Food & Drink News June 2016

FRANCIS CATERING THE BEST BAR NONE IPS - LEADING THE FIELD

NEWS UPDATE THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR POULTRY PACKAGING LIGHTWEIGHT CONTAINERS LAUNCHES THE UNIKEG®

MANUFACTURERS OF DEPOSITORS & FILLING MACHINES FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY

P02 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

CONTENTS PAGE 04 NEWS UPDATES 14

04

LOGISTICS, REFRIGERATION, TRANSPORT AND WAREHOUSING FOCUS

16

RIGGS AUTOPACK LTD

18

PINGUIN FOODS UK LTD

19

IPS

20

FRANCIS CATERING

22

C HUMPHREYS & SONS

24

CONNECT PACKAGING

26

FRANCO’S ICES

28

WOBURN COUNTRY FOODS

14

30 UNDERWOODS SHELLFISH 31

FCB COFFEE 16

20

28

TO VIEW THE 2016 FEATURES LIST PLEASE VISIT WWW.FOODANDDRINKNEWS.CO.UK OR CONTACT US AT +44(0)1484 321000 TO EMAIL A COPY TO YOU Food & Drink News is published by Planet Media & Design Ltd. Company registered in England & Wales, number 09365661. All material is the copyright of Planet Media & Design Ltd. All rights reserved. Food & Drink News is the property of Planet Media & Design Ltd. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form whole or part without the written permission of a Director of Planet Media & Design Ltd. Liability: while every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers can not be held responsible for the accuracy of information herein, or any consequence arising from it. In the case of company or product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the Editor at the time of going to press.

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P03

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

proofreader becky ashwell

Planet Media & Design Ltd Brooke’s Mill Armitage Bridge Huddersfield HD4 7NR Tel: 01484 321000 Fax: 01484 502237 Email: food@planet-media.co.uk www.foodanddrinknews.co.uk

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OUR MULTI-BILLION POUND INDUSTRY Every year, the food and drink sector puts £22bn into the Exchequer, while directly supporting 400,000 jobs and feeding millions.

In Yorkshire and the Humber alone there are more than 800 food and drink manufacturers, which jointly achieve an annual turnover of £10bn – the highest of all regions.

Ian Wright CBE, the Director General of the Food and Drink Federation, the voice of the largest manufacturing sector, recently said that improving productivity should be “a shared national priority”.

“If we are to continue to invest, innovate and create highly skilled jobs and apprenticeships, we really need to address and manage the increasing regulatory costs and reporting obligations that we face,” he says.

“We hope the Better Markets Bill will achieve that.” Announced as part of the Queen’s Speech in May, the Better Markets bill is aimed at boosting competition, reducing unnecessary burdens on business and giving more power to consumers.

Ian Wright also commented on the Higher Education and Research Bill, saying: “We welcome all efforts to encourage universities to focus on innovation and work collaboratively with industry. The HEFCE-funded partnership

between the food and drink industry and Sheffield Hallam University to develop a Centre of Excellence in Food Engineering is a great example of this collaborative approach in practice.”

This month we turn our attention to logistics, transport, refrigeration and warehousing. As consumers, we tend to focus on the retail side of the business, from prices and promotions to convenience of access. It’s easy to forget that, behind the tin of beans taken from a supermarket shelf or the bunch of bananas bought at your local shop, there is a long and often complex supply chain.

From farmers and growers, to storage and manufacturing, and from processing and packaging to warehousing and transport, the food and beverage industry involves a huge number of individuals and companies. While public safety should always be the number one priority, businesses have to make a profit – and this means investing in technology as it changes, as we discuss in this month’s feature.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY READING OUR ARTICLES – AND WHATEVER YOUR VIEWS ON THE EUROPEAN UNION, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE REFERENDUM ON 23 JUNE.

P04 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

NEWS UPDATES

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR POULTRY PACKAGING Innovation in poultry packaging is driving change in the sector as European packers and retailers look for more sustainable and novel solutions to maximise sales, according to Alan Davey, Innovation Director, at fresh food packaging manufacturer, LINPAC. Traditionally, polypropylene (PP) has been the material of choice for poultry packaging in parts of Europe, but limitations in terms of its environmental credentials, barrier performance and shelf appeal have resulted in increased demand for Rfresh PET packaging.

Mr Davey said: “Changing consumer lifestyles and heightened awareness of environmental issues are behind this shift.

“PET has been a popular choice for poultry packaging for some time

but the full range of benefits that the material has over PP are only just beginning to be recognised by packers and retailers. Beyond the aesthetic benefits given by PET’s clarity and sparkle, lie environmental credentials and much better gas barrier performance.”

In addition, trays manufactured using rPET, laminated to PE, can be sealed at reduced temperatures in comparison to PP trays and as a result use less energy.

Environmentally, rPET fulfils the criteria for creating a circular economy by conserving resources and reducing waste. At LINPAC, a wide range of PET/PE and rPET/PE poultry trays are manufactured that are fully compatible with existing packing and sealing lines and available with

complementary lidding films, offering a high performing complete pack solution.

Research shows consumers spend three times longer choosing poultry in-store to assess its freshness, compared to other foods. PET aids purchasing decisions by offering crystal clear tray presentation compared to the cloudy appearance of PP. However, this clarity can also present a challenge for retailers as poultry isn’t always attractive in its raw state.

Mr Davey added: “As a result, innovation in poultry packaging is very much focused on improving on-shelf appearance through high quality graphics, novel shapes and sizes, as well as promoting convenience and ease of use.”

Latest innovations include

‘straight-to-oven’ bags, flexible flow packs, vacuum skin packaging (VSP), packs complete with complementary sauces, laminated back boards or trays which offer traditional designs helping to present poultry as farm fresh or organic and boxed packs with windows.

TEL: 01977 692111 WWW.LINPACPACKAGING.COM

A SMART INVESTMENT FOR CLONDALKIN FLEXIBLE PACKAGING BURY

Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Bury has invested in new technology for embossing on aluminium lids.

The innovative system SMARTembosser™ - developed by Berhalter is a unique and innovative

embossing system that enhances print quality and increases branding opportunities on foil lids.

Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Bury is currently the only pre-cut lids manufacturer in the UK to have the SMARTembosser™ technology.

Paul Whelan, Technical Manager for Lids at Clondalkin Flexible Packaging, explained: “Embossing is a technical requirement on all pre-cut aluminium lids and traditionally this is produced with an all-over embossing pattern.

SMARTembossing™ allows a customer to choose whereabouts on the lid they have the embossing, which means they can choose to emboss the rim of the lid only, leaving the rest of the lid smooth and any graphics unaffected.

Printing onto a smooth lid means there is no design distortion and enhances print quality.

“Customers can also choose to emboss the entire lid, but use the SMARTembosser™ to ‘de-emboss’ the graphics, giving them greater prominence. This is a particularly effective technique when used for logos or branding.

“Logo-embossing or deembossing is not new, but until now the only way to create this effect has been through the use of rollers. This is very expensive which is why we

don’t see a lot of products in the market with this type of effect.”

Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Bury is a key supplier of flexible packaging solutions in the food, dairy, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. The company is a pioneer and continues to innovate, leading competitors in the production of shrink sleeve products. The company is one of 11 production facilities operating throughout Europe and North America under Clondalkin Group’s Flexible Packaging Division.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHY CLONDALKIN FLEXIBLE PACKAGING BURY IS ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION VISIT CLONDALKINGROUPBURY.COM OR CALL 0161 763 2100

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NEWS UPDATES

ROCOL MAKES 30 YEARS OF LUBRICATION MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE AVAILABLE TO FOOD MANUFACTURERS

Food grade lubricants manufacturer ROCOL® is making it even easier for food manufacturing and processing teams to improve efficiency and reduce downtime across their production facilities by introducing online training to its ROCOLcare® lubrication management programme.

From this month, ROCOL is making the entire ROCOLcare® training programme, developed over 30 years, available online to help maintenance engineers keep their lubrication management knowledge up to scratch without sacrificing valuable time on site.

Marketing Manager, Joanne Ferguson, says, “The in-depth lubrication training we offer at our UK headquarters and on customer sites as part of the ROCOLcare® package continues to be extremely popular. Now we are making it accessible to even the most timepressed maintenance teams, who can benefit from the training at a time to suit them without taking time off site.

“Offering the full training course online as a modular programme gives ROCOLcare® customers complete flexibility. Engineers can

still access the training face to face if they prefer, or they can choose to sign up to the online programme and complete it in bite-sized chunks to fit around shifts. Once they have completed the programme, they will receive official certification for their training or CPD file.”

Joanne says that the move online is designed to increase customer choice and help make sure that the ROCOLcare® programme continues to meet very real needs: “We understand how important it is for food and drink manufacturers to balance the pressures of delivering production efficiencies whilst maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and safety required in the clean industries.

“Giving maintenance engineers and managers the flexibility to access industry-leading lubrication training at their convenience makes it easier for them to stay abreast of best practice without leaving site.

The training is easy and secure to access, and the modules can be readily broken down into manageable sections, with work saved ready to pick up again the next time the engineer logs in.”

As well as comprehensive

training, ROCOLcare® gives production teams full audit compliance for their lubrication system through a TPM-compatible food grade service package that is tailored to their needs. The ROCOLcare® service helps achieve rationalised lubricant usage through an in-depth site survey and report detailing lubricant frequency and application methods for every piece of equipment on site and full technical support.

It also gives customers access to

the full range of ROCOL ISO 21469 and NSF-H1 certified food grade lubricants, featuring patented DETEX® metal detectable caps and actuators to reduce the risk of foreign object contamination during the production process.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ROCOLCARE®, VISIT WWW.ROCOL.COM/FOOD-GRADELUBRICANTS/ROCOLCARE

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NEWS UPDATES

LIGHTWEIGHT CONTAINERS ® LAUNCHES THE UNIKEG Lightweight Containers has launched a new family of kegs with the brand name UniKeg®.

Developed for the American beverage market and integrating a standard Sankey D fitting, the oneway kegs will be produced and sold in the United States.

The new keg uses the Double Wall™ technology, invented by Lightweight Containers, and already in use in its other family of one-way kegs, the KeyKeg®.

A WORTHY ALTERNATIVE

Jan Veenendaal, CEO of Lightweight Containers: “UniKeg® has benefited from the expertise, R&D and know-how within Lightweight Containers, which enabled us to develop a high-quality

concept and product. UniKeg® gives our customers a new worthy alternative for developing successful product-price-market combinations.”

MADE IN THE US FOR THE US

Anita Veenendaal, Chief Commercial Officer of Lightweight Containers, says: “With UniKeg®, we can now serve a segment in the American market that has demanded a one-way keg with a Sankey D fitting. Beverage producers can now opt for a competitively priced keg without compromising on matters like reliability or safety. The fact that we are only producing and marketing UniKeg® in the US shows how high our ambition is for the country.”

PRODUCTION

Production will begin in August 2016 for availability in Q4. The flexible, fully robotic KeyKeg® production lines permit competitive pricing and will cover the demand for UniKegs® in 2016.

SUSTAINABILITY

Lightweight Containers strives for a closed system and thus for a circular economy. A UniKeg® is fully recyclable and is made from more than 30% recycled plastic. Thanks to its economical shape, light weight and the fact that return transport is unnecessary, a UniKeg® saves more than 60% on transport, and consequently on CO2 emissions as well.

SPEAR VERSUS LAMINATED INNER BAG

UniKegs® use an inner tube, called a spear, for dispensing the beverage. The barrier qualities for the beverage are provided by ‘scavengers’ in the PET material integrated into the innermost container. The spear and the Sankey D fitting constitute the main difference between a UniKeg® and a KeyKeg®.

TEL: +31 223 760 760 EMAIL: INFO@UNIKEG.COM WWW.UNIKEG.COM

CEETAK – QPH SEALING SYSTEM CONTINUES TO REDUCE FILM COSTS AND IMPROVE LINE EFFICIENCIES With Ceetak Sealing Solutions, confectionery, fresh salad, vegetable and frozen food manufacturers can refresh their brands and increase their product shelf appeal by introducing the Ceetak QPH Sealing system to their VFFS bagging machines.

The Ceetak system operates efficiently on both continuous and intermittent machines, producing one of the smallest seals available to the market, typically 1-1.5mm. The main benefit of the system can be seen with average film savings between 7% to 15%.

Ceetak can retrofit the QPH system to any make of VFFS machine, extending the lifetime of the machine and offering

manufacturers significant production flexibility to help keep up with ever-changing market conditions.

The QPH system is IP65 rated and gives a number of additional benefits in terms of reduced maintenance, higher running speeds, faster sealing times and offers improved health & safety working.

Thus saving downtime and rework costs, whilst creating strong, durable seals which can increase shelf life of fresh product up to three days. The QPH system also improves hygiene in the working environment.

Ceetak have the capability and expertise to demonstrate this in their test facility to show that this new technology not only produces

smaller seals but also stronger seals than those currently manufactured using conventional technology.

Hermetically tight seals can also be easily achieved with this system. The Quick Pulse Heat Sealing system can also be supplied with an “easy opening device”, by means of bag perforation.

Ceetak have re-engineered their sealing technology based on 30 years’ experience in the process industry explains Andy Cleaver, Sales and Marketing Director at Ceetak Packaging Solutions: “The premium seal quality demonstrates to the environmentally friendly consumer that it is not necessary to have wasted film at the top and bottom of the bag at point

of sale. A further advantage is the opportunity to meet consumer demand for a product that can be opened without splitting the bag as seen with conventional crimp jaw technology.”

Demonstrations are available at Ceetak’s Test Facility where customer sample films can be trialled, alternatively customer site demonstrations are also possible.

TEL: 01234 832200 EMAIL: SALES@CEETAK.COM WWW.CEETAK.COM

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P07

NEWS UPDATES ABB ZENON EXTENDS AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS FOR THE INTERNET OF THINGS, SERVICES AND PEOPLE ABB has extended its discrete automation offering to deliver more connectivity and application solutions for discrete manufacturing, general machinery and food and beverage machine builders.

The ABB zenon software, developed by the Austrian automation company COPA-DATA, extends communications, machine-to-machine connectivity and application control possibilities for machine builders. This supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software extends ABB’s discrete automation portfolio which includes variable-speed drives, motion control solutions, motors, programmable logic controllers and human machine interface panels. Together, these products enable the development of solutions for the Internet of Things, Services and People (IoTSP), which presents new business models for improving factory and process performance, product quality, production flexibility and energy efficiency.

“Innovation and speed are key aspects of our Next Level strategy. The ABB zenon solution complements our discrete automation offering very well, and together we can provide our customers with solutions that help them improve product quality and productivity, save energy and add flexibility to their processes. This is especially important for our strategic focus on the food and beverage industry,” explains Morten Wierod, Head of ABB’s Drives and Controls business unit.

WWW.ABB.CO.UK/ENERGY

LOMA’S COMBINATION SYSTEM IS A WHEY BETTER SIZE FOR LONG CLAWSON DAIRY Latest CW3 compact combination checkweigher and metal detection unit chosen to meet retailer standards and for 30% reduced footprint.

Loma Systems has recently installed a high performance CW3 compact combination (Compact Combo) checkweigher and metal detection unit at long-standing customer, Long Clawson Dairy, located in Melton Mowbray.

Chosen for its reduced footprint and ability to meet the stringent quality standards of the UK’s major retailers, this latest machine is inspecting different size packs of speciality Stilton cheeses.

A user of Loma IQ3 metal detectors for some 15 years, including two bulk machines, and a standard combination checkweigher and metal detection system, Long Clawson Dairy did not hesitate in approaching the company again when it needed a replacement inspection system as part of the packing process on a Stilton production line.

With space at a premium, Loma recommended a CW3 Compact Combo, which was launched by the company just over a year ago, and offers some 30% reduced footprint in comparison to standard

DEBBIE&ANDREW’S SET FOR SIZZLING SALES THIS SUMMER

combination units. It also ensures quality assurance and meets all retailer standards.

David Branston, Packing Manager, Long Clawson Dairy, says: “When we needed to replace an old metal detector in an area where space was at a premium, Loma recommended the CW3 Compact Combo as the ideal solution for meeting size, compliance and efficiency requirements. Like our other Loma equipment, it was easily installed as part of the packing process where it meets all end-of-line HACCP standards in line with our due diligence procedures.”

TEL: 01252 893300 WWW.LOMA.COM

Sizzling success for debbie&andrew’s this summer with new products, new listings, a new sampling channel, official sponsorship status for National BBQ Week and success in quality and community awards.

A new Curried Chicken and Mango flavour sausage promises to be a summer sensation for debbie&andrew’s, while Ocado and Morrisons are boosting seasonal sales opportunities by listing the popular Caramelised Red Onion Pork Sausage.

Morrisons is also introducing two new BBQ bumper packs especially in time for National BBQ Week in June. Complementing this activity, debbie&andrew’s is proud to be the official sausage supplier for National BBQ Week, supporting retailers by investing in this significant marketing initiative that will target 12 million consumers through social media, print and PR. Sausage fans can also now order online samples direct for the first time, thanks to the launch of ‘debbie&andrew’s online’ on the brand’s own website. There has been success in leading awards such as The Grocer’s New Product Award (Perfect Cumberland) and the Perfect Pork receiving a Highly Recommended from the Free From Food Awards. debbie&andrew’s is currently shortlisted for a prestigious Business in the Community Samworth Rural Action Award for its community micro sponsorship scheme.

WWW.DEBBIEANDANDREWS.CO.UK

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NEWS UPDATES HOT CHOCOLATE FOR COFFEE LOVERS…

CAFFÈ CULTURE’S VISITORS FLOCK TO TASTE BARRY CALLEBAUT’S LATEST BEVERAGE

Barry Callebaut Beverages is hailing the launch of its latest offering - Bensdorp’s Barista Single Origin Cocoa and Chocolate drinks – a great success following the rapturous reception that all three drinks received at this year’s Caffè Culture show, earlier this month.

The unique new line-up is now poised to take the market by storm having received a big thumbs up from the cafe community, which has been won over by the drinks’ distinct and powerful aromas and rich tastes.

The leading beverage manufacturer has taken the artisanal positioning of coffee as its reference, when introducing the new cocoa and chocolate drinks, as it believes that the beverages will evoke a similar reaction to that of some of the most superior coffees when sampled by the HoReCa market. Head of Sales for Barry Callebaut Beverages in the UK, Paula Bentley, explains: “The drinks contain three and a half times more cocoa, on average, than the typical hot chocolate drink and have unique, full-bodied flavours that are impossible to be matched by any blended variation.”

Each Barista Single Origin drink is sustainably sourced and can be directly linked to specific sustainable certification programmes including the Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, Organic and the Cocoa Horizons Foundation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON BARRY CALLEBAUT BEVERAGES AND ITS PRODUCTS, LOG ON TO WWW.BARRYCALLEBAUTVENDING.CO.UK OR CALL 01244 370500.

GRANDMA WILD’S CAN FEEL THE DIFFERENCE For over 100 years Grandmother Annie Wild’s famous biscuits have held a special place in both the hearts of biscuit lovers - and their biscuit barrels too.

Four generations later the same methods handed down the Wilds family are still being used to delicious effect. But even the very best baked biscuits require pack presentation which reflects their premium quality, in a market sector crowded with competition.

That’s why, when deciding to renovate the packaging and design for their traditional fruit and lemon, ginger oat and chocolate chip range, Grandma Wild’s came to National Flexible and chose a totally new packaging film where customers can actually ‘feel the difference’ from competitor products. The film, tactile lacquer, is a new process that creates a genuine tactile finish on flexible packaging film without the use of paper.

“We wanted something different. Of the many innovations National Flexible brought to the table

the tactile lacquer looked and felt completely different! We were delighted to work with National Flexible in launching this innovative, UK-first pack” – Ann Scott, at Grandma Wild’s.

David Daniels, National Flexible’s Technical Director, said “This is a new pack concept that is difficult to achieve but well worth the effort, it looks great”.

WWW.NATIONALFLEXIBLE.CO.UK

DIRECT FOOD INGREDIENTS STRENGTHENS MARKET POSITIONING WITH MAJOR BRC ACCREDITATION Direct Food Ingredients has further established itself as a leading international supplier and distributor of functional foods and ingredients by being awarded the much coveted ‘BRC Agents and Brokers’ accreditation.

The business has been accredited by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) for best practice on product safety, quality and the operational criteria required to fulfil obligations with regard to legal compliance and consumer protection.

The new certification follows hot on the heels of the last six years of continued BRC Storage and Distribution accreditation for Direct Food Ingredients, and this latest certification establishes a firm mark of approval on the business’s effective chain of traceability.

Receiving this award will considerably consolidate the business’s market position, differentiating them from their competitors on the basis that European food manufacturers can save considerable time and

funds that they would otherwise need to invest in auditing a distributor’s supply chain.

MD, Steve Loake, explains: “This is a huge success for us at Direct Food Ingredients. To be accredited by the BRC on this latest standard is a result of our hard work and commitment to our infallible QA processes, and it illustrates our dedication to continued growth as a leader in this industry. The manufacturers that we supply highly value this award, and by securing this extremely prestigious standard, we will greatly strengthen our position in securing approved supplier status from brands on a global scale.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DIRECT FOOD INGREDIENTS GO TO WWW.DIRECTFOOD.NET

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P09

NEWS UPDATES NEW VACUUM SKIN PACKAGING FORMAT FROM PACKAGING AUTOMATION HELPS FISH PRODUCER REDUCE COSTS

The installation of a Revolution SkinPAC machine at fish processor Farne Salmon and Trout has set the benchmark when it comes to skin packaging speed and product presentation. The previous packaging machine was replaced by a Revolution high speed sealer to increase throughputs and improve pack presentation. The strength of the seal between the base tray and top film as well as the snugness of film fit around the fish product are the best they have ever had. As a

result Farne Salmon and Trout no longer have to add an absorbent peach pad in the tray beneath the product which has helped reduce their costs.

SkinPAC offers enhanced product protection enabling the product to stay fresher for longer, excellent attractive on shelf presentation enabling the product to be clearly seen and packs can be placed upright to maximise shelf space.

PA offer the fastest tray skin cycle at 10 cycles per minute and with speeds up to 80 ppm - the fastest in the industry.

SkinPAC uses a highly transparent barrier film that wraps tightly around the product like a second skin and forms a seal with the bottom of the tray. This offers high visibility vacuum packs aimed at improving shelf life, better product quality and packaging reduction with the use of a shallower tray than would otherwise be possible.

TEL: 01565 755000 WWW.PAL.CO.UK

IGNITION DELIVERS FINANCE FOR CORNISH OVEN Cornish Oven bakery has added two smart new catering vans to its fleet with help from asset finance provider, Ignition.

The popular bakery now has four shops and a fleet of seven vans delivering fresh sandwiches to offices across Cornwall. The two new ‘Jiffy’ vans are specially designed for delivering hot and cold food, featuring heated and refrigerated sides and a service hatch.

Cornish Oven owner, Giles Williams, has used Ignition for over a decade to help purchase essential equipment for expanding the business, such as coffee machines, ovens and freezers, and to help with the fit-out of the latest shop which opened in Helston last year. He comments: “Good quality equipment and vehicles are essential to our business. Thankfully, I know that when I contact Ignition, they will respond quickly

and give me a good deal.”

Based in Truro, Ignition is a leading provider of vehicle and asset finance for SMEs, offering finance for a wide range of assets from plant and machinery to vehicles and business equipment.

Director, Paul Caunter, comments: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Giles and his team over the years, and to help provide the equipment his business needs for essential growth.”

WWW.IGNITIONCREDIT.CO.UK TEL: 01872 272900

NEW MARKETING EXECUTIVE FOR 4 ACES

Popular packaging specialist, 4 Aces, has appointed Katie Allen as Marketing Executive to support the company’s efforts in strengthening its marketing activity across all digital and print platforms.

The hands-on role will incorporate the development of web content, email campaigns and an increased social media presence for the company, which aims to raise its profile in the beverage and foodservice sectors.

Following 4 Aces’ recent launch of its new, easy-to-navigate website, Katie’s appointment is part of an ongoing strategy for the cup and packaging provider as it continues to grow its customer base.

Managing Director of 4 Aces, Chris Penn, comments: “The business is at a stage where we have an exemplary record of repeat business and a solid customer base. We have access to an increasing range of products and we’re ready to shift up a gear to make sure that our name is out there and that we are effectively promoting the brand.

“Katie is a welcome addition as she has the exact skill set to support our planned growth, coupled with the drive and enthusiasm to really make a difference. We’re delighted to have a marketing professional of her calibre on board.”

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

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P11

NEWS UPDATES

EMMI CAFFÈ LATTE LAUNCHES BOLD NEW CAMPAIGN TO DRIVE CONSUMER AWARENESS Emmi is breaking new ground with a £3m marketing campaign full of industry ‘firsts’ for its market leading on-the-go cold coffee, Emmi CAFFÈ LATTE. The ‘#MakeItAYayDay’ campaign encourages consumers to break out of their daily routines by doing something spontaneous and lighthearted, then sharing it online using the #MakeItAYayDay hashtag. This shift in the brand outlook embraces the now popularly accepted marketing maxim that happy vibes equals loyal customers and aims to drive a real-time increase in popularity, both in larger distribution points and in smaller convenience formats across the UK. Targeting 15-30 year olds across the summer, #MakeItAYayDay will

be the first of its kind to customise Spotify, allowing users to enhance or ‘Yay’ their existing playlists, complementing them with similar or faster tempo tracks.

It’s also the first iced coffee brand to utilise Snapchat, with ads that will run amongst user generated content.

Emmi CAFFÈ LATTE’s #MakeItAYayDay campaign will encourage consumers to share their ‘Yay Day’ moments via a broad range of targeted out of

home activities such as sampling at music festivals, advertising at shopping and travel locations and a dedicated social media campaign

across various channels.

WWW.EMMI-CAFFELATTE.COM

LINPAC LAUNCHES VENTED PYRAMID PACKS FOR SNACKING HEALTH-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS Leading fresh food packaging manufacturer, LINPAC, has added to its Freshware® portfolio with a new range of innovatively designed vented pyramid packs to meet the changing demands of the consumer snacking and convenience trend.

Nick James, LINPAC European Sales Director for Freshware, said: “When the food-to-go trend first took hold, it was very much focused on portability of products, ease of use and much more about indulgence – enjoying a ‘treat’ whilst out and about.

“What we have seen over the last couple of years is a growing demand to cater for the more healthconscious consumer in the snacking and convenience area. They still look for the portability and ease of use

factors for eating on-the-go but the types of food we are now developing packaging for is changing.”

The new vented pyramid packs have been designed for whole ‘minisnacking’ vegetables such as peppers, cucumbers and carrots, and tomatoes.

Vent holes have been added to the company’s conventional pyramid pack design to allow air to circulate and the food to breathe, eliminating condensation from the packs and extending the shelf life of the food contained within. In addition, the crystal clear rPET packs have been designed in such a way that the rigidity, and therefore the protection element of the container, is not compromised.

P12 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

NEWS UPDATES FORTRESS TGARD INTERLOCK SWITCHES AND CONTROL DEVICES GET TÜV SÜD CERTIFICATION

Industrial safety specialist Fortress Interlocks has achieved TÜV SÜD European, Canadian and US approval for its tGard range of interlock switches and control devices. This means they meet all the necessary requirements of the European Machinery Directive and the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory Program (NRTL) in North America. tGard is a compact, metal-bodied interlock system that allows the configuration of a wide range of safety products, including electrical safety gate switches (with or without guard locking), mechanical trapped key interlocks and electrical operator controls – either as separate devices or integrated into one device.

Highly versatile, tGard includes selector switches, safety switches (solenoid and nonsolenoid), personnel keys (safety keys), emergency release, push buttons, estops, indicator lamps as well as a choice of operating handles for both hinged and sliding guard doors. These elements are simply selected and then assembled into a robust housing which is suitable for mounting onto machine guarding.

All tGard components are quick and easy to install and can be mounted directly onto a flat surface, doors or extruded aluminium profiles without needing mounting plates or brackets.

Why not watch the tGard video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3CoY4 IiDik)?

WWW.FORTRESSINTERLOCKS.COM

INTREPID FOX TAKES UP RESIDENCE AT CHESTER ZOO Intrepid Fox, the single-serve ‘wine to go’ from Wine Innovations, has become the latest crowd-pleaser at Chester Zoo’s dining outlets.

Intrepid Fox is ideal for use in busy outdoor areas, such as Chester Zoo, where glass is usually prohibited. The unique design of the shatterproof PET glass makes the product quick and easy to serve, while providing customers with a more sophisticated experience than serving quality wine into a flimsy plastic cup.

The decision to sell Intrepid Fox over other single-serve wine varieties was primarily down to the product’s all-in-one nature, which significantly reduces serving times and on-site wastage. Another major appeal was the product’s close resemblance to a traditional wine glass in both look and feel.

Each fully recyclable, PET glass comes filled with 187ml of high quality wine, and is sealed with a foil lid, guaranteeing a shelf life of up to a year. Intrepid Fox can now be bought directly from Wine Innovations, as well as being available from wholesalers and retail outlets nationwide.

WWW.WINEINNOVATIONSLTD.COM

:DIABLO SUGAR FREE EXPANDS INTO BOOTS STORES :Diablo Sugar Free has expanded its range of chocolates, cookies, sweets and wafers into Boots stores nationwide. The extensive product range offers consumers a delicious treat with no added sugar and without compromising on taste.

Despite a recent rise in sugar awareness and the so-called ‘sugar revolution’ the UK sugar-free market is still small. According to research by Mintel, just 3-5% of hard candies are sold as being sugar-free compared to our European neighbours who see a much higher purchase rate with 40% in Spain, 35% in Germany and Denmark and 20% in Sweden.

The products being sold in Boots stores include:

Strawberry & Cream Sweets

£1.49

Cappuccino & Cream Sweets

£1.49

Ilanit Kaufman from :Diablo Sugar Free comments: “We are delighted to be expanding into Boots with our range of sugar-free treats. The UK market is ripe for conversion to sugar-free products and by ensuring our range is SUGAR CONTENT present on the high street in stores such as 0.03g per cookie Boots we hope consumers will have easy 0.04g per cookie access to great tasting, sugar-free options.”

0.8g per 2 wafers The :Diablo Sugar Free product range is 0.02g per sweet now available in Boots stores across the UK, 0.02g per sweet Holland & Barrett and TK Maxx.

Milk Chocolate Bar

£1.49

1.2g per 3 pieces (14g)

Dark Chocolate & Hazelnut Bar

£1.49

0.1g per 3 pieces (14g)

PRODUCT

RRP

Coconut Cookies

£1.69

Chocolate Chip Cookies

£1.69

Wafer Multipack

£1.99

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.DIABLOSUGARFREE.COM

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P13

NEWS UPDATES

OLIVER DOUGLAS BRINGS CLEAR CLEANING BENEFITS TO SPECIALIST HOT BEVERAGE SUPPLIER Greater operational efficiency and an enhanced commitment to optimising hygiene procedures are the direct result of two dedicated component washing stations installed by Oliver Douglas for one of the UK’s leading hot beverage processing and packaging companies. The facilities, at Fine Foods International (Manufacturing) Ltd (FFI) plant in Dunstable, are central to the production of, primarily, coffee products that include a list of well-known own label and ethical brands.

Andy Jones is Head of Operations at FFI and explains the role played by the Oliver Douglas units: “One Panamatic has been located on a mezzanine structure directly adjacent to production lines that utilise a number of change parts,

particularly weigh heads,” he says.

“As a specialist supplier, our ability to react quickly to customer demands is key, so the agility to switch between beverage types – such as caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee – is fundamental. Where previously this required movement of production parts to a dedicated cleaning area, the Oliver Douglas Panamatic can now be loaded directly from the line to achieve extremely high levels of cleanliness.

Time savings and an enhancement of our well-established commitment to hygiene are tangible results,” he adds.

The second Oliver Douglas Panamatic is bringing a high degree of parts-washing versatility to FFI. The unit is designed to accommodate a number of product

components – including the company’s wide range of filling machinery parts for jars – and, again, helps to ensure the highest levels of cleanliness are maintained.

“Both installations at FFI use our Panamatic 800 design,” comments Paul Careless, Sales Manager at Oliver Douglas. “Each stainless steel unit is designed to minimise water changes, with comprehensive washing and rinsing results achieved by the spray arm positioning.” He points out that the front loading door opens flat to allow a metal tray to be pulled out for component location, whilst a choice of cycles and programmes enhances the versatility and adaptability that is required by the customer.

“This is an excellent example of the cleaning quality and loading

versatility that are central to our Panamatic range,” adds Paul Careless, “and the advantages in terms of operational efficiency and hygiene are clear-cut. This is a major specialist manufacturer in its field and we are delighted to have been able to contribute to the ongoing success of Fine Foods International.”

TEL: 01924 405988 EMAIL: SALES@NEWSMITHS.CO.UK WWW.NEWSMITHS.CO.UK

HANOVIA EXPANDS INTO ASIA PACIFIC WITH NEW REGIONAL MANAGER As part of its growth in the Asia Pacific region UV disinfection specialist Hanovia has recently appointed Poorna Rajendran as Regional Manager for its new Singapore Representative Office.

Poorna’s main role will initially be to set up the Singapore office, which adds to the offices Hanovia has already established in the US, Germany and China. He will also be responsible for the business development and growth of Hanovia’s UV disinfection business in South East Asia, Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

“We’re delighted to have Poorna on our team,” comments Hanovia’s Global Marketing Manager,

Gunvinder Bhogal. “He joins us with excellent experience in the water industry, having worked with Siemens Water Technologies (formerly USFilter) and, more recently, as Asia Business Director of Wallace & Tiernan, where he was responsible for the disinfection business and managed a wide network of channel partners across Asia.”

Poorna has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University in the US which he undertook under the Singapore Stanford Partnership Program.

WWW.HANOVIA.COM

P14 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

LOGISTICS, REFRIGERATION, TRANSPORT AND WAREHOUSING FOCUS

THE MARCH OF TECHNOLOGY INVESTING IN NEW TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY ENJOY A MORE EFFICIENT SUPPLY CHAIN – AND GAIN AN EDGE OVER COMPETITORS

Retailer, manufacturer, warehouse provider, transport operator – everyone in the food and drink supply chain is likely to be affected by the march of technology in one way or another.

A recent study on the ‘State of the Retail Supply Chain 2016’, released in April this year provided an in-depth analysis of the supply chain priorities of retailers with annual sales exceeding £78m, based in the UK, North America, Germany and the Nordics.

Their top concerns ranged from the automation of key processes, in particular how to increase availability of stock without increasing stockholding, to how to forecast effectively across the supply chain. The joint top reason given by retailers for replacing systems is the desire to reduce time spent data crunching, which naturally has an effect on both productivity and profitability. Forecasting is also an issue, in particular when planning new product or seasonal

promotions.

Carried out by research firm Martec International, the study was commissioned by RELEX (www.relexsolutions.com), which offers in-memory computing services to retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers.

“UK retail is starting to look more holistically at the supply chain and recognising the key role that automation can play in addressing some of the more specific challenges,” says Mikko Kärkkäinen, Group CEO, RELEX Solution.

“The research makes clear that whilst there are some regional variations, overall retailers globally share the same supply chain challenges. Updating systems and processes will prove key to addressing these issues in coming years. When looking to replace or implement new supply chain planning and execution systems, it will be those that rethink their supply chain planning processes and lead their people through change

that will be most successful.”

One way to improve efficiencies is to invest in new technology that saves on costs. Power specialists Finning Power Systems, a division of Finning (UK) (www.finning.co.uk), are currently championing the benefits of combined heat and power systems.

Nigel Thompson, Sales Manager – Gas Power Solutions at Finning UK & Ireland, explains: “Combined heat and power (CHP) systems generate electricity while capturing the usable heat that is used in the process. CHP represents a great opportunity for the food industry because it provides an efficient way to not only heat but chill products too, using the heat captured in conjunction with an absorption chiller for plants with refrigeration demands.”

The technology can benefit any sector within the food and drink industry that requires cooling energy. “In dairy plants around 66% of the energy required to

produce butter is consumed by cooling systems, whereas for meat processing factories up to 70% of the electricity used is due to refrigeration systems, claims the AHDB Beef & Lamb, the organisation for beef and lamb levy payers in England.”

When it comes to warehouse management, web-enabled and cloud-based services are the choice of progressive businesses, while social media has transformed marketing

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P15

LOGISTICS, REFRIGERATION, TRANSPORT AND WAREHOUSING FOCUS

and online payments have become the norm. The missing link, according to Alex Mills, Sales & Marketing Director at Chess Logistics Technology (www.chess.uk.com), is stock control. This includes warehouse management and order picking.

“Stock control and warehouse management has come a long way in the past 30 years, but maybe not as far as other business processes.

This is odd because warehouse management was one of the first business functions – outside office applications – to be computerised.”

While the early systems were developed for large companies, smaller businesses have been left behind, he says, even though their online shops may look just as advanced to the consumer. “For many of these businesses the stock control and WMS part of their operations may not be as sophisticated. Key functions such as receiving products and allocating them to suitable storage locations are managed by simple spreadsheets or ‘pencil and paper’. This may be OK while things are working but growing businesses need to remain agile.

“A new approach is needed.

Something like a cloud-based WMS that covers the core functions offered by the larger systems and perhaps even supporting a small amount of configurability. The most important aspect of these systems would be their ability to support core stock control and WMS processes with little or no set-up overhead.”

Of course one thing that recent years have shown us is the results of lack of traceability and the existence of fraud in the supply chain.

Three years on from ‘Horse Gate’, Chris Elliott, a professor involved in uncovering the scandal, has warned that the UK risks another breach.

With the cost of food fraud in the UK now estimated at £11.2bn a year, business solutions specialist K3 Syspro (www.k3syspro.com) is urging food manufacturers to follow the example of the pharmaceutical industry by improving processes and tightening supply chain security.

“The figures pertaining to food fraud within the UK are an important reminder that traceability issues within the sector remain a significant problem,” says Cathie Hall, Managing Director of K3 Syspro. “Businesses in this sector need to ask themselves important questions, for example, are there any gaps in your current traceability processes and are your current IT systems working efficiently to manage them? The food and beverage industry is one that is still traditionally deploying homegrown, or disparate IT systems, which can cause gaps in traceability.

By embracing a single, integrated system, these gaps can be filled, putting food manufacturers back in control over the development of their products and their place in the supply chain.”

The importance of supply chain control is further highlighted by costly product recalls.

“Retailers are rightly held accountable for the origins of the products in their stores so it’s important to ensure total visibility, compliance and traceability,” says Alison Walthew, Manager at supply chain consultancy Crimson & Co (www.crimsonandco.com). “As we’ve seen historically with highprofile scandals such as the horsemeat scare, trust in your supply chain can only be gained through total transparency and traceability.

Consumers are much wiser to the

journey their food takes and incidents of malpractice, unethical behaviour or poor quality control are no longer tolerated and can have a significantly detrimental impact on a business’ reputation. It’s imperative that swift and decisive action is taken to get to the root cause of any problems to restore consumer confidence.”

So while technology can be a significant aid to improving the supply chain, companies involved in food and beverage production and supply must continue to ensure that consumers can have confidence in what they put on their plate.

P16 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

RIGGS AUTOPACK LTD

BRITISH MANUFACTURER OF DEPOSITORS & FILLING MACHINES FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY RIGGS AUTOPACK LTD IS AN AWARD WINNING, BRITISH MANUFACTURER OF HIGH QUALITY VOLUMETRIC DEPOSITORS AND FILLING MACHINES, TRANSFER PUMPS AND BESPOKE CONVEYOR FILLING LINES

They are a UK market leader with an excellent reputation and supply their equipment to the food production industry.

The mainstay of the company is the Model 1000, 1001 and 1002 range of semi or fully automatic, single or multi-head depositors and filling machines, transfer pumps and conveyor filling lines.

Their depositors and filling machinery are built in-house at their Nelson factory; they are one of the most precise and hygienic on the market with exceptional performance, reliability and build quality. They effectively dispense hot or cold liquid, semi-liquid and suspended solid food products, and accurately fill most container types or size.

They are available as a semiautomatic unit with foot pedal operation for cottage industries, artisan producers and other small scale food manufacturers utilising

short batch runs, or fully automatic for medium to large scale producers using conveyor lines.

RIGGS AUTOPACK MACHINE RANGE

* Model 1000: Standard Depositors & Filling Machines * Model 1001: Bespoke Depositors & Filling Machines * Model 1002: Automatic Conveyor Filling Lines * Model 1000: Transfer Pumps * Ancillary Equipment Depositor & Filling Machine Configuration * Semi or fully automatic * Single or multi-head * Stand alone or conveyor depositing * Table top or mobile frame * Low or high level * Micro, standard or maxi-fill piston pump barrel options * Hopper feed or direct connection to a cooking kettle /IBC/holding tank

RIGGS AUTOPACK’S CLIENTS

Riggs Autopack take great pride in supplying their depositors and filling equipment to a huge variety of food manufacturers throughout the UK and overseas. Clients typically range from small start-up companies and artisan producers through to multi-national food groups such as Bakkavor, Kerry, Greencore and Samworth Brothers.

They also supply their depositors and filling machines to operate in conjunction with third party machinery such as tray and pot sealing, thermo form and VFFS applications.

FOOD PRODUCTS

Typical goods manufactured by food producers using Riggs Autopack’s depositors or filling machinery include jam, honey, preserves, condiments, sauces, dips, dressings, marinades, soup, ready meals, coleslaw, quiche, sandwiches

and pies, paté, pasta salad, dairy goods, seafood products, desserts, cakes and puddings.

MACHINE DESIGN & MANUFACTURING

Riggs Autopack has continued to grow year on year, and due to the dedicated hard work of their employees and loyal client base, they have become a UK market leader.

Due to continued growth and demand for their equipment, in July 2013 the company re-located to a new 50,000 sq ft factory. The move has given them the room to further expand, win new orders, recruit personnel in key areas, and bring previously sub-contracted work back in-house. This in turn has enabled them to introduce new design and manufacturing processes, increase UK and export sales, all of which has directly contributed to their continued success.

Their factory, located in Nelson,

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P17

RIGGS AUTOPACK LTD Lancashire, incorporates the latest computer technology in both production and design. The machining centres and CNC lathes enable their depositors and filling equipment to be produced to an extremely high standard and offer flexibility in providing a quick response to customer’s bespoke orders.

There is now also room to take on more large scale projects at the same time with space to do more in-house fabrication, which means they can move forward far quicker.

It has opened up all sorts of opportunities.

As a direct consequence, Riggs Autopack has now become preferred supplier to many of the large food manufacturing groups such as Kerry Foods, Bakkavor, Samworth Brothers, and Greencore for example.

To cope with increased demand, during 2014/15, they recruited a number of additional personnel within key areas of design and production. In addition to personnel recruitment, they continue to invest in the latest CAD hardware and software, thus ensuring they provide the customer with a first class design service which includes 3D modelling. Following receipt of an order, a comprehensive 2D and 3D CAD layout will be provided to the customer for sign-off prior to manufacture.

Over the past two years, their design department has placed great emphasis on implementing 3D design. It is a far more effective tool in showing the customer in greater detail the actual filling machine they are buying. This is already paying dividends in terms of the service they are able to provide to clients.

It also aids the shop floor in visualising the individual components they’re manufacturing.

3D can be used to produce CAM programs which are used to produce the parts on CNC with greater speed, accuracy and efficiency.

In addition to investment in personnel, they continuously seek to maximise manufacturing efficiency

and purchased a new Quaser MV184P Milling Centre.

This machine has allowed them to perform rapid machining with little downtime on set-up. The new machine also gives substantial flexibility in the production of new and existing components, thus providing reduction in operation costs.

They have also purchased a Mazak QuickTurn. This new CNC turning centre has enhanced manufacturing by utilising the CNC system, Mazatrol Matrix Nexus.

In conclusion, the bespoke design and build service they provide gives the food producer confidence knowing that prior to the manufacture of their filling machine, they can simulate the whole operating procedure on the design screen.

They also provide a ‘screen share’ service whereby the customer can talk through the design elements of any CAD layout on their PC in real time with Riggs Autopack’s design engineers at the factory. This has proved to be an important service for both national and international clients.

THE PACKAGE

* Riggs Autopack provides the full package for the client, not just ‘selling a machine’ * Comprehensive evaluation of the client’s requirements * Free on-site survey, product trials, quotation, design service * In-house manufacturing and high quality build * Bespoke design and build service; machines built to order to specifically meet the food production requirements of each client * Delivery, installation and commissioning of equipment at the customer’s site * On-site training * Full after sales package * Parts supply from stock * Engineer call-out * Riggs Autopack continues a close, long term working relationship with the client

WHY CHOOSE RIGGS AUTOPACK FOR YOUR FILLING MACHINE REQUIREMENTS?

* Established in the early 1930s * British manufacturer * Industry respected name built up over many decades * Full sales, design and manufacture package * Machinery available for small, medium or large scale food producers * High quality components used throughout * High quality machine that lasts for decades * 316 stainless steel used for all contact parts * 304 stainless steel used for noncontact parts * Built to stringent health & safety standards * Hygienic, quick to strip down, easy to clean, operator friendly * Highly accurate and damagefree product depositing * Due to the high grade specification of seals incorporated within their machines, their equipment can effectively deposit cold, ambient, and hot goods up to 120ºC * Due to the design and high quality components used throughout, their machines provide damage-free depositing of large fragile particulates * They openly encourage

customers to carry out comprehensive product testing prior to purchase. No-obligation machine trials can be carried out at the customer’s premises or at our factory * They provide a first class comprehensive after sales service including operator manuals, machine warranty, staff training, planned maintenance schemes, on-site technical support, engineer call-out and parts supply from stock CONCLUSION

Riggs Autopack takes immense pride in being an industry respected British manufacturer of high quality depositors and filling machines for the food production industry.

If you’re a small, medium or large scale food manufacturer seeking a high quality system to accurately fill jars, bottles, pots, tubs, ready meal trays, cake tins, buckets, jerry cans, pouches or bags, then Riggs Autopack could have the solution.

RIGGS AUTOPACK LTD PREMIER MILL BRUNSWICK STREET NELSON LANCASHIRE UNITED KINGDOM BB9 0HU TEL: 01282 440040 EMAIL: INFO@RIGGSAUTOPACK.CO.UK WWW.RIGGSAUTOPACK.CO.UK

P18 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

PINGUIN FOODS UK LTD

THE BIG FREEZE IT MAY HAVE THE BACKING OF A LARGER GROUP (GREENYARD FOODS), BUT FROZEN PRODUCE SUPPLIER PINGUIN UK IS A LEAN, EFFICIENT OPERATION, WITH A CAREFUL EYE ON SUSTAINABILITY Offering a wide range of frozen vegetables and convenience products to retail, food service and industrial customers, Pinguin specialises in freshly harvested produce of a high quality. Supplying major retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Iceland, along with food manufacturers, ready meal producers and food service customers including Brakes and 3663, Pinguin has recently undergone a process of investment to upgrade and improve its production lines.

Having streamlined its processing and packaging operations to a 22acre site, the emphasis is now on efficiency and quality. Products come straight off the processing line into a 7,250-pallet capacity cold storage unit, an efficient process that saves on the cost of putting out bulk storage to outside contractors.

Significant investment has been made in both the processing factory and packing halls, from structure to machinery. This includes highcapacity lines, the latest high-speed packing equipment, and an automated programme to scan, identify and reject foreign materials and EVM. “Pinguin is now fully equipped to meet the exacting standards of customers,” says Paul Spurrell, the Engineering Project Utility Services Manager.

Originally established in Belgium in 1965, Pinguin acquired Fisher Frozen Foods in 2002 and today has two UK sites in King’s Lynn and Boston, along with further sites in

mainland Europe and sales offices across the globe.

Pinguin’s key UK products include all the major UK vegetable crops, which are also available as vegetable mixes in different sizes and cuts; Pinguin also produces IQF rice, an increasing market both in retail and food service.

Within convenience foods, the company offers al dente vegetables, supplied pre-fried or grilled, seasoned or in a sauce, plus vegetable and fruit pies. There are also ranges of purees, soups and sauces, as well as coated products, cold salads, flavoured rice, stir fries and more. Another innovation is a convenient and fresh retail-ready pack containing four smaller packs of vegetables suitable for a meal for one person.

Much of the produce is sourced and processed from local UK farmers, although Pinguin does supply from its sister companies in mainland Europe. Pinguin works closely with existing customers to increase volume and seek new product solutions for consumers through an active NPD programme.

There is also a continual focus on investment, improving the lines to ensure that the quality of the product remains high for our customers.

Looking ahead, a key driving force is sustainability, from anaerobic digestion plants to reducing waste and landfill. The lean, efficiency driven approach is clearly bringing benefits from all sides.

PINGUIN FOODS UK LTD SCANIA WAY, KING’S LYNN NORFOLK PE30 4LR TEL: 01553 696250 WWW.PINGUINFOODS.COM

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P19

IPS

LEADING THE FIELD WORKING WITHIN THE SUPPLY CHAINS OF TOP FOOD BRANDS, IPS OFFERS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE CO-PACKING MARKET

Following investment of more than £2m over the past 12 months in packing equipment alone and at least the same again this year, IPS is enjoying significant growth. Up to 2010, the company operated two sites in Yorkshire, co-packing confectionery, biscuits, snacks and cereals – today operations are nationwide, with a broader portfolio of products, equipment and customers. It now has more than 100 packing lines, 25 bagging lines (including pouch and quad), 30-plus flow wrappers and 20-plus automatic/semi-automatic carton fillers. Last year it became the first co-packer to receive a double A* award for BRC Food Safety Issue 7.

“We have some really exciting things going on,” says Managing Director, Andrew Dawson. “We’re growing significantly through organic growth and on the back of our quality, standards, health & safety, and service offering. We can now say with confidence that we are the UK’s leading co-pack provider

in the food industry.”

Recent projects include extending copacking within the Nestlé network, launching a joint venture with Eddie Stobart, opening a new co-pack facility in Leicester for PepsiCo and another in Salford for General Mills.

As well as diversifying its food packing activities, IPS is concentrating more on co-fill, coprocess and naked-product packing, while continuing to look at packing as close as possible to the point of demand. By investing in an on-site convolute tube-forming line for Nestlé at Featherstone, rather than shipping tubes in to be filled, IPS improved quality control, reduced waste and road miles, and saved the company more than £1m a year – winning a Nestlé award in the process.

In 2014, the market-leading logistics provider Culina Group acquired IPS, bringing additional investment and all the benefits associated with being part of the UK’s leading logistics business. More recently, Culina Group also acquired Great Bear Distribution.

“Culina Logistics is the leading chilled provider in the UK, Great Bear is the leading ambient logistics provider and IPS is providing copacking services across both of those networks, so it makes the group a

£400m turnover business,” says Andrew Dawson. “It’s all about partnerships; we are now packing for even more world-class brands.”

While the centre of excellence in Featherstone supports quality, technical and business development and engineering, IPS has also been investing heavily in people, production management and engineering quality in its other 12 sites across the UK to ensure there is expertise across the network.

“Clearly we’ve got a huge opportunity with the Great Bear network,” says Andrew Dawson.

“We’ve doubled in the past three years and we’re looking to double again by 2020 through proliferating our operations across the ambient and chilled networks available to us.

But, more importantly, it’s about reinvesting to provide solutions and services to our customers.”

INTEGRATED PACKING SERVICES LIMITED GREEN LANE INDUSTRIAL PARK FEATHERSTONE WF7 6TA TEL: 01977 690144 FAX: 01977 690144 WWW.CULINA.CO.UK

P20 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

FRANCIS CATERING

THE BEST BAR NONE! HAVING REVOLUTIONISED BAR DESIGN WITH ITS BESPOKE PULL-OUT UNITS, CATERING KITCHEN EXPERT FRANCIS CATERING IS WINNING MULTIPLE HOTEL CONTRACTS ACROSS THE UK

Specialising in the design, build and installation of bespoke catering kitchens, Francis Catering has undertaken many projects for retail, pubs and bars, restaurants and educational facilities before turning its attention to the hotel sector.

The new direction grew from a strategy to expand the company’s customer base during the recession.

Business Development Director, Peter Cassidy, was looking at a variety of options when a customer asked whether the company could make bars, as they were expensive and often fell apart over time.

As one of the largest design

houses in the West Midlands, Francis Catering already had the facilities to manufacture bespoke products inhouse, employing a large team of skilled craftsmen. Following the purchase of a company that made bars, it created a design based on a stainless steel under-bar frame. This can be made to the required dimensions and can easily be pulled out for cleaning – particularly useful in an environment such as a cocktail bar, where liquids, fruit and other waste can fall beneath the bar.

“Bars are considered difficult to make – other companies manufacture them, but not on a

frame like this, fully welded on box tubing strong enough to take the weight of a car,” says Peter Cassidy.

“Main contractors and end users appreciate our ability to build bars to the client’s specifications.”

Established in 1973 and based in Kingswinford near Dudley for the past 12 years, the company has seen significant recent growth and currently works with three international hotel clients.

PARK REGIS, BIRMINGHAM

The first Park Regis in Europe opened earlier this year in Birmingham city centre – a £50m

deluxe hotel with 253 guest rooms.

Following 24 months of design work, Francis Catering installed 11 kitchens and bars at the hotel between December 2015 and March 2016. It won the contract after other hotel design work for the owners four years earlier and having worked with the operators on 12 new build and refurbished hotels over the past five years.

One of the biggest challenges was creating an upmarket Izakaya-style Japanese restaurant called Refuto on the exclusive 16th floor, which has cooking with gas equipment in the restaurant area, requiring a very high

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P21

FRANCIS CATERING standard of extraction. “It was a huge undertaking,” says Peter Cassidy. “When people hear you’ve done a big job like Park Regis, they are prepared to offer you other work, and there will be other Park Regis hotels in the coming years.

The client was very pleased with the result and the work was completed under budget.”

The bars were developed during the build programme and Francis Catering was able to accommodate changes as the build proceeded, as the under bars were being custommade in house.

“Manufacturing in-house means that you’re in control,” says Peter Cassidy. “You can go to a site, measure it, and start manufacture the next day. It also means that we take responsibility for things fitting correctly. For example, at Park Regis, to fit a hand basin on a frontof-house bench, we can pick up the bench in the morning, install the inset basin and take it back in the afternoon to be plumbed in.”

This approach also allows customers to tweak things as they go along. “Some people can’t visualise what they are going to get from a drawing; it isn’t until it’s delivered that they say, ‘I don’t want that, I want you to change it around’. Because we’re in control of the manufacture, we can facilitate the changes.”

OTHER HOTEL PROJECTS

Since targeting the hotel market,

the company has worked on a number of projects across the UK, including for Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites in Birmingham, Hampton by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Radisson, Ibis, Hotel Indigo and several independent operators.

In 2014, the company was involved in the renovation of the iconic Grade II listed Royal Insurance Building in Liverpool, now the Aloft Hotel, which had lain derelict for 20 years.

Coming up are further projects with Park Regis and other hotel groups, including DoubleTree Hilton in Kingston, three Hampton

by Hilton hotels, and two boutique hotels in the Midlands.

OTHER SERVICES

As well as design and installation, the company undertakes service contracts including planned and reactive maintenance for commercial kitchens. It also has an in-house team that designs and installs kitchen ventilation.

ON TO THE FUTURE

Although the company has won plenty of business with high street restaurants, from casual dining to fast food, including a major burger chain, it plans to seek out more hotel business.

With 60 staff members all operating from its West Midlands base, Francis Catering has enjoyed consistent growth of over 10% per annum in recent years and plans to

maintain 10%-15% growth per annum moving forward.

Having achieved success with its recent hotel installations, there’s no doubt that Francis Catering will continue to be called on for highprofile projects in the future.

FRANCIS CATERING EQUIPMENT LTD

UNIT 1 LANESFORD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE HAM LANE KINGSWINFORD DY6 7JU TEL: 01384 271166 FAX: 01384 273372 EMAIL: INFO@FRANCISCATERING.COM WWW.FRANCISCATERING.COM

P22 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

C HUMPHREYS & SONS

FROM FARM TO SHOP A THRIVING FAMILY BUSINESS WITH A HERITAGE STRETCHING BACK ALMOST 100 YEARS, C HUMPHREYS & SONS HAS GROWN FROM A WORKING FARM TO A MULTI-FACETED COMPANY

The business offers a traditional wholesale butcher service alongside a popular farm shop, which will soon be further reducing its food miles with products cooked on site.

“We’re in the process of opening a kitchen at the farm shop to do our own cook bakes, pies and cold meats,” says Farm Manager, Paul Humphreys. “We’ve gone through the tests at the laboratory for shelf life and sell-by dates, so we expect it

will be open any time now.”

To start with, the plan is just to cook on demand for the farm shop as products are needed, but if this goes well, the option is there to increase production and sell to other retail outlets.

A strong customer base has been established in the Chelmsford area surrounding the working farm.

Around 600 acres of arable land provides crops such as winter barley,

wheat and silage grass. Livestock comprises a herd of around 600 cattle, mostly Belgian Blue Cross cattle sourced from a dairy in Somerset, which also produces cheese sold in the farm shop.

“We get the cattle at three months old, feed and fatten them and sell the meat through the shop,” says Paul Humphreys. “Same feed, same breed, same hanging process – it helps guarantee consistency of

quality.” Indeed, for the past five years, Humphreys has been buying sheep feed from Heygates in Northampton, and has been pleased with the company’s great service and prompt response.

Customers include butchers, wholesalers, those visiting the farm shop, and local farmers provide additional custom for the slaughterhouse. Recently the business has taken on quite a bit

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P23

C HUMPHREYS & SONS more agricultural contract work for other local farms.

Business has remained steady, with lamb currently selling particularly well, both at home and through a wholesaler in Holland.

Founded by Charles Humphreys around 1920, the company moved to its current location – Blixes Farm in Chelmsford, Essex – in the late 1930s. After the Second World War, it started to supply local wholesalers; then the founder’s five sons came on board and the business grew.

A grandson of the founder, Paul Humphreys, joined in 1979 and is one of eight Partners – five from the third generation of the family and three from the second generation.

Staff numbers have remained steady at 60. “We’ve all done most of the

jobs around here,” he says. “With a family business you have to, but we wanted to, anyway.”

Blixes Farm Shop was added in the 1960s, servicing households in the days when people would buy a side of beef for the deep freeze.

Today, it stocks a wide range of fresh meat, poultry and game, along with cold meats, pies and specially made meat products, from kebabs to bacon and pork & apple burgers. It also has a selection of fresh produce, jams and preserves, gourmet cooking sauces, local handmade ice cream and all the other products you might expect to see in a successful farm shop. Open on weekdays from 7.30am to 5pm and on Saturdays from 7am to 12 noon, it attracts customers from all over the area.

While the business has traditionally relied on word of mouth, in recent times it has also embraced social media, with an active Facebook page.

Working closely with accredited training provider Food Hygiene Matters over the past five years, C Humphreys & Sons has succeeded in achieving a five-star HACCP certificate. “They are always on the end of the phone if we have any food safety enquiries,” says Paul.

“Keeping HACCP is a continuing process – you’d think it’s simple but it’s a long drawn-out thing to sell a pie!”

Along with the new kitchen, there are plans to demolish the current ethnic wholesale shop and rebuild it – bigger and better. “It’s specifically aimed at the African market, which is very family oriented, so they tend to do all the advertising for you by word of

mouth,” says Paul Humphreys.

Like all successful businesses with a strong heritage, C Humphreys & Sons understands the importance of investing now to secure the future for generations to come, whether it’s rebuilding production or retail areas or replacing the lorries in the delivery fleet of eight vehicles.

“We don’t want to jump up too high then come back down,” Paul explains. “Our plan is to keep moving forward like we have been, rather than sitting still or going backwards. But we’d rather go for steady growth.”

With a carefully planned strategy to take the business forward, the family team can expect continuing success moving forward.

C HUMPHREYS & SONS BLIXES FARM, RANKS GREEN CHELMSFORD, ESSEX CM3 2BH TEL: 01245 361214

Stanfords are pleased to support C Humphreys and Sons of Blixes Farm, Fairstead purchasers on a weekly basis at Colchester Market of quality cattle and sheep reared on East Anglian Farms giving full traceability from field to fork of quality meat.

A family business supporting many farming family businesses in East Anglia and the Auction System.

The Livestock Market, Wyncolls Road, Colchester, Essex CO4 9HU Telephone: 01206 842156

ASHFORD MARKET • KENT Selling 275,000 Head of Beef Cattle, Lamb & Pigs annually

Hobbs Parker are pleased to be doing business with C Humphreys & Sons, 52 weeks of the year helping them source top quality, farm assured & fully traceable Beef, Lamb and Pork from top producers in the South East via Ashford Market.

P24 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

CONNECT PACKAGING

PACKAGING WITH THE ‘WOW’ FACTOR A PACKAGING SOLUTIONS PROVIDER PRODUCING INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND PRINT, CONNECT PACKAGING HELPS ITS CUSTOMERS’ PRODUCTS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD have seen them grow to large, successful organisations,” says Mark Richards. “We have one particular customer we started trading with more or less as the company was set up and that relationship is still there and the company has grown as well, which is great to see.”

AWARD WINNING DESIGN

From its BRC food-grade accredited design and manufacturing site in Benfleet, Essex, Connect creates innovative products with the ‘wow’ factor.

“We can take a brief from a customer, understand that brief from a design, print and manufacturing perspective, and see it through from design to manufacture. A lot of companies want what we call a ‘wow’ box. When a box comes through the post today it’s often highly decorated on the inside.

We’re seeing that more in the food and drink market now, with the growth of online retail. The box is becoming more important, it’s more than just a method of transit.”

Offering an end-to-end service of design to manufacture, the company specialises in corrugated and paperbased products, from conventional brown cardboard outer boxes and shelf-ready packaging to highly printed cartons and point of sale, such as freestanding display units and dumpbins.

“We’re not in the ‘pile it high and sell it cheap’ market,” explains General Manager, Mark Richards.

“It’s normally more specialist: a customer with a particular packaging issue that they’d like us to look at and solve for them. Be that a

conventional outer corrugated box or a very complicated point-of-sale unit, we can do it all under one roof, which sets us apart from most of our competitors.”

CUSTOMERS LARGE AND SMALL

While most of its customers come under the FMCG, retail and industrial sectors, Connect also looks after quite a few artisan businesses in London and the south, in particular smaller food manufacturing companies.

“Some of our customers started as a small family-run business and we

POS AND SHELF-READY PACKS

Having joined the business in January from world-leading packaging solutions provider Smurfit Kappa, where he had a senior role, Mark is keen to grow the specialist side of the business, particularly digital print, and to do more pointof-sale work.

“Point of sale is very relevant for the food and drink industry,” he explains.

“Companies need to show their products and cardboardengineered displays are the

best way to do that. The costs of advertising through other media like TV is prohibitive for smaller companies, so they can market their product in-store using a freestanding display unit.”

As well as POS, Connect produces shelf-ready packs, which can come into a store shrinkwrapped onto a pallet and be placed straight on the retail shelf.

These are popular with retailers as they make staff more productive and reduce waste – an important factor since the Courtauld Agreement on packaging waste came into force.

Furthermore, the business now has both FSC and BRC accreditation, an important factor when supplying to the food industry, in particular supermarkets.

“We’re audited pretty regularly and it’s quite an investment in time and money, but we’ve done it in response to what our customers need and that again puts us in a

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P25

CONNECT PACKAGING good position compared with our competitors in the food and drink market.”

COMPANY BACKGROUND

Based in Benfleet, the company was founded by the Essex family around 60 years ago, and has been on its current site for around 32 years. Set up to be a local supplier in the Essex area, one of its first customers was the Ford Motor Company. In 1995, the company became part of the Coutts Group, followed by a management buyout in 2004 when it was renamed Connect. Today the company is part of the CBS Packaging Group based in West Bromwich.

The staff of 80 include those working in internal and external sales, estimating, design and production. Over the past few years there has been investment in a digital printer, a quick set casemaker, which can print up to four colours,

and a rotary die cutter, which can print up to five colours. This investment has helped turnover to rise to £8m a year, and there are plans to increase this to £10m over the next two years.

Most work is carried out within a 70-80 mile radius of the site, although the company does export to one particular customer in Belgium.

While there’s investment in online marketing – regular e-shots and a new website – the team still finds it invaluable to meet customers at shows. This year for the first time Connect attended the Food & Drink Expo at the NEC as an exhibitor – “It’s quite an unusual step for a packaging company but we felt that it would be good for us to live in our customers’ world a little more and understand some of the key drivers. We got an awful lot of leads and enquiries from the show.”

It will also attend Packaging Innovations 2016 (14 & 15 September, London Olympia), again promoting the more specialist side to the business. “You get all the main decision makers attending as they are located in London so that’s a really good one for us.”

Moving forward the plans are to grow turnover and invest in more new machinery, in particular fastrunning digital machines, while directing the business even further towards specialist packaging solutions rather than high-volume orders.

CONNECT PACKAGING 6-8 BRUNEL ROAD, MANOR TRADING ESTATE, BENFLEET ESSEX SS7 4PS TEL: 01268 565656 EMAIL: SALES@CONNECTPACKAGING.COM WWW.CONNECTPACKAGING.COM

Hire Power Contracts Limited Horseshoe House, London Road Harlow, Essex CM17 9LH

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P26 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

FRANCO’S ICES

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FLAVOUR IT MAY BE PRODUCING 40 MILLION UNITS A YEAR, BUT FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS FRANCO’S ICES MAKES A VIRTUE OUT OF BEING BIG ENOUGH TO DELIVER, SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE With a raft of new clients on board, a range of new products and extended facilities with BRC Grade A accreditation, production is nearly at full capacity at Franco’s Ices.

Over the years the company has established a broad customer base, comprising retail, convenience, food service, ice cream vans, restaurants, hospitals and educational facilities, and most of the major frozen food distributors in the UK. As well as developing new products under its own brands, the company has seen a significant increase in private label business.

“We have expanded our factory and more people are aware of the Franco’s Ices name because we’ve done some exhibitions and they can see that we are making bespoke and innovative products,” explains Managing Director, Pasquale Tanzarella.

NEW PRODUCTS

Whether providing refreshment for British troops or producing lollies for the London Olympics, Franco’s Ices has successfully combined the values of a family-run concern with the infrastructure of a major manufacturer.

Traditional ice lolly flavours such as orange, cola, lemonade and cherry brandy, remain firm favourites – over five million of the best-selling Mr Bubble are made each year – alongside milk lollies and ice cream cups.

New product development is at the heart of the company, from luxury ranges to healthy options.

“Often people come to us with their own recipe or with an idea that they would like us to help them develop,” says Technical Manager, Justyna Misir. “Our own brand is

very strong but the private label products allow us to fill any gaps in the production schedule.”

“Some companies start off with small batches and it develops from there,” adds Pasquale Tanzarella.

“One company has gone up eightfold from last year’s production. We helped them improve one of their products and they have been very successful in lots of the major outlets.”

Recent trends include an increase in demand for healthier options such as low-calorie products without added colours or flavours.

Developed for a customer in Ireland, a new Strawberry Juicy lolly at only 39 calories has proved popular and there are plans to expand the Juicy range in the future.

Other on-trend products are a Biscottino, Eton mess, banoffee ice cream and a salty caramel ice lolly, which sold out on first production.

“We’ve been asked by a retailer in Ireland for a family pack format, as there’s been a really good response,” says Pasquale Tanzarella.

GELATO UNO

With decades of success in producing ice lollies, the Tanzarella family has created a luxurious range of gelato products made from a traditional Italian recipe. The company’s upmarket luxury Gelato Uno range, developed in October 2015, is proving a huge hit with ice cream parlours, cafes and ice cream vans – indeed some ice cream traders have branded their whole operation as Gelato Uno. Available in five-litre containers, the flavours are hand decorated, ready to be displayed and scooped.

Although the range is made in England, the recipe and some of the

flavours come from one of Italy’s leading manufacturers to give it an authentic quality.

“It’s a premium product with natural ingredients,” says Pasquale Tanzarella.

“We’ve had fantastic feedback for all of the flavours and requests to develop others.”

EXPANDED FACILITIES

Established in 1964 by Domenico Tanzarella and his brother, Franco’s Ices began as a small family concern, moving to its current premises on an industrial estate in Kempston, Bedfordshire in the mid-1990s.

Despite the dramatic decrease in the number of mobile ice cream vans and competition from supermarkets importing brands from abroad, the business has continued to thrive by offering new exciting products and investing in its production facility, extending the site to accommodate more machinery.

New offices and meeting rooms will be completed by the end of this year and additional staff have been taken on in production, marketing and sales.

“Many of the smaller companies are closing as they are not able to comply with the new BRC and food labelling regulations,” says Pasquale Tanzarella. “After putting lots of procedures in place, we have successfully passed our BRC accreditation at Grade A. We have also invested in automation of the machinery, increasing production by 10%.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Sadly, Pasquale Tanzarella’s father, the founder of Franco’s Ices, passed away earlier this year: “Domenico passed away on 29 March 2016. He was a true, passionate man who was always at the heart of the business making sure that everything is running smoothly. A man who will be greatly missed by the company and the whole ice cream trade.

Franco’s will not be the same without him, the family will be doing their best to make Franco’s Ices a brand that will be noticed and enjoyed by the nation for many decades to come.”

Over the next five years there are plans to double turnover and further increase the manufacturing site, along with the option of adding a second shift.

“We are very strong in the market,” says Pasquale Tanzarella. “It’s been difficult over the past decade to compete with the large brands due to their funds behind marketing and advertising, but we have managed to both keep our heads above water and to get some new listings in some of the prime spots.”

FRANCO’S ICES NO. 2 ADAMS CLOSE, WOBURN ROAD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE KEMPSTON, BEDFORDSHIRE MK42 7JE TEL: 01234 854160 FAX: 01234 856604 WWW.FRANCOS-ICES.CO.UK

FOOD AND DRINK NEWS FRANCO’S ICES JUNE 2016 P27

P28 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

WOBURN COUNTRY FOODS

BRINGING HOME THE BACON AS MANY CONSUMERS SEEK OUT HEALTHIER EATING OPTIONS, AWARDWINNING PRODUCER WOBURN COUNTRY FOODS IS CHAMPIONING THE BENEFITS OF ITS LOW-SALT, HIGH-PROTEIN PRODUCTS

Supplying the retail and catering trade, the independent family-run business specialises in local meat sourced from its Bedfordshire Farmers’ Producer Group. All products are handmade with animal welfare, reduced food miles and traceability as top priorities.

Winner of the Small Processor of the Year category at the annual Meat & Poultry Processing Awards 2016, the company is promoting healthier eating through its ‘Lean for 2016’ campaign and recently launched a new ecommerce website. With barbecue season approaching, customers can now order everything from meat boxes to venison burgers, for click and collect or delivery across the UK.

LOW IN SALT, HIGH IN TASTE

With four products listed in Waitrose - its Dry Cure Back Bacon, Woburn Black Back Bacon and two of its sausages - the business went through the required professional ingredient testing and made an exciting discovery – its bacon was very low in salt content compared with other brands.

The company adds sugar or, in the case of its black bacon, black treacle and molasses, reducing the amount of salt required. The result?

The salt content is around 17% (for the black bacon) to 21% (for the dry cure bacon) of the daily recommended intake. To put this in perspective, some supermarket bacons can come in around 50%65%.

“It’s a major selling point,” says Managing Director, Andrew Davies, who set up the company in 2002.

“Our sausages are also very low in salt, around 11% of your daily recommended intake compared with Richmond at 51% and they don’t have any MSG or colouring.

Another important factor is cost proportion on the plate. Our dry cure bacon is almost exactly the same price per weight as cheap bacon once all the water cooks out of it.”

Created in response to customer demand, the Woburn Black Bacon has been particularly well received, beating more than 250 products to win the Best Speciality Cured Bacon Award at the 2009 British Connoisseur Bacon Awards.

LEAN FOR 2016

The year-long promotion highlights a range of options, including chicken and turkey sausages and venison products such as burgers and meatballs.

“We’re trying to promote healthy eating,” says Andrew Davies. “We also supply sports people and body builders with meat protein packs and we sponsor Bedford Rugby Club and support the Saracens Women’s club as well.”

A popular low-fat option, the venison supplied by Woburn Country Foods fits with the company’s ethos of selling local.

Sourced from the Bedford Estate in Woburn Abbey, where the deer are able to roam free, the venison is of a particularly high quality.

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P29

WOBURN COUNTRY FOODS FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The business originally began supplying meat to add value to the livestock produced on the family farm at Haynes West End, opening up in a small rented unit at Woburn Sands in 2002. Following early success, it was awarded a 30% grant, for the £750,000 which was invested in a brand new EUlicensed cutting facility back at the farm. This opened in 2008 at the same time as the Woburn Country Foods producer group was created, which now has 15 member farms.

RETAIL OUTLETS

The same year saw the opening of two retail outlets: first, a farm shop at Haynes West End, with a large meat counter and a range of products from other local producers; then a butchery counter within the food hall at the Frost Garden Centre in Milton Keynes.

The business also supplies a wide range of local retail outlets and organisations, including a new Center Parcs nearby, which uses the meat in some of its restaurants and sells it through the park market.

FAMILY RUN, LOCALLY PRODUCED

The family-run business has 18 staff and its directors include Andrew Davies’s daughter and cousin. With four vans delivering to around 100 catering customers, and with growing online and retail sales, business has seen around 8% steady growth in sales, year on year.

Marketing has become more webbased, including plenty of social media activity such as placing stories and running competitions.

Like many food producers, Woburn Country Foods has noticed a huge increase in customers asking about the provenance of their purchases.

“We sent out around 1,000 private orders at Christmas and did a survey of the customers,” says Andrew Davies. “Around 80% of the responses said that provenance and quality were the reasons they shop with us. Our catering customers like the fact that we’re family owned and we treat everyone like family. We offer a very personal service, which has greatly helped to increase sales.

Our butchers look after our customers individually, everything is cut and prepared to their requirements and if they are developing recipes they come over and talk to our butchers about the cuts they are going to use.”

LOOKING AHEAD

The next project for the business is investing in new packaging equipment to improve both the appearance of the products and their shelf life, especially now that it’s selling more to village stores and other small, local retail outlets.

Although Andrew Davies will be retiring in the near future, a clear management structure has been set up to take over and run the business, with continued focus on

promoting local. “It’s important for people to realise that if they want the farms and the countryside to stay as they are now, they’ve got to support local producers,” he says. As champions of high-quality, locally sourced food, Woburn Country Foods certainly puts its money

where its mouth is.

WOBURN COUNTRY FOODS WEST END FARM, HAYNES WEST END, BEDFORD MK45 3RA TEL: 01234 740300 WWW.WOBURNCOUNTRYFOODS.COM

CMT

Continental Meat Technology We supply British meat processors, retail and catering butchers with natural casings, seasonings, herbs and spices and related products of the highest quality. Our products are backed up by expert knowledge and detailed recipes.

We are pleased to be associated with Woburn Country Foods and wish them continued success for the future.

Continental Meat Technology 31 Salford Road, Aspley Guise, Milton Keynes MK17 8HT Tel: 01908 584489 Fax: 01908 584317 Email: juergenmaurer@c-m-t.demon.co.uk www.continentalmeattechnology.co.uk

P30 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS JUNE 2016

UNDERWOODS SHELLFISH

BIGGER AND BETTER SPECIALISING IN THE SUPPLY OF CRAB CAUGHT OFF THE DEVON AND CORNWALL COASTS, UNDERWOODS SHELLFISH HAS RECENTLY MOVED TO NEW PREMISES WITH INCREASED CAPACITY Larger premises, improved production flow and extra storage – the new, expanded headquarters of Underwoods Shellfish has certainly set the company up for the future.

Conveniently located on an industrial estate close to the A38, a short distance from the docks at Plymouth but with lower overheads, the unit was bought as a shell and fitted out to the company’s specifications.

“We’d been at our old premises for 20 years and had outgrown them – we were getting too busy for where we were,” explains Managing Director, Brian Underwood. “We’ve improved the flow of production, doubled the size of the preparation area, increased the size of the lowrisk area and added proper goods in and out areas.”

There is also more fridge space and larger freezers, which can blast product quicker. As well as increasing capacity, the new facility provides a bigger and better working environment for the 25 or so staff members.

All of the crab supplied by Underwoods is caught through sustainable fishing from small boats off the coast of Devon and Cornwall, in some of the cleanest waters in Britain. “The real connoisseurs say crab caught from the English Channel is best,” says Brian Underwood.

Product is supplied as fresh white or brown crabmeat, cooked whole crabs, dressed crabs and frozen crabs.

“White crab meat comes from the legs and claws, brown crab meat from the body,” explains Brian Underwood. “Most people prefer the sweeter white meat but some prefer the strong brown meat

flavour.”

As the company points out on its website, crab meat is low in fat and cholesterol, high in protein and contains no saturated fat. It contains calcium and iron, and is also rich in vitamin B12, vitamin E and zinc.

The third generation to run the business – which was started by his grandfather, a market trader – Brian helped his father out after school before taking over as Managing Director. In the early days most of the trade was to local pubs but now the majority of customers are wholesalers selling to restaurants and other outlets across the UK, and into Ireland, France, Spain, China and the US. While turnover has been increasing yearly, Brian Underwood expects that the new premises will boost sales and productivity. “We need to continue to expand, we need more trade, that’s the nature of the game.”

With its larger and better laid out premises now open for business, Underwoods Shellfish is in the perfect position to serve its customers for years to come.

UNDERWOODS SHELLFISH LTD UNIT 9, NEW FISHERIES COMPLEX LOCKYER QUAY, PLYMOUTH PL4 0LH TEL: 01752 665835 FAX: 01752 665889 EMAIL: SALES@UNDERWOODSSHELLFISH.COM WWW.UNDERWOODSSHELLFISH.COM

Rex Down Fish Merchants

We are suppliers to the trade, hotels, restaurants, clubs and pubs.

We would like to wish Brian and everyone at Underwoods every success.

Unit 4 The Fish Quay, Sutton Harbour, Sutton Road, Plymouth PL4 0LH Tel: 01752 220293 Fax: 01752 66120 Email: rexdown1@yahoo.co.uk

JUNE 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P31

FCB COFFEE

THE COFFEE CONNOISSEURS RUN BY SELF-CONFESSED COFFEE GEEKS, FCB COFFEE IS BRINGING HIGH QUALITY, SMALL-BATCH ROASTS TO A WIDER AUDIENCE THROUGH TRAVEL HUBS AND EXHIBITIONS “We want to bring in the new third-wave of coffee,” explains Managing Director, Barny Clevely.

“The sort you find down a back alley, where a geeky bloke takes a long time to serve something really interesting and terrific from somewhere like Guatemala or Rwanda in small volumes. We want to take it to an increasingly larger market and remove the clubby exclusion.”

This is achieved by sourcing coffee from multiple small-batch specialist roasters and taking it into high footfall commercial

environments: railway hubs and exhibition halls. These include FCB’s first site: a kiosk opened in 2003 on Guildford station; two sites on Brighton station, including the flagship sit-in cafe; sites in Woking, Hayward’s Heath and Tonbridge; and last year’s newest and extremely successful site in Denmark Hill, south-east London.

In exhibitions there are permanent sites at the Birmingham NEC and London Olympia, and regular pop-up cafes at trade and public exhibitions – from fashion shows and BBC Good Food to

public catering at tennis championships.

The shift from the coffee chain approach of buying in bulk to sourcing small quantities of singleestate coffee from multiple artisanal roasters began two years ago.

Trading on quality rather than price, FCB is currently working with six roasters: three for house and guest roasts and the other three for small quantities of particularly specialist coffee.

“We change the guest roast every week and publish all of the notes on the coffee online,” explains Barny Clevely. “Coffee geeks like us will come in and try a new guest roast each week. I firmly believe that if you spend £2.20 on a flat white and it’s not particularly good and you don’t finish it, to spend £2.50 on a truly memorable flat white that brings you back the next day – 30p is neither here nor there.”

Serving premium coffee may increase costs, but volume and profit has also risen, with turnover

standing at around £5.5m and figures climbing monthly. At present the company has 34 employees and around 80 part-time employees working flexible hours, but recruiting staff has also become easier. “We get a bunch of likeminded people who want to be in an environment serving really great product. They go to workshops, visit the roasters and go on training courses. You’ve got to have great people, who are involved and enthused.”

Having reaped the rewards of investing money, time and passion into the business, FCB plans steady growth and further sit-in sites.

“The most important thing is inclusion: working closely with our roasters, operating a lead barista programme and communicating knowledge and passion to our customers. Right now it’s really exciting, we’ve got lots going on and we’re doing great business.”

EMAIL: BARNY@FCBCOFFEE.COM

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