Sandwich & Food to Go Magazine - 208 - November/December 2023

ISSUE 208 NOV/DEC 2023

www.sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk

Introducing

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Hot ‘n’ Fresh is the brand new name in environmentally friendy food to go packaging.

Part of the H-Pack Group

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be the Tastiest tree in the world Merry Christmas From

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For more info on our full range of products give us a call or visit our website

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CONTENTS

____________ Welcome

It’s our final issue of 2023, after what’s been a challenging but memorable year for hospitality.

From a magazine perspective, we’ve redesigned the look and increased pagination, aiming to deliver more thought leadership, analysis and insight than ever before. So, as we begin to focus on Christmas festivities and hopefully time with loved ones, I personally want to thank all who have contributed – from advertisers to manufacturers, operators and everyone in-between. I wish you a wonderful holiday break and an indulgent new year! Cheers!

Editor Alex Bell, Tel: 01291 636349, email: alex@jandmgroup.co.uk Advertising Paul Steer, Tel: 01291 636342, email: paul@jandmgroup.co.uk Production Gareth Symonds, Tel: 01291 636339, email: gareth@jandmgroup.co.uk

NEWS & MARKETPLACE

Pages 04-17.

News

FEATURES

Page 14.

The Real Deal – Food to go.

Page 22.

The Forum – Carbon footprint.

Page 42.

Feast for the eyes – Shopfitting.

Page 48.

The Veganuary Dream Team – Veganuary.

Page 54.

Festive fare.

REVIEW

Page 38.

lunch!, Casual Dining and Commercial Kitchen.

THE BRITISH SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO ASSOCIATION

Page 30.

The Sammies 2024.

ARTICLES

Page 40.

Getting a grip – Robotic technology.

REGULARS

Page 56.

New products.

Page 57.

BSA new member.

Page 58.

BSA listing index.

Subscriptions and Customer Service Tel: 01291 636338, email: subscriptions@sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk Editorial Address Sandwich & Food To Go News, Engine Rooms, Station Road, Chepstow NP16 5PB www.sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk

________

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FRESH FLAVOURS, HOMEMADE TASTE & AWARD WINNING PRODUCTS

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

PHONE +44 (0) 1291 636338 FAX +44 (0) 1291 630402 WEB www.sandwich.org.uk EMAIL info@sandwich.org.uk

We make our handmade products fresh everyday using the finest ingredients from trusted local suppliers

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

Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of J&M Group Ltd or this magazine. No responsibility is accepted for the opinions of contributors. This magazine is published by J&M Group Ltd. and supports British Sandwich Association. It is circulated to managers, executives, buyers, retailers and traders in the sandwich industry. © 2023 J&M Group Ltd

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NEWS

It’s a packed final section of 2023, with updates on trading figures, global industry partnerships, packaging developments and equipment innnovation.

Sustainability training on offer from Sysco GB Sysco GB has embarked on an ambitious plan to offer comprehensive training on sustainability to all colleagues across its British businesses.

The UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler has joined forces with specialist sustainability consultancy, Knowledge Labs from Nutritics, to create a bespoke training programme that will give Sysco colleagues the knowledge and tools to support customers in becoming more sustainable.

Initially starting with commercial roles, the programme – developed following a survey of existing knowledge – is built around eight modules. It covers sustainability topics including Climate Change; Carbon Footprinting; Healthy and Sustainable Diets; and Food Waste.

Training will initially be undertaken by frontline sales staff, joining online sessions from experienced trainers.

In addition, Sysco GB’s 15 development chefs will receive additional face-to-face training to understand the main challenges for a sustainable food system at every stage of the food chain, and how to apply that to the latest thinking on plant-forward and healthy, sustainable dishes.

Michael Andersen, chief commercial officer at Sysco GB, said: “By far the biggest portion of our carbon footprint is the food that we sell. This training aims to transform our sales teams into sustainability champions – supporting customers to better understand the impact they can have through their businesses and in particular their menus.

“We believe we’ve created one of the most comprehensive training programmes that the sector’s seen, reflecting the growing importance of sustainability across the supply chain. It builds on the success of our plant-based range and the work we’ve done to promote a plant-forward diet. Now, our teams will be armed with the knowledge that helps customers on their own sustainability journeys.”

Stephen Nolan, CEO of Nutritics, said: “This partnership provides a fantastic opportunity to work collaboratively with Sysco – sharing our expertise and knowledge to help empower colleagues to make a difference and support customers on their sustainability journey.”

The Knowledge Labs consultancy service from Nutritics launched this year and is steered by director, Elbha Purcell.

mybrakes rewards customers with £1.7m cashback

Brakes has announced that mybrakes rewards, the personalised programme it launched in January 2023, has delivered £1.7m in cashback to independent customers.

Taking things a step further, a new campaign for Christmas offers independent foodservice operators the opportunity to unlock a bonus reward of up to £1,000, alongside hundreds of seasonal promotions and cashback ideas. mybrakes rewards has proved hugely popular, with more than 10,000 customers signing up. For each redemption, Brakes has planted more than 12,000 trees with the Eden Reforestation Project.

Leon French, Brakes’ customer director, said: “We’ve worked hard to support customers over the past few years, starting with our ground-breaking Help for Hospitality campaign. This year we’ve gone even further, creating a personalised programme with mybrakes rewards, which we’ve enhanced with Christmas offers. With challenges across the industry, we hope it will make a real difference.”

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NEWS

Greggs maintains strong trading figures

The third quarter of 2023 continued to deliver strong trading figures for Greggs, with total sales up 20.8% and like-for-like sales in company-managed shops rising 14.2% when compared with the same period in 2022.

A strong LFL performance, founded on increased visits, reflected development of evening trading (sales post4pm) and of the digital channels and loyalty programme

through the Greggs App. Evening trade represented 8.8% of company-managed shop sales for the 13 weeks to 30 Sep 2023 (H1 2023: 8.3%) and app participation continues to grow, with 13.1% of company-managed shop transactions scanned in the 13 weeks to 30 Sep 2023 (H1 2023: 10.6%).

Market insight data confirms that Greggs is growing its share of the food to go market and has maintained its leadership positions in customer satisfaction and value-formoney ratings [Circana, Aug 2023].

The new autumn menu features a Spicy Chicken and Veg Bhaji Baguette, served hot, while new vegetarian options include the Cheese and Honey Mustard Toastie and Mozzarella and Cheddar Bites. The Spicy Veg Pizza is available on Click + Collect and via delivery.

In the year to date, Greggs has opened 144 new shops and closed 62, giving a total of 2,410 trading at 30 September 2023. The business expects 2023 to be a record year for the absolute number of new shops opened, with location expansion and shop relocation.

Greggs has concluded a trial with a second delivery aggregator, Uber Eats, alongside existing partner Just Eat. It has begun an accelerated rollout on the Uber Eats platform, with the expectation of around 500 live shops, with further expansion in 2024.

Simply Fresh! and JNCK relishing university challenge JNCK Bakery has launched into further education across the UK, thanks to a new listing with Simply Fresh!.

The award-winning lowsugar, high-protein operation has secured product listings in several university Simply Fresh! sites, including large campuses at Northumbria, Leicester, Salford, Worcester, Plymouth, Surrey and Pembrokeshire.

It comes after a successful trial with the convenience store, in which JNCK cookies were snapped up in record time by student consumers. “We’re delighted,” said Sean Brassill, who founded JNCK Bakery with his brother, Alex.

“Simply Fresh! is a quality retailer, with a focus on healthy food and British produce, so it aligns with our values while targeting a key audience: younger consumers with a vested interest in health, while still seeking delicious products.”

JNCK Bakery’s chewy cookies meet the demand for healthier, more sustainable treats, with 90% less sugar, 50% less saturated fat, 3x more protein and 5x more fibre compared to existing products. They were launched earlier this year with Gopuff. Simpy Fresh! is the brand’s first bricks and mortar foray into the education sector.

“The sampling of JNCK’s cookies a few months ago was a huge success, so we had no hesitation in selling the full range in our stores,” said Dalvinder Chahal, national account manager at Simply Fresh! “The sustainable packaging has a really bright design for on-shelf stand-out. And after seeing how popular they are, we’re confident they will be a great addition to our portfolio.”

“This audience has a genuine interest in health and ingredients, we have had an amazing response so far,” concluded Sean. “We’re supporting the launch with a series of proactive marketing activities and will be announcing new products very soon.”

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NEWS

Anyone for packaging by Coveris and Notpla?

Coveris has worked with Notpla, a producer of advanced, all-natural packaging solutions, as a print and packaging partner for their food-contact approved takeaway packaging. The boxes feature Notpla’s award-winning barrier coating made from seaweed and plant extracts, as an alternative to plastic. The coating is applied to certified sustainably sourced board, offering water and grease resistance. The boxes are recyclable, or if placed in alternative waste streams, the coating naturally breaks down in four to six weeks at end of life.

Coveris’ sustainability strategy, ‘No Waste’, was launched by the packaging group’s leadership team based in Vienna.

The production of Notpla-coated food takeaway boxes developed to tackle waste, for use at a sporting event in the same city, aligns with Coveris’ No Waste vision at the heart of where it was created.

The Vienna Open ATP 500 tennis competition, sponsored

by Erste Bank, took place in late October. The Notpla boxes for the tournament were launched in collaboration with online food order and delivery brand, Lieferando, part of Just Eat Takeaway.com. Notpla packaging was made available for all seat-delivery and pick-up food services offered during the week-long event via the Lieferando App.

Through Notpla’s partnership with Just Eat Takeaway.com, Notpla’s boxes have already featured at major sporting events, including the Women’s Euro 2022 final at Wembley Stadium and the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul.

Pierre Paslier, co-founder and co-CEO of Notpla, said: “We are delighted to be working with Coveris, an innovative partner supporting the acceleration of our mission to make packaging disappear. Providing our plastic-free takeaway boxes at Erste Bank Vienna Open ATP tennis competition is a big win for the company, making the match day experiences more sustainable for both the supporters and the vendors”.

Paul Robertson, Coveris’ food-on-the-move sales director, said, “With aligning sustainability goals, we are very proud to continue our work with Notpla as their print and packaging partner for takeaway boxes. It’s exciting to see the growth of Notpla internationally, as they continue to address packaging waste challenges within food to go and foodservice sectors, which also supports Coveris’ sustainability vision, No Waste.

“The use of Notpla-coated boxes, manufactured by Coveris, at a major sporting event is great for reaching new

Celebration’s takeaway clamshells and trays now PFAS-free Celebration Packaging has confirmed that their white bagasse takeaway clamshells, dinnerware and chip trays are TÜV Home Compostable certified and SGS certified as PFAS-free.

The man-made ‘forever chemicals’ called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of synthetic chemicals used in a wide variety of common applications, from fast food packaging and non-stick cookware to firefighting foams and stain repellant

chemicals for clothing and carpets.

PFAS do not naturally degrade, and although they are safe to be used in food packaging and cookware, PFAS can eventually contaminate groundwater following their release into the environment.

Research is ongoing to assess the risk to humans from a build-up of PFAS in the human body.

“We became aware of the PFAS issue some time ago and began to look for viable non-PFAS packaging in early 2022,” said Celebration Packaging MD, Nick Burton. “Since then, we have been working hard to ensure that we can deliver PFAfree packaging solutions for the takeaway, delivery and QSR sectors. To ensure that the bagasse fibre clamshells, chip trays and dinnerware are free from forever chemicals, we

arranged for SGS – an internationally renowned testing, inspection and certification company – to test them.

The report shows that no PFAS and similar chemicals such as PFCAs/ PFOSs/PFOAs/PFHxSs were detected.

“We believe that these PFASfree white bagasse products to be the best alternative to foodservice packaging made from expanded polystyrene,” said Burton. “They are the perfect replacement for expanded polystyrene plates, trays and clamshells now that the SUP legislation has come into effect.

“Bagasse is natural and renewable, using waste fibres from agriculture that would otherwise be burned.

The manufacture of bagasse fibre packaging also has a lower carbon footprint than its oil-based comparable products [atsdr.cdc.gov], but to make bagasse water and grease resistant, PFAS were traditionally added; our in-market trials show that this is no longer necessary.”

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audiences and showcasing what we are achieving in the packaging industry.”

Notpla has received global and industry recognition for their advancements in packaging sustainability using seaweed-based materials, including: ● Environmental & Sustainability Award, British Sandwich & Food to Go Awards 2023, in collaboration with Coveris. ● Build a Waste-Free World Award, The Earthshot Prize 2022. ● Innovation of the Year, UK Packaging Awards 2022.

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NEWS

Low-carb food brand secures major US deal UK company SRSLY Low Carb has a new distribution deal which will introduce its range of healthy food products into a number of major US-based supermarket retailers.

Hertfordshire-based SRSLY has signed an exclusivity agreement with Gourmet Foods International (GFI), a national specialty food distributor headquartered in Decatur, Georgia, which services leading supermarket chains across all 50 US states.

The partnership means SRSLY will supply its low-carb pizza range to GFI client Harris Teeter Supermarket group, a retailer which currently operates over 250 stores in seven South Atlantic states and Washington, D.C. This agreement with Harris Teeter, which is whollyowned by one of the nation’s largest retailers, Kroger Co, opens the door for SRSLY to build much wider prominence for its brand across the US market.

SRSLY was founded in 2019 by Andy Welch, a former Ironman triathlete who transformed his love of healthy food into a business. Initially targeted at fellow endurance athletes, the market for his low-carb, high protein and healthy offering significantly expanded to include a broad range of consumers looking to lose weight, manage diabetes and enhance their overall health and wellbeing.

The company generated £1.6m in sales in its first full year of trading without any advertising spend. Revenues rose to £2.2m in its second full financial year amid a spike of online orders during Covid lockdown. Through an increase in online business as well as new, emerging partnerships with UK and US retailers, SRSLY is projecting revenues of £4.8m in this current financial year. This figure is forecast to more than double in 2024/25.

SRSLY’s range – developed by its team of nutritionists, bakers, athletes and food enthusiasts –has won the backing of the NHS and leading health-focused charities. The company is also investing in a new 7000 sq ft warehouse in Hemel Hempstead.

To help support its global growth ambitions, SRSLY is currently embarking on a seven-figure equity investment round with Ruffena Capital. This includes a newly launched crowdfunding campaign where the company aims to raise a minimum of £500K. This will be focused on supporting SRSLY’s growth strategy, centred on further developing US and UK retailing opportunities.

Welch said: “I’m delighted to announce our significant distribution agreement with GFI, which marks a major step forward in our global growth ambitions. GFI has long been a pillar of culinary excellence within the food distribution industry with an illustrious, well-established history and an extensive network covering the entire US. The company’s prestigious clientele consists of leading American retailers and foodservice organisations including Kroger Co, where we have secured an initial pizza distribution deal.

“This is just the beginning for SRSLY in the US market, as I’m confident it will open the doors for our wider product range and help grow our presence within other major supermarket groups. I’m also excited about our crowdfunding campaign, enabling anyone to invest in SRSLY.” Read an exclusive interview with Andy Welch in our July/August issue at sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk.

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NEWS

Raynors becomes an employee-owned company Raynors is joining the increasing number of companies adopting an employee-owned structure, to provide the best basis for future growth and continuous improvement of employee welfare and motivation.

On 20 October, the Raynor family’s entire shareholding was transferred to an Employee-Owned Trust (EOT).

There will be none of the upheaval associated with a change in ownership – the company will continue to be run in the same way, by the same people. The difference is that the words ‘family firm’ will now extend their meaning to include every member of the workforce.

Management of the company remains with the current directors, with Ian Aston, the interim head of finance, taking on a permanent role as finance director. The products and service will not be affected in any way.

Matthew and Heather Raynor assume non-executive roles, so their experience and technical skills are not lost to the business. Raynors is looking forward to continuing its partnerships with customers and suppliers, while maintaining a focus on being a progressive and constantly improving food manufacturing business.

For further information, contact sales@raynorfoods.co.uk or call 01245 353249.

Raptor built to keep ingredients in check

Designed for automated raw ingredient processing lines, the launch of the hygienic Raptor Inline Checkweigher gives bakery, meat, seafood and prepared food manufacturers an efficient, in-motion weighing system that connects to upstream portion control equipment.

Simple to integrate into existing production lines – including sausage stuffers, meat and plant-based burger forming and portioning lines, cheese cutters, as well as bread, pizza and cake dough dividers – the Raptor Inline Checkweigher guarantees uniform portion weights at rates

exceeding 9,000 units per hour.

Engineered originally for highspeed bakeries, this new addition to the Fortress Raptor Checkweighing series gives European food processors the tools to switch out their manual weight checking processes and maintain weight compliance, while simultaneously saving thousands of pounds in daily product giveaway.

Capable of weighing items as light as a garlic dough ball up to a 6kg cheese block, and everything in-between, it automatically rejects product units under or over-weight by as little as 0.5g. Simultaneously, the machine’s advanced, fibre-optic controlled software communicates back to upstream portion control equipment in real time to adjust the position of cutting blades – helping to ensure the entire batch isn’t off-spec.

The focus on manufacturing waste – plus identifying and actioning under- or over-weight products before the energy-intensive process of baking or placing into expensive packaging – is more imperative than ever. Fortress Europe’s applications engineer, Daniel Shail, said: “Leaving

the weight check until the end of the process is one of the most wasteful activities, as it could result in an entire consignment of baked or packaged products being recalled, not to mention the many hours wasted in production and workforce salaries.”

Many food processors continue to check units within batches randomly by hand. Not only is this labour intensive but can also lead to variations in product quality, cautioned Shail. Automated inline checkweighing allows for individual pieces that are off target weight to be removed and reworked, as well as providing corrective feedback to the upstream portioning equipment.

Shail continued: “Weighing raw product on the conveyor line without removing it to place on a separate scale is the most efficient method.

It also mitigates against potential human contaminants.”

The ultra-hygienic washdown design with a Clean-in-Place (CIP) mode has been engineered for easy and deep sanitation to prevent cross contact contamination.

Visit fortresstechnology.co.uk.

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NEWS

Gala dinner time for Burnt Chef Project

Following the successful inaugural gala dinner in November 2022, The Burnt Chef Project has announced its second headline event, aptly titled Love Hospitality – taking place on 25 March, 2024, at London ExCel. Love Hospitality will see hundreds of people from hospitality and foodservice celebrate and recognise hard work from across the industry.

As a not-for-profit organisation working to support those suffering

from mental health problems and reduce the stigma, Love Hospitality will also provide an opportunity for Burnt Chef Project to raise vital funds.

It’s being held on the first night of Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) 2024 in London. Returning as headline partner in 2024, leading equipment manufacturer Unox is once again demonstrating its commitment to The Burnt Chef Project, alongside supporting partners including HRC, ExCel Hospitality and Talent Hive.

Founder and CEO of The Burnt Chef Project, Kris Hall, commented: “Launching Love Hospitality, our second gala dinner, is a really proud moment. Following the success of our first event, Out of the Shadows, in November 2022, we have been looking at how we can deliver something on an even bigger scale.

Thanks to our returning headline

sponsor, Unox, and the support of HRC, ExCel Hospitality and Talent Hive, we’re now able to do just that.

“The night is set to be a true spectacle of everything that’s great about our incredible industry. The dinner will also further raise awareness about the mental health challenge in our industry, ultimately helping to drive conversation.”

Scott Duncan, managing director at Unox UK, added: “We understand the pressures faced by operators and suppliers alike. That’s why we’re committed to supporting those in need and reducing the stigma around mental health. Out of The Shadows was fantastic and I’ve got no doubt that Kris and the team will deliver an even bigger and better event.”

For info on partnership opportunities or tickets, visit theburntchefproject.com.

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NEWS

Whitechapel welcomes Chapati Man flagship Indian street food and festival brand, Chapati Man, has been well known since 2007, appearing at major music events – but has now opened its flagship store in the heart of London.

Situated on New Road, Whitechapel E1, Chapati Man’s first fixed premises includes a Central Production Unit on the ground floor to serve the restaurant, takeaways, and further planned outlets in London and the UK. It offers signature spicy curry wraps, rice bowls, innovative snacks and other Indian specialties in a relaxed dine-in experience, as well as a graband-go operation for time-pressed city workers.

The vibrant branding and contemporary store design has already had a positive impact on the street scene. Chris Rai, co-founder of Chapati Man with his wife Andrea, said: “This is another huge step forward. Building on the success of food trucks and franchise outlets, we feel the brand

has ‘grown up’, while keeping its original concepts of authentic recipes in a fun environment.”

Andrea added: “The plan is to launch further corporate and franchise stores, using this ‘flagship’ model across the UK and worldwide. It is suitable for all formats, from food trucks to fixed sites.”

“We’ve adapted the menu a bit, which we’re excited about,” said Chris.

“The unit will turn out not just wraps and curries, but poke bowls, snacks and chai, all made from scratch daily

using modern cooking techniques.”

To launch the store model and additional roll-out programme, Chapati Man Group Ltd has welcomed new partners, Charles Pearse and Rez Khan, of the residential/commercial property scene. Also, Brett Larrabee – a US and global franchise expert, who has worked with the likes of Five Guys and was responsible for Little Caesars Pizza’s development.

Chris added: “With this calibre of partner, Chapati Man is going to boom it big time, starting in Whitechapel.”

Urban Eat all set for Christmas Leading food-to-go brand, Urban Eat, has announced that its line-up of festive sandwiches are making a comeback for Christmas 2023. The three limited-edition seasonal SKUs can bring cheer to chillers across the UK until 24 December.

Back by popular demand are two classics in the UK’s favourite festive flavours: Turkey Feast and Brie & Cranberry. A hot option will also be available – this year in the form of a Brie and Cranberry toastie.

The Turkey Feast sandwich sees turkey breast and sage and onion stuffing in malted bread. FTG outlets and retailers can also cater for vegetarians with the Brie & Cranberry sandwich – creamy Brie, tart cranberry

sauce and nutritious spinach in malted bread – and a toasted version, ideal for colder weather.

The limited editions will be supported by a far-reaching social media campaign, complete with bespoke festive content, promotions and paid activity.

Charlotte Assinder, brand manager, Urban Eat said: “Our Christmas sandwiches are a seasonal hit year after year, helping our customers delight hungry students, shoppers and commuters with tried and tested festive favourites.

“As household budgets are continually squeezed, people will be looking for small treats that don’t break the bank, particularly as we

approach the holidays. And what better way to get into the festive spirit than with a delicious Christmas sarnie.”

Operators can contact the Fresh Food For Now Company sales team on 0116 236 1640 or email hello@foodfornow. co.uk. Alternatively, submit a request at urbaneat.co.uk.

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Get ready for

NEWS

Hot ‘n’ Fresh

Bespoke food packaging has a brand-new name…

Global food packaging brand, H-Pack has launched a new brand ‘Hot ‘n’ Fresh’ in the UK. Reflecting the slickness of the operation, supplying premium, quality food packaging products within a tightly competitive price structure, Hot ‘n’ Fresh is ready to tear up the market and set the bar high.

Tying in a strong history of service and delivery with the promise of innovation, working with new materials and state-of-the-art machinery, Hot ‘n’ Fresh is for those in the catering and ‘to go’ markets who want a one stop shop that provides a complete range of packaging solutions, including the very best recyclable lines.

Part of the H-Pack Group

For further information on Hot ‘n’ Fresh

Call: 01978 855 595 sales@h-packglobal.com www.h-packglobal.com www.sandwich.org.uk I 13

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FOOD TO GO FUTURE

The Real Deal KEEP ON MOVING It was back in May 2022 that Co-op announced an overhaul of its food to go range, introducing new products and reducing packaging. The focus was on sushi, alongside a fresh approach to sandwiches, wraps and salads – inspired by a wide range of global flavours. It also removed all single-use plastic cutlery in favour of wooden sporks and implemented a reduction of meat, with eight additional vegan and vegetarian products introduced.

Eighteen months on, Co-op’s ‘Irresistible’ party food shows a decidedly creative edge, while the Turkey Tikka Masala Crisps (£1.50) certainly get the imagination going.

What this illustrates is Co-op’s determination to be a major player in the resilient FTG market, which is no surprise, considering it was reportedly worth £21.4 billion last year [Lumina Intelligence] – and that figure is expected to keep rising. In terms of market by share of occasions, Greggs, Costa and McDonald’s are the biggest players. But there are two words that have become a lightning rod for the crucial weekday lunch occasion: meal deal.

Originating in 1985 at Boots, the idea of partnering mass-made sandwiches with a snack and drink was born.

Today, Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s WH Smith, Pret and now Waitrose all contribute to the litany of consumer options.

“We just launched a premium meal deal offer to complement our standard meal deal,” said Becky Price, Co-op product developer. “This gives customers the opportunity to upgrade and treat themselves to something a bit more special. We added three to our premium, Irresistible own-brand sandwich range, which are a modern take on British classics: Prawn and Seafood Cocktail, Parmesan Chicken and Steak and Onion.

“It not only combines fabulous flavours, but quality, authentic ingredients, which is why they are such a hit.”

In the always competitive food to go market, agility and innovation are key watchwords. We spoke to the Co-op team about its proactive approach.

SETTING THE TREND The new norm of hybrid working has changed the face of consumer eating habits. Prepared foods in retail and foodservice must deliver variation from what’s being created in the home kitchen – but there’s also the financial aspect to consider.

“The cost-of-living crisis has changed the way many customers shop – and this is no different for FTG,” said Kate Tomlinson – Co-op junior trends and innovation support.

“We see people spending less on food and drink habits, which has shone a light on the value of the meal deal in comparison to other out-of-home lunch options.

"Hybrid working has changed the face of consumer eating habits.

Prepared food must deliver variation from the home kitchen."

“Quality remains paramount and Co-op sources 100% fresh British meat not only in our FTG range, but across all categories in-store – we know how important this is to our members and customers.

“In terms of flavour trends, Asian cuisines such as Korean and Japanese are popular lunch choices. Thanks to social media, people are also looking for bigger sandwiches and the use of interesting new carriers and condiments too.”

This year, Co-op claims to have invested £90 million into lowering hundreds of prices for customers and members, including essentials such as bread, eggs and carrots – the biggest investment in the convenience market. “As a

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Co-op launch for GUNNA Drinks’ aluminium offering member-owned organisation, we’re also focused on giving added value back to members through offers and rewards, including our lunchtime Meal Deal (one main, one snack and one drink), which they can pick up for £3.50,” said Katie Brown, Co-op assistant own brand planning.

HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO With so much competition in the marketplace, how do Co-op stand out from the rest? “Convenience is what we do, and we’re famous for our FTG offering, which is of marketleading quality,” said Brown.

“We’re pioneers in this space, with an own-brand range that refreshes several times through the year. We’re experts at the classics, with our Chicken & Bacon sandwich consistently taking top spot, but we surprise shoppers with innovation like our Butternut Squash Katsu Rice Bowl, Sweet Potato Bhaji and Raita Salad, and Bang Bang Chicken Noodle Bowl.

“It’s not just sandwiches and salads either – for food on the go, our in-store bakery serves freshly prepared treats daily, while our hot food offering includes comforting favourites including toasties, pastries and breakfast baps.”

Co-op describes FTG as a hero category. It works with ‘trend experts’, who visit restaurants and help translate concepts into new products. November saw the launch of the Christmas range, including the Irresistible Handmade Christmas Markets Sandwich, packed with Currywurst-style sausages, red cabbage sauerkraut and cheese.

With partners and suppliers, Co-op is looking five years ahead to deliver innovation at the right time – whether that’s around reducing calories, the plastic footprint or rolling out a climate plan. And while we have no idea how things will have changed by 2028, you get the feeling that the Co-op approach is worth keeping an eye on.

GUNNA Drinks’ aluminium bottled lemonades are now available in Co-op stores. Consumers across the Midcounties of the UK will be able to purchase GUNNA Drinks functional lemonades, made with Vitamin C and Zinc, in two varieties – Twisted Lemonade and Raspberry Lemonade (RRP £2.20).

In a UK first, the bottles will launch in 80 stores across the UK, with 40 more to follow in the coming months.

With aluminium being infinitely recyclable, the bottles have strong environmental credentials, which when paired with their wellness proposition, align with two of the biggest consumer demands in soft drinks right now. GUNNA’s bottled drinks will also be included in Co-op meal deals.

Having launched the range in July 2023, GUNNA is utilising a larger, resealable 470ml format in a compact design, making it easily releasable and appealing for shoppers to enjoy on-the-go.

With around 70% of soft drinks currently bottled in damaging single-use plastic (SUP), GUNNA hopes the move will continue to inspire change in the soft drinks sector and help make the choice easier for consumers wanting to support the planet.

The flavours include: Tropical Lemonade – Also known as Turtle Juice, this drink is inspired by a Mango Daiquiri recipe full of tropical flavours, but without the alcohol. It is packed with sweet mangos, limes, and a hint of coconut, with immune boosting Vitamin C and Zinc. ● Raspberry Lemonade – A sparkling blend of natural raspberry and lemon flavours. Fresh raspberries, lemon and a delicate hint of fresh ginger are combined. ●

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FOOD TO GO FUTURE

You are what you Eeet

Ambitious and expanding, Eeetwell’s approach is a straightforward one.

HEALTHY ACCESS International boutique fast-casual restaurant, Eeetwell, has opened the doors to its first UK venue on Portobello Road, with a focus on bringing wholesome and sustainable food to London’s health-conscious customers.

The stylish 20-seater venue offers a colourful menu of salads, warm bowls and wraps, alongside juices and

smoothies. It aims to promote healthier habits in eating and sourcing food, choosing only seasonal and local ingredients, with everything made from scratch. The menu changes seasonally, ensuring produce is harvested at its prime for the highest levels of flavour and nutrients.

“At Eeetwell, we are exploring avenues to provide valuedriven offerings without compromising on our core values of quality and sustainability,” said founder, Ammar Soltan.

“Access to healthy food should not be a privilege, but a right – and we are continually working to strike a balance that caters to economic challenges faced by our patrons.

“In a world rapidly shifting towards the ‘grab and go’ model, it’s crucial to ensure this convenience doesn’t compromise our planet. At Eeetwell, our approach has always been rooted in sustainability. The growing concern regarding packaging waste is something we have taken to heart, transitioning to 100% compostable, thereby drastically reducing our plastic usage.

“Also, our digital stride is not merely a nod to modernisation, but a commitment to enhancing customer experience. Our recently launched app in Malta, soon to be available in the UK, is a testament to this commitment.

Looking ahead, we envision a digital landscape flourishing at an accelerated pace. Investment in digital channels is strategic to nurture a ‘personalisation at scale’ model, ensuring a seamless customer experience.”

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FOOD TO GO FUTURE

YOUR FOOD LABEL PARTNER

PRINCIPLED PARTNERSHIPS Of course, the pandemic has helped to recalibrate consumer preferences towards healthier food choices – but their appreciation of where that produce is coming from and how it is produced cannot be ignored.

“Sourcing local ingredients amidst the economic fluctuations and high prices presents a challenge,” said Soltan. “But it’s a hurdle we are committed to overcoming to ensure the freshness and locality of produce. Our partnerships in the foodservice sector are primarily with local, independent suppliers, which not only aligns with our brand ethos, but contributes to the local economy.

“One is with Devlin’s Greengrocers, a family business situated right in front of our Portobello Road store. They have been offering freshly picked greens and fruits for over 100 years, embodying a legacy of community service and quality. For us, working with them is a testament of deep respect for businesses who championed the same mission we preach for decades before us.”

Eeetwell believes that sustainability is intertwined with operations. From farm to table, every facet of production is meticulously crafted to minimise environmental impact.

Whether it’s sustainable packaging or mindful sourcing, the aim is to not just meet, but exceed customer expectation in delivering a conscientious dining experience.

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FOOD TO GO FUTURE

Effective simplicity Understanding changing demographics, the desire for bites on the go and the latest time-saving equipment can all make a difference.

READY TO GO Kantar analysis on the patterns of global consumption reveals a complex picture, with costs remaining stubbornly high due to inflation increases. Data shows that trips to eateries for snacks and non-alcoholic drinks increased by a notable 17% in Q1 2022 compared to the previous year. By Q1 of 2023, that rate had settled to 8%.

While consumers are increasingly choosing to eat out, they appear to be doing so at a lower cost by opting for cheaper options and downtrading.

The rising trend is for quick, informal meals that people can eat on the go, providing a more budget-friendly and convenient way to eat.*

Snacking and quick bites on the go are popular, with an emphasis on premium quality products gaining favour, as these items satisfy the need to treat and indulge, yet are easier on the pocket than a dine-in meal.

Charlotte Perkins, trade marketing manager at Pan’Artisan Ltd, provides some valuable advice: “Bakery products are a staple ingredient in any kitchen; the basis of many FTG menu options. For caterers, having preprepared bakery items on hand offers a real advantage and convenience, particularly when staffing or catering skills are in short supply.

“The process of creating bakery items, in particular, is highly skilled and can be time-consuming. We take

the hard work out of this by supplying operators with an expertly produced dough range, provided frozen and ready-prepared for use. Caterers benefit from the greater convenience that frozen brings, as it offers a stable product with an extended shelf life and portion control, while consistency can be depended on. Our selection is varied, from dough balls and pizza bases to speciality breads. Many operators make customised bakery items – these products offer an incredibly versatile option.

“Hot serve on-the-go fare is a welcome menu option as we move into winter, with a consumer desire for gourmet options. The latest addition to our range, the Mini Pizza Pala Margherita, offers a delicious taste of Italy – a perfectly sized individual premium pizza, ideal for handheld on-the-go eating, with no preparation required. Just defrost, heat and serve.”

The Margherita is stone-baked and ready topped with Italian tomato sauce and a blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese, enabling the operator to customise with additional toppings to extend choices on their menu.

COMFORTING SIDES Continuing the theme of versatility, Aviko is always looking for tasty potato solutions in foodservice.

“Following the past three years, it’s no surprise that consumer interest and spend on health has risen, as well as the demand for food that brings comfort on the go,” said Mohammed

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FOOD TO GO FUTURE Essa, commercial director, Aviko UK & Ireland. “With limited spend, however, there was a need to reimagine classics and offer something different to what is eaten at home. Affordability, comfort and nostalgia were all trends that continued throughout 2023.”

Aviko’s newly launched Plant-Based Chilli Cheezz Bites are one of two additions to the ‘Snackables’ range – a creamy cheese filling gently spiced with green jalapeno peppers, suitable for flexitarian diners.

“Alternatively, the all-new Jalapeno Nacho Cheese Bites are perfect for a snack or sharing with friends,” continued Essa. “They’re crispy on the outside and ooze with nacho cheese on the inside, with chopped jalapeno peppers throughout. They’ve been developed with vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian consumers in mind.

“The launches are ideal for starters, bar snacks, sides or platters, as well as topping burgers and salads. And the Plant-Based Chilli Cheezz Bites are a healthier option to dairy equivalents, as they contain half the amount of saturated fat and 30% less salt. These are a productive avenue for operators to boost margins.”

FINDING FLEXIBILITY Alongside considerations for FTG that is better for you, is an understanding of different demographics postpandemic – and the opportunities these present.

“Younger generations will be the key drivers in out-of-home (OOH) in the coming years,” said Peter Evans, UK & Ireland marketing manager, Lamb Weston. “With hectic lifestyles and limited time for cooking, they prioritise convenience and quality when it comes to food. They are drawn to smaller portions that allow for more flexibility in their daily routines and appreciate the luxury of affordable eating experiences.

“Consumers want to make smart and thoughtful choices in finances, health, sustainability and food spend.

However, they do not want to sacrifice on quality of life any more! Values and

behaviour are changing faster and more frequently and the rapid pace of digitisation contributes to this. It provides convenience and knowledge, drives self-expression and teaches us about different cultures in the world. We are more connected, but it also causes an individual mindset.

However, this is where consuming food has a positive impact,” said Evans.

With preferences shifting, OOH is presented with growth opportunities, while the market also deals with challenges such as increased competition, rising costs and staff shortages. The adaptation of efficient kitchen processes is essential.

“As snacks and light meals become more popular to suit the flexible ways people live and work, appetites are growing for new taste sensations.

Operators need to get what it takes to satisfy them, round the clock,” continued Evans. “Finger food is a huge opportunity. Around 70% of consumers look for new variations, especially in fast food/on the go; 34% like to eat two-three types of finger food at the same time. Also, 64% of global consumers prefer to eat many small meals throughout the day.

And 90% say they expect to have a wide variety to choose from when consuming snacks – it’s a must!** “For global flavours, look to Lamb Weston’s new range of small bites – including indulgent cheese snacks.

Cheese is the most popular ingredient in finger food, with 62% of consumers saying it makes snacks more exciting.

“The taste of Mexico is also among the most popular and fastest

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FOOD TO GO FUTURE treat with a crispy twist – a strong vegetarian option. Mix it up with Cream Cheese Peppadew, which makes for a tasty sweet and creamy dish. Boost sales with a ‘limited time offer’ and make life in the kitchen simpler with easy portion control.

growing in many types of dishes, from chicken to steak to vegetable sides.

Spice, chillies, sea salt and BBQ are in demand in savoury and snacking products. BBQ and smoked grew massively in salty snacks, as consumers had a craving for nostalgic yet experiential experiences.”

Lamb Weston has three new World Flavour products: Texas BBQ Cheese Bites, Mexican Jalapeno Cheese Bites and Cyprus Halloumi Cheese Sticks.

These are simple to prepare and easy to share, from the fryer, air-fryer or oven.

Additionally, Cyprus Halloumi Cheese Sticks are a traditional

WAVE OF INNOVATION While the food is always the priority, how it’s prepared and the equipment being used is also a key factor.

“In a fast-paced world where time and quality are of the essence, the concept of FTG has shifted significantly,” said Michael Eyre, product director, Jestic Foodservice Solutions. “Consumers demand higher quality with more diverse choices than ever before, and in recognising the opportunities it offers the market, the hospitality industry has taken note.

“With social media highlighting diversity of availability, it is essential that operators remain aware of trends to maximise sales and stay one step ahead of the competition locally.

Catering for everyone – from regulars to office workers and commuters – or adapting menus to remain Instagramworthy, Jestic can offer a range of advice, insight and knowledge. Our culinary team is out there daily, identifying trends, opportunities and

future consumer favourites.”

Jestic has a test kitchen in Paddock Wood, Kent, where businesses can try out the latest equipment. Convenience-driven service has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, so Jestic’s portfolio and advice delivers great value.

“This shift in demand has prompted a wave of innovation across the sector, with chefs and foodservice operators seizing the opportunity,” said Eyre.

“From the pioneering Henny Penny F5 frying range with its seamless touchscreen operation, to the Duke ReadyFlex hot-holding cabinet with industry leading technology, ensuring that customers have the best possible FTG experience. Jestic has the right range for every professional kitchen.

“The Antunes vertical contact toaster gives every bun a consistent, golden-brown finish so they don’t soak up the juices of ingredients and remain the perfect carrier for a wide range of FTG menus. By delivering industry leading quality, in combination with performance and durability, the Antunes range is the perfect partner. *Kantar Report Turning Tables 2023 ** Foresight Factory: Consumer behaviours towards dining OOH, 2022.

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FOOD SERVICE PACKAGING

FOOD TO GO FUTURE

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ProAmpac’s Fresh Food To-Go Packaging is designed for sustainability and built for performance ProAmpac’s Fresh Food To-Go Packaging enhances product and shelf presence while helping customers meet their sustainability goals. Our fibre-based packaging is widely recyclable in paper streams when film barrier is removed, and increases operating efficiencies for our customers.

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CARBON FOOTPRINT

THE FORUM Welcome to our exclusive new feature, where we speak to industry leaders about a key topic affecting the sandwich and FTG sectors. First up, sustainability.

The Experts

Dan Silverston

Mark Salisbury

Sam Page

MD - The Soho Sandwich Co

Director - Tiffin Sandwiches

MD - Simply Lunch

The Moderator How important is sustainability to your business – and the food sector as a whole?

Alex Bell Editor Sandwich & Food To Go News

DAN SILVERSTON: We live in a climate emergency and are already seeing the impact, both in our business and across the industry. In the past 12 months alone, prices have increased, with supply chain disruption caused by unseasonable weather and high energy bills affecting products from bread to rapeseed oil, to broccoli and tomatoes. Our global food system contributes around 25-30% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and all of us must eat. Our industry

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CARBON FOOTPRINT

"What we realised early on is the need for a holistic approach."

is part of this problem, which means we must be part of the solution.

MARK SALISBURY: It is crucial to our business and the overall sector, due to the need to align with current customer/consumer preferences. For us, our sustainability plan and delivery enhance our reputation and reduce costs, while ensuring compliance with new legislation. Fundamentally, we believe this will build a more resilient supply chain for the future.

SAM PAGE: Sustainability is ingrained into everything we do at Simply Lunch. It’s a culture we have built over the past few years. We made a promise that Simply Lunch will exist to be a positive force in the world, helping

transform our industry into one we can be proud of operating in.

What we realised early on is the need for a holistic approach to our strategy that focused on all stakeholders in our organisation.

Plastic reduction is extremely important but it’s not the only area requiring focus. Having a working environment where our people feel safe and can be themselves is the bedrock of everything we do, and will ultimately help us be a more sustainable and resilient business in the future – so we focus on many areas, rather than just what is on-trend at any given time.

Our planet is in a crisis that could severely impact everyone’s lives.

Businesses need to step up and our

industry, in general, is focused on trying to do the right thing and we are all up for the challenge.

DS: A sustainable approach often involves evaluating your organisation’s manufacturing, supply chain and operations to appreciate the environmental and social impact. We have been working hard to gain a greater understanding of our Scope 3 carbon footprint and this will continue into 2024. Through our research at Around Noon, we are finding key sustainability themes in our industry – carbon and waste reduction, plus the desire to gain a deeper understanding of supply chains, so improvements can be made. This commonality highlights the need for collaboration.

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Food waste is a major generator of carbon. The BSA agreement with the Food Standards Agency means it is possible to pass on sandwiches and chilled foods to charities at the end of shelf-life, but could more be done to reduce waste?

SP: With the guidance of the BSA agreement with the FSA, Simply Lunch has strong partnerships with charities such as FareShare, who do incredible work distributing leftovers to charities across communities. Many other suppliers have similar partnerships, which is a great way to reduce carbon emissions from waste and redistribute food to people who need it.

There is an obvious benefit for manufacturers to reducing food waste, but where there needs to be more focus is at point of sale and operators forecasting into suppliers. Technology and, more specifically, AI systems in the future will play a huge role in reducing wastage at point of sale and through inaccurate forecasting, assisting the supply chain.

MS: Internally, we’ve tended to focus on the principle that ‘make to order’

is best – a fixed order, with a known build of ingredients. As we know, forecasting is always wrong! Where ingredients are in excess, we have ‘re-use’ routes, including a Company Shop, Community Shop, food banks and an on-site shop for staff.

Waste packaging is segregated into paper/card, plastic and paper, then baled for recycling. Bread crusts become animal feed and ‘general waste’ is compacted and collected weekly and sent for incineration and energy recovery. ‘Office’ bins are segregated into paper, plastic bottles and cans, all of which are baled, crushed or recycled. The small amount of food waste we produce is sent to our local anaerobic digestion (AD) plant to create biofuel.

The data capture system monitors waste daily, and we have seen this reduce significantly by adopting the

‘waste hierarchy’ and measuring performance. With the advance of technology, AD plants may reach a size where they can be incorporated within our manufacturing site, which we are monitoring.

DS: Food waste is an ongoing challenge at our sites and within the supply chain. At Around Noon, we have implemented smart forecasting to minimise ingredient waste and continually work with supply partners to optimise ingredient pack formats.

We have adapted some of our recipes and product builds to reduce waste through production.

We also pride ourselves on market research and innovation. We develop products that people want to buy and tailor menus to suit the sector, location and end customer – in terms of offer and price, keeping waste low.

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CARBON FOOTPRINT Removing plastic from packaging has been a key issue for the BSA. What’s your approach to a hugely complex issue?

While it may not always be feasible to eliminate all plastic immediately, we have found that by adopting this approach, the total has reduced significantly in the past five years.

opportunities for collaboration around standardising key packaging. This could support waste processors and the recycling industry, so I’m excited about the opportunities.

MS: It is complex, with consideration needed to take into account product safety, durability and environmental impact. We’ve been systematic, including the following steps: ● Evaluate current packaging to identify opportunities for reduction or elimination of plastic. ● Collaborate with suppliers, exploring alternative materials and solutions. ● Redesign to minimise use of plastic. ● Educate and involve employees. ● Engage with customers: communicate commitment to reducing plastic packaging. ● Pilot and test alternatives, set goals and measure progress. ● Collaborate with industry initiatives.

DS: This is a great example of how organisations in our industry are working together to identify innovation. Around Noon, our supply partners, and the FTG industry have been proactive in reducing the weight of board and film lined sandwich skillets, with some having as little as 5% plastic. This means they can be recycled, with the film separating easily during the process and the board subsequently being repulped.

We need the government to invest in recycling facilities and collaborate with recyclers, so they know how to handle packing in the right way.

The work must continue to ensure the infrastructure enables packaging to get from the point of disposal to the recycling facility. There are also

SP: Simply Lunch is aggressively targeting plastic reduction and has taken hundreds of tonnes out of our supply chain in the past couple of years. Due to recent changes in OPRL guidelines, we are more focused on recyclability, but in the first instance we will always look to see if plastic can be replaced with a credible paper or cardboard alternative.

Key to improving the whole flow of waste from manufacturer to consumer is a uniformed recycling infrastructure with council authorities across the country. This will make things clearer for consumers when disposing of waste, but also help packaging teams design solutions that can be recycled in clear designated waste streams.

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"We are investing in PIR and LED lighting and solar/renewable."

What are the most important measures your business has taken to reduce its carbon footprint?

DS: We have been measuring our carbon footprint since 2020 and every year we report more data. In terms of our most effective measures, switching our energy tariff to renewable, along with transitioning our fleet to electric vans, will have the biggest impact.

Alongside this, at our sites we are investing in PIR and LED lighting, heat recovery packs on refrigeration, smart energy use and solar/renewable energy. We will also continue to recruit

locally, meaning many of our team live within 10 miles of our facility – an important factor in our Scope 3 commuting carbon reduction.

MS: Our focus has been on decarbonisation and reduction in power usage. This includes the purchase of 100% sustainable energy, installation of renewable energy – specifically solar – and decommissioning use of heavy oils for heating, specifically solar and kerosene. Half-hourly energy monitoring has allowed sites to monitor changes and reduce consumption, low-cost solutions have included additional insulation, LED lighting, and an employee awareness programme.

SUSTAINABLE GUIDANCE With sustainability becoming an increasingly important issue, the British Sandwich and Food to Go Association has recently launched two new sets of guidance to help businesses address the issues. One covering packaging; the other sustainability planning. Members can access this free guidance in The Mint Guide.

The Association is also working with sandwich manufacturers to explore ways the industry can collaborate on initiatives to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint,

SP: We are constantly reviewing our carbon reduction plan. As well as the important initiatives of switching to renewable energy sources, choosing more efficient machinery and consumables across our manufacturing and distribution sites, while keeping in touch with the developments of electrifying delivery vehicles. We have found that our partnership with My Emissions has helped us look at our product design process in the eyes of carbon intensity. We now have carbon data of the ingredients we are using, allowing us to make informed decisions on products we bring to market. This has led to our recent delisting of all beef products from Simply Lunch branded ranges, albeit to mixed reviews!

including factors such as wild farming. An environmental group has also been set up to focus on areas such as waste reduction, with the aim of finding solutions and providing guidance to help members.

Any members interested in being involved in these groups should contact director Jim Winship: jim@sandwich.co.uk.

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From 8 days to infinity We are making food packaging circular Packaging plays a key role in protecting the quality and freshness of food products.

But did you know that the average lifespan of a food tray can be as little as 8 days – from the day it is produced to the day it is disposed by the consumer? This is a waste of resources and as a leading supplier of food packaging, we are on a mission to change that.

At Faerch, we are leading the industry in making food packaging truly circular – it is not a vision, we have the technology to take action. And so we do.

The Faerch team are available to discuss the circularity of your food packaging, please get in contact with us at ukely@faerch.com, to discuss how we can work together to make your packaging truly sustainable.

In a circular economy, food trays are made from recycled material which after use can be recycled into new food trays of the same quality – in an endless number of cycles.

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How do you feel the sandwich industry has taken responsibility for these issues?

SP: I think, on the whole, everyone wants to be doing the right thing.

Carbon reduction is no longer seen as a box-ticking exercise but as a real matter that needs be tackled head on. The challenge is that with conflicting analysis and reports, you are not always sure of the right thing to do. More education and support are needed to help businesses make the right decisions. For Scope 1 and 2 emissions, it’s a lot more straightforward than Scope 3. There needs to be a huge step change in how businesses through the supply chain are collaborating and engaging with Scope 3 emissions. For me, that is going to be the biggest challenge in the next five years.

MS: It has made significant efforts to address its carbon footprint, including sustainable local ingredient

sourcing, minimising food miles and supporting communities; reducing food waste; eco-friendly packaging such as compostable or recyclable materials and reducing single-use plastics; and renewable power and energy reduction, LED lighting, insulation and energy balancing.

However, it is important we address the remaining carbon footprint issues, including: ● Transportation emissions – electric or hybrid vehicles have yet to become viable. ● Consumer behaviour, such as opting for vegetarian or plantbased options. ● Supply chain transparency, including assessing the carbon footprint of suppliers. ● Collaborative industry standards, which could drive and ensure a more comprehensive approach.

DS: Our industry has always been a pioneer of food production – and the UK is a global market leader in safety and quality. The climate crisis and government commitments to net zero have meant that we’ve had to embrace the challenge. Our research shows that the main players in our industry have either set net zero targets or are in the process of doing so. Regulatory change means businesses will now be accountable for sustainability progress, further driving action and responsibility.

Many people I speak with suggest there is an appetite to work smarter and share innovations that can have a meaningful impact. What is great is that these people no longer see a sustainability ambition as a competitive advantage, as they know it is too late for that. To survive, we are going to have to collaborate more.

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What are your views on schemes like wild farming and offsetting?

MS: I’ve signed up to hear more on this subject! And it’s difficult to argue against the benefits of increasing biodiversity and conservation, enhancing soil health and resilience to climate change, plus a reduction in chemical usage. However, wild farming will not be suitable for all agricultural situations – but as part of a broader sustainable strategy, it could contribute to more resilient and environmentally friendly food systems.

DS: Wild farming shows that the industry is changing. Farmers realise that they have to do more to produce food sustainably and it is no longer about maximising yields at any cost. The recent State of Nature Report 2023 stated that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth.

Farmers are under more pressure to regenerate the soil, while protecting natural habitats and biodiversity, or the whole system is going to collapse.

However, the farmers cannot do this on their own. As manufacturers, we must grow demand for food grown in this way, so consumers are willing to pay the price because

they understand the value it brings.

There has also been a lot of negative press regarding offsetting. I firmly believe that radical decarbonisation is required to hit the net zero target.

Offsetting residual emissions has a role in this process, but I would argue that offsetting should only form a small part of an organisation’s decarbonisation strategy.

"Wild farming will not be suitable for all agricultural situations – but as part of a broader sustainable strategy."

SP: Regenerative farming is an important movement that is gathering pace and will create a more sustainable supply chain for us all. There is a desire at Simply Lunch, and from manufacturers in our industry, to use suppliers who practice regenerative farming methods, but there are challenges in price point and availability which I am sure will be overcome through collaboration.

Are you optimistic about what the future holds?

SP: There is no doubt about it – we have wreaked havoc on our planet over the past 50 years, but I am extremely optimistic. With innovative businesses looking at sustainability and ongoing tech advancements, we will find a way for us all to live more harmoniously with the planet. Plus, there is the important point that we don’t have any other planet to move to, so we have to make it work!

MS: We’ve undoubtedly had incredible challenges since 2020 and many hurdles have been overcome.

I’m sure that with a positive mindset and long-term approach, we’ll find the right solutions to a sustainable future.

DS: I am always optimistic, even in the face of a climate crisis. Sustainability is not easy – it is complex. We may not have all the answers yet, but we know enough to reshape business models.

A sustainable business is resilient, as it is more able to survive the inevitable shocks. Businesses also have a role in sharing the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of sustainability with customers and the public. The biggest shift is to move from seeing sustainability as a burden to an opportunity. www.sandwich.org.uk I 29

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SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO INDUSTRY AWARDS As we approach the end of another year, it’s the perfect time to consider which of your achievements are worthy of praise at the Sammies in 2024.

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS It’s remarkable to think that the awards have been a fixture in the industry calendar for so long. Winners from the first awards include names still familiar to us today, such as Marks & Spencer, Bradgate Bakery and Philpotts.

to your team and a valuable marketing tool that can make you and your products stand out from the crowd.

However, some of the award categories haven’t lasted the distance: Sandwich Photographer of the Year Award anyone?

TIME TO ENTER The closing date for entering the Sandwich & Food to Go Industry Awards will soon be upon us, so now is the time to give some thought to which awards might be carrying your name when Theo Randall reveals the winner.

What remains as true today as it was then - perhaps even more so with 30 years of success to call on - is that the Sammies are a key moment in the industry calendar.

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

Being considered for an award is a great opportunity for any company to see how they stack up against the competition. Winning is a huge boost

JOIN US The winners are announced at the Sandwich & Food to Go Industry Awards Dinner which takes place

S&FTG_208_Nov23_p30-37_Sammies_P.indd 32

on 9 May 2023 at the Royal Lancaster, London. Presented by Theo Randall, this special night is always a fun one as colleagues and competitors get together to celebrate each other’s success.

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New Sandwich Award

New Product Award Ingredient

Packaging & Equipment

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

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

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

Healthy Eating Award

Marketing Award

Manufacturer Award

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

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

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

Environmental & Sustainability Award

Business Development Award

New Food to Go 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.

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

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

Independent Retailer Award

Café Retailer Award

Chain Retailer Award

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

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

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

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New Product Award

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En Route Retailer Award

Convenience Retailer Award

Multiple 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.

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.

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

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.

SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO INDUSTRY AWARDS

9 MAY 2024

ROYAL LANCASTER, LONDON S&FTG_208_Nov23_p30-37_Sammies_P.indd 34

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SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO INDUSTRY AWARDS

SPONSORED BY

BECOME A SPONSOR If youʼd like to sponsor an awards category, contact Sandra Bennett at the BSA on

01291 636348.

All sponsorship packages include a table at the awards dinner.

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WINNING MATTERS

With the entry process well underway, marketing expert and awards judge Gail Walker from Red Cool Consulting offers sage advice around award recognition – and why the Sammies can deliver invaluable marketing tools and profitability.

CATCHING THE EYE If you like wine, but are not a connoisseur, like me you will have stood in a supermarket and wondered which to go for.

Pinot Grigio? Soave? Frascati? Perhaps the one with the nice label? The bottle with the golden award sticker is surely a winning choice.

In 2019, Campaign UK published an article which stated: “Those who win (the Product of the Year Award) have the right to use the Product of the Year logo – a recognisable stamp of approval and one that 86% of consumers say means they are more likely to buy a product. As such, the awards stand out to marketing professionals as an accolade which is particularly meaningful to their brands.”

Each winner at the Sammies receives a trophy and that allimportant winner’s logo to feature on product packs, shelftalkers and other promotional material.

SALES BOOST Receiving an award has been proven to significantly impact on sales. As a CEO or marketing head of a business, it is crucial to recognise the influence that awards can have on consumer behaviour. By leveraging awards, your company can gain a competitive edge, build credibility and inspire consumer trust.

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14/11/2023 16:31

This recognition and positive association can greatly influence the consumer purchasing decision, ultimately leading to loyalty and growth.

RESPECTED RECOGNITION The Sammies are well-established as the leading accolade in the UK’s sandwich and food to go industry. While longevity certainly contributes to their status as a mark of excellence, the thorough judging process is also a major factor behind the respect afforded them within the industry.

That’s why brands such as M&S, Soho Sandwich Co. and Tesco want their customers to know about their success.

That’s why the Sammies Award Winner logo is found on products and marketing throughout the nation.

That’s why you should enter.

SIX SYMBOLS OF AWARDS SUCCESS 1. Prestige, trust and credibility Recognition from a respected body or publication adds prestige, giving the product or service greater credibility with purchasers. It becomes more trustworthy. When consumers are bombarded with countless options, they naturally seek validation and reassurance before making a decision. Awards act as powerful symbols, signalling that a company has been recognised and endorsed by industry experts or peers.

By aligning your business with reputable awards, you enhance your brand’s credibility and make it easier for consumers to trust in your offerings.

2. Increased brand visibility Awards offer a tangible and credible way to communicate success and excellence, attracting new customers, as well as increasing brand presence.

When a company wins an award, it gains positive publicity, media coverage and industry recognition.

This increased visibility helps to reinforce your brand’s image, positioning it as a leader in its field. Consumers perceive award-winning companies as more reliable, dependable and reputable.

3. Point of difference in a crowded market Consumers often have a multitude of options to choose from, so it’s vital to make a product or service stand out from the rest. In today’s saturated marketplace, businesses are constantly striving to differentiate themselves – so awards provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your company’s unique strengths, innovation and expertise. It creates a positive impression that sets you apart, so consumers are more likely to consider your services.

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4. Consumer and investor confidence Especially useful for newer business models needing to make a mark in the industry or looking to garner investment. An award gives consumers a level of reassurance that they are making a sound purchasing decision, especially if the product or service is something they are not completely familiar with.

Consumers rely on social proof and recommendations when making purchasing choices. People are more likely to trust the opinions and experiences of their peers, and an award-winning company has already received validation from industry experts. Trust then ensues and your brand enjoys positive word-of-mouth recommendations, further expanding the customer base. Increasing belief from investors happens for the same reasons – an award inspires confidence in the ability of the company to achieve.

5. Increased engagement and access to new markets Awards can act as conversation starters, providing a compelling narrative for your marketing efforts.

Consumers are more likely to engage with a brand that has received accolades, sparking their curiosity and interest in learning more about your products or services. Utilise your awards in marketing campaigns, social media platforms and website to create engaging content that showcases your achievements. This active engagement enhances brand visibility and customer interest, ultimately leading to increased sales.

6. Premium price option Having an award increases the perceived value of the service or product, affording the provider an opportunity to charge a premium price – ultimately increasing profitability.

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The competition is back and there’s still time to enter at www.thesammies.co.uk Once the registration window closes, all the entrants will receive the sponsor’s ingredients to help them create their recipes. These will then be judged by the sponsors with the best progressing to one of the regional heats: 5 March 2024 – Holiday Inn, Darlington (North) ● 6 March 2024 – Flexeserve, Hinckley (Midlands) ● 11 March 2024 – Brakes, Reading (South) ●

Heat winners will progress to the live final which takes place on 9 May 2024 at the Royal Lancaster, London ahead of the Sammies Awards Dinner, where the winners will be revealed.

FUTURA FOODS GORGONZOLA PICCANTE CATEGORY Futura Foods are the UK’s Mediterranean dairy specialists.

Their Gorgonzola Piccante is produced in the Lombardy region of Italy to a PDO recipe. It is matured for longer and is therefore stronger and more piquant. As well as having a firmer and more crumbly texture, it is savoury, tangy and extremely versatile for delivering punchy flavours.

Contestants are encouraged to explore complimentary ingredients, alternative cuisines, different carriers and application methods to elevate the cheese.

JDM FOOD GROUP NUT FREE CATEGORY A business driven by flavour, JDM Food Group believes that what you eat matters! With roots in the import and supply of fresh Garlic & Ginger but now, with a series of wide-ranging on-site capabilities, they pride themselves on a reputation for supplying high-quality, added value, delicious solutions.

JDM Food Group bring an exciting new challenge to this year’s competi tion, as they want contestants to consider the freefrom market, creating an enticing recipe using either their Nut Free Green Tahini Yoghurt Mayonnaise or their Nut Free Satay Sandwich Paste.

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H. SMITH FOOD GROUP DELIGHTFUL BREADED 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.

The Delightful range has been created to simplify foodservice, and these chicken breast fillets are fully cooked, making them quick and easy to prepare.

This year, competitors are asked to create a sandwich or foodto-go dish which showcases the Delightful breaded chicken breast fillet.

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.

COTTAGE DELIGHT CHUTNEY & CURD CATEGORY Originally creating handmade butter fudge, over the years Cottage Delight’s range has grown to include jams, marmalades, curds, chutneys, table sauces and many more delectable delights.

For this year’s competition, they want to inspire contestants with these products selected from their range. ● ● ●

Balsamic Red Onion Chutney Spiced Tomato & Caramelised Onion Chutney Passion Fruit & Mango Curd

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14/11/2023 16:32

Let’s do lunch! expansion With record-breaking numbers, lunch! 2023, Casual Dining and Commercial Kitchen certainly hit the spot for attendees and speakers alike… leading to some big news.

BIGGER AND BETTER Following record attendance at this year’s lunch! & Casual Dining, Diversified Communications has announced that both shows are expanding for 2024.

After visitor and exhibitor feedback, companies from this year’s co-located Commercial Kitchen will now fully integrate into these two shows, creating a bigger total footprint.

This year’s event, from September 27-28, saw a record attendance, with an increase of 11%. These latest developments give equipment suppliers even more opportunities to do business with key decision-makers, from multi-site and independent operators – including the biggest buyers from restaurants, contract caterers, hotels, food to go, cafés, coffee shops, bars and supermarkets.

Hundreds of stands were rebooked on site this year, with Commercial Kitchen exhibitors now being offered stands within the extended lunch! or Casual Dining Shows.

“We’ve been a loyal supporter of Commercial Kitchen since day one, but see this as a positive development for the future. We look forward to wholeheartedly supporting these shows in 2024 and beyond,” said Scott Duncan, managing director of UNOX UK, who will be exhibiting at Casual Dining in 2024.

Other major equipment suppliers such as Panasonic, Valentine, Rollergrill and Fri-Jado already

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exhibited at Casual Dining and lunch!

2023 and are rebooking for 2024.

There was also considerable interest from new equipment companies.

“Casual Dining is always a great show. We recorded excellent leads and had conversations with buyers who are really looking for new products and concepts,” said Steve Elliott, sales director, Valentine & CuisinEquip.

Group event director for lunch! & Casual Dining, Chris Brazier explained: “Like the rest of the industry, many Commercial Kitchen exhibitors recognise that lunch! & Casual Dining are arguably the two busiest and best shows for attracting senior decisionmakers from across hospitality.

Given the huge successes seen by equipment companies already exhibiting in lunch! and Casual Dining, we agree that it’s time for those shows to fully absorb Commercial Kitchen and look forward to welcoming all Commercial Kitchen exhibitors into either lunch! or Casual Dining, depending on their key objectives. We are fully committed to supporting all equipment suppliers and expect to see even more equipment exhibitors across the two shows next year.”

Brazier also reflected on the success of the 2023 event at ExCeL London: “What lunch!, Casual Dining and Commercial Kitchen have once again demonstrated is their indisputable position as the premier showcase for the hospitality and food retail industry. We are grateful for the

overwhelming support and dedication from everyone involved. The collective commitment to driving innovation continues to shine through. Theatres were packed for sessions, with ailes buzzing with quality buyers. Thank you to our supporters, partners, speakers, exhibitors and visitors. As many people have commented, these were our best shows yet. We can’t wait to do it again, even bigger and better!”

COMING TOGETHER There certainly was a sense of optimism in the capital, with the highly anticipated shows enjoying more than 9000 attendees. It was my first time at the show as J&M Group editor, and it provided a wonderful opportunity to meet my peers, while developing story ideas. I also had the privilege of presenting Independents: Pushing Through Adversity – on day two. Quite a nerve-wracking experience, but my esteemed panel members ensured things went

REVIEW smoothly. Our British Sandwich & Food to Go Association also had a stand, allowing my colleagues to catch up with many familiar faces.

Senior decision-makers from the likes of Sainsbury’s, Center Parcs, Pret A Manger, PizzaExpress, Tesco, Starbucks, John Lewis, Bill’s, Leon, Hilton UK Hotels, wagamama, Nando’s, Wahaca, Mowgli, Asda, Co-op, Amazon UK, Greggs, GAIL’s Bakery, WHSmith, BP and Marks & Spencer visited over the two days. These buyers took every opportunity to connect with the show’s 600 exhibitors, hear from 165+ expert speakers across seven theatres and network with other professionals in the industry.

As well as a bustling show floor, there were standing room only Keynotes with Nisha Katona, CEO and Founder of Mowgli; James Brown, CEO of BrewDog Bars; Guy Meakin, UK Shops & Franchise Director of Pret A Manger; Brian Trollip, Managing Director of Dishoom; James & Thom Elliot, Co-Founders of Pizza Pilgrims; and Marta Pogroszewska, Managing Director of GAIL’s.

Other packed sessions included discussions with CEOs, founders, chefs and directors from Baxter Storey, Wahaca, WatchHouse Heartwood Collection, Las Iguanas, Honest Burgers, Marugame Udon (Europe), Tossed and Chopstix.

For the full results, visit: Casual Dining – casualdiningshow.co.uk/news/casual-dining-innovationchallenge Commercial kitchen – commercialkitchenshow.co.uk/news/commercialkitchen-innovation-challenge lunch! – lunchshow.co.uk/news/lunch-innovation-challenge

INNOVATION CHALLENGE RESULTS The three Innovation Challenges celebrated new products launched in the past 12 months. Finalists were decided by a popular vote at the Innovation Challenge Galleries on the opening day, with a judging panel deciding on Bronze, Silver or Gold based on some exciting live pitches.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY The co-located events return to ExCeL London on 18-19 September 2024.

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ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY

Getting a grip

Staff recruitment is a huge challenge right now – but a dream team of scientists may have the answer.

READY TO GO A recent BSA webinar, How Technical and Automative Solutions are Helping to Streamline Food Manufacturing, shone light on technology that could revolutionise how sandwiches are produced – and enable huge cost savings.

Peter Schwabach is founder and CEO of Industrial Robotic Solutions (IRS), who have devised the Universal Food Gripper (patent pending) with funding from Innovate UK, in collaboration with the University of Essex. It’s a system that enables the assembly of ingredients, fully autonomously, hygienically and cost-effectively.

“I’m very fortunate to have a brilliant team of roboticists who have a simple mission – to essentially bring automation and robotics into the ready-to-go food industry,” said Schwabach. “And our first target is the factory-made sandwich market.”

Designed for use in ready meal factories and retail food outlets, the IRS system can continuously assemble sandwiches, burgers, salads and hundreds of other ready meals. From meat to vegetables, fruit, dairy and breads, the gripper can pick up and place most ingredients.

Called ‘Pronto’, its vision-guided needle gripper picks up the bread and places it accurately onto the conveyor

belt. Sensors in the ingredient tray measure and record the weight that’s picked up, while the vision system allows selection and packaging – with the correct amount precisely placed. Pronto even gives every sandwich an ID to record its contents and portions, ready to be cut and packaged by existing automation.

TWO-PRONGED ATTACK The production numbers coming from IRS are certainly impressive, at 50 sandwiches a minute across a 24/7 operation, with a 50% reduction in labour costs and 30% cut in wastage.

“We’ve done two things,” continued Schwabach. “We’ve developed an entirely new type of gripper, whereas most others are either claws or suction cups, which haven’t really worked in terms of picking up ingredients. The other key innovation is vision software, where we recognise what’s needed from an tray and exactly where to place it.

“It addresses the issue of food manufacturing being so heavily reliant on manual labour, which the sector isn’t able to currently access – heavily impacting productivity.”

The business has been backed by Innovate UK and has had venture capital funding, with a plan to bring the first product to market in around six months.

“This is something that has been made possible by a reduction in the cost of robotics and processing, alongside huge advances in visual analysis. I actually learnt a lot of these tools when I set up something called the National Centre for Nuclear Robotics,” said Schwabach.

Taken to market as a subscription model, the gripper is remarkably effective at picking up 95% of ingredients, although it isn’t that confident when it comes to avocados!

“We want to provide a service that isn’t offered by anyone else. There’s a lot of machinery that will cut, package and palletise a sandwich – and we’re addressing a labour-intensive pain point. Many manufacturers are facing a severe crisis in terms of access to labour post-Brexit and Covid, which is a real problem. This is a solution.”

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14/11/2023 17:06

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SHOPFITTING

Feast for the eyes Ensuring your food to go gets noticed is crucial, with mere moments to make an impact. Here are some essential tips and tricks.

There is so much to consider when creating or refitting a retail space. Not just equipment and technology, but access for customers, speed of service and product display. It’s a minefield, but help is at hand.

“In terms of shopfitting, it pays to consider trends, while future-proofing a store to deliver maximum return on investment,” said Gary Thacker, sales director at Fri-Jado UK, who provide the sector with tech to make products stand out. “One of these is the drive for quality hot food to go.”

The UK FTG market demonstrated consistent year-on-year growth for the best part of two decades up to

the pandemic, and has since shown a resilience that few other sectors have been able to achieve. In fact, according to a recent Food to Go Report 2023 by Lumina Intelligence, although the FTG sector underwent a slow recovery in customer numbers and high-street footfall, it still reached a total of £21.4bn in 2022, 0.9% ahead of its 2019 pre-pandemic value.

Growth would also have been higher, had it not been for inflation.

“To maximise FTG potential, it is vital to ensure customers know what they’re eating and demonstrate its quality,” continued Thacker. “With this in mind, it’s vital to effectively display

in the most prominent way. From eye-catching packaging and engaging signage to the latest equipment that helps showcase the food held within.”

A market leader in display equipment for the foodservice and retail sector for more than 80 years, Fri-Jado’s portfolio includes units and merchandisers, ideal for independents and compact stores, through to larger deli and convenience counters – for supermarket and group stores.

“Our equipment has been designed to meet the needs of today’s operators, with superior holding. A basic need, but one that should never be compromised on. FTG is dominated by fresh, nutritious and delicious foods. By using an appliance that is simply not able to maintain quality over a sustained period of time, you are sure to notice rapidly decreasing

"To maximise FTG, it is vial to ensure customers know what they’re eating and demonstrate its quality."

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CASE STUDY

Warner’s highlights true FTG potential Since 2007, Warner’s has been championing local quality produce as an independent group of food stores based in the Cotswolds. Launched by Guy Warner, a highly respected member of the food and drink scene, Warner’s has been successfully trading for more than 15 years.

Committed to working with the best suppliers from the area, Warner’s stocks thousands of everyday items alongside award-winning local produce. Opening a supermarket last year in a purpose-built building in Upton-upon-Severn, a rural town at the foot of the Malvern Hills, Warner’s has further demonstrated its commitment.

Store manager, Jack Cross, said: “We opened in May 2022, having constructed a purpose-built, state-of-the-art store, warehouse and offices – offering an elevated focus on what we have become known for. We’ve continued to focus heavily on local producers, complementing this with our partnership with Morrisons.”

Facilities include a 24-hour fuel forecourt, a COOK section with restaurant-quality frozen meals and a dedicated FTG concept. “The company was founded from a petrol forecourt and became one of the first of its kind in the country to bake bread and offer homemade food for on the go – this set the tone for future stores,” continued Cross. “In more recent times, we’ve seen FTG become commonplace in the retail sector but feel there is often a real lack of focus and drive for quality.”

While getting the quality right was crucial, Cross and the team at Warner’s also understood that unless the customer could easily see it, sales potential would not be maximised – a quality holding and display solution was needed.

“In many cases, FTG is an impulse sale, so fresh items on display is a great way of driving this and ultimately increasing spend per head. At our new Upton-uponSevern store, we decided to work with Fri-Jado to supply our hot and cold holding display units.

“One of the main reasons was the great merchandising opportunities Fri-Jado offer.

We’ve got three units in store: a hot and a cold MCC serve-over, as well as a smaller grab-and-go unit. We consider the serve-over units as invisible appliances – they’re fantastic. Customers can see straight to the product without any obstructions from the frame, observing the quality for themselves. One of the things lacking in retail FTG is a conversation piece. The serve-over units give us that all-important talking point, explaining what the products are and the provenance of the ingredients.”

Optimum temperatures and consistent quality are further essentials. “We invest in excellent ingredients and have the expertise of a chef to create a truly appealing offering. Therefore, we needed a counter that could not only display the food at its best, but also hold it at its best for as long as possible. As with any retailer, shrink is an important consideration, so while we produce food to a ‘little and often’ business model, we still need quality. Ultimately, the counters must keep the food hot or cold, but fresh in both instances, and the Fri-Jado MCC range is perfect. On the flip side, the smaller grab-and-go unit is ideal for those wanting to rush in and be out of here in minutes.”

It’s clear to see the emphasis that has been put on FTG and how important customer response is. “When you walk in, you can see and smell our fresh food offering – and it’s clear that it is not simply an afterthought. Ultimately, it helps set us apart from competitors. We’ve had some great feedback, which is helping shape the future, including more choice for vegetarians and vegans. As a business, we would definitely recommend Fri-Jado. The equipment, service and support has been exceptional.”

For more information, visit frijado.com.

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SHOPFITTING sales and dissatisfied customers.

“The second consideration is maximum visibility. It’s no secret that customers buy with their eyes, so equipment with the very best view of the food is essential to driving sales and impulse purchases.

“Finally, versatility to suit the needs of individual businesses. However, for retailers, this means that equipment can be used in a variety of settings and for a range of different uses. From hot and cold display to specific seasonal promotions, even being easy to move for effective cleaning and maintenance are all things to consider.”

A popular model in the Fri-Jado range is the Modular Convenience Counter (MCC). Having undertaken extensive research and development, including feedback on key pain points, the business has combined the latest

state-of-the-art airflow technology with standout design. The range of modular heated and chilled counters is constructed to meet the needs of those in the retail industry.

Featuring a new ultra-slim and ergonomic look, the MCC is available in numerous formats and sizes, while self-service – with a door for enhanced efficiency – serve over, stand-alone or inline configurations help to meet

bespoke requirements. A complete 360° view of your foods provides up to 75% more visibility with the highest Total Display Area (TDA).

For greater capability, the MCC Cold uses slim, transparent and adjustable shelves which appear to be floating, creating the ultimate food experience and delivering an unobstructed view to help put your offering in the spotlight.

Flexeserve Connect at HostMilano 2023

The world-leading hot-holding manufacturer, Flexeserve, took its team of FTG experts and international distributors to HostMilano from 13-17 October, a global exhibition dedicated to foodservice and hospitality.

Launching Connect at the show enabled operators to see their ‘hot food operation like never before’.

A Queen’s Award-winning innovator, Flexeserve is hot-holding

partner to major retailers around the world, including BILLA, Circle K, EDEKA and Spar International.

It was supported on the stand by international distributors Pentagast (DACH region), Equip’d (Canada) and Meris Food Equipment (Australia).

Dirk Wissmann, operational support and development manager, said: “Tackling the challenges of traditional service models, Flexeserve Solution helps create an efficient and profitable hot food programme, selling more and wasting less. Newly evolved for 2023, this all-encompassing service will support FTG operations globally like never before.”

Connect is a new cloud-based service, enabling operators to maximise the benefits of true hot holding, achieving total operational efficiency across entire estates.

With the ability to remotely access and automate hot-holding units, Connect can set shelf temperatures, schedule dayparts and track product shelf-life – maximising sustainability, food quality and profitability. It can

also be integrated with other cloudbased services for greater efficiency.

Wissmann continued: “We have real-world experience of key challenges. Connect is changing the way operators view hot food programmes. With live data reporting and the ability to refine remotely, this helps reduce energy usage, eliminates waste and continually advances how you make and serve hot food.”

Flexeserve also showcased its latest heated display, Flexeserve Zone Xtra.

It enables the display of 60% more hot food and enhance its visibility with premium accessories – all within the same footprint and power supply as the Flexeserve Zone 2 Tier Countertop.

Xtra’s two multi-temp zones, capable of hot-holding products with different temperature requirements in the same unit, allow more selling while cooking less often, with a range of products across dayparts – from breakfast sandwiches and warm bakery to sweet treats, pizza and fries.

Find out more at flexeserve.com.

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SHOPFITTING

The first and still the best.

Now with the award-winning ‘Connect by Flexeserve’, our new cloud-based service enabling operators to sell more and waste less at every location.

Multi-award-winning

Unique technology

Flexeserve Solution

Winner of a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category.

Only our unique and patented hot air recirculation system can deliver true hot-holding.

Every Flexeserve customer receives our all-encompassing support on the journey to a successful hot food program.

Learn more at www.flexeserve.com

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14/11/2023 12:46

SHOPFITTING

To have and to

HOT

hold

Seismic shifts in recent years – from the pandemic to the rise of dark kitchens – have transformed the way in which hot-holding technologies are used. Andy Piggin, director at Pro Foodservice Reps (PFR), explores the latest trends.

It’s nothing new to say that Covid-19 changed the face of food delivery in the UK – and indeed overseas too. The number of food outlets in England registered to accept orders online increased by 70% between November 2019 and March 2022 [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov], and the food delivery market grew by £3.7 billion in 2020 [Lumina UK]. Also in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, £2 in every £10 [Lumina UK] spent on UK foodservice was on delivery.

The restrictions are over, of course, but the impact on foodservice remains. Some restaurants have returned to pre-Covid service, but many others have pivoted to offer a combination of restaurant service and food to go. Brits spend an average of £641 per year on takeaways [KPMG], fuelling a booming delivery market and changing the face of kitchens across the nation. In fact, food to go increased by 31.7% in 2022 to a value of £21.4 billion [Lumina UK], hitting pre-Covid levels once again.

With the addition of dark kitchens to serve delivery operations, it means there is a huge number of professional kitchens catering for delivery service – all seeking solutions to hold food at safe temperatures, without impacting quality.

without impacting the existing kitchen flow.

Speed is of the essence when fulfilling delivery orders and kitchen design therefore needs to incorporate the food-to-go area, including hot-holding options.

DARK KITCHENS VS FOOD TO GO There were an estimated 750 dark kitchens in the UK in 2020, and while exact numbers are difficult to predict, that number will have almost certainly increased since. Dark kitchens – also known as cloud, virtual or ghost kitchens – offer a more cost-effective route to delivery markets for operators, but the compromise is reduced control over quality and fulfilment.

In terms of equipment demands, dark kitchens will typically have longer holding times with enclosed cabinets, often built for bulk holding.

Kitchens set up for food-to-go, on the other hand, will have shorter hold times and tend to include door-less holding stations, like heated shelf units, capable of holding bagged and boxed hot food items at optimum serving temperatures.

Let’s look at key considerations for operators.

FTG AREAS IN KITCHEN DESIGN PFR’s position as the UK’s only foodservice equipment manufacturers’ rep group gives us a unique insight into trends and conditions.

One shift we have noticed in light of the food-to-go boom is an increase in traditional back-of-house kitchen builds in food-to-go areas, as they keep each element of the operation separate. This ensures slick processes,

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SHOPFITTING MAINTAINING QUALITY The most important thing when specifying food holding equipment is to think about the menu items it will be used for. Holding products are designed based on the hold time required by the operator – short holding generally means low volume, while long holding periods tend to have increased bulk holding.

The type of food item is also considered. High-moisture products will hold better than dry products before the food quality deteriorates, so it is important to have the correct systems in place to suit individual items.

Enhanced features like moisture control and timers are important as demand rises. Glass doors instead of solid doors on heated cabinets make it easier for operators to see items inside. Drawer warmers are also providing popular, either built-in or freestanding, designed into the cook line for bulk warming or as part of a buffet operation.

In all catering sectors, operators have greater freedom to pivot throughout the dayparts.

For further information, visit profoodservicereps.co.uk.

HOT AND COLD Of course, this is not just restricted to hot products. Overall, there is a wider choice of holding products, across hot, cold and ambient, which means plenty of flexibility for operators to meet their own individual requirements.

Enhance your heating at Hatco Hatco has unveiled the new generation of its Round Heated Well, which combines the flexibility of food warmers, soup kettles, bain maries, steamers and pasta cookers in one countertop appliance.

The enhanced range includes accurate temperature control and a new control panel, with real-time display temperature, a timer down to alarm reminder and single button switch between heat and hold modes.

Heat is distributed evenly throughout the unit to maintain desired temperatures, with three set-points of low, medium and high for warming, steaming and boiling. It also includes a low-power mode for energy efficiency.

Available with UK stock from Pro Foodservice Reps, Hatco’s exclusive

partner in the UK, it comes in three models, able to hold either one or two 11QT 10-litre food pans.

Andy Piggin, director at Pro Foodservice Reps, said: “The Round Heated Well has always been a popular product from Hatco, giving caterers the option to heat and hold a range of foods in one single countertop or built-in appliance. Now with enhanced controls, this flexible heated well offers even greater temperature control and easier operation across virtually all catering sectors.”

Also, keep food hot and fresh at a safe temperature with the new Hatco Drop-in Induction Dry Well, a smart and flexible plumbing-free solution.

This gives caterers the chance to tap into increasingly lucrative buffet and hot food-to-go markets, including delivery services. It contains two heat zones, with two temperature probes in each, and a sensor to prevent it from turning on unless a pan is present.

The Hatco Drop-in Induction Well features an easy-to-use control panel and can hold either a 2.5”/64mm or

4”/102mm deep, full-size pan in its durable, adjustable glass-ceramic well bottom – or any combination of halfsize, third-size and quarter-size pans.

It can also be top or bottom mounted into a countertop for added flexibility.

Piggin said: “Operators want to make their buffet service more multifunctional through different times of the day, while minimising food waste, with no hot spots within the buffet for spreading bacteria. Add that to the ever-popular food-to-go market, and it’s clear to see why innovative hot holding technology is proving popular.

“This unit combines flexibility, safety and reliability, to deliver a solution for a wide range of catering sectors. We have stock in the UK for speedy delivery and we’re confident it will prove popular with customers.

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VEGANUARY/PLANT-BASED

The Veganuary dream team Ten years in, it’s a movement that has gone global – and is testament to the passion and hard work of two people.

A SEED IS PLANTED The genesis of the idea came from a double-glazing salesman and an English teacher in York.

On 12 February 2013, at 10.37pm, Matthew Glover sent an email to friends, with Veganuary in the subject line, saying: ‘Like Movember, but all money raised goes to Farm Sanctuary or similar. Good idea?’ Little could they have known what that suggestion would become.

A decade on and Veganuary is an institution. Its impact cannot be underestimated, with YouGov data suggesting that 9% of British adults have participated in Veganuary at least once since it started in 2014 – that’s an estimated six million people.

More UK brands and businesses supported the movement in 2023 than every before, alongside targeted campaigns in the US, India, Germany

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and Latin America. At the heart of it is a 31-day vegan pledge, where participants receive daily emails, providing all the resources and advice they need to make the transition to a plant-based diet.

“Early on, people assumed we had a big head office in London,” said Glover.

“But we were working other jobs and it was a hobby on the side. What kept us going was dedication to the movement and the cause – focusing on animals and reducing suffering.”

“And I was an English teacher, trying to teach Shakespeare to teenagers, using persuasive tactics – and we combined that with our Veganuary marketing,” said Glover’s partner and co-founder, Jane Land.

GLOBAL SUCCESS STORY Well, this determined duo has taken extraordinary steps forward – with

a well-established global business strategy. Approaching 2024, the aim is to connect veg-curious consumers to brands that can provide the plantbased options they are looking for.

Four leading retailers in Germany have just reduced the price of their plant-based products to bring them in line with their meat and dairy equivalents. Budget supermarket Lidl was the first to announce that it

VEGANUARY/PLANT-BASED will cut prices of products across its Vermondo plant-based range, and ensure vegan fare is placed near meat counterparts, to encourage customers to choose these options.

Additionally, over 820 new vegan products were launched in Veganuary 2023, while Kantar reported that sales of supermarket own-brand ranges labelled as plant-based or vegan rose by 21% in January of this year.

And it’s the corporate commitment that can help businesses reach key sustainability targets, while committing to concrete changes that result in a reduction of animal product consumption. Examples include: Lidl – Aims to increase sales of its own brand meat-free and milk-alternative range by 400% by 2025.

Wagamana – Became the UK’s first high-street restaurant to offer an equal plant-based menu.

Sodexo – Committed to making 33% of its menus plant-based by 2025 to promote sustainable eating.

Unilever – Annual $1bn sales target from plant-based meat and dairy alternatives within five to seven years.

Official Veganuary sponsors include Planted and Cauldron, while Asda launched over 80 new products for

"Early on, people assumed we had a big head office in London. But we were working other jobs."

the 2023 campaign. Additionally, Emirates Airlines issued a press release to report that vegan meal requests had increased 154% year on year.

In celebration of all that the movement has achieved, midNovember saw the online premiere of It’ll Never Catch On: The Veganuary Story. The likes of celebrities Chris Packham, Jasmine Harman and Kellie Bright all appeared alongside representatives from businesses including ASDA and Burger King, in the 22-minute documentary that’s available on YouTube.

Having made headlines across the world – from the front page of The Times to features in the Washington Post, New York Times, New Scientist and South China Morning Post – and enjoyed the support of Joaquin Phoenix, Sir Paul McCartney and Brian May, the future of Veganuary appears brighter than ever.

Such a far cry from a kitchen table in Yorkshire over a decade ago.

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VEGANUARY/PLANT-BASED

Herbimore than meets the eye Not just a business… but a mission to make the world healthier and sustainable.

SHIFT IN THINKING Another power couple in the healthy eating landscape is John Varey and Lisa. Seven years ago, she was a lifelong vegetarian who transferred to veganism, drawing inspiration from organisations like Animal Aid, Earthling Ed, Viva and Veganuary. A year later, Varey followed suit and took a new career direction, establishing his own plant-based culinary and branding agency called Vecreative.

Not completely unfamiliar with the territory, Varey had enjoyed two decades in business development and marketing, specifically in the graband-go sector, working on design, menus, ingredients and sales. But he was fortunate enough to collaborate with influential figures in the plantbased and vegan community; particularly Heather Mills, the founder of VBites. Over five years, he shared his expertise with procurement teams in the US, Europe, Asia and Israel, engaging with companies like Burger King, Papa Johns, Wholefoods and Greencore, spreading the word to diverse audiences.

One key factor in their success has been Veganuary. “It’s undoubtedly played a significant role in the

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development of Herbimore’s brand,” said Varey. “It has influenced and enticed our target audience to indulge in plant-based food, while also promoting the enjoyment of the vegan lifestyle. The continuous, honest insights provided by Veganuary have been precious for Herbimore.

Veganuary has also helped us share the importance of catering to this unique and growing market. So, we are working with numerous plant-based producers to help us develop innovative, collaborative ingredients and Herbimore-licensed finished products to meet consumer preferences of today and the future.

“The initiative ultimately inspired us to drive forward with our vegan business, to help others shift towards a more compassionate and sustainable way of living.”

I’M IN! That word compassion is inescapable.

Essentially, it’s at the heart of everything Veganuary stands for.

“The vegan movement is set to grow even stronger, as more individuals recognise the benefits to their health, the environment, and those ethical considerations,” continued Varey. “With

a rising emphasis on sustainability, conservation and animal welfare, initiatives like Viva and the animal justice project have shed light on the importance of reducing harm, serving as powerful motivators.

“As a result, the UK is likely to see increased momentum towards embracing a plant-based diet. Get ready for an amazing journey of growth and innovation!”

It was this can-do attitude in the early years that inspired Herbimore’s initial pitch to Tiffin, one of the UK’s largest sandwich producers. In a Dragons’ Den-style meeting, they challenged John and Lisa to create a single sandwich that would win over not only non-vegans, but also do so

VEGANUARY/PLANT-BASED without relying on fancy gimmicks – so, the ‘Chik’n’ sandwich was born, with its white bread, spread, pea-protein chunks and a touch of sea salt.

“The result was an instant agreement sealed with a handshake and phase one of Herbimore, with an official launch to the UK masses,” said Varey. “Thanks to the unwavering confidence of Tiffin’s senior teams, and the collective determination to bring Herbimore to life, the range sold 80,000 pre-packaged sandwiches, wraps and paninis in its first two months – to hundreds of outlets.”

BUDGET PRACTICALITIES The business is gaining momentum, illustrated by the launch of frozen and chilled foodservice collaborations under the Herbimore XL brand at the Plant-Based World Expo in London. But there are always obstacles.

“Launching 12 products within eight months, from recipe to market,

has presented challenges,” said Varey.

“Securing investment to drive our vision forward while staying true to our original path has been another hurdle we’ve had to overcome. As much as we’d like to load our products with all the bells and whistles to entice a sale, the wholesale buyer has a budget to meet. So, some of the sparkle has to fizzle, with the hope that once the current purse-watching dip slackens, the spark becomes a boom!

“This doesn’t mean that our current offers don’t deliver. It just means that our development is a little more pricefocused than we would like it to be.”

There’s still an exciting line-up of deli and fast dining products on the horizon, with sandwich fillers, plant pies, 60-second Herbimore burgers, crispy veggie fritters and the ultimate cheesy delight – cheddarella! And with frozen-filled burritos, paninis and other surprises to come, it’s a juggernaut that’s only moving in one direction.

“We are thrilled about the incredible opportunities that lie ahead in 2024.

We also plan to expand our food-to-go licence in Ireland and Europe, while unveiling a deli counter package,” concluded Varey.

And with an uncanny knack for predicting trends, while applying creativity to hard work, it appears that another ‘compassionate’ business is on a journey of growth and success.

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VEGANUARY/PLANT-BASED

In the palm of our hands KTC Edibles Ltd (KTC), the UK’s largest supplier of edible oils, has launched Planet Palm – a new range of certified sustainable, traceable and responsibly sourced palm oil products for bakery and food manufacturers in the UK. It includes Planet Palm Oil and a selection of three specialist bakery products – Planet Palm Cake Margarine, Planet Palm Pastry Margarine and Planet Palm Shortening. All are Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified sustainable segregated, offering traceability back to the refinery.

The range is unashamedly ‘pro palm’ – with certified sustainable products designed to help combat some of the negative misconceptions about palm oil. Gary Lewis, sales director at KTC Edibles, said: “Over the past 15 years, the food industry has shied away from promoting palm oil – with brands either hiding their use or switching out of palm altogether.

Unfortunately, switching from palm to alternatives doesn’t reduce deforestation or protect biodiversity. It simply moves the problems to another

part of the world and can make them significantly worse!

“With Planet Palm, we’re doing something that’s never been done before – positioning palm oil as a positive product. This isn’t greenwashing. Palm oil is the world’s most efficient oil crop, and when customers choose the right certified products, palm oil can be a responsible, sustainable option.

“In 2019, 70% of the total palm oil imports to the UK were certified sustainable – today, although there has been limited further progress, that number is similar because of the pandemic, food inflation, price increases and legislative challenges.

We want Planet Palm to help restart progress on the adoption of certified sustainable, segregated palm oil, as we strive for 100% sustainability.”

As part of Planet Palm, KTC Edibles has partnered with DAABON – a global leader in sustainable agriculture – to develop fully traceable and organic, high-performance palm oil products.

Potential upcoming products include solutions for bakery, confectionery

and ice cream applications, such as doughnuts, waffles and chocolates.

Planet Palm is the latest step in KTC’s sustainability programme. In September 2022, it announced the achievement of its ambitious target to offer only 100% certified segregated sustainable palm oil to customers as part of a promise to the RSPO Shared Responsibility framework.

At the end of 2022, KTC became the first UK company to sign the Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto, an initiative carried out by RSPO and IDH as a way to drive engagement on four strategic calls to action on sourcing, smallholder inclusion, landscape approaches and communication.

Francesca Morgante, senior manager Europe at RSPO, said: “RSPO welcomes initiatives by its members that strive to communicate the importance of RSPO certified sustainable palm oil. We are pleased that KTC is disseminating positive messages, helping customers to make certified sustainable choices”.

Visit ktcoilsandfats.co.uk.

World Expo predicts long-term growth The largest plant-based trade event in Europe has unveiled future trends and what we can expect from the food industry, making the beginning of ‘Plant Based 2.0’.

Plant Based World Expo Europe, which was in its third year, took place in London on 15-16 November. The city was an ideal host, with the long-term growth of the sector being led by the UK, at 9.58%, and the capital billed as officially the most vegan-friendly in the world.

The global plant-based food market is predicted to soar from £11.1 billion in 2021 to nearly £100bn by 2035. And despite hypergrowth followed by industry-wide challenges, 52 I www.sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk

including inflation for food and drink at 13.6% in August, Plant Based World Expo experienced its most successful show to date, with a larger venue accommodating a 20% jump in exhibitors and registered visitors.

With 43% of gen Z claiming to be cutting meat from their diet in 2023, and 16% already have, a massive 59% of this generation could be meat-free by the end of the year. So, the plant-based sector continues to innovate with new alternative proteins and textures. Lobbying is also increasing for plant-based subsidies to tackle the impact of animal agriculture on climate change.

VEGANUARY/PLANT-BASED

Hat-trick for Plenish Fast-growing plant-based milk brand, Plenish, is expanding its dairy alternatives range with the launch of three organic Barista M*lks – Oat, Almond and Soya. The trio claims to be the UK’s only Barista M*lk range free from added oils and additives, with Plenish known for 100% naturally sourced ingredients and nothing artificial. Available in hospitality channels, the Plenish Barista M*lks can help outlets cater to those customers looking for milk alternatives.

Plenish’s current range of M*lks is growing at +60%, primarily driven by consumers moving to cleaner ingredients. With this demand

becoming more popular and ‘quality of drink’ being a major reason for consumers to visit a coffee shop, Plenish has spent the past few years developing its Barista M*lks recipe, to deliver functionality without compromise.

Russell Goldman, MD for Plenish, commented: “High-quality milk alternatives are essential for modern coffee shops to meet consumer demand and this range of Barista M*lks is the next step on our journey to expand awareness of the range within the hospitality channel. We can now provide premium products that deliver on great taste and

functionality, without the need to compromise on naturally sourced ingredients.

“It was vitally important for us to take our time with this launch, to ensure we were delivering the right range of products to meet the needs of baristas and help them create the perfect cup of coffee every time.”

Plenish Barista M*lks are available to buy from plenishdrinks.com, CN Foods, CLF, Suma and Fodabox, in one-litre cartons for Almond, Oat and Soya. The launch will be supported by the brand’s biggest marketing campaign since its acquisition

by Britvic.

In foodservice, choice is taking centre stage. Entire vegan menus are commonplace, dedicated to those making choices based on planetary and human health.

Indy Kaur, founder of Plant Futures, a UK consultancy helping plant-based businesses grow, said: “The plantbased meat sector is, hands down, one of the most innovative and forward-thinking categories of the food industry. The future market size is considerable. However, to reach mass market isn’t easy and often brands and businesses can underestimate the complexities of moving from an ‘early adopter’ to a ‘mass majority’ – i.e. mass market – what is known as ‘crossing the chasm’. This is a pivotable point for plant-based meat businesses.” www.sandwich.org.uk I 53

FESTIVE FARE Simply Lunch & Quorn unite against child hunger In the spirit of the festive season and to continue its promise to drive real change, Simply Lunch and Quorn have embarked on a mission from 6 Nov to 31 Dec 2023.

They will contribute a sum of 25p from the sale of every Vegan Festive Feast Sandwich to Meals & More – a charity committed to ensuring that disadvantaged children facing poverty and social isolation receive not only nutritious meals, but enriching activities throughout school holidays.

“The festive treat is filled with our top-selling Quorn Deli slices with cranberry, stuffing and a gravy mayo, on malted bread,” said Cheryl Graham, Quorn Foods licensing manager.

“This campaign signifies a shared commitment to a brighter future for these young minds, offering

them opportunities for growth, nourishment and social engagement,” said William Page, marketing and digitalisation director at Simply Lunch.

Simply Lunch and Quorn are inviting support, as every purchase during this campaign directly contributes to uplifting the lives of children in need, fostering a sense of hope and community spirit.

“Meals & More aims to tackle seasonal hunger and provide nutritious food to children who don’t have access during school holidays,” said Graham. “Quorn’s mission is to create healthy and sustainable food for the people and the planet. The partnership with Meals & More is an important step on that journey.”

The charity founded by Brakes has a visionary goal: to bridge the gap

Chewing the Phat Phat have launched their winter options with a new Christmas Dinner Pasty and Scottish Estate Venison & Red Wine Pie. The pasty is handmade in Cornwall with British turkey, bacon, sausage & cranberries, seasoned with sage & onion wrapped in a shortcrust pastry.

Phat’s 300g baked, frozen Venison Pie is filled with Scottish venison with a red wine and juniper gravy and mushrooms in a shortcrust case with puff pastry lid.

This pie won class ‘Pub Pie Of The Year’ at The 2023 British Pie Awards.

Returning for 2023 – Festive Chunky Pork, Turkey & Cranberry Sausage Roll and Festive Vegan Bake.

Available from Bidfood, Brakes and regional wholesalers.

Get in touch with the Phat Controller for a free Christmas POS Pack – phatcontroller@ phatpasty.com 54 I www.sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk

in nutrition and support for children when schools are closed for holidays.

Despite increasing awareness, 90% of people still underestimate the magnitude of the issue, with more than four million children living in poverty in the UK. Meals & More operates through 270 holiday clubs, in collaboration with 39 UK delivery partners. Since 2015, it has provided vital help, ensuring 1.7 million meals were served. The ambition is 2.5 million meals by 2025.

BioPak designs aid Shelter The BioPak Christmas Hot Cup Series is an annual tradition, featuring three unique Christmas designs, with 10% of sales donated to Shelter UK. BioPak’s Christmas cups are designed with an extra layer of paperboard and textured pattern for additional insulation. These coffee cups are made from paper sourced from managed plantations and lined with Ingeo™, a bioplastic made from plants, not oil. These festive cups are industrially compostable, designed to be part of the circular economy.

In 2022, England’s number of people recorded homeless was 271,421, with 20,402 people located in the West Midlands. Shelter offers over-the-phone and online housing support, as well as free legal advice to those who have lost their homes or are facing eviction.

At Tiptree Patisserie, we're passionate about crafting the most exquisite desserts, cakes & traybakes that will transport your taste buds to a world of pure delight. Our dedication to quality, being handmade, and a touch of sweetness in every bite is what sets us apart.

With weekly deliveries covering Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, London and Kent, we can deliver to you fresh with a £125 minimum order.

Outside of these areas, we use a carrier to deliver frozen product in pallet quantities of 135 mixed cases. www.tiptreecakes.com T: 01376 509101 E: tiptreepatisserie@tiptree.com The Olympic Building, Crittall Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 3DR

To advertise please call Paul Steer on 01291 636342 I 55

NEW PRODUCTS

H-Pack launches Hot ‘n’ Fresh brand Europe’s packaging one-stop shop, H-Pack Packaging, has launched a new brand, Hot ‘n’ Fresh, providing a colour-coded, easy way for buyers to identify products based on the materials used. It reflects the packaging supremo’s recent evolution, presenting itself as a slicker operation, serving a full range of markets, in line with parent company and global food packaging brand, Hotpack.

The new Hot ‘n’ Fresh logos are in green, red, and blue: Green covers all ecofriendly materials; the red label is foils; and the blue represents plastics. Head of merchant sales for H-Pack, David Martin, created the slick Hot ‘n’ Fresh brand.

“Hotpack is recognised across

the world as a giant of a brand that maintains market leading status as a manufacturer and distributor of food packaging materials and solutions.

“The company is keen to replicate the success of the global model in the UK and around Europe. This launch is a bold move but we wanted to pull focus to the UK offering and show that we intend to stand apart, growing our business in all areas, including catering, hospitality, vending, leisure, events; selling through wholesalers and cash and carries.”

“There is a continuing appetite for more choice and alternative materials and goods are needed to feed that demand. We’ve invested in development and have exciting products to launch in the next 12 months.”

Hot ‘n’ Fresh will be a brand trading under as H-Pack from its site on the outskirts of Wrexham. Visit h-packglobal. com or call +44(0) 1978 855595.

Compact Krumbein DSS350 Slicer makes debut Claim your free Cottage Delight foodservice catering tub Elevate and enhance your menu offerings with Cottage Delight’s new range of Foodservice products.

To celebrate the launch, Cottage Delight is giving away 1kg catering tubs of their new flavours, ‘Balsamic Red Onions’ and ‘Spiced Tomato & Caramelised Onion Chutney’. Simply fill in the form at the link below.

Their premium catering tubs are the perfect highquality addition to professional kitchens. Available in easy to store, stackable 1kg containers, their catering tubs are suitable for both medium and high-volume hospitality sites.

Make good food taste great with Cottage Delight.

Arriving to market this year, the Krumbein DSS 350 Sandwich Slicer, the most recent addition to the Krumbein Rationell range of sandwich slicing machines.

This compact, slimline model is specifically designed to fit where space is at a premium. A pneumatic alignment system ensures an exact cut every time – an electric version of this system is also available. Additionally, controls can be removed from the machine for ease of cleaning.

The DSS 350 sandwich slicer employs the KR twin-blade system and is capable of slicing up to 45 sandwiches per minute. This new version is fast, efficient and easy to clean.

For more details, contact Daniel Dunne.

Tel: 01706 82 5596; mob: 07710 723901; email: dannydunne2021@outlook.com. Visit interbake.co.uk.

Claim a free catering tub at cottagedelight.co.uk/claim-yourfree-sample-foodservice-by-cottage-delight

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14/11/2023 16:59

NEW PRODUCTS New addition to Nelson’s warewashing portfolio is a definite plus This year, Nelson Dish & Glasswashers celebrates a successful 45 years at the forefront of the UK’s warewashing industry.

To mark the occasion, Nelson is launching Speedwash Plus, a brand new range of energy efficient, competitively priced, under-counter warewashers, enhanced by a number of features usually only associated with high-end models.

Speedwash Plus comprises four machines – a 400 and 500mm basket size (indisputably the most popular with customers) in both a glasswasher and dishwasher format.

Energy and water saving features include a shallow wash tank with a capacity of 8 litres for the smaller machines and 13 litres for the larger.

All four machines draw just 3 litres of rinse water per cycle and, because the triple-level filter system effectively cleanses the rinse water, it is deployed

within the subsequent wash cycle to further conserve resources.

Meanwhile, the double skinned door helps retain internal heat, while automatic detergent and rinse aid dispensers ensure the optimum amount is always used.

Speedwash Plus is designed to enhance the operator experience. Soft Touch controls are self-explanatory and easy to use – even with wet hands. And a gentle start to each of the three programmes, before full pressure is reached, allows delicate items to be washed safely. Also, the top and bottom wash and rinse arms ensure every part of the wash chamber is effectively accessed.

Machines are completely self-cleaning, minimising the need for staff time.

Break tanks and drain pumps are built into all models as standard, while integral water softeners can be included on request.

Speedwash Plus comes with a standard, two-year fully comprehensive warranty, however all purchases made prior to 30 November 2023 will enjoy an additional year’s warranty free of charge.

For further info, visit nelsonwash.co.uk.

NEW MEMBERS

Starting as a Butcher’s Stall way back in 1888, it’s hard to believe that Kings Fine Cooked Meats are now one of the nation’s favourite cooked and sliced meat manufacturers, supplying the finest cooked Pork, Hams, Gammons, Beef and Poultry all around the UK. Specialising in full muscle products, these industry leaders surpass the quality of their competitor’s reformed produce, while simultaneously keeping their prices comparable.

Led by a young, yet ambitious team of experts, Kings Fine Cooked Meats’ growth has only just begun.

Over the next two years, they plan to invest more than £2 million on further

developments to their 30, 000 sq ft AA Graded BRCGS Factory, as well as upscaling their property portfolio by adding a 1000 pallet cold store building adjacent to their main property, where all of their products are manufactured.

Above all, Kings Fine Cooked Meats are undeniably known for prioritising food safety, with it being at the core of everything they do.

A strong food safety culture ensures that all staff receive extensive training that shifts their attention to making their highly sought-after products taste up to their usual Kings’ standard, while also allowing them to understand how paramount food safety and hygiene is.

Amongst many other industry standards, they take real pride in their well-deserved BRC certification, which

has been gained through their team of subject matter experts.

Despite commendable growth over the past 30 years, Kings Fine Cooked Meats remains steeped in tradition.

They combine old, tried-and-tested techniques that were developed over 100 years ago with new, state-of-theart technology to create products that make them one step ahead of their competitors. It’s clear to see that the company show a profound intelligence towards the importance of consistency, portion control and product development within the sandwich manufacturing field, making them widely known as an attentive and observant company to work with.

For further information, please contact: sales@kingsfinecookedmeats.co.uk.

01942 322398

www.sandwich.org.uk I 57

S&FTG_208_Nov23_p56-57_Colour_Seps_G.indd 57

14/11/2023 16:59

BSA Product Index ADVISORY & CONSULTANCY SERVICES Bespoke Software Allsop Software Mezze Planglow Ltd. Business Systems Allsop Software Mezze Computers & Software Allsop Software Planglow Ltd. Factory

CHUTNEYS & RELISHES

DRINKS

FISH PRODUCTS

Continental

Chutneys

Juices

Crayfish

Leathams

Leathams

Royal Greenland Ltd.

Duck

Leathams

Prawns

Dartmouth Foods

The Ingredients Factory

EGGS & EGG PRODUCTS

H Smith Food Group plc

H Smith Food Group plc

Royal Greenland Ltd.

Ham

Zafron Foods Ltd.

Eggs (hard boiled)

Relishes

Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods

Blenders Leathams The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd. Pickles

Grote Company

Leathams

Food Attraction Ltd.

The Ingredients Factory

FSC Millitec Food Systems Ltd.

Salsa

Stonegate Egg Products Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Futura Foods UK Ltd.

FOOD WHOLESALERS Country Choice Foods

EQUIPMENT & VEHICLES

General

Deighton Manufacturing

The Ingredients Factory Guacamole

Conveyors

FSC BAKERY PRODUCTS Tortilla & Wraps Food Attraction Ltd. Mission Foods BREAD & ROLLS Fresh Jacksons Bakery Speciality

Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd. Dressings Blenders

Deighton Manufacturing Grote Company

Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Depositing Machinery

Futura Foods UK Ltd. Leathams Yoghurt Futura Foods UK Ltd.

Dawn Farms UK

Fridays Leathams

Kings Fine Cooked Meats

PACKAGING

Beef

58 I www.sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk

H Smith Food Group plc Kings Fine Cooked Meats Leathams

Jiffy Trucks Ltd.

Charcuterie

Flexeserve Sandwich Making Machinery

Zafron Foods Ltd.

Dartmouth Foods

Mobile Catering Vehicles

Retail Display

Deighton Manufacturing Grote Company Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Soken Engineering

Dartmouth Foods

H Smith Food Group plc

Labelling Systems & Barcoding

The Ingredients Factory

Turkey

Gierlinger Holding GmbH

Mayonnaise

Blenders

Snowbird foods

ORGANIC PRODUCTS

Leathams

Sauces & Ketchups

Leathams

Dew Valley Foods

Millitec Food Systems Ltd.

Zafron Foods Ltd.

Gierlinger Holding GmbH

Leathams

Grote Company

Blenders

Blenders

Sausages

Kings Fine Cooked Meats

Grote Company

Mustards

Leathams

Bawnbua Foods NI

Cutting & Slicing Equipment

Spreads

Zafron Foods Ltd.

Kings Fine Cooked Meats

H Smith Food Group plc

Reflex Lables

Cheese

Planglow Ltd.

H Smith Food Group plc

Bacon

Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods

CHEESE & DAIRY PRODUCTS

LABELS

Gierlinger Holding GmbH

MEAT PRODUCTS

Jacksons Bakery

Leathams

Insurance Protector Group

Dawn Farms UK

Soken Engineering

Planglow Ltd.

Spreads (olive)

INSURANCE

Dartmouth Foods

Reflex Labels

Blenders

BUTTER & SPREADS

Leathams

Pork

Millitec Food Systems Ltd.

Food Attraction Ltd.

Mission Foods

FRUIT

Buttering Machinery

MAYONNAISE

Blenders

H Smith Food Group plc

Zafron Foods Ltd.

DRESSINGS, SAUCES AND

Food Attraction Ltd.

Tuna

Dartmouth Foods

Snowbird foods

Millitec Food Systems Ltd.

Retail

Royal Greenland Ltd.

Lamb

Zafron Foods Ltd.

Grote Company

Dips

H Smith Food Group plc

Leathams

Stonegate

Zafron Foods Ltd.

Planglow Ltd.

Seafood/Shellfish Products

Kings Fine Cooked Meats

Meatballs

Zafron Foods Ltd.

Nutrition & Allergens

Leathams

Gierlinger Holding GmbH

H Smith Food Group plc

Blenders

Planglow Ltd.

Salmon

Leathams

Soken Engineering

Food Safety

Zafron Foods Ltd.

Kings Fine Cooked Meats Chicken Cargill Protein Europe Dartmouth Foods Dawn Farms UK

Cardboard Biopak Colpac Ltd. Coveris Flexibles (St Neots) UK Ltd. Planglow Ltd. Pro-Ampac RAP Sabert Soken Engineering Waddington Europe Food wraps Biopak

H Smith Food Group plc

Planglow Ltd.

Kings Fine Cooked Meats

Pro-Ampac RAP

Leathams

Sabert

Seara Meats BV

Waddington Europe

BSA Manufacturers & Distributors Recyclable Biopak Colpac Ltd. Coveris Flexibles (St Neots) UK Ltd. Planglow Ltd. Pro-Ampac RAP Reflex Labels Sabert Waddington Europe Sandwich Packs

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

Biopak Colpac Ltd. Coveris Flexibles (St Neots) UK Ltd. Planglow Ltd. Pro-Ampac RAP Sabert Soken Engineering Waddington Europe PASTA Leathams Pasta Foods SANDWICH FILLINGS (READY PREPARED) Fresh Fillings

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

Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Fridays Purple Pineapple Zafron Foods Ltd. SOUPS Leathams VEGETABLES & HERBS Chargrilled Vegetables Leathams SALAD Fresh Agrial Fresh Produce Ltd. Salad (prepared) Agrial Fresh Produce Ltd.

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 LTD PARK ROYAL Willen Field Rd, Park Royal, London NW10 7AQ Tel: 0208 956 6000 www.greencore.com BRC Rating – AA

GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD – MANTON WOOD Manton Wood, Enterprise Zone, Retford Road, Manton, Worksop, Notts, S80 2RS Tel: 01909 512600 www.greencore.com BRC Rating – AA GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD – BROMLEY BY BOW Prologis Park, Twelvetrees Crescent, London E3 3JG Tel: 0207 536 8000 www.greencore.com BRC Rating – AA GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD. – ATHERSTONE Unit 7, Carlyon Road Industrial Estate, Atherstone Warwickshire CV9 1LQ Tel: 01827 719 100 www.greencore.com BRC Rating – AA+ GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD. – HEATHROW Unit 366 Stockley Close, West Drayton, London UB7 9BL Tel: 0208 629 8600 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

RAYNOR FOODS LTD. Farrow Road, Widford Industrial Estate, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3TH Contact: Sales Tel: 01245 353249 sales@sandwiches.uk.net www.sandwiches.uk.net BRCGS Rating AA+ 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

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

Sundried Tomatoes Leathams

The British Sandwich Quality Promise The sandwich manufacturers and distributors listed above support The British Sandwich Association Code of Practice as The Minimum Standard for Sandwich Making and are subject to regular independent audits. Copies of BSA Audits are available, on request, to buyers (subject to agreement of manufacturers) by calling us on 01291 636338

www.sandwich.org.uk I 59

BSA Suppliers Index DEIGHTON MANUFACTURING (UK) LTD

Gibson Street, Leeds Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire

FRESH-PAK CHILLED FOODS

AGRIAL FRESH PRODUCE LTD

COLPAC LTD

BD3 9TR

Enterprise Way,

Contact: Andy Hamilton

Wombwell, Barnsley S73 0BB

Martland Park Industrial Estate,

Maulden Road,

Tel: 01274 668771

Contact: Mike Roberts

Lane South, Rainham, Essex

Wigan WN5 0LB

Flitwick, Bedfordshire

Fax: 01274 665214

Tel: 01226 344850

RM13 9BP

Contact: Sales Department

MK45 5BW

sales@deightonmanufacturing.co.uk

Fax: 01226 344880

Contact: Chris Smith

Tel: 01942 219942

Contact: Sales Department

www.deightonmanufacturing.co.uk

mike.roberts@fresh-pak.co.uk

Tel: 01708 878888

hello@afproduce.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1525 712261

www.fresh-pak.co.uk

chris@hsmithplc.com

www.agrialfreshproduce.co.uk

Fax: +44 (0) 1525 718205

Unit 5 Walthew House Lane,

info@colpac.co.uk ALLSOP SOFTWARE

www.colpacpackaging.com

DELIVERECT

35-41 Folgate Street E1 6BX London

1 Waterside Park, Valley Way,

H SMITH FOOD GROUP PLC

24 Easter Industrial Park, Ferry

www.hsmithplc.com FSC

Cheddar Business Park,

INSURANCE PROTECTOR

Scottish Provident Building,

Contact: Ashleigh Jansen

Wedmore Road, Cheddar,

7 Donegall Square,

ashleigh.jansen@deliverect.com

Somerset BS27 3EB

West Belfast BT1 6JH

www.deliverect.com

Contact: James Simpson

The Waterfront, Level Street,

Tel: 01934 745600

Brierley Hill DY5 1XH

Swan House, New Mill Road,

james@thefscgroup.com

Tel: 0800 488 0013

luke.johnston@allsop.software

St Paul’s Cray, Orpington,

www.thefscgroup.com

business@ipgdirect.co.uk

https://allsop.software

Kent BR5 3QD

Contact: Luke Johnson Tel: +44 (0) 77 7666 0727

COUNTRY CHOICE FOODS PANTONE 1585 U

PANTONE NEUTRAL BLACK U

C 0% M 60% Y 65% K 0% WEB #FF854F

C 0% M 0% Y 0% K 85% WEB #4B4846

Contact: Neil Lindsell

GROUP

B1 Custom House,

www.insuranceprotector.co.uk DEW VALLEY FOODS

BAWNBUA FOODS NI

Tel: 01689 301203

67 Crowhill Road, Bleary

neil.lindsell@brake.co.uk

County Tipperary, Ireland

County Armagh BT66 7AT

www.countrychoice.co.uk

Contact: Christina Murphy

Holycross Road, Thurles,

Contact: Joanne Grant

Tel: 00353 504 46110

Tel: 028 38 344224

Fax: 00353 504 23405

joanne.grant@bawnbua.com

FUTURA FOODS UK LTD.

JACKSONS

cmurphy@dewvalley.com

Gloucestershire GL11 4HR

Hull HU3 1EW

www.dewvalley.com

Contact: Rhian Kinman

Contact: Commercial Team

Howard Road, Eaton Socon,

Tel: 01666 890500

Phone: 01482 301146

BIOPAK

St Neots, Cambridgeshire

Fax: 01666 890522

hello@jacksonsbread.co.uk

Unit 13, Nunnery Park,

PE19 8ET

rhian.kinman@futura-foods.com

www.jacksonsbread.co.uk

Worcester WR4 0SX

Contact: Sales Department

Tel: 01386 555777

Tel: 01480 476161

sales@biopak.co.uk

UKfoodservice@coveris.com

Orchard House, Dodwells Road,

www.biopak.co.uk

www.coveris.com

Hinckley, Leicestershire

www.bawnbua.com

COVERIS

FLEXESERVE

The Priory, Long Street, Dursley,

www.futura-foods.com

The Alan Nuttall Partnership Ltd

JIFFY TRUCKS LTD

26 Jubilee Way, Shipley, West Yorkshire BD18 1QG

LE10 3BZ Contact: Warwick Wakefield Tel: 01455 638300 info@flexeserve.com BLENDERS

Whitestown Road, Tallaght,

www.flexeserve.com

GIERLINGER HOLDING

Tel: 01274 596000

GMBH

Contact: John Briggs

Weingartenstraße 14, A-4100,

john@jiffytrucks.co.uk

Ottensheim, Austria

www.jiffytrucks.co.uk

Contact: Mark Seibold

Dublin 24 DV24 VY75, Ireland

DARTMOUTH FOODS

1-9 Hearder Court, Beechwood

Tel: 07747 621586

Contact: Barnaby Barber

Way, Langage Business Park,

mark.seibold@gierlinger-holding.com

Phone: 00 353 14536960

Plymouth PL7 5HH

www.gierlinger-holding.com

/07741 639006

Contact: Greg Choulerton

barnaby.barber@blenders.ie

Tel: 01803 833123

www.blenders.ie

greg.choulerton@dartmouthfoods.co.uk www.dartmouthfoods.co.uk

FOOD ATTRACTION LTD.

Clerkenleap Barn,

69 Queen Street, Wigan,

Road, Leicester LE4 9WF

Greater Manchester GROTE COMPANY

WN3 4XH

Newtech Square, Zone 2

Tel: 01942 322398

jake@foodattraction.com

Deeside Industrial Park

Contact: Adele Rooney

www.jakeandnayns.com

CH5 2NT

adele@kingsfinecookedmeats.co.uk

Contact: Paul Jones

www.kingsfinecookedmeats.co.uk

Tel: 0116 2744066

CARGILL PROTEIN EUROPE

KINGS FINE COOKED MEATS

Langham Court, 21 Langham Contact: Jake Karia

DAWN FARMS UK

Tel: 01978 362243

Lodge Way, Lodge Farm Ind.

Fax: 01978 362255

Worcester WR5 3HR

Est, Northampton NN5 7US

sales@grotecompany.com

Contact: Helen Walker

Contact: Jon Watkin

www.grotecompany.com

Tel: 0121 274 1107

Tel: 01604 583421

Cpe_Customerservices@cargill.com

info@dawnfarms.co.uk

www.cargill.co.uk

www.dawnfarms.ie

Bath Road, Broomhall,

www.dawnfarms.ie/tmi-foods

60 I www.sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk

40 Derringham Street,

BSA Suppliers Index SABERT UK LTD..

Unit 2, Harvard Ind. Estate, Kimbolton PE28 0NJ LEATHAMS LTD

PLANGLOW LTD

Contact: Clive Pickerill

Suite 6A1, Whitefriars,

Tel: +441480 869077

Queen Elizabeth Street

Lewins Mead, Bristol

cpickerill@sabert.com

London SE1 2JE

BS1 2NT

www.sabert.eu

Contact: Des Hillier

Contact: Rachael Sawtell

Tel: 0207 635 4000

Tel: 0117 317 8600

Fax: 0207 635 4017

Fax: 0117 317 8639

des.hillier@leathams.co.uk

info@planglow.com

www.leathams.co.uk

www.planglow.com

The Circle, Units 10-12

SOKEN ENGINEERING

Ardglen Industrial Estate, Whitchurch, Hampshire RG28 7BB Contact: Stephen Hawes Tel: 44 (0) 1256 892 194 shawes@jenton.co.uk

SEARA MEATS BV

www.sokenengineering.com

Bristol BS1 5BD Contact: Hugo Walker

PROAMPAC-RAP Mansel Court,

Tel: 0117 379 0309

2A Mansel Road,

hugo.walker@mezze.io

Wimbledon, London

www.mezze.io

SW19 4AA Contact: Martin Beaver

MILLITEC FOOD SYSTEMS LTD.

Tel: 0208 069 0700

20 Victoria Road, Draycott,

gbenlon-info-dl@proampac.com

Derbyshire DE72 3PS

www.proampac.com

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

PURPLE PINEAPPLE FILLINGS (KFF)

Kent House, Priory Park, Mills Road, Aylesford,

CR4 4UY Contact: Graham Cox Tel: 0844 847 5116 Fax: 0844 847 5117

Borehamwood WD6 1JN

LINKED ASSOCIATION

Contact: Alexandre Mattos Tel: +44 (0) 7899 982144 alexandre.mattos@seara.com.br www.seara.com.br 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

WADDINGTON EUROPE Brue Avenue, Bridgwater TA6 5YE Tel: 01278 410160 we.sales@novolex.com www.waddingtoneurope.com

LOCAL AUTHORITY

CATERING ASSOCIATION LACA Administration

11-13 The Quad, Sovereign Way, Chester CH1 4QP Tel: 0333 005 0226

WOODLY

admin@laca.co.uk

Firdonkatu 2 T 63 00520 Helsinki Finland Contact: Patrik Kuitunen

Kent ME20 7PP

Tel: +358 (0) 40 1259 101

Contact: Mark Prior

patrik.kuitunen@woodly.com

Tel: 01622 612345

www.woodly.com

sales.orders@kff.co.uk MISSION FOODS EUROPE LTD

Willow Lane, Mitcham, Surrey

www.zafronfoods.co.uk

Imperial Place, Maxwell Road,

12 Colston Yard,

Unit B-G Eagle Trading Estate,

gcox@zafronfoods.co.uk

2nd Floor, Building 1,

MEZZE

ZAFRON FOODS LTD.

www.kff.co.uk

Renown Avenue, Coventry Business Park, Coventry CV5 6UJ Contact: James Brown Tel: 07725 496799

Jbrown@missionfoods.com www.missionfoodservice.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 PASTA FOODS

Forest Way, Norwich Contact: Matthew Clark

CHAIRMAN James Faulkner, Leathams (Supplier)

THE COMMITTEE Robert Potts, Greencore (Producer)

Styal Road, Wythenshawe,

Rusty Warren, Subway (Sandwich Bar Chain)

Gateway House,

Manchester M22 5WY Contact: Solenne Labarere Tel: 0161 4904246 soll@royalgreenland.com www.royalgreenland.co.uk

SUPPLIERS

Management Committee

ROYAL GREENLAND LTD.

Tel: 01493 416200 www.pastafoods.com

The following are elected members of the British Sandwich and Food to Go Association

VICE-CHAIRMAN David Winter Street Eats (Producer)

NR5 0JH

enquiries@pastafoods.com

THE BRITISH SANDWICH AND FOOD TO GO ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Hannah Wilson, Greggs (Baker) Gary McDowell, Deli-Lites (Producer)

These suppliers are members of The British Sandwich Association and subject to its rules, codes of conduct and accreditation. While the Association cannot guarantee the products supplied by those listed, it does make every effort to ensure that the companies are reputable and offer quality products and services.

Dan Silverston, Soho Sandwiches (Producer) Jared Winder, WHSmith (Retailer) Wayne Greensmith, Ginsters (Van Sales) Mark Prior, Kff/Purple Pineapple (Supplier) Jude Walker, The FSC Group (Buying Agency) Jake Karia, Food Attractions (Producer) SECRETARIAT Jim Winship, Director

Classifieds International Sandwich Manufacturers SIGMA BAKERIES PO Box 56567, 3308 Limassol, Cyprus Contact: Georgios Georgiou Tel: +357 25 878678 Fax: +357 25 346131 info@sigmabakeries.com www.sigmabakeries.com SUBWAY Chaston House, Mill Court,Hinton Way, Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire CB22 5LD Contact: Georg Buhrkohl Tel: 01223 550820 www.subway.co.uk TAMARIND FOODS SPRL Brixtonlaan 2c, Zaventem, Brussels 1930, Belgium Tel: +32 2 731 6977 Fax: +32 2 731 6978 fteichmann@tamarindfoods.be Contact: Frederic Teichmann

Product Listing

Read it online sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk

BAKERY INSERTS Sigma Bakeries Ltd BREAD Sigma Bakeries Ltd FRANCHISING Subway ORGANIC PRODUCTS Sigma Bakeries Ltd SANDWICHES

Tamarind Foods SANDWICH FILLINGS (prepared) Sigma Bakeries Ltd SPECIALITY BREADS Sigma Bakeries Ltd

Save money and time

with the RJLasap wholesale delivery solution A simple, easy to use software system.

• Standing orders • Delivery notes • Production • Invoicing & accounts • Ingredients & nutrition • Handhelds etc.

Seamless links to labelling, EDI and accounting packages.

For more details on 24/7 support, free installation & training

recruitment opportunities with D R Newitt go to page 7

Visit rjlsoftware.co.uk or call 01962 761313

62 I www.sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk

Tudo

Does your Espresso Machine need a

Service or Repair?

We all know serving ‘Great Coffee’ is an absolute must in today’s competitive Foodservice Market, however, how can you do this if your coffee machine isn’t in prime condition?

Are you just putting up with Leaking Group Handles, Leaking Valves, Poor Crema on your coffee or substandard Steam Performance for foaming your milk?

How about having a Group Head Service carried out for just £99.00 +VAT (excluding any parts fitted) if you have a 1, 2 or 3 Group machine1.

If you take advantage of this offer and recommend us to a new customer, then we’ll give you a free case of freshly roasted coffee beans2.

CALL TUDOR NOW on 01708 866966 1

This offer is subject to the espresso machine model you have, your location and status.

2

Offer available on their 3rd coffee case order.

Learn more about the Tudor range of products visit

www.tudorcoffee.co.uk Tudor Tea & Coffee, U31-35 Thurrock Commercial Centre, Purfleet Industrial Estate, Aveley, Essex RM15 4YD

Sales: +44 (0)1708 866 966 Email: sales@tudorcoffee.co.uk COFFEE MACHINES • COFFEE ROASTING • TEA BLENDING • TAKE-AWAY CUPS • ANCILLARIES

Tudor-Advert.indd 1

26/11/2020 10:44

IT’S ALL ABOUT 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

FRANKE_BI_CoffeeShop_Packshot_AD_210x297.indd 1

09.04.2021 10:13:00