Ulster Grocer April 2020

AS GOOD TODAY AS IT’S ALWAYS BEEN

N O. 1 M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E LO C A L G R O C E R Y S E C TO R

GROCER

APRIL 2020

ULSTER

TM

Over 45 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

STORMONT URGED TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT FOOD RETAILERS

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etail NI has urged the NI Executive to go further in supporting local businesses facing immense pressure as well as safety concerns and childcare provision amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Retail NI members and their staff are on the front line ensuring that people are able to buy food and other vital products,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI. “They are putting their own health at risk to serve their communities. There is a huge shortage of hand sanitisers, which our staff urgently need to protect their health and to continue to provide this frontline service. Ministers need to act on this.

“Our members’ staff are designated as key workers and we have been picking up from them that they are being given differing information from schools which are providing childcare facilities.

“Retail NI does appreciate the assistance of the schools in providing childcare for key workers, but this inconsistency needs to be addressed so that key workers in healthcare, retail and other sectors who are providing front-line essential services for us all, can do their jobs and not have the additional stress of childcare to worry about.

“We also urgently need the 100%

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MESSAGES OF SUPPORT: WHOLESALE GROUPS AND FOOD & DRINKS SUPPLIERS EXTEND THEIR GRATITUDE TO RETAIL WORKERS AND OUTLINE THEIR MEASURES TAKEN TO BATTLE COVID-19

small business rate relief for one year, which is available in the rest of the UK, to be implemented and the immediate establishment of the £10,000 and £25,000 Covid-19 grant support scheme.

“Given that the 2020 rates revaluation unfairly penalised independent retailers with excessive increases of up to 50%, Retail NI has requested that the Executive postpones or even cancels it to support our members through this truly challenging time.”

Infrastructure Minister Nicola Mallon’s relaxation of delivery drivers’ permitted hours of operation was, meanwhile, welcomed by Retail NI.

SHOP RESPONSIBLY MESSAGE ISSUED TO CONSUMERS

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he Consumer Council and Northern Ireland Retail Consortium have come together in a joint plea to ask consumers to “be considerate” and stop over-buying food and other products.

“We recognise that many people in Northern Ireland are rightly worried about the spread of coronavirus, and everyone understands why this has led to over-buying in our supermarkets and other grocery shops,” said John French, chief executive at The Consumer Council.

“However, following discussions with the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, The Consumer Council are reassured that empty shelves at supermarkets will not occur if households undertake their normal shopping patterns, and only buy what they usually need.”

POSTPONED EVENTS Aodhán Connolly, director, Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, said: “Overbuying is unfortunately causing unnecessary

challenges for retailers. Supermarkets have MARCH 24-26 enough products to go around, but they are under pressure with this sudden increase in demand.

“Food retailers are focusing all their efforts on getting as much food onto their MAY 13-16 shelves as possible, and we would therefore ask that consumers work with retailers at this time, and only buy what they need.”

A Coronavirus Factsheet is available MAY 22 at https://www.consumercouncil.org.uk/ coronavirus

IFEX

NOV 17-19

BALMORAL SHOW AUG 19-22

GROCERS’ BALL

SEPT 11

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MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE:

25-29

CRISPS, NUTS & SNACKS:

WITH A LOCKDOWN IN PLACE ACROSS WITH CHRISTINE TACON, WHO MONITORS THE UK & IRELAND, EVERY NIGHT HAS BECOME A BIG NIGHT IN; UG COVERS & ENFORCES ADHERENCE TO THE CODE THE LATEST ACTIVITY IN THE SNACKING OF PRACTICE BY THE UK’S 13 LARGEST CATEGORY GROCERY RETAILERS

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NEW TOBACCO REGULATIONS: DUNCAN CUNNINGHAM AT IMPERIAL TOBACCO AND BLU OUTLINES HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE MENTHOL BAN COMING INTO FORCE IN THE UK ON MAY 20

email: info@ulstergrocer.com Volume 55, Number 4 APRIL 2020

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

www.ulstergrocer.com

APPLAUDING THE GROCERY SECTOR FOR ITS BRAVERY, RESILIENCE & FLEXIBILITY

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y goodness, what a difference a month makes.

In my editorial comment for the March edition, I only briefly mentioned Covid-19 at the end of the piece. At the time of writing, the first case had just been confirmed in Northern Ireland.

Not yet declared a pandemic, the situation still seemed far removed from most people’s reality in Northern Ireland.

Well I don’t need to tell you times have changed. At the time of writing, Northern Ireland is sitting at 241 confirmed cases and 10 deaths and the Belfast Telegraph headlines outline preparations for a ‘surge’. The situation is horrific, and our thoughts are with the bereaved, those fighting the virus and the NHS and other front-line staff working to protect people and save lives.

Unexpectedly finding themselves on the front line as well are grocery shop workers. While everyone who can do so has bunkered down to work from home, retail staff have no such luxury.

Not only do they have to report to their workplace, they suddenly find themselves in an extremely precarious situation of face-to-face contact with customers, handling their produce and money. And many of those customers are highly stressed, panic buying and equally afraid of contact with other customers and staff.

It’s a very uncomfortable situation all round, albeit one the retail groups are doing everything they can to alleviate with stringent hygiene and social distancing measures as our news stories outline.

Positive stories of community spirit and support are also emerging, with both retail staff and shoppers going out of their way to help vulnerable people.

It’s not only shops facing additional pressures and challenges, of course, with kudos also due to the entire agri-food chain including farmers, manufacturers,

suppliers, and ancillary service and logistics providers for keeping things moving and the nation fed and watered.

Many food processors are ramping up production to keep up with demand and offering jobs to other sectors having to shut down such as hospitality.

Just as the nation came out on their doorsteps last night (at time of writing) to applaud the NHS, Ulster Grocer applauds the grocery sector for its bravery, resilience and flexibility.

Stay safe.

Alyson Magee

UGMA 2020 POSTPONED T

he Grocers’ Ball, held annually in aid of the GroceryAid charity and featuring the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards, has been postponed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Originally scheduled for May 22, a new date of September 11 has been set for the Grocers’ Ball, while the venue will remain the Culloden Hotel and Spa. Entry has closed for the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards 2020, which again attracted a record number of competitors across the categories.

However, the judging day has been postponed and all entries safely stored for review by the panel at a later date.

Depending on the situation moving forward, it is likely the shortlist will now run in our Summer 2020 edition.

Many thanks to all those who entered, and our category sponsors.

We appreciate your patience.

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NEWS

MUSGRAVE ROLLS OUT SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES A

range of social distancing measures have been implemented to safeguard customers and staff in Musgrave’s 200-plus SuperValu, Centra and MACE stores and MarketPlace branches experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Our customers will begin to notice a number of changes that we are introducing as part of our social distancing and preventative measures,” said Michael McCormack, managing director of Musgrave in Northern Ireland.

“When entering stores, customers will see reminders about social distancing at the entrance, along with hand sanitisers and we will have staff to manage the number of people going in-store. There will be limitations on the number of customers allowed in store at any one time, depending on the store size. We would ask people to bear with us and respect the directions given in-store.

“Once in-store, we would ask everyone to respect each other’s space and avoid contact with other customers by observing a social distance of two metres. At checkouts, customers may notice tape on the floor, or signs showing them how far to stay apart from each other in the queue.

“Where possible, we are asking customers to use contactless payments or mobile phone payments for larger purchases; and to observe any directions given in-store over the tannoy, or as directed by signage.”

New social distancing measures in place in SuperValu Lisburn.

Protective screens are being rolled out across the network, and stores are working hard to provide additional support to elderly and less able customers.

Musgrave has also been working closely with the NI Executive, and retail and food industry bodies, to ensure its stores can continue to meet the demand and ensure that families across Northern Ireland can put food on the table every day.

GREAT TASTE ORGANISER URGES SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENTS

NFRN LAUNCHES SHOP LOCAL, T SHOP LITTLE CAMPAIGN A poster campaign, Shop Local, Shop Little, has been launched by the Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN), urging shoppers across the UK and Ireland to support independent retailers as Covid-19 continues to spread. Copies of the posters will be mailed out to all 15,000 member stores.

“In unprecedented challenging trading conditions, we want to remind shoppers to support their local shops,” said Stuart Reddish, national president.

“Independent retailers play a critical role in their communities. We help raise much needed funds for local charities, we give young people their first jobs, we home deliver newspapers, magazines and much more and we keep a watchful eye out for the elderly, disabled and more vulnerable people in society.

“We are already hearing stories about how NFRN members are going above and beyond to help their customers.

“As the poster says, independent retailers are working hard with their suppliers to supply their customers’ food and household needs during this difficult period.

“Many of our members also offer a delivery service and will be happy to deliver to the elderly and vulnerable and those who are self isolating.”

he Guild of Fine Food, organiser of Great Taste, Shop of the Year and the World Cheese Awards, is calling for consumers across the UK and Ireland to get behind their local independents.

An online resource has been added to the Guild’s existing website, to assist retailers and producers in following the government’s latest Covid-19 guidelines.

With supermarkets and national delivery services being the main beneficiaries of recent panic buying, the information hub is intended to help delis, grocers, farm shops and cheesemongers adapt to the new economic and social environment.

As the supply of groceries continues to come under pressure during this period of social distancing, the Guild hopes that fast action from independents can position them as a big part of the solution and make it easy for consumers to support them during these challenging times.

The Guild of Fine Food’s Covid-19 support resource is open to all and can be accessed at gff.co.uk/support.

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NEWS

HENDERSON GROUP REASSURES STAFF AND SHOPPERS N orthern Ireland’s biggest community retailer has introduced several new precautions and procedures into its stores to protect staff and shoppers

SUBWAY CLOSES ALL STORES IN UK & IRELAND

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ubway has authorised all its franchise partners in the UK and Ireland to close their stores and counters from March 23.

“I’d like to thank our loyal guests, franchise owners, their Sandwich Artists and all employees who have supported the brand through this unprecedented situation,” said Colin Hughes, country director, UK & Ireland. “We believe closing the stores is the right thing to do. By supporting social distancing, we can help protect not just our loyal guests, dedicated franchise owners and Sandwich Artists, but the wider communities they serve.”

Hughes urged franchisees to donate any leftover subs to local community groups and emergency workers.

to provide social distancing.

Since then, the retailer has closed its deli counters, aside from a controlled and limited hot food menu; during the Covid-19 communal seating areas; outbreak. customer toilets; and Subway Henderson Group, counters. owner of the SPAR, “As a GovernmentEUROSPAR and VIVO designated essential brands in Northern retail store, we know our Ireland, supplying to responsibility regarding over 450 stores here, protecting those who enter has said it is on the front our stores, but we also know line in its communities our shoppers need to work and doing everything it with us as much as possible to can to keep shoppers give everyone the maximum Paddy Doody, sales and marketing safe and stocked up. protection possible,” said director, Henderson Group.

“Since the rapid Doody. progression of the Henderson Retail stores are Covid-19 outbreak, many businesses now closing from 9pm daily to allow for have had to adapt during a time of staff breaks and the replenishment of uncertainty when advice was changing stock. Perspex screens are being installed every hour,” said Paddy Doody, sales and at checkouts and contactless payment is marketing director, Henderson Group. encouraged, with the Group welcoming “We immediately set up an incident the announcement of the contactless team internally to put measures into limit increasing to £45 from April 1. place to protect our staff and shoppers.”

Henderson Group has redeployed Initial measures included mandatory many head office staff to work with hand washing breaks for staff; front line colleagues on shop floors, and heightened hygiene protocols invited applications from those who throughout the store, especially at have recently lost their jobs. high touch points; product purchase Many stores are also providing a restrictions; and a new queueing system delivery service.

FARMERS SEEK REINSTATEMENT OF FAIR RHI TARIFF UFU CREATES COVID-19 in an incredibly volatile market at the lster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has FAQ DOCUMENT TO HELP present time and many have been called for Economy Minister Diane MEMBERS struggling financially for years because Dodds to seek urgent repeal of the

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Northern Ireland Regional Rates and Energy Act 2019 and reinstate a tariff structure reflective of the costs associated with running a biomass boiler.

Its call follows publication of the RHI Inquiry Report, which found no evidence of corruption but criticised the behaviour of some ministers and special advisers as ‘wholly inappropriate’.

Sir Patrick Coghlin’s report into the cash-for-ash scandal, which resulted in the collapse of Stormont in January 2017, was published on March 13. A public inquiry was established after revelations materialised of widespread abuse in relation to the uncapped subsidies.

However, UFU says many farmers who acted in good faith have been left with their businesses facing short and long-term financial problems through no fault of their own.

“Farming businesses are operating 6

of the RHI scheme,” said Victor Chesnutt, deputy president, UFU. “Numerous UFU members have been selling stock and land, making all the adjustments they can to keep their heads above water but for some that hasn’t been enough. There are UFU members dealing with the reality that the RHI scheme could end their business.

“The recent public inquiry report into the scheme clarified that the failure lies wholly with the politicians and officials.

Now is the time for DfE to right some of these wrongs. An urgent review of the current RHI tariff is essential to stabilise farm family businesses who invested in the scheme, allowing them to move forward.”

In April 2019, RHI tariff cuts were introduced by the DfE as a solution to their own problem, says UFU, with the cuts adding further financial pain to businesses already under pressure.

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lster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has produced a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document to support farmers during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The content contains relevant information on the most common queries that UFU has received from members relating to the illness and its impact on the agri-food industry. There is a section dedicated to each commodity/sector and the document will be updated regularly.

“As key workers, farmers are continuing to produce high-quality food for the country during this pandemic while adhering to NHS advice,” said Ivor Ferguson, president, UFU. “The Covid-19 FAQ document will assist farm families as they go about their daily business and will provide reassurance for our members.

The document will be on our website and social media channels to ensure farmers can access the information easily whenever they may need it.”

Find the document at: https://www.ufuni.org/news/ covid-19-frequently-asked-questions-for-farmers

RETAIL ANALYSIS

COVID-19 AND THE NORTHERN IRELAND RETAIL SECTOR

BY DONALD C McFETRIDGE, INDEPENDENT RETAIL ANALYST

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hen I was writing my last piece for the Ulster Grocer Yearbook, in late December 2019, I had no idea just how very true the words I used to title the article would become for Northern Ireland’s retailers by March 2020; the article was titled: An Uncertain Future.

This year, so far, we have already witnessed extensive bushfires in Australia, widespread flooding in the United Kingdom, and the spread of the coronavirus worldwide.

The retail sector – particularly the c-sector – has responded in the most excellent manner, enabling consumers to purchase products meeting all of their requirements, almost without interruption, or disruption.

Initially, the consumer response was a move from top-up shopping to bulk buying, panic purchasing and then stockpiling. This is a most understandable response to any crisis, especially one like coronavirus, which is new and about which even the most sophisticated and dedicated scientists admit they do not yet know exactly how long it will last.

The retail response was immediate; retailers (large and small) rapidly responded to higher levels of consumer demand by implementing carefullyplanned procedures which proved to consumers that their supply chain management capabilities were beyond reproach.

At the time of writing, there is still clear evidence of a peak in demand from consumers with many people still panic buying and stockpiling. This, however, will settle down as consumers begin to realise that there is plenty of food available. The initial panic will diminish over time.

The response was the same in China and Italy, but things in China are now slowly getting back into a more regular pattern, and the same will happen here eventually.

Retailers, globally, have been quick to look at how best to feed the nation.

Products lines, in some instances, will be radically rationalised: instead of having 40 types of pasta, product lines may be reduced to a much smaller range, and the same will be the case across a number

of lines. This is category management working at its very best – for the benefit of both retailers and consumers.

We have also seen recruitment drives from the big four supermarkets and the German discounters, as they seek to recruit new staff at a speed never witnessed before. Morrisons was first off the mark with the announcement that they would be recruiting 3,500 new staff in order to be able to cope with the demand for online grocery shopping and home delivery.

“‘SILVER HOURS’ FOR ELDERLY CONSUMERS AND SPECIAL SHOPPING TIMES FOR OUR WONDERFUL NHS STAFF WERE ALSO CREATED QUICKLY AND, AGAIN, RETAILERS ARE TO BE HIGHLY COMMENDED FOR THESE CLEVERLY CONCEIVED INNOVATIONS; I KNOW MANY WHO FULLY APPRECIATE THIS RESPONSE.” This was followed by Tesco, Aldi and Lidl, etc. Many workers in the hospitality sector with relevant, recent experience in food (particularly around issues like food hygiene) were among those who quickly found employment in the retail sector. I know of people applying in the morning, being interviewed the same day, and working within 24 hours.

The extremely rapid growth in online led to the non-availability of delivery slots for many of the British supermarket chains, and this is an area which (once this pandemic is over) retailers need to perhaps radically re-think. During crises like coronavirus, and the past recession, shoppers learn how to use retail outlets in a different way, and this could help to change the shape of the retail sector in the future.

‘Silver Hours’ for elderly consumers and special shopping times for our wonderful NHS staff were also created quickly and, again, retailers are to be highly commended for these cleverly conceived

innovations; I know many who fully appreciate this response.

It was predicted that there would be food riots as the virus spread and, although there have been some widelyreported incidents on social media, these appear to have been kept to a minimum.

However, I would not be surprised to see – not just greeters at the entrances to our supermarkets, as the peak of the surge arrives – but perhaps a police or military presence also, in order to impose social distancing and control numbers of shoppers in-store at any one time.

The problem has not been one of supply, thanks to the robust management of the supply chain; the issue has been one of the unpredictability of the demand.

However, retailers in Northern Ireland have managed to keep the shelves well-stocked and although, nationally, out-of-stock levels have been reported to have risen from an average of 1.3% on February 25 to 11.6% on March 18, these figures will improve as we progress.

It is, of course, all very well and good reassuring consumers that the supply chain is robust, and that there is plenty of food to feed the nation, but many are concerned that, as the virus advances, there could well be some (hopefully limited) problems with getting food to consumers who have to self-isolate for longer than anticipated, or if they become infected.

One thing is certain: we will continue to see (and need to see) a radical rethinking of how supermarkets manage stock, staff and customers in the future. There will need to be a radical review of how consumers actually do their shopping, especially with regard to frequency of visits, which is set to change, and pricing may become more of an issue, if the virus lingers longer than originally anticipated.

However, I have no doubt whatsoever that our excellent retail grocery sector in Northern Ireland – both the multiples and local c-sector – will continue to respond to the challenge in the very professional manner we have seen so far. I wish them the very best of luck.

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COMMENTARY

THERE IS ENOUGH TO GO AROUND

BY AODHÁN CONNOLLY, DIRECTOR, NORTHERN IRELAND RETAIL CONSORTIUM

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his is uncharted territory for all of us and I find that my main role has gone from representing the industry to reassuring both the industry and the public. I want to take this opportunity to reassure you all.

Businesses have robust supply chains; there is enough to go around. The challenges are getting it into distribution centres and stores fast enough. Deliveries continue to come in from abroad, and we are entering NI and UK growing season which takes some of the pressure off. There will be challenges but we are working with suppliers and producers to find solutions.

We are talking to government and others. They are listening.

Over the past two weeks, we have had wins on the relaxation of delivery curfews as well as driver hours, relaxation of competition law and even an increase of the contactless payment limit, from £30 to £45. We are continuing to work on what is needed for our industry and households.

Retailers are following the latest government and PHA advice, including on store closures. The health of staff and customers is paramount.

Thank you to all our colleagues who work round the clock.

From those in stores and distribution centres to drivers, we appreciate your vital work. We are working with the PSNI and can assure you that any violence and abuse towards you will not be tolerated.

Huge demand for online deliveries: retailers are expanding capacity, but as deliveries only account for around 7% of total food sales, physical stores will remain key.

We are telling shoppers we all have a part to play. Shopping responsibly, maintaining social distancing, being kind to staff and supporting those who are self-isolating, vulnerable and key workers.

The public will notice changes to their usual shopping routines, as retailers adhere to government advice to ensure the safety of staff and customers.

• Stepping up social distancing and hygiene measures (such as stickers on the floor where people should stand to queue) • Different opening hours • Dedicated hours for the elderly and NHS staff • Closure of non-essential functions in store • Possible limits to the number of people in store • Product lines changing We will urge public to follow these measures and respect shop staff who are working tirelessly to keep the shelves stacked.

This is the start of our fight back to the crisis. We will listen and respond to the needs of our industry and households. Our main message is that you aren’t in this alone. You can contact us at aodhan.connolly@brc.org.uk 8

UNWAVERING EFFORTS TO KEEP OUR FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN MOVING

BY JOHN HOOD, DIRECTOR, FOOD AND DRINK DIVISION, INVEST NORTHERN IRELAND

T

hese are undoubtedly unprecedented and hugely challenging times for Northern Ireland’s food and drink sector, and it is encouraging to see many local companies demonstrating their resilience and innovation in the midst of such a quickly evolving crisis.

I would like to thank all of those people involved in the Northern Ireland food processing sector and their families for their ongoing and unwavering efforts to keep our food supply chain moving and our supermarket shelves stocked with pure, natural, quality products.

At Invest Northern Ireland ,we appreciate the daily challenges the sector is facing in this unprecedented situation and we are working hard to help. Our Food & Drink Sector Team has regular contact with companies and bodies such as the Northern Ireland Meat Exporters Association, Dairy Council NI and the NI Food & Drink Association to make sure we are clear on the challenges and helping to find solutions in this rapidly changing environment.

Last week we introduced some specific activities including on-line Covid-19 Crisis Management Webinars in partnership with Food NI, to help companies learn from the experience of other European countries such as Italy and Spain who are slightly further along the lifecycle of these Covid-19 restrictions. Invest NI’s Consumer Insight team is providing online information to companies on changing market patterns and trends to help them react to the rapidly evolving consumer landscape.

I would encourage you to regularly check our business advice website nibusinessinfo.co.uk. It has the latest Coronavirus updates and information about the Business Support Grant Schemes offered by government.

While the current Covid-19 measures are having a significant impact, I believe this will be a temporary situation and local companies will navigate the current difficulties and will have opportunities to re-establish business quickly as normal trading conditions return and Invest NI will continue to be here to support you.

COVID-19

ON THE FRONT LINE WHILE OTHER BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19, GROCERY RETAILERS ARE FACING IMMENSE CHALLENGES TO KEEP THEIR STAFF AND CUSTOMERS SAFE AND THEIR SHOPS STOCKED AMID PANIC BUYING. UG HEARS THEIR STORIES

DONNA MORAN, MORAN’S CENTRA, STRAND ROAD DERRY

Donna Moran and team.

MICHAEL McCORMACK, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MUSGRAVE NI

The last few weeks have been unlike any other time experienced in my lifetime working in retail. We have found ourselves unexpectedly on the front line of a national crisis and this has provided many challenges for the business. There is however, a great sense of pride too; at times like these, when there is so much uncertainty, we have worked hard to provide reassurance to those within our local community that we will help them get through this crisis and keep food on their tables.

It’s a responsibility we take very seriously, and I am exceptionally proud of the incredible efforts and dedication of our whole team.

“We’re also working hard to implement new and ever improving social distancing measures to protect the health and wellbeing of our staff and customers. The way we shop has changed beyond recognition but for the most part, it has been heartening to see that customers are adapting to this new normal and have respect for the role our teams are playing in this crisis.

Over the last few weeks, our network of over 200 SuperValu, Centra and MACE stores across Northern Ireland and Musgrave MarketPlace branches in Belfast, Lurgan and Derry~Londonderry have experienced unprecedented surges in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have introduced a range of new social distancing measures, including to safeguard customers and staff in SuperValu, Centra and MACE stores and Musgrave MarketPlace branches. We have also been working closely with the NI Executive and retail and food industry bodies to ensure our stores can continue to meet demand, and families across Northern Ireland can put food on the table every day.

“Our team of retailers, staff in stores, drivers, warehouse staff and suppliers have been making what can only be described as herculean efforts to ensure our shelves are replenished every day. At this time of crisis, our teams are going above and beyond and I would like to thank every single colleague for their tremendous efforts in providing this essential public service at a time of crisis.

MARK McCAMMOND, RETAIL DIRECTOR, HENDERSON GROUP

Since the rapid progression of the Covid-19 outbreak in Northern Ireland, every business in Northern Ireland has had to adapt. As the biggest community retail network in the country, nobody has stepped up to the plate more than our SPAR and EUROSPAR store teams.

“With 93 Henderson Retail stores nestled in the heart of communities across the province, there has been a huge undertaking to completely change the way we shop so that nobody goes without; from restrictions on number of products purchased, to the number of people in store, we’ve placed strict social distancing rules and appealed to our shoppers to please work with us at this time and stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary to go to their local stores.

“Our staff are on the front line too, many of whom are sacrificing time with their families to keep our local communities supplied with their essentials, and the vulnerable with their weekly groceries. Our stores are now closing from 9pm each night to give staff additional breaks, get the shelves replenished and importantly, give the stores a deep clean overnight.

“I’d like to say directly to our valued store teams: thank you for your continued cooperation and for looking out for your local shoppers and communities.

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COVID-19 MICHAEL SKELTON, SALES DIRECTOR, SAVAGE & WHITTEN

We are so grateful for our amazing S&W team and the outstanding work by everyone in these past weeks. Their commitment, professionalism and passion for delivering only the best service to our loyal customers has shone through in what has been an unprecedented time for the company and community as a whole as we tackle Covid-19.

“We at S&W Wholesale are incredibly proud of our Today’s and Primo retailers and their store teams who continue to serve their local communities throughout these challenging times. Our retail partners have worked tirelessly to ensure that their stores remain open each day and that they continue to provide the everyday essential products that their customers require.

“Our stores have continually adapted their daily operations in order to support the elderly and vulnerable customers in their communities in this challenging period and remain committed to their communities throughout.

STEVE LEACH, SALES DIRECTOR, NISA

Like everyone in the sector, we have been experiencing extremely high levels of volume through Nisa and we’re working closely with our logistics partner DHL looking at ways of accommodating the continued growth.

“To help Nisa partners manage the situation in their stores, we’ve supplied signage asking customers to be considerate and urging them not to panic buy. We’ve also sourced protective sneeze guard screens as well as created social distancing stickers for windows and shop floors which are all now available to order.

“We have seen so many examples of independent retailers going the extra mile and this crisis really is demonstrating just how important the role they play within local communities really is.

MIKE HOLLIS, RETAIL DIRECTOR, COSTCUTTER

Our independent retailers and their teams are working extremely hard to help feed the nation at a time of unprecedent demand. Being at the heart of local communities, many of our independent retailers have adapted quickly to offer services such as home delivery for elderly and vulnerable customers, and we’re working on solutions to help more of our retailers meet the needs of their local communities.

“To ensure they can focus on their shoppers and their business, we are providing dedicated support and regular guidance to ensure they and their teams stay safe, follow government guidelines and support their staff and shoppers. This includes comprehensive guidance on social distancing.

PHILIP CONLON, HEAD OF REGION FOR NORTHERN IRELAND, M&S M&S is working really hard to help keep all our customers and colleagues well. Our stores have implemented new additional social distancing measures throughout the customer journey. Increased hygiene measures are in place across our stores and supply chain.

“We’ve introduced regular special shopping hours for older and vulnerable customers (Monday and Thursday) and for NHS workers and Primary Emergency Services workers (Tuesday and Friday). We are also working with suppliers to increase production of local food products.

“Purchasing restrictions have also been introduced - two items per customer on frozen, homecare, groceries and eggs - and we’re working with our suppliers to increase production of local food products.

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COVID-19 ADRIAN HIPKISS, MARKETING DIRECTOR, BOOST DRINKS

At Boost, we have been working closely and regularly with all our supply partners to ensure we maintain continuity of supply during this situation, as well as constantly monitoring the evolution of the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) globally and in the UK. “Boost Drinks at present do not have any concerns about our ability to maintain high levels of customer service and supply across all of our skus. As we are an independent business ourselves, we understand the pressures facing independent retailers during this worrying time and we will continue to support them as much as we can, offering help and assistance. We’ll keep talking to all our partners and customers though this difficult time to ensure they’re fully updated as to any changes and look for ways to offer support where it’s needed the most.

IAN STEVENSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, LIVESTOCK AND MEAT COMMISSION FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

Our beef and lamb processing companies and their dedicated staff and farmer suppliers are playing a critical role in this regard. Ensuring that all our food chains remain intact is critically important as the entire country confronts the tremendous challenges posed by Covid-19.

“We are extremely proud of those key people who are going to work each day whether on farms, animal feed merchants, veterinary practices, haulage firms, processing facilities or retail outlets to help feed the nation and combat the Covid-19 threat.

“I commend the steps that employers are taking to ensure that all their staff members are working in conditions that conform to the latest Covid-19 guidelines, set out by government.”

“The over-riding objective of the food industry at this time is to help keep the nation fed. And I cannot praise highly enough the efforts being made by workers right across Northern Ireland’s red meat industry supply chain in helping to make this happen.

PETER HENRY, GENERAL MANAGER, ALLIED BAKERIES IRELAND

It is an incredibly challenging time. I really appreciate the enormous effort everyone at the bakery and our logistics team is putting in to keep up with the increase in demand despite dealing with their own understandable concerns in this difficult situation.

“I am pleased to say the bakery has extended its support to frontline and emergency service workers in our area that couldn’t get hold of basic foodstuffs.

So far, we’ve donated bread to the Ulster Hospital, Coleraine Hospital, East Belfast Mission, the SOS bus & other local groups.

“We do have some capacity to help more: if there’s anyone fighting this pandemic on the frontline who is struggling to get the basic food supplies they need, they should get in touch on 028 9070 6118.

GEORGE RANKIN, SENIOR DIRECTOR, ASDA NORTHERN IRELAND Following on from the announcement of further Government guidelines on Covid-19 on the 23rd March, Asda implemented a range of social distancing measures. These measures were carefully thought through and quickly put in place, not only to ensure customers and colleagues are best looked after in these extraordinary times, but that the group also plays its part in helping to flatten the curve and prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“From Wednesday 25th March, Asda employed a range of social distancing measures in its 16 Northern Ireland stores to help keep colleagues and customers safe - following Government guidelines regarding staying 2 metres apart during essential visits.

“Asda has made limiting the spread of Covid-19 a key priority and implemented a raft of changes to operations, including markers on the floor to help customers keep their distance, directional barriers, additional signage and announcements. Asda has also limited the number of customers in its stores, to ensure social distancing guidelines are maintained and has additional colleagues at the front of store to greet customers and maintain safe numbers inside, something which customers and colleagues alike have welcomed.

“Asda has also asked that customers touch only what they will purchase and use cashless

payment methods wherever possible. Further to this, to help keep colleagues safe, Perspex screens have been installed at checkouts, pharmacies and service desks to help minimise contact and every other ‘Scan and Go’ checkout has been closed to help maintain distance.

“Now more than ever, we are working hard to protect our colleagues and customers as we navigate the ever-changing landscape Covid-19 is presenting to us. We need to continue to work together to keep our distance and we ask our customers to help us in this endeavour by following the guidelines in place.

“We want to remind everyone Asda is working around the clock to ensure shoppers have access to the essentials that they need, and they can shop safely in store if they do need to visit us.

“Finally, I want to thank each and every one of my colleagues who are serving our customers every day under the most intense circumstances – I am in awe of how we have rallied together to work through this and thank each of them for their efforts.”

“Asda has also looked after local communities, with £5m donated to partners FareShare and the Trussell Trust to help the most vulnerable people. This will provide over 4 million meals to families impacted by coronavirus, as well as giving more than 3,000 charities the ability to access free food over the next three months

as they work together to tackle the impacts of Covid-19 in their communities.

“To support the vital work of the healthcare sector, Asda has prioritised time for NHS workers in all NI stores every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8am to 9am allowing them access to essential goods and ensuring safe social distancing.

“Asda has committed to colleagues that have been identified by the government as needing to self-isolate for 12 weeks, ensuring these colleagues receive full pay for their isolation period. And where colleagues do not need to self-isolate, there will be an extra week’s pay in June to colleagues in recognition of their extra efforts to protect the health of their colleagues who needed to step away during this time.

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RETAIL NEWS - INDEPENDENTS

FAIRTRADE CERTIFICATION MARK CELEBRATES 25 YEARS IN NORTHERN IRELAND 2 020 marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Fairtrade Certification Mark in Northern Ireland.

After decades of hard work across Northern Ireland by government, local schools, churches, businesses, independent retailers, universities, colleges and community groups, Northern Ireland became a Fairtrade devolved region in 2017.

To date, only Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland hold this distinct accolade of Fairtrade region status globally.

With over 6,000 Fairtrade certified products now available, independent retailers are playing a more significant role in the awareness, promotion and sales of Fairtrade products locally and world-wide. Annual global Fairtrade sales

reached £7.3bn, raising over £154m in the Fairtrade premium in 2018.

In Northern Ireland, all five cities, 31 of 36 main towns, all universities and a large percentage of schools, churches and workplaces have attained the Fairtrade status.

All nine central government departments, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Office utilise and have made solid commitments to Fairtrade. Nine of 11 council areas in Northern Ireland have achieved the Fairtrade City, Borough or District status, with the remaining two councils currently working towards the status.

To celebrate 25 years and Fairtrade Fortnight 2020 (February 24 to March 8) various events took place across Northern

Ireland with visiting Peruvian and Columbian Fairtrade coffee producers, facilitated by the UK Fairtrade Foundation and Fairtrade Ireland.

Fairtrade was also highlighted at The 148th Open at Royal Portrush, where a selection of Fairtrade products were made widely available and the Fairtrade flag proudly displayed at the main pavilion.

Fairtrade provides better prices, decent working conditions, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. To find Fairtrade products in your local shop, look out for the distinctive Fairtrade Mark that appears on all Fairtrade products.

For further information, please visit: www.northernirelandfairtrade.org.

PROGRESS WELCOMED ON SUNDAY

CORN DOLLY BAKERY MORNING STRATEGY FOR BELFAST NAMED BEST IN NI AT R NATIONAL BAKERY AWARDS

C

orn Dolly has been named best bakery in Northern Ireland at the National Bakery Awards, organised

by Bakery Business magazine.

Bakeries from every county in the UK compete across both retail and wholesale, with entries weighed, measured and debated at length by a team of leading industry experts.

After lifting its county title, the Newry and Mourne-based bakery went on to compete in a regional heat, picking up the Northern Ireland accolade at a ceremony in London on March 11 hosted by Mark Durden-Smith, an anchor on Aviva Premiership Rugby.

“We were astonished at being named best in our county, but to be named best in our region massively exceeded our expectations,” said Anthony O’Keefe, director and co-founder of the Corn Dolly.

“Excellence has certainly been something we strive for, but to be officially recognised for our efforts in baking with a lot of excellent competition around us is more than welcome.”

The Corn Dolly is also celebrating its 30th anniversary of providing traditional and artisan breads, hand-made confectionary and celebration cakes to the local people around Newry and Mourne.

It has also been recognised by Great Taste, Tiptree World Bread Awards, Bridgestone Guide Awards and Blas na hÉireann.

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etail NI has welcomed a decision by Belfast City Council’s City Growth Committee last month to reject proposals to extend Sunday trading hours and instead support a programme of cultural animation for Sunday mornings.

Retail NI and USDAW presented to the City Growth Committee, setting out their proposals for Sunday mornings in the city centre.

“The decision by Belfast City Council’s Growth Committee is very welcome progress and we look forward to working with all the key stakeholders to provide a new experience for shoppers and tourists on Sunday mornings,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI. “We want to see a fun, family-friendly strategy for Sunday mornings combined with a Small Shop Sunday campaign which promotes the city’s fantastic independent retailers and smaller traders.”

NFRN PRESIDENT LAYS BARE THE TRUE IMPACT OF RETAIL CRIME

N

FRN National President Stuart Reddish has spoken passionately about the very real impact retail crime has on independent retailers when addressing MPs in the House of Commons.

Speaking at a parliamentary event which called for an end to violence against shop workers, Reddish, who has a shop in Sheffield, warned of the devastating and long lasting effect that verbal abuse and assaults had on members, their families and their staff.

He called politicians from all parties to back joint efforts by trade organisations including NFRN to tackle retail crime.

RETAIL NEWS – SYMBOLS

FOOD WASTE APP GANDER AIMS TO BUILD ON SUCCESS OF HENDERSON PARTNERSHIP Denise Curran uses the Gander app to shop for yellow label produce.

G

ander, an app created to reduce food waste, is reporting a significant soar in downloads and increased sales of yellow stickered foods since its launch last August across 310 SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOxtra stores.

Gander was initially launched by integrating with Henderson Technology’s award-winning EDGEPos system to display all of the yellow stickered produce from their stores in real time, with additional retailers expected to roll out its use in the

next few months across the UK and RoI. In Northern Ireland, over 41,000 downloads have taken place in the last four months, placing it in the top 12% of apps nationally. In addition, up to 45% more reduced-price food have sold which means 45% more has been kept from going to waste.

These improvements mean that stores on average are selling between 85100% of their reduced product shown on Gander, with yellow-stickered items selling 40% quicker since the introduction of Gander, and often at higher prices as shoppers are interested in getting the reduction as soon as it appears.

Gander integrates directly with a retailer’s POS which enables retailers to automatically display to shoppers in real time all reduced-to-clear food on their shelves. The app offers customers ultimate control over what reduced priced goodies they search for, whether by

location, favourite stores, reduction, food type or even dietary criteria.

“We had expected a decent level of interest, but never envisaged the degree of downloads - especially when only trialled in Northern Ireland initially,” said Ashley Osborne, one of Gander’s founders. “The level of positive buy-in demonstrated by customers and retailers alike has been phenomenal and testament that Gander’s proposition is a great fit for consumers out there.

“Plus, shoppers are feeling empowered thanks to Gander, aiding them to be more sustainable in their shopping choices. This supports the app’s endeavour to decrease and prevent food waste and create a more sustainable environment´and has also proved highly effective.”

The Gander app can be downloaded via the Apple or Android app stores.

COSTCUTTER NAMED OVERALL SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR AT FOODBUY AWARDS C ostcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) is celebrating being named Overall Supplier of the Year at the Foodbuy Awards 2020 held on February 27. Foodbuy is a group procurement organisation based in the UK, and part of Compass Group UK & Ireland.

The award recognises the support CSG provides as wholesale supplier to 135 Compass Group convenience stores at military, healthcare, education and business sites. Over the past two and a half years, the number of stores CSG supplies has quadrupled and, in the last year alone, like-for-like sales across the stores were up +12% with many stores seeing a +40% sales uplift.

“We place enormous value in our partnership with Costcutter Supermarkets Group and their support over the last year makes them a truly deserved winner of this award,” said Ian Murphy, managing director, Foodbuy.

“They have continually innovated their offer, most recently including the rollout of 80 self-service checkouts and a new loyalty app and wallet. A real focus and understanding of customers, combined with great account management, has been a recipe for success. Many congratulations to the entire team.”

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From left, Ian Murphy, managing director of Foodbuy; Bill Randles, business development director at CSG; Sean Russell, marketing director at CSG; comedian Michael McIntyre; and Mark Dew, CSG national account manager for Compass Group.

Bill Randles, from Costcutter Supermarkets Group, said: “We pride ourselves on the support we provide all of our retail partners, with the entire team striving to go the extra mile whenever we can. To have this recognised through this award win is fantastic and we look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with Foodbuy, seeking new opportunities to support their business.”

RETAIL NEWS - MULTIPLES

CHARITY APPEALS TO INDUSTRY FOR FOOD & FUNDING DURING CRISIS F

ood charity FareShare is urgently appealing for donations from the food industry to help support vulnerable people during the coronavirus crisis.

FareShare is the UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 17 independent organisations.

Together, they take good quality surplus food from right across the food industry and get it to almost 11,000 frontline charities and community groups.

“As a result of the very sharp increase in consumer demand, we’ve seen a decline in the amount of surplus food coming into our network manufacturers and processors,” said Lindsay Boswell, CEO, FareShare. “So, at this time where charities on the front line are facing

unimaginable strain, we’re urgently calling on the industry to donate ambient food, as well as fresh surplus, so we can continue our vital mission of getting food on the plates of vulnerable people.

“8.4 million people in the UK regularly go hungry, and it’s now clear that the coronavirus will have a devastating impact on the poorest in our communities. There are countless more people, most of them elderly or struggling with serious health conditions, who will be forced to self isolate.

“Already local charities are shifting their provision away from communal meals and towards food parcels that can be delivered to those in need, so, to meet this demand, as well as the full range

of surplus fresh and frozen foods, we now need donations of ambient food.

These include tinned meat, fish, veg, soup, pulses and beans, store cupboard staples such as rice, pasta and noodles, and breakfast foods such as cereals, UHT juices and milk and tea and coffee.

“We anticipate that, under these extreme circumstances, we will also have to buy in some types of food to make up nutritionally balanced food parcels, and potentially recruit paid workers as volunteer numbers drop. To meet these additional costs, we have launched an emergency coronavirus appeal on our website. If you are able to make a contribution, please go to fareshare.org. uk.”

GRIPHERO OFFERS FUEL PUMP DISPENSERS FREE OF CHARGE TO BATTLE COVID-19 LIDL NI LAUNCHES DRIVE TO

W

ith the global spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, UK-based GripHero - maker of the world’s only patented hand-protection dispensers permitted for use on fuel pump handles and in the refuelling zone - is offering its dispensers free of charge to help stop spread of the virus at fuel pumps.

The move enables UK forecourts to provide hand-protection to customers on every fuel pump handle and refuelling bay, aiding the battle against Covid-19, which has the ability to survive for over

24 hours on high touchpoint surfaces, including fuel pump handles.

Each day hundreds of thousands of drivers fill up, bringing them into direct contact with fuel pump handles touched, on average, by 200 different hands each week; a figure that leaps dramatically at busy supermarket and motorway forecourts.

“Fitting GripHero’s anti-static dispenser on each and every fuel pump handle and on all bays enables drivers to instantly find, withdraw and wear hand-protection without first coming into contact with a surface touched by hundreds of other drivers,” said Oli Yeo, inventor and managing director of GripHero. “Our commitment is to provide our dispensers - which can be easily self-installed - free of charge for a limited time, making this a nonprofit exercise to aid forecourts with its implementation.”

Yeo has estimated that, based on current manufacturing rates, GripHero hand-protection could be installed in every fuel bay in the country within six months. “If government were to stipulate that all forecourts must have hand-protection available at all times, this timeframe could be significantly shortened, but that would require further investment in manufacturing,” he said.

FILL JOBS ACROSS STORES AND WAREHOUSES

H

aving experienced unprecedented customer demand in recent weeks, Lidl Northern Ireland has announced it is seeking to fill more than 120 new store and warehouse positions across its operations.

In particular the fastest growing retailer in Northern Ireland is looking to hear from those in retail, catering or hospitality who may have lost their jobs in recent days.

“These aren’t the usual circumstances by which we hope to be welcoming new people to our team,” said Conor Boyle, regional director, Lidl Northern Ireland. “However, we take our responsibility to feed the nation very seriously. We want to ensure our frontline team is supported in every way possible and that means hiring additional team members at this difficult period to help us to continue to provide food and supplies to communities across the country.”

Applicants are encouraged to visit the retailer’s website to apply: www. jobs.lidl-ni.co.uk. Lidl was the first nationwide retailer to commit to paying the Living Wage in 2015 and has continued to offer this entry level rate which currently stands at £9.30 per hour.

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ADVERTORIAL

BOOSTING RANGE & AVAILABILITY

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ith multi award-winning stores such as The Milestone, Crawford’s, Dolan’s, The Fiveways and Joyce’s to name a few, Nisa is the proven partner of choice for many market-leading, independently minded retailers in Ireland.

For more than 40 years, we have worked with independent retailers to ensure we provide all the tools they need to compete effectively in the convenience retail sector.

With Nisa, retailers can operate under a choice of symbol fascias; Nisa Local, Nisa Extra and dual branded whereby a retailer maintains their local identity whilst benefiting from the strength of the Nisa brand. Alternatively, retailers can trade under their own independent fascia.

Since Nisa was acquired by the Co-op almost two years ago, work has been focused on ensuring our independent retailers can experience the benefits as quickly as possible through their strong relationship with Nisa as their primary supplier. With newfound business stability and improved financial strength, Nisa

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“A QUALITY EPOS SOLUTION, EPOSITIVE EVOLUTION, IS PROVIDED EXCLUSIVELY TO NISA PARTNERS. WITH THE ABILITY TO ACCESS PROMOTIONS, STOCK LISTS AND POINT OF SALE IN A SIMPLE, TOUCH-SCREEN SYSTEM IT IS A COMPLETE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TOOL.” partners can trade their businesses in the independent way they have always enjoyed, backed by competitive prices, promotions and a deeper own brand range which is so important in today’s market in order to drive a real point of difference.

Nisa provides a complete retail support package to its retailers to ensure they remain competitive. This comprises a strong retail focused team, covering retail development managers and regional retail managers, in addition to fresh food development managers, who encourage retailers to make the most of this important category, and store development managers who help to further develop stores. Also offered is an enhanced category management system providing personalised planograms, a staff training facility and a comprehensive marketing package incorporating bespoke leaflets, point of sale material and a personalised Nisa FM providing retailers with a strong radio network for their store and national advertising.

A quality EPOS solution, Epositive Evolution, is provided exclusively to Nisa partners. With the ability to access promotions, stock lists and point of sale in a simple, touch-screen system, it is a complete business management tool. The updated Evolution Version 2.0 was rolled out to retailers during early 2019, with more intuitive software and new features which improve efficiency for retailers and self-scan checkouts are also now being installed.

All of this is in addition to the awardwinning supply chain, excellent availability averaging 98% for 2019, two strong award-winning own label ranges and over 13,000 SKUs. Nisa’s Evolution store format has seen great success and those retailers who have converted are achieving, on average, a 12% uplift in sales. The Evolution format prides itself on offering a greater degree of flexibility to retailers, moving away from a one size fits all model to a more modular development format.

Nisa’s flexible model providers its retailers with an unbeatable breadth of range and an excellent availability rate.

This is supported by Nisa’s award-winning own label range, Heritage, which provides retailers with great quality products at affordable prices. And Nisa retailers also have access to more than 2,000 of Coop’s high-quality own brand products across all categories, which is more than 80% of the Co-op range.

Nisa retailers can source local products and have them invoiced centrally, creating a simpler, time efficient process.

All orders are placed directly with individual suppliers, deliveries are made direct to store, but the invoicing and administration is managed centrally.

This is all delivered by Nisa’s industry leading supply chain which retailers can trust with an impressive 99.9% of deliveries made on the day and 95.2% successfully made on time.

With convenience stores at the heart of their communities, we know community involvement is key, and our retailers can support their local area through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity. To date, more than 12,000 causes have benefited from donations totalling over £9m.

To find out more, complete the form on www.join-nisa.co.uk/contact-us or contact our development team on 0800 542 7490.

MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE CHRISTINE TACON, GROCERIES CODE ADJUDICATOR

less than a couple of suppliers a week contacting the office, so that’s why I have to go out to supplier events, where people do tell me face to face. Part of the problem is that less than 50% of suppliers have been trained in the Code.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? I am the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) and I regulate the 13 largest grocery retailers designated by the Competition and Markets Authority. I monitor, encourage and enforce their adherence to the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.

BRIEFLY OUTLINE YOUR BACKGROUND I started my career as a production engineer and have always been interested in efficient supply chains. I have worked in fast moving consumer goods (Mars, Anchor, Vodafone) and I ran the Co-op’s farming business, the largest in the UK, for 11 years. I could see that the food chain could work so much better and applied for the GCA role as I thought it could make a difference.

trained in the Code. I also have an annual survey which is invaluable in identifying issues for me and the retailers to address.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? My statutory powers are to investigate breaches of the Code and to arbitrate when disputes over the Code cannot be resolved. I have adopted a collaborative approach, raising the issues that suppliers tell me about in regular progress meetings with the retailers’ Code Compliance Officers. I have had over 250 of these meetings and additionally meet with the retailers’ Audit Committee chairs every year and CEOs when required. I attend many events for grocery suppliers to listen to their issues and encourage them to get

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? I love efficiency, making systems work better. In 2014, my annual survey demonstrated that 80% of suppliers reported experiencing any Code issue; in 2019 that figure had halved. I am regularly told by suppliers that my work has made a significant difference to retailer behaviour and their trading relationships.

One of the challenges is suppliers don’t tell me about their issues. I have a statutory duty of confidentiality, but I get

BRIEFLY OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY The GCA role is three days a week. I tend to spend two of them in the office with my small team of five, preparing for and having meetings with retailers, studying retailers’ responses to issues I have raised and ensuring we are making good progress. One day a week tends to be out meeting suppliers at events, at their premises or visiting retailers.

However, when I have an investigation or arbitration, there is a considerable amount of reading and I conduct interviews and hearings, and this totally changes my work pattern.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? Growing vegetables, walking the dog, parkruns and narrowboating; all rather slow activities.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I am a veteran car enthusiast – an interest I inherited from my father. I own an Austin 7 Top Hat Saloon 1929, which is like a little box on wheels.

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO MITIGATE IMPACT ON OUR INDUSTRY AND ECONOMY OF VIRUS MENACE

BY MICHELE SHIRLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD NI

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trust our food, drink and grocery sector can hold fast as the coronavirus story dominates media headlines.

Unfortunately, I am old enough to remember the disruption caused by other health scares such as the flu pandemic, HIV/ Aids and more recently Sars. No-one knows exactly what lies ahead for the food and drink industry in the coming months, but it is a sector which has shown great resilience and which has been evolving steadily over decades. While we can’t predict the future, it is encouraging that government is listening to the views of experts and hopefully we can learn lessons from other regions.

Let’s hope that the extensive public health campaign currently underway is successful in containing the virus and that the people everywhere weigh in behind the developing global campaign to help halt the spread of the virus here and across the world.

We are fortunate in the longstanding resilience of our industry and the skills and determination of our people from farm to store. There’s certainly an abundance of good quality, outstandingly tasty, wholesome and nutritious food and drink readily available especially from local suppliers along with robust supply chains.

There’s also a strong network of retail outlets able to supply the requirements of local shoppers. As a result, there’s really no need for panic buying.

Significantly, the current crisis has showcased the importance of local farming and processing sectors. I was horrified, therefore, by the recent remarks of an HM Treasury adviser that the nation does not need its farming and fishing industries and that it could be rich, like Singapore, without its own agricultural sector.

While this daft comment was made ahead of the UK’s trade negotiations with the EU, it implied a complete dependence on imported food and drink. This has now been overtaken by the global virus crisis which may undermine food production in other countries.

It’s essential, therefore, that our successful and efficient agri-food industry is encouraged and supported properly by Government in developing existing products and exploring new opportunities to ensure supply of excellent food and drink. Of course, the UK is unlikely ever to be self-sufficient but there’s much that can be done to reduce the existing overdependence on imported food and drink… and to make it clear to Government that a local food and drink industry is vitally important to the wellbeing of the entire nation.

We continue to liaise with our 400 member companies about

the challenges they are now facing. We have seen some having to address very sharp declines in sales in key export markets such as China and Italy. And we’ve had to pull plans to take part in trade events in Britain, such as London’s iconic Borough Market, because customers are staying away.

There will be opportunities too for the grocery sector here to extend its existing support for the industry by working more closely with producers from across Northern Ireland. Supply chains will be shorter, products likely to be fresher and benefits for all greater. It would, furthermore, help to stabilise supply chains to guarantee the input of essential ingredients and outflow of products to customers.

Above all, combating and defeating the alarming coronavirus threat requires greater cooperation and collaboration between everyone here.

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

BLAS NA HÉIREANN 2020 ENTRY NOW OPEN

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ntry is now open for the 13th year of Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards, the largest blind-tasted food awards on the island of Ireland. An early bird discounted rate for entries runs until

April 8, before entry finally closes on May 25.

“We have been told first hand that the Blas na hÉireann awards have a significant impact on any winner’s bottom line,” said Artie Clifford, chairman and founder of Blas na hÉireann, “whether it’s raising the profile of a producer’s product, or getting the attention of chefs, restaurants, retailers or general food lovers.

“The independent endorsement of a Blas award is a recognised quality guarantee that can help get a product onto the shelves of a particular retailer or onto a restaurant menu. It’s also always a huge boost for an individual producer, an appreciation for all their hard work and allows them to savour their achievements which they don’t often have time to do.

“The Blas na hÉireann awards event in Dingle each year has become an unmissable event allowing the general

UNIVERSITY PARTNERS WITH QUORN TO DRIVE SUSTAINABILITY & QUALITY

public, media and trade to meet, discover and appreciate some of the country’s best producers but, more importantly, it has become an opportunity for the Irish food community to come together and celebrate their successes.”

Blas na hÉireann use an innovative blind-tasting judging system developed by Blas with the Food Science Dept of UCC and the University of Copenhagen, which is now recognised as an industry gold standard worldwide.

Products entered are blind tasted, meaning that all packaging and identifying features are removed from products before being presented for judging, creating a level playing field for products from both large and small producers.

For more information, visit http://www.irishfoodawards.com

COOKS&CO DELIVERS A FRESH NEW LOOK

The Quorn KTP team: from left, Dr Rob Johnson, Dr Nanda Ayu Puspita and Dr Gillian Taylor

F R

esearch at Teesside University is helping one of the world’s foremost producers of meat substitutes to drive the sustainability and quality of its protein.

The University has begun a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Quorn Foods, to test different methods of making mycoprotein, the main ingredient in all Quorn products, potentially leading to an even more sustainable production methodology and enhancements in product quality.

Over the course of two years, Dr Nanda Ayu Puspita, who has a PhD in Biochemistry, will project manage the KTP from Quorn’s new pilot plant in Billingham.

“I am delighted to be part of this exciting project, which allows me to 20

share my knowledge and expertise in proteomics research, and at the same time will help me to gain new experience in the industrial sector,” she said.

The project team will have direct access to Teesside University’s £22.3m National Horizons Centre, a UK centre of excellence for the biosciences based in Darlington.

Quorn is a meat substitute produced at a site in Billingham by fermenting a nutritious microorganism in the fungus family called Fusarium venenatum. This is, in turn, developed into more than 100 different Quorn products such as pieces, sausages and mince, which are sold primarily in Europe and the USA, and available in 18 countries.

ine food specialist Cooks&Co is unveiling a colourful new look across its range of ambient ingredients for Spring 2020. The bold new designs help to showcase the array of ingredients designed to inspire both amateur chefs and kitchen connoisseurs.

Rolling out now, packs across the brand’s 100-strong range of antipasti, oils and vinegars, mushrooms, canned goods and meal solutions, feature strong product photography to highlight the quality ingredients.

With the majority of the range now approved by the Vegan or Vegetarian Society, Cooks&Co will also make it easier for shoppers and caterers to embrace a plant-based diet.

New additions to the line-up for 2020 include Roasted Red and Yellow Peppers, Roasted Red Pepper Strips and a vegan-friendly meat replacement Young Green Jackfruit.

GRO ULSTER

Over 45 years at the heart of th

RALLYING BEHIN

Grocery retailers have unexpectedly found themselves on the f dealing directly with panicked, confuse

The team at Ulster Grocer salutes everyone in the grocery chain shop workers for sustaining the people of Nort

Keep up the good work, let us know if we can sup

We stand behi

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OCER TM

art of the Northern Ireland food industry

HIND RETAILERS

on the front line as the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, confused and even hostile consumers.

ry chain from farmers, manufacturers, suppliers and hauliers to of Northern Ireland at a time of national crisis.

can support you in any way and tell us your stories.

nd behind you.

Editor Alyson Magee – a.magee@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Sales Manager Chris Keenan – c.keenan@independentmagazinesni.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

LOCALS FREEZE OUT THE COMPETITION AT NATIONAL ICE-CREAM AWARDS T

wo local businesses, Morelli’s and True Gelato, have picked up awards at the recent National Ice Cream Competition, hosted by the Ice Cream Alliance at the Yorkshire Event Marino Morelli.

Centre.

Coleraine-based Morelli’s won the Silver Challenge Cup for its Mango Sorbet at the event, which has been running for 75 years and was judged by 43 experts over two days at the Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show 2020.

“This is brilliant – we’ve never won for a sorbet before,” said Marino Morelli, who looks after new product development for the company. “It’s a first. It was great that celebrity chef Gennaro Contaldo was on the judging panel for this category.”

Morelli’s recently invested £330,000 in expanding its ice cream production centre in Coleraine which is now producing 800,000 litres of ice cream a year.

True Gelato in The Square in Ballyclare, meanwhile, won Best Newcomer Award for its vanilla gelato.

“We are both absolutely overwhelmed and delighted to have been awarded first place for our Vanilla gelato,” said Karl

Wilson, who co-owns True Gelato with his brother Ryan. “We entered seven categories and have also received diplomas for these other entries. This achievement will be a great addition to our True Gelato portfolio which we strive to continuously improve.”

The Wilson brothers have been in the newsagent, card and gift industry for 20 years in Ballyclare, Co Antrim. The True Gelato venture was born in 2017 through their yearning for delicious, unique ice cream.

In addition to the parlour in The Square, True Gelato also has an events trailer and an Ice Cream Cart allowing the brothers to serve their gelato at parties and events.

Ryan and Karl Wilson.

CRISPS, NUTS & SNACKS

KP SNACKS & PRL – SUPPORTING RETAILERS TOGETHER

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P is home to some of the most iconic British snack brands and produces all kinds of delicious snacks for UK retailers.

KP is also part of the European Intersnack Group which, with nearly 50 years’ combined experience in savoury snacks, is now Europe’s number two snack producer, supplying more than 30 countries.

PRL In-Market Solutions NI (previously Contract People) has been working in partnership with KP Snacks for 10 years and, through an outsourced sales team, is responsible for driving distribution and NPD throughout 330 convenience and impulse stores in NI, as well as encouraging rate of sale through merchandising, gaining additional space on and off shelf and enhancing instore theatre.

The team of three field development reps (FDRs) focus on a core range of market leading brands including McCoy’s, Muchos, Hula Hoops, Butterkist and KP Nuts.

The results of this partnership approach speaks for itself, with KP Snacks achieving consistent growth figures within the NI market.

Alongside the surging sharebag category, the FDRs have also attained growth in the handypack and multipack categories. Their work has been recognised throughout the industry, most recently through winning the silver award at the UK FMBE Awards in London for

Best Small Scale, Local Campaign for the launch of McCoy’s Muchos.

These are the industry’s most prestigious awards and, for the team to be selected from some of the UK’s biggest brands, was testament to all the hard work that went into the launch.

Speaking prior to the awards, Ricky Watts, NI business account manager for KP Snacks, said: “The continued growth and improvement PRL have helped drive over the years has led to them becoming an integral part of our NI business and a big part of the KP Snacks NI family.”

While it’s important to celebrate

previous successes, KP and PRL are also determined to drive ongoing growth and have big plans for 2020.

These plans include the recent launch of McCoy’s Fiery Steak, the exciting Win 1000s of Epic Taste Experiences campaign, continuing to drive KP’s core brands, and much more. With a multichannel marketing plan backing up these key activities, every retailer should be stocking KP’s leading SKUs. To speak about how PRL could help grow your brand, contact Martin Rice at martin.rice@prl.uk.com.

TAKE YOUR LUNCH TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH KP SNACKS

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P Snacks has launched its biggest ever cross-brand campaign offering Northern Ireland crisp lovers the chance of winning 1000s of great taste experiences when they pick up campaign branded bags of McCoy’s, Skips, Nik Naks and Hula Hoops from now until the end of May. Lucky winners could experience lunch at One World Observatory, New York or Burj Khalifa in Dubai along with a 345m high lunch at Tokyo Skytree, or the world’s highest alfresco lunch at the State Tower in Bangkok or win £1,000.

There are also thousands of pounds worth of local restaurant vouchers being given away.

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Belfast Food Blogger Conor Hogan launches the campaign.

CRISPS, NUTS & SNACKS

CRISPS AND SNACKS REPRESENT A VITAL SALES OPPORTUNITY FOR RETAILERS

BY MATT COLLINS, TRADING DIRECTOR AT KP SNACKS CONVENIENCE MARKET INSIGHT Consumer habits are changing, with the large weekly shop in decline and 90% of UK shoppers now visiting a convenience store several times a week. IGD predicts that the UK convenience market is set to grow by £6.9bn in the next five years to reach £48.9bn by 2024.

Convenience has now become the number one channel for top-up missions with the average UK consumer visiting a convenience store 3.5 times a week and spending £6.28 on 2.6 items. Stocking a key range that caters for the top-up mission is vital and promotions with themes such as big night in can be a great way to increase that basket spend as 51% of shoppers say they are more likely to visit their local store if they offer these.

CSN MARKET OVERVIEW Crisps and snacks are a vital sales opportunity for retailers: 96% of the UK population eat snacks, with 69% of those snacking at least once a day.

CSN is worth £3.2bn and over the last five years KP Snacks have delivered +£93m RSV in growth to the category which is one-third of overall category growth and the biggest growth contribution of any single supplier. The KP Snacks portfolio is currently growing in value at +8.5%, ahead of the overall category which is still performing well but at a slower rate of +2.9%.

At KP Snacks we want to create sustainable NPD, that drives real category growth so all our NPDs, such as McCoy’s Muchos, Hula Hoops Puft and Hula Hoops Flavarings are rooted in insight and supported not only in the first six months but all the way through to the 24-month mark and beyond.

KEY FACTS: • 51% of shoppers say ‘flavour’ is the No.1 purchase driver when buying crisps or snacks • 37% of shoppers cite ‘brand recognition’ as an important factor • 52% of consumers 28

intend to make healthier snacking choices in the morning • 52% say healthy aspects of snacks such as fibre make an indulgent snack more acceptable • 54% say smaller sized packs eg single portion help them control their calorie intake.

Our insights and learnings also come from not only recognised industry bodies but also our retailer partners.

Our SnacKPartners Ambassadors Forum provides a fantastic platform for us to collaborate with some of the country’s best in class retailers and really step change our plans and ways of working in this hugely important and growing channel.

AND GROWING IN VALUE +16.3% • Family favourite, Hula Hoops is eaten by 1.9million consumers every week and has an impressive 90% brand awareness.

PMPS: Across the market, £1 PMP ranges are growing in value at +12.1% versus non-PMP formats at +7.6% which aligns with insight that tells us that 25% of shoppers specifically purchase items when they are on offer. PMPs are popular with retailers too, with 83% saying that PMPs sell faster than non-PMPs and 82% stocking them to stay competitive.

KP Snacks are outperforming the market, with its £1 PMP portfolio growing at +30% In fact, 33% of shoppers believe that PMPs are cheaper than non-PMP products, and 57% want to see PMPs on crisps, nuts and snacks. Almost half of shoppers also like PMPs as it means they don’t have to ask the price in store.

PMPS: • Hula Hoops Big Hoops BBQ Beef – fastest selling £1 PMP within the KP Snacks portfolio and number one selling product in independent and symbols within CSN, experiencing an incredible +18.1% YOY growth.

McCOY’S: WORTH £132.8M RSV AND GROWING IN VALUE +4% • The UK’s number one ridged crisp brand HULA HOOPS: WORTH £142.5M RSV

KP NUTS: WORTH £65M RSV AND GROWING IN VALUE +8.3% • KP Nuts is the number one brand in nuts, more than six times bigger than the nearest branded competitor.

BUTTERKIST: WORTH £44M RSV • Butterkist is the nation’s favourite popcorn brand and, at four times larger than its nearest branded competitor, enjoys a market share of 33% within the popcorn category.

Sources: HIM 2018; IGD 2019; HIM 2018; Mintel 2018; Nielsen Scantrack 25.01.20; Nielsen MAT 2013 to 29.12.18; Nielsen Scantrack – 25.01.20; Retail Data Partnership June 2019.

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

LMC CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF QA SCHEME FQAS INSPECTIONS DEFERRED DUE TO COVID-19

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ollowing an emergency meeting of the Northern Ireland Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (FQAS) Industry Board, all face to face farm inspections have been deferred due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. The policy came into effect on March 18.

“Given the exceptional circumstances and acting on the advice of government on social distancing measures, the FQAS Board unanimously agreed that every effort should be made to safeguard the health, well-being and safety of our FQAS members and inspectors and therefore face to face inspections have been deferred,” said Ian Stevenson, LMC chief executive and FQAS Board chairman.

“We are now working closely with our accredited certification body Northern Ireland Food Chain Certification to determine how we can collectively maintain the robust nature of beef and lamb assurance in Northern Ireland within the limitations imposed by the current challenging conditions.”

FQAS continues to operate and participants’ assured status will continue to be certified during the period of inspection deferral.

Members whose renewals fall due will be invited to pay the annual renewal fee in order to continue participation in the scheme.

Members will be advised to pay online during this period.

Ian Stevenson, chief executive, LMC.

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ivestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland has marked the 30th anniversary of its Northern Ireland Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (NIBL FQAS); a “gold standard” guarantee of high standards, according to Chief Executive Ian Stevenson.

“Northern Ireland was to the fore in developing a beef and lamb quality assurance scheme, one which met the needs of farmers, processers, retailers and consumers in equal measure from the get-go,” he said. “Our Farm Quality Assurance Scheme provides a quality mark that underpins a multiplicity of retail and food service brands in the UK, Europe and beyond.

“The scheme has played a key role in allowing our red meat processers to engage in some of the world’s most

lucrative markets for beef and lamb.

“Today, NIBL FQAS works closely with partner schemes in Great Britain to support the Red Tractor scheme and deliver our quality beef and lamb to consumers across the UK. But it should also be remembered that the scheme was also the means by which beef from Northern Ireland was promoted under the Greenfields brand for sale in supermarkets throughout the Benelux region in the early 1990s.”

Today 99% of the prime cattle slaughtered in Northern Ireland are farm quality assured, with the figure for cows and bulls is in the region of 91%. For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2019, the scheme’s rolling membership totalled 12,126 farm businesses.

FARM SAFETY MUST REMAIN A PRIORITY DURING PANDEMIC

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lster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is urging parents/guardians to be vigilant as schools have closed due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

With curious minds and adventurous spirits, children love to get out on the farm to meet the animals and explore; however farms are a place of work and are a dangerous environment for children.

“Children view farms as one big

play area and fail to understand the consequences that go hand in hand with playing around machinery, equipment and livestock,” said Victor Chestnutt, deputy president, UFU. “Agriculture has one of the highest fatal accident rates of any industry in Northern Ireland and is the only high-risk industry that has to deal with the constant presence of children.

“With this in mind, parents/guardians

should think about preventative measures they can put in place to help protect children from the dangers. These measures include providing children with a securely fenced off play area, ensuring unattended vehicles are kept locked, and discouraging children from using bales of any description for playing.”

Visit www.hseni.gov.uk for more information on farm safety.

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

AGRI-FOOD EXPERT HONOURED BY QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

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leading member of the Northern Ireland business community has received an honorary professorship from Queen’s University Belfast.

Declan Billington, chief executive of John Thompson and Sons animalfeed manufacturer and the vice-chair of the Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association (NIFDA), recently had the title Professor of Practice conferred on him.

The honour acknowledges not only a successful career – Billington leads the largest, multi-species feed mill in Europe – but a commitment to driving the local economy, for which he received an MBE last year.

A former chair of CBI Northern Ireland, he has long been a champion of innovation and high standards of food safety in the local agri-food industry.

This has culminated in representing the NI food industry at Brexit negotiations over the past three years – up to and including meetings with UK prime ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnston – in which he has sought to protect the interests of local farmers, food producers and retailers.

He has also worked to protect the all-island economy, as a member of organisations such as the Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation.

A chartered accountant by background, Billington has been key in promoting a closer relationship between scientific research and the food industry, helping create pathways along the whole of the food chain, from fundamental science through to retail.

In 2015, for example, he helped establish the Agri-Food Quest Competence Centre, which links academic researchers from Queen’s and the University of Ulster, CAFRE and AFBI with NI’s top food and drink companies to work together on research projects.

A Queen’s graduate, he has always maintained especially close links with that university, particularly through the establishment of its Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS), on whose Industrial Advisory Board he sits.

He was instrumental, for example, in the Food Fortress project, one of the first big industry-academia research partnerships in the area of food security

From left, Professor Chris Elliott OBE; Declan Billington; and Professor Nigel Scollan.

at Queen’s. His participation enabled important scientific investigations into the safety of animal feed, and technological advances in diagnosing the same, in the wake of the dioxin contamination crisis of 2008. That work directly led to the development of an internationally renowned feed-quality assurance scheme, run by Professor Chris Elliott OBE and his team at IGFS. “Declan has been an absolute asset to us over the years,” said Professor Nigel Scollan, director of IGFS. “The entire food industry owes him a debt of gratitude for

his sterling work on Brexit and here at Queen’s, we have benefited enormously from his continued support.”

In his capacity as Chair of the Poultry Federation of NI, Billington is currently working with IGFS on developing capacity within NI on the management of poultry disease.

He is also exploring with IGFS on novel ways in which animal and agricultural waste, such as phosphate and nitrates, can be recycled in order to mitigate environmental degradation.

UFU RESPONDS TO DAERA INNOVATION STRATEGY CONSULTATION

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lster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has welcomed the opportunity to respond to DAERA’s consultation on the proposed Innovation Strategy, saying it is encouraging to see that DAERA has placed innovation high on its agenda.

The farming union has, however, expressed disappointment with the consultation as too internal regarding structures and internal processes.

“There are a number of significant challenges facing Northern Ireland and innovation will be vital to address these,” said Ivor Ferguson, president, UFU. “For innovation to flourish within DAERA, there needs to be a significant culture shift.

The risk adverse mindset which is instilled within DAERA needs to change to allow civil servants to learn from their mistakes.”

MARKETING NEWS

GROCERYAID AWARENESS DAY RECEIVES GREAT INDUSTRY SUPPORT

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roceryAid, the national charity for the grocery industry, held its second annual Awareness Day on March 3. The day focused on encouraging grocery colleagues to spread the word about the free emotional, practical and financial support available to colleagues in need.

GroceryAid is pleased to announce that the day saw over 116 companies partake in awareness activities throughout the day

SCHOOLS EVENT HELD TO PROMOTE FAIRTRADE IN ARDS

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local schools’ event to promote Fairtrade was held in Ards Arts Centre on March 2 as part of Fairtrade Fortnight.

Hosted by Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Fairtrade Mayor of Ards and North Down Bill Keery with Peru coffee farmer Hugo Javier Guerrero, Fairtrade Steering Steering Group, Group representatives and local schoolchildren. (Photo approximately 40 credit: Ian Pedlow) schoolchildren and their teachers attended the special event that featured Peru-based coffee farmer Hugo Javier Guerrero as the keynote speaker.

Based in the mountainous Piura region of Peru, Guerrero explained the benefits that Fairtrade provides his family business and employees before giving the schoolchildren an opportunity to ask questions.

At the end of the event, each child received a packed goodie bag filled with Fairtrade items that had been donated by Tesco and the St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Consul General.

“Ards and North Down achieved Fairtrade Borough status almost three years ago and Fairtrade Fortnight gives the Council an opportunity to encourage local residents and businesses to buy Fairtrade,” said Mayor of Ards and North Down Bill Keery.

“Supporting Fairtrade also contributes to the Council’s aim of being a sustainable borough and it aligns with the internationally recognised Sustainable Development Goals.

“Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. As a Fairtrade Borough, we support the vision to live in a world where all producers can enjoy secure and sustainable livelihoods that lets them fulfil their potential.”

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which was a 45% increase in company engagement from last year.

The GroceryAid community generated over 100 posts across popular social media platforms LinkedIn and Twitter to help reach new audiences and companies held internal awareness activities such as bake sales, raffles or desk drops as the vehicle to share GroceryAid information.

GroceryAid is monitoring the impact that this will have on GroceryAid applications from beneficiaries and increases in calls to the Helpline.

“GroceryAid Awareness Day is all about creating a thunderclap throughout the industry about the fantastic confidential support available to colleagues, from counselling to financial advice,” said Mandi Leonard, welfare director at GroceryAid. “Without companies raising awareness, we wouldn’t be able to help as many colleagues as we do.”

To access the help available to all grocery colleagues, visit: https:// www.groceryaid.org.uk/ or call the free 24/7 Helpline 0808 802 1122.

TYRRELLS LAUNCHES TYRRELLBLY TASTY £2M CAMPAIGN

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P Snacks has announced it will be supporting its Tyrrells range with a £2m marketing investment in the first half of this year.

Tyrrells Hand Cooked crisps will be back on TV, as well as in print, radio and digital to continue to drive momentum and awareness amongst consumers looking for a premium snacking experience for sharing occasions.

Quintessentially English and available in a variety of flavours, Tyrrells hand-cooked English crisps are created using locally sourced potatoes. They are then made with care and attention, sliced, cooked, seasoned and packed at Tyrrells Court Farm in Herefordshire.

The Tyrrellbly Tyrrellbly Tasty TV campaign will run until May. The creative takes old Pathé footage and overlays it with pops of colour – all brought to life with the humorous commentary synonymous with Tyrrells and its distinctive packaging. The range will also be supported by print, radio, digital and social media as well as retailer specific activity.

“Our campaign is designed to highlight Tyrrells’ authentic provenance and heritage, all in a humorous and memorable way,” said Dan Winslet, global marketing controller, Tyrrells. “Quality is at the heart of the Tyrrells offering, making it the perfect product for consumers looking for a premium sharing experience. The Tyrrellbly Tyrrellbly Tasty campaign aims to raise awareness and drive sustainable value growth.”

EXPORT NEWS

DUNVILLE’S IRISH WHISKEY BRINGS THE SPIRIT OF BELFAST TO CANADA

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chlinville Distillery is exporting its award-winning Dunville’s Irish Whiskey brand to Canada in a deal with one of the world’s largest alcohol buyers.

The Kircubbin-based distillery has secured business with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) following two successful trade missions to Canada with Invest Northern Ireland and the Irish Whiskey Association.

LCBO is among the world’s largest buyers and retailers of beverage alcohol with almost 900 LCBO stores and convenience outlets across the province of Ontario.

The distillery already ships its whiskeys, gins and poitín to international markets across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East.

Dunville’s is introducing three of its award-winning whiskeys to the Canadian

Whiskey at the World Whiskies Awards 2019.

“When we revived the iconic Dunville’s Irish Whiskey brand in 2012, we did so with the view to restoring it to its rightful place among the premier whiskeys of the world,” said Jarlath Watson from The Echlinville Distillery. “With an everincreasing international following, we are well on our way to achieving that goal.”

John Hood, director of Food & Drink at market including Dunville’s PX 12 Year Old Invest NI, said: “The Irish whiskey market Single Malt, named Best Irish Single Malt 12 Years and Under at the World Whiskies has seen remarkable growth over the Awards 2019 and the Irish Whiskey Awards last 10 years with Irish whiskey now one of the fastest growing premium spirit 2018 and 2019 and recently won Gold at categories in the world. the 2020 World Whiskies Awards.

“Our support for Echlinville included LCBO is also stocking Dunville’s Three an introduction by our office in Canada Crowns Blended Whiskey, which won with the LCBO during an Invest NI trade Bronze at the World Whiskies Awards 2020, and Dunville’s Three Crowns Peated mission to Canada which helped the company to secure this deal.”

Irish Whiskey, named Best Irish Blended Jarlath Watson.

PROGRESS WELCOMED IN BEEF EXPORTS TO US

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ews the US has agreed equivalence of standards on the UK’s control measures, following a three-week inspection last summer, has been welcomed by the Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) and Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU).

The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a statement on March 6 confirming the UK meets the equivalence criteria for FSIS to recognise it as a single food safety inspection system encompassing England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Further, the UK is eligible to export raw beef products to the US derived from cattle slaughtered on and after March 6, meaning after the final administrative details are carried out, beef can be shipped to the US. “This agreement of equivalence in standards is the result of a long period of hard work and collaboration from industry and government representatives,” said Ian Stevenson, chief executive, LMC. “Without the diligence, professionalism and commitment of DAERA alongside the cooperation and willing assistance from NIMEA and of course our other UK counterparts and members of the UK Export Certification

Partnership, this process would simply not have been successful. The inspections in August 2019 included tours of five beef sites, four pork and one lamb from across the UK, as well as several laboratories.

“Gaining this access to the US market is extremely positive and will allow our beef export business to actively pursue new opportunities for our high quality, safe and certified beef industry.”

The USDA first cleared the way for the EU to resume beef exports to the US when it aligned its BSE regulations with international standards in 2014.

Following this decision, each EU country had to be inspected on a case-by-case basis and only a handful, including RoI, have achieved this to date.

Sam Chesney, beef and lamb chairman, UFU, said: “This is good news for the sector at a time when our beef farmers are facing huge uncertainty as trade talks with the European Union continue. Beef farmers are currently suffering as a result of low farm gate prices and incomes. The government needs to work as efficiently as possible with the industry so beef farmers on the ground see the benefit of this deal.”

Chesney valued the export deal at around £66m over the first five years.

UFU RESPONDS TO CONSULTATION ON NEW GLOBAL TARIFF POLICY

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lster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has submitted its feedback to the UK Government’s public consultation on proposals for a new UK global tariff policy, UK Most Favoured Nation.

The Government plans to implement a bespoke tariff schedule tailored to the needs of the UK economy and reflecting the interests of the country, with the consultation seeking views on the development of the new policy.

“The government must set our external applied tariffs at a level that prevents the UK market from being flooded with imported food produced to much lower standards when compared to those our farmers are expected to meet,” said Ivor Ferguson, president, UFU. “To do otherwise would contradict the Government’s commitment to uphold our high animal welfare and environmental standards undermining UK farmers in the process. The UK’s trade and tariff policy needs to ensure that UK consumers continue to have access to safe, traceable and nutritious food UK farmers have provided for generations.”

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ADVERTORIAL

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE MENTHOL BAN

BY DUNCAN CUNNINGHAM, UK CORPORATE AFFAIRS DIRECTOR AT IMPERIAL TOBACCO AND BLU product, remain unaffected by the menthol ban, so products such as our Rizla Polar Blast Crushball filter tips present another great option for these shoppers. By stocking the accessories in a highly visible location, at the till point or within an open gantry, retailers can attract the attention of shoppers and help highlight that tobacco products are available.

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rom May 20 this year, cigarettes and Roll Your Own (RYO) tobacco containing menthol will be banned from sale in the UK, leaving many existing adult smokers without their product of choice.

Menthol and crushball sales are collectively worth 26% of the total UK tobacco market (i), which means they make up nearly one in four cigarette sales. Given its sizeable share of the tobacco market and store sales, this is an important change that retailers and their customers need to be prepared for.

Some current menthol and crushball smokers may move into roll your own, others may opt for a different variant of the same cigarettes brand, while many menthol consumers may also use this as an opportunity to explore new ways to stick with their flavour preference and move into vaping. However, this shift in consumer purchasing behaviour may present significant sales opportunities for retailers who are prepared for the changes and proactively engage with shoppers. Using the insight from conversations with smoker customers, retailers can shape their range and ensure it’s fit for purpose post-ban.

MENTHOL BAN MUST-STOCKS For smokers looking to switch, vaping products offer something better.

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In order to prepare for this potential influx of ex-menthol smokers, retailers should ensure they have a strong range of menthol flavours on offer, especially those including nicsalts like myblu Intense that will further help them switch. Regardless of the ban, the top-selling blu e-liquid flavour is menthol (ii), so these variants are already very popular within the vaping category and worth getting right (iii).

Many adult smokers are brand loyal, especially within factory made cigarettes.

Retailers should assess what brand these shoppers currently buy, and make sure they’re stocked with suitable alternatives to ensure as smooth a transition as possible for their customers.

For smokers that are keen to stick with their flavour preference, there are a number of innovative solutions available, including our new Rizla Flavour Infusions.

The Rizla Flavour Infusions range includes two variants of menthol flavour cards which you simply insert into a packet of cigarettes or roll your own tobacco and wait at least 60 minutes for the contents to mentholate.

It’s also worth remembering that crushball filter tips, as a stand-alone smoking accessory

EDUCATION IS KEY To succeed post-ban, it’s really all about focusing on three key elements; range, availability and education.

Retailers should offer a broad range of products from leading brands across all the different vaping and tobacco segments, as well as stocking a strong selection of accessories such as lighters and other recent innovations like Rizla Flavour Infusions and Polar Blast Crushball filter tips.

Running regular stock checks and maintaining availability at all times is also essential as nicotine shoppers are often brand loyal and can be easily put off returning to a store if the specific product or brand they’re looking for is out of stock.

However, probably the most important thing of all is education. If retailers and their staff know the products well so they can talk comfortably to adult smokers about them in answering any questions they may have, this will pay off massively in terms of sales and repeat visits.

For more information, visit www.imperialbrandsplc.com i ITUK Latest Estimates ii Imperial Brands, EPOS 2018 – 2019 iii Action on Smoking and Health Research ‘Use of e-cigarettes (vaporisers) among adults in Great Britain’ 2019

BUSINESS NEWS

SQUARE BOX SECURES SHS GROUP TRAINING CONTRACT

Square Box’s training programmes involve real life projects that are business related. The training programme involves coaching, workshops, project work and presentations and all employees are allocated internal mentors for the duration of the programme.

Pictured are the participants of the Advance First Line Leader Programme with Square Box Trainer, Lorraine Campbell.

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quare Box Training Consultancy has secured a deal with FMCG supplier SHS Group to deliver a series of training programmes to the company’s employees throughout the UK. The deal, worth an undisclosed sum, is part of an investment by SHS Group into people development and follows on from Square Box’s work with the company as part of the UK Apprenticeship Levy.

Following the success of the apprenticeship training, SHS Group contracted Square Box to create a bespoke management development programme as part of their People Strategy, developing the capability and mindsets of employees across the Group.

The training will be delivered across all SHS sites in the UK. “Square Box is delighted to continue our training programme with SHS Group,” said Harry Harpur, founder of Square Box. “Whilst the enquiry was

initially for a NI cohort only, the success of the first programme which ran in 2018 and the positive response received in terms of our training delivery, as well as the fun and practical approach we use, meant we were then asked to roll out the training to employees all across the UK.” Elaine Birchall, chief executive at SHS Group, said: “As part of our People Strategy, we identified the need to further develop ‘accountable leadership’ capability and mindsets across our Group. We engaged Square Box Training Consultancy in 2018 to deliver Advance, a management development programme, specially designed for our first line leaders.

“We partnered with Square Box as we believed their practical approach to learning, coupled with their engaging and personable content delivery, would create a memorable learning experience for the participants aligned with the values of our business.”

NEW PLASTICS TAX ‘REAL BOOST’ FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY

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ith the UK set to bring in a new tax on plastic packaging, sustainability authority Bureau Veritas has said the levy represents a ‘real boost’ for the circular economy.

In his first Budget as Chancellor, Rishi Sunak announced that, from April 2020, the UK will introduce a new plastics packaging tax.

The levy means manufacturers and importers whose products have less than 30% recyclable material will be charged £200 per tonne.

The move is designed to increase the use of recycled plastic in packaging by 40% which, according to the government is ‘equal to carbon savings of nearly 200,000 tonnes’.

“The levy will provide a real boost for the UK’s mission to move towards a circular economy and will undoubtedly 36

help to unlock future investment in recycling infrastructure,” said David Murray, technical director for sustainability at Bureau Veritas.

“The policy is likely to boost the recycling rates of the entire supply chain - from procurement to disposal – reducing waste output as well as spurring more sustainable product design. It will also help to drive a company’s corporate social responsibility profile and, according to latest research, offers real benefit in cost-savings through improved efficiencies across the UK manufacturing sectors in particular.”

The government has now launched a consultation, open until May 20, on the detailed design and implementation of the tax, which includes consideration of an exemption for certain types of medical packaging.

LOCAL RETAIL OUTLETS CAN ACCESS FREE-TO-USE DIGITAL LOYALTY SCHEME

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or a limited time, local hospitality and retail businesses across Northern Ireland can sign up to the homegrown and fast-growing rewards app, loyalBe, for free.

Independent retailers relying on repeat customers can use loyalBe, a data-driven marketing platform requiring no onsite infrastructure, to increase customer retention and drive repeat sales. loyalBe can replace a collection of loyalty cards with a single smartphone application putting the power of ‘loyalty’ in the hands of shoppers and independent retailers.

“Forget scanning QR codes, tapping beacons or checking-in, in fact, customers don’t even need their phones at all,” said Cormac Quinn, founder. “They simply just pay by bank card as usual and earn rewards – meaning no behaviour change whatsoever.

“With loyalBe, outlets across the province will be able to use the ‘back office’ dashboard to understand their customers’ spending habits, identify and reward their top purchasers, receive private feedback and engage more directly with consumers.”

The app can be downloaded from the Apple and Android stores, online via https://getloyalbe.com/ and retailers interested in signing up for free by the end of April 2020 can register via loyalBe.io.

APPOINTMENTS

MICHAEL McCORMACK APPOINTED MD OF MUSGRAVE WHOLESALE PARTNERS M usgrave has announced the appointment of Michael McCormack as managing director of Musgrave Wholesale Partners. He is currently managing director of Musgrave in Northern Ireland and will succeed Noel Keeley, who became CEO of Musgrave Group at the start of this year.

As MD of Musgrave in Northern Ireland, McCormack has delivered significant sales growth for the SuperValu, Centra and Mace brands in Northern Ireland. He first joined Musgrave in 2007 and has held senior positions in the wholesale foodservice business prior to joining the business in Northern Ireland in 2015.

“We are very pleased to appoint Michael McCormack as managing director of Musgrave Wholesale Partners,” said Keeley. “He has led significant growth in our business in

Michael McCormack.

Northern Ireland as part of our Growing Good Business strategy.

“With Michael’s leadership, Musgrave is ideally placed to respond to exciting opportunities in the wholesale and foodservice sectors. This includes meeting

BRANDSHAPERS ANNOUNCES NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR S ales, marketing and distribution specialist Brandshapers has announced the promotion of Liam Dooley to managing director. Brandshapers works with brands across food and drink, baby, healthcare, wellness and beauty, driving growth for the likes of Ella’s Kitchen, Bacofoil, Real Techniques and Seven Seas.

He brings 15 years’ sector expertise

to the role. Before joining Brandshapers, he spent a decade at McCauley Pharmacy Group, where he held buying responsibilities for multiple Liam Dooley categories and also led the company’s online business.

At Brandshapers, Dooley previously held the posts of business unit manager and commercial manager.

“Liam has a best-in-class knowledge of how to deliver real brand growth, based on his forensic understanding of the Irish market coupled with his ability to forge

the demand for changing food tastes and leveraging our digital technology to deliver world-class customer experiences.”

Musgrave Wholesale Partners is the leading wholesale and foodservice business for retailers and SMEs, and a one-stop shop for the growing hotel, catering and restaurant sector across the island of Ireland. Recent acquisitions include the fine food specialist La Rousse Foods and drinks distributor Drinks Inc. Prior to joining Musgrave, McCormack held a number of domestic and international roles with Statoil, including vice president Customer Offer where he was responsible for Statoil Europe’s shop and forecourt brand portfolio. He holds an MBA from the Michael Smurfit Business School and is a Fellow of the Chartered Certified Accountants.

relationships,” said Peter Burrows, vice president of M&A Acquisitions, Ceuta Group. “He is uniquely qualified for the role of MD and this is a natural progression on the back of his sterling track record over the past five years leading the commercial function.”

Dooley said: “Brandshapers has an unbeatable reputation for growing brands and our current client portfolio includes a fantastic mix of market leading brands across many categories. The team here is committed and highly dynamic with a superb approach to client service along with detailed channel expertise. This role is a wonderful opportunity to lead the company into the next stage of its journey.”

SHELFLIFE To see your product featured in Shelf Life, contact Chris Keenan at c.keenan@independentmagazinesni.co.uk or Tel: 028 9026 4267

ACTI-SNACK LAUNCHES NEXT GENERATION OF SPORTS NUTRITION SNACKS S

ports nutrition brand ACTI-SNACK has launched seven new healthy Nut and Trail Mixes designed to naturally fuel the body and promote recovery in athlete, sports and health enthusiasts.

Designed in partnership with performance nutritionists and adventure athletes, the brand is centred around tailored plant-based products that meet the body’s need to refuel and recover.

Lorna Cooke, a leading Irish sports nutritionist at Sports Medicine NI, has been involved in the development of the product and explains how ACTI-SNACK is different from traditional sports snacks.

“ACTI-SNACK has embraced the ‘food first’ approach to fuelling and recovery but has also concentrated on only using natural ingredients which is fantastic,” she said. “Being ‘food first’ ensures that athletes are better fuelled to reduce risk of injury and improve competition performance.

“What sets ACTI-SNACK apart from traditional protein snacks is the natural nutrition approach as well as unique flavour blends which reduce the problem

of flavour fatigue that can be a real issue for endurance athletes.”

The range is designed to answer different need states, with high energy mixes to fuel athletes before and during an event or training, to all-natural recovery mixes, to low sugar Keto mixes*. As the first and only accredited Keto snacks in the UK and Ireland, these two specific mixes feed growing dietary trends around the growing demand for lower sugar, lower carb options.

• The Energy mix is aimed at trailblazers to get them a much-needed boost before and during adventures and comes in two

McCOY’S LAUNCHES NEW FIERY STEAK RIDGE CUT CRISPS M cCoy’s, the UK’s number one ridged crisp*, is continuing its mission of delivering full-on flavour with the launch of new McCoy’s Fiery Steak, a spectacular face-off between meat and heat.

The launch is inspired by the iconic McCoy’s Steak flavour with a bold punch of heat to spice up the nation’s favourite snacking occasions.

2020 marks 35 years of McCoy’s Flame Grilled Steak and KP Snacks wanted to fire up this iconic flavour to give consumers more choice and excitement.

Flavour is the number one purchase driver in the crisps and snacks

38

category* with 49% saying that they would choose crisps or savoury snacks over a sugary option*. KP Snacks’ new Fiery Steak ridge cut crisps is the ideal product to capitalise on this trend and grow the variety within the CSN category.

In stores from March, the new Fiery Steak crisp will be available in Grab Bag and PMP formats. From May, the product will be available in the McCoy’s Strong & Spicy Variety Multipack.

“As one of the most popular crisps in the CSN category, we saw an opportunity to tap into consumer trends and launch a new NPD which offers a bold and delicious twist to the market,” said Claire Cooper, marketing manager,

flavours; Salted Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

• The Natural mix is perfect for those who want to savour the ingredients with no added flavours and comes in three mixes; Natural Nut, Fruit and Nut, Nut and Seed.

• The Keto mix is the first accredited Keto snack in the UK and Ireland and comes in two flavours; Salt and Apple Cider Vinegar and Buffalo BBQ. The mixes are available in a variety of sizes from the 40g on the go packs for £1.50 and Power Packs available in up to 200g retailing at £4.00 and now available on shelves across Northern Ireland. *https://www.marketresearch.com/InfinitiResearch-Limited-v2680/Global-KetoDiet-12009961/

McCoy’s. “We are very pleased to introduce this exciting new flavour to consumers and add to our growing portfolio of delicious snacks here at KP Snacks.” * Nielsen Scantrack 25.01.20

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GROCER ULSTER

TM

Over 45 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

Q&A TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I am a biotechnologist with an MBA from Queen’s University, and founder of Born Maverick Vegan Beverages, producer of the innovative Púr plant-based drinks.

I am a passionate writer and nature photographer in my free time while being a learner for life in every other aspect, but it’s the dynamics of business and science that keeps me driving ahead. I was born in a materialistically gifted family, but it was my willingness to grow on my own right from scratch that has moulded me into the human I am today, which is to be humble and always hungry to learn and grow.

IN THE HOT SEAT AZHAR MURTUZA, FOUNDER OF BORN MAVERICK VEGAN BEVERAGES

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE? My day starts and ends with prayer/ meditation and, in between that, I am living the life of a start-up entrepreneur which involves wearing different responsibilities on your sleeves every day. I love the uncertainty revolving around it as it never allows me to stop and think that I am all on my own, oceans away from my family. It’s been a blessing in disguise for me as I am always on the move, working towards my vision non-stop.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR? I always feel the best is yet to come but I am grateful for the support I have got from all business organisations within Northern Ireland such as Queen’s University, Invest NI and Oxford Innovation to name few. The highlight for me is that even before me having a product, they have trusted in me for my ethics and hard work towards building this innovative brand. Hence, I can say that highlight of my career so far has been my decision to come and settle in Northern Ireland.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? I am able to meet and learn so much from industry experts every day and also, I am able to apply my theoretical knowledge of science and business into this venture. I couldn’t have asked for more. Innovation is the pulse of my continuous learning.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT CHALLENGE OF THE JOB? As a start-up in food industry, it is difficult to build a brand right from scratch, especially when you are way ahead of your time in terms of deliverance towards food eco systems. It does take more time to prove authenticity of something which 42

is not existing in the market and has no comparative models to look for in terms of feasibility revolving around this idea.

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN OFFERED? My parents always taught me one thing which was to give space to everyone around and make sure to live and let live, for everyone is equal. Those words of my childhood have always been ingrained in me forever as we need to respect each other more than we love each other.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? An assumption by few given my ethnicity that I am trying to introduce some Asian food into the market whereas the truth is that I have designed the food product in Northern Ireland with the help of CAFRE and it is a first-of-its-kind product in the global market.

WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? I would like to learn aircraft flying as a pro.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/ AMBITIONS? My vision is to create a change in food eco systems through continuous innovation and creating a sustainable environment around us in order to support healthy lifestyles and preserve nature.

WHOM DO YOU ADMIRE MOST? I always learn something new from people I keep meeting so naming one wouldn’t be justified. We become a bit of everyone we come across.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? Swiss Alps.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD? Anything cooked by mom I would say.

HOW DO YOU RELAX? I rejuvenate myself in nature so every time I am not working, I would be found exploring nature.