July/August 2018

J u ly / A u g u st 20 18

The magazine for the frozen food industry

Gala Dinner & Product Awards

ANNUAL GALA LUNCHEON DINNER Event roundup Event roundup

A COMMUNITY EFFORT PRODUCT AWARDS Interview with John Marren Winners announced

INTO THE DEEP FREEZE GEORGE EUSTICE Feature Interview

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PROUDLY PART OF LANTMÄNNEN UNIBAKE

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 or Dan Schofield danschofield@bfff.co.uk 07921 405196

IN THE NEXT ISSUE...

Free From To contribute to this issue or advertise, contact your account manager or email: bulletineditorial@bfff.co.uk

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.

WELC OME Welcome to the July/August edition of the Bulletin Exciting times ahead at BFFF! I am delighted to share details of our brand new member benefits, launched during our Industry Forum at Stephenson Harwood’s offices in London on the 7th June. Our new strategic partners; Qdos, Shakespeare Martineau, NFU Mutual and SmithCarey presented details of the services and helplines to almost 100 delegates including Brexit, HR and training support, insurance and development planning advice plus details of BFFF’s primary authority and major incident group. Please see pg 17 for full details including helpline telephone numbers so you can start using these services straight away! Look out for details of our next Industry Forum taking place in November where we are preparing to launch further new services to benefit our members.

This issue features full coverage of our glittering Gala Dinner and Product Awards. A superb evening celebrating the best of the best products from our retail and foodservice members, selected through our impartial judging process.

In foodservice, winners demonstrated the benefits of frozen through clever innovation in both recipe formulation and preparation functionality as well as product sector insight. In retail, high quality and premiumisation and the ability to meet consumers’ needs for more aspirational products in the freezer aisle paid off for all manufacturers – and their retail partners.

Thanks to our fantastic compere Dr David Bull who presented the prestigious awards, to the Hilton Park Lane team who prepared and served a first-class meal and to our many sponsors including Kerry Foods/ Meal Creations, XPO Logistics, Bidfood, Freiberger, Iceland and NFU Mutual. As BFFF strives to develop and improve we are confident next year’s awards are going to be bigger and better than ever!

The People Awards will be open for entries on the 16th July so please go to our BFFF news page 4 for details of our exciting new categories.

In addition, we’re delighted to launch our new and improved Brexit information service for members through Dods.

We continue to represent our industry on key issues, for example, the recent food safety concerns around sweetcorn and Listeria contamination.

For any further information please contact deniserion@bfff.co.uk.

Please continue to share with us all your positive achievements and developments.

Have a great summer!

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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The Bulletin

CON TEN TS

04

PEOPLE AWARDS RETURNS

MEMBER NEWS

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The Bulletin

16

WORKING AT HEIGHT SEMINAR

17

MEMBER BENEFITS

20

LIFE IN THE FREEZER

10

NEW PRODUCTS

66

23

GALA DINNER DANCE 2018

HEALTH & SAFETY

60

NEW MEMBER PROFILES

13

INTERVIEW: GEORGE EUSTICE

68

64

TECHNICAL& LEGISLATIVE

41

2018 PRODUCT AWARDS

69

MEET THE TEAM

3

DIARY DATES

The Bulletin

PEOPLE AWARDS

PEOPLE AWARDS RETURNS AFTER SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR

After an incredibly successful first ever People Awards hosted in February this year, the awards return to celebrate the best and brightest stars across the frozen food industry.

Entries will open on 16th July for the one-of-a-kind awards which will celebrate the unsung heroes from across our £8.3 billion industry.

Last year saw entries flood in from across foodservice and retail businesses, highlighting the team members that go above and beyond daily to contribute to this successful industry, with winners coming from Bidfood, Paramount 21, Company Shop and Chalcroft Construction to name a few.

The People Awards officially opens for online entries on MONDAY 16TH JULY UNTIL 15TH OCTOBER, so we urge you to nominate those colleagues from across your businesses who deserve recognition for their contribution to the success of the frozen food industry. Judges are being finalised and will be announced in the near future, and will again consist of a panel of independent experts from across the food and drink and HR industries. THE PEOPLE AWARDS 2019 CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE EVENING OF THE 7TH FEBRUARY following our Annual Business Conference, Health & Safety and Technical seminars at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole.

This year sees a range of new categories introduced to continue to showcase the many roles that go into keeping the frozen food industry running smoothly every single day.

2019's NEW CATEGORIES: CHARITY/COMMUNITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR

INNOVATION TEAM OF THE YEAR

OPERATIONS MANAGER OF THE YEAR

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT CHAMPION

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION OF THE YEAR

UNSUNG HERO

CUSTOMER CHAMPION

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

EXISTING CATEGORIES: PURCHASER OF THE YEAR

SUPPLY CHAIN/ LOGISTICS TEAM OF THE YEAR

RISING STAR

4

TECHNICAL/HEALTH & SAFETY CHAMPION

MARKETER OF THE YEAR

The Bulletin

M EM B ER N E WS Updates from BFFF members

Brakes launches '2 Zero 20' campaign

The use of the most environmentally damaging plastics could soon be a thing of the past in schools, hospitals, pubs and restaurants.

With the launch of its ‘2 Zero 20’ campaign on 5 June, Brakes commemorated World Environment Day and officially banned black plastics from its latest products.

Holmesterne foods future-proofs business

Leading food manufacturing company chooses new generation blast freezer units to double frozen and chilled capacity whilst reducing running costs.

Holmesterne Foods has recently installed four portable units from Blue Cube Portable Cold Stores at two of its manufacturing sites in North Yorkshire. The £17 million turnover company chose Blue Cube for their innovation in refrigeration technology.

The company has supplied three new generation portable blast freezer units which have doubled freezing capacity at Holmesterne Foods’ Leeming Bar and Brompton sites. In addition a 22-pallet

portable cold store was supplied which will operate at frozen to store newly developed products.

Shaun Bedford, Head of Operations at Holmesterne comments: “The units from Blue Cube have not only doubled our freezer and chiller capacity but have also future-proofed the Leeming Bar and Brompton sites”. ● www.bluecubepcs.co.uk

The company has become the first major foodservice wholesaler to address the issue of unrecyclable plastics. The campaign’s intention is to completely eliminate the use of single-use and black plastics from all its own brand products by the end of 2020.

In addition to its commitment to cut the use of non-recyclable hard black plastics, Brakes is working with suppliers and customers to look at how to increase the levels of recycling that takes place in the foodservice industry. It will also work with industry to improve labelling that will help customers and consumers increase recycling rates.

Brakes will also launch an education programme among its own staff, working with a leading charity, where depot staff will pick up litter in local communities and recycle the contents. ● www.brakes.co.uk

Caterforce appoints new Group Marketing Manager

Leading foodservice buying and marketing consortium, Caterforce, has appointed Claire Williams as Group Marketing Manager, further strengthening its Cheshire-based team.

Having worked in-house and within agencies, Claire will manage the overall marketing strategy with a focus on developing Caterforce’s own-brand, Chefs’ Selections by Caterforce and supporting members with their marketing activity. Additionally, she will be looking to raise the brand’s profile and promote Flavour Photography, its in-house food photography service.

Nick Redford, Managing Director of Caterforce, said: “As a group we’re experiencing record growth and we’re delighted to welcome Claire to Caterforce. She brings with her some great experience which will only strengthen our marketing team and help us to achieve our goal of developing the Caterforce brand. I have no doubt that she will be a tremendous asset to the team and business as a whole.” ● www.caterforce.co.uk 5

The Bulletin

M EM BER NE W S Updates from BFFF members

CoolKit win ‘Best Van Innovation’ title

CoolKit is celebrating a victory after securing the ‘Best Van innovation’ title at the Vans A2Z Awards 2018.

The Burnley-based refrigerated vehicle convertor won the coveted title for their new refrigerated box body, boasting a payload of over 1200kg.

The 18 categories at the awards, recognised innovative products and services which cut costs, streamline operations and contribute to safer, more fuel-efficient fleets.

areas that might otherwise be height restricted and made the box body look less industrial by concealing the externally mounted refrigeration unit under the vehicle chassis.” ● www.coolkit.co.uk

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The Best Van Innovation category was open to entries offering advancements brought to the market in the past year, which has demonstrably improved their offering to fleets.

Authorised service partner

When evaluating different body structures for a customer within the food industry market, CoolKit realised that by adopting methods currently being used on panel vans it was possible to produce a box body vehicle with a better payload than the current industry benchmark.

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

apetito signs up to world-leading pact to tackle plastic pollution

The customer was originally quoted a payload of 1050Kg, but with creativity and use of innovative composite materials, CoolKit delivered an incredible 1201Kg payload per vehicle.

apetito, the UK’s leading creator and supplier of meals to the health and social care sector, has joined several of the UK’s leading brands to help tackle the growing issue of single-use plastic packaging .

Rupert Gatty, Managing Director of CoolKit, said: “We have challenged ourselves not just to be on par with the competition, but to beat it by some distance. Over the fleet of 10, we have created an extra 1.5 tonne payload.

“We looked at the aerodynamics, minimising the overall height so the vehicle can access

New website sees nearly 200% increase in registration Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, engineering and manufacturing recruitment specialist Jonathan Lee Recruitment has seen a boost in engagement to its newly launched, interactive website.

Launched in January, to-date the new website, designed to improve the user journey for candidates, clients and contractors, has seen candidate registrations up 194% and applications increase by 135% compared to this time last year.

Jonathan Lee, founder and chairman, said: “We are immensely proud of our heritage and history, but equally recognise how important it is to continuously improve; employing the latest technology to communicate more effectively and continue to deliver a premium service."

"We’ve had a very positive response to the new website and it is performing well. We’re always looking for new ways to develop the level of service we offer to candidates, clients and contractors." ● www.jonlee.co.uk

The UK Plastics Pact, will aim to transform the plastic packaging system in the UK. Its purpose will be to keep plastic in the economy and out of the ocean. Launched by sustainability experts, WRAP, the objective will see a unique mix of businesses across the plastics value chain, along with the UK government and NGOs, come together to tackle the unavoidable issue of plastic waste. apetito have committed to hit a series of ambitious targets including a complete elimination of unnecessary plastic packaging, increase the average recycled content across all plastic packaging by 30 per cent, and ensure all of the plastic packaging becomes either reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

Commenting on the decision to join the UK Plastics Pact, Laura Hardman, apetito’s Ethical and Sustainable Manager, said: “By coming together and taking a systemic approach, we will focus on the causes of this truly global problem and take real action to tackle plastic waste.” ● www.apetito.co.uk

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The Bulletin

M EM B ER N E WS Updates from BFFF members

Getting the most out of robotics in food manufacturing

Lawyers for the food sector

The robotics industry is witnessing a rapid growth within the food sector.

However, Martin Jinks, partner at Roythornes Solicitors, is warning businesses that they should not ‘run before they can walk’ when it comes to its implementation.

Food manufacturing is flourishing thanks to the benefits of productivity, safety and profit increase that automation can bring. Nevertheless, to succeed business must have a comprehensive plan and ensure their venture into automation doesn’t hit a stumbling block before getting off the ground.

According to Martin, technology testing is a number one priority when ticking off your checklist with him suggesting: “Small scale prototype projects are the best way to prove concept and assess the potential return on investment of your robot.”

Manufacturers should also decide how and where to invest in new technology as well as identify which areas have the most risk and which could be more productive.

• • • • • •

“There is very little point adding robotics into an area which is already performing at optimum levels; instead, go for areas where there is large, low-skill labour-saving to be had, such as with repetitive tasks including weighing ingredients by hand,” he explains.

• • •

Throughout this process, choosing the right team and considering things like insurance, outsource and legal work will pay off in the long run.

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

Contact Peter Cusick of our food team on: 01775 842500 www.roythornes.co.uk

● www.roythornes.co.uk

Blue Cube Fights climate change

Leading suppliers of rental temperature controlled storage solutions, Blue Cube is moving to more efficient and lower Global Warning Potential (GWP) refrigerants in a push on their environmental sustainability targets.

Designed to replace R-404A refrigerants, all of Blue Cube’s latest generation equipment is manufactured with lower Global Warming Potential HFO blends, whilst drop-ins are switching existing refrigerants across current fleet units.

environmental properties.

Steve Blakemore, Managing Director said "We will continually strive to develop the most energy efficient equipment we can that will contribute, long term, to the quality of the environment”

The newer refrigerants show up to a 64% reduction in GWP whilst offering up to 8% lower energy consumption and improved

● www.bluecubepcs.co.uk

In my

Food and drink pub chain Greene King is hoping the World Cup and summer heatwave will bolster the firm’s profits.

with

Britain’s biggest pub chain whose brands include Hungry Horse, Farmhouse Inns, and Chef & Brewer, says its sales have gone up 2.2% in the last eight weeks (28 June) thanks to good weather and sporting fixtures.

VIEW Rooney Anand

It is expecting strong World Cup trading following research which showed that 59% of consumers expect to watch an England game at the pub.

Rooney Anand, chief executive officer, said: “We made good progress improving the performance of the business during the second half of the year, despite a challenging trading environment. Our investment to 7

improve the customer experience in our pubs and the focus on our strategic priorities are beginning to pay off. Positive momentum, both in terms of trading and customer satisfaction, is returning to our business.

“While it is still early days, this positive momentum has continued into the new financial year, aided by good weather and popular sporting events. We remain focused on continuing to drive top line growth, developing a more efficient organisation and further strengthening our capital structure to deliver long-term value creation for our shareholders.

“We expect the trading environment to remain challenging for some time, but we strongly believe people will continue to choose the great British pub as the place to enjoy time with friends and family.”

The Bulletin

M EM BER NE W S Updates from BFFF members

NPD team expands at Dalziel Ingredients

FAST NEWS

MCCAIN LAUNCHES BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO TRIPADVISOR

Dalziel Ingredients, the UK specialist in bespoke seasoning and functional blends, has strengthened its new product development team with new appointments.

Alex Ramsay (pictured left) joins from Orchard House Foods and brings two years’ experience in process development, having previously graduated with a degree in food science and nutrition from Northumbria University. She will work closely with production and quality teams in Gateshead, which now manufactures a broader range than ever of bespoke and diverse ingredients.

role sees her strengthening Dalziel’s product matching, concept development and sample creation expertise.

Working with the customers and Dalziel’s sales team, she will analyse product requirements and develop sample concepts and flavours to fill gaps in the food industry.

Ellen Brimacombe's (picttured right) new

● www.dalzielingredients.co.uk

In July, student Kate Richmond will also join the team on a year placement from Northumbria University where she is studying food science and nutrition.

Birds Eye to acquire frozen food favourite Aunt Bessie's Birds Eye has announced the purchase of iconic frozen food brand Aunt Bessie’s for around £210m.

This acquisition is another significant step in Birds Eye’s journey to transform both the frozen food category and its business in the UK & Ireland.

Along with the previously acquired Goodfella’s and San Marco pizza brands, Aunt Bessie’s gives Birds Eye the opportunity to expand its portfolio into another significant meal occasion, the Roast Dinner, which is already the fifth-largest meal occasion in the UK, eaten a staggering 1.3 billion times each year.

Aunt Bessie’s is the number one brand in the UK for frozen Yorkshire Puddings and roast potatoes.

Created in 1995, Aunt Bessie’s has grown to become a market-leading frozen food brand in the UK, with retail sales of over £140m and a portfolio boasting everything from roast dinner staples to convenient midweek meals that take minutes to cook.

In addition to essential roast dinner accompaniments, the Aunt Bessie’s range also includes traditional favourites including savoury and sweet pies, toad in the hole and desserts.

Now with both Aunt Bessie’s and Goodfella’s Pizza under its umbrella, Birds Eye intends to continue to drive growth in the frozen food category by offering

categories and occasions which complement its existing portfolio.

Wayne Hudson, Birds Eye UK managing director: “Aunt Bessie’s is a historic family brand, loved by shoppers and built on strong values and quality product credentials that align perfectly with Birds Eye’s ethos. We have long admired what the team at William Jackson Food Group have achieved with Aunt Bessie’s. Combined with Birds Eye and the recently acquired pizza brands (Goodfella’s and San Marco) we are excited about the opportunity of driving further growth in the frozen food category by offering high quality products the nation loves and trusts through more meal occasions.

“The acquisition will also welcome around 400 new colleagues to the Birds Eye business and we are extremely passionate about working with them to increase investment into the category and grow even more consumer love for the frozen food aisle.”

Based in Hull, Aunt Bessie’s is currently owned by the William Jackson Food Group. The acquisition is expected to complete in Q3 2018. ● www.birdseye.co.uk

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McCain Foodservice has launched a beginner’s guide to TripAdvisor to help operators make the most of the potential opportunities it offers, and better manage any negative business impact.

With 400 million users, and containing around 570 million reviews, whether you’re a pub, restaurant, hotel or casual dining operator, it’s highly likely that a customer has logged on to the site and left you a review. So, it’s important to understand how to maximise the benefits of positive reviews and minimise negative reviews.

Shooting for the Olympics on target thanks to Oakland sponsorship A young man aiming to compete at the highest level in clay shooting is over the moon to have secured business sponsorship that will ensure he can continue training and realise his dream of one day competing at the Olympics.

With sponsorship secured from Redditch family business Oakland International covering gun cartridges, competition fees and funding for his GB kit should he be successful in selection for the Olympic team, Mitchell BrookerSmith is now well on his way to becoming the Olympic contender he hopes to be.

The Bulletin

M EM B ER N E WS

Updates from BFFF members

New MD to head up Reed Boardall’s transport division Yorkshire-based temperature controlled storage and distribution business Reed Boardall has appointed Graeme Richardson as managing director of its transport division.

With expertise in operations management, logistics and supply chain management, Graeme joins from National Holidays Ltd where he was a director. Previously, he spent five years with Tesco in a variety of roles including as area distribution manager for the North and as primary manager – national rail operations. Prior to that, Graeme was regional planning manager with Eddie Stobart for almost five years.

Outstanding product design

In his new role with Reed Boardall, Graeme will be seeking to grow the business by winning new customer contracts as well as looking for further operational improvements and efficiencies.

Commenting on his appointment, Graeme said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to move back into transport and to work for one of the leading refrigerated logistics companies in the UK. I’m really looking forward to being part of a family business where I can make a real difference.

UniCarriers TX3 electric counterbalance truck scoops Red Dot Award The new UniCarriers TX3 electric counterbalance truck has stood out amongst its competitors with an outstanding product design, to receive an intentional Red Dot Award.

“Reed Boardall offers a unique proposition. With 25 years of experience behind it, it has evolved to meet customers’ changing needs and provide a reliable, integrated cold storage and transport solution.

Despite turbulence in the sector, it has remained steady and I believe we have a great opportunity to build on our position of strength.”

Over 40 industry experts have put the product to the test, where the TX3 was assessed against nine different criteria, including degree of innovation, ergonomics, functionality and durability. The jury were especially impressed by the truck's exceptional combination of design and functionality.

Graeme joins Reed Boardall’s five-strong management board comprising founder and chief executive, Keith Boardall; his son Marcus, deputy chief executive; Andrew Baldwin, managing director of the cold storage division; and Sarah Roberts, finance director.

“Winning the Red Dot Award is confirmation of our great aspiration for functional yet appealing construction, which is what we strive for in our ProVision concept,” explains Tobias Laxa Group Marketing Director at UniCarriers.

● www.readboardall.com

The award will be officially presented on 9 July 2018 during the Red Dot Gala at the Aalto Theatre in Essen, Germany. ● www.unicarrierseurope.com

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

INDUSTRIAL CHILLERS / COLD ROOMS / COLD STORES 9

The Bulletin

NEW

Kara, catering for education with a new glazed oval bun

Sandwiches are the number one meal served at lunch time in schools, consumed on 35% of occasions. With this in mind Kara’s developed a new bread carrier with education at the forefront, meeting new guidelines whilst also appealing to children.

Kara, the Foodservice brand of the Finsbury Group, offers a broad array of nutritious bakery products to cater for the education sector and can’t wait for this to be in schools.

Foodservice Development Manager Danielle Meehan said: “Developing the new Glazed Oval Bun was a key for Kara knowing that every child in the UK must have a piece of bread available in school every day, it was important to develop a product that meets guidelines, but that appealed to children. The bun is pre-sliced for added convenience and ticks all the nutritional boxes needed for the education sector. The Glazed Oval Bun delivers on the needs of the Education School Foods plan, whilst delivering on a superior taste and quality, were excited to add it to our Kara range.”

2017 welcomed the revised FSA salt targets, the pressure on catering for school menus is increasingly challenging for many caters, Kara’s Glazed Oval Bun has been specifically designed to meet the new FSA salt guidelines as well as being low in fat and saturated fats; school caterers can now rest assured that with Kara’s newest Glazed Oval Bun, they are adhering to the latest government standards.

To find out more about the Glazed Oval Bun or for more information on Kara, visit www.karafs.co.uk or call 0161 351 2399 to speak to a member of the Customer Care team

The bun has a soft buttery texture which accompanies both hot and cold fillings perfectly. Chicken is the number one sandwich filler in schools*, the Glazed Oval Bun has been developed with an oval shape to allow for succulent chicken fillets to fit perfectly. But this bun is perfect for any filling and as meat free dishes are set to increase on menus in the next 2-3 years across all sectors, the glazed oval bun is suitable for both vegan and vegetarian, perfect to cater to a variety of dietary requirements.

Keep up-to-date with Kara’s latest news by following us on Twitter @karafsbakery

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The Bulletin NEW PRODUCTS

Meadow Vale Foods expands with new shredded chicken options

Icefresh Foods Ltd. to launch pre-school favourite Paw Patrol

Since its launch in 2016 the Meadow Vale Foods Homestyle range has proved to be very popular with caterers. In response to the success of these innovative products Meadow Vale Foods are pleased to introduce two new lines to the Homestyle range.

Chicken breast fillet strips in the trade mark Homestyle crunchy coating and Salt & Pepper Shredded Chicken. They are fully cooked, hand cut, whole muscle chicken breast fillets that can be cooked from frozen either deep fried or oven baked making them a great addition to any menu.

In the run up to summer 2018, Icefresh Foods Ltd is launching a new line of Paw Patrol ice-cream lollies, after winning licensing rights for the products in the UK. Based on the hit Nick Jr. pre-school show Paw Patrol, the paw-shaped, all natural, chocolate and vanilla flavoured lollies are currently listed in Asda, Tesco, Co-op, Iceland, Aldi and Farmfoods.

Birds Eye keeps its finger on the pulse with new frozen pulse mixes

Country Range launches new sweet potato fries

To help cater to the growing number of vegan and flexitarian diets, Birds Eye, the nation’s favourite frozen food brand, is launching a new range of frozen Pulse Mixes in three tasty varieties. Created to pack a more flavoursome punch than their tinned counterparts, the new Pulse Mixes are made with top quality vegetables and are brimming full of protein and plenty of fibre helping to make mealtimes even easier.

With loaded or dirty fries popping up on menus all over the country, leading independent foodservice brand Country Range is looking to make it easier for operators to take advantage of the trend by adding Sweet Potato Fries to its growing portfolio of products.

Sweet potato fries offer operators an extra level of customisation and differentiation to their menus, as well as being marginally healthier than standard fries due to their carbohydrate content.

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As Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, George Eustice MP’s responsibilities are vast.

They include food and farming, from Common Agricultural Policy, to apprenticeships and exports. He also focuses on fisheries, better regulation and science and innovation.

Coming from a farming background, his family still run a fruit farm, restaurant and farm shop in Cornwall where they also have a herd of South Devon cattle and the country’s oldest herd of the rare breed of pig, the British Lop. The Bulletin recently caught up with the Defra minister to ask his thoughts on Brexit, the plastic debate and what role the frozen food industry can play in the future of food…

What do you think the long-term implications of Defra’s vision of ‘Green Brexit’ will be for the food industry, how will it affect ingredient sourcing, transport practices and food waste?

I think there are two areas where it will have an impact; one is when it comes to food waste in particular. We’ve got a big section on food waste in the 25-year environment plan and there is a strategy coming up later this year on dealing with waste in general. That is also going to cover food waste, because we know we currently have too much food wastage and we want to reduce that and encourage reuse wherever we can, in order to limit the amount that ends up going to landfill.

The second big area is in agriculture where we want to completely recast the agricultural policy that we have now, to one that’s built around payment for the delivery of environmental goods. That could mean some changes to farm husbandry, in particular the way we manage soils and work we can do to improve water quality.

That could also have some impact on spending on things such as research and development for different types of crop and variety so that we’ve got natural genetic resistance.

On transport, it’s an issue that the department of transport lead on, but obviously there’s a lot of emphasis on trying to reduce distribution costs.

A number of leading retailers in recent years have started to move to more local distribution networks so they are not transporting all their goods to large central depots then re-distributing, but wherever possible taking direct deliveries into more local stores. Obviously the really big one as well is, we would like to see import displacement and more of our food produced domestically wherever we can.

Many BFFF members are importers of ingredients as well as exporters of finished food products, what is the government doing to help reduce barriers to international trade once UK exits the EU? There’s two things in the context of the EU, we’ve been very clear that we want to have a comprehensive free-trade agreement with a customs agreement that limits friction at the border, keeps that to an absolute minimum, but also crucially allows us to have tariff-free trade in the food and farming sector. That’s our objective and obviously there’s a lot of discussions going on at the moment about the future economic partnership with the EU. The second thing relates more internationally and we have been clear that we want to be free to do free trade agreements with various countries outside the EU. We want to be outside the common external tariffs as an in-point and we’re also redoubling our efforts on other international forums such as Codex and some of the other UN bodies that help when it comes to international standard setting, which can reduce some of the non-tariff barriers.

The UK frozen food industry is a buoyant sector worth £8bn and growing at 5% a year, what can the government do to reassure the industry and give it confidence to invest in order to help us achieve our ambition of creating a market worth £10bn?

I’ll say two things; one to give you the reinsurance that the government is absolutely committed to putting in place a comprehensive free-trade agreement with the European Union with frictionless borders and with access equivalent to that which is currently enjoyed. I know that’s important for some sectors. We are committed to promoting healthy eating in this country and that will be a benefit as well to number of BFFF members.

But finally, we also want to do more to get market access to other markets in the world and the important thing about the frozen food sector is that it’s not perishable. The opportunity to export to markets that are further afield is very much stronger in the frozen sector than it is in the fresh food sector.

14

In what areas does Defra’s new equipment policy overlap with food and farming policies, and how will the frozen food industry need to adapt?

supporting food manufacturers to help reduce waste in their manufacturing processes and that very much links to the 25year environment plan we set out.

There’s a lot of overlap in that we’ve been clear that our future farming policy is going to be about payment for environmental goods. We are developing – we set this out in our consultation – a new environmental land management scheme. Rather than pay for farmers based on how much land they own, it will pay them for the way they farm and for farming more sustainably.

For adopting approaches to farm husbandry that improve soil quality, water quality and organic matters or for instance, improved habitats for farmland birds and pollinators.

I think the frozen food sector is well placed to grow. One of the things we want to do to reduce household waste is to get people to really think twice before, as they sometimes do, overbuying fresh produce which then goes out of date and gets thrown away. And instead to perhaps buy more frozen foods in some areas where shelf life is far less of an issue.

I think there is a challenge with the sort of modern retail culture that we’ve got, where people see lots of things that they find appetising, then they buy too much and if they are not of the mind to put it in the freezer to try to save it then it ends up having to be thrown out. That’s obviously a major factor when it comes to household waste at an individual household level.

So there’s a lot of overlap on that side, but equally as I said earlier on, waste as well. There’s an overlap between our approach to food waste and food manufacturing –

How can the frozen food industry support government ambitions to reduce food waste, improve the nation’s health and reduce plastic packaging?

We’re looking, at the moment, at the issue of plastic waste and single-use plastics has certainly risen up the agenda since Blue Planet 2. A lot of these issues that we’ve been working for some time have suddenly catapulted up the scale in terms of public consciousness. We have already introduced a ban on microbeads in cosmetics and we have put a levy on single use carrier bags.

We have a consultation out at the moment on whether we should use similar levies in other areas of packaging, to try to encourage manufacturers to think more carefully about the type of packaging they use, and where they are using plastic packaging, to try to use recycled plastic packaging rather than new plastic. We also want them to think carefully about what the disposal plan is for that packaging at the end.

We want the food and drinks industry to be very much engaged with us as we think of how about how we can improve packaging regulations later this year.

In terms of health, we try and encourage more consumption of fish and a lot of members in the frozen food sector are in the processed fish sector – there’s a lot of exports that go from this country from fish processors. But also some of the vegetables such as peas and beans. They are very healthy foods that we want to encourage greater consumption of, so I think frozen food is amongst the sectors that we want to encourage more consumption of.

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Is Defra considering any changes to EU regulations governing the UK food industry post-Brexit, such as ‘first date of freezing’ labelling?

Not initially. We are of the view that for the first day after leaving the EU, consistency and continuity is what matters most. We want a functioning statute book that businesses understand and are familiar with. We have at the moment the EU withdrawal bill which is going through Parliament and that will bring across all existing EU legislation, relating to food and labelling for instance, and places us on a UK legal footing.

In the longer term, it is possible that there could be some divergence and the discussion we are having with the European Union at the moment is how we create a system and a framework that enables us to have some divergence in some areas while adhering to the concept of equivalence or mutual recognition of our standards.

As evidence emerges and things change, there may be some areas where we want to raise our standards ahead of the European Union. There may be other areas where we want to achieve the same objective as the European Union but to do so in a slightly different way. So over time there would be some gradual divergence but we don’t see there being any imminent change in the short term.

WORKING AT HEIGHT SEMINAR Preventing Falls Whilst Working on Mobile Refrigeration Units 4th October 2018 - The Kube, Leicester Racecourse Join BFFF and FSDF for practical solutions behind the industry leading guidance In August 2017 the British Frozen Food Federation published new industry guidance on Preventing Falls Whilst Working on Mobile Refrigeration Units. Since then the BFFF and FSDF has been working together to provide evidence of best practice within the industry and definitive examples where this guidance is being put into practice.

A must attend for directors, health & safety professionals, managers, engineers working with or responsible for, working at height on mobile refrigeration systems Join us for a range of theoretical and practical sessions of working at height including: • • • • •

HSE presenting the legal expectations of preventing falls from height Case studies of actual falls from vehicle accidents Legal and claims implications if the guidance is not followed Summary of BFFF Preventing falls guidance to ensure legal compliance Practical solutions to work on vehicles with refrigeration units with risk assessment concept of ‘avoid’, ‘prevent’ and ‘minimise’ - including 6 HGV vehicles with practical access solutions.

Price: £150+vat members / £180+vat non-members Please email crystalholmes@bfff.co.uk for your booking form British Frozen Food Federation Warwick House, Unit 7, Long Bennington Business Park, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG23 5JR Tel: 01400 283090

Food Storage & Distribution Federation Unit 7, Diddenham Court, Lambwood Hill, Grazeley, Reading, Berkshire RG7 1JQ Tel: 0118 988 4468 16

HR SUPPORT

MEMBER BENEFITS

Free, confidential advice from professionals

...we’ve got you covered

Employment law can be complex and ever changing, keeping up to date can be a time-consuming task. Our HR support line is free for members and the key features are:

Over the past 6 months, BFFF has been working on developing a suite of additional member benefits exclusive to members. Our priorities have been to add value for members and/or provide a discounted cost on relevant industry costs.

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Exclusive to members

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Advice line- Unlimited access to experienced HR advisors- call as often as you need to

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Available 24/7, 365 days a year

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Online support with over 350 free downloadable employment documents

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Free HR Healthcheck

Why you need HR support:

Membership of the BFFF entitles companies to a range of services and benefits offered impartially to each individual member company. These services include specialist advice, representing and protecting the industry within Government and relevant organisations, marketing the benefits of frozen food and major industry networking events.

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Contracts of employment

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Right to work in the UK

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Flexible working

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TUPE

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Unfair dismissal

BFFF is delighted to offer this service through QDOS Consulting. Get in touch to understand how they can support your business.

CALL NOW on

We are delighted to launch these benefits with our strategic partners, Shakespeare Martineau, Qdos Consulting, NFU Mutual and SmithCarey Ltd who are all looking forward to working with members on these new benefits.

CONTRACTUAL/ BUSINESS LAW HELPLINE Shakespeare Martineau LLP are a full service national law firm with expertise across a range of specialisms. We are delighted to offer members of the BFFF Free confidential, unbiased and exclusive access to this CONTRACT / BUSINESS LAW helpline.

Welcome to our first suite of Member Benefits!

This helpline provides BFFF members with access to experienced legal professionals for support on CONTRACT / BUSINESS LAW implications which covers general legal enquiries including advice on debt recovery, property, litigation both corporate and commercial As part of the helpline, each BFFF member will receive:

For more information on any of the benefits offered contact your Membership Account Managers: Dan Schofield Tel: 01400 283095 Email: danschofield@bfff.co.uk or Kate Miller Tel: 01400 664320 Email: katemiller@bfff.co.uk

0845 697 0413

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Free 30 minutes’ phone consultation concerning any new legal matter

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A discount of 12% against the standard hourly rates of the fee earners involved thereafter

To discuss any of your legal concerns or issues call Shakespeare Martineau: CALL NOW on

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TRAINING SUPPORT

BREXIT SUPPORT

Dedicated commercial training support by industry professionals.

Shakespeare Martineau LLP are a full service national law firm with expertise across a range of specialisms. We are delighted to offer members of the BFFF Free confidential, unbiased and exclusive access to this BREXIT advice line.

Our BREXIT helpline provides BFFF members with access to experienced legal professionals for support on BREXIT implications which includes advice around immigration, contract support in relation to import/export of goods and support on trade implications relating to tariffs once the WTO rules come into effect

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Exclusive to BFFF members

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Bespoke 1 day non-residential course programme tailored to the needs of the industry BFFF Programmes: 1.

Commercial Selling Skills a. End User b. Key Account

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Effective ‘Account & Customer Management’ a. Foodservice b. Retail

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Negotiating ‘Cost Price Increase’

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GSCoP in Action (GCA approved)

As part of the helpline, each BFFF member will receive: •

Free 30 minutes’ phone consultation concerning any new legal matter

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A discount of 12% against the standard hourly rates of the fee earners involved thereafter

To discuss any of your legal concerns or issues call Shakespeare Martineau: CALL NOW on

0845 697 0410

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Discounted rates for members

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Free telephone support as part of each programme CALL NOW on

COMMERCIAL INSURANCE ADVICE

‘MOCK’ EMPLOYERS LIABILITY TRIAL

Speak to us to get advice on the wider insurance market and changes that could impact your business by calling our skilled professionals.

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Free service to BFFF members

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Confidential and impartial review of your current insurance provision

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Identify gaps in your current cover

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Improve your risk profile

CALL NOW on

0845 697 0412

Employers liability claims can have a significant impact on any business and their directors. We have secured funded places at a Mock Trial event held at the Royal Society, London.

0845 697 0414

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Experience a civil trial environment

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Real legal professionals

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Learn to improve your day to day processes in order that your claims are more defendable

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20 delegate spaces (for BFFF members)

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Book your space - Thursday 20th September 2018 CONTACT: clairemathieson@bfff.co.uk

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DEVELOPMENT PLANNING ADVICE

THERMOGRAPHIC RISK ASSESSMENT

As your business grows and site requirements change, new space is needed. By offering a desktop consultation at the point that developments are planned, advice on a range of matters to avoid future complications can be considered.

What is thermography?

Electrical installations are made up of complex electrical components. As they start to age, they deteriorate and consequently may display elevated temperatures. If left undetected this can result in a catastrophic fire event.

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Free service to BFFF members

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Independent advice

Thermography is ideal for seeing what is visible beyond the naked eye.

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Objective review

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Exclusive discounted rate for BFFF members

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Avoid costly mistakes

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Full report at the end of the survey

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Dedicated account management team

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Free access to your e-report online

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Highly trained surveyor

(You should still discuss any development plans with your current insurer) CALL NOW on

0845 697 0415

CALL NOW on

PRIMARY AUTHORITY

MAJOR INCIDENT GROUP

Primary Authority is a Government run scheme that helps businesses from unnecessary legal challenges.

BFFF members joined to our Primary Authority schemes enjoy receiving guidance for the local authorities chosen by BFFF for their competence in our sector. Members can take advantage of expertise in for the following areas: • • •

Health and Safety Food Safety & Hygiene Food Standards & Labelling

• • •

First alert for major food safety incidents Following recent food scares and the necessity for members to receive prompt information relating to food safety issues, BFFF created our unique Major Incident Member Interest Group.

BFFF receives the information from a number of reliable food safety information sources and disseminates this to members rapidly. The key features are:

Weights & Measures Fair Trading Fire Safety

How can the BFFF Scheme Benefit Your Business?

• We can facilitate access to a wealth of experience and understanding of the scheme • Over 30 pieces of sector wide advice - additional advice driven by member requirements • BFFF do all the administration for setting up a scheme for you – just contact us and we will do the rest • Trade with confidence- no unnecessary enforcement queries • Can potentially save you money • Free to join- as it’s free why wouldn’t you?

CALL NOW on

0845 697 0417

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Exclusive to members

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Relevant information is gathered from a number of sources and disseminated accordingly

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Free for members

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Information is distributed electronically to an unlimited number of BFFF member contacts- add as many of your team to the distribution lists as you would like.

Around 100 of our members have already joined up to this scheme with over 8 communications already going out to the industry.

CONTACT: deniserion@bfff.co.uk

0845 697 0411

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Life in the

FREEZER People award winners

Sharon Rigby

Brennan Green

Sharon Rigby was awarded the Technical Champion of the Year award for her outstanding work at The Authentic Food Company Ltd.

With nearly two decades of initiatives, Brennan Green received the sustainability leader award.

Sharon first joined the world of frozen food in 1995 as a HACCP team leader and microbiologist. With over 19 years of expertise, Sharon is now a group technical manager at The Authentic Food Co, where she sits on numerous panels sharing the best practice with other industry professionals and partners.

“It may have been my name on the award, but it was a team effort,” says Brennan, advisor to the board at Paramount 21.

Sharon, 45, said: “My career within the frozen food sector started in a rather unusual direction. After graduating university in food science, I briefly became fascinated with forensic science, which you’d think has nothing to do with food!

Having spent his entire career in the food industry – for names including Heinz, Marks & Spencer and Rahbek Foods – Brennan has witnessed first-hand the increasing importance of sustainability in business.

“But once I started as a microbiologist I’ve realised how dynamic and versatile the food sector truly is.”

He said: “I started working at Marks & Spencer as a food technologist in 1978. They were – and still are – pioneers on issues around sustainability, especially in terms of seafood resourcing.

Following The Authentic Food Co's acquisition of the Dundalk site, the new project required a complete transformation not only internally but also externally as it was not approved to work with raw meat.

Sharon said: “Within six months we’ve managed to turn this around and become a fully functioning site, which is highly recognised by major food retailers including our approval of Tesco.

“It was a pleasure to attend the BFFF awards and celebrate with my colleagues and peers who were also recognised for their varied achievements. This shows how much we can do as an industry when we work together.”

From coaching her team to influencing the direction of the business, all whilst on a storm chasing holiday in Tornado Alley, Sharon is always on the hunt for new opportunities and ensure that the business she loves is at the front of her mind continuously planning ‘what’s next’.

“Without the support and commitment of everyone at Paramount 21, we never could have achieved all that we have.”

“Over the years sustainability came to have more and more prominence, particularly with the launch of the Marine Stewardship Council.”

Brennan began working with Paramount 21 in 2001 through his consultancy BJG Associates. Since then he has championed dozens of initiatives including reduction in energy and water usage, packaging reduction and responsible sourcing.

As a dad-of-three and grandad to Ella, 21 months, Brennan says it is impossible not to think about the future of the planet.

The keen sportsman who lives in Worcester with his wife Linda, added: “A lot of companies used to consider sustainability as something that would cost money, rather than add value to the business in the long term.

“Sustainability is part of Paramount 21’s ethos, so much so, it forms an integral part of its social responsibility strategy. Working alongside the team to develop and have them embrace initiatives like this really stand out as career highlights – the People Award is for them.”

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“Join us at one of the most prestigious networking events in the frozen food calendar” EA

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Tickets Cost: £130 + VAT EARLY BIRD OFFER: Book a full table of 12 and enjoy 2 complimentary places on every table of 12 booked thereafter. (offer based on one total booking)

Contact: Jilly Wallis on Tel: 01400 664321 Email: jillywallis@bfff.co.uk Headline Sponsor:

In partnership with:

Proud to support the BFFF and sponsor this year’s Gala Dinner Dance.

From our kitchen to yours.

We provide authentic tasting dishes from all around the world. From our kitchen to yours, every single dish we create is unique. To find out more visit mealcreations.co.uk

 

@mealcreations mealcreations

Part of

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

2018

Gala Dinner Dance Product Awards

Gala Dinner Dance

The BFFF Gala Dinner Dance and Product Awards once again proved the frozen food industry still has much to celebrate with the 31st year of the Product Awards.

Organised to honour the best new frozen food products across both retail and foodservice, the evening saw guests gather at London’s Hilton Park Lane for an evening of achievement, entertainment and dancing...

IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR HEADLINE SPONSOR KERRY FOODS:

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The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

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ewly appointed BFFF president and joint MD of Iceland, Nigel Broadhurst, opened the evening by praising the innovation and creativity of the people in the room. He also thanked members for their continued support over the past three decades.

This year, the event’s headline sponsor was Kerry Foods, with its Meal Creations brand a prominent feature across the five star venue.

A show-stopping four course menu by executive chef Anthony Marshall and team included a tomato tartar with pulled mozzarella, green tomato gel and balsamic jelly followed by miso black cod with bok choy.

The main course was fillet of beef with pea purée, charred broccoli and confit potato served with light jus.

Peach Melba, coffee and petit fours rounded things off.

Junk drummers and dancers, Clatteratti kicked off the entertainment before Dr David Bull took to the stage to announce the awards – all of which are judged independently by a panel of consumers and representatives from the Craft Guild of Chefs, to ensure a fair and independent process.

For the first year, the Product Awards were sponsored

by XPO Logistics, with Business Unit Director Martin Atkinson, joining BFFF chief executive John Hyman on stage to present the trophies. The full list of award winners can be found on page 45 and 51 of this issue of The Bulletin.

The night was also supported by sponsors including Bidfood, Iceland, Freiberger and NFU Mutual, who we must thank for their continued support – without you we simply couldn’t put on such a brilliant event.

Following the awards, guests made their way to the dancefloor to enjoy the entertainment from a DJ and band Rollacoaster.

As always, guests enjoyed breakfast at 1.30am to refuel and get their dancing shoes ready to party into the early hours.

Speaking after this year’s event BFFF’s John Hyman said: “This event is always the highlight of the frozen food calendar and it’s definitely been a night to remember.

“The support we receive year after year for the awards and the gala dinner dance, not only from attendees but also our generous sponsors is a testament to the nature of our industry.

“These events are a time to catch up with old faces, get acquainted with new ones and share stories and insight as well as celebrating the incredible innovations and work that comes from our talented industry on a daily basis. We work in a thriving industry and we look forward to our next chance to celebrate this at our Annual Conference and People Awards in February.”

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1. President, Nigel Broadhurst, delivers his first Dinner Dance speech 2. John Hyman, BFFF Chief Executive, welcomes guests to his table 3. Bidfood – Sponsors of the President’s VIP Reception 4. Alex Gipps of Joe Buckner Associates with Jo Rudkin and Rufus Carter of Patchwork Foods (l-r) 5. Freiberger UK – Partnership Sponsors 6. Alan Selby, Jacinda Caden and David Bostock of Integral UK (l-r) 7. CROP’s welcome guests including BFFF President, Nigel Broadhurst 8. Kerry Foods – Meal Creations – Headline Sponsors of the 2018 Gala Dinner Dance 9. Anglia Crown, JCS Fish, NFU Mutual – Partnership Sponsors, Riverside Food Services, Suncream Dairies and The UK Foodhall – enjoy the evening together 10. apetito 11. Birds Eye 12. Cargill Meats Europe 13. Celebrity Compere – Dr. David Bull 14. Bidfood – Sponsors of the President’s VIP Reception 15 & 16. Ardo UK 17. Paul Murray, BFFF Head of Commercial, welcomes guests to his table 18. Seating Brochures sponsored by Iceland 19. Coppenrath & Wiese UK 20. Ardo UK 21. CP Foods (UK) 22. Dawn Foods 23. DiSotto Foods 24. Lakeland Dairies 25. Anne Watts, Peter Day – Honorary Life Member and Alex Gipps catch up in the reception

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26. John Hyman, BFFF Chief Executive, and Nigel Broadhurst, BFFF President and Joint Managing Director of Iceland, (l-r) welcome guests to the VIP Reception 27. Members and Guests enjoy the VIP Reception 28. Best Foods 29. Glendale Foods, Procuro Euro and Shakespeare Martineau 30. Icefresh Foods 31. Dawn Meats 32. Creative Foods Europe 33. Lamb Weston/Meijer VOF 34. Macphie 35. NewCold 36. Newberry International Produce 37. Moy Park 38. The Billington Group 39. Yearsley Group, Integral UK and Shazan Foods 40. Sea Products International 41. Pacific West Foods (UK), Patchwork Foods and Tulip 42. ABP Wessex 43. Aldi Stores, Destiny Foods and MacAndrews & Company 44. David Wood Baking 45. Rick Bestwick 46. Bruce Alexander of Kerry Foods and Sebastien Guibert of Delifrance 47. The Authentic Food Co. 48. Michael Bennett and Ellie Stott of Pelican Communications 49. Clatteratti welcome members and guests to join in with drumming 50. Members and guests enjoy the reception 51. BFFF 2018 Product Award 52. Kerry Foods/Meal Creations – Headline Sponsor of the Gala Dinner Dance 53. Charlotte Durant and Kirsten Stewart (l-r) of Iceland – thrilled to win the Retail Product of the Year

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54. Samir Edwards of KK Fine Foods is ‘over the moon’ at winning the Foodservice Product of the Year 55. Clatteratti ‘get the party started’ 56. BFFF Team thank all members and their guests for making it such a magical evening!

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BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

Gala Dinner Dance Product Awards

BFFF Annual

Product Awards 2018 SPONSORED BY:

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SPONSORED BY:

R ETA IL AWA R DS

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The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

Retail awards summary RETAIL PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

Luxury Triple Dipped Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sticks

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BEST NEW POULTRY-BASED PRODUCT GOLD

Lemon and Black Pepper Chicken Fettuccine

Iceland Foods Ltd.

SILVER

Inspirations Mini Fillets Wrapped in Sesame Seed Breadcrumbs

Birds Eye Ltd.

BRONZE

Specially Selected Chicken Turkey Parcel with Apricot Stuffing

Aldi Stores Ltd.

BEST NEW FISH-BASED PRODUCT GOLD

Specially Selected Crab and Crayfish Salmon Mac 'n' Cheese

Aldi Stores Ltd.

SILVER

Arctic Royal Salt Baked Seabass

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Morrisons Free-From Lemon & Pepper Fish Bites

Crown Foods Ltd.

BEST NEW VEGETABLE-BASED PRODUCT GOLD

Vegetable Chips

Aunt Bessie's Ltd.

GOLD

Frozen Tenderstem Broccoli

TSA International Ltd.

BRONZE

Specially Selected Spinach, Leek and West Country Cheddar Parcels

Aldi Stores Ltd.

BEST NEW MEAT-BASED PRODUCT GOLD

Lidl, What's Cooking? Macaroni Cheese with Kale and Pancetta

SILVER

Luxury Aberdeen Angus and Merlot Pie

BRONZE

Luxury Rose Veal Saltimbocca

Laila's Fine Foods Ltd. Iceland Foods Ltd. Iceland Foods Ltd.

BEST NEW PIZZA/SAVOURIES AND SAVOURY BREAD PRODUCT GOLD

Co-op Mediterranean Vegetable Pizza

Freiberger UK Ltd.

SILVER

Simply Party 60 Mini Deep Dish Pizza Selection

Crown Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Co-op Party Mini Margherita Pizza Bites

Fullers Foods Intl.

BEST NEW ICE CREAM/DESSERT/CONFECTIONERY PRODUCT GOLD

Luxury Triple Dipped Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sticks

Iceland Foods Ltd.

SILVER

Luxury Triple Dipped Rasperry and Chocolate Ice Cream Sticks

Iceland Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Specially Selected Red Berry Layered Dessert

Aldi Stores Ltd.

Result sheets compiled from information supplied on entry.

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BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

Dr. David Bull, Celebrity Compere, Martin Atkinson of XPO, Kirsten Stewart and Charlotte Durant of Iceland and John Hyman of BFFF (l-r).

RETAIL Product of the Year

SPONSORED BY:

Luxury Triple Dipped Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sticks by Iceland Foods Ltd. have been crowned Best New Frozen Retail Product of the Year.

Iceland’s product came out victorious, being picked out of this year’s other gold award winners to take the overall title. Gold winners on the night included Aldi which claimed the Best New Fish-Based Product, Laila’s Fine Foods Ltd. which won Best New Meat-Based Product and Aunt Bessie’s Ltd. and TSA International Ltd. which were joint winners of the Best New Vegetable-Based Product. Iceland also took Best New Poultry-Based Product and Freiberger UK Ltd. were the Gold award winners of Best New Pizza, Savouries and Savoury Bread Product.

The BFFF Retail Awards are unique in that the winners are chosen by independent consumers from across the UK, marking products for appearance, taste, innovation, packaging, preparation instructions, likelihood of purchase and value for money.

Commenting on this year’s winner, BFFF chief executive John Hyman said: “The Retail Product of the Year is a coveted award and a real achievement for Iceland. This product was a sure fire hit with the consumer panels, who loved the sweet treat of salted caramel flavour ice cream coated with a chocolate flavoured coating, salted caramel sauce and milk chocolate.”

He added: “It is innovative and premium new products like this across all categories that are contributing to this successful and growing sector, which is currently valued at £6.2bn based on Kantar Worldpanel data from the 52 weeks ending 25th March 2018. With a sales growth rate of 6.6% year on year (YOY), we are heading confidently towards our total industry target of £10bn.”

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The pasta dish consists of cooked seared chicken breast strips with cooked fettuccine pasta topped with a three cheese cream sauce infused with lemon and black pepper, hand finished with rocket. The 500g product retails at £2.69 per portion and can be microwaved from frozen in nine minutes.

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Sliver was awarded to Birds Eye’s Inspirations Mini Fillets Wrapped in Sesame Seed Breadcrumbs.

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1. Steve Ford, Iceland (centre right). 2. Stephanie Hockings, Bird's Eye. 3. Rachael Keogh and Katy Patterson, Aldi Stores (l-r).

The bronze award went to Aldi’s Specially Selected Chicken Turkey Parcel with Apricot Stuffing.

1 The gold award in the fish-based product category went to Aldi Stores Ltd. with its Specially Selected Crab and Crayfish Salmon Mac ‘n’ Cheese. The product was described as ‘something new, unusual combination but it worked’, with a ‘delicious flavour’ and was an all-round favourite with our consumer panel.

This year’s silver award went to Arctic Royal Salt Baked Seabass from Iceland Foods Ltd.

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The bronze award was won by Morrisons Free From Lemon & Pepper Fish Bites by Crown Foods Ltd.

1.Katy Patterson, Aldi Stores. 2. Iceland team. 3. Karolina Rudomska, Agata Perlowska-Janusz, Claire Rawlins, Trisha Rasor, and Tracey Wadsworth (l-r), Crown Foods.

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Fish-based product

Iceland took away the award for best poultry-based product for the third year in a row with its Lemon and Black Pepper Chicken Fettuccine which was praised for its ‘lovely and succulent chicken’, ‘very good seasoning’ and described as ‘as good as homemade (or better)’ by the panel of judges.

Poultry-based product

Retail awards Best new...

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

Meat-based Product

Vegetable-based Product

Retail awards Best new...

This year’s vegetable based product award judging was incredibly close with an eventual result of two joint gold winners of Aunt Bessie’s Ltd.’s Vegetable Chips and TSA International Ltd.’s Frozen Tenderstem® Broccoli.

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Aunt Bessie’s Vegetable Chips combine a mixture of parsnips, carrots and sweet potatoes that can be baked from frozen in just 20 minutes. While TSA International’s Tenderstem® Broccoli can be treated in the same way as its fresh counterpart and retails at £1.75 for a 270g pack.

The bronze award in this category went to Aldi Stores Ltd. Specially Selected Spinach, Leek and West Country Cheddar Parcels.

3 1. Sarah Jackson of TSA International and Joel Freer of Aunt Bessie's (centre right). 3. Rachael Keogh and Katy Patterson (l-r), Aldi Stores.

1 Taking home gold in this category was Lidl What’s Cooking?

Macaroni Cheese with Kale and Pancetta from Laila’s Fine Foods Ltd. Our consumer panel were very complimentary of this product, describing it as ‘beautiful’ and praising its ‘good balance of flavours’.

Silver was awarded to Luxury Aberdeen Angus and Merlot Pie from Iceland Foods Ltd.

2

3

Iceland took a second award in this category with bronze going to its Luxury Rose Veal Saltimbocca.

1. Laila's Nazir (centre) and Laila Remtulla. 2. Iceland team.

46

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

The winner of this year’s gold award for the pizza/ savouries/savoury bread product was Co-Op Mediterranean Vegetable Pizza from Freiberger UK Ltd. which was praised for its ‘lovely refreshing flavours and crispy base’ as well as its ‘generous amount of vegetables’.

The silver award went to Simply Party 60 Mini Deep Dish Pizza Selection by Crown Foods Ltd.

2

Co-Op took a second award in this category, with bronze going to its Co-op Party Mini Margherita Pizza Bites by Fullers Foods International Plc.

3

1. Freiberger's James Nice (centre right). 2. Karolina Rudomska, Agata Perlowska-Janusz, Claire Rawlins, Trisha Rasor, and Tracey Wadsworth (l-r), Crown Foods. 3. Dan Schofield presents award to Fullers Foods International Plc.

1 Iceland Foods Ltd. scooped this gold prize with its Luxury Triple Dipped Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sticks, which later went on to win the Retail Product of the Year Award. Our judging panel praised the chocolate which ‘crackles well’ with ice-cream that has a ‘nice delicate taste’. The pack of three ice-cream sticks retails at £1.75.

2

Silver in this category went to Luxury Triple Dipped Raspberry and Chocolate Ice Cream Sticks by Iceland Foods Ltd.

3

Aldi Stores Ltd. took home the bronze award for its Specially Selected Red Berry Layered Dessert.

1.Kirsten Stewart and Charlotte Durant of Iceland (l-r). 2. Iceland Team. 3. Rachael Keogh and Katy Patterson (l-r), Aldi Stores.

47

Ice cream/Dessert/Confectionery Product

1

Pizza/Savouries and Savoury Bread Product

Retail awards Best new...

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

SPONSORED BY:

FOODS ERVI C E AWARD S

48

The Bulletin

Foodservice awards summary

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

FOODSERVICE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

Gluten Free Butternut Squash, Brie, Beetroot and Truffle Infused Oil Tart

KK Fine Foods Plc.

BEST NEW STARTER/BUFFET/APPETISER PRODUCT GOLD

Quality Cuisine Somerset Brie and Blueberry Chutney Tart

Bidfood

SILVER

Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese Souflettes

Innovate Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Mini Party Chicken, Bacon and Leek Pie- Frozen Unbaked

The Country Range Group Ltd.

BEST NEW ACCOMPANIMENT/POTATO/VEGETABLE PRODUCT GOLD

Cool'eaze Red Pepper and Rosemary

Daregal Gourmet Ltd.

SILVER

Keck Pasta Gluten Free Rigatoni

Food Team Intl.

BRONZE

Smootheelicious Breakfast Smoothie

Newberry Intl. Produce

BEST NEW MAIN COURSE/MEAL CENTRE PRODUCT GOLD

M&J Bistro Hand Battered MSC Cod Fillets

Brakes

SILVER

Pizza Express Gluten Free Seafood Rigatoni with Pinot Grigio

KK Fine Foods Plc.

BRONZE

Proper Pies Buffalo Chicken Pie

Oliver James Foods

BEST NEW MEAT-FREE/VEGETARIAN PRODUCT GOLD

Aromatic Garden Burger

Paramount 21 Ltd.

SILVER

Premium Selection Gluten Free Brie and Beetroot Chutney Tart in Kale Pastry

Bidfood

BRONZE

Marstons Pubs Vegetable & Paneer Jalfrezi

The Authentic Food Company Ltd.

BEST NEW MULTI-PORTION PRODUCT GOLD

Turkey Ballotine

Brakes

SILVER

Everyday Favourites Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Bidfood

BRONZE

Macaroni Cheese with Kale & Pancetta

Laila's Fine Foods Ltd.

BEST NEW BAKERY/PASTRIES PRODUCT GOLD

Gluten Free Butternut Squash, Brie, Beetroot and Truffle Infused Oil Tart

KK Fine Foods Plc.

SILVER

Dawn Scoop and Bake Carrot Cake

Dawn Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

'Premium Selection' Lemon, Blackcurrant and Polenta Loaf Cake

Bidfood

BEST NEW ICE CREAM/DESSERT/CONFECTIONERY PRODUCT GOLD

Premium Selection Individual Truffle Torte With A Gold Shimmering Profiterole

Bidfood

SILVER

Simply Party 40 Banana Fritters With Three Dips

Crown Foods Ltd.

BRONZE

Kitchen Range Gluten Free Sugared Donuts

Moy Park Ltd.

Result sheets compiled from information supplied on entry.

49

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

Foodservice Product Of The Year Gluten Free Butternut Squash, Brie, Beetroot & Truffle Infused Oil Tart Foodservice Product of the Year 2018 Gold Award for Best New Bakery/Pastries Product

Gluten Free Seafood Rigatoni With Pinot Grigio Silver for Best New Main Course/Meal Centre Product

SOUS VIDE • READY MEALS • SAUCES • SOUPS • STARTERS & SHARERS TRADITIONAL • WORLD FOOD • FREE-FROM • PASTRY

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

FINE FOODS LTD

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

Dr. David Bull, Celebrity Compere, Gordon Mills of KK Fine Foods Plc, Martin Atkinson of XPO Logistics, Samir Edwards and Stuart Davey of KK Fine Foods Plc, Andrew Green of The Craft Guild of Chefs and John Hyman of BFFF.

FOODSERVICE Product of the Year

SPONSORED BY:

Gluten Free Butternut Squash, Brie, Beetroot & Truffle Infused Oil Tart produced

by KK Fine Foods Plc has been crowned Best New Frozen Foodservice Product of the Year.

The tart from KK Fine Foods Plc. came out on top of the evening’s foodservice gold winners which included Bidfood which won both Best New Ice-Cream/Dessert/Confectionery product and Best New Starter/Buffet/Appetiser Product, as well as Brakes which won Best New Main Course/Meal Centre Product and Best New Multi-Portion Product. Other gold winners are Daregal Gourmet for Best New Accompaniment, Paramount 21 for Best New Meat-Free/Vegetarian and KK Fine Foods also won Best New Bakery.

development, providing end users with high quality, original recipes as well as convenience in preparation and labour-savings within the kitchen.”

The annual Frozen Food Awards are highly respected throughout the catering industry, being judged by representatives of the Craft Guild of Chefs including executive chefs, catering managers and recipe developers who are experts in their field and uncompromising in their assessments of the category entrants.

Commenting on the awards, BFFF chief executive John Hyman said: “Our judges couldn’t speak highly enough of the Gluten Free Butternut Squash, Brie, Beetroot & Truffle Infused Oil Tart, praising its ‘generous chunks of butternut squash and brie’, and gave feedback such as ‘what a good eat for vegetarians.’

John Hyman added: “Yet again, we’ve seen an impressive range of innovative foodservice products across all categories this year, with plenty of creativity, providing high quality, tasty products that cater to current consumer trends and demands. They demonstrate that frozen food continues to lead the industry in terms of innovation and 51

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

Accompaniment/potato/vegetable product

Starter/buffet/appetiser product

Foodservice awards Best new...

The gold award this year goes to Bidfood’s Quality Cuisine Somerset Brie and Blueberry Chutney Tart which was well-loved by all of the judges for its interesting pairing of Somerset brie and blueberry chutney.

Comments from the judges included a ‘generous amount of brie and blueberry’, ‘well presented, good colour, nice pastry.’ This marked the first category win of the evening for Bidfood.

1

The silver award this year went to Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese Souflettes by Innovate Foods Ltd.

2

Bronze was awarded to Mini Party Chicken, Bacon & Leek Pie – Frozen Unbaked by The Country Range Group Ltd.

3

1. Louise Lyle and Holly Marrerro-Easson of Bidfood (l-r). 2. Tim Page and Tony Dumbreck of Innovate Foods. 3. Coral Rose, The Country Range Group.

1

2

The gold winner in this category was Daregal Gourmet Ltd. for its Cool’eaze Red Pepper and Rosemary. This product was developed by starred chef Christian Le Squer, following requirements from chefs around taste and technical ability, allowing them to be as creative as they like. The Cool’eaze Red Pepper and Rosemary was designed to be paired with fish dishes and summer vegetables and was described by judges as ‘very innovative’, with ‘good colour and flavour’ and ‘good for garnish.’

3

The silver award in this category went to Food Team International’s Keck Pasta Gluten Free Rigatoni.

1. Martin McIlroy (centre right), Daregal. 3. Maarja Mathias, Newberry International Produce.

Bronze was won by Smootheelicious Breakfast Smoothie by Newberry International Produce Ltd. 52

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

53

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL AWARDS 2018

Paramount Wins BFFF Gold!

for Best New Meat-Free/Vegetarian Product 2018

Our vegetarian and vegan products are accredited by the Vegetarian Society

Aromatic Garden Burger

Vegetarian | F0696 | 20 x 150g A rustic mix of broad beans, peas, potato and spinach, seasoned with aromatic spices, lightly coated in breadcrumbs, flecked with oats and parsley.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have won Gold with our Aromatic Garden Burger. Foodservice manufacturing is a competitive marketplace but we have the perfect blend of innovation, creativity and passion and this on-trend burger seems to have hit the spot!” Sarah Cumber, Marketing Manager

01626 837650

Contact us...

01626 837650 info@paramount21.co.uk WWW.paramount21.co.uk @Paramount21Ltd

WE SPECIALISE IN CREATING PREMIUM VALUE-ADDED FROZEN VEGETARIAN, VEGAN, SEAFOOD AND GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS FOR TODAY’S FAST-PACED FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY TEL: 01626 837650

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

A great win for Brakes with its M&J Bistro Hand Battered MSC Cod Fillets which took the gold prize in this category.

This great product is skinless and boneless and can be deep fried from frozen in eight to ten minutes. Our judges thought it was delicious, offering a ‘nice appearance, crispy batter, well-seasoned, plump cod of a very good quality’, which earnt it the top category prize.

2

Silver was taken by Pizza Express Gluten Free Seafood Rigatoni with Pinot Grigio by KK Fine Foods Plc.

3

The bronze prize was awarded to Proper Pies Buffalo Chicken Pie by Oliver James Foods.

1. Janice Rockwell, Brakes. 2. Stuart Davey, Donna Thompson, and Samir Edwards of KK Fine Foods. 3. Zoe Hayward and James Buffet of Oliver James Foods.

This year’s gold award was won by the Aromatic Garden Burger from Paramount 21 Ltd. The product offers an ontrend twist on the classic and well-loved burger format and is a delicious tasting and visually vibrant vegetarian burger.

Our judges described it as having a ‘strong pea and very green filling’ and praised the product’s ‘good colour and nice thin crumb’.

1

The silver award in this category went to Bidfood’s Premium Selection Gluten Free Brie and Beetroot Chutney Tart in Kale Pastry.

Bronze was won by Marstons Pubs Vegetable & Paneer Jalfrezi by The Authentic Food Company Ltd.

2

3

2. Catherine Ekundayo, Bidfood. 3. Nick Harris, The Authentic Food Company.

55

Meat-free/Vegetarian Product

1

Main Course/Meal Centre Product

Foodservice awards Best new...

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

Bakery/Pastries Product

Multi-Portion Product

Foodservice awards Best new...

This year’s gold award went to Brakes Turkey Ballotine which is filled with a gluten-free pork, sage & onion stuffing, encased in Savoy cabbage leaves and wrapped in streaky bacon. This beautiful product is hand-rolled turkey breast and comes in an ovenable cooking bag for ease of preparation. Our judges described it as ‘easy to carve’, ‘great for a carvery’ and commented that it ‘looks good whole and tastes good as a slice.’

1

Silver was awarded to Everyday Favourites Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Spinach Curry by Bidfood.

2

The bronze award was won by Macaroni Cheese with Kale & Pancetta from Laila’s Fine Foods Ltd.

3

1. Aaron Friend, Brakes (centre right). 2. Catherine Ekundayo, Bidfood. 3. Zera Remtulla, Natasha Beaver, Laila Remtulla, Rishma Remtulla, Nazir Remtulla, Laila's Fine Foods.

1

2

This year’s gold award for best new bakery/pastries product went to Gluten Free Butternut Squash, Brie, Beetroot & Truffle Infused Oil Tart from KK Fine Foods Plc. which went on to take the title of Foodservice Product of the Year.

Our judges loved this product and gave it feedback such as, ‘excellent product. So different. Very good shape, size with a very good, interesting filling. What a good eat for vegetarians.’

3

1. Samir Edwards (c) and Stuart Davey (centre right), KK Fine Foods. 2. Andy Henderson, Dawn Foods. 3. Rachel Cook, Bidfood.

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The silver award in this category went to Dawn Foods Ltd. Dawn Scoop and Bake Carrot Cake.

Bidfood took home bronze with the ‘Premium Selection’ Lemon, Blackcurrant and Polenta Loaf Cake.

DID YOU KNOW? Studies show that the sense of smell is the most powerful stimulus known, often producing a strong emotional response.

HAVE YOU TRIED OUR AWARD WINNING SCOOP & BAKE? FRESHLY BAKED PRODUCTS ROUND THE CLOCK, WITH NO WEIGHING, MIXING OR MESS. Our Scoop & Bake range of frozen batters and doughs is simple to use and delivers delicious, fresh baked results every time. We offer a wide range of flavours including our AWARD WINNING Carrot Cake!

Take complete control over what you bake, product sizes and price points.

Simply scoop the batter into muffin cases, sandwich tins, loaf cake tins, cupcake cases, sheet cake trays or silicone moulds, and fill your premises with the irresistible aroma of fresh baking.

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Providing the ingredients for life’s sweet moments

dawnfoods.com 01386 760843

The Bulletin BFFF ANNUAL AWARDS 2016

BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

Ice-Cream/Dessert/Confectionery Product

Foodservice awards Best new...

This year’s gold award went to Bidfood with its Premium Selection Individual Truffle Torte with a Gold Shimmering Profiterole. This exquisite dessert of a chocolate sponge based topped with rich chocolate truffle and a gooey caramel centre, finished with a show-stopping gold shimmering profiterole wowed our judges. Feedback included, ‘portion size spot on – light and rich – smooth and creamy’, ‘lovely sheen to chocolate… truffle and profiterole was light and good quality.’

1

2

The silver award went to Simply Party 40 Banana Fritters with Three Dips from Crown Foods Ltd.

3

1.Rachel Cook, Bidfood. 2. Karolina Rudomska, Agata Perlowska-Janusz, Claire Rawlins, Trisha Rasor, and Tracey Wadsworth, Crown Foods. 3. Ian Hyland, Moy Park.

Bronze was awarded to Kitchen Range Gluten Free Sugared Donuts from Moy Park Ltd.

Save the Date!

Entries for the

2019 Annual Product Awards opens: 3rd September 2018

Email: alexgipps@bfff.co.uk for more info

58

The Bulletin BFFF GALA DINNER & ANNUAL PRODUCT AWARDS 2018

Thank you to our sponsors: As always we would like to thank all who attended this wonderful event. We take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, who through their generosity, allows us to put on such a great event for our members and their guests.

With thanks to: Gala Dinner Headline Sponsor: Kerry Foods (Meal Creations), Annual Product Awards Sponsor: XPO Logistics and our partner sponsors: Bidfood, Iceland Food Ltd, Freiberger UK Ltd, NFU Mutual

Paul Murray, BFFF Head of Commercial presents Martin Aktinson, XPO Logistics’Business Unit Director with the Product Award Sponsor trophy for 2018

Paul Murray, BFFF Head of Commercial presents Adam Ferrier, Kerry Foods’ Sales Controller with the Gala Dinner Headline Sponsor trophy for 2018

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New member profiles

M EM B ERS HIP

update

From Paul Murray, Head of Commercial.

More new members Since the last issue, we are pleased to welcome six new members Havelok Ltd. is a foodservice focused seafood processor based in Grimsby. They produce and supply quality IQF and coated seafood products.

Keoghs are an international commercial law firm with offices in the UK, mainland Europe and Asia who deliver advice and strategic guidance acting as a trusted adviser to businesses, organisations and individuals across the globe and from a wide range of market sectors, advising on non-contentious advisory and transactional work through to all forms of commercial litigation and arbitration.

Samworth Brothers Supply Chain provide high quality, cost effective, temperature controlled distribution services to companies within the Samworth Brothers Group, as well as to many external chilled food manufacturers, retailers and other distributors.

Patchwork Foods Ltd. serves independent retailers and the catering Industry with innovative and unique relishes, chutneys and of course their multi award winning Pâtés since 1982.

Procuro Euro Ltd. is a SaaS company that specialises in cold chain management solutions for the Food and Pharma industries.

They have software and hardware solutions that provide companies with visibility into every stage of their cold chain.

60

Shazan’s is a family run company and the UK’s number one halal brand. With over 100 products from fresh meat, convenience foods, food to go and frozen foods. They operate a very stringent halal policy giving customers the highest level of confidence.

If you would like to book your New Member Profile in The Bulletin, please contact neeshacleary@bfff.co.uk.

For membership enquiries please contact: Kate Miller Tel: 01400 664320 Mob: 07793 499871 Email: katemiller@bfff.co.uk Or Dan Schofield Tel: 01400 283095 Mob: 07921 405196 Email: danschofield@bfff.co.uk

Integral INTEGRAL are the UK’s largest mobile hard services provider with a Refrigeration Division operating nationally who predominantly support clients in the food service industry. Integral are historically renowned for their services in the M&E, FM, Fire, Controls, Security, Pumps, Construction and Energy Management sectors.

Jones Lang LaSalle, the distinguished property consultancy company acquired Integral in 2016. One of their joint successes was an acquisition, fit out and 10 year maintenance contract for a 500,000ft2 temperature controlled DC. JLL also offer supply chain consultancy, strategic occupier solutions, lease advisory, development, research, acquisition, disposal, finance and ratings services.

Due to the critical nature of the food manufacturing, processing, storage and distribution markets and ensuring maximum operation for their clients, Integral Refrigeration deliver 24/7/365. This is supported

by Integral’s own in-house National Call Centre.

Integral have an extensive regional network of offices nationwide with their Refrigeration HQ in Leicester. Over 3,600 people work for Integral including 1,500 mobile technicians and over 100 Refrigeration Engineers.

“Integral have an extensive regional network of offices nationwide supporting clients 24/7/365.”

With an impressive portfolio in all segments of the cold chain Integral Refrigeration deliver Technical Hard FM, comprehensive Refrigeration Projects (Design, Sales, Installation), Reactive & Maintenance Services in all refrigerant types (NH3, CO2, HC, HFC, HFO).

Integral also operate a specialist ‘Spiral Freezers’ sub-division dealing with the design, installation, inspection, service and maintenance of all forms of spiral and blast freezers & chillers; and chilling tunnels.

Contact Tel: 07701 317 095 / 0116 267 0600 Email: jacinta.caden@integral.co.uk Website: www.integral.co.uk/refrigeration

Integral are independent of any manufacturer, and thus have the ability to recommend the best product for the job.

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Keoghs

A top 50 UK law firm, Keoghs offers a cost-effective and high quality service for handling the a-z of insurance disciplines; from personal injury (PI) in motor, casualty and complex injury, to non-injury matters such as policy advice, recoveries and dispute resolution.

•

A flagship component is our Corporate and Sector Risks (C&SR) practice, managed from Liverpool. Through quality claims handling, data insight and understanding claimant behaviours, we have developed a market-leading product for the industry. The product offers corporates a platform for claims and risk efficiency and indemnity/premium savings, regardless of insurance programme structure. Primarily designed for the self-retained (“deductible”), our model also supports conventional (“ground-up”) arrangements on a delegated basis via the insurer.

•

From iconic retail brands to alcohol brewers, food logistics fleets to frozen food manufacturers and pub chains to wholesalers – we are proud of our client base, including many BFFF members. The longevity and success of our partnerships evidences the benefits of our model.

Working in unison with the BFFF and their impressive member directory, we can offer members the risk, insurance and legal support needed in this ever-changing landscape.

To deliver the best results, we align service and people by sector, providing true understanding of the pressures, claim types and behaviours in each area. Of particular relevance to BFFF members: • • •

“From iconic retail brands to alcohol brewers, food logistics fleets to frozen food manufacturers and pub chains to wholesalers- we are proud of our client base, including BFFF members.”

Food and Drink – manufacturing and consumer facing Retail – particularly grocery, including wholesale Transport and Logistics –heavy goods and private company vehicles

We handle around 30,000 PI claims a year from within C&SR and are uniquely placed to: • • • •

Tailor management information and business intelligence, including online Provide unrivalled sector insight, innovation and risk initiatives

Offer our single source solution via designated teams Provide premier relationship management from our dedicated ‘client suite’ Deliver control and insight via an award-winning IT platform Integrate intelligence-led counter-fraud from our extensive databases

Contact Tel: 01519217216 / 07764560028 Website: www.keoghs.co.uk Email: jmckie@keoghs.co.uk

62

Suncream Dairies

The combination of the rich heritage and tradition of Italian ice cream, a vigorous new product development programme and significant investment in the business has created a real recipe for success for wholesale ice cream manufacturer Suncream Dairies. pallet’ policy enables it to ‘mix and match’ the company’s brands, quantities and pack sizes in order to maintain a great choice for customers without the inconvenience of dealing with multiple suppliers.

It is also able to supply in any quantity from mixed pallets to full loads.

This long established, family-owned company has scooped itself an enviable reputation not only for its great tasting, great value and award-winning ice creams and sorbets (it holds more than 100 awards for product excellence including a number of prestigious ‘Great Taste’ accolades), but also for its ability to stay cool and deliver great service when the demand for ice cream hots up!

“Our ice creams deliver excellent quality and value for money while the wide range available offers wholesalers some great opportunities to capitalise on the year round popularity of ice cream!”

Suncream’s ice cream collection includes the Gelato Gold range of luxury Italian-style ice cream (17 classic and contemporary flavours made to traditional recipes with fresh double cream), Premium Sorbets (made with all natural fruit purees), the Mellow Gold and Summertime ‘value’ ranges, Lower Sugar ice cream and new this summer - in response to the growing demand for ‘free from’ foods - the ‘Love Vegan’ vegan ice cream.

Suncream has also this year branched out into the retail sector with the launch of four of its most popular and indulgent Gelato Gold flavours – Strawberries & Cream, Clotted Cream, Double Chocolate Chunk and Sea Salted Caramel Ripple - in 500ml ‘take home’ tubs. Additional Suncream products include its Lower Sugar range, individual ice cream cups, mousses and choc ices; the company is also experienced in copacking for both large and smaller volumes.

-Rebecca Manfredi, Suncream’s managing director

Contact Tel: 01827 282571 Email: rebecca@suncreamdairies.com Website: www.suncreamicecream.com

Recognising that wholesalers – especially smaller or independent operators – often need greater stock flexibility, Suncream’s ‘mixed

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The Bulletin

T EC H NICA L & L E G I S L AT I V E

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

update

Threshold doses as a solution for limiting use of precautionary allergen labelling

When a family buys a food product for someone with a severe allergy, the words written on the label answer many of their questions. Under EU law, if a major allergen is present it will be declared and highlighted and, if there is a risk of cross-contamination, this risk will usually be flagged up, though not required by law. However, the spread of precautionary allergen labelling (also known as PAL or ‘may contain’ warnings) has caused immense confusion for people with food allergies and is often ignored by consumers. time ensuring that people with food allergies are well-protected.

In a recent paper Michael Walker, from the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, Hazel Gowland of Allergy Action, and John Points of John Points Consulting Ltd suggested a target date of 2020 for adopting threshold doses as the recommended format for PAL. The suggestion was put forward in a paper ‘Managing Food Allergens in the U.K. Retail Supply Chain’ which summarises the approach of retailers to allergen risk assessment and risk management within the UK legal framework and exploring public visibility of retailers’ allergen policies.

In recent months, the University of Manchester has announced a new, important research project called ThRAll which could provide vital information for the food industry in being able to achieve this target.

The ThRAll project is being funded by the European Food Safety Authority with additional co-funding from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) in Belgium. Professor Clare Mills, from the Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine Division of the School of Biological Sciences and based in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, will head the study.

The project will seek to collate good-quality data on the amounts of allergenic foods that can cause a reaction. These data sets are needed to help identify levels of allergens that can be considered as generally safe for most people with food allergy, which in turn will feed into a risk assessment process to identify whether foods which contain unintended allergens pose a risk of causing an allergic reaction and should carry a PAL.

David Reading OBE

PAL is often over-used, restricts consumer choice and can also lack credibility, being seen on the labels of products that we believe must be very low risk; for example, ‘nut traces’ warnings have even been seen on the labels of bottled water! For these reasons therefore, the Anaphylaxis Campaign, and many others within the food industry, believe that establishing thresholds for major allergenic foods has the potential for providing huge benefits for the food industry and consumers alike.

A second objective is to develop methods that can be used to determine the levels of allergens in foods and check whether a food product contains unintended allergens, and if so, how much is present.

These are needed because current test methods can be unreliable and may not be able to effectively quantify the presence of an allergen and yet have to be used to identify if foods require application of PAL. The results obtained using the current allergen test methodology may also form the basis of product recalls or withdrawals.

The threshold dose for a food allergen is the lowest amount that can trigger an allergic reaction if eaten. A threshold dose has been established for gluten and scientists are now confident they have enough information on threshold doses for 11 allergenic foods (including peanut, milk, egg, hazelnuts, cashew nuts, soy, wheat, mustard, lupin, sesame and shrimp/prawn) to enable regulators in the UK to offer strong guidance to food manufacturers on the actions they need to adopt to protect people with food allergies. Using these doses, the food industry can work to hopefully limit the use of PAL so that it is only used where a food poses a real risk; while at the same

With this real progress in terms of scientific research taking place, and a target date for adopting thresholds seeming likely to be achieved, the real future challenge for the food industry will be in seeking to answer the many questions that allergic consumers are bound to ask.

A robust communication exercise will be crucial to educate allergic consumers and guard against confusion, to answer questions such as ‘what threshold is safe for me or my child?’, ‘which allergens do have established thresholds, and which don’t?’ or ‘will there be a transitional period where food products that are subject to new

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The Bulletin TECHNICAL & LEGISLATIVE

labelling approaches exist on the shelf side by side with products that have not yet been relabelled?’.

Attribution David Reading OBE is the Founder and Honorary Vice-President of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, the only UK wide charity solely focused on supporting people at risk of severe allergic reactions.

In the UK, such communication will come under the remit of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) – covering England and the devolved governments in Wales and Northern Ireland – and Food Standards Scotland (FSS). The Anaphylaxis Campaign will also play its part in keeping people with allergies informed and we would hope food companies will do the same.

We provide tailored advice to the food industry through corporate membership and expert-led conferences to support you to protect your customers. Our next Conference on 18th Sept 2018 in London will address allergen thresholds and precautionary allergen labelling with expert insights from speakers including Dr Michael Walker, Referee Analyst in the Laboratory of the Government Chemist. Book your tickets online at www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/corporate

Dods- New Technical and Legislative service BFFF are committed to protecting and promoting the frozen food sector and we use outside partners to manage the information for technical and legislative updates.

This service has been provided by Graylings for the past four years and they have provided a professional service, primarily reporting on regulatory developments in Europe. As a Brussels based organisation they have been well placed to perform this task. We would like to thank Graylings for their support to BFFF over this time. However, as we look to offer a more comprehensive reporting service to members, especially in the light of Brexit, we have taken the opportunity to review who and how this service is provided. This also includes the benefits that members will gain from an enhanced reporting service. We are in the process of making a change to a new UK based monitoring service- Dods Monitoring Service- which will give the following benefits to members:

•

Comprehensive EU regulatory development report every 2 weeks

•

New Brexit monthly summary report summarising all the key developments during UK/EU discussions and any UK legislative developments

•

Dods offer a wider and deeper monitoring service for EU institutions not just EU Parliament and Commission. All EU working groups and some other EU institutions are covered and will be referenced in the above reports where relevant.

For further information please contact deniserion@bfff.co.uk

65

The Bulletin

H EALTH + SAFETY

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

update

DVSA: commercial drivers ‘still’ breaking the law on hours More than 5% of commercial vehicles stopped last year had breached drivers’ hours rules.

“Tougher penalties will help us to take stronger action against any drivers or operators who break the law, helping make our roads safer.”

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) says driving while tired may be responsible for one in five of all accidents and up to a quarter of serious and fatal crashes on Britain’s roads.

New figures published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) reveal that in 2016/17 it made nearly 90,000 checks to ensure that commercial drivers weren’t driving for longer than allowed, risking fatigue-related accidents.

The risk is particularly high for commercial drivers, who tend to drive longer distances and spend more time on the road.

According to the Government’s road safety campaign Think, almost half of sleep-related accidents involve commercial vehicles. And, almost a quarter of injuries from accidents involving lorries are fatal or

The agency found more than one in 20 drivers had broken the rules on maximum driving hours.

serious, compared to one in eight of all crashes.

The figures have fallen since 2015/16, when the overall offending rate was 7.3%, but still includes breaking of the rules by:

That’s why, from the beginning of March 2018, DVSA has been issuing fixed penalties of up to £300 not just for drivers’ hours offences committed on the day that drivers are checked, but for up to five

•

5.1% of GB lorry drivers

•

5.9% of foreign lorry drivers

offences committed over the preceding 28 days.

•

almost one in 10 (9.4%) of foreign LGV drivers.

Llewellyn said: “DVSA’s priority is to protect you from unsafe drivers and vehicles.

Bus and coach drivers checked do slightly better, but 3.7% of UK bus drivers and 4.9% of those in foreign vehicles are still putting their passengers, and other road users, at risk.

“There’s no excuse for driving while tired. The results of falling asleep at the wheel can be devastating. Any driver or operator breaking these

DVSA chief executive Gareth Llewellyn said: “The figures might be going in the right direction but, with more than one in 20 drivers checked committing an offence, they are still far too high.

rules is putting other road users at risk.”

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The Bulletin HEALTH & SAFETY

£260 million of clean air funding launched by Government A package of funding worth more than £260 million has been launched by the government to help improve air quality in some of the most polluted areas.

The UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations was produced by the government in July 2017, and outlined that councils with the worst levels of air pollution at busy road junctions and hotspots must take robust action in the shortest time possible.

Fulfilling a commitment to support local authorities to deliver these plans, the government has launched a £220 million Clean Air Fund to minimise the impact of local plans on individuals and businesses. A range of options local authorities could consider to utilise this money such as new park and ride services, freight consolidation centres, concessionary travel schemes and improvements to bus fleets have been set out.

At the same time, more than £40 million from the £255 million Implementation Fund has been awarded to support local authorities take action as soon as possible to improve air quality.

This includes: • £11.7 million to the 28 local authorities with the biggest air quality challenges to help carry out the work needed to develop air quality plans, including securing resource and expertise • £24.5 million to the same 28 local areas to support a range of measures to take action locally. Examples include installing electric charge point hubs in car parks; junction improvements; bus priority measures; building cycle routes; incentivising ultra-low emission taxis

through licensing schemes and leasing electric vehicles; and traffic management and monitoring systems • £2.4 million from the 2017/18 Air Quality Grant for local community projects to tackle air quality at a grass roots level. This comes in addition to £3.7 million already awarded in last year’s Air Quality Grant, which included an award winning project taken forward by Westminster City Council to provide advice and toolkits for small and medium businesses to reduce transport emissions from deliveries associated with their operations • £1.65 million to support the 33 local authorities that have been asked to conduct targeted feasibility studies to identify measures that could bring forward compliance dates within the shortest possible time.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said: “We have been clear that local leaders are best placed to develop innovative plans that rapidly meet the needs of their communities. [This] funding demonstrates the government’s commitment to support the local momentum needed and continue to improve our air now and for future generations.

“Improving air quality is about more than just tackling emissions from transport, so later this year we will publish a comprehensive Clean Air Strategy. This will set out how we will address all forms of air pollution, delivering cleaner air for the whole country.”

The announcement is part of a £3.5billion plan to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions.

More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/ collections/air-quality-grant-programme

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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...

Steve Pocock

Head of Member Benefits How long have you worked at BFFF? I started at the end of March 2018

Do you have any hobbies?

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Not really, I have never found anything that has captured my imagination but I do enjoy DIY and cooking, particularly for larger parties. I imported a 'La Caja China' many years ago from Cuba (I noticed you can now buy them on ebay!) for a party celebration and now I get asked to use it for pig roasts for friends and family events all the time.

It’s obviously early days but the team at BFFF have been really helpful and welcoming and I am enjoying meeting new people from the industry who share our passion for doing a great job.

What is your favourite colour?

I prefer primary colours, my wife usually hates my choice of shirts!

What do you like to do at the weekend?

Spending time relaxing and playing with the grandchildren, who never seem to stop.

Starter and main or main and dessert?

Always starter and main although I do have a sweet spot for some desserts especially if they contain fruit

Who inspires you?

I must admit to being a fan of Jamie Oliver, I think his projects to improve young peoples diet by educating people in schools to be more healthy with their cooking and food choices and developing unemployed young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with his Fifteen charity was inspirational.

What is your biggest achievement?

I take great pleasure in seeing my children succeed and develop in their daily lives and being asked what Dad thinks always gives me a buzz.

What is your favourite place?

I love Canada and I have been fortunate to visit Vancouver and other locations in British Columbia on many occasions, in my opinion it encompasses all the best bits of Britain and the USA which just works for me, I can’t wait for my next trip.

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

I think I would like to meet Walt Disney and ask him all about his life and the things that drove him to the success he finally enjoyed. We would have to eat in Epcot as it was his vision of the future which unfortunately he never saw completed before his untimely death and I am guessing that genuine American Hot Dogs would feature somewhere on the menu.

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“The team at BFFF have been really helpful and welcoming and I am enjoying meeting people from the industry who share our passion for doing a great job.”

The Bulletin

DAT E S f o r y our

D I A RY .

2018 20th-21st September Lunch!

ExCel London www.lunchshow.co.uk

4 October th

Working at Height Event The Kube Leicester Racecourse www.bfff.co.uk

Specialist event for anyone working at height.

21st–25th October SIAL Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris www.sialparis.com

The world's largest food innovation exhibition.

20th November

2019

13th June

7th February

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

BFFF Annual Conference & People Awards Birmingham Hilton Metropole www.bfff.co.uk

The definitive awards for the frozen food industry.

Find out the future of frozen food.

25th-26th June

7th February Technical Seminar Birmingham Hilton Metropole www.bfff.co.uk

Keep up to date with the latest technical news.

7th February Health & Safety Seminar Birmingham Hilton Metropole www.bfff.co.uk

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

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

17-20th March

Top networking event for retail and foodservice.

IFE ExCel London www.bfff.co.uk

The UK's larget food and drink event.

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TCS&D Exhibition East of England Arena Peterborough Tel: 01732 868288

The UK's only event for the perishable product supply chain.

26th November Annual Luncheon London HIlton on Park Lane www.bfff.co.uk

Top networking event for retail and foodservice.

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

Reed Boardall

Solutions to

lighten your load

Reed Boardall can provide all the frozen and chilled services you need – and more.

We work round the clock to the shortest response times to ensure fast, next-day delivery, all from our single-site distribution centre, with additional services including multi-temperature distribution, blast-freezing, up-tempering and SSCC labelling. It all adds up to fully integrated logistics for the modern temperature-controlled supply chain.

The Reed Boardall Group, Bar Lane, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire YO51 9NN Tel: 01423 321315 Email: roundtheclock@reedboardall.com