GROCER ™
At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
AUGUST 2013
ULSTER
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CONTENTS
50-57
Volume 48, Number 7 August 2013
Ulster Grocer is published by Greer Publications 5B Edgewater Business Park, Belfast Harbour Estate, BELFAST BT3 9JQ Tel: 028 9078 3200 Fax: 028 9078 3210 Web: www.greerpublications.com Subscription: £27.50 per annum £37.50 outside UK Designed & Produced by: Greer Publications Design Tel: 028 9078 3200 Printed by: W&G Baird, Antrim Tel: 028 9446 3911
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Page 4: Introduction to the inaugural Top 25 edition by James Greer, Publisher of Ulster Grocer.
Page 11: The first of a new series of features profiling Managers from the local off-trade sector starting with Marc Brown from Lavery’s Belfast, and sponsored by Bacardi Brown-Forman brands.
Pages 14 – 15: Brian McCalden reports on the Today’s local store in Sandy Row, Belfast.
Pages 21 – 47: Top 25: Countdown of Northern Ireland’s top 25 local food companies, sponsored by NI Trucks and Star Rentals, includes a special message from Michelle O’Neill, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, as well as commentary and analysis from leading professionals throughout the industry. Greer Publications © 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Greer Publications.
Pages 50 – 57: In the Lunchbox: This feature showcases a range of new and revamped products available on the market in time for the start of the new school term.
Page 62: This month’s Trade People features Andrea Keers, NI Retail Sales Manager from Musgrave Wholesale Partners & DayToday.
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Contents
Editor: Louise Murphy E: louisemurphy@greerpublications.com Advertising Manager: Karen Graham E: karengraham@greerpublications.com Senior Accounts Manager: Michelle Kearney E: michellekearney@greerpublications.com Art Editor: Catherine Mercer Deputy Art Editor: Karen Donnelly Production Manager: Stuart Gray Accounts: Gerardine Carson Publishers: James and Gladys Greer
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ULSTER GROCER
email: louisemurphy@greerpublications.com
Publisher of Ulster Grocer and managing director of Greer Publications, James Greer welcomes you to our first Top 25 listing of food companies in Northern Ireland.
Welcome to the Top 25 countdown – 1st Edition N
ow more than forty years at the heart of the local food sector, Ulster Grocer is counting down the Top 25 listed food companies in Northern Ireland in our summer edition. Ranked by turnover, and using the most up-to-date data from our research partner Dun & Bradstreet, we are confident the information will be of interest to business professionals throughout Northern Ireland. UK-based multiples like Tesco, Asda, etc which do not separate their figures for Northern Ireland are not included. The Top 25 is a snapshot of the local food companies who are continuing to thrive and develop in spite of the challenges facing them. The list includes food manufacturers like Moy Park, turning over £1bn, to processors as well as foodservice, wholesale, and distribution companies from a turnover of £16m. The agri-food sector is estimated to be worth more than £4bn to the local economy and employs almost 100,000 people in Northern Ireland. The market is set to grow over coming years with the First 4
and Deputy First Ministers recently launching a Strategic Action Plan by the Agri-Food Strategy Board (AFSB). The plan includes more than 100 recommendations aimed at accelerating the growth of farming, fishing and food and drink processing in Northern Ireland to 2020 and beyond. At a time when there is a lot of positivity surrounding the food
industry, we believe this review bears testament to this, and in years to come that the Ulster Grocer listing will grow in stature and achieve the success and popularity of our leading sister publication Ulster Business’ Top 100 edition.
James Greer Publisher Ulster Grocer
Putting your brands in the spotlight
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NEWS
Asda Serve Up £1/2 million deal for local Armagh supplier, Gilfresh Produce A sda NI has reinforced its continuing commitment to Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector with the announcement of a substantial £500,000 contract with Armaghbased vegetable supplier, Gilfresh. William Gilpin, Owner and General Manager of Gilfresh said: “We enjoy a great relationship with Asda and the Supplier Development Academy has been an excellent tool to help us grow our business. We are continuously looking for ways to improve our offering and deliver the best and most convenient products for our customers. This improved offering to customers has also been made possible by our new high care food preparation facility, part-funded by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development which has helped us to meet our customer demand.” David Quigg, local buyer for Asda NI, commented: “At Asda, we are totally committed to supporting the NI food sector. We continue to work closely with local companies such as Gilfresh to support Northern Ireland businesses with initiatives such as our Supplier Development Academy and regular ‘Meet the Buyer’ events. We are always eager to expand our local vegetable
Pictured (l-r) with the new Gilfresh prepared lines are David Quigg Regional Buyer for Asda NI and Scotland, William Gilpin and Danielle Mitchell of Gilfresh and Billy Clelland Quality Manager for Asda NI
sourcing and are delighted that such a significant contract will benefit the local economy and result in the shortest possible journey from field to fork for our customers’
food.” The new prepared range from Gilfresh is available in all 16 Asda stores throughout Northern Ireland.
WIN A HAMPER FROM Robert Roberts has been roasting coffee and blending tea in Ireland since 1905. Available in three varieties, Morning Roast, All Day Roast and After Dinner blend, Robert Roberts NI Coffee is sold in all leading Northern Ireland retailers. Recently revamped with a more contemporary design, our coffee packaging now feature iconic imagery of two of Northern Ireland’s best known landmarks, the Giant’s Causeway and the Grand Opera House in Belfast, as well as an image of the world’s famous ship, Titanic. For the chance to win a fabulous hamper from Robt. Roberts, please answer the following question:
Q. Name two N.I. best known landmarks featured on robt roberts coffee packaging: To enter, text GREERHAMPER, plus your name, address and daytime telephone number to 60777 before 1st September 2013 Prize is as stated, no cash alternative, prize may differ from image shown. Texts cost £1 plus your usual network rate. Winners will be selected at random from all entries received before closing date. Usual Ulster Grocer competition rules apply.
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NEWS
Heavenly Tasty in Export Breakthrough in Bahrain
Heavenly Tasty Organics, the Omagh-based manufacturer of organic baby weaning meals, has been helped by Invest Northern Ireland to win business in Bahrain, its first export contract. Pictured (L – R) are James Blair and Shauna McCarney-Blair, Heavenly Tasty Organics, with Barry McBride, Invest NI.
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eavenly Tasty Organics, the Omagh-based manufacturer of organic baby weaning meals, has been helped by Invest Northern Ireland to win business in Bahrain, its first export contract. The award winning small business is supplying fruit and vegetable puree meals to the Al Osra group of stores in the Gulf state. The lead that produced the deal for Heavenly Tasty Organics was provided by an Invest NI food marketing adviser in London. The company’s first business outside the British Isles was announced by Shauna McCarneyBlair, Managing Director and founder of Heavenly Tasty Organics, and welcomed by Barry McBride, Invest NI International Marketing Director. Mrs McCarney-Blair, commenting on the deal, said: “Invest NI’s adviser in London arranged for us to meet a distributor of UK foods to Al Osra. We provided samples of some of our products suitable for Gulf markets and subsequently received an initial order for our fruit and vegetable purees for babies aged seven months and over” Mr McBride said: “This is an immensely encouraging development by Heavenly Tasty Organics, a small company that is showing tremendous commitment to business growth outside Northern Ireland. The company is quick to act positively on expert advice and to follow up business leads provided by the Invest NI team members who have a wealth of contacts in key international markets” Heavenly Tasty Organics, formed in 2011, has also used Invest NI’s Design Development Programme to develop a new corporate identity and more eye catching packaging for its range of 11 baby weaning meals, which are 100 per cent natural and dairy free. In addition nine are gluten-free.
Lisburn Coffee Business on Export Express-O P
ure Roast Coffee in Lisburn is being assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to expand production of coffee pods to meet substantial demand in Great Britain. The company, which has already won new business this year from a major international restaurant chain for two million Easy-Serve-Espresso pods (ESE), has been assisted by Invest NI to increase productivity and efficiency particularly in its coffee grinding operation.
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NEWS
World Leaders Become Best “Spuddies” Over Dinner T
he G8 Summit may go down in history as a political success story for Northern Ireland, but it’s a local supplier, Glens of Antrim Potatoes, that has reaped the rewards of the world leaders’ visit. As the likes of Barack Obama and David Cameron wound down after their gruelling talks, the Lough Erne Resort served up a hearty meal of Braised shin and Fillet of Kettyle Beef, Garden Vegetables and Glens of Antrim’s New Potatoes. When asked about his decision to serve the finest in local cuisine to the visiting dignitaries, Noel McMeel, Executive Head Chef at the Lough Erne Resort & Hotel, commented, “The G8 was the perfect opportunity to showcase the delicious, high-quality and nutritious food that is produced right here in Northern Ireland. The resort only uses the best produce available, and Glens of Antrim Potatoes has consistently delivered on this point. I can’t think of a better accompaniment than a serving of their potatoes. We received lots of positive feedback from the leaders about the spuds - a few even went back for seconds!” Michael McKillop, the Managing Director of Glens of Antrim, has been overwhelmed by the praise heaped on his New Potatoes, commenting, “We cannot think of a better way to propel our brand onto the global stage than to serve our products to some of the top political figureheads of our time and I’m delighted that they’ve been so well-received. It’s a great boost for Northern Ireland’s agri-food industry to have reached the attention of the Summit, and I’m sure we’ll be harvesting the benefit for many years to come.”
Collingwood’s Mace Aghalee Reopening T
o celebrate the re-opening of Collingwood’s Mace Aghalee the store recently held a Family Fun day with a hog roast and face painting for the local community. The event was a massive success with 300 locals celebrating the additional services and new off-licence at the store. Following the event the store had their busiest weekend ever showing the investment is being rewarded already and there has been great feedback from locals. The store will operate extended opening hours and continue to house the town’s Post Office. It will also offer all the great services you expect from a Mace such as PayPoint, Lottery, a free ATM as well as instore internet.
G8 Mania at Lilley’s Centra Drumlyon U
na Lilley, owner of Lilley’s Centra, Drumlyon Enniskillen had a whirlwind of a week when the G8 rolled into town and her innovative local marketing initiative went global! Una, famed locally for creating ice-cream flavours for visiting celebrities or occasions, developed eight ice-creams, one relating to each member state of the G8 for example – Eton Mess for the UK, Nuts about Obama for the USA and Black Forest for Germany. In order to bring the ice-creams to life for customers, caricatures of the countries’ leaders were developed and displayed in the car-park, located conveniently, on the route to the Lough Erne Resort where the G8 meetings were being held. During the course of the week Una was interviewed by local, national and international media outlets including BBC, CNN and Reuters and the images of her caricatures were viewed all over the world carried in both print and digital media such as The New York Times and The Daily Mirror. 10
BACARDI BROWN-FORMAN OFF-SALES PROFILE
Off-Sales profile featuring Marc Brown, Assistant Manager at Lavery’s, Belfast How long have you been in this role? Tell us about your career to date? I have been the Assistant General Manager for one year. I started off working life as a 14-year-old bar waiter in La Mon country house wearing a dickie bow, Bar East (Floral Buildings) as a bar back at 16, I then moved onto the bar at Coyote & Precious as an 18-year-old to then make the move to Lavery’s where I have been for nine years and counting. What were your main aims for the store when you took over this role? As Belfast’s oldest family run bar, history, character and sometimes a good story mean a lot to us. We feel that the best way to enhance our customers experience is to offer our customers a unique opportunity in Northern Ireland to purchase a range of spirits, cigars, ales, champagne and wines that a supermarket or off licence chain won’t stock. To support this endeavour we offer the chance to purchase single measures of sometimes unobtainable gems in our public bar next door in a traditional Irish pub with a bite to eat in front of the fireplace. What do you feel makes the store stand out from its competitors? As a specialty offsales our products speak for themselves from hand rolled cuban cigars, AK47’s filled with vodka imported direct from Poland, very rare no longer produced Old Comber Whiskey to very special Jack Daniels Sinatra Select not yet available in the UK. If there any particular products that a customer would like to see we will always try our best to aquire it for them. If you fancy sampling our range before you buy pick up our Lavery’s Drinktionary which contains a selection of Bourbon, Gin and Rum with free mixers or buy one get a second whiskey half price. Our Jack Daniels menu details our expansive and very popular range. Our proudest purchase has to be our very own Barrel of Jack Daniels which has
Marc Brown (left) outside Lavery’s with Tom Vernon, Jack Daniel’s UK/American Whiskey Ambassador, who recently visited Belfast and spent some time with staff sharing his key knowledge about the brand. Lavery’s recently became the first bar in Ireland to take delivery of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrell.
We will continue to increase our range and introduce the public to intriguing and rare items.” provided us with 288 bottles of Lavery’s Single Barrel Jack Daniels that can be bought by the bottle in our off sales or by the measure in our Public bar. Our range of over 300 spirits is detailed on our website www.laverysbelfast.com. The store stocks quite a wide range of original products, how important is it to you that all staff are fully knowledgeable in the products they are selling? It is very important to us that our staff can not only deliver knowledge and tasting notes of particular products but provide character and personality as well. A key part of enabling our staff is tasting sessions such as our most recent session with brand ambassadors from Bacardi
Brown Forman coming from London to deliver tasting notes, distillation process along with some stories about Jack Daniels himself. What are your plans for the future, in terms of ongoing development? We will continue to increase our range and introduce the public to intriguing and rare items. We are going to take advantage of our import licence to acquire products unique to the UK. If there any particular products that a customer would like to see we will try our best to acquire it for them. Our range of over 300 spirits are detailed on our website www. laverysbelfast.com and we are always adding new and exciting items.
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PERSONAL FOCUS
Gareth Hardy, 36, is the Managing Director of Hardy Brothers, the distributor for Boost Drinks in Northern Ireland is this month’s guest...
In the Hot Seat Tell us about your career to date? I left university after my first year in 1995 to work in my father’s wholesale business, although technically you could say I started working there from when I was two years old! I am pleased to say I finished my business studies degree on a part-time basis whilst working, which was a challenge, but definitely a worthwhile one. We took on distribution of Boost in Northern Ireland in late 2003 and the past few years have been dedicated to the distribution and development of the Boost brand here. What does it take to do your job successfully? Firstly you have to enjoy it, but you also need to be enthusiastic, motivated and persistent. You also need to appreciate and respect your customers, who ultimately are the ones that build your brand – we just start the process and provide the right tools such as great products at great prices and with great promotional support. Why should a retail outlet stock Boost over other energy drinks in the market? We aim to be a valued brand, rather than a value brand, and this is achieved by talking to retailers and wholesalers on a daily basis – we really try to understand their needs and are always willing to listen and learn. We’re the only brand to offer all three types of energy drinks – stimulation, isotonic and glucose. We’re also champions of the independent retail sector so we can really understand what our customers need – we’re here to support them making an enhanced profit, which is why we are all in business, after all. 12
We understand that energy drinks are just a small part of what a retailer has to offer, and we’re here to offer our expertise to deliver what they need. It’s one of the reasons we carefully research all of our new products and ensure that we only offer those that will sell well, based on consumer insights and market intelligence. What is your greatest achievement to date? On a business level it’s helping build Boost to be one of the best known, and hopefully liked, energy drinks brands in Northern Ireland. I’m very proud of what our team has achieved by working together with retailers and wholesalers and long may it continue for all our benefit. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Keep the wife sweet! Whom do you most admire? I admire people who love what they do, and work hard to achieve their goals – thankfully I get to work with a lot of people like that in this industry. WHERE is your favourite place? Definitely Dublin, I have very fond memories from that one year at university! What is your most difficult task? Managing work and family time – it’s a cliché but achieving a great work/life balance is very difficult, particularly when you work for the family firm – it’s hard to put the boundaries in place but we try our best! What do you enjoy most about your job? Working in a family business has many
benefits but I love the fact that no two days are the same and a day rarely turns out the way you plan it – mostly in a good way! The past 12 months have been very busy with Boost including new products such as the two new 500ml Energy cans in both Original and Orange & Mango flavours, new packaging for our flagship Boost Energy range, and a new campaign which was tested in Belfast as well as Glasgow and Leicester and will be rolling out across other major cities later this year. We have also recently extended our own warehouse to allow for more storage and to deal with an increase in demand, so it’s been challenging managing the time, but it’s all worth it as they are great investments for the future of the Boost brand in Northern Ireland. What is your biggest gripe? People who aren’t committed to what they do. Commitment and enjoyment are the keys to success, in my humble opinion. What talent would you most like to have? I would love to be able to see into the future so I would have known this Q&A article was coming up and could have been better prepared! What are your future plans/ ambitions? To continue to build Boost in Northern Ireland by serving and helping our customers. But, ultimately, I want to see Boost in every chiller in Northern Ireland. How do you relax? Sundays (or most Sundays – see my earlier answer about work/life balance!) are my only day off and it’s a day spent with my family.
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Join Today’s and you’ll get a brand new fascia, fantastic store layouts and all the support you’ll ever need, without losing any of your independence. To find out how we can help unlock the potential of your business contact: S&W Wholesale, Carnbane Industrial Estate, Newry, BT65 6QH Tel: 028 3026 3521 or 028 3025 7700 www.sandwni.com
STORE FOCUS
The Today’s Local store in Sandy Row in south Belfast has captured a significant chunk of the local grocery trade with a mid-summer visit showing that both pricing structure and range are core to this wholesaler-run outlet. Brian McCalden reports.
Value & range are key to Sandy Row success R
un directly by a Local Supervisor and a Regional Manager, the store is a Today’s Local, one of three styles of store that operate in Northern Ireland. Ten staff, both full and part-time, in the 1,800 sq. ft store opens from 7am to 9pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The store opens longer hours to accommodate the local community when required. Maurice Little, from Savage & Whitten (S&W), the Newry-based wholesaler, explained that such flexibility is nothing new. On the day Ulster Grocer visited, branded bargains were much in evidence with around 150 products on sale for just £1, including Diet Coke, which is around half of that in the major multiples. These are all clearly labelled under the “£1 Zones” throughout the store. For this former Mace outlet, there is a stunning range of products at highly competitive prices, with fruit and vegetables
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in both an ambient and chilled display, an in-store ATM for cash, a full range of newspapers and magazines, two display freezers for a variety of frozen goods, a full offering of bread and other goods such as an in-store Cuisine de France bakery, a hot food counter, Piacetto Hot Drinks to Go, and two ice cream fixtures for Dale Farm and Walls as well as a soft scoop facility and a Slushee machine. Added to all this is the National Lottery outlet, a tobacco sales point, and weigh out sweets all nestling behind the scanning tills. Paypoint facility including the increasingly popular Collect+ increases footfall into the store. “The tills are linked directly to the Co. Down wholesaler, so there’s always an ongoing and up-to-date picture of the store’s stock situation available so that deliveries can be matched to need,” said Maurice. The store like all their other local outlets is
serviced by S&W Wholesale which delivers at least twice weekly alongside direct deliveries such as bread and frozen food. Sandy Row doesn’t really get a full trolley shop, being more dependent on the convenience trade from the hundreds of local homes and businesses in the Row and in the lower Donegall Road areas. That said, there’s no reason why most shopping needs couldn’t be met, with even hardware and pet products, right down to dog leads in stock. Even mop and mop buckets have a niche in this virtual Tardis of a store. “It’s not just range though,” continued Maurice. “There’s wholesaler-led marketing support, for example with a three-weekly cycle of offers compiled into a four-page flyer that is distributed around the catchment area which helps considerably.” A Linwoods Wheaten loaf for £1 and Golden Olive spread for the same as well 100g Nescafe for just £2.50 were just some of
STORE FOCUS the products on offer in July, which Maurice puts down to the power of the Today’s Group. “It would simply be impossible for a small independent retailer to negotiate such prices, but that’s what Today’s offers members: “Full support from day one, a range that’s hard to beat and prices that are sure to bring in trade. “We are very pleased with the level of business in Sandy Row even though it has only been in the Today’s family since April 2012 and while physical expansion is next to impossible on the site, we are keen to see this store’s business continue its expansion further. “Based on what has been achieved to date, there’s a lot more to be done.” “There are over 90 Today’s outlets across Northern Ireland and four more in Co Donegal, all are either Today’s Local, Express or Extra,” he said. “All of them benefit from the buying power of the national Today’s Group which in turn is enhanced by membership of NISA so that prices can be kept low and quality and range high. Maurice said that the service to the retailer is a key element to the group’s success: “Once a retailer is recruited, we get a major development plan underway and see the store transformed by our expert staff so the customer and retailer can enjoy membership benefits right away.” “Both individual Today’s retailers and those stores run by S&W are all able to react to local demand and to stock products right across the range.” Maurice concluded by urging local independent retailers to make contact, or to talk to existing Today’s store proprietors to find out how they can also benefit.
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NEWS
IRN-BRU to get retailers through with new TV advert campaign A
G Barr is embarking on heavyweight TV support for IRN-BRU, the No. 1 Flavoured Carbonate1, with its most popular TV advert ‘New Baby’ hitting TV screens across Ulster from 12th August. ‘New Baby’ takes a tongue-in-cheek look at how a sip of the soft drink can help get you through difficult situations. In ‘New Baby’, a sip of IRN-BRU helps a new dad deal with an awkward moment around the naming of his new born daughter. “IRN-BRU has an irrepressible, resilient and optimistic outlook and the advert reflects the cheeky, maverick attitude for which the brand is well-loved,” says Adrian Troy, Head of Marketing for AG Barr. “Things may be grim out there but BRU can be relied on. “The advert reinforces the message that whatever life throws at you, IRN-BRU Gets You Through”. The roll-out of the ‘New Baby’ advert follows its earlier success in Scotland where it became IRN-BRU’s biggest ever online hit – securing more than three million hits on YouTube and trending worldwide. The campaign resulted in £3m of incremental IRN-BRU sales2 highlighting a significant profit opportunity for retailers and building on the success of the brand, which is growing at +7%3. The sugar-free variant is also growing in popularity at +14%,3, making it the leading low calorie flavoured carbonate, delivering sales of more than £1 million every week.4 Troy adds: “The IRN-BRU Gets You Through campaign really engages consumers with the brand and we expect a surge in demand for IRNBRU: retailers should prepare to stock up!” Source 1: Nielsen Scantrack, MAT to 27/04/13, Total UK Impulse; Source 2: Nielsen Scantrack, Vol/Val Sales, MAT to 16/06/12, Total Scotland; Source 3: Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, MAT to 13.10.12, Total UK Impulse; Source 4: Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, MAT to 10.11.12, Total UK Coverage.
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GROCERYAID
The Annual GroceryAid Hog Roast More than 200 representatives from the food and retail sectors were at the Duke of York in Belfast recently to enjoy a long midsummer evening together in aid of GroceryAid, the food industry charity
Hanna Greer, Kirstin Dodsworth, Liam Bradley of Donnelly Bros, and Gladys Greer
Musgrave N.I
Costcutter
Costcutter
Holywood Partnership
Tayto
SHS
Jonathan Verner, Costcutter; David Neill and Ian Fleck, Kerry Foods
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NEWS
The Full English gets a make over
Taste Northern Ireland, hosted by Tesco
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lpen, the Original Swiss Muesli, is gearing up for its biggest advertising campaign in recent years. The No. 1 Muesli brand in the UK is back on TV with a great new £1m campaign. In addition to Alpen Original, Alpen muesli is available in a range of delicious varieties: Raspberry & Apple, Dark Chocolate, Apricot & Almond as well as in No added Sugar. The Alpen range also includes Alpen Bars, Alpen Light Bars, Alpen Porridge and Alpen Porridge Pots to appeal to a wide range of consumers.
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orthern Ireland’s biggest free food & drink festival, Taste Northern Ireland, hosted by Tesco, returns to Custom House Square in Belfast on the weekend of 20th-22nd September. This year’s foodie extravaganza looks set to be even bigger and better than ever before. Northern Ireland’s best loved local producers and chefs will gather for a superb weekend of tasting, cooking and sharing their passion for home-grown food & drink. The event is under cover in a great big marquee in Belfast City Centre and, even better, admission is free! Taste Northern Ireland celebrates and showcases all that’s great about local Northern Ireland food and drink producers. The festival will feature all of the best known local suppliers, alongside some exciting newcomers. The ever-popular event provides an exciting opportunity for consumers to get to know local suppliers a little bit better: meet & greet the growers, bakers and makers, quiz them, taste firm favourites and be the first to sample brand new products The celebrations will run all weekend with family fun, a petting farm, music and a full programme of top local chefs sharing their cooking tips and recipes, using home-grown local produce in a superb demo kitchen arena. Come and share the Tesco love of local food and celebrate Taste Northern Ireland – a fabulous FREE food festival in Custom House Square in the heart of Belfast city centre on the afternoon of Friday 20th and all day Saturday and Sunday 21st and 22nd September. Follow us on www.facebook.com/tastenorthernireland for all the latest news. 8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
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Q&A
‘My Life in the Insurance Sector’ John Kielty, Commercial Director, Autoline Insurance Group What is your current role? I am the Commercial Director with Autoline Insurance Group. I oversee the commercial division across the five branches. This involves looking after the insurance needs of businesses ranging from commercial package policies for corner shops, to fleet insurance for large haulage companies. A brief outline of your employment history to date I have been with Autoline for eight years now starting out as an account manager building up a personal book of clients. Many of these were and still are in the SME sector – for example shop and filling stations, convenience retailers, supermarkets and manufacturers. I then moved on to become the Commercial Manager for the Newry team overseeing the team based at our headquarters, before becoming Commercial Director. Prior to joining Autoline I completed an Accountancy Degree at Queen’s and immediately joined the Progressive Building Society as a trainee manager. I stayed with the Progressive for 12 years before running a recruitment agency in Newry. During my time with the recruitment agency Autoline became a client and I could see how the company was growing so when the opportunity came up to join the team I took it. What does your role involve? It is quite a diverse role involving a mix of managing people and clients with commercial insurance accounting for approximately 40% of Autoline’s business. I have more than 30 people on my team. Ultimately I am responsible for them, the customer services they deliver and their management of the accounts we hold. I also have a responsibility to my own clients and manage my own portfolio on a day to day basis. The requirements of a petrol station are very different to those of an engineering firm therefore it is my role to assess the client’s business and seek the best/most competitive cover to suit their needs. Quite often this involves site visits so I spend a percentage of my time out on site meeting customers, assessing their needs while building and maintaining a relationship. I also have a
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responsibility for driving new business which is an exciting, challenging and rewarding element of the job. When did you take up this post? I have been with Autoline for eight years but have been in my current role for four years. With the acquisitions and new offices over the last number of years we have grown to have offices in Ballymena, Coleraine, Downpatrick and Enniskillen which meant there was a requirement for a Commercial Director to oversee the entire commercial team. This was a post I took on and have continued to grow and develop the role. What are the best/worst parts of your job? The best part of my job is getting out meeting clients and seeing these relationships develop over time. You develop a trust relationship with your clients and can enable them to make savings within their business. It’s great to be able to deliver for local businesses, and gain referrals as a result of the job we have done. I also enjoy the variety in the job balancing between clients and staff, looking after the needs of my team as well as my customers. The worst part of my job is being on the ground and seeing the effect the downturn has had on businesses. There are businesses which have been established and providing employment for many people which unfortunately just haven’t made it through the current difficulties. It is tough to watch a struggling business, large or small, which is trying to do everything it can to stay afloat. Give us a brief outline of what a typical day involves I would often call with clients outside our core business hours, and on many occasions this suits the clients’ schedules much more. My mornings are usually spent with a couple of client appointments, most of the time these are off site. I try to balance my meetings to ensure if I am travelling quite a distance that I can visit several clients during the one journey. When I am in the office I normally catch up on admin, emails, phone calls to clients and the different branches to catch up with the
teams. It is also a regular part of my day to speak to insurers about client issues, deal with claims and also manage any staff items which could arise. It is my role to have a full and comprehensive understanding of all of our commercial business therefore the teams keep me informed and updated on their successes and any difficulties they may be having. On a daily basis I also check, monitor and update the team on how we are performing against targets and carry out budget analysis. What has been the proudest moment of your career to date? The best moment of my career was being appointed as Commercial Director. I am extremely proud to see how the company has developed during the past four to five years from being a relatively small provincial broker to one of the best known local insurance brokers with offices across Northern Ireland. I am very proud to be part of that success story. What is the best thing about being involved with the local retail industry? The best thing about providing a service to the local retail and business sector is how we can get a real understanding of the workings of many companies, large or small and how they do things. There are some fantastic retailing success stories in Northern Ireland and it is important for us to be able to form relationships with the people behind these successes.
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
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N this edition of Ulster Grocer we are counting down the Top 25 local food companies and celebrating their input and dedication within the Northern Ireland food industry in the last year. We have interviewed a number of Industry experts for this section, including, Invest NI’s executive director Mr Barry Mc Bride, Food NI and talk to chairman of the local agricultural food board, Mr Tony O’ Neill. In this section, Barry Mc Bride explains the importance of Northern Ireland’s global standing within the food and drink industry.
He tells us why creating a reputation for good food and great places to eat is helping to strengthen the Northern Ireland economy and providing better employment opportunities. We hear from Food NI, the organisation dedicated to promoting local food and drink. They discuss the importance of raising awareness of the provenance and quality of Northern Ireland’s food and drink in both retail and food services. Tony O’ Neill, recently appointed Chairman of the local agricultural food
board explains the importance of local food companies within Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland agri-food sector comprises a primary sector with almost 25,000 farms and a labour force of almost 47,000 people. Ulster Grocer has been at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry for more than 40 years and we are pleased to be featuring the Top 25 local food companies. Each plays a key role within the industry and we congratulate them on being included in our Top 25 listing.
Tony O’Neill, Chairman, Agri-Food Strategy Board Northern Ireland’s agri-food industry is a remarkable success story. It is our biggest manufacturing industry and one that’s hungry for growth. pledge to invest £1.3bn by 2020. This commitment to invest shows the strength of the industry’s confidence in the future and its determination to grasp the business opportunities now developing. Investing in an already successful industry, which currently contributes £4.4bn to the local economy and employs around 100,000, therefore, makes sound business sense. Going For Growth is unique in that it has been developed with leaders of the farming, fishing and processing sectors. They are also backing its full implementation and determined to continue working together to ensure the industry’s continuing success in both short and longer terms. This consensus will help develop a fully integrated and
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gri-food is now among our biggest exports. Today, our food and drink is available across Europe, the US, China, the Middle East, and Russia. Most of the world’s top retailers now source food and drink from our companies, both large and small. The Agri-Food Strategy Board has produced Going For Growth, a strategic action plan to drive the industry further in terms of sales, exports, innovation, skills and its overall impact on the local economy. Significantly, the industry is backing the agreed action plan with an unprecedented
This £1.3bn commitment to invest shows the strength of the industry’s confidence in the future and its determination to grasp the business opportunities now developing.”
dynamic supply chain that’s able to respond quickly and effectively to opportunities developing abroad. Our agreed strategic vision for the industry is to assist and encourage the development of a sustainable, profitable and integrated agri-food supply chain focused on delivering the needs of the market. Above all, we want to see a coherent supply chain in which all will work together to develop and market food and drink profitably in global markets. And it’s a commitment fully in tune with the Executive’s strategy of promoting the development of a stronger and more successful private sector focused on international business. The industry is clearly ready to invest substantially in innovative products, plant and equipment, marketing and in developing its skills base. New approaches are being considered by farmers’ leaders to help improve productivity and efficiency. We are also looking to the Executive to weigh in behind the industry with timely action in areas such as, marketing, planning, regulation, and land management. We’ve been encouraged by the very positive responses from Executive ministers to our action plan. There’s a recognition that the plan’s projected 60 per cent growth in sales to £7 billion, the 75 per cent rise in sales outside Northern Ireland to £4.5 billion and the additional 15,000 jobs could have a far reaching impact on the economy. It’s an industry which has overcome the challenges of the current recession and is continuing to grow. 21
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
The agri-food sector plays a central role in contributing to our local economy
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gri-food is our most successful industry. It plays a central role in contributing to the wider north of Ireland economy. Down through the years there have been many challenges facing the sector and this year to date has been no different. In the Spring we experienced unprecedented weather conditions which created very major challenges for our agri-food industry, particularly the livestock rearing sector. The heavy snowfall at the end of March created significant difficulties in getting fodder to animals in isolated areas and DARD’s intervention by organising fodder drops provided much needed relief and saved many animals. The snow was followed by a prolonged period of low temperatures, adversely affecting grass and crop growth. With heavy ground conditions many farmers were forced to house their livestock for longer than normal, putting pressure on already low fodder stocks. To address this issue, I secured Executive agreement to implement an intervention scheme to increase the supply of fodder in the North, which resulted in approximately 15,000 tonnes of animal fodder being importing. I also established a Fodder Taskforce of industry and Government representatives to identify the issues facing our livestock producers in the next year. The Taskforce has produced an Action Plan of measures for both the agri-food industry and DARD to implement in order to support and help farmers them prepare for the months ahead. While improved growing and harvesting conditions in July has allowed a much needed recovery, there is still much to do. More recently I announced and financial and support package for the local fishing industry which has suffered as a result of an unfortunate combination of high fuel costs, lower fish prices and environmental factors which have resulted in poor catches. This support will also help the fishing industry adapt to the new challenges that will flow from the reformed Common Fisheries Policy. 22
In April 2012, I travelled to Brussels to present my response to the initial proposals for CAP Reform and outline how they could be modified to meet better the needs of our local industry and rural stakeholders. I am pleased that the recent political agreement between the EU Council, Parliament and Commission reflects many of these ideas, although I am disappointed in the budget outcome. The focus of attention will now turn to the implementation options that are available to us within the agreement framework. I have already launched a consultation on the content of our new rural development programme and will issue a further consultation in the autumn on the structure of our farm support model. At the start of the summer, we received Going for Growth, the Strategic Action Plan of the Agri-Food Strategy Board. It sets ambitious targets for sustainable, export-led growth in the sector, including a 60% increase in sales, 15,000 new jobs and a 75% growth in sales outside the north of Ireland. Many of the 100 or so recommendations are very challenging and will require a collective approach from industry and Government, but I believe that continuing the partnership approach that delivered the Plan will be the best way to drive forward implementation. The detail of the report is currently being considered by all relevant departments and we aim to publish the Executive’s response in the autumn. We will then work together on delivering the recommendations within an agreed action plan for the sustainable growth of the entire supply chain. In this way, I believe we can seize the domestic and global market opportunities identified by the Board and continue to maximise the sector’s contribution to the local economy. Michelle O’Neill, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Message from the Sponsor S
ponsoring the Top 25 Local Food Companies in this issue of Ulster Grocer was an easy decision for Star Rentals to make. The company, which offers commercial vehicle hire on both short and long-term contracts, already has a lot of clients within the industry. “We have provided both refrigerated and ambient vehicles to many customers in the food and grocery sector. Companies such as Musgrave Group and Henderson Food Services hire our vehicles in sizes from van to tractor unit,” said Operations Director, Sean Clarke. Sean points out that Star Rentals, which is now under new management, provides a service that’s different to that of the vehicle manufacturers. “Walk into any dealership and they will offer you a finance-based operating lease or loan – effectively you end up borrowing funds that could range from £10,000 to £30,000 or, for larger vehicles even up to £100,000. You may use an existing credit facility or open a new one but it is still a debt towards the business. If you then find that you want to look at expanding the business or opportunities to invest in additional stock, products or warehousing, the vehicle borrowing may well restrict your ability to react to those sorts of opportunities. “In contrast, Star Rentals offers non-finance based contracted hire agreements which don’t involve banks or any need for finance thus leaving the customer’s credit capacity intact for more important uses. “For existing vehicle owners, switching to rental can free up existing credit lines and banking facilities. If a company previously had three or four vehicles on a finance based agreement for example, then that would show the business as having anywhere from £20,000 to £300,000 of loans against it. Switching to rental would remove those loans. “We offer anything from daily to long-term hire so owners can do things like trim down their fleet so that they are not carrying extra vehicles to cover breakdown/servicing but are using our vehicles at such times instead.” “Rental agreements,” argues Sean, “are often simpler and better for the customer – it’s between two parties, Star Rentals and the customer, there’s no third-party involvement, no bank settlement conditions, greater
Sean Clarke, Operations Director, Star Rentals
flexibility and vitally a much lower initial cost”. “Generally the initial capital outlay is a lot lower because you’re paying one or three rentals in advance as opposed to having to pay 20 per cent deposit plus all your VAT, which is normal within the industry. The monthly payments are fixed and include all your servicing, all your maintenance repairs, tyres, road tax, 24-hour breakdown service and replacement vehicle availability. The monthly rentals are also 100% tax deductible as a business expense. “All that the customer has to do is drive, insure and fuel the vehicle – everything else is taken care of and it’s a lot easier. We can tailor a package or contract to suit any customer and make it specific to them, from one day to five years; 10,000 miles or a million kilometres. We can include refrigerated equipment, shelving systems, tail lifts or any other type of specialist fit out. We can be specific for each individual customer, it’s not just ‘Here’s a white van’, it can be whatever is needed and we can even put the customer’s signage on it.” Being part of a larger group, enables Star Rentals to offer 24-hour service whether you are in Belfast, Cork, London or Glasgow. If something happens Star Rentals has the ability to get you sorted and back on the road as quickly as possible.
Star Rentals had been trading for many years but had never realised its potential. The Gaffer Group acquired it in October 2011 and has just brought Sean on board. “I have 20 years’ experience within the rental/contract hire marketplace and worked for some of the largest companies in Europe. I’m here to drive the business forward with major plans for expansion; we’ve already opened a branch in Portadown and we have other locations in the pipeline. We’re looking to substantially build the fleet, the locations and the general profile of the business,” says Sean. “Star Rentals have a 24 hour customer contact number and even if it’s an enquiry, we’ll take it 24/7, no other company in our sector does that. Anybody who phones will have someone listen to them, give them advice and try to understand their needs, which allows everyone to make an informed decision. “Star Rentals welcome the opportunity to talk to people, to advise them and to provide a quotation. Our motto is – ‘Star Rentals – driven by our customers’. They drive our vehicles, they drive our business and we’re here to assist them and to make things as easy as possible for them.” If you’d like to chat to someone at Star Rentals, call 028 9083 2232 or log on to www.star-rentals.com. 23
NEW READY TO COOK
RANGE
* SERVING SUGGESTION
HUNGRY?GOOD. Cheese & Bacon Chicken Breasts
Garlic & Herb Chicken Breasts
Pesto Chicken Breasts
2 Irish Chicken Breast Fillets stuffed full of Irish Cheddar & wrapped in succulent Irish Smoked Bacon
2 Irish Chicken Breast Fillets marinated in rustic garlic & herbs
2 Irish Chicken Breast Fillets with a colourful mix of fresh basil pesto, spinach & cherry tomatoes
Moy Park chicken is 100% Irish chicken, and guaranteed Bord Bia Quality Assured so you know it’s good. Combining convenience with great flavour, Moy Park’s new Ready To Cook range provides your customers with a sense of luxury at home. Convenient, quick and easy to cook, this new range will deliver the perfect solution to any mealtime dilemma and is ideal for those busy lifestyles.
To discuss this exciting new range please contact our Commercial Team in Ireland on +44 (0) 28 3835 2233.
Moy Park - Ulster Grocer A4-AW.indd 1
10/07/2013 14:26
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Now in it’s 70th Year, Moy Park remains committed to Northern Ireland, Paul Burch, Moy Park Director of Sales tells the story…
Moy Park going for growth M
oy Park has always been a forward thinking company and our strategy is to continue to get the best out of the resources we have and to look for innovative and new opportunities to grow the business. Over the past ten years Moy Park has continued to invest in its core business – providing fresh, high quality locally farmed poultry and convenience food products to our customers and consumers across the UK and Europe. In 2004 Moy Park purchased two businesses, G W Padley Poultry, at that time one of the UK’s largest poultry businesses and Dove Valley, which effectively doubled the size of the existing business at the time and added five processing sites to our portfolio. In 2007 we invested £28m at our site in Anwick, which doubled its production space and output and further solidified our position as one of the UK’s leading processing companies. The acquisition of O’Kane Poultry in 2010 increased our poultry farming and processing capacity, increased milling capability and enabled Moy Park to enter the turkey sector for the first time. Brazilian-based food company Marfrig, acquired Moy Park in 2008. Since then Marfrig has helped to drive success for the business. Being part of a global food company has given us an international perspective and allowed us to expand our product range while remaining focused on providing fresh, locally farmed and locally produced poultry. Now in our 70th year, Moy Park remains committed to Northern Ireland and recently became responsible for the leadership and management of Marfrig’s total European operations. Innovation is key Chicken is a versatile and convenient protein and is also good value for money, which is why it tends to grow in popularity in times of recession. Moy Park is very well positioned as consumers know that they are always getting the highest standards in terms of farming and animal welfare. The team at Moy Park has helped maintain the company’s success. We have a dedicated team, longstanding relationships
with our customers and strong working partnerships with our farmers. Our business is orientated around what consumers want and the business has the flexibility to adapt our products to meet consumer demand. Innovation is key for Moy Park, regardless of the economic climate – and we believe that success going forward will come through continued innovation. Export market The Republic of Ireland is our closest export market and we continue to place importance on investing in the Moy Park brand and looking at ways to adapt and grow in line with consumer trends. Moy Park is the number one poultry brand in the Republic of Ireland and our penetration and market share continue to grow with 50% of Irish households buying the Moy Park brand. We recognise the public are demanding healthy food that is quick to cook. This is why we continue to invest in new product development and have developed both fresh and convenience products under the Moy Park brand, for example the new ‘Ready-tocook’ range, made with 100% Irish chicken – full of flavour and perfect for today’s busy lifestyles.
will deliver leadership and management training, skills development in teamwork, problem solving and structured approaches to improvement – as well as initiatives to support further advances in innovation, service, productivity and the application of IT systems. The initiative has received almost £1.5m support from Invest Northern Ireland as part of its Skills Growth Programme.
Career development As part of Moy Park’s mission to be a world class, highly regarded organisation we are committed to investing in and continually improving the workplace for our employees. It is our aim to develop and maintain an environment where our employees and the community recognise that Moy Park is a great place to work. As one of Northern Ireland’s largest employers we are, and have always been committed to looking after our employees through dedicated career development and providing regular training and support. Our effort to promote employee learning and development is led by champions across the business. In February of this year we announced a major £6m investment in a new training and skills development initiative. The investment
Continuous improvememt Moy Park performed positively last year and continues to grow sales and market share in fresh poultry and convenience foods as well as expanding into new products and categories. As a business our focus remains on continuous improvement and on delivering high quality, great value products to customers and consumers. It is important we seize the opportunity that now exists to grow the food and drink sector – and the poultry industry in Northern Ireland is well placed to help achieve this growth. As a business we support the work of the Agri-food Strategy Board and the recent Going for Growth- Investing in Success action plan which has delivered a central focus to ensure Northern Ireland meets these targets for growth. 25
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Moy Park remains committed to Northern Ireland M
oy Park is Northern Ireland’s largest company, a top 20 UK food company and now a billion pound business, employing 10,600 people across four countries. The company, which has been part of Brazil-based Marfrig Group since 2008, processes 235 million locally-produced chickens and 2 million turkeys per year, with its convenience division manufacturing 20,000t per month of coated and ‘Ready to Eat’ products. The company supplies own label and Moy Park branded products to leading retailers and food service providers throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe and is the industry leading manufacturer of organic, free-range and higher welfare chicken and turkey. Now in its 70th year, Moy Park remains committed to Northern Ireland and recently became responsible for the leadership and management of Marfrig’s total European operations. The company attributes its success to maintaining close relationships and working in partnership with its customers, suppliers, stakeholders and importantly over 600 farmers in Northern Ireland, as well as continued investment in the business. The Moy Park brand continues to feed a growing demand for locally sourced Irish chicken with 50% of Irish households buying the Moy Park brand.* Moy Park continues to invest in new product development and has developed both fresh and convenience products under the Moy Park brand, which includes the new ‘Ready to Cook’ range, made with 100% Irish chicken – full of flavour and perfect for today’s busy lifestyles. In 2012, Moy Park joined forces with world renowned chef Jamie Oliver to develop a range of higher welfare chicken products under the celebrity chef’s brand. The manufacturing side of the business is not only one of the largest in Europe but is one of the most modernised and
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sophisticated of its kind. Moy Park has spent almost £400million on capital expenditure programmes over the last decade making it a leading choice for retailers and foodservice customers for poultry production across Europe. In addition to this investment in processing facilities, Moy Park has driven an investment programme on farms of some £400million in production capability. Moy Park is proud of its extensive corporate responsibility programme and is the first company to be recognised in the UK’s CR Index and has recently been award a UK Big Tick for its responsible business practices at the Northern Ireland heat of Business in the Community’s prestigious Responsible Business Awards 2013. The company remains committed to investing in and improving all aspects of its Corporate Responsibility by working closely with its customers, suppliers, government bodies and local communities in order to make a positive contribution.
The Moy Park brand continues to feed a growing demand for locally sourced Irish chicken
*Source: Kantar World Panel Ireland, Moy Park Penetration and Value Market Share, 52 weeks to 17th February 2013
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
SHS Group continues to set the pace for Fast Moving Consumer Goods I
n less than 40 years the SHS Group has evolved from simple beginnings into one of Northern Ireland’s most successful homegrown entities. Founded in 1975 by Joe Sloan and the late Geoff Salters, the Belfast-based firm set out its ambition from day one to become a major player in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods Market. Today the SHS Group commands a turnover in the region of £400m; employs more than 700 staff across the UK and Ireland and has a regular placing on The Sunday Times Fast Track list of best performing companies. All achieved while remaining a family owned business with its roots firmly in Belfast. The architect for the current business model is SHS Group Managing Director, Michael Howard, who joined original founders more than 15 years ago to help bolster the management team. Under his leadership the Group has expanded rapidly and increased its footing in the GB market from 50% of the business to 80% as it transformed a £50m turnover with less than £1 million profit margin in 1995 into a firm with over £400m annual turnover and profit in excess of £20m. Michael says the Group’s success can be linked to smart investment in brand ownership and continued excellence in sales and marketing services. “Our strategy over recent years has been to move from an agency-only focus by working towards an even balance between agency and wholly owned brands. This has helped reduce exposure to known risks in the sales and distribution sector and accelerated the company’s growth.” Today more than 50 per cent of the SHS Group’s turnover comes from the Group’s own brands which includes WKD, Shloer, Merrydown, Maguire & Paterson matches and Bottlegreen. Citing Shloer as an example, Michael says the Group has sought to develop new market opportunities for each of its brands. “With Shloer we’ve had to work hard to get away from the perception that it was the classic non-alcoholic Christmas drink. Our message has changed and we’ve focused on
talking about the brand as a perfect product for warmer weather in the summer months. The Drinks Division represent the largest of the four SHS Group divisions which also includes herbs and spices, sales & marketing GB and sales & marketing Ireland. Through the agency side of the business, the Group provides sales, marketing and distribution support for a wealth of household brands like Jordans, Johnson & Johnson, Nivea, Finish and Mars Consumer Drinks. In the last year the company added a raft of best-selling High Street products to the impressive portfolio of brands it carries across various channels in GB including Savanna Premium Cider and Pago fruit juices. The partnership with Johnson & Johnson has also grown with the Group now providing sales, marketing and distribution for the company within the convenience channel in GB. The Group has also increased its reach in the Irish market securing contracts with Keyline Brands’ Palmolive Soft and Gentle range; gourmet salt brand Atlantic Sea Salt and extended its relationship with Mars Consumer drinks to cover both GB and Ireland. Meanwhile the Group also ranks as the largest supplier of herbs, spices and
condiments in the UK marketplace and is one of the leading suppliers of ambient milk pudding products. Belfast remains at the heart of the company’s strategy and over seven years ago it moved to its new head office on Airport Road. In addition to employing more than 120 people there, the Group has invested heavily to make it the central hub for back office operations and shared services such as finance, logistics and Group marketing. According to Michael, it has been a key part of the Group’s performance in all trade sectors and has an important role in future plans. “We want it to drive future growth and that means making sure we maximise the benefits we can deliver for the Group. Our vision remains closely focused on smart investment in brand ownership and extending our portfolio of agency brands by leveraging mutually beneficial partnerships. Improvements to enhance business efficiencies underpin these objectives and the Shared Services Centre is a powerful and strategic asset. “The success of the Group operation is a testament to the hard work and enthusiasm of all our Group staff,” he added. 27
td L e l a s e l o h W Henderson n the To 25 Local Rated No. 3 i k Companies Food and Drin . . . l a c o l n io p m a h c Proud to
www.henderson-group.com
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
It would be impossible not to include one of Northern Ireland’s longest established food wholesalers, The Henderson Group, in any listing of top businesses in the sector. Brian McCalden caught up with Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director, to report on what has been a very successful 2012 and to find out what is in store for the Henderson Group as they aim to hit new heights in 2013.
Award-winning success continues T
he long heritage of Mallusk-based symbol group retailer, Henderson Wholesale stretches back to the 1890s when the eponymous John Henderson set up the business in what is now St. George’s Market. John Henderson’s daughter, Margaret, married William Agnew, who in 1947 took on and expanded the business and the range of products it sold. The Henderson Group’s current Chairman, John Agnew, son of William, was recently recognised for his services to industry and charity with a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) award. Mr Agnew still has a very much hands-on presence within the company alongside his sons, Martin and Geoffrey, who run the ever more dynamic business. Today’s company is a far cry from the early market stall with the most dramatic event being the arrival, from Holland, of the first local symbol brand – SPAR – in the early 1960s. Including the introduction of VG, EUROSPAR, ViVO ViVOXTRA and ViVO Essential brands and the ever expanding Henderson Group companies – Henderson Wholesale, Retail, Foodservice, Property and Print – the rest is history, but the vast changes in the business and technological advancement would surely amaze the founder, John Henderson. A whole raft of local and national awards crowd the trophy shelves at the Mallusk HQ and it has just been revealed that the prestigious UK Retail Industry Awards 2013 shortlist has been announced. The Henderson Group are proud to announce they have 12 stores shortlisted with one category, Forecourt Retailer, being dominated by all Henderson’s company-owned outlets – so at least one major accolade is guaranteed. Paddy Doody, Sales & Marketing Director at the Henderson Group explained how they continue to achieve these successes, “We keep doing what we do best and while last year was good – despite recession – we are already
over 5.5% up on our growth target for the year.” “The fact that we are shortlisted in a total of 12 UK retail industry awards also shows that we are continuing to get it right” he said. But that does not mean resting on their laurels – far from it! Paddy Doody expressed the Henderson Group’s interest in its continued innovation and investment in business, “Innovation is key to progress. Whether this means supplying customers with empty cardboard boxes, for those who
have forgotten their carrier bags (after this year’s launch of the Carrier Bag Levy) or implementing our ‘SPARkling Service’ training for staff, or in using mystery video shopping to keep our standards high, we are always keeping one step ahead.” The training involves making sure that staff engage customers, use eye contact, ask if the customer needs help, or guides a customer to the product when asked and not simply by pointing in the right direction To help stores provide the best service, Paddy explained that as well as traditional >> 29
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
mystery shoppers, retailers are also given the opportunity to utilise video mystery shopping experiences. These have proved to help improve performance and give training guidance in-store. “With all staff acknowledgement, we implemented the scheme this year. It is designed to improve our customers overall shopping experience and has proved to help develop shopper engagement and interaction – a key part of the retail offering.” Another innovation focus for the Henderson Group is the development of their energy efficiency. Currently they have heavily invested in LED lighting in stores, which is more expensive to buy but much less costly to run. Some outlets have been retro-fitted but most are going through full store refits. This includes the prestigious SPAR Lagan Valley forecourt store in Lisburn, or the new SPAR store on the Knock Dual Carriageway in Belfast. Speaking about the SPAR Knock Road store, Paddy continued, “As well as efficient LED lighting, we have also installed glass doors on all chillers, with a massive reduction in the electricity usage.” “However, by putting any barrier between the customer and an impulse purchase there is a risk, but this has to be balanced against cost savings and energy efficiency. “The jury is out for now on the overall impact on profits, but we are committed to an increasingly energy efficient company.” Other innovations have been brought on by circumstances, with the sometimes 30
controversial introduction of the Carrier Bag Levy in April 2013 changing customer behaviours. “At first it slowed the rate of increase in our business, but we reacted in local areas as appropriate and we have encouraged customers without a bag of their own to take an empty box for their shopping. “We found post-April that while footfall continued to rise, they were buying less per person. This would suggest they only purchased what they could carry in their arms – hence the introduction of empty boxes as a simple but effective innovation.” explained Paddy. That said, recession has had an impact and mainly on pricing with a novel Price Match running with Tesco supermarkets. Over 600 items in store have been price matched and a rapid increase in the number of lines selling at £1 has been seen. “We introduced the £1 price plunge in September 2012 and this now accounts for 85% of our overall trade.” said Paddy. “Price is key of course; the decision was made five years ago to reduce wholesale prices to both our franchisees and our company owned-stores on the basis that these would be passed on to our customers.” “Thanks to our sophisticated scanning technology we are certain of 100% compliance on that and are happy to work with retailers to keep prices as low as possible and keep customers coming back.” Marketing is also very important; we use TV advertising as required alongside a highly effective leaflet programme. This has seen Henderson Wholesale spend around £55,000,
12 times annually to supply door-to-door price offers around each store area. Explaining the company’s investments Paddy says, “No individual store owner could make that kind of investment. With much less disposable income and customers who are nervous about their future and who are buying less as a result, we need to provide as much help and support to our retailers as possible.” On the question of whether shoppers were keen to support local suppliers, Paddy was very clear, “Yes they do, but not at any price. The Henderson Group prides itself on backing local suppliers, large and small but this has to be done against a background of competitive pricing.” “The food and drink sector in Northern Ireland remains dynamic and the Henderson Group work with them on a variety of special offerings. McAtamney’s in Ballymena produces an exclusive line of ready-meals and many other Northern Ireland producer’s supply SPAR own brands including Doherty and Gray, Rockvale, Dunbia, and Willowbrook. “Quality is vital, so we only work with the very best suppliers, but prices remain keen and to achieve that we have to be dynamic and ever more efficient.” “This benefits retailers and customers alike,” concluded the marketing director, whose hopes for 2013/2014 centre not just on more awards, but also on continuing to develop and expand what has proved to be one of Northern Ireland’s most dynamic names in the trade.
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Eight products per second sold into grocery sector – A record year for Dale Farm by David Dobbin, Group Chief Executive, United Dairy Farmers How would you describe the past year’s business at Dale Farm? The last year has been an extremely tough one with very bad weather causing extreme hardship on local farms and impacting on overall milk production. Despite this, Dale Farm had a record sales year and continued to see further growth in consumer products and specialised food ingredients. The company has seen strong growth across the British Isles in consumer products as well as continued growth in its exports of whey proteins especially into China and cheddar cheese into Russia. Dale Farm has just completed a major £40m investment in doubling the capacity of its cheese plant at Dunmanbridge near Cookstown and creating a state-of-the-art new whey protein facility. Earlier this year, the company also completed an upgrade of its milk filling facilities at Pennybridge, Ballymena and butter and spreads packing facilities at Dromona, Cullybackey. To support its increasing sales both at home and abroad the company has also built a major chilled distribution centre at Pennybridge with state of the art voice activated warehouse picking. As a result of all these investments Dale Farm has now some of the most modern facilities of any dairy company in Europe. Any new products or relaunches? If so how did they fare in the market? The company has continued to be very active in launching new products and rejuvenating its existing range. During the last year Dale Farm launched a new range of Spelga fat free and Greek style yogurts and is about to launch a rejuvenated range of Spelga low fat yogurts. We also recently launched a new range of Dale Farm fresh trifle products and are about to launch a new Dale Farm fresh custard product. In ingredients we launched a new range of vegetable fat filled milk powders into the North African and Middle East markets. Sales across all of these new products have been very encouraging and generally ahead of expectation. Dale Farm is obviously one of Northern Ireland’s most successful companies. What do you feel the key is to its ongoing success? Dale Farm has invested very heavily in creating the best facilities of any local dairy company in our sector and in developing our product range and logistics. Dale Farm is now selling over one million cases of products each week into the grocery sector and that translates to an amazing eight products every second, of every hour, of every day of the year. The quality of these products is paramount to our success, and in the last two years we have picked up over 45 international awards from prestigious bodies including the World Cheese Awards, the Nantwich Show and the Guild of Fine Foods ‘Great Taste Awards’. But as a farmer owned coop we are in touch with our roots and our primary focus is to return to our farmers a competitive milk price and therefore support the many, many local farms that depend on our success. We are headquartered locally and have a strong management
team of local talent and we have a clear vision of what we want to achieve and a plan to get us there. But ultimately success comes down to making it happen and to the people across our business and how well each of them do their job every day. It is the people in Dale Farm and our supply chain of farmers, packaging companies, engineering support and all of the rest who have delivered our success and who will take us further going forward. Looking ahead to the future, what plans have Dale Farm in place to cement their position as one of NI’s Top 25 companies? Dale Farm has further ambitious plans for growth and as a result of our major investment programme plenty of spare capacity to fill out. This year we are focussing in further growing our consumer products business and increasing our exports of cheese and whey based ingredients. Our target would be to grow our sales by a further 50% over the next three years and continue to increase our scale so as to improve our productivity and competitiveness. We are now in the top five of UK dairy companies and the top 20 of EU dairy companies. As an industry who has to sell 80% plus of its output outside of Northern Ireland we have to succeed both locally and in the wider market. But if we can’t succeed locally then we won’t succeed elsewhere so the local market is an important barometer of our success – so maintaining our clear leadership here in Northern Ireland is very important to us. 31
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
‘Driving continuous improvement … is central to Musgrave’s way-of-working..’ By Nigel Briggs, Managing Director, Musgrave Retail Partners (NI) How long has the company been in existence? Musgrave was established in 1876 and now supports more than 3,500 independent retailers in the UK, Ireland and Spain with combined retail sales of over £5.7 billion. The Group has been trading in Northern Ireland since 1983, when it opened a Cash & Carry outlet in Belfast – this part of the business trades as Musgrave Wholesale Partners NI and operates the Musgrave MarketPlace brand, which provides comprehensive collect and delivered wholesale solutions through 4 Cash & Carry outlets in the market, as well as supporting the Day Today retail brand. Musgrave Retail Partners began trading in NI in 1996 and now supports 270 stores in the market, under the SuperValu, Centra and Mace brands. Can you give us examples of some of the key changes the business has had to adapt to over the past ten years or so? Ten years is a long time in retail and there has been a huge amount of change over that period. Consumers have become much more demanding and ‘savvy’ and will not accept a second best ‘offer’ – particularly in the areas of product range, value, store standards and service. Independent retailers need to be continually improving their offer to meet these increasing expectations and to stay competitive in the market. Driving continuous improvement across all aspects of the offer - in terms of content, communication and execution - is central to Musgrave’s way-ofworking, with a view to ensuring that the progressive independent retailers who partner us are best placed to maximise returns from their businesses. The level of competition in the market has also intensified, with NI being substantially over-provided for in terms of grocery retail square footage v population. When combined with the downward pressure on retail pricing, Musgrave has had to become more efficient, with a relentless focus on ‘lowest cost’ to ensure that we continue to provide our retail partners with an offer which enables them to generate ‘best-in-class’ returns. 32
What impact has the recession and economic downturn had on your business? The key impact has been the changing consumer - in particular, ensuring that we develop and modify our offer to meet changing needs and demands in this period of economic downturn. To ensure we are doing the right things, we have increased our investment in consumer research and used the resultant insights to drive our plans and the prioritisation of initiatives. All of this investment in the price and value part of the offer is made possible by the £4 billion direct buying power of Musgrave – a level which dwarfs that of our local competitors. How important is staff training and development to the company? Musgrave drives its business through a set of five Guiding Principles which underpin the Company’s strategy. One of these core principles is ‘Creating the Best Team’ which emphasises the importance of our employees within the business. We also recognise the importance of supporting our retail partners with training and development of their staff. These are mostly delivered on retailers’ premises in our sector-unique mobile training unit. In terms of career progression, does the company have any particular blueprints in place to maintain staff members long term? We have a formal process in place for identifying and developing potential within the business – the merit of this approach was recognised last year when we received the Irish News Award for Managing Talent. This process enables us to identify succession and skill gaps in the business and then ensure development plans are tailored to meet these needs. We have a significant number of employees who have been promoted within the business and we continue to seek to do this when the opportunity presents. The fast-paced and ever changing environment in which we operate presents many opportunities for development and for
leveraging strengths - through involvement in project teams, working on stretch activities and higher level responsibilities. This better prepares individuals for any promotional opportunities which may arise as well as continuously providing new challenges. Going forward, what are your plans to maintain the company’s healthy position in the market? In the short term - we will be investing more than £2m in retail price and retailer rebate improvements this year alone – investments which will make our retail brands more competitive, and our retail partners more profitable. We are also making substantial investment in retail IT, which, when complete, will enable us to be even more innovative in our promotions, as well as improving operational efficiency for our retail partners and the shopping experience for consumers. We have a number of other exciting and innovative developments in the pipeline which will be unveiled in Q4, and which will take us through 2014 and beyond – all of which are designed to position Musgrave Retail Partners as the partner of choice for progressive independent retailers. What are your views on the current condition of the local food and drink industry? Consumer confidence has been significantly hit this year on the back of the well documented horsemeat scandal. Musgrave has always supported local producers and growers and this turn of events has made our network of valued, quality suppliers more important to our business than ever. If UG was to speak to you again this time next year, what would you hope to be telling us about the coming 12 months? Fundamentally that the plans we have in place to develop and improve our offer have been well executed, have further reinforced Musgrave as the leading partner for progressive, entrepreneurial retailers as a result of us being ‘different and better’ – and most of all have enabled our retail partners to compete even more effectively in the market.
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Musgrave MarketPlace strive to continuously be first for value, first for choice and first for service Founded by the Musgrave brothers, Thomas and Stuart in 1876, Musgrave is one of Ireland’s largest and most successful companies. A family owned business, Musgrave reported a turnover of €4.9bn in 2012 and now operates across the Island of Ireland, the UK and Spain.
T
he Musgrave Group comprises retail, cash & carry and foodservice brands including household names like Super Valu, Centra, Superquinn, Day Today and Musgrave MarketPlace cash & carry’s. After opening our first cash & carry in NI in Duncrue, Belfast in 1983, the company now operates a total of four cash & carry’s including Derry, Enniskillen and Lurgan making it the largest cash and carry wholesaler with an unrivalled range of wholesale solutions for independent retailers and foodservice professionals. Musgrave MarketPlace provides comprehensive collect and delivered wholesale solutions and supports the Day Today retail brand for independent retailers seeking affordable marketing solutions. Our sector, the economy and the market has undergone a huge amount of change over the past ten years. In these challenging times, we have ensured our strategy and vision ultimately deliver value and choice to our customers and help them retain their competitiveness. To this end, we have developed an unrivalled promotional offering and introduced exclusive products from wines, own brand and fresh meats that offer excellent quality products at exceptional prices. Partnering with Musgrave MarketPlace will ensure customers avail of the very best value all year round, the widest wholesale range in NI and all with excellent and reliable service. In Wholesale, we understand the challenges our customers are facing every day, which is why we ensure we are increasingly responsive to the market conditions and promise to be first for value, choice and service. We recognise that in today’s competitive environment cash flow is more important than ever. At the beginning of 2013 Musgrave MarketPlace NI launched ‘Payback Time’ our
new customer rebate scheme to recognise and reward our loyal customers. As part of the scheme we pledged to payback our customers a percentage of what they have spent with us, rewarding our customers based on purchases. As the second quarter of the year is now complete we are delighted to announce that year to date Musgrave MarketPlace NI will be paying back £143k to our loyal customers. People are an important part of Musgrave’s commercial success – in the eyes of our foodservice and retail partners and customers; they represent Musgrave and all it stands for. We like to think of Musgrave as a closeknit community – one where opportunity is wide open. This has always been the key to our success. We want to continue to attract, develop and retain an ambitious, motivated, flexible and committed workforce, which means we must provide our people with sustainable, stable, rewarding jobs and enable them to achieve their full potential at Musgrave. Central to this is the The Musgrave
As part of the largest wholesale group on the island, we continuously strive to improve and innovate where possible.” Leadership Pathway, the framework we use in our approach to employee and leadership development. There are five key steps on the Leadership Pathway, from induction through to Executive development, and each step is targeted at a particular group of Musgrave Wholesale Partner’s people.
Our development programmes are designed to cater for our employee needs depending on what stage they are at in their career. We recognise that development needs vary, and our range of programmes reflect these different needs. Ultimately, we want our people to enjoy success in their roles and to prepare them for other opportunities across the organisation. As part of the largest wholesale group on the island, we continuously strive to improve and innovate where possible. We can use our group buying power to bring exceptionally low everyday prices across our range to ensure our customers’ needs remain at the heart of our business. We are proud to say that we offer the widest wholesale range in Northern Ireland. We will continue to develop our offering to meet the unique needs of our customers, allowing customers to get virtually all your needs under one roof. We also carry a wide choice of Own Brands that helps cut costs without compromising on quality by saving our customers up to 40% versus the brand leaders. Our customers who visit us expect and enjoy a quick and easy shopping experience and our delivered customers are guaranteed excellent service levels. Plus, our newly opened online store gives customers who are under time pressure the choice of how and when to shop the full range at their convenience. Our customers can be sure that selecting Musgrave MarketPlace is the right choice and partnering with us ensures they will avail of the very best prices, range and service all year round. The local food & drink industry has suffered a hard time of late with the economic downturn, recession, lack of consumer confidence, horsemeat scandal etc. We at Musgrave MarketPlace strive to continuously be first for value, first for choice and first for service, giving customers the confidence and stability they need in these tough economic conditions. The unpredictable nature of the market means Musgrave MarketPlace is always in a position to be responsive and we always put customers at the heart of every decision. 33
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Rank
Company NAME
ACCOUNTS Year Ending
Turnover (£’000s) (Local Sales)
1
MOY PARK LTD
31/12/2011
1,072,301
2
SHS GROUP LTD
31/12/2012 30/12/2011
430,231
3
HENDERSON WHOLESALE LTD
31/12/2011
363,536
4
FANE VALLEY CO-OPERATIVE LTD
30/09/2011
321,234
5
MUSGRAVE RETAIL PARTNERS NI LTD
31/12/2011
293,467
6
FOYLE FOOD GROUP LTD
31/12/2011
240,800
7
DALE FARM LTD
31/03/2012
212,032
8
GREENFIELDS IRELAND LTD
31/12/2012
178,529
9
LINDEN FOODS LTD
30/09/2012
168,402
10
TMC DIARIES (NI) LTD
31/12/2011
155,263
11
LAMEX FOODS IRELAND LTD
31/03/2012
146,590
12
DAIRY PRODUCE PACKERS LTD
31/12/2011
139,303
13
MUSGRAVE DISTRIBUTION LTD
31/12/2011
133,245
14
MARLBANK LTD
31/12/2011
92,468
15
ARMAGHDOWN CREAMERIES LTD
30/09/2012
89,693
16
LAKELAND DIARIES (NI) LTD
31/12/2011
76,276
17
LYNAS FOODSERVICE LTD
31/10/2011
71,273
18
O’KANE FOOD SERVICE LTD
31/12/2011
61,842
19
HENDERSON FOODSERVICE LTD
31/12/2011
49,294
20
SKEA EGG FARMS LTD
31/12/2011
45,053
21
STRATHROY DAIRY LTD
31/07/2012
44,267
22
EUROSTOCK FOOD GROUP LTD
30/01/2012
44,001
23
C&J MEATS LTD
30/11/2011
39,056
24
SAVAGE & WHITTEN WHOLESALE LTD
31/12/2011
38,989
25
CROSSGAR FOODSERVICE LTD
31/03/2011
38,009
DATA RESEARCHED AND COMPILED BY DUN & BRADSTREET CALL 0800 001 234 OR VISIT WWW.DNB.CO.UK 34
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Turnover (£’000s) (Previous Sales)
Profit/Loss (£’000s)
Profit/Loss (PREVIOUS) (£’000s)
Net Worth (£’000s)
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
921,100
4,783
27,824
153,095
8,623
370,769
25,752
24,234
35,965
710
343,308
10,069
9,908
53,598
408
280,351
8,742
4,862
55,753
956
311,675
3,093
5,089
21,405
391
217,260
4,744
3,256
13,723
704
191,561
1,646
1,137
31,462
573
225,660
557
552
3,830
27
150,864
4,278
2,128
26,999
738
125,804
2,281
-723
-10,370
48
66,549
626
690
598
7
136,029
1,287
6,275
43,038
298
135,987
1,571
-1,298
364
265
96,994
1,459
1,607
2,957
12
94,184
1,063
6,609
16,828
84
64,765
198
183
-5,406
2
61,317
3,126
2,182
16,331
227
40,853
-745
691
-1,955
212
45,435
125
1,149
5,615
174
35,440
1,490
1,380
5,510
89
43,486
216
95
3,541
135
40,645
705
704
4,469
203
–
-144
342
-325
51
33,257
569
513
3,230
98
26,362
335
252
5,432
239
DATA RESEARCHED AND COMPILED BY DUN & BRADSTREET CALL 0800 001 234 OR VISIT WWW.DNB.CO.UK 35
Strathroy Dairy Ltd, Shergrim, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT79 7JD Tel: 028 8224 0948 • Fax: 028 8224 6280 E: info@strathroydairy.com • W: www.strathroydairy.co.uk
SuperValu and Centra first to stock carrots from local supplier M
usgrave has once again shown its commitment to innovative support of its independent retail partners with a ‘first to market deal’, which brought the season’s first carrots to SuperValu and Centra stores before any other retail outlets! Musgrave Retail Partners NI is to source 325,000 kilos of carrots from local supplier Gilfresh this year – contributing to more than two million dinners in Northern Ireland, the company calculates. Aidy Kearney, Fresh Produce Trading Manager at Musgrave said: “In Northern Ireland, I believe, we have the best quality produce anywhere in the world. People want to support their local farmers and we are committed to helping them do that by working closely with local suppliers such as Gilfresh.” Thomas Gilpin, owner of Gilfresh, said: “We have a long standing relationship with Musgrave which allows us to bring the freshest produce to market very quickly. The consumer not only wants quality and value but also to support their local growers and by working with Musgrave and its SuperValu and Centra stores we can offer this in towns and villages across the province.” Musgrave Retail Partners NI is committed to sourcing locally, working with more than 250 local producers and growers. 36
(L-R) Aidy Kearney from Musgrave Retail Partners NI, local Gilfresh grower Kenneth Gilpin and Danielle Mitchell, Gilfresh, are pictured with the first locally-grown carrots of the season.
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
People are the lifeblood of any business and Strathroy is no different by Eamon Lynch, Commercial Director of Strathroy Dairy Limited How long has the company been in existence? Strathroy Dairy is the oldest family owned dairy on the island of Ireland. The Cunningham family have been involved in dairy business since the mid 1800s selling milk and butter to the local area. The original Strathroy Dairy had been launched in 1921 in the townland of the same name by Patrick Cunningham, father of the current group chairman, Eamon, but the move to the current site at Mountjoy became a practical necessity at the end of the 80s, such was the success of the operation. What are your views on the current condition of the local food & drink industry? The recession has hit the food & drink industry hard, with numerous outlets being forced to close their doors and those who remain working on much tighter margins, which in itself can become a vicious circle, whereby disposable incomes continue to lessen, resulting in less money being spent, forcing belts to tighten even further. Can you give us examples of some of the key changes the business has made to adapt over the past ten years or so? To survive and thrive in a very competitive environment, the key is to produce excellent quality and service, efficiently. We pride ourselves in the quality of our product. Where Strathroy have adapted over the last ten years is in being ever more efficient. The best example of this would be building our own
Blow Moulding plant at the dairy in Omagh, where we now blow mould our own plastic containers. This not only helped our efficiencies, but also our green credentials as we no longer need to transport fresh air in jars to get packaging to our plant. Innovation is also of great importance to us, and the introduction of cream in fashionable, resealable pots brought a freshness to the marketplace, whilst also adding to the company’s profile. What impact has the recession and economic downturn had on your business? The biggest impact of the recession would be the squeeze on margins. Milk is a basic household commodity, which everyone still purchases no matter how much their disposable income lessens. In fact, since the recession kicked in, we have seen considerable growth in volume, but retailers, who are all battling to maintain footfall, use basics, particularly milk, to bring customers through their doors. This has the knock on effect of squeezing suppliers such as Strathroy. Does your business export? Ireland, north and south, is our marketplace. We do not currently move any product overseas. How important is staff training and development to the company? People are the lifeblood of any business and Strathroy is no different. To maintain our quality in both production and service, it is vital that our staff is the best it can be. Training is an ongoing thing
to keep the relevant people abreast of changes in their given field. In terms of career progression, does the company have any particular blueprints in place to maintain staff members long term? Value every member of staff and make them aware of their importance. As far as possible, we like to make work an enjoyable and fulfilling place to be, where the job gets done, but the banter is also good. Going forward, what are your plans to maintain the company’s healthy position in the market? Remain competitive, innovative and efficient. Always on the lookout for new opportunities and anything that can give us an edge in the marketplace. Current economic conditions have made life very difficult for many companies and by the time the economy recovers, some will have unfortunately disappeared. Those that survive, I believe, will then grow stronger – Strathroy intend to be one of those survivors!! If UG was to speak to you again this time next year, what would you hope to be telling us about the coming 12 months I hope I could say that Strathroy maintained a steady course through rough seas and can see calmer conditions ahead – here’s hoping!!! 37
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Eurostock Food Group is growing and the staff are driving that growth By Gary White, Managing Director
There is no doubt that times are hard and people have had to adapt. Shopping habits have changed.”
E
urostock Food Group was established in 1985 and operates out of Bleary, Lurgan, Co. Armagh and their second manufacturing site in Wigan, Lancashire. They produce and supply a wide range of primal and value added meat products to the leading UK retail and foodservice sectors. Eurostock has had a strong emphasis on product development and innovation in the
38
past ten years. They are a leading supplier of primal and value added meat to the UK retail sector and their growth has been underpinned by a commitment to innovation and product development. Three years ago they opened their high-care sous vide cooking facility at their Wigan site and more recently they have opened a new Product Development and Innovation centre
at their Bleary, Co Armagh site. Gary White, Managing Director from Eurostock foods explains, “ there is no doubt that times are hard and people have had to adapt. Shopping habits have changed in many ways and food businesses have had to respond to that. These changes have informed our product development activity and in some ways the recession has been an opportunity for us to create new products for consumers’ changing needs.” “We have a growing export business to European markets for our slow cooked beef, pork and lamb products. We forecast this to become an increasingly important market for Eurostock in the next three years. We have really dedicated, hard working and talented people within our business and we try to let them get on with their jobs. The company is growing and our staff are driving that growth. Going forward we will continue to invest in our facilities and our people to continue the growth we have achieved in the past 10 years. We have ambitious plans to enter new markets and will be actively recruiting for talented people to add to the existing team. Times are tough but we prefer to focus on the positives. The local industry is full of talent! There are lots of great people and businesses in the local food industry – large and small. Whilst the industry does need to keep working hard to attract talented young people there is a strong skills base to choose from.”
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Henderson Foodservice will continue to drive key areas of the business in 2013 by Damian Barrett, Managing Director, Henderson Foodservice How long has the company been in existence? Henderson Foodservice was established in 1978. In 2004, the business acquired Holmes Catering Services and in March 2005 the business rebranded to Henderson Foodservice further. Henderson Foodservice has developed even further with more acquisitions including the Streat café franchise in 2010 and Independent Catering Services (ICS) in October 2011. Can you give us examples of some of the key changes the business has made to adapt over the past ten years or so? In 2011, Henderson Foodservice invested £14m to build a new state-of-the-art frozen, ambient and chilled warehouse as well as a new suite of offices. In response to impressive sales growth of over 30% since 2012, Henderson Foodservice continued to invest in resource, recruitment and in new vehicles all of which were of pivotal importance in enhancing our overall service to our customers. More recently, Henderson Foodservice have invested circa £750,000 into a new pick and ordering technology, to ensure the best ordering process for our customers. Recognising the shift onto online platforms, in 2013 we launched our online ordering website and we have begun a social media marketing campaign to further develop customer communications. What impact has the recession and economic downturn had on your business? Following the recent economic downturn, we have seen the need to support our customers through continued business investment. Additional resource in customer facing areas such as our sales and telesales departments means that we now have a team of over 50 people who focus on giving the best service to our customers. The recession has made Henderson Foodservice consider the value proposition of our products for our customers. By joining the Country Range Group network of independent
wholesalers in 2012 we now have access to a strong range of own label quality products at even more competitive prices. Going forward, what are your plans to maintain the company’s healthy position in the market? To maintain our position in the marketplace, we have endeavoured to continually develop into new areas of the business. Recently, we launched our new coffee brand, The Coffee Porter, the aim of which is to offer our customers the right coffee solution for their business. We are also developing areas of the business such as fast food, produce and fresh meat with the intention of strengthening our position as a one-stop-shop in the foodservice marketplace. Going forward, we will continue to invest in new technology projects, recruitment and we will continue to drive key areas of the business in 2013 including the development of our customer base in ROI. We now have an ROI sales team and we deliver to all counties in Ireland, up to five days per week. What are your views on the current condition of the local food & drink industry? The food and drink industry is currently
facing challenging times just like any other industry in the current economic climate. It was difficult to witness so many food and drink outlets closing their doors over the past couple of years but encouraging to see numerous new business open their doors around Ireland. Henderson Foodservice have been both fortunate and dedicated as we have continued to open hundreds of new accounts so far in 2013 due to our value and service proposition. The reality is companies in this industry who are adding value to their customers through service, point of difference and a value offering continue to do well. If UG was to speak to you again this time next year, what would you hope to be telling us about the coming 12 months? I would hope that in 12 months’ time that our investments had continued to have brought value to our customers, giving them the best possible service from our business. We would like to think that our new initiatives such as online ordering, social media and our new CSR initiative had borne fruit and that we were continuing to strengthen our position in the foodservice marketplace. 39
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Savage & Whitten endeavour to grow strong Today brand By Mark Windebank, Managing Director
“S
&W Wholesale have been in existence as an Independent Wholesaler for almost 90 years and are part of the expansive Todays buying group (worth around £5.5bn) which allows S&W to provide an excellent product range, pricing and value for its customers. The relationship has been further strengthened this year as Mark Windebank (S&W’s Managing Director) has recently been appointed as Chairman to the Today’s Group. Since 2006 S&W’s success has been quite significant as the company has managed to maintain on average a 20% continual growth year on year. Plans are currently in place to maintain this trend which will see S&W growing its presence in both Northern Ireland as well as Southern Ireland. At present S&W distribute throughout the island of Ireland with a fleet of 17 vehicles supported by the dedicated team of 120 employees based at the 56,000 sq ft modern sales and distribution centre in Newry. In addition to this around 80 people are employed in a number of company owned stores throughout Northern Ireland. Technology and innovation have been a key focus within S&W as the vast majority of S&W’s retailers take advantage of the excellent online ordering system which now accounts for almost 50% of the sales volume. This once again allows retailers more time to focus on the front end of their business instead of being tied up in supply issues. The online facility allows customers to view 4000+ pictorial lines, giving them access to online statements, invoices and order history. S&W have also recently introduced a new service termed ‘Click or Call and Collect. This offers S&W’s customers the opportunity to order in advance online or by telephone, then collecting at their convenience saving them valuable time which they can use to build their own business. In the last four years, S&W’s business has grown significantly partly due to its Today’s Symbol offering. Since launching their first 40
Mark Windebank
Today’s Symbol store at the end of 2009, there are currently 93 stores operating under the Todays Local, Extra and Express persona. These 93 stores account for around 40% of S&W’s total turnover and continues to grow. S&W also have a number of company owned stores which are invaluable in helping understand the needs and expectations of all their customers as they are able to view the operation from the Retailers perspective. Mark Windebank has confirmed plans are in place to maintain this growth across the Symbol estate and by the end of this year it
is hoped S&W will hit the 100 store mark, although quality is more important than quantity as S&W endeavour to grow a strong Todays brand. At present there are currently four stores in Southern Ireland and future plans forecast this number rising significantly, including a wholesale depot based in the South of Ireland equipped to supply additional product lines including tobacco, medicinal and licensed trade products. This would enable S&W and the Today’s brand to supply stores throughout the island of Ireland with a fully supported Symbol offering.”
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES Only businesses registered in and filing accounts within Northern Ireland have been considered for inclusion in the Top 25 list but over the next few pages we will profile a number of key companies who are an integral part of the Northern Ireland food industry and deserve recognition for their success and contribution to the local economy. We begin with Karro Food Group and their Cookstown Site Director Andrew Irwin...
Cookstown continues to sizzle How long has the company been in existence? Karro Food Group is a relatively new business built on longstanding foundations. The Cookstown site has a long history in the area being formed in 1938 processing 2500 pigs per week; it has seen extensive expansion over the years to its current capacity of circa 22,500 pigs per week. The Cookstown brand has strong heritage since its formation in 1940 receiving endorsement from George Best in a TV campaign in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Karro was launched in January 2013 following the purchase of Vion Food Group’s UK pork division by private equity company, Endless LLP, and Karro’s existing management team. Can you give us examples of some of the key changes the business has made to adapt over the past ten years or so? To remain competitive, keep abreast of market trends and strive for continuous improvement, our business has developed relationships with our farmers and invested in the latest food processing equipment and technology. Consumer’s lifestyle changes have led us to produce products tailored for changing customer demands. We’re exporting export to a worldwide platform and we continuously adapt our product offering to suit market tastes and explore opportunities on the global market. Costs are continually increasing so the company uses its scale and benefits from being the lowest cost manufacturer whilst also exploring market opportunities to ensure we remain competitive and give best value to the NI industry. What impact has the recession and economic downturn had on your business? There has been a shift in consumer purchasing habits due to less disposable income as a direct result of the recession and economic downturn. Consumers are shopping around for better value propositions; we therefore have been mindful of this and have responded to customer demands by producing products
that fit to this value criteria for our customer base. Some of our categories benefit from recession; pork is a relatively inexpensive product in comparison to beef and lamb. Cookstown sausages are an inexpensive meal component, and sliced cooked meats for packed lunches help keep the costs of dining out at are a cost effective alternative at lunch time down. Does your business export? If so how have you found this market? Has it improved your turnover significantly? We have significant contracts with many countries throughout Europe, USA and the Far East through our export partners. The markets are a challenge, they are an integral part of our business model and we continue to work to develop our export business platform to sell our carcass in balance. How important is staff training and development to the company? The company takes staff training and development very seriously. Karro realises that it is vital that people at all levels are trained properly to carry out the role they are in and equally to develop themselves as individuals; ultimately this will beneficial to the business in the long term. The company has direct on the job training on a daily basis throughout the factory and has recently completed a training and development needs analysis across all levels of the company. This has now been put into a formal training plan that will be implemented over the next two years. In terms of career progression, does the company have any particular blueprints in place to maintain staff members long term? Karro’s blueprint would be that we provide regular work, good working conditions, competitive rates of pay and good fringe benefits including generous holiday entitlements, company pension scheme and free life insurance. When compared with most other industries we provide long term stable employment and our employees are all on
full time contracts, this is evident through the fact that 40-45% of the workforce has been working here for more than five years. There is career progression through skills development on the line where employees can progress on both their skill level and pay grade, from this the employee can progress to team leader level and onwards through to departmental supervisor and ultimately to department manager should the opportunities arise. Going forward, what are your plans to maintain the company’s healthy position in the market? Going forward Karro will continue to develop the complete end to end supply chain relationships. There will be continued focus on relationships with our farmers, there will be investment in our facility to ensure we remain an efficient and competitive producer, coupled with a programme of continuous improvement and cost reduction. We will continue to work closely with our retail customers to understand their requirements and respond to market trends and needs. We will also be focusing on growing the Cookstown brand and developing export markets with our trade partners. If UG was to speak to you again this time next year, what would you hope to be telling us about the coming 12 months Karro would hope to be telling UG about the stability of the NI Pig industry, growing the Cookstown brand, generating a profitable business throughout the supply chain and delivering a return for our shareholders. 41
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Ballyrashane enjoys a slice of export success T
he award-winning and pioneering Ballyrashane Creamery is the oldest dairy in Northern Ireland and employs 150 people. The locally-owned Co-operative had an annual turnover of £77m in 2012 and can process over 100 million litres of milk and 25,000 tonnes of cream per year. Planning for the future, the Creamery recently established its own milk supply and is currently buying milk directly from almost 90 local farmers. Ballyrashane has an ongoing programme of investment aimed at maximising efficiencies and maintaining its position as a leading player in the local dairy market. Earlier this year, as the latest of its marketleading initiatives, it invested £7m in a facility to produce specialist butter for the European market. Going forward export will be a key growth driver for Ballyrashane, which has developed a trading relationship with a major European partner in developing and marketing specialist butters for the continental market. Already 60% of its income comes from export and by the end of 2015 it anticipates a significant increase in turnover due largely to an increase in butter export sales. Ballyrashane reinforced its reputation for innovation by investing £3.5m into an Anaerobic Digestion plant, which enables it to generate energy from materials including dairy waste. This ground-breaking
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L-R: David Hughes, Environmental Officer, Ballyrashane; Catherine Mason, Group Chief Executive, Translink; Ian Campbell, Operations Manager, Ballyrashane and Tony Dunlea, Industrial & Commercial Sales Manager, Electric Ireland at the 2013 Business in the Community NI Impact Awards where Ballyrashane Creamery won the Environmental Improvement Award.
initiative has been recognised by numerous national and local awards. Along with this investment, the company also believes that investing in people is essential to its future growth and is planning to invest £300,000 on staff development by the end of 2016 with assistance from Invest NI.
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Within the marketplace we sit in a strong position, our key focuses are value, service and price... By Kathryn Magennis, Sales & Marketing Manager
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’Reilly’s Wholesale Limited are a family run confectionary and household products wholsaler based in Newry. Alongside their extensive existing retail impulse range which they have specialised in for over 50 years they now have a value offering within grocery ambient foods, household and pet-care, health, beauty and baby. Over the past ten years the company has adapted the business with the introduction of on-line ordering and new categories enabling them to become an ambient onestop shop for retailers. Moving towards an environmentally friendly delivery fleet they have introduced their new Actros 2524L, this is the first of these vehicles in Ireland and they are expecting delivery of two more later in the year. Providing their customers with the best value in the marketplace has been instrumental to O’Reillys’ business over the past few years. They run over 300
promotions every three weeks and carry a range of 4000+ lines so every retailer can be guaranteed value and increased margin on their specific needs. It is the supply chains job to assist retailers in their offering and it is a challenge that O’Reilly’s take very seriously. Their buying power through membership of Sugro and Today’s group’s has also put them in a strong position to offer the best possible prices to all suppliers.. Kathryn states: “With our continuous investment in all our core operations we remain a strong player in the marketplace, our investment in our company by our retailers remain confident in their investment with us. Our retail partnerships are our number one focus, it is not only our job to know our business but it is our responsibility to know our retailers business so that their tailor made offering from O’Reilly’s provides them with the tools they need to maintain and grow their business”. “We offer a retailer initiative called ‘Quidz
In’, and boost the largest pound range available to retailers in Northern Ireland enabling them to refresh their offering keeping their customers engaged. Full Free POS is available for this offering. Our retail club ‘Sweet Break’ allows retailers access to strong promotional activity on the biggest and best impulse brands in the industry, ‘Sweet Break’ retailers are backed by buying power of over 1,000 stores throughout the UK, retailers enjoy the benefits of Full colour consumer leaflets, full POS kits, Independent planogram’s, high margin on all promotions and rebates, all at no cost to the retailer. We also offer our retailers a drop shipment and display solutions.”
O’Reillys Wholesale Ltd, 1 Ashtree Enterprise Park, Rathfriland Road, Newry, BT34 1BY. T 028 3025 0650 • F 028 3025 0770
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Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
We’ll strive to continue delivering industry leading customer service by Peter Henry, General Manager Allied Bakeries Ireland products such as wraps and pittas. Our approach to innovation has played a key role in our continued success. We started with listening to our consumers to discover their attitudes to bread and the role of bakery at meal occasions. Expanding beyond sliced bread became a core part of our growth strategy and has led us to deliver exciting and relevant new products such as Kingsmill’s sandwich alternatives range.
How long has the company been in existence? Allied Bakeries Ireland’s history in Belfast dates back to 1911 when Joseph Lowry Stewart opened his first shop and bakery on the upper part of the Beersbridge Road in East Belfast. The business was a success and a second bakery was opened in 1929. Soon the two bakeries were supplying a total of 72 Stewart’s Cash Stores with a range of bakery goods. In 1935, Canadian George Weston came to Belfast to buy a bakery. In a deal with Joe Stewart, which incorporated the take-over of Thompson’s Bakery in Ormeau Street and Reid’s Bakery in Coleraine, Weston was to have the controlling interest of what was to become Tip Top Bakeries Ltd, and later Allied Bakeries Ireland. Can you give us examples of some of the key changes the business has made to adapt over the past ten years or so? The bakery industry has evolved dramatically in the last decade with changing consumer lifestyles and eating habits. While white bread is very much in decline, the good news is that consumers are switching to other bakery 44
What impact has the recession and economic downturn had on your business? At Allied Bakeries we recognise that price, quality and service all play a part in achieving customer satisfaction, which is why we strive to meet the highest standards for each. With shoppers watching what they spend competitive prices are vital and retailers are looking to us, the suppliers, to offer the best value. In addition, commodity prices remain volatile which affects the prices of our raw materials; wheat in particular is unpredictable with pricing in the UK being impacted by issues – drought, floods and economic crises – around the world. Does your business export? If so how have you found this market? Has it improved your turnover significantly? As part of the wider Allied Milling and Baking group we have access to a comprehensive sales and distribution network across the UK. Exporting our range of Irish bakery products such as potato and soda farls has always been a focus. Recent wins include the listing of Sunblest Pancakes in Asda and the convenience channel in Scotland. How important is staff training and development to the company? Investment in our people is how we can set ourselves apart from the competition - we’re Investors in People accredited.
Every employee has an annual training plan which ranges from Technical Skills and Food Safety through to Continuous Improvement (CI). Last year, we introduced the IPQ Programme in Baking Industry Skills. Run in partnership with Scottish Bakers and Belfast Met, it offers a structured training programme resulting in an externally recognised qualification. In addition, we’ve given employees greater ownership in their role and involvement in the decision making process. Also in the past year, over 112 employees have attended continuous improvement Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) training as part of project teams focused on delivering CI projects. Another focus of our training and development plans has been equipping our front line managers (FLMs) with the tools and skills to facilitate and coach their teams, inspiring them to develop new and more effective ways of working. It’s about creating an environment where critical thinking and constructive challenging are the norm. It is this culture that positions us well for future growth. In terms of career progression, does the company have any particular blueprints in place to maintain staff members long term? We want to provide opportunities for those who want to progress within our business. As part of a major change programme we introduced 80 new Advanced Team Member roles. These roles are supported by an intensive training programme that will offer excellent development opportunities to employees. We need employees who are enthused by the ‘buzz’ of a FMCG business. In return we can offer challenging and rewarding roles with fantastic opportunities for development within not only Allied Bakeries Ireland but the wider Allied Milling and Baking Group and ultimately Associated British Foods (ABF).
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Northern Ireland’s Top 25 food companies grow by 12 per cent Dun & Bradstreet’s Jonathan Cushley finds some interesting trends reflected in the numbers.
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his issue sees the first publication of a Top 25 Northern Ireland Food Companies. The listing has been compiled using the same sources as it’s big brother the Ulster Business Top 100 and allows the reviewer of the data to dip below the normal Top 100 turnover threshold of £55m. Turnover Sales within the Top 25 took a significant leap in 2012, the combined turnover of the listed companies reached £4,545bn, a 12% increase on sales for the corresponding business in the prior financial years from £4,059bn. For the purpose of this year’s listing financial results have been collated primarily from 2011 and 2012 year ends. The turnover was slightly distorted by the fact that only 24 sales figures were used for comparisons as C&J Meats Ltd (23) were not obliged to file turnover in their comparative financial year end. Profitability The success of any business cannot look solely at sales but in the generation of profit. In the Ulster Grocer Top 25 listing the companies posted an extremely tight profit margin of 1.71%, (£77.8m) comparable to a prior year of 2.44% (£99.6m). Of the 25 companies only two businesses posted pre-tax losses for their last financial year. Profitability within the Top 25 Food companies was impacted strongly by a reduction in profit within Moy Park Ltd, the overall top company with profitability dipping from £27m to £4.7m. SHS Group Ltd number 2 on the Ulster Grocer Top 25 posted exceptional profits of £25.6m on a turnover of £430.2m, a strong 6% margin, when benchmarked against the average of 1.71%. Net Worth (Shareholder Value) The third measure of a company’s overall success utilised when compiling the Top 25 listing is the company’s value to its shareholders. In its simplest form it is the Shareholders Funds (issued capital) + Retained Profits – Intangibles.
The value of the 2012 Ulster Grocer Top 25 companies to their shareholders is currently £485.7m. The shareholders’ return for the Top 25 businesses equates to Profit/Net Worth as a percentage – 16%. Inventory Turnover defined as the Turnover to Net Worth: This volume ratio indicates how many sales pounds are generated with each pound of investment and this equates to for 2012 – 9.36. Reader Notes This is the first compilation of a Top 25 listing for the Ulster Grocer magazine. A date of 30/06/13 has been used as a cut off for inclusion of financial results and only businesses registered in and filing accounts within Northern Ireland have been considered for inclusion. Financial Information has been gathered using D&B’s Investigate Market Research & Analytics Tool. Both D&B and Ulster Grocer magazine are aware that due to various group structures – for example it would be expected that businesses belonging to Kerry Group would be included in the Northern Ireland listing, however, due to their group structures their
Northern Ireland turnover would fall within Irish or UK mainland based subsidiaries. The non filing of financial results, such as with private unlimited companies – example Dunbia Group, means that some additional entities which would expect to be included in the Top 25 companies have unfortunately been excluded. About D&B D&B provides the information, tools and expertise to help Customers to Decide with Confidence. D&B enables customers to have instant access to objective, domestic and global information whenever and wherever they need it. Customers use D&B Risk Management Solutions to manage credit exposure, D&B Sales & Marketing Solutions to find profitable customers and business partners and also utilise D&B Supplier Management Solutions to assist in managing supplier relationships both efficiently and profitably. More than 90% of the Global 1000 rely on D&B as a trusted partner to enable confident business decisions. For more information visit www.dnb.com/uk or e-mail cushleyj@dnb.com.
NI FOOD INDUSTRY TOP 10 EMPLOYERS* RANK
COMPANY NAME
EMPLOYEES
1
TESCO PLC
9,456
2
ASDA STORES LTD
4,401
3
SAINSBURY’S SUPERMARKETS LTD
3,915
4
MOY PARK LTD
3,157
5
MARKS & SPENCER PLC
2,556
6
JOHN HENDERSON HOLDINGS LTD
2,522
7
DUNNES STORES (BANGOR) LTD
1,797
8
ICELAND STORES LTD
1,034
9
DUNBIA
1,016
10
THE CO-OPERATIVE GROUP
995
* Only employees working more than 16 hours per week are counted in this list 45
Tel: 028 9083 2232 www.star-rentals.com TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Food fit for global leadership By Barry McBride, Executive Director, Business International, Invest Northern Ireland
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ur global standing as an important centre for innovative food and drink that combines outstanding taste with consistent quality and provenance was enhanced when world leaders and the media had the opportunity to enjoy the best bread, meat, dairy products and drinks from local processors and farms. The marvellous G8 Summit showcase at Lough Erne Resort will certainly increase the developing trend which has seen international supermarkets, independent retailers, chefs and foodservice organisations looking for fresh thinking and tasty ideas from an industry that currently generates £4 billion to the local economy and employs around 90,000 people throughout an extensive supply chain. Our role is to work alongside local companies, both large and small, in driving exports outside the United Kingdom beyond the current £1 billion figure. We share the conviction in the Agri-Food Strategy Board’s action plan Going for Growth that the industry has huge potential for greater growth abroad. Creating a reputation for good food and great places to eat is helping to strengthen the Northern Ireland economy and providing greater employment. While our focus is primarily on assisting companies grow abroad, we recognise that local retailers are also helping the industry to realise its potential. In addition to extensive international marketing support, we assist companies to compete through support for innovation, design, productivity and efficiency, and skills. Our reputation has also been showcased and enhanced by the performance of smaller companies in particular in globally respected events such as the UK Great Taste Awards and the World Cheese Awards. Winning two Supreme Champion titles in the Great Taste Awards proved to be exceptionally significant in highlighting the best of our food to retailers, chefs and the media. International food writers and broadcasters have acclaimed the taste and originality of our food and drink. Key exports to European supermarkets now include grass-fed beef, poultry, dairy products 46
and seafood. They know that our food is processed in modern factories operating to the highest European hygiene standards and relying on animals reared on largely family-owned farms within five miles of the processors. Among European supermarkets regularly sourcing from here are Auchan, Carrefour, Leclerc, El Corte Ingles / SuperCor, Mercadona and Consum, as well as discounters Lidl and Aldi. In the UK, virtually all the leading supermarkets, including Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, the Cooperative and Budgens, along with Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Marks and Spencer, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Waitrose, sell
our produce. Spinney’s and Al Osra in the Arabian Gulf now list local foods. Artisan producers have, in addition, won business in Hong Kong with the Wellcome Group. Tea and biscuits from Northern Ireland are sold in Japan.. Top chefs such as Mark Hix, Marcus Wareing, Raymond Blanc, Heston Blumenthal and James Martin are now featuring our artisan products on their menus. Food and drink is now a progressive, ambitious, quality conscious and highly skilled industry committed to the highest hygiene standards, ensuring safety, traceability, low carbon footprint and provenance.
Tel: 028 9083 3040 www.ni-trucks.co.uk TOP 25 LOCAL FOOD COMPANIES
Food NI is fully behind the Agri-Food Strategy Board’s Action Plan By Chief Executive of Food NI, Michele Shirlow
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here is no better example of just how far our food story has developed than the World Police and Fire Games. Food NI as a Platinum Sponsor gathered together the cream of Ulster producers to feed the athletes and supporters. In just a few short years, Food NI has grown its network of members from single figures to hundreds. Dozens of them flew the flag for our burgeoning agri-food sector at the Opening Ceremony, the Athletes Village and the main sporting venues. Several of the top producers stepped up to the bar to sponsor individual sports like Moy Park at the golf, Fane Valley at the basketball and Irwins at the Rugby 7’s to show that our food is world class as well as our athletes. Bruce’s Hill sponsored the rugby touch at the Dub Playing Fields at Malone. They knew those tough men would need high-grade protein like their Pulled Dexter Beef and round House Angus Burgers. They took away the message that our beef is the best in the world fed on lush green pastures and it shows in the taste. Goat meat was familiar to lots of athletes. After all, it’s eaten by 70 per cent of the world’s population, but the lucky folk surf kayaking at the East Strand in Portrush were served billy burritos and kid kebabs from nearby Broughgammon Farm. Goatly great! Our Taste of Ulster restaurant members also jumped on the bandwagon with lots of special deals and James Street South, Coppi and Happy Angels came to Custom House Square to feed the 3,000 gathering there every day to hear the results. We may be in a deep recession, but people still want to eat well and they’re willing to pay for quality. They’re also keen to know where their food comes from, and they know that our local produce is best. There’s no doubt there are many challenges arising from the continued recession, but I
Michele Shirlow
believe that our sector is one of the key areas where real growth will come from. It’s already worth £4.1 billion to the local economy and almost 100,000 people earn their living from it. Food NI is fully behind the Agri Food Strategy Board’s Action Plan to 2020 and beyond. Our part in this is clear. Next year, we plan to grow our membership even further and bring the message about our great food and drink even further. Our vision is for a food year in Northern Ireland but at least for 2013 the 7,000 athletes that visited here were fuelled by fresh food from Northern Ireland!
Food NI is fully behind the AgriFood Strategy Board’s Action Plan to 2020 and beyond”
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NEWS
Maine Soft Drinks has tasty growth plans M
aine Soft Drinks in Ballymoney is being assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to grow its export business in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The company, a fourth generation family business, has launched a new range of products to grow sales outside Northern Ireland. It is also aiming to strengthen its market presence in Northern Ireland with Invest NI support. Mr. McArdle, commenting on Invest NI’s assistance, said: “Maine is among the best known names in Northern Ireland through its longstanding and popular delivery of minerals in glass bottles. “While it continues to provide this popular service across Northern Ireland, the company has recognised that most soft drinks are now sold through supermarkets and other retailers and is seeking to grow its business by repackaging the range in plastic bottles. “Our support is enabling the company to repackage its products for retailers, both here and outside Northern Ireland, and to use the expertise available through our Design Development Programme to create the type of contemporary identity that these businesses and their customers now expect” Jonathan Harkness, outlining the company’s plans, said: “The launch of our minerals in a new one-litre plastic bottle is an immensely important investment for the business. Invest NI is helping us to refresh
Support for Maine’s growth plans was announced by Peter McArdle, Invest NI’s Acting Director of Food and Tourism, during a visit to the company, which employs over 100 people in Ballymoney. He was briefed by Jonathan Harkness of Maine Mineral Water.
our brand in line with the requirements of the retailers that we are targeting. “We already have sales in parts of Britain and the Republic and are keen to expand business in both markets. The launch of the new plastic bottle range will make this a great deal easier than is currently possible using glass bottles.”
The company, which has its roots in soft drinks in Co Antrim stretching back to 1919, began processing at Ballymoney in 1959. The family business currently supplies soft drinks to around 40,000 homes across Northern Ireland every week. In addition, it plans to make its flavours available in 500ml snack-sized bottles.
Henderson Group Support Mash Directs Link with Ulster Folk and Transport Museum M
ash Direct and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum have joined in partnership throughout the summer to highlight the new rejuvenated Discovery Farm officially launched at the museum. This is the first time the two organisations have partnered together. The alliance will form an on-pack ‘Kids Go Free’ promotion available on a selection of Mash Direct’s products including its Mashed Potato, Champ, Carrot & Parsnip, Turnip, Cheese and Onion Mash and Colcannon packs. The Henderson Group (Spar) have been very supportive of the partnership between Mash Direct and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. The Henderson group have displayed posters, point of sale and various marketing literature to highlight the promotion. Iain Dickson, Fresh Produce Buyer Henderson Group (Spar) comments: ‘This is a perfect fit for the Henderson Group; we continue to support local suppliers and farmers and are committed to investing in the environment and the community. The Henderson Group awarded Mash Direct with ‘Best Local Supplier at the Balmoral Show this year. We are delighted to be involved in this project, promoting convenient local produce whilst encouraging families to visit one of our top tourist attractions in Northern Ireland.’ Tracy Hamilton, Director, Mash Direct adds: ‘We are delighted to support Discovery Farm which is focused on offering visitors a rich history and wonderful interactive experience. Discovery Farm will 8 • •Ulster 3648 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
From L-R: Iain Dickson (Fresh Produce Buyer Spar), Clare Forster (Mash Direct), Lance Hamilton (Mash Direct) and Robbie Hannon (UFTM)
offer visitors the chance to see and participate in life on the farm over 100 years ago. The ‘Kids Go Free’ will be available on a selection of Mash Direct products in Spar and various other retail outlets throughout Ireland. The promotion will run until 30th September.’
NEWS
First Minister opens new NIIRTA office
McGuigan named Winemaker of the Year
Glyn Roberts NIIRTA Chief Executive and First Minister opening the new NIIRTA office.
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irst Minister Rt. Hon Peter Robinson MLA has officially opened the new Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) office at 245 Upper Newtownards Road, Ballyhackamore, Belfast. Many senior political representatives, local business leaders and retailers attended the official opening. First Minister Rt. Hon Peter Robinson MLA said: “NIIRTA has firmly established itself as a passionate champion for independent retailers across Northern Ireland. I’m delighted to officially open their new office and wish them well in this new chapter of their ongoing support for an essential part of our economy”. NIIRTA Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “NIIRTA is delighted with our new office in Upper Newtownards Road which gives us more space and better facilities to help us to support our members with an improved service. We are a growing business organisation supporting over 1400 independent retailers, wholesalers, suppliers to the sector and traders’ groups in Northern Ireland. As a business organisation which is actively lobbying for a better deal for its members, our new office being such a short drive away from Stormont will be a big time saver. At our launch, we outlined the need for every political party to give their full support to Small Business Saturday on 7th December. Nearly 30 local business organisations have now pledged their support. We have also urged the Executive to establish a Northern Ireland Town Team to tackle the growing challenge of Northern Ireland having the worst shop vacancy rate in the UK, with 1 in 4 shops empty.”
Jamie Saint, McGuigan Wine Maker and Julian Dyer, ALV General Manager.
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cGuigan Wines has been named as White Winemaker of the Year at the world-famous International Wine Challenge in London. The brand, which is distributed in Northern Ireland by United Wine Merchants, picked up the award for the third time in five years at a glittering awards ceremony in central London earlier this week. McGuigan was awarded the top prize after impressing the judges with the winery’s overall performance, setting it apart from its competitors. The latest award for McGuigan takes the total number of global accolades won by the brand since 2007 to six. The International Wine Challenge also saw McGuigan scoop Champion White Wine of Show – commonly referred to as ‘the best white wine in the world’ for the Bin 9000 Hunter Valley Semillon 2005. Speaking after collecting the awards, Neil McGuigan, McGuigan Winemaker said: “It’s fantastic to be recognised as one of the world’s best wines and we’re honoured to have won the White Winemaker of the Year award for the third time. “We believe our wines are among the best in the world and it’s great to have this quality recognised by the industry at such a prestigious event.” Nina Doyle, Brand Manager at United Wine Merchants added: “McGuigan is an incredibly popular brand with wine drinkers across Northern Ireland and we’re delighted to see the Australian winemaker win this world-renowned award.”
GroceryAid reports £3m spent on welfare support D
uring the past twelve months the charity has helped more than 6,500 people and has spent a record £3,012,962 on welfare support, be it financial assistance or through the Welfare Helpline. Financial assistance can include an annual grant, emergency payments to assist during a difficult period, the purchase of essential basic items or various mobility services to help people stay independent in their own homes. This welfare support is only possible due
to a record-breaking £3,626,069 fundraising total for 2012/13. Our sincere thanks go to the Regional Branches who contributed an astounding £1,020,409 of this, which only further emphasises the important role they play in the success of the charity. Gillian Barker, GroceryAid Director General commented: “I am delighted that following the merger of Caravan and Sweet Charity in 2012, the industry continues to pull together to enable us to help even more people than ever before. A very big thank
you to everyone who has made these record breaking figures possible.” To find out more about GroceryAid please visit www.groceryaid.org.uk, email events@ groceryaid.org.uk or call 01252 875925. For welfare advice please call our Helpline on 08088 021122.
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IN perspective THE LUNCHBOX
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ITH September fast approaching it can only mean one thing; Back to School for the kids. In this section we take a look at a range of products to keep shoppers happy. Great local food on the shelves of local stores is an easy method to keep sales maximised at this time of year. Ormos new ‘Batch Loaf’ with its classic square shape and oval crust is perfect for lunchtime sandwiches. The long heritage and tradition is what makes Ormo products must have items in a Northern Ireland consumer’s shopping basket. The Ormo range is known for great taste and goodness and its localness is a key factor that keeps Ormo as one of Northern Ireland’s iconic brands. Hovis’ ‘Best of Both’ is perfect for a healthy filling lunch. With most kids not wanting to take the step to brown or seeded bread, Best of Both is an excellent compromise favoured by mums. Hovis
are continually building their brand ensuring customers get an increased variety along with the best of Hovis quality. Pure and locally sourced ‘Drip and Drop Water’ makes a welcome arrival at Tesco. This new range is launching at a perfect time with the sunny weather and just in time for back to school. ‘Water Within’ is another one of great Taste Northern Ireland suppliers and we are delighted to feature them in our Lunchbox feature. Finally, we will take a look at the perfect meal for busy mums on the go or working parents. Mash Pots are a great new product ready to eat in only three minutes. They come in three great options including a vegetarian one. It certainly is ‘Good Food – Fast’. There is definitely something ‘In the Lunchbox’ to suit everyone’s tastes. Whether it is the fussy school kid or the working dad, these products are sure to be a winner in all lunchboxes.
Ormo Batch loaf gets a revamp
O
RMO is delighted to launch its new package design for its batch loaf. Formerly branded as Mothers’ Pride, the new look has a fresh and modern feel, but without compromising the history, heritage and localness of ORMO bread. Batch bread makes up about 10% of the total bread market in Northern Ireland and is worth about £4m. Ann Cromie, ORMO Brand Manager said, “We needed to respond to changing market conditions, where more and more consumers are looking for alternative bakery products. The ORMO batch is a traditional loaf and we don’t want to forget that, or try to make it something it’s not. “When we looked at our Mothers’ Pride batch, we felt it was out of touch with today’s market, in terms of the name, the 8 3650 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011 4• •Ulster
packaging, and to be honest this product hadn’t been supported by much marketing in store. “The time is right to rebrand to Ormo, on a number of levels – it’s a trusted brand, having been around since 1875 and has a great heritage and tradition. The entire ORMO range is known for great taste and goodness, and is already well established in the morning good market. Its localness is also a key factor that keeps Ormo as one of Northern Ireland’s iconic brands.” The new packaging, due to be launched in August, will be wax wrapped, giving it a premium look and feel, and which also helps keep in the freshness. It will be strongly branded ORMO, with clear product description and product claims on the outside of the pack. In keeping with the other Ormo
products in the range, the nutritional deck will also be clearly displayed on the front, allowing customers to make informed choices about the product. In order to increase distribution and consumer awareness, retailers will be supported by in store barker cards that will sign post consumers to the new loaf. Ann concludes, “We are very excited about this launch. The batch loaf is a classic and we are delighted to bring it up to date with this new look. With its classic square shape and oval crust on the top, what better way to enjoy this delicious white sliced bread, but toasted with real butter and marmalade for the morning? It’s also beautiful with a savoury twist, making great lunchtime sandwiches, with your favourite fillings.”
IN perspective THE LUNCHBOX
Hovis launches new Best of Both just in time for back to School H
ovis is continuing with its history of innovation by improving the recipe and health credentials of its Best of Both loaf, an ideal time for consumers, when thinking about the right bread to use for a filling healthy lunch when the kids go back to school. The half and half category was invented by Hovis. It continues to be a growth category, with a strong market position and is perceived as an acceptable compromise by busy Mums who want their children to eat bread that is healthier than white bread. With most kids not wanting to make the step to brown or seeded bread, Best of Both is just perfect for the lunch boxes! The new Hovis Best of Both, which is made up of half white and half wholemeal flour, now has twice the amount of wheatgerm of any other similar bread in the market. And because it’s the most nutrient rich part of the wholegrain, the health credentials are immediately improved. There are no artificial preservatives, and the bread is an excellent source of fibre and rich in calcium. Calorie content and salt have also been reduced. The loaf will still be available in both medium and thick sliced. With this comes an exciting new taste that, according to market research already carried out, the majority of respondents rate higher than the current great tasting Best of Both and indeed than the competitor brand. So,
whilst the bread might be the acceptable compromise to busy mums, there is certainly no compromise on the great Best of Both taste! Ann Cromie, Hovis Brand Manager said, “We know that the new recipe will delight existing customers, and should convince new consumers of the benefits of Best of Both. With child obesity being a real issue and concern for most parents, we want to put extra health into kids’ lunchboxes, but not compromise on the taste.” Retailers will be supported with strong point of sale material to communicate the 8 3652 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011 4• •Ulster
great new recipe to consumers instore. Eye catching barker cards and Hovis branded Dump Bins will draw the customer to the product. There will also be strong advertising presence during August with several 6 sheet sites being secured all over Northern Ireland to create awareness. To coincide with the launch of the great new Best of Both recipe, Hovis has also refreshed its packaging across the entire range, with a more transparent look. This will give it a fresh and natural feel, with a great loaf shaped Hovis logo,
linking back to the heritage and tradition of a farm loaf, but in a modern way. Ann explains the rationale behind the revamp. “The new look clearly represents traditional bakery with real Hovis pride. We know that clear packaging works well, it showcases the product. We have nothing to hide and consumers can see the products inside before purchase. This will make it easier for the shopper to see, easier to navigate and have a better shopping experience. The packaging is in keeping with the current strongly branded Hovis sliced bread range, and we now have a more consistent look to the range. “Everything is still made locally in Belfast from the same great tasting Hovis recipes, so consumers can be guaranteed the same great quality and taste.” Ann concludes, “We are delighted with the new Best of Both and the new packaging. We are all very excited about launching and if the market research is anything to go by, we know that customers will be delighted as well. We are continually building the Hovis brand credentials, giving consumers an increased choice, along with the best of Hovis quality.”
IN THE LUNCHBOX
Spelga Low Fat yogurt gets a redesign D
ale Farm Spelga’s Low Fat yogurt range is getting a new makeover. The much loved single pot and multipack flavours will now be showing off a brand new pack design with ‘purple’ colour cues and a more modern feel. Following on from the success of the 0% Fat yogurt range redesign last year, which is experiencing significant triple digit growth, the impactful purple cues have been added to the low fat yogurt range, providing better on shelf standout and clearly marking the Dale Farm diet range of yogurts. The redesign will be supported by an extensive, nationwide outdoor media campaign which will showcase the great new look making it easier for shoppers to find instore. The new look packaging will be appearing on shelves from July onwards across the major retailers. New for 2013, Dale Farm Spelga has also expanded its increasingly popular 0% Fat Yogurt range which includes Strawberry, Peach Melba and Vanilla with Dark Chocolate Pieces with two new flavours; Toffee and Mango & Passion Fruit. With triple digit growth, the new flavours are sure to continue adding value to a growing category. The new yogurts have a delicious creamy texture yet are still 0% Fat, making them an easy and convenient choice for health conscious consumers not willing to compromise on taste. With distinctive ‘purple’ packaging, they are available in 150g single pots. Also new to the Spelga portfolio for 2013, is the 0% Fat Greek Style yogurt range. Addressing the consumer trend for greek style yogurt, the new products are high in taste but with 0% fat, from a brand consumers know and trust to deliver on quality and taste. With thick, creamy greek style yogurt, the new flavours include Lemon and Coconut & Vanilla and will compliment the already successful greek style flavours, Strawberry and Heather Honey. Suzanne McKay, Brand Manager for Dale Farm Spelga commented: “Spelga has been a favourite with Northern Ireland consumers for over 40 years. The newly designed Low Fat yogurt range, coupled with the 0% Fat yogurts and 0% Fat Greek Style yogurts, is helping to refresh the brand and cement its appeal to Northern Ireland consumers. With its uncompromising and continued focus on product quality and taste, Spelga maintains its status as one of Northern Ireland’s best loved yogurt brands.”
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IN THE LUNCHBOX
Irwin’s ‘Top of the Class’ for lunchboxes W
ith the school holidays winding up, mums and dads across Northern Ireland will be racking their brains trying to think of alternatives for their little ones’ lunchboxes. Irwin’s, Northern Ireland’s only indigenous plant bakery, has the perfect products to inject some variety into the standard lunchbox menu that kids will love – Irwin’s Muffins, Muffin Loaf and Fruit Toast. Irwin’s Muffin Loaf and Muffins, available in packs of four or eight, are not only delicious toasted with butter and jam, but make a tasty sandwich alternative with savoury fillings such as chicken and bacon, egg mayo or ham and cheese. Irwin’s Fruit Toast is a lighter version of the traditional and very popular fruit loaf in a small sliced loaf format. The loaf is baked everyday for freshness, packed with sultanas and can be eaten as an all day snack. Michael Murphy, Commercial Director of Irwin’s Bakery said: “We’ve been baking bread for families in Northern Ireland for over 100 years, so we consider ourselves experts when it comes to providing consumers with a range of options for kids’ lunches. Our range of muffins and fruit breads have always been firm family favourites but are also incredibly versatile and perfect for lunchboxes!” For more information on products and distribution please contact the Marketing Department at Irwin’s Bakery on 028 3833 2421. For news and updates visit their website www.irwinsbakery.com.
Del Monte Fruit Burst expands range with bold new flavour E
arlier this year, Del Monte launched a new range of fruit juice drinks aimed at children aged 7 to 13. Packed with vitamins and cased within bold packaging, the products are designed to help combat tiredness. A new flavour will be hitting stores next month – often described as tasting like traditional Fruit Salad sweets, this new addition is a unique combination of pineapple and raspberry. The new juice drink, which launches in 200ml lunchbox friendly cartons and 1 litre packs to enjoy at home, extends the existing range of Del Monte Fruit Burst flavours – cool cherry and luscious lime, sour apple and strawberry, sweet apple and blackcurrant and sherbet lemon, orange and lime. The Del Monte Fruit Burst range contains 15% real fruit juices and a combination of vitamins including B5, B6 and B12 plus folic acid. These ingredients can improve children’s stamina and help with concentration. The drinks compare favourably to popular competing brands in the category which contain far less fruit juice. Del Monte Fruit Burst Fruity Pineapple & Raspberry will appear on ambient shelves in Sainsbury’s stores from July 21st. This new flavour, alongside cool cherry and sherbet lemon, will be available in 6x200ml multipacks with the larger 1 litre family pack to follow in Tesco in August. 55
in the lunchbox
New Drip & Drop Water from Water Within is a welcome arrival at Tesco A
new range of 100% natural artesian spring water drinks for children has been launched at Tesco at just the right time, as temperatures have soared to record highs this month. The Drip & Drop range is aimed at children and includes two naturally fruit flavoured sugar-free waters (berry and apple & blackcurrant) and two extra juicy varieties with added fruit juice (orange and apple & blackcurrant). They contain no artificial colours or flavours and are all low in sugar or sugar free. Steven Murphy, Tesco Buying Manager said, “This range is launching at just the right time. With this hot sunny weather, it is more important than ever to keep children hydrated. It can be hard to get kids to drink water but this range is not only extremely pure and locally sourced but also full of great natural juicy flavour. With Back to School not too far off, these will make a perfect addition to school break and lunch boxes. “Water Within” is another one of our great Taste Northern Ireland suppliers. We love to be able to celebrate hard-working local
The Drip & Drop guys popped in to visit some thirsty kids at a Belfast summer scheme. It was hot and thirsty work for the kids on the Galaxy Coaching scheme at Grosvenor Grammar School – thankfully Drip & Drop had some fun and ensured the kids were hydrated and cooled down!
companies and share their products with Tesco customers. Shoppers can keep an eye out in store for other local products bearing the Taste NI label. Drip & Drop is as pure and local as it gets, coming from deep under
Northern Ireland’s own volcanic rock – how amazing – and it tastes great too!” For more information on the Tesco Taste NI campaign, follow on www.facebook.com/ tastenorthernireland
Mash Pots - a tasty alternative to lunch L
ooking for a tasty, hot alternative for lunch? Mash Direct have introduced three delicious new Mash Pots to the range, providing the perfect solution for a healthy, convenient lunch. Mash Direct’s award-winning vegetables are steam-cooked to perfection, gently mashed with the addition of sausages or bacon providing the ultimate nourishing comfort food in a convenient microwaveable pot, complete with fork, ready to eat in just three minutes. Simply ‘Good Food – Fast’. Mash Pots are available in three varieties: Bangers & Mash with Sweet Gravy, Carrot and Parsnip Mash with Bacon and Creamy Bubble & Squeak (suitable for vegetarians).
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in the lunchbox
D
enny knows that back to school can be a challenging time - especially when it comes to filling kids lunchboxes with healthy and delicious snacks and that it can sometimes be hard work for Irish parents to ensure their kids are eating healthy. Now, Irish Mums and Dads have one less thing to worry about as Denny have introduced the only ham in Ireland that is made from 100% natural ingredients and free from any artificial additives or preservatives. So now Irish parents know exactly what their kids are eating for lunch. Mums know that lunch is essential to keep kids going throughout the day and that their lunchbox should contain only the very best, which is why Denny’s has developed the lunchbox high five. Lunch is a very important meal for kids and should provide at least one third of a child’s daily nutrients to help them grow, learn and play. Of course this time of year parents have plenty to worry about as they face the challenge of trying to pack a healthy lunch that does not get swapped, thrown away or arrive home untouched! To help the sandwich makers in the house, Denny Deli Style 100% Natural Ingredients Ham. For more on 100% Natural Ingredients Denny Deli Style ham, visit www.homeis.ie or join the conversation on www.facebook. com/dennyireland
Denny Deli Style Ham is the only 100% natural ingredients ham with no artificial additive or preservatives
Tracker introduce new White Chocolate Chip flavour to range L
aunched over 25 years ago, the nostalgic household name, Tracker®, is bringing a new flavour to the brand’s collection, Tracker® White Chocolate Chip. From April 2013, the new variant joins the rest of the popular Tracker® range, including Chocolate Chip and Crunchy Peanut. With nearly 4,000 Tracker® bars eaten every hour in the UK¹, Tracker® continues to be one of the nation’s favourite snacks. Tracker Milk Chocolate multipack currently sits in the Top 20 cereal multipacks and the Milk Chocolate single ranks at No.8 amongst the cereal bar singles. The Mars Baked Category Team are confident the White Chocolate Chip variant will achieve similar success in the market. To tie in with the launch, Tracker® also announces a new brand redesign and format. Whilst the Tracker® brand logo, slogan and colour palates remain consistent, the new artwork has been enhanced to further appeal to its audience and drive greater standout on shelf. 57
email: karengraham@greerpublications.com
SHELFLIFE
shelf life
www.ulstergrocer.com
IN ASSOCIATION WITH For more information visit www.hunkydorys.ie
Prepare for a Superb Summer with Moy Park M
oy Park, Northern Ireland’s largest food company has the perfect range of dining solutions for busy families this summer. Recognising growing consumer demand for healthy, locally sourced food that is quick and easy to cook, Moy Park has developed a wide range of both fresh and convenience products under the Moy Park brand – all made with 100% locally sourced Irish chicken. Moy Park is dedicated to investing in developing its offering to consumers through new product development and innovation. Moy Park has developed two 100% Irish Chicken Breast Joints as part of its successful ready to cook range. One is butter basted and the other butter basted and stuffed with a bread and herb stuffing. Both Moy Park joints serve 2 -3 people and are oven-ready in a foil tray making them easy to prepare and a convenient option for a family dinner, celebration or Sunday lunch. The team of chefs at Moy Park have also developed new products for summer BBQs - Irish Chicken Thighs and Irish Chicken Drumsticks – each seasoned with a Sea Salt and Black Pepper sprinkle. These versatile products are easy to prepare and are full of flavour and join Moy Park’s existing BBQ product range. Created using 100% locally sourced chicken and flavoured with mouthwatering marinades, Moy Park’s BBQ range includes Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks, Barbecue Chicken Wings, Chinese Chicken Thighs and Sweet Chilli Chicken Thighs. Packed full of flavour and guaranteed to add a ‘sizzle’ to any occasion – from mid-week meals to eating alfresco with family and friends – the Moy Park BBQ range is perfect for summertime dining and has something for everyone to enjoy. These versatile products are easy to prepare and ready to be cooked on the BBQ or in the oven – taking the hassle out of summer entertaining. Whole birds remain a popular choice as families continue to look for value for money. A Moy Park whole bird can provide a delicious roast on a Sunday – with leftovers being used for a range of tasty meals throughout the week. Consumers continue to enjoy cooking from scratch and experimenting with different flavours and ingredients when preparing meals. Moy Park’s whole bird, which is locally sourced, gives consumers a range of options whether they are a traditional cook or an experimental foodie. Moy Park offers consumers a range of branded products that are high quality, locally sourced and packed full of flavour – guaranteed to tantalise taste buds. For more information on products and distribution please contact the Commercial Team at Moy Park on T: 02838 352233. For news and updates visit www.moypark.com
New Bloo Flowers Toilet and Bathroom Antibacterial Wipes set to clean up sales this summer T
he wipes are the latest offering from Bloo Flowers, a sub-brand of Bloo which couples superior cleaning power with floral fragrance and colour. Available in packs of 36 and in two fragrances - Sweet Tulip and Fresh Daisy, the wipes feature fragrance lock packaging to keep them fresh and prevent drying out whilst holding onto fragrance. Bloo Flowers Toilet and Bathroom Antibacterial Wipes are available from July across all channels with an RRP of £1.49. Retailers should contact 01842 757 575 or contact@jeyes.com for orders and information.
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email: karengraham@greerpublications.com
SHELFLIFE
shelf life
www.ulstergrocer.com
IN ASSOCIATION WITH For more information visit www.hunkydorys.ie
ROCKSTAR XDURANCE builds on impressive success with new flavour R ockstar is growing at 66% YOY*1 and is now the fastest-growing*1, fastest-selling*2 big-can energy brand, delivering more cash through the till for retailers every day*3. The brand is building on this success with the launch of a new variant of Rockstar Xdurance, Tropical Orange. “The energy market is an exciting place to be at the moment,” says Adrian Troy, Head of Marketing for AG Barr. “The category is growing at +5%,*1 with Big Can energy formats performing particularly well, growing at an impressive +15% YOY.*4 “Within Big Can Energy, it is the flavoured variants which are delivering the sales increase, growing at 45% YOY.*4 Rockstar Xdurance is the UK’s fastest-selling ‘Big Can’ energy drink*2 with sales of more than £16m*5 since launching in August 2011. “Rockstar Xdurance has really struck a chord with shoppers,” says Troy. “We are fuelling this growth with the launch of Tropical Orange, which will offer Xdurance loyalists an exciting new flavour as well as attracting new shoppers to the brand.” Rockstar Xdurance Tropical Orange received excellent feedback in consumer taste tests, with 80% of consumers saying they would buy the product*6. “Orange flavoured drinks have proven success on shelf” says Troy. “Orange is the biggest flavour in sports and energy (excluding Original), accounting for nearly 25% of all sales*7. “Retailers should ensure that they stock a wide range of flavours on their energy fixture to meet consumer demand.” Sources: *1: Nielsen Scantrack, % Value Growth, MAT to 30.03.13, Total Coverage *2: Nielsen Scantrack, AC Wtd UROS, 473ml+ Single cans, Energy Drinks, 12 wks to 27.04.13, Total Impulse *3: Nielsen Scantrack, Cash ROS, 473ml+ Single cans, Energy Drinks, 12 wks to 27.04.13, Total Impulse *4: Nielsen Scantrack, % Value Growth, 473ml+ Single cans, Energy drinks, MAT to 30.3.13, Total Impulse *5: Estimated Retail Value, based on AG Barr Sales Data *6: LVQ Research, June 2012, 200 consumers aged 16-30 * : Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, Sports & Energy, MAT to 30.03.13, Total Coverage
Mars Ice Cream is the fastest growing Ice Cream manufacturer in 2013 M
ars Ice Cream is the fastest growing WHH manufacturer growing at 11% YTD2. Having trebled the size of the team, Mars Ice Cream is now focused on growing their biggest confectionary brands in ice cream. This has seen the Mars & Snickers brands growing by 21% & 24%3 respectively YTD in 2013. Central to this growth has been the launch of Mars & Snickers Minis, the biggest innovation from Mars Ice Cream in a decade which has in the process introduced almost 300,000 incremental buyers to the brands.4 Mars has also established 4 singles (Mars, Snickers, Maltesers & Bounty) in the fastest selling top 20 singles in Impulse.5 Having won the prestigious ‘Product of the Year Award 2012’, TWIX®, has continued its success with a 28% sales increase for its multi packs YOY6. James Hay, Senior Brand Manager, Mars Ice Cream comments: “Mars Ice Cream offers best selling consumer favourites across a variety of formats. We are committed to supporting retailers and growing the category in 2013, and are particularly excited about our ongoing success. As the summer gets underway we are expecting to see even more significant increases in sales.” Source: Kantar WPO, Total market, Actual buyers, 52 w/e 9th June 2013 vs 52 w/e 10th June 2012. 2 Source: SIG Extended Snack Outlets, 16 w/e 18th May ’13, Value Sales vs year ago. Source: SIG Extended Snack Outlets, 16 w/e 18th May ’13, Value Sales vs year ago. 4 Source: Kantar WPO, Total market, Actual buyers, 52 w/e 9th June 2013 vs 52 w/e 10th June 2012. 5 Source: SIG Extended Snack Outlets, 52 w/e 15th June ’13, value sales. 6 Source: SIG Extended Snack Outlets, 16 w/e 19th May ’13, value sales vs year ago.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Wincanton cleans up with Hygiene accolade W
incanton, Musgrave Retail Partners (NI) distribution partner, has been awarded the Emerald Q Mark Award for Hygiene and Food Safety for the second year in succession, highlighting their on-going commitment to maintaining high hygiene standards. The Hygiene Mark standard provides official recognition of consistent hygiene controls implemented by businesses across the food industry, including warehousing, supermarkets, bakeries, food processors, restaurants and hotels.
McCannBlue Creates Change M
Damian McCarney, Services Director, Musgrave Retail Partners NI with Andy Short, Wincanton Operations Manager
cCann Dublin and Blue Cube agencies have recently merged and will become one entity, operating under the name of McCannBlue and based in Grand Canal Dock, Dublin. An area that combines history with innovation, global online giants like Google and Facebook with passionate start-up enterprises. A hive of energy, optimism and inspiration where we feel right at home. McCannBlue is not a digital agency. Nor an agency with digital capability. But a creative agency for the here and now. Under the new structure, Orlaith Blaney of McCann Dublin will take the reins as CEO. A familiar name to anyone in the industry, Orlaith is one of the most experienced and dynamic agency heads in Ireland. Joining Orlaith in leading the agency is Sébastien Sicot, currently MD at Blue Cube who becomes Digital Director of the new enterprise.
Northern Ireland First - Linden Foods Receive Quality In Credit Management Accreditation L
inden Foods, one of the UK’s leading fresh meat processors has achieved the Quality in Credit Management (QICM) accreditation from the Institute of Credit Management - the first company in NI to do so. The QCIM is a measurement process for credit management that covers six core areas - credit policy; compliance; customer services; personal and professional development; performance measurement; and stake holder management and roadmap. Linden Foods, employs over 700 people and is one of the UK’s leading processors of beef, lamb and rosé veal products. Customers include retailers and companies within the catering trade throughout the UK and Ireland, such as, Marks & Spencer and Lidl and Morrisons. 8 • •Ulster 3660 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Catherine Bradford Credit Manager, Linden Foods with Philip King, CEO of Institute of Credit Management, , Keith Totton, Credit Controller, Natasha Kells Credit Controller both from Linden Foods
E E S O T D E YOU NE IEVE IT. IT TO BEL Credit Risk Management will never be the same again. DNBi, our revolutionary credit risk management platform, is so powerful that, when you see it, you could be left in a state of shock. Easily customisable to suit your business, DNBi gives you instant access to only the information you need, whenever you need it. And with live information on more than 220 million businesses in the D&B Global Database, its insight will enable you to transform your credit risk management, make smarter decisions and better protect your business.
For more information go to www.dnb.co.uk or call us on 0800 001 234 - but prepare yourself first.
INTERVIEW
trade
This month, trade people speaks to Andrea Keers – NI Retail Sales Manager, Musgrave Wholesale Partners & DayToday...
PEOPLE
Can you give me an outline of your personal background and how you came to be involved with DayToday? I started my career in Harrods, London as a Graduate Buyer and three years later I moved into Sales with Mars Confectionery. I had various roles including NI New Business Development Manager, NAM for Symbol Accounts, Sales Manager for Independent Retail and Business Unit Leader for High Street Accounts. After 13 years with Mars, I moved to BIC as their Field Sales Manager, UK & Ireland and 12 months ago I moved to Musgrave to manage the Retail Sales Team and DayToday Estate in Northern Ireland. Not only has this given me a new career challenge but it has also allowed me to spend more time in Northern Ireland, with my husband and two daughters, Charlotte and Eloise! What do you enjoy most about your career? It sounds a bit of a cliché but I love the fact that no two days are the same. One moment I can be coaching, the next I am working with a store owner to develop sales and the next I can be working with key suppliers to develop tailored promotions. I really love the automony the role has given me to get retailers involved in helping to shape the future of the business. Not only do I work for Musgrave but I also work for every retailer who purchases from Musgrave and in particular the DayToday and other loyal independent customers. I have an experienced business development team who are worth their weight in gold as they take pride in the success of the customers they work with. And what frustrates you most about your daily work life? I have very high standards and do get frustrated when a supplier lets the business down as this has an impact on retailers. However, the Trading Team at Musgrave are excellent and they work tirelessly to ensure that this is very rare. The business has recently invested heavily in improving logistics, which is great news for my customers who rely on us to provide their range. What was the first lesson you learned in Business? I have two that I realised were critical in the early part of my career: Never ask anyone to do something that you would not be prepared 62
to do yourself, and always deliver on any promise that you make. I believe that using these every day allows me to be credible in my role.
to meet the needs of convenience shoppers. It has never been more important to understand and meet shoppers’ needs and we constantly check our pricing to ensure it is competitive.
How has the growth of Day Today been affected by the economic downturn? Trading conditions are tough at the moment and more independent retailers are joining Symbol groups to give them an improved identity and buying power. This has made Musgrave revisit the DayToday brand and ensure that it meets the needs of the progressive independent retailer. In the past 12 months we have refreshed the image, improved Point of Sale, introduced an on-line ordering system & fully integrated EPOS system, included DayToday retailers in the future direction of the brand and I am delighted that this has been the catalyst in increasing store numbers significantly. Value for money is critical and we have introduced a strong £1 and value range alongside our strong three-weekly promotional plan to ensure retailers have a market leading offer. This is supported by consumer leaflets and strong Point of Sale, which help to deliver the value message.
How do you think your retail customers would describe you? Determined, focused and very keen to support sales growth and in-store excellence. I am always very aware that Musgrave and DayToday success is down to the success of the retailers we serve.
How does Day Today differ from the other Symbol Operators in Northern Ireland? DayToday is the largest fee free Symbol operator in Northern Ireland and has the backup and support of the Musgrave Group and the Today’s buying group. The brand has a vibrant fresh new image and store numbers are growing strongly. We don’t tie retailers into onerous contracts, there are no fees and retailers retain their own independence. We regularly seek input and feedback from our retailers and they help us to shape the brand
What are your plans going forward at Day Today? My plans are very much driven by the needs and wants of the DayToday retailers and the convenience market dynamics within Northern Ireland. Our new on-line ordering tool is proving very popular and we continue to ensure that we offer a value for money solution that allows independent retailers to compete more effectively and profitably. I intend to share the latest developments with our members at our Retailer Conference in September. The DayToday brand needs to constantly evolve to stay a step ahead and our retailer forums help us to focus on the things that matter most to our retailers. How do you see the local convenience sector changing over the next few years? The convenience sector is very dynamic, and shoppers have adjusted their buying habits due to the economic downturn and I see that continuing. What HAS BEEN your greatest achievement to date? I have loved being part of the turnaround of the DayToday brand. The brand is in the right place to support Northern Ireland retailers in the future.
appointments
People on the move
in association with
Unit A4, 17 Heron Road, Sydenham Business Park, Belfast, BT3 9LE. Tel: 028 9045 5040 • Fax: 028 9073 9058
Irwin’s Bakery appointments Portadown-based Irwin’s Bakery, Northern Ireland’s only indigenous plant bakery, has made three new appointments... Name: Alison Matchett
Two new appointments for Moy Park
Position: Strategic Accountant Alison is a chartered accountant, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree in Accounting from Queens University, Belfast and a Masters in Accounting from the University of Ulster. Alison completed her training contract and Chartered exams within the Corporate Finance and Forensic Accounting teams of PwC LLP and worked within the Business Banking Team and subsequently the Chief Operating Office of Ulster Bank Ltd before securing her position within Irwin’s Bakery. Role: Alison is responsible for cash flow management, treasury operations and company performance measurement.
Name: Dale Wiseman Position: Dispatch Service Manager Dale began his management career in the retail sector with independent music retailer Caroline Music before securing his position with Irwin’s Bakery. Dale has successfully traversed a number of different roles within Irwins most notably his work as an IT project manager and the successful design and implementation of handheld computer terminals for its sales division.
Name: Neil Clarke Position: Engineering Manager Neil Clarke has been appointed as Engineering Manager at Moy Park Craigavon. With over 20 years’ engineering management experience Neil joins the company from Bombardier. Neil is also currently working towards a MSc in Business Improvement from the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.
Role: Responsible for production planning and scheduling for the year ahead and ensuring the timely dispatch of goods, management of manpower and reconciliation of stock.
Name: Nigel Nixon
Name: Hazel Kincaid Position: Management Accountant A graduate from the University of Ulster Jordanstown, Hazel has worked across a range of sectors, including her role as a chartered accountant for Nestle UK, Desmond & Sons Ltd and McAleer & Rushe Ltd before securing her position with Irwin’s Bakery. Role: Hazel is in charge of implementing all accountancy policies relating to production in Irwin’s Bakery.
Position: Engineering Manager Nigel Nixon has been appointed as an Engineering Manager at Moy Park, joining the company’s Agri-Fresh Division. Nigel joins the team at Moy Park from Dale Farm where he has spent the last three years.
RECRUITMENT, CONTRACTING & FIELD MARKETING CONSULTANTS 3O YEAR’S RECRUITING IRELAND’S TOP SALES & MARKETING PERSONNEL Unit A4, 17 Heron Road, Sydenham Business Park, Belfast, BT3 9LE. Tel: 028 9045 5040 • Fax: 028 9073 9058
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appointments
People on the move
in association with
Unit A4, 17 Heron Road, Sydenham Business Park, Belfast, BT3 9LE. Tel: 028 9045 5040 • Fax: 028 9073 9058
GM Marketing’s latest appointments Name: Gary Martin
Name: Kevin Rafferty
Position: National Account Controller Gary Martin has been appointed National Account Controller for GM Marketing and has responsibility for customers throughout the island of Ireland. Gary has 24 years grocery experience gained working within commercial roles across both fresh, chilled and ambient product categories within both the UK & Ireland, and he was previously Commercial Manager for a Northern Ireland produce company and Business Unit Director for Premier Bakeries Ireland whose brands include Ormo and Hovis.
Name: Ruth Jenkinson Position: Buyer Ruth Jenkinson has been appointed as Buyer at GM Marketing and is responsible for sourcing and purchasing across various product categories. Ruth’s experience includes buying roles within Henderson Wholesale in NI, Somerfield in UK and MACE in Scotland.
Position: Marketing Assistant Kevin Rafferty has been appointed as Marketing Assistant as GM Marketing where he will be responsible for assisting in all marketing activities for the UK and Ireland. Kevin has recently graduated from the University of Ulster where he studied Communications, Advertising and Marketing. Kevin worked at GM Marketing in the marketing department during his placement year.
Name: Stiofan Grego Position: Telesales Executive
Name: Laura Longridge Position: Marketing & CRM Assistant Laura Longridge has been appointed as Marketing & CRM Assistant at GM Marketing where she will be responsible for managing all CRM and E-commerce activities. Prior to this Laura worked as a CRM Co-ordinator for a world leading materials handling organisation, Barloworld Handling Ltd where she was responsible for co-ordinating all marketing activity for the region.
Stiofan Grego has been appointed as Telesales Executive at GM Marketing and will work on targeted campaigns throughout the UK and Ireland. Stiofan has direct sales experience within the telemarketing industry. Previously, NI Sales Manager, with MRI Overseas Property in Belfast, managing a telemarketing team which implemented property transactions and organisation of exhibitions throughout Ireland.
RECRUITMENT, CONTRACTING & FIELD MARKETING CONSULTANTS 3O YEAR’S RECRUITING IRELAND’S TOP SALES & MARKETING PERSONNEL Unit A4, 17 Heron Road, Sydenham Business Park, Belfast, BT3 9LE. Tel: 028 9045 5040 • Fax: 028 9073 9058
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Directory SERVICES
Highlighting the local products and services which are vital to the successful running of your retail business
N. Ireland Contacts Mark Glover - Business Development Manager Liam O’Connor - National Account Manager MAIN BRANDS: RUM Bacardi Superior Rum • Bacardi Gold Rum Bacardi 8 Year Old Rum • Bacardi Razz • Bacardi Oakheart VODKA Grey Goose L’Original • Grey Goose La Poire Grey Goose L’Orange • Grey Goose Le Citron 42 Below Pure • 42 Below Passionfruit • 42 Below Kiwi • 42 Below Manuka Honey • 42 Below Feijoa • 42 Below Vodka Feijoa
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AVAILABLE FROM ALL GOOD WHOLESALERS
www.bacardi-martini.co.uk • www.bacardi.com • Tel: 01962 762100
The Complete IT Solution for Your Food Business Dungannon office 38 Northland Row, Dungannon, BT71 6AP T: 028 8775 2990
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Season is our unique software solution designed for the Food Industry. 21 Years of Evolution have produced a product which seamlessly links your Office, Factory & Road.
Office - All daily operations including POP, SOP, Pricebooks, Stock Control, Traceability, EDI Factory - Touch Panel PC’s linked to existing scales with barcode capabilities Road - Handheld PDA’s manage your Van Sales. Store POD’s electronically and eliminate paper Datos Professional Solutions Ltd. Datos House, 16 Armagh Road, Portadown, Co. Armagh, BT62 3DP. Tel: +4428 38362002 Fax: +4428 38334485 email: sales@datos.co.uk web: www.datos.co.uk
www.datos.co.uk
Directory SERVICES
Congratulations to Anita Byrne, from Antrim, Winner of a Year’s supply of Bread courtesy of Sunblest. Thanks to Sunblest and all who subscribed to the magazine in the month of June and were automatically entered into the draw for this fantastic prize. ‘Like’ and follow our Facebook page http://www.facebook. com/UlsterGrocer> for future competitions.
IRELAND’S No.1 CRINKLE CUT CRISP Available in five mouth-watering flavours: Buffalo, Cheese & Onion, Salt & Vinegar, Sour Cream & Onion and Smokey Bacon
NORTHERN SNACK FOODS LTD, Lissue Industrial Estate East, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, BT28 2RB For enquiries contact: Martin McClinton on 028 9262 2820
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To advertise, contact:
Karen Graham Tel: 028 9078 3245 karengraham@greerpublications.com
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“Supplier to the food industry for over 25 years”
• Wide product range of IVECO vans and trucks • Full range of purchase options available • 24 hour service and parts back up NI Trucks, 3 Mallusk Rd, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim BT36 4PP
T: 028 9083 3040
NI Trucks, 6 Carn Court Rd, Portadown, Co. Armagh BT63 5YX
T: 028 3836 2413
www.ni-trucks.co.uk
enquiries@ni-trucks.co.uk