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ONLIN E MA NOW AGAZINE VAILAB LE!
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
W W W. F O O D A N D D R I N K N E W S . C O . U K
{ September / October 2017 }
Contents ONLINE E MAGAZINABLE! AIL NOW AV
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INDUSTRY NEWS
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CHRISTMAS FOCUS
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LABELLING & PACKAGING FOCUS
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UCC Q&A
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INNOVATIVE BITES
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KREHALON
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BOB BON BUDDIES
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1STOP HALAL
To view The 2017 feaTures lisT please visiT WWW.FOODANDDRINKNEWS.CO.UK or conTacT us aT +44(0)1484 321000 To email a copy To you
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September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
{ Editor’s Foreword }
Oven Ready
puBlisher planet media & Design ltd Brooke’s mill, huddersfield hD4 7nr
manaGinG DirecTor Jillian evans
creaTive DirecTor paul roper
naTional sales manaGer emily holroyd
chief eDiTor michelle hodgson
suB-eDiTor rachael whiteley
social meDia Benjamin wainman
CONTACT US: faceBooK @food&drinkmagazine
insTaGram @food&drinkmagazine
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ur focus article this month is on christmas – a busy time of year for many in the food and drink industry, especially those who work in hospitality. for some, christmas without turkey would be unthinkable, but these days there are plenty of options open to non-meat eaters, too. Those who go the whole hog – or rather, avoid the whole hog – and embrace veganism, may want to get booking for vegfestuK, which sold out last year and this year takes place on 21 and 22 october at london’s olympia. The show will be preceded by the uK’s first vegan trade show on friday 20 october at the same venue (www.vegfest.co.uk).
TwiTTer @food_drink_news
conTriBuTe info@planet-media.co.uk
This issue we are also focusing on desserts and puddings, frozen foods, confectionery and labelling and packing – all areas that will come into play in the run-up to christmas.
aDverTisinG advertising@planet-media.co.uk eDiTorial editorial@planet-media.co.uk maG suBscripTions subscriptions@planet-media.co.uk
Michelle Hodgson CHIEF EDITOR
Food & Drink News is published by planet media & Design ltd. company registered in england & wales, number 09365661. all material is the copyright of planet media & Design ltd. all rights reserved. food & Drink news is the property of planet media & Design ltd. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, whole or part, without the written permission of a Director of planet media & Design ltd. Liability: while every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers can not be held responsible for the accuracy of information herein, or any consequence arising from it. in the case of company or product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the editor at the time of going to press.
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{ Industry News }
JUST EGG LAUNCHES THE ’PERFECT’ POACHED EGG
Just egg chilled foods has added to its premium collection with a line of freerange, poached eggs – the first British manufactured product of its kind. The eggs, aimed at the hotel, restaurant and cafe markets, are prepared and packed to ensure optimum freshness and to preserve flavour, delivering the most superior product on the market to-date. available in easy to peel, simple to remove packaging, Just egg’s poached eggs are less likely to get damaged when served and so will look, as well as taste, the very best. managing Director of Just egg chilled foods, pankaj pancholi, comments: “The poached egg is a high protein, healthy option and a staple of the British diet. it’s been our ultimate aim for some time to innovate with the supply of this product. “we wanted to ensure that our poached eggs are a perfect offering that will provide customers with the freshest, tastiest version of their favourite meal or snack.” also available from enriched cage hens, the eggs are the ideal shape for toast, buns and muffins and can be prepared in two to four minutes, depending on each customer’s taste.
For further information, log on to www.justegg.co.uk or call 01162 742 822.
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SELF-MONITORING CODER WILL HELP BUSINESSES IMPROVE OEE coding and marking specialist interactive coding equipment (ice) has launched a next generation thermal transfer overprinter (TTo) which is able to monitor and report on the quality of each code it produces. This largely removes the need to include a costly vision system on the line in order to meet increasing demand from retailers for code quality checks. ice says its new Zodiac hawk TTo will help businesses in their drive to achieve improved overall equipment effectiveness (oee) by being the first coder that can report on all three elements of oee, with quality now included alongside performance and availability. equally important, the coder’s ability to provide early warning of any potential loss of code quality will help to minimise production disruption and downtime, as well as reduce the risk of customer complaints or the possibility of a product recall, with its cost implications and potential damage to
brand reputation. The Zodiac hawk features iassure™, an internal checking system that assesses the spent ribbon after each code has been produced to determine whether the print quality has been good enough. if the code is deemed to be unacceptable, the Zodiac hawk can signal for the pack to be rejected and if the fault persists, can declare a trend of deterioration and stop the line entirely.
Tel: 01159 640144 Email:enquiries@uk.interactive coding.com
RHUBARB PRODUCTIVITY SOARS THANKS TO ULMA’S PACKAGING EQUIPMENT one of the largest suppliers of soft and stone fruits in the uK, mockbeggar ltd, has seen a dramatic increase in productivity at its farm pack house in rochester, after installing a sienna horizontal flow wrapper from ulma packaging. mockbeggar’s growers produce around 435 tons of rhubarb per annum which is now being packed by ulma’s sienna flow wrapper at a rate of up to 3,500 packs a day during the peak season in march and april. Joao estanqueiro le, mockbeggar’s pack house manager, says the packaging process of the fruit, which can come in random lengths, has been transformed since the sienna was installed. what used to take a whole day of manual labour is now ready for shipping to mockbeggar’s customers, which include many of the major high street stores, in half that time.
September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
he added: “we did compare suppliers but knew of ulma and went to see their machines in action. we liked the robust construction and ease of operation. The equipment has made a huge difference to our productivity and their after sales service is also excellent. we would go to ulma again if in the market for packaging machinery and i would recommend them to other companies.”
www.ulmapackaging.co.uk
{ Industry News }
CCS PROVIDE A HANDLING SOLUTION AT BRITVIC
following the successful line move from chelmsford to leeds, leading soft drinks company Britvic selected colwall conveyor systems ltd (ccs) to solve a logistical and handling problem at its expanding swinnow lane factory. in order to create an enclosed area to incorporate a new high-speed filling line, Britvic required an existing production line to be re-planned and moved in order to create a 2m forklift truck access between the equipment and a new partitioning wall. This would provide free flow, enabling trucks to deliver packaging materials to this existing line 1.
Engineering specialists to the Food, Beverage & Packaging Industries headed up by Directors steve Dudley and Trevor harris, colwall conveyor systems (ccs) has come to the forefront after the long established walsall engineering Group consolidated its various operating divisions and pooled the resources under this one banner. steve Dudley reported, “ccs has maintained key experienced personnel and engineering resources that has established the business as a respected supplier of total solutions, providing comprehensive engineering support services to both oem’s and manufacturers across many sectors of
4 ACES ’JUMPS’ RIGHT IN WITH ITS FIRST FESTIVE CUP
industry both in the uK and overseas. we have designed bespoke engineered solutions to meet individual customer needs, manufacturing, fabricating and assembling equipment. colwall conveyor systems manufactures and installs a wide range of conveyor solutions to meet customers’ individual requirements. from single or multiple conveyors for integration into existing machinery lines, through to complete fully automated conveying systems including controls and software.”
Teamwork is the key to success as well as creating space for an access aisle, several conveyors had to be installed and modifications to the plant were necessary in order to complete the project. This included the relocation of a spiral conveyor, manufacturing and installing new access stairs and gantry platforms. This whole project was redesigned inhouse in conjuncture with the Britvic project team and close communication was essential throughout, as all the work had to be completed prior to the installation of the new filling line. The install process went smoothly and Britvic are very satisfied with the end results.
4 aces has designed its very first festive cup, ’Jumpacup’, which it is expecting to roll out at the start of the autumn period when cafes, bars, restaurants, food-to-go suppliers and events managers are preparing for the preliminary, seasonal build-up to the highly anticipated winter holiday. The non-branded cup adopts the theme of ’coming together’, with its colourful design depicting a row of festive jumpers, their sleeves touching as if they are joining hands. The single wall cup will be available to order from the leading packaging specialist, at the end of september, in both 8oz and 12oz sizes. having previously created sell out cups for key customers to mark that special, celebratory time of year, 4 aces decided to introduce a generic festive cup in the hope of reaching the widest audience. managing Director of 4 aces, chris penn, comments: “The idea to create a festive cup took hold simply because the response to the designs we created last year for key customers was so strong. most people are keen to embrace the spirit of the season and it’s nice to provide a universal design that gives them that option.”
Visit the website at www.4acesltd.com or call 01992 535774.
www.colwallconveyors.co.uk
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{ Industry News }
TOMLINSON’S DAIRIES INVEST IN FILLING LINES welsh liquid milk processor Tomlinson’s Dairies has made a multimillion pound investment following a listing in a supermarket giant in the uK. as part of the investment, ektam has been chosen to manufacture two new fully automated milk filling lines capable of filling 68,000 litres of milk per hour. each one of the two new lines is expected to fill six different bottle formats from 189ml up to six-pint bottles. philip Tomlinson, co-founder of Tomlinson Dairies, says: “we visited ektam at its production plant and were very impressed with the quality, manufacturing, level of engineering and experience in turnkey filling lines. The ektam line is fed from the blow moulding facility through an ektam elevator/twister unit with auto conveyor adjustment for instant bottle format change over then fed through to ektam’s ’megaroll’ opp wraparound labelling machine.
The bottles accumulate on ektam’s spacesaving tandem accumulation conveyor systems before entering the ’flowmatic’ filling and capping clean room machine with auto height adjustment for quick format changeover. each filling head precisely measures the liquid volume with electromagnetic flowmeters with hygienic non-contact filling allowing capacities up to 60,000 bottles per hour. filling is followed by an arol capping station with anti-dust and cap sterilisation
system. The bottles are then sent through the induction sealing unit followed by the inspection system for fill level, cap colour, cap presence, cap misalignment and foil detection with an ejection system. The bottles are then packed into trolleys with a pick and place robot. The fully automatic filling and capping line and conveyor system includes an auto foam and clean system allowing human-free cleaning of the filling and capping line after production. Kursat uysal from ektam uK, comments: “This is a very exciting time for ektam having secured the manufacture and supply of two fully automated filling lines first time into the uK at Tomlinson’s Dairies. “following the commissioning of the two lines we will be extending our offering and activities in the uK concentrating on dairy, drinks and beverages sectors for hDpe, peT, glass and can filling lines.”
UNIGLOVES PEARL® OFFERS A COLOURFUL SAVING TO YOUR BUSINESS The unigloves pearl range of coloured nitrile gloves have been specifically designed to help reduce the risks of cross contamination within the food industry. The use of colour-coded gloves significantly reduces the risk of bacterial cross contamination and is best practice in food safety standards. pearl is available in an expansive range with 12 different colours that can be used in all environments requiring single use hand protection. The use of coloured gloves can be part of a colour coded system which provides a constant visual reminder for the workforce, reduces confusion and ensures that health and safety remains at the forefront of your business. every pearl glove is made from high quality, powder-free nitrile for the perfect fit. The gloves are food approved and offer good grip, excellent dexterity and comfort. unigloves has been providing innovative glove solutions to the uK market for over 15 years. specialising in the manufacture of
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premium, single-use gloves, unigloves supplies over 2 billion gloves, globally, every year. with smart manufacturing, cutting edge technology, innovative design and meticulous testing, unigloves ensures that every glove is suitable for its specific application. To make your colourful safety statement, please get in touch to find out more about
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the unigloves pearl range.
For further information about Unigloves products, please visit www.unigloves.co.uk
{ Industry News }
THE SURVEY INITIATIVE AND VIMTO MAKE SHORTLIST OF CIPR PRIDE AWARDS leading employee research provider, The survey initiative, and soft drinks giant, vimto, have been shortlisted for the cipr pride awards (anglia, Thames and chiltern) for Best internal communications campaign. The survey initiative has been working with vimto for three years and has helped the company achieve incredibly high levels of employee engagement, as well as supporting the company in the development of its values. lynne poole, head of human resources, vimto, explains: “we have always prided ourselves on being a great place to work. Thanks to The survey initiative we have been able to pinpoint areas we can become even better at. To this end we embarked on a consultation with our
continued to work in partnership with vimto to gauge their employees’ views on their workplace and the results have been amazing says, Gary cattermole, Director, The survey initiative. “vimto really is a wonderful place to work, they not only listen to their employees but also act on their thoughts, ideas and feedback. recently we’ve completed a further engagement survey with vimto and employee engagement was recorded at 95%, which is almost unheard of!” employees where the company values were created from the bottom-up and have been completely embraced by all.” The wix-based employee research consultancy, The survey initiative has
To find out more about The Survey Initiative, visit www.surveyinitiative.co.uk, for Vimto, www.vimto.co.uk.
IQBAL POULTRY LEADS THE WAY WITH AIR CHILLED OFFAL a poultry processor has significantly improved the quality and shelf life of its offal products by investing in a hybrid air chilling tunnel from iQf equipment specialist starfrost. iqbal poultry, a trading arm of chesterfield poultry ltd, supplies the international retail and trade sectors with a variety of poultry products. The firm recently required a chilling system specifically for offal products after expanding its poultry operations at a newly acquired site in Thorne, uK. The poultry processor’s parent company previously operated water spin chillers,
cooling offal products using water submersion, a traditional method used by many offal manufacturers. iqbal poultry decided to explore alternative solutions which could offer energy efficiency combined with increased product quality and discovered the significant advantages to cooling with air rather than water. mohammed fayaz ahmed, Director at iqbal poultry, highlights the advantages of the newly installed starfrost hybrid chilling tunnel: “shifting from water to air chilling was very important to us and the quality of our offal products, so it was essential we had a system designed to specification and able to operate at precise temperature requirements; the starfrost air chilling tunnel system does exactly that.” fayaz adds: “The project with starfrost
has been very successful and we were in safe hands from the start. The tunnel install has provided us a variety of benefits, primarily the significant improvement to the quality of our offal products; the colouring has been enhanced and shelf life increased so we couldn’t be more satisfied with the end result.” iqbal’s hybrid tunnel has been designed with an integrated stainless steel belt that simultaneously processes 1,200 kilos per hour of heart, liver, gizzards and neck. The system offers the advantage of a selfcontained base frame, which enables ease of relocation and flexibility to the customer. The unique, energy efficient design of the hybrid tunnel allows for operation at a higher air temperature than typically used for chilling, which has enabled iqbal poultry to reduce production costs, increase energy efficiency and improve the quality of the offal products. starfrost’s hybrid air chilling tunnel offers poultry producers an effective and hygienic design which can reduce the risk of contamination compared to water cooling, whilst maximising product quality. it is designed to offer simple operation, low maintenance and boost operational efficiency.
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{ Industry News }
LIZI’S GRANOLA LAUNCHES LONG-AWAITED KIDS GRANOLA, ’LIZI’S ADVENTURERS after much anticipation, lizi’s Granola is launching a new granola for children aged five to thirteen years old. The product, called lizi’s adventurers, is packed full of goodness and will encourage kids across the country to make sure they are choosing the right kind of breakfast so they can conquer their
day’s adventure – whatever that may be. with over 10g of fibre per 100g, and 3.5g of sugar per 30g serving, this product aims to appeal to parents who are looking to give their children a lower sugar breakfast option that doesn’t compromise on taste. not only will this help to keep kids on the go for longer, but could lead to them cutting out sugary mid-morning snacks. lizi’s adventurers will launch with two variants, Banana and strawberry, both coming in striking packaging that shows characters emma and Tom on an epic adventure – whether it be camping or on a boat in the high seas. nick smallwood, sales Director at lizi’s Granola, comments “we’ve been working on a kids product for some time and now we believe we have something very special. Getting kids to eat a healthy breakfast is no
mean feat and we understand that. it has to taste good too – and it does!”
Lizi’s Adventurers will be available in stores from October, RRP £3.69 per 400g pouch.
NEW FLY NAVY GIN FROM CURIO SPIRITS curio spirits has launched a new gin for 2017. available now, fly navy Gin is a 42% proof luxury craft spirit available online. Designed to mark the centenary of landing the first aircraft on a moving ship at sea, and the pioneering spirit of the men and women of the royal navy, the mullionbased distillers developed an idea, which a chance meeting gave wings! made using the award-winning process of the company, the gin is quadruple distilled with natural botanicals. sippers can taste hand-picked local wild heather, piney juniper from europe, sansho peppers from Japan and organic madagascan vanilla, with hints of citrus, spice with earthy undertones. This spirit is perfect as a G&T and in cocktails, with a rich flavour in design. This new product is a first for the fleet air arm, and a first for curio spirits, making it a historical moment for both the royal navy and the local distillery. it has been a wonderful experience for the distillers to make fly navy Gin. as a small local company in west cornwall, it meant a lot to curio spirits to be included within the wider community, and their success as a
small business has been at the hearts of the people involved at navy wings. fly navy Gin will also raise money for the fleet air arm. a donation from each bottle of fly navy Gin sold will go to the navy wings charity, who have allowed curio spirits to use the iconic fly navy logo on the bottles. located near to rnas culdrose, curio spirits are keen to recognise the contribution of the fleet air arm over the past 100 years and were delighted to develop a special gin for the special anniversaries of the royal navy this year. curious by nature and curio by name, the genre-redefining craft spirits range from cornwall includes age-old ingredients to create tipples that are flavoursome with every sip.
Fly Navy Gin is available to buy online, at curiospiritscompany.co.uk RRP £36.99.
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{ Industry News }
GLOBAL INDUSTRY IT SPECIALIST CELEBRATES 40 YEARS csB-system aG, based in Geilenkirchen, Germany, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. starting out as a small team of consultants for the meat industry, csB has developed into a globally active iT enterprise for the entire process industry. Today the csB Group employs more than 600 members of staff, generates an annual sales volume of €77m, and is one of the largest ownermanaged software enterprises in europe. in 1975, Dr peter schimitzek created a software program to facilitate the implementation of guidelines for meat and meat products. Today, csB-system aG is the leading industry iT specialist for the process industries of food, beverages, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and trade. with its offering of software, hardware, services and business consulting from a single source, the company sees itself as an
innovation partner that creates a competitive edge for its customer base. The central focus of the company remains the optimisation of processes and products. The company has now deployed csB solutions at approximately 1,200 customers in 50 countries worldwide and, in 2016, csB was awarded the renowned erp system of the year award. in conjunction with its 40th anniversary, csB has published a book: 2027 – a look back at the future of innovation, which can be downloaded at www.csb.de/2027
Tel: +49 2451 625 430 www.csb.com
TRADITIONAL SNACK PACKED AT UNTRADITIONAL SPEEDS The installation of four ishida atlas integrated multihead weigher and bagmaker combinations at leading spanish snacks manufacturer facundo Blanco has delivered an increase in output per line of around 30%. ishida was the first company to fully integrate the design of bagmakers and multihead weighers, with the aim of optimising the interface between the two key machines involved in modern snack food packing. aimed at the crisps and extruded snacks segment, this technology also proved ideal for sunflowers, leading to facundo Blanco becoming the first company in spain to install the system. since then, three more have been added. “The ishida combination will pack up to 90 bags per minute,” says Technical Director, manuel arroyo luján of facundo Blanco. “This remains unsurpassed for sunflower seed packing, which is a relatively dusty process.” This dust also contains salt from the purification process. Despite this potentially corrosive mixture, the ishida machinery maintains accurate weighing, precise film control, timely stripping of product away from the seal zone, sealing and similar complex functions, all at high speed and over long periods. This dependable performance is of great importance to facundo Blanco.
Tel: 0121 607 7700 www.ishidaeurope.com
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{ Industry News }
PROSEAL REWARDED FOR BEST PRACTICE SEALING MASTERCLASS heat sealing specialist proseal has received a supplier award from sainsbury’s for its work with Dupont in running a series of ’sealing masterclasses’ to help the retailer deal more effectively with complaints about seal failures. according to sainsbury’s the initiative has resulted in a double-digit reduction in complaints. sealing is the cause of the majority of sainsbury’s packaging complaints, with typical issues including sealing breaches, sealing failures and even imploding seals. The sealing masterclass focuses on two key aspects of sealing: polymer science, how plastic film sticks to food trays; and good heat seal practices, including machine and heat seal tool design, tray material and good housekeeping for the machine and
tooling. “as a business double-digit complaint reduction is something that we rarely see,” explains Debbie parry, sainsbury’s Brand packaging Technologist. “The support that proseal and Dupont have given us with these masterclasses has been very much appreciated.” The companies received a special award at sainsbury’s recent supplier awards. proseal’s head of sales and control systems, Tony Burgess, comments: “sealing technology has advanced a great deal in recent years and proseal continues to be at the forefront of developments.”
Tel: 01625 856600 Email: info@prosealuk.com
PA HIRE SCHEME OFFERS FLEXIBLE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS To help businesses grow and adapt without tying up cash in machinery, packaging automation (pa) offers a hire scheme that allows customers to automate packing processes with minimal investment. entrylevel machines are available on short-term hire for seasonal products such as fruit, with a sealing tool for one-pack format on hire for a fixed weekly rate. after an initial sixmonth hire period, users can return the machine and stop making payments, keep the machine at a reduced weekly rate or upgrade for a small uplift in cost to a quicker machine with a sealing tool if demand is increasing. chicory crops, a small business packing gooseberries and cherries in punnets for marks & spencer, waitrose and Booths, worked closely with pa’s hire specialist lesley wakefield, who helped keep their costs down with a short-term hire package to suit the cherry season. This included a fully electric semi-automatic tray sealer and tools. Jake simpson, owner at chicory crops, commented: “The machine is simple and very easy to use. The service we have received from pa has been very good, the
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tools arrived when we agreed and the service team have been great. That said, the simplicity of a rotary machine means that we have very rarely had a service engineer on site. we have already recommended pa, there are a number of businesses in our situation and the hire of a rotary sealer is a great way to provide a heat sealing capability for a smaller business requiring flexibility. rotary machines are simple and, with the right operatives, can churn out a high pack rate for very little cost and complexity. They allow you to far more accurately match your production requirement to the capacity of your machine or machines meaning that you are more efficient if you don’t have a consistent production output throughout the season.” pa also offer advice, industry contacts and a free support service, including the preparation of sample packs in a test kitchen to help with the
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presentation of packed products to prospective customers.
Tel: 01565 755000 www.pal.co.uk
{ Industry News }
PACKS AT YOUR CONVENIENCE with continuing high demand for convenience packaging solutions, rpc Bebo uK has launched a selection of new packs in both polypropylene (pp) and peT suitable for a wide variety of products. The 60mm diameter pp pot – available in 45ml, 60ml and 75ml sizes – is ideal for dips, salads, fruit pieces and snack meals. The four compartment snap pp tray, with a 220ml brimful capacity per cavity, offers a convenient multipack solution for both food and non-food applications. all four compartments can be easily separated for individual servings or to stack in a cupboard. Both packs can be specified in a choice of materials – monolayer pp or ultra-high clarity ppure, and barrier pp/evoh/pp for long ambient shelflife products. They are
The Z101mm diameter straight-sided peT container, in 198ml, 262ml, 294ml and 391ml sizes, has also been designed for many types of food applications, including chilled products. it can be specified in coloured peT or off-set printed, subject to minimum order quantities, to help create brand differentiation and maximise on-shelf appeal. The container is suitable for direct food contact and a choice of lids is available. rpc Bebo uK can provide full technical support, including help with filling trials and the supply of portable sealing equipment. suitable for direct food contact, hot filling and high temperature processes such as sterilisation and pasteurisation. special grades are also available for microwave cooking and reheating.
Tel: 01536 272945 E-Mail: sales@rpc-bebo.com
STOATS EXPANDS SAINSBURY’S DISTRIBUTION WITH UK LISTINGS scottish oats company, stoats, has expanded its distribution with sainsbury’s, securing three uK listings with the major retailer for its porridge oat Bar multipacks. The new listings build upon two years of
brand growth within sainsbury’s scottish stores and will see distribution of three varieties of the best-selling porridge oat Bars increase to 292 stores across the uK. Tony stone, managing director at stoats,
commented: “we have a proven track record with sainsbury’s shoppers. our porridge oat Bars have the highest brand category repeat purchase rate, so we know it’s a product that sells well and it’s fantastic to be bringing our bars to even more retail outlets across the uK. They’re a great addition to the weekly family shop and really appeal to shoppers looking for premium products made with natural ingredients combined with convenience for busy lifestyles.” lydia atkinson, Buyer, impulse – confectionery, sainsbury's supermarkets ltd, said: “we’re really excited to be introducing the stoats range to our uK wide stores, so that not only can our scottish customers enjoy stoats porridge Bars, but our customers in england, wales, and northern ireland can enjoy these bars too. They are delicious bars, with unique flavours, so i encourage everyone to go out and try them!” multipacks (4 x 50g porridge oat Bars) of stoats Blueberry & honey, stoats raspberry & honey and stoats orange & Dark porridge oat Bars will be on shelf in sainsbury’s stores uK wide, from 8 october. The new listing builds upon strong national listings with Tesco, waitrose and morrisons.
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{ Christmas Focus }
Serving Up A Festive Feast From retail to food service to manufacturers, companies in the food and drink sector each have their own way of preparing for the Christmas market.
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hen do you start your christmas preparations? while turkey farmers start planning for the following christmas as the rest of us are still making sandwiches with this year’s leftovers, and restaurants start sending out special offers to encourage early christmas bookings around summer holiday time, retail outlets usually won’t put up their festive displays until after the Back to school signs have been taken down. not so selfridges on oxford street in london, which this year welcomed in santa claus to open its christmas department in July – a full 21 weeks ahead of christmas Day. Then, on 4 august, the store launched a capsule range of christmas food with a long shelf life, including a traditional christmas cake, an eggnog spread and festive biscuits. “This new extension to our usual offer is addressing this growing demand for convenience – domestic customers who love to christmas shop very early in the year to get it wrapped and taken off their
to-do list,” said eleanor Gregory, the company’s christmas Buyer. it’s also expected to appeal to those who are visiting london in the summer – whether tourists or expats – and want to stock up on traditional British christmas goods.
Convenience first with christmas being such a busy time, products that will make life easier on the day are often a popular choice. while some may prefer to make their stuffing, sauces and gravies from scratch, others prefer ready-to-cook options such as frozen yorkshire puddings and preprepared vegetables. The co-op, which will once again offer a frozen christmas meal Deal of main course and dessert for two for just £10, is also this year marketing its fresh christmas dinner box for two. comprising a ready-to-cook turkey, pigs in blankets, stuffing parcels, cranberry sauce and gravy, it retails at £12, with a separate vegetable pack for £3.
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{ Christmas Focus }
Traditional pubs and restaurant chains might be the obvious choice for those planning works’ outings or family get-togethers, but festiveinspired food will also be on offer in less obvious venues. Dining out at pizza express (www.pizzaexpress.com), this year’s christmas offer, available from 21 november, will include a roast dinner pizza, featuring roast beef rather than turkey, horseradish and sliced roast potatoes, all on a romana thin crust base. Those looking to splash out on their festive fare can head to northcote (www.northcote.com), the aa & visit england hotel of the year 2016/2017, located on the edge of the ribble valley in lancashire. The michelin star restaurant’s christmas Day menu features delicacies such as sevruga caviar, free-range herb-fed turkey breast and melting christmas pudding soufflé, preceded by a free-flowing louis roederer vintage 2009 champagne cocktail party, priced at £160 per head (£70 for children under 12).
Catering for Christmas when it comes to food service, preparation is key. according to steve Jeavons, purchasing Director at fairway foodservice (www.fairwayfoodservice.com), a network of independent food distributors servicing the catering industry, membership of such an organisation brings significant benefits when in the preparation phase for the festive period.
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September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
“not only will members benefit from a range of fairway foodservice own-brand products, something that is exclusive to them, but also with the whole range of branded products that are available,” he says. “in addition, we also have specific promotions and christmas features, as well as christmas planners and menu ideas that members will utilise to assist their customer planning.” promotions in the run-up to the christmas period are not limited to products, there’s also plenty of advice available, for example on catering for special diets. “we have a regular monthly promotion, but to cover the christmas period we run a special christmas promotion that runs from the start of november until the end of the year. all the products that our members feature will have numerous features and benefits that they can advise on, too – as well as menu ideas, this includes ingredient details to help with allergen and food intolerance information such as gluten free.” once the festive season is underway, it’s all about service. “provided all the preparation has been put in place with menus and products selected, the main issues will then be about service. This is where fairway foodservice members score really highly as service is what we are all about. it is absolutely vital all year
{ Christmas Focus }
round, not just during the festive season. The other factor is the weather and here again our members have an excellent record even in really adverse weather conditions.” food service providers can make a real point of difference by creating a christmas range with a wide range of products, including catering for special diets. Bidfood www.bidfood.co.uk has 750 products in this year’s festive range, with 120 added in as new options for 2017, more than 40 of which are gluten free. “while the holiday season is a time of indulgence, we also need to be mindful of different dietary requirements, such as free-from,” says Gail Bridgeman, campaign controller at Bidfood. “This has been a big focus for us over the last 12 months, which is why we’ve created the largest selection of gluten-free options to date and have a dedicated section for these items within our christmas brochure.”
Gifts galore when it comes to christmas gifts, specially packaged
food and drink offerings are always popular and companies look to boost sales with new product options. Divine chocolate (www.divinechocolate.com/uk), which is 45% owned by cocoa farmers, is launching new Black cherries, Brazil nuts and caramelised almonds gift bags, all of which are fairtrade. To encourage kids into the kitchen, fudge Kitchen (www.fudgekitchen.co.uk) has added a children’s fudge-making kit to its fudge in my Kitchen make-at-home range, just in time for the christmas gift market. adults may prefer the micro-distillery gininfused fudge selection boxes. all are hand-made by artisan staff, using traditional methods, authentic recipes and natural ingredients. meanwhile, steenbergs organic (www.steenbergs.co.uk), a north yorkshire family-run company offering ethically sourced spices, tea and cooking ingredients, has a new range of hand-blended old hamlet mulling spices, which can be purchased in a variety of gift formats, including inside a christmas cracker or as a boxed gift set.
Of course, many of those in the food and drink industry may find themselves working over the festive period. But whatever you are doing, we hope you find the time to eat, drink and be merry!
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{ Christmas Focus }
MR. CRUMB LAUNCHES ROASTED GARLIC & HERB STUFFING award winning irish stuffing manufacturer mr. crumb, is launching a fresh ’roasted Garlic & herb stuffing’ in time for the roast dinner and festive season. The launch is in response to increased consumer interest in more diverse flavour and vegetarian options and is suited to accompany a wide range of meat, fish and poultry dishes as well as vegetarian meals. The premium irish stuffing is handproduced in small batches and blends onions sautéed in real irish butter with real
pieces of roasted garlic and fresh breadcrumbs sourced from a local bakery. it can be cooked in the microwave in just 2.5 minutes or 12 minutes in the oven for a crispy finish, providing a convenient, flavour filled meal accompaniment to a whole variety of dishes. The stuffing is available in 225g trays and has an rsp of around £2. it’s sold in the chiller alongside meal accompaniments like yorkshire puddings in morrisons and all good independents.
AT-HOME WINE TASTING, THROUGH THE LETTERBOX, EVERY WEEK wine lovers will be smiling at christmas when they unwrap a wine subscription gift made available by Decanting club. This quirky subscription service delivers wine directly through people’s letterboxes in the uK and is the perfect gift for wine-loving family and friends. There’s no signing for packages, no picking up from neighbours! This gift of wine lands right on the doorstep in an envelope on a weekly basis. wine lovers will receive an envelope containing a specially-designed pouch, ready to open and pour. The pouch contains 150ml of that week’s specially-chosen wine to swirl, sniff and taste. They are constructed
The lucky recipient receives their first glass of quality wine the week immediately after they register using a unique code. wines alternate between red and white (and the occasional rosé), although reds-only and whites-only gifts are also available. once signed up, wine lovers can order more of the wines they’ve enjoyed and get discounted prices by the bottle or case. using strong, inert materials that don’t alter the taste of the wine in any way. Gift certificates can be sent for christmas, with prices starting at £25, and personal messages can be added at no extra cost.
Gift certificates can be purchased here: https://decanting.club/gift
FESTIVE FUDGE FLAVOURS FROM COPPERPOT ORIGINALS it’s the countdown to christmas! copperpot originals’ has reinvented two fantastic festive flavours of fudge, perfect for the winter season. created using copperpot originals’ flagship flavour, english Butter fudge as a base, sweet-treat lovers will be able to try apple & cinnamon Butter fudge and christmas spiced Butter fudge, available online from 1 october. apple & cinnamon Butter fudge has a deliciously sweet and spicy taste. The aromatic fudge
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both crumbles and melts in your mouth. perfect from autumn onwards the heartwarming sweet treat is great for hampers, stocking fillers and food-lovers! christmas spiced Butter fudge is rich and fruity, the taste of christmas in a deliciously sweet parcel. perfect for the festive season this new flavour not only makes a great gift but is also a moreish indulgence for those who love sweet treats. each cube is crammed to the corners
September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
with creamy butter, milk and golden syrup. each cube is batch-cooked and handbroken to crumble on the tongue with a melting buttery punch of fudgy deliciousness. made with natural flavours make sure you add a box of copperpot originals to your christmas list!
Visit copperpotoriginals.co.uk and indulge.
{ Christmas Focus }
JIMMY GARCIA ANNOUNCES THE LODGE ON THE RIVER AT LONDON’S SOUTHBANK CENTRE already the place to be when those winter chills kick in, this year at The south Bank centre there’ll be an even more stunning addition, a feast for both the eyes and the palette – Jimmy’s lodge on The river. created by the king of pop-ups, Jimmy Garcia, this ultimate alpine foodie retreat will be running from the 10th november – 31st December 2017 and will feature an indulgent fondue menu from ‘The refuge’ the first-floor restaurant, as well as in the private-dining ‘snow Globes’. on offer will also be a grab-and-go menu from the winter Grill downstairs for guests to take with them as they continue their stroll along the river under the stars. ‘The refuge’ is a tickets only upstairs dining experience which will serve mulled wine cured Gravalax salmon, Game Terrine on Brioche Toast and smoked Goat’s curd starters to share, followed by the traditional
alpine fondue served with a selection of artisan charcuterie, new potatoes, bread and salad. The downstairs winter Grill will serve grab and go dishes including the show-stopping raclette Burger, the wild Boar and apple hot Dog and ‘aspen fries’ topped with parmesan and Truffle oil. Jimmy's lodge is situated in the most picture-perfect location, overlooking the river Thames and the timeless buildings of london. Getting into the festive spirit, a cosy, two-storey cabin has been built with
wooden cladding and gifted with the best views south of the river. There is also a heated riverside alpine Bar, with fire-pits, a canopy roof and an array of delectable hot toddies and cocktails – perfect to keep guests hands warm as they gaze out upon the capital. possibly the most exciting feature of The lodge on The river is the inclusion of the insta-worthy 'snow Globes'; four gorgeous private dining domes available to book for up to 10 people per dome. These are the ideal alternative option for a group gettogether or a staff christmas meal. The snow Globes will be serving a set menu that features a trio of canapés followed by traditional alpine fondue as well as the option of côte de Boeuf to share, with charred broccoli, salted almonds and chili butter.
IT’S GIN-GLE ALL THE WAY FOR EDEN MILL DISTILLERY AS THEY LAUNCH 12 GINS OF CHRISTMAS Gin lovers are being treated to a very merry christmas thanks to the launch of a
gift set of advent-urous miniatures from eden mill distillery. 12 Gins of christmas
features the results of a year’s experimentation from the entire eden mill team, with each miniature expression handpicked from a number of recipes trialled and created onsite at the st andrews distillery. The set – priced at £69 – sees established eden mill favourites original Gin, love Gin, hop Gin and Golf Gin joined by some festive flavours – including mulled Gin, orange and clove Gin and after Dinner Gin. other flavours include the caribbeaninspired slackwater Gin, cardamom-infused rai Gin, the mediterranean Botano Gin and the so-called ‘juniper monster’, the Juniper Trio Gin. To meet demand, the team has doubled production this year with 20,000 12 Gins of christmas sets ready to be dispatched to gift-hunters from the newly relaunched edenmill.com, John lewis stores and online as well as the eden mill distillery shop in st andrews.
September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
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{ Labelling & Packaging Focus }
NEW INK IS IDEAL FOR OILY APPLICATIONS linx printing Technologies has widened its range of specialist inks with the introduction of a new formula that meets the challenges of coding onto oily surfaces. linx Black oilpenetrating ink 1062 is able to print effectively through light layers of oil onto a wide range of materials, including plastics, metal, glass and waxy surfaces. linx 1062 ink also provides good adhesion on oriented polypropylene (opp) and other plastic films, making it ideal for a variety of food applications. compatible with the full range of linx 8900 printers, linx 1062 ink is an meK-based ink with a fast drying time of one to two seconds that is able to adhere to substances with an oily or greasy film to deliver reliable long-term code durability. it offers excellent
contrast and legibility on transparent and pale coloured materials, and is able to resist a range of oils including engineering cutting fluid, petroleum and kerosene. its heatresistant properties also ensure good code
legibility after autoclaving or cooking processes. Typical applications include canned foods and packaging film for flow wrap, pouches and bags in food sectors such as meat, bakery and confectionery. “our new linx Black oil-penetrating ink 1062 has identified and overcome the perennial challenge of coding onto oily surfaces,” explains charles randon, senior product manager at linx. “This latest addition to our range of inks broadens the options available to our customers to ensure they can achieve consistently reliable and long-lasting codes, however challenging the application.”
www.linxglobal.com
AVERY WEPRINT STUDY REVEALS THE POWER OF A LABEL Big brands today spend a fortune on emotive marketing campaigns and it’s because they know that when it comes to human decision-making, emotion trumps reason. But just how do you ensure a product on the shelf reaches the consumer on an emotional level? This was something labelling experts avery weprint set out to answer, with an in-depth psychological study on the power of persuasive product labels. from snacks and food-to-go to jars of cooking sauce, on a crowded shelf, what does a product label need to cut through the noise? eye-tracking experiments confirmed that bright colours and large labels encourage consumers to stop and look; while bold lines, borders and stripes mean that a label could be viewed 42% more than plainer labels nearby. once you have a consumer’s attention, the best way to hold it and convert it into a desired outcome (like a purchase or a positive opinion of a brand) is to make the brain think and engage with the product. This can be achieved through emotion, priming, heuristics (helpful decision-making shortcuts) and curiosity. The full report from avery weprint (available at www.avery.co.uk/labelstories) delves into the detail of these tools but here are just a few
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key insights: • There is a sudden spike in brain activity when we encounter something which needs to be ’worked out’. Teaser labels that engage the brain and pose a question can increase response rates by threefold. • humans have a natural tendency to notice anything unexpected, novel or bizarre. so aim to raise eyebrows and challenge conventions. • consumers are prepared to pay more money for products with labels that convey a message of quality, such as business awards and accreditations or simply a high-quality label material. • emotion trumps reason and humans can’t help but pay attention to emotion and the use of an emotive word like ’love’ or ’pride’. while an emotive image made people spend 13% longer looking at the product. • use heuristics, these are mental shortcuts the brain
September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
uses for quick decision-making and they play a key role in purchasing decisions. Tell the brain your product is the best with endorsements, clever use of symbols such as a tick, and careful use of colour. for example, using the colour green communicates the message to ’go’, ’proceed’ or ’choose’.
See the full report on the Avery website and put the findings into practice by designing your own persuasive product labels with Avery WePrint at https://weprint.avery.co.uk
{ Labelling & Packaging Focus }
MONDI WINS GERMAN PACKAGING AWARD 2017 FOR BOOSTING CONSUMER CONVENIENCE WITH CORNERPACK mondi consumer Goods packaging received the German packaging award 2017 (Deutscher verpackungspreis) in the ‘functionality and convenience’ category. The competition - organised annually by the German packaging institute (Deutsches verpackungsinstitut – dvi) - recognised the company for its innovative easy opening solution, cornerpack. in response to european consumers’ growing appetite for snacks on the go, mondi’s consumer packaging r&D innovation team and mondi solec in poland developed a new packaging solution that focuses on convenience. The majority of conventional foil packaging is opened by tearing along a perforated corner. however, this often not only results in product spillage but also in openings that are either too large or too small. This prompted mondi to design a bag with multiple easy-to-use openings.
Based on consumer feedback, mondi devised semi-circular, parallel scoring lines on both sides in the bag’s upper corners to indicate the different opening options. consumers simply open the packaging as usual, as the tear automatically follows the scoring line, which facilitates easy product delivery. By pre-punching the scoring lines, mondi
eliminated uncontrolled tears and product spillage. on top of that, the new design does not require additional instructions on how to open the packaging: the scoring lines run around the full width of the bag - starting in the corner, which means opening the product is highly intuitive. The panel of judges was particularly impressed by the smart design of the tear lines. moreover, the scoring lines can easily be applied to the majority of popular flexible packaging (Bopp and met/Bopp films) without requiring additional changes to existing production lines. oliver sperber, chief innovation officer mondi consumer packaging, commented: “we are honoured to be receiving this award for the second year in a row and consider it as a recognition of our commitment to develop convenient packaging solutions that simplify the lives of consumers every day.”
CEETAK – QPH SEALING SYSTEM CONTINUES TO REDUCE FILM COSTS AND IMPROVE LINE EFFICIENCIES with ceetak sealing solutions, 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 and 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 phil hyde, product manager 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
September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
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{ UCC Q&A }
Food and Drink News went behind the scenes with UCC to find out more about the business and their passion for coffee. The family-run, global coffee network expertly produces and distributes customised coffees, award-winning machines and essential supporting services for the retail and out-of-home market. They are a leading force across six European countries – France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. We caught up with Phil Smith, Head of Category & Insight, UCC Coffee UK & Ireland to tell us more.
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{ UCC Q&A }
You recently made two new additions to your Black&White range, exclusively to the UK market. What has the feedback been like from your UK customers? “feedback has been extremely positive – the Black&white4c with under-counter refrigeration is perfect for operators that want to serve a quality coffee with very tight constraints on counter space. it’s a machine for lower volume operators but still packs a punch when it comes to drink variety. “The addition of syrup modules and chocolate to the machine through the Black&white4c with integrated powder and flavour station, while retaining such a small frame, is unique. “what really sets Black&white apart is that it is quality-focused through its entire range. so the new models benefit from the same build quality and features as the larger models.”
In February 2017, we saw reports that consumer spending in the UK had gone down but the number of coffee shops increased dramatically. Why do you think coffee bucks the trend? “coffee is an affordable treat in people’s daily routine. it’s one of life’s little luxuries, but has grown into a mainstream habit. coffee has been a strong sector since the late 1990s and has been in continual growth ever since. as a product it can be easily adapted for new sectors, and it’s relatively simple as a non-coffee-
specialist business to tag it on to your existing offer to deliver a delicious drink. Get the quality right and coffee can be used to drive incremental sales particularly through quiet parts of the day.”
The UK coffee market is expected to grow by 29% in the next five years to £4.3bn. How do you think UCC can capitalise on this? “we believe in partnering with customers, which is more than just supplying a box of coffee. we’re highly experienced throughout all sectors of the hospitality industry and by ensuring we maximise our partners’ coffee sales, we can grow alongside them. “our powerful combination of insight, the finest fresh-roasted beans, roasted here in the uK, and stateof-the-art coffee machines makes us the market leader in delivering a total coffee solution. The way we support businesses to achieve consistently exceptional coffee is what makes us unique and sets us apart from all other coffee businesses in the market.”
Which is your biggest coffee brand in the UK? “lyons is our biggest consumer brand and Grand café, which was recently relaunched with fresh new packaging, is our largest in the out of home market. sustainably sourced, Grand café is our go-to brand for ethically aware businesses.”
“What really sets Black&White apart is that it is quality-focused through its entire range. So the new models benefit from the same build quality and features as the larger models.”
September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
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{ Innovative Bites }
The Sweet Taste of Success Providing a route to market for American imports and British sweets and snacks, the Innovative Bites Group is fast becoming a one-stop shop for confectionery in the UK.
h
ershey’s Kisses, hostess Twinkies, reese’s peanut Butter cups, cookie Dough Bites – all familiar confectionery brands to anyone who has travelled to the states; all among the thousands of products imported into the uK by the innovative Bites Group. not only does the company provide a key route to market for us confectionery, cereals, snacks, spreads and other general groceries through its american wholesale division, but innovative Bites has also recently made a number of key acquisitions as part of a long-term strategy to become the uK’s leading supplier of confectionery. The purchase of confectionery company Bonds of london and wholesale sweet supplier hancocks has allowed the company to diversify and facilitated its growth to a £200m turnover business. Today it supplies asda, morrisons, sainsbury’s, Tesco,
The co-operative and waitrose, as well as the merlin Group, vue cinemas, mccoll’s retail Group and a wide range of discounters and wholesalers. “we want to become a one-stop shop for confectionery in the uK,” says founder Director, vishal madhu. “whatever people need, we want to be their solution for it across confectionery categories. at the same time, we also want to be a route-to-market business. we now have the ability to reach a substantial number of retail points through our 50,000 customers. our route to market and our reach is going to be an incredibly important part of our business moving forward, and it’s something that we are going to be expanding.”
A little history after completing his masters at Brunel in 2005, vishal madhu worked as an account manager for a large food
September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
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{ Innovative Bites }
supplier, where he gained valuable experience in the food sector. he founded innovative Bites in 2008 and started trading in 2010, importing new york style pitta chips to customers including harvey nichols. The product range and customer base expanded rapidly, and he soon left his day job to focus full-time on the new venture. originally established as an importer and distributer of american branded food and drink products to the retail trade, innovative Bites now looks after the large accounts with the multiples, discounters and wholesalers, with its american wholesale division handling supply to independent customers who run their own retail outlets or chains.
Expansion and acquisition while the company saw plenty of early success, it soon became clear to vishal madhu that the best way to achieve his goal of rapid growth was through acquisition. in april 2016, the business acquired Bonds of london, a British confectionery company established in 1895. “The reasoning for the acquisition was to reduce risk and gain new customers and products,” says vishal madhu. “it also gave us the ability to create private label
products for customers from our own packaging operation within innovative Bites.” at this point, another opportunity materialised; this time to acquire hancocks. originally a family-run business established in the midlands in 1962, hancocks had grown to become the largest confectionery wholesaler in the uK. The purchase of hancocks holdings brought with it an online wholesale sweet shop and 20 hancocks cash and carries located across the uK, from Dundee down to portsmouth. incorporated within hancocks were two further businesses: Bobby’s and uK sweets. founded in 1972, Bobby’s now operates 11 depots with 90 delivery vans, supplying around 23,000 customers at local stores and businesses across the uK with sweets, snacks and cakes. loughborough-based uK sweets is a leading confectionery wholesaler and home of the high-quality royale confectionery brand.
A few facts and figures Today, the innovative Bites Group has a turnover of £200m, employs around 800 people and sells to approximately 50,000 individual customers. with the 20 hancocks cash and carries, 11 Bobby’s depots, various head offices, including the group’s head office in london’s haymarket, repacking houses and a
The purchase transformed the business in one fell swoop from a £23m turnover operation in 2015 to a £42m business at the moment of purchase in April 2016. By the end of 2016, the group was reporting further growth to £48m.
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{ Innovative Bites }
brand new 105,000 sq ft premises opened earlier this year, the business now has almost 40 sites across the uK. “at the moment, we’ve just put five businesses together and we are carrying out work to ensure that they are all dancing to the same tune,” explains vishal madhu. “currently it’s about synergising the business correctly, spending time on our systems to make sure they are right and, at the same time, making sure that our people are aligned across our entire group in the right way. when you look at confectionery, we are now the specialists in sugar confectionery; there is nobody as big as us within the uK landscape. The vision i have for the future is about what we are going to achieve by putting all of these businesses together. That’s the big question.” There’s also an export division within the group, selling British confectionery to various retailers around the globe as well as independent distributors across mainland europe and beyond. when it comes to marketing, there is a broad approach, from gaining insights through category analysis to attending events and exhibitions. “from the perspective of where our business now stands, for any new product that we launch, we already have a route to market,” says vishal madhu. “we just have to plug into every channel in which we already sell and automatically we get distribution. whereas our suppliers come to us to sell their products so that they can reach the markets that we are in.”
Product range and diversification while supplying the big brands from the us continues to be an important part of the business, developing own brand products will also be key moving forward. “we’re the driving force and an excellent route to market for american goods in the uK,” says vishal madhu. “But an integral part of where we want to grow the business is with our own asset base; this is effectively how we want to take the business forward.” recent new product launches include Biscolata and chocolate Buddy. “Biscolata is chocolate with vanilla inside, similar to the meiji hello panda biscuits. chocolate Buddy is going head on with reese’s peanut Butter cups, but the benefit of our product is that it’s manufactured to suit the British palate with Belgian chocolate. The way we look at it is that we want to bring products to the market that suit the local palate, while taking on board the innovation that happens around the world." other new products include Baking Buddy mega marshmallows and Breakfast Buddy cereal. “at the moment there is no cereal in the uK with freeze dried marshmallows apart from lucky charms. we’ve
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September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
designed Breakfast Buddy, which has got freeze dried marshmallows, no artificial colours and no Gm products, to create a fun, but slightly healthier product.” a strong believer that confectionery should be about fun, vishal madhu is also keen on developing ranges such as hancock’s own-label crazy candy factory. “it’s not your normal big bag of jellies or gummies, it’s a bit more fun. so you’ll have a toy in there, which also becomes a portion control element for the confectionery. it’s our way of looking at how we can help with the way the market is moving towards managing their intake levels and develop our products accordingly.”
An eye on the future while aware of the pressure on sugar consumption, vishal madhu says that research points to the uK’s £6bn sugar confectionery market remaining stable over the coming years. “There might be a slight change in consumer habits, looking for healthier options, but any major change is a long way away and people are still going to want sweets. otherwise, where is the fun?”
Tel: 020 3026 0230 www.hancocks.co.uk and www.americanwholesale.co.uk
September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
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{ Krehalon }
Flovac films utilising flowrap technology for Shrink Bag Replacement (SBR™).
Form Shrink films utilising thermoforming technology for Shrink Bag Replacement (SBR™).
Preserving Quality Together Food packaging supplier Krehalon launching new revolutionary shrink films to the fresh meat market
K
rehalon are delighted to announce the launch of the new secondary seal (ssl™) high barrier shrink bag and film technology to the fresh red meat market. This innovation uses special materials to allow the inner packaging layers to fuse together through the normal production process of vacuum packing and hot water shrinkage, creating the unique ssl™ pack presentation. coupling this revolutionary technology with Krehalon’s current patented shrink film structure provides a range of key benefits and helps achieve the perfect ‘skin tight’ pack. for retail applications, this ‘skin tight’ presentation is maintained throughout the life of the product with no post-shrink relaxation and a decrease in drip in the ears of the pack. for some applications, total removal of the blood pad has been achieved, resulting in
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September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
considerable cost reductions and a decline in overall customer complaints, including reduction in ‘confinement’ vacuum pack odour. using this technology for primal applications has also resulted in reduced pack leaker rates and potential yield, blood loss and shelf life benefits. moreover, ssl™ is the perfect enhancement for automated shrink Bag replacement (sBr™) applications. according to Krehalon, combining ssl™ with sBr™ will provide a ‘step change’ in pack presentation. ssl™ is well-suited for automated packing, particularly flovac applications. flovac is an automated inline system which replaces manual bag loading operations. The system is conveyor-fed and enables every product to be measured before packing so that each bag is made to the optimum size of each
{ Krehalon }
Form Shrink SSL™ Pack format.
For retail applications, this ‘skin tight’ presentation is maintained throughout the life of the product with no post-shrink relaxation and a decrease in drip in the ears of the pack. product, allowing for precise material-to-product ratio. The system offers exceptional cost savings through minimised material waste and pack leakers, reduced labour costs and improved efficiency. in short, driving down real pack costs whilst improving pack presentation. extensive ssl™ trials are currently ongoing in key fresh meat markets in europe, australia, south america and russia where some of the largest beef and pork producers have expressed strong interest in the ssl™ concept due to the blood yield advantages and potential shelf life extension benefits it offers over standard shrink products. Krehalon has already secured many key customer accounts as a result of the successful trials which are proving all the commercial benefits of this new development. contact Krehalon via info@krehalonuk.co.uk and request your complementary ssl™ sample pack, outlining the key benefits of this exciting new development.
Further information on SSL™ is also available at www.krehalon.com
September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
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{ Bob Bon Buddies }
Disney Gets Fruity With New Character-Inspired Fruitickles Disney, in partnership with Bon Bon Buddies, has launched Fruitickles - a new product made with 100% fruit product - in line with its healthier approach to eating strategy. The fruitickles range, which counts towards a child’s five-a-day and contains no added sugar, features characters from popular Disney franchises, including Disney princess, Disney frozen, Disney pixar cars 3, marvel’s spider-man and star wars. The collection was specifically developed by Bon Bon Buddies to comply with Disney’s nutritional guidelines to be more balanced for children and provide families with a nutritionally better option than comparable products in the marketplace. fruitickles, which are available in asda, sainsbury’s and Tesco, come in various sizes from grab and go consumption packs, multipacks as well as surprise capsules and surprise Bags. available in mixed strawberry, orange and blackcurrant flavours, each portion has no added sugar, no artificial flavours or colours, is a source of fibre and is suitable for vegetarians and the gluten intolerant. The collection was developed and designed by south wales-based Bon Bon Buddies, europe’s premier provider of character and branded confectionery, which
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is also responsible for making sure it is stocked in shops throughout the uK and internationally. Justin Thomas, managing Director of Bon Bon Buddies, said: “our team has worked extremely hard to develop fruitickles, making sure it embodies creativity and fun, so it will be appealing to children while also being a healthier choice to more traditional alternatives. “creating fruitickles has been a journey that we’ve put our heart and soul into, from scouring the globe for the best natural ingredients to designing a fruity product that will excite Disney fans and children everywhere.” in 2006, Disney became the first major global media company to establish clear nutritional guidelines as part of its on-going commitment to developing healthier food for children, using its brands and characters. The company sees this as an innovative way to encourage families to make better choices about their eating habits.
{ 1Stop Halal }
Improving The Halal Supply Chain The number one halal brand in the UK, Shazans, is now supplying all the major multiples through an integrated fresh meat supply chain: 1Stop Halal They began by making samosas in their kitchen, launching the shazan brand in 2000. Today the ayyub family presides over a successful business that supplies pre-packed fresh poultry, lamb and beef, and manufactures frozen snacks – handmaking up to 20 million individual samosas a year, plus rolls, kebabs and added-value frozen products. in 2004, the business was approached by asda to launch frozen samosas in selected stores, and in 2014, the four major multiples relaunched their fresh meat ranges and category sales doubled. since 2016, the company has run in-store halal butcheries in Tesco and morrisons and by the end of
MRCT have been delivering chilled food products since 1969. From the innovative beginnings of refrigerated containers fixed to flatbed trailers to the purpose-built vehicles of today’s modern fleet we have been serving customers of all sizes for nearly 50 years.
We are pleased to be associated with 1Stop Halal and wish them continued success for the future. Moores Refrigeration Controlled Transport Limited
Potash Lane, Mid Suffolk Business Park, Eye, Suffolk IP23 7HE Tel: 01379 871500
www.mrct.co.uk
2017 it will have 45 stores. recently, shazan’s select was launched in morrisons, which has seen over 20% growth, and other customers include amazon, Kfc in the uK, halal accreditation bodies hfa and hmc, and, since June 2017, iceland stores. To cater for the growing demand for halal meat, 1stop halal was launched in 2013, creating a leading integrated fresh meat supply chain with the highest level of independent religious compliance for supermarkets, delivered through the trusted established brand of shazans. with retail sales currently standing at around £40m, shazans is the number one halal brand in the uK. Behind the brand lies many years of customer insight and retail experience, now supported by the 1stop halal integrated supply chain, and a team comprising more than 400 employees. The past 12 months has seen investment of more than £1.5m to upgrade the company’s fresh poultry abbatoir and retail packing facility at eye in suffolk and its fresh red meat packing facility and frozen addedvalue snacks production factory in preston, lancashire. research and development has also led to the launch in June of skin-pack technology for red meat products, designed to reduce waste – an important element of packaging today. “our plans moving forward are to drive standards, help our customers achieve a bigger market share of the halal sector and improve our business every single day for our partners,” says steve ewels. “we’d also like to cement our position as the halal partner of choice for our customers and as the number one halal brand in the uK.”
Tel: 01379 870661
September/October 2017 Food & Drink News
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