Food & Drink News September/October 2018

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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Contents ONLINE E MAGAZINABLE! AIL NOW AV

04 INDUSTRY NEWS 14 PRIMERA EUROPE 16 CHRISTMAS FOCUS 20 CENTRAL SUPPLIES 22 TOMLINSONS DAIRIES 25 VALIMEX 27 EUROFRESH 36 SOUPREME FOODS 38 FLAT BREAD COMPANY

TO VIEW THE 2018 FEATURES LIST PLEASE VISIT WWW.FOODANDDRINKNEWS.CO.UK OR CONTACT US AT +44 (0)1484 321000 TO EMAIL A COPY TO YOU

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September/October Food & Drink News

{ Editor’s Foreword }

I’m all right Jack’s

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

MANAGING DIRECTOR Jillian Evans

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paul Roper

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Emily Holroyd

CHIEF EDITOR Michelle Hodgson

SUB-EDITOR Rachael Whiteley

SOCIAL MEDIA Benjamin Wainman

CONTACT US: FACEBOOK @food&drinkmagazine

INSTAGRAM @food&drinkmagazine

T

he big news in retail this autumn has been the launch of Tesco’s discount chain Jack’s, with around 100 new or rebranded stores expected to open.

In a bid to rival the discounters, Jack’s has streamlined the range of products on offer, with the stores offering lower prices on key items, such as bread, teabags, cornflakes and milk. It’s a move likely to be popular with consumers, but less so with producers, in particular dairy farmers, who for some time have been voicing their concerns about being expected to sell their milk at below cost price.

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Jack’s will be opening several stores in time for the Christmas market – which is a focus for this issue, along with Desserts & Puddings, Frozen Foods, Confectionery, and Labelling & Packaging.

We hope you enjoy our range of news and features.

Michelle Hodgson CHIEF EDITOR

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

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ROQUETTE PROTECTS POWDERED GLUTEN FROM METAL CONTAMINATION WITH BESPOKE SOLUTION FROM ECLIPSE MAGNETICS Roquette is ensuring the highest standards of food safety and product quality with a bespoke double row magnet from Eclipse Magnetics. The unit consists of a double row of magnetic bars which has been installed as part of a new sifter installation for powdered gluten at Roquette’s plant in Corby, Northamptonshire. As a global leader of natural-based ingredients for the Food, Nutrition and Health market, Roquette supplies gluten to a variety of blue chip food manufacturers.

Roquette needed to pass the powdered gluten over an offset double row magnet with a minimum strength of 8,000 Gauss, and approached foreign body removal experts, Eclipse Magnetics, to meet the highest standards of safety and quality.

Eclipse Magnetics supplied Roquette with a bespoke double row magnetic unit with

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magnetic bars, which are withdrawable and easy to clean. A catchment tray was included to contain any residual gluten, which can be dislodged from the bars as they are withdrawn for cleaning. The unit is installed at the end of the process, before the product is filled into tankers or tote bags.

The residual product captured by the magnets is then collected in clearly marked bags and disposed of.

Ian Aunger at Roquette said: “The result is an aesthetically pleasing system, which is effective in trapping metal contaminants and easy to clean. Although the design of the magnet system was not easy because of the limited headroom and space, Eclipse Magnetics was willing and able to meet our design criteria”.

Foreign body removal systems from Eclipse Magnetics contain magnetic cores

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which can be pulled from stainless steel tubes to ensure that contamination falls away. They are extremely efficient at removing fine iron contamination from dry free-flowing products such as sugar, grain, flour, granulates and powders.

The magnetic bars require no power and no maintenance (except for cleaning), and are quick and easy to install. Eclipse Magnetics often supplies custom designed and engineered solutions to suit specific requirements. All product contact parts are manufactured using food quality 316 grade stainless steel, are fully sealed, and supplied with test certificates.

Tel: 0114 225 0600 Email: info@eclipsemagnetics.com

{ Industry News }

PA WIN AWARD FOR INNOVATION Packaging Automation are the proud winner of a PPMA Group Industry Award in the Innovative Processing System category for their brand new MiWeigh weigh scale system.

Commenting on the award, PA’s Operations Director, Neil Ashton, said: “PA wanted to develop a product that would speed up the preparation of products and improve pack weight accuracy therefore reducing give away. The fact that we have won an innovation award for all our efforts and hard work is just fantastic, we are so proud of our team and our achievements”.

PA’s R&D team worked closely with Freshtime, a Lincolnshire producer of value-

system and simple to understand visual go/no-go graphics.

Matthew Codd, Continuous Improvement Manager from Freshtime, commented: “The new weigh scales have transformed our business, on average give away on some of our high cost proteins are as low as 1%, which is a saving of up to 4.5% compared to before MiWeigh was installed, and we are seeing some speeds have almost doubled from 12 weights per minute to 21 per minute.

added, ready-to-eat vegetable and salad products to develop the hardware and software to optimise the set-up of weigh scales, improve the weighing of products into trays and punnets with a data collection

www.pal.co.uk

SPECIALIST FOOD PROCESSING COMPANY GAINS FROM LANEMARK PROCESS GAS HEATING EXPERTISE Lanemark Combustion Engineering has a long history of successful installations in the food and beverage sector, and Express Contract Drying (ECD) – the South Walesbased company is the largest toll sprayer in the UK – is now gaining from Lanemark’s technology on a series of drying operations which need to achieve results that meet accepted industry standards.

“We supply dried food flavourings and colourings, mostly for the UK snack sector,” says Nick Ball, Operations Director at ECD. “This is centred on five process lines that

handle a combination of water, a carrier such as potato starch and the added flavour which are blended into an emulsion that is then transferred to one of the processing vessels. Here, the heat created by the Lanemark burners evaporates the water from the mixture to leave a powdered flavour.”

Nick Ball points out that typically a moisture level of just 3% is achieved in this way. This is well within the industry standard of 5% and ideal for onward shelf life of up to a year.

The installations at the ECD site feature Lanemark’s duct burner (DB) design, each fitted to a mounting plate that is bolted into the process air duct acting as a transition box, with a fan then driving the heated air through connected ducting to the point where the emulsion is sprayed into the process. Importantly, the designs ensure there is no direct flame impingement on the product itself.

“We can closely control the heated air temperature to reflect variations such as volume and type of emulsion and each installation can deliver a required temperature level of, typically, between 180°C and 200°C, with excellent heat up and temperature stability characteristics,” adds Nick Ball. The company also benefits from Lanemark’s BurnerCare service support package which includes a planned servicing programme.

The role played by the systems supplied

by Lanemark Combustion Engineering is an excellent demonstration of the suitability of the company’s process gas burner technology to deliver precise process heating objectives in specialist sectors of the food processing industry.

Tel: 02476 352000 www.lanemark.com

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ROYAL DOCKS STEP UP PACKAGED PRODUCTION FOR CRAFT BEER WITH WAVEGRIP WaveGrip’s innovative multi-packing applicator and brand-defining coloured carriers are helping Royal Docks Brewing Co. increase its packaged beer output.

Having previously partnered with a canning company, Royal Docks switched to its own line in 2017. Recently, however, it has required a faster and less labour-intensive solution to keep pace with its ongoing

growth. The G1, with speeds of up to 100 cans-per-minute (cpm) and ability to pack a full range of can sizes with minimal downtime was the perfect choice.

Alongside the increase in efficiency thanks to the G1 applicator, the WaveGrip carrier range also played a huge part in the decision-making process. With bottles being banned at most public pools, beaches, parks and even golf courses, cans were the smartest choice for Royal Docks due to their strength and portability. This meant a lightweight but secure multi-pack was needed.

Royal Docks are one of the first breweries to use the WaveGrip Colours range, using the Fury Red carrier to complement their own brewery branding.

WaveGrip is the lightest carrier on the

market, weighing less than 4g for a standard six-pack ring carrier. Additionally, all WaveGrip carriers are 100% recyclable and meet current US packaging regulations by being photodegradable.

Tel: 01294 842014

4 ACES ENTERS THE PLASTIC STRAW DEBATE WITH A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION 4 Aces has launched a selection of biodegradable paper straws to enable its customers to adopt a more environmentally-friendly approach and to offer the end-user, their customer, an alternative solution to the paper straws currently on the market.

The popular packaging specialist’s new biodegradable straws are made from high grade material and have been produced to maintain a stable structure that will last much longer than other alternatives. The white paper straws come in 8mm bore and are suitable for smoothies and shakes. There is also a black 6mm version that suits all other uses.

David Blake, Sales Director of 4 Aces, explains: “This eco-friendly alternative to the plastic straw gives consumers the opportunity to make the right choice and it impacts positively on the sustainability agenda of the seller, whether that’s a pub, a cafe or any other retail outlet.”

4 Aces stocks a selection of 7oz, 8oz, 12oz and 16oz, compostable, PLA hot cups and a full range of paper water cones and PLA

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cold cups, which carry the internationally recognised seedling logo.

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For further information on 4 Aces and its products, visit www.4acesltd.com or call 01992 535774

{ Industry News }

ERP SUPPORTS GROWTH A bespoke ERP system from CSB-System is contributing to the continuing successful growth of one of Germany’s leading foodservice suppliers.

Established in 1974, the Sander Group is a market leader in the production and supply of convenience products to restaurants, hotels, healthcare facilities, canteens and schools. In the past 18 years, the company has grown tenfold, with sales increasing from 25 million marks to 80 million euros.

A key element in supporting this growth has been the introduction of fully-integrated industry-specific software from CSB to replace previous stand-alone solutions. This has delivered important benefits throughout the operation.

the warehouse, production and stocktaking is captured on scanners or at CSB-Racks (special industrial PCs). As well as being more efficient, this ensures higher process quality and information that is more reliable because all data immediately goes to the ERP system.

The CSB-Racks are also used for batch processing of raw materials, providing precise on-screen instructions for ingredients and cooking processes to ensure that only correct products are transferred to the packaging machines.

Tel: +49 2451 625 430 www.csb.com

In production and inventory, for example, duplication of data entry has now been eliminated. Data from goods receiving, in

NEW FOOD SAFETY CULTURE SERVICE LAUNCHES FOR FOOD MANUFACTURERS Instinctif Partners is launching a service for the food industry designed to enhance food safety culture, which puts driving cultural and individual behavioural change at its heart.

The service helps food manufacturers meet the food safety culture challenge in the newly-published BRC Global Food Safety

Standard Issue 8 (BRC8). This places a strong emphasis on developing a food safety and quality culture, meaning food manufacturing businesses subject to their first audit under the new Standard from February 2019, are facing a new challenge.

Victoria Cross, Head of Instinctif Partners’ Business Resilience Practice, explains: “BRC8 specifies that senior management ‘shall define and maintain a clear plan for the development and continuing improvement of a food safety and quality culture’.

“Having a strong food safety culture is central to preventing product recalls. With the root cause of many food safety issues being human error, the focus has to be on people and cultural and behavioural change.”

Inspiring people to do the right things at the right time is key to creating a food safety culture – and is an essential part of the new service.

Victoria continues: “Our offering has been developed in partnership with Carrie Birmingham, a leading expert in culture change and employee psychology, and leading

food research and technology organisation Campden BRI, and will be delivered in collaboration with a team of senior food industry experts.

“Together we focus on inspiring people to do the right things at the right time – not because they have to but because they want to.”

The Enhancing Food Safety Culture service asks: • Do your leaders inspire and reward the right food safety behaviours?

• Are your first-line supervisors leading by example – or avoiding issues?

• Are your operatives motivated to do the right thing – or just going through the motions?

• Do you have a culture of learning from near misses – or hoping for the best?

• Has ‘human error’ ever caused a food safety incident?

“You can’t force change in people, but you can inspire it; creating a culture which not only enhances food safety, but which also helps businesses become more resilient” concludes Victoria.

Tel: +44 (0)1869 353 800

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LORIEN UNDERPINS GROWTH WITH SENIOR MANAGEMENT APPOINTMENTS Lorien Engineering Solutions has announced two key appointments to its UK-based management team.

The multi-disciplined engineering and project management business has appointed Phil Colquhoun as Head of Projects and Jonathan Cannon as Process Engineering Manager.

The promotions follow a record-breaking year for Burton on Trent-based Lorien, with revenues up by 11% and a best-ever sales performance in 2017.

Both Phil and Jonathan are internal appointments, in keeping with the ethos of the business to develop talent and to promote from within. The new role of Head of Projects has been created to manage the company’s expanding projects portfolio.

Steve Slater, Managing Director at Lorien, said: “It’s very pleasing to recognise the development of our people and to reward them with promotions that enable further

expansion of the business. I’m sure that both Phil and Jonathan will excel in their new roles.”

Lorien Engineering Solutions, a division of GP Strategies Corporation, specialises in capital projects for food, brewing, drinks, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, logistics

and safety compliance.

Lorien’s revenues in the UK and Poland increased by 11% during 2017, and with a best-ever sales performance, it was the most successful year in the firm’s 33-year history.

www.lorienengineering.com

LYCKEBY ADDS FLAVOUR TO THE CLOUD WITH INFOR Sweden’s Lyckeby Group reaps the benefits of implementing an Infor M3 Cloud solution to successfully streamline and simplify business processes across the organisation.

While Lyckeby Starch focuses on the farming, manufacture and product development of starches, potato fibre and potato protein, Lyckeby Culinar leads the way in the development of flavourings and spices.

Recently the decision was taken to research the possibility of moving to a more up-to-date platform. As Petersson explains: “Our business was growing and developing but we felt that our systems weren’t keeping up. We were reliant on a lot of highly customised workarounds, which were stifling our ability to take full advantage of the business opportunities that were presenting themselves. What we were looking for was a centralised system that would simplify and streamline processes and procedures, not only at Group level but with regards to partners and suppliers too”.

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The decision was made to upgrade to the latest version of Infor M3 for Food and Beverage in the cloud. Petersson explains: “We benefited from an amazing upgrade team made up of personnel from Lyckeby, Infor and Infor partner EG. This meant that we experienced far fewer disruptions than we had expected. Our combined levels of

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knowledge and understanding of the business helped us to achieve a very successful upgrade, although we’re very aware that we can always do more to continually develop how we make the most of the system to maximise our ROI.” Petersson continues: “We’re also focusing on expanding our use of the system, including working on transport solutions and logistics information, which includes developing our forecasting and planning capabilities. We’re also using Infor M3 functionality to help us deal with other more pressing challenges, such as GDPR”.

“When it comes to Infor, Petersson confirms that the support has been topnotch, with no problem left unsolved: “M3 gives the management team the ability to view the entire business, with the increased levels of organisational digitalisation we’re seeing with M3 enabling us to keep pace with technological advances in the market, helping us to remain both profitable and competitive.”

{ Industry News }

DIVERSEY BOTTLECARE TO DRASTICALLY ENHANCE THE LIFESPAN OF BOTTLE FLEETS AND PROTECT BEVERAGE BRAND IMAGE Diversey today launched the Diversey BottleCare system for returnable glass bottle fleets. The system incorporates DivoMask, an advanced maskant coating to enhance the appearance of returned bottles and DivoBright Defend, for effective removal of labels, soil and the coating during bottle washing without degrading the glass.

“The BottleCare system delivers cost savings while enabling businesses to maintain and improve brand image,” said Wayne Witthoft, Beverage Marketing Director at Diversey. “Combining our innovations with technical support and training improves operational efficiency, extends the life of a bottle fleet and ensures bottles look their best at the point of sale.”

The industry average number of trips for a returnable bottle is 20, with most producers discarding glass when scuffing reaches between 4-9mm. However, the BottleCare system reduces the amount of bottle to bottle abrasion in the bottling line,

preventing unattractive scuffs. In fact, the number of trips will be increased to up to – and in some cases exceed – 50%.

Built on extensive research with a selection of international and regional brewing and beverage producers, the BottleCare system overcomes the four key challenges of maintaining an effective bottle fleet. DivoMask will deliver Freeze-Thaw to expected levels, ensuring that the maskant is not affected by condensation in the

transition from chilled to ambient temperatures. It will pass the 48-hour Ice Challenge, maintaining the coating when submerged in iced water for 48 hours. It will also ensure quick drying by delivering a realistic maskant drying time for business, and provide outstanding visual coating – proving the system’s efficiency in measuring the coverage of maskant and its ability to cover scuff rings.

“This system is a real game changer for the bottling process,” added Witthoft. “It protects the feel, condensation patterns and label presentation of a product; delivers an exceptional shine on each bottle, even after multiple trips; and ensures the coating is food safe and does not impact the taste of the product.”

For more information about Diversey’s BottleCare system, visit www.diversey.com/bottlecare

LOMA LAUNCHES HIGH PERFORMANCE X5 PIPELINE X-RAY INSPECTION UNIT In response to growing demand for high performance contaminant inspection equipment from increasingly diverse global food industry applications, Loma Systems has added a Pipeline model to its expanding range of X5 X-ray equipment. The advanced new unit has been developed to ensure ongoing consumer safety and brand protection, as well as further strengthen operating efficiencies and quality control processes.

With the risk of contaminants from incoming raw ingredients at its highest, Loma’s X5 Pipeline system is ideal for the inspection of pumped products, such as processed meat, poultry, sauces, jams and slurries, at any stage prior to final processing and packaging.

By removing foreign bodies early in the process, Loma’s X5 Pipeline further reduces product waste and helps eliminate

downtime as a result of contaminants damaging expensive production equipment further down the line.

Like all Loma X5 X-ray inspection systems, the new X5 Pipeline adheres to the company’s ‘Designed to Survive’ ethos whilst delivering maximum uptime at a low lifetime cost of ownership.

Loma’s X5 Pipeline offers reliable and accurate detection of a wide range of foreign body contaminants, including ferrous and non-ferrous metals, stone, ceramic, glass, bone and dense plastics, regardless of their shape, size or location within the product.

www.loma.com

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{ Industry News }

VALUE-ADDING SOLUTIONS FROM ISHIDA Solutions delivering the highest standards in pack accuracy, consistency and quality while ensuring the fastest speeds and maximum efficiencies on the production line will be

showcased by Ishida Europe at this year’s Gulfood Manufacturing.

Highlights include the world’s fastest VFFS snacks bagmaker, the Inspira; specialist weighers for challenging applications such as dried fruit, sticky fresh proteins and fragile biscuits and confectionery; advanced quality control systems including the Ishida AirScan leak detector and the latest Ishida IXGN X-ray model for the detection of small bones in chicken fillets; and Ishida’s unique Sentinel™ remote monitoring software to enhance machine performance and efficiency.

The Ishida Inspira

rotary and intermittent bagmakers offer a top speed of 200 bags per minute (bpm) for extruded snacks and up to 150bpm for potato chips for the rotary version, with an Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) in excess of 99%, and the Ishida RV multihead weigher which offers high speed, high efficiency handling of sticky products.

Ishida AirScan minimises spoilage in a wide variety of pre-packed retail food products where CO2 is used as part of the MAP process and the DACS-GN-SE checkweigher has been developed as a high-value economy machine that combines exceptional speed and accuracy at an affordable price.

Tel: 0121 607 7700 www.ishidaeurope.com Gulfood Manufacturing, Ishida Europe, Hall 3, Stand A3-36

UNIQUE MICRON ANGLE DISINTEGRATOR OFFERS FIVE-A-DAY PROCESSING Hosokawa Micron’s unique Angle Disintegrator, with five-a day, streamlined processing options is helping manufacturers of soups, purées, sauces and dressings meet the market demand for increasingly authentic and quality fruit, vegetable purées and demand for the flavours of exotic and often difficult to handle spices and fruits.

This multi-tasking machine offers five different processing options in one machine: pulping or blending; coarse or fine purée; hot or cold ingredients; wet or dry ingredients and rejection of unwanted plant matter or injection of water, steam or inert gas.

By eliminating peeling and chopping operations and by continuously removing unwanted fibres, skin particles and seeds to produce an homogenous, puréed product, processing steps and product handling are reduced to deliver a higher quality, finetextured, end product.

Garlic, root ginger, tomatoes, onions,

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through a secondary outlet to leave a pristine, homogenous purée. Selection of coarse to fine end product is easily achieved by the changing of removable screens.

Capable of handling dry or soaked ingredients the Angle Disintegrator is equipped with a water injection system making it suitable for continuous mixing and blending – the option to inject steam or inert gas during operation is also possible.

With a capacity to handle up to 3,000kg/hour of either wet or dry, hot or cold products the hygienic construction enables fast product changeover without cross contamination. oranges and vanilla pods can all be pulped and puréed using the Micron Angle Disintegrator with reject material ejected

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Tel: 01928 755100 www.hosokawa.co.uk

{ Industry News }

THE GREAT MUSHROOM SHORTAGE We have become aware of a national shortage in the last few weeks of exotic mushrooms, particularly of the Shiitake and Yellow, Pink and Grey Oyster varieties.

As we are the biggest European grower of fresh exotic mushrooms we are able to meet this new demand and have stepped up our production. We’ve also have had a surge of

trade orders from a fantastic set of new wholesalers, markets and restaurants Welcome to Smithy Mushrooms!

We’re also supplying a growing amount of Chestnut, Brown & White Shimeji, Girolle and Enoki, all with next working day delivery to the UK.

PUKKA INTRODUCES NEW PIES IN TIME FOR PIE SEASON To celebrate the return of ‘pie season’, Pukka Pies, the nation’s number one pie brand, is introducing a selection of delicious products to embrace feel-good food as the days start to get shorter.

Launching this September, each quality pie has been lovingly developed by Pukka’s master pie makers who have been making pies in Leicestershire since 1963.

From a new Steak & Ale Pie, to a brand new Veggie Leek & Potato and even Frozen Sharing Pies, Pukka has got you sorted this autumn.

been launched to give pastry lovers a delicious and convenient dinner option to enjoy with friends and family.

Made with Pukka’s famous light, flaky, golden puff pastry and carefully selected high quality ingredients, the mouth-watering pies are available in three favourite flavours to suit a range of preferences: Steak, Minced Beef & Vegetable and Chicken & Vegetable.

The new Frozen Sharing Pie range from Pukka Pies will be available in selected Farmfoods stores from the end of September and in selected Iceland stores from November (RRP £2.50).

NEW RECIPE STEAK & ALE PIE For a deliciously hearty dinner treat, try Pukka’s new Steak & Ale Pie. Staying true to the pie perfection Pukka is famous for, the new recipe features high quality, prime cuts of beef steak cooked in a deliciously rich gravy with St Peter’s Bitter creating an enhanced ale flavour and a darker, richer gravy for a sensational flavour feast.

The new Steak & Ale Pie from Pukka Pies will be available from 24 September in Asda (RRP £1.75).

NEW VEGGIE LEEK & POTATO PIE Pukka Pies is expanding its meat-free offering by launching a new Veggie Leek & Potato Pie. This is a truly indulgent pie, encased in light and golden flaky puff pastry. Pukka’s new Leek & Potato Pie is filled with leek, potato and spinach, and with a creamy mature Cheddar sauce – veggie heaven for everyone.

Following the rise of the flexitarian diet, Pukka’s new Vegetarian Society approved pie is the ultimate comforting dish for those looking for a meat-free treat.

The new Veggie Leek & Potato Pie from Pukka Pies will be available from 24 September in selected Asda, Morrisons and Ocado stores nationwide (RRP £1.75).

FROZEN SHARING PIES

Founded by the Storer family in Leicestershire in 1963, Pukka is an independent company with a passion for pies. Supplying fish and chip shops, stadia and supermarkets with the highest quality light, flaky puff pastry with 144 layers, select cuts of meats and flavoursome gravies, Pukka Pies is now established as the UK’s number one hot pie brand across the foodservice and grocer sectors.

A new range of Frozen Sharing Pies has

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{ Industry News }

FOUR FREEDOMS PALE ALE LAUNCHES BREWED IN BRIXTON FROM BRITISH AND GERMAN HOPS, REPRESENTING SOUTH LONDONERS’ PASSION FOR EUROPE Four Freedoms is a new delicious, light and fresh pale ale, blended from British and German hops, created by a group of hugely passionate pro-Europeans and brewed by Brixton’s Clarkshaws Brewery, which celebrates the common aspirational principles of the European Single Market: the four freedoms of movement of goods, capital, services, and labour.

The idea to create a pro-European beer was born after europhile South Londoners, who met during the Referendum and formed two groups, Lambeth for Europe and Wandsworth & Merton European Movement, decided to create something which reflected the values of some of London's most proRemain boroughs.

Sad that so many people seemed unable to connect with being part of the European family, they were growing frustrated at a group of leaders who only seemed able to

see the European project as a collection of things from which to pick and choose. They also quickly realised they had another thing in common, which was that they all really liked beer.

Approaching Clarkshaws in Loughborough Junction they wanted a beer that didn’t just have a cute name, but also

represented the values of unity that we are in danger of losing. Four Freedoms was created, a pale ale carefully blended from British and German hops. Most importantly, it is really rather good.

Four Freedoms Pale Ale launches on October 19th (the eve of the next People’s Vote march), at the beautiful Whirled Cinema, a few doors down from Clarkshaws. Music comes from Larry Love of Brixton legends Alabama 3.

Ben Austin, one of the founders of Four Freedoms commented: “After the fractious referendum campaign, I really felt we needed to do something positive that could cheer us all up and so we thought what better way to do this than making a beer with some close friends? We're really pleased with the finished product and looking forward to sharing our delicious brew with fellow pro-Europeans”.

MICHELIN-STARRED FINE DINING CHINESE RESTAURANT IMPERIAL TREASURE TO OPEN IN LONDON THIS NOVEMBER Michelin-starred Imperial Treasure Group will make its UK and European debut when it opens on London’s Waterloo Place this November in a Grade II listed building, in the heart of the St James’s conservation area.

The award-winning group – which owns restaurants in Singapore, Hong Kong and China – has become synonymous with authentic fine dining Chinese and has received numerous accolades and awards its Shanghai restaurant has two Michelin stars, while Singapore and Hong Kong each hold one star.

On the menu will be high-end authentic Chinese specialities, fresh seasonal ingredients, responsibly sourced fish and live seafood. Expect dishes such as Imperial Treasure’s signature Peking Duck; barbecued meats; caviar with scrambled egg white; grilled silver cod; baked crab with pepper; a good selection of vegetarian options and a dedicated dim sum menu.

A cocktail bar will offer a list of Asian-

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inspired creations alongside sake, champagne and a rare whisky collection.

The 140-cover, 8,500 sq ft interior by leading French designers, Liaigre, features a colour palette of smoke grey, onyx and bronze across the main dining room, bar area and three private dining rooms to create an elegant, contemporary and sultry dining environment.

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Alfred Leung, founder of Imperial Treasure, comments: “We are delighted to bring Imperial Treasure to the capital – London has become one of the most exciting cities in the world for gastronomy and we are looking forward to showcasing our authentic fine dining Chinese cuisine to locals and visitors to London alike”.

{ Industry News }

ONE GIN SECURES JOHN LEWIS AND PARTNERS LISTING The brand has also recently joined the gin menu at Claridge’s. Copper distilled and abundant with fresh English sage, juniper and citrus, One Gin is available in more than 100 bars and restaurants across the UK, including The Dorchester, The Berkeley, Hawksmoor, Sticky Walnut, Gin 71 - and The Gibson, which is listed as one of the World’s 50 Best Bars.

In 2005, One was born in the form of a bottled water brand, raising funding for water projects in the world’s poorest communities – changing one life at a time, one day at a time. Profits from the sale of One Gin contribute towards the same goal.

The One Foundation has raised over £17 million, supporting sustainable water,

Christmas’ PR and digital influencer campaign.

Ian Spooner, Managing Director of One Gin, said, “We’re really proud to announce our latest listing in John Lewis & Partners.

Since 2005, The One Brand has transformed the lives of over 3 million people and John Lewis & Partners have been part of that, as loyal stockists of One Water. Now One Gin will contribute towards the same goal.

We’re delighted to be working with John Lewis & Partners, helping us raise £20 million by 2020.”

One Gin is priced at £42.00 for a 70cl bottle.

sanitation and hygiene services since its launch.

One Gin, which launched in March 2017, has also recently relaunched its digital and social media presence, and a ‘Spirit of

NEW YORKSHIRE TONICS PUT THE FIZZ INTO RAISTHORPE’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY Gin lovers can enjoy an all-Yorkshire G & T for the first time with the launch of a new range of premium Yorkshire Tonics produced by award-winning Raisthorpe Manor.

The Yorkshire Tonics are the latest innovation from Raisthorpe as it prepares to

celebrate its 10th anniversary this year.

The tonics – five in total – are being made at Raisthorpe’s farm on the Yorkshire Wolds by blending local water with a range of citrus and fruity botanicals.

Strawberry and pomegranate, pink grapefruit and citrus tonics are the first Raisthorpe mixers to hit the shelves and will be followed by apple and elderflower as well as a premium tonic.

All five tonics are hand crafted to perfectly complement Raisthorpe’s extensive range of botanical gins and vodkas as well as its traditional dry gin. The tonics can also be enjoyed chilled on their own over ice as an alternative nonalcoholic carbonated drink.

Raisthorpe’s sales and operations director Oliver Medforth said: “The popularity of gin

continues to grow – it’s all about flavourful botanicals and provenance. The modern G & T is a cocktail of flavours and our new tonics elevate the natural qualities of the gin without overpowering them.

“The aromatic tonics have been carefully developed to enhance the flavours of spirts, for example, the strawberry and pomegranate will be an ideal top up to our rhubarb gin, while the premium tonic is a perfect accompaniment to our full range of gins and vodkas, as well as other premium Yorkshire gins and vodkas. After all, tonic makes up two thirds of the drink and pairing the right tonic with your gin is just as important as your choice of gin.”

Raisthorpe’s Yorkshire tonics come in 200 ml bottles and RRP is £1.50 each. More details from Raisthorpe or online from www.raisthorpemanor.com.

The new tonics follow Raisthorpe’s success at the Great Taste Awards where it won five coveted awards recently, and the launch of its ‘tipsy drink cards’ – a collection of greetings cards containing miniatures of its tipples – and new Stackers collection for bespoke gin, port and vodka gifts.

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{ Primera Europe }

Personalisation is the Key to Stand out from the Crowd As we approach Christmas each year, there are a few things we can always count on: Christmas decorations seem to go up earlier than the year before, musicians will release Christmas-themed songs and there will be several Christmas specials on TV.

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etailers adjust their marketing and update all branding with a lot of festive flair. Logos and product labels incorporate elements associated with Christmas to be used throughout the season.

Especially over this period, they take advantage of the benefits it brings by promoting their Christmas goods through their shop windows, adding holiday spirit to a brand. To make the season’s magic work on a product, it needs to stand out on retail shelves. Retailers know that Christmas is an inspiring time for giving: to family, friends and even co-workers. Therefore they add elements like Santa Claus, stars or Christmas trees on the product labels or packages.

When switching to holiday editions and their specific advertisement, offering your customers the possibilities to highlight seasonal products with an individual note, can make them more personal and positively affect the business performance. Bringing the Christmas spirit to an item, by including a loved one’s name on the product label or a festive note to a tag or card is part of making merchandise enticing. It is the personal touch

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September/October Food & Drink News

that adds real value to any gift. Ultimately, offering your customers the most personalised items out there can impress your audience and provide them with the

{ Primera Europe }

opportunity to create the most exclusive Christmasthemed tags or special edition labels. Offering customisation can be a key factor for smaller businesses to effectively compete against bigger brands.

Running a small business or just getting started working your way into customisation and looking for possibilities to match your customers’ requests during holiday shopping? Primera’s LX500e Color Label Printer is the answer. Special labels can include full-colour photos, illustrations, graphics, text and barcodes. Print them, where and in quantities you need them.

Ordering massive quantities of pre-printed labels is no longer needed, there’s no lead time and no set-up charges, either. Small and compact in size, LX500e won’t take up too much space and can print up to 101.6mm width, making it ideal for gifts like uniquely labelled wine bottles, specially decorated soap bars, holiday tags on gift sets and much more.

Are you a more established business and looking for a highly professional device to help you handle your customers’ requests more flexibly than ever?

Primera’s newest, fastest-ever and most versatile printer, the LX910e, makes it all possible. It prints with dye or pigment ink, all in the same printer, by simply changing out an ink cartridge. Choose dye ink for brilliant, intense and eye-catching prime labels and pigment ink for producing durable labels, which are

highly resistant against water and UV light. It utilises one tri-colour ink cartridge with an integrated print head. With every cartridge change users get a new print head, simplifying maintenance, lowering ongoing operating costs and making clogged nozzles a non existant issue. Process black is dark and crisp and uses no more ink than a separate black ink tank would on the same amount of text or graphics.

LX910e can be used to print the best quality Christmas labels for foods and beverages like coffee, wine, bakery, confectionery, meat, cheese and hundreds of other speciality and gourmet foods as well as for cosmetics and retail.

What about adding an extra sparkle on your tags or printing shiny holiday versions of your labels? Gold, silver, metallic red or blue details will, for sure, thrill your customers. Offer those holiday shoppers all that glitter in a colour of their choice by adding a luxurious touch to their gifts. Primera’s foil imprinting system, the FX500e, is the perfect accessory to the LX-Series label printers highlighting pre-printed labels with added metallic foil design elements like borders, graphics and fonts.

For more information about Primera’s LX-Series label printers visit http://primeralabel.eu.

September/October Food & Drink News

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{ Christmas Focus }

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Consumer spending on food and drink at Christmas has increased in the UK over the past two years – and 2018 looks like continuing the trend.

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he festive season is, of course, a time for indulging in products we might normally ration, from chocolates and nuts to desserts and booze.

At the same time, there are many more easily accessible free-from products – gluten, dairy, nut – on the market, from vegan alternatives to turkey to giftpackaged gluten-free biscuits.

Turkey – and the alternatives Traditional turkey remains the centrepiece of the majority of Christmas meals, and there are alternatives for those consumers who prefer to avoid intensively reared birds. A favourite with celebrity chefs such as Delia Smith, Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay, KellyBronze turkeys (www.kellybronze.co.uk) are 100% free range, foraging in the natural woodland environment of Paul Kelly’s family farm in Danbury, Essex. The high quality and intense flavour comes from maturing the

birds to more than twice the age of a standard industry turkey and dry hanging to tenderise the meat.

In 2011, the KellyBronze became the first turkey to receive three gold stars in the Great Taste Awards. “It takes time, passion and a walk on the wild side to create excellence – if it was easy, everyone would do it, but I am very proud of how far our family business has come,” says Managing Director, Paul Kelly. “I’m looking forward to taking things to the next level this Christmas and educating the public on what truly is a fantastic and sometimes underrated meat.”

With the recently reported swing towards veganism over the past two years – a survey by comparethemarket.com put the figure at more than 3.5 million British people identifying as vegan – there are more options than ever for non-meat eaters and non-dairy eaters over the festive season.

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{ Christmas Focus }

Selecting two examples: Waitrose Vegan Beet Wellington is made with marinated beetroot and a rich mushroom duxelle, encased in vegan puff pastry; while Tesco’s Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash combines beetroot and apple for a tangy filling.

Festive innovation Christmas may be a time for tradition but for some it’s also about innovation. Master chocolatier Paul A Young (www.paulayoung.co.uk) has launched a new range of chocolates that includes a Cranberry & Goose Fat Caramel and a White Port & Stilton Truffle, to sit alongside perennial favourites such as his limited edition Confit Clementines dipped in Guittard Madagascan chocolate. This year also sees the return of the award-winning Brownie Mince Pies, filled with homemade cognac and ale-soaked mincemeat, and the launch of a new Brandy Butter Ball Bombe, a domed dessert filled with brandy butter, orange ganache and dark chocolate ganache.

Another innovator, Ross & Ross Food (www.rossandrossfood.co.uk), has added to its Roast range of rubs, oils and dusts, which features among others a Turkey Rub, Roast Potato Oil, Pigs in Blanket Dust and a new Roast Chicken Rub and Roast Dinner Dust. These can be bought as individual jars or in a Christmas Dinner Box containing the top sellers.

A centenary of tradition Ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2019, Bettys is celebrating Christmas with a range of hand-decorated cakes, mince pies and handcrafted stocking fillers – all made at the company’s craft bakery in Harrogate.

There’s a wide range of Christmas hampers, from the

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Taste of Christmas Wicker Hamper and Santa’s Little Hamper to the bumper Christmas Extravagance Hamper, along with Christmas cakes, party cakes and Christmas puddings.

Fancy a tipple?

The popularity of gin shows no sign of abating – including festivals such as The Gin to My Tonic Christmas Festival (https://thegintomytonic.com/events), 30 November – 1 December, in Harrogate, with more than 80 gins to sample, as well as workshops, masterclasses and other entertainment.

Marks & Spencer (www.marksandspencer.com) has launched a Christmas Dry Gin, handcrafted in The Secret Herb Garden in Edinburgh, with ingredients such as cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. Meanwhile, Gin Kiosk (www.ginkiosk.com), “the one-stop shop for all things gin”, is offering a themed advent calendar, the Ginvent Calendar 2018, with a different miniature bottle of gin behind each of the 24 doors.

Expanding the range to other alcoholic treats, Yorkshire-based Raisthorpe Manor (www.raisthorpemanor.com) has launched an interlocking Stacker collection of gins, ports and vodkas, which can be personalised to the gift recipient.

For a spicy Christmas tipple – or gift – try Kraken Black Spiced Rum (www.krakenrum.com), infused with a blend of 13 flavours and spices, including cinnamon, vanilla and cherry. The sweet and smooth Caribbean import, named after the mythical sea beast, has subtle tones of coffee, complemented by a spicy kick and a rich peppery finish. Create a festive Kraken Black Blitzen by adding cranberry sauce, sweet vermouth, egg white and black charcoal – the company’s website has further cocktail ideas.

Wine lovers might like to uncork two new ownbrand wines for their Christmas dinner; these have been launched by Spanish chef José Pizarro just in time for the festive season. The José Pizarro

{ Christmas Focus }

Chardonnay and José Pizarro Shiraz Cuvvè are both made with grapes harvested by hand at the Huerta de Albalá winery in Arcos de la Frontera in Andalusia.

“Together with the team at Huerta de Albalá we have created two wines that I am very proud of,” says José Pizarro. “I am passionate about promoting Spanish wines, cava and sherries in my restaurants.”

Plan ahead It may be too late for this year but e-commerce fulfilment specialists James and James (www.ecommercefulfilment.com) have been encouraging business owners to implement their ‘plan for peak’ as early as January and no later than August to cope with customer ordering spikes in the run-up to Christmas.

James Hyde, Managing Director at James and James, says: “Most businesses would expect orders to peak before Christmas, but assume that with the same processes in place, they can handle it, just by upping the speed at which they work. But if your brand and products really take off over the pre-Christmas period, with thousands of orders all needing to arrive with your customers well before Christmas Day, businesses need to ask themselves if they could manage.”

are out eating, drinking, socialising, shopping and staying in hotels and this is a real opportunity for businesses. The research revealed the value of investing in impressive Christmas trees, decorations and displays as we can see it has a direct impact on dwell time and customer spend.”

So if you want your customers to “eat, drink and be merry”, don’t forget to “deck the halls”!

Deck the halls Finally, a survey of 1,000 consumers carried out by etailer Christmas Tree World (www.christmastreeworld.co.uk) has found that bars, restaurants, hotels and other venues shouldn’t neglect the festive ambience, with 59% of those surveyed saying they would spend an average of £21 more per head at a venue with an impressive Christmas décor.

Stephen Evans, Managing Director of Christmas Tree World, said: “It’s clear to see that consumers enjoy feeling the Christmas cheer around them when they

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{ Central Supplies }

A Company to ‘Inspire Britain’ With the exclusive UK launch of Nature & Moi Vegan products to complement the full range of Alpro & Provamel that Central Supplies already distribute throughout the UK, halloumi & lactose-free yoghurts from Zita Dairies in Cyprus & new branding for its Brockmoor cheese range…

Central Supplies is certainly broadening its offer.

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his year celebrating its 30th anniversary, Central Supplies counts wholesalers, retailers, foodservice and discounters among its many customers.

Distributing across the UK and Ireland, and exporting to the expat market in places such as Malta, Spain and Portugal, the fast-growing business was recently chosen for the London Stock Exchange Group’s 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain.

“It’s the first time we’ve been featured,” says founder and Managing Director, David Packham, who started the business using his kitchen table as an office. “We’ve had quite a lot of people congratulating us and it’s given us more market awareness.”

Nature & Moi To cater for the rapidly increasing vegan market, Central Supplies recently won exclusive UK distribution rights for Nature & Moi products. Providing alternatives to cheese, mayonnaise, spreads, dressings and desserts, the products are all free from soya, gluten, lactose, dairy and palm oil.

“Nature & Moi saw us as a way of broadening the opportunity across the retail and food catering sectors, as vegan products became less specialist and more

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mainstream,” explains David Packham. “We believe it’s the best vegan cheese on the market. We took part in the Natural & Organic Products exhibition at the Excel in London which was very successful, our reps are proactively promoting the products to existing customers and we are increasing our social media activities. Many sporting names claim that a vegan lifestyle has boosted their performance and vegan products are becoming more readily available.”

Zita The company is also launching a new Cypriot range of halloumi cheese and lactose-free yoghurts from Zita, a major yoghurt manufacturer in Cyprus, which Central Supplies represents exclusively in the UK. “It’s a new relationship; they approached us and we felt it would be a good collaboration, especially as halloumi is a massively growing market in the UK.”

Rebranding In October, Central Supplies will be relaunching its popular Brockmoor cheese brand with fresh, modern labelling. This includes an image of Dudley Castle, a

{ Central Supplies }

historic feature of the borough where the company was founded and remains located today. The new branding appears across the whole range, from 150g to 400g packs, to 160g sliced and the 2.5kg and 5kg bulk range.

“We’ve come up with something we’re really happy with, which gives us a more modern edge while demonstrating a bit of our heritage,” says David Packham.

Investing in the future The rebranding was instigated after investment in a new flow-wrap machine led to new packaging being developed. The own-brand cheese – along with private label brands – is cut and packed in a state-of-the-art packing room at the company’s Grade A BRC-accredited 30,000 sq ft facility in Halesowen, on the outskirts of Birmingham. A fleet of 35 vehicles deliver across the region. Headcount has increased from 75 staff in 2013 to 125 today, and turnover has more than doubled over the past five years, from £21m to £50m.

“We’ve seen rapid growth and our staffing levels have grown to support that,” says David Packham. “With the new products and own-brand relaunch, we expect the upward trend to continue.”

Tel: 01384 414999 Email: sales@centralsupplies.co.uk www.centralsupplies.co.uk

Venture have been established for over 40 years, supplying printed and plain labels.

Professional, Effective Print Management Solutions.

Venture are proud to be associated with Central Supplies and wish them every success for the future.

Unit 71, Winpenny Road, Parkhouse Industrial Estate East, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 7RH

Tel: 01782 566499 Fax: 01782 565650 Email: gavin.d@venture-bf.co.uk

www.venture-bf.co.uk

September/October Food & Drink News

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{ Tomlinsons Dairies }

Delivering Milk to Your Door With a major new contract with Sainsbury’s and a multimillion pound extension to its site, Tomlinsons Dairies is a major player in the milk processing industry

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his year celebrating 35 years of trading, Tomlinsons Dairies has come a long way from when two farming brothers first began a doorstep milk round.

Today, the business is the largest liquid milk processing business in Wales and one of the biggest tier-two players in the milk industry. In addition to its own traditional Tomlinsons brand, the company has a strong portfolio of retail and food manufacturers among its customers, co-packing for Arla, Morrisons, Aldi and Asda, selling into Marks & Spencer in Wales and supplying 327 Sainsbury’s stores.

What’s more, there’s no resting on its laurels, investing £45m since 2012 in a continual programme of expansion and growth at its BRC Grade A+ production facilities in Wrexham.

Highest quality milk The only dairy to offer fully traceable milk produced in Wales, Tomlinsons sources milk from around 90 farms, all within 100 miles of the site, plus additional farms for the contract with Sainsbury’s.

As well as processed milk in a number of packaging formats, the company supplies single, double, whipping cream and extra thick double cream, plus yoghurt, juice, eggs and desserts. There is also an extensive range of fully traceable organic milk.

The Red Tractor logo is on all Tomlinsons’ products and the company is certified by the British Retail consortium and also by the Soil Association for the processing of organic milk and cream.

From humble beginnings Back in 1983, when brothers Philip and John Tomlinson launched their business from their father’s farm in Minera, it was on a decidedly smaller scale.

Bottling green top milk in the farmhouse parlour, they began knocking on doors, winning 78 customers on the first day.

To grow the business, they decided to move into processing, focusing on the highest quality Welsh milk supplied by local farms. This was sold to other companies delivering household milk, along with shops, offices, factories, hospitals and schools. They

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{ Tomlinsons Dairies }

also won customers in the catering and food manufacturing industries.

Site expansion The first processing site was built in 1996, next to the farm. In 2012, a new purpose-built dairy was constructed at the local trading estate, on a site that has since grown to 10 acres. As production increased further, a new distribution site was built close by. 2015 a blow moulding facility was built at the dairy site in Minera to produce all of Tomlinson poly bottles using five Uniloy machines making 2.4 million bottles a week, with a capability of four million bottles a week.

There has been ongoing investment to increase the cold storage and office space, replace raw milk silos, extend the hardstanding for vehicle circulation and extend the blow moulding building. There has also been investment in machinery, including two new fully automated milk-filling lines, manufactured by Ektam, which can fill 68,000 litres of milk every hour in six bottle formats ranging from 189ml to six-pint bottles.

These developments have allowed the company to double its production levels over the past 12 months, from 100 million litres to 210 million litres of milk a year. As this is close to the site’s 250 million litre capacity, a new filler is about to be installed to increase capacity to 345 million litres.

The additional capacity has led to the creation of new jobs. Having won the Sainsbury’s contract a year ago, the company now delivers 100 million litres of milk a year to the supermarket and a further five million litres a year of cream.

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The importance of hygiene As hygiene is such a key issue in the food and drink industry, Tomlinsons Dairies has established a strong relationship with supplier, Christeyns Food Hygiene UK. Specialists in creating cost-effective hygiene processes, Christeyns supplies a wide range of products, such as detergents, disinfectants, hygiene monitoring systems and associated equipment, as well as servicing and training to improve efficiencies and reduce costs. Having successfully supported Tomlinsons as the company has developed, the partnership will continue as the dairy continues through its new phase of growth.

Sustainability Tomlinsons has strong environmental credentials and supplies milk in Elopak cartons made from renewable wood fibre from sustainable and responsibly managed woodland. It also offers recyclable Eco pouches in third of a pint and 1 litre sizes, which help to reduce landfill waste.

Looking ahead Currently turning over approximately £100m per annum, up from £50m a year ago, the business has clearly laid out long-term growth plans, including increasing its market share across the UK. With the recent Sainsbury’s contract and site expansion, the company is well placed to achieve further success moving forward.

Tel: 01978 758833 www.tomlinsondairies.co.uk

From the Traditional to the Exotic One of the leading fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers and food wholesalers in the UK, Valimex’s suite of products covers all the produce a caterer might need – and more.

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family-run business based in Park Royal, northwest London, Valimex imports fresh produce into the UK from across the globe, from mainland Europe to India, China and Thailand.

With over 40 years’ experience in the sector, the company delivers six days a week from 5am onwards to businesses in London, and beyond. These include 5star hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, cafes and pubs, as well as casinos, public sector organisations, schools and universities. Valimex also supplies caterers and event management companies of all sizes.

When it comes to product ranges, Valimex is hard to beat. From root vegetables, beans and cabbage to cassava, okra and chillies, the business supplies a full basket of vegetables and baby vegetables. The fruit on offer is equally diverse, from homegrown apples, rhubarb and berries to exotic fruit such as guava, lychees, mangoes and papaya.

In salads, the company runs the gamut from lettuce and radishes to Chinese leaf, chard and even edible flowers.

Caterers looking to add flavour to their dishes can

source a wide range of herbs from Valimex, whether fresh dill for seafood or lemongrass for Thai cuisine.

Equally in demand are the regular and exotic mushroom types on offer, including specialist strains such as cepes, shitaki and enoki.

To save time, chefs can order prepared fruit and vegetables, from fruit salad and juices to diced or sliced fruit. With the recent launch of Fresh Decoupe (www.freshdecoupe.co.uk), Valimex offers a bespoke solution to chefs for all their prepared fruit and veg requirements. All products are hand-cut and prepared to order, ensuring chefs receive fresh produce, to the exact specification they require.

Complementing the produce on offer is a range of dairy, frozen and dried fare, along with specialist Indian, Thai and organic products, bringing the worlds wholesale markets to your doorstep.

Freshness is key, and with the company’s partnership with various growers across the globe, Valimex is able to provide consistent and high-quality produce 52 weeks a year.

The company offers 24-hour customer service to support clients with their orders and queries. It can even accommodate late orders with a second delivery run in the afternoon. Customers can take advantage of flexible pricing structures and bespoke sourcing for special ingredients.

40-42 Standard Road, Park Royal, London NW10 6EU Tel: 0208 9616802 www.valimex.co.uk

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{ EuroFresh }

Freshness & Quality First This year celebrating 20 years in business, EuroFresh supplies wholesale catering companies and processors with a wide range of fresh, highquality produce.

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n the competitive world of produce, a company has to be something special to stand out from those around it working in the same sector.

With a heritage stretching back 20 years in the business, EuroFresh has established an enviable reputation for the quality of the produce it supplies, the efficiency of its service and delivery, and the strong relationships it forges with both the growers who supply the company and the wholesale catering companies and processors who are its customers.

The knowledgeable and experienced team include staff who have been with the business for more than a decade – and they certainly know their onions from their shallots!

Having seen strong growth over the past five years, the company, which operates from a purpose-built site in the Vale of Evesham, is in a very strong position as it looks forward to the next 20 years.

Early days and approach The company’s Chief Operating Officer, Mick Jones, has been with EuroFresh since it started in 1998 and is proud to be celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the business this year.

Having himself come from a growing family – FC Jones and Sons in Badsey – Mick Jones was well placed to help take the company forward, from the early days to where it is now.

“We started EuroFresh in 1998,” he says, “and around two years after we set it up, an entrepreneur invested in the company and we’ve gone from strength to strength ever since then. The business as it is today grew out of an old-fashioned market gardening company in the Vale of Evesham. We saw that there was a gap in the market to service the wholesale companies who deal direct with the catering trade, and we began supplying them with fresh herbs and vegetables. So we deal with the wholesale catering

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Valefresco are extremely proud of the relationship they have built with Eurofresh which has been earnt through supplying the best quality produce since their creation 20 years ago. We specialise in salads and vegetables which is the mainstay of what we supply to Eurofresh. Our proximity to Eurofresh enables us to be able to supply with the freshest produce possible from harvest to depot in the same day.

The culmination of two experienced growing families with over 40 years’ experience each led to the birth of Valefresco in 2006.

The growth of the company since 2006 has been huge which is a result of the 400ha outdoor and 30ha protected growing area producing U.K. salads and vegetables 12 months of the year.

Baby leaf has been a huge focus of the company with

investment in high tech growing structures and our investment in these structures has enabled the year-round supply of U.K. pak choi and baby spinach. This passion for growing has led to the exploration of other high tech and environmentally conscious growing systems including a vertical hydroponic lettuce production. The environment is a key factor for Valefresco which has steered us to use green energy on some of our crops which is a first for the company.

This success in salads and vegetables has enabled Valefresco to supply a multitude of customers including processors, wholesale, retail and high end caterers. We are always prepared to go that extra mile for our customers to ensure they are supplied with the best quality produce all year round.

We are proud to supply Eurofresh with our produce and hope that they continue with their success in the future.

Laurels Road Offenham Evesham WR11 8RE

Tel: 01386 45867 Fax: 01386 47924

www.valefresco.com

{ EuroFresh }

companies rather than the pubs, clubs, restaurants and hotels that they supply and we cover many different areas all over the country.”

processors, such as Southern England Farms in Cornwall, although our core business is mainly supplying caterers.”

Direct to the customer’s door

Location, location, location

This innovative approach involved delivering fresh produce straight to the customer’s door, rather than them having to use their own transport to travel over to the wholesale markets, saving them valuable time.

“Our clients range from large caterers such as Ribble Farm right down to the one-man bands,” says Mick Jones. “We supply a cross section of people – we even offer a top-up service for the Florette factory in Lichfield, and we work with quite a few of the big

Since its inception, the company has been based in the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire. An old riverside market town, Evesham is located on the banks of the River Avon and surrounded by beautiful countryside, which happens to be excellent land for growing produce, in particular asparagus – one of the many products supplied by EuroFresh. In fact, the Vale of Evesham is often called the fruit and vegetable basket of England.

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F G PRYOR & SON LTD

Specialising in first early, all year “salad” cartons, chipping and main crop potatoes.

Colwyn Farm, Perranwell Station, Truro, Cornwall TR3 7NA

Tel: 01872 863744 Email: philip@fgpryor.co.uk

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{ EuroFresh }

“Being in the Vale of Evesham, we are in the heart of the growing area,” says Mick Jones. “We offer all the seasonal English vegetables you would expect, but as you know, in this country people expect to be able to buy vegetables like cauliflower or asparagus throughout the 12 months of the year. Having said that, we do promote the Vale of Evesham asparagus and we work closely with the Vale growers. We pride ourselves on the freshness of our produce, whether it comes from abroad or locally, and we also pride ourselves on working very closely with our growers. The whole ethos of EuroFresh is adding value between the grower and the end consumer, ensuring the grower has the most effective method of getting their crops from the farms to the kitchen in the shortest time possible.

Furthermore Eurofresh offers their clients not only an enviable delivery promise but provides them variety across a broad range of produce. It’s a proven efficient business model that serves all parties well, with the guarantee that the produce will be as fresh as possible.”

A full basket of produce These days caterers demand access to a wide range of produce, from traditional root vegetables to more exotic fare. One of the keys to the success of EuroFresh is establishing exactly what the caterers are looking for and delivering it to their destination.

Because the Vale of Evesham is particularly well known for growing asparagus, this is one of the key local products that the company supplies. Out of season, asparagus is sourced from countries such as Peru, while fine beans and mangetout are imported from Kenya. Then there are the staples: carrots, parsnips, cauliflower, Tenderstem broccoli and more.

Cornish new potatoes are picked and packed on a bespoke basis for EuroFresh customers, and since 2005,

the company has offered a wide range of salad products.

Mushrooms are another key product category that Eurofresh specialises, in covering all types. This includes standard cup and button mushrooms, but over time the company has established a reputation for its exotic mushrooms, which are used by chefs all over the country. From its purpose-built ambient facility, EuroFresh creates packs of mixed standard and exotic mushrooms, delivered fresh daily from Poland and Holland. They can also provide a specialist mix of exotic mushrooms, which can be specifically ordered by chefs to meet their exacting requirements ready to use, all in one punnet.

“It’s all about making it easier for our customers and the chefs they supply,” explains Mick Jones.

Also very popular is the large range of herbs and micro herbs on offer, from coriander to watercress.

These are freshly picked and packed to order on a daily basis, with a range of punnets, bags and boxes of varying sizes, to suit the specific requirements of the wholesale caterer.

While the business currently supplies several varieties and types of fruit – focusing on homegrown produce such as apples, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries – this is a particular area of the business with capacity for growth and one that the company will be focusing on more in the future.

In addition to forging strong working relationships with its customers, EuroFresh has established important connections with its suppliers.

“We work closely with all of our growers and support their efforts whenever possible, whether it’s to promote their existing products or help develop new ones,” says Mick Jones. “Because of our integrity and our longstanding reputation with our suppliers, we’ve

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Zenith Nurseries Limited, a family-run company, was formed by Guiseppe and Nicola Barone in 1978.

Originally growers of onions and tomatoes, switching to baby leaf and whole head production; this presented Zenith Nurseries Limited with the challenge of providing high quality salad produce to the professional catering industry year round.

Zenith initially met this challenge by investing in protected growing environments with highly mechanised harvesting systems. On the building of its own packing facility which enabled effective transfer times to ensure the freshest and best quality produce was received.

growth into washed and ready to eat produce supply which facilitated our customers’ ability to expand their customers’ bases using our produce.

Zenith Nurseries Limited invested in a fully BRC accredited washed and ready to eat production facility which opened June 2018.

This state-of-the-art unit is designed modular so that continued investment is unrestricted. Zenith is committed by its nature to continually invest in technology and best practice formulation; to provide the very best produce at the best value demanded by the market.

We celebrate the success and growth of Eurofresh Limited, Evesham and are proud to be one of their suppliers of salad produce.

It seemed a natural progression to consider

Zenith Nurseries Limited Station Road Offenham Evesham Worcestershire WR11 8LW England Contact: David Holder 07469 853464 Office 01386 831959 e-mail sales@zenithnurseries.co.uk / info@zenithnurseries.co.uk

{ EuroFresh }

grown together within the industry. Zenith Nurseries is a recent example: also based in Evesham and having invested in a washing factory for their baby leaf salads, Eurofresh has committed to work closely with them to ensure this project is successfully brought to market.”

Warehousing and delivery EuroFresh has developed the majority of its deliveries across mainland UK, with particular strengths in the south-west, Midlands and Cambridgeshire area, however more recently they have established strong growth in Ireland, with key customers based in Dublin.

In 2012, the company agreed to invest in a strategy for growth; as a result a purpose-built warehouse and office facility was constructed in Evesham. This provides 20,000 sq ft of ambient and refrigerated storage, ensuring that all products can be kept as fresh as possible at the right temperature. The warehouse is served by an in-house modern fleet of vehicles; furthermore the business invested in new IT systems to allow efficient stock management and seamless sales growth.

As EuroFresh supplies direct to its customers, it’s essential that the business provides a regular and reliable delivery service. The company has a comprehensive fleet of vehicles, which are used to deliver across the country, six days a week, from Sunday evening through to Friday daytime. Having its

in Spain salad, vegetables and fruits

own transport means that the company can ensure that the produce arrives on time and as fresh as possible.

Marketing and competition As Mick Jones points out, everyone has competitors and the produce industry is no exception.

“We like to think that we are the best at what we do,” he says. “We endeavour to deliver to meet our customers’ required time. We are busy taking their ordering requirements throughout the morning and commence picking and despatching from 11am the same day, through to 5am the next morning. It’s very much about the personal service; honouring commitments builds relationships. It’s the culture that goes right through the company, perhaps that’s why we’ve grown steadily over the years!”

In recent years, there has been more awareness of the opportunities presented for promoting business online, and EuroFresh is currently updating its website to make it more social media friendly.

“I believe the use of social media such as Twitter is a big step forward in this industry,” explains Mick Jones.

“It’s about catching up with other industries that are using such things, so we are putting a lot of effort into this aspect of our marketing.”

Alongside modern marketing methods, EuroFresh relies heavily on its reputation and recommendations.

Every customer is given a dedicated account manager to ensure that a good working relationship is established and upheld.

“In our industry you have to trust the person you are buying from, especially if you’re not going to the market,” says Mick Jones. “Customers need to know that they can have confidence in what they are buying.

We have full trust in our quality and this is one of the key principles our account managers can rely upon in our delivery promise.”

The current headcount is approximately 50 staff, many of whom have been with the company for more than 10 years. “Once they settle here they don’t seem to want to move! We’re hard working but we invest in

+34 950 651 818 / +34 655 353 747 info@freshventure.es www.freshventure.es September/October Food & Drink News

33

The Witter family congratulate Eurofresh on their 20th Anniversary

T.G. WITTER LTD.

Specialising in Lancashire and Spanish Produce

Small Lane South, Halsall, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 7JX Tel: 01704 840795

GRO-WELL SALADS

We are proud to have supplied Eurofresh with our produce for 20 years – congratulations to all the Eurofresh Team!

Your A1 100% Italian fruit & vegetables partner Best Italian Freshness

Tel: +39039881978 34

www.milanofresh.it

September/October Food & Drink News

Growers of top quality Salad Cress, Micro Pea Shoots and Little Gem Lettuce.

We can also supply Cos Lettuce, Beansprouts and Prepared Salads.

Tel: 01772 812353 www.gro-wellsalads.co.uk

{ EuroFresh }

training and support for our staff to keep them up to the current employment standards.”

Looking ahead to the future When asked to identify the most significant moments in the company’s development, Mick Jones considers that building the warehouse in 2012 was one of the most important moments and biggest achievements. With an annual turnover of approximately £20m, the company has seen

• Runner Beans • Tenderstem • Broad Beans • Helda Beans • Baby Courgettes We are proud of our association with EuroFresh and wish them continued success for the future.

continuous growth over the past five years.

This was acknowledged by Worcestershire County Council, with EuroFresh being listed as one of their top 50 mid-sized growth companies in 2017 – an accolade and recognition that was very much appreciated.

As for the future, Mick Jones says: “We are aiming to invest in a new mushroom packing facility for our exotic mushrooms. I am confident that within five years’ time we will be one of the top 50 performing companies in this industry.”

With 20 years of trading behind the company, its well-established relationships with customers and suppliers alike, combined with a stable and knowledgeable team, should perfectly position EuroFresh to cement its place as a leading player in the produce sector.

EuroFresh (Evesham) Ltd Crab Apple Way, Vale Park, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 1GP Tel: 01386 443343 www.euro-fresh.co.uk

Rook Row Farm, Mathon, Herefordshire, WR13 5PR Telephone - 01886 880512 Email - asgreenandco@btconnect.com

September/October Food & Drink News

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{ Soupreme Foods }

A Soup-er New Venture From a brand new allergen-free facility in Lancashire, Soupreme Foods is creating dairy-free yoghurts and plant-based soups for the ever-growing vegan and flexitarian markets.

With the rise in consumers reducing or eliminating meat and dairy from their diets, plant-based and freefrom products are finding more space on retail shelves and in foodservice.

Backed by a highly experienced management team, Soupreme Foods is now creating products for such markets from a specially built, allergen-free facility in the north-west of England.

“We are the only completely allergen-free factory that I’m aware of doing non-dairy products and plantbased soups,” says Terry Haigh, Managing Director and joint founder of Soupreme Foods with business partner Neil Murgatroyd. Finalists in the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards, the year-old business has hit the ground running, with several major food manufacturers and brand owners among its customers.

Formation Having founded Fruitapeel – a successful fruit and confectionery sauce supplier – in 2006, Terry Haigh last year bought out the other shareholders, intending to

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relocate to a new larger facility. However, an approach from Belgian group Puratos then led to the sale of Fruitapeel in December 2017.

“In the last six months of 2017 we had expanded Fruitapeel into two other food groups: dairy-free yoghurts and plant-based soups,” he explains. “Because we only sold the fruit and confectionery arm, we still owned two businesses, so we decided to invest in the new site and build a new non-dairy and soup facility.

We’ve spent £4.5m on this and we’re about to invest in another new project with equal values which we’ll launch in spring 2019.”

Specialist site After completing on the site in January 2018, work started in March and the new facility came online in August. Based in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, the site is just off the M58 with convenient links to the M6.

“This was a significant design and build project, done to a very high standard; we laid nearly 500 tonnes of flooring alone, all of the services run around the

{ Soupreme Foods }

exterior of the site, so engineers can work outside the production area and the manufacturing team have little or no hard-to-reach areas ensuring very high standards are met.

“To build two complete manufacturing facilities from scratch in five months and then shut the other two down and relocate both businesses over four days, it was a phenomenal piece of work by a very dedicated team, we are very proud of what we have achieved.”

The new 55,000 sq ft facility includes 5,000 sq ft of office space and has segregated production areas. For the soup, there are three cooking vessels, three filling lines and blast-chilling facilities. On the dairy-free side; a £0.5m investment has resulted in continuous operation making two tonnes of dairy-free product every hour.

Product range and new launches At present there are seven flavoured SKUs of dairyfree yoghurt and the company is working with three different customers on increasing the product ranges, with future plans for creating dairy-free porridge, béchamel sauce, soft cheese and ice cream.

The soup brand is also pushing the boundaries. “It’s quite a skill to make great-tasting soup that meets today’s modern consumer preferences,” says Terry Haigh.

Clients include leading dairy-free retail brands, highstreet sandwich chains, food manufacturers, including a major new 100% plant-based manufacturer, and suppliers to food manufacturers. As a result, Soupreme Foods now produces for well-known brands which are listed in three major supermarkets and also on Amazon and Ocado.

The allergen-free site is an important USP. “Brands are at risk and can be delisted if there’s any risk of contamination; we will turn business away if there is a risk to our operations and we work hard to ensure we meet all customer requirements. We’re not a dairy manufacturer with a little corner in the factory that’s dairy free.”

products, it’s about the ethos behind it.”

Future plans As a company, Soupreme Foods has the benefits of being owned by the Directors and having access to advances in production technologies brought in at Soupreme, such as high pressure processing (HPP) technology. This can extend shelf life and they have been carrying out trials to extend the life of non-dairy yoghurt and soup. To date these have been very successful and for example, can be sold or used in products well beyond the standard shelf-life days, allowing Soupreme to open markets not previously thought of.

While Soupreme Foods’ clients can be relied on to carry out high-profile marketing campaigns, the new products to be launched in spring will be supported by a significant investment in marketing and development.

This will also increase staff levels from 47 to 120, providing important local employment.

“We have bought the land around our operation to double the size of our factory and expect our business to grow to £50m turnover in the next few years,” says Terry Haigh. “We have the support of our local MP Rosie Cooper and the local council for developing the site and the business.

“This is a great West Lancashire business with fantastic and innovative products which I wholeheartedly support and know will do superbly well, the management team have a great track record for innovation and success,” says Rosie Cooper.

A greener ethos The culture at Soupreme goes beyond healthy living to wider environmental choices.

“It’s not just a trend, it’s about health, animal welfare and doing what we can do supporting our brands to reduce the impact on the environment and the planet,” says Terry Haigh. “We’re working on a wide range of areas that benefit the environment, from packaging and recycling to becoming zero to landfill, and reducing energy and water consumption. We work very hard to reduce our carbon footprint and show that our business is not just about making great-tasting

September/October Food & Drink News

37

Best wishes and continued success to The Flatbread Company from the team in

Edible Oil Specialists

We are pleased to be associated with Flat Bread Company and wish them continued success for the future.

Millbrook Edible Oils Ltd. Oldcastle, Co. Meath Tel +353 49 8542072 Email: info@meo.ie

Buggy Refrigeration Services have been servicing the needs in the retail sector for over 10 years. We have become specialists in the planning, designing and Installation of a wide range of Chilled and Frozen Refrigerated Equipment over that period.

Buggy Refrigeration, Tanyard Lane, Tullamore, Co. Oaly, Ireland.

Tel: +353 (0) 57 9333850 Email: info@buggyrefrigeration.com

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September/October Food & Drink News

www.keyingredientseurope.com

Unit A3/A4 Annacotty Business Park, Limerick, T: 00 353 61 358977 E: sales@keyingredients.ie

{ Flat Bread Company }

It’s a Wrap!

Working closely with customers and adapting to market trends has proved a winning formula for the Flat Bread Company.

S

pecialising in premium quality bread products for the home and export markets, the Tullamorebased company manufactures wraps, tortillas and pizza bases, including gluten-free products, with a wide range of flavour profiles.

Trading under the brand name of Simpli Baked, the business has been enjoying growth in excess of 20% a year, which has led to investment in a new line, opening in early 2019, to further increase capacity.

All of this would be impressive under any circumstances, but considering the previous factory was destroyed by a serious fire in 2015, it really is a major achievement.

“It was a very difficult year, but since then we’ve gone from strength to strength,” says Managing Director, Kieran Walsh, who previously worked at the Kerry Group for 10 years before founding the Flat Bread Company Ltd in 2009 with his brother Sean and business partner Niels Ladefoged. “It’s been challenging but in a good way.”

Flavour profiles and gluten free The only factory in Ireland producing ambient and

frozen tortillas, Simpli Baked has recently widened the flavour profile of its core process to include ingredients such as beetroot and Thai ginger. It also specialises in thin crust pizza bases, made with fresh yeast.

Both the tortillas and pizza bases are now available with gluten-free options to cater for the growing number of consumers requesting such products, whether they are coeliacs or going gluten free by choice.

These developments have brought new customers on board and boosted existing customer relationships, as well as foodservice customers, which the company supplies both directly and via distributors. The Flat Bread Company also creates products for some customers’ own label brands.

“It has allowed us to get into a lot more and very significant customers over the past two years,” says Kieran Walsh. “The gluten-free market is now a very important part of our business. It brings challenges, there’s a lot of work goes into making gluten-free products, but it’s an interesting market to be in.”

The factory operates with dedicated production slots and cleaning dates to accommodate four or five days

September/October Food & Drink News

39

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September/October Food & Drink News

{ Flat Bread Company }

of gluten-free production around once a month.

“The clean down is beneficial as it allows us to get into the equipment at a really good level and depth of cleaning. The gluten-free production means our scheduling and how we manage that with our customers becomes even more important. We also have to work closely with them on forecasting. If we get that wrong, we can’t simply switch to gluten-free production in the middle of the week, it has to be well planned.”

New equipment Following the devastating fire, the company managed to keep going until the new state-of-the-art facility came online exactly 300 days later. At 23,000 sq ft, the new site has a better layout and plenty of capacity for future expansion.

Now, in preparation for a major increase in production at the factory, new equipment has been ordered, which will be brought online in 2019.

“When we built the factory after the fire, we made sure it was capable of taking up to four more production lines,” explains Kieran Walsh. “This new line is part of that, it will sit within the building and will double our business. I didn’t expect to be at this level so quickly, but we can’t wait to increase our capacity.”

To cope with customer demand meanwhile, the factory moved to 24/7 production in October 2017.

“We’ve only stopped three times: for Christmas Day,

New Year’s Day and St Patrick’s Day, which is very much a family day in Ireland. It’s part of the culture of the company, and the team need to be able to enjoy it.”

Once the new equipment is installed, production will move to five or six days a week, to make it easier for such things as scheduled preventative maintenance.

Expanding the client base The increased customer base is due to a combination of winning additional business from existing clients and bringing new ones on board.

“One of the consequences of the Brexit vote was that we decided to look beyond the UK and become less dependent on that market,” says Kieran Walsh.

“Historically we would have probably done about 80% sterling export, now we’re at around a 50/50 split. It’s about not putting all our eggs in one basket. The UK and Irish markets remain crucial, but we now also export to France, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and Greece.”

These new markets have driven NPD, to produce different products and flavour profiles, such as the launch of a range of sweet wraps in Germany. “It comes down to consumer tastes. The Irish and British tastes are very similar, but the French market, for example, doesn’t seem to like the spiciness that we do.”

Most of the company’s products are made under the Simpli Baked brand, although it does manufacture for other retail brands. While there is always the option to

September/October Food & Drink News

41

{ Flat Bread Company }

diversify and bring in new product ranges, for now the company is focusing on what it’s known for. “If you’ve got a niche and you’re good at it, sometimes it’s better to be good at what you do, rather than being OK at new products.”

Recent achievements In 2017, the business won the innovation & Excellence category at the Small Firms Association (SFA) National Small Business Awards. “I’m extremely proud of the team and it’s great to get the recognition from our peers,” says Kieran Walsh. “We’ve operated under the radar for quite a long time and it was nice to go out with the team and celebrate our win.”

The factory is Double A Grade BRC accredited and RSPO certified. In keeping with the company’s culture of ongoing reductions to its carbon footprint, it has also signed up to Origin Green, Ireland’s food and drink sustainability programme, which is run by the Irish Food Board, Bord Bia.

A strong team Having more than doubled the headcount over the past two years – from 19 staff in 2016 to 43 in 2018 – the company is very much focused on retaining staff and creating a positive working environment.

“I’m a strong believer that it’s about the people within our team,” says Kieran Walsh. “We try to make it a fun, enjoyable place to work. If someone spends eight hours a day at work, you can seriously affect their mental health if you don’t make it a good place to be.

We’re not like Google, or jumping around in clown suits on beanbags, but it has to be a place where people enjoy coming in.”

Building on current success Having enjoyed double-digit growth since 2016, the business has scope to put in further lines over the coming years to increase capacity.

“We’ve got to be careful we don’t over-commit, but

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September/October Food & Drink News

we can fit in another two production lines. Last year we spent a lot of time and money on IT and infrastructure, which has streamlined operations and given us additional credibility with our customers.”

Kieran Walsh attributes the Flat Bread Company’s success to product innovations and good customer relationships. “It’s a combination of doing what the customer wants, paying attention to when they need tweaks and modifications, working with them on short turnarounds and looking ahead on innovations. We try to bring in new flavours and work six months or more ahead for their range ideas.”

While the fire in 2015 was a devastating blow, the company has certainly risen from the ashes. “I didn’t expect to be in such a strong position so soon after the fire. We’ve got a lot of support and goodwill from our customers and it’s great to be able to say that it’s a good news story.”

Tel: +353 57 933 0922 www.simplibaked.ie

{ Forward Features List }

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From countryside to kitchen overnight

The Finest Quality Fresh Produce.

Delivered Nationwide.

The EuroFresh team is passionate about supplying our customers with a wide range of the freshest, best quality produce.

Responsibly sourced from trusted growers, delivered with care and efficiency, and all at competitive prices.

Contact us now to see how we can help your business grow: 01386 443343

Sales Office: 01386 443343 Email: salesoffice@euro-fresh.co.uk Website: www.euro-fresh.co.uk Follow us on Twitter: @EuroFresh123