Food & Drink News August 2016

UNITED SNACKS: BRING SNACKING BACK! SUGDEN LTD: SELLING LIKE HOT CAKES

AUGUST 2016 £4.75

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CONTENTS PAGE 04 NEWS UPDATES 14

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PPMA TOTAL SHOW 2016 PREVIEW

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SNACKS, NUTS & CRISPS FOCUS

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UNITED SNACKS

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HALLOWEEN FOCUS

23

SUGDEN LTD

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COOPER FOODS

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TO VIEW THE 2016 FEATURES LIST PLEASE VISIT WWW.FOODANDDRINKNEWS.CO.UK OR CONTACT US AT +44(0)1484 321000 TO EMAIL A COPY TO YOU 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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EDITOR’S FOREWORD chief editor michelle hodgson deputy editor rachael whiteley art director paul roper senior designer jamie quarmby graphic designer ben wainman advertising production rachael whiteley production manager rachael whiteley accountant kerry monkhouse MICHELLE HODGSON - CHIEF EDITOR

proofreader becky ashwell

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A RESILIENT AND RESOURCEFUL INDUSTRY With new political developments happening daily in the UK, many in the food and drink industry are keen to find out more about the impact on their particular sector.

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) recently set out a list of key priorities for Prime Minister Theresa May to address as the UK and the European Union prepare for negotiations.

The manifesto, entitled ‘A New UK-EU Relationship – Priorities for the Food and Drink Manufacturing Industry’, sets out both short and long-term actions that the FDF believes will be key moving forwards. These include urgent reassurance for the nearly 100,000 EU nationals working in the UK food and drink manufacturing sector, continued market access to consumers and vital ingredients, a clear roadmap for the exit process and action to address economic and currency volatility with a firm commitment to avoid introducing planned burdens on business such as the proposed Apprenticeship Levy and Soft Drinks Levy.

As the FDF points out, food and drink is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector –

contributing more than £21bn per annum in gross value added and employing 400,000 people. While more than 70% of its members responded to a survey saying they supported remaining within the EU, the FDF describes food and drink manufacturing as “a resilient and resourceful industry”, which is now “focused on transforming potential risks into real opportunities”.

The Director General of the FDF, Ian Wright CBE, said: “Britain’s food and drink manufacturers are responsible for feeding millions each day. A healthy and secure food and drink industry is critical to our national community and economy. Our partnership with UK government has never been more important to keeping food prices stable, protecting UK competitiveness and securing a skilled workforce for the future.”

While the food and drink sector has a very strong record on productivity growth, there remain skills gaps in certain areas and challenges from an ageing workforce.

This month’s focus is on snacking and we have the usual wide range of features and news stories for you. We hope you enjoy reading.

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NEWS UPDATES

BUSINESSES URGED TO INVEST IN RENEWABLES AMID FALLING ENERGY COSTS Longer term price uncertainty means companies should boost their resilience now, says Lorien.

Energy prices fell by 4.8% during 2015, mainly due to lower gas prices, according to the latest data from the Lorien Energy Index (LEI).

The data for the first and final quarters of 2015, which tracks the overall cost of energy for business users, shows prices declined by 7.7% compared to the same period in 2014.

Burton-based Lorien Engineering Solutions, which produces the Energy Index, said gas prices fell 22% in the final quarter of 2015 compared to the same period a year earlier. Electricity prices remained relatively static.

The latest LEI graph includes a projected ‘best-fit line’ and linear projection looking forward.

When shown together, these lines demonstrate that while prices are low, there is an opportunity for companies to invest in energy efficiency, low carbon and renewable technologies. This can position organisations to deal with changing conditions and provide enhanced business resilience over the longer term.

Lorien’s Sustainability Consultant, Tom Jordan, said: “It isn’t an easy task to make forecasts on energy prices at the moment. Bring up any internet money news section, and you will see a plethora of stories each proclaiming gains and falls in the oil price, as the market remains

volatile.

“Organisations are seeing a changing landscape slowly unfolding. Business resilience efforts must now include planning for scenarios such as extreme weather disruption, changes to carbon taxes, tightening legislation and longer term uncertainty over base energy costs to the business.”

Tom added that Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, echoed the sentiments of many when she said in May that “despite its great benefits, there is a risk that in the context of low energy prices, attention will shift away from energy

efficiency, but that would be a grave mistake.”

The Lorien Energy Index monitors the overall cost of energy for business users. It enables companies of all sizes to make sense of their current energy consumption and look at ways they can make savings in the future, by being energy efficient and utilising low carbon and renewable technologies to boost energy security.

WWW.LORIENENGINEERING.COM

BELL HUNGRY FOR NEW BUSINESS

Bell Packaging are delighted to announce that we are now able to supply Jetran® packaging suitable for presenting food.

Traditionally Jetran® has been used for non-food items and the only opportunity for food and confectionery producers to use this unique packaging is for prewrapped items.

Commenting on this announcement Director, Peter Lennie, stated “For many years Bell have worked in the non-food sector and established a network of agents and distributors. Our plant in Luton operates the world’s largest production of clear tubing and with over 300 standard sizes we have excess capacity and are looking for new markets.

“When we introduced the new flat top design of end cap in 2015 more than half the enquiries we received were from food companies.

Having consulted with them alongside our high street customers

it is clear that Jetran® is wanted in the food sector.”

Jetran® packaging has been used by many of the world’s leading confectionery brands for gift sets.

Both designs have received international success and the Cadbury Eclairs pack won the prestigious Indiastar packaging innovation award.

With a track record of nearly 40 years and exports to 17 countries the company are well positioned to deliver exciting new packaging solutions throughout Europe.

Bell have recently completed trial orders for presenting citrus fruits and other specialist fruit and vegetables. Feedback from customers is very positive. The packaging protects the product but also can be used as storage and is a useful container for other purposes

after the product has been consumed.

Another area of interest is drink and liquor – traditionally these products are presented in glass bottles – but why hide them in a board box? The new presentation can transform a simple bottle into a gift and have a secondary function as a storage tube when the bottle has been consumed.

The packaging provides excellent visibility for the decorated bottles that are housed inside and has maximum impact when on display in store.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND SAMPLES OF THIS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PLEASE CONTACT BELL PACKAGING ON 01582 459292 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.BELLPACKAGING.COM

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NEWS UPDATES

LIGHTWEIGHT CONTAINERS TO OPEN NEW KEYKEG PRODUCTION LINE IN GERMANY Lightweight Containers is opening a new production plant in Grossbreitenbach, Germany. The fully automated production line has a capacity of 400 KeyKeg® Slimlines per hour and will be operational in the third quarter of this year. The line can produce all the members of the KeyKeg® Slimline family of kegs. PET-Verpackungen Deutschland is the production partner and will manage the day-today production.

The new production capacity will ensure that Lightweight Containers can meet the region’s sharply rising demand for the next few years. Anita Veenendaal, Chief Commercial Officer of Lightweight Containers, says: “We see service as a crucial element for our success. We aim to offer the best possible service, so we want to produce as close to our customers as we can.

This new location and the extra capacity will reduce both delivery times and transport distances even more. In the last six years, our sales have grown more than 40% each year, and we’re seeing accelerated growth in the demand for our kegs almost everywhere in the world we serve. With this new production line, we can continue to serve our customers in this region at the level they’re used to.”

why we’re growing so fast. We intend to keep concentrating on solutions for the beverage industry, and on crucial trends. We can do this by collaborating with a professional and flexible production partner like PET-Verpackungen, who completely shares our view of quality.”

CONCENTRATION ON SOLUTIONS FOR THE TOTAL SUPPLY CHAIN

LIGHTWEIGHT CONTAINERS BV

TWO PARTNER COMPANIES

According to Oliver Wiegand of PET-Verpackungen GmbH, “Lightweight Containers has an international focus that fits in well with our international ambitions.

Construction of the production line is going very smoothly. Lightweight Containers’ knowledge of and experience with production processes makes them a valuable partner. Both companies are also family-owned, which turns out to be a good foundation for an efficient and pleasant working relationship. We have all confidence that this line is just the beginning of a long and successful collaboration between two partner companies.”

KeyKegs are currently produced in three locations: Schwerin (Germany), Den Helder (the Netherlands), and Joliet (USA). The line in Grossbreitenbach (Germany) will be operational in the third quarter of 2016.

available in 10, 20 and 30-litre versions. Breweries, wineries and other beverage companies prefer and use KeyKegs all over the world, as they are especially suited for carbonated and still beverages.

KeyKegs are currently sold to clients in more than 52 countries.

KeyKegs are produced in Germany, the Netherlands and the USA Further expansion of production plants is planned.

PET-VERPACKUNGEN GMBH

The new plant is being set up in close collaboration with production partner PET-Verpackungen Deutschland. Jan Veenendaal, CEO of Lightweight Containers adds, “Our one-way kegs have a lot of added value throughout the supply chain. They also fit in perfectly with trends like specialty beer exports and wine on draft, which partly explains

Lightweight Containers is well known for the one-way 20- and 30liter KeyKeg®. The family-owned company, market leader in highquality one-way kegs, develops, produces, and sells the KeyKeg® and guarantees the continuity and quality of the KeyKeg® concept.

This revolutionary and successful one-way keg develops and leads the market for one-way kegs and is

PET-Verpackungen GmbH Deutschland, part of the Wiegand Glas Group, takes full advantage of more than 400 years of proficiency and tradition in the production and distribution of food and beverage packaging.

The managing directors, Nikolaus Wiegand and Oliver Wiegand, run a successful family-owned company which offers a variety of packaging solutions. They adhere to glass as the

traditional material, while at the same time also creating new possibilities and the latest trends in PET packaging with PETVerpackungen GmbH Deutschland.

PET-Verpackungen GmbH, located in Grossbreitenbach (Thuringia), has become one of the most advanced and well-known preform and PET bottle manufacturers in Europe today by continuously upgrading and improving moulds and production systems with the latest technology.

CONTACT: LIGHTWEIGHT CONTAINERS BV ROBBERT-JAN KNOPPERS KOPERSLAGERSWEG 4 1786RA DEN HELDER, THE NETHERLANDS TEL: +31 223 760 760 EMAIL: PRESS@LIGHTWEIGHTCONTAINERS.COM WEBSITE: WWW.UNIKEG.COM

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NEWS UPDATES EFAFLEX HIGH SPEED DOORS – WE HAVE EVERY ANGLE COVERED

What’s most important to you when considering which high-speed door to buy: reliability, door speed, build quality, product choice, value for money, after sales service and maintenance, proven track record of installing doors in the food and processing industry?

Regardless - here at EFAFLEX we have it covered!

EFAFLEX UK, a subsidiary of the German headquarters, has the benefit of 40 years’ experience in the high-speed door industry.

This coupled with our pioneering design and precision engineering make us the product of choice for a multitude of chilled and cold store applications.

A company of firsts, we continually push the boundaries of product innovation and offer the first truly single door solution for deep freeze areas, to provide both the fastest operational speeds, coupled with the best insulation for spiral doors; they are practically hermetically sealed.

EFAFLEX doors are installed across 50 countries and five continents supplied in the UK with a full inspection, service and maintenance programme completed by factory trained EFAFLEX technicians.

See the doors in action and discuss your project by visiting our stand at IMHX or the PPMA exhibition.

EFAFLEX - AN ASSET TO ANY BUSINESS TEL: 01952 582 641 WWW.EFAFLEX.CO.UK

NEW API FOIL MEETS LATEST COLOUR TRENDS Brand enhancement specialist API has underlined its on-trend credentials by adding a new colour to its PG range of pigment hot stamping foils. The luxurious, deep red Amaranth shade answers customer demand for eye-catching, on-trend tops to go on wine and spirit bottles, among other hot stamping applications.

Luxury and premium goods manufacturers are ensuring that their packaging, by acting as a ‘second skin’, conveys both the product’s qualities and their brand values – and the premium deep metallic Amaranth shade from API is a perfect example of this trend.

The PG range is a premium grade matt pigment hot stamping foil, and the number one choice for general purpose applications. It excels at both fine detail and the kind of broad area coverage required by the packaging sector. Hot stamping foils from API ensure the best, most reflective finish of all coating processes, and are the most versatile for use on different materials and substrates.

“Our PG hot stamping foil lends that extra wow-factor that inks can lack,” comments Hester

McQueen, Marketing Executive at API. “We’re delighted with the Amaranth shade, and are confident it will provide that magic boost to attract customers.”

WWW.APIGROUP.COM

LYME BAY WINS INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM Devon-based Lyme Bay Winery has established itself as one of the world’s most foremost and respected makers of English still wine, following a series of prestigious award successes judged by some of the industry’s most renowned wine experts.

In 2016, Lyme Bay wines have already amassed

a total of one gold, three silver, and four bronze medals from the Sommelier Wine Awards, the Decanter World Wine Awards, and the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC).

The company’s signature still white wine, Shoreline, became the only English still, dry white wine to win a gold medal at the 2016 Sommelier Wine Awards, while Lyme Bay’s Bacchus secured silver medals at both the 2016 International Wine & Spirit Competition and the 2016 Decanter World Wine Awards; the most highly rated Bacchus at this event.

The winery’s Pinot Noir Rosé was one of only four English still rosé wines to win a medal at the IWSC, and was rated as the top English rosé at the Decanter awards, alongside two others.

Liam Idzikowski, Lyme Bay Winery’s Head Winemaker, added: “Some of the most respected wine experts in the world judge these awards, and winning their praise is no easy feat. This is particularly the case with English still wines, and to do this consistently across three prestigious and highly competitive awards demonstrates England’s ability to create world-class still wines.”

WWW.LYMEBAYWINERY.CO.UK

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NEWS UPDATES

NEXEN’S UK DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED LIFT TRUCK SETS OFF FOR THREE OCEANS Nexen Lift Trucks – the leading UK-based designer, manufacturer and supplier of forklift trucks and warehouse equipment – has recently supplied a FBXT 18 three-wheel electric X-Range lift truck from its newly-launched, innovative three and four-wheel electric model range to Three Oceans, a supplier of high quality white fish to the foodservice sector.

With application advice and support from MH Group, Nexen was able to meet the requirements of Three Oceans with its new electric-powered FBXT 18, which was supplied with additional weatherproofing and IP protection to ensure it could make trips between the customer’s two

processing facilities in Hull.

To cope with the narrow aisle environment and ensure zero emissions, a three-wheel electric lift truck was essential for Three Oceans. So too was weatherproofing and IP protecting, as the company had been faced with substantial maintenance bills for its previous electric forklifts. Additionally, the lift truck needed good ground clearance to cope with the steep cambers and kerb stones the vehicle would encounter on its many trips.

MH Group’s Andy Tuffnell says: “Working with Nexen to meet the customer’s requirements was a breath of fresh air, with Nexen going above and beyond what was required to ensure that cable

connectors, wiring looms, motors and controllers were all protected from the weather and operating environments.”

And when advice or additional services are required – such as the weatherproofing for the Three Oceans FBXT 18 – Andy knows he can call and speak directly with Nexen’s directors, or those that have played an essential role in the design and development of its vehicles.

“Because Nexen is hands-on with the manufacturing and production, they understand what I want and know how to supply it!” says Andy.

The FBXT is the latest in Nexen’s line-up of counterbalanced forklifts and adds to an everincreasing portfolio of X-Range

models that also incorporates dieseland LPG-powered vehicles, with lifting capacities up to 5,000kg. All X-Range models provide exceptional operator comfort and superior ergonomics that dramatically reduce driver fatigue.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CALL NEXEN LIFT TRUCKS ON 01502 532211, EMAIL INFO@NEXENLIFTTRUCKS.COM OR VISIT WWW.NEXENLIFTTRUCKS.COM

CLONDALKIN FLEXIBLE PACKAGING BURY CELEBRATES 70 YEARS IN BUSINESS

Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Bury, formerly Chadwicks of Bury, is celebrating 70 years in flexible packaging.

Today CFP Bury is the world’s leading manufacturer of pre-cut lids and its success can be traced back to the humble milk bottle top.

In the late 1990’s Chadwicks of

Bury became part of the global Clondalkin group and CFP Bury now boasts the largest bank of cutting presses and cutting tools in Europe. In addition, it offers stateof-the-art flexo printing and the latest lidding technology, including SMARTembossing, both laser and mechanical perforations and unique coding capability. Customers have access to an extensive range of lidding materials, produced at the company’s sister site in The Netherlands, CFP Vaassen.

John Chadwick, Managing Director at CFP Bury, has been with the company for 30 years.

Commenting on the company’s anniversary he said: “To reach such a significant milestone is a huge achievement. Decades of

manufacturing lids has created a huge wealth of knowledge and expertise, all of which current and potential customers benefit from, as we draw on the experience gained to provide new solutions.

“Our development has been built on a belief in taking progressive steps whilst maintaining our reputation for innovation, high standards, world-class service and technical support. With 50 cutting presses and over 300 cutting tools at our disposal we’re able to offer customers very high levels of flexibility and responsiveness.”

CFP Bury has developed a reputation for leading the way in pre-cut lid solutions in the dairy, food and beverage sectors.

John Chadwick continued: “Six

years ago we expanded our capability and offering by investing in equipment to produce shrink sleeves and transferring expertise from our sister site in Switzerland, CFP Kirchberg. Today, through the Clondalkin group of companies, we can offer an even wider product range, from printed laminates and stand up pouches to barrier films and printed bundlewrap.”

The company is one of 11 production facilities operating throughout Europe and North America under Clondalkin Flexible Packaging.

TO FIND OUT MORE, VISIT WWW.CLONDALKINGROUPBURY.COM OR WWW.CLONDALKINGROUP.COM, OR CALL 0161 763 2100

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NEWS UPDATES LORIEN ADDS TO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Engineering consultancy committed to growing its operations in the food sector.

Burton-based Lorien Engineering Solutions has appointed a Business Development Manager to further grow its established reputation in the food and drink sector.

Matthew Hidderley, an Aston University MBA graduate, joins Lorien following various commercial roles including a holiday park general manager in the Peak District and over 10 years at a leading science and technology park, where he headed up a marketing and sales team.

Matthew has joined the firm during a period of growth; Lorien has recently recruited a Senior Project Manager and a Business Development Manager. The company is also in the process of adding senior staff to its Packaging, Utilities, Safety Compliance and Site Safety Management teams.

Lorien’s Operations Director, Bill Treddenick, said: “We have a long and proud history in the food and drink manufacturing sector. With Matthew’s strong commercial background in sales, marketing and digital media, we believe he is ideally placed to help us to communicate our message to a growing list of clients in an ever-widening global spread.”

Matthew Hidderley said: “Lorien Engineering has a fantastic reputation in food and drink, having long worked with many of the sector’s household names. I’m looking forward to contributing to the firm’s ongoing success.”

WWW.LORIENENGINEERING.COM

VERSAPERM EXTENDS SHELF LIFE We all want longer shelf life, tastier results, smarter packaging and better products and extending shelf life offers huge potential. No matter if the solution is MAP packaging, designer materials or temperature control, the root problem is always the same – the (vapour) permeability of the container or packaging. If you want to optimise this, the answer is Versaperm.

Versaperm’s new VI vapour permeability meters can show you just how well new or existing packaging, and the materials they are made from, are performing for you. This makes it far easier to choose materials that are right for your, individual, product.

The equipment is very accurate and easy to use, it can measure the vapour permeability of both the materials and the finished, packaged, product.

These are virtually never the same and are not usually even close. It can measure permeability with respect to almost any gas including water

vapour, oxygen, nitrogen, argon and CO2. Getting it right dramatically extends the food’s shelf life and boosts its freshness. Getting it wrong can do exactly the opposite.

As well as the Versaperm VI meter the company offers a permeability testing service - usually with a 24-hour turnaround.

TEL: 01628 777668 WWW.VERSAPERM.COM

INNOVIA CLEARLY FOCUSED ON BOPP Earlier this year Innovia announced the sale of its cellulose films business.

Now three months later with the deal closed, Innovia is refocusing its strategy clearly upon building and strengthening its specialty biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films business. They are concentrating their efforts into primary global core markets – high performance advanced polymer solutions for labels, packaging, tobacco and security films.

Internally, Innovia is restructuring to ensure that their BOPP focus is fully aligned throughout the business, people, service and systems.

Joe Piccione, Managing Director, Innovia Films, states: “We have always been a specialty films business which represents over 80% of our sales.

In addition to our unique and bespoke bubble extrusion process, one of our core strengths is surface engineering. We are experts in tailoring films to our customers’ requirements whether that is barrier, thickness, printability, shrink tightening, squeezability or fast sealing films for optimised

performance. Moving forward, we are well invested and will therefore be looking closely at how we can build upon our manufacturing capabilities and in maximising our R&D and technical expertise. This will be done to continuously deliver new and exciting product solutions to our existing and new customers.

Having divested of our cellulose film business provides us clear focus on strategically growing our BOPP business.

WWW.INNOVIAFILMS.COM

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NEWS UPDATES AXIS CLEAN AUDIT SWEEP FOR GUENTHER BAKERIES UK

Axis Cleaning and Support Services, the nationwide supplier of commercial cleaning services, has played a vital role in helping Guenther Bakeries UK to attain its highest ever ratings in a series of recent industry audits.

Guenther’s Bury-based manufacturing facility supplies over 500,000,000 products annually through two bread-bun and one English muffin lines.

External organisations including the American Institute of Bakers (AIB) and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) undertake random audits,

with the latest AIB audit being scored 920/1000.

Further audits are taken for clients that require specific standards, including an international quick service restaurant.

James McDade, UK Technical Manager for Guenther Bakeries, says that cleaning is essential: “By maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene we sustain our deserved reputation within the industry and support the reputations of our clients,” he says.

Axis Cleaning and Support Services is the first external provider of cleaning at Guenther Bakeries UK, and has helped to control costs while increasing its input hours on service delivery at no cost.

“It has implemented positive changes and streamlined the service,” James continues. “Always keen to develop, Axis focuses on providing a very good and consistent service while maintaining an important collaborative relationship with us.”

WWW.AXIS-CSS.CO.UK

NATIONAL FLEXIBLE’S GRAB BAG GRABS ATTENTION National Flexible have been inundated with interest for their new flow-wrap ‘Grab Bag’. The pack, developed originally for high quality sandwiches, is in demand due to the cost savings and premium presentation options it offers a range of food producers.

Having already won a Starpack Award for a paper laminate with a registered window on a Tesco Finest pack, National Flexible can now tailor the laminate to variable structures to create the perfect Grab Bag pack.

The pack is formed using standard flow wrapping machinery with just a few modifications.

It is essentially film on the reel which dramatically reduces the labour costs associated with packing

by hand, whilst also improving manufacturing efficiencies at speeds of up to 30 packs per minute.

Currently available in a paper or lacquered finish, the film has no pre-creasing and the window aligns 100% every time. An extra benefit of this thinner film is it not only saves packaging waste but gives perfect ‘on shelf pack presentation.’

The combination of this upright laminate pack, on an automated machine, has already been recognised as a breakthrough for sandwich pack manufacture and presentation.

FOR MORE DETAILS, PLEASE CONTACT NATIONAL FLEXIBLE ON 01274 685566 OR EMAIL SALES@NATIONALFLEXIBLE.NET

PRODUCTION GAINS FROM OLIVER DOUGLAS CLEANING SYSTEMS

Equipment cleaning systems from Oliver Douglas help to ensure production quality and hygiene standards are maximised in installations such as catering and food production facilities. They also include personal care and household cleaning products and John Glover, Oliver Douglas’ Sales Manager, points to an example where two of the company’s designs have been installed to meet objectives in this area.

“The installation had to accommodate regular changing of mixing equipment and parts for each product range within a new manufacturing extension at the site,” he says.

“We installed two Rotary Jet systems dedicated to cleaning stainless steel vessels and lids used in blending operations,” John Glover adds. “Each Rotary Jet has been pit mounted to create level access and extended in depth by 50% beyond the standard design to enable two rack loads to be washed in a single cycle.”

Four front-loading Panamatic 600 standalone wash stations were also installed. “Each Panamatic accommodates a tray into which components are loaded for washing,” John Glover continues. “The machines were linked to a common drain and fitted with smaller than standard heating systems to enable the customer to use his existing power supply.”

The result reduced wash cycle times of 45 minutes to six minutes with each Panamatic.

TEL: 01924 405988 WWW.NEWSMITHS.CO.UK

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NEWS UPDATES

BRIGGS BACKS UK INDUSTRY AT IMHX 2016 Briggs Equipment will have a major presence at the UK’s premier intralogistics show, IMHX (NEC, Birmingham; September 13-16), with two stands showcasing its unique engineering and equipment capabilities.

Stand 10H50 in Hall 10 will focus on Briggs Equipment’s materials handling expertise with Yale and Hyster equipment. With the theme ‘Manufacturing in the UK’, Briggs will promote some of the latest product innovations along with equipment that is proudly manufactured in the UK. Meanwhile, in Hall 12 on stand 12S95 Briggs is adopting the theme ‘Supporting UK industry’ to highlight its engineering expertise and wider capabilities.

IMHX will see the official launch of the new Yale MX counterbalance forklift. Designed to deliver hardworking performance in a variety of 2.0-3.0t capacity applications, it is especially well-

suited to secondary distribution, wholesale, retail, light manufacturing and rental. Also on the materials handling stand are a reach truck and three-wheel electric forklift from Yale’s warehouse equipment range plus a Hyster 2.5t Spacesaver, diesel forklift with cab and the Cool Truck.

Les Knight, Regional Sales Director at Briggs Equipment, said: “We will be highlighting how we help businesses meet their materials handling challenges with costeffective, tailor-made solutions that will improve productivity while also reducing operational costs.

On stand 12S95 Briggs will launch BE Finance. A total asset management solution, it helps businesses lease everything from additional production equipment to commercial vehicles and even a complete warehouse solution. Briggs will also be promoting its expertise in the short-term rental marketplace, its engineering services

capability and the total fleet transparency provided by marketleading asset management tool, BE Portal.

Ian Tongue, National Accounts and Business Development Director of Strategic Sales at Briggs Equipment, said: “By putting customers at the heart of everything we do, we have evolved into a ‘one stop’ solutions provider that delivers real innovation and value. To people that think they know Briggs our

message is clear – it’s time to think again.”

Visit stands 12S95 and 10H50 to find out how Briggs Equipment is helping UK supply chain businesses to improve performance through product innovation, quality manufacturing and a drive to deliver key efficiency gains.

T: 01543 437923 WWW.BRIGGSEQUIPMENT.CO.UK

CSB HELPS SUCCESS FLOW FOR FRIPA A software solution from CSBSystem is helping German food wholesaler Fripa maintain its reputation for prompt delivery. The company prides itself on taking less than 24 hours between customer order and delivery, a speed enabled by the smooth process flows of the system from CSB. Fripa supplies a wide variety of meat products, fish, baked goods, delicatessen, cheese, vegetables and spices. The EPR system from CSB supports employees during order entry by displaying on screen the relevant details about customers, order behaviour, products, quantities, prices and inventory stock, meaning all staff need to do is enter the

enabling users to automatically check the availability of the items in the order, taking into account the required delivery times. This means picking and dispatch can be initiated immediately after the order has been placed.

Fripa pickers use mobile end devices with scanner functions, which are connected online with the CBS system. Orders are sorted in advance by storage location, allowing the processing sequence and the routes of the pickers to be optimised to speed up the process. orders in the system and release them for picking.

In addition, Fripa recently started up a B2B online shop – developed

by CSB-System – to give them all the advantages of state-of-the-art multichannel sales. The shop is fully integrated into the ERP system,

TEL: +49 2451 625 430 EMAIL: INFO@CSB-SYSTEM.COM WWW.CSB.COM

AUGUST 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P11

NEWS UPDATES ALISON 180° STACK NEST CONTAINERS PROVIDE POSITIVE RETURNS As Europe’s largest independent stockist of plastic containers and reusable transit packaging (RTP), Alison have supplied a wide range of products including 180° Stack Nest Containers to assist companies to speed up handling operations, improve storage efficiencies, reduce logistics costs and eliminate packaging waste.

The 600 x 400 footprint 180° Stack Nest Containers are moulded in food grade polypropylene and are available in both solid and perforated versions in three depths that all interwork together. All the containers have moulded-in hand holes for easy handling and are stocked in a range of colours making them visually distinguishable to segregate areas, products or processes.

The ‘stack & nest’ principle drastically reduces the space taken up by empty containers. In use, full boxes are both easy and very stable to stack, due to their load-bearing construction. When empty the boxes can be rotated 180° horizontally and nested inside each other – saving up to 73% instore or on return transport dependent on the depth of the container. This makes the containers both ideal for internal transportation and as a multiple-use bin for transporting outside the

company.

This reusable transit packaging (RTP) complements automatic handling systems and has enormous advantages plus cost savings in comparison to alternative packaging and is fully recyclable at end of life.

Alison 180° stack nest boxes are frequently used in the food processing and packaging sectors, but the versatility and efficiencies to accelerate supply chain loops makes this product applicable throughout industry sectors.

VISIT ALISON HANDLING SERVICES AT IMHX 2016 ON STAND NO: 8A28 OR VIEW THE WEBSITE WWW.ALISONHANDLING.COM

QUIDCO INTRODUCES CASHBACK IN 1,600 BARS AND RESTAURANTS AS IT RAMPS UP FOOD AND DRINK REWARDS ON THE HIGH STREET Quidco, the UK’s largest cashback and rewards platform, today announced a new partnership with some of the UK’s largest pub, bar and restaurant chains, for their High Street programme.

Quidco is offering members 7% cashback on their spends in restaurants across the UK including All Bar One, Brown’s, Harvester and Toby Carvery.

Quidco High Street provides cashback on instore shopping simply by allowing members to register their own credit or debit cards on their profile, activate the offers they want and then shop as normal.

The cashback on some of hospitality’s biggest names is one of the latest in a year of strong partnerships strengthening their cashback offering in-store, which allows their 6 million members to reap the benefits of cashback whether shopping on or offline. Cashback is available through over 40

retailers in over 5,300 UK locations in fashion, household, dining out, gifts and travel.

With over 1,600 managed pubs, bars and restaurants throughout the country, this new wave of partnerships has the potential to help customers make the most of their spending money on their food and drink bills over the busy summer months.

They join other big hitting high street names like Debenhams, Halfords, and Caffè Nero as well as Sunglass Hut, who also joined the programme in July.

BOTTLEGREEN DRINKS EXTENDS INTO PLASTIC

M&H Plastics has recently completed production of a new 50ml bottle for SHS Drinks’ brand, bottlegreen. Initially produced to allow added value as an inclusion of a 50ml cordial serve in a twin pack of 750ml glass sparkling pressés for Waitrose meal deals, the use of these new plastic bottles has opened up a range of benefits to the company.

The PET bottles were developed, tooled, moulded and finished by M&H Plastics at its Beccles plant, working closely with SHS Group’s fillers and marketing department. An exceptionally fast turnaround enabled SHS Group to benefit by getting the product to market in record time. Alongside this, SHS found that, as the company was now using lighter plastic for the bottles, more could be put on pallets, reducing distribution and logistics costs.

An added benefit to using plastic for this product has meant that new markets are opening up in foodservice, transport markets (especially aviation) and on-the-go.

Commenting on the new bottles and the service received, Amanda Grabham, Marketing Director, Soft Drinks from SHS Drinks, said: “M&H has shown that it is really on top of the game with our project. Not only has its team performed superbly with the marketbeating turnaround for the product, they have kept us informed and advised us throughout the process. The new markets that this bottle has opened up will mean that bottlegreen will continue to benefit from an expanded market without sacrificing any quality or production and marketing issues.”

WWW.MHPLASTICS.COM

P12 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS AUGUST 2016

NEWS UPDATES

KEEPING THE CUSTOMER SATISFIED: WHY DATA IS KEY TO SALES SUCCESS IN THE FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRY

BY PAUL BLACK, CEO, SALES-I

In June 2016, Amazon launched its new online grocery business in the UK. In many respects, it was only a matter of time: e-commerce has come to dominate bookselling, electronics, auctions, and many other fields that used to follow a bricksand-mortar sales model.

With internet ordering and home delivery widely available, the food and drink industry cannot be accused of being slow on the uptake, but with global merchandisers and online retailers muscling in on their territory, customer retention has become a matter of urgency. For established companies and new players alike, loyalty and satisfaction are more important than they’ve ever been.

Of course, it’s also harder than ever to ensure either – so what can smaller suppliers working in the industry do to stave off the competition?

CHURN, CHURN, CHURN

It’s certainly an asymmetrical conflict, but if you’re one of these smaller suppliers, don’t be disheartened: e-commerce giants can be taken on – you just need to play them at their own game. Amazon made its name through capturing data, interpreting it, and using it to personalise service and predict customer behaviour. With the volume of unused information many of them are already accumulating, there’s no reason smaller outfits can’t do the same.

Technology plays an important role here, but a change of mentality is also necessary. In business, a certain level of customer churn is generally taken as a given. In many respects, it is, but be wary of ceding too much of your target audience to

inevitability. A consumer doesn’t abandon a brand for no reason, and if you can address or pre-empt their concerns, you’ll have a distinct advantage.

BIG DATA, BIG OPPORTUNITIES

That said, if food and drink companies want to create a transparent, data-driven window into your customers’ behaviour and preferences, software certainly helps.

When you can forecast action based on historical information – on a wider level and as it pertains to individual customers – you stand a better chance of keeping your key relationships intact.

By analysing interactions and buying patterns, it’s possible to do this. If a customer regularly purchases French fries in high volume, the right technology can let you know about it. This isn’t, in and of itself, remarkable. But let’s say they mainly buy these fries at a

specific time or only in specific contexts. This is vital information for proactive, targeted selling – but at the end of the day, salespeople aren’t mind readers. They can’t be expected to simply ‘guess’ when a customer might be in the market for a particular item.

This is where technology really comes into its own. The right software collects and analyses the relevant data around your customers’ behaviour, and allows you to preempt when these specific buying patterns occur – whether biweekly, seasonal, or even annually. In turn, you as the salesperson have the opportunity to approach the customer with bargains and special offers in advance of the routine purchase: maybe a cross-selling opportunity with certain barbecue foods and snacks, or a well-timed discount voucher arriving on Friday morning. When customers know you’ll always offer them the best

possible deal, they’ll be less inclined to leave – and if they begin to drop off in purchases and interactions, you’ll know about it before they do.

Technology can also empower you to know what’s happening in a broader, market-wide sense: if there’s a sudden uptick in sales of certain ingredients among your customers, the right software can ensure that you don’t miss out on the trend.

The major advantage of ecommerce companies is that they make it as easy as possible: one-click ordering, same-day delivery, a vast range of products from a vast, global network of stores and warehouses.

They present daunting opposition for food and drink companies, but don’t think for a second that you can’t fight them on those terms.

With the right tools and the right attitude, you can protect – and expand – your market share.

AUGUST 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P13

NEWS UPDATES

NEW PORTION PACK TO HELP REDUCE FOOD WASTE: INTRODUCING THE NEW TESCO CARGILL LINPAC PACK DESIGN Fresh food packaging manufacturer LINPAC has teamed up with Tesco and Cargill, leading supplier of chicken products, to launch a new split pack for poultry that addresses portion control and food waste concerns.

The trio of companies have worked together to create a new perforated tray designed for two chicken breast fillets. The MAP tray then splits into two compartments allowing consumers to store the food as individual portions in completely sealed packs.

Andrew Copson, Managing Director LINPAC UK, Ireland, Middle East and Australia, said: “The amount of food that goes to waste every year is unacceptable and emphasises more than ever how important it is for food companies, packaging manufacturers and retailers to work together to reduce the amount of food sent to landfill.

“Our new split packs have a specially designed perforation making it easier for consumers to separate the portions, without breaking the all-important seal.

Consumers only use what they require, whilst keeping the remainder in the fridge with all the shelf life and food safety benefits of an unopened pack.”

A WRAP spokesperson added: “Our research shows the UK wastes 110,000 tonnes of avoidable poultry meat each year. Providing consumers with convenient portion and packaging solutions to help them reduce the level of waste is a welcome step. WRAP estimates that if similar packs were adopted across the whole market, up to 10,000 tonnes of food waste could be prevented.”

The portion-sized packs are ideal for single-person households, which

have increased by 30% in recent years. The packs have been created following consumer based research carried out by Tesco, who identified a group wanting to see portion control introduced into poultry trays.

Raymond Li, Buying Manager for Product Packaging at Tesco, said: “I am delighted to have worked with our supply base partners to launch an innovative pack that meets our customers’ wishes and follows inclusive design principles. Make no mistake, this packaging has taken time and effort to create and we could not have achieved it without collaboration.’’

Dr Mark Caul, Technical Manager for Packaging at Tesco, said “We have asked our customers what they would like to see in the poultry sector and the response was very clear – portion control to help reduce waste in the home. Consumer convenience goes to the heart of this project and I am proud to have been part of it.”

The LINPAC tray has increased in weight by just less than 6 grams per pack due to its more complex design. However, the use of food safe recycled content from bottle waste has increased by over 91% – reusing old packaging and turning it into new packaging. To offset the slight increase in pack weight, the new pack is predicted to make a significant contribution to food waste prevention with its unique convenience driven design. The calculation of environmental impact was made using WRAP data based on current Tesco market share.

Dr Caul continued: “Our calculation indicates that the packs could help prevent 1,370 tonnes of chicken from going to waste every year with an associated 5,490 tonne reduction in the carbon footprint*.

If we extrapolate this across a number of products, we estimate a potential poultry waste prevention of 3,100 tonnes and a carbon saving of 12,400 tonnes of carbon equivalent. An outstanding result for

all the companies involved in the project.”

Sam Hales, Product Design Manager, Cargill, said: “We have a strong focus on new product innovation and offering customers a choice of products to meet their needs has always been key to our business. This project has allowed us to create a pack which addresses convenience trends, whilst tackling portion control and food waste. We are proud of the collaboration with LINPAC and Tesco and the product we have brought to today’s market.”

Moreover, the LINPAC packs have been developed with recyclability and food safety in mind. They are manufactured using high levels of post-consumer recyclate, which has been supercleaned in-house at LINPAC & ensuring the packs exceed European food safety regulations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE NEW SPLIT PACKS, PLEASE VISIT WWW.LINPAC.COM.

P14 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS AUGUST 2016

PPMA TOTAL SHOW 2016 PREVIEW

THE FUTURE OF UK MANUFACTURING DEBATE HEATS UP AT THE PPMA TOTAL SHOW 2016 27 – 29 SEPTEMBER 2016, NEC, BIRMINGHAM

The UK manufacturing industry looks to the future with baited breath following the results of the EU referendum. As the wider UK economy remains unpredictable, the results of the referendum could represent a unique opportunity for the manufacturing sector should businesses consider the tactical, short-term implications and realise the importance of maintaining a focus on long-term strategic planning.

According to KPMG’s EU Referendum advisory, manufacturers should be buoyed by the possibility that in the long term this result could lead to new opportunities for their businesses. A drop in the value of the pound could make the UK a magnet for trade, especially with the UK government looking to build relationships with the rest of the world outside of Europe. In addition, the need to reshape trade

policy may result in quicker decision making, and reduced red tape that has previously hampered manufacturing when looking to export goods.

Speaking about the future of the UK manufacturing sector, the Rt Hon Lord Francis Maude, former Minister of State for Trade and Investment, will join visitors at this year’s PPMA Total Show to open the 2016 exhibition and deliver the opening address on both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Appearing on the PPMA Total seminar stage on the first day of the show (Tuesday 27 September) Lord Francis Maude will discuss the outcome of the recent EU referendum and reveal the future plans for the government’s ‘Exporting is Great’ campaign.

The PPMA Total Show 2016 will not only see headline speakers like the Rt Hon Lord Francis Maude

but a range of industry experts who can offer insight and advice on the future of the UK manufacturing industry. Also confirmed to speak at this year’s PPMA Total Show, Emma De-Alwis, Hygiene Specialist at Campden BRI, will highlight how contaminated food products and food hygiene problems that go undetected along the supply chain have a serious negative impact on the UK manufacturing industry.

Addressing another highly topical issue for UK’s food manufacturers, Claire Shrewsbury, Packaging Programme Manager for WRAP, will take to the stage to address the number of government programmes focusing on food and packaging waste that promote both environmental improvements and the cost benefits to industry, including current projects with GlassRite Wine, and the benefits of developing recycled food grade PP

processes.

DEMONSTRATING THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN MANUFACTURING

Attendees to Hall 5 at the NEC in September can also find out more about the latest trends and innovations taking the industry by storm. With returning exhibitors, including Bosch Packaging Technology, Schubert and Festo, already confirmed to join the lineup, organisers are confident that the 2016 show will be bigger and better than ever before.

In fact, since the PPMA shows returned to the full control of the association in 2013, the size of its events has increased by circa 25% year-on-year. The latest edition – PPMA Total 2016 – is already 50% larger than the first show of the new regime in 2014. With over 400 exhibitors, the event has already firmly established itself as the

AUGUST 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P15

PPMA TOTAL SHOW 2016 PREVIEW

industry event not to be missed with 2016 set to be one of the biggest and highly anticipated events yet.

Also returning to the PPMA Total Show 2016, Rotech, designer and manufacturer of offline advanced carton feeding systems, will be launching its new coder. As pouch attributes, such as size, ease of opening, increased use of sustainable material and the ability to customise packs are driving more companies to switch from rigid packaging, Rotech is set to debut its doublespeed coder. Rotech is also unveiling the latest developments in its pouch feeding and coding system that can personalise codes at twice the speed of its current offering.

Debuting at the PPMA Total Show 2016, new exhibitor TIPA Sustainable Packaging will reveal its flexible food packaging that behaves just like an orange peel. TIPA, a developer and manufacturer of

breakthrough bio-based, fully compostable, flexible packaging, will showcase its next generation of sustainable, flexible food packaging that provides the same properties as conventional plastic packaging. The team will be available on stand B92 to discuss the opportunities for food packaging that can be disposed along with food waste – in the food waste stream or by using a composter.

Speaking about the motivation behind the innovation, Daphna Nissenbaum, CEO & Co-Founder, said: “I believe the majority of people would like to treat their packages as a natural part of their kitchen waste. TIPA was founded with the purpose of providing a holistic solution to significantly reduce the enormous amount of non-recyclable waste currently generated by the flexible packaging industry. Flexible packages have now

become one of the most popular packaging types in the world and this continues to spread due to its supreme functional properties.

TIPA’s breakthrough technology combines these same supreme properties, while enabling the packages to decompose back to nature post-usage.”

New PPMA Group CEO, Andrew Mint, who joined the association on the 1 February 2016, added: “The PPMA Total Show 2016 is set to be the biggest yet and the show is a great opportunity for businesses to get their brand, products and equipment in front of a high profile audience and celebrate the innovation that the industry has to offer.

“The show is a fantastic platform to highlight the latest innovations whilst also bringing some of the industry’s biggest issues to the fore such as the skills gap. I’m looking

forward to seeing some of the most exciting recent technological developments in our industry on show, as well as hearing from some of the industry’s leading figures at the PPMA Total seminar theatre.”

TO REGISTER YOUR ATTENDANCE AT THE SHOW PLEASE VISIT: HTTP://BIT.LY/28QSHUF. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PPMA TOTAL SHOW 2016, PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.PPMATOTALSHOW .CO.UK/ OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON TWITTER @PPMATOTALSHOW #PPMATOTALSHOW OR THE PPMA TOTAL SHOW LINKEDIN PAGE 1 KPMG – MANAGING BREXIT HTTPS://HOME.KPMG.COM/UK/E N/HOME/CAMPAIGNS/2016/06/B REXIT.HTML

P16 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS AUGUST 2016

PPMA TOTAL SHOW 2016 PREVIEW

ROVEMA UK CELEBRATE THEIR 30TH BIRTHDAY Visitors are invited to help Rovema UK celebrate their 30th birthday by taking part in a daily competition to win a 30-year-old bottle of Scotch during the show.

At the end of each show day all enquiries will be thrown into a hat and one lucky winner will receive a multi-award winning bottle of the finest 30-year-old Speyside Scotch whisky. Each day’s winner will then also be entered into another draw to win an all expenses overnight trip to the factory in Germany. Here they will get the opportunity to see the exceptional German build quality and assembly techniques Rovema employ, up close. Also they will get the chance to quiz the engineers and designers over the cutting edge technology and various machines they have seen during the visit. The

trip will be rounded off with a hearty dose of German hospitality!!

As well as celebrating this milestone, Rovema will be demonstrating a bag-in-box cartoning line on its stand at the PPMA Total Show. The line will consist of Rovema’s latest highspeed BVC VFFS machine feeding into a horizontal CMH-I cartoner.

The line is perfect for rice, pasta, baby food or pet food amongst others. Although Rovema have been building high quality cartoning machines for decades this will be the first time Rovema has shown one at the PPMA show. They hope it will give visitors the opportunity to explore more of the extensive range of packaging machines now in their portfolio. Alongside this they will also be presenting information on

their comprehensive range of fully flexible case packers. The range includes wrap around, high speed tray and lid, American case, drop packers and the new Flexpicker picker cell. Ease of use, reliability, flexibility and the obvious German

build quality are a few of the factors that have seen this sector of Rovema’s portfolio see considerable growth over recent years.

SALES@ROVEMA.CO.UK WWW.ROVEMA.CO.UK

FOCUS IN DETAILS can supply a next-day service throughout the UK. Threads available include BSPP, BSPT, NPT, Metric and JIC; hose tails include standard and interlock; DNV certified compression fittings in single and twin ferrule; LP and HP valves.

Schwer enjoys an enviable reputation in the stainless steel industry for unrivalled service levels; components built for longevity and guaranteed 100% traceability across all products. In addition to holding German Lloyds classification for more than 10 years, Schwer also holds DNV, ABS, GOST and RINA certification.

Schwer Fittings lead the way in stainless steel connection technology.

Manufacturers and suppliers of high

precision stainless steel tube components and hose fittings, with a technically trained sales team and a

BFPA authorised training centre.

With most products available from stock in Warrington, Schwer

SCHWER FITTINGS LTD WARRINGTON TEL: 01925 639006 FAX: 01925 639007 EMAIL: INFO@SCHWER.CO.UK WWW.SCHWER.COM

AUGUST 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P17

PPMA TOTAL SHOW 2016 PREVIEW ALLEN CODING TO SHOW MARKING AND CODING SYSTEMS FOR PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY PACKAGING APPLICATIONS Stand to feature complete packaging line with newly launched Diagraph IJ4000 inkjet and MLi-TE multi-head thermal transfer printers on display in the UK for the first time.

Allen Coding will be demonstrating a wide range of high performance marking and coding equipment for primary, secondary and tertiary packaging applications at the PPMA Total Show. Offering major performance and cost benefits, the company’s groundbreaking, newly launched Diagraph IJ4000 high resolution series inkjet system and MLi-TE multi-head thermal transfer printer will be on display for the first time. The stand will feature a complete packaging line and also include Hitachi RX2

and UX continuous inkjet printers, TJ, NGT8, NGT2+ and XL80 thermal transfer printers and a Diagraph PA6000 print and apply

labeller.

The advanced Diagraph IJ4000 high resolution large character inkjet printer will also be on display in the

UK for the first time. Designed to print alphanumerics, barcodes and graphics onto porous substrates, the cost-competitive, flexible and easy to use system combines unrivalled barcode decode-ability, durability and print throw distance with the lowest maintenance requirements on the market. Precision placement is ensured by a special roller retractor and digital level sensor accelerometer whilst the print engines of the IJ4000 provide throw distances of 12mm for alphanumerics and 6mm for barcodes. The unit’s print head offers a print height of 100mm for larger graphics and additional lines of text.

TEL: 01438 347 770 WWW.ALLENCODING.COM

ENDOLINE SHOWCASES ENTRY LEVEL SYSTEMS WITH FAST ROI – PPMA TOTAL SHOW, STAND E46 Endoline Machinery will showcase its range of entry level systems at this year’s PPMA Total Show in a bid to cater to the growing demand for automation with fast ROI - targeting food and FMCG manufacturers hit by the minimum wage hike.

Over the last 12 months Endoline has witnessed a 40% surge in enquiries for standard end of line systems from SME’s automating for the first time and multinational food producers looking to automate slow running production lines. As a direct result the award winning machinery manufacturer now offers a range of entry level case erectors and sealers offering fast ROI.

Endoline’s entry level range incorporates semi-automatic AND fully automatic case erecting and sealing solutions. With an average case run of 18 cases per minute, each system delivers a flawless finish and is capable of operating 24/7.

An award winning company for its innovative engineering prowess Endoline have many bespoke, high speed solutions capable of dealing with random sized cases. “The entry level system range comes as standard, without the technical bells and whistles which sets the high speed, random range apart,” Andrew explains.

With an entry level Endoline system a company should expect to

see a return on their investment within 12 months. This was the case with SME Ramona Hazan who invested in an Endoline entry level case erector and case sealer: “It was initially scary to make the investment but at the same time important to take that plunge as I realised the efficiencies which could be gained. I am now in a position where I have doubled my capacity and am anticipating a return on my investment within 12 months.

Basically it comes down to simple arithmetic and for me it was a no brainer!”

Visitors to the PPMA Total Show will have the opportunity to view machines from Endoline’s entry

level range and experts will be on hand to help calculate how quickly ROI could be achieved.

P18 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS AUGUST 2016

SNACKS, NUTS & CRISPS FOCUS

THE PERMISSIBLE TREAT WITH A RAFT OF HEALTHIER OPTIONS APPEARING ON THE MARKET EVERY YEAR, SNACKING IS BECOMING EVEN MORE OF A PERMISSIBLE INDULGENCE FOR CONSUMERS

Low sugar, free from, high fibre – while we still consider snacking as a treat, there are now plenty of healthier options on sale, many of them artisan products created by smaller brands that market their products in innovative ways.

Traditional snacks are being updated, and alternatives to crisps, such as popcorn and vegetable crisps, have been growing market share.

GOING APE

In 2015, Ape Snacks (www.apesnacks.com) launched a high-fibre, low-sugar, gluten-free snack with just two ingredients: coconut and seasoning. Available in Lightly Salted and Slightly Peppered flavours, with more flavours to follow, Ape Crispy Coconut Curls have secured listings with Morrisons, Ocado, the Cooperative, Holland & Barrett and a range of independents. At the end of its first year Ape Snacks was valued

at £2m.

Marketed in single-portion bags with a clear calorie count on the pack, the brand is the brainchild of one of the UK’s youngest entrepreneurs, Zack Nathan, who dropped out of college to create a healthy snacking business inspired by his own Paleo lifestyle. “It’s great to see new retailers coming on board and supporting us in our mission to make snacking better in the UK,” he says. “With sales of coconut-based products continuing to thrive, and consumers on the hunt for healthier snacking alternatives, Ape really delivers.”

Lucille Tichivangana, Assistant Category Manager for Branded Food at Holland & Barrett, adds: “We are always looking for innovative healthy foods and Ape Snacks fit the bill perfectly. We know coconut is continuing to grow and any products that offer a fun, great tasting and accessible way to enjoy it are something we are interested in

exploring.”

SWEET SUCCESS

Also marketed in single-portion packs as an on-the-go snack but for those with a sweeter tooth, Rhythm 108’s Ooh-la-la Tea Biscuits (www.rhythm108.com) are dairyfree, organic, wholegrain oat biscuits made with coconut oil and glutenfree oat flour. Available in Chocolate Hazelnut and Lemon & Ginger flavours, the biscuits have calorie counts as little as 123kcal for two biscuits and are suitable for vegans.

The company also produces GoodFor-You Dessert Bars – a glutenfree and organic snack, with no added sugars.

Launched in the UK in June, the brand is already in more than 500 stockists in Switzerland, and was founded by Siddhi Mehta, an Oxford graduate.

“More and more, customers looking for healthy snacking options are unwilling to compromise on

taste,” she explains. “With our fresh and fun packaging and convenient single-serve packets, we believe our Ooh-la-la Tea Biscuits target all three customer preferences: healthy, wholesome ingredients in line with key trends (gluten free, dairy free, ‘no nasties’), fabulous taste, and convenient and fun packaging suited to today’s on-the-go lifestyle.”

THE BIG PLAYERS

With a range of more than 1,000 products, the online snacking expert Graze (www.graze.com) successfully diversified into shops in 2015 with its retail range. Established in 2009, the company offers controlled portions of sweet and savoury snacks, from flapjacks and brownies to popcorn, dried fruit and nut mixes.

This May saw the launch of a new format of multi-portion packs, with a choice of six recipes all of which are free from artificial flavours, colours and preservatives,

AUGUST 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P19

SNACKS, NUTS & CRISPS FOCUS available both in-store and online.

“Following last year’s expansion into stores, we’re delighted that continued demand for Graze has given us the opportunity to launch a brand new Sharing Bag offering,” says Graze CEO, Anthony Fletcher.

“Not only have the Sharing Bags been created to cater to the growing desire for shared and ‘permissible’ snacking, but naturally, they also stay true to our founding principles of making good snacking exciting, surprising and innovative.”

These larger formats were devised to cater for a trend in consumers purchasing two Graze punnets at a time, and key retailers on board include WH Smith, Boots, Ocado and Waitrose.

SNACK WITH A TWIST

Meanwhile, consumers who like to create their own snacks are being targeted by a new ‘roll your own’ make-and-go energy ball, which can be customised by adding additional ingredients.

Launched this summer, In the Nood (www.inthenood.com) packs have no added sugar and are suitable for raw, vegan, Paleo and gluten-free diets. Packs are available in three flavours: Orange and Cacao, Simpy Cacao, and Crunchy Cacao, and each pack allows the consumer to create seven 25g energy balls.

Husband and wife team, Alex and Sam Lai, describe In the Nood as “healthy snacks with nothing to hide”. The pack has fully mixed ingredients including dates, coconut and cacao. High in fibre, minerals

and antioxidants and with no added sugar, the energy balls are expected to be popular as a pre- or postworkout snack, and for children, who can enjoy creating shapes and adding ingredients they like.

MINI TREATS

For many people, snacks are still considered a treat, which is why bite-size versions of established food stuffs continue to be popular. With this in mind, Bowyers, part of the Addo Food Group (www.addofoodgroup.com), has launched a new Snackerz range of snack bags and larger tubs in a choice of three varieties: mini egg bites, cocktail sausages and mini sausage rolls.

Aimed at ‘deskers’, busy commuters and drivers, the bags

offer no-mess portion control and are expected to be popular as a snack to accompany a lunchtime sandwich. The tubs are targeted at families, with 12 mini sausage rolls, 18 mini egg bites and 20 cocktail sausages in each tub.

The new ranges have been launched following consumer insight that indicated a demand for a protein-based snack as opposed to crisps and chocolate.

While the snack market is continually changing with the launch of new, innovative products and formats – and sophisticated marketing – it seems there is room for a broad range of snacking products, from the ultra-healthy and free-from to the occasional indulgence of traditional treats.

SEASONED PROVIDERS OF SNACK CONVEYING SOLUTIONS KMG Systems Limited is an industry-leading supplier of specialised conveying and seasoning systems to snack food manufacturers large and small throughout the world. We manufacture at our production facility in Gamlingay, Bedfordshire and supply high quality product handling equipment to the Snack Food, RTE Cereals, Dry Pet Food, Confectionery and Vegetable processing sectors.

Established for more than 40 years, we have always excelled in meeting the industry’s requirement for the highest standards of hygiene, reliability, cost effectiveness, safety and gentle product handling.

KMG are proud to be an eminent UK supplier offering on-site manufacture of seasoning and distribution systems, plus in-house design, software programming, project management and R&D facilities.

Our industry standard product range includes equipment such as electromagnetic and mechanically

driven vibratory conveyors, product flow measurement systems, storveyors elevators and liquid spray systems.

Electromagnetic conveyors operate at nearly natural frequency giving a smooth, energy efficient product flow for transfer and distribution. Our Autoflow-Plus electromagnetic conveyor is designed to convey to multiple outlet points without the need for gates, thus inherently safe. Fully patented, the synchronised electronic drive system enables product to steer either towards or away from an outlet as and when required.

Alternatively our mechanically driven conveyors operate at higher amplitude and are designed to convey more difficult to handle products such as potatoes; which can also be dewatered on the move, ready to be processed.

Furthermore our horizontal motion conveyors enable product to be conveyed over long distances with a single drive.

The best snack is a tasty one and KMG’s seasoning systems incorporate state-of-the-art flowweighers, auger feeders, liquid spray units and seasoning drums to ensure consistent high quality seasoning.

We offer either kitchen or on head seasoning and our systems are modular and bespoke manufactured to suit our customer’s needs.

KMG’s Liquid Spray Unit (LSU) is a low voltage, spraying system that has been developed over many years.

The LSU will accurately and consistently coat a wide variety of snack food products with oil or oil/dry seasoning combinations.

Ideal for popcorn, bakes and better-for-

you products it can now be supplied in a smaller footprint where bulk refilling systems are used to keep the unit topped up without operator interaction.

KMG can meet the challenge with your snack and food manufacturing requirements, we are always ready to help.

TEL: 01767 650760 WWW.KMGSYSTEMS.COM

P20 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS AUGUST 2016

UNITED SNACKS

FROM HEALTHY OPTIONS TO HALLOWEEN A SUCCESSFUL SNACK MANUFACTURER WITH A STRONG LINE IN CONTRACT PACKING, UNITED SNACKS HAS BEEN BUSY DEVELOPING NEW FORMATS AND HEALTHIER FORMULAS

While potato crisps and baked snacks are a familiar sight on retail shelves, United Snacks has built up extensive experience in the manufacture of extruded corn snacks. These include signature brands – Thingies, Oooo’s and Happy Snacks – as well as a wide range of licenced character products and other brands created for its contract packing division.

“The bulk of our product ranges are multi-packs,” says Commercial Director, Peter Fletcher. “We currently have six multi-packs, with two more to come over the next six months. It shows the growing trend of people wanting value for money,

and we aim to provide this with the wide choice of flavours and sizes within our ranges.”

SPOOKY SNACKS AND CHRISTMAS TREATS

With Halloween on the horizon, snack producers across the UK are gearing up with themed packs aimed specifically at the Trick or Treat market – and United Snacks is no exception.

Historically, shoppers purchasing treats to hand out at Halloween tend to go for bags of sweets, but United Snacks feels there’s potential for promoting other kinds of snacks. A special pack of Oooo’s is being

launched for the Halloween market and both Oooo’s and Happy Snacks will be getting a seasonal makeover for Christmas, with themed, branded multi-packs: a 9 x 18g bag multipack for Oooo’s and an 18 x 8g multi-pack for Happy Snacks.

HEALTHIER OPTIONS

A growing trend in snacking is consumer demand for healthier options. While snacking is often considered a permissible treat, many people are looking more closely at the ingredients list on the back of snack packs, especially if the treat is destined for their children’s packed lunch.

“Health is a big trend in snacking and there is a growing interest in corn snacks, as an alternative to crisps,” says Peter Fletcher. “We are starting to see a shift, with more companies wanting their own core snack line of corn products. We’re currently looking at a variety of ingredients, like sweet potatoes, grains, lentils and vegetables, as well as corn. There’s a trend for increasing the protein content of snacks and we’re looking to provide solutions to meet this requirement by trialling new ideas.”

Having started including wholegrain corn in all of its products, United Snacks is also in

AUGUST 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P21

UNITED SNACKS the process of removing all allergens and reducing the salt levels in its flavourings. This is being done incrementally, in order to avoid consumers noticing a significant change to the taste of the products.

SNACKS FOR SMALL PEOPLE

Another gap in the market identified by United Snacks is products for younger children.

“There’s not much in the snack aisle for very young children,” says Peter Fletcher. “As a result, we’re releasing a new multi-pack called ‘Seb and friends’ – Seb is a lion character, inspired by my godson, who is called Sebastian Lyon. These don’t contain any allergens, gluten, artificial flavourings or colourings and are aimed at the parents of younger children who are health conscious and want to be more aware of what their children are eating.”

OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

A third-generation family business, United Snacks is today run

by Peter Fletcher, his father Peter Fletcher Snr and his sister Charley.

The company has grown steadily over the years and now has 26 staff working out of its site in Widnes in Cheshire.

As well as more than 30 years of experience in extrusion, the company has the storage and machinery required to manufacture and pack extruded snack products.

One of its earliest products was Thingies, sold in a 5p bag – these are still available today as 10p single packs. Happy Snacks have been on the market for around 15 years and Oooo’s were added to the suite of products as a single and multi-pack more recently.

CONTRACT PACKING

Growth in the contract packing side of the business has also been a major factor in its success; this includes producing licenced packs with widely recognised characters.

For companies looking to broaden their snack range, United Snacks can offer the expertise and

the machinery for outsourcing, along with all the associated cost benefits.

“We’re always looking for contract packaging opportunities,” says Peter Fletcher. “A lot of customers who come to us already have a route to market and an established customer base but without the equipment to produce the kind of snacks we make. We can bridge the gap for them.”

INVESTMENT IN PACKING LINES

Over the past 12 months, the business has invested heavily in new machinery, installing a new multipack packing line and bringing in high-speed packing machines from Italy, to increase the speed of production and capacity.

These include a ZC1 machine – an accurate combined weigherbagger from Leeds-based Italian

company PFM Packing Machinery, originally purchased to allow United Snacks to take on a contract packing request from a large company that didn’t have the facility to make corn snacks but wanted to enter the market.

Both of our new machine lines offer carefully controlled weights at fast speeds, but it also minimises packaging waste – good for costs and for the environment. “You have so much more control over the machine that you barely waste even a couple of bags worth of packaging,” says Peter Fletcher. “We haven’t had a single problem since we installed it.”

The other benefit of the machine is that previously all packs were filled volumetrically but now there’s the option of producing weighed packs of all sizes.

LOOKING AHEAD

With the new multi-packs of Thingies and Oooo’s hitting the right price point for pound shops and other retail outlets, and offering great value for the consumer, United Snacks is remaining competitive in a crowded market.

The commitment to producing healthier options, both in its own brand snacks and in its contract packing activities, is an important step in responding to the healthier snacking trend, and focusing on creating healthier products aimed at the younger market is also expected to reap rewards moving forwards.

P22 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS AUGUST 2016

HALLOWEEN FOCUS

NO TRICKS, JUST TREATS UNVEILED

BY SWIZZELS FOR HALLOWEEN BRITISH CONFECTIONERY BRAND SWIZZELS, IS PREPARING FOR ANOTHER SELLOUT HALLOWEEN SEASON WITH A SPOOKY SELECTION OF SWEET TREATS

The iconic confectionery manufacturer is the No.1 manufacturer of variety products, and during the 2015 Halloween period outperformed the total Kids Sugar Confectionery Market, with +3% growth*.

For 2016, Swizzels has a variety of fun Halloween themed sweets that are perfect for sharing occasions, from ghoulish parties with friends and family to trick or treating.

The Loadsa range includes Loadsa Lollies, Loadsa Sweets and Loadsa Chews, all are available for Halloween 2016. The individually wrapped sweets offer variety and value for money making them the perfect choice for trick or treaters as well as for serving at parties. RSP £1 Exclusively for the scary season, Swizzels is offering an array of Halloween themed products.

Brand new for 2016 is the limited

edition Drumstick Squashies in a delicious Orange and Blackcurrant flavour. The tasty twist on the classic Drumstick flavour is a great treat for big and little monsters this Halloween. RSP £1 Trick or Sweet bags contain a selection of favourites such as Double Lollies, Parma Violets, Refresher Bars, Love Hearts, Fruity Pops and Drumstick Lollies, as well as the NEW Sour Apple Refreshers chew bar with a tangy taste that is ideal for Halloween. The assortment of classic Swizzels sweets will be sure to satisfy all ages and the Halloween themed wrappers make them ideal for parties. RSP£1 The Trick or Treat Lolly mix bag is also available, which includes Monster Double Lollies, Drumstick Lollies with seasonal orange and black wrappers and pumpkin themed Fruity Pops. RSP £3 The NEW Monster Treats bag is packed full of Swizzels favourite

sweets. All sweets are individually wrapped into the monster sized bag making it the perfect pack for trick or treaters. RSP £4 Claire Lee, NPD Brand Manager at Swizzels, said: “Halloween 2015 was the best week of sales in Swizzels’ history and we expect it will be a busy time for us again in 2016. We have a large range of products that are ideal for sharing over the season as they are individually wrapped, as well as offering variety and value for money. The creepy collections contain a range of all our classic sweet treats guaranteed to please

even the scariest of little monsters.”

Swizzels is the UK’s largest family-owned independent sugar confectionery business and one of the few confectionery companies to still manufacture sweets in the UK. The company makes a range of well-known products including Squashies, Love Hearts, New Refreshers, Drumstick Lollies, Rainbow Drops, Double Lollies and Fruity Pops. *Nielsen: 5 wk ending 07.11.2015 Value Total Coverage WWW.SWIZZELS.COM

AUGUST 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P23

SUGDEN LTD

SELLING LIKE HOT CAKES

BY DEVELOPING A NEW MULTIPLANT SYSTEM AND TAPPING INTO MARKETS OUTSIDE THE UK, SUGDEN LTD HAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED SALES OF ITS HOTPLATE LINES Designed for the production of morning goods such as English muffins, pancakes and crumpets, Sugden’s hotplate machine lines have been installed in bakeries across the UK since the company was founded in 1972.

Based in Barrowford, near Nelson in Lancashire, the company has seen a seismic shift in the past 18 months, under its new management.

This began with the development of a new Multiplant machine, a flexible system that can produce a full range

of hotplate goods. At the same time, a more proactive approach to export sales has started to reap rewards with the company’s first order from the United States about to go into production.

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

In April 2014, plans for selling the company were put on hold when it was hit by the unexpected death of the company’s Managing Director and co-owner, Barry Mulholland. Its current owner Chris Baldwin took

over as Acting Managing Director until the business officially changed hands in December 2014.

MOVING FORWARD

Since the takeover, production has increased from one or two lines a year to five lines in 2015, with more on the order books.

In 2015, the company sold two English muffin lines, one in the UK and one in America, and installed four of its new Multiplant systems, with another order on the books. It has also had two orders placed for its dedicated crumpet lines.

“The uplift in turnover has been considerable, due to the Multiplant system sales, the additional English muffin lines here and abroad and the uplift in popularity of crumpets,” explains Chris Baldwin.

Staff numbers have increased from 15 in 2014 to 28 today, including shop-floor and design engineers, and staff training is considered paramount to the whole operation.

DEVELOPING THE MULTIPLANT SYSTEM

The new Multiplant system was a concept that Sugdens came up with

P24 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS SUGDEN LTD AUGUST 2016

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AUGUST 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P25

SUGDEN LTD through research and development during 2014-2015.

“We are constantly looking at improving the lines and the Multiplant has been a real success,” says Operations Mangager, Adrian Briggs. “We got the orders for the first three almost at the same time, which was quite a challenge.”

The Multiplant is a flexible system that can produce the full range of hotplate goods, including

pancakes, crumpets (standard round or shaped), pikelets, potato cakes, Welsh cakes and farls. Production rates range from 2,000 to 7,000 products per hour.

The larger models can also be modified to produce English muffins by adding the Sugden Prover plus AMF’s Mixer and new MuffinFlex divider, with a maximum production rate of 8,200 per hour.

The Multiplant’s small footprint

and quick changeover times make it ideal for bakeries of all sizes that require product variety and flexibility.

Its features include the MuffinFlex 600 Divider/Rounder integrated Divider and Rounder system, a stainless steel frame for sanitation and long life, an automatic cleaning system, and Teflon-coated rounding bars with no sticking. It also has an integrated DoFlow developer for consistent quality and scaling of approximately +/- 1 gram with no operator adjustments needed to balance ports. The quality of the muffins is assured with low pressure metering with flex pumps.

The whole system is energy efficient and there’s a walk-in prover for better hygiene and easier maintenance.

TARGETING THE EXPORT MARKET

Another key development in the business is the targeting of the export market. In the past 18 months, Chris Baldwin and Sales Manager George Jackson have travelled extensively around the world, promoting the company in places like Australia, China, Malaysia and America.

Tapping into this worldwide market is a key plank of the company’s strategy moving forward and it is already reaping rewards with an order for an English muffin line at a large bakery in Denver, Colorado, which is about to be commissioned.

“It’s our first order in America and the first non-American manufactured English muffin line in the US for this particular company,” says Chris Baldwin. “It’s a sizeable project and we were chosen because of the quality of our machinery.

We’re looking at other projects around the world – we’ve done the miles and made the connections.”

To facilitate US sales, Sugdens has formed a partnership with AMF Bakery Systems in Richmond, Virginia. “You do need a partner in America to get a foot in the door,” says Chris Baldwin. “Our partnership with AMF is a big plus

for us; they are a massive worldwide company.”

With English muffin lines ranging from a production rate of 6,000 to 26,000 units per hour, there’s also potential for sales of smaller, lower cost, less technical plants to emerging markets, such as Russia and Asia THE PROCESS – AND THE FUTURE

There’s a 26-week turnaround for new lines and potential customers can view machines already being built at the company’s manufacturing site to see the quality and size options.

Many clients have placed repeat orders, both for new lines and to replace old lines and Sudgens also offers service contracts.

“Most lines are standard, but we’re very flexible and we’ll try to accommodate customer requests,” says Adrian Briggs. “We’re always looking to improve on what we have, rather than increase the number of products; there’s enough demand in the world market for what we do. We just have to get out there and make sure everybody knows about us.”

To this end, Sugdens is launching a new website in September and taking a stand at the Las Vegas International Baking Industry Exhibition (IBIE) from 8-11 October.

“English muffins are already massive in America, all-day breakfasts are increasing and crumpets might take off,” says Chris Baldwin. “They are already popular in the UK, New Zealand and Australia but it only takes someone in America to put them in the marketplace – and we have the way to produce them. Hopefully by next year we’ll be increasing our exports further.”

SUGDEN LTD FACTORY LANE, BARROWFORD NELSON, LANCASHIRE BB9 6ES TEL: 01282 611199 FAX: 01282 613373 EMAIL: SALES@SUGDEN.LTD.UK WWW.SUGDEN.LTD.UK

P26 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS AUGUST 2016

COOPER FOODS

THE WHOLE MENU UNDER ONE ROOF WITH PROVENANCE AND QUALITY AS KEY FACTORS IN COOPER FOODS’ CONTINUED GROWTH, THE COMPANY WILL THIS YEAR CELEBRATE ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A SPECIAL SHOWCASE EVENT From its base in Hampshire, Cooper Foods sells an expansive range of seafood, fresh meat and ready-prepared products to customers across the south of England.

The family-run company was set up by brothers Mark and Will Cooper in 1986 as a quality wholesale fish supplier. In recent years the business has expanded to become a general food wholesaler, offering more than 1,700 products, which it sells largely to the restaurant trade.

SHOWCASE EVENT

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Cooper Foods has been running a promotion of 30 special offers over 30 weeks, which will continue up until December.

The company will also hold a showcase event at Audley Wood Hotel near Basingstoke from 17-19 October.

“We’re inviting our customers over to see what we do,” says Sales Manager, Matt Fleet. “It’s sometimes hard to explain our full range, so this way we can show them visually. We want to demonstrate that we’ve

expanded into different areas, for example, there aren’t many fish companies that also offer meat.”

Any potential customers who would like to find out more about Cooper Foods are invited to contact the company for an invitation to the October showcase (for more information see www.cooperfoods.co.uk).

A FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS

Cooper Foods’ 15,000 sq ft modern unit in Andover, Hampshire, houses a state-of-the-art meat and seafood preparation and storage facility and a 150-pallet freezer room. The company’s core customers are in the catering industry – hotels, restaurants, pubs – and with a fleet of 18 vans, the business is able to deliver fresh products six days a week, with second deliveries in some areas when necessary.

Still run on the ethos of a familyowned business, Cooper Foods employs around 90 staff, with turnover at more than £10m and potential year-on-year growth of around 15%. Over the coming years, the company is looking to expand further within their warehouse with a mezzanine level, plus a larger fish and butchery department opening next year.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVENANCE

When Mark Cooper and his brother Will set up the company 30 years ago, their focus was to supply good quality fish to the food service industry.

“Now it’s the same across all products,” says Matt Fleet. “The customers want something they can rely on and we’d rather stick to

quality and consistency than compromise and look for a cheaper alternative. The meats have expanded in a big way and we’ve seen an increase in fish sales, too. We focus on British meat: the beef we supply is only from the UK; we buy a little poultry from France but also from Norfolk and the Home Counties; and we supply ham as well as pork in our own branded packaging. Our focus is on the importance of provenance – our ham is not only from the UK, it’s from our own pigs.”

Provenance and supplying quality at a fair price are key to Cooper Foods’ success. Salad ingredients are sourced from a grower just five miles away and crab meat also comes from Hampshire, while fish comes primarily from the south coast, with plaice and other flat fish from Brighton and day boat fish from Brixham.

“Chefs like the provenance factor,” explains Matt Fleet. “It’s about keeping it regional, which is good for the customer.”

EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

The company prides itself on offering exceptional customer service, with its offices open almost 24 hours a day, six days a week.

“Customers are now able to talk to a night telesales team after their evening service, so they can place orders, find out about special offers and receive their products the next day,” says Matt Fleet. “We offer specials in the daytime and then a night owl special for the following day, which is working really well.

We’re trying to be more customer service oriented. It’s something that’s a little bit different, not many

AUGUST 2016 FOOD AND DRINK NEWS P27

COOPER FOODS

companies offer telesales in the evening, they tend to stick to answerphones. We’ve increased our telesales staff, including evening staff, so that 89% of calls are answered, not many go to answerphone.”

The business employs skilled meat and fish preparation teams who can prepare customers’ products to exact specifications and additional staff are

added to relevant departments as and when needed.

LOOKING AHEAD

Recently Cooper Foods has been selected as a regional supplier for the National Trust and will begin supply later this year. There are also plans to expand the cheese and delicatessen range.

“We deal with several small companies like Chalke Valley Cheese in Dorset, as we like to have bespoke suppliers, and we’re trying to be more regional with what we offer. For the Christmas trade, we’re introducing a new range of readymade pressed terrine, such as ham hock and smoked chicken.”

Having developed its range over

recent years, Cooper Foods now offers everything from specialist meat products such as pates and haggis, to fishcakes, soups, pasta and desserts.

“We like to offer the whole menu under one roof,” adds Matt Fleet.

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