FoodChain Issue 125 May 2017 by Finelight Media Group

FoodChain Issue 125

MAY 2017

The business of food and drink

Stay in

style Individuality and location set Rocco Forte Hotels apart from the competition

Industry News l

Print evolution Perceptions are changing over what can be achieved through digital print

New flavours added to porridge range

Original concept wins major food award Primula charity campaign supports NSPCC

Working together Greater collaboration between suppliers helps drive greater efficiency through the supply chain

LINKS IN THE FOOD CHAIN T H WHITE Projects has gained a strong reputation for the design and construction of bespoke systems handling the processing and storage of grain and free-flowing materials for the food and drink industry. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only part of our contribution to the food chain. T H WHITE Group started business in 1832 as an agricultural ironmonger and today T H WHITE Agriculture is still at the forefront of supplying Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farming industry, operating premier dealerships for New Holland and Case IH machinery and other leading brands, supported by legendary aftersales service. Fulfilment of your project is likely to call upon many resources and T H WHITE Construction can help to meet on-site equipment challenges. For the full picture, call us today.

Nursteed Road, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 3EA.

GROUP

T: 01380 723040 E: projects@thwhite.co.uk www.thwhite.co.uk

FoodChain ISSUE 125

MAY 2017

THE BUSINESS OF FOOD AND DRINK

Editor’s Welcome

Stay in

style Individuality and location set Rocco Forte Hotels apart from the competition

Industry News L New

flavours added to porridge range

Print evolution Perceptions are changing over what can be achieved through digital print

L Original

concept wins major food award

L Primula

charity campaign supports NSPCC

Working together Greater collaboration between suppliers helps drive greater efficiency through the supply chain

Local flavour

Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Libbie Hammond Art Editor Fleur Daniels Advertising Design Fiona Jolliffe Staff Writers Jo Cooper Andrew Dann Profiles Manager Emma Crane Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove Sales Mark Cawston Tim Eakins Darren Jolliffe Jonas Junca Dave King Theresa McDonald Rob Wagner Operations Director Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Alasdair Gamble Natalie Griffiths Mark Kafourous Wendy Russell Office Manager Advertising Administrator Tracy Chynoweth

his issue of FoodChain takes a good look at packaging and labelling. Aside from protecting the product inside, the package of a product has to attract a buyer, keep food or beverages fresh and safe, and advertise a host (and

what seems ever-increasing) amount of information, from calories to environmental data. The technology behind packaging and labelling continues to evolve to keep up with demand and our articles on this fascinating subject touch on new materials, new approaches and the importance of design in the process. Check them out on pages 4 and 14. The profiles in this magazine also highlight some extraordinary stories of evolution and success, from the developments at Fourayes Farm to the new hotels coming from Rocco Forte, there is plenty of exciting activity in the sector at the moment. Finally it’s always great to be able to feature a local company that many of the

team are personally familiar with. Anglian Country Inns’ locations on the North Norfolk coast and further afield always offer a warm welcome and a superb dining experience. If you get the chance to attend one of its events this summer (see the

@FoodChain_mag

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. T: +44 (0)1603 274130 www.foodchainmagazine.com

article on page 32 for details) I heartily recommend the trip.

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

© 2017 Schofield Publishing Ltd Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, and correct at time of writing, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

www.foodchainmagazine.com

Contents 4

16 8

Features Labelling The evolution of digital printing

When it comes to the most successful packaging it all comes down to the detail â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from design down to materials

Simon Smith takes at look at digital labelling and flexible packaging and predicts some trends going forward

Case study A new vision

Maintenance The hidden contaminator

General Mills adopted software from Dassault SystĂ¨mes to help plan the display of new products

The risk of contamination in the food and drink sector and why manufacturers must consider food grade thermal fluid

Food waste Waste â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a vital resource?

Exhibition Food innovation visits the capital

Supply chain Working together

Collaboration not only reduces risks and costs in the food supply chain but also offers other benefits

www.foodchainmagazine.com

IFE 2017 attracted visitors from 108 countries and 1350 exhibitors from 57 different nations

Philip Simpson calls for the food distribution industry to take action and curb the growing volume of food waste generated in the UK

Packaging design Managing the minutiae

News

7 / 11

Up-to-date products and announcements from the food and beverage sector

Taste Test

The FoodChain team sample a selection of new and innovative foods and drinks

24 40 44 37 Profiles

Innovations & developments within some of the world’s finest companies

9 White Deer Brewery

Irish brewer 9 White Deer Brewery has developed gluten free beers that taste as beer should

Holland & Barrett

Reiser UK

Reiser UK represents the UK branch of the American-owned Reiser food processing and packaging equipment business

London Stock Exchange Group

Anglian Country Inns has evolved with the times, and now has ten different establishments within the Group

The LSEG’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Europe report is designed to shine a light on European Growth companies

DCH International – Premium Porc Group 37

Thomas Franks

As the business continues to grow, DCH International is working with clients in the Romanian market to deliver quality pork products

With a solid start to 2017 taking place, Thomas Franks is certain to continue gaining further contracts

Rocco Forte Hotels

Lincoln & York

Rocco Forte Hotels has opened the beautiful Assila Hotel in Jeddah, with further new openings planned

Fourayes

Lincoln & York is keen to take advantage of the booming coffee market by expanding into Europe

Heritage Portfolio

Over the coming years Heritage Portfolio plans to further capitalise on its current momentum

North Bar Group

Indcresa

With both classic and playful flavour combinations North Bar Group has achieved strong recognition in the competitive brewing market

Today cocoa powder expert Indcresa has a modern factory with a capacity of up to 70,000 tonnes per year

T H WHITE Projects

Warsteiner

By offering experience and a dedication to excellence, T H WHITE Projects has established loyal client relationships

Founded in 1993, The Bread Factory now produces between 80,000 and 140,000 items a night from its London facility

Innovation is the watchword at Fourayes, the UK’s largest Bramley apple grower, fruit processor and commercial jam manufacturer

The Bread Factory

With ambitious plans for the future, the vision of the East of England Co-op is to be trusted as the first choice locally

The overall ambition of Holland & Barrett is to be globally known as a leading health and wellness business

Anglian Country Inns

East of England Co-operative

102

A beer brand with products in over 60 countries, Warsteiner is always looking to launch new products

Macdonald Hotels

104

Having celebrated 25 years of business in 2016, Macdonald Hotels continues to exceed guests’ expectations

www.foodchainmagazine.com

The evolution of digital printing

D Simon Smith gives the lowdown on exactly what digital labelling and flexible packaging can offer the food & drink industry, both now, and in the near future 4 www.foodchainmagazine.com

igital printing isn’t new technology anymore; however it has evolved beyond anyone’s expectations over the past five years. If you haven’t explored the gamut of true benefits, or updated your knowledge, then now is the time to do so. The market is growing rapidly as are the capabilities. For those in the food & drink industry, it’s an extremely useful exercise to analyse your current printing methods for packaging such as labels and stand-up pouches, to ascertain whether switching from traditional methods or changing your provider of digital printing could be a) saving you money, b) increasing sales or c) reducing lead times significantly or a combination of all three.

Current thinking

Simon Smith

At CS Labels we currently produce digital labels and we also entered into the digital stand-up pouch market for flexible packaging a few years ago. Digital label wise we were one of the pioneers of the technology in the UK and in-terms of stand-up pouches we were also one of the first companies in the world to be able to produce them successfully using Xeikon technology. Over the past ten years we’ve seen food and drink industry clients of all sizes slowly alter their perception that digital print is for short runs only; short runs being orders of hundreds or a few thousand product labels, and that the cost is expensive and that using digital is the exception and not the rule. Although short runs are still popular for promotions, campaigns

Labelling or artisan producers, it’s important to realise that the print method can also add so much value for much larger orders and this is growing daily! Clients are increasingly noticing many windfall benefits of the technology, where effectively every single label (no matter if they need to be identical or variable) is individually printed (and not a blueprint from a printing plate like flexographic, screen, lithographic printing etc). Variable data such as that used in promotional campaigns are printed in ‘one pass’ as an integral part of the label, as are unique tracking codes for genuine product traceability and added anti-counterfeiting. Switched on digital label print providers are now asked to participate in projects like this all of the time, and in addition are approached to actually also provide brand advice, whether it’s for 1000 labels or 450 million plus. Formatting artwork for digital is slightly different, and an experienced print provider can also be a good source of advice on how to further enhance your label with digital – not just how to change the artwork to fit the process.

Food label regulation changes – no stockpile required! In terms of the ongoing FIC food regulations (EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation), the labelling requirements are changing frequently as we all know. The last thing a retailer

or manufacturer wants are reels of redundant labels or stacks of pouches with out of date information on them lying around in the warehouse waiting to go to landfill ...enter digital print! Digital print has no origination (printing plates), so any artwork changes are quick and painless; lead times are shorter than traditional methods so you can order based on your supply chain processes. And this is without even considering the ability to react to promotional or seasonal opportunities quickly and fulfil demand. In terms of aesthetics if regulations stipulate that you need to fit more information on to your label without impacting its design, then peel and reveal /multi-layer labels are a popular choice – we were one of the first companies in the world to produce them digitally and know the benefits and pitfalls.

Win awards using digital print Looking at peel and reveal labels in a promotional arena Northern Monk brewery are renowned for contemporary real/craft ale and on-trend design and the unique multi-layered beer can label we printed for their ‘Patrons Project’ campaign was recently awarded ‘Best Label’ at the ‘Digital Printer Awards as well as best ’Digital Labels and Packaging’ at the recent Flexotech

Awards. The collaborative project links art, athleticism and creativity. The label won due to its design and the way it integrated with their marketing perfectly to enhance sales. Northern Monk Brew Co Director, Russell Bisset said: “Working with CS labels has been great, we look at them as a partner more than a supplier. Their collaborative approach and suggestions on the best way for us to realise our vision of our products has led to us winning numerous awards together. We’re always interested in working with them and looking at innovative uses of the latest technology and advancements they’re investing in.” Northern Monk has just taken advantage of another advancing development in digital labelling, embellishments. It has just brewed a special ‘IPA’ beer with Cloud Water Brewco for the upcoming Hop City Beer festival in Leeds – the UK’s first hop led beer festival. The label is a ‘barn door’ peel and reveal construction that celebrates the festival and includes a map and more. We have undertaken a major investment in a new Grafisk Maskinfabrik in-line hot foiling press, allowing the opportunity to also provide embossing, and spot varnishing and this project has taken advantage of that. Previously, this enhanced luxury style of labelling would have been cost prohibitive for a product of this calibre, now it can be used to do the whole creative campaign justice.

The next six months? There are a multitude of projects, although if I had to choose one I would say that the digital laser cutting of labels integrated with workflow automation provides many opportunities. ‘Sale’ or price point labels are an example that would have been ordered in bulk twice a year and printed traditionally using flexographic methods with the printer dictating minimum quantities (resulting in an order of 12 million labels with 50 per cent wastage). Using workflow automation plus digital, these multiple jobs could be ordered bespoke for each store and printed and cut to size in sequence for each store and within budget with no wastage.....how?

www.foodchainmagazine.com 5

Labelling Laser magic – enter the Vectorizer! A database with each store requirement is integrated into label printing workflow. Laser cutters can react during the same print run, so it doesn’t matter if the labels are different sizes; Small labels are printed on the same sheets as larger labels, the laser and the software makes it all possible. We originally invested in the vectorizer for short runs; however we’ve continued to advance the software, which is speeding up the process and making it attractive for the longer jobs. The upshot is that the previous two orders of 12 million labels are now one order of six million labels and are split into batches and shipped to each store. Laser cutting plus workflow will cut down the amount of labels by 50 per cent in this instance, hence why the earlier tip of speaking to your digital print solutions provider to see what’s possible is a useful one.

6 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Solutions rather than printed labels and pouches At CS Labels we’re increasingly evolving to become predominantly a digital solution provider that happens to produce digital labels and stand-up pouches, rather than a printer that churns out your product labels. For those in Food and Drink, my genuine advice is to consider how to develop and enhance your brand with digital and use it to convey a unique message across to your customer, with interactivity if appropriate. For us, it’s not just a case of buying a machine that prints; we think differently and we consider your workflow plus our own, whether that’s as simple as automated artwork processing, or as complex as the laser cutting solution I mentioned that covers thousands of outlets. A digital printing company’s mission should be to help clients gain by

harnessing the power of digital; whether that’s economies of scale, or increasing revenue by powering up your brand. D

Simon Smith joined CS Labels Ltd as Managing Director in 2001 and set upon a strategic path of transformation for CS Labels and refocused the business. Smith has successfully built the company into one of the largest and most successful digital houses in the UK with a current year-on-year double digit growth. www.cslabels.co.uk

IndustryNews AA grade award After an audit by Isoquar to The BRC Global Food Standard, Omega Ingredients Limited has been awarded AA grade to version 7 with the additional approval to the new Traded Items Module. This makes it the first in the industry to achieve this distinction. The audit assesses a company’s food safety standards across its supply chain and sets the benchmark for good manufacturing practice. The three-day audit and resulting certificate is a significant vote of confidence in the company, founded in 2001. In achieving the award, Omega has

proven that its longstanding commitment to procedure, training, competency, food safety and risk management is recognised for the world to see. Omega’s award builds on the recent success of its newly launched product ΩMegaSweet®, a natural flavour system designed to combat the challenge of sugar reduction within the beverage industry ahead of the Sugar Tax. ΩMegaSweet® enables companies to reduce the sugar content in their products by up to 50 per cent, with minimal calorie contribution. www.omegaingredients.co.uk

Pack a snack RPC Superfos’s EasySnacking pack is enjoying further success following the launch of a typical Croatian ice cream dessert, Kremsnita, from the Balkan market leader in ice cream, Ledo. The dessert combines delicious custard with whipped cream and pieces of waffle to create an ice cream, and

the award-winning EasySnacking pot, supplied its 210ml size, provided the ideal ˇ packaging format, as Lovro Vuckovi´ c, Product Manager at Ledo, explains: “The EasySnacking cup is a great solution. The round edges look absolutely great and the integral spoon is fantastic. Kremsnita is a typical Croatian dessert traditionally served in square pieces, so the square shape of the EasySnacking container is a perfect match for our new product.” Ledo expected very good sales before putting the product on the market, and after a successful start, the company has achieved its sales target within the expected time span. “We did not run any big promotion for the Ledo Kremsnita; all we did was one TV commercial where we introduced the ˇ current ice cream range,” says Vuckovi´ c. “Ledo Kremsnita was just one of ten types of ice cream, yet it got a good deal of attention. On various social media, we have found many pictures and positive comments about our dessert - and our customers love the spoon too.” RPC Superfos has been a packaging supplier to Ledo for several years, and

New flavours launched Stoats has added three new flavours to its Porridge Quick Pot range. With wholesome oaty goodness and packed with real fruit pieces, these pots offer a convenient way for onthe-go consumption – cooking simply in three minutes by adding hot water. Available in Raspberry & Honey, Rhubarb & Bramble, and Pear & Vanilla, the new pots are high in fibre and are a source of protein to help consumers own the day. Managing Director at Stoats, Tony Stone said: “As lifestyles are increasingly busy, we want to ensure that people can eat well on the go. These porridge pots prove the perfect portion of porridge that will keep you satisfied until lunch and appeal to everyone from young families, professionals to the older generation. We hope our consumers will enjoy these new flavour additions to our range.” Stoats Porridge Quick Pots are available at an RRP of £1.29 per pot and are available in mixed cases. www.eatstoats.com

the companies have an excellent ˇ working partnership as Lovro Vuckovi´ c confirms: “I only have good words to say about the support we get from RPC Superfos. They are helpful, proactive and engaged in our world. They know our products really well and I appreciate it when we get useful suggestions so that we can find the best possible packaging solution.” www.rpc-superfos.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 7

A new vision

S General Mills France worked with Dassault Systèmes to create the perfect ice-cream snack under the HäagenDazs brand 8 www.foodchainmagazine.com

nacking has grown significantly over the years into a global phenomenon prompted by lifestyle changes and eating habits. Foods that were once considered traditional are now packaged, marketed and presented to be eaten ‘on the go’. Snacks’ rising popularity has food manufacturers and retailers working hard to attract consumer attention to win a chunk of this lucrative market. “Out of 120 food product categories, ice cream rates 27th in the list of most impulsive purchases,” said Stanislas de Maleissye, senior category and trade marketing manager, General Mills France. “Much of ice cream’s appeal depends on strategic storeaisle placement and visibility to stimulate consumer interest.” The key

to success is, therefore, innovative merchandising.

Launching a new segment General Mills France, a subsidiary of a world-leading food company General Mills, wanted to increase its share of this market by expanding its HäagenDazs premium ice cream brand to respond to consumers’ increased inclination for snacking. Habitually presented in pints and mini cups, General Mills France created a new way to enjoy its Häagen-Dazs ice creams with a new, more compact and easier-to-eat version. According to the company, it’s a more appropriate response to this popular trend. “We based our decision to launch a series of ice cream stick bars on two years

Case study category growth and brand revenue. To help it design the most efficient merchandising strategy tailored to each retailer, General Mills France adopted Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform and its Perfect Shelf Industry Solution Experience. “We used virtual technology to collaborate with retailers and develop a new vision for this line of products by defining the best product, category and shelf-space strategy,” de Maleissye said. “Perfect Shelf brings a new and innovative approach to category management that helps us present our new products in the most attractive way possible.” General Mills France chose the cloud-based version of Perfect Shelf because it was faster to deploy, offers greater flexibility and because all support is included in the price of the offering. “Working on the cloud enables us to focus on our core activities while letting Dassault Systèmes manage all IT-related tasks for us,” de Maleissye said. “Our total cost of ownership is, hence, lower because we don’t need to invest in computing and data storage equipment nor in the human resources required to manage them.”

of consumer market studies,” de Maleissye said. “It’s an approach based on our desire to place the consumer at the centre of our product strategy. Even in snack form, our ice cream is still characterised by the high level of quality of its main ingredients – milk, fresh cream, sugar and eggs. But we also needed to make sure our new products stood out among the competition by strategically and attractively presenting them in the stores to inspire consumers to buy them,” he said.

Virtual technology on the cloud The company engaged with major French retailers to implement the most effective way to position and merchandise its products to maximise

Collaboration through immersive store experience With Perfect Shelf, General Mills France was able to come up with different merchandising options for its new Häagen-Dazs line adapted to the look and layout of each store. “Whereas other solutions used by consumer goods companies can create 2D diagrams and 3D planogram views, none are able

to recreate such a realistic store environment in 3D complete with aisles, shelves, products and virtual shoppers,” de Maleissye said. “The retailers we worked with for our Häagen-Dazs project were immersed in the virtual reality of their own store environment allowing them to give more pertinent feedback on layouts, lighting, positioning and signage. We were able to build and evaluate more category options much faster and at a lower cost. Moreover, the virtual stores were so real, we were able to avoid the complexity and cost of installing a physical test store.”

Rated second most innovative food product In its Top Innovations 2015 study, Nielsen, a New York-based global information and measurement company, revealed that General Mills’ Häagen-Dazs stick bars came in second position on the French market in the food category. “Products were rated on their performance with respect to revenue generated and market penetration in the first six months following their release,” de Maleissye explained. “Supermarket sales of our new ice cream totalled over €13 million, confirming its appeal among consumers.” Perfect Shelf is opening up new perspectives for General Mills France. De Maleissye’s team plans to extend the solution to other product categories, such as their World Food category, which includes the Old El Paso line. “Our marketing team is also interested in using Perfect Shelf for packaging design to visualise new concepts and innovations in terms of shape, colour and branding and then position them within the context of a virtual store to come up with the best and most appealing way to present our products alongside the competition,” de Maleissye said. “We’ve only scratched the surface of Perfect Shelf’s capabilities and our objective, now, is to continue to improve our knowledge and use of this solution.” D www.3ds.com/industries/ consumer-packaged-goodsretail

www.foodchainmagazine.com 9

Food waste

Waste – a vital resource? Philip Simpson calls for the food distribution industry to take action and curb the growing volume of food waste generated in the UK

ccording to the latest insight from WRAP, the UK’s food waste crisis is reaching its tipping point. Figures published earlier this year (January 2017) reveal that household food waste in the UK increased 4.4 per cent between 2012 and 2015, despite a clear target to cut this volume by five per cent before 2016. The total volume of food waste sent to landfill in 2015 surpassed 7.3 million tonnes – enough to fill nearly 3000 Olympic-sized swimming pools – and cost the average family more than £700 in disposal costs alone. When you also take the wider economic and environmental implications into consideration, the true scale of the issue becomes even more evident. However, despite these figures, blaming the consumer alone would be shortsighted. In fact, the total volume of food waste ending up in landfill each year comes from a variety of sources. The food distribution industry, for example, is said to generate a significant volume of food waste – a high percentage of which is sent directly to landfill. Insight from WRAP reports that this volume is more than 4000 tonnes every year. According to the IGD, the factors behind this statistic are around poor

10 www.foodchainmagazine.com

or damaged packaging, inaccurate temperature control and environmental factors; such as damp or contamination. Despite this reasoning, the fact still remains – action must be taken, and soon, to curb the volume of food waste generated by the sector. At ReFood, we believe that wasting produce is ludicrous – so much energy, water and labour resources go into producing it. As such, reducing waste must be a priority. To combat the issue, a number of initiatives have been introduced across the industry, many of which are already seeing impressive results. The Courtauld Commitment, for example, which aims to promote change across the supply chain, is inspiring change from businesses operating across the sector. Similarly, the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) waste prevention toolkit provides excellent guidance on how to apply best practice to your business. This aims to promote greater collaboration between partners and suppliers to understand risks and highlight opportunities for change. Although immediate action is already being undertaken to reduce the volume of food wasted by the industry, there will always be a small percentage that cannot be eliminated. The majority of

Philip Simpson

this figure comes from spoiled produce, much of which, for legal reasons, cannot be otherwise consumed or repurposed. Unfortunately, however, a high percentage of this unavoidable waste is sent directly to landfill. This is where AD must be prioritised. Recycling unavoidable food waste to create renewable and sustainable biofertiliser is a hugely efficient use of an extremely valuable resource. While recycling food via AD isn’t a one size fits all solution, its involvement as part of a wider integrated waste management strategy is hugely important. What’s more, by doing so, we can make great strides towards eliminating food waste to landfill and help reach UK renewable energy targets. In fact, if we were to achieve zero food waste to landfill nationwide, then by 2020 we could generate over 1.1tW of energy, 27 million fewer tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, return over 1.3 million tonnes of nutrientrich fertiliser to farmland and save the public sector over £3.7 billion – a huge economic benefit which is currently being overlooked. If we can encourage further activity to minimise waste and generate greater buy-in from across the food distribution industry, it will be possible to help alleviate the food waste crisis, while also recognising significant economic and environmental benefits. In 2011, ReFood launched Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill. Using insight and experience from industry stakeholders, the report is a comprehensive guide to minimising both avoidable and unavoidable food waste in the UK. Since the report’s launch, ReFood has been promoting the importance of a comprehensive national waste strategy and lobbying the government to make policy changes surrounding the food waste debate. D

Philip Simpson is commercial director at ReFood. ReFood’s aim is a simple yet important one – to divert food waste from landfill by offering businesses an alternative cost-effective and unique range of highly specialised environmentally friendly and sustainable food waste recycling services. www.refood.co.uk

IndustryNews Appetite for innovation

Make a splash

The Seed Fund, a philanthropic organisation which nurtures fledgling food and drink brands, has announced a record number of entries this year, as innovation continues to blossom within the industry. With over 150,000 new startups already launched in 2017 and numbers increasing year on year (Startup Britain, 27 March 2017), The Seed Fund has now partnered with Great Taste, the world’s most coveted blind-tasted food awards, to reach out to more start-ups and entrepreneurs than ever before. Founded in 2013 by Bristol-based design and marketing consultancy, The Collaborators, The Seed Fund has reported a big rise in products and initiatives that have responded to the nation’s changing tastes and new approaches to sourcing their food. Entries range from a farming collective made up of small fields and back gardens to an app designed to help consumers find independent food and drink outlets in their area. Twenty-four shortlisted entries were announced in April, which will then meet the judges and pitch for their place in The Seed Fund Academy. These final 12 Academy members will benefit from support and mentoring from over 30 industry professionals and business leaders, including Guy Tullberg from Tracklements, John Farrand from the Guild of Fine Food and Tom Herbert of Hobbs House Bakery. Following a series of seminars, workshops, one-on-one sessions with mentors, industry visits and meet the buyer events, one eventual winner will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Awards Dinner in September, receiving a further year of support worth over £100,000. Previous winners include Adam’s Raw Chocolate www.theseedfund.co.uk

Following a successful launch at IFE, Just A Splash also was crowned winner of the 2017 World Food Innovation Award for Best Ingredient Innovation, beating finalists Salt of the Earth’s Mediterranean Umami and Holy Lama Naturals Ltd’s Spice Drops to the top spot.

Just A Splash has been recognised for offering a groundbreaking solution to an age-old kitchen conundrum. Its brand new range of alcoholic condiments is a completely original concept, allowing space- and timepoor cooks to expand their culinary range, simultaneously creating a new retail channel. Available in 100ml pouches, there is now no need for aspirational cooks to spend a fortune (and sacrifice cupboard space) on buying larger and subsequently hardly used bottles of spirits and fortified wines. Launching with five varieties: Rum, Port, Sherry, Marsala and Brandy, Just a Splash is no ordinary ‘cooking alcohol’. Its range of fortified wines and spirits has been specially created to be the missing ingredient in your cooking repertoire. Unlike other cooking alcohols, Just A Splash’s collection has been formulated to contain slightly lower ABV, which is beneficial to the cooking process, allowing the true flavour of the liquid to come through. Pia Varma, founder of Just A Splash says: “We’re over the moon to be recognised by the World Food Innovation Awards! We want to revolutionise the way people cook with alcohol and show chefs everywhere, whether a whizz or a beginner in the kitchen, that the possibilities are endless when using Just A Splash.” www.justasplash.co.uk

Big cheese Children’s authors including Philip Ardagh and Cathy Cassidy have backed the Primula Cheese and NSPCC campaign to help kids stay safe from abuse and dream big things for their future. Primula Cheese will start donating 20 per cent of the profits from their limited edition branded tubes directly to the NSPCC, which will help the charity in its

work to protect young people from abuse and neglect and to help victims recover. Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of the NSPCC, said: “Childhood should be a time when we’re free to dream big. Abuse can destroy that, which is why we are so thankful for the support of Primula Cheese in helping us towards our goal of keeping five million more children safe by 2021.”

At time of writing the campaign looked set to raise £50,000. www.primula.co.uk

www.foodchainmagazine.com 11

Working together

I Building supply-chain bridges offers more than a feel-good factor says Richard Walters 12 www.foodchainmagazine.com

n February, the UK’s fourth largest supermarket, Morrisons, launched a campaign to recruit more than 200 new suppliers from across England, Scotland and Wales in a year. Under the banner ‘The Nation’s Local Foodmakers’ it invited farmers and food producers to vie for a place in its supermarkets in a series of 12 regional events. The decision was announced as the supermarket published research, which showed that around two-thirds (67 per cent) of UK shoppers in a survey of 2038 adults expressed a preference for buying British food. The move plays into several topical

Richard Walters

themes. Firstly, there is Brexit and the concern over food price inflation. Secondly, there remain concerns over food provenance, dating back to salmonella-in-eggs and encompassing 2013’s horsemeat scandal. Morrisons aims to tap into the feeling that local food is more wholesome as well as better for the environment and countryside communities. But for Morrisons, recruiting a raft of smaller suppliers en masse will mean it will need to build effective and sustainable supply chains swiftly, a challenge faced by food retailers up and down the country. The trading relationships between

Supply chain it’s clear that there are increasing levels of collaboration taking place, with many of our projects based on identifying business and supply chain improvement opportunities. But one area, where it gives rise to tensions between retailers and suppliers, and where there is a continuous need to improve processes and capabilities, is around demand forecasting and planning.

Balancing risks

customers and suppliers are no different in food retail to any other industry. However, the high profile, year-long investigation by the Grocery Code Adjudicator (GCA) into Britain’s biggest supermarket, Tesco, for breaching a legally binding code to protect its suppliers, has naturally tarnished how the sector in general treats its suppliers. This is unfortunate as many supermarkets have worked incredibly hard on their supplier relationships, but as in other industry sectors, tensions can arise. Through our work with leading supermarkets, foodservice businesses, and food and drink manufacturers,

Manufacturers typically develop a Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process that provides them with best view of customer demand using both internal information and that provided by retailer platforms. Food and drink sales are notoriously affected by weather elements as well as category and cross category initiatives in which promotions are used heavily by retailers to attract customers who are increasingly shopping around. Grocery home delivery is one example of a channel that is used heavily as a mechanism for customer retention, and the extremely competitive nature of the sector means that short term decisions taken by retailers on product placement and promotions can place suppliers in difficult short term positions in managing their supply chains. Compounding these tensions are the performance measurements that suppliers have to work to such as On Time in Full (OTIF) and Waste, however further up the supply chain it can also cause issues with inventory placement, manufacturing cycles, and the management of the raw material suppliers. The food service sector provides suppliers with excellent market opportunities and in some cases and product sectors, this is a way of balancing out the risks associated

with a fully retail customer portfolio. However, the key message is that whoever the customer is, suppliers increasingly need their customer relationships to be enhanced by accurate data and well-managed planning time horizons relating to expected customer sales.

Proactive approach An answer to this problem can be found within greater collaboration with suppliers and often data can help here, as it can shape the dialogue between the organisations, seeking opportunities and guiding investment. Trust is critically important to encourage suppliers to help drive greater efficiency through the supply chain. For example, most smaller producers and manufacturers build up their own transport operations and own their own trucks. Retailers are increasingly investing in third party logistics providers to reduce empty vehicles on the road. Buyers are encouraging producers to join these networks to improve the efficiency of the supply chain as a whole. A sense of trust helps in these initiatives and reduces costs overall. But collaboration is not only useful in reducing risks and costs in the food supply chain. Producers and manufacturers who have benefited from working more closely with retailers can reciprocate by proactively developing new products. Those retailers who are a customer of choice to the most innovative suppliers will be first to market with the latest trends, capturing consumers’ attention from rivals. Morrison’s decision to grow its supply base among British producers and farmers may tap into a sense of national wellbeing, but it is also a sign of the retailer seeking a competitive advantage. Anyone interested in keeping up with fast-changing consumer taste would do well to take heed. D

Richard Walters is Principal Consultant at LCP Consulting, the leading global specialist consultancy in business operations and customer-driven supply chain management. It offers clients real depth of consulting expertise – in people, knowledge, tools, methods, and operational and sector expertise. www.lcpconsulting.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 13

With the food-to-go landscape constantly shifting to meet the needs of both the customer and consumer, Julian Money takes a look at packaging design, and what’s needed today to meet a multi-levelled brief 14 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Managing the minutiae

ood packaging has come a long way, and in a considerably short time. Where once food packaging had to have shelf appeal and be eyecatching it now has to do so much more as consumer trends have both changed and shaped packaging’s direction. Now, as a designer and manufacturer we need to work with our customers much more closely and dive into the psyche of the consumer while meeting customer and wider environmental objectives. As the industry has had to evolve, there have been a number of

Julian Money

breakthroughs in design. Not least in the desire of the customer to achieve what they believe to be a compelling design and that excellence in manufacturing adds value to their brand – but it must also delight and please the consumer. So how is this achieved? Much of it has been aided by improvements in technology, with more advanced and complex ideas now becoming a reality. Neighbouring packs may offer shelf appeal in different guises, but it’s the minutiae that can often make the difference. It’s down to detail, not just branding but how packs are made – paper

Packaging design and carton-board can now fulfil roles previously only possible with plastic. We now see shelves stacked with cartonboard trays and paper-based cook-inthe-pack flow-wrapped products, fully printed with windows. Furthermore, this development has not only replaced basic black or clear plastic packaging, it has opened up potential new markets and revenue streams for retailers and extended the appeal to the consumer. We must remember the consumer tends not to impulse-buy food, they will however quickly balance an argument based upon quality, ease of use and we trust, recyclability. It’s also crucial to consider what’s important, and to whom? Which again brings us back to that all-important consumer and their decision making process. A designer can make packaging look appealing, but we work with our customers to achieve this while also considering how the product stays fresh, how easy it is to open and how to ensure they end up in the green bin and not the black bag.

not have considered, or be aware of alternatives.

Green options Underlying requirements have to be met, always, but at RAP we look to widen the brief and offer more than one option. The customer can return to their brief but we would not be offering expert counsel if we didn’t challenge our customers and the marketplace they operate in. It’s about pushing boundaries to achieve the joint objective. Ultimately, packaging design will continue to be led by consumer needs and the wider requirements of the environment around us. The necessity to minimise packaging waste will continue and quite rightly too. This will drive new designs and techniques. We were recently voted the FPA Manufacturer of the Year by our customers, so hopefully we have been doing

something right over the past 20 years. But complacency cannot set in and we, like the rest of the packaging design industry, will place more resource into sustainable packaging; it’s beginning to shape much of what we do as a company as a whole and not just when fulfilling client briefs. This includes reducing weight and unnecessary packaging while moving towards maximising recycling. Likewise with compostability - this is becoming more sought after, not so much in the UK yet but certainly by our European customers where legislation and guidance has got to grips with the future of packaging and dealing with waste. I’m sure we’ll follow suit. And finally, paper and board will continue to be the norm for packaging design and be recognised as sustainable consumer materials, becoming a clear winner for the consumer, the customer and our environment. D

Customer concept Choice of material and fine details such as sealed packs, neat corners, hidden vents, perforations and a whole raft of other minutiae are delivered by the packaging designer. All very import I’m sure we’ll all agree, but not necessarily scrutinised by the consumer. Holistically, however, they will have certainly influenced the decision. I think the lesson to learn here, and I’m aware it’s a lesson many of us have had to learn over the years, is that an appealing design is not always a manufacturable one. But, as proficient designers we and our technical team will take a customer concept and bring it to life, make it cost-effective and improve the customer and consumer experience. Of course, all this change has led to modifications in approach. What the customer asks for and what they need is not always the same thing – and often leads to the customer asking for a bespoke product. We recognise this but it’s important to work with them from the outset as they may

Julian Money is founder of RAP, an award-winning food-to-go packaging market leader. Intelligent design, manufacturing excellence and exceptional service enables RAP to create and manufacture revolutionary packaging - used by some of the most iconic global brands, including Pret A Manger, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Co-op. RAP’s products have won countless awards over the years, including the Packaging News Consumer Convenience Award 2016 for MultiRap, the FPA Sustainability Award 2016 for its MA carton packaging and the FPA Manufacturer of the Year Award in 2017. www.rapuk.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 15

The hidden

contaminator Clive Jones explains the impact of contamination in the food and drink industry and why companies should invest in high-quality food grade thermal fluid

16 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Maintenance

any historians believe that in Ancient Rome, the nobility sipped hot drinks cooked in lead vessels and channelled spring water into their homes through lead pipes. These practices poisoned the Roman elite with diseases such as gout, headaches and abdominal pain. Food contamination has been an issue for centuries but luckily, we now have more efficient ways of controlling it. In food processing, contamination can occur from a range of sources, including by using unsanitary water to wash or chill food products; other common contamination problems are caused by pathogens transmitted from animal products and crosscontamination if equipment is not cleaned thoroughly. However, one hidden contaminator that is not often considered is heat transfer fluid, which can foul food products if it comes into contact with it, for example if the system has a leak. The best way to prevent contamination in this situation is to opt for a food grade thermal fluid.

at the same high temperatures as standard products. However, specialist fluids such as Global Heat Transfer’s Globaltherm FG can operate from -20 to 326 degrees Celsius thanks to their outstanding thermal oxidation stability.

High quality Food grade thermal fluids are also known to have a lower total acid value (TAN) than non-food grade. This means that, as well as being certified for incidental contact with food products, using food grade thermal fluid will lead to lower fouling and corrosion on internal structures during thermal degradation. In the worst-case scenario, contamination is discovered once the product has been shipped from the processing facility. If this occurs, the manufacturer must organise a product recall, which can result in huge financial losses and have a detrimental

impact on reputation. Using non-food grade thermal fluid isn’t worth the risk, especially when there are thermal fluid experts on hand to help you choose the correct fluid and maintain it over its lifetime. Proactive maintenance packages, such as Global Heat Transfer’s Thermocare includes 24/7 on-site engineering assistance, regular sample analysis, condition monitoring of heat transfer fluid, system health checks and training for a range of personnel including engineers, system operatives and health and safety. This approach could save manufacturers 75 per cent on maintenance and energy costs over a five-year period. After all, today’s food and beverage industry is much more sophisticated and controlled than the arbitrary practices of Ancient Rome, so why would any manufacturer take a chance on the quality of its products? D

Food safety Food grade thermal fluids carry a HT-1 certificate, granted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the NSF International, if they have been approved for use in food and drink processing. They are typically described as colourless, non-toxic, non-irritating and non-fouling. As thermal fluids are chemical agents, there is potential that they could come into contact with food and consumers. Although it may seem like a small risk, it is not an unusual occurrence. In 2000, 86,000 pounds of sliced and packaged turkey was recalled after consumers complained the product was off-odour, off-flavour and caused temporary intestinal discomfort after consumption. Testing proved that the product had been contaminated with non-food grade thermal fluid. To ensure consumer safety isn’t compromised, food and drink manufacturers should always use thermal fluid suitable for incidental contact with products. It is a common myth that food grade thermal fluids can’t operate

Clive Jones is managing director of Global Heat Transfer, a thermal fluid specialist, which provides heat transfer engineering assistance and thermal fluid supplies. Services offered include sampling and analysis, 24 hour delivery of premium quality thermal fluids, system drain down / cleaning / waste management, planned maintenance programs and a broad portfolio of affiliated system design and installation services. www.globalheattransfer.co.uk

www.foodchainmagazine.com 17

TasteTest

Water surprise For centuries the people of the Sonoran Desert have benefitted from the goodness of the nopal cactus. Growing on it are unique fruits commonly known as the prickly pear. Believed to be the only known source of all 24 betalains (antioxidants) and naturally rich in

nutrients such as vitamins C, electrolytes (magnesium, calcium & potassium) it is even high in dietary fibre. Harnessing these benefits, true nopal cactus water is the first cactus water to be sold in the UK. www.truenopal.co.uk

“I was reassured that this drink is 100 per cent natural and I also appreciated it has half the calories of some coconut waters. It was refreshing to drink with a subtle fruity flavour.”

Definitely gold The new Zespri SunGold kiwifruit features a unique yellow flesh colour, is smooth and hairless, and larger than most green kiwifruit. It is also rich in vitamin C - weight for weight, these kiwifruit contain three times as much vitamin C as you find in an orange (that’s 161 mg vitamin per 100 grams) Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, is essential for normal immune function, skin health, and helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue. The nutrients in Zespri SunGold kiwifruit allow the use of several authorised European health claims:

• Antioxidant protection – vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant helping to protect cells from oxidative damage • Skin health – vitamin C has an important role in collagen production • Muscle function – thanks to the potassium content The new golden kiwi are not only good for you but are naturally sweet and delicious, and are ripe from the moment of purchase – ready to cut, scoop and eat instantly. www.zespri.eu/en/sungold-kiwi

• Normal immune function – thanks to the rich vitamin C and folate content

“I loved these so much I needed immediately to know where to buy some more!” said our tester. “They

were so sweet and the flavour verged on melon. I loved the bigger size and also the perfect ripeness combined to make it so easy to eat straight out of the skin – just like a dippy egg! They also deserve their ‘golden’ label, as the colour was beautiful – making them very attractive to the eye as well as appetizing to eat. A definite 10/10 for me.”

An udder winner Premium milkshake brand, Shaken Udder, is set to launch into the yoghurt pouch sector with YogOaty, a delicious, high protein and healthy range of kids pouches made with 100 per cent natural ingredients: British yoghurt, real fruit and wholesome oats. New YogOaty comes in three delicious flavours: Mega Mango & Peach, Smashing Strawberry & Banana and Awesome Apricot & Vanilla. “We are very excited to launch YogOaty. These pouches are high in protein, wholesome, delicious and fit perfectly with our brand’s core values to promote delicious, British dairy,” says Jodie Farran, co-founder of Shaken Udder. “We’ve invested heavily in creating a product that’s not only totally natural

18 www.foodchainmagazine.com

and nutritious, but that doesn’t compromise on delivering superior taste. The result is a delicious, wholesome product that can easily be enjoyed on-the-go. YogOaty will appeal to those parents looking for tasty and nourishing healthy alternatives for their kids,” adds Jodie. www.shakenudder.com

The Taste Test team always looks forward to trying something new from Shaken Udder and we found the YogOaty’s to be very interesting! “I tried these (as well as giving to my sons) and they had a different texture to just a yogurt, which definitely was more filing and satisfying,” said our tester. “The children also enjoyed

them, they were fruity and easy to eat in a lunchbox as well. Of course if I’d offered them one of Shaken Udder’s amazing milkshakes, I am pretty sure they’d have chosen those instead, but this felt like a healthier option for them. I can still have the milkshake though!”

TasteTest

So refreshing The Great Uncle Cornelius Range is a small assortment of English fine pressed fruit drinks, using premium ingredients to create unusual and exciting flavours. Each has a unique refreshing summer taste, perfect for the picnic hamper, barbecue or croquet on the lawn. New to the range is the Rhubarb Refresher, a light and visually appealing pink pressed rhubarb with apple drink. Rhubarb is such a quintessentially English ingredient that is naturally tart, but sweetened with delicious freshly pressed apple juice to make a distinctly different drink. Great Uncle Cornelius Lemon Refresher is a uniquely refreshing drink to quench a summer thirst. Blended with water and fruit juices, the natural ingredients guarantee a sharp natural zing of lemon juice. Last but definitely not least, lovers of ginger can rejoice! The Ginger Refresher is spiced only with pressed root ginger

juice and has a delicious soft spiciness. Very different to most other ginger drinks (many of which add unnatural flavouring to create heat), the Ginger Refresher gives lovers of ginger the natural gingeriest drink of all. www.jameswhite.co.uk

“The Rhubarb Refresher really lived up to its name! It wasn’t too sweet or tart and had a super rhubarb flavour which I found unusual, as I don’t see much in the way of rhubarb products around,” said one tester. “Not only did I love the Lemon Refresher which was zingy and super lemony, but I also adore the packaging – I can almost feel that moustache reacting to the natural sharpness of the drinks!”

Hit the beet The new and improved Beet It Sport Beetroot Flapjack has launched, offering a combination of all-natural ingredients; beetroot concentrate, oats and raisins in a smaller, more manageable size, offering an ideal option for athletes looking for a healthy, high-nitrate snack. Each Beet It Sport Beetroot Flapjack has 200mg of natural dietary nitrate, which is scientifically proven to improve exercise performance by reducing the amount of oxygen the body needs to maintain a set intensity of exercise. At the same time, the oats provide 24g of carbohydrate for dual-fatigue prevention, helping you stay fuelled up. The Beet It Sport Beetroot Flapjack is an easier to consume alternative to the popular Beet It Sport Shot, which is used by many top cyclists and athletes when

training and competing. The new bar is perfect for those who participate in regular endurance activities or enjoy long cycle rides. The compact bar provides a useful hit of natural nitrate to help reach maximum potential. www.beet-it.com

The Beet-It bars were quite a revelation – when you open up the packet there’s no mistaking their beetroot content. “I was expecting a very strong beetroot flavour after seeing that beautiful deep colour, but while there’s definitely a hint of beetroot, it is subtle and actually enhances the oats and raisins. They were moist and chewy which is essential for a good flapjack and I definitely felt it was a healthier option than your standard flapjack. I was actually surprised and impressed with these!”

Filling a gap Taste Inc. has launched its new, individually wrapped chargrilled chicken fillet snacks. The 100 per cent Chargrilled Chicken Fillet is exactly what it says it is on the packet, a truly simple, charcoal grilled 100 per cent chicken mini fillet that delivers hunger satisfaction without the guilt, thanks to its nutritional credentials. It comes in two great-tasting flavours, Original and Spicy, and is chargrilled over sustainably sourced charcoal. The product is high in protein and low in saturated fat, salt, carbs and only 45 calories per portion - making it the perfect healthy snack or quick and easy addition to a lunchtime dish. Available in both single and multipack options, there’s something for everyone. Each fillet is individually wrapped making it an ideal anytime on-the-go snack or lunchbox filler, perfect for busy mums. www.tasteinc.com

The chicken fillets were very well received by the Taste Test team. The individual wrappers made them easy and hygienic to snack on, and the chargrilled flavour really came through. “These were meaty and delicious – very nice texture and cooked to perfection. The Spicy option had a good heat and kick to it as well – a bit more of a grown-up option maybe! I’d put these in lunchboxes or bring them to work – much easier than bothering to cook them at home.”

www.foodchainmagazine.com 19

Food innovation visits the capital This year the International food and drink event’s message was focused on innovation, getting inspired and communicating that message effectively. By James Clark

housands of groundbreaking and on trend products were on display at this year’s International Food Exhibition 2017 (IFE 2017). A total of 1350 global companies targeted industry buyers from the food and drink sectors, 19th – 22nd March at London’s ExCel. Help was at hand this year in the form of trend trails; simple to follow maps highlighting relevant stands to source new produce in specific on-trend categories such as free from, fit for kids, private label, hot beverages and innovation on the go. The exhibition was also split into bakery, cheese and dairy, drinks, Great British and Irish food, grocery, health and wellbeing, ingredients, meat, seafood, snacks and confectionery sections to enable buyers to find the products that they were most interested in. It seems like the IFE 2017 team had thought of everything when it came to getting buyers from one area to another, by creating a brand new personal itinerary planner on the website prior to the event so purchasers

20 www.foodchainmagazine.com

were able to pinpoint the products, chef demos and seminars specific to their businesses and interests. The successful aim of this year’s food extravaganza was to get traders looking for new ideas, learning through immersion in the food and drink industry, networking with people and feeling inspired enough to move each business forward. “As well as revising the products sectors to keep up with what is mapping or mirroring the food and drink industry we introduced two brand new theatres at the show. The first is called talking trends because people come to the show to find out what is going to be new and exciting,” explained Event Director Soraya Gadelrab. The talking trends stage focused on innovation and key food and drink trends from healthy eating habits and consumer buying patterns to growth in specific food sectors and the future of food and drink. Grocery accelerator sessions took place every day on the stage to highlight the most promising

Exhibition start-up food and drink companies, giving visitors the opportunity to taste, meet and discover something new. The second stage was called justfood. Speaking to just-food on the 22nd March Yumsh Snacks CEO Tony Goodman discussed the launch of a range of chocolate products, a new concept for the savoury snack company. The Ten Acre brand has recently started a soft launch of the Bean & Pod range of chocolates in a limited number of retailers. “We’re not seeing these as big four type products. We will be pushing these out to our customer base, both distributors and direct to retail in a number of places, gauging the reaction and building it up,” said Yumsh Snacks CEO Tony Goodman. Other new products for 2017 included Manfood jellies, a combination of beer with added flavours such as lemon and ginger to create alternatives for glazes and side sauces; Sacoma health snack bars and crackers made from sweet potato flour (the range also comprised sweet potato juice, jams and vine leaves) Fori meat protein bars high in protein and paleo friendly, while capturing a world of authentic flavours including chilli beef, Moroccan lamb and Thai turkey bars; Sygenix, a light, sparkling natural health drink made with green coffee beans, green tea and vitamins and Yumpa natural energy bars, protein-packed with cricket flour, nuts, dried fruit and seeds. “One thing that fascinates me is insects,” said Soraya. “Two years ago at the International food and drink event I sat in a seminar with a futurologist called Morgaine Gay and she was talking about what we are likely

to see in food and drink trends in the coming years. One of the things she spoke about was the rise of insects as an alternative protein, it’s much more sustainable when there are meat shortages and if you visit the Far East or Mexico insects are a staple part of the diet. A year later at another exhibition that I’m involved with four companies exhibited insect based products, protein bars and flour to add to smoothies. It may seem a little strange right now, but I bet in a few years time we’ll be tucking into ant egg ice cream.” Consumption habits are changing more than ever before and continue to lead the way when it comes to healthy eating and drinking. Cleaner eating was a key trend at the event and new suppliers included Nutristrength, founded by two brothers devoted to producing clean living nutritional protein powders containing goat and sheep whey and pea products. The IFE 2017 team even managed to make frozen foods fashionable. The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), Craft Guild of Chefs (CGC) and the organisers of IFE, Fresh Montgomery created a pop-up Ice Café that highlighted how fantastic frozen food can be. Chefs Lee Maycock,

Jason Gordon and Steve Walpole cooked up a range of recipes including stroganoff, honey and lime prawn stir-fry and cod loin served on a bed of ratatouille for the hungry lunch crowds, to challenge perceptions of frozen food. Buyers tucked into dishes while the chefs encouraged discussion about how caterers, chefs and retailers can create tasty and nutritious meals from frozen food. “We are proud to be collaborating with these two well respected associations in the food and drink industry to bring the Ice Café to IFE. The Ice Café is very topical as the increasing pace of consumer lifestyles means convenience is more important than ever. Frozen as a category can play a key role in many areas, but above all we want to demonstrate that it tastes great,” highlights Soraya. IFE 2017 managed to attract visitors from 108 countries and 1350 exhibitors from 57 different nations. Overall, there were more than 29,000 visitors to the four-day event sampling and buying thousands of new and innovative food and drink products. The International Food Event will be returning to London in 2019 and enquiries are already flooding in. D www.ife.co.uk

www.foodchainmagazine.com 21

Staggeringly good beer

9 White Deer Brewery is the creator of the highest quality Irish beers and gluten free beers, all made with local Irish ingredients

22 www.foodchainmagazine.com

ased in the Gaeltacht area of Baile Bhuirne in South West Cork, 9 White Deer Brewery was founded in 2014 by former marine engineering Gordon Lucey and respected publican Don O’ Leary. The two named the craft brewery after the sixth century legend of Saint Gobnait, who was told by an angel that when she came across a place with nine white deer she would find a mystical well and was to set up an abbey and church. The site associated with Saint Gobnait’s revelation is a mere kilometre away from the 9 White Deer Brewery and thus the name was chosen. The brewery currently has brewing capabilities of 500,000 litres per year and a bottling capacity of 6000 litres per day; capable of multi-step mashing and decoction mashing, the brewery uses steam fired wort boilers, which have proven to produce high quality beers. “We add hop additions at all stages of the brew from the initial brewing stage in the mash tun to the final packaged products,” says Gordon Lucey, Founder and Brewery Operations Director.

“Looking at our product range, 9 White Deer initially offered a core range of four beers; three years on we offer a range of nine beers, including the Stag Saor range, which is comprised of five different gluten free craft beers, a pale ale, a red ale, a kolsch style beer, an IPA and a double chocolate and Madagascan vanilla infused stout,” adds Gordon. Bringing all beer from concept to finished product, the company develops its beers differently to most breweries; focused on extensive market research, the company first defines the market to which the beer will predominantly sell to. Once identified, 9 White Deer Brewery chooses the most suitable beer for said chosen market and then adds its own variation to this style. “Only then does a recipe begin to be formulated,” says Gordon. “Through discussions on where we want the finished product to stand with regards to taste, smell, appearance, mouth feel and carbonation, the head-brewer then develops a recipe to give these characteristics to the finished product. This is done while staying within the

9 White Deer Brewery parameters laid down by us and BJCP to remain within the ‘definition of style’.” Following this, the company runs a pilot batch of 100 litres of beer to test the basic recipe, with adjustments made to recipe in accordance with the findings of the end result of the pilot brew; the beer is then ready to be put to the test in the main brew plant, by which time 9 White Deer Brewery feels it is very close to the original idea that was perceived. Today the company has an everincreasing list of customers, with its products stocked in almost 70 supermarkets and several off-license chains nationwide. Moreover, draft products are also available in pubs and restaurants, mainly in the Cork/Kerry region; with the demand in gluten free beer growing 9 White Deer Brewery expects that distribution of its products throughout the island of Ireland will continue to grow in the future. Discussing the reason’s behind the company launching Ireland’s first gluten free stout and Europe’s first full collection of gluten free craft beers, the Stag Saor range, in February 2017, Gordon comments: “Within 9 White Deer Brewery’s first year, Don was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance, which essentially determined the direction for the business.” Elaborating further on this, Don continues: “At first the timing seemed terrible, we had just opened a craft brewery and it was identified that I had a gluten intolerance! However, the development of Stag Saor has changed everything for the business; it prompted us to research the market and see how limited the beer offering is for those with gluten intolerance.” Indeed, there have been a limited number of gluten free lagers and pale ales developed in Ireland over the last two years, but with minimal options available, the company identified an opportunity to create a full range of gluten free beers. By using cereals traditionally used in brewing, then breaking down and removing the gluten, 9 White Deer Brewery has developed gluten free beers that taste as beer should. In the short time frame that this range of beers have been available to the market, a high level of interest has been generated, with 9 White Deer

Brewery recently winning a bronze medal at the Blas Na HEireann awards. “This is one of the major food and drinks awards in Ireland; it is a blind tasting event undertaken by Irish and international judges, which gives everyone a level platform. For the beer categories there is no gluten free options, so we entered our kolsch style beer, then called Saor, in with the rest of the beers in this category; nobody knew it was gluten free and nobody could tell it was from taste, it was just a great

beer. So good, in fact, that it picked up a bronze medal on the night,” highlights Gordon. “This proved to us that we were onto something, as far too often gluten free stands for not quite the same as normal. We changed the perception to the extent that our beer is award winning and just happens to be gluten free.” Having launched five gluten free beers at the same time, 9 White Deer Brewery will be focused on promoting and growing its product range in an underdeveloped market, which included exhibiting at events such as The International Food & Drink event in London in March 2017. “We feel we now have a reasonable foothold in Ireland so will be focusing on our export strategy, which will inevitably lead to us hiring people on the ground in these countries. We also plan to launch more one-offs, which is something we have not done before,” concludes Gordon. D www.9whitedeer.ie

www.foodchainmagazine.com 23

Entering the m

24 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Holland & Barrett

e mainstream By focusing on constant evolution in all areas of the business, Holland & Barrett continues to maintain its reputation as a leading health retailer in the UK

www.foodchainmagazine.com 25

Holland & Barrett

ne of the leading health and wellness retailers in the world and the largest of its kind in Europe, Nuneaton headquartered Holland & Barrett is a household name in the UK as a supplier of vitamins, minerals, health supplements, specialist foods and natural beauty products to its customers. With a history reaching more that 145 years in the industry, the company has become a familiar sight in almost every major city and town throughout the UK and is becoming increasingly more visible in locations such as the Netherlands, Malta, the UAE, China and India. Discussing the background of the retailer, CEO of Holland & Barrett Peter Aldis comments: “The history of the company as a natural grocer goes back to 1870, however in the 20th century the company has something of a chequered history and was eventually owned by Booker McConnell as it went through a phase of buying up small chains of health food stores such as Southern Health Foods and Guilford Health Foods. Booker McConnell had 140 or 150 health food stores by the 1960s and made the decision to put these stores under one name, with Holland & Barrett chosen. While some felt it was a good name for a natural grocer chain, other members of the board debated that it didn’t describe the business well; nevertheless, it was decided that such a name didn’t do a

Peter Aldis - CEO of Holland & Barrett

company such as Marks & Spencer any harm! With a name decided Holland & Barrett was reborn in the 1960s.” He continues: “As decades passed, the company began to struggle to be profitable in the 1990s; at this point Lloyds Pharmacy acquired Holland & Barrett from Booker McConnell as part of deal when Lloyds was actually seeking to acquire Kingswood Chemist. With the deal agreed, Allan Lloyd invested a huge amount of money in Holland & Barrett, building an estate and chain of stores, eventually growing the business to 400 stores by the time he sold it on to our current owners, the US based vitamins manufacturer Nature’s Bounty.” From 400 stores, the company has grown to 1400 stores around the world, with 750 locations in the UK, approximately 50 stores in the Republic of Ireland, more than 200 stores in Benelux and around 150 franchise stores in 11 different territories across the globe. On top of this, the company has nearly 400 store-in-store shops,

where it has between three to five metres of space that is heavily branded with Holland & Barrett goods; these types of stores are located in locations such as India and Hong Kong with Holland & Barrett’s partners Apollo and AS Watsons. “Since the acquisition we have gone from strength-to-strength and have evolved the business to become a hugely successful high street and thriving ecommerce business. In terms of location and growing our international base we have developed very positively considering we only went international around five years ago,” confirms Peter. “Although the market is currently positive for us as we are operating in a category that is in growth, this sector is also highly competitive, with those vying for space in this area. Because of this, we focus on staying ahead of the curve when it comes to trends and developments.”

Ethical stance One such example of the company staying ahead of the curve can be seen in its proposition, in which Holland & Barrett’s business is segmented into key areas: VHMS, active nutrition, specialist food and drink, FNSS and ethical beauty, the latter of which is the most recent addition. “If a certain trend is going to become popular in three to five years time we want to be working on that now. Take for example ethical beauty, if you asked 1000 people on the high street where they would get ethical beauty products they may say a store such as Body Shop or somewhere like that. Depending on your definition

HTC Health HTC Health is an award winning supplier of bulk health supplements, vitamins and minerals, sports nutrition and empty capsules. Next day delivery on standard lines and customer satisfaction are cornerstones of their business, which means that the service you receive will be second to none. HTC’s goals and objectives are to provide an extensive range of diverse quality products at competitive prices. Their quest to source new and innovative products keeps you one step ahead of the competition at all times. HTC distinguishes themselves from other companies by offering a bespoke formulation service. Their exclusive partnership with leading GMP and BRC accredited manufacturers means that they are able to manage new products from beginning to end- from manufacturing to packaging and labelling. HTC Health has over 20 years of industry experience, which makes them a business partner that delivers solutions that provide true value.

26 www.foodchainmagazine.com

B U L K H E A LT H SUPPLEMENTS D I S T R I B U TO R S U P P LY I N G N U T R I T I O N A L G U M M I E S TO T H E U K M A R K E T F O R 10 Y E A R S

M A K E N U T R I T I O N TA S T E G R E AT

Our gummies are available in bulk ready for processing, or in finished bottles or sachet packaging

Low minimum order quantities for any stocked products Professional service and friendly advice Top quality products sourced from certified manufacturers Bulk supply or finished retail packaging for private label Attractive wholesale prices hard to beat! Next day delivery for our standard lines

NEXT DAY DELIVERY FOR: •

V I TA M I N S & M I N E R A L S

•

EMPTY CAPSULES

•

H E A LT H S U P P L E M E N TS

•

S P O RTS N U T R I T I O N

HB April 2017.indd 1

+44 (0) 1923 652 529

www.htc.co.uk

21-Apr-17 9:09:37 AM

DrO H&B Skin Clear Advert 210 x 297mm .pdf

26/04/2017

12:36

ULTIMATE CLEANSE C

CMY

VISIBLY CLEARER SKIN – DEEPLY CLEANSED AND PURIFIED Skin Clear 5 in 1 provides a truly ground-breaking regime ideal for those with problem skin. This range boasts a wealth of natural AHAs (Fruit Acids) and Salicylic Acid alongside a unique proprietary blend of bioactive, organic and natural extracts - such as soothing Willow Bark extract. Revitalising, refreshing and dermatologically-tested across the board – regular use can help calm areas of redness while helping to reduce pores. The result is visibly clearer skin – deeply cleansed and purified. Exclusively available at selected Holland & Barrett stores and online at www.hollandandbarrett.com

www.drorganic.co.uk

Holland & Barrett of ethical from our point of view this is to do with ingredients, as such as we have banned all parabens; additionally, when micro beads were heavily in the press before Christmas we have already banned micro beads from our products,” says Peter. “With all parabens and chemicals taken out, we have also taken out sodium laurel sulphate; this is a foaming agent that doesn’t clean or preserve or add colour or aroma, but because we have grown up with toothpaste and soap that foams we believe this is what is cleaning us when it actually isn’t. We have taken a very ethical stance to issues such as this and have also looked at where else we can do this, so we have no genetically modified ingredients or hydrogenated fats; these are areas that our customers may not know about but they expect us to be ahead of the curve, so there are also things that we are now looking to

try and embrace that we believe will be important in the future.” He adds: “In 20 to 25 years time, the ethical beauty concept will become more mainstream and will no longer be known as ‘ethical beauty’ but ‘beauty’, much in the same way that Anita Roddick started the Body Shop as a pioneer against animal testing and today many countries view animal testing as abhorrent.”

Agile approach Bee Health Bee Health is a leading UK vitamin, mineral and supplement manufacturer. It specialises in private label and contract manufacture for some of the world’s largest retailers, as well as owning its own vitamin and supplement brands. From its state-of-the-art facility in Bridlington, Yorkshire the company is fully equipped to formulate, manufacture and package a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, supplements & superfoods including tablets, capsules, softgels, liquids, gels, creams and powders. Holland & Barrett awarded Bee Health ‘Supplier of the Year 2016’ and ‘Best Vitamins, Herbals, Minerals & Supplements Supplier 2016’.

With the UK currently in the throes of a mega trend surrounding health and wellness, Holland & Barrett is benefiting from consumers developing an increased understanding of themselves, their bodies and the effect of food, drink and exercise on their body. To serve this growing demand effectively, the company is self-qualified in nutrition and supplementation, making it a trusted provider of health and wellness products. Furthermore, the company

www.foodchainmagazine.com 29

Holland & Barrett has the ability to provide products to the market swiftly thanks to vertical integration at its manufacturing plant in Burton upon Trent, where vitamins from specialists in the UK and commodity sourced fruits and seasonal snacks from locations such as Turkey and California are packed. “Not only a packer of items such as herbs and spices as well as snacks such as apricots and walnuts, we are also a manufacturer of sports powders. Because of our capabilities in this area of the business we have enhanced our growth margin and boosted our agility in delivering products fast to the market.”

Future strategy On top of this, the company focuses on delivering an omni channel platform for sales, which involves seamlessly interacting across channels regardless of whether a consumer interacts with Holland & Barrett on Facebook and other social media or instore. “Because consumers may research online but approach us in store, it is very important to be consistent across all channels when it comes to pricing, loyalty points, discounting and promotions. It is about having a network of stores and technology that is best-in-class, while also keeping up-todate with technological developments. We also complement omni sell with the availability of our complete range in store through a thing called ‘Order in Store’, which means regardless of the size of the store we can provide a click and collect service back to the store or to the consumer’s home address,” says Peter. Alongside a focus on consistent customer service across all channels

ETS ETS have successfully migrated over 150 mobile connections for Holland & Barrett on to the UK’s newest network ETS Mobile. Providing the best mobile coverage in the UK, ETS Mobile is the latest in a long line of innovative services being provided by the hugely successful telecoms company. Based in South Wales with unrivalled 24/7 UK support, ETS were not only able to reduce Holland & Barrett’s mobile spend significantly but also ensured that all field staff were contactable at any time to assist in the smooth running of their vast UK store network. Nick Foden, Business Development Director at ETS commented: “Not only have we been able to supply Holland & Barrett with the best mobile coverage in the UK, but we actively manage their mobile assets including all hardware to ensure we look after their users and keep mobile costs down.”

and a commitment to staying ahead of the curve with regards to market trends, Holland & Barrett has also pushed forward with its More stores. Jam packed with the healthiest items, More stores have more products, services and fabulous new features from the Good Life Garden to its own Beauty Kitchen as well as delicious organic Food-to-Go bars. Additionally, these More stores have fully qualified to advise store associates, a new in-house nutritional therapist service, gift wrapping service and dedicated customer services. Opening a flagship two-floor 6000 square foot More store in Marble Arch, London, Holland & Barrett has shown the new direction it intends to take its stores with the deep, modern and bright décor used within the various, easily identifiable departments. Approximately five times larger than the retailer’s average outpost, More Marble Arch has faux wooden planks, a dark wood veneer for the mid-shop display equipment and a layout that ensures that the healthy

nature of what is on offer is clearly seen; because of this, the More store offers a modern and relaxed feel to consumers. Featuring a vegan nail bar and oil bar, the More store also offers wide range of free from foods, super foods and vitamins; additionally, the company has also ensured its Ethical Beauty range has substantial space. Meanwhile, in the lower ground floor is the company’s sports nutrition segment, which has a more masculine feel thanks to blue colours and bold writing. With a strong audience for health and wellness in the UK and across the globe, the company aims to open as many as 50 More format stores in the future, with a Manchester based More store following Marble Arch, London. “We are very excited about the progress and performance the opening of this store in Marble Arch has driven,” says Peter. “It has given us confidence that generally we are going to bigger spaces in prime locations and towns, however not quite as big as that. We are also working very hard at looking at additional categories, not just additional products within our current categories but actual expansion.” Having recently completed its 32nd consecutive quarter of like-forlike growth, the future looks ripe with opportunities for Holland & Barrett as it revamps its stores, opens new locations and continues to invest in the business. “We have had eight years of growth and it is our intention to keep that statistic flowing through a range of initiatives. In these days of technology and Amazon, we need to make sure that our capability is excellent while also remembering what our strengths are. We have a great deal of knowledge when it comes to health and wellness, for example, and also push forward to drive trends. A few years ago we were viewed as wacky and alternative, but today what we provide is viewed as mainstream, so how do we continue to push and drive these trends? “Our revenue is currently around £650 million and our business plan is to reach £680 million by the end of this financial year as a group and to reach £1 billion by 2021. Alongside our financial goals, aspirationally we would love to be globally known as a leading health and wellness business,” Peter concludes. D www.hollandandbarrett.com www.foodchainmagazine.com 31

Keeping it fresh but very much in the family Howard Nye, Cliff Nye & James Nye

Anglian Country Inns (ACI) is proud to maintain a group of extremely high quality and well-respected hospitality establishments and is branching out into other areas

32 www.foodchainmagazine.com

CI was set up over two decades ago when the now chairman Cliff Nye was inspired by the view out of the back of a run-down pub at Brancaster Staithe on the North Norfolk Coast and felt that more should be done to do that view justice. It was his first step into the hospitality world. That once shabby venue was transformed into the contemporary coastal inn The White Horse at Brancaster Staithe, which has now won the Good Hotel Guide Seaside Hotel of the year and Editor’s Choice award three years running. The success of The White Horse was followed by several other additions to the Group. The family run award winning ACI business now comprises: • The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk - locals pub and bar and coastal inn with 15 rooms • The Jolly Sailors, Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk - traditional family pub with community values and its own Smokehouse

• The Cricketers, Weston, Hertfordshire - village pub, The Pavilion dining and everything cricket • The Fox, Willian, Hertfordshire village pub with fine dining restaurant • Hermitage Rd Bar & Restaurant, Hitchin, Hertfordshire - high street bar, restaurant, coffee & bagel bar • Water Lane, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire - high street, restaurant and cellar bar • The King’s Head, Letheringsett idyllic country pub with guest rooms PLUS • Brancaster Brewery - five-barrel brewery producing small batches of real ale • Willian Village Store and Post Office • Hermitage Rd & Co – lifestyle shopping This diversity is celebrated by ACI as it prides itself on individuality - no two places are the same, but what unites them are superb quality,

Anglian Country Inns The Kings Head, Letheringsett

Jolly Sailor beach huts

www.foodchainmagazine.com 33

stand out food, and a wide selection of well-kept beers, ales and wines from around the world (where relevant). The business also ensures that all staff offer a friendly, personal service, and one of the ways that it safeguards the best staff relationships with customers and guests is by expecting a lot from staff but giving just as much back. The management team want ACI establishments to be fun and friendly places to work; where people love their jobs, feel happy and supported, and can enjoy creating the best possible experiences for guests. As part of this approach ACI Has joined the Hospitality Action Employee Assistance Programme, which provides specialist, independent and confidential advice, support and assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is thanks to this sort of scheme that ACI was shortlisted for the Caterer Awards 2016 in the Best Staff Rewards category.

James Nye, Managing Director ACI said: “As a family business with family values, supporting our local communities & local charities is a key part of what we want to do and we are all thrilled with the amount the teams and our amazing customers have managed to raise. It will make a real difference to our local communities on so many levels. All credit must go to the staff at all establishments in the fun and challenging fund raising events they organised and of course of our customers who supported us all the way.” Thanks to this dedicated team of smiley, charming and knowledgeable staff ACI is able to look after its favourite people – its customers. Creating innovative and attractive promotions such as the ACI Loyalty Scheme is part and parcel of the ACI strategy, and as summer approaches in 2017 the business has a full diary of events to attract both regular and new visitors to its venues. u With a natural focus on seafood given its location, The White Horse will host its 3rd Annual Champagne & Oyster Festival on 11th August – 4pm onwards watch the tide roll in at the bottom of the garden whilst enjoying a glass or two with Richard Loose’s Brancaster Staithe oysters served six ways and other culinary delights.

Events diary Not content with helping staff be the best they can be, ACI also supports the wider community, and in 2016, in celebration of its 20th birthday, it raised £21,000 for local charities. From sky dives, tough mudders, quizzes, biking challenges and swimathons the teams at all seven ACI establishments got involved.

Hermitage Rd bar and restaurant u The Jolly Sailors, Brancaster Staithe,

is hosting its 8th Ale & Music Festival 16, 17 & 18 June - 30 local real ales & local bands in the garden marquee, it’s fun all the way here. u The Kings Head at Letheringsett will host its 1st Midsummer Gin Festival 24 June 6pm in the garden marquee – Norfolk gins, workshops and fun happenings. u The Fox at Willian is hosting its 4th Ale & Music Festival 8 & 9 July – 30 ales & local music all weekend in the garden marquee. The best happening in North Herts u There’s lots more - family fun weekends, open cinema, quiz nights, Lobster BBQs, Pop up Gin events, Picnic at the bottom of the garden, Music session nights - see ACI establishment full events diary online www.acinns.co.uk

Local produce The Cricketers

Water Lane Bar & Restaurant

The Fox at Willian conservatory

View from The White Horse

34 www.foodchainmagazine.com

It is clear that the food and beverage side of the business takes a top position on ACI’s agenda and the group makes a point of sourcing the freshest local ingredients from local farmers, fishermen and traders. The locality of suppliers is celebrated in many ways, so for example, at the Kings Head in Letheringsett, loaves of bread are baked in the kitchen every day with spelt flour from Norfolk’s only flour producing watermill based in Letheringsett itself.

Anglian Country Inns The Water Lane Bar and Restaurant in Bishop’s Stortford benefits from not only local producers but also the fresh fish and local mussels and oysters from Brancaster Staithe, as well as game from Norfolk. Hermitage Road Bar & Restaurant celebrates its food offering with a state-of-the-art open plan kitchen, where customers can witness the chef and team working their culinary magic. The Fox at Willian is also well known for its food and drink offering - it has been awarded two AA rosettes -The Fox has this year added eight smart and cosy guest rooms. Again, local sourcing is a priority but it also features real ales from ACI’s own Brancaster Brewery. The White Horse at Brancaster, which started the ACI journey, is renowned for its seafood, and has been listed in The Guardian as a Rural Gem and celebrated as an award winner by The Times as its Top Seafood Restaurant. The menu changes regularly and

is created around the best seasonal pickings on offer by Head Chef Fran Hartshorne, who has been ‘home grown’ in The White Horse kitchen having worked there for 14 years, working her way up to Head Chef three years ago. “I feel the luckiest Head Chef on the Norfolk coast, creating in a kitchen that faces out across the stunning tidal marsh with a great variety of local fish and produce on our doorstep, it can’t get much better,” she commented. Looking back to the October 1996 when The White Horse was born, it is clear that the business has evolved with the times, embracing modern trends but always building on a foundation of tradition and quality. Cliff Nye has now been joined by his sons James and Howard at the helm, and the three Nye’s continue to grow ACI with the same sense of fun and pride as it started out with 20 years ago. D www.acinns.co.uk

www.foodchainmagazine.com 35

36 www.foodchainmagazine.com

DCH International A/S – Premium Porc Group

Farmers

without borders As a business built on the back of several years of combined industry experience, DCH International A/S represents a leading Danish holding company that develops and manages full-line pig farms within Romania

perating from its headquarters in the town of Fredericia within the eastern region of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark, DCH International A/S acts as a holding company for nine subsidiary businesses that are focused on delivering pig production to clients throughout the Romanian market. The roots of the business can be traced back as far as 2000, when a group of 12 Danish farmers decided that the unique knowledge of high-quality pig production within the country lacked both the political backing and profitability to grow a strong market for fresh pork products. The decision was subsequently taken to find a new market that could offer

better terms and government support to allow for the continued growth of a strong pig production business. This led the group of farmers to enter into the Canadian market, which had amassed a vast surplus of grain during the early 2000s. Industry planners within the region intended to convert this excess grain into protein stock, which would be achieved in part through increased hog production. While initial moves into Canada showed significant signs of potential, the price of pork dropped dramatically during the following five years due to events within the market that were beyond the company’s control. During 2005 it was decided that although the business model of DHC International within Canada was very

successful, the market was working against the business and that a new region might offer more fertile grounds for development. Over the following 12 months, representatives of the business toured Eastern Europe in search of a suitable new area of opportunity, with Romania finally being selected by the company’s management for its rich market opportunities and high demand for pork products. “We eventually visited Romania around six or seven times and found that it was a country that was well on the way to joining the EU and which had a significant history of large pork consumption. We also discovered that the region had a major deficit in pig production and several Sovietera farming complexes that we could

www.foodchainmagazine.com 37

The Fantanele Farm, Constanta

upgrade into first-class modern production facilities,” reveals DCH International CEO, Lars V. Drescher. “The company’s management team and investors each put some capital into the business, while I signed on to take the role of CEO as we established ourselves within the Romanian market. During the subsequent years, we have grown from having no presence within the country to more than 400,000 animals produced per year at present.” DCH International presently incorporates nine subsidiary businesses, comprised of Premium Porc SRL, Premium Porc Negreni SRL, Consinterfin SRL and Degaro SRL, which focus on pig production; Premium Porc Feed SRL in the field of feed production; and Agro Investment Moldova that focuses on crop production, land sale/purchasing, machinery and workshop equipment and construction. These businesses allow DCH International to have a firm hand in controlling both the quality and efficiency of its production operations

by producing crops and processing animal feed at its own mills.

Three focus areas In 2015, the decision was taken to sell the company’s Canadian operations to further allow DCH International to wholly focus on its Romanian business, where its management team perceives strong future growth potential. “We are eager to continue to expand the business and in recent months we have developed an expansion strategy that will enable DCH International to grow by around 50 per cent, by adding almost 200,000 pigs per year to the company’s overall production. We are currently doing extremely well with our current hog output and are farming circa 2000 hectares of land,” Lars explains. “We maintain three main competences across the business, which begin with our ability to find former state-owned farms within Romania and transform them into leading pig production facilities that place top priority on quality and animal

The Sibioara Farm & Feed Factory, Constanta

welfare,” he adds. “We also employ expert management and expertise to rear Danish pig breeds that are genetically lean and can deliver large quantities to product per animal. In addition to continued investment into the development of the company’s farms and pig production, we also place a high priority on human resources (HR) and in empowering our people across the business. With these three areas of focus we feel that we have a strong base from which to grow.”

Plans for growth Indeed, DCH International has established several key strengths that have identified the company as a highefficiency pig manufacturer within the western world. The business operates according to a refined business model that is built upon Danish know-how within the field of professional pig production, innovative technology and strategic investments. Throughout the history of the company its business model has been thoroughly tested, while

The Negreni Farm near Pitesti, Olt County

38 www.foodchainmagazine.com

DCH International A/S – Premium Porc Group the DCH International management team operates with a strong background within the pig rearing industry and incorporates core competences in establishing and overseeing pig farms within different markets. The strategic goal of the business is to achieve continuous and solid growth that exceeds industry averages, which it will achieve through implementing several key business strands such as: • Danish know-how and technology • Well-proven management systems • Well-educated local staff • High efficiency • Large-scale operations • Efficient returns per unit produced • A balanced ratio between pig and cereal prices As the business continues to grow DCH International will work with its clients within the Romanian market to deliver high quality Danish pork products. Since its inception, the company has continued

to expand both its production and logistics solutions according to a proven business model, which will enable the business to further take advantage of development opportunities within its target markets throughout 2017 and beyond. “We supply our customers with live pigs and have an established fleet of vehicles that transport the animals across the market. We currently have a fleet of around 17 trucks that delivers pigs, feed and grain products and this number continues to grow,” Lars

concludes. “Romania presently has a 40 per cent deficit in pork production, meaning that there is currently major undersupply within the region. We are committed to increasing pig production while further improving the operating margins of our business and generating solid cash flows to sustain ambitious long-term growth plans. This growth will be achieved through both organic expansions as well as future acquisitions as the opportunity arises.” D www.dchi.dk

Staff at company summer party 2016

www.foodchainmagazine.com 39

Distinctively

different

With its roots stretching back over two decades, Rocco Forte Hotels today has 11 individual hotels and resorts within the group and big plans for expansion

stablished by the group’s namesake Sir Rocco Forte and his sister, Olga Polizzi, the organisation is led by a family that has been in hospitality for four generations, or as stated on its website ‘You might say it’s in our blood’. One of the areas that sets Rocco Forte Hotels apart from the competition is its dedication to exceptional locations and magnificent buildings, both old and new. Furthermore, each landmark hotel stands alone as an ‘individual’ much as the Fortes describe themselves as ‘a family of individuals’

40 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Rocco Forte Hotels

- and while the hotels are united in their superlative quality and service, their interiors, style and personality are all their own. The cities that are fortunate enough to host a Rocco Forte hotel include some of the most beautiful art and architecture in the world, such as Rome, Florence, London, Munich and St Petersburg. Keen to expand its footprint, the organisation continuously monitors the market for the next potential location and March 2017 witnessed the opening of the first Rocco Forte hotel in Saudi Arabia, Assila Hotel in Jeddah, which is due to be followed by a Shanghai site opening in

www.foodchainmagazine.com 41

2018 (this will constitute the group’s first move into the Asia Pacific market.) Assila Hotel’s design concept was created by Olga Polizzi and the prolific designer Martin Brudnizki, and it combines contemporary and classical elements to mix the aesthetic of a traditional Middle Eastern interior with the elegance of European design. Such was the significance of this newest addition to the Group that the grand opening was celebrated in the presence of HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of the Saudi Arabian Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, and HRH Prince Mishaal bin Majed bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Jeddah. Hosting the event, Sheikh Mohammed Alissa performed the ribbon cutting ceremony in the presence of the two princes, as well as a great many esteemed and distinguished guests from across the kingdom. Such is the attention to detail and planning that has gone into its creation, Assila Hotel looks destined to be one of the jewels in the Rocco Forte Hotels crown. Located in the heart of the city of Jeddah, it consists of two separate

42 www.foodchainmagazine.com

towers, the north tower with 20 floors and the south tower with 13 floors, and these house 304 rooms and suites in 12 categories, from the sea and full city view Royal Suite, offering 597 square metres and with private elevators, to deluxe room categories satisfying all needs of local guests, international business travellers, leisure guests and families.

Food concepts Designed as the first Art Hotel in Saudi Arabia, Assila displays around 2000 exclusive art pieces and 860 books, showing and reflecting Saudi culture from Heritage to Future and the progress in between while representing a gallery of contemporary art. It also includes a spa, rooftop pool, squash courts, meeting rooms, and a magnificent ballroom. When it comes to the food and beverage offering at the Assila, another member of the talented Forte family comes to the fore - Lydia Forte, the daughter of Sir Rocco Forte, is Restaurant and Bar Development Manager of Rocco Forte Hotels. At Assila Hotel guests can enjoy a varied choice of restaurants and

other food and beverage outlets each with a unique concept, ranging from traditional Arabic mezze, to fine dining experiences with culinary delights represented from around the world. One of the restaurants is Pampas, which offers authentic Argentinean food and features an open kitchen so that guests can enjoy the spectacle of chefs grilling meat and seafood. The menu at Pampas offers a large range of Argentinean signature beef cuts and a superb seafood selection that includes whole Canadian lobster a la parrilla, king prawns, and grilled hammour and najil from the Red Sea. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Sir Rocco Forte welcomed the new addition to the group: “This hotel is the result of an excellent co-operation between the Alissa family and Rocco Forte Hotels,” he said. “When they came to me eight years ago their vision was to create a hotel that differentiates itself from the other luxury hotels in this part of the world with its elegance and European flavour. This is a hotel that sits well with the image of our group, and I think we have succeeded in creating

Rocco Forte Hotels the true heart of the London food world. While the Assila may represent the modern global side of Rocco Forte hotels, and Brown’s the stately, quintessentially British and distinguished queen of the group, what unites these amazing hotels is a dedication to quality and the ability to predict the requirements of today’s contemporary guests. And as the Group celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2017, it also announced plans to double the size of the company in the next five years, taking the number of hotels, currently standing at 11, into the 20’s. With the Assila already open and the Shanghai location well underway, Sir Rocco Forte is looking to take his European hospitality proposition to an even wider global audience. Focus will remain in Europe with further properties in Italy (a second location has already been announced for Rome, opening in 2018), as well as branching further

afield to the USA, Middle East and Asia. What is certain is that all visitors to a Rocco Forte hotel are guaranteed firstclass facilities, award-winning dining and outstanding service – everything they need for a memorable stay. D www.roccofortehotels.com www.roccofortehotels.com/ hotels-and-resorts/assila-hotel

a very special hotel. I sincerely hope it will be the first of many hotels in Saudi Arabia and the GCC.” While Jeddah celebrates the opening of an amazing new venue, Rocco Forte’s well-established London location, the illustrious Brown’s Hotel, is also highlighting the innovation that runs through the entire operation. The hotel is commissioning a panel of Expertsin-Residence to ensure guests enjoy exclusive access to a series of bespoke London experiences, and one of Britain’s best known food writers, critics and broadcasters, Tom Parker Bowles, has been announced as one of the first to join this celebrated team. Tom’s experience means he is well equipped to personally curate guests’ gastronomic experience, choosing from the abundance of outstanding restaurants which contribute to London being one of the greatest eating cities on earth. Tom will liaise with guests in advance to gauge their preferences, choosing the perfect restaurants, creating an exclusive private dining experience or even taking guests on an escorted tour. From a private dinner cooked by one of the capital’s greatest chefs, to a total immersion in London’s famous street food scene, guests will be able to get to

www.foodchainmagazine.com 43

‘Fruiticional’ expertise

Fruit supply miles are minimised

Being passionate about doing beautiful things with fruit makes Fourayes the world’s only Fruiticians as well as the largest UK Bramley apple grower, fruit processor and commercial jam manufacturer for bakeries Phil Acock, Managing Director of family-owned business, Fourayes, and chairman of English Apples & Pears

44 www.foodchainmagazine.com

ourayes has come a long way since 1953, when Managing Director Phil Acock’s grandfather purchased the farm at Bicknor, Kent. Since then, the company has overcome challenges by maintaining the entrepreneurial vision of John Acock, Phil’s father, and combining this with innovation and investment. “Looking at how the farm has developed over the years, one of the early innovations in the history of Fourayes was in the latter part of the 1950s when revenue streams were particularly tight. My father constantly looked for ways of improving the income. He went to auction and brought 12 Daimler ambulances, using them to set up a business delivering washed potatoes; these potatoes, which would otherwise be covered in mud, were then sold throughout the south east of England,” says Phil Acock, Managing Director and Chairman of English Apples and Pears, the central body for the top fruit industry in England. Further innovative developments followed, with Fourayes being the first to peel Bramley apples through

the utilisation of a pioneering semiautomatic machine for paring, coring, slicing and processing. Today the company has progressed from the Pease system, and instead uses the Atlas Pacific; known as the best of its kind across the globe, the Atlas Pacific enables Fourayes to peel and core approximately 700 Bramley apples per minute. Additionally, this machinery also has a separate mechanism that uniquely removes the septum from the core. In the 1990s Phil took over from his father as Managing Director; it was during this decade that the company also developed the Ascorbic Dip, which prevents apples from going brown without the use of preservatives. Now the industry standard, this dip is still used by Fourayes and is the preferred method during processing. “Since developing this dip our fresh diced and sliced shelf life has increased from a life of P+3 days kept chilled to P+7 days. This makes a huge difference to our customers in terms of flexibility and reducing waste within the supply chain. This sort of innovation, and the longevity of how long this dip has been around, demonstrates the strength of what we do here at Fourayes,” says Phil. With processing now the core part of the business, the company has a number of lines to serve its customers; including the production of fresh diced and sliced Bramley apples for dessert and bakery manufacturers. As a by-product of this, the company manufactures Bramley apple puree; it also manufactures fruit fillings, chilled fresh fillings and hot processed fillings as well as mincemeat, with English Bramley apple the largest ingredient. Over the last five years, the company has also gone from not producing any jam to becoming the biggest Kentish strawberry jam manufacturer. “This development is the result of a great deal of innovation and investment but also from the ability to have Kentish strawberries available all year round,” says Phil. “We had to develop and invest in an aseptic puree plant that meant we could take fresh strawberries from our local growers during the season in May through to October. The great thing is that the fresh strawberries are processed

Fourayes within 48 hours of being picked and that puree is then used to make strawberry jam throughout the year.” Thinking about the diversification of food available from Fourayes Farm, Phil continues: “We are the only company in the UK to produce this range of products; most of our apple processor competitors make apple products and most jam competitors only make jam. With our portfolio we can offer a one-stop-shop for many fruit based ingredients that no other company can. This is important as the food industry is focused on cost reduction and the fewer suppliers you have to deal with the better, particularly when you have trusted suppliers,” says Phil. “We’ve even created a unique product that allows fresh English Bramley apple to be used in places where spoilage and moisture migration had traditionally been an issue, such as scones, muffins, fruit breads and bagels. We call it Utterly Fruity and we’ve recently added mixed peel products to the range that taste fresh and amazing.”

specialise in growing Bramley apples for long-term storage, for which we have won numerous awards at the National Fruit Show. The Bramley apples that we grow go into storage in September and are then used or peeled around June, July or August. Combined with fresh and short-stored fruit, that means all-year-round availability of greattasting English Bramley apple. Our forward-thinking approach to business has continued, with the latest planting technique involving a highly intensive system comprising some 1330 trees per acre; this is in comparison to the typical standard orchard of about 330 trees to the acre,” comments Phil. “Although this is massively expensive to set up, the aim is to produce 40 per cent to 50 per cent higher yields for the same footprint of farm land.” Despite being a relatively small company, Fourayes benefits from the expertise of its carefully recruited senior

management team as well as its solid reputation as a company with a high quality product range and transparent and short supply chain. Moving forward, the company sees opportunities to expand its aseptic puree range, which currently includes home grown fruit such as apple, plum, apricot, blackberry and blackcurrant, into markets such as dairy and beverage. “We would like to offer our fruit purees made from English fruit as an alternative to imported purees as virtually all fruit puree in this country that goes into smoothies or the dairy industry is currently imported,” says Phil. “Meanwhile, looking further ahead, we have developed a fixed five year plan with the very clear goal of hitting £20 million by 2020. We think this is a perfectly achievable target as we have invested in plant, machinery and facilities to enable us to achieve that level of volume,” he concludes. D www.fourayes.com

Five year plan Alongside innovation, Fourayes has also strengthened its position in the market through expansion, growing the farm from 50 acres to 100 acres, while also investing in the streamlining of farming operations. “Today we

Atlas machines remove peel, core and septum from 700 Bramley apples each minute

www.foodchainmagazine.com 45

Quality

on tap One of the original pioneers of the Leeds bar boom, the award-winning North Bar Group continues to boast the finest, most interesting and comprehensive selection of beers in the North of England

46 www.foodchainmagazine.com

North Bar Group

www.foodchainmagazine.com 47

‘

I would say we are partially responsible for the state of the beer market in the UK today as we pushed for new beers to be brought into the UK with likeminded people, selling these beers first and getting feedback

ounded in 1997 by John Gyngell and Christian Townsley, North Bar opened on New Briggate, Leeds with the goal of providing a continental style bar to locals suffering in a bar desert. “The feel we wanted for North Bar was continental, however there were only a few of these bars in London and Manchester at the time so it took a while for Leeds to work out what we were providing. Despite the early days confusion we worked 24/7 to make the bar a success.” Opening the bar with a draught selection that included Kronenbourg, Beamish Red, Guinness and Fosters, the company focused on a customer-

centric approach to business over the years as further varieties of drinks were added. Indeed, beers such as Chimay, Duvel and the US’ Anchor Liberty Ales were added to the bar, while the first draught Erdinger, Sierra Nevada and Brooklyn Lager in the UK were all poured for the first time at North Bar. Alongside a focus on adding great tasting beers from Europe and the US to its taps, North Bar also made the strategic decision to expand its operations to seven venues over the last two decades. Viewing bars as living, breathing things, the company is proud of every single bar within its portfolio and continues to deliver on its values of unparalleled service, great drinks, an

inviting atmosphere and an inspiring place to be at each and every venue. The most recent addition to the North Bar Group portfolio is North Bar Harrogate, the company’s biggest bar yet, which opened in February 2016. With 12 taps and fridges fit to burst with drinks, a broad range of spirits and wines, Harrogate also specialises in serving high quality food and coffee all day. Opening at eight am to provide coffee, freshly made pastries, sandwiches and flatbreads that are available throughout the day, the bar is perfect for breakfast and lunchtime treats. As North Bar Group continued to expand it became clear to John and Christian that there was a burgeoning brewing market developing throughout Europe and the US that was ripe with opportunities. “We were approached by a brew pub and went on a fact finding mission to Copenhagen around 12 years ago; there were some amazing brew pubs but it wasn’t the mecca it is today. Since then we have seen the brewing market, particularly in the UK but also in Belgium, Germany and the US, transform; we didn’t want to miss the boat as we had a definite market for our beer, which is why we decided to launch our own brewery in October 2015. This is something we have discussed for a long time as we felt it was a natural fit with our bars and the fact that beer is our thing. I would say we are partially responsible for the state of the beer market in the UK today as we pushed for new beers to be brought into the UK with likeminded people, selling these beers first and getting feedback. “With seven bars that we could sell beers to we had an amazing market presence from the get-go, however we were also aware that if our beers weren’t good that our reputation would not only be in tatters as a brewer but as a bar owner. Because of this, we were conscious not to take over the bars with our beers but instead have two taps in each bar for our own beers; we needed to make sure that our beers could stand alone against all other brilliant beers.”

Core beer range North Brewing Co FV brewing vessels

48 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Opening its brewery and tap room in November 2015 with three signature

North Bar Group beers, sister brewery North Brewing Company then went onto launch a core range of five beers that epitomise the direction the bar and brewery will be taking. These beers are comprised of Transmission, a 6.9 per cent IPA, Sputnik, a five per cent pale ale, Prototype, a 3.8 per cent cask session pale ale; Full Fathom, a 6.5 per cent coconut and coffee porter and Herzog, a five per cent Kolsch style brew. With juicy flavours, tonnes of hops and some fun and playful flavour combinations mixed with classics, North Bar Group has already achieved strong recognition in the competitive brewing market, as John notes: “We won Best Brewing Pub Company at the Publican Awards 2017, which was a real surprise; we also recently received recognition as one of the Top 50 Northern Restaurant And Bar Businesses at the Northern Restaurant and Bar (NRB) Top 50 2017 awards,

which we are proud of too.” Covering 21 brands, 1012 sites and more than 21,800 employees in the North of England, the NRB Top 50 recognises the 50 most powerful firms in the region, as well as individuals that are instrumental to those businesses.

North Bar - New Briggate Leeds

Having enjoyed two decades of steady success, North Bar Group will be celebrating its 20th birthday with a party in the bar on Saturday 1st July 2017. “We will use this occasion to launch a year of fundraising efforts with the aim of donating £20,000 to local charity St Gemma’s Hospice,” noted John. Alongside this support for the community, North Bar is keen to maintain its high levels of quality in both brewing and customer service as it focuses on doubling turnover over the next 12 months. Key to making this goal possible is investment in doubling capacity and contracts with distributors such as Matthew Clark and national supermarkets. “Year-on-year we want to double turnover and sales in brewing while also continuing to gain distribution so our beers remain available everywhere,” concludes John. D www.northbar.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 49

Reputation for

excellence T H WHITE Installations Ltd was founded in the late 1970s, in response to a rising demand for commercial and larger scale grain handling, processing and storage projects which today is a successful brand operating as T H WHITE Projects

art of the legendary T H WHITE Group, T H WHITE Projects’ capabilities are split into four areas – Commercial and Industrial Projects, Fabrications, Farm and Estate Installations, and Service, and as Ken Spreadbury, Technical Director explained, these are offered from its brand-new factory and offices in Wiltshire. “T H WHITE Group began in Devizes in 1832, and we have a lot of history here,” he began. “Our original office was in the middle of town where the company was first founded, but we moved out to our previous site in the 1980s, and our most recent move was in October 2016, when we built a new factory and offices to unite with the other Group facilities on the same side of the road.” The four departments highlighted by Ken work with clients in a variety of sectors, with Commercial & Industrial Projects focusing mainly on the design and construction of large agricultural and industrial plants, specialising in grain and other free flowing bulk solids handling installations. In fact, the company is one of the UK’s largest independent specialist in the end-to-end design,

50 www.foodchainmagazine.com

procurement, project management, and construction of grain processing & storage facilities for the co-operative and commercial grain storage sector and is also actively involved in the Malting and Brewing, Milling, Ports and Animal Feed compounding industries. “We are involved literally at the start of the food chain with the seed that is planted in the ground,” stated Ken. “Some of our customers are involved with seed production, covering a wide range of disciplines, in terms of the cleaning, handling and drying of seeds, so in this sense we are working with customers to prepare seed before it is sown.” Once the cereals crop has grown and been harvested, then solutions from T H WHITE Projects once again come to the fore, when the grain is stored at a farm, or sent to a large co-operative. “From there it can be sold to a flour miller or maltster, who turns it into a product that is then used by the brewing, distilling or baking industries. So, in this area our customers are large commercial grain stores, and the flour milling and malting industries,” clarified Ken. “With regards to milling, that can be flour, animal feed, and oat milling,” added

Andrew Workman, Head of Business Development at T H WHITE Projects. “Additionally we are involved at the Ports on both the import and export sides, as there are a lot of grain handling terminals in the UK.” The clients that Andrew referred to come to T H WHITE Projects not only for its exemplary service and years of expertise, but also for its flexible approach – it can work with them for the entire design and build process or it is happy to offer services at any point throughout the journey. Ken noted: “In many cases we get involved with the initial planning concept, creating and adjusting the design, and then we move to a feasibility study, where we will also look at what new technology is available on the market. We are very open to new ideas and products, and while our industry is a little bit traditional and it doesn’t change very much, innovations come along from time to time so we keep abreast of these and work with clients to tailor solutions exactly to their requirements.” “Many clients know what they want to achieve, but they don’t know how to achieve it, and we can help them create

T H WHITE Projects

an efficient and valuable solution for their site,” added Andrew. “We can then assist the client with preparing documentation and drawings to go for planning approval and while that is happening, we look at the detailed design and costing, and help them with budgets.” This latter point is important; as Ken highlighted, the first concept is seldom constructed and the final solution is a balance between what is desirable and what is affordable. “Depending on the scale of a project, it can take three years or more to develop an initial idea into an end design. Throughout the process we are on the customer’s side, so we accept that we have to look at all the various aspects of ‘what would this be like’ and ‘but what it would cost’, and refine the plan until we come up with the final result.” Andrew gave an example of just how flexible T H WHITE Projects can be: “We are currently working on a multi-million pound scheme and are breaking it into phases over the next five or six years so that the client ends up with the total package but the finance is handled in stages. Plus, we also appreciate the fact that in two or three years’ time the business will have changed slightly so

the installation won’t get built in the exact way we initially planned but by working with customers in this way we can adapt and change plans rather than shoehorn components into the space possible – I would describe this as working with clients rather than for them with our eyes on the future.”

Highly experienced Due to T H WHITE Projects close client relationships and high rates of repeat custom, the company has an established knowledge base that means it can ‘hit the ground running’ at the early stages with a clear idea of what could be provided. “But sometimes we get involved further along the process and are comfortable that we can demonstrate our worth to clients in the way we work and how cost effective we can be, as well as the support we can offer after the installation,” added Ken. “We have been around a long time and a lot of our customers respect that and to be honest many of them such as the flour millers and the maltsters have a history that may even exceed our own! Our experience has stood us in good stead over the years, especially

considering the value of trust, integrity and confidentiality on these large projects that can have a high monetary value.” While the company can draw on the support of T H WHITE Group should it be required, it also benefits from the knowledge of Ken himself, who has been with the company almost since it was created in 1978 (he joined in 1979). He has seen the business evolve from pens and paper in the drawing office to a high-tech organisation with significant in-house expertise, and his first-hand experience has proven itself invaluable, as Andrew highlighted: “When we are talking to clients initially, if you have someone with 37 years’ experience as Ken has, and he says ‘that is the way to do it’ or ‘no, that isn’t the way to do it’ and he can relate it to experiences he has had in the past, his advice is immensely valuable. “A lot of the problems that clients may have are not unique and it’s possible that we have come across the issue before, and can help them through it. It is a process of being able to share our experience, whether good or bad – if we used a solution a while ago and it wasn’t

www.foodchainmagazine.com 51

‘

as beneficial and efficient as anticipated then we don’t want to repeat that. The process is a continual evolution.” The second area of expertise from T H WHITE Projects is its Fabrications department, which supports all this work for customers by providing the ability to engineer bespoke solutions at its dedicated new factory based in Devizes. “We don’t buy ‘off-the-shelf’ items of equipment, and that is where we tend to differentiate ourselves from the competition,” said Andrew. “Our products are bespoke - effectively non-standard or one-offs - and we are ideally set up to do that in the factory. We do offer some standard products but predominantly what we produce are bespoke fabricated mild steel items, painted or galvanised, or in stainless steel.”

Brand new facility

T H WHITE Projects

Over the past few years, T H WHITE Projects has completed all four of these APC installations at Camgrain sites in the UK, and the latest APC to be finished could be described as a ‘cathedral for grain’

The factory is equipped with the latest in technology and staffed by qualified fabricators, and working together they can manufacture components and structures including large hoppers and grids, ladders, platforms and stairways, steelwork supports and structures, ductwork and diverter valves, and skid and assembled solutions, to name a few. These products are available not only for use on T H WHITE projects but also for third parties, and this is an area the company would like to develop further: “We are keen to increase our production internally and externally, and as we have increased the size of the factory floor we have the opportunity to take on more work, as well as tackle bigger volumes and larger sizes of module,” he confirmed.

Another benefit of the new factory is that Ken and his team were able to design the layout from scratch, creating the most efficient workflow and the ability to take a lean approach to manufacturing. This mentality was even applied to the move itself, which was achieved with only a one day office closure: “Moving an office and a factory included a lot of complexity and we planned it over several months, as we had to keep operating at the same time,” said Ken. “On the actual moving day of the office we closed for a day, otherwise we managed to get it all transferred and still fulfilled all our deliveries, so it was a good team effort and is already proving well worth the investment.” He continued: “Another major benefit is that we’re all on the same side of the road now and that means we can share technology across the different Divisions. So, for example T H WHITE Lorry Cranes specialising in Palfinger lorry loaders is also on our site, and that means we have opportunities to invest in and share technology, such as material profiling

equipment or the new finished product painting booth.” The factory’s products are installed in a variety of sectors as Andrew highlighted earlier, but historically grain storage and processing is where it has found most of its work. One perfect example of a T H WHITE Projects solution is a series of installations undertaken with Camgrain. It has worked closely with the organisation over the past three decades on the design and construction of its stores, particularly at its original site in Linton, Cambridgeshire, which has seen much growth and expansion to make it a strategic part of the Camgrain infrastructure. Today Camgrain operates four Advanced Processing Centres (APCs) which all come together in one co-ordinated operating unit to centralise collections from farmers and deliveries to customers within each area. Over the past few years, T H WHITE Projects has completed all four of these APC installations at Camgrain sites in the UK, and the latest APC to be finished could be described as a ‘cathedral for grain.’ It provides a combined tipping pit intake capacity of over 1500 tonnes per hour to service 90,000t of storage in both silo and on-floor bunker format. This capability is supported by multiple continuous flow dryers, pre-cleaners, and fine cleaners as well as a dedicated clean room, which provides direct storeto-mill capabilities. The already strong

D B Brooks D B Brooks are the one stop shop for all your process control and electrical engineering needs. When you’re looking for control system design, control panel manufacture or site wiring installations services in the UK or overseas we can help. Since 1974 our specialists have completed projects for clients worldwide and we could do the same for you. D B Brooks have built up a loyal client base across a diverse range of sectors. Unlike our competitors we handle the three main engineering disciplines of software design, control panel manufacturing and site wiring installations from our own in-house resources meaning that we offer co-ordinated project management from concept to completion. Our software engineers are conversant with all leading PLC & SCADA manufacturers including Siemens, Rockwell, Mitsubishi and Schneider.

www.foodchainmagazine.com 53

relationship has since been further enhanced by Camgrain’s partnership with the Openfield group – and indeed T H WHITE is familiar with Openfield, as it also designed and constructed the UK’s most modern seed plant in Lincolnshire for the business in 2004. Strategically sited next to the A1 trunk road in Lincolnshire, this seed plant is based in a dual line system enabling two different products to be processed at the same time. The seed cleaning equipment includes sieve cleaners, deawners, indented cylinders, de-stoners, and a gravity separator. Finished seed is then run through specialist chemical treaters, and in stream batch weighing equipment that is built into the bulk bag packing assembly. By any standards this is an impressive and versatile bulk seed production facility, all built neatly into a redundant bulk grain storage building. T H WHITE Projects has been involved in many high profile and

54 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Franklin Hodge Industries Brice-Baker For nearly 40 years T H WHITE Projects has trusted the Brice-Baker range of Grain Silos and Ancillary equipment, which has been developed to meet the evolving market demand for high quality grain storage. Franklin Hodge Industries is delighted to continue building on that legacy having retained the capability to design, manufacture, supply and install grain storage plants from the extensive range that has been developed over almost 50 years. Brice-Baker silos are renowned for their robust construction and high galvanising standards, with shallow profile wall sheets and external wall stiffener columns, designed for a cleaner discharge and longer life.

significant developments, and the high capacity intake, weighing, conveying, and integrated holding silo system it completed for Carr’s Flour Hutchisons at Kirkcaldy in Scotland is another one of these. This project is central to bringing Kirkcaldy Harbour back into commercial use, and ended a gap of some 20 years since wheat was delivered to the flourmill by water. The new harbour silo will not only help maintain employment in the Fifeshire town, but will also save some 2000 to 4000 lorry journeys a year into and out of the waterfront site. The project was designed and constructed by T H WHITE Projects and was carried out in partnership with Forth Ports as the navigation authority, with the assistance of a Freight Facilities Grant from Transport Scotland. The projects referred to here are only a small example of the multitude of contracts that have been completed

T H WHITE Projects by T H WHITE over the years, but they

to 2D CAD and 3D Inventor,” added

all illustrate their technical complexity. Achieving these ambitious plans is possible only through the use of significant in-house expertise and impressive 3D CAD design facilities, which allow both the company and the customer to visualise the end product before even one piece of metal has been cut. “We have certainly embraced technology over the years and we were probably one of the first companies in our sector to adopt it back in the 1980s,” agreed Ken. “It was very expensive, but we dipped a toe in early on, and we now have a team of highly skilled engineers working within our design office who can produce drawings as files that can then be loaded directly into a machine by one of our manufacturers and it will produce the holes, the lengths and everything else that is needed, without any further interpretation.” “The drawing side has gone from pens and paper on drawing boards

Andrew. “Those early solutions were 2D but 3D is a massive enhancement and advancement for any company that uses it. It helps us at our tendering stage when we are producing the initial drawings for the customer so they can really visualise what they are going to get. “This gives the customer the benefit of fully understanding what we are designing and seeing how he is going to invest his money. It also helps further along the process with details such as choosing colours and floor levels, as well as helping reduce the risk of errors - on a 3D drawing if some items of steel are going to touch each other and they shouldn’t then we will be able to see it. “Technology also assists us by documenting all of the necessary adherence to regulation that clients and standards organisations require – we are ISO registered and we have CE marking of steelwork and all that has to be logged

www.foodchainmagazine.com 55

56 www.foodchainmagazine.com

T H WHITE Projects and followed through. We embrace technology as the world keeps moving forward and we have to move with it or we go backwards and we have no intention of doing that!” The extraordinary attention to detail that T H WHITE Projects brings to the design and manufacture of its projects continues through the actual on-site installation, where the organisation works with a civil contractor to construct the final solution. “We usually talk to two or three civil contractors at the tendering stage, and then we will work with one of them to implement and go ahead with the whole project,” explained Ken. “Sometimes it could be the civil contractor who is acting as the main contractor, and they come to us for mechanical and electrical solutions, or we may go to them and ask them to work with us as a civil contractor and we take main contractor role.”

Long-term support T H WHITE Projects also has its own team of installers, who work on the agricultural Farm and Estate Installation projects. “These tend to be in the Devizes area, as we prefer to serve the local farmers and estates with our own personnel,” highlighted Ken. For farms and estates T H WHITE again offers advice on plant and equipment selection, as well as full engineering design, project management and construction – providing the complete design and build package from concept to completion, whatever the size of the contract. Typical projects include steel framed buildings and sheds, flat and hopper bottomed grain silos, grain driers, chain and flight conveyors, structural steelwork, grain ducting, diesel or kerosene dryer burners, electrical control panels and wiring installations, and groundworks.

“A lot of the work that we do on the farm and estate side will utilise our own teams to install and build, but of course we will work with other contractors, especially if they are already familiar with the client’s systems and operation. Again it’s working with the client rather than totally for them. We also get some comfort from the fact that it’s someone they’ve worked with before, and as long as they are competent and capable then we are happy to work alongside them. “We also support the customer, and farmer, in the longer term, through after sales and service, which is something that a lot of other people wouldn’t be able to offer. Many customers stick with us and will only come to us because of the whole package we offer, which includes maintenance, winter servicing, repairs and upgrades, breakdown and emergency call-outs, safe access platforms and spare parts. They can

also benefit from the other products that T H WHITE Group can provide, such as agricultural or construction equipment.” The four areas of Commercial & Industrial Projects, Fabrications, Farm and Estate Installations and Service are where T H WHITE Projects will continue to focus its attention going forward, supporting current clients and welcoming new ones. “We are dedicated to supporting the customers who have been with us for so long, and we won’t lose focus on their needs. Around 80 per cent of our order book is repeat business, so we need to be sure to maintain that and support those customers,” said Ken. He continued: “We have a good dialogue with our long-term customers, to the extent that they would give us a heads up on what might be coming up in the future. We appreciate knowing if a large development might be on the agenda for the next two or three years as

Gartell & Son Gartell & Son are long-established construction contractors, with an excellent reputation for providing groundworks services, land drainage and landscaping. Based in Somerset, we undertake work in Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Devon. Gartell & Son undertake groundwork and construction for a variety of customers from private landowners and farmers to councils and large industrial estates. Experienced staff and site personnel can bring a wealth of knowledge to help any client resolve issues with their project however large or small.

www.foodchainmagazine.com 57

58 www.foodchainmagazine.com

T H WHITE Projects

we would make sure we create the space in our schedule so we would be able to jump on it when they needed us. “But we also welcome working with new clients and some in new industries. We are always open to getting involved in projects that are allied to the industries that we serve. We have a lot to offer different customers, so for example; we recently ran a project involving waste processing. We find that sort of project interesting and it builds our varied skills sets to widen our industry sector capabilities – it’s not an every day issue but when it comes along we want to be there.” “We also have a new website being launched in the second quarter of this year, which will enhance our presence in the UK,” added Andrew. “This is an important development for us and it will highlight a lot of the activities we are undertaking across the different industries as well as promoting products too.” From speaking to Ken and Andrew it is very clear that T H WHITE Projects is heading into 2017 with a solid plan for growth, thanks to its new facility, customer philosophy and a willingness to embrace new technology. It’s a philosophy that permeates the whole of today’s T H WHITE Group, whose

purpose has been resolute since it was established in 1832 – ‘to get the best from innovation using ingenuity and know-how to support livelihoods through generations.’ With an annual turnover in excess of £140 million and employing more than 500 people, the T H WHITE Group has well-established supplier relationships with world-leading names in agriculture and construction, including New Holland, Case IH and Manitou, Palfinger lorry cranes, plus Ransomes and Jacobsen in the leisure and municipal grounds care businesses. In the automotive sector T H WHITE operates the UK’s first purpose-built Fiat Group Brand Centre, dealing not only with Fiat and Fiat Professional (commercial) vehicles, but also Alfa Romeo, Abarth and Jeep. It is this very diversity and crossfertilisation of thinking that makes T H WHITE so effective at supporting customers across a wide range of

activities, but as Ken Spreadbury concludes: “Its dedication to the agricultural and food chain industry goes back a long way and that is how it will stay – its clear direction has steered the organisation since it started as an ironmonger and it remains the same today.” D www.thwhite.co.uk

Ken Spreadbury Technical Director - T H WHITE Projects

Perry of Oakley Ltd With 70 years’ experience and tens of thousands of successful materials handling and drying solution installations, Perry are the only long-term choice for machinery that lasts. We are specialists in industrial specification machinery suitable for commercial applications such as grain stores, flourmills, distilleries, malting and pet food and port authorities. Our nationwide technical sales team is available to visit sites and help determine our clients needs and our nationwide after sales engineering team offer support, backup and servicing to the customer or dealer if required.

www.foodchainmagazine.com 59

Rolling in

the dough

60 www.foodchainmagazine.com

The Bread Factory

Hand making bread, pastries and cakes every day with patience, skill and the best ingredients, The Bread Factory focuses on innovation and quality to ensure its reputation continues to rise

www.foodchainmagazine.com 61

‘

stablished by Gail Stephens in 1993, The Bread Factory was created with the goal of baking to traditional methods using responsibly sourced ingredients and time to let the natural flavours of the bread develop. By using a process and production that was, and continues to be, light-years away from industrialised bakeries, the company hand makes bread with patience, skill and the best possible ingredients. “Originally focused on creating sourdoughs for restaurants and hotels, Gail found a gap in the market in the UK for quality breads. Since then, the business has grown substantially, with successes and expansion in both the retail and wholesale market. However, The Bread Factory is at its core a wholesale business, with bread, pastries and cakes produced and delivered to our thousands of customers around London and the UK

The Bread Factory

As an artisan bakery, we believe in people using their hands so through human touch we deliver products that have character and a life of their own

on a daily basis,” begins Tristan Kaye, Trading Director at The Bread Factory. Following a few years of operation, Gail met Ran Avidan and Tom Molnar, two men with their own bakery dreams; impressed by the breads they tried from Gail’s previous opening, the legendary Baker & Spice, the three began working together with a goal of baking simple and beautiful products. Having soon caught the attention of leading London-based Michelin star chefs and top retailers, the company gained a strong following and customer base. “One thing that amazes me about

this business is just how diverse our customers are; we supply everyone from a small independent café that will take a few handfuls of pastries, a few loaves of bread and a couple of cakes, to restaurants and even contract catering companies at big office buildings. A lot of the restaurants and hotels we serve are rated five star and we are also immensely proud of our work with Michelin-starred chefs in creating incredible bespoke sourdoughs. We also have our Gail’s Artisan Bakery, our retail business, which has 36 sites across central and outer London, where customers can buy many other specialty breads, pastries or cakes.”

Sourdough heritage Since its inception, the ethos behind the company’s success has been maintained, with many of the original breads still being made today from

Scobie Food Service We have been dealing with the Bread Factory for many years, supplying the company Rack ovens and providing follow on maintenance. We have installed 11 Revent 724 ovens into the Bread Factory since 2013, and we will continue to support the company as it continues to grow. Scobie Food Service along with Revent pride themselves on offering the best equipment for the bakers to complete their jobs, so they can supply the best quality baked goods to their clients. This is evident when you consider the amount of awards that the company has won, which will no doubt continue to keep flowing in. Scobie Food Service and Revent would like to wish the Bread Factory every success in the future and take this opportunity to thank them.

www.foodchainmagazine.com 63

Your allies at work every day PATISSEries & SMALL bakeries

ARTISAN BAKERIES

INDUSTrial bakeries

ATLAS TUNNEL OVENS

ROBOT LOADING SYSTEM

The Bread Factory the very same sourdough starters. Discussing the use of sourdough, Tristan comments: “Sourdough is our heritage and we have a passionate guy, Remek Sanetra, who is passionate about sourdough and tends to these starter cultures like they’re his babies. Sourdough begins with wild yeast, which lives in the general atmosphere and is used to make wine and bread. Today cultured yeast has been brought into food production, but historically it was wild yeast. You take the flour and water and let it ferment into a consistency that could be a firm dough or like thick mud, depending on the type of culture. This is a living breathing organism that gets introduced into every batch of bread, along with more flour, water, salt and if we are looking for a certain flavour, any other flavourful ingredients our recipes call for. The yeast in the culture begins to grow through the dough, which is where you

get yeast feeding off sugars; this in turn gives off carbon dioxide, which causes the pockets in the sourdough bread.

Traditional approach “The benefits of sourdough include that fact that it is much healthier for you, the substances in wheat are broken down, it ferments over a longer period of time and thus provides you with a great flavour as well as bread that lasts longer. Because this is our heritage we have a number of different starter cultures, some of which are now many, many years old. These cultures get fed every day and continue to grow; we have starter cultures that are based on yogurt and flour, some that are based on apples and we even have one that is based on orange juice – these are in effect our intellectual property and can’t be replicated. To bake these breads we use Tagliavini ovens, which are big deck ovens that have a stone base;

these ovens give an intense heat from the stone that seeps into the base of the bread and rises up. This results in a bread that has a beautiful, glossy, thick and crunchy crust that is the hallmark of really great bread.” Indeed, the traditional approach has held firm at The Bread Factory, with many favourite recipes, like-minded suppliers, the original team and soulful, delicious and healthy bread, pastries and cakes continuing to be at the heart of operations. “Within the pastry segment of the business we have a dedicated production area that produces pastries on a daily basis; we use French flour and butter for our pastries and everything is done by hand so every croissant, for example, is never the same. This is part of our philosophy as an artisan bakery, we believe in people using their hands so through human touch we deliver products that have character and a life of their own.

ed at ory i c t so Fac s a d be rea to B d e ou Th r P ith w

Tagliavini S.P.A Since 1934 Tagliavini has been considered an international leader in the production of bakery equipment, building itself on an extraordinary reputation, in terms of quality and technology all over the world. Its range includes over 160 models of ovens for bread, confectionery and pizza, all strictly ‘Made in Italy.’ Marketing its products in all five continents, the company’s aim has always been to offer its customers the most suitable solutions for their particular needs, ensuring a comprehensive and professional after-sales service. Many years of experience and research into the best technologies and the use of first-rate raw materials have resulted in a range of ovens boasting unparalleled performance in terms of reduced consumption of both fuel and electricity, excellent baking and respect for the environment.

INSPIRING YOUR CREATIONSTM With an innate understanding of the very source, Cacao Barry® brings you great cacao from remarkable places to help you celebrate the diversity of flavours and origins and to truly unlock its sensational richness.

www.cacao-barry.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 65

The Bread Factory

Meanwhile, for our cake segment, we make anything from tiny little chocolate biscuits that go great with a cup of coffee, to beautiful multi-tiered cakes for high-end restaurants and cafés. The cake area of the business is perhaps the most diverse in terms of product offering, and for this we again use a lot of French butter and the best quality chocolate, while using all fresh and natural ingredients,” says Tristan. However, as is expected from an innovative producer, the company has also changed significantly by focusing

Rackmaster Limited Rackmaster Limited is a stainless-steel fabrication company, specialising in the quality manufacturing of bespoke and standard bakery equipment. With all types of ovens, confectionary, gastronomy and ware washing racks available, we believe we are the UK’s premier supplier. With over 40 years experience we have developed numerous customer relationships across all of the UK’s catering sectors. Alongside our portfolio of racking, we are also able to fabricate tables, sinks, ware washing tabling and numerous types of trays, cake moulds and rings, all bespoke to individual needs. Large bakeries, restaurants, hotels, breweries, schools, hospitals and supermarkets have all identified Rackmaster Ltd as their source for choosing quality bespoke equipment at the right price. The ergonomic precision of our fabrications guarantee maximum productivity for the user. We work hard to ensure production quality is at a consistently high standard, with customer satisfaction being our core aim.

on innovative developments for some of the best chefs in London and the UK; this way of working ensures the benchmark for baking gets higher and The Bread Factory’s expansive menu continues to grow. “The main market trend that we are seeing is an increased, genuine desire from people to eat better quality bread, with demand for sourdough rising significantly. Another trend we are seeing is a growing demand for free from products, whether that is gluten free, free from dairy or free from refined sugar, which is caused by either a medical need or lifestyle choice. We have also noticed that people want nice things and to treat themselves to a product that is smaller and better quality, with no artificial colours or flavours,” says Tristan. “To respond to these trends, we are investing even more significantly in our product development function – a team of people who are charged with the responsibility of creating beautiful products aligned with our ethos, and designed to fulfil areas of need in the market. We also have a gluten free bakery where we bake breads and have seen tremendous growth there; we are currently also doing some

sweet gluten free items and have recently expanded with a delicious salted caramel brownie. The highest recognition we can get for our gluten free products is when people don’t believe that it is gluten free when they eat them.” He continues: “Another recently developed product is the creation of sliced sourdough in a frame, so the bread is consistent across the entire length of the loaf with many smaller holes throughout. Although the holes are a hallmark of sourdough and it looks wonderful, the holes are not necessarily useful if you are making a sandwich and your ingredients fall through the middle. We are getting a great response from this bread as it looks great, tastes amazing and is perfect for sandwiches or toasting.”

Award wins This dedication to making exceptional products has not gone unnoticed in the industry, with the company achieving 16 gold stars in the Great Taste Awards 2016 alone, an additional three from the 13 it won in 2015. “Awards provide recognition, not so much for us as a business, but for our bakers who can see just how great their products are.

www.foodchainmagazine.com 67

68 www.foodchainmagazine.com

The Bread Factory Pavitts Produce Richard and Carlo together with their team of hard working and dedicated staff at Pavitts Produce would like to congratulate The Bread Factory on the innovative growth of the company and its success in winning many awards for its fine products. Pavitts Produce are delighted to support The Bread Factory with the supply of quality fresh produce from the New Covent Garden Market and we look forward to furthering our successful partnership for many years to come.

When you are in a bakery, baking day-in-day-out, it is easy to become detached from the consumer, so we find ways to take our teams to meet customers and for customers,

particularly chefs, to come into our facility and meet our staff. Awards are another way we illustrate to our people just how much the rest of the market loves our products; for example, we won the Golden Fork award for best product in the south east with our seeded cracker, so this was not only a three star product but also listed in The Times Top 50 products. This was a proud moment for us, and particularly for the seven people who work on that product on a daily basis; it is great for those bakers to see how much a

distinguished panel of judges loved their product,â&#x20AC;? highlights Tristan.

Major development Baking 365 days a year, the company produces between 80,000 to 140,000 items a night at an industrial estate in north west London. Originally starting in one unit, The Bread Factory has expanded in line with its on-going trend of success and recently acquired an additional three units in the first quarter of 2017. With an extra 24,000 square feet of space, the company is

www.foodchainmagazine.com 69

70 www.foodchainmagazine.com

The Bread Factory now undergoing finalisation plans for this new space, with equipment due to be installed shortly. “This is a major development in the business that not only demonstrates how optimistic we are, not only for the future of The Bread Factory, but also for the future of great quality bread, cakes and pastries in the UK market,” shares Tristan.

W & H Marriage & Sons Marriage’s has been a long standing family run flour millers in Essex, since 1824. We source the best quality wheat, predominantly from farmers within 30 miles of Chelmer Mills, including our own arable farms. Our flour is produced using a combination of traditional techniques, handed down over the generations, using the best modern milling technology. Marriage’s flour range for bakers, manufacturers and caterers includes an organic range, Red Tractor, and speciality and traditional stoneground flours for making breads, cakes, pastry and pizza.

Moving forward, The Bread Factory is keen to focus on developing new and exciting products while also improving its existing product range by increasing quality while also seeking to deliver the best possible service to customers. “We want customers to be happy with the products they receive, to get their deliveries on time and to have a complete order with nothing

missing; it is our goal to get these levels as close to zero as possible. Looking further ahead, we want to provide more people with access to better quality bread and to do that we need to keep growing. We can’t be complacent, and instead need to deliver better products all of the time,” Tristan concludes. D www.breadltd.co.uk

www.foodchainmagazine.com 71

Going the

extra mile

With roots tracing back to 1861, today the East of England Co-op is one of the four largest independent consumer co-operatives in the United Kingdom

he East of England Co-op, as it is today, was formed in 2005, following the merger of Ipswich and Norwich Cooperative Societies and the Colchester and East Essex Co-operative Society. With stores stretching from Cromer in Norfolk down to Burnhamon-Crouch in Essex, the East of

72 www.foodchainmagazine.com

England Co-op have over 200 stores and branches. They run a wide range of businesses, including food retail, petrol forecourts, funeral services, travel, pharmacy, opticians, Post Offices and stone masonry. They also have their own security business, Secure Response Services, as well as running an events and conferencing centre at their head office Wherstead Park, in Ipswich. The retailer also owns over ÂŁ100 million of investment property in East Anglia. The 500 properties, a mix of commercial and domestic, generate an annual income of ÂŁ7.1million through rent.

East of England Co-operative

www.foodchainmagazine.com 73

East of England Co-operative A jewel in their food retail business, the East of England Co-op launched their Sourced Locally initiative in 2007, bringing locally produced food and drink to their shelves. Ten years on, Sourced Locally is stronger than ever, thanks to ongoing investments and improvements. Indeed, since speaking with Roger Grosvenor, one of the East of England Co-op’s five Joint Chief Executives, in June 2016, the initiative has developed its Three P Policy – Profit for the producer, Profit for the society and a Price that is acceptable to the customer - into a Five P Policy, adding, Paying its producers on time and on their terms, as well as providing Professional support from their food safety expert.

Truly local Since 2007 the retailer has put over £57 million back into the local economy through payments to suppliers, and helped to create and protect more than 400 jobs. In 2016, the East of England Co-op won the Collaboration Award at the Retail Week Supply Chain Awards for Sourced Locally. They were even more proud to, on the same night, be named ‘winner of all winners’ taking home the Hermes Grand Prix Award, beating the likes of O2, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Boohoo, ASOS and Hobbycraft. Roger continued: “We continue to grow in this area of the business, with like-for-like sales growing a further 11 per cent, and exceeding £17.5 million in turnover, in 2016 alone. “We are also working on a truly local food hub where we bring local suppliers together through our own distribution network. Our goal is to supply hotels, schools, restaurants and

W & H Marriage & Sons The family run millers since 1824 supplies nine home baking flours to the East of England Co-op stores across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, as part of its Sourced Locally range. Marriage’s bread, cake and pastry flours for home bakers includes organic and traditionally milled stoneground varieties. Much of the wheat Marriage’s use is sourced from local farmers. Marriage’s home baking flour range has won 40 Great Taste Awards.

74 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Ashley Ads Ltd. Norwich based Ashley Ads is a key provider of sign, display and Point of Sale materials. Working with a diverse range of national and local businesses, it designs, prints, manufactures, and distributes across the UK. Its services are highly customer focused, and extend from print management and procurement, through to pick, pack and fulfillment. It is enormously proud of its long-standing relationship with the East of England Co-op, now at well over 30 years, and looks forward to continuing to offer its support as a supplier in the future.

so on through a truly integrated supply chain, from end-to-end, supplying local food from East Anglia. As we have our own vehicles we would backload to our warehouse and cut food miles down too; this is something we are currently in discussions with our suppliers about with the goal of the East of England Coop supplying these products. “Since we were previously featured in FoodChain magazine, we’ve employed a former Trading Standards Food Officer who has joined us to support local suppliers. This has enabled us to provide them with expert advice, free of charge, on things such as labelling and allergens. Getting labels checked can cost in excess of £2000, an amount that our smaller suppliers may not have been able to afford, so we’re pleased they’re now able to turn to us for advice.” The company is scrupulously honest

when it comes to the production of food products in East Anglia acknowledging that, coffee beans may come from further afield, but they can be roasted and blended in the region. However, the majority of products available under the Sourced Locally banner come from within 30 miles of the store. For example, Tim Briscoe from Buxton Potato Company in Cawston supplies their Norfolk stores with potatoes, while for those seeking fresh asparagus and strawberries, Emma and Charlie Tacon of the Tacons near Great Yarmouth, have been providing the East of England Co-op with these products since 2009. Furthermore, the company work with local chocolatiers Hadleigh Maid to produce a range of sweet treats for stores across East Anglia, while Rossi Ice Cream from Southend-On-Sea stocks their Essex stores. Additionally, many of the company’s stores receive their sausages, hams and bacon, all of which comes from happy, homereared pigs, from Lane Farm Country Foods in Suffolk. Alongside improvements within its Sourced Locally initiative, the company have also been busy strategically opening new stores, refreshing current stores and selling nine stores that were no longer

76 www.foodchainmagazine.com

East of England Co-operative financially viable. This programme of investment includes repurposing and relaying stores, with food for now, food for tonight and food for later. To give their members and customers more choice, they’ve also introduced a number of concessions into their larger stores, including brands such as M&Co and Bon Marche. They’ve also added 11 Subway sandwich outlets. A notable development in 2016 was the opening of a new generation Supermarket in Woodbridge, Suffolk which was a former Budgens. Roger explained: “Despite initially being met with some resistance from the local community, when we opened the store locals were amazed by the quality of product and service we’re able to provide and sales have been up 15 per cent above target. “It is a very different store, a step change from anything we have ever done before. It’s focused on the local community and local produce, as well as a well thought out food journey. “As a company focused on service, we also provide home shopping deliveries for those that find it difficult to come in store; and so far around 650 to 700 people benefit from this service every week. It’s all about the small things that make a big difference to our members and customers.” “Small things, big difference is our

big difference because we are a Co-op and we do things differently,” explained Minnie Moll, Joint Chief Executive for Membership, Marketing & Media at the East of England Co-op.

Good causes

articulation of our Co-op difference, because, when it comes down to it, there are so many small things that we do, when added together make a big difference. From selling asparagus that grows in a field just down the road and paying local suppliers on time, to our colleagues going the extra mile, whether that’s removing a mouse from the home of a customer to assisting a visually impaired customer across the road; we do small things that make a

Minnie continues: “As a Co-operative, we absolutely have our purpose, vision and values at heart; not many organisations do, but it is imperative to us. Our purpose and how we articulate it is to be ‘a business that is for people and communities, not just for profit’; it is a constant balance. First and foremost we are a business, but we are always balancing the challenges and tough decisions of being a business with our ethics, principles and values and of doing the right thing for the community. An example of these ethics is the fact that Co-operative own brand toiletries are not tested on animals. We also have our community token scheme. When a member shops with us they receive a token and can then choose to support one of three local causes. These causes are changed four times a year and at the end of each quarter they receive £500, £300 and £200 respectively. So far we have given nearly £200,000 to local communities through this scheme.” Another notable scheme for the East of England Co-op is Co-op Cuppa, which is based on the notion that you can sort the issues of the world out over a cup of tea. Set up with the goal of getting people together, to share and communicate and work on issues together, the company have given more than 500,000 Co-op Fairtrade teabags away so far. “People can apply online and tell us what they will do with the teabags, whether it is have a coffee morning in the village hall for people living alone or for a mum and toddler group. As long as it is a good cause that you are using the tea for, then we are supporting it,” says Minnie. The scheme that is at the heart of East of England Co-op’s ethos, however, is its major community focus on becoming the leading dementia friendly retailer. As the largest independent retailer in the region, the company have embarked on a programme of colleague training and awareness raising throughout their

www.foodchainmagazine.com 77

78 www.foodchainmagazine.com

East of England Co-operative stores and offices in response to the fact that there are more than 50,000 people diagnosed with dementia in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex alone. In a survey conducted by Alzheimer’s UK, 23 per cent of participants stated they have had to stop shopping as a result of living with dementia.

Positive changes In addition to the training, the company also held a workplace challenge for its colleagues; named ‘Shopping in their Shoes’. Those taking part gathered a basic shopping list and paid for items at the till, while wearing an ageing suit. These suits replicate a range of agerelated conditions that distort senses and make movement more challenging. “We’re proud to say that 88 per cent of our colleagues have now completed the voluntary dementia friendly training, with the goal of reaching 100 per cent by the end of June 2017. The training helps colleagues to understand dementia more, to not be anxious or unsure how to behave, and to, critically, be able to support people who live with dementia when they come into our branches. “We received a wonderful letter from a lady who complimented our

colleagues for ‘the amazing care and support that they provided’ for her mother; the letter said: ‘My mother has Alzheimer’s but wished to remain at home. She would continually visit the Co-op store on Coleman Road and the staff would offer support, which was way beyond customer care. The staff would call me to share my concerns

and keep me updated on mum’s behaviour.’ This letter really brings home the impact that our colleagues can have by providing this service. “We also recently won the Princess Royal Training awards for our dementia training and the Large Organisation of the Year Award at the Alzheimer’s Society National Awards for our work,”

www.foodchainmagazine.com 79

80 www.foodchainmagazine.com

East of England Co-operative the results we have seen over the last 15 months, even in challenging times. There are still choppy waters ahead but we are very satisfied with the fantastic work we have achieved. It is about all parts of the business working together and pulling a lot of levers at the same time; there have been a lot of positive changes within the East of England Coop and we’re certain this will continue,” concludes Minnie. D www.eastofengland.coop

enthuses Minnie. Now part of 12 dementia action alliances across East Anglia, the company have offered their award winning dementia training to other businesses in the region for free. With the East of England Co-op performing well, both Roger, Minnie and their three fellow Joint Chief Executives,

are keen to further improve service by investing more time in colleagues. “We want to deliver on expectations; if we continue to meet the needs of our customers we can only see prosperity from that,” says Roger. “Our vision is to be trusted as the first choice locally. We’re pleased with

www.foodchainmagazine.com 81

Built on

Offering a comprehensive portfolio of food processing and packaging equipment, Reiser UK has represented a trusted supplier across several industries for more than five decades 82 www.foodchainmagazine.com

trust

perating from its base in Kingston, Milton Keynes, Reiser UK represents the UK branch of the American-owned Reiser food processing and packaging equipment business. Established in 1945 and headquartered in the Norfolk County town of Canton, Massachusetts in the US, Reiser has more than 50 years of manufacturing, sales and service experience. Throughout its history Reiser has established a leading reputation in the production of food

processing and packaging solutions, while growing an expansive network of subsidiary companies and brands. Indeed, Reiser today represents the umbrella business for several companies comprising the Vemag, Vemag Anlagenbau, Holac, Ross, and Seydelmann brands in the field of food processing equipment and Ross, Variovac and Supervac within the arena of food packaging equipment. The company opened its UK operation during 1993 and the business has since continued growth

Reiser UK during the subsequent years, while gaining further recognition for its high-quality equipment, innovative engineering and outstanding service. “Today this total commitment to our customers positions Reiser as a trusted equipment supplier that processors can rely on for superior, efficient and smarter solutions,” reveals Reiser UK Managing Director, Richard Watson. “With an exceptional span of quality products, we are able to work with customers to advise on the most effective solutions that range from stand-alone machines to full production lines.”

Vision for growth In addition to its facilities within the US and the UK, Reiser also operates a Canadian division, which is located in Burlington, Ontario. This network of international sales offices and subsidiary brands has allowed Reiser to develop a

comprehensive portfolio of processing and packing solutions and associated support services for clients operating across the sausage, meat, poultry, seafood, prepared food, bakery and cheese industries. Throughout all of its operations Reiser is committed to serving the food industry and other selected markets by providing highquality equipment solutions and associated support services that meet the bespoke needs of its clients. While executing these services Reiser is further committed to developing strong

and lasting relationships with both its customers and suppliers, while encouraging its employees to reach their full potential. Through this vision it is intended that Reiser can continue to grow as a leading equipment supplier, while earning a fair profit and securing the company’s future. “At Reiser we put the customer at the centre of everything that we do. We have professional experts and advisors that work in specifying the best possible solution to meet customer requirements throughout the entire

holac Maschinenbau GmbH holac Maschinenbau GmbH has pioneered the development and building of cutting machines for over 50 years. These machines are 100 per cent manufactured in Germany, 80 per cent of them are exported and are used in the meat and cheese processing industries designed for small, medium as well as large capacity customers. Reiser UK has been and remains a trusted partner for more than 20 years. There is news from holac in regard to application innovation. It has developed specific cutting tools for the trendy product ‘pulled pork’ delivering great results whilst preserving the structure, consistency and flavour of the tender meat.

www.foodchainmagazine.com 83

Reiser UK lifecycle of the equipment, as well as dedicated teams that provide additional service, spares, telephone and field support, testing and development operations,” Richard explains. “We are also very serious about developing and further investing in our people to be the very best that they can be while also introducing new talent into the business to support continued development and growth.”

filler in the world, while maintaining the double screw at the heart of the machine that ensures that food products are handled as gently as possible.”

Proven reputation Example of the core Variovac range

R&D investment Through its 50 years of industry experience, Reiser has established a proven reputation as a leading supplier of sausage manufacturing, processing and stuffing equipment. The company’s range of equipment in this area ranges from its Seydelmann grinders, cutters and emulsifiers to Vemag branded portioning stuffers and linking equipment. The full line of Reiser machines and attachments can also be fully optimised for deployment within sausage plants and sausage kitchens of all sizes. Further to its extensive collection of sausage making equipment, Reiser is also able to supply a comprehensive line of packaging equipment ranging from its Variovac form, fill and seal packaging machines and Ross tray sealers to Supervac vacuum chamber machines. This extensive breadth of manufacturing experience is further carried into the markets for meat, poultry and seafood products where Reiser offers comprehensive solutions for forming, check weighing, depositing, cutting, dicing/slicing, grading/slicing, mixing, injecting, muscle stuffing, smoking/cooking/ chilling and packaging activities. “Reiser continues to invest in research and development (R&D) projects across all product lines, which enables the development of new applications and improvements to existing lines to be made on a regular basis,” Richard says. “The recent addition of the Vemag XP to the company’s range of vacuum fillers represents just one example of this. The Vemag XP underpins what is already a leading market solution and introduces the most powerful and efficient vacuum

84 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Above and below: Versatile Vemag HP20E shown with the FM250 and process check making chicken burgers and then with the Dough Divider giving versatility in many bakery applications

Seydelmann Grinder

By continuing to invest into its R&D operations, Reiser is able to fully respond to the individual needs of its clients as well as the wider trends that exist within the food processing and packing industries. By leveraging its proven reputation with its on-going development operations, the company is set to endure as an innovative market leader while remaining fully committed to its core values of quality and service. “At Reiser we see an ever evolving market and while there are clear changes in the wants and needs of consumers generally, there will always be a need for meat and dairy products,” Richard concludes. “However that is not where our capabilities end, we are also specialists in bakery solutions including gluten free and other diverse food processing and packaging products. As markets and volumes continue to fluctuate, we will further endeavour to observe new growth opportunities, while never losing sight of what our core business is.” D www.reiser.com

Crown Conveyors (UK) Ltd We would like to congratulate Reiser UK on their continued success. At Crown Conveyors (UK) Ltd we work with our customers from inception to conclusion, and engineer conveying solutions to achieve optimum productivity. We serve companies at the forefront of their sector, principally in the food, coding and packaging industries. Our speciality is not only in the moving of product from A to B, but the accurate and reliable transfer and presentation of often challenging products between successive processes. We provide a free consultation service whereby a system layout can be designed and verified in partnership with the customer along with budget costs. When a satisfactory solution is agreed we will submit a more detailed proposal and quotation for approval. For fast solutions check out our standard modular range Aqualine and Rotaline, normally dispatched ten to 14 days from order. Moving your business forward from inception to conclusion and even after that.

Taking

stock London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) is a world leading financial infrastructure company, built on foundations that stretch back for centuries

86 www.foodchainmagazine.com

racing its roots to 1698, when John Castaing began listing stock and commodity prices at Jonathan’s coffee house in the City, London Stock Exchange evolved throughout the 18th century. In 1801, it began inviting members to join on a formal subscription basis. Today, London Stock Exchange is the world’s most international exchange, as nearly 2500 companies from more than 90 countries are quoted across its markets, with a combined value of £4.4 trillion. As Marcus Stuttard, Head of UK Primary Markets and Head of AIM at LSEG began by explaining, London Stock Exchange’s markets include the Main Market – London’s flagship venue for equity, debt and exchange traded products, offering businesses access to Europe’s most liquid pool of capital – and AIM – the world’s leading market for small and growing companies. He gave more details about AIM: “Since its launch in 1995 AIM has helped more than 3650 companies raise

nearly £100 billion,” he said. “AIM is a tremendous success story for Britain, supporting the re-balancing of the economy away from debt towards equity and boosting access to vital growth finance for thousands of ambitious businesses. Equity funding enables companies to concentrate on innovation, growth and job creation, rather than having to prioritise serving a loan.” Marcus continued: “In June 1995, the market was launched with just ten companies and an aggregate value of £82 million. More than 20 years later, AIM is now the world’s most successful and established market for growth companies. Our statistics show that in 2005, the average AIM company had a valuation of £17 million at admission and raised £5 million at IPO. This year, the average new AIM company is worth more than £95 million and raised over £30 million - these significant increases reflect AIM’s international profile and the deep pool of capital available to companies joining the market.”

London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) He added: “When looking at AIM I think it is also important to take into account the impact the market and the companies quoted on it have on the real economy. Figures for the latest year available show companies who raised capital on AIM, instead of borrowing from banks, created 731,000 jobs, paid £2.3 billion in tax and contributed £25 billion alone to UK GDP.” While AIM and the Main Market are obviously hugely significant operations, they are not LSEG’s only sources of business. It also operates a broad range of international equity, bond and derivatives markets, including Borsa Italiana; MTS, Europe’s leading fixed income market; and Turquoise, a pan-European equities MTF. It also offers post trade and risk management services, an extensive range of realtime and reference data products, and indexing and analytic solutions. LSEG is also a leading developer of high performance trading platforms and capital markets software, plus it also organises a range of events, as well as undertaking research projects and creating reports, which are part of LSEG’s broader support for high growth companies including the business support programme, ELITE. Examples of two such reports produced by LSEG have the aim of celebrating the fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The first edition of 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain was launched in 2013, and identifies inspiring companies, as well as demonstrating the continued strength of British business and the thriving entrepreneurial spirit taking hold across the country. 1000 Companies to Inspire Europe was launched in 2016 – Marcus explained that this report is designed to shine a light on European growth companies and the role they can play in driving economic growth in Europe. “If properly supported, we believe these companies will create high-quality jobs and economic growth. Across the Euro area, SMEs are responsible for two-thirds of jobs and 60 per cent of value added to the business economy,” he stated. When creating these reports, LSEG ensures that the requirements that

companies have to achieve really set them apart in the market: “For the UK report companies must be active and registered in the UK, with revenues between £6m-£250m. Positive revenue growth must have been recorded in three of the last four years but most importantly, for companies to be included they must have outperformed their sector peers. The result is a showcase of UK businesses that is richer and more varied than, we believe, in any other report of its type. “We effectively replicated this exercise for our European edition but changed the parameters for inclusion – companies must have revenues between €20m and €300m and must outperform country peers rather than sector peers. The long-list is split among the EU 28 countries according to every country’s contribution to the EU GDP.” Thanks to LSEG’s dedicated research and stringent methodologies, each report examines in detail the opportunities and challenges facing SMEs and looks at the sectors and trends that will shape the future of the UK/European economies. Adding some details from the UK report, Marcus said: “Without doubt, many of these companies find identifying and accessing the right form of long-term financing a challenge. More than half of Britain’s smaller companies resort to credit cards to fund their business, with just three per cent of entrepreneurs in

the UK making use of equity finance. At London Stock Exchange Group we constantly see the benefits companies experience from using equity finance and are committed to supporting them throughout their growth journey. That’s why we publish our 1000 companies report and run our ELITE business support and mentoring programme for private high growth companies that want help to prepare for future investment.” For those SME’s looking for finance options, they can gain confidence from AIM’s longevity and proven success – the market celebrated two decades in operation in 2015, and the track record and the proven resilience of the AIM community provides LSEG with the best evidence for success that it could wish for. “Whilst most international growth markets have stagnated or disappeared over the years, AIM has prospered, and has continued to evolve through the business cycles,” agreed Marcus. “Our goal for the future is to support companies by providing access to investors that can provide genuinely long term capital to support companies long term development plans. We want more of the UK’s exciting manufacturers to become global leaders in their fields and are confident that the capital, credibility and profile that AIM can provide can help them accelerate their growth.” D www.lseg.com/resources/1000companies-inspire

www.foodchainmagazine.com 87

88 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Thomas Franks

Fresh thinking Focused on fresher food and fresher thinking, high-end contract caterer Thomas Franks has experienced major success as customers seek out high quality, seasonal, natural produce

ounded in 2005 by Managing Director Frank Bothwell, Thomas Franks has spent the last 12 years building a solid reputation in the catering industry for creating fresh food of exceptional quality and innovative services. With a team of creative, well-trained and highly motivated personnel, Thomas Franks operates with a vision of providing an outstanding and unique eating experience for its customers. Alongside the delivery of high quality dishes and nutritious and exciting menus, Thomas Franks also has a unique approach to the marketing and branding of each of location it provides a service. This way of working gives the company

an opportunity to work in partnership with customers and also deliver a memorable experience with every visit. Marketing comes in the form of flyers, website design, direct online marketing, posters and brochures. Proud of the open and honest approach it has to business, Thomas Franks has gathered a wealth of experience in a wide range of sectors, such as business headquarters, corporate dining, independent schools and cafés. Fanatical about food, the company’s mission is about providing freshly prepared, nutritious food to its customers as well as bespoke menus that meet unique requirements. Focused on variety, flavours and the use

of the finest local and regional, seasonal ingredients, Thomas Franks never fails to exceed expectations; whether it is in the design of new recipes or the discovery of fresh ways to serve clients, the company creates a positive and delicious meal experience. Creative, passionate and conscious to detail, Thomas Franks’ catering services range from freshly prepared daily meals at many of the UK’s blue chip headquarters, to refined formal events such as charity balls, weddings and product launches for high profile organisations. When providing workplace and executive catering services, the company operates with professional, competent and highly skilled staff at its clients’ restaurants to create

www.foodchainmagazine.com 89

exquisite meals. Created by competent and knowledgeable chefs, these meals are made with local, regional and seasonal foods that are delivered by a network of family-owned supply firms. A recent example of the company using seasonal foods was announced in 2017 when Thomas Franks marked a new first in its history with a celebration of Burns Night in Scotland at its first

ever Scottish location. Offering Scottish favourites such as bagpipes, neeps and tatties and, of course, haggis, the night was a resounding success at Loretto School. This esteemed school became part of the Thomas Franks family in September 2016 and has undergone a complete refresh of its serving counters, with help from Thomas Franksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; marketing department.

No stranger to working with educational establishments, the company has gained partnerships with a number of schools and colleges over the last six months alone. For example, in September 2016, Thomas Franks began a partnership with Alderley Edge School for Girls with the goal of providing real, natural food that is bursting with flavour and made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Working onsite, the team cheerfully creates the best part

Savona Fine Foods Savona is an independent foodservice supplier with over 50 years trading, providing a trusted, flexible solution for chefs. We are proud to work in partnership alongside our prestigious customer Thomas Frankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s having supplied them for the past 9 years. During this time, we have seen Thomas Franks client base grow from 7 sites to over 100 and all sites are serviced nationally, with the help of fellow Country Range members. We offer an extensive and growing range of high quality products; including the Country Range brand, Stir it Up & digital promotions as well as supplier visits and demonstrations.

90 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Thomas Franks of the day for students and staff; by not imposing menu rotations, the team can take pleasure in producing food that truly appeals to pupils, staff and visitors alike.

Balanced diet Meanwhile, in February 2017, the company announced three new partnerships with Abbey Gate College, Solihull School and Dulwich Prep London. At each school Thomas Franks will provide healthy meals each day to support and aid pupils during their development and growth throughout the school system while also building towards a knowledge of food and health that they can take with them in the future. However, in line with the three main ethos’ of Solihull School, ambition, opportunity and community, Thomas Franks has customised its service to aid in increasing the potential of each person in the school. This includes crafting delicious menus through the utilisation of natural, seasonal flavours that are tailored towards the pupils’ palates while also providing parents with security that their children are eating well. Moreover, at Dulwich Prep London, Thomas Franks’ nutritionist Julia Hayes is to assist the development chef with the creation of meals to ensure a tasty and balanced diet is delivered to those at the school. Additionally, the company will also provide first class hospitality options for all events at Dulwich Prep London to match the memorable celebrations taking place.

Further complementing the company’s successful February 2017 is the announcement that Thomas Franks has received the ISO 14001 and 9001 certificate from the British Assessment Bureau. This certification will aid in the company’s goal of streamlining its business through

improving efficiency, staff engagement and enhancing services at current and future sites. In more detail, ISO 14001 is directed at Thomas Franks reducing its environmental impact by focusing on reducing waste via recycling and being proactive in regards to new legislations and compliance issues. ISO 9001 will help engage staff to work together with the aim of improving business and the relationship at all sites; the certification will also save Thomas Franks money that can then be spent in new sites and further growth. With a solid start to 2017 taking place, Thomas Franks is certain to continue gaining further contracts and partnerships as increasing numbers of organisations become hungry for high quality, fresh food that is delivered by dedicated, friendly and efficient professionals. D www.thomasfranks.co.uk

www.foodchainmagazine.com 91

Full of

beans

Recognised as one of the UK’s most inspiring businesses, coffee manufacturer Lincoln & York has developed a solid reputation in the market as an expert in private label coffee roasting

92 www.foodchainmagazine.com

amed after its two founders’ home cities, Lincoln & York was established in 1994 by coffee buyer James Sweeting and coffee trader Simon Herring. Beginning operations by hand roasting coffee in the garden shed before selling it to local coffee shops, golf clubs and even hairdressers, James and Simon used their extensive knowledge of coffee to develop Lincoln & York into the UK’s premier coffee supplier. “We import coffees from all over the world and create blends and products for customers depending on their sector, taste profile and changes in the market; we can tweak products from time to time to meet customer requirements and also develop new ranges in line with market demand,” explains James Sweeting, Managing Director and CoFounder of Lincoln & York. “To remain innovative and come up with new ideas we have a tasting team of four that taste approximately 200 coffees per day; during tasting we look out for certain things that customers may be requesting and then present clients with opportunities as they come up. Each of our tasting team trains for three years and are put through a range of tests to

ensure they are experts in the field of coffee. “Our main customers are presently in the UK food service and coffee bar market, which includes the out-ofhome brands that you see on the high street. The UK is our key market area, with 75 per cent of our sales coming from here, while the remaining 25 per cent is exports.” More than two decades since its inception, Lincoln & York has grown from a pop-up roastery to a 6000 square metre state-of-the-art facility, with two roasteries, 11 packing lines and a 70-strong team of passionate coffee lovers. Recent strategic investment in the site took place in 2014, when the company made history with the installment of the UK’s largest coffee roaster at its North Lincolnshire plant; part of a £3 million investment phase, the 600 kg Brambati drum roaster doubled capacity and paved the way for further growth that has resulted in the company being listed amongst the London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain in both 2014 and 2016. The company also announced that it had been included in Insider Magazine’s Growth 100 list in October 2016 in recognition of its growth as a coffee supplier over the last five years. It was also in 2014 that the company opened the doors to its own contingency facility; proud to be the only large roaster in the UK to have its own contingency facility, the company can ensure optimum reliability and complete flexibility to all customers thanks to the facility’s features such as a green coffee intake area, contingency roasters and packing lines, development kitchen/ cupping room and a completely separate power supply. The fully-equipped standalone building is on the same site as the main factory and includes additional office space that enabled the company to expand from 40 personnel to 70 in just two years. “In addition to these investments, we are also always investing in green bean, green coffee handling systems and end-of-line packaging systems,” notes James. Having developed a strong reputation as experts in sourcing, roasting, packing and delivering completely customised coffee products, Lincoln & York has adapted its facilities and

Lincoln & York services to ensure both personnel and the roasteries can deliver tailor made packages that meet specific customer requirements. From seven kg ground coffee ESE pods to one kg bags of espresso beans, 60 kg roasts of high grade speciality coffee to 600 kg of blended espresso, Lincoln & York can supply optimum solutions to its diverse customer base. “There is a polarisation in the market between individual, artisanal coffee shops with a single site owner who is trying to develop his/her brand, while the other side of the spectrum is coffee shop chains or restaurants or other out-of-home businesses. The two are significantly different and thus have different needs, which is why we strive to offer the best possible product to suit each clients specific requirements,” explains James. “Because of our knowledge, size in the market place and long-term experience, we are able

to source and supply the best and most competitive coffees.” Key to ensuring high quality products that are sourced at the right time and at the right price is Lincoln & York’s commitment to developing close relationships with its suppliers and specialised companies through its three-strong coffee buying team, which includes three Coffee Quality Institute certified Q Graders. Sourcing its green Arabica and Robusta coffees from more than 40 origins across the globe, the

company regularly makes trips to source to ensure coffee is grown well, harvested properly and processed with care. “We source our coffee from Central and South America, East Africa and Asia and have a solid network of suppliers as well as a good tasting and buying team that consistently checks quality to ensure we buy what we say we buy,” confirms James. Having developed a strong foothold in the UK, Lincoln & York is keen to take advantage of the booming coffee market by expanding further into Europe and potentially beyond over the coming years. “The coffee market is still growing, which is something you can’t say for all industries; as such, we have a growth plan for the next three to five years that we will follow to outgrow the market. This plan includes putting more emphasis on generating business outside the UK and to make exporting a more important part of our business,” James concludes. D www.lincolnandyork.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 93

Proud

tradition With a rapidly growing reputation for professionalism and excellence in the field of specialist events planning, Heritage Portfolio is a business that is quickly growing into exciting new markets

94 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Heritage Portfolio

stablished by its current Executive Director, Mark Miller during 1993, Heritage Portfolio is a specialist events and catering company based in Edinburgh with services covering the whole of the UK. During the course of almost 25 years in operation, the business has enjoyed significant growth, both structurally and in terms of the portfolio of venues that Heritage Portfolio today represents. “We took the time to create a company context, brand and ethos which is something that all of our 300 plus employees embrace and hold onto with every event that they create, menu that they design and venue that we tender for,” Mark reveals. “We operate within a very niche offering – we work with venues and clients of distinction in historic castles, palaces, stately homes and sites. These are located throughout the UK and each incorporates its own unique personality and offer.” Having previously appeared in FoodChain during May 2016, Heritage Portfolio has continued in its proud tradition of delivering a premier level of service to some of the UK’s most prestigious locations and events, while capitalising on its growing reputation with several new contracts and appreciative clients. “When we last spoke to FoodChain we were delighted to announce that we had won new contracts with the stately Arley Hall & Gardens in Cheshire and the café and restaurant at the tourist attraction, the British Airways i360 in Brighton.

We are happy to report that we have had a great success with both and that the events business at Arley Hall is doing well – which is certainly not a surprise as the venue is just so spectacular,” elaborates Siobhán Leith, Head of Marketing for Heritage Portfolio. “We had also opened a new café – The Gardener’s Kitchen. Here we have recently launched

the new breakfast and fish and chip menu, which has been really well received. Head Chef Neil Faux has paid particular attention to the fresh ingredients, presentation and making as much as possible onsite including the hand cut chips and the sauces and dressings that accompany any dish and we are seeing a marked increase in sales for these new initiatives.”

www.foodchainmagazine.com 95

During its previous appearance in FoodChain, Heritage Portfolio had also announced the creation of its North West Hub, which has since become a well-known and respected caterer, events provider and creator. The investment into the north-western region was made in response to an opportunity to bring the company’s renowned hospitality and catering expertise to clients south of the Scottish border. “We currently have three prestigious venues that we partner with across Liverpool and Manchester – St George’s Hall in Liverpool, Manchester Cathedral and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. Across these Heritage venues we are able to create unique events where our North West team works closely with the client to bring their vision to life, all of the menus are created by using locally sourced ingredients and by further putting a modern twist on some traditional

96 www.foodchainmagazine.com

favourites. Similar to the offering in Scotland, we have a team dedicated to working with private clients who wish to host an event either at their own home or a chosen venue, which requires a caterer. We provide a complete events creation and catering service to these clients,” Siobhán says. “Our North West culinary team have created a number of menus to suit the venues and the events that we hold. We have a great team in place, lead by Operations Director Samantha Lincoln, which includes General Manager and Head of Special Events – Leanne Miller Bowles, Operations Manager – Rachel Salmon and Event Designer - Patrick Carroll.”

Theatrical element In order to meet the individual needs of its clients, as well as the wider culinary requirements that may exist within the extended regions of the catering and event services market,

Heritage Portfolio works to remain aware and in line with the popular trends that exist within the food industry. “There has definitely been a shift away from the standard three course meal when it comes to event catering. While this is appropriate for some dinners it is important that we are able to offer something unique too and we therefore created a ‘foraging’ menu during 2016, which went down really well. Guests literally had to search for their food (forage) in the foliage before them at the table! This played on both the freshness of the food and the fun and guest interaction that can be had at a dinner. It is certainly an ice breaker at a dinner where guests may not know each other yet,” Siobhán details. “We also work a lot on the theatrical element of dining, we don’t simply theme a room or a menu, it is about bringing the catering team and chefs into the food offering too.”

Heritage Portfolio Visitor experience Having firmly established itself within its target niche and expanding beyond its home market within Scotland, Heritage Portfolio has proven to be a leading force within the catering and event services sector. During September 2016, the company was proud to announce that it had been appointed to run the café, restaurant and events for V&A Museum of Design Dundee, the first V&A museum in the world outside of London. This catering operation will be an essential part of the visitor experience which will include a large café in the main hall, a spectacular restaurant with outdoor terrace overlooking the River Tay and a range of unique events and dining spaces available for hire during the day through to the evening. Over the coming years, Heritage Portfolio plans to further capitalise on its current momentum and continue to reach new clients. “Our vision for the future is to

grow, this is in terms of the number of venues within our portfolio, our structure which will support them and also our service offering,” Siobhán concludes. “Our North West team will look to add appropriate venues to their collection so that they can offer a range of spectacular venues to our

clients. The V&A Museum of Design Dundee opens in the summer of 2018 once the structure is complete so we will continue to work hard with the team there to create and mobilise a worldrenowned museum, dining and events experience.” D www.heritageportfolio.co.uk

www.foodchainmagazine.com 97

Cocoa conquers Spain

Below: Mario Crehuet, Carlos Crehuet, Manuel Crehuet (sitting)

Indcresa is a story about a family of entrepreneurs committed to growing and developing the cocoa industry

98 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Indcresa

ndcresa dates back to 1915 when its forward thinking founder Enrique Crehuet Roig built his first factory on land purchased in downtown Barcelona. Despite low consumption levels of cocoa products at that time, he decided to install cocoa processing equipment. “Our grandfather had a great vision of the future. The civil war between 1936 and 1939 stopped many initiatives, but everything began to change in the 1950s with the creation of cocoa based products. Cocoa powder overtook the Spanish demand for butter as he predicted. It was the beginning of our grandfather’s innovative strategy to manufacture cocoa powder by importing cocoa cakes, to avoid generating butter surpluses,” said Mario Crehuet, Enrique’s grandson and CEO of Indcresa, together with his brother Carlos. The growth in cocoa powder grew more quickly than the Crehuet family could have imagined. In 1988 Indcresa inaugurated its first factory in the world dedicated exclusively to manufacturing cocoa powder, in an industrial zone 20 kilometers from Barcelona. At the time its main suppliers were from Brazil, Ivory Coast and Malaysia, but over time it started to incorporate other areas. Mario explains: “Little by little cocoa powder applications were growing and we required more raw materials thanks

to very popular products like instant drinks such as Cola Cao or Nesquik, syrups like Hershey, spread creams like Nocilla or Nutella, the biscuits that we all seem to love like Oreo and Principe, compound coatings, chocolate substitutes, the fillings in bakery and confectionery, dairy products such as milkshakes, yoghurts and ice-creams and cocoa breakfast cereals.” Further innovative developments have taken place over the years, and today Indcresa has a modern factory with a capacity of up to 70,000 tonnes per year. It exports 75 per cent of its cocoa powders across five continents, thanks to subsidiaries in Holland and the US. The family run company’s vision will grow it further: ‘Our philosophy is to continue growing and to continuously adapt to the

market place and changing customer demands, while always keeping the identity of our family business and willingness to remain very close to our customers.’

Cocoa powder processes As consumers want more products the family has had to look further a field for suppliers. After a careful selection process Indcresa obtains raw materials from the leading cocoa producers in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Indonesia and South America, many of them long term suppliers. Mario states: “We are in permanent contact with all our manufacturers, especially in Africa and Asia, with the majority of presses in Europe and with all the traders in the world. The relationship with our suppliers is very reliable because we

www.foodchainmagazine.com 99

Indcresa

‘

have been building it for many years, reaching future agreements with many of them.” When the raw material reaches the warehouse it is analysed to determine its properties, and through the most appropriate processes of control it’s optimised and improved, taking into account its subsequent behavior when used in the final products. “Careful selection of cocoa powder is essential to improve the flavour, colour, aroma and texture of all its applications,” explains Mario. “We produce a wide variety including natural, light, medium and strongly alkalised cocoa powders and ultimately different kinds of red and black colours.” Due to ever increasing demand Indcresa has recently invested into new processing lines to manufacture larger volumes of alkalised and red and black products. It has also added a new and more sophisticated packaging building with the latest available technology and built new factory warehouses in external facilities to expand the levels of stock

100 www.foodchainmagazine.com

The innovative nature of the company doesn’t end here. It’s already planning future changes. In the next three years there are plans to expand capacity and capabilities

of both raw and finished products. Its facilities have grown to 50,000 m2 just outside of Barcelona.

Global sales The company’s main customers are large multinational companies with very popular products such as instant drinks, bakeries, biscuits, syrups, dairy, chocolates, coatings, creams, ice creams and desserts. Indcresa also has medium and smaller customers producing similar products, but on a localised scale. Its predominant markets are the USA and Spain, but it also has a strong presence across Europe, where France, Germany, UK and Italy are the leading countries. In Latin America

and across the Mediterranean strip in Algeria and Turkey sales are also good, while Russia, South Africa and India purchase large amounts of cocoa powders. Mario puts a lot of Indcresa’s successes down to his sales team: “Our sales department is very proactive and constantly opening new markets and getting new customers, which allows us to expand our customer base and sales every year.” The innovative nature of the company doesn’t end here. It’s already planning future changes. In the next three years there are plans to expand capacity and capabilities. “We expect that the cocoa business will develop in an even more demanding way. Consumers want sustainable and healthier products,” says Mario. The company received approval to manufacture cocoa that is certified as ecological in July 2015. This all comes with investment into processes, machinery and the right people; the future is looking good for Indcresa. D www.indcresa.com

Gold standard Embodying more than 260 years of history, Warsteiner has established itself as a highly respected and successful beer brand with products reaching grateful drinkers in over 60 countries worldwide Töpfer Kulmbach GmbH With more than 90 years of experience Töpfer Kulmbach GmbH is the ideal partner for the beverage, food and gourmet foods industry for high quality products. Labels give your product an identity, transmit the image and motivate the consumer to buy. Not only do we provide classical wet glue, self-adhesive and wrap-around labels made of film or paper, we also offer shrink sleeves, flexible packaging and a great number of finishes, including brilliant gold and silver colours. Our highly motivated employees have a high degree of technical expertise. Their know-how guarantees the ability to react with the utmost flexibility to all customers and market requirements.

102 www.foodchainmagazine.com

epresenting a leading German brewery with a strong family heritage, the story of Warsteiner began in 1753 when Antonius Cramer was asked to pay beer tax for the first time as his home brewing volumes surpassed by some way the volume allowed for personal consumption. This marked the beginning of a long and successful brewing tradition and as the fledgling business continued to grow, Caspar Cramer was emboldened to finally establish what would become the original home of the small brewery by building the Warsteiner Domschänke, a brew pub in the centre of Warstein. Thanks to the efforts of Warsteiner, the small village, situated in the Sauerland, in the southeastern region of Westphalia, has since become famous around the world for its excellent beer production. As for Warsteiner itself, the company is presently in its ninth generation of family ownership under Catharina Cramer, and its brewery group continues to put its mark decisively on the history, the present and the future of the German beer industry. Warsteiner is today a globally recognised brand, with its unique selection of beers sold in more than 60

countries throughout the world. Part of what makes the company’s beers so instantly distinctive was the discovery of the Kaiserquelle (‘Kaiser’s Spring’) at the edge of the Arnsberg Forest in 1928. With only one to two degrees of water hardness, the water from this spring is particularly applicable for beer brewing and contributes to the salubriousness of the beer. The soft water of the Kaiserquelle, which continues to feed the water tanks of the Warsteiner Brewery today, is a pivotal component for the specialisation of beer in the pilsner brewing tradition. This in turn led to the development of the highly acclaimed Warsteiner Pilsner. As the company continued to grow, its brew volume achieved the 100,000-hectolitre threshold for the first time in 1960 and Warsteiner has since continued to hold its place as one Germany’s largest breweries. Over the years Warsteiner has perfected a comprehensive range of beers that provides the ideal beverage to suit every taste. While the original Warsteiner Pilsner continues to take pride of place in the company’s range, it is no longer considered to be the only Warsteiner flagship product, with wheat, dark and non-alcoholic beers all joining Warsteiner Pilsner as part of a widely appreciated, high quality line up of beers. Warsteiner’s steadfast commitment to quality and taste starts with the selection of particularly soft brew water, hops from the Hallertau region and the finest summer barley malt. Fans of wheat, dark and ale beer can also find their favourite beverage in the Warsteiner Group’s assortment of products, with the company assuming a holding interest in the König Ludwig Schloßbrauerei Kaltenberg in Fürstenfeldbruck as of 2001. Today customers can enjoy the König Ludwig Weissbier, König Ludwig Hell and König Ludwig Dunkel brands as part of an expansive Warsteiner portfolio. Throughout its history Warsteiner has enjoyed great success in markets around the world, with Asia providing fantastic brand development and sustainable commercial development for the business. The company’s beers

Warsteiner also remain as firm favourites in its native Germany, while the brand has seen sustained expansion in France and Spain as well as a 15 per cent growth within the UK in 2016. The success of Warsteiner in UK was achieved in co-operation with Marston’s Brewing Company who signed a multiyear exclusive distribution contract in December 2015 in order to enrich their portfolio of well-known and widely appreciated Ale brands with the top world beer brand, Warsteiner. The latest success in the UK is the national launch of the IBC (International Beer Challenge 2016) silver awarded Warsteiner Premium Fresh 0.0% multipack which will be available in more than 700 Tesco stores as of March 2017. Warsteiner is the leading International Premium Pilsener from Germany in the UK market. It is brewed according to the German Purity Law from 1516 with the finest ingredients and no artificial flavours or additives. Warsteiner offers a perfectly balanced taste due to the best ingredients: (1) It’s soft brewing water from natural springs in the Arnsberger forest located very close to the brewery with beautiful names like ‘Glory’ and ‘Paradise’ beside of the already mentioned ‘Kaiserquelle’. (2) Selected brewing spring barley cultivated in celebrated regions of Germany and Champagne in France. (3) Hand-selected top quality hops from Hallertau region and; (4) The unique Warsteiner yeast. Just those four ingredients are allowed to be used due to the German Purity law. Nothing more. Warsteiner Premium Pilsener is distributed all over the UK with focus in urban areas as London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool. With Warsteiner Fresh 0.0% Warsteiner just celebrated a great performance during the typical British dry January. Warsteiner Fresh with 0.0% alcohol is the perfect thirst quencher for any occasion such as sports, business meetings, lunch or just between mealtimes. In research from 2016 Warsteiner Fresh is significantly preferred over Becks Blue and others

for appearance, taste and overall liking. And there is a special reason for that. It is gently dealcoholised by a vacuum distillation at low temperatures to keep a crisp and full bodied Warsteiner Pilsener taste. The dealcoholisation takes place only after the brewing process is completed.The result is an award winning Premium NA Pilsener.

Respected brewer During February 2016 the global appreciation of Warsteiner beers was highlighted when the company was awarded six gold medals by the prestigious German Agricultural Society or ‘Deutsche Landwirtschaftsgesellschaft’ (DLG). The DLG annually tests beer and beer mix beverages according to a five point scheme that focuses on the important qualities of purity, authentic taste, quality of bitterness, body, freshness and flavour stability. Tests are carried

out on two different samples collected on different dates to ensure that the results provide information regarding the consistency of beer production quality. Of the six beers that were awarded the gold standard, three beers comprised of the company’s Warsteiner Premium Pilsener, Warsteiner Double Hopped and Warsteiner Radler are available to clients internationally, meaning that enthusiasts are able to get a taste of what makes the Warsteiner so special. Having enjoyed a long history of tradition, innovation and recognised quality, Warsteiner is a highly respected German brewing company with a global footprint. As it looks to the remainder of 2017 and beyond it will seek to capitalise on the successful launch of its non-alcoholic beers as well as the continued popularity of its established range to increase its market share well into the future. D www.warsteiner.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 103

Investing in the future

Through an ongoing focus on traceability, quality and close partnerships with suppliers, Macdonald Hotels is building up an individual reputation for excellence in its restaurants across the UK and Ireland 104 www.foodchainmagazine.com

roud to deliver a unique experience to each customer that arrives at any one of more than 40 hotels across the UK, Macdonald Hotels achieved the prestigious AA Hotel Group of the Year award for the second time in 2013. Moreover, the company was also awarded the AA Eco-Hotel Group of the year in 2012 for its focus on reducing electricity and fossil fuel usage by 15 per cent in 2015. By ensuring each hotel branding has its own individual charm while also taking on the character of the area in which it is located, Macdonald Hotels delivers a new experience to customers

at whichever Macdonald Hotel they visit. Moreover, from Scotland to the South of England, Macdonald Hotels is run by real hoteliers with a genuine passion and long-term experience to ensure the service, dining and accommodation at each of its 45 hotels is the very best it can be. Operating as the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest independent hotel group, Macdonald Hotels recently announced it was in its best-ever shape following the publishing of its annual results for the year to 31st March 2016. With profits of ÂŁ55 million for its 55 hotels and resorts across the UK, Ireland, Spain and Portugal, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turnover was up five per

Macdonald Hotels cent to £163.4 million, while its total operating profit was up five per cent to £17.7 million. As already mentioned, profit after tax was up £49.1 million to £55 million following the sale of land at the Macdonald Botley Park, Southampton, as well as continued strong trading performance, while the company’s bank core debt was reduced to £196 million.

Refurbishments These significant improvements are the result of a tremendous combined effort by the workforce and management team to put in a strong, sustained performance throughout all hotels and resorts, while also reducing its debts by half a billion pounds in just 13 years. During 2016 the company also invested further into its properties, including the refurbishment of 128 bedrooms at the Macdonald Randolph Hotel in Oxford, the completion of a major refurbishment

of the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort, which included 172 bedrooms, public areas and restaurants as well as a major bedroom refurbishment programme at the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel, Bath. Following these investments, the company is currently in the process of completing the bedroom refurbishment of the Macdonald Holyrood and is completely remodeling the Macdonald Houston House and Macdonald Forest Hills, with the aim of achieving 4 Red Star rankings at each. On top of this, the company has also invested half a million pounds in an online self-serve HR system, which plays a significant part in its overall ‘people strategy’. These investments in enhancing its hotels and resorts is certain to prove fruitful for Macdonald Hotels, as the results of Brexit and the weaker pound making Britain an attractive place for overseas visitors while also

www.foodchainmagazine.com 105

Macdonald Hotels encouraging UK holidaymakers to choose ‘staycations’ over more exotic breaks away. Aside from providing high quality bedrooms in charming hotels, Macdonald Hotels is also committed to delivering exceptional food and drink to its customers as well as other activities such as leisure, spa, gold and corporate and conference markets. Because of the diversity of Macdonald Hotels’ client base from North to South it offers varied menus; although food tastes vary by region, the quality of the produce and the relationship that the company has with the supplier is the key.

Menu planning Macdonald Hotels also believes that it is important for a company with a deliberately diverse portfolio of properties to be able to meet equally varied customer dining expectations,

106 www.foodchainmagazine.com

without ever compromising on the best possible quality and provenance in its food and beverage offering. Furthermore, chefs at Macdonald Hotels have the luxury of creating the majority of their own menus, which not only reflect the individual hotel’s identity, but also the creativity of the chef. Differentiated in the market by its dedication to serving only the highest quality of food, Macdonald Hotels uses the finest seasonal ingredients and sources the best produce available. Placing a great deal of importance on the provenance and traceability of its food, Macdonald Hotels expects the highest standards of diligence in product integrity and traceability from its suppliers. For example, meat is sourced from highly reputable suppliers, with 21-day aged cuts of beef supplied directly from Scotbeef,

thus ensuring Macdonald Hotels’ new Scottish Steakhouse restaurants deliver delicious food of the best possible quality. Because Macdonald Hotels buys with provenance in mind and prefers to support local businesses, the chefs of its restaurants are given flexibility in planning menus by the season, which thus ensures that UK produce comes first. Having celebrated 25 years of business in 2016, Macdonald Hotels continues to exceed the rising expectations of customers in all areas of the business, including food, through the delivery of a world-class service. Committed to the development of new food concepts, the company is keen to make Macdonald Hotels throughout the UK the go-to place for fantastic food and a menu that keeps people coming back for more. D www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

# ! ! #

"# # # # # $ $ $ ! $ $ $ $ " $ $ $ $ #$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

FoodChain

The business of food and drink

Schofield Publishing Ltd

10 Cringleford Business Centre Intwood Road l Cringleford l Norwich l NR4 6AU T: +44 (0)1603 274130 Editor Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove jwoolsgrove@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales Rob Wagner rwagner@schofieldpublishing.co.uk