Food & Drink News May/June 2019

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ONLIN E MA NOW AGAZINE VAILAB LE!

MAY/JUNE 2019

EXCLUSIVE FEATURES DTM PRINT GMBH FROM FLOWER TO JAR: BEEKEEPING IN HARMONY WITH BEES AND NATURE FATHERSON BAKERY FAMILY VALUES UNDERLINE FATHERSON’S VISION FOR THE FUTURE

ALS LABORATORIES (UK) LTD TESTING TIMES MEAN GOOD NEWS FOR FOOD LABORATORY

IPS POSITIVE MOMENTUM AND A COMMITMENT TO INVESTMENT MAKE A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

FRAZER-NASH MANUFACTURING BESPOKE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS KEEP PACE WITH FASTMOVING FOOD INDUSTRY

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

{ May / June 2019 }

Contents ONLINE E MAGAZINABLE! AIL NOW AV

04 INDUSTRY NEWS 18 PLACE UK 20 DTM PRINT GMBH 23 FATHERSON BAKERY 26 IPS 30 FRAZER-NASH MANUFACTURING 32 ALS LABORATORIES (UK) LTD

TO VIEW THE 2019 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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{ Editor’s Foreword }

Growth and innovation are great British pursuits

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

MANAGING DIRECTOR Jillian Evans

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paul Roper

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Sarah Hoyer

CHIEF EDITOR David Barnett

SUB-EDITOR Rachael Whiteley

SOCIAL MEDIA Benjamin Wainman

CONTACT US: FACEBOOK @food&drinkmagazine

INSTAGRAM @food&drinkmagazine

TWITTER @food_drink_news

CONTRIBUTE info@planet-media.co.uk

C

ider production is one of Britain’s success stories, with not only a huge market for the drink over here, but a healthy global market in which the UK is a leading

player.

Summer, of course, is the time when we traditionally consume most cider, and our focus this issue looks at how the industry is diversifying through more varieties and flavours than ever before, at the same time as brands from outside the UK are setting their sights on the domestic market.

Growth and diversity is a running theme through many of our business profiles in this magazine, as firms established and new get to grips with a rapidly changing landscape of food production, retail and distribution.

Meeting that change head-on is how we see the strongest businesses survive.

Cheers!

ADVERTISING advertising@planet-media.co.uk EDITORIAL editorial@planet-media.co.uk MAG SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@planet-media.co.uk

David Barnett CHIEF EDITOR

Food & Drink News is published by Planet Media & Design Ltd. Company registered in England & Wales, number 09365661. All material is the copyright of Planet Media & Design Ltd. All rights reserved. Food & Drink News is the property of Planet Media & Design Ltd. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, whole or part, without the written permission of a Director of Planet Media & Design Ltd. Liability: while every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers can not be held responsible for the accuracy of information herein, or any consequence arising from it. In the case of company or product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the Editor at the time of going to press.

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{ Industry News }

PEGOTY HEDGE PURCHASE NEW READY MEAL DEPOSITOR FROM RIGGS AUTOPACK Located in the picturesque Worcestershire countryside at the foot of the historic Malvern Hills, Pegoty Hedge is a familyowned and run business making highquality ready meals, sauces and stocks.

They’ve been making their delicious meals since 2008 and each one is still handmade in their kitchen using fresh ingredients by their dedicated and talented team. They also take great pride in being ‘free from’ and utilising raw ingredients to their full potential.

When Pegoty Hedge was experiencing ever-increasing demand for their highquality artisan meals, they looked for ways to improve production efficiency without compromising the hand preparation and finished aesthetics.

They approached Lancashire-based depositor manufacturer Riggs Autopack Ltd for a suitable semi-automatic depositor that would handle their extensive range of

chunky meat and vegetable fillings, sauces, stews, stocks and even the mashed potato toppings.

Following the initial consultation process, Riggs Autopack supplied a demonstration depositor in the Pegoty Hedge kitchen and supported them with change-parts and training to meet all their production needs.

When the no-obligation trial was completed, Pegoty Hedge was happy to purchase a Riggs Autopack Series 3 semi-

automatic depositor, secure in the knowledge that it would deliver all the benefits they had hoped for.

The Series 3 depositor is designed for artisans and start-up companies that are planning to use a semi-automatic depositor machine for the first time and require short batch runs with quick product changeover.

Company owner, Oliver Surman, commented “We’ve had a great experience working with Riggs Autopack. The whole process of matching our food production requirements against the most appropriate depositor, testing and trialling of the machine itself on-site, has been an easy process. The depositor has allowed us to work far more efficiently, and smarter too, with an enhanced end product”.

Tel: 01282 440040 Email: info@riggsautopack.co.uk www.riggsautopack.co.uk

CARGILL LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST COATINGS AND FILLINGS FOR WHICH THEY SOURCE SUSTAINABLE COCONUT OIL Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business is the first company to use Rainforest Alliance Certified coconut oil sourced through a mass balance* model as an ingredient in its coatings and fillings – responding to consumers’ growing demands for sustainably sourced ingredients.

Inge Demeyere, Managing Director of Cargill’s chocolate activities in Europe, explains the thinking behind this development: “The demand from consumers for sustainably sourced ingredients is well established. Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business is already a leader in implementing standards for cocoa sustainability supporting farmers and their communities through training and expertise with the Cargill Cocoa Promise – so the move to offering coatings and fillings using sustainably sourced coconut oil was a good next step”.

Cargill, together with BASF, Procter & Gamble (P&G) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, have joined forces in development of

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set further targets to train approximately 3,300 smallholder farmers and get at least 825 farmers to produce coconuts in the Philippines and Indonesia following the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agricultural Standard, with the aim of increasing their net incomes by 5–10% by the end of 2019. a partnership as part of the develoPPP.de programme of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Working together to address the challenges facing the coconut supply chain, in 2015 the joint project reached a milestone by pioneering sustainability standards for coconut – producing among the world’s first Rainforest Alliance Certified copra, or dried coconut flesh.

Results for 300 coconut producers on Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in the Philippines participating in the first wave of the project (2011-2015) have been impressive – with a 15% increase in their incomes. Cargill and their partners have also

To find out more, visit https://www.cargill.com/foodbev/emea/cocoachocolate/sustainable-coconutoil-coatings-and-fillings * Mass balance means Cargill purchases a volume of coconut oil from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms equivalent to the volume used in these products to help protect forests and ensure sustainable livelihoods.

{ Industry News }

IS YOUR PRODUCT LABEL INSPECTION COMPLIANT? The humble label is not quite so humble anymore as the increased focus from consumers on healthier eating and the associated checking of a product’s contents shows no signs of abating. In addition to the mandatory information required on food packaging, it is also an important contributor to a product’s branding, so it is perhaps not surprising that labels have never been more important to food processors.

A consequence of the increased diversity of information and the fact that the number of labels is increasing has made the role of checking labels more complex and the risk of error greater. Through its Packing Solutions Division, Interfood Technology offers SparcEye, the means to achieve automatic fail-safe label and print verification as part of an integrated metal detection/checkweighing/X-ray process.

SparcEye inspects the primary label, printed top web, promotional label and base label

for 1D/2D barcodes, along with the individual date code character, on every pack. It checks not only that the labels are present and correctly positioned, but also that the specific information and individual date code is accurate and readable. It does this via two separate cameras, one for the top and the other for the bottom of the pack, ensuring it is fully configurable for any future changes to label design or the information it carries. If any anomalies are detected, packs are quickly ejected from the

production line into dedicated lockable reject bins to comply with strict retailer codes of practice.

The Sparc machine is automatically set up for checkweighing, detection (metal detection or X-ray) and label inspection via the Sparc Atlas database, including date coders so that it is a fail-safe system, reducing risk and increasing the allimportant brand security.

Designed as a paperless system, all QA (Quality Assurance) testing and reports for auditing are automatically securely saved, as is production and weight data.

The system can be integrated with case labelling to ensure that all label information is checked for readability and validity for every pack and case.

www.interfoodtechnology.com

PLAYFUL PACKAGING FOR VEGAN BROWNIES Glasgow-based creative agency Offshoot Design has been approached by Herbivore Kitchen to realign the vegan foodie brand and create packaging solutions for a new online branch of the business.

Working closely with proprietor, Alison Grove, Offshoot simplified the company logo and developed a simple system to help the brand stand out across multiple platforms. Brand colours and fonts have been consolidated and a series of guidelines produced to ensure all communications look on-brand at every given opportunity.

The new branding was applied to a series of custom packages for Herbivore Kitchen’s delicious vegan brownies, which are marketed via their web-shop and wholesales.

To communicate the rich and intense flavours of the brownies, Offshoot employed a playful, lighthearted and humorous approach to the sleeve designs, in highcontrast to the more down-to-earth, generic boxes. The results are unique and stand apart from competitors.

Packaging had to be low impact and sustainable to fit with Herbivore Kitchen’s key brand credentials. Offshoot designed

bespoke packaging solutions could be used across the product range.

Alison Grove, owner at Herbivore Kitchen, said: “I used Offshoot Design as part of our By Design Grant from Scottish Enterprise to get our packaging up to retail standards. I’m so glad I chose them!

“Right from the word go, they were spot on with all of the briefs I had given them, and they used my inspiration (likes, dislikes,

artists etc) to create some wacky and completely unique packaging.

I’ve had compliment after compliment on our awesome new designs. I would highly recommend them to anyone!”

Offshoot Design pride themselves on being a small, flexible agency with heart.

They have over nine years’ experience working with leading food and drink businesses like WholeFoods Market as well as a number of exciting food and drink start-ups from Scotland such as Beinn An Tuirc Distillers and Ella Drinks.

The agency are proud to be sponsoring Scotland’s Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2019.

For a free consultation email info@offshootdesign.co.uk or call 0141 345 2468 to arrange a meeting.

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{ Industry News }

LORIEN CELEBRATES 27 GOLDEN YEARS WITH ROSPA Global engineering design and project management firm Lorien Engineering Solutions is celebrating after being awarded the Gold Award for Health and Safety by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) – for the 27th consecutive year.

The award recognises continuous achievement at the highest level.

Burton on Trent-based Lorien has also been awarded RoSPA’s highly coveted Patron’s Award for the third year.

Introduced in 2017, the Patron’s Award is conferred on organisations that have achieved consecutive gold awards for 25 years or more.

Lorien Engineering Solutions, a division of

GP Strategies Corporation, specialises in capital projects for food, brewing, drinks, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and safety compliance.

Lorien’s Health and Safety Manager, Elliot

Follows, said: “The achievement of a Patron’s Award for the third successive year represents a remarkable achievement and places Lorien in an exclusive club.

“The award recognises our ongoing commitment to the safety requirements of our projects, clients, staff and contractors, and our constant drive to be ‘better’.” I’m proud of my Safety Team whose strict compliance with our safety system, safety culture and ethics continues to keep our projects safe at all times.”

Now in their 63rd year, the RoSPA awards recognise achievement in health and safety management systems.

www.lorienengineering.com

AB MAURI PROTECTS SOYA MILLING PROCESS FROM METAL CONTAMINATION WITH 9 MAGNETIC SEPARATORS FROM ECLIPSE MAGNETICS AB MAURI UK & Ireland has invested in nine Pneumag magnetic separators from Eclipse Magnetics to meet the very latest food safety standards in its soya milling processes. Fitted into pipelines that feed the soya beans into the process, the Pneumags provide protection against ferrous and paramagnetic contamination of dry powders and granulates, making them perfect for AB MAURI’s processing lines.

As a global family of yeast and bakery ingredient companies, AB MAURI is one of the largest producers and distributors in the world. AB MAURI must, therefore, ensure that the soya processed is free from contamination that may be introduced into the process from raw material, or during the milling process.

As a company with exceptionally high standards, AB MAURI is always vigilant regarding contamination issues, and made a cautionary decision to replace the existing magnetic units in the milling system with upgraded units meeting the latest food safety standards. A solution was required to protect the plant at the beginning of the process, in addition to replacing nine magnets further down the processing line.

Adrian Seeley, Production Supervisor at

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AB MAURI UK & Ireland, said: “Our pipelines are angled, so the units supplied by Eclipse provide the perfect solution to replace the existing magnets. Our operatives have commented how much easier these new units are to clean and inspect each week”.

During milling, the soya beans are processed to a uniform particle size to produce flour. Nine Pneumag high intensity magnetic separators ensure that even the smallest ferrous contamination particles are extracted from pneumatically fed lines.

Each Pneumag unit contains a double row high intensity magnetic cartridge, and is secured into its housing by quick release toggle clamps, which ensure even pressure is generated around the unique silicon-based metaldetectable seal. The Pneumag was perfect for this application due to its ability to be installed at any angle, from vertical to horizontal.

Adrian continued: “We were delighted with the service provided by Eclipse Magnetics; from the initial site survey, right through to delivery”.

{ Industry News }

NEW SP8 LOAD CELL FROM HBM PROVIDES A DYNAMIC SOLUTION Now available from HBM – a market leader in the field of test and measurement – is the new SP8 single-point load cell, which provides a precise and cost-effective solution for multihead combination weighers.

Designed to meet the requirements of today’s dynamic weighing applications, the new SP8 single-point load cell features a compact design and can be easily integrated into a range of multihead combination weighers.

Built for capacities ranging from 5 to 100kg, the SP8 load cell from HBM provides greater accuracy and features a C3 accuracy

protection rating, meaning that the range is dustproof, protected against low-pressure water jets, and can be immersed in water up to 1m, for up to 30 minutes.

Developed for use in dynamic weighing applications, the SP8 is the latest offering from the HBM range of single-point load cells, which offer precise results at an outstanding price-performance ratio.

class for reliable results.

Manufactured in stainless steel, the PW12C load cell has an IP67 degree of

For further information, contact HBM on +44 01525 304980 or via email: info@uk.hbm.co.uk or visit the HBM website at www.hbm.com

NEW WEBSITE SHOWCASES WIDE AVAILABILITY OF OUTSOURCING SOLUTIONS The BCMPA has launched its new website and social media presence to help companies in the food and drink sector more easily identify outsourcing solutions for their manufacturing, packing, fulfilment and logistics requirements.

The website – www.bcmpa.org.uk – has been enhanced and updated to better reflect the extensive range of services offered by members and to enable companies to quickly find suitable partners to assist with their particular needs.

The Members Directory section lists all 150+ members, spanning a range of endmarkets including food and drink, nutraceuticals, personal care, pharmaceutical, chemicals and household goods. Each member has a profile page summarising their capabilities, together with full contact details and a link to their website. The Search Facility enables visitors to shortlist members with the services required, such as new product development, manufacturing, blending, filling, metal detection and pasteurisation. Searches can also be made for members with accreditations such as BRC Food or Soil Association, or with free-from facilities.

Visitors can also request assistance through the website’s Project Enquiry service. Details of a current project can be

submitted to enable relevant BCMPA members to get in touch.

The fully responsive website has been designed for more optimal use on mobile devices. It also provides an interactive map of all members so visitors can find outsourcing solutions local to them. Another new feature is the ‘Tips for Start-Ups’ information page that contains advice and guidance for businesses seeking to bring a new product or idea to market.

In addition to the website new LinkedIn and Twitter channels have also been launched, helping promote the activities of the BCMPA and its members across social

media.

The launch of both the enhanced BCMPA website and social media channels follows the recent introduction of the association’s new-look corporate identity and strapline that more accurately reflect the wide-ranging outsourcing capabilities of its membership for brand owners, manufacturers, retailers and e-commerce companies.

This was unveiled during the BCMPA’s highly successful participation at the Packaging Innovations Show at the NEC in February, where exhibiting member companies welcomed a record number of visitors to the dedicated Contract Pack area of the exhibition.

The BCMPA will be exhibiting at Food Matters Live at ExCel London on 19-20 November.

www.bcmpa.org.uk

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{ Industry News }

MARKET WELCOMES AVAILABILITY OF FULLY INTEGRATED SLICING LINES A prime area of current development in slicing technology is line integration and this was clearly in evidence at the recent IFFA exhibition.

The sole distributor for Weber in the UK and Ireland, Interfood Technology, attended IFFA to help introduce a number of initiatives, including the newly released Weber wePACK 7000 packaging machines which are making fully integrated high-speed slicing lines possible. Seamless integration across equipment can be an invaluable contributor to efficiency and productivity in food processing operations and Weber’s focus on full-line integration ensures there are no boundaries between equipment, with everything from a single source to offer a complete line solution tailored for a given slicing application.

Fully integrated control of every function on the line is provided, with seamless integration with the slicer, along with options such as the Weber Pick and Place Robot systems and Compact Loaders which are integrated within the packaging machine frame to substantially reduce the required footprint.

Operating costs are lower as the need for spare parts is reduced by the same components being employed throughout the line. 100% line data is captured in real time, with self-optimising and self-learning line control, including the integration of optical systems that automatically adjust the process for automated loading solutions to ensure accuracy, quality and consistency, without the need for manual intervention.

The different processes are perfectly aligned with each other, with increased line efficiency and fewer operating panels.

Also on show at IFFA and part of the integration focus was the Weber wePICK 3000 compact Pick and Place loading system, the first Pick Robot with an integrated buffer function. Its dynamic buffering capability compensates for the reloading time of the slicer in a machine with a very small footprint since no external components are required for buffering sliced portions. The wePICK 3000 can be used in both continuous and indexed packaging

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systems including flow-wrappers, tray sealers and thermoformers.

Loading flexibility is at the heart of the machine’s design, even for products which are typically difficult to handle. It can turn, overlap portions and place multiple products in the same pack, utilising additional units and slicers integrated into the same line. It can be used as a stand-alone unit or be integrated into existing lines, with each module loading up to 60 picks per minute for single head units and up to 100 picks per minute for twin head units, depending on the application.

{ Industry News }

AA STANDARD SEEDS Unicorn Ingredients’ customers can rest assured that they are buying the highest standard seeds, it’s official.

Unicorn has held the prestigious BRC accreditation for Agents & Brokers since 2015, shortly after the standard was first launched. Then, in March 2019, it passed its latest annual BRC audit with AA grade — the highest grade this category of business can achieve.

The BRC standard assures customers that Unicorn has high-level competence in all critical areas such as product safety and quality, and that it is monitoring and continually improving systems.

For Unicorn, meeting the BRC accreditation standard requires close collaboration with suppliers. To gain accreditation back in 2015, all the procedures in Unicorn’s complicated global supply chain were standardised and documented.

Unicorn’s suppliers, independent farmers and cooperatives from all around the world, are expected to maintain the certification standards on an ongoing basis.

Many of Unicorn’s suppliers have been

with the company a very long time, but a strict supplier approval procedure also ensures any new supplier is able to meet the stringent BRC as well as market requirements.

Unicorn’s customers are typically manufacturers of bakery, cereal, salad and healthier snack products. It can be a fastpaced sector, and customers often request niche and seasonal ingredients.

Suppliers are constantly monitored and

are reviewed by Unicorn’s senior management at bi-monthly meetings. At these meetings any suppliers or consignments that there have been complaints about are highlighted.

When necessary, an action plan will then be put in place to tackle any issues, which can include root cause analysis, and a supplier site audit.

Unicorn has also been certified by the Soil Association since 2012. It has full accreditation to import a variety of edible organic seeds. These range from sunflower and golden linseed through to pumpkin seed kernels and millet.

The systems in place make Unicorn an allround safe choice for its customers and bring benefits all round. Having accreditation allows Unicorn to trade with retailers and manufacturers who only deal with BRC or Soil Association certified traders.

Unicorn’s plan going forward is to maintain both its Soil Association and BRC certifications, offering continued AA-rated supply chain excellence.

www.unicorningredients.com

THE SMART FOOD FACTORY IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK Food manufacturers can gain real competitive advantage through the implementation of digitisation and the establishment of a smart food factory – and the means to achieve this are easier than companies realise with many of the technologies needed already in existence.

This was the key message of a presentation by Mathew Simpson of food and drink IT specialist CSB-System at the recent seminar Digital Technologies for Improving Productivity in Food Manufacturing, organised by the Centre for SMART (Sustainable Manufacturing and Recycling Technologies) and the Internet of Food Things Network Plus (IoFT).

Mr Simpson outlined how in a smart food factory information is able to flow up and down the supply chain much faster, with a company’s ERP system acting as the central nervous system. This means the shop floor

and senior management are fully connected and transactions between the consumer, the retailer and the producer are more easily managed. For example, orders placed via a smartphone can be directly received into the manufacturer’s or retailer’s ERP system and production demand can be generated before retailer stock is fully consumed.

Manufacturers are able to remotely control and monitor their production lines, including individual machine’s service requirements, and finished goods can be

automatically booked and entered into the ERP system.

Full connectivity and automation bring greater efficiencies and consistency and help to ensure supply is more accurately matched to demand.

Companies’ existing systems and equipment can be utilised in the move to the smart factory, explained Mr Simpson.

The use of EDI for sales order entry will significantly reduce manual entry and keying errors, while weighing systems and scales can be connected to the ERP system to directly confirm and record weights.

Similarly, automatic temperature loggers will capture data directly into the system, and vision and inspection systems can distinguish between good and bad products for immediate action to be taken.

www.csb.com

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{ Industry News }

BIOPAC UK RELEASE ART SERIES COMPOSTABLE CUP RANGE TO THE UK Biopac UK Ltd – the leading supplier of environmentally responsible foodservice disposables, has released a striking range of commercially compostable cups, profiling emerging UK artists and their unique artworks that explore themes relating to the natural environment and sustainability.

This is the first of many new innovations and products made possible by joining forces with Australian sustainable packaging company BioPak. This partnership will see Biopac integrate with BioPak to bring to the UK the best of both companies.

The UK artist behind the design ‘Blue

Flower’, Tom Askew said: “It’s an exciting opportunity to be part of a project which is looking to make a difference to the environment, especially when nature is such a big inspiration to me and my illustration

work”.

The cups are made from sustainably sourced paper lined with Ingeo™ bioplastic – which is made from plants, not plastic.

Choosing bioplastic over plastic reduces carbon emissions by 75%. These hot cups can be commercially composted and are designed to be part of the circular economy.

The UK Art Series is available in 4oz, 6oz, 8oz, 12oz and 16oz single wall hot cups, with a mix of three different artists per size.

They are now available online at www.biopac.co.uk

WHITBY SEAFOODS WAVE GOODBYE TO POOR CODES AND MISSED PACKS WITH FULLY NETWORKED CLEARMARK (ICE) CODERS AND PRINT APPLICATORS Increased reliability, throughput and reduced downtime are just a couple of the benefits that Whitby Seafoods, the UK’s largest buyer and processor of scampi, gained when switching to Clearmark Solutions fully networked (ICE) coders and print and apply labellers.

By replacing its legacy equipment, Whitby Seafoods were searching for highly automated low maintenance coders and labellers to help them to grow their business and keep up with increasingly varied highvolume production demands.

The solution was found by switching two factory lines to fully networked Zodiac primary packaging Thermal Transfer Overprinters and Vulcan secondary packaging Print and Apply labellers.

Whitby quickly discovered that the small footprint of the machines allowed for greater integration and synchronicity with larger industrial packaging machines, helping to increase print precision, reducing line disruption and waste.

Whitby now benefit from coders that are flexible enough to print dates in any format or size, and in any Windows true type font.

“The Zodiacs are easy to use and work well with the rest of the packaging line.

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Ribbon changeover can also be done quickly with minimal disruption to the production run.

“The Vulcan labellers have [also] allowed us to significantly reduce label printing errors. Being able to check a job file from the office and on the coder touchscreen also provides added peace of mind,” comments John Tate, Asset Operations Manager at Whitby Seafoods.

As a result of the proven performance and reliability of existing Clearmark (ICE)

equipment, Whitby has recently purchased a third Vulcan labeller with an accumulation system, delivering a full end of line solution.

Once installed, there will be a Vulcan Print and Apply labeller on all three packaging lines at Whitby.

Having problems with poor quality prints and missed packs?

Get in touch with Clearmark today to discuss your coding and marking requirements by calling 0115 964 0144, visiting the Clearmark website or emailing enquiries@uk.interactivecoding. com

{ Industry News }

ACORN DAIRY LAUNCHES BARISTA MILK North-East dairy producer, Acorn Dairy, has worked with two well-known local coffee brands to launch an innovative new milk aimed at the high-end barista trade.

Inspired from conversation with champion barista Joe Meagher of Flat Caps Coffee, and with developmental support from Rounton Coffee Roasters, Acorn has produced a milk blended for silky-smooth and long-lasting micro foam, that has an optimised fat and protein ratio. The product has launched on a national level with focus on the north-east, Manchester and London.

Acorn’s Sales and Distribution Director, Caroline Bell, said: “We are always keen to explore new ways to develop our dairy products. As a family business we’re truly passionate about every aspect of the milk, from our organic status to the way we care for the cows; we would like to thank everyone involved for their help in bringing Barista Milk to life”.

Acorn Dairy is a past winner of Northern Dairy Farmer of the Year, Soil Association

Best Dairy and Best Dairy Supplier in the England Food Awards and has a Compassion in World Farming Good Dairy Award for high cow and calf welfare, in

addition to its organic credentials.

For more information visit www.acorndairy.co.uk

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Tailor-made solutions for the highest purity

Two “Easy Clean” high-speed doors from EFAFLEX ensure absolute cleanliness in powdered milk bottling plant.

In food production, operational planners are frequently presented with difficult tasks when it comes to hygienically packaging finished products which are still “open” and then handing them over to the logistics department. In the filling and packaging department, no contamination can be caused in the process. The Hofmeister cheese factory in Moosburg has hygienically secured this critical area, which is connected to the new filling system for milk powder, with the help of an airlock utilising two EFA SRT® EC high-speed industrial doors from EFAFLEX.

“Milk powder is a foodstuff. That means that the filling area needs to be very consistently and cleanly separated from the logistics area,” explains Roland Zimmert, who is responsible for technical management at the production sites in Moosburg and Pfeffenhausen for the Hofmeister cheese factory. He describes how the big bags, once filled with milk powder by the bagging plant, are then transported into an airlock on a roller conveyor. Here, the system control provides the “open trigger” for the inner door and the big bag travels in. Only after closing quickly is the “door closed” notification sent from the door control to the system control; only then can the outer door to the logistics area be opened. Thanks to the maximum opening and closing speeds and the very short door cycles, the two EFA-SRT® EC doors fulfil the hygiene requirements in this special area. The oversize milk powder package

EFAFLEX is only put onto Euro pallets outside the airlock chamber. “Because under no circumstances should any foreign bodies, such as the tiniest splinter from the wooden pallets for example, get into the filling!

EFAFLEX is a long-standing partner for us when it comes to doors,” says Roland Zimmert. “Added to this is the fact that this door manufacturer, with the special ‘Easy Clean Design’ is able to offer precisely the hygiene concept that we need here for our production facility.”

The EFA-SRT® EC is suitable for installation in situations with limited space due to its space-saving design. The installation of the doors was not entirely straightforward since the two doors needed to be integrated into roller conveyors. Owing to the cramped installation situation and the precision integration of the doors between and on the new roller conveyors, the alignment of the steel substructure and wall cladding subsections for the airlock had to be done in advance with the help of custom made templates. The two doors are controlled entirely automatically by the higher level system controls. “This solution really is tailor-made for us,” says Roland Zimmert.

EFA-SRT®-EC roll-up door is the optimised solution for all internal passages with the highest hygienic requirements, for example in the food industry. EC stands for “Easy Clean”, easy to clean. It opens at a speed of up to 2.0 m/s and closes at a speed of up to 0.75 m/s. The structure is designed for up to 150,000 operating cycles per year. The EFAFLEX engineers have developed the roll-up door in close cooperation with the food industry. EFAFLEX roll-up doors are used around the world, wherever hygienic safety is required.

The EFAFLEX EFA-SRT® EC is the only hygienic rollup door for the food industry to be recommended by German Association of Food Inspectors (BVLK). The entire roll-up door design is made from stainless steel as standard. The frame cover can easily be unlocked and the frame can be removed for cleaning. The BLVK referred in particular to the possibility of foaming and to cleaning using a steam jet. The elastic curtain fulfils HACCP and FDA requirements. The cover of the rollup door winding shaft is inclined and has positive drain on both sides for a controlled outflow of liquids so that no contamination can get onto the passage or even the food. In no time, the cover of this roll-up door can be turned upwards. The underside and even the winding shaft itself are therefore easily accessible and easy to clean.

www.efaflex.com

{ Industry News }

NAVITAS PARTNERS WITH BROTHER UK TO RAISE FOOD LABELLING STANDARDS Food health and safety business, Navitas, is innovating its market-leading digital food safety management system to bring safer, easier and more efficient labelling to the foodservice industry.

Navitas Food Safety launched its innovative food safety management technology in 2014. The system is based around a smart probe device for temperature probing hot and cold food, along with pods and hubs that sit in fridges, freezers and chiller cabinets to provide accurate, straightforward food temperature monitoring by instantly saving readings to the cloud.

Working with technology solutions provider Brother UK, Navitas has further developed its digital food safety management system to also address laborious, unhygienic and potentially unsafe food labelling processes, by integrating the TD-2120N compact label printer with its existing technology.

All key information relating to food products is stored within the system on setup, including ingredients, allergens and use-by dates. The printer will then produce bespoke labels, with tailored information for each product including date and time of

preparation, at the touch of a button. The ability to set up a personalised login for each member of staff ensures accountability.

The printer is compact to save on space, and the option to power it from a rechargeable battery means it can be used

from anywhere – whether in a kitchen, storage area or restaurant.

To find out more, visit www.navitas.eu.com/food-safety

BIRD BROS INCREASES FREE-RANGE EGG PRODUCTION TO MEET CUSTOMER DEMAND Bedfordshire-based Bird Bros has increased its free-range egg production by 40% to keep up with demand from retail and foodservice customers. This latest move follows the company’s recent investment in a £5m state-of-the-art, purpose-built packing facility, capable of packing eight million eggs per week.

Established 50 years ago, Bird Bros is a second-generation family-run business with 700,000 birds producing around four million eggs each week.

Director, Matthew Bird, says: “Our freerange egg supply has continued to see massive growth in line with changing

consumer trends. At Bird Bros all our freerange egg-laying hens are RSPCA Assured.

Our free-range hens have better lives under the RSPCA Assured scheme and this is important to us.

“The quality and freshness of our produce is always of highest importance with eggs

often laid, packed and despatched within a matter of hours.

“We work around the clock to ensure our nationwide customer base receive the freshest eggs possible.”

All Bird Bros eggs have the British Lion Quality Mark on their shells, indicating they have been produced to some of the highest food safety standards in the world. The Bird Bros low carbon footprint packing centre features PIR lighting, solar panels and is ‘AA’ grade BRC accredited.

For more information visit www.birdbroseggs.co.uk

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{ Industry News }

TENDERSTEM® TEAMS UP WITH ROOTED SPICES AND MEERA SODHA TO LAUNCH NEW BRASSICA BLEND Tenderstem®, the second biggest fresh produce brand in the UK, is set to launch a new spice blend following a groundbreaking collaboration with Rooted Spices and Meera Sodha.

The Brassica Blend takes inspiration from Tenderstem®’s latest advertising campaign, which encourages shoppers to ‘make every dish a little adventure’. The spice blend has been developed to transport shoppers to the Taj Mahal in Rajasthan – one of the five landmarks featured in the advertising and PR campaign creative.

The Brassica Blend will be available in limited edition green packaging from 1 June from the Rooted Spices website with packs of spice also available to Tenderstem®’s growing number of newsletter subscribers.

The new blend includes Kashmiri chilli, hot smoked paprika, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric, nigella seeds and ground fennel, and has been developed to perfectly complement the

broccoli-Chinese kale hybrid.

Rooted Spices offers a range of single origin spices to challenge the multiple-origin offering often found in supermarkets. The business was set up by two school friends who developed a passion for single origin spices after extensive travel and visits to food markets around the world.

To mark the launch, chef and cookbook writer, Meera Sodha, has created a new recipe, which features Tenderstem® spiced with the Brassica Blend. The recipe will be featured on Tenderstem®’s website and

featured at an event for food writers and consumers that will take place in London later this summer.

Kyla Flynn, PR and Social Manager for Tenderstem®, said: “Our new advertising campaign is all about inspiring consumers to be more adventurous when cooking, so we wanted to create an exciting new spice blend that would add some serious flavour.

“Teaming up with Rooted Spices and Meera Sodha has enabled us to create an authentic new spice blend that perfectly suits the versatility of Tenderstem® and has the power to whisk consumers away on a taste adventure to the Taj Mahal – one of the landmarks in our current ‘make every dish a little adventure” campaign.’

The Brassica Blend will be available from 3 June, priced at £3.95 per tin from www.rootedspices.com

96% OF ICE CREAM PARLOURS WANT TO SEE ARTISAN FOODS AND DRINKS AT THEIR TRADE SHOW The UK’s only specific ice cream industry trade show is being extended to include other food and drink products – to reflect the needs of the booming ice cream parlour sector. The number of ice cream parlours in UK high streets is growing by 20% annually

according to leading accountancy firm PWC. As well as ice cream parlours, coffee shops, and cafes and tearooms were among the outlet types that showed the highest in net store numbers.

The Ice Cream and Artisan Foods Show will be held in Harrogate 11 13 February 2020 at the Yorkshire Events Centre.

Ice cream parlours do not just sell ice cream. The Ice Cream Alliance, the UK trade body, recently surveyed its members to reveal what other food and drinks they sell and what products they wanted featured at the trade show: • 69% sell coffee • 63% sell tea and other hot drinks

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• 61% sell cakes • 61% sell confectionery • 41% sell savoury snacks “To keep up with an ever changing and growing sector we surveyed our members to ask them what we could do to improve our trade show,” commented ICA CEO Zelica Carr. “Most of them wanted to see more product suppliers across artisan food and drinks – plus 64% wanted to see coffee machines companies and 86% wanted general catering supplies businesses, covering everything from clothing to cleaning products, to exhibit.”

The ICA estimates that there are over 1,000 ice cream parlours in the UK with around 200 new outlets opening annually.

To exhibit at next year’s Ice Cream and Artisan Foods Show telephone 01332 203333 or email Jordan@ice-cream.org

{ Industry News }

THE LAKES DISTILLERY GEARS UP FOR THE SUMMER WITH WORLD DUTY FREE AND BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT The Lakes Distillery partnership with the UK’s leading travel retailer, World Duty Free, continues to soar in 2019 with the launch of a Summer Garden Party at Birmingham Airport.

Uplifting passengers to the holiday spirit, an engaging contentainment activation runs in the World Duty Free store space until 2 July, with The Lakes celebrating a wide range of fine whiskies and gins, with tastings and offers throughout the eight-week party.

The Lakes Distillery, one of the leading spirit makers in England, was established in 2011 and is stocked in 50 main World Duty Free stores and all of World Duty Free’s World of Whisky stores across the UK. Using the Lake District as an inspiration, the distillery’s whiskymaker blends science, nature and art to create award-winning

spirits, including the increasingly popular Rhubarb & Rosehip Gin Liqueur, Elderflower Gin Liqueur, The Lakes Gin, The Lakes Explorer Gin and Steel Bonnets, a crossborder blend of exceptional English and Scotch malt whisky.

Maria Duddin, Director of Business

Development and UK Sales at The Lakes Distillery, said: “We have a fantastic partnership with World Duty Free and this is the first of many exciting activations that will be happening across the UK this year.

“Birmingham Airport is a global travel hub, with more than 200 direct and connecting flights, so it is the perfect pitch to meet and speak to our customers and celebrate the season with our World Duty Free Summer Garden Party.”

Kathryn Kindness, Country Commercial Category Manager at World Duty Free, commented: “It’s fantastic to see The Lakes Distillery bringing their brand to life within our stores with themed campaigns and activations such as this one, which is sure to engage customer interest and help drive sales”.

JOCKEY CLUB CATERING JOINS THE 2019 GREAT BRITISH SPRING CLEAN Jockey Club Catering, the food and beverage partner to The Jockey Club, participated in the UK’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign, Keep Britain Tidy’s annual Great British Spring Clean.

Keep Britain Tidy is an independent charity with three goals – to eliminate litter, end waste and improve places. Fourteen teams with a total of 60 colleagues, clocking over 180 hours, helped collect over 100 bags of litter from their local areas in an effort to help give back to the communities they live and work in.

A team was assembled from each of The Jockey Club’s racecourses: Aintree Racecourse, Carlisle Racecourse, Cheltenham Racecourse, Exeter Racecourse, Epsom Downs Racecourse, Haydock Park Racecourse, Huntingdon Racecourse, Kempton Park Racecourse, Market Rasen Racecourse, Newmarket Racecourses, Nottingham Racecourse, Sandown Park Racecourse, Warwick Racecourse and Wincanton Racecourse – to help collect litter.

In addition to picking litter, in the Great British Spring Clean Keep Britain Tidy

initiative, work was done to create clean beaches, parks and streets, as well as creating sustainable practices and eliminating unnecessary waste.

Jockey Club Catering supports Keep Britain Tidy’s ethos of working with individuals, businesses, organisations and public bodies to help care for the environment on their doorstep and ensure people live and work in places they can be

proud of and prosper in.

Nick Campbell, Managing Director at Jockey Club Catering, said: “We’re really proud to help improve the environments we live and work in. It’s really important that Jockey Club Catering is an organisation that can give back to the community. Well done to all who participated in the 2019 Great British Spring Clean”.

May/June Food & Drink News

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{ Cider Focus }

Why the cider industry should be the apple of our eye Summer might be taking a little longer to arrive this year than it did in 2018, but one thing is sure – cider will be on the drinks menu whatever the weather.

T

he perennial favourite tipple for the summer months has had something of a renaissance in recent years, with many new brews coming on to the market and an explosion in the range of flavoured ciders available alongside the old basic apple.

According to the National Association of Cider Makers, which represents large producers as well as a wealth of the smaller companies that have come into the market, the UK is the largest cider market globally and across Europe, and UK-produced cider accounts for 39% of the world market in the drink.

And that’s a big market that cider producers based in other countries are keen to get a bite of. Brännland Ciders is based in Sweden, and in May the company announced a partnership with Connoisseur Estates to massively increase their UK distribution.

Brännland’s Founder and CEO, Andreas Sundgren Graniti, said: “The UK market is an important part of Brännland’s global export strategy. We are delighted to add Connoisseur Estates to our family of high-quality distributors and look forward to working with them through our UK Director Alistair Morrell to bring this unique, terroir led range and story to food and drink connoisseurs across the UK territory”.

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Homegrown cider producers are stepping up to the challenge, and there’s been a concerted effort to promote cider as the must-have drink at the UK’s upcoming summer festivals. With a growing interest in sustainability in food production, the Old Mout cider brand, for example, is capitalising on this at two of the summer’s biggest events, the Isle of Wight Festival and Boardmasters, in Cornwall.

Old Mout has teamed up with ecological organisation Kiwi Camp to flag up its reputation as one of the most sustainable cider brands in the UK, with activities based on recycling, crushing and upcycling the leftover cider cans.

Old Mout has a new flavour for summer, raspberry and pineapple, which is one of the many ambitious ways the traditional cider producers are tempting Britain’s tastebuds.

For example, craft cider pioneer Hawkes is this summer launching a rosé range, which according to founder Simon Wright is a taste that has emerged from America.

He says: “Hawkes is constantly on a mission to innovate and expand people’s perceptions of cider. The rosé trend has exploded in the US market over the last

{ Cider Focus }

few years, so it made sense to us to experiment by bringing this delicious flavour to cider drinkers too.

We’re tireless in our mission to push the boundaries of craft cider, challenging the norms and creating new and exciting products for our customers”.

With cider being produced from apples, which are traditionally grown on established agricultural land, producers – especially smaller organisations – were given something of a tax boost in the UK earlier this year as the government announced that land on which apples were grown for cider will shortly be allowed to be passed on free of inheritance tax.

Experts say this will not only allow land to be kept within families for more profitable business reasons, but will also encourage more investment in orchard land, potentially driving up the cider industry even further.

And, according to the NACM, that’s as it should be, because we should be celebrating this great British drink.

They say: “We love cider! We enjoy all the wonderful things about the range of Great British ciders that exist and everything that goes with them. From centuries of heritage to cutting-edge technology, from the trees in the orchard to shop or pub, from enjoying your favourite pint, to our member companies championing the very best in sustainability and responsibility within their communities.

“We exist to support the passion that comes from all cider producers, large or small, national or regional, and work with our European counterparts too. We help people share information about growing orchards, making cider, and how to deliver the best end product that they possibly can. We also talk to government about the vital role the cider industry plays in our rural communities – and how the UK is the most important cider nation in the world!

“There are many different styles of cider and with a range of occasions and foods to match, we help share the message that cider is after all, the quintessential Great British product.”

May/June Food & Drink News

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{ Place UK }

Let it grow: The real frozen success story Established in 1954, Place UK have a solid reputation as one of Britain’s leading fruit growers, IQF suppliers and food processing plants.

T

he company was founded by John Place, who supplied fresh fruit to the canning and jammaking industries. Two decades later, the business, begun as R & JM Place, was really transformed. The company installed a freezer tunnel to combat competitively priced fresh fruit imports from Eastern Europe; this gave the company a distinct advantage in that it was not bound by the seasonal cycle of British fruit – high-quality homegrown produce could be frozen and supplied throughout the year.

With 60 years of experience, Place UK is run by Tim Place and is now recognised as one of the UK’s leading growers and processors of high-quality, soft fruits for major British supermarkets including M&S, Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Lidl.

With Place UK’s unique and diverse offer, all areas of the retail, foodservice, processing and manufacturing industries benefit from their one-stop shop approach.

Place supply individually quick frozen (IQF) British and imported fruit to a wide variety of manufacturers and supplies, and has moved into IQF pasta, pulses and rice, as well as developing frozen fruit purees and fruit mixes for the ever-popular smoothie drinks.

Commercial manager, Debbie Smith says: “Our clients are large and small manufacturers, food service suppliers and, indirectly, retailers. The sectors covered are desserts and bakery, frozen fruit and smoothie

mixes, ready meals and soups. In terms of recent developments, we are able to make pellets for smoothie inclusions (e.g. coconut milk and passion fruit) and recently launched a new vegan smoothie mix for M&S which utilises those pellets. We are keen to chat to any businesses that have specific needs or bespoke requirements. We’re always open to discussing ideas with customers and are constantly working on new ways of offering a wider range of products and services to buyers”.

The company is constantly coming up with new ideas and experimenting using different produce – they are launching 16 new lines into retail in 2019 – and whilst 90% of their business is domestic, they do export to France, Scandinavia, the Republic of Ireland and Turkey.

Branching out into retail packing in 2013 has paid dividends; Place UK has an annual turnover of £30m, which is on the increase. They employ around 100 fulltime staff along with 500 seasonal workers at their 480 hectare Norfolk farm.

With a new cold store recently built on site, and plans to install new equipment in their packing area this year, things are moving briskly along. Recent investment exceeds £1m. Debbie says: “We have aspirations to continue our current growth phase into the next five years. Since 2010, our turnover has more than trebled, long may it continue!”

May/June Food & Drink News

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{ DTM Print GmbH }

From flower to jar: Beekeeping in harmony with bees and nature Maries Bihantverk AB is a small-scale beekeeping business, located in Malmö at the southern part of Sweden.

M

arie Backman, the woman behind everything, is a passionate professional beekeeper with a positive attitude who loves nature, bees and the act of crafting something plus passing it along to others. With Primera’s LX500e she found a label printer that makes her honey labels stand out at retail.

Maries Bihantverk AB is known for its beehives all over Malmö and the carefully handled honey with wellpreserved ingredients, bottled without any heating.

Marie had worked as Graphic Designer for many years but decided to leave the life at her desk and computer behind to add some more crafting and manual work to her daily working life. She started her education as a beekeeper and successfully graduated with a journeyman’s certificate in 2017. True to her motto ‘beekeeping in harmony with bees and nature’ she dedicated her life to the bees.

“You’re more an ambassador of the bees instead of ‘just a beekeeper’,” emphasises Lea König, Product Manager at DTM Print, an international OEM and

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solution provider based in Germany. Marie Backman adds proudly: “Yes, that’s what I am: an ambassador of the bees. Beekeeping is astonishingly important as bees do an outstanding pollination work no species could do better, plus they collect nectar for incredibly good fresh honey. It’s important to show all the biodiversity we have in Malmö and that nature is a major part of society”.

When it came to labelling she was searching for an easy-to-handle label printing solution that works with ecological looking labels, with a small footprint to fit on her office shelf and has a driver for Mac OS X. Marie became familiar with the label printers of the US manufacturer Primera Technology, Inc. at the tradeshow ‘Natural Products Scandinavia’ in 2017 when she visited the stand of DTM Print (formerly Primera Technology Europe). At the show she saw the LX500e and learnt more about the advantages of the printer.

She was convinced that the easy-to-use tri-colour cartridge with built-in print head would simplify her

{ DTM Print GmbH }

workflow of printing her well-designed labels.

Previously she used her desktop office printer with A4 label sheets, with the disadvantage of positioning the labels properly and throwing away unused A4 sheets where only a few labels were left.

She was delighted about the possibility of printing on-demand personalised, seasonal and promotional labels from one label to hundreds. “As a trained graphic designer I’m designing the label artwork on my own.

It’s great to print just one label as a design proof without any lead times or wasted materials, just to see if it looks nice,” says Marie smiling. “I’m recommending the LX500e to all my beekeeper students in school as it’s perfect for small businesses and start-up with its low investment and no maintenance costs,” she continues.

In May 2018 the time was right and Marie Backman decided to buy the LX500e for the honey labels of the upcoming season. That’s when DTM Print, official distributor of Primera products in the EMEA region, and its Swedish partner, Absurd Ideas AB, came into play.

With Christian Almstedt in sales and Daniel Petterson as

technical support (both from Absurd Ideas AB) she felt in very good hands. “She loved the label printer from the first minute and couldn’t wait to start printing with it,” says Christian.

Marie adds: “Lea did an excellent after sales support helping me to print with Adobe Illustrator on my MacBook and I’m pleased to continue working with her under their new company name”.

With the huge variety of label materials provided by DTM Print it was not an easy choice for her to choose a substrate, but in the end she decided on the ‘DTM Vintage Paper Eco’ to highlight the ecological and nature-loving part of her work and honey.

Lea König visited Marie Backman in her office and reports: “It is always lovely to see how label printers cheer up the work routine of people. Speaking about market positioning of Maries Bihantverk’s honey and her graphic design skills I believe it was essential to print unique textured labels on-demand, that highlight the honey on each product shelf”.

Personalised label printing comes into play with the new project ‘Bifadder’ (see more at https://www.instagram.com/bifadder/). It gives each of us the opportunity to be the father or mother of 1,000 worker bees, follow the life in the hive and taste the honey of the first harvest from your ‘own’ bee colony. The beefathers (and of course bee-mothers) will receive the first honey in 2019, each jar labelled with the individual name or number of the bee-parent. The hives are managed by Marie and two other local beekeepers. They also receive their labels (and their design) from Marie and her LX500e label printer.

Contact details: Maries Bihantverk AB Malmö, Sweden marie.backman@mariesbihantverk.se http://mariesbihantverk.se DTM Print GmbH Wiesbaden, Germany sales@dtm-print.eu http://dtm-print.eu Absurd Ideas AB Linköping, Sweden info@absurdideas.se http://absurdideas.se

May/June Food & Drink News

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{ Fatherson Bakery }

Family values underline Fatherson’s vision for the future When Laurence Smith visited the Fatherson Bakery, with his wife, on the Arden Forest Industrial Estate in Alcester, Warwickshire, in January 2018, he knew instantly that he had found the business for him.

A

fter many years working in the food industry in a wide variety of capacities, he had a hankering to run his own business and was looking around for an established company he could buy into and build into a leading branded business.

Laurence says: “When I came to visit Fatherson I just loved the homemade nature of the products, but also the professionalism of those who had set the business up. The foundations were already in place for us to grow from with a great team already in place around us”.

Fatherson had been set up by – as the name suggests – two fathers and two sons: Kevin and Philip Lees, and David and Sean Geary. They themselves had, between them, more than a century of experience in the food manufacturing and retail sectors and this was brought to bear on creating a hugely successful bakery business.

Utilising traditional bakery methods they built a small empire providing sponge cakes, loaf cakes, cup and butterfly cakes, fruit pies, tray bakes and many seasonal products including their award-winning mince pies.

From their base they supplied more than 1,000 retailers across the UK. That eye for detail and completely professional approach along with a great workforce was what caught Laurence’s eye. Laurence started his career in the commercial department of food giant Rank Hovis McDougall, with responsibility for, among others, the Sharwood’s brand.

After leaving RHM he joined United Biscuits, where he looked after all their household name brands, before joining Unilever and in his last three years running the UK marketing as Marketing Director, looking after such brands as Flora, Hellmann’s, Colman’s, Knorr, Lipton Tea and PG Tips.

May/June Food & Drink News

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{ Fatherson Bakery }

From there he joined E-cloth as Commercial Managing Director to change the world to chemical free cleaning with just water using their cloths, mops and tools, eventually setting up a subsidiary in the US and expanding into 40 countries worldwide.

It was while in that job that Laurence set his sights on acquiring his own business, which led him to the Fatherson Bakery. In January this year, one year after he had first visited the site, he closed the deal and took over.

The things that first attracted Laurence to Fatherson are the aspects he wants to push forward with the business. And to help him with that, the four original directors have given him the benefit of their own experience.

The two fathers, Kevin and David, have now taken well-earned retirement.

Philip and Sean remained with the business.

Philip is working until the end of July as operations

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Director in a transition to the new Head of Operations and Buying Lawrence Bowcott, while Sean will stay on as Sales, Marketing & Logistics Director working to ensure sales and logistics run smoothly under the new regime.

There is already in the market a new brand identity and logo for Fatherson, but otherwise Laurence is keen to build on the values that have already made the business a success. He says: “We’re launching a new range of snacks-to-go and gluten-free bars, but the core of the business will remain handmade and handdecorated cakes, loaf cakes and pies. Our strategy going forward will essentially be to put out very high quality produce”.

The watchword of Fatherson is freshness… Laurence says fresh ingredients are sourced from local greengrocers and the bakery cracks an astonishing three million fresh eggs every year. Although the products are produced on a large scale, the key to their success is the very ‘hand-made’ feel and taste about them.

Laurence says: The important thing is that the products taste as if they are homemade. We have over 30 ovens going at any one time and then the products are hand-decorated, replicating as best we can that homemade feel.”

Fatherson products are very popular in the garden centre sector – they are the lead supplier for brands

{ Fatherson Bakery }

such as Wyevale, Dobbie’s and many others – and also supply retail chains such as Budgens, Londis, Co-op, Spar and Morrisons regionally.

Laurence has big plans to build on the Fatherson brand and take it to new heights. He says: “We have an 18-month innovation programme underway. Part of that will see new products come to the range and ensure our core remains best in class, but it’s also about looking at sales and marketing, how we support our retailers, and how we engage with the end consumer and raise the awareness of our brand”.

The business is located in three adjacent units, one being the main bakery, one the cupcake and butterfly hub, and a head office comprising the telesales, accounts and sales departments and warehousing facilities. Around 90 people are employed across the sites.

They are all hard at work putting into place Laurence’s plans to grow the business. He says: “Our objective is to grow and double the business over the next few years. We’ve got quite an aggressive growth strategy.

“We want to support and continue to supply our existing retailers but also looking at new areas and retailers we can develop all across the UK so more consumers can enjoy a Fatherson cake at home or when eating out.”

Part of that strategy is to team up with other, complementary food brands for in-store retailer events.

“For example,” says Laurence, “Perhaps we could get

together with a tea producer for an event in stores to create a cake and tea party to help drive category sales.

There is strength and logical fit if partner companies work together in this way”.

Laurence is also keen for Fatherson to embrace environmental values, and the company is looking at finding solutions to reduce or even eliminate plastic packaging. They have already made huge steps towards waste reduction – nothing goes direct to landfill from their site.

“There are many more steps we’re looking to take,” says Laurence. “Basically, going forward, we’re all about retaining family values, but we’re putting our heads above the parapet to look around and see where the opportunities are and harness our experience to unlock them to deliver category growth and most important delight our customers and consumers.”

May/June Food & Drink News

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May/June Food & Drink News

{ IPS }

Positive momentum and a commitment to investment make a recipe for success IPS (Integrated Packing Services Ltd) leads the market in specialist contract packing with 25 years of experience serving the food industry. As part of Culina Group, the UK’s leading food & drink logistics business, IPS is certainly going from strength to strength and now operates from 19 sites across the UK.

S

ince becoming part of Culina Group in 2014, IPS has certainly seen the benefits of being part of a larger network and the business continues to forge ahead. Currently, IPS is experiencing a period of unprecedented growth.

Managing Director, Andrew Dawson, says: “Over the past five years our business has grown from strength to strength. Not only have we retained all of our clients, but our, growth over recent times has been remarkable.

We have added numerous new clients and we now operate 19 locations across the UK. We already know where and when we will be opening our 20th site which will be a fantastic achievement over such a short time frame”.

As part of their growth and expansion plans, IPS acquired FoodPack Ltd, based in St Helens, towards the end of 2018. FoodPack are a successful business which manufactures granola and dry mix products direct to retailers, as well as co-manufacturing products on behalf of brand owners.

“This is a fantastic addition to our service offering,” says Andrew. “We are working with some of the largest brands from concept to final packaged product and our NPD team and kitchens are providing a real point of difference. The FoodPack team are great to work with and we are already investing heavily. We will double the

size of this business over the next three years”.

How has IPS managed to experience such success?

“We take pride in remembering where it all started, making sure we keep feet on the ground and ensuring we don’t lose our entrepreneurial spirit,” says Andrew.

“That, and maintaining and prioritising a keen focus on health and safety, quality and performance.”

He adds: “Being part of Culina Group provides IPS with a solid foundation, positive momentum and a commitment to investment. This is our real point of difference and has set us apart from our competitors.

Applying our co-pack know-how and spirit, coupled with such a progressive company in Culina Group, this remains our recipe for success”.

“IPS complements and helps underpin other businesses within the wider Group and we are proud of the co-pack facilities we operate across the Great Bear and Culina Logistics chilled network.”

Packing for some of the world’s largest food companies carries responsibility, as they are entrusting their brands to the care of the IPS business. Andrew says, “It’s about investment in capacity and innovation to provide the best possible solution for our customers, as well as having the right people with the right knowledge in the right place to ensure compliance whilst protecting our customers’ brands”.

May/June Food & Drink News

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{ IPS }

“IPS is a very people-orientated business. The company wants to build partnerships with the companies it works with,” says Andrew, “to build these partnerships everybody at IPS has to be on board with the company’s ethos, and staff have to be fully engaged across all levels of the business”.

While being part of Culina Group has its obvious advantages, IPS had already clocked up 20 years growing its business before becoming part of the wider organisation. Up until 2010, the company operated two sites based in Yorkshire, co-packing confectionery, biscuits, snacks and cereals – today facilities are nationwide, with a much broader portfolio of products, equipment and customers within temperature controlled environments.

The recently expanded co-packing headquarters is based at Featherstone in West Yorkshire, their first site more than 20 years ago. This is a shared user facility with 35 lines packing the most technically demanding of products within a variety of product sectors. Its York facility is a dedicated operation providing 20+ copacking lines delivering the complete and bespoke packaging needs of a world-leading food business.

The Rotherham site completes the Yorkshire-based sites packing personal care products. IPS has a strong presence in the Midlands with the business providing the full range of primary and secondary co-pack

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solutions in Lutterworth and Wolverhampton.

In April 2015 the business expanded, opening a new facility in Dudley further complementing the already very successful network of services. In Haverhill, Suffolk, Milton Keynes and Bristol the focus is on copacking services across their chilled network.

IPS has also opened a new operation based at fellow Culina Group business Great Bear, based at Markham Vale, close to the M1. The new facility delivers seasonal confectionery packaging close to the point of despatch and provides that extra flexibility which keeps IPS ahead of its competition.

The range of services provided by IPS across the ambient and chilled network include vertical and horizontal form fill and seal, multihead weighing, mixing and blending, pouch fulfilment, cartoning, volumetric and auger feed weighing, over-wrapping, hand-packing and merchandising units. The complete range of services are complemented and supported by full packaging development, packaging specification and procurement, often providing bespoke solutions to clients.

Being at the forefront of the industry means that IPS has to keep moving forward by keeping up with the very latest packaging technology, and that has meant a lot of investment in recent years. Andrew says, “We are constantly investing in new machinery in order to deliver the best solution for our customer. This year so far, we have invested in two new state-of-the-art cereal packing lines and have also added new flow-wrappers, multiheads, cartoners and baggers. We now have more than 150 packing lines across our network and IPS is

{ IPS }

the largest and leading co-packing business in the UK.” It’s that constant moving forward and the desire to be the best that means IPS doesn’t rest on its laurels.

“We never take anything for granted and we are always challenging ourselves to improve,” says Andrew. “I think that this is why we are able to grow with our customers and help them grow at the same time.

Providing new pack formats and additional flexibility is also growing our customer base and service offering.

We are now three times larger than we were five years ago and we still have the same drive and opportunity

to continue to grow.

“Making sure we keep a flat management structure whilst continuing to attract talented people will undoubtedly help us to continue on our path. I’m really proud of what we have achieved so far and keeping our eyes firmly on the future will make sure our story continues.”

www.culina.co.uk www.ipscontractpacking.co.uk

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{ Frazer-Nash Manufacturing }

Bespoke engineering solutions keep pace with fast-moving food industry Any food production company is only as good as the equipment it uses. This is where Frazer-Nash Manufacturing comes in with its globally trusted precision engineering services and solutions designed to allow any business to meet the most demanding industry challenges.

B

ased on the 20:20 Vision Business Park in Petersfield, Hampshire, Frazer-Nash provides design, manufacturing and precision engineering services to a wide variety of industries, with particular focus on food manufacture – which accounts for around 80% of their business – and low volume manufacture for science and aerospace industries.

From their Hampshire engineering facility and headquarters in the UK, they serve major clients around the world and have earned their reputation for technical innovation and high quality. They are especially well-regarded in the pet food and confectionery industries that require extrusion and handling of foodstuffs of varying consistencies.

Frazer-Nash specialises in providing the ultimate bespoke solution for companies who find that standard ‘off the shelf’ products aren’t quite right for their needs.

From the largest turnkey handling and process systems, to small special-purpose machines, Frazer-Nash aims to deliver a solution to suit any business’s needs.

“We do have a basic range of products, and pressure extruders are at the centre of what we do,” says Engineering Director Matthew Cottam. “But there are a

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lot of associated products that are part of the extrusion process, including cooling, cutting and drying equipment.”

Frazer-Nash can use its expertise and product range to create the perfect solution for any food manufacturer. They are constantly innovating to meet customers’ needs, as with their recent development of a 100% fruit extrusion system for healthier snack products.

They have a bespoke design service as well as adapting existing products and technology. However the product comes about, Frazer-Nash prides itself on quality assurance and maintaining a 100% inspection rate on its manufactured items, fully certified to the ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100 Rev D quality assurance standard. Certificates of conformance and full traceability are provided on their work.

“People come to us because they want something that’s different,” says Matthew. “The company’s aim is to design and manufacture equipment that is exactly suited to the client.”

Their reach is global, as well; in fact, the majority of their work is for the international market, with the US having their single biggest customer base. They also do

{ Frazer-Nash Manufacturing }

work for companies in territories such as China, Russia and Brazil.

As you might expect from a company with a £6m turnover that works in so many global markets, conforming to the very latest specifications and regulations is something Frazer-Nash has nailed down.

Their food industry solutions are designed and constructed to conform to the latest international food safety specifications with open access structures, sloping surfaces, and crevice-free design. They pay close attention to ensure that the correct grade of stainless steel or other FDA approved material is used.

All their machinery is supplied fully guarded and CEmarked for use in the European Union.

It’s interesting that a company at the cutting edge of food machinery design and supply began life as a manufacturer of the earliest form of the motor car.

In 1910, English mechanical engineer and designer Archibald Frazer-Nash jointly developed a lightweight automobile, the GN Cycle Car. After more than a decade of success with the GN, in 1922 he set up the Frazer-Nash sports car company to develop a successor. Various Frazer-Nash models were introduced over the next three decades, becoming a classic sports car marque still admired today.

By 1929, Archibald Frazer-Nash had turned his personal attentions to other areas of engineering and inventing, setting up a new company focused on solutions for the growing aerospace industry. During World War II, the Frazer-Nash company achieved particular success with its innovative servo-motorpowered gun turrets, used on bombers such as the Avro Lancaster and Vickers Wellington.

In the post-war decades, the Frazer-Nash business expanded into a wide range of engineering sectors. In 1990, this Frazer-Nash group was rationalised into a number of smaller specialist companies. Frazer-Nash Manufacturing is one of these businesses, formed from a significant portion of the manufacturing and design departments of the former group.

Since 1990, Frazer-Nash Manufacturing has continued the long history of engineering excellence associated with the Frazer-Nash name, moving to their current site in Petersfield, in 2011.

As an example of the way Frazer-Nash works, a major provider of pre-prepared sandwiches approached the company wanting to automate part of their process. Particularly, this was how to target different condiments – mayonnaise, mustards, relishes and chutneys – to individual sandwiches. With differing consistencies of products, the main concern was that particles could block the extrusion equipment and bring the production line to a halt.

Frazer-Nash’s design and engineering departments set to work to come up with a customisable nozzle solution, in food-safe grade stainless steel, which could cope with the different condiments. Utilising 3Dprinting in metal and precision finishing, they came up with a final assembly that exceeded all the customer’s expectations.

Although Frazer-Nash Manufacturing is now a world away from the motor car company that was set up more than a century ago and which formed its roots, the two diverse operations do share certain principles: innovation, precision and finding solutions through the very highest quality engineering.

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{ ALS Laboratories (UK) Ltd }

Testing times mean good news for food laboratory Client satisfaction is the watchword for ALS Laboratories (UK) Ltd, which offers a wide range of food, drink, water and pharmaceutical testing across the UK.

A

recent survey of their client base found that 96% rated ALS’s services as ‘good’, ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’, with two-thirds giving the thumbs up for value for money. But that doesn’t mean the company, which is headquartered in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, is resting on its laurels.

“Obviously we are very pleased with the feedback,” says Nigel Richards, Sales and Marketing Director of ALS. “But we are constantly focused on further improving our service offering to clients.”

Exceeding client expectations begins with recruiting, developing and retaining the best staff that the company can. “We are very much a people-based business,” says Nigel. ALS has a strong focus on staff training at all levels, including specific leadership programmes for managers and senior managers. In addition it has recently opened a second in-house Training Academy (at Rotherham) for analysts working in microbiology following the success of its first Training Academy at Chatteris which has been

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validated by the Institute of Science & Technology.

ALS currently runs seven food testing laboratories which are strategically located across the UK. Mirroring the changing face of the food industry, the company recently closed two laboratories (in Newton Abbot and Nottingham) in order to concentrate activities in existing sites like Chatteris – its UK ‘hub’ – and Rotherham and Shrewsbury.

It’s been a busy few years for ALS with one of the biggest success stories being the increase in demand for its consultancy services and training courses.

Revenues in this area have more than doubled in the past year as clients have taken up the opportunity to visit ALS’ modern laboratories to find out more about how their samples are tested or benefited from bespoke support at their own sites.

Nigel says: “Consultancy has become an integral part of our overall service offering to clients. We have a large team of technical experts based at our Rotherham site who deal with food manufacturers and with

{ ALS Laboratories (UK) Ltd }

retailers, offering advice and assurance on a wide variety of food safety-related issues.”

The diversification of its service offering has continued with the opening of a new state-of-the-art sensory laboratory at Rotherham. As part of this launch, the company will offer clients a broad range of programmes and courses including cooking validation, results interpretation, cooking instructions generation, benchmarking testing and descriptive testing, to name just a few.

Although consumer eating trends are ever-changing, food safety continues to be of paramount importance to manufacturers and retailers alike. Consumers demand to know that their food is safe to eat, but also have an increased desire to access information about what is exactly in their food.

“Providing reassurance about food safety to our clients – and in turn to their customers and consumers – will always be at the core of our business,” says Nigel.

“People want to know more about their food; not simply the ingredients but also the nutritional values and the allergens that products might contain, for example.”

There have been several well publicised cases in

recent months which have reinforced the importance of labelling products with the correct information. Nigel says: “The ramifications of insufficient or incorrect labelling can be extremely serious, highlighting how important it is to have every aspect of food tested and properly displayed for the consumer.”

To help their clients get test results back more quickly, ALS has invested heavily in expanding its chemistry testing services with faster turnarounds and

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{ ALS Laboratories (UK) Ltd }

priority services now offered for pesticide testing, vitamin analysis, allergen testing and nutritional testing.

Another big success for ALS in recent years has been its online portal ‘WebTrieve’, which allows customers to register samples for testing, access test results online, trend test results and access reports.

WebTrieve has proved so popular that ALS now has 93% of its samples registered for testing through the portal. Nigel says: “WebTrieve provides a fully traceable and accurate way for our clients to let us know exactly what they want us to test for”.

With its business now consolidated across seven laboratory sites, ALS is continuing to invest in its facilities, in the latest scientific technology and in the development of its staff to support the future growth of the company.

Nigel says: “We are constantly working with our clients to make sure that we offer the very best valuefor-money service that we can. The food industry changes a lot from year to year and we pride ourselves on being flexible and adaptable and in listening to the needs of our clients”.

Delivering great customer service is something that all ALS staff are engaged in doing, whatever their role.

Indeed, although ALS has a centralised client services team based in Chatteris, the company employs a ‘teamto-team’ approach whereby clients are encouraged to interact directly with experts across different areas of the business so that they can have any queries answered as quickly as possible.

At a time when manufacturers are increasingly ‘time poor’ and under pressure, the ‘ALS Experience’ – based

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around service, value and reliability – is more important than ever. And with customers coming back for more and more repeat business, it certainly seems to be a policy that is paying dividends for ALS.

{ Forward Features List }

ComingSoon...

FOOD&DRINK NEWS

JULY 2019 CORPORATE CATERING RESTAURANTS AUGUST 2019 HALLOWEEN SNACKS, CRISPS & NUTS

NOVEMBER 2019 CHEESE FISH READY MEALS DECEMBER 2019 BAKERY MEAT

SEPTEMBER 2019 CHRISTMAS DESSERTS / PUDDINGS FROZEN FOODS OCTOBER 2019 CONFECTIONERY LABELLING & PACKAGING

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