STOP PRESS The Mint Guide to simplify legal obligations

A hub has been launched to provide easy-to-understand guidance to help food businesses meet legal and legislative requirements, while also offering expert advice on good practice.

Created by industry experts, The Mint Guide is a new online resource to help food business operators get to grips with the legal obligations of food hygiene and other key legislation.

Created as a joint project by the British Sandwich & Food to Go Association (BSA), The Café Life Association and The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association (PAPA), the hub is provided free of charge to members of the associations. Non-members can obtain the guide for an annual subscription of £45, which includes updates.

Aimed at breaking through the jargon barrier, The Mint Guide has a wealth of up-to-the-minute guidance on everything from food safety and labelling, to training and employment advice, all presented in a simple, straightforward manner.

“This is a resource we have been working on for some time – and we are very pleased to announce its launch,” commented Jim Winship, director of BSA.

“As you can imagine, it’s taken a collaborative effort with our partners and many stakeholders to pull together something as insightful as this. We can’t wait to share its worth with our members, as well as any other operators looking for down-toearth advice to help them conform with the many legal and legislative policies food businesses face in the current climate.

“Across the whole hub, we have tried our very best to beak down the jargon and make this as easy to read businesses, as well as revisions to guide chapters. and simple to use as possible for businesses to meet their obligations. We know, especially with the ongoing change in our industry, that many individuals and businesses just don’t have the time to stop and read pages and pages of legal speak – we really hope The Mint Guide will make compliance easier for everyone.”

Members and subscribers will also be kept up to date with legislative changes likely to affect their

Aimed at any restaurant, food to go establishment or delivery business, it can be accessed online at themintguide.co.uk, from as little as £3.75 a month (based on its annual MINT plan). But retailers can enjoy the protection, access to helplines, lowcost training and other benefits of association membership with its MINT MAX plan from £6.25 a month (based on its annual plan).

Winship concluded: “There’s a myth that trade associations are just talking shop. In reality, we provide a lot of support for the industries we represent, not least in making sure that their interests are heard by government. We hope that many will seek out the full membership plan as part of this launch, so we can support them way beyond the pages of exclusive content.”

Bridor Cheese Finger expands gourmet savoury collection

French bakery manufacturer, Bridor, has introduced a new cheese-based puff pastry snack, adding to its growing gourmet, ready-to-bake savoury collection. The 90g Cheese Finger is a savoury treat, ready for the out-of-home sector to offer customers as a snack or meal accompaniment.

The rising demand for convenience, protein-rich bites and diversity in flavours is helping to propel the cheese snacks market across Europe. They have quickly become a favourite, with 62% of consumers stating that cheese flavours add excitement to savoury snacks [Kerry’s global survey of 8,790 consumers across 16 countries].

Globally, over three quarters (77%) of consumers admitted to enjoying the taste of cheese, with 22% favouring it for versatility. In the UK, it is reported that 35% of UK adults eat cheese two to three times a week [Mintel’s UK Cheese Market Report 2022], with Europe leading the charge with an average consumption of 20.44kg per person. It is followed by the United States with an average of 17.9kg per person, and Canada (15kg).

Enjoyed hot or cold, Bridor’s new Cheese Finger features pure butter, golden puff pastry, a generous and creamy cheese filling and a topping of grated Emmental for a crispy, melt-in-the-mouth texture. Available in quantities of 60 pieces, the ready-to-bake format takes just 16-17 minutes in the oven at 165-170°C. Bridor recommends baking 10 items on a tray, with defrosting times at 30-45 minutes at room temperature.

for enquiries please email: info@blackrodcm.co.uk