Food & Drink News March/April 2018

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ONLIN E MA NOW AGAZINE VAILAB LE!

MARCH/APRIL 2018

EXCLUSIVE FEATURE

RAYNOR FOODS LTD launch new packaging MARYBELLE DAIRY eastern promise

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

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Contents ONLINE E MAGAZINABLE! AIL NOW AV

04 INDUSTRY NEWS 18 FORECOURTS FOCUS 20 FOODEX EXPO 2018 22 NORTHERN RESTAURANT & BAR 23 NATURAL FOOD SHOW PREVIEW 24 SARNIA FOOD & DRINK MANUFACTURING 26 PERFECTION FOODS 30 STEINS FOODS 32 MARYBELLE DAIRY 34 PHILLIPS FINE FOODS 36 RAYNOR FOODS

to view the 2018 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 }

Waste Not Want Not

puBlisher planet media & Design ltd Brooke’s mill, huddersfield hD4 7nr

managing Director Jillian evans

creative Director paul roper

national sales manager emily holroyd

chief eDitor michelle hodgson

suB-eDitor rachael whiteley

social meDia Benjamin wainman

CONTACT US: faceBook @food&drinkmagazine

instagram @food&drinkmagazine

w

aste continues to be a key issue in the food and drink sector, from food waste to excessive packaging. a recently published paper by capgemini, in collaboration with the consumer goods forum, looked at ways companies can reduce food waste, including harnessing new technologies. But with 38%-47% of all food waste in economically developed countries taking place in the home, we as consumers also have a responsibility. impulsive purchases, multi-packs and simply buying too much are among the reasons for throwing food out. it’s up to us all to make the effort and to shop and consume wisely.

twitter @food_drink_news

contriBute info@planet-media.co.uk aDvertising advertising@planet-media.co.uk eDitorial editorial@planet-media.co.uk mag suBscriptions subscriptions@planet-media.co.uk

in this edition we have a feature on forecourts, as well as previewing the foodex, natural food and food & Drink shows, and focusing on onboard catering, vegetarian and vegan food, and soft drinks. plus news and views for you to enjoy.

Michelle Hodgson 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.

April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

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LORIEN GRADUATE SCHEME AWARDED RE-ACCREDITATION Burton-based company continues its commitment to addressing industry skills shortage. lorien engineering solutions’ uk graduate development scheme has been accredited by the institution of chemical engineers (icheme) for a further four years. the engineering design and project management firm first achieved accredited status for its training scheme in 2016, only weeks after it was launched. lorien recently welcomed its latest intake of nine new graduates to the firm; four at its base in Burton-on-trent and a further five at its satellite office in wroclaw, poland. each uk graduate will have the opportunity to work towards chartered engineer status, while developing their skills on a broad range of project work. the icheme only accredits training schemes that meet its rigorous standards for providing optimum training opportunities. lorien’s senior projects engineer, mark godfrey, hosted the accreditation process at the Burton office, and icheme assessors met both graduates and their mentors to ensure the scheme was delivering its aims. mark said: “having been awarded our

original accreditation within a very short time frame, we are delighted to have confirmation that our development scheme continues to meet the meticulous standards of the icheme. “we are proud to offer the next generation of chemical, process and utilities engineers a strong career path, taking them

all the way to chartered engineer status.” lorien’s graduate development scheme is part of the firm’s wider professional development programme, which allows its qualified process engineers to access icheme’s support structures, mentoring and training courses. mark godfrey concluded: “accreditation from the institute of chemical engineers emphasises our commitment to both high quality graduates and more experienced candidates, and in the long run it will play a key role in achieving ongoing company growth, all of which is vital in a sector faced with skills shortages.” lorien engineering solutions is headquartered in Burton-on-trent, uk, and specialises in projects for food, brewing, drinks, life sciences and advanced manufacturing. it is a division of gp strategies corporation, a global engineering and technical services organisation headquartered in maryland, us.

www.lorienengineering.com

CUSTOMERS CHALLENGED AS BIGGEST WELSH FOOD AND DRINk CELEBRATION EVER ANNOUNCED THIS ST DAVID’S DAy producers from across wales have come together to challenge consumers to buy welsh this march to coincide with st David’s Day on 1 march 2018, as the largest celebration of welsh food and drink ever held on a uk-wide level is set to go ahead. there has never been a better time for welsh food and drink, with the number of products attaining european protected food name status nearly doubling in the past year and the number of welsh entries for the prestigious great taste awards reaching a record high. sales are also soaring and the 2020 target of increasing sales to £7bn is well on target to be met a few years early. welsh food and drink producers will be banging the drum across the uk and reinforcing the message that welsh food and

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drink is among the best in the world in terms of quality and value. retailers are also getting involved with waitrose, asda, co-op, morrisons and ocado all holding their own showcases with welsh suppliers at their head offices promoting the very best of wales. these st David’s Day celebrations form

part of the welsh government’s #thisiswales campaign ensuring wales and its first-class produce are at the fore. the welsh government cabinet secretary for energy, planning and rural affairs, lesley griffiths, said, “every year our welsh food and drink celebrations for st David’s Day get bigger and better as the fine reputation of our produce increases. we have some excellent products on show and only the finest welsh ingredients are used. i would like to thank our producers for showcasing their products in london and further enhancing the belief by consumers and retailers alike that welsh food and drink is of the highest quality. our challenge now to consumers is to put our produce to the test – and i for one am fully confident that it will prove to be a success.”

{ Industry News }

CHEESE SpECIALISTS LAUNCH NEW pRODUCT-JARLSBERG MINIS - TO JOIN THE GROWING SNACkING CATEGORy Jarlsberg, the famous norwegian cheese export, confirms the launch of its new onthe-go product called Jarlsberg minis with product listing confirmed in 265 waitrose stores.

Jarlsberg is the uk’s number one deli cheese with holes and contains a lower fat and salt percentage to its rival cheddar. the Jarlsberg cheese minis became famous after featuring in the 2017 cheese advent calendar and are known for their distinctively creamy texture. the target consumer is health-conscious aBc1 women aged 25 – 44 looking for a convenient protein snack with a low-calorie content. the minis respond to this consumer

demand by containing 27% protein and 70 calories per mini. portability is a theme within the growing healthier food categories, with 2017 seeing an increase in the snacking cheese category with this success predicted to continue into 2018. the adult snacking category has seen

an increase of 17.8% over the last 12 months and 21.7% in 12 weeks before the end of last year. the npD from Jarlsberg is part of a wider business strategy from parent company norseland, the innovative cheese specialists, which also owns applewood, mexicana, ilchester, gudbrandsdalen, snofrisk and michelangelo. the business’ approach for 2018 focuses on snacking, portion control, work lunches and eating on the go and the additional re-launch of ilchester’s marmite minis reinforces this strategy.

www.jarlsberg.com

Uk’S TOp ICE CREAM MAkERS ANNOUNCED an ice cream business which started by selling ice cream to hard-working coal miners has struck gold after being voted the best in the uk. more than 75 years ago giuseppe minchella’s ice cream became a firm favourite with coal miners as they came out of Bolden colliery in Durham. now guiseppe’s grandson, 69 michael minchella, has won national acclaim after he was voted the uk’s ice cream champion by judges at the national ice cream competition. the award is the most prestigious in the

country and is awarded by the ice cream alliance - the trade body for the uk’s £1bn ice cream industry. michael, who runs south shields-based minchella & co, won the coveted title for his pistachio ice cream and said the triumph was his greatest moment in his 50-year career. “i am still waiting to come down. i am so proud. it’s like winning the oscars for ice cream. it doesn’t get any better than this.” michael picked up four trophies in total including best pistachio ice cream, best lemon sorbet and best overall flavour. his

business operates two parlours and has been making ice cream since 1942. ica chief executive, Zelica carr, praised michael’s success, saying: “michael and his family have been making superb ice cream for many years and he fully deserves this win.” further information on the ice cream alliance can be found at www.ice-cream.org award winners: national ice cream champion: minchella & co; Best vanilla: manfredi’s ices; mint choc chip: ryeburn of helmsley; Blood orange sorbet: mediterranean ices; raspberry ripple: equi’s ice cream; chocolate: fochabers ice cream parlour; artisan vanilla Dairy ice cream: goodall’s of tong; continuous vanilla Dairy ice cream: morelli’s ice cream; frozen yoghurt: fortes ice cream ltd; artisan ice cream: manfredi’s ices; ice cream continuous: m B mancini & co;Best newcomers vanilla: miogelato; open flavour: swoon gelato; open ice cream vanilla: morelli’s ice cream; soft serve vanilla: Dave’s Delicious soft ice cream; supply house: hB ingredients; large artistic ice cream cake: minoli’s of machen; mini artistic ice cream cake: suncream Dairies ltd

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BRADBURyS LAUNCHES NEW RANGE OF CHEESEBOARDS Bradburys, the uk’s largest independent cheese supplier, is launching a new range of easy to serve cheeseboards into foodservice with its ‘yes chef!’ brand.

Bradburys will utilise their extensive cheese portfolio and market-leading packing techniques to create a range of easy-toserve cheeseboards to fit any restaurant, pub group or event caterer budget. the boards cover basic varieties, from classic and ploughmans cheeseboards, to premium and artisan versions containing award-winning British and continental cheeses. all boards are designed in an easy rip and flip style pack with a menu card for serving to the customer. the range is being targeted

at foodservice businesses to ensure they can offer a cheese solution on menus with ‘no fuss’ with back of house cutting and at a set price per board to know their profit on return. marketing Director, chris chisnall (Bradburys cheese), commented: “with the

growth of consumer eating out of home, we’ve seen the demand for more premium cheese solutions in foodservice grow. we felt the time was right to launch the range of cheeseboards for the sector and we’re already getting great feedback on the products from distributors and end users”. from february Bradburys launched the ‘classic’ board in ‘yes chef!’ branding costing £1.15 per board of 4 x 20g cheeses made of mature cheddar, red leicester, old amsterdam and sage Derby available in cases of eight.

www.bradburyscheese.co.uk

BRC ACCREDITATION FOR VISION GELpACk vision gelpack, the uk manufacturer of food grade film, liners and sacks for the food processing, beverage and industrial sectors, has been awarded Brc packaging and packaging materials v5 certification, providing its customers with the reassurance that the company fully complies with the highest food safety, quality and operational criteria. the Brc global standard for packaging and packaging materials is the first in the world to be benchmarked by the global food safety initiative and is widely recognised and respected among food manufacturers and processors. “what this provides is independent verification that we fulfil our legal obligations and provide protection for the end consumer,” says geoff Davis, vision gelpack’s managing Director. “in short, that we are operating to a globally recognised food safety management standard.” at the same time, the company has been awarded the iso 9001-2015 quality management standard and iso 14001 - 2015 environmental management standard certifications. vision gelpack was formed following the acquisition of the assets of gelpack excelsior by visionscape group and forms part of its european operations, which also include

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vision petlon polymers, the leading compounder and polymer recovery company based in lydney, gloucestershire; vision container solutions (trading as sellers), the uk’s leading manufacturer of skips and containers, based in oldham, lancashire, and vision environmental s.a., the group’s polymer recycling division, in Belgium. visionscape is a global environmental utility group providing turnkey solutions in areas of sanitation, energy and waste water

treatment. the company aims to reinvent waste management processes, specific to emerging markets, utilising cutting-edge technology and tools to address the waste management needs of megacities. visionscape also offers services for commercial, residential, industrial and healthcare clients.

Tel: 01432 267391 www.vision-gelpack.co.uk

{ Industry News }

LANEMARk pROCESS GAS BURNER CONTROL HELpS DELIVER BREWING QUALITy the suitability of process gas burner technology from lanemark combustion engineering ltd for the brewing sector is being demonstrated at long man Brewery in east sussex. “we started brewing in 2012 and have achieved rapid growth since,” says Jamie simm, Director of Brewing. “this called for equipment that is highly efficient and reliable – objectives that are fully met by the lanemark tX30 burner system.” the burner is mounted on the outside of a 20-barrel copper and fires through the wall into a helical coil heat exchanger. “an external fan pulls the heat through the system and, via alterations to its speed, enables us to achieve the control we need,” continues Jamie simm. “the system raises

the temperature of the wort to 100°c in one hour from cold where it is held in a rolling boil to an accuracy of +/- 1°c.” “our design enables long man Brewery to enter temperature set points via the adjacent control panel,” says adrian langford, lanemark’s general manager. “the helical coil helps to optimise the capacity of the copper to meet the desired brewing volumes because it minimises intrusion into the vessel. lanemark Burnercare also provides operational confidence via regular maintenance, spares supplies and rapid engineer response if needed.”

Tel: 02476 352000 www.lanemark.com

FDA-AppROVED AND ATEX-RATED ANCILLARy EQUIpMENT LAUNCHED By AB SySTEMS fast-growing ancillaries specialist, aB systems, has once again expanded its product offering following the company’s appointment as the exclusive uk distributor for industry-leading oem, simar. the comprehensive range of simar materials handling equipment includes fDa-approved and ateX-rated solutions, and will enable aB systems to meet wider and more specialist requirements of manufacturers, particularly those within the food sector. fDa-approved and ateX-rated equipment are in demand, but criteria for achieving these standards are extremely high. ateX, for example, is a safety standard that is designed to protect employees from explosion risk, and only equipment with this rating is allowed to be used in environments with potentially hazardous atmospheres, such as those found in some manufacturing facilities handling dust-containing materials and powders. consequently, the availability of fDaapproved and ateX-rated equipment has been limited to a relatively small number of suppliers. with the simar range, aB systems aims to give manufacturers more choice

when sourcing products. “part of aB systems’ strategy for giving manufacturers access to more efficient, better performing and competitive ancillaries solutions is to bring an increasing, but highly selective, number of oem brands to the uk market. simar helps us to achieve this goal. the company’s range of material handling equipment is exceptional in terms of build quality and performance, and carries fDa and ateX approval. having worked in plastic, food and pharmaceuticals

manufacturing for years, i know that clients will be delighted to have a wider pool of niche products available to them,” explained milton shelley, technical sales Director at aB systems. simar’s advanced equipment range comprises central conveying systems, dehumidifying and hot air dryers, hopper loaders (and weighing/mixing), crystallizers and special clean room systems. as would be expected, build quality and performance are exemplary, and all products are characterised with simar’s pioneering innovation. since partnering with simar, aB systems has experienced significant growth of its client portfolio, and welcomed a large number of new clients. aB systems provides a complete ancillaries service to its customers including system design, installation, and maintenance. the company also holds key serviceable spare parts for simar equipment at its headquarters facility in Buckinghamshire.

Tel: 01844 339044 www.ab-ltd.co.uk

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ALUMINIUM BOTTLES FOR ARTISAN BEVERAGE AppLICATIONS fenton packaging announce their launch of a range of aluminium beverage bottles aimed at the burgeoning artisan beer and cider market. available in 330ml and 500ml sizes the bottles can be supplied with a brushed aluminium finish or solid external colour, e.g. black or white, and are suitable for labelling. alternatively, the bottles can be printed up to six colours to produce a highly decorated bottle for longer production runs or to support promotional campaigns.

Benefits associated with aluminium bottles include their

environmental credentials as they are lightweight and fully recyclable. they are unbreakable, giving a number of production and distribution advantages over traditional glass bottles including no risk of breakages. subject to specification and equipment checks it can be possible to process the bottles on standard bottling lines. closures are the standard 26mm crown corks but alternative tamper-evident closure caps are available. fenton packaging are a uk-based wholesaler and distributor of packaging products and have been serving a variety of customers in

diverse markets for over 70 years. the company is well placed to supply other materials and products including steel, tinplate, rigid plastic, flexible plastic packaging and paperboard products nationwide.

For further details please contact Chris Warren at Fenton Packaging Ltd. Email: chriswarren@fentonpackaging. co.uk Mobile: 07590 228 508

TOp ICE CREAM JUDGE AppOINTED AS pRESIDENT OF THE ICE CREAM ALLIANCE one of the uk’s most experienced ice cream makers has been appointed president of the ice cream alliance. henry nurkowski’s appointment comes on the 50th anniversary of his family business with Z nurkowski & sons. the ica is the trade association for the uk’s £1bn ice cream industry and mr nurkowski has been an active member for many years including 32 years serving on the Board of Directors. mr nurkowski has forged a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable men in the ice cream industry and has been head Judge at the prestigious national ice cream competition for 20 years. “i consider it a privilege to be part of the ice cream industry and proud of the work the ica has done in continually improving the quality of ice cream in the uk,” said mr nurkowski, 67, whose business is based in hilperton near trowbridge, wiltshire. “i’d like to think that the national ice cream competition has played a vital part in increasing standards and become the flagship event of our annual ice cream expo which provides a wonderful showcase for the quality of uk ice cream and gelato. “there are many new people including dairy farmers and gelato parlours coming

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into the industry and it would be of great benefit for them to join the ice cream alliance and expand their knowledge.”

www.ice-cream.org

{ Industry News }

4 ACES EXTENDS BIODEGRADABLE RANGE popular packaging specialist, 4 aces, has added to its environmentally-friendly range of products as part of a pledge to its customers to provide a wider range of green options in 2018. alongside its selection of biodegradable paper water cones and its pla cold cup range, the supplier’s latest compostable pla hot cups are set to provide the perfect green alternative to single and double wall cups. the 8oz, 12oz and 16oz white cups are now available to order along with compostable sip lids, which complement this offering.

David Blake, sales Director of 4 aces, is delighted to have expanded the company’s biodegradable range: “we want to provide added value to our customers by giving them more options and this involves

widening the selection of products available that could enable them to reduce their environmental impact. “sustainable packaging is very much back on the public agenda and consumers are far more savvy and informed about issues related to the environment. there is a great public spirit that is driving the industry; the end-users most definitely want cups and packaging that are made from sustainable materials and renewable resources.”

For further information on 4 Aces and its products, visit www.4acesltd.com or call 01992 535774.

pROSEAL pROVIDES QUALITy AND REDUCED DOWNTIME TO MEET RANGE OF NEEDS - HALL 09.1, STAND A079 the ability of leading tray sealing specialist proseal to meet all food manufacturers’ demands with a wide range of high-quality, efficient tray sealing machines will again be underlined at anuga

foodtec 2018, where the company is set to display its pioneering electric heat seal technology. on stand a079 in hall 09.1 will be the proseal gt4s tray sealer, capable of sealing

speeds of up to 210 packs per minute with an eight impression tool. the gt4s is ideal for many different applications, including fresh fruit, meat and poultry, and ready meals, while its compact dimensions mean it can fit easily into production lines with restricted space. the gt4s incorporates several proven proseal-developed features that help to maximise performance, reliability and efficiency. the company’s pioneering eseal® technology ensures excellent seal reliability to meet the stringent quality requirements of the food retail sector. it provides an increased seal force of 600% while achieving a 92% reduction in energy usage to deliver valuable cost savings and sustainability benefits. the gt4s will be joined by the new proseal tte, a small, compact, and robust tray sealer ideal for low-volume production and production trials that also incorporates e-seal® technology.

Tel: 01625 856600 www.proseal.com

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LORIEN LAUNCHES DAIRy CApACITy MODELLING TOOL lorien engineering solutions has launched a tool that enables dairy producers to spot bottlenecks and drive expansion of production lines. opti-milk models milk and cream processing from intake to filling to demonstrate the theoretical capacity of a dairy, including cip. the detailed data provided can be utilised throughout the manufacturing process from raw ingredients to the finished product. the software was developed for the brewing industry but has been modified to enable dairy manufacturers to drive efficiencies in production. lorien is a Burton-on-trent based engineering design and project management firm that works with some of the uk’s best-known food and drink brands.

nicholas Jones, project manager at lorien, said: “this tool is based on the principle that good, strategic decisions are made with good information.

“By adding empirical overall equipment effectiveness figures and known restrictions, we can show maximum capacities. when a step change in production capacity is planned, opti-milk highlights the pinch points in the process and identifies the extra plant and equipment needed. “it can be easily reconfigured for different scenarios, such as varying oee figures or by understanding the impact on capacity by taking key equipment out of service for maintenance or failure.”

www.lorienengineering.com

NEW LABEL CApABILITy EXpANDS CUSTOMER OFFERING rpc bpi protec worcester has invested £1.7m in a new flexographic printing press and slitting machine for the production of reel fed labels. ideal for applications such as water, soft drinks, cooking oils and milk, the specialist labels material offers excellent tensile strength for faster application speeds and the elimination of web breaks. the strength of the material also allows thinner gauge film to be used for valuable weight reduction. in addition, this delivers more labels per standard reel to help minimise changeover times. the new flexo press produces highquality labels in up to eight colours for effective on-shelf impact and differentiation, with tight tolerances for accurate application onto bottles. equally important, it has the

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flexibility to produce short runs in order to

respond quickly to changing market demands. this latest investment underlines rpc bpi protec’s commitment to delivering new solutions to meet the changing needs of fast moving and competitive markets. “this is an important part of our ongoing investment strategy,” explains rpc bpi protec’s general manager, eric roche. “we are pleased to have added this print capability as part of our product and will continue to work in the development of specific solutions to meet customer’s individual requirements.

www.bpi-protec.com

{ Industry News }

NEW WEBSITE HIGHLIGHTS FOOD AND DRINk GLOVE SOLUTIONS FROM UNIGLOVES food and drink sector glove specialists unigloves, has launched a brand new website highlighting its complete range of innovative, hand hygiene and hand protection solutions. the company, which manufactures billions of specialist gloves annually, has launched the new site - www.unigloves.co.uk - to provide an essential guide to the complete range of gloves available, including its dedicated food and drink sector solutions. unigloves’ products include europe’s first nitrile antimicrobial gloves, fortified, incorporating silver ion technology to destroy 99.9% of bacteria and its specialist 12-glove pearl® range designed to prevent cross contamination featured on its dedicated food page – https://unigloves.co.uk/sectors/foodmanufacturing/ in addition to technical and performance data for all of its gloves, the new site also

allows users to download the new unigloves catalogue, discover the benefits of the company’s glove audit service and access a wealth of essential, free resources that unigloves has created. these include technical and educational support in the form of glove materials and glove characteristics guides to help select

the right glove for the right environment along with hand hygiene guides.

For more information visit www.unigloves.co.uk call 0845 009 0083, or email enquiries@unigloves.co.uk

SHOW yOUR COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT – AND yOUR pOCkET! petit forestier uk limited is committed to helping businesses make a smooth transition between fuel-powered vehicles and their electric equivalents, and have now available for contract hire the renault kangoo Z.e.

100% electric van with the neos 100% electric fridge. petit forestier will be displaying the vehicle on their stand (g180) at the foodex exhibition – nec Birmingham, 16 – 18 april.

the renault kangoo Z.e with neos fridge is the all-electric van with huge potential. easy to use, practical and capable of travelling up to 120 miles on a single charge, the kangoo panel van shows that you don’t have to downsize your professional expectations when it comes to choosing a workhorse, with zero tailpipe emissions. recharging the battery is simple, with the socket situated at the front of the van above the grille. a full charge takes six hours when plugged into a wallbox. petit forestier continues to work with customers and key suppliers in the design and development of fully electric, temperature controlled hgv vehicles to achieve cleaner, sustainable transport options for our customers.

Tel: 0870 60 70 900 www.petitforestier.co.uk

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ROTECH CODING SOLUTIONS BOOST pACkING OpERATIONS AT THE ENGLISH CHEESECAkE COMpANy an offline rf2 feeding system fitted with an iJet thermal inkjet coding system from rotech has helped the english cheesecake company boost the speed and efficiency of its packing operations, allowing the company to date code a pallet’s worth of cheesecakes in less than two minutes. the english cheesecake company, based in west london, makes a wide range of luxury cakes for a variety of customers, including ocado and makro. the products range from individual mini-cheesecakes to giant cheesecakes that serve 60 people. most of the products are supplied blast frozen, with an outer sleeve and best before date applied before they enter the freezer. rather than printing best before dates onto the filled cheesecake boxes, the new rf2 system prints them onto the flattened sleeves before they are erected. “the rf2 system can code thousands of flat-pack cartons at once so it’s very efficient,” says commercial Director, Josh laurier. “many of our products are sold to the wholesale market. these cakes tend to be bigger than retail versions, so it’s much more convenient to carry out the printing on the flat sleeves, rather than printing onto the completed packages, which are quite bulky to handle.” the rf2 feeding system takes a stack of flat sleeves and separates and feeds them rapidly through a compact, mess-free iJet thermal ink-jet coder before re-stacking them on the other side. this enables the system to position the date codes precisely and virtually eliminates smudges and errors to deliver a high-quality result. “with the rf2

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system from rotech, it takes one or two minutes to code the sleeves. that’s up to 204 cakes,” says Josh. “with our old system, the operator had to position each box manually on a conveyor belt for coding, so it was much slower.” the english cheesecake company was founded in the late 1980s but has recently been going through significant changes, moving to new premises and winning Brc grade a accreditation. this has enabled them to focus increasingly on the retail market and the company has recently won a contract to supply chilled cheesecakes to waitrose. this called for an in-line coding solution to add dates to the erect boxes containing the chilled cakes on the same day they’re produced and dispatched. the company therefore ordered a second date coder from rotech. “unlike the frozen cakes, the chilled products are perishable and need to be printed with their best before dates on the day they’re dispatched. we needed an in-line solution,” says Josh. the company opted for a second rotech iJet thermal inkjet printer. the two systems use the same print cartridges, simplifying stockholding. each packaged cheesecake is manually placed on a conveyor

and a slider rig positions the box under the iJet printer in precisely the right position to print the code in the allotted white space. the cheesecake company hasn’t started using this second system yet – the first deliveries to waitrose are set to begin in early 2018 – but Josh says that the high level of service from rotech in the original rf2 installation project was an important factor in choosing another rotech system: “the timeliness and level of support has always been good. we’re already very happy with the performance of the rf2 and looking forward to using rotech’s in-line solution.”

Tel: 01707 393700 Email: sales@rotechmachines.com www.rotechmachines.com

{ Industry News }

SURVEy REVEALS MORE CONSUMERS EMBRACING THE CHALLENGES OF FOOD WASTE consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the problems of food waste, with many taking steps to minimise this within their homes. that is one of the key findings of research carried out by rpc bpi protec as part of its ‘taste without waste’ campaign to highlight the importance of reducing food waste. the survey of 1,000 British consumers also confirmed most people’s commitment to recycling and that brand support and loyalty can be enhanced through a company’s positive sustainability credentials. the research revealed that 77% of respondents only throw their food out when it looks or smells off. nevertheless, 20% admitted that they were more likely to throw food away on its ‘best before’ date or once it had been opened. such actions have contributed to the increase in total waste from households in england, which rose by 2.5% in 2016 to 22.8 million tonnes. another initiative to reduce waste, highlighted in the research, was to freeze food that is coming up to its sell-by date, with 65% of respondents confirming that they did this. although 59% believed that resealable packaging helped to reduce their food waste, this does also highlight an opportunity for greater on-pack communication on the benefits of reclosable packs. with the issue of packaging

waste continuing to dominate the media, the research revealed that 80% of those surveyed recycle all the time, and 73% said they understood the particular recycling requirements of their local area. nevertheless, there were still 24% who only ‘somewhat’ understood the rules behind recycling. this underlines the need for continued consumer education in recycling ‘best practices’, as well as a more coordinated and unified national recycling system to eliminate differences between local authorities. not surprisingly, the majority of respondents would look more favourably on businesses with a good sustainability record. 83% were more likely to choose products with either less packaging or recyclable packaging, and 82% to use the services of a company who make an effort to recycle and cut down waste. rpc bpi protec has produced a ‘taste without waste’ infographic (www.bpiconsumerpackaging.co m/news) to explain its research findings and provide some practical tips on how consumers can further reduce their food waste. it is estimated that in the uk alone, 7 million tonnes of food and drink are thrown out annually from homes. this costs the average household around £470 each year.

www.bpi-protec.com

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{ Industry News }

CSB FACTORy ERp NAMED FACTORy SOFTWARE OF THE yEAR the factory erp system from it specialist csB-system has been named factory software of the year 2018 in a competition organised by the industry 4.0 application centre of the faculty for Business information management, processes and systems at the university of potsdam. the jury particularly commended the software, which represents the entire primary value creation of production and logistics in industries including food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, for its comprehensive range of functionalities. csB’s factory erp ensures optimal operational control of production facilities.

standardised interfaces between the group erp system and csB factory erp guarantee a stable, flexible and integrated system landscape. not only does this provide security and stability, it also makes the it system more flexible and simplifies

expansion. updates and upgrades to new releases can be implemented quickly and cost-effectively, while new market requirements and legal changes can also be easily integrated. in addition, the software delivers benefits in terms of transparency and efficiency, as it links all factory areas in a single system with a consistent data basis. as a result, customers eliminate inconsistencies and double entries. weak points in factories can be easily identified, enhancing responsiveness and substantially reducing overall costs.

www.csb.com

INTERSNACk SIGNS €MULTI-MILLION CLOUD DEAL WITH INFOR infor, a leading provider of industryspecific cloud applications, has announced that savoury snack leader and owner of 20 well known brands of snacks including mccoys, hula hoops and kp nuts, intersnack, has selected infor for a multimillion, 10 year cloud transformation. the project will see infor support almost every process across every intersnack brand, throughout europe, facilitating the market leader’s digital transformation strategy, and establishing a modern platform from which to pursue growth. as part of the contract, the entire business is expected to be fully live on infor cloudsuite food & Beverage along with a further 18 infor solutions when completed. replacing the group’s 17 disparate erp systems, a significant number of which are currently run by sap and oracle, infor will run almost every major business application within intersnack spanning enterprise resource planning; human resources and talent management; financials; risk management; expense management; performance management; business intelligence; enterprise asset management; customer relationship management; procurement; and supply chain management.

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“as a market leader in the snack industry, we need to demonstrate best practice in order to support our goal of long-term value creation, and technology has quickly become a crucial pillar in achieving this,” comments maarten leerdam, ceo, intersnack. “in selecting a partner to support our digital transformation journey, infor was a clear winner. as well as the breadth and depth of capability within its applications, and ability to deliver everything within our

tender and more via the cloud, its vision and leadership in areas such as digital transformation via h&l Digital and artificial intelligence was hugely impressive. we look forward to exploring new technologies further in our quest to innovate and establish a strong footing for our next generation of growth.”

www.infor.com

{ Industry News }

TRADITIONAL VALUES & MODERN pRODUCTION pROVES kEy FOR ROBERTSON’S a scottish producer of pork products is demonstrating how a combination of traditional values with the latest in processing technology is proving a recipe for success. robertson’s fine foods is based in ayrshire and has been producing high quality scottish pork and bacon since 1870. the company prides itself on a family heritage which stretches back through five generations and supplies fully traceable pork and bacon to scotland’s independent retail sector, including butchers, delicatessens, restaurants and hotels. they have recently undertaken substantial expansion plans to facilitate a positive growth strategy which involves entering into new markets for the company. the company offers an extensive range produced from pigs born and reared in scotland - from prime cuts to manufactured, sliced and cooked pork products - via its original slaughtering facility in ardrossan on the west coast and its new state of the art processing facility in nearby irvine. iain robertson, company chairman, recognises the importance of combining the finest pigs

with the best in processing technology. interfood technology has worked closely with robertson’s over several years, supplying a wide range of equipment including a schröder injector, henneken brine mixer and tumbler, k&g wetter mixer/mincer and bowl cutter, and a maurer atmos smoker and oven. iain robertson, company chairman comments – “with our ambition to increase retail capacity the demands on our business for maximum efficiency are greater than ever. we produce a wide range from raw to cooked product

and with this comes different challenges in driving efficiency. interfood’s extensive product range, coupled with their high levels of customer support and broad knowledge base, go a long way to catering for all our needs”.

Brian teece is interfood’s regional manager for scotland. he has extensive experience in technical machinery for the food and drinks industry which is backed by interfood’s dedicated Divisional managers (some seven Divisions, from Butchery through to packing solutions). he comments – “Quality equipment is obviously an important consideration but it is vital that this is supported through knowledge and a dedication to ensuring that the solution is tailored to the specific needs of the customer. once installed and commissioned by specialists with a real understanding of the equipment, comprehensive operator training helps to optimise product quality and productivity, with ongoing support ensuring that this performance is maintained.”

www.interfoodtechnology.com

AN AWARD WIN TO TICkLE yOUR TASTE BUDS fast growing family snacking brand, heavenly tasty organics, has won yet another award, this time scooping a golD in the 2018 made for mums awards. it is fair to say the team are over the moon having taken the top spot in the category for Best organic Baby or toddler snack. having put hundreds of family products under the microscope the final list is a ‘who’s who’ of the very best parenting brands. industry experts, real parents and their children, and celebrity parents joined the made for mums judging panel to scrutinise all the shortlisted products – to make the final cut is a true reflection of just how tasty the heavenly snacks are. with the entire range containing absolutely no added sugars, colours or preservatives, the brands organic and natural

collection are perfect for parents looking for healthy and nutritious snacks that taste great. with the range including coconut squishies that are ready to squeeze straight

from the pouch, the best-selling mini Breadsticks and the brand-new mini Biscuits that are free from palm oil, to name just a few, there is something heavenly for all little ones from 6 months+. commenting on the exciting award win, Brand founder, shauna Blair, commented: “i am so excited to have won another gold. to have taken the top spot for best organic snack is particularly special as we put all our efforts into creating truly delicious organic treats! it is especially exciting to have won one of these trophies as the made for mums awards are well respected in the industry and a clear mark of distinction. 2018 really is turning out to be our best year yet!”

April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

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{ Industry News }

FOR ALL yOUR pRINTING NEEDS the magjet l-301 digital colour label printer from magnum materials ltd is ideal for small businesses, giving you full control and flexibility to print your own professional labels on demand. it is a reliable and affordable way to bring colour printing inhouse and makes designing your ondemand colour label printing efficient, eliminates lead times, set-up fees and minimum order quantities. with its hp print technology and a wide range of media you can create vivid, highresolution text and images for eye-catching labels. the modern, compact desktop design will fit nicely into any work office or factory environment. offering a bespoke labelling service adds value to your products and opens up new

channels to your business. since the introduction of this machine magnum has seen sales grow and the popularity of the machine is expected to increase. with higher demand for bespoke labels and customised

products this sector of the industry is a major growth area. magnum currently have inkjet printers within a wide range of industries and market sectors, these include food, drink, chemical, petfood, jams and preserves, janitorial and sweets just to name a few. whether you are looking to print one label or 500 labels, our afinia l-301 printer is ideal. whatever your printing needs magnum will have the solution for you. if you would like to see samples of your labels printed on the afinia l-301, please contact our sales office on 0161 343 1131 or email us at inkjet@magnum-uk.com visit our website for further information on our range of digital label printers: www.magnum-uk.com

NEW SERVICE TO ADDRESS INACCURATE DATA IN GROCERy SUppLy CHAIN major new development sees nielsen Brandbank extend expertise from businessto-consumer to business-to-business data. one of the biggest problems faced globally by the grocery industry, as products are moved through the supply chain from manufacturers to retailers, is to be addressed by the launch of a new service from nielsen Brandbank. the problem of inaccurate and inconsistent data between fmcg product manufacturers, distribution centres, wholesalers and retailers on cases of products – be it size, weight, hazardous information and tax codes – creates huge inefficiencies which end up costing all parties both time and money in getting the products on to shop shelves. nielsen Brandbank will solve this globally by extending its current service of collecting and distributing product content for consumer-facing ecommerce purposes to the ‘business-to-business’ logistical part of the global industry. mike nickituk, global mD at nielsen Brandbank, explains: “over the years, we’ve managed to pretty much eradicate inaccurate product data in the retailer-to-

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April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

consumer-facing part of the industry by creating a highly accurate standardised system that is used by 98% of the sector. so, the logical step is to transfer this ability to the business-to-business part which is beset by all kinds of problems including an estimated 80% of product data being wrong.” nickituk says that the firm’s new ‘one case one place®’ service will capture, manage and distribute information regarding all levels of the product hierarchy – be it a distribution case, a shelf-ready pack

or single unit – in a standardised manner that can easily be accessed and shared globally from a central point by all supply chain parties from manufacturers to retailers, “something that cross-industry groups have tried but failed to achieve”. “it’s about removing the burden from the various parties of how to collect and share product logistics information which not only reduces costs, time and inefficiencies but enables them to focus on what they do best,” concludes nickituk.

{ Forecourts Focus }

The Future of Forecourts Once simply a place to buy petrol and car-related products, forecourts are now shopping destinations in themselves.

But what does the future hold in an era of rapid change?

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here there’s change, there’s opportunity, or so the saying goes. the difficulty is knowing what change is coming and how to respond to it – and this is certainly the case with the forecourt sector. as we move towards a future of electric cars, selfdriving vehicles and digital transactions and marketing, those operating in this market will have to adapt to survive. recent data shows that retail growth – both food-to-go and convenience shopping – is outstripping fuel growth on our forecourts, which points to a range of opportunities in the years ahead.

The end of petrol garages? an rac foundation chart showing petrol and diesel consumption in the uk indicates that while overall consumption has barely changed in the past 25 years (45.7 billion litres in 1990 to 47.2 billion litres in 2016), diesel has gradually overtaken petrol as the fuel of choice (30.1 billion litres over 17.1 billion litres in 2016).

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April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

But all this could be about to change as electric and hydrogen-powered cars take over the market and petrol and diesel car sales are gradually phased out in the run-up to the 2040 uk deadline. what has this to do with the food and drink sector? well, it could depend on how the fuel is sold.

Retail and cafe opportunities at present, electric-powered cars require charging after a few hundred miles, which means a longer wait on the forecourt, providing opportunities for more time browsing in a retail shop or having a meal at a forecourt cafe. as a result, forward-thinking companies might be looking to invest more in the whole experience: everything from the food and drink on offer to staff customer service training to the lighting, layout and overall ambience of the retail and cafe areas. creating a bright, clean and airy space, with helpful staff and a wide range of meal options and food-to-go, will encourage both footfall and dwell time.

{ Forecourts Focus }

Expanding the range in the past, forecourt food was firmly in the fast food camp, with crisps and chocolate at the till point. today, many forecourts resemble independent retail outlets or mini-supermarkets and are often run by partnership brands, such as the co-operative. as consumers demand a wider range of healthier, better quality, free from and vegetarian/vegan retail and takeaway products from supermarkets and independents, the trend is gradually filtering down to garage forecourt shops and cafes. By offering more fresh fruit and vegetables, freshly baked breads and other bakery products and a wider range of healthy options, service stations can attract customers who might previously have only stopped for fuel. operating under the westmorland umbrella, tebay services on the m6, set up by cumbrian farmers John and Barbara Dunning in 1972, and its sister outlet, gloucester services, boast farm shops and cafes serving locally sourced, largely seasonal, high-quality food. the business works closely with its suppliers, which include award-winning wholesale hot chocolate company kokoa (www.kokoacollection.co.uk). “we have been working with westmorland for five years and feel part of the family,” says paul eagles from kokoa. “it gives us great exposure in the lake District and gloucester and we support them with training. it helps us show that high-volume foodservice still merits and can achieve high-quality beverages. in addition, that they serve the same quality in the garage forecourts is great for their customers and shows a real commitment on their part.” it’s a far cry from the standard motorway service station, dominated by multi-national fast-food outlets. what’s more, the business has moved with the times – you can now pre-order your shopping for collection on the way through.

The digital world Digital marketing has come into its own in recent years and there are many opportunities for forecourts to take advantage of the huge leaps and bounds in this field. media screens at the pumps and till points can be used to support well-placed in-store displays with

special offers. apps that recognise when a customer drives on to the forecourt can send drive-in offers straight to their smart phone or tablet. Digital monitoring can also track footfall and buying habits for future promotions. there has also been a revolution in the way people pay for what they purchase, including food and drink, with contactless for transactions under £30, and phone payment options. while paying by phone may be more popular with millennials than the older generation, it’s easy to see a future where this will become the overriding option and cash will become barely used or even obsolete.

And there’s more… as petrol forecourts become more of a destination than a stopover, the shopping and cafe areas may continue to expand, which in turn will require more parking spaces for those who are coming to shop or eat rather than purchase fuel. extending opening hours could be another way to grow a business, especially in smaller towns and rural areas where there is little 24-hour competition. partnerships are likely to continue to develop between forecourt operators and existing retail companies. penny petroleum, which has over 40 sites across the north of england and scotland, has partnered with Booker and spar, as well as forecourt tenants, who provide cafes and even a decorating centre and a caravan park at specific sites. on a larger scale, in December 2017, subway opened its first outlet carrying the subway® fresh forward branding in a non-traditional uk location – at the euro garages-owned forecourt at eastville park in Bristol.

Despite only launching in 2001, the eg group is now a leading petrol forecourt and convenience retailer, which recently completed a takeover of esso italian and announced plans to acquire 762 us forecourt convenience sites from kroger in the us for £2.15bn. as with the supermarkets and the independent convenience stores, it seems there is space in the market for both the forecourt giants and the smaller specialist players. Both will be looking carefully at developments in the vehicle industry over the next few years to see where and how they need to adapt their food and drink offer.

April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

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{ Foodex Expo 2018 }

Future of the Industry Under the Spotlight at Foodex 2018 Industry giants converge on NEC, Birmingham to showcase disruptive and cutting-edge technologies, set to transform the ‘smart factories’ of the future foodex 2018 will welcome more than 400 manufacturing suppliers including Busch uk, Bizerba (uk) ltd, addmaster uk, ulma packaging, multivac, handtmann, reiser stephan uk as well as a raft of new exhibitors lined up to showcase their latest innovations.

Demonstrating how to streamline processes, minimise waste and boost profits in the bakery sector, cybake – Britain’s number one bakery management software specialist – will introduce its new, cloud-based version of its bakery management system. giving operators full control over all bakery operations, cybake provides improved insight into the bottom line, with modernised orders, invoicing, recipe management, stock control traceability and compliance. further demonstrating how to reduce costs and maximise efficiency, JBc industrial services limited will showcase its halo real-time remote monitoring system. the boilerhouse monitoring system uses analogue, digital and mod bus outputs to provide a critical overview into asset performance. helping to deliver cost savings through optimal performance, the halo system also improves fault response times with instant alerts on failures, helping to determine both maintenance and investment strategies. the

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monitoring system, which enables effortless predictive maintenance, helps to prolong equipment life, minimise downtime and increase revenue for improved efficiency, reliability and availability. as well as providing the opportunity for buyers to discover the latest technologies and connect with potential suppliers, foodex will also play host to an extensive programme of interactive events, discussions and debates. in the seminar theatre, visitors are invited to join the likes of the campden Bri group, food storage & Distribution federation (fsDf), fresh produce consortium and the British standards institution (Bsi) who will take to the stage to discuss the latest sectorspecific trends and topics impacting the bakery, beverage, dairy, fresh, ingredients, logistics, meat and seafood sectors. speaking about foodex 2018, event Director, Dan Dixon, said: “the manufacturing industry is on the edge of a potential precipice, with the circular economy and the growing pressure to improve sustainability set to dramatically transform the industry. it is a critical time for manufacturing professionals to explore the latest trends and technologies to enhance their business operations.”

{ Foodex Expo 2018 }

‘HEy VIkAN' – VIkAN HIGHLIGHTS VALUABLE SERVICES (STAND BB271) showcasing their latest cleaning tool innovations for the food and beverage industry including the stainless steel scraper for hard to reach deposits, the ust Detail Brush for detail cleaning in dry environments and the ust short handled hand Brush, vikan will be highlighting their range of services under a new ‘hey vikan’ catchphrase. these services include: • the new vikan.com makes finding answers to product and hygiene related questions easier than ever.

• site surveys. the first step a food processing plant or other facility can take towards improved cleaning tool related hygiene.

• Declarations of compliance which vikan supplies for every hygiene range tool they make and which can be downloaded in

multiple languages from vikan.com Diary date tuesday 17 april at 3.45pm in the foodex theatre: vikan’s global hygiene specialist Debra smith will give a featured talk entitled ‘global food safety schemes and

cleaning tools’.

www.vikan.com

FULTON TO SHOWCASE ALL-NEW VSRT AT FOODEX 2018 fulton will be using its stand at foodex to showcase the vsrt, the company’s all-new range of gas-fired, vertical spiral-rib tubeless steam boilers. the vsrt is the first range to emerge from the company’s new ‘pure technology’ approach, an initiative that has resulted in a world-first design that is durable, longlasting and boasts the highest efficiencies and ultra-low nox emissions as standard. commenting for fulton, sales and marketing manager, leigh Bryan, says: “our products are already proving themselves in food processing applications in the uk and around the world; and we’re really looking forward to promoting the vsrt and its benefits to other companies at foodex.” he goes on to say that fulton’s pure technology approach aims to enhance heat transfer, provide class-leading efficiencies, improve steam quality and reduce nox emissions. “rather than further-improve products like our renowned J series to achieve these goals, pure technology – the culmination of fulton’s clean slate approach to design –

challenges the industry status quo on conventional boiler design by engineering solutions that are fit-for-purpose and fullyoptimised for all applications,” says leigh. with over 15 patents pending in three continents, the vsrts attains industryleading heat transfer rates thanks to a unique spiral-rib heat exchanger, which achieves low stack temperatures by passing

the flue gases through a spiral-wound heat exchanger that is fully immersed in water. the vsrt’s combustion technology achieves ultra-low nox emissions of <20ppm and features a fully-matched modulating burner and furnace that have been purposely-designed as a single component. this helps to achieve up to 10:1 turndown capabilities and industry-leading performance of up to 82.5% gross thermal efficiency with 99.75% steam quality. at launch, the vsrt is available with outputs from 160 to 960kg/h and its pressure vessel and burner are backed by a five-year guarantee as standard. for applications where contaminated air can reduce boiler uptime the vsrt’s cyclonic air filter effectively separates debris and damaging particles from the combustion air and, because it won’t clog over time, eliminates the need for replacement filters.

Stand X291 www.fulton.co.uk

April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

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{ Northern Restaurant & Bar }

Lift Your Spirits with Jeffrey’s Tonic Jeffrey’s is much more than just another tonic water brand, it’s a range of tonic syrups designed to be mixed with soda water to create deliciously flavoured tonics, which make fantastic cocktail mixers, or tasty non-alcoholic drinks when you want something more sophisticated than super-sweet soft drinks Jeffrey’s uses the finest natural herbs and spices to create uniquely delicious flavours which include ‘not so plain’, ‘original’, ‘lime, galangal & orange’ and ‘yarrow, rosehip & elderflower’. it all began in the kitchen of founder mike robinson (not Jeffrey - the brand name was inspired by a well-known bartender in the us!), who received a book on gins for christmas, and began experimenting with different drinks recipes.

Jeffrey’s is different versus standard tonic water as it adds a new dimension of flavour to the drink that ordinary clear tonic waters and existing tonic syrups do not. not only that, Jeffrey’s unique manufacturing process results in a crystal clear and pure drink, unlike the cloudy syrups currently in the market, which looks as good as it tastes. it is the uniquely delicious blend of complex flavours though that means Jeffrey’s really

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is a one-off, and we believe beyond anything on the market in terms of quality and flavour. the rising popularity of cocktails, particularly gin, in recent years has also led to consumers developing much more sophisticated tastes, and as a result are willing to pay a premium for high-quality products with great flavours. cocktail experts have looked for new ways of creating and controlling flavours, resulting in a renewed interest in the tonic syrup format, particularly in the us. as trends tend to travel to the uk across the atlantic, tonic syrups are also starting to see a rising popularity in the uk.

Tel: 07734 428857 Email: sales@jeffreystonic.com www.jeffreystonic.com

{ Natural Food Show Preview }

#yOU ARE, WHAT yOU EAT super fudgio is a brand of organic sweets. super tasty, without gluten, without lactose, without glucosefructose syrup; based on coconut sugar and coconut milk. our sweets are source of dietary fibre and precious minerals: potassium and magnesium. for gourmets, allergy sufferers and vegans. our offer includes: organic fudge (six flavours), organic chocolate (three flavours), organic spread (four flavours) and organic toffee bars (six flavours)

www.superfudgio.com

MOUNT OLyMpUS pURE FOODS award-winning cultured probiotic kefir drinks. our refreshing healthy kefir drinks are made with greek tradition! using freeroaming greek goats’/cows’ milk and water, we lovingly ferment the milk/water with live kefir culture, resulting in a creamy, subtly tart drink with billions of probiotics per serving. kefir is a more potent source of beneficial bacteria than yoghurt/supplements and contributes to a healthy gut and strong immune system. it also contains B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, vitamin k2, phosphorus and easily digestible proteins. one of the great things about kefir is that it is usually well tolerated by lactose intolerant people, because the microorganisms consume most of the lactose (sugar) in the milk during the fermentation process. kefir is far more powerful than taking a dried microbiotic and tastes better too! kefir contains many different strains of live bacteria, thriving in their own environment. if you have been taking a powdered or pillbased microbiotic, you may stop - you will no longer need it!

Delicious on its own, in smoothies, or in any recipe calling for buttermilk, our kefirs are a new essential for any kitchen.

£1.99 – £3.19 for 300ml & 480ml. nothing artificial, all natural. simply delicious and refreshing.

• • • • • • • •

www.mountolympuspurefoods.com Kefir@mountolympuspurefoods.com

low lactose – easily digestible suitable for all ages Dairy intolerant-friendly live probiotic Billions of active bacteria sugar-free – low calorie 100% preservative-free 100% natural ingredients available across the uk and ireland from

April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

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{ Sarnia Food & Drink Manufacturing }

All Under One Roof From creating recipes to managing online orders, Sarnia Food & Drink Manufacturing is a one-stop shop for food production and sales

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t began by offering a food production service to small-scale brand owners, but as a result of its early success sarnia was faced with a new challenge – the company had outgrown its site and was having to turn away business. the solution was a move to new premises at leeming Bar, north yorkshire, which took place in november 2017 after a year of planning. now settled in, the company is perfectly placed to deliver the goods for existing and new customers moving forward.

Bringing experience on board with more than 40 years combined in the food and drink manufacturing industry, the company’s founders, nancy Burrage and patrick finigan, had plenty of

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experience to fall back on when they set up sarnia in 2012. while nancy worked at Brakes for around 17 years before moving to yorkshire, patrick spent 18 years in the ready meal sector. “it was a learning curve, as i’d been used to cooked products and the first thing we manufactured was a raw product,” patrick explains. “i remember our first polystyrene delivery filled the entire building.” co-founder nancy Burrage agrees: “we had to hit the ground running and did a lot of 16-hour days.” one early standout moment was taking delivery of the company’s first machine in 2013. “when you get your first industrial machine it’s an exciting moment – we opened a bottle of champagne.”

{ Sarnia Food & Drink Manufacturing }

From small to large scale By catering to small brand owners, sarnia was able to offer a service they were not always able to access elsewhere. “we set the business up for people who created food products and wanted to scale up but didn’t necessarily have the knowledge and machinery,” says patrick. “we can look after the whole process, from sourcing the ingredients to manufacturing to sales; around 90% of our business is online sales. we’ll have access to a client’s website to download and process orders each day, and if their customer needs to get in contact, it goes straight through to our sales department.” key to the growth of the business is the new premises, which took almost a year to source, design and build. “it was an empty warehouse shell, so we had to design it from the ground up: drains, walls, water systems, everything,” patrick explains. “it was a very interesting process and we project managed it ourselves.” the move took place in november 2017, and now the company has approximately 21,000 sq ft of space, including a production area of around 12,000 sq ft, compared with the old site of around 3,000 sq ft. “the new site is a lot more flexible,” says nancy.

“Before, we were storing materials off site and now everything is under one roof. at the old premises we were bursting at the seams and it was a juggling act to get everything out the door every day, so the move has been massive for us.” “it’s given us a lot more opportunity and allows for growth,” patrick agrees. “we’ve designed it for various different processes, separating raw and cooked products. we’ve also thought about the environmental impact so there’s a heat recovery system and leD lighting.”

Key products Herbs Unlimited Busby Stoop Road Sandhutton, Thirsk YO7 4RN Tel: 01845 587694 Email: info@herbsunlimited.co.uk www.herbsunlimited.co.uk

Specialising in Fresh Cut Herbs & Baby Salad in North Yorkshire A family run business based in North Yorkshire, which grows a wide range of herbs and salads for the wholesale and processing industry. We are passionate in providing great customer service with flexibility where needed, value for money and being consistently the grower, supplier and processor of choice for quality fresh herbs, specialist salads and niche products.

All our products can be washed and ready to eat or processed to the customer’s specification. We process whole, hand cut, sliced and bowl chopped products.

We grow, process and deliver to ensure full traceability. Our wide range of herbs gives our customers something different which in today’s market is vital. We offer flavour in place of salt, fat and sugar.

the focus is on high-quality, natural and vegetarian products, such as juice, vegetarian burgers and sausages, and raw almond milk. unlike companies that offer vegetarian options as a sideline, sarnia focuses exclusively on this sector. customers can enjoy a close relationship with the 19-strong sarnia team, as they will be led through the whole process, from creating recipes to managing sales. “there are people who are manufacturing similar things to us, but as it’s our name, our business, we are always going to ensure standards are high,” says nancy.

Looking ahead while the investment into the new site was a major landmark in the development of the business, the focus has now turned to growing the company. “we’ve seen year-on-year growth, but now we are here with the space available, we are actively looking for new customers and planning to add an npD division,” says patrick. as for the future: “in five years i’d like to have a full factory and happy staff – what more could you ask for?”

Tel: 01677 422501 www.sarniafoods.co.uk

DELIGHTED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH SARNIA FOODS April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

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{ Perfection Foods }

It Has to be Perfect Supplying retailers and wholesalers across the Uk, mainland Europe and beyond, perfection Foods is an award-winning bakery that always delivers the goods t perfection foods it’s all about quality. each cake created at the company’s production units is either hand-made or hand-decorated to a very high standard, which you may find unusual considering the company counts major multiples and large wholesalers among its clients.

a

enterprise park. from here, orders are dispatched to the company’s international customers.

Being centrally based allows the firm easy access to the rest of the uk, but the midlands is also a region where there are many key resources, suppliers and manufacturers close to hand.

Midlands manufacturers

A broad client base

one of the fastest growing companies in the midlands, perfection foods manufactures more than 40 different ranges of high-quality cakes. the business operates out of three sites in total. manufacturing for the uk market takes place in wednesbury, with a further manufacturing site in walsall, which is Brc approved and has been designed with an area for gluten-free production. the head office – opened in february 2012 by lord green, the uk minister for trade and investment at the time – is a 110,000 sq ft site located at walsall

perfection foods’ clients range from the major multiples, including the cooperative, morrisons and asda, to leading independent wholesalers and retailers such as makro, nisa and spar. looking over the channel at mainland europe, the company supplies supermarket giants such as carrefour and intermarché. as the export team step up activities further afield, new customers have come onboard in key north african markets and asia, as well as north and south america.

April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

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{ Perfection Foods }

The Fabulous 40 the 40-plus ranges produced by perfection foods cover a broad selection of British staples, such as round cakes, finger slices, loaf cakes and flapjacks. there are also american-inspired products, from muffins and brownies to giant cookies in a wide variety of flavours. for those operating in the foodservice sector, there is a dedicated range suitable for catering, comprising a number of cake slices, fairy cakes, cupcakes, muffins, mini square loafs and mini cakes. to celebrate the annual festive events in the calendar, perfection foods also produces specialist products, with christmas loafs, individually wrapped cake slices and muffins for christmas; cakes, cupcakes and muffins for easter; and specially designed cupcakes or round cakes for valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day.

Award-winning artisans over the years, the company has won a raft of regional and national awards, including beating more than 120 rivals to the Barclays Best Development of international markets award in 2010. in 2012, perfection foods was awarded the made in the midlands award for export growth, following its expansion into new markets abroad.

Millennium start-up perfection foods was founded in the year 2000 by two brothers, both with more than 30 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience of baking and other industries. while Balwinder singh Bath learned his craft working in a number of bakeries, sukdev singh Bath followed a varied business career from markets to retail shops and garment factories. their first factory was a small unit of 4,500 sq ft, from where they supplied local independent retailers in walsall and wednesbury. the company grew steadily, winning custom among the larger wholesalers and multiples.

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staffing levels increased and the family-run business welcomed each of sukdevâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three sons into the fold as they graduated from university, with the eldest, gurdeep, focusing his attention on export possibilities. even during the early years, the company wanted to explore the many possibilities in the export market and carried out intensive market research to identify suitable products for specific countries.

The process Baking exceptional products begins with sourcing high-quality ingredients, some of which are organic. there has also been extensive investment back into the business, in the form of state-of-the-art ovens. following quality control, cakes are filled and decorated by hand and quickly packaged and dispatched within 24 hours of production to ensure maximum freshness. when it comes to the export market, perfection foods has perfected its process, offering frozen or ambient products with an extended shelf life. with a dedicated in-house export team and a partnership with kapital exports, the company is able to rebrand and repackage products speedily to suit the requirements of overseas customers. for domestic customers, the central england location of the factories ensures quick and speedy delivery across the uk, using its own fleet of vans. Delivery is usually within 24 hours of the order being completed.

The future as the company expands in the domestic market and reaches further afield into the export market, it will continue to provide local employment for many in the midlands. with significant expansion achieved in its first 18 years of existence, perfection foods will no doubt continue to grow and thrive as it heads towards its 21st birthday.

April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

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{ Steins Foods }

Zollipops – The After You Eat Treats By securing the Uk distribution rights for Zollipops, Steins Foods has demonstrated what it does best – bringing new, unique products to market ahead of its competitors

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ith a suite of around 1,500 products, steins foods has plenty to offers its customers, especially in the american food, free-from, natural, gourmet and kosher markets. “there are a lot of competitors but what we like to do is bring new and innovative products into the market,” explains managing Director, steve steinhart. “i go to exhibitions all over the world to source products that are not available in the uk. they have to be different and they have to be good quality – we keep away from ‘me too’ products; we like to stand out in the market. to find something that’s different and that nobody imports is a challenge. you have to have an eye for what products will work here.”

Sugar-free treats the company has high hopes for one particular new brand: Zollipops. Billed as the after you eat treats®, Zollipops are natural, sugar-free lollipops for children, approved by the international authority for sugar claims, sugarwise.

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“we launched recently online and have plans to go into retail,” says steve steinhart. “Zollipops are recommended for after meals to help clean teeth and we’ve had a lot of interest from dentists and schools.”

Developed in the us, Zollipops help to reduce the acidity that develops in the mouth after meals and to restore oral ph levels to fight against cavities. they are also non-gmo, gluten free, dairy free, fat free, vegan and kosher, with all colours derived from plant-based sources. and they are suitable for those who need to avoid sugars, such as children with autism.

Customer base products are sold into a range of outlets, from delis and health food stores to independent groceries and kosher stores. “free from is popular around the country, while kosher products are predominantly for stores in places like london, manchester and newcastle,” explains steve steinhart. “in london we’re in high-end retailers like partridges, wholefood markets and planet organic.

{ Steins Foods }

“we export to a few european countries, including Belgium and austria, but most of our trade is in the uk.”

New facility founded in 2009, steins foods is currently seeing annual growth of around 15% and moved its staff of 10 to a new unit in rickmandsworth road, watford, in June 2017. “it was a massive leap in terms of growth as it’s a much bigger unit. at first we thought it might be too big for us, but we’re now likely to be growing out of this site in the next two or three years.”

Ambitions for growth

popcorn brand, long before the market became overcrowded, steve steinhart is aware of the importance of being first to market with new products. “we’re very focused on Zollipops; we’re pitching the brand to the bigger stores, and a lot of people are very excited by it,” he says. with its unique profile filling a recognised gap in the market, the sugar-free lollipop is expected to be a leading product for the company – and a way of making children’s visits to the dentist a little more bearable!

Tel: 0208 900 1000 Email: info@steinsfoods.com www.steinsfoods.com

looking ahead, growth is expected both in listings and online sales.

“Because we’ve moved to the new site we’re ambitious to grow,” says steve steinhart. “at the old site we were restricted by our size; we were constantly being offered new products but we just couldn’t take them. over the next 12 to 24 months, we want to achieve national listings for some of our products, whether with a supermarket or a specialist chain.” having achieved early success with a gourmet

April/May 2018 Food & Drink News

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{ Marybelle Dairy }

Eastern Promise A leading distributor of milk, cream and yoghurt throughout the east of England, Marybelle Dairy is thriving under new owners, with expansion plans on the horizon

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t began as a tale of two cows: a holstein, telstar mary, and an award-winning Jersey, Duncan Belle. their owners, who were looking for ways of marketing their milk, established the business in 2002, with a focus on delivering high-quality products and a commitment to protecting and improving dairy farming in the uk. in 2014, the suffolk-based business was purchased by Belgian company pur natur, and a programme of investment began.

Taking it to the next stage with a turnover of around €98m (£87m), pur natur operates out of four sites in Belgium and supplies all of the major retailers in Belgium, holland and into france.

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having worked for pur natur for around eight years, colin kiddell – now sales manager at marybelle – was tasked with finding a suitable uk site. “i looked around and spoke to various companies,” he explains. “i already knew James strachan, one of the directors of marybelle, and was able to start the discussions.” investment was needed in the dairy to take it to the next stage, which pur nature was able to do, in the form of a new pasteurisation area and yoghurt packing line. although the farmgate price of milk – an average monthly price paid by dairies for milk, measured by Defra – at one point dropped to below 20p a litre, marybelle has maintained a higher price to help its suppliers with sustainability.

{ Marybelle Dairy }

On the doorstep at present, all of the farms the business deals with are based within an eight-mile radius of its site in halesworth, suffolk, apart from those supplying organic milk, but moving forward this may change as the company expands. “we do focus very heavily on the local aspect and the marybelle name is very well known in east anglia,” says colin kiddell. “the dairy market has changed dramatically, if you look at the map now, we are the biggest producing dairy left in east anglia. there are two smaller producers who service a small area in the radius of their farm, but the whole map has changed dramatically since the large companies moved or were sold.” as well as the benefit of having a locally recognised brand, the local supply of milk goes a long way towards keeping the company’s carbon footprint low.

Found in a store near you the dairy supplies the east of england co-op with milk, cream and yoghurt under a local initiative and also has yoghurts listed with two stores run by the national co-op in east anglia. other outlets in the local area stocking products from the dairy include major multiples asda, waitrose

and morrisons, and the university of east anglia. a range of marybelle yoghurts are sold into schools in suffolk, norfolk, cambridgeshire, leicestershire and staffordshire. then there’s a network of seven wholesalers who purchase marybelle products to supply a range of customers in the east anglia area, from restaurants and hotels to farm shops, delicatessens and other independent retailers.

Brand new while all of the milk and cream and some of the yoghurts are packaged under the marybelle brand, the production site now has soil association approval, so organic yoghurt is supplied under the pur nature range. “our aim is to maintain the local focus on marybelle, as people know the brand,” says colin kiddell. “however, we are also in discussion with another dairy company to produce a range of organic yoghurts for them.”

Capacity to expand although marybelle is relatively small in terms of production, producing around 70,000-80,000 litres a week, there is capacity to expand and the aim is to develop yoghurt sales on a national basis to all areas of the uk, which will require more milk suppliers. at present there are around 20 staff, including a new sales and marketing assistant, who is coordinating a campaign of yoghurt tastings in local co-op stores with a coupon offer, to encourage consumers to try the products.

BRC and beyond the company is also preparing for its Brc inspection in July, with a view to becoming a fully accredited Brc site. along with the soil association approval it already has, this is expected to open doors to new customers, including some of the major retailers. “in the uk we have seen growth and the investment continues with the work we are doing to achieve Brc, says colin kidell. “we are talking to potential customers about three major contracts; if we can achieve those it will make a big difference to our business.” moving forward the plan is both consolidation and expansion: “our aim is to maintain the marybelle brand in east anglia as a local product and then to develop our yoghurt business on a national basis and gain listings with some of the major retailers.”

Tel: 01986 784658 www.marybelle.co.uk

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{ Phillips Fine Foods }

Loved by Locals The Isle of Wight’s only commercial fish smoking company, phillips Fine Foods, is also a preferred supplier of fresh and frozen fish and seafood to local hospitality and retail outlets

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ocated two miles off the south coast of england, with a population similar to that of a large town, the isle of wight has plenty of potential custom for fish – which phillips fine foods is ready and waiting to supply. servicing hotels, pubs, clubs, restaurants and shops, including one of the island’s co-op stores, the business operates from a purpose-built site on the outskirts of the seaport town of cowes. “we are predominantly island-based as transporting goods off the island is not cost effective,” explains Jackie Dove, one of the Directors. “there is competition for fresh and frozen fish and shellfish from both local and national companies, but we are the island’s specialists at smoking – the only company set up

commercially to do so.”

From Cowes to the Caribbean originally founded in the 1970s by richard phillips, the company began as a producer of smoked salmon, supplying a few local hotels and restaurants, but primarily shipping to the caribbean, where it still has some customers today. after richard phillips retired, the business was taken over by Jeff Dove, Jackie’s father, who restarted the production of smoked salmon and gradually expanded the suite of products to include wet and frozen fish. today, phillips fine foods offers a wide range of whole and filleted fresh fish, such as cod, haddock, hake, salmon and trout – all to suit customer demand

Despite the limitations of a market confined to a small Island, the business has continued to grow, largely through word of mouth, winning over new customers and building on existing relationships.

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{ Phillips Fine Foods }

and sourced from the local and national markets, which are visited up to five times a week.

New premises the steady growth of the business prompted a move from its original location at wight farm in Binstead to a facility in cowes, but within a few years the company was in need of more space and the decision was taken to purchase the current site in northwood. the new facility was purpose built to accommodate the various activities, including smoking, a specialist process requiring a specially designed layout. “we smoke lots of different fish and seafood, not just salmon,” says tracy mowlam. “we offer haddock, which is naturally smoked over chips, a kiln-roasted salmon, smoked mackerel, prawns, crevettes and smoked mussels, which are absolutely beautiful. it’s a natural process using oak-smoked kilns; we don’t use any chemicals, just salt and oak smoke. if somebody requires something smoked and it stands still long enough, we’ll smoke it!” the site also has five tanks that pump seawater so that live lobsters can be kept on site, ensuring continuity of supply, live or cooked, even during busy periods. “we’ve reinvested a lot of money into the business,” says Jackie’s fellow Director, tracy mowlam. “we’re always renewing our machinery and have invested in a new wet room, new fridges, chillers and vans, to maintain the best quality service we can for our

customers. we want to improve however possible, whether by updating machinery, providing a more flexible service or developing staff.”

During the busy summer months, the core eight or 10 employees are joined by additional staff, and full training is given, as even those who have worked as chefs may not have experience of smoking fish. “we try to maintain a really good atmosphere amongst the staff and we hope they will grow with us. when you lose staff, it’s very detrimental to the business as you have to start again with recruitment and training, and it’s a long process.”

Retail the business operates two shops, one on cowes high street and the other on the site of the factory, selling a range of fresh, frozen and smoked fish and seafood, including cooked lobster and poached and decorated salmon. some of the fish and seafood is caught in the islands own waters, although the supply around the isle of wight is limited. “there’s only a small fishing fleet around the island as it’s very tidal,” explains tracy mowlam. “local fishermen bring in catches like bream, plaice, skate and lobster, but we couldn’t get the likes of haddock and hake. we have to buy what our customers are asking for and the small fleet around the island couldn’t cope with the demand, so most of the fresh fish we buy from the local fishermen is sold through our shops rather than going to trade.”

Looking ahead Despite the limitations of a market confined to a small island, the business has continued to grow, largely through word of mouth, winning over new customers and building on existing relationships. “our long-term plan is to have a kitchen so we can go into markets like fish pies and fish cakes,” says tracy mowlam. “we have the skilled staff and an in-house chef, but we need to keep reinvesting in the business, so that in five years’ time we have our kitchen built.”

Tel: 01983 282200 www.phillipsseafoods.co.uk

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{ Raynor Foods }

Raynor Foods Ltd Launch New Packaging Raynors will begin to debut their new packaging this month, taking inspiration from nature for their vibrant new design

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he new designs feature British landscapes which make up panoramic views when placed together in their respective ranges. the aim of the design is to improve shelf impact for the different ranges. the new packaging will have a soft launch as the old packaging is used up to limit waste and is expected to be fully rolled out by the first week of June. tanya everest-ring, marketing manager, who has been spearheading the redesign, said: “with all our environmental awards, it would be very un-green of us to decide to simply throw away any excess old design stock. there will be a short period where we transition from the old design to the new, but our customers understand the reasons for having to do this.” as well as the colourful new designs, the new packaging also features clear nutritional tombstones plus additional easy-to-interpret nutritional symbols on the front to give consumers added nutritional information. for the customer group who are signed up to cQuin food standards, cQuin compliance is also highlighted on pack – making this easy to identify. the new design also features the a-Z of sandwichology across the side, spelling out what

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makes raynors products special. the revolutionary redesign is the first since 2015 and is an exciting departure from their existing design which incorporates illustrated pictures of ingredients and even managing Director, matthew raynor’s famous bowler hat. raynors have also redesigned their pos to match the new design ahead of the launch. the design process included consulting consumers across the raynors customer base to receive their input on their favourite design direction out of five possible routes. tanya said: “the 16-24 age group is one of our largest consumer bases, so it was important to gauge their opinion during the redesign process. we saw a huge difference of opinion between age groups and it was interesting to see what topped the vote.” the new design has been previewed to customers and received a wealth of good feedback so far, with praise for its bright and clear design. the clear colour coding and names are aimed to streamline the sandwich selecting process and help ease queues and serving times in environments like schools and universities when timing can be tight.

{ Forward Features List }

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