November / December 2017

NO V E M BE R/ D E CE M BE R 2017

The magazine for the frozen food industry

Let them eat

Cake

LEYLA EDWARDS Interview

UPCOMING EVENTS Event details

LET THEM EAT CAKE Feature

Contact us today for high quality, mouth-watering pastries that make memorable moments.

01276 850500 schulstadbakerysolutions.co.uk

The Bulletin

John Hyman Chief executive

BRITISH FROZEN FOOD FEDERATION Registered office: Warwick House, Unit 7, Long Bennington Business Park, Main Road, Long Bennington, Newark NG23 5JR. A company limited by guarantee.

Registered in England and Wales No: 7687541

01400 283090 www.bfff.co.uk

CHIEF EXECUTIVE John Hyman HEAD OF COMMERCIAL & SPONSORSHIP Paul Murray paulmurray@bfff.co.uk 07718 588431 ADVERTISING & MEMBERSHIP Kate Miller katemiller@bfff.co.uk 07793 499871

PUBLISHER Pelican Communications www.pelicancommunications.co.uk EDITOR Michael Bennett bulletineditiorial@bfff.co.uk ASSISTANT EDITOR Jessica Beckett DESIGN Cheryl Conant

W ELCOM E Welcome to the latest edition of the Bulletin It is a busy time here at BFFF with our fabulous Annual Luncheon being held at the London Hilton on Park Lane, and our AGM, the time of the year when the board reflects on how effective we have been as a board, chairman and chief executive.

We’ve recently launched our popular annual Business Conference under the theme of the '£10bn UK frozen food growth opportunity!' We have a brilliant range of presenters and I’m delighted that Dame Kelly Holmes will provide a motivating finish to the event. To complete a busy day we will also be holding our annual Health & Safety seminar and our first ever Technical seminar. Our inaugural People Awards will complete the day and provide due recognition to the “unsung heroes” across our industry in the evening at the same venue, Birmingham Hilton Metropole on February 22nd.

We continue to modernise, improve and refresh the BFFF, and I’m pleased to report that the annual Product Awards have been launched online for the first time. Please continue your amazing support for the Gala Dinner and Product Awards and submit entries by November 17th.

The BFFF team and myself look forward to seeing many of you at our Annual Luncheon or the Industry Forum between now and Christmas and we would like to wish everyone success in the run up to the festive period. Hopefully we will all enjoy a wonderful Christmas and a very prosperous New Year.

Go online The Bulletin is the exclusive magazine for BFFF members. Printed six times a year, it has a readership in excess of 3,000 industry leaders, decision makers and buyers.

The Bulletin is available to read online at www.bfff.co.uk/about-bfff/bulletin – where you can also read all the latest news from BFFF and its members.

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WHEN: Thursday 22nd February 2018 WHERE: Birmingham Hilton Metropole The NEC Birmingham, Pendigo Way, Birmingham B40 1PP The event will include a pre-event icebreaker dinner, conference and exhibition. This will all take place ahead of our inaugural People Awards dinner later that evening We have a stimulating programme confirmed around our theme:

THE £10 BILLION UK FROZEN FOOD GROWTH OPPORTUNITY! Speakers confirmed so far include: Roger Martin-Fagg, Economist

Chris Hayward, Kantar Worldpanel

Andrew Roberts, Bidfood

Nick Downing, IGD

David Williamson, Scotch Whisky Association

Kate Forbes, Birds Eye

Adrian Gahan, Sancroft International Simon Stenning, MCA

Keynote speaker: We are delighted to confirm our keynote speaker is the double Olympic champion, motivational speaker and businesswoman...

Bev Mitchell, Iceland John Marren, Company and Community Shop

Dame Kelly Holmes

TO DOWNLOAD THE BOOKING FORM VISIT:

To book your place visit: http://bfff.co.uk/category/business-conference/ or contact Jilly Wallis on 01400 664321 or email jillywallis@bfff.co.uk

INTERESTED IN EXHIBITING AT THE CONFERENCE OR ADVERTISING IN THE CONFERENCE BROCHURE? Contact Kate Miller on 07793 499871 or email katemiller@bfff.co.uk Thank you to our headline sponsor:

The Bulletin

C O N TEN TS NEWS

4 5 6 8 9 10 INSIGHT

HR update BFFF news Facts and figures Upcoming events CGA Strategy Member news

14 16 19 20 22 24 28

RESOURCE

New products Big Interview: Leyla Edwards, KK Fine Foods Annual awards update Technical & Legislative Health & safety Let them eat cake - bakery feature Member update

29 42 44 45

Industry & services Marketplace Meet the team Diary

BFFF NEWS

MEMBER NEWS

p. 5

p. 10

LEYLA EDWARDS, KK FINE FOODS

LET THEM EAT CAKE

p. 16

p. 24

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The Bulletin

An HR update

changing PEOPLE AWARDS business HR expert Cheryl Bennett of Pelican Communications takes us through some of the issues around managing change in the workplace.

Cheryl specialises in organisational and people development. Her areas of expertise include culture change programmes, management training, executive coaching, team building and psychometric assessment.

Food businesses are constantly going through change, whether it’s adopting a new shift pattern, introducing new technology or implementing new working practices.

Someone once likened bringing about change in business to boiling a frog: there are two ways to do it. The first is to drop the frog into a pan of cold water and turn the heat up very slowly until the frog falls asleep and before he knows it he’s been boiled: it takes a long time but he doesn’t notice it too much. Or the second way is to throw the frog into a pan of boiling water: it’s really painful but at least it’s over quickly! To be honest I don’t find either approach particularly appealing!

So how do you bring about change in the workplace without it being too painful or taking too long? Is there a failsafe methodology? I for one think there is. The method involves three steps: 1.

Examine the benefits

2.

Communicate and drive the change through

3.

Embed the change, monitor and review success.

So, let’s look at how this works in practice: 1. Decide if the change will bring enough benefits This stage needs some analysis. Recognise that there will be some resistance so examine both the benefits and the barriers to success using a methodology such as Kurt Lewin’s force-field analysis.

This will help you evaluate the potential

rewards and establish how tough the change will be to carry through. Ensure you consider all aspects of the business that might be affected: from strategy, to systems to the skillset and number of staff. It helps if you use a team from different parts of the business to do this element as this will provide a breadth of thinking.

If this stage shows the barriers far outweigh the benefits then you should challenge the need for change.

2. Communicate and drive the change through To communicate sounds easy enough doesn’t it? However, if there is one thing that people complain about in organisations it’s ‘not being told anything’! You can never over-communicate!

Create a team to initiate and communicate the change, find people who will benefit from the change and using the information gathered in step one, bring them on-board and ensure they will be ambassadors for the change. This is the time to sell the benefits and create a groundswell for change.

Using this ‘change team’ create a plan of action which includes: •

•

Steps for the change: What is the right order for activities? Will it happen in one area first? What are the deadlines and milestones?

Responsibilities: who will do what, when and where? What does success look like? When and how will the team 4

communicate with each other?

•

Channels through which communication will be driven: from briefings, notices, posters, newsletters, meetings and training sessions. Agree the form of words and clear messages to be used.

Ensure that those affected directly have clear information and support from line management.

3. Embed the change, monitor and review success.

As progress is being made ensure that success is publicised. Any ‘quick wins’ should be celebrated and made known throughout the organisation. Ensure the barriers to success identified in stage one are reviewed and have been overcome.

When things go wrong, review and learn from the mistake and put corrective action in place. Continually review and reward where success happens. Keep communicating and reinforcing the change where possible until the change becomes the norm.

And remember, as the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: “Change is the only constant.”

To book your place at the People Awards visit: http://bfff.co.uk/category/businessconference/ or contact Jilly Wallis on 01400 664321 or email jillywallis@bfff.co.uk If you’d like to find out more about putting together an effective recruitment process contact Cheryl Bennett at Cheryl.bennett@pelicomms.co.uk

The Bulletin

B FFF N EW S Updates from the BFFF team

Big names for conference 2018

The BFFF Annual Conference boasts a star studded line up for 2018 at Birmingham Hilton Metropole.

This year’s stimulating programme, sponsored by NFU Mutual, centres around the theme ‘The £10 billion UK frozen food growth opportunity’.

It will kick off with economist Roger Martin-Fagg who will be returning to the conference with an in-depth look at how the economy is currently performing.

The programme will cover a range of current topics, with Kate Forbes, (Birds Eye), Andrew Roberts (Bidfood), Nick Downing (IGD) and Bev Mitchell (Iceland) exploring the opportunities for driving long-term frozen food growth through use of insight, innovative thinking and merchandising.

Dame Kelly Holmes to headline conference

Following what promises to be a lively panel debate, David Williamson, Scotch Whisky Association and Adrian Gahan, Sancroft International will offer their unique perspectives on growth after Brexit.

Double Olympic champion, motivational speaker and businesswoman, Dame Kelly Holmes, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the 2018 BFFF Business Conference.

Continuing the afternoon’s speakers, before headliner Dame Kelly Holmes takes to the stage, will be Chris Hayward, Kantar Worldpanel and Simon Stenning, MCA taking us through our markets, including a Christmas performance review, market data and trend drivers. Finally, John Marren, Company and Community Shop will offer BFFF members a unique opportunity to minimise their food waste and benefit people and communities in need.

Dame Kelly (pictured) specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She set British records in numerous events and still holds the records over the 600, 800 and 1000 metre distances.

John Hyman comments: “Yet again, we have secured a stellar line up of some of the key players in the industry who will be sharing their insight and knowledge, promising another informative and thoughtprovoking Business Conference that is a must-attend for members.

She will share her journey to Olympic glory and the lessons companies and individuals can learn from her achievements.

The theme of the eighth BFFF Conference which takes place on Thursday 22nd February at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham is: “The £10bn UK Frozen Food Growth Opportunity”.

“Followed by the traditional conference dinner and inaugural BFFF People Awards, celebrating the unsung heroes of our industry, this is one event not to be missed.”

BFFF chief executive John Hyman commented: “I am delighted to confirm Dame Kelly as our headliner speaker for the 2018 Business Conference. We have secured a high calibre of speakers for the day and she is sure to offer an inspirational and motivating finale to the conference.”

To book your place visit: http://bfff.co.uk/category/businessconference/ or contact Jilly Wallis on 01400 664321 or email jilly. wallis@bfff.co.uk.

New conference sponsor The Food Fraud report, which is designed to understand challenges facing businesses working across the ‘field to fork’ supply chain, explores attitudes and influencers of trust, perceived blame, impact upon behaviour and awareness of food crime. The report includes viewpoints and advice from NFU Mutual experts, as well as other major industry influencers.

NFU Mutual is proud to announce it is the Headline Sponsor of the BFFF Annual Business Conference and People Awards Dinner on 22 February 2018.

The leading insurer is delighted to be working in partnership with the BFFF and is committed to sharing knowledge and adding value for members through educational events, provision of specialist advice and insight, as well as the facilitation of networking opportunities.

To download a free PDF copy of the full report, visit www.nfumutual.co.uk/foodfraud

A recent example of NFU Mutual utilising its expertise to highlight an area of concern within the food industry is NFU Mutual’s Food Fraud Report 2017.

The right insurance starts with the right conversation, please contact us corporate_enquiries@nfumutual.co.uk.

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The Bulletin

FAC TS & FIG U RES

FROZEN FOOD RETAIL VALUE HITS £6 BILLION MARK! The frozen food retail sector has hit a monumental £6bn mark for the first time ever, with value growing at 5.4% a year, with growth being seen across a number of categories, compared to a market that was experiencing a -0.6% decline this time last year.

The latest statistics provided by Kantar Worldpanel show that growth throughout the industry has accelerated periodically since January 2017 due to an increase in product premiumisation across a range of categories, as well as more regular purchases as consumers are heading to the frozen food aisle more frequently to incorporate frozen products as part of their daily diet.

The frozen confectionery and frozen fish categories are out-performing the

52 w/e 19 Jun 16 52 w/e 18 Jun 16

sector considerably in growth, with frozen confectionery holding 21.5% market share, an increase of 7.7%, while fish takes 13.6%, up 6.9%. These figures have risen consistently in the past three quarters due to a focus on innovation across both categories as frozen food manufacturers continue to lead with development and premiumisation to offer customers high quality, on-trend products that can be easily prepared at home.

John Hyman, chief executive of the British Frozen Food Federation says: “Hitting the £6bn mark is a huge milestone for the frozen food industry and is a demonstration of the talent and innovation that exists in the sector. A lot of work has been done in communicating the benefits of frozen food to consumers, with focused and innovative

Source: Kantar Worldpanel *Savoury food includes frozen bread, frozen stuffing, cooked poultry, meat products, processed poultry, savoury bakery, vegetarian products and other frozen food

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marketing campaigns from brands and retailers contributing significantly to the change in consumer perceptions that we’ve seen in recent years.

“Consumers are much more tuned-in to the benefits of frozen food including waste reduction, convenience and health and are discovering the breadth of choice in highquality, on-trend products that are available to them with little preparation at home.

Consumers are respnding to the increased choice of premium products on offer in the frozen aisles and this has contributed to this value milestone.”

For more information on the frozen food retail market visit British Frozen Food Federation at www.bfff.co.uk.

ADVANCED COLD LOGISTICS

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary, is that little extra” Newly extended 143,000 pallet frozen automated warehouse in prime Wakefield location, built to 21st Century standards with proven technology and systems Compelling transport offer utilising Euro V1 tractors and a variety of trailers including Standard, Double Deck and Automated trailers, for optimum flexibility

NewCold is proud to support the BFFF and sponsor this year’s Annual Lun cheon

Integrated, collaborative, logistics solutions offering improved product, security, safety and quality from the production line to delivery Sustainable supply chain planning. Working with customers to add value, through innovative thinking and a genuine partnership approach to finding improvements A culture, and a team, focused on service and supporting our customers to achieve their goals

Contact: Jon Miles +44 7740 924 695 E: jon.miles@newcold.com www.newcold.com

INTEGRATED SERVICE PROVISION THROUGHOUT THE COLD CHAIN

The Bulletin

UPCOMING EVENTS BFFF HEALTH & SAFETY SEMINAR Tuesday 22nd February 2018 Now in its ninth successful year, join leading industry experts to discuss a wealth of topics affecting our sector.

This event is designed to provide members with guidance on a multitude of topical health and safety matters delivered by short sharp presentations and case studies.

Topics this year include: • Behavioural Safety • Fire Safety Case Study & Learnings • Road Risk • Occupational Health • Key Note Speaker - Prof. Tim Marsh.

“Outstanding seminar as always, one of the best in the safety world; always something interesting and attended by a great group of people.”

-Rod Meadows, JLT Specialty Sponsored by:

BFFF TECHNICAL SEMINAR Tuesday 22nd February 2018 BFFF are pleased to announce their inaugural Technical Seminar joining our other events to form one of the industry’s must attend events of the year.

Join us for a wide-ranging and interesting debate on the major technical issues facing food businesses today. The seminar will focus on the practical- whether it is the future horizon scanning issues that will have an impact on your business or the solutions that are available now to help current challenges.

Topics this year include: • ‘Regulatory Impacts for the future including Brexit implications’ • ‘Risk Management including fraud mitigation measures’ • ‘Practical Emerging Science and the Where Next? Issues’

Sponsored by:

The following details are the same for both of the above events: Where: Birmingham Hilton Metropole, Pendigo Way, B40 1PP Cost: £145+vat for member delegates £175+vat for non-member delegates To reserve your place: To request a booking form please email crystalholmes@bfff.co.uk If you would like to receive a copy of the programme for either of these events please email crystalholmes@bfff.co.uk

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The Bulletin

PRICE, PRIDE AND PESSIMISM Charlie Mitchell, senior consumer research manager at CGA explains how tough trading conditions are affecting the out of home eating and drinking out market.

Much has been made of the continued and collective desire of the nation to enjoy eating and drinking out, and it is certainly correct to say that the sector has enjoyed a boom over recent years, with CGA data highlighting that there are now 46% more managed restaurants than existed in 2012.

Boosted by new entrants to the market, such as Five Guys, Wahaca and Franco Manca, the range of options on the doorstep of British consumers has never been greater and, while the trading was good, so too was optimism amongst business leaders, with a CGA survey of leading figures within the sector in 2015 showing that 93% were optimistic about the prospects of the market.

However, fast forward to August of this year and that figure has dropped to just 34%. So, what has changed to cause such a dramatic drop in market confidence?

Charlie Mitchell, senior consumer research manager at CGA

From an operator perspective, the inability to predict costs has a huge effect on margins and planning and may result in menu items being removed completely. Being able to offer a consistent and quality product, across all categories, will undoubtedly build relationships with key customers in tough times that will endure when trading picks up.

Firstly, the success of the sector itself has been a factor. With the insatiable appetite for consumers to try new cuisine types and concepts, operators have been quick to open new outlets to a point where supply has arguably caught up with demand and long-standing venues are suffering from the new opening around the corner.

The third factor affecting market confidence is the ongoing fallout from the result of the EU referendum. 71% of leaders say that they have been negatively affected by the decision to leave the EU so far, with consumer confidence, staff issues and increased cost of imported goods chief amongst concerns.

Indeed, CGA’s Coffer Peach Business Tracker, tracking sales data from 38 of the largest managed operators shows that total sales growth (including new sites) is far higher (at 4.0%) than like for like sales (solely including sites that have been open for over a year), which lags below inflation at 1.3%.

There is also a fear that worse is yet to come. With the increased supply of restaurants over the past five years and the fact that a huge number of staff within the hospitality sector come from outside UK shores, predictions of staff shortages, especially for skilled chefs, seem sensible. Again, the resulting fall of the pound has had effects on food costs, which when margins are already tight, are often passed straight to the consumer, who now has more options than ever before if they don’t like the sound of paying the extra £2 for their main meal.

The second factor has been the increasing cost of raw ingredients and the pace of food inflation. Four in five business leaders surveyed by CGA have been affected by increased costs of ingredients in 2017 and, although this has been passed on to consumers (just 9% say that they haven’t or aren’t planning to increase food menu prices this year), it is evidently affecting market confidence.

However, despite the bleak picture painted, the market remains firmly on the front foot. Despite just 34% of leaders being optimistic for the market as a whole, when asked about their own business two thirds are optimistic. There is a clear sense of pride within the market and operators remain confident that their offer is attractive enough to appeal to consumers. Indeed, 76% of those surveyed reported performance as in line with, or above, expectations so far this year.

The CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index has been set up to track price inflation in the foodservice sector and paints a concerning picture for operators of pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants across the country.

With figures in the latest report hitting +9.3% for food and non-alcoholic beverages versus the same time last year, it begins to tell a story of what is a volatile and inconsistent underlying picture.

Of the 10 sub-categories included in the most recent report, only the Sugar, Preservatives & Confectionery category is in price decline, while there is double digit growth in both Fish and Dairy categories. The Fish category has been one of the most volatile over the past few months in particular. Now at an inflation figure of an eye-watering 22.7%, the July the figure was just 5.0%, with erratic prices last year affecting this. Factors such as salmon sea lice infection, the fall of sterling and regulation mean that only the unexpected can be expected, but if we apply smoothing to the prices of fish, prices are still rising in the foodservice market, at a rate of 9.6% per year.

There also remain opportunities for opportunistic and nimble suppliers who can forge relationships with operators in these tough times and helping with consistent pricing or with margins now may prove beneficial in the long run.

The CGA-Prestige Foodservice Price Index Report is available to download now, for more information, please contact fiona.speakman@ cga.co.uk

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The Bulletin

M EM BER NE W S Updates from BFFF members

Call for more female chefs to shine

A clarion call has been issued to female chefs to showcase their skills by industry heavyweight Coral Rose. foodservice specialist said: “It’s been fantastic to see the girls dominating the Student Chef Challenge this past couple of years and hopefully that will only encourage more to look at the professional kitchen as a career prospect.

“For too long women have been under represented in professional kitchens so hopefully the publicity generated around the talented Ayrshire and Loughborough teams will continue to raise the profile of female chefs and inspire more girls to take part in competitions.”

The 2016 winning team from L-R Emily Bucknall, Rebecca Brooks and Daniella Bromley.

The managing director of Country Range Group has urged more women to enter the Student Chef Challenge to help level the playing field in the often male-dominated professional kitchens.

One of the most prestigious competitions in the student catering calendar, the Country Range Student Chef Challenge provides full-time hospitality and catering college students with the platform to improve their cooking skills, knowledge and technique, while developing real life experience under intense pressure and competition situations.

In 2016 and 2017, the Challenge, which is run in partnership with the Craft Guild of Chefs, was won by all-female teams from Loughborough College and Ayrshire College respectively.

Now in its 24th year, the challenge is an opportunity for students to gain real employment in professional kitchens, which was highlighted by 2016 winner Emily Bucknall recently gaining a job at Sat Bains Michelin-starred restaurant.

The challenge requires teams of three students to develop a three-course, three-cover menu demonstrating their own unique interpretation of this year’s ‘Around the World in Three Spices’ theme.

The teams have a maximum budget of £15 worth of ingredients for all three covers and a different fresh or ground spice must be used in each of the courses. The recipes need to be tried and tested to ensure students are able to prepare, cook and present the full menu within a 90-minute period. ● www.countryrange.co.uk

Nicco launches mini pizza range Nicco Foods has launched a range of pizza snacks and pizza baguettes into the UK retail and foodservice sectors.

The Cheshire-based business has developed the new products in conjunction with Dutch-based Fugers Food Group, a major European manufacturer and distributor. ● www.niccofoods.com

McCain’s Top Tips for School Caterers McCain Foodservice has put together a list of top tips and trends to help school caterers engage pupils and encourage uptake.

The tips which are available on the McCain website: www.mccainfoodservice. co.uk, highlight street food trends such as piri piri and “grab and go” options.

With the 2018 competition now officially open for entries, Coral, the boss of the Lancashire-based

Big slice of success for Kara

New MD for Anglia Crown

Anglia Crown has appointed Paul Howell as managing director. He steps-up into the role having been with the Colchester based chilled and frozen prepared meal manufacturer since September 2016.

Cake specialist Kara is celebrating after taking a slice of the action at the 2017 Foodservice Quality Food Awards.

The company’s Luxury Salted Caramel & Hazelnut Chocolate Cake (pictured) won the Best Large Cake of the Year Award, held at Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane.

The decadent triple layer cake is made from an indulgent chocolate and toffee sponge, filled with a luxurious salted caramel buttercream, enrobed in a chocolate frosting and topped with chocolate hazelnut buttercream, chocolate curls, salted caramel drizzle and chopped hazelnuts for an extra added crunch.

FAST NEWS

A spokesperson for Kara said: “This prestigious award is testament to our dedicated team, who take pride in producing award-winning quality products for our customers.” ● www.karafs.co.uk

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Mr. Howell has extensive knowledge of the facilities management and healthcare catering industry. ● www.angliacrown.co.uk

The Bulletin

M EM B ER N EWS Updates from BFFF members

Crowning achievement Foodservice specialist Crown Foods has celebrated its ruby anniversary with 40 years in business.

The Hampshire-based firm was formed in 1977 by managing director John Pickett, who saw a gap in the market and began importing small frozen chicken from France.

The company moved on to supplying the airline and education sectors with a range of frozen cooked chicken. In 2004 they began supplying MSC Certified sustainable fish into foodservice and then followed on with the launch of their Simply Not Fried Chicken Range in 2007.

Over the years the company has won many accolades including the LACA Supplier of the Year Award in 2009 and the 2017 British Frozen Food Federation Foodservice Gold Award for Best Main Course/Meal Centre of Plate with its MSC Gluten Free Bubble Coated Salmon Fillet.

MD Rupert Gatty (with trophy) and the CoolKit team celebrate.

Double celebration for CoolKit team

Mr Pickett said: “It’s a business to be proud of. The ‘Crown Family’ is an extraordinary team of people with expertise in marketing, design, export, finance, foodservice, logistics, retail, sales and trading.” Crown has pioneering products to boost meals which are served in millions of organisations each year.

CoolKit is enjoying a double celebration after being crowned ‘king of cool’ at two major business awards.

The Burnley-based refrigerated van specialist won the ‘Refrigerated Panel Van of the Year’ category at the TCS&D Awards.

CoolKit managing director Rupert Gatty, attended the events and dedicated the awards to CoolKit’s customers and the company’s dedicated workforce.

And just two days later they claimed the title of ‘Manufacturing Business of the Year’ at the Be Inspired Business Awards, the BIBAs, Lancashire's largest and longest running business awards presented at the famous Tower Ballroom in Blackpool.

He said: “It is a privilege to have won these awards, it signifies real recognition within the refrigerated transport industry for our product and most of all for our staff.

Judges for the Business of the Year category praised CoolKit for its approach, saying: “We were hugely impressed by the way in which this innovative manufacturer has achieved outstanding growth and created an inspirational working environment with a truly great team spirit.”

● www.crownfoods.co.uk

“We have built a business with enthusiastic and dedicated individuals passionate about our product offering and creating perfect solutions for our growing customer base – it is great to take the trophy back to the office.”

CoolKit was also recently received the Investors in People accreditation having first secured the standard in 2014. ● www.coolkit.co.uk

Gayl and John Pickett celebrate Crown Foods’s ruby anniversary

New man for Magnavale top job

Colin Taylor has joined Magnavale as chief executive, to manage the organisation’s ambitious growth plans.

Colin has more than 30 years’ experience in the food industry with major manufacturers such as Bernard Matthews, Moy Park, Pinguin and Vion. His most recent post was as chief operating officer of Middle East food and logistics business, Mezzan.

Colin said: “It is both an exciting and crucial time to be taking to the helm at Magnavale. The company has made many positive changes in recent years and it will be fitting to bring these all together under one ‘roof’ and maximise their full potential as one entity and create a further competitive advantage in the cold storage business.”

He joins the Chesterfield-based temperature controlled food operation at a critical stage in its development.

● www.rickbestwick.com

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The Bulletin

M EM BER NE W S Updates from BFFF members

Strategic partnership for KK and Ter Beke KK Fine Foods has entered into a strategic partnership with Ter Beke Food Group to expand its supply of frozen ready meals to foodservice and retail.

The deal sees Belgium-based Ter Beke buy an equity share in KK Fine Foods. The existing team, headed by Samir Edwards, will continue to manage the business going forward.

The link-up will allow Ter Beke, which supplies pasta-based meals to enter the UK marketplace with an established management team already in place.

The investment will also allow Deeside-based KK to add an additional £40m plus of capacity over the next two years and create more than 200 new jobs in North Wales.

Dirk Goeminne CEO at Ter Beke said: “I have met many passionate developers at KK Fine Foods and have had the good fortune of sampling their creations. Their passion for food is exceptional and one that should be nurtured. For that reason, we have made a conscious decision for KK Fine Foods to continue operating independently.”

KK founder Leyla Edwards will continue as an ambassador for the business and support the existing management team led by managing director, Samir Edwards.

See our Big Interview with Leyla Edwards in this edition of The Bulletin. ● www.kkfinefoods.co.uk

Samir Edwards & Leyla Edwards

BFFF members honoured at IGD Awards

Three BFFF members: Iceland, ABP UK and CHEP were among the companies honoured at the prestigious IGD Awards. from the likes of Aldi, Tesco and Greencore, with more votes than anyone else in a prestigious shortlist of 10 industry figures.

“Winning the Grocer Cup is one of the absolute highlights of my 53 years in retailing. The fact that it was voted for by my colleagues, competitors, suppliers and customers makes it all the more special. I thank you all for this huge demonstration of your support,” he said.

Sir Malcolm Walker (centre) receives The Grocer Cup from Fiona Bruce and editor Adam Leyland

Sir Malcolm Walker, the founder of Iceland collected the coveted Grocer Cup in front of hundreds of diners at the IGD Awards Dinner at Westminster’s Park Plaza Hotel in October.

The Cup is awarded annually to the individual who in the view of readers of The Grocer has contributed most to the industry over the past year by showing exceptional leadership in inspiring his or her company to achieve results. Sir Malcolm saw off stiff competition

The evening was a double celebration for Iceland, which also won the Online Retailer of the Year Award.

Meat giant ABP UK, was also a winner on the night. The company received the Employee Wellbeing Award for its anti-modern slavery campaign. It is estimated that at least 20,000 victims of modern slavery live and work in the UK. ABP has launched its own antimodern slavery campaign to help its people and partners understand the issue, tackle it at the root cause and prevent any form of exploitation entering its workplace.

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Vanessa Di Cuffa, UK people change director said: “Our campaign has focused on raising awareness and ensuring all of our colleagues and supply chain partners have a full understanding of this issue so that they are equipped to understand the issue and confident to deal with it, in any of its forms.”

Supply chain specialist CHEP, was also among the winners, taking the IGD John Sainsbury Learning and Development award for combining category management and virtual reality. The VR tool uses category management principles to develop employees’ and customers’ understanding, in an engaging VR store environment.

Christophe Loiseau, CHEP’s senior vice president for last mile solutions said: “VR allows CHEP to support customers to sell more with less, reducing out-of-stocks and improving merchandising and replenishment.

We have a great commitment to innovating and collaborating in order to help drive efficiency and sustainability across supply chains.”

The Bulletin

M EM B ER N EWS Updates from BFFF members

Royal seal of approval for Oakland

Oakland International has received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise and the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development from the Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, Lt. Col. Patrick Holcroft LVO OBE

The multi-temperature supply chain specialist Oakland is one of only five UK companies to receive two Queen’s Awards this year.

CEO Dean Attwell commented: “The Queen’s Award is the uppermost compliment and formal acknowledgement of success any UK business can receive.” ● www.oakland-international.com

Dean and Sallie Attwell receive their trophies from Lt. Col Holcroft

Daniels is Dalziel’s new ingredient

Dalziel Ingredients has appointed Gareth Daniels as the company’s new technical services manager in its expanding technical team.

The appointment comes at a time of strong growth for Dalziel Ingredients, the UK specialist in bespoke seasoning blends, cures and functional ingredients to savoury food manufacturers.

Daniels joins from On a Roll Sandwich Company where he was quality manager, after nine years working in specialist food technology roles.

Lifetime accolade for Harry Harry Yearsley’s successful career in the frozen food industry was recognised with the presentation of The Lifetime Achievement award at the recent TCS&D Awards.

The chairman of Yearsley Group, has been a director of the business for almost 20 years ago. During his time at the helm, the company has been transformed, turnover has grown 10-fold, and the business now employs over 1,500 staff across 11 sites nationwide.

Commenting on the award Mr Yearsley said one of his proudest achievements was turning round two heavily loss making businesses following the takeovers of Celsius First and Innovate, and in the process becoming the UK’s largest frozen third party logistics provider.

Mr Yearsley was not the only BFFF member recognised at the awards which were held at RICOH Arena in Coventry. Dave Mayne, UK operations manager at Lineage Logistics, formerly Partner Logistics, has been named ‘Cold Store Manager of the Year’.

Responsible for both of Lineage Logistics’ Gloucester and Wisbech cold stores, Dave won the national award in recognition of his outstanding achievement, commitment and a steady record of excellent cold store management.

Dave said: “I joined the company eight years ago and I’m delighted to have played a part in the great progress we have made over the years.” ● www.yearsley.co.uk

● www.dalziel.co.uk

JCS Fish celebrates 'AA'

Grimsby salmon specialist, JCS Fish, has achieved certification to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) AA Grade standard – doubling up on its achievement last year of A Grade status.

BRC Global Standards is an independently audited safety and quality certification program which major supermarkets require from their suppliers. It is an international standard which is now used by 22,000 certificated food suppliers in 123 countries.

Director Louise Coulbeck said: “This accreditation is testament to the continued dedication of our hard-working team in Grimsby. As our business grows, BRC AA Grade is vital for underlining our reliability

to potential customers and demonstrates that JCS Fish is achieving the very highest standards of safety, quality and legal compliance.”

JCS produces added value salmon products under its own 'BigFish Brand' and is also a major supplier of salmon to the foodservice and catering trade. ● www.jcsfish.co.uk MD of JCS Fish, Louise Coulbeck

13

The Bulletin

New ro duct s P

High for Lo as tartelette goes Caterforce launches into production ready-made Talented young chef Wendy Lo, champion of ‘Chefs at Play’ competition, sauces will see her creation rolling off the production line when the high-end frozen bakery supplier Coup de Pates launches her winning creation ‘Taste of Spring’ into the foodservice market early next year.

Caterforce has launched a range of ready-made sauces under the Chef’s Selections brand.

Wendy’s success saw her creation featured on-stand at Taste of London back in June, alongside the Coup de Pates brigade of development chefs. They were so impressed with the quality of her creation and the positive feedback it received, they decided to start production.

The new sauces include Bolognese, Tomato & Basil, Tikka, Korma, Balti, Sweet & Sour and Chilli con Carne and are available in 2.5kg tubs. They allow time-poor chefs to add exciting flavours and versatility to their menus.

Lo's winning creation 'Taste of Spring'

Wendy, 23, a student chef at City of Glasgow College impressed judges back in May with her stunning ‘on-the-go’, patisserie product, a sweet tartelette case, filled with honey blossom mousse, topped with elderflower and strawberry jelly and lemon curd, garnished with fresh strawberries, blueberries and pistachio nuts.

Paul Whitely, head of marketing, Aryzta Food Solutions, the parent company of Coup de Pates, said: “Wendy’s ‘Taste of Spring’ creation was simply fantastic. Her understanding of the brief and combination of flavours helped to create a product that was not only delicious, but also commercially viable for us to produce on a much larger scale.”

Wendy Lo, added: “To have your very own product in the catalogue of one of the biggest suppliers in the foodservice market is beyond words. It’s an achievement I’m hugely proud of and I can’t wait to see the result next spring.” ● www.aryztafoodsolutions.co.uk

The Macclesfield-based foodservice buying and marketing consortium says the readymade sauces are ideal for a variety of Italian, Indian, Chinese and Mexican dishes and they can also be used for a wide range of cold dishes such as the Tikka sauce for Chicken Tikka sandwich fillings, jacket potato accompaniments and as a great addition to wraps and salads – ideal for a variety of options without the added work.

All the ready-made sauces are gluten free and suitable for vegetarians, with the majority of them meeting today’s salt guidelines, ensuring chefs can produce menus quickly and efficiently for a range of dietary and free-from requirements. ● www.caterforce.co.uk

Birds Eye has added to its free-from range Birds Eye has expanded its freefrom range with the launch of two new gluten-free variants.

Gluten-free chicken nuggets (rsp: £3.50) and breaded fish fillets (rsp: £2.99) have gone on sale in Sainsbury’s and Tesco (pictured left).

The MSC-certified fillets containing 64% Alaskan pollock join Birds Eye’s glutenfree fish fingers and potato waffles which launched last year. The company said that a key factor in expanding the range is that one in five British consumers have cut gluten from their diets (Mintel, December 2016).

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“By adding gluten-free varieties of family favourites, Birds Eye has made mealtimes simpler and ensured that no one misses out,” said Birds Eye UK marketing director Steve Challouma.

“The free from category is seeing strong growth, with industry experts expecting the market to expand by 52% by 2020. We will help to drive category growth by continuing to focus on the development of Birds Eye products that can sit on the plates of every gluten-free consumer.” ● www.birdseye.co.uk

The Bulletin NEW PRODUCTS

A helping hand from Anglia Crown Healthcare chilled and frozen prepared meal specialist Anglia Crown has developed a range of finger food for dementia sufferers.

The Crown Advantage range includes around 40 frozen meals including gammon and pineapple, fish fingers and a vegetarian burger, all served with baked chips, carrots and broccoli. Other options include pork sausages (pictured) or vegetarian sausages.

The meals will help hospitals better support patients who struggle to eat with cutlery. This can include people with dementia, upper limb injuries, IV cannulas in situ, those who have suffered a stroke, children and many more.

A greater awareness of the need for finger foods in hospitals has arisen through the Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) process.

Recently appointed managing director Paul Howell, said: “Our Crown Advantage finger food range has been developed with the aim of improving patient satisfaction as it provides a dignified meal option, enhancing the food and drink experience for patients who would otherwise struggle to eat.

“Progressive under-nutrition is particularly common among people with dementia who can start to lose weight for several reasons such as forgetting to eat or not being able to recognise food.” ● www.angliacrown.co.uk

ABP team up with Men’s Health on new range ABP has teamed up with lifestyle magazine Men’s Health to produce a range of health-focused meat products under a new Men’s Health Kitchen brand..

The fantastic foursome can be used straight from the jar and are available to foodservice outlets exclusively through the Country Range Group network of independent wholesalers – www.countryrange. co.uk/where-to-buy/.

The deal will see ABP produce a range of health-focused products starting with lean pork sausages and lean chicken chipolatas that both contain 60% meat and up to 29% haricot beans and so give a high protein sausage but with less than 3% fat and a relatively high fibre content. The sausages will be available in 400 Asda stores nationwide.

A further five fresh or frozen products playing on the flexitarian theme are planned to launch as part of the licensing agreement with Men’s Health during the coming months, including beef & chickpea mince, and beef & quinoa meatballs.

Commenting on the launch, Darren Jones, commercial director, ABP UK said: “We are pleased to announce our partnership with Men’s Health Magazine. This is a first to market launch for a premium health brand and will offer genuine newness and innovation into the meat category. I’m excited to be a part of a dynamic collaboration with the Men’s Health team, working together to satisfy our shoppers' growing demand for healthy meat products.”

The launch of the Men’s Health brand follows the unveiling of the Flexilicious sausage range, which contains a mix of pork, pulses and legumes, by ABP-owned Debbie & Andrew’s in January. ● www.abpfoodgroup.com

15

The Bulletin

INTERVIEW

“I grew up surrounded by the wonderful flavours and aromas of the Middle East.”

Leyla Edwards, KK Fine Foods 16

The Bulletin INTERVIEW

A JOURNEY OF

DISCOVERY They say life’s a journey, and for one of the frozen food industry’s leading executives, that journey has taken her from the Middle East to the UK.

The company continued to expand concentrating on the vegetarian market and moving from a small unit to a purpose-built factory in Deeside, Flintshire in 2003.

Leyla Edwards’s, journey from the Middle East to Chester is a story of dedication, inspiration and never taking no for an answer, which has helped build KK Fine Foods into one of the industry’s leading brands supplying products into the foodservice and retail market.

“I grew up surrounded by the wonderful flavours and aromas of the Middle East. My mother was a great cook and she helped inspire my love of food”, says Leyla.

“We were doing really well, we had established an excellent reputation among our customers and were seen as the leading vegetarian supplier in the industry. Always looking for a new challenge, we then took the decision to enter the meat market by producing meat based quality innovative products that can wow our customers. This proved to be a real test with our customers who wondered if we could repeat our success with vegetarian products in an even more competitive sector.

Whilst in Chester Leyla met and married her husband. Life as a mum of three young children, one boy and two girls, was very busy, but Leyla’s passion for food was strong and as the children got older she decided it was time to turn her passion into a business venture and in 1987 she started KK Fine Foods from her kitchen table.

“KK’s passion for high quality, continuous innovation and drive to determine future trends has always been at the heart of our business, therefore to ensure we had the best chance of success in this new venture, we invested not only in top quality production equipment but we also recruited talented people that shared our passion and vision.”

“I saw there was a gap in the market for great tasting vegetarian food”, says Leyla. Back in 1987 you have to remember that vegetarianism was still seen as unusual, but there was a growing movement inspired by the influential ‘Cranks’ cookery book and a growing concern for animal welfare.”

The move proved successful and the company has continued to grow with a focus on foodservice. This year it celebrated its 30th anniversary and now employs over 350 people, one of whom is Leyla’s son Samir who is now managing director.

Samir, who obtained his degree from Exeter University in Chemistry and Law, joined KK fifteen years ago and is now Managing Director, and now heads up a team of talented and dedicated senior and middle managers. Samir shares the passion and vision of Leyla and will be taking the company to the next stage of growth.

Leyla combined the flavours of her childhood with increasingly popular dishes such as lasagne, chilli and moussaka which were becoming staples on British menus.

Cooking at home late into the night and freezing her dishes, she started targeting local delis and hotels.

From the outside looking in, the journey from kitchen table to multimillion pound factory seems to have been a smooth one. But as with most successful enterprises it’s been built on hard work.

“In the early days I had to learn to grow a rhino skin, many people didn’t take me seriously and chefs in particular didn’t react well when a housewife, with no catering background, came along to tell them how to cook vegetarian dishes.

“I was a workaholic,” says Leyla, “I hardly ever took a holiday and felt I had to be involved in everything. But then I received a great piece of advice, which was not to take any set back as a personal failure, but to learn from the mistakes.

“At the time it was really difficult to convince the buyers, who were all ‘meat and two veg’ men that vegetarian food could be really tasty and would be enjoyed by their customers. But I knew that once they tasted the products they would be pleasantly surprised!”

“I’ve also learned one of the key things you have to do when leading a business is inspire other people with your passion and determination. Instead of trying to be superwoman I’ve learned to let 17

The Bulletin

One of KK’s range of international dishes

go and allow the talented team of people I work with do their job.”

“I did an A level in art and have always had a passion for Italy. I hope to enrol at an Italian art school and pick-up where I left off!” says Leyla.

Leyla also believes that the company’s focus on market research and NPD has helped them stay ahead of the competition. KK has six fulltime development chefs and a new product development manager supported by a market research team.

And her biggest achievement in the last 30 years? “Starting with no training or experience of the food industry and building a great brand and a £38 million turnover business, I’m pretty proud of that.”

“It’s really important to keep-up with changing consumer tastes. As people now travel a lot more than they did 30 years ago they are exposed to lots of new flavours and cuisines. It is a major part of our job to help our customers identify what will be popular and develop dishes that meet changing demands. Who would have thought in 1987 that Peruvian and Korean dishes would be appearing on UK menus?”

Who wouldn’t be? It’s been quite a journey and one that should inspire anyone seeking a career in the frozen food industry.

KK now makes a wide range of dishes from traditional British classics such as cottage pie, fish pie, hot pots and stews, through to spicy Indian and fragrant South East Asian dishes. Chinese, Mexican, Spanish, Middle Eastern and South American are also on the menu.

BREAKING THE ICE . . .

First job: Starting KK Fine Foods

The 30th anniversary year has also been a watershed for Leyla and KK. In September, KK entered into a strategic partnership with Belgium’s Ter Beke Food Group. The partnership leaves the existing KK management team in place but Leyla has stepped back to act as an ambassador for the business she founded. A role for which she is wellsuited, having met prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May as well as the Queen at events for leading businesswomen.

Family: Married with three children, all grown-up Favourite meal: Anything from the Middle East, especially anything with aubergines and peppers

Leyla says the deal has provided the finance we needed to continue the company's rapid growth which has seen KK complete the purchase of an extra 60,000 sq ft manufacturing site adjacent to its existing factory. The initial focus for the joint enterprise will be the design and fit-out of the new factory with a view to adding another £40m plus of capacity over the next two years.

Person you’d most like to have dinner with: Barak Obama, a really inspiring person, but clearly someone with a sense of humour!

Favourite book: No one book in particular but I’m currently reading History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund, which so far, I’m really enjoying.

“As we got to know the Ter Beke team we realised we shared a similar culture. Both businesses have been built on a strong tradition of family values, sharing a similar philosophy and most importantly a passion for producing excellent food. The partnership will allow us to continue to run the business in the same way we always have, but with the support of a larger, highly knowledgeable and financially strong partner to take KK Fine Foods on to the next step of its journey.”

Favourite film: Again, no one film stands out, but I’ve just seen Victoria and Abdul, which was excellent!

So, with more time on her hands where will Leyla’s journey lead her next?

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Gala Dinner Dance Product Awards

BFFF PRODUCT AWARDS 2018 Don't miss out, submit your star products today!

Each year this prestigious award process grows in popularity. A rigourous judging process taking 6 months to complete from recognised independent judging panels, ensures your products get the recognition and attention they deserve.

Join us in celebrating the best products in Frozen by entering today.

Final deadline 30th November 2017.

RETAIL CATEGORIES

FOODSERVICE CATEGORIES:

• Poultry-based product

• Starter, buffet, appetiser product

• Fish-based product

• Accompaniment, potato, vegetable product

• Meat-based product

• Vegetable-based product

• Main course, meal centre product

• Ice cream, dessert, confectionery product • Pizza, savouries and savoury bread product

• Meat-free, vegetarian product

• Multi-portion product • Bakery / pastry product • Ice cream, dessert or confectionery product

Find out more and enter online at:

WWW.BFFFPRODUCTAWARDS.CO.UK

The Bulletin

TE C H N I CA L & L E G I S L AT I V E

From head of technical, Martin Forsyth and Denise Rion, technical manager

update

Tackling obesity: where next?

A year on from launching ‘Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action’, Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health (DoH) have announced that next year they will introduce a calorie reduction programme to remove excess calories from the foods children consume the most.

Latest data shows that one in three children are either overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school, and more children in the UK than ever before are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, some as young as seven. On a global scale, a recent report published by the World Health Organisation indicated the number of children under the age of five who are overweight rose by about 5% compared to 2004, affecting 41 million children.

The food industry has already taken major steps to make food healthier, and will continue to do so. But for real change to take place, there must be recognition that a share of the responsibility lies with consumers. There’s undoubtedly a big educational piece to be carried out. For starters, there needs to be a real understanding of the reasons for introducing new initiatives such as food and drinks taxes otherwise they simply won’t work to their maximum benefit. Children also need to be taught what constitutes a healthy diet, because if they aren’t, the risk is that bad nutritional habits will stick with them for the rest of their lives.

This initiative will run alongside the current sugar reduction programme, which aims to achieve a 20% reduction by 2020, and the 2017 salt reduction targets.

The calorie reduction programme will go beyond products specially aimed at children, and focus on categories that contribute the most calories to children’s diets up to the age of 18. It will target manufacturers, retailers and the out of home sector.

The full list of product categories that will fall under the calorie reduction programme will be confirmed later in 2018 but it will likely include quick and easy convenience choices such as takeaways, pizzas, burgers, savoury snacks and sandwiches, many of which have become a staple for the modern-day consumer with longer working hours and busy lifestyles.

“Obesity effects 41 million children woldwide.”

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The Bulletin TECHNICAL & LEGISLATIVE And what about the functionality of certain ingredients? Take sugar for instance, reducing the sugar content often poses many technical barriers due to sugar’s role in providing more than just taste. For example, sugar also acts as a preservative by reducing the water activity making water unavailable for use by bacteria and fungi, thereby reducing microbiological activity and mould formation. For this reason, many foods and beverages containing high concentrations of sugar don’t need to be refrigerated. Preservatives may therefore need to be added to these products, which is often less acceptable for consumers.

So where do we go from here? How can it be made easier for consumers to make sensible and informed choices about the food they are buying? One thing is certain and that is simplicity and consistency will be key.

According to Kantar Worldpanel, over 80% of people claim to look at front of pack labelling with calories and traffic lights being the two key pieces of information being looked at the most. So, post Brexit it would be a safe bet that the traffic lights system will stay. However, although traffic lights lead to some consistency, they fail to address the significant issue that when consumers are shopping for ‘unhealthier’ products such as biscuits or crisps, (because let’s face it, life without those little treats can be boring!) they are faced by a sea of red and thus have nothing to differentiate between the most and the least healthy options.

It’s possible that we may see an increase in voluntary schemes such as a <5% added sugar stamp, or even an activity equivalence calorie labelling scheme. There is evidence in the US and Austria which indicates the use of such a scheme did drive down calorie intake. But some believe the government would need to move beyond voluntary agreements, and take steps such as introducing mandatory targets, to make a real difference.

“The food industry has taken major steps to make food healthier, and will continue to do so.

But for real change to take place, there must be recognition that a share of the responsibility lies with consumers.”

Health campaigners warn that the drive to make foodstuffs less calorific may fail because companies do not have to take part. But on the flip side, the setting of mandatory targets through legislation may result in less ambitious targets that could also take longer to implement. Government also needs to be careful that voluntary activity doesn’t always rely on the same responsible companies but instead engages a broader range of businesses including restaurants and catering establishments.

PHE’s first steps are to begin scoping the calorie reduction programme involving some early soundings with key businesses and nongovernment organisations (NGOs). Following this, they will then consult more broadly with the food industry, trade bodies and health NGO’s to develop the detailed guidance and timelines for the programme in 2018.

With the UK’s decision to leave the European Union there is no doubt that the opportunities are there to look at and shape our policies and legislation, to learn from success stories in other nations and become true world leaders in the fight against obesity. Brexit, in time, will hopefully give us greater flexibility to determine what information should be on our food labels, and how it should be displayed.

To ensure you are kept up-to-date on the progress of the calorie reduction programme, including notifications of when consultations have been launched, why not consider joining the BFFF Nutrition Member Interest Group (MIG) if you are not already a member. It’s completely free, just let Denise or Martin know and we’ll add you to the group!

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The Bulletin

H EALTH + SAFETY

From health & safety manager, Simon Brentnall and Crystal Holmes, health & safety assistant.

update

Wellness initiatives dramatically increase corporate productivity A new study has suggested that effective corporate wellness initiatives can dramatically increase productivity for all participating employees by as much as a day a month

Previous research has indicated that corporate wellness schemes can save companies money by reducing absenteeism and health insurance costs, but don't improve productivity.

“By showing concern for workers, organisations can strengthen employees' loyalty and commitment to the company.”

Now researchers at the University of California and Washington University have quantified an additional benefit to companies bottom lines, in a study to be published in the journal Management Science.

It showed that a wellness initiative they studied resulted in higher productivity for all participating employees.

Corporate wellness plans can be diverse, ranging from offering biometric health screenings and fitness classes to educational seminars on topics such as stopping smoking.

To quantify the additional benefit to companies through improved motivation and productivity, the new study examined individual productivity and medical data collected over a three-year period at an industrial laundry company in the USA.

Commenting on the research, lead author Timothy Gubler, an assistant professor of management at the University of California, Riverside, said: “By showing concern for workers, organisations can strengthen employees’ loyalty and commitment to the company. When workers discover unknown health problems through the program they may feel increased gratitude toward their employer and reciprocate that by increasing their efforts. Additionally, when programs help employees make healthy choices this can positively impact their wellness, mood, energy, and ultimately increase their productivity through increased capability."

The voluntary wellness program was provided to workers, free of charge, with employees being offered a simple health exam and then attending an educational seminar where a registered nurse presented them with a personalised health plan.

The authors found that participation in the wellness program increased average worker productivity by more than 5% - roughly equivalent to adding one additional day of productive work per month for the average employee.

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The Bulletin HEALTH AND SAFETY

Cost of health and safety failures in Europe

The financial cost of health and safety failures in Europe has been illustrated by new figures which reveal that workrelated accidents and injuries cost the EU €476 billion a year.

The new estimates are the result of a project on the costs and benefits of occupational safety and health, run by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) together with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other partners.

Commenting on the issue, Dr Christa Sedlatschek, the director of EUOSHA, said: “Safe and healthy work is a fundamental human right but these new estimates of the costs of poor or non-existent occupational safety and health measures show that the economic case has never been stronger. Work-related ill-health and injury is costing the European Union 3.3% of its GDP. That’s €476 billion every year which could be saved with the right occupational safety and health strategies, policies and practices.”

The major project has allowed for comprehensive measurement of the resulting societal burden of poor workplace safety and health, and the results will enable policy-makers to better understand the economic impact of work-related accidents and injuries.

The project features an interactive, accessible data visualisation tool, which was presented at the 21st World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, which took place in Singapore in September.

Further information on the figures is available on the EU-OSHA website. https://goo.gl/L3rPPs

The new figures indicate that work-related injuries and illnesses cost the EU around €476 billion each year, with the cost of work-related cancer alone amounting to €119.5 billion.

Fleets of driverless lorries will be trialled on UK roads next year Fleets of driverless lorries will be trialled on Britain’s motorways for the first time next year, ministers have announced.

Up to three lorries will travel in automated convoys which accelerate and brake at the same time, and will be controlled by a driver in the lead vehicle in a bid to cut congestion and emissions.

“A platoon of just three HGVs can obscure road signs from drivers in the outside lanes and potentially make access to entries or exits difficult for other drivers. On the new motorways, without hard shoulders, lay-bys are every 1.5 miles. A driver in trouble may encounter difficulties trying to get into a lay-by if it is blocked by a platoon of trucks going past.”

However, the AA has warned that the plans could pose a significant risk to motorists, highlighting the fact that the platoons, as they have been dubbed, will be the equivalent of half a football pitch long.

The Department for Transport said that the wirelessly connected vehicles will travel closely together, with acceleration and braking controlled by the lead vehicle. It said that the lorries will drive closely together with the front vehicle pushing air out of the way, making the other vehicles more efficient and lowering their emissions.

The technology has already been successfully trialled in Europe and the US, but the motoring organisation said that they are not suitable for the UK’s congested motorways. It said that they will offer little or no environmental benefit and urged the Government to invest in electric lorries instead.

Ministers said that a driver will be in the cab of each of the lorries controlling the steering and ready to take over full control in the event of a problem. The Government has provided £8.1 million funding towards the trials, which will initially take place on a test track before being carried out on motorways.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “We have some of the busiest motorways in Europe with many more exits and entries. Platooning may work on the miles of deserted freeways in Arizona or Nevada but this is not America.

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The Bulletin FOCUS ON...

The Federation of Bakers estimates that the UK Bakery market is worth £3.6 billion.

Total volume at present is approximately just under 4 billion units; the equivalent of almost 11 million loaves and packs sold

every single day. That’s a massive market and doesn’t include other areas of bakery such as pastry, cakes and morning goods. So, what’s happening in the wider market, and what trends are driving innovation and NPD? Iceland Extra Mature Vintage Cheddar Souffle

In both retail and foodservice, bakery is bursting with innovation as producers race to win a bigger slice of the market.

Bread has been ‘The Staff of Life’ for centuries, but sales of traditional loaves have significantly declined in recent years, and whilst the humble loaf remains a staple for many of us, the bakery sector is alive with NPD. The growth of on-the-go breakfast, changing lunch boxes and the rise of coffee shops has meant we are buying a wider range of breads, pastries and ever-more indulgent cakes, many of which would have seemed exotic a decade ago.

Products such as ciabatta, Portuguese custard tarts and double chocolate muffins are the ‘new kids on the block’ that are slowly displacing more traditional bread rolls, Eccles Cakes and Bakewell Tarts.

“In-Store Bakery has reported a growth in unit sales of ciabatta that has risen by 10% to over 23 million units in the last year with a sales value of £8.8 million,” says Samantha Winsor assistant brand manager at Lantmännen Unibake UK.

Breakfast

Whilst bread and morning goods remain a staple of breakfast, the growth of people eating breakfast out of home has risen steadily as people grab a coffee and pastry as a normal part of their daily commute.

Carried out Breakfast is growing 5.8% YOY but there is room for growth as only 1.1% of total Breakfast occasions are Carried Out, according to figures from Kantar Worldpanel. Over a third (35%) of 16-24s have pastries for breakfast out of home. They are easy to eat on-the-go and are perfect for time-poor millennials as they are an indulgence not easily replicated at home, making them a tempting treat.

“Outlets looking to increase their bakery sales can capitalise on consumers looking for a quick breakfast option to enjoy either en route to work or at their desks. Work-based journeys are the top reason for a breakfast food-to-go visit with 16% of all food-to-go breakfast visits being due to a work journey, a higher share than in the total market, at 10%. French products such as croissant, pain au chocolat and pain aux raisin are popular must-stock items for many outlets,” adds Samantha Winsor.

Consumers have shown a willingness to spend more on food-to- go, with average breakfast spend rising last year, and with this set to continue outlets can try providing grab bags and utilising strong point of sale material to encourage busy consumers to purchase a premium pastry on their way to work.

Frozen has a key role to play in the breakfast market. Using frozen bakery products offers outlets all the commercial benefits of fresh, with minimal operational costs. Outlets can bake little and often’ throughout the day to ensure products stay fresh and appealing.

This also decreases wastage as short bake-off times make it easy to manage stock levels. Frozen bakery products also allow outlets the freedom to offer a range of quality bakery products, with minimal labour requirements, and without the inconvenience of storing fresh ingredients - it’s all in one frozen box.

In retail, frozen bakery is also performing well. Tom Denyard, category director prepared foods at Tesco says ‘fresh from the oven’ pastries such as pain au chocolat, are performing steadily with high rates of repeat purchase.

The Bulletin FOCUS ON...

Iceland roast parsnip and portabello mushroom cameo

We Love Cake's Mince Pie

Health

Bakery is also embracing the trend for healthier diets. Research from management consultancy PwC reveals that healthy eating is moving up the consumer agenda thanks to increased media exposure, with millennials. PwC’s report says that in 2016, nearly half (47%) of the 18-34 age-group surveyed had changed their eating habits towards a healthier diet, as compared to just 23% of those aged over 55.

set us apart from our competition in the sector.

“Chia seeds have become a hugely popular ingredient and with the trend for health set to continue across retail and foodservice, we’re confident they will become important lines for us moving forward.”

Considering the wider market, the price of butter is likely to be a major consideration for Bakery in the coming year.

Speciality Breads, is innovating with chia seeds which have become one of biggest ‘on-trend’ super foods, providing a great source of protein, fibre, anti-oxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and various other micro-nutrients.

Simon added: “The price has not moved in the way some expected it would. Inevitably this is having a significant impact and we are likely to see less innovation in butter based products for some time.”

The Margate-based company has given the seeds the artisan treatment with the launch of a Multi-seed Chia Rustic Roll (pictured above right) and a Chia & Sultana Glazed Brioche into foodservice. Both products come frozen in boxes of 40 and 45 respectively.

Gluten-free

Gluten-free is also a prominent bakery trend, as reported in the last edition of The Bulletin. With 22% of consumers eating gluten-free products and 19% milk free, free-from bakery products are very important. Recent research from FDIN Free From conference indicates that one of the product groupings that is most missed by consumers is cakes and desserts. Areas of innovation in this free-from bakery market therefore will be sought after.

Managing director, Simon Cannell, said: “In many ways it’s all about giving everyday products a twist to create a point of difference while at the same time offering a product with health benefits, but without being off-putting for the mass market.

“For the smaller artisan bakery, innovation is always going to be important. There’s simply no point in trying to compete on demibaguettes for instance and we’ve made a real effort to not only strengthen our range this year but to add unique products that clearly

Veganism is also on the rise, with a reported half a million vegans currently living in the UK (Ipsos MORI). As a result, Bells of Lazonby

26

The Bulletin FOCUS ON...

has also registered some of its ‘We Love Cake’ brand with The Vegan Society.

than traditional round cake slices, ensuring customers can enjoy an indulgent treat with a few less calories.

John Hine, national foodservice account manager said: “With the rapid growth in the number of vegans across the UK, it has never been more important for food service outlets to provide catering options for vegans.”

Manchester’s Kara Cakes says it is seeing a different trend, claiming customers are getting more adventurous with their choice of cake.

“Gone are the days of small slices, today, size really does matter when it comes to these treats, indulgent triple tiered cakes with decadent toppings are storming dessert menus this year,” says Kara’s Naomi Ellis.

The 'We Love Cake' lines which have been registered with the Vegan Society include the best-selling lines in the range; chocolate & orange tart & sweet pastry mince pies, along with some of their traditional favourites of cranberry & pecan flapjack, apple crumble slice and apple lattice pie.

The company also highlights the benefits of using frozen bakery products, saying frozen creates a win-win whereby the wholesaler is reducing waste and benefits from flexibility in their forecast outlooks for product ordering, as well as the customer perceiving the product to be made an ambient product.

Indulgence Whilst health is driving some areas of bakery, indulgent cakes remain as popular as ever. The rise of ‘café culture’ has been a key driver of innovation as consumers seek new flavours or more indulgent versions of traditional favourites such as chocolate cake, but with an eye on healthy options.

“Across cafes and catering establishments there has been a move away from large round cutting cakes into loaf cakes. Sales of sliced loaf cakes are becoming increasingly popular as consumers look to purchase sweet treats with healthier portion sizes,” says Emily Sudell, marketing executive at Bells of Lazonby.

The Cumbrian-based family bakery has launched a foodservice frozen loaf cake range with each slice being around 100g, a little smaller

In response, the company has launched three new pre-portioned cakes, a Banana and Toffee Kiss, rose and Vanilla Shimmer and Dulce de Leche (pictured below right), all designed to tempt consumers to indulge.

When it comes to indulgence, Christmas leads the way and the festive period continues to drive innovation as consumers are prepared to splash the cash. Iceland is again making the most of the opportunity this year with the launch of several new bakery lines.

This year’s offering includes Ten Extra Mature Vintage Cheddar Souflettes which have been four years in development. The retailer describes them as “a frozen world first”. Also new in the frozen range are Eight Fruity Éclairs (pictured below left), in apricot, raspberry, blackcurrant and lemon.

Last year’s award-winning Six Luxury Mince Pies are back too: “Allbutter pastry filled with a luxury mincemeat of plump vine fruits laced with brandy and cider.” Scallop & Champagne Pastry Crowns are another highlight of this year’s festive bakery range, alongside Twelve Bruschetta Collection, Roast Parsnip & Portobello Mushroom Pithivier, Luxury Melt in the Middle Christmas Trees, Twelve Macarons and a Christmas Pudding Melt.

Bakery is a broad church and one that continues to innovate and delight consumers. Whilst sales of traditional loaves may be in decline, new eating occasions and the contradictory trends of health and indulgence continue to drive the market and look set to underpin future growth and NPD.

The Bulletin

The Bulletin

M EM BE R

From Paul Murray, Head of Commercial.

update

Exciting opportunities for all our members

This month sees a significant increase in the amount of BFFF event activity.

The Annual Luncheon is fast approaching with arrangements currently being finalised. The deadline for our inaugural People Awards has come and gone and we are pleased to say we have seen a wonderful response and volume of entrants. Initial judging and consideration of the “mountain” of entries has started with the shortlist scheduled to be completed towards the end of November.

If you would like more information on becoming a member, please contact: Kate Miller Membership Account Manager Tel: 01780 763841 Mob: 07793 499871 Email: katemiller@bfff.co.uk

We have also launched the 2018 BFFF Conference which is already attracting significant interest from members.

If you would like to book tickets for the Annual Luncheon, Business Conference & Exhibition or People Awards Dinner, please contact:

We've moved ONLINE! This year for the first time we are taking entries for our Industry leading Annual Product Awards online.

Jilly Wallis Commercial Assistant (Events) Tel: 01400 664321 Email: jillywallis@bfff.co.uk

The website was launched in October and is live for you to enter now at www.bfffproductawards.co.uk We have extended time allowed for entries this year, with the closing deadline now set for 30th November 2017.

Interested in highlighting the excellence of your products and submitting your Frozen food product into our Industry leading Annual awards?

Since the last issue, we are delighted to welcome IAW Logistics Solutions Ltd, Erudus Ltd and DriveTech into membership.

With over 900 of the industries influencers, purchasers and senior management in attendance, this opportunity to demonstrate your best in class credentials should not be missed.

IAW Logistics Solutions specialise in Powered Mobile Racking and “Drive In” Racking. Making your space work efficiently whilst meeting your operational needs and objectives.

Enter here www.bfffproductawards.co.uk Or for more information please contact : Alex Gipps Annual Product Awards Executive Tel: 01400 664321 Email: alexgipps@bfff.co.uk

Erudus offers the food industry a collaborative solution to sharing product data with caterers, wholesalers and foodservice companies.

DriveTech, part of the AA group, is the world leader in fleet risk, safety management and driver training. They are also the UK’s largest provider of driver offender retraining courses.

PEOPLE AWARDS

annual

Luncheon

Gala Dinner Dance Product Awards

28

The Bulletin

From transport partners to solicitors, suppliers to retailers, The Bulletin industry services directory is your go-to guide for member services. Featured this edition is:

Seven Telematics

Rick Bestwick

ACS&T

XPO

Buhler

29

DRIVER ID: STEWART P TIME: 9:06 LOCATION: SPAGHETTI JUNCTION ALERT: HARSH BRAKING

DRIVER ID: WALKER D REAR DOOR: CLOSED FRONT COMPARTMENT 2˚c ALERT: REAR COMPARTMENT 9˚c

VEHICLE REG: AF14 YCK REAR DOOR: CLOSED FRONT COMPARTMENT -20˚c REAR COMPARTMENT 2˚c

transforming temperature control

The Bulletin

IN DUST RY S E RV IC E S

SECTOR

Technology

Seven Telematics Ltd Seven Telematics is the leading manufacturer of temperature data loggers, remote monitoring and vehicle tracking for road transport and cold storage applications.

Transcan® temperature data loggers are recognised as the world’s most widely used road transport temperature monitoring device.

Transcan® products have been watching over freight across the globe for over 20 years and provide the standard in monitoring critical cargo conditions whilst in transit.

Seven Telematics combine the trusted format of Transcan® recorders with state of the art technology through their Seven Eye® telematics system, offering both standard vehicle tracking for dry freight vehicles and real-time temperature monitoring and alerts for refrigerated transport, via satellite links to their range of EN12830 verified temperature

data loggers. Live temperature monitoring with alarm alerts deliverable by SMS and/or email to designated recipients is in addition to all the usual vehicle and driver management data including fuel economy analysis, digital tachograph interface, KPI reporting, fuel tank level, axle load monitoring, etc.

Seven Telematics has been founded on delivering the highest standards of service and product knowledge. Customers demand exacting standards as the transportation and temperature controlled logistics sector begins and ends with product integrity. With years of proven experience in the sector, Seven Telematics will ensure that product standards remain paramount to your transport and logistics operation.

CONTACT DETAILS

ADDRESS The Coach House, 67 London Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1RZ WEBSITE www.seventelematics.com TEL +44 (0)1636 550320 EMAIL sales@seventelematics.com

KEY TEAM MEMBERS Michael Kane, Sales Director Steve Strong, European Sales Manager 31

Providing a unique portfolio of services and pioneering technology to bring bespoke solutions to the food industry

TEMPER ATURE CONTROLLED STOR AGE

PA R T OF THE M AGN AVA L E GRO U P

BESPOKE TEMPER ATURE REGIMES STATE- OF-THE-ART UPTEMPERING FACILIT Y

PACKING & RE-PACKING

CROSS DOCK CONTAINER LOADING & UNLOADING RETAIL & FOODSERVICE CONSOLIDATION E XPORTS

BONDED WAREHOUSING CO -PACKING BUYING OVERSTOCKS L ABELLING DATE CODING SLEEVING MICROWAVING R APID AIR TEMPERING BL AST FREEZING CASE PICKING ITEM PICKING

proud sponsors of BFFF Business Conference & Exhibition 2017 Hilton Birmingham Metropole 7th March 2017

DISTRIBUTION PARTNER

Rick Bestwick 01246 854 999 www.rickbestwick.com

The Bulletin

IN DU ST RY S ERV IC E S

SECTOR

Cold Storage & Logistics

Rick Bestwick Leading temperature-controlled food specialist Rick Bestwick has been working in partnership with transport providers, DFDS to provide an improved supply chain solution for all of its customers.

As Europe’s largest logistics provider DFDS has the size, credibility and ability to provide an improved service across their supply chain.

This means customers can be confident their products will be transported to and from where they need to be, on time and in the best condition.

Today, the partnership has carried out in excess of 58,000 deliveries across the UK, Europe and internationally since the companies joined forces. The support from DFDS has enabled Rick Bestwick to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ that ensures maximum

efficiency and customer service as well as lowering prices for all parties.

The partnership has enabled both companies to share knowledge, best practice and commercial opportunities and the combined expertise gives Rick Bestwick and DFDS a unique position in the market that paves the way for the future of the supply chain. In addition, the collaboration has also recently been shortlisted at the Motor Transport Awards 2017 for the partnership award category.

The arrangement has been rolled out across all of the Rick Bestwick companies, allowing even greater links and therefore greater possibilities and services to customers looking for a comprehensive and reliable temperature controlled solution.

CONTACT DETAILS

ADDRESS Park Road, Holmewood Industrial Park, Holmewood, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S42 5UY WEBSITE www.rickbestwick.com TEL 01246 854999 EMAIL enquiries@rickbestwick.com

33

R Quality R Innovation R Bespoke R Value R Experience

ACS&T Logistics

We go the extra mile!

BRC certified experts in food storage and distribution.

To find out how we can help you, contact our sales team today. +44(0) 1472 358207 | fiona@acst.co.uk www.acst.co.uk

The Bulletin

IN DUST RY S E RV IC E S

SECTOR

Logistics, cold storage, foodservice, retail

ACS&T Logistics Food logistics specialist ACS&T’s vigorous commitment to quality standards is ensuring it leads the way in blast freezing and cold storage services for food manufacturers.

ACS&T has achieved BRC certification for the ninth year running for its temperature controlled storage and distribution facilities at all its sites in Grimsby, Wolverhampton, Tewkesbury and Scarborough.

ACS&T has significant capacity in blast freezers and rapid air freezers to store food products at their very best until the time they are needed.

Working in partnership with food clients, ACS&T is able to fulfil seasonal demands and maintain market price by blast freezing and holding product until it’s needed.

Every stage of the process is bespoke and client driven - blast freezing, storing, then tempering exactly the quantity of food that customers need when they require it. The

benefit of ACS&T’s blast freezing process is a product of knowledge and speed, enabling food products to be rapidly reduced in temperature to -18°C in less than 4 hours. This allows products to be stored to increase client profitability through storage life. Products are then reinstated to their original quality by tempering specialists, preserving the integrity of the food.

The company provides food traceability across the food chain, with strict control procedures through to final delivery.

ACS&T’s extensive estates include 14 cold stores, two ambient stores, and large, dedicated and shared-user temperature controlled transport fleets which are able to move volume nationally.

As a subsidiary of international group Camellia Plc, ACS&T’s expertise in multitemperature food logistics spans nearly a century.

CONTACT DETAILS

ADDRESS Estate Road Number 2, South Humberside Industrial Estate, Grimsby NE Lincolnshire, DN31 2TG WEBSITE www.acst.co.uk TEL + 44 (0) 1472 358207 EMAIL enquiries@acst.co.uk

KEY TEAM MEMBERS Malcolm Johnstone, Managing Director Steve Strong, European Sales Manager 35

The Bulletin

Support your business with a

LEADING EUROPEAN FROZEN SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNER

Food and drink: multi temperature Worldwide capabilities Over 25 UK locations Multi-user Co-packing Value added Blast freezing Tempering

CONTACT US NOW: Brooke Hadfield Business Development Manager - Temperature Controlled & Ambient +44 (0)7824 835690 brooke.hadfield@xpo.com uk.xpo.com

Find out how, as a worldwide frozen logistics provider, we can help you.

The Bulletin

IN DU ST RY S ERV IC E S

SECTOR

Logistics & Transport

XPO Logistics XPO Logistics is a top ten global provider of transportation and logistics solutions providing cuttingedge supply chain services.

Services include freight brokerage, intermodal rail, last mile, and expedite by ground and air; highly engineered contract logistics; highvalue-added warehousing and distribution; and global forwarding. XPO serves more than 50,000 customers with a highly integrated network of 1,440 locations in 34 countries with more than 88,000 employees serving the manufacturing, retail, industrial, technology, aerospace, commercial, chemical, life sciences, and government sectors.

XPO Logistics provide robust, responsive and highly cost-effective solutions for major manufacturers and retailers.

As a European leader in temperature controlled logistics, XPO Logistics operates more than 3,900,000 mÂł of specialist temperature controlled warehousing and over 1,500 vehicles across 100 chilled and frozen sites in 14 countries.

We design dedicated and shared-user solutions of large and small manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and food service companies, creating best-in-class warehousing and distribution services to meet any requirement, regardless of size and complexity.

In the UK, our customers include: Bernard Matthews, Birds Eye, Iceland, The Cooperative Group, Hain Daniels, Lantmännen, Marlow Foods, McCains, Tesco, WM Morrisons and Mars Petcare.

CONTACT DETAILS

ADDRESS XPO House, Lodge Way, New Duston, Norhtampton, NN5 7SL WEBSITE www.xpo.com TEL 07824835690

We understand the critical aspects of the supply chain and use state-of-the-art technology to provide visibility, feasibility and control.

EMAIL Brooke.Hadfield@xpo.com

KEY TEAM MEMBERS Martin Atkinson, Business Unit Director Brooke Hadfield, Business Development Manager

37

The Bulletin

SORTEX F Fruit and vegetables sorting, redefined.

The SORTEX F is Bühler’s new optical sorter for fruit and vegetable processors who are serious about food safety.

Designed to lower the risk of contamination whilst delivering unprecedented foreign material detection for your cleanest and safest produce yet.

Got a question? Let’s talk about it. sortexenquiries@buhlergroup.com

Innovations for a better world.

38

The Bulletin

IN DU ST RY S ERV IC E S

SECTOR

Optical sorting

Bühler Bühler is a leading global supplier of optical sorting solutions to the food and non-food processing industries and has been at the forefront of pioneering optical sorting technology for almost 70 years, tackling the most challenging food safety and quality concerns for decades.

With consumers now increasingly demanding convenient and fast-to-prepare foods, frozen fruit and vegetables such as green peas, beans or berries is a fast growing segment in the food industry. As the amount of frozen fruit and vegetables being processed increases, food safety regulations are tightening and processors have to guarantee the safety and quality of their products.

Bühler’s leading range of SORTEX sorters, which are suitable for processors of all sizes,

deliver outstanding performance in removing discoloured or misshaped product, extraneous vegetable matter (EVM) and foreign material (FM) from a wide range of frozen produce.

SORTEX sorters are equipped with the latest innovations in optical sorting which includes the all-new SORTEX PolarVision™ foreign material detection technology, high definition InGaAsHD cameras, custom-built visible cameras, soft landing kit and PROfileTM (shape) technology for high capacity precision sorting that delivers top quality produce that is safe to eat – every time.

As well as the innovative optical sorting technologies, SORTEX sorters for frozen fruit and vegetable processors have also been designed with the most stringent hygiene requirements in mind, featuring open design, stainless steel frames for easy cleaning.

CONTACT DETAILS

ADDRESS 20 Atlantis Avenue London E16 2BF United Kingdom WEBSITE www.buhlergroup.com TEL 020 7055 7700 EMAIL sortexenquiries@buhlergroup.com

KEY TEAM MEMBERS Stephen Jacobs, Global Product Manager

39

The Bulletin

Celebrating 30 Years Of Innovation SOUS VIDE • READY MEALS • SAUCES • SOUPS • STARTERS & SHARERS • TRADITIONAL WORLD FOOD • FREE-FROM • PASTRY

The Bulletin

A Recipe For Success KK Fine Foods is an award winning manufacturer of high quality protein and vegetarian meal solutions, priding ourselves on our commitment to foodservice, retail and catering sectors.

For 30 years, KKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion for high quality, continuous innovation and drive to determine future trends has been at the heart of our business. Our highly experienced team of development chefs are committed to creating bespoke menu solutions with the end consumer in mind.

KK Fine Foodsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; aims to inspire through food, taking our customers on a journey through research, innovation, taste and superior quality.

Let us provide you with a recipe for success.

For information on all of our products please contact us: 01244 286 200 | www.kkfinefoods.co.uk

FINE FOODS PLC

The Bulletin

M E M B ERS M A R KETPLACE

Food Sector Lawyers • Contracts • Debt recovery • Product recalls • Agents and distributors • Employment • Intellectual property and branding • Transport and logistics • Competition • Corporate and commercial

MICHAEL WARD L I M I T E D

FLEET REFRIGERATION SERVICES

YOU CAN

RELY ON!

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COMPLETED

Call us today on: 01204 669 247 www.michaelwardonline.co.uk Follow us:

8,991 REPAIRS

CARRIED OUT

Contact Peter Cusick or Peter Seary of our Food and Drink team

01775 842500 www.roythornes.co.uk @roythornes_food

Authorised service partner We also service and maintain all marques, Thermo King, Carrier, GAH, Hubbard/Zanotti, Webasto, Eberspacher

It’s here...

The NEW Craemer Pallet Box CB3 900kg Load. 610L Capacity.

35kg Weight.

Key feat

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rs of Colou • R a nge d e HD PE ra G d o o F • ption • RFID O lisation a n o rs e •P Options

Festive

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enquiries.uk@craemer.com www.craemer.co.uk

Seasonings

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42

Quality, the best value.

The Bulletin

MEM B ERS MA R KETPLACE

info@1cold.com www.1cold.com

Call us today on 01564 702269 Specialists in the Design, Project Management and Construction of Hygienic, Fire Rated and Temperature Controlled Environments We know food inside out Strategic counsel, brand identity, media relations, crisis management, internal communications, digital & social media, design and much more.

INDUSTRIAL CHILLERS / COLD ROOMS / COLD STORES

FOOD AND DRINK SECTOR INSURANCE Our specialist team has the experience to help you build a risk control and insurance strategy to help achieve your business aims and protect your stakeholders interests.

With an indepth understanding of the food and drink sector, a wealth of experience and a corporate culture of delivering excellence we are able to tailor our solutions to our clients’ individual needs.

For more information contact: Garry Moseley T: 07760 168 224 E: garry_moseley@ajg.com

01457 820807 pelicomms.co.uk www. pelicancommunications.co.uk

The Bulletin Classified Take advantage of a regular, costeffective presence in the BFFF’s bi-monthly trade magazine.

Advertise here for as little as £100 per month including online.

Call Kate on 07793 499871 or email katemiller@bfff.co.uk

www.ajginternational.com Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: The Walbrook Building, 25 Walbrook, London EC4N 8AW. Registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 1193013. www.ajginternational.com FP624/2015 exp.02/09/2016

43

The Bulletin MEET THE TEAM

Meet the team

In this series The Bulletin catches up with one of the BFFF team. This edition we spend five minutes with...

Kate Miller

Membership Account Manager How long have you worked at BFFF? I have worked for BFFF in my current, fulltime membership account manager role since August. I previously worked with BFFF as a consultant from September 2012.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Starter and main or main and dessert?

Definitely starter and main, I don’t have a sweet tooth at all.

Who inspires you?

What is your favourite colour?

I have met many inspirational people over the years due to the nature of the roles in my career. I was fortunate enough in my early 20s to work with a niche magazine covering the historic aviation market. Not only did I get to fly in Twin Pioneers, a Lancaster, a Dakota and many more, but I also got to meet many first and second world war veterans. Their stories are humbling and they are truly remarkable people.

Green – being a red head not many other colours work for me!

Do you have any hobbies?

I really enjoy the interaction with members, discovering company objectives and working as a team to produce solid plans to achieve the desired effect. It is very rewarding to see member companies go from strength to strength by using BFFF as a support system and exploiting the benefits on offer.

What do you like to do at the weekend?

I love volunteering at the local rugby club.

Both my boys play rugby (6 and 15 years) so I think it’s really important for me to be involved in their hobby in some way, without having to actually play myself! I do run the local women’s team for Stamford, Lincolnshire also and I find the rugby community is great to be part of. Otherwise I do a lot of walking, living in a beautiful area of the country and owning my baby girl Macey (Labrador x Collie) we spend lots of time doing long local walks.

Honestly I don’t have a massive amount of time for hobbies between work, kids and rugby. I do love to read and in the winter months, I like to sew (rock ‘n’ roll!) and I also love to cook, as does my 6 year old so we like to spend time in the kitchen together making meals ready for the week ahead.

What is your biggest achievement?

Some years ago I worked for a retro car magazine and during my time there I launched a show to complement the magazine at Mallory Park, Leicester. The show was great and I loved getting on track in my Capri (which has since rusted into oblivion!). Not only did I get to see and go in many cool cars but I also got to look at a paddock full of traders and car clubs which was buzzing, and it was a great achievement at such a young age to stand

44

“I really enjoy the interaction with members, discovering company objectives and working as a team to produce solid plans to achieve the desired effect.” back and say ‘I did that’’. In conjunction with running this event I also managed to deliver in my day job and look after my two boys, who are obviously my world but will hopefully one day move out!

What is your favourite place?

Florence, Italy. I was blown away by the Renaissance art and architecture. Florence is made for walking, which suits me perfectly, but what never ceases to amaze me is its overwhelming beauty. It's impossible not to be completely and utterly seduced by the sheer size and grandeur of Brunelleschi's red cathedral dome on Piazza del Duomo.

If you could invite one person round for dinner, who would it be and what would you eat?

My Dad, although I would be going out – free babysitter! I would cook his favourite though, homemade pate, lasagne and profiteroles.

The Bulletin

DAT E S f o r y our

D I A RY

2017.

21st November BFFF Annual Luncheon London Hilton on Park Lane www.bfff.co.uk

Top networking event for retail and foodservice.

22nd November BFFF Industry Forum Double Tree by Hilton Hotel London- West End www.bfff.co.uk

Keep up to date with the latest industry news.

30th November BFFF Product Awards Deadline for entries into 2018 Product Awards www.bfffproductawards.co.uk

2018

29th-31st January PLMA Show Amsterdam- International Trade Show www.plmainternational.com

22nd February BFFF Business Conference & People Awards Birmingham Hilton Metropole www.bfff.co.uk

Find out about the future of frozen food.

22nd February

7th June

Technical Seminar Birmingham Hilton Metropole www.bfff.co.uk

BFFF Industry Forum Stephenson Harwood LLP's office, Finsbury Circus, London www.bfff.co.uk

Keep up to date with the latest technical news.

22nd February

BFFF Dinner Dance & Annual Awards Evening London Hilton on Park Lane www.bfff.co.uk

Health & Safety Seminar Birmingham Hilton Metropole www.bfff.co.uk

The definitive awards for the frozen food industry.

Keep up to date with the latest H&S news.

5th-8th March Hotelympia ExCel, London www.hotelympia.com

20th-21st September Lunch!

ExCel London www.lunchshow.co.uk

The UK's largest foodservices & hospitality event.

21stâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;25th October

16th-18th April

The world's largest food innovation exhibition.

Food & Drink Expo NEC Birmingham www.foodanddrinkexpo.co.uk

SIAL Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris www.sialparis.com

20th November

24th-26th April

BFFF Annual Luncheon London Hilton on Park Lane www.bfff.co.uk

Seafood Expo Global Seafood Expo Global Brussels Expo, Belgium www.seafoodexpo.com/global

Top networking event for retail and foodservice.

17th May

Go online

Frozen & Chilled Foods Golf Day Belton Woods, Grantham Contact: Richard Cogan Tel: 01732868288

Social Event.

45

Visit bfff.co.uk for even more news from the frozen food industry.

M

ADE

I

N

LY

ilia a Ema gn Rom

I TA

ITALIAN PASTA MADE IN ITALY FOR QUALITY FOOD SERVICES. Fresh pasta is a thousand-year-old tradition and a symbol of Italian culinary excellence.

Laboratorio Tortellini is a proud guardian of this tradition. Using our fresh pasta you’re not only offering the extra value that all authentic products have, you’re also helping, like Laboratorio Tortellini, to safeguard this authenticity.

Laboratorio Tortellini is a brand

The chef’s Italian favourite.

SURGITAL S.p.A. Lavezzola (Ra) - Emilia Romagna - Italy - +39 0545 80328 surgital@surgital.it - www.surgital.com - e.grimes@surgital.it