The Bulletin - May/June 2014

May/June 2014

Harvesting

Frozens’ Assets

The Chips Are Up

Who’s Who in Cold Storage Preface Special Report Industry News Diary Dates Health & Safety New Products New Member Profiles Technical & Legislative

BFFF Gala Dinner Dance & Awards Presentation Evening Thursday 12th June 2014 London Hilton on Park Lane The BFFF Gala Dinner Dance attracts over 800 members and provides a superb networking opportunity for both the retail and foodservice sectors.

The occasion also provides the natural arena for the presentation of the Annual Awards for New Products. Whilst the awards are given the recognition that they deserve, there is also plenty of time for dancing and mixing with colleagues and friends in the industry.

This is a black tie and dinner jacket occasion and reception rooms open at 6.00pm with the call to dinner for 7.00pm. There will be a breakfast served at 1.30am in an informal setting which allows time for mingling with the rest of the industry. The occasion usually closes by 3.00 am.

For your enjoyment this year we have… *

A Brilliant Dance Band

*

A fabulous guest band to keep you on the dance floor

*

An entertaining cabaret to keep the evening lively

*

The perfect arena for mixing with the industry and its customers

*

A chance to network into the wee small hours

Last Orders Please!

Contact Charley Price on 01400 283091 Email: charleyprice@bfff.co.uk Or Jilly Wallis on 01400 283090 Email: jillywallis@bfff.co.uk

Bookings on a ‘first come – first served’ basis Bookings exclusively for members of BFFF only This very popular occasion is enjoyed by all and we look forward to welcoming our members and their guests.

All you need to bring with you is your party spirit.

The Bulletin

CONTENTS

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

BRIAN YOUNG

PREFACE & BFFF NEWS

04

FACTS & FIGURES

12

NEW PRODUCTS

14

NEWS

17

DIRECTOR - GENERAL

Dear Members, Summer is here and this issue of The Bulletin celebrates the pick of the season – all those wonderful vegetables and fruits now coming into harvest and being preserved by the global frozen food industry.

The changing season also marks another new step in the continuing evolution of the BFFF as we restructure ourselves to better meet the demands of our dynamic industry. This month, the BFFF held a General Meeting of members to approve the much discussed new management structure comprised of a board of directors representing all sectors of our industry headed by a chairman.

Talking of events, only a few weeks remain before the BFFF’s Gala Dinner takes place in London on June 12. But before you press your tux or splash out on a new frock, make sure you’ve booked a table. Only a few remain so call Charley Price on 01400 283091 or Jilly Wallis on 01400 283090 now – or you won’t be going to this year’s best ball!

FEATURES 23 COLD STORAGE DIRECTORY 36 HEALTH & SAFETY

51

TECHNICAL & LEGISLATIVE 53

Looking forward to catching up soon.

NEW MEMBER PROFILES 55

Brian Young Director - General British Frozen Food Federation Registered office: Warwick House, Unit 7, Long Bennington Business Park, Main Road, Long Bennington, Newark NG23 5JR. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales No: 7687541 T 01400 283090 W www.bfff.co.uk Director - General Brian Young Bulletin Editor Graeme Day Contributors Joanna Hancock and Su Dakin Advertising Manager Kate Miller T 01780 763841 M 07933 704270 E katemiller@bfff.co.uk

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 59 The Bulletin is published bi-monthly by the fabl for the British Frozen Food Federation. the fabl is a marketing and publishing agency specialising in strategic brand development, design, engaging content creation and innovative, cross platform delivery. the fabl Nesfield House, Broughton Hall Business Park, Skipton, Yorks, BD23 3AE T 01756 636 777 W www.thefabl.com Managing Director Mags Walker Editor Sarah Hardy

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 03

PREFACE

The Bulletin

Preface by Brian Young, Director - General

PREFACE

Green Light for BFFF Five-Year Strategy BFFF held a General Meeting of its members on May 14, 2014 to approve its new articles of association and new rules.

THE ARTICLES ARE now very much a standard set of articles appropriate for a Trade Association and not a customised set for BFFF. Our rules are, of course, unique to BFFF and the changes were made in order to modernise how we operate and to make this trade association even more effective in meeting members’ needs.

Ideally we will have a large, medium and small producer on the board whilst we will also aim to have a national wholesaler, a buying group and an independent wholesaler represented.

THE NEW BFFF BOARD

• Ian Stone, apetito

The board consists of 10 members with six representatives from our producer, importer, broker, and wholesaler member sectors plus the chair of the Audit Committee, the chair of the Technical and Legislative Expert Group, a retailer and the director-general, who will become chief executive.

• Vanessa Lewis, Summit Foods

04 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

The first board is made up of: • Peter Allan, Cargill, chairman of the board and president

• Adrian Whitehead, Brakes • Ian Crawford, 3663 • Chris Binge, Fairway • Nigel Broadhurst, Iceland • Vince Craig, chair of the Technical and Legislative group

• Ali Hannaford, chair of the Audit Committee • Brian Young, chief executive of BFFF Amongst the board, we have agreed who will serve for one year, who will serve for two years and who will serve for three years so that we don’t have all the board retiring at the same time. A director may serve for two terms of three years but must stand for re-election at the end of their first term. Members will continue to have the right to nominate an individual for election as part of the AGM in November.

The board, on an annual basis, will review its effectiveness and that of the chairman and the chief executive to ensure we continue to best serve our members’ interests.

Since I outlined our new strategic direction in the July/August 2013 edition of The Bulletin we have made really good progress against the key projects that I identified. Some of the highlights are: CREATE A MODERN MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE • We have now formed a BFFF board to replace the Executive Council • We are launching industry forums, open to all members, twice a year to replace the sector committees. The first forum will be in London on June 12 • The Audit Committee will continue and there are vacancies for anyone interested in joining.

If you are interested please let me know • The Technical and Legislative Committee, the Health and Safety Committee and the Frozen Food Promotion Group have become expert groups • New Articles of Association and BFFF rules have been approved by our members at a

General Meeting on May 14 • Our first BFFF board meeting was held on May 14 CREATE A NEW COMMERCIAL TEAM

We are extending the Primary Authority Scheme to include Fair Trading and Fire Safety modules as we broaden the benefits available to members of following assured advice.

SUMMARY

I am delighted that Graeme Day has been appointed head of commercial whilst Becky Dobb has joined us as membership manager and Charley Price has joined as events manager. Commercial assistant Jilly Wallis supports the commercial operations which now completes the restructuring of the team.

BFFF is progressing well and has made great strides forward in recent years to get closer to members, to promote the industry more proactively, to influence and lobby more effectively whilst growing membership and in its financial performance.

The new commercial team now has very clear responsibilities and accountabilities. Hopefully, many of you will have already met the team.

The changes we are making are designed to make BFFF an even more modern, progressive and effective organisation to support our industry.

SUPPORT TECHNICAL AND HEALTH AND SAFETY Crystal Holmes joined the Federation on a student placement scheme, to support Su Dakin and Jo Hancock on the service we provide for Health and Safety and Technical and Legislative.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss any of the proposals further.

H&S Seminar July 2014 CALLING ALL HEALTH & SAFETY PROFESSIONALS! We are pleased to announce that the next Health & Safety Seminar will be held on July 2 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

This year’s topics include: • HSE priorities and target areas for 2014/15 • Legionella control and prevention • Fire case study • BFFF Primary Authority Scheme and industry statistics • Keeping safe whilst working on refrigerated vehicles/trailers

• Accidents and bad practises caught on camera - industry case study • Behaviour-based driver safety • Safety climate tool • Prosecution case study

Last year was a sell out so please book early to avoid disappointment. For more booking details please contact Joanna Hancock on joannahancock@bfff.co.uk.

Our thanks to this year’s sponsor JLT Specialty Ltd.

• Employer’s & Public Liability Claims Ministry of Justice Reforms & Protocols Speakers this year come from the HSE, Fire Service, Local Authority, Palmer & Harvey Ltd, DriverMetrics, HSL, DLA Piper, JLT Specialty Ltd and R&R Ice Cream UK Ltd.

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 05

BFFF NEWS

The Bulletin

BFFF Gala Dinner Dance and Awards Evening 2014

Tickets are selling well for this year’s Gala Dinner Dance that takes place on Thursday June 12 at the London Hilton on Park Lane. The evening will also see the presentations to the winners of this year’s Annual Awards for new products in both the retail and catering sectors.

IF YOU WISH to attend the Gala Dinner Dance, please contact either Charley Price on 01400 283091 or Jilly Wallis on 01400 283090 as tickets are selling fast. Book now so you don’t miss this highly acclaimed event.

Adding their support to the occasion are our sponsors who we are always delighted to have on board. Our thanks go to the Yearsley Group who are once again sponsoring the Retail Awards. Thanks to both Harry Yearsley and Jonathan Baker.

We are delighted to have NewCold sponsoring the Catering Awards again this year. Thanks to David Richardson, Bram Hage and Ray Perry.

Iceland Foods return to sponsor the seating

06 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

brochure. Our thanks go to Malcolm Walker and Nigel Broadhurst.

Many thanks also to Joanna Frost of Sam Browne Foods for sponsoring the main cabaret again this year. Also continuing its support is Freiberger UK. Our thanks to Freiberger’s Richard Harrow for sponsoring the band Rollacoaster, who keep the party going.

New sponsors for this year’s Gala Dinner Dance are Golden Valley Pallet Wrap Specialists (GVPS) who will be joint sponsor of the President’s Reception. Thanks to GVPS’s Colin Griffiths for his support. Also new sponsors for 2014 are Rick Bestwick Ltd, which is sponsoring the breakfast. Many thanks to Stuart Hancock for supporting the BFFF.

This year’s sponsors Sam Browne Foods Sam Browne Foods Sponsors Cabaret At The Gala Dinner Dance BFFF is delighted that Sam Browne Foods are once again sponsoring the cabaret at the BFFF Gala Dinner Dance. The occasion is a very popular event and the cabaret spot always brings extra impact to the evening and this year will be no exception. We are very pleased that with Sam Browne Foods’ support we are able to add that extra touch for your enjoyment of this special evening.

Iceland Foods Iceland Adds Sponsorship To BFFF’s Major Networking Event BFFF is delighted to have Iceland Foods once again as the sponsor of the event brochure at the Gala Dinner Dance. This special occasion, which incorporates the presentations of BFFF’s

Yearsley Group Yearsley Group Once Again Champions Frozen Food Innovation And Excellence Yearsley Group is delighted to confirm its continued sponsorship of the BFFF’s Annual Awards 2014 - Retail, for the sixth consecutive year. Known as the ‘Oscars of the Frozen Food Industry,’ these prestigious awards recognise the very best frozen food products brought to the market over the past year.

Established in 1999, Sam Browne Food, based in East Yorkshire, manufactures globally procured meat and poultry in a variety of formats and flavours to meet its customer requirements. With a customer base that includes retailers, manufacturers and the foodservice sector, SBF is ideally placed to highlight its brand to the audience of buyers from every sector of the cold chain who will be present on the evening.

The company offers a wide range of products and has the ability to create bespoke products for any customer. SBF works closely with its customers to ensure products meet customers’ requirements. It is BRC accredited,

Annual Awards, is a very popular event and will be attended by leading companies of every sector of the frozen food industry.

Iceland buying director, Nigel Broadhurst, stated: “Iceland is a leading company and a household name at the forefront of the frozen food industry. Our 822 stores deliver sales in excess of £2.6bn, and we are prominent players in every frozen food market.

“We are strong supporters of the work which

Managing director, Harry Yearsley commented, “Yearsley Group’s involvement once again demonstrates our commitment to the frozen food industry. It’s important that quality and innovation in the industry are rewarded and we are extremely honoured and proud to be involved as sponsors of this year’s retail awards and add our support to this wellestablished event.”

In the past 18 months, Yearsley Group has acquired a 42,000 pallet automated store, built a new store at Heywood with cart

a member of BFFF and the British Sandwich Association.

Tony Worthington, director, commented: “Sam Browne Foods is dedicated to achieving the highest standards of service, innovation and production within the cooked, flavoured meats and ready meals sector. We fully recognise the important role that the BFFF plays in the industry and are very pleased to support the BFFF by once again sponsoring the cabaret at this year’s Gala Dinner Dance.”

BFFF thanks Sam Browne Foods for once again adding its support to this industry event.

BFFF undertakes for the frozen food industry and as regular winners of BFFF awards over the 26 years of the Annual Awards, it is natural for Iceland to pledge our support for this industry event.”

BFFF is highly appreciative of Iceland’s continued support and recognises Iceland’s foresight and generosity in giving its sponsorship to this special occasion.

automation, installed 12,000 solar panels and retro-fitted LED lighting to all 13 sites. It has also started an apprenticeship scheme and significantly upgraded its bespoke operating system and web portal.

“In our business we believe passionately in investing in our systems, infrastructure and people to deliver a sustainable future.

Innovation and quality are both cornerstones of this strategy, as we constantly strive to deliver better systems, services and products to our customers.”

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 07

BFFF NEWS NewCold NewCold Sponsors BFFF’s Annual Awards For Catering Products BFFF is delighted that NewCold, the integrated service provider for advanced cold logistics, is sponsoring the BFFF Annual Awards - Catering category, which will be presented at the prestigious Gala Dinner Dance. The catering

Rick Bestwick Ltd Rick Bestwick Sponsors Gala Dinner Dance Breakfast

The Bulletin

awards in each of the categories are highly sought-after. We are very pleased that with NewCold’s support we are able to give the winners the recognition that they deserve.

David Richardson, president and ceo commented: “NewCold is relatively new as a service provider in the cold supply chain and we start the development of our first cold store in the UK this year. We sponsored the catering awards in 2013 for the first time.

temperature controlled food specialist offering manufacturers and retailers a competitive edge in today’s market place.

Rick Bestwick is delighted to be supporting BFFF and its prestigious Gala Dinner Dance and Annual Awards with sponsorship of the breakfast for the first time this year.

With the largest capacity of blast freezing in the UK, market leaders in tempering with microwave and rapid air, sleeving, coding and co-packing combined with a dedicated fleet of vehicles, it provides a bespoke “just-in-time” service for customers.

With a 30-year history in food manufacturing, Rick Bestwick has established itself as a

Offering the total supply chain solution across sites at Holmewood and Scunthorpe, with over

Freiberger Freiberger Adds Its Name To Sponsorship Of Gala Dinner Dance BFFF is delighted that major European company, Freiberger, is again adding its support to this year’s Gala Dinner Dance by continuing its sponsorship of the main band, Rollacoaster.

Golden Valley Golden Valley Pallet Wrap Specialists Become Joint Sponsors Of Gala Dinner Dance President’s Reception Golden Valley Pallet Wrap Specialists (GVPS) is proud to sponsor part of the Presidents

08 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

The Freiberger Group has been developing and manufacturing frozen and chilled pizzas for the international retail sector for more than 35 years. The product portfolio includes frozen snacks, baguettes and pasta meals.

Richard Harrow, managing director, commented: “We have long been a supporter of this prestigious industry occasion and are very pleased to be enhancing the enjoyment

Reception at this year’s Gala Dinner Dance and Annual Awards.

GVPS is one of the leading suppliers of pallet wrap to companies across the food supply chain.

Based in Gloucestershire, GVPS (which was awarded British Retail Consortium Accreditation in Storage and Distribution in 2012) supplies a

“The very positive feedback we received from participants and members proves that the BFFF event is highly appreciated and therefore we are pleased to continue our sponsorship in 2014.”

BFFF thanks NewCold Advanced Cold Logistics for giving their tremendous support to this industry event.

one million square feet of multi temperature controlled storage giving full traceability throughout, it provides manufacturers, retailers and importers with the services they need, and more importantly, when they need them.

Rick Bestwick is in the business of developing quality partnerships to deliver quality.

of the guests by sponsoring the music again at this year’s industry event.”

BFFF would like to thank Richard and the Freiberger team for adding their tremendous support to the entertainment at this year’s Gala Dinner Dance.

range of innovative products to make wrapping more efficient, safer and less damaging to the environment.

The latest addition to GVPS’s extensive range of modern pallet wrap products is Fusion 33 – a new machine applied pallet wrap that saves users up to 80% of their pallet wrap costs.

Chefs Warm Up To

Frozen Food THE LATEST INDUSTRY research conducted by the BFFF has revealed that 95% of chefs and caterers are now stocking and using frozen ingredients, with 85% using frozen food at least weekly.

The ‘Perception and Usage of Frozen Food Survey 2014’ asked the same questions that were posed to chefs and caterers in 2011 to understand whether their attitudes towards frozen food have changed. The results show that the foodservice industry is starting to grasp the benefits of frozen, with sentiments around icy edibles more positive than ever.

Other highlights include that 86% of chefs and caterers believe that frozen foods are frozen at the peak of their quality - an increase of 16% on 2011 results, and 82% of chefs and caterers understand that freezing locks freshness into products – a 22% increase on 2011 results.

The most encouraging statistic from the research shows that 75% believe that there is an unnecessary stigma and snobbery attached to frozen food – a 60% increase in the three years.

This step-change in attitude is great news for the industry and shows that continuous product innovation, processing improvements and key message dissemination is really working.

Commenting on the results, Brian Young, Director - General, BFFF said: “This survey has shown that chefs are increasingly aware of the benefits of using frozen ingredients and prepared meals such as higher quality, lower cost and less waste.

“In particular, chefs and caterers really appreciate the quality of frozen ingredients, with the majority now believing that the snobbery attached to frozen food is unnecessary. We believe that this is down

to factors including independent research proving the nutritional value and cost of frozen food, premium new product development from the industry and third party endorsement from high profile and respected chefs such as Jamie Oliver.”

The survey, which was completed by chefs and caterers from across both cost and profit sectors, showed that almost 94% of chefs agreed that frozen food reduced waste as it offered better portion control and 82% claimed that frozen could help with long term menu planning - an 8% increase on 2011 results. These can be key to planning a sustainable menu.

Other results indicated that eight in 10 chefs believed that frozen food offered year-round availability of seasonal products while seven in 10 claimed that frozen ingredients offered them optimum price stability and competitiveness.

Mr Young added: “Clearly, chefs are realising the multiple benefits of using frozen ingredients. While the latest survey results are a real coup for the frozen food industry, we mustn’t rest on our laurels! We still have a great deal of work to do to before 100% of chefs appreciate the benefits of frozen food and give those common misconceptions the cold shoulder.”

The BFFF ‘Perception and Usage of Frozen Food Survey 2014’ was completed in March 2014.

A wide range of respondents completed the survey with chefs and caterers from schools, hotels, cafes and restaurants participating. As with all BFFF research, these results are freely available to members. To receive a copy contact Hazel Cranidge at hazelcranidge@bfff.co.uk.

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 09

BFFF NEWS

The Bulletin

Industry Forums Boost

BFFF Events Calendar The BFFF is launching a new event for members – Industry Forums with the first forum scheduled for June 12 at Grant Thornton’s offices in Finsbury Square, London.

The Industry Forums will look at the following key areas: • What’s happening in both retail and foodservice?

• What are the prospects for the economy?

• How is consumer behaviour changing in terms of household shopping but also eating out?

• Providing insight into key commodity and input cost trends • Analysis of key market changes and what does the future hold

RECENT MEETINGS OF the ProducerImporter-Broker and Wholesale committees had highlighted how the BFFF could enhance its service to members and all agreed that the introduction of Industry Forums would be a valuable new opportunity.

• Export guidance and opportunities

As a result, the BFFF will be holding two forums each year to look at topics that members have rated the most important to you in our annual surveys. These topics have been endorsed by both committees and further supported by feedback received at the Business Conference and other member feedback.

The forums will be no longer than two hours and the plan is to arrange them at times which are convenient for as many members as possible at venues that are easy to get to.

Forums will be free of charge and the BFFF would be happy for members to bring as many of their team as they wish.

10 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

The BFFF will source expert, highly regarded speakers to promote debate and thinking in three of the above topics at each forum with both a retail and a foodservice angle at each event.

At each forum, members will be asked what their key business concerns are and who they’d like to see featured as a speaker at the future forums.

We are very consciously making this available to all our members and wish to get even closer to you and your needs whilst providing another excellent networking opportunity.

Grant Thornton is sponsoring the first BFFF Industry Forum at its office in London’s Finsbury Square on the morning of Thursday June 12.

A stellar line up of speakers has been booked with the irrepressible Ed Garner taking a look at the retail market. Simon Stenning of the highly regarded Allegra Foodservice research organisation will provide a brief on emerging consumer trends in eating out.

Ashley Clarkson of Grant Thornton will share his extensive knowledge on commodity prices and global cost trends.

If you want to book a place for you and some of your colleagues, please contact Hazel at hazelcranidge@bfff.co.uk

BOOK YOUR

AD SPACE IN THE

BULLETIN’S SPECIAL

AWARDS ISSUE

THE BFFF PUBLISHES a ‘special’ edition of The Bulletin magazine in July featuring all the award winners of our unique and prestigious Annual Awards 2014. It will also feature full coverage of the Gala Dinner Dance, one of the most presigious industry events.

Companies who advertise in this mustread issue can promote the quality and innovation of their products and services and get maximum exposure to industry decision-makers in an environment dedicated to excellence in the UK frozen food industry.

The Bulletin is sent direct to the major decision-makers and influencers in the frozen food industry via our extensive and controlled list of executives in the cold chain, plus over 150 buyers in the UK and all of the UK’s frozen food wholesalers.

Introduce A New Member And Come To The Races – For Free The first new member seminar of 2014 will be held on July 28 2014 at the Mercure Castle Hotel, Windsor for companies thinking of joining the BFFF. This will be followed by an evening at the races at Windsor Racecourse.

MEMBERS CAN COME too - all you have to do is bring along a company who is not a member of the BFFF and be our guest! This could be a good opportunity for you to get closer to a supplier or customer by inviting them along and introducing them to the BFFF. It is a fantastic chance to get to know the BFFF better. The free event includes a buffet lunch and networking from 1pm, followed by short

presentations from the BFFF and two member companies and a river boat taxi to the races in the early evening. For those who wish, there’ll be a few drinks and an Irish themed night.

Please note last year was a sell out so please book straight away - places will be confirmed on a first come first served basis.

There is no charge to attend either the seminar or the race evening.

Secure a premuim position in this issue by contacting advertising manager Kate Miller. There are many advertising and marketing opportunities available in this prestigious issue and Kate would be delighted to discuss your options with you or your relevant manager.

Contact Kate on 01780 763841, 07933 704270 or by email at katemiller@bfff.co.uk Advertising copy deadline for The Bulletin Annual Awards and Gala Dinner Dance is June 27

The new member event is being sponsored once again by Darégal.

Please contact Hazel at Hazelcranidge@bfff.co.uk or call 01400 283090 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 11

FACTS & FIGURES

The Bulletin

Soup, Pizza And Ice Cream Top Menu Charts SOURCE: KANTAR

Data kindly provided by Peter Backman from his Horizons Menurama service shows the most commonly listed dishes for the winter 2010 vs winter 2013 across all sectors of the foodservice landscape.

More detail is available from Peter and his team at Horizons but in terms of the starters, soup and prawn cocktail continue to be the top two most commonly listed dishes on menus whilst there is a new entry at No. 6 for squid/calamari. Across this sector menu prices have risen by an average of only 1.1% over the three years.

In terms of main courses, we have seen average prices rise by 6.1% over the three years whilst the top five menu items have remained unchanged with pizza being top of the charts. Chicken appears three times in different formats in the Top 10 whilst steak in different formats also appears three times in the Top 10.

Desserts have been headed again by ice cream with sorbet and apple crumble being new entrants into the winter 2013 Top 10 menu items.

Across all desserts the average price has risen by a modest 2.7% between winter 2010 and winter 2013.

TOP PRODUCTS FROM HORIZONS MENURAMA ACROSS ALL SECTORS KEY:

= NON-MOVER

= GAINER

STARTERS - AVERAGE PRICE INCREASE

WINTER 2013

1 SOUP 2 PRAWN COCKTAIL 3 CHICKEN WINGS 4 GARLIC BREAD + 5 POTATO SKINS 6 SQUID CALAMARI 7 NACHOS 8 GARLIC BREAD 9 PLATTER 10 BREADED MUSHROOMS

WINTER 2013

PIZZA BEEF BURGER CHICKEN BURGER FISH & CHIPS ROAST CHICKEN RUMP STEAK RIB EYE STEAK SIRLOIN STEAK CHICKEN BREAST GRILLED CHICKEN

WINTER 2013

12 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

1.1%

WINTER 2010

2013

6.1%

WINTER 2010

1 PIZZA 2 BEEF BURGER 3 CHICKEN BURGER 4 FISH & CHIPS 5 ROAST CHICKEN 6 CHICKEN CURRY 7 SIRLOIN STEAK 8 RUMP STEAK 9 COMBO 10 RIB EYE STEAK

DESSERTS - AVERAGE PRICE INCREASE

1 ICE CREAM 2 ICE CREAM SUNDAE 3 CHEESECAKE 4 CHOCOLATE BROWNIE 5 STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING 6 CHEESE BOARD 7 SORBET 8 CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE 9 WAFFLE 10 APPLE CRUMBLE

2013

= NEW ENTRY

1 SOUP 2 PRAWN COCKTAIL 3 NACHOS 4 CHICKEN WINGS 5 BRUSCHETTA 6 POTATO SKINS 7 POTATO WEDGES 8 GARLIC BREAD + 9 GARLIC BREAD 10 BREADED MUSHROOMS

MAINS - AVERAGE PRICE INCREASE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

= LOSER

2013

WINTER 2010

2.7%

1 ICE CREAM 2 CHEESECAKE 3 ICE CREAM SUNDAE 4 WAFFLE 5 CHOCOLATE BROWNIE 6 STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING 7 CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE 8 APPLE PIE 9 CHEESE BOARD 10 PROFITEROLES

SPONSORS ADVERTORIAL

DELIVERING ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT FROM YOUR SURPLUSES: COMPANY SHOP As the UK’s largest redistributor of surplus food, Company Shop has long recognised the social, economic and environmental value of residual stock.

As food waste continues to ride high in the industry, political and media agenda, it is estimated there is anything up to 3.5 million tonnes of in-date, wholesome surplus food within the UK supply chain which is more often than not, ending up as waste.

Traditionally many BFFF members will have found disposal routes for their surplus goods, and taken the economic hit on the costs. But with an increasing demand from consumers for transparency and accountability in the supply chain, there is a cost effective, simple alternative.

An established BFFF member, Company Shop now helps the food industry stop more than 30,000 tonnes of good food going to waste annually; a number set to double over the next few years.

Company Shop achieves this by taking stock from manufacturers, brands and retailers, and redistributing it across a network of membership-only staff shops nationwide to individuals who work in the food manufacturing industry.

Protecting the integrity of carefully crafted brands it handles is central to Company Shop model, with sophisticated disclaiming systems in place. Food safety is also always paramount and Company Shop holds the Grade A + BRC food safety standard, is a member of Sedex, has state-of-the-art chill and freezer storage and has achieved ISO14001 for Environmental Waste Management Systems.

These systems and protocols have secured an unrivalled reputation for Company Shop within the industry. The organisation recently scooped “Best Business Initiative” at the Grocer Magazine Awards and is currently a Finalist is the BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards for Best Initiative.

In December Company Shop was proud to have taken its business model onto the high street for the first time, through the launch of its social enterprise and the UK’s first social supermarket, Community Shop.

Community Shop aims to give surplus food social purpose, providing a membership-only, secure retail environment for people who are in work but struggling to make ends meet. It’s more than just food too – as members at Community Shop get access to support services and advice through our Community Hub. With the pilot in South Yorkshire a resounding success, Company Shop now has plans to open up to 20 additional Community Shop stores across the UK, with the next in London. We hope to support over 10,000 members and deliver over 20 million meals.

Thanks to Company Shop’s sustainable route for surplus stock to market, the industry is stopping good food going to waste whilst recovering costs for clients and delivering social, economic and environmental value.

The team are always keen to develop new relationships.

Please get in touch if you would like to know how we can deliver a positive impact to your business.

For more information, please contact: Tom Rumboll - Director of Business Development e: tom.rumboll@companyshop.ltd.uk t: 01226 747121 w: www.companyshop.ltd.uk

delivering brand integrity Company Shop Limited

Wentworth Way

Wentworth Industrial Estate

Tankersley

South Yorkshire

S75 3DH

NEW PRODUCTS

The Bulletin

Serve Some Inspiration

BIRDS EYE HAS launched its new premium Inspirations range to provide busy consumers with ‘superior’ evening meals using the finest and freshest ingredients with exciting flavour combinations. Its Fish Chargrills and Chicken Inspirations are part of a new ‘Food of Life’ strategy to develop and introduce innovative foods to be enjoyed every day by everyone. Chicken Inspirations combine 100% succulent chicken breast and a golden, crispy breadcrumb coating with a delicious and generous sauce in every bite and come in

four flavour combinations: Irresistible Garlic & Herb, Sizzling Peri Peri, Creamy Cheese & Ham and Tangy Tomato & Basil.

Fish Chargrills are the ideal choice for those looking for a light and healthy dinner option.

Offering the tastiest chargrilled fish with less than 3% fat, Chargrills can be baked or barbequed in the tray provided and come in three delicious flavours: Sun blushed Tomato, Basil & Oregano, Juicy Lemon, Rosemary & Thyme, and Thai Coconut, Lemongrass & Chilli.

Lynn Grant, senior brand manager, Birds Eye, says: “The Inspirations range is an exciting new development for Birds Eye, showcasing the premium quality and delicious flavour combinations that we pride ourselves on.

We’re constantly striving to innovate and meet the needs of our consumers with great tasting food that will get people back around the table and enjoying better meals together.”

For more information, visit www.birdseye.co.uk/en-uk/range/

Seasonal Delights DAWN FOODS HAS unveiled a new collection perfect for spring and summer drawing on inspiration from Wimbledon, family picnics and lazy afternoons in the sun. The collection of 14 muffins includes Raspberry Ripple, Strawberries & Cream and Cherry & White Chocolate. There’s also a new cookie flavour, Blackcurrant & Yoghurt.

All the products feature fresh fruit flavours and quality nut-free, vegetarian ingredients.

The Raspberry Ripple Muffin (113g) takes its inspiration from the well-known ice cream flavour and each muffin is decorated with large sugar crystals for an added 14 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

crunch and presented in a tulip paper case.

The Strawberries & Cream Muffin (119g) represents a classic English summer dessert, made with a soft vanilla and strawberry base. The Cherry & White Chocolate Muffin (112g) has a moist vanilla base with creamy white chocolate chunks throughout and is filled with a natural cherry sauce centre. The Blackcurrant and Yogurt Cookie (76g) is an American-style cookie with a classic flavour combination. All products have a 12-month frozen shelf life and five days once defrosted.

For more information, visit www.dawnfoods.co.uk or call 01386 760843

Get Crafty With Pastry The Pastry Room has introduced a range of frozen pastry crumbs to help chefs save time and provide consistency. The products, which only need water or egg, have been made with quality ingredients and no added preservatives. Butter Puff Pastry Crumb (2x2.25kg) enables delicious all butter puff pastry to be made in minutes, as you simply mix, roll, fold and turn four times.

It can be used straight from frozen with no need to rest and is ideal for pithivier, tarte

tatin, beef wellington and sweet and savoury tarts. All Butter Sweet Crumble Topping (2x2.25kg) is a rich and indulgent butter crumble topping with demerara sugar for a delicious toffee aroma and crunch. The added convenience is that you can pour straight from frozen onto your favourite prepared filling and bake.

For more information, visit www.thepastryroom.co.uk or call 01652 688323

Pidy Goes Gluten Free PIDY, THE FAMILY-OWNED pastry manufacturer, has launched its first gluten and dairy free pastry range. Its ready-to-fill, gluten free pastry range comes in three varieties; two neutral pastry cases (a 10cm sized case and a 4cm canapé size) as well as a 10cm sweet pastry case. The range is also dairy free, with a handmade rustic look and a buttery crumbly texture.

Robert Whittle, general manager, Pidy UK explains: “We are extremely proud to be the first to market with our range of gluten free pastry cups. Pidy has always been a market leader in the world of pastry and that is definitely the case with our latest range. Over the last few years we have been inundated

with requests to develop a gluten and dairy free range. We have taken our time to develop this range to ensure close to perfection and it has been a learning curve for all involved.”

With strict manufacturing requirements surrounding gluten free, Pidy has developed a site specifically for this process. The Pidy Gluten Free pastry products can be filled with a number of fillings from cream, fruit and ice cream to savoury sauces, vegetables and seafood. The cases can also be served warm or cold.

For more information visit www.pidy.com or call 01604 705666

A Meaty

Crust PIZZA HUT AND Snowbird Foods have joined forces to produce a Cheeseburger Pizza. The new product is made with 10 mini 100% British beef burgers cooked into the pizza crust and then topped with mozzarella cheese.

This is the latest in a line of successful innovations from the brand, which has also created and launched Cheese Stuffed Crust, Hotdog Stuffed Crust and Cheesy Bites pizza bases. It is also available with bacon as an optional, additional topping.

For more information, visit www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk or call 020 8805 9222 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 15

NEW PRODUCTS

The Bulletin

A Sweet Offering classic and contemporary desserts.

Mark Dean, sales director, Classic Cuisine says: “At Classic Cuisine we believe that our readymade desserts allow ease of preparation, and all our products are hand finished, which means we can create unique products for each and every operator we work with. Over the past few months we have seen a trend towards sharing and family-sized desserts. We have reacted to this trend by creating a delicious apple, cherry and lemon sharing sponge pudding which is a popular choice for our clients, not only because it is so tasty but it is made with gluten free flour therefore suitable for those with diet restrictions as well.”

CLASSIC CUISINE’S NEW dessert range includes a light and fruity raspberry ripple meringue roulade, a sweet and salty chocolate and caramel shortcake, a white chocolate parfait with raspberry, a trifle cheesecake and a hazelnut roulade. The new additions have been inspired by an increase in demand for

Classic Cuisine has also created dessert kits, such as the Banoffee kit, and launched a range of ‘Freezer to Table’ desserts, which allow caterers to serve desserts straight from the freezer.

For more information, visit www.classiccuisine.co.uk

Icefresh Treats for Kids Icefresh Foods has launched two new products, Mr Swirly and Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Cake.

Mr Swirly is a new ice cream brand - a vanillaflavoured soft-whipped ice cream swirled into a crunchy waffle cone and topped with milk chocolate drops. Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Cake, under licence from Entertainment One, is a chocolate sponge bowl filled with layers of chocolate mousse and topped with a fun fondant fancy. The cake, decorated with a snapshot of Peppa and her family, is free from artificial colours and flavours and defrosts in just over an hour.

IceFresh has also secured listings of its popular Peppa Pig Ice Cream Lollies across the multiples, and listed its Star Wars Lightsaber lollies (Best Licensed Food or Drink Range at the Licensing Awards) in Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.

In the past two years more than 14 million Peppa Pig branded ice cream treats have been consumed in the UK. For more information, visit www.icefresh-foods.co.uk, call 01263 714700 or email info@icefresh-foods.co.uk.

A Little

Indulgence

Lantmännen Unibake UK has responded to consumer demand for small indulgences with the launch of a new Signature Danish Selection in the Schulstad Bakery Solutions Royal Danish Pastry range. Inspired by favourite dessert combinations, the Strawberry Cheesecake Crown, Toffee Apple Crown and Cherry Almond Crown are designed to appeal to new consumers.

Claire Warren, senior marketing manager, Lantmännen Unibake UK says: “By staying on top of recent trends which have seen consumers searching for fun and indulgent treats, the new Signature Danish Selection is set to deliver in terms of incremental sales and will bring the Danish category to a wider audience.”

Available in a convenient mixed 36-piece case, or packs of 48 individual flavour pieces, the new Danish Crowns are made from 24 layers of high quality, laminated dough. They are supplied ready-glazed and ready to bake straight from frozen in just 18 minutes, to target at home, eat-in and on-the-go occasions.

For more information, visit www.lantmannen-unibake.co.uk or call 01276 850500

16 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

NEWS

The Bulletin

Snowbird Goes the Whole Hog!

AT A GLANCE A Fresh Look at Frozen The Frozen Food Roundtable, organised by the American Frozen Food Institute, is encouraging consumers to buy frozen with a new campaign.

SNOWBIRD FOODS IS offering customers a guarantee that its cooked and frozen sausages from its Gourmet and Gourmet Plus range are in natural casings, sourced from British abattoirs and processed in the UK. The switch to British natural casings follows an earlier move in which the company had upgraded its products by exclusively purchasing pig meat from a single source.

Snowbird Food’s sausage meat comes from carefully selected breeds of pig that deliver the best meat for making sausages. Both ranges are multi-award winners, with Gourmet Sausages containing a minimum of 75% meat and Gourmet Plus more than 90%.

“Following our move to procure British pig meat from our choice of breeds we spent time and effort seeking natural casings so we could happily boast we have gone the whole hog,” said Snowbird Foods’ sales director, Roy Anderson.

The upgrade to natural British casings was made possible by Yorkshire company Harder Bros. which had acquired, refurbished and re-equipped a BRC-approved factory especially to prepare British natural casings for the sausage industry.

SSI Schaefer is to open a new National Distribution Centre at Crick, Northamptonshire to hold Sainsbury’s entire general merchandise range.

British Bangers!

All cooked and frozen sausages from Snowbird Foods Gourmet and Gourmet Plus range are to use natural UK casings.

For more information visit, www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk

US Takes Fresh Look at Frozen Leading frozen food makers and retailers in the US have united in a campaign to try to change the way consumers think and feel about frozen food. The Frozen Food Roundtable, organised under the auspices of the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), has been designed to encourage consumers to take a fresh look at

New Solution for Sainsbury’s

frozen and turn their supermarket trollys into the frozen food aisle.

The campaign highlights the simple truth: freezing is simply nature’s pause button. Its message is that those consumers looking for fresh should ‘shop for frozen because frozen is how fresh stays fresh’.

A study conducted by the University of Georgia, supports AFFI’s message. It compared the nutritional profile of frozen fruits and vegetables to that of their fresh counterparts and demonstrated that frozen are at least as rich, or in many cases, packed with even higher nutrient levels than their fresh counterparts.

New Member Announcement Kent Frozen Foods (kff) has become Caterforce’s eighth member wholesaler. The strengthened group will look to accelerate existing business opportunities.

Award-Winning VECTA VECTA Sales Solutions scooped two awards at the European IT & Software Excellence Awards in London for its VECTA7 Sales Intelligence and CRM solution.

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 17

NEWS

The Bulletin

A Salt Solution AVIKO CONTINUES TO slash the salt content in its most popular potato products in an aim to help reduce the public’s unhealthily high consumption of salt.

Since 2011, Aviko has removed more than 16 tonnes of salt from its 10 most popular frozen and chilled products - including staples such as its Roast Potatoes, Mash and Herb Dice Potatoes. Newer lines such as Hash Brown Bites, premium Sweet Potato Fries and Garlic & Herb Wedges all meet Food Standards Agency targets.

Mohammed Essa, general manager UK and Ireland, Aviko, said: “Aviko is a keen supporter of Salt Awareness Week and its efforts to

New Member Announcement Caterforce has confirmed Kent Frozen Foods (kff) as its eighth member wholesaler. The strengthened group will look to accelerate existing business opportunities as well as building upon the group’s strong and active own brand proposition. Caterforce has a combined annual turnover approaching £400m, and its primary business is serving small to medium sized profit sector businesses, with a growing presence within the cost sector.

Caterforce managing director, Nick Redford said: “We’re thrilled that kff has joined the team, as the company will bring fantastic experience and knowledge to the group.

Our group business model is based on maximising synergies whilst minimising complexity. High supplier and customer overlaps are the backbone of the group’s continued success and Kff will add significantly to that strength.”

For more information, visit www.caterforce.co.uk

18 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

educate people on the dangers of eating too much salt. We have actively reduced the salt levels in our products to provide caterers with a range of safe options for menus throughout the day, from breakfast to dinner.”

Aviko’s low-salt mash was the first frozen product to win Craft Guild of Chef endorsement.

Aviko’s salt reduction programme is part of its overall CSR drive to achieve sustainable best practice across the board, which includes its goals to use 100% certified sustainable palm oil by 2015 and switch to sunflower oil for its specialities, as well as its introduction of ground-breaking LPG ‘E-mission Low’ lorries which capture and recycle carbon dioxide as a coolant.

It’s a Wrap!

GOLDEN VALLEY PALLET Wrap Specialists (GVPS) has launched Fusion 33 – a new machine applied pallet wrap that will save users up to 80% of their pallet wrap costs. The Gloucester-based specialist supplier is offering a personalised packaging health check service to help businesses compare their existing film’s performance against Fusion 33 to demonstrate the savings users will make.

“Fusion 33 represents a micro technology advancement that will deliver substantial stretch efficiencies in excess of any other substrate on the market which means less wrapping is needed to achieve optimum palletised load stability,” explains Martyn Sumner, managing director of GVPS. GVPS has also appointed Liz Douglas

(left) as its new sales manager. Liz has extensive field sales experience in the packaging industry having held senior positions with a number of leading companies in the sector. Her principal role will be to oversee UK sales of GVPS’s Carbon and Alloy pallet wrap ranges.

Martyn added: “We are delighted to have appointed Liz and she joins an experienced and highly motivated sales force. With demand for our products growing rapidly, she has come on board at a time when our business is really moving forward.”

Happy 2014 for Oakland AT A GLANCE Triumph for Oakland A MAJOR INVESTMENT of £200,000 in contract packing, coding and sealing lines delivered significant benefits over Christmas for Oakland International. The Midlands-based food storage and distribution firm had already benefited from a steady increase in contract packing order numbers. The investment allows them to extend customers’ seasonal growth demand through the addition of five more lines - over Christmas more than two million extra packs of party food were added to its regular business.

Oakland International managing director, Dean Attwell, said: “The contract packing sector has continued to demonstrate increased demand with more of our customers expanding and wanting this service during 2013; Oakland needed to invest time and money into this

growing sector, to maintain our reputation as a partner of choice for year-round and seasonal contract packing.”

The firm, a member of the British Contract Manufacturers and Packers Association (BCMPA) and accredited by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), is also celebrating after Oakland International Ireland was named ‘Logistics Company of the Year’ at the Irish Logistics and Transport Awards.

Oakland International Ireland joint managing director, Mark Caffrey (above left), said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won, and in only our fifth year of trading. It’s an incredible achievement for the team and for the business as a whole.”

New Depot for Bidvest Bidvest 3663 has opened a new, state-of-theart depot in Bicester, Oxford. The foodservice wholesaler has refurbished the 91,000 sq. ft. multi-temperature site, making it the largest in the company’s depot network.

The expansion is designed to support Bidvest 3663’s on-going business growth and the next stage in its multi-million pound infrastructure investment plan to realise its ‘one order, one delivery and one invoice’ promise. The new depot features an upgraded telecommunications system, motion-sensor lighting, and vehicle telematics. A new fleet of vehicles has been introduced to help reduce carbon emissions.

Steve Rich, regional operations director, said: “Our business has experienced exceptional growth in recent years. As we continue to expand we need to ensure that we continue to improve our infrastructure, so we can continue to deliver the same high quality food and customer service. This newly refurbished site signifies a huge investment in our customers. Our investment in technology will mean that calls to the depot will be dealt with more swiftly and our aim is to provide an overall improved service to our customers, making their lives easier.”

For more information, call the Advice Centre on 0370 3663 000 or visit www.Bidvest3663.co.uk

A £200K investment in packing, coding and sealing lines resulted in a bumper Christmas for Oakland International, also named Logistics Company of the Year at the Irish Logistics and Transport Awards.

A Clear Guide Seafish has produced an industry guide to help promote fish and seafood. The Seafood Guide covers all aspects of sourcing and using seafood in the UK.

Popular Awards The Temperature Controlled Storage & Distribution (TCS&D) Awards is to become an annual event, kicking off at the National Motorcycle Museum on Tuesday 16 September.

New Depot Bidvest 3663 has opened a new, stateof-the-art depot in Bicester, Oxford.

The refurbished 91,000 sq. ft. multitemperature site is the largest in the company’s depot network.

Be Clear on Pensions The Pensions Regulator is urging employers to make sure they leave enough time to deal with the new law on pensions and get their workers enrolled on the scheme.

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 19

NEWS

The Bulletin

Award-Winning VECTA

Awards get off to a Flying Start!

NEWS THAT THE Temperature Controlled Storage & Distribution (TCS&D) Awards will now be an annual event has been welcomed by the industry. The black-tie event, which recognises excellence in 17 categories, will be held at the National Motorcycle Museum on Tuesday 16 September. Half of the tickets have already been sold. The Transfrigoroute UK conference will also be held on the same day at the same venue.

Richard Cogan, publisher, Sherwin Publications’ TCS&D magazine and award’s organiser, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response of the industry. The TCS&D Awards and the black-tie dinner have become a real focal point for this sector, promoting best practice and providing excellent networking opportunities.”

The evening will include, pre-dinner cocktails, five-course dinner with wine and an afterdinner entertainer. Tables of 10 or 12 are available and cost £125 plus VAT.

A Fishy Guide SEAFISH HAS PRODUCED an industry guide to help promote the huge variety of fish and shellfish available to consumers.

More than 100 species of fish and shellfish feature in The Seafood Guide, which covers key aspects of sourcing and using seafood in the UK including provenance, sustainability and availability as well as hints and tips on storage, preparation, presentation and promotion. It has been

20 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

Nominations for the TCS&D awards are open until 1 July via www.tcsandd.com.

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

To book, call 01732 868288 or email publisher@tcsandd.com. For further information on the Transfrigoroute UK conference, call Chris Sturman or Jane Jones at the FSDF on 0118 988 4468

produced to help the food sector understand the seafood industry and the importance of providing quality fish and shellfish products.

Paul Williams, chief executive officer, Seafish, said: “Consumers are increasingly interested in the quality and provenance of their food, so understanding and communicating issues around responsible sourcing and traceability is vitally important to those involved in promoting seafood. We have reproduced our Seafood Guide to provide the most up-to-date information and insight on fish and shellfish and inspire the UK chefs and caterers to make the most of the wonderful seafood available to them.”

BUSINESS SOFTWARE EXPERT VECTA Sales Solutions scooped two awards at the prestigious European IT & Software Excellence Awards for its unique VECTA7 Sales Intelligence and CRM solution.

VECTA’s commercial and brand manager, Jayne Hill (above right) collected the honours for ‘Software Innovation of the Year’ and ‘SME Solution of the Year’ at the award ceremony held at the Lancaster Hotel in London.

“We were absolutely delighted to be shortlisted as finalists particularly in the categories that demonstrate our focus on continued product development,” she said. “So to win the award for two of the categories is fantastic. The software industry is renowned for being incredibly competitive, so VECTA being acknowledged at European level is an incredible achievement for the company and reflects the hard work and success in delivering tangible and demonstrable benefits to our customers using the solution; it’s a fantastic boost for the whole team”.

For more information visit, www.vecta.net Copies are £5 each or £2.50 per copy for orders of 50 copies and above.

For more information, please contact orders@seafish.co.uk and or visit www.seafish.org

A Winning Result Eelco Schnabel, commercial director, Partner Logistics said: “We are thrilled to have received this award and it is an honour to be recognised in the industry for our contribution to sustainability and the environment. It is testament to the hard work that we put in to ensure our customers receive the best possible supply chain solution”.

From left: Miles Jupp (Comedian and Writer), Trevor Hudson (Commercial Manager UK, Partner Logistics), Eelco Schnabel (Commercial Director, Partner Logistics), Peter Macleod (Editor, SHD Logistics magazine)

PARTNER LOGISTICS HAS received special recognition at the launch of the SHD Logistics Awards in central London. The frozen warehousing specialists were also finalists in two other categories: the Best Operations (SME) award and the Environment/ Sustainability award.

Meanwhile, the company has strengthened its core management team in the UK by appointing Trevor Hudson as commercial manager with responsibility for overseeing all commercial activities in the UK. Working in logistics for 32 years, Trevor has held operational and commercial positions within leading logistics companies in the UK, amassing a wealth of experience within both ambient and cold food storage. He will be working closely with Partner Logistics’ UK clients as well as developing new business for the company.

For further information visit www.partnerlogistics.eu

New Solution for Sainsbury’s

AT A GLANCE A Winning Result Partner Logistics has won special recognition at the launch of the SHD Logistics Awards in London.

It’s a Wrap!

Golden Valley Pallet Wrap Specialists (GVPS) has launched Fusion 33 – a new machine applied pallet wrap that aims to save users up to 80 per cent of their pallet wrap costs.

A Salt Solution Aviko is supporting the fight against salt intake by slashing the salt content in its most popular potato products.

The company has removed more than 16 tonnes of salt from its 10 most popular products since the initiative began.

And A Fishy Guide

SSI SCHAEFER, a market leader in the provision of automated supply chain solutions, is to open a new national distribution centre at Crick, Northamptonshire to hold Sainsbury’s entire general merchandise range. It will have the capacity to store 220,000 pallets.

The site, set up by SSI Schaefer, will service over 550 stores nationally every day delivering up to 2.4 million units per week.

Jaap Vos, UK managing director for SSI Schaefer, said: “We are delighted to be working on this project as a partner to Sainsbury’s.

There are many parallels between our two companies. We both believe passionately in creating a great place to work where we aim to inspire our colleagues to make a difference to the company, add value to our customers and behave responsibly towards the environment.”

Seafish has produced an industry guide to help promote the huge variety of fish and shellfish available to consumers. More than 100 species of fish and shellfish feature in The Seafood Guide, which covers key aspects of sourcing and using seafood in the UK including provenance, sustainability and availability as well as hints and tips on storage, preparation, presentation and promotion.

For further information visit www.ssi-schaefer.co.uk THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 21

NEWS

The Bulletin

Be Clear on Pensions THE PENSIONS REGULATOR is urging employers with a complex workforce to ensure that they leave enough time to enrol workers onto a work-based pension scheme.

This change in pension law is eligible to those workers over the age of 22, who have not reached pensionable age and earn more than £9,440 per year. Failure to enroll staff could result in a fine of up to £10,000 per day.

For workers who are paid a regular, non-fluctuating amount, the process is straightforward. However, assessing those whose earnings fluctuate can take longer.

The regulator also warns employers to ensure they leave plenty of time to check if existing systems can be used for automatic enrolment and to source an alternative payroll software provider if required. Systems should be

checked prior to the staging date – the date when an employer’s automatic enrolment duties are switched on.

you need to do. Here are a few tips for the sixmonth run up to the staging date:

Company secretary Lisa Dunne, who is responsible for automatically enrolling staff at Sussex based home building company JW Stratton, stressed the importance of accurate information. She said: “What I did have to do was make sure all the relevant data on our small workforce was up to date so they could be assessed. This was not onerous, but every detail about an employee: their name, date of birth, National Insurance number, salary and employee/employer contributions must be totally accurate and up-to-date.”

• Choose a pension scheme and confirm the pension provider accept all your workers

• Check which workers might need to be automatically enrolled

• Ensure your payroll system supports automatic enrolment • Make your workers aware of automatic enrolment For more information, visit www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/ employers/know-your-workforce.aspx To confirm your staging date, visit www.tpr.gov.uk/planner

To find out your deadline or staging date, visit The Pensions Regulator website and check out the handy timeline planner to show what

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22 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE eb_AZ_GB_BFFF_Dreieck.indd 1 2014

11.04.14 11:46

FEATURE

The Bulletin

From The Conference Floor The 2014 BFFF Business Conference in February featured a stellar lineup of the industry’s biggest names who came together to debate economic recovery and the food supply chain. Over 200 delegates, 14 exhibitors and 10 sponsors supported the event. Here’s what they had to say...

The conference was useful for all disciplines within food businesses. This year I came with NPD and sales, however technical and finance would have found it equally relevant.

We thoroughly enjoyed the day including the networking and the fabulous lunch! The grand finale inspirational speech from Sir Ranulph Fiennes was just fantastic. I will never moan about the cold again!

Vanessa Lewis, Summit Foods

The BFFF Business Conference is a very well organised and highly professional event. They lead with really relevant and timely topics for discussion which add real value to members.

Each year, I come away with good and useful information and I Martin Forsyth, Bidvest 3663

have also met the key people I needed to see.’

Tim Mudge, British Growers Association

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 23

FEATURE

The Bulletin

The BFFF Conference was extremely informative with lots of apt information for the food industry, saving time in research with the added bonus of having an enjoyable time!

I always find the BFFF events top of my networking activity.

Rishma Remtulla, Laila’s Fine Foods

Gary Williams, FHG IPP Logipal

This year’s conference hugely surpassed my expectations with the diverse mix of speakers, all of whom delivered a very rich and interesting level of detail pertinent to the subject matter and in an entertaining way.

Who also, could fail to be impressed and amused by Sir Ranulph’s anecdotal recollections?

One of the best events that I have attended. It was very well organised and the speakers were all very informative and the event was well attended. The keynote speaker, Sir Ranulph Fiennes was a fantastic end to a great conference!

Libby Good, The Food ATP

Ian Hyland, Moy Park

I believe the conference speakers provided an honest and realistic assessment of the practical challenges faced post Horsegate and in successfully implementing a Buy British policy. An excellent day with a good depth of speakers, great facilities and good organisation.

A great conference with good content. For the service industry it’s good to see all sides. Yes, it’s good to buy British, but we are in Europe so we need to look at the bigger picture. As to GM products, the sooner we see that a lot of the world is already using it the better, because it is coming and we will not be able to stop it.

Ian Crawford, Bidvest 3663

The BFFF Conference is very professionally organised, providing a great forum for discussion and for making new contacts within the industry.

Mike Alibone, SSI Schaefer

As last year, again a very good and informative

Colin Griffiths, GVPS

Great event with many like-minded industry colleagues benefiting from insight from both foodservice and retail that enables strategy to be planned and confidence gained that we are all working together to drive frozen food sales, confidence and communication to the consumer.

conference on the British frozen food market and very good networking event.

Georg Eggers, Frostkrone Tiefkuehlkost

Nic Townsend, Farm Frites

A brilliant day covering most parts of the industry.

A yearly must.

Andy Breffit, Hopwells

A well-organised, high quality event with good opportunities for networking with relevant professionals.

A hugely informative, interesting and enjoyable conference. The balance of the day and the topics covered were first rate with something for every delegate to take back to their business.

Paul Fieldhouse, WLP

Tom Rumboll, Company Shop

I enjoyed the day and evening - especially Sir Ranulph Fiennes who I thought was without doubt the best speaker I’ve ever heard. The event was very well organised.

24 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

Jonathan Baker, Yearsley Group

FEATURE

The Bulletin

Harvesting Frozens’ Assets With all eyes on meat for the past year, the Bulletin takes a look at the non-meat market with a special focus on three sectors - meat-free meals, vegetables and potatoes.

ACCORDING TO KANTAR Worldpanel, the retail performance of frozen food for 2013 showed an overall increase of 2.5 per cent over 2012 by value with volumes virtually static at 0.2 per cent. There were some good performers in the sector including potatoes and vegetarian products. Total value of frozen potato products increased by 10 per cent, driven by bad harvests and new product development. Frozen vegetable products were the fourth biggest gainer by value up 6.5per cent. With increases of 6.3 per cent by volume, vegetable products became the second best performer in the category. Frozen vegetables were the sixth biggest gainer by value up 4.4 per cent although volumes grew by just 0.8 per cent and prices increased by 3.7 per cent.

Paramount 21’s Cheese & Beer Croquette

Meat-free Goes Mainstream WITH VEGETARIANISM INCREASINGLY becoming a lifestyle choice and a weekly or twice-weekly healthy option for consumers, manufacturers are following trends and developing new meat-free meals for retail and foodservice.

In foodservice, Devon-based frozen food manufacturer Paramount 21 Ltd has launched a new range of innovative veggie burgers to help caterers fuel the demand for tasty, meat-free products. The company recently won a Great Taste Award for its vegetarian Melted Cheese and Beer Croquette, launched into foodservice last year.

Sue Cullum, sales and marketing director, Paramount 21 Ltd, said: “The team at Paramount has spent many months analysing the vegetarian burger market and found that there was an opportunity to develop the ‘next

generation’ of veggie burgers into this category.

We track global food trends and have taken inspiration from new world flavours, as well as more traditional combinations to create our unique products. We are immensely proud of these new vegetarian options and look forward to further vegetarian launches.”

The new range includes influences from South America. The Havana Burger is made from a mix of beans, mozzarella, sweet potato, peppers and authentic smoky spices; a perfect accompaniment to trendy sweet potato fries and smoky chipotle mayo. Paramount 21’s new Butternut, Goat’s Cheese and Beet Burger contains chunks of butternut squash, goat’s cheese, beetroot and spinach leaves to create a vibrant composition, that also looks and tastes fresh. The burger is coated in a crispy oatflecked, black pepper breadcrumb.

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 25

FEATURE

The Bulletin

red and green peppers, sweetcorn and onion coated with a nacho chilli crumb come in 20g sizes and packs of 50.

Paramount 21’s Aromatic Garden Burger

Daloon has also launched a 90g Vegetable Burger, a lightly seasoned mix of potato, carrot, peas and onion blended with white rice that comes in packs of 36. These new lines perfectly complement Daloon’s Simply Meat Free range which now includes a 57g Vegetable Burger, a Vegetable ¼lb Burger, a Vegetable Finger, a Spicy Bean ¼lb Burger, a Cheese & Jalapeno Crispbake, a Glamorgan Sausage, a Vegetable Sausage and a Vegetable Grill.

The third addition to the range is the Aromatic Garden Burger, inspired by a fusion of British and Indian cuisine. Broad beans, peas and spinach have been blended with subtle aromatic Indian spices to create a unique burger coated in a light breadcrumb flecked with oats and parsley. It can be deep fried in minutes and makes an excellent centre of plate dish with a ‘wow’ factor that caterers are looking for in 2014.

Geoff Burgess, managing director, Daloon, said: “We are absolutely delighted with our new range and the success of its launch in 2013. The vegetarian and meat reducer market continues to show significant growth in the UK and represents a key business opportunity for our customers. As the majority of Daloon’s top selling ethnic snacks are vegetarian, we have made full use of our expertise in developing our Simply Meat Free recipes”

Daloon is also responding to demand from its foodservice buyers for more meat-free options.

Following the highly successful launch last year of its Simply Meat Free from Daloon range, the company has extended the range for 2014.

New additions to Daloon’s range include Patatas Bravas, Tex Mex Wedges and Vegetable Burgers.

In packs of 50 x 15g portions, Patatas Bravas are delicious fritters of potato and tomato spiced with smoked paprika. Tex Mex Wedge with Nacho Chilli Crumb are tasty wedges of

Paramount 21’s vegetable burger range

Made from tasty, wholesome vegetables, these products are ideal for both vegetarians and meat reducers alike and have been developed to suit all tastes and appetites.

According to Daloon, the vegetarian market grew within frozen foods by 17 per cent (Keynote Vegetarian Foods) in value between 2007 and 2011. It is predicted to grow at the rate of 10 per cent in value by 2016 (Keynote Vegetarian Foods 2012). Daloon believes this growth is being reinforced as eat out consumers - influenced by recent food issues hitting the headlines over the past year - are also reducing their meat consumption and seeking alternatives.

Simply Meat Free from Daloon is a great menu option for main meals, snacks, side orders, accompaniments and buffet dishes, filling a niche in a wide variety of catering establishments.

Quick and easy to prepare, they ovenbake or deep fry from frozen in minutes, allowing for fast service, convenient storage and minimum wastage. Available through leading supermarkets, regional multiples, wholesalers and cash and carrys, the range is sensibly sized for easy portion and cost control.

Daloon’s Simply Meat Free 26 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

Ensuring maximum food safety in frozen fruit and vegetables sorting. As the global leader in optical sorting solutions, Bßhler delivers the highest standards of quality and cleanliness for frozen produce. Innovative SORTEX systems offer precise elimination of foreign material (FM) and extraneous vegetable matter (EVM) contamination allowing superior product recovery. Pioneering SORTEX equipment combines proprietary enhanced InGaAs cameras, high resolution bichromatic cameras and PROfile™ (shape) technology to remove the subtlest of defects and deliver the most effective sorting system available for small and large scale fruit and vegetables processors that maximises profitability and ensures perfect, nutritious and safe produce from field to fork.

Discover our global capabilities. www.buhlergroup.com/optical-sorting Buhler Sortex Limited, 20 Atlantis Avenue, London E16 2BF, United Kingdom.

Innovations for a better world.

Growing and freezing great food ideas

For more information on MDC Foods www.mdc-foods.co.uk | +44 (0)1582 730014 | info@mdc-foods.co.uk

SPONSORS ADVERTORIAL

Celebrating 25 years in the industry FROM THE VERY beginning, MDC Foods has worked with the latest processes and techniques to deliver high standards of product quality, security and innovation to the frozen food market; growing and adapting to meet changing consumer requirements.

KEEPING UP WITH THE CONSUMER Value and convenience have always been important buying factors but consumers are increasingly keen to find more adventurous and sophisticated dishes without necessarily having to splash out lots of money or spend hours in the kitchen. Eating out has become more popular too so it has become more important for the foodservice industry to find ways to deliver cost effective, quick to prepare, good value meals.

MDC Foods started out offering traditional frozen vegetables and has proactively monitored changing market trends and worked to expand its product ranges accordingly - helping give its customers competitive edge and meet consumer demands. The company now offers a comprehensive portfolio of almost 300 product lines including frozen fruit, addedvalue vegetables such as gratins and an

MDC Foods, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of private label frozen food products, reached a landmark 25 years in business in April this year.

Michael Cullinane, Managing Director

extensive range of ready meals. In recent years, MDC Foods has seen a huge increase in demand for these convenience products from retail and foodservice sector customers looking to offer their customers a wide range of tasty, nutritious, good value meals.

COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION Innovation is at the core of MDC Foods’ operations and the business has worked closely within the Crop’s group of companies to fully utilise their investments in new harvesting techniques and production facilities. For instance, the Group’s state of the art facilities and processes enable the majority of MDC Foods’ products to be frozen within 2 to 4 hours of harvesting, delivering optimal quality and freshness.

The introduction of new technology has also allowed the company to cultivate a large range of high quality convenience products and ready meals. Ultimately, continuous investment in innovation means MDC Foods are agile with new product development and can offer customers a range of packaging and delivery choices to suit them.

By working with its group partners to employ the latest harvesting and freezing techniques, MDC Foods can deliver fruit and

vegetable-based products with excellent nutritional content, taste and texture, with a long shelf life, in convenient packaging and at a good price.

THE KEY TO SUCCESS The success of MDC Foods has been underpinned by a number of key factors.

Michael Cullinane, Managing Director of MDC Foods explains: “We have never compromised on our values, which means we have built a strong reputation for consistently delivering quality produce and great service at a competitive price.

Achieving this important balance is why our customers have stayed with us and how we have steadily grown the business over the years.

The relationships we have built with our customers and key partners have been an invaluable part of our success – something which would not have been possible without the hard work of our close-knit team. It is their dedication to excellence and their wealth of expertise that has made MDC Foods the success it is today and what puts us in a great position to take the business onwards and upwards.”

www.mdc-foods.co.uk

FEATURE

The Bulletin

Beyond Berries and Peas TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES HAVE meant that vegetables and fruits once thought ‘unfreezable’ are now available in the freezer cabinet all year round. The Bulletin looks at what new products and combinations are out there and the impact on the sector.

In the UK, the frozen vegetable market is worth £489 million and grew by 5.1 per cent in value year on year, according to Kantar Worldpanel (data up to 8th December 2013). The benefits of frozen vegetables - locked in goodness, minimal waste and great value - continue to gain traction with consumers, as evidenced by market growth of over 5 per cent in value for the last nine consecutive quarters. As always with natural products, volume numbers are more unpredictable with supply depending on the individual harvests. However, the sector has registered positive volume growth for the past three to four years.

The media is also getting the frozen message. Earlier this year, the BBC’s Rip Off Britain programme highlighted the great value that frozen vegetables offer, how the goodness is locked in from very fast farm30 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

to-freezing processes and what fabulous value frozen has to offer. On top of that there has been worldwide coverage of the Chester University and Leatherhead research clearly demonstrating that frozen retains antioxidants much more successfully than its fresh and chilled counterparts.

With new research proving that some frozen products actually have more nutritional value than fresh, and a global campaign to get people to eat more fruit and vegetables, the future looks positive for frozen fruit and vegetables. But beyond the much-promoted peas and berries, what’s new in this established category?

According to a survey by the National Restaurant Association, 71 per cent of customers are trying to eat healthier at restaurants than they did two years ago.

Customers want healthier menu options and more information about each dish to help make them make calorie-controlled choices. This can be a challenge for chefs and caterers when it comes to organising stock and planning menus.

Stocking up on frozen ingredients and low-

calorie meal options can be a huge help to busy establishments.

“The huge ranges of frozen healthy options, such as fruit mixes for desserts and smoothies, vegetable soup mixes and a variety of rice, fish and pasta options help to make it easier for a foodservice operator to provide a range of healthier options to keep diners interested as they look to reduce their waistlines,” says BFFF’s Brian Young. “Frozen food can help to control portion size, reduce food waste and it requires significantly less preparation than its fresh or chilled counterpart.”

Ardo, a leading global supplier of frozen fruit and vegetables, offers hundreds of different vegetables that have been prepared in various ways from diced and sliced to puree. A growing category are its mixes - with dozens of different mixes available including newly-launched yellow and green soup mixes for fresh and quick to prepare home-style soups, as well as mixes for ethnic and national cuisines dishes such as French ratatouille, Chinese stir-fries, and even a Russian salad mix. As well as convenience, these mixes allow for variety and minimal waste.

You’ll dig our

‘SPICY’

SEASONED WEDGES Premium potatoes, with a generous coating of spicy seasoning, cut into 8 for faster cook & ‘easy eating’ slices. These wedges are going to be a hit, whether they’re as a side order, to share or a snack. GROOVY!

OVEN OR DEEP FRY REDUCED SALT CONVENIENT PACK SIZES (4 x 2.5kg) ALLERGEN FREE

Ask your wholesaler or contact SupportUK@farmfrites.com @FarmFrites_UK

www.farmfrites.com

FEATURE Freezing technology is also key to boosting growth in the vegetable and fruit sector. Ardo, for example, now offers products once deemed ‘unfreezable’ such as avocado, banana and cucumber. Banana purees are available as well as avocado halves. The company has also perfected a way of freezing spinach leaves individually to ensure taste and texture as well as other tender leafy greens such as the currently trendy chard and curly kale.

Henson Foods, which supplies restaurants, casual dining and wholesalers throughout the UK, says its range of frozen items catering to healthier diets and menus is growing. “We sell

32 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

The Bulletin

a lot of frozen berries for those who want to make a fruit smoothie that’s ideal for breakfast or lunch,” says Julian Burgess, Hensons’ sales director.

The desire to offer healthier options was the idea behind the launch of Scelta Mushrooms’ Fingerfoodballs (see below). The idea for this special snack originated in a business club after a football match, when plates full of unhealthy and undeterminable snacks were served.

Scelta’s Fingerfoodballs is a range meat-free snacks made from the best quality – and clearly identifiable vegetables

in a crispy breadcrumb coating. The range includes: mushroom, mushroom with broccoli, mushroom with spinach, sauerkraut, ratatouille and red cabbage with apple. With no added artificial colourings or flavourings and 100% meat-free, these nutritious bites are suitable for all, including kosher, halal and vegetarian consumers. Five Fingerfoodballs (100g) provides 25 per cent of the recommended daily intake of vegetables making them good choice for a party to serve as canapés with drinks, as a quick appetiser or surprising meal component – and a healthy and tasty alternative snack for sports events.

BFFF Industry Forum Thursday 12 June 2014 30 Finsbury Square, London EC2P 2YU • What are the new trends for eating out in Foodservice? hear from leading expert Simon Stenning •

Latest news on the state of the frozen market from expert commentator, Ed Garner • Worried about your Commodity prices?

Let expert Ashley Clarkson outline where they are heading Seminar Timings: 10.00am - Registration & Refreshments 10.30am - Presentations Commence 12.10pm - Close 12.15pm - BFFF Review/Update/Topics for Next Forum This seminar is perfect for any of our members to keep up to date with what is happening in our industry.

Join us for half an hour after the seminar to map out what else BFFF can do to help your businesses Presentations: Consumer Insight into Foodservice Allegra Foodservice Retail Market Kantar Worldpanel Commodity Prices Grant Thornton

This Seminar is free to attend!

To reserve your place complete the booking form and return by email or fax to hazelcranidge@bfff.co.uk / 01400 283098

Event sponsored by:

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 33

FEATURE

The Bulletin

The Chips Are Up WITH POTATOES A positive growth sector in frozen, the Bulletin looks at what manufacturers and brands have done to make this sector soar – and what lessons it could teach other categories.

The humble potato is not the most glamourous of foods, yet it remains a firm favourite of the Great British public, and a cornerstone of the frozen food industry. At the end of December 2013, the frozen potato market was worth a huge £680 million. Growing at 10 per cent year on year, it is now the fastest growing part of the entire frozen market, according to Kantar Worldpanel. The rate of growth has accelerated over the last six quarters and the market added over £60million in value in the last 12 months.

The frozen potato market is now the fastest growing part of the frozen market.

Traditional potato options remain popular crisp roasties, fries and creamy mash, but it is innovation that is fuelling growth. Powering last year’s performance was McCain’s marketing support for its new and hugely successful frozen jacket potato, and further inventions from Aunt Bessie’s and Bannister’s Farm Potatoes. Private label products continue to demonstrate great innovation too.

The many faces of the potato It’s not just frozen chips that are making their way to the plate; they have the biggest market share, but other frozen potato products are outperforming them in growth. McCain’s offers frozen jacket potatoes, wedges, croquettes as well as fries.

There are even “Mashtags” - a new ‘social media’ product from Birds Eye. Mashtags are made from quality British potatoes and feature shapes including the iconic hashtag, @ symbols and emoticons. Primed to get people talking around the table, Mashtags are Birds Eye’s latest way of adding value to its potatoes, with its offering already including such thriving products as Potato Waffles, Hash Brown Waffles and Mini Potato Waffles.

Pete Johnson, senior brand manager at Birds Eye, comments: “The addition of Mashtags to our food range is an exciting development for Birds Eye. Social media is all about conversation and we’re confident Mashtags will resonate across various groups of people. We’re constantly looking for ways to innovate and inspire consumers and hope that Mashtags will get people talking around the table and help to make mealtimes more enjoyable.”

Variety is clearly proving to be a winner for consumers - as well as convenience. Baked potatoes aren’t an innovation – but the ability to produce a fluffy, tasty jacket without having to cook for hours is exciting for busy, time-pressed consumers. Many products can be cooked in a couple of different ways – fried or baked – giving consumers more options in one product.

A taste of the exotic Tastes from further afield are also earning themselves a place at the table. Spanish dish patatas bravas is becoming popular with diners that want something a bit different. Farm Frites’ frozen patatas bravas is available now, and is set to bring a hint of spice to regular meals.

According to Farm Frites, more than a 35 per cent of consumers say that innovation has the greatest positive impact on the success of a food operator today and in 2020, and the spud specialist Farm Frites has a host of innovative, new potato products for caterers to tempt customers with.

These include gluten-free extra crispy roast potatoes and allergen-free spicy wedges as Farm Frites ups the ante when it comes to sharing options, snacks, platters and tasters to complement its portfolio of everything from quick oven fry to rustic chips.

“The beauty of frozen potato products is that they prevent sensitive vitamins and nutrients from being lost during transportation from farm to shop, without considering the fact that they don’t require peeling, chopping or blanching, which means more time and energy saved in the kitchen,” said Nic Townsend, marketing manager, Farm Frites.

The ubiquitous roast dinner now sits at the top of the table of the nation’s most-loved meals and the new, frozen roast potato is pre-fried to make serving roasts across foodservice much easier. “Time-pressed caterers are looking for products that fit nicely into the repertoire of British cuisine and can be cooked and served up quickly with no compromise on quality,” he said.

“Our new, large cut Crispy Roast Potatoes meet this demand, taking just 20-25 minutes to oven cook from frozen, the ideal accompaniment for a roast dinner or a classic British dish.”

Farm Frites’ Roast Potatoes and Patata Bravas

34 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

Lamb Weston’s Sweet ‘n’ Savour Fries

Introducing the latest additions to the Lutosa

range of coated fries...

Skinny Fries Something sweet Chips are an enduring classic, and have been particularly popular in the recent “eat dirty” trend, which has seen hot dogs, fried chicken and burgers, all with chips on the side, elevated to fine dining status. But there’s new take on French fries - the sweet potato fry.

These are seen as more of a gourmet, luxury item. The texture and flavour is a refreshing change from the traditional potato fry - and very different from fatter, British chips. The sweet/savoury trend has been big - salted caramel being a notable success - and sweet potato fries are another way to use the sugar/salt flavour combination. Lamb Weston’s Sweet n’ Savour range of sweet potato fries are available in crispy fry or ribble fry varieties, bringing another option to the table.

Market research conducted by Lamb Weston showed that consumers will order an additional side dish if Sweet ‘n Savour Fries are on the menu and are willing to pay more for Sweet ‘n Savour Fries, offering restaurant owners a new way to increase profit and drive incremental sales.

Maarten Ploos van Amstel, international channel manager, Lamb Weston, said: “We support and partner up with our customers striving to deliver profitable solutions and peace of mind. Innovation that adds value and differentiation to their business is an important driver for our strategy and Sweet ‘n Savour is a perfect proof point of this.”

As well as the gourmet options, the frozen potato market has a big appeal for consumers feeding their family on a tight budget. Whilst the economy is beginning to pick up, there is clear evidence that consumers are still feeling the pinch. It is highly likely that they will continue to look for good value new products. This trend looks set to continue, and with it, the growth and continued success of the frozen potato sector.

(5/5mm - 3/16”)

Skin-on Straightcuts (10/10mm - 3/8”)

v skin-on v gluten-free ium fries v super crispy prem d warmer for longer n a r ie ch un cr y a st v dining service v perfect for casual www.lutosa.com

Lutosa UK • www.lutosa.com T +44 1480 46 56 56 • uksales@lutosa.com

STORAGE

DIRECTORY

ACS&T LOGISTICS KEY CLIENTS

CONTACT DETAILS ADDRESS ACS&T Logistics, Park Lane, Wolverhampton, WV10 9QD TEL 01902 731611

ADDRESS ACS&T Logistics, , Cayton Low Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 3BY TEL 01723 584040

ADDRESS ACS&T Logistics, Estate Road Number 2, South Humberside Industrial Estate, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 TEL 01472 358207

ADDRESS ACS&T Logistics, Green Lane Trading Estate, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8HD

EMAIL sales@acst.co.uk

WEBSITE www.acst.co.uk

TEL 01684 292666

KEY PEOPLE CHANTEL GIBSON Sales and Marketing Executive chantel.auty@acst.co.uk 01902 308325

MIKE RICE Business Development Director Mike.Rice@acst.co.uk 07802 88 99 54

3663 – Storage, picking, order consolidation and delivery nationwide MCCAIN FOODS – FTL distribution to the retail and foodservice sectors, storage, order processing and distribution to the foodservice sector YOUNG’S SEAFOOD – Production support DELTA FOODS – Storage, order processing and nationwide distribution TICCO – Storage, order processing and nationwide distribution to the wholesale sector MENORQUINA – Storage, order processing and nationwide distribution to the wholesale sector PINNACLE FOODS – Storage, order processing and nationwide distribution to the wholesale sector COUNTRY STYLE FOODS – Storage and out-bound order processing BEECHDEAN DAIRIES – Collection, storage and nationwide distribution KERRY FOODS – Production support

SUMMARY OF COMPANY & SERVICES ACS&T LOGISTICS BEGAN life as the London Ice & Cold Storage Company Ltd, and in 1921 built the UK’s first-ever cold store beneath Billingsgate Market. Now a fully-owned subsidiary of international investment group Camellia Plc, ACS&T operates from 15 facilities, across four strategically-located centres in Grimsby, Wolverhampton, Tewkesbury and Scarborough.

ACS&T provides businesses of all sizes, from the smallest local producer to large multinational brands, with BRC-accredited logistics services. Its wide offering includes storage, pick

and packing, co-packing, order consolidation, blast freezing, tempering and production support, as well as Full Truck Load (FTL), LessThan-Truckload (pallet) and individual case transportation, for ambient, chilled and frozen foods.

Large, dedicated and shared-user multitemperature transport fleets efficiently collect and distribute products at full load and pallet level throughout the country, as well as offering single case charging. With over 80 years’ experience in the industry, ACS&T has the knowledge and the expertise to service

the entire supply chain needs of any producer, manufacturer or wholesaler, regardless of consignment size.

In addition to core warehousing services, ACS&T’s Tewkesbury site also hosts a specialist food service centre which focuses on blastfreezing and tempering.

All value-added services can be adapted precisely to meet customers’ bespoke requirements, whether they are looking for an independent storage solution or a fullyintegrated supply chain package.

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 37

We’re pretty chilled.

Logistically speaking.

Allied Logistics offer the widest range of supply-chain solutions, with large specialist warehousing and nationwide distribution for ambient, chilled and frozen goods. We take care of some of the biggest in the business, and the smaller ones too. Whatever the size of your business, we’re the answer to all your problems. Logistically speaking.

alliedlogistics.ie

STORAGE

DIRECTORY

ALLIED LOGISTICS CONTACT DETAILS ADDRESS 2nd Avenue, Cookstown Est Ind, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland

KEY PEOPLE TEL +353 (1) 466 2600 WEBSITE www.alliedlogistics.ie

GERARD GAFFNEY Commercial Director Mobile: +353 (87) 222 9999 Telephone: +353 (1) 422 2629 Email: gerardgaffney@alliedfoods.ie

SUMMARY OF COMPANY & SERVICES LEADING THE WAY. Logistically Speaking.

Since we started in 1999, Allied Logistics has grown to become one of Ireland’s largest distributors of ambient, chilled and frozen stock. With a network servicing all 32 counties, we offer the widest range of supply-chain solutions to suit clients of all sizes, from small chains to multinationals.

The most comprehensive and advanced IT tools enable us to employ robust controls. We track our entire fleet, making sure that everything is delivered on time and within temperature. Real time stock management means our customers have an opportunity to reduce stock inventory and improve their margins.

We ensure continuous improvement plans are being implemented that will keep Allied Logistics ahead of the curve, now and in the future. And our experienced team takes pride in a high level of interaction, communication and support with all our customers.

In short, we’re the answer to all your problems.

Logistically speaking.

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 39

For frozen & chilled food distribution across the UK and Europe we’re the only ONE you need!

The number ONE network

We deliver throughout the UK mainland from our network of 8 frozen and chilled food depots, so you and your customers can rely on the same unrivalled levels of service – whichever depot is delivering your valuable product.

Do you also trade directly with business partners in other European countries?

Whether that be import or export – No problem! We are part of a group with over 100 depots in 17 countries.

We can deliver growth to your business.

Contact us today to start that process.

Nagel Langdons Ltd. Tel 01278 411 114 sales@nagel-langdons.co.uk www.nagel-langdons.co.uk

… and it’s possible.

Investing in Scotland

Local landmark - ‘Big Heids’ at Eurocentral, A8

Nagel-Langdons are delighted to announce the planned opening of a purpose built, temperature controlled distribution platform due to be completed in early 2014.

Ideally located at Eurocentral between Glasgow and Edinburgh and close to the main motorway network, the ten acre site will provide an ideal platform to support the

• Chilled & frozen storage • National next-day delivery anywhere in the UK

• Factory clearance, order picking and despatch

continued growth of the food and drink sector in Scotland.

• Export groupage service to over 16

Contact us for more information Telephone 0141 440 5230 Email sales@langdons.co.uk www.nagel-langdons.co.uk

• ISO 9001 accredited Quality

40 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

countries via the Nagel-Group network Management System

STORAGE

DIRECTORY LANGDONS GROUP LTD CONTACT DETAILS ADDRESS Showground Road, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 6AJ TEL 01278 411 114 WEBSITE www.langdons.co.uk

KEY PEOPLE RUPERT RYALL Sales Director Mobile: 07802 362762 MALCOLM WILDE General Manager for Scotland Mobile: 07595 070874 Telephone: 0141 440 5239 Email: Malcolm.wilde@nagel-langdons.co.uk

KEY CLIENTS Over 2,000 live accounts.

KEY OPERATIONAL DATA 8 DEPOTS IN UK (see website for details) FLEET 225 vehicles EMPLOYEES 960

SUMMARY OF COMPANY & SERVICES LANGDONS HAS BEEN in the logistics business since 1955, specialising exclusively in temperature controlled services since 1998. Our core strength is our shared-user, dual temperature (frozen and chilled) pallet network which has a throughput of over 25,000 pallets per week with over 1,000 individual deliveries being made every day.

For example a single pallet of frozen pasties leaving Cornwall this afternoon can be delivered in Edinburgh tomorrow morning.

Along the way the pallet has been on four trucks passing through depots in Bridgwater, Liverpool and Glasgow.

The company also provides storage and order picking facilities for palletised frozen and chilled foods at most depots.

For several years, Nagel-Langdons’ Scottish operations have been based in rented premises in Shieldhall, Glasgow. They have now announced the purchase of a 10.22 acre site on the Eurocentral Business Park (near Motherwell).

The site contains a 54,000 sq ft ambient warehouse which will be converted to include chilled and frozen chambers with all pallet access racking for up to 1500 pallets and a chilled cross-docking platform with capacity to handle in excess of 500 pallets per hour.

Other facilities include a two storey office block, a vehicle workshop and parking for up to 100 LGV’s.

The conversion work is well underway and the facility should be ready for use by late May 2014. In total the cost of the site purchase and re-development is expected to be around £5.5 million.

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 41

STORAGE

DIRECTORY

PARTNER LOGISTICS CONTACT DETAILS ADDRESS Blankenweg 2 4612 RC Bergen op Zoom Netherlands

42 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

KEY PEOPLE WEBSITE www.partnerlogistics.eu TEL +31 (0)164 271123 EMAIL sales@partnerlogistics.eu

EELCO SCHNABEL (COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR) eelco.schnabel@partnerlogistics.eu TREVOR HUDSON (COMMERCIAL MANAGER UK) trevor.hudson@partnerlogistics.eu

SUMMARY OF COMPANY & SERVICES Partner Logistics are leaders in the provision of state-of-the-art highly automated warehousing and fully integrated supply chain solutions, primarily for frozen foods.

Headquartered in The Netherlands, they currently operate six large-scale facilities – two in the UK, three in the Netherlands and one in Belgium.

Established in 1998, the integrated logistics service provider designs, builds and operates best-in-class warehouses to meet the specific needs of their clients including Birds Eye, Lamb Weston, Pinguin and other leading names in the frozen food industry. Their European network of cold storage facilities has a combined storage capacity of over 500,000 pallets and oversees 5.5 million pallet movements each year.

SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS Partner Logistics aid supply chain development through providing integrated engineering possibilities, controlling the complete warehouse development cycle from design to construction to operation. The existing network of cold storage facilities were all designed and developed by the

knowledgeable and experienced business support team.

Partner Logistics also act as a true supply chain partner, delivering industry-leading quality and performance, with metrics consistently achieving over 99 per cent accuracy for variables such as order picking, load performance and order fulfilment across all sites.

Partner Logistics strives to be an excellent frozen food supply chain partner, offering an integrated one-stop model for frozen food in Europe. To accommodate transport and distribution services, Partner Logistics works closely with a selective group of partners that provide services that support supply chain synergies, optimised vehicle fill and minimal empty mileage. By using a network of specialised partners, Partner Logistics is capable of offering a comprehensive network and flexibility without excessive investments.

SUSTAINABILITY Partner Logistics also shows a strong commitment to energy efficiency. By employing a fully automated end-to-end

system and the use of high density pallet racking, they have been able to build largescale warehouses typically five times or more the volume of conventional cold warehouses.

As a result, the surface area to volume ratio of their warehouses and pallets stored per m³ is significantly improved which means that they use 50 per cent less energy than the European Cold Storage and Logistics Association best standard, and only 50 per cent more energy than facilities one tenth of their size.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The Partner Logistics’ mission is: “To offer a fully integrated frozen supply chain network in Europe that takes care of the complete logistics process: from factory collection to delivery to the customer (of our customer)”.

The future of the company is based on helping its customers to stand out from the competition and obtain a sustainable competitive advantage. The Partner Logistics business mantra, ‘together we deliver’, incorporates the vision of the company as they look to create partnerships whilst delivering operational excellence within the supply chain.

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 43

Order today, get it tomorrow.

You need stock to sell stock. Our massive, high-tech facility enables us to deliver retail frozen foods nationwide, in exactly the volumes you need: large or small, or both.

Reed Boardall supplies whatever you need to stay in stock round-the-clock. We call it constant replenishment.

You’ll call it service like no other.

The Reed Boardall Group, Bar Lane, Boroughbridge, North Yorks YO51 9NN Tel: 01423 321322 Email: jrae@reedboardall.com

www.reedboardall.com

Reed Boardall

STORAGE

DIRECTORY

REED BOARDALL GROUP CONTACT DETAILS

KEY OPERATIONAL DATA

ADDRESS Bar Lane, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, YO51 9NN

REED BOARDALL GROUP is the UK’s leading frozen food storage and distribution business, operating from its 55-acre site alongside the A1(M) in North Yorkshire. The company’s WEBSITE commitment to the future was marked in 2013 www.reedboardall.com with the creation of extended cold store capacity TEL of 142,000 pallets. The new store building - 142 01423 321322 metres long by 67 metres wide – also added 14 new loading docks, bringing the total to 54.

SUMMARY OF COMPANY & SERVICES Further cold store expansion is planned for 2014.

INTEGRATED COLD STORAGE and distribution consolidated from a single, state-of-the-art, highly technologised site in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. Guiding principle: Order today, get it tomorrow!

KEY CLIENTS MAJOR UK AND EUROPEAN frozen food manufacturers, processors and importers and all of the UK’s large supermarket chains.

KEY PEOPLE

TOM CASSELLS MD, Reed Boardall Transport GARRY TILBURN MD, Reed Boardall Cold Storage

Reed Boardall stores and delivers frozen foods from manufacturers across Britain, Europe and even further afield to all the UK’s best-known supermarkets, operating around-the-clock. More than 3,000 stock-keeping units are handled every day, shipped nationwide by a fleet of over 160 refrigerated lorries. This represents well over 11,000 pallets per day, containing foods worth up to £5 million.

The company pioneered the use of double-deck refrigerated semi-trailers and is now the UK’s largest operator of them. Capable of carrying up to 44 pallets, these trailers allow 53 per cent more product per load than a standard refrigerated trailer, thus cutting journey numbers – just one of the reasons Reed Boardall has been

nominated ASDA’s ‘Environmental Carrier of the Year’ three times.

Reed Boardall’s other green initiatives include recycling of packaging materials and water recycling, which is especially important for both the cold stores and vehicle cleaning.

Maintaining a constant cold store temperature of -28°C requires vast amounts of water – instead of drawing all its requirements from the mains water supply, Reed Boardall has made the most of its expansive roof area to capture and store 2.25 million litres of rainwater annually. Combined with its own back-up borehole the company has reduced consumption from the mains water supply by 95 per cent. The state-of-the-art cold storage facilities are complete with full on-site back-up electricity generating support of 5.5 megawatts.

Tree-planting at the Boroughbridge site now totals well over 1,300 trees.

Reed Boadall’s dedicated workforce of more than 600 people ensures that it is a truly 24/7 operation, with both the transport and cold storage operations running a non-stop collection, consolidation and delivery service. *All facts, figures and copy supplied by listed companies

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 45

CONTAINERS CAN BE USED EVERYWHERE… WELL ALMOST With our range of ArcticStores and SuperStores, we provide temperature controlled storage solutions from -600c to +600c

WIEGAARDEN.DK . 143177

ArcticStore portable cold stores & multi palletwide cold rooms – perfect storage solutions for all kinds of products

a division of WWW.TITANCONTAINERS.COM

To find out how we can help you contact us today... on (+44) 01375 396 456 or email UK@tcmail.eu

STORAGE

DIRECTORY

TITAN CONTAINERS CONTACT DETAILS ADDRESS Europa Trading Estate, London Road, Grays, Essex, RM20 4DB WEBSITE www.titancontainers.com TEL 01375 396 456 KEY OPERATIONAL DATA OUR MANY EUROPEAN regional offices coordinate container sale and rental activities at more than 100 European depots - including 11 TITAN own depots.

Elsewhere activities are managed by our Global Service Centres and through a well established network of partners with the local knowledge and expertise required to ensure a high level of service and to meet customer needs.

SUMMARY OF COMPANY & SERVICES ESTABLISHED IN 1987, TITAN Containers today operates five brands and is one of the largest privately-owned operators in the industry.

steel interiors, internal lighting, easy opening doors and personnel alarm. With the latest technology the machines are both efficient and economical.

TITAN is a premier supplier of dry and temperature controlled storage solutions and we provide portable temperature controlled storage equipment from a wide variety of applications, from deep frozen -40C to hot boxes where products are required to be kept at temperatures up to +60C.

With a network of depots throughout the UK and Ireland, and our own transport fitted with lorry mounted cranes, we offer a one stop shop for all your temperature controlled storage requirements

With our range of temperature controlled stores - our ArcticStores are available as 10ft, 20ft and 40ft - we can provide a store for as little as four UK standard pallets up to our SuperStore modular units - starting with four pallet wide/42 UK pallets capacity - which we can offer in unlimited sizes. These units are 100 per cent food safe, with stainless

Our equipment can be hired on a daily basis or for however long as required - and we offer an extensive fleet of new/newer containers (from 8’ to 40’) suitable for all forms of ambient storage.

TITAN supplies high quality containers, always flexible and competitive hire terms and service with competitive pricing. Why be satisfied with less?

KEY CLIENTS OUR PRODUCTS AND services are in daily use by all segments of the food industry from producers to supermarket outlets.

Waitrose/John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, Kuehne Nagel, Tesco, Unilever.

KEY CONTACTS CUSTOMER SERVICE GRAYS MB@TCmail.eu 01375 659085 or 01375 396456 PM@TCmail.eu 01375 659086 or 01375 396456 CUSTOMER SERVICE HULL STH@TCmail.eu 01482 581154 CUSTOMER SERVICE IRELAND BOM@TCmail.eu +353 86 809 7942 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 47

FrozEn

AmbiEnT

GlobAl

www.yearsley.co.uk Yearsley Logistics Hareshill Road, Heywood, Lancashire, OL10 2TP Telephone: 01706 694680 Facsimile: 01706 694666 Email: logistics@yearsley.co.uk

STORAGE

DIRECTORY

YEARSLEY LOGISTICS CONTACT DETAILS

KEY PEOPLE

ADDRESS Hareshill Road, Heywood, Lancashire, OL10 2TP

KEY OPERATIONAL DATA OUR 13 STRATEGICALLY placed depots nationwide mean we are not reliant on a single site strategy.

There are two Super Hubs at Heywood and Hams Hall and planning permission has been granted for another 365,000 sq ft Super Hub in Peterborough. Our other depots located throughout the UK enable us to be geographically closer to customers and more aware of local market conditions. We can react depending on demand with no unnecessary delays thus creating a lean, agile supply chain.

Transportation is key to driving agility in the supply chain and at Yearsley Logistics we benefit from a fleet of over 300 vehicles that enable us to react to the demands for shorter lead times across the industry and the increased need for deliveries on a day one for day two basis.

Storage Network

WEBSITE www.yearsley.co.uk TEL 01706 694 680

TIM MORAN, LOGISTICS DIRECTOR tim.moran@yearsley.co.uk

SUMMARY OF COMPANY & SERVICES AT YEARSLEY LOGISTICS, the UK’s largest logistics service provider, the key to success is a tailor made and operated solution for each and every client. A one size fits all mentality is not feasible to remain competitive. By offering our customers cold storage, distribution, ambient, chilled, freight forwarding services and repacking, we can satisfy a customer’s entire supply chain needs from one provider.

Yearsley Logistics’ main assets to create a lean, agile supply chain include: CONSISTENT LARGE SCALE INVESTMENT INTO THE INDUSTRY Substantial and continual investment to develop Yearsley Logistics offering. Recent investment includes securing the 20 acres site at Peterborough and the purchase of 26 units and 50 new trailers, to meet the changing requirements needed to service the industry.

AUTOMATION We are reducing cost by increasing our use of automation. We believe that a mix of automation and conventional in our cold stores

offers the right mix to ensure that you can add value without compromising on flexibility ADDED VALUE SERVICES 1 Our freight forwarding division provides a unique single source solution for customers.

The services take total control of the logistics import operation for products from overseas suppliers. This removes both time and cost from the supply chain.

2 Yearsley Logistics temperature controlled Repack Facility offers customers a discreet and professional repacking solution in house rather than the more traditional method of shipping the product to another third party and adding extra unnecessary cost to the products being packed.

“Our clients are confident in our capabilities; both new and existing clients realise the strength of Yearsley Logistics’ offering,” comments Tim Moran, logistics sales director.

“This has been proven by the retentions and addition of several contracts already in 2014.”

Super Hub Depot

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 49

HEALTH & SAFETY SEMINAR Wednesday 2nd July 2014 Ricoh Arena, Coventry CV6 6GE 9.30am - 3.30pm

Topics to be covered: • HSE priorities and target areas for 2014/5

Presenters include:

• Legionella control and prevention

HSE Fire Service BFFF Local Authority Palmer & Harvey Ltd DriverMetrics HSL DLA Piper JLT Specialty Ltd R&R Ice Cream UK Ltd

• Fire case study

Sponsored by Event :

• BFFF Primary Authority Scheme and industry statistics • Keeping safe whilst working on refrigerated vehicles/ trailers • Working at height in cold stores • Accidents and bad practises caught on camera - industry case study • Behaviour based driver safety • Safety Climate tool • Prosecution case study • Employer’s & Public Liability Claims - Ministry of Justice Reforms & Protocols

Feedback from the 2013 Seminar:

PRICE:

£99 + VAT per member delegate £125 + VAT per non-member delegate

Now Introducing Exhibitor Spaces!

Contact Kate Miller for more information and to book your space.

Email: katemiller@bfff.co.uk Mob: 07933 704270

HEALTH & SAFETY

The Bulletin

Written and compiled by Health and Safety manager, Joanna Hancock

Women’s Safety at Work The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has published a new report on risks and trends in the health and safety of women at work.

A SOURCE AT the agency says its previous research on gender issues at work found that inequality, both inside and outside the workplace, can have an effect on the health and safety of women at work.

The report, New Risks and Trends in the Safety and Health of Women at Work, offers a perspective on the issue for the purposes

of EU policy. It is intended to contribute to an examination of health and safety challenges posed by the more extensive integration of women in the labour market.

The report provides a statistical overview of the trends in employment and working conditions, hazard exposure and work-related accidents, and health problems for women at work.

It also explores issues such as: n combined exposures to hazards, such as noise and chemicals n occupational cancer n access to rehabilitation n women and informal work n ‘emerging’ female professions, not previously recognised

In addition, the research also highlights the type of work carried out by women, issues faced by younger and older women, the growth of the service sector, violence and harassment, and increasingly diversified working-time patterns.

The report concludes: “A large proportion of women work in jobs that are safe and that offer training and promotion opportunities.

However, many do not and it is important that these concerns are put on the agenda for policy-makers and researchers.”

View the report at https://osha.europa.eu/en/ publications/reports/new-risks-and-trends-inthe-safety-and-health-of-women-at-work/view

H&S Myths Waste SMEs Time and Money THE HEALTH AND SAFETY Executive (HSE) has published the results of a new survey that it says has highlighted some of the “bizarre and unnecessary” things small firms mistakenly do in order to comply with health and safety legislation, wasting time and money.

The research was based on a survey of 45 small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with interviewers asking a number of questions relating to their approach and beliefs concerning health and safety.

The study revealed the measures some small firms mistakenly take to comply with health and safety. Examples of the most absurd things employers had been advised to do included the following: n a risk assessment for using a tape measure n written guidelines for walking up stairs

Around 11 per cent believed that a qualified electrician must test electrical appliances, such as kettles and toasters, every year. This was described by HSE as “another persistent myth”.

In addition, 1 in 5 respondents (22 per cent) surveyed believed they were not capable of managing health and safety themselves and needed to hire a specialist consultant.

Nearly a third of small businesses surveyed classed themselves as “hopeful-have-a-go’s” when it came to health and safety. They were aware they have to take some action but unsure where to start or if what they are doing is correct.

The HSE said the survey shows how myths about health and safety can cause unnecessary confusion.

For more information visit, www.hse.gov.uk/myth THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 51

HEALTH & SAFETY

The Bulletin

HSE Food Industry Case Study

Hand Injury Leads to Prosecution of Firm under Notice for Seven-Year Period This case study outlines the prosecution of a fruit and vegetable wholesaler for safety failings after a worker lost the tip of her finger at a processing plant in Hayes.

SUMMARY The 46 year-old worker was using a vegetable slicing machine when it became blocked.

She pressed a stop button and opened a side panel to gain access to a conveyor that took vegetables to the cutting head.

As she reached in to clear the blockage, the still-rotating cutting blade caught her right 52 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

index finger and sliced off the tip to the base of her nail. The worker’s finger is permanently disfigured, although she has since returned to work.

The subsequent investigation resulted in the HSE serving an immediate prohibition notice on the firm preventing use of the slicer until effective guarding was installed. The company had previously been served numerous notices and had received several written advice letters and verbal guidance all relating to poor machine guarding. The notice served was the sixth over a seven-year period.

ACTION The company pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. They were fined a total of £6,000 and ordered to pay £7,500 in costs.

ADVICE After the court case the HSE Investigating Inspector said: “The company was well aware of the need to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery but chose to disregard previous advice and enforcement notices from HSE. “Its failure to put an effective system in place to ensure machines had suitable protection devices and to give the workforce sufficient training put its workers at unnecessary risk. It was almost inevitable that injury would result.

“I hope that this prosecution results in the firm taking its responsibilities far more seriously in future.”

TECHNICAL & LEGISLATIVE

The Bulletin

Written and compiled by Technical and Legislative manager, Su Dakin supported by Crystal Holmes, Technical Assistant

Too Much Sugar?: WHO Reveals Draft Guidelines The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a draft guideline on the sugar intake of adults and children. WHO’s recommendation is that sugars should make up less than 10 per cent of total energy intake per day. It further suggests that a reduction to below 5 per cent of total energy intake per day would have additional benefits.

Time for Action: Reducing Salt & Sugar Following recent reports both salt and sugar levels in food have come under the spotlight with the food industry now tasked to act.

Responsibility Deal: Revised Salt Targets Available Following publication of the Salt Strategy Beyond 2012, the Department of Health (DH) has undertaken a programme of work to revise and set new salt targets for food. This has taken the form of a review of the salt targets for 2012 as well as work to set maximum per serving salt targets for the catering industry.

DH’s work is now complete and the new retail salt reduction targets for achievement by 2017 (food pledge 9) are now available along with new catering salt targets (food pledge 10). The tables with targets per category are available on the Responsibility Deal website: http:// tinyurl.com/qer82ye Food pledge 9 - Salt Reduction 2017- is a new set of salt reduction targets that challenge the industry to reduce further the amount of salt

in 76 categories of food by 2017. It replaced 2012 targets (previously F2 pledge).

Food pledge 10 - Out of Home Salt Reduction - is a new set of targets for the catering and food service sector covering the 10 most popular high street dishes and children’s meals.

Both pledges commit businesses to support and enable people to consume less salt through reformulating a wide range of foods to reduce salt levels.

Work on salt reduction has been ongoing for a number of years, and adult daily intakes have already been reduced by 15 per cent between 2001 and 2011. However, at 8.1g these are still higher than the maximum target daily intake of 6g for adults (children’s intakes should be lower).

The suggested limits on intake of sugars in the draft guideline apply to all sugars that are added to food by the manufacturer, the cook or the consumer, as well as sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.

There is increasing concern that the consumption of sugars may result in both reduced intake of more nutritious foods, and an increase in total caloric intake, leading to weight gain and increased risk of certain diseases. It is intended that the final recommendations will be used by policy makers to assess current intake of sugars and develop measures to decrease intake.

The draft guideline was based on a review of all published scientific studies on sugar consumption and how it relates to excess weight gain and tooth decay in adults and children.

More information of WHO’s draft sugar intake guideline is available here: http://www.who.int/nutrition/sugars_public_ consultation/en/

By making these targets and pledges available now, the DH hopes that companies will continue to make reductions and help to maintain the momentum on salt reduction towards the 6g daily intake goal.

If you would like to explore signing up to the new pledges, or have any queries about these or the accompanying targets, visit: https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/pledges/ THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 53

TECHNICAL & LEGISLATIVE

The Bulletin

Important Changes for Food Importers Automatic Licence Verification System or ALVS is a messaging system that electronically matches customs entries with the results of other import inspection checks. It has been used for horticultural/plant products since 2010.

HM REVENUE & CUSTOMS (HMRC) along with partners in the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratory Agency (AHVLA), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Association of Port Health Authorities (APHA), Border Force (BF), Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and IBM are extending ALVS to cover third country imports into Great Britain and Northern Ireland that are controlled on the EU TRACES System.

These imports include: Live Animals, Products of Animal Origin (POAO) and Food Not of Animal Origin (FNAO).

HMRC is extending ALVS as it will result in efficiency savings and also provide benefits to businesses, including administrative savings as there will no longer be a need for agents and importers to fax documents to the Nations Clearance Hub. Other benefits will be a reduction in customs clearance times from several hours to just a few minutes and the removal of potential impact cost (incurred demurrage charges and loss of value) associated with delays to customs clearance.

IBM has completed building the extended ALVS system and the project underwent testing 54 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

earlier this year. A user guide is also being developed with initial versions planned to be available from April on the ALVS webpage. The extended scheme is being piloted with a single trader starting in May. Following trade briefing sessions planned between May and September in different UK locations, a full launch will take place in October 2014. BFFF members are encouraged to attend the briefing sessions if they will be affected by the changes. We will let you know the dates when they are published.

Updates on the system’s development are available on the ALVS Info Web Page: http://tinyurl.com/pgopuqz

Business who import goods through TRACES should start preparing for the changeover now.

To get prepared for the changes, review your systems now and have in place mechanisms to ensure that the data entry onto the customs declaration and TRACES is consistent and accurate – i.e. ensure that weight or number of (animals)/CVED or CED Reference No/ Commodity Code entered onto TRACES exactly matches that entered on the customs declaration. This will help to ensure that when the system switches over, ALVS will work first time.

How ALVS works The ALVS system works by automatically matching information on the EU TRACES system with the HMRC CHIEF system. If the data does not match, ALVS will generate an E0 Error. An EO Error report will be made available to the Agent/Importer via their customs entry software.

Businesses will need to correct the error entry to progress the clearance.

The data that ALVS must match is: CVED or CED Reference No; weight or number of (animals); and Commodity Code.

MEMBERS

The Bulletin

BFFF Signs Up New Frozen Food Makers First new member seminar for 2014 set for July in Windsor – followed by a night at the races.

THREE FROZEN FOOD manufacturers and four service suppliers have joined the BFFF with the Federation particularly pleased to welcome back former member Almondy.

Almondy produces gluten-free frozen desserts.

Also joining is Pickenpack Europe which produces a range of frozen fish products and Netherlands- based Queens Products BV which supplies fish, shellfish meat and ice cream products.

New associate members include supply chain, logistics, health and safety and training experts. Achilles Information Ltd, a provider of global supply chain risk management solutions, joins the BFFF this spring along with

Freightex, a European road freight service provider. New member Santia Consulting Ltd is a health and food safety risk management consultancy. Training specialists, The Food Advanced Training Partnership (Food ATP) is a funded training initiative that provides high level skills at masters degree level and above in the agri-food sector plus training for food industry professionals.

BFFF membership manager Becky Dobb said: “This continuous recruitment of blue chip companies demonstrates the valuable offer the BFFF has created for its members as well as enhancing the networking opportunities for the membership as a whole.”

Introduce A New Member And Come To The Races ALL FOR FREE THE FIRST NEW member seminar of 2014 will be held on 28 July 2014 at the Mercure Castle Hotel, Windsor for companies thinking of joining the BFFF. This will be followed by an evening at the races at Windsor Racecourse.

Members can come too – all you have to do is bring along a company who is not a member of the BFFF and be our guest!

This could be a good opportunity for you to get closer to a supplier or customer by inviting them along and introducing them to the BFFF. Places will be confirmed on a first come, first served basis. Please contact Hazel at Hazelcranidge@bfff.co.uk or call 01400 283090 Please call Becky Dobb on 01400 283095 to recommend any company you think would benefit from joining the BFFF.

Featured Members BARCLAYS

ALMONDY

ACHILLES

see page 56

see page 57

see page 58

www.barclays.com

www.almondy.com/en

www.achilles.com

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 55

NEW MEMBER

PROFILE

BARCLAYS Corporate Banking at Barclays is committed to helping businesses succeed and achieve their ambitions, no matter how complex or challenging.

WE RECOGNISE THAT the manufacturing sector is diverse, and that the businesses within it have different needs - this is why we provide each client with a dedicated Relationship Director and support team offering in-depth knowledge of the challenges and opportunities within their market.

Our specialist Manufacturing Team has over 13 years’ experience in the industry, allowing them to understand their clients’ business needs in the continuously evolving food and drink manufacturing sector.

Contact Information: Mike Rigby, Head of Manufacturing, Transport and Logistics Telephone: +44 (0)20 7116 8731 56 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

Corporate Banking supports over 40,000 businesses to achieve their goals in 27 countries across Europe, Africa, Middle East, North America and Asia. In doing so, we enable domestic and global trade, job creation and economic growth.

To find out what our Manufacturing Team can do for your business, email Mike Rigby, Head of Manufacturing, Transport and Logistics, at michael.rigby@barclays.com.

Email: michael.rigby@barclays.com Website: www.barclays.com/corporatebanking

NEW MEMBER

PROFILE

ALMONDY

With over 30 years of baking experience, and the widest range of gluten-free frozen cakes on the market, Almondy is the number one gluten-free frozen dessert brand, helping caterers and retailers tap effortlessly into the rapidly expanding free-from market.

The secret to the Swedish baker’s success is its mix of novelty and tradition – the cakes are based on a Swedish recipe dating back to the 1800s yet command high brand appeal from partnerships with well-loved confectionery brands.

Almondy’s full range of almond biscuit-based desserts includes the “ultimate in chocolate indulgence” Almondy with Toblerone; the bestselling, Rainforest Alliance certified Almondy with Daim and the irresistible Almondy with Peanut & Caramel. As a result, the desserts appeal to all ages making them a perfect addition to menus, providing added-value for consumers and increased demand for caterers.

Ever expanding, Almondy recently extended its gluten-free retail range by partnering with

super-brands Cadbury and Philadelphia. Both with the traditional almond base, the Cadbury Chocolate Mousse & Almond Cake features chocolate cream and smooth chocolate mousse, covered in Cadbury Dairy Milk and topped with Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons, while the Philadelphia Almond Layered Cheesecake with Lemon combines layers of cool, creamy Philadelphia with fresh lemon frosting.

Almondy bow with cheesecake being one of the big three must-stocks when it comes to frozen desserts.”

Andrew Ely, Managing Director, Almondy, comments: “Almondy is already a wellestablished brand within the frozen dessert and special diets category so we are thrilled to be able to extend the sales opportunity for our customers with two superbrands - Cadbury is a key player that will add considerably to the freezer appeal of our confectionery-topped line, while Philadelphia adds a new string to the

For more information on Almondy call 020 7795 8148 or visit www.almondy.com/en

Contact Information: Andrew Ely, Managing Director Telephone: 020 7795 8148

Over three decades on from its humble beginnings in a small bakery in Sweden, Almondy now bakes over 75,000 cakes each day and is enjoyed by more than 140 million people in over 40 countries each year.

Email: info@almondy.se Website: www.almondy.com/en

THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 57

NEW MEMBER

PROFILE

ACHILLES Achilles is one of the world’s largest service providers of global supply chain risk management solutions with more than 950 people working in 22 countries.

WE WORK ON behalf of over 790 buying organisations, from 11 industry sectors, to collect, validate and maintain essential data about more than 90,000 suppliers. This allows buying organisations to gain visibility of their suppliers’ capabilities and compliance.

For some clients, this is important for their existing supply chain. For others, it is used as an assessment tool before making important sourcing decisions. With an understanding of their supply chains, buying organisations can proactively identify and mitigate potential risks to protect people, planet and profit.

Within the FMCG industry, we work with client organisations to cleanse their supplier portfolios before risk assessing their production sites and working with each supplier to lead them through an appropriate set of steps towards compliance, particularly

Contact Information: Paul Carr – Director – FMCG Telephone: 0044 1235 838171 or 0044 7801 913571 58 THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014

around Food Safety and Responsible Sourcing.

We use our global resources to work with suppliers in their own languages and time zones, helping them achieve globallyrecognised standards. Our customers can thus be assured of mitigation towards risk to brand reputation, profitabilityand cost.

We have recently launched an innovative Supply Chain Mapping tool, which allows client organisations to understand their whole supply chains down to their lowest level; particularly relevant in FMCG in light of examples such as 2013’s “Horsegate” affair.

Our solutions enable businesses to make informed, strategic decisions to minimise cost and turn common industry challenges into sources of competitive advantage.

Email: paul.carr@achilles.com Website: www.achilles.com

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2014 16th Oct

BFFF Seminar - Introduction to the BFFF Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon

25th Nov

BFFF Annual Luncheon Hilton on Park Lane, London

6th - 8th May

19th - 23rd Oct SIAL

26th Nov

Brussels Expo, Brussels www.seafoodexpo.com

Parc des Expositions - Paris www.sialparis.com

Venue - TBA, London

Seafood Expo Global

BFFF Industry Forum

15th May

Frozen & Chilled Golf Day Belton Woods Hotel, Grantham 01206 273815 margreaves@btinternet.com

12th June

BFFF Industry Forum 30 Finsbury Square, London

2015 3rd Mar

BFFF Business Conference & Exhibition Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth

22nd - 25th Mar IFE 2015

12th June

BFFF Dinner Dance & Awards Evening Hilton on Park Lane, London

2nd July

BFFF Health & Safety Seminar Ricoh Arena, Coventry

28th July

BFFF Seminar - Thinking of Joining the BFFF

Excel, London www.ife.co.uk

28th – 30th Apr

Seafood Expo Global Brussels Expo, Brussels www.seafoodexpo.com

11th June

BFFF Dinner Dance & Awards Evening Hilton on Park Lane, London

10th – 14th Oct ANUGA

Kolnmesse, Cologne www.anuga.com

24th Nov

BFFF Annual Luncheon Hilton on Park Lane, London

Hotel Mercure, Windsor THE BULLETIN I MAY/JUNE 2014 59

Cold store operations?

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Higher cold store performance and lower costs of operation? Get it all together at atlet.co.uk