autumn/winter ‘17
CONTENTS 01 A WORD with OUR CEO 02 TOP FRUIT WHATEVER THE WEATHER 03 THIS SEASON’S NEWS 05 AVOCADO TAKEOVER 07 IT’S GOT TO BE PEAR-FECT 08 RISK BASED DQ 09 AN ETHICAL APPROACH 11 BOX CLEVER 12 CONTINUOUS FLOW 13 HELPING THE TEAM GROW 14 MEET THE MANAGEMENT 15 MEET THE GROWER 16 BACK AND FORTH 17 OUTSIDE THE WFL FRUIT BOWL 18 RECIPE 19 competition
Hello everyone, I hope you’ve all managed to have some time off over the summer. A lot has happened since our last newsletter and I’m pleased to say that all of it has been giving the company forward momentum. I know and appreciate that this has created a stretch in the business and I thank everyone for their commitment and hard work. We have a simple mission at WFL – 'Be Customers’ First Choice'. For me the customer is more than just who we sell to but covers all our suppliers and stakeholders. I love our ‘mission’ as I’m obsessed about ensuring that customers want to work with us. The great news is that our retail customers are trusting us with extra business and this all starts over the next few months.
The Core Magazine is always looking for fresh ideas and new stories so if you have something to share or want to get in touch, please email gary.harrison@worldwidefruit.co.uk
The opportunity to grow our business now lies in our own hands and we need to prove to our customers that they were correct to trust us and that we will deliver the required results. I do not doubt that we have the skills, capabilities and resources to do so. My rallying call for the next few months is - let’s get Sainsbury’s Service Provision correct, let’s get 100% of Waitrose top fruit correct, let’s get behind stone fruit to show that Aldi, Morrison’s and M&S were correct and let’s never drop a ball on all our existing business as they were correct when they chose to trust us previously. Onwards and upwards
TOP FRUIT WHATEVER THE
WEATHER After a difficult and worrisome last six months for top fruit growers around Europe with frost causing unprecedented damage to crops, the UK top fruit season is now well underway and the public can once again enjoy the very best of British apples and pears. While some countries were affected worse than others, April saw UK temperatures plummet to minus 4 degrees in some areas causing crop losses to be estimated at 25% in some cases. While WFL growers certainly didn’t come through unscathed, they certainly weren’t the worst hit but at the time of writing, it was predicted that the volume of British apples and pears from Fruition growers would be down around 20% this season against last. Volumes of British Cox would be down 20%, Braeburn 20% and Royal Gala 10%, while JAZZ™ has bucked the trend and is expected to be up by around 20%. With WFL being in fresh produce a long time, the company has the resources, people and growers to succeed, whatever the weather. In this current UK season, WFL is supplying all of M&S and Waitrose’s top fruit, plus apples and pears into Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Co-op and Booths. At WFL, Martin Simmons and Geoff Briggs are the guys in charge of managing the top fruit from UK orchard to shelf. It’s their role to work closely with growers in the lead up to the season, liaise with storage sites and packhouses and ultimately deal with the retailers to ensure orders are met.
During the course of the British season,thousands upon thousands of British apples and pears will pass under Martin and Geoff’s watchful eyes and make it onto the shelves in supermarkets. Martin explains: “It’s our role to ensure the UK growers know what the retailers need and then ensure that the growers and the wider WFL team can deliver it.” While the busy times for Martin and Geoff are undoubtedly August and September, the hard work and planning kicks off in January. “From January to April, it’s vital that we keep in contact with growers to discuss the season ahead, their plans, worries, ideas and new plantings. It’s also important that we collect and collate as much information as possible on the last season which can be inputted into systems to help us prepare for the next one.” In April, the first crop forecast takes place, where growers will highlight how many hectares of each variety they have and a crop per hectare estimate, based on normal conditions. This forecast can then be compared to previous years and data can be captured on the age and condition of orchards, new plantings and orchards that have been grubbed out. At this stage, damage from severe weather such as frost can also be measured. A further forecast is then run in June when the threat of frost is generally past. Martin and Geoff again collate the information to get a clearer picture on the season ahead. Geoff said: “By June, the growers have a pretty good idea of how their crop is looking so we can compare to the April figures, plus previous years, and work out a more precise crop projection. We’re also able to see the severity of any weather damage from earlier in the year and where quality has declined to provide a full picture to the commercial team as they start to speak to the retailers about the season ahead.” In order to keep both the growers and the retailers happy, Martin, Geoff and the team in Kent are continuously looking to improve procedures and systems to better efficiency and quality. Information is once again key so the team is working closely with Fruition to implement systems which can help measure and monitor things such as varieties, crops, orchards, growing conditions, storage capabilities and quality. Martin continues: “In the past, it was all on paper or in someone’s head so the systems being put in place are already providing huge value. It means we can access key information when we need it and use it to improve systems at storage and in the packhouses but we can also provide support to the growers to help them maximise yields and most importantly returns.”
British pea for co rs ready nsumer s
NEWS 02
THIS SEASON’S NEWS TO BIRMINGHAM AND BACK The JAZZ™ team were on the road this summer at the BodyPower Expo and BBC Good Food and Gardeners show at the NEC in Birmingham. The shows once again gave the team the chance to sample delicious new season Southern Hemisphere JAZZ™ Apples to the good people of Birmingham and display the new snazzy JAZZ™ branding and stand. People who had tasted JAZZ™ Apples at the shows before flocked back to get another mouthful and those who hadn’t tried them yet were amazed by their crunch and tangy-sweet flavour. Over the duration of the fun-filled events the team managed to sample or sell over 25,000 JAZZ™ to eager consumers and it was safe to say that there were plenty of people who experienced, and loved, the #JazzSensation!’
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ia Guil e on Peir
medite rranea
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INTERN-ATIONAL ARRIVAL AT WFL The Spalding WFL team had the pleasure of some Mediterranean flair in the office recently after French student Léa Bellanger and Italian graduate Guilia Peirone undertook internships to help further their careers in the fruit business. Léa’s currently enrolled on a two-year post A-levels course in International Trade and slipped seamously into the Spalding team while working with QC and DQ, the print room team and the Commercial Team Business Units. Giulia on the other hand works in the quality management team in Rivoira Giovanni & Figli S.p.A in Italy and came to learn about how WFL continue to meet the needs of the market with a very high quality product. Léa and Giulia couldn’t speak more highly of their time in Spalding and thanked everyone for making it a fantastic experience on both a personal and work level.
en me added value both “My time at WFL has giv sonal experience. I in terms of work and per ugh for their kind can’t thank everyone eno has completely exceeded advice and hospitality. It back to Italy a more my expectations and I go son.” — Guilia mature and confident per
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03 NEWS
“For me it was an ex perience t forget. I hat I’ll n was very ever w e ll receive team and d by the W learnt lo FL t s a bout fruit an intern ational b and opera u s ting in ess, plus improved my Englis at the sam h h e as time. Mor very rewa eover, it w rding for a m s e to meet experienc new peop e a new c le and ulture.” — Léa
LIMITED EDITION GOSH JAZZ™ APPLES PRODUCED FOR M&S A small number of limited edition JAZZ™ Apples emblazoned with the famous logo of Great Ormond Street Hospital are being sold at M&S to raise funds for the world renowned children’s hospital. Selected for its outstanding eating quality, a double paper bag is placed over each JAZZ™ apple to stop the fruit’s natural colour developing. The paper bag is removed one month prior to harvest leaving a green tissue layer which allows the fruit to be exposed to the sun. A week later the tissue is removed and a GOSH transfer is applied by hand to each apple. When the fruit is perfect for picking the transfer is removed and the apple is ready to eat. These fantastic specimens were grown by Clive Baxter and his team in Kent so a huge well done to all of them for the hard work put in for such a great cause. We’re sure consumers will love them and they will be off the shelves in no time!
ROB KING JOINS WFL WFL is delighted to be able to welcome Rob King to the company as a Logistics Manager at the Spalding base. Rob is a keen cyclist and recently rejuvenated his love for the sport by riding the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 in July as part of his 50th birthday celebrations. The event started at 6am at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and followed a 100 mile route on closed roads through the capital and into Surrey’s stunning countryside. Rob managed to finish the route in a tremendous time of 7 hours and 17 minutes and has already set his sights on his next challenge – the Coast to Coast – next June. As part of the challenge Rob also raised £615 for the British Heart Foundation. We’re sure you will all join us in wishing Rob the best of luck in his new role and by welcoming him in to the WFL family!
Rob K ing af Prude ter fi ntial nishin Ride l g the ondon –surr ey 100
raisin g ormo money fo r gre nd st reet hospi at tal
RUTHLESS RICK STORMS TO WFL GOLF OPEN CROWN The twice yearly WFL Golf Open was back in town at Spalding Golf Club on Sunday 16th April 2017 and this time featured 24 brave souls fighting to take home the much-coveted trophy and most importantly office bragging rights. The day saw some excellent golf and some not so excellent golf, but the title was eventually claimed by Richard Bell (36 points), who also collected the ‘Longest Drive’ trophy for his whopping hit on the 15th. Martyn Clare (31 points) and Simon Bell (30 points) were placed 2nd and 3rd respectively with Mark Vincent (12 points) scooping the unwanted wooden spoon. Mike Streeter and Alex Grainger picked up the ‘Mystery Pairs’ trophy, while the ‘Guest Winner’ on the day was Harry Bettison. A ‘Nearest to the Pin’ competition also took place on the 9th hole but embarrassingly this year’s trophy wasn’t collected as all 24 players failed to hit the green. The next WFL Open will take place on Sunday 17th September 2017 so if you fancy yourself as the next Rory McIlroy or want to make amends for a previous shocking round then get in contact with Richard Bell.
Clare, Martyn ell, : t h ig r B left to BelFlL, Sgim olofnopen dl W ra a h u t n ic n n R e a c The BiMark Vin NEWS 04
AVOCADO TAKE OVER Avocados have a tendency to be everywhere right now whether you’re walking the supermarket aisles, brunching on the high street or scrolling through your Instagram page. Although WFL first imported avocados way back when England were winning the World Cup in 1966, it has only been in the last ten years that their popularity has rocketed, culminating in them becoming the UK’s 8th most popular fresh fruit with sales of over £170million. Celebrity chefs and bloggers such as Nigella Lawson and Deliciously Ella are passionate promoters of the fruit and the public has jumped on board the ‘avocado train’ with it now being used in everything from toast to cake to smoothies. Supermarket giants are even fighting over who was the first to sell them in their television advertisements. One of the main reasons avocados failed to appeal to the masses and were overlooked in the supermarkets in the past was due to the issue of ripeness. Whenever you wanted a ripe avocado to eat immediately it was too hard and when you needed one for a few days later it would be too soft and mushy. However, as many may have seen recently on the BBC’s Supermarket Secrets programme with Gregg Wallace, WFL have worked with growers and the supermarkets to solve this issue once and for all.
Avocad o accoun s now t for o ver £20mi llion of turnov er at W the FL
£20,925,883
£20M
Luckily for the team the growing popularity of avocados in recent years has also coincided with changes to how the fruit is grown, picked, stored and transported and the quality of the product is now better than ever. Mark said: “At WFL we work with the best and most professional growers and suppliers to ensure we have the best starting point, which means we are able to manage the production side better than ever before. The fantastic growers we work with pick the fruit to our exact specifications to make sure they are harvested at the perfect time before making the journey to our packhouse.
£150M
£15,396,127
£11,369,449
£100M
£50M
£5M
£0
Avocados now account for over £20million of the turnover at WFL and with the trend for the fruit increasing, WFL need to continue to lead from the front. The hardworking and growing team based at Spalding includes Mark Everett, Shara Jones (Technical Manager), Joanna Pilat (Commercial Assistant) and Charlotte Walker (Product Manager), who have been under the pump on a daily basis ensuring the needs of our customers are met.
Avocado spend in the UK over last 10 years
Spend
Sales
£10M
WFL have invested over £350,000 in the Aweta Grader, a machine which helps deliver the perfect ripe and ready avocado. The machine, which can check over 12,000 avocados an hour, uses infrared light to penetrate the fruit to see if there are any cavity defects and also has sensors which tap and listen to the fruit to determine if they are hard or soft. It’s this type of technology which is vital if WFL is to provide top quality avocados to supermarkets and continue to lead the way in the market.
£200M
WFL avocado sales over the last 3 years £15M
Jeanet te Zeva llos a at Won nd Mar g Supe k Ever rmark ett et in L ima Pe ru
^35%
^36%
2015/16
2016/17
£0 2014/15
05 SPECIAL FEATURE
52 w/e 17 52 w/e 15 52 w/e 14 52 w/e 13 52 w/e 12 52 w/e 10 52 w/e 23 52 w/e 22 52 w/e 21 52 w/e 19 52 w/e 18 Jun 07 Jun 08 Jun 09 Jun 10 Jun 11 Jun 12 Jun 13 Jun 14 Jun 15 Jun 16 Jun 17
Mark continued: “The shipping and technology that allows us to safely move avocados around the world has also improved with the fruit being transported in controlled atmosphere containers. The refrigerated containers are filled with gases which help to keep the fruit in the optimum condition.” Compared to other commercially grown fruit such as pears or apples the journey for the avocado is very much in its infant stages. Until the development of sea and air freight it wasn’t possible to ship them around the world with the quality expected but now things have changed and the future is bright for the now prized commodity that is the avocado.
and ker nsory l a te w a Se rlot at Asd el a h C s Pan one ra j luation a h S Eva
Who would have thought that an avocado seedling tree purchased by Rudolph Hass at a nursery in 1925 would go on to be the source of 95% of all avocados grown globally and become a global multi-million pound business?
avoc a
Hola from Espana!
dos o in p n a tre eru e
By Mark Everett, Business Unit Director for Avocados Between January and March 2017 I moved to Malaga in the South of Spain to live and work close to the avocado production regions. Due to the excellent micro climate and optimal growing conditions in this part of Spain, the avocado crop is in strong demand across a wide range of markets not only in Europe but internationally. By being located close to the farms and packhouses, I was able to maintain a close dialogue with our suppliers during the season but also experienced first-hand how the crop was harvested, packed and the impact of the weather.
Finca ed at ner t n a l w ing p ith o es be Spain w e r t ado z. c in Avoc al Tropi cio Lope n r e Natu Prud
Working with three main suppliers we were able to secure volumes at competitive prices and so far they have delivered 1,200 tonnes of avocados to WFL this season. While in Spain I was also able to host visits from the team at M&S. In addition Vance Johnson (WFL Packaging Manager) and Tim Curtis (T&B packaging) visited to aid progression of the Asda carton from source trials.
Last year 94% of the avocados received at WFL came from Spanish speaking origins – Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Mexico.
Over 7 million Spanish avocados carefully delivered to our WFL customers over the season. FEATURE 07 SPECIAL FEATURE 06
IT’S GOT TO BE
PEAR-FECT By Tony Brown, Pear Product Manager
Delivering the perfect pear to our customers and most importantly to the consumer is a vital part of the WFL business and one where success hinges. Over the last five months Jana Slajerova and I have been working on a number of pear trials designed to reduce cost, improve quality, create capacity and reduce unnecessary handling of product. Valuable information has been gathered over this period that will allow us to provide feedback to both the suppliers involved and the site operational team. This means we can engage the business regarding the benefits of each trial and the commercial next steps, which will allow the company to move closer to delivering the targeted improvements. Here’s a recap on the trials taking place:
trial 1
Argentinian Green Williams’ Dual Layer Box Trial Currently Argentinian Green Williams’ pears are shipped in single layer bushel boxes. WFL are looking to use specially designed dual layer boxes to free up labour and vital space in ripening rooms.
trial 2
Pallet Liner Trials Using pallet liners should replace the need for individual box liners that have to be removed prior to ripening. Use of pallet liners increases line efficiency, has financial benefits and significantly reduces plastic waste.
trial 3
Ethylene Scavenging Filter Trial This trial’s aim was to establish the effectiveness of ethylene scavenging filters in punnets of ripened pears and the financial potential associated with the benefits.
trial 4
Ethylene Scavenging Large Filter Trial
ana J & Tony
In preparation for a sea freight trial of Green Williams’ from Argentina, a simulation sea freight trial with Green Williams’ from Italy was carried out in September 2016. The results showed that the large transit filters had enough remaining capacity for a sea freight duration from Argentina. The Argentinian trial will aim to establish transit filter benefits and the financial benefits associated.
trial 5 Optiflow Trial
This trial will be created to compare Optiflow, a new packaging concept developed by WFL, with current packaging used. It will assess packaging performance throughout ripening, cooling, packing, transit and shelf life.
07 BEHIND THE SCENES
RISK BASED
DQ
The cos t of foo d waste
By Jason Winter Over the last six months we have been working on a project whereby we have reviewed the current DQ process and asked the following questions: 1. What does the current process cost? 2. Is the current process fit for purpose? 3. How do we remove waste without compromising quality?
We started off by reviewing fruit waste and the cost involved in the current Apple DQ process. We found that during 2016 we had destructively tested just shy of 344,000 pieces of fruit, which is around 51 tonnes or 58 pallets of fruit. We also looked at the time invested in carrying out these tests. We found that during 2016 we had invested just under 3300 man hours in carrying out destructive tests. We therefore estimated that the total cost of carrying out destructive testing during 2016 in manpower terms was almost £95,000. To see if we could improve the process without compromising fruit quality, we next looked at how often we were rejecting pallets at DQ based on fruit quality. We found that for certain varieties such as JAZZ™, Pink Lady and Granny Smith we were rejecting less than 0.5% of pallets that were brought to the line. For Granny Smith it was as low as 0.1% and for other varieties such as Golden Delicious the figure was around 11%.
el” You will see a new “Pallet status lab . which will be applied to each pallet
Our conclusion from this was that our current “one size fits all” DQ process was probably not fit for purpose. To this end, we began to review each variety and build a new process based on risk rather than treating all varieties the same. As we move into the Northern Hemisphere season, we will start to roll out this new process so here’s what you have to keep an eye out for:
This label is designed to give clear instructions as to the quality of the fruit at arrival and the DQ requirements of the pallet as well as label accuracy for PAS.
You will only be required t o conduct DQ checks when instructed to do so by the “Pallet status label”.
BEHIND THE SCENES 08
AN ETHICAL APPROACH It doesn’t matter how big a company is, what sector it hails from or its profitability, if it’s not working in an ethical way then they can forget about targeting long-term growth and success. In the world of websites, social media, 24-hour news and full disclosure, people and businesses want to know more. They want to know who they’re buying from, working for or investing in and they want to know that these businesses are working in a responsible way when it comes to workers, suppliers, business practises and the law. At WFL, the ever-smiling, happy and positive Sam Cliff is in charge of ensuring the company is a leader in the fresh produce industry when it comes to business ethics. Here’s some great examples of ethical good practice in action within the WFL supply chain.
South Africa Safety at Work Initiative
The
Working closely with South African exporter Green Marketing, a visit at Achtertuin Farming in April 2017 showcased great examples of worker welfare good practice. Farm owner Steven Versveld has introduced a number of good practice measures to safeguard staff during their work:
In the packhouse, workers benefit from pallet stacking mechanical assistance – as the stack increases with fruit boxes, the height stays constant by lowering itself below ground level to better safeguard against potential worker back injuries.
An in-house engineered Harvesting Platform was made to ensure worker safety when working at height in the orchards. Workers use safety harnesses and neatly deploy the platforms outwards to gain better access to the crop.
When spraying in the orchards, tractor operators are protected with enclosed cabins.
s with Tractor cabins d enclose
Harve st platfo ing rm 09 BEHIND THE SCENES
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South Africa Social Welfare Programmes
rschool The afte om classro
Our supplier in Dennegeur near Cape Town is a fantastic example of where social welfare is front of mind. Workers are safe in the knowledge that their children can enjoy nutritious food, receive education and enjoy play time in the on-site crèche, jungle playground and educational centre.
Early years education is fundamental to prepare children for school so Dennegeur has the ideal resources helping them care for babies, toddlers and preschool children as well.
The afterschool classroom with education facilitators also provides valuable learning support for school children with a range of weekly projects taking place, internet enabled computers and educational material aplenty.
Raising the standards with the FPC Accommodation Guidance With the release of the Fresh Produce Consortium’s (FPC) ‘Guidance on provision of caravan accommodation for temporary workers in the UK’ in April 2017, WFL have been working to support Fruition Produce Growers in the UK in upgrading accommodation where necessary. The recent opening of Orchards View Nickle Farm Worker Village is a superb example of our growers going the extra mile.
ff at Sam Cli site the new
The Orchard View development is a joint partnership between Mansfields and Pro-Force Recruitment.
The £200k project provides spacious accommodation for just over 400 seasonal workers and overlooks beautiful apple orchards and the on-site lake.
The new complex also houses a football pitch, bar, shop and community games room.
Orch
ard
View
s
BEHIND THE SCENES 10
BOX
CLEVER
low By Peter Lelnager Shipping Ma
You see shipping containers all the time on the roads and arriving at our sites with produce from around the world and we take them for granted. But they have only been around for 60 years. In the early 1950’s American truck operator Malcom McLean designed his own container concept, but the final design was not patented until 1956. His concept was a trailer body shell that could be removed from the chassis of trucks, loaded onto ships and then put back onto trucks at the other end for final delivery, cutting out the costly unstuffing and reloading process at both ports. He formed Sealand Shipping, initially using a converted ex WWII tanker, the Ideal X, which could carry 58 units.
t concep
Malcolm McLean started off with 35ft long containers that fitted his truck chassis but the sizes were soon standardised at 20ft and 40ft to ensure compatability worldwide. Nowadays there is a wide range of container types from standard steel boxes, the reefers that we use, flat racks that can be loaded without gauge cargo, tank containers for liquid and bulk powders, and even customised internal fittings that can be used for hanging garments, or to squeeze several cars in one container. In just over sixty years containers have grown to carry around 90% of non-bulk cargo worldwide, an achievement Malcom McLean would have been proud of.
Felixstowe, the UK’s biggest container port, handing over 4 million TEU’s annually.
Images: Courtesy of the Port of Felixstowe.
It wasn’t until the early ‘70’s that containerisation caught on worldwide in a big way. Because of the huge investment required in ships and port facilities, the first operators were consortiums of long established cargo shipping lines. The first generation of deep sea container ships could carry in the region of 1400 TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) whereas today’s largest container ships have a capacity of almost 20000 TEU. Containerisation was less labour intensive and enabled a reduction in port costs and turnaround times from the start. Today’s container ports are highly automated and even more efficient.
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towe
Felixs 11 BEHIND THE SCENES
CONTINUOUS
FLOW By Simon Carter, Apple Product Manager
Delivering continuous flow is vital in our bid to improve our productivity at Apple Way and that is why we have been introducing Blue Nil Touch principles.
Continuous flow for us starts with our strategic growers and suppliers. It’s essential that we can align product quality standards and specifications to ensure that we select the right fruit and implement a prescriptive grading, packing and cool chain protocol. This guarantees that apples grown anywhere in the world will arrive on site at Apple Way without the need for further human intervention, as the fruit on receipt already meets our target customer’s product specifications. The benefits for us as a business are significant as by removing the need for further human touches and nonvalue adding contact, we’re able to save time and reduce the demand for cold storage space. We have been testing and developing this concept with Denegeur, one of our strategic South African suppliers, and we can now confirm that the gains we predicted are being delivered and have proven that continuous flow is taking place. Our end-to-end spec alignment project has ensured that we are providing our packhouse with fruit with a very low percentage of defects so we can pack the full arrival, while being confident that customer’s specifications are being met. The owner of Denegeur, Stephan Beukes, and I have created a unique operating procedure for selecting and product managing this very process called Blue Nil Touch and all departments are actively involved in deploying it. We are now working closely with a wider pool of strategic suppliers on pre-planned shipments but where our intake quality team do identify quality standards on arrival that meet Blue Nil Touch Criteria, we are also fast tracking this fruit through our site Blue Nil Touch Process. As product manager, I am involved throughout the process to ensure that the stock maintains its Blue Nil Touch quality status. Once an order has been despatched to a target customer, we are closely monitoring customer complaints and the shelf life performance with the technical team.
Blue Nil principles Touch in action
This means we can monitor, measure and report our findings to ensure learnings are fed back down the supply chain from customer to grower. We believe we now have the opportunity to move a significant proportion of the fruit we purchase through this Blue Nil Touch model over the next 12 – 24 months. It’s really exciting to see a C.I. project such as this delivering benefits for our growers, suppliers and our customers.
h l Touc ion i N e u ct Bl es in a l p i c n pri BEHIND THE SCENES 12
HELPING THE
TEAM GROW When it comes to staff retention, training and development, WFL can be incredibly proud of its performance. With a Gold in Investors in People, the company outshines the rest of the industry with a labour turnover rate at around 6% and invests heavily in people with 10,000 training hours provided in the last year alone. Just having a quick skim through the employee names and you can see that there are numerous team members who have been with the company well into the decades. Many more have progressed, grown and moved up the WFL ladder.
Tricia McCarron, WFL HR Director, comments: “I think WFL is a fantastic place to work and depending on what you want to achieve, what your skills are and your motivation, it’s a company where the sky really is the limit.” “All staff have regular reviews and personal development plans drawn up to help them learn new skills, acquire new experience and grow in the job and as a person. So if there is a role you think you would enjoy and be good at, don’t stay quiet, speak out.”
Tomas Antczak Current role: Assistant Management Accountant first role: Line worker in packhouse start date: 2006 details of progression: Tom first came to WFL as an agency worker on the line in the packhouse. By April 2008 Tom was a member of WFL and part of the QC team. He was always keen to develop himself, with requests for additional ESOL and other courses. He also embarked on an NVQ level 3 in Business Administration. During all this time, Tom had continued to pursue his interest in Finance and was studying for a Masters’ Degree in Accountancy in Poland. This came to the attention of the finance team in Spalding and Tom was seconded into the team in 2015. The company has assisted Tom with an AAT qualification. He is also one the company’s formal translators and an active member of Your Voice. “I`m now doing my last AAT exam before I move onto the CIMA qualification. I like this company. The proof of that is that it was the first company I came to when I came to England and I’ve never left! Working at WFL gives you the opportunity to progress and they have given me great support with my qualifications.”
Nea 21 st bl on his irthd ay
Neal Collishaw
Current role: Operations Director first role: Pod Dispatch Clerk start date: 1994 details of progression: His first job at WFL was as a POD Despatch Clerk working in the office but he was quickly promoted to Warehouse Supervisor at the Fowler Welch site where he was responsible for service provision. From 1999 to 2003 he was a Senior Distribution Supervisor taking responsibility for staff until he was promoted to Logistics Manager. The department was his own! In March 2006, Neal was seconded into the Production Manager role. On the retirement of the Operations Director, Neal then became Head of Operations in 2008 before being promoted to Operations Director on 1st October 2009 and he has played the lead role in taking WFL on the Lean journey. Neal explains his drive and progression:
nt he fro t m o r F nance fi o t e lin 13 BEHIND THE SCENES
“Like so many people I wanted to earn more money and create a better lifestyle but I also wanted to reach my full potential. WFL recognised this and helped me to understand where I needed to improve. I was trusted and given responsibility and I learned by doing. They also helped fill my knowledge gaps being with training courses.”
MEET THE MANAGEMENT In this issue’s feature we speak to HR Director Tricia McCarron from the Spalding office to discuss everything from dogs to ancestry to David Bowie. Q: So firstly Tricia, tell us how long you have been at WFL and a bit about your role? I joined the company in 2003 and have been working in HR for 30 years after previously being a bobby on the beat in Kent. My main role is to look after the company and its employees, which means managing everything from employee relations to staff training. I’m also a member of the exec team where I represent the employees on a management level.
Q: How has your role changed since you started in HR 30 years ago? It’s a whole different ball game these days. Back then people didn’t really know what HR was and just thought it was looking after the tea supplies and toilets but their perceptions have changed drastically now. I see the HR team as the buffer between staff and management, not taking sides, but trying to ensure there is fairness. When I started here labour turnover was close to 33% and we’ve managed to get that down to 6%, which is a real credit to the team here.
Trish w ith her dogs
Q: So away from the office what are your interests? I’m actually a trustee at the True’s Yard Fisherfolk museum in King’s Lynn so you could say I’m a bit of a history buff. It all started after researching my ancestory and discovering that my mother’s family were fishing boat owners and since then I’ve been fascinated. I’m also a keen dog owner, aspiring pianist and eager author so watch this space.
Q: They say everyone has one good book in them so what’s yours about? It’s loosely based on my family tree but takes place in the 1840s. I’ve been writing it for years now and may never actually finish it but from time to time I dust off the laptop and get my writing head back on. However I have six dogs so finding quiet time at home can be an issue!
Q: And finally the answer everyone in the office is waiting for, which three people dead or alive would you invite to your ultimate dinner party? I will have to apologise to everyone at work, my husband and my dogs at home but it would have to be David Bowie, Peter Kay and a fit and healthy David Ginola!
Q: What recent achievements are you most proud of? We received a Gold in Investors in People so that has been a real highlight for myself and the team. The employees in the office were asked to work on an online survey with three people from the operation’s team to get to know them better. Not only was this a great way for people from the office to mix with the shop floor and wider operations team but some fantastic friendships were also formed.
with Trish & erin anton
PEOPLE 14
MEET THE
GROWER
g n o L e n i l o r a David & C With the UK top fruit season in full force, this month WFL raises its pears aloft in honour of The Long’s from Marshgate Farm, Kent. A true family business now in its 5th generation, David and Caroline Long took over the reins of the farm 20 years ago and have further bolstered the company’s impeccable name and reputation in the fresh produce industry. With 500 hectares of farm land, the company dedicates around 75 hectares to pears and 25 to strawberries. Specialising in the much-loved Comice, Concorde and Conference varieties, Marshgate Farm is WFL’s biggest pear supplier producing around 1,600 tonnes per year. David Long said: “It’s always a busy time when the pear season kicks off and after the months of planning, worry and preparation it’s always a relief to see them in the hands of consumers. Let’s make it a British season to remember.”
e sy by th kept bu g in 5 e b d ot 8 an , When n ged 10, a s y o b 3 ch the and coa couple’s h s fi o t vesend ves cal Gra David lo o l e h t at under 6’s b. u l rugby c
15 PEOPLE
ears p s ’ g n Lo
BACK AND FORTH with… martin simmons and geoff briggs
After 34 years of working together, it’s no surprise that Martin Simmons and Geoff Briggs have been described as conjoined twins. Not only do they often appear to be joined at the hip but the much-loved duo are rumoured to have some spooky, telepathic Jedi mind connection where they always know what the other is thinking. What these chaps don’t know about the when, the what, the who and the where of British top fruit isn’t worth knowing. Here’s an insight into these two characters when they’re not talking apples and pears.
Mart in geoff (left) and (right )
Q: What are your hobbies?
Q: Favourite film?
MARTIN I love a bit of DIY, gardening or general home improvement. I’m one of those who can’t sit still so always needs something to be pottering away at.
MARTIN American Sniper was a good one I watched recently.
GEOFF Norwich City for my sins. The wife and I are season ticket holders and even though we’re a bit of a yo-yo team, it’s a great day out.
Q: Any special talents? MARTIN None in particular but I like to think I have attention to detail, can always be relied on to do a job and have a broad range of skills. GEOFF I can play tennis and squash left and right handed.
Q: What’s your favourite meal? MARTIN It’s boring but you can’t beat a roast with all the trimmings. GEOFF I love Chinese and Thai cuisine, especially a green curry so I would love to travel to the region one day. My daughters both visited Thailand and guess who paid!
Q: Best holiday? MARTIN Vietnam and Camdonia hands down. Amazing places, people and food. GEOFF I went to Hawaii and San Francisco for my honeymoon and I would recommend it to anyone.
GEOFF I won’t hear the end of this but White Christmas. I’m a big softy and love a tearjerker.
Q: First song or album you bought? MARTIN David Bowie – Ziggy stardust. Not a bad one to start off with. GEOFF I still have these on vinyl, do you know what vinyl is? Mr Blue sky, Ziggy Stardust.
Q: Actor who would play you in a film? MARTIN I will go with Orlando Bloom. Definite similarities and I think he was born in Kent as well. GEOFF Tom Cruise. He’s my height I think but probably doesn’t quite have my physique.
Q: Something people may not know about you? MARTIN I have done a parachute jump.
GEOFF I’m terrified of balconies and tea cup rides at the fair.
Q: Favourite fruit? MARTIN JAZZ™ Apples.
GEOFF An M&S White Flesh Nectarine.
PEOPLE 16
OUTSIDE THE WFL FRUIT BOWL
… w o n k o t g Gettin Simon Bell WFL inistrator at m d A l a ic n h c Te Referee and a Level 4
Q: When did you start refereeing and why did you take it up? I started refereeing in 2012 when I was 14 to earn some pocket money on a Saturday morning while I was still playing football on a Sunday. At age 16 I was forced to stop playing football for Bourne Town through injury and it was then I decided to go head on into refereeing, debuting in a men’s game just 2 weeks after my 16th Birthday.
Simon
in act ion
Q: If you could choose two people from WFL to run your line, who would they be and why? That’s a difficult one but one would be Sam Cliff as he would smile the whole way through the game and help form such a friendly relationship between the teams and us (the referees). The other would have to be Gary Harrison just for his wit and love of the game.
Q: What are your aspirations in the game? Q: What is the scariest/most Do you have dreams of following in the embarrassing moment to happen footsteps of Howard Webb? to you while refereeing? I aspire to get right to the top and take one of the English FA’s 10 spots on FIFA. Last season my coach was Premier League referee Kevin Friend who gave me a great insight to what it’s like at the highest level of the game. My ultimate goal is to walk out at Wembley Stadium as an FA Cup Final referee.
Walking out and standing between two international teams while the national anthems played was pretty scary!
Q: What two teams would you like to referee in a game and why? Everton v Liverpool or Man Utd v Man City just for the atmosphere of the whole occasion and the rivalry between both teams.
Q: What’s your dream stadium to referee a game in? I’m a proud Englishman so it would have to be Wembley Stadium.
the IberCup Refereeing at rtugal in Estoril, Po 17 PEOPLE
Pear, Pecan and Roquefort Salad Ingredients: Salad Leaves 3 Conference Pears diced 100g of Roquefort or any blue cheese of your choice 1 Avocado diced 2 Spring Onions thinly sliced 50g Pecans 50ml Olive Oil 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar 1 tsp Mustard 1 tsp Caster Sugar 1/2 tsp Salt and Pepper
Method: In a frying pan gently toast the pecans. After a few minutes remove the pecans from the heat and allow to cool before breaking into pieces In a bowl combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt and pepper together with a whisk to make the dressing. To serve, layer the salad leaves, chunks of Roquefort, diced pears, chopped avocados and spring onions in a bowl and add the pecans. Pour over the dressing making sure all the ingredients are coated and serve.
RV ES SE
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This vibrant salad is layered with pear, Roquefort and pecans and is delicious enjoyed any time of the year. It’s pear-fect as a salad for lunch or equally as tasty as an accompaniment to a main meal and can be whipped up in less than ten minutes.
RECIPE 18
COMPETITION Answer the question below correctly and you could win a £50 supermarket voucher. Email your answers to comp@worldwidefruit.co.uk by 31st October 2017 and one lucky winner will be picked in early November.
WIN A
£50
SUPERM
VOUCHARKET
ER
Which of the following is a popular variety of avocado? a) hiss b) hass c) hess
ER TO R ANSW RUIT.CO.UK U O Y L DEF EMAI RLDWI O W @ COMP
n titio e p m o the c A £50 r e t r n n i e to w g vouche in shopp PRE
VIOU neil S WIN N grif fith ER: S
SUDOKU Solve the puzzle by logic and reasoning alone, there is no maths involved. Complete the grid so that every row, column and every 3 x 3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
Worldwide Fruit Kent Acorn House, Unit 68-69,John Wilson Business Park, Harvey Drive, Chestfield, Whitstable, Kent CT5 3QT
Worldwide Fruit Spalding Apple Way, Wardentree Lane, Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire, PE11 3BB Tel: +44 (0) 1775 717000
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