Food & Drink Matters Issue 161

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Tel: 01562 756960 – www.foodanddrinkmatters.co.uk – July 2022 – issue 161

Inside this issue:

Pasta Garofalo

Food, Drink & Catering See them on page.............. 5

Sly Dog Rum

Company of the Month See them on page.............. 8

Contact +46 8 570 139 50 Email info@astareal.se

Blackthorn Salt

Farm Shop & Deli Show Review Top 20

See them on page............ 21

Contents: 2-4 Editor Recommends 5 Food, Drink & Catering Matters 6-8 International Food & Drink Event Review 10 Handling & Storage Matters 11 Manufacturing Matters 14-15 Print & Packaging Matters 17 Beverages Matters 18-19 Food & Drink Expo Review Top 20 24 Cocktail Company of the Year

To contribute to better health and wellbeing The AstaReal Group is a global pioneer and expert in natural astaxanthin production, R&D and clinical science. As a global leader in the market, we recognize our responsibility to educate the world about natural astaxanthin’s outstanding benefits for human and animal health, whilst also setting the highest standards of product quality and purity.

With over 70 human clinical studies, AstaReal® is the market´s most studied brand of natural astaxanthin.

Please visit www.astareal.se for more details

The entire content of this publication is advertorial based. To place an advertorial or an advert, please call 01562 756960.

Editor Recommends

Specialists in Food Care

Pukka Herbs tackles ‘pharmaceutical health culture’ with multiple research projects to unlock power of plants H

erbal wellbeing company, Pukka Herbs is undertaking 25 research projects to tackle a health culture ‘overwhelming dominated’ by pharmaceuticals, according to the latest Pukka’s Impact Report.

In 2021, Pukka collaborated on a breakthrough study on the impact of shatavari on women’s health, which includes evidence that this herb improves muscle health in postmenopausal women.

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ood Care Solutions was established in 2003 to assist clients to achieve their goals for food safety, food quality, customer satisfaction and legality. Providing a comprehensive range of services to the food industry, Food Care Solutions offers services including food safety and food quality, local authority, SALSA, BRC, FSSC 22000 and other compliance, supplier auditing, training, hygiene inspections and internal audits, complaints and incidents management.

Pukka’s Impact Report provides a detailed overview of the action the company is taking to nurture healthier, happier lives amongst consumers, support planetary health, farm organically with nature, and be a business as a force for good:

Pukka Herbs is committed to reaching its net zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2030. It identified the need for immediate action on climate to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and safely store it in plants and the soil.

Therefore the company has selected two partners, TreeSisters and World Land

Trust, to invest in nature-based carbon removal projects, after reviewing more than 40 nature and biodiversity projects This includes funding for the planting of over 1.2 million trees in partnership with Tree Sisters since 2017 in order to help balance the company’s own carbon emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3). In 2021 alone, Pukka funded the planting of 511,768 trees.

For more information on how Pukka is striving to make a positive impact, read the full 2021 report here: https:// www.pukkaherbs.com/uk/en/news/our-impact-report enquiries@pukkaherbs.com https://www.pukkaherbs.com/uk/en

Gaining an industry leading reputation throughout its 18 years in operation, Food Care Solutions is renowned for its exceptional consultancy services for the food industry.

The company’s consultants are trained in most aspects of the food industry and maintain a wealth of experience in food microbiology and other laboratory disciplines, as well as qualifications in food safety and quality systems auditing. The consultants have industry experience across the board and have the expertise to ensure their clients feel confident that they are getting the best service available.

Food Care Solutions is fully equipped and familiar with most of the third party standards, including BRC, FSSC 22000, IFS and the standards of some of the larger customer organisations such as Tesco, Morrisons, Yum! and Wetherspoons. The company is fully committed to ensuring a turnkey service for its client. Assisting throughout the whole process, they complete the task, fulfil the requirements, help to implement the strategy, and oversee it, to make sure it is working efficiently. Food Safety Solutions also keeps its clients informed of any changes in law, new developments, and relevant occurrences.

Regardless of whether a client is only just starting, or wants to progress to certification against one of the standards, the company has the skills, time and experience to assist them to achieve their goals. Food Care Solutions works on a personal basis, gaining an understanding of the client’s needs and working with them in partnership to achieve their aims. With a strong focus on efficiency, the company aims to help the clients get where they want to be with as little complication and change as possible.

For more information on the company, please see the details featured below: M 07811 192545 fcs@food-care.co.uk www.food-care.co.uk

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is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

Editor Recommends

Sports nutrition meets power microalgae

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oday, active consumers and athletes are upskilling on choosing more sustainable and scientifically backed food sources to enhance their physical and mental performance.

macronutrients (e.g. protein), but also natural, vegan, functional bioactive compounds like carotenoids with multiple health benefits, such as fueling, optimising performance and enhancing recovery after strenuous exercise.

The challenge for the industry to meet the consumers’ needs is to understand and stand at the optimal place for action between the three interlinked dimensions of nutrition, health, and environment. In-depth research on efficacy and safety of the active ingredients, innovations in sports food and dietary supplements, and low impact on the planet are the key factors driving the market and consumer interests. Not all active components and functional ingredients are equal. The range of ‘vegan friendly’ foods available in the market has increased exponentially over the past decades. Novelty of products depends on inclusion of not only plant-based

Key problems: Still a considerable proportion of sports nutrition products (~50%) are heavily relying on animal-based ingredients that contributes to compromising life on Earth. Consumers commonly report concerns about climate change, animal welfare or veterinary medicine use.

such as carotenoids are the rising stars. One of the main challenges is to find suppliers and manufacturers with proper cultivation technology and hygiene standards and certifications that guarantee the stability and quality of the raw material.

Microalgae cultivation systems are varied. Outdoor open ponds and outdoor tubular systems are susceptible to high contamination in most cases. Temperature and sunshine time affect production quantity and quality, and they usually yield low to medium content biomass/carotenoids.

Other cultivation systems, like closed tanks, with better control over the whole production process and higher yields are required.

According to Fact.MR report on Sports Nutrition Market in 2021, demand for plant-derived ingredients is expected to rise at a CAGR of 9.2% during 2021-2031.

Green alternatives, especially microalgae and its derivatives

AstaReal production site

Another challenge for the sports nutrition industry is to choose natural plant-based ingredients that are backed by solid research and scientific evidence for efficacy and safety.

The Solution: As an alternative to animal sources of protein and other valuable bioactive compounds, microalgae provide huge opportunities to food and supplement producers to stand out in the market.

AstaReal microalgae cultivation process in the lab Freshwater Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae and its powerful carotenoid derivative, natural astaxanthin, offer unique solution for formulating innovative products that perfectly meet today’s consumer demands.

An indoor microalgae cultivation system using photobioreactors provides a fully controlled environment for optimal algae growth and high yield of astaxanthin with considerably higher stability and quality, and the least risk of environmental contamination. Benefiting from the same technology, science-based AstaReal pioneers natural astaxanthin production and owns the most studied brand of this powerful antioxidant.

At AstaReal, the seedlings of the alga are collected from the archipelago in a few test tubes, and wild-growing alga are not harvested, so there is no negative impact on natural habitats.

AstaReal® is ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, HACCP, Vegan, Informed Ingredient, Halal and Kosher certified.

Product benefits: Natural astaxanthin is a red pigment from carotenoids family and one of the most potent antioxidants known to science. Clinical studies demonstrate that this ‘red gold’ reduces post-exercise excessive inflammation and muscle damage, improves muscle endurance and recovery, lowers lactic acid build up in muscles and lessens fatigue, enhances fat metabolism by protecting muscle mitochondria from oxidation, and so facilitates weight management, decreases muscle function loss by aging (sarcopenia), protects heart, maintains immune system’s strength, and decreases the post-exercise immunosuppression, supports the front part of the eye where the lens, cornea and ciliary muscles are located (maintains sharp focus for accurate and precise movements), exerts neuroprotective properties and sharpens the cognitive abilities, memory and mood.

Applications: From capsules to liquid shots, to sachets, to sports gels, to soft gums, the possibilities for developing products containing astaxanthin (e.g. pre-workout, energising products, recovery, weight management) are almost unlimited. AstaReal’s bulk product range includes different astaxanthin concentrations in the form of algal biomass, oil, microencapsulated and water-dispersible powder, thus allowing the development of innovative dosage forms.

For further information, please contact Behnaz Shakersain, Marketing & Scientific Liaison, AstaReal AB, T +46 (0)8 570 139 50 behnaz.shakersain@astareal.se www.astareal.se https://astareal.turtl.co/story/muscle-performance/page/1

Natural astaxanthin

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Editor Recommends

Life Saving Allergen Quality seafood and more Awareness Resource I now accessible in more languages n 1997, following a trip to Rungis market in Paris, the owners of Meridian Sea teamed up with a leading French producer well known for producing high-quality gourmet ranges of specialist fish and seafood products.

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he Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) in partnership with Trading Standards Wales and the Greater Gwent Food Group has announced several new translations of the popular ‘Allergen Awareness Resources.’

From this partnership, Meridian Sea began supplying these products to customers in the UK alongside new seasonal lines. The partnership between the two companies grew in strength and sales quickly increased.

Over the years, Meridian Sea has continued to invest in the research and development of its produce, learning more about the specialist seafood sector whilst adding new partners and products along the way.

And, it’s because of these partnerships that Meridian

Sea now offers a large selection of anchovies, terrines, salads, soups, sauce, seaweed both fresh and dried plus blini pancakes direct from the producer to the customer. The close relationships established with its partners combined with the high levels of factory accreditation has enabled Meridian Sea to develop an ethical and sustainable supply chain that customers can trust and rely on.

All market sectors can benefit from its products, and as the company continues to grow so will its offering of quality innovative lines, branded and own label produce.

For more information, please see below: T 01392 979251 info@meridian-sea.com www.meridian-sea.com

Having launched in September 2021, the resources provide vital information to those invested in the food and hospitality sectors, about the dangers of food allergens and their potentially devastating consequences.

The resource provides regulatory guidance on allergen ingredient management, food information and labelling rules.

Severe allergic reactions have been the cause of many tragic losses of life, including Megan Lee, who’s family have received an award in recognition of their work to promote allergy awareness.

The resources were originally published in English, Welsh, Bengali, Cantonese, Kurdish, Mandarin, Punjabi, Turkish and Urdu to take account of the diversity of those working in the UK’s hospitality sector. Now they have been translated into four additional languages, which are Bulgarian, Hungarian, Romanian, and Polish.

The resources are freely available and hosted on the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) website: https://www.tradingstandards.uk/practitioners/ food-allergen-resource Supporting videos can be found on the CTSI YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/fw2z3e85 More information about the Food Standards Agency can be found on their website: www.food.gov.uk The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation can be found here: www.narf.org.uk or email: info@narf.org.uk.

How does the supply crisis and rising costs affect food safety?

From Peter Littleton, Technical Director, Christeyns Food Hygiene.

Food safety has to remain top priority he cost of energy, raw materials and transport has soared in recent months with global markets in the midst of a deep supply crisis. Two years of a pandemic followed by war in Ukraine have imposed changes on all market sectors. As we entered a phase of market restructuring post COVID, we have been faced yet again with another blow: the invasion of Ukraine and the isolation of Russia on the energy and raw materials supply markets.

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All of this is fueling market instability. A situation that means increased focus on reducing costs as a priority. How do you do this without compromising food safety and avoiding other more serious problems related to health, safety and reputation?

The food industry is in a difficult situation, as it needs to find a way to cope with all these increases while maintaining profit margins and without reducing product safety. And this is not just a UK but a global challenge.

Recent cases of food poisoning outbreaks have placed the whole sector on alert. Simply cutting costs in the cleaning and disinfection of facilities is not a good option, quite the opposite. Not complying with the established sanitisation protocols, and replacing certain products with others of lesser quality, has a direct consequence... that of reducing food safety. https://www.christeyns.com/uk-en

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is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

Food, Drinks & Catering Matters

Herald launches Kraft Hot Container range Q

uality disposables manufacturer and supplier, Herald has launched a selection of premium, eco-friendly, kraft containers aimed at specialist food stores, restaurants and high-end, takeaway outlets. The rectangle, disposable, hot food containers are aimed at those who are keen to offer the highest quality packaging to complement their produce.

Sitting alongside Herald’s kraft salad bowls, which are available in a selection of sizes, including 500cc, 750cc and 1,000cc, and come with PET lids, the hot food containers have paper lids and are designed to enhance the product offering, presenting the contents in the most optimum light.

Managing director of Herald, Yogesh Patel is delighted to expand the company’s successful product line, “Since

the new wave of food delivery services, customers are experimenting with their food choices and more and more restaurants are offering a take out option so that their menus can be enjoyed at home.

“These establishments want to use packaging and disposables that reflect and complement the quality of the food they are offering to protect their brand and retain credibility. As a result, we have experienced a surge in demand for our kraft products, which signal quality and good user experience, while supporting green credentials and protecting any hot content.”

For further information on Herald and its products, email: sales@heraldplastic.com or call: 0208 507 7900 to order a copy of the catalogue.

Creative bakers win NESCAFÉ Showstopper challenge T

he Eurest catering team at Cambridge Consultants has won gold, having impressed judges with their showstopping baking skills to raise vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

NESCAFÉ Original, part of Nestlé Professional, is an official sponsor of Macmillan Cancer Support’s Coffee Mornings, and invited all Compass sites, which includes leading workplace caterer Eurest, to participate in the Showstopper competition. The competition set out to give one workplace the chance to win the Ultimate Macmillan Coffee Morning hosted by Celebrity Masterchef winner Lisa Faulkner, and Nestlé Professional, to raise vital funds for the charity.

Denise Jenkinson, who baked the winning cake, not only stole the show with her inspirational cake design, but also helped the team raise £1,417 from their coffee morning. Members of the winning team, led

by Sally West, have all been affected by cancer and impressed judges with their delicious fondant-topped Victoria sponge. The cake was decorated with a bell, symbolising the tradition of ringing a bell to mark the milestone of ending cancer treatment.

To find out more about Macmillan Cancer Support, and access its services, please visit: www.macmillan.org.uk For more information about NESCAFÉ Original’s official sponsorship of Macmillan Cancer Support’s Coffee Mornings, visit: www.nestle.co.uk/en-gb/ media/pressreleases/allpressreleases/nescafe-originalproudly-sponsors-macmillans-coffee-morning

Pasta Garofalo G

arofalo is an Italian company specialising in the production of Pasta.

Based in Gragnano in the province of Naples, the company was founded in 1789 and since then Garofalo has been synonymous with excellence.

We take nothing for granted when we make our pasta.

Every stage, every process draws both on ancient experiences and recent discoveries, as well as on an original interpretation of taste. Our passion for our work translates into a ceaseless quest for perfection in how we make our pasta from the raw materials to the final packaging.

Pasta is made from two ingredients: durum wheat semolina and water. With only two ingredients, it would be difficult to make a premium quality pasta if the best wheat was not used. All Garofalo pasta is made using robust durum wheat semolina. The result a pasta high in protein that resists overcooking and retains an al dente texture.

Most of Garofalo pasta is bronze drawn, which is the original way to extrude the dough to make the different pasta cuts. This gives a slightly rough texture and a porous surface to the pasta that helps the sauce stick to the pasta.

Garofalo signature pasta is wrapped in transparent packaging inspired by the philosophy that ‘there is nothing to hide and everything to share.’

For more information, contact the Garofalo team in the UK, T 01438 813444 info@garofalouk.com www.pasta-garofalo.com

is sponsored by OTC Beverages – see them on page 17

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International Food & Drink Event Review

The 22nd edition of the International Food & Drink Event I

the newest products covering a multitude of sectors including; health & wellbeing, grocery & wholesale, chilled & frozen food, vegan & plant-based, drinks, bakery, snacks & confectionery and much more, then why not book your ticket to IFE in March 2023 now.

nternational Food & Drink Event (IFE) is the UK’s leading event for Food & Drink professionals.

This year, IFE returned to ExCel, London between the 21–23 March for what turned out to be another successful event. Across the three days, over 70 influential expert leaders took to the stage and discussed the hot topics in the food and drink industry. Over 1,500 of the most exciting food & drink brands from the UK and around the world returned to the largest gathering of domestic and international food & drink suppliers with hundreds of new product launches, initiatives and partnerships that took place on the event floor.

To help develop its digital yearround offering, IFE filmed all the

live seminar sessions to make the programme accessible for its wider food & drink community.

The event covered a number of topics including hospitality, foodservice, retail, import and export, sustainability, new product development, latest trends, and packaging.

So, if you’re on the hunt for

This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this years show, listed here in alphabetical order: Cake UK, COTR Drinks, Creative Nature, Ditchling Spirits, Eatplanted, ESMA Foods, Harker UK, PLAYin Choc, Sweetland London, The Finest Cake, Nuisance Drinks & Refreshing Drinks.

Further details can be found on the next two and a half pages.

SMA Foods is a brand new food and beverage distributor supplying retail businesses in the UK. Their mission encompasses diversifying the British store shelf by providing innovative, authentic and valuable products from all around the world.

ESMA’s customer list includes the likes of iconic stores such as Partridges, Japan Centre and Panzer’s Delicatessen.

Their bright yellow stand at the IFE attracted a lot of attention and was constantly busy with discussions, product tastings and account openings. Some of the products that ESMA trades include high-quality fish, black

caviar, handcrafted beer, arabica coffee and truffle condiments.

Moreover, the team is directly involved with the creation of the brands, which they supply, accompanying the products

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weetland London are producers of the UK’s best baklava.

Sweetland London’s main focus is on maintaining traditional Levantine methods, and sourcing the finest ingredients. This ensures that the highly skilled team of cultured pastry chefs have everything they need to continue making the nation’s favourite Mediterranean sweets.

Typically, baklava is recognised as layered sheets of filo pastry with a nut filling topped with syrup and cut into different shapes, usually squares or diamonds. The Sweetland London collection includes a variety of baklava, each with its own unique characteristics, differing in shape, filling and usually in the method of production.

from the manufacturers to the final point of sale. They offer a separate consultancy service to assist carefully selected producers in placing their creations on the market.

Amongst some of the brands, which ESMA successfully launched into circulation include Kahwati Coffee, Monarch Caviar and Uncle Yoshiro’s Saketoba. They are exceedingly passionate and determined about what they do, so it is interesting to see which further steps this young company will be taking.

T +44 (0)20 8168 1221 info@esmafoods.co.uk http://www.esmafoods.co.uk

These different shapes include baklava variations such as the Boukaj (parcel) Coleschwor (half-moon) and Finger Baklava. The premium baklava offering includes the wellknown, Birds Nest Baklava, Bourma and Balouria. Their sweets assortment isn’t just baklava, other Mediterranean sweets include; Syrup Sweets, Maamoul, Traditional Cookies, and Turkish Delights and Nougat.

In addition, Sweetland London also freshly produces a variety of cream and cheese sweets and cakes, including the Levantine Kunefe, a cheese and semolina sweet that is baked in syrup and is best served warm.

You can order Sweetland London’s delicious products, direct from their website. You will also find great offers online as well as news on new products, and news and updates on all things Sweetland London. Subscribe to the newsletter and receive even more great offers and updates.

For more information, please see below: www.ife.co.uk

ESMA Foods: Bringing authentic and contemporary foods from all over the world to our consumers E

Sweetland London

T +44 (0)208 838 2628 info@sweetlandlondon.com www.sweetlandlondon.com

PLAYin CHOC: Vegan, Allergy-Free, Organic & Sustainable Chocolate for all P

LAYin CHOC are proud winners of 27 international awards, including 14 for taste alone. Their deliciously smooth recipe is made using the finest criollo beans from Peru, Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla and Indonesian coconuts. With just three natural and organic plant-based ingredients, their chocolate is not only free-from the top 14 allergens, but vegan too!

The 66 collectable ToyChoc Boxes are great for curious little minds as each box comes with 2 individually wrapped organic chocolates, a puzzle toy and an educational fun facts card. Choose from dinosaurs, woodland animals, endangered animals and rabbits. These are great for party favours, schools, in-flight, stores and cafes as the recipe can be enjoyed by virtually everyone!

The JustChoc range comes in a M•LK and dark flavour and is available as a 30g bar, new 60g bar and 100g box. Each mini chocolate piece is individually wrapped in a plant based home compostable film, and the 30g bar is incredibly popular to display at the till point for quick impulse buys. For Christmas, there are two advent calendars and a Christmas Gift Set.

PLAYin CHOC is proudly plastic-free, zero waste and 100% recyclable, plus their recipe is all ethically sourced with no animal or slave labour in sight.

Contact sales@playinchoc.com https://playinchoc.com

Cake: Handmade & delicious F

ounded in 2011 by Sam & Barbara Henderson, initially to supply Lomond the Wholesale Food Co. with food service cakes, traybakes and scones, Cake has quickly grown and now employs over 30 people at our 19,000 sq. ft. bakery in the South Glasgow, supplying frozen products across the UK.

Cake Director, Lauren Ingram (pictured), has worked in the family business from a young age, gaining experience in all aspects of its operation and completed her business degree, before gaining a year of experience working for a large manufacturing bakery in Southampton.

We pride ourselves on going the extra mile, gaining AA Grade BRC for Food Safety, as well as employing our own full-time technical and NPD teams – giving us the ability to quickly and safely, create new, innovative and exciting products that our customers will love. This also gives us the ability to work on bespoke products for coffee shop chains and other large customers.

We also understand the impact of our business on the environment, so have worked hard to ensure our packaging is 100% recyclable (including our boxes, foils and plastic wraps), and all eggs used on site are from free range hens. So you can enjoy our products guilt-free! www.cake-uk.com www.lomondwholesale.co.uk

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is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

International Food & Drink Event Review

Bakery Snacks & Confectionary T

he Finest Cake Company offers the finest range of wholesale cakes, traybakes and brownies for cafés, coffee shops and caterers, freshly frozen for next-day delivery. Made with the highest-quality ingredients, and baked by its talented team of hand-picked bakers in the heart of the Kent countryside, each handmade cake and traybake is blast frozen for ultimate freshness, flavour and form and comes perfectly pre-portioned.

Copeland Distillery: Be wild, drink remarkable Small beginnings he Copeland Distillery story started in the summer of 2016, when we successfully raised £30,000 from crowdfunding. Our journey could not have started without the support of over 390 Founders who pledged between £50 and £500, taking a chance on the new ginfusions products based solely on our brand values and story. Their belief in what we were planning to create was instrumental in getting our products to market and for that we are eternally grateful.

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From the clarity and positioning of its labels on its robust, sustainable packaging to its easy online ordering and convenient next-day delivery, The Finest Cake Company delivers a premium service with the customer always in mind.

Choose from a fine range of Round Cake Double Layer, Round Cake Single Layer, Traybakes, Traycakes, Vegan Cakes, and Very Low Gluten Cakes. The company's specialist team have devised

innovative approaches and recipes to introduce delicious, very-low gluten recipes right across the range, from traybakes to classic cakes.

Some best-sellers include the Lemon and Blueberry Cake, Salted Caramel Brownie, Vegan Dark Chocolate Brownie, Luxury Victoria Sponge, and the Carrot Cake.

For more information, please see below: www.finestcakecompany.com

Discover Nuisance!

The Copeland Distillery After nine months of construction, we opened the doors of the new Copeland Distillery in August 2019, signalling the start of our journey to create Northern Ireland’s most innovative craft distillery. Our 6,500 square-foot home is located just a stone’s throw from the historic harbour in Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Our 125-year lease is a signal of our

pot-still whiskey, which are currently maturing prior to release from 2024.

commitment to Donaghadee and our ambition to share the area’s rich maritime and distilling history with domestic and international visitors.

The Distillery is the production site of our award winning Classic Irish and Navy Strength gins, our rum range and our new range of malt and

Our highest commended spirit; Copeland Irish Gin was awarded the highest possible award in the IWSC (considered the benchmark to spirit judging) 99/100 with the gold trophy. We believe this comes down to the careful selection of 12 organic botanicals and distilled with a careful eye and keen nose. Leaving you with one of the best gins in the world.

Contact T 028 9162 4000 info@copelanddistillery.com www.copelanddistillery.com

George Harker: Packing traditional store cupboard ingredients since 1826 G I

nspired by the founder’s family recipe, Nuisance Drinks are bringing the British countryside to life with a range of low calorie, sparkling botanical soft drinks. Nuisance use exciting fusions of natural flavours to create refreshing soft drinks with real depth and substance.

Nuisance was born in the depth of the Cotswolds whilst mother and son (founder Hugo) spent their summers together in the British countryside; picking stinging nettles in order to create a delicious and refreshing nettle cordial. Years later during lockdown, Hugo launched Nuisance in order to champion and celebrate the great outdoors and the ingredients so often found on our doorstep; creating a range of premium, botanical-based soft drinks.

Frustrated by a lack of genuinely exciting options available to the alcohol-free market, Nuisance aim to

offer an alternative, sophisticated range of drinks to appeal to the bold and curious consumer – taking the nature you find everywhere, to bring you flavours you can’t find anywhere.

The Nuisance range consists of 3 drinks: 1) Wild Bramble & Rosemary 2) Wild Nettle & Elderflower 3) Mint, Cucumber & Chilli Nuisance donate 1% of their sales to Rewilding Britain.

Contact Hugo Morrissey, M 07766 770580 info@nuisancedrinks.co.uk www.nuisancedrinks.com

eorge Harker has been packing traditional store cupboard ingredients since 1826. We specialise in grains, pulses and dried fruit, sourcing our ingredients from all over the globe, then blending and packing from our Essex based factory before distributing within the UK and overseas.

Our George Harker brand of products are ideal for making healthy and nutritious meals at home.

Cooking from scratch may take a little more time, but the taste and quality of the products is so rewarding and it saves money.

We offer retail packs of 500g vine fruits in our Demos brand enabling our customers to enjoy high quality premium dried fruit. Greek currants provide tiny bursts of sweetness in biscuits and cakes whilst sun drenched Californian raisins give a natural caramalised flavour. Australia produces some of the most delicious dried fruit in the world, plump and juicy sultanas and the largest,

stickiest raisins, both ideal for artisan bakeries and puddings or even a tempting yet natural snack.

Contact T 01376 321272 info@harker-uk.com www.demos-uk.com

Dr Funk: Just what the doctor ordered

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r Funk is the new drink you’ve been waiting for.

Clean, refreshing delicious taste, zero calories and full of vitamins and minerals to keep you in the best possible shape. Named after the biochemist who discovered vitamins, Dr Funk Immune Edition (lemon & elderflower) was launched in 2021 to critical acclaim and has now launched its second product: Dr Funk Vital with the taste of summer, mango & violet with magnesium and Vitamin D3, B6, B12, Niacin and Biotin.

Made by The Refreshing Drinks Company, a new company that creates drinks that are good for you.

Starting with pure, artesian water they only use natural ingredients, skilfully blended to create a perfect balance of taste added to Stevia leaf for sweetness. Each edition contains up to 7 minerals and vitamins. Immune contains Zinc, Vitamin C and D3 to boost your immune system.

Vital contains magnesium, which is used in every cell in your body. Filling the spot between seltzers and the usual fizzy drinks, Dr Funk is a firm favourite amongst people of all ages who are looking for health without the hassle.

And great taste to boot.

Visit us at: drfunk.co.uk or email: info@drfunk.co.uk.

is sponsored by OTC Beverages – see them on page 17

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International Food & Drink Event Review

Cut Classics: The world’s first range of light spirits C

ut Classics is the world’s first range of Light Spirits: classic spirits with half the alcohol and calorie content of full strength spirits.

They are all traditionally distilled and have been crafted to deliver the classic taste profiles of gin, vodka and rum at 20% ABV. Our aim is to provide people who enjoy spirits and cocktails, but who want to take it easy from time to time, with lighter versions of their favourite drinks. It is a range of spirits for mindful drinkers and moderators: those who want to cut back, not cut out.

Every drink in our launch range

expected notes of a premium gin, vodka and rum in a soft, smooth and easy drinking style. Every drink is expertly made. Cut Classics made with London Dry Gin and British Grain Vodka are distilled in some of the oldest copper stills in the UK by a Master Distiller with over 40 years’ experience. Cut Classic made with Aged Caribbean Rum is blended to our secret recipe by a centuries old rum house. won a medal at the International Spirits Challenge 2022, with judges noting their ability to deliver the

Classic spirits.

Half the Alcohol.

Make the Cut! www.cut-classics.com

Eatplanted.

products, making them safe for 98% of the population to eat. Roughly, 50% of children suffer from an allergy of some level and as such, this is a hot topic in the food markets now. Each of our products offer an innovative solution to the challenges faced by allergen sufferers.

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reative Nature is a UK based company that specialises in delivering delicious, multi-award winning snacks that are free from the Top 14 allergens.

Currently found in 17 different countries across the globe, Creative Nature is expanding rapidly, with demands for allergen free foods always growing.

Inclusivity is critical, with 92% of our products also offering certified Kosher solutions to snacking desires!

We pride ourselves on having no may contains on our

Julianne, our founder, has suffered from anaphylaxis since she was born and since then her biggest goal in life has been to offer food-based solutions for allergen sufferers. We are proud to offer an inclusive product for all to enjoy.

We are currently stocked in a number of major retailers in the UK and across the globe, Creative Nature are looking for new partners to work with and continue the growth of this dynamic company.

T 0208 979 0903 orders@creative-nature.uk.com https://www.creativenaturesuperfoods.co.uk

Ditchling Spirits O

ur story began in the small East Sussex village of Ditchling, nestled in the foothills of the beautiful South Downs.

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e’re Eatplanted – a game-changing meat alternative brand launching here in the UK from Switzerland – boasting the cleanest label on the market, made from natural ingredients only and zero additives/chemicals/ preservatives/colours/flavours. We’re big in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and Italy – and now ready to take the UK by storm. With the backing of our head office in Zurich (alongside our own factory, inside a greenhouse, as we’re on a mission to become the world’s most transparent company) – we have all the flexibility

Creative Nature: Delicious without doubt

of a start up, but with the resource of an established brand – so the best of all worlds when it comes to innovation and supporting launches with customers. We make a range of products – from chicken, to pulled pork, to kebab and schnitzel – and our chicken won the best faux chicken award at the Plant Based Expo back in November.

Everything is designed and created in house, between our Swiss bioengineering food technologist and our Michelin-star chef – meaning our products are the perfect gastronomic treat. https://uk.shop.eatplanted.com Social media: @eatplanted https://www.instagram.com/eatplanted

Ditchling is no ordinary village; it is famous for the Arts and Crafts movement and is the creative home for many famous authors, artists, entertainers, silversmiths, weavers, dyers, printers and eccentrics. A small group of friends and family – with a love of gin – discussed their aspirations to create their own premium gin using the quality local ingredients from the stunning natural Sussex surroundings.

After successful launching our premium Ditching Gin in 2019, we turned our sights to another favourite tipple, that of Toffee Vodka, which we’d tried when skiing, to help take the edge off that cold chairlift back up the

mountain. And hence ‘Ditchling Fling,’ our premium toffee vodka, was born.

Contact www.ditchling-gin.com www.ditchling-fling.com

Liquor & Cocktails Company of the Month

Celebrate the good times with the Rum times this summer I

n this issue of Food & Drink Matters, we are pleased to announce Sly Dog as our Liquor and Cocktails Company of the Month.

Launched in March 2021, Sly Dog Rum has fast become one of the UK’s most creative and popular premium spiced rum brands on the market. Born out of frustration, Louis and his brother Bruce started the company as a result of two rum lovers that were repeatedly unsatisfied with the premium spiced rum offerings in bars and restaurants. “Every time we went to a venue all they had to offer was mass produced cheap spiced rums. With vodka and tequila, there are a number of options from standard cheaper brands to premium upgraded brands. We found with rum there was never a premium

upgrade choice, so we created Sly Dog to offer this premium choice. We believe the general theme of rum is outdated and doesn’t really talk to the younger audience.

We believe that our brand identity and our spiced rum will greatly challenge general house rums,” stated Louis.

Dog is proud to announce it will be the official rum partner and one of the main sponsors of Tramlines Festival in Sheffield taking place on 22-24 July 2022.

“We are taking a big activation here and will be the highlight of our Summer. We are hoping this opportunity will get us into the hands of our main target audience.

We are also activating in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Brighton, trying to increase our brand awareness through many festivals and trade shows,” mentioned Louis.

The company’s ‘Made in secret. Drunk in style’ tagline depicts their mysterious, quirky personality designed to attract an audience between the ages of 23-43 promoted as an ideal choice for those who enjoy the finer things in life.

In just 18 months, Sly Dog has steadily grown to a point that it has recently taken on its first members of staff as well as acquiring a new office space to accommodate this growth. In closing, we asked Louis what future-plans the company have and he replied. “We are ready to take on a new world of spiced rum. We are shaking things up and challenging big brands by putting our stamp on the market as the highest-quality spiced rum. We have specific marketing goals that run align with our growth trajectory, so it’s all very exciting for us.”

Developed in collaboration with some of the UK’s leading rum and flavour experts, the unrivalled combination of exotic spices with their signature fiery Caribbean rums, delivers a smooth, warming and exquisite taste with soft sweetness.

For more information, please see below: info@slydogrum.com www.slydog.co.uk

“Spiced rum has always had a bad reputation for being a poor-quality rum that has lots of sugars added to it, taking away the true flavour. We have two Dominican rums and one Jamaican rum that have been aged for three years giving the base profile a premium rum flavour and quality. It’s good enough to be drunk on its own and almost doesn’t need the extra spices we have added to it. The spices and 100% natural ingredients added effortlessly mix with the rum to create a premium quality flavour,” stated Louis.

Calling all rum enthusiasts, it’s time to get tasting! Sly

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is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

Chocolate Confectionery Company of the Year

New premises will provide ‘a world of pure imagination’ for Bella Chocolate I

n this issue of Food and Drink Matters, we have selected Bella Chocolate as our Chocolate Confectionery Company of the Year.

Bella Chocolate was established in 2020 by Anna Sanina. Inspired by her passion for simplicity and beautiful designs, Anna drew inspiration from some of the finest chocolatiers and created a stunning, flavoursome range of Belgium chocolate products.

“We create unique chocolate creations, all handmade using highest quality ingredients. We only use the highest quality couverture chocolate and finest natural ingredients. We make the fine art of hand tempering to create something extra special,” added Anna.

Based in Lanarkshire, Scotland, Bella Chocolate provides its products throughout the UK, and is in several deli shops across the country, as well as supplying hotels, events and catering.

are so proud to be part of the book as well as attend its launch in October.”

With the company’s outside-the-box thinking, unique designs, and larger facility, the possibilities for creating new beautifully delicious designs, seem endless and exciting for the company as it looks ahead.

Anna added, “We are not looking to build an empire, but we are hoping to grow to the point where people would be able to not only buy our products online, but also find us in more deli/farm shops. We also plan for bigger product lines and offering even more unique creations. As a business, we are honoured to receive this award for the recognition of our hard work. Any achievement means something when you put your heart and soul into it.”

“We are still relatively small business, which means we have a personal touch to our products, they are all made with the best ingredients and we don’t compromise on taste or quality. We cannot be compared to mass produced products. Even if we grow, this is our promise to the costumer - we will always offer the highest quality products possible on the market,” said Anna.

Bella Chocolates provides a delectable range of chocolate goodies, created with love and a desire to deliver delicious, edible pieces of art. The range is comprised of bonbons; all different colours, shapes and flavours, luxury chocolate and coffee hampers, handmade truffles, chocolate clusters, candied fruits, chocolate bars and much more.

In terms of recent developments, Bella Chocolate has been working to increase its industry presence and has attended a plethora of trade shows over the last 12 months. Anna elaborated, “These include some trade shows like Speciality Fine Foods in London and HRC, larger markets like BBC Good Food Show and Country Living. We are also preparing for a huge event this year which is to commemorate the Queens’ Jubilee.”

For more information, please see the details below: www.bella-chocolate.co.uk

Bella Chocolate is dedicated to furthering its offering for customers and is consistently adding new, tasty product lines. To support its product developments and expand its offering, Bella Chocolate is currently in the process of obtaining a new premises to increase its production.

This will allow the company to produce bigger volumes and allow for a dedicated space for Research and Development, to continue to imagine, create and develop its products.

A great recognition for the company, Bella Chocolate is pleased to be featured with an upcoming publication.

Anna elaborated, “We are going to be part of an amazing publication; Strive for Perfection: Platinum Jubilee Edition, organised by Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club. We

Hospitality & Catering Matters

Trianco: Cooking up plans for success T alk to any foodie about the biggest cooking trends of the past few years, and they will no doubt mention bbq smoking.

The appetite for smoked food – anything from ribs to cheese – shows no sign of slowing and Sheffield-based manufacturer Trianco is looking to capitalise on this, selling under the guise of its new brand, Grizzly Oven.

“It’s taken over a year to develop the Grizzly range,” explains Peter Beighton, Managing Director of Trianco. “A lot of people are building outdoor kitchens and there has been a big push towards smoking food for long periods. You can leave these

charcoal ovens to cook low and slow over long periods or grill at high temperatures of 250-350 degrees.”

The domestic Grizzly Oven Cubster is available in three contemporary colours and can be mounted on a counter or on the Grizzly custom-made trolley.

The Grizzly Commercial Oven comes in stainless steel in either a counter top or freestanding model and is great for the commercial Pub/Restaurant market. All models can be flued if required.

Check out the Grizzly Oven range at: www.grizzlyoven.co.uk

Helping restaurants and pubs to bounce back A

spenprint, a leading design and print agency for the hospitality industry, has been busy helping pubs, restaurants, cafés, bars, food outlets and hotels to re-open ready for a busy summer ahead, with many Brits opting for staycations within the UK. After a hectic 2020 providing clients with essential social distancing products such as protective screens, branded face masks and specialist wipeable menu material which can even go in the dishwasher, it’s looking like an exciting start to summer 2021. Popular items so far include giant branded deckchairs (perfect for social media snaps!), revamped interior & exterior signage, newly developed menu designs on a range of paper stocks and scores of branded greaseproof paper.

Managing Director, Ian Shenton, comments, “We are proud to expand our wide range of outdoor solutions to include branded parasols, café barriers,

swing boards, PVC banners in a variety of sizes, as well as giant and normal sized branded deckchairs to ensure customers have the very best outdoor dining experience.

“We have also launched our new antibacterial laminate which is proven to kill 99.9% of germs which touch its surface and has been tested according to ISO21702 and ISO22 standards. This protective antibacterial coating can be added to menus, brochures, flyers, posters and more and has been really popular in helping our clients to re-open and stay safe. We're really looking forward to a busy summer helping our clients to re-open.”

Follow Aspenprint on social media to stay updated with the latest product offerings.

Contact Aspenprint for all your signage, design and print needs on: 01202 717418 or visit: www.aspenprint.com

is sponsored by OTC Beverages – see them on page 17

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Handling & Storage Matters

New automated Worldwide logistics Ltd pallet debanders W raise safety levels at Britvic B ritvic uploads almost 100,000 aluminium cans from pallets onto each of three new canning lines per hour at the company’s upgraded Rugby production site.

Now the process of removing each pallet’s plastic retaining straps has been fully automated using vertical debanders manufactured by L.B. Foster Automation & Materials Handling.

Britvic is the largest supplier of branded still soft drinks, and the number two supplier of branded carbonated soft drinks, in Great Britain.

Following £100m investment at Rugby, L.B. Foster’s new debanders are integrated into Britvic’s three new can lines, which are amongst the fastest in Europe.

Mick Haswell is Maintenance Manager – Canning at Britvic Soft Drinks Limited in Rugby. He says, “Britvic’s vision is to be the most dynamic, creative and trusted soft drinks

orldwide logistics is the fastest growing 3PL service provider in London. Our facilities and warehousing options are outfitted with warehouse management system technology. Technology is the driving force behind countless industries and logistics is no different. With UK, European, and USA hubs along with single points of contact while leveraging our intercompany network.

Innovation is the core principle behind our success. We are adaptable to our client's needs by understanding buyer behaviour and therefore providing unparalleled support to optimize their supply chain. Deploying a Fully integrated multiple courier solution that adds value by selecting the right courier for our client’s product profile.

We have empowered our clients by rapidly deploying our services to take them from bricks and mortar stores only

to fully integrated online pick pack and delivery stores, with late cut-offs and next-day delivery across multiple sectors. Our agility has allowed us to adapt and create a fully functioning remedial, returns, and reworks centre in the Midlands and Poland. Using our own in-house developed Boom service which allows consumers to easily book returns while allowing sellers to control returns costs and track quality. The future is bright for Worldwide logistics and our sector by constantly striving to enhance our service offerings.

Contact Glenn Hayes, Managing Director (pictured), T 020 3900 3039 M 07495 835061 www.worldwidelogisticsltd.com

Qimarox Prorunners are multi-purpose M

ore and more companies are taking advantage of the opportunity to give their Prorunner mk5 a second life.

If they adapt or expand their production or packaging lines, this vertical conveyor from Qimarox can be given a new function after a minor modification. Due to the modular design with only standard components, the Prorunner mk5 fits effortlessly into any layout.

Unpredictability and uncertainty is increasing in the consumer product market.

At the same time, the number of product introductions is growing, and product ranges are growing. As a result, manufacturers of consumer products are increasingly being forced to adapt or expand existing production and packaging lines. More and more manufacturers are taking advantage of the modular design of the Prorunner mk5, the vertical conveyor system from Qimarox. With a few modifications, they can easily re-use their existing Prorunners in a new layout.

The Prorunner mk5 has a standard, modular design that is entirely

made up of standard components.

As a result, the configuration of this vertical transport system can be adapted in a short time by reusing crucial components for the drive, for example.

You can adjust the infeed and/or outfeed height by placing a piece in between or removing it. Qimarox has the necessary components in stock, so that customers can count on fast response times.

T +31 (0)341 436700 info@qimarox.com www.qimarox.com

The World’s Leading​One Stop Shop for Collaborative Applications The OnRobot food-grade Soft Gripper is able to pick a wide array of irregular shapes and delicate items in food and beverage, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals production, as well as manufacturing or packaging. company in the world, which is why we are investing in technologies that enable us to operate more safely, effectively and efficiently.

“That goes hand-in-hand with our commitment to providing high quality working conditions and environment for our operatives. L.B. Foster‘s vertical debanders tick all the boxes when it comes to speed, accuracy and safety, with the added bonus of reducing our environmental footprint with its clever, in-built recycling hopper for plastic retaining straps.

These are shredded and the resultant granules sent for recycling.“ Paul Parkinson, Head of Sales & Marketing at L.B. Foster Automation & Materials Handling, says, “Britvic is one of the world’s most recognisable brands. The products that it makes are household names. So we are very proud that the company has invested in our highperformance range of debanders as part of its drive towards increased production efficiencies.”

“Our Soft Gripper is challenging existing solutions for picking hard-to-grasp, delicate and odd-sized items,” says CEO of OnRobot, Enrico Krog Iversen. “Unlike proprietary solutions, the Soft Gripper offers seamless integration with most collaborative robots and light industrial robots through our One System Solution.”

Soft Gripper

For more information, visit our site at: www.onrobot.com or contact us at: north-europe@onrobot.com

www.lbfoster.eu

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is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

Manufacturing Matters

Water activity analyser for food applications T

he latest Series 4TE instrument from Labcell, the exclusive UK distributor of Aqualab water activity analysers, is an accurate, quick, simple and cost-effective way for food manufacturing companies to gain valuable information about powders, pastes, sauces, morning goods, cereals and confectionery samples.

The AquaLab Series 4TE produces accurate measurements of the water activity in active ingredients, excipients and formulations. Water activity measurements are essential when following due course and process as part of GMP (good manufacturing practice) because water

activity has a significant bearing on product stability, as well as the handleability of materials in production and packaging equipment. AquaLab Series 4TE is a precise, easy-to-use instrument which enables lab-quality measurements of water activity to be made in the production environment. It is suitable for use by formulation and research and development teams, as well as those working on new packaging designs.

A feature of the AquaLab Series 4TE is temperature equilibration allowing users to set the sample temperature

to anything from 15 to 50ºC; the analyser then maintains that temperature throughout the test. The instrument has a measurement range of 0.030 to 1.000 aw, an accuracy of ±0.003aw and a repeatability of ±0.001aw.

Users in the food manufacturing industries will appreciate the way in which the AquaLab Series 4TE handles data with a strong emphasis on traceability. Water activity measurements are automatically saved to the memory of the instrument and can also be downloaded to a computer for archiving and more detailed analysis. Up to 8,000 data points can be stored securely on the AquaLab and the date, time and operator is logged for every measurement and calibration event.

Optimise your Liquid Batching System: 5 Flow meter considerations

www.labcell.com

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itan Enterprises, a leading provider of flow metering solutions, have been designing and manufacturing accurate and reliable flow meters for batch control systems for over 40 years. Titan reports on the considerations required when choosing a flowmeasuring device for batching control.

Titan has published a white paper on the use of ultrasonic flowmeters in high-speed batching but here we focus on the general batching system. We discuss five key considerations when choosing a flow meter that will ensure your batching process runs smoothly.

Probably the most recognised batch filling system is that of beverages, either directly into a glass or into bottles. However, batching systems are also integral to the pharmaceutical and medical, and chemical and oil industries. Additive injection or chemical dosing are typical applications where flow meters are used to precisely control the amount of liquid dispensed, which is critical in such processes.

Choosing the correct flow meter for a batch system can be complex and Titan Enterprises are happy to help you find the best flow meter solution for your process and plant.

For further information on Titan’s flowmeter and instrumentation range or to discuss any process and technical issues, please contact Titan Enterprises on: +44 (0)1935 812790 or sales@flowmeters.co.uk. Visit our website at: www.flowmeters.co.uk

New Sustainability in Bearings Brochure released by Brammer Buck & Hickman and SKF

‘

Committed to Sustainability’ is a new brochure produced by Brammer Buck & Hickman, the UK's leading supplier of industrial maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) products and services, in partnership with bearings manufacturer SKF. It is available to download now from Brammer Buck & Hickman’s SKF bearings section on its website: uk.rubix.com/supplier/skf At a time when the world is looking to limit its energy usage and impact on the climate, pressure is mounting on industry worldwide to reduce its overall environmental impact. Individual bearings may use relatively little energy, but are in such widespread use and are also one of the most frequently replaced components, that building sustainability in to the product and their usage matters.

The new Brammer Buck & Hickman ‘Committed to Sustainability’ brochure provides customers with a guide to getting the most out of their bearings whilst having the least impact on the environment by applying the 3Rs waste hierarchy – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Examples of the 3RS include reducing the number of bearings you use by selecting good quality ones that are appropriate for the task at hand and ensure they are correctly fitted for product longevity; reuse bearings through SKF’s remanufacturing process, and regenerate lubricants; heck to see if the bearings you use can be recycled at end of life.

Brammer Buck & Hickman, a Rubix group company, is Europe's leading authorised bearings distributor, selling over 100 million bearings annually from the largest, most comprehensive bearings range and stock.

Download the new bearings sustainability brochure at: uk.rubix.com/supplier/skf

is sponsored by OTC Beverages – see them on page 17

11

Natural & Organic Products Europe Review

The home of products that make a Rhumveld: Your partner for Nuts, big difference to your business Seeds and Superfoods N

An unmissable event for networking, experiencing the latest innovations and industry news, Natural & Organic Products Europe has assisted thousands of global businesses set up distribution networks and retail deals in the UK, Europe and globally.

atural & Organic Products Europe was back again this year at the ExCeL, London on the 3rd–4th April 2022.

Natural & Organic Products Europe is Europe’s leading event for eco-friendly, sustainable, natural, organic and free from food, drink, beauty, self-care and well-being products.

This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this years show, listed here in alphabetical order: Blendsmiths, Bomimo Nutrition, Formosan Farms, Hortus Medicus International, IMAG Organics, Lemberona Handels, Mama Buci, Mintons Good Food, Royal B Essentials, Rhumveld UK, The Real Olive Company & VEGO Good Food. Further details can be found on this page and the next.

Encompassing an impressive over 800 exhibitors and thousands of visitors from around the world, Natural & Organic Products Europe is a trade only event that is dedicated to promoting a vibrant choice of natural, organic, Fairtrade, free-from, vegan and vegetarian brands. The exhibition also boasts a full programme of expert talks and seminars.

Natural & Organic Products Europe brings together a selection of shows, under one

event, including: Natural Health & Living, Natural Beauty & Spa, Natural Food Show and Vegan World.

For more information, please see below: https://www.naturalproducts.co.uk

Herbs for Life F

lowers, leaves and roots have long been used in the kitchen and for medical treatments.

This is how we started T ‘n’ T Teas – creating complimentary treatments as teas. This expanded into a wide range of flavoursome teas, honey and cordials, and of course, our wide range of functional teas and tinctures.

Set up in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, founders Tina and Thom Poole spent much of the first year blending many exciting new flavours, guided by an ancient family heirloom of herbal recipes.

Tina has over 20 years’ experience in natural and phytotherapy, along with the ancient recipe books. Thom has qualifications in horticulture and botany, so the two are well suited to create great infusions.

A finalist in the recent Natural & Organic Products Europe Awards – the only tea to make it on the shortlist. Forever Mint is a powerful and very

tasty infusion that has a real kick to it thanks to the inclusion of pepper. Try it as a caffeine-free alternative to combat the mid-afternoon lull.

For more of our exciting, unique range of luxury teas, check out the website at: www.tntteas.com or contact us on: 020 8191 1625.

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rading for over 25 years in the UK, Rhumveld are a supplier of Organic and Conventional wholefoods; Nuts, Seeds, Dried Fruit and Superfoods (Chia, Maca, Quinoa, Cacao). We are sustainably focused and import directly from producers all over the world. With buyers in South America, Europe and China and warehouses in the UK and Netherlands we are uniquely positioned to service customers in the UK and EU, even post-Brexit.

Customers range from large global brands to smaller independents. Minimum order is 250kg per item.

For more information, please contact Joe: j.kilduff@rhumveld.com, call: 07473 837340 or visit: www.rhumveld.com

We have set up a charity named the Trivium Foundation – improving our supply chain by working on large-scale projects – building schools in Madagascar, Bolivia, Brazil, South Africa and Vietnam.

Visit our charity’s website here: www.triviumfoundation.org

Lemberona Handels GMBH L emberona have been trading a wide range of organic and Gluten free products in the UK for well over 10 years, both in raw materials and retail brands, such as Pearls of Samarkand and Lifestyle Organic. At this years’ NOPE show at Excel, Lemberona unveiled their latest retail brand, PlantLife™.

PlantLife offers ethically sourced dried fruit and nut ranges, to add to the dried vegetables, spices, grains and pulses offered

by Lemberona in bulk.

100% recyclable, PlantLife also has a positive carbon footprint, as verified independently by Anthesis, a leading global sustainability consultancy. It’s minimum carbon impact is achieved through wildharvesting, solar drying and boosted by the recent planting of over 300,000 trees in mountainous areas, vulnerable to deforestation by erosion and dangerous mudslides. PlantLife operates to Sharetrade Principles, rewarding over 500 farming families in many financial ways. To add to all this, PlantLife delivers incredible natural flavours as ‘We’re Right by Nature’™.

For more information about the PlantLife

range and Lemberona’s operation, please contact David Jack, Head of UK Business development on: david@lemberona.at or visit: www.lemberona.at

Blended to be different, blended to be extraordinary D

oes your drink game need an adventure?

At Blendsmiths, we are passionate about flavours and curious about the exploration of taste.

At our core, we are drink innovators and pride ourselves on putting a modern twist on ancient drinks.

We’re not coffee, nor tea but an alternative drink option designed to take your taste buds on a journey sensation.

We’re excited to bring our blends to more

and more people. We hope that our love of high quality, natural ingredients, coupled with our care for the planet, shines through in our meticulously crafted creations.

with us, on our own journey as we continue to expand our curiosity.

We blend from the ground up, to the heights of our imagination. Ultimately, we have fun with many of the world’s natural ingredients to create a taste to remember. We hope you’ll come

M 07545 791113 hello@blendsmiths.com www.blendsmiths.com Social Media: @Blendsmiths

Drinks to watch the world go by.

Discover why so many women are turning to The MenoShake® T

he MenoShake by BOMIMO is an Awardwinning comprehensive multi-nutrient, plant protein and herbal shake with added marine collagen, formulated by registered nutritionists and specifically designed to support female wellness during perimenopause and menopause.

Menopause is an inevitable stage of life that every woman goes through between their late thirties to late fifties. This natural transition can bring with it up to 48 symptoms, experienced differently by every individual.

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The MenoShake was designed by women for women to help them to achieve a better balance, so that they can feel leaner, stronger, happier, energised, more vital, and ultimately sexier, every day.

This delicious shake has been scientifically formulated to contribute towards achieving hormonal equilibrium, alongside providing a combination of essential vitamins and minerals, plant-based proteins and super foods, botanicals and herbs, and ingredients to support weight management.

Packed with over 30 micro-nutrients, botanicals, adaptogens and phytoestrogens including red clover, wild yam, ginseng, reishi mushroom, maca powder and KSM66 ashwagandha and more.

Made from sustainably sourced ingredients, it contains just 75 calories per 25g serving, is low in sugar, high in fibre and protein, lactose free and GMO free.

Bomimo, Body + Mind + Mojo, M 07821 640366 hello@bomimonutrition.com www.bomimonutrition.com https://www.facebook.com/bomimonutrition

is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

Natural & Organic Products Europe Review

Mama Buci: Honey in its purest form flora, which is what gives our honey its unique flavour.

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ama Buci produces awardwinning, ethical, and socially responsible pure honey made by wild African bees from the Zambian Miombo forests.

Our sustainable treetop bar hives are hand-built by Zambian locals.

They are specially designed to make harvesting easier and kinder to the environment and ensure they produce the purest honey possible. We currently support over 7,000 families in Zambia by providing them with the hives, training and education needed to produce delicious pure honey.

The bees forage in the natural local

The Summer Harvest has a light amber, floral taste with tantalising hints of aniseed and fennel; the Winter Harvest has a rich, sweet, dark amber flavour with comforting hints of black treacle.

Both have won the UK Great Taste Gold Award!

Through each step of the journey, we make sure that the clarity and flavour of our honey is never compromised.

Our honey is: ● Pure and cold-filtered ● Naturally rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants ● Unique in taste ● Free from additives and preservatives ● Ethically and fairly sourced from small-scale beekeepers ● Sustainable.

‘Become part of the Mama Buci story and directly affect change in communities that really need our help’ Contact Kelly Ravenscroft, Operations & Marketing Director, M 07917 831749 kelly@mamabuci.com https://mamabuci.com

IMAG Organics business, allowing the community to improve its quality of life.

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MAG Organics was established in 2005 by a co-operative of farmers managing 20,000 acres of organic land in Jalisco, Mexico.

Most of the land is used to grow more than 15 million Blue Weber Agave, as well as Aloe Vera and Stevia, the raw materials for our ingredients, Organic Agave Syrup/ Inulin/Powder, Stevia SG95 and Aloe Vera Powders Supporting the local farming community has always been IMAG’s vision. The numerous farmers, 180 employees working the fields by hand, and the 600+ employees in the factory all benefit through the success of the IMAG

In 2021, IMAG created a strategic partnership in the UK with Facilit8 & Flourish (F&F). Through F&F, IMAG ingredients are imported and sold directly to distributors and producers in the beverage, food, dairy, supplement, and nutraceutical industries.

business model by adopting sustainable packaging for our products.”

The new packaging was created by Parkside and has dedicated over eight years of research and development into compostable laminates. This

has led to the creation of more than 20 accredited home and industrial compostable structures, which is sold around the world.

Roger Watkins, Managing Director of Mintons Good Food said, “We are a healthy foods brand, Mintons and our customers are environmentally conscious, and the impact of plastic food packaging is worrying, so it makes sense that we progress our

The duplex compostable laminate used in the Mintons pack is manufactured by Futamura and is safe for food packaging. The pack is also designed to break down within 26 weeks in a home composting environment, gaining full accreditation from TUV (formerly Vincotte). The packs are also tested for eco-toxicity and various other criteria against EN 13432, the European standard that lays out the requirements for packaging that is recoverable through composting or biodegradation.

T 01597 824720 www.mintonsgoodfood.co.uk

Stir in the sunshine!

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red peppers and savoury rich sun dried tomatoes are lifted by the addition of fruity Kalamata olives to really harness the flavours of the Mediterranean.

he Real Olive Company are introducing two delicious, fresh organic vegan pesto’s to their range.

These pesto’s will appeal to consumers who are driven by taste and clean ingredients or just simply have a flexitarian approach to eating.

The Organic Fresh Basil Pesto is a vibrant vegan pesto that knocks the socks off any other vegan pesto out there! The rich and savoury notes are achieved by the use of pumpkin seeds along with a blend of natural ingredients, created by The Real Olive company’s in house new product development chef Charlie.

To compliment the Basil Pesto, the amazing tasting vegan Organic Tomato and Olive Pesto is perfect for a quick and easy mid-week meal that’s good for you whilst bringing luscious, warm, deep flavours to your table! The sweet

Contact Dr. Han, M 07415 845063 info@formosanfarms.com https://formosanfarms.com

e believe in nature’s extraordinary healing abilities. That’s why we partner with mother Earth’s Most Valuable Pollinators – the Bees.

Mintons Good Food introduce home compostable packaging

The new compostable pack will replace the brand’s previously non-recyclable plastic packaging for its range of pulses, beans, cereals, grains, and dried fruits.

Incorporating improved oxygen barrier performance, the packaging will also further extend the shelf life of the goods.

cold water keeps the most anti-oxidant nutrients as freshly packed by an anti-oxidant packaging technology. They also access the primary single-origin sources of farm products and ingredients in Taiwan, including naturopathic herbs, various kinds of rice, aged vinegar, fruit-based enzymes, high mountain coffee, and etc.

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Contact us at: info@imagorganics. com for your complimentary samples, pricing and technical information or visit: https://imagorganics.com

ood For you, Good For the planet: Mintons Good Food Launch Home Compostable packaging, contributing to the improvement of the environmental impact of food packaging waste.

ormosan Farms is a social enterprise based in Taiwan and in England.

Formosan Farms’ founder, Dr. Han, used her sound academic research in agricultural innovation to support independent tea farmers for sustainable farming traditions.

She therefore focuses on single-origin and fair-trade tea. Formosan Farms’ single-origin speciality teas are the best quality authentic teas from small family farms in Taiwan.

The sustainable and ethical teas from each farmer and farm preserve the Formosan Farm heritage of handpicked whole-leaf teas as its tradition. The sustainable farming method used keeps away all pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals. Small-batch rare teas that deliver the originality, seasonality, specialty of distinguished true tastes directly from farms & farmers. They delivers a 100% pure commitment to only support teas by handpicked and hand-processed based on family tradition. The health benefits of these wild and rare tea plants are enormous as your daily drink, especially by cold-brew fully infused overnight. Raw drink by using

Royal B Essentials

Peter Naylor, MD for IMAG and F&F said the following, “Our vision was to provide a level & quality of service that is expected by UK manufacturers and wholesalers, with short lead times and top-quality products. Available in bulk and B2C retail formats, we are ready to serve.”

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Single Origin. Rare Teas.

Independent Farms F

All of The Real Olive company’s products are made using coldpressed, unrefined oils as this keeps them at their tastiest whilst maintaining all of the goodness in the oils.

‘Love Life, Eat Real.’

For more information or to order some samples, email: hello@therealolivecompany.co.uk or call us on: 0117 950 1058.

Bee ingredients are ancient nutraceuticals that have been delivering a broad bio-shield of benefits to mankind for millenniums. A nutraceutical is a natural food that is rich in nutrients. Food is information for the body, it is one of the building blocks for human evolution and optimum performance. Nature provides the nourishing ingredients and our innovative specialists with over 50 years of pharmaceutical expertise, formulate and encapsulate Royal B supplements, offering you a natural solution to optimise your health. Priding ourselves on using the purest ingredients of the highest standard. We deliver 100% natural, gluten-free products with no unnatural

fillers. We do not use any ingredients that contain pesticides, or bulking agents, like vegetable oil, fish gelatine, bovine (cow gelatine), or ammonia caramel colouring.

All our ingredients are subject to thirdparty testing, the supplements are easy to swallow, and our capsules are vegan friendly. Our mission is to raise awareness of the importance of Bees in our ecosystem and how we can all do our part to save them. For more information, join our mailing list on: www.royalbessentials.com T 0800 118 2979 info@royalbessentials.com www.royalbessentials.com

VEGO Chocolate E stablished in 2013, VEGO started with what is probable the biggest and tastiest vegan chocolate bar in the world…the VEGO Whole Hazelnut Chocolate Bar.

The original bar, a massive 150g, is made with the finest Italian hazelnut paste, cocoa and toasted whole hazelnuts. It is quite literally a melt-in-your mouth chocolate lover’s delight. VEGO, based in Berlin, is a vegan company, so all products are vegan, as well as Fairtrade, soy and gluten-free.

If the 150g bar seems a little too much, it also comes in a more modest mini size, 65g.

Since the launch of the VEGO original bar, other delights have been brought to the world, including the VEGO White Almond Bliss, the Vego Dark Nuts and Berries, the Vegolino Fine Nougat Pralines, and wait for it, the Vego Fine Hazelnut Chocolate Spread.

Pass the spoon!

Last January, VEGO launched yet another delicious treat! The Vego Fine Hazelnut Chocolate Melts, perfect for baking and hot chocolate.

Visit VEGO’s website and learn more about what everyone is talking about: https://vego-chocolate.com They will be visiting London next for the VegFest in November (12-13 Nov), make sure to come and visit the stand!

is sponsored by OTC Beverages – see them on page 17

13

Print & Packaging Matters

Target Net Zero Clear shrink film for wraparound labels I

nnovia Films is launching RayoWrap™ CMS, a clear BOPP film for shrink, wraparound label applications.

Produced at our UK production facility, CMS30 provides high shrinkage, but only in the machine direction, making it the perfect film for labelling contoured drinkable dairy and beverage containers.

CMS30 is highly printable and designed to give outstanding 360° graphics around the whole label.

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e are all aware that the food packaging industry has a responsibility to its customers and stakeholders to reduce its environmental impact.

This film is perfect for use on small PP or PE bottles, as it can be easily removed to aid recycling of the bottle, or the whole labelled container can be recycled in a polyolefin stream. This helps the final pack be fully recyclable, and therefore meeting the Plastic Recyclers Europe packaging design recommendations.

performs at every stage of the value chain, from ease of printing, through high-speed roll fed wraparound labelling, and then on to the all-important end-oflife and recycling of the packaging. Being only 30 microns, the film also has a high yield, and so it is a cost-effective way to get all round decoration of the container.

McEwen adds, “CMS30 is the perfect addition to our RayoWrapTM range of films, meaning we can now offer outstanding technical solutions for all roll-fed wraparound applications.”

Alasdair McEwen, Product Manager, Labels explains “The technical performance of CMS30, means it

To find out more, contact your local Innovia Films Sales Manager or email: labels@innoviafilms.com

National Flexible believe that this is not only in supplying packaging that can help reduce CO2 but that we need to work in a sustainable manner along with our other social and environmental responsibilities.

To this end, we are, wherever possible, developing our working practices to enable us to improve our business management in these areas.

In 2021, we helped our customers reduce their carbon footprint by 1,010 tonnes CO2 through packaging reduction, plastic reduction, emission free printing and carbon neutrality. This is equivalent to 2.5 million car miles or 774 long haul flights.

We have reduced our own carbon footprint by 709 tonnes CO2 through initiatives like the installation of solar panels, creating a Climate Positive Workforce and tree planting. This is equivalent to 1.8 million car miles or 543 long haul flights.

In total last year we saved 1,719 tonnes CO2.

We have also successfully gained ISO 14001 which is the international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS).

Come and see us on Stand D52 at Packaging Innovations NEC. www.nationalflexible.co.uk

On a Roll! Printed laminate containing over 30% PCR content

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ake Décor is the UK’s largest manufacturer of cake decorations, producing extensive ranges for Plant Bakeries, Blue Chip Food Manufacturers, Artisan Businesses and Major UK Supermarkets.

They were founded in 2006, owned by Orkla since April 2021 and have built a strong reputation for quality product and the highest customer service.

They have a ‘right first time’ approach to NPD and have innovation at their very core, so when Waitrose wanted to change to printed film for their Ready to Roll Icing, it was an easy discussion to have. Changing from a traditional laminate to one with post-consumer recyclate beats the Plastic Tax, introduced this month.

According to the Government website, the new tax has been introduced to, “Encourage the use of recycled rather than new plastic within plastic packaging. This will in turn stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste, diverting it away from landfill or incineration.”

“Moving to a PCR film was made easy by working with National Flexible. It ran first time on our packing lines and both we and Waitrose are very happy with the result.” Robert Simpson Cake Décor. www.nationalflexible.co.uk

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is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

Print & Packaging Matters

The Parkers Food Machinery Company P

to end users, as are the packaging products (vacuum pac bags, cleaning products, knives, hand saws, plastic & paper carrier bags and paper bags).

arker’s Food Machinery Plus is a family-run organisation founded by Barry Parker and his wife Carol more than 12 years ago. Located on the south coast in Bognor Regis, the wholesale food machinery company specialises in the supply and distribution of both new and pre-owned equipment.

The apparatus, which includes vacuum packers, weigh scale labellers & automatic wrappers, sausage power fillers & mixers, slicers & bandsaws and ovens, is offered direct and

Its labelling solutions, meanwhile, are available in thermal and non thermal options in all shapes and sizes in order to accommodate different types of machine. The labels can be produced bespoke, printed with a fast turnaround, although if preferred standard labels (freezer coated and freezer glued) are obtainable for order in any quantity.

The sundry and clothing aspect of the business is essentially a one-stop-shop facilitating the needs of butchers, catering butchers, hotels and restaurants.

The competitively priced selection comprises safety shoes, coats, hairnets, gloves, butchers vacuum pouch bags, sausage casings, rusk, sausage seasonings, professional knifes, dried herbs & spices, butchers twine, poly trays, bags and cleaning products of the highest possible standard.

Recyclable pouches join the family of McCoos

Contact T +44 (0)844 980 2428 sales@pfmplus.co.uk www.pfmplus.co.uk

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ow can a recyclable pouch possible do justice to the Steven Brown Art's – the McCoos?

When Deans of Huntly wanted to launch their range of Cookies in a recyclable pouch, they approached National Flexible for ideas. They had the designs which are incredible, incorporating Steven Brown Art’s McCoos but were worried that a recyclable laminated pouch wouldn’t do the designs justice as some recyclable materials can have a ‘dull’ finish similar to polyethylene.

National Flexible had already had extensive experience of recyclable films and pouches and were able to help. The pouches needed to have intensity of colour not only in the main design but also in the photographs of the small packs on the front.

“We needn’t have worried. National Flexible understood exactly what we wanted to achieve.

We are extremely happy with the pouches – they look amazing!” said Michael from Deans of Huntly.

T 01274 685566 sales@nationalflexible.net www.nationalflexible.co.uk

You are what you eat. So eat ‘Proper.’

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roper have moved into the fast growing snack bar category with a healthy alternative. The two flavours, Salted Caramel and Hazelnut Praline, are vegan and gluten free, have no palm oil and use ‘Proper’ ingredients.

The launch is in response to demand from shoppers for healthier on-the-go snacking options as the nation moves towards more mindful snacking.

The packs are made from matt and metallised film with 30% recycled content, meaning they are exempt from the Plastic Tax. The Plastic Tax is being introduced in April 2022 to “provide a clear economic incentive for businesses to use recycled material in the production of plastic packaging, which will create greater demand for this material and in turn stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste, diverting it away from landfill or incineration”.

A full range of films with recycled content are available now.

T 01274 685566 sales@nationalflexible.net www.nationalflexible.co.uk

is sponsored by OTC Beverages – see them on page 17

15

Hotel, Restaurant & Catering Show Review

The business event for hospitality and foodservice professionals F

year’s edition saw the return of the hugely popular The Staff Canteen Live, with top British chefs cooking their favourite meals live and sharing their wisdom with the show’s audience.

or more than 87 years, Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) has stood at the forefront of hospitality innovation, welcoming thousands of visitors every year to test, taste and discover the latest products from the finest suppliers in the market.

On 21st-23rd March 2022, the foodservice and hospitality industry descended on ExCeL London for the highly anticipated return of Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC). Packed with innovative suppliers, insightful discussions and top chefs, HRC 2022 was a must-attend event for hoteliers, restauranteurs and caterers to efficiently source quality products and stay ahead of industry trends.

HRC will return to ExCeL London on 20-22 March 2023.

Powerful thought leadership was placed front and centre, with a diverse range of speakers debating some of the industry’s most business-critical trends and challenges on the show’s Vision Stage, designed by Harp Design and curated by EXP101. Furthermore, top quality food was a central component of HRC. This

This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this years show, listed here in alphabetical order: Catra, Get Tasty, Qikserve, Tapp’d Cocktails & ZOONO Holdings. Further details can be found on this page.

ZOONO: Developing the next level of protection that lasts H

ygiene standards have always needed to be high.

However, recent times have highlighted the need to raise the bar – globally. People now expect more than just clean; they expect sanitised too.

destroyed, making them less likely to affect you and can help prevent them evolving into superbugs. This clever popping action is proven effective on 99.9% of bacteria and against a range of other microbes.

That’s why we’ve developed the next level of protection that lasts.

ZOONO’s extensive product range offers comprehensive, longlasting protection on surfaces for up to 30-days and on hands for up to 24 hours. And you don’t have to take our word for it – our innovative bacteria-popping technology is backed by over 190 lab reports and recommended by companies that are serious about protection all over the world.

ZOONO works by coating the surface with a layer of positively charged molecular pins. This protective layer attaches to the surface via a covalent bond, which attracts and kills negatively charged microbes by rupturing their cells. When microbes touch the surface, they pop and are

Get in touch with us at: uksales@zoono.com to learn how we can help keep your people, customers and business protected.

Contact T +44 (0)800 583 7583 uksales@zoono.com https://zoono.co.uk

For more information, please see below: www.hrc.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/ HotelRestaurantCatering

Innovative technology from QikServe drives ambitious hospitality brands The ultimate powered knife sharpener around the world A O t the heart of a professional kitchen is the knife and more importantly a sharp knife.

Designed and manufactured by CATRA Sheffield, the CATRASHARP knife sharpener will help keep your kitchen knives sharp.

60-years of CATRA research shows that other electric knife sharpeners tend to overheat the blade; this not only softens but reduces the life between sharpening’s. The CATRASHARP special abrasive generates very little heat so your knife could last up to 50% longer.

Worried about excess metal dust? As the wheels don’t produce grinding dust and magnets within the sharpener’s covers capture any metal particles from the blades, you can move it around and still maintain the expected hygiene standards required in a kitchen.

For more information, contact us at: T +44 (0)114 276 9736 sales@catra.org www.catrasharp.com

Powering your ambition ur flexible digital order & pay platform supports multiple guest journeys from pay at table, self-service kiosks to delivery and click & collect.

Our white label platform can be personalised to any corporate identity, meaning your customers can seamlessly order and pay with confidence. With features including Suggestive Selling, Digital Loyalty and push notifications, QikServe helps your business to attract and retain loyal customers – commission free.

Unrivalled capability We support multi-brand, multivenue operators around the world. Partnered with over ninety

POS, Payment, Loyalty and Delivery providers, QikServe can connect and integrate complex data flows into one simplified dashboard, so you can easily analyse and optimise your venue’s performance.

Spearheading the hospitality industry Our technology connects millions

of transactions in thousands of locations each year. Some of the world’s most successful hospitality brands trust in our platform to facilitate effortless customer journeys, driving revenue and patron satisfaction.

Visit: QikServe.com to discover how we power digital transformation and to book a demo. Whether your sights are set on three locations or three thousand, we’re here to help you optimise your here and now, while expediting growth or email: hello@qikserve.com.

The UK’s first mixologist quality ready to drink bottled cocktails, delivered nationwide!

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app’d Cocktails is an Essexbased ready to drink bottled and canned cocktail company. Launched in 2020 with a goal to shake up the ready to drink cocktail industry. Our mission was and still is to handcraft the UK’s first mixologist quality ready to drink cocktail range.

We are proud of our reputation for the quality of our drinks, which we develop with leading industry experts. Since launching, we have seen great success with the on and off trade partners nationwide. We are also excited to announce a finalised large supermarket deal meaning our cocktails will be on the shelves of hundreds of UK stores this Christmas and finally we are proud to be continuing our relationship with television appearances via QVC. We carefully select the finest ingredients including real fruit, ethically sourced coffee, and award-winning spirits to create ready to serve cocktails that taste exceptional and pour perfectly, every time.

Gluten free, vegan, and free from any artificial flavours and preservatives each bottle is a perfectly portioned 175ml 10% ABV serve and our canned range is 250ml 6% abv serve.

We wanted to offer our customers the elevated experience and a higher ABV is exactly how we have achieved this.

T 01702 936500 sales@tappdcocktails.com www.tappdcocktails.com

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is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

Beverages Matters

OTC Beverages: Original Caribbean Beverages

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hirley White is the founder of the multi award winning Caribbean style drinks, OTC Beverages. Despite the turbulent backdrop of the global COVID19 pandemic, Shirley and the team have managed to not only launch OTC Beverages but has overseen the huge success they have enjoyed over the last couple of years. Whilst the global corporations have come through unscathed, so many of the smaller companies have not which is why it’s particularly heartening when you hear about an organisation like OTC Beverages that has managed to buck that trend and thrived despite the challenging climate.

OTC have won a plethora of highly acclaimed industry awards for the quality of their product range so their achievements have clearly been no accident. What has been behind that success? Clearly there are many factors. OTC has great taste, is based on traditional Caribbean recipes, is refreshing, has high quality organic and

extract of flavours, has functional benefits associated with drinking them and they have been assessed by the Great British Food Award judges who awarded them a shortlisting in one of their categories and a high mark of 12/15 for their new Butterfly Pea Flower with Lime flavour which they launched in 2020.

Check out OTC Beverages at: https://www.otcbeverages.com Instagram: @otcbeverages Twitter: @Beveragesotc

NATURAL GINGER DRINK MIX Made from organic ingredients, years of heritage and premium ginger The perfect golden serve Alcohol free-Fiery kick promised

For more information, please call 07498 298081 or email info@root2ginger.co.uk www.root2ginger.co.uk

is sponsored by OTC Beverages – see them on page 17

17

Food & Drink Expo Review Top 20

Where the UK food & drink industry meets

Bottle Up began with a simple human truth O

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And our history has given us special connection to the water.

kay, maybe we’re biased, but we think our hometown, Amsterdam, is beautiful.

or the past 26 years, Food & Drink Expo has been the flagship event for retail, wholesale and foodservice audiences focusing on finished products.

The UK Food & Drink Expo 2022 returned to the NEC Birmingham on the 25th–27th April for a three-day event like no other, marked by an air of real celebration as it was the first time where face-to-face business was allowed after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19.

Food & Drink Expo 2022 delivered a cuttingedge and highly engaging content programme that involved The Grocer Magazine’s Talking Shop Live where editor, Adam Leyland hosted several highprofile keynote speakers, alongside masterclasses, live interviews and panel discussions centred around hot button, state-of-the-nation issues.

The innovation scheme offered an easy way for attendees to identify some of the most innovative new products coming to market alongside offering great inside information on the latest and greatest product launches from exhibitors such as Meatless

Then you’ll understand, why our frustration at seeing our canals filled with single-use plastic meant we had to act: ‘grab and go’ water culture had to change.

Farm, Waterdrop, Jersey Dairy, Porky Whites, TRIBE, and many more.

Food & Drink Expo 2023 will be held on the 24th–26th April at the NEC in Birmingham.

Register your interest now.

This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this years show, listed here in alphabetical order: Bottle Up, Borrisoleigh Bottling, Daoini Organic, HELIOS Pasta, Ice Cream Treats, Kingsley Beverages, Leonard Ingredients, Naturae, Reynards. Further details can be found on this page and the next. www.foodanddrinkexpo.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/FoodDrinkExpo https://www.instagram.com/foodanddrinkexpo

OneWay Plastics O

Refresh, refill, repeat Water on the go is not going away.

And why should it? These days, it’s part of our carefree, active lifestyles.

The convenience of bottled water is great! It’s the wastefulness that has to go. Instead of asking people to change their lifestyle, Bottle Up changed the bottle.

Affordable & accessible Until now, water on-the-go meant choosing between pricey refillable water bottles, and wasteful, irresponsible bottled water.

Bottle Up replaces both!

Every bottle counts Bottle Up isn’t just planet positive, its people positive. Every bottle sold means another donation to our partners at Made Blue. They’re doing wonderful work, ensuring clean, safe drinking water to communities in developing countries all over the world.

T +44 (0)20 33 19 63 30 hello@bottleup.com www.bottleup.com

Take a butchers at Leonards Ingredients L

eonards Ingredients is a family run business that was first established in the late eighties in Portsmouth.

Growing from a Butchers shop to now a one-stop shop for all your blending needs, whether butcher, baker or vegan maker.

neWay Plastics is the market leader in many European countries for piping bags, used in bakery and other applications.

They have a large range of bags in different sizes, which all use a triple layer system, the outside layer being rough for a firm grip, the middle layer holding its shape to avoid spillage when the bag is placed down, and a slick inner layer to ensure no wastage of food product.

Their range includes the Comfort Bio-Based bag, which 80% is made from an innovative plastic material manufactured from cane sugar. Unlike petroleum-based plastics, this material has no ecological footprint, CO2 emissions in production are significantly reduced, and the bag is 100% recyclable.

With the current focus on the environment, this unique combination is very desirable to users wishing to put their green credentials into practice.

So, we started Bottle Up, creating a bottle that’s attractive enough to keep, durable enough to last, safe enough to refill, and just as convenient and refreshing as ordinary bottled water. Our mission is simple: to eliminate single-use water bottles.

Our solution: Bottle Up.

Plant based progress Our bottles are made entirely from sugar cane. We chose sugar cane, because it’s a low impact crop, requiring little to no fertilizer or additional irrigation. Sugar cane as the name implies, is where we get sugar. But that’s not all we get. Once all the sweet stuff is squeezed out, the remaining pulp, called bagasse, can then be used as fuel, feed, fertilizer, or in our case, turned into durable plantbased packaging.

Of special interest is the Sweetliner bag, which is a minature size (12x21cm), supplied complete with small resealable nozzle for fine work, particularly in the pastry area. It can be manipulated as easily as a pen to create beautiful detail.

For free samples or further information visit the website of sole UK distributor: www.reynardslimited.com or call Francis Marra on: 0203 916 5045.

Leonards modern factory site has allowed the expansion of the known and loved Gourmet Butchers sausage & Burger mixes, and to become an early leader in gluten free production. Furthermore, the company also offers a Bespoke Blends service where its development team will work with you to turn your flavour idea into a finished product. With a production capacity of just 30kg up to multiple tonne drops the bespoke service sees customers ranging from high street butcher to large scale manufacturer.

Not limiting themselves to supplying to the meat industry, Leonards has expertise in bespoke blending everything from crisp flavourings to fish batters and vegan meat analogs. And has a friendly New Product Development team ready to help you perfect your perfect product.

In 2021, Leonards further expanded its manufacturing reach by offering a Contract Blending service to its

customers. This simple, user friendly service allows their customers complete control of their ingredients and supply chain. Simply dropping the pallets into Leonards BRC certified factory site for blending to their exacting requirements. The uptake on this for nutraceuticals, vegan blending as well as bakery blending has been significant.

Leonards Ingredients ensure quality all round and are BRC Accredited and work hard to maintain the Quality of Products as well as the Quality of Service. Contact one of the team today to see how they can help.

For more information, please see below: T 01825 760262 info@leonards.co.uk www.leonards.co.uk Social Media: @LeonardsUK

HELIOS wins ‘Best New Food Product’ I

n April 2022, HELIOS Pasta Industry attended the ‘Natural and Organic Products Europe 2022,’ one of Europe’s leading trade shows, where it presented a wide variety of innovative HELIOS products including gluten-free pasta, organic Emmer-Farro Dicocco wheat pasta, organic gluten-free CousCous, Artesian Pasta Straws

by HELIOS, as well as Organic Kiddo Pasta

by HELIOS. The entire line of Organic Kiddo Pasta

by HELIOS, which includes Letters & Numbers, Little Animals, and Little Dinosaurs varieties was shortlisted by the public as one of their favourite product lines.

environmental industry trends and welcomed over 700 exhibitors and more than 10,000 key decision makers from around the world.

At the trade show’s Natural & Organic Awards Europe 2022, the judging committee awarded Organic Kiddo Pasta by HELIOS as the ‘Best New Food Product.’

Popular amongst children and parents alike, Organic Kiddo Pasta by HELIOS has the added benefits of being Loi Approved, USDA Organic, Kosher certified, Halal certified, and non-GMO verified. HELIOS Pasta is also the first pasta company internationally, and the first Greek brand whose selected products have also received the Clean Label Project Purity Award.

This was a remarkable achievement as the exhibition showcased sustainable and

For more information, please see below: www.heliospasta.com

The new shape of water

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environmentally sustainable cartons are made from primarily plant based material (88%) and are recyclable through normal kerbside collection.

These cartons also come with tethered caps, as a further innovation in dealing with litter related problems.

e have been programmed to believe that water should come in a glass, or as more commonly found nowadays, a plastic bottle. Borrisoleigh Bottling Ltd (BBL) are looking to change that with their range of sustainable carton products.

Based in the rolling green hills of North Tipperary in Ireland, BBL was established in 2018, having acquired the site of Ireland’s original accredited Natural Mineral Water source, and have since set about transforming the way water is delivered to the market.

Water from this source has been the winner of numerous gold medals for excellence and the company is now

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concentrating on the forms of packaging it uses, focusing on carton and glass for the main part of their business. The Tetra Top® carton style used comes in both 330ml and 500ml sizes, where the

The company produces these cartons under their own brands, W. B. Yeats®, Global Hydrate® & Captain Hydrate® as well as providing a private label service for companies looking for cartons under their own brands.

For more information, contact us at: +353 (0)504 50525 or email: info@bblco.ie.

is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

Food & Drink Expo Review Top 20

Naturae

Ice Cream Treats

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aturae understands how important nutrition is for our overall health and wellbeing.

Established in 2011, Biofactoría Naturae was born with a clear mission to ‘Improve people’s health thanks to the production of 100% organic, natural, quality products,’ with a main focus on Organic Aloe Vera juices. Innovation is at the core of Naturae’s business, becoming the most important manufacturer of Aloe Vera health supplements, from fresh leaves in Europe.

From farm to fridge, Naturae carefully controls the entire process. With their own Organic Aloe Vera plantations in Andalusia Spain, installed with polytunnels to ensure optimum quality of the plant.

Naturae Aloe Vera juices and health drinks are produced using unique processing; cold-pressed and HPP, ensuring a high purity and quality product, packed with nutrients. With no heat treatment, artificial additives or flavours. Naturae pure organic Aloe Vera juice with pulp and their new products, Aloe Vera with Ashwagandha and Aloe Vera with Elderberry are currently the most popular across 18 European countries.

Offering both own and private label brand.

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Naturae aims to meet the needs of their clients and end customers. Making them the most successful in their field in Europe.

For more information, please visit or email: info@e-naturae.com www.naturae.es/en

Daioni Organic

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aioni Organic is pleased to have been named a Top 20 Exhibitor at the Food & Drink Expo 2022 by Food & Drink Matters.

As proud organic farmers and producers of premium quality organic products, Daioni Organic is honoured by this recognition.

Based in the beautiful countryside of Wales, United Kingdom, ‘daioni’ means ‘goodness’ in Welsh and this commitment to goodness lies at the heart of the brand’s philosophy.

In addition to developing innovative, sustainable and organic farming practices, Daioni Organic seeks to offer consumers quality and ethical products.

Food and Drink Matters prides itself on showcasing the very best products, and dedicated services of those within the food and drink markets. With this in mind, we selected Daioni Organic, a dedicated, family-owned company that provides a range of award-winning delicious and nutritious organic beverages, as one of our

top exhibitors. Bringing an exhilarating range to the Food and Drink Expo, Daioni Organic’s devotion to great taste, and providing natural and traceable products, resonated with visitors and left them thirsting for more.

We saw an opportunity in the market to take a full Ice Cream parlour concept into convenience retail.

We identified that there was no premium ice cream parlour concept in the market that operated across scooped and soft serve ice cream. For the convenience sector in particular, where the basket size is smaller and the concept of selling food on the go has been well established, we concluded that this was a real opportunity for the retailer to add value to their stores and increase footfall by offering the consumer a variety of delicious ice cream treats.

During this period, we had many challenges from retailers in terms of size of units, product mix, margin, and seasonality to salsify the retailers concerns before launching.

Launched in 2003, Daioni Organic’s range of long life organic milk, organic flavoured milk drinks and organic ready to drink Fairtrade coffee have reaped numerous awards and are sold throughout the United Kingdom. Daioni Organic’s products are also exported worldwide, and the company’s milk was the first British organic milk certified for sale in China.

With all this support in place, the first Irish Ice Cream concept was launched, much to the delight of Irish consumers. They appreciated the playful nature of the brand as well as the sense of theatre and high degree of customisation it offered them when choosing a dessert to enjoy on the go.

For more information, please contact: Laurence Harris, T 07816 607597 laurence@daioni.co.uk Adam Fitzpatrick, T 07811 054853 adam@daioni.co.uk www.daioni.co.uk

Premium quality, superior taste at an affordable price

EXPERIENCE THE PHENOMENON! THE POWER IS YOURS

ce Cream Treats is a multiple award winning, premium ice cream and frozen yogurt manufacturer.

Innovation lies at the heart of Ice Cream Treat’s business operations. We are constantly looking at ways to deliver new and exciting products that delight consumers and set us apart from the competition, both in terms of our authentic, delicious flavours and our unique product benefits.

DRAGON ENERGY is specifically designed to maximize mental and physical performance.

T +353 49 433 2742 info@icecreamtreats.ie https://www.facebook.com/icecreamtreats4

K

ingsley Beverages is an international business, with operations located in Johannesburg (South Africa); Dubai (UAE); Peterborough (UK) and Houston (USA).

As part of our global growth, the Kingsley Beverages UK facility, incorporating its state-of-the-art beverage operations, has been increasing output rapidly since completion in 2019.

The factory consists of a PET and Can line capable of producing 27,000 bottles per hour and 36,000 cans per hour respectively.

The product portfolio, produced in our Peterborough plant, include Energy and Sports drinks, Sparkling soft drinks, tonics and flavoured waters. These are distributed throughout the UK as well as being exported into Europe and to other Kingsley operations throughout the globe.

Call Kingsley Beverages on 01733 852440, email uk.info@kingsleybeverages.com or visit kingsleybeverages.com/uk

Alongside its high-quality produce and key to its success, is its team and Kingsley Beverages believes it is only as good as the calibre of people it employs, capital investment strategy and high-quality products.

Kingsley’s aim is to provide its customers with a commercially attractive proposition by offering premium quality products at competitive prices.

For more information, please see below: https://kingsleybeverages.com/uk

is sponsored by OTC Beverages – see them on page 17

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Farm Shop & Deli Show Review Top 20

The Farm Shop & Deli Show

T

he Farm Shop & Deli Show is part of the UK Food & Drink Show, which made its return in 2022 to the NEC Birmingham for a three-day event.

Farm Shop & Deli Show hosts hundreds of speciality suppliers, coming together to celebrate the best of British regional produce.

The Farm Shop & Deli Show provides exhibitors and visitors with the latest innovations and news from the food and drink industry, and contains an award ceremony, celebrating the announcement of the winners of the Farm Shop & Deli Retailer and Product Awards.

Offering a selection of products from craft beers to artisan cheese, the show contains the key players in the industry and emerging brands, showcasing their latest products. The Farm Shop & Deli Show provides the perfect platform for networking and getting face-to-face with new and existing suppliers. it also offers practical advice

on improving profits and carbon footprint.

The Farm Shop and Deli Show will be returning to the NEC Birmingham on the 24th–26th April 2023.

This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this years show, listed here in alphabetical order: Blackthorn Salt, Burning Barn Rum, Cherry Tree Preserves, Dean’s Shortbread, Drivers Pickles, Rich’s Cider, Smith & Munson & Wild & Fruitful. Further details can be found on this page and the next.

For more information, please see below: https://www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk

The spark that ignited the flame B

urning Barn Rum has created a fierce, flavoursome range of handcrafted rums. The idea was sparked by a real disaster of the company’s barn burning down, which set into motion the development of a true craft offering for rum drinkers.

From the ashes of the barn, Burning Barn was born, and the fire gave inspiration to the rum flavours. The range currently consists of Smoked Rum, Spiced Rum, and a Honey & Rum Liqueur. With authenticity being a key part of the brand, Burning Barn Rum have developed their own processes for creating their uniquely flavoured rums.

They use wood from the original apple trees that were planted by the family’s father, over 30 years ago, to cold smoke a 3-year aged dark rum from Guyana. This creates a delicious sipping rum, with hints of apple and burnt treacle. For their Spiced rum, the spices are roasted whole and by hand, in large copper pans, before being infused

Rich’s Cider: A true taste of Somerset!

R ich’s Cider has been making Somerset Cider since 1954. Gordon and Betty Rich came to Mill Farm, Watchfield, over 60 years ago and began pressing Somerset apples to produce Rich’s Traditional Farmhouse Cider.

When Gordon and Betty passed away, the company was passed on to their daughter Jan and her family who continue to expand the range of great tasting ciders, staying true to our Somerset roots and without compromising on traditional methods.

Rich’s continue to harvest apples from local orchards in Somerset, pressing the apples on the farm using the original presses and the ‘rack and cloth’ method. The juice is then matured in our aged oak vats, before being bottled and packaged on the farm.

Rich’s has a wide range of traditional and modern ciders in varying pack formats, comprising glass

bottles, bag in box, pouches and traditional cider jars. Rich’s has also innovated with the launch of a range of fruit ciders and a versatile ‘Cider Liqueur’ which is already proving a hit with new and existing consumers.

Rich’s ciders will always be, ‘A true taste of Somerset!’

Trade enquiries, T 01278 783651 info@richscider.co.uk www.richscider.co.uk

Dean’s Shortbread D

into the same base rum. The newest rum in the range, the Honey Liqueur, uses honey from beehives kept on the farm. It’s sweet, luscious and tastes incredible with real lemonade and loads of ice on a summer’s day.

Just in time for summer festivals and garden parties, Burning Barn have put their 3 delicious rums into readyto-drink cans paired with their perfect serve. Packing a real punch, the 250ml cans bring premium taste and ingredients to the RTD space – Spiced Rum & Cola, Smoked Rum & Ginger, and Honey & Rum Liqueur with cloudy lemonade.

If you want to find out more, or to taste for yourself, please see the details below: www.burningbarnrum.com

ean’s is a familyowned business based in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, producing handbaked, premium, melt-in-the-mouth shortbread, biscuits and savoury cheese bites. The business was founded in 1975

by Helen Dean, who began baking shortbread in her kitchen to raise funds for the Huntly Pipe Band where her husband Bill was drum major.

A household brand in Scotland quickly expanding over the UK, Dean’s has a strong brand presence within all major supermarket retailers in Scotland, the gift sector and has a growing export business.

The Farm Shop & Deli show seemed the perfect chance to launch our new range Herdy, the cute and loveable lifestyle brand, created to spread smiles and happiness across the UK and beyond.

The range is made up of eight tins in eye-catching

colourways and designs, all filled with our all butter Herdy shortbread ovals, slowly handbaked to the Dean’s family recipe for a melt in the mouth taste.

We also launched our new range to celebrate The Open, including a limited-edition tin designed to commemorate The 150th Open at the iconic Old Course at St Andrews. The range includes four tins and three cartons containing slowly hand-baked all butter shortbread featuring stunning imagery from the Old Course at St Andrews. sales@deans.co.uk www.deans.co.uk

Drivers Pickles D

rivers Pickles are a fourth generation family business based in Leicester and a BRC AA grade production facility. For over 120 years, Drivers Pickles has been producing award-winning pickles, relishes and chutneys.

Many products in the range are gluten free, certified Vegan or Vegetarian and all packaging is fully recyclable.

Our versatile award winning range of premium quality pickles, relishes and chutneys is available in retail, catering and gift options.

Starting off as a grocery store in 1902, Drivers Pickles has recently expanded their retail range to 21 delicious products, which are aimed at the deli, farm shop and garden centre market. The Deli range combines the finest ingredients with vinegars from around the world to produce a range of traditional family products with a contemporary twist.

Working alongside a talented chef and restauranteur, The Farm Shop & Deli Show saw the launch of 4 such exciting new products; Sundried Tomato Chutney, Chilli Chutney, Dill Pickle Slices and Capucine Capers which went down a storm with customers old and new. The new lines are available from mid-July.

Drivers have also introduced a catering line and now supplies beautifully packaged gifts for all types of food lovers!

The range is distributed via all leading fine food wholesalers or contact Sarah Driver at: press@pickle-lovers.co.uk.

T 0116 2338833 www.pickle-lovers.co.uk Facebook: @driverspickles Instagram: @driverspickles

20

Enjoy them your way!

Drivers: family picklers since 1906

Visit www.pickle-lovers.co.uk Driver's Pickles Drivers Pickles driverspickles

is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

Farm Shop & Deli Show Review Top 20

Cherry Tree Preserves launches new Blackthorn Salt: Scottish Sea Salt Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew range T

he UK’s No.1 most awarded preserves producer, based in Dorset, have won 200+ Great Taste & Taste Of The West Awards for their innovative and flavourful foods. All their preserves are handmade in small batches, steam-cooked quickly to preserve the goodness of nature. Each batch is taste tested by the chefs and owners before it leaves.

A

stonishingly made on the only working Thorn Tower in the world, Blackthorn Salt comes from the sea, wind and thorns of the Scottish West Coast.

These founding values and their commitment to making the finest foods have brought about an amazing partnership with Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. The range consists of 11 best-selling sweet & savoury preserve recipes, with gift pack options available. Each flavour with a unique design created in partnership with the team and image archives at Kew, creating true on-shelf standout and a clear point of difference.

The range is available from Cherry Tree: https://www.cherrytreepreserves.co.uk/collections/ kew and RBG Kew, Selfridges, and a number of independent stores and farm shops nationwide.

All profits from RBG Kew support their vital work to protect plants & fungi, and their ongoing mission to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably.

For more information or to enquire about stocking this amazing new range, please contact Chris Braitch, Head of Commercial on: 07789 444836 or chris@cherrytreepreserves.co.uk.

British Grown Flowers all year round for your farm shop, direct from us the grower F

We are always using the latest growing techniques, we have an eye for detail and we produce top quality blooms. Our flowers are grown inside modern glasshouses, allowing us to harvest every day of the year. Tulips and lilies are what keep us busy.

ive generations of expertise has brought our business to where it is today, specialising in growing premium quality cut flowers. We are passionate about growing, and our love for flowers is reflected in everything we do from our brand to our final product. We take care every single step of the way from the beginning of the flower’s journey, when we pick the very best varieties for the season ahead, to proudly sending off our flowers.

We can assure you whenever you see our Smith & Munson branding that you will receive the highest standard of flowers.

We take great pride in seeing our name on every box of flowers that leaves our nursery.

If you would like to know more, please email Jo Munson: jo@smithandmunson.com or visit: www.smithandmunson.com

At Blackthorn, we use these incredible natural forces to focus on flavour and crystal quality, as well as provenance and sustainability. Each crystal comes from pure local seawater evaporated on the Thorn Tower.

This hiful structure harnesses coastal winds and sun to dry off 90% of that water. Then our Salters skilfully grow the crystals in the Pan House, painstakingly ensuring a balance of other

depth and mellowness, which elevates flavours allowing them to shine with a lasting moreishness.

elements is captured – magnesium, calcium, potassium, tannins etc.

– which make Blackthorn’s taste and characteristics so unique.

Blackthorn Salt has a flavour profile that is distinctively mineral-rich and bittersweet: it echoes the sea, yet also has a

Multi-award winning** Blackthorn Salt is organically approved and the salt of choice for many Michelinstarred restaurants, chefs, delis, farm shops and home foodies.

T +44 (0)1292 292029 info@blackthornsalt.co.uk www.blackthornsalt.co.uk **Great Taste Award 2021: Double Stars; Farm Shop & Deli Show 2022: Gold; Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards 2022: Gold in category and Platinum for Scottish Small Producer of the Year (ambient)

Wild & Fruitful: Jams, Marmalades & Chutneys handmade in Cumbria F

rom the heart of Cumbria, home to the English Lakes, Wild & Fruitful have been creating amazing tastes from local produce for over 20 years.

Now under the direction of young Cumbrian chef, Jake Winter, the company has expanded its range to include Sauces, Peanut Butter and on trend Chutneys for serving with cheese.

Previously only sold in Cumbria, the company is now expanding its customer base with new independent retailers taking the brand on across the country.

Exhibiting at the Farm Shop & Deli Show this year was a first for the company and has created lots of interest, particularly as the company was featured on TV only a week before on Channel 4’s A Lake District Farm Shop where Jake was filmed making their signature Keswick Ketchup.

Using traditional open pan methods, everything Wild & Fruitful make is 100% natural with no artificial colours and always made in small batches.

The introduction of Cumbria’s first Peanut Butter has seen the company take on separate premises and invest in roasting and grinding machinery, using a deeper roast than

conventional Peanut Butters. Using only Peanuts and a dash of sea salt, both Smooth and Crunchy varieties are available.

T 01900 813335 sales@wildandfruitful.co.uk https://wildandfruitful.co.uk

Body and Mind Botanicals B ody and Mind Botanicals produce a great tasting Cannabis Tea that has been going down a storm across the country. Their tea is packed full of CBD, along with the legal amount of THC allowed in the UK and most of Europe.

Share the love this summer with British flowers

What makes them different? First of all, they are part of the whole process.

From seed to cup! Being so hands-on allows them to guarantee the highest quality from their plant, grown on certified organic farms. Secondly, before they did their first sale, founder Michael Fitzgerald researched heavily

Send fresh flowers from our glasshouse to your house Five generations of expertise has brought our business to where it is today, specialising in growing premium quality cut flowers. We are passionate about growing, and our love for flowers is reflected in everything we do from our brand to our final product. We take care every single step of the way from the beginning of the flower’s journey, when we pick the very best varieties for the season ahead, to proudly sending off our flowers.

We are always using the latest growing techniques, we have an eye for detail and we produce top quality blooms. Our flowers are grown inside modern glasshouses, allowing us to harvest every day of the year. Tulips and lilies are what keep us busy.

Please visit www.smithandmunson.com Tel 01406 363234 | Email: info@smithandmunson.com

alongside his business partner Martin Kaprockyj for 18 months, allowing them to offer support and education to their customers and stockists. Finally, they are the only company in Europe to sell this strain of plant and harvest it in the way that they do.

Body and Mind Botanicals sell three types of tea; loose leaf, individual biodegradable teabags and a peppermint flavour teabag.

completely natural and organic. You can now find them in 350 stockists across the UK, including Partridges of London, Daylesford Organic and Grape Tree.

The company produce a great tasting tea that is low in THC and high in CBD,

T 01234 988420 www.bodyandmindbotanicals.com

Quality crafted ground coffee in a bag C

offee experts and enthusiasts the Real Coffee Bag Company are passionate about producing the most indulgent, rich flavoured coffee inspired by the quality tasting blends produced in Portugal. Through the company’s ideology of providing a great tasting coffee in a travel safe containment method, the Real Coffee Bag Company began producing its professional tasting coffee in biodegradable bags.

Inspired to produce a ground coffee blend, which would not reduce the standard of quality and strong taste of the coffee, the Real Coffee Bag Company created a range of perfectly crafted coffee blends. Working closely with an expert coffee roaster, the company created four flavoursome blends that capture the taste of a

strong, quality coffee in a fresh ground coffee in a bag format. As the popularity of their great tasting blends grew, the Real Coffee Bag Company added two new blends to the range: decaf and Nicaraguan coffee.

Making great tasting coffee an accessible commodity, the Real Coffee Bag Company has received an extremely positive reception from the food and drink industry, and won a Great Taste Award for their outstanding quality coffee.

For any more information or to explore the delicious coffee blends, please see below: T 01743 588088 www.realcoffeebagco.com

is sponsored by OTC Beverages – see them on page 17

21

National Convenience Show Review

The National Convenience Show T he National Convenience Show is part of the UK Food & Drink Shows, which returned in 2022 to the NEC Birmingham for a three-day event like no other. The shows were a hub of celebration, driven by visitors’ and exhibitors’ excitement, and relief to finally get back to face-to-face business.

The National Convenience Show is the biggest

event for the convenience-retailing sector, bringing together suppliers, wholesalers and retailers, in a single platform to unite the whole market.

The National Convenience Show is the best opportunity to source, experience and sample products and is the only event to provide convenience store-specific products and services, to propel your

business and drive it forward to generate higher footfall, and cash in on increased basket spend.

The show will be making its return again next year at the NEC, Birmingham on the 24th– 26th April, 2023.

years show, listed here in alphabetical order: B3 Labs, Henderson Technology, Newbridge, Tropicana Wholesale & Xyfil (Black Pod Salt).

Further details can be found on this page.

This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this

www.nationalconvenienceshow.co.uk

Toxic Waste Hazardously Sour Candy Pod Salt: Award winning T Nicotine Salt E-Liquid oxic Waste Hazardously Sour Candy is recognised as one of the Sourest Candy products currently available in the market place.

Launched in the UK in 2005 with the original iconic Yellow Drum. The brand has grown year on year with over 20 products now available in the range from Chew Bars to Gummy Bears & Worms. A growing range of gifts and seasonal products from Giant Money Banks to Selection Packs has seen the brand expand in to new areas.

Huge exposure on Social Media has the brand

grow significantly in the past 18 months and with new exciting products to be launched in 2023, we expect to see this growth continue in the foreseeable future.

With its eye-catching and unique sour experience Toxic Waste has firmly established itself as a favourite in for anyone brave enough to see if they ‘can handle the sour.’

R

Not only are we a major distributor of the most popular healthy snacks and sports nutrition brands on the market – we’ll also help you to shift your stock. And fast. Our

B3 Labs becomes latest UK Company to receive novel foods accreditation B 3 Labs Europe’s leading cannabidiol (CBD) manufacturer based in Manchester, has become one of the top companies in the UK to have its product portfolio added to the list of CBD products regulated for use in Europe.

Novel foods require regulatory approval by the relevant food authority such as the Foods Standards Agency or European Foods Standards Authority to ensure their purchase and use in Europe, but very few manufacturers attain accreditation in this process. Being accredited ensures novel foods are safe for public consumption.

B3 Labs, Europe’s first BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards) certified CBD manufacturer, obtained AA grade certification in 2021, making it the leading player in the European cannabis manufacturing market. Combining the highest level of food certification and cannabinoid knowledge has allowed B3 to set a clear benchmark to the rest of the cannabis industry as it drives legitimacy within the sector and ensures it matches up to standards in the traditional foods market.

B3 Labs produces a range of highly innovative CBD oils, gummies and vapes and was recently acquired by Sana Life Science, a leading specialist cannabis distributor based in the UK and operating in a number of markets across Europe, including the UK and Germany.

T 0161 820 1159 info@b3labs.co.uk https://b3labs.co.uk

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od Salt, a premium E-Liquid brand manufactured in the UK, is honoured to have been recognised at the National Convenience Show 2022. We were excited to take part in showcasing one of the growing convenience markets in the UK; the vaping market. Quitting smoking should be convenient and easy for

unrivalled product knowledge means we know exactly what your consumers are looking for. We’ll fill you in on all the latest buying trends and introduce you to the fastest selling brands. And what’s more, our buying power means we’re able to deliver you low prices.

On top of that, we supply point of sale display and promotional materials, to get your stock seen and bought.

Doing business with us couldn’t be simpler. Head over to: www.tropicanawholesale.com and register for a wholesale account that we’ll activate within 48 hours or, speak to our team on: 0121 313 6738.

smokers, and that’s what Pod Salt’s core goal is – to deliver an enjoyable and beneficial vaping experience that helps smokers quit for good.

We focus on giving smokers the ability to quit without battling nicotine withdrawal, offering tailored products to guide smokers through their quitting journey, up until the point they can quit vaping too.

Manufactured and produced here in the UK, we pride ourselves on not only the premium quality of our products, but the efficiency and experience of them. Pod Salt offers vaping products compliant with UK regulations that are trusted and well-

If you think you can handle the sour, contact: sales@newbridge-confec.co.uk.

We are the go-to wholesaler in sports nutrition ely on Tropicana Wholesale to bring you the best healthy snacks and sports nutrition names to your shelves. With over 200 top brands in stock, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for – all at competitive prices. We’ve been in business since 1980. As one of the UK’s leading wholesalers of healthy snacks and sports nutrition products, we know how to get supplies to you, without a hitch. In fact, we offer FREE, next day delivery when you order before 4pm.

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recognised, even across the globe.

Our award-winning Nicotine Salt formula has helped establish us as a market leader in the vaping industry, and our award-winning flavours continue to deliver what users want.

If you would like to stock Pod Salt, you can contact us at: T 01772 956414 info@podsalt.com www.podsalt.com

Retail benefits from EDGEPoS EPOS H

enderson Technology works with independent and forecourt retailers by offering a number of bespoke technology solutions.

James Stead, Area Manager at ET White & Sons in Calver, says, “EDGEPoS offers us self-checkouts, in-store coupons, self-populating picture PLUs, front-screen CDU advertising, an accounts exporting facility and an advanced and simple

reporting structure, including scheduled reports to my email address.

“The reporting allows me to keep full control and visibility and enables me to keep a check of all aspects on both businesses.”

Karen and Paul Stephenson own a retail suite of eighteen stores. They installed EDGEPoS into their Nisa store in Barrow-in-Furness in late 2021.

Karen Stephenson says, “We decided to install one hybrid self-checkout and two stand-alone self-checkout kiosks. We also installed the Glory cash management system in our bank of two cashier/hybrid SCO tills and implemented the reduction app Gander to our customers.

“The results have been fantastic, with over 32% of our total store transactions now going through self-serve, and over 45% of EFT transactions are by customers serving themselves. This has allowed us to use staff in different areas of the store and our customers picked up the self-serve tills in no time.”

To find out more, please visit: www.henderson.technology

EDGEPoS is an Award Winning global EPOS Software System, designed

By Retailers, For Retailers

Premium White Label CBD Manufacturers in the UK With deep roots in nutraceutical supplementation, chemistry and strategic partnerships in analytics B3 Labs is the premium white label CBD manufacturing company. We are an industry leader and first in bringing together traditional homeopathy and modern science to formulate the most sophisticated cannabinoid products available on the market in our cuttingedge clean room facilities.

B3 Labs was born from a vision to change the CBD landscape for the better. Through our knowledge and expertise, we push the boundaries of what’s possible, helping you create truly game changing products for your brand.

Thanks to our BRCGS Certification and our adherence to the Novel Foods Act, we can help take your products to market in a seamless way.

Contact us today and start your journey: www.b3labs.co.uk Tel: 0161 820 1159 Email: info@b3labs.co.uk

Developed for the convenience and fuel forecourt market by Henderson Technology, EDGEPoS is one of the only worldwide EPOS systems that has been designed by retailers, for Retailers. Offering a fully scalable, realtime solution supporting businesses from one to one hundred lanes.

Henderson Technology realises that retail is a rapidly changing business and recognises the impact of new technology. We provide forward-thinking solutions for Retailers, enabling their business to maintain its competitive edge and ultimately boost profitability.

EDGEPoS covers the three main areas of running your Retail business; Operational Efficiency, Security and Business Development.

Visit www.henderson.technology, contact +44 (0)28 9094 1911 or email enquiries@henderson.technology

is sponsored by Sly Dog Rum – see them on page 8

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MACKLE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR Bulk supplies for Food Manufacturers BRITISH MADE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR USING BRITISH APPLES No sulphur or additives used with acidity levels to suit your requirements Brewed in our own BRC approved factory PACKED IN 25 AND 1000 LITRE CONTAINERS or Full Road Tankers

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Uniball Tumbler Mixer Ideal for flapjack mixes and fragile products Capacity 225 litres, 316 stainless steel drum, variable speed

The machines have been sold to clients using a range of different products as coating vegetables in oil, mixing medical powders, Bakery recipes, flapjack mix, mixing different nut types, marinating meat with sauces, mixing coffee beans, food ingredients, coating olives in flavours, flavours on nuts, pasta & mayo. Sold worldwide to USA, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Iceland and Europe.

+44 (0)1761 410345 sales@machines4food.co.uk

www.machines4food.co.uk

is sponsored by OTC Beverages – see them on page 17

23

Cocktail Company of the Year

What are you waiting for?

I

n this issue of Food & Drink Matters, we are delighted to announce NIO Cocktails as our Cocktail Company of the Year.

NIO Cocktails, with NIO standing for Needs Ice Only, is driving a cocktail revolution, amazing consumers worldwide with its fabulous ready-to-savour cocktails that are delivered to peoples’ homes through their letterboxes via their eCommerce site, or increasingly enjoyed in hospitality and entertainment venues and available in retail.

Crafted and made in Italy, NIO operates in several countries across the world including Italy, Germany, UK and the US. Developed by Luca and Alessandro from Italy in 2017, NIO Cocktails was bought over to the UK in 2019 and has since hit the premium ready to drink cocktails market by storm.

With business booming over the last 12 months, NIO is catching the eye of many customers throughout the UK, and in light of this, we asked Richard Sager, General Manager, what the secret is to their success.

He answered, “We’ve grown the company in so many ways!

In the UK, we’ve continued to develop our D2C proposition, including new seasonal cocktails, bundles, on-site experience, and consumer engagement. We are expanding our commercial footprint into more hospitality, entertainment and retail venues whilst continuing to serve our ever-present and important corporate clients.

In parallel, we’ve expanded into Germany and the US, all of which has been accomplished by hiring fantastic people who share our vision to enable everyone to enjoy world class cocktails outside of a bar.”

There are also several other attributes that have contributed towards the company’s continued growth and success. The quality of both the service delivered and the products themselves speak volumes within the industry to both current and future customers. “Quality is paramount, whether it’s consumers’ experiences on our website, the communication throughout delivery or the taste of the cocktails themselves; we pride ourselves on delivering quality on every one of these. Furthermore, we invest huge amounts of time, effort and resources to maintain our standards and this is best reflected in our cocktails,” added Richard.

Patrick Pistolesi who is the founder of Drink Kong voted the 19th best bar in the world 2021, designs and crafts all NIO’s cocktails and is vital to its success. Named the ‘Master Mixologist,’ Patrick’s Drink Kong was also named the number one bar in Italy and brings an incredible amount of experience to the company.

Another mark of its true quality is the premium brands to which NIO choose to work with. Showing this on the packaging enables customers to trust in the quality of the cocktails across their entire menu as well as the range of flavours available. “We fundamentally believe that perusing a cocktail menu, looking at the taste profiles and choosing what to drink, is a core part of the cocktail experience. Not only do we have the broadest menu of over 20 cocktails across several spirits bases, we serve in 100ml formats. This allows everyone to pick and choose which cocktails they want whether to be delivered to their home for our corporate customers or to create unique menus for our commercial customers.

People can pick and choose what to drink at point of purchase/consumption, meaning you’re not stuck having half a litre of the same cocktail that everyone must drink or having to throw away any unwanted drinks at the end of the evening,” stated Richard.

Offering such a variety of choice is a big selling point for NIO, whether it’s for consumers or commercial customers, but whilst people can ‘build’ their own bar, they can also choose from several curated boxes that play to breadth and/or depth of flavour profiles.

this, we can provide the right information or suggestions to people at the right time.”

By intricately examining and checking key audience data and analysing its next steps in line with the results, NIO is hot on the press to respond to every customer demand. “For commercial customers, we use our internal data to help identify cocktail popularity by location and support our customers in determining what menu to create. For corporate orders, we are frequently asked to send very large numbers of boxes to individuals’ homes; this is essentially an extension of our D2C business, but the real value for the customer comes in our proprietary tracking process that means we keep them updated of delivery status and manage any issues before they are even aware of anything,” said Richard.

Looking ahead, we asked Richard what the company’s future goals were, he answered. “In the short-term, we’ve got some super exciting NPD for Xmas, and all I will say is that it’s something we’ve been asked for many times since we launched, so I am delighted that we’ll be bringing it to market this year. Longer term, it’s to consolidate our leading position in the UK and to create the habits and behaviours of enjoying cocktails at home. We’re changing people’s at-home consumption behaviours, once glass at a time.”

Since launching in the UK, NIO has received multiple awards that truly reflect the hard work and investment

that has gone into ensuring the combination of choice, quality and convenience is what makes NIO such a compelling proposition. In closing, we asked Richard how he felt receiving our award, he answered. “It’s a wonderful recognition for all the hard work undertaken by the NIO team and our partners, that we also hope is a mark of confidence and trust to all potential customers to believe in NIO and allow us to serve you in the future.”

For more information, please see below: r.sager@nio-cocktails.com www.niococktails.co.uk

Some notable products include: ● The ‘Best Seller Box’ featuring six of their best-loved cocktails boasting a diverse range of flavour profiles ● The ‘Premixed Gin Cocktail Box’ featuring their best-selling gin cocktails - including two each of their award-winning Negroni and Gin Proved ● The Limited Edition ‘Bruichladdich and The Botanist Cocktail Box’ featuring four elegant cocktails carefully crafted by Patrick Pistolesi.

Ensuring each product is always on trend and targeting the audiences’ key preferences NIO is increasingly delivering personalised recommendations. Richard commented, “This goes for our eCommerce and commercial customers. We have a lot of data that allows us to identify trends, cocktail popularity by location, etc., all of which means our NPD activity constantly hits the bullseye of consumer and customer demand. From

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