HERALD RESPONDS TO SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BAN

Herald has responded to the news that single-use plastics, including plates, trays and cutlery, are to be banned in England by announcing an increase in the amount of storage space set aside for its sustainable products. This move will enable the disposables manufacturer and supplier to add further weight to its eco-friendly selection, which includes a wide choice of bagasse and wood products.

The ban, to be imposed later in the year, is understood to apply to retailers, takeaway food outlets, food vendors and the hospitality industry. Herald’s national sales manager, David Martin, stated that the company has been preparing for some time: “Herald has added to its wood, bagasse, cornstarch and paper product ranges year on year as the requirement for these goods, in preference to plastic, has shown no signs of abating.

“Many customers have switched to sustainable products in line with their own customer demand and, having seen similar bans in Scotland and Wales last year, the ban due for England comes as no surprise.

crafted menu choices. Customers choose bowls such as Gogosan or Jakarta, and see every order made up in front of them. Premium ingredients include ginger-pickled carrots and sesame-marinated glass noodles, with perfectly toasted nuts, fresh herbs and complex signature dressings – all in compostable or 100% recyclable packaging.

“We’re fastidious, obsessive and committed to dismantling what takeaway ‘salads’ have been reduced

“Natural products are more environmentally friendly and present a conscientious, worthy option that sits better with the growing majority. We’ve been reducing plastics and adding to the storage for wooden and paper products for a while now, so we can hold more eco-friendly goods.”

Government figures suggest more than four billion pieces of plastic cutlery are used in England each year. Herald recently announced a surge in sales of its natural birchwood cutlery. Part of the Rootier range, which includes skewers and stirrers, the various items have become bestsellers in recent months, indicating that the majority of stockists – along with the caterers and hospitality professionals who buy direct –support a change from plastic.

Herald’s Rootier selection also includes ice-cream and lolly sticks, spoons and chopsticks. It sits alongside the Mr Chip birchwood chip fork, with the popular brand securing almost 100% of repeat business for Herald.

Call to in the minds of hungry people,” said Ashrafzadeh, who gave up his job as a corporate management consultant.

“It’s difficult to ascribe the word ‘salad’ to what we produce, because meetings. It was overwhelming, but we were excited.”

External Sourcing

The question of sourcing ingredients in the UK is always a challenging one – especially right now.

what often comes to mind with the word is pale, hard lettuce leaves and lumps of cold tomato, rather than tasty green dishes that sing with cajun-spiced tempeh or sweet potato harissa hummus.”

Ramjee, who previously worked in asset management, recalls the time before they transitioned from their desk jobs.

“I still remember those awkward moments when I’d receive phone calls from farmers about broccoli, or from our salmon supplier in Scandinavia about the technique of hot smoking with manuka, in-between client

“We are a small island and simply can’t get locally produced fruit and veg 12 months of the year,” confirmed Harrisson. “I would love to nip down to Covent Garden and buy enough to sell, but it’s simply not practical. Our UK climate, and a lack of space, don’t allow that level of production. A lot of work is being done around extending seasonality and growing things undercover, but in winter months we must look elsewhere – the likes of the Netherlands and Spain are further ahead in terms of growing in colder climates. We look to our supply chain partners, who are the experts.”

But other factors have hugely impacted the industry.

“The cost of living crisis has been incredibly hard, but so has the weather. We constantly have to be on our toes, with extra-heavy rainfall