Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Magazine - Issue 193

Issue 193 September 2019

& Italian food magazine

NEW High-Quality

Halal certified pizza toppings

by Tulip Foodservice

Our new range of frozen Halal pizza toppings consists of six products enabling us to supply your complete requirement.

We have carefully selected a high-quality Halal range that comprises of pepperoni, salami, turkey, chicken and beef products.

Read more on pages 32 & 33 www.papa.org.uk

Editor Clare Benfield telephone 01291 636336 e-mail clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Advertising Andrew Emery telephone 01291 636334 e-mail andrew@jandmgroup.co.uk

Production Jayson Berry telephone 01291 636339 e-mail jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk

Subscriptions Kevin Minton telephone 01291 636335 e-mail kevin@jandmgroup.co.uk

Welcome The PAPA Awards and finals of the Pizza and Pasta Chef of the Year competitions draw close – turn to page 20 to find out more.

In this issue, we report on the recent Nantwich Cheese Festival and a visit to one of Italy’s most well known flour mills – Grandi Molini in Venice.

Multi-talented Sicilian chef, Enzo Oliveri, also offers an insight into his career.

J & M Group

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR

Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, NP16 5DB.

Opinions expressed in Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of J&M Group, Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food magazine or The Pizza & Pasta Association. No responsibility is accepted for the opinions of contributors.

Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food is published by J&M group Ltd. and supports The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association.

It is circulated to managers, executives, buyers, retailers and traders in the pizza and pasta business. © J&M Group Ltd. 2019 2

clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Contents NEWS

FEATURES

4

40 Tomatoes – we pay homage to this Italian essential.

Hot topics up for debate at the Restaurant Show 2019.

5 Vegan takeaway orders have more than quadrupled in last two years.

6 Domino’s Pizza Group plc announce interim results.

8 World pizza eating competition has a smashing time!

12 New test to combat buffalo mozzarella fraud uncovers mislabelled products.

46 Packaging profile – the importance of packaging.

ARTICLES 16 Brexit: Serving up a hiring disaster?

44 Cheese in the spotlight – the Nantwich Cheese Festival.

PROFILES

PAPA

34 Grandi Molini 50 Tasting Sicily – Enzo Oliveri.

20 24 28 31

54 Pizza My World – Eurilait’s Craig Brayshaw.

56 Index of PAPA registered suppliers.

PAPA Awards 2019.

Pizza Chef of the Year 2019.

Pasta Chef of the Year 2019.

Association update.

REGULARS

September 2019

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PHONE: +44 (0) 1457 872486

Our pizza pans are currently in use all over the world and over 500 million pizzas a year are cooked on our products.

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PIZZA PANS

PIZZA ACCESSORIES

BAKEWARE

COOKWARE

KITCHEN ACCESSORIES

FOOD STORAGE

NEWS Eurostar Commodities launches Della Terra Pizza Flour Eurostar Commodities has introduced Della Terra - a new premium quality high protein pizza flour, at 13%, that has been created to deliver perfect results for both high calibre ‘deep pan’ and ‘thin crust’ style pizzas, say the company.

Milled from carefully selected high protein wheats with strong gluten, say Eurostar, Della Terra absorbs more water than other flours, giving a higher dough yield and excellent consistent results.

Coming from Eurostar Commodities portfolio of high quality ingredients Della Terra pizza flour has been especially developed by the technical development team, for the fast paced environments of take away, fast food and convenience restaurants, say the firm.

Philip Bull, MD, Eurostar Commodities, said: “Absolutely delighted to bring to market Della Terra pizza flour which reliably over exceeds expectations creating a crispy and golden crust and an airy, soft base. This will really add value to the convenience market especially offering fantastic quality at a highly competitive price. We believe this will deliver stand-out pizza that consistently delivers great tasting results time after time.”

Davide D’Auria, technical development manager, Eurostar Commodities added: “Our Della Terra absorbs more water than other flours available in this market. This means higher quality and an increased yield.

We recommend at least 600 ml water for every kilo of Della Terra flour and this means more dough balls and more consistent high quality pizza.

We’ve also had positive feedback from early customers who tell us that Della Terra is easy to use, and also extremely versatile, perfect for making Italian Ciabatta and Focaccia breads as well.”

Della Terra Pizza Flour forms part of Eurostar Commodities successful own brand Italian range including Peeled Plum Tomatoes, Chopped Tomatoes and Pizza Ready Sauce, as well as Fior di Maiella pizza seasonings and Donna Chiara dried pasta.

4

Hot topics up for debate at the Restaurant Show 2019 Organisers of the Restaurant Show 2019 (www. therestaurantshow.co.uk) have given a first taste of the speakers preparing to set the stage alight with knowledge, insight and advice.

European-style food halls have already been tipped as one of the biggest trends to hit the UK. Thomas Rose, a sector specialist, will be joined on the show stage by a panel of industry experts to look at how food halls are disrupting the casual dining scene and explore just how sustainable the trend is.

With staff shortages regularly in the news, it’s vital that restaurateurs and pub owners don’t forget to invest in a company’s biggest asset – the people. Visitors to the show will be able to hear from a host of business-owners and industry specialists including Chris Moore from the Clink, Dan Grantham from Yo Sushi, Angela Malik from Thirsk Hospitality and Dan Barnes from Caprice Holdings.

Joining the Restaurant Show speaker lineup for the first time is Chloe Combi, a world leading expert on Generation Z and the author of a book that defined and put Generation Z on the map - Generation Z: Their Voices, Their Lives.

Northern restaurants and bars are growing at more than double the rate of those in

London and northern cities are dominating hospitality league tables, and on day two of the show, Stefan Chomka will meet the inspirational people driving the boost. This panel includes Mark Birchall from Moor Hall which came out on top in the National Restaurant Awards as well as Neil Bentinck, chef owner from Skosh and Stosie Madi, chef patron at The Parkers Arms. These panellists will be exploring how struggling casual dining chains can provide fresh opportunities for smart and ambitious independents.

To stay ahead of the plant-powered revolution, visitors to the show can join a panel of experts including high street chain development chefs, world-renowned vegan advocates to casual dining chefs. This includes leading female chef, Chantelle Nicholson and Derek Sarno from Wicked Kitchen and Tesco.

In addition, the Restaurant Show will also play host to the two biggest culinary events in the UK - the National Chef of the Year final, and for the first time ever, the UK selection for the Bocuse d’Or candidate will take place at the show as chefs battle it out to represent the UK in the Bocuse d’Or Continental selection in Estonia 2020.

Jestic announce new exclusive UK distribution agreement Jestic Foodservice Equipment (www.jestic. co.uk) has announced that it will be adding to its already extensive portfolio of catering equipment with the introduction, and exclusive UK distribution, of Frontline International, a leader in oil management solutions.

Frontline International designs and manufactures a range of automated equipment for the storage, handling, and disposal of cooking oil, chicken fat and grill grease. This not only helps to improve safety, but also generates savings and improves an operation’s sustainability credentials, say Jestic.

“We are delighted to have secured the UK distribution rights for Frontline International’s award-winning range of oil management equipment that perfectly complements our existing portfolio of high-quality catering equipment. Frontline’s automated Smart Oil Management® system offers customers real savings by maximising oil usage and increasing productivity, whilst at the same time improving safety within the kitchen as employees never again have to handle hot oil,” said Jestic’s sales

director, Steve Morris.

Anthony Hodkinson, Sales Director EMEA of Frontline International added: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Jestic. Through their portfolio of leading brands, and the obvious bond with Henny Penny fryers, we are looking forward to a very exciting period within the UK marketplace. Customers globally are responding to our drive for safe, sustainable and profitable cooking oil use and we look forward to bringing this message to the UK.” Offering oil management solutions to suit any size of operation, Frontline International has completed over 30,000 installations worldwide, helping 250 clients, including major QSR chains, to manage their waste oil and turn it into a profit centre. It will join Jestic Foodservice Equipment’s range of leading brands including Henny Penny, Josper, Wood Stone, Vitamix, Alfa, Edge, Sveba Dahlen, Irinox, Rotisol, Rosinox and Winston CVap. September 2019

NEWS

Vegan takeaway orders have more than quadrupled in last two years Orders of takeaway vegan food have increased by 388% since 2016, according to new research commissioned by the British Takeaway Campaign (BTC), with orders of vegetarian food having also increased by 136%, they report.

Other cuisines to see significant growth over the last two years are Greek (69%), Caribbean (56%), Persian (34%) and Thai (24%).

The increase in orders of healthy food and different cuisines is part of an explosion in growth of the takeaway sector, driven by new technology and changing consumer habits, claim BTC. Their research, carried out

by Retail Economics, found that overall consumer spending on takeaways has increased by 18% to £12.5bn in 2018, from £10.6bn in 2015, with the sector growing at roughly twice the rate of the overall economy. That growth is forecast to continue into the next decade, with £15bn forecast to be spent by 2023, report BTC. The report also found that the average household spent £38 per month on takeaways in 2018 (a 25% rise on the last decade) and that takeaways now account for almost 15% of household expenditure on food (an increase from nearly 11% in 2015).

As for the state of the takeaway sector, the number of takeaway restaurants is up 25% since 2015 (from 30,189 to 37,732), the BTC found, and the number of jobs is up 5% since 2015 (from 273,961to 286, 798).

40% of takeaway owners are first-time entrepreneurs and £5.9 billion of additional direct wealth was created for the UK economy in 2018 as well as a further £3.2 billion through its supply chain and £3.2 billion from spending by those employed in the sector.

The value created by takeaways makes up almost 12% percent of the entire food services industry (including restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars and events).

The report is not all good news for the sector, however.

Takeaway owners highlighted access to skilled workers as an acute area of concern, alongside the increasing cost of food due to the drop in Sterling. Government figures also show that chefs are the most in-demand skilled trade (according to the latest Employers Skills Survey, compiled by the Department for Education and published in 2018) and the sector currently relies on EU and non-EU migration to supply 25% of the workforce.

In response to these challenges, the BTC is calling for an urgent acceleration of plans to upskill young people in the UK along with the development of a points-based immigration system which, like Australia’s, recognises chefs as of strategic long-term

value to the economy. This would allow takeaway owners to recruit skilled chefs from abroad to fill the significant gap in the workforce, while more young people from the UK study for the necessary qualifications, they reason.

As a result, the BTC is asking the government to bring forward the introduction of the Catering and Hospitality T-level (the technical equivalent of A-levels announced by the government last year, to 2021), to introduce a medium- and long-term strategic skills list, as exists in the Australian Points Based immigration system.

“The takeaway sector has firmly established itself as an engine room of the UK economy – providing growth, jobs and opportunities for entrepreneurs to start up their own thriving businesses,” said Ibrahim Dogus, chair of the BTC. “And as people look for healthier and more diverse eating options, they aren’t turning away from takeaways – they are turning towards them. What we need from the government are policies that support this great British success story. That means more vocational training for young Brits and an immigration system that ensures that skilled chefs can come to the UK too.”

Delivery spend up and pizza preferred Spend data from Cardlytics - based on the transactions of over 2.5 million UK bank customers in 2018 - has looked specifically at the UK dining sector, revealing that spend on delivery services was +19% in 2018, significantly outperforming the sector and single-handedly driving growth in UK dining from a category level while spend on dining overall stalled (+3% year-on-year compared to +9% in 2017 and +17% in 2016, they report).

Spend per order on food delivery has risen incrementally from £18.97 in 2015 to

£20.56 in 2018, they note, compared with a decline from £21.73 in 2015 to £19.95 in 2018 at physical restaurants. Older consumers are driving growth in spend per order (those aged between 49-58 years spent on average £21.95 per order in 2018, compared with those between 19-28 years who spent just £19.30, they discovered).

Pizza was one of the few cuisines to experience growth in 2018, claim Cardlytics, with spend +3.83% in 2018, including the likes of takeaway giant Domino’s and

specialist pizza restaurants like Pizza Pilgrims.

However, across all age groups, consumers opted for pizza over pasta and dining-out for eating-in, but with spend on Italian restaurants falling significantly by -12.48% in 2018, they found.

“Delivery services continue to be the big success story in the UK. Powered by the ease and speed of delivery apps, as well as endless choice, it’s unlikely this stellar growth will slow,” said Duncan Smith, head of business development at Cardlytics UK.

www.papa.org.uk 5

NEWS

Domino’s Pizza Group plc announce interim results In its interim results for the 26 weeks to June 30, 2019, Domino’s Pizza Group plc has reported good UK & Ireland performance, but says that its international business remains challenging Financial headlines included group system sales up 4.7%, and UK like-for-like excluding splits up 3.9% (1.8% including splits), with an improving trend through the half (LFL excluding splits Q1: 3.1%, Q2: 4.8%). ROI like-for-like excluding splits up 6.9% (5.4% including splits) and UK & Ireland operating profit £51.6m, up 7.1% International performance remains challenging, they added, with international system sales down 3.4% (up 0.4% on a constant currency basis) and international operating loss £6.4m (versus £1.8m loss in H1 2018).

Active discussions with UK & Ireland franchisees continue, they report, with new store openings and some working practices being impacted whilst these are ongoing, but they remain committed to finding sustainable, win-win solutions but anticipate that resolution will take time (likely into 2020). 13 stores opened in H1, of which seven are in the UK, and taking the group total to 1,272. Digital continues to drive customer engagement with online now accounting for 82% of UK system sales.

David Wild, current group chief executive officer, has informed the Domino’s board that he plans to retire.

Emily Somers has joined as chief marketing officer, having previously been vice president of marketing and food development at McDonalds, and David Wild, group chief executive officer, has informed the Board that he plans to retire (a process to recruit a successor is progressing and a further update is likely later this year, report the company).

Commenting on the results, David Wild said: “Our core UK and Republic of Ireland markets delivered a good performance, with system sales up 5.5% and underlying

operating profit up 7.1%. Digital remains a key driver of customer engagement, with online now accounting for 82% of total sales in the UK. Although a small part of our business, we are delivering pleasing operational improvements in our London corporate store estate.

“The relationship with our UK and Ireland franchisees is very important to the longterm sustainable growth of the system. We are actively involved in detailed discussions and are giving these considerable focus and attention. Whilst dialogue is continuing, new store openings are being delayed and some of our working practices are being impacted. The situation is complex, and we expect resolution will take some time, likely into 2020. We are committed to working with our franchisees to agree sustainable win-win solutions.

“The performance of our International business is very challenging and trading visibility remains limited. The weakest performance was in Norway, although we also saw increasing losses in Sweden and Switzerland. Iceland profitability was impacted by the weak macro-economic backdrop. We are very focused on improving our operational capability across our International markets and will provide a further update at our full year results.”

Terra Terra opens in London A brand new, all day Italian restaurant, bakery and bar, Terra Terra (www.terraterra. co.uk) - part of the Ghost Group – has launched at 120 Finchley Road in London.

Seating 110 guests, Terra Terra serves breakfast, lunch and dinner at affordable prices. The Ghost Group is a London based hospitality group that focuses on developing and operating leisure based assets (restaurants, bars, hotels, and members clubs) here in the UK, Europe and the U.S. Terra Terra says that it will be an experiential neighbourhood destination, to be enjoyed any time of the day - from baked pastries, fresh juices and espressos in the morning, to late night signature cocktails, hand cut pasta and market driven specials.

Inspired by the rural simplicity of Italian cooking, Terra Terra’s offering is centred on artisanal creations, using the purest Italian and seasonal British produce to create progressive and simple dishes that celebrate the versatile and subtle ways 6

the ingredients can be enjoyed, say the company.

The menu journey begins with a choice of chichetti, followed by a flavoured selection of small plates featuring beef carpaccio with crispy Parmesan and the tuna crudo served with smoked aubergine and stracciatella. Also on offer are Terra Terra’s in-house pizzette and pasta creations.

They say that their culinary mantra is to locate the best organic produce that has been nurtured and cultivated by farmers and purveyors who share Terra Terra’s passion for quality, with dishes such as bigoli pasta served with aglio, olio, peperoncino & clams and fennel sausage, roasted peppers & chilli oil pizzette, conveying this sentiment. And for those on the go, they can pop in and grab a fresh detox juice, colourful salads and panino available throughout the day.

As with true Italian culture, aperitivo also plays a large part at Terra Terra via a cocktail

list which focuses on the use of herbs, vinegars and spices to deliver Dry Martinis, Americanos and Terra Terra’s Signature Spritzer - a British inspired Italian aperitif.

The subtle Italian tones of the decor compliment the flavours of the menu, feel the restaurant, bringing to life the longing for simple, honest Italian living, and aimed at making time spent at Terra Terra a welcoming, relaxing and memorable experience.

September 2019

NEWS FOCUS

n o ti ti e p m o c g n ti a e a z iz p World has a smashing time!

Two world records were smashed at the World Pizza Eating Championships which took place at the Peterborough Italian Festival held in July at the city’s Cathedral square, and adding a real competitive edge to a wonderful fun weekend.

The internationally recognised pizza eating competition - of which the 1980s launch was originally heavily supported by the then Pizza and Pasta association with the help of chairman Jim Winship - has been organised for many years by local pizza 8

company Papa Luigi, and now the world record set by Geoff Rumblelow in the 1980’s has finally been surpassed.

Local lad Simon ‘Ape’ Hearn, a giant of a man, wiped a whole ten seconds off the world record, coming in with a fantastic time of 2 minutes and 27 seconds for a traditional 12” Margherita. Simon Hearn was thrilled with his win, saying, “I went in with high hopes but there was stiff opposition with the Peterborough Phantoms and the Bearded Villains who looked in very hungry form. It

was tough at the end, but one last spurt and I nailed the coveted trophy and I am thrilled to be the new World record holder.”

The second world record attempt was with the Super Caldo - another 12” pizza that is not recommended for mere mortals.

A very generous sprinkling of chilli flakes sitting on a bed of cheese and tomato, followed up with copious amounts of hot peppers and Jalapenos, cranks up the heat to a maximum that health and safety would allow. Did this deter the Bearded Villains - a great bunch of local lads with a splendid array of beards and very warm hearts? No, they had their secret weapon - a fearless chap named Joey Davies who ripped through the pizza in a staggering three September 2019

NEWS FOCUS minutes 28 seconds, and who was too busy drinking water to cool down for comment afterwards!

Both winners were singing in the rain when they were presented with their trophies by Papa Luigi’s very own Emperor Massimino Malacrino, more commonly known on the celebrity circuit as the Italian Wolverine and assisted by Miss England finalist (local girl Domenique Fragale) who is now in the last 50 out of a record entry of 20,000 in her Miss England Competition and flying the flag high for Peterborough and Italians as she hopes to follow in the footsteps of the two World Champions.

Papa Luigi is a small independent group of franchises, recognised as the first pizza delivery company in the UK. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing back at the start in 1983, as their delivery van was stolen two days before the launch of the business, but undeterred the Scibelli brothers with lifetime friend Stef Malajny who put word out in the local paper, and when they offered a job to the unemployed lad who found the van, ITV television picked the story up and created a great bit of publicity for the start of a great adventure.

“At the time, we were most upset with our mini van being stolen, but we had painted it bright yellow so we had high

hopes of it being discovered and we were delighted with the extra advertising. The pizza delivery world is now of course far more competitive, but we like a competition!” said Stef Malajny picking up the story of Papa Luigi’s journey.

“We have always followed a set pattern that really works well. High quality products, some great offers, good publicity and thanking our local community at every opportunity by being involved with many charity fund raising events. Jim Winship and the Pizza and Pasta crew attended our very first World Pizza Eating competition in 1985 giving us fantastic support and encouragement to drive the business forward, and the world record set back then has only just been beaten years later after

many attempts, we are always grateful for the wonderful advice and motivation that Jim and the association have always given us and we thank them most heartily.”

Papa Luigi not only help with the organising of a wonderful Italian Festival which sees entertainment and foods brought in from Italy every year, but this year they have raised another £200 for childrens’ charities with pizza slice sales, and have also continued their local pizza demonstrations which the magazine recognised with a special award back in 1987, the pizza demos being a typical example of giving back to the people who support their business.

Stef Malajny says that he has now organised many free events with the lesser privileged school children, Brownies, Scouts and at the other end of the spectrum, the blind association, and their most recent demo at an old folks home which went down extremely well.

They have recently been requested to hold a demo at the local adult educational college where they will teach the catering students how to make a pizza from scratch, dough mixing techniques, creating fusions of different pizza sauces and how to prep fresh products and then eventually show the students how to hand stretch the bases and make a quality pizza.

action Grab your slice of the and subscribe today

Contact Andrew Emery | 01291 636344 | andrew@papa.org.uk

www.papa.org.uk 9

NEWS

Dinner time diners the hardest to please Pan’Artisan introduces Aglio Pebble Tear and Share Bread Pan’Artisan (www.panartisan.com) says that it has extended its range further with the introduction of a new variety of its hand-made, artisan Aglio Pebble Tear And Share Bread (aglio meaning garlic in Italian and pronounced ‘alio’).

The new addition perfectly addresses the increasing consumer demand for sharing platters and accompaniments, as the preference for more sociable and relaxed eating environments prevail, especially in the casual dining sector.

“To complement our existing Tear and Share Garlic Bread we have developed a new variant which is packed with flavour due to the delicious Italian herbs that are incorporated throughout the light and fluffy dough, plus a generous topping of fine quality, aromatic garlic butter that seeps into the bread on baking for a moist and flavourful menu choice, resulting in a truly Italian taste and delicious eating experience,” said David Jones, sales & marketing director, Pan’Artisan Ltd. The irregular round shape provides a rustic ‘homemade’ appearance whilst delivering a choice of portion sizes, suitable for both children and adults, say Pan’Artisan. The new bread is 7” in size, is quick to serve and easy to prepare, say the company - simply remove the paper liner, keep it in its baking case, place on a baking sheet and into a preheated oven 190-200oC for eight to 10 minutes to allow the garlic topping to melt into the bread.

Bake until golden brown, then serve.

They are Available in packs of 12 per case, 90 cases to a pallet.

10

By analysing hundreds of thousands of reviews across the restaurant and bar industries, the latest data from online reputation specialist, Feed It Back, reveals that customers are the most critical during the evening daypart.

Their statistics, which track customer satisfaction scores across the breakfast, lunch and dinner dayparts, reveal that the overall satisfaction score of customers is lowest in the evening at 90.8%; which is followed by the lunchtime daypart (92.4%); and the breakfast daypart (93.0%).

These satisfaction scores are creating by aggregating elements tracked in every guest satisfaction survey by Feed It Back, which give businesses a score out of five across six key metrics – food, drink, cleanliness, atmosphere, service and value.

Looking at what is driving the results, guests were particularly critical of the evening daypart when it came to atmosphere and value, which scored 4.5 and 4.4 out of five, respectively, they found. Digging deeper into atmosphere, ‘loud music’ features prominently on negative review scores, suggesting that customers seek out a more relaxed environment for their evening meal.

Conversely, the atmosphere score over the lunchtime period was positively driven by the word ‘quiet’ with 11% of respondents giving a positive rating when referencing this. Another key theme for the lunchtime daypart was speed of service, with many respondents specifically mentioning the word ‘quick’ in a positive review.

Commenting on the insight, Carlo Platia, CEO

of Feed It Back said: “Knowing the minute details of what your customer wants is the cornerstone of any good business. But this challenge is getting increasingly hard for restaurant and bar operators, with the ever-changing wants and needs of consumers driven by evolving trends and increased competition.

“To help businesses make informed decisions that drive loyalty and return custom, we gather meaningful guest insight through bespoke surveys, which we often enrich with data from social media feeds and review sites. The six key metrics listed above give us a solid acid test for how a site is performing and it’s fascinating to see the variance in what customers expect from each daypart and how operators should accommodate them.

“The data shows that customers’ expectations are greater during the evening, with previous research indicating that the majority of special occasion bookings, such as anniversaries or birthdays, taking place at this time. With this in mind, it’s crucial that operators are acting on the feedback and tweaking elements of their offer, or providing additional training so they can positively influence the customer experience.

“Often, subtle changes to the customer journey, such as turning down the volume of the music a few notches, can have a fundamental impact on whether customers would return. The businesses that thrive in the current competitive marketplace, will be the ones who succeed in driving loyalty and to do this, particularly across large estates, they will need to harness the power of insight.”

Pregel’s International Training Centre opens in London An academy of more than twenty-five established training centres, located globally, is dedicated to assisting professionals wishing to strengthen their existing knowledge and beginners to realise their dreams of learning the basic techniques within the field of Gelato and Pastry, and has now opened in London.

PreGel’s International Training Centre consists of a 210m2 development centre, located in London Fields, (three over-ground stops from Liverpool Street Station) London - a strategic position designed specifically for easy reach of the airport, over-ground or bus.

All attendees embarking on a gelato and/ or pastry course, will have access to eight workstations, a 24m2 conference room, an open space and an area to relax in for a coffee break and a view of London Fields from the many large windows surrounding the space.

An important and necessary space, feel the company, the new centre will offer professional and quality training encompassing PreGel’s fifty years of experience. Within those fifty years, the Italian company has specialised in the manufacture and production of ingredients, revolutionising the gelato shop industry with innovative products such as, Yoggi© and gaining some of the sector’s most important awards in food safety and quality.

PreGel UK’s first round of classes officially start in September with the ‘Fundamentals of Gelato and Sorbet production’ and ‘Pastry Basics’. The courses will continue until December with further opportunities based on the seasonal holidays and the latest beverage trends and anyone looking to start-up in a beverage business (for more information contact info@pregeluk).

September 2019

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NEWS FOCUS

New test to combat

buffalo mozzarella

fraud uncovers mislabelled products Scientists from the Quadram Institute at the Norwich Research Park have developed a test that differentiates between buffalo and cow’s milk, and between the cheeses made from them.

Applying the test to commercial products, they found that many restaurant meals and supermarket pizzas claiming to be buffalo mozzarella are mislabelled, and instead contain mozzarella made wholly or partially from cows’ milk.

Buffalo milk commands a premium price compared to cows’ milk and is used to make mozzarella cheese, and products labelled as “buffalo mozzarella” must be made solely with buffalo milk, and not with milk from any other species, point out the researchers. Mozzarella can also be made with cows’ milk, but this is a much lower priced product. Buffalo mozzarella is thus a target for fraudsters, either through mislabelling of cow’s milk mozzarella, or by partial substitution of buffalo with cows’ milk during production.

Because of this potential for fraud, tests that can detect adulteration are needed. To stay ahead of the fraudsters, scientists are constantly working to improve the effectiveness of analytical techniques, as well as making them practical for uptake by the 12

food industry.

Professor Kate Kemsley and her team at the Quadram Institute have developed a new method for testing the authenticity of buffalo mozzarella. This work was carried out as part of the FoodIntegrity project, funded by the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological

September 2019

NEWS FOCUS

development (the Quadram Institute receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)).

The test is based upon detecting slight differences between the ‘same’ protein from different species. It uses mass spectrometry, which allows very accurate measurement of the mass of molecules. Both buffalo and cows’ milk and cheese contain a protein called αs1-Casein, which differs between species by just 10 (out of >200) amino acids. These are the building blocks that make up proteins.

During sample preparation, the protein is broken down by an enzyme into shorter sequences of amino acids, called ‘peptides’.

The analytical test homes in on several distinctive ‘marker’ peptides which, due to the amino

acid sequence differences, are characteristic of either buffalo or cow. Using Multiple Reaction Monitoring Mass Spectrometry (MRM MS), the marker peptides are selected by their masses, fragmented further, and the individual fragments also analysed.

This provides a very high level of sensitivity and specificity. Relative quantities of each in a mixture can also be measured accurately.

Professor Kemsley and her team used their method to carry out a small survey of retail mozzarella products. Eight samples of supermarket cheeses specifically labelled as buffalo were all found to be 100% buffalo.

Five other samples, simply labelled mozzarella, were all 100% cow.

These samples showed no signs of adulteration.

However, when the scientists analysed other products labelled

as containing buffalo mozzarella, a number were shown to be suspicious. Two thirds of supermarket pizzas, restaurant pizzas and other restaurant dishes that claimed to be buffalo mozzarella contained at least some cows’ milk, they found, and in some, the mozzarella was 100% derived from cow.

The survey was primarily intended to assess the usefulness of the method for analysing real-world samples, including cooked, multi-ingredient products, but it has also raised concerns about the prevalence of species mislabelling. Consumers aren’t the only victims of this type of substitution, however, point out the researchers. For most products, buffalo mozzarella is added as discrete pieces, so if it contains milk from mixed animal sources, then the adulteration is

likely to have happened earlier in the supply chain. This means that the restaurants or supermarkets are also victims - possibly even the cheese producers themselves, if they are being unwittingly supplied with pooled milk from undeclared sources.

“The scale and complexity of modern food supply chains means that they are increasingly vulnerable to fraud,” said Prof Kemsley. “We’re hoping that by harnessing the latest technologies we can help to monitor and uncover food mislabelling, but it will need a concerted effort from across the industry and regulators to really tackle authenticity problems like this in the food sector.”

Attention to this test and challenge for retailers and suppliers in the supply chain was the subject of a recent BBC Fake Britain television programme report that revealed instances of what was detailed as buffalo mozzarella on the pizza packaging having actually been found to be made partially, or otherwise, from cow milk in subsequent testing by Quadram. Supermarket pizza retailers mentioned in the programme included Tesco and Waitrose (both of whose pizzas passed the test) and the Co-op and Aldi whose pizzas did not pass the test, with the programme going on to claim that their investigations suggested that “two in five supermarket pizzas are faking it” when it comes to buffalo mozzarella.

Aldi told Fake Britain: “Our supplier has robust systems in place and our tests on the product have confirmed that our buffalo mozzarella balls contain 98% buffalo milk, with the remaining 2% containing salt and other extracts.”

A spokesperson for Co-op told Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine: “We take great care to ensure the authenticity of our products and any allegations regarding potential food fraud crimes are taken very seriously, which is why the matter has been reported, and remains under investigation by the National Food Crime Unit. We would like to reassure our customers that all of the buffalo mozzarella that we use is 100% authentic.”

www.papa.org.uk 13

NEWS Nelson’s dual presence at Restaurant Show 2019 Nelson Dish & Glasswashers’ brand new range of Advantage Plus glasswashers and dishwashers will be on Stand GF39 at the Restaurant Show, alongside Nelson Catering Equipment.

Advantage Plus – which comprises a comprehensive range of undercounter, upright and pass through models - reduces running costs drastically by using minimal water, energy and chemicals, claim Nelson, running exceptionally quietly and producing superb results, and even delicate items can be washed safely and securely with a ‘soft start’ programme which gradually builds to full force. Also on display will be their Compact glasswasher whose diminutive dimensions mean it can be fitted into the small spaces.

In addition, Nelson will be showing a Waldorf Suite along with other Blue Seal equipment and is showing on-screen images from its impressive design portfolio to illustrate how the team has addressed a wide spectrum of challenges for its many restaurant clients.

Community barometer reveals what people want in their local area New research published by the Association of Convenience Stores has found that UK consumers are crying out for more specialist food shops and banks in their local area.

The ACS Community Barometer looks at which services the public want (and don’t want) around them, as well as how essential those services are, the impact they have on reducing loneliness, and whether those services overall have a positive impact on where they live.

Top of the list of services that people want more of are specialist food shops (first) and banks (second). Rising rents, the cost of business rates, and cuts in interchange fees for ATMs have led to widespread closures of bank branches amidst a continued decline of dedicated butchers, bakeries and other food stores, they observe. As these specialist services decline, convenience stores have been increasingly looking to invest to make them a part of their offer to customers.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Convenience stores have spent £633m over the last year investing in their businesses, with much of that work going toward bringing more and more services into their stores, from Post Office counters, to banking services, pharmacy counters and even bakeries and butchers within the shop. However, retailers are faced with the prospect of higher business rates whenever they improve their stores which can have a significant impact. Business rates need to incentivise investment, otherwise communities could face losing essential local services altogether.”

The Community Barometer also found that the number one most essential service, and the service that people believe has the most positive impact on their local area is the Post Office, followed by convenience stores (second) and coffee shops/cafes (third). Elsewhere in the research, coffee shops, pubs and convenience stores were seen as the three services that play the most important role in reducing loneliness for people in a local area due to the social nature of those businesses.

“The Community Barometer shows that local shops are much more than just a place to buy things, they’re a social hub for people in the community, especially those that are vulnerable or less able to travel. UK consumers are also sending a clear message that Post Offices are still as important to them as ever. Many Post Office branches are housed in convenience stores, but to provide this service requires investment and a model that makes financial sense for retailers. Convenience stores want to provide Post Offices, but cannot be expected to subsidise the network,” added James Lowman.

National Federation of Sub Postmasters CEO Calum Greenhow added: “These results once again demonstrate the vital role that post offices play across the UK. Clearly, local and national government stakeholders recognise the importance of post offices - but this recognition must go further. Sub-postmasters are investors in the post office network and occupy a unique position at the very heart of their communities; more must be done to support and reward them for their work.”

Nocciola Gelato scoops Great Taste Supreme Champion 2019 Following a record-breaking 12,772 entries, Great Taste, the world’s most revered food and drink awards, has reached its grand finale for 2019 and the top honour of Great Taste Supreme Champion has been awarded to Nocciola Gelato, made by Swoon Gelato from Bristol (www.swoononaspoon.co.uk).

The result of 75 days of rigorous judging, the Supreme Champion trophy was announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Dinner held on Sunday 1 September at the InterContinental Park Lane Hotel London, where over 350 guests from the world of fine food gathered to discover this year’s stars of food and drink.

The hazelnuts for this “silky smooth and super creamy” Nocciola Gelato, which was also awarded the Golden Fork from the South West, come from a small property in 14

Piemonte, where the trees have been tended to by the same family for four generations.

“Delivering exactly what it promises”, Swoon’s “faultless and unreal” Nocciola Gelato received high praise from the Great Taste judges, who were bowled over by its “sensational pure hazelnut flavour” and simply wanted more of this “very impressive gelato”.

Set up in 2016 by the fourth generation of the Forte family, who brought traditional Italian gelato to the UK over a century ago, Swoon has consistently impressed the Great Taste judges with its enchanting array of gelati and sorbetti. In 2017, four of its products received a 3-star Great Taste award, with this resounding success scooping Swoon the Great Taste Golden Fork for Producer of the Year. Following awards

for nine of its products in 2018, Swoon’s meteoric rise has culminated in the Great Taste Supreme Champion trophy in 2019, just three years after it first opened its doors.

Pat Powell from Swoon Gelato, Alex Pickering of Kenwood, Sarah Ballinger, Ana-Maria Forte, Bruno Forte, Louise Forte, Birgitte Sow and Luisa Fontana from Swoon Gelato.

September 2019

NEWS

Pizza chain and EPOS business mark unique 25-year partnership Restaurant tech platform, Andromeda, says that it is marking 25 years since it began a unique partnership with pizza chain Herbies.

Headquartered in Slough, Herbies was founded in 1985 and now has 24 takeaway sites across the South East of England, turning over £8million annually.

Andromeda was one of the first EPOS platforms to come into existence and in the midnineties Herbies became their first client, setting it apart from other restaurant chains who still relied on pen and paper.

“My relatives who ran the business at the time met the CEO of Andromeda, Ben, socially and he told them about the platform. We decided to trial the technology in our first restaurants in Sandhurst, Bracknell and Woking, to see if it made a difference. Over the years Ben worked with us to pinpoint the issues experienced in the restaurants that could be solved by an EPOS platform. In the early

days he’d physically come into the restaurants to witness the needs and challenges first-hand then he adapted the platform to make it work more effectively for us,” said Avi Brar, director of Herbies Pizza, on how the two companies have worked together over the years to build expertise and grow.

“Back then, no one knew what EPOS was capable of, as it was so new. But looking back, we can see it’s helped us grow and develop exponentially over the years.

Having Andromeda integrated was a brilliant USP, so we used it as a sales tool to encourage people to set up Herbies Pizza franchises.

“Day to day, the information we’re able to glean from the data is invaluable. The customer data enables us to create more personal experiences for people as well as remarket effectively to them. By demonstrating when our busiest times are, Andromeda enables us to plan when we need to have extra staff and drivers working to meet demand, as well as when

to prepare food to make sure it’s as fresh as possible. Other useful functions include monitoring stock levels as well as using weekly forecasts to help manage staff and payroll. All of this saves on managerial time and enables us to focus on building our customer base.

“In a nutshell, Andromeda takes every single aspect of opening a restaurant and makes it easier, as well as more efficient for those running the operation. We still meet with the Andromeda team regularly and get constant updates on how the platform is developing.

They’re always reaching further to make things even better for their clients.”

Ben Portsmouth, Co-Founder & CEO of Andromeda, commented: “Our partnership with Herbies over the years has been completely unique. We’ve sent 25 years working with the chain to see firsthand what challenges takeaways and restaurants face and have used this data and knowledge to build the platform we have today. We’re very proud of this partnership and are thrilled to see how much Herbies has grown partly as a result of integrating our platform.”

Andromeda provides ways of managing and improving whole restaurants from essential POS systems to sales, staff management and delivery tracking to stock taking and finances - all on one single easy-to-use platform, boasting a management team with over 60 years’ experience in actually running restaurants who have seen the industry evolve and change as they continually adapt their products to suit the needs of businesses as they start and grow with them.

Deliver your customer’s expectations With Andromeda POS

Andromeda are a leading provider of essential EPOS and Online ordering platforms to restaurants and takeaways.

As well as a dedicated and powerful order dispatch and tracking solution, our POS suite also provides kitchen management solutions, staff management, driver tracking, stock taking and financial control - all on one single easy-to-use platform.

Andromedas Online Ordering websites make it possible for you to have your own branded ordering platform offering both delivery and collection facilities.

Whether you are a single independent store, or a nationwide chain, we have a solution that is right for you.

It’s everything you need, and nothing you don’t Contact us today for more information

www.andromedapos.com

T: +44 (0) 208 328 8000 E: info@androtech.com www.papa.org.uk

15

NEWS

Celebrity chef Gennaro Contaldo to open Ice Cream & Artisan Foods Show Competition, the most prestigious industry awards, with winners announced at a Gala Dinner on Wednesday 12 February.

“We’ve made some changes to the forthcoming show,” explained Zelica Carr, ICA CEO. “Previously it was known as the Ice Cream and Gelato Expo. But following a survey of our members we have extended it to cover other products sold by many ice cream retailers, which they wanted to see exhibited at the show – all under the umbrella of ‘artisan foods’.”

The ICA’s 2019 survey revealed that 69% sell coffee, 63% sell tea and other hot drinks, 61% sell cakes, 61% sell confectionary and 41% sell savoury snacks.

Over 80% also wanted to see general catering equipment and supplies at the show.

The Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show is open to all trade – not just ICA members.

Its media sponsor is Café Life magazine (to register to attend, or to enquire about taking a stand, visit www.ice-cream.org or call 01332 203333, or email Zelica@ice-cream.org).

http://www.simonburtphotography.co.uk

It has been announced that celebrity chef and Jamie Oliver mentor, Gennaro Contaldo, will officially open the Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show 2020, on Tuesday 11 February, at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate (he will cut the ribbon, judge one of the National Ice Cream Competition categories and meet exhibitors and visitors).

Gennaro Contaldo was born in Minori on the Amalfi Coast and regularly appears on Saturday Kitchen (BBC1) as well as his own TV show, the highly successful Two Greedy Italians (BBC2). In 1999 he opened his own restaurant Passione in Charlotte Street, London. His first cookbook, also called Passione, published by Headline in 2003, won Best Italian Cook Book 2003.

The Ice Cream and Artisan Foods Show is the only trade show specifically for the UK ice cream sector and has been running for 75 years and is organised by the Ice Cream Alliance (ICA), the industry’s trade body, and is renowned for showcasing the latest in ice cream trends from everyone from ice cream parlours to impulse retail frozen treats. It is also the setting for the National Ice Cream

Enrico Famà Accademia announce London branch Enrico Famà Accademia say that they are excited to announce that soon Accademia Pizzaioli will open a new branch in London at the West London University.

Accademia Pizzaioli is an association with more than 30 years of experience in the world of pizza, teaching many generations of people who want to get into the world of the ‘white art’ as it’s known in Italy.

The Accademia will offer its students a basic ‘hands on’ course which will teach them the basics of the dough through to the the baking in four different ovens to cover all the most common types of Cooking, with Franco and Ciro on hand to share their passion and knowledge with their students (they will also offer a professional experience in restaurants, pizzerias, and mobile pizza business).

16

When at home, eat as the Romans do…

PizzaExpress introduced four new Romana style pizzas recently to its ‘at home’ range with their all new Romana range taking its inspiration from the thinner, larger base, popular in Italy’s foodie capital of Rome and including some great-tasting new recipes, as well as some ‘all-time’ pizzeria favourites, but re-imagined to be enjoyed at home.

These included Carbonara (a muchloved pizzeria favourite featuring prosciutto ham, mushroom and mascarpone), Vegetable & Ricotta

(chargrilled vegetables and smooth ricotta cheese making for a vegetarian option), the Pollo American (chargrilled chicken, pepperoni and grilled red onion combined with rich mozzarella), the Ragu (back by popular demand, say PizzaExpress and topped with extra tomatoey Bolognese, ricotta, red onion and fennel seeds) and the Margherita Speciale (featuring semi-dried tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, basil and passata over a super thin Romana base, and also suitable for veggie pizza lovers).

September 2019

NEWS

Bellavita Expo to be UK’s largest Mediterranean food and beverage exhibition Bellavita Expo will be returning to London for its sixth year, featuring a massively expanded and diverse showcase of the finest food and beverages from not only Italy, but across the wider Mediterranean region, report the show’s organisers.

From 7-8 November 2019, Bellavita Expo will once again take place at the Business Design Centre, in the heart of London’s Angel, for its revamped flagship event following a year of successful exhibitions across the world, including Amsterdam, Warsaw, Hamburg, Chicago, Toronto, Mexico City, Bangkok and China.

2018’s event in London saw over 6,000 professionals in attendance, over 1,000 new products exhibited and over 300 top buyers judging the annual Bellavita Awards. 92% of guests reported that they intend to revisit, and 90% believed the Expo stood out compared to similar events, the show reports.

This year, Bellavita Expo is set to exceed even this, they claim, with an exhibition introducing visitors to a far greater range of quality food and drinks from the likes of Spain, Croatia and Slovenia. From iconic brands to lesser-known artisanal wonders, over 350 exhibitors will be in attendance, presenting an expansive range of 10,000 individual products, including 1,200 making their debut in the UK market. Among Bellavita’s newest offerings will be products from 85 Spanish companies, providing visitors with more variety than ever before.

Though the scope of the event has greatly expanded, all the hallmarks of the carefully selected products on display remain – namely, attention to detail, authentic flavours and high quality ingredients, in everything from essentials such as fresh dairy goods and extravirgin olive oils, to gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian alternatives. Bellavita Expo is also dedicated to providing those in attendance with a day full of the highest quality content and business opportunities.

“In partnership with industry leaders Veronafiere S.p.A. (Vinitaly) and Fiere di Parma S.p.A. (Cibus), Bellavita Expo will offer guests the chance to engage directly with producers and experts of the trade. We are enhancing our visitors’ experience with a wider selection of Mediterranean products while also working with the most respected opinion leaders in the trade to bring to buyers the most up to date news and insights, live industry debates and exclusive product tasting,” said Aldo Mazzocco, CEO.

www.papa.org.uk

Moreover, Bellavita Expo will continue to play host to networking opportunities for the copious professionals in attendance from the food and beverage industry, giving visitors the chance to forge critical connections and partnerships. Buyers, distributors, restauranteurs, sommeliers and head chefs will here have the chance to confer with Mediterranean producers and discover the key trends in the F&B sector.

Five academies, each respectively dedicated to Food, Wine, Beer, Mixology and Pizza, will host a series of in-depth talks, debates and masterclasses exploring both current and upcoming trends in the industry, led by 84 key speakers from throughout the sector.

“Bellavita is always a huge opportunity to learn and find new brands. I cannot wait to be part of it again,” said Giorgio Locatelli, Michelinstarred chef and judge on MasterChef Italia, and who will be returning to the Bellavita stage this year to share his industry knowledge, among other speakers.

BeWine, Bellavita Expo’s wine academy, will host exclusive wine tasting and food pairing masterclasses, with not-to-be-missed Mediterranean organic, volcanic, and sparkling wines with Masters of Wine and WSET-qualified sommeliers. Angela Mount, event ambassador and wine presenter, added: “Bellavita truly represents the spirit of Italy, and the quality of the produce both in food and wine, and is now attracting impressive audiences from all over the world. I am delighted to be working with them again.”

Among the newest features of this edition is the Private Label Zone, an area entirely dedicated to buyers from the retail and HoReCa sector seeking own-labelled products.

A concierge will be on hand to assist buyers to plan their visit, schedule meetings with producers and provide samples. Further features and experiences will be announced in the lead up to the event, ensuring that Bellavita Expo continues to be a vital date in the calendar of any F&B professional with a passion for the very best that the Mediterranean has to offer, feel the organisers.

SHORTS

Sector to grow MCA has published its latest UK Eating Out Market Report, and reports that the sector is set to grow 1.3% to £91bn in 2019, its slowest rate in seven years.

However, there are many opportunities for operators and manufacturers to outperform the total market and increase market share in 2020 and beyond, claim the researchers, whose analysis is based on thousands of data points.

Central Foods branches out into authentic cocktails Frozen food distributor Central Foods is adding another string to its bow by offering a range of exquisite frozen, ready-made alcoholic cocktails. It is the first time that Central Foods has included any drinks on its supply list and comes as the consumer demand for cocktails continues to soar. Produced by Londonbased, award-winning, small-batch cocktail company Pontoon Cocktails, the four Signature cocktails available – Passionfruit Martini, Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Elderflower Collins - are supplied frozen and will be available to the foodservice and hospitality sector from licensed (Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme) frozen food wholesalers.

S. Pellegrino Young Chef 2020 Grand Finale 135 young chef candidates from 12 regions representing 50 countries, are now one step closer to reaching the S. Pellegrino Young Chef 2020 Grand Finale. Over 2,400 applicants from all over the world entered the globally renowned competition to find the world’s best young chef, and now 15 from the UK & North Europe region will be going headto-head on the 12 November 2019 to be crowned the regional winner.

Joe Yates joins Carpigiani team Gelato and ice cream equipment manufacturer, Carpigiani UK, have announced the appointment of chef, Joe Yates, to the role of trainer, demonstrator and development chef. With over two decades of experience across the food industry ranging from executive head chef and development chef for businesses such as DeVere Hotels and the Nirvana Spa at Berkshire, Joe Yates has also steered his own business for six years when running The Reef - a community restaurant that launched in 2000.

17

LEGAL

Brexit: Serving up a hiring disaster?

With Brexit looming, how can your restaurant survive and prepare its hiring practices when faced with the possibility of a no-deal scenario? Sasha Lal - an immigration consultant with Gherson Solicitors (www.gherson.com) – offers some advice.

UNCERTAINTY The food and drink industry is heavily reliant on EU migrant workers, and Brexit poses a threat to the ease of access of the EU migrant low-skilled labour in the UK. We are still faced with the uncertainty as to whether there will be a deal or no-deal Brexit, and with the uncertainty as to the confirmation of what immigration restrictions will be imposed post Brexit.

That being said, the food and drink industry should be preparing for either eventuality as we are also told that the definitive date of departure from the EU will be on 31 October 2019.

CHECKS Firstly, employers are obliged to carry out right to work checks on every individual in their employment.

Currently, EU nationals are not required to provide a residence document to confirm their status in the UK. However, as of 1 January 2021, employers will be required to carry out these checks to ensure that all EEA nationals have a document to confirm that they either hold presettled or settled status in the UK. If possible, the worker should obtain the status before travelling because in the event of a hard Brexit it is difficult to see how the immigration authorities will distinguish which EU citizen does or does not have the right to reside and work in the EU. Let us not forget the recent Windrush scandal.

EEA nationals currently residing in the UK can apply for pre-settled or settled status now and should do so by 30 June 2021 if there is a deal and 31 December 2020 if there is a no deal. Additionally some EEA nationals may have already been in the UK for a continuous period of more than five years and therefore may have the option to naturalise to become British.

For those EEA nationals that have not yet entered the UK and will not enter before 31 December 2020, the process in which EEA nationals are able to work in the UK will be reliant on whether or not there is a deal struck.

18

A NEW DEAL? The newly appointed prime minister, Boris Johnson, has rigorously ripped up Theresa May’s plan for immigration post Brexit; he has in effect taken a more liberal approach.

If there is a deal, he intends to form “an Australian-style points-based system” for all nationalities to “continue to attract the brightest and best talent from around the world” and declines to set a limit on the number of skilled migrants working in the UK. In addition, he has asked the Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a review of the current points-based system (PBS).

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has offered some potential relief with regards to changes to the current Shortage Occupation List. This could ease the current restricted rules that restaurants are faced with regards to hiring non- EEA national chefs in the UK. The Shortage Occupation List prioritises workers needed by industries that are struggling to find staff in the UK, which allows the employer to be exempt from carrying out the Resident Labour Market Test. The annual limit within the category of the Shortage Occupation List is 20,700. However, given the situation around Brexit, and if this policy were not to change in a deal or no deal scenario, restaurants would face even harder struggles to hire chefs seeing as the migrants applying under this route would increase.

You would think that as non-EEA nationals applying to enter the UK on the basis of working as a chef, it would be easier and with less restriction compared to those that are not on the Shortage Occupation List. However, plenty of restrictions still apply.

PRE-REQUISITES To be hired as a chef today in the UK as a nonEEA national, the employee must have the following.

• Five years or more relevant experience in a role of at least equivalent status to the one entering.

• The role must be at sous-chef level or above, or a specialist chef that is not easily acquired in the UK. Adding to the restrictions, the restaurant applying for foreign chefs must not be in a fast food outlet. This is defined by the Home Office as ‘where food is prepared in bulk for speed of service, rather than to individual order’; or a standard fare outlet ‘where the menu is designed centrally for outlets in a chain/ franchise rather than by a chef or chef in the individual restaurant.’ The establishment is also not allowed to provide a takeaway service.

If a non-EEA national qualifies for all the above requirements, the employer may be able to hire the migrant as a chef. Importantly however, the establishment looking to hire must first have a sponsor licence to enable the migrant to work in the UK and be sponsored on the basis of a Tier 2 Visa.

The current regulations to hire chefs who are non-EEA nationals focus on highly skilled kitchen roles. There is still a gap and struggle remaining in hiring lower levelled kitchen positions and front of house roles, whereby predominantly EU nationals are hired.

Given the recent news about our new prime minister and how he would like to change Theresa May’s immigration proposal, there is definitely no certainty as to a procedure for job roles classified as low skilled in the UK. With the Migration Advisory Committee reviewing the new processes, it is unlikely that they will be able to produce a report prior to 31 October 2019.

The requirements for the new system may be similar to the current sponsor licence procedure but only time will tell – best to be prepared!

Sasha Lal is an immigration consultant at Gherson Solicitors (www.gherson.com) and advises corporate clients and private individuals on the Points Based System (PBS). Her specialities lie predominantly within all stages of the Tier 2 immigration processes, Tier 5 processes and advising sponsors in relation to obtaining a sponsor licence and their ongoing compliance responsibilities and obligations. She also advises on PBS applications for family members, Indefinite Leave to Remain applications, EEA applications, Appendix FM and naturalisation applications, and has worked within corporate immigration for over four years and has extensive experience of dealing with cases within these areas of immigration.

September 2019

Dawn Farms make the perfect Pepperoni to make the perfect Pepperoni Pizza

We have the ingredients for success At Dawn Farms we offer a range of cooked and fermented meat ingredients for pizza, sandwich and prepared meals. Proudly providing the world’s leading food brands with menu inspiration, innovation and food safety for over 30 years.

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PAPA AWARDS 2019

Sponsored by

2019 We are officially on countdown with the PAPA Awards just a few months away. Behind the scenes our judges are already starting to look through this year’s entries. This year’s Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner promises to be the most exciting yet as the PAPA Awards celebrate 30 years, recognising the best of the Italian food industry.

The categories for this year’s 2019 PAPA Awards celebrate the heroes across the spectrum of this exciting industry. The PAPA Awards are an opportunity for gaining recognition as well as promotion, recognising excellence in all aspects of the market from designing pizzas to making and selling pasta products.

Closing date: Entry is now closed for this year’s PAPA Awards (The Award Qualifying Period is 1 September 2018 to 30 August 2019) September 2019 20

PAPA AWARDS 2019

THE AWARDS PAPA INDUSTRY AWARD This is a lifetime award, presented to an individual, company or organisation where the judges consider recognition is deserved for the contribution made to the industry.

PIZZA RESTAURANT CHAIN AWARD All pizza restaurant chains are considered for this award. The award will be given to the pizza restaurant chain (a business with 10 or more restaurant sites) which is shown by research to have been the most successful in the year maintaining growth and customer loyalty.

ITALIAN RESTAURANT CHAIN AWARD Acknowledging the best in genuine Italian restaurant chains in the UK, this award will be presented to a specialist restaurant where the food served is rooted at the heart of Italian cuisine and which offers a genuine taste of Italy and experience.

INDEPENDENT PIZZA RESTAURANT AWARD These awards are given to independent pizza restaurants (with less than 10 sites where pizza is the predominant item on the menu) that set a standard for others to follow. All restaurants must have a minimum hygiene rating of five. Gold awards will be presented to a maximum of six regional winners with a platinum award presented to the restaurant considered to be exceptional.

INDEPENDENT ITALIAN RESTAURANT AWARD Aimed at identifying the best in genuine independent Italian restaurants (with less than 10 sites) in the UK, these awards will be presented to specialist restaurants where the food served is rooted at the heart of Italian cuisine and which offers a genuine taste of Italy. All restaurants must have a minimum hygiene rating of five. Gold awards will be presented to a maximum of six winners with a platinum award given to the one considered exceptional. www.papa.org.uk

INDEPENDENT PIZZA DELIVERY AWARD This award recognises the independent operators (businesses with up to five stores) who are successfully driving their businesses in the delivery/takeaway sector.

All entries must have a minimum hygiene rating of five. The platinum award winner will receive a free sign-up to JUST EAT, plus, once online, a branded package worth £850 including jackets, co-branded car magnets and menus. Gold awards will be presented to a maximum of six regional winners with a platinum award given to the one considered exceptional.

SMALL CHAIN DELIVERY AWARD This award recognises the small chain operators, (businesses with five to 20 stores) who are successfully driving the delivery/ takeaway sector. All entries must have a minimum hygiene rating of five. The winner will receive co- marketing and a co-branded package including clothing, car branding, social and email campaigns, from JUST-EAT.

PIZZA DELIVERY CHAIN AWARD All major delivery chains (business with 20 + stores) are considered for this award. The award aims to recognise the chain operators who are successfully driving the delivery/ takeaway sector.

FROZEN PIZZA MULTIPLE RETAILER AWARD The award recognises those supermarkets which are actively driving the frozen pizza sector of the market.

CONVENIENCE STORE PIZZA AWARD This award aims to recognise those convenience store retailers which are actively driving the convenience pizza sector of the market.

CHEESE

CHILLED PIZZA MULTIPLE RETAILER AWARD This award will be presented to the retailer considered to have done the most in the qualifying period to actively drive the chilled pizza sector of the market.

PASTA RETAILER AWARD This award recognises those supermarkets which are actively driving sales of pasta.

MANUFACTURED PIZZA PRODUCT AWARD This award aims to encourage new product development in the pizza market by rewarding those who are striving to develop the market through innovation and recipe development. This award is for the best product and not a range.

Three separate awards will be presented within this category under the following headings: • Best new ‘everyday’ pizza product • Best new ‘indulgent’ pizza product • Best new ‘innovative’ pizza product 21

PAPA AWARDS 2019

INNOVATIVE FOOD TO GO AWARD Recognising the dynamic and expansive role played by businesses with Italian food at their core that bring authentic Italian cuisine to the ever-growing food to go market.

MANUFACTURED PASTA PRODUCT AWARD This award encourages new product development in the pasta market by rewarding those who are striving to develop the market through innovation and recipe development. This award is for the best product and not a range.

NEW PRODUCT AND INGREDIENT AWARD This award aims to recognise those suppliers who are developing/sourcing new equipment, products and ingredients for use by manufacturers or restaurant/delivery businesses.

PIZZA AND PASTA MARKETING AWARD To recognise successful marketing and promotional initiatives by businesses operating in the UK pizza, pasta and Italian food industry.

Two separate awards will be presented within this category under the following headings: • Best new retail pasta product • Best new foodservice pasta product

Cheeseboard provided by:

NEW FOR 2019 PAPA ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD With the food industry generally under the spotlight in terms of the recyclability of packaging, food waste and sustainability, this award aims to recognise those businesses and individuals in the pizza, pasta and Italian food industry who are leading the way in this area. Whether it is the use of recyclable materials for packaging, such as glass, or in finding new ways to do things that improve sustainability, this award aims to recognise the work being done by businesses in the sector to improve the environment.

Equipment and support sponsor

Award-winning Welsh Comedian Rod Woodward will join chef, Theo Randall as co-host.

The PAPA Awards showcase the finest pizza, pasta and Italian food bus inesses across the country and the PAPA Awards dinner will see the industry’s fines t come together at the Royal Lancast er London Hotel on Thursday 14 Nov ember when all the winners will be announ ced.

With a spectacular line up of awa rds, a wonderful four-course dinner and hosted by chef Theo Randall and comedian Rod Woodward, this yea r’s PAPA Awards promise to be an eve ning of celebration. For information or to book a ticket, visit www.papa.or. uk or complete the form overleaf.

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The awards are again this year in conjunction with the European Pizza and Pasta Show(EPPS), with the Pizza Chef and Pasta Chef of the Year finals being staged on the second day of EPPS, 14 November 2019 at Olympia, London.

September 2019

Hosted by Theo Randall

and Rod Woodward

&

n Food Assoc a i ia al ti It o n

pizza , pa st a

JOIN US AT

THE WESTBOURNE SUITE ROYAL LANCASTER LONDON HOTEL HYDE PARK, LONDON W2 2TY THURSDAY 14TH NOVEMBER Drinks reception 7pm Awards hosted by Comedian ROD WOODWARD Celebrity Chef THEO RANDALL

2019

Entertainment by The All Covered Up Party Band Entertainment until 1am Dress code: Black tie

DINNER BOOKING FORM To book your place at the PAPA Awards Dinner, please complete the following: Contact name: ………………………………………………………………….

Business name: …………………………………………………………….

Address: ……………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………….Post code: ………………………………..

Tel. No: ………………………………….Fax No: ..……………………..

Email: ……………………………………………………………………………...

I wish to book: ….. table(s) of 10 places at the 2019 PAPA Awards Dinner at £2580 + VAT …… place(s) at the 2019 PAPA Awards Dinner at £270 + VAT per place

Please note that all bookings made and invoiced must be paid for prior to the event. Cheques can be made out to the Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association, or PAPA. Alternatively, payment can be made at the time of booking by completing the section below. A receipted invoice will be forwarded upon completion of booking.

No refunds can be made if cancellations are made within 20 days of the event and any cancellations before this time will be subject to a 25% cancellation charge.

Credit Card Payment Card No …………………………………………………………….

Valid from ………/……….

Expiry date ………./…….. 3 digit Security No. on reverse …………..

Name on card …………………………………………………

Post code ……………. House No…………….. (for security purposes only) Please email completed form to caron@papa.org.uk or post to: Caron Parry, PAPA, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, NP16 5DB.

PIZZA CHEF 2019

£3,000 Prize!

PIZZA CHEF of the year 2019

Could it be you?

The countdown is on in our quest to find the Pizza Chef of the Year! We are delighted to announce this year’s categories and can confirm that the sponsor ingredients will be sent out to our registered entrants this month.

The Pizza Chef of the Year Competition is a real opportunity for pizza chefs across the UK to showcase their skills and creativity in the kitchen. As well as the national recognition that comes from winning a national award, there is also a £3,000 prize pot.

The Pizza Chef of the Year Grand Final takes place in front of a live audience.

PIZZA CHEF of the year 2019

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el of industry The competition is judged by a pan . judges including chef Theo Randall

September 2019

PIZZA CHEF 2019

SuperTops is at the fore of the food manufacturing industry, providing a wide range of quality, cost effective and innovative products to the retail and foodservice sectors.

All SuperTops meat comes from farms that are committed to independent higher welfare standards. SuperTops’s succulent chicken chunks make a great meaty pizza topping that can be teamed with an exciting array of flavours.

The pizza chefs are required to design a pizza recipe around the sponsor’s product in each of the competition categories.

Working with some exciting and versatile ingredients the chefs can use their creativity to develop a tasty and innovative recipe to impress the judges.

Whitworth Bros manufacture flours in some of the most technically advanced mills in the world. Their Aquila pizza flour is a high protein pizza flour with a Canadian wheat inclusion and good quality gluten giving a good stretch and lift suitable for both traditional Italian style thin crust and deep pan pizzas.

Arla’s Scandinavian heritage can be traced back to the 1880s when dairy farmers in Denmark and Sweden came together to produce and deliver the finest dairy products.

Arla Foods first arrived in the UK at the turn of the 20th century with the appearance of Lurpak butter in high street stores. Arla cheese soon followed, quickly becoming a favourite on British tables. As of today, over 2,500 UK farmers are part of the cooperative with 10 Arla dairies in the UK processing the milk from our British farmers and making them into the high-quality products we all love.

Arla Pro Mozzarella has been created specifically for the professionals, this quality cheese is mild and delicate, with a creamy and yoghurt aromatic taste. It has a semi-soft, elastic texture, which implies excellent stretchability. www.papa.org.uk

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PIZZA CHEF 2019

The categories This year we are pleased to announce four categories in our Pizza Chef of the Year Competition. Chefs are requested to enter pizzas in all four categories: Whitworth Bros l’Aquila Flour Traditional Margherita Pizza Chefs are asked to create a Margherita pizza using the Whitworth Bros l’Aquila flour. This category places a huge emphasis on the fundamental basis of a pizza and our chefs are encouraged to showcase their pizza skills creating an authentic and tasty pizza base with the traditional tomato and mozzarella topping.

SuperTops Chicken Chunks Pizza In this category chefs are required to make a pizza using the SuperTops chicken chunks within their recipe.

The SuperTops chicken chunks can be used as a topping, mixed with flavourings or however our chefs feel their pizza can best showcase SuperTop’s delicious Chicken Chunks.

Arla Mozzarella Cheese Pizza Using Arla’s mozzarella cheese our chefs are asked to create a delicious pizza working with ingredients to complement Arla’s delicate and creamy Mozzarella Cheese.

“Free From” Pizza In the exciting “free from” category our chefs are tasked with creating a tasty pizza, free from meat, gluten and dairy.

With no specific sponsor ingredients, the chefs are free to use ingredients of their choice as long as the pizza can be marketed as being vegan and gluten free.

Last year’s pizza chefs compete in the live Grand Final at the EPPS Show at London Olympia

Organised in association with PAPA – the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association - the European Pizza and Pasta Show 2019 will attract 200 exhibitors and over 5,000 qualified buyers representing pizza operators, pizzerias, restaurant chains and independent restaurants, hotels and catering companies.

The show will host the Grand Final of the UK Pizza and Pasta Chef of the Year Competitions.

Celebrity chef Theo Randall will be judging the competition and hosting that evening’s PAPA Awards where we will crown our Pizza Chef of the Year 2019.

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September 2019

PIZZA CHEF 2019 Entry is now closed for the Pizza Chef of the Year Competition.

All registered chefs will shortly be receiving their sponsor ingredients and the judges are looking forward to reading through the submitted recipes. The winning chefs will be invited to join us for the Grand Final which will be held at the EPPS Show on Thursday, 14 November 2019 where they will be tasked with creating their pizza in front of a live audience.

The pizza chefs are required to design a pizza recipe around the sponsor’s product in each of the competition categories. Working with some exciting and versatile ingredients the chefs can use their creativity to develop a tasty and innovative recipe to impress the judges.

Last year’s Pizza Chef of the Year Roberto Manocchi with his winning pizza, Dolce Sorpresa

EPPS, the European Pizza and Pasta Show takes place at Olympia, London on 13–15 November 2019. The show is the leading B2B trade event for the pizza and pasta industries in Europe. The event brings together the fast-growing pizza and pasta market into the spotlight by showcasing leading UK and European food products and ingredient suppliers, equipment, furniture and tableware manufacturers, as well as franchise and service providers. Entry is now closed for the Pizza Chef of the Year Competition. All registered chefs will shortly be receiving their sponsor ingredients and the judges are looking forward to reading through the submitted recipes. The winning chefs will be invited to join us for the Grand Final which will be held at the EPPS Show on Thursday, 14 November 2019 where they will be tasked with creating their pizza in front of a live audience.

The Pizza Chef of the Year competition offers participants the chance to receive considerable publicity and prestige for them and their business by competing and ultimately winning the overall title of Pizza Chef of the Year. In addition, there’s ample opportunity to network with colleagues and suppliers in the industry, test creativity and innovation and showcase the winning pizzas. www.papa.org.uk

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PASTA CHEF 2019

£1,000 Prize!

PASTA CHEF

of the year 2019

We are working with Ebrofrost and their frozen ready to cook pasta, to find the UK’s best pasta chef. There is so much opportunity at stake with a £1,000 prize alongside the kudos of being recognised nationally as the Pasta Chef of the Year. Last year’s winner Frank Ascrizzi from Divino Enoteca has enjoyed the opportunities that winning the title has given him.

The competition Ebrofrost freshly make their pasta from semolina dough and shape it to nearly 100 different designs. The pasta is then fully cooked and shock-frosted, ensuring the fresh product retains its full aroma, texture, and colour. This year the competition has two categories:

Pappardelle

Using the Pappardelle large, broad, flat pasta ribbons, this year’s chefs are required to create a unique dish or an inventive interpretation of a classic dish using the pappardelle pasta.

Last year’s Pasta Chef of the Year winner Frank Ascrizzi with his winning pasta dish, Pappardelle Con ‘nduja e stracciatella di bufala 28

Rigatoni “Free From”

Using Ebrofrost’s gluten free and vegan Rigatoni the chefs are tasked with creating an exciting “free from” recipe made without any gluten, meat or dairy products.

September 2019

Sponsor of Simply better ingredients

Pasta-Chefs, Listen Up!

PASTA CHEF

of the year 2019

Make your life in the kitchen as easy and as efficient as possible with Ebrofrost Pasta.

Premium pasta made from fresh dough, fully cooked and frozen.

Enjoy this fine-dining quality when preparing your recipes for the Competition!

Pasta and Sauce category Short cut pasta

Rigatoni glutenfree

Fusilli

Pasta and Sauce category Long cut pasta

Linguine

Pappardelle

Our PAPA Industry Awards have been launched.

If you are interested in sponsoring, these are some of the benefits: • • • • • • • • •

n Food Asso ci lia a at It i &

n o

Sponsorship Opportunities

pizza , pa st a

Ebrofrost Holding GmbH | Rappenwörthstraße 5 | D-89362 Offingen | info@ebrofrost.com | www.ebrofrost.com

2019

Dedicated profile page.

Logos in all Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazines until January 2020.

Editorial about the sponsors in our magazine which is distributed to over 5,000 people in the industry bi-monthly.

Opportunity to feature in PAPA e-bulletins sent to over 5,000, retail, suppliers and manufactures.

Branding at the EPPS Show 2019.

Logo on all material at the PAPA Awards evening.

Sponsorship of one award category and presentation to the winner.

Photo opportunity.

Table for 10 at the awards dinner.

Please contact Sandra@papa.org.uk or call 01291 636348 for further information

PASTA CHEF 2019

Entry is now closed for the Pasta Chef of the Year competition.

The chefs will now be receiving their samples so they can begin experimenting and creating their dishes. Chefs must create a dish considering commercial viability, overall composition, flavour and appeal and send their recipes along with a photo for judging. Recipes will then be submitted for judging and the winning entries chosen will be selected for the Grand Final and invited to a live bake off which will take place at the European Pizza and Pasta Show at Olympia, London on Thursday, 14 November 2019.

A judging panel including celebrity chef Theo Randall will select winners for both categories along with the Overall Pasta Chef of the Year Award Winner. The winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner at The Royal Lancaster London Hotel that evening. As well as a trophy, the coveted title and a cheque for ÂŁ1,000, the winner will receive considerable publicity and the kudos of being the Pasta Chef of the Year 2019!

30 www.papa.org.uk

May 2019 30

PAPA

Association update From PR manager, Samantha Day

Director Jim Winship is continuing to lobby for a more reasonable approach with recognition of the specific issues facing industry sectors, such as the ability of skilled pizzaiolo from Italy to work in the UK. There also seems to be some recognition of that the current minimum salary rate for immigrants of £30,000 is too high and the Migration Advisory Committee has been asked to review this. PAPA is calling for a ‘going rate’ approach which would use the average salary (‘going rate’) for the particular job to be used as a benchmark for letting migrants into the UK to work.

Allergens In their wisdom, the government has ignored widescale concerns from the foodservice industry to require that foods that are ‘prepacked for direct sale’ will in future need to carry full ingredient labelling. This will come into effect after a two year transition and will affect products like packaged ready-to-eat salads and pasta meals made on site.

Despite warnings that this could lead to greater danger for

T

his year we are celebrating 30 years of the prestigious PAPA Awards and we are delighted that TV chef Theo Randall will be back with us to host the awards and help us recognise some of the great work by the movers and shakers of the industry.

We will also be joined this year by comedian Rod Woodward, a rising star on the comedy circuit, will be adding some humour to the event.

The PAPA Awards take place on Thursday, 14 November 2019 at the Royal Lancaster London Hotel.

This year’s awards take place on the second night of the European Pizza and Pasta Show (EPPS), which will be taking place over three days this year with an even bigger programme of events and speakers.

The show will also be hosting the Grand Final of our Pizza and Pasta Chef Competition

www.papa.org.uk

those with intolerances, Michael Gove MP – then Secretary of State at DEFRA – pushed this through before this summer’s leadership elections.

Director Jim Winship has been invited to join an advisory committee being set up by the Food Standards Agency to define how this new law – to be known as ‘Natasha’s Law’ – will work in practice.

Bottle Return Schemes Plans to introduce a bottle return scheme in Scotland look to have been ill-thought out and the Association is pressing for a more considered approach in England, Wales and Northern Ireland where a similar scheme is now being discussed.

It is particularly concerning that smaller pizza and pasta businesses should not be forced to accept returns, particularly in sites where storage space is tight; that the food safety risks of handling returns in these environments should be fully investigated; and that those involved in the scheme should be adequately compensated for the staff time and other costs involved.

on Thursday, 14 November as well as the European Pizza Championships, with contestants flying in from all over the world.

The EPPS Show takes place at London Olympia 13-15 November 2019 and will bring together over 200 exhibitors from the Italian food industry with over 3,000 attendees. You can find full details – and register for a free ticket – at www.pizzapastashow.com Meanwhile the Association continues to represent the industry to government on an increasing number of fronts.

Immigration There are some signs of the new government taking a more relaxed approach to immigration, and recognising some of the critical issues, facing food businesses. However, there are still major concerns over labour shortages if the UK crashes out of Europe.

REFRIGERATION CHANGES TO TAKE EFFECT IN 2020 In January 2020 the law is changing about the use of some refrigerants that are damaging to the environment. Under the EU Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulation (also known as the EU F-Gas Regulation use of refrigerants with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 2,500 or more will be banned and refrigeration technicians will not be allowed to continue servicing these units. Businesses are advised to check with their refrigeration supplier whether their refrigeration units will be affected and to act early as these refrigerants are expected to increase in price as the service ban gets closer.

31

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PROFILE

Grandi

Molini Grandi Molini (www.grandimolini.it) are one of the biggest soft and durum wheat producers in Italy and their pizza flours are imported into the UK by the West Yorkshirebased sector supplier Eurostar Commodities Ltd (www.eurostarfoods.co.uk). On a recent visit to the Grandi Molini plant in Venice, Italy, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine found out more about the heritage and careful production methods, as well as their latest initiative – La Mia Accademia (www.lamiaccademia.it).

HERITAGE Grandi Molini was founded by the Costato family, with Antonio Costato being the current owner.

It has a turnover in the region of 260 million Euros, has five plants, 240 employees, 14 branch offices, four port terminals and five rail terminals, processing some 970,000 tons of wheat a year, and has BRC (British Retail Consortium) certification, as well as many other certifications.

The company started in 1886 as a small stone mill on a River Po site, about an hour away by car from its current location. The king at the time gave them permission to start using the water for their mill – water being essential for the cleaning and conditioning of the grain - and since then six generations of the family have gone on to run the business.

They now have five plants, with their main plant being in Venice where they have four mills (three for soft wheat and one for durum).

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The company produces soft and durum wheat across the five plants with 10 mills, and are thought to have the biggest production capacity in Italy, if not be the biggest producer when it comes to soft and durum wheat there.

They have a comprehensive range of product certifications, including for the pizza line of products Eurostar Commodities are currently importing (with new look packaging due to be rolled out in October), having had a relationship with the UK company since 2012, notably supplying them with their Pizza Ideale, Pizza Italiana, Pizza Verace and Pizza Dorata brands of flours.

During the visit, Grandi Molini’s Mikko Volpato of the firm’s research and development department talked about the origin of wheat, and how in Neolithic times, it was effectively spelt, and how, as a result of a natural cross between wild plants and spelt, durum wheat came

into being. Then, durum wheat, in crossing with another wild species created ‘soft’ wheat (the origins of wheat having been Turkey and North Africa).

These days, Italian mills get their wheat from the rest of the world due to the quantity they require, quality considerations and logistics, explained Mikko Volpato. They seek wheat that offers high protein and strong gluten content, he explained, and as it can be difficult to find these characteristics in Italy alone, they have to source from elsewhere.

Logistics also plays a part in that a lot of small farmers in Italy can end up supplying different types of wheat offering different types

of quality and potential end uses. Thus, different qualities of wheat can end up, mixed, in one silo, which is not ideal for mills seeking certain characteristics and performance criteria, which is why they end up buying wheat from elsewhere.

However, for Grandi Molini, the origin of their durum wheat in particular is Italy, they point out, as they prefer to grow their durum wheat in Italy only (for one thing, their customers are increasingly asking for wheat from Italy these days, they report). Together with Turkey and Canada, Italy is a leading durum wheat producer, with durum wheat primarily grown September 2019

PROFILE

www.papa.org.uk

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PROFILE Eurostar Commodities UK professional pizza flour range includes • Pizza Verace – 25kg - Extraordinarily digestible with a remarkable golden, tasty crust.

• Pizza Italiani – 25kg - Type ‘00’ fragrant, tasty & easily digested. Particularly good for deep-dish.

• Pizza Dorata – 25kg - produced with Manitoba grain and a mix of Canadian and North American grains of great strength and tightness (produces an extremely soft dough which firms up during fermentation).

• Lievito Naturale – 5kg – natural yeast type ‘0’ malted wheat flour (increases extensibility to improve ‘rolling out’ / ‘stretching’, offering characteristic flavour, crisp and fragrant with a golden colour). in the Italian regions of Apulia, Sicily, Marche and Tuscany (in fact, Italy exports more and more durum wheat these days, notably to Israel and to South Africa for pasta production, the company report). Thus, for their own durum wheat requirements, they have the capacity to source sufficient from Italy, but when it comes to their soft wheat orders, it is not possible to provide wheat solely from Italy, so they import supplies from the rest of Europe and elsewhere, according to crop yields each year.

Soft wheat flour and durum semolina are key ingredients of the Mediterranean diet, point out Grandi Molini, being rich in starch, protein, fibres, minerals and vitamins. In Italy, the rules governing the production of soft wheat flour distinguishes type according to their ash content (mineral salts). Type 0 and 00

36

have the lowest residual values of mineral salts. Grandi Molini also offer type 1 and 2 and wholegrain flours. Different types of flour offer different functional properties, in turn affecting which is best suited to say bread, pizza, bakery or pastry products.

To get a good, final product, Grandi Molini mix different types and qualities of wheat, mixing the wheats themselves before milling and then mixing the flours after milling. This is so as to maintain consistency, as well as obtain different products for different applications (biscuits and panettone, for example, requiring a longer leavening time). Their leading ‘00’ Italian premium pizza flour brands are known for offering a choice of strength, protein content and proving times, meaning that they are suitable for all pizza types, feel the company.

RAW MATERIAL The whole production process starts with the company’s agronomist first checking the characteristics and nature of the ground the wheat is actually grown in - before the grain is harvested. It is very important for them to know the sanitary state of the growing conditions for their production, Grandi Molini emphasise (for example, this year the Veneto region had a problem with mould, so they

opted not to buy wheat from this area, but needed to know beforehand, which is why they investigate the ground first).

They also audit their suppliers and storage centres, and all of the biggest farmers they receive supplies from by checking their traceability, quality and grain storage areas.

Grandi Molini is blessed with a particularly good logistical position which means that they can receive grain by train,

September 2019

PROFILE

truck and boat, a factor which is very important to them as the latter is the most sustainable from of transport. Their good, strategic position also helps with keeping costs down, they

www.papa.org.uk

point out, as well as optimising delivery and shipping times and environmental impact. Until 2006/7, they did a lot of export all over the world, but at the moment they can only get their

product as far as Denmark by train (there is no Eurotunnel option at the moment, but that could change).

The vessels and trains that arrive at the mill in Venice are

checked before loading, and then again once they arrive, with the grain being inspected and checked before receipt and acceptance. These raw materials undergo an acceptance check in the laboratory that is on site at Grandi Molini, with a list of parameters being verified, not least protein content, gluten content, weight, humidity levels and toxins. At this stage, it is once again very important to verify the sanitary conditions and quality of the wheat upon receipt, emphasise Grandi Molini.

Near the entrance to Grandi Molini are 12x20 metre high metal silos which are used to contain the raw material coming in via the trucks, trains and vessels (each silo can contain up to 4,000 tons of soft wheat). A nearby sampler takes samples from the arriving loads so that an operator in their lab can remotely control a probe that takes wheat samples from six locations across the trailer, sending them through pneumatically to be analysed.

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PROFILE Great care is taken to ensure that there is no insect contamination, which would be a disaster for the whole plant, and so correct storage temperatures (less than 15oC) are used to make sure that any insect eggs on the wheat bran do not hatch (any eggs being killed off in the subsequent milling process itself).

They do not use fumigation routinely as the wheat they receive is only in storage for one to two weeks, maximum. Their sequence of security and quality control checks, and emphasis on correct, ‘preventative’ temperature control as the wheat is received and rotated mean that if there was any infestation, they would shut down production immediately to fumigate (they also regularly fumigate the plant every five months, but perhaps more so during the summer if necessary).

The company’s large and distinctive Chiari and Forti concrete silos are named after the founders of the mill, and are used to clean and store the wheat. Initially, chaff and any coarse matter is removed, prior to the grain being put in storage rooms ready for mixing and additional cleaning. The grains are wet for grinding, and after 24 hours spent at room temperature and then two hours at 46oC, the grains are cleaned via a brushing machine and magnetic separator.

There are four cleaning lines, and the mill has three decorticators and eight optical sorting units which enable the detection and elimination of defective grains and any foreign matter and seeds.

Some 40,000 grains are needed to obtain just 1kg of flour, and so the optical selection helps to capture the best grains by discarding straws, impurities and mottled grains in favour of only the flawless ones being ultimately supplied to the grinding stage.

Prior to grinding, the cleaning process is completed with the grains being debranned – a process which accurately removes predefined quantities of bran in a process of light abrasion via grindstones (a machine with a column of moving stones through which the grains of wheat pass at high speed). This removes moulds, fungi and 38

bacteria that could be present on the external bran layers. The result of this process also means that only the best, wholesome part of the grain is retained for grinding into flour, thus maintaining and optimising the fibre and nutritional properties.

MILLING Before the initial milling in rolling mills, water is added to the wheat grains to soften up the caryopsis (the exterior of the grains) before they are put to what is known as the ‘first break’; when the endosperm, or body of the grain, is extracted from out of the caryopsis. This adding of water beforehand is something that is not typically often done in UK mills, observe Eurostar, meaning that it is not always possible to source “00” grade flour here as they are able to do from Italy (there usually being more bran content in UK produced flour than Italian produced flour).

The product of the break is then sieved to separate out the flour in further processing in what is known as a Plansichter (or Plansifter) – a series of several oscillating sifters arranged one above the other for the separating and grading of whatever is fed in from the rolling mill and first break - with any remaining endosperm going back to be re-milled to turn it into flour. In the Plansichter, the broken down grains of wheat pass through a series of graded sieves. Certain particles from the Plansichter are sent instead to another machine called the semolatrice which carries out a

further splitting and selection into flour and semolina, based on size.

In the Semolatrice, the process sees the flour undergo two actions - a horizontal shaking on a moving series of conveyor belts that advances it while also being aspirated vertically. This action results in flour and semolina being able to be separated out.

The main characteristics of flour in terms of its future performance is governed by the ash and protein content, its strength and stretch, as well as its hydration and stability.

Ash content governs its colour, meaning a “00” flour has a low ash content (0.55%) and is very white, whereas as wholemeal flour has a higher ash content (1.3-1.7%) and is darker in appearance. Gluten quality determines the structure and handling – extensibility – of the resultant dough when flour is mixed with water and mechanical energy is applied.

PIZZA ACADEMY During his demonstration at the mill, Eurostar Commodities’ technical development manager, Davide D’Auria, showcased the making and baking of several types of pizza based products, including pizza palo, focaccia and classic Italian pizza, explaining how different recipes, fermentation times and baking temperatures and oven types all have an impact on the final product.

This year, Grandi Molini, after experiencing huge and increasing demand for dough and flour advice, particularly

artisan products – not least from their home market in Italy, they report - launched their new Pizza Academy (www.lamiaccademia.it) which features courses for bread makers, pizza makers, pastry chefs, restaurant and hotel chefs, and covers technical as well as theory and practical aspects.

Their comprehensive list of courses to be held from October 2019 to February 2020 includes the following.

• the milling process and the technique of making soft, medium and hard consistency dough, • sensory analysis of food and the making of your special “bread list”, • panettone, pandoro and the Christmas pastry, • creative ideas for the making of healthy bread for breakfast and snacks, • gourmet pizza, • communication and digital education, • retail management, • healthy bread and baked goods using natural mother yeast, spontaneous leavening and sea water.

All courses are made up of 75% practical training and 25% theory, say the company, with each course lasting three days.

Their 15 ‘professors’, or course tutors, are made up from people within the company, and some from universities and research centres. They have different backgrounds, but mainly they are bread makers, pizza makers and pastry chefs.

D p a

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September 2019

NEW Della Terra

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TOMATOES

Tomatoes The demand for premium, authentic tomatoes with provenance – such as the famous San Marzano variety - is making its presence felt when it comes to this Italian essential.

AUTHENTIC “There’s something very special about Italian tomatoes,” confirms Roberto Giacobbi, CQS sales manager. “They’re both simple yet extraordinary, perfectly symbolising the philosophy of Italian cooking.

“There are many varieties of tomato in Italy with sub types within each. One of the most popular varieties is San Marzano - a long-shaped tomato mostly grown in the zone of Salerno.

They are grown in the rich volcanic soil at the base of Mount Vesuvius, which gives them a sweet flavour and low acidity and they are coveted for their firm pulp, deep red colour, easy to remove skin and low seed count; for this reason we recommend this particular variety to be used when making pizza.

“Of course, you can still make a good pizza without San Marzano, but they are a class of their own and are worth it to taste the real thing. Their popularity has increased over the last couple of years as more and more restaurants/ pizzerias offer the true authentic Neapolitan pizza style where San Marzano is a key ingredient.

“Another amazing tomato to use for your sauces is the Pomodorino Vesuviani, found around Vesuvius. Like San Marzano it is certified DOP so guaranteeing its location of cultivation and the rich lava soils of the volcano. It is quite small, sweet, very red and can be recognised by a tear drop shape at each end. They are picked during the summer in little bunches called Piennolo.

“In Sicily the most famous variety is Pachino (Pomodoro di Pachino IGP). They are small and 40

round, as are Ciliegino di Pachino or cherry tomatoes which we are probably all familiar with.

They both taste sweet and are often combined with seafood dishes, as well as being ideal for decorative effects on salads and side dishes.”

Donatantonio also share the philosophy that the foundation of numerous dishes and sauces, not least in the world of Italian cuisine, is high quality tomatoes – and San Marzano tomatoes in particular - which can bring modern and traditional menus alive.

Many chefs consider San Marzano tomatoes to be the world’s best, point out Donatantonio, who can supply them optimally picked and packed in 2.5kg tins for taste and freshness.

The company’s Lupa brand is known for its Italian specialities, such as its pizza sauces, which are available in both Classic and Spiced varieties, and delivered in 4.4kg tins. For a more traditional ‘all round’ sauce, they have created their Ready Sauce which features a high density and pulpy structure, making it ideal for pasta, pizza or as a base for a whole spectrum of menu preparations (such as lasagne or meatballs), suggest

the company. Their Ready Sauce tomatoes are grown solely in the north of Italy, they report, using sustainable agricultural practices, and are available in 5kg bag in box packaging for good food safety as well as convenience.

NEW LAUNCH “To meet demand for high quality, traceable premium tomatoes we launched a range of 100% Italian tomatoes to complement our existing range of products,” reports Philip Bull, MD, Eurostar Commodities. “The feedback has been excellent.

It was important to us that we worked with a well-established, authentic expert on the ground, and of course Alfonso Sellitto have been one of the best in the business for the last 70 years.

“Our tomatoes under the Della Terra brand come in three varieties - Plum Tomatoes, Chopped Tomatoes and Pizza Ready Sauce. These delicious tomatoes have a high Brix level which is an important measurement of quality and inherent sweetness. They are now already very well established within the Italian food industry and some retail customers across the UK and Ireland, and our ability to source high quality ingredients from authentic suppliers in Italy holds a lot of importance in the industry.

“Genuine Italian ‘red gold’ tomatoes are full of vitamin C and especially lycopene - one of the most potent antioxidants among dietary carotenoids.

Research shows that dietary intake of tomatoes and tomato products containing lycopene has been shown to be associated with a decreased

risk of chronic diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

“The weather this year (2019) during April and May - the period when the tomatoes are planted - was very rainy, and this has brought challenges to the crop because the farmers had to delay tomato planting resulting in a shortage at the end of July, and into the beginning of August. Right now, all tomatoes producers are in late with the production.

ANICAV - the national association of Italian producers of canned vegetables - supports this view.

“In terms of quality, I am very pleased to say the crop is excellent. So although we have a lower yield in terms of numbers/size of crop, the quality is very high, with a high brix level and inherent natural sweetness.”

The Alfonso Sellitto factory was founded on 1949, so this year marks the company’s seventieth birthday. The factory is one of the factories responsible for founding the San Marzano Consortium in

September 2019

TOMATOES 1999, and is also one of the first factories who started to produce this special item.

“They produce not only whole peeled tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and pizza sauce but also the San Marzano DOP tomatoes, a special kind of tomatoes that are handpicked and grow on the volcanic soil of the Vesuvius area,” adds Philip Bull. “A type of whole peeled tomatoes, they are recognised as a special type not only in law with the certification DOP (Denomination of Protected Origin), but also by many famous chefs and pizzaioli.

Alfonso Sellitto has also been given an acknowledgment from the Campania Region to their branch in the USA (La Valle Foods) for the merit of having contributed to spread in the USA of the knowledge of the San Marzano tomatoes.”

San Marzano tomatoes.

HARVEST AND PRODUCTION Usually, Alfonso Sellitto try to harvest, pack and process their tomatoes within five to six hours

from the harvest, and certainly always within a 24 hour period, they point out (their tomatoes are BRC Food, and System Quality Business accredited according to the law UNI EN ISO 9001:2000 - updated to the law UNI ISO 9001:2008).

When tomatoes arrive from the field they are washed with clean water, then sorted through with an optical selector which picks out any green tomatoes.

Then the tomatoes are peeled via the use of steam (it is important to focus on this aspect because in some countries they peel the tomatoes chemically, and not only with the steam).

Then, another optical selector takes away what is yellow or not of the right colour (for instance a black spot or damaged tomatoes). Then it’s all hands-on deck as a number of team members stationed along the ‘sorter conveyor’ check the quality of the tomatoes individually, by hand, taking away what is not compliant with the quality required.

The firm have two optical sorters, but they do not neglect the accuracy and experience of the skilled team who have worked in this field for many years. Then follows the process of filling of the tins, the pasteurisation and the cooling process. At the end, during the labelling process, the tins are checked by an X-ray machine so as to be able to detect the presence of any foreign body.

MARTIN MATHEW & CO LTD Olives

Sundried Tomatoes

Olive Oils

Pasta

Tel: 01992 641641 Email: sales@martinmathew.co.uk www.martinmathew.co.uk

www.papa.org.uk

Balsamic Vinegar and Glazes

@MartinMathewCO

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TOMATOES

NO ADDED SUGAR Launched in retail in 2017, Real Good Ketchup (www.realgoodketchup.com) claim that they were the first no added sugar and reduced salt ketchup to market in the UK, quickly gaining major retail listings throughout the UK and Ireland, including Morrisons, Co-Op, Ocado and Super Valu. Accolades and awards have followed for the brand, including winner of the 2018 Food Talk Gold Clean Eating Award. The brand is also performing well outside of the UK, particularly in the Middle East and America, having launched in Central Market and rolling out in early summer to further stores along the East Coast.

On The Menu’s ketchup has been joined by a no added sugar Smokey BBQ variety, and the company also feel that they have managed to ensure the brand has punched above its weight competing with Heinz’s no added sugar product.

“Having a background in the food industry and a son with severe food allergies, I set a standard at the beginning for Real Good being allergen free, containing no artificial sweeteners, having reduced salt and clean ingredients and I’m proud to say Real Good delivers on taste, quality and the full tomato

ketchup experience,” says founder, Elizabeth Jones.

“When I researched the market and tasted what was available in table sauces, I realised we can do better. I wanted us to produce a product we were proud of and truly believed in. If we were to remove or add ingredients I wanted us to do so with a strong purpose and understanding. This process not only led to us removing the ‘big baddies’, in the form of added sugar and a lot of the salt, but was also behind more subtle omissions. For example, we didn’t fortify or add extra vitamins or minerals because ketchup has to be heated up to a high temperature during cooking and this causes them to lose their benefits – although conversely it boosts the benefits of lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant, which is present in the tomatoes we use. Real Good has over 75% less sugar and salt content than regular ketchups.

“The biggest challenge was to ensure removing the sugar didn’t detrimentally affect taste and consistency, we didn’t want to solve one problem and create another. We believe a large part of the success of the Real Good Ketchup is down to the choices we made in this area. We chose to use only plant-based

ingredients and sugar alternative in the form of xylitol (derived from birch and beech wood) and stevia leaf, whereas Heinz have opted for sucralose (an artificial sweetener) in their no added sugar ketchup. Real Good Ketchup has the benefit of no aftertaste.”

Backing up Elizabeth Jones’s views are the results of independent consumer research 1,000 people through Degustabox, December and January 2019), and which showed 75% of participants liked the Real Good Tomato Ketchup taste compared to their regular ketchup, with them ranking the product’s benefits in order of importance as ‘No added sugar, No artificial ingredients, Reduced salt, Made in the UK’.

Elizabeth Jones believes Real Good Ketchup will replicate its retail success in the catering sector with the brand successfully trialled in both primary and senior schools last year, leading to the launch with Savona Food Service.

Read it online at www.papa.org.uk

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September 2019

CHEESE

Cheese in the

spotlight

Organised by the Nantwich Agricultural Society, the prestigious annual International Cheese & Dairy Awards Nantwich 2019, and celebratory lunch, took place at the Nantwich Show, Cheshire recently (there having been a long history of making cheese on farms in and around Nantwich). An institution in the industry, this longstanding and well attended event offered visitors and the industry alike a great chance to see, taste, and pay homage to some of the best cheeses to be found in the UK market, if not the world.

RECOGNITION This event and competition – now 122 years old - is the largest cheese show in the world. As well as the multiple rows of tables of cheeses lined up for the purposes of judging (including the Wipak Retailer Marquee which housed the refrigerated dairy classes alongside the blue and soft cheese class areas), it featured a range of company exhibition stands and the Le Gruyere Cookery Demonstration Area.

1390 people from across the sector attended the Awards lunch sponsored by Cheshire-based Joseph Heler, and during which all of the overall winners were announced. Some 5000 cheeses were on display in the competition with 300 cheese and dairy expert judges supported by 150 stewards taking just four hours and twentytwo minutes to judge all of the entries. In fact, international entries to the awards had doubled this year, the organisers reported, with more entries being received from overseas, from as far away as Australia, and notably including the first entrant from Japan.

The sector has seen plenty 44

of change in recent times, it was observed, not least in terms of the rise of the discounters and the implications of rising food safety concerns and the desire for quality, and come 2021, the show will grow to become a three-day event.

“I’m proud to be part of the leading cheese show in the world,” said Chris Chisnall, chairman of the International Cheese and Dairy Awards. “The standard of entries we receive just get better and better and it is evidence of a healthy and vibrant global cheese industry, brimming with confidence and innovation. The Awards are now recognised worldwide and have helped raise the profile of products, producers and retailers.”

EXHIBITORS Italian dairy company and a sector leader in Italy according to IRI Infoscan data - Granarolo Group - showcased a comprehensive range of cheese, specialist cheeses (such as their Pecorino Sardo PDO) and associated dairy such as milk and yoghurts. Visitors to their stand were also able to sample their innovative range of multi-

use cheese snacks and cheese crumbles, as well as their Italian classics including various sizes and formats of mozzarellas and aged hard cheeses (including the company’s latest Quattrocento).

Bookham Harrison Farms showcased its Sussex Charmer cheese which combines the recipes and production methods of a mature Cheddar with that of an Italian style hard cheese, and Academy of Cheese informed visitors about its cheese tasting and cheese education courses and training opportunities for those who are interested in refining their cheese credentials, with the potential to reach Master of Cheese level.

Granarolo Vegetarian Quattrocento 1kg – Silver, which the company say they are really proud of as a new product up against PDO products, as it proves chefs can make the swap for authentic vegetarian dishes with a high quality hard cheese that stands up well within a highly established category of PDO cheeses, they feel.

Granarolo’s winning Quattrocento Italian hard cheese.

CELEBRATION Wins for Granarolo included in class DP266 Best Italian Cheese – September 2019

CHEESE

Group of Dairygold cheeses.

In addition, they were highly commended for their Granarolo Parmigiano Reggiano 1kg in class DP264 Best Italian Cheese category and won a Bronze in class DP82 Blue Vein Cheese Soft category for their Granarolo Gorgonzola Picante 1/8.

Building on their success at the awards last year (where they scored three gold, one silver and four bronze prizes for products across the hard and soft cheese range), this year Dairygold Food Ingredients UK Ltd (DFI UK), was recognised for the quality, innovation and flavour of

www.papa.org.uk

its cheeses, scooping an impressive 16 accreditations across its cheese portfolio (including seven gold awards).

The full list of their products recognised at the 2019 awards included Gold for American Style Soft Cheese (Soft, Semi-Soft or Cream Cheese, without additives), Irish White Extra Mature Cheddar (Cheese, any type or variety), West Country Farmhouse Cheddar (Sliced Cheese, UK), Pizzamelt (Best Pizza Cheese, UK/Non-UK), Cheddar & Cheese Jalapeno Sauce (Best New Dairy Product, Non-UK), Imokilly Sour Cream (Carton of Soured Cream) and a three-tier dessert cheesecake made with DFI soft cheese, at their Leeds site (Dessert Cheesecake) Their silver accolades were for Cheddar Cheese Sauce (Best New Dairy Product, Non-UK and Best German Cheese), Irish White Mature Cheddar (Sliced Cheese, UK/NonUK) and Irish White Mild Cheddar (Best Sandwich Cheese, UK/NonUK), and their bronze accolades were for Oak Smoked White Mild Cheddar (Sliced Cheese, UK/NonUK) and Mozzarella/White Mild Cheddar 70/30 blend (Best Pizza Cheese, UK/Non-UK).

These awards come hot on the tails of DFI UK’s achievements at the Great Yorkshire Show, point out the firm where they secured a silver prize for their Imokilly Sour Cream and a bronze award for their Liquid Cheese with Dairygold Cheddar.

Svitlana Binns, head of CRM UK at DFI, said: “We’re delighted to have picked up so many esteemed awards this year. Each one is a well-deserved recognition of the dedication and passion that our whole team shows for the craft of cheese making and we will continue to invest in innovation to further build on these accomplishments.”

“We would like to thank our teams across our UK and International sites, as well as our Irish milk suppliers for their consistent support in helping us maintain the highest of standards.”

Following a bumper haul at the 2018 International Cheese Awards, Futura Foods, a UK supplier of Mediterranean-inspired dairy products, went one better in 2019, landing no less than four prestigious gold medals, three silvers, four bronzes and three commendations.

Judges, who included prominent food writers, dairy experts and dairy buying teams, handed Golds to Futura’s Baked Feta with Tomato and Basil, 18-month Grana Padano, Greek Grilling Cheese, and its 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano. Silver was awarded to the company’s Goats Cheese with Honey, Halloumi

and Salted Anari. Futura’s Goats Cheese with Cranberry, 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano, Graveria and 18-month Grana Padano scooped Bronze while its Feta, Halloumi and Salad Cheese were also awarded Very Highly Commended.

“The International Cheese Awards are the biggest and most prestigious in the world, with an unmatched calibre of judges on show,” said Futura Foods’ national account controller, John Steele.

“We’re delighted therefore, to yet again be honoured, especially in the face of such esteemed competition.

This is proof that when it comes to cheese, quality and authenticity always wins the day. Our dedicated team has been instrumental in our success in recent years, I thank them and indeed our trusted partner dairies across continental Europe for their support and output – we couldn’t be prouder to share this haul with them.”

Futura’s gold winning Grana Padano.

NANTWICH CHEESE AWARDS 2019 – RETAIL AND OVERALL WINNERS

Cheddar Cheese Retailer of the year - Booths British Regional Cheese Retailer of the year - Marks & Spencer Continental Cheese Retailer - Marks & Spencer Blue Cheese Retailer of the year - LIDL Artisan Cheese Retailer of the year and Deli Retailer of the year - Morrisons Healthy Cheese Retailer of the year - Tesco Convenience Cheese Retailer of the year - Co-Op New Innovative Cheese Retailer of the year and Online Cheese Seller of the year - Ocado Deli Cheese Independent Retailer of the year - Godfrey Williams 13 Gold Awards - Tesco 32 Gold Awards - Booths Supreme Retailer of the Year Award – Morrisons Reserve Champion for UK - Dewlay Champion UK - Bath Soft Cheese Company Reserve Overseas - Friesland Campina Champion Overseas - Cellars @ Jasper Hill Reserve Supreme Champion - Cellars @ Jasper Hill Supreme Champion - Wyfe of Bath, Bath Soft Cheese Company

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PACKAGING

Packaging

Profile In the highly competitive world of takeaway and grab and go, these days it’s important for operators to have packaging that is fit for purpose, as well as environmentally friendly.

GREEN THEME The drive to enhance a business’s ‘green’ credentials is evidenced by 75-strong Italian restaurant group, Carluccio’s, recent announcement of the implementation of a number of Turning Carluccio’s Green initiatives, post a successful trial.

In a bid to encourage as many customers as possible to use reusable cups, say the 46

brand, Carluccio’s is now rewarding them with a 50p discount on the purchase of any hot drink.

From 1 September 2019, Carluccio’s has been offering its own branded, stylish reusable and recyclable Frank Green cups (each customer receives a complimentary coffee with the purchase of the large 16fl oz cup). These vacuum-insulated, double-

walled cups are built to last and can keep contents hot or cold for up to 10 hours, say the company.

In addition, say Carluccio’s, this autumn will see the arrival of compostable, Nespressocompatible pods in Carluccio’s shops and online, and the introduction of compostable paper cups (with recyclable lids) and corn starch cutlery for take-away meals.

“The uptake of the 50p refill discount has been staggering with a 20-fold increase in the number of customers using their own cup,” says Mark Jones, Carluccio’s CEO. “Turning Carluccio’s Green is our way of demonstrating our commitment to sustainability which goes beyond the cup and we will continue to strive to lighten our environmental footprint, a cause championed by our founder, Antonio Carluccio.”

Designers and manufacturers of sustainable food packaging solutions, Colpac (www.colpacpackaging.com), recently created a range of versatile, recyclable food pots for ZA – the new, food-to-go brand launched by PizzaExpress.

September 2019

PACKAGING ZA was developed by PizzaExpress earlier this year following demand from customers who still want the PizzaExpress experience, but a wider variety of take-away options.

From the chain’s traditional pizza offerings, served by the slice, the brand also caters to the growing breakfast-to-go sector with fresh porridges, fruit and baked goods.

In particular, Colpac worked with ZA to create packaging solutions for its selection of fresh porridge pots. Featuring a range of different flavours, the pots are packed with hot porridge and then stored within a hot food cabinet.

Created from fully recyclable board, the pots are a sustainable solution which can easily be recycled by the customer, point out Colpac. Fully insulated to hold the heat of the product within, the pots can be reheated, and the lid features small holes for ventilation.

To promote ZA’s vibrant branding, the paperboard can be also customised to depict the company’s messaging and logo, increasing the on-shelf appeal for customers.

WELL PRESENTED “In this competitive market, it’s crucial for an operator to provide an excellent ‘grab and go’ experience,” says Clare Moulson, marketing executive, Huhtamaki UK (www.foodservice. huhtamaki.co.uk).

“They must ensure that their food reaches the customer in perfect condition, and excellent quality packaging is a necessity, it has to protect what’s inside and allow the contents to be thoroughly enjoyed, so the customer has a brilliant brand encounter. This market is extremely competitive so it’s crucial to offer customers innovation that will keep them returning to your business.

“At Huhtamaki, we have an in-depth knowledge of the sector and we have designed a range of food and drink packaging that will cater to virtually all options within this area, from hot toasted sandwiches and burgers to warming, healthy soups and a range of hot and cold paper cups. We can also offer bespoke printing on our ranges and this is a fantastic option for an operator to really stand out from their competitors.”

Their Relish range, for example, caters for a range of hot and cold food, from salads to wraps to burgers, allowing food to be served quickly and securely for eating on-thego. There are four products available – the clamshell, food box and two scoops. All of the products in the Relish range are grease proof lined and made with 100% PEFC paperboard,

say the company, and they are manufactured in the UK, contain recycled content and are recyclable in kerbside bins (check with local council).

Their Eatwell range of paper food containers offers seven sizes, 7oz, 8oz, 12oz (‘tall’ or ‘squat’), 16oz (‘mid’ or ‘tall’) and 24oz, making Eatwell one of the most extensive ranges now available in the UK foodservice market, they claim.

Very much on trend at the moment, they point out, are healthy breakfast pots with a serve of fruit and yoghurt or scrambled egg and avocado – these ‘pots’ are ideal for customers who want a filling breakfast or snack to eat on the go. Available in plain white or the colourful enjoy design which gives a vibrant pop of colour and features the ‘smile’ logo (the range is made with 100% PEFC certified paperboard).

For those operators wanting to cook and reheat food in its packaging, Huhtamaki’s Taste range is a comprehensive range of packaging that is ovenable/microwavable so that food can be cooked and handed straight to a customer who can then enjoy a delicious experience directly from the pack (again, made in the UK from 100% PEFC paperboard and recyclable where facilities exist, Huhtamaki point out).

And for the ever-popular coffee (or even other hot drinks) to go, Huhtamaki has devised an extensive range of hot paper cups from the sophisticated black to the colourful enjoy Impresso range, all made from 100% PEFC paperboard and able to be recycled (contact your waste contractor). The latest innovation from Huhtamaki is a range of speciality cups that feature a QR code, which, when scanned will show operators and customers where to recycle their cup.

Huhtamaki’s Relish range.

Packaging is key for grab and go and takeaway customers as it not only protects food and ensures it remains fresh for as long as possible, but it also conveys that freshness to consumers while simultaneously delivering a raft of other essential information.

To ensure consumption is as efficient as possible for operator and consumer alike, Tri-Star Packaging says that it offers a wide range of packaging solutions. It clear lidded, curvilinear Oval Eco Street Bowl™, for example, helps to show food at its best, while their multi-

functional Gourmet 24.7™ – an industry first, they claim – enables operators to pack several takeaway dishes, both wet and dry, hot and cold, into a single container without the foods mixing.

Other Tri-Star Packaging innovations include PortaTray™, which can be branded on all four sides, and Tri-Pot™ and Tri-Green™ – trendy deli-pots for serving to-go snacks and desserts.

They offer superb presentation and clarity, ideal for coaxing even more of those all-important impulse buys.

Once operators see packaging as an investment rather than a cost, feel the company, their profits will rise, and innovation will grow faster and faster, and so will their reputation if they take environmental sustainability issues into account (sustainability having risen to the very top of the agenda and packaging has a major role to play in improving an outlets eco-credentials).

Tri-Star Packaging says that it is the first company in the UK to launch disposable cutlery which is made from recycled materials, and over the past 18 months, they and their manufacturer suppliers have been consistently developing more and more products featuring recycled PET (rPET) material.

“We recognise the need to reduce the reliance on ‘virgin’ PET and increase the use of recycled materials available from the postconsumer waste stream. Tri-Star packaging are leading the way in this endeavor by using more and more high grade rPET into our packaging,” says managing director Alex Noake.

“As thought leaders in our sector, we have worked with suppliers to ensure that this new process is as sustainable possible and we are proud to be the first company in the UK to launch ‘disposable’ cutlery made from rPET.” Exclusive to Tri-Star Packaging, the new cutlery range incorporates 97% recycled PET (rPET), so plastic that has already been used is recovered and used again, rather than being sent to landfill or being littered on our streets or ending up in our rivers, streams and oceans, they point out. To create the lowest possible carbon footprint, the rPET cutlery range is manufactured in the UK, supporting British manufacturing and reducing the impact on the environment by having it travel very few miles to its final destination.

Tri-Star’s new rPET cutlery range.

www.papa.org.uk 47

PACKAGING POST PURCHASE Operators offering ‘grab and go’ and takeaway food and drink options will need to reconsider their position around environmental sustainability. Establishing adequate collection methods and facilities ‘in-house’ is one thing, but grab and go and takeaway also means watching your packaging leave the premises. So, ensuring its disposal doesn’t undo all the good you’ve achieved in-house means making the right packaging choices.

While customers might be demanding fresh, natural, local, organic, vegan, and other free-from food options, there’s no denying that they are also becoming interested in the provenance of the packaging it comes in too. The issue for post-consumer packaging waste is ‘end of life’, so the right choices need to be made to ensure that packaging does not go to landfill, but is reused, recycled or commercially composted. And what the packaging is made from is just as important.

“We understand the increasing pressures our customers face in endeavouring to operate in an environmentally friendly fashion – and consequently we are constantly expanding our range with innovative products,” says Celebration managing director, Nick Burton.

“Our Enviroware® range, for example, provides exciting and innovative eco-friendly

food packaging, which contribute to our customers’ green offering and credentials.

Our compostable packaging includes cutlery, dinnerware, cups, platters, pots and other catering products and disposables. Once used, this range of compostable packaging can be disposed of along with food waste, in commercial composting facilities.”

Celebration and its Enviroware range offer packaging made from a wide range of sustainable materials including bagasse, PLA, CPLA and paper. Bagasse is a natural renewable/sustainable fibre material that is made from sugar cane (after the sugar has been extracted) and is used to make Enviroware’s 2 and 4 fl oz portion pots and lids, as well as boxes/clamshells, plates, bowls and trays.

PLA, a sustainable/renewable bio-polymer derived from plants – not oil – is used to produce their strong and durable deli/ salad bowls and lids which protect food while allowing crystal clear presentation of ingredients. And new from Enviroware this season, is a range of brown Kraft salad containers and lids lined with PLA moisture barrier.

Commercially compostable CPLA foam trays will soon be available in a range of shapes and sizes and Celebration has expanded its selection of disposable CPLA cutlery to now include black as well as natural

white. Compostable CPLA cutlery offers the same strength and high quality as standard plastic cutlery, but can be disposed of along with food waste, in commercial composting facilities. To ensure that consumers are involved in the sustainability story, the word ‘compostable’ is embossed on the handle of each piece, making them aware of the cutlery’s eco-friendly credentials.

“Operators should consider involving their customers in their sustainability story by telling them about the packaging choices that have been made so as to help them to understand their role in ensuring a responsible ‘end of life’ for the packaging from your café,” says Nick Burton.

Celebration Paper & Plastics promoted its eco-friendly food packaging brand, Enviroware, at the recent lunch! show, their paper straws having been approved by the Vegetarian Society and now carrying the vegetarian trademark.

New labelling legislation All those in the business of delivering prepackaged food to consumers should be aware that the government is planning to introduce new legislation which will mandate full ingredients labelling for foods which are pre-packed for direct sale, point out Tri-Star.

‘Natasha’s law’ will apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is set to come into force by the summer of 2021. Businesses will be given a two-year implementation period to adapt to the changes.

So what does ‘Pre-packed foods for direct sale’ mean? It covers all foods that have been made and packed on the same premises from which they are being sold. For example, a packaged sandwich or salad made by staff earlier in the day and placed on a shelf for purchase.

Until now the retailer has been required to list allergens on a shelf label, but the foods themselves have not been required to carry labels and information on allergens, as it is assumed that the customer can speak with the person who made or packed the product for this information. This has led people mistakenly thinking that the food does not

48

contain any allergens.

The British Sandwich & Food to Go Association (BSA) recognises that the application of labels will require input of data, staff time and training. While waiting for the full details of the new legislation, BSA hopes to issue full guidance to its members this autumn.

“But why wait?” says Alex Noake. “This is an important health issue, but also one of corporate responsibility. 2021 is a long way off, so why leave risks in place when we, as an industry could act right away.”

Tri-Label from Tri-Star Packaging has been devised to make food labelling simple, and its expert team can draw on more than forty years’ combined experience in the food labelling sector to help guide customers through current and future legislation changes.

“The new legislation, which will mean a safer choice for consumers who suffer from allergies, is a welcome improvement to a relaxed area of food labelling,” says Alan Bryson from Tri-Label.

“The need for allergy clarification has never been more apparent, and the demand

on food producers to describe their products has increased the time and cost required to produce their goods.

“The solution proposed by the government is one that has already been in place for all pre-packed foods. This is a tried and proven system of ingredients by weight and allergens highlighted accordingly.

Software systems can make this process manageable, however the groundwork is very important ahead of any data input. As they say, rubbish in – rubbish out.

“This need not be a negative task, as with any challenge faced in our industry, this can also be an opportunity to shine. Consumers are looking for more responsible food providers, the press is full of articles relating to confusion over what products contain which potential allergen. A responsibly labelled product will help drive sales and increase brand integrity. There really isn’t a negative side to this change, if handled correctly. ’Natasha’s Law’ creates a great opportunity for the food service sector to enhance its reputation by acting to provide consumers with essential allergen information – and should act now.”

September 2019

PACKAGING

Pasta straws Pasta straw company, Stroodles (www.stroodles.co.uk), says that it has launched to provide an environmentally friendly solution to the single-use plastic crisis and rise of greenwashing from the paper straw industry.

In comparison to soggy paper and plastic straws, Stroodles are an improvement as they provide greater durability, are flavourless, vegan, 100% biodegradable and are edible raw or cooked after use, point out the company.

A core principle for Stroodles is their ‘drink-easy’ ethos, meaning drinkers don’t have to change behaviour or compromise on drinking experience to do good for the environment.

“While we’re a very logical and effortless solution to the plastic problem, Stroodles is not just a straw company,” says Stroodles’ founder, Maxim Gelmann (pictured). “Our driving goal is to become a vehicle for change and we hope that Stroodles can act as an enabler, subtly inspiring people to question how they consume everyday items. We hope these incremental changes will lead to a ripple effect and create a greater shift in behaviour, one Stroodle at a time.”

The concept of conscious consumerism also extends to Stroodles’ business model and operation. Stroodles that don’t meet the high-quality standard

get donated to food banks and a share of Stroodles’ sales are also donated to charities who help fight plastic waste.

Stroodles are available to purchase online in a range of package options, from a sample size of four for £1.49 to 100 for £12.99 with a share of each sale donated to local charities (for the hospitality industry, Stroodles are also available in bulk orders).

Stroodles are a natural product from Italy, and when they arrive from the supplier, the strongest and best ones are carefully and manually selected, say the company.

Since the launch of Stroodles in December 2018, the pasta straw company has been featured as a new way to beat single-use plastic by BBC Good Food and exhibited at a number of trade events and appearances nationwide such as Imbibe Live, the London Convention Bureau. It featured in pop-up bars in Chelsea and Portman square and was a sponsor for the Queen’s birthday at the British Embassy in the Netherlands. Stockists included Greenhaus – London’s first direct-to-consumer ethical co-retail space with customers to date including M Restaurants, Quaglino’s and Laki Kane. They are also being trialled at the Neapolitan pizza chain, Pizza Pilgrims.

www.papa.org.uk 49

PROFILE

Tasting Sicily Perhaps better known as ‘The Sicilian Chef’ (www.thesicilianchef.co.uk), Enzo Oliveri’s talents extend well beyond the mission of promoting the renowned Mediterranean diet in the UK, as Luisa Welch reports here.

SICILIAN HERITAGE Born on the beautiful island of Sicily – hence becoming known as the Sicilian Chef - Enzo Oliveri’s passion for cooking started at the tender age of six.

Spellbound by the way ingredients would turn into dishes in the hands of a skilled chef, avidly learning how recipes were developed, from a young age he became interested in baking, and his first port of call was his local bakery, where he spent much of his teenage years.

At 19, he started to cook professionally at one of the top patisseries in Palermo – Caflisch which he still remembers fondly, then at a deli, followed by the opening of his first restaurant Poker D’Assi at 23, which he sold when it was at its apex in order to realise the most capital for the future.

A second restaurant, Molo, located right onto the pier of the coastal city of Cefalù, hence the name, followed at the age of 27. He loved it, but looking back on those happy days, he says “restaurants are businesses”, and he was made an offer he couldn’t refuse…

Since then, he entered the kitchens of some of the best hotels in Italy and then in the world.

Perhaps his biggest asset was the capability of thinking big from the start, he reflects. From the beginning of his career, he focused on the bigger picture, he sought the big action, never stopped learning and exploring, as his objective was to become an internationally recognised 50

chef. And he must have done something right, as he has been cooking for 45 years, he is still here, and has become much more than a chef.

WIDER INFLUENCE From the Palermo bayfront Hotel Zagarella, Enzo Oliveri made the leap into Europe moving to Belgium, and from then he moved to London securing a chef’s position at the St George’s Hotel.

But his passion for learning was far from being satisfied, and soon he was on the road again, eating his way around the world, experimenting with new ingredients and learning new cooking techniques in some of the best kitchens.

“And I am still learning,” he says. “When I was a young chef, I learned from senior chefs. Now I prefer to learn from young chefs,

because they hold the culinary future, and I want to see where the future is going. I teach them the basics, I watch them grow, and then learn from them.”

Enzo Oliveri has spent the last 20 years in London, successfully weathering the 2008 recession and making a name for himself by opening a number of his

own restaurants, consulting for others, as well as a cookery school in Bromley of which he remains patron chef. During his career to date, he has opened and consulted for more than 50 restaurants.

His restaurant in London’s Piccadilly - Tasting Sicily Enzo’s Kitchen - not only pulls in aficionados of Sicilian cuisine, but is a magnet for all lovers of Italian food and of the Mediterranean in fact.

Embracing the concept of the Slow Food movement, which Tasting Sicily helped to establish in the UK in 2015 at the ‘Sicilian at the Table’ conference held at the Italian Cultural Institute, the menu reflects these values.

Dishes include ingredients as listed in the Slow Food official list such as shrimps with the special lentils from Ustica, tuna salad with the special Salina capers, and his signature dish, Casarecce con guanciale di suino Nero dei Nebrodi e Pistacchio di Bronte (ribbon pasta with Nebrodi cured black pig cheeks September 2019

PROFILE and Bronte pistachio pesto) – a real delicacy, worth seeking out on the menu! Here, he also runs cookery classes for corporate events, for promotions and for children, of course.

EDUCATION Today, when not cooking at his restaurant, you’ll find Enzo Oliveri teaching the occasional Hospitality session at West London University, and he is often called by the University of Hallam where he makes frequent guest appearances on their Catering course. As a patron of many colleges, he says that “teaching is becoming my thing”.

He has travelled as far as India as an ambassador of the Mediterranean cuisine for the past five years and became a judge and mentor at the 2016 Young Chef Olympiads held there, drawing entries from 60 countries.

For the past few years, as if his achievements were not enough, Enzo Oliveri has also been honing his skills as a sports nutritionist, working with the Italian National cycling team which he continues to support every year.

Cool, calm and collected – somewhat unusual for an Italian, perhaps – Enzo Oliveri also finds the time to fulfil his demanding role as president of FIC (Federazione Italiana Cuochi UK), honouring and representing the best Italian chefs which counts 20,000 members worldwide - a post he has held since the beginning of 2017 to grow the membership and the association in the UK. This Association helps with chef jobs, equipment, advice, promotion, cooperation, and Enzo Oliveri says that he sees himself as an ambassador of Italian Eno- gastronomy. “This is an important role,” he adds.

“As I am keen to see good Italian chefs in the UK being recognised, and I dedicate as much time as I can to it on a voluntary basis.”

Recently, he has become involved in yet another worthwhile project, IHC (International Hospitality Council) – a leading edge

The best tomato sauce?

Enzo Oliveri recommends finding the best quality fresh tomatoes you can find, then squashing them with your hands. Next, find the best extra virgin olive oil you can find, or afford. Add a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of freshly milled black pepper. His personal touch is to add a touch of fresh or dried oregano, and mix all of these raw ingredients together before spreading them on a pizza base. international association set up to advise hotels and restaurants and made up of top professional recruited from over 60 countries worldwide. There are only 25 top advisers on the board, of which Enzo Oliveri is one. They advise companies at the highest level, including government where necessary.

RECOGNITION For many, Enzo Oliveri and Tasting Sicily have become the go-to chef and company within the Italian community in London, and he is regularly called up by the Italian government, the Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute to help in promoting Italian food and healthy living through exhibitions, cooking shows, masterclasses, gala dinners

and banquets. He has just received the Cavaliere Ufficiale award – equal to an OBE – from the president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.

Somehow, he has also found the time to film TV cooking programmes with Michel Roux (Kitchen Impossible for ITV), In Sicily with Aldo Zilli and Enzo, BBC Good Food, Gordon Ramsay and Paul Hollywood in City Baker.

With Brexit knocking on many doors, like many other restaurateurs, he is preparing to weather another storm. “We are all suffering,” he says, listing challenges such as increasing rents and rates, less staff coming to the UK because of the uncertainty, prices of goods going up, the decline of the middle market when it comes to eating out.

However, he feels that independent operators will suffer less than the chains, which often must work on lower profit margins. He says that the independents don’t usually discount, the chef-owners work in the kitchen therefore are faced with less staff turnover, they cut out the middleman by going to the markets themselves, and have a very personal relationship with their customers. Does he have any advice? For the chains, he has a one liner, “stop the war on prices and work on quality.”

A judge at the Pizza and Pasta Awards in 2018 and 2019, you will be able to catch Enzo Oliveri in the Theatre Of Cooking at the forthcoming European Pizza and Pasta Show (13-15 November 2019, Olympia, London).

www.papa.org.uk 51

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Pizza My

World Craig Brayshaw has been in the cheese industry for 14 years, having started at Milk Link, the cooperative that merged with Arla Foods, in 2005. The £500m turnover company made mostly Cheddar, but many other well-known British territorial cheeses too. On joining Eurilait in 2008 as an account manager, Craig had to gen up on his Continental cheese knowledge and he seems to have been successful in this as he was swiftly promoted to retail controller, then sales director and is now commercial director, responsible for sales for the company’s retail, industrial and foodservice business, as well as marketing, procurement and NPD.

“As commercial director for Eurilait my role covers many facets of the business which means I get to deal with a wide range of products, people and the odd issue along the way. But it means my days are varied and interesting!” he says.

7.30am 7.30am Eurilait has enjoyed positive growth in recent years and central to that is our team, so looking after our staff, ensuring that they are happy and can enjoy a great work life balance is important to us as a business. For me, that means dropping my two boys off at school at least twice a week. As I travel a lot for work it’s important for me to spend quality time with my family and something as simple as dropping them at school makes me feel good and sets me up for a day at the office.

8.30am 8.30am The first part of any day is spent planning and reading through emails that have arrived from our trading partners on the Continent. Due to the uncertainties 54

surrounding Brexit, communications are much higher than normal as we plan for any eventuality and endeavour to protect the supply chain for our customers.

Eurilait is part of a cooperative formed of over 10,000 dairy farmers and our parent companies have over 32 production sites spread across Europe. We have relationships with all of these producers so you can imagine things are quite challenging at the moment!

10.00am 10.00am My direct team from commercial, marketing, NPD and procurement meets every Monday to discuss our plans for the coming week and to ensure we are prepared for any supplier or customer meetings. We also take this opportunity to discuss individual needs within the group, how people are performing and what additional support or training they may require.

11:00am 11.00am My next job is to catch up with suppliers.

Currently there is a commotion

surrounding halloumi and the severe shortage of this popular cheese across the industry. This is due partly to the increased popularity we’ve seen in retail, as well as foodservice, of halloumi fries!

Growth in snacking and sharing trends might be the cause or it might be the surge in vegetarianism, but it’s given us a headache, as well as presented us with an opportunity! Making sure that we have a sustained supply for our customers is paramount and because of our reach with suppliers and our production capabilities in the UK, we’ve found a new partner who is working tirelessly to supply us with the quantities we need. Since the Cypriot trademark has been revoked and invalidated on UK halloumi, we have also been busy securing alternatives and now have new suppliers of non-Cypriot halloumi on board so we can offer operators a wide range of grilling cheeses, depending on their requirements - it’s a little known fact that different cheeses perform better or worse, depending on the cooking method. One of Eurilait’s strengths is staying ahead of the curve when the supply chain is challenged, so we can offer solutions to our customers.

September 2019

PIZZA MY WORLD 12.30pm 12.30pm Meeting with the production team to review a new cutting machine. All of the cheeses we handle are produced on the Continent and are then shipped to us to cut and pack for the UK market into various formats. Because of the massive growth in halloumi fingers for ‘fries’ we’ve invested in some new kit which has allowed us to increase our volume throughput of slices, cubes and fingers. By offering catering operators cheese in these formats, they can save time, improve portion control and reduce waste. We’re also able to drive growth across other core products like feta, that traditionally would be sold in 1kg blocks.

1.00pm 1.00pm Now for some NPD work in the test kitchen where we are testing our new range of IQF (individually quick frozen) cheeses, which are very popular as pizza toppings – I get to eat a lot of cheese when I’m in the office so don’t often stop for lunch! On today’s menu is goat, specifically an un-ripened 3g cube, a 2.5g cube with honey, a 3g cube with mixed pepper and an organic crumble.

They all work extremely well, and I’m surprised that my favourite is the goat with honey, it adds a great flavour to pizza and mellows the goat flavour somewhat.

2.00pm 2.00pm We have a weekly office ‘huddle’ where we update the wider office team on performance across a range on KPIs (key performance indicators) such as sales, service levels, health and safety, what’s new, people news and we always have a random, ‘did you know?’. It’s important to keep everybody updated on performance because everyone plays a part in delivering the results. It’s also an opportunity to welcome new staff, celebrate upcoming birthdays, etc. The ‘did you know’ for today was particularly relevant; did you know that if you go for a pizza with friends it is better to order an 18” pizza to share, rather than two 12” pizzas because you get 28sq. inches more?

3.00pm 3.00pm It’s time for a meeting with the finance director as we finalise our budgets for 2020, which this year has the added complexity

of Brexit. Although we are prepared for any eventuality, we can’t control the exchange rate, so we are working on a couple of scenarios. Either way, we plan to continue our growth while protecting pricing for our customers as far as is possible.

4.00pm 4.00pm I wouldn’t normally leave the office this early, but often have to travel abroad and today it’s to France to visit our purposebuilt mozzarella factory in Herbignac, that is currently producing over 40,000 tonnes of mozzarella! The reason for the visit is to hold a training session for their team on the importance the cheese recipe is and how significant that can be to the end user in cooking. Different fat contents and recipes for mozzarella will affect the melt, stretch, coverage and browning qualities of the cheese so you need to match the cheese to the application. Our job is to understand what our customers are looking for in a mozzarella, the type of service they have and even the ovens they use; we don’t just sell any cheese to anyone. For instance, you definitely can’t use the same cheese to cook pizza in a domestic oven as you would in a commercial wood fired pizza oven!

action Grab your slice of the and subscribe today

Contact Andrew Emery | 01291 636344 | andrew@papa.org.uk

www.papa.org.uk

55

index registered suppliers The following businesses are members of The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association (PAPA) and subject to its rules and guidelines. While the Association cannot guarantee the products and services supplied by those listed, it does believe that those listed are reputable and is confident in recommending them.

The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB Telephone: 01291 636335 or email kevin@jandmgroup.co.uk

999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Unit 6, Teakcroft, Fairview Industrial Park, Marsh Way, Rainham, Essex RM13 8UH Contact: Homayoun Aminnia Tel: 01708 558885 Fax: 01708 555022 sales@999pizzatoppings.com Allied Mills Ltd. Sunblest Flour Mill, Port of Tilbury, Tilbury, Essex RM18 7JR Contact: Chris Brown Tel: 01375 363100 Fax: 01375 363199 chris.brown@allied-mills.co.uk www.allied-mills-semolina.co.uk

C.Carnevale Ltd Carnevale House, Blundell St, London N7 9BN Contact: Mr C Carnevale Tel: 0207 607 8777 Fax: 0207 607 8774 Chefsrange Unit 4 Egerton Close, Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 8PE Contact: Tim Charlton Tel: 01455 559969 Fax: 01455 559979 tim@euro-catering.co.uk www.chefsrange.co.uk

Continental Quattro Stagioni Trafalgar Mills, Leeds Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD2 1YY Contact: Mr Roberto Giacobbi Tel: 01484 538333 r.giacobbi@continental-wine.co.uk www.continental-food.co.uk Conveni Willige Laagt 2, 5757 PZ Liessel The Netherlands Contact Noel Reidy Tel; +44 7903 526 457 +31 (0) 493 348 700 noel.reidy@conveni.nl info@conveni.nl

Cooktek c/o MCS Technical Products Ltd MCS Technical Products, Building 2, Westmead Industrial Estate, Westmead Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 7YT Contact: Steve Snow Tel: 01793 538308 Fax: 01793 522324 sales@mcstechproducts.co.uk Dairy Partners Ltd Brunel Way, Stroud Water Business Park, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 3SX Contact: Will Bennett Tel: 01453 828890 Will.Bennett@dairypartners.co.uk www.dairypartners.co.uk

Danish Prime Bommen 9, Thorning DK-8620 Kjellerup Denmark Mobile: +44 7764 337190 Mail: kpeac@danishcrown-toppings.dk www.danishcrown-toppings.dk

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. Lodge Way, Lodge Farm Industrial Estate, Northampton NN5 7US Contact: Ian Ritchie Tel: 01604 583421 Fax: 01604 587392 iritchie@dawnfarmfoods.co.uk www.dawnfarms.ie

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN FINE FOOD INGREDIENT IMPORTERS AND DISTRIBUTORS DONATANTONIO LIMITED BOREHAMWOOD

Donatantonio Ltd. Lupa House, York Way, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1PX Contact: Simon Bell Tel: 0208 2362222 Fax: 0208 2362288 www.donatantonio.com sbell@donatantonio.com

Eurilait Ltd Leighton Lane Industrial Estate, Leighton Lane, Evercreech BA4 6LQ Contact: Andrew Ford Tel: 01749 838108 andrewford@eurilait.co.uk www.eurilait.co.uk Freiberger UK Ltd Broadgate House, Westlode Street, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE11 2AF Contact: Andrew Thorne Tel: 01775 767655 01775 767656 andrew.thorne@freibergerukltd.co.uk Fromageries Bel 2 Allee de Longchamp, Suresnes, 92150, France Contact: Bruno Camozzi Tel: +33 (0) 1 84 02 30 99 bcamozzi@groupe-bel.com www.belfoodservicepai.com

Futura Foods UK Ltd. The Priory, Long Street, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 4HR Contact: Jo Carter Tel: 01666 890500 Fax: 01666 890522 jo@futura-foods.com www.futura-foods.com

Garofalo UK Highfield Nurseries, Slip Lane, Old Knebworth, Hertfordshire SG3 6QG Contact: Mal Pullan Tel: 01438 813444 Fax: 01438 816556 info@garofalo.co.uk www.pastagarofalo.it GCL Food Ingredients Dunsil Road, Engine Lane, Newthorpe, Nottingham NG16 3PX Contact: David Staiano Tel: 01773 533944 david@gclfoodingredients.com www.gclfoodingredients.com Glanbia Cheese Ltd 4 Royal Mews, Gadbrook Park, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UD Contact: Lynne Utting Tel: 01606 810900 / Fax: 01606 48680 lutting@glanbiacheese.co.uk Insurance Protector Group B1 Custom House, The Waterfront, Level Street, Brierley Hill DY5 1XH Tel: 0800 488 0013 business@ipgdirect.co.uk www.insuranceprotector.co.uk IPR Events London Ltd. The Plaza, 535 Kings Road, London SW10 0SZ Contact: Stanislava Blagoeva Tel: 0207 352 4356 slava@iprconnections.com www.iprconnections.com

Jestic Units 3+4, Dana Industrial Estate, Transfesa Road, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6UU Tel: 0845 5048050 Fax: 0845 5048051 Email: info@jestic.net www.jestic.co.uk

index registered suppliers Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd. Imperial Place (IP4), Maxwell Road, Borehamwood WD6 1JN Contact: Paul Griffith Tel: 0208 7362001 b2bmarketing@just-eat.co.uk www.restaurants.just-eat.co.uk Kerry Kerry Global Technology & Innovation Centre, Millenium Park, Naas, County Kildare, Ireland Contact: Gillian Raftery Tel: +353 87 948 4353 gillian.raftery@kerry.com www.kerry.com Kiren Foods Unit 3 Small Bridge Industrial Park, Riverside Drive, Rochdale, Lancashire OL16 2SH Contact: Mr Nazir Mackmood Tel:01706 526732 / Fax: 01706 869749 nazir@kirenfoods.com Leathams PLC 227-255, Ilderton Road, London, SE15 1NS Contact: Mr James Faulkner Tel 0207 6354026 / Fax 0207 6354017 ingredients.sales@leathams.co.uk www.leathams.com Makfa JSC Vspolny Lane, Building 5, Construction 1, Office 1, Moscow 123001, Russia Contact: Elena Karmanova Tel: +7 351 255 97 16 (ext 2416) karmanova@makfa.ru www.makfapasta.com

Martin Mathew & Co 50 St Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA Contact: Mr M.J. Donnelly Tel: 01992 641641 Fax: 01992 641333 matthew@martinmathew.co.uk www.martinmathew.co.uk

Norseland Ltd. 1 Furzeground Way, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB11 1BD Contact: Oliver Scott-Harden Tel: 01935 842800 oscott-harden@norseland.co.uk

Ornua Ingredients UK Hazel Park, Dymock Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2JQ Contact: Richard Thorpe Tel: 01531 631300 Fax: 01531 631300 richard.thorpe@ornua.com www.ornuaingredientsuk.com

Pizza Plus Foodservice Light Industrial Estate, Liverpool Road, Walmer Bridge, Preston PR4 5HY Tel: 01772 610415 Fax: 01772 617610 Contact: Chris Smith chris@pizzaplusfs.co.uk Riva Foods 32 Copenhagen Road, Hull HU7 0XQ Contact: Sarah Quenault Tel: 01482 837285 Fax: 01482 824323 sarah.quenault@rivafoods.co.uk www.rivafoods.co.uk Salvo 1968 Ltd. Salvo House, Maxwells West, Great Cambridge Road, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire EN8 8XH Contact: Giuseppe Motisi Tel: 0800 122 1968 Fax: 0207 607 5928 giuseppe@salvo1968.co.uk www.salvo1968.co.uk

Stateside Foods Ltd 31 – 34 Great Bank Road, Wingate Industrial Park, Westhoughton, Bolton BL5 3XU Contact: Ian Kent Tel: 01942 841200 Fax: 01942 841201 sales@stateside-foods.co.uk www.stateside-foods.co.uk

Whitworth Bros Limited Victoria Mills, Wellingborough Northants NN8 2DT Contact: Alan Ribakovs Tel: 01933 441000 Fax: 01933 222523 enquiries@whitworthbros.ltd.uk

We also produce a alal range of H products

We re Manufactu a zz hargioni pi toppings

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Tel: 0161 702 8447

email: sales@pizza-toppings.co.uk

index of products BEVERAGES

DELIVERY &

KITCHEN & SERVING

Beer

PACKAGING

Carnevale Ltd.

Heated Pizza Delivery

Bakery Ovens

Bag Systems

Chefsrange

Cooktek (MCS Technical

Chargrills

Products)

Chefsrange

Coffee Carnevale Ltd. Mineral Water Carnevale Ltd. Soft Drinks Carnevale Ltd.

EQUIPMENT

Displays DOUGH & PIZZA EQUIPMENT

Chefsrange Drinks Systems

Pizza Accessories

Carnevale Ltd.

Wine, Spirits & Liqueurs

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Fryers

Continental Quattro

Salvo 1968 Ltd

Chefsrange

Stagioni Ltd.

Pizza Making Systems &

Jestic

Carnevale Ltd.

Equipment

Griddles

Chefsrange

Chefsrange

Cooktek (MCS Technical

Cooktek (MCS Technical

Products)

Products)

Jestic

Jestic

BREAD, CAKES & DESSERTS Garlic Bread Riva Foods

Pizza Direct UK Pizza Ovens Chefsrange

CHEESE, DAIRY &

Jestic

EGGS

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Cheese 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Carnevale Ltd. Dairy Partners Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd.

FISH & SEAFOOD Other Fish & Seafood Leathams PLC FLOUR & BAKERY Concentrates

Eurilait Ltd.

Allied Mills

Extons Foods

Durum Semolina

Fromageries Bel

Allied Mills

Futura Foods UK Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Glanbia Cheese Ltd.

Flour

Leathams PLC Ornua Ingredients UK Stateside Foods Ltd. The Cheese Warehouse

Allied Mills Carnevale Ltd. Salvo 1968 Ltd Whitworth Bros. Limited Icings

Eggs

Allied Mills

Futura Foods UK Ltd.

Improvers

Leathams PLC

Allied Mills

Mozzarella

Premixes

Carnevale Ltd.

(Bread & Cakes)|

Dairy Partners Ltd. Eurilait Ltd. Fromageries Bel

Allied Mills FOOD WHOLESALERS

Holding Ovens Jestic Induction Cooking & Holding Cooktek (MCS Technical Products) Preparation Counters Chefsrange Refrigeration Chefsrange MEAT Bacon Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. Leathams PLC Beef Leathams PLC Chicken & Other Poultry Leathams PLC Ham Carnevale Ltd. Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. Foods Ltd. Leathams PLC Stateside Foods Ltd. Italian Meat & Sausages

Pancetta

Leathams PLC

Carnevale Ltd.

Glanbia Cheese Ltd.

Salvo 1968 Ltd.

GCL Food Ingredients.

The Cheese Warehouse

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Pepperoni Carnevale Ltd.

Salvo 1968 Ltd. Chargrilled Vegetables

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

GCL Food Ingredients.

Olives

Salami

Donatantonio Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Danish Prime

GCL Food Ingredients.

COMPUTING SOLUTIONS

Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd.

Online Ordering Solutions

INSURANCE

Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd.

Insurance Protector Group

Carnevale Ltd. Danish Prime Dawn Farm Foods GCL Food Ingredients Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd. Pizza Sauces Conveni Donatantonio Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd. READY MEALS Italian Conveni READY PREPARED Prepared Pasta Meals Freiberger UK Ltd. Prepared Pizza (Chilled) Conveni Stateside Foods Ltd.

TOMATOES Canned Tomatoes Donatantonio Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Salvo 1968 Ltd. Passata Donatantonio Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. SunBlush© Tomatoes Leathams PLC Sun-Dried Tomatoes Carnevale Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC

Geoff Parsons, Basilico

Independent Vacancy

VICE-CHAIR

ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Keith Griffiths, Yum

Vacancy

FORMER CHAIR

AGGREGATOR

Freiberger (Richard Harrow)

Seth Gulliver (Just Eat)

FROZEN PIZZA MANUFACTURER

CONSULTANT Kiren Foods

Stateside (Ian Kent – substitute Phil Goodall)

PASTA MANUFACTURER/ DISTRIBUTOR Vacancy

SUPERMARKETS PIZZA RESTAURANTS

Eurilait Ltd. Futura Foods UK Ltd.

999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd.

Chilled - Vacancy Frozen - Vacancy

Parmesan

Stateside Foods Ltd. SOUPS, SAUCES, STOCKS & DRESSINGS Garlic Spreads & Mixes Riva Foods Stateside Foods Ltd. Pasta Sauces Leathams PLC Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Salvo 1968 Ltd The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd Pizza Sauces Leathams PLC Salvo 1968 Ltd Soups Conveni

Meat

Danish Prime

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd.

CHAIRMAN

CHILLED PIZZA MANUFACTURER

Stagioni Ltd.

GCL Food Ingredients.

Freiberger UK Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association is the trade body representing the UK pizza, pasta and Italian Food Association.

The Association is given direction by a Management Committee comprising:

Donatantonio Ltd. Salvo 1968 Ltd

Prepared Pizza (Frozen)

Fish

Carnevale Ltd.

PIZZA DOUGH, BASES & CRUSTS Dough Balls Kiren Foods Pizza Plus Foodservice Pizza Bases & Crusts Kiren Foods Pizza Plus Foodservice Salvo 1968 Ltd. Stateside Foods Ltd.

(Lesley Chow)

GCL Food Ingredients.

PIZZA TOPPINGS

Fruit & Vegetables

PASTA, POLENTA, GNOCCHI & RICE Pasta (Dry) Carnevale Ltd. Continental Quattro Stagioni Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Garofalo UK GCL Food Ingredients.

Leathams PLC Makfa JSC Pasta (Fresh) Garofalo UK GCL Food Ingredients.

Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Salvo 1968 Ltd.

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

Continental Quattro

Futura Foods UK Ltd.

Olive Oil Donatantonio Ltd. GCL Food Ingredients.

Leathams PLC Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Salvo 1968 Ltd Vinegar Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd.

Chain Vacancy Independent Vacancy

Maurice Abboudi

SUPPLIERS

Mozzarella TBA Cheese Ornua (Richard Thorpe) Meat Dawn Farm Foods (Julie Sloan) Flour Whitworths (Alan Ribakovs) Equipment Jestic (Steve Morris) Speciality Ingredients Leathams (James Faulkner) Italian Wholesaler Salvo (Giuseppe Motisi)

PIZZA DELIVERY OPERATORS

OILS & VINEGARS

Chain Papa John’s (David Scott)

Oil

* For the purposes of the committee, we have treated independents as having fewer than 30 outlets.

Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd.

PAPA COMPLETE CATERING EQUIPMENT ESTABLISHED 1990 - LONDON

020 8424 9483 www.pizzaequipment.ltd.uk sales@pizzaequipment.ltd.uk Showroom at 7 St Kilda’s Road, Harrow, London, HA1 1QD