Food & Drink News March/April 2021

MARCH/APRIL 2021

EXCLUSIVE FEATURES ARJOWIGGINS PAPER COMPANY ON A MISSION TO REVOLUTIONISE PACKAGING

CALIFORNIA WALNUTS ONE OF THE WORLD’S ORIGINAL PLANT-BASED INGREDIENTS LION LITTLE WORLD SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL FOR FAST GROWING BEVERAGE COMPANY

W W W. F O O D A N D D R I N K N E W S . C O . U K

Editor’s Foreword

PUBLISHER Planet Media & Design Ltd Brooke’s Mill, Huddersfield HD4 7NR

MANAGING DIRECTOR Jillian Evans

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Sarah Hoyer

CHIEF EDITOR David Barnett

SUB-EDITOR Rachael Whiteley

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It has been a momentous month with, finally, the opening of hospitality again following months of lockdown to various degrees across the UK. We should, of course, be celebrating this and hoping that things continue to improve so that the phased lifting of restrictions continues and we achieve something like the normality we once enjoyed.

But we should also take a moment to spare a thought for those businesses that did not make it and will not be re-opening.

It has been a tough time and some companies just could not weather the storm. The industry should hopefully have learned lessons about how to respond to such a crisis and be better placed for the next one that comes.

But for now, with things looking up, let us also look to a brighter future.

David Barnett CHIEF EDITOR

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Contents ONLINE E MAGAZINABLE! AIL NOW AV

05 INDUSTRY NEWS 16 TAKE AWAY FOCUS 18 ARJOWIGGINS 20 CALIFORNIA WALNUTS 23 LION LITTLE WORLD 26 BANHAM POULTRY 30 CENTRAL CONVEYOR BELTING

TO VIEW THE 2021 FEATURES LIST PLEASE VISIT WWW.FOODANDDRINKNEWS.CO.UK OR CONTACT US AT +44 (0)1484 321000 TO EMAIL A COPY TO YOU

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COCA-COLA UNVEILS NEW, REFRESHED LOOK The Coca-Cola Company today announced a new design system for the Coca-Cola trademark that brings Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke together in an evolution of the ‘One Brand’ Strategy that launched worldwide in 2016. The new design is simplified, removing added elements such as the red disc, to elevate the iconic trademarks with global consistency.

As a visual metaphor to uplift, the new design also proudly raises the Coca-Cola logo to the top of the label.

The design begins with the brand’s original and universally-recognised colour red – signalling authentic, delicious and refreshing Coca-Cola taste. When red is paired with white Spencerian script, it is Coca-Cola Original Taste. When paired with black script, it is Zero Sugar, leveraging the trademark and typography is a different way to indicate the Zero Sugar variety coupled with other details such as black bottle caps.

Diet Coke will also sit within the CocaCola trademark design family, with its signature silver background and red logo.

These will be consistent across all global markets that offer these lighter taste choices.

The intent is to provide a simple and intuitive navigation system that carries across all Coca-Cola variants, while simultaneously celebrating the Coca-Cola logo. The updated design will be led by Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which has also debuted an evolved recipe with a delicious

and refreshing taste that brings it close to that of the iconic, Coca-Cola Original Taste.

A new marketing campaign will support the new recipe for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.

The campaign, “Best Coke Ever?”, invites debate and trial before making any decisions. It’s a simple question that asks a lot: What if the new Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is, for some consumers, the best Coca-Cola ever? The campaign explores this debate across TV and digital films, out-of-home assets and calls on influencers and consumers alike to join the debate in social media. The campaign was created in partnership with Mercado McCann.

The new recipe, design and campaign for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar has already launched in Europe and Latin America. The rest of the trademark design evolution will follow, rolling out globally throughout 2021, with flavours to be fully converted over in 2022.

NEW FEATURE MAXES TRAY SEALER PERFORMANCE Tray sealing specialist Proseal has launched a new feature to enable customers to achieve increased sealing capacity within their existing equipment.

The new GT-Max system, which can be retrofitted to all Proseal GT0, GT1 and GT2 s and e models, has been seen to increase production speed by up to 25%. The enhancement is incorporated within the machine’s existing footprint, retaining each tray sealing machine’s already compact dimensions, while allowing companies to further boost speeds and throughput without altering or extending the existing line layout.

The Max system is compatible with all seal

cycle types including Skin Deep. Customers are able to utilise all their existing tool formats as well as a range of new Max formats developed for the system.

“Increasingly competitive markets are putting even greater pressure on production time and targets,” commented Tony Burgess, Sales Director, Proseal. “Maximising capacity is therefore all the more essential, but for many companies the challenge is to deliver this within their existing factory footprint.

“Our latest GT-Max feature provides the perfect solution, enabling both new and existing customers to obtain enhanced performance and even greater value out of their tray sealing machines. Along with a

variety of additional upgrades that are also available, this demonstrates our commitment to the future proofing of all our machines, and underlines Proseal’s position as the front runner in its class.”

Founded in 1998, Proseal designs and manufactures high quality tray sealing machines, conveyor systems and sealing tools for food industry markets worldwide.

Proseal is part of the JBT family, and together they remain committed to continually supporting customers’ needs.

www.proseal.com www.jbtc.com

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DELI KITCHEN WRAPS UP TESCO RANGE EXTENSION The Deli Kitchen brand is supporting Tesco in revamping its flatbread range, launching five new products into Tesco stores later this month. These products will join three current Deli Kitchen SKUs to bolster the supermarket flatbread offering, answering the growing consumer demand for innovative, high-quality alternatives to sliced bread.

Deli Kitchen’s Carb Lite Wraps, Wheat & White Wraps, Malted Rye Wraps, Plain Wraps and Plain Mini Wraps will be available in Tesco stores from mid-April. These will join three existing products: Brioche Style Wraps, which launched last year, Greek Style Wraps and Focaccia which launched in 2019 – all three of which have demonstrated strong sales since launch, which accelerated during the pandemic lockdowns.

Signature Flatbreads’ Deli Kitchen brand experienced a year of stellar growth in the UK in 2020, resulting in a 78% uplift in sales – in part fuelled by the pandemic driving demand for more interesting lunch options at home for the whole family.

The Deli Kitchen Tesco range will also launch in new-look packaging, with a brand refresh updating the Deli Kitchen look for increased on-shelf impact. In addition, the launch will be supported by a social-led advertising campaign which will feature British-Cypriot dance duo, Stavros Flatley, due to go live in late April ahead of the first May bank holiday weekend. The pair hit the limelight on Britain’s Got Talent and will add humour to an advertising campaign which uses the slogan ‘Don’t be a Loafer’, and bids to inspire UK consumers to rethink their boring lunchtime options.

David Laurence, Signature Flatbreads’ Joint Managing Director, said: “The Deli

Kitchen brand has gone from strength to strength, especially in the last year, as consumers look to add interest to at home food options. Quality and innovation are at the heart of the brand – and we are delighted that Tesco share our ethos and recognise that the Deli Kitchen range appeals to their core consumers. We anticipate strong sales and future range growth as more people try the products and they become a firm favourite.”

The Deli Kitchen range is available in Tesco stores nationwide and at www.tesco.com from mid-April, RRP £0.95 £1.40. Store distribution ranges from 174 to 1,349 depending on SKU.

ALDI LAUNCHES FIRST PACKAGING-FREE PRODUCTS TRIAL Aldi has launched a trial selling its first packaging-free products to help customers shop more sustainably.

The trial is available at one store in Ulverston, Cumbria, but if successful, Aldi will look to develop its refillable options in other stores in the future.

Four household staples – basmati rice, brown rice, penne pasta and wholewheat fusilli – are available to buy loose in store.

The move could remove more than 130 tonnes - or more than 21 million pieces - of plastic annually from stores.

The products are available by weight, and

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Aldi will provide customers with free paper bags that are fully recyclable and made of FSC-certified material.

Richard Gorman, Plastics and Packaging Director at Aldi, said: “Customers at our Ulverston store can now buy the same highquality items they know and love, while also cutting down on plastic packaging.

“We’re always looking for new ways to reduce waste plastic and limit packaging, as many of our shoppers are increasingly conscious of the environment and their

impact on it.

“We hope local customers embrace the trial and we will use their feedback to inform any future plans around refillable products.”

In 2020, Aldi announced its ambitious new commitment to halve the volume of plastic packaging used by 2025. This will see it remove 74,000 tonnes of plastic packaging from products over the next five years.

The supermarket, which has been carbon neutral since January 2019, is also on track to have all own-label products as recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022, and branded products sold at Aldi by 2025.

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SMURFIT KAPPA’S BAG-IN-BOX IS FIRST TO SECURE AMAZON’S ‘FRUSTRATION-FREE PACKAGING’ CERTIFICATION Smurfit Kappa’s innovative three litre Bag-inBox packaging design has received Amazon’s “Frustration-Free Packaging” (FFP) certification. This is a world first for a generic packaging design, applicable for a wide range of products. The company unveiled this unique Amazon FFP precertification to thousands of customers at its recent invite-only virtual Better Planet Packaging event.

Businesses selling on Amazon Marketplace can now use this ready to go, pre-certified Bag-in-Box design avoiding the need to go through costly and timeconsuming testing at a specialised ISTA certified laboratory to gain FFP certification.

Commenting on the collaboration, Smurfit Kappa VP of Innovation and Development, Arco Berkenbosch stated: “We are delighted to partner with Amazon to deliver the first ever pre-certified FFP design.

It is a testament to the experience Smurfit Kappa has gathered conducting ISTA certified packaging analysis and Amazon FFP certification over the past 14 years. This new

collaboration gives businesses the opportunity to sell through Amazon Marketplace at a much faster speed.”

Bag-in-Box, part of Smurfit Kappa's eBottle portfolio, is the ideal packaging solution for transporting liquids, such as juices and wine, to be sold online. It is robust enough to protect the product during transit and its shape allows for optimal logistical efficiency and handling. Bag-inBox uses on average 75% less plastic than rigid plastic packaging and has easy to separate materials, therefore guaranteeing high recycling rates.

When in Rome is a British wine company which will benefit from the announcement. Rob Malin CEO of When In Rome, said: "When in Rome is a premium Italian craft wine brand and we have sold very successfully on Amazon UK since July 2020. The availability of pre-certified FFP designs will certainly make it easier for us and other eco-friendly wine brands to grow the market share of bag-in-box wines on Amazon and, accordingly, help us reduce the environmental footprint of the wine industry."

Bag-in-Box is a part of Smurfit Kappa’s Better Planet Packaging portfolio of products that seek to make a positive impact on supply chains, while improving packaging’s environmental footprint.

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BRS PARTNER FOURPURE TO DELIVER £2.5M EXPANSION PLAN In a quest to support growing demand for their products, Fourpure have embarked on a £2.5m expansion plan. By investing in a new unit to house their new fully automated keg washer filler and completing an upgrade to their existing packaging lines, Fourpure were able to significantly increase their packaging throughput.

Having successfully worked on previous projects with Fourpure, BRS were invited to design, support and implement process pipework solutions which would fit the new layout of the building and optimise output from the new equipment.

The BRS process team partnered Fourpure’s project team and identified a

coherent solution which drew together wet services, steam and hygienic pipework requirements across all new components.

Installation followed and as the project progressed BRS also supported Fourpure and

other trades on site. This included identifying and progressing plant modifications to enable equipment to adapt to the working environment and ensure an efficient flow of works.

Fourpure’s expansion was an overwhelming success and delivered on time, adhering to an exceptionally tight lead time. BRS is providing ongoing support including designing and delivering additional modifications which enable Fourpure to make fine adjustments and maintain full control over their brewing process.

Tel: 0161 430 8380 www.beswickrefrigeration.co.uk

TRANSPARENT, CERTIFIED RENEWABLE CONTENT, CARBON NEUTRAL PACKAGING FILM Innovia Films is launching a new film in its Encore range of sustainable polypropylene packaging films. REF30cn has a high level of certified renewable content (via ISCC PLUS mass balance) specifically achieving carbon neutral on a cradle to gate basis from the Innovia UK site. Technically the film performance matches that of the fossilbased equivalent so can be used in both high-speed horizontal flow-wrap and overwrap applications. The film is also fully food contact compliant.

Paul Watters, Product Development Manager Packaging, Innovia films, explains “With a growing focus on carbon footprint and a desire to reduce the impact on our environment through global warming, we are introducing Encore REF30cn into the market. This film addresses these issues by having a high certified renewable content which in turn reduces the film’s carbon footprint to the position of being carbon neutral”.

Watters continued: “REF30cn will be the first of a number of Encore products we will bring to the market. The focus will not only be on certified renewable materials and carbon footprint but also on the use of certified recycled materials”.

Innovia has also expanded its ISCC PLUS

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enhances the sustainable benefits of this film, it can be classified as ‘recycle ready’, or recyclable in countries which have the infrastructure to recycle polypropylene”.

If you want more information or to trial this new film for your products, then contact packaging@innoviafilms.com

certification to their plants based in Australia, Belgium and the UK. This allows Innovia to produce their range of Encore sustainable films globally, supplying both certified renewable materials (ISCC PLUS Bio-Circular material) and certified circular material (ISCC PLUS Circular material).

Watters continued: “These additional certifications show our commitment to increasing our manufacturing footprint of certified renewable and recycled content films in line with customer demand for these types of products”.

REF30cn has also been classified as Made for Recycling by Interseroh. Paul Watters explains: “The Interseroh certification further

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SHRINK AND STRETCH FOR FOOD STORE INTERNATIONAL Yorkshire Packaging Systems are delighted to announce the installation of new shrink and stretch wrapping equipment at Food Store International Ltd, based in Sutton Coldfield.

Food Store International are the go-to supplier of many grocery retailers, sourcing, fulfilling and delivering a wide array of food and non-food products and services to them competitively, efficiently and reliably. As a B2B supplier of ambient, frozen and perishable goods, Food Store International’s products are found in major supermarkets, high street stores, wholesalers and distributors both in the UK and overseas, including Costa Coffee, Hilton Hotels, Carrefour and IKEA. Food Store International contacted YPS aiming to upgrade their existing wrapping equipment to increase capacity and speed.

The semi-automatic inline sleeve sealer they owned was too slow to cope with growing demand for their most popular products, including trayed cans of drinks. Following a site visit, YPS recommended a fully automatic sleeve sealer, which achieves

wrapping speeds of up to 15 packs per minute with the flexibility to wrap singles and multipacks. YPS also identified that a stretch wrapping machine would improve efficiency in Food Store International’s despatch department by automating the pallet-wrapping process. The portable S6 robot wrapper was an ideal solution to tackle their entire product range, delivering self-propelled wrapping power for pallets of any size and shape, coupled with a compact footprint and an FDS mechanical brake suitable for pre-stretched film.

The shrink wrapping machine was delivered only three days after an official order was placed and was installed by YPS’s specialist engineers the following day with comprehensive training delivered simultaneously. The pallet wrapping robot followed shortly after, in spite of expected long delays related to COVID. A two-visit service contract was included without charge to ensure ongoing preventative maintenance for both wrapping operations.

Since the initial upgrade, Food Store International have also invested in a motorised infeed conveyor from YPS to further automate their shrink wrapping line and are seeing great returns on speed and efficiency targets.

Larne Patrick, Sales Manager at Yorkshire Packaging Systems, added: ‘Food Store International supply some of the largest grocery retailers in the world, so it’s important that their in-house packaging facilities measure up. It was a pleasure to help them achieve their goals with our highquality shrink and stretch wrapping systems’.

BCMPA WEBSITE UPDATES CONTRIBUTE TO 70% INCREASE IN ENQUIRIES FOR OUTSOURCING SERVICES The BCMPA, the Association for Contract Manufacturing, Packing, Fulfilment & Logistics, has made it even easier for companies looking for outsourcing partners to find the most appropriate providers for their requirements by adding greater search functionality to its website.

Over 50 new criteria have been introduced, allowing potential customers to browse highly precise types of manufacturing, packing, ecommerce and logistics solutions, and providing the opportunity to further refine their search by filling services, packaging formats and quality certifications.

“The success of our website demonstrates

Membership Development & Marketing.

“By providing even more precise targeting with our search function, we are able to deliver an even better service to both our visitors and to our 180 plus members.”

Verkaik concluded: “We have already seen a 70% increase in enquiries since these changes were implemented in January, ensuring that the BCMPA website remains the go-to destination for brand owners, retailers, manufacturers and ecommerce companies looking for outsourcing partners”. the BCMPA’s role as a valued partner who can find the right solution for businesses seeking to outsource their projects,” explained Emma Verkaik, Head of BCMPA

www.bcmpa.org.uk

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A NEW STRATEGIC VISION FOR WELSH FOOD AND DRINK The Welsh Government, in partnership with wider industry, has announced plans to become one of the most environmentally and socially responsible supply chains in the world.

Outlined as part of an industry-wide strategic vision, it seeks to build on the firm foundations laid over recent years by its food innovation centres, industry business clusters and fine food start-up programmes.

Commenting on the announcement, the Welsh Government’s Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths MS, said: “The last year has been one of extreme disruption for the industry, from Brexit through to COVID-19. However, we must plan for a future that ensures food and drink businesses flourish over the coming years, both financially and ethically.

“Here in Wales, we’ve always known the importance of doing things sustainably, so the larder is well-stocked for future generations. Those values now seem more important than ever. Our future vision is in step with this drive to make Wales the definition for quality and sustainable food

and drink.”

One way the Welsh Government is currently looking to mainstream sustainability ethos throughout the industry is supporting trail-blazing innovators through its Food and Drink Sustainability Cluster. The group has already been inundated with interest from businesses keen to collaborate and share best practice, as they seek to work together to raise standards and implement the vision.

The announcement comes as plans are well underway for this year’s BlasCymru/TasteWales 2021 trade event, which will be held over 27-28 October 2021 at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Wales, in Newport. The event will be the third time that producers, buyers and food industry professionals from across the globe gather at Wales’ signature international food and drink trade event and conference.

International buyers are invited to register their interest in participating and will benefit from a host of services, including a showcase of products, meet the supplier event and assistance in sourcing Welsh food and drink ingredients from branded through to private label.

To register to attend, visit tastewales.com

COCO CHOCOLATIERS ARE ONE OF THE UK’S LEADING BESPOKE CHOCOLATE MANUFACTURERS Coco Chocolatiers have launched. a new range of chocolate drops. Available in three flavours this launch has been a huge success.

After designing the chocolate drop the next challenge was to find a unique tube that would differentiate the presentation from standard round tubes.

Product Development Manager Debbie McLennan had been working with Bell for a number of months and recognised the potential for a hexagonal tube. The shape gives the product huge point of difference and allows the unique graphics to be shown in their best light. With a tight deadline it was decided to print the tubes using a

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digital process.

Debbie McLennan stated “We have worked with Bell for a number of years and it is great to find a unique application for their Jetbox® packaging. When the decision to proceed was made we had a very tight deadline but Bell came through and delivered a great product on time and subsequently assisted with the assembly to ensure that the finished packs arrived at our customers in the best condition possible”.

For samples and more information, please contact the Bell office on 01582 459292 or email info@bellpackaging.com

Safety even in minimal space: The new EFA-SST® Efficient

This space-saving, springless high-speed spiral door is the perfect solution for cramped installation situations. The door is accreditated to DIN V ENV 1627 certified for Resistance Class 2 (RC2) and automatically becomes burglar-proof locked after each closing to ensure heightened security with minimal effort. Welcome to the new EFA-SST® Efficient - the latest from the world market leaders in the EFAPROTECT Series.

For many companies, tight or restricted areas where industrial doors are needed can be a challenge. The technology required is often too tall or too wide to install the door within the given space. This is where the new EFA-SST® Efficient comes in. A highly insulating door leaf and a chain drive enable use in confined spaces, because of the slim line frames. The high-speed spiral

EFAFLEX door works without weight compensation via a chain drive and means minimal maintenance and costly down time. A catch in the gearbox serves as fail-safe protection and the door can be installed for either internal or external use in areas of medium traffic e.g. hall closings, storage areas or garages.

“In addition to areas that are a central hub for logistical, or operational processes, our customers want to rely on the exceptional quality and safety that EFAFLEX delivers,” says Klaus Manlig, Training Manager Sales.

“We are constantly redeveloping and refining our products in order to have the ideal solution for virtually every application and industry sector. This new door from the EFAPROTECT Series is an innovative product for restricted spaces that require additional safety features up to Resistance Class 2 (RC2). “The EFA-SST® Efficient is designed for approximately 150,000 load cycles per year and is capable of opening and closing at a speed of 0.5 m / s. Door widths from 600 to 4,000mm and heights from 1,100 to 5,130mm are available. With the WK2 certification, the EFA-SST® Efficient offers effective protection against burglars.

As with every door manufactured by EFAFLEX, this model is adapted to bespoke customer requirements including almost all lath variants that are available with the S Series.

www.efaflex.com

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AZTEC LABEL ACHIEVES EUROPEAN FIRST WITH FOURTH ROTOMETRICS VERSA-CUT INVESTMENT Aztec Label, Kidderminster-based manufacturer of high-quality self-adhesive label and tag products, has invested in another RotoMetrics Versa-Cut dual-adjust anvil making it the first company in Europe to operate four. RotoMetrics, a Maxcess brand, is the global leader in rotary die and

engineered tooling solutions.

Colin Le Gresley, Managing Director of Aztec, said: “We have a great relationship with the team at RotoMetrics and were proud to be the first company in the UK to invest in the Versa-Cut technology. Now we’re delighted to announce we’re the first company in Europe to have four installed on our lines.

“With the range of materials we handle, and the production efficiency we’re always seeking, Versa-Cut enables our press operators to maintain precise control irrespective of the varying nature of each job. Having Versa-Cut on all of our Nilpeter presses provides us with complete diecutting control, consistency and accuracy.”

Versa-Cut™ from RotoMetrics is a dual-

adjust anvil that gives the press operator precise control of liner strike. With both parallel and single-side adjustability, it is designed to overcome the challenges associated with material inconsistencies, thinner liners and uneven die wear.

To find out more, please visit www.azteclabel.co.uk

GEA HAS THE CURE THAT WILL INJECT VALUE INTO BACON To overcome the challenges faced by food producers curing bacon products, leading technology provider GEA Food Solutions has developed an advanced injection technique which contributes to high brine retention and low standard deviation – crucial to ensuring consistency of distribution, quality and yields.

GEA’s Multijector, an automated injection system, introduces brine in a high-density injection pattern, combined with low injection pressure, avoiding injection points becoming saturated which can cause the brine to leak out. A higher density of needles allows less brine per needle to be injected at a lower pressure.

Benefits for bacon producers using a highdensity injection pattern include improved slicing yield, reduced post-injection purge and drip loss, optimum moisture and salt levels, while avoiding injecting air or foam, ultimately extending the shelf life of bacon by several weeks. Reduced purge not only impacts yields, it also means reduced downtime spent cleaning the equipment and surrounding environment.

GEA Product Expert, Wim Sturm, said: “Customers will not purchase bacon products which have inconsistent appearance, discolouration or a short shelf life. The

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distribution of brine should be even, consistent and well retained within the product. A tight needle pattern, in combination with immediate post-injection handling such as shaking or vibration, helps needle marks to be closed and the brine is more easily absorbed by the meat”.

The quality of injection needles used also has an impact upon the efficiency of the process as well as the quality of the end product. Bent needles lead to under-injected and over-injected areas in the final product, which causes inconsistent product quality, short shelf life and can cause a tiger stripe pattern. GEA OptiFlex needles are stronger than traditional stainless steel, and have the superior property of recovering their shape time and time again instead of becoming deformed or bent.

Time-in-Meat is a GEA injection precision

technique based on the specific combination of stroke height and injection cycle time, both optimised for each product type, running on the GEA MultiJector. Thanks to the Time-inMeat technique, the needles stay in the product longer during injection, which leads to better brine uptake and more even brine distribution at a low injection pressure. As a result, product quality and consistency are significantly increased, and higher efficiency and yields can be achieved.

The meat and poultry sector can doubtless benefit by taking greater control of the brine injection process. This is driven by an understanding of the process and the quality of the equipment deployed to carry out the tasks involved – to ensure the benefits extend from the processor to the reseller and ultimately to the all-important end consumer.

www.gea.com

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The big takeaway from the last year Although the hospitality and retail industry was badly hit by the Coronavirus pandemic for most of 2020 and into 2021, one corner of the sector did thrive: takeaways.

Those outlets that were fleet-footed enough to adapt found that the rules which allowed food and drink purveyors to offer takeaway or delivery services as the indoor venues were forced to close actually aided them.

Many smaller companies took to takeaways immediately, even before the big franchises and chains did, and that helped keep them afloat and, in many cases, helped them survive.

As the country cautiously comes out of lockdown, and hospitality opens up again, it isn't the end of the takeaway, though. In fact, lessons learned the hard way during the pandemic could see a revolution in the sector in the future.

In March it was announced that Just Eat’s UK orders increased 35% over 2020. Ryan Whittaker, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, said that this trend will continue this year.

He said: “Online aggregators like Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats are in an extremely strong position at the start of 2021 and can expect this growth to continue throughout the year. According to GlobalData’s latest 2021 Q1 consumer survey, a quarter (24%) of Brits said that they were ordering takeaways or deliveries more frequently than before, in addition to the 27% who said they were continuing to order.

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“GlobalData also found that one in ten consumers reported that they ordered a food or drink delivery a few times a week, and a further one in ten make delivery orders daily. The UK consumer is unlikely to give up the convenience of the COVID-era movement towards e-commerce, even as the vaccine situation develops and the country starts to open up.

“The UK has been hit hard by Coronavirus variants, more so than many of its neighbours, and this has forced longer and more stringent lockdowns as a result.

As the UK’s vaccination programme continues, we can expect a complex mixture of a rush to return to restaurants when they reopen and the continuation of ordering more deliveries to the home.

“A majority (56%) of UK consumers describe themselves as extremely or quite concerned when it comes to eating out at restaurants because of COVID19 risk, with baby boomers reporting the highest levels of extreme concern. It is likely that this wealthy and retiring group will be more reluctant to return, being a riskier group for infection. Millennials are also more likely to embrace online ordering. For 2021, GlobalData expects the online channel to continue to grow in importance for foodservice.”

New ventures have come directly out of the pandemic, such as Plant Sumo, a London plant-based

{ Focus }

meal delivery service.

Deepak Shukla, a significant stakeholder in Plant Sumo, has recently announced that the company has raised a $250k seed fund following their highly anticipated launch three months ago.

Plant Sumo has been a dream inspired by a love for home-cooked, love-infused food, which started in a McDonald’s at 8pm, mid lockdown, over a cup of coffee. With hard work and dedication, Plant Sumo is no longer a pipe dream but rather a thriving business.

As a company, Plant Sumo say they are not like other plant-based food-delivery services. The team is entirely Sudanese, Indian and Caribbean, and they say the flavours of Plant Sumo are among some of the healthiest and well-rounded out there.

Any leftover food produced by the company is donated to a charity supporting the vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a no-brainer. People need help and we have

food, the solution is right there,” said Deepak. “Food thrown in the bin can’t be enjoyed by anyone, what use is that” Even technology around takeaways is set to change.

Ubamarket LTD – founded in 2016 – is a pioneer of 'Scan Pay Go' technology, offering the most innovative solutions to providing the fastest 'in and out' visit to supermarkets, that now enjoys partnerships with SPAR and Central England Co-Op. However, with the ensuing consequences of the pandemic, and the success witnessed in the retail arena, Ubamarket LTD has now acted swiftly to create NOMM (New Order, Magic Menu), which will seek to be the most sophisticated app available to the sector.

Taking much of the software from Ubamarket, and evolving for the hospitality sector, NOMM is the first app of its kind to offer contactless payment, interactive menus, facial recognition, takeaways and deliveries.

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{ Arjowiggins }

Paper company on a mission to revolutionise packaging The Scottish paper company Arjowiggins has a long and illustrious history of making fine and speciality papers that stretches back to 1698.

But now the company, which is headquartered in Aberdeen and has mills in Scotland, England, Spain and China, is drawing upon over 300 years of heritage and experience to help change the future.

Arjowiggins has developed what it calls a “fundamental turn in its strategy” by creating a paper packaging for the food industry that could completely revolutionise our idea of packaging.

Sylvicta was launched in October 2020 and is a sustainable and translucent barrier paper intended to replace single-use plastics in the food, drinks and cosmetics sector.

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This will radically change the company's client base — it is usually made up of graphic printers, designers, packaging convertors and luxury brands.

That has been widened and enriched to include major brands in the food and drink sectors, and Sylvicta is now being used in pet food, coffee, dry fruits, sandwich and cheese wraps, frozen food boxes and much more.

Christophe Jordan of Arjowiggins says: “Sylvicta is a translucent and high barrier paper to replace single-use plastic. This paper features a tremendous barrier to oxygen (even better than plastic!), helping keep food

{ Arjowiggins }

fresh, it’s a great barrier to grease (KIT test of 12), to mineral oil and to aroma. The potential applications are endless.”

Sylvicta has passed all the possible certifications in the field of sustainability: recyclability within the paper stream, compostability – both home and industrial, biodegradability and marine degradability. It has also passed the food contacts certification, such as FDA and BFR36. This makes it a major contender in the battle to eliminate single-use plastics which are a huge threat to the environment, especially our oceans.

Turnover has started to significantly increase since the launch in 2020, and the company is expecting very strong growth in 2021 and future years.

Arjowiggins has two mills capable of producing Sylvicta, the one in England and the one in China. They are also studying other expansion opportunities as volumes are expected to pick up further in the coming two to three years.

Christophe says: “Arjowiggins is rapidly and fundamentally changing. Our recent innovations and the ones we are working on will change the face of the

company: from a paper producer that fairly exclusively serves the graphic and luxury packaging segments, we are becoming a diversified papermaking group providing alternatives to plastics in various areas like food, cosmetics, printed electronics, heat transfer, medical, etc. Sustainability and circular economy are not just words to us, it is a reality and our future as a business.”

While the last year has been difficult for many businesses, Arjowiggins has seen their move into the food industry partially offset the effects on the original paper side of the business. Christophe says: “The pandemic has convinced us to further accelerate the transformation initiated a few years ago. Consumers’ habits and expectations have greatly evolved during the pandemic, the world has changed, becoming more digital than ever, so we need to adapt and bring adequate answers to these expectations for a greener world”.

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{ California Walnuts }

California walnuts – one of the world’s original plant-based ingredients With health foods on the rise and meat-replacement recipes more in demand, now is the time to be experimenting and creating new and improved products or plant-based alternatives.

Walnuts have been consumed for over 7,000 years and California walnuts are a high-quality, food safe, versatile ingredient that provides Omega-3 ALA, protein, fibre and a host of micronutrients to new recipes and products that consumers recognise and will meet clean label initiatives.

Even though 15% of the UK’s population identified themselves as vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian, the rise in concern for healthy ingredients and more plantbased foods has reached the masses as consumers want to reduce the amount of meat in their diets.

During 2019, the number of trademarks registered for new

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vegan food and drink products in the UK more than doubled to a record high for everything from ice cream to meat-free burgers. Major brands like Nestlé, Unilever and even McDonalds have offerings meeting consumer demand. According to UnivDatos Market Insights, the global plant-based food market is anticipated to reach a market valuation of $38.4bn by 2025 expanding at a CAGR of 8.94% during the forecast period (2019– 2025).

California walnuts has a promising future to be a key ingredient for this significant global trend.

California walnuts are lighter in colour and have a milder taste compared to walnuts from other origins.

{ California Walnuts }

California walnuts have a soft, creamy texture which makes them an excellent meat replacement. They provide that umami flavour characteristic associated with meat products and thanks to their high healthy polyunsaturated fat content, also provide the mouthfeel consumers are looking for. With the right spices, additional ingredients, processing and/or cooking techniques, plant-based meat alternatives using California walnuts will not only create a new taste sensation as a ground meat replacement, burger patty, sausage patty or even bacon-flavoured bits, they provide a well-known ingredient that has 30 years of scientific health studies evaluating walnuts’ contribution to health. Walnuts are the only nut that has a qualified health claim in the EU specific to heart health.

Concerned about using a nut as an ingredient? An estimated 2 million people in the UK are living with a diagnosed food allergy and over 170 foods are known to cause allergic reactions, according to the statistics on food allergy problems. In the UK, the prevalence of tree-nut allergies is 1.76% (AllergyUK.org). Through clear labelling on package as well as menu, those affected

can more easily avoid coming in contact with an ingredient that may cause them harm.

The California walnut industry, which has maintained an exceptional food safety record for a century, continues its commitment to producing high- quality, nutritious walnuts for production for use in snacks, menus and innovative new products to meet today’s consumer demands.

In order to keep your California walnuts as fresh as the day you recieve them: As walnuts will absorb smells from other foods such as onions and cabbage, store shelled or unshelled walnuts in airtight containers and store in a cool, dry place.

To maintain optimal freshness, keep them in a refrigerator, or for longer storage, in a freezer for up to a year.

www.californiawalnuts.co.uk Facebook: @Walnuts.UK Instagram: @walnuts_uk Twitter: @Walnuts_UK

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{ Lion Little World }

Small is beautiful for fast-growing beverage company Dating back to 1840, Lion is the biggest brewery in New Zealand and the second biggest brewer in Australia. But in the past four years it’s been making its mark in the UK on the craft beer scene.

Lion produces, markets, sells and distributes alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and operates breweries worldwide. Their portfolio of beloved brands span beer, cider, wine, spirits, coffee and kombucha.

Their London-based microbrewery, Little Creatures Regent’s Canal, showcases their credentials, not just for Aussie expats looking to get a taste of home, but to win a legion of new fans among Britain’s discerning beer drinkers. The site, located at Kings Cross, which offers great beer, delicious food and a venue brimming with atmosphere, is a 557m2 microbrewery, taproom and restaurant with a fantastic range of beers brewed fresh onsite.

As well as producing Little Creatures, Lion has invested in like-minded local craft brands such as Magic Rock Brewing and Fourpure Brewing Co, to help them realise their vision of making quality craft beers on a bigger scale and brought them together under parent company – Lion Little World.

Launched in 2020, Lion Little World is Lion’s global

craft arm and represents a strong portfolio of craft beer brands in the UK market. Under the auspices of their Lion Little World operation, they’re expanding out of Australia and into the US and Europe to share their passion for the finest ales available. This year, it sees the business spearheading a movement to make it easier for hospitality outlets to deliver a desirable range of craft beer and has invested in creating the UK’s first craft beer ordering and education platform, available via a brand-new website and state-of-the-art app on iOS and Android.

It has, of course, been a tough year for pubs and the hospitality sector in general, and with half of their business through pubs and half through canned beer in retail, they’ve risen to the challenges and have continued to launch new products.

Gordon Treanor heads up the UK operation and says: “It was very difficult for everyone in the brewing and hospitality industry over the past 12 months. Pub and restaurant trade has been decimated so it’s been really

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{ Lion Little World }

challenging for our customers. We’ve been trying to help where we can with the likes of our keg replacement programme to replace beer that may have gone out of date during lockdown with freshly brewed beer as venues reopen.

“But we were fortunate enough that our brands were growing quite fast and in a lot of demand in the offtrade, in supermarkets, so last year our volumes did actually increase. We sold more beer last year than ever before, despite everything that happened.”

Fourpure Brewing Co has grown to become one of London’s leading modern craft beers. Founded in 2013 by brothers Dan and Tom Lowe, the brewery and hospitality venue is part of the renowned ‘Bermondsey Beer Mile’ and craft brewing hub in south-east London.

With high standards for quality and sustainability, Fourpure is known for its approachable styles and flagship beers like its World Beer Cup medal-winning lager and popular Session IPA. Up in Yorkshire, Magic Rock is another Little World brand that is growing from strength to strength.

Inspired by local brewing traditions and the US craft beer scene, Magic Rock has become one of the UK’s

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leading craft brewers since it was founded by Richard Burhouse in 2011. With a relentless pursuit of authenticity and quality, it produces an ever-changing line-up of idiosyncratic beers alongside a distinctive core range that is enjoyed all over the UK and exported to more than 25 countries.

{ Lion Little World }

Magic Rock employs 45 people in Huddersfield and was voted second best new brewery in the world in 2012 in RateBeer.com’s Top New Breweries awards. It has since been voted eight times as one of the top 100 breweries in the world. With the support of Lion Little World, Magic Rock is on a quest to build its legacy over the long term with growth in pubs and supermarkets in the domestic market as well as outside the UK. Attached to the Huddersfield brewery is the Magic Rock Taproom, housed in a 1,700sq ft area to the far end of the Magic Rock brewery. It includes 10 taps and five cask lines of the freshest Magic Rock beers anywhere and a view directly into the working brewery.

Meanwhile, the Fourpure Taproom is nestled within the Fourpure brewery site in Bermondsey, South East London. The 43-tap bar showcases year-round core range favourites alongside rotational, small batch brews. Within the comfortable taproom space you’ll find oak barrels ageing a range of small batch beers, diner-style booths and is overlooked by a large mezzanine area and tasting room that hosts daily brewery tours.

Obviously, says Gordon, the focus now is on getting the pubs back open as lockdown restrictions ease and they can get customers back into their flagship venues

Nature of work: Machinery installations, Factory relocation of industrial plant & machinery throughout the UK and the EU. We are an experienced industrial machine moving company that specialise in machinery installations and factory relocations of equipment in various industries including the food and drink sector throughout the UK and EU. We work with a range of valued customers within this sector, shown are some examples of the work we have completed.

Tel: 01452 303037 Email: info@keith-rhodes.co.uk

www.keithrhodes.co.uk

and their range of beers out to venues around the country.

But with the off-trade taking off so much in lockdown, they’re putting a lot into that as well, with some major investment into their canning facilities and the launch of new brand, Voodoo Ranger, which has become the fastest-growing craft beer in America.

Voodoo Ranger has come to the UK following Lion’s acquisition of the New Belgium Brewery last year.

Voodoo Ranger launched in pubs just a week before they were closed by lockdown, but Lion’s fleet-of-foot business model and quick reactions have turned it into an off-trade hit as well.

They’re also pushing Saucery from the Magic Rock stable, which is designed to be a good summer drink to help welcome drinkers back to the pubs and bars as things get moving again over the coming months.

Gordon says: “There’s a lot happening in terms of new launches and with the reopening of pubs so hopefully things are now moving forward. We’ve invested significantly in our brewing facilities and that, coupled with the growth of our brands in the off-trade, means we’re set up for what is going to be a very hospitable second half of 2021”.

Lambrechts is one of the leading suppliers in the world and the sole Belgian manufacturer for complete keg plants with all possible accessories related to keg lines. Whether you handle 35 to 1000 kegs per hour, S/S kegs or 1 way kegs, Lambrechts has the right solution for you.

Gansbroekstraat 25, 2870 Puurs-Sint-Amands, Belgium Tel: +32 3 886 79 65 Email:sales@lambrechts-group.be www.lambrechts-group.net March / April Food & Drink News

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{ Banham Poultry }

Poultry firm flying after investment programme Banham Poultry is coming out of the last year in lean and healthy condition with plans to build their business like never before.

The company with its factory, based in Attleborough, Norfolk, draws from a 60-mile radius for its agricultural supply chain.

There has been major investment at its headquarters with more to come, which follows a period of planning and growth since the company was bought out of administration in 2018.

Managing Director, Blaine van Rensburg, has been overseeing a major turnaround strategy over the past 18 months, which has seen a significant amount of money invested in the processing systems.

Already £160,000 was invested in updating the factory’s product handling and despatch areas at the back end of last year. A further £500,000 investment in the next phase of the upgrade is currently underway that includes a complete overhaul of the site’s ‘outdated and dilapidated’ odour abatement systems to drastically cut down on any smells from the operations.

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Over the past 18 months, Banham Poultry has invested a total of £11m in the 12-acre site as part of the modernisation process.

Mr van Rensburg said: “This significant programme of improvements to totally transform our Attleborough plant will include industry-leading technology, putting it on a par with the most modern in the sector.

“The work will not only enhance the facility, which I’m sorry to say had previously suffered from years of under-investment, but it will also benefit those living in close proximity to our site by reducing both noise and odour emissions.”

Banham Poultry was originally based in another site nearby, but when it was destroyed by fire in the early 90s they moved to the current location. This was always intended to be a temporary measure while rebuilding on the original site, which already has planning permission. The new owners still wish to

{ Banham Poultry }

pursue this initiative when circumstances allow.

Banham is currently processing around 750,000 birds a week and the recent investment means they actually have capacity to produce more than 1.2 million chickens a week.

The pandemic closed the plant for just two weeks over the last year, ensuring they could more or less continue to provide the service they had always done, which comprises about 70% retail, 20% wholesale, and the rest to food services.

Since the company was bought out of administration, staffing levels have been rationalised from around 1,000 to the current workforce of about 650. One of the upsides to that is that the company is using far more of its own labour rather than using agency workers, which provides more continuity and consistency to the workforce.

Mr van Rensburg says: “When the business was bought out of administration, it had been

underinvested in and wasn’t keeping pace with current technology, which meant it ended up falling behind a little.

“We started a significant upgrade programme which required very careful planning, especially when COVID hit, which required us to carry out separate installation processes for the new systems.”

Since then, he says, yields and efficiencies have improved dramatically which makes Banham Poultry far more competitive.

While the bulk of their output is for the domestic market, they do export into a number of foreign markets, notably Western Europe, Africa and Asia.

On the decision to continue operating at their existing facility, Mr van Rensburg says: “The intention was always to build a brand new facility. When the original factory burned down in the 1990s the company moved to its current location and the replacement plant was never built.

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{ Banham Poultry }

“We assessed plans for the new plant and began reimagining what was possible in order to make the new build future proof and the most efficient in the industry. This required a different approach and mix of capabilities than what we currently have. Projects of this scale will take at least 2 years to come to fruition.

Whilst embarking on this design process, we needed to improve the operations at the current site.”

“We are in a very competitive market and we need to be a diverse supplier,” says Mr van Rensburg. “What we have done over the past couple of years is turned the business into a lean and low-cost operation.

“Going forward we are now going to capitalise on that and access the markets that are there for the taking which the company is now in a great position to compete in.

“It's been a tough year for everyone and like many

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business, we’ve had to seriously knuckle down.

“But now we can say that we are a business that is in turnaround and it might be a cliche but the only way is up for us now, and that is a result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people.

“The team that bought the company out of administration has a huge passion for running this business well, and that has been borne out by the investment that has gone into Banham Poultry and continues to go in.

“There s now a very solid vision for the future for Banham Poultry and after years of under-investment and a lack of development it’s now definitely on the right path.”

www.banhampoultryuk.com

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{ Central Conveyor Belting }

Conveyor belt company on a roll!

Many food production operations, no matter how different and diverse, often have one thing in common — some kind of conveyor belt production line facility.

Maintaining a conveyor system can sometimes be a daunting task. Many machines are years – if not decades – old, and their original manufacturers may no longer exist. Finding suitable replacement parts – even simple ones – can often be a frustrating and timeconsuming task as a result.

Which is where Central Conveyor Belting and Accessories comes in. The Leicester-based firm has a simple mission: to provide companies with the critical spares and accessories needed to keep their vital production conveyor belt machines running. As an offshoot of the conveyor manufacturer Central Conveyors Ltd, their engineers have years of experience in virtually all types of conveyors.

According to Operations Manager Nic Wright, CCBA delivers conveyor belt machinery and aftercare to a wealth of food and drink sector companies, from bakeries to cheese producers, to the brewing industry.

They work across the UK, though are looking to some global expansion in the near future with a deal on the horizon with an American company. CCBA has already done installations in Norway, shipped kit to Russia and Germany, and carried out work in Ireland.

According to CCBA, having the correct conveyor belt is the key to a successful and enduring conveyor system. They say: “Here at CCBA we have years of experience in the materials handling industry, and can supply every conceivable combination of belting material and configuration.

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“As an independent engineering company, we are not ‘tied’ to any particular belt manufacturer. We do not promote any particular brand, make or type of belting, but instead focus on getting you the right type of belt for your specific needs.”

Nic says: “We evolved out of a company that just sold conveyor belts, small things that are called transmission belts, which are like drive belts. Think of it like a fan belt in the car.

“The owners looked around and decided that people were making conveyors and decided, we can do that, we’ve got engineers and the knowledge, so they decided to start making conveyors and that was successful so then decided to rebrand the company and we've just grown and grown and grown from there.”

Although lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic hit a lot of CCBA’s customers, they have actually used the last year to make some major investments in the company.

Nic says: “Within the last 13 months or so we just moved into a new unit that was twice as big as our old one, we’ve got new equipment, we’ve got our own laser cutter, computer controlled drilling machines, computer controlled folding machine, a computer controlled milling machine. So we seem to be continually expanding. I think we've probably done everything we really wanted to at the moment”.

Obviously, lockdown had an effect but CCBA

{ Central Conveyor Belting }

weathered the challenges well. Nic says: “We arranged for several people in the office to work from home, most of the designers can do their work remotely. As I look after the IT systems I tended to be the only person who needed to come in during the lockdown.

“There were a few people furloughed in the workshop but it’s really large in two big halls so people could work in their own bays and be about eight metres away from the nearest person so we managed to keep going with good social distancing and overall it didn't cause much difficulty.”

What did fall a bit was servicing call-outs — some companies had stopped working altogether and with those that were it was a safety issue sending engineers out. And there was a downturn in sales enquiries over the last year, which was to be as expected.

However, says Nic, business soon began to pick up and now CCBA is looking to a brighter future as more companies get back to work and start to look at their systems and what needs servicing, as well as with the firm’s business expansion plans abroad and at home.

She adds: “We're starting to move into making bigger and bigger systems and we've always made quite big systems anyway.

“We have this project in America coming up and we’ve just done a big installation at a British brewery, both of which could lead to new opportunities and very big things both over here and in the US. “We’ve recently moved into our new premises, we supply and service anyone from the tip of Scotland to the depths of Cornwall, we’ve invested in a lot of new technology, and we have some big potential with foreign markets opening up, so everything is looking extremely positive for the company at the moment.”

www.conveyor-belt-spares.co.uk

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