Ulster Grocer August 2019 by Helen Wright

GROCER ULSTER

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

AUGUST 2019

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

AUGUST 2019

ULSTER

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

RETAIL SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS NO-DEAL ECONOMIC RISK

epresentatives of the retail, agrifood and logistics sectors have stepped up their campaign of opposition to a no-deal Brexit, after a Department for the Economy report highlighted it could place 40,000 jobs at risk in Northern Ireland. However, with the scenario looking increasingly likely, both the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) and Retail NI are urging local businesses trading with the Republic of Ireland (RoI) or EU to register for the Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) scheme. With a no-deal exit, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) may have to undertake 100 times the checks and face a 10,000% increase in Export Health Certificates, say the retail bodies, with a single mixed load lorry potentially requiring 100 certificates. NIRC highlights annual spending of €458m by RoI shoppers north of the border at risk in the event of a no-deal Brexit. And rising food prices from tariffs and controls could further jeopardise the Northern Ireland economy, already over-reliant on consumer spending (75% of GDP against 65% in the UK overall) yet powered by consumers with half the discretionary income of GB households.

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UPPING THEIR GAME: FROM RECYCLING INITIATIVES & NEW ORDERING APPS TO MAJOR INVESTMENT IN STORES, THIS MONTH’S UG FEATURES A BUMPER RETAIL NEWS SECTION

“Supply chains are only as strong as the weakest link so businesses need to start thinking about what goes into their products and where their products come from and go to,” said Aodhán Connolly, director of NIRC. “Businesses need to take action now to ensure that they have made the preparations and mitigations needed to keep their goods flowing. Any product that goes across the border, should that be a sandwich or a pizza, will need an Export Health Certificate. “Businesses will also need to inform DAERA exactly what is being moved. If a product is made of several ingredients, exporters will have to prove the provenance of each of the ingredients which adds cost and complexity to the supply chain.” Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, said: “It is hugely disappointing that the sign-up rate for the EORI scheme in Northern Ireland is nowhere near where it should be even in comparison with the rest of the UK. “It is essential that businesses start to engage with both DAERA and HMRC on these schemes, particularly micro and small businesses. The lack of proper preparation could mean the difference between make and break for some businesses.”

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NEW PM, SEC OF STATE URGED TO SECURE WITHDRAWAL DEAL

22-36

WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE: FRANCHISE & FASCIA: NEW AUTOMATED MOBILE FOOD APP, GANDER, AIMS TO REDUCE WASTE, GROW SALES & INCREASE FOOTFALL BY DIGITISING REDUCED-TO-CLEAR PRODUCE

ecuring an EU withdrawal deal and restoring devolution in Northern Ireland should be priorities for new Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Julian Smith, according to Retail NI. As expected, Johnson replaced Theresa May as PM last month, with his cabinet reshuffle seeing Smith replace Karen Bradley. “Boris Johnson must hit the ground running in securing a Brexit withdrawal deal,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI. “A no-deal is simply not an option that should even be considered given the economic devastation it would cause Northern Ireland. “Mr Johnson should take a hands-on role with the current political talks to restore devolution. We cannot continue much longer without a functioning government given the huge challenges ahead with education, business rates and Infrastructure investment. “We hope that the new Prime Minister will make an early visit to Northern Ireland and engage with the business community on all these issues.” Trade NI, the new organisation representing an alliance of Retail NI, Manufacturing NI and Hospitality Ulster, welcomed the appointment of Smith and hopes to meet with him over the coming weeks.

NI’S BIGGEST SYMBOL GROUPS HIGHLIGHT THEIR COMPETITIVE OFFER, WHILE MINTEL OFFERS INSIGHTS INTO TRENDS & OPPORTUNITIES FOR C-STORES

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SUPER FRUIT SHAPES: HEALTHY SNACK BRAND FOREST FEAST LAUNCHES ITS FIRST EVER KIDS’ RANGE FEATURING REAL FRUIT, SMASHED & SLOW BAKED INTO DELICIOUS FUN SHAPES

email: info@ulstergrocer.com Volume 54, Number 7 AUGUST 2019

Editor: Alyson Magee E: a.magee@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4175 Contributors: Michele Shirlow, Jason Winstanley Sales Manager: Chris Keenan E: c.keenan@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4266 Art Editor: Helen Wright Production Manager: Irene Fitzsimmons Ulster Grocer c/o Independent News & Media Ltd, Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road Clarendon Dock Belfast BT1 3BG www.ulstergrocer.com @ulstergrocer www.facebook.com/ulstergrocer Subscriptions: £27.50 per annum

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

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BORIS & THE BORDER BACKSTOP

s highlighted by our August edition, the usual summer lull has been notable by its absence this year. It is kicking off on all fronts from major activity across the retail industry to a new Prime Minister and Cabinet at Westminster. While our annual Franchise & Fascia feature showcases the latest initiatives, investment and innovation in the buoyant symbol sector, there is certainly no shortage of retail news to fill the other pages of the magazine. New or refurbished shops are opening, or set to open, across Northern Ireland, spanning the independent, symbol group, multiple and discount categories. And it’s not only shop sites attracting strong investment, with retail groups also throwing their support behind new ranges, IT systems and environmentallyfriendly programmes. For the agri-food sector, however, the picture is more mixed with Dale Farm posting another very positive set of results, but Linwood and Foyle Food Group both consolidating their operations with potential job losses. A range of factors has contributed to the closures of Linwoods’ bakery division and Foyle’s red meat production site in Cookstown, including tight margins in a highly competitive marketplace. Of course, uncertainty around Brexit can’t have helped and is unlikely to alleviate anytime soon with new PM Boris Johnson having reiterated his position of Brexit with or without a deal on October 31. As our news story on p3 outlines, Northern Ireland retailers, food and drink producers and processors (and indeed the wider business community) continue to stand united in opposition to a no-deal Brexit. In the news piece, Retail NI and the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium stress the chaos likely to ensue for companies exporting to the Republic of Ireland or the EU if we exit without a deal on October 31, but the impact will not be limited to exporters. All those shops and other businesses benefitting from cross-border trade stand

to lose significant business; not to mention the impact of any economic contraction on domestic grocery sales. A report published the Northern Ireland Civil Service in early July suggested no-deal could result in the Northern Ireland economy losing £120m a year and shedding 40,000 jobs. Logistics organisation FTA says no-deal would have a ‘catastrophic effect’ on the logistics sector and wider business community in Northern Ireland, rendering its ‘businesses less competitive to customers’. FTA estimates an annual 4.8 million freight vehicle movements over the Irish border through ‘complex and interdependent’ supply chains, with no consensus as yet on any system of checks for livestock and agri-food products. In its response to the Alternative Arrangements Commission Consultation seeking alternatives to the backstop, FTA stresses a frictionless border must be maintained to protect the economy. The logistics organisation opposes any move to introduce a single Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone for the UK and Ireland or create Special Economic Zones within Northern Ireland’s border regions. Also united in opposition to nodeal is Ulster Farmers’ Union, which highlights statistics just published by DAERA last month estimating the value of the Northern Ireland food and drinks processing sector at £4,952m in 2018. Final figures for 2017 total £4,810m, up by over 10% year on year, with 49% of production destined for GB and RoI the biggest export market accounting for £716m. UFU says the figures reinforce how important the agri-food industry is to the NI economy and how much is at stake regarding Brexit; reinforcing the importance of avoiding a no-deal exit. Yet our new PM and the DUP continue to spread the message that no deal is no big deal, and the backstop must go. We eagerly await the unveiling of their alternative…

Alyson Magee

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NEWS

FOOD PRODUCERS PUT TASTE OF NI ON MENU AT THE OPEN BY EMMA DEIGHAN

Sodexo chef Fritz Machala.

lmost a dozen of Northern Ireland’s best-loved food producers secured a place for their products on the prestigious

menu at The 148th Open held last month at Royal Portrush. Among the locally-made products to feature on the menu were butter, fish, ice cream and bakery brands chosen by international catering firm Sodexo, which has held the contract for the golf competition for 20 years. They included the North Coast Smokehouse, Abernethy Butter, Ballylisk Dairies, Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, Burren Balsamics, Irish Black Butter, Lough Neagh Eel, Morelli’s Ice Cream, Causeway Prime Meats and the French Village Bakery. Together they supplied up to 77,000 slices of bacon, 28,000 beef burgers,

14,000 fillets of accredited sustainable haddock, 1,000 rolls of butter, 220kg of sliced ham and 200kg of artisan cheese, along with delicacies like dulse and eels. Sodexo said it had been planning its catering service for The Open for over 18 months, and were expecting to serve over 20,000 meals in the private hospitality areas and around 100,000 meals in the public areas. “Catering for an event as prestigious and world-famous as The Open is an intensive, almost 24-hour a day operation that has to run like clockwork over the seven days,” said Stephen Frost, executive head chef for Sodexo’s sports and leisure division.

DALE FARM WELCOMES FOURTH YEAR OF GROWTH IN PROFITABILITY

ale Farm, the largest UK farmerowned dairy cooperative, has announced significant increases in profit, return on capital employed (ROCE) and turnover in its financial results for the year ending March 2019. Group operating profit rose 18% to £14.3m, profit before tax by 19% to £12m, overall group turnover grew 5.6% to £509m and ROCE by 15.8%, while its milk pool grew by 7%. “Our consistent profitable growth is the result of our people working together on an ambitious strategy in a culture of continuous improvement, a focus on product and process innovation and building partnerships

Nick Whelan, Dale Farm Group chief executive.

with major customers across the UK, EU and beyond,” said Nick Whelan, Dale

Farm Group chief executive. “I am delighted to be able to report that Dale Farm has paid the leading milk price as per the 12-month rolling milk price league in Northern Ireland throughout this past financial year. “A vital ingredient in our success is the capability of our people, so we also invest heavily in developing talent to support the delivery of our growth trajectory. In addition, we have a fundamental belief in the evolution of the ‘Lean’ culture across our group, which is a vital tool in helping us manage both significant ongoing cost inflation and address the impact of potential challenges, such as Brexit.”

LOCAL RETAILER APPOINTED TO INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

magh-based SPAR retailer Peter McBride has been appointed to the InterSPAR Executive Committee by SPAR International. McBride, who has over 30 years of retailing experience, runs 12 stores throughout Mid Ulster and is also president of Retail NI. As one of Northern Ireland’s most prominent independent retailers, he is also a SPAR Ulster Guild Board Member and was elected to the National Guild of SPAR as a Board Member in 2009. “Last year, we celebrated 30 years of McBride Retail Group and honoured Peter as one of our most respected independent retailers,” said Paddy Doody, sales & marketing director at Henderson

Group. “Over the past 30 years, the McBride Retail Group has consistently delivered for local shoppers, providing over 460 secure jobs across 12 sites.” The InterSPAR Executive Committee operates similarly to SPAR UK’s and SPAR’s Ulster Guild, with 12 representatives, comprised of five wholesale members from prominent SPAR countries, five retail members and two seats held by SPAR International. The group gathers twice a year for a two-day meeting held in a different country, and at Congress during the shareholders’ meeting of SPAR International B.V. They visit stores in the host country to gain a better understanding of the

local market and hear first-hand what is happening in all SPAR member countries.

From left, Peter McBride, owner of McBride Retail Group and Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director at Henderson Group.

NEWS

LINWOODS TO END BAKERY PRODUCTION WITH LOSS OF 70 JOBS

orthern Ireland firm Linwoods has announced the closure of its bakery division with the loss of around 70 jobs. The company said the decision was in response to a significant and longterm decline in market demand which has resulted in bakery margins being ‘severely depressed’. Linwoods made the decision following an ongoing review of its business model. As a result, the workforce at Linwoods’ Monaghan Road headquarters in Armagh will be

reduced by approximately 70 full-time employees. The company currently has 140 fulltime employees in Northern Ireland and operates across two sites in Co Armagh. Joint managing director at Linwoods, John Woods, said it was a “sad day for the company” as they “let go of one of the cornerstones of our business which has been integral to building the Linwoods’ brand”. “Our priority is to secure as many jobs as we can for the future and to provide

support for those impacted by this announcement,” he said. “We will begin a 30-day consultation period during which it is hoped that we can transfer approximately five or more employees across to our health food business. “Our health food business is growing and continues to be successful around the world. We are poised to grow this side of Linwoods and we are optimistic about what we can achieve in the years to come.”

JOBS RISK AS CO TYRONE MEAT FIRM REVEALS PLAN TO CLOSE PLANT A BY MARGARET CANNING

round 80 jobs in Co Tyrone are at risk after plans to close a meat plant were announced. The Foyle Food Group said it was planning to shut its red meat operation at Derryloran Industrial Estate in Cookstown by the end of August as part of “necessary consolidation”. It hopes to redeploy as many staff as possible from the factory, which employs 82 people, to another plant in Omagh. It is understood staff have been placed on a 30-day notice period of redundancy by the company, so that a consultation can be held. A spokesman said that while the business was a “market

OUTRAGE AS NI MEMBERS FACE 4% CARRIAGE CHARGE HIKE

FRN National President Stuart Reddish has condemned a hike of almost 4% in the charges members in Northern Ireland pay to Newspread in return for their newspaper supplies. “This is both disgraceful and ridiculous,” he said. “One of our members has advised that her weekly Newspread charge has gone up from £62.62 to £68.62 – that is nearly 10%. “And with two news wholesalers operating in Northern Ireland, she will now be paying a whopping £141 per week for her newspaper and magazine supplies. In effect, this means she would need to sell as many as 24 extra newspapers just to cover this increase.” NFRN said many retailers were completely unaware Newspread had increased its charges, as the news was contained in a note at the bottom of their delivery docket on Sunday, June 2. The increase applied from July 7. 6

leader”, consolidation was needed. “We regret the decision to close the Cookstown facility, but this is a necessary consolidation of the group’s operations across our larger and more modern UK facilities, where we have made significant investment in recent years,” he added. “Focusing processing at these sites will allow the group to remain a market leader within the competitive red meat sector.” The business has operated in Northern Ireland for more than four decades and has 1,300 staff in the UK and Ireland. It said its eight other plants were unaffected by the proposal and customers and suppliers would also see no change.

AFRICAN SWINE FEVER TRACES FOUND IN MEAT SEIZED ENTERING NI

orthern Ireland has retained its disease-free status after DNA testing detected traces of African swine fever virus in illegal meat products seized at Northern Ireland ports of entry. None of the meat entered the local food chain. The virus is not harmful to humans but could have a major impact on the local pork industry if it became established in pig herds here.

The tainted meat was identified after lab tests were carried out on samples from 300kg of illegal meat and dairy products seized from passengers arriving in Northern Ireland last month. In China, a third of the pig herd has had to be culled because of the virus, which has also been detected in Belgium, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.

LIDL PLANS NEW £8M EAST BELFAST STORE

idl has announced plans to build an £8m store at the former Hughes Christensen site in East Belfast. While Lidl already operates a store at the junction of Castlereagh and Montgomery Roads, that site is to close and be replaced by the new larger ‘concept’ store on the nearby vacant site. Lidl also recently announced it is seeking to occupy a large unit formerly occupied by Wrights Sofa Land at the Holywood Exchange retail park, close to Belfast City Airport in a £2.6m investment potentially creating 26 jobs.

NEWS

TRADE NI LAUNCHES IN BELFAST AHEAD OF MAJOR WESTMINSTER EVENT T rade NI, a new alliance between Hospitality Ulster, Manufacturing NI and Retail NI, laid out its priorities for the Northern Ireland economy at its Belfast launch in June, ahead of a major event to be held in the House of Commons on September 11. Comprising the three largest sectors of industry and the majority of businesses in Northern Ireland, Trade NI extended an invitation to the wider business community to attend the ‘Northern Ireland day’ in Westminster next month. Demands include any incoming Northern Ireland Executive must set out to increase the productivity of the NI workforce; reduce the regulatory burden

on business; increase the skills base; and deliver a clear economic strategy for Northern Ireland. In a joint statement, the representatives of Trade NI, Colin Neill (Hospitality Ulster), Stephen Kelly (Manufacturing NI) and Glyn Roberts (Retail NI) said: ‘Northern Ireland is facing huge economic and political challenges ahead with Brexit, no Assembly, and a rapidly changing global economy. Trade NI will seek to give leadership on behalf of our three sectors and provide new policy solutions to creating a modern local economy.’ Trade NI hopes to build on the success of an NI business reception hosted by the

TODAY’S ANNOUNCED AS ULSTER RALLY SPONSOR C

onvenience store From left, Robert Harkness, president of Northern Ireland Motor Club; Julie Burden, marketing director, and Michael Skelton, group Today’s has been sales director, Savage and Whitten; and Richard Swanston, announced as the headline event director, Ulster Rally. sponsor of the 2019 Ulster Rally, which will be taking place over August 16-17. Today’s is operated by local wholesaler Savage and Whitten (S&W) and is based at Carnbane Business Park in Newry; the new host city of the 2019 Today’s Ulster International Rally. ‘The Ulster Rally has a proud history and reputation for exciting competition,’ said Dessie Boyce, managing director and Julie Burden, marketing director, Today’s, in a joint statement. ‘We are especially pleased to support the event as it will, for the first time in its history, be based in the city of Newry against the backdrop of the beautiful Mourne Mountains and receive support from Newry Mourne and Down District Council.’ Richard Swanston, event director, said: “This will be an exciting year of new beginnings for the Ulster Rally, with the move to Newry and now a new title sponsor.” S&W Wholesale’s history dates to 1916 with the establishment of Newry Cash and Carry and again to 1920 when J&E Whitten was formed. Both firms merged in 2000 to become S&W, one of the largest independent wholesalers in Northern Ireland and distributor for Today’s. Today’s currently has 135 shops and local convenience stores throughout Ireland. In recent years the Ulster Rally has attracted 20,000 people, from spectators and visitors to officials and competitors, generating £1m for the local economy. The 2019 event is set to be broadcast on TV – both locally and nationally – and will be followed by millions throughout the world via the Ulster Rally website, Facebook and Twitter.

From left, Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI; Colin Neill, Hospitality Ulster; and Glyn Roberts, Retail NI.

three trade organisations for over 250 people at Westminster last year.

SUCCESS FOR NI PRODUCERS IN WORLD STEAK CHALLENGE 2019

our Northern Ireland companies, including two Food NI members, gained awards in the World Steak Challenge 2019, held recently in Dublin. Hannan Meats of Moira gained four golds for its grass-fed Glenarm Shorthorn ribeye and sirloin products while fellow Food NI member, Kettyle Irish Meats in Lisnaskea won gold for its grass-fed fillet steak and silver for grass-fed sirloin. Foyle Food Group in Londonderry won gold for its grass-fed ribeye, silver for its fillet and bronze for its sirloin, while Hilton Foods in Carrickfergus picked up a silver winner for grass-fed sirloin. The awards are organised by Global Meat News and judged by a team of international experts. Overall, 75 accolades were received from producers in Ireland, while other competing countries included Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, the US and Uruguay. “These achievements are another example of why Northern Ireland has developed into the World’s Best Food Destination,” said Michele Shirlow, chief executive of Food NI. “It’s because of the outstanding quality, taste and provenance of our meat in particular and the professionalism of all our producers.” 7

STORE FOCUS

MORAN’S CENTRA STRAND ROAD, DERRY

John and Donna Moran.

A £2M REFURBISHMENT EXPANDING ITS FOOD-TO-GO OFFER HAS REIMAGINED THE MORAN’S GROUP SITE AS A DESTINATION STORE, DONNA MORAN TELLS NIAMH WALLACE

onna and John Moran, the owners of Centra Strand Road, created excitement in their community in 1997 when they brought a deli-counter to Derry/Londonderry. And they have rereated this sense of excitement through a £2m refurbishment of the store, re-opened in April with an extensive selection of food to go on offer to their returning customers. Strand Road Centra was once known for being a reliable local petrol station. However, the refurbishment – in partnership with the Centra team - has allowed Moran’s to further diversify their store. NEW CONCEPTS The refurbishment has allowed their foodto-go service to go beyond breakfast rolls, serving chopped salads, ice cream and boasting a new state-of-the-art burrito bar. Customers are spoiled for choice in the new and improved Moran’s, bringing an enhanced taste experience to the local community. “We want to make Centra Strand Road a destination store,” says Donna Moran. “Our customers mainly reach us by car 8

and we want to expand our catchment area to attract people from further afield with the new food we have on offer.” The store has a diverse clientele to cater for, ranging from students of Ulster University and parents buying school lunches to lorry drivers. Donna and John are focused on improving the store experience for all of their customers, and the investment has created an accessible

and modern environment to shop in, doubling the previous retail space and improving digital systems within the stores. By investing in the expansion of forecourt facilities, Donna and John hope to boost the efficiency and success of their fuel trade by creating more parking spaces and upgrading infrastructure such as fuel pumps.

STORE FOCUS

EXPANDED WORKFORCE Moran’s is a family-run business, but this family extends beyond Donna and John. They cultivate loyalty amongst their staff as well as customers, with employees relocating to Moran stores in Ballykelly and Coleraine until the refurbishment was complete. Many of the original staff have returned to Strand Road Centra following the refurbishment of the store. “We want the working experience of our employees to

be improved too; they will spend the most time in the store,” says Donna. Moran’s continues to serve the community through job creation by hiring deli assistants, chefs, butchers and general store assistants, advertising to increase the size of its staff under the strapline, We Need 30 of the Best Across the North West. “John and I want this refurbishment to be people-orientated, rewarding our customers and staff for their years of loyalty to us and our stores,” says Donna. BESPOKE CATERING SERVICE Other businesses on Strand Road

offering hot foodservice, and thus competition for Moran’s, include McDonald’s, KFC and Domino’s Pizza. Moran’s has the competitive advantages of variety and convenience; customers can choose between many different types of food, and the fast-paced deli system allows customers to receive their orders much quicker than in a conventional fast-food system. The store also offers a healthier alternative to many of these fast-food options through its new Green Kitchen, which is proving popular amongst customers. Donna and John continue to diversify the experience of their customers and support the community through their catering service. They offer a variety of foodservice such as breakfast, soups and sandwiches, buffets and desserts alongside bespoke menus, with catering staff and equipment hire also available for private and corporate events, as well as weddings. This service can be easily negotiated through their website, www.morans. com, allowing the business to transcend the shop floor. Ultimately, Donna and John Moran want this multi-million-pound refurbishment to put Centra Strand Road on the map, attracting customers from all over the city with its new array of food to go and upgraded fuel facilities.

RETAIL NEWS - INDEPENDENTS

GROCERYAID BARCODE FESTIVAL SMASHES ALL RECORDS

he grocery industry came together to raise the roof at an industry-wide summer party, recognising incredible colleagues and raising funds for GroceryAid on July 4. Barcode Festival surpassed last year’s event with 2,200 grocery colleagues enjoying over 10,000 cocktails, 12,000 portions of street food and three headline acts in Jessie J, Basement Jaxx and Nick Grimshaw on the Skittle Stage. All of this resulted in a fantastic total of £450,000 raised for the industry’s charity, GroceryAid, which supports people in their hour of need. Held at Hawker House in London for a second year, the festival was full of exciting brand activations from its 48 sponsor companies. Amongst other activities, it showcased the industry’s very best food and drink. The charity now has big plans for the 2020 event and, as the event was massively oversubscribed this year, Barcode Festival will be moving to a larger venue in London with the aim of raising £700,000.

RETAIL NI HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES FOR NEW CHIEF CONSTABLE

etail NI has urged new Chief Constable Simon Byrne to make business and retail crime a top priority. “We look forward to working with the new Chief Constable as he faces huge policing challenges, particularly around Brexit,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI. “We are very concerned about the huge resourcing pressures that policing a border in the unwelcome event of a no-deal Brexit would have on the PSNI. “Retail NI members lost millions of pounds in the last 12 months as a result of the ATM robberies and value the close partnership we have with the PSNI. “The PSNI has made a number of arrests and we have seen a current lull in these robberies as a result. “There needs to be a deeper working relationship between the wider business community and the PSNI moving forward, with issues like cyber crime and assaults on retail workers becoming ever more prevalent.”

Meanwhile, the launch of GroceryAid’s 2019 Impact Report has again shown an increase in the number of people receiving support from the charity. GroceryAid helped 15,784 people in need last year, an 8% increase overall. Crisis grants, which are typically needed when someone is suffering a short-term crisis such as being off sick or following a relationship breakdown, saw spend increase by 40%, highlighting the number of working colleagues living on

a financial tightrope, while 92% of all crisis grants made during the year were to those of working age. In June, over 100 MPs and industry leaders gathered at the Houses of Parliament for the launch of GroceryAid’s new Workplace Critical Incident Support. Funded by the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust, it aims to provide professional counselling support to grocery colleagues in the aftermath of an accident, robbery or assault in the workplace.

NFRN SUPPORTS GREATER PROTECTION FOR RETAIL WORKERS

FRN, which represents 15,000 independent stores in the UK and Ireland, has welcomed the Co-op’s call for greater legal protection of retail workers. “Attacks on retail staff, particularly over the refusal to sell age-restricted products, is an increasing problem across the convenience sector,” said Stuart Reddish, national president, NFRN. “The NFRN has been calling for the law to be strengthened to provide greater protection and that’s why we have supported Daniel Johnson’s MSP bill in the Scottish Parliament. “The NFRN acts as secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Retail Crime and has been successfully raising the profile of retail crime at Westminster. “The government’s Call for Evidence on violence against retailers is an opportunity for those who have been threatened or attacked while serving their local communities to tell the government of their experiences and I encourage all retailers to take part.”

BELFAST CC STUDY ON PEDESTRIANISATION WELCOMED

etail NI has welcomed the decision of Belfast City Council’s City Growth Committee to jointly commission a study with the departments of Infrastructure and Communities on how to make the City Centre more accessible and welcoming. “Retail NI is very ambitious for Belfast and we believe that a 21st century city centre can be created with a dynamic retail and hospitality offer,” said Glyn

Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI. “It also needs to be a fun place for families to visit and enjoy. “It is vital that this study engages with all the key stakeholders in business and transport and also developers to ensure that all views are heard on the pedestrianisation issue. “We look forward to working with council and government departments on this joint study.”

RETAIL NEWS - SYMBOLS

ENNISKILLEN CENTRA CREATES 15 JOBS FOLLOWING £2M INVESTMENT

new-look Lilley’s Centra and forecourt has reopened in Enniskillen following the completion of a £2m investment, creating 15 new jobs. Purchased in 2016 with funding from Ulster Bank, the redevelopment was supported by Musgrave, the familyowned retail and wholesale group owning the SuperValu, Centra, MACE and MarketPlace brands in Ireland. It involved the demolition and rebuild of the flagship store as well as the refurbishment of its forecourt. Situated on the main arterial route to and from Enniskillen, the redevelopment included extending the forecourt to ease congestion and increase parking availability for customers availing of the store’s new sit-down dining area, which offers complimentary wifi access. Alongside a greater selection of chilled and fresh food ranges and an extended off-licence, the new store was developed with particular focus on growing its food-to-go offering. Convenience store concepts such as the Frank and Honest coffee brand, hot and cold deli counter and a self-service

NEW ORDERING APP LAUNCHED FOR RETAILERS

ostcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) has upgraded its bespoke mobile app, ActivMOBILE, with the launch of ActivMOBILE 2.0. The current ActivHUB & ActivOC online portal is used by Costcutter Supermarkets Group retailers as a go-to place to create, build, edit and fully submit their orders. This can now be wholly achieved by using the new ActivMOBILE 2.0 app, with retailers now able to complete their orders from start to finish. The app also provides CSG retailers with additional features for running their store as efficiently as possible, such as information on range, pricing details, recommended products, plus the ability to utilise a barcode scanner to add products to their orders. The free app, which is available across all mobile platforms, allows CSG retailers to quickly place orders and keep up-todate with new products and offers.

From left, Una Lilley, store owner and Leona McNicholl, senior relationship manager at Ulster Bank, demonstrate the new digital shelf edge displays, with the Enniskillen shop the first to introduce the technology in Northern Ireland.

hot box were introduced. Alongside pre-packaged food-to-go ranges, a new Green Kitchen salad bar concept was added, offering a selection of delicious healthy salad options. The new store is also the first Centra retailer in Northern Ireland to feature digital shelf edge displays. A natural touchpoint with customers, traditional labelled shelf edges displaying pricing

and promotional messages have been replaced with a new technological solution. Beneficial for streamlining the process for updating and managing pricing information, as well as ensuring pricing accuracy, digital shelf edge displays can also be utilised for marketing to engage, inform and convert shoppers.

HENDERSON RETAIL CELEBRATES THE OPENING OF ITS 50TH POST OFFICE

enderson Retail has celebrated an important milestone with the opening of its 50th in-store Post Office. Lady Sylvia Hermon, MP for North Down, was on hand to cut the ribbon to officially launch the new Moat Street Post Office at EUROSPAR Donaghadee. “EUROSPAR is a community supermarket brand that brings every essential product and service into the heart of communities across Northern Ireland,” said Mark McCammond, retail director at Henderson Group. “The Post Office is a huge part of what we can

Lady Sylvia Hermon officially cuts the ribbon at Moat Street Post Office.

deliver to local customers, and we’re very happy to open our 50th outlet here in Donaghadee.”

COSTCUTTER LAUNCHES SHOWSTOPPING SUMMER DEALS

ostcutter Supermarket Group (CSG) retailers are set to benefit from a series of summer deals combining the power of Co-op own brand with major branded goods. CSG hopes the promotions will allow local retailers to compete with major multiples and maximise their seasonal

sales opportunity. Announced at CSG’s retailer roadshows, held in six major UK cities, the first offer launched on July 10, with a combination of two Co-op own-brand pizzas and a four-pack of Budweiser for £5; supported by a full suite of PoS. 11

RETAIL NEWS - SYMBOLS

NEW £2M SPAR OPENS IN SOUTH BELFAST

SPAR Sunnyside Street.

new state-of-the-art SPAR store has opened on Belfast’s Sunnyside Street, just off the Ormeau Road, bringing 30 new jobs to the local area. The £2m build has resulted in a 3,014-square-foot store, designed by Henderson’s Property team to elevate the shopper experience with almost 20 bays

dedicated entirely to locally-sourced, fresh food. “The Sunnyside Street store is one which will not only bring a host of essential everyday services and products but will provide an enhanced shopping experience for the area with over 3,000 products in store,” said Mark McCammond, retail director, Henderson Group. “The layout of this store has been specifically designed not only to increase the offering, but to create a more convenient shopping solution to residents of the south Belfast area. We are pleased to offer shoppers 25 free car-parking spaces tucked away from the heavily congested Ormeau road and hope that

the stress-free parking, our free-to-use ATM and extended opening hours, will entice shoppers to the new store.” Glenda Hanna, store manager, said: “We are proud to offer a choice of over 600 fresh products which have been sourced from local suppliers, including SPAR’s own brand ranges including enjoy local, The Kitchen and the new The Greengrocer’s range of produce.” SPAR Sunnyside Street will feature a food-to-go counter from Henderson’s daily Deli offering hot food, freshly prepared on site every day, as well as the full range of expertly-butchered meat and poultry. And the popular Barista Bar on-the-go coffee has set up its 360th counter in-store.

HENDERSON’S OWN-BRAND BAKERY RANGE RISES TO THE CHALLENGE H enderson Wholesale has significantly increased its enjoy local own-brand range, offering local bakeries an opportunity for growth with a further £1.3m sales projected. Comprised of 20 new bakery products, the enjoy local Bakery line is produced collaboratively with local and family-run businesses across Northern Ireland who will now enjoy the benefits of Henderson’s distribution network to over 360 company-owned and independent stores. enjoy local was launched in 2015

From left, Eamon Taggart, Henderson Group and Tim Graham, Graham’s Bakery.

with a £25m investment alongside 20 local suppliers, and local Dromore family bakery Graham’s has been added to the roster to help expand the enjoy local Bakery line.

Graham’s joins Daily Bake in Armagh and Scott’s Bakery in Fivemiletown to produce the line, with all companies investing in their team and facilities to deliver the enjoy local range which includes salted caramel, coffee and carrot cakes, chocolate orange as well as raspberry muffins and mini cupcakes, Viennese Whirls, Coconut Jam Delights and a cupcake platter. The products will be available throughout SPAR and EUROSPAR stores across Northern Ireland.

HENDERSON RETAIL TO TAKE ON GLOBAL RETAIL GIANTS AT IGD AWARDS

enderson Retail is the only NI retailer to be shortlisted amongst the best of the global FMCG industry for the annual IGD Awards. The awards celebrate the biggest and best achievements in the industry through four strands, Business Excellence, People, Personal Development and Sustainable Business. The company has been shortlisted in the Small Store of the Year (Business Excellence) and the John Sainsbury Learning & Development (Personal Development) categories. The £2.7m SPAR Fortfield store, which opened at the end of 2018, will take on stores from Copenhagen, Brussels, Shanghai, London and Dublin for Small Store of the Year, and the company’s 12

SPAR Fortfield, Carrickfergus.

Leadership Development Programme will go up against Aldi Stores UK, Booker Group and Procter & Gamble UK in the Learning and Development category, which seeks to reward a company that delivers learning and

development creatively with a clear impact. The 2019 IGD finalists will be presented to judges throughout September, and the awards ceremony will take place in London on November 7.

RETAIL NEWS - MULTIPLES

LIDL NI PIONEERS CUSTOMER RECYCLING FACILITIES IN-STORE L idl Northern Ireland is laying claim as the first retailer to install customer recycling stations at checkouts across its 38 branches, in a bid to reduce consumers’ packaging waste bought in-store. The scheme is the first of its kind among supermarkets in Northern Ireland and offers Lidl’s hundreds of thousands of weekly customers the opportunity to remove unwanted recyclable packaging at the point of purchase for recycling in-store. Latest statistics* indicate Northern Ireland’s councils collected 230,942 tonnes of local authority-collected municipal waste between October and December 2018; the majority of which consisted of household waste (89.6%), equating to 276 kg of waste per household. The household waste recycling rate was 47.7%. “The introduction of in-store recycling stations for our customers is another big step on our journey to tackle important sustainability issues,” said Deirdre Ryan, head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Lidl. “Lidl is proud to be a sustainability champion and has implemented a number of initiatives to reduce the amount of recyclable materials associated with our products and set ambitious targets for the future.”

Customer Lewis Armstrong recycles with Lidl NI and arc21.

The launch of the scheme follows a successful trial of checkout recycling stations within the Republic of Ireland and has now rolled out across Lidl’s 199 stores in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The move is one of many steps that Lidl is taking as part of its plastic-reduction strategy. Last year, Lidl discontinued the sale of single-use plastic items in favour of biodegradable alternatives, saving 2.75 million straws, 1.8 million plastic plates and cups and 75.1 million individual cotton buds. Lidl has also committed to several ambitious plastic-reduction targets, including using 20% less plastic packaging by 2022 and having 100% recyclable own-brand packaging by 2025. *Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

SUPERVALU LAUNCHES NATURO CHEF’S SELECTION INTO 35 LOCAL STORES

M&S ANNOUNCES OPENING DATE FOR NEW CARRICKFERGUS STORE

arks & Spencer has announced it will be opening the doors to its newest Foodhall in Carrickfergus on July 31. Store Manager Grace Lough and her team of colleagues will be joined by Cllr Maureen Morrow, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, alongside winners of a Carrickfergus Model Primary School colouring competition to cut the ribbon and officially open the new store. Located at Shore Commercial Park on Belfast Road, the store will offer thousands of food products such as summer barbecue lines from the Grill, and the latest from the Plant Kitchen range. The store will also have a wine shop offering beers, wines and spirits, and an in-store bakery with a selection of fresh breads and pastries baked throughout the day. M&S Carrickfergus has recruited 50 colleagues to join its new team, which includes offering new roles to existing M&S colleagues as well as creating jobs for the local community. “I feel incredibly proud to finally welcome our customers and talented team of colleagues to the hotlyanticipated store,” said Grace Lough, M&S Carrickfergus store manager, who has worked at M&S for 13 years. “Along with our bespoke food offer, busy customers will be able to easily collect and return online clothing orders with pick up available seven days a week.”

ward-winning Mackle Petfoods is supplying its Naturo Chef’s Selection range into SuperValu stores from June, with three varieties of the 400g tray to be stocked across 35 stores. The range has experienced exponential growth of almost 50% since it was launched last year, reflecting the company’s constant drive for innovation. “Mackle Petfoods has built up a strong reputation for quality product within our business and we stock a wide range of Naturo brand products across our estate,” said Neil Taylor, trading manager, SuperValu. “Our customers want to feed their pets in the same way they feed their families, with healthy, natural locally-produced food, so we’re excited to be introducing Naturo Chef’s Selection into our SuperValu stores and look forward to hearing their comments. “ The three varieties launching into SuperValu are Naturo Chef’s Selection with Turkey, quinoa, cranberries, sweet potato and cider vinegar, Chicken with coconut, goji berries, kale and cider vinegar and Lamb with chickpeas, blueberries, mixed peppers and From left, Neil Taylor, trading manager at SuperValu, and Sinead Cotter, account manager at Mackle Petfoods. cider vinegar.

RETAIL NEWS - MULTIPLES

ASDA EXPANDS ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL SUPPLIERS

From left, Emma Swan, Asda buying manager for NI Local, and John Cowen, Finnebrogue’s Asda account manager.

sda has expanded its listing with two Northern Ireland suppliers, Finnebrogue Artisan and Jawbox Gin. Downpatrick-based Finnebrogue Artisan has secured a new national supply contract to produce three new frozen sausage lines for the retailer’s Extra Special range. The new premium sausages, Pork,

From left, Emma Swan, Asda buying manager Northern Ireland and Gerry White, Jawbox founder.

Cumberland and Red Onion, which are also gluten free, are exclusive to Asda and will be available in over 330 stores across the UK. The deal builds upon Asda and Finnebrogue Artisan’s existing relationship, which has seen the family business supply Extra Special sausages to Asda since 2014. And meanwhile, Jawbox Gin, produced by the Echlinville Distillery in Kircubbin, will see its two gin liqueur flavours, Pineapple & Ginger and Rhubarb & Ginger, now stocked in each of Asda’s 16 NI supermarkets. The contract has been secured in partnership with Jawbox’s distributor and creative agency, Drinksology, and joins the Jawbox Small Batch line which has been available in Asda stores since 2017.

CLOUGHBANE LITTLE FARM SECURES TESCO LISTING

o Tyrone-based Cloughbane Farm has secured a deal to supply its new children’s meals – Cloughbane Little Farm and Cloughbane Veggi range to Tesco stores in Northern Ireland. The Little Farm range is specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of a growing child, and includes four meals, Mince & Veggie Mash, Chicken & Veggie Mash, Mac & Cheese and a Veggie Bake. The Veggi range, two of which are also vegan friendly, was created following a £200,000 investment in new product development by

From left, Tess O’Neill, commercial manager, Tesco Northern Ireland and Lorna Robinson, managing director, Cloughbane Farm.

Cloughbane and includes Three Bean Casserole, Vegetable Lasagne, Vegetable

Pasta Bake and Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association awardwinning Spicy Lentil & Root Vegetable Casserole. Cloughbane Farm has worked with Tesco since 2012, and currently supplies a selection of branded products across the chilled preprepared meal solution category. “We pride ourselves on bringing our passion for good food made with fresh, quality ingredients to the creation of every Cloughbane Farm product,” said Lorna Robinson, managing director, Cloughbane Farm.

SUPERVALU ACQUISITION HERALDS NEW ERA FOR CO ARMAGH STORE

From left, Neville Woods, retailer; Nigel Maxwell, SuperValu sales director; and Phillip Woods, retailer.

ocal SuperValu retailers Neville and Philip Woods have completed the acquisition of FruitField EUROSPAR, which will see the Co Armagh business rebrand to SuperValu. 14

The new owners said it will be business as usual for the 80-plus employees as the Woods family embark on the next stage in the store’s development. Over the next few months, the store - formerly owned by the Reid family will be transformed into a SuperValu shop under the guidance of the Woods family, who also own SuperValu sites in Tandragee and Richhill and a Centra store on Dobbin Road in Portadown. The Reids have owned FruitField for over 20 years, and in 2014 redeveloped the site into the modern complex it is today. Under the new ownership,

the contemporary 8,000-square-foot store will be further developed with an enhanced product range and store layout, including an expanded fresh fruit and vegetable offering, extended food-to-go section, Frank and Honest gourmet coffee and a free-to-use ATM. “We are excited to take on this site and to continue to build on the great service delivered by Eric and family,” said Philip Woods. “Over the coming months, we will work to redevelop the store in line with the SuperValu identity. It will be business as usual for the staff and our local suppliers as we build on the retail credentials of FruitField.”

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

KEY ROLE FOR LOCAL RETAILERS IN NEW TASTE THE ISLAND FOOD PROMOTION BY MICHELE SHIRLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD NI

eaders of the Ulster Grocer can play a key role in the ground-breaking Taste the Island initiative by Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland by embracing the opportunity this important scheme will provide to increase promotion of our vibrant food and drink industry. While the main objective of this exciting initiative is, of course, to celebrate the outstanding quality of our hospitality and food and drink industries, retailers can also contribute significantly – and benefit - by showcasing their support for more local produce. Taste the Island’s main thrust is to increase awareness of what we have to offer in terms of food and drink experiences to tourists. It’s set to become an annual celebration of our food and drink culture and will be held across September, October and November for the next three years. Our food and drink from our award-winning local producers will be showcased at a host of events. It’s a strategic focus which will certainly have a significant influence on consumers here. Inevitably, local people will also be attracted in greater numbers to visit experiences such as food producers, distillers and brewers; food trails, food festivals, and participation in traditional baking and cooking courses. Participating in such events is also likely to encourage them to seek out more local produce, as experienced in the programmes, to enjoy.

The extensive Taste the Island programme seeks to increase awareness and renewed appreciation both at home and abroad of our rich and original food culture and the people involved. We are also keen to ensure a strong presence of local food and drink at entry points for tourists throughout the island. Taste the Island will build on existing successes in attracting visitors to the island and thereby boost the economies of Northern Ireland and the Republic. It builds on our growing reputation as an outstanding food and drink region, and our success in achieving World’s Best Food Destination for Northern Ireland at the World Travel Trade Awards last November. The visitor statistics are certainly immensely encouraging, strengthening the role of tourism as the most important and fast-growing industry on the island. A record 2.218 million overseas visitors – up 2% on 2017, were welcomed here last year. Holiday visitors accounted for 794,142 overseas visitors – up 12%. Significant increases in holiday visitors were recorded from Britain (+10%), North America (+22%), Mainland Europe (+5%) and Australia and Developing Markets (+14%). Overseas visitors delivered over £560m for the local economy – greater prosperity for the entire community and especially rural communities and providing new employment opportunities as well as greater disposal income

which can be spent on food and drink shopping. Hospitality already helps to sustain over 65,000 jobs in local communities. And food and drink processing sustains 100,000 across an extensive supply chain. Food and drink spend accounts for around £350m or 30% of total visitor spend. Other food destinations such as Copenhagen and Melbourne aim to increase spend on food and drink to levels such as 37%. Tourism Ireland, in 2019, aims to build on the success of 2018 – growing overseas tourism revenue by +8%, driven by an increase of +4% in visitor numbers. We are supporting Tourism NI in a series of workshops across Northern Ireland, the focus of which has been on encouraging councils, other organisations, hospitality and food and drink businesses to come up with original and exciting ideas for visitors. We’ve been hugely encouraged by the response from the industry to this potentially very exciting initiative which also builds on our immensely successful Year of Food & Drink in 2016. I hope Ulster Grocer readers will grasp the opportunities Taste the Island will provide and embrace this important business initiative. We were immensely grateful for their enthusiastic support during the hugely successful Year of Food & Drink in 2016.

MUSGRAVE MARKETPLACE PENNYBURN MarketPlace has invested £1m to UNDERGOES A £1M UPGRADE Musgrave transform its Pennyburn branch in DerMembers of the Musgrave Marketplace team are pictured outside the recently redeveloped Musgrave Marketplace, located in Pennyburn Industrial Estate, Derry~Londonderry.

ry~Londonderry into a state-of-the-art food emporium. The upgrade forms part of a £11.4m investment to date in the Musgrave MarketPlace brand over the last four years as it continues to redefine wholesale on the island of Ireland. This new-look branch currently employs over 40 colleagues and the opening coincides with the 25th anniversary celebration of Musgrave MarketPlace in the city. Located on the Buncrana Road, the new look branch has been designed with the customer in mind and will serve local hotels, bars, restaurants and retailers in the North West.

ADVERTORIAL

RETAILERS URGED TO JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST FOOD WASTE NEW TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE IT LAUNCHING SOON

he world’s first mobile platform, developed to help food stores clear significantly more of their ‘reduced to clear’, often yellow-labelled food produce is set to officially launch later this month in partnership with a major local retail group. Currently only around 5% of a store’s existing footfall buy reduced-toclear food. Gander is a mobile platform that digitises available reduced-to-clear food and puts this information in the hands of the customer – growing footfall, sales and reducing waste in the process. What makes it unique for the industry is that it does this automatically and in real time, meaning no changes to a retailer’s existing processes at all. Gander integrates with a store’s point of sale system, meaning that when a product is reduced or stickered, it is automatically pushed to the Gander app and into the hands of a wide local customer base. Similarly, when those reduced items are sold, they are automatically removed from the app. This ensures a real time feed of all reductions in-store, making it simple and effective for the customer. Food waste is a huge issue worldwide with a third of all food produced going to waste. It has recently been described as an “environmental, economic and moral scandal” by Ben Elliott, the Governmentappointed philanthropist and co-founder of the lifestyle group Quintessentially [food waste 1]. Furthermore, food waste is exceedingly costly for a retailer, where up to 7% of a retailer’s turnover can be lost to waste and markdown bills. With squeezed margins in the current climate, this represents revenue sitting on a retailer’s shelves, which cannot be ignored. Gander aims to change the way consumers see and buy these products. By surfacing reduced-to-clear food products to a much wider audience, it will bring more motivated purchasers in-store, leading to increased sales of not 16

only the reduced food products but also incidental and impulse sales too. Each day, grocery retailers nationwide ‘reduce to clear’ millions of tonnes of food that can potentially go to waste if unsold. There are however, on average, 10 times the number of existing shoppers that would like to purchase this food; they are just unaware of what it is and where it is. The benefits Gander can bring to a retailer and consumer alike are massive. It helps retailers drastically increase revenue lost to waste and markdown. Furthermore, it allows retailers to reach a wider consumer base which in turn increases footfall. Of course, it does this whilst substantially minimising avoidable food waste with huge associated environmental benefits. For the customers, it will provide them with the ability to avail of local

bargains and save money, whilst allowing them to feel they are positively addressing the problem of food wastage. A win, win for all. In addition to the above, Gander has a detailed analytics platform, which gives retailers a 360-degree analysis of their reduction’s metrics and performance as well as consumer interactions; all in real time, allowing retailers to make quick and informed decisions. Gander will be launching later this month with a major local retail partner and rolling out across the UK and RoI following the successful launch of the app in NI. The overall aim is to help drastically reduce waste at a national level to help retailers meet both Government targets as well as their own CSR targets. In addition to that, it will help keep revenue in their businesses which is otherwise being lost. The Gander app can be downloaded via the Apple or Android app stores. 1 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/31/food-waste-chief-totarget-scandal-of-250m-binned-uk-meals

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

CONSUMER INSIGHT AND MARKET UPDATE BY JASON WINSTANLEY, SENIOR INSIGHT AND RESEARCH MANAGER, MOY PARK UPDATE ON CONSUMER SENTIMENT Uncertainty. It’s become the new normal for British consumers over the last few years, and they now live in an age where, amidst a constant swirl of economic and political chaos, nothing can be taken for granted and very little is predictable. It would be no surprise in this environment to see confidence completely collapse and consumers retreat into an ultra-defensive state of mind, and yet this hasn’t happened. What we do see instead is a wait-and-see attitude of caution rather than absolute pessimism. In May, the GfK Consumer Confidence Index1 surprisingly gained three points, but then in June, it lost those gains and dropped back again to a score of -13 - a score that, that slightly freakish May result apart, it has maintained since February. In fact, other than in May, the Index has been at a score of -13 or -14 every month since November last year, a remarkably consistent run. Whilst these negative scores for Confidence are low, they are not historically low – the Index fell to -36 during the financial crisis of 2008 – and could, in fact, be far, far worse. So why do we see the Index at this depressed but stable level?

It seems that consumers are making a distinction between the economic prospects for the nation (bleak) and their own financial prospects (largely upbeat), and these two points of view are balancing each other to the extent that we see the observed levels of stability. Inflation is currently tracking right at the level of the government’s target of 2% - it has been within 0.2% points of this target each month since December2. At the same time, wages are in growth, and growing at a much faster rate than inflation – generally, around 3.4%2. This means that the average consumer is seeing growth in their disposable income, easing pressure on household finances. The effects of this can be seen in tracking data from Mintel; in October last year, 25% of consumers described their financial situation as ‘healthy’3. In December, this figure rose to 28% and by May, it had risen to 32%. At the same time, fewer than a quarter of consumers described their situation as ‘tight’, ‘struggling’ or ‘in trouble’. These levels of financial robustness percolate into a general sense of wellbeing for many, with a recent survey4 finding that 74% of consumers are optimistic about prospects for their personal lives. However, the

same survey found that only 42% were optimistic about prospects for the UK as a whole, and this illustrates the disparity between micro and macro perceptions. Brexit uncertainty is keeping a lid on sentiment and, however optimistic consumers feel about their own circumstances, the potential for largescale disruption on a national scale is something which they are very much aware of. Confidence could – and perhaps should – be a lot higher given the prevailing positive economic factors but a disorderly Brexit resulting in higher inflation would be likely to send it crashing through the floor. Conversely, an orderly exit from the EU with business pretty much conducted as normal could set the scene for Confidence to flourish. It is a fork in the road which is unlikely to be travelled until October at the earliest, so expect the consumer mood to remain one of wait-and-see through the summer and early autumn months… (Source: 1 – GfK Consumer Confidence Index, June 2019; 2 – ONS, July 2019; 3 – Mintel Consumers and the Economic Outlook, Quarterly Updates, November 2018, February 2019, June 2019; 4 – BritainThinks, Mood of the Nation, June 2019)

NI FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRY ‘IN GOOD HEALTH BUT CAN’T BE COMPLACENT’ N orthern Ireland’s food and drink industry is in good health but cannot be complacent or take its recent performance for granted as it faces up to a range of new challenges. That was one of the key messages delivered at Deloitte’s 8th Annual Food and Drink Dinner at Hillsborough Castle, attended by more than 70 representatives from leading local food and drink producers, processors and hospitality operators. Speakers at the dinner included Trevor Lockhart, CBI chairman and CEO of Fane Valley and Shay Eliaz, Deloitte US innovation lead, who has worked closely with the World Economic Forum on research into the future of the global food and agriculture system. “I think we are seeing changes in consumer behaviour that the agri food industry in Northern Ireland best take notice of,” said Lockhart. “You can see from the amount of money that has been invested in disruption in agri food that we must look at new ways of producing, processing and selling food products.”

From left, Trevor Lockhart, CBI chairman and CEO of Fane Valley; Glenn Roberts, Deloitte partner; Shay Eliaz, Deloitte US innovation lead; and Harry Goddard, Deloitte Ireland CEO.

ADVERTORIAL

NORTHERN IRELAND’S BEST-SELLING SOFT DRINK* ENTERS THE COLA MARKET BOOST GROWS ITS FLAVOUR RANGE WITH THE LAUNCH OF COLA ENERGY

he remarkable demand for energy flavours in Northern Ireland and unquestionable popularity of the Cola flavour has driven leading drinks company Boost to launch a Cola Energy 250ml can variant exclusively into the local market. Market research highlights that consumer demand for energy flavours is growing by 27% YOY* and Cola is the number one flavour in the soft drink category** leading Northern Ireland’s best-selling soft drink* Boost to extend the market for high-quality, great-tasting flavoured energy drinks with new Cola Energy. “We are continuously investing in new product development to ensure our retailers and consumers are offered a wide range of high-quality energy drinks,” said Amy Ankrah, trade marketing manager at Boost. “We’ve been watching market trends closely and listening to feedback on our products and introducing Cola Energy exclusively to the Northern Ireland market was a very easy decision to make. “Cola is undeniably the soft drink category’s favourite flavour and this, paired with a huge demand in tasty energy flavours, meant Boost Cola Energy was born,” she added. “The Northern Ireland retailers are very important to us and we find they are so passionate about our drinks so we can’t wait to provide this exclusive product to them. “Boost Cola is a welcome addition to the Boost family, offering a new refreshing taste that is sure to energise the convenience market’s cola sales across Northern Ireland,” continued Amy. Boost Energy was established in 2001 after founder and MD Simon Gray saw the opportunity to offer consumers a great quality energy drink at a fraction of the price of other brands at that time. Two years later in 2003, Boost Energy was launched in Northern Ireland and now the company owns the top two selling soft drinks within the independent convenience sector which covers more than 1,100 independent retail stores, excluding the large multinational supermarket chains. Boost is available in various pack formats across seven core Energy flavours, as well as limited editions and Sports and Protein drinks. Boost Cola Energy will be available in 250ml cans in cases of 24 from September 2019. * Source: IRI Marketplace DataSymbols and Independents 52 weeks unit and value sales to 19th May 2019 ** Source: IRI Marketplace Data Symbols and Independents 52 weeks unit and value sales to 27th January 2019

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

YOUNGER SHOPPERS, OWN LABEL FOODS & FOOD TO GO AMONG KEY OPPORTUNITIES FOR C-STORES C onvenience stores remain key destinations for top-up shopping among all-Ireland consumers in 2019, according to the Mintel report, Forecourt & Convenience Retailing - Ireland - June 2019, with rising interest among younger shoppers in particular in their own-brand offering. Between 2017 and 2018, the total value of convenience grocery sales increased by an estimated 2.3% to reach €2.8bn, with NI accounting for 39% at €0.87bn, says Mintel. The NI sector has seen stronger growth compared to RoI due to increased consumer prices, as well as 66% of NI (compared to 45% of RoI consumers) noting they buy food for home via forecourt and convenience stores. Moving forward, between 2019 and 2023, Mintel estimates there will be continued growth in the sales value for forecourt and convenience stores, fuelled in part by higher consumer prices, as well as greater overall demand for convenience. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency noted that, in the period January-March 2019, the unemployment rate in NI stood at 2.9% – the lowest level since 2008. Recent years have seen employment rates improve for both regions, and as such, with more consumers working, it drives the usage of convenience stores for breakfast/lunch meal occasions. Indeed, 35% of NI and 39% of RoI consumers noted that they purchased lunch at a c-store in 2018.

COMPANIES AND INNOVATIONS • Convenience stores and forecourt retailers in Ireland have been adapting to the new era with a keen focus on their foodservice and own-label offerings. Companies such as Co-operative Group in the UK (including NI) and Tesco in both the UK (including NI) and RoI have focused on developing high-quality own-label foods, while other operators such as Musgrave in RoI and Henderson Group in NI have focused on delivering premium own-brand coffee. • Many convenience stores in Ireland are developing store formats which blur the line between restaurant and retailer. The concept of ‘Grocerant’ has been borrowed from the United States market and continues to appeal to Irish consumers drawn to foodservice offerings which can deliver the right combination of health and taste. THE CONSUMER • Within NI, SPAR/EUROSPAR was noted by 70% of NI consumers (compared to 34% of RoI consumers) as being a convenience store they regularly use (ie once per month or more). • In RoI on the other hand, Centra is the key brand, with half of RoI consumers regularly using Centra stores compared to 34% of NI consumers. • Overall use of convenience stores appears to decline as consumers age. Their need for top-up shopping diminishes (eg as children leave home, thus groceries are used less rapidly), and they are more likely to be retired (and therefore less inclined to visit for lunchtime items). FOOD FOR HOME OR ON-THE-GO KEY PURCHASES • NI consumers are 21 percentage points more likely than RoI consumers to regularly buy food items for home (ie groceries), suggesting they are more willing to absorb the associated higher costs of shopping via convenience stores. • Over half of all Irish consumers noted buying food items for on-the-go, highlighting the important role convenience stores play in the foodservice and snacking markets. • Some 58% of RoI and 51% of NI consumers noted visiting forecourt and convenience stores for petrol/diesel, highlighting that refuelling cars is still a primary motivator to use these outlets. NINE IN 10 USE C-STORES FOR TOP-UP SHOPPING • Some 93% of NI and 90% of RoI consumers noted that they find convenience stores to be useful when they run out of essential items such as milk and bread. • Parking facilities are important to three quarters of all Irish consumers, with those living in rural areas being more inclined to place importance on them. • In terms of own-brand goods supplied at forecourts and convenience stores, those in younger age groups are more inclined to view them favourably.

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

TODAY’S LOCAL BEECHMOUNT, STRABANE A MAJOR REFIT TO OPEN UP MORE FLOOR SPACE FOR FRESH FOOD, FOOD TO GO AND SPECIAL OFFERS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SAVAGE & WHITTEN, HAS RESULTED IN SALES FAR EXCEEDING PROJECTIONS, REPORTS ALYSON MAGEE Jonathan and Emma McGonagle with Amy, one of their three daughters working in the shop.

hen Jonathan and Emma McGonagle took over a convenience store on the corner of Melmount Road and Beechmount Avenue in May 2018, the couple already had a sentimental attachment to the site. Both of their families have lived on Beechmount at one time or another, while Jonathan works for local pharmacy group MediCare, which owns the property housing both one of its own outlets and Today’s Local Beechmount. Featuring both private external access and shared internal access, the MediCare and Today’s Local with Post Office operate as separate but mutually beneficial entities, each attracting footfall into the other. A convenience store has been located on the site for over 40 years, most recently operating under another fascia and in need of a major redevelopment. “The guy who owned the business decided to get out of 24

retail,” says Jonathan. “Because of our link to MediCare and our location in town, it was a good opportunity for Emma and I to invest in something and bring a local perspective to it.” Representing the couple’s first foray into retail, they looked at a variety of symbols before settling on Today’s Local with Savage & Whitten. “We knew it required quite a considerable amount of investment, and we needed to team up with the right

people,” he says. “What we wanted was flexibility and support because we didn’t know how things were going to progress, and we didn’t want tied into a long-term purchasing contract with anyone and Savage & Whitten offered us that. “We deliberated quite a bit over where we would go, and we were both satisfied it was the right move for us because it fitted what we wanted to do, and they were very influential in bringing in things like Costa Express. It’s a point of difference that people come in for, and that was key.” STORE REDESIGN The business was closed for 10 days, allowing for a total refit of the shop, including removal of an internal wall to create more space, with the investment totalling close to £60,000. “It was a fairly rapid turnaround, and that was just down to a good link up with the Store Development team at Savage & Whitten,” says

FRANCHISE & FASCIA Jonathan. “They gave us support to get the retail element of the project planned, managed and executed, which took the pressure off Emma and I having to worry about that, and we could look after all the different logistics around the operations for the Post Office.” As well as introducing the Costa Express and a Country Choice hot food self-select counter, the McGonagles invested in new low-energy refrigeration and freezers and LED lighting throughout the shop. While the refit increased the shop floor by around 600 square feet, to a total of 1,500 square feet, the investment in green equipment has actually resulted in energy costs falling by a quarter. Increasing the chilled cabinets from eight to 24 feet has allowed the shop to significantly expand its fresh food offering. “Before that, we would have sold butter, cheese, ham and milk and that would have been about it, and now we’re opened up to fresh veg, pre-packed veg and pre-packed meals and that has worked really well for us,” says Jonathan. “With the comprehensive fresh food range available directly from Savage & Whitten, we are now able to offer a complete range of fresh food which has seen the sales in this category continue to grow on a weekly basis.” While the Post Office was scaled back from five to two stations, a new combi-till has been introduced which can handle Post Office trade during all opening hours and has beat forecasts for its Post Office business by 40%, selling everything from travel and life insurance to broadband packages. Additional services now in-store include Lotto, an ATM and till cashback facilities and PayPoint. Following the refit, Jonathan and Emma increased the shop’s weekly opening hours to 7am to 10pm on Monday to Friday and 7.30am to 9pm on Saturday and Sunday. “So, that was a huge change as, before, the shop had closed every bank holiday and Sunday,” says Jonathan. “By doing that, we increased our trading days by 60-odd per year and the only days we close now are Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.” With the additional opening hours, two new staff members were added with the team now extending to eight fulltime employees, including Emma, plus Jonathan.

EXCEEDING TARGETS “We had targets in place and, from the first month, we achieved our target and we never fell back on that,” says Jonathan. “We were very satisfied with our first year’s trading and now, in the first month of our second year, we are already showing growth of up to 30%. “We put on a one-year anniversary promotion in June for three weeks to give something back to our customers and, so far, we have found that’s really working. We also introduced a long-term milk promotion as it’s an everyday product and have seen a massive increase of up to 60% on our volumes.” Savage & Whitten runs a promotional programme with leaflets distributed door to door and inserted into the local papers every three weeks, while the shop has also installed the wholesaler’s Rescan EPoS system. The system allows the McGonagles to manage every aspect of their business from ordering, stock control, pricing, sales and margin management. Getting the right mix and offering has been key to the growth of the store so far. The help, support and guidance from the team at Savage & Whitten has been a major factor in driving the sales to where they are now. The store gets support from a dedicated Business Development Manager who is on hand to support retailers in all aspects of running a successful business. LOCAL SUPPLIERS The partnership with Savage & Whitten has also allowed Jonathan and Emma to build supply relationships with local businesses. One of the key factors of partnering with Savage & Whitten was the encouragement to deal with locally-based suppliers to create a point of difference from the larger format supermarkets in the area. Fresh bakery comes from Mullaghmore Bakery and Highland Bakery (as well as Pat the Baker and Brennans) and freerange eggs from a small producer in Artigarvan. Firewood and other fuel, another growth area, are supplied locally, while the couple also opted to retain a local supplier of cards and other stationery who had a good relationship with the previous shop owner. “We try to keep it local as much as

possible, and have a local guy who provides potatoes too,” says Jonathan. “A lot of our customers are happy that local people are providing local produce.” While competition is strong in the area, with five other c-stores within a halfmile radius of Today’s Beechmount, the couple’s strategy is to focus on their own shop. “If we get our own offer and service right, then we’ll get our own customers and grow our business,” he says. “We haven’t really focused on the competition, and what they’re doing. All these shops are established and have been there for many years. “This shop was underdeveloped for many years, and probably lost a lot of customers, but now we’re at that stage of finding more people coming to us. We’re finding the pharmacy is a great partner to have next door, as it brings a lot of footfall and our car park has over 30 spaces, so elderly people can pull right up.” As well as the promotional leaflets supplied by Savage & Whitten, Jonathan and Emma invest in on-street marketing to highlight the shop offers and spotlight promotions on the shop’s Facebook site. A positive piece of news for the shop has been the granting of planning approval for 160 units of social housing on an adjacent 11-acre site, creating opportunities for new customers during both the construction phase and residence. “We’re now focusing on continued growth and having the continued support of the local community,” says Jonathan. “We have a few plans we would like to develop this year, such as developing a new hot food and deli concept. “We’re thinking of offering something niche and are in discussion with a local company at the minute about making this happen. “Based on our first successful year of trading, we are confident that our business will go from strength to strength over the coming years.”

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

APPLEGREEN IS PROUD TO BE A TRUE IRISH SUCCESS STORY

ourselves on having the best coffee on the road and serve freshly-baked goods to complement our high-quality Lavazza coffee. Applegreen service stations in Northern Ireland are conveniently located near main routes and are an ideal place to stop, refuel and grab a bite to eat. AT THE CORE OF WHAT WE DO Applegreen’s Charitable Fund is celebrating 10 years since it was established in 2009. Since 2009, Applegreen’s desire to give back to the local communities in which it operates has become an inherent part of the company’s culture. Staff are encouraged to get involved in charity events and have input into the planning of events and campaigns. Since established, Applegreen has raised over €3m for its charity partners, raising an astonishing €728,000 in 2018 alone. Our charity partners include Focus Ireland, The Irish Youth Foundation, Debra Ireland, Friends of the Cancer Centre and Food Cloud. We are proud to say that Applegreen Northern Ireland raised over £50,000 in 2018 for Friends of The Cancer Centre.

rom humble beginnings in 1992, Applegreen started with the opening of our first service station in Ballyfermot, West Dublin. From there, under the stewardship of CEO Bob Etchingham and COO Joe Barrett, Applegreen expanded in Ireland, growing year on year. Currently, Applegreen has over 200 sites across the island of Ireland (and over 470 across Ireland, the UK and the USA) and is continuing to grow. Applegreen has a strong history of bringing new ideas to the forecourt sector; it is this culture of breaking new ground that has led to us becoming Ireland’s fastest growing fuel provider. Over the past three decades, Applegreen has revolutionised the forecourt and retail sector, setting high standards for the industry and raising the expectations of customers. We are setting the pace for our industry and are constantly changing and innovating to ensure we remain industry leaders into the future. 26

Applegreen directly employs over 3,000 people across the island of Ireland and sources all food produce locally, supporting fellow Irish organisations along the way. Over the past three decades, Applegreen’s brand reputation and success has been earned through quality retail and value offerings, including our low fuel prices, always promise and quality-assured fuel. We are committed to giving you the very best at the lowest price, always. We place a huge importance on having high-quality food and coffee in all our stations and this is evident across all Applegreen sites in Northern Ireland. In terms of food offerings, we have our very own Bakewell Café in most of our service stations, where we serve everything from salads to hot food and everything in between. We have also partnered up with well-known chains such as Greggs in Northern Ireland, as well as Burger King, Subway and Chopstix. We pride

APPLEGREEN LOWFUELCARD Applegreen’s LowFuelcard was established in 2014 to provide companies with a fuelling solution that would save them money while helping to improve their overall efficiency. We have developed our LowFuelcard in conjunction with our ethos of providing high quality fuels at consistently low prices. Our streamlined system was created with our customers’ needs at the heart of it. We strive to commit to our low fuel prices, always promise, providing high quality fuels which we have 100% traceability over. Unlike many of our competitors, we do not charge any card fees or hidden charges. With our online account management system, you can make an order, view your latest invoice and control your account completely hassle free. This is accessible whenever and wherever you want, ensuring you always have full visibility of your account. This allows you to monitor your fuel consumption in a convenient and efficient manner. For fuel card inquiries, please contact our Northern Ireland Sales Executive Richard Wiseman on 07342 947486 or richard. wiseman@applegreen.ie.

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

SPAR ANNOUNCES GLOBAL SALES OF €35.8 BILLION IN 2018

s owners of the SPAR brand in Northern Ireland, Henderson Group is part of the world’s largest voluntary food retail chain. It is one of over 100 global retail and wholesale partners which generated global sales of €35.8bn in 2018, enabling their retailers to reap the benefits of SPAR International’s Better Together strategy. 2018 saw a year-on-year increase of 335 additional stores, bringing the total number to 13,112 SPAR stores in 48 countries worldwide. The five-year Better Together strategy, which launched in 2016, unites global partners to pool resources, delivering results in each community it operates in. And SPAR NI is an active partner within SPAR International; recently SPAR NI retailer, Ulster Guild and National Guild of SPAR board member Peter McBride, was appointed to the InterSPAR Executive Committee. This is what sets the locally-run Group apart in Northern Ireland; international learnings which are being put to practice using the Group’s local knowledge. Henderson Group runs their Wholesale, Retail, Property and Foodservice companies from their headquarters in Mallusk and posted a turnover of £853m for the 2018/19 year, in which they also opened 19 stores – that’s 6% of the total stores which opened globally. Recently, the Henderson Group announced plans to expand their retail estate by investing £17m into nine new stores. Six of these are past the planning 28

stages and one, SPAR Sunnyside Street, Belfast, opened in June creating 30 new jobs in a £2m development. The Group also intends to push an extra £9m into extensions and refurbishments to some of their landmark sites, including EUROSPAR Wallace Village in Lisburn. The plans for the future reflect the past year of business, when the Group focused on investing back into the business to build their network of stores whilst strengthening their links with local food producers, a practice they excel at both locally and internationally. Paddy Doody, sales & marketing director, says: “Northern Ireland has some of the finest produce in the world, and whilst we can benefit from international learnings to enhance shopper experience, we are sharing our local credentials as best practice on the worldwide symbol outlet stage too.“ Using this knowledge, Henderson Group has opened 19 new outlets across the country in the past year, with a focus on fresh convenience and food to go. The Group has invested £1m in the past 12 months in its fresh offering, from deli food counters to new own-brand ranges and, in 2018, SPAR Fortfield opened to become the newest flagship store. The store has now been shortlisted for Small Store of the Year in the 2019 IGD Awards, a marker of excellence in the industry. Paddy says that responding to consumer demand will continue to be of critical importance: “Shopping has

changed enormously, and it is up to us to ensure we’re responding to these changes with fresh thinking. “Our food-to-go offering has evolved alongside changes in consumer behaviour, helping to enhance the average shopper’s journey in our stores. With that in mind, there are various versions of our daily Deli branded counters to suit the local area; there is no one-size-fits-all and we’re proud that we can provide those points of difference.” The £2m SPAR Sunnyside Street has been designed with 20 bays dedicated to over 600 locally-sourced, fresh food products, bringing a new level of convenience within a supermarket setting to the area. The Group’s Fresh team has invested £100,000 in a new range of fresh produce, created with local farmers and growers – The Greengrocer’s. It is made up of 110 products and comes from a full category review by the team in 2018 to refresh the company’s offering. Hot on the heels of The Greengrocer’s was the enjoy local Bakery range, which is a new line of 20 products created with three local family bakeries; Graham’s Bakery, Daily Bake and Scott’s Bakery. Already, the company is projecting sales of £1.3m for this range over the next 12 months. Paddy continued: “Our focus on fresh and local collaborations to produce the best quality throughout our stores is being reflected in the infrastructure plans which we’re continuing to invest in. We’re not only looking at bricks and mortar, we’re heavily investing in the technology which can elevate our shoppers’ experiences in store.” Henderson Group has pledged to continue to invest locally throughout the companies, their people and their network of stores which are thriving throughout Northern Ireland. Paddy finished: “We’re delighted to see the investment bring success to our hardworking retail partners and even better products and services to our local communities.”

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

HIT THE REFRESH BUTTON AS CONSUMER DEMAND FOR HIGH QUALITY CONVENIENCE INCREASES, THE SUPERVALU AND CENTRA BRANDS ARE RESPONDING WITH AN AMBITIOUS GROWTH STRATEGY, RESPONDING TO SHIFTING CONVENIENCE NEEDS THROUGH THE CREATION OF REFRESHED, INVITING, MODERN STORES THAT CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO….

uperValu and Centra recently announced ambitious plans to open up to 20 new stores in Northern Ireland in the next 12 months, creating around 500 new jobs and revamping an additional 40 stores, as part of a significant £28m investment. Revamping existing stores within its estate is a core part of the investment and growth strategy – more than 80 store refreshes have taken place in recent years, with an impressive pipeline of further stores set to be transformed in 2019. So why hit the refresh button? Retailers that have developed new stores or completed refresh programmes under the SuperValu or Centra brands are demonstrating robust sales growth. The results from recent store refreshes according to Michael McCormack, SuperValu and Centra managing director: “Our store refresh programme has been delivering fantastic results for our retailers and we’re urging any retailers who are considering a store refresh to speak to us. Consumer demands are shifting rapidly and so a store refresh enables retailers to upgrade their offering to the very latest in convenience retail, underpinned by consumer research and our award-winning store design concepts.” CENTRA – REDEFINING CONVENIENCE Centra store refreshes have been underpinned by the focus on redefining convenience - providing shoppers with a healthier offering and innovative ranges, particularly in food to go which is a real point of difference for the brand. With additional amenities including customer Wi-Fi and a café-style seating area for consumers to dine in and take some time out, the next generation Centra stores respond to the changing needs of the busy consumer and provide a more social and relaxing environment. CENTRA ENNISKILLEN In December 2018, leading retailer Una Lilley completed a £2m investment 30

Centra Enniskillen

in the total transformation of Lilley’s Centra, Dublin Road, Enniskillen. The significant investment involved the demolition and rebuild of the flagship store and its forecourt. The redevelopment included extending the forecourt to ease congestion and increase parking availability for customers availing of the store’s new sit-down dining area, which offers complimentary Wi-Fi access. Alongside a greater selection of chilled and fresh food ranges and an extended off-licence, the new store was developed with particular focus on growing its food-to-go offering. This includes the introduction of convenience store concepts such as the Frank and Honest coffee brand, a hot and cold deli counter, a Green Kitchen salad bar, in-store bakery and Lilley’s Gelato & Ice Cream Bar, with fresh gelato produced on site. Since completion, the store’s turnover has increased by over 70%. Food to go accounts for over a quarter of the store’s turnover, with sales growing by 200%, coffee sales have grown by 360% since the introduction of the Frank and Honest brand of coffee into the store whilst off-licence sales have seen 60% sale growth. Every week, the store continues to experience an uplift in sales with forecasted year two sales already being achieved within six months of completion. Owner Una Lilley said: “We’ve created

a store for the future and one that raises the bar for convenience retailing. Consumer shopping behaviours have evolved and it’s important that the local retail offering reflects what the consumer wants; exceptional service and quality product that remains competitive.” CENTRA CRAIGAVON In July 2018, a major £2.5m investment by Centra and the Greene family resulted in the development of a new Centra store and Go Fuel forecourt at Lake Road, Craigavon. The Greene family are well known in the local community, having owned and operated convenience retail stores in Craigavon for 35 years and own another Centra store, at nearby Legahory shopping centre. The contemporary new store was developed on a greenfield site, close to the central amenities of Craigavon town centre. Along with an abundance of fresh, local produce, Centra Lake Road also showcases additional convenience store concepts including Frank and Centra Craigavon

Honest coffee; a hot and cold deli and a Mex-a-go counter, which serves up a mouth-watering selection of burritos and Mexican-style food to go. Commenting on the development of the new store, owner Tom Greene said: “We are proud to work with Centra and Go Fuel on what has been a highly significant development for the local area. The store was developed with the ever-busy commuter in mind, providing

FRANCHISE & FASCIA a range of fresh food and convenience options, alongside an extensive grocery range. We have created an unbelievably high tech and high spec store of the highest standard, which we believe has greatly enhanced the area. Sales have beaten our forecast for year one by over 20% and continue to grow ahead of all targets set.” CENTRA CITY QUAYS Located on the waterfront of City Quays 2 in Belfast Harbour, Centra City Quays

Centra City Quays

is the latest addition to the Centra estate. The brand-new store, which opened in May 2019, is part of a significant £767,000 investment by Centra and the Gracey family; a well-known local family business, based in Belfast. The Gracey family also own two MACE stores at Newtown Park and The Gasworks; this latest investment builds on the family’s estate, which was established by leading retailer Tony Gracey over two decades ago. Today, his daughter Anna and son Stephen are at the helm of this latest addition to the family business. Spanning 2,615 sq ft, the bright and contemporary new store marries high convenience with an expanded food-togo offering. Amenities in store include Frank & Honest coffee; a Green Kitchen hot and cold deli, with a plentiful choice of healthy sandwich and salad options, a Mex-a-go burrito bar, hot self-serve food-to-go options and self-scanning checkouts. Boasting strong ecocredentials, all Frank and Honest coffee cups and food-to-go packaging will be 100% compostable. For an enhanced shopping experience, Centra City Quays also features a seating area and complimentary Wi-Fi, providing customers with a dedicated space to dine in and take a break. The unit will also include a covered terrace for waterfront

dining and direct access to the river Lagan walk and cycleway that connects City Quays to Belfast’s Waterfront Hall. SUPERVALU – LEADING ON FOODMARKET CONVENIENCE The SuperValu store has been reimagined to deliver Foodmarket Convenience and to meet the needs of consumers who are changing their shopping habits to little and often. Reflecting these changes, SuperValu refreshes are providing more inspiration and ideas to shoppers with a focus on quality across fresh produce, meat, instore bakery and quality coffee. SUPERVALU KING’S ROAD The SuperValu store on the King’s Road in East Belfast has been a hub in the local community for 22 years. In 2018, a £430,000 revamp totally transformed the store. The refreshed store includes new services such as a new hot and cold deli, which serves up a mouth-watering selection of food; an upgraded butchery area; and gourmet coffee from Frank and Honest. With additional amenities including a Post Office, free ATM and a free home delivery service, the store revamp responded to the changing needs of the busy consumer by providing solutions that help to

“OUR STORE REFRESH PROGRAMME HAS BEEN DELIVERING FANTASTIC RESULTS FOR OUR RETAILERS AND WE’RE URGING ANY RETAILERS WHO ARE CONSIDERING A STORE REFRESH TO SPEAK TO US. CONSUMER DEMANDS ARE SHIFTING RAPIDLY AND SO A STORE REFRESH ENABLES RETAILERS TO UPGRADE THEIR OFFERING TO THE VERY LATEST IN CONVENIENCE RETAIL, UNDERPINNED BY CONSUMER RESEARCH AND OUR AWARDWINNING STORE DESIGN CONCEPTS.” Michael McCormack, SuperValu and Centra managing director

SuperValu King’s Road

make life easier. Since the refurbishment, the new-look store has gone from strength to strength. As a result, average weekly sales have gone up 21% like for like on last year, with footfall and basket price both going up by 12%. SuperValu King’s Road store manager, Raymond Barr, said: “We’re seeing new customers coming through the doors and old customers coming back to us to see what’s new. The feedback has been fantastic; they love the new fresh offering, our upgraded butcher counter, our hot and cold food deli, as well as our extended health and wellness range. Customers have also said that they are now really taking their time to shop the entire store and are enjoying discovering new, local products.” SUPERVALU LISBURN The next store refresh will take place at SuperValu Lisburn; a major £800,000 investment will totally transform the store, with a new and improved layout and a range of new services, including Moo’d Ice Cream, Rotisserie chicken, a deli pizza concept and expanded off-licence. The store is trading while it’s being refitted but will be fully operational with all instore developments in place by the end of September 2019. Commenting on the plans, manager Jamie Graham said: “We’ve gone back to our shoppers to really get underneath the skin of what they want from a foodmarket retailer and it’s helped shape what we believe will be the next phase in what SuperValu stands for in Northern Ireland.” For further information about our store refresh programme, please contact Adrian McCourt, lead business development manager, on 07826 904327 or adrian. mccourt@musgrave.ie 31

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

MACE HIGH STREET TRANSFORMED BY £90,000 UPGRADE REFIT HAS CREATED 10 JOBS IN BELFAST CITY CENTRE

From left, Alastair Patterson, regional area manager, MACE and Michael Quinn, store owner.

new-look MACE convenience store has opened on High Street following a £90,000 upgrade, creating 10 jobs in Belfast City Centre. This major investment by leading retailer Musgrave and store owner Michael Quinn, encompassed a full refit of the 900-square-foot store, including the introduction of new MACE concepts, LED lighting throughout the store and upgraded facilities to provide new services to customers, such as the provision of Lotto and bus ticket sales. MACE High Street is the second of Michael Quinn’s five stores to have undergone the Store of the Future transformation and now showcases a number of the brand’s latest concepts, including Grab and Go sandwiches, a Munch & Co deli, and the Frank and Honest coffee brand – the largest coffee brand on the island of Ireland. His recently refurbished Castle Street 32

store has seen huge success since completing its £130,000 investment, with repeat customers increasing and excellent feedback on the improved range of products. With over 34 years’ service to the MACE brand under his belt, Quinn’s wealth of retail experience is invaluable to delivering a high-quality convenience service to city centre customers. His experience includes nine years as owner of five successful MACE stores – located on High Street, Royal Avenue, Castle

Street, Donegal Square East and Queens Elms student village. However, his success is very much a family affair. His sons, Christopher and Conaire, and daughters, Neidin and Sorcha, all work across these five businesses, which employ 30 full-time and part-time staff in total. “I am proud to be at the helm of two refurbished MACE stores in Belfast City Centre and would like to thank Musgrave for their support,” says Quinn. “Last year, our refurbished Castle Street store saw an incredible response from customers, despite the unfortunate circumstances of the Primark fire, and we are delighted to have received the same amazing feedback within our High Street store. “The addition of the Frank and Honest coffee brand and Munch & Co deli have been incredibly popular among city centre customers and have ensured that our customers return time and time again.”

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

DELIVERING 20% SALES AND PROFIT GROWTH

FACTS: Current number of stores: 1,560 Minimum store size: Criteria varies by brand, but our retailers are independent stores ranging from 700 sq ft to 7,000 sq ft. Joining or membership fee: No joining or membership fee Minimum order commitment: our minimum order quantity is 80 ambient/ bws/tobacco and 30 chill/freeze Delivery frequency: We match delivery frequency to our retailers’ volume to ensure we provide a service that delivers high levels of availability and freshness for their shoppers. Own label range: Access to the Co-op own brand is a major highlight within our range. Now featuring over 2,000 products, we are seeing footfall, basket spend and sales increase across our stores as shoppers value the quality and appeal of Co-op products. CONTACT DETAILS: T: 01904 488663 www.costcuttersupermarketsgroup.com/

ur mission is to help independent retailers thrive. That’s why we have invested in the offer, insights and innovations our retailers need to grow their businesses. At the heart of this investment is our unique Shopper First: Drive Five to Thrive business growth programme which provides in-depth shopper insights and data to help our retailers tailor every aspect of the store – from range and missions to marketing and in-store execution. By using Shopper First: Drive Five to Thrive, our retailers are able to grow their business by attracting new shoppers into their store. Since its launch in 2017, we have delivered impressive sales and profit growth of over 20% among participating stores by helping our retailers put their shoppers first. We have now made significant additional investment into the programme to expand and broaden the shopper insights. For entrepreneurial retailers who are looking to grow their business, the successful launch of our new supply deal with the Co-op in May last year is clearly a major factor in the decision to join our Group, as we bring together their wholesale strength and grocery retailing expertise with our in-depth understanding

of the independent convenience sector. In addition, we’re seeing footfall, basket spend and sales increase across our stores as shoppers value the quality and appeal of Co-op products. We have also been rewarding our retailers’ loyalty with our best-in-sector commercial terms that includes no fees or surcharges and a rebate of up to 6%. As a result, we have been attracting some of the best store owners in the sector to join Costcutter Supermarkets Group under our Costcutter, SuperShop and Simply Fresh brands.

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‘MEAT’ THE LATEST COMPANIES IN FOOD MANUFACTURING, SHOP DESIGN AND MUCH MORE AT MEAT2TRADE

reated by the butchery trade organisation, Butchery Excellence International, Meat2 Trade is a new trade exhibition which is being served up in October at Lisburn’s Eikon Exhibition Centre. Dedicated to the food manufacturing and butchery sectors, Meat2Trade, sponsored by Cutting Edge Services, will see a wealth of suppliers, competitions and learning all under one roof for the two-day event. Rhonda Montgomery, CEO of Butchery Excellence International and Garyth Quigley, Key Account Manager, Cutting Edge Running on October 2-3, exhibitors Services with Pamela Ballantine include Ireland’s biggest butchery supplier Scobie & Junor, packaging “We have over 40 exhibitors confirmed solutions business Versatile Packaging and so far, including many businesses that Retail and Commercial Interior Designer have not exhibited in Northern Ireland Maria O’Neill; amongst many more. before such as Lind Ingredients from the Meat2Trade is the brainchild of Netherlands, Gastrome from Holland and Butchery Excellence International CEO Parker Food Machinery, Middleton Foods Rhonda Montgomery. and Lucas Ingredients from the UK.” Identifying a niche in the market for a Meat2Trade will combine the very specific food manufacturing and butchery best of meat, artisan butchery and food expo, Rhonda explains: “Having worked manufacturing suppliers over the two-day within the meat and food manufacturing event. Visitors to the show will be able sectors for almost 20 years, trade shows deliver vital business and new contacts for to identify new products and suppliers, businesses. network and make new connections, and

learn from world class butchers who will be competing live at the event. Rhonda Montgomery, CEO of Butchery Excellence International and founder of Meat2Trade, concludes: “We would like to thank our event partners, Manor Farm, Spice O’Life, UMC, Rational, Quinfresh, Globeweigh, Cutting Edge, Kiernans Food Ingredients, Rhino Media, McDonnells, MLS Label, and Design and Printing Systems for their continued support and collaboration on the event.” Attending Meat2Trade is FREE and registration is now open at www. Meat2Trade.com. The event takes place on 2nd and 3rd October 2019 at the Eikon Exhibition Centre, Balmoral Park. Follow the show on Facebook or Twitter for updates. For those who wish to exhibit at the event, contact Rhonda on 0044 (0)28 855 57700 / 0044 (0)7766395738 or email rhonda@ meat2trade.com.

ADVERTORIAL

FOREST FEAST LAUNCHES ITS FIRST EVER KIDS’ RANGE WE SPEAK WITH BRONAGH CLARKE, MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR HEALTHY SNACK BRAND FOREST FEAST, TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE VARIETY OF EXCITING NEW PRODUCTS THE BRAND IS ADDING TO ITS PORTFOLIO WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THE BRAND AND PRODUCTS OF FOREST FEAST? We are a team of outdoor enthusiasts who love travel, to be active in the outdoors, and who naturally love to be fuelled by great snacks. The business was founded by Michael and Lorraine Hall 20 years ago and, since then, the team has been exploring the globe making it our mission to find, craft and create the best snacks that are delicious and nutritious. It’s in our DNA to discover and explore so we know having proper nutritious snacks helps to get the most out of life. We do all this with a strong focus on ethical trading, an ongoing commitment to sustainable sourcing and a continued focus on giving back to the community. As a company we live and breathe by our ethos as the ‘original snack explorers’, helping to create healthy snacks that taste great for all of life’s adventures. We’ve decades of collective experience working and travelling across the globe, bringing home the best ingredients and inspiration for new recipes and snacks. It is our varied interests, lifestyles and tastes that allow us to pour our passion into making great tasting and innovative snacks that we all take pride in. Our

products are hand-crafted and batch-made to bring our customers on a taste discovery and appeal to those who love to snack but don’t want to stick to those standard choices. TELL US MORE ABOUT THE UPCOMING KIDS’ RANGE We’re very excited for the upcoming release of our first ever kids’ range, Super Fruit Shapes. They have been created for kids who want something fun and tasty, and for parents who want to give their children healthy snacks that fuel their active lifestyles and outdoor adventures – helping to unleash their super inside. We know that many kids struggle to get their full five-a-day so we set out to develop an all-natural healthy snack that kids will enjoy and want to eat. It’s real fruit that has been smashed and slow baked into delicious fun shapes. So, unlike a lot of other snack brands, Super Fruit Shapes count as one of your five-a-day, are high in fibre, Vitamin C and have no added sugar or other nasties. The range is also guaranteed allergen free (including nuts, dairy, wheat, gluten) and vegan-friendly, so great for lunchboxes. As a brand, we also want to provide kids with the fuel they need to unleash their super inside and to go wild outside – to get up, get out and get active – and to encourage them to see the world through wide eyes and not wide screens. We are supporting the launch with a full campaign encouraging this - including outdoor media, a full sampling roadshow across the country, PR ambassadorship with a top local sports personality, partnerships with outdoor adventure centres and a full digital and social media campaign. Super Fruit Shapes come in three flavours, Strawberry, Wildberry and Tropical Mix, and in a convenient 30g single pack. A 100g Fruit Salad sharepack is filled with all three mouthwatering flavours. Our Super Fruit Shapes will be available nationwide from August 12.

WHAT’S NEXT? We have just launched new Fruit Balls, that are not only an innovative market first, but also award-winning. They are simply dried fruit that marry exotic mango and coconut together in bite size balls. They are one of your five-a-day, gluten free, vegan and less than 100 calories per pack. For something more indulgent, they are available in a Belgium Milk Chocolate version. We are working hard on more great brand building campaigns and innovation for 2020 and beyond, watch this space!

MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE ILSE VAN STADEN, CO-OWNER OF KE NAKO BILTONG

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? I am currently the butcher at Ballylagan Organic Farm Shop. I also own and operate Ke Nako Biltong with my wife Alanagh. BRIEFLY OUTLINE YOUR HISTORY Started working in the food industry as a waiter while I was a student. My first job as a waiter was at a steakhouse called Spur in Pretoria, South Africa. After my chef course, I started working for another restaurant Ocean Basket where I worked as a kitchen manager. Due to my love for rugby, I left the food industry to become a student again; this time studying languages and education. I then became a teacher, before moving to NI where I went back to the food industry. I worked at The Parsons Nose in Hillsborough for a couple of months before moving to the film industry. Again, my love for sport made me change direction and take up a cook job in a Cedar Foundation home until I got the opportunity to retrain with Peelham Farm in Scotland. This gave me the skill upgrade I needed to get involved with Ballylagan Organic Farm in August 2015, where I still work today. With my current day job, I also own and operate Ke Nako Biltong. WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? Firstly, I butcher for Ballylagan as well as a couple of other small social enterprises. I am also responsible for doing all the shop

day before getting some of my biltong work done. I generally spend my evenings (after training) doing paperwork and catching up on emails.

From left, Ilse and Alanagh.

orders and ensuring that the shop is fully stocked every week. Our work with Ke Nako is predominantly done after our normal day jobs have finished, and again there is never a set pattern to our week as we make biltong to demand and depending on what markets or current orders we have. WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? The best part is definitely that I get to work with some of the best organic produce in NI, but I must say that making burgers is the least favourite part of my job. BRIEFLY OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY Depends on the day and season. But in general, I would get in and do a quick check in the shop to ensure freezers and shelves are stocked. I will then check fruit and veg display before I go to butcher whatever is needed for the shop. Then I would pack and freeze my efforts for the

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? Winning Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge in 2018. WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THE LOCAL RETAIL INDUSTRY? The people we work with. In both the shop and biltong, we get to work with some of the best local produce NI has to offer. They are so passionate about what they do, and it really sparks us to be an essential link in the organic field in NI. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? I play rugby in my free time, but I also have three dogs and my wife that I love spending time with. TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW As most people have guessed, I play rugby but what most folks might not know is that I am Irish Qualified through residency. Through this, I had the pleasure of representing Ireland at the 2017 Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rugby World Cup. To date, I have six Irish Caps.

CHRISTMAS PLANNING

HAVE A CRACK’IN CHRISTMAS

his Christmas, Carbery Cracker & Rebel Chilli bring you the ultimate Christmas Cracker. A selection of Carbery Cracker cheese including mature white, mature red and a reserve cheddar plus a pot of Rebel Chilli Jalapeno & Raspberry jam creates the perfect Christmas Cracker. Carbery Cracker are smooth mature cheddars, specially selected by Carbery’s Master Cheese Grader, and produced in the dairy heartland of West Cork.

Since launching in 2017, Carbery Cracker has created quite a stir within the market and has already received recognition by winning gold at the 2017 Global Cheese Awards. When it comes to cheese, Carbery Group certainly knows what it’s doing. It produces almost 25% of Ireland’s annual cheese output at the country’s single largest cheese-producing facility in Ballineen, West Cork. It is here that Carbery Cracker, a mature Irish cheddar, is made from the best of Irish milk, sourced from the company’s 1,220 farmer shareholders, with farms located all over West Cork and members of the Bandon, Barryroe, Drinagh and Lisavaird co-ops. Rebel Chilli produce sauces in Cork City with the most incredible flavours. The Jalapeno & Raspberry jam is sweet but bursting with flavour and complemented by a medium level of heat. It is another award-winning product which picked up gold at the Free From Food Awards Ireland 2017. Starting out in his mother’s kitchen, Paul Moore began making chilli sauce and started selling it at local farmers’ markets and food festivals around the country. Now, Rebel Chilli is stocked on the shelves in major retailers throughout Ireland. Rebel Chilli’s mantra has always been to provide sauces with the most incredible flavours and real heat in every bottle. These products are low in sugar and salt, do not have an additives or preservatives and all of them are gluten-free. This exciting and unique gift pack stands out on shelf and will certainly grab people’s attention this Christmas. The perfect gift or even a great addition to the dinner table on Christmas Day.

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

UK PIG INDUSTRY ANTIBIOTIC USAGE DROPS FOR THIRD YEAR RUNNING

Critically Important Antibiotics have also been reduced, falling to 0.06 mg/ PCU of which, Colistin, represents only 0.004 mg/PCU. “Three continuous years of the successful reduction of antibiotic usage is a tremendous achievement. We and our members are delighted with the results,” said Deirdre McIvor, chief executive of NIPBF. “There’s no doubt that it is the exceptional standards for quality from our producers here in Northern Ireland, and in Great Britain, that have led to where we are today.

“The NI Pork and Bacon Forum has been integral to this shared ambition since its very inception, and so to see a further 16% drop in 2018, since the year before, is representative of the quality and benefits of Assured Origin pork.” Glen Cuddy, chairman of the Pork and Bacon Policy Committee, Ulster Farmers’ Union, said: “The latest reduction in antibiotic usage is a testament to the hard work of pig producers and vets, demonstrating their commitment to the fight against antibiotic resistance.”

LMC’S MEAT SKILLS WORKSHOPS RETURN FOR A SECOND YEAR

SUPPORT PAYMENTS MUST NOT DECREASE, SAYS UFU

ndustry leaders, including the Northern Ireland Pork and Bacon Forum (NIPBF), have welcomed latest figures indicating the pig industry has reduced antibiotic usage throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland by a further 16% in 2018 on the year before. According to the latest data taken from the electronic medicines book, which represents 89% of pigs slaughtered in the UK, antibiotic usage on pig farms dropped from 131 mg/PCU to 110 mg/PCU within 12 months. The industry target is to reach 99 mg/PCU by 2020.

Food and Nutrition teacher Andy Howard from Larne High School showcasing a burger made during LMC’s Meat Skills workshop in Loughry College.

ollowing the success of last year’s Meat Skills workshops for food and nutrition teachers, the Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) recently welcomed participants to Loughry College to mark the beginning of another series of workshops.

The aim behind these workshops is to help develop the skills and confidence of food and nutrition teachers when working with Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) beef and lamb and communicate the importance of the NIBL FQA scheme. During the workshop, hosted in conjunction with the Food Teachers’ Centre with red meat supplied by ABP Food Group, teachers had the opportunity to cook a number of beef and lamb recipes relevant for all key stages but particularly focused on the GCSE and A Level curriculum. “We received such great feedback from last year’s workshops and we’re so pleased to be able to facilitate them again this year,” said Cherrie Kenny, LMC education services manager. “Teachers who choose to attend these workshops will learn how to prepare, handle and cook with NIFQA beef and lamb as well as how to present dishes attractively. They will also learn about the role of beef and lamb as part of a healthy, balanced diet and will explore the importance of the NIFQA scheme in producing sustainable, traceable and quality assured produce. I have no doubt that everyone who attends will find the workshops informative and supportive.”

griculture funding and support must be maintained at the current level, says the Ulster Farmers’ Union following the release of summary responses to the Northern Ireland Future Agriculture Policy Framework Stakeholder Engagement exercise. UFU warned a drastic change in the system will have a significant, detrimental, and long-term impact – putting the future of many familyrun farm businesses in jeopardy. “Northern Ireland’s Future Agriculture Policy must create the conditions for active farm businesses to be profitable and sustainable,” said Ivor Ferguson, president, UFU. “A significant proportion of farm incomes in Northern Ireland comes from EU direct payments, which effectively act as an affordable food subsidy for consumers. We have a world-class food industry and farm to the highest quality, welfare and environmental standards in the world. There is a very real danger this will be lost if family farm businesses are not adequately supported.”

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

UK FARMING UNIONS OUTLINE MEASURES NEEDED TO ADDRESS BEEF PRICE CRISIS

residents of the four UK farming unions met at the 100th Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd in Wales, calling for urgent and collaborative action across the whole supply chain to support farmers affected by the ongoing beef price crisis. While the Royal Welsh Show is a showcase for world-class livestock and genetics from throughout the UK, the event arrives against the backdrop of severe price cuts affecting UK beef farmers. Presidents John Davies (NFU Cymru), Minette Batters (NFU), Andrew McCornick (NFU Scotland) and Ivor Ferguson (Ulster Farmers’ Union) have come together to agree a set of measures that need to be urgently implemented to address the situation. ‘The UK beef sector is at crisis point: we’ve seen downward pressure on farmgate prices throughout the year and this dire situation cannot, and must not, be allowed to continue,’ said the four presidents in a joint statement. ‘While we accept that this is a complex situation and there are a number of factors affecting this drop in price, beef farmers cannot continue to sustain this decrease any longer. Let’s be absolutely clear - the sustainability of UK beef production is at stake here. ‘Together we are calling for action across the whole supply chain - farmers, levy bodies, processors, retailers and the

UK BEEF INDUSTRY SURVIVAL UNDER THREAT, WARNS NBA

foodservice sector – in order to bring the UK beef industry back from the brink.’ The four UK farming union presidents have announced a collaborative fivepoint action plan which is needed to ease the current beef price crisis. Their asks are: • The formulation of an intense and co-ordinated period of product promotion and innovation by retailers and processors to help stimulate demand for safe, high-quality, fully-traceable Red Tractor beef. • The UK levy bodies must continue to raise awareness around the values behind UK beef production, both at home and abroad, and support the export, retail and foodservice sectors to deliver on new opportunities, such as the recently opened Chinese market. • All retailers must ensure their marketing on origin and sourcing is clear at the point of sale and foodservice providers to give clear country of origin labelling for all beef products. • Governments across the UK to urgently review their public procurement commitments with an emphasis on UK sourcing. • Governments across the UK must assess the impact on the UK beef market of the €100m cash boost provided to Irish beef farmers, while considering mitigating measures to protect UK beef production.

truggling beef producers have been hit with a £68m reduction in cattle value over the 12 weeks to mid-July, in comparison to the same period in 2018, according to the National Beef Association (NBA). “There are obviously fortunes to be made in the beef industry, as has been seen by recent articles on the assets of some of Ireland’s wealthiest individuals, but some of that profit needs to go to the beef producer,” says Chris Mallon, chief executive of the NBA. “There are many calls for the industry to be more efficient, but unless we can feed cattle on fresh air, there is no way profits can be made at the moment. How can the industry continue to restock with such drastic losses? “Potentially, by the autumn, we will see producers walk away from the beef industry, and there will be drastic falls in production and a serious impact on store cattle values. Do processors want a supply of UK beef in the future, or are they betting on processing more imported beef and putting that into the mix?” NBA also warns that supermarkets need to stop the ‘co-mingling’ of beef. Mixing beef of different origins confuses customers and makes it more difficult to establish higher prices for UK product. Producer groups can help address the dominance and lack of competition of the powerful processors and retailers, said Mallon.

lster Farmers’ Union has raised £4,000 at this UFU RAISES £4,000 FOR year’s Balmoral Show for its chosen charities, U to be split evenly between Queen’s University CHARITIES AT BALMORAL SHOW Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology and

Wesley Aston, CEO and Ivor Ferguson, president, UFU with Professor Chris Scott, acting director of Queen’s University Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology.

the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution. “We look forward to the show every year,” said Ivor Ferguson, president, UFU. “It’s a great opportunity to meet members and hear their thoughts and concerns on a variety of issues. We are pleased to the able to offer them complimentary refreshments when they visit our stand, with the option of donating to charity. Our members continue to do us proud when it comes to their generosity and I would like to thank everyone who made a donation.” The achievement follows on from the success of the UFU’s air ambulance fundraising appeal in 2018, which saw the UFU win the Institute of Fundraising NI award for fundraising partnership of the year.

EXPORT NEWS

NI GOODS EXPORT GROWTH OUTPERFORMS OTHER UK NATIONS

verseas demand for Northern Irish goods is at a record high, and the region has recorded more consecutive years of goods export growth than any other UK nation according to the latest HMRC data. Northern Irish goods exports in the 2018/19 financial year grew by 4.4% to a record high of £9bn while, in the first quarter of 2019, 6,098 Northern Irish businesses exported abroad representing an increase of 223 on the same period in the previous year. A rising factor in the increased demand for Northern Irish goods is spiralling demand from Latin America and the Caribbean, where exports shot up at the fastest rate. In the 2018/19 financial year, Northern Irish good exports to the region increased by 27.8% to £115m. “I am delighted that goods exports from Northern Ireland have boasted particularly impressive growth rates over the past financial year, which is

a consequence of the outstanding quality of produce and resilience of businesses across the region,” said Dr Liam Fox, former Secretary of State for International Trade. “When local businesses trade internationally, they provide profound economic benefits to the local economy, including more jobs and cheaper goods. By diversifying their markets globally, businesses of all sizes can benefit from increased competitiveness, which encourages greater innovation and prosperity. “I encourage businesses throughout Northern Ireland to use the statistics as evidence that, despite the global headwinds getting stronger, the world demands British goods at unprecedented levels. My international economic department is keen to work with businesses to ensure their full exporting potential is unlocked.” Among businesses celebrating international export success are Rademon Estate Distillery with its award-

LMC WELCOMES SIGNING OF UKCHINA BEEF PROTOCOL

he UK beef industry received carcase weight equivalent as positive news recently when domestic consumption growth a UK-China Beef Protocol was is met by import growth. signed by Farming Minister Although Chinese beef Robert Goodwill and Chinese imports are largely composed Ambassador to the UK, Liu of frozen beef, cattle offals Ian Stevenson, chief Xiaoming. have become a very significant executive of LMC. The agreement, which segment of the import mix. was signed as part of the 10th “The Northern Ireland red meat Economic and Financial Dialogue industry has been growing its export between the UK and China, will secure volumes of beef to the Asian region and market access for UK beef exporters by Hong Kong has served as an important the end of this year. outlet for carcase balance in recent years. “The signing of the Protocol is the “LMC has been participating in the culmination of several years of site work of the UK Export Certification inspections and engagement between Partnership for over 10 years. Achieving the UK and Chinese government direct market access to China for UK officials,” said Ian Stevenson, chief beef exporters has been one of the key executive of LMC. “It also follows a priorities for government and industry successful inspection of beef sector members of the partnership and this controls across the UK. exciting development is testament to the “Gaining this direct access to the commitment and hard work of everyone Chinese market is extremely positive involved in the process.” and will allow our beef export business Sam Chesney, beef and lamb chairman, to actively pursue new opportunities in UFU, said: “This is good news for the this rapidly growing market for our high sector at a time of uncertainty. The quality, safe and certified beef industry. government needs to work as efficiently “Beef import into China continues to as possible with the industry so beef grow strongly with a six-fold increase in farmers on the ground see the benefit of imports recorded over the last 10 years this deal. and imports in 2019 are forecast to “However, it will take time to get the be approximately three million tonnes first consignment to sale. 46

winning Shortcross Gin, which has received support from the Department for International Trade. The company has seen rapid growth and success and is now exporting its gin to markets across the globe, including Australia, Canada, the Middle East and across Europe. “We are happy to continue realising our vision for Rademon Estate Distillery: with the increase in our production capacity, and the forthcoming release of our single malt Irish whisky, we are even better positioned to increase our export sales to new markets,” said Fiona BoydArmstrong, managing director, Rademon Estate. “Exports are fundamental to the success of our business and we are seeing growing demand in the US, Australia, the Middle East and across Europe. If we can break into new international markets, then there’s no reason why other Northern Irish businesses can’t do the same.” “This is an opportunity for beef farmers in Northern Ireland to increase exports as a result of gaining direct access to the Chinese market.”

EU-MERCOSUR TRADEDEAL CATASTROPHIC FOR NI FARMERS, SAYS UFU

lster Farmers’ Union says the EU-Mercosur trade-deal is a “slap in the face” to farmers and is particularly problematic for Northern Ireland’s beef industry, adding further uncertainty for the future. “Agriculture has effectively been sacrificed in order to seal the deal, so that the likes of BMW and Mercedes can gain access to South American markets,” said Ivor Ferguson, president, UFU. “Food production in Mercosur countries is very different to Northern Ireland. It happens on a significantly larger scale and has much lower environmental and welfare standards. “The increased environmental impact elsewhere in the world means the EU is essentially exporting its environmental responsibilities, which is morally questionable.” The agreement will see 99,000 tonnes of beef enter into the European market each year at a reduced tariff.

MARKETING NEWS

TAYTO THRILLS WITH LAUNCH OF THE BIG YELLA RIDE

ayto is set to thrill NI adventureseekers with the unveiling of The Big Yella slide as the latest high adrenaline outdoor activity at Todd’s Leap in Dungannon. The 180-foot-long, four-person slide will see thrill-seekers reach speeds of up to 40 mph as they descend the bright yellow slide and land on the Tayto rainbow. The much-loved crisp brand has partnered with Todd’s Leap activity centre as part of its #TaytoHappy campaign and £1m investment in its brand assets, having recently launched its largest-ever TV, digital and promotional campaign and revealed new-look recyclable and redesigned packaging.

Pictured at the official opening of the new ride are Elly Hunter, marketing director, Tayto, Mr Tayto and Benny O’Hanlon, owner of Todd’s Leap.

“Tayto is a brand synonymous with fun and The Big Yella is a perfect opportunity for us to further promote Tayto’s great taste, witty personality and family-friendly

associations with visitors,” said Elly Hunter, marketing director, Tayto. “The Big Yella is the latest brand asset for us as we roll out our new promotional campaign and it’s certainly a striking addition to the activities on offer at Todd’s Leap. “This is a really exciting time for Tayto and I’m proud that our brand continues to grab consumer attention, build market share and create the impact it deserves.” With more than 360 staff and famous for its Tayto Castle and Mr Tayto visitor experience in Tandragree, Tayto remains a family-owned business with a product portfolio that includes Golden Wonder, Real Crisps, Mr Porky, Ringos and, of course, Tayto.

THREE PEAK CHALLENGE SET TO BOOST MORELLI’S FUNDS FOR AIR AMBULANCE NI UNVEILS ITS From left, Dr Alan Laverty, HEMS; Katharine Walker; and HEMS Paramedic Mike Patton.

ir Ambulance Northern Ireland (AANI), supported by Boost Drinks, has launched the Three Peaks Challenge which encourages everyone to get outdoors and conquer one, two or three of Northern Ireland’s famous mountains in aid of the life-saving charity. Taking place during national Air Ambulance month, AANI is asking people to register at airambulanceni.org to climb 48

Slieve Donard in Co Down on September 14, Cuilcagh in Co Fermanagh on September 21, Slemish in Co Antrim on September 28 or a mixture of all three. AANI, in partnership with Northern Ireland Ambulance Service provides the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for Northern Ireland and requires £5,500 a day from donations and fundraising to sustain operations. The Three Peak Challenge has been set up to help raise awareness and essential funds and asks workmates, friends or families to all get together and tackle any or all three local peaks in aid of AANI which, since their first deployment in July 2017, has been tasked 839 times to serious or life-threatening situations throughout the province. “AANI is a remarkable and essential charity for the people of Northern Ireland,” said Francine Matthews, consumer marketing manager, Boost Drinks. “As our 2019 charity partner, we continue to support AANI by encouraging Three Peak Challenge registrations and fundraising at major events across NI such as Balmoral Show and Truckfest along with providing bottles of Boost Sport to everyone taking part. To find out more about Boost’s charity partnership, visit boostnicharity. com and for registration and donations to the Three Peak Challenge, visit airambulanceni.org.

TRUE COLOURS Daniela Morelli with the moscaic.

orelli’s Ice Cream has unveiled a 4 x 1.5 metre-sized mosaic of golfer Francesco Molinari made entirely of ice cream ingredients, at the brand’s flagship store in Portrush for The Open Championship. Nodding to Morelli’s Italian heritage, the masterpiece is a dedication to last year’s winner of the Claret Jug. The assembly took 10 hours, using 70kg of ice cream sprinkles and was helped in part by children from the Morelli family. Established in Northern Ireland in 1911, Morelli’s is a family-owned, fourth-generation ice cream brand that combines ingredients from some of Italy’s most prestigious flavour houses with Irish dairy products to create the country’s most famous and recognisable ice creams. The mosaic was on display in Morelli’s, Portrush in the run up to, and during, The Open.

TOBACCO & DRINKS NEWS

NEW CANNED COCKTAILS LAUNCHED BY WKD W KD, the UK’s number one RTD brand (1), has launched two new ready-to-serve cocktails in cans. Available in 440ml price-marked packs, WKD Venom and WKD Anti Venom are 6.5% ABV fuss-free, pre-mixed cocktails inspired by the popular drinks of the same names available in clubs and bars. WKD has a long-held association with cocktails; both consumers and bar-staff have for many years mixed WKD with other products to create simple, fun cocktails. With the launch of Venom and Anti Venom, brand-owner SHS Drinks is making great-tasting WKD cocktails available in 440ml cans for the very first time. With clean, bold, colourful branding and striking snakeskin-style graphics, the two additions to the WKD portfolio have an imposing shelf presence.

Targeted at 18-24-year-olds, the products are easy to transport, easy to chill and said to taste great, making the drinks perfect for socialising at home and for ‘pre-drinks’ before heading out. The two new variants have a fun and fruity flavour profile, and both contain

caffeine: WKD Venom is WKD Blue, bourbon and orange flavour and WKD Anti Venom is WKD Berry, peach schnapps and pineapple flavour. The large-can format, coupled with a higher ABV than existing WKD products, is aimed at generating footfall and increasing basket spend for stockists. A comprehensive package of brand support is in place to back the rollout of the WKD canned cocktails in both cash and carry/wholesalers and independent retailers. Pallet displays, trade shows and impactful POS will be augmented by a profile-raising social media campaign designed to generate substantial consumer awareness. 1: Total RTD category combined value (£): Nielsen Scantrack Take Home MAT to 18.05.19 and CGA On-trade MAT to 26.01.19

TESTING SUGGESTS HUMAN JTI EXPANDS DISTRIBUTION OF LAB LUNG TISSUE UNIMPACTED BY MYBLU VAPOUR LOGIC COMPACT RANGE A

ollowing its successful introduction into the grocery channel last year, vaping brand Logic has announced it will be significantly expanding distribution of its Logic Compact range. From June, Logic Compact will be expanding across the independent and wholesale channels, and listings across KMG and convenience accounts will increase. Logic Compact is a premium Pod device, which offers a stylish, convenient

and modern alternative to traditional vaping products. Delivering the perfect combination of flavour, power and simplicity, its user-friendly, contemporary design allows retailers to capitalise on the popularity of Pod vaping devices; currently the fastest growing segment in the UK’s Reduced Risk Product category. The Compact range also includes magnetic refill pods, available in five flavours - each delivering a rich taste and enhanced performance by guaranteeing a secure connection to the device’s 350mAh battery at all times. Pre-filled in a choice of tobacco (18mg), menthol (18mg), berry mint (12mg), strawberry (12mg) or cherry (12mg), the pods reflect the UK’s most popular vaping flavours; fruit (41%), menthol (29%) and tobacco (19%). “We’re thrilled at the consumer response to Logic Compact since we launched it into the KMG and Convenience channels last year,” said Nick Geens, head of Reduced Risk Products at JTI UK. “Following this success, we’re pleased to now offer the range to all retailers nationwide looking to expand their vaping portfolio and take advantage of the significant sales opportunity the category presents.”

new study by Imperial Brands, owner of vape brand blu, is said to contribute to the increasing evidence base substantiating vaping’s harm reduction potential compared to smoking. The research, presented at the 58th annual meeting of the Society of Toxicology earlier this year, compared the in-vitro toxicological responses of a 3D model of human lung tissue to vapour and cigarette smoke across a range of biological endpoints. Cells were repeatedly exposed to either 30, 60 or 90 puffs of vapour, smoke and air over four weeks, and the results were conclusive. While vapour delivered significantly more nicotine compared to the cigarette smoke, it did not trigger any significant toxicological responses under test conditions. Arguably the most striking observation involved the cilia on the surface of the cells: mobile, hair-like structures that line the airways and lungs, helping keep them clear of mucus and dirt. After four weeks of repeated exposure to undiluted vapour, there was no recorded decrease in either the number of cilia, or the number of ciliated cells. In fact, tissue integrity was indistinguishable from air control. The observations were in marked contrast to cigarette smoke’s negative impact on lung cells, even when diluted at 1:17 ratio. 49

CSR NEWS

SPAR NI LAUNCHES BID TO BOOST COMMUNITY SPORT S

PAR NI, alongside SPAR UK, has launched a 2019 People’s Podium campaign to celebrate diverse and unsung heroes in local community sport. The second year of the initiative is inviting people to nominate their local heroes via SPAR NI’s Facebook page, and online at spar-ni.co.uk. To enter, nominators simply need to either comment on the brand’s page or fill in the entry form on the website with their nominee’s name, job and why they should win. The UK-wide initiative, which has also partnered with TV presenter Andi Peters

Bronagh Luke, head of Corporate Marketing at Henderson Group, and Alison McMullan, founder of Abbey Gymnastics (who received £2,000 in funding), are pictured with gymnasts from the club.

to promote the call-to-action from his own platforms, will reward one individual with £10,000 of funding for their project. A further four projects will also be rewarded with £2,000 each. The campaign also aims to celebrate SPAR NI’s support of Athletics Northern Ireland. “Local initiatives which encourage activity and team sports really bring together a community, which is a huge part of our ethos at SPAR NI,” said Bronagh Luke, head of Corporate Marketing at Henderson Group.

RETAILERS PUT THE FUN IN FUNDRAISING WITH BLOOMING GREAT EVENTS S PAR, EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA retailers and shoppers have raised £149,353 during recent months from events including the Blooming Great Tea Party, Community Coffee Morning and Balmoral Show for charity partners Marie Curie and Cancer Fund for Children. In March, £62,545 was raised in one morning at over 60 EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA stores as part of their Community Coffee Mornings in aid of Cancer Fund for Children. Then, in May, SPAR’s sea of red hats returned to Balmoral Show, bringing in almost £10,000 as show goers donated what they could in return for one of the most in-demand products at the Show.

Subsequently, generous shoppers helped over 200 SPARs across Northern Ireland raise £77,142 during the Marie Curie Blooming Great Tea Party in June. McBride’s Retail Group managed to raise over £8,000 across its 12 stores. SPAR NI’s Blooming Great Tea Party is the biggest of the UK-wide Marie Curie event and has taken the total raised in Northern Ireland for the palliative care providers to £229,089. “Once again, we’ve proven to have the most generous shoppers and hardworking retailers who have such a passion for making a difference in their local communities,” said Bronagh Luke, head of Corporate Marketing, Henderson Group.

From left, Jenny Brattle, Anne Hannan and Kirsty Burgess, Marie Curie; Stephanie Tares, Henderson Group and Annette Beaney, Marie Curie Volunteer (centre).

M&S COLLEAGUES TAKE ONE MILLION STEPS FOR £1M

ver 3,000 M&S colleagues across stores in Northern Ireland are making their mark this summer to raise £1m for Action Cancer’s counselling and therapeutic services. Since M&S Northern Ireland’s partnership with Action Cancer launched 10 years ago, the retailer has raised over £900,000, and M&S colleagues have set the bar high to reach their £1m target. Colleagues from 21 stores across the province, along with their family and friends, are taking part in many novel fundraising events including a One Million Steps for £1m sponsored walk,

as well as a sponsored climb of Cuilcagh Mountain in Co Fermanagh on July 28. Customers can also get involved in

From left, Dougie King, head of Fundraising & Communications at Action Cancer; Holly O’Hagan and Martina McNulty, store managers; and Simon Layton, head of Region for M&S in Northern Ireland.

the many fundraising activities being organised in support of the campaign, including a Fashion & Style event in the M&S Lisburn store on August 22 featuring a Fit & Style session, beauty and skincare demonstrations and a fashion show for customers. “We know the importance of Action Cancer’s work and are proud to support the charity through creative fundraising initiatives to make a real difference,” said Simon Layton, head of Region for M&S. “Whether it’s planning fundraising in-store, or sponsoring participants, there is a chance for our colleagues and customers alike to be involved.”

BUSINESS NEWS

CUNNINGHAM’S RAISES THE ‘STEAKS’ WITH NEW EXPANSION

unningham’s Butchers, a fourth-generation butchers in Kilkeel, is celebrating 100 years in business with a £250,000 investment in its facilities with support from First Trust Bank. The family-run butchery in Co Down has expanded its footprint with the creation of a new shop at The Quays shopping centre, Newry, and the addition of a fully licensed cocktail bar at its restaurant in its Kilkeel premises. Over the past five years the business has increased its workforce from five to 50 employees, contributing significantly to local employment. The award-winning business, which

holds the title of Best Butcher Shop in both the UK and Ireland 2018/2019, has picked up a number of other prestigious accolades recently. “It has been a monumental year for our business as we celebrate not only our newly unveiled premises, but a century of exceptional customer service and quality products,” said James Cunningham Jnr. “My brother Christopher and I are proud to continue the legacy of Cunningham’s Butchers, diversifying our offering to meet the changing needs of our loyal customers and growing our customer base in the wonderful City of Newry. “Innovation is at the heart of our

DELI-LITES SCOOPS DOUBLE AWARD WIN F

Jackie Reid was named Best Businesswoman ood-to-go at the Greater Newry Area Business Awards. supplier DELI-LITES is celebrating a successful awards haul at the Greater Newry Area Business Awards, where the Warrenpointbased company picked up an impressive double award win including Best Businesswoman and Best Export Business. Accepting the Best Business Woman accolade, DELI-LITES co-founder, Jackie Reid – who, along with her husband Brian, started the wholesale business working nights out of the kitchen in the family café – said the company’s 20-year success was down to hard work and a real focus on innovation which has seen DELILITES stay ahead of food trends such as clean eating, vegan and gluten free. “We are absolutely delighted to receive these awards and to have been recognised for the team’s hard work in delivering world-class products for our customers at home and abroad,” she said. “By moving into new European and Middle Eastern markets, it has enabled us to develop the business even further, invest in growing our team, and create a new on-site innovation hub which benefits our customers and allows us to deliver the best in flavour combinations and quality food-to-go products. “Healthy eating is something I’ve become increasingly passionate about, so it’s great to use this to develop our products and meet the growing consumer demand for a wide range of dietary preferences and food trends.”

James Cunningham Jr is pictured with Clare Clarke and Diana Johnson from First Trust Bank in the newly opened wine bar at Cunningham’s fully licensed bistro in Kilkeel.

operations, and that was the reason behind our new cocktail bar which expands our offering to customers who can enjoy food and drinks in a beautiful setting.”

AROUND NOON INVESTS IN STRATEGIC GROWTH PLAN

ewry-based food-to-go manufacturer Around Noon is investing more than £500,000 in improving its facilities, enhancing its IT systems, and increasing automation. The innovative company has switched its banking to Barclays to assist it in making important investments as it continues to grow the products From left, John Mathers, Barclays Corporate Banking with Gareth and services offered to its Chambers, chief executive and Howard client base and increase its Farqhuar, chairman of Around Noon. headcount. Featuring in the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 listing in both 2017 and 2018, Around Noon is one of the fastest-growing food businesses in the UK and Ireland. It supplies a wide range of sandwiches, wraps, salads, bakery items and cold-pressed juices to leading coffee-shop chains, convenience retailers and contract caterers. In addition to its Newry headquarters, it has a manufacturing facility in greater London and currently employs more than 330 people. It has acquired two businesses in recent years: London-based Chef-in-a-Box and Sweet Things Bakery, which was originally based in Dublin. “Barclays put together an impressive proposal to support Around Noon’s strategic growth plan, which includes investing significantly in order to increase business with existing customers and to facilitate further acquisitions,” said Howard Farquhar, chairman of Around Noon. 51

BUSINESS NEWS

FTA SELECTED TO ADVISE ON NORTHERN IRELAND BREXIT PREPARATIONS

HENDERSON GROUP LAUNCHES 2019 APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME

TA Northern Ireland Policy goods vehicles cross just Manager Seamus Leheny six of the 300 border has been selected by the crossings in Ireland, with Department for Exiting the the majority of freight being European Union as a member intermediate goods that are of the Business and Trade Unan integral part of all-island ion Alternative Arrangements supply chains. Advisory Group. “My role in this group “As the organisation will be to work to preserve representing the logistics seamless business links Seamus Leheny, sector, it is essential FTA’s between Northern Ireland policy manager voice is included in any and EU27 countries, for Northern Ireland at FTA. major discussion on the UK’s especially the Republic departure from the EU,” said of Ireland, in any Brexit Leheny. “So many businesses negotiation and protect the and individuals’ jobs are dependent on interests of those organisations that we the continued free movement of goods represent, as well as the wider Northern cross the border in both directions, but Irish economy.” the lack of progress shown by politicians Efficient logistics is vital to keep the in sorting future arrangements in Ireland UK trading, directly having an impact are at the heart of the stagnation of on more than seven million people Brexit talks. employed in the making, selling and “On any given day, more than 13,500 moving of goods, he said.

FOYLE FOOD GROUP STRENGTHENS ITS INVESTORS IN PEOPLE STATUS

FET Service ore than acknowledges 180 staff that learning at Foyle Donegal takes places recently received in a range of Level 3 QQI environments Qualification such as the Certificates from classroom, Donegal ETB in the workplace recognition of and the prior learning in All 188 employees celebrate their achievement. community the workplace, and that skills, knowledge and with some members of staff also competencies are achieved through receiving their Level 4 Health & Safety formal, non-formal and informal Certificate. experiences and learning. “I would like to congratulate all “Acknowledging this has led to the employees at Foyle Donegal for this recognition that many learners have tremendous achievement and commend skills, knowledge and competences that the partnership between Foyle Donegal have not been formally validated against and Donegal ETB,” said Malachy the standards outlined on the National McAteer, operations director of Foyle Framework of Qualifications.” Food Group. “This is a real testament to Foyle Food Group operates nine each employee for their commitment and facilities across six sites throughout the dedication and a special thanks must also UK and Ireland, and is the largest single go to our HR Manager Barbara King for species food processor in the UK. It has striving for employee development.” been awarded Investors in People status Cróna Gallagher, Donegal ETB’s at all its sites for the past 22 years. Director of FET, said: “Donegal ETB’s 52

From left, former Post Office apprentice Lucy McCammond, daily Deli apprentice Jordan Barr and Logistics apprentice Ryan Jackson.

enderson Group has launched its apprenticeship schemes for 2019, bringing the total investment in the initiative to £250,000 over the past three years. New opportunities are on offer within logistics, retail food-to-go and retail financial services, with each scheme open for application now and set to begin in September 2019. “At Henderson Group, our retail estate is growing from strength to strength and we recently announced a £26m investment in our network of new builds and refurbishments for the next 12 months,” said Sam Davidson, Group human resources director. “With these developments come opportunities to grow careers. Our business is not possible without a great team of people so we’re looking for apprentices to specialise in two of our rapidly growing retail services: daily Deli and Post Office.” Henderson Retail stores operate 53 Post Office branches throughout Northern Ireland and have invested over £1m in their food-to-go offering in-store in the past year alone. A total of 12 apprentices have been recruited into the business in the past three years under both the Retail Deli Apprenticeships programme and the Post Office Scheme. Twenty-one people have progressed through Henderson Group’s apprenticeship schemes since 2016, and the company now employs 3,700 people across Northern Ireland.

APPOINTMENTS

WOMEN TAKE THE MUSGRAVE APPOINTS CIARA McCLAFFERTY AS TRADING DIRECTOR HELM OF FTA NI

usgrave Wholesale Partners has appointed Ciara McClafferty as its trading director. Previously appointed as trading director for Musgrave Northern Ireland in 2015, McClafferty has now assumed the role of trading director for Musgrave Wholesale Partners and is responsible for the Musgrave MarketPlace, Daybreak and Day Today brands. She joined the Musgrave Group in 2008 as a category manager following previous roles with Superquinn and Lidl. Prior to this, she was head of buying at Budgens and head of fresh at Musgrave Retail Partners GB. McClafferty will be responsible for developing the Musgrave Wholesale Partners offer to deliver its brand promises of being First for Value, First for Choice and First for Service. She will also oversee all trading activities to Ciara McClafferty, trading director deliver a better, more profitable offer for the customer for Musgrave Wholesale Partners. and the business. “As trading director, I look forward to leading the development of our customer offering that is different and delivers on our brand promise for our range of brands,” she said. “This is an organisation with a long-established history in Ireland, an excellent reputation internationally, and a skilled, talented and dedicated workforce. I’m excited about the prospects for Musgrave Wholesale Partners and look forward to working with the management team and our colleagues on implementing a challenging but rewarding strategy.”

JTI NAMES DEAN GILFILLAN AS NEW UK MD Dean Gilfillan.

TI has appointed Dean Gilfillan as the new managing director of its UK Division. Gilfillan has over 20 years’ experience within the tobacco industry, joining JTI in 2014 as head of Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Mongolia, and spending the past three

years successfully leading the Russian market as general manager. He replaces Daniel Sciamma, who is moving in the opposite direction, leaving the UK to lead the Russian market from JTI’s Moscow office. “I am delighted to be back in the UK, leading the business and working with the talented UK team. The UK tobacco and vaping industry continues to undergo significant change, driven by legislation and rapid innovation,” said Gilfillan. “Such change brings with it opportunity and I look forward to working with my team to provide both our retail partners, and adult smokers and vapers alike, with a best in class range of products.”

FREIGHT COUNCIL

wo women are leading the fight for the logistics industry in Northern Ireland, following their election to FTA’s national Freight Council as chair and vice chair. Industry experts Pamela From left, Pamela Dennison and Charlene Quayle. Dennison and Charlene Quayle will help determine the organisation’s approach to pressing issues such as Brexit, climate change and air quality, by facilitating discussions with FTA’s members at council meetings. “With the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit – particularly the very real threat of leaving without a deal in place – it is very important FTA listens closely to the concerns of its members,” said Seamus Leheny, FTA policy manager for Northern Ireland. “It takes skilled and experienced chairs to facilitate these conversations. With the direct ear of government, FTA is then able to communicate the needs of the industry to the corridors of power. “Their deep understanding of the industry, combined with a history of campaigning, make Pamela and Charlene the perfect women to lead the Freight Council into 2019 and beyond. Women continue to be underrepresented in the logistics industry; male workers currently constitute 86.3% of the workforce*, but under the leadership and guidance of Pamela and Charlene, we hope to see real change.”

* ONS Table EMP04: Employment totals by occupation, status and sex, September 2018

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

CORNDALE FARM FREE RANGE CHARCUTERIE LAUNCHES NDUJA C orndale Farm Free Range Charcuterie, Northern Ireland’s award-winning producer of premium quality cured meats, has launched the region’s first Nduja. The spreadable salami has been developed by Alastair Crown, founder and managing director of the farm-based business which is based near Limavady in Co Londonderry. The small artisan producer has won a string of awards for its salami and chorizo. “We’ve been exploring opportunities for Nduja for some considerable time and been approached by several chefs interested in including it in their dishes and menus,” said Crown. “We use our own heritage pigs in the product which is based essentially on pork belly with creamy fat from our own free-range animals. And it’s the creaminess of the fat which makes the salami spreadable. “The meat is then fermented and air-dried in our own chambers before

Alastair Crown, founder and MD of Corndale.

being seasoned with chilli, smoked paprika, roasted Calabrian peppers and some other ingredients which remain a company secret.” Corndale’s products are all created from the company’s closed herd which is bred naturally on the farm without chemicals and antibiotics.

DALE FARM LAUNCHES NEW DROMONA CRACKER CONVENIENCE PRODUCT

ale Farm has boosted its cheese range with the addition of cheddar cheese in a new distinctive rectangular format, Dromona Cracker. Designed to fit perfectly on a cracker, Dromona Cracker was created to suit consumers’ busy lifestyles and increasing demands for convenience. “At Dale Farm, we are dedicated to crafting only the finest cheeses, produced locally at our world-class cheese plant in Cookstown,” said Darren Hughes, senior national account manager, Dale Farm. “Our newest addition to the range, Dromona Cracker, with its innovative new format, is conveniently packaged for 54

cracker-sized slicing without any hassle. “Dromona Cracker has already hit supermarket shelves across the country and can already be found in a wide range of supermarkets and convenience stores, making it easy to enjoy the taste of highquality cheddar every day. The launch of Dromona Cracker will be supported through the brand’s Great Food Moments campaign, showcasing its cheese products as inspiring and wholesome ingredients to elevate every dish. Dromona Cracker 200g cheddar cheese is available in Tesco, SPAR, SuperValu, Centra, CostCutter and Nisa stores.

KP SNACKS ADDS McCOY’S THAI SWEET CHICKEN TO PMP LINE UP K

P Snacks is continuing to develop its extensive £1 PMP range with the addition of the popular Thai Sweet Chicken flavour from the UK’s number one ridged crisp brand, McCoy’s [1]. The McCoy’s PMP portfolio, currently worth £5.7m RSV, is growing at +33% year on year [2]. Adding to the range, McCoy’s Thai Sweet Chicken is one of the brand’s stand-out flavours, worth £2.2m RSV and growing 27.4% year on year [3]. The launch follows the addition of three new PMPs in February 2019; family-favourite POM-BEAR, classic Wheat Crunchies and Mexicaninspired NPD McCoy’s Muchos. The new flavour brings the number of £1 PMPs from KP to 21. PMPs remain a hugely popular format within the crisps, snacks and nuts category. £1 PMP ranges are growing ahead of the market at +19.4% versus non-PMP formats at +13.2% [4]. By continually investing in PMPs, KP Snacks has been instrumental in driving this growth, with its £1 PMP range out-performing the category and growing at a staggering +44% as a result [5]. The new SKU will be available in 16x65g cases from w/c 1st July 2019, exclusive to convenience and impulse stores.

[1] Nielsen Scantrack 18.05.19; [2] Nielsen Scantrack 18.05.19; [3] Nielsen Scantrack 18.05.19; [4] Nielsen Scantrack 18.05.19; [5] Nielsen Scantrack 18.05.19

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AN EASY REFERENCE TO THE BEST FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Q&A TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I live in Harrogate with my husband Nick and little boy Alfie. I love to socialise and be around family, friends and colleagues. I enjoy travelling and experiencing different cultures. After university and before settling into working life, I spent a couple of years travelling around South Africa, Asia and Australia. I then returned to Yorkshire to work in events management, which I did for four years before moving into marketing after working on a consultancy-based project which then became permanent. This company also only supplied to the independent sector and this role allowed me to experience and start falling in love with B2B marketing.

IN THE HOT SEAT

AMY ANKRAH, TRADE MARKETING MANAGER, BOOST DRINKS

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE? Driving the Boost brand throughout the trade, from cash & carry and delivered wholesale through to retail. I work very closely with the sales team, product team and our external agencies. I help develop the marketing strategy in line with the company’s overall objectives, working side by side with the consumer marketing team to ensure a through-theline approach from campaign execution, to driving brand awareness via trade media and PR or leading the various trade exhibitions and events. WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? Being awarded the FWD Gold medal for Young Supplier of the Year 2018. This was a huge achievement. 2018 was my first year back after maternity leave. This award cemented the fact for me that women can still have a thriving family and a successful career.

being open to change is what I try and work towards. WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? Never regret the things you’ve done, only the things you haven’t. There are still so many things I’d like to see and do and I’m excited to achieve these goals in the future.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? The people and the culture. One of Boost’s core values is Together We Succeed and we really do live by this. I’m very lucky to work for a company that invests time and energy into their people. Here at Boost, we work hard and we play hard.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? Rudeness and ignorance. I love working in B2B marketing and one of the main reasons for this is the relationship building. Treating people the way in which you wish to be treated is, in my opinion, extremely important. We’re all human beings at the end of the day.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK? We’re a small team, competing against some pretty big players within the industry which can sometimes be challenging but we’re an ambitious lot and are forever raising the bar. Getting the basics right, listening to our customers, retailers and consumers and

WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? Impersonations. I find people so interesting, their mannerisms, how they hold themselves and the way they talk. Whilst I’ve been known to do some great accents at the office Christmas party, my choice of talent would be to take this to the next level.

WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? My dad. He started his career straight from school at the lowest rank. By the time he retired, he was top of his game and then some. He was very inspirational and resilient and the first person I wanted to call when winning the FWD Award. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? Hard to say but if I had to choose, I would pick Vietnam. Whilst travelling, I spent a lot of time in South East Asia, but Vietnam stuck out for me. I fell in love with the place, the culture and the people. I lived and worked there for a short while and often think about that time with fond memories. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? I love food. Again, so hard to say what my favourite is but a good steak (cooked rare) with a good seafood starter thrown in would be the ideal meal for me. HOW DO YOU RELAX? Being surrounded by family and friends, some good food, wine and music… perfect!