FoodChain Issue 112 April 2016

FoodChain Issue 112

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APRIL 2016

The business of food and drink

Fresh

inspiration Closely watching market trends and consumer requirements are essential elements when it comes to new product development

Industry News Time for a menu refresh?

Food and beverage companies have to be agile when it comes to change

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Growing exports are a priority for Britain’s brands

New trend for cold brewed coffee

No more horsing around

Raw cacao powder hailed for health benefits

What the future holds in the ongoing food fraud battle

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FoodChain ISSUE 112 L APRIL 2016

THE BUSINESS OF FOOD AND DRINK

Editor’s Welcome

Fresh

inspiration Closely watching market trends and consumer requirements are essential elements when it comes to new product development

Industry News Time for a menu refresh?

Food and beverage companies have to be agile when it comes to change

L Growing

exports are a priority for Britain’s brands

L New

trend for cold brewed coffee

L Raw

cacao powder hailed for health benefits

No more horsing around What the future holds in the ongoing food fraud battle

Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Libbie Hammond Art Editor Advertising Design Fleur Daniels Staff Writers Jo Cooper Andrew Dann Ben Clark Profiles Manager Emma Crane Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove Sales Rob Wagner Operations Director Philip Monument Editorial Researcher Yasmine Sadr Manuel Lopez Office Manager Advertising Administrator Tracy Chynoweth Studio Assistant Barnaby Schofield

S

o, how do you feel about the new Sugar Tax announcement in the UK? Is it going to affect your business and if so – how? I’ve been hearing very mixed responses to the idea. Some sources applaud it as a step in the

right direction to tackle obesity, while others say that reformulating and reducing pack sizes would be more effective. Until we know the full details it is hard to predict the effects it will have but there will definitely be new challenges for manufacturers as a result.

Do you think it will consumers make more healthy eating choices? I’d love to

Follow us at:

hear your thoughts on it.

@FoodChain_mag

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: +44 (0)1603 274130 Fax: +44 (0)1603 274131

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

www.foodchainmagazine.com © 2016 Schofield Publishing Ltd

Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Contents 8

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12 Features Food fraud No more horsing around

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Recipe creation Fresh inspiration

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Putting a modern spin on traditional recipes and making sure they hit the right note with consumers

The lessons learned from the horsemeat scandal and what the future holds in the battle against food fraud

Cold storage Food for thought

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Celebrity endorsements Crystal clear The use of celebrity branding and how Dan Aykroyd’s commitment and pride in his product is driving sales

The implementation of sophisticated refrigerant technologies can significantly cut down on costs

Packaging Paper possibilities

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Trends in paper packaging can create environmental challenges

News

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Taste Test

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Up-to-date products and announcements from the food and beverage sector

The FoodChain team sample a selection of new and innovative foods and drinks

IT Time for a menu refresh

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The need for food companies to demonstrate increasing levels of agility in responding to market changes

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30 Profiles

Innovations & developments within some of the world’s finest companies

European Vending Association 20

The EVA serves both its membership and the wider needs of the vending industry within Europe

Zip Technologies 26

A forward thinking provider of finely crafted brewing equipment, Zip Technologies’ main focus is towards brewmasters and brewing enthusiasts

KK Fine Foods 30

As a family-owned business, KK Fine Foods brings passion and energy to its business

Oerlemans Foods Group 33

Oerlemans Foods Group’s strategy is to become the leading fresh frozen provider through Europe - and this is supported by a real commitment to improvement

Lainston Country House Hotel 36

A dedication to innovation and fresh ingredients means Lainston Country House Hotel can provide guests with an extremely high quality food offering

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No more horsing around

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More than three years have passed since the horsemeat scandal sent shockwaves through the food industry. Dr Mike Bromley looks at the lessons we’ve learned since and what the future holds in the ongoing battle against food fraud 4

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efore the horsemeat scandal of 2013, the concept of food fraud was far from the mind of the average consumer.

But when news that horsemeat had been found in products like mince, beef burgers and lasagnes started to appear in the media, the topic was thrust into the mainstream. Many market-leading brands came under fire as more and more cases of fraud came to light and consumer trust was rocked.

Perhaps surprisingly, the issue of food fraud is not a new notion, but rather one that has plagued the industry for many years. Historical records through to the most recent are littered with examples of unscrupulous individuals adulterating both high-value foods like saffron and caviar as well as mass-produced foods in order to increase profits. In fact, the first British law combating food fraud dates back to the 13th Century when new legislations were implemented to regulate the quality of products such as bread and ale.

Dr Mike Bromley

Yet still today, the problem is far more prevalent than many realise, with conservative estimates putting the annual cost of such deception at around $15 billion globally1 and research suggesting that it affects around ten per cent of all commercially sold food products2.

The horsemeat scandal was a clear indication of how the loss of consumer trust in major supermarkets and food producers can have an enormous impact on corporations. A year after the initial reports came to light, and as a direct result of scandal, sales of frozen ready meals were down six per cent3 and several enterprises including the major food manufacturer Spanghero are no longer with us. Rather than the nature of the fraud itself, the root of public outrage was the perceived breach of trust between trusted retailers and consumers.

Widespread media coverage and public indignation led to devastating consequences for many organisations

Food fraud and have been a catalyst for change in the industry. Positive steps have since been taken to combat and control fraud in the industry.

Back in 2013, only two analytical methods were commonly used in laboratories to detect the content of meat products and test for contaminants. However, these tests were designed to detect the presence of a fixed and very limited range of adulterants. In short, the tests could only answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if asked about a particular meat species.

Prior to 2013 risk profiling of food contamination would not have identified horsemeat as a likely risk so it generally wasn’t tested for. Naturally that’s all changed in the intervening years. Not only is horsemeat very much on the radar of those screening for food fraud but so too are the vast number of other species from across the globe that could be used to adulterate mainstream meats or other foods.

Previously, the investment of time and money that would have been required to detect every single potential contaminant in a food sample by using old testing methods that existed at the time was highly impractical. For any real change to happen in the industry, new testing procedures and technology had to be found.

This need was reiterated by the UK government who revealed the findings

of a commissioned report, which recommended that cases of food fraud should be afforded a zero-tolerance approach and that a greater focus on intelligence gathering was needed4. In order to prevent a scandal of a similar nature, the testing methods available to support the industry needed to offer tighter controls over authenticity to police and prevent similar cases of food fraud.

The incident has indeed begun to usher in changes to the food industry and in many cases, where existing detection methods were not comprehensive enough for the food industry’s needs, improvements have now been made.

One of the biggest changes has seen the creation and introduction of Next Generation Sequencing to detect food fraud. These new diagnostics use techniques developed to rapidly sequence the human genome and can simultaneously screen for the DNA of more than 10,000 different animal and plant species in a sample. In effect, for the first time ever it’s possible to find out exactly what is in a food sample.

Since the horsemeat scandal, demand for food manufacturers and retailers to demonstrate the authenticity of their products has grown and pressure to verify the quality of food products continues to increase. Now high on the agenda and fresh in the mind of the general public, the issue of food fraud

actually offers retailers an opportunity to win back consumer trust and position themselves as industry-leaders by publicising the fact that they employ the highest standards of testing and expect nothing less from their suppliers.

Moving forwards, an industry-wide standard must be established. However, it’s important that manufacturers and retailers take some accountability and continue to be vigilant. While the technologies now exists to better support the industry to satisfy the Government’s recommended zerotolerance approach, it is critical that they are adopted wholeheartedly by the major players in the industry. In this environment of intense scrutiny, those responsible for quality assurance will inevitably want to invest in the best possible detection methods in order to combat food fraud effectively and put consumer minds at rest. D 1 (1. GMA, Consumer Product Fraud, Deterrence and Detection, 2010, http:// www.gmaonline.org/downloads/wygwam/ consumerproductfraud.pdf; and A. Kircher, NCFPD, “Tools for Protecting the Nation’s Food Supply,” June 5, 2012.)

2 (Estimated by the Food Standards Agency of the U.K., as reported by K. Everstine and A. Kircher, “The Implications of Food Fraud,” Food Quality & Safety magazine, June/July 2013. 3. https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/ R43358.pdf.

3 (http://uk.kantar.com/media/619292/ horsemeat_scandal_one_year_on_-_press_ release.pdf) 4 (Elliot Review: https://www.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/350726/elliot-reviewfinal-report-july2014.pdf).

Dr Mike Bromley is founder of Genon Laboratories (now part of Synergy Health Laboratories) and a lecturer in Medical Mycology at the University of Manchester. He is a specialist in the development of diagnostic assays and has worked with the team at Manchester to develop next generation sequencing for application in the food industry. www.genonlabs.co.uk

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Food for thought Shaun Evers explains the importance of cold store safety

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he food and drink processing industry, worth £103 billion to the UK economy, relies heavily on cold storage technology to ensure its smooth operation. As a result, the sector remains the fourth highest industrial energy user in the UK. However the implementation of sophisticated refrigerant technologies can significantly cut down on electricity consumption and the associated costs.

Refrigerant gases are crucial for powering cold storage and industrial refrigeration units across the food and drink sector, but if a leak occurs the impact can be extremely damaging both to the environment and a company’s bottom line.

According to research by the Carbon Trust, a leak of just 1kg of refrigerant gases can cause the same environmental damage as driving a van for 10,000 miles. The financial implications of failing to address leaks is also evident, with energy consumption in the refrigeration sector costing British industry approximately £300 million each year,

and the average site energy bill for a cold store totalling £0.5 million.

Add to this the fact that an estimated 4.1 millions tones of food is wasted in the food and drink industry annually, largely due to the incorrect storage of perishable goods, and the financially repercussions of not addressing cold store gas leaks is obvious. In fact, this figure represents over half of the UK’s total yearly food waste.

Gas leaks occur for a number of reasons. Equipment failure, improper maintenance work, mechanical damage and accidental release during refrigerant replenishment can all cause a potentially dangerous leak. Reducing the amount of gas leaks, or spotting and stopping them as early as possible, not only improves energy efficiency and helps protect the environment, it can also ensure employee safety.

While refrigerants are essential for keeping industrial refrigeration systems in food processing premises running, exposure can cause a serious threat to workers. Symptoms can include, irritation of the throat, eyes and skin, frostbite, and

Cold Storage chemical burns, as well as more severe ailments like lung and brain damage.

Despite increasingly stringent regulations placed on companies who use refrigerants, leaks are still common.

In fact, the Carbon Trust has recorded an average annual leak rate of up to 20 per cent in UK refrigeration systems, meaning store operators remain on the lookout for ways to ensure their employees safety.

Refrigerant gases Steps are already being taken to ensure the most damaging refrigerants are not in use. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) gases have been banned in new refrigeration equipment, due to their Ozone depleting properties, and have been gradually replaced.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) refrigerants have become more popular as a like-forlike substitute. However, these gases are still not environmentally friendly.

While safer than HCFCs and CFCs, HFCs still carry a significant threat.

In fact, research has revealed that when released in to the atmosphere HFCs have a global warming potential of over 3000 times that of CO2. This significant discovery has led to a call for urgent action to reduce gas leaks from refrigeration systems.

These figures paint an even starker picture when leaks are left unrepaired. A typical 300kW refrigeration system with a small but continuous leak, left unrepaired for three months, could incur an energy penalty of 10kW in electricity once the leak becomes critical. This means an increased energy cost of £1400, not including the repair costs, which will be higher than if immediately repaired, as more refrigerant will be required.

Given the fact that 60 per cent of gas escapes before an employee notices, it cannot be left to staff to spot potentially dangerous leaks. However, by installing new technologies action can be taken to ensure leaks are spotted immediately and promptly repaired. This not only minimises the amount of energy loss, but is also a legal requirement as part of the EU F-Gas Regulations. The solution is quite simple, the use of a high-tech gas detection system.

Gas leak detection EU legislation states that any refrigeration system with 300kg or more of refrigerants must be fitted with a leak detector, with cold stores that have a charge of 3-30kg required to be tested for gas leaks once annually and those with a charge of 30kg or more needing to be tested twice a year.

Fitted gas detectors must have a sensitivity of 5g/year and should be checked after 25 hours of continuous use. This is particularly prevalent in the food and drink industry where cold stores are required to operate on a 24/7 basis to keep foods safe and prevent spoiled produce. They should also be calibrated with a 1,000ppm gas to air mix.

Gas detection systems can be programmed to detect a wide array of both toxic and non-toxic gases, including HFCs. Staff members are alerted to any sensed gas leak with an audio and visual alarm, while LED colours indicate the presence and status of each sensor. This ensures that any problem can be quickly rectified.

Shutting the door on energy loss Although gas leaks are the foremost contributor to energy loss and health and safety risk in modern cold stores, equally detrimental to an industrial refrigeration system’s energy performance is leaving doors open.

While it may seem like a minor error, leaving a cold store door open can force a system to work harder to stay cool, in turn using more energy and incurring higher energy costs.

An easy way to prevent doors being left open for an extended period is through the installation of a door open alarm. These wall mounted devices use flashing Xenon Beacon lights and 100dB sounders, which produce audible and visual warnings to alert staff of open doors. An adjustable delay of up to 30 minutes can be preset and the sounders can be independently disabled or adjusted to ensure maximum speaker volume.

The alarm provides the food industry with a simple, cost effective solution for preventing major problems and

the costs associated with damaged merchandise and energy losses due to refrigeration doors being left open.

Temperature control Running equipment at the incorrect temperature is another area where energy is wasted throughout the food and drink sector. In fact overcooling by just 1ºC can lead to a significant increase in energy consumption of up to three per cent with temperature differences of 5ºC proven to increase electricity consumption by ten to 20 per cent.

Efficient thermometers linked to audio and visual alarms that warn staff of variants are essential to both monitor the temperature of the cold store and the temperature of its contents. At its most basic this could be a digital thermometer designed to be used with a thermistor probe across a range of plus or minus 50ºC that will constantly display the temperature. These probes can be wall mounted or hand-held and chosen for wash down areas.

While vital to the extending the shelf life of food and drink, cold stores and refrigerated warehouses can be hazardous working environments.

However, with the installation of effective refrigeration systems a business can reduce energy costs, limit unnecessary food waste, cut carbon emissions, and demonstrate corporate responsibility.

With a payback period of less than two years, installing technologies to monitor gas leaks and energy waste in cold storage offers a simple solution for businesses across the entire food and drink sector. D

Shaun Evers is managing director of Stonegate Instruments. Stonegate Instruments designs, develops and manufactures electronic equipment for the refrigeration industry.

The company’s products are proven in cold storage facilities for reducing energy, carbon emissions and the associated costs.

For more information, please visit www.stonegate-instruments.com

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Paper

possibilities The environmental challenges associated with upcoming trends in the paper packaging sector

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he food packaging industry is subject to a range of trends and developments – from colours and materials to supply chain and sustainability. Key brand challenges across the global packaging industry remain consistent – enabling basic functionality, maintaining or reducing cost and appealing to consumers are all crucial to the success of a brand or product. However, there are changing factors, which create additional challenges and responsibilities for brands. The appetite for innovative and inventive packaging – creating something with extra wow-factor – is palpable, while consumers’ demand and desire to be ‘greener’ is putting brands under continued pressure to become more environmentally friendly.

As a supplier for the packaging industry bespoke paper manufacturer James Cropper is all too familiar with the changing face of paper packaging and,

as the trend for environmentally friendly packaging solutions grows, so does the demand for sustainable paper-based packaging.

Richard Burnett, market development manager from James Cropper, explains: “As a naturally versatile material, which is easily recycled, paper is often a ‘goto’ choice for sustainable packaging.

It can be recycled and reused many times, being one of the most commonly recycled materials in society, makes it an attractive choice for brands to fulfil their ‘green’ objectives.”

It’s important to remember that branding and packaging is a crucial factor to help entice and attract customers towards a specific product.

‘Shelf stand-out’ has never been more important in an ever-increasingly competitive market, with new and quirky food items launching on a daily basis. This is made even more difficult as e-tailing prevails. Making a product

Packaging types of plastics, for instance, is not viable at this stage. Paper, on the other hand, is the ‘original’ recyclable material, requiring very little sorting before it can go back into the supply chain.

stand out on a screen presents an even greater challenge than being prominent in store as it’s primarily reliant on simply visual appeal.

Design trends The importance of package design should not be underestimated as a fundamental sales tool. As brands ‘outdesign’ each other with limited editions and seasonal packaging, for example, the importance of the role of speciality papers continues to grow in preference to commodities that limit point of difference.

With the growing trend for eco-friendly packaging comes a more minimalist, raw look and design. Natural shades and textures – such as award-winning ‘Cocoa Shell’ for Barry Callebaut and ‘Obsidian’ for Nestlé editions – nod to the organic fibres used to produce the material and give an impression of ‘earthiness’. This inclination towards anchoring earth tones and pastels with gold and gold tones lending a touch of the exotic – and currently being used widely in the design world – means we can expect to see more of these hues in food contact paper packaging.

This contemporary look and feel delivers simple elegance, and the brand story and pack messaging lends itself to a wider education and correspondence with consumers. Communicating the value of sustainability at all levels – to customers, retailers and manufacturers – is a key objective, which is growing daily.

Equally as important as the design and visual appeal of packaging, is its ease of use for both consumers and retailers. Functionality should not be underestimated, particularly in the world of ‘on the go’ and ‘convenience’ food packaging, where single-serve pack sizes and re-sealable options can be important.

Richard continues: “Paper is actually very adaptable – there’s no reason why it can’t be used for many packaging items that are ordinarily made from various types of plastics and polyethylene. At James Cropper we are pushing the boundaries with the creation of a capsule collection of dyedthrough papers that are safe for primary

Richard, added: “Consumers and businesses alike are already doing their bit for the environment with a wide range of recycling programmes in place. But global companies have a duty to think innovatively about how they can do more. Projects like our trial with McDonald’s and Simply Cups to recycle post-consumer waste are a good example of how the industry can work together to create a cost-effective supply of sustainable materials.”

In an increasingly disposable society, as brands and consumers we have an environmental conscience to consider.

Environmentally friendly packaging may come at what seems a higher initial cost, but there are savings to be made for those willing to commit the time and resource upfront. D packaging of dry, fatty and even moist foods. There is scope to do much more, but in this very competitive landscape it is also understandable that brands may select ostensibly cheaper alternatives.”

Balancing a brand’s global environmental responsibility against costs can prove challenging. There are many moving parts to the puzzle – the availability of recyclable products and processes; the consumers’ desire and ability to recycle; and packaging budgets to name a few.

So, the importance of creating and maintaining a sustainable product that is commercially viable, without compromising on the look and feel is essential for the packaging industry.

Green conscience While consumers are progressively becoming more pro-environment and creating a demand for recyclable products and packaging, the reality is that there is huge scope for improvement with current recycling processes in the UK. As consumers we’ve only just got used to separating plastics and cans from paper, so the idea of identifying and sorting different

James Cropper is a prestige paper innovator based in the English Lake District, supplying distinct, custommade paper products to many of the world’s leading luxury brands, art galleries and designers. Celebrating 170 years of high quality paper production in 2015, the business has been carefully stewarded and nurtured by six generations of the Cropper family and is renowned globally for individual expertise in colour, dedicated responses to the most challenging custom projects and award-winning commitment to the highest standards of sustainability. www.cropper.com

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IndustryNews

Brands continue to shine Exports of branded food and non-alcoholic drinks grew by 0.9 per cent to £4.63bn in 2015, representing the 15th year of consecutive growth, against a backdrop of declining overall UK food and non-alcoholic drink exports, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) reported in March 2016.

Overall exports fell by £0.6bn to £12.3bn in 2015 as a result of a drop in oil prices and the strength of the pound against the depreciated Euro, which has made UK exports less competitive in key Eurozone markets.

Chocolate, salmon and cheese remain the top three export product categories, while exports of vegetables, both prepared and fresh, experienced the largest increase in overall growth, up £18m in 2015 to £36.3m.

Non-EU markets now buy 30.8 per cent of the UK’s total branded food and non-alcoholic drink exports. The value of exports to non-EU markets was up 6.4 per cent on 2014 figures, with double-digit growth seen in Saudi Arabia, Japan

New trend alert and Australia. Exports of branded food and non-alcoholic drinks to the EU fell by 1.3 per cent in 2015.

Exports to China grew by 9 per cent. This is the first time that the world’s most populated nation entered the UK’s list of top 10 overseas trade partners. In 2014, the UK was the EU’s number one exporter of tea to China, while exports of processed milk to China rose by £19.3m (+202 per cent) in 2015.

Elsewhere, UK breakfast cereal exports to UAE grew by £8.9m (+45 per cent) in 2015 and exports of crisps to France rose by £1.2m (+23 per cent).

In terms of the biggest market growth, the UK saw exports to Thailand increase by £59.3m (+122 per cent), with cereals making up £21.5m of that growth. Exports to Spain grew by £46m (+9 per cent), with high temperatures and a lack of rain in 2015 resulting in Spain becoming more reliant on imports of UK wheat and barley.

Angela Coleshill, Director of Competitiveness at FDF, said: “Growing exports is a top priority for Britain’s makers, bakers and bottlers, who have set an ambition to increase branded exports by a third by 2020. For our industry to meet this stretching target we need to make sure small and medium-sized food companies in particular are helped to compete in the fiercely competitive global marketplace.” www.fdf.org.uk

Strawberry shake up With the British obsession for the fruit it’s not surprising that one of the most popular flavours of protein and diet shakes is ‘strawberry’. Pick up a tub and read the ingredients however and you won’t find a strawberry in sight. Instead you’ll see oddly named flavourings alongside additions ranging from ‘stabilisers’, ‘gums’ and ‘emulsifiers’ to artificial sweeteners and colourants.

Things are a little different with the new Strawberry Wholefood Shake from Purition however. Made with real freeze dried strawberries there’s not a single artificial

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ingredient in the exciting new mix. Taking their place you’ll discover natural additions like chia seeds, almonds and coconut, alongside the strawberries.

Combined, these wholefood ingredients provide nearly 20g of protein per serving and are jammed full of important vitamins, minerals and Omega fatty acids; making them not only an excellent post workout shake, but also a superb breakfast swap for those looking to lose a few pounds and keep hunger under control. www.purition.co.uk

Predicted to be a new trend for 2016, ready to drink cold brewed coffee has arrived in the UK and is available from www.yumbles. com. NOMI coffee is brewed for over 16 hours in balanced PH cold water to produce a smooth, naturally sweeter flavour. It is created by single origin coffee and filtered three times to ensure perfect clarity. NOMI always finds the best and freshest coffee beans, ensuring their coffee is unique, fresh and in-season.

NOMI is influenced by Kyoto with its old coffee shops serving cold coffee brewed over extended periods at room temperature.

Cold brew coffee makes the flavour naturally sweet, meaning you don’t need to add sugars or sweeteners. www.nomidrinks.com

IndustryNews

Chocolate delight CHOC Chick has launched Blissful Blends, a range of blended raw cacao chocolate powders, exclusively in 240 Holland & Barrett stores across the UK. The first two flavours, Heart Warming Cinnamon and Marvellous Mandarin, are a unique blend of raw cacao with natural spices to create hot chocolate drinks, smoothies and shakes. They’re available for £7.99 in 250g pouches.

They arrive at a time when raw cacao is in greater demand than ever. It’s predicted to be one of the top food trends for 2016 - as well as tasting fantastic, natural unprocessed cacao is full of antioxidant flavanols, magnesium, iron, vitamins and essential heart healthy fat.

In addition to its taste potential, each pouch is enough to embark on a 20 day CHOC Crave Challenge. By mixing a teaspoon of either Blissful Blend with hot water in a small espresso cup and enjoying ten minutes before a meal, the CHOC Crave Challenge can raise energy levels, help to keep chocolate cravings away and reduce appetite.

Going wild Galia Orme, founder of CHOC Chick, spoke about the launch: “Healthy and free from options are growing trends, but customers still want variety and comfort. More and more people are choosing hot chocolate over coffee or tea. And, as their hot chocolate consumption increases, so too does their demand for more varieties and flavour combinations.” www.chocchick.com

Now clean your hands Deb Group has launched Deb InstantFOAM Complete, the world’s first alcohol-based foam hand sanitiser that is proven to be fully virucidal, bactericidal and yeasticidal. The unique perfume free and dye free formula is dispensed as softstructured foam and is designed for use without water. It kills 99.999 per cent of many common germs in just 15 seconds and its non-specific biocidal action ensures there is no risk of antimicrobial resistance.

Part of the new Deb Stoko Range, Deb InstantFOAM Complete has been created to provide the highest level of hand hygiene in sensitive environments, such as the food industry, where it can be used to prevent the

spread of pathogens found on raw meats and other food products, protecting both staff and consumers from food-transmitted infections.

The formula has been independently tested and assessed by experts to demonstrate that it is non-tainting and does not influence the quality and safety of food products.

Further research has proven the product to have good skin compatibility, as well as that 84 per cent of users prefer the foam format of Deb InstantFOAM Complete compared to alcoholbased gels because it is non-sticky and fast drying, plus it incorporates moisturisers which leave the skin feeling soft and refreshed after use. www.debgroup.com

Canadian Wild Blueberries are now available nationwide in the UK under the Bart ’n’ Lainy’s brand following a successful trial last year. The fruit is packed in ambient 540g jars, is gluten free and suitable for vegans.

“Over 2000 consumers tried the product in 2015 and the positive feedback couldn’t have been clearer,” said Bart ’n’ Lainy’s co-founder Mike Nicholas. “People knew about the fruit’s reputation for nutrition, but the big talking points were flavour and convenience. Blueberries are especially popular at breakfast with cereal, porridge & yogurt and people kept telling us they particularly liked the idea of something that would keep well in the fridge without any waste.”

Each 25g serving is 18kcal with zero fat, saturates & cholesterol.

Canadian Wild Blueberries are widely used in the UK as a food ingredient, but Bart ’n’ Lainy’s is the first ever retail brand. “We’ve known about these small berries and the spectacular Canadian wilderness where they grow for many years and it has become a bit of a personal mission to bring them over here,” said Mike.

Nicholas and Knight Ltd produce Bart ‘n’ Lainy’s Canadian Wild Blueberries, and this is the first time that co-owners Mike Nicholas and Elaine Norman have offered their own products for sale. “For a long time we have wanted to use our experience and expertise to market our own brand. We chose Canadian Wild Blueberries because they have a fantastic reputation; we know the growers well and because it is an exciting challenge to bring something entirely new to the UK. Our day job has given us a privileged insight into food from around the world and we want to develop Bart ’n’ Lainy’s as a brand that is synonymous with provenance, quality and food that is a little out of the ordinary.” www.nicholasandknight.co.uk

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Time for a

menu refresh?

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Mike Edgett examines the need for food companies to demonstrate increasing levels of agility in responding to market changes 12 www.foodchainmagazine.com

n the face of intense price competition and ever-changing consumer tastes, food and beverage companies are under increasing pressure to slash costs while introducing new, ‘improved’ products to market much faster than ever before, something that’s easier said than done, even for the global brands.

For an industry that’s still reeling from 2013’s horsemeat scandal, the perfect storm of price competition, fast-changing consumer and retailer demands, often complex manufacturing processes, multifaceted supply chains, not to mention everchanging health and safety requirements, means that companies operating in this sector are under constant pressure to respond quickly and effectively. For food and beverage companies, never has it been more important to ensure a business has the ability and the agility to implement and manage successful change.

Technology is key So many and varied are the factors that need to be taken into account when

contemplating even the most seemingly innocuous of changes, technology is key. And, while tempting though it may be to rely on the familiar systems, which have steered the organisation this far, this is often where food and beverage companies are failing.

Food companies rely on technology to optimise performance and drive efficiencies, but very few make sure their software is efficient as possible.

ERP, for example, has changed beyond recognition in recent years, as one-sizefits-all solutions are no longer tolerated, instead being replaced by solutions which are designed specifically for the needs and nuances of food and beverage companies – crucially, with scale and flexibility in abundance. These solutions have optional modules to address unique industry requirements such as the all-important traceability, new product introductions, and complex scheduling, to name but a few, helping to provide a business with the necessary flexibility and agility to respond to industry challenges.

IT to bring them all under 250 calories, makes them just the latest in a list of confectionary companies who are reducing the size of their snacks in response to the UK government’s antiobesity drive. With some cynics regarding these types of changes by manufacturers as merely taking the opportunity to charge more for less, in reality these seemingly simple changes bring with them a whole host of other modifications – new packaging, new labelling, new recipes, new storage requirements, new pricing structure, to name but a few. However, with the optimum solution in place, these can all be managed effectively.

Best laid plans

Recipe for success With the right solution in place, food businesses can cut costs without sacrificing quality, a common necessity in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

The levels of complexity that are so prevalent in food and beverage manufacturing mean that solutions are needed that that can handle recipes to such a level of detail that, for example, if an ingredient with a slightly different specification is used in a product, it can re-calculate the amount of that ingredient as well as others in the formula that will be needed to maintain the finished product specification and quality. This allows manufacturers to not only track precise costs but enables the provision of accurate nutritional information, providing that all-important visibility for both retailers and consumers relatively easily.

It’s not just recipe reformulations that business management systems can help with. Unilever’s recent announcement that it will be cutting the size of British ice-creams including Magnum, Cornetto, Ben & Jerry’s and Feast by up to a third

More than any other industry, the food and beverage sector is reliant on the accuracy of its forecasting and demand planning. Obviously seasonality has a big role to play for many manufacturers but increasingly aggressive pricing and promotion strategies across the board mean that many suppliers find themselves in the unenviable position of having to change tack at lightning speed, running the risk of falling foul of the competition if not.

Traceability is another area where the right solution can mean the difference between success and failure, with the inability to facilitate a product recall within stringent timeframes, for example, spelling disaster for a food business. To try and achieve full batch traceability with manual processes would be like looking for a needle in an enormous haystack. The right business management system can more than handle all the necessary information (to include batch number, department, date, product characteristics, ingredients, testing, nutritional information, best before date, for example), helping manufacturers to achieve that allimportant BRC grade A accreditation when it comes to traceability, improving control and visibility over production, products and manufacturing and ensuring that vital speedy response to compliance requirements.

For optimum business agility, food companies need a technology solution that provides all the functionality that’s critical to their specific business needs

within a unified suite. A business with numerous disparate, industry-generic, siloed applications just can’t hope to compete with a competitor whose business systems provide enterprise-wise visibility at the click of a mouse.

It’s only with this holistic view of operations that a business can hope to refine manufacturing to drive down costs and increase profitability.

Future proofing The ability to deal with changes to the business itself is also paramount in a sector of frequent mergers, acquisitions and partnerships. If a food company is to grow, it needs a system with the ability to keep pace with this growth. A technology might be more than capable of dealing with domestic growth, but what about the additional functionality required when moving on to an international stage?

Multiple currency and multiple channel support are part and parcel of the best food and beverage-specific solutions out there, speeding-up and easing the transition from the domestic to the international stage.

Today, food and beverage businesses across the board are inundated with market pressures from all angles. Key to their survival is the ability to adapt and evolve quickly and effectively in response to changing market requirements.

Those with the right tools in place will go from strength-to-strength, increasing profitability and maintaining growth, even in an often hostile business environment.

For those whose systems aren’t up to the challenge, now is definitely the time for a comprehensive rethink. D Mike Edgett is industry and solution strategy director, process manufacturing, Infor.

With over 14,000 employees and customers in more than 200 countries and territories, Infor automates critical processes for industries including healthcare, manufacturing, fashion, wholesale distribution, hospitality, retail, and public sector. Infor software helps eliminate the need for costly customisation through embedded deep industry domain expertise. www.infor.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 13

Fresh

inspiration

Product development: putting a modern spin on traditional recipes 14 www.foodchainmagazine.com

P

eople are always asking me how we come up with the ideas for our products,” says Steve Walpole, Head Development Chef at famous Italian food and oriental noodle manufacturers, Ugo Foods, based in Borehamwood, not far from the famous Elstree film and TV studios. “The answer is quite straightforward, we are simply following in the footsteps of the company founder, Luigi Ugo. We’re always looking to find that certain product which will make the difference, not simply be another version of something that’s already out there.”

Luigi Ugo left his home in Tortona, northern Italy, in 1921 at the age of just 14 and made his way to London where he went to work in a grocery shop. With no wages, just board, lodgings and a daily supply of flour and eggs, he made fresh pasta by hand and was soon

Recipe Creation Paul Ugo

selling it to local hotels and restaurants.

He was so successful that he opened his first shop in Soho in 1929 and never looked back. As well as being the first company to introduce fresh pasta to shops the UK, Ugo was also the first oriental noodle manufacturer in the UK and supplied noodles and dumplings to the oriental community. In 1932 Luigi was responsible for introducing potato gnocchi to the UK. From there his innovations continued. In 1967, Ugo was the first company to supply organic and whole wheat pasta in the UK, then, in 1995, gluten-free pasta.

Ugo is now owned and run by a third generation Ugo, Paul, Luigi’s grandson, and he still has the passionate interest in creating outstanding food that his grandfather had and he inspires his staff to go that extra mile in the company’s innovative product development.

So, just how does Steve come up with the new ideas? “They’re normally generated by internal discussions and workshops. We do a lot of research around trend watching and consumer/ customer requirements. A good example of this is our Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Fiorelli. As well as being on trend with the rise in popularity of beetroot, this product was launched in conjunction with the Breast Cancer Care charity, being beautifully pink, and Ugo donate 10p per pack sold to the charity. It proved so popular as a product with consumers, however, that we transferred it to our main range and sell it all year round now. Finally, target markets are a big part of what we look at as this helps us to drill down into what these areas may want, need or maybe missing to capture a point of difference.

“We also take part in judging awards and visiting trade shows on both food service and retail to see how each area affects and influences the food market. Inspiration comes from all sorts

of sources. Our team draws on their experiences from retail, manufacturing, culinary areas, as well as the Italian links and family heritage of the company. We actually do spend a lot of time in Italy and other countries sourcing the best ingredients and that in turn helps to inspire us to make exciting and innovative products.”

Once they come up with an idea, what’s the next step? “Recipe development,” says Steve. “Both new ones and tweaking existing ones.

However, customers can be a fickle bunch when it comes to recipes that have been around for a while. They grow accustomed to a flavour or product profile, so even if you feel it can be improved or enhanced, it may not be well received! We do however always review our products, choice and range, as trends, choice and competition changes so we have to be honest and true to our range and change where necessary. Also, we always do our own recipe development. We might take inspiration and ideas from external sources, but all products, ideas and work is done internally. We do work with third party suppliers but we work with them to develop products to our specification.

We’re very fussy about that.

“Generally, new recipes are first tested in-house by a selected team to give more diverse feedback. We then move selected products to a more focused lead group, which can

be internal or external depending on the brief. We also run public focus groups to test the water on new or different projects to gauge the market opportunity.”

The critical stage then, how does a product with the required potential move to the production line? Steve explains: “This depends on the type of product and ingredients. It can be difficult to go from a development kitchen sample to main factory trial. But it’s about understanding the process change and how ingredients will change or need to be adapted to keep the end product as true to its initial or original recipe. There will always be sacrifices but it’s about being true to our business and what we want to produce. We want to be known for our quality and innovative products.”

Paul Ugo, the Chairman sums up their product development ethos and USPs: “We are always looking to differentiate ourselves and our recipes have to follow and fit into these guidelines. Our fillings are typically 1020 per cent higher than the competition, we only handle kitchen cupboard ingredients and British free-range eggs and, most importantly, our production machines are designed to fill pasta with particulates, NOT paste, so if the recipe doesn’t accommodate this, we won’t run with it. For me, it’s not about how Mama used to make, but how my Grandfather did it!” D

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Crystal Clear

As competing brands vie to move products from shop shelves to kitchens and bars of commercial and residential clients, the use of celebrity branding is an increasingly common sight. Andrew Dann speaks to Crystal Head Vodka Managing Partner, Jonathan Hemi about this phenomenon and its importance throughout the food and beverage industry 16 www.foodchainmagazine.com

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Celebrity endorsements

I

n today’s competitive marketplace, advertisers are increasingly spending significant amounts of money annually on celebrity endorsement contracts that employ personalities as spokespeople and representatives of the respective brand or issue. For example, through its partnership with Michael Jordan the Nike corporation was able to increase its presence in new markets and create a multibillion subsidiary company, Air Jordan, while Mobile One has previously employed the NASCAR driver Tony Stewart to endorse its brand of motor oil. These partnerships offer several benefits to manufacturers by allowing them to build brand equity, create memorable advertisements, generate a feeling of ‘superstar’ status and to ultimately assist brands to stand out in the market.

Research carried out by Jeroen Verleun while studying as an MSc Finance student at VU University Amsterdam and Anita Elberse of the Harvard Business School concluded that celebrity endorsements are ‘big business’, particularly in relation to sporting and athletic partnerships.

Titled ‘The Economic Value of Celebrity Endorsements’, the report appeared in the June 2013 Journal of Advertising and went on to observe that companies outside the sports apparel industry actively benefit from the use of celebrity endorsements and partnerships.

Broadly speaking the report stated that the decision to develop a celebrity endorsement generally has a positive effect on brand sales, in both an absolute sense and relative to the firm’s competitors, as well as in increasing the company’s stock returns.

Brand loyalty Within the food and beverage industries, these same advantages exist along with the added benefit that in addition to landing their name and personality to brands, celebrity chefs and culinary experts often have a hand in designing and creating the products that they endorse. This adds a sense of uniqueness and enhanced quality to previously existing or new market brands. The list of existing celebrity

While Dan Aykroyd is better known for his work as a respected actor...his work with John Alexander in creating and launching the Crystal Head Vodka brand was driven by genuine passion to create a naturally smooth and pure vodka

endorsed brands within the food and beverage industry is extensive and includes well-known personalities such as Jamie Oliver, Heston Blumenthal, Ina Garten - better known as the Barefoot Contessa and Gordon Ramsay.

Throughout the culinary marketplace celebrity endorsed products have proven to be an established success that have encouraged brand development and customer loyalty for a number of products around the world. While the strategy of celebrity partnerships is more pronounced in some regions than others, it continues to influence the development and sale of products across the food and beverage industries. “The trend of celebrity endorsed products is much more prevalent in the US, however it depends on the celebrity and the product,” reveals Crystal Head Vodka Managing Partner, Jonathan Hemi. “I think that consumers are realising that there is a difference between simply endorsing a product versus being the creator.”

Product creation Crystal Head Vodka is produced in Newfoundland, Canada and is owned by the privately held company, Globefill Inc. The brand was launched within the US during 2008 and is now sold in 60 countries around the world. The multi-award winning, ultra-premium vodka was created by Dan Aykroyd and renowned artist John Alexander.

The vodka is filtered through Herkimer diamonds and is completely additivefree. While Dan Aykroyd is better known for his work as a respected actor, comedian, screenwriter, and musician than as a celebrity chef or mixologist, his work with John Alexander in creating and launching

the Crystal Head Vodka brand was driven by genuine passion to create a naturally smooth and pure vodka.

“When you are the creator, owner, and driving force of a product, it shows how much you truly stand behind your product. A large difference can be seen by the person who puts their own money, sweat, risk and time into the brand versus simply being paid to endorse something,” Jonathan says.

“People have a different level of respect towards the brand when they find out how involved and passionate both Dan and John really are. Dan invested all of his own capital to create Crystal Head and he is the majority owner. Without Dan, Crystal Head could never have existed. As the business has grown, Dan’s involvement isn’t as critical, but still remains a valuable piece of the business. However, he is all about making a better tasting vodka using top high quality ingredients. Quality over quantity is something he has always strived for whether it was comedy, writing, acting, etc. Dan’s commitment and pride in the product can be seen by his choice to solely drink Crystal Head in addition to serving nothing else to his family and friends. He is on the Dan Aykroyd

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Celebrity endorsements road every month educating people on the quality of the vodka using his time, money, and reputation.”

As a distinctive brand, there are a number of characteristics that set Crystal Head Vodka apart from other spirits on the market. The vodka was conceived with purity as the most important factor, therefore zero additives, glycerol, citrus oils, or additional sugars are added during production. Peaches and cream corn are used as the base of Crystal Head vodka, which is filtered seven times with three filtrations passing through Herkimer diamonds. “The bottle itself is a piece of art, which was designed by John Alexander and crafted in Europe by leading glass manufacturers,” Jonathan elaborates. “The one-of-a kind bottle is an accurate glass rendering of a human skull. Our high quality product offers an enjoyable drinking experience for the consumers that appreciate premium brands.”

The use of celebrity endorsement has proven to be a potent tool in differentiating brands across a number of markets,

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whether that is through personalities endorsing pre-existing products or through well-known celebrities working with partners to introduce new product lines. The work of Dan Aykroyd and John Alexander in developing Crystal Head Vodka represents a unique example, where both instances are true to some degree. The passion to create a pure vodka product lead to the creation of an exciting new enterprise, which is now supported through Dan Aykroyd’s public ambassadorship and the work of John Alexander in designing unique vessels for the product. Throughout the food and beverage industry the trend is set to remain an important factor in the development of new and existing products over the coming years. This

is also true for Crystal Head Vodka as the company prepares to further establish its brand throughout 2016 and beyond. “I do not see celebrity endorsed products going away. It is a concept that has been around for a while now,” Jonathan concludes. “Over the next 12 months Crystal Head will be focused on increasing its distribution in key markets, like the US, Canada, UK, France, Spain, and Germany particularly on premise; and to continue to release and promote new products.

Over the next three to five years, Crystal Head will be expanding more globally, finding ways to further improve quality, and maybe exploring the possibility of another line extension.” D www.crystalheadvodka.com

TasteTest

We all scream for ice cream Protein and ice cream aren’t maybe the first words you think of together, but Wheyhey, the world’s first and best selling protein ice cream, is aiming to change all that!

Featuring 20g of whey protein per pot, Wheyhey was created by best pals Damien Kennedy and Greg Duggan back in 2012, when they decided to create a great tasting ice cream that does you good.

They created Wheyhey following a trip to the cinema where their protein snacks were confiscated, faced with only sugary, fatty alternatives they had a brainwave and over the coming months they developed a protein based ice cream. Just over two years later, they have sold 2.5 million pots and in March 2016 it will be stocked in a major household supermarket.

A 150 ml tub of Wheyhey ice cream has no sugar content, just four grams of fat and provides as much protein as a medium sized chicken breast, with the 150 calories per pot being derived mainly from protein rather than empty sugars and fats. www.wheyhey.com

The ice cream is currently available in chocolate, strawberry, vanilla and banoffee flavours and the team were keen to try them all – there were plenty of volunteers! They were torn between favourite flavours; however overall, strawberry came out on top.

“I really loved the little individual pot presentation – portion control is always something of a challenge with ice cream,” said one tester. “I felt this was a generous amount and the strawberry flavour was tangy and the ice cream still felt indulgent.”

“Healthy ice cream sounds like something we could all use in our lives!” added another. “And if you can’t tell the difference between this and the sugary fatty alternative, then it’s great for kids.”

Controlled caffeine coffee A new coffee called TrueStart has launched to help fitness enthusiasts achieve their optimal physical and mental performance levels. TrueStart is the world’s only controlled caffeine coffee, which ensures a fixed, reliable and sustained caffeine boost.

The caffeine content in a usual coffee can vary enormously from 10mg to 250mg. TrueStart guarantees 95mg of caffeine per 2g serving so fitness fans can take full control of their caffeine intake and find the right level to boost their personal performance and mental focus.

Made from 100 per cent freeze dried (not spray dried) Colombian Arabica beans, TrueStart is a completely clean coffee. Unlike sports gels and performance drinks, it is free-from additives and synthetics, therefore providing a natural caffeine hit.

TrueStart is being marketed as a performance coffee

for the gym and fitness sector as well as runners, triathletes and cyclists from elite level down. The UK launch is part of an ambitious plan to build TrueStart into a global brand, with a US launch and expansion of the TrueStart product range already in development. www.truestartcoffee.com

“When I tested this, for some reason I was expecting it to taste different to ‘normal’ coffee,” said our tester. “But in fact, I found it to be very good quality with a smooth, rich taste. I was also pleased it was available in Holland & Barrett stores, as that’s convenient and also tells me that this is a quality product. I’m not an athlete, but I would recommend this to more sporty friends.”

“I definitely found this coffee gave a welcome energy boost while delivering a morning coffee fix,” added another.

Bananas over yogurt Taking a new twist on South America’s native Dulce de Leche, the much loved thick buttery caramelised sauce which is renowned for its rich, creamy consistency that makes it so indulgent; a new Banana and Dulce de Leche flavour yogurt from Rachel’s Organic promises a sweet and sensational flavour.

Rachel’s yogurts are made simply and with care, and contain the finest organic fruit and ingredients, locally sourced organic milk and absolutely no artificial colourings, flavours or preservatives. The new flavour is available in major supermarkets nationwide and is priced at RRP £1.99 for a 400g pot.

Demonstrating Rachel’s passion to provide innovative yet delicious flavours, this new product offers a luxurious and indulgent alternative to lower fat yogurts, and can be enjoyed straight from the pot or dolloped on cake for dessert. www.rachelsorganic.co.uk

“Who doesn’t love a banana and caramel combination?” was the first comment from a taster. “This is just so good – the yogurt is deliciously rich, the banana tastes perfectly ripe and the Dulce de Leche just joins it all together and takes it from just a yogurt to a proper dessert,” added another. “If this was in my fridge, that pot would not last long!”

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Out of the box thinking

Serving the interests of coffee service and vending industry throughout Europe, the European Vending Association protects its members through lobbying actions, education and raising industry awareness

S

ince its foundation in 1994, the European Vending Association (EVA) has operated as a non-profit organisation committed to serving the interests of the European coffee service and vending industry in relation to EU institutions and other relevant authorities and bodies. The EVA operates as an internationally recognised association governed by Belgian law and its membership comprises 15 European National Associations representing 16 countries, as well as 78 corporate members. EVA members also include the National Automatic Merchandising

20 www.foodchainmagazine.com

European Vending Association

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Association (NAMA) and European Drinking Water Cooler Association (EDWCA) as associate members, with overlapping synergies and interests throughout the international vending industry.

“The EVA was founded in Brussels so that it could be close to other industry associations. Brussels is the capital of power within Europe, so it was important for the vending industry to be represented there with its own office to manage legislation and to be close to key decision makers,” elaborates Director General, Erwin Wetzel. “The vending industry covers a lot of generalised areas such as packaging and nutritional information that can be covered by other associations, but also covers more specialised areas that require a targeted representative.”

In accordance to EVA statutes, the association’s members are divided into five distinct categories, ranging from full members to associate organisations and supporting companies. Its members cover a broad spectrum of industry sectors within the coffee service and

vending market. While its national associations and corporate members have different sizes and resources, they share a common objective of serving and promoting the vending industry with national authorities and to the EU. The various aspects of the coffee and vending industry covered by EVA members include machines, such as table tops, freestanding, combimachines, coffee, cans & bottles, snacks, ice cream and hot meals; cups in paper or plastics; ingredients (milk, coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, snacks, etc); water filters; coin mechanisms; banknote validators; cashless systems utilising cards, tokens, keys and contactless payments; and security systems.

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During November 2016 the association will host its second EVEX event in France, where members and supporting partners will be able to discuss important developments

Market trends Vending represents an important and growing market within Europe and includes a significant manufacturing sector with plants principally located within Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. There are currently approximately 3.74 million vending machines in Europe, 2.2 million of which dispense hot drinks with the vast majority of these comprising tabletop coffee machines. These machines are commonly located in offices and businesses, corresponding to an average of 140 European workers for every hot drinks machine. Across Europe, the industry employs more than 85,000 individuals directly within some 10,000 companies. Throughout Europe the annual turnover of the business amounts to around €11.8 billion. The largest markets within Europe in the coffee service and vending industry are currently Italy, France, the UK, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, which in total make up around 77 per cent of the total European market.

WITH BRITA PROFESSIONAL. Enhance your vending business’s profitability.

BRITA’s PURITY filtration systems improve the quality of the water used to prepare hot beverages in your vending machine. Moreover, BRITA-enhanced water extends the service life of your equipment.

Discover the difference now: www.brita.net

THINK YOUR WATER

Why repair when you can prevent?

Increase quality and extend the service life of your vending machines.

Every day, countless cups of hot beverages are purchased from vending machines. Preparing the perfect beverage in a vending machine requires a combination of factors. Reliable operation, attractive cups, user-friendly equipment – and a dependable source of excellent water – are all crucial to producing the right result, and the right revenue. All factors are equally important, but one topic is on the rise.

“If your business wants to stand out from the crowd and win customer loyalty, you need to offer products of consistently great quality”, explains Dr. Hilmar Walde, Chief Technology Officer at the leading water technology company BRITA and member of the EVA board.

Taste and appearance have become key differentiators for quality.

Coffee is a prime example. Ideally, it should match the standards today’s discerning consumers expect from a barista-staffed café. However,

contains a balanced mix of minerals, such as calcium and sodium.

Only then it has the ideal hardness for brewing hot beverages such as coffee”, he highlights.

Still service and maintenance is the key to profitability and revenue.

that means more than just rich flavor – appearance, including a classic

Therefore BRITA’s filtration systems have been designed for ease of

crema, also plays an important role. But one swallow does not make a

operation. Installation and servicing, including filter replacement,

summer – it is only a consistency within the customer’s experience that

are simple and intuitive. BRITA Professional products offer a variety

creates trust.

of tried-and-tested features: a pivoting wall mount for the filter head enables cartridges to be replaced quickly and smoothly, without special tools. The hoses remain attached to the filter head, and the machine can continue to operate thanks to an integrated bypass system. A convenient interlocking ensures that. Moreover, the filter can be rinsed and drained at the touch of a button – with no risk of water leakage.

Water as main ingredient in your recipe for success.

BRITA’s PURITY filtration systems improve the quality of the water used to prepare hot beverages in your vending machine. Moreover, BRITA-enhanced water extends the service life of your equipment.

All key components that come into contact with water are reliably protected against limescale and deposits of unwanted minerals, such as gypsum. By guarding against damage in this way, you can increase the operational availability of your valuable equipment. And by avoiding repairs and reducing maintenance effort, you generate savings that

Water of the finest quality – and easy maintenance.

boost your bottom line.

Dr. Walde asserts: “We have extensive hands-on

A beverage is only as good as its ingredients. And that applies to vending

experience of your industry.

machines, too. Aromatic coffee beans and fine teas are all-important.

As a result, we understand

But so, too, is the water that goes into each and every cup. Dr. Walde

that the combination of

points to the scientific research provided by BRTA and other mayor

excellent service – provided

players in the market like the SCAE organization: “Water has a significant

by trained professionals –

impact on the taste, aroma, and appearance of the final product.”

and user-friendly technology

Any good water filtration systems turn mains water into a liquid ideally suited to the specific needs of your vending machine. “The filtered water

is key to ensuring high equipment availability.”

European Vending Association As such a large and increasingly diverse market, the vending industry is subject to the trends of several industry sectors as well as the changing requirements of international and national legislation. The EVA provides a vital platform and single point of contact to represent and promote the needs of its members. In December 2014 for example, new European legislation was introduced that had a significant impact on foodservice operators and vendors throughout the market. EU Food Information Regulation No 1169/2011 (FIR), also known as Food Information for Consumers Regulation (FIC), relates to the way that operators and their suppliers label and describe nutritional and allergy information on packaging.

“FIC represented a significant challenge to the vending industry, however the EVA was able to exclude the vending machines themselves from legislation that would have meant that operators would had to provide information relating to pre-packed foods on the machines.

For products including snacks, pre-packed sandwiches and canned drinks the requirement is to provide the information regarding nutrition and allergies after the purchase of these items on the item’s packaging,” Erwin reveals. “However for non pre-packed foods and drinks, such as hot chocolate

and coffee it has been required since 2014 to display this information on the machine.”

FeelGood project Today the EVA continues to serve its membership and the wider needs of the vending industry within Europe. During November 2015 the association hosted its first European Vending Experience (EVEX), in association with the Spanish vending association (ANEDA). The event was held in Malaga, Spain and included seminars, workshops and networking opportunities to operators and supporters at every level of the vending industry. The event also hosted two keynote speakers who discussed important trends within the vending industry, including the further development of healthy options in vending machines and the need for technological innovation to deliver a positive and meaningful experience to customers.

To help spearhead the further introduction of a healthy choice of food products within vending machines the EVA is a member of the EU Platform for Diet, Nutrition and Physical Activity, which was established by the European Commission. One of the commitments promoted by the EVA via this platform is the FeelGood project that is currently in operation within France. “The

FeelGood logo is now used on over 4000 machines throughout France. It is a special label that has been approved by the French Ministry of Health as well as nutritional bodies and is designed to give an indication that the machine contains healthier food options,” Erwin explains. “To be awarded this label, the machine must contain products from five categories compromised of water, cereals, dairy products, fruits and vegetables. This is a project that we support at the local level and we would like to see it take off in other countries.”

During 2016 and beyond the EVA will continue to support its members as the vending industry continues to evolve and address new challenges and opportunities. During November 2016 the association will host its second EVEX event in France, where members and supporting partners will be able to discuss important developments including the ongoing delivery of healthy food options and the upcoming EU ban on fluorinated greenhouse gases (F gases) in new equipment like refrigeration systems of chilled vending machines. The ban on F gases is due to come into effect during 2022 and represents one of the many areas in which the EVA will assist its members over the coming years. D www.vending-europe.eu

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Finely

crafted

With over two decades of proven experience, Zip Technologies is a manufacturer of brewing equipment with a passion for delivering turnkey brewing solutions to the brewpub, craft brewery and microbrewery industries

O

perating from the Hungarian city of Miskolc, Zip Technologies is a forward thinking provider of finely crafted brewing equipment, with a goal of making brewing as enjoyable and seamless as possible by bringing to a small scale the technology and automation that is usually exclusively enjoyed by larger breweries. “The idea of producing brewing equipment grew

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from a simple intention to start brewing ourselves,” reveals the Founder and Executive Director, Lászlo Tóth. “At the beginning of 1993, the market offer for craft breweries was quite scant and was mainly represented by a couple of companies, producing for big industrial breweries. Not having found the desired capacity, we gathered a group of talented engineers and created the very first type of Zip craft brewery. The idea found a

Zip Technologies

configurations. “With time the driving concept behind the business came into shape – we wanted to create equipment that was unique in every detail, with parts that can only be found in a Zip brewery,” Lászlo elaborates. “Today Zip delivers equipment for small scale beer production that is suitable for beginners in brewing with a genuine passion to brew, just like we were at the beginning. Through the automation of all of the brewing processes, Zip is able to ease the brewmasters’ life and leave space for creation and experiment. Based on traditional brewing techniques with automation at hand, we provide a professional starting kit that helps the brewer grow through experience.”

True beer lovers

positive response and soon we had more and more requests for small brewing kits, particularly from Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

Those were experimental breweries, which were tested together with our customers.”

Beginning with just a single type of brewing equipment, Zip gradually grew to offer 50 varied solutions comprising of different designs, capacities and

The Brewhouse Restaurant represents Zip’s contribution to a new generation of brewpubs and brewing restaurants that share one common goal – to promote the beer and gastronomy concept

Zip’s main focus is geared towards brewmasters and brewing enthusiasts, including individuals who have been involved in the brewing industry for years and want to develop a brewery of their own, entrepreneurs from a host of industries who are ready to invest in new projects, restaurant owners in search of new ideas and home brewers with some brewing experience looking to expand their capacities. Throughout all of its applications, Zip’s client base is comprised of people who are true beer lovers.

Today Zip continues to operate from its 5000m2 manufacturing plant, from where it develops bespoke equipment for its clients. “Although we have grown in recent years, we want to preserve the status of a craft manufacturer and not the feel of a large industrialised product supplier,” Lászlo explains. “Along with industrial equipment for cutting and treating the stainless steel rolls and sheets before shaping them into vessels, a lot of work, such as welding is done manually. We have around 100 employees of whom at least 40 are engineers and experienced specialists including mechanical and food and beverage processing engineers, as well as welders, cooling engineers, technicians, fitting specialists and programmers. Ninety-five per cent of our equipment is produced by Zip without any outsourcing.”

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Competition success

Tecnofondi S.p.A TECNOFONDI SPA STAINLESS STEEL DISHED HEADS. Tecnofondi S.p.A is an Italian company located in the province of Brescia, which since 1965 has produced dished heads for the construction of tanks, cisterns and boilers.

The production takes place in two separate divisions: The Division of Stainless Steel Heads was created in 2004, and is separated from the main building and thus allows the company to produce stainless steel heads through machinery and equipment specially developed for the processing of stainless steel. Furthermore, after production heads can be polished up to a mirror finish.

In total the business has 44 employees, ten in the office and 34 in the production. It can support the following languages: Italian, German, French and English.

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Zip also operates its Brewhouse Restaurant, which opened during 2012, featuring five brewmasters on staff as well as a selection of seasonal and speciality beers. “The Brewhouse Restaurant represents Zip’s contribution to a new generation of brewpubs and brewing restaurants that share one common goal – to promote the beer and gastronomy concept. The most prominent feature of the restaurant is its on-site brewery, with the beers being served straight from the tanks to the table taps,” says International Sales and Marketing Manager, Anna Svibovich. “In 2014 we presented our beers for the first time at most of the world’s most popular beer competitions and cups to great success. For example Zip’s Imperial Stout won Dublin’s Craft Beer Cup for 2014 and later the Diamond Cup in the European Beer Competition, while our 2013 Xmas Ale won a gold award at the

Zip Technologies Alltech Commonwealth Craft Beer Cup in Lexington. We brew many popular beers under the Zip brand including ales, pale, ales and lagers. Among the most recent of which are the Pineapple Noir Black saison speciality beer, Instead of Innocence IPL, Hopiverzum Black IPA and our Don’t Panic blond ale. Many recipes are created in co-operation with our Scandinavian, American and English partners and currently we are working on recipes of sour beers that appeal to the hearts of connoisseurs of beer and fruity beers.

The main priority is placed on the use of only natural fruit without concentrates or sweeteners.”

Over the years Zip has enjoyed great success at several global brewing industry events and its presently keen to explore opportunities to expand its market presence in the US, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Germany, Asia, India and Africa. “It goes without saying that industry events and competitions are the main venues for meeting prospective customers, as well as chance to reunite with the existing and past clients. The events provide an opportunity to exhibit our new developments, equipment and services and a place to meet industry peers and competitors to learn new techniques.

They also help us to stay tuned and be aware of the emerging trends in craft brewing,” Anna concludes. “Throughout 2016 and beyond, we will continue to work to enlarge the geography of our sales in the European market with a focus on increasing service works in-line with increased demand.” D www.zipbier.com

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Passionate

creators Delivering award winning frozen foods and ready meals, KK Fine Foods represents a trusted supplier to pubs and wholesalers throughout the UK

Samir Edwards & Leyla Edwards

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S

ince the company was first established in the kitchen of its founder and current CEO Leyla Edwards during 1987, KK Fine Foods has grown into a leading brand in the delivery of high quality meat, fish and vegetarian meal solutions to the UK pub and wholesale sectors. From its base in Northern Wales the business has nurtured a trusted reputation in the supply of frozen foods and ready meals and fostered strong relationships with some of the UK’s leading brands.

KK Fine Foods was originally founded to produce a comprehensive range of vegetarian frozen foods and following the success of the business the company later diversified into the manufacture of foods incorporating meat, poultry and fish. This resulted in an unprecedented

demand for its products that has enabled KK Fine Foods to grow from a small business into a mid-sized market leader, twice winning the Welsh SME of the year award.

The company today employs in excess of 250 people at its Deeside location, having completed a £4.2 million expansion project in 2015. The investment into additional manufacturing space and new equipment created as many as 90 new jobs within the business and increased its production capacity to more than £40 million worth of frozen food in a year.

More recently during November 2015, KK Fine Foods announced the creation of an additional 100 jobs with the further investment of £833,000 into the business following the award of several major contracts from key customers.

The investment will enable KK Fine Foods to create a third production hall including new freezing facilities and cooking lines, as well as new equipment and IT control systems to increase productivity and efficiency. “This latest expansion is part of our strategic longterm growth plans which we have been able to bring forward thanks to recently winning several new contracts that widen our presence across the market place,” explains Managing Director Samir Edwards. “It will enable us to meet the growing demand from some of our key customers and we anticipate it will increase our turnover to £40 million within three years.”

The announcement of the company’s latest round of investment coincided with an exciting end of 2015 for the firm, with the KK Fine Foods winning the coveted British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) Catering Product of the Year prize at a prestigious gala dinner. The company was awarded Catering Product Of The Year 2015 for its Korean Spicy Vegetable Curry as well as the competition’s gold, silver and bronze awards. As well as taking the competition’s top prize, KK Fine Foods’ Korean Spicy Vegetable Curry also won the gold award for ‘Best New Meat Free/Vegetarian Product’, while its Slow Cooked Roasted Shredded Pork achieved the silver award for ‘Best New Multi-Portion Product’ and its Pumpkin,

KK Fine Foods Kale and Sweet Red Onion Tart claimed the bronze award in the Best New Meat Free/Vegetarian Product category.

“KK Fine Foods’ profile has increased considerably after winning a string of awards at the 2015 BFFF Gala Dinner.

These awards, combined with our ongoing investment in the business and high quality innovative range of recipes and dishes, is a winning combination and has resulted in significant new orders from our customers,” reveals CEO Leyla Edwards. “Managing Director Samir Edwards is driving sales forward with a young and dedicated team of new product development chefs who are aware of the ever changing trends in food consumption based on global innovation.”

“We had an amazing evening and these awards demonstrate

ago there was no demand for Korean curry, but through remaining at the forefront and predicting the development we have been right on the money in terms of the timing of the product, and the feedback has been that it’s been one

our commitment as a business to continually deliver quality, innovative and great tasting products to our valued customers,” Samir adds. “Twelve months

of the best products available.”

The development of new products within KK Fine Foods begins with the company’s passionate product

development team, which creates dishes with the aid of market research to determine current industry trends.

The firm’s ‘Product Champions’ then take on a hands-on role throughout the factory by training teams in new product preparation and make-up to ensure that its dishes not only taste great, but also look authentic to their respective country of origin. Only once the new dishes are given an all-important seal of approval do the new products finally enter full production. “For us, it is all about relationships and delivering what you say you are going to deliver,” Samir concludes. “As a family owned business, there is a lot more passion, a lot more energy, and ultimately care and attention. Building upon our experience within the food business, our aim is that clients look to us to develop solutions, and that we are always their first point of call for every brief.” D www.kkfinefoods.co.uk

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CPS Case Packing Systems congratulates Oerlemans Waalwijk CPS Case Packing Systems congratulates Oerlemans Waalwijk with their modernized production line. The relationship with Oerlemans goes back to 2005 with the delivery of four fully automatic case packer CP201 lines in Broekhuizervorst, and several lines in Poland for packing frozen potato products and vegetables at high speed. The casepacker lines executed with features like a low noise rumble section distributing the product in the bag with air expel unit. Bag collecting belts and possibly turned or overlapped before entering the case packer. The case packer unit has a menu-controlled bag compressing system on the bomb doors in order to compact bag formations to the carton inner sizes. This all to pack frozen food quick and solid in transport cases. The new Oerlemans distinguished case packer line has extra features.

The lines can pack beside the pillow bag also doystyle bags in alternating format packing in American Style cases. This features is developed by CPS to comply with the packing demands of Oerlemans. This makes the CP201 case packer multifunctional in packing different bags and packing formats.

CPS Case Packing Systems has the knowledge and proven experience to pack flexible and semi flexible packaging. Due to the fact that flexible bags are not stackable you need a special way of packing. Through the years has CPS Case Packing Systems got the knowledge and experience to handle flexible packaging in a way where speed, product handling and more product packed per m3 are increased.

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The CP 201 Casepacker will pack more product per m3 than is possible by hand for Oerlemans. This will reduce costs as production costs, stock and transport costs.

CPS: making the impossible packable A Case packer line can be built with several modules like in-feed systems, metal detectors, leak detection, check weighing, devices to level, spread and devide products. CPS Case Packing Systems listens to their customers and reduces the customers packaging costs by supplying a sophisticated packaging line.

Oerlemans Foods Group

Inspired by

nature

With close to four decades of industry experience, Oerlemans Foods Group specialises in producing private label freshly frozen vegetables, fruit and potato solutions to the Retail, Foodservices and Industry segments

F

ounded in 1977 as ‘Oerlemans Diepvries Centrale BV’ by Dutch entrepreneur Mr. Oerlemans, the Oerlemans Foods Group (Oerlemans) has today grown to employ circa 700 members of staff across the four production facilities and central offices. The company has developed a strong presence inside both Northern and Eastern Europe from its current headquarters in Venlo within the Netherlands. In addition to its manufacturing facilities located in the Netherlands and Poland, Oerlemans also manages regional offices within the UK and Poland as well as a further office in

Andre Hendriks

Moscow. Throughout its history Oerlemans has grown to export to customers within the retail and foodservice markets across 50 countries globally and continues to deliver a market driven and innovative service.

“Mr. Oerlemans was a visionary who clearly saw the potential and value of the fresh frozen market and as such Oerlemans was one of the first companies to focus in the area of fresh frozen food sourcing and production. Building the Oerlemans company from 1977 onwards means that the business has built up a great history of experience in the production of fresh frozen vegetables, fruit and potato products,” explains CEO, Andre Hendriks. “Oerlemans has the control of the full value chain from field to fork and works together with its loyal famers based in the Netherlands and Poland to ensure the best raw materials to process according to the highest quality standards.

Nowadays the Oerlemans Foods Group is delivering a full product portfolio, focused on private label excellence. By bringing inspiring fresh frozen solutions to the market to help our customers to grow the category.”

Oerlemans was previously featured in FoodChain magazine during June 2015, when Andre discussed the importance of innovation across the food industry as well as a growing appreciation of the freshness of frozen foods. Where previously frozen

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products may have been undervalued, today consumers & customers are increasingly aware of the benefits of the fresh-frozen sector. Most vegetable products arrive at the Oerlemans production facilities within only four hours of harvest, meaning that they are incredibly fresh having been harvested at their peak and immediately frozen on arrival. This means that the resulting products that are manufactured by Oerlemans retain high levels of freshness as well as their important vitamins, fibres and minerals.

The growing demand for fresh and healthier foods has generated new trends and opportunities across the food and beverage industry that has helped to generate increased business for Oerlemans and its clients. “What you typically see throughout the market is the fresh frozen category is of increasing importance to retailers and food service customers. This is linked to the growth

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of fresh frozen concepts such as fruit smoothies and meals for example, in line with the growing trend for the consumer who are more and more looking for healthy, easy to prepare and tasty food offerings.

“There are new innovative food solutions entering into the market that are targeted towards those consumer needs and are selling very well generally.

The awareness of consumers regarding fruit and vegetable intake has had a positive impact on the fresh food market and with this development more retailers are linking the fresh market with the fresh frozen goods,” Andre elaborates.

“Next to the increasing health awareness, I see that the fresh frozen market is of increasing interest to the consumer because of the benefits it has in terms of convenience and the simplicity of preparation and storage of frozen fresh foods. Another element that I see will benefit the fresh frozen market is the

growing public awareness of food waste, which is eliminated by fresh frozen food because consumers are able to use these products only when they really need them. As a result of above positive indicators, we have seen increased attention from consumers, and with this from our customers, and as a result producers & customers will be interested in developing further interesting solutions that are in line with these trends. These are all really positive developments

Oerlemans Foods Group for the future of our business and the market in general.”

Further to the growing demand for healthy food options, there is an increasing expectation for food safety and transparency in food production. To meet the challenges of both greater demand in potato and vegetable products as well as for high quality manufacturing processes, Oerlemans has continued to invest in its facilities by doubling the size of its potato factory in Broekhuizenvorst while relocating its vegetable production to Oerlemans’ dedicated vegetable production facility in Waalwijk. As well as allowing the company to increase its manufacturing capacity, the on-going investment of Oerlemans into its facilities has helped the business to obtain high levels of certification in food safety.

During September 2015 for example, the company underwent an unannounced BRC International Standards (BRC) and an International Food Standard (IFS) audit, with Oerlemans again earning a high level of certification. “The demand for food safety is growing as consumers and authorities increasingly expect that the food we eat should offer the highest levels of quality and security. At Oerlemans we are constantly investing in and ensuring the adequate availability from field to fork, the nutritional adequacy, and the safety of the food supply which has become increasingly complex and requires substantial and continuous focus. We are proud to have earned over the last years a high certification in both IFS and BRC,” Andre says.

“We are making significant investments in innovating and delivering the best in fresh frozen fruit, vegetables and potatoes. This will allow us to meet the rising demand but also produce more efficiently with an even better outcome, while meeting the evolving expectations of our customer base. We have invested for example in a new packaging line in Waalwijk and recently installed a state-of-the-art fryer for our potatoes in Broekhuizenvorst together with a new filtering system,” he continues. “We have decided that our mission is ‘To be the best private label supplier of fresh frozen vegetable, fruit and potato solutions in Europe.’ This is quite a statement, as it

means that we really have to be much better than the market on some essential competencies. I see that this has to be achieved mostly through really good customer service and innovative capacity to make a difference as a medium-sized enterprise like Oerlemans.”

The company’s strategy to operate as the leading fresh frozen provider through Europe is supported by the Oerlemans Foodlab, which enables the company

to network directly with suppliers and customers to develop market-leading products in line with current consumer trends. “Our Foodlab is the centre of innovation and inspiration, we believe in agile and flexible development together with our main customers who are looking for category growth initiatives,” Andre concludes. “Innovation in Oerlemans is enabled by our unique capability to proactively support the concept development needs of our strategic customers with the aim to drive category growth as well differentiation by bringing fresh frozen inspiration to the shopper community of our customers. This means that we invite our main customers on a regular basis in our Foodlab to come together to codevelop unique and innovative solutions.

We as an industry have so much to offer in bringing excitement into the fresh frozen category and the consumers are ready for it!” D www.oerlemans-foods.com

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Five star

service

As part of the Exclusive brand, the three AA Rosette Avenue Restaurant at Lainston Country House Hotel maintains the group’s fundamental values to deliver high quality food that is both creative and progressive

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laced elegantly in 63 acres of beautiful Hampshire parkland, just two miles from the ancient city of Winchester, the Grade II listed Lainston Country House allows guests to enter a world of historic charm that is seamlessly mixed with contemporary elegance. Currently operating as a five star luxury hotel, this enchanting 17th century William and Mary house endeavours to deliver optimum quality to guests by following the five star standard of service that is provided at all other hotels under the Exclusive umbrella, as James Mearing, Sous Chef at Lainston Country House Hotel’s restaurant The Avenue begins: “Exclusive has a few properties that are five star hotels, such as Pennyhill Park and the Manor House, so we aim to deliver the same level of luxury as other hotels within the group by maintaining the same fundamental values and traits.

Examples of these traits would include the fact we have lavish rooms that offer real luxury to guests, as well as the fact we have a very strong food offering.

“Here at Lainston we have Olly Rouse as our Head Chef; he has worked at the vineyard with John Campbell for a long time, has cooked at two Michelin star restaurants and has earned a Michelin Star in his own right. Working with Ollie, we in the kitchen are progressive and creative when it comes to the food we offer to customers. For example we create our own home made pro-biotic beverages which are packed with vitamins and digestive enzymes. We also grow our own food and herbs in our fantastic kitchen garden which is open for guests to come and view, and also see our birds of prey, whilst there,” he adds.

Proud to challenge themselves when it comes to creating dishes that delight the senses, chefs at The Avenue undertake a thorough and open approach when developing the menu in line with changing seasons, as James comments: “It is an open forum for all chefs in the kitchen to input ideas, which we believe creates a more productive atmosphere as everyone feels like they are a part of

Lainston Country House Hotel the dish development process. Whoever then comes up with a dish will present it to myself, Olly and Joe, the senior chefs, who will then taste and discuss whether any changes need to be made to the food. Once this part of the process is complete we will then do a tasting for all members of the kitchen; we will then take photographs and type up each recipe before it is sent through our recipe database where it is made easily available on iPads for all departments of the hotel, to utilise the information for their particular requirements.

“Following this development we then have a tasting for the restaurant team so everyone is aware of changes we have made and provided knowledge on how the dishes are constructed as well as what the ingredients are so they have answers for any questions from guests.

Once all of these parts of the process are complete, the dish is ready to go live.”

within this menu is the new star of the show: pressa iberica, which he sourced himself and built a great dish around.

Sourcing and traceable provenance is a key part of Lainston; everything we use is analysed and sourced and tested to make sure it is the very best we can offer. For those wanting food at the bar, we offer dishes such as burgers that have been sourced from our local buffalo farm that is based just a few minutes down the road. We are always

progressing and improving to ensure all dishes are the very best we can offer.”

Alongside this commitment to sustainability and quality, Lainston, in line with the Exclusively Green programme set up by its parent company, has continued with a number of initiatives to reach the group’s overall aim of being ‘zero direct to landfill’. One example of this is the group’s trial for a sophisticated boiler management system at Lainston House in 2008, which stops the boiler from running when it is not

Buffalo burger To make the most of its harvest from the kitchen garden and its suppliers’ best ingredients, the menus at The Avenue are often changed to ensure guests receive optimum quality foods at their most fresh. Those seeking the highest quality ingredients that are skillfully prepared and artfully presented, the restaurant’s award-winning a la carte dining menu includes starters such as crab tortellini, with cauliflower, pomegranate and peanuts and main courses such as pork with smoked pork rib, sweet potato and apple.

Discussing recent innovations on the menu, James says: “Our tasting menu has just been changed and our Sous Chef Joe worked very hard on this; one example of the high quality

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Lainston Country House Hotel needed; in a two week trial the system saves 27 per cent energy consumption.

Lainston House also now works with Yates Disposables, a company that provides it with 100 per cent recycled toilet paper, kitchen roll and bio-degradeable tissue paper. “We won the Green Award in 2015, which shows the levels we go to and what we strive for. We try to ensure we are the best we can be in every area of the business, whether that is food we are offering or the property that the guest is staying in,” says James.

Fun and relaxed One way Lainston House and its chefs will continue this level of quality is through its Exclusive Academy, which is breeding chefs for the future, as James explains: “As a group we have an academy that takes on 12 chefs each year; these chefs go through a two year programme, which includes cookery classes, day trips to visit suppliers and working with some great

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chefs in our group. The chefs will then be filtered into the group’s kitchens for work experience.” This kitchen is also home to Season, an Exclusive cookery school that offers a diverse range of classes to customers, as James continues: “The cookery school was introduced just over a year ago and was a £1 million pound development that enabled us to open our kitchen for cookery lessons to the public.”

With the cookery school increasing in demand and the five star Lainston House undergoing renovation over the next 12

months to become more modernised and informal, James has a positive outlook for the future of the hotel and the level of service it will provide guests. “We will be continuing with the luxury element of what we offer, while also making the hotel more relaxed; we want to make the dining room a bit more interactive and fun rather than formal. There isn’t any real change in direction, it is more about progressing and improving on what we already offer,” he concludes. D www.lainstonhouse.com

FoodChain The business of food and drink

Schofield Publishing Ltd

10 Cringleford Business Centre Intwood Road l Cringleford l Norwich l NR4 6AU T: +44 (0)1603 274130 | F: +44 (0)1603 274131 Editor Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove jwoolsgrove@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales Rob Wagner rwagner@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

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