Welcomedear reader to your latest edition of Inside Food and Drink. With only one more edition to come this year, it has certainly been a busy year here at Proactive Publications head office.
As always, we take great pleasure and pride in bringing each edition to you and enjoy helping promote your companies, your brands and your products and ser vices. We endeavour to cover as many sec tors as we can from crop to consumption and report on your latest R&D, innovations, changes, developments and so much more by way of in-depth articles and tantalising
advertisements. We also throw in some hopefully useful news, coverage of forth coming events and updates on what certain countries are up to with regards to the world of food and drink.
With many of the articles and advertise ments also being converted to shareable online brochures for extra exposure, I am pleased to report that you all seem very happy with the result. Therefore, despite all the challenges we have been facing globally, all appears to be going well within our shared passion of all thing’s food and drink.
Therefore, it is somewhat out of kilter that I feel a need to mention a sad event that surely has and will affect many of us. A few days ago (at time of writing), we were all informed that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II sadly passed away at the age of 96. As well as the effects this has on many of us personally, it is worth remembering that Her Majesty also had some major influence on many food and drink brands.
Royal patronage can be a valuable marketing tool for those companies lucky enough to get it. The former Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, and The Prince of Wales all gave what are known as Royal Warrants, a mark of recognition to companies who have regularly supplied goods or services to them for at least five years. The Warrants are sup posedly a mark of excellence and quality and allow a company to display the Royal Arms or Badge on their products.
I imagine that this practice will continue with the King and the new Prince of Wales, with brands expected to reapply for their Royal Warrants in due course. For decades we have, certainly here in the United Kingdom, associated the Royal Warrant with quality products and would directly
associate them with The Queen. ‘If it’s good enough for The Queen, then is certainly going to be good enough for me and mine’.
When I was younger, if we got to enjoy a product that carried this mark of excel lence, we felt, despite being poor, that we were somehow rubbing shoulders with roy alty and for a moment at least, could enjoy the same luxuries as we supposed they reg ularly enjoyed.
Therefore, much like the ingredients that this edition has a focus on, this edition is brought to you with a healthy scoop of pas sion, a pinch of good humour, a tablespoon of best intentions and just a light dusting of sadness. We hope though that these ingredi ents, as touched on above, result in a serving that you not only find palatable, but one that leaves your taste buds hungry for more of the same from us. So, without further ado from me, I will let you tuck into our delights and digest all that you have helped us to serve up.
Managing Director John White offers up an uncharacteristic bittersweet dish. John White Managing Director
For over 50 years, SIAL Paris has been welcoming a melting pot of industry players to the French capital to share their savoir-faire and create the recipes of the future. Every two years, producers, importers, buyers and retailers, media specialists and independent associations of every shape and size meet at the largest exhibition venue in Paris for five-days of inspiration, debate and exchange. Whether you’re a rising start-up or a large group, a hot new product or a blue-chip brand, an established chain or a groundbreaking retail model, SIAL Paris is your springboard for sustainable success.
www.sialparis.com
The International Drink Expo transforms the ExCeL London into the ultimate destination for beverage innovation, forming the UK’s leading event for maximising your drink sales. This free to attend event gives visitors the chance to gain exclusive access to all of the hottest new drinks trends, immersing them in the ultimate marketplace for revenue growth and equipping them with all the tools they need to boost their ROI and maximise their profitability.
www.internationaldrinkexpo.co.uk
Plant Based World Expo is the only 100% plant-based event for trade professionals – retailers, foodservice, hospitality, distributors, manufacturers and investors. Hosted at Olympia London, attendees can network with professionals who have successfully embarked on both personal and professional plant-based journeys, many of whom have created some of the world’s most revolutionary plant-based prod ucts and foods. Share experiences, learn from peers, and immerse yourself in a truly collabora tive industry. Plant Based World is a unique opportunity to help both established and start-up brands move from niche to mainstream with a captive and inspired audience.
www.plantbasedworldeurope.com
Founded in 1948, The North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) represents 600+ foodservice equipment and supplies manufacturers with a variety of products and services for food preparation, cooking, storage and table service. Hosted at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, the NAFEM Show is a leading foodservice E&S showcase and experience. Leading manufacturers of foodservice prep, cooking, storage, table service and cleaning will all be at NAFEM Show 2023.
www.thenafemshow.org.com
100% focused on the food and beverage industry, ANUFOOD Brazil – powered by Anuga – is the leading platform for the generation of new business, new product launches and innovation for retailers, foodservice operators and the hospitality industry. In one event, entrepreneurs, business owners and industry professionals have the opportunity to meet and evaluate new suppliers, participate in the diverse options of special attractions and experiences, learn from industry experts and have in-depth discussions about the industry’s latest global trends. www.anufoodbrazil.com.br 4-10 May 2023
interpack is a global trendsetter for the future themes of the food industry. From sustainability to digitalisation: what will be reality in the future is presented at interpack. Hosted at the Messe Düsseldorf, the focus of the show is on packaging materials, packaging machines and related process technology for the food, beverage, confectionery, bakery, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, non-food and industrial goods sectors. www.interpack.com
Hanky Panky in Mexico City is an acclaimed speakeasy known for elegant seasonal cocktails, unique service and a driving ethos of collaboration, friendship and community. The bar has been announced as the winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award as part of The World’s 50 Best Bars awards 2022.
Thewinner of this award is selected by The World’s 50 Best Bars Academy, which is made up of more than 650 anonymous industry experts, who are asked to name the bar where they received the single-best hospitality experience during the voting period.
Created to recognise the importance of hospitality in the bar experience, the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award is the first of two special awards that will be announced in the run up to the unveiling of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022, sponsored by Perrier. The live ceremony will take place on Tuesday 4th October 2022 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. This is the first time the illustrious event has been held outside London since its 2009 inception. The ceremony will once again
unite the global bar community in recogni tion of the best bars in the world.
Mark Sansom, Content Director for The World’s 50 Best Bars, said: “When Hanky Panky burst onto the list last year at No.12, we knew to expect great things from them. Not only is the bar at the forefront of the incredible craft cocktail culture developing in Mexico City, but also unwavering commit ment to extend world-class hospitality to every guest that walks through their door has, in just a few short years, firmly estab lished it as one of the world’s must-visit cocktail bars. We’ve long believed that hos pitality plays a crucial role in measuring the best bars in the world and we are delighted to offer our warmest congratulations to the entire Hanky Panky team on this welldeserved win.”
Named after the potent cocktail concocted by Ada Coleman, head bartender at The Savoy in London during the early 20th century, Hanky Panky is a truly modern speakeasy, picking up on all the best tropes of the genre. It’s a sexy, low-lit space with a long marble bar and red leather chairs, where the only way to get in – and actually discover the address – is by making a reservation on the website or via its social media accounts.
Behind the bar, head bartenders Gina Barbachano and Ismael Martínez, along with their team, shake up clever twists on classics, as well as original creations that
have put Hanky Panky in the spotlight since its origin.
Walter Meyenberg, the Founder of Hanky Panky, said: “When I received the news that Hanky Panky won the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award, I felt super happy for the team and their hard work, and I felt an immense honour to be the first Latin American bar to receive this recognition. Mexicans have hospitality in their blood! My first memory of hospitality is when my mother sat me at the baby chair, cooked my meal, served the dish and kissed my fore head. That wonderful feeling is what hospi tality means to us – we want to make every single person feel special and loved.”
Matt Magliocco, Executive Vice-President Michter’s Distillery, LLC, said: “Congratulations to the Hanky Panky team on winning the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award. This special recogni tion is a testament to Hanky Panky’s sterling global reputation.”
Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Michter’s celebrates an extraordinarily rich heritage tracing back to 1753. The Michter’s team spares no expense in its efforts to produce the greatest American whiskey possible, with tremendous attention given to every step in the production process. Michter’s has received extensive critical acclaim for its line of Bourbon, Rye, Sour Mash, and American whiskeys. n
Thetax burden on the average priced bottle of Scotch Whisky already sits at 70% due to high rates of spirits duty. A new survey reveals over half of Scotch Whisky distillers have seen their costs double in the last 12 months and expect further increases in the next year.
A survey conducted by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) found that 57% of dis tillers have seen energy costs increase by more than 10% in the last year, with nearly a third (29%) seeing their energy costs double. Nearly 40% of businesses, which produce the UK’s number one food and drink export, reported shipping costs doubling in the last 12 months, with 43% also reporting supply chain cost rises of more than 50%.
The survey also found most distillers see costs rising further over the next year, with 57% of businesses expecting energy costs to go up by a further 50% and nearly three quarters (73%) anticipating another 50%
increase in shipping costs. However, despite rising costs, the industry expects to continue to invest in operations and supply chain. 57% of distillers reported an increase in their number of staff in the past 12 months, with all respondents expecting to need to add to their workforces in the coming year.
The Scotch Whisky Association has called on the UK’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and HM Treasury team to commit to sup porting the industry by not increasing excise duty in an Autumn Budget.
“The industry is delivering much needed growth for the UK economy through invest ment, job creation and rising revenue to the Treasury. But this survey reveals that dis tillers are investing in growth despite the economic headwinds and rising costs on business,” said Mark Kent, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association.
“The industry has shown remarkable resilience, but this cannot be taken for granted. We are at a critical juncture for many of our members. The Autumn Budget must support the Scotch Whisky industry which is a crucial driver of growth in the economy, particularly across Scotland. UK excise duty on Scotch Whisky and other spirits is already one of the highest in the world, and we call for there to be no spirits duty increase in the budget. Any such increase would compound the cost of business pressures companies are facing, add at least 95p of duty alone onto every bottle of Scotch Whisky, and further fuel inflation.”
The Scotch Whisky Association is the trade body for the Scotch Whisky industry. Its role is to advance the global interests and profile of Scotch Whisky, for its mem bers and of the industry as a whole.
SWA membership is for companies which are distillers, bottlers, brand owners or bro kers of Scotch Whisky. The SWA sees the Scotch whisky industry as a significant Scottish and British economic and cultural asset that boosts growth and jobs, that strongly supports the communities with which it works, and that combines the very best of the traditional and the modern.
The SWA can trace its origins back to October 1912. The original organisation, the Wine & Spirit Brand Association, changed its name to the Whisky Association in 1917 which in turn became the SWA in 1940. n
Scotch Whisky distillers have called on the UK’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, to back the industry in the Autumn Budget by cancelling the planned double-digit tax increase.Tate & Lyle entered the next phase of its sustainability programme for stevia, a plant-derived and in-demand low-calorie sweetener, by enrolling new farmers in China. The programme supports participating farmers to implement best practices identified in its 2019 stevia life-cycle-analysis and verified in its 2021 on-farm pilot.
leader in ingredient solutions for healthier food and beverages, Tate & Lyle partnered with environ mental charity Earthwatch Europe, working with Nanjing Agricultural University in East China, to develop the programme aimed at ensuring the stevia industry grows sustainably.
The expanded programme follows an onfarm pilot undertaken in Dongtai in 2021 that focused on improving the environmental and social impacts of stevia production, based on the results of Tate & Lyle and Earthwatch’s life-cycle-analysis completed in 2019.
In 2022, an expanded cohort of farmers in Dongtai, Jiangsu Province, East China and additional stevia farmers in Linze, Gansu Province, West China will implement the agronomic practice changes piloted last year, and trial additional changes to further min imise their environmental footprint. With the stevia agricultural sector at a relatively early stage in its adoption of more sustain able practices, this science-led programme is helping to build the evidence base and demonstrate the positive environmental, social and economic impacts associated with these changes.
Participating growers will be supported to pursue sustainability-related verification for their stevia through the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment and have been encouraged to sign Tate & Lyle’s Stevia Supplier Sustainability Commitment, a
pledge to reduce the environmental impact of stevia farming. Growers signing the Commitment will be helped to understand their environmental impact through sam pling, assessments, and participation in workshops with a clear goal of reducing environmental impact and improving pro ductivity and profitability.
“Supporting sustainable agriculture is front and centre of our plans to deliver on our commitment to be carbon net zero by 2050,” said Nick Hampton, Chief Executive of Tate & Lyle, “to help our customers deliver on their carbon reduction commitments and to build a thriving farming community. Our stevia programme in China epitomises our purpose in action and is laying the ground work for the sustainable development of the stevia industry. We are excited to share our lessons and experiences to strengthen sus tainability in the stevia supply chain and help farmers to unlock economic benefits for their communities.”
Maria Pontes, Director of Programmes and Partnerships at Earthwatch Europe, com mented: “This partnership, through its hands on approach to trialling change and sharing knowledge, has engaged farmers, encour aging them to improve the sustainability of their growing practices. We recognise the
importance of supply chain resilience, so supporting growers and building a strong supplier network, while making a real change to the environment, is a priority. We really look forward to continuing to work with Tate & Lyle to develop this programme.”
Professor Luo, project lead from Nanjing Agricultural University in East China, said: “It’s very important to involve farmers in the demonstration of stevia slow-release fer tiliser application as it helps them to better understand and believe in the practical technology and its value, improving their trust that this approach will benefit them, which in turn will move the sustainability programme forward. Participating farmers say that the optimised application of slowrelease fertiliser technology, using this fertiliser once a whole growing season instead of multiple applications of different fertilisers, as they were previously, is making stevia farming easier.”
Tate & Lyle is a world leader in ingredient solutions for healthier food and beverages. Supported by a 160-year history of ingre dient innovation, Tate & Lyle partners with customers to provide consumers with healthier and tastier choices when they eat and drink. Tate & Lyle expertly develops solutions which reduce sugar, calories and fat, add fibre, and provide texture and sta bility in categories including beverages, dairy, bakery, soups, sauces and dressings.n
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Forover 50 years, the biennial SIAL Paris trade show has welcomed visitors from over 200 countries. The 2020 show was only a digital event, so SIAL Paris 2022 is the return to the standard in-person format. During the intervening four years, the trade show has evolved, adding further benefits for both visi tors and exhibitors.
“I’m thrilled to have the worldwide food industry community gath ered in Paris for five days,” Global Marketing and Communication Director Jean-Gabriel Mollard said. “SIAL Paris becomes the focus for the global food industry during those five days.”
The sheer size of SIAL Paris 2022 is the first benefit of attending, with 7,000 exhibitors presenting over 400,000 products to 300,000 professional attendees. As these numbers show, this is a huge event offering a vast range of food and drink for visitors to sample, along with all the usual networking benefits of an in-person trade show.
To help structure the visitor experience, SIAL Paris is either organised around pavilions themed to individual countries or by product sector.
“The pavilion exhibitors are also presenting visitors with an expe rience,” explained Mr Mollard. “They’re bringing local chefs with
them to present a real experience of the food. SIAL is about all kinds of food, but for many types of food, you must cook it to appreciate fully the benefits. This is what’s so interesting about a food show –visitors can see the packaging, smell the food cooking, then taste the food.”
In the four years since SIAL Paris last hosted a physical event, the organiser has added several new features to an already packed con ference programme. The headline addition for 2022 is the CXMP digital marketplace, allowing for online B2B sales between visi tors and exhibitors. The CXMP marketplace runs all year round, to facilitate ongoing business between attendees
Further digitization at SIAL Paris 2022 comes from the launch of an app to enhance the visitor experience at the show. This digital tool helps visitors search for exhibitors, then presents the path through the show to the requested stand. This app is also available for attendees to download.
Another innovation for 2022 is the SIAL Start-up programme, highlighting innovative food solutions. Targeting 100 start-up stalls
for 2022, SIAL Paris requires participants in this programme to be less than five years old with a new product ready for sale at the show.
“We want real companies with real products in the start-up pro gramme,” Mr Mollard said, “because if our visitors like the product they will want to buy it at the show.”
The patron for the Global Food Marketplace at SIAL Paris 2022 is Michelin three-star chef Mauro Colagreco whose restaurant Le Mirazur was elected World’s Best Restaurant in 2019. The 2022 marketplace theme is “Own the Change” which matches Chef Colagreco’s values as a leader of cookery trends without frontiers. The philosophy of circular gastronomy extolled by Chef Colagreco will be a key component of the solution to deal with the challenge of food supply through the current ecological transition.
The challenges facing the food industry are directly addressed in the SIAL Insights publication, combining the work of three consulting agencies and specifically produced for the Paris event. The 2022 study encompasses consumer expectations, the global innovation panorama and the latest trends in out-of-home cooking. The studies show how eating had become a statement and 73% of consumers have changed their eating habits over the last two years.
The publication has identified four key trends: health, enjoyment, environment and ethics, and price. According to the findings, “eating is something people enjoy, and they want their experience to be both healthy and ethical, now and for the future. Sacrificing one of these factors in exchange for more purchasing power is set to be less and less acceptable given the ongoing crises.”
The report added: “Economic pressure is evolving from the need to balance quality and price, towards a more complex equation: value for money. The plateau reached by the organic market over the period is a great example of that. But consumers do acknowl edge that players are making changes. The challenge now is to be able to meet all their expectations with a clear offer that is afford able for as many people as possible.”
Along with digesting the findings of the Insights paper, attendees at SIAL Paris can also attend the programme of SIAL Talks for addi tional discussion about the state of the food industry. The 2022 programme is designed to help attendees understand, analyse and debate the food scene of tomorrow and reflect on the trends hap pening in the food industry ecosystem. Key speakers from around the world will address themes such as traceability, adaptability to climate issues and the place of women in the food industry.
Another returning feature for SIAL Paris 2022 is the Innovation awards. “Every exhibitor can participate in the awards,” explained
Mr Mollard, “provided that the product is new to a market and less than two years old. A nominated product must also bring something new and innovative to the market . The awards bring a lot of suc cess and attracts plenty of attention from the media as well as from visitors. SIAL Innovation awards gives us a great overview of the innovations present at the show.”
Another great source of innovation for attendees is the SIAL Future Lab highlighting the food trends of 2030. Introduced at SIAL 2018, the 2022 version of the Future Lab features three presentations to help attendees plan their business strategy for the next decade. There is an immersive tunnel where visitors can explore four major food trends for 2030, presented via video, 3D holograms and digital mapping. The tunnel was designed in partnership with AlimAvenir, a consultancy firm specialised in forecasting studies.
Another presentation for the Future Lab is the Next Food Generation stand which highlights the future creators of start-ups who are at the design, development or test market phase of their product. These entrepreneurs of tomorrow present solutions for the food of the future in terms of new products, services, packaging and
more. Finally, there is the VR Lab where attendees can experience a virtual reality voyage through the food sector, to understand how this technology will revolutionise our daily diet.
The SIAL Paris 2022 team works hard to support all of its part ners in the food industry, according to Mr Mollard: “Our visitors are always trying to get a better return on investment for attending the show, which is why we’re investing in new tools and new ways of creating business opportunities. Visiting a trade show is all about the personal relationship you have with the person in front of you, whether selling or buying.
“We really think that the relationship we need to have with our suppliers, partners and clients must be a similar personal connection. The SIAL Paris team believes that it’s not one company, one client, one supplier, instead the whole industry is an ecosystem.”
He concluded: “At SIAL Paris, we adapt the programme and the talks to include issues such as inflation, geopolitical challenges and food security. We think that the future of the industry is bright, for the people who can see through the clouds and make informed choices. The SIAL team is here to help, and we try to do that, in a humble way, as part of our mission.” n
From fringe to mainstream: Plant Based World Expo brings together all things plant-based under one roof for food and beverage professionals.
Plant Based World Conference and Expo Europe at Olympia London, runs from November 30th to December 1st, 2022. Abigail Stevens, Marketing Director explained what the event offers to visitors. Questions by Phil Nicholls.
Plant Based World Expo is Europe’s largest 100% plant-based event for trade professionals. What are the benefits to busi nesses attending a dedicated plant-based tradeshow?
It’s undeniable, what once was considered ‘fringe’ is now well and truly mainstream. The demand for plant-based food options has skyrocketed since 2017, and the category is continuing to experi ence strong year on year growth. With more businesses offering plant-based options, the competition is fiercer than ever, and an easy way to stand out is to offer a wide range of innovative prod ucts on shelves and menus.
Plant Based World Expo Europe brings together suppliers from around the globe who are eager to demonstrate their latest product launches. Alongside a packed show floor covering categories from meat alternatives to confectionary, the conference program is designed to give buyers important insights into where the industry is going next, with expert speakers who can explain where the next opportunities are for businesses.
How has the 2022 Plant Based World Expo model evolved as a result of your experiences in 2021 and at events in the United States? What is new for this year?
We were humbled by the fantastic reception Plant Based World Expo received in October 2021 when we launched our event at the Business Design Centre in London. There was so much hunger for an event of this kind that we have had to move our show for 2022 to Olympia London to accommodate that growth.
Abigail Stevens, Marketing Director Plant-based brands shared their vision with attendees last OctoberThis year you’ll see more educational content on the show floor with the addition of our Learning Garden Theatre, as well as more international presence in terms of our content and exhibitors.
With the adoption of a plant-based lifestyle sweeping the globe, how will Plant Based World Expo help to facilitate this process?
We are the facilitator. The innovation in this space is phenom enal, I’m regularly seeing updates from companies raising millions in investment for their plant-based products. With huge leaps in taste and texture, along with manufacturers scaling up their operations to reduce the cost to consumers, the final hurdle is availability.
We want to educate retailers, foodservice suppliers, restauran teurs, and chefs about the opportunities plant-based foods present to their business, their customers and our planet. Once they under stand the benefits, we can facilitate buyer/supplier intro ductions
at our show to help make plant-based products available in estab lishments across the continent.
What visitor and exhibitor numbers are you targeting for this year?
We are expecting twice as many attendees this year with over 4,000 food and beverage professionals coming to meet over 200 exhibitors on our show floor.
What can visitors expect from their trip to Plant Based World Expo Europe?
Come hungry! Even the most vegan-sceptical attendees were blown away by the quality of plant-based products on show last time, and we’re expecting twice as much excitement this year. As well as a wide array of products on show, we’ll be programming a world-class con ference for buyers in retail and in foodservice. We’ll also be running
From fringe to mainstream: Plant Based World Expo brings together all things plant-based under one roof for food and beverage professionals.
several networking events, so you’ll be able to meet lots of fellow food and drink professionals!
What benefits can companies expect to gain from exhibiting at Plant Based World Expo Europe?
With this burgeoning industry, it’s more important than ever to stay relevant and front-of-mind with business customers. New launches in the plant-based space are exciting signs of growth but will make it harder for individual brands to be noticed by buyers. If you’re serious about competing for shelf space and getting noticed by caterers, you need to be at Plant Based World Expo.
Please can you tell me more about your conference programme –who do you have lined up to speak and what topics are high on the agenda?
Our conference program will be released in the autumn, but I can tell you now that we’ll be focusing our content on challenges and opportunities for buyers in retail and foodservice. We are designing
our program with feedback from our Buyers Council, with industry experts leading sessions.
What do you consider to be the main plant-based industry chal lenges for 2022 and the upcoming years? How far do events such as Plant Based World Expo go in helping companies overcome such difficulties?
With the meteoric rise of plant-based alternatives, comes the chal lenge of competition for brands looking to get market share. Shelf space in retailers is limited and competition is fierce, as is the world of foodservice. The challenge is two-fold, as buyers in retail and foodservice are being overwhelmed with choice, struggling to stay on top of trends and connect with the right suppliers.
Rising inflation and a looming food security crisis will only exacerbate the current pressures on buyers, but the food industry has the power and responsibility to champion the solutionA conference session for buyers of plant-based
Book your place today: www.plantbasedworldeurope.com
Rising inflation and a looming food security crisis will only exac erbate the current pressures on buyers, but the food industry has the power and responsibility to champion the solution. Plant-based food, with its lower carbon footprint and water usage, should be at the forefront of their strategies to tackle these issues.
Plant Based World Expo is an event that addresses these needs. Manufacturers can bring their innovative products to our event then display them front and centre, while buyers have a one-stop solution to sourcing the right plant-based food and beverages for their businesses.
On a personal level, what aspect of Plant Based World Expo Europe 2022 are you most excited about?
I’ve followed a vegan diet and lifestyle since 2012, so for me person ally, it’s so exciting to watch the innovation first-hand. If you had the misfortune of eating a vegetarian burger in 2012, chances are it would have been a selection of bland, mushy vegetables squeezed into a breadcrumb coating. You would be hard-pressed to have this experience in 2022, and you won’t be able to find a bland plant-based sausage in sight at Plant Based World Expo.
The progress and innovation in this industry is nothing short of astonishing – and being able to eat and drink my way around the show without checking a label is also a plus! n
Plant Based World Expo Europe will be at Olympia London on November 30-1st December, 2022. Admission is free for food and beverage professionals. For more details on how to reg ister, visit: www.plantbasedworldeurope.com/register.asp
If you are a buyer of plant-based food for your business and would like to learn more about this industry, Plant Based World Expo Europe would like to invite you to attend the conference pro gram. Please get in touch by emailing: abigail@jdevents.com
Cultured nut cheeses were popular with attendees Category disrupters VFC made their ambitions clear with their chicken alternativesThe best whiskies of 2022
Whisky has permeated the world and gained an almost mythological status among its enthusiasts, while being at the most basic level a distilled alcohol produced from fermenting a mash of grain. The type of grains used in the recipe, where in the world it is produced, the distillation method, and the barrels the spirit is stored in all play a role creating the main differences between whisky (or whiskey) labelled as Scotch, bourbon, Irish, Canadian, rye and a whole host of other variations.
We have listed some of the very best whiskies that you may be able to get your hands on before the festive season. These four encompass the nuanced tastes and fine bouquets of the whisky world. Curated and written by Jordan Yallop.
The Glenlivet, the original Speyside single malt, has released three fine and iconic whiskies in its new Distillery Reserve Collection. The 10-, 14- and 22-Year-Old single cask editions showcase the finest Scotch craftsmanship mastered over decades.
Each bottle of cask strength, non-chill filtered single malt captures The Glenlivet’s pioneering style and the spirit of the glen itself, with every sip bringing to life the ambiance of the distillery. Every signature bottle is drawn from a single cask by the makers themselves before being individually numbered to identify the age, cask type and bottling date.
“Usually, these limited-edition collections would be available only to guests visiting the distillery in person, however we’ve taken this opportunity to make them available for pre-order through our website for advocates and collectors of The Glenlivet across the world,” said Linda Brown, Brand Home Manager at The Glenlivet.
“The rare collection celebrates the very best the distillery and Speyside has to offer and is a testament to the rich, bold fla vours our makers can achieve. The Distillery Reserve Collection offers something truly unique in terms of taste, quality and experience.”
Of the trio, we have been lucky enough to review a vibrant and tropical 22-Year-Old from a first fill American barrel, which is packed full of citrus flavour. Notes of pineapple and juicy mango reflect the bright and uplifting character of the whisky. This relea se is lim ited to just 277 bottles available for purchase. The stylised labelling aims to showcase the authentic journey each expression has been on before it was pulled from the cask.
Our thoughts: “Following the character of Speyside malts in recent years, this beautiful golden whisky is delicate but also full of flavour, with a nose of butterscotch, caramel, and vanilla pastry. This is complemented by notes of orange zest, apricots, and toasted oak. On the palette you are treated to distinctly tropical notes, remi niscent of mango and pineapple, which mellows to a honeyed lemon curd, lay ered with a velvet creamy undertone.”
i F D&
Johnnie Walker Blue label Ghost and Rare Port Dundas has been carefully crafted by Master Blender Emma Walker and her small team of expert whisky makers, using eight handpicked whiskies from the four corners of Scotland, including three irreplaceable “ghost” whiskies and five incredibly rare expressions from the Johnnie Walker Blue Label reserves.
“Port Dundas was one of the finest Grain Whisky distilleries in the world and the rare expressions that we have chosen from our reserves are some of the most distinctive it has ever produced – their slow maturation allowing the delicate grain character to blossom,” said Emma Walker.
This fifth release in the multi award-winning Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare series explores the character of exceptional and rare whiskies from one of world’s most famous Grain Whisky distilleries, the Glasgow ghost distillery of Port Dundas. This renowned distillery, nestled on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal, shipped its distinct Scotch from Glasgow to ports across the world for nearly 200 years. Built in 1811, at the highest point in the city’s rich commercial history, Port Dundas became a whisky blending power house, eventually growing to become a distillery known for its distinctive sweet and delicate Grain character before it closed in 2010.
Our thoughts: “A richer, bolder whisky than the standard Blue Label, the nose has notes of caramel and chestnuts, before giving way to a woody character. Creamy, wood notes from Port Dundas embrace the vanilla and soft smoke from the ghost whiskies of Cambus and original stocks of Brora. A lively butterscotch character quickly emerges, balanced by elements of berries and a light smoky tone. It is exceptionally well bal anced, well rounded, with banking spice, vanilla, and honey adding some complexity to the base.”
Leading independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co has released a limited-edition collection within its renowned Old Particular Single Cask Scotch Whisky range. The Spiritualist Series is unveiled with the launch of Old Particular Balance Edition; Islay 14 Years Old.
Inspired by the global “mindfulness” movement, the family firm says its Spiritualist Series is offered to those who are actively seeking some time out from hectic daily lives and want to invest time in moments of tranquillity. The concept is brought to life on the Single Cask Scotch Whisky packaging by a mesmerising, whimsical, bespoke illustration, in islandblue colourways.
Cara Laing, Director of Whisky in the family firm, said: “Now more than ever, we need to consciously take time out for some calm and solitude, taking a moment to rest and recharge.
Our Spiritualist Series Balance offers a departure from the chaos; the ying to the daily yang. From one of our favourite heavily peated Distilleries on Islay, this archetypal Islay Single Malt serves up a rich, earthy peat character balanced by sweet smoke and honeyed barley. Best served with time to dwell, linger and contemplate.”
Only 325 bottles were released worldwide. Although the distillery this whisky comes from is undisclosed, expect a wonderful bouquet of everything Islay from this whisky.
Our thoughts: “One of its best quali ties is the wonderful interplay of clearness, tastiness, and complexity. No fierceness here, just the contemplation of a peaty malt. On the nose there is a maritime saltiness and a cotton candy sweetness. Then there are fruits, a short while after, an invigorating apple juice note appears and of course it is smoky and ashy. It tastes fruity, sweetish, and sur prisingly green, with a peaty undertone. The aftertaste is memorable.”
www.douglaslaing.com
Our thoughts: “Remarkably smooth with a subtle honeyed fruit note on the nose, peppery and sweet, with a dryness and ripe berries. This whisky had such a welcoming and recognisable taste, it is truly a testament to Allan Anderson, Nawaf Salameh and the rest of the team as it fits so well into a crowded market of single malts, while simultaneously standing proud from the rest.” F D
Carpathian Single Malt is made using 100% malted barley produced in Romania. This single malt is distilled, matured, and bottle d at the Alexandrion Saber 1789 Distilleries, located in Bucov, Prahova County, near the Carpathian Mountains. The first ever Romanian s ingle malt whisky is made with pure Sub-Carpathian water renowned for its quality, is naturally coloured, unchill filtered and bottle d at 46%. Alexandrion Group’s single malt inaugural limited edition consisting of only 930 bottles comes in three expressions: Feteasca Neagra & Pinot Noir, as part of the Romanian Wine Cask Selection, and Madeira, as part of the Spanish & Portuguese Wine Cask Selection. Feteasca Neagra and Madeira finishing were initially matured in first-fill Bourbon casks, while the Pinot Noir expression was exclusivel y matured in Romanian Pinot Noir casks. Another world premiere in terms of single malt production brought by Alexandrion Group is the fact that Carpathian Single Malt was matured in Romanian wine casks. Group CEO Nawaf Salameh has received the accolade of ‘Keeper of the Quaich’, and utilised the services of Master Distiller, Allan Anderson, who said that as the Carpathian Single Malt further matures, he is certain “this exquisite whisky will, without doubt, become one of the best in the world”.
Leading food and beverage companies in China are choosing ABB technology to help them improve productivity and efficiency. One of China’s largest dairy producers is the latest, installing PCS100 AVC-40 Active Voltage Conditioning systems at a major facility in Mongolia.
China’s dairy product market has grown to more than $70 billion as demand continues to rise strongly in urban areas. Maximising productivity is an absolute priority for producers and voltage sags are a common cause of production issues, even with the most modern of power networks.
Dairy production is particularly vulnerable to this issue as producers must precisely track milk temperature throughout the ultra-heat treatment (UHT) sterilization and filling processes. If a power system disturbance takes temperature sensors offline, an entire production batch must be discarded.
“One dairy customer was experiencing around 15 voltage sags per year causing regular production shutdowns and significant losses in their sterilization and filling processes,” said Kenny Huang, Product and Marketing Manager – Power Conditioning, China. “It takes more than four hours to get production back online and the estimated economic cost each time of the labour and lost produce can reach 200,000 RMB ($30,000), so eliminating these events was a real priority. We understood the essential importance of reliable power quality and offered the customer a way to take control of the situation.”
The solution: two 600kVA 400V PCS100 AVC-40 Active Voltage Conditioning systems to protect filling and sterilization processes.
ABB partnered with local specialist Beijing Qiyun Electronic Technology Co Ltd on the project. Hongru Lu, Beijing Qiyun’s Food & Beverage Sales Director, said: “ABB’s PCS AVC devices help end-users solve serious power quality problems. They are also very low maintenance, reducing workload for site engineers, operational costs, and the total cost of ownership.”
The PCS100 AVC-40 protects up-time and productivity with instant voltage sag and surge correction. The system is built on a proven and dependable converter platform that provides failsafe, worry-free operation, even in harsh environments.
Designed by ABB to meet the higher demands of industrial and large commercial applications, the PCS100 AVC-40 can handle condi tions that conventional systems cannot. Its heavy-duty design and rugged overload capability are complemented by a redundant internal bypass system that ensures the utility continues to supply the load.
Its low operating and ownership costs help make the return on investment faster. The PCS100 AVC-40 leads the industry with effi ciency of more than 98%: its very low heat rejection minimises electricity and cooling costs.
As the PCS100 AVC-40 draws the additional energy needed to cor rect voltage sags from the utility supply, batteries are not required, and the costs associated with their maintenance are removed. The system’s small footprint also makes it easy to fit into confined spaces, without the need to design and build added floor space.
Responding to market demand for quality, sustainability and secure supply, Colpac has launched its new range of FSC® certified multi-food pots which are manufactured at its UK factory.
Multi-food pots are a versatile food-to-go packaging solution which cater for a wide range of dishes. With a maximum of 7% plastic in the bases, Colpac’s new range of multi-food pots comfortably meets the OPRL guidelines for recyclability for 2023 and beyond.
As part of Colpac’s commitment to sustainability, the company has invested heavily in new machinery and processes to enable UK manufacturing. This aims to offer a more sustainable solution to customers as it removes the extra carbon footprint of importing finished goods.
The new range offers printed kraft and natural kraft options, both using FSC® materials. The multi-food pots are available in four dif ferent sizes from 470ml through to 1,300ml. Suitable for a multitude of dishes, from vibrant salads through to hot food-to-go, the pots provide flexibility to food service operators and retailers.
The multi-food pot bases have a PE coating which provides a barrier to moisture and grease. With a large surface area, each pot can be fitted with a clear, secure, anti-mist lid which provides excellent product visibility. The lids, made from rPET, contain more than double the 30% recycled content threshold outlined in the plastic packaging tax. The natural kraft range is sold sepa rately to the rPET lids, offering the option to heat seal and label the bases instead.
The UK production of Colpac’s multi-food pots also reduces lead times and enables greater flexibility for bespoke printing to depict a customer’s brand and product messaging.
“With the launch of our new multi-food pots, we have created a solution that is quality-led and offers a secure supply chain. The new natural kraft range gives excellent on-shelf presence, appealing to environmentally driven consumers, and most impor tantly is manufactured in the UK,” said Kate Berry, Colpac’s Head of Marketing & Product.
Karakuri, the company revolutionising quick service (QSR) and fast casual restaurants with intelligent, robotic kitchen automa tion, has appointed Kevin Garry as its new Director of Global Business Development.
Mr Garry joins from Kraft Heinz, and according to Karakuri, will be pivotal in the tech firm’s drive to deliver intelligent kitchen automa tion to the global QSR market through the development of commercial partnerships for its latest range of kitchen robotics innovation.
Kevin will bring a wealth of QSR and foodservice industry experi ence to Karakuri, having previously held the role of UK Channel Lead for QSR and Leisure at Kraft Heinz, as well as foodservice roles with Kerry Group and McDonalds UK. In this new role, he will be responsible for fostering new partnerships with QSR and Fast Casual brands as Karakuri rolls out its new/FRYR™ automated fry lines later this year.
Barney Wragg, CEO and co-founder of Karakuri, said: “We have ambitious plans for Karakuri and our new /FRYR
automated fry line. Kevin will play a pivotal role in building bridges between our tech team and our QSR and fast casual restaurant partners to deliver real change to commercial kitchens through automation.
“Our mission is to deliver the future of foodservice – built around people, innovative technology and great food. Kevin’s understanding of the QSR market is invaluable to our business as it will feed into our development of intelligent robotic systems that can deliver supe rior quality food, exceptional customer service and cost savings to the industry.”
Mr Garry added: “We have the rare opportunity to change the face of foodservice operations, putting tech and automation at the very centre of the kitchen. To make this happen, innovative, for ward thinking players from the tech and foodservice worlds need to work hand-in-hand. This is why I am so excited to be working with Karakuri and to nurture these relationships, to truly make the future a reality.”
Steakholder Foods Ltd, an international deep-tech food company at the forefront of the cultured meat industry, has unveiled Omakase Beef Morsels, a revolutionary, richly marbled structured meat product developed using a unique 3D-printing process.
Inspired by the marbling standard of Wagyu beef, Omakase Beef Morsels are an innovative culinary achievement elegantly designed as a meat lover’s delicacy for premium dining experiences.
The product is made up of multiple layers of muscle and fat tissue, which have been differentiated from bovine stem cells, and showcases the technology’s unprecedented control and flexibility. Each layer is printed separately using two different bio-inks – one for muscle and one for fat. The layers can be printed in a variety of muscle/fat sequences which affects the juiciness and marbling of the cut.
Steakholder Foods’ technology can print the product with any shape, width and marbling ratio and even exceed the marbling precision reminiscent of the Wagyu beef standard. It can also pro vide unprecedented product consistency at scale.
The company’s provisional patent, “stacked, multi-layered meatemulating consumable,” is the result of cutting-edge bio -conver gence with intensive collaboration between its 3D-printing engineers and cellular biologists.
This technological achievement, which follows a series of ongoing advancements in the company’s development of printed whole cuts of meat, will likely position Steakholder Foods on the frontline of the market once a regulatory road map is established by the Food and Drug Administration.
Steakholder Foods’ CEO Arik Kaufman said: “This product marks a major breakthrough for us and for the cultured meat sector in general. It is the result of a lot of hard work and our desire to attain the highest standard of meat possible through bioprinting and cell cultivation processes. It also marks a sig nificant milestone in our quest to perfect the “holy grail” of meat steak.
“We see Omakase Beef Morsels at the intersection of food, tech nology and fine art. We want to inspire chefs around the world to create mouth-watering culinary masterpieces and unforgettable dining experiences.”
Steakholder Foods, formerly MeaTech 3D Ltd, maintains facilities in Rehovot, Israel and Antwerp, Belgium and has recently expanded activities to the US. The company is developing a slaughter-free solu tion for producing a variety of beef, chicken, pork, and seafood products – both as raw materials and whole cuts – as an alternative to industrialised farming and fishing.
Shlomi ArbivUK has purchased the remaining shares in Beavertown Brewery assuming full ownership of London’s largest brewery. As part of the agreement between the two companies, founder Logan Plant will step down as CEO and take on a new advisory role, with Jochen Van Esch taking on the new Managing Director role.
Heineken UK purchased a minority share in Beavertown in 2018, and since then has invested significantly, developing a new state-of-the-art brewery in North London. Beavertown will continue to be operated separately to Heineken UK with its own functional teams including sales, marketing, brewing and wider existing teams.
Logan Plant said: “Beavertown began in my kitchen, ten years ago. From brewing in a rice pan to one of the most successful British brewers in recent years, employing over 160 people and brewing 360,000 hectolitres of beer. Its success is something I could never have predicted back then, and I am extremely proud that we have agreed the deal with Heineken UK which is the nat ural next step for Beavertown, its brands, and most importantly, its people.
“The culture of Beavertown is incredibly important – our unique creativity in our design and marketing, our drive to brew the very best tasting beers, and the passion for excellence at the moment people order a pint – and this is something that will continue. With Heineken UK, we have a partner who provides support, advice and investment, and gives us the space to flourish. Without them, my
dream of being a world-renowned brewery that began with that rice pan a decade ago, would have been impossible.”
It is expected that the new ownership structure will allow the brand to grow significantly and could see up to 50 new jobs being created.
Boudewijn Haarsma, Managing Director at Heineken UK said: “This is a hugely positive step, and builds on a partnership that will see Beavertown continue to expand and flourish, while remaining committed to its independent creativity. Heineken will fully support Beavertown’s brand position, inimitable creativity and huge growth potential, and will do so in a way that preserves its unique approach to beer.”
Jochen Van Esch has worked for Heineken for over 20 years, and has been at Heineken UK since 2014, when he began as Brewery Operations Director. Together with Logan Plant, he has created a unique partnership with Beavertown Brewery.
“I’ve worked closely alongside Logan Plant and the team for five years now, during which the new brewery has been built, we’ve opened the first Beavertown pub, and the brand has become one of the most popular super premium beers in the country,” said Mr Van Esch.
“Beavertown’s journey will not see huge change because the strategy is right – the brand is in growth, it has a fantastic culture and work ethos and people love the beers. We will support, invest and grow the company, and I am incredibly excited about the future.”
Nestlé is exploring emerging technologies for the development of animal-free dairy protein-based products. This move com plements investments the company has made in plant-based meat and dairy alternative offerings over the years to meet the growing consumer demand for nutritious, more environmentally friendly diets that also taste great.
Nestlé will pilot a novel product through the company’s newly established US R+D Accelerator, bringing it to the US market later this year as a test-and-learn. The product is made with animal-free protein from Perfect Day. According to Perfect Day, the protein, made through precision fermentation, is iden tical to the whey protein found in cow’s milk, offers good nutri tional and functionality benefits that is suitable for vegans and is lactose-free. The product was developed by Nestlé R&D teams in Switzerland.
Heike Steiling, Head of Nestlé’s Development Center for dairy products, said: “As the world’s largest food and beverage company, delivering foods and beverages that are good for people and the planet is a priority. We are exploring emerging technologies that can lead to animal-friendly alternatives that are nutritious and sus tainable, without compromising on taste, flavour, and texture.”
The recently created US R+D Accelerator is focused on identi fying opportunities and aims to bring highly differentiated product concepts to the market in only six months.
“We are excited to pilot Nestlé’s first animal-free dairy proteinbased products through our US R+D Accelerator,” said Joanna Yarbrough, head of the R+D Accelerator. “While this category is still very young, we know consumers are looking for products that have a reduced environmental footprint, and we are evaluating this avenue as a future growth opportunity for our business.”
Food for thought Interesting and unusual food and drink facts from around the world
In 1868 a company called Dr Brown’s started producing Cel-Ray tonic –a celery flavoured drink. It is still made today.
Almost 540 peanuts go into a 340g jar of peanut butter.
The Kangaroo Protection Bill was introduced in the United States in 2021. If passed it could result in the consumption of Kangaroo meat being illegal in the US.
Two thirds of an octopus’ neurons are in its arms, rather than its head. Because of this, their legs have a ‘mind of their own’ and can complete various tasks whilst the octopus is preoccupied elsewhere.
La Tomatina festival in Spain is one of the most popular food-related festivals in the world and consists of people coming together to throw tomatoes at one another. Originating in the 1940s when a street fight resulted in a young boy throwing fruit and vegetables at passers-by, this was then repeated each year until 1957 when it gained its official status as a food festival.
Back in 2020, Walkers crisps created Wotzilla a 250g 10.66 metre long Wotsit that broke the world record for the longest puffed corn snack ever recorded. It took a team of eight, nearly two and a half hours to make in the Walkers factory based in Leicester UK.
There are over 8,000 grape varieties, the main types are American and European.
Pak Choi is a highly popular crop in Singapore, farmers use it for vertical farming, stacking one on another. Pak Choi end up growing like a tower and can reach heights of over nine metres.
Nearly 45,000 tonnes of spam were consumed by Allied troops during World War II.
The world record for the most cupcakes eaten in 6 minutes was set by Pat Bertoletti in 2012; he ate 72. This record was achieved at the second Annual World Cupcake Eating Championship, during which 13 contes tants consumed nearly 700 cupcakes.
Coronation Chicken, originally served as a curried dish alongside rice and peas, was creat ed in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In more recent times, it has been popularised as a sandwich filler.
Once sowed, it takes around three years for asparagus seeds to pro duce good quality crop and be ready to harvest.
There is no sincerer love than the love of food “ “
Media Section
Richard Jackson Professional food photographer
From pizzas, pasta and burgers, to stir-fries, pancakes, teas, rums and soft drinks; if you can eat it or drink it, the chances are Richard Jackson has photographed it. Working with leading industry brands and supermarket chains within the UK for 30 years, Richard has mastered the ability of adding that little some thing special to the products he shoots.
I was inspired to be a photographer from my dad really. He was in photographic retail all his life and a keen photographer, so I was around cameras and photographers from an early age. I decided I enjoyed taking pictures, and creating images more than selling the equipment.
I have always enjoyed shooting things and still life more than people, and like nice food.
Shooting food and drink products for Tesco in their in-house food photography studio started me on that route. I went freelance a couple of years later, shooting in London as well as Essex.
I’ve been lucky to work with some major brands in the industry, sometimes working with them from start-up, but it’s nice to work on exciting new products and with small producers in getting their story out there as effectively as possible and helping them to grow to their full potential.
I enjoy making the food come alive and look mouth-watering, making you want to pick it up and eat it! I also like creating sto ries with my pictures, using props to hint at a setting or an occasion.
Richard Richard JacksonTalk us through your studio. I’ve been in my current studio, close to Stansted airport, for over 18 years which was built from scratch for food and drink photography. I also shoot from rental studios across London & the Midlands. Truthfully, I produce my best work and am most pro ductive shooting in my studio, as well as being more cost effective as I don’t have to pass on the studio hire fees.
My favourite piece of equipment is probably my lighting set up. I work mainly with flash lights but use a lot of modifiers to create a daylight feel. Whether that’s a sunny day or cosy fireside, lighting can really make the image stand out.
Media Section Richard Jackson Professional food photographerI also love my big studio camera stand It’s Swiss built and allows the camera to be moved all around the set with ease very precisely.
What projects have particularly stood out for you?
I enjoyed working on Cockspur Rum, espe cially the launch of the Balla Black brand worldwide. I had quite a lot of freedom to play with ideas and come up with a tongue in cheek hint of a voodoo vibe for the brand. I also enjoyed shooting burgers for Beefeater, with pouring gravy, which was a very messy shoot!
What advice would you give to an aspiring food and drink photographer?
Try to develop your own style, and experi ment, but ulti mately, always remember that the final photograph is meant to make you feel hungry! n
1) Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix.
2) Rub it onto your meat (it works well on beef, pork, and chicken), and throw it onto the barbecue or into the oven.
Cook as normal!
3) If you make a large batch, keep the rub in a well-sealed container and store it in a cool dry spot away from the sun.If you’re looking for alternatives, you can find some pre-made options here.
However, we always recommend using freshly roasted coffee beans because you’ll get far more flavour imparted once you grind fresh using some high quality coffee.
Latvia-based ADUGS is one of the largest producers of confectionary products in the Baltics. Starting sweets production in 1997, ADUGS has grown from a small, independent firm into a market leader.
The company offers a wide range of different products – from cookies, crackers, cakes and biscuits to wafer cakes and exclusive handmade products.
For more information please visit: www.adugs.lv
Featured Photo
Photo credited to: ADUGS
Ingredients specialist Solina has over 40 years’ experience designing customised savoury solutions for the food industry, food service, butchery and nutrition markets. Group Communications Manager Alexander Wyckstandt described Solina’s distinctive company structure, and the benefits this unusual model brings to customers, in discussion with Phil Nicholls.
Forthe last 10 years especially, Solina has grown steadily through a series of targeted mergers and acquisitions to build the brand and consolidate the company’s package of savoury solutions. Yet Solina remains agile and flexible, thanks to the unusual layout of its organisation which enhances the portfolio of bespoke products and services offered to clients.
“Solina’s USP is the fact that we are mul tifaceted,” explained Group Communications Manager Alexander Wyckstandt. “Compared to the big global players, our organisational structure is decentralised, resembling a flotilla of numerous companies grouped together. While we steer the business from a central point, the smaller ‘vessels’ set their own course. The whole flotilla
sails in the same direction, but each company determines its own speed.”
The roots of Solina stretch back to 1988 with the creation of Saveur in France, producing savoury ingredient solutions. Founder Eric Terré steadily expanded Saveur until 2012 when the company merged with Belgian enterprise Sfinc and became Solina. This marked the start of a remarkable 10-year trajectory characterised by an impressive organic growth and targeted, diversified mergers and acquisitions.
Solina has acquired at least one company in every year of its existence, except for Covid-hit 2020. Most of these new businesses were in the food processing industry. In parallel, Solina strength ened its presence in foodservice with Essential Cuisine in the UK and Berthelet in Canada, and butchery channels, focusing on bringing culinary savoury ingredients to all suitable markets.
Solina initially specialised in dry solutions, but has progressively diversified into coating solutions, represented by Bowman Ingredients, and liquid solutions by acquiring very specific busi nesses in France Sauces & Créations and Atelier D2i, and in the United Kingdom, Zafron Foods. These latest acquisitions in 2022 ensure that Solina is balanced between the three categories of ingredient solutions.
“In terms of ingredient capabilities, we offer dry solutions, liquid solutions and coating solutions,” said Mr Wyckstandt. “We are a partner for the food manufacturing industries pro ducing meat, potato, fish, vegetables, everything that is related to savoury.
“What Solina actually sells in the strict sense is semi-finished ingredient compounds. We source ingredients from all over
the world, then add science and knowledge to provide what we call integrated ingredients solutions to our clients. By inte grated I mean mostly the combination of taste, functionality and nutrition.”
Solina provides a unique co-creation model combining culinary flair and technical excellence, helping clients find the taste solu tion they need for a product. The challenge might be anything from a natural solution-based charcuterie product or improving the nutritional profile of a snack product to enhancing the taste and texture of a plant-based burger. This collaboration model is backed up by an extensive portfolio of after-sales support.
The development of any Solina product is a close partnership with the client, according to Mr Wyckstandt: “We deeply analyse the proposal, including how this issue is positioned in the market, how the client’s competitors approach it, and the consumer’s view on this specific application. Solina enriches the customer with data and insights, then finds a specific solution that might even exceed their initial thoughts and expectations.
“Alongside the ingredient solution, Solina offers a package of additional support. We support on the configuration of the manu facturing process; provide culinary advice, logistic support and marketing advice. Our customers receive semi-finished ingredient compounds, plus an entire portfolio of value-adding services to design commercially successful products in the end.”
Solina’s development philosophy is to compose custom com pounds that guarantee the best possible eating experience, including the taste, nutrition and specific sustainability require ments of consumers. The core challenge for food manufacturers is to incorporate the demands of the market in an integrated way without compromising the number one criterion: taste.
“We deeply analyse the proposal, including how this issue is positioned in the market, how the client’s competitors approach it, and the consumer’s view on this specific application. Solina enriches the customer with data and insights, then finds a specif ic solution that might even exceed their initial thoughts and expectations”
Global and local Solina currently generates €820 million turnover, employing over 2,700 people across 35 production sites in Europe and North America. It is this dispersed structure at Solina which builds the flotilla model for the company and offers clients the combined benefits of local knowledge and global reach.
“We often call it a ‘glocal’ approach,” Mr Wyckstandt explained, “because we are both global and local. Given our growth trajectory, we started with a very local approach, which is what characterises every company within Solina. We added an international layer, where we find the synergies between these different entities and take leverage from each other’s initiatives.”
Tight cooperation between Solina’s flotilla of companies is one
key to the pro cess of developing new products in response to market trends. This innovative mindset led to the creation of plant-based foods that please consumers with regards to taste, nutritional and functional attributes. Solina possesses advanced knowledge of processing and production technologies to conceive meat- and fish-alternative prototypes for customers, gaining experience about the interplay between ingredients and technology. This research defined Solina as a frontrunner in the innovation of plant-based meat alternatives
At the heart of Solina’s innovation is the NEXTERA® package of plant-based pro teins, heralding the next era of food. Developments in this field include vegan tuna and the vegan ‘folie gras’ that reached the final of French supermarket chain
“Solina possesses advanced knowledge of processing and productiontechnologies to conceive meat-and fish-alternative prototypes for customers,gaining experience about the interplay between ingredients and technology.This research defined Solina as a frontrunner in the innovation ofplant-based meat alternatives”
Carrefour’s plant-based food compe tition in 2022. The strength of the NEX TERA line lies in its flexibility, as it is not tied to spe cific ingredients. Solina can thus propose multiple options based on the client’s requirements, for both the ingredients and the preferred applied technology.
The dispersed flotilla of Solina companies enables the company to be agile and flexible when responding to challenges in the global supply chain. The company is equally committed to sus tainability, with the appointment of Ellen Madsen as Group Sustainability Director in 2022. Ms Madsen will drive forward Solina’s sustainability commitments (5Ps: people, planet, part ners, performance and products & solutions) by embedding those into the overall strategy.
The Sustainability Board at Solina is supported by a committee of Sustainability Ambassadors and a team of Sustainability Volunteers spread across the group. The whole team implements Solina’s Sustainability Integration Roadmap, consisting of six sus tainability integration topics with 15 workstreams. The Roadmap was designed to focus Solina’s sustainability integration to 2023 and contribute to a more sustainable agri-food value chain and industry. These commitments and actions apply to all aspects of Solina’s business with the overall goal of making food matter for people and the planet.
Alongside concern for a more sustainable food chain, Solina is also focused on sustaining its momentum for growth and expan sion. The plan is to maintain the pace of mergers and acquisitions , while simultaneously leveraging the synergies created by the latest companies to join Solina.
“We are also looking at the digital transformation of our ser vices,” explained Mr Wyckstandt, “all to support our clients better, by providing the proper tools, data and information. Solina enjoys a leading position in the European market within the savoury food industry. The target is now to achieve a similar position in North America over the coming years.
“We are a very healthy company,” Mr Wyckstandt concluded, “there is so much potential.” n
PROVA is a specialist producer of sweet brown flavourings with over 75 years’ experience. President Muriel Acat-Vergnet related PROVA’s blend of luxury products and corporate responsibility in conversation with Phil Nicholls.
Morethan just a producer of gourmet vanilla flavourings, PROVA is deeply committed to enhancing the lives of the Malagasy farmers growing the vanilla. Through PROVA’s Care & Act programme and the NGO VDB it established, the com pany is improving life on Madagascar and beyond.
Formed in 1946, the PROVA family business was built around a new vanilla extraction method developed by Marcel Acat and Hugo Oiler. The company steadily flourished from its launch in a small workshop outside Paris. In 1973 PROVA expanded to a new manufacturing plant in Autruy-sur-Juine, south of Paris in the Loiret department. This 8,000 sqm facility initially focused on vanilla, but expanded into cocoa and coffee extraction, the trio forming the basis of PROVA’s range today.
“We want to be the natural choice for sweet brown flavours in the hearts and minds of our customers,” explained President Muriel Acat-Vergnet, describing the range of flavourings avail able at PROVA. At the heart of PROVA is vanilla, where the com pany began.
This ‘queen of spices’ is available in a range of extracts solubl e in oil, dairy or water. Vanilla is also offered in powdered form or as PROVANIL, PROVA’s replacement solution for vanillin and ethyl vanillin. Vanilla is sourced from Madagascar, the world’s n umber once producer of best Bourbon quality vanilla, along with Comoros, Uganda, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Tahiti.
Part of the PROVA portfolio since 1985, cocoa flavours are cre ated in a range of chocolate notes and pairing perfectly with toffee, hazelnut and vanilla. The PROVA cocoa extracts and flavours offer a rich, indulgent chocolate profile compared to normal cocoa powder. PROVA began coffee extraction in 1990, creating a line of coffee extracts and flavours. The coffee flavour palate is customised for each market and available in water, oil and milk soluble options.
The team of flavourists at PROVA have developed a product portfolio across the full palette of brown flavourings, both sweet and savoury. The five main flavour families are gourmet, caramel, nuts, dairy and alcohol. PROVA also offers an organic range certi fied by ECOCERT: FR-BIO-01- Organic Label. The organic range includes vanilla, cocoa, coffee and chestnuts, plus recent addi tions of coconut and hazelnut.
Finally, the rise in plant-based proteins has lead PROVA’s flavourists to develop a library of masking flavours to counter the nutty, grassy, bitter or earthy taste of these proteins. To prevent unwanted tastes spoiling a product, the PROVA flavour chemists a nd application scientists work with the customer to find a flavour solution to satisfy the consumer.
“We recently announced the acquisition of a new industrial sit e about two hours away from our current factory which will help us grow much faster and reassure customers,” Ms Acat-Vergnet said. “Our historical site will focus on extraction, while the new factory will do the blending and additional activities.”
The new factory in Montrichard in Loir-et-Cher is planned to open in 2023 after a refurbishment programme. Despite this new acquisition, PROVA remains headquartered in the Montreuil suburb of Paris. PROVA has 350 employees world wide, with offices in the US and a hub in Bangkok, Thailand.
For a mid-sized company like PROVA, Ms Acat-Vergnet identi fied two ingredients for success: “Firstly, you need a product that finds its market and that differentiates itself from the competitors. Secondly, you have to build a great team, where there’s a lot of cohesion, people feel good and communicate well together.”
The ability of PROVA to create bespoke flavours is part of the company’s USP.
“We stand apart from our competitors because we focus on our speciality,” explained Ms Acat-Vergnet. “We are not working wide , we go deep into a shorter portfolio, deeper in our specialities. By deepening our areas of expertise, we can produce tailor-made products and that’s the strength of PROVA; we tailor our product s to exactly meet our customers’ needs.”
Driven by the ambition to go even further, our company started a new initiative to accompany its vanilla offering. PROVA begins a new chapter in 2022 for sustainable vanilla open for all our cus tomers. This program is designed around five bold objectives, measured by sixty indicators that ensure the quality and trace ability of all its actions. This innovative and inspiring approach reflects the deep, human character of PROVA; a company with the longstanding tradition of sustainable development in Madagascar.
In an expansion of Ms Acat-Vergnet’s second ingredient for success, PROVA is deeply engaged in improving the lives of its suppliers in Madagascar. Back in 2013, PROVA launched the NGO Vanille Durable Bemanevika (VDB), promoting sustainable vanilla in and around the northern Madagascan town of Bemanevika. VDB’s pro gramme in Madagascar includes the development of supple mental agricultural activities, education provisions, and the supply of medical equipment.
VDB is just one aspect of the broader PROVA Care & Act philos ophy stretching from Madagascar to France. The team at PROVA care about each other and the impact of the business, taking action to sup port sustainable initiatives. The implementation of Care & Act princi ples focuses on four main areas: vanilla, taste, planet and society.
As with so much at PROVA, Care & Act begins with vanilla. The company supports a sustainable and ethical vanilla industry,
“As with so much at PROVA, Care & Act begins with vanilla. The company supports a sustainable and ethical vanilla industry, operating respectfully and supporting the local community of farmers”
operating respectfully and supporting the local community of farmers. PROVA is also committed to enhancing the taste, quality and authenticity of all its products. Thanks to the company’s unique extraction methods, PROVA’s products preserve the essential flavours and tastes for an incomparable flavour signature.
Care & Act also addresses broader issues by committing the company to act in a manner that preserves the planet’s ecosystem and ensures that PROVA’s activities have only a positive impact on the environment. Finally, the programme strives to ensure social equity among all PROVA’s employees and partners.
As one of the pillars of Care & Act, sustainability is a thread running through the history of PROVA. VDB is only one strand of the company’s support for vanilla farmers. PROVA is also a member of the Sustainable Vanilla Initiative (SVI), working along side more than 25 international companies including Mars and Firmenich. SVI is a voluntary industry initiative, which aims to promote the long-term stable supply of high-quality, natural vanilla, produced in a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable way, benefitting all partners along the value chain.
PROVA’s Cocoa and Vanilla Joint Project in collaboration with cocoa producer Barry Callebaut works to stabilise the revenue of vanilla farmers through the introduction of cocoa farming. The project also hopes to encourage more companies to innovate and adopt a part nership model.
Finally, PROVA is involved in Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming, Livelihood 3F, an impact investment fund created by Danone, Firmenich, Mars and Veolia to foster sustainability and povertyreduction in supply chains. This pro gramme allows PROVA to work altruistically with other companies in a spirit of cooperation and col laboration as the best way to improve the sector as a whole.
Given PROVA’s extensive commitment to sustainable farming, it is no surprise that the company was an early entrant into organic.
“We were one of the first vanilla extractors to start buying organic vanilla back in 1996 in Madagascar, when they started the organic programme certification,” said Ms Acat-Vergnet. “PROVA is now more and more involved in sustainable vanilla sourcing in Madagascar and in other countries. We want to push organic sourcing with an objective of buying 50% of our vanilla sustainably in the next 8 to 10 years.”
PROVA is dedicated to making life better for its partners up and down the supply chain.
“Corporate responsibility is at the heart of our strategy,” Ms AcatVergnet concluded. “My objective is to keep the company at a human scale. I want to make the team into a great team who are happy to work here. What I love about PROVA is not only the great products we’re making, but that it’s a human adventure.” n
www.prova.fr
The National Collection of Yeast Cultures (NCYC) provides a commercial service to identify, store and supply yeast cultures, storing over 600 brewing strains alone. Carmen Nueno-Palop, Business Development Manager at NCYC detailed the company’s ongoing responsibilities to Jordan Yallop.
THE NATIONAL COLLECTION OF YEAST CULTURES I PROFILE
Founded in 1948, the National Collection of Yeast Cultures (NCYC) originated because British brewers realised the value of their yeast cultures and of putting them in safe deposit to keep them secure. The NCYC maintains a collection of over 4,400 strains and also provides commercial services such as the secure storage of proprietary yeast strains for customers on a confidential basis, strain identification, yeast propagation and supply of yeast cultures.
For more than 70 years NCYC has collected and characterised yeasts of importance to the food and brewing industries.
Carmen Nueno-Palop, Business Development Manager said: “We don’t just sell yeast. We discuss customers’ needs and work together with them to achieve their goals.”
Currently located at the Quadram Institute (former Institute of Food Research) in Norwich, England, NCYC today offers a range of services to industry.
Ms Nueno-Palop said: “We supply yeast worldwide from Europe to Africa, Australia, or America. Our production capacity has duplicated over the past years, and we plan to extend it as demands increase. Sales by country in our website last year were UK 33%, USA 28%, Republic of Korea 4%, Switzerland 4%, Japan 3%, Brazil 2%, with other countries around the World accounting for the rest.
“The ratio for yeast supplied to academic versus commercial cus tomers is approximately 40% to 60%.”
The NCYC initially evolved into a broader collection when it moved to the Institute of Food Research in 1981, collecting food spoilage yeast which was able to evade the conventional food preservatives. In 1999 the collection became a part of The United Kingdom National Culture Collection (UKNCC), which was established to co-ordinate the activi ties of Britain’s national collections of microbial organisms – there are other equivalent collections for other organisms, such as bacteria, algae, virus and cell lines.
Three years ago, the collection moved to its new facility in Quadram Institute Biosciences in the Norwich Research Park where it is currently based. At present the collection holds over 4,400 strains collected over the last 70 years. All strains in the open collection can be accessed and purchased directly from the NCYC website (www.ncyc.co.uk)
NCYC trades under QIB Extra Ltd, a company that provides bespoke research and market-leading services for the food, health and allied industries.
The NCYC’s new lab and state-of-the-art facilities are housed within the Quadram Biosciences Institute. Being part of a bigger institute sees NCYC reap the benefits of being at the heart of the research park, notably the interactions with the research
community and the infrastructure the institute has to offer. An example is the liquid nitrogen storage, the home of NCYC’s master stock’s cultures. The Cryo-suite at QIB enables NCYC to guarantee long term storage at -196°C.
One of the main services the NCYC provides is the confidential safe deposit or yeast banking service. The NCYC maintains propri etary yeast strains for customers on a confidential basis. The cul tures can be retrieved and available exclusively on the instruc tions of the depositor.
NCYC will use deposits to verify the authenticity of strains used in food and beverage manufacturing.
Ms Nueno-Palop said: “This service is valuable for important production strains and should be considered by anyone who wishes to take advantage of the NCYC’s facilities and expertise in culture maintenance.”
The yeast cultures are preserved under optimal conditions for the maintenance of their properties, under secure and confiden tial safeguard and yet be available on demand.
“This service is used by small, medium, and multinational companies,” Ms Nueno-Palop said. “The aim of each company is slightly different, but the goal is always to protect and insure the production strain. If you insure your buildings and contents, why would you not protect the strain responsible for your final product?”
While the most popular service provided by NCYC is the confidential yeast bank, the company also offers a number of other services including a yeast identification service, offering a precision char acterisation of yeasts direct to customers worldwide. Molecular methods have revolutionised the speed and accuracy of yeast identification. In recent years, these methods have been applied to solve numerous practical problems such as the presence o f spoilage yeasts.
“We can closely work with many different companies to help identify either native strains that they want to exploit or even to
“One of the main services the NCYC provides is the confidential safe deposit or yeast banking service. The NCYC maintains proprietary yeast strains for customers on a confidential basis”
identify any strain isolated by the company,” said Ms Nueno-Palop. “In this area we are currently offering a new service to isolate native yeast strains from vineyards.
“Why use a generic commercial wine yeast when you can use your own local native strains? This could make the wine even more special, and it is also a powerful marketing tool.”
Customised yeast propagation for brewers is also a popular ser vice, mainly used by smaller or medium sized companies that may not have their own labs or propagation plants. As such, the yeast propagation service is important to these businesses as the NCYC can guarantee a pure yeast slurry than can be used for direct pitch in their fermentation tanks.
NCYC supplies strains via its website www.ncyc.co.uk to a large range of customers from academic to industry, from very small compa nies to multinationals. Ms Nueno-Palop admitted Brexit has created new barriers as samples have to pass new controls in customs; how ever NCYC is still reaching customers worldwide.
Being able to revive strains deposited more than 50 years ago highlights the importance of the work and role played by NCYC employee’s predecessors, collecting and storing the strains for generations to come.
“You feel a sense of responsibility when opening strains that have been dormant for so many years, some even before we were born,” said Ms Nueno-Palop.
She concluded: “As a company we would like to carry on helping distributing yeast worldwide and increase our global network. An important long-term objective will be genome sequencing all the strains in the collection.” n
Carmen Nueno-Palop, Business Development Manager
Ginger is helping New Concept Product (NCP) heat up its business with a new cool juice format, as more people in its native Thailand turn to herbal solutions to beat the pan demic blues. The health-herbal company is also poised to ramp up e-commerce solutions with ambitions to make it big in America and China. Deputy Managing Director Vekit Bamrungkit spoke to Andy Probert on the company’s global aspirations.
NEW CONCEPT PRODUCT PROFILE
Deputy Managing Director
Vekit Bamrungkit
Herbal solutions and e-commerce, two disparate points of a business compass, have seen the most advances in the years since the pandemic gripped everyday life.
As countries emerge from global lock downs and restrictions, global consumers’ desire for more herbal options and demand for border-less shopping has continued to thrive. For Thailand’s New Concept Product (NCP), the evolution of both is not only wel come, but forming the springboard for inno vation to deep dive into new markets.
“We would never suggest the pandemic has been good for business, far from it, but as side-effects of Covid-19, we have
seen the consumer generally reach out for more herbal-health options and utilise more digital solutions,” attested Deputy Managing Director Vekit Bamrungkit.
Having been in the ginger tea market with its HOTTA brand for three decades, number one in Thailand, and a strong performer in Asia, NCP has moved with emerging trends, by introducing a range of ginger-honey and ginger-lemon juice varieties.
Mr Bamrungkit explained: “Because of HOTTA’s growth in powder form in instant tea and the increase in ginger tea drinkers worldwide, we decided to look at integrating ginger further into the consumer’s daily lifestyle.
“So we launched our new ready-to-drink ginger juices in bottles. These can be refrig erated and can be drunk cold, anytime, any where. We are targeting different markets, but expanding ginger into the life of new ginger drinkers and others not comfortable drinking hot tea.”
He said the feedback locally in Thailand and targeted Asian countries has been “great”. “Having ginger in this form, we will have to do a lot of education so consumers realise they can drink it in a different way. We are actively changing mindsets and have been successful so far.
“It will also capture the opportunity the pandemic has presented, in that people want
more herbal options: they want to achieve health immunity easier, and ginger offers that in an organic, natural way.”
This strategic shift has necessitated that NCP invests heavily in a new industrial facility in Chonburi province, an hour from Bangkok, to produce these ginger juices. Opened in December 2021, the plant has been fully automated with the latest machinery and offers significant opportunities to upscale production of the HOTTA range.
He said: “We take consumer health seriously. Therefore food safety and quality are paramount to our long-term business success, and we continuously seek to improve further.”
Reflecting on NCP’s performance over the pandemic, Mr Bamrungkit said: “We have a range of brands, and several have per formed better than others, but overall, we believe we are right on track.
“Luckily, our herbal health drink HOTTA has performed very well. There is a belief in Asia, (and it is scientifically proven), that ginger can improve the body’s immunity. People have bought into
the fundamentals of HOTTA, and it is contin uing to grow because they are seeking more health-derived options. This has also been replicated globally in the herbal health-led markets.”
HOTTA and FITNE have been the core of NCP’s success since the latter was launched 35 years ago by current President and pharmacist Visit Bamrungkit. He formu lated FITNE Herbal Infusion Tea to improve health and reduce obesity among local Thai women. In 1990, HOTTA Instant Ginger Tea was launched.
By 2009, Bangkok-headquartered NCP had established a new world-class (and Thailand’s biggest and highest capacity herbal manufacturing) plant in Chonburi. It is equipped with modern production tech nology, automated machinery and an inter national standard laboratory with a qualified team of herbalists and R&D experts.
The FITNE brand accounts for about 40% of sales, closely followed by HOTTA, with both exported internationally. The rest of the company’s portfolio comprises three dedicated Thai brands: LADINA, herbal extracts for women’s health; TUMTHIP, an instant bael fruit drink; and MZEL Coffee,
an instant coffee mix with black ginger extract designed for men’s health.
As Thailand’s most recognised brand for weight-control and slimming solutions and the most popular tea of its kind in the local market, FITNE herbal tea contains widely used medicinal plants for detoxifi cation with all ingredients grown and processed naturally.
HOTTA is the only brand of ginger drink inspired by the unique and genuine ginger characteristic from a special selection of natural-fresh Thai-based ginger, aged 11 to 12 months old. At this age, gingers contain the maximum level of gingerol and zingerol, two essential sources of ginger for aromatic taste and natural benefit. HOTTA contains no sugar, no preservatives, no artificial colourings and no added flavours.
HOTTA Instant Ginger Tea variants were certified ‘Thailand’s Healthier Choice’ in 2016 for daily consumption by the Thai FDA because of their healthy ingredients. The brand has also reaped many national and international consumer awards.
NCP, now employing 450 people, is also Thailand’s first herbal manufacturer with international quality standards in every oper ation process, including after-sales, customer service and traceability. It holds ISO 9001, GMP, HACCP, HALAL and BRC certifications.
“Quality, from sourcing to distribution, has been ingrained in the company’s DNA since inception,” affirmed Mr Bamrungkit. “Quality is a key element when selecting our partners, both local and international Quality, together with innovation, has made us a market leader in Thailand and boosted sales in other countries.”
The company intensified its export efforts five years ago, and now, through its interna tional partners, the FITNE and HOTTA brands have expanded globally on many fronts.
With e-commerce continuing to soar and driving trends, enabling markets to be within easier reach with access to good quality products, NCP has been transforming its digital presence.
“We are actively developing more ecommerce channels. We have launched our flagship brands via Amazon in the USA. That was a huge step for us as a Thai herbal and health products manu facturer,” stated Mr Bamrungkit.
“Within a year, it has massively suc ceeded, as we have already reaped Amazon awards as a high performing brand. E-com merce has been a game-changer for NCP and how con sumers access our products.
“Having set foot in the US, we already export to many continents, and continue to see strong performance in Europe. We are looking at opportunities in China through the Alibaba e-commerce site and want to further evolve our digital footprint into consumers’ lives.”
He said: “The world is more dynamic and moving rapidly at pace as health and herbal products are more accepted now than they were 30 years ago. It has opened new opportunities for NCP, and the plan is firmly focused on expansion, new products and to become a recognised worldwide supplier of healthy herbal drinks, such as HOTTA.
Mr Bamrungkit concluded: “Our challenge is to remain at the forefront of those quickly changing trends and continue to differentiate ourselves from the many producers in the market by offering the highest quality, most effective products on the market today.” n
Aldi Stores Ltd, Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket, with over 950 stores and 38,000 employees – and growing – is dedicated to increasing its British supplier base. Aldi has announced plans to increase the amount of food and drink it buys from British suppliers by £3.5 billion a year by the end of 2025, recruiting over 100 additional British suppliers in 2022. The supermarket will not be beaten on price, consistently wins awards for quality, treats suppliers with respect and strives to support customers, society, and the environment. Profile by Phil Nicholls.
Giles Hurley, CEO, Aldi UK and Ireland
Frommulti-billion pound pledges into the UK’s supply chain, to delivering on strong recycling commitments –all whilst opening 100 stores across the UK in the next two years – supermarket chain Aldi is balancing growth with environmental responsibility.
Aldi works hard to reduce its environmental impact and ensure that products are packaged sustainably, reducing the volumes of plastic used and ensuring all materials used are easy to recycle. All of Aldi’s back-of-store plastic waste is recycled and turned into our bags for life. Made from 100% recycled plastic, the bags can be reused many times, then recycled again.
Aldi announced its first plastic and packaging pledges in March 2018, updating them in July 2020, making the pledges even more ambitious. All black plastic, PVC and Expanded Polystyrene have been successfully removed from Aldi Core Range Food products. An impressive 92% of Aldi’s own-label packaging is recyclable, reusable or home compostable. The supermarket tested exciting initiatives in this area throughout 2021 to help Aldi achieve the pledged goal of 100%.
In 2020, Aldi removed over lids from fresh cream, big pot yogurts and ready to drink coffee products, removing 34 million pieces of plastic from circulation. The same year, Aldi changed the trans port packaging for fresh meat products, switching to reusable crates instead of cardboard boxes and plastic wrap, saving 5,800 tonnes. Indeed, all of Aldi’s core range primary packaging is from a certified source or contains a minimum of 70% recycled content.
Since April 2021, Aldi has trialled ambient product refills in stores and continually works to reduce the amounts of plastic and pack aging used on products. Notable successes include moving the fresh steak range to cardboard trays, an 88% plastic reduction per pack and equivalent to a massive 1,132 tonnes per year waste saving.
Also, Aldi removed 2 million pieces of throwaway plastic from the 2022 Easter confectionery range.
“We know that our customers are passionate about the envi ronment,” acknowledged Richard Gorman, Plastics and Packaging Director at Aldi UK, “and these changes to our Easter range are a great example of how we are helping them eliminate unnecessary plastic. We’re committed to playing our part to protect the environment, and its changes like this that can make all the difference.”
In April 2022, Aldi announced a programme adding green tech nology to its delivery fleet. The all-electric refrigerated trailer con verts kinetic energy into electricity to power the on-board batteries as the wheels turn, meaning products are kept cool whilst reducing energy consumption and minimising environmental impact. Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK, explained: “We want to do as much as possible to reduce our environmental impact. That’s why we have been carbon neutral since January 2019 and use energy from renewable sources.
“This latest step forms part of this commitment. We already have effective energy efficiency systems in place and are pleased to be taking this one step further by trialling the latest technology within our transport fleet.”
All new Aldi trailers will be fitted with solar mats to help power them, as well as track the solar energy and CO2 savings they create. These projects form part of Aldi’s efforts to reduce carbon emis sions in its entire lorry fleet. The supermarket is also currently trialling more environmental fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).
Britain’s number one Aldi’s sustainable business model is clearly a big hit with UK shoppers as the latest YouGov survey awarded Aldi the coveted status of the nation’s favourite supermarket. Aldi achieved a topranked 100% Fame rating and 79% popularity amongst all adults. Aldi was also most popular among the Millennials demographic, b ut only sixth most popular with Generation X and Baby Boomers.
An independent price comparison by trade magazine The Grocer may offer one reason for the YouGov results: The Grocer study found that the UK’s so called ‘Big Four’ supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons – were on average 19% more expensive than Aldi. Richard Thornton, Communications Director at Aldi, said: “With so many costs rising right now, customers want to know
they can still afford to treat themselves to high-quality food and drink without breaking the bank.
“Aldi is the only supermarket to offer that unbeatable combina tion of great quality products at low prices. We believe that’s why British shoppers have, once again, voted us the nation’s favourite.”
However, Aldi is not resting on its laurels as growth continues steadily at the supermarket. In the year ending 31st December 2020, Aldi posted a turnover of £13.5 billion, up 10.18% from the previous year.
Giles Hurley, CEO for Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Whilst 2020 was an extremely challenging year, our 41,000 colleagues stepped up when it mattered most – their dedication to the communities they serve has been nothing short of remarkable. Despite some of the most difficult conditions our sector has ever seen, our people underlined the strength, success, and spirit of our business.”
Alongside the sales growth, Aldi embarked on a nationwide pro gram of store expansion, targeting 100 new stores over the next two years. Aldi pledges to invest £1.3 billion by 2023 to grow the retail estate. The supermarket has a list of target towns across the country, as it searches for sites large enough to accommodate a 20,000 sqft store and around 100 dedicated parking spaces, preferably on a prominent main road with good visibility and access.
“Our focus is on expanding our store estate, making sure Aldi is accessible to as many new shoppers across the country as pos sible,” Richard Thornton, Communications Director at Aldi UK explained. “Looking ahead, we are excited to provide millions of new customers with access to Aldi’s award-winning quality and unbeatable value as we create even more places and more ways to shop with us.”
To service the expanding range of stores, Aldi is focused on increasing its British supplier base.
“As well as delivering record sales,” Mr Hurley outlined, “we continued to invest for growth, deploying over £600 million in
One example of this effect is the 2021 Grow With Aldi competition, which was won by Penrhos Gin, a craft gin distillery in Hertfordshire. The prize was a record 18,000 bottle order for the company as Aldi stocked this small British supplier in over 950 Aldi stores nation wide. This dedicated support for British business is a trademark feature of the supermarket chain.
Aldi has invested an extra £1.6 billion with British suppliers since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This figure includes £125 million more spent with British meat, poultry and dairy farmers as the supermarket sourced 100% of its core range of fresh meat, eggs, butter, milk, and cream from British suppliers.
“We were the fastest-growing supermarket in the UK in 2021,” Mr Hurley said, “and that has only been possible by working closely, over long periods, with hundreds of British suppliers.
“As we continue to grow, opening new stores across the UK, we are determined to ensure that the vast majority of our gro cery products continue to come from British suppliers, just as they do now.”
Aldi announced plans to increase the amount of food and drink it buys from British suppliers by £3.5 billion a year by the end of 2025, recruiting over 100 additional British suppliers in 2022. The new Grow with Aldi programme, launched in February 2022, will offer another company the chance to enjoy the sudden growth experienced by Penrhos Gin last year.
Aldi spent £9 billion with British companies in 2021. The super market opens on average one new store a week, further increasing the number of opportunities for British suppliers to provide products for Aldi’s seasonal product ranges and Specialbuys, as well as permanent listings. Aldi was ranked the best-performing supermarket for compli ance with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice for seven consecutive years, underlining its commitment to maintaining fair, predictable, and sustainable prices within its supply chain.
One business who benefitted from Aldi’s investment in British suppliers is Cuoco, a family-owned biscuit maker in Yeovil, Somerset. Cuoco’s luxury Chocolate Caramel Thins were named as The Quality Food Award’s 2021 Christmas product of the year.
“Our partnership with Aldi kept us very busy in the run up to Christmas,” said Liam Pithers, MD & Creative Director at Cuoco, “The growing partnership is allowing us to bring even more local staff on board and the majority of our ingredients are sourced via local suppliers.
“We’re working hard to develop even more exciting new flavours, sustainable packaging formats and products, and hope to extend our Exquisite Specially Selected range with Aldi even further in the years to come.”
Aldi is driving forward to be a fairer, greener and healthier super market, to simply be better every day. Aldi believes that everyone should have access to fresh, healthy, affordable food: it’s a right, not a privilege. n
“We were the fastest-growing supermarket in the UK in 2021”
Each day across Britain, when hunger pangs hit and their kitchen is out of reach, people purchase readymade food. And in hundreds of thou sands of those transactions, the meal exchanging hands is one made by artisanal manufacturer Simply Lunch. But with tastes constantly evolving and environmental concerns omnipresent, how is this family-run business adapting? Marketing and Branding Manager William Page sat down with Richard Hagan to talk about the business of feeding Britain.
Lunch, based in Croydon in the UK, is a leading food to-go manufacturer supplying nutritious food products throughout the country.
The company’s mission statement is bold and clear: to improve lives through food that is good for the planet and good for you.
Simply Lunch was founded in 1979 by the dynamic husband and wife team of Terry and Julie Page, beginning life as a humble take away burger van, coincidentally located around five miles from th e company’s present day headquarters.
By the early 2000s, the business was growing and was on the hunt for new opportunities. It found them in the form of the rapidly rising food to-go market.
Having decided to pivot from their food truck into the burgeoning food to-go industry, Terry and Julie’s three sons joined the busi ness and got to work building Simply Lunch into the major food production business that it is today, with 85,000 sqft of factory space across two sites.
The company moved into its current facility in 2015 and, thanks to its 300 highly skilled staff, along with several internal improve ments, its production lines are now capable of producing up to 500,000 products per week. And in the last financial year, the
According to Marketing and Branding Manager, William Page, the company’s success can be traced back to one key ingredient: “We’ve always prided ourselves on our quality,” he emphasised. “We serve high-quality, handcrafted food, and that’s a character istic that goes back to the burger van days. It’s helped us to develop a holistic but also great-tasting approach to eating.”
In addition to the company’s impressive production facilities, Simply Lunch owns two other sites. One is a dedicated picking and dispatch facility and the other is its distribution facility, located a few steps away from there. These two sites significantly widened t he company’s distribution network. To ensure products are deliv ered fresh and on time to resellers each day, Simply Lunch acquired a courier company in mid-2022.
Simply Lunch supplies its products directly to resellers including coffee shops, coffee vans, events, higher education institutions, secondary schools and many other establishments.
The company recently introduced a brand new premium food range. Called ‘Simply Special’, the range is an evolution of the company’s previous ‘Signature’ range and is differentiated by both the food itself and the revolutionary packaging it’s sold in.
“It’s a bit different to your standard sandwich skillet,” Mr Page explained. “It comes in a square box rather than a cardboard tri angle, and the plastic insert has been replaced by a cardboard nested tray. This has saved 15 tons of plastic per year.”
The packaging is further differentiated by some funky art work as well as, importantly, a bio cellulose window. “It’s a bio plastic created from plant materials,” he revealed. “We started using this cellulose in 2018 when it was still a relatively new technology. We were one of the first food to-go suppliers to introduce it into our boxes, but today we’re seeing it used mor e
company produced 20 million products; an impressive milestone by any measure.
and more throughout the industry. It’s just another reminder that we are a leader in the UK’s food to-go market.”
While this cellulose is a far superior alternative to traditional plastic, Simply Lunch still regards it as an interim solution until a better material emerges from the packaging industry. It’s all part of the company’s focus on sustainability and protecting the environment.
“Packaging is unavoidable in our industry,” Mr Page noted. “Our primary need for it is to showcase the quality of our product and to make our food safe. But as a business, recyclable packaging must not just be used once and get discarded, because then too many of the planet’s resources are wasted. Being able to provide a product where the pack can be recycled and reused up to eight times is really important to us and frankly, I don’t see why people – including our customers – wouldn’t opt for that.”
But according to Mr Page, getting up to this idyllic standard requires a huge amount of effort from all parties involved, “because right now, the infrastructure of recycling in the UK is not as advanced as it needs to be,” he said.
The Simply Special range is available right now from any of Simply Lunch’s vendors but given its premium price bracket, it is mainly targeted for resale through vendors like larger businesses, independent coffee shops, contract caterers and similar.
At Simply Lunch, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword thrown around the boardroom but a concept that is actively pursued throughout its business. “We’re always trying to make our prod ucts more environmentally friendly,” said Mr Page. “
As part of these efforts, the company has firm plans to fit solar panels to its factory roof to offset rising energy costs, and is exploring automation to improve its efficiency within the factory itself. “Automation is not something we’re hugely keen on because we’re very proud of our handcrafted products, but this remains one of those things we have to consider as a business in order to remain competitive.”
Of course, sustainability also means ensuring the longevity of its business and in that sense, the company is heavily focused on developing new products to meet shifting consumer demands.
“People are more open to more adventurous flavours; they’re experimenting with different flavours and that suits us because it’s in line with how we run our business,” Mr Page remarked.
Simply Lunch has a dedicated team of five responsible for creating new products for testing.
“We try to match trends that we see in the industry; we go on food safaris to see what’s out there and what people are doing,” he added. “Core sandwiches like BLTs and the classic tuna cucumber
“People are more open to more adventurous flavours; they’re experimenting with different flavours and that suits us because it’s in line with how we run our business”
will always be our lead sellers, but people are far more willing to be experimental versus ten years ago.”
In line with this, the company schedules four new product launches every year.
“The themes of the range stay familiar; at Christmas we’ll do traditional flavours like turkey and cranberry, but for the other launches, we’ll be more adventurous,” remarked Mr Page. “In January we look for something slightly healthier in line with the typical, ‘New Year, New Me’ trend. But they can also be tied to current events like the FIFA World Cup when, for example, we changed all of the rolls in our bacon rolls, to a poppy seeded roll in the shape of a football, to give our consumers something familiar and fun.”
Simply Lunch has substantial growth plans for the future in order to cater for constantly increasing demand. By the end of 2022, the business expects turnover to reach £30 million alongside an increase in its capacity of 25%, including a move into beautiful new offices.
Working for this family business with a long history, Mr Page and his brothers have embraced the metaphorical large shoes tha t they need to fill.
“I enjoy the fact that every day has its own challenges and I enjoy working in a business that’s trying to do better for the planet and for future generations; it’s a positive philosophy that resonates with me. And I’m very lucky to be working with my family, getting to see my brothers and parents every day.” n
Jack, Sam & WillWith over 100 years’ experience, ESI Technologies is a leading supplier of process equipment and engineering solutions for the biotech, pharmaceu tical, chemical, semi-conductor and the food and beverage industries in Ireland, UK and the Benelux. Sales Director UK, Rob Leadbeater, shared the details of an exciting product launch in conversation with Phil Nicholls.
line is available at ESI Technologies as part of its extensive portfolio of process equipment. This new line offers a high-performance, long-lasting solution specifi cally tailored for food & beverage and clean utility areas.
“ESI is the master distributor throughout Europe for T-Fit® products manufactured by Zotefoams,” Sales Director UK, Rob Leadbeater, explained. “We have been supplying T-Fit® Clean insulation into the biotech industry for approximately 12 years. Zotefoams recently launched a similar product called T-FIT® Hygiene which is ideal for the food and beverage industry with unrivalled performance.”
ESI was founded in 1919 as Southern Engineering, which grew to become one of the largest suppliers of process equipment in Ireland. The company steadily acquired agency agreements with a range of leading manufacturers, before emerging as ESI Technologies Ltd in 1997. ESI Process UK was formed in 2002, with ESI Ultrapure Division established in 2015 to focus on growth of the biopharma market.
ESI has been a part of the Indutrade Group of companies since 2013. Indutrade encourages organic growth through empow ering entrepreneurship and investing in people whilst using a decentralised model.
In 2019, ESI celebrated 100 years of business, following the expansion of its Cork headquarters with increased warehousing and office space. In addition to this, more recently the company added ISO Class 7 clean rooms dedicated to the manufacture of single use tubing assemblies to the life science sector. ESI Process UK, also with new offices and expanded warehousing, is based out of Cwmbran in Torfaen, South Wales to cater for nationwide support.
When a management buyout at ESI took control of the company in 2002, the group was much smaller with less than 20 staff. From that point, growth has been linear, with a CAGR of approximately 18%. This consistent growth has brought ESI to a much stronger position with a current turnover of around £70 million and a 100-strong team.
T he diverse range of products at ESI has made the company the leading player in the Irish process equipment market, capturing approximately 25% share. ESI also designs and manufactures skids systems to perform a range of functions including contin uous batch process, heat exchange, fluid transfer, energy recovery and more. Products within ESI’s portfolio include valves, pumps, instrumentation, and safety equipment, all designed and manufactured to meet the unique requirements of the customer.
“We represent numerous product lines,” Mr Leadbeater said. “Many of which are sole supply, which means they are only available through ESI in the UK and Ireland.
“ESI has partnered with some of these suppliers for many years. Flowserve SIHI is our longest agency since 1962. Habonim, manufacturer of state-of-the-art industrial ball valves and actuators, has been working with us since 2000. Continental Disc Corporation is a leading rupture disc manufac ture who has worked with ESI since 2001. Other valued suppliers include Emerson, NovAseptic®, who is part of Merck Millipore, Amazon Filters, and Crane Saunders®.”
With such a diverse portfolio at ESI, a close relationship with suppliers is a key aspect of the business, and according to Mr Leadbeater: “We work closely with the manufacturers, and we have great relationships with them. Transparency between us, the manufacturers, and the end-user is something we pro mote, and this approach works very well for us.”
The recent launch from ESI is in partnership with supplier Zotefoams, a pioneer in cellular materials and the world’s largest manufacturer of lightweight crosslinked poly olefin block foams. Zotefoams’ T-FIT® closed-cell foam is the most cost-effective insulation
solution for plant-wide fibre and dust-free installation in demanding, highly controlled production environments.
The T-FIT® Clean range is a modular cleanroom insulation system for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and semiconductor manu facturing. The sister T-FIT® Process line offers high-performance insulation for process areas demanding heat-tolerant insulation. However, the buzz at ESI is for the new T-FIT® Hygiene range from Zotefoams, which is tailored for aseptic areas in FMCG applications, especially food and beverage, dairy, and personal care.
“ESI is now promoting T-FIT® Hygiene toward the food and beverage sector,” explained Mr Leadbeater. “In food production there are lots of hot and cold lines. T-FIT® Hygiene protects operators against burns, including cold burns, plus preventing
heat loss and condensation. It is constructed from a closed-cell foam, and it does not become wet or get bacterial growth on it. Given its competition, T-FIT® Hygiene is the only thing that tr uly works now.”
The addition of T-FIT® Hygiene to the portfolio enhances ESI’s reputation as a one-stop shop for projects. While structured as a sales and distribution company, ESI maintains a strong engineering bias displaying high levels of customer support. Much of this sup port is offered at the start of a client’s project, as ESI consults early in the life of a project, offering its engineering expertise to help the client select the right packageof equipment.
One secret to the depth of knowledge at ESI is the high-level of staff retention, supported by dedicated investment in the team.
“People come to ESI, and they tend to stay at ESI,” Mr Leadbeater agreed. “Most of our heads of division have probably been with the company somewhere between 20 and 30 years. “We take pride in having our product specialists factory trained, ensuring we understand emerging technologies that (coupled with their knowledge and experience), keeps our customers informed on what can best improve on site processes.”
The extensive package of equipment available at ESI, combined with the knowledgeable staff, enables ESI to fulfil projects such as the one highlighted by Mr Leadbeater: “We are two-thirds of the way through a major pharma project located in the UK. ESI are sup plying £2 million worth of equipment to the client, consisting of about 5,000 individual line items from 21 manufacturers.”
By operating in three different regions, ESI recognises market dif ferences between Ireland, UK, and the Benelux. The Irish market has a focus on bio/pharma, while the Benelux office is busier with the life sciences. In contrast, business in the UK is more diverse, being a more balanced mix of industries for ESI, including power, nuclear, pharma, biotech, chemical, and food and drink.
With such a diverse portfolio, it was inevitable that ESI has been impacted by the disruptions in the global supply chain. Restrictions in the availability of raw materials and increases in freight costs are ongoing challenges for the company, how ever, strong relationships with suppliers have enabled ESI to handle these issues and keep the production line running.
Alongside these global issues, the com pany is also committed to environmental sustainability, according to Mr Leadbeater: “This is a target at ESI for the remainder of this year and going into the next. Education is a key criterion for us, where we focus on man aging our own consumption and the energy we use. ESI has employed a dedicated person to work with our Indutrade teams globally to ensure we hit firm commitments to get us to Net-Zero.”
As ESI pushes towards the goal of net zero, the company is also looking towards expanding its market share and main taining the trend of steady growth. To support these objectives, ESI searches for the right people to sustain this journey.
Working as part of the team is core to the ESI experience. “Ultimately, we’re a sales company,” concluded Mr Leadbeater. “Peoplebuy from people. I know technology is changing the way we buy, but whilst there is still a human aspect involved in the business, then it makes life interesting, and every day is different.
“ESI is proud to support the industries that enable our daily lives: pharma, biotech, power, nuclear, food and beverage. We support these industries from a solutions point of view, promoting products that create a cleaner, safer, and more efficient produc tion site for our cus tomers.”
ESI Technologies celebrates 100 Years in business
STAMH
STAMH is an engineering company providing consultancy, design, engineering, delivery, and implementation of complex automated warehouse equipment, including warehouse management software. Established in 2000, the Austrian headquartered company operates in Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and other countries around the globe.
Nadia Blagoeva, Technical Director of STAMH shares that: “The whole idea of the company was to develop a team of engineers, specialised in complex intralogistics processes. We started from Bulgaria as a first branch, and throughout the years we have progressively developed our engineering teams and sales efforts in all Balkan countries.” Article by Jordan Yallop.
ASan international company providing design, consul tancy and engineering of advanced automation and mechanised warehouses, the capabilities of STAMH also extends to the management software required to keep these systems running.
Nadia Blagoeva, Technical Director of STAMH said: “Our philosophy is to start with listening. This is a behaviour that society seems to be missing more and more in our current lives. The idea behind this approach is to understand the needs of our clients, to analyse, and based on our engi neering knowledge, to start developing a concept that is directly connected with the main factors of input from the clients’ side.”
In the last 20 years, the company hasn’t stopped developing intralogistics projects in many countries in South-Eastern Europe as well as in Asia and Africa.
Ms Blagoeva added: “Our engineering approach shapes us as a different company on the market. There are companies that are doing consultancy, others are doing building concepts, another would produce racking structures or technologies. But we are everything in one place.”
For the fourth year in a row, STAMH took part in one of the largest intralogistics exhibi tions in Europe - LogiMAT in Stuttgart, and for the first time at Logismed in Morocco.
“One of the nice surprises we encountered at these events,” noted Ms Blagoeva, “was the
industry’s readiness to invest in semi-auto mated and robotic systems. This could be based on new demands after the pandemic, and the intention to develop their production bases and logistics hubs based on better long-term planning.”
STAMH Group is focused on different types of Automated Storage Systems for boxes and pallets, Vertical Automated Storage and Retrieval Solutions, dynamic Gravity Systems for pallets and boxes, Conveyers and Automated Sorting Systems, Mobile Racking Systems for pallets and long mate rials, industrial palletizers and robocars.
The company has its own software depart ment, providing comprehensive technology, covering even the most sophisticated int-
ralogistics requirements. STAMH delivers deeply customised Warehouse Management Software (WMS), and designs and develops Custom Automation Software on demand.
STAMH’s total staff number across its offices currently sits at more than 150 people. To date, the company has successfully completed more than 11,500 projects across more than 20 countries, worldwide.
When talking about the most popular prepandemic products, Ms Blagoeva unveiled: “Before Covid the most profitable projects were our Automated Solutions, with fully integrated equipment that substitutes rou tine manual activities and on the other hand, optimises the space in all dimensions. But today, the inflation from 2022 gave us another view of the markets. For example, semi-automated solutions such as the Mobile
Racking Systems save space and are consid ered a good base for profitable investments.”
STAMH is currently working on three fully automated projects, centred around heavy pallets organisation and warehouse processing. Pallets will be elevated, stored, a nd retrieved with stacker cranes. The com pany also has contracts with fulfilment centres that hope to improve their ability to cope with the new market demands and the increased number of orders they need to process simultaneously.
One of the latest STAMH Group projects for fully automated-storage system for pallets was in Greece, for one of the leading dairy producers. It underlines the company’s inge nuity when it comes to space optimisation and process organisation.
The Self-Supporting Automated System is the first of its kind, given the seismic activity in this area. It was executed in compliance with the agreed terms for installation and in compliance with all international require ments for health and safety at work. The building has specific air-tightness levels needed for the installation of an innovative fire prevention system. It is based on the gen eration and filling of the space with nitrogen.
“The new equipment provides our client with the possibility to store, organise and process a larger number of products in terms of inventory and volume within the same area, in an extremely secure and cost-effective way,” stated STAMH Group’s Technical Director.
Ms Blagoeva notes that STAMH has felt a freeze in investment intentions regarding fully automated warehouses due to the cur rent situation and prices rising. Meanwhile, there has been a noted boom in the robotics segment. This is due to the lower initial investment levels of these solutions, when compared to fully auto mated warehouses, and the easily upgradable nature of the robotic solu tions, implemented by STAMH.
STAMH’s offerings on the robotics front include robotic systems for boxes or stacks palletizing, industrial robots, and sorting and picking robotic systems. Industrial robots have a wide variety of applications in dif ferent intralogistics operations. Smaller and more manoeuvrable robots are used
for packaging, sorting, orders picking, assembly, and disassembly. Large robots with higher capacity are preferred for heavy products palletizing.
With more than 20 years of experience in mobile bases production and the constant implementation of Mobile Racking Systems around the globe, STAMH is constantly upgrading its production facilities, while simultaneously enlarging the team who take care of the PLC programming and electrical designs modelling.
“This will give the company an advantage, because it will lead to the faster implementa tion of these systems within just 10 to 12 weeks,” stated Ms Blagoeva.
As with any successful business, there is a need for a clear and unobstructed supply chain. This is becoming more and more dif ficult in recent times due to many outside factors affecting different swathes of the industry. One of the key elements that can mitigate these factors is reliable suppliers and partnerships.
Ms Blagoeva said: “Without our partners we wouldn’t be in position to do our business at all. They are part of our success story. All our suppliers are our long-term partners,
and this is important for trust generation, going both ways. One of the main ideas for such partnerships is to have clear accounts and a similar vision for future innovations.”
STAMH’s overarching mission is to provide customised solutions for every storage need. It’s the reason why STAMH’s enthusiastic, professional, and motivated teams start the day with a smile, creating tailor-made, easy to implement, and working solutions.
Other important business principles are professionalism, dedication, respon sibility, respect, and last but not least –social responsibility.
“The responsibility of the company and its clients is as important to STAMH, as the responsibility to the society,” concluded Ms Blagoeva. “Our company ethics, the con stant effort towards improving the working conditions and safety of our people, as well as our participation in numerous social and donation projects are only some of the ways STAMH works for a better tomorrow.”
n
CAVE
Cave Direct has over 40 years’ experience delivering speciality and craft beers directly to the on- and off-trade throughout the UK. Managing Director Colin Gilhespy and Director Neil Kitching outlined the distinctive business model and portfolio of beers in discussion with Phil Nicholls.
Aftera two-year break, Oktoberfest in Munich is officially back for 2022. Cave Direct embraces the spirit of the biggest event in the global beer calendar with an extensive support pro gramme to bring all the fun of the festival to venues around the UK.
“We like to create relationships with the customer base by having events and the biggest one is Oktoberfest,” Director Neil Kitching explained. “Every year we do an Oktoberfest event. Last year, we had about 80 pubs around the country running Oktoberfest parties.”
Cave Direct began in 1979 as a beer and wine import company. Retail premises followed in 1984 with a focus on Belgian beers. These Belgian beers proved so popular that Cave Direct slowly built up the wholesale trade, expanding into a range of European craft beers. Cave Direct was perfectly positioned to embrace the boom in craft beers in the UK from 2010 onwards
Today, the business supplies between 400 and 500 beers from depots in Kent, Bristol, Manchester and Newcastle, with over 5,500 sqm of warehousing. The 70 employees deal with every aspect of the beer distribution, according to Mr Kitching: “We call our model ‘closed-loop logistics’. All our import customs documentation is done in-house utilising various means of transport, including two of our own articulated trucks used for multi-brewery collections around mainland Europe.
“Those trucks, plus the rest of our fleet, then deliver and col lect direct to on and off trade throughout the UK, covering 95% of the population.”
Aside from the last two years blighted by Covid, Cave Direct has enjoyed steady, yearly growth. The forecast for 2022 is that Cave Direct will sell 80,000 hectolitres of beers, which translates to over 14 million pints, bringing in £25 million turnover. Almost 80% of this business is with the independent free trade segment.
Cave Direct’s website hosts its extensive portfolio of over 350 per manent lines of the best beers from around the world, Europe and the UK, boosted by a weekly specials list with around 150 draught and packaged beers. Created after heavy investment, the live online ordering system benefits both the client and Cave Direct. 80% of the company’s product in terms of volume is imported with the remaining 20% for the domestic market.
“When our customers put their orders in, they know precisely what stock they’re getting,” explained Managing Director Colin Gilhespy. “Our online system puts us ahead of a lot of other suppliers.”
Part of this system sees Cave Direct utilise Skynamo’s advanced reporting and automated tracking of sales activities. The service gives managers and business owners more confidence in the infor mation they are getting from the field and better control and clarity of their sales process.
Cave Direct’s website features beers and spirits from over 120 breweries, sourced from 13 different countries in Europe and North America. About 80% of the Cave Direct beers are imported from
Managing Director Colin Gilhespy
Director Neil Kitching
Cave Direct is a family-owned importer and wholesale distributor of speciality and craft beer across the length and breadth of the UK, to approximately 5,000 customers.
That large cohort of customers is serviced by a sales team of just 12, 11 of whom are in the field, and a national accounts manager.
Having the ability to input data on the go allows reps to focus on selling, said Laurence Smales, Cave Direct’s Head of Sales. “If you’re a field rep, you don’t like being sat at a desk. You’d rather be out and about, talking to customers. It’s also allowed the man agers to get an overview of what’s happening out in the field.”
Cave Direct has been using Skynamo for about four years now: “Once we were presented with what Skynamo can do, we were pretty sold,” he said.
editorial mention
Paulaner is Munich’s most famous beer brand – brewing since 1634 Its beer is brewed according to the German Purity Law: relying on all-natural materials alone, without the addition of aromas, flavour enhancers, or preservatives.
All beers are being produced Munich to its popularity sold to over The hero product, the Paulaner Weissbier, is the No. Germany. The unfiltered beer with its soft, medium-bodied taste and fruity banana notes is a enjoyment.
Europe and 70% of the range is exclusive to Cave Direct. And the warehouses remain stocked thanks to its involvement in the supply chain.
“We have two articulated lorries operating on the continent, visiting Germany and Belgium, which are the two main European countries we work with. Most of our stock comes in on our own trucks,” Mr Kitching said.
“Notably, this gives us the ability in Belgium to work with 20 or 30 different breweries. We can visit each brewery, picking up what ever small amounts we need on a regular basis. Plus, this collection method keeps the beer fresher and means we’re able to work with returnable kegs and keg systems.”
Over 75% of the trade features returnable kegs, but this is just one aspect of Cave Direct’s sustainability strategy. The company keeps a close eye on the efficiency of its fleet of lorries, notably the engine specifications. Electric engines are not currently an option, given
the Cave Direct logistic model, but the company ensures it runs lor ries with the cleanest Euro six rated engines.
The company also utilises returnable bottles and packaging, minimising landfill. Added to this, many modern craft brewing businesses are choosing cans over bottles, which makes recycling easier and more efficient.
To further ease the operation of its two lorries in Europe, Cave Direct took an unusual step for a beer importer:
“In 2020, we become customs agents,” explained Mr Gilhespy. “This put us in a very good situation and our strategy has always been to do our own logistics.”
The personal connection with European breweries is only the start of the relationship Cave Direct enjoys with suppliers. “There’s about eight or nine core breweries on our list, which we’re exclusive with,” Mr Kitching said. “We invest quite heavily in promoting these breweries and we have marketing budgets for the biggest ones. For all of these suppliers we have a dedicated sales team whose job is to push these core breweries first.”
Popular brands at Cave Direct includes Kona Brewing Co in Hawaii, amounting to 10-15% of turnover. Kona is the top US imported craft ale in the UK, brewing sustainably crafted lager and ales. However, the most popular product at Cave Direct is the beer from the Munich brewery Paulaner, accounting for a massive 30-35% of the com pany’s business. Paulaner brew lager and weissbier, or wheat beer, along with special beer produced for Oktoberfest.
Cave Direct embraces beer festivals such as Oktoberfest as a key marketing tool. The company regularly runs events promoting Oktoberfest or individual breweries. Last year, the company ran the very first Paulaner Oktoberfest Official Tour of the UK. Nine venues around the UK hosted opening and closing parties with Paulaner on draught throughout the two-week event. It offered a similar level of events for this year’s festival.
This summer, Cave Direct also attended the Craft Beer Festivals in Manchester and London. More elaborate is the support offered for the Prize Pils Omnipollo Launch and the Garage x Cave Porron Tour. Both of these events at select locations across the UK mix trade tastings in the afternoon and tap takeovers in the evening which are open to the public.
Alongside importing the beer direct from European breweries, Cave Direct fulfils the entire supply chain role by delivering onwards from its four warehouses.
“We’ve probably sold into 2,500 to 3,000 outlets around the UK,” said Mr Kitching. “These range from Greene King and Tesco, the big guys, but all the way down to the corner shop and the specialist bottle shops.”
Cave Direct also supplies to pubs and bars around the country. The company believes education is the key to growing the quality beer sector.
“We have a lot of experience in bar setup,” Mr Kitching continued. “Our reps are good at giving advice, but the biggest thing we have is
a very good training programme based around a core list of beers. We make sure the client has everything they need, such as the right glassware and knowledge about the right pour for the draught beer.”
Operating this innovative package of services brought Cave Direct recognition in the 2020 edition of the 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain, compiled by the London Stock Exchange and the Financial Times.
“2019 was our busiest year, ever,” Mr Gilhespy said. “Previous to 2019, we’d had about four years of 20% plus growth, which contributed to our Financial Times award. However, 2020 and 2021 were strange years for us, as they were for many, because of Covid.”
Dealing with the impact of Covid shutting down every bar in the country was a major challenge for Cave Direct. Open communica tion, strong relationships with clients and a sensible attitude towards repayment plans enabled Cave Direct to survive relatively unscathed. The worst seems to be over, and growth has returned, according to Mr Gilhespy.
“Turnover is now about 8% higher for the first five months of this year, compared to our benchmark of 2019.”
“We’ve got a very good structure,” agreed Mr Kitching, “We’re very well placed within the industry with our structure. The future is just about growing the same model that we’ve been pushing for the last five, six years with our core list and exclu sives, maybe introducing a few new breweries, depending on the portfolio.”
Celebrating the return of Oktoberfest in 2022, there is plenty to be excited about at Cave Direct.
“When you’ve got a beer list like ours, it’s not difficult to be excited,” concluded Mr Kitching. “There’s a lot of people in our company who are ‘beer nerds’. We get excited about visiting brew eries, speaking to brewers and seeing what new beers are coming.”n
For many of us, coffee is an indispensable part of our daily routine. All over the world, drinking coffee is so popular that in some ways, it’s become a way of life. The Hemro Group proudly supplies the machinery and equipment that helps create quality coffee moments for enthusiasts worldwide. CEO Marcel Lehmann, and Lena Frick, Head of Group Marketing, spilt the coffee beans on the business of premium coffee grinders, for Richard Hagan.
Headquartered in the quaint, pic turesque town of Bachenbülach close to Zürich in Switzerland, the Hemro Group is a worldwide leader in coffee grinding, boasting decades of experience in the industry.
The company’s umbrella includes four wholly-owned coffee grinder brands: Mahlkönig, Ditting, Anfim and HeyCafé, through which Hemro supplies three main market categories. The first of those three is its professional solutions, which are mainly stand-alone grinders, in which Hemro enjoys a significant global market share.
The second is its component solutions, which include coffee machine technology and automatic machines, such as those found inside brewers. Most professional
coffee machines worldwide, utilise Hemro technology. Finally, Hemro supplies prod ucts into the home solutions category as well, for which it sells stand-alone coffee grinders for home use by enthusiasts and aspiring baristas.
Hemro has a very interesting story behind it. The company was first established in 1999 as a joint venture between Hamburg’s Mahlkönig (Stawert) Grinder construction, and Switzerland’s Ditting Mechanical Engineering. Later, the joint venture was formalised into a new company called Hemro AG in 2008.
The new company grew rapidly and in 2013, Hemro AG acquired Anfim, an Italian
manufacturer of coffee machinery based in Milan. Meanwhile, the company signed a partnership with Shanghai-based HeyCafé from 2016 onwards and on the back of the success of that partnership, Hemro acquired and fully integrated HeyCafé only two years later in 2018. Simultaneously, the group of companies were renamed Hemro International AG to reflect the group’s global footprint and its world wide aspirations.
Whilst Hemro itself is a relatively young company, the brands under its roof have long histories. Mahlkönig, for example, dates back nearly a century to 1924. Known as ‘the king of grinders’, Mahlkönig has a truly global footprint via its network of dis tributors and partners located in over 100 countries. Its products can be found in inde p endent cafés, coffee chains and roasters as well as companies in the catering, retail and wholesale sectors.
Ditting Mechanical Engineering, the second of the two companies that formed Hemro, opened its doors in 1928 and has been involved in the manufacture of elec tric coffee grinders since they were invented in 1954.
These brands with their long histories are a real point of pride for Hemro, as CEO Marcel Lehmann emphasised: “We manage
the company like a start-up with huge growth and dynamic people, but we have the beauty of long-known brands with their unique heritage and outstanding and com bined expertise. Our enthusiasm and high growth added to these established brands is a fantastic situation for us to be in.”
True to its start-up culture, Hemro’s DNA is insistent on chasing growth and market share through innovation at every level.
“Since 2018, we’ve changed a lot,” Mr Lehmann revealed. “We introduced a hug e new product portfolio that’s innovative and driving market share. We’ve also improved a lot of internal and external processes as well as upgrading much of our physical infrastructure.”
Between 2020 and 2023, Hemro expects to roughly triple the total physical footprint of its facilities. In mid-2020, the company moved its main production facility into a new space that is roughly three times the size of its former site in Hamburg.
Meanwhile, in Italy, Hemro opened a new factory in a new address that is also three times the size of its previous space, while its Chinese factory received some exten sions to increase its floor space.
Hemro’s headquarters wasn’t left out of the plans and in early 2023, it will move to a new space near Zurich. Finally, in a particular highlight for the company, Hemro’s US branch office in Seattle recently moved into an old brewery in mid-2022.
“In 2021, we managed 50% growth and for 2022, we’re targeting more than 30%. We’ll have more than 450 employees glob ally and with all of our new space, we believe we’re an attractive employer which will help us produce the volumes demanded by the market,” Mr Lehmann confirmed.
Mr Lehmann went on to detail some of the company’s extremely impressive growth and sales results in the past several years.
“In the last two years, we’ve nearly tripled the sales of our famous EK43 grinder that we sell through our profes sional solutions business unit. It’s all the more impressive given how successful that unit already was.”
Lena Frick, Group Head of Marketing, agreed: “We’re very proud of the EK43 because it’s iconic within the coffee industry. If you visit any premium coffee
shop in the world, there’s a high chance that you will see an EK43 grinder. It’s a massive success story for us. ”
Hemro’s Italian Anfim brand has been part of the growth action, too, as Mr Lehmann noted: “Since 2019, we’ve doubled our busi ness through our Anfim brand and proved its success in Asia and Europe, where we’re seeing long-lasting, sustainable growth. We’re winning market share for the long term.”
Notably, Hemro’s home solutions unit has also demonstrated significant growth since 2021 in particular. It’s delivered revenue increases exceeding 20% yearon-year following the company’s ambi tious, but hugely successful launch of its X54 grinder in mid-2021.
“It’s fantastic to see that people have embraced that kind of equipment at home. The X54 allows you to grind beans and also make espresso coffee. It’s one solu tion for multiple applications. We’re obvi ously very happy with the results of its launch so far,” Mr Lehmann added.
Part of the company’s growth is also being driven by its latest generation of espresso grinders. The machines feature ‘Grind by Weight’ technology and offer 0.1 g accuracy per shot. “Our whole
espresso range has more than tripled the volume of grinder sales we can do,” he remarked
As part of its social responsibility and sustainability efforts, Hemro has created a partnership to promote and honour Songwa Estates coffee farm in Tanzania and the communities that support it.
“We care about the community and our supply chain as well as our employees and customers,” Mr Lehmann explained. “Therefore, sustainability and this pro gramme is a high priority and very impor tant for us. We are involved in various upgrades at Songwa Estates, including boreholes, soccer fields and building new schools. It’s one way for us to show that it’s important to us to be responsible for what we’re doing.
“Through digitisation, we’re able to con nect to them and find opportunities to help them and invest in them,” he continued. “It’s vital that we see and understand the entire value chain; we want to always ensure that we understand the importance of the bean and that we value farmers and the work that they’re doing.”
Hemro attributes its success to a number of factors, the first among which is its substantial global footprint.
“We’re different to our competitors because we’re a global company with sales offices in Seattle, Zurich, Melbourne,
Shanghai and elsewhere,” Mr Lehmann explained. “That network means that our design and engineering are influenced by all of these markets. Consumer behaviour in the US is different to that in China, for example, and we understand that dynamic better than the competition because we’re actually in China whilst most of our com petitors, are not.”
The CEO highlighted the company’s robust in-house development infrastruc ture as a second reason for its continued strong growth.
“We have a huge machine park and r esearch centre, developing and producing our high-quality grinding burrs in-house and developing the latest technology relating to how burrs can drive differences in the cup, in terms of flavour. This in-house capacity gives us a deep understanding of the bean and how to extract it into great coffee.”
Finally, and in closing, Mr Lehmann pointed to the role of the company’s ethos in its strong growth results. “You must care, be professional, and always consider a long-term view of the future. We believe that people want to have premium coffee They’re prepared to stand in long queues for it; it’s a lifestyle product. There’s also a huge demand for premiumisation, with many shops now having up to four grinders to extract the right taste from each type of bean. Our job, then, is to understand the bean and where it comes from, and to fill market gaps, deliver updates, and improve the lives of millions of baristas and coffee consumers every day.” n
Marcel Lehmann, CEO Photograph courtesy of @elbgoldkaffee
FromTrinidad & Tobago to Nigeria, the UK to Japan, a slow, indulgent minute or so is being taken up with a nutri tious , great-tasting product from Ireland’s East Coast Bakehouse.
Tickling the taste buds in so many diverse places has enabled the County Louth com pany to continue flying since its launch six years ago. 2022 is now sizing up to be a record-breaking year, with sales up a whopping 50% year-on-year and recording its biggest monthly sales returns ever.
Those eye-catching returns are indicative of a well-honed disruptive market strategy – countering the industry’s value-cutting trend with a high-quality, wide range of bis cuits and cookies.
The East Coast Bakehouse team refuses to rest on its laurels, being ever sensitive to the emerging trends and feedback from customers who are always hungry for more.
While contract manufacturing and private label are emerging as critical anchors for the business, East Coast Bakehouse’s Vegan Cookie range – lemon and almond, cocoa and hazelnut, and granola – now account for 20% of the business, whereas 18 months ago there was none.
“East Coast Bakehouse’s philosophy is to ‘Bake Better Biscuits’. Distinctive, great
tasting products, and a highly innovative approach, help drive brand awareness and distribution expansion,” asserted James Burrows, Commercial Growth Director.
“Our Vegan Cookies are gaining traction with vegans and flexitarians. The real affir mation is in the taste, which ECB never compromises on. Consumer feedback has been great.
“Consumers have even carried out taste tests with friends without telling them they are vegan cookies. The result: many are sur prised at how great tasting a vegan cookie can be.”
Endorsed by The Vegan Society, the range is now being extended with a Chocolate Chunk and Orange variant, undoubtedly capitalising on the increasing popularity of vegan biscuits.
Borne from the company’s disruptive streak in the industry and yet aligned to people’s growing concerns for more healthy offer ings, ECB has also launched a new protein brand, In The Zone, for the Irish market.
Mr Burrows said the range comprises four variants, two high protein low sugar cookies – Soft Bake Double Chocolate flavour and Soft Bake Cookies & Cream flavour, both with 20g of protein, and two high protein biscuits with 10g of protein – Crunchy
Double Chocolate flavour and Crunchy Salted Caramel flavour.
In The Zone has been designed to target health-conscious consumers who don’t want to compromise on great taste and is being marketed as the perfect pre- or post-game snack. The brand has been created in part nership with the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and confirmed as The Official Players Choice.
“We are incredibly excited to launch In The Zone and proud to launch it with the endorse ment of the GAA and GPA,” commented Sean Murphy, ECB’s Managing Director, at the official launch. “It is no secret there is con tinued growing demand for high protein snacking options, but most protein snacks are imported into Ireland.”
Mr Burrows emphasised: “The health industry is traditionally dominated by bars and powder formulas, so our In The Zone cookies offer a different entry point into the market for consumers looking for new and interesting products to meet their nutritional needs.
“Historically, protein products prioritized functional delivery over taste enjoyment. However, our development team has created a range of protein cookies and biscuits that not only deliver on functionality but are also a pleasure to eat.
“We’ve had a fantastic consumer response and look forward to building momentum with a strong consumer launch plan to drive brand awareness and product trial.”
As the pressures for transparency and sus tainability continue to permeate through industry in general, ECB has taken several steps in the right direction.
The company was awarded a Gold Member of Bord Bia’s (Irish Food Board) Origin Green Programme, the highest form of member ship a company can attain in any given year.
“We’re committed to ensuring we are a sustainable producer, taking care to develop our processes, sourcing policies and ways of doing business that have minimal impact on our environment,” Mr Burrows said.
ECB is working with Bord Bia to imple ment the Origin Green Programme, aiming to deliver real improvements in reducing waste, improving energy use and doing their bit for the environment.
The company is delivering on these: 98% of its packaging is recyclable, while it is now transitioning production away from sustain ably-sourced palm oil to coconut oil. And all backed up by carefully selected ingredients and developed recipes.
As Ireland’s largest biscuit manufacturer, ECB is also looking to build on its global view and break new ground with its range of biscuits and cookies. Indeed, the com pany won the 2019 Irish Exporter of the Year Award and was listed as Europe’s third fastest-growing food company by the Financial Times in 2021.
Mr Burrows said: “We supply 26 diverse markets worldwide from the USA to Europe, Japan to Nigeria, Australia, Trinidad & Tobago and even the Faroe Islands. Our pivot into the international market has enabled sales to grow at pace.”
One ingredient to the company’s formula for success lies in the highly agile approach that ECB retains compared to other legacy players in the market. “We retain a start-up ethos. We have a flat management structure that enables us to be quick and make rapid decisions,” said Mr Burrows.
“Decisions can be taken in minutes, com pared to others that may take months. Our highly skilled product development team works closely with customer buying and t echnical departments to develop bespoke products aligned to individual needs.”
Backed by a highly-motivated team of almost 100 people, the company has a stateof-the-art plant, one of the most modern in
Europe. The facility comprises an 80m oven and a 400m-long fully integrated production line, with the capacity to produce 90,000 bis cuits an hour – or 20,000 tonnes per annum.
Aside from the Vegan and In The Zone ranges, ECB’s product portfolio includes indulgent treats and bespoke cookies for the increasingly health-conscious consumer.
Everyday favourites include Oaties, Gingernut, and Shortcake, while the Indulgent offering carries a range of cookies with inclusions such as chocolate, fruit and nuts and a fully chocolate enrobed range. Keto, reduced and zero sugar products are also included in the lifestyle offerings.
Retail clients for ECB’s treats include Dunnes Stores, Centra, Londis, MACE, Circle K and Lidl, to name a few.
While geared to delivering an array of innovative biscuits and cookies in response to ever-changing market demands, ECB is also providing quality products at competi tive rates for both contract manufacturing and private label.
Mr Burrows said: “Our production is cur rently running at one-third of total capacity, so there is a lot of headroom that we can grow into. We are increasingly talking to potential new clients in the contract manufacturing and private label sectors, and are hopeful of maximising opportunities as they arise.”
While inflation, Brexit, supply chain issues, and production scheduling keep the business zoned in on the here and now, ECB remains focused on building for the long-term.
“As much as difficult external factors can impact a business, we believe in hon esty, integrity and open communication with suppliers and clients,” outlined Mr Burrows. “If there’s an issue, we work through it as a collaborative process and derive a solution that fits.”
While new products are seen as a critical element of growth, he concluded: “We under stand we have to think differently and be dif ferent in the marketplace; but we must always deliver a high-quality experience without compromise.
“Consumers are willing to be adventurous. ECB continues to move at pace, matching those demands with product value, quality and innovation.” n
Elbisco is a leading Greek manufacturer of snacks and bakery products. Dr Irene Pateras, Director of Innovation and Sustainability and Ms Ioulia Rachioti, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Manager, outlined the company’s three sustainability pillars – responsible growth, harmonious living and balanced snack choices – to Jordan Yallop and Phil Nicholls. Greek
For Greek snack and baked good pro ducer Elbisco, the goal of operating w ith ethos equates to responsible growth, harmonious living and balanced snack choices. The company is focused on achieving financial stability and robust business practices.
Elbisco began in 1987 when pioneering entrepreneur Kyriakos Filippou united the three historic Greek brands of Allatini, Elite, and Kris-Kris under the umbrella of a single company, creating a large modern Greek company in the flour and bakery snack sector. A further acquisition came in 1995 when the rusk manufacturer N Vossinakis joined the fold.
Elbisco’s brands are familiar and loved household brands in Greece.
Allatini is a leading premium biscuit and packaged flour brand with heritage in the Greek market, providing a wide range of products for the entire family by offering new and upgraded choices of sweet snacks biscuits, cookies, cakes and a wide range of flours.
Elite is a traditional trusted brand of rusks, which has also expanded into the
category of salty snacks, with the Elite Mediterranean Crackers enhancing the company’s export activity.
Kris Kris is a long established pack aged bread brand in Greece, recognized for providing a wide range of delicious and innovative products such as sliced bread, burger/sandwich buns and pittas. The rusks and flour that make up the Vosinaki and Forma brands are just as popular too.
Elbisco’s products are manufactured in two locations in Greece, one in Pikermi in Attica and the other in Chalkida on Euboea. The company has 700 employees and a turnover of €105 million, producing 58,700 tonnes of product. The broader group of com panies has two further factories in Skopje and an additional 400 employees. The con solidated group turnover was €122 million in 2020, an increase of 4.9% on 2019.
Part of Elbisco’s responsible growth policy includes a series of investments: In 2018, Elbisco constructed a state-of-the-art rusk production facility by expanding the existing
production facility in Chalkida. With an investment of more than €20 million, the new factory was intended to increase Elbisco’s production capacity, ensuring even higher quality and safety standards and reducing the company’s environ mental footprint.
“Elbisco now ranks among the techno logical leaders of food plants in Europe,” explained Dr Irene Pateras, Director of Innovation and Sustainability. “The new state-of-the-art production unit, which became fully operational in 2019, is housed in a new building with a total surface area of 8,000 sqm.
“Our new production line has a capacity of up to 19,000 tonnes per year and is characterised as one of the largest rusk production facilities in the world. The new factory’s design and implementation followed the highest specifications of European safety standards, with fully automated state-of-the-art equipment.”
The new facility offers an average of 7% energy savings compared to the old pro duction line over the previous four years. This average breaks down to 6% reductions
in thermal energy use and 10% reduction in electricity use. Such environmental considerations are part of the company’s sustainability objectives.
The second pillar of Elbisco’s sustainability strategy is harmonious living.
In this pillar’s context, Elbisco is com mitted to creating and distributing value through its activities to all its stakeholders.
At the same time, as a responsible employer, the company seeks to provide a safe and healthy working environment and to create value for employees by enhancing employ ment developing and training all personnel.
A core element of harmonious living means embracing environmental sustain ability initiatives. Elbisco’s upcoming two year plan will see the company switching to renewable energy sources, replacing the use of LPG with LNG in all production facilities.
“We use 100% green electricity for the operation of the production facilities,” said Quality Assurance and Regulatory Manager Ioulia Rachioti, adding that Elbisco has also strengthened its recycling practices by investing in additional training for its packaging workers. Currently, 80% of the
company’s pack aging materials are classi fied as recyclable; Elbisco expects to further increase this percentage by developing additional policies.
“Our focus in sustainability is an integral part of our business model and strategy,” continued Dr Pateras. “In all our business activities and strategic planning, we aim to operate in a responsible manner, creating shared value for our entire value chain. We contribute to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and commit to operate, grow, and evolve responsibly, with reliability and trust as the basis of our business operation. Elbisco also commits to creating value for our consumers through production and distribution of quality and nutritionally balanced products.”
Elbisco’s relationships with suppliers are fundamental for ensuring sustain able growth. “In the context of creating long-term value for our entire value chain,” Ms Rachioti noted, “we design the supply chain in a way that allows us to ensure business continuity and seamless collab oration. We build trusted relationships with more than 400 suppliers, while we focus on creating value for our Greek suppliers,
t hat have consistently accounted for more than 85% of our total suppliers for the past four years.
“Our partnerships with suppliers are gov erned by strict standards of safety, quality, and responsible business. We assure the purchasing of required materials, raw mate rials, machinery and services by applying strict supplier selection procedures.
“We have established and implemented a policy that defines the criteria for their evaluation and selection. This policy applies to suppliers of raw materials, packaging materials and services as well as to all other partners. The requirements integrated in our policy set out criteria relating to the fol lowing sectors: environment, human rights, the fight against corruption and working conditions. The collaboration, dialogue, and communication to disseminate the principles of sustainable development throughout the entire value chain is an important priority for Elbisco.”
Elbisco is committed to creating value for consumers through the production and distribution of quality and nutritionally balanced products.
“Recognising modern nutritional needs, we are committed to investing in innova tion and development in order to continu ously enhance our product range with products of added value and balanced nutritional profile. Committed to commu nicating the product truth, we focus responsibly on both labelling and mar keting communications,” said Dr Pateras.
“At Elbisco, our aim is the well-being of our consumers’ as well as providing the comprehensive information they need to make conscious and nutritionally balanced product choices,” explained Dr Pateras. “Therefore, we understand and respond to their needs responsibly. In this context , we are developing strate gies to enrich our product range.
“Recognising that nutrition and human health are interrelated and that our con sumers are increasingly oriented towards a balanced and healthy diet, we continue
to expand our product range, providing choices that meet their expectations. Driven by consumers, demand for
healthier options, we design and build new product propositions and categories by unlocking the value of whole grains and superfood. In addition, we enrich our snacks portfolio with reduced or no sugar choices.”
Dr Pateras outlined Elbisco’s ongoing intention to embrace mindful snacking and positive nutrition propositions: “Our commitment towards the fulfilment of modern consumer needs for nutritionally balanced snacks entails readiness and flexibility in the product development and manufacturing processes. This is achieved through continuous monitoring of the advances in food science and technology and related sectors; through analysis of consumer choice trends, and by advancing and strengthening our cooperation with academic and research institutes both in Greece and abroad aimed at acquiring and creating new knowledge.” n
Hellenic Dairies SA has over 35 years’ experience producing high-quality dairy products and other foods from the traditional Greek Mediterranean diet and culture. Managing Director Olympus Dairy UK Ltd Nikolaos Stavropoulos outlined the latest events and products in discussion with Phil Nicholls.
Family-owned Hellenic Dairies SA implements a robust corporate social responsibility strategy with a broad scope across many aspects of the business. One strand of Hellenic Dairies’ CSR is to address the issue of food waste.
“Food is a valuable commodity,” explained Managing Director Olympus Dairy UK Ltd Nikolaos Stavropoulos, “and its production requires the consumption of significant resources. According to current estimates, around one third of the food produced for human consumption globally is wasted or lost, with a consequent economic and environmental cost.”
Hellenic Dairies began in Greece in 1986 and is now owned by the third generation of the Sarantis family. After a few challenging years due to the pandemic, the company is focusing on major investment plans that will shape its future. Hellenic Dairies has over 1,500 employees and exports to more than 45 countries.
At the heart of the Hellenic Dairies’ pro duction capability are five Greek factories. Three facilities in Central Greece produce dairy products, fresh juices, Greek moun tain tea and soft drinks. In northern Greece, Hellenic Dairies has two factories, one for non-dairy products and one producing the award-winning DOUBIA sparkling mineral water. Additionally, the company has one factory in Bulgaria and another in Romania producing dairy lines.
As part of the long-term CSR strategy at Hellenic Dairies, the company has heavily invested in upgrading its portfolio of fac to ries. “We were the only dairy company in Southeast Europe that has installed an integrated waste treatment and biogas plant into a factory,” said Mr Stavropoulos. “Specifically, the biogas plant was an inno vative investment, unique in Europe within the dairy sector. “Hellenic Dairies invested in another biogas plant for our factory in Romania. These projects show how our corporate social responsibility extends towards the environment and society.
By reducing waste, energy consumption, carbon dioxide production and pollution levels, we contribute to the overall effort to provide a better quality of life for future generations.”
The company continues to enjoy healthy growth. Hellenic Dairies Group turnover in 2021 reached €427 million, continuing the upward trend, from €405 million in 2020 and €372 million in 2019. The first quarter of 2022 saw an 11% increase in turnover compared to 2021.
“We possess top market shares in all of our product categories,” Mr Stavropoulos explained. “Hellenic Dairies is the largest raw milk collector in Greece and the number one Feta producer. Our strategic brand Olympus has once again received the Business Superbrands Greece 2021-22 award as the leading brand in our sector, certifying the level of consumer trust in our products.”
Alongside the Feta and milk from sheep and goats, the Olympus range also includes additional varieties of cheese and a range of yoghurts. Non-dairy products in the range include fruit juices, Greek mountain tea and nut-based alternatives to milk.
The Olympus brand promotes a healthy diet through its nutritional products, according to Mr Stavropoulos: “We respond to market trends and remain faithful to our be lief in Greek natural products that pro mote a healthy and balanced diet. We are proud to have in our portfolio a full lactosefree range and an organic range, plus plant-based drinks and desserts as part of the Olympus brand. Recently the company presented into the UK market its truly gen uine Greek mountain tea, made from 100% natural ingredients without any preserva tives or additives. It is a caffeine-free herbal beverage ideal to enjoy any time of the day.
“Additionally, in the 2022 Healthy Diet Awards competition, organised by Boussias in Greece, Olympus products won for yet another year. These awards were based on their ingredients, production process, nutritional value and innovation. The winning products were Olympus Kefir, which picked up Gold in the Milk cate gory; Olympus Greek Mountain Tea Light, which received Gold/Platinum in the Light Beverage Products category; and Carpos Oat being awarded Bronze in the Plant-Based Beverage Products category.”
The quality and innovation of the Olympus brand is part of what distin guishes Hellenic Dairies from the compe tition. Core to the company’s philosophy is the CSR strategy aiming to build a rela tionship of mutual trust with consumers. This CSR is part of a long-term project arising from Hellenic Dairies’ duty to support society and recognise that people are its strength.
CSR is the driving force behind all the company's actions, such as its dedication to the fight against food waste. Hellenic Dairies emphasises prevention, as the benefits of avoiding waste outweigh the costs of dealing with it later. Central to the prevention tactic is raising awareness in employees and their families about
food waste, along with enhancing con sumer knowledge.
The company collaborates across all stakeholder groups in the development and dissemination of best practices to avoid waste. The Hellenic Dairies factory at Trikala in central Greece is certified a “No Waste Facility” by TÜV AUSTRIA Hellas, which provides independent thirdparty services in the form of technical audits, inspections and certifications.
Hellenic Dairies also has a strong cul ture of food donation to further reduce waste, recognising that donating food is the second-best option before food consti tutes waste. Finally, even if a food cannot be consumed, the company’s last option is to send it to a biogas plant to turn the food into energy.
Growth continues at Hellenic Dairies, as Mr Stavropoulos highlighted its dynamic investment plan: “Earlier this year we fully renovated a factory in Trikala pro ducing soft drinks, an investment of more than €14 million. Having installed stateof-the-art equipment, we can produce innovative soft drinks without preserva tives. This launch of Kliafas drinks was awarded Product of the Year in Greece, a special honour as the award comes from the consumers.
“Being a Mediterranean food ambassador, Hellenic Dairies cannot miss the opportunity of including Halloumi in our range. After some delays due to Covid restrictions, we have now started constructing a factory in Cyprus, forecasted to be fully operational early 2024. This is a €40 million investment
and will be the most modern dairy factory in Cyprus.”
Hellenic Dairies has grown into the leading dairy in southeast Europe. This journey was achieved in partnership with its suppliers. “We are here to help our suppliers grow,” Mr Stavropoulos said, “and overcome challenges.”
“One recent example was our decision to help our farmers by providing a credit cover to fulfil their obligations, helping them to cope under these unprecedented conditions. As our owner Mr Sarantis said, ‘we cannot leave the farmers to their fate; they are our partners.’ Otherwise, they would be forced to slaughter their animals.”
The biggest challenge facing Hellenic Dairies is the increasing costs from high inflation rates. However, Mr Stavropoulos considers this an opportu
nity to further increase efficiencies in the company and invest in new equipment to mitigate costs wherever possible. With such a positive attitude within the com pany, then the future of Hellenic Dairies is assured.
“I am excited by the dynamic nature of the food and drink industry business,” concluded Mr Stavropoulos. “Our mission at Hellenic Dairies is to provide safe and high-quality products to our customers; when these efforts are rewarded by our customers, then there is no better feeling.”n
This year, Buitelaar Group is celebrating its centenary. Under the Buitelaar name, the business has in recent years, developed into a provider of sustainable, higher welfare beef supply chain solutions. CEO Adam Buitelaar related the broad portfolio of group products and his plans to regenerate the farming industry in conversation with Phil Nicholls.
erosion and desertification pose genuine threats to world food supplies in the foreseeable future. Buitelaar Group CEO Adam Buitelaar shares these concerns: “We’ve only got 60 harvests left before the world totally runs out of food.”
Buitelaar Group is working towards solving the impending crisis with a blend of regenerative agriculture and a renewed economic model for the farming industry.
The story of Buitelaar Group began in 1922 outside Amsterdam and has been managed by five generations of the Buitelaar family. The current incarnation of the company began in 2001 when Adam Buitelaar took over the role of CEO. Buitelaar Group has always been involved in buying and selling cattle, but today’s company evolved from the drive to add value into the livestock business.
Buitelaar Group is the largest integrated beef supply chain in the UK, collecting between 800-1,500 quality calves each week.
“One of the biggest milestones for me,” Mr Buitelaar explained, “was the point when I realised that we’re not a company that buys and sells cattle, we are actually a sophisticated supply chain.”
The sustainable chain uses four higher-welfare collection cen tres strategically located in UK dairy farming areas that provide additional services such as extensive health monitoring and full traceability throughout the supply chain.
At the start of the century, Buitelaar Group was devoted to the distribution of live animals, but quickly diversified into the supply
of meat. Customers include Morrisons and McDonalds, with the group offering a range of award-winning beef products. Buitelaar Select Beef won the AHDB Gold Award for England’s Best Steak, benefitting from a uniform feeding plan across the chain and a fully traceable supply chain.
At the forefront of the Buitelaar Group beef range is the dedicated Heritage Hallmark brand featuring beef from a range of traditional breeds, whilst Aberdeen Angus By Buitelaar and Rosé Veal main tain their own identity within the house of brands. Irish beef is another Buitelaar Group speciality with a supplemental line dedi cated to the Mount Leinster brand.
The diverse portfolio of products and services at Buitelaar Group extends to using all the animal. The group supplies 1,000 tonnes per week of premium raw materials to the pet food industry.
This same philosophy extends to animal hides, with markets in China, India, North Africa, Europe and Mexico. Beyond the cattle hides, Buitelaar Group sells about 3.5 million sheep skins annually.
The Health and Nutrition division of Buitelaar Group oversees development of products to help the group rear over 40,000 calves every year. This range of milk powders, high-health calf housing units and antibiotic-free calf health products were developed for the group’s supply chain. These are all now offered to indepen dent farmers.
Thanks to its dedication to quality and a diverse portfolio, Buitelaar Group has a turnover of £150 million with a team of 80 employees, over 60% of whom are women. Buitelaar Group operates in 13 sites scattered across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. Such a diverse geographic spread could have made Brexit a challenge:
“Instead of seeing a problem, ‘I ask, how can we cope with that?’” s aid Mr Buitelaar. “It’s a case of asking ‘How can we turn this into a positive and use it to our advantage?’ We’ve all been aware Brexit was coming for a long time; we’ve all had time to find solutions. We’ve coped and we have grown from it.”
The small team allows for a caring family culture at Buitelaar Group. “I don’t feel we have anyone working for us,” Mr Buitelaar explained. “When you’re the football team captain, you don’t have players working for you, they’re working with you to achieve a common goal. That’s how I see it.”
As part of the celebrations to commemorate its centenary and family culture, the management team toured each Buitelaar Group location, presenting a group update to include a surprise increase in holidays and pension. Additionally, each month the team comes together via Microsoft Teams for the Golden Giveaway, a ‘Spin the Wheel’ style competition with a weekend away up for grabs for one lucky team member.
Due to Covid precautions, 2022’s planned centenary parties at the Buitelaar Headquarters in Kildare were postponed until next year, leaving more celebrations for the Buitelaar team to look forward to.
Alongside caring for the workforce, Mr Buitelaar has a vision to regenerate the broader farming model.
“When we talk about sustainability on a farming level, the first thing that has to be sustainable is the family farm. At the end of the day, if the family farm can’t make money and can’t generate money for the next generation, then that farm will disappear.”
The family farm must be a viable economic model. The Buitelaar Technical Team undertake trials, collaborative research and new product development to assist farmers through the current and future challenges. The group’s passion for livestock welfare received recognition with The Good Calf Award in 2019 from Compassion in World Farming.
“Historically, farmers have sold commodity, not product. In my opinion, they need to think differently and focus on marketing quality produce off farm,” Mr Buitelaar continued. “Producing regeneratively farmed foods, focusing on the way the animals are
g razed and the positive environmental impact will give the family farm an improved return.”
Central to this new farming model are the regenerative agriculture principles, which include improving soil fertility, biodiversity, water retention and cleanliness and carbon sequestration. Working handin-hand with nature, regenerative agriculture is an umbrella term for a loose package of sustainable agriculture techniques.
Concerns about the future global supply of food – summed up by Mr Buitelaar’s “60 harvests left” statement at the top of this article – make the drive to embrace regenerative agriculture more urgent.
Buitelaar Group’s innovative model to invest in and develop the livestock industry is based around the Long Lane Development Farm. Acquired in 2019, this state-of-the-art facility offers the group vast opportunities for substantial education, on-farm trials and research and development. The farm also serves as a demon stration of best practise for farmers.
Mr Buitelaar highlighted an example of the work at Long Lane Development Farm: “With soy plantations driving deforestation in the rainforests, clearly, it’s right to cut soya from our animals’ diets.
Buitelaar Group CEO Adam Buitelaar with his son Franz Buitelaar
During commercial scale trials, we tested local feed alternatives and found English linseed to offer comparable nutritional value. Many of our trials are driven by environmental considerations.”
Uniquely, Long Lane is considered one of the only controlled platforms for R&D that runs concurrently as a working farm. “We wanted to implement the best of academia onto the farm and ensure trial results are practically viable. As a company, we can then showcase successful outcomes.”
The Development Farm’s success influenced the purchase of a further two farms to support the regenerative future of the supply chain. These new locations in Ireland and near Chester in England will allow the group to reach more farmers.
Mr Buitelaar added: “We’re invested in demonstrating how farmers can produce award-winning beef that makes positive environmental
impact, whilst benefitting from lower impact farming methods, both physically and financially.”
The evolution of Buitelaar Group continues as it pursues the regen erative agriculture model.
“We want to feed cattle regeneratively and work harmoniously with nature,” concluded Mr Buitelaar. “The old cliché ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’, derives from consuming a healthy, nutritious diet; in our modern world, I think we need to remember the value in our farm produce.
“A well marketed, nutrient-dense product, which plays an active role in sequestering carbon, will both enable premiums to be fed back to the family farm and support our planet’s regeneration.
“We’re only on this earth once, and I want to be able to look myself in the mirror and be proud of what we have achieved.” n
