Sandwich & Food to Go Magazine - 203 - February 2023

THE MOMENT

when great beans become great business.

At Franke, we’re not just in the business of selling coffee machines. We’re in the business of creating wonderful coffee experiences for your customers. It’s all about the moment. We can help you make it wonderful.

Want to know more? Contact us at Franke Coffee Systems Handley Page Way, St Albans. Herts.AL22DQ Tel: 01923 635 700, Mail: Sales@Frankecoffeesystems.co.uk

NEWS

Page 04. Sector responds to new energy bills discount scheme.

Page 05. Strong quarter ends a good year of progress for Greggs.

Page 06. Urban Eat relaunches its Roots range.

Page 08. Holly Francis joins Flexeserve.

Page 10. Central Foods shines again in BRC accreditation.

THE BRITISH SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO ASSOCIATION

Page 16. The Sammies 2023.

FEATURES

Page 22. Not just for January – vegan and vegetarian.

Page 28. When manufacturing technology and IT combine –enhanced production.

Page 40. Driving trends – packaging’s eco evolution.

Page 46. Sustaining seafood –pressures and opportunities.

OPINION

Page 26. ‘123 Pledge’ a reason for widespread optimism –ReFood’s Philip Simpson.

PROFILE

Page 36. Alex Markham’s sndwch.

ARTICLES

Page 50. Helping to tackle the recruitment challenge –Jobtrain.

REGULARS

Page 45. New products.

Page 52. New members

Page 54. Listing index.

In association with The British Sandwich & Food To Go Association.

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Paper used in the production of this publication is sourced from sustainable managed forests.

Sector responds to new energy bills discount scheme

Responding to the chancellor announcing the government’s new Energy Bills Discount Scheme, UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “It was crucial for hospitality businesses to receive an extension to energy support, which has been a vital lifeline for many this winter.

“While I’m relieved the chancellor has listened to UKHospitality’s concerns and extended the scheme as a whole, the absence of a sector-specific package that helps vulnerable sectors like hospitality will still result in higher bills. Our analysis shows the new, lower level of support will see a total £4.5 billion hike in bills for the sector compared to the previous scheme.

“This will simply be unsustainable for many. With no further, dedicated support for a vulnerable sector like hospitality, I’d urge the government to consider other measures it can take to help the sector. One measure in particular that would make a significant difference would be increasing the business rates relief cap. For those suppliers to hospitality in the wider food and drink sector that have received additional support, we expect them to

support the sector accordingly in their pricing.

“Now we have some clarity on the future of energy support, we must see a concerted change in behaviour by energy suppliers, who have been unfairly treating businesses with outlandish quotes and unjustifiable demands for enormous deposits or prepayments. Government must act swiftly if this is not forthcoming.

“This scheme is a significant investment from the government and energy suppliers should not be using that as an excuse to hike up prices. The Ofgem review into the non-domestic market should serve as a wake-up call to suppliers that now is the time to be reasonable with the quotes they’re offering and to abandon unfair demands of businesses to secure fixed deals. They should also consider allowing businesses to renegotiate if they are stuck on previously agreed, inflated fixed deals.

“This is an extremely challenging period for the UK’s hospitality sector, which is so important to the economy and communities, and it’s essential the sector gets through it as best it can. If

it does, I’m confident we can reach a situation where hospitality will return to generating economic growth, delivering hundreds of thousands of jobs, and investing in Britain’s high street and communities. This is all while it contributes billions to Treasury revenues.”

Ibrahim Dogus, chair of the British Takeaway Campaign commented: “The Chancellor’s new scheme spells bad news for Britain’s takeaways. His reluctance to support our kebab and curry houses with a sector-specific package means that many of our local favourites will be lumbered with eyewatering energy bills.

“It’s entirely unrealistic to expect those costs to be passed on to customers too, who are struggling themselves. Even if the cost of energy comes down, profiteering energy companies will undoubtedly continue to hike up their standing charge, rinsing every small business for their last penny. If the chancellor won’t help the hospitality sector now, he needs to consider other methods to protect our local favourites, like a cap on standing charges.”

Fresh Direct appoints a new managing director

Sysco Great Britain has appointed Andy Pembroke as the new managing director of Fresh Direct, a leading UK foodservice fresh produce wholesaler.

Peter Jackson, CEO of Sysco in Great Britain, said: “Our fresh business is one of the key pillars to Sysco’s future growth and success in this country and having Andy at the helm of Fresh Direct is the perfect fit to lead the company in the

next stage of its development. Fresh produce, meat and fish are integral to our customers’ menus and Andy has a very clear vision for how we can add value to that process.  Throughout the recruitment process we have been impressed by Andy’s strategy for developing the business, which will ensure that the customer is at the very heart of our thinking from farm through to the kitchen.”

Andy Pembroke has been with Fresh Direct for more than 10 years, having previously held senior roles in supply chain and manufacturing and most recently as Fresh Direct’s sales director. Since becoming sales sirector, he has been credited with creating a more focused, customer-first proposition,

helping customers to navigate the challenges of the pandemic, Brexit and cost-of-living crisis. At the same time, he has helped bring together Sysco’s fresh businesses, Wild Harvest, M&J Seafood and Fresh Direct, allowing customers to consolidate their deliveries and save time and money.

Andy Pembroke commented: “Sysco’s fresh businesses have adapted brilliantly through the pandemic and are now leading the way through the new challenges that the foodservice sector is facing. Whether it’s staff shortages, menu simplification or cost control, we’ve been identifying the products and services that make a real difference to customers while delivering excellent levels of service.”

Strong quarter ends a good year of progress for Greggs

In its fourth quarter trading update of early January, Greggs, the UK food on the go retailer with around 2,300 retail outlets throughout the country, announced that a strong quarter ended a year of encouraging strategic progress with a robust financial position supporting growth plans.

For the financial year 2022 (52 weeks ended 31 December 2022), total sales were up 23.0% to £1,513m (2021: £1,230m) with like for like sales for the fourth quarter up 18.2% (like for like sales for 2022, as a whole were up 17.8% against the comparable period in 2021). 186 new shops opened in the year and there were 39 closures with 2,328 shops trading as at 31 December 2022.

There had been strong growth in digital and early evening sales, Greggs reported, with a robust cash position to support investment in growth plans, and they anticipate a full year outcome in line with their previous expectations

“I am proud of the progress Greggs made during 2022 in challenging conditions. Our teams did a magnificent job serving customers and managing the growing demand for Greggs products as we expand our shop estate and offer greater availability through digital channels and longer trading hours, whilst continuing to extend our menu to offer more choice,” said chief executive, Roisin Currie.

“We enter 2023 in a strong financial position that will enable us to invest in shops and supply chain capacity to bring Greggs to even more customers across the UK. While market conditions in 2023 will remain challenging, our value-for-money offer of freshlyprepared food and drink is highly relevant as consumers look to manage their budgets without compromising on quality and taste.”

Despite the impact of adverse weather and strikes at the end of 2022, fourth quarter like-for-like sales in company-managed shops grew by

18.2%, reflecting a favourable trading pattern leading into the Christmas period and softer trading conditions in the comparable quarter of 2021 as a result of disruption caused by the omicron variant of coronavirus, Greggs reported.

Seasonal lines were in high demand in the fourth quarter, including their iconic Festive Bake, which featured alongside its vegan-friendly alternative, their shop-baked Sweet Mince Pies and their festive hot drinks including the Salted Caramel Latte, they observed. Plant-based foods are contributing more significantly to their range over time and the introduction of new hot options such as the Vegan Festive Baguette is testament to this trend, they added.

At a time when consumers are increasingly focused on value, they had seen strong growth in use of the Greggs App which rewards customers for their loyalty with free products across their entire range, as well as giving access to features such as Click + Collect, nutritional information and delivery options.

During the year they opened 186 new shops (including 70 franchised units) and closed 39, growing the estate to 2,328 shops as at 31 December 2022, 441 of which are franchised shops operated by their

partners. 500 of their shops are now open until 8pm and early-evening is now the fastest growing daypart as they extend availability to both walk-in and delivery customers, they reported.

In the statement, Greggs said that they ended 2022 with a cash position of £191 million, partly reflecting phasing of capex investment, which they have previously described. This will support our plans to invest further in growing both their shop estate and supply chain capacity in the year ahead, say the company. The pipeline of new shop opportunities remains strong and they expect to open around 150 net new stores again in 2023.

Given their strong trading in the year, together with careful cost control, they anticipate reporting a full year outcome for FY22 in line with their previous expectations when they report their preliminary results for 2022 on 7 March 2023.

Additionally, they said that they continue to see material cost inflation in the year ahead. However, whilst consumers are clearly seeing pressures, their value offering remains attractive in the food on the go market and they are confident in delivering another year of good progress in 2023 and remain excited by the significant growth opportunity for Greggs in the years ahead.

Urban Eat relaunches its Roots range

UK food to go brand, Urban Eat, has reintroduced its plant-based range, Roots, with a fresh look and tantalising NPD to entice sandwich lovers everywhere, say the company.

Launched on 9 January 2023 across OOH channels, Roots from Urban Eat consists of two sandwiches - a tangy Cheeze and Pickle with refreshing tomato and lettuce and a satisfying Falafel and Houmous, complete with vegan mayonnaise and crunchy salad.

The brand’s popular Tomato and Pesto wrap is also part of the range, along with a new option – a zingy and moreish Spicy Bean. The range has been carefully designed after extensive research and development from the brand to offer high quality, delicious plant-based options that appeal to a broad range of consumers, say the brand.

Abigail Nelson-Ehoff, brand manager, Urban Eat, said: “Our research shows that

65% of people in the UK are reducing meat from their diets (The Source/ Samworth Research) but they’re not willing to compromise on taste and quality to do so.

“When designing the Roots proposition, we therefore knew we didn’t want to launch ‘just another vegan sandwich’ – it was important to us to create a lunchtime offering full of flavour and variety that appeals to a broader target audience than just those with a vegan diet. Resonating with flexible meat reducers as well as devoted meat excluders increases our audience by 50%, which in turn offers a bigger commercial opportunity for us and our customers.

“And we’re confident we’ve created a range of plant-based perfection which does just that! What’s more, with our striking new packaging, customers will be able to identify us easily in the chiller and understand what we offer – food

that’s plant-based and big on taste.

“Launched to tie in with Veganuary, Urban Eat is supporting the Roots launch with sampling activities, retailer point of sale media and an extensive social media campaign.”

Urban Eat is a brand of Fresh Food For Now Company, part of the Samworth Brothers group, forming a dedicated team of food to go experts focused on bringing great tasting food to retailers across the UK. A nationwide company serving businesses everywhere, Fresh Food For Now Company supplies virtually any type of business whatever its location, from big city shops to rural communities and roadside service stations.

Recruitment challenge set to continue in 2023

Hospitality employers called on staff to work longer hours over the peak Christmas period, exclusive new figures from workforce management specialist, Bizimply, have revealed.

More than half of businesses report that Christmas and New Year trading was as strong as they’d hoped, as consumers came out to eat and drink with family and friends, with their data confirming that many operators asked employees to put in longer shifts.

“The recruitment challenge continues to be a key concern for hospitality employers,” said Bizimply chief executive Conor Shaw. “The realtime data from employees checking in and out of work shows that the hours worked by employees increased significantly across Christmas and the New Year.

“However, employers are also very aware that in the longer term, especially as the economy start to recover, they will need to recruit new

employees to expand their existing teams. Almost a third of employers have told us they expect no improvement in the problems of recruiting front-ofhouse staff in the year ahead, rising to almost two-thirds who expect to see no improvement when it comes to recruiting kitchen staff.”

Bizimply analysed customer data from hundreds of its hospitality customers in the UK and Ireland, equating to thousands of outlets and tens of thousands of employees, across all sectors of the hospitality industry including pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, cafés and fast food outlets.

Responding to the latest ONS labour market data, UKHospitality chief executive, Kate Nicholls, said: “The figures reinforce the challenging recruitment landscape hospitality businesses are facing, with vacancy rates still 63% higher than pre-pandemic levels. This continues to restrict the ability of businesses to trade and our

recent Future Shock Report illustrated the impact that is having, with businesses restricting trading hours, reducing opening days and simplifying menus as a result of staffing shortages.

“Wages in the sector have been steadily rising for a long time, reflecting the efforts of businesses to both attract staff and keep up with inflation. Our latest quarterly survey showed staff pay was up 12%, joining energy, food and drink as the most significantly rising business costs.

“There is not a silver bullet to solve this recruitment crisis but we do need to see ambition from Government, ranging from investment in skills, apprenticeships and education to immigration solutions where necessary.

“If the sector is able to access the people it needs to fill essential roles, businesses will be able to trade more freely and return to their potential to deliver economic growth and create even more job opportunities.”

Holly Francis joins Flexeserve

Hot food to go specialist, Flexeserve, has announced that it is strengthening its sales infrastructure with the appointment of Holly Francis, an accomplished and well regarded industry expert, say the company.

“I’m so excited to be working with Flexeserve’s ambitious and innovative customer base. As a company, we deliver incredible benefits for a variety of food to go operators – helping them to sell more and waste less. I’m also looking to broaden the awareness of Flexeserve into new sectors that can completely transform their hot food programmes with our equipment and expertise,” said Holly Francis.

“I’ve known of Flexeserve for a long time and particularly its success at some of the UK’s most-loved food-togo retailers – Pret, Greggs and M&S. Flexeserve Zone is the industry leader –its ability to accurately hot-hold products

at different temperatures can’t be achieved by any other hot-holding units.

“However, when I finally visited Flexeserve HQ, it was a revelation, and I didn’t appreciate just how sophisticated the Flexeserve operation is. Having access to this unrivalled level of support – a state-of-the-art Development Kitchen, in-house R&D facilities and the incredible expertise within the team – is a salesperson’s dream!

“I’ve worked within many of Flexeserve’s target markets, and I want more of the industry to share Flexeserve’s passion for hot food-to-go. Those seeking a more efficient foodservice operation that delivers great quality hot food need to speak to us.”

The diversification of target markets, to be driven by Holly, will provide new areas for Flexeserve to expand into within the UK, say the firm, and in addition, she will strengthen relationships and

Operators lean on healthier eating trend to manage costs as inflation soars

Since spring/summer 2022, restaurant, and pub and bar same-line dish (dishes retained on menus from previous same season with the same name and dish description) price inflation has increased to +7.9% and +7.2% respectively, report Lumina Intelligence.

Inflationary pressures alongside cost increases have forced operators to increase prices at a higher rate in 2022, and operators are capitalising on healthier eating and sustainability food trends to manage costs, they add.

New year resolutions aside, health-consciousness and a focus on sustainability were flagged as some of the sector’s mega trends by Lumina Intelligence’s Menu & Food Trends Report 2022. The trend aligns with much-needed cost management in menus and focusing on lighter and more meat-free dishes is allowing operators to handle annual price increases more effectively, as these measures facilitate smaller portions

and the utilisation of less expensive ingredients, hence reducing food waste, and strengthening margins, say the researchers .

The result, as Lumina Intelligence’s Menu Tracker indicates, is that the total proportion of dishes containing meat has fallen by -3ppts from 2019 to 2022. Vegan diets when eating out have increased +11% QoQ, which perhaps shouldn’t come so much as a surprise if we consider 66% of consumers state they are very sustainably conscious. And while vegan diets don’t necessary imply calory scrutiny, healthier eating is also trending, and the average calorie count of a dish has fallen by -2.4% from May to October 2022, which is also contributing to managing the impact of compulsory calorie labelling on consumers and encouraging eating out missions, say Lumina.

Customisation (dishes that can be amended e.g. change protein, dish change is flagged on menu) is another popular

development within areas such as food to go, delivery and supermarkets.

Holly Francis comes to Flexeserve from her role as sales director at Gamble Foodservice Solutions.

Warwick Wakefield, director of customer experience at Flexeserve, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Holly Francis into our team of experts – her comprehensive sales experience makes her the perfect fit to work alongside our highly-skilled partners.”

tool for both operators and consumers within this space, as it facilitates catering for dietary preferences. There has been a +20ppt increase in the share of dishes that are customisable from 2019 to 2022, and while variations of dishes do present operational challenges for operators, these challenges are being reflected in the price point: pub and bar customisable dishes are +28% more expensive than the average dish, and they continue to allow premiumisation.

Menu management, sustainability practices and digitalisation will be key to the recovery of the total eating out market, which is expected to add up to £101bn in 2025, following stability in inflation and recovery in consumer spending power, say Lumina. As of now, investment in sustainability is being prioritised by 80% of eating out businesses and will be centred around more efficient practices and waste management, while innovations in creating sustainable alternatives to staple ingredients will continue in 2023, shielding operators from cost fluctuations and capitalising on the aforementioned flexitarian trends, they add.

Dig in

Together with our industry-leading hot food expertise, our range of hot-holding units maintain food quality and temperature for unrivalled times. We will help you unlock the opportunities to sell more and waste less hot food.

Central Foods shines again in BRC accreditation

Frozen food distributor, Central Foods, has been awarded the BRC Agents and Brokers certificate for the sixth time – once again achieving the highest possible classification level, they report.

The company received Double AA accreditation, passing the audit first time.

The good news follows hot on the heels of Central Foods once again being awarded a position in the top 100 businesses in Northamptonshire.

MD, Gordon Lauder (pictured), said: “We are thrilled to have once again received the highest possible BRC classification. Confidence in supply chain procedures and processes is so very important, and we are proud that Central Foods is operating at the very highest levels in this area.

“As one of the UK’s leading frozen food operators, Central Foods prides itself on a strong commitment to quality assurance. Achieving the

Double AA accreditation once again is testament to the skill and expertise of our brilliant technical team.

“By holding the gold standard in quality assurance, we can provide our customers with the best possible confidence in our processes and procedures, which ties in with our Making Your Life Easier company pledge.”

BRC Global Standards operates global standards for food safety, packaging and packaging materials, storage and distribution, consumer products, agents and brokers, retail, gluten free, plantbased and ethical trading which set the benchmark for good manufacturing practice and help provide assurance to customers that products are safe, legal and of high quality.

Central Foods supplies a range of products to the food service sector. The company was founded more than 25 years ago and is proud to be a catering partner across the whole food service sector, supplying to hotels, restaurants, bars, universities, schools, pubs, care homes, garden centres, leisure outlets and more. It currently sells to over 180 independent wholesalers, as well as larger national and regional wholesalers.

Dina Foods’ new QR code offers ideas and insight

there are so many exciting ways to serve Paninette. They can be filled, with sweet or savoury fillings, used as a wrap or topped like a pizza, and eaten at any time of day.”

Dina Foods’ traditional stone ovens, are found on the packaging itself.

Mediterranean foods supplier, Dina Foods, has introduced smart QR codes on new look packaging for its Paninette® flatbreads range, with two new Paninette variants also launchedsourdough and oregano.

The new QR codes allow Dina Foods to share ideas with customers about how they can use its best-selling soft Lebanese two-layered flatbreads, linking through to a website with ideas for easy, varied and accessible recipes based on the Paninette.

Project director Wilda Haddad explained: “We wanted to do this as

In preparation for the introduction of the QR codes, Dina Foods has created new recipes with stunning photography as well as building a new micro site within the website which is exclusive to customers who scan the QR code. The packaging has also been refreshed.

Wilda Haddad added: “This has been a sizeable project, but a great investment to allow us to offer our customers and consumers inspiration and ideas, and to give added value.”

The QR codes also give international supplier Dina Foods insights into consumer behaviour, as they indicate what regions particular products are being scanned in and how often. All labelling requirements for the Paninette speciality breads, which are baked in

Dina Foods recently launched oregano Paninette in QR coded packaging following requests from consumers. Oregano is widely used in Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine as a marinade or flavouring.

Alongside the oregano, Dina Foods has launched a sourdough Paninette. The health benefits associated with sourdough in areas such as gut health are well documented, and the new launch reflects growing public interest in sourdough, say the company.

Both the new launches are available in packs of five and make key health claims - rich in vitamin D, low in fat, low in sugar, no artificial colours or flavours and a source of protein. The oregano and sourdough Paninette are available as a Dina Foods branded bakery item in Morrisons, and via foodservice, as well as own-label customers.

New complete range of films from a single source

A range of films to manufacture food packaging, whose top and bottom webs are perfectly aligned and are designed to be processed on standard machines, has been launched by SÜDPACK, called Pure-Line.

Its innovative material structures also set standards in terms of functionality, processing capability and, above all, sustainability, claim the firm, the film manufacturer already offering a wide range of high-performance mono-materials with thermoforming properties for the production of recyclable PP-based packaging concepts in widths ranging from 200 to 400 µm.

Be it meat, sausage, cheese, fish or even fresh pasta – SÜDPACK has become a packaging partner for a wide range of products and packaging requirements and now, thanks to PurePP, SÜDPACK customers have access to a strong product family to replace conventional, non-recyclable packaging concepts, say the firm.

The film manufacturer is helping both its national and international

clients to meet recyclability requirements because material structures - the majority of which contain material components that are assigned to a single polymer family - are classified as recyclable in many countries (the recyclability of such a singlematerial solution can also be substantiated by a certificate from independent external institutes if required, say the company).

Pure-Line films are extremely thin and already available from SÜDPACK in film widths starting from 60 µm. However, depending on the products to be packaged, these modern material structures can be flexibly equipped with different mechanical and functional properties in order to provide optimum product protection and extended shelf life, point out the company (these

range from puncture resistance and peelability, through high transparency to a high oxygen barrier).

The significantly lower weight of the packaging compared to other concepts not only saves resources, but also has a positive impact on DSD fees, and last but not least the overall carbon footprint.

Guild of Fine Food launches new Great Taste Bursary for 2023

To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Great Taste, the Guild of Fine Food is offering 50 micro producers the chance to put one new product in front of its expert panel of Great Taste judges for free (applications must be in by 7 February 2023).

Great Taste is recognised as the world’s most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme. It’s an opportunity for any food and drink producer to have its products assessed by chefs, buyers, food writers and retailers. Currently, the awards scheme is open for entries from members of the Guild of Fine Food, with general entries opening on 23 January 2023.

This new bursary is aimed at

micro producers who have never entered Great Taste before or have a new product, which has never been entered before. The bursary panel, consisting of Adrian Boswell, buyer at Selfridges, industry commentator and food entrepreneur Mallika Basu, and PR & marketing expert AJ Sharp, will select the 50 most eligible entries.

John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food said: “Here at the Guild, we are proud to be celebrating the 30 years of Great Taste. Since its inception the accreditation scheme has celebrated and helped excellent food and drink. We’ve always been about working with businesses across the industry and our activities have an ecosystem

of scaled entry costs that mean our biggest entrants also support our smallest ones. It’s true, though, that the micro producers often need more help, especially with the current economic headwinds, and that is why we are excited to be launching the Great Taste Bursary. By helping fledging makers, we continue the great work that our team, our judges, and the sector is doing to nurture start-ups and innovative new businesses.”

Eligible micro producers must be less than two years old, have a turnover of less than £100,000, only enter one product per business (that hasn’t been entered in Great Taste before) and be commercially available in the UK.

Vegware announces new MD and its 2023 plans

Vegware, the Edinburgh-based packaging company, says that it is delighted to welcome Helen Mathieson as its new managing director.

Helen joined Vegware in 2018 as supply chain and operations director, overseeing all aspects of products from ideation and manufacture through to logistics and client services.

“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to lead Vegware in its next phase of growth. I have been lucky to spend a great four years working alongside the company’s founder Joe Frankel, and I’m proud to be taking over the reins of this global brand,” said Helen Mathieson.

Working alongside Helen, Vegware’s new leadership team comprises Lucy Frankel (environmental and communications director), Dave Smith (sales director), Oliver Elsner (commercial director) and Llinos Appleford (finance director). After more than 15 years building Vegware into a globally recognised packaging brand, founder, Joe Frankel, has stepped down confident that the company is in excellent hands, report the firm.

2022 key product launches included Vegware’s award-winning paper cutlery as well as Nourish moulded fibre takeaway boxes which are certified for home or industrial composting. As Wales plans to ban conventional plastic lids, 2023 will see further client choice with new Vegware hot cup lids made from paper or moulded fibre, say the company. In addition, Vegware says that it is developing its offering for food retailers and manufacturers with new heat-sealable lidding solutions to fit PLA or fibre bases.

Vegware has become renowned for its environmental expertise, helping clients set up new waste streams getting food-contaminated disposables to commercial composting. In addition to partnerships with waste collectors around the UK, Close the Loop is Vegware’s own waste composting service for businesses in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife, Dundee and surrounding areas. With Extended Producer Responsibility policies such as Mandatory Takeback in sharp focus, Vegware says that it is seeing a lot of interest in its environmental support.

Thus, 2023 will see continued engagement with UKRI-funded research project the Compostabe Coalition UK, say the company. This entails Vegware working closely with behaviour change experts from the University of Sheffield and Hubbub, London waste collector Recorra and in-vessel composting facility EnVar, to help diners choose the right bin for compostable packaging.

The heat is on at packaging innovation show

Answering consumer demands for more sustainable packaging solutions, The Jenton Group say that they will be showcasing new machine and material combinations at Packaging Innovations 2023 this month (15 and 16 February, NEC, Birmingham).

Subsidiary Soken Engineering will demonstrate machine, material and heat-sealing developments being taken by customers to their address carbon footprints and reduce waste. For example, how one wholesale sandwich customer - Proper Tasty from Northallerton – has virtually doubled the shelf life of its previously handpacked pre-cut sandwiches to four days.

WRAP, in their 2015 report Reducing

Food Waste by Extending Product Shelf Life, determined that by extending the use by date by just one day could see the food industry save up to £600 million annually. Within this report, it was also estimated that poor seal integrity contributed to 480,000 tonnes of food being wasted in the UK every year.

In food to go packaging, the quality of the heat seal is fundamental to fresh food product quality, emphasises Soken Engineering’s sales manager Stephen Hawes, who says: “The primary topic and challenge facing the entire market is adapting packaging and extending the eco-options while simultaneously navigating disparate and non-coherent

recyclable waste management strategies.”

To assist, Jenton offers a range of machinery and packaging options. With their banding systems, for example, customers are seeking new ways to minimise primary packaging, reduce the use of shrink wrap, replace rubber bands and keep packs stable during shipping. Likewise, in bag and pouch sealing, the company remains focused on reducing packaging weight, whilst increasing shelf life and reducing waste product.

The Soken four-pack semi-automatic heat-sealing machines, installed by Proper Tasty, will be on display at the show on stand E26.

Sandwich entrepreneur extraordinaire

It is with great sadness that Sandwich & Food to Go News must report the recent passing of Frank Boltman, who was known to many in the sector, not least in connection with the British Sandwich & Food to Go Association and the “Sammies”.

Having started his first group of bakery cafés in 1982 to 1992 (French Franks), taken on a McDonalds franchise in 1992 and sold it back to them in 1995, then started Thanks for Franks Luncheonettes group (1996 -2011), he went on to open and develop Thanks for Franks Bakery Co Ltd where he developed their range of gluten free granola products and signature baked products.

Together with his wife, Marion, he started Trade Coffee Shops - an independant group of award-winning cafés (winner of Best Independant Café and Sandwich Retailer in the UK 2015 and 2016) - with Alex Stone in 2013 serving speciality coffees, home smoked pastrami and turkey for sandwiches alongside their own range of baked cakes, cookies and full menu range served seven days a week in their restaurants In Commercial Street, Essex Road and Old Street in London.

“It’s a sad day for our industry. Frank Boltman was a colourful character and very much the entrepreneur with an ambition to create the best sandwiches on the market,” said BSA director, Jim Winship. “From being a McDonalds franchisee, he moved on to create Thanks for Franks and more recently the award winning Trade sandwich bar in London. Even when facing adversity, he had the ability to pick himself up and move on with enthusiasm. Moreover, he always had time for others and was willing to share his knowledge and experience with others. He will be missed.”

“Frank will be so missed,” added Chris Brazier, group event director - lunch!. “I first met him before I officially worked on lunch! and his passion for the industry was contagious. At different times, Frank was a visitor, buyer, speaker, judge and exhibitor. He was always involved, always supportive of the show, the industry and of me personally. We never lost touch and I’ll miss catching up on the phone, at shows and at BSA events. He loved the industry, was endlessly ambitious and was pure hospitality. I’ll remember him, as a great friend and a legend!”

Soho Sandwich Company’s managing director, Dan Silverston, said: “Frank was a legend, a proper old school independent caterer with the highest standards and some of the loudest shirts in the business, if you met him even just once, you didn’t forget him.

“With his wife, Marion, there was years of experience

and they formed a formidable partnership. I met him in the early noughties when he was refurbishing his kitchens in his American sandwich shop (Thanks for Franks off Carnaby street in London) and he trusted us to deliver interim supply. I got the hair dryer treatment over the phone if every single sandwich we supplied didn’t meet his exemplary standards. Trade, his most recent sandwich retail venture leaves a lasting legacy. If you are able to pop into one of their central London stores you will get the best Reuben or Cuban Club sandwich in the UK.

“He was always a partisan supporter of the BSA and the food to go industry as a whole. When we met at committee meetings we had many passionate debates often with Frank talking and the rest of us listening! His uncompromising style wasn’t always everyone’s cup of tea, but I loved him and so did many others. The world will be a duller place without him that is for sure.”

The team at The Collaborators (a food and drink branding and design agency), who Frank worked with on and off since 2016, first met him on the original Bread & Jam mentoring scheme (although it wasn’t called that at the time), their main project with him to create the Thanks for Franks range of oat bars and subsequent range extensions, summed up the sentiment of many: “Frank was such a character and full of energy with a huge heart, bit of a geezer always after a deal! He absolutely adored his wife, and family meant everything to him; he was so proud of his children and grandchildren. He was doggedly determined to make a success of his businesses and worked tirelessly to make a difference. He had such belief and passion in his product and with every knock back he would come back fighting. We are so very sad to hear of his passing and send our sincere sympathies to his family.”

© Sandro Sodano photography

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD!

THE SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO INDUSTRY AWARDS Y

Entries for this year’s Sammies Awards are open and we will once again be acknowledging and rewarding the fantastic work being undertaken by everyone involved in the sandwich and food to go industry, including retailers, manufacturers and suppliers.

With awards recognising new product innovation, business development, marketing initiatives as well as overall performance, whichever sector you represent there’s a trophy which could have your name on it.

How to enter?

We have made the entry process very easy this year. Over the coming pages you’ll find an outline of each of the award categories. Full details of each award and how to enter are on the awards website www.thesammies.co.uk

CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES 8 FEBRUARY 2023

Where does it all end?

The winners are announced at the Sandwich & Food to Go Industry Awards Dinner which takes place on 4 May 2023 at the Royal Lancaster London, Hyde Park, London.

“We’re just so proud of the work that’s gone into achieving these awards. This is not just one person’s job, this is a huge team and a huge amount of collaboration.”

Rosie

Eiduks,

product development manager, M&S

“Absolutely awesome. This was an unexpected win for us and for our colleagues and means everything for all the hard work that everybody puts in over every single day, week.”

Danny

Scobie,

head of food to go, Scotmid Co-operative

“Absolutely proud and delighted to win, so unexpected, there are so many fantastic manufacturers, what an honour. We remain humble but awards like this will give us all the boost to push on to the next level.”

Dan Silverston, managing director, The Soho Sandwich Co.

This award shines a spotlight on the independent retailers which so often lead the way in new trends and tastes.

Sponsored by

RetailerIndependentAward HealthyAwardEating

This award recognises the work being done to provide consumers with new, interesting and innovative healthy eating products.

Sponsored by

New Product Award

Ingredient

Category

This award recognises development and innovation by suppliers and focuses on new ingredients.

Sponsored by

New Product Award Packaging & Equipment Category

This award recognises development and innovation by suppliers and focuses on new packaging and equipment.

Sponsored by

Environmental

& Sustainability

Award

This award is designed to recognise the work being done at all levels of the industry to reduce the sectorʼs impact on the environment and improve sustainability.

Sponsored by

Marketing Award

Recognising the importance of marketing, this award is presented to a sandwich or food to go retailer, manufacturer or supplier who has initiated a successful and innovative campaign to achieve strategic goals.

Business Development Award

This award recognises business developments that have helped progress the industry.

Sponsored by

New Food to Go Award Manufacturer Award

This award recognises the overall contribution made by manufacturers to elevate and grow the industry.

This award recognises development and innovation in the food to go market by manufacturers and foodservice businesses.

Sponsored by Sponsored by

New Sandwich Award

Open to any sandwich (not a range) this award rewards innovation within the sandwich market, in both the hot and cold sectors.

Café Retailer Award

This award will recognise the work being done by the café retailers to develop either the high street or in-store market.

Chain Retailer Award

This award recognises the work being done by the chain retailers in developing the market in the high street

Sponsored by En Route Retailer Award

Focusing on travel. From forecourts and motorway services to airports, railway platforms and bus stations, this award recognises the work these businesses are doing to develop and drive this sector.

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

Sandwich Industry Award

Presented to a business or individual who the BSA Management Committee consider deserves recognition for the work they have done to advance the UK sandwich and food to go markets.

Sponsored by

Convenience Retailer Award

This award will recognise the work being done by the convenience retailers to develop the sandwich and food to go market in the high street.

Sponsored by

MultipleAwardRetailer

This award recognises those retailers who have done the most to develop their business over the last year.

Sponsored by

READY? STEADY? FOOD TO GO!

The competition to find the Sandwich & Food to Go Designer of the year is well and truly underway, with contestants receiving their sponsor ingredient packs in early January and recipes being prepared for the February deadline.

There are five categories – one for each sponsor – and once the recipes have been received, they will be judged by the sponsors, with the best progressing to one of the regional heats:

• 21 March 2023 - Holiday Inn, Darlington (North)

• 22 March 2023 - Flexeserve, Hinckley (Midlands)

• 23 March 2023 - Brakes, Reading (South)

The qualifiers for the heats will be revealed on the awards website www.thesammies.co.uk in mid-February.

Heat winners in each of the categories will progress to the live final which takes place on 4 May 2023 at the Royal Lancaster London ahead of the Sammies Awards Dinner, where the winners will be revealed.

FUTURA FOODS YAMAS! FETA CATEGORY

Futura Foods are the UK’s Mediterranean cheese specialists.

Their YAMAS! Feta is made in Greece to a PDO recipe, producing a cheese which is salty and tangy with a creamy finish. It is highly versatile and great for adding injections of flavour into all sorts of dishes. It crumbles, blitzes, slices and cooks well (holding its form), and is stored in brine.

Contestants are challenged to think outside of the box and explore how feta could be used in trending cuisines and/or with nontraditional or alternate bread carriers.

GIERLINGER BEECHWOOD SMOKED COOKED STREAKY BACON CATEGORY

Gierlinger is a leading supplier of quality meat products and operates from five locations across Europe and they chose their beechwood smoked, cooked streaky bacon for this competition category.

This thinly sliced bacon is ready to eat and has a natural beechwood smoke flavour. This new recipe has no added sugar and reduced residual fat and an exceptional chilled shelf-life.

Making the bacon the star of the show in this category is the name of the game.

H.SMITH FOOD GROUP STEAM-COOKED SLICED CHICKEN CATEGORY

H. Smith Food Group plc is one of the UK’s leading independent suppliers in the foodservice, manufacturing and food to go sectors and are long-time sponsors of this category.

Made from steam-cooked chicken breast fillets, sliced to 5mm thick and IQF frozen, this is a versatile and classic staple in the sandwich and food-to-go marketplace.

This year, competitors are asked to create a sandwich or food-togo dish which showcases H. Smith’s steam-cooked sliced chicken.

MONA DAIRY GOUDA CATEGORY

Mona Dairy is a new generation of cheese production business and for this competition category, they have chosen a delicious Gouda from their range.

One of the world’s most popular cheeses, Gouda is made from cow’s milk and its dense but springy texture compliments the aromatic, almost caramel-like flavour. The recipe can be a sandwich or a food to go dish, but Mona Dairy’s Gouda must be the key ingredient.

VBITES PLANT-BASED CATEGORY

VBites are the leading makers of meat-free, vegan meat substitutes and this category requires competitors to create a plant-based sandwich or food to go dish.

To help in the recipe creation, VBites supplied a selection box of their favourite plant-based products, including some of their Cheezly range and VDeli slices. Competitors can use one or more of these, but however many are chosen, they must be the star of the show.

This category is exclusively plant-based, and all of the recipes submitted must take this into account.

Not just for January

With January host to the Veganuary campaign, the month has become a peak time for operators to trial, and promote, vegan and vegetarian options to their customers often pursuing new year healthy eating resolutions, but these choices are becoming more of a requirement all year round.

VEGANUARY ACTIVITY

“Veganuary is a non-profit organisation, encouraging people around the world to try vegan for the month of January – and beyond. Last year’s campaign saw more than 620,000 people pledge to try a vegan diet. More than 1,540 new vegan products and menu choices were launched too,” reports Paul Stanley, foodservice manager at Middleton Foods.

“Starting the new year with Veganuary remains the most popular time for those considering making the switch to a plant-based diet, to do so. But it’s important to remember that the occasion is far more than a marketing opportunity. It’s a way of encouraging people to move to a plant-based diet, as well as a great way of promoting the many benefits of plant-based eating such as protecting the environment, preventing animal suffering and improving the health of millions of people.

“With the continued popularity of veganism, offering a dedicated vegan menu will have great appeal. Look to introduce limited edition plant-based specials to celebrate the event itself, with popular items remaining a permanent addition to menus after January. It’s a great opportunity for consumers to try something new – perhaps they’re already vegan and want to embrace exciting new options.”

With consumers getting more adventurous with their tastes too, be sure to create an appetising plant-based menu which sets you apart from the competition, advise Middleton Foods. Vegan menus offer a great opportunity to incorporate popular global cuisines and flavours. What’s more, vegan menus – as well as rising in popularity – are now even more accessible too thanks to the influx of food delivery services with the likes of Just Eat and Deliveroo, for example, bringing takeaway vegan offerings from an even wider range of outlets, direct to consumers who wish to eat animal-free meals, meaning that they’re much better catered

for than they previously were, they point out.

Middleton Foods manufacture products suitable for vegans and support operators by developing an innovative range of products that gives them peace of mind that the ingredients they are using as part of their menu are suitable for customers following a vegan diet – from their Vegan Burger Mix (main picture) to their batters and bouillons.

“Our Vegan Burger Mix is a dry blend of ingredients, developed to make a veggie burger without soy, wheat or e-numbers. Operators simply add oil and water - form, cook and serve. Each 2kg tub contains enough mix to make 46 pattiesand costing approximately 50p per portion. This ready-made mix ensures quality and consistency, time after time, and is a convenient product suitable for use by any member of the kitchen brigade, no matter what their skill set,” explains Paul Stanley.

“Also on offer is our 50% White 50% Wholemeal Bread and Roll Mix… Getting your bread right is essential, and our light, soft-textured bread mix is a versatile product made simply by adding water, which can be used for a wide range of breads and rolls from flavoured loaves and baked goods, even pizza bases. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans, each 3.5kg bag makes 104 rolls (56g) or 13, 1lb loaves. Bread is a staple carbohydrate in many diets, including a plant-based one.

“Choosing to enjoy a plant-based diet isn’t a new notion, it’s not a craze anymore. Many consumers have made it a lifestyle choice. In fact, the Vegan Society reports how consumer appetite for plant-based food continues to grow, with one in five Brits reducing their meat consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic. 15% reduced their dairy or egg intake during lockdown.

“Enjoying plant-based alternatives satisfies the stricter diets,

like veganism – Google Trends identifying the UK as being the most popular country for veganism in 2021 – but also flexitarian diets where consumers choose to eat more plants and reduce the meat and dairy they consume. ING estimates the plant-based alternatives food market in the EU and the UK will be worth €7.5 billion by 2025, compared to €4.4 billion in 2019.

“With so much choice, veganism has become even more accessible and appealing amongst the generations, helping to increase the appetite for a plantbased diet even further. Nowadays, it is an expectation to see vegan options on a menu. Not just as the odd item, either, but as a more comprehensive offering with greater choices and more creative dishes.”

FREE TRIAL

Manchester’s Sndwch offered free potato milk coffees with any plant-based butty during Veganuary, trialling a new barista blend which they say is smooth, creamy and more sustainable than other plant-based milks.

10 plant-based sandwiches also joined the menu - one to mark each year of the Veganuary campaign - and included unusual fillings like ‘tuna’ and seaweed and spicy fried ‘chicken’ –all helping their customers in their endeavours to try something new and make Veganuary anything but bland.

The sandwich and coffee shop, which has sites within General Store and Arrive’s Tomorrow building in MediaCity, revealed a line-up of 10 original plant-based sandwiches - one to mark each year of the global campaign which launched in 2014. New additions included a NOT a Tuna, Spring Onion & Nori Seaweed Sesame Bagel and a NOT a Spicy Fried Chicken Onion Bagel. They joined existing bestsellers including the NOT a Chicken Tikka & Onion Bhaji Sndwch.

What’s more, in its bid to bring new and more exciting vegan options to the city, Sndwch made an unusual addition to its plant-based milks in the form of potato milk. And anyone choosing to swap their semi-skimmed or soya for spud in January got their coffee for free, with the purchase of any plant-based sandwich. The launch came in partnership with DUG®, which claims to be the world’s only potato-powered, plant- based milk. Its new DUG Barista blend is not only smooth, creamy, low in sugar and allergen-friendly, but it’s planet-friendly too, the brand claim. The climate footprint of potato milk is two-thirds lower than cow’s milk, they say, and because growing potatoes is twice as land efficient as growing oats and uses 98% less water than almonds, it’s more sustainable than other plantbased milks too.

“I only recently discovered potato milk and was a little sceptical at first!” commented Sndwch founder, Alex Markham. “But it’s delicious - the consistency is very much like dairy milk. It

foams up beautifully in coffee and adds creaminess to any hot drink.

“Veganuary is all about keeping an open mind and we dared customers to try something completely new. We hope letting people try a potato milk coffee for free helped with the financial pinch this time of year too.”

UK wholesaler, Brakes, launched a comprehensive support package to help its customers get creative and take advantage of Veganuary. With consumers increasingly considering plantbased options, both for meat-reduction and sustainability reasons, Veganuary provided operators with an opportunity to drive incremental income with Brakes creating a range of caloriecounted, nutritionally analysed menu options to add stand out vegan dishes to any menu.

In addition, they offered a range of video content with hints and tips to help increase plant-based options on the menu via a new vegan hub at brake.co.uk. The company also launched promotions on both branded and own label products throughout December 2022 and January 2023 to help operators make the most of the promotion.

“We created our most comprehensive package for Veganuary to date, as we’ve seen an increasing number of chefs wanting to

sndwch’s NOT a Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich.

add menu options for January,” says Mandy Van Hagen, Brakes sector marketing manager.

“Although January has become a focal point for vegan food, we are very focused on making sure that we have a range that works throughout the year and that’s why we believe that we have the biggest range in foodservice.

“Eating a plant-first diet is one of the biggest changes we can make to help tackle climate change. For some operations, food can contribute more than half the carbon footprint, with animal proteins being the most carbon intensive. At Brakes we’ve committed to training our sales colleagues and chefs to support businesses in developing tasty, healthy and sustainable menus.”

Brakes’ campaign saw their number of vegan alternatives grow to more than 350 products, including a range of tasty new products for Veganuary 2023, such as Brakes Vegan & Gluten Free Blackforest Dessert, Tofoo Straight to Wok and our British made Brakes Falafel.

ON SHOW

What claims to be Europe’s only dedicated plantbased trade event Plant Based World Expo Europe, returned bigger and better recently at London Olympia, its organisers reported, with twice as much floorspace as the previous year, demonstrating the huge growth and innovation that has taken place in the plant-based food sector in 2022.

The show also welcomed a 94% increase in attendees compared to 2021, with visitors from across the food service, retail, distribution, and investment sectors, including senior decision-makers from the likes of Tesco, M&S, ALDI, Morrisons, Waitrose, Ocado, Sodexo, ISS, Bidfood, Sysco, Aramark, LEON, Papa Johns Pizza, Burger King, The Restaurant Group, and Greggs to name a few.

Future eating habits and new opportunities were at the heart of the show as the industry came together to reflect on the progress of the plant-based sector and explore what the next generation of plant-based eating looks like, with the latest innovations available on the show floor to taste.

Leaders from some of the biggest food brands in the world, including Deliveroo, Wagamama, Sainsbury’s, and

Quorn, offered their insight on how plant-based ingredients are transforming consumers’ view of food and presenting significant business growth opportunities during the conference programme.

With a unique take on how businesses can convert the masses, Emily Weston, head of brand development at Wagamama, joined the Persuading consumers to try plant-based session, saying: “Launching vegan dishes and menus isn’t just about appeasing vegans. We want more people to try vegan foods and when we introduce new plant-based dishes to our menus we see participation spike.”

The Culinary Theatre was also a hive of activity with live cooking demonstrations using some of the most innovative plant-based products available. Ten sessions took place across two days, including an interactive demonstration from BOSH! which offered visitors an exclusive preview of its new sauces to make an authentic and delicious lasagne. Unfished also took part to demonstrate the progress in the fish-less category by creating tuna rolls, whilst Redefine Meat showcased how plant-based foods can be incorporated in fine dining using its tenderloin and new premium cuts.

Alongside the interactive show content, over 150 exhibitors from around the world showcased the products capturing the attention of a wider pool of consumers to bring plantbased eating into the mainstream. The show floor included a broad range of brands, from household names to innovative new start-ups including Verdino, Moving Mountains, Mock, Meatless Farm, Redefine Meat, Thanks Plants, The Raging Pig Company, unMeat, Wicked Kitchen, Quorn, Tiba Tempeh, MozzaRisella, and Shicken.

NATIONAL VEGETARIAN WEEK

National Vegetarian Week (15–21 May 2023) will be bigger and better than ever with a very clear focus on the climate crisis, say its organisers. The week will highlight how switching to veggie meals can reduce your carbon footprint and help the planet. Keep up to date with the latest news about the week at www. nationalvegetarianweek.org.

Richard McIlwain, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society, said: “The very first National Vegetarian Week ran in 1992, the same year as the Rio Earth Summit which saw the creation of the first ever UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Thirty years later, we are still battling to reduce emissions and yet every single one of us can take meaningful action by simply reducing or

To give buyers exclusive access to exhibitors and help participating brands forge new connections with decision makers, the event also hosted a buyers’ programme. Over 400 meetings took place across two days, helping the industry to form new business relationships and bring more plant-based foods to shelves and menus.

One buyer who enjoyed the show was Heerum Flearly, procurement consultant at Tickeat Ltd, who said: “The hosted buyer programme has been really beneficial. The show has been so busy, and I’ve been surprised by the breadth on offer. Plant Based World Expo has created a very strong plant-based community and I definitely want to be part of it next year.”

Having experienced exponential growth in its first two years, Plant Based World Expo Europe has announced that the show will take place at the ExCeL, London’s biggest venue, for 2023 (the event began in London’s Business Design Centre in 2021, before moving to London Olympia for this year’s edition).

Jonathan Morley, managing director of Plant Based World Expo Europe, added: “We are thrilled that support for our show has been so strong this year, so much so that Plant Based World Expo is moving to an even bigger venue in 2023. We are proud to provide the perfect platform to facilitate collaboration across the industry to realise the business opportunities that further integrating plant-based foods into the mainstream represents, all whilst improving both our health and the environment. We can’t wait for next year!”

‘123 Pledge’

In

ReFood is a UK food waste recycler, delivering a reliable food waste collection service tailored to exacting site requirements. Once collected, food waste is recycled to generate renewable energy and sustainable biofertilizer with clients saving as much as 50% on waste management costs.

THE PLEDGE

Unveiled by Champions 12.3, UNEP and FAO, along with WWF, WRAP and Rabobank, the 123 Pledge was announced in November to coincide with the conclusion of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh. Challenging governments, businesses and chefs to commit to reducing food loss and waste, the pledge aims to accelerate global progress towards tackling the climate crisis.

After all, according to the UN Environment Programme, food waste costs the global economy more than £841 million per annum and is responsible for more than four times the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of all annual aviation combined. More than one third of all food produced across the globe is said to be lost post-harvest, including 14% within the food supply chain and 17% at retail and consumer level.

Yet while food waste is said to be responsible for 10% of all global GHGs, just a handful of countries recognise it as part of their climate plans. Liz Goodwin, senior fellow and director of food loss and waste at World Resources Institute, suggests that this puts the world “woefully behind where it needs to be” in terms of sustainability progress.

The 123 Pledge was created to inspire global change – and uniformity – in the fight against food loss and

this article, Philip Simpson (pictured below), commercial director at ReFood, discusses the 123 Pledge and explains why international collaboration when it comes to fighting food waste and loss should be celebrated.

a reason for widespread optimism

waste. Requirements for those vowing their commitment include setting clear objectives with a strong climate angle, being timebound, ensuring measurability and showing transparency toward achieving the goal of halving food waste and loss by 2030.

Commitments have already been made by Unilever, which will continue to focus on halving food waste in its direct operations by 2025, as well as WRAP, which has pledged to deliver food loss and waste projects aligned with the Pledge impact areas in countries with a combined population of more than one billion by 2030.

MORE TO DO

At ReFood, we believe that any initiative to tackle food waste, especially at a global level, should be celebrated. As such, we wholeheartedly support the 123 Pledge and consider its introduction a reason for widespread optimism where mobilising global action on food loss and waste as a climate strategy is concerned.

After all, food is a hugely valuable resource and one that shouldn’t be left to rot in landfill. In the UK alone, we throw away 10 million tonnes of food waste every year – 60% of which is considered perfectly edible. At the same time, it is estimated that one in nine people are either hungry or undernourished, a statistic that will undoubtedly increase in the wake of rising energy bills, escalating interest rates and a cost of living crisis reaching levels not seen in more than 50 years.

Our message is simple – food waste is a travesty and finding simple ways to minimise it, wherever it occurs, should be prioritised. We’ve been campaigning for nearly a decade for a national ban on food waste to landfill across the UK. Working in partnership with trade bodies, celebrity

chefs, politicians and thought leaders from across the food supply chain, we spearheaded the Vision 2020 movement in 2013 and have lobbied the government to change legislation ever since.

While our efforts and the traction of Vision 2020 have since played an instrumental part in reducing the UK’s food waste volumes (from 14 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes PCA), joined-up government support to make a positive change has always fallen short of expectations. In my opinion, food waste should be high on the political agenda and legislative support is key to drive measurable change.

As a major UK food waste recycler, we collect unwanted food waste from businesses and local authorities across the UK and recycle it via the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. We capture the biogas produced and use it to generate renewable energy – both electricity and gas. During the process, we also create a sustainable biofertilizer, enabling beneficial nutrients to be retained and reinvested right back to the beginning of the food chain.

Our three state of the art facilities in the UK collectively recycle more than 400,000 tonnes of food waste per annum, providing a sustainable outlet for waste that would otherwise be landfilled. While the national priority should be to reduce food waste, our process at least provides a failsafe solution for the unavoidable fraction.

A zero-waste world may just be a pipedream, but working towards it is critical to realising food waste reduction; not just in the UK, but worldwide. Initiatives such as the 123 Pledge, which, importantly, are established to achieve clear targets, show that there is a genuine willingness to make positive change.

More can be found out about ReFood at www.refood.co.uk

When manufacturing technology and IT combine

These days, across many of the world’s industrial sectors, manufacturing processes are becoming increasingly more automated and intelligent for large and small companies alike; information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI) having been added into the mix with the promotion of Industry 4 technologies.

A NEW ERA

Manufacturing and information technology used to be two very distinct sectors, Milton Keynes-based, elumatec (suppliers of a range of high quality machining centres, saws and small machinery for the processing of aluminium, steel and PVC-U) remind us.

Not any longer. When machines can be equipped with wireless technologies that don’t simply monitor and control, but make decisions, optimise workflows and prevent breakdowns, we are clearly in a new era. But while this new industrial revolution has clear benefits, they argue, adoption rates are not what they could be, they in turn observe.

Perhaps the jargon and buzzwords are off-putting. “Industrial Internet of Things”, “machine learning”, “cyber physical systems” – all of these terms, or their acronyms,

INDUSTRY 4.0

Industry 4.0 is a term used to describe the fourth industrial revolution, which involves the integration of emerging technologies such as analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning into manufacturing. This new approach to industry focuses on automating processes and using data-driven insights to optimise performance for enhanced efficiency, productivity and customer experience.

can easily alienate the engineer proud of his time-honed skill, or the machine operator scheduling processes with a blend of experience and gut feel, they suggest.

“Maybe the skills gap is the reason. Or could it be that the hype is just too much? It’s easy to become jaded by tales of developments that offer benefits beyond our wildest dreams. I expect there are many causes, but I know two things…” says Neil Parton, the company’s managing director.

“A manufacturer that’s going to thrive long term needs to have alignment between its operational strategy and its digital one. The systems should not be in opposition.

“Despite being branded as a major revolution, transformation can be gradual. Industry 4.0 technologies can be implemented in small, simple and manageable steps which can make a significant difference.

“Let’s look at the kinds of things these technologies make possible and why they matter.”

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST?

“We all know that the world has changed. News reports tell us about labour and skills shortages. There is disruption in supply chains. Energy prices have rocketed. Uncertainty isn’t a short-term issue but the new normal,” Neil Parton continues.

“In this climate, Darwin’s survival of the fittest theories can just as easily be applied to manufacturing businesses as to plant or animal species. Those manufacturers that

have eliminated waste will be stronger. The ones that can turnaround orders faster will secure the deal. The ones whose machines monitor themselves won’t suffer breakdowns. The ones that model new products using augmented or virtual reality don’t have to wait weeks for a physical prototype before they can test the concept.

“Over time, those adopting Industry 4.0 technologies will gain a competitive edge. They will be more efficient, more responsive and more adaptable. They will be the survivors.

“This isn’t an industrial revolution that we should be resisting or avoiding. It’s one we should embrace. And while the IT boffins throw about all their buzzwords, in simple terms all this is possible because information is collected, analysed and used to improve how things are done. The processors can do it faster than we can, that’s all.”

SO HOW DO WE GO ABOUT ADOPTION?

“The short answer is by taking small, well-planned steps. Leaping in could alienate employees, provoking resistance. Without adequate planning, investments could be made in digitising processes that were already working optimally,” Neil Parton advises.

“Instead, an organisation should look at their people, their processes, their existing technology, the challenges they face and the opportunities they could exploit. Then they should identify the issues that Industry 4.0 technologies could solve.

“If that sounds too simple, apologies. I understand that in-depth consideration is required, and that investments must be sound. But I also know how many of elumatec’s customers, for instance, are singing the praises of our Industry 4.0 eluCloud software. I know customers want machinery where performance is optimised by these technologies. There’s already a lot of interest in our new Industry 4.0 ready eluCloud SBZ 155 and the SBZ 125/85 machining centres, for example.”

ADOPTION

“When it comes to successful adoption, I would propose the following steps,” says Neil Parton.

1. Understand where you are now. Learn about where Industry 4.0 technology could improve your operation. Get advice and talk to your peers.

2. Draft a plan. Include not only the technology you want to adopt, but also the impact on stakeholders.

3. Share your vision internally and with key partners. Ensure your team are on-board. Secure funding. Ensure resources are adequate. Think about training or recruiting to solve any skills gaps.

4. Start with the quick wins. Upgrade your existing systems if possible.

5. Keep moving forward. Overnight miracles are rare but long-term benefits can be huge.

6. And throughout the process, review, review, review…

“I’m a big believer in the power of Industry 4.0. I know the possibilities it offers can transform struggling businesses into success stories that other manufacturers would love to emulate. But there’s a big proviso: does it make sense for your operation and its objectives?

Always consider whether the technology aligns with your strategy. Does it offer something your market wants? If it doesn’t, why do it?” Neil Parton concludes.

THE WORLD’S FIRST DIGITAL SANDWICH HAS BEEN DELIVERED

“Alongside a cross-industry consortium of food manufacturers, universities and tech developers, IMS Evolve’s Internet of Things (IoT) technology recently enabled end to end traceability of ingredients in the production of a pre-packaged sandwich during a live demonstration,” reports Edward Porter, director of IoT solutions at IMS Evolve.

The government-backed project, aptly named The Digital Sandwich, received £4m of funding from UK Research and Innovation to support the development of enhanced traceability along the food supply chain back in 2020. Now, over two years on, the world’s first digital sandwich - where every ingredient is tracked all the way from farm through to assembly and delivery - has been made. So, how does it work?

“Advanced IoT, blockchain and artificial intelligence is combined and deployed across the stages of the supply chain to gather data, such as temperature and location information, of the separate ingredients; in this demonstrator, a humble sandwich,” explains Edward Porter.

“By containing and analysing this data within the digital world, information can be collected, monitored, and managed in real time. This allows full data sets to be viewed holistically to provide a conclusive oversight of a product’s journey and conditions throughout its supply chain lifecycle.

Neil Parton, elumatec’s managing director.

seamlessly with the rest of the Grote equipment on the line.

Martel envisions using more robotic technology in the future. The company looks to robotics to increase efficiency, as well as to fill in when there’s a lack of skilled workers.

In addition to Martel, this wrap-cutting solution serves as another example of how Grote’s solutions are helping customers increase both production and quality.

Grote recently worked with Martel Foods, a family-owned manufacturer of ready-toeat products based in Canada, to help the company ramp up production of its prepackaged sandwiches.

Grote assisted Martel in the automation of its production line with equipment designed in the UK by Grote’s robotics team, built at Grote’s facilities in the U.S. and the UK, and sold and serviced by Pemberton & Associates, Grote’s representative in Canada.

The equipment includes a 3D vision system, a 4-axis Stäubli HE robot, and custom end-of-arm tooling surrounded

by guarding. It’s built into their existing sandwich assembly line, which features Grote’s Bread Denester and Ultrasonic Sandwich Cutter.

By automating sandwich “lidding” (putting the top piece of bread on a sandwich), Martel can now produce 52 sandwiches a minute, which marks a nearly 50% increase and replaces one operator per shift, freeing workers’ time to complete less mundane tasks.

The new equipment has helped Martel close the gap between full automation and manual labour. In addition, it works

“Like many industries today, the food industry is facing labour challenges,” says John Truscott, Technology Director, Grote Company. “Some jobs – like assembling sandwiches in a cold environment – are ideal for automation. Staff turnover can be very high, and automation can help fill those gaps. New developments in product handling, such as hygienic end-of-arm tooling, are coming into play. Meanwhile, the people who currently hold those roles can stay employed and be offered the opportunity to take on more skilled positions.” With 50 years of experience in the food production industry, Grote partners with proven industrial robot manufacturers to integrate hygienic, high-performing four and six-axis robots into its high-care lines.

Each robot performs up to 60 actions per minute. Both single and twin-lane solutions are available.

By incorporating robotic solutions into production lines, food production companies can increase food safety, improve overall plant safety, increase quality and yield, and ensure the highest levels of hygiene.   www.grotecompany.com

FIND OUT MORE

“Ultimately, this data can be used to scientifically calculate use-by and sell-by dates for greater accuracy and safety. Furthermore, this level of visibility and connectivity instantly improves the knowledge, communication, and efficiency across the entire chain whilst enabling effective traceability, it is proposed.

“This innovative technology creates a ‘digital layer’ across the whole supply chain. It brings disparate systems and siloed organisations of all sizes and technological maturity into one, standardised platform so that suppliers, retailers, and customers can validate the safety and provenance of a product, it is argued.

“Furthermore, by opening up effective lines of communication and increasing end to end visibility across supply chain organisations, challenges that have historically impaired supply chains, such as food waste, low productivity and limited oversight and reactivity to demand, can begin to be tackled head on.”

After being in development for two years, the project’s first live demonstration took place at the end of 2022 in the University of Lincoln’s National Centre for Food Manufacturing, where the technology was used to demonstrate the complete traceability of each ingredient

in a sandwich all the way from farm to fork.

Following this successful demonstration, IMS Evolve, alongside the other consortium members, say that they now aim to continue developing and advancing the platform to conclude the project later this year. The principles established in the demonstration are intended to be both scalable to the entire food industry, and adaptable to other industries with similar resourcing and supply patterns - the power of the digital world providing endless opportunities, it is widely felt.

The sector has, and still is, facing many challenges, from the response to Covid and the conflict in Europe, to increasing consumer sustainability demands and inflating prices in everything from produce to energy, the company acknowledge. However, technology – like that used in The Digital Sandwich – has the opportunity to revolutionise the food supply and manufacturing industry by enabling efficiency and agility to be built into a robust platform that not only provides suppliers and consumers with effective food traceability but creates a shift in how the provenance of food and supply chain management is viewed, they emphasise.

PROPER TASTY’S ECO-PACKAGING DRIVE

Artisan wholesale sandwich maker, Proper Tasty, from Northallerton in Yorkshire has a local production facility the envy of most national food to go suppliers. Handmaking up to 15,000 sandwiches weekly, their classic wedge - all packaged in fully recyclable natural Kraft card and plantbased film – now accounts for over 50% of sales, they report.

Edward Porter, director of IoT solutions at IMS Evolve.

MACHINERY & TECHNOLOGY

Delivering fresh sandwiches, sub-rolls, wraps and stotties to North East independents, shops, cafés, garage forecourts and major blue chip corporates, Proper Tasty also supplies its sliced and gourmet range to Yorkshirebased English Heritage tearooms and café sites. They aim to deliver the highest quality, using regionally sourced ingredients and where possible, fully-recyclable eco-packaging to reduce waste - all equal factors that underpin this discerning ethical sandwich maker.

Evolving from a sandwich van and sandwich café concept in 2012 to a contract catering van delivery service, keeping money circulating through the local economy was Proper Tasty’s founding mission. Having grown to a five-van delivery business, the pandemic curveball meant the company’s ambitious managing director had to re-evaluate the firm’s future business approach. The company sold its five vans, streamlined its operation and ploughed everything back into its wholesale business model.

Founder, Byron Evans, of the ‘Local is Best’ awardwinning firm says that Proper Tasty achieves its consistent presentation and reduces food waste by using two efficient four-pack semi-automatic heat sealing machines from British manufacturer, Soken Engineering.

Now employing 25 staff, this means that the company’s adaptive, enterprising team continues to deliver what it does best – pre-packed ‘Proper Tasty’ sandwiches using environmentally-friendly packaging, its fully circular missive being focused on supporting all of the rural region’s greener, fairer and stronger lowcarbon economy goals. Indeed, reducing waste through its procurement of eco-packaging and rebranding of the

wedge sandwich range has resulted in a 35% increase in demand among premium customers, they claim.

“The feedback from many customers is that our eco-packaging combined with locally sourced fillingssuch as cheeses and eggs from Wensleydale, meat from nearby suppliers, fillings from Driffield and bread from a local bakery - keeps our footprint low and fits with their sustainability ethos. Particularly with prestigious regional customers like English Heritage, where their environmental goals are very aligned to ours,” says Byron Evans.

DOUBLE SHELF LIFE

Handling the switch over to heat sealing the ecopackaged wedge range earlier this year was seamless, report the firm. Designed to adapt to packaging and built to last, the four cavity H535AC heat board sealer from Soken (a subsidiary of British process engineering specialist Jenton International) has given Proper Tasty a consistent quality seal so as to be able to maintain the necessary presentation they require.

The machines also virtually double the shelf life of previously hand-packed pre-cut sandwiches to four days, they claim. Maintaining this level of freshness and achieving an air-tight seal significantly reduces the volume of preventable food waste generated by uneaten sandwiches, reports Byron Evans, and as far as he is aware, no other sandwich supplier in the North East offers such robust environmental credentials.

“Achieving a perfect and consistent quality seal not only protects consumers from sandwich leakage, it provides visual tamper evidence for heightened quality control and also prevents fast-tracking spoilage,” notes Soken manager, Stephen Hawes.

SEALING SUSTAINABILITY SUCCESS

On the busiest days, the Proper Tasty workforce can perfectly present over 2,000 wedged sandwiches, heat sealing eight eco-packaged sandwiches on their two Soken machines every three and a half seconds. The only downside is the team can’t handmake the sandwiches fast enough to match the pace of this semi-

automatic air-tight sandwich packing machine, claims Byron Evans!

Compared to conventional, mainstream sandwich production lines, Proper Tasty people take great pride in ‘owning’ their sandwich from start to seal, the company also feel. From preparing and assembling the freshest, locally-sourced ingredients, to layering, slicing and packaging, Byron Evans affirms that their Soken machines supports productivity and subsequent workforce bonus rewards.

Knowing the cycle time of the Soken heat sealing process inevitably assists with real time capacity planning, setting targets and the efficient allocation of resources to specific tasks, affirms Byron. “We are even able to drill down to the packing time,” Byron Evans adds.

Like many food and SME businesses, sourcing staff and catering to rising ingredient and packaging costs are the biggest ongoing challenges. Having a coherent Yorkshire brand and sense of local culture supported by rewards, profit sharing and other incentives, combined with efficient machinery and tools that make people’s jobs easier to perform well, all play their part in building a sustainable business, feels Byron Evans. “The sustainability pressures have certainly escalated and rightly so. Yet, at present there aren’t always financially viable eco-material alternatives for every sandwich sealing machine,” he says.

Nevertheless, following the successful switchover to eco-materials on heat sealed packaged sandwiches, Byron Evans remains determined that Proper Tasty’s full transition to eco-packaging will be complete by the end of the year.

As for the company’s future ambitions, Byron Evans says that he is content with organic growth and continuing to support local businesses. “Our name came about when a consumer took a bite of a sandwich and exclaimed ‘that’s proper tasty’. In today’s uncertain climate, having a solid reputation that can flex to changing demands using machinery with a fast payback to adapt in a sustainable way is the definition of success in my book,” he reflects.

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Supplier and operator

The man who has been supplying artisan sandwiches to some of the North West’s best known venues and eateries, Alex Markham (main picture), has opened his own standalone site in Salford’s MediaCity, under his fast-growing lockdown start-up brand, ‘sndwch’. Sandwich & Food to Go found out more…

NEW OPPORTUNITY

Working behind the scenes making over 30,000 sandwiches each month, sndwch founder, Alex Markham, has become a supplier to premium coffee shops including 92 Degrees Coffee with its 11 branches and Manchester’s ManCoCo.

His client list continues with General Store group, Victoria Warehouse, Plentiful Wholefoods (Ramsbottom) and Village Greens (Prestwich), to name but a few. His wholesale operation runs out of his kitchen in Ancoats (Ancoats Food Factory) and also supplies food to go products to private hospitals, higher education and catering businesses.

Since its launch in September 2020, sndwch has grown phenomenally, turning over £125,000 in its first year, £500,000 in its second, and is now on track to reach £1million turnover this financial year, Alex Markham reports.

Now, branching out on his own for the first time, he has opened a sandwich and coffee shop on the ground floor of Arrive’s Tomorrow building in MediaCity, marking a £20,000 investment and joining his existing concession within MediaCity, General Store. Plush seating and Alex’s

chilled electronica soundtrack help to create a relaxing place to eat, work and meet, or grab and go.

FRESH AND LOCAL

Alex’s dedication to fresh local produce, delivered to the customer at affordable prices, is what sets sndwch apart. “We hand-make all our sandwiches freshly each day. I tell my team, ‘make the sandwich you would want to eat’. It’s labour intensive, but you can certainly taste the difference,” he explains.

“We source all our produce from local suppliers we love. People respond really well to that and there’s a great sense of collaboration in northern businesses coming together to support each other.”

The new site also offers a good selection of vegan options, and will serve sndwch’s bestselling ‘NOT a Chicken Tikka & Onion Bhaji sndwch’. Their impressive hot drinks menu features blends from 92 Degrees Coffee.

FILM TO FOOD

Alex Markham reflects that he was supposed to go into broadcast engineering… Indeed, he went to London, did a degree in physics, then decided to travel for a bit

before going into full time work. “I joined British Airways as cabin crew and flew all round the Middle East and was a boy from Burnley getting exposed to all the different senses and tastes, and the different ways of cooking foods. This really opened my eyes in terms of my palate and my experience of food,” he says.

“I’m a great believer that when the universe gives you little ‘threads’, to pull at them and find out where they go. My landlord at the time, also working for BA, had the chance to start importing rubber flooring from Serbia –which is a conversation you never expect to have! – so we brought over a few pallets, and that company grew from there for about nine years, taking me in a direction I really didn’t expect to go in.

“We grew that to a national brand, the Rubber Flooring Company. I was just 25 when I started that, we had 650 accounts across the country, and it gave me a real taste for running my own business. Then, unfortunately, the financial crisis of 2008/9 affected us, with a customer left owing us a substantial amount of money and making our business unsustainable after that, so closing it. But I decided then I could go back into what I was originally going to do, the TV work, so I set up Digital Stage doing live event production, lighting and sound. That was great, and I made some good contacts, but the jobs were few and far between and I found myself taking on jobs just to pay the bills etc and I wasn’t enjoying it. And I was on

holiday in Portugal for my fortieth and I was going to do and edit a film for a conference on software, and I decided I just didn’t want to be doing that anymore, it wasn’t fun. Because I’m a real believer in making sure you enjoy what you’re doing…

“Not everyone’s lucky enough to have their own company, and do something that they love doing, so I asked myself what can I do? And I came across a video on facebook where somebody was making soup from leftovers, and I thought that’s a really good idea, so I developed that, did all the branding for it, selling it online to offices in Manchester city centre, making it at home in the kitchen, getting up at two in the morning to get all the fresh ingredients.”

In fact, Alex started making soup from the kitchen table of his Manchester flat, taking online orders and delivering it around the city on his bike. This grew into his brand SOOP, which was later stocked in Selfridges and won several Great Taste awards from the Guild of Fine Food. However, when the pandemic hit and the nation went into lockdown, this part of Alex’s story ground to a halt. As chance would have it, General Store group, one of Alex’s soup stockists, lost its sandwich supplier, and owner Mital Morar asked Alex to step in and start supplying the sandwiches - and so, sndwch was born.

“It’s a good example of just saying yes and figuring it out later!” says Alex. “I always return to a quote attributed

to Winston Churchill - ‘success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm’. You have to be resilient and follow the opportunities that come your way.”

GOOD MENTORS

“I was also lucky enough to have a really good EHO (environmental health officer) at Manchester City Council who guided me through everything and were fundamental in helping me make sure everything produced was safe, and with my science background, that’s actually one area of the company I really enjoy! The regulations and paperwork, and making sure everything’s safe and correct,” Alex reveals.

“Then Mital Morar, who owns Ancoats’ General Store Group saw it, on social media, got in touch wanting to stock it, and that’s when it started to take off, when people saw it in the store. He also introduced me to the Business Growth Hub in Manchester, and again things started taking off because I got a mentor, was introduced to the Great Taste Awards, winning six gold stars across the range, including three gold stars for one of the products.

“As a result of that, Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum and Mason got in touch, and they all wanted exclusivity… We moved into a commercial premises in Ancoats. Then, when the pandemic hit, that decimated sales, as our main customers were motorways service stations and garden centres through Cotswold Fayre, so we moved into sandwiches in March 2020. As ‘luck’ would have

it, Mital at the Store Group lost his sandwich supplier – Adelie Fine Foods, Urban Eat sandwiches, who went bust at the beginning of the recession – so Mital came to me and asked if I could change my operation to making sandwiches. So feeling the ‘thread-puller’, I said yes, absolutely, so we started doing that and it’s just taken off again from there…

“Our first order was 450 sandwiches, and I was like ‘oh my goodness…’, so we started early that day and just got things done, but I’ve always said right from the beginning, make the sandwiches you’d want to eat yourself. You don’t always make much margin on them, but people keep buying them. The sandwiches are our main bread and butter at the moment, but we do have plans to resurrect the soup because it was a really nice product.”

KEEPING IT LOCAL

“One thing I’m really keen on is using local suppliers wherever we can, and we are so lucky in Manchester that there are so many great, local producers, and everyone’s collaborative; we have daily conversations about how we can create new products. We use local suppliers for the bread and meats, and there are so many great producers here that it seems silly not to use them. Can’t source everything this way, but we try,” Alex explains.

“Prices are going up, even when locally sourced - I’m getting emails from suppliers every day accordingly –because bakers, for example, might be using flour that’s

not necessarily local. We’ve managed to absorb some of that. Conversely, some things have actually gone down in price, so we try and pass that on when possible.

“We are also trying to keep a full menu right now, there’s nothing we can’t get hold of at the minute, it’s just the prices, although eggs did seem to sort of ‘disappear’ at one point! This was due to cost of feed, the prices that supermarkets were paying, Avian flu etc., so a ‘perfect storm’.

“Yes, you’ve got to look at spreadsheets and be involved in the financials but you need to be involved, day to day, in your company. We’re only a small team, there’s only 14 of us, and I’m in the kitchen every day, and I’m there every day at our small concession over at Media City too, just talking to the staff, finding out the issues and trying to resolve them.”

TRENDS?

“Plant-based and veganism is growing, almost month on month. Of our top ten best-selling sandwiches, three of those are plant-based. Our second best-selling sandwich is plant-based. We only supply to about twenty different wholesale customers, but it seems that every month, a new plant-based sandwich appears in our top ten,” Alex reports.

“I’ve always wanted to make plant-based sandwiches that people want to eat… And we call them plant-based, rather than vegan. So it’s a plant-based chicken and stuffing, a plant-based BLT and so on. We don’t try and ‘fancy them up’ too much. Our most popular one right now is our plantbased Not a Chicken Tikka and Onion Bhaji on white bread, and it absolutely flies, and we use the chicken from This Isn’t Chicken.

“We do ‘requests’ as well. Loaf in Manchester, who only have two shops, came to us to do a bespoke menu which we did for them, and because we’re such a small company we’ve got that flexibility to do that. Everything is made by hand, not one machine in the production process, apart from the bag sealer.

“We feel that we are doing all right as we are, in Manchester, although it’s tempting to expand and roll out further, but because we are predominantly a wholesale manufacturer with our existing customers, there’s a nice circularity there in which we also use each other’s products, for example (we supply 92 Degrees and use their coffee in our outlet).

“There are definitely two strands to the company. The retail side that we were given the opportunity for through Store Group and the Media City concession, and Mital has been fantastic all the way, asking us if we’d be interested in a butty shop there where sandwiches are prepared in front of the customer, which we were, and it’s doing really well. Then we opened the coffee shop there as well… And there is potential for us to open up other retail shops on the high street. I don’t have experience in that; that’s something I’m probably going to have get someone in who does.

The wholesale side of things is - I don’t want to say easier – because it’s not! It’s just a much more straightforward timeline of production, sale and delivery.”

A SANDWICH DELIVERY SERVICE?

“Obviously, we have a delivery driver for our wholesale customers, but a driver who delivers our sandwiches direct to customers/consumers is not something I’d considered, as I do think people are gradually getting back into the offices,” says Alex.

“In fact, we have noticed that a lot. Things are starting to really pick up at Media City, for example. I don’t think we’ll ever be back to how it was, many companies having worked out that working from home can save them money... But we have been lucky with our set of circumstances and business support along the way, and our branding – we have a good graphic designer on board.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

“We have ambitious plans for growth and some new collaborations to reveal soon. Something big is coming next year to further stamp our arrival in Manchester - watch this space!” concludes Alex Markham. “But In summary, I would say that when an opportunity presents itself, don’t ignore it!

Find out more at www.sndwch.co.uk

Driving trends

Healthier options, including more vegan and plant-based dishes, along with the importance of being more sustainable is driving the food to go sector, with 2023 seeing packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reforms close to being finally implemented and last year’s Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) already taking effect.

EPR FEEDBACK SOUGHT

With what the company describe as “once in a generation packaging” Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reforms close to implementation, environmental compliance data specialists at Ecoveritas are seeking to canvas the opinion of its client base and the wider packaging sector.

2023 is set to be the year EPR is finally lined up to go, meaning that the packaging sector is on the cusp of securing the much-needed confidence to support its transition to a world beyond waste, feel Ecoveritas.

EPR’s implementation has moved at a glacial pace, owing to the lengthy consultation process started in 2019 and the decisions made by government based on the responses, not to mention the delays caused by the pandemic and political turmoil, they claim. And with some producers still confused and, at worst, completely oblivious of what’s coming their way, Ecoveritas adds that it is committed to gauging the mood of those on the frontline.

“Whilst we accept it is our duty as a sector to communicate and communicate, we must ensure we have the necessary tools to help businesses navigate this significant change transition,” says the company’s global EPR director, Andrew McCaffery.

“The whole process has been plagued by uncertainty, and what we’re seeing at ground level is overwhelmed producers realising just how much time and resource will be needed to scale up their data management process to comply with the new regulation requirements.

“With required actions under EPR finally underway, some four years after it was announced by government in the Resources and Waste Strategy for England, outlining how the new regulation will work in practice for UK businesses that need to comply with this new legal requirement must become our priority.

“We must now move beyond discussing its merits and instead help businesses unpick the intricacies in already challenging times.

“We’d encourage anybody affected to take a few minutes to note down your thoughts, or make your voice heard.

“The online obligation checker and convening a business readiness forum are proof that coherent messages are heard, and that is what we’re looking to provide by understanding the anticipated pain points and contributing workable and accessible solutions.”

Their short survey comprises 11 key questions with Ecoveritas encouraging key businesses and media outlets to share far and wide (http://tiny.cc/gzf3vz).

BANS AND TAXES

The Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT), introduced last April, alongside various single-use plastic bans have put the emphasis onto seeking alternatives to plastic, and packaging suppliers are working hard to introduce more, and better, sustainable options.

REDUCING CONTAMINATION

In response to the Confederation of Paper Industries’ effort to reduce contamination in the paper waste stream from plastics, ProAmpac have devised their RAP solution - a complete line of fibrebased food to go packaging.

Comprised primarily of carton board, ProAmpac’s RAP products can have film linings that are easily removed from the packaging and meet the 90/10 ratio of board to film target for OPRL labelling as Recycle, say the company.

Beyond meeting the 90/10 goal, ProAmpac says that it is working toward 100% fibre packaging with their RecycAll packaging product. So far, RecycAll has been market tested for sandwich wedges, and soon, ProAmpac will be introducing trays for hot and cold food and grab bags for high-end sandwiches and bakery products.

“ProAmpac continues innovating to meet future legislation with a goal of 100% fibre packaging for food to go,” says Graham Williams, senior vice president, ProAmpac.

Reducing plastic and using sustainably managed paper and board, ProAmpac packaging is designed to meet UK and EU recycling requirements. ProAmpac’s Food To-Go packaging conforms to OPRL 2023 recycling recommendation for fibre based products.

ProAmpac’s approach to sustainability – ProActive Sustainability®, provides innovative and sustainable Fresh Food To-Go packaging products to help our customers achieve their sustainability goals. Speak to the team to hear about how our plastic free* RecycAll range could also work for you.

* In accordance with the single use plastics directive

“While sandwich bars and food to go operators value the opportunity to enhance their environmental credentials, more effort is needed to educate customers about how best they should dispose of each packaging type at end of life,” says Celebration Packaging managing director, Nick Burton.

“The national recycling system is inadequate, with different councils adopting different systems, leaving the public confused, and recycling targets missed.

“We created the EnviroWare® brand over 14 years ago and continue to introduce and recommend a wide variety of sustainable packaging options, made from paper, bagasse, and wood. With plastic packaging, we are focusing on using recycled PET (r-PET) with a minimum content of 30% to both avoid the PPT and supply a more sustainable product.”

Single-use plastic items were banned in Scotland last June, and in September the Welsh government announced the Environmental Protection – Single-use Plastic Products – Wales Bill. On 14 January 2023, following a long consultation, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced that a range of single-use plastics will be banned in England from October 2023.

The ban in England covers items including single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers. It also applies to items made from bio-based, biodegradable or compostable plastic. However, the ban will not apply to plates, trays and bowls used as packaging in shelf-ready, pre-packaged food items, as these will be included in the government’s plans for extended producer responsibility scheme.

While there is a clear desire to use more sustainable packaging, the cost is often higher than traditional

packaging. Customers who continue to use plastic packaging find that it can be cheaper to buy virgin plastic and pay the PPT, than it is to use recycled plastic products – because of the rising cost and limited supply of recycled plastic resin, point out Celebration.

A MISSED OPPORTUNITY?

“The PPT was very rushed and ill-conceived, and the government missed an opportunity to promote the use of reusable plastic products, which make an important contribution to reducing the use of plastic,” says Nick Burton.

“The rushed implementation, with little publicity, means a significant number of obligated suppliers are not aware of the PPT and have not registered for it.

“The stated aim of the PPT was ‘to increase the use of recycled plastic in packaging’, but there is a lack of clarity around reusable packaging, as while plastic storage boxes are exempt, the tax still applies to reusable foodservice packaging. The tax is applied on a weight basis, and to be serviceable, reusable packaging is generally thicker and heavier. However, one of our restaurant customers is saving many tonnes of plastic a year by using our recyclable microwavable reusable portion packaging, instead of single-use plastic packaging. It seems a significant opportunity has been missed by not considering reusable items.

“If foodservice operators are looking to improve their sustainability credentials or understand the issues created by the PPT, they need to work with a consultative supplier to ensure that they’re choosing the right packaging – that’s functional, fit for purpose, popular with consumers and above all, sustainable.”

As well as offering recyclable packaging (left), reusable plastic packaging (right) has a role to play, say Celebration.

Colpac’s Stagione range.

MEETING DEMANDS

While differing views and opinions persist on the best way to tackle the problem of waste packaging, in the meantime the demands on food service operators are ever increasing as they adapt their offering to meet the varied needs of consumers themselves, as well as legislation.

As a UK-based designer and manufacturer of food packaging, Colpac, for instance, reports that it is now working with many operators within the sector to create food to go packs which further support these evolving trends.

“Above all, due to our UK-based manufacturing facility, Colpac is able to remain agile and adapt its ranges to suit specific needs. These include sustainable sourcing, recyclable and compostable materials, bespoke printing, efficient storage, ease of fill, and maximising shelf density. Remaining flexible and understanding the complexities of packaging material is paramount as foodto-go trends are unlikely to stay stagnant,” says Kate Berry, Colpac’s head of marketing and product.

Working with a food to go producer who supply a British bakery chain, the packaging company utilised its Stagione® range to create a flexible solution. Versatile to work across all areas of the supply chain, Stagione is suitable for chilled displays, as well as being able to meet the complex needs of hot hold cabinets and microwaves.

Requiring a pack to suit its salad range, which included both hot and cold elements, the food to go producer selected Stagione, which comes in nine different sizes. Colpac then worked with its customer to incorporate a sleeve which would clearly depict the brand and detail the ingredients within.

As consumer trends continue to influence the food to go sector, having versatile packaging is essential but of

equal importance is having the ability to offer customised packs through sleeves and wraps which can help differentiate a brand on the shelf, propose the company. For example, the leakproof Stagione pack features a PP lid, giving a secure closure to retain heat, whilst providing ventilation to let out condensation. Delivered nested and with a rigid construction, the pack provides efficiency of storage too, as well as excellent stacking and shelf density for merchandising.

A stackable packaging option was a requirement of another Colpac customer, who manages a franchise chain of food to go shops. Rigid in design and nestable, Colpac’s multifood pots were selected by this customer to showcase the quality of its high-end, fresh salads.

Offering leak resistance, even from oily dressings, the multi-food pots have a PE coating providing a barrier to moisture and grease. With a large surface area, each pot is fitted with a clear, secure, anti-mist lid. This high level of visibility was vitally important to the customer, as it provided their consumers with an excellent view of the fresh salad within.

While available in kraft material, the customer chose a white finish for the multi-food pots as their brand was printed on the exterior of the packs, offsetting the vibrancy of the salads.

Underpinning both packaging solutions, was the need for recyclable materials to meet sustainability goals. While consumer demand for environmentally friendly packaging is driving innovation in the sector, legislation is making it a necessity too. Colpac’s Stagione and multi-food pots are manufactured from FSC® certified paperboard and are in line with OPRL 2023 guidelines for recyclability, say the firm.

Food trends and consumer demand will inevitably evolve, and choosing the right packaging requires partnership with a manufacturer that can meet supply chain and point of sale requirements, along with the materials and waste expertise to support environmental goals and legislation.

Last year, Luton-based Seal Packaging (Seal) was acquired by experienced industry professionals Kevin Curran, Sally Gabbitas, and Kevin Prosser, as a vehicle to launch new ranges of innovative and sustainable packaging. With the motto ‘Packaging with integrity’, Seal says that it is aiming to help their clients achieve net zero by ensuring the sustainability of its products’ raw materials, usage, and end of life, to protect the environment.

NOT STRAIGHTFORWARD

“Being ‘environmentally friendly’ is not entirely straightforward,” say Kevin Curran and Sally Gabbitas.

“We need to consider how materials are sourced, how they are transported, what alternatives may be available,

can the final product be recycled and can the final product be composted? But can we go further? If a product can be composted, how likely is that to happen? In theory, this may be the most environmental approach, but if the infrastructure is not available then perhaps a recyclable option is more sustainable.

“Our role here at Seal is to advise and help our clients navigate the vast number of options to work together on the right packaging approach that is affordable, practical, ethical and sustainable.”

Seal have already launched several new innovative products, including the Itsnotpaper bag range – a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional paper bags, claim the company. Itsnotpaper bags look, feel and handle like paper, but not one tree has been chopped down to make them and are set to revolutionise the UK and world bag markets over the next few years, claim Seal.

“By using renewable sources such as agri-fibres as a raw material, instead of wood, the production of Itsnotpaper bags have up to 38% less carbon emissions than conventional paper bags,” says Sally Gabbitas.

“They contribute to a reduction in deforestation, and the material used has so far saved more than a million trees. The agri-fibres we use to make the material for Itsnotpaper bags are abundant and renewable. By turning what would otherwise be waste into a valuable resource, we are supporting communities in India by paying farmers for something they previously burnt, causing air and land pollution.”

Itsnotpaper bags are made in the UK, and the material used to make them has been through a rigorous Life Cycle Assessment to ensure that it is sustainable, end to end, say Seal. They can be printed just like conventional paper bags and behave in the same way, with the same flexibility and wet-strength.

“In fact, to sight and feel, you cannot tell the difference,” says Sally Gabbitas. “This is the first time in my career that I’ve been able to promote a product which is certified marine degradable. Add to that the fact that Itsnotpaper bags are 100% recyclable and can be recycled in conventional paper recycling streams, and that we also have 100% compostable certification, makes these innovative bags a genuine sustainable alternative to traditional paper bags.”

London-based award-winning sandwich and salad bar chain, Birleys, was one of the first to adopt Seal’s Compostabowl™, which combines a high-quality bagasse bowl with an optional high-clarity lid made from 100% recycled and 100% recyclable rPET. Bagasse is an abundantly available, natural and sustainable plant-based material that can be used instead of traditional foodservice packaging materials, and Compostabowl is certified to TÜV Austria (S0086) – the highest standard for home compostability.

Also available are Flustix and home-compostable certified plastic-free paper cups which are recyclable, repulpable, and biodegradable. Living up to its ‘Packaging with integrity’ mantra, many more sustainable food to go packaging solutions are already in the pipeline, report the firm.

Birleys was one of the first to adopt Seal’s Compostabowl.

Herald includes meal packs in its cornstarch cutlery range

Quality catering disposables manufacturer and supplier, Herald, has expanded its cornstarch cutlery range to include meal packs, comprising knife, fork and napkin; fork, dessert spoon and napkin; knife, fork, dessert spoon and napkin; and knife, fork, salt and pepper and napkin.

Part of the exclusive Rootier range, the cutlery selection is 100% biodegradable and provides a green alternative to plastic. The cornstarch offering sits alongside Herald’s wood and plastic choices to offer a sturdy, natural substitute, completing what is a wide and varied selection.

National sales manager for Herald, David Martin comments: “Both our cornstarch and our wooden meal packs are there to provide the end user with added reassurance. Lots of consumers aren’t comfortable touching cutlery that’s been handled by other people and appreciate the improved hygiene that the provision of wrapped cutlery and meal packs offers.” Call 0208 507 7900 or visit www.heraldplastic.com.

Pidy set to spice up Taco Tuesday with new appetisers

Belgian pastry specialist, Pidy, has introduced a range of exciting new appetiser options in the form of their Taco Cups.

Pidy has expanded their appetiser selection to include three innovative shapes of the new product - the Taco Cup Flower Cuppy, Taco Cup Iris, and Taco Cup Mini Telline. The corn-based canapes are light and crunchy, with a distinct zing of taco seasoning, and pair perfectly with a classic tapenade, Tex-Mex, or traditional taco filling.

Whether operators want to include them within their traditional canape spread, offer them as a tapas-style dish with a variety of fillings, or include on a selection board of taster-sized appetisers, the Taco Cups are completely versatile to give total flexibility. With an ambient shelf life of nine months plus, chefs can be confident they have time to experiment to find the perfect filling, and can quickly grab and fill the cups as required. Call 01604 705666 or visit www.pidy.co.uk.

The Better Way To Dine

Hygienic, eco-friendly, wooden & cornstarch meal packs

Introducing Herald’s wooden and cornstarch meal packs and individually wrapped cutlery - for the preferred, disposable dining choice.

Offer visitors reassurance and complete your food offering with our high quality, wrapped meal packs and individually wrapped cutlery. The meal packs come with or without salt and pepper and include cutlery and napkins, in a choice of wood or cornstarch. We also have a full selection of individually wrapped wooden cutlery and stirrers.

Find out how Herald can improve your choices... 0208 507 7900 sales@heraldplastic.com www.heraldplastic.com

HIGHER QUALITY , G R RENEE ID S ELBASOP S •

Sustaining seafood

Demand for seafood is on the rise, it playing an increasing role in the flexitarian diets of many food to go consumers. At the same time, there are concerns over its sustainability and the future management of our seafood stocks.

MANAGING SUPPLY

This month sees the hosting on an online Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum policy conference focusing on the way forward for fisheries management in the UK - Next steps for fisheries policy in the UK (Joint Fisheries Statement implementation, management plans and sustainability, trade and collaboration, and supporting industry resilience and competitiveness).

The meeting offers a timely opportunity for stakeholders and key policymakers to examine next steps following the recently published Joint Fisheries Statement from Defra and the UK devolved governments, which sets out how the administrations will apply policy aimed at meeting objectives around protecting fish stocks, fisheries management, the environment and supporting industry.

Delegates will be able to discuss key issues around implementation including the development of fisheries management plans incorporating an ecosystem-based approach, tailoring plans, the way forward for partnerships and priorities for monitoring progress of outcomes. The meeting will include a case study from the bass fishery management plan, which is one of six frontrunner plans that will inform future development.

Attendees will also be able to look at the priorities for supporting the fishing industry along with the communities and partners that depend on it, looking at building sustainability and resilience, addressing workforce shortfalls, adaptations to climate change, supporting coastal communities, and issues around quotas, competitiveness, and trade and exports.

The chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, Barrie Deas, is a keynote speaker at the conference, and there will also be senior contributions from Natural England and the Institute of Fisheries Management. Chairing the conference is Angus MacNeil MP, chair, International Trade Committee; and SNP spokesperson for Environment and Rural Affairs. Areas for discussion include…

● fisheries management (developing effective and tailored fisheries management plans - partnership working - options for monitoring progress)

● sustainability (collaborative approaches across the UK and coastal states on sustainable fishing practices and adaptation to climate change)

● industry pressures (taking forward fisheries management in the context of pressures affecting the sector, including rising costs and international conflictmanaging the impact of offshore wind)

● long-term resilience (addressing workforce shortages and skills gaps - supporting coastal communities and infrastructure - improving preparedness to shocks)

● competitiveness (the impact of quota negotiationsbuilding new markets and expanding)

INCREASED DEMAND FOR APPROVAL

Indicating how popular and in demand seafood increasingly is, an increasing number of Scottish salmon farmers are now seeking certification to prove their social and environmental credentials, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) report.

Regarded as a leading global certification and labelling programme for farmed seafood, the organisation says that it has seen a 144% increase in Scottish salmon farms applying for certification in the last year with market demand being behind this increase, says ASC CEO Chris Ninnes.

“The availability of ASC certified salmon products in the UK has increased by 61% in the last year alone, and threequarters of UK consumers associate the ASC label with trust and sustainability,” says Chris Ninnes.

“What’s clear is that salmon consumers want products which are in line with their values. They want to know that the fish they’re eating isn’t damaging the planet and has been raised with care for workers and communities. And retailers will follow their consumers’ values. With 16 more farms going through the initial audit stage right now, by this time next year it is possible that the number of Scottish salmon farmers who have achieved ASC certification will have doubled.”

With strong continued growth of ASC certification amongst Scottish producers - an increase of 1000% since 2017 - farmers can meet consumer and retail demand, ensuring that responsibly farmed Scottish salmon remains the salmon of choice for shoppers in the UK, the organisation point out.

ASC interviewed more than 12,000 consumers in 12 different countries about their perception and consumption of seafood. The findings were published in August 2022. ASC found out from their UK respondents that…

● 47% of those surveyed were aware of the ASC label,

● 84% of those surveyed associated the ASC label with trust,

● 72% of those surveyed associated the label with sustainability.

ASC requires farms to meet the strictest aquaculture criteria in the world to be certified, needing to prove responsible farming practices from the feed they buy and disease prevention, to environmental water standards and workers’ rights. If farms believe they meet these requirements, an independent certification body is sent to conduct the initial audit.

Demand for ASC labelled salmon products is growing at 61% year-on-year in the UK, they add. The Scottish salmon farming sector generated £766 million for the nation’s economy in 2021 – up 20% from 2019 – they observe, and could be worth up to £1 billion in a few years, according to industry body, Salmon Scotland.

Mowi was the first company in Scotland to achieve ASC certification for one of their farms. They now have 30 salmon farms certified or in initial audit stage. For the important role they play as part of the wider supply chain, they were also awarded the ASC Retail Supplier of the Year Award 2022.

Scottish Sea Farms and Bakkafrost Scotland are now also on board– the former with three farms certified and the latter with three farms certified or in initial audit stage– leading to the 144% increase in Scottish salmon farms applying for certification in the last year.

The ASC standards have been central to industry commitments to seeking independent verification of their environmental and social performance.

In 2013 a group, then representing 70% of the global farmed salmon industry, announced their commitment to sustainability as a path towards significant change as part of the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI). GSI members have chosen to benchmark their global performance by committing to achieving 100% of salmon production becoming ASC certified.

TACKLING OVER-FISHING WITH A PLANT-BASED ALTERNATIVE Vgarden Ltd., an Israeli food tech developer and manufacturer of plant-based alternatives reports that it has launched what it claims is a game-changing vegan tinned tuna.

The 100% plant-derived product has the same appearance, texture, and flavour of the canned kitchen staple, claim the firm, the tuna analogue having been crafted to satisfy the appetites of the growing pool of sustainabilitydriven consumers by bringing to the table its creative response to the issue of the overfished and rapidly declining ocean populations of wild tuna, they report.

“Tinned tuna has a very distinct flaky, yet moist and chewy texture, with a powerful fresh-from-the sea aroma,” explains Ilan Adut, CEO of Vgarden.

“Our new tuna-like product is clean-label, scalable, affordable, and sustainable. But for our plant-based creation to serve as a true substitute, even beyond compellingly mimicking all of the sensory qualities, it also has to match tuna as much as possible in nutritional value.”

Following 12 months of experimentation with ingredients and processes, the start-up developed its winning plantbased tuna formula. The private-label product is already being rolled out in the retail and food service sectors and is available in two packaging formats - pouches for chilled storage and actual tins (to give the full authentic tuna experience and to facilitate non-chilled storage Vgarden’s R&D mission to develop a tuna that can be canned and sterilised at high

temperatures, yet still retain its full flavour and texture, the company having filed a patent for the formula and process).

WHAT’S THE CATCH?

Vgarden’s tuna analogue is based on pea protein, with a total protein content of 11.2-14%, before and after filtration. It contains a short list of natural ingredients including fibres and sunflower oil.

“Aquaculture and the overfishing of this high in demand fish has had a devastating effect on their numbers to the point that it has put several species, such as the yellowfin and the Atlantic Bluefin, on the edge of extinction,” notes Tom Rothman, head of global sales at Vgarden.

“This not only poses problems in terms of food security but also negatively impacts the delicate and fragile balance of the marine environment. Our plant-based tuna solution can help turn the tide on this ecocatastrophe and contribute to the restoration of the ocean’s wild tuna populations.”

THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR

Tuna is the world’s most consumed fish, according to a UN report. The global tuna fish market is projected to grow from USD 41.06 billion in 2022 to USD 49.70 billion in 2029.

Canned tuna is a popular source of affordable protein that is convenient to store and requires no refrigeration. Europe

and Asia are the leading buyers of canned tuna, with South America and the Middle East fast developing an appetite.

Tuna’s popularity coincides with a major rise in ethically and ecologically motivated health-conscious consumers seeking plant-based seafood alternatives.

Vgarden say that their vegan tuna can be integrated into any traditional tuna-based recipe such as tuna mayo sandwiches, salads, toasts, pastas, sushi, pizza, and more.

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“Many food outlets are turning to our tuna analogue to create a classic tuna niçoise salad or a tuna pasta that will give its discerning flexitarian customers the full experience of the real thing,” adds Ilan Adut. ®

Helping to tackle the recruitment challenge

Jobtrain is a business that provides recruitment and hiring software for small businesses right up to large enterprise employers, and who have announced a new partnership with the British Sandwich Association to provide an all-new job advertising portal and careers site for 2023.

NEW MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT

This new solution will enable all members to post their jobs online to reach and attract candidates to apply for their jobs. Jobtrain’s software tools work by helping to reduce time-tohire and administration, providing access to free job advertising, reducing reliance on expensive recruitment agencies and by providing a full online solution to manage hiring seamlessly.

In addition, for members who might be interested in using Jobtrain’s full online recruitment software platform, they are offering an exclusive 15% discount on all their annual fees too, and are looking forward to sharing their 20 years of knowledge

and insight on all matters relating to recruitment with members.

MANAGING RECRUITMENTHINTS AND TIPS FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES

“Running a small business enterprise (SME) can be a challenging experience. You need to be an expert on your product/service, on finance, on management and leadership, on networking etc.,” says Giles HeckstallSmith Jobtrain’s director of strategic development (pictured above right).

“Against that backdrop, having to manage recruitment is sometimes seen as a necessary evil - it needs to be done, it provides the lifeblood of

your company – but no-one actually likes having to find candidates and manage the process and in today’s climate this can be a huge challenge too! Here are some of my tips for taking some of the pain out of hiring.”

Define what you’re looking for in your candidates and engage them with your advert

I know it sounds obvious, but it really is important to write down what you see this person doing. What is the problem that you have and why do you need to hire someone?

The temptation is to think “I’ll know it when I see it”, but you won’t attract the right people to sit in front of

you if you don’t frame the job correctly in the first instance.

What’s important here is to allow your own passion, your own culture to frame the description of the job you want to fill. You probably noticed there that I deliberately avoided using the term ‘job description’ as that has connotations of boring, dry and overly factual detail. What many job descriptions fail to do is to provide context.

Where do I find candidates?

Speaking with many SMEs, I am always surprised at just how much they are prepared to spend on advertising and on agencies.

In the research Jobtrain conducted, amongst a wide range of SMEs we found that a typical spend of £80,000 per annum was the norm (split between agency fees and recruitment advertising).

Now, for some specialist roles that can be hard to fill, there is no doubt a place for agencies. However, they should not be a first resort for many positions.

Where do I advertise my jobs?

In the UK there are a number of job boards that dominate the marketplace – Indeed, reed.co.uk, Totaljobs, and CV Library are four of the largest job boards.

There are many hundreds (possibly thousands) of others but unless you are looking at niche or very sector specific roles then these three probably serve most purposes.

But what you may not know is that there are a number of sites where you can post your jobs for free, including Google and Indeed, the world’s largest job board! Jobtrain’s recruitment software, for instance, enables you to post all your jobs to these sites with a single click and no adverting fees!

Top tips for interviewing

There is no right or wrong answer to the first bit of interviewing – do you screen people over the phone? Do you interview via Zoom or Teams? Do you conduct face to face interviews? There are benefits in each and you need to decide which is right for you.

Speed is important!

With more vacancies than applicants right now, speed really is of the essence, so engage with candidates quickly!

Phone interviews can save a lot of time if you have a clear requirement and you feel you can assess people in a five to ten minute conversation. This may involve asking them some questions about their experience, their understanding of your business and the role they have applied for, or what their ambitions are? The important thing is to contact candidates quickly and let them know you are interested in their application! And let anyone that hasn’t been successful know too –recruitment software can automate this for you.

Take control of your own hiring and reduce reliance on agencies

At the start of this article, I shared the costs that SMEs were incurring in their recruitment activity (£80,000 per annum). That excludes the admin costs of managing all the queries, the interview arrangements, the offers and the rejections etc.

For an investment at a fraction of the price you can have your own recruitment solution in place in just a matter of days with solutions such as our JTGO and Jobtrain applications.

Improving productivity is a goal that all sectors are striving to achieve and using systems like Jobtrain and JTGO can help to remove a huge time burden whilst delivering the tools to help you manage recruitment for yourself.

To find out more, visit https:// jobtrain.co.uk/bsa

NEW MEMBERS

product, ensuring food safety. State of the art X-ray equipment eliminates bone contamination and all of their products are metal detected before despatch.

Dartmouth Foods has a proud heritage. From smoking fresh fish in early 2000, under the Dartmouth Smokehouse brand, to growing and evolving into the leading supplier of premium cooked shredded meat and poultry in 2023.

Today they provide relevant and competitive product solutions for sandwich manufacturing, supplying to partner customers from their bespoke fresh food manufacturing facility in Plymouth.

At the heart of their business is a passion for food. They specialise in providing their innovative cooked solutions through their rotisserie style, slow-cooked steam, roast and bake process, delivering a succulent and full-flavoured product. Their second bag cook process provides a fully pasteurised

Their dedicated innovation team continue to create high quality, nutritious and versatile fillings for sandwiches, wraps, subs, baps, pittas and tacos. All customer products are individually developed to meet their customers’ needs, from plain to flavoured options.

Building on the success of their double-cooked process for duck, they have recently expanded their product range to include cooked shredded and diced chicken. They have carefully developed a range of cooked options, which deliver a succulent and moreish roasted flavour.

They are passionate about offering premium quality and their hand-pulled cooked products ensures that only the prime meat pieces are selected, before being hand or machine shredded or diced for the required piece size. Proportions of light and dark meat are selected and are subject to customer specification requirements.

The strength and success of Dartmouth Foods is based on trust. Their customers trust them to provide safe, quality products, which meet the needs of their customers. They are proud of their rigorous food safety, technical, quality controls and high BRC AA rated standards. All of their raw materials are sourced from reputable UK and EU suppliers and are benchmarked against British Red Tractor standards.

As a responsible, inclusive, open and fair business, employee satisfaction is paramount and it is their people who make the difference and make Dartmouth Foods the great business that it is today.

Dartmouth Foods

Contact: Greg Choulerton Tel: 01803 833123 greg.choulerton@dartmouthfoods.co.uk www.dartmouthfoods.co.uk

A subsidiary of Jenton International and celebrating 40 years of packaging innovation, Soken Engineering specialises in manufacturing heat sealing packing systems.

Rather than packing food to go in takeaway cartons or boxes with presson lids, that can be prone to air leaks and fast-track spoiling, Soken systems consistently achieve the perfect tamper evident pack seal on the widest variety of lunch and snack products. Including wedge sandwiches, baguettes, bagels, sushi, platters, ready meals and other grab and go culinary lunchtime variations and airline catering packs.

With only a simple tool change, lunch, sandwich and catering suppliers, including cafés, garden centres,

healthcare and workplace catering facilities, and businesses supplying garage forecourts and drive-thrus, now only need to invest in a single system to improve pack presentation, hygiene and preserve foods by up-to three days. Putting an end to preventable food waste and subsequent lost profits.

The Soken range comprises 20+ top seal, film seal and card seal machines from simple hand operated single pack sealer bench top machines to semi-automatic multi-tool drawer units to high-speed automatic machines capable of sealing thousands of packs per hour. All built in Britain, Soken’s robust machines can be supplied with easy change tooling. Enabling our customers to adapt to evolving packaging and sealing requirements.

All of the Soken machines and tools are designed and manufactured inhouse. Benefitting customers seeking reliable and bespoke heat-sealing packing systems and applicationspecific tools with a fast turnaround.

For added convenience, Soken also supplies an extensive range of standard and bespoke packaging consumables. Including eco-friendly sandwich packs, ready meal trays with lidding film, and salad boxes.

All Soken equipment is backed by a one year return-to-base warranty. Further improving the machines environmental and sustainability credentials.

Soken Engineering

Contact: Stephen Hawes

Tel: 01256 892 194 shawes@jenton.co.uk www.sokenengineering.com

BSA Product Index

ADVISORY & CONSULTANCY

SERVICES

Bespoke Software

Clover Mezze

Planglow Ltd.

Business Systems

Clover Mezze

Computers & Software Planglow Ltd.

EPOS

Clover Factory Grote Company

Food Attraction Ltd.

FSC

Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Soken Engineering Zafron Foods Ltd.

Food Safety ALS Laboratories (UK) Ltd. Planglow Ltd.

Nutrition & Allergens

Planglow Ltd.

Retail

Food Attraction Ltd.

FSC

BAKERY PRODUCTS

Doughnuts Moy Park Ltd.

Morning Goods

New York Bakery

Tortilla & Wraps

Food Attraction Ltd.

Mission Foods

BREAD & ROLLS

Fresh

Jacksons Bakery

Speciality

Food Attraction Ltd.

Jacksons Bakery

Mission Foods

New York Bakery

BUTTER & SPREADS

Spreads (olive)

Leathams

CHEESE & DAIRY PRODUCTS

Cheese Futura Foods UK Ltd. Leathams

Yoghurt Futura Foods UK Ltd.

CHUTNEYS & RELISHES

Chutneys Leathams Mizkan Euro Ltd.

The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd.

Relishes Blenders Leathams Mizkan Euro Ltd.

The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd.

Pickles Leathams

The Ingredients Factory Salsa Blenders Zafron Foods Ltd.

DRESSINGS, SAUCES AND MAYONNAISE

Dips Blenders

Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods

The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd.

Dressings Blenders

Spreads Blenders Mayonnaise Blenders

Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Zafron Foods Ltd.

Mustards Blenders Zafron Foods Ltd.

Sauces & Ketchups Blenders

The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd.

DRINKS

Juices

Leathams

EGGS & EGG PRODUCTS

Eggs (hard boiled)

Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods

Egg Products

Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Futura Foods UK Ltd. Leathams

Stonegate Farmers Zafron Foods Ltd.

EQUIPMENT & VEHICLES

Buttering Machinery

Deighton Manufacturing Grote Company Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Conveyors Deighton Manufacturing Grote Company Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Soken Engineering Cutting & Slicing Equipment Grote Company Millitec Food Systems Ltd.

Depositing Machinery Grote Company Millitec Food Systems Ltd.

Labelling Systems & Barcoding Planglow Ltd.

Reflex Lables

Mobile Catering Vehicles Jiffy Trucks Ltd.

Retail Display

Flexeserve

Sandwich Making Machinery Deighton Manufacturing Grote Company

Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Soken Engineering

FISH PRODUCTS

Crayfish

Royal Greenland Ltd. Prawns

H Smith Food Group plc

Royal Greenland Ltd. Zafron Foods Ltd.

Salmon Leathams

Seafood/Shellfish Products

H Smith Food Group plc Royal Greenland Ltd. Tuna

H Smith Food Group plc Moy Park Ltd. Zafron Foods Ltd.

FOOD WHOLESALERS

Country Choice Foods

FRUIT General

The Ingredients Factory Guacamole Leathams

INSURANCE

Insurance Protector Group LABELS

Planglow Ltd. Reflex Labels

MEAT PRODUCTS Bacon

Bawnbua Foods NI Dawn Farms UK

Dew Valley Foods H Smith Food Group plc Gierlinger Holding GmbH Leathams Moy Park Ltd.

Beef Dartmouth Foods

H Smith Food Group plc Leathams Moy Park Ltd.

Canned Meat Moy Park Ltd.

Chicken

Cargill Protein Europe Dartmouth Foods Dawn Farms UK

H Smith Food Group plc Leathams Moy Park Ltd.

Seara Meats BV

Continental Leathams

Duck Dartmouth Foods

H Smith Food Group plc Ham

Gierlinger Holding GmbH Leathams

Lamb Dartmouth Foods

H Smith Food Group plc

Meatballs

Snowbird foods

Pork Dartmouth Foods Dawn Farms UK

Gierlinger Holding GmbH

H Smith Food Group plc Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Sausages

Gierlinger Holding GmbH Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Snowbird foods

Turkey Dartmouth Foods H Smith Food Group plc Leathams Moy Park Ltd.

ORGANIC PRODUCTS

Fridays Leathams

PACKAGING

Cardboard

Colpac Ltd.

Coveris Flexibles (St Neots) UK Ltd. Planglow Ltd.

Pro-Ampac RAP Soken Engineering

Disposable Colpac Ltd.

Coveris Flexibles (St Neots) UK Ltd. Planglow Ltd.

Pro-Ampac RAP Reflex Labels

Food wraps Planglow Ltd. Pro-Ampac RAP

AROUND NOON LTD.

Unit 24A Rampart Road, Greenbank Industrial Estate, Newry, County Down BT34 2QU

Tel: 0283 0262333 info@aroundnoon.com www.aroundnoon.com

BRC Rating – AA

BSA Manufacturers & Distributors

GREENCORE

FOOD TO GO LTD –MANTON WOOD

Manton Wood, Enterprise Zone, Retford Road, Manton, Worksop, Notts, S80 2RS

Contact: Sales Tel: 01909 512600 Fax: 01909 512708 www.greencore.com BRC Rating – AA

AROUND NOON (LONDON) LTD.

762A/763A Henley Road, Slough SL1 4JW

Tel: 01753 523 636 Fax: 01753 573 125 infoANL@aroundnoon.com www.aroundnoon.com

BRC Rating – AA

BRADGATE BAKERY

Beaumont Leys, Leicester, LE4 1WX Tel: 0116 2361100 Fax: 0116 2361101 commercialftg@ samworthbrothers.co.uk

BRC Rating – AA

GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD –BROMLEY BY BOW Prologis Park, Twelvetrees Crescent, London E3 3JG Tel: 0207 536 8000 Fax: 0207 536 0790

Contact: Sales sales@greencore.com www.greencore.com BRC Rating – AA

GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD. –ATHERSTONE Unit 7, Carlyon Road Industrial Estate, Atherstone Warwickshire CV9 1LQ

Contact: Alex McLaren Tel: 01827 719 100 Fax: 01827 719 101 alex.mclaren@greencore.com www.greencore.com BRC Rating – AA+

DELI-LITES IRELAND LTD.

Unit 1, Milltown Industrial Estate, Warrenpoint, County Down BT34 3FN

Contact: Barbara Hawkins Tel: 07786 435198 barbara.hawkins@delilites.com www.delilites.com

BRC Rating – AA

GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTDPARK ROYAL

Willen Field Rd, Park Royal, London NW10 7AQ

Contact: Clare Rees Tel: 0208 956 6000 Fax: 0208 956 6060 clare.rees@greencore.com www.greencore.com

BRC Rating – AA

GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD. – HEATHROW Unit 366 Stockley Close, West Drayton, London UB7 9BL

Contact: Alex McLaren Ray-Odekeye Tel: 0208 629 8600 alex.mclaren@greencore.com www.greencore.com BRC Rating – AA

MELTON FOODS 3 Samworth Way, Leicester Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 1GA Tel: 01664 484400 Fax: 01664 484401 commercialftg@samworthbrothers. co.uk BRC Rating – A

ON

A ROLL SANDWICH COMPANY

The Pantry, Barton Road, Middlesbrough TS2 1RY

Contact: James Stoddart Tel: 01642 707090 Fax: 01642 243858 jstoddart@onarollsandwich.co.uk www.onarollsandwich.co.uk BRC Rating – AA

SIMPLY LUNCH LTD.

Unit 2 ,ZK Park, 23 Commerce Way, Croydon CR0 4ZS

Contact Sales Tel: 0345 2007631 sales@simplylunch.co.uk www.simplylunch.co.uk BRC Rating – AA

RAYNOR FOODS Farrow Road, Widford Industrial Estate, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3TH

Contact: Heather Raynor Tel: 01245 353249 Fax: 01245 347889 sales@sandwiches.uk.net www.sandwiches.uk.net STS Audited

REAL WRAP COMPANY LTD.

Unit 2 Haslemere Industrial Estate,Avonmouth, Bristol BS11 9TP

Contact: Jason Howell Tel: 0117 3295020 jason@realwrap.co.uk www.realwrap.co.uk STS Audited

SAMWORTH BROTHERS MANTON WOOD Manton Wood, Enterprise Park, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 2RS Tel: 01909 511800 commercialftg@ samworthbrothers.co.uk www.samworthbrothers.co.uk BRC Rating – AA+

SANDWICH KING Enfield Street, Leeds LS7 1RF

Contact: Julie Crimlisk Tel: 0113 2426031 enquiries@sandwichkinguk.com www.sandwichkinguk.com STS Audited

STREET EATS FOOD LTD. Prince William Avenue, Sandycroft, Deeside, CH5 2QZ

Tel: 01244 533888 Option 1 orders@streeteatsfood.co.uk enquiries@streeteatsfood.co.uk www.streeteatsfood.co.uk BRC Rating – AA

THE SOHO SANDWICH COMPANY

Unit 7 Advent Business Park, Advent Way, London N18 3AL

Contact: Daniel Silverston Tel: 0203 058 1245 Fax: 0207 739 1166 dan@sohosandwich.co.uk www.sohosandwich.co.uk

STS Audited

TIFFIN SANDWICHES

Tiffin House, 20 Commondale Way, Euroway Trading Estate, Bradford, Yorkshire BD4 6SF

Contact: Sales Tel: 01274 494939 sales@tiffinsandwiches.co.uk www.tiffinsandwiches.co.uk

BRC Rating – A

BSA Suppliers Index

COLPAC LTD

DELIVERECT

8 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5BY

AGRIAL FRESH PRODUCE LTD.

Unit 5 Walthew House Lane, Martland Park Industrial Estate, Wigan WN5 0LB

Contact: Sales Department Tel: 01942 219942 hello@afproduce.co.uk www.agrialfreshproduce.co.uk

Enterprise Way, Maulden Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 5BW

Contact: Sales Department Tel: +44 (0) 1525 712261 Fax: +44 (0) 1525 718205 info@colpac.co.uk www.colpacpackaging.com

ALS LABORATORIES

(UK) LTD.

Aspen Court, Centurion Business Park, Bessemer Way, Rotherham S60 1FB

Contact: Nigel Richards Tel: 01354 697028 sales.uk@alsglobal.com www.als-testing.co.uk

BAWNBUA FOODS NI

67 Crowhill Road, Bleary County Armagh BT66 7AT

Contact: Joanne Grant Tel: 028 38 344224 joanne.grant@bawnbua.com www.bawnbua.com

COUNTRY CHOICE FOODS

Swan House, New Mill Road, St Paul’s Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3QD

Contact: Neil Lindsell Tel: 01689 301203 neil.lindsell@brake.co.uk www.countrychoice.co.uk

Contact: Samirah Baurtally Tel: 01274 668771 Fax: 01274 665214 samirah.baurtally@deliverect.com www.deliverect.com

FRESH-PAK CHILLED FOODS

1 Waterside Park, Valley Way, Wombwell, Barnsley S73 0BB

Contact: Mike Roberts Tel: 01226 344850 Fax: 01226 344880 mike.roberts@fresh-pak.co.uk www.fresh-pak.co.uk

FSC

Cheddar Business Park, Wedmore Road, Cheddar, Somerset BS27 3EB

H SMITH FOOD GROUP PLC

24 Easter Industrial Park, Ferry Lane South, Rainham, Essex RM13 9BP

Contact: Chris Smith Tel: 01708 878888 chris@hsmithplc.com www.hsmithplc.com

INSURANCE PROTECTOR GROUP

DEW VALLEY FOODS

Holycross Road, Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland

COVERIS

Howard Road, Eaton Socon, St Neots, Cambridgeshire PE19 8ET

Contact: Sales Department Tel: 01480 476161 UKfoodservice@coveris.com www.coveris.com

DARTMOUTH FOODS

Contact: Christina Murphy Tel: 00353 504 46110 Fax: 00353 504 23405 cmurphy@dewvalley.com www.dewvalley.com

Contact: James Simpson Tel: 01934 745600 james@thefscgroup.com www.thefscgroup.com

B1 Custom House, The Waterfront, Level Street, Brierley Hill DY5 1XH Tel: 0800 488 0013 business@ipgdirect.co.uk www.insuranceprotector.co.uk

FUTURA FOODS UK LTD.

The Priory, Long Street, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 4HR

BLENDERS

Whitestown Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24 DV24 VY75, Ireland

Contact: Barnaby Barber Phone: 00 353 14536960 /07741 639006 barnaby.barber@blenders.ie www.blenders.ie

1-9 Hearder Court, Beechwood Way Langage Business Park, Plymouth PL7 5HH

Contact: Greg Choulerton Tel: 01803 833123 greg.choulerton@dartmouthfoods.co.uk www.dartmouthfoods.co.uk

FLEXESERVE

The Alan Nuttall Partnership Ltd Orchard House, Dodwells Road, Hinckley Leicestershire LE10 3BZ

Contact: Warwick Wakefield Tel: 01455 638300 Email: info@flexeserve.com www.flexeserve.com

Contact: Rhian Kinman Tel: 01666 890500 Fax: 01666 890522 rhian.kinman@futura-foods.com www.futura-foods.com

JACKSONS

40 Derringham Street, Hull

HU3 1EW

Contact: Commercial Team Phone: 01482 301146 hello@jacksonsbread.co.uk www.jacksonsbread.co.uk

CARGILL PROTEIN EUROPE

Clerkenleap Barn, Bath Road, Broomhall, Worcester WR5 3HR

Contact: Claire Thomas Tel: 0121 7253476

Claire_Thomas@cargill.com www.cargill.co.uk

CLOVER

Janus House, Endeavour Drive, Basildon, Essex SS14 3WF

Contact: David Martin Tel: 07984833233 david.martin@fiserv.com

56 I www.sandwich.org.uk

DAWN FARMS UK

Lodge Way, Lodge Farm Ind. Est, Northampton NN5 7US

Contact: Jon Watkin Tel: 01604 583421 info@dawnfarms.co.uk https://www.dawnfarms.ie/ https://www.dawnfarms.ie/tmi-foods/

DEIGHTON

MANUFACTURING (UK) LTD Gibson Street, Leeds Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD3 9TR

Contact: Andy Hamilton Tel: 01274 668771 Fax: 01274 665214 sales@deightonmanufacturing.co.uk www.deightonmanufacturing.co.uk

FOOD ATTRACTION LTD.

Langham Court, 21 Langham Road, Leicester LE4 9WF

Contact: Jake Karia Tel: 0116 2744066 jake@foodattraction.com www.jakeandnayns.com

GIERLINGER HOLDING GMBH

Weingartenstraße 14, A-4100, Ottensheim, Austria

Contact: Harry Prutton Tel: 07747 621586 hp@gierlinger-holding.com www.gierlinger-holding.com

JIFFY TRUCKS LTD 26 Jubilee Way, Shipley West Yorkshire BD18 1QG Tel: 01274 596000

Contact: John Briggs john@jiffytrucks.co.uk www.jiffytrucks.co.uk

GROTE COMPANY

Newtech Square, Zone 2 Deeside Industrial Park CH5 2NT

Contact: Paul Jones Tel: 01978 362243 Fax: 01978 362255 sales@grotecompany.com www.grotecompany.com

LEATHAMS LTD

The Circle, Units 10-12

Queen Elizabeth Street London SE1 2JE

Contact: Des Hillier Tel: 0207 635 4000 Fax: 0207 635 4017 des.hillier@leathams.co.uk www.leathams.co.uk

BSA Suppliers Index

MEZZE

12 Colston Yard, Bristol

BS1 5BD

Contact: Hugo Walker Tel:: 0117 379 0309 Email: hugo.walker@mezze.io Web address: www.mezze.io

MILLITEC FOOD

SYSTEMS LTD.

20 Victoria Road, Draycott, Derbyshire DE72 3PS

Contact: Richard Ledger Tel: 01332 320400 sales@millitec.com www.millitec.com

NEW YORK BAKERY CO.

Swinton Meadows Industrial Estate, Swinton, Mexborough S64 8AB

Contact: Angela Young Tel: 0208 283 0500

angela.young@grupobimbo.com www.newyorkbakery.co.uk

REFLEX PACK PLUS

Moat Way, Barwell Leicestershire LE9 8EY

Contact: Jamie Gordon Tel: 01455 852400 enquiries@reflexlabels.co.uk www.reflexlabels.co.uk

SNOWBIRD FOODS

Wharf Road, Ponders End, Enfield, Middlesex EN3 4TD

Contact: Adrian Blyth Tel: 0208 805 9222 Fax: 0208 804 9303 helen.swan@snowbirdfoods.co.uk www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk

THE INGREDIENTS FACTORY

Unit 2-3 Hamilton Road Ind Estate,160 Hamilton Road, London SE27 9SF Tel: 0208 670 6701 Fax: 0208 670 9676 Contact: Tim Marcuson tim@theingredientsfactory.com www.theingredientsfactory.com

SOKEN ENGINEERING

Ardglen Industrial Estate, Whitchurch, Hampshire RG28 7BB

PASTA FOODS

Forest Way, Norwich NR5 0JH

Contact: Michele Conway Tel: 01493 416200 michele.conway@pastafoods.com www.pastafoods.com

MISSION FOODS EUROPE LTD

Renown Avenue, Coventry Business Park, Coventry CV5 6UJ

Contact: James Brown Tel: 07725 496799 Jbrown@missionfoods.com www.missionfoodservice.co.uk

PLANGLOW LTD

The Quorum, Bond Street, Bristol BS1 3AE

Contact: Rachael Sawtell Tel: 0117 317 8600 Fax: 0117 317 8639 info@planglow.com www.planglow.com

MIZKAN EURO LTD.

2nd Floor Building 10, Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5XS

Contact: Sarah Petts Tel: 0203 6752220 sarah.petts@mizkan.co.uk www.mizkan.co.uk

PROAMPAC-RAP

Mansel Court, 2A Mansel Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 4AA

Contact: Martin Beaver Tel: 0208 069 0700 gbenlon-info-dl@proampac.com www.proampac.com

ROYAL GREENLAND LTD.

Gateway House, Styal Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester M22 5WY

Contact: Solenne Labarere Tel: 0161 4904246 soll@royalgreenland.com www.royalgreenland.co.uk

Contact: Stephen Hawes Tel: 01256 892 194 shawes@jenton.co.uk www.sokenengineering.com

ZAFRON FOODS LTD.

Unit B-G Eagle Trading Estate, Willow Lane, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 4UY Contact: Graham Cox Tel: 0844 847 5116 Fax: 0844 847 5117 gcox@zafronfoods.co.uk www.zafronfoods.co.uk

SEARA MEATS BV

2nd Floor, Building 1, Imperial Place, Maxwell Road, Borehamwood WD6 1JN

Contact: Valeri Zhekov Tel: 0044 2035358857 valeri.zhekov@seara.com.br www.seara.com.br

STONEGATE FARMERS

The Old Sidings, Corsham Road, Lacock, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 2LZ

Contact: Adrian Blyth Tel: 01249 730700 adrian.blyth@stonegate.co.uk www.stonegate.co.uk

LINKED ASSOCIATION

LOCAL AUTHORITY CATERING ASSOCIATION

LACA Administration 11-13 The Quad, Sovereign Way, Chester CH1 4QP Tel: 0333 005 0226 admin@laca.co.uk

MOY PARK LTD.

39 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon, County Armagh BT63 5QE

Contact: Emma Hallam Tel: +44 (0) 28 3835 2233 Emma.Hallam@moypark.com www.moypark.com

PURPLE PINEAPPLE FILLINGS (KFF) Kent House, Priory Park, Mills Road, Aylesford, Kent ME20 7PP

Contact: Mark Prior Tel: 01622 612345 sales.orders@kff.co.uk www.kff.co.uk

The Sandwich & Food To Go News Annual Directory will be published in Spring 2023 and distributed to the industry throughout the year. It is mailed to subscribers, BSA and Café

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