Sandwich food to go news INTERNATIONAL
www.sandwich.org.uk
ISSUE 168 MARCH 2017
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CONTENTS EDITOR SIMON AMBROSE t: 01291 636343 e: simon-ambrose@btconnect.com NEWS Page 05 - Newly filed documents have revealed that Adelie Foods Group was acquired from HIG Capital by asset management company, Intermediate Capital Group Plc (ICG) in September 2016 for an undisclosed fee. NEWS FOCUS Page 8 - Extreme weather conditions in continental Europe in the last few months from snow to frost and torrential rain, have impacted the supply of lettuce and other fresh vegetables to the retail and foodservice sectors in the UK and Ireland.
ADVERTISING PAUL STEER t: 01291 636342 e: paul@jandmgroup.co.uk
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Page 18 - Abokado’s founder Mark Lilley talks to Simon Ambrose about the past, present and future.
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FEATURES Page 38 - BP faces some major challenges in its forecourts featuring Wild Bean Café and M&S Simply Food. Very much a balancing act, its customers are discerning when it comes to quality and they require everything at speed, including fuel, in environments of just 1,500 and 2,000 sq ft.
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PROFILES Page 12 - Street Kitchen founder Mark Jankel has built up a brilliant street food operation using Airsteam trailers and opened a classy café. Now he’s planning a new sandwich bar for his brand of ‘soulful’ gourmet sandwiches.
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www.sandwich.org.uk February 2017 3 17/01/2017
11:24
NEWS
Compass Group UK & Ireland launches first in-house food to go range COMPASS Group UK & Ireland, reckoned to be the UK’s largest food and support services firm, has launched its first bespoke chilled food to go range, ‘Chop Chop’, which includes sandwiches, salads, snack pots, paninis, toasties and fruit pots. The range was developed by Compass’ in-house food development and nutrition team in partnership with high profile Chefs, as well as supplier Adelie. Currently being launched across the business Chop Chop will be available in hospitals, universities and retail outlets. The range includes around 150 items and will be delivered to over 700 UK sites, with expected sales growth of 10% year on year. The range includes a selection of sandwiches with classics like Egg and Cress and BLT sitting alongside more “adventurous” flavours like Chicken and Artichoke or Goat’s cheese and mixed pepper on Spianata bread. Several new suppliers have been enlisted to ensure the best quality of ingredients, such as the use of thicker bread and bacon that has reduced salt for an authentic smoky flavour. Simon Parton, Head of Food & Beverage Innovation, Compass Group UK & Ireland, commented: “In creating Chop Chop we have applied all of our passion and expertise in food to our chilled
food to go offer. We have been totally focused on finding the finest ingredients and innovative new breads to create some truly delicious food.” Louise Pilkington, Marketing Director, Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “Our new food to go range is based on extensive research into the food to go market and consumer needs. As lunchbreaks continue to get shorter sandwiches are seen as a quick and healthy option, so it was important to us to create a high quality range which can make lunchtime something to look forward to.” Nicky Martin, Head of Nutrition, Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “By offering a selection of healthier options we’re providing our consumers with choice. All items in this range with a green logo on the packaging are under 350 calories and not high in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt, plus we also have a healthy meal deal option which is 500 calories or less and includes fruit and water.” The development of Chop Chop uses insights from Compass’ ‘Eating Out of Home’ survey,
which estimates that the grab and go market is now worth £20.1bn in the UK and has grown by 6% in the last 12 months alone. The research showed that the traditional lunch hour has shrunk to around 35 minutes, and that ‘Sandwiches are King’, said the company.
Financial help for businesses hit by rate hikes in Budget CHANCELLOR Philip Hammond has unveiled Budget proposals to help businesses face major hikes in their business rates. He said councils will be given powers to distribute £300m worth of discretionary relief to businesses hardest hit by the rises. He pledged that no business losing small business rate relief will see their bill increase next year by more
than £50 a month. But there’s no doubt that the planned changes to Business Rates threaten some High Street retailers with significant rate rises over the next few years. Before the Budget was announced Mark Lilley, founder of Abokado, voiced the anger felt by many food to go retailers when he told us: “The business rate increases are just not
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thought through. We are already having to deal with the impact of the living wage; there are enormous cost pressures, as well as food price inflation which in some cases is staggering. It’s the ultimate perfect storm. We can’t continually put prices up. There’s the VAT factor as well - the gap between restaurant prices and grocery is as wide as it’s ever been.”
NEWS
Adelie Foods changes hands: major new range launched NEWLY filed documents have revealed that Adelie Foods Group was acquired from HIG Capital by asset management company, Intermediate Capital Group Plc (ICG) in September 2016 for an undisclosed fee. ICG has been part of the Group’s capital structure since March 2015. Martin Johnson, CEO of Adelie Foods said: “This has been a very positive move for the business. ICG is very straightforward to work with and brings with it 27 years’ experience and an improved capital structure. “We are aligned to a single strategy of growth and success for Adelie Foods. I believe ICG’s entrepreneurial and innovative approach, together with our focus on quality, innovation and service will help us to achieve the company vision of making Adelie Foods the preferred choice in Food To Go. “The last six months have been very encouraging for the organisation, with a number of large contracts won and retained. I strongly believe with the support of ICG and our many loyal customers we can deliver our future growth objectives – and am very excited about the future of Adelie Foods.” Meanwhile, Adelie has launched a major new range, Daily Bread, including flatbreads, bagels and an industry-first Simit, part of a 17-strong product line-up, based on consumer research and best-selling
delicatessen products. It has been developed to offer retailers and hospitality operators hand-crafted, artisan-style products that will enable them to further tap in to the booming £7.2billion chilled food to go market, says the company. Leading the range is four on-trend products: Chicken & Avocado Flatbread, Mozzarella & Tomato Focaccia, Pastrami & Emmental Ciabatta and the industry-first Ham & Mozzarella Simit. In addition, there’s a selection of bagels, bloomers, rolls and flatbreads, including an Egg Mayo & Roasted Tomato Gluten Free Roll for the 13% of the UK population that follow a gluten free diet. Product details are communicated via a deli-
style tag, with natural colours reminiscent of the handmade values of the brand. The Daily Bread brand name is not displayed on the product. John Want, Marketing Director at Adelie Foods, comments: “As the Food to Go market continues to evolve at pace, consumers rightly expect and demand the highest quality, taste and flavour selection from products that they buy to enjoy on-the-go or at their desks. We’re launching Daily Bread to satisfy those exact needs with our fresh, delicatessen-style products. Our chefs have developed the recipes using only the finest breads and authentic carriers, the best British proteins and the freshest
produce. Every product is filled to the brim, ensuring a satisfying eat and, importantly, returning profit for our customers. “In addition to the fantastic tasting products, the simple deli-style packaging is sure to be a hit in-store. In fact, we tested the design on over 2,000 consumers and two thirds rated it as the preferred choice, calling out its ‘Premium’ and ‘Handmade’ look and feel. For further stand-out on-shelf, we are supporting the launch with an extensive range of bespoke point of sale materials, available to all channels now.” Adelie Foods is also introducing an innovative new end-to-end service excellence platform with phase 1 launching in late 2017. ADAM – Advanced Delivery Advanced Management – is an upgraded system that brings dynamic planning, ordering and delivery processes and tracking across the Adelie Foods network, enhancing the user experience right down to store manager level.
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 5
NEWS
South Staffordshire sandwich bar fined for food hygiene offences A South Staffordshire sandwich bar has been fined after food safety inspectors found areas of the kitchen encrusted with grease and other infringements. Great Wyrley sandwich bar M-unch was fined £3,658.72, including costs, after admitting three breaches of food safety and hygiene regulations The sandwich bar had already been warned several times by inspectors that it faced prosecution if the cleanliness of its cooking areas and utensils failed to improve. The investigation began initially when food safety officers from South Staffordshire Council visited M-unch in November 2015 and found unacceptable conditions.
These included heavily grease stained walls, ceiling and floor areas and cooking equipment, which was also encrusted with grease. The food safety inspectors also found other equipment which was poorly maintained, in the form of dirty chopping boards, unclean fridges, and a lack of suitable ventilation to remove grease and cooking fumes from the premises. Repeated warnings were given to the food business to improve the standard of cleaning and hygiene practices and three hygiene improvement notices were served on the owners to secure improvements within a specified time period. After the business owners failed
to meet the deadlines for making substantial improvements, they pleaded guilty to the charges at North Staffordshire Justice Centre in Newcastle-under- Lyme Councillor Roger Lees, deputy leader and cabinet member for public health protection services, said: “South Staffordshire Council is committed to ensuring consumers are not put at risk and we will not hesitate to take formal action through the courts and prosecute businesses that do not comply with food hygiene legislation. “Unhygienic conditions and poor practices will not be tolerated and we work with local businesses to ensure food businesses in the district are clean.”
Long-life sandwiches for suspected illegal immigrants ditched
Costa promises to recycle any cup COSTA has launched a nationwide cup recycling scheme – promising to recycle ‘any cup’, with a number of other new initiatives also planned for the first quarter of the year. Aiming to increase the number of takeaway cups recovered and recycled across the country, customers will be encouraged to partake in the new recycling scheme in stores. The scheme, available in over 2,000 of its stores nationwide, aims to recover and guarantee the recycling of any paper takeaway cup – from Costa or any of its competitors. Once deposited at a Costa store, the
cups will be collected by team members and stored in cup racks, back of house. It will then work alongside its waste partner, Veolia, to transport them to specialist waste processing plants. The scheme, which is the first of its kind amongst coffee shop retailers, follows a successful trial which took place across over 45 stores in London and Manchester, last year. The company also now offers 25p off a handcrafted hot or cold drink when using a reusable cup at Costa or franchised owned store. It will introduce two new, multipurpose, reusable cups in its stores in April.
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LONG-LIFE sandwiches served at short-term holding centres for suspected illegal immigrants at Gatwick Airport terminals and Croydon are being ditched in favour of something more appetising. This follows criticism in recent reports into all three detention centres by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, which says that detainees have a right to eat ‘reasonable quality food’ during their time in custody. The sandwiches had a shelf-life of one month. In one report into the Gatwick South detention centre, it stated that Detainee Custody Officers had to go to shops and cafes at the airport to buy sandwiches when detainees refused to eat the sarnies on offer or when a detainee had a gluten allergy. The report into Gatwick’s North Terminal centre stated: “Detainees were offered unappetising microwave meals and sandwiches shortly after arrival. “The long-life sandwiches had a shelf life of about one month and were particularly unappealing.”
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NEWS
Salad supply problems:
the tip of the iceberg T
wo years ago Gavin Milligan, Group Sustainability Director, William Jackson Food Group, issued a prescient statement at the British Sandwich Industry AGM. Referring to some Spanish flooding events the previous year which had ruined some salad crops, he said: “Extreme weather event are forecast to happen with growing frequency in future. We can’t yet say hand on heart that any weather event is as a direct result of ‘global warming’, or increasing climate variability, but the fact is that they are happening more often.” How right he was! Extreme weather conditions in continental Europe in the last few months, from snow to frost and torrential rain, have impacted the supply of lettuce and other fresh vegetables to the retail and foodservice sectors in the UK and Ireland. While industry salad supplies have always been unpredictable – like any element of agriculture – it now looks as if the only predictable factor in future is going to be its unpredictability. Contingency
planning and working closely with suppliers is now very much the name of the game. It was the retail sector which started to ring the alarm bells initially with supermarkets such as Waitrose and Tesco restricting bulk purchases of some salad vegetables, mainly iceberg lettuce (purchases restricted to three). Tesco’s said this was largely to restrict supplies to small sandwich and café bars! We’ve been talking to a selection of companies throughout the sandwich industry – and all but Greencore have said they have been affected to some degree. So, what was the background to the problems? Salad leaves are predominately sourced from the Mediterranean from October onwards, due to the usually favourable growing climate. However, since December 2016, severe weather conditions in Spain led to massive implications for growers, with up to four weeks of planting being lost and huge amounts of existing crops being destroyed. The best on the spot description
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came from John McCann MBE, Managing Director of Ireland’s largest bagged salad processor Willowbrook Foods, who was on site in the Murcia region of Spain during the worst of it, working hand in hand with growers through the crisis. “The soil and climate in Murcia is normally ideal for growing all crops in the winter months, but is especially suited to lettuce production. Yet for the past two months, the region had catastrophic natural extremes of climate to deal with, resulting in severe shortages and farmers facing 80% irreparable crop damage,” John explained. Climate problems began with severe drought and shortage of irrigation water in the Autumn, which caused plants to die. Heavy, continual rain following this led to floods. Describing the scene from Spain, John continued: “I have witnessed firsthand the devastation of these floods, which have washed away planted crops and turned fields into lakes. Mud has washed over level fields with crop, and those fields due to be planted, have become rivers of mud.
NEWS FOCUS “The average Murcia temperatures in mid-January should be 16°c during the day and 8°c at night, but these plunged to -2°c at night and 2°c some days. Rain has turned to sleet and snow in many areas, causing further flooding,” said John. He believed at that time that the situation could continue for at least another six weeks, with huge knock-on effects for UK and Ireland businesses: “The crops are 80% unusable and with up to four weeks of planting missed and little or no growth happening, a disaster is unfolding. What happens next will depend on the temperatures over the coming weeks.” Like so many other companies, County Down based Willowbrook Foods was unable to fulfil orders to its large network of retail and foodservice customers. “Last week (26th January) we had a shortage level of up to 70%, which is completely unheard of in our business,” continued John. “Given the ever-evolving nature of the situation, we have been committed to updating our customers every day and working in close partnership with growers in hope for a solution,” he said. John was continuing to travel to Spain along with Willowbrook Foods’ Head of Procurement on a rotating basis, to evaluate the situation and continue to feed back to customers on a daily basis. Meanwhile, more detail came from William Jackson Food Group, which includes industry supplier MyFresh, who said that December saw a year’s worth of rain falling in just two days whilst January brought snow, frost and even more rain. A cold front from Siberia brought minus temperatures to much of Europe with Italy experiencing -4 °c in Salerno, a key Roquette growing area. The low temperatures and snow fall at sea level have not been seen for over 30 years. Water-logged fields and frosty conditions not only damaged the current crops and reduce availability, but will also have a knock on effect for the planting and quality of future crops. Re-growth crops such as Roquette are taking up to 60 days to mature (instead of the usual 35-40). Nick Gale, MD of fresh produce ingredients specialists MyFresh, said: “The recent bad weather in and
around Spain has impacted the whole industry in terms of availability and quality on a number of lines, including protected crops in the Spanish region of Almeria which have suffered with the cold weather and low light levels. “MyFresh has an operation in the key Spanish growing area of Murcia which helps in times like this as we have local people dealing directly with local growers, understanding very quickly what the problems are and what the issues are going to be. “We’ve been sourcing through our Murcia office for many years and have a number of long-term well-established relationships with our growers who are purposefully spread across a range of altitudes to try to limit the risk a change in the weather can have on a growing season. And its thanks to this and the hard work of our teams in the UK and Spain, and the dedication of our growers, that we have been able to continue to fulfil the majority of orders for our customers, though baby leaf has been a particular challenge. “Here in the UK, the focus has been on ensuring that specs, processes and procedures are appropriate for the varying quality of ingredients being harvested.” Dr Gavin Milligan, Sustainability Director for the William Jackson Food Group which owns MyFresh, who was so accurate in his above comments at the BSA AGM, commented on the recent events: “Climate models have been predicting an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events such as the one affecting growers in and around Spain for some time, and there is a need for growers to take measures to mitigate and adapt. We try to support our growers by working collaboratively with them, sharing information, encouraging them to consider the impacts of drought, flooding and temperature extremes when planting and to spread the risk
with what they plant and where they plant it.” Another foodservice and retail supplier Florette commented: “January and February were challenging months; however, thanks to our extensive integrated supply network, we were able to provide better than average supply to our customers and minimise any shortages. We anticipate further issues this Spring; however, by working closely with our farms, we are confident that we can manage the supply chain and minimise any disruption to our customers.” Sandwich and food to go manufacturer Raynor Foods’ operations director Adam Newland, said: “We have experienced minor shortage of supply of Intense tomatoes and had to use about 1500kg of regular tomatoes for unbranded production. “Prolonged low light in Holland has also affected our crop of Verity Grace lettuce and we have had to top up with Lollo bondi. We are fortunately tied into fixed pricing for the winter season so price fluctuations have not been passed onto us.” But Greencore reported that there had been no problems. “Greencore works closely with its suppliers and has not encountered any issues in relation to the current situation,” said the company. Mark Lilley, MD of Abokado, the healthy food to go chain, said: “We’ve been shorted courgetti – the supplier couldn’t offer the full range. We’ve also had to accept substitute rocket and romaine. It’s not been a disaster but annoying.” One thing is for sure – we’re looking at major changes in partnerships, risk spread, alternative supplies and technological developments. Technology may now change the nature of the way some of our products are grown, for instance. Lettuce is grown is open fields, for example, with all the problems of soil splash on leaves when it rains, requiring more water, cost and effort to wash it. Lettuces are also dependent on sunshine for their size. One way round it may be to grow them under LED lights indoors, even in northern Europe where historically it’s not been economical due to the cost of energy. That, as they say, is the tip of the iceberg!
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 9
NEWS
Sandwich entrepreneur fails to win over Dragon’s Den panel
S
andwich entrepreneur Sunil Kavuri, who has achieved listings in Boots, Asda and Sainsbury’s over the last few years with his ‘Great Grub’ food to go range, failed to win over the Dragon’s Den panel at a recent presentation. Kavuri, a former investment strategist, who was looking for an investment of £80,000 in his Go Gafoor company for a 5% stake, explained that he was currently in trials with Asda and Sainsburys and talking to Compass and Sodexo, as well as Easy Jet for their winter routes. The range, which is intended to appeal to both halal and standard markets, includes street-food inspired hand-made products ranging from Thai tuna mix to charcoal-grilled chicken kebabs. In spite of Kavuri’s background at the University of Cambridge and London School of Economics, as well as employment with a number of major banks and “strong work ethic” and “drive”, Sarah Willingham wasn’t convinced. The restaurant entrepreneur was concerned that the halal nature of the product wasn’t obvious enough in the branding and emphasised how competitive and difficult the food market was to enter. In retrospect, this may have been partly her failure to grasp that the product was a hybrid, spanning both sectors. Meanwhile, Nick Jenkins took issue with the company name: “Go Gafoor Inc. – is that an American company?”. He was surprised to learn that Kavuri’s partner had chosen the name and neither had any idea that Inc. was specifically a US legal designation. “It’s
slightly worrying, this is quite basic”, said the incredulous Dragon, “and you worked in three investment banks – God help us!”. Valued by Kavuri at £1.5m, Peter Jones was keen to talk figures: “Give me this year’s revenue”. After a year of trading, Kavuri claimed the company had turned over £112,000 and made £20,000 profit. But the entrepreneur was unable to show any contracts that would support the figure. Deborah Meaden was unimpressed: “You’ve given me nothing, absolutely nothing, I’m really sorry, I won’t go over it, I’m out”. Willingham followed: “You did spend a lot of time giving us the ‘big I am’, and actually all we really want to know is about the sandwiches and how you’re going to get it into the stores, why you love that and what’s great about them”. Touker Suleyman and Jenkins also declined to invest, with Jones once
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again left to deliver the final blow: “I think you need to go away, really think about the product […] and then look at how you can go and build a successful business”. Sunil’s background is fully explained in the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business Scool entry. More than a decade ago the model-turned-investment banker completed his MPhil in Finance at Cambridge and then reinvented himself again with his own business, Go Gafoor, aimed at what he saw as a gap in the market. “There was no street food like this available in supermarkets,” he says. “Yet the British consumer is one of the most well-travelled, most adventurous consumers across the world. One look at the high street shows we have a multitude of different brands and cuisines from across the world. The British like something new and they’re willing to try it.” “With this kind of business, it takes a while to get to where you want to be,” says Kavuri, who admits that the food industry has its own particular challenges. As well as the logistics of making fresh, hand-made products and getting them to outlets, there are thousands of companies out there who want the same limited space on the supermarket shelves. Small startups need to be prepared to take on the very biggest of the global brands. “Product development takes a long time,” he says. “Then there’s finding a manufacturer. In April 2015 we launched in Sainsbury’s – that was a year from the initial meeting to getting on the shelves.”
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PROFILE
A new breed of
‘soulful sandwiches’ Street Kitchen founder Mark Jankel has built up a brilliant street food operation using Airsteam trailers and opened a classy café. Now he’s planning a new sandwich bar for his brand of ‘soulful’ gourmet sandwiches
A
new breed of sandwich bar owner is changing the face of the premium end of the industry it seems. Last year, fine dining ex-chef Max Halley won Independent Sandwich Bar of the Year award at The Sammies for his extraordinary sandwich bar ‘Max’s’. It also won rave reviews in The Independent, the Evening Standard and Time Out, has been praised in influential blogs, and been voted Best Cheap Eat in the Observer food awards. It’s a little scruffy inside and out and unprepossessing in any way but the food is amazing. Max Halle, who has
worked in a variety of top restaurants including Arbutus and the Salt Yard Group, makes just four hot sandwiches – they’re complex, conceived as complete meals and all brilliant. And one thing’s for sure - they’re a long way from your usual ‘made in front of the customer’ sandwich in terms of prep time. They demand some serious cooking, well in advance of the process, and certainly not recommended for beginners. But he’s not the only former finedining chef who has spotted a niche for super quality sandwiches. Now Mark Jankel is starting to make a splash in London with similarly brilliant
12 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
gourmet sandwiches with his street food operation called Street Kitchen, made up of two U.S Airstream trailers in different London locations and a trendy café. A new sandwich bar is planned over the next few months and he strongly believes there’s a niche opening for what he calls soulful sandwiches and food. As he explains: “I think the high street needs a more soulful version of what the multiples are doing. People like Pret, Eat and Leon are doing a great job. I just think we can do something that’s a bit more soulful. What I meant by soulful is ‘edible emotion’. Quite often with lunchtime
PROFILE
food, you eat it and feel fairly indifferent. When you eat our food it makes you feel something. Our food is designed to evoke an emotion – that’s in our DNA.” Like Max’s, these are lovingly prepared sandwiches with high quality ingredients. Take their biggest selling sandwich, for example, a fantastic classic chicken sandwich on Challa bread (Jewish Friday night bread), with their home made tomato chutney and tarragon mayo, chicken leg meat steamed for an hour and with the bones removed, baby gem lettuce and pickled red onions. The combination of tastes is really something to savour.
Or what about another customer favourite and his own personal choice: roasted broccoli (roasted raw until it goes dark and golden), which gives a really nice texture, free range eggs which are cooked until the yolks are just cooked – they have a machine which cooks 12 eggs at a time for 2 minutes 15 seconds – and pickled carrots, roquette and pickled red onions. Like Max Halley, Mark started off as a chef in very high end restaurants and then worked his way up to head chef, eventually running a restaurant in Notting Hill that did very well, winning three AA rosettes. He then became executive chef of a group of five restaurants, which broadened his portfolio. “I had only ever done fine dining at that point, but this gave me a great opportunity to learn about different catering environments as one was a pub, one was a grill, one was Pan Asian. “I did that for a year and half and then I decided I wanted to run my own business, but wholly owned without any investors, so I bought a couple of Airstream food trailers and started selling out of those for four years. That’s how it all started before I moved into sandwiches. “But during that time, I created the foundation for what we do now – I created a box of food to go which was a similar quality to a good quality French bistro, for example. So we had something like a fillet of salmon which we smoked, with crushed potatoes, roasted beetroot, and some horseradish mayo, or we would do a slow roast lamb with roasted vegetables in the winter or pickled vegetables in the
summer, pesto and roquette. The idea was to find a way of serving it very quickly, using meat that was directly from good farms. “We also did lots of corporate events and breakfasts and lunches. We still do them, in fact. We have just done a big two-week event for BMW at Donnington racetrack, for instance, where we served our breakfast sandwiches from the Airstream, plus bistro boxes for lunch and tea and cakes in the afternoon. We can move the Airstreams wherever we want – to wherever there’s business. “So Monday to Friday we know we have a solid business trade during the day in the city at Broadgate Circle and then we often take them out in the evenings and weekends and bring them back so they’re ready to trade the next day. We pay a yearly fee for the pitches, which covers us for that time. We’re obligated to trade there every day so its rare that we not trading at lunchtimes. “We’re now looking for a second location for the other Airstream as we’ve never been that happy with the previous location. We did a trial in New Street Square - we knew we would be very busy there, but it just didn’t work out. It’s actually quite challenging to get a good long term pitch. We could have got it for a couple of days a week but our business model is based on having long term pitches.” Their original prep kitchen was in Battersea but last year they had to move, so they found another railway arch site in Hackney, where they had enough space to open an industrial style cafe at the front and a prep kitchen at the back.
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 13
PROFILE
STREET KITCHEN SUPPLIERS
• Riverford Organic • Patrick and Stephanie’s Eggs (Burford Browns and Paddy Blues) • Piper’s Farm - Ruby Red Beef • Capel Mushrooms - Organic Flat Cap Mushrooms • Mole End Organic - Organic Aples and Pears • S.J. Frederick and sons - Label Anglais chickens • Riverford Dairy – Organic Milk, Cream and Butter • Heron Valley - Organic Apple Juice • Loch Duart Salmon – Fish • Lyburn Cheese – Old Winchester • Sacrepaye Bakery - Ficelle for our croutons • K2 - Sustainable Silkscreen Printing • Freedom Beer – Organic Lager • Belu – Bottled Water • Vegware - Sustainable packaging • Clifton – Cooking Equipment • Chapel Down - English Pinot Noir
They had also previously opened a sandwich shop in Broadgate Circle in 2015 and ran it for a year and a half but it just didn’t do well enough so they closed it. There were a number of other reasons – firstly, there was quite a lot of development work going on in Broadgate Circle; but, as he admits candidly, they also didn’t know what they were doing when it came to retail. “It was a really good location but we just didn’t get it right with the price points and the layout and so on - it’s a really complex thing to do. But everyone loved the product and they warmed to the brand. “We’re now working on a reincarnation of that retail shop in a different location, which will either open later this year or next. It will be based on the lessons that we’ve learned. I’m confident that it will be a big success this time round because the sandwiches and other food was so well loved. “Take our chicken salad, for example, in the bistro box – a crispy chicken salad. It’s got warm crushed potatoes at the bottom that makes it more substantial, with bacon lardons and our own pickled red onions; then it has our own rosemary vinaigrette on the salad leaves. The chicken leg is a really quality good free range chicken leg, steamed for about an hour to remove the bones. You can often have chicken which is quite dry, but ours is nice and moist – and then we also crisp up the skin. “On top of the chicken we put a dressing, which is an English version of a caesar dressing. But instead of using Parmesan we use an English cheese called Old Winchester. The guys who make it age it for a couple of extra
14 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
months for us, so it’s really strong like Parmesan. We then blend that into a mayo with garlic and vinegar. “So when you eat the box you get the warm potatoes, which make you feel nice; you get the bacon and the vinaigrette, which gives you a smoky flavour, and then an acidic note from the pickles; and then you eat the chicken with this Old Winchester mayo on top. It makes you say …. Mmmm! Our mission is to get that reaction. “We set ourselves parameters of what we can and can’t put on the menu based on whether we can achieve a consistently fantastic product.” I’m curious about the Airstreams: where do they get them from? In turns out you have to import them from the U.S and then you can get various companies to kit them out for you. At a total price of around about £45k, it’s a relatively small expense compared to opening a shop. But, interestingly, you’ve got potentially the opportunity to make as much money. Their Airstream in Broadgate serves between 250-300 lunches a day so it’s pretty busy. Mark feels the potential is there to build on the two income streams. “I would like to have a really successful events business based around the Airstream but also really major on building a multiple outlet retail business. With a shop you have a 10-year lease and that brings value to the business. With an Airstream its hard to get a long term agreement on a location and you often get break clauses, so from a perspective of a valuation of the business in terms of growing it for an exit strategy at some point, it makes much more sense to major on shops. “I feel the market is right for
PROFILE
something a bit different now. It’s all about creating the right business model. One of the things I want to do is bring in the hot boxes from the Airstream into the shop as well as the sandwiches and salads. It’s a bit more challenging to do it with A1 planning because you can’t finish it off on a grill, but we can achieve that.” He’s also having a lot of success by selling sandwiches by the inch! “One of my friends saw it done in a sandwich bar in San Francisco and it seemed like a great idea. “So we found a baker that made the 24in long subs and had some wooden chopping boards made with inset inch rulers on them, so you can measure them and cut them. “It works really well from a process point of view. You make one sandwich and it probably takes half the time it would take you to make six individually. With sandwiches it’s a bit of a challenge to get the balance of all the ingredients absolutely right: for example, if you use too many pickles or too much mayo, you alter the balance. When you’re making individual sandwiches there’s no way you can weigh out all the individual ingredients – you have to do it by eye, apart from the main protein. But with the 24in you can weight all the individual components in the morning and keep it in pots until you need them for the next sandwich. As long as the staff spread them evenly along the length of the bread it’s fine.” The most anyone’s had is eight inches – on average people usually have four inches. Two is small (equivalent to two slices of bread), three is medium and four is large. What are his best sandwiches by the inch? “The rare beef is one of the
best loved: it has caramelised onions, rare roast beef, sliced very thin, pickled cucumber (it’s all home made), roquette or watercress, and then a horseradish mayo. The sandwiches are very much based on what I would like to have at home. We are also supplying sandwiches every day to Selfridges to a couple of different sections. We make them early in the morning and drop them off. “Then there’s our spiced aubergine compote and cauliflower sandwich: roasted aubergines with a spiced tomato compote spread; roasted cauliflower and loads of mint, coriander and dill; pickled red onions and tahini on the top. It’s a sandwich with a Middle-Eastern feel and it’s also vegan. “The other big favourite is salt cod and roasted pepper: you make a puree out of salt cod after cooking the salt cod in oil, and then blend it into a fishy mayo. That goes on the bottom along with roasted peppers that have been marinated in vinegar and sugar so they are sweet and sour, loads of fennel and
sliced basil and paprika mayo. It’s all Spanish really and all really works well together. “When we reformat the new shop we are going to probably cut down the ingredients a bit, particularly the protein, and engineer them so they are just as delicious but with a lower price point. How difficult is it to get a site without a solid property portfolio? “Landlords now seem to want to have independents in their portfolio – there seems to be a whole new movement now. As long as they can see that what you do is quality and you have some experience you have a good chance of getting a site. They want something that’s exciting and fresh. So where will he be in five years time? “I would like to have a really successful events business based around the Airstream and also a multiple outlet retail business. I think the concept has got legs – I’m going to give it a go. Entrepreneurs learn from their mistakes and get it right with their next project.”
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 15
NEWS
Street Eats launches gluten-free products FOOD to go manufacturer Street Eats has unveiled four new gluten-free products, reaffirming its commitment to providing an extensive offering for consumers with specialist dietary requirements. The London and Chester-based company successfully launched a totally revamped range of hot and cold eats last year and has since worked to create more products for those with specific dietary requirements, including vegan and gluten-free. The new products include two seeded rolls, a classic BLT and Egg Mayonnaise & Cress, and two seeded wraps – a flavour-filled Tuna Nicoise wrap and a Chicken Salad wrap. Street Eats Brand Manager Morgane Thouvenel explains: “The launch of our new range last year was really successful and the feedback was universally positive, but one of the things we did gauge was that people would like some more gluten-free products. “The number of people now consuming a glutenfree diet is increasing rapidly and it is something that is here to stay, so it’s vital that those people are catered for and we hope that four products we are launching give them the choice they are looking for.
“We are always looking at ways to innovate but we also recognise the need to provide consumers with the classic flavours that they
love, so the four products we are introducing are all traditional favourites and we’re certain that they are going to be extremely popular.” As well as the four gluten-free offerings, Street Eats has also added to its Oriental soup range with the addition of a Chicken Sweetcorn Noodle Broth, which sits alongside the Beef Pho, Duck & Hoisin and Thai Veg broths. “The noodle broths have been one of our most popular products since we
launched them; they are so tasty, so quick and so easy that they make for the perfect ‘on the go’ snack. The ingredients are really fresh and all you need to do is add boiling water and you have a really fragrant, flavoursome broth that is easy to eat on the move. “The chicken flavour complements the rest of the range perfectly and I’m sure that it will be just as well received as the others have been,” she added. Finally, the brand has capitalised on the popularity of their existing bagel range by adding a vegetarian option – a Cream Cheese and Cucumber bagel. “Bagels have undergone something of a renaissance over the last couple of years and since we launched our Pastrami & Emmental and Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese bagels last year we have noticed that they are still growing hugely in popularity. “Similar to the addition of our gluten-free options, we want to ensure that we are ticking the right boxes for everybody and the introduction of a vegetarian bagel is part of that. We always want to ensure we have a wide and varied range that gives something for everyone, so we hope that the new bagel will give vegetarians another great grab and go option.”
Dawn Farms signs €850m contract with Subway for 30 countries across Europe DAWN Farms, a leading supplier of cooked and fermented meat ingredients, has signed a new agreement to supply cooked sandwich meats to more than 4,000 Subway restaurants across Europe, including the UK, with an export value of up to €850m. The contract will run for seven
years to 2024 and continues a relationship which has run since 1993. Larry Murrin, CEO of Dawn Farms, thanked Subway for its ongoing commitment to the company. “In our negotiations, they have recognised Dawn Farms’ continued investment in product innovation, our strengths in supply chain consistency and food
16 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
security, and our vigilance in relation to competitiveness. “The Subway organisation has ambitious growth plans for new restaurant openings in Ireland, the UK, and across Europe and with this strategic supply agreement these can translate into significant additional export sales.”
PROFILE
Mark and Lindsay Lilley, Abokado co-founders
‘RELENTLESSLY OPTIMISTIC’ MARK LILLEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ABOKADO, TALKS TO SIMON AMBROSE
18 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
PROFILE
E
xercise offers a reset button for Mark Lilley, founder of Abokado, London’s hugely successful healthy sushi, salad, noodle, rice and wraps business. Marathons, triathlons and lots of cycling between stores all help to get rid of the inevitable stresses and strains, and bring a helpful clarity to decision making. With 29 stores now, the latest opening just down from Canary Wharf at South Quay, London, there are lots of decisions to be made – and now even longer distances to cycle. Increasingly, his management staff are also expected to follow suit and to take a similarly positive view about the benefits of exercise. Although not compulsory, but rather ‘encouraged,’ the entire head office team has recently been to a Pilates class and they have a ‘wellness’ session once a month meditation or mindfulness - pilates, yoga or kickboxing. “Some of them would quite happily murder me,” he admits, “but it’s great from a bonding and unwinding point of view. Even the ones that moan and grumble always come out with smiles on their faces. We’d love to do it for the stores as well but it would be impossible. I’m expected to keep in shape as well, as it wouldn’t look too good if I had a spare tyre as the head of a healthy chain,” he laughs. “We also encourage positive lifestyles for our staff. When we recruit people into the Abokado family we try and find people who share our values – passionate about life and being active.” The exercise has also helped him to stay optimistic – he says he’s a mix of optimist and ‘bonkers’, like all entrepreneurs - and that’s been very helpful in a year which in many respects has been a bit of a disaster as regards the economy as a whole, with very few positives, as he explains: “The property market has been one of the few good things about 2017 from an operator’s perspective – otherwise there’s been too much competition, slowing demand, Brexit, macro uncertainty, and living wage and cost increases, to name just a few. “So we’re opening between four to eight stores this year, but we would like to do 8-12 if it’s possible. The good news is that the property market has already softened a lot in the last three months. Landlords are having
“The business rate increases are just not thought through,” he complains. “We are already having to deal with the impact of the living wage; there are enormous cost pressures, as well as food price inflation which in some cases is staggering. It’s the ultimate perfect storm. We can’t continually put prices up. There’s the VAT factor as well - the gap between restaurant prices and grocery is as wide as it’s ever been. I saw a report this morning on the U.S restaurant sector where like-for-likes have been declining for 7/8 straight quarters. They were saying that the disparity between grocery and restaurant prices is the greatest it’s ever been.”
to get real on rental levels; we’ve seen asking prices slashed by 30% in some cases and there is much better availability.” The woeful state of the economy is a theme he warms to again later on as I sample a tray of the latest vegan wraps – excellent I have to say – and we turn to the vexed subject of business rates, a subject guaranteed to give any businessman indigestion! He’s having the miso soup incidentally – interestingly Abokado doesn’t include the dehydrated seaweed which makes it so salty usually elsewhere, which is a bonus.
STAFF CHURN Yet another growing problem is staff churn, because of the Brexit vote. “It has got a lot worse in the last year and a half and that means we have had to work harder to be the workplace of choice. We saw a fall in the number of applications immediately after the Brexit vote; it’s still manageable but not good news if the youth of Europe don’t feel they want to work in the UK. “Incidentally the number of UK nationals applying for our jobs is tiny – around two in every 200 - they just don’t want to do this kind of work! So, we will just have to try and manage it and make sure we attract and keep the staff we have.
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 19
PROFILE
“To do that we organize more social evenings, and we have enhanced lunch and breakfast hours and our pay scales and bonuses. But ultimately it’s also the little things like making the environment welcoming for them.” In spite of the background problems, there’s been no lessening up of the founders’ ambition, which has seen the chain expand, albeit at a relatively sedate, some might say cautious pace, since opening in 2004. They’re aiming to open around 100 stores in London before starting to look at expanding nationally, or even internationally – they actually have a plan for both. “What we’re not going to do is open a store in, say, Manchester and sit there for 12 months. We would need to be confident that within 12-18 months we’ve could have a meaningful number of stores there. “In those circumstances we would be relying on a local property agent I wouldn’t necessarily trust initially and I wouldn’t know the demographics. We really understand the London property market intimately; we’re very well connected and we don’t overpay on rents. Right now we have three operational managers and between them they can visit every store three times a day because our geographical coverage is so low. “They can literally walk between the stores. That means incredibly close control over what we do and great product quality. “A lot of the business is about risk and we’ve no need to take that
sort of risk at the moment. Some of our competitors have moved outside London with quite mixed success and some sites have been a big problem. “Once they’ve made a few more mistakes and a few more successes we’ll use that information to target other locations! “But the main point is that there are actually vast areas of London where we have no presence, even though everyone has been expanding frantically over the last 3-4 years, us included. It actually could be really interesting over the next few years because if there are business failures and there are chains that are not expanding in the way they were, that’s obviously going to ease things on the high street – and there will be better rent deals and more properties available. “The property market has been changing fast but I think there are even more changes to come soon. Currently if you’re fashionable and independent you’re in a good place; there are some landlords that will only let out sites to the ‘latest’ thing. But a lot of those businesses are effectively ‘startups’ and landlords are already seeing business failures in the independent market. The problem is if you have a vacancy and it starts affecting your yield you’re going to be in trouble with your investor base. “Going forward I think landlords are going to become much more focused on covenants and they’ll be looking for companies that will still be here in two to three year’s time.”
20 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
ABOKADO FOOD It’s been a while since I last had a good look round an Abokado and it’s clear that while the central ethos remains, there have been some big developments on the food side. “Everything is still freshly made on site in the kitchen by our staff from 6.0am,” Mark explains. “We think it’s really important for the team to engage with the products and if they’re not making them, we feel we’re losing some of that connection. They take pride in what they are doing. “You see this with some of our competitors who operate CPU, that they don’t seem to be that engaged with what they’re doing. “On the food side we now have a wonderful selection of salads, cold pressed juices made to our own recipes, which are very popular, and a range of crushed low-calorie drinks – there’s no sugar or artificial sweeteners. “Then there’s our core sushi range with a number of traditional products such as tuna and salmon, our chicken katsus and some excellent vegan recipes which are relatively new and the fastest growing area of our business. There’s been steady growth just this year – it’s become very fashionable all of a sudden with a lot of celebrities endorsing it. It’s forced us to produce a better product and to be honest, our vegan recipes just weren’t good enough - gluten free is also a big area for us. Then there are our signature Schwraps and a good range of wraps.
PROFILE
“We’ve always had a hot offer but this was relaunched in September and now gives us as much sales as our cold food for the first time. It’s been about ironing out seasonality so we are as busy through the winter and spring months as we are during the summer. “Our biggest selling products now actually sit within our hot food range. Within that we have lots of healthy options: ramen noodle soups, yakisoba noodles, brown and white rice pots and also more substantial hot pots for people who want a bigger lunch. “We moved to ramen noodle soups because we felt we wanted to own this segment of the market and no one else was doing it. We also introduced chicken katsus for the first time and that has become very popular.” Interestingly, breakfast and coffee are now the fastest growing segment at Abokado and that’s been the case for about three years. The breakfast range includes multi grain bagels – they reckon to sell more bagels in London than anyone else now – porridge, scrambled eggs, and a “wonderful” coffee offer. “Our coffee is roasted by Climpson and Sons, one of the leading UK hand roasters, and 100% Arabica. It’s our own blend, designed to complement our food, and it comes to us incredibly fresh. From being essentially a sushi, salad, noodle and rice business, we are beginning to convince customers that we are a good coffee business as well, and convert our lunch customers into being morning customers too.”
BREAKFAST I’ve seen lots of stats and reports, but I must confess I can never quite understand why the breakfast sector has burgeoned in the way it has so uniformly throughout the food to go sector. Mark says that it’s actually a combination of different factors. “People are not having breakfast at home and they’re getting lazier about cooking – they’re also working longer hours. We do a survey of 1,500 customers once a year and we can definitely say that people are working longer hours! “The breakfast offer has also improved generally: people mostly had the option of perhaps a bacon sarnie but now they have healthier options of scrambled eggs, porridge, fruit salads or bagels and all sorts of wonderful, delicious things with us. That has encouraged people to adopt that as another out of home meal time. The rise of coffee also seems unstoppable.” It’s obvious from our relatively short tour of the shelves that he retains the same excitement about product development that characterised the business from day one. He confesses: “I probably do a bit more development work than I should in the kitchen but I really enjoy it; I love all the creative aspects of the business. It’s hard to stand back from things you enjoy doing but t’s a lot easier when you find someone really, really good to delegate to. “A big part of what I do now is bringing in new talent and coaching the management team to be better at
what they do and to take on more responsibility. The more I delegate and the more it goes well, the happier I am to delegate more.” The new unit in Docklands has been a big success, in spite of the fact that there’s a huge Pret virtually next door, with panoramic views over the river Thames, and it’s testimony to Abokado’s confidence that they’ve opened at this location. “There are around 8,000 people here and the area is not particularly well supplied with food to go places,” says Mark. “We’ve been open for just a few weeks, but we’ve had a fantastic reception and achieved record opening sales. In fact, the last three openings that we’ve done have each consecutively achieved record sales. What we offer is so highly differentiated and of such a fantastic variety that it appeals to people who are bored with the same old sandwich shops. “The holy grail for us now is to get a unit in Canary Wharf itself – we’re waiting for the right one to come up. In the meantime we thought we’d get as close as we could. The area round here tends to be more back-office than Canary Wharf and Cabot Circus, so a bit more of a mixture. But we’ve always tried to appeal to a broad spectrum of customers – we don’t want to become an elitist business that targets the most affluent parts of London. We want to have a true scaleable business and one of the ways to do that is by having competitive price points.”
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 21
PROFILE HEALTHY FOOD Looking back at the last 13 years it’s astonishing to think that he and his co-founder, wife Lindsay, never set out to target a specific gap in the market, but to find a source of the healthy food they really liked to eat and enjoyed on a year-long tour of Australia. It was pure serendipity that saw them climb inadvertently on the health rollercoaster which is now set to run and run. The competition in the sector has, of course, intensified, although so far there’s been enough business for everyone. He warns however that there are likely to be fall-outs over the next couple of years, particularly in the current climate. Incredibly, they’ve closed only two sites so far. “One was at Euston station which was a redevelopment by network rail (we were asked to re-tender but we felt it wasn’t for us) and then we did a relocation about 18 months ago to a higher profile store. “We are pretty cautious when it comes to openings – we don’t like to get them wrong; when they do go wrong it’s almost like a poison within the business. They also take up disproportionate amounts of management time.” The steady success has brought a lot of business offers, particularly for franchising - almost every day - but it’s something they’re not prepared to consider. What about product partnerships, similar to the deal a competitor had with Starbucks a few years back?
“We were approached by one of the major coffee chains to do almost exactly the same thing but we rejected it. We didn’t want to give away our brand; we weren’t really sure what the end game was, and it was important for us to remain focused on what we do as a core business. We’re very clear about what we do: company owned stores and managed roll outs. “We’re not interested in wholesaling for anyone and we don’t want to cannibalise sales within our own stores. Some people might argue that we’ve missed a trick but I and my team prefer to focus on one thing at a time and we’d rather do one thing really well rather than half a dozen things at the same time.” What about the future? Has he ever been tempted to diversify. “There’s definitely a sort of ten-year itch that exists – I’ve thought about it, and I’ve been offered some opportunities such
22 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
as non-exec. roles. I think in time I will probably end up doing something else as well, but I’ve decided not to at the moment. “I honestly can’t imagine not having any involvement in Abokado, as long as I’m able to. Certainly for the next few years I can’t see my role changing significantly. “My investors will have a typical private equity view – they’re delighted with the way the business is growing; it will be a very good exit for them when they decide to exit, and at that stage we will join up with our new equity base and move on to the next step of the business plan. “But I remain relentlessly optimistic. In fact, all business owners are natural optimists. If you looked at the failure rate of opening a restaurant (95%), you wouldn’t do it. We’re all a bit bonkers. It certainly helps!”
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BRITISH
SANDWICH
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2017 Join us for A presentation on the
Sandwich Market by Simon Stenning, Executive Director, MCA
Followed by
The British Sandwich Designer of the Year Grand Final
Experience every aspect of the Sandwich Designer process from the preparation of ingredients and assembly, right through to the judging and even tasting of the finished masterpieces. In the Nine Kings Suite, the Lancaster London, Lancaster Terrace W2 2TY On Thursday 11th May 2017 Drinks reception: 11.30am, followed by the presentation at 12 noon Sandwich Design Final commences 12.30pm
To reserve your place, email Pam@Sandwich.org.uk
24 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
SANDWICH DESIGNER 2017
Sandwich Designer of the Year Semi-Finals O
nce again this year we’ve teamed up with six fabulous suppliers to bring a unique range of ingredients to inspire the creativity of our competing designers who will be competing at the five regional semi-finals listed here. Our contestants will be using the following:
In this category either, or all of these cheeses may be used:
A fiery mix of bell, jalapeno and chilli peppers carefully blended with Cheddar and a secret mix of Mexicana® spices.
Green Kraut Relish and Finest Pesto may be used together, or separately, for the sandwich design creations in this category. Green Kraut Relish This sauerkraut relish, cooked with cucumber, dill and cider vinegar to create the quintessential sweet, tart, textured relish that works fantastically in contrast to a range of ingredients from American hotdogs to Scandinavian salmon. Our Greenkraut relish is bang on trend and packs a fragrant punch. Finest Pesto This Fresh Basil Pesto is created with a blend of Veronese basil, our Luca 100% Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 24 month Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts and garlic. Combines everything you need for an authentic basil pesto, intensity, saltiness, texture and a herbaceous kick.
Pan’artisan’s Focaccia Romano is 250g flatbread focaccia – great for open sandwiches, or folded over as a hot eat panini style offer. Created from simple sour dough, with a 92% liquid to flour ratio, it has an extremely light, open structure that is easily designed and stays fresher longer.
Contestants can use either, or both, of these British Red Tractor, Farm Assured, pulled cooked chicken or duck.
Produced in our BRC Grade AA, further processing facility, these products are available either fresh chilled, or frozen IQF.
Contestants are required to create an innovative sandwich using 100 per cent sustainably caught, dolphin friendly, deluxe Skipjack Tuna – minimum 80 per cent tuna chunks in brine with no other additives, 98 per cent NDW, allowing the user the maximum yield per pouch, giving superb taste, texture and natural flavour.
This creation was made last year by finalist Nathan Baker, from On A Roll
A traditional West Country Farmhouse Cheddar with a rich smoky flavour and delicate aroma, perfectly finished with a dusting of paprika.
Made to a secret Norwegian recipe using only the purest milk for a smooth, distinctive and rounded taste. Incredibly versatile and keeps its flavour when melted.
This newly launched New York Bakery, Out of Home cheese bagel is to be used in this category. Cheese is one of the most popular sandwich fillings in the UK and in the US cheese bagels are already one of the top 5 best selling flavours. Cheese bagels have great visuals and are perfect for customers looking for some added indulgence
Competing at the North East Semi Final on Tuesday 7th March 2017, at 10.30am, at The Food Zone, Greggs PLC, Balliol Park West, Long Benton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE12 8EW were: BEN LAWS - Java EMILY EDMONDS - Greggs JOHN PHILLIPS - Northumbrian Sandwich Company KATE RILEY - Bait Sandwiches KATHERINE MCCLOY - Greencore EMMA TAYLOR - Greencore KAZIM RAZA - Halal Kitchen MATTHEW DIGNAN - The Hare & Hounds MELISSA WALMSLEY - Riverbank Catering NATALIE HOLDER - Greencore
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 25
SANDWICH DESIGNER 2017
One of the fantastic creations made last year by David Llewellyn, Greencore Hartley Last year’s Sandwich Designer of the Year, Kim
Competing at the North West Semi Final: Wednesday 8th March 2017, at 10.30am, at Frank Roberts & Sons Ltd, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire, were: CARA O’DONOVAN - The Portrush Deli Co CHRIS RICH BATE - Planters Garden Centre ELLEN BLY - Fresh-Pak KAZIM RAZA - Halal Kitchen IAN BARKER - Le Brunch JAMIE ROBINSON - Bexters Coffee Co RUSSELL FRENCH - Fresh-Pak SIMON WILKES - Planters Garden Centre SUSAN YARNELL - A Great Little Place IMOGEN JOHNSON - Tasties of Chester RICHARD MATTOCK - Mellors Catering Services
Competing in the South East Semi Final: Wednesday, 15th March, at 10.30am, at Tasties, 366 Stockley Close, West Drayton, were: BETHANY WILSON - Fridays Ltd CLAIRE SIMPSON - Greencore GARETH WHATLEY - Chef in a Box HOUMAN MESHKATI - I Due Amici Coffee Shop JESS BOYD - EAT JESSICA AYLING - EAT KATARINA WILLINGHAM - Lemon & Soul Cookery School LESLEY FONG - Greencore LOUISE WINTER - Adelie MIKE CROFTS - Raynor Foods SALLY KHAYAT - Greencore SIMON BROADRIBB - Uptons of Bassett ALICE GAME - Greencore EMILY WATTS - Greencore
This year’s semi finalist, Martin Wilsher who also got through to the final last year
Competing at the Midlands Semi Final on Thursday, 9th March 2017, at 10.30am, at Dawn Farm Foods, Lodge Way, Lodge Farm Industrial Estate, Northampton, were: BARNY LUXMOORE - Jabberwocky Streetfood DARREN FENNER - The Pumphouse Café MARK CONWAY - Brew and Bake JAMES MOULSON - Greencore JO CUNNINGHAM - The Little Kitchen KATE PRICE-WHITTLE - The Cooking Co MAL FRY - Adelie MARK KACARY - Norfolk Deli MARK SOUTHEY - Piquant MARTIN WILSHER - 2 Sisters Food Group RICKY BLISS - 2 Sisters Food Group ROB LAWTON - Greencore SUE PRICE-WHITTLE - The Cooking Co OLIVER HENSHALL - Melton Foods
26 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
This year’s semi finalist, David Llewellyn, who also got through to the final last year
Competing in the South West Semi Final: Thursday, 16th March, at 10.30am, at Futura Foods UK Ltd, The Priory, Long Street, Dursley, Glos, were: ABBY BANWELL - FSC DAVID LLEWELLYN - Greencore DAVID WORTHINGTON - FSC KAROL GRZELAK - The Real Wrap Company LOUISE STURMEY - The Real Wrap Company NILUFER YILMAZ - Tastebuds of Farnham SALLY WESTLAKE - Cottage Loaf Bakery and Sandwich Bar STEWART PARKER - Bournemouth International Centre PAUL WICK - Southville Deli
AWARDS 2017
now!
Not long Organised with support from:
SAMMIES 2017
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t’s the industry’s biggest night of the year and what a fabulous event it’s going to be this year. The newly refurbished Westbourne Suite is the exquisitely opulent setting for some 750 of the industry’s finest. The dinner and awards presentations will come first then the Party Bandits will steal the show and get us dancing into the wee small hours. Tables are selling fast and to reserve one of the few remaining please contact Pam@Sandwich.org.uk The Sammies 2017 will be held in the Westbourne Suite, at the Lancaster London hotel on 11th May, with the pre-dinner drinks reception held in the Nine Kings Suite.
BSA SANDWICH MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR AWARD Open to BSA accredited manufacturers only. In recognition of the most impressive and effective initiatives to improve the quality and food safety of sandwich manufacturing during the year.
BSA TECHNICAL AWARD Technologists are at the forefront of the work to advance systems and working practices across the sandwich industry, including improving environmental standards/practices. This award recognises the contribution of BSA members, be they an individual or a team from suppliers, retailers and manufacturers, to furthering the development of technical excellence.
EN-ROUTE SANDWICH RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD For all retailers (regardless of size and scale) who provide sandwiches within the travel sector, including forecourts, stations, airports, on-board trains or airlines or at roadside locations. Recognising the effort made to tailor the offering for the en-route sector with evidence of how the business has adapted to operate in this sector, including product range, systems and marketing.
Once again, we are very proud to support Bowel Cancer UK with our fundraising effort in 2017 and we’ll be publishing a list of prizes in our raffle and ways that you can support on our website. Check out www.Sandwich.org. uk and click on Awards.
SANDWICH MULTIPLE RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD Recognising the multiple retailer that has done the most to develop its sandwich business, to include marketing, innovation, packaging, product quality, sales growth and market share. Judges analyse independent data to demonstrate business performance during the qualifying period.
CHAIN SANDWICH RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD Championing those in the chain sector (10 or more outlets) whose core business is the sale of sandwiches whether made to order, pre-packed on site, or bought in pre-packed from a central commissary and who are driving the business forward and achieving the most impressive development in the qualifying period. The Award will be sub-divided into three sub categories: • Bakery Chain • Café • Specialist Sandwich Bar Chain UPDATED FOR 2017
SANDWICH CONVENIENCE RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD Designed to recognise the retailer that has done the most to develop its sandwich business, taking into account marketing, innovation, packaging, product quality, sales growth and market share.
WORKPLACE AND CATERING SANDWICH RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD Recognising excellence and progress amongst those providing sandwiches in a workplace environment, whether contract catering, on-site retailing or delivery. The judges will take account of the general approach, range, presentation, innovation, sales growth and marketing activity used to promote the business.
Wine at this year’s Sammies Awards will be provided courtesy of
INDEPENDENT SANDWICH RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD The Independent Sandwich Retailer Award is for businesses with nine outlets or fewer and have a Food Hygiene Rating of at least 4. Independent judges will visit and evaluate factors such as presentation, atmosphere, facilities, cleanliness and product range, as well as innovation and customer service. The award will be sub-divided into four categories: • Independent Bakery Sandwich Retailer • Independent Café Sandwich Retailer • Best New Independent (for outlets opened between 1st March 2016 and 28th Feburary 2017) • Independent Sandwich Shop A gold award will be awarded to the winner of each of the four categories. The gold awards will be presented by the BSA to the winners at their premises in order to maximize publicity for them in their local area. The winners in each category will also each receive two free tickets to attend the awards dinner. Out of the four winners, an overall independent winner will be chosen and will receive the award on stage at the dinner.
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 29
SAMMIES 2017
THE SANDWICH MARKETING AWARD This award is specifically for those marketers whose creativity delivers business success. Championing the success of marketing campaigns and activity by reviewing the full marketing mix and tracking bottom line impact.
NEW SANDWICH PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD Specifically aimed at products launched during the award period, namely 1st March 2016 to 28th February 2017, including ingredients, equipment and associated products. The award will be sub-divided into two categories: • Food ingredient • Packaging/Equipment
NEW SANDWICH OF THE YEAR AWARD Here the judges are looking for new prepacked sandwiches (not a range) which have been successfully launched in a retail or catering environment within the award qualifying period and continues to be on sale (unless otherwise stated e.g. entries in the promotional category). Three categories: • Hot Eat Sandwich • Promotional/Seasonal • Innovative A gold award will be announced in each category prior to the awards evening. The three gold winners will go for blind judging, by a panel of industry experts, to choose an overall winner, which will be announced at the awards dinner.
THE BRITISH SANDWICH INDUSTRY AWARD Presented on merit to a business or individual who the BSA Management Committee consider deserves recognition for the work they have do to advance the UK sandwich and food-to-go markets. This is an occasional award presented by the chairman of the Association. Members may put forward suggestions for consideration by the closing date of 1st March 2017.
FOOD TO GO MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR AWARD This award seeks to recognise the overall contribution made to elevate and grow the Food to Go category over the qualifying period, from new ranges developed within the operation aimed at the Food to Go market retailers, activity used to grow and promote the business and marketing activity which have improved business performance.
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FOOD TO GO RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWAR This new award is presented to the retailer considered to have done the most to develop and promote its Food to Go range (excluding sandwiches). The award is open to retailers where the Food to Go range is one of many different food categories on sale.
Programme sponsored by:
30 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
FOOD TO GO INNOVATION OF THE YEAR AWARD This award aims to encourage the development of new products for the Food to Go market and will be subdivided into two categories: • Product category (ingredients etc) • Equipment/Packaging category Only products introduced to the market within the award qualifying period are considered.
Raffle sponsored by:
Join us at AWARDS 2017 LANCASTER LONDON HOTEL, HYDE PARK, LONDON
Thursday, 11th May, 2017
Presented by celebrity chef Theo Randall
Entertainment by the Party Bandits
Entertainment until 2am Dress code: Black tie Raffle, draw and auction in support of Bowel Cancer UK
BOOKING FORM Contact Name ................................................... Business Name .............................................................................................................. Address ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................... Post Code .......................................... Tel. No: ................................................................................... Fax No. .................................................................................................... Price includes 4 course dinner and half a bottle of wine per person. Vegetarian options and special dietary requests must be pre-booked Please book: ............ table(s) at the Sammies 2017 at ££2600 + VAT per table of 10 ................table(s) at the Sammies 2017 at £3120 + VAT per table of 12 .......................... place(s) at the Sammies 2017 at £285 + VAT per place Card Type: (e.g. Visa, Mastercard) ................................................................ Card number: ..................................................................... (Please note: we cannot accept American Express)
3 digit security number: ........................ Expiry Date: .............................. Name on card: ....................................................................... Signed: .......................................................................................... Date ........................................... Do you or your guests have any special dietary requirements?( If yes, please list) ...................................................................................... Tables will be allocated on a strictly first-come basis from the front of the room to the back. All bookings must be accompanied by the appropriate remittance. Cheques can be made out to either The British Sandwich Association or BSA. No refunds can be made if cancellations are made within 30 days of the event and any cancellations before this time will be subject to a 25% cancellation charge.
Please email your booking details to pam@jandmgroup.co.uk. Or post to: BSA, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB. If you require further information on the Sammies Awards please telephone Pam on 01291 636341
SANDWICH MANUFACTURING
Raynors move into new food to go manufacturing areas The opening of Raynor Foods’ new factory last year has brought new opportunities with their old site: cue an exciting new move into halal and ‘raw cakes’
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hat do you do when you’ve built yourself a shiny new sandwichporium, filled it with new machines, and moved the production crew in? You celebrate of course! But what if you’ve still got your old factory to consider? It’s sitting there, just across the road, reminding you of old times. You’ve been through a lot together. It’s the factory that gained you BRC AA grade on multiple occasions, and saw you through a huge growth curve. You can’t just switch off the fridges and leave it to rot. It wouldn’t be right! You’ve know that it’s still got so much more to give. So, what are you going do you do with it? This is the question that Raynor Foods had to answer. Knowing they were going to be sitting on an empty asset, they started looking about for
something else to fill it. There were some limitations: they wouldn’t be able to cook in the facility for instance, but otherwise, they were very much open to looking at all sorts of product manufacturing options. They had a top class facility just waiting to be revived – they just needed to find something to do with it! THE HALAL MARKET Sitting on the edge of London, as Raynors do, they couldn’t help but be aware of the importance of the Halal market in the capital. With 12% of the Londoners being Muslim, there is a large market for Halal products, sitting right on their doorstep. The team at Raynors had long felt that when it came to sandwiches, the Halal market had not been well served. Fully certificated products
are often inconsistent in product quality, poor in flavour and suffered from interruptions in supply. Non certificated Halal products are a compromise too; making a sandwich containing halal chicken in a factory that handles pork and bacon is a difficult issue. It asks questions about transparency and authenticity that may not worry non-Muslims, but really ought to be asked. For the Raynor family, their approach has always been ‘if you are going to do something, do it right’. When they started thinking about Halal, they decided to talk to the experts. They contacted the HMC and
SANDWICH MANUFACTURING
the HFA for advice, and immediately started reviewing their own supplier base and ingredient list against their approval criteria, to understand the size of the job they had ahead of them. At the same time, they started work with an independent consultant, who specialises in ‘halalifying’ products to create a new Halal range that was appropriate for the UK market. Her insights into the preferences and tastebuds of British Muslims was invaluable in creating a small ‘starter menu’ that would appeal to a wide range of people from school children, to the younger adults who make up the largest proportion of the sandwich buying public.
CERTIFICATION Once the range was created, the process of getting certification for the products, all the ingredients, suppliers and the production facility itself got underway. Raynors decided to work with the HFA for their certification, as it is widely recognised and accepted by London Muslims. Also, the HFA do certify pre-stunned meat as halal. This was important to Raynors for two reasons; firstly because of the company’s concern with upholding high animal welfare standards, and also to ensure that they did not have to compromise on their BRC commitments when it came to their choice of suppliers. Raynors started producing their Halal range in the standalone factory in February this year. Customers have been very pleased with the new introductions, particularly because there are no long lead-times or minimum purchase restrictions on the orders – you just have to order them by the normal cut-off time the day before delivery, just as they would with any other product. RAW CAKES Running alongside the Halal work was something quite different – a project to manufacture raw cakes. If you are thinking ‘what on earth are raw cakes?’, you’re probably not somebody who has given up on refined sugar or is attempting to eat ‘clean’. East London company The Hardihood make nutritious desserts which are vegan and gluten free. They are made with simple, unprocessed ingredients that most importantly, are not cooked, so that the cakes maintain their integrity and nutritional
value. If that sounds worthy but not very appealing, think again! With a strapline ‘Less Vegan, More Vogue’ The Hardihood’s raw cakes taste like the most decadent, delicious cheesecakes, and look like works of art. They were the brainchild of a pair of friends who decided to give up sugar at the start of 2014, but didn’t want to give up on dessert. Because they couldn’t find anything inspiring to eat in the shops, they decided to create their own. They set up a small production unit to make their desserts, and started supplying into stores such as Harrods, Planet Organic and many smaller specialist health food stores, delis and cafes. By 2016 they were struggling to keep up with demand. Working to outsource production to Raynors was a cost effective alternative to finding their own new premises, and as these cakes didn’t need to be cooked, making for The Hardihood was a great opportunity for Raynors. It has taken almost a year to work through the process of scaling up from small scale manufacturing. Recipes were refined, new equipment was bought, new ingredients approved, personnel trained and trials carried out. Anything new is always a challenge, but the company have enjoyed learning about a new area of the food market. Raynors start manufacturing for The Hardihood in March this year. For more information about their Halal range, Raynors can be contacted on 01245 353249 or www.raynorfoods. co.uk. For more about Hardihood raw cake and stockists, visit www.thehardihood.com
NEWS
Greencore continues strong revenue growth in food to go GREENCORE Group recorded revenue of £417.0m in the 13 weeks to 30 December 2016, an increase of 17.1% on the prior year, driven mainly by growth in its food to go business. On a like for like basis, excluding revenue from The Sandwich Factory acquisition in July 2016, revenue was ahead by 9.1% in the quarter. The Convenience Foods division recorded Q1 revenue of £401.6m, 16.4% ahead of the prior year on a reported basis and up 8.9% on a like for like basis. In the UK, Q1 revenue was up 13.9% on a reported basis and up 9.0% on a like for like basis (excluding revenue from The Sandwich Factory acquisition). This was driven principally by strong growth in its food to go business, which continues to benefit from robust category growth and
from the roll-out of business wins announced in 2016. The Group continues to invest for future growth. Construction of the final new facility in Northampton has been completed, with the commissioning of this facility progressing well. In the US, reported Q1 revenue was up 31.2%, and up 8.0% on a like for like basis (after adjusting for currency), driven largely by the addition of operations in Seattle. The business continues to progress year on year, benefitting from an improved operational performance. Its focus now is on delivering new revenue growth to drive capacity utilisation and margin progression. The Group continues to deliver strong revenue growth in both the UK and US, reflecting positive category growth and the roll-out of new business wins. The integration
of Peacock Foods in the US and the related synergy delivery is on track, although the process is at an early stage. Inflation in raw material and packaging prices and labour costs are expected to increase for the remainder of the year, although the company anticipates that the combination of supply chain, purchasing and pricing initiatives will mitigate these impacts. Overall, the business is delivering a complex investment and change agenda to drive both the US integration and the new capacity additions that support the significant new business in the UK, concludes Greencore. “Notwithstanding these investment costs and their impact on the phasing of profit delivery, we remain confident in our ability to deliver FY17 performance in line with market expectations.”
Philpotts founder launches new £1.5m seaside café PHILPOTTS sandwich bar chain founder Phil Brown, who built up the business to 22 outlets before selling up, has launched a £1.5m café/restaurant in Trearddur Bay, Anglesey. Working with business partner Neil Gitton, the Sea Shanty now employs more than 50 full and part-time staff, with a varied menu that includes a number of sandwich lines. “We have been open less than six months,” said Phil. “Demand is growing so fast we need to be recruiting more staff at all levels, if we are going to be able to cope with Easter and the summer season. “Being open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon
tea and dinner seven days a week is taxing our nine superb chefs so we know that when spring arrives we will need more, if we are to maintain the level of
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service we now offer. “We are delighted to have found favour with local people in particular,” added Phil. “There’s been a real
trend for groups and families to come along, because the set up of our seating area means we can easily cater for up to 145 diners, and my personal pleasure is the number of characterful dogs we welcome. “The ambience of the café is tangible. Children and adults alike are fascinated by the boats in the ceiling and vintage outboard motors etc and the beach-combing bags for children are a real ‘people pleaser’.” Phil’s co-director is former chef Neil Gitton, who previously worked with Phil at Philpotts after gaining restaurant experience with pub chain Brunning and Price.
NEWS
Winners of the first Fish Finger Sandwich Awards Gabrielle Sander from Enfield and Chris Lanyon of Chapel Café, Cornwall, are the King and Queen of the fish finger sandwich, as their creations beat stiff competition to see them crowned winners of the Public and Professional categories respectively at the inaugural Birds Eye Fish Finger Sandwich Awards. Fish finger sandwiches have become a cultural phenomenon, particularly in the last couple of years, and are now a British institution. Whilst everyone from celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Mark Hix have their own recipes, debate still rages around what makes the perfect fish finger sandwich. The debate was put to rest at the Awards where fish finger favourites were put through their paces in a cook-off at Mark Hix’s Tramshed restaurant in East London. The finalists had to whip up their culinary masterpieces for a panel of expert judges, including Gregg Wallace (TV personality), Xanthe Clay (Daily Telegraph food writer), Jennifer Bedloe (Delicious magazine food editor), Danny Kingston (Food Urchin blogger), and ‘The Codfather’ Peter Lack (Birds Eye Head Chef). Gabrielle was up against some tough competition in the Public category, but won the judges over with her fish finger sarnie with mayo, smoked paprika, capers, lime juice, wasabi and rocket in a farmhouse bap. The judges loved her use of punchy flavours, unusual combination of ingredients
when Birds Eye posted the competition on social media I just had to get involved. It was extremely nerve wracking to make my dish in front of the judges, but it is an amazing feeling to know they not only approve of my sarnie, but think it’s the best in the UK!”
and perfectly cooked fish fingers, but most notably, the way she let the fish fingers take centre stage. Gabrielle says, “I am absolutely ecstatic and can’t quite believe it! I’ve been making my fish finger sandwich for friends and family for years, so
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Chris Lanyon of Chapel Café, Cornwall, took home the prestigious award for best fish finger sandwich in the food service category with his take on the humble classic – fresh Cornish Hake fillet coated in panko breadcrumbs, sandwiched between locally-made multiseed bread and homemade tartare sauce. Chris Lanyon said: “We’re extremely excited to take home the title for the best fish finger sandwich. We’ve worked hard over the years to perfect our take on the British classic, so it’s a great achievement for one of our favourite dishes to be recognised by Birds Eye and all the judges. We can’t wait to give our fish finger trophy pride of place in the restaurant upon our return!” Birds Eye Head Chef, Peter Lack, says “The response we’ve received since the launch of the awards in November last year has been fantastic, with hundreds of people submitting their take on the fish finger sarnie. It was a tough decision, but Chris and Gabrielle really stood out in the cook off, with their innovative use of ingredients and stunning presentation, leaving myself and the other judges wanting more.” The winners, Gabrielle and Chris, will see their winning recipes featured on select Birds Eye Fish Finger packs later this year. In addition, Gabrielle will receive one year’s supply of Fish Fingers, while Chapel Café’s freezers will be stocked with 24 foodservice packs of Omega 3 Fish Fingers.
PROFILE
Flexing the BP forecourt food to go space BP faces some major challenges in its forecourts featuring Wild Bean Café and M&S Simply Food. Very much a balancing act, its customers are discerning when it comes to quality and they require everything at speed, including fuel, in environments of just 1,500 and 2,000 sq ft. Mike Absolom, BP’s retail trading director, spelt out the problems - and the successes - at the recent IGD Food To Go Conference
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n 2003 we launched Wild Bean Café, a format that had come over from our stores in Australia and New Zealand. Then in 2007 we began our very successful partnership with M&S Simply Food and in 2014 we carried out a very successful revamp of the Wild Bean Cafe. We now have near on 250 stores across the UK. The key challenge for us is how we bring customer experiences of using large format stores into a site that’s between 1,500 and 2,000 sq ft. We also have the added complexity of providing fuel, which is at the front of our sites, and this makes the challenge even greater.
The basic layout of the forecourt gives us a big opportunity to ‘talk’ to the customer in terms of marketing, but (and it is a big but!) our research shows that our customers only see two points of communication during their journey on the forecourt. You can put as much marketing as you like up there but on average it’s just two points. By the time they go through the front door of the store, 75% of customers will have decided what they’re going to buy, so what we do inside is also a real challenge. Customers are also very habitual in terms of what they purchase and forecourts are inevitably
frequented by people who don’t particularly want to be there. So, with BP and our relationship with M&S Simply Food, we’re trying to change the journey and all those perceptions. LESS IS MORE On the limited awareness issue we can certainly improve this through the brand. We work very much on the mantra of less is more and certainly challenge our supplier base to communicate less but still get the message across. With habitual shoppers – if we can get them into our stores and get them to buy a BP
breakfast or lunch - we’ve got them hooked. Customer needs also differ – time of day is crucial of course - and we now fragment our offer through the day from 6.0am to10.0pm. Probably another one of our biggest challenges is time constraints and we need to be really careful with queue management on that front. For one thing fuel customers get really ‘pissed’ if they don’t get pay for their fuel quickly. We also need to get the cars off the forecourt as quickly as possible. But at the same time we don’t have the luxury of a normal food to go outlet to keep people on the move.
PROFILE Space constraints are critical. Our partners often have great ideas and we have to work out how to bring them into the stores, including seasonal Christmas, Easter and Halloween products. How do we flex that space? That’s always a real challenge. There are so many products ‘going on’ in our stores and so many offers that from an operational and labour perspective it’s also incredibly challenging; staff have to be cross skilled in dealing with food and fuel. There’s also another challenge – many customers like to take ten minutes out and have a cup of coffee or a Cornish pasty, at the ‘oasis in the desert’ as they call it. So there’s a huge opportunity for us here with those 2.7m transactions per week, and we actually convert 34% of those transactions to shop. WHO ARE OUR CUSTOMERS? So, who are our customers? We actually segment them into nine areas. But our five key customers are ‘Commercial Big Fillers’ – commercial van and truck drivers; ‘Professionals on the road’ – people driving to meetings and conferences; ‘Quality and convenience’; ‘The Female Shopper’; ‘One Stop Loyal - very loyal customers to BP who like the brand and buy the Premium and Ultimate
Fuel and M&S Simply Food – they actually make up around 31% of our customers but they deliver 61% of our gross margin. The other category you ignore at your peril is the ‘Fuel Quick Fix’, very much driven by getting his or her fuel, coffee and food and leaving quickly. Interestingly, with the introduction of the M&S Simply Food offer, our male/female ratio changed from 45% female/ 55%
male to 55% female/45% male! We also have to know our competitor set and Greggs feature very highly and McDonalds as well in the food to go arena. We also have a research community of around 1,000 shoppers. When we product launch in Wild Bean we test it against them at our head office. We know what they like and value and we know that It’s not always about price, it’s about the eating experience as well.
So, all in all, it’s a balancing act. Our customers are discerning when it comes to quality and they require everything at speed. We need also to give them a breadth of offer and personalize the offer as much as we can. Our quality is helped by having a cohesive programme and focus on customer experience through an integrated food to go offer. This is through our own branded support and work with our branded suppliers, and through the development of Wild Bean - particularly with the new concept - and also the close relationship with M&S. All three work together rather than against each other, although it’s taken a while to achieve. The development of a cohesive partnership can be really important for delivering a really good food to go strategy and bringing in additional cultures to a business can be really important. From my experience working abroad where we have worked with other partners that hasn’t been successful, I know it can be really damaging when it doesn’t go well, and can put your food to go strategy well behind where you want to be. M&S FORMAT The integration of the M&S format into the store is fundamental to our success. It’s not just a shop within a shop, we are
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 39
actually one shop. It has added a huge amount of new high value customers without alienating our core customers, particularly the ‘Commercial Big Fillers’. It has also delivered strong like for like growth. The new Wild Bean has seen exceptional growth, particularly among the core customers. The combined brands have opened up new occasions and we now have a full day of shop activity, where once it might have been focused particularly around breakfast and lunch. Providing a good coffee offer is also really important for us. It’s crucial that the offer has to be right up front as a transient location and also that the machines are fully automatic and there’s a fully automatic barista. Having coffee integrated as part of our Main 2 area behind the till means that we can flex the labour. It keeps it front of mind for customers and means that all our staff are involved in food to go. If you have a coffee offer separated and put
somewhere else in the store – as many of our competitor set do – it becomes isolated and not the responsibility of any one person. It’s interesting that between 6.0am - 9.0am 95% of our coffee is fully automatic. After 9.0am 30% of our coffee then becomes semi-barista as our high-value female customers come to store. 20M CUPS OF COFFEE In the last two years Wild Bean café has done like for like double digit growth and we expect to do the same this year. By the end of the year we will expect to be doing about 20m cups of coffee. The food is fantastic. The main driver of Wild Bean food is quality and it’s got to be within 90 seconds. Simplification is key – we have about 40 lines in total, including the bread and pastries. With the Wild Bean new concept we’ve tried to attract more female customers but the food does tend to be male orientated. We work closely with our suppliers like Coke,
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and Tropicana – something we probably didn’t do 3-4 years ago – and companies like West Cornish Pasty (we’ve done over 500,000 units in the last 10 months), so we’re really doing well on that product. Unfortunately health doesn’t seem to work in this area! We’re about 22% up on like for like on pastries, for example! We started our partnership with M&S in 2007 and we have worked closely with them on improving the offer, and I know it works as well for them as it does for us. The growth in store is great and it doesn’t collide with anything else we do. Our challenge is how to deliver and give them the space they need to do that innovation. The M&S sandwich range is of huge importance in food to go and we all know it’s the best in the UK and so we ensure prime location at the entrance to the store along with soft drinks and crisps. We’ve recently launched a meal deal of £4.75 and that is currently delivering over
50,000 deals a week. We work very closely with our branded suppliers as I’ve mentioned and we’re seeing incredible growth in this area as well, particularly with a high mix of impulse confectionery within that area. There’s certainly been a move towards more luxury here and we are very much focusing on high value branded products – we sell a £20 plus box of chocolates now, for instance. We also work closely with our supplier base. In fact, we tied up with Greencore about 12 months ago, particularly because of their research and knowledge of the marketplace. In summary, meeting customers’ expectations has been a real challenge for BP but by delivering a cohesive partnership and a well thought out offer we believe we have achieved it. There’s a long way to go still but if performance is a key indicator, we have achieved a lot of what we set out to do.
Coveris’ new hybrid packaging format marks a new evolution for the food-to-go market. Combining cartonboard, film and rigid plastic components to deliver unrivalled protection, visual appeal and shelf-presence, Grab Box™ is the first product launch in a series of hybrid packaging innovations from Coveris.
www.coveris.com
PACKAGING
Coveris £3m investment for cartonboard division PACKAGING manufacturer Coveris has announced a £3m investment plan for its cartonboard division. The division, based over three sites in Cambridgeshire, is a leading supplier of food packaging in the UK and set to benefit from significant investment to transform its operations with increased capacity, improved production efficiencies and modernised facilities. Coveris’ cartonboard division has started a period of investment with site refurbishment, machinery installation, modernisation of equipment and an extensive staff training programme planned for the year. The plan has been announced to achieve streamlined production, enhanced capabilities and better manufacturing processes, reliability and consistency, supporting future growth. Michael Marshall, operations director of Coveris’ paper division, commented: “The announcement of the investment plan for our board division marks an exciting time for Coveris. From site modernisation to installation of new machinery and staff training, the investment plan encompasses the whole board business.
COLPAC 80TH ANNIVERSARY APOLOGIES to Colpac for a mistake in the last issue of Sandwich & Food To Go News (February, Issue 167). In a news story on Colpac’s celebrations for their 80th anniversary year, the final paragraph detailed another company’s products, having been accidentally tagged on. In an additional piece in this issue (March), Neil Goldman, Colpac’s Managing Director, looks back at the packaging revolution that has transformed the industry.
Our immediate focus is that customers see the benefit of our investments with a smooth transition and enhanced operational performance. Long term, these investments demonstrate our commitment to continue as a leading and innovative supplier of board packaging to the food industry.” The comnpany manufactures cartonboard packaging for various sectors of the food industry with a portfolio of board and lined board formats including sandwich skillets, nested trays, sleeves, cartons and foodservice ranges. Its board sites also house CAD and plate making facilities, as well as a creative design centre, the latter also planned for refurbishment. The cartonboard division has embraced the award-winning Coveris Performance System following its successful application in the company’s label division. Driving operation excellence, the system empowers and engages employees and provides structure and processes to raise performance standards. The further integration of the Performance System is an integral part of the board
division’s investment plan. Coinciding with the announcement of its investment plan, the company is due to reveal the first in a series of packaging developments launching this year. It will be showcasing its latest innovations at the UK’s leading food and drink packaging event Pro2Pac from 20 – 22 March 2017 at ExCeL London on stand N950.
Market Deli unveils new premium quality pack design MARKET Deli is introducing a new pack design to emphasise its quality credentials and highlight the fact the crisps are made with authentic deli ingredients. Rolling out now, the distinctive new packaging is designed to make the brand really eye-catching on shelf. The new look also draws attention to the provenance of the ingredients used to create the delicious flavours in the range, such as Mediterranean Balsamic Vinegar, Cornish Mature Cheddar and Anglesey Sea Salt. Thomas Barkholt, Walkers Marketing Director at PepsiCo UK, said: “With consumers demanding more premium quality snacks and more authentic flavours from
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brands, we are excited to be unveiling the new-look packaging for Market Deli. “Not only will it have even greater stand-out on shelf, it will also emphasise the fact that the range is made using carefully selected, premium quality ingredients. For example, our Mediterranean Balsamic Vinegar SKU recently won a Great Taste Award and this will be displayed on the new packaging. We’re confident that the new-look pack design will be a hit with consumers and outlets alike.”
The Market Deli range of pita and classic potato chips was introduced in June 2014 with the aim of bringing home flavour inspiration from authentic produce found in the finest European markets and delis to shoppers. The range consists of seven flavours and the ingredients used have been selected and crafted by food experts to ensure a truly indulgent and immersive taste experience, “making Market Deli the perfect addition to every special occasion spent with family and friends”.
PROMOTIONAL
H
erald Plastic has been manufacturing and importing disposable catering and janitorial products to wholesalers for almost 30 years, and remains a familyrun business. From plates and cutlery to containers, service packs, disposable gloves and chafing fuel, Herald Plastic has built a solid reputation for supplying a diverse range of quality catering and janitorial products to wholesale customers at the most competitive prices possible and at a quality
that’s held in high regard within the industry. As well as a comprehensive range of core products, Herald Plastic also offers a wide selection of bar disposables. Always on the lookout for new and innovative products on the market, the latest addition to their bar disposables range is a fun and tasty way to enjoy drinks, ‘EDIBLE DRINKING STRAWS!’ These soft and pleasant aromatising straws, available in lime, strawberry and lemon, will transform
drinks into an experience, adding value to any drink. Loved by children and adults alike, edible drinking straws will inevitably create a stir! Quality is everything, and as a preferred supplier of disposable products, Herald Plastic invigilate the quality of the products on a shipment by shipment basis so their customers can always be confident that they are using the very best professional products. Despite being established for over 30 years, the company is constantly
looking at new ways to develop and grow. Recent changes have seen the company invest in new technology, expand the ‘bespoke packaging’ arm of the business, recruit several high calibre sales and customer service people, and become a proud member of the Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA); all helping to ensure that the company is well positioned to continue providing outstanding products and customer service to its clients for the next 30 years.
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avail
Hera l Plast d ic
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www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 43
PACKAGING RAP appoints Paul Robertson as business development executive RAP, the UK market leader in food-to-go packaging sales department, has strengthened its business development capabilities with the appointment of Paul Robertson as business development executive. The appointment is part of the company’s drive to develop new niche markets, including snacking and ready meals. He joins the expanding sales team from packaging manufacturer Coveris, where he’s spent the last six years heading up their sales division. His most recent role included converting new business opportunities; developing the strategy to take the business into the food-to-go market,
and winning and managing key accounts, including a major high street retailer. His appointment comes at an exciting time for RAP who specialise in the creation and manufacture of inspirational and environmentally responsible food packaging. This year, award successes include the prestigious Consumer Convenience Award for MultiRap and the FPA Sustainability Award for RAP’s MA carton packaging. Graham Williams, CEO said: “Paul shares our values, including our commitment to intelligent design, excellence in manufacture and exceptional service. His extensive strategic insight and business development expertise make
PRO2PAC’s Prestigious design challenge THE organisers of Pro2Pac 2017 food and drink packaging event have released details of its prestigious Pro2Pac Design Challenge which is being spearheaded by Sanjay Patel, Global Innovation Connector at Coca-Cola, in partnership with Leeds Beckett University. Sixteen final year Graphic Arts and Design students at Leeds Beckett have been challenged to create a design for a food or drink ‘on the move’ packaging solution which uses graphics or structural improvements to make recycling easier for consumers. The students will be tutored throughout the challenge by Senior Lecturer Andrew de Feu and mentored by Sanjay who, with Simon Oxley, Food Packaging Technologist at M&S, will also judge the projects. The winners
will be announced on the ‘Outside the Box’ stage on 20 March - the opening day of Pro2Pac - with all of the shortlisted designs going on show during the threeday event. “We’re delighted that the 2017 Challenge has the support of such experienced and hugely respected experts in this sector,” commented Nick Piper, Pro2Pac Event Manager. “Not only is this a fantastic opportunity for the students to work on a real life challenge with genuine potential for the industry, but it’s a once in a lifetime chance to work with Sanjay and learn from his experience of one of the world’s most successful brands.” Pro2Pac is co-located with Waste-Works and IFE and will take place at ExCeL London 20 – 22 March 2017.. To register go to www.pro2pac.co.uk
44 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
him an ideal addition to the sales team.” Last year, RAP strengthened their status as the trail blazing force in the foodto-go market. They’re also in the process of developing further in the ready meals and fast food markets. Paul said: “It’s a fantastic time to be joining RAP, and I’m thrilled to be joining of such an innovative team. I’m
looking forward to building relationships with existing and new customers and generating sales.” Martin Beaver, Sales Director, added: “Paul is strengthening our dynamic team at an important time. He brings strong experience in the food-to-go sector which will be of great benefit to our customers.” www.rapuk.com
PFF launches new ‘Delifrecious’ range of food containers The PFF Packaging Group has launched the new DeliFrecious range of high clarity food containers which deliver exceptional quality and sustainability. Comprising five sizes of container - three (180g, 250g and 300g) with a 101mm diameter lid, and two (500g and 600g) with a 126mm diameter lid the DeliFrecious range is made of crack resistant, fully recyclable crystal clear rPET for improved product visibility with single-sized plug fit lids for extra versatility and ease of use. The containers and lids are also oil resistant, making them suitable for predressed foods. “The range of pot sizes helps operators maximise customer choice in terms of portion size while the
plug fit lids ensure secure, leak-resistant storage and transportation,” comments Steve Campbell, Head of Sales at the PFF Packaging Group. “They’re ideal for all types of cold food to go including salads, dips, deli items, noodle dishes and ready to eat fresh fruit.” For customers seeking a bespoke branded option, PFF is able to label the DeliFrecious containers and lids or print up to eight spot colours on the pots and six on the lids. They’re also available in a choice of colours, subject to volume. For further information about the DeliFrecious range, contact the PFF Packaging Group on 0191 415 6500 or visit www.pff.uk.com
Products launched in the last 12 months
DayFresh™ Open Sandwich
MultiRap™ BagRap™
Freshpack™ Quarters
DayFresh™ Tortilla
Hot HandRap™
SoftPack™
HotRap™
MA Wedge™
DayFresh™ Bloomer
Freshpack™
HandRap™ with Strip Laminate
Talk to us about what’s new in 2017
Rapid Action Packaging Ltd, Mansel Court, 2A Mansel Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 4AA T +44 (0) 20 8069 0700 F +44 (0) 20 8069 0701 E info@rapuk.com www.rapuk.com
PACKAGING
Looking back at the
packaging
revolution
man, Managing Colpac celebrates 80 years in business this year. Neil Gold transformed the industry Director, looks back at the packaging revolution that has
Y
ears ago packaging was just ‘packaging’. It was simply functional and practical - a means to an end; a container that allowed people to transport their food and drink from one place to another. Unsurprisingly, things have moved on rapidly since then. The modern packaging industry helps to drive change, meet new environmental standards, and create products that are both eye-catching and lighter in weight. Britain is at the forefront of this packaging revolution, continually providing innovative solutions to meet these challenges, and I’m proud to be at the helm of an independent, privately owned company that has played a key role in this sector for almost a century. Our company was established some 30 years after products were originally packaged in corrugated cartons rather than wooden boxes. For 80 years we have seen the evolution of the industry and ensured that a firm finger has been kept on the global packaging pulse to meet the different trends and styles each decade delivered. This has been essential in not only adapting to the changing packaging landscape, but in continuing to thrive as a British company in a world where, particularly during the 1970’s, globalisation set in. During the 50’s manufacturing was the bedrock of
British industry. Small, independent businesses reigned until the late 70’s when mergers and acquisitions saw larger, global companies take over. Embracing globalisation through product changes and exporting, whilst maintaining the values and customer service of a privately owned company, has been integral to our success, along with a belief in the importance of combining design and manufacturing capabilities from a single site so that excellent standards are consistently met. Working in the highly competitive and diverse market of food packaging where everybody wants exclusivity, being a typical SME, we have needed to be increasingly flexible, providing a creative and personalised service on a global platform. Indeed, it is the food industry which has helped companies such as us diversify and channel creativity to deliver cutting edge packaging. From the fast food craze, when McDonalds hit the high street, to the plastic revolution of the 80’s and the promotion of environmentally friendly and sustainable materials, the food
46 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
packaging industry is one of the most vibrant and competitive sectors to be in. Retailers and manufacturers are always on the look-out for efficient packaging solutions which will stand out, provide convenience, as well as a longer shelf life in a bid to reduce food waste. It isn’t just the look of the packaging which has seen an overhaul either; the material used has gone through a transformation over time. Plastic packaging still has a place in the market and, very occasionally, we have to admit that paperboard alone does not offer the solution. A number of years ago we realised that there was a definite space in the packaging market for a pack that combined the best of both paperboard and plastic and our Fuzione range was born, followed by the successful Vizione and Combione
PACKAGING
ranges. Combination packaging is here to stay. The 80’s signaled the dawn of the convenience meal and, coupled with the introduction of the microwave, packaging evolved further to allow consumers to reheat their purchases. This also heralded an increase in the popularity of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in food packaging, both of which could withstand the changes in temperature without breaking apart. With the onset of increased environmental awareness in the 80’s and 90’s, demand quickly grew for an alternative packaging material. Back in the 80’s we had recycling, and in the 90’s our ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ campaign for biodegradable packaging was ahead of the times! Today, however, the standards are high, and you can find a myriad of
eco-friendly packaging materials on the market. From biodegradable, recycled, to fully compostable paperboard, even the rPET plastic lids used within our combination packaging are constructed from 50% recycled material and window film is compostable. Every manufacturer of food packaging needs to ensure that their sustainable credibility is transparent, with accreditations like the FSC and PEFC, as well as the EN 13432 standard certifying compostable boards and film. As a company, we have benefited enormously from the sustainability movement which plays to the paperboard industry’s strengths. Up until the millennium, the market was largely driven by price and, since paperboard products generally tend to be more expensive than plastic, the going was tough. It was in the early Noughties, when Marks & Spencer helped to pioneer, or at least understand and reflect the changes in consumer thinking and behaviour, that the tables began to turn, and the rest, as they say, is history. Alongside sustainability there is increasing pressure on manufacturers to produce food packaging which is lighter in weight than its predecessors. Ultimately, our products are constructed from material which makes the packaging fit for purpose, if there’s a thinner gauge that still enables the pack to function as it should, then we use it. That said, there’s little point in reducing the weight of the packaging if it’s not going to protect the product inside. A reduction in the weight of material could lead to an increase in food waste. As Britain’s leading supermarkets pledge to drive down food waste by a fifth within the next decade, food packaging manufacturers need to play a part in achieving this goal. By producing packaging in a wide variety of styles and sizes we are enabling food manufacturers and retailers to be flexible in their offering, catering to a wide range of markets. In recent years a greater variety of packaging sizes has fuelled the increasingly popular ‘foodto-go’ market, for today’s work hard, time poor consumer. Speed of packing is essential for retailers catering to this market which hit £20.2bn in 2015 - a quarter of all eating out spend. While consumers
adopt a more balanced health conscious approach to ‘fast food’ and snacking they also crave convenience with the rise in ‘deskfasts’ and ‘dashboard dining’ driving healthy, freshly prepared eat-on-the-go options. These options no longer stretch to a simple sandwich. In fact, the traditional bread-based lunchtime staple now has a great deal of competition. Sales of wraps and pittas have risen 12.8 per cent in the last year alone, as the demand for alternatives to traditional sliced bread has been driven by some of the biggest food trends of 2016, from grab and go breakfast wraps to street food dishes such as burritos along with salads and sushi. This ongoing evolution of consumer tastes will continue to fuel demand for different types of packaging products. To cater for this, multi-functional packaging is the way forward, clean and simple, with the ability to label accordingly. Demand for customised packaging, for unique packaging shapes and styles as well as for individual graphic design, is increasing as the market place becomes ever more competitive. Summing up the success of our company - as well as that of the packaging industry over the last 80 years - in one word, is simple: innovation. A passion for packaging underpins our ability to re-engineer and introduce new products to meet changing tastes and trends. This will, ultimately, equip us for the future as we continuously seek out new materials, finishes and components for our ever increasing portfolio of packaging products.
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 47
PROMOTIONAL
Sustainability Labels Boost Brand Value
supplier Colpac. Their packaging range has strong green credentials, from compostable products, which break down completely within 90 days to recyclable and biodegradable packaging. The fibre used to make Colpac’s paperboard packaging, originates from certified forests. Bender’s – one of the UK’s leading paper cup suppliers – has been committed to sustainable sourcing for its raw materials for many years. All the paperboard used to make its cups comes from PEFCcertified forests in Finland. Bender’s was also the first manufacturer to use water-based inks in paper cup printing. As a further demonstration of the company’s green credentials,
Bender’s was a founding member of the industry-wide Paper Cup Recovery and Recycling Group. This was established to promote post-use, paper cup recycling. AB Group Packaging is a highvolume, manufacturer of quality, renewable certified paper bags and carrier bags for the food to go sector. The company operates in the UK, Europe and the US. AB has been Chain of Custody certified for many years and is therefore able to use the PEFC certification labels on its paper bags and food wraps to demonstrate its commitment supplying customers with responsibly sourced products. Companies who want to demonstrate their green credentials to customers should ask their suppliers of fibreboard packaging if they are PEFCcertified. If they are already being supplied with certified materials, they can ask their suppliers to apply PEFC’s distinctive ‘two trees’ label - exclusively available on PEFC-certified products. This will enable customers to clearly identify packaging that is made from responsibly-sourced raw materials and support the sustainable management of our forests for future generations.
Photos: Oporkka/iStock, Wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock, Bender’s Paper Cups
C
onsumers are increasingly keen to make good environmental choices in their everyday purchases. This includes the packaging in which they take away the allimportant morning coffee, snack or lunch. Consumers expect packaging to be responsibly sourced, easily recycled with a minimal impact on the environment and ultimately, the world’s forests. Recognising the importance of meeting customer expectations, more and more manufacturers are now producing packaging certified as sustainable through assurance programmes such as PEFC’s. Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation which promotes sustainable forest management through the certification of forests and the products that come from them including paper-based packaging. For those new to PEFC and its label, the PEFC programme involves two separate but linked processes: Sustainable Forest Management – certification assures that forests are managed in line with challenging environmental, social and economic requirements – balancing people, planet and profit. Chain of Custody Certification – this means that the trees and products made from them are tracked. It demonstrates that each step of the supply chain has been verified through an independent auditing process as being legal and sustainable. Certification is only awarded after strict audits have verified compliance with PEFC’s globally-recognised sustainability benchmarks. Leading manufacturers supplying the ‘food to go’ sector have obtained Chain of Custody certification and are already supplying PEFClabelled packaging. These include leading food packaging
To find out more visit: http://www.pefc.co.uk/markets-forpefc/packaging-print-paper E-mail:info@pefc.co.uk
48 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
PEF
Photos: Oporkka/iStock, Wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock, Bender’s Paper Cups
PEFC: Your assurance of responsibly sourced packaging
A message for your customers to take away... Choose PEFC Discover more at www.pefc.co.uk
Caring for our forests globally and locally www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 49
PEFC_UK_QSR_magazine_advert_A4_PRINT_2017_02_16.indd 1
16/02/2017 17:42
PACKAGING PROFILE
‘Packaging is an investment, not a cost’ T ri-Star Packaging constantly invests in new product development, designing new products that enable food and drink operators to expand their businesses and improve their profit. “When our customers invest in our packaging it brings a tangible benefit to their business. And we are never short of innovative and ground-breaking new packaging concepts,” says Managing Director, Kevin Curran. Take, for instance, the brand-new Gourmet 24.7 multi-functional packaging solution. In an industry first, this product enables operators to pack multiple takeaway dishes, both wet and dry, hot and cold, into a single container without the different foods mixing. For example, curry with rice, pasta with sauce and a salad, or many other combinations of popular dishes and their accompaniments. It is also a straight-to-table solution as every component is microwaveable, so the consumer can take it home or back to the office, pop it in the microwave to re-heat and eat it straight from the packaging; no need to decant food into another container and the presentation remains perfect. Gourmet 24.7 has an easy to use push and click system. Seven different combinations are possible from four interchangeable components: two primary board base cartons - one
large and one small - a thermoformed container and a lid. The lid will push fit into each of the other components for a simple product combination and doubles as a sharing plate, making it great for parties. More complex combinations are possible as the thermoformed container will push fit snugly into either of the primary board base cartons. The push fit system is not only easy to assemble but ensures a tight seal is achieved to prevent against any leakage. Tri-Star Packaging developed Gourmet 24.7 in response to a request from a premium restaurant chain, seeking to uphold its chic image when launching a takeaway service. The ability to custom print enables restaurants to maintain their brand values and key messaging across the packaging. The customised design can also include sleeves to highlight food ingredients and menus. With the burgeoning demand in home delivery, Gourmet 24.7 presents restaurant operators with the perfect solution to ensure their food arrives with the consumer in peak condition, thus enhancing repeat sales and improving brand satisfaction. “Packaging is becoming more complex to meet changing trends in catering and an increasingly discerning consumer,” Curran continues. “It is important that packaging
50 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
companies offer this kind of consultative service to customers, which gives them the tools they need to drive business growth by developing new channels.” A proven innovator, the launch of Gourmet 24.7 is just the latest in a series of revolutionary packaging products for the takeaway, grab-and-go and snack market from Tri-Star Packaging. It follows hot on the heels of the hugely successful Oval Eco Street Bowl and curvy Tri-Pots. The Oval Eco Street Bowl is kind on the environment and easy to hold whilst eating. “It addresses the simple ergonomics of eating. Our hands weren’t designed for eating on-the-go out of round and square bowls, but an oval bowl is the perfect shape,” says Curran. “It fits comfortably and feels more secure, enhancing the allround eating experience for the customer and adds a real point of difference for foodto-go businesses.” Made from unbleached bagasse – a fully compostable sugar cane
pulp that grows abundantly – the innovative Oval Eco Street Bowl is also bang on-trend. It is ideal for the growing number of street food traders and caterers serving food-to-go options such as curries, noodles, pasta, burritos and salads. An optional ultra-clear rPET lid is made from recycled and recyclable materials and helps to maximize food presentation which can generate impulse purchase. The lid clips on securely to keep food well preserved and eliminate leakage while ensuring there is no flavour transfer between products that are stored in close proximity. Also, made from rPET, Tri-Pot™ is an exclusive range of trendy deli pots for serving salads, desserts and snacks to-go. The pot offers superb presentation on-shelf and excellent clarity, which makes it ideal for encouraging impulse purchases. Its soft curves fit perfectly in the hand, making Tri-Pot™ a very popular packaging choice with consumers.
WE DESIGN & MANUFACTURE CUSTOMISED PACKAGING SOLUTIONS FOR YOU! Looking for something different? New packs, different materials or individual designs – contact us and find out more about our custom made services.
Tel: +44 (0) 1525 712 261 • enquiries@colpac.co.uk
www.colpacpackaging.com
To advertise call Paul Steer on 01291 636342 March 2017 51
PACKAGING
Sustainability is an integrated part of operations at Huhtamaki As global specialists in packaging for food and drink, Huhtamaki is committed to manufacturing disposables which meet the demands and expectations of today’s consumers. Becci Eplett, UK marketing manager explains the initiatives the company has in place to ensure they operate and manufacture responsibly SUSTAINABILITY is an integrated part of the operations at Huhtamaki and with today’s consumers having an improved awareness of recycling and composting, it is as important as ever that operators have a position on the issues surrounding this topic. According to our independent research commissioned into the takeaway hot drinks market in the UK, consumers are actively recycling: 76% claim to recycle when away from home, and 63% believe that environmental issues have had more of an effect on them than they did 3 years ago, for instance. 89% of consumers think that information about the compostability and recyclability of products should be provided. Consumers understand the concept of biodegradability and want to be told about the environmental impact of the products they’re using – both in terms of the ingredients and the packaging. COMPOSTABILITY With 85% of consumers wanting outlets to use compostable takeaway products and over half (57%) paying up to 2% more for their drinks to be served in them, it’s a significant benefit to an operator who uses them. Operators concerned about their impact on the environment can use single-use disposables such as those in Huhtamaki’s Bioware range, which comprises cups, tumblers, food containers, Strongholder carry trays, cutlery and Chinet plates and bowls. All products hold the European EN13432 certificate and can be composted in industrial composting facilities within 60 days. RECYCLING All Huhtamaki paper (hot, cold and vending) cups can be recycled. The
company is a founding member of the Paper Cup Recovery and Recycling Group and is proud to be a member of the Simply Cups recycling scheme. The Simply Cups scheme provides a collection and postal recycling service to aid foodservice operators within the supply chain to support CSR policies and improve environmental credentials. The scheme can recycle all Huhtamaki UK paper cups. The fibres from our paper cups are extracted and converted into high quality pulp suitable for a variety of uses from luxury papers right through to robust packaging materials. SUSTAINABILITY Its UK manufactured paper cups and Eatwell food containers are made using paperboard material that is PEFC certified (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). PEFC aims to promote sustainable development in forest management and assurance that the material in the final product can be traced back to a sustainable source managed with due respect for environmental, economic and social standards.
52 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
Cups made by the company in the UK can feature the PEFC logo as part of their design, to provide assurances that the products are from sustainable, legal and traceable sources and so that customers know that the product they are using is PEFC certified. If you’re looking for a takeaway cup that is clear, ideal for juice and cold drinks, the Polarity tumblers are made at Huhtamaki’s Gosport factory from recycled PET (RPET) – a material derived from PET bottles such as carbonated drinks and water bottles. They offer strength, flexibility and excellent clarity, whilst being environmentally friendly too. The company is also a founding member of the cross-industry Paper Cup Recovery and Recycling Group (PCRRG), and a member of the Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) – through which they are also a signatory of the WRAP Hospitality and Foodservice agreement. ENERGY SAVING Huhtamaki UK Ltd. has built upon its long-standing commitment to continuous improvements in energy efficiency by achieving ISO 50001 certification – the international, crossindustry standard for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an energy management system. “Recognition for our energy management system and drive to reduce energy consumption was awarded following an intense threeday audit of our Gosport-based site,” explains Catherine Tipper, Head of Business Excellence. Huhtamaki UK Ltd. Tel: +44(0)2392 512434 www.foodservice.huhtamaki.co.uk https://www.linkedin.com/company/ huhtamaki
“A family of 8 different snacking pots with an option of stackable lids and exciting insert choices. Made of recyclable PET, SERVIPACK® from SHARPAK offers an exciting new way to present Sizes Available: Small Size: 100 - 160 - 200 - 250 ml and eat snacks on the go. Large Size: 200 - 270 - 300 - 400 ml Whether it be a breakfast yogurt with granola, a healthy fruit snack or a luxurious dessert, SERVIPACK® is sure to wow!” Please call our sales office or visit our website www.gmpackaging.co.uk.
Telephone 0191 296 2007
Email sales@gmpackaging.co.uk Website: www.gmpackaging.co.uk Address: Unit B7 Hamar Close, Tyne Tunnel Estate, North Shields NE29 7XB
SL1500 MACHINE
Features and benefits ■ ■ ■ ■
Twin lane board sealer with powered eject. Integrated exit conveyor. Optional integrated coding. Seals up to 80 packs per minute.
MPE UK Ltd . Unit 18 Botany Business Park, Macclesfield Road, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire SK23 7DQ
Tel: +44 (0) 1663 732700
Fax: +44 (0) 1663 732900
Website www.mpe-uk,com
To advertise call Paul Steer on 01291 636342 March 2017 53
NEWS
Planglow packaging sales analysis and trends Planglow reports on the latest sales trends, based on its sales figures over the last six months FROM June to December 2016, sales of our hot food packaging products continued to rocket and we estimate that hot options now account for around one in nine (11%) of all grab and go purchases. This is an increase of 2.5% on the previous financial year (2015 2016) and almost double that of the twelve months prior to this (2014-2015) when hot foods accounted for just 6% of the to-go market. Sandwiches maintained their lion’s share, continuing to command almost two thirds (63%) of the grab and go market. This is in keeping with the last financial year, though still 6% down on 2014-2015 when just shy of one in seven (69.5%) grab and go purchases was
a sandwich product. In terms of sandwich type, the wedge is back having regained its edge from the baguette (bag). Over the past six months almost half (46%) of sandwiches were served with a triangular cut, an additional 8% slice of the market on the last financial year. BRAND The most popular types of packaging are cost effective and versatile. Six of our top ten best-selling products (including the top three) are from our deliesque chalk on slate Gastro collection, the remaining four are from our brand neutral Natural collection. Ultimately good quality food should speak for itself so you shouldn’t have to overegg your pudding with big name brands and
gimmicks; focus instead on developing your own look that sets you apart from the competition. Planglow offers five off the shelf brands which can be personalised by our customers using our market leading labelling software. We also offer custom design services with our in-house graphics team plus branding services for a whole new look. SUSTAINABILITY CONSIDERATIONS Eco packaging not only helps to reduce the environmental impact of catering businesses, but it has been proven to attract more customers too - in fact 60% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for products made with sustainable materials. Currently there is a great
deal of confusion regarding next use options for food packaging. The simple fact is many packaging items are not suitable for recycling if they have come into contact with food. Therefore we would encourage food providers to consider compostable products such as ours which are less dependent on the waste recycling services operated by their local authority. We have just launched our own Food to Field initiative to connect food providers with composting facilities, AD plants and other services in their area that will help them to minimise otherwise landfill-bound waste and turn into materials that can be used to grow more crops. Please contact us if you require further information.
100% Recycled Napkin and Dispenser Kit
Planglow has added a recycled napkin and dispenser to its award winning Street Food range. The UK-made Street Napkin & Dispenser Kit utilises unbleached 100% recycled materials and has a natural kraft finish: 4,000 compostable napkins and two flat packed recyclable card dispensers. The napkins feature the signature stylings of its popular Street Food Collection - a distressed
‘passport stamp’ stating ‘Made from 100% recycled material’. The same wording is also printed on the dispenser to further support your eco credentials. The dispenser comes flat packed, simply fold to form and clip-in the tab, while the one ply napkins are supplied pre-folded ready to drop into the dispenser. Both the dispenser and napkin are suitable for recycling.
54 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
Sandwich Slicer - DSS-250/1
VSM-180
•
Vertical slicing machine to slice filled sandwiches into triangular portions.
•
With the standard machine up to 1200 sandwiches can be cut per hour. For higher hourly output the slicer is also deliverable with more than one cutting line.
Vertical Slicer VSM-180 effective • hygienic • robust • •
Vertical cutting machine with patented and reliable KR cutting system for a perfect cutting result.
DSS-250/1
Cutting speed is adjustable from 4 metres per minute to 10 metres per minute
INTERBAKE LTD.
UNIT 2, BRIDGE MILLS, ROCHDALE ROAD, EDENFIELD, RAMSBOTTOM, BURY BL0 0RE Tel: 01706 82 5596 / 07710 723901
Email: triple.d@zen.co.uk
To advertise call Paul Steer on 01291 636342 March 2017 55
NEWS
‘Office workers are stuck in a sandwich rut’ Unadventurous office workers are habitually eating the same lunchtime sandwiches, according to a new piece of research
M
illions of office workers are eating the same lunch every single day, according to a new study commissioned by Hain Daniels’ New Covent Garden Soup. Researchers who carried out a detailed study among 2,000 adults found that a lack of inspiration, convenience and cost means millions of workers are tucking into the same sandwich or salad on repeat, and have been doing so for the last nine months. 58 per cent admit they feel they have had eaten identical meals for as long as they can remember. And our affair with uninspiring lunches isn’t being helped by the fact that during the working week, Brits take a lunch break just three out of the five working days – and even then, they last an average of 32 minutes, with almost half of all workers eating their lunch at their desk. The research, conducted on a sample of 2,000 adults, revealed that one in six admitted they’ve had the same lunch for at least two years now. As a result, a staggering 81 per cent of people are ‘bored’ by their lunch choices and three in ten even said other people have noticed and commented on their ‘boring’ lunches. It seems we know what we’re doing too, with six in ten admitting they could be more creative with their lunches. One respondent has had the same box of chopped vegetables, tuna and a boiled egg every day for the last two years, while another admitted to eating a work lunch consisting of a ham sandwich, with a piece of fruit, every day since they started work – 20 YEARS ago. According to the survey, it’s the ham sandwich which tops the list of most common repeat lunches, followed
by cheese and chicken sandwiches, baguettes and a salad. Egg sandwiches, pasta and jacket potatoes are also among the lunchtime staples. (It’s worth noting, however, that British Sandwich Association research has consistently put chicken at the top of popularity tables when it comes to sandwich fillings, says Simon Ambrose). Food psychologist Dr Becky Spelman commented on the findings: “People tend to be much more willing to experiment with their main meal of the day. Breakfast and lunch are often meals
Top ten most common repeat lunches 1. Ham sandwich 2. Cheese sandwich 3. Chicken sandwich 4. Salad 5. Baguette 6. Egg sandwich 7. Pasta 8. Jacket potato and topping 9. Microwave ready-meal 10. Prawn sandwich
Top five reasons for having the same lunch 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
It’s easy It’s cheap/cost effective It’s just habit It’s healthy I don’t know what else to have
56 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
that bring out our inner conservative. Eating the same thing every day means we risk not getting a wide enough array of nutrients, as well as simply being very monotonous.” The reasons for this lunch time malaise are clear: 72 per cent of people say they have the same meals time and time again because it’s easier, while another 45 per cent think it works out cheaper or more cost effective than mixing it up. Others put the same lunches down it being habit (37%), healthy (19%) or simply having no idea what else to have (19%). Dr Spelman commented further: “Most of us wouldn’t want to always go on holidays to the same place, so why keep eating the same meal, day after day? Making small changes, such as trying something new for our lunch time meal, can – in a small way – help to open our mind to new experiences in other areas of life too! For example, some people limit their foreign travel to countries where they know they’ll find familiar foods. The world actually becomes a bigger, more exciting, place when we are more open to a wide variety of flavours” “Even with little time or facilities, lunch doesn’t need to be a plain sandwich brought in from home and a little bit of creativity can help you to revive your lunch-life and find something which is convenient, varied, and healthy.”
! e t a D e h Save t
The BSA Conference on Wednesday 18th October 2017 At The Grange Holborn Hotel, London WITH PRESENTATIONS AND DEBATES ON: WORKING TOGETHER TO CUT WASTE – Waste, whether it is in food, packaging or other, is not only costly for businesses but socially unacceptable in today’s world. In this session we will discuss some of the work being done by the Association to reduce waste in the sandwich and food-to-go markets. You will also have an opportunity to have a direct input into the future work of the Association in this area. MEETING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES – whether it is food miles or energy costs, the industry has environmental responsibilities to meet. Hear how the Association is working to address environmental issues and discuss the justification of food miles in a global world, how much importance should sandwich and Food To Go businesses give to the environment and what should the priorities be. GROWING THE MARKET – Growth in the sandwich market has steadied in recent years from the heady 20-25% growth rates of the 1990s, yet estimates suggest that the carry out of home sandwich market is as large as the commercial sector. What can we do to persuade consumers to buy more commercially made sandwiches and how do we tackle the arguments that it is cheaper to make sandwiches at home? There will be a report on the market from a retail and foodservice perspective, together with an industry view from two marketing directors in the retail and foodservice sector.
For further details please email
pam@sandwich.org.uk
NEWS
IGD identifies top five food-to-go trends With food-to-go taking a bigger bite of grocery markets around the world, Gavin Rothwell, Senior Retail Insight Manager at grocery research organisation IGD, identifies the top five trends he believes will shape this sector in the future 1. THE RISE AND RISE OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS “Shoppers are increasingly aware of health and wellness, and food-to-go operators are expanding the variety of flavours and products available to meet this demand. Foods that support active lifestyles and tick the box for dietary needs are performing well, while wearable technology and apps are helping shoppers to better understand the nutritional and calorific value of what they consume. “UK food-to-go shoppers are especially interested in products that suit particular diets, with 34% looking for a larger range of vegetarian products, 25% more dairy-free products and 23% seeking more vegan or gluten-free options*.” 2. TARGETING NEW LOCATIONS “Many food-to-go specialists are now expanding to reach new types of shopper. For example, both Tossed and Pret are now present in motorway services, while Subway and Greggs are expanding across petrol forecourts, to target the on-the-go shopper. “Other operators, such as Leon and Tortilla, are also opening stores outside London for the first time, to meet growing appetite for food-to-go outside the capital.” 3. AN INCREASED FOCUS ON ‘ALTERNATIVE MISSIONS’ “By ‘alternative missions’, we mean food-to-go occasions beyond the classic options of coffee or lunch. Although many retailers and specialists are focusing their efforts on breakfast, this is a relatively small market and spend per trip can be quite modest. We’re therefore expecting to see a broader focus on alternative missions at different
customers’ entire ordering experience to in-store tablets, and last year Starbucks introduced a remote ordering app – a technology we also expect to really grow in popularity. US salad specialist Sweetgreen is going one step further, converting most of its stores to be cashless.
times of day – some of this might be for evening meals, but there may also be opportunities at other times of day, for example a post-work snack or post-gym energy boost. “Snacking provides a great opportunity for food-to-go operators. Almost half (45%) of UK adults have bought a snack on-the-go in the last month, so the size of the prize is huge.” 4. FURTHER INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY “Almost all shoppers (92%) think speed and efficiency of service is an important driver of deciding where to shop for food and drink, so we expect technology to play an even bigger role in food-to-go in the future. Outlets such as San Francisco’s Eatsa and London’s Inamo have completely transferred
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5. MORE FUSION BETWEEN RETAIL AND FOOD-TO-GO CONCEPTS “Grocery retailers across the world are looking at how they can better cater for the food-to-go opportunity. For the likes of Whole Foods Market and Wegmans in the US, it’s already a core part of their offer. However, other super and hypermarket retailers, such as Carrefour with its Bon App shop-in-shop format, are also focusing more on this area. “For smaller retail formats, Irish retailers are setting a great example in this field. For example, Musgrave’s Centra has been extremely progressive in how it delivers a compelling foodto-go offer, a convenience store and an enticing eat-in area in one single space. We expect more of this to follow in 2017 and beyond, as more retailers look to capture a share of the growing foodto-go opportunity.”
The Café Society
Join us for the Joint Technical Group Forum
Hosted By Allied Mills, Coronet Mill, 1 Coronet Way, Salford, M50 1RE
Date: Thursday 6th April At 11.00am
Agenda 1. Welcome presentation and mill tour by Chris Brown, Allied Mills Ltd 2. Extension of product shelf life through Superchilling - This talk will cover some background information on the technique and the work performed recently at Campden BRI to investigate the effect on shelf life that superchilling can have on product shelf life. Some ideas for future work will also be discussed – Greg Jones, Microbiologist, Campden BRI. 3. The power of business to bring about regulatory change in the EU. - This focusses on 4 importers of fresh tuna in Spain, France, Italy and the UK who became aware of increasing amounts of tuna
treated with vegetable extract. This presentation will explain the process of getting legal change across Europe. How businesses can bring about change in the EU by going straight to EU policy makers. – Fiona Wright, Seafish Company 4. Lunch 5. Understanding the impacts on climate change of convenience food: Carbon footprint of sandwiches - This talk will present and discuss the carbon footprint of different ready-made sandwiches with the aim of identifying carbon hotspots and opportunities for improvements - Professor Adisa Azapagic FREng, The University of Manchester
Lunch will be provided 6. Brexit – how will it affect you? Government is about to start negotiating Brexit and is seeking views from industry on issues that could affect them. What are the issues that concern you – what legislation would you like to see changed – what impact do you think Brexit will have on your businesses. Join us for an open discussion – we will feed your thoughts back to Government after the meeting – Jim Winship, Director It is intended that the meeting will finish at approximately 2.30pm
Attendance is FREE
for full manufacturing, supplier and retail members attending (one per company).
To book your place please email pam@sandwich.org.uk Telephone: 01291 636341
IFE
Healthy eating trends showcased at IFE
F
ocusing on global product innovation and welcoming some of the leading buyers in the industry, The International Food & Drink Event (IFE) 2017 is both the largest show of its kind in the UK, and at the forefront of predicting future food trends. Following the explosion in healthy eating trends across the industry in the last few years, IFE is again hosting a section dedicated entirely to Health & Wellbeing. Buyers will be spoilt for choice with a diverse range of the latest product innovations. Just a few examples are Gato & Co (N2260) who aim to revolutionise desserts with a range of puddings which are less than 220 calories per pot, made with natural, nutrient-rich ingredients and free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar. Mighty Bee (N2434) produce 100% organic coconut water, coconut meat and jerky, whilst The Nude Spoon (N2271) will showcase organic, dairy-free ice cream sweetened with coconut sugar and packed full of nutritious ingredients to create a range of flavours such as creamy coffee, salted caramel and rich chocolate. Moving from produce to cooking essentials, The DressQuerade Sauce Co. (N2343) will showcase a range of versatile and delicious sauces, dressings and marinades made from raw blends of 70%+ fresh fruit and vegetables. Crofts Avocado Oil (N2525) will
exhibit their 100% natural and gluten free oil, which is ideal for general healthy living and a great ingredient for cooking nutritious dishes. IFE is also unveiling two brand new speaker stages – the Talking Trends stage and the Big Picture theatre. The Talking Trends stage will focus on innovation and key food & drink trends, with talks such as ‘Why would a top restaurant want to go Gluten and Dairy Free?’ with Dominic Teague, Executive Chef from One Aldwych, on Tuesday 21 March and ‘Good Fats vs. Bad Fats’ with Bee Wilson, food writer and historian, on Wednesday 22 March. The Big Picture theatre will tackle the hard-hitting issues facing the industry in these challenging times. There will be a range of topics such as ‘Plates Over Pills’ with medical practitioner Dr Rupy Aujla from The Doctor’s Kitchen who will discuss the benefit of good nutrition over medication on Sunday 19 March. While ‘The Sugar Debate’ will be held on Tuesday 21 March with Food Industry expert Jane Milton, along with Richard Hall, Chairman from Zenith Global and Tim Rycroft, Director of Corporate Affairs from the Food & Drink Federation. Also new for this year, IFE 2017 has introduced the “trend trail”, which lets buyers walk a dedicated path throughout the event allowing them to discover the latest products and
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suppliers across a range of categories including ‘free-from’. Event Director, Soraya Gadelrab commented: “IFE 2017 is in prime position to identify the healthiest forthcoming trends of 2017, such as purple produce which features increasingly on contemporary menus due to both its nutritional value and vibrant colour. Consumers are turning to flexitarian diets, encouraged by major supermarket retailers who are trying to make meat free alternatives more accessible. We’re also seeing alternative proteins gaining traction with consumers as the industry continues to position them in progressively appealing ways as the market evolves. “At IFE 2017, you can discover all the emerging health trends that will lead the way for the year ahead. Over 1,350 suppliers choose to exhibit at the event, which runs across four days from the 19 to 22 March at ExCeL London, so it’s the ideal place to discover the newest innovations that will be driving growth in this market. “With nine easy to navigate sections, insight from leading industry professionals and cooking demonstrations from some of the most respected chefs in the industry, whether you’re a retailer, chef, manufacturer, wholesaler or distributor, IFE is the only place to be to ensure you stay one step ahead of the food and drink curve.”
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TECHNOLOGY: COTSWOLD JUICES
Getting the juices flowing with an online-ordering system In August 2016, after months of planning and research, Kathryn Green finally launched Cotswold Juices, delivering organic, nutrious, cold-pressed juices to offices and homes around the Cotswolds. We caught up with Kathryn to find out about the technological challenges she faced along the way and what the future holds WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO START THE BUSINESS? I got to a certain point in my life and realised I was starting to suffer the consequences of not looking after my myself. I’d worked in the corporate world for years and I was going through a period of ill health, partly as a result of my poor lifestyle. I decided to take matters into my own hands and, having always been a fan of juicing, I dusted off my juicer and started making myself my own daily, nutrientpacked elixirs to take to work. But, I invariably ran out of time or vegetables and I rediscovered how much hassle it is to clean a juicer every day! I started looking around for a company that could make and deliver fresh, preferably organic, healthy and nutrious juices to me every day, and there wasn’t one! Then I had that lightbulb moment where I decided I could create a company to fill a need – and Cotswold Juices was born. The company now provides freshly cold-pressed, organic, nutritious juices in seven flavours - Revive, Balance, Heart Beet, Kick Start, Energy Smoothie, The Refresher and Carrot Espresso. Each juice combination is carefully selected and balanced to provide optimum flavour. Juices are available to buy individually or on a subscription basis, and delivered within the Cotswolds. HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT SETTING UP YOUR WEBSITE? I knew that having a website would be fundamental to my businesses – I needed people to be able to order and pay online so I would be free to have the time to make and deliver the juices. I had never run or set up a business like this before, but I found a website development company who I trusted and I worked with them to build my website, starting with a simple online ordering
form and taking payment via PayPal. Shortly before I was due to lauch, I realised that this system was totally inadequate for what I needed! It was a disaster and I was panicking. The web development company quoted me several thousand pounds to produce the sort of system I needed, which was way out of my budget. WHAT WAS MY CRITERIA? My website is my virtual store front; it’s how I present my business to the world. So it’s essential that it looks good, but it also has to function. And I don’t just mean that the pictures load and the text is correct. As an e-commerce business, my customers need to be able to easily order what they want. They need to be able to pay online, add a delivery address, add notes for their order; maybe in future they could customise their juices. And it all needs to be a seamless customer experience. The site also needs to be maintenancefree for me, as I don’t have time on a day to day basis to be managing it or changing things. This was a tall-order for a bespoke system!
things I hadn’t even thought I needed. I now have a comprehensive ordering system, allowing people to go online, register, choose their juices and the date and destination for delivery. I can add juices easily, change pricing, offer discounts, loyalty rewards, recommend a friend schemes…the list is endless. Each day I get notified of new orders and have a system that allows me to easily interact with my customers. If you offer any form of online food delivery service, this software is just brilliant. Butterware is a software solution designed for the lunch-to-go industry. It provides companies with a custom designed website, supported by powerful software which allows them to take orders online for collection or delivery. The shop has full control of their menu and the system can be configured for single or multiple premises, or accept customers based on postcode location. Using Butterware helps lunch-to-go businesses increase sales and customer loyalty, while decreasing wastage.
LUCK INTERVENED Just as I was panicking about what to do next, I saw an advert on a Facebook business forum for an online ordering solution spcifically designed for the food to go industry – Butterware. I contacted them and got a response immediately. This system was everything I needed, and more. Even better – it was far cheaper than creating a bespoke solution! Within 24 hours, the Butterware team had my bespoke onine ordering website up and running and they’d taken the time to talk me through the system and how it all worked. Being new to the industry, one of the benefits of buying in a solution is that the software does
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2017? My business plan was to get orders online and deliver them, but I’ve recently had an enquiry from a local chain of shops to stock my juices. This is going to require me to expand a bit faster than I had expected, so I’m looking at moving my operations. It’s a really excting time and I’m more confident to take on new challenges knowing that the online ordering aspect, which is still essential to my business, is all running smoothly. It’s one less headache for me to worry about and allows me to get on with the day to day management of my business. www.butterware.co.uk www.cotswoldjuices.com
62 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
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Boosting your revenue with catering management software
Sandwich bar operations such as Benugo, Birleys, Le Pain Quotidien and a number of smaller independents are increasingly using catering management software to improve their service and significantly boost results. Simon Ambrose investigates
B
irley Sandwiches has become the latest food-to-go company to adopt catering management software for handling corporate catering deliveries. The leading London sandwich chain joins the growing number of franchises and independent stores looking to manage orders with a system that is designed specifically for corporate catering requirements. While PoS systems continue to improve, making it simpler to process
loyalty points and promotions, enabling click and collect, and matching pace with the evolution of payment methods, Birley’s move shows the difference between catering for customers in-store and catering for meetings in the workplace. PoS systems offer everything that’s needed for immediate transactions with small numbers of people, but catering management software picks up the slack when it comes to orders made for office delivery.
64 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
REWARDING EXPANSION The move to corporate catering is not one that every sandwich store and bakery is sold on. Entering the B2B market can seem like a deviation from the familiar, and a huge increase in workload, if not handled efficiently. The benefits though, are significant. Selling food to businesses is essentially marketing to a group of new customers who are likely to have the disposable income to be able to buy regularly in the future. On top of this,
TECHNOLOGY with money being made on the current order, corporate catering represents a low-cost opportunity to advertise and expand a customer base. It’s for this reason that most companies involved in corporate catering find packaging so important. Getting food in front of a meeting of 10 people is of little value if they can’t tell where it came from. 10 BIRDS WITH 1 STONE The ratio of customers reached in corporate catering compared to in-store business is another reason that companies like Birley are committed to office delivery. With corporate orders going to an average of around 10 people, a single delivery can require a significant amount less time and effort than providing the same service to 10 queuing customers waiting for the till. However, while it can add revenue and remove strain from the frantic lunch-hour period, corporate catering has to be managed properly, as a single mistake that reaches 10 paying customers hurts the bottom line that much more - it’s undeniably a different market. In offering corporate catering, Birley’s orders are often processed far in advance of the delivery date, with specific requirements and allergen information having to be recorded and accessible. Payment can be immediate, as with in-store transactions, but many customers’ loyalty rests on their ability to pay on account, and their caterer’s ability to handle invoices efficiently. Having grown to multiple sites around London since start-up in the early ‘80s, Birley has had systems in place for the processing of breakfast and lunch delivery for many years, including a successful online ordering function on their website. They are not new to corporate account delivery either, with Richard Henry looking after the details as head of the delivery team for over 15 years. However, as technology has jumped forward so much since Birley’s sent out their first sandwich, the chain was keen not to let the corporate customer experience fall behind. By implementing a catering management system, they have built on their offer, enabling people to make large orders for delivery without having to insert card details every time.
THE SOLUTION The system adopted by Birley is Spoonfed, a cloud-based software that offers online sales order processing, as well as a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) that processes order details through production, delivery and invoicing. Birley’s goal is to use Spoonfed’s automation to improve the efficiency of their corporate catering delivery, and to make delivering the right food at the right time easier. With a convenient and reliable customer experience, the sandwich chain hopes to build on the profitability of repeat business from a segment with high expectations, as well as large order quantities. Catering Management Systems vary in the control that they offer both the caterer and the customer. On the customer’s side, online ordering is normally a function, as well as the ability to edit or cancel an order after submitting it. This might record and feed specific ingredients or delivery requirements directly into a system that the caterer can access. More comprehensive catering management systems like Spoonfed take this much further by giving the caterer control of every aspect of an order in a back office software, whether it was made online or phoned in to a store. SOCIAL BITE One of the biggest and most rapid success stories from adopting a catering management system is social enterprise sandwich bar Social Bite, which helps the homeless by giving all the profits of its five stores around Scotland to the homeless community. Before introducing Spoonfed in 2014, the sandwich chain struggled to process corporate catering orders efficiently, using manual and unreliable systems to manage each order.
In the first six months of using the software, Social Bite’s corporate catering revenue rose from £7,000 a month to £70,000. With a simple online ordering experience for customers, they were also able to upsell menus with clearly visible extras, causing an increase in average order size of 25% over the same period. “Within the space of 6 months, Spoonfed completely transformed our business – corporate catering has become our biggest revenue generator by far,” says Charlotte Turner, Social Bite’s Head of Corporate Catering. “To put figures on that, we increased our corporate catering revenue from £7,000 per month to over £70,000 per month, with a 25% increase in average order value and we still have a lot more room for growth.” BENUGO’S IMPROVED CUSTOMER JOURNEY For Benugo, adopting Spoonfed’s software has brought an improved customer experience, combining the system’s quick and simple online ordering system with the introduction of their new mobile-optimised website. Customers now move from the improved site into Spoonfed’s online ordering system seamlessly, with the ordering journey customised to match Benugo branding. Benugo adopted Spoonfed in the summer of 2016, and has had positive feedback from customers about the ease and simplicity of their experience. The company has seen sales increase as a result, while staff have found the back office of the catering management system brought immediate benefits, finding it simpler to input orders, in much the same way that their customers have with online ordering. They have also been able to analyse their performance better, using data led analytics that Spoonfed provides in its automated reports. “As our business grows and the competition intensifies, the demand for an improved delivery proposition was evident and a necessity for the brand. Spoonfed have been instrumental in providing a platform that has significantly driven sales,” says Rory McEntee, Head of Marketing at Benugo.
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 65
TECHNOLOGY • Automated production sheets aggregate all the food needing to be prepared • Automated delivery sheets let the delivery person who is allocated to an order see all the details. • Ability to send out multiple invoices at once. • Automated reports show top customers, menus and performance comparisons. • Integration with multiple payment, accounting and marketing systems
“Our regular delivery customers who used an older system were unanimous in agreement that it simplified their order process and it allowed us to be confident in marketing to a new audience. From an internal perspective it has given us real data & reporting to use and helps us make decisions to continually improve the service and offer to our customers.” START AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON Any successful caterer will understand the challenges that growth presents. One of the common pain-points of expansion is finding new systems that will not only work today, but are scalable, should demands change in the future. Lazy Lunch, an independent Birmingham-based caterer, made the commitment of joining Spoonfed from the start, knowing that, while manual processes might suffice when order numbers were low, automation would be needed if things went to plan. As business picked up, they were fortunate to have a catering management system in place at the time when they least wanted to be looking around for, and transitioning to, new processes. The efficiency of automation also fuelled that growth, allowing them more time to look for new customers and pay attention to the needs of their current ones. Reuben Hazell, Lazy Lunch, told us: “Since being a customer
of Spoonfed we have noticed a considerable rise in turnover and profits. This is down to the amount of time their systems have saved us on things we were doing manually.” “It has allowed ourselves more time to focus on bringing in new business and also to focus on current customers, so we meet their needs much better, which ultimately means they are happy and spend more.” HOW DOES IT WORK? • Online orders are automatically allocated to the customer’s closest store or central kitchen - ideal for chains like Birley. • Customers fill in their special food requests, and drop-down boxes are tailored to record desired information, e.g. the name of the event taking place. • Multiple contacts are stored and can have their own online ordering login for the same customer account. • Details like whether room setup is required flow through from online order all the way to the delivery person. • Caterer has a dashboard showing top customers, recent orders, and useful information. • User permissions can limit staff to the information that they need to see. • A customer’s complete order history can be seen at a glance. • A shared calendar, updated in the cloud, shows all orders, quotes and events.
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WHERE NEXT FOR CATERING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS? The requirements of corporate catering don’t change as quickly as other sections of the food and drink industry, with EPoS systems needing to keep up with payment methods that are introduced almost as often as new phone models. However, corporate caterers have just as great a need to offer the best in customer service, as the market is no less competitive. Catering Management Systems are likely to become an increasingly popular way of increasing efficiency and minimising manual work, from taking orders, through to accounting. Each system’s success will rest on its ability to add functionality and integrate with new applications that customers are asking for.
Labelling software for the Food Industry
FMS STANDARD Suitable for shops and restaurants that do not need to print labels but have need to produce verifiable information relating to allergens and nutrition values.
FMS LARGE Designed for FBOs that overprint labels in house, that need to produce product specification reports, keep traceability records and comply fully with the current food labelling legislation.
FMS CLOUD Allows for multi-site labelling capabilities with one centralised database accessible from all sites with all the capabilities of FMS Large.
Spot the difference
These two sandwiches look identical. That’s because, unless you peel back a slice of bread, they are. But the difference inside matters a lot to your customer. The little things are important in corporate catering. A blob of mayo in the CEO’s sub, and you’ve lost a regular customer. Spoonfed’s catering management software does a lot more than help you get every order right. It lets your customers order online, it removes the need to rewrite anything, it automatically produces production and delivery reports, and it makes invoicing easy. But when it comes down to it, Spoonfed is just about knowing you got the order right without playing spot the difference.
WWW.FOODMANAGEMENTSYSTEMS.COM
01708 767946
getspoonfed.com
To advertise call Paul Steer on 01291 636342 March 2017 67
Spoonfed_Advert_AW.indd 2
28/02/2017 09:43
a new pre-ordering smartphone app for sandwich bars mmmLUNCH is a new pre-ordering smartphone app, targeted at small to medium café and sandwich shops, and designed to reduce queues and serve more customers
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oftware developer Jason Trask has launched a pre-ordering smartphone app, mmmLUNCH, for small to medium cafe and sandwich shops, independent quick service restaurants, and lunch rounds. Aiming at helping retailers to reduce queuing and serve more customers at lunchtime, its distinct and carefully crafted features and risk-free pricing set this product apart. Founder Jason Trask left a business analyst role at a successful financial services company in Bristol to develop the software, one of a number of successful platforms he’s responsible for. He’s supported by the recent appointment of non-executive Director Victoria Hatch, a seasoned software consultant of over 18 years, who worked with multiple multi-nationals before setting up her own app development company 10 years ago. Both Jason and Victoria are relishing the freedom to create a platform that benefits from their combined 25 years’ software experience. They both believe software is capable of healing the ageold problems faced by this industry everyday: how to make the most of your day, reduce queuing and serve more customers at lunchtime.
“mmmLUNCH does just that; it gets you more lunch customers every day without the need for more room or staff,” says Jason. “We believe that the software is capable of letting you make more of the quieter times of the day so that you can shorten the queues at lunch. We are passionate in our opinion that you, the small and medium sized quick services restaurants, sandwich shops and cafes should have available to them quality software that allows them to make the most of their day, every day; software that allows their customers to preorder sandwiches that they can pick up without queuing. “What’s more, we believe in our ability to deliver this software for you to benefit from. mmmLUNCH is in the business of quality and innovation and is defined by its commitment to you to make the most of the opportunities for sales that each day presents to you, completely risk free.” Its features include a fully branded app, cashless ordering, loyalty schemes, menu scheduling and allergen support. There are no upfront costs, unreasonable and confusing charges and complicated set ups, they say. “It’s still easy to feel daunted by
68 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
technology for our industry, despite the fact all of us are probably using technology all the time already. We have thought of this too and it offers everyone a fully personalised on-boarding process,” says Victoria. “Every customer is personally set up on the platform by either Jason or myself. We realise our software is bold and ambitious - we are aiming to dramatically improve and change what you do with your quieter times of your day so that you can maximise your busiest times. This is not for those that don’t want to make the most of their earning potential. We want to work with people who want to make the most of their day, every day.” Customers can also choose from an impressive array of marketing merchandise that helps promote the new preordering app to customers. “For the time being these marketing materials are completely free. To make it even easier there are no subscription or set up costs. Unless you receive an order through the app, they don’t make any money and there’s only a very small charge on every order placed if you do,” adds Victoria. www.mmmlunch.menu jason@mmmlunch.menu victoria@mmmlunch.menu
TECHNOLOGY
Nuttalls partners with wireless charging company Chargifi FOOD to go catering operations look set to benefit from a new partnership between wireless charging company Chargifi and foodservice fit-out and display company The Alan Nuttall Partnership. The deal taps into the increasing trend for customers to charge their phones wirelessly in store, something they increasingly take for granted as a ‘musthave’ facility. It also offers the bonus of capturing user behaviour. According to Chargifi, 56% of British adults now believe wireless charging should be made a free amenity in public areas. Half of us say we’d even be willing to spend between £1 and £5 in a public venue simply to charge our phones and devices. Nuttalls counts most of the UK’s biggest and best high street brands amongst its clients, including Pret a Manger, Hilton Hotels, Costa and Wasabi, and foodservice operations can get in on the act. Wireless charging is going to be critical to the future environment for such businesses, as Chargifi has seen an increase in charging dwell time from 24 to 26 minutes and found that if venues can increase their customers visit by 1%, there is a 1.3% increase in sales. Chargifi was founded in 2013 by 27-year-old Dan Bladen, who went travelling for six months and found many of the places he visited made it difficult to charge devices easily. The service, which brings free, convenient power to people where and when they need it
most, will mean businesses can encourage customers to charge their devices without the hassle of using a cable, whilst also capturing user behaviour. Matt Hornblower, operations director at Nuttalls, said: “We’re keen to constantly innovate for our clients and Chargifi offers the perfect augmentation to our existing service, giving added value for our clients and allowing their customers to benefit from this new technology. By 2020 wireless charging will be the ‘norm’. As people choose a hotel, lunch or coffee shop based on the presence, reliability and usability of the Wi-Fi, wireless charging is fast becoming the next ‘must have’ in high street and public environments.” Dan Bladen, chief executive officer of Chargifi, added: “As one of the UK’s leading fit-out companies, Nuttalls is the perfect platform to help Chargifi hit the big time. With clients like Costa and Pret A Manger, we’re looking forward to working on a number of global projects together.”
Already recognised as one of the UK’s leading shopfitters, Nuttalls specialises in interior fit-
out, main and principal contracting, retail display design, manufacture and installation of fixtures, signage, foodservice and refrigeration equipment for retail, commercial, hospitality, leisure, foodservice and the public sector. Matt Hornblower also said: “We would love to show our clients the fantastic opportunity that Chargifi offers, so we’ve installed the system in both our Dudley and Hinckley showrooms. It’s a perfect chance for caterers to try out the system for themselves.”
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 69
TECHNOLOGY
Is it worth investing in EPoS as an independent sandwich bar or cafe? Cafes and sandwich bars need to invest in an Electronic Point of Sale system that can provide the needed performance and functionality, whilst also offering support for current and future developments in payment. Tony Franklin, sales director at Orbis Tech, explains AS grab and go convenience continues to rise in popularity, and with group owned outlets a constant threat to independent operators, saving time and working efficiently are always top priorities for casual dining operators. From dealing with large queues during peak service times, to trying to ensure adequate staff are on hand to assist customers, an independent outlet is reliant upon efficient service and fast work at all times. The rise of cashless payment methods is one area that can actually take pressure off of independent outlets, allowing them to focus on providing quick service. Figures from the UK Cards Association have shown that a quarter of all card transactions are now made via contactless, with consumers tapping on average 125 times every second in the UK. It’s clear that providing a quick and reliable payment service for customers is becoming a top priority, and independent outlets can’t afford to miss out on the increasing number of cashless sales. For these reasons, it is vital for cafes and sandwich bars to invest in an Electronic Point of Sale system that can provide the needed performance and functionality, whilst also offering support for current and future developments in payment. Orbis Software from Orbis Tech is a fully equipped, modular EPoS solution that can offer operators a complete, bespoke package suited to the needs of their establishment, at the centre of which are a core set of payment, reporting
and management modules. These modules help ensure an outlet is well stocked and suitably staffed. The stock management and reporting module can track individual items and recipe ingredients throughout the day, from delivery to sale and wastage. The recently launched PoS Stock Countdown feature can also provide prompts for when stock on a particular line, item or special is running low. The PoS system can be programmed with the stock level at the start of the day, or the beginning of a shift, and will then count down as items are sold, alerting the operator when a user defined critical level is reached. The user interface will then display the remaining quantity, meaning operators
70 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
can act accordingly to keep their products in stock and reduce losses. This also helps staff to track popular items, enabling them to keep shelves stocked and their customers happy. Orbis Software’s staff rota module can also provide detailed views of staff schedules and absences, giving operators a simple to use, yet powerful tool, to ensure the establishment is properly staffed and any illnesses or absences are logged and covered. Maximising revenue is always a top priority for independent outlets, and with an EPoS system like Orbis Tech’s software suite, operators can gain an advantage through detailed reports which help to analyse peak selling times, popular items and key
TECHNOLOGY areas where losses are occurring. Orbis Software’s ability to generate bespoke reports on how specific items are selling, and at what periods throughout the day those sales are made, can help operators understand the buying habits of their customers, enabling them to make the most out of those key selling periods and popular items. Similarly, by tracking what items aren’t selling well, or by flagging particular periods in the day where sales are low, Orbis Software can help operators prepare by managing their stock, or employing limited time offers to help increase sales before, during or after those periods. Perfectly suited to the varied requirements of independent outlets, Orbis Software also offers unique loyalty scheme opportunities, incorporating printed receipt rewards, loyalty cards and a mobile application. These schemes can be fully tailored to the establishment, meaning operators can devise their own system of customer rewards. With the swipe of a card, the system registers the user and automatically applies the reward when necessary, providing complete ease of use and speed. On top of this, Orbis Software can print bespoke promotions or rewards onto the customer’s receipt, encouraging the customer to return and also offering unique up-selling opportunities.
Providing yet another advantage for independent outlets, whereby attracting customers and enticing them to return is crucial, the use of digital signage to feature customer offers and product promotions can not only help to up-sell at the till, but can also serve to tempt customers back by leaving a strong, visual reminder of the savings they can benefit from. Orbis Tech has developed EPoS terminals that can be equipped with a choice of customer facing LCD displays
which, when coupled with the customer messaging and advertising module, will show the customer’s transaction details as well as selected promotions directly at the point of sale. A wide range of content can be displayed such as picture slideshows or video files, suited to the business and unique to the customer, allowing independent operators to make the most out of every transaction and turn one time visitors into returning customers. www.orbistech.net
Takeaways and restaurants recoup costs of software in a month A piece of innovative and smart tech is transforming the catering and hospitality sector by putting control back in the hands of businesses. Food Ordering UK is eliminating the need to use commission based online food order services by offering software for a single, one-off payment. Having launched in 2014, the software has demonstrated its success with customers choosing to solely use Food Ordering UK to manage digital purchases after recovering the upfront costs in just a month. Alternative third-party ordering systems typically charge monthly fees or a commission on sales. But Food Ordering UK set out to offer another option with its one-off
payment software. Switching to the service, which allows businesses to fully control their online presence and ordering service, has seen customers recoup the initial costs and boost their profits as they benefit from direct customer interaction. Denis Kondopoulos, Project Manager of Food Ordering UK, said, “Paying to be listed on a third-party website means paying out continuously whenever you make a sale. Our research shows that by using Food Ordering UK businesses can make back their money in just one month. It’s not just the money that’s a factor for swapping either, thanks to the direct contact the software enables it’s possible to build up relationships with
customers and keep them coming back for more.” The intelligent software is complemented by on-demand technical support, so customers don’t pay for services that they don’t need. Combining a slick interface, the latest technology, and a host of customisable features, Food Ordering UK puts the power back in the hands of business owners and managers. The software is continuously being developed to meet the needs and demands of customers too. The basic edition of Food Ordering UK costs just £795, close to the average price a restaurant pays on a monthly basis through commission to outsourced ordering platforms.
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 71
BSA NEWS
NEWS
Tel: 01291 636337 E-Mail: gethin@jandmgroup.co.uk
Gethin Evans, PR Manager, brings you the latest on developments at the British Sandwich & Food To Go Association Jim Winship
IN the last issue we brought you news of a letter issued by the BSA to the Brexit Minister, David Davis MP. As a result of sending this, conversations have been held with several MPs and the Association met in February with the shadow minister for business and international trade, Bill Esterson to discuss the issues. Jonathan Scoffield and Jim Winship represented the BSA and as a result are now researching the number of EU and non-EU migrants across the industry. The aim is to demonstrate the scale of migrant labour in the industry and the impact that would be felt if things were to change.
A meeting is also being held with 7 other trade associations to explore how they can work together more closely in future on these issues.
BBC Music Day Once again the BSA is supporting BBC Music Day. It’s a national campaign and a great opportunity for sandwich bars and cafes to use live music to draw in more customers. The BBC is looking for cafes, coffee shops and restaurants to take part in its third annual Music Day on Friday, June 9 2017. The event, which has become an annual celebration of music around the UK, reached an audience of 10 million on TV and 13 million on
radio last year and the BBC is keen to build on that success by involving more cafes and restaurants in 2017 in organising their own ‘pop-up’ music events. For more information visit www.sandwich.org.ukwhere you’ll find some useful “Top Tips” for putting on your own event as well as all the contact details for getting involved. Don’t forget to tweet us all your links so week can amplify your activity via @BritSandwich
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Free-Range Eggs DEFRA has updated its guidance on Avian Flu and that includes an extension in some areas of the need to house birds in barns. This has a significant impact on their free range status as this has now been in place beyond the 12 week grace period. In light of this, labelling eggs and egg products as being Free-Range might be misleading. The BSA has therefore issued Primary Authority guidance to members on exactly what needs to be done with labelling. As this information is subject to daily updates, we are unable to print it here (it may have changed by the time you are reading this) but the website is continually being updated. We can confirm that a sign in-store or at the point of sale is not sufficient and not all areas of the UK are included in the extended restrictions. For the most up-to-date information, check outwww.Sandwich.org.uk where the BSA will publish all the latest news and guidance.
The Sandwich Designer Semi Finals
The epic tour of the UK begins on Tuesday 7 March as our judges will be sampling the very best of the UK sandwich industry’s newest creations. The competition will take in five locations and features 150 different sandwiches, each based around the 2017 range of hero ingredients. All the Semi Finalists along with the locations and details of each Semi Final, are listed on our Awards pages at www.sandwich.org.uk
the UK’s biggest food & drink event
Visit us on stand S3714
19 - 22017 2 MarchCel Ex n Londo
1,3
Exhi 50 bitor s
SERVICE & QUALITY
CANNED AND POUCH TUNA As a leading importer and distributor of canned tuna to the UK food service and manufacturing market, Caterers Choice is committed to developing long term partnerships with our suppliers, by encouraging best practice with regard to ethical and social responsibilities and only working with canneries that are pro-active in reducing their impact on the environment. Caterers Choice supply the Skipjack species of tuna only, which is caught using the purse seine or pole & line methods of fishing. Controls are in place at the approved canneries to ensure there is no cross contamination between any other species. The species and method of catch is clearly stated on all product specifications. Caterers Choice product labels include details of the catch area on all tuna products. Further information can be provided on request. Policies and procedures are in place to ensure full traceability back to the fishing vessel and these are audited as part of a planned programme. Caterers Choice only sources tuna from canneries that have satisfied all the requirements of the Earth Island Institute Programme of Inspection. The Earth Island Institute monitors tuna companies around the world to ensure the tuna is caught by methods that do not harm dolphins and also protects the marine ecosystem.
Caterers Choice Ltd, Parkdale House, 1 Longbow Close, Pennine Business Park, Bradley, Huddersfield HD2 1GQ Tel: 01484 532666 Fax: 01484 532700 Web: www.catererschoice.co.uk
BSA NEWS
Sandwich Designer of the Year Grand Final AND if the Semis aren’t enough for you, then be sure to bag your place for the Grand Final on Thursday 11 May at the fabulous Lancaster London Hotel where Head Judge Theo Randall and his panel will be picking out the best of the best. The day will begin at 11:30am with a
drinks reception and delegates will also receive a full run-down of the UK market when the BSA launches its 2016 data, as compiled by MCA’s Simon Stenning. This unique insight is available to all members. To secure your space, email Pam@Sandwich.org.uk
Immigration Guidance It has emerged that many employers in the UK are unclear about the regulations when it comes to employing migrant workers. Some have been found to be in breach of the law, despite taking a great deal of care on the matter. The Association has therefore drafted guidance on what employers need to
do to check the immigration status of potential employees. Currently, that is being delayed as the BSA are struggling to get it checked by the Home Office. The aim is to publish the information on the Association website once it is checked but as yet the timescale for this is not clear.
“
British Sandwich Week The campaign this year will seek to highlight the value of products given by the BR ITIS industry to charities each H S A year with a statement WE NDW EK M14thICH along the lines: “Our AY - 20t 201 h 7 members donate £XXX to charity every year.” Does your organisation have a charitable donation scheme? Do you give your end of day surplus to those in need? We’d love to hear from you. As we build towards British Sandwich Week we’d love to feature the great work you’re doing with charities as a case study online. We’ll be referencing such examples in our media activity in the run up and during the week and we’ll see thousands of unique visits to www. BritishSandwichWeek.com from Sunday 14 to Saturday 20 May, of course. The Association has recently issued Assured Advice on how this can be set up. If you’d like to establish links to charities close to your organisation, check out the advice section of the website at www.sandwich.org.uk
I would like to thank your team and yourself for an excellent association which truly cares for its members. Michael Curley. The Buffet Shop Ltd. Helensburgh
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”
SYSTEMS SOFTWARE for the Food Industry
SALES Enter sales orders, integrate with your website, EDI integration, import orders from email. Generate delivery notes, invoices, production sheets, bill of Materials. Van scheduling, Sales/margin analysis and costings.
PURCHASES Raise purchase orders, email to supplier. Book goods in, reconcile invoices. Update cost prices. Setup preferred suppliers, reporting and purchase analysis. Link to accounts software.
STOCK Sales and purchase stock control, Stock takes, waste adjustments. Stock valuations, stock holding projections. Stock enquiries, theoretical versus actual.
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01708 767946 To advertise call Paul Steer on 01291 636342 March 2017 75
NEW PRODUCTS MMMLUNCH PREORDERING SMARTPHONE APP
SNOWBIRD – THE FREE FROM SOLUTIONS SPECIALIST
THE North London company has demonstrated its expertise in balancing recipes whilst introducing dominant flavours like leeks, chilli, chorizo, cranberries and even tomato chutney. As part of its strategic, on-going Clean Eating Campaign, Snowbird steers clear of allergens and is waging war against additives like sodium and phosphates. Already, it has successfully supplied the children’s market with sausages that contain just 0.5% of added salt – a unique blend of natural herbs and spices being utilised to deliver the required taste and texture. This campaign to lower both fat and sugar levels without compromising on the taste, texture or quality of products has been recognised by both ready meals manufacturers and caterers, both of whom are battling to supply the estimated 40% plus of people in Britain who have diets that exclude or limit the consumption of selected foods and ingredients – numbers which are rising year over year. “Thanks to its astonishing recipe development skills our product development team is taking the pain out of providing trustworthy, wholesome food for this huge group of people who have special requirements,” said Snowbird joint managing director, Philip Paul. Tel: 020 8805 9222. www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk
mmmLUNCH, a pre-ordering smartphone app for the lunch to go industry, gets you more lunch customers every day without the need for more room or staff, says the company. The mmmLUNCH software is designed to let you make more of the quieter times of the day so that you can shorten the queues at lunch. The company’s primary aim is to help retailers reduce queues and serve more customers at lunchtime. The online
Vendor Management System and smartphone app offer a distinct and carefully crafted list of features and totally risk-free pricing with no upfront costs. mmmLUNCH even provides you with free marketing support and website, it adds. www.mmmLUNCH.menu
GLENDALE FOODS IS COOKING UP CUSTOM COMPONENTS FROM custom-made meatballs to slice-to-order sausages, Glendale Foods’ components are delicious, easy to use in your products, and prepared exactly the way you like them, says the company. “Of course, flavour is king, and we can do quite a lot to select the right taste for your product. Our sausages come in a range of flavours, from traditional Lincolnshire to a spicy chorizo style sausage; our meatballs can be seasoned any way you like, and our stuffing is perfect to fill sandwiches. Size and cut is also customisable – our products can be made in a variety of weights and our sausages can be coined, sliced, halved,
or planked. This is all possible thanks to our new, state of the art product development facility that allows us to develop exact components to suit your needs. “Whatever you desire, Glendale Foods is sure to develop a tasty and unique component for your business.” Tel: 0161 7434100 http://www.glendalefoods.com/
CLAM’S HANDMADE CAKES LAUNCHES NEW RANGE OF PRE-CUT LOAF CAKES CLAM’S Handmade Cakes, a supplier of artisan frozen and ambient cakes to the food service market, has launched a new range of pre-cut loaf cakes. The cakes include on trend White Chocolate and Chia Seed, Strawberry and Pistachio and Banana and Cranberry. Lewis Phillips Sales Manager said: “The ability to pre-cut our handmade
76 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
made loaf cakes, will become hugely beneficial to our customers; we are now guaranteeing the same high quality handmade cake whilst giving it a commercial edge by consistent portion sizes. The flavours we have decided to go for are on-trend and at the same time original.” The handmade pre-cut loaf cakes are available through a number of wholesalers frozen or can be purchased ambient directly from the bakery. Tel: 01495 357620 www.clamscakes.co.uk Twitter: @clamscakes Instagram: clamscakes
SALMONELLA TESTING MADE FAST, CONVENIENT AND ACCURATE AS salmonella bacteria are the most commonly reported cause of foodborne illnesses, never has testing been so important. However, while conventional salmonella test kits involve numerous complicated steps, Hygiena International’s recently developed InSite Salmonella micro-organism colorimetric test is rapid, convenient and extremely accurate, says the company. It combines both swab, pre-enrichment and selective enrichment in a single self-contained swab device for testing environmental surfaces, giving results in 24 hours. Hygiena InSite is a costeffective Salmonella screening test for food contact surfaces, processing equipment and general environmental samples that combines the principal steps of pre-enrichment and
selective enrichment in an allin-one swab device. The test consists of a large sponge swab pre-wetted with a neutralising agent – to counter the effects of residual sanitisers – and a pre-enrichment broth to enable the detection of low numbers of Salmonella. Salmonella can be viewed at: http://www.hygiena.com/ insite-salmonella-food-andbeverage.html Telephone: 01923 818821
At Beacon Foods, we’re passionate about sourcing and preparing the most delicious foods that the culinary world has to offer. We take the best fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, beans and pulses and make amazingly tasty stuff with them. From our award winning chutneys, sauces, compotes, stuffings and zests, to our super tasty chargrilled and roasted vegetable mixes. We pride ourselves on offering responsibly sourced lovingly prepared food to compliment your menu.
Telephone: 01874 622577 www.beaconfoods.co.uk
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 77
BSA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 2017 The following are elected members of the Management Committee of the British Sandwich Association:
PICTURE COURTESY OF FRIDAYS
BSA Committee
CHAIRMAN Jonathan Scoffield, Greencore (producer) VICE-CHAIRMAN Millie Dean, The FoodFellas (Supplier) THE COMMITTEE Andrew Hesketh, Greggs (Baker) Victoria Green, Waitrose (Retail) Tom Goulden, Marks & Spencer (Retail) Georg Buhrkohl/Berni Moir, Subway (Sandwich bar chain)
Upholding quality standards in sandwich making and retailing
Neil Wood, Woods (Independent Sandwich Bar)
Our aims
Sally Gabbitas, Tri-Star (Supplier)
the primary aims of the British Sandwich
Sohel Patel, Halal Foods (Producer) James Cornish, Ginsters (Van Sales) Peter Mayley, La Baguetterie (Independent Sandwich Bar) Anita Kinsey, Pret a Manger (Sandwich bar chain) Anthony Wilkinson, Tastees (Producer) SECRETARIAT Jim Winship – Director Gethin Evans – PR Manager Pam Sainsbury – Event Manager
As the voice of the British Sandwich industry, Association are: s To safeguard the integrity of the sandwich industry by setting minimum standards for sandwich making. s To encourage excellence and innovation in sandwich making. s To provide a source of information for the industry. s To promote the consumption of sandwiches. s To provide a collective voice for all those involved in the making, distribution and retailing of sandwiches and to represent the views of the industry.
www.sandwich.org.uk
78 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
NEW MEMBERS
DataTherapy partners with sandwich and food to go retailers to supply software solutions and e-commerce systems which support your brand values and strategic objectives. Our software platform, Platopus, is built from the ground up to deliver scalable business solutions, online portals and e-commerce systems. Our highly successful Platopus Delivery platform allows our customers to build their own online food delivery
H. Smith Food Group plc is now one of the UK’s leading independent wholesalers and distributors of frozen food products to the wholesale, catering and retail markets. The company undertakes daily deliveries throughout the British Isles and Republic of Ireland from its own
business and is used by some of the UK’s leading sandwich retailers. We are not a delivery aggregator and we can deliver a high quality, on-brand online ordering portal with real customer ownership, revenue driving analytics, and industry-leading reliability and speed of service. Our 15 years of experience in food e-commerce can help you build an online business catering service which can bring in additional multimillion pound revenues using
your existing estate and production. Our Platopus Retail platform takes important files and data from your existing solutions or sources and places them into a simple to use app and web portal – truly everything your business needs at its fingertips ‘in one place’. Store/restaurant reports and documents, ops areas, people and team information, recipe’s and product information, food reviews, training documents, videos and web bookmark can all be securely distributed for use in-store, in head office, and on mobile devices by all key team members. For businesses considering the move to iPads in-store, DataTherapy can help you securely deploy devices to your estate, locking them
down where necessary and preventing misuse. Should you require features or integrations unique to your business, our custom software development team are on hand to rapidly deliver additional functionality, integrated into our platform in a cost-effective way. DataTherapy is innovative, growing fast and trusted by substantial numbers of locations, shops and restaurants in the UK. Retain control, engagement, margin and quality of service with our support Datatherapy Ltd. One Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG Contact: Yousaf Shah Tel: 0207 77000044 yousafshah@datatherapy.com www.datatherapy.com
purpose-built premises in Rainham, Essex. H Smith Food Group plc 24 Easter Industrial Park, Ferry Lane South, Rainham, Essex RM13 9BP Contact: Chris Smith Tel: 01708 878888 chris@hsmithplc.com www.hsmithplc.com
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 79
RECYCLING CASE STUDY
Sustainable success with Simply Cups recycling initative BUNZL Catering Supplies are founder members of the Simply Cups scheme, a collection and recycling service dedicated to turning paper and plastic cups into second-life materials. Between September 2015 and September 2016 alone, Simply Cups collected 765,000 hot drink cups for recycling. Two such customers Bunzl Catering Supplies introduced to the Simply Cups scheme were Loughborough University and contract caterer Gather & Gather. Each has a sizeable customer base of hot-drink consumers from food to go environments and wanted to take positive steps to ensure that waste was managed sustainably. Nik Hunt, Environmental Manager at Loughborough University, the first university to sign up to the Simply Cups scheme, says: “Loughborough has in the region of 16,000 students, over 3,500 staff and in excess of 1,500 tenants on site, on top of which we have visitors and the local community using the campus facilities – all of which have the potential to use disposable hot drink cups. “Prior to Bunzl introducing the scheme we had to instruct all customers to dispose of their cups in general waste, as they could not be recycled through any of the existing recycling streams.” Hunt points out that Loughborough University’s existing arrangements ensured energy recovery and diverting the waste from landfill, but he wanted a solution to focus on the university’s annual turnover of half a million paper cups. “Simply Cups offered an opportunity to take the cups out of general waste and move them up the waste hierarchy – something we are required to do by regulations, but also because it is the socially responsible thing to be leading the way,” he says. In 2016 Gather & Gather secured the maximum possible Three Star Sustainability Champion rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA). The three-star rating vindicates the hard work of Gather & Gather’s
Sustainability Working Group (SWG) and the team’s overall commitment to an ethical approach to food service. Gather & Gather has a very widely dispersed client base and their recycling solutions were necessarily fragmented. “We have about 70 clients in 270 locations in the UK and Ireland,” says Sales and Marketing Director Heidi Stone. “Every single client we work with has their own individual waste management policy, and so our strategy has always to focus on prevention, rather than end-of-life solution.” Gather & Gather had no particular cup recycling strategy, says Stone. “It’s not an easy thing to do in the UK because the infrastructure in the waste industry isn’t there. “Because it’s such a high-profile topic, we wanted to give our clients a solution to something that wasn’t easily solvable. So for those clients who want absolute traceability and accountability with what’s happening to their cups, it offers a great initiative, a great service. “Effectively it gave us a strategy to support cup recycling in an environment where we’re not always in control of what happens.” In discussing Bunzl’s proposal, both organisations return to the
80 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
theme of social responsibility. “The key factors were the potential to increase our recycling rates and the social responsibility. We have a very competitive waste disposal contract so there wasn’t a strong financial case – but when you generate so many disposable cups, you have to lead the way,” says Hunt. As part of that agenda of social responsibility, both businesses emphasise the importance of communicating the Simply Cups message to customers and beyond. “Bunzl are interested in supporting direct engagement with our customers and, now we are settling in to the academic year, we are planning a fun and engaging competition, which includes recycling,” says Hunt. Meanwhile, at Gather & Gather, Stone says: “We will embark on a communication campaign – with clients and end users, the cash-paying consumers, as well as promoting the wider message to the industry.” Both organisations see the future of recycling as not being the business of one particular group, nor even industry – but as a wider social responsibility. “I don’t think it’s down to us as a company, it’s not just an industry-wide issue, it’s an international issue,” says Stone.
From lobbying Government to promoting the sandwich market, The British Sandwich Association is supporting your industry - whether you are a supplier, sandwich manufacturer or individual sandwich shop. Our members value the benefits we provide - a unique mix of advice and help they can only get from the B.S.A.
Find out more, call 01291 636333 or visit our website at www.sandwich.org.uk
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 81
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23/01/2017 11:40
Classifieds
International Sandwich Manufacturers
SIGMA BAKERIES PO Box 56567 3308 Limassol, Cyprus Contact: Georgios Georgiou Tel: +357 25 878678 Fax: +357 25 346131 info@sigmabakeries.com www.sigmabakeries.com SUBWAY Chaston House, Mill Court, Hinton Way, Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire CB22 5LD Contact: Frederick De Luca Tel: 01223 550820 www.subway.co.uk
TAMARIND FOODS SPRL Brixtonlaan 2c, Zaventem, Brussels 1930, Belgium Tel: +32 2 731 6977 Fax: +32 2 731 6978 fteichmann@tamarindfoods.be Contact: Frederic Teichmann
Product Listing BAKERY INSERTS Sigma Bakeries Ltd BREAD Sigma Bakeries Ltd FRANCHISING Subway ORGANIC PRODUCTS Sigma Bakeries Ltd SANDWICHES Tamarind Foods SANDWICH FILLINGS (prepared) Sigma Bakeries Ltd SPECIALITY BREADS Sigma Bakeries Ltd
www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 83
BSA Product Index ADVISORY & CONSULTANCY SERVICES Accountancy KPMG
Bespoke Software Datatherapy Ltd. Business Systems Datatherapy Ltd. E Commerce Datatherapy Ltd. Factory Grote Company FSC Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Zafron Foods Ltd. Food Safety ALS Food & Pharmaceutical Food Industry Green Gourmet Nutrition and Allergens Nutritics Retail FSC The Cardinal Group Vestey Foods UK BAKERY PRODUCTS Doughnuts Moy Park Ltd.
Morning Goods New York Bakery Co. The FoodFellas Patisserie The FoodFellas Tortilla & Wraps Freshfayre Mission Foods BREAD & ROLLS Fresh Jacksons Bakery Pita/Flat Bread Nina Bakery Speciality Jacksons Bakery Mission Foods New York Bakery Co. The FoodFellas Bread Making Ingredients Beacon Foods Caterers Choice Ltd. Harvey & Brockless Rank Hovis BUTTER & SPREADS
Butter Freshfayre Southover Food Company Ltd. The FoodFellas Spreads Freshfayre Fromageries Bel Harvey & Brockless Spreads (olive) Freshfayre Leathams CHEESE & DAIRY PRODUCTS Cheese Bradburys Cheese Extons Foods Freshfayre Fromageries Bel Futura Foods UK Ltd. Harvey & Brockless Leathams Norseland Ltd. Southover Food Company Ltd. The FoodFellas Yoghurt Freshfayre Futura Foods UK Ltd. Sour Cream Freshfayre The FoodFellas CLEANING MATERIALS Bunzl Catering Supplies
CHUTNEYS & RELISHES
Chutneys Beacon Foods Freshfayre Geeta’s Foods Ltd. Leathams Southover Food Company Ltd. The English Provender Co The FoodFellas The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd. Relishes Beacon Foods Blenders Freshfayre Freshtime UK Ltd. Harvey & Brockless Leathams Southover Food Company Ltd The English Provender Co The FoodFellas The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd. Pickles Freshfayre Geeta’s Foods Ltd. Leathams Southover Food Company Ltd The English Provender Co The FoodFellas The Ingredients Factory Salsa Beacon Foods Blenders Freshfayre Freshtime UK Ltd. The FoodFellas Zafron Foods Ltd. DRESSINGS, SAUCES AND MAYONNAISE Dips Beacon Foods Blenders Freshfayre Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Freshtime UK Ltd. Fromageries Bel Orexis Fresh Foods Ltd. Pauwels UK The English Provender Co The FoodFellas The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd. Dressings Blenders Fromageries Bel Pauwels UK Spreads Blenders Pauwels UK Mayonnaise Blenders Caterers Choice Freshfayre Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Harvey & Brockless Pauwels UK Piquant The English Provender Co Zafron Foods Ltd. Mustards Blenders Pauwels UK Southover Food Company Ltd. The English Provender Co The FoodFellas Zafron Foods Ltd. Sauces & Ketchups Beacon Foods Blenders Caterers Choice Freshfayre Freshtime UK Ltd. Orexis Fresh Foods Ltd. Pauwels UK Piquant Southover Food Company Ltd. The English Provender Co The FoodFellas The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd.
84 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
DRINKS
Juices Caterers Choice Freshfayre Leathams Princes Foods Ltd. Southover Food Company Ltd. EGGS & EGG PRODUCTS
Eggs (hard boiled) Freshfayre Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Fridays Southover Food Company Ltd. Egg Products Freshfayre Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Fridays Futura Foods UK Ltd. Leathams Southover Food Company Ltd. Zafron Foods Ltd. EQUIPMENT & VEHICLES Buttering Machinery BFR Systems Deighton Manufacturing Grote Company Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Combi-Ovens Bradshaw Group Conveyors BFR Systems Deighton Manufacturing Grote Company Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Cutting & Slicing Equipment BFR Systems Grote Company Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Depositing Machinery Grote Company Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Labelling Systems & Barcoding Planglow Ltd. Microwaves Bradshaw Group Mobile Catering Vehicles Jiffy Trucks Ltd. Sandwich Making Machinery BFR Systems Deighton Manufacturing Grote Company Millitec Food Systems Ltd. FISH PRODUCTS
Anchovies John West Foods Ltd Martin Mathew & Co Ltd. Crayfish Freshfayre Royal Greenland Ltd. Mackerel John West Foods Ltd Prawns Freshfayre H Smith Food Group plc Royal Greenland Ltd. Southover Food Company Ltd. The FoodFellas Vestey Foods UK Zafron Foods Ltd. Salmon Caterers Choice Freshfayre John West Foods Ltd Leathams Martin Matthew & Co Ltd. Princes Foods Ltd. Southover Food Company Ltd. The FoodFellas Vestey Foods UK Sardines John West Foods Ltd Martin Matthew & Co Ltd. Seafood/Shellfish Products H Smith Food Group plc Royal Greenland Ltd. The FoodFellas
Tuna Caterers Choice Freshfayre H Smith Food Group plc John West Foods Ltd. Martin Matthew & Co Ltd. Moy Park Ltd. Princes Foods Ltd. Southover Food Company Ltd. Vestey Foods UK Zafron Foods Ltd. FRUIT Canned Fruit Caterers Choice Ltd. Princes Foods Ltd. General Beacon Foods Southern Salads The Ingredients Factory Guacamole Leathams The FoodFellas Pineapple Beacon Foods Caterers Choice Freshcut Foods Ltd Martin Mathew & Co INSURANCE Insurance Protector Group LABELS Bunzl Catering Supplies Planglow Ltd. Tri-Star Packaging Supplies Ltd. MEAT PRODUCTS Bacon Dawn Farms UK Dew Valley Foods Freshfayre Freshtime UK Ltd. Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Smithfield Foods Ltd. Vestey Foods UK Beef Freshfayre Leathams H Smith Food Group plc Moy Park Ltd. Sam Browne Foods Southover Food Company Ltd. The FoodFellas Vestey Foods UK Zwanenberg Food UK Ltd Canned Meat Freshfayre Moy Park Ltd. Princes Foods Ltd. Smithfield Foods Ltd. Chicken 2 Sisters Food Group Cargill Meats Europe Dawn Farms UK Freshfayre Freshtime UK Ltd. H Smith Food Group plc Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Sam Browne Foods Smithfield Foods Ltd. Southover Food Company Ltd. The FoodFellas Vestey Foods UK Zwanenberg Food UK Ltd Continental Freshfayre Leathams Southover Food Company Ltd. Duck 2 Sisters Food Group Freshfayre H Smith Food Group plc Sam Browne Foods Vestey Foods UK
Ham Freshfayre Freshtime UK Ltd. Leathams Martin Mathew & Co Ltd. Smithfield Foods Ltd. Southover Food Company Ltd. Vestey Foods UK Lamb Freshfayre H Smith Food Group plc Sam Browne Foods The FoodFellas Vestey Foods UK Marinated Meats Food Network Meatballs Snowbird foods Zwanenberg Food UK Ltd. Pork Dawn Farms UK Freshfayre Freshtime UK Ltd. H Smith Food Group plc Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Sam Browne Foods Smithfield Foods Ltd. Southover Food Company Stephen’s Fresh Foods Ltd. The FoodFellas Vestey Foods UK Zwanenberg Food UK Ltd Sausages Freshfayre Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Snowbird foods Smithfield Foods Ltd. Southover Food Company Stephen’s Fresh Foods Ltd. Zwanenberg Food UK Ltd Turkey 2 Sisters Food Group Freshfayre H Smith Food Group plc Kookaburra Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Sam Browne Foods Smithfield Foods Ltd. Southover Food Company Vestey Foods UK OILS Freshfayre Martin Mathew & Co Ltd. Princes Foods Ltd. ORGANIC PRODUCTS Beacon Foods Fridays Leathams Pauwels UK Southover Food Company Ltd. The English Provender Co Ltd. PACKAGING
Cardboard Colpac Ltd. Coveris Flexibles (St Neots) UK Ltd. RAP Ltd. Disposable Bunzl Catering Supplies Colpac Ltd. Coveris Flexibles (St Neots) UK Ltd. RAP Ltd. Tri-Star Packaging Supplies Ltd. Food wraps RAP Ltd. Tri-Star Packaging Supplies Ltd. Plastic Tri-Star Packaging Supplies Ltd. Sandwich Packs Colpac Ltd. Coveris Flexibles (St Neots) UK Ltd. RAP Ltd. Tri-Star Packaging Supplies Ltd.
BSA Manufacturers & Distributors PASTA Caterers Choice Ltd. Freshcut Foods Ltd Freshfayre Freshtime UK Ltd. Leathams Martin Mathew & Co Ltd. Princes Foods Ltd. Southover Food Company Ltd SANDWICH FILLINGS (READY PREPARED) Fresh Fillings 2 Sisters Food Group Beacon Foods Freshfayre Freshcut Foods Ltd Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Fridays Harvey & Brockless Southover Food Company Ltd. Zafron Foods Ltd. Frozen Fillings 2 Sisters Food Group Beacon Foods SOUPS Freshfayre Leathams Southover Food Company Ltd VEGETABLES & HERBS Canned Vegetables Caterers Choice Ltd. Freshfayre The FoodFellas Princes Foods Ltd. Chargrilled Vegetables Beacon Foods Freshcut Foods Ltd. Leathams Moy Park Ltd. The FoodFellas Herbs & Spices Beacon Foods Jalapenos Beacon Foods Caterers Choice Ltd. Freshfayre The FoodFellas SALAD Fresh Florette UK & Ireland Freshcut Foods Ltd. Freshfayre MyFresh Southern Salads Ltd. Salad (prepared) Florette UK & Ireland Freshcut Foods Ltd MyFresh Southover Food Company Ltd Southern Salads Ltd. Sundried Tomatoes Beacon Foods Caterers Choice Ltd. Freshfayre Leathams Plc Martin Matthew & Co Ltd. Sweetcorn Beacon Foods Caterers Choice Freshfayre Martin Mathew & Co Ltd. Princes Foods Ltd. Tomatoes Beacon Foods Caterers Choice Freshfayre Martin Mathew & Co Ltd. Princes Foods Ltd. Southern Salads Ltd.
2 SISTERS FOOD GROUP Manton Wood, Enterprise Park, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 2RS Contact: Renee Skukowski Tel: 01909 511800 renee.skukowski@2sfg.com www.2sistersfoodgroup. com ADELIE FOODS GROUP LTD 2 The Square, Southall Lane, Heathrow UB2 5NH Contact: David Guy Tel: 020 85711967 david.guy@adeliefoods.co.uk www.adeliefoods.co.uk ANCHOR CATERING LIMITED Kent Office: Units 2, 21 & 22, Wotton Trading Estate Wotton Road Ashford, TN23 6LL Contact: Stephen Drew Tel: 01233 665533 Fax: 01233 665588 Mobile: 07780 668145 sdrew@anchorcatering.co.uk www.anchorcatering.co.uk BRADGATE BAKERY Beaumont Leys, Leicester, LE4 1WX Contact: Clare Keers Tel: 0116 2361100 Fax: 0116 2361101
clare.keers@bradgate-bakery.co.uk
CHEF IN A BOX 762A/763A Henley Road, Slough SL1 4JW Contact: Tom Price Tel: 01753 523 636 Fax: 01753 573 125 Tom.Price@ciab.co.uk www.chefinabox.co.uk GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD PARK ROYAL Willen Field Rd, Park Royal, London NW10 7AQ Contact: Clare Rees Tel: 0208 956 6000 Fax: 0208 956 6060 clare.rees@greencore.com www.greencore.com
GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD – MANTON WOOD Manton Wood, Enterprise Zone, Retford Road, Manton, Worksop, Notts, S80 2RS Contact: Sales Tel: 01909 512600 Fax: 01909 512708 www.greencore.com GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD – BROMLEY BY BOW Prologis Park, Twelvetrees Crescent, London E3 3JG Tel: 0207 536 8000 Fax: 0207 536 0790 Contact: Richard Esau richard.esau@greencore.com www.greencore.com GREENCORE FOOD TO GO LTD. – ATHERSTONE Unit 7, Carlyon Road Industrial Estate, Atherstone Warwickshire CV9 1LQ Contact: Alex McLaren Tel: 01827 719 100 Fax: 01827 719 101 alex.mclaren@greencore.com www.greencore.com
HALAL KITCHEN Units 1, 2 & 8 Sunnyside Business Park, Off Adelaide Street, Bolton BL3 3NY Contact: Sohel Patel Tel: 01204 855967 sohel@expresscuisine.co.uk www.expresscuisine.co.uk
IMPRESS SANDWICHES Units 4-5a, Horton Road Industrial Estate, Horton Road, West Drayton Middlesex, UB7 8JL Tel: 01895 440123 Fax: 01895 441123 info@impress-sandwiches.com
www.impress-sandwiches.com
LOVE BITES LTD. Granary Court, Eccleshill, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD2 2EF Contact: Richard Smith Tel: 01274 627000 Fax: 01274 627627 richard@love-bites.co.uk www.love-bites.co.uk
STREET EATS Unit 366 Stockley Close, West Drayton, London UB7 9BL Contact: Nicky Gill Tel: 01244 533888 nrg@pastaking.co.uk www.streeteatsfood.co.uk
MELTON FOODS 3 Samworth Way, Leicester Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 1GA Contact: Michelle Sanders Tel: 01664 484400 Fax: 01664 484401
TASTIES OF CHESTER LTD (STREET EATS) Prince William Avenue, Sandycroft, Flintshire, CH5 2QZ Contact: Anthony Wilkinson Tel: 01244 533 888 Fax: 01244 533 404 anthony@streeteatsfood.co.uk www.streeteatsfood.co.uk
ON A ROLL SANDWICH COMPANY The Pantry, Barton Road, Middlesbrough TS2 1RY Contact: James Stoddart Tel: 01642 707090 Fax: 01642 243858 jstoddart@onarollsandwich.co.uk www.onarollsandwich.co.uk
THE BRUNCH BOX SANDWICH COMPANY Unit H2, Dundonald, Enterprise Park, Carrowreagh Road, Dundonald, Belfast BT6 1QT Contact: John Weatherup Tel: 028 90 486888 Fax: 028 90 485486 john@thebrunchbox.com
michelle.sanders@meltonfoods.co.uk
RAYNOR FOODS Farrow Road, Widford Industrial Estate, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3TH Contact: Heather Raynor Tel: 01245 353249 Fax: 01245 347889 sales@sandwiches.uk.net www.sandwiches.uk.net
THE SOHO SANDWICH COMPANY Unit 417 Union Walk, Hackney, London E2 8HP Contact: Daniel Silverston Tel: 0203 058 1245 Fax: 0207 739 1166 dan@sohosandwich.co.uk www.sohosandwich.co.uk ACCREDITED DISTRIBUTORS
SANDAY’S BAKERIES BV Portsmuiden 2, 1046 AJ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Contact: Wessel Wessels Tel: +31 20 5062000 Fax: +31 20 5062002 wessel.wessels@sandays.nl
SANDWICHMAN LTD. 54 King Street, Wallasey, Merseyside CH44 8AU Contact: Jeffrey Gilmore Tel: 0151 6394575
sandwichman2010@live.co.uk
GINSTERS 81 Tavistock Rd, Callington, Cornwall PL17 7XG Contact: Jo Hartop Tel: 01579 386 200 ginsters.reception@ginsters.co.uk www.ginsters.com GREEN GOURMET LTD. The Moorings, Bonds Mill, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 3RF Contact: Rob Freeman Tel: 01453 797925 Fax: 01453 827216 rfreeman@greengourmet.co.uk
www.greengourmet.co.uk
The British Sandwich Quality Promise The sandwich manufacturers and distributors listed above support The British Sandwich Association Code of Practice as The Minimum Standard for Sandwich Making and are subject to regular independent audits. Copies of BSA Audits are available, on request,to buyers (subject to agreement of manufacturers) by calling us on 01291 636338 www.sandwich.org.uk March 2017 85
BSA Suppliers Index 2 SISTERS FOOD GROUP Leechmere Industrial Estate, Toll Bar Road, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear SR2 9TE Contact: Bill Anderson Tel: 0191 521 3323 Fax: 0191 521 0652 bill.anderson@2sfg.com www.2sistersfoodgroup.com
ALS FOOD & PHARMACEUTICAL Sands Mill, Huddersfield Road Mirfield, West Yorkshire WF14 9DQ Contact: Nigel Richards Tel: 01354 697028 Fax: 01924 499731 sales.uk@alsglobal.com www.als-testing.co.uk
BEACON FOODS Unit 3-4, Beacon Enterprise Park, Warren Road, Brecon LD3 8BT Contact: Lynne Skyrme Tel: 01874 622577 Fax: 01874 622123 lynne@beaconfoods.co.uk www.beaconfoods.co.uk BFR SYSTEMS 1 rue du Jariel, ZAC Les Longs, Silons 77120 Coulommiers, France Contact: Simon O’Connor Tel: +33 (0)1 64 65 11 71 Tel: 07764 564421 Fax: +33 (0)1 64 65 11 72 soconnor@bfrsystems.com www.bfrsystems.com BLENDERS Newmarket, Dublin 8, Ireland Contact: Julie Delany Tel: 00 353 14536960 Fax: 00 353 14537607 jdelany@blenders.ie www.blenders.ie
BRADBURYS CHEESE Staden Business Park, Staden Lane, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9RZ Contact: Chris Chisnall Tel: 01298 23180 Fax: 01298 27302 Chris.Chisnall@bradburyscheese. co.ukwww.bradburyscheese.co.uk
BRADSHAW GROUP Bradshaw Building, 173 Kenn Road, Clevedon, Bristol BS21 6LH Contact: John Marks Tel: 01275 343000 johnm@bradshaw.co.uk www.bradshaw.co.uk BUNZL CATERING SUPPLIES Epsom Chase, 1 Hook Road, Epsom, Surrey KT19 8TY Contact: Karen Williams Tel: 07767 290680 karen.williams@bunzl.co.uk CARGILL MEATS EUROPE Orchard Block, Grandstand Road, Hereford HR4 9PB Contact: Stuart Bowkett Tel: 01432 362423 Fax: 01432 362482 stuart_bowkett@cargill.com www.cargill.co.uk
CATERERS CHOICE LTD Parkdale House, 1 Longbow Close, Pennine Business Park Bradley, Huddersfield HD2 1GQ Contact: Sarah Booth Tel 01484 532666 Fax 01484 532700 sarah@catererschoice.co.uk www.catererschoice.co.uk
COLPAC LTD Enterprise Way, Maulden Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 5BW Contact: Sales Department Tel: +44 (0) 1525 712261 Fax: +44 (0) 1525 718205 info@colpac.co.uk www.colpacpackaging.com
COVERIS FLEXIBLES UK LTD. 7 Howard Road, Eaton Socon, St Neots, Cambridgeshire PE19 8ET Contact: Sales Department Tel: 01480 476161 Fax: 01480 471989 stneots.sales@coveris.com www.coveris.com DATATHERAPY LTD. One Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG Contact: Yousaf Shah Tel: 0207 77000044 yousafshah@datatherapy.com www.datatherapy.com
86 March 2017 SANDWICH & FOOD TO GO NEWS
DAWN FARMS UK Lodge Way, Lodge Farm Ind. Est, Northampton NN5 7US Contact: Julie Sloan Tel: 01604 583421 Fax: 01604 587392 info@tmifoods.co.uk www.tmifoods.co.uk Accreditation body: BSA DEIGHTON MANUFACTURING (UK) LTD Gibson Street, Leeds Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD3 9TR Contact: Andy Hamilton Tel: 01274 668771 Fax: 01274 665214 sales@deightonmanufacturing.co.uk www.deightonmanufacturing.co.uk DEW VALLEY FOODS Holycross Road, Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland Contact: Christina Murphy Tel: 00353 504 46110 Fax: 00353 504 23405 cmurphy@dewvalley.com www.dewvalley.com ENGLISH PROVENDER CO. LTD Buckner Croke Way, New Greenham Park, Thatcham, Berks, RG19 6HA, Contact: David Barker Tel: 01635 528800 Fax: 01635 528855 david.barker@englishprovender.com www.englishprovender.com BRC Grade A E.ON UK PLC Callflex Business Park, Golden Smithies Lane, Wath upon Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S63 7ER Contact: Sales Tel: BSA – 0330 400 1146 Café – 0330 400 1148 sales.partnerships@eonenergy.com
EXTONS FOODS 5/6 Caldey Road, Roundthorne Industrial Estate, Manchester M23 9GE Contact: Rachael Exton Tel: 0161 998 5734 Fax: 0161 902 9238 rexton@extonsfoods.com\ www.extonsfoods.com
FLORETTE UK & IRELAND Florette House, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 8NF Contact: Tracy Southwell Tel: 01543 250050 Fax: 01543 410000 trsouthwell@florette.com www.florettesalad.co.uk
FRESHCUT FOODS LTD 14-16 Lilac Grove, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1PF Contact: Sales Tel: 01159 227 222 Fax: 01159 227 255 sales@freshcut.biz www.freshcutfoods.co.uk
FUTURA FOODS UK LTD. The Priory, Long Street, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 4HR Contact: Jo Carter Tel: 01666 890500 Fax: 01666 890522 jo@futura-foods.com www.futura-foods.com
FRESHFAYRE Unit 10, Severn Way, Hunslet Industrial Estate, Hunslet, Leeds LS10 1BY Contact: Caroline Bartrop Tel: 0113 277 3001 sales@freshfayre.co.uk www.freshfayre.co.uk
GEETA’S FOODS LTD. Unit 1, 1000 North Circular Road, London NW2 7JP Contact: Nitesh Shah Tel: 020 8450 2255 Fax: 020 8450 2282 nshah@geetasfoods.com www.geetasfoods.com
FRESH-PAK CHILLED FOODS 1 Waterside Park, Valley Way, Wombwell, Barnsley S73 0BB Contact: Mike Roberts Tel: 01226 344850 Fax: 01226 344880 mike.roberts@fresh-pak.co.uk www.fresh-pak.co.uk FRESHTIME UK LTD. Marsh Lane, Boston, Lincolnshire PE21 7RJ Contact: Bryan Nelson Tel: 01205 312010 Fax: 01205 357838 bryan.nelson@freshtime.co.uk FRIDAYS Chequer Tree Farm, Benenden Rd, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3PN Contact: Pat Dunne Tel: 01580 710200 Fax: 01580 713512 pd@fridays.co.uk www.fridays.co.uk Accreditation body: BSA FROMAGERIES BEL 2 Allee de Longchamp, Suresnes, 92150, France Contact: Bruno Camozzi Tel: +33 (0) 1 84 02 30 99 bcamozzi@groupe-bel.com www.belfoodservicepai.com
FSC Cheddar Business Park, Wedmore Road, Cheddar, Somerset BS27 3EB Contact: James Simpson Tel: 01934 745600 Fax: 01934 745631 james@thefscgroup.com www.thefscgroup.com
GROTE COMPANY Wrexham Technology Park, Wrexham LL13 7YP Contact: Paul Jones Tel: 01978 362243 Fax: 01978 362255 sales@intl.grotecompany.com www.grotecompany.com
HARVEY & BROCKLESS 44-54 Stewarts Road London SW8 4DF Contact: Tina Alemao Tel: 0207 8196045 Fax: 0207 8196027 tina.alemao@harveyandbrockless.co.uk www.harveyandbrockless.co.uk Accreditation body: BSA H SMITH FOOD GROUP PLC 24 Easter Industrial Park, Ferry Lane South, Rainham, Essex RM13 9BP Contact: Chris Smith Tel: 01708 878888 chris@hsmithplc.com www.hsmithplc.com INSURANCE PROTECTOR GROUP B1 Custom House, The Waterfront, Level Street, Brierley Hill DY5 1XH Tel: 0800 488 0013 business@ipgdirect.co.uk www.insuranceprotector.co.uk
JACKSONS BAKERY 40 Derringham Street, Kingston upon Hull HU3 1EW Contact: Trevor Maplethorpe Tel: 01482 301113 Fax: 01482 588237 trevor@jacksonsbread.co.uk www.jacksonsbread.co.uk
BSA Suppliers Index JIFFY TRUCKS LTD 26 Jubilee Way, Shipley West Yorkshire BD18 1QG Tel: 01274 596000 Contact: Stephen Downes stephen@jiffytrucks.co.uk www.jiffytrucks.co.uk
JOHN WEST FOODS LTD No. 1 Mann Island, Liverpool, Merseyside L3 1BP Contact: Paul Kent Tel: 0151 243 6200 Fax: 0151 236 7502 paul.kent@thaiunion.com KPMG SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING 15 Canada Place, London E14 5GL Contact: Sales Team Tel: 0808 231 7921 accounting@kpmg.co.uk
LEATHAMS LTD 227-255 Ilderton Road, London, SE15 1NS Contact: Des Hillier Tel: 0207 635 4000 Fax: 0207 635 4017 des.hillier@leathams.co.uk www.leathams.co.uk
MARTIN MATHEW & CO. LTD 50A St Andrews Street, Hertford SG14 1JA Contact : Matthew Donnelly Tel: 01992 641641 Fax: 01992 210177/210178 matthewdonnelly@martinmathew.co.uk www.martinmathew.co.uk MILLITEC FOOD SYSTEMS LTD. Woodhill Industrial Park, Nottingham Lane, Old Dalby, Leicester LE14 3LX Contact: Richard Ledger Tel: 01664 820032 sales@millitec.com www.millitec.com
MISSION FOODS EUROPE LTD Heathrow Boulevard 4, 282 Bath Road, Sipson, West Drayton UB7 0DQ Contact: Natasha Bailey Tel: 0208 754 0115 Fax: 02476 676560 team@missionfoodservice.co.uk www.missionfoodservice.co.uk
SUPPLIERS
MOY PARK LTD. 39 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon, County Armagh BT63 5QE Contact: Mark Ainsbury Tel: +44 (0) 28 3835 2233 mark.ainsbury@moypark.com www.moypark.com
MYFRESH PREPARED PRODUCE LTD. Unit 5 Walthew House Lane, Martland Park Industrial Estate, Wigan WN5 0LB Contact: Emma Hesketh Tel: 01942 219942 emma.hesketh@myfreshprepared.co.uk
www.myfreshprepared.co.uk
NEW YORK BAKERY CO. 4 Heathrow Boulevard, Bath Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 0DQ Contact: Sandie Belton Tel: 07507 063090 sandie.belton@grupobimbo.com www.newyorkbakery.co.uk NINA BAKERY 114 Halutssi Hatasia, Haifa, 2620113, Israel Contact: Michal Neeman Tel: +972 544 578648 michal.neeman@lumeega.com NORSELAND LTD. Somerton Road, Ilchester, Somerset BA22 8JL Contact: Oliver Scott-Harden Tel: 01935 842800 Fax: 01935 842801 oscott-harden@norseland.co.uk www.norseland.co.uk
OREXIS FRESH FOODS LTD. Unit 54B Minerva Road, Park Royal, London NW10 6HJ Contact: Romi Stavrou Tel: 0208 9652223 romi@orexis.co.uk www.orexis.co.uk PAUWELS UK 1st Floor, Axiom House, High Street, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 4AU Contact: Rees Smith Tel: 0208 818 7617 Fax: 0203 187 0071 rees.smith@pauwels-sauces.com www.pauwel-sauces.com
PIQUANT LTD Willenhall Lane, Bloxwich, Walsall, W.Midlands WS3 2XN Contact: Julie Smith Tel: 01922 711116 Fax: 01922 473240 salesinfo@piquant.co.uk www.piquant.co.uk Accreditation body: BSA
PLANGLOW LTD King’s House, Bond Street, Bristol BS1 3AE Contact: Rachael Sawtell Tel: 0117 317 8600 Fax: 0117 317 8639 info@planglow.com www.planglow.com PRINCES FOODS LTD. Royal Liver Building, Pier Head, Liverpool L3 1NX Contact: Brian Robbitt Tel: 0151 966 7000 Fax: 0151 966 7037 brian.robbitt@princes.co.uk www.princes.co.uk RANK HOVIS The Lord Rank Centre, Lincoln Road, High Wycombe HP12 3QS Contact: Mark Ellis Tel: 0870 728 1111 rankhovismarketing@hovis.co.uk www.rankhovis.co.uk RAP LTD. Mansel Court, 2A Mansel Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 4AA Contact: Martin Beaver Tel: 0208 069 0700 catherine.young@rapuk.com www.rapuk.com ROYAL GREENLAND LTD. Gateway House, Styal Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester M22 5WY Contact: Solenne Labarere Tel: 0161 4904246 sola@royalgreenland.com www.royalgreenland.com
SAM BROWNE FOODS Kelleythorpe, Ind.Estate, Driffield, East Yorkshire, YO25 9DJ. Contact: Joanna Frost Tel: 01377 249000 Fax: 01377 241271 joannafrost@sambrownefoods.co.uk www.sambrownefoods.co.uk
SMITHFIELD FOODS LTD. Norfolk Tower, 48-52 Surrey Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 3PA Contact: Gary McFarlane Tel: 01603 252437 Fax: 01603 252401 garymcfarlane@smithfieldfoods.co.uk www.smithfieldfoods.co.uk
SNOWBIRD FOODS Wharf Road, Ponders End, Enfield, Middlesex EN3 4TD Contact: Roy Anderson Tel: 0208 805 9222 Fax: 0208 804 9303 roy.anderson@snowbirdfoods.co.uk www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk
SOUTHERN SALADS LIMITED Units 1 & 2 Cannon Bridge Cannon Lane, Tonbridge, Kent TN1 9RP Contact: Mr Ray Boakes Tel: 01732 362444 Fax: 01732 361919 ray@southernsalads.co.uk www.southernsalads.com
SOUTHOVER FOOD COMPANY LIMITED Unit 4, Grange Industrial Estate, Albion Street, Southwick,Brighton BN42 4EN Contact: Robert Partridge Tel: 01273 596830 Fax: 01273 596 839 bob@southoverfoods.com www.southoverfoods.com THE FOODFELLAS Lakeside House, 1 Furzeground Way,Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB11 1BD Contact: Millie Deane Tel: 0208 622 3064 Fax: 0845 2801166 millie@thefoodfellas.co.uk www.thefoodfellas.co.uk THE INGREDIENTS FACTORY Unit 2-3 Hamilton Road Ind Estate,160 Hamilton Road, London SE27 9SF Tel: 0208 670 6701 Fax: 0208 670 9676 Contact: Tim Marcuson tim@theingredientsfactory.com www.theingredientsfactory.com
These suppliers are members of The British Sandwich Association and subject to its rules, codes of conduct and accreditation. While the Association cannot guarantee the products supplied by those listed, it does make every effort to ensure that the companies are reputable and offer quality products and services.
TRI-STAR PACKAGING SUPPLIES LTD Tri-Star House, Unit 4, The Arena,, Mollison Avenue, Enfield, Middlesex EN3 7NL Contact: Kevin Curran Tel: 0208 4439100 Fax: 0208 4439101 info@tri-star.co.uk www.tri-star.co.uk
VESTEY FOODS UK 29 Ullswater Crescent, Coulson, Surrey CR5 2HR Contact: Les Roberts Tel: 0208 668 9344 Fax: 0208 660 4640 l.roberts@vestey.com www.vesteyfoods.com ZAFRON FOODS LTD. Unit B-G Eagle Trading Estate, Willow Lane, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 4UY Contact: Jack Kenny Tel: 0844 847 5116 Fax: 0844 847 5117 jack@zafronfoods.co.uk www.zafronfoods.co.uk
ZWANENBERG FOOD UK LTD (Puredrive Fine Foods/ Taste Original) 36A Causeway Road, Earlstrees Industrial Estate, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 4DU Contact: Martin Burdekin Tel: 01536 463000 Fax: 01536 463085 martinb@puredrive.co.uk
LINKED ASSOCIATION LOCAL AUTHORITY CATERING ASSOCIATIONS LACA Administration Bourne House, Horsell Park,Woking, Surrey GU21 4LY Tel: 01483766777 Fax: 01483751991 admin@laca.co.uk
CONSULTANT INTERNATIONAL MASTER CHEF & AUTHOR Tom Bridge 21 Blackhorse Avenue, Blackrod Village, Bolton BL6 5HE Tel: 01204 695450 or 07889 111256 www. cookerydetective.com www.piesocietybook.co.uk