent producer organisation comprising more than 20 grower members in the UK and Spain. The bespoke Fuji flow-wrappers, which will be used to pack celery, will be mounted on robust stainless-steel support frames to ensure stability and rigidity on mobile field harvesting rigs. They also feature integrated ink jet coders and labelling systems.

Specially developed for wet environments, the Fuji flow-wrappers feature an ultra-hygienic design to help prevent dust and dirt accumulation, and offer easy access to the mechanical and electrical components.

Operating up to 120 packs per minute, the machines boast a low maintenance box motion

sealing system and convenient ‘plug and play’ twopart infeed. A 12” colour touch screen and multilingual operator interface can be customised for fast, accurate diagnostics, enabling easy operation by foreign workers. The USB port facilitates machine back up and allows product data to be uploaded easily.

Paramount Packaging’s Alpha VII series offer energy saving technology, improved production efficiencies and reduced operating costs.

TEL: 01252 815252 WWW.PARAMOUNT-PACKAGING.CO.UK

BOUGHEY DISTRIBUTION MAKES INCREASED INVESTMENT IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM Boughey Distribution Ltd has announced a new appointment which will further strengthen its business development team. Business Development Manager Jason Ward joins the company from Pall-Ex, where he worked as UK and European business development manager in corporate sales for four years. Prior to that, Jason spent seven years at C Butts as Business Development Manager and in operations management.

Jason has worked at Boughey previously, having spent several years in a number of departments of the Wardle-based company early in his career. He is delighted to be back and is looking forward to working alongside existing Business Development Manager Steve Woodhead. Jason will be particularly focused on growing new business opportunities for Boughey’s warehousing and distribution functions as well as for Palletline. He says: “I can draw on my wide experience of the industry and my in-depth knowledge of Boughey to build new customer relationships and put into practice new ways of working. I am really excited by this massive opportunity.”

Boughey Distribution is one of the UK’s leading ambient grocery distribution and storage specialists. From its Cheshire warehousing site it provides a quality warehouse and distribution service to anywhere in the UK, which encompasses collection, storage, repacking, picking and delivery. The business consolidates full loads from its customers – the food producers and importers – and ships them across the UK daily to all the major supermarkets, cash and carry, and food service distribution depots.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON BOUGHEY DISTRIBUTION AND ITS SERVICES, PLEASE CONTACT MARTYN NICHOLLS, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, ON 01829 262231 OR EMAIL MARTYN.NICHOLLS@BOUGHEY.CO.UK

P12 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

NEWS UPDATES ®

FRYLIGHT INVESTS MILLIONS IN NEW MARKETING DRIVE

Frylight, the UK’s original one calorie cooking spray, is launching a £5m multi-channel marketing campaign - its largest marketing investment ever.

Aiming squarely at mainstream consumers, the activity is set to lift the brand out of ‘diet’ and into a far bigger marketplace.

The new TV ad features three different families, cooking together at home. The pace of activity and upbeat soundtrack showcases Frylight’s versatility and simplicity, demonstrating how easy it can be to cook a range of healthy meals using 95% less fat than oil.

The relaunch of the Frylight website will host tips and advice on cooking more healthily with a number of video recipes being shown. The site will also raise

awareness of the brand and educate the public on its health and cooking benefits.

The brand are continuing to trailblaze in the oils category, doubling volume in the past two years and rapidly adopting consumers to boast use in one in four households in the UK. Paul Fraser, Managing Director of MH Foods (who produce Frylight), said: “We want to enable people to make better food choices, and believe we can do that by making healthy cooking easier. Frylight’s unique product recipe and pump spray allows consumers to accurately

control the amount of oil they use to cook, dramatically cutting calorie intake without any compromise on taste quality.

“Frylight is a tried and tested, successful and easy first step toward better nutrition.”

Seven different varieties of Frylight are available in supermarkets nationwide: Sunflower, Extra Virgin Olive, Butter, Rapeseed, Coconut, Avocado and Garlic oils – without any artificial ingredients. For more information on how to cook healthily with Frylight, visit www.frylight.co.uk

AUTHENTIC FRENCH GASTRONOMY JUST A CLICK AWAY FOLLOWING GOURMING LAUNCH A new online gourmet marketplace for the food trade has been launched, providing easy access to a wealth of top quality French food and drink products.

Gourming is a trade-only web portal for the restaurant, hospitality, catering and food distribution industries, enabling them to source a vast range of authentic French cuisine directly from the producer, including artisan products and regional specialities.

Gourming is focused on showcasing small to medium sized food businesses, particularly those just setting out on their export journey, so many of the products listed have not been available in the UK before now.

The products have been handpicked with the assistance of Gourming’s partner ‘Meilleurs

Ouvriers de France’, a competition that recognises and celebrates the best artisan craftsmen and women in France. Their selections and recommendations have helped to create a one-stop solution devised to meet the needs of trade customers in food related industries around the world.

Launched in Paris on 18 January, the site currently boasts over 5,000 listed items, with around 250 French producers already on board and a goal to double this figure before the end of the year. Each producer listed has completed a rigorous selection process, including meeting traceability audit standards, ensuring that only the highest quality products and services are offered.

Gourming has been developed by the Le Duff Group, a world leader in the Café Bakery sector, with a

presence in 90 countries across five continents.

Founder and President of the Le Duff Group, Louis le Duff, said: “Gourming provides a simple way to connect French producers with chefs, restaurateurs and other members of the food and catering industry around the globe. Over three quarters of France’s small and medium sized food businesses barely export at present, if at all, so Gourming provides a way of unlocking their potential in order to provide exceptional produce for catering and food industry professionals worldwide. As

such, we see Gourming as the community of good food and French gastronomic culture.”

GOURMING IS NOW AVAILABLE TO THE FOOD TRADE IN THE UK AND 25 OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, WITH PLANS TO LAUNCH THE SITE IN NORTH AMERICA AND ASIA NEXT YEAR. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER, VISIT WWW.GOURMING.COM

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P13

NEWS UPDATES

BUSINESSES TOLD “NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN SUSTAINABILITY” Businesses should take advantage of stable energy prices and invest in sustainability now, according to Lorien Engineering Solutions.

The latest Lorien Energy Index (LEI) shows that prices increased by around one per cent between quarters two and three of 2016. This is four per cent lower than the same period in 2015.

Sustainability consultant Tom Jordan said: “Now is the time to embed sustainability, energy and resilience into strategic planning whilst the delay from the upward trend in energy costs has given the sector a breather.

“The precautionary principle taught in environmental economics is that ‘doing nothing’ is a gamble.

Once the energy markets have rebalanced, it is expected that the overall costs of energy from fossil fuels will realign with the upward trend previously seen.”

Burton-based Lorien Engineering Solutions, which produces the Index, said there was an element of ‘the boy who cried wolf ’ for energy customers looking to manage future costs.

Before the dramatic fall in oil wholesale prices, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) warned that business energy costs were predicted to rise by around a third by 2030.

Even with historically low wholesale prices, there were also warnings from Utilitywise last year that although the wholesale cost of electricity to industry will remain static to 2021, this could more than double when the additional factors of climate change mitigation, network and transmission charges are factored in.

This is echoed within Energyst’s 2017 Directors Report, which states that noncommodity costs will soon make up two-thirds of

energy bills.

Tom said the food and drink manufacturing sector faced a major challenge due to its high reliance on energy for processing, product chilling and cold chain logistics. He said many facilities were also struggling with ageing plant, the constraints of old buildings and the lack of available space to develop.

The Lorien Energy Index

NATURE’S FINEST LAUNCHES NEW MANGO CHEEKS Premium potted fruit brand, Nature’s Finest is extending its range and increasing shelf presence, with the launch of new Mango Cheeks.

Delicious slices of chunky mango cheek potted in fruit juice, the 700g pots are ideally suited for parents looking for convenient and easy ways to incorporate fruit into their family’s diet.

Launching into Asda in January, with further roll out planned for

H1, the mango cheeks contribute to your five a day and are a source of vitamins and minerals. The 700g fridge packs are the perfect solution for both bakers and families and can be simply added to any breakfast cereal or enjoyed as an end of meal sweet treat.

Georgina Edmonds, Marketing Manager of Nature’s Finest comments “As a brand we have seen consistent growth for our 400g

diced mango pots and so made the decision to extend the range with the launch of the new 700g fridge pot. Based on consumer feedback we chose to pack cheek slices to broaden the appeal.”

THE NEW MANGO CHEEKS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN ASDA WITH A RRP OF £2.25

monitors the overall cost of energy for business users. It enables companies to make sense of their current energy consumption and look at ways they can make savings in the future through energy efficiency and using low carbon and renewable technologies to boost energy security.

WWW.GPSTRATEGIES.COM

P14 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

ONBOARD CATERING FOCUS

KEEP IT MOVING THE PROVISION OF IN-FLIGHT FOOD AND ONBOARD TROLLEY SERVICES CONTINUES TO TRANSFORM, AS COMPANIES SEEK TO INNOVATE WHILE KEEPING TICKET PRICES COMPETITIVE

As consumers, we will always be quick to complain when the quality of airline or rail food falls below standard, but in recent years there have been some notable changes to the provision of food services.

In July 2015, Southern Rail ended its trolley services on busy commuter lines from London across the south east and to the coast (although this potential inconvenience will seem minor in light of the ongoing disruption to services).

The reason given was that many

passengers now buy their drinks and snacks ahead of travelling, in part due to the increase in station coffee shops and food outlets. Southern Rail’s routes are also shorter than a lot of other franchises – the average distance of a journey on Virgin Train’s East Coast route, for example, is 300 miles.

While many, if not all, of the budget airlines have charged for inflight catering for some years, changes to British Airways’ offer was headline news. From 11 January this year, the company will charge for all

food and drink in economy on short-haul (five-hour or less) flights and domestic flights from Gatwick and Heathrow. This will extend to flights from London City and London Stansted by this summer.

The food available to purchase will be from Marks & Spencer’s Food on the Move range of sandwiches, crisps and snacks.

Alcoholic, hot and soft drinks, supplied by Tourvest, will also be charged for. With restrictions on bringing liquids through customs, passengers will have to purchase on

board or pay the prices charged in the airside shops and cafes.

BA’s research found that passengers didn’t place enough value on free catering and keeping ticket prices low was more of a pull than free food on board. “We have reached this point as a consequence of an increasing number of requests from our customers,” explained BA’s CEO, Alex Cruz.

FROM G&T TO CRAFT BEERS

For non-economy customers, it’s business as usual. Gin and tonic is

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P15

ONBOARD CATERING FOCUS one of the most popular alcoholic drinks served on BA flights, with more than three million served annually, and the airline has recently launched an exclusive brand of gin for customers flying First. British Airways Gin was blended by Cambridge Distillery following taste testing with First customers in the bar of the Concorde Room at Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

Meanwhile, bmi has once again teamed up with Scottish brewery Brewdog, to serve complimentary 330ml cans of its craft beer Punk IPA onboard all bmi flights from Aberdeen, Bristol and Newcastle.

“It went down really well with our passengers in the past,” says Frank Mertens, Head of Marketing at bmi regional. “Passengers love it because it’s something quirky. We’re still a traditional airline largely carrying business passengers so food and beverage is still included, as is baggage.”

Back on terra firma, the Gordon Ramsey Group announced in December that it has secured a 10year extension to its contract at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 departure lounge for its Plane Food site.

Having first opened its doors in 2008, Plane Food now serves à la carte dining, 25-minute express menus and onboard picnics to more than 800 customers a day, with free meals for children. The renewal of the partnership – described by Chris Annetts, Retail Director for Heathrow, as “a cornerstone of the Terminal 5 experience” – will involve further development of the onboard picnic concept.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with Heathrow, combining our expertise in dining and travel,” said Stuart Gillies, CEO of Gordon Ramsay Group. “Plane Food has provided a very good return on investment for the Group and also, as the UK’s hub airport, Heathrow has been the perfect location for us to showcase our offering to a discerning international audience of travellers. As we continue to expand globally, our work with an organisation that plays

such a central role in connecting London to the rest of the world is extremely fitting.”

INNOVATION

Where catering services are provided, today’s consumer is expecting not only better quality and value, but also specialist food to suit specific dietary requirements.

This includes vegetarian and vegan food, as well as free from options, for example for those who are coeliacs or lactose intolerant. This can be a challenge for operators, who are working with limited stock and equipment in a confined space.

To help these operators provide a better service, Rail Gourmet (part of SSP – The Food Travel Experts) runs a FoodLab in central London, headed by chef David Small, a leading expert in the food travel market. Menus are created drawing on SSP’s global research, as well as the latest culinary trends – all designed to suit the specific operating conditions on board rail services. Training is available for rail catering staff and the company also offers a galley and equipment design advisory service, including its awardwinning T2020 trolley, with digital media capability.

2017 ONBOARD HOSPITALITY AWARDS

Awards both recognise and promote innovation and good practice, and entries for the annual Onboard Hospitality Awards are now in, with initial voting from international readers and final judgement made by a panel of industry experts. Judging criteria for the awards, which include categories for food and onboard equipment, range from quality and taste to design functionality and durability.

“The success of these awards shows just what a creative and innovative industry we operate in,” says Onboard Hospitality Editor, Julie Baxter. “Each year the breadth and standard of entries rises, reflecting the ever-growing

importance of onboard hospitality to the passenger experience. We look forward to seeing more new and exciting products entered for the 2017 awards and championing their success.”

The winners will be announced on 3 April at a ceremony at the World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo (WTCE), which runs from 4-6 April at the Hamburg Messe, Germany. The event will also see a Passenger Experience Conference and an Industry Networking Party on 3 April, prior to the main event.

The winning companies will no doubt represent an interesting spread of what’s ahead in the industry over the next few years.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P17

ONBOARD CATERING FOCUS

WTCE GEARS UP FOR ITS SIXTH SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN HAMBURG EXPANDED EDUCATION PROGRAMME

World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE®) brings together over 300 suppliers including leading full service providers such as LSG, gategroup and dnata as well as new brands.

Taking place on 4-6 April 2017 at the Hamburg Messe in Germany, it is the leading event for the travel catering, onboard retail and passenger comfort industries. The event will highlight how airline buyers and rail operators can improve and differentiate their services by showcasing the latest onboard products and solutions.

SHOWCASING EXHIBITOR EXCELLENCE

WTCE will see more than 50 first-time exhibitors housed in The New Exhibitor Village, encouraging.

Companies in this section include Addo Food Group, Dr Schar AG and the Narumi Corporation.

Addressing one of the key revenue generators for the onboard sector, WTCE 2017 will host a new Focus on World Travel Retail feature. It will boast the Gebr.Heinemann bar where visitors can browse product displays, enjoy happy hours and make the most of the networking opportunities available.

Also displaying a selection of products aiming to inspire creativity and enable air and rail operators will

be the What’s New Onboard Feature, located in front of the VIP Buyers Lounge.

Two sector-specific trails will help visitors navigate their way around the exhibition. The Buy on Board Trail – indicated by a handbag icon – helps visitors quickly identify companies specialising in products and services supporting purchase and consumption onboard. A second innovative trail – The Rail Trail – helps visitors locate companies who supply products suitable for trains.

Providing visitors with inspiration will be the Taste of Travel Theatre. A host of well-known chefs and industry experts will deliver informative presentations designed to inspire delegates to review and refresh their onboard offerings.

Among the presentations will be: Adding quality to buy onboard by James Strawbridge, development chef consultant, TV presenter and founder of Posh Pasty; Put some music in your food by Levi Roots of the Reggae Reggae brand; Looking outside the industry by Chef Ms Trinh Diem Vy, a Vietnamese chef; Sensory food tasting by Stathis Kefallonitis of branding.aero; Pre-order and ondemand meals by trends expert Raymond Kollau; and Getting a product onboard by Lance Hayward of The Hayward Partnership.

This year’s educational strand will kick off with the Passenger Experience Conference (PEC), beginning for the first time with the new Airline Forum, open to any airline representative (8.00am to 9.00am on Monday 3 April). It will offer airlines a dedicated area to pick up advice and meet and network with their peers.

The one-day conference, which focuses on ‘Defining the future of the passenger experience industry’, will follow with more than 20 sessions divided into three breakout sessions focusing on Generating Revenue, Comfort and Wellbeing, and The Connected Journey.

The Generating Revenue stream will include a focus on designing ultra-luxury experiences. Anna Brant, Director, Global Guest Experience & Innovation, Dorchester Collection will highlight the importance of identifying the

points that most matter to passengers.

In the Comfort and Wellbeing stream, Jenny Tsay, Innovation Designer/Inflight Experience Researcher, Zodiac Aeropace will lead a session highlighting the opportunities to design user-centric services that will help turn negative passenger emotions into positive ones.

The final stream on The Connected Journey will include sessions on how the connected world on the ground is evolving and what this will mean for airlines and the wider travel industry.

At the close of the conference, delegates will be invited to an Industry Networking Party, which is free to attend for all conference delegates and VIPs and offers live music, cocktails and Bavarianthemed cuisine.

WWW.WORLDTRAVELCATERINGEX PO.COM

P18 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

ONBOARD CATERING FOCUS

MV FOOD & SERVICES MV Food & Services was created in 2008 with the aim of serving the transportation industry with top quality food products. Initially, the long-term experience in providing the airline and hotel industry with one of the world’s best extra virgin olive oils through the sister company Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio has opened the market.

After nine years of successful operation, MV Food & Services has decided to enhance both quality and variety of its offer by innovating the current portfolio. Being known in the industry as a frozen snack and light meal provider, 2017 will be remembered as being the year of expansion and remodelling of the entire organisation. Structured internally in order to serve perfectly its customers, MV Food & Services

has developed operational links with local food producers and processors that stand for top end quality, reliability and full traceability.

The central Italian region of

Umbria being its natural home, MV Food & Services aims to transmit as much as possible the Mediterranean and Southern European lifestyle through its products. Simple

ingredients, enhanced by spices, herbs and obviously the Italian professional and traditional cooking are paramount. The collaboration with Michelin star chefs adds a defined touch of class to the products.

Quality is not only communicated by the final food product itself. MV Food & Services has invested in professionally trained and educated staff in order to make sure that all behind the scenes remain as such. Logistics, administration and customer care are a simple given and must flow as smoothly and reliably as possible.

The customers’ needs are the main focus – just as it always should be.

WWW.MVFOOD.IT

RHUBARB PARTNERS WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES AT THE ARRIVALS LOUNGE AT LONDON HEATHROW TERMINAL 3 rhubarb, renowned events and restaurant caterer, has been chosen

by American Airlines to cater and service the new Arrivals Lounge experience at London Heathrow Terminal 3, following a multimillion-dollar investment from the

airline. rhubarb provides a fresh and dynamic complimentary lounge menu offering breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, with buffet and à la carte service available. Using Britishsourced ingredients where possible,

the current menu includes eggs Benedict with York ham; superfood salad with broad beans, avocado, pomegranate and organic seeds; and mango and lemon poached chicken with lemon thyme scented couscous. Protein pancakes and fresh fruit smoothies also feature with dishes available for those with dietary requirements.

Known for catering the world’s finest events alongside their stunning locations at Sky Garden, the Royal Albert Hall and the Saatchi Gallery, rhubarb will be offering a seasonal menu of modern dishes, alternating every four weeks. rhubarb has also been appointed to run the service of the American Airlines Heathrow Terminal 3 Flagship First Class Lounge alongside their existing catering offering.

Martyn Barrett, Director of Travel at rhubarb, comments: “We are incredibly proud to continue our long standing relationship with American Airlines, having first provided food for its first and business class lounges in 2009.

Being chosen for the new arrivals lounge is a testament to the work we do every day across our portfolio. We look forward to working with the American Airlines’ team and to bringing a first class service to a first-class lounge”.

The new lounge menu will be exclusively available on a complimentary basis to oneworld First and Business Class travellers, American Airlines Executive Platinum members and oneworld Emerald members, landing in London Heathrow Terminal 3.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P19

TUTTOFOOD

DISCOVER THE NEW GOURMAND CAPITAL OF ITALY AT TUTTOFOOD, THE MILANO WORLD FOOD EXHIBITION BUSINESS AND SECTOR CULTURE WITHIN THE FAIR

There’s little doubt Milan’s international appeal has been growing ever since the city hosted the successful food-themed EXPO of 2015. Last year, this world-class capital of design and fashion even took over from Rome the leadership as Italy’s most visited city by foreign travellers.

Indeed, there are many more reasons to visit Milan now than high-street shopping. Its cuttingedge new architectures or its vibrant cultural scene, just to name a pair from the many. But there is one more reason to go if you’re a food and beverage professional: an extremely innovative gourmand scenario whose no-miss event is TUTTOFOOD, the Milano World Food Exhibition, that will be held at the huge and functional fieramilano fairgrounds from 8 to 11 May. With more than 2,000 Italian and international exhibitors already confirmed, and counting, TUTTOFOOD is the ideal business

platform to match with Italian niche producers that can be rarely found in other fairs, as well as with medium to large Italian and international companies. It is also an important knowledge-sharing platform, with a dense calendar of workshops, seminars, conferences and meetings, with an international flair unparalleled by any other food fair in Italy.

Week&Food, Milan’s new ‘Fuori Salone’ for food Moreover, the 2017 edition will offer many new features, the greatest one being actually outside the fairground gates: TUTTOFOOD will organise Week&Food, a weeklong festival devoted to quality food and drink including dozens of events across the entire city and especially in some of its trendiest districts, such as Arco della Pace, Porta Nuova and Tortona.

Week&Food will bring to food and drink the spirit of the renown ‘Fuori Salone’, the impressive array

of street events that literally seize the city during its design week and that draw crowds of aficionados from all over the world. Among the Week&Food most attractive dates are the aperitivo-time events in the charming piazza of Arco della Pace, overlooked by the eponymous marble arch, where TUTTOFOOD exhibitors will have the opportunity to present their top products through show-cooking and tasting moments. Zona Tortona’s Superstudio will be the venue of Italian Gourmet, a major tasting and cooking experience where TUTTOFOOD will be present with a large multi-functional area mixing business and customer experience. At Taste of Milano, Milan’s must-be events for chef and gourmet lovers, TUTTOFOOD will be present with a large multifunctional area mixing business and tasting.

Inside the fair, new features include The Fruit & Veg Innovation area, in collaboration with Veronafiere, will present the state of the art of fresh produces. Another result of this agreement is Wine Discovery, an event managed by Vinitaly International Academy focused on wine products from Italy and abroad, featuring sommeliers and experts from the winemaking world.

The TUTTOHEALTH area will focus on healthy foods by combining product display with workshops and meetings. At the same time, TUTTOFOOD will host Spazio Nutrizione, Italy’s leading scientific event on nutrition, organized by Akesios Group in collaboration with the Milanese universities, with the aim of bridging the gap between the academia and the industry.

More areas will be devoted to seafood and Mediterranean food, digital opportunities in food-related e-commerce, and large scale retail distribution, complemented by a special attention to the cooperation world, a major industry player in Italy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TUTTOFOOD: WWW.TUTTOFOOD.IT, @TUTTOFOODMILANO, #TUTTOFOOD2017.

MEDIA CONTACTS: ROSY MAZZANTI – SIMONE ZAVETTIERI T: +39 024997.7457 E: PRESS.TUTTOFOOD@FIERAMILANO .IT

P20 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

FREE FROM FOCUS

‘HEALTH HALO’ OR NECESSITY? FROM COELIACS TO THE LACTOSE INTOLERANT, MANY CONSUMERS TODAY ARE BENEFITING FROM A WIDER CHOICE OF FREE FROM PRODUCTS HITTING THE SHELVES

It’s that time of year again, when many reassess their diets after the excesses of the holiday season and seek out products that have a perceived “health halo”. However, those with particular allergies, intolerances and conditions have traditionally had less choice available.

In some cases, such as the sugar tax, legislation is forcing the hand of manufacturers. At the same time, many are waking up to the growing demand for free from products and looking for gaps in the market.

Research from Mintel (www.mintel.com) released at the start of 2016, showed that 12% of new food products launched in the UK in 2015 carried a gluten-free claim, a significant increase from the 2011 figure of 7%. Sales are rising

annually – from around £470m in 2015 to an estimated £531m in 2016, with Mintel forecasting sales of £673m by 2020. The biggest barriers to buying free from are said to be price and taste.

PERSONALISED NUTRITION

One area tipped as a key growth opportunity for the industry is personalised nutrition, as identified in a report on the “10 Key Trends in Food, Nutrition and Health 2017”

by Julian Mellentin, the Director of New Nutrition Business (www.new-nutrition.com), a research and consultancy company that focuses on food and health.

“The industry can tap into the personalisation trend in three ways,” says Julian Mellentin. “First, smart companies will create a portfolio of

brands, made to meet the needs of different consumer diets and preferences. Second, they will invest in a multi-platform approach, offering support and tailored dietary advice. This means partnering with entities providing advice on diet planning or with fitness gadgets.

Finally, they should invest in ecommerce, as it has proven to be a main route to niche consumers.”

These services go as far as genetic profiling, for example testing for biomarkers for chronic inflammation, which links to another trend identified in the report. “Just like gluten-free back in 2001, many people say inflammation faces several challenges: consumers don’t understand it, it doesn’t have strong scientific support, and you cannot immediately feel the benefit

of anti-inflammatory foods. In fact, all of these objections are rapidly being overcome.”

Another trend, Digestive Wellness, is said by the report to be entering a new era “thanks to new technologies, new products and new understanding of the broad effects that gut health has on overall health”.

IDENTIFYING INFORMATION

One of the challenges for consumers is identifying which products to purchase, based on labelling information. “’Clean label’ concerns are inherent to the free from sector,” says Dr Aidan Craigwood, Consultant at Innovia Technology (www.innoviatech.com). “Free from consumers are actively looking to

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P21

FREE FROM FOCUS avoid certain ingredients, after all, and are often very knowledgeable label-readers — but free from foods can often be amongst the biggest ‘clean label’ offenders when it comes to having long and unfamiliar ingredient lines.”

The challenge of meeting consumer’s expectations for texture and flavour, while satisfying retailer demands for shelf life, can lead to products with an array of texturing agents, preservatives, and stabilisers.

“Innovations in processing have already helped trim down some free from products’ labels, for instance the ‘Genius’ range of gluten-free products, but there’s still plenty of headroom for improvement,” says Dr Craigwood.

Free from producers are also finding more ways to replicate the sophistication of multi-functionality in “normal” foods with approaches such as “option mapping”.

“Option mapping is really a tool for defining the jobs that need to be done in a food product, whether that’s texturisation, antioxidancy, or even more esoteric things like flavour trapping, and linking those jobs to the ingredients that are already inherent to the food matrix,” explains Dr Craigwood.

For example, instead of using pectin to add body to free from milk substitutes, Dr Craigwood suggests achieving the same effect by careful cross-linking of soluble proteins, tweaking the molecular weight distribution of saccharides, or upping the extraction of viscosifying components like cell wall materials during processing. “There’s a lot of unrealised functionality in even the most prosaic ingredients and flavours,” he says. “It just sometimes takes a bit of careful thinking and experimentation to make the most of them.”

NEW PRODUCTS AND TRENDS

The two high-level trends identified by Innovia are improving existing free from products – such as vegan cheeses and spreads, quality baked goods and vegetarian “meats” – and the reformulation of

mainstream foods to fit the free from market.

“These changes are often quite subtle for bigger brands, and as Kraft has shown with its Mac and Cheese relaunch with natural colours, manufacturers are often reluctant to call attention to them, but this is where we have spent most of our time innovating,” says Dr Craigwood.

While gluten free is still a key sector, Eleonora Di Castri, Market Researcher at Mr Organic (www.mr-organic.com), has also seen a move towards other healthy and organic convenience foods.

“Consumers are taking extra care to look into what goes into their food, making them more conscious about how else the products are made; their origins and their quality.

We’ve seen this with Mr Organic’s Free From Mayo, which has been very popular for consumers who choose not to eat eggs.”

The market is definitely on the rise, with ever more choice, she says: “As consumers are expanding their repertories, there is even more room for new options and innovative ideas. The feedback Mr Organic received for our range of chocolate spreads was fantastic, because we offered our customers the opportunity to choose a product based on personal taste, rather than just offering one option.”

Price may be a barrier to some consumers, but Eleonora Di Castri feels that customers are becoming more conscious about the quality of their food: “As with customers who buy organic, there is an understanding that what you’re paying for equates to better ingredients and production.”

Specialist importer, agent and distributor of Italian and continental food and wine, Continental Quattro Stagioni (www.continentalfood.co.uk), has seen some prices coming down. “Gluten free products may have commanded a premium price point several years ago when considered as speciality or niche but is now more commonplace and a selection of gluten free dishes are

expected on menus as standard,” says Vice Chairman Sandro Bevilacqua.

“There is definitely now more choice available on restaurant menus offering free from dishes, likewise the free from fixtures in the off trade are bigger than ever before. We have seen double digit growth year on year for some of our gluten free ingredients/products.”

FREE FROM TREATS

While many consumers purchase free from for perceived health benefits, there is also a market for free from in takeaways and eating out treats.

“Gluten free pizza bases and pasta are very popular as these two products are often considered the ‘staple’ of Italian cuisine,” says Sandro Bevilacqua. “We also offer a variety of other gluten free products including gluten free Peroni Nasto Azzurro.”

Family-owned fish and chip restaurant and takeaway chain, Wetherby Whaler (www.wetherbywhaler.co.uk), has also recently expanded its gluten free range with the addition of Yorkshire-brewed coeliac-friendly beers. These are sourced from Driffield-based Wold Top Brewery, and include its Against the Grain ale and Scarborough Fair IPA. The batter used at The Whaler was developed through many

months of testing and customers say it tastes the same as traditional crispy batter.

“We think it’s important that people who require a gluten free lifestyle aren’t left out when enjoying good food,” says Sharell Richardson, Area Manager for Wetherby Whaler Group. “They should be able to enjoy the same things as everyone else without suffering from discomfort as a consequence. That’s why we have worked hard to develop a comprehensive and delicious gluten free range which includes our fish and chips, as well as desserts and now alcoholic beverages. The addition of the new beers from Wold Top is another string in our bow and even more choice at our restaurants for those who go glutenfree.”

CONCLUSION

Manufacturers of free from products do face barriers to consumer purchasing, such as price and taste, as well as competition from those who prefer to select their own ingredients and cook from scratch. However, with increased choice and availability of product ranges and more consumers looking for food and beverage with a socalled “healthy halo”, the free from sector should remain buoyant.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P23

GLOBAL REACH PARTNERS

WHAT HARD BREXIT COULD MEAN FOR THE F&D SECTOR SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE UK IS HEADING FOR A HARD BREXIT. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT BRITAIN WOULD LEAVE THE SINGLE MARKET WHICH DOES, AT LEAST, PROVIDE SOME CLARITY FOR BRITISH FOOD AND DRINK (F&D) COMPANIES WHICH IMPORT AND EXPORT ACROSS THE EU. The prospect of Brexit has undoubtedly had an initial impact on the confidence of the UK’s F&D sector. The fall in the value of Sterling and the prospect of future trade barriers between Britain and remaining EU member states are all major concerns for a sector which relies so heavily on importing and exporting. What then might a hard Brexit mean for the future of UK F&D? On the bright side, British Ministers are already talking to a number of non-EU countries about securing separate trade agreements which, if successful, could potentially more than compensate for any restrictions on EU trade. If you look at the growing level of UK F&D exports to China, up by 62 per cent to £258 million and the fact that the US currently accounts for £456 million worth of imported goods a year, shows the potential of growing non-EU foreign trade within the sector.

Growing these markets is, however, likely to take time. In the interim period, Brexit could cause British growth to stagger. As Article 50 is triggered the UK might see more economic turbulence causing concerns about both imports and exports. As Brexit negotiations continue it’s possible the UK may see a decline in investment, which could put a dampener on F&D sector growth. Of even greater concern for many British businesses,

in the next 12 months there’s also potential of a significant fall in the number of European workers that move to the UK to fill jobs within the sectors.

For F&D businesses with established markets in Europe, there are also concerns about future political events in the year ahead. The outcome of this year’s French and German elections could have an impact on economic stability across Europe should voters there also opt to go in an anti-EU direction.

At present current downward fluctuations in the Pound are providing an opportunity for UK F&D businesses to grow markets within the EU and throughout the globe. Much of Britain’s F&D’s offering is regarded as high quality so there is a real prospect to generate further growth, especially as the value of Sterling continues to remain low.

The longer term future for the sector will be determined by both the success of Brexit and wider international trade negotiations as well as forthcoming political events across the continent.

While the UK F&D sector should start to see a clearer picture of the economic landscape emerge after Article 50 is triggered in March, the

important questions around access to overseas employees, the potential of new EU import tariffs and a prospect of other existing global barriers coming down will ultimately determine how the sector will progress in the longer term.

Greg Smith, Head of Trading at foreign exchange specialists Global Reach Partners

P24 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

PENINSULA PRINT & DESIGN

GROWTH IN PACKAGING IN A CHALLENGING COMMERCIAL MARKET, PENINSULA PRINT & DESIGN IS EXPANDING ITS SITE AND DEVELOPING NEW WAYS OF UPGRADING ITS PACKAGING A high-quality commercial printing firm, Peninsula also offers design, packaging, 3D printing, promotional products and website design.

Established in 1986 in Newtownards, Co Down, the business last year celebrated 30 years of trading. It’s owned and run by Gary Withers, who has grown the company by adapting to changes in the market and continually investing in new technology. Indeed, building work is currently under way to double the size of the packaging unit, to allow capacity for high-

volume jobs.

Most recently the focus has been on growing the packaging side of the business. “We are working hard on bringing the packaging along and constantly developing new ways of upgrading it, including working with our Research and Development department to come up with some different finishes,” explains Packaging Manager, Colin Cooke.

“Packaging is a growth market and is just as competitive as commercial print. That’s why at Peninsula we can offer all our clients

We are pleased to be associated with Peninsula Print & Packaging and wish them continued success for the future.

Rockfield, 29 Greengraves Road, Dundonald, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT16 1UZ Tel: 02890 487878 Email: edeninks@hotmail.co.uk

additional in-house graphic design, commercial litho printing, largeformat and both short run digital and packaging printing.”

With state-of-the-art litho presses and digital print facilities, the company is well placed to fulfil customers’ orders at short notice.

While fast turnaround times can be accommodated, Peninsula’s creative team is also on hand to spend time with clients and come up with the right design and print solutions for each individual company.

Gluing and foiling is carried out in-house in keeping with the Double A Grade BRC accreditation held for the past three years, and a recent addition to the staff of around 60 is an experienced packaging finishing employee with 30 years’ experience.

When food and drink companies need short-run print, they often come up against the barrier of minimum order requirements from their print providers. Not so with Peninsula, where there’s no minimum order.

Short-run specialist print is available for bespoke, high-quality packaging, or for promotional packaging, marketing trials and marketing samples, which a company can use to showcase products to potential retailers. If a product proves popular, it can easily then be reprinted in a longer run. It’s also helpful for smaller companies on tight budgets to have access to smaller runs.

Despite operating in a challenging commercial market, Peninsula has seen steady growth, with clients ranging from local farm shops to major food manufacturers, and additional revenue now coming in from the packaging division, which was launched three years ago.

Peninsula always welcomes approaches from new clients, whether for print and packaging or its new and expanding web design and hosting service.

PENINSULA PRINT & DESIGN LTD UNITS 1 - 8 NORTH ROAD BUSINESS PARK, QUARRY HEIGHTS NEWTOWNARDS, COUNTY DOWN, NORTHERN IRELAND BT23 7SZ TEL: 028 9181 4125 EMAIL: INFO@PENINSULAPRINT.CO.UK WWW.PENINSULAPRINT.CO.UK

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P25

KARMELLE

CUSTOM MADE IN YORKSHIRE FLYING THE FLAG FOR BRITISH MANUFACTURING, KARMELLE OFFERS A TURNKEY SERVICE, FROM CONVEYORS AND LABEL APPLICATORS TO FILLING AND CAPPING LINES

Custom built to customers’ requirements, Karmelle’s filling, capping and labelling solutions are suited to a wide range of food and drink products, including yoghurts and other dairy products, juices and water, sauces, syrups and cooking oils.

Machines are competitively priced and built to a high standard using quality components, with easy-clean options. While most customers are UK-based, enquiries come in daily from all over the world.

Founded in Wakefield in the mid1980s, the company was bought in 2002 by Managing Director, Peter Krawczuk, a former sheet metalworker, and Operations Director, Brian Dickinson, who has a background in process control.

Their 24 staff are based at Queens Mill Industrial Estate in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, on a site that doubled in size last year when they took on another 5,000 sq ft.

Having started as a manufacturer of filling equipment, Karmelle now offers a full range of capping machines, from single head to rotary, and in 2010 bought a labelling company to make it a turnkey business.

“When we go out to sell our products, we stress that we can manufacture and supply the three main ingredients in a filling line – the filler, the capper and the labelling machine,” says Peter Krawczuk. “We believe we may be the only company in the UK that can manufacture all three in-house.

We’re doing our bit to rejuvenate the British economy; the Union Jack is splashed all over our literature and we’re proud of that ‘Made in Britain’ tag.”

Stand-out moments in the company’s development include the purchase of the labelling company and the introduction of new rotary cappers, designed by Brian Dickinson. “I sold the first one in September 2015 and we’ve now got seven on order,” says Peter Krawczuk. “Before, our filling machines could outstrip the capping machines. Rotary cappers are much quicker; they complement our range and form part of the turnkey line.”

There’s also been major investment in a machine shop and a sheet metal shop. “Our philosophy is to build everything in-house if we can. And we want to create the best possible environment for our employees. When customers come into our factory, it’s got the wow

factor. I would say 85% of people who come in here who are looking for the kind of machinery we offer will buy from us.”

The business has also forged links with Kirklees College; rebuilding and donating a filling machine and taking on apprentices. “There’s a drought of skilled labour and it is good to get the younger generation interested in engineering,” says Peter Krawzcuk.

Following a period of investment, Karmelle is capitalising on the building blocks in place for steady, controlled growth. “We want to

fine-tune it and turn more products out,” says Peter Krawzcuk. “Though if an opportunity arises we’ll go with it. My policy is never say never.”

KARMELLE LIQUID FILLING & CAPPING SOLUTIONS LIMITED UNIT 17 QUEENS MILL IND. ESTATE QUEENS MILL LANE HUDDERSFIELD HD1 3RR TEL: 01484 533356 EMAIL: KARMELLE@GMAIL.COM WWW.KARMELLE.COM

P26 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS O’BRIEN FINE FOODS LTD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Our Company was established in 1996 with one refrigerated vehicle operating from Galway. Today we are recognised as the premium, family owned, logistics provider to the food industry in Ireland servicing domestic and export markets.

Our specialised service is divided into 4 divisions: Ireland / UK Supermarket Distribution International Logistics Warehousing & Storage Container Transport This year the Company achieves a significant milestone, 20 years in existence, which would not have been achieved without the commitment and support of our customers and loyal staff. We are very proud of what we, as a family owned Company, have achieved in the last 20 years and look forward to the next 20 years.

Find out how O’Toole Transport can add value to your organisation today by calling our Sales Team on +353 1 8550063 or email to sales@otooletransport.com Continued success to our valued customer O’Brien Fine Foods

Euroflex offers a complete packaging service with Innovative Concepts in conjunction with ‘Customer Specific’ Technical Requirements.

Euroflex have the capability to achieve maximum output through state-of-the-art machinery and efficiently run production lines. These efficiencies guarantee very short lead-times, quick and flexible responses and a maximum of ‘just–in-time’ deliveries for our prestigious & growing customer base.

For our customers, we are first-choice partners for quality and innovative ‘NEW’ packaging concepts.

Tel: (00353) 74 956 0410 Email: sales@euroflex.ie www.euroflex.ie

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P27

O’BRIEN FINE FOODS LTD

A FAMILY AFFAIR SUPPLYING AWARD-WINNING MEAT AND BREAKFAST PRODUCTS TO THE IRISH MARKET, O’BRIEN FINE FOODS PLACES QUALITY AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING IT DOES Both tradition and innovation have a part to play in the O’Brien Fine Foods story. Boasting not one but two major brands – Brady Family and Rudd’s – the family-run business also creates own label premium cooked meats, pork and breakfast products, using only 100% Irish Bord Bia-approved pork, under its own name.

Created from genuine family recipes, the Brady Family brand of fine traditional ham was originally established by Mary and Ossie Brady in 1978. On their retirement in 2000, the business was purchased by Bill O’Brien. Another family-owned business, Rudd’s, which has a heritage stretching back to 1973, was purchased in 2004 and relaunched by the O’Briens in 2005; today it’s run by Bill’s son John, following a second relaunch with new products and updated packaging.

In 2012, the decision was taken to rename the company O’Brien Fine Foods, while retaining the two popular brand names. Rudd’s has remained at its original manufacturing site in Birr, Co Offaly, while Brady Family products

are created at a facility in Timahoe, Co Kildare. Both state-of-the-art facilities are certified BRC Grade A. In 2010, the Timahoe site saw the installation of a new slicing facility, which dramatically increased capacity and opened up new opportunities for growth; this was followed by a site expansion of 8,000m2 in 2016.

As would be expected, staff numbers have also grown exponentially to around 400, including craft butchers and key employees with many years of experience and loyalty to the company.

Since the O’Briens took over Brady Family, the brand has increased its share at the deli counter, moving into pre-pack in 2005. The following year it became the first ham company to gain Bord Bia Quality Assurance – a significant accolade, which helped to win new business.

Today the company counts many of the multiples and discounters among its customers, including the Musgrave Group, BWG Foods, Dunnes Stores, Lidl and Tesco. In addition to supplying popular

branded products, O’Brien’s produces own label products for a wide range of retailers. Products are also exported to Northern Ireland and into the UK, with a new listing having been recently secured for the Brady Family ham range with Ocado in January 2017.

The premium product list includes ham, sausages, dry cured rashers and puddings, created using traditional farmhouse recipes – and, of course, from Bord Biaapproved pork. A steadfast commitment to creating quality products has led to success at the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards, the Blas na hEireann Awards, the Great Taste Awards and the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland Awards.

In 2014, Brady Family became an approved member of Origin Green, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and careful use of resources. Consistency and quality is also achieved through its robust supply chain, and NPD remains a key part of growth in both branded and private label products.

Whether existing products are

being relaunched or new products developed, O’Brien Fine Foods works closely with its clients to deliver a competitive offering, taking into consideration the importance of consumer tastes and preferences.

With the announcement in January that O’Brien is to acquire Faughan Foods, suppliers of processed turkey, chicken and beef, the business looks set to continue with its current path of growth and success.

O’BRIEN FINE FOODS TIMAHOE,DONADEA, NAAS, CO. KILDARE IRELAND TEL: 00353 (0) 45 863 650 EMAIL: INFO@OBRIENFINEFOODS.IE WWW.OBRIENFINEFOODS.IE

Browne Logistics is an Irish provider of high value-added refrigerated distribution to the food sector throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe. We operate combined administration and tracking functions in support of all our distribution services, allowing us to provide essential synergies and economies to a growing and service-driven food sector.

Browne Logistics, Spital Hill, Swords, Co. Dublin Tel: +353 1 8132685 Mobile: +353 87 9930691 Email: info@brownelogistics.com Website: www.brownlogistics.ie

P28 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

YORKSHIRE PACKAGING SYSTEMS

40 YEARS OF SERVICE A TOTAL SOLUTION SUPPLIER OF SHRINK WRAPPING MACHINERY, MATERIALS AND SERVICE, YORKSHIRE PACKAGING SYSTEMS THIS YEAR CELEBRATES ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Whether supplying shrink film, manufacturing bespoke shrink wrappers or designing and installing fully integrated packaging systems, for Yorkshire Packaging Services (YPS), the customer comes first.

“It’s about the start of a relationship, not the end of a transaction,” says Managing Director, Glyn Johnson. “The ethos of the company is to provide backup and support – we are a film company selling machines rather than the other way around. That means that when we supply a machine, it’s in our interest to do an even better job.”

The majority of machinery customers go on to purchase materials from YPS and the two divisions, machines and film, work hand in glove. Indeed the sales team are organised around the product, not geography, to make the most of their product expertise and the company’s service engineers are

highly qualified, with a wealth of experience.

Established in 1977 and based in Batley, West Yorkshire, YPS is able to build much of its own equipment following the acquisition of manufacturing company, Camline Palletising Systems. This, along with increasing its sales and marketing activity, has helped the business to double in size over the past five years – without getting into any price wars.

“Our competitors tend to compete on price but we took a decision to offer a value added proposition”, says Glyn Johnson.

Instead YPS competes on quality and service. “If we’re not the lowest cost option we have to try and be the best value option” Service contracts are included as standard, and customers are based across the UK and Ireland. Many are blue chip; one recent major order was for the manufacture and

installation of four large machines at a Yorkshire-based snack manufacturer.

YPS has also invested in three graduate trainees, engineering apprentices and a dedicated marketing employee to bring new blood into the business.

After YPS won the Customer Service Award at the 2014 PPMA Awards, Chairman David Johnson was handed the Outstanding

Achievement Award in 2015.

Having joined Yorkshire Packaging Supplies (as it was then called) as a start-up, he remortgaged his house to buy the business and survived tough challenges – including the company’s largest customer going bust and the late-1980s recession – to steer the company to success.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary year, staff will be fundraising for the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice through various activities, including taking part in a decathlon, and a new website is due for launch later in the year.

“We’re doing a lot more marketing than we used to but we want to keep improving,” says Glyn Johnson. “In the next five years, we’d like to double the size of the business again, employ more graduates and move into purposebuilt premises – our strategy is growth.”

YORKSHIRE PACKAGING SYSTEMS WOODKIRK FREIGHT TERMINAL, QUARRY LANE, DEWSBURY, WEST YORKSHIRE WF12 7JJ TEL: 01924 441355 EMAIL: ENQUIRIES@YPS.CO.UK WWW.YPS.CO.UK

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P29

KECOL PUMPING SYSTEMS

PUMPING UP THE VOLUME SPECIALISING IN PUMPING SYSTEMS FOR VISCOUS MATERIALS, KECOL PUMPING SYSTEMS IS ABLE TO TAILOR ITS PRODUCTS TO EACH INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMER’S REQUIREMENTS A leading designer and manufacturer of piston pumps and pumping systems for high viscosity products, Kecol supplies many of the major food manufacturers who need to move bulk products from containers into processed lines, cookers, mixers and filling machines.

“We specialise in pumping viscous materials that don’t flow and where a pump wouldn’t necessarily be considered as the first option,” explains Managing Director, Bryan Greenaway. These include anything from butter, conserves and cake batter to fruit concentrate, sauces and pie fillings. “Tomato paste is our single biggest application; it’s unbelievable how much is used daily. We’ve supplied everything from companies using one drum a day to a customer using 250 litres a minute.”

The company often wins business by tailoring its systems to suit the customer’s particular requirements, rather than only offering an off-theshelf pump in different sizes. In one recent project, a standard system was integrated with a scale and weighing controller for a customer using concentrated curry paste. The system had to be adjustable so that they could fill the volume they wanted to fill on any particular shift.

Another recent customer request was to use light curtains as an invisible safety barrier on a production line, rather than the usual guarded system. “If you break the beam the machine stops – it’s very James Bond,” says Bryan Greenaway. “We worked with the customer to implement it and build it into the system and now it’s something we can offer as an optional extra. The same with the curry paste application; we’ve sold

two more systems on the back of that. It’s a big advantage over our competitors. We find out what the customer is going to do first, then tailor the system to them. If we don’t have a standard system that suits, we’re happy to either modify an existing design or design a complete system from the ground up.”

Founded in the early 1970s, Kecol started manufacturing the piston pump range in around 1983. In 2007, Bryan Greenaway launched a management buyout, followed by a programme of investment, and today the company has 12 staff, operating out of a head office and manufacturing unit in Bridgnorth, with a sales office in Manchester. In addition to the UK market, Kecol exports across mainland Europe and into the US, with Australia as its biggest growing market.

One of only a few companies using this specialist technology, Kecol employs a marketing company to get the word out and attends various exhibitions, including PPMA, Foodex, Anuga FoodTech, Interpack and AUSPACK. As for the future: “We want to develop the brand and the products,” says Bryan Greenaway, “and to make Kecol even stronger than it is now.”

KECOL PUMPING SYSTEMS LTD FARADAY DRIVE, BRIDGNORTH, SHROPSHIRE WV15 5BJ TEL: 01746 764311 EMAIL: SALES@KECOL.CO.UK WWW.KECOL.CO.UK

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