Ulster Grocer

Grocer ™

At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

MARCH 2014

ULSTER

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8 • Ulster Grocer | JANUARY 2011

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10-11 – CATERING TO EVERY NEED: Duffy’s Mace in Killough is the subject of this month’s store focus. An impressive selection of speciality foods, and even white goods, characterise this busy shop.

12 – IT’S MY LIFE: Darren Given, manager of Swifts Supervalu in Lisnaskea, is this month’s subject of the Q&A feature My Life in the Grocery Trade. Named NI Manager of Year in 2012, Darren also made it onto the UK Top New Talent List and loves the buzz of the retail sector.

16-25 – FOCUS ON EXPORTS: Finding new markets beyond Northern Ireland has become a vital part of the trade mix for many local food and drink manufacturers.

The Northern Ireland Food & Drink Federation, Invest NI, Food NI and Cleaver Fulton Rankin solicitors offer their expert advice, alongside industry stories of success.

Contents

Editor: Alyson Magee E: alysonmagee@greerpublications.com Contributors: Brian McCalden Advertising Manager: Karen Graham E: karengraham@greerpublications.com Senior Accounts Manager: Michelle Kearney E: michellekearney@greerpublications.com Art Editor: Karen Donnelly Production Manager: Stuart Gray Accounts: Gerardine Carson Publishers: James and Gladys Greer

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26-30 – ‘FREE-FROM’ TAKES OFF: UG’s speciality foods feature focuses on the ever-growing ‘free-from’ category and, in particular, coeliac-friendly foods. With numbers of consumers opting for a gluten-free diet rapidly expanding, retailers should ensure they stock a good selection and have the knowledge to back it up.

31-33 – FOOD-TO-GO: Most grocers, from small, independent shops through to large supermarkets are offering an increasingly diverse range of food-to-go in response to demand from busy consumers. UG looks at product trends, and innovation in the category.

ULSTER GROCER

Volume 49, Number 3 March 2014

www.ulstergrocer.com

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NEWS EDITOR’S COMMENT

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he largest feature in this month’s edition of UG is devoted to exports, which are increasingly becoming a major focus for Northern Irish food and drink producers.

Exports don’t necessarily displace local sourcing; local producers and manufacturers are making enough to supply our own market and many more besides. Currently, around four-fifths of local food and drink products is exported.

If local businesses can secure better returns from other markets, in theory at least, the trade balance should keep prices down here. And as companies expand their operations to enter new markets, they should have more freedom to invest and innovate in their product lines; potentially boosting the quality and range of their offer available locally.

Businesses seeking to break into or further build export markets face a number of issues reducing their potential for competitiveness. Chief among these is a lengthy, log-jammed process of planning application for manufacturers looking to rapidly expand capacity for new contracts. Industry officials are concerned the imminent ceding of responsibility for planning to local councils may make this process even more bureaucratic and inward looking.

Energy costs and reliability of supply is another issue, and kudos is due to businesses investing in green technology to mitigate their carbon footprint and reduce wastage and costs, rather than believing in the ‘pipe dream’ that fracking will bring cheap energy to all.

Transport is a further concern, with Northern Ireland lacking direct international air links and facing disproportionately high sea freight costs, resulting in a migration of trade routes to Dublin.

These are all issues our local Government needs to look at if the agrifood industry is to have any chance of hitting its targets of increasing exports by 75% to £4.5bn by 2020.

Alyson Magee 4

NI Assembly slates Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute M

anagement and oversight at the AgriFood and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) has been unacceptably poor, according to a report by the Assembly Public Accounts Committee published this month.

There was found to be a lack of hard information on the costs of scientific testing undertaken by AFBI for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), and of the costs of maintaining an emergency response capability to counter major disease outbreaks.

The management of AFBI’s R&D programme for DARD was “unacceptably poor”, and overspent by £12.7m. When DARD finally exercised some form of meaningful oversight of R&D in 2012, twothirds of ongoing projects, which collectively cost £18.2m, were immediately terminated, according to the report.

The report focuses on the way the Institute was governed, and also criticises DARD for failing to responsibly oversee AFBI’s operations.

“It is important to recognise the importance of AFBI’s work to the local agri-food industry,” said Michaela Boyle, MLA and chair of the Committee. “AFBI is in the front line of the fight against animal and plant disease, and in assisting the development of a key local industry. The Committee fully supports its efforts in this regard.

“However, we are very disappointed that the delivery of AFBI’s operations has been undermined by poor internal management and by inadequate oversight by its parent Department. The Department of Agriculture

and Rural Development has provided over £250m funding to AFBI since it was established in 2006 but our findings lead us to believe that this significant investment has not provided good value for money.

“We are also alarmed at the extent of weaknesses and shortcomings of AFBI’s financial and project management but are pleased that they have recently introduced new procedures. These new processes have the potential to significantly improve the management and efficiency of AFBI’s operations.”

A positive finding in the report was the significant increase in non-DARD income achieved by AFBI since its establishment.

Between 2008-09 and 2012-13, the Institute received over £20m income from royalties from patents filed following scientific discoveries by Science Service (AFBI’s predecessor organisation). However, the report highlights the Committee’s “deep concern” that a small number of staff have received very significant shares of these royalty payments.

“We were particularly unhappy that public sector employees received further substantial awards for doing their jobs,” said Boyle. “All in all, we believe that it is important that the Committee’s recommendations are now fully implemented to drive out inefficiencies and improve performance.”

The report highlights that adequate costing systems were not introduced in AFBI until late 2012, AFBI’s estate is very inefficient and up to £3.5m income was lost by AFBI due to undercharging customers until 2011.

Award winners and officials pictured at the 2014 European Angus Steak Tasting Competition held this month in Banbridge include, from left, Harry McGaffin, secretary of the European Angus Cattle Society; Michele Shirlow, CEO of Food NI and head judge; Graham Park, Park Butchers, Newtownhamilton; Joel Montgomery of Modern Meats, Portadown (winner of the Supreme Champion Award Steaks); Jordan Neill, R & J Family Butchers, Carrickfergus; Marc Tierney, Clogher Valley Meats; and Simon Caughey of competition sponsors, Devenish Nutrition.

NEWS

Diageo lifts Best Irish Workplace award for second year

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iageo Ireland was named ‘Best Large Place to Work’ at the Annual Great Places to Work Awards 2014 for the second year in a row earlier this month, beating off competition from Microsoft, PepsiCo and McDonald’s.

The Awards, now in their 12th year, saw over 100 businesses competing across allIreland.

“We are delighted to receive the prestigious ‘Best Place to Work’ award and I’d like to thank and congratulate all of our employees on this incredible achievement,” said Jorge Lopes, country director for Diageo Northern Ireland. “I am enormously proud of this award and the fantastic recognition it gives to our hard working team and our company.

“It is a priority for Diageo to continue to invest in its employees and we work closely with our teams to ensure that our business remains a great place to work. We have very talented staff who coordinate exciting programmes and events and encourage involvement across a variety of activities. Our commitment to charities and the Northern Ireland Hospice is an example of how our teams are committed to assisting and working with organisations that need significant support.

“At Diageo Northern Ireland we are also dedicated to improving employee health and well-being through our workplace health scheme, including a Weight Loss Challenge where we donate £2 to charity for every pound lost by staff and our Walk for Wellbeing challenge where we provide our teams with pedometers and encourage them to walk at least 10,000 steps every day.

“This award will support Diageo’s work in providing a stimulating working environment which reflects our values and the energy, commitment and enthusiasm that everyone within our business brings to work every day.”

Operated by the Great Places to Work Institute, firms go through a rigorous selection process, including a detailed survey of staff attitudes.

EU proposes limiting credit/ debit card costs for retailers M

embers of the European Parliament (MEPS) last month proposed a cap on the fees applied to retailers when customers use their debit and credit cards of 0.2% and 0.3% respectively.

MEPs in the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee also voted to overturn the ‘honour all cards rule’ requiring retailers to accept any cards irrespective of the fees they face, as part of an overhaul of the payments market.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed the vote, as beneficial to consumers, and small businesses competing on price.

The proposals will now go before the European Parliament.

EUROSPAR Cullybackey is the only local retailer to win an award at the 2014 Convenience Retail Awards, with the business recognised for Best Customer Service. Judges were impressed by the high level of staff training, communication on promotions, new products and additional services, and free delivery service for orders over £10. Store manager Laura McClean is pictured at the Awards with Bestway symbol group Director James Hall.

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grocery aid

SOLD OUT!

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ickets have sold out fast for the forthcoming GroceryAid Ulster Grocers’ Ball in May when the cream of the retail and wholesale food industry will enjoy a lavish feast and a great night of entertainment in the Culloden Hotel. At the end of the night they will take home a packed hamper, courtesy of local food suppliers.

The glittering occasion also provides the perfect backdrop for the presentation of the eight categories of the 26th Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards which will be revealed on the night. But there is a serious side to the evening which is a major fund-raiser for the GroceryAid charity run by the Northern Ireland committee, thanks to the generosity of the local companies which sponsor the event, Allied Bakeries, Coca-Cola, Henderson Group, Kerry Foods, SHS, and Tesco.

GroceryAid, formerly Caravan, is a national charity that supports local beneficiaries, helping people who have worked, or are working in, all areas of the grocery industry, and have found that they need some extra support to get by. The help that GroceryAid provides can make a very real difference and it provides not only monetary support but appliances and everyday items that many take for granted.

Future events in 2014 which you may wish to become involved with through sponsorship or support include the Hog Roast on Thursday 19th June, the GroceryAid Golf Day on Thursday 7th August, the Candy Ball on Friday 3rd October, and the GroceryAid Sunday Lunch on 16th November. The committee chairman can be contacted at cliff.kells@ uk.tesco.com.

Further information on GroceryAid can be found at www.groceryaid. org.uk.

RETAIL NEWS- INDEPENDENTS

NIIRTA welcomes council progress on keeping rates down T

he Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) has welcomed news that 15 out of 26 local councils have passed 0% rate increases and that three, Omagh, Ballymoney and Castlereagh, actually reduced their rates.

“High business rates remain one of the top concerns of our members and it is welcome that so many councils have listened to their concerns by keeping their rates down for 2014/15,” says Glyn Roberts, chief executive of NIIRTA. “It is critical in these early stages of economic recovery that government at every level, keeps all forms of taxation on small businesses as low as possible to support new investment and jobs.”

“In recent years we have made considerable progress on rates, with the introduction of the Small Business Rates Relief and Empty Premises Rate Relief schemes. This progress needs to be built upon by the ongoing rates revaluation, putting local small businesses and town centres first.”

This month, NIIRTA is launching a detailed manifesto for the new 11 councils, featuring ideas to accelerate economic growth in town and city centres.

NIIRTA also welcomed news earlier this month that business rates are to be frozen over 2014/15. “At this early stage of economic recovery it is vital that every level of Government keeps all forms of taxation at their lowest to enable local traders to grow their businesses and employ more staff,” said Roberts.

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

St George’s Market short-listed in BBC Radio 4 awards B

elfast’s historic St George’s Market has been shortlisted in the Best Food Market category of this year’s BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards 2014.

St George’s is one of three markets shortlisted alongside Brockley Market in London and Aberystwyth Farmers Market, from 6,000 entries.

“This is a fantastic and well-deserved achievement,” said Councillor Deirdre Hargey, chair of Belfast City Council’s Development Committee, which oversees the Market. “We in Council are fiercely proud of St George’s Market, and it is great news for us to see it continuing to win accolades and justifying our continuing faith and investment in this superb facility.”

Abernethy Butter, from Dromara in Co Down, has been shortlisted in the Best Food Producer category.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Bristol on May 1.

Chef and writer Valentine Warner chairs this year’s panel of judges which includes farmer and BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, blogger Jack Monroe, food writer Charles Campion and chefs Raymond Blanc and Richard Corrigan.

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RETAIL NEWS – SYMBOL GROUPS

Ballymoney, Omagh and Coleraine stores scoop top Musgrave awards

Pictured with host Roy Walker are Store of the Year winners Peter McCool of SuperValu Ballymoney, Neil Sweeney of Centra Brookmount Omagh and Michael Wilson of Mace Coleraine with SuperValu and Centra Sales Director Nigel Maxwell and Mace Sales Director Trevor Magill.

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hree local stores from the SuperValu, Centra and Mace retail groups have claimed the prestigious title of Store of the Year in Musgrave Retail Partners annual awards event held earlier this month at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle.

TV personality Roy Walker hosted the

event and presented McCool’s Ballymoney with the SuperValu ‘Store of the Year’ award, McElhinney’s Brookmount Omagh with the Centra ‘Store of the Year’ award and Wilson’s Coleraine with the Mace ‘Store of the Year’ award.

Johnston/Davis Mace Titanic picked up the

‘Newcomer of the Year’ award, sponsored

by Mondelez UK and Cathcart’s Centra Magherafelt and SuperValu Limavady won Fundraising Store of the Year in their retail groups for raising £28,000 and £15,000 respectively.

Musgrave Retail Partners organises the Gala Ball event each year for its 250 independent retailers in Northern Ireland across the SuperValu, Centra and Mace brands and finalists were selected using an independent audit of all stores.

Finalists in each retail brand went head to head on the night, competing to win gold in each of their categories before being awarded the coveted ‘Store of the Year’ titles, sponsored by Coca Cola Hellenic, Kerry Foods and Irwin’s Bakery.

“Congratulations to all of the winners in our 2014 Store of the Year awards – these Awards recognise the ‘best-in-class’ retailers in their groups, and the winners have demonstrated the highest levels of commitment to customer service and retail excellence,” said Nigel Briggs, managing director of Musgrave Retail Partners.

The three retail brands have a combined turnover in excess of £600m.

SPAR Express teams up with Belfast post office S

PAR express has joined forces with Belfast’s Bedford Street Post Office at its new location, 16 Howard Street, opening a new 1,600-square-foot store earlier this month.

The store will offer city centre customers a unique combination of an extensive range of post office and financial services alongside SPAR great value products.

The new owners, independent retailers Jim and Aine Moan, will work closely with the Henderson Group to operate the SPAR Express.

“We are absolutely delighted to open the store on Howard Street,” said Jim Moan.

“SPAR is known for its great value products and personal one-to-one service. The post office is part of everyday life in communities and in business too. We offer a vital public and business service and we feel this new alliance with SPAR Express means we are uniquely placed to cement ourselves as the number one community convenience store in Belfast city centre.”

The SPAR Express will house a Streat coffee and hot snacks-to-go outlet, an extended range of greeting cards and fantastic SPAR deals including the very popular lunch specials.

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A new Farrell’s Centra on the Boucher Road, Belfast was the setting for the launch of Action Cancer’s Schools Health Action awards recognising Northern Ireland’s healthiest schools. Centra has supported the charity’s Health Action programme since 2003, with over £800,000 raised by its local retailers, staff and customers to date. Pictured are, from left, Store Manager Gregg Murtagh with local school children Jessica McDowell and Charlie McPherson.

RETAIL NEWS – SYMBOL GROUPS

Henderson Group launches Big Price Reduction T

he Henderson Group has introduced a new lower price initiative for retailers, The Big Price Reduction, representing an investment of over £1m to reduce wholesale prices in fresh, frozen and ambient foods for its symbol and large format operators.

The investment will drive down prices for retailers purchasing from Henderson Wholesale, allowing them to offer everyday essentials and household brands at a lower price for their shoppers at the checkout.

The price re-alignment is aimed at maintaining a competitive edge for the SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOXTRA brands.

“We are continually investing in our wholesale offering to provide the best choice of fresh, local produce and ambient goods for our retailers at the most competitive prices, said Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director at the Henderson Group. “It is crucial that our retailers get the best deals to provide the lowest possible prices for their shoppers.

The Big Price Reduction allows for this; low

Aaron McMahon, store manager at SPAR Glenwell and Stephen Gibson, channel sales manager at the Henderson Group launch The Big Price Reduction.

prices without compromising on quality.”

The Big Price Reduction will be marketed for consumers throughout SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO and VIVOXTRA stores

with branded shelf cards, point of sale kits, overhang signs, outdoor over bags and bunting with above the line marketing through a series of six sheet advertisements.

RETAIL NEWS – MULTIPLES

Asda lists local Northern Ireland Rapeseed Oil A

sda NI has teamed up with local supplier Northern Ireland Rapeseed Oil, to supply its 16 stores across the province.

The new contract was generated from a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event in Strabane last spring, where Asda met with a range of food companies from across the North West as

From left, Caroline Allen of Northern Ireland Rapeseed Oil and Asda Regional Buyer Susanna Lloyd celebrate their new partnership.

part of its commitment to support the local agri-food sector.

This is the first time that Northern Ireland Rapeseed Oil has supplied a supermarket, and initial sales are expected to exceed £25,000 within the first 12 months.

100% of oilseed rape used by Northern Ireland Rapeseed Oil is grown by arable farmers across the province, where the weather and soil conditions are perfectly suited to the crop. The harvested crops are dried, cold pressed and packaged at the company’s facility near Castlederg in County Tyrone.

“From the start we identified a gap in the market for a healthier alternative to cooking and dipping oils,” said Stephen Allen, owner

and production manager of NI Rapeseed Oil. “The fact that our products are 100% local, and support the farming community across Northern Ireland, is a huge bonus.”

Susanna Lloyd, local buyer for Asda NI, said: “At Asda, we’re totally committed to delivering the finest locally sourced ingredients and products to our customers, and also to supporting the agri-food sector. We’re always keen to expand our product ranges to meet customer demands and satisfaction, and we’re really delighted to now be working in partnership with the team from Northern Ireland Rapeseed.”

The new rapeseed range, including garlic and chilli infusions, is available in each of Asda’s 16 stores across Northern Ireland.

Asda’s Antrim and Enniskillen stores launched their new optician service this month, creating new employment for the stores and bringing the popular UK provision to Northern Ireland.

Pictured are James and Sarah Dalzell from Antrim.

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STORE FOCUS

Duffy’s Mace, Killough

Duffy’s Mace in seaside Killough offers a wide range of speciality foods.

Come hell or high water, Duffy’s Mace in the seaside village of Killough still delivers, as Brian McCalden discovered.

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andbags were still much in evidence at numerous homes in seaside Killough, even as the first day of March brought welcome sunshine to this picturesque seascape.

Threatened by the weeks of February storms, with record-breaking tidal surges, floods and winds battering coastlines across the UK, the good people of Killough in Co. Down were taking no chances.

For Duffy’s Mace, the storms – just like 2013’s long weeks of snow drifts – didn’t halt their business-as-usual service.

The shop’s two mobiles and fuel vehicles stayed on the road, delivering their vital service from Ballykinler to Strangford and

Staff at the in-store butchery.

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right up to the outskirts of the major town of Downpatrick.

It was the same during last year’s snow too, but the term ‘mobile shop’ requires expansion.

Thomas Duffy, one of four brothers running this increasingly broad-based business, is justifiability proud of the stores on the road version.

“If it’s sold in the store, it’s on the van,” he says. “There are even electronic scanning tills on board, all linked to the store in Main Street, Killough.

“There are scales for weighing loose veg and the van also boasts a freezer and a chiller for dairy products. Every nook is packed with

goods from the shop and we will even deliver white goods.”

Indeed, Thomas explains the genesis of the fridges and cookers on sale in the store alongside the beans and teabags: “Our vans are out daily around the area and there wasn’t a week that went by that customers weren’t reporting some breakdown – a fridge or microwave or cooker.

“I got in touch with a local wholesaler, and we now carry a nice range of white goods too, and it is very popular.”

But Duffy’s is nothing without its heritage, despite the forward-looking retail operation now in place.

Brothers Brendan, Kieran and Robert (who runs Duffy’s long established shop in Strangford) work alongside Thomas and their mother, Mary – whose home is still adjacent to the shop – building and diversifying the operation which also targets speciality foods, especially over the butcher counter.

The shop’s huge walk-in chiller is festooned with various cuts of meat ageing for several weeks so as to add flavour and texture.

Their patriarch, the late Thomas senior, started the original business in 1955 as an independent shop and was well known across the area as he delivered to homes as far away as Strangford, equipped with just his bicycle and basket.

Like his son Thomas today, he was a butcher by trade and an entrepreneur by instinct, with today’s shop boasting an enormous range of home-made products,

STORE FOCUS (they really are made in the shop’s own five star hygiene-rated kitchen facility every day).

The range is huge and they even sell a lot of a local speciality, pickled (cow) tongue, although that may be an acquired taste.

Under the Duffy’s own label brand, there are mince, steak and chicken pies as well as lasagne and a complementary range of desserts such as fresh cream Pavlova – all prepared and packed ‘at home’. (The pies are exceptionally tasty, being packed with meat and succulent flavour).

The store does sell some fish, including selections of the somewhat esoteric willicks but given that the fishing port of Ardglass is just two miles away – and many customers work there – there’s little point in competing.

Ready meals also fill the four chilled displays and there’s a full service butcher counter. Their burgers and home-produced sausages are considered ‘delicacies’ too.

History Thomas Duffy senior originally took over an existing business Hunters Stores (based in what was a former grain store – a testimony to the village’s former busy sea trade that once operated from the now empty harbour) and turned it into the village hub. Here the whole community still meets up and gets bargains too.

The founder’s son – also called Thomas – says: “Price, as always is a vitally important element, with two full aisles of products priced at just £1, courtesy of the Mace wholesaler, Musgrave Retail Partners NI, and these are also on the door-to-door vans.

“We have three chilled orders per week from the wholesaler,” he says, and two ambient, but also buy locally too. “In many cases, our suppliers are our customers too with local farmers who supply potatoes and fruit and vegetables – as well as eggs – doing their family’s shopping here too, so the money just goes back around again.”

Duffy’s also sells petrol and diesel from pumps located right outside the shop and supplies heating oil. The shop has a free use ATM in store and whipped ice cream, a hot drinks dispenser and a full range of frozen goods.

The two shops provide work for over 40 full- and part-time staff, including butchers, and opens seven days a week from 7am to 9pm closing only on Christmas Day. It’s all part of the service to a village where ‘everyone knows everyone else’, with the Duffy family a long-established part of this historic seaside community.

There are many plans for development too.

The Duffys have high hopes of obtaining an off-sales licence to begin trading in alcohol by the coming Christmas, for example.

But there are problems, as everywhere else. Many customers trolley-shop in Duffy’s but bargain-hungry consumers also go to the Downpatrick Asda for the ‘big shop’

Fresh produce at the store.

Robert Roberts supplies the store’s takeaway coffee.

In many cases, our suppliers are our customers too with local farmers doing their family’s shopping here, so the money just goes back around.” of the week, so pricing remains – and will remain – keen: “That’s helped by the buying power of Musgrave of course, so we can run the numerous £1 items, for example,” says Thomas.

“Other problems are on space, as while there’s a large area to the rear that we own and could develop into car parking, customers currently use the street, and it can get busy,

and no one wants to walk too far.”

Some potential problems didn’t transpire though, as the much feared DOE carrier-bag levy turned out to be an operation that was easily handled, via the scanning tills, but of course, nature throws up the unexpected.

“First last March’s deep, lying snow caused havoc to travel – but only delayed our van door-to-door service – and this February’s ‘great storms’ led to a very real danger of flooding from the high seas and outside town, high winds brought down trees, and localised flooding was common.

“But as always, we were open all hours, and while we have come a long way from dad’s basket on the front of his bicycle being the limiting factor to deliveries, who knows what’s ahead.

“This Easter, for example, we are selling large Thornton’s chocolate egg baskets as special gifts and in the summer are often asked to pack and chill meat parcels for folks to take away on holidays abroad, so we are 100% service orientated.

“Certainly we will be a part of Killough for many decades to come, and who knows what innovations will be added in the coming years.”

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My Life in the Grocery Trade Darren Given, manager of Swifts Supervalu in Lisnaskea WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? I am the current manager of Swifts Supervalu in Lisnaskea.

WHAT IS YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY TO DATE? I have been in my current role for nine years and, prior to that, I worked for the O’Kane supermarkets group in Draperstown Centra, Magherafelt Supervalu and later Supervalu Cookstown. My first management role was as a trainee manager with Culmore Mace in Omagh, before moving into a store management role with Lidl NI. WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? My role as manager involves all aspects of shop life. From packing out to deciding budgets, I have full responsibility. It also involves interaction with our other busy sites in Enniskillen and Roslea.

WHEN DID YOU TAKE UP THIS POST? I took up this post nine years ago.

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? I love the buzz that retail gives you. Dealing with staff and the general public are some of the greatest aspects of my role. Worst parts of my job have to be dealing with rising costs and red tape. There are often many barriers that we have to overcome.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE FOR YOU? There’s no such thing as a typical day in my position. It usually starts at 7am, and I would

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be back home around 8pm. My day involves sales revision, meeting reps, training, ordering, product development and liaising with the company directors and our regional manager.

At home, it often involves monitoring our competitors, looking at marketing techniques and planning the sales strategy for the week ahead.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? I have been lucky to have had so many proud moments. Being named the first ever NI Manager of Year in 2012 has to be up there but making the UK Top New Talent List was something I could never have imagined.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL GROCERY TRADE? In my opinion, we have some of the best and most innovative independent retailers in Europe. Couple that with the multiple retailers, and we have an industry that is enjoyably competitive. We have great local suppliers who we are proud to use and who are key to economic growth in Northern Ireland.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? Anyone who knows me would say I don’t ever unwind away from work. I enjoy it that much. However I would do a bit of running and have completed three marathons for Action Cancer in the past couple of years. It’s vital that the retail industry gives back to the community.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW. Years ago I considered becoming a teacher, but I don’t think my style of negotiating would be suitable for an audience under 16 years of age.

FOOD & DRINK NEWS

Kingsmill set to ‘breaducate’ consumers across Northern Ireland

Elva O’Connor

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his month sees the official launch of Kingsmill’s new white bread offering, Great White, which is now available in Tesco as well as selected convenience stockists across Northern Ireland.

The local bread brand has introduced a deliciously soft white bread to the local market, but with an unexpected twist.

Kingsmill Great White looks smells and tastes like a normal white loaf but is boosted with wheat fibre to give it as much fibre as wholemeal bread.

Elva O’Connor, Senior Brand Manager for Allied Bakeries has been a custodian of the Kingsmill brand locally since joining Allied Bakeries Ireland in 2011 and understands the importance of continuing to develop and listen to the needs of consumers in an ever-

changing and competitive white bread market.

“There is enormous pride in the Kingsmill offering that we provide to local customers,” said Elva.

“We know that the Northern Irish public favours white bread and indeed our Kingsmill Soft White is Allied Bakeries’ biggest selling sub-brand and one of the most important for our business. However, as a company we are also mindful that consumers want to ensure that they are meeting the nutrition needs of their family.

“At Kingsmill, we understand that making changes to our diet can be hard and for many people, white bread is a daily staple. Our research shows that we love white bread – especially for family favourites like beans on toast and bacon sandwiches – but families are hearing that it’s not what they should

We wanted to lead the way in creating an innovative product that allows families to enjoy white bread again.”

be eating. Consumers may have tried other products such as wholemeal breads and even half and half breads as a healthier alternative to a white loaf but they find these too much of a compromise on taste. We wanted to lead the way in creating an innovative product that allows families to enjoy white bread again.”

Fibre is essential for maintaining good health. Currently 7 out of 10 men and 9 out of 10 women1 do not eat the recommended 25g of fibre every day.2 “Kingsmill Great White offers customers across Northern Ireland a delicious white bread option with as much fibre as wholemeal bread. It is low in fat and sugar, squeezably soft and tastes just like a white loaf – without compromising on taste, texture or quality of product.

“In creating this offering, Kingsmill is working to reflect and support the modern health agenda and guidelines. Marked at a competitive price point in major supermarkets and with standout new look Kingsmill packaging, the Kingsmill Great White loaf is designed to create recognition and impact with consumers.”

1. Based on data from UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey.

2. EFSA (2010) Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for carbohydrates and dietary fibre.

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FOOD & DRINK NEWS

Heavenly Tasty Organics adds chilled range O

magh-based Heavenly Tasty Organics, specialist in baby weaning foods, has outsourced manufacture as part of a business switch to chilled products.

The company has developed a range of chilled weaning foods for babies, which is now being manufactured under contract in Britain by a firm specialising in organic soups, pesto, pasta and puddings.

Heavenly Tasty has specialised in frozen weaning foods since its formation in 2009 but decided to diversify into chilled cabinets in response to market demand.

“Most of the inquiries in Britain and Ireland from both retailers and customers are now for chilled weaning products,” said James Blair, director of the business formed with wife Shauna.

“There’s a clear trend away from frozen baby foods in these markets.

“While we will continue to produce frozen products for export to customers in Europe and the Middle East, we will now offer the British and Irish markets our range of foods for chill cabinets. We have been exploring opportunities to manufacture closer to our target market in Britain, where we have serious approaches from key multiples – we already supply Tesco in Northern Ireland and Dunnes in the Republic, for some time.”

Both businesses have Soil Association organic accreditation, with the partner on the mainland operating from a gluten-free factory making foods low in salt and fat.

Boost launches new range of energy drinks

Mikes Fancy Cheese launches Young Buck

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ew recipe Boost Active Glucose is now available in Original and Orange varieties and in redesigned 500ml and 1litre PET bottles, price-marked at 59p and 89p respectively.

The brand is hoping the new launches will increase its competitive edge and is targeting the 96% market share of the category leader in refreshment energy drinks, valued at £334m in the UK and showing year-on-year growth of +8.3% by value and +7.2% by volume.

Boost is laying claims as champion of the independents, with its new and improved highmargin branded glucose range aimed at driving renewed consumer interest in the category with attractive price points and great taste.

Boost Sport has also been revamped with new packaging, and will be available in Orange, Mixed Berry and Tropical flavours in 500ml PET bottles, with a highly competitive 50p PMP option.

“Having invested heavily in consumer and trade research over the last 12 months, we feel we have identified some huge opportunities for sales growth across the energy drinks category,” said Al Gunn, sales director of Boost.

“As we only serve the independent trade we know how critical it is that we provide this channel with great competitively-priced products that will not be available in the multiples.”

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oung Buck, Northern Ireland’s first raw-milk artisanal blue cheese, was recently launched by Newtownardsbased Mikes Fancy Cheese (MFC), a business formed last year with crowd funding support.

Created by experienced cheesemaker Mike Thomson, Young Buck is a Stichelton, unpasteurised blue cheese sourced from milk from a single herd of award-winning Holstein-Friesian cows reared on clover-rich pastures in Co Down. He has already made contact with potential customers and distributors in Britain.

Thomson turned to crowdfunding specialist Seeders for help in funding his set up costs and raised around £80,000 from 100 interested investors, including one in Japan, intrigued by his cheese project. He offered investors 40% of his business.

The cheese was named Young Buck to readdress perceptions of blue cheese as “cool and unstuffy”.

“Ultimately, my ambition is to work on-site at a dairy farm, creating a range of unique but accessible cheese which can be sourced at specialist counters throughout the UK and Ireland,” he said.

“Feedback from sampling sessions in a leading Belfast high-end deli has been immensely encouraging. A key objective for me will be to win listings in Britain from respected specialists such as Neal’s Yard.”

FOOD & DRINK NEWS

Crabbie’s launch £1m on-pack ‘Grand National’ offer

Enjoying the Crabbie’s Fence and Bus Tour are, from left, Patrick Doris of United Wine Merchants and Michael Stewart of The Hudson Bar.

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nited Wine Merchants has announced a £1m on-pack offer for its Crabbie’s brand in the run up to The Crabbie’s Grand National.

The on-pack offer will give consumers the chance to win £1m, matching the prize fund of The Crabbie’s Grand National winner. A range of other prizes are also up for grabs, including cash giveaways, tickets to the Grand National and bottles of Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer.

Promotional bottles will contain unique codes that will unlock the opportunity to play an interactive game of Donkey Derby on the Crabbie’s website, www.crabbiesgingerbeer.co.uk/million.

The offer will run on all 500ml and 330ml bottles of Crabbie’s Original, Scottish Raspberry and Strawberry and Lime throughout the off- and on-trades. In the off-trade, competition stock is now available in the wholesale and independent channels.

United Wine Merchants will also be taking a mock-up of one of the most iconic Grand National fences, The Chair, plus two life-size branded horses on a promotional tour throughout the island of Ireland, visiting on- and off-trade accounts throughout Belfast and Dublin.

This will be accompanied by the branded Crabbie’s double-decker bus and aims to further support licensees in promoting this sponsorship to customers, offering consumers the chance to sample the Crabbie’s Flavours, and ultimately the opportunity to enter and win a trip to the Crabbie’s Grand National.

“This competition will allow fans of Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer to join in with the excitement of The Crabbie’s Grand National, even if they’re not able to attend the race itself,” said Emma Haughian, brand manager at United Wine Merchants, which distributes Crabbie’s throughout the island of Ireland. “The on-pack offer represents a major investment and the interactive game is a brand new mechanic for the Crabbie’s brand.

“The on-pack offer will help to raise awareness of Crabbie’s sponsorship of the Grand National amongst both drinkers and nondrinkers of the brand, and generate consumer interaction with the brand through the new Crabbie’s website.

“We are also really excited to be bringing the Crabbie’s Fence and Bus Tour to Ireland as this will further drive the messaging about Crabbie’s sponsoring of this iconic event and will help deliver the Crabbie’s messaging to our retailers, suppliers and consumers whilst of course generating fun and excitement.”

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FOCUS ON EXPORTS

Overcoming barriers to boundless export opportunities M

ichael Bell, executive director of the Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association (NIFDA), believes opportunities for Northern Irish exports are boundless, but are currently being held back by issues such as limited air and sea links, energy provision and a gap in skills development.

“With four-fifths of Northern Ireland’s agrifood output exported, greater co-operation and ‘co-opetition’ is required to elevate our food and drink to the world class reputation it deserves,” he says.

Greater co-operation and financial support is vital if the local agri-food sector is to make any progress towards the ambitious targets laid out in the Agri-Food Strategy Board’s

(AFSB) Going for Growth strategy - namely growing exports by 75% to £4.5bn by 2020.

In addition, greater ‘co-opetition’ with food and drink manufacturers in neighbouring markets will help Northern Ireland make its voice heard in the crowded global marketplace.

With Northern Ireland only achieving an export equivalent value of €91m against an annual €2,210m in agri-food exports by its neighbour the Republic of Ireland, “the potential for growth is huge and we need to really ramp up our export efforts to achieve that potential,” says Michael.

NIFDA has close ties to the AFSB, with which it shares a chairman and three directors, and

is keen for the Executive to move forward with adopting and supporting the AFSB’s strategies, including the Agri-Food Loan Scheme.

“The AFSB was created when the Executive realised it had significantly undervalued food and drink in Northern Ireland, and failed to look at the whole supply chain, from animal feed to hygiene and technology - finishing with products for export,” says Michael.

“A sixth of private sector employment in Northern Ireland depends on the agri-food supply chain,” he says, pointing out that Bombardier is typically named as the biggest local business when it is actually Moy Park.

LOCAL ASSETS “One of the areas NIFDA is very active in is trying to change the perception of Northern Ireland food and drink,” says Michael. “We are world class.” As evidence, he cites such examples as Moy Park winning Processing Business of the Year 2012 and Mash Direct, winning Chilled Foods Manufacturing Company of the Year 2011 – while local manufacturers continue to sweep the board at the Great Taste Awards with Punjana, for example, achieving nine gold stars in one year.

Developments such as the new Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast “further enhances the industry’s overall reputation by reflection,” says Michael. “It further outlines our ongoing investment in being outstanding in our field.

I said to a group of students recently, in my lifetime there has never been a more exciting opportunity for food and drink. It’s a huge challenge but also a huge opportunity.”

And: “We forget one of our great strengths,” says Michael. “From an export point of view, we live in an area with an abundance of agricultural land with high rainfall and a temperate climate.”

From left, Tony O’Neill, chair of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) and Agri-Food Strategy Board and Michael Bell, executive director of NIFDA with NIFDA’s newest member and Access 6 participant Helen Troughton, Armagh Cider Company.

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ACCESS 6 NIFDA is one of the partners, alongside the Irish Exporters Association and Scotland Food & Drink, which is delivering the Access 6 export development project funded by the EU’s INTERREG IVA programme. The

FOCUS ON EXPORTS

Michael Bell speaking at the launch of the Access 6 French cluster at the Irish Embassy in Paris.

initiative aims to provide 90 SMEs across the border regions with the marketing skillsets, and logistical support to successfully supply and trade in a number of foreign markets including the UK, France, Germany, Scandinavia, North America and Benelux.

It also aims to create an additional 90 new jobs within the participating businesses, and up-skill a further 400 SMEs across the three border regions.

“The scheme is defined politically,” says Michael. “The EU wants growth to be more evenly spread.”

As well as training and mentorship in marketing and logistics, including a comprehensive E-learning site and support from Access 6 Project Manager Harry Hamilton, many participating businesses have the opportunity to go on trade missions to the markets.

“Access 6 is an example of a project which works with a small group of companies,” says Michael. “Going for Growth is similar and more ambitious – for companies across all parts of Northern Ireland.

“Invest NI has a new Director of Food and Tourism, John Hood, and we are working closely with John and his team to support the work they are doing to help industry export more. The message for our Executive is we

We use the word ‘co-operation’ – if we can work together, we can all win by selling a lot more to the rest of the world.” need to invest more and co-ordinate our efforts.

“We only have to look at the Republic of Ireland and Scotland to see what our nearest neighbours are doing. We use the word ‘coopetition’ – if we can work together, we can all win by selling a lot more to the rest of the world. It’s about getting that message through to the community at large.”

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT In addition to Access 6, NIFDA is involved in a variety of initiatives aimed at boosting the opportunities that are available to local

food and drink – spanning government and academia.

This includes the ‘Future Skills Action Plan for Food and Drink Manufacturing and Processing’, a joint initiative by the Department for Employment and Learning, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Invest NI. Its latest output is a management programme jointly developed by Queen’s University Belfast and Cranfield University, the ‘Leaders in Industry Programme for the Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector’, which is ‘aimed at talented individuals who are preparing for wider, more strategic positions within the food and drink manufacturing sector’.

“We are also involved in sector attractiveness, working with careers teachers and supporting educators,” says Michael.

“People don’t understand that agri-food is number one in Northern Ireland and since the start of the recession it has grown by a third.

“It’s not just people in white hats and coats; there is a panorama of jobs. I’ll not pretend that a job in the food and drink sector is not a challenging career but it’s a very rewarding one. An enormous amount of people stay for 10 years-plus – and 25, 35 years-plus is still not uncommon in food and drink.” >>> 17

FOCUS ON EXPORTS

Is exporting for you?

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Pictured at the Arc de Triomphe are, from left, Access 6 Director Michael Bell and Access 6 Project Manager Harry Hamilton.

BARRIERS TO GROWTH Among factors hampering export growth is the current trend for local sourcing, which Michael says is great for getting companies off the ground, and established, but prohibitive once a business reaches a certain size.

The Balmoral Show should widen its scope to reflect the importance of exports in the agri-food business mix, he says, and could become a showcase to international visitors as well as local people.

Government needs to simplify its planning regulations for the manufacturing sector.

“One of the problems is speed of response,” says Michael, with the local planning process so lengthy, a number of companies have had to go ahead and proceed with construction in the hope approval will be granted or risk losing new business.

You need to rapidly expand facilities to expand export markets,” he says. “It’s absolutely vital that our regulatory authorities can respond in a sensible timeframe.”

Meanwhile, both Government and the food and drink sector need to brush up on their multi-lingual skills – French, German, Spanish and Chinese in particular – to ensure 3618• Ulster Grocer | JANUARY 2011

regulatory requirements and contracts are accurately understood. “At the minute, this area is very limited and we would like to see export readiness improved,” says Michael.

Another issue for manufacturing is the energy question with the west of the province, where many food and drinks companies are based, suffering from limited electricity supply.

Logistics, particularly access by air and sea, are further concerns. “If we’re going to grow our export base, it’s very important to have air transport availability and vital that Belfast International Airport is developed as our principal airport,” says Michael. “To allow it to decline would be a grave mistake.”

Dublin is handling an annual 20 million passengers against 4 million through Belfast International. “We’ve been talking to the business community and, more and more, they travel through Dublin,” he says, with a similar migration occurring in sea routes due to the high cost of ferries out of Belfast and Larne.

Currency fluctuations can also have a negative impact on export prospects. “The more stable the environment, the easier it is to build exports,” says Michael.

IFDA uses a matrix, plotting value per metre cubed against shelf life, to help food and drink manufacturers establish if exports are viable for their business.

Bearing in mind, it will typically take two days for products to be transported across continental Europe, “you have to give consumers enough shelf life when they buy the product,” says Michael.

Drinks and any ambient lines with a long shelf life are ideal, while meat, cheese and fish products are also generally adaptable to exports.

In terms of success to date, “the common denominator is adding value,” says Michael, citing companies such as Kestrel Foods which is exporting its Forest Feast snacks worldwide and Mash Direct which is now sending its value-added mashed potato and vegetable lines to Dubai.

Fane Valley is another export success story, with the milk processor recently announcing it has secured new business worth over £40m in China, Indonesia, Algeria, Venezuela, Cuba and Europe.

While GB is the key export market for NI food and drink, importing half of everything that is produced, manufacturers are increasingly tapping into other European and international markets.

“I would encourage every company to be thinking about exporting,” he says, recommending interested businesses to review the Access 6 E-learning tool to determine their readiness before going to Invest NI “who should be able to support you in terms of beginning to research the market and drawing up a plan,” says Michael.

“It is truly a very exciting time for Northern Ireland food and drink. We need to grab the opportunity and shout about how good our produce is and I have no doubt we will reach our export potential.”

Strangford Lough, Co. Down

fields & yields

Rich pastures mean rich pickings.

Northern Ireland is known for its stunning landscape, but the land is rich and productive too.

Our dairy, cereals, meat, fish, poultry and vegetables are exported to almost 70 countries worldwide.

The combination of a temperate climate and our dedication to farming excellence and innovation means food produced in Northern Ireland wins awards for quality the world over.

Whetted your appetite?

www.buynifood.com

If you are interested in exporting your products find out more by emailing foodmarketing@investni.com

FOCUS ON EXPORTS

Invest NI helping to grow food exports

By Dr Vicky Kell, director of trade at Invest NI

Pictured at one of Invest NI’s Meet the Buyer events are, from left, Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI trade director; Kamal Vachani, group director of Dubai-based Al Maya Group, one of the leading retail chains in the United Arab Emirates; and Mark Gowdy, sales and marketing manager of White’s Oats.

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ou’ll now find food and drink from Northern Ireland being enjoyed virtually every day in more than 80 countries. The industry, which generated almost £4.5bn last year to the local economy and employs upwards of 100,000 people across its supply chain, is among our most important exporters and one which is succeeding worldwide because of its commitment to quality and innovation.

Many of the most successful companies, both large and small and across all sectors, are benefiting from the vast range of trade services and other practical support from Invest Northern Ireland. In addition to support to grow exports, Invest NI helps companies in areas such as business development, R&D, innovation and skills.

Trade promotion schemes include participation in major food shows such as SIAL in Paris, ANUGA in Cologne, Fancy Food in San Francisco, Gulfood in Dubai and Hotel China in Shanghai, as well as ‘Meet the Buyer’ events with international retailers and foodservice organisations and upwards of 10 trade missions.

Meet the Buyer events have brought key 20

buyers from Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, other parts of Europe, the US and the Middle East to Northern Ireland for one-toone meetings with local companies.

This extensive portfolio recognises that Northern Ireland’s economic recovery is rooted in international markets. This is why Invest NI’s focus is on providing practical support to accelerate the growth of food and drink, particularly in terms of earnings from markets beyond Northern Ireland.

Among the most successful initiatives is the Food Sector Marketing Advisers scheme that is helping companies increase business outside Northern Ireland through the support from marketing professionals. They generate leads and set up face-to-face interviews between the companies and retail and foodservice buyers.

Food and drink today contributes £1.1bn of Northern Ireland’s total £5.7bn exports and a further £1.5bn in terms of sales to Great Britain. Indeed, almost two thirds of food and drink from Northern Ireland is now bought by retailers and food service organisations in other parts of the UK and increasingly further afield.

Among the most successful export sectors

are dairy products, which contributed sales abroad of £310m, meat and meat preparations business worth £307m, and beverages of £259m. The key markets for these companies are Europe, including the Republic of Ireland, and Russia, India, the Middle East and Africa and the Americas.

While much of the export business is being driven by bigger companies such as Dale Farm, now exporting to 45 countries including China (whey protein) and Russia (cheese) Fane Valley to 25 countries, supplying milk powder, butters and beef, and Dunbia providing beef, lamb and pork to around 20 markets, smaller businesses are starting to make their mark abroad.

Hannan Meats, for instance, now supplies beef to eight countries including France, Portugal and Italy, Suki Tea is enjoyed in Japan, Poland and Rwanda, Grace’s Traditional Irish Biscuits in Germany, Spain, the US and Japan, Glenarm Fresh and Smoked Salmon in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates and Lough Neagh Eels have long been a popular delicacy in the Netherlands. Spring water from Antrim Hills is now being shipped to China. White’s

FOCUS ON EXPORTS Speedicook porridge is on sale in Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the US. Old Bushmills Irish Whiskey is on sale worldwide and 60% of the Baileys Original Cream for upwards of 50 markets is made at Newtownabbey.

A key factor underpinning our growing success outside the UK is the support our companies enjoy from key retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Morrison’s, Musgrave Group, and Henderson/Spar.

They help companies in a very broad range of activities including marketing particularly in Great Britain, new product development, quality accreditations and merchandising.

Working with major retailers and foodservice organisations helps them as they seek to win business in markets abroad.

Food and drink here, furthermore, is also benefiting from Northern Ireland’s longstanding reputation as a source of quality products with the safety, total traceability and provenance from short supply chains that includes farms within a few miles of processing plants.

Another important feature of the food industry here is the strength of the commitment of companies to innovation especially in terms of new product development and increasingly branding. It’s a feature that underpins both large and small companies in most sectors and has also been seen in the Great Taste Awards over the past few years.

Smaller food companies, including artisan producers, are also making good use of Invest NI support to develop modern branding, sharpen their marketing and also to achieve the highest quality and hygiene standards which helps them stand out from the crowd.

Food companies in Northern Ireland, both large and small, are increasingly recognising that their future in this fast moving and challenging industry lies in developing addedvalue products that offer customers different taste experiences and will appeal to retailers and foodservice organisations worldwide.

Many are now taking advantage of Invest NI programmes including Innovation Vouchers, R&D and Trade development to come up with original products for success abroad.

Companies interested in exporting should contact: Nigel Hardy, Head of Global Food Marketing, Invest Northern Ireland Tel: 028 9069 8143; Mob: 07968 086252; E: nigel.hardy@investni.com.

Local food at home is a springboard for export success UG spoke to Michele Shirlow of Food NI. HOW IMPORTANT ARE EXPORTS TO THE NORTHERN IRISH AGRI-FOOD SECTOR? Exports are vital but we need to build a strong self-belief and an appreciation of local food at home as it is that quality and innovation that will act as a springboard for export success.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE KEY EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE? This depends on the size and scale of the business. Clearly there are opportunities for commodities in many emerging markets, eg there has been a huge demand predicted for dairy products in China, but there are also opportunities to supply speciality products to restaurants in major European cities and speciality retailers.

WHAT SHOULD AGRI-FOOD COMPANIES CONSIDERING EXPORTS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT? Again this depends on the size and scale of the business and whether the business is in commodity or niche markets. My advice would be a strong home base first and then research into where the best opportunities are. Also serious consideration as to the persistence and long timescale required for success.

CAN YOU OFFER ANY PARTICULAR EXPORT SUCCESS STORIES? Particular favourites are Mash Direct in GB supermarkets, Punjana – Irish Breakfast Tea into the east coast of America and Hannans Meats into Mark Hix restaurants in London.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN BARRIERS TO EXPORT SUCCESS? There are many barriers to exporting but I think the main barrier is self-belief and, as the reputation of the industry continues to grow, that will change.

NI biscuits taste success in Spain G

race’s, the Northern Irish gourmet biscuit business, has been listed by upmarket Spanish department store group El Corte Ingles.

The Bangor-based business has just delivered a consignment of its handcrafted traditional Irish shortbread and oatmeal biscuits to the store in Barcelona in what it describes as its ‘biggest export order to date’.

Graces also supplies retailers in Britain, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Japan.

The ‘significant’ deal with El Corte Ingles follows extensive discussions and samplings last year by buyers in Barcelona.

The deal was announced by William Bullock, managing director of Grace’s, which he formed in 2004. In addition the company, which has won a string of UK Great Taste Awards for its shortbread and oatmeal biscuits, has expanded its product portfolio to include Irish breakfast tea, Titanic branded jams, fudge and drinking chocolate.

“Signing our biggest export order to date from such an influential department store is a marvellous endorsement of the originality and quality of our biscuits,” said Bullock. “El Corte Ingles is Europe’s biggest department store and ranked fourth worldwide. We were helped by Invest NI to link up with a representative in Spain who opened the door for us to top buyers in Barcelona.”

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FOCUS ON EXPORTS

New certification boosts export prospects for Ewings

Rathlin kelp products target Asian market

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wing’s Seafoods, a supplier of smoked salmon, cod loins and other fresh seafood to top retailers including Selfridges in London, has achieved British Retail Consortium (BRC) Grade A certification.

The Belfast-based family-owned and managed company views the accreditation as an essential stage in its drive to expand sales in Britain and further afield. It has already supplied smoked salmon to markets such as the United Arab Emirates, and is assessing opportunities in the US and Hong Kong.

“BRC is an essential requirement for us as we seek to increase sales to major retailers particularly in Britain,” said Director Crawford Ewing. “It’s a very exacting and challenging process that shows we now have all the systems in place to ensure premium quality and complete product traceability.

“We are, I believe, the only wet fish business in Northern Ireland to achieve BRC Grade A rating. We’ve backed this up by installing a new state-of-the-art computer system and the latest CRM technology, enabling us to respond faster than ever before to the requirements of individual customers and to monitor our business with them.”

The small company was among local success stories in the last Great Taste awards, listed in the Top 50 Foods for its traditionally-smoked cod loins, and also gained recognition for its smoked salmon.

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athlin Island-based Ocean Veg Ireland is developing ready-to-use sea vegetable products for use in the Asian export market including Kelp Pesto under a new ‘Islander’ brand.

The small company, formed by local fishermen, is processing and packaging kelp and sugar kelp harvested from the island’s coastline for sushi and ‘food fusion’ restaurants in Britain and further afield.

“Our objective is to develop a ‘fresh’ processing solution for kelp for the sea veg market in the UK, mainland Europe and hopefully further afield,” said Kate Burns, a director of Ocean Veg Ireland. “We are already supplying ready to use kelp for miso soup and a Kelp Pesto. Feedback on both products from restaurants has been immensely encouraging.

“Currently all seaweeds for the Asian food market in Europe are dried and imported from Asia. The end product we envisage is vacuum packs of blanched kelp for sale in both retail and catering markets throughout Europe.”

Fane Valley secures new export business worth £40m

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anbridge-based milk processor Fane Valley Dairies, which specialises in milk powders, butters and anhydrous milk fat, has won new business worth over £40m in China, Indonesia, Algeria, Venezuela, Cuba and Europe.

The dairy processing division of Armagh-based Fane Valley Co-operative already exports products to over 25 countries.

“We are now seeing the evidence of the expected rise in demand for quality dairy products driven by population growth, rising incomes and an associated change in dietary intentions especially within the rapidly rising middle class in China and Asia,” said Trevor Lockhart, chief executive of Fane Valley.

“This has presented new opportunities to exporters such as Fane Valley Dairies and Northern Ireland as a region. Our ability to provide assurances around the integrity of our supply chains including product safety and traceability are key elements which have strengthened the excellent reputation of the Mourne Maid range of powder ingredients and butterfat products.”

“The development of our own direct supply milk pool and a programme of From left, Fane Valley Chief Executive Trevor Lockhart is pictured with Fane Valley Dairies Managing Director Jim Henning. on-going investment in the quality and functionality of our products have been particularly important in underpinning these credentials with customers which has in turn enabled us to win more business.”

The Fane Valley Group has interests in dairy processing, red meat, feed compounding, agricultural supplies, breakfast cereals and renewable energy, operating across Europe. It has a turnover in excess of £450m, with over 2,100 employees at sites in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, England and Belgium.

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FOCUS ON EXPORTS

Finnebrogue seeking local talent to help build exports E

xport trade has propelled venison and pork manufacturer Finnebrogue from a £4m business four years ago to current turnover of £40m.

The biggest problem the innovation-led business is currently experiencing is not how to find new markets but rather people to help take it to the next level.

Back at the start of the year, UG reported on the Downpatrick-based company’s £3m investment in new facilities and plans to create 65 new jobs to facilitate export growth.

Finnebrogue Managing Director Denis Lynn had hoped to fill the roles by the end of March but the business is still struggling to find new staff members; particularly for management roles.

“The biggest challenge is to get people,” says Lynn. “We really need professional people that will grow the process and systems with us. If anyone is interested in a career, I

would like to talk to them.”

Finnebrogue has come a long way since Lynn started out distributing pizzas and pies in Comber in 1985 and then operated a franchise for fast-cook chips before getting into beef farming in 1993 and moving on to deer in 1996.

Recognising there were no real controls or consistency in venison production, Finnebrogue started producing Oisín (little deer in Irish) and built up a reputation for quality and value-added innovation. The business then diversified into value-added pork lines, sourcing its raw ingredients from Karro Foods.

Finnebrogue’s Rankin Selection Sausages and own-label lines are stocked by M&S, Asda and Waitrose in GB. “You get into the marketplace by growing your reputation,” says Lynn. “You’ve got to understand that you’re making products for consumers; you

have to understand what consumers want.”

The company’s new facilities, across the road from its current site, are state-of-the-art with a major focus on green aspects such as heat recovery. “We’re spending a lot of money to make sure it’s a very low environmental impact site,” says Lynn. “There’s a big bonus in doing that, as Northern Ireland is the second most expensive place for energy in Europe.”

With Finnebrogue “already in a location that makes it more expensive to get to our marketplace,” the costs of transporting produce across the Irish Sea to GB, and utilities, are an ongoing concern.

“You have to be very lean and very innovation-led if you want to locate a food business in Northern Ireland and export to the rest of the UK,” he says, pointing out that most local businesses of any size now have sites on the mainland as well.”

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FOCUS ON EXPORTS Q&A

The world is our oyster Maria O’Loan, director at Cleaver Fulton Rankin, outlines export opportunities available to the local agri-food sector and how the company can help businesses achieve success.

WHAT SHOULD AGRI-FOOD COMPANIES TAKE INTO ACCOUNT TO FIND OUT IF EXPORTING IS A VIABLE PROPOSITION? Agri-food companies first need to work out what the market is for their product. They need to understand whether they can offer a unique product or an existing product at a better price. They then need to examine what adjustments, if any, they need to make to their product in terms of ingredients and formulations to extend the shelf life or meet local requirements.

Once they have the product right, they need to seek clear legal advice to ensure that they have the appropriate export licences and agreements in place.

Maria O’Loan

HOW IMPORTANT WOULD YOU SAY EXPORTS ARE TO THE NORTHERN IRISH AGRI-FOOD SECTOR? Northern Ireland produces some of the best food products in the world. However, it has a small population and so exports are crucial to the agri-food sector.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE KEY EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES/MARKETS AVAILABLE TO NI FOOD? The world is our oyster. Agri-food businesses need to look not only at the UK and Europe but also at the emerging BRIC countries as potential opportunities.

There are lots of innovative companies in Northern Ireland that Cleaver Fulton Rankin work with who trade on a global basis. For example, Linwoods has been first to the market with a number of health food products and export globally. There are also opportunities in supporting exports exemplified by ITradein.com which is an innovative trading platform helping link suppliers, retailers and distributers worldwide.

These demonstrate the diverse range of opportunities available.

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WHAT ARE THE MAIN BARRIERS TO EXPORTING FOR NI BUSINESSES, AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO OVERCOME THEM? Many businesses we work with complain about the excessive regulation and red tape associated with food production and exporting food products. We work closely with businesses to help them navigate the often complex legal maze from product development to kitchen table.

The food market is incredibly competitive and the Government should work towards reducing and simplifying the requirements for the food industry. By way of example, we often find that the approach adopted by local authorities in Northern Ireland to food labelling requirements is more rigid than those adopted by authorities in England and Wales.

Northern Ireland also faces a major barrier in the form of corporation tax making it more difficult to compete with Republic of Irelandbased producers.

HOW CAN YOU HELP LOCAL AGRI-FOOD BUSINESSES ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN EXPORT TRADE? Cleaver Fulton Rankin’s Agri-Food team has considerable experience advising agri-food businesses from ‘farm to fork’. We work closely with businesses developing innovative

We work with businesses to help them navigate the often complex legal maze from product development to kitchen table.” products, assisting them in getting all the necessary patents and trademarks to protect their investment. We work with businesses on operational and manufacturing issues such as advising on planning permissions, environmental permits and environmental health requirements. We also advise on banking and finance issues to help fund product development, manufacturing and export. We negotiate supply contracts and export agreements. We also advise on EU Labelling requirements and help our clients to navigate the legal requirements of exporting both within the EU and further afield.

Maria O’Loan, a director in Cleaver Fulton Rankin’s Planning and Environmental Department, heads the firm’s Agri-Food team. Maria has a wealth of experience in providing advice to food industry, including growers, producers, manufacturers, packaging and distribution companies and retailers on regulatory matters such as food labelling requirements, prosecution under food safety legislation and environmental incidents. Maria is the Chair of EPLANI – Environmental and Planning Law Association of Northern Ireland.

Cleaver Fulton Rankin’s Agri-Food Team; Cultivating growth through legal excellence For further information contact Maria O’Loan m.oloan@cfrlaw.co.uk 028 9024 3141 www.cfrlaw.co.uk

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14/03/2014 12:10

SPECIALITY FOODS FEATURE

Helping retailers meet growing gluten-free demand UG speaks to Derek Thompson, co-founder with his wife Christina of Gluten Free Ireland, a guide to coeliac-friendly eating across the island of Ireland. of the high cost of GF in RoI, there is a cross border trade. Demand is growing from both diagnosed coeliacs, and those who choose a GF lifestyle. GF food should be available on prescription in NI but many GPs have no idea about the allowances etc so many folk fall short of their allocation and end up having to buy it.

Pictured (from left) are: Derek and Christina Thompson (Gluten Free Ireland), Courtney Radcliffe (Brakes marketing manager) and Conor Sloan (Brakes area sales manager).

HOW MANY PEOPLE IN NI ARE ESTIMATED TO BE COELIAC? The current estimate is 1 in 100 in the UK and Ireland, and it has been growing year-onyear for at least the last few years, as more people are diagnosed and more self-diagnose or see it as a diet because some celebrity has mentioned it.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN BARRIERS TO AWARENESS? There are only two national charities covering coeliac disease (CD) – Coeliac UK and CSoI. CUK have very little coverage in NI and CSoI don’t cover NI at all. No-one is promoting CD in any commercial way except us. Even the hospitality trade don’t cover it too well despite spending money creating a gluten free (GF) menu. From the consumers’ point of view, many coeliacs are embarrassed by the illness and do without, instead of raising a rumpus. Make it available on the shelves so that coeliacs don’t need to ask. Make sure staff are aware of where to find the GF food in the store. Teach staff that many foods are naturally GF, eg fruit & veg, unprocessed meat, dairy produce etc but also make them aware that there is hidden wheat in many products, eg some brands of soy sauce and some brands of gravy. Many chocolates are GF but there are anomalies eg M&Ms are OK 26

but not Smarties. Fancy a piece of liquorice?

Only certain brands are GF. DOES THE RETAIL MARKET FOR GF FOOD IN NI OFFER MUCH OPPORTUNITY? There is a demand; not only from locals but also from visitors from abroad and, because

Gluten Free Open Day at Marine Hotel, Ballycastle

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he Marine Hotel in Ballycastle is very coeliac friendly and, together with Gluten Free Ireland, is holding a gluten free food event on Saturday, April 5 from 1pm-4pm to showcase some of the GF foods currently available.

The Marine Hotel will have a range of gluten free food and meals available, as well as offering special rates for anyone wishing to stay over.

Companies displaying on the day include Riso Gallo, Celia Lager, Lazy Day Foods, Cobden & Brown and John Doherty Meats.

WHICH RETAILERS ARE EXCELLING IN THE GF CATEGORY? M&S is excellent and has taken the problem to heart. Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s are all carrying some stock but difficult to get if shopping online. This could be a lack of knowledge by the pickers. Spar/Vivoxtra has some available but no apparent knowledge.

Nisa and Costcutter are starting to carry some products but there appears to be a lack of knowledge about the illness. Musgrave is carrying a little more stock in their shops but again there is no real apparent knowledge instore in my opinion.

WHICH KEY GF PRODUCTS SHOULD RETAILERS STOCK AND HOW SHOULD THEY BE MARKETED? CUK has a suggested list of staples every shop should carry – fresh white bread, fresh brown bread, bread rolls, breakfast cereals, pasta, flour, crackers and cereal bars. Soups, frozen products, ready meals and rice are all popular, as are baked beans. Kelkin has an excellent range of GF products. Where or how to display GF food is beyond our expertise; that is down to the supermarket managers. Further suggestions include: • Advertise with us through our website as we are in direct touch with the GF community.

• Utilise Coeliac Awareness Week in May to market the GF range available in-store.

• Ensure GF food is promoted in any and all promotional leaflets distributed by the store.

• Run Competitions to win GF food hampers.

Include GF recipes, where there is a recipe section on a website.

• Encourage GF food producers to support supermarket efforts to promote their products; perhaps with special offers as GF food is more expensive than ‘normal’ food.

• Support special events like the one we are holding in Ballycastle or the one we are attending in Rasharkin where M&S, Tesco and Sainsbury’s are taking part.

SPECIALITY FOODS FEATURE

Making ‘free from’ great to eat and affordable Dave Brooks, ‘free-from’ sector advisor to Grant Thornton LLP, looks at the category’s origins and steady growth in the UK market. was on the up, and it was also clear that most people were playing at it in poor quality facilities and with poor quality product. The free from consumer had to pay significantly more for a product where – in some cases – you would have found more taste in the packaging. Unacceptable!

Working with Archy Cunningham, our MD, we quickly agreed three key facets: • Our facility would be physically segregated, with special clothing and proper air flow control. No more of this ‘time separation’; let’s do it properly.

• Our products would be great to eat as ‘ok’ was never going to be good enough for us.

• We would invest in special kit so our manufacturing was efficient and our products were affordable and accessible for everyone.

I

n 2005, as chief executive of Finsbury Food Group, I was off on the acquisition trail and we turned up at United Central Bakeries in Bathgate, near Edinburgh.

Finsbury was growing fast and I was attracted to a 100,000-square-foot bakery with £9m of turnover. On that scale, making decent money was tough but the major asset was the capacity; or at least, that is what we thought.

On our walk around, we ‘found’ the free from space – which produced £1m of Tesco own label speciality products such as naan, pittas, and crumpets. After a bit of research, we knew we had found a gem that fitted the Group strategy of ‘Being the best at what we do – Premium, Celebration, and Health’ and, in the autumn of that year, we bought it.

It was clear at that time, that free from

And then we got on with it and put our full commitment into getting ahead of the field and leading the speciality market for free from products. Within three years, we had grown

Free from is no longer a niche sector where compromise is acceptable as most consumers do have a choice.”

that part of the business to £5m with all the major supermarkets on board and a portfolio of products, including a quite delicious Victoria Sponge that would not have been identified as gluten-free in any taste test.

So then we bought Livwell in Hull to get us in to free from breads and morning goods, and set about doing the same there and ended up launching the UK’s first gluten-free Pain au Chocolat – YUM! Well Archy did, as I moved on in 2008, but the legacy and strategy remained and, in 2012, Finsbury sold those businesses to Genius – for whom UCB were the lead producers of their fresh breads – for £21m.

Free from is no longer a niche sector where compromise is acceptable as most of our consumers do have a choice – they are not coeliac but choose free from so if it is not value for money, they will seek alternate diets.

Simply put the product and put the consumer at the heart of everything you do – from product innovation to bakery investment, and marketing know-how... just the same as a standard line, as free from is now standard.

I wonder how long it will be before the free from fixture disappears altogether and the range follows fresh bread out in to the general store?

Dave Brooks is the former chief executive of Finsbury Food Group, the largest supplier of free from bakery goods to UK retailers prior to the sale of that part of the business to Genius. He is now a non executive director in a range of businesses, and the sector advisor to Grant Thornton LLP. He can be contacted at dave@dgbadvisory.com.

Lazy Day Foods offers free from sweet treats range L

azy Day Foods produces award-winning cookies and tray bakes, aimed in particular at people with food intolerances. The range of products is free from gluten, wheat, dairy and eggs, and is vegan.

The products are available in retail packs and individually wrapped for the food service industry. The range includes Belgium Chocolate Tiffin, Millionaire Shortbread, Fruit Slice, Ginger Snap and Chocolate Chip Shortbread.

Awards include Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Award – Best Bakery Product 2010 and Best Bakery Product Range 2012, Great Taste Gold Awards 2008, 2009, 2010, Free From Food Awards 2009, Lanarkshire Business Awards, Best Food and Drink Business 2010.

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SPECIALITY FOODS FEATURE

Free’ist offers ‘scrumptious and suger free’ lines UG speaks to Steve McDonagh, sales and marketing co-ordinator at GM Marketing, supplier of Free’ist.

WHAT FREE-FROM PRODUCTS DO YOU SUPPLY? We recently launched Free’ist, our innovative new sugar free/no added sugar range of products back in September and have had a great response from consumers and the trade. The range is quite extensive consisting of 13 products – four chocolates (Milk, Dark, Hazelnut and White Chocolate with strawberries which are also gluten free), four cookies (Choc Chip, Choc Striped Peanut, Hazelnut and Coconut), two wafers (3x30g and 100g) and three jams (strawberry, raspberry and marmalade). We wanted to create an umbrella brand that stretched across a range of product categories; however we didn’t want to compromise on taste. All our products are great tasting and just so happen to be sugar free/no added sugar, and we are currently looking at possible additions to the range that fit with our criteria of being ‘scrumptious and sugar free’.

WHAT SIZE IS THE NI MARKET? The free from market in the UK is worth an estimated £420m, and is forecast to grow by another 20% by 2016; NI is seeing similar growth.

The market is definitely growing and has almost doubled since 2009.

However, the majority of free-from products in the market are glutenfree, dairy-free or wheat-free. Our research highlighted a gap in the market for a great tasting sugar-free brand and the early results are showing there is definitely strong consumer demand.

DO NI CONSUMERS UNDERSTAND THE FREE-FROM CATEGORY? Consumers are becoming more informed about the free from market.

As the growth over the last number of years shows, it is definitely

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becoming more prevalent. However, the NI market is still some way behind in comparison to the South, where it is more developed and supermarkets give more space to it in store. The increase in food intolerances, the growing trend of healthy eating and recent celebrity endorsements of ‘free-from’ diets really has helped raise awareness of free from foods.

IS ENOUGH BEING DONE TO COMMUNICATE THE CATEGORY’S BENEFITS? Yes I think there is; if you look in stores, you can see the growing prominence given to free-from foods. There is also a lot of work being done by groups like the diabetes and coeliac societies, which provide a range of information for consumers. One of the main points that came out of our research was that consumers wanted clear and easy-to-read packaging; that is why our packaging clearly states on the front of pack what the sweetener is.

ARE RETAILERS DOING A GOOD ENOUGH JOB TO PROMOTE THE CATEGORY? You can clearly see they realise there is a growing market for free-from foods and have increased the space in store accordingly to cater for this growing demand. We are also supporting retailers with promotions to help encourage consumer trial.

IS THERE SUFFICIENT QUALITY AND INNOVATION IN THE CATEGORY? There is room to improve the quality of products and consumers are always looking to try new and exciting products.

SPECIALITY FOODS FEATURE

Celia lager offers organic, glutenfree alternative L

ow in calories and free from additives, Celia lager has the benefit of being gluten-free and naturally carbonated – reducing bloating to give a truly light feel.

A winner at the 2013 Free-From Awards, Celia is brewed using all organic, local ingredients from the world-famous hops region of the Czech Republic.

The local, noble Saaz hops provide a clean, spicy aroma, ideal to accompany quality food.

Tomas Lejsek, previous head of the Czech Brewing and Research Institute, spent three years developing the patented deglutenisation process that makes CELIA possible.

This process is achieved by utilising the temperature stability provided by the walls of the 14th century Zatec castle, in which CELIA is brewed.

Find out more at celialager.co.uk, and follow on twitter and facebook @celialager for offers and competitions.

Amy’s Kitchen offers coeliac-friendly meals A

my’s Kitchen, a family-owned business founded in the US, produces a range of free from foods including Gluten Free Rice Mac & Cheese, Gluten Free Vegetable Lasagne and a Gluten Free Cheddar, Rice & Bean Burrito.

Consumers are increasingly seeking free-from options, with over 42% of households now buying gluten free, making the Amy’s Kitchen range an easy and convenient option.

Available in Tesco, Co-op, ASDA and Sainsbury’s stores across Northern Ireland, the coeliac-friendly ready meals are just a few of the free-from products available from Amy’s Kitchen, which also includes a range of canned soups.

All Amy’s Kitchen meals and soups lay claim to a handmade taste, and contain only the finest natural ingredients without the use of artificial additives and preservatives. They are perfect for coeliac consumers looking for gluten-free, high quality and convenient meals without losing the ‘home cooked’ taste.

Gallo goes gluten-free

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isotto rice specialist Riso Gallo has extended its repertoire to glutenfree pasta, available locally in a number of SPAR, EUROSPAR and VIVO stores.

Available in a variety of pack sizes for individuals and families, Riso Gallo’s 3 Cereali pasta meets both the nutritional needs of those following a gluten-free diet and the high-standards consistently displayed by the Gallo family brand.

Heralded as ‘Best Pasta’ in the ‘FreeFrom Food Awards 2013’, the spaghetti has been celebrated for its flavoursome al dente texture as well as supreme sauce adherence.

Marking the company’s first foray into the pasta market, Gallo’s glutenfree pasta is made from rice, corn and buckwheat and provides a lighter, more digestible alternative to wheat pasta.

Consistently delivering on taste and texture, the authentic Italian spaghetti, penne and fusilli are available in 250g and 500g packs, which are all certified ‘gluten-free’ by the Coeliac Association.

The pasta cooks in six to eight minutes (depending on your al dente preference) and carries a RRP of £2.49 for 250g.

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SPECIALITY FOODS FEATURE

New regulations will require allergen listing for loose foods F

ood manufacturers will have to comply with new requirements related to allergy labelling on foods, coming into force at the end of this year.

The changes to current allergy labelling requirements are included in the Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU FIC), which takes effect on December 13.

Currently, foods such as bread, salads, cold meats and meals are not required to list food allergens. However, from December 13, foods sold without packaging or wrapped on site will need to list 14 major allergens.

Customers will need to be informed of any dishes on menus, or available for takeaway from shops, including any of the 14 allergens.

The new regulation will allow consumers to make more informed choices when shopping or eating out, according to Teresa Dupay, nutritionist and founder of MenuAnalyser.

“This is excellent news for anyone serving food, as you will be able to attract a huge amount of new customers who have not been able to eat out up until now,” says Dupay.

“These new customers have wanted to be able to eat out with their families and friends but

have not dared to for fear of having a reaction to a specific type of ingredient.”

A recent survey conducted by Coeliac UK revealed 74% of its members would eat out at least once every two weeks if they could be confident of a gluten-free meal, equating to an estimated £100m additional turnover per year for hoteliers, restaurateurs and publicans.

The information could be written on a chalkboard or chart, or provided orally by a member of staff, says Dupay. If the specific allergen information is not provided upfront, retailers or caterers must provide clear signposting to where this information is provided.

Failure to comply could result in a £5,000 fine for each dish.

“My advice to any catering outlet big or small would be to make sure that your waiting staff are aware of your complete menu and the contents of each dish on the menu,” says Dupay. “Be confident in what you provide to your customers, they will value your time and effort that you put into your dishes and will come back time and time again.”

Major allergen list under EU FIC Cereals (contain gluten; for example wheat, barley) Lupin (sometimes used as flour in pies, pasta, batter mix etc.)

Crustaceans (for example, prawns, crabs and lobster) Molluscs (for example, clams, mussels and whelks) Fish Eggs Milk Soybeans Peanuts Nuts (for example almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts) Celery Mustard Sesame Sulphur dioxide (a preservative found in, for example, some dried fruit apricots and in wine)

Henderson Group stocks new gluten-free lines T

he Henderson Group is now offering gluten free brands such as Kelkin and Slender Choice in their SPAR, EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA retailers in Northern Ireland, after witnessing a heightened demand in the market over the past 18 months.

Slender Choice is the brainchild of Karen and Frank Daly, who started their business after identifying a gap in the market for healthy, affordable ready meals and local, low-fat meats. Kelkin produce gluten free foods such as muesli and bread mix, and also offer gluten free treats such as jam tarts and chocolate tea cakes.

“We are constantly reviewing our product offering to make sure we are providing access to products that are suited to the needs and lifestyle choices of our shoppers,” said Eddie Burns, trading manager at the Henderson Group. “Due to the continually developing market and consumer needs, we identified an opportunity which led to the supply of gluten-free products from companies like Kelkin and Slender Choice.

“We have experienced a positive uptake from our retailers and have invested in a marketing drive to engage with their customers to encourage trying the range.”

This engagement included teaming up with local fitness blogger and clean-eater, ‘Peanut Butter Girl’ Tiffany Brien to promote a Kelkin competition, which was featured on all EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA promotional leaflets and social media channels, while Slender Choice has been profiled in the local business and consumer press. “We have sourced these products responsibly and believe they are quality products for our retailers and their customers,” said Burns.

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FOOD-TO-GO FEATURE

Snacking on-the-go on the rise

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nacking on-the-go has increased with snacking in cars or on other forms of transport up by +2.6%, according to research by global information company The NPD Group, while snacking ‘on-premises’ or at work or school declined.

Doughnuts were among the fastest growing ‘out-of-home’ snack items in the year ending December 2013, growing by +11.1% servings compared to the previous year; an increase of +6.4 million servings to 63.7 million for the whole year.

Brownies came a close second, growing +10.9% with a total of 54.6 million servings for the year. And chocolate bars topped the league table of our favourite snack food items

away from home. Nearly one in 14 snacks consisted of a chocolate bar, with 245 million servings sold during the year.

Consumers said the desire for a little treat is still a big motivator when they snack, with ‘treat myself’ up by +11.7% and accounting for 14.5% of all snacking meal occasions during 2013.

Despite our obvious sweet tooth, the appetite among Britons for snacking away from home is declining; -2.3% in the year ending December 2013 following several years of growth.

The declines were driven by the core consumer aged 25 to 49 years and are partly due to consumers preferring to eat at the usual

times of breakfast, lunch and dinner, and choosing to eat out in a more sociable way.

Pubs saw the biggest drop in snacking business, -11.7%, with retailers and convenience stores -4.2%.

The biggest loss of appetite for snacking was among the C2DE social groups, with snack visits down by -13.1%. In contrast, snack visits among the more affluent ABC1s were up by +5%. Snacking visits to take advantage of a promotion increased this year by +2.1%.

Chocolate bars finished the year way ahead, with 7.3% of all snack visits including one of these treats. Cake and crisps came in second and third, while beef burgers came in fourth, narrowly beating ice cream into fifth place.

Sandwiches are still seen as good snacks but individual sandwich choices such as chicken (100 million servings) or bacon (78.4 million servings) still came behind the chips and French fries option (111.8 million servings).

“We spent £8.1bn on ‘out of home’ snacks in 2013 so we are not losing our knack for a snack, even though some people are definitely trying to save money by snacking less often,” says Jessica Chambers, client development manager for The NPD Group.

The total snack market in Britain was worth £8.1bn in 2013. This is more than 16% of the total ‘eating out of home’ market, which was worth £49.9bn in 2013.

Data on snacking was compiled from an NPD Group survey in which consumers stated what they consumed at six different times of the day: breakfast / morning snack / lunch / afternoon snack / dinner / late snack. The total for all snacking is a combination of the morning snack / afternoon snack / evening snack data.

Willowbrook launches new filling lunchtime offer A t Willowbrook Foods, the Food Innovation Team is looking forward to summer and the launch of their new and exclusive range of food-to-go options. The team has been liaising closely with competitive Northern Irish retailers, as well as analysing consumer and supermarket trends in order to develop new and appealing products.

NPD Manager Wendy Sterritt said: “We’ve been working very hard and hope that this new range of products will satisfy current market trends, especially the demand for convenient, healthier and more filling options at lunchtime.”

Step into summer with Willowbrook’s delicious Chorizo & Cheese Pasta Salad or get that Mediterranean cuisine taste with its Pesto Pasta with Chargrilled Mushroom. Willowbrook Food Innovation Centre has become a hub of food innovation throughout the UK and Ireland, bringing fresh, unique and bespoke ideas for the retailers in the industry.

For more information, visit willowbrookfoodinnovation.co.uk.

A small sample of the extensive range of foodto-go products which the Food Innovation Team has created.

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FOOD-TO-GO FEATURE

Ready to go with Johnsons Coffee T

he concept of three meals per day, a one-hour uninterupted lunch break and sitting around the table for dinner has been a distant memory for the majority of today’s workplace. Indeed, the current practice of eating breakfast whilst negotiating the rush hour traffic jam, a hurried sandwich at the desk for lunch and a microwaved ready meal for dinner is now commonplace.

The fact that some car manufacturers in the US have started equipping cars with microwave ovens means that the whole idea of ‘dining out’ is not about an a la carte restaurant, and apparently we, as a nation, are becoming ‘sink eaters’ – pop something in the microwave, eat it over the sink and save on washing up.

However, there may be one glimmer of hope in this fast moving ‘food-on-the-go’ life we are living.

While we are all stopping at the local convenience grocery store or forecourt for a wrap or roll, we can at least finally enjoy a great cup of Joe. The previous

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hot water boiler and instant coffee sachet has been replaced in most outlets by state-of-theart bean to cup espresso brewers offering a ‘real’ cup of coffee.

This is not something new to Johnsons Coffee. The fourth generation familyowned company, which

has been roasting locally for 101 years, has been supplying gourmet coffee beans, bean-to-cup machinery, coffee-to-go units and branding support for two decades. Philip Mills, sales director, explained the modern advancement in machine technology: “The machinery available today can produce a full menu of specialty coffees from bean to cup.

We have worked very closely with Macco of Milan and helped them develop machines suited to the UK and Irish market, where there is a higher demand for milk-based drinks. These machines can now produce any drink comprised of espresso coffee, hot water, hot milk, foamed milk, cold foamed milk and hot chocolate, so the possibilities are almost endless.”

With equipment being provided on a rental option, there is no reason why any food-to-go outlet cannot offer the finest cup to their customers. After all, life is too short for bad coffee!

FOOD-TO-GO FEATURE

Local business helps retailers develop their food-to-go offer N

ewtownards-based Rich Sauces has been working with the Spar NI brand to develop its food on-the-go offering over the last year.

The traditional view of food on-the-go as being a sandwich or sausage roll is constantly being blurred and with increasing demand for breakfast and evening meal replacements, the category is sure to continue to grow and diversify, according to the business.

“Our approach has been to work at store level with the deli staff and managers to develop their menu and focus on achieving a consistent quality product for their customer,” said James Davidson, applications chef at Rich Sauces.

“The Finches Spar stores have significantly developed their food-to-go range and, by adding take home meals like lasagne and mac ‘n’ cheese, the deli counter is now busier for longer. These dishes might not be ‘on trend’ like posh dogs or Cronuts but quality always sells.”

Davidson says it’s vital that all businesses challenge their suppliers to get the best from their products, and to make their food-to-go

section as profitable as possible.

“Rich Sauces offer our chef services to any foodservice business to help develop their menu, improve quality or even work on staff training and portion control,” he said.

The business is also building an export market to the US in particular, after Rich

Sauces Chairman Trevor Kells went on an Invest NI trade mission to Chicago in 2009.

Approaching the US market with the offer of helping potential customers solve their problems rather than simply selling them a product, Rich Sauces developed a range of bespoke sauces for a retail boil-in-the-bag fish product for Wholey.

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AGRI-FOOD NEWS

UFU and IFA meet to tackle beef issues

Pictured are, from left, UFU Chief Executive Clarke Black; UFU Deputy President Ian Marshall; IFA President Eddie Downey; UFU President Harry Sinclair; IFA National Livestock Chairman Henry Burns; and IFA Director Pat Smith.

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ressing issues affecting the beef sector on both sides of the border were discussed earlier this month at a meeting between representatives of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) and Irish Farmers’ Association.

Both delegations voiced strong opposition to the recent cuts in beef prices and sudden changes to specification.

“Confidence in the beef sector is being seriously and detrimentally eroded at the moment as a result of recent price cuts and abrupt changes to specification,” said Harry Sinclair, president of UFU. “These actions have put finishers under significant financial pressure at a time of year when finishing is at its most expensive and are causing outrage amongst farmers on the ground in both jurisdictions.

“The downward pressure on prices is difficult enough without the goal posts on specification changing as well. The proposed deductions for any animals deemed ‘out of spec’ are simply untenable and show a complete lack of regard from our supply chain partners, particularly in relation to understanding the nature of our farming systems.

“The UFU will be calling on our Minister to ensure anti-competitive practices are not allowed to be put in place which would disadvantage our livestock markets and beef trade generally.

Furthermore we would ask that NIMEA work together with the Union and their producers to achieve a more realistic outcome in terms of the specification imposed by retailers.”

Illegal slaughter operation uncovered

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number of Co. Armagh properties were searched earlier this month as part of an operation combating illegal slaughter of livestock jointly conducted by police, the local council, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Two properties in Forkhill and one in Bessbrook were searched as part of the operation, with evidence taken from at least one of the Forkhill properties.

“The FSA is working closely with the PSNI and all relevant authorities, including DARD and the district council on this investigation – in order to stop further production at this plant and to protect the safety of the food chain,” said Maria Jennings, director of the FSA in Northern Ireland.

“The information we have tells us that meat was being produced illegally, without official hygiene checks. We are currently investigating which businesses have been supplied with meat from the plant and we will provide further information once we have it.”

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“The UFU does not condone any fraudulent activity and we welcome the actions taken by the PSNI, the Department of Agriculture and the Food Standards Agency to investigate the suspected illegal animal slaughter,” said Harry Sinclair, president of UFU. “The investigation is still at an early stage so we do not have all the details yet but what angers farmers’ is that a few unscrupulous individuals may have put the reputation and integrity of Northern Ireland’s red meat industry at risk. Northern Ireland’s beef farmers have gone to great effort and expense to ensure they meet the EU’s strict animal health and welfare requirements and traceability standards, and almost all beef farmers in Northern Ireland participate in the NI Farm Quality Assurance Scheme. The UFU has repeatedly stressed that rural crime is a significant issue that need to be addressed with urgency and we are pleased to see action being taken.”

Cross-border cattle theft has previously been identified as a major problem.

UFU welcomes extension for trading entitlements UFU welcomed NI Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill’s recent announcement that the deadline for transferring entitlements has been extended until May 2.

“The extension to the entitlement transfer deadline is welcome news and will take some pressure off farmers and landowners,” said Harry Sinclair, president of UFU. “Everyone is trying to get their heads around the new CAP, which is difficult when so much remains undecided. Some farmers and landowners will be thinking about transferring entitlements in 2014 given the recently updated definition of an ‘active farmer’ and I would encourage landowners and farmers, especially those who haven’t already begun to do so, to use this additional time to have a constructive discussion about conacre agreements. If a decision is made to transfer entitlements, it is in the interest of all parties to submit an entitlement transfer application well in advance of the new deadline so any queries can be resolved quickly.”

UFU slams NIMEA over penalties and prices UFU has hit out at the Northern Ireland Meat Exporters’ Association (NIMEA) following the announcement it intends to introduce a £150 penalty from April 1 on out of spec cattle, which will include cattle with more than four residencies.

“The recent announcement by NIMEA to introduce a £150 penalty for out of spec cattle, including those with more than four residencies, has really angered local beef farmers,” said Robert Davidson, UFU beef and lamb chairman. “When NIMEA first came to us in the autumn about the residency requirement, they were offering an additional 4p/kg bonus incentive for cattle with four residencies or fewer, but now this has all of a sudden transformed into a very substantial penalty.

UFU recognises top silage growers UFU has recognised Northern Ireland’s top silage growers of 2013, joining with sponsors Ecosyl Products and John Thompson & Sons to host their Annual Silage Competition awards ceremony in the Hilton hotel, Templepatrick.

David and Steven Jackson of the North Down Group (Dairy), Alan Beattie of the North Antrim Group (Beef and Sheep) and Robin Macauley

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

UFU raises concerns over future ANC designation

Pictured are UFU President Harry Sinclair and Chief Executive Clarke Black with senior EC officials in Brussels.

U

lster Farmers’ Union President Harry Sinclair and Chief Executive Clarke Black have met with senior EC officials in Brussels to raise concerns regarding the fine tuning requirement of the new Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) designation which will replace the current Less Favoured Areas (LFAs).

“Back in December 2013, DARD issued draft maps for the new ANC designation which have caused some serious concerns,” said Sinclair.

Meeting with the EC representatives, “we highlighted our concerns with regard to the fine tuning aspect of the Regulation and were assured that there would be sufficient flexibility to adopt a method suitable for Northern Ireland,” he said.

“In fact the Commission told us that member states are free to develop their own approach to fine tuning so that the re-designation is as accurate as possible, and that they intend publishing further fine tuning guidance in March. This is very positive as it gives us the opportunity to ensure that we have a designation in place which is credible and reflects the true nature of the disadvantage on the ground.”

In the meantime, UFU will continue to work with DARD to ensure the best possible outcome for Northern Ireland.

UK and Irish farming unions met last month in Stirling to discuss issues facing the livestock industry. Among those pictured visiting the Stirling Bull Sales and Moredun Research Institute are UFU Hill Farming Chairman John Sheridan, Beef and Lamb Chairman Robert Davidson, Policy Officer Gill Gallagher and Deputy President Ian Marshall. During the visit, widespread concerns were voiced over beef price difficulties and the challenges of CAP reform.

of the Mid Down Group (Alternative Forage) took top honours in the competition which saw a record number of entries from farmers in each of the UFU’s 25 groups.

DARD and farming union diverge on CAP implementation DARD Minister Michelle O’Neill met with the UFU earlier this month to discuss the implementation of CAP reform, finding areas of common ground but also significant differences.

“Minister O’Neill assured us that no decision in respect of how CAP reform will be implemented in Northern Ireland has been taken so far,” said Harry Sinclair, president of UFU. “Nevertheless, it is obvious that the Minister holds some views, some of which she admitted are personal, on several of the significant issues that are very much at odds with what the Union believes is necessary for the success and sustainability of the NI agriculture industry going forward.”

Among the differences are the Minister supporting a shorter transition period now than previously discussed, and the interpretation of regionalism.

“Indeed we were genuinely surprised that neither the Minister nor her officials could see the contradiction in the fact that under the single region model, DARD’s own hill farm at Glenwherry will receive an increase in Single Farm Payment support of between two and three times without any meaningful change in the output or production from the farm,” said Sinclair.

UFU welcomes announcement on entitlements UFU has welcomed NI Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill’s announcement on several of the pressing practical points associated with CAP reform implementation in Northern Ireland.

UFU President Harry Sinclair said: “The decisions taken by the Minister to re-base entitlements in 2015 and also to not restrict them to the number of eligible hectares in 2013 provides more flexibility to farmers. Equally, the use of the 2014 value of entitlements held rather than claimed will help farmers to secure their entire existing SFP given the fact that in most cases present eligible land areas will have reduced since 2005.

Also, the fact that progress is being made in relation to the finalised active farmer definition is positive, with the EU Commission adopting the CAP reform Delegated Acts earlier this week.”

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MARKETING NEWS

Moy Park scores as official FIFA World Cup sponsor

Forest Feast targets global appeal with new website

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oy Park has announced its sponsorship of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as part of parent company Marfrig’s official sponsorship deal.

The Moy Park brand will be beamed to millions of viewers across the globe on pitch perimeter boards during matches, including those involving England, France, the Netherlands and Spain.

“The FIFA World Cup is among the world’s most widely-viewed sporting events watched in over 200 countries by over 715 million people and Moy Park is delighted to be an official sponsor of the tournament,” said Janet McCollum, CEO of Moy Park. “As well as supporting the sponsorship with a comprehensive advertising, promotional and marketing campaign, we are also really excited about our plans to celebrate this fantastic event with our employees, customers and consumers.

“Our plans include launching an on-pack promotion that will give a lucky shopper the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in Brazil.”

As part of the official sponsorship deal with FIFA, the Moy Park brand will feature on the FIFA.com website and the Marfrig brand will appear on the official FIFA 2014 video game, alongside global brands including McDonald’s, Budweiser and Johnson & Johnson.

Marfrig recently announced the appointment of Vincent Gaillard as global co-ordinator of its 2014 FIFA World Cup sponsorship activities. He will be responsible for co-ordinating all brand activities before and during the event which takes place from June 12-July 13.

Moy Park has firmly cemented its position as Ireland’s number one chicken brand following the successful relaunch of the brand in 2013, according to the latest brand and advertising tracker research carried out

by RDSI. Spontaneous awareness of the brand increased to 39%. “The research we conducted was extremely beneficial as it gave us an insight to consumer behaviour following our rebrand,” said Paul McGurk, brand marketing manager for Moy Park. “The feedback has shown that our marketing strategy – in particular our light-hearted TV advertisements, which were back on TV in February – have not only highlighted our expertise but allowed our personality to really shine through.”

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ortadown-based dried fruit and nut supplier Forest Feast has launched a new look website, aimed at “creating a global platform for the Forest Feast brand and product range.”

“We are delighted to have enhanced and relaunched our website, which will give the consumer and retail trade alike the opportunity to find out everything they need to know about our business and products,” said Deirdre Burns, marketing manager at Forest Feast.

“With ongoing growth in exports and online sales, we were keen to create a global platform for the Forest Feast brand and product range. As well as a strong consumer facing section with product information and online shopping function, we have developed a section specifically for our retail and foodservice trade partners, which provides detail on our offering, brand marketing support, in-store merchandising solutions and bespoke product development.

“We’re delighted with the vibrant, fresh feel of the website, which reflects the energy and vitality of the Forest Feast brand.”

Brennans sponsors Mornings with Frank Mitchell B

read baker Brennans has secured a sponsorship deal with the popular Mornings with Frank Mitchell show on U105 radio station.

U105 entertains around 195,000 listeners per week, with Frank Mitchell’s light-hearted magazine show including conversation, topical discussions, high profile guests, advice and fantastic music from 9am to noon daily.

“I am delighted to announce that Brennans Bread will be the new sponsor of Mornings with Frank Mitchell,” said Ivan Hammond, head of marketing at Brennans Bread.

“Frank is a great presenter who is known all over Northern Ireland for his warm personality and light hearted nature. His show is very popular and appeals to a wide range of tastes and ages just like our products.

From left, Ivan Hammond, head of marketing at Brennans Bread, and Frank Mitchell, “To celebrate the sponsorship we will be running some not to be celebrate the brand’s new sponsorship of the popular Mornings with Frank Mitchell show. missed competitions with fantastic prizes. We would encourage everyone to tune in every day to hear more as we will be giving away prizes that the whole family can enjoy.”

Brennans offers customers over 25 different variations of bread from its best selling Family Pan to the Wheaten Brown Bread.

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MARKETING NEWS

Irwin’s Bakery sponsors Irish Hockey League P

ortadown-based Irwin’s Bakery has formed a partnership with the Irish Hockey Association, including financial support and the provision of match programmes for all 2014 Irish Hockey League fixtures.

The Irish Hockey League, the premier event of the domestic hockey calendar, sees the top 12 men’s and top 12 women’s teams from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland pitted against each other every weekend in March, culminating in a finals weekend in April.

“We have a long history of supporting sport and are actively involved in local rugby through our Nutty Krust Floodlit Rugby Tournament and grassroots football development with our sponsorship of the Nutty Krust Holiday Camps in partnership with the Irish FA,” said Michael Murphy, commercial director of Irwin’s Bakery.

“As a family-owned business, baking bread for local communities for over 100 years, we are keen to encourage local sporting talent and at the same time raise awareness of the important role a balanced diet plays in maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. We look forward to an exciting league and working in partnership with the Irish Hockey Association.”

The Irish Hockey League Finals will be played at Banbridge Hockey Club on April 5-6.

Pictured are internationals Bruce McCandless and Shirley McCay with Hannah Robinson, marketing manager of Irwin’s Bakery.

The only way is WKD S

TOBACCO NEWS

JTI brands ‘super-sizing’ of health warnings as nonsensical J

TI has responded to comments on the revised Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), recently approved by the European Parliament, as illogical and likely to boost criminal activity.

The tobacco manufacturer said it supported the EC’s objective of reducing youth smoking but the European Parliament’s proposals would not achieve its goal. Increasing the size of health warnings to 65% will not deliver any public health benefit when all legitimate tobacco packs in the EU already carry large health warnings, said JTI. Many of the proposed measures, including the menthol ban and packs size restrictions, will increase the demand for cheap illegal tobacco products sold by criminals.

“The announcement from the EU to ban 10s, menthol and pouches of tobacco under 30 grams is a gift for criminal gangs across the UK,” said Daniel Torras, UK managing director of JTI. “Banning 10s and smaller pack sizes of RYO will mean the lowest price will now be the street price sold by criminals who peddle to anyone, including children.

“Meanwhile the UK Government’s exchequer will have to plug the gap left as more and more smokers are tempted to buy the illegal un-taxed cigarettes and roll your own tobacco which will flood the UK. We now urge them to make a stand and put in place the resource that is going to be needed to stop this influx.

“UK retailers that rely on tobacco to generate footfall and sales will be dismayed at the decision of the EU which will put more money in the pockets of criminals instead of their tills and puts them at a significant disadvantage with their European counterparts.”

HS Drinks’ WKD brand is sponsoring The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE), with bottles from the leading RTD’s range of flavours taking on roles as colourful characters in a series of amusing programme idents.

The witty vignettes reflect TOWIE-style scenarios and WKD’s own tongue-in-cheek approach to marketing. In one clip, a sunbathing bottle of ‘bronzed’ WKD Iron Brew and a ‘pale’ bottle of WKD Blue compare the progress of their tans; in another, a bottle of WKD Green is mortified to discover another nightclub-goer is wearing exactly the same ‘outfit’ as her; and in a third, drama is in the air when one bottle declares ‘I’m going topless’.

WKD’s on-screen presence will comprise a total of eight different humorous scenarios.

The three-series sponsorship deal gives WKD 60 seconds of branded accreditation per primetime episode of the reality entertainment show.

The forthcoming series of TOWIE is its 11th, and the three 2014 series will air in spring, summer and autumn respectively.

“We’ve worked hard to ensure that our sponsorship approach is both entertaining and in keeping with programme content,” said Debs Carter, marketing director for WKD at SHS Drinks. “TOWIE is the most talked about thing on TV for our target audience and we’re confident that our witty idents will give them a little extra to smile at.”

37

TRANSPORT NEWS

Asda ‘better off’ with Van Excellence A

ll of Asda’s home shopping fleet vehicles have now been accredited by the FTA Van Excellence scheme.

The retailer currently operates over 1,800 LGVs across the UK to meet the needs of the increasing popularity of home-shopping, and recognises how important high standards of van operations are to deliver to their customers on a day-to-day basis.

The online shopping industry is now estimated to be worth £117.6bn to the UK economy alone. In supporting those shoppers, home delivery fleets traditionally face unique challenges and undertake many thousands of hours of intensive urban driving every year, as well as being subjected to the normal rigours of a commercial van fleet.

“At Asda the customer is number one and at the heart of everything we do,” said Sean Clifton, Asda’s national home shopping fleet manager. “Providing a reliable, seamless, consistent online experience is engrained into our DNA. So we’re extremely pleased that the FTA have recognised, through their Van excellence accreditation scheme, that our appetite for high standards across not just service, but safety and compliance is being replicated across our entire home delivery fleet.”

Van Excellence, the national accreditation scheme for van operators backed by the Freight Transport Association, was launched in 2010, and is open to van operators of commercial vehicles of 3.5 te GVW or less. The scheme was established by the freight industry for the freight industry in order to promote high standards of van operation and driving by accrediting operators against a code of good practice.

Since its launch, Van Excellence has attracted the support of a variety of large commercial operators, and with the addition of the supermarket giant has now accredited over 100,000 vehicles.

“We are delighted that Asda has recognised the importance of the value of the Van Excellence Code of practice and how it can enhance its van operations, particularly with the rapid growth of home deliveries,” said Mark Cartwright, FTA head of vans and commercial vehicles. “Van Excellence has established itself as the operating standard for light fleet operators across all sectors.”

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TCS&D AWARDS BECOME AN ANNUAL EVENT

T

he Temperature Controlled Storage & Distribution (TCS&D) Awards have developed into an annual event, with this year’s to be held on September 16.

Held last year for the first time, the 2014 Awards will reward excellence in the perishable supply chain in 17 categories, at a black-tie evening ceremony in the National Motorcycle Museum, near Birmingham.

Nominations are open in the following categories until July 1: Refrigerated Transporter of the Year; Refrigerated Courier of the Year; Refrigerated Fleet Manager of the Year; Cold Store Operator of the Year; Cold Store Manager of the Year; Livery of the Year; Environmental & Sustainability Award; Innovation Award; Health & Safety – Transport Award; Health & Safety – Warehousing Award; Customer Service Award; OEM of the Year; Refrigerated Trailer of the Year; Refrigerated Rigid of the Year; Refrigerated Panel Van of the Year; Rental & Contract Hire Company of the Year; and Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Awards are organised by TCS&D magazine.

BUSINESS NEWS

Tax advice: ‘Fixtures’ capital allowance rules changing April 2014 is an important deadline for capital allowances election, says Seamus McCaffrey, accountant with S P McCaffrey & Co, Omagh.

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ew Capital Allowances rules for fixtures were introduced in April 2012 but are subject to transitional provisions until April 2014. The rules are concerned with ‘fixtures’.

The term therefore excludes moveable items of furniture but includes lighting and other electrical systems, lifts, hot and cold water systems, alarms, heating and air conditioning and ventilation systems. As these items are fixed to the property, a sale of the property includes a sale of the fixtures.

The key change that has applied since April 2012 concerns cases where the vendor has already made a capital allowances claim for fixtures. As a result, the purchaser will be allowed to claim allowances for those fixtures only if the transfer value of the assets in question is formally determined. This is called the fixed value requirement and is obtained by signing a fixtures election under Section 198 Capital Allowances Act 2001. With effect, from April 2014, a further condition will be introduced if the purchaser is to be permitted to claim capital allowances for fixtures. This further condition, known as the ‘pooling requirement’ will be that the seller must first bring the cost of the fixtures into his own capital allowances computations, and must then also bring in a disposal value.

The key point to note is that the buyer will be penalised if the seller does not include the fixtures in his capital allowances computations.

The owner of premises occupied by the food and drink processing industry should always use the prospect of a sale as an opportunity to focus on capital allowances issues. If the business has taxable profits,

Seamus McCaffrey

the aim will be to maximise any claims and to retain as high a level of allowances as possible at the time of sale. If there are losses and therefore no scope to use capital allowances, the vendor should recognise that the unclaimed allowances are of great potential value to a future owner and should aim to reflect that value in the sale price. The figure to be included in the election is entirely a matter for negotiation between the vendor and purchaser.

A very low transfer value will result in additional allowances for the vendor, whereas a high value may generate a taxable balancing charge for the vendor but will benefit the buyer. Most vendors will try to insist, at the least, on retaining allowances already claimed, by transferring assets at no more than their capital allowances written down value. The key point is that the seller should know what he is doing so that he may either benefit directly from the potential allowances or at

least be aware of their value while negotiating the overall sale price.

The new fixtures rules have a greater impact for the buyer than for the seller. If the parties do not meet the conditions of the election, the buyer will permanently lose the right to claim capital allowances on fixtures.

If the buyer is to claim allowances for fixtures in the property he needs to know the extent of any claims already made, identify precisely those fixtures on which allowances have been claimed and the agreed values of those fixtures. In addition, the buyer must ensure that the vendor is legally bound to sign a valid fixtures election under Section 198 Capital Allowances Act 2001 using agreed figures for the transfer values of all the fixtures for which a claim has been made.

Given that the buyer can lose all rights to capital allowances if the transfer value is not properly formalised, the purchaser needs to ensure that the election is valid. To achieve this, it must include the agreed values of and sufficient information to identify the fixtures; the names and unique tax reference numbers of the buyer and seller. The election must be made no later than two years from the date of the transaction and is irrevocable. HM Revenue & Customs insist on a separate election for each property where more than one is sold in a single transaction.

The cost of fixtures is a significant cost in premises occupied by the food and drink processing industry. From a tax planning point of view, such premises should be surveyed in order to ensure that a valid claim is made for capital allowances to HM Revenue & Customs.

Ulster Business School launches sensory testing suites

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utting consumers at the heart of product development is the focus of a new Consumer Sensory and Testing Suite launched at the Ulster Business School’s Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Located on the Coleraine campus, the suite of facilities includes sensory testing booths for consumer panelling; a seminar room for exploring consumer perceptions, benchmarking products and concept development; and a test kitchen for developing new product concepts. In addition, the Ulster Business School’s Belfast campus, The Academy Restaurant can offer industry ‘real meal’ testing of consumer responses.

“Food manufacturers in Northern Ireland have a great reputation for supplying high quality products to the major retailers but they don’t always have access to affordable consumer testing facilities,” said Professor Grainne Allen, Ulster Business School visiting academic.

Professor Grainne Allen (second right) and Dr Amy Burns (left) invite “It is increasingly important, especially for smaller food companies, that they Esme Porter of Suki Tea and Dominic Derby of The Culinary Food identify and analyse the quality levers that affect shoppers, and consumers’ choice, Group, to try out Ulster Business School’s new Consumer Sensory Testing Suite on the Coleraine campus. before investing in expensive technology and product trials. This new Consumer Sensory and Testing Suite will provide access to a test kitchen, development chefs and the testing facilities which are so vital for growth but often prohibitively expensive.”

39

appointments

People on the move

in association with

Unit A4, 17 Heron Road, Sydenham Business Park, Belfast, BT3 9LE. Tel: 028 9045 5040 • Fax: 028 9073 9058

Alison Fleming (left), a senior UTV journalist and presenter of UTV Live, is joining public relations agency LK Communications in May. Alison has worked with UTV for 15 years, covering stories across multiple platforms.

Claire Trainor (right) has become Business & Marketing Director at Mammoth. Claire will drive strategic brand development and business planning across a range of creative platforms.

Christine Adams (left) has joined Tughans Solicitors as Director of Marketing and Business Development from Abbey Insurance and Abbey Bond Lovis, where she was Group Marketing Manager.

Chris Love (right) has been elected as the new Northern Ireland Chair of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. Currently employed at Norbrook and former owner of Love PR, Chris has 12 years’ experience in the industry.

New appointment for Henderson Foodservice Henderson Foodservice, part of the Henderson Group, has appointed Ciaran Lowry as business development executive for its new brand, The Coffee Porter.

Lowry will be responsible for driving sales across Ireland of Henderson Foodservice’s new coffee solution, which provides clients in the hospitality industry with coffee products, equipment, service and coffee training.

He has a degree in hospitality management and 25 years’ experience in the catering and foodservice industry; most recently running six cafés for a department store.

Three new appointments at Danske Bank Nicola McCleery has been appointed as head of marketing at Danske Bank.

Nicola has 15 years’ marketing and commercial experience, gained with high profile multinationals in the drinks industry.

Simon Little has been appointed as corporate affairs manager at Danske Bank.

Simon’s previous roles included Head of Communications at Phoenix Natural Gas.

Kris Thompson has been appointed as digital channels manager at Danske Bank.

Kris joins Danske Bank after nine years at Ulster Bank leading teams in performance management, finance and digital channels.

RECRUITMENT, CONTRACTING & FIELD MARKETING CONSULTANTS 3O YEAR’S RECRUITING IRELAND’S TOP SALES & MARKETING PERSONNEL Unit A4, 17 Heron Road, Sydenham Business Park, Belfast, BT3 9LE. Tel: 028 9045 5040 • Fax: 028 9073 9058

47

INDUSTRY HERO

Irwin’s marketing executive fundraises for Uganda Hannah Robinson

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well known figure in the local food sector gave up her steady job in the middle of a recession to go and cuddle babies in the red soil of Uganda, while also raising £20,000 for charity, providing jobs to over 10 women and helping Ugandan NGOs further their mission to rescue street children and abandoned babies.

Hannah Robinson, aged 24 from Newtownards, gave up her job as marketing executive at Irwin’s Bakery in January 2013, to go to Uganda for five months and volunteer within the public relations department at a small NGO just outside Kampala.

It all began back in January 2012 when Hannah decided to join a team going to Uganda to work with an NGO in Kampala; Dwelling Places has been working to rescue, rehabilitate and resettle street children, high risk slum families and abandoned babies for over 10 years. Dwelling Places attracts many volunteers who travel from across the world, with people coming from Denmark, Poland and the USA but the majority from Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the International Board having been set up here.

The team held a camp for 200 children, many of whom were orphans, providing these vulnerable kids with love, care, food, shelter, fun and mentorship. After returning back home, it was clear that Uganda had stolen Hannah’s heart; the people, the culture and the vast expanse of need around her.

After a chat with her family and friends, it was time to approach Irwin’s and break the news that Hannah would be leaving the 42

Many elements of the Ugandan culture captivated Hannah, but mostly it was the skilled ladies that worked in local market areas creating beautiful beads made from scrap paper.” business in order to return as a full-time volunteer at Dwelling Places.

Five months in Uganda were filled with highs and lows from giant cockroaches, rats in the wardrobe and more rice and beans than one person could ever want to consume, to rescuing an abandoned toddler in a remote village, teaching classes in a local school, campaigning with local government for the rights of street children and so many smiling faces and muddy hugs.

Through this time, it was apparent that no matter how much PR and fundraising Hannah did in Uganda, it was never going to be

enough. She worked alongside her friends and family to create a pop-up shop in Junction One with samples from a Danish clothing company. The shop unit and all clothing were donated and after a six-week period of blood, sweat and tears, the shop raised an incredible £23,000. This money was used to pay all school fees, fix the bus and pay the charity’s staff that had gone for three months without salaries.

Many elements of the Ugandan culture captivated Hannah; the loyalty and pride of the many African tribes, each with their own costume, traditional dance and dialect; the weird and wonderful cuisine; the city which comes alive after dark with street vendors, dancing and community spirit; but mostly it was the skilled ladies that worked in local market areas creating beautiful beads made from scrap paper.

Hannah started to design pieces of jewellery based on styles that would be worn in the UK, in different colours and patterns which Maama Paula, a local lady, would make for her to buy. All of the other volunteers expressed an interest in these pieces which planted a seed as to how Hannah could continue her fundraising for Dwelling Places as the end of the five-month trip fast approached.

Paperchain Jewellery was born, a not-forprofit brand supporting the work of NGOs in Uganda dealing with street children.

Paperchain boasts bright colours and simple styles that can be dressed up or down to suit any occasion. Each piece is named after a woman or child who has inspired Hannah through their story. These hand-made pieces are now being stocked in 21 stores across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland with all profits going back to Dwelling Places and New Beginnings Charities.

The production of Paperchain Jewellery has allowed 10 women to be hired to make the colourful necklaces and bracelets; a steady income into Dwelling Places which co-ordinates the production and increased awareness of these charities within Northern Ireland.

Hannah is now back working at Irwin’s Bakery as marketing manager.

For more information on Paperchain visit www.paperchainjewellery.com or facebook.com/paperchainjewellery; instagram @paperchainjewellery

WHAT A GREAT STARTING LINE-UP

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07/03/2014 12:44