Ulster Grocer

Grocer

NO.1 MAGAZINE FOR THE LOCAL GROCERY SECTOR

™

40 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

AUGUST 2015

ULSTER

CONTENTS

email: info@ulstergrocer.com Volume 50, Number 7 August 2015

www.ulstergrocer.com

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36-37

Editor: Alyson Magee E: alysonmagee@greerpublications.com Sales Manager: Mark Beckett E: markbeckett@greerpublications.com Senior Accounts Manager: Michelle Kearney E: michellekearney@greerpublications.com Contributors: Seamus McCaffrey

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Art Editor: Karen Donnelly Production Manager: Stuart Gray Accounts: Gerardine Carson

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8 • Ulster Grocer | JANUARY 2011

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5 NEWS: While dairy producers are struggling with low prices, two of the biggest dairy co-operatives, Ballyrashane and Town of Monaghan, are amalgamating under the LacPatrick banner.

Contents

Ulster Grocer is published by Greer Publications 5B Edgewater Business Park, Belfast Harbour Estate, BELFAST BT3 9JQ Tel: 028 9078 3200 Fax: 028 9078 3210 Web: www.ulstergrocer.com

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10 MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE: Claire Kelly, owner of the savoury preserves company Passion Preserved, is the focus of this month’s profile. A trained accountant, a highlight of her career has been winning Great Taste and Irish Food Awards while she misses out on three of every four birthdays.

14 FOOD VEHICLES: Supplying the perfect trucks for the food distribution sector are Volvo Truck and Bus dealer, Dennison Commercials, the leading supplier of heavy goods vehicles in Northern Ireland.

22-31 FRANCHISE & FASCIA: Find out about the latest developments, investment and innovation offered by Northern Ireland’s leading franchise partners including the Henderson Group, Musgrave, Subway, Costcutter, Nisa and S&W Wholesale.

36-37 LYNAS FOODSERVICE: Lynas Foodservice has come a long way since starting out 70 years ago and now employs over 370 staff servicing over 5,000 customers and offering over 5,500 products. We find out more about the Coleraine company.

42 FROM TURIN TO PORTAFERRY: Luca Montorio, owner of PEPPUP Sauces, features in this month’s In the Hot Seat Q&A. Hailing from Turin, Luca is now resident in Portaferry, where he conceived and developed the fabulous PEPPUP roasted pepper tomato ketchup.

ULSTER GROCER

Publishers: James and Gladys Greer

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NEWS

Delegation to take dairy intervention call to Brussels A GUEST COMMENT: A YEAR OF TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL FOOD

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he Year of Food 2016 provides a tremendous opportunity to showcase the quality, outstanding taste and innovation underpinning our food and drink to visitors as well as local shoppers and diners. The initiative will create greater awareness of why our food really is so good. In fact our food and drink is outstanding and influential bodies like the UK Guild of Fine Food now recognises this to be the case.

There will be opportunities throughout the year for retailers to engage with us in various events to highlight the very best of Northern Ireland food.

We’ll be engaging with retailers to encourage them to support Year of Food by running in-store promotions and also by engaging with more local producers, especially our very dynamic artisan sector to see how they can help to introduce many more food and drink products to local shoppers.

I know many retailers already list much that our smaller companies produce. We’d certainly like to see more on the shelves. Year of Food will be showcasing the very best of our food and drink at a series of events to create greater consumer awareness across the country during 2016.

Retailers will be able to lend their support, knowledge and expertise to these events and also to drive sales of local food. Greater sales will boost producers and could mean more jobs in an industry that already contributes upwards of £4.5m to the local economy and employs 100,000 across an extensive supply chain.

As well as a series of food shows across Northern Ireland, we are planning several exciting showpiece events that will attract attention in Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and further afield through the work of Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland.

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griculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has joined calls from the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) and other sector bodies for EU intervention in the dairy crisis.

The Minister said she would lead a Northern Ireland delegation to meet with EU farm commissioner Phil Hogan in Brussels to address the crisis.

UFU has welcomed political and public support for the plight dairy farming families find themselves in, because of plunging milk prices. Commenting on the recall of the Assembly’s agriculture and rural development (ARD) committee, UFU President Ian Marshall said cross-party support from politicians here helped build a case for action by the European Commission.

Marshall said that while the crisis in the dairy sector was grabbing headlines, other sectors of agriculture were also hurting. “Like the dairy sector, they are being squeezed by the weak euro against sterling, making exports difficult and the UK market a magnet for eurozone and other suppliers,” he said.

Marshall added that dairy farmers were caught in a perfect storm of problems as a result of currency, the Russian import ban, an over-supplied global dairy market and weak demand because of economic problems in China.

“With milk prices where they are, no farmer can make a margin – and those who have invested to modernise and grow their businesses are in the worst position of all,” he said. “With no signs of global recovery this year, things will get worse as we go into the autumn and winter, when costs begin to rise for farmers. This is why it is not an exaggeration to describe this as a crisis.”

UFU has been pressing the EC for a year to review the price at which it begins to support the market through intervention to buy in surplus dairy commodities. The Commission stance has been that there is no crisis, but pressure is growing across Europe for Brussels to accept it cannot remain in denial about the scale of problems facing farmers.

Moy Park lifts top UK H&S award M

oy Park has received a top UK Food and Drink Health & Safety Award, in recognition of its outstanding and industry leading health and safety performance.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Awards have been running for almost 60 years and are widely recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of health and safety awards across UK industry.

Moy Park attributes its Pictured at the awards ceremony are Lord McKenzie of Luton, RoSPA president; Mike Mullan, Moy Park HR director Europe; and Tom Mullarkey success to making safety its MBE, RoSPA chief executive. number one priority, with safety performance improving by 78% over the last three years, and many of its sites having achieved over one million hours without a Lost Time Incident.

“This was our first time to enter and it is a great honour to be recognised in the UK’s most prestigious health and safety awards,” said Mike Mullan, HR director Europe at Moy Park.

“Health and safety is at the core of everything we do, with risk assessment, accident prevention and active monitoring embedded firmly into our everyday operations. To win an industry wide RoSPA award truly is an outstanding achievement for everyone – across the health and safety teams, site management, and at an individual level – as we work together to continually drive forward industry-leading health and safety standards.”

David Rawlins from RoSPA said: “In making the award, judges considered Moy Park’s overarching occupational health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement. The standard of entries overall continues to improve making winning an Industry Sector award an ever greater achievement.”

In addition to the overall industry sector award, Moy Park also received a MORR:Bronze award in recognition of its management of road risk.

NEWS

‘Game changing’ local dairy merger announced B

allyrashane Co-op and Town of Monaghan Co-op have completed a ‘game-changing’ merger, while announcing plans for further significant new investment as a critical part of the new Co-op’s growth strategy.

The newly-merged company will be called LacPatrick to reflect its size and scale, and its strong global ambitions to grow the business in Ireland and beyond. LacPatrick will officially commence trading on September 1.

LacPatrick will be led by a new Board of Directors comprising the former two Boards, with a new management team headed up

by Gabriel D’Arcy and Nigel Kemps – former CEOs of Town of Monaghan Co-op and Ballyrashane Co-op respectively. Gabriel D’Arcy will be the new chief executive, with Nigel Kemps appointed as deputy chief executive.

The combined business will have a turnover of £260m (€370m) and employ 300 people, with over 1,050 farmers supplying 560 million litres of milk annually.

“We now have the scale and ambition to win in what is currently a very challenging and competitive marketplace,” said D’Arcy. “Given the volatility of global dairy markets, this merger further underlines the importance and significance of this ambitious move by our two companies.

“Our shared geography and production facilities, technologies and customer listings, together with the combined balance sheet strength, offer a unique opportunity to create a true leader in the Ulster dairy food sector, focused on innovation and competitiveness.”

Pictured standing are Gabriel D’Arcy and Nigel Kemps with, seated, Hugo Maguire (chairman, LacPatrick Co-op) and Roy Irwin (deputy chairman, LacPatrick Co-op).

Kemps said: “Our aim is to give dairy farmers in the north of the island confidence to grow their own businesses and herds. LacPatrick as a combined entity can achieve scale and volumes, delivering more than the two separate companies could have done on their own.”

The name LacPatrick has been chosen to reflect the core ethos of the newly merged Co-op, which is to bring its innovative and excellent dairy products to consumers at home and internationally. Lac, which is Latin for milk, and Patrick, which is synonymous with the island of Ireland, combine to create a name which underpins the newly birthed Co-op’s rich heritage, but also speaks of its ambitions to grow and develop.

Glens of Antrim invest £1.25m in a second site C

ushendall-based Glens of Antrim Potatoes has invested £1.25m in a second factory and new packaging machinery. Part of the investment was funded by Danske Bank and a PMG Grant Scheme from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).

The company was established in 1972 by the McKillop family. The firm is the largest employer in the Glens area with 60-plus employees and is currently exporting its products across Great Britain and Ireland to a large multi-national client base. The latest expansion has the potential to create up to five new jobs.

“In 2009, we first opened a 25,000-square-feet storage and production unit in Ballymena,” Michael McKillop, director at Glens of Antrim Potatoes said.

“Since then we have experienced exceptional growth and have completed stage two of our development plans by opening a second 21,000-square-feet unit and purchasing new packaging machinery.

“We grow new varieties of potatoes each year and spend time researching the best use for them and their cooking abilities. For the last year we have been developing a new quad pack product that we will be launching in the autumn. The pack is unique in that it sits upright on the shelf making the information clearer to read and the pack less likely to fall over. Our new varieties will go into these packs detailing the best use for them.”

Michael McKillop (left), director of Glens of Antrim Potatoes is pictured with Roger Hamilton, business manager at Danske Bank.

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NEWS

Mash Direct in new £3m deal with Asda UK M

ash Direct has signed a UK-wide supply contract with Asda, which will see seven new lines being sold in almost 400 stores in England, Wales and Scotland.

The new contract builds on Mash Direct’s existing relationship with Asda, and the new lines will be on shelves from September 11, with 350,000 products expected to sell within the first week alone.

Mash Direct has experienced rapid growth over the past 10 years, which has seen the company nearly double in capacity. The new Asda export contract has contributed to the necessity to construct a 25,000 square foot factory this year, as well as job creation across every level of the business to fulfil demand.

The lines range from traditional favourites such as mashed potato to spicy chilli baby bakes – baby potatoes sprinkled with breadcrumbs and seasoned with chilli. The majority of the potatoes and vegetables for the products are sourced fresh from the family farm.

“We are committed to supporting local companies and putting Northern Irish suppliers on the map,” said Susannah Hassard, regional buying manager for Asda NI and Scotland. “Mash Direct is a superb example of a high quality, local supplier which is continuing to develop and grow. We are delighted to be able to showcase this fantastic local product to a wider audience, and once again highlight the expertise of the Northern Irish agri-food industry.”

Jack Hamilton, marketing and export director at Mash Direct, said:

“We have been working with Asda for a number of years, firstly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, and now in England and Wales. This progression has come about through years of hard work, innovation and determination – as well as from the foresight of Asda to see the potential to expand the category into new markets.”

Moy Park and Dunbia short-listed in IoD awards D

irectors of two of Northern Ireland’s biggest companies, Moy Park and Dunbia, both key players in the local food industry, have been shortlisted in a prestigious UK award for excellence.

Alan McKeown, supply chain director at Dunbia and Mike Mullan, HR director at Moy Park, have both been short-listed in the Institute of Directors (IoD) UK Director of the Year Awards.

Moy Park is now owned by Brazil’s JBS, the world’s largest meat processor by sales. Moy Park employs over 5,000 people in Northern Ireland and is headquartered at Craigavon in Co Armagh.

McKeown is shortlisted in the Young Director of the Year category in the awards, which will be announced at a gala dinner in London on October 23. Mullan is listed in the Leadership in Corporate Responsibility category.

Dunbia’s group chief executive Jim Dobson was named Director of the Year 2014 by the IoD. Dunbia employs over 3,000 people and is headquartered at Dungannon, Co Tyrone. It has operations in Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands and exports meat products to Mike Mullan over 40 countries.

The awards recognise directors at the forefront of leadership excellence.

“Northern Ireland boasts extremely high standards of business excellence across a range of industries and I am delighted that once again the successes of so many local directors have been recognised on a national scale,” said Paul Terrington, chairman of IoD. “Last year saw two of our directors, Michelle Hatfield from Belfast City Airport and Jim Dobson from the Dunbia Group, crowned with the UK title and I wish every one of our directors shortlisted this year the best of luck.”

Alan McKeown

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CONCERNS RAISED BY BUDGET

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he living wage element of Chancellor George Osborne’s Summer Budget announced last month has raised concerns over the ability of small shop and other business owners to pay their staff members.

“The introduction of a compulsory ‘Living Wage’ will have a devastating impact on independent retailers in Northern Ireland,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA). “This will lead to retailers having to reduce staff hours, work more hours in their business and ultimately cancel their investment plans. To introduce this measure with no consultation undermines the independent Low Pay Commission and is a reckless way to impose a massive burden on small businesses.

“NIIRTA has concerns that the proposed increase in the Employment Allowance to £3,000, which is positive, for independent retailers, is unlikely to fully off-set the increase in costs brought by the new over 25s National Living Wage rate.”

Wilfred Mitchell, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Northern Ireland Policy chair, said: “Budget 2015 is a mixed bag for small businesses. On one hand, the FSB welcomes the announcement that the UK government will increase the annual Employment allowance from £2,000 to £3,000. On the other hand, there are a number of our members who will find the new Mandatory Living Wage challenging. Whilst FSB Northern Ireland research has revealed that two thirds of our members already pay the living wage or above, there is a real concern over the extent to which additional red tape and regulation will cut into a business’s growth and time.”

NIIRTA also rejected proposals for longer Sunday opening hours for larger retailers as too damaging for small shops in Northern Ireland.

RETAIL NEWS – INDEPENDENTS

Comber Farmers’ Market celebrates its 1st birthday C

omber Farmers’ Market marked its first year of trading last month with street theatre, cookery demonstrations and kids’ activities alongside its artisan food and plant producers.

The monthly market is run by volunteers from the local community, who conceived the idea and have received support from Comber Regeneration Community Partnership and the Big Lottery, which funded ten gazebos and advertising.

A group of pensioners get up at 6.30am on market day to put gazebos up, with the market generally opening at 9am, and then come back at 1.30pm to take them down when it finishes.

Four locals sit on the Comber Farmers’ Market Committee, a sub committee of the Partnership, and plan and run the market while the ladies of St Mary’s Parish Church bake buns and cakes to serve teas in the church hall to market goers and raise money for church funds. See www.combermarket.co.uk for more information.

NIIRTA WELCOMES CARRIER BAG REDUCTION

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IIRTA has welcomed the 42% reduction in carrier bag usage but has called for changes to the levy.

Figures covering carrier bags supplied through seven major grocery retailers in 2004 were published last month by Wrap.

“We welcome this reduction and want to highlight the significant role played by our members who administer and collect this levy for the DoE,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of NIIRTA. “Administrating this levy is a significant burden on our members, who are already struggling with a deluge of unnecessary red tape.

“Despite processing this scheme, local retailers in Northern Ireland are not consulted on what environmental projects are funded from the levy. We repeat our call for the DoE Minister to move to the Welsh Levy scheme which allows local retailers a say on what projects it is spent on.

“NIIRTA would also urge the DoE Minister to drop his plans for a Bottle Return scheme, which would add significant cost and storage issues for our members to administer.”

NIIRTA expresses disappointment over Carnbane hypermarket

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he Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) has expressed disappointment over the failure of Newry Chamber of Commerce Judicial Review to overturn DoE Minister Mark H Durkan’s decision to grant planning permission for a major out-of-town hypermarket at Carnbane.

“NIIRTA fully supported the decision of our colleagues at Newry Chamber of Commerce to judicially review the planning permission granted for this proposed out-of-town hypermarket,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of NIIRTA. “This proposed out-of-town hypermarket is a major threat to the viability of Newry city centre and will displace and destroy jobs from existing retailers. It will take millions of pounds out of the city centre economy and radically reduce footfall.”

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retail news - symbols

Costcutter runs first TV ads for Independent brand C ostcutter Supermarkets Group’s own brand, Independent, hits television screens this summer to unveil its new range of barbeque meats.

The Independent brand launched 18 months ago and offers a range of quality, affordable products across all categories through its Independent Trader, Independent and Independent Specialist tiers.

The new Independent television advert runs in a 10-second format and showcases some of the all new summer barbeque meats range which includes sirloin and rump steaks, pepper beef steaks, kebabs and flavoured Ribs and Pork Steaks all of which are included in a tasty ‘any 2 for £6’ deal. In another first for the brand, the television

adverts feature the products cooked and served in a summer garden setting, rather than just pack shots.

Independent products also feature in the 30-second Costcutter adverts with the barbeque meats range alongside other products from the Independent range to round off a strong summer food and drinks offer.

The adverts will run across ITV and Five in primetime programmes including Emmerdale, Lorraine, Loose Women and ITV News.

“The Independent brand has grown 20% year-to-date with excellent feedback from both retailers and consumers,” said Jenny Wilson, marketing director for Costcutter Supermarkets Group. “This new television advert is part of our wider marketing strategy and will help drive increased consumer awareness for the Independent brand, showcase the great new products and strong consumer offers we have in the range and help to drive footfall into stores. These barbeque meats are a fantastic addition to the range and we have included other Independent products to create a really compelling summer offer.”

Rugby stars in the making at Centra Ulster Rugby Camp U lster Rugby heroes, Paul Rowley and Stuart Olding called in to the Centra Ulster Rugby Summer Camp at Larne RFC, to give hints and tips to the budding young players attending the camp. One lucky player received a special certificate in recognition of his playing skills.

Will joined other local boys and girls at the five day camp to learn new skills and meet the visiting rugby heroes. All participants received a Summer Camp boot bag with T-shirt, rugby ball and a voucher to claim a free ticket to an

Ulster Game at the Kingspan Stadium.

Ulster Rugby Summer Camps, sponsored by independent retail group Centra, are taking place at 24 locations across Ulster this summer and will cater to almost 2,000 young players.

While most of the Summer Camps are for children aged 6-12, there are three camps tailored specially for Girls’ rugby, a special needs camp and the ever popular Senior Camp aimed at boys and girls aged 13-17 years old.

Tollymore Forest Park named Top Picnic Spot

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ollymore Forest Park has been named Northern Ireland’s Top Picnic Spot in a search by local independent retail brand Centra, supported by Tourism NI. The popular park, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in Co Down, beat off competition from other short-listed locations including Crawfordsburn Country Park in Co Down, Co Antrim’s Giant’s Causeway and Carnfunnock Country Park and Derry~Londonderry’s St. Columb’s Park.

The online search gave people across Northern Ireland the chance to share their favourite picnic spots, from hidden gems to nostalgic childhood spots, current favourites and scenic locations. Two lucky winners of the Centra Top Picnic Spot search were selected at random, winning a £200 Hastings Hotel voucher and a £50 Centra voucher each.

Centra, supported by Tourism NI, also asked people across Northern Ireland to nominate Announcing the winner at their favourite beach spot. Visit Tollymore Forest Park is Centra’s Jennifer Morton along with local www.facebook.www.centra.co.uk/topspots for Centra Newcastle retailer, Hugh more information.

Smyth.

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Skills Award winner Will McIlveen from Ballycarry receives his certificate from Richard Lusty, store owner of Centra Larne, and Ulster Rugby’s Paul Rowley and Stuart Olding. Along with Camp Manager Chris Galway, Will is cheered on by fellow young players at this year’s Centra Ulster Rugby Summer Camp at Larne RFC.

Henderson Group named ‘Right Place to Work’

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he Henderson Group has scooped the prestigious award of ‘Right Place to Work’ at the Irish News Workplace & Employment awards, which were held recently in Bronagh Luke, head of Corporate Marketing, Emma Gibson HR manager Titanic Belfast. and Sam Davidson, HR director from the The award which looked Henderson Group proudly picked up the ‘Right Place to work’ Award at the Irish for socially responsible News Workplace & Employment awards organisations judged from Comedian Patrick Kielty, compere of the evening and award sponsor Mark Henderson Group on its Regan, h3 Health Insurance. close links to community and charitable initiatives, along with its genuine commitment to environmental issues.

The judges were bowled over by the breadth of peopleenhancing initiatives the Henderson Group had implemented, commenting: “It proactively engages in a range of CSR activities under the banner of ‘Tomorrow Matters’, and its entry proved a real stand-out.”

The ceremony was compered by BBC presenter Karen Patterson and supported by local comedian Paddy Kielty who also entertained guests with a stand-up comedy routine.

retail news - multiples

Tesco sponsors Small Producer of the Year award Winners are pictured at last year’s Awards.

T

esco Ireland is sponsoring the Small Producer of the Year award in this year’s Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards, which are open to retailers, food producers and manufacturers across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The shortlist for the awards was announced this month, with the results to be announced at a gala dinner in the Round Room at The Mansion House in Dublin on September 16.

The accolades, now in their third year, set

out to recognise excellence in food and drink product development from a wide variety of companies across Ireland.

Judging took place over three weeks in July at the Dublin Institute of Technology’s School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology.

A team from Tesco Ireland will judge all short-listed small producer products, and choose a winner based on the best in quality, taste, aroma, price point, innovation, packaging, ingredients and aims in the market.

In addition to the award, Tesco Ireland will provide the winner with a prize of €2,500 and a place on the next Tesco Taste Bud supplier development programme run in partnership with Bord Bia.

Report highlights importance of digital skills in retail

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etailers need to attract graduates and workers with digital and customer service skills to boost productivity in the sector, according to a new report by Government skills experts, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES).

The report, Sector Insights: skills and performance challenges in the retail sector, highlights that recruiting technically skilled people and upskilling the existing workforce will be crucial for the sector to take full advantage of the changing retail landscape.

Improving productivity levels is particularly important, as the Government’s recently released productivity plan Fixing the Foundations identifies wholesale and retail as one of five sectors in the UK representing a ‘productivity shortfall’.

Skilled workers are in short supply as many choose careers other than retail, and nearly one in five retail establishments reported skills gaps. UKCES’s research says that the sector needs to improve its image, develop clear progression routes and promote opportunities to use technology-based skills in a higher level retail career to undergraduates and graduates.

Online shopping currently represents 12% of the total value of retail sales, and retailers face the challenges of meeting the expectations of increasingly tech-savvy customers and providing an ‘omni-channel’ shopping experience, with a seamless blend between online and offline offers.

“The wholesale and retail sector is the largest sector in the UK economy by employment, but sector productivity is relatively low,” said Dr Vicki Belt, assistant director at UKCES. “There is scope to improve productivity by making full use of existing talent and ensuring that workers have the opportunity to build their skills and experience, and progress within the sector.”

36 • Ulster Grocer | JANUARY 2011

Since its launch in 2012, nearly 70 Irish food and drink companies have joined the supplier development programme, recording over €30m worth of sales in Tesco stores, with nearly a quarter of this revenue generated in the UK, highlighting the export opportunities realised through the programme.

The winning small producer will receive mentoring from the Taste Bud team and participate in a seven-month programme of workshops helping the company to secure, grow and maintain a listing with Tesco.

“As the world’s biggest buyer of Irish food and drink our support for Irish suppliers is central to our business and is growing year on year,” said Tracey McDermott, head of Trading Law and Technical, Tesco Ireland.

“We are proud to support over 13,000 Irish farm families and 480 Irish SMEs. We are delighted to sponsor the Small Producer of the Year award at this year’s Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards and to play a role in recognising excellence in food and drink development among small producers in Ireland.”

RH Amar launches 70th anniversary guide for retailers

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H Amar, the UK’s leading fine food importer and distributor, is marking 70 years of driving trends in food and drink with the launch of a new fine food guide for retailers.

Aimed at helping retailers of all sizes make the most out of fine food, the four-page guide outlines the company’s expertise as it enters its eighth decade of growing sales for retailers, and offers tips and advice about where the next big trends are likely to come from.

Among the opportunities, RH Amar highlights seven key areas for retailers to look out for if they want to stay ahead of the game, as a series of factors – including the emergence of a new generation of discerning ‘Millennial’ shoppers – look set to leave their mark on the retail landscape. The trends are: Convenience, Wellness & Health, Weight Management, Flavour, Snacking, Cooking and Provenance & Authenticity.

“As a company, we now operate across more than a dozen categories and represent in excess of 40 brands, so we’re confident we’ve picked up a few insights over the last 70 years when it comes to trend spotting,” said RH Amar MD Rob Amar, whose grandfather Raoul founded the company in 1945.

“For example, we were responsible for driving both the olive and olive oil markets in the UK, and as well as helping retailers keep up to speed with the latest trends and predictions, our new four-page guide explains how retailers can get hold of the products they need in order to win in fine food.”

The guide – Helping Customers Grow Fine Food Sales – offers advice across a number of important fine food categories including Oils, Olives & Capers, and Dressing & Salad Accompaniments, and can be downloaded from www.rhamar.com.

A separate guide has also been produced for brand owners, which aims to highlight the size of the fine food market in the UK, as well as offering hints and tips about how to break into the market.

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My Life in the Grocery Trade Claire Kelly, owner of Passion Preserved WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? I’m the owner of Passion Preserved – a savoury preserves company.

MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? There have been many but winning two Great Taste awards and a Bronze in the Irish Food Awards in 2014 was very special.

BRIEFLY OUTLINE YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY TO DATE From 1980 –1992, I worked for and later trained to be a Chartered Accountant.

From 1996–2007, I was first a partner and then a sole trader in my own practice W D Doloughan & Co. From 2007–2012, I merged my practice with Johnston Kennedy Chartered Accountants and worked for them as a senior manager. From 2012 to date, I have been running Passion Preserved.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL RETAIL INDUSTRY? The food scene in Northern Ireland is full of very passionate people who are incredibly proud of this country and its produce. There is a real sense of community and working together to showcase how amazing our food is. Being involved with them it’s impossible not to raise your game and try even harder.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? Everything! I’m gardener, purchase department, product development, manufacturer, marketing, credit control – just the typical small business owner.

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? Best – when you get praise from a customer for a product.

Worst – when it’s been a long day peeling vegetables and there is still loads to do.

BRIEFLY OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY. Check emails, social media etc for anything that needs replying to. Check to do list in case

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there are orders that need to go out that day.

Either go to garden/orchard/polytunnel and harvest or to wholesaler for produce. Head out to my kitchen unit to prepare whatever I’m cooking. Most of my products require more than one day in the kitchen so it’s rare that I’ll prepare and cook on the same day.

After a day in preparation I’ll catch up with emails/social media (and housework).

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? I enjoy reading, crochet, patchwork quilting, and gardening in my ornamental garden.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW. I’m a leap year baby – born on the 29th February (and I’m not saying when!)

I’m gardener, purchase department, product development, manufacturer, marketing, credit control - just the typical small business owner.”

instore focus

New look Mace in Kilrea Ulster Grocer’s Alyson Magee talks to Paul Steele about his store’s recent refurbishment

The whole store seems bigger and airier and you can see the change in customer behaviour, with customers spending more time in the shop, browsing more and spending more.”

P

aul Steele, owner of the new look Mace in Kilrea, is busy filling his new bakery stand with freshly baked bread when I meet him to talk about his store’s recent refurbishment.

He seems totally at home in his new look store and I am intrigued to find out about the changes he has made.

Mace Kilrea, known locally as Stevenson’s Mace, is a family run store on the ‘quiet side’ of Kilrea in rural Derry. The 2,200 sq ft store does a brisk trade and after 15 years in retail, there is not much that Paul doesn’t know about the business and Kilrea.

Paul is a no-nonsense, ‘hands on’ retailer and as he speaks, his passion for his store and local community is evident. The refurbishment has been hard work for Paul and his staff but the store is currently one, of only two, to sport the new Mace look and offer. Over a hot cup of Arabica coffee and fresh blueberry muffin, I spoke to Paul about the whole experience and why he decided on the change.

“I decided to go ahead with the refit after speaking with Mace. It had been a few years since my last refit and it was time to upgrade.

I was also aware that trade was changing with customers looking for a more comprehensive offer. Mace have produced a substantially new store format and customer offer based upon a lot of market research they had done and I was really impressed with the new proposition. I thought there were a lot of elements in the new format that would work well for my business.

What I wanted was to build on what we already have - a strong business serving loyal, local customers and passing commuters. I realised that, the refit would cause some short

8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

term disruption but I was confident that by implementing the new Mace format and customer offer here in Kilrea, I would have a different and better store with improved sales and profit.

Both our customers and staff were fantastic during the refurbishment with everyone showing that special Northern Irish resilience by just getting on with it! In the end the whole process took only three weeks and I now have a better store in just about every aspect.”

There is no doubt that the new Mace format is brighter and sharper than other Mace stores that I have been in, so I ask Paul about the reaction of his customers?

“My customers think it’s great. The store is a lot brighter, warmer and easier to shop than previously. The new colour schemes guide customers easily to the key categories and the value offer. The whole store seems bigger and airier and you can see the change in customer behaviour, with customers spending more time in the shop, browsing more and spending more.”

Food to Go is a large part of Paul’s business and is one of the areas

that have undergone most change during the refurbishment.

“Food To Go and coffee are two of the key categories that bring customers through my door, so we had to get them right. The store already had a decent offering but the new Mace proposition gave us a lot more options to improve the offer and maximise our return.

Our coffee dock was the first big change.

We ditched our old dock and installed a new Mace ‘destination’ self-serve dock. This was fitted with a new digital coffee machine that

> 11

instore focus

My customers think it’s great.

The store is a lot brighter, warmer and easier to shop than previously.”

> offers a selection of bean to cup coffees, speciality teas and hot chocolates. The real attraction of this dock is that it helps with upselling with the milk dispenser situated below the unit, freeing up space on top for areas to display bakery. We were then able to maximise proximity sales by introducing ‘linked deals’ of coffee with pastries or confectionery. This has proved a big hit with my customers.

The dock helps us increase efficiencies at the hot and cold deli counter too with a selfserve area for porridge or soup - this freed up space at the deli counters allowing for increased sales and better staff productivity.

As part of the refurbishment, the store introduced a new Mace in-store bakery, and if this muffin that I am eating is anything to go by, it must be a huge attraction for customers.

8 • •Ulster 3612 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

Paul says, “The bakery is something completely new for us and I have received nothing but positive comments from my customers with a big increase in sales. We now have bread and pastries baked fresh daily in store on top of our normal range.

Mace advised us to bake, little and often, so there is a steady stream of fresh bread for customers and very little waste. It also creates an amazing smell for customers which does no harm to sales.“ Paul’s deli counters do a brisk trade particularly in the morning and at lunch time. I ask Paul about what has changed.

“We increased the size of both the hot and cold deli areas with a new offer in both.

The Mace Food To Go advisor was great at offering us advice and different options that could work for our store and I took a lot of

these on board. We also added new ready to heat and ready to cook meal solutions and fresh meat ranges in new chill units.

These have been performing very well so far - especially the meat range.

None of the changes we have made would have been possible without our staff. We’re like a family here; Kilrea is a small town and a very close community. I like to think of the store as a part of that close knit community, where everyone has their part to play and looks out for one another. The staff were a huge part in this change and I am exceptionally proud of them” I ask Paul if he is happy with the refurbishment.

“Yes, definitely, if you look at where

instore focus

There is a genuine excitement at the depth and quality of the new range and this has been reflected in a significant increase in footfall and sales.” we were, to where we have come to, the store looks completely different. There is a genuine excitement at the depth and quality of the new range and this has been reflected in a significant increase in footfall and sales.

Both have exceeded what I thought were already ambitious growth targets. For me it all goes to prove that hard work, flexibility, a willingness to invest and to take the odd risk - together with, the support of a strong

8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

wholesale partner, as I have with Mace, keeps you one step ahead in what is a very competitive market.”

Mace Sales Director Trevor Magill, said, “We’re delighted with the new Mace proposition and how it’s been delivered in Paul’s store in Kilrea and in Mace Finaghy Road North in Belfast. These stores showcase the best of what Mace can now offer and provide a good platform to further

develop the brand in the years to come.

Retailer reaction from existing customers, as well as a significant number retailers trading with other wholesalers, has been tremendous and our main challenge now is in keeping up with demand for refits and stores wanting to join – this is a really good challenge to have and one the team is looking forward to meeting. There has never been a better time to join Mace!”

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PROFILE

Volvo Truck and Bus dealer, Dennison Commercials Ltd Volvo Truck and Bus dealer, Dennison Commercials Ltd, is the leading supplier of heavy goods vehicles in Northern Ireland.

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he company operates a number of sites, with headquarters in Ballyclare which includes new and used truck sales and commercial vehicle rentals and a comprehensive range of aftermarket services.

Other dealerpoints, which provide nationwide coverage for service, repair and parts, are located in Coleraine, Dungannon and Newry, and a highly specialist commercial vehicle bodyshop is also operated from a separate site in Ballyclare. With this unrivalled network and 24/7 back up support, Dennisons can offer maximised vehicle uptime.

All Dennison Commercials’ workshops are equipped with the very latest tools and machinery and the company boasts an extremely experienced, dedicated and highly knowledgeable workforce. The average length of service for Dennison employees is around ten years and over one-third of staff have been with the business for over ten years, meaning that customers receive peace of mind due to continuity in the staff that they deal with. Of course, these figures have changed significantly in the last few years as Dennisons has undertaken a significant recruitment drive to fulfil expanding business, not least in technical staff. All depots currently have the most staff ever, with personnel numbers increasing by 36% overall between 2011 and today.

The Volvo Truck Range Dennisons consistently achieve the number one position in marketshare in Northern Ireland for truck sales, and have recently made gains in the smaller end of the market with the Volvo FL and FE product, which are now available from 10 tonnes and above.

The Volvo range of rigid trucks are perfect 14

maintenance packages can also be included to further reduce hassle for the operator.

The Volvo core values - quality, safety and environmental care - are fundamental to the Dennison Commercials business, and working in tandem with these values Dennisons aim to, not only meet, but exceed customer expectations.

for the food distribution sector as they are, not only easy to own, but easy to drive. They were designed with driver comfort in mind, offer flexible manoeuverability within tight city centre spaces and are well-received within the industry for fuel efficiency.

Dennisons understand that vehicle operators in the food industry have a core business that may not necessarily be focused primarily on operating trucks, therefore can help relieve the pressures of running a truck or fleet, from vehicle specification through the entire vehicle lifecycle.

Dennisons sales staff are experts in tailoring vehicle designs to exactly suit all operational requirements, and with a range of flexible finance packages, Dennisons can offer affordable, fixed cost options. Various

Dedication to the NI Marketplace Dennisons have proven long term commitment to the NI marketplace. Since being established in 1969 the company has demonstrated continued growth and improvement, with their customers’ needs and demands at the heart of it all. This is perhaps best demonstrated by the organisation’s commitment and dedication to customer service, which can be demonstrated by a customer satisfaction index consistently over 90% (more recently pushing to 93 and 94%). This percentage represents the proportion of customers independently surveyed that are either ‘very’ or ‘completely satisfied’ with their experience of dealing with Dennisons.

Dennisons Open Day Event Dennisons are holding an Open Day on Thursday 3rd September, which will showcase the range of products and services that the company can offer. As well as this, there will be the opportunity to drive or view the full Volvo truck range. Ulster Grocer customers are very welcome to take up this opportunity. More information on the event can be found at www.dennisons. co.uk/events or on Dennison’s social media (www.facebook.com/DennisonCommercials or www.twitter.com/DennisonGroup).

FOOD & DRINK NEWS

Hovis brings out flavour with Seed Sensations and Granary range re-launch and packaging re-vamp H

ovis is cementing its market lead in the ‘bread with bits’ segment with a re-launch of the premium Seeded and Granary ranges, with a national summer campaign, using the new packaging to draw particular attention to the health and nutrition benefits and superior taste.

The new packaging and activity aims to draw attention to several of the bread’s attributes. Firstly the great taste delivered by the seeds and sprouted whole grains added to the breads. Secondly, it will also raise awareness of the health benefits of the seeds, which contain protein and Omega 3. Finally the new packaging design will highlights that no

“The new packaging and activity aims to draw attention to several of the bread’s attributes. Firstly the great taste delivered by the seeds and sprouted whole grains added to the breads. Secondly, it will also raise awareness of the health benefits of the seeds.”

artificial preservatives are used in Hovis breads.

Recipes have been improved in the Seeded Original, Wholemeal Seeded Original with a ‘new improved’ flash on the packaging to draw the shoppers’ attention to this.

Hovis, Northern Ireland, the no.1 bread brand with 32% Value share (IRI last 52 weeks Jun 2015) is perfectly placed to drive value into the bread category, by focusing on this premium bread segment.

The seeded bread segment currently represents 11% of total bread sales, with Hovis Seeded breads counting for 76% of total seeded sales.

The re-launch will be supported by print and in store marketing, reinforcing the taste message, with the aim of raising awareness.

Consumers will be encouraged to trial the breads, with a coupon offer on the Hovis Wholemeal loaf, offering 30p off any Hovis Seeded or granary loaf throughout August.

Jackie Kirk, Ireland Brand Manager, Belfast said, “We are all really excited about this new campaign, which is the start of a wave of activity we have planned out to year end for Hovis. The quality, the goodness of the ingredients, and the ‘no artificial preservatives’

message, are all part of every Hovis loaf and, as such, it is vital that we communicate these key attributes to consumers and retailers alike.

“Our research has shown that consumers want foods that deliver health benefits, and foods that are perceived as more natural and less processed are top of their purchasing priorities. Our new look packaging will meet this need by highlighting the recipe improvements and statements regarding ingredients on pack, and will create stand-out in store, supported by a range of POS for retailers.”

In store the focus of the communication will be on flavour through the seeds and grains, with POS at the fixture and banners drawing attention to the products in the range with a ‘Flavour brings out flavour’ strapline and appetising visuals of healthy ingredient combinations.

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“Our research has shown that consumers want foods that deliver health benefits, and foods that are perceived as more natural and less processed are top of their purchasing priorities.”

food & drink news

High protein porridge launched by White’s W

hite’s has developed a higher protein porridge that’s aimed at consumers throughout the UK, Republic of Ireland and further afield focusing on active and healthier lifestyles.

The new product, ActivOat High Protein Porridge, was developed to provide all the key nutrients from oats with the addition of Soy Protein to deliver a high nutritional boost. The product is available in original and apple and cinnamon flavours. Each 240g pack contains six sachets for convenience.

“Protein is essential to the growth and repair of muscle and is a perfect fit when training,” said Danielle McBride, brand manager at White’s. “White’s ActivOat High Protein provides all nine essential amino acids, the vital building blocks of muscle growth, and delivers 10.5g of protein in a 40g serving, more than double than in a standard serving of porridge.”

The company trialled ActivOat with the Ulster Rugby squad which recently reached the semi final stage of the European Pro 12 League.

White’s supplied the Ulster Rugby team with porridge as part Ulster Rugby’s food first approach to performance nutrition.

18

halloween preview

Rankin Selection Goes ‘Batty’ for Barmbrack I

rwin’s Bakery has the perfect partner for Halloween celebrations – its traditional Rankin Selection Irish Barmbrack. When it comes to this spooky season, Irwin’s Rankin Selection Barmbrack is a favourite among shoppers.

Created in partnership with top chef Paul Rankin, Rankin Selection Barmbrack is one of seven products which make up Irwin’s Rankin Selection range of traditional Irish breads. Packed with sultanas, orange and lemon peel, Rankin Selection Barmbrack is the perfect comfort food for autumn - toasted with butter or jam - or for shoppers who want to make Halloween a little more special by hiding a coin or ring between the slices of the sweet fruit loaf.

Not just for Halloween, Irwin’s will introduce a Christmas Barmbrack with seasonal packaging in November especially for the festive season.

The Rankin Selection range of traditional Irish breads, including Barmbrack (RRP £1.80) is stocked in retailers across Northern Ireland.

Irwin’s has recently invested £350,000 in rebranding the Rankin Selection range, which has grown by almost 30% in Great Britain since 2005 and is currently worth £9m.

The rebrand investment includes a packaging makeover, which conveys the products’ artisan feel and heritage. “The Rankin Selection bread range has been an enormous success story for Irwin’s, creating a significant increase in trade with major retailers in GB,” said John Hopkins, sales director, Irwin’s Bakery.

“The new look packaging responds to the demands facing shoppers today. Each pack now features indicators communicating key attributes of the product such as a shamrock depicting Irish ingredients, a toaster indicating the product tastes best toasted, and a slice of bread illustrating the product is yeast-free.

“We have also refreshed some of the product names in the range, making it easier for consumers to identify exactly which bread suits their individual tastes and needs.

“We are confident the rebrand will promote further growth within a competitive market place by reminding consumers of the quality of Rankin Selection products, as well as attracting new consumers to trial the range.”

The newly packaged Rankin Selection product range is stocked in major retailers across GB including Tesco, Asda, Morrison’s, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s.

36 • Ulster Grocer | JANUARY 2011

19

BACK TO SCHOOL

Spelga –

The Real taste of Home

Dale Farm invests in a major marketing campaign for its yogurt brand.

D

ale Farm, manufacturers of Northern Ireland’s iconic Spelga yogurt brand, will be investing in a heavyweight strategic integrated marketing campaign to drive awareness and sales of its core brand ranges in 2015.

As part of The Real Taste of Home campaign, Spelga’s new TV advertisement will run throughout the late summer and autumn period, and will be supported with a strategic outdoor campaign. The objective is to resonate with families across Northern Ireland who juggle busy lifestyles and manage to ‘do it all’.

“Consumer lifestyles are extra busy today – with the need to balance family and work priorities with other goals like staying active and making healthy eating choices,” said Suzanne McKay, brand manager for Spelga.

“The new Spelga advertising shows how the brand plays a simple but important part in that modern lifestyle – our yogurts are the perfect way to grab a little ‘me time’ as well 20

Our current campaign will celebrate the versatility of the Spelga range.” as providing a delicious choice for everyone in the family.

“The busy household scene portrayed in the TV ad will remind consumers that Spelga is a convenient and enjoyable snack choice, at any time of day, and our targeted outdoor advertising sites will further prompt the consumer right at the point of purchase.”

As well as investment in marketing, Dale Farm continues to place a focus on

innovation and new product development, having recently launched its 0% Fat Greek Style Frozen Yogurt. This innovative, healthy product comes in refreshing, moreish flavours including Lemon, Vanilla & Mango and Mixed Berry, and has already been proving popular with Northern Ireland consumers through the summer period.

“The Spelga range offers something for everyone in the family, from our healthy 0% Fat Greek Style yogurts to indulgent Spelga Crumbles and of course our much loved, classic Low Fat flavours,” said McKay. “Our current campaign will celebrate the versatility of the Spelga range and importantly drive sales for our retail partners during the Autumn trading period.”

Partly filmed against the backdrop of recognisable local landmark, the iconic Scrabo Tower in Newtownards, Spelga: The Real Taste of Home will air on UTV, GMTV and Sky throughout the summer and autumn periods.

For more information on Dale Farm Spelga’s wide range of products, visit www.dalefarm.co.uk /myspelga

#RealTaste

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

The inside track on franchising The British Franchise Association explains what the process involves. franchisor retains control over the way in which products and services are marketed and sold, and controls the quality and standards of the business.

What are the cost implications?

The franchisor will receive an initial fee from the franchisee, payable at the outset, together with ongoing management service fees – usually based on a percentage of annual turnover or mark-ups on supplies. In return, the franchisor has an obligation to support the franchise network, notably with training, product development, marketing and advertising, promotional activities and with a specialist range of management services.

McDonald’s run franchises throughout the world.

What is franchising?

Business format franchising is the granting of a licence by one person (the franchisor) to another (the franchisee), which entitles the franchisee to own and operate their own business under the brand, systems and proven business model of the franchisor.

The franchisee also receives initial training and ongoing support, comprising all the elements necessary to establish a previously untrained person in the business. The legal contract, or franchise agreement, between the two parties sets out the obligations and rights of both franchisor and franchisee, and determines how long the franchise arrangement will last (including renewal options).

The principle is simple – rather than developing company-owned outlets, some businesses instead expand by granting a franchise to others to sell their product or service. There are clear advantages to both franchisors and franchisees, just some of which are:

22

• You don’t have to come up with a new idea – someone else has had it and tested it too!

• Larger, well-established franchise businesses will often have national advertising campaigns and a solid trading name.

• Good franchise businesses will offer comprehensive training programmes in sales and, indeed, all business skills.

• Good franchise businesses can also help secure funding for your investment as well as, for example, discounted bulk-purchases for outlets when you are in operation.

• If customers are aware that you are running a franchise business, they will understand that you offer the best possible value for money and a consistent quality of service – although you run your ‘own show’, you are part of a much larger organisation.

• You grow the business and, when you are ready to move on, can sell it for a profit.

Who is in control?

Each franchise business outlet/unit is owned and operated by the franchisee. However, the

What are the advantages of franchising?

• Around 92% of all UK franchisees reported profitability over the last 12 months.

• The business format is proven.

• You have the opportunity to build your capital as well as your earnings.

• It is your business and you are the owner manager, providing you follow the system, you decide what goes.

• The major banks are very supportive of good franchising.

What are the disadvantages of franchising?

• Running any business is hard work, demanding the highest level of personal and family commitment.

• You make a financial investment, however, no investment is guaranteed, especially when it depends on the efforts of both you and your franchisor as well as the vagaries of the market place.

• You buy into a proven business system for its benefits but you also take on the responsibility for following it – not doing so may result in you losing the business.

Henderson Wholesale LtedTop Rated No. 5 in th 25 Local Food and Drink Companies

www.henderson-group.com

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

Subway sets its sights on 100 new franchisees by 2016

Stephen Coulter runs a Subway franchise at the Holywood Exchange

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he SUBWAY brand is one of the most popular franchise opportunities, with more than 43,000 SUBWAY stores worldwide in over 110 countries. Earlier this year, the brand celebrated the opening of its 2,000th SUBWAY store in the UK and Ireland, over 90 of which are currently located in Northern Ireland. With plans to have 100 stores open in the region by the end of 2016, the SUBWAY brand is actively seeking new franchisees to be part of the success story as it continues its expansion.

Changing career is often a daunting prospect, but there are many opportunities

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out there for those who would like to start their own business. Owing much of its success to the strong support systems it has in place for franchisees, the SUBWAY brand allows each individual to operate within a tried and tested system with excellent training and a solid support structure.

There is plenty of advice available for entrepreneurs who are interested in buying a SUBWAY franchise. Across the UK and Ireland, the SUBWAY brand has 20 development offices. New franchisees are invited to attend local seminars or talk to their regional Development Agents and Field Consultants, who are experts in their local area and have considerable knowledge of the opportunities available and how to make the most of these.

Additionally, new SUBWAY franchisees are required to attend a two-week training course ahead of opening their own stores, providing them with an overview of both operating a SUBWAY store and running a business.

On completion of the training, franchisees are well-equipped to take the next steps in opening their own store.

SUBWAY franchisee, Stephen Coulter benefitted from the SUBWAY brand’s extensive training programme when opening his first store in Belfast.

“In January 2013, I began the process of applying for a SUBWAY franchise, spending time in SUBWAY stores, talking to other franchisees and writing my business plan,” says Coulter. “The guidance and support I had from the regional development team was so valuable, I felt like they were there with me every step of the way, and I could call them to ask anything. The support was probably the most reassuring aspect for me - although I had decided to start my own business, I felt I was in good company, and was being well looked after.

“It’s really hard work running your own business, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s one of the best things I have ever done, and what’s more important, I really enjoy it.”

To find out more about becoming a SUBWAY® franchisee, visit www.subway. co.uk/business, call 0800 0855 058 (UK) or 1800 413 076 (Eire) or email: franchiseopportunities@subway.co.uk.

perspective

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John McNeill is regional operations director for The Co-operative Food.

8 364• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

The perfect partnership with Costcutter Supermarkets Group BIG & LOCAL The Group’s own brand Independent offers high quality at great value prices. It is a great alternative to big brands across three tiers – Independent Trader, Independent and Independent Specialist – and has been created just for local shops, giving people more reasons to shop and stay local.

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our local knowledge combined with the Costcutter Supermarkets Group’s retail expertise is the perfect partnership, according to the group. With unrivalled buying power, specialist advice and ongoing support, Costcutter can tackle market challenges, compete against the multiples and help grow your business the way you want to.

BEST PRICING & POWER Costcutter Supermarkets Group offers the largest volume buying power in the UK convenience sector – worth £5bn, through its joint venture buying company, The BuyCo, whose sole purpose is to negotiate the best prices for its retailers.

The group’s pricing is simple, transparent, fair and incredibly competitive. You can offer shoppers excellent prices because of our great wholesale prices, delivering strong margins for retailers. There are no hidden charges, no surcharges, no membership fees and no low or missed order fees. We also offer competitive rebates.

26

BEST BRANDS & FORMATS You want a store that shoppers trust and recognise, and that has your personal touch and is tailored to meet the needs of your community. Costcutter Supermarkets Group’s three powerful retail brands – Costcutter, kwiksave and Supershop – are famous for value and delivering a strong retail experience across a broad range of convenience formats, including high street, village, large urban stores, forecourts and CTNs. The group’s partnership with Simply Fresh complements its brands and presents exciting growth opportunities.

THE BEST RANGE & PROMOTIONS The Group recognises and responds to the on-going change in convenience shopping, from distress purchase to regular grocery shops which is why it offers over 10,000 bestsellers so you can tailor your range, the best promotions in the independent sector with over 300 deals every three weeks and free POS to ensure your promotions are unmissable and drive sales.

CONSUMER MARKETING Costcutter Supermarkets Group builds awareness of the brands with marketing that is focused on your local community – building engagement and driving sales. It significantly invests in TV and advertising, free POS, bespoke leaflets and is developing industryleading digital marketing. The Group also boosts sales with major seasonal promotions and events.

DISTRIBUTION In partnership with Palmer and Harvey, Costcutter Supermarkets Group delivers a personal and flexible service with Tri-temp vehicles allowing you to get all your goods in one easy to manage delivery at a frequency that is right for your store.

TECHNOLOGY Its cutting edge Activ Technology systems, including ActivCPoS, ActivOC and its retailer portal ActivHUB, have been developed inhouse by retailers for retailers to make your ordering process hassle free.

WE’RE BETTER TOGETHER Costcutter Supermarkets Group has been championing independent retailers for the past 28 years. Together, the group can make sure that independent retailers triumph. Call 01904 486 543 now to book an appointment with one of its retail advisors.

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

Nisa provides a complete retail support package for its members N

isa Retail is unique when compared to its competitors as it is a mutual style company which means it is owned by its independent retail members. Retailers have the option to operate under four symbol fascias: Nisa Local, Nisa Extra, Loco and Dual Branded whereby a member can maintain their true local identity whilst also benefiting from the strength of the Nisa brand. The Nisa symbol group continues to perform extremely strongly with recruitment up 19% year on year.

The leading independent retailing company believes giving back to the community is extremely important, as it offers its retailers the chance to participate in its charity initiative Making A Difference Locally, which last year donated £1m to charities and good causes throughout the UK. Another fundamental asset to Nisa members is the quality, award-winning supply chain which retailers can trust with an impressive 100% of deliveries made on the day and 96% were successfully on time.

This is supported through a strong range which includes 13,000 products which are provided with excellent availability. This is enhanced by hundreds of promotions which are both weekly and three weekly these include ‘Buy One Get Two Free’ ‘Better Than Half Price’ and deep cut deals which are supported by in store PoS and marketing material as well as 3 million consumer leaflets which are delivered to homes throughout the community.

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In addition to this, Nisa has its own award winning Heritage own-label range spanning over 1,300 products, incorporating Heritage Pantry, Heritage and Heritage Gourmet allowing a three tiered good, better, best approach to ranging.

Heritage provides an enhanced margin opportunity for members, whilst providing consumers with a good quality product at tremendous prices.

Also through Nisa membership, Irish retailers can source local products and have them invoiced centrally through Nisa, creating a simpler and more time efficient process for retailers. All orders are placed directly with the individual suppliers with the deliveries

being made direct to store.

To help its members’ businesses prosper, Nisa provides a complete retail support package which comprises of a strong retail focused team, made up of retail development managers, store development managers, fresh food development managers and merchandisers. There is also an enhanced category management system, a bespoke staff training facility and an insight team which provides detailed information on the Nisa shopper as well as the competition and advises on how members can use this to increase sales instore.

Further to this Nisa provides retailers with a comprehensive marketing package incorporating industry first bespoke leaflets, allowing members to personalise the leaflets to include local offers, local events and community news, as well as a personalised Nisa FM which provides retailers with a strong radio network for their store.

Nisa’s top class qualities have recently been acknowledged at a number of awards, picking up the accolade for Best Symbol Retailer, for the second year running, and Best Convenience Retailer for Promotions at the Him! CTP Awards 2015. Further to this, Nisa has once again ranked number one in the Advantage Group survey, with suppliers praising the ease of doing business with Nisa.

The process to join the Nisa group is made as stress free as possible through the enhanced member website and the support that retailers receive from the skilled and trained inhouse staff across all areas of the joining process.

Complete the form on www.join-nisa. co.uk/join.aspx to join or contact our friendly development department on 0800 542 7490.

“Nisa has the perfect range for our larger format store.”

“I was a Costcutter member for 21 years, but felt Nisa’s flexible model would benefit our 7,000 sq ft familyrun supermarket in the village of Portglenone in County Antrim more.

Our store is now a fully-fledged Nisa Extra as it underwent a revamp including a new fascia, gondola ends and staff uniforms. The store has undergone several expansions over the years and it has a deli, butchers, off licence and a wide range of products.

A strong range and promotions are really important to us because our aim is to attract shoppers to do a weekly shop at our store, rather

than travelling nine miles to the nearest multiple. We also pride ourselves on providing a friendly customer service.

We joined Nisa because we knew we would benefit from the support and services they provide, especially the fantastic availability and range for our large store, and we look forward to a prosperous future working together.

Since joining Nisa we have seen a

significant sales

uplift.

We’re in a new era now and it’s onwards and upwards from here.”

Philip O’Neill

PORTGLENONE, COUNTY ANTRIM

To find out why joining Nisa is as easy as 1-2-3 visit www.join-nisa.co.uk

8375_NISA_TRADE PRESS ADS 2015_ONeill's_AW.indd 1

24/07/2015 16:01

FRANCHISE & FASCIA

S&W offers a business partnership to its retail partners S

&W Wholesale, operator of the Today’s extra, Today’s local and Today’s express fascia, has embarked on a major expansion project to improve its offer and facilitate an increased presence across Northern Ireland.

Set to move operations to a new 56,000-square-foot ambient warehouse in Carnbane Business Park, Newry by the end of the summer, S&W in addition will be opening a new Distribution Centre offering chilled, fresh and frozen range to its franchisees.

The investment is aimed at increasing productivity and providing better value and service to its customer base throughout Ireland.

Along with holding over 5,000 of S&W’s ambient lines, the increased space will allow the company to add new lines as it continues to fulfil ambitious expansion targets.

The new central distribution facility for fresh, frozen and chilled foods also provides an exciting opportunity for Today’s symbol retailers to purchase the bulk of their products from S&W Wholesale.

Ongoing investment and innovation has resulted in rapid growth for the business over the last five years.

The Today’s fascia has been incredibly successful. Its own brand has also been a huge hit with consumers, along with the EPOS RESCAN till system, which was launched in 2013.

Today’s range of support services has given retailers vital assistance with a full store development package including imagery, EPOS, category management, marketing, and sales support for each store.

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S&W, meanwhile, has invested heavily in retail stores as a company, and now has Today’s symbol stores north and south of the border. This gives a greater insight into the challenges that retailers face in the marketplace.

The largest independent wholesaler in Northern Ireland, a large part of its phenomenal growth is thanks to the huge success of the Today’s symbol.

Accounting for a major part of S&W’s annual turnover, there are now 110 stores throughout Ireland, and with central billing partners working with the Today’s symbol, the quality of the stores has grown hugely over the years.

One of the major benefits of the Today’s symbol is that retailers work in a business partnership between group and retailer.

Today’s independent retailers are genuinely happy with the relationship, allowing them to be competitive in the marketplace.

Andrew McFarland from Today’s Markethill said: “S&W has a dedicated symbol team and, anytime I phone into the office, my calls are dealt with immediately – all staff are genuinely happy to help. More recently, I installed the Rescan Tills in my shop.

“I have found this has greatly improved my entire operation, from creating orders and deliveries to maintaining margin, the back office reports give me a better insight into the finer detail of product sales. Setting up promotions has also been made easier. I

would recommend any independent retailer to work with S&W and the Today’s Team.”

According to Shane Burns from Today’s Lisburn: “S&W Wholesale makes the whole process easy for retailers – with their complete range of central billing customers, I see them as a ‘one stop shop’ where I don’t have to use any other companies.

“They are a very professional company with reliable staff from all departments. I am very excited to learn of their new chill, fresh and frozen range.”

S&W has also invested in their e-commerce website and launched a new revamped version on June 1, which has proven to be more efficient, faster and easier to use. New features include grid format, product filters, the ability to search products by EAN code; easy to view promotions, stock status and core range lines are clearly visible allowing the retailer to shop smarter and quicker. Feedback has been very positive.

Wesley Murray who owns two Today’s shops in Belfast and one in Ballyclare said: “The progress from S&W has been very positive. The new website has a simple interface displaying products clearly. I find it easier to use and I can complete my order much faster.

“Working with S&W and the Today’s team is different to other players in the market – although they are quite a big company and always very professional, there is still a real feel of humanity that I have not felt with other larger companies.”

For a profitable future, start thinking Today’s...

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Untitled-5 1

17/08/2015 14:53:11

AGRI-FOOD

Agri-food advice: 2015 Budget highlights

By Seamus McCaffrey, managing director of Omagh-based Matrix Business Services and expert columnist for UG covering tax and business issues.

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he Summer 2015 Budget contained a number of positive measures, particularly for businesses. The first is the announcement that the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) is set at £200,000 with effect from January 1, 2016. The AIA is the allowance which can be claimed on expenditure on plant, machinery, fittings and fixtures, new or second hand.

The current annual limit is £500,000 and this limit is to be reduced to £200,000 on January 1, 2016. The AIA is available to all businesses whether sole trader, partnership or limited company. In order to claim the AIA in a particular year, a business must be using the equipment at the end of that year. In addition, the item must be paid for or a finance agreement entered into either during the year or within four months of the year end. The Budget announcement stated that the £200,000 annual allowance is to

be permanent and this will be a source of certainty in business planning.

Another budget measure affecting all businesses is the proposal to increase the National Insurance employment allowance from £2,000 to £3,000 from April 2016.

For those businesses trading as limited companies, it is proposed that the rate of Corporation Tax will be reduced from 20% to 19% from 2017 and to 18% in 2020. For companies with annual taxable profits of £20m or more, the payment dates will be brought forward by three months.

From July 8, 2015 a company which buys goodwill or any other intangible asset will no longer be entitled to tax relief on the cost of goodwill against the company’s annual profits. Companies considering the buying of a business where they could have written off the cost of goodwill should review the tax impact of this change as the alternative of buying the shares may be appropriate.

Venture Capital Schemes encourage individuals to invest in unquoted trading companies by giving individuals tax reliefs.

The Chancellor announced a number of changes to ensure that the schemes are compliant with EU rules.

With regard to personal tax, there were no announcements in relation to the rates of personal income tax. The Personal Allowance is to increase from £10,600 for 2015-16 to

£11,000 in 2016-17 and to £11,200 in 201718. The inheritance tax nil-rate band will remain frozen at £325,000 per spouse until April 2021. However, a new additional nilrate band per person will be introduced from April 2017 to allow the family home to be passed on death to direct descendants. Direct descendants are children, grandchildren including step-children, adopted children and foster children. The new allowance will be phased in for deaths after 6 April 2017 starting at £100,000 for 2017-18 and rising to £125,000 for 2018-19, £150,000 for 2019-20 and £175,000 for 2020-21. The new allowance will apply to only one residential property. If the individual owns more than one property that they previously occupied, the personal representatives can elect the property for allowance to apply.

For buy-to-let taxpayers, a consultation paper on changes to allowances is to be published.

The Budget contained a significant measure to abolish dividend tax credits from April 2016. A new dividend tax allowance of £5,000 is to be introduced and the rates of tax on dividend income above the £5,000 allowance will be 7.5% for basic rate taxpayers and 32.5% for higher rate taxpayers. This proposal requires directors and shareholders to review their current salary and dividend strategies.

Success for Northern Ireland in UK Farm Produce Awards

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wo Northern Irish artisan enterprises have won recognition in the UK Farm Produce Awards 2015. Abernethy Butter was highly commended by the judges in the Dairy category for its handmade and rolled creamery butter, and Harnett’s Oils was also highly commended for its rapeseed oil in the Cooking Oils section.

Abernethy Butter, based at Dromara in Co Down, is run by husband and wife team Will and Allison Abernethy and specialises in hand churning, rolling and packing of creamy butter using milk from a local farm. The company has developed a range of three butters – original, smoked and seaweed and sea salt flavoured.

Abernethy has won a series of awards for the taste and wholesomeness of its butters including Great Taste Awards. It also makes dairy fudge and a brandy sauce for the Christmas market.

Harnett’s Oil is another family run

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business based near Banbridge in Co Down.

The company grows oil seed rape, cold presses and bottles rapeseed and other culinary oils on the family farm which has been owned by the Harnett family since 1656. It also produces hemp, linseed and sunflower oils on the farm. It has won Great Taste and National Irish Food awards.

The Farm Produce Awards is a competition organised by Great British Food magazine and is now in its second year. The awards were judged by chefs and other industry experts including Nathan Outlaw, Rosemary Shrager, Jimmy Doherty and Valentine Warner.

The awards were developed to provide a platform for the ‘skilled, passionate – and often unsung – artisans behind the nation’s finest speciality food and drink’.

From cheese and bacon to beer and oil, the 14 award categories represented the huge spectrum of fine farm produce on the market.

The judges were tasked to identify ‘products

with stellar British credentials’. Close attention was paid by the judges to the provenance of the ingredients.

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

September deadline for Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards

Launching the awards for this year are Dawn Cann of Avondale Foods, winner of the all-island Food & Drink award last year, Margaret Hearty of IntertradeIreland, Richard Donnan of Ulster Bank, and Ian Murphy of Invest NI.

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op achievers in business are being encouraged to enter Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards, which gains unrivalled publicity for successful applicants and potentially a £35,000 publishing bursary.

The Awards include an Ulster heat, followed by an all-island final, and are run in association with Invest NI and IntertradeIreland, with

the aim of celebrating the achievements of local companies across a wide range of sectors.

Small and medium-sized enterprises can submit their entries via BusinessAchieversAward.com and are permitted to enter up to two of the eight categories, with a deadline of September 25 applying.

Previous Northern Ireland winners at an all-island level include Avondale Foods, Mash Direct, and BubbleBum. Companies can enter in any two of the following categories: Business Start Up Award; Small Business Award; Established SME Award; International Business Award; Woman Led Business Award; Food & Drink Award; Social Enterprise Award; and Agri-Business Award.

Judges in the two-tiered competition will recognise successes in the Ulster provincial stage before inviting these winners to compete at an all-island awards ceremony. Taking place in December, this event will crown all-island category winners as the overall Ulster Bank Business Achiever for 2015.

“The Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the many accomplishments of our local SMEs and we are delighted to do so,” said Richard Donnan of Ulster Bank.

“Winning an Ulster Bank Business Achievers Award brings many benefits, including positive publicity, the opportunity to network with other top businesses, and a great boost for staff morale. I very much look forward to seeing this year’s entries and to congratulating the winners.”

UFU enters debate on pig industry developments

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he Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has called for science and local legislation to guide the debate on planning issues related to on-farm developments.

This has come to a head over plans for a new state of the art pig unit in Co Antrim, which has become something of a cause with campaigners against intensive livestock farming. The UFU says it believes celebrity views from overseas should not be allowed to take precedence over those of people in Northern Ireland.

It believes that with robust planning and environmental controls here, there is no need for pressure groups to use this development as a vehicle to seek publicity for their views.

“There can be no question that their involvement attracts media attention – but at the end of the day the views of campaigners like Brian May, Martin Shaw or Jenny Seagrove should not weigh more heavily than those of people who live in the area, or the thousands who work in processing jobs that depend on supplies coming from local farms,” said Ivor Ferguson, pig farmer and UFU deputy president.

Ferguson said he could understand the concerns raised by people over issues such as smells, traffic, noise and environmental pollution. “These are all justifiable concerns and it is right that these and other issues are addressed as part of the planning process – as would be the case with any other business,” he said.

The UFU said a campaign was being orchestrated against the development, simply because of its scale. However with demand for food set to grow, creating opportunities for farmers and food processors – and with the potential to bring new jobs to the biggest sector of the economy – the UFU believes policymakers here cannot ignore the reality that scale, efficiency and high animal welfare standards can go hand in hand.

NI cereal growers gear up for business A

llan Chambers, chairman of the Ulster Farmers’ Union cereals committee, is encouraging livestock farmers to support their local cereal growers this harvest.

“As soon as weather permits, harvesting will be getting into full swing across Northern Ireland and every effort should be made to capitalise on the opportunity to do business locally with your neighbouring cereal farmer,” said Chambers.

He said this concept of farmers helping other farmers made economic and market success, at a time when the entire agricultural industry is under enormous financial pressure.

“Local grain traded between farmers offers good value for money. It cuts out unnecessary haulage costs and often makes a higher quality ration than some imported by products,” he said, adding that it also boosted livestock farmers’ local sourcing credentials and quality assurance with retailers.”

Mr Chambers said the UFU cereal competitions are currently being judged and that once again the results underlined the professionalism, skill and knowledge that exists within the sector. “As cereal growers we face many challenges outside our control,” he said. “The weak euro, the recent variable weather conditions and a very unpredictable global grain market are certainly evidence of that this year – but what we can guarantee is quality, local supplies to our neighbouring livestock farmers.”

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MARKETING NEWS

Bodyform encourages consumers to Live Fearless at Magic Mike screenings

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s part of its Live Fearless campaign, which aims to inspire women to push their boundaries and live life to the full, SCAowned brand Bodyform launched its first ever cinema campaign with one of the summer’s biggest blockbuster releases, Magic Mike

XXL. Launched nationwide in cinemas on July 3, the Times Have Changed creative puts a spotlight on changing attitudes, highlighting how Bodyform’s innovative range of products, including Product of the Year Roll.Press.Go Ultra Towels*, have helped to overcome the restrictions traditionally faced by women during their period.

Feeding directly into key category needs of hygiene and discretion, Roll.Press.Go wrappers mean that women no longer need to worry about disposing of their towel on the go, allowing them to live fearlessly no matter what time of the month.

Aimed at engaging an anticipated 92% female audience, the inspiring creative ran for five weeks in leading cinemas across the UK, including Vue, Cineworld and Odeon.

The 430 weekly screenings of the film were expected to account for up to 1.1 million admissions.

“Live Fearless is about having the confidence to pursue your dreams, so what better way to encourage consumers to get out there and Live Fearless than by partnering our exciting campaign with one of 2015’s most eagerly anticipated films,” said Janet McQuillan, marketing manager at Bodyform.

The TV creative is complemented

by Bodyform’s ongoing Live Fearless competition, which launched on June 1. Building on the success of its 2014 competition, Bodyform is asking its consumers to share their greatest ‘Fearless Moments’ on social media using the hashtag #LiveFearless and @Bodyform for the chance to win some amazing prizes, including weekly £100 ASOS shopping vouchers and a Trip-of-a-Lifetime grand prize. * Winner of the Feminine Care Pad Category in the 2015 Product of the Year Survey by 10,175 consumers by TNS.

Forest Feast captures Forest captures the heart of youth swimming the heart of youth O swimming

ver 1,500 young swimmers from 25 clubs across Ulster took to the starting blocks in June to compete in the Forest Feast AquaSprint Junior Swimming League Finals.

Competing in eight locations, the top three teams in four divisions battled it out to see who would take the title and lift the coveted AquaSprint trophy, with the remaining teams competing to avoid relegation.

The Division A final gala, held at Ards Leisure Centre, saw defending champions Ards secure a hat-trick win over longstanding rivals Bangor and Banbridge. On the night, Forest Feast added to the excitement and anticipation by providing a photo booth with a range of fun backdrops and props for spectators and competitors to ‘strike a pose’. The images were then uploaded to social media, giving everyone an opportunity to win a delicious Forest Feast Hamper.

“At Forest Feast, we believe it is essential to involve children in sport from a young age, to help develop and strengthen their attitudes towards exercise and balanced lifestyles,” said Christine Whelan, field sales manager at Forest Feast. “The Forest Feast AquaSprint Junior Swimming League is a fantastic example of how Forest Feast connects with consumers and through activities which are healthy, fun and family orientated.”

Pictured are, from left, Forest Feast AquaSprint Junior Swimming League Team Captains Pearse Farren, Mia Davison (Bangor), Zach Balfour, Rebekah Burrows (Ards), Christine Whelan, Forest Feast Field Sales Manager, Julia Knox and Dawson Patterson (Banbridge).

Moy Park to supply ‘scrum’ptious chicken to Ulster Rugby M

Paul Burch from Moy Park is pictured launching the partnership with Ulster Rugby stars Luke Marshall, Franco Van Der Merwe and Nick Williams.

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oy Park has teamed up with Ulster Rugby for the 2015/16 season as official poultry supplier to the Ulster Squad. The award-winning food company will supply Ulster Rugby with locally-sourced chicken for the players to enjoy as part of their training regime.

“Chicken is a healthy and nutritious source of protein and is ideal for top sports people like the Ulster Rugby team,” said Paul Burch, director of Sales at Moy Park. “Ulster Rugby is one of the leading sporting organisations in Northern Ireland and we are thrilled to be an official supplier for the 2015/16 season. Like Ulster Rugby, Moy Park is focused on quality, teamwork and excellence in everything we do – so this partnership is the perfect fit.”

Phillip Polack, Ulster Rugby Business Development manager, said: “Ulster Rugby is committed to improving the support of its players at professional level and within our affiliated clubs and schools each season. We do this in a number of ways including our nutrition programme, which aims to provide the players with the best quality products possible and the most accurate nutritional advice, allowing the player to prepare for and recover from playing and training at an optimum level. Moy Park, as a leading global poultry brand and a great supporter of local sport, is a partner that shares our values and vision and we are very much looking forward to developing the relationship with Paul and the company over the coming season.”

EXPORT NEWS

Northern Irish boutique gin wins listing at Dublin Airport S

hortcross Gin has been listed at The Loop retail outlet in both terminals at Dublin International Airport, which is Ireland’s busiest and attracts many US visitors.

Shortcross Gin is the first spirit to be launched by Rademon Estate Distillery, Northern Ireland’s only craft gin distillery founded in 2012 by husband and wife team Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong at Rademon Estate Distillery in Crossgar, Co Down.

Shortcross Gin is now exported to a number of countries including France, Great Britain and Holland, with plans to expand its export distribution network in the coming year.

“Over the last year, we have worked hard to establish and increase awareness of Shortcross Gin and the small batch philosophy that is at the heart of everything we do,” said David Boyd-Armstrong, also head distiller.

“This latest listing at The Loop at Dublin Airport is a major boost to our long-term growth strategy for Shortcross.”

Paul Neeson, global buying and merchandising director at Dublin Airport, said: “Shortcross is a premium product that will sit well alongside the other mainstream and craft spirits brands that make up our extensive award-winning duty free offering.”

Northern Irish pork processors Heavenly awards for Northern Irish eye China deals

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unbia, Elmgrove Foods and Karro Foods in Northern Ireland are gearing up to bid for first-time business in China.

Based in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, Elmgrove Foods is already a leading supplier of ‘fifth quarter’ products to Asian markets. Dunbia, also based in Dungannon, is a leading processor of pork as well as beef and lamb.

The family-owned business is among the biggest UK meat processors and has plants in England and Wales.

Elmgrove also has family links with Dunbia.

The Karro operation in Northern Ireland is located at Cookstown in Co Tyrone, and is the region’s biggest processor of pork products.

The opportunity to export products to China especially fifth quarter items such as pigs’ trotters is expected to follow a major initiative led by Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill over the past few years.

“I have recently returned from my third visit to China, and I am delighted all the hard work and effort of a large number of people is now starting to pay off,” said O’Neill.

“The interest in Northern Ireland pork has also been strengthened by visits to Northern Ireland by Chinese officials from the influential Chinese

Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) who have been impressed by the high standards of pig farming and processing across the region. It is expected to lead to the first export deals for Northern Ireland companies in what is now a huge market for pork.

“Being able to export such fifth quarter, in addition to our high quality pork, is important for our industry as it will provide a valuable market for those parts of the animal which would not usually be consumed by the domestic market.”

The ability to export ‘fifth quarter’ products is also in line with an action plan developed by the Agri-Food Strategy Board for Northern Ireland to find markets for as many parts of the animal as possible.

China is projected to become the world’s largest consumer of pigment products by 2020.

Inspectors from the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) have also visited Northern Ireland in the past few months.

The Northern Ireland pig industry accounts for around a tenth of the UK pig herd and 16% of pig meat production.

baby food processor H

eavenly Organic Superfoods, the Northern Irish producer of natural baby weaning meals, has six products short-listed in two categories of the prestigious Maternity and Infant Awards 2015, which is sponsored

by Boots.

The small company, based at Augher in Co Tyrone is in the running for awards for Best Baby Food and Best Organic Product in the annual awards organised by the Maternity and Infant magazine in the Republic of Ireland.

Run by husband and wife team James Blair and Shauna McCarney Blair, the company has been at the forefront of organic meals for babies and infants for around five years and has won UK Great Taste Awards for its foods.

The products short-listed are Coconut Squishies for weaning babies over six months in flavours such as pineapple, apple and banana, strawberry, apple and banana and mango, apple and banana, Yummy Wafer Wisps in pumpkin and banana, and spinach, apple and kale, and Happy Halo Bites in apple for over 10 months.

The results will be announced at the end of October at a gala event in Dublin.

“We are delighted to have so many of our products listed in the awards this year,” said Shauna McCarneyBlair. “It’s a tremendous endorsement of our commitment to providing the best possible foods for babies and our recognition parents need the best convenience products for their babies and children.

“We started four years ago by providing delicious ‘fresh’ baby meals that are free from dairy and gluten, made using the best ingredients and frozen fresh to lock in the goodness. Now we have a complete range of healthy meals and snacks for babies and children from 6+ months.”

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TOBACCO NEWS

A Sterling limited edition pack S

terling, the UK’s number one cigarette brand, is launching limited edition packs (LEPs) across its KS and SK 18’s variants. The new packs will be available nationally throughout August at an RRP of £6.99 while stocks last.

“The value segment is currently responsible for over 50% of cigarette sales in the UK*,” said Jeremy Blackburn, JTI head of Communications. “Sterling has an impressive 24% of the value segment* and accounts for one in every 10 packs of cigarettes sold*.

Within this value driven market, the new LEPs are a must stock for any retailer looking to increase their sales.”

JTI also launched a new Sterling 18 to offer existing adult smokers a new value format at a competitive price point in June. Reinforcing its position as the number one cigarette brand in the UK, Sterling 18s will be available in all channels from June, with an RRP of £6.99 across all formats - King Size, Superkings, Blue, Green and Dual.

Price-marked packs will also be available.

The SOM for combined Value (Value, Super Value & Ultra Value) is over 54%1 and remains the fastest growing sector within the UK tobacco market. Since the launch of Sterling in 2001, the brand has gone from strength to strength, growing to become the UK’s No.1 cigarette brand. The introduction of Sterling 18s set to build on this, offering existing adult smokers high quality tobacco at a competitive price point.

For more information on the Sterling range, retailers should speak

Win a cut of the prizes with new Silk Cut LEPs J

TI is introducing Limited Edition Packs (LEPs) for Silk Cut from August 1 and, to celebrate, is giving retailers the opportunity to win a share of £5,000 Love2Shop vouchers at www. jtiadvance.co.uk.

The limited edition design will run across packs of Silk Cut King Size 20s (Purple, Blue and Silver) for 4 - 6 weeks or while stocks last with an RRP of £9.15.

To be in with a chance of winning the Love2Shop vouchers, retailers must simply play the Silk Cut Discovery Game on JTI Advance and match four pairs in the quickest time. All times will be recorded, with the quickest five making the winners’ leader board. The leader board will be reset four times during August, so retailers should keep logging onto JTI Advance to increase their chances of winning.

“Silk Cut is JTI’s best-selling premium Ready Made Cigarette (RMC) brand with a 21% share of the RMC premium sector and accounts for one in every five premium cigarettes sold,” said Jeremy Blackburn, JTI head of Communications. “With such a large share of the sector, retailers should stock up and, with a great prize on offer, ensure they try their hand at the online competition.”

Nielsen Market Tracker June 2015

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to their local JTI representative or call the JTI Customer Careline on 0800 163 503 to arrange a visit. *Nielsen Market Track YTD May 2015 1 Nielsen Market Track YTD Apr 2015

JTI launches Sovereign capsule extension J

TI is introducing a new variant to its Sovereign House, with the launch of Sovereign Dual into the capsule segment from June.

Available across all channels, Sovereign Dual will offer value for money to existing adult smokers in packs of 18s and 10s.

With an RRP of £6.50 and £3.78 respectively, it will sit alongside Sovereign Sky Blue and Sovereign Superkings Green in one of the UK’s most recognisable tobacco houses.

“Sovereign Dual will offer choice to existing adult smokers looking for a capsule offering from a brand that has consistently offered credibility, value and quality,” said Jeremy Blackburn, JTI head of Communications. “The capsule segment of the RMC market continues to show strong growth, with both Sterling Dual and B&H Dual two of the top three capsule brands. We expect Sovereign Dual to capitalise on and mirror this success.”

Nielsen Market Track April 2015 Nielsen Market Track YTD April 2015 Nielsen Market Track April 2015 Nielsen Market Track YTD April 2015

APPOINTMENTS

People on the move...

in association with

Boost appoints Birks as brand plans for growth B

oost Drinks has appointed Kirsty Birks as strategy director, to work alongside managing director Simon Gray, and the rest of the senior team, as the business embarks on ambitious expansion plans in both the UK and abroad.

Boost is currently enjoying double digit, year-on-year growth as a challenger brand in the energy drinks category, and is keen to build on and accelerate this momentum.

Birks joins from brand consultancy Propaganda, where she was on the board leading Brand DiscoveryTM – a specialist strategic offer, working alongside a diverse range of client organisations. She was also a director of the Management Consultants Association, latterly as vice president.

Previously, Kirsty headed up the Northern Ireland consumer planning division for Diageo, working across the full brand portfolio. She has masters’ degrees from both The University of Glasgow and Michigan State University.

“Boost is a fantastic brand and I am really looking forward to being part of taking the business to the next level,” said Birks. “We know Boost has a great reputation in the independent retail trade for its product portfolio and for what it delivers to its customers commercially, especially in terms of margins.

“We now have an opportunity to build on our great trade distribution, accelerate our consumer awareness and attract new audiences to our ranges. We also need to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit that is here and ensure we keep that same energy and dynamism as we grow.”

Three new appointments at The Mount Charles Group

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he Mount Charles Group, which provides catering, cleaning, vending, facilities management, and business support services to a wide portfolio of clients, has made three new appointments.

Anne-Marie Rainey (left) has joined as personal assistant to the Group chairman and managing director from legal firm Quigg Golden.

Danielle McAllister (centre) has been appointed Health, Safety and Environmental officer, and was previously employed at the Belfast Harbour Commissioners.

John Casey (right) is the new operations manager, Cleaning Division, responsible for a team of four area managers.

Kirsty Birks

BELL APPOINTS NEW CHAIR OF NI ECONOMIC ADVISORY GROUP

Jonathan Bell pictured with Ellvena Graham.

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rade Minister Jonathan Bell has announced the appointment of Ellvena Graham as the new chair of the Northern Ireland Economic Advisory Group (EAG).

Graham succeeds Dame Kate Barker, DBE and will take up the role immediately, with the appointment lasting for three years.

“Ellvena Graham brings a depth of knowledge and experience at a senior level in both finance and economic development, which will serve her well in her leadership of the Economic Advisory Group,” said Bell. “I wish Ellvena well in the role.”

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SHELFLIFE

To see your product featured in Shelf-life, contact Mark at markbeckett@greerpublications.com or Tel: 028 9078 3235

Cool profits as IRN-BRU launch ice lollies A

G Barr is introducing a phenomenal sales opportunity to the fast-growing ice cream market with the launch of IRN-BRU ice cream lollies.

IRN-BRU has partnered with Northern Ireland’s leading dairy company Dale Farm to distribute the official IRN-BRU ice cream lollies – made with the same secret ingredients as IRN-BRU – across Ireland.

“The introduction of IRN-BRU to the ice cream cabinet will spark huge interest in a vibrant category that’s worth £840m*1,” says Gavan Morris, AG Barr head of International.

“We’re in no doubt that this product – deliciously creamy IRN-BRU ice-cream, rippled with a tangy IRN-BRU sauce and coated in a refreshing IRN-BRU shell – will have shoppers returning to the ice cream cabinet time and time again.”

Nigel Cairns, commercial director for Dale Farm Ice Cream, said: “We are delighted to partner with AG Barr to bring IRN-BRU ice cream to Ireland. Dale Farm is a long-established, iconic brand in Northern Ireland and we are proud to be working in partnership with an iconic Scottish brand to help roll out this innovative product.

“We are confident consumers in the Irish market will respond well to IRN-BRU ice cream this summer and beyond.”

The move comes as the popular Gets you Through TV adverts are on air as part of the £6m brand investment this year for IRN-BRU, the No.1 flavoured carbonate brand*2.

Sources: *1: Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, MAT to 28.03.15, Total UK Coverage; *2: Nielsen Scantrack, Vol Sales, MAT to 28.03.15, Total UK Impulse.

Packaging refresh for Tena Lady and new Tena Men T he UK’s number one bladder weakness brand, TENA Lady, has launched a packaging refresh across its range of purpose-made protective products.

Building on the success of the existing pack design, the new packaging will reassure consumers that TENA Lady addresses key bladder weakness product performance requirements via a new onpack logo.

The new ‘Triple Protection’ icon clearly communicates that TENA Lady provides protection

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against leaks, odour and moisture, three key ‘wants’ when it comes to bladder weakness protection.

“We have given the TENA Lady range a packaging refresh to help women understand the benefits of using purpose-made products,” said Rachael Sumner, brand manager at TENA Lady. “Our new Triple Protection logo gives women confidence that any product they choose from the TENA Lady range will offer them superior protection.”

TENA Men, meanwhile, has launched its most discreet product yet, TENA Men Protective Shield, specifically designed to help men deal with light urine leakage.

Designed for the smallest drips and dribbles, the ultra-absorbent core of the new TENA Men Protective Shield will lock in all leaks.

Incredibly thin, the shield-like protection fits securely and discreetly in men’s underwear.

The most unique feature of the TENA Men Protective Shield is the colour. Unlike any other TENA product, it is black, making it suitable for dark underwear worn by men.

“TENA Men constantly strives to break down the taboo surrounding urine leakage and are using this offering to help men feel comfortable when it comes to using products specifically designed to combat bladder weakness,” said Donna Wilson, brand manager for TENA Men.

Q&A WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? Doing tastings and getting feedback from shoppers.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK? It has been a rollercoaster ride starting up PEPPUP, and my most difficult task has been to control my emotions and keep things in perspective.

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? Don’t be afraid to fail. Just do it!

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? Rubbish collection – three different bins collected three separate days in two separate weeks – makes it very difficult to get it right!

In the Hot Seat Luca Montorio, owner of PEPPUP Sauces, Newtownards TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I inherited a love of genuine, simple food from my upbringing in Turin, one of the Italian centres of food production. When I finished university, I moved to Scotland for further study. I have lived and travelled around the world but I now have a young family and have settled in Northern Ireland.

The PEPPUP idea of a roasted pepper tomato ketchup was born in my kitchen at home in Portaferry.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE? When I wake up, I first have to make breakfast for my kids. They love my almond pancakes with homemade chocolate spread. Then I enjoy a good Italian espresso 42

to set me up for the day. I also enjoy feeding our chickens and get out in the garden before planning my day. There is no typical day but I usually reply to emails, phone calls, have meetings, visit customers and look after the production of PEPPUP sauce.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? Being able to start with a concept and idea and getting it to production and people enjoying the end products, my range of PEPPUP sauces. The highlight of my career to date has been getting very positive feedback from the customers and getting PEPPUP to market here and in Great Britain, where we’ve just started supplying Booth’s Supermarkets.

The highlight of my career to date has been getting very positive feedback from the customers and getting PEPPUP to market here and in Great Britain.”

WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? I wish I could play the saxophone better.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/ AMBITIONS? Becoming a successful food developer. I have a few more ideas that I would like to follow after PEPPUP. WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? Anyone who is old and still has drive and energy to follow their dreams and make a difference.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? My favourite city is Venice but I also love any natural place with any mature woodland.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? Freshly baked bread in a wood oven.

HOW DO YOU RELAX? Cooking food for my family and spending time with them in the garden.

Costa Express can help you turn 1m2 of floor space into an extra profit stream for your business.

There is no capital outlay, installation is free and easy and consumables are provided.

All you need do is add milk and watch your profits rise.

To fi nd out what Costa Express can offer you, contact:

ROI tel: 021 500 3526 NI tel: 02892 688349