summer ‘19
CONTENTS Ste
ve M ax w e ll , CE O
01 MENTAL HEALTH CHAMPIONS
Hello everyone,
02 THIS SEASON’S NEWS
I’m pretty sure I start all of these introductions by saying we’ve had a really busy time since our last issue of The Core.
04 FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIPS 06 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ON UK FARMS AT WFL 07 FIRE IN THE HOLD! 08 GIANT AVOCADOS LAUNCH HUGE SUCCESS 09 DEFECT MASTERCLASSES 10 MEASURING ACIDITY IN STONEFRUIT 11 INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE IN KLEPPE ARGENTINA 12 THREE JAZZ™ TECHNICAL DAYS HAILED A BIG SUCCESS 13 MEET THE MANAGEMENT 14 YOUR VOICE 16 MEET THE GROWER 17 RECIPE
This issue is no different as once again in our really busy business I’ve been hugely impressed by the performance of our people as we continue to strive to improve. I’d like to spend this article talking about Improvement. When you look at WFL on a page, everything we do is underpinned by Continuous Improvement. My favourite statistic in 2018 was that every single day, someone somewhere in our business made an improvement. We have the measurements to prove it! Improvements can be big or they can be small and every one of them is an important step forward for us. You might not know but for the last few years we’ve been one of the sponsors of the Spalding Guardian / Lincolnshire Free Press Education Awards. The category we sponsor is ‘Most Improved Student’. We chose that category as it fits the ethos of WFL. I’ve been lucky enough to attend a couple of these awards events and have been really impressed by the work these school students have undertaken to improve their performance at school. It’s really inspiring. That’s what I want to share with you. The work undertaken by the people in our business really inspires me. This has led me to realise I don’t say thank you enough. So thank you to every one of you for inspiring me. Your work and commitment means that we continue to perform well in a tough and busy market. There is a great team at WFL and together we will keep improving.
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
INTRODUCTION TO
MENTAL HEALTH
CHAMPIONS AT WFL By Anna Pik e , W F L H R Man a g e r WFL, in line with the company values of Passion, Quality, Innovation and Together, are keen to encourage staff to feel well and supported at work. Mental health illness is the largest cause of disability in the UK and each year about one in four people suffer from a mental health problem. However, problems often go unreported and untreated. WFL are committed to supporting colleagues when they need it and as such will be launching a Mental Health Champions Programme in August 2019. The programme is designed to support all team members in the business who may benefit from talking to someone about their mental health. Mental Health Champions will undertake Mental Health First Aid training and will be fully qualified to tackle the stigma about discussing mental health. They will also promote mental wellbeing in the workplace, which is important for each individual’s health, social welfare and productivity. Many factors in the workplace influence the mental health of team members, and understanding and addressing these factors will have a wide range of benefits for both the individual and the company.
FL ,W e k i aP g er An n Man a HR
The support offered by Mental Health Champions may include helping colleagues to: • Understand that it’s okay to have a mental health issue • Understand the symptoms and how these are impacting them and others • Consider what they may be able to do to help manage their situation • Have a conversation with their Line Manager and/or HR as appropriate • Use the Employee Assistance Programme helpline to get external support and counselling Should colleagues seek support from a Mental Health Champion this will be confidential. One-on-one support will be aimed at helping colleagues understand their mental health challenges. The support is not aimed at ‘telling people what to do’. Over the next few months we will be promoting our Mental Health Champions so you know who is available to speak to. Please keep a look out for pictures and a short biography that explains who the Mental Health Champions are, their job role at WFL and why they have chosen to be a Mental Health Champion. We hope that our colleagues at WFL embrace the programme and use the support available to them. If you have any questions in the first instance please speak to HR Director Tricia McCarron or HR Manager Anna Pike.
NEWS 01
THIS SEASON’S
NEWS HJ ’ S
s wim
m e rs
GARY HARRISON TO LEAVE WFL
JAZZ™ APPLE FOUNDATION UPDATE
Gary Harrison has announced that he is to leave his post at WFL as Commercial Manager of JAZZ™ Apple at the end of October 2019. Gary joined WFL in December 1978 in the accounts department almost straight from school and has gone on to become one of the longestserving employees.
It’s been a busy few months for a number of the JAZZ™ Apple Foundation award winners with many of their challenges entering the final stages. Award winner Rob King is gearing up to take on the Prudential RideLondon 100. Amazingly, Rob has already completed over 500 miles in training but he’s upping his schedule as he nears the big day with an extra two nights each week. Rob will be completing his challenge in a fantastic new cycling kit which was purchased for him by the Foundation.
Over the years Gary has worked in a number of different roles within Sales and Procurement and he is especially well known throughout the industry because of his knowledge of New Zealand apples. His role since 2001 has focussed very much on the marketing of JAZZ™ Apple and has seen him working closely with our New Zealand colleagues. Now everyone knows him as Mr. JAZZ as his passion for the brand has been the driving force behind its fantastic growth. WFL’s Technical and Procurement Director Tony Harding said: “We are sad to announce that Gary has decided to resign from his position as Commercial Manager. We wish him all the very best for the future, and thank him for over forty years of loyal service and for being an excellent colleague.”
Another hero of the JAZZ™ Apple Foundation is award winner Trevor Darnes who was given money as part of his fundraising efforts for Neuroblastoma UK. To help boost funds for this fantastic charity, 55-year old Trevor ran the London Marathon last month and managed to raise over £3800 after completing the race in under four hours. And last but certainly not least is Haymoor Primary School in Poole who received a JAZZ™ Apple Foundation award to purchase some new swimming equipment. Things have been going swimmingly with the team and all the children are delighted with their new kit as can be seen in the photo. If you would like to apply for a JAZZ™ Apple Foundation award or know someone who deserves one then visit www.jazzapple.com/uk/jazz-foundation/ for more information and to download an application form.
02 NEWS
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS AS BIG RICK TAKES THE HONOURS
SOUTH EAST KENT AMBULANCE SERVICE RECEIVE JAZZ™ DONATION
April saw another eagerly contested WFL Golf Challenge and once again the Bell family took the honours and bragging rights with legendary ‘Big Rick’ Bell taking the main trophy.
The hard work that all NHS staff put in looking after people up and down the country can never be fully rewarded but the staff at South East Kent Ambulance Service received a JAZZY thank you last Christmas with a special delivery. With winter being one of the busiest times for the team, WFL were delighted to hand over some boxes of new season JAZZ™ Apples to keep them going through their long shifts. Needless to say, they were well received by all the staff!
Taking place on Sunday 28th April at Spalding Golf Club, the competition saw over 20 swingers (of the golf variety) battle it out in slightly chilly conditions. After 18 exciting holes the top three finished as follows – 1st Rick Bell, 2nd Martyn Clare, 3rd Steve Scupham. A number of challenges also took place on the day with the following winners: guest John Gostage picked up the ‘Nearest to the Pin’ win; guest Pete Lorde won the ‘Longest Drive’ comp; Simon Bell & Martyn Broderick won the ‘Mystery Pairs’; and another guest Ben Rice picked up the wooden spoon for finishing in last place.
ion s per at s t O , s i a rr ut h E in H a Mart er for So s ervice g m a n a m bu l a n c e A K en t
GOSH’S CHARITY DAY GETS JAZZY Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Charity Day took place in March and once again there were plenty of JAZZY treats in store for those attending. The event was supported by WFL and the JAZZ™ Apple Foundation with delicious apples sampled throughout the day by WFL staff members Judy Greetham and Hannah McIlfatrick. Needless to say the apples were well loved by all, as were the JAZZ™ Apple pens, rucksacks, phone grips and water bottles handed out to attendees.
JUDY GREETHAM, ACCOUNT MANAGER AT WFL “The staff and children at GOSH have become aware of JAZZ™ Apples as we donate specially grown fruit with the GOSH logo on; so to go back for their Charity Day is always fun. Everyone loved the apples and the water bot tles were a firm favourite too.”
WFL has also agreed to donate further JAZZ™ Apples to GOSH for their Santa Dash in early December, which staff and family from the company will be running in to raise money for the charity.
NEWS 03
FRUITFUL
PARTNERSHIPS Whenever you venture into unknown territory, you often have to put your trust in other people, whether you’re booking a hotel in Benidorm or buying a container of fruit.
Since the first WFL shipment of stonefruit hit shelves in the UK in 2017, the company has now sold in excess of 90,000 cases to its strategic customer, M&S.
So, since WFL embarked on its stonefruit adventure in May 2017, the last two years have been spent learning and improving systems but – most importantly – forging new relationships, bonds and partnerships which will ensure long-term growth.
Frutas Esther – the Murcia grower, marketer and distribution company – has been key in helping WFL to drive this new business and is an example of the strong partnerships that are vital for continuous improvement at every level.
Over the years, WFL has garnered a fantastic reputation for building strong, long-lasting relationships with its growers and suppliers around the world.
Based in Abarán, Frutas Esther was set up in 1969 and currently supplies white and yellow flesh peaches, doughnut peaches, white and yellow flesh nectarines, doughnut nectarines and apricots.
In fact, the company realised a long time ago that to succeed in supplying the finest quality fruit all year round, partnerships with growers, retailers and the wider supply chain – built on common goals and trust – were essential.
The company has strong relationships in the UK having supplied M&S for several years and understands exactly what is expected from the best in retail.
MARK COLLINS, WFL BUSINESS UNIT DIRECTOR “ Back in 2017, stonefruit was a new product area for our business so the partnerships we have built over the last few years with companies like Frutas Esther will be central to our long-term strategy. There are always some suppliers who don’t reach our quality levels but we’re now lucky to be working closely with some of the finest stonefruit growers and suppliers from around the world. Frutas Esther is a fantastic example of this.”
04 BEHIND THE SCENES
Innovation is core to the culture at Frutas Esther with strong varietal development programmes focusing on Provedo sub acid varieties underway. This includes the exciting red-fleshed apricots, which trial launched in the UK in 2018 and are continuing to see strong interest from retailers and consumers. Red apricots have a unique red-velvety skin that looks very distinctive and different from normal apricots. Shelf life and flavour are similar to standard apricots but the yields are much better than the orange/yellow types. Trees were initially planted in 2015/16 and it is hoped that there will be good volumes this season with varieties such as Totem, Fuego and Cheyenne.
Providing a large production window covering the majority of the Northern Hemisphere peach and nectarine calendar, Murcia’s warm and dry climate results in excellent eating quality and a reduced risk of decay. In addition to their stonefruit expertise, importantly, Frutas Esther are ‘good people’ with the business working hard to be as sustainable as it can. All excess materials are recycled where possible and the company ensures nothing goes to waste with overripe fruit used to make fresh juice. When it comes to supporting and giving back to the local community, Frutas Esther sponsor a local football and handball team, supply a local food bank plus support the local Cancer Foundation – ´El Camino´ – a foundation for disadvantaged people and the local nursing home ´Santa Teresa´.
Ar no l t h e M d H e em s k er & R e hm S commer k (cen t re )w an cia W F L (le f t), an d l buy er S it h ha T e ch n ical m Simon Per zad c an a g er (ri ival , g ht )
Rea A r n o d m or e a b ld ou t E s t h e f rom F ru t as r on pa g e 16 BEHIND THE SCENES 05
RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT ON
UK FARMS AT WFL e rc h ar , K c M n a g e M . By D r Man a g e r l a ic n h c e T L F W
WFL is involved in several research initiatives all aimed at improving farming technology and precision agriculture, which can support production of higher-quality food whilst using resources more efficiently. Research and Development is critical in increasingly volatile economic and weather conditions and our projects range from fruit quality to resource use efficiency where we have internal projects, PhDs and governmentfunded projects. One of WFL’s pillars is environmental sustainability and a key focus is pollination services. We have several research projects addressing pollinator risk and gaps in the supply chain. One led by the University of Reading called SMOOPS (Sustainable Management of Orchard Pollination Services), is testing three pollinator management strategies in fieldscale trials. These include establishing flower rich strips to provide food and shelter for pollinators, providing nesting habitat for ground nesting bees, and adapting the number and placement of ‘polliniser’ trees in orchards to increase levels of pollination. WFL partners with two PhD programmes – supporting five PhD students – which include topics such as nesting habitats of wild solitary bees, root architecture and soil management in apples, and mechanisms of winter dormancy break in apple varieties. We have three new students starting in September working on soil health, precision management and using remote-sensing, and the effect of climate change on pollination. As we are near the end of the second year of the seven-year programmes, there will be more PhD projects and results over the next few years so watch this space! WFL are also the lead partner tasked with developing an innovative, low-cost and portable ‘vision system’ which uses the visible (VIS)/near infrared (NIR) spectrum. The device bounces light into the fruit and depending on the wavelength of light reflected back it can predict internal disorders in fruit before the fruit is picked. This will aid in-season orchard management strategies in delivering premium quality and alleviate post-harvest disorders.
06 BEHIND THE SCENES
Be incr e hives e u le v a s e p o s e d t o els llin in o a rch t ion ar d s
Currently, WFL are in year one of three, investigating the chemical signatures associated with Braeburn breakdown disorder, where fruit has been harvested and the light signatures are being measured with help from East Malling Research. For the last three seasons WFL have been working with the Felix Device, which uses near infrared (NIR) light to predict dry matter in an apple non-destructively. Dry matter is everything that makes up a fruit that is not water and has been shown to correlate with key quality characteristics like pressure out of store. We spent the first two seasons building the models for UK Braeburn, Gala, JAZZ™ and Envy varieties. Models have an 80–95% accuracy, which can allow us to build maps and ranges of dry matter across the orchard. This is the first year we have scanned orchards, where 39% of all our JAZZ™ orchards were scanned giving growers their dry matter and ranking. The rest of the season will look at how these dry matter results correlate to other eating characteristics and storability. The Intelligent Fruit Vision system has been used for the first time commercially to map, size and estimate yield in various orchards in Kent and West Midlands. The machine is mounted onto a tractor which uses two cameras and clever algorithms to count and size fruit, and map this data to a GPS location. Results will be validated using data from grade-out and harvest figures from growers. As results come out of these research projects a fundamental component will be to disseminate results to growers and decision-makers. For example, WFL hosted two technical days this year with JAZZ™ growers to share research, much of which came from the T&G symposium in New Zealand and East Malling Research. WFL have the fortune of working with great partners on a variety of topics to help produce food in a more environmental and economically sustainable way. As such, collaboration and a systematic approach is exactly what is needed in ‘Research and Development’ to underpin WFL’s foundation of ‘Continuous Imporovement’.
FIRE IN
THE HOLD!
By Pe t er Lellow, g er W F L Shipping Mana
Fires on container vessels are a major hazard for the shipping industry and the number of incidents is increasing, often with tragic results. Ever larger vessels with greater cargo-carrying capacity have the potential to be major financial losses in such circumstances. The problem is with unscrupulous shippers not declaring hazardous goods to save money and the unsuspecting shipping line stowing the containers in a location on the ship not suitable for hazardous material. This year already there have been 3 major fires: the Yantian Express on the North Atlantic on 3rd January; the APL Vancouver off the Vietnamese coast at the end of January; and nearer to home, the Grande America off the French coast on 12th March – as a result of this fire, the vessel subsequently became unstable and sank. A major fire at the start of 2018 off the coast of Oman, involving the brand new ultra large containership Maersk Honam, tragically resulted in the death of five crew members. The value of the cargo destroyed in the fire was
in the region of US$ 600 million, let alone the damage to the ship, which eventually was cut in two with a new forepart constructed to replace the damaged section. Shipping lines are trying to introduce spot checks on suspicious containers and algorithms to detect misdeclared bookings but ultimately the condition and contents of any container are unknown to the shipping line and they can only go by the declaration given. In any major incident, the shipping line will declare ‘General Average’, whereby all cargo interests have to contribute to the additional costs of the incident, whether their goods were lost, damaged or not. If cargo insurance is in place then the policy will cover ‘General Average’ but those shippers without any insurance have to put up security before they can take delivery of their cargo. Quite apart from the cost, there are also long delays receiving undamaged containers due to the time it takes to make the vessel safe, which can run into months in some cases.
BEHIND THE SCENES 07
GIANT AVOCADO LAUNCH HUGE SUCCESS
As avocados continue to be a big food trend in the UK and an extremely positive part of the business, Mark Everett and his team have been working tirelessly to ensure that WFL continues to lead the way; not just when it comes to ‘ripe and ready’ but, also when it comes to new product development. To this end, last October saw the launch of WFL’s first Giant Avocados in Asda and Morrisons in the UK.
JAMES TURNER, AVOCADO EXPERT AT MORRISONS “Despite their size, these avocados still have a distinctive creamy flavour. The skin turns from green to black when they’re ripe, so you’ll always know when they’re ready to eat.”
NASIR AHMED, ASDA AVOCADO TECHNOLOGIST
Hailing From Argentina, The Giant Avocados are supplied by Horacio Frias with the supply season running from early October to the end of December. Mark and Horacio have worked together on this project for over 15 years. These Giant Avocados can weigh as much as 1kg and are roughly three times bigger than normal avocados, providing customers with about 20% more flesh per fruit than the Hass variety. They offer a beautiful flavour and the riper the fruit, the darker the skin.
MARK EVERETT, WFL BUSINESS UNIT DIRECTOR FOR AVOCADOS “Our avocado business continues to be buoyant with plenty of opportunities for further growth but we can never stand still as it is an incredibly competitive market. Our investment in the packhouse to date has meant we lead the way when it comes to ‘ripe and ready’ avocados and the launch of the Giant Avocados last autumn, further consolidated our place as innovators and key players within the avocado category.”
“Last year, Asda customers ate their way through an astonishing 28 million avocados, with the creamy green fruit now a cupboard, fridge and restaurant staple. With the nation’s appetite for avocados continuing to grow, we were delighted to have launched the biggest avos on the market, and hope the nation continues spreading, smashing and slicing, as avocados continue taking the world – and brunch – by storm.”
vo c a d o Gian t a da in A s 08 BEHIND THE SCENES
s
DEFECT MASTERCLASSES r, By Simon Cart e anag er W F L Product M
During January the Product Managers at Apple Way hosted the first Defect Masterclasses. These classes were linked to Saida Gil’s A4 to standardise and produce visual defect guides for each packing line. Classes were held to cover avocados, apples, pears and stonefruit. Saida Gil, WFL Line Manager, commented: “This started as a good idea raised back in October of last year; I took over this project in December and started to investigate further. It became apparent that although we had some kind of quality guides on some specifications and a few boards on the packhouse walls, this was not good enough as most operatives did not have access to them. Also, it was pointed out by several people that the guides available were not clear enough and they did not contain any information regarding ‘Class 2’ product.“
“It was really educating. It definitely helps because everyone has been reminded what they should and shouldn’t be packing as a good pack and what should and shouldn’t go to market.” – Kelly Gregory “For me it was eye opening. It made me realise that maybe we’ve been taking too much good fruit out and putting it as class 2.” – Jessica Elston “It was good to know what is market, what is good and it was nice for everybody to learn at the same time.” – Dorota Parker “Simon, Tony and Neil did a good job setting the same standard to each group the same way. It was nice and refreshing, we should do it more often.” – Daniel Baker Product Managers comments:
“I took ownership of creating the ‘Quality Photo Guides’ (with examples approved by the Product Managers) and had them completed in time for the Masterclasses. The aim of the project was to standardise fruit quality gradeouts across all production lines and shifts.” All three shifts were given the masterclasses: line leaders, QCs, MSOs and machine ops. In total 156 people attended the classes, which was 85% of the shop-floor workforce. The Product Managers spent 20 hours with groups, over the three different shift patterns, showing and explaining various defects. Samples selected were representative of the new picture guides so the team had relevant physical examples to accompany the user guides. Google Translate was also utilised to assist with the understanding of certain words, due to the vast array of different nationalities attending the sessions. Product Managers gave information about the defect and whether it was suitable for specific customers, was of market quality or was to be binned. They also showed examples of minor defects which were okay to pack. This will hopefully increase and optimise packing yields.
“I enjoyed passing on my experience and knowledge about the defects we see in apples. It was good to talk to the teams and they seemed interested and generally knowledgeable. One of our Machine operators revealed he had worked in an orchard and had some good knowledge to share with his group.” – Simon Carter “This was a great way to meet with people across all shifts and to show them the quality standards we follow. It has also allowed us to work towards better standardisation of quality parameters over the three shifts. The people seemed very interested in what they were being shown and asked a lot of good questions.” – Tony Brown “As the business continues to improve its personnel’s skill base, this masterclass is just another example of how this can be achieved. With a great turnout of work colleagues across all three shifts, the interest that was shown towards this effort was a pleasure to see. With a hands-on ‘Touch and Talk’ approach, it was evident that people engaged with the product and absorbed the knowledge being shared.” – Neil Evans
Feedback from staff: “I thought it was a good idea to get groups together and be shown that way because the same standard has been set for everyone. We definitely need the masterclass to happen every so often as a refresher for everybody.” – Kamila Kulak
BEHIND THE SCENES 09
MEASURING
ACIDITY IN
STONEFRUIT rs , By P e t e r K e y z e M a n a g e r W F L T echnical
N e il E va n s
in t h e l ab
There are literally hundreds of varieties of nectarines, peaches, apricots and plums on offer throughout the year. Varietal windows are short and characteristics are varied but each one has a place in the calendar offering continuity for both farmer and customer. At WFL, the best varieties are selected to deliver ready-to-eat stonefruit to M&S customers.
Initial enquiries led us down the route of automated acid titrations. However, after speaking to industry specialists it became apparent that the various devices on the market, at this moment in time, do not offer the consistency and accuracy of results required. This meant it was time to bust out the chemistry set and go down the tried and tested method of manual acid titrations.
Sweetness is one of the key attributes we use for evaluating and measuring eating quality in stonefruit but this does not always mean the fruit has a well-balanced and pleasurable eat. Fruit require the proper proportion of tartness and sweetness to produce an eating quality that encourages consumers to continue picking up stonefruit supplied by WFL.
So, with burettes and flasks ready for action, the hard work now starts. WFL plans to build data sets across their current and developing varieties, for all origins, analysing acid content and sugar acid ratios in the Apple Way lab. The findings from the studies will be announced by WFL in the near future.
WFL are embarking on a project to measure acidity in stonefruit to further understand varietal, regional and breeder characteristics. The objective is to provide a measurable attribute, in addition to brix, that will aid decision-making when selecting the best eating varieties and help further refine and rationalise WFL’s preferred varietal list. The data gathered will also provide valuable insights and guidance in relation to varietal selections and breeder alignment for WFL growers.
Glossary: • Titration, also known as titrimetry, is a common laboratory method of quantitative chemical analysis that is used to determine the concentration of an identified analyte. •T he sugar/acid ratio contributes towards giving many fruits their characteristic flavour and so is an indicator of commercial and organoleptic ripeness. •O nce the acid level in a sample has been determined it can be used to find the ratio of sugar to acid.
Ma n in u a l th a e A cid ppl t it r e W at i ay oin s La b
10 BEHIND THE SCENES
INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE IN
KLEPPE ARGENTINA rwort h , By K eit h But t eial Manag er W F L Commerc
Against a back drop of inflation running at 48% in 2018 and a decline in its competitors’ orchard production, Kleppe is investing $11.4m to improve its orchard and packhouse management process. The company has invested a total of $4.6m into its orchards, primarily on nets for Pink Lady to cover circa 70% of the production and protect against hail, sunburn and wind damage. The Pink Lady production totals 200ha split evenly between Cripps Pink and Rosy Glow across 8 orchards spread 270km from the eastern mid valley to the northern upper valley. This allows Kleppe to concentrate on providing fruit at the start and finish of the season and avoid the regular atmosphere timeframe in the middle of the season where supply exceeds demand.
Ha
ge in A r g n i rv e s t
The production in the mid valley is ideally placed to deliver fruit 7 to 10 days earlier than any other source in the Southern Hemisphere as the pickers can specially select fruit from the orchard that meets specifications. The fruit is then only packed for WFL in the UK and starts to arrive on the 5th May. This has proved to be beneficial for WFL in the last two seasons as full supply can be sourced whilst other importers and retailers have been short of fruit. In the main pear packhouse, a total of $6.8m has also been invested in bin pre-cooling tunnels and grading/ palletising machinery. This will improve the pre-cooling and grading of the fruit to deliver better quality green and red William pears from this year.
n t in a
K eit h But t erwort h , Pa K le p p e , F e r n a n d o M b lo oyano BEHIND THE SCENES 11
THREE JAZZ™
TECHNICAL DAYS
HAILED A BIG SUCCESS Three technical JAZZ™ Apple workshops over the last year have been hailed a big success and will be a key part of WFL’s efforts to further grow the JAZZ™ Apple brand in the UK through precision orchard and crop management. Attended by growers, WFL personnel, researchers and industry reps, two sessions ran in 2018 in June and September, and one more recently in April 2019, across Kent and the West Midlands. Each day began with an overview of the JAZZ™ Apple brand’s recent performance and successes on its journey to number five in the apple charts and sales in excess of £50 million per annum. Following this, attendees learnt about the latest technical information on recent yield and quality trends. The remainder of the events focussed on the latest techniques in orchard management to improve yields, quality and all-round business; with special guest speakers such as top fruit grower Jeremy Linsell on hand to share current developments on orchard management such as canker, alternative support systems and crop load management. The most recent technical day had several guest speakers, including Ton Besseling from Adama discussing the use of Brevis® and the new tool BrevisSmart® to help guide timing and the required dosage. Marek Nowakowski highlighted the benefits of creating habitats to boost pollination and had a tip on how to establish perennial wildflowers by mowing in the first year, which is vital to reduce grass competition. The importance of calcium and silicon was examined by Mike Stoker (Engage Agro), showing that early application of calcium is more beneficial, and silicon helps to keep the plant’s pipes open.
12 BEHIND THE SCENES
Previous topics have also included precision irrigation with Mark Else from East Malling Research, who demonstrated how the right amount of moisture around the roots, at the right time, can have a huge impact on yields, quality, shelf life, flavour and consistency. The events have also helped to showcase new trials. For example, on Mansfield’s farm an artificial spur extinction trial has been started this spring. This trial aims to get the perfect number of blossoms on the tree. This allows the tree to concentrate all its efforts on carbohydrate production in the fruit that will make harvest, reducing thinning requirements and optimising fruit quality. With continuous improvement always on the WFL agenda, these events share best practices and the days finished with details of the company’s latest schemes and innovative initiatives. Two further technical events will be held this August – one in Kent and one in the West Midlands – which are both important JAZZ™ growing regions.
GARY HARRISON, JAZZ™ APPLE COMMERCIAL MANAGER “These days are a fantastic way of sharing successes, threats and opportunities to ensure we’re all continuously improving in all our different roles. We’re lucky to have some incredible growers but like the best foot ballers, if you don’t train, you will get left behind. These days are a brilliant way for growers and orchard technicians to stay up-to-date with best practice, so we can all work together in delivering fantastic quality and returns every time.”
MEET THE
MANAGEMENT
t in , By Hannah Marial Director W F L Commerc
HOW DID YOU GET INTO FRESH PRODUCE? I worked at English Village Salads as a summer job during university. I then applied for a role with Geest when I finished my degree as I enjoyed the diversity of the role.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES/INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF WORK? I love spending time with my family and friends. I love all sports and run and cycle regularly with my son. I am also a keen skier.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT THE JOB?
MEMORABLE RECENT TRIPS?
I love the variety my role offers. No day is ever the same. I also love fruit and believe we have some fantastic products. JAZZ™ is my favourite apple.
I have always travelled a lot. My first big trip was interrailing when I was 16 with my best friend Eve. I lived in France during my degree and we have been lucky enough to go to the Rockies the last few years. You can’t beat a show in London though and I recently went to see Harry Potter, which was brilliant.
WHAT IS THE MOST ENJOYABLE PART OF YOUR DAY-TODAY WORK? Working with the team. We have great people at WFL, which makes the job even more enjoyable.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE FRUIT? Flavour King plums. They are just amazing!
WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING THING YOU’RE WORKING ON AT PRESENT? I am currently working on my black belt in LEAN, which means looking at how we currently procure products and if we can learn from the recent Sainsbury’s model to remove cost. The second part of this project focussed on how we can improve forecasting by working closer with our retail partners.
WHY DO YOU THINK WFL IS A GOOD PLACE TO WORK AND PROGRESS?
IF YOU COULD INVITE THREE PEOPLE TO A DINNER PARTY, WHO WOULD THEY BE? Otis Redding - I love his music and think he would have some great stories to tell. Usain Bolt - I have followed athletics with my dad for years and have loved watching Bolt throughout his career. I was even lucky enough to see him race. Thor – I just love the Marvel movies!
WFL offers huge opportunities to all. There is an excellent training and support programme to ensure everyone has the opportunity to be the best they can be.
ily a f am n o h H a n n a i b r e ak sk BEHIND THE SCENES 13
YOUR VOICE, MAKE YOURSELF HEARD! BY THE YOUR VOICE REPS
YOUR VOICE MEETING
We – the Your Voice reps – thought it would be great to give you an update on what we have been doing and what we have planned for this year!
PLANS FOR 2019
These are held quarterly with the next one scheduled for 19th June 2019. Our March meeting was different compared to the previous meetings we’ve held as we decided to structure the meeting differently so that we can deliver issues that our colleagues have raised to the management and exec team in a more considered way.
It’s definitely fair to say that the Your Voice reps are committed and engaged to supporting colleagues at WFL so that they can continue to make this a great place to work!
In the first hour, the reps discussed agenda items raised and identified which issues should be channelled through local escalation processes, and which should be raised to the management team.
We have lots of plans for 2019 – some are just ideas at the moment and others we are in the process of finalising. On our ‘radar’ as areas that we think we can make a difference are:
In the second hour we discussed relevant agenda items with the management team and decided on actions and a way forward. This worked well and we plan to continue working in this way. If you have anything you wish to raise at the next Your Voice meeting please do not hesitate to speak to a rep who will be happy to discuss the matter with you.
• Improved communication with colleagues • Improved fundraising or social activities • Supporting the management team with improvement suggestions or providing insight to working practices • Being EXCELLENT Your Voice reps for our colleagues.
14 SPECIAL FEATURE
YOUR VOICE COMMUNICATION
FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES
We recognise that everyone is busy and it’s not always easy to go around and talk to people, so we are looking at the most effective way that the Your Voice reps can communicate across site with employees.
Do you have any ideas for fundraising activities? The Your Voice reps are keen to get involved with or support colleagues in organising fundraising activities on site. If you have any suggestions, please speak to a Your Voice Rep and they will be able to put these forward at the next Your Voice meeting.
If you have any suggestions please let a Your Voice rep know. We hope to introduce any new methods over the next few months. In the meantime, we will continue to use the Your Voice noticeboards.
WISH LIST IDEAS The Exec team have committed to a financial sum of money to use for investment to the site, but we are looking for ‘wish list’ ideas. What do you think would make a difference to colleagues at WFL? If you have any suggestions, please speak to a Your Voice Rep and they will be able to put these forward at the next Your Voice meeting.
Finally, if you want to understand more about being a Your Voice rep, get involved with Your Voice, or if you have any questions or things that you wish to discuss, then please come and speak to us. The more we discuss the more we can make a difference. Your Voice is all about Your Voice – as the logo says ‘MAKE YOURSELF HEARD’.
This article is on behalf of all the Your Voice reps Office reps Luci Hunt Tomasz Antczak Adam Garfoot Joanna Pilat Gary Harrison
Red shift Jessica Elston Mariusz Maciejski Gints Benjavs Paulina Kondracka Ilona Stylinska
Blue shift Rick Bell Barend Pretorius Clare Hall
Evening Kev Deykin Kent Thade Harms
SPECIAL FEATURE 15
MEET THE
GROWER NAME
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
Arnold Heemskerk.
Making the difference: trying to do something better than others in an extremely competitive environment that we all know.
BORN October 28th 1969 in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands.
EMPLOYER Frutas Esther, specialists in the cultivation and sales of stonefruit.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE BUSINESS? I have been in the industry since 1996 and with Frutas Esther since 2005.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE BUSINESS? When I finished university the labour market wasn’t very strong so I started with an unskilled job sorting watermelons from Honduras with a Dutch fruit importer. One day, the (Spanish) machine they had to pack oranges broke down and they asked me to help the mechanic that came over from Spain to repair it, as somebody in the packing house knew I that had some knowledge of the language. When the commercial team found out they offered me a job on their Spanish procurement desk.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FRUIT TO EAT? Cherries.
WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF WORK? I am a small farmer myself and I grow garlic, loquats, figs and some citrus in my backyard. I am also interested in global politics and history. Of course, I enjoy a meal in a nice restaurant as most people do too.
ARE YOU MARRIED? I am married to a Spanish lady and we have two children who we gave English names to avoid a conflict on either side of the Pyrenees. Ian is 19 years old and studying law and Liz is 15 years old and still in high school.
WHAT FOOTBALL TEAM DO YOU SUPPORT? The one and only Feyenoord.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE? I am responsible for the marketing of our stonefruit, grapes and berries to a series of customers in a number of countries. From Iceland (the country not the supermarket) to South Africa and from the UK to the Baltic countries.
04 PEOPLE 16 PEOPLE
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Jazz™ Apple & Raspberry Coconut Parfaits This is the perfect fuss-free dessert to prepare in advance of a BBQ or summer gathering. Apples and raspberries are a match made in heaven especially when paired with a luscious coconut cream. It’s such a healthy and nourishing dessert that you can also have it as sweet snack or as a decadent breakfast, maybe with some granola sprinkles on top.
INSTRUCTIONS Place the chopped apples, coconut oil, lemon juice and maple syrup (if using) into a pan with a dash of water. Cook the apples on a medium to low heat with the lid on for about 10–15 minutes or until they start to fall apart.
INGREDIENTS
Add the raspberries and cook for another 5 minutes. You can either use the compote as it is or if you like it smoother you can blend it up using a hand blender.
For the compote: 3 JAZZ™ Apples, deseeded and chopped into pieces 1 cup of frozen or fresh raspberries + extra for decoration 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice 1 tsp of coconut oil Optional: 1/2 tbsp of maple syrup
While the compote is cooling down make the coconut cream.
For the coconut cream: 1 can of full fat coconut cream stored in the fridge overnight 1 tbsp of maple syrup 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract or powder
With a hand whisk, start to whisk the cream before adding in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whip until you have a super creamy and smooth consistency, almost like whipped cream!
Recipe created by Elisa of the Happy Skin Kitchen www.happyskinkitchen.co.uk
Remove the tinned coconut milk from the fridge and scoop out the thick part which should sit on top. Don’t use any of the watery part otherwise the cream will turn out too runny (you can save it for smoothies or curries).
When the fruit compote is completely cold, assemble the jars/glasses with half the compote and half the coconut cream. Serve with some fresh raspberries and some sliced apples.
RECIPE 17
COMPETITION Answer the question below correctly and you could win a £50 supermarket voucher. Email your answers to comp@worldwidefruit.co.uk by 31st July 2019 and one lucky winner will be picked in early August. en t er s ho t o w in p p in g v A £5 0 ou c her
Who is the manager of the England men’s football team? A) Gareth Southgate B) David Beckham C) Ian Wright
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SUDOKU
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Solve the puzzle by logic and reasoning alone, there is no maths involved.
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Complete the grid so that every row, column and every 3 x 3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
4
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
www.worldwidefruit.co.uk