Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food - Issue 202 - March 2021

Issue 202 March 2021

& Italian food magazine

'' Naples, a thousand colours,, Thousands of colours and flavours connect the history of Naples to our mill.

A story made of passion, generosity and respect of the tradition.

CAPUTO 11 mulino di Napoli

www.papa.org.uk

Contents NEWS

Welcome

After the announcement of a slow, staged approach to the re-opening of the country and its economy – with each stage conditional on the success of its predecessor – great uncertainty remains. Much of the hard-hit hospitality sector will have to wait a while a longer before being able to re-open fully, thus making it an ever more critical time for many.

Take-away and delivery has been a life-saver for many businesses in the Italian food sector, with competition on the rise as other operators from other food sectors re-think their business models accordingly. In this issue we take a look at cheese and toppings, and hygiene, and also look ahead to the PAPA Awards.

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR

clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

28 The great deliverer – cheese.

4 Shift to localisation gives opportunity for growth.

5

34 Clean scene – hygiene.

PROFILES

Future Shock maps hospitality’s rollercoaster ride into 2021.

32 How to top a year of growth for the takeaway pizza industry – Bridge Cheese.

6 ‘I will open’ protest in Italy.

8 Lack of response making a tough situation worse.

ARTICLES

10 Bolognese voted the UK’s favourite pasta sauce.

PAPA ASSOCIATION 16 PAPA Awards 2021.

40 Association Update.

38 HFSS measures challenged – advertising ban of products considered high in fat, salt and sugar questioned.

REGULARS 39 New products.

FEATURES 24 Pizza toppings – trends and the vegan influence.

41 Index of suppliers.

43 Classifieds.

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2

March 2021

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FOOD STORAGE

NEWS

Shift to localisation gives opportunity for growth Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has launched its annual Business Outlook report Business Outlook 2021: Review. Realign.

Recover - which reflects on the themes, activity and challenges of 2020 and forecasts what 2021 might bring across the industries in which Christie & Co operates, including the restaurant sector.

Prior to the outbreak of COVID19, the restaurant sector was already experiencing a period of decline, driven largely by an over-saturated market, they observed with their report emphasising that the pandemic accelerated this trend in 2020 and how we are continuing to see many casualties throughout the sector as a result.

Despite a period of uncertainty as the UK entered lockdown in March 2020 with the sector brought to a halt, Christie & Co observed an uptick in market activity from 1 April, however, suggesting investors are still keen to invest in the sector (key statistics included in the report underpin this position, with 60% of the team’s restaurant transactions completing between April and December).

Key market trends for 2020 highlighted in the report, include the shift towards localisation, which has driven an increased demand for properties in regional towns plus rural and coastal locations, they feel. Additionally, there has been a rise in takeaway and delivery services, with sales surging by at least 20% due to increased demand from consumers during lockdowns, and which is expected to be sustained.

In this year’s report, Christie & Co also surveyed a pool of restaurant operators to gain an understanding of sentiment within the market, and 4

the outlook for business operations in 2021. With the restaurant sector already in a weak position before the effects of COVID-19 took hold, it is unsurprising that 85% of respondents noted that the pandemic has had a negative impact on their business, with the majority (59%) predicting it could take one to three years for the sector to return to pre-COVID levels, they report.

Christie & Co’s restaurant price index for 2020 also reports a 17.5% decrease in average prices, which follows a period of decline since 2017. These challenging trading conditions were exacerbated in 2020 as a result of COVID-19, they add, and as such, 58.5% of sentiment survey respondents expect further pricing deductions into 2021. Despite this, the results suggest the sector can look forward to an increase in transactional activity in 2021, with 39.9% of respondents reporting that they are planning on selling, along with 38.5% who note they are interested in expanding their portfolio, they found.

Stephen Owens, managing director of pubs & restaurants at Christie & Co commented: “Prior to the pandemic we already saw that the restaurant sector was suffering from the affects of ill-advised over expansion. Many restaurants turned to takeaway and delivery platforms to help them trade through the impact of restrictions, which has also helped maintain their connection with customers. The rebalancing of prices and rents in 2021 and beyond will lead to a more sustainable sector, with buyers eyeing suitable opportunities.”

THE REPORT ALSO OUTLINES CHRISTIE & CO’S KEY MARKET PREDICTIONS FOR 2021.

• Growth in the food delivery and takeaway market will be sustained as convenience remains key, with many independents continuing to adopt this as part of their strategy.

• The uptake of touch-free, digital and app-focused ordering systems by both consumers and operators will increase, should operating restrictions and social distancing requirements remain.

• Casual dining operators will continue to struggle, especially those in city centre locations, with further casualties expected from Q2 onwards as government support begins to end. However, drops in value of large, PE-backed restaurant groups will stabilise in 2021.

• Demand from independent operators and community-based operations will continue, driven by the trend of localisation and falling rents, creating greater opportunity for those looking to expand.

March 2021

NEWS

Future Shock maps hospitality’s rollercoaster ride into 2021 The UK’s hospitality sector has suffered lost sales of more than £53bn in 2020, with more losses after a collapse of Christmas trading, but a COVID-19 vaccine rollout provides grounds for cautious optimism in 2021, claim market researchers, CGA. Those are among the messages from ‘Survival to Revival’, the eighth edition of their Future Shock series of reports from CGA in conjunction with UKHospitality, and which aims to provide the definitive picture of hospitality’s rollercoaster 2020, set out the challenges and opportunities facing the industry in 2021, and highlight some of the key trends for operators and suppliers to follow Research for the report drew on CGA’s suite of business and consumer sources, and reveals the seismic impacts of the pandemic and lockdown on UK hospitality, not least a £53.3bn yearon-year drop in sales between the start of April and the end of September.

In addition, there has been falling consumer confidence, they found, with 78% of British adults concerned about the long-term financial implications of the pandemic. There is also hesitant business confidence, with 27% of leaders of multi-site groups predicting they will be unviable by mid-2021 with current levels of support.

However, the Future Shock report also celebrates the hard work and achievements of operators and suppliers in 2020—especially on keeping people safe, showing that 95% of consumers have been satisfied with the level of hygiene they have found in venues this year, and 55% now saying they feel safer in hospitality venues than in shops and supermarkets.

Major trends and developments for businesses to track in 2021, include an acceleration in consumer use of technology in restaurants, pubs and bars, a further increase in delivery sales

(of alcoholic drinks as well as food), a continuation of the lockdown trend of eating and drinking close to home rather than travelling to city centres and increased availability and affordability of property in the wake of business failures.

As well as exclusive research from CGA and views from UKHospitality, Future Shock features insights from report partners Independent Clinical Services, Molson Coors, OrderPay and Sector Associates, who explore ways for operators to engage with issues including technology, COVID-19 testing, insurance and drinks ranging for new consumer behaviour.

Karl Chessell, business unit director, retail and food at CGA, said: “2020 has been the most difficult year in hospitality that most of us have ever known, and our report is a chance to reflect on the havoc it has wrought, but just as importantly to look forward to what we all hope will be a happier 2021.

“Sadly, there have already been many business casualties in our sector, and more will inevitably follow as a result

of the onerous limits on trading and socialising at what should have been the busiest time of the year. But among businesses that have been able to sustain themselves, the pandemic has instilled a resilience and innovation that will stand them in good stead for years to come.

The road to recovery clearly has a long way to run yet but there is light at the end of the tunnel, and at some point in 2021 we can hope for a release in the pent-up demand for all the experiences that people love in hospitality.”

Kate Nicholls, chief executive at UKHospitality, added: “Undoubtedly, 2020 was a disaster for the sector. Every aspect of hospitality in every corner of the UK has come under enormous pressure and we are by no means out of the woods. There is, though, every chance that with the right support businesses can begin to trade their way out of danger and towards some degree of prosperity this year. The roll-out of a vaccine should give us all confidence that the next year will be dramatically better than this one.”

www.papa.org.uk 5

NEWS

‘I will open’ protest in Italy Italy’s three-way system of Coronavirus restrictions (red, orange and yellow zones) in place since before Christmas, was relaxed in most regions at the beginning of February, allowing many restaurants and bars to re-open and trade until 10 pm.

However, the start of the year was a difficult one, it seems, with restaurants and cafés forced to shut down, but some reacting against what has been felt by many food businesses there to be its government’s unclear Coronavirus regulations, via small acts of ‘civil disobedience’, according to various YouTube footage and a report carried by the UK’s Daily Express. Restaurant owners defied Coronavirus restrictions by staying open for dinner, frustrated by losing business and rules changing, with some takeaways even having been banned in the evening, it was alleged.

Under the banner ‘Io apro’ (I will open), restaurants in the key cities of Rome, Milan and Turin defied what many have termed the “absurd” Coronavirus rules by opening their doors to customers, who just flocked in.

For example, Rome restaurateur, Max Vietri, kept his pizzeria open, blaming the government for changing the rules every week, and for allowing some businesses to stay open whilst

forcing others to shut. He said he would, however, comply if there was one rule for everyone. Others joined in. “We can’t do this anymore,” said Armando Minotti, another exasperated restaurateur. “This is what we could call a polite protest,” he added. “Surely the guards will come but we will let them in. We will get a fine but we have decided to stay open and we won’t close anymore… Because it’s impossible to go on like this.”

And that’s exactly what appears to have happened. Indeed, in solidarity, many diners ushered out by the police insisted on paying for the dinner they could not even finish, or some had ordered but had not even started. Turin restaurant owner, Francesca Lazzerin, said that after taking part in the ‘Io apro’ protest and serving dinner to customers despite the lockdown orders, she was then forced to shut down entirely for five days.

The hospitality industry has been affected worldwide, and its small operators in particular, and the consequences are felt to be catastrophic for what was once a very buoyant sector, not least in Italy. Despite some governments providing a degree of support, many increasingly now feel that a significant number of businesses are at serious risk of not being able to re-open, or who will have had to change their business model forever.

Travel company launches online takeaway ordering system With travel currently restricted, a North East travel company has harnessed its technological knowledge to create a web-based system enabling takeaway companies and food businesses to sell via an online platform.

Takeaway Tech (www.takeawaytech. co.uk) is an e-commerce system that offers an affordable branded ordering service for takeaway businesses. The system allows the business to deal directly with its customers by sharing their menu online and enabling customers to order food through a quick and easy access click through menu. From the interface, customers can access the takeaway menu or store, add items to their basket, choose delivery or collection and then pay on collection/delivery. A separate payment module for online payments is also available.

With most restaurants and bars closed, the demand for the takeaway market has grown. Whilst some establishments have adapted to the situation, for some of the 6

smaller businesses there is a challenge to open and deliver safely. Takeaway Tech brings in technology that many of the major chains benefit from, feel the firm, enabling smaller businesses to operate and run during these challenging times.

Standing alone as a branded website Takeaway Tech can be linked with the business’s Facebook, twitter and other social media networks.

The system can be easily set up offering full access to amend opening times, update menus and pricing, add images and a host of other features, enabling the business to interact directly with customers and appeals directly to the quick-click generation by offering convenience and ease with no need for telephone calls, being placed on hold, or any miscommunication when ordering.

Takeawaytech.co.uk is a UK company and a trading name of HDC Travel Limited and is the brainchild of the developers of Cheekytrip and Holiday Discount Centre which have been established since 2002

and have a huge online presence in the travel industry with in excess of 10 million unique annual website visitors. The Covid pandemic has undoubtedly affected the travel industry but the team at HDC have channeled their digital marketing tools into creating Takeaway Tech.

Managing director, Steve Campion, who has been key in the launch of Takeaway Tech said: “Like travel, the food and leisure industry has been greatly impacted but with this system in place we hope that it can make it easier and safer for businesses to trade. This isn’t just something we are implementing through the pandemic though. We have seen firsthand how customers now prefer to do everything through the click of a button so we are tweaking this system so it can be used as a table ordering service and to help streamline service post-pandemic.”

The system costs £25 a month with no contract and for new sign-ups Takeaway Tech says that it is currently waiving the £100 one-time set-up charge fee.

March 2021

NEWS

Lack of response making a tough situation worse Dash Linen of Wimbledon, a family business with over thirty years of experience, operates a bespoke, high quality laundry service for a wide range of restaurants in London and the surrounding area, and like many commercial laundries, says that it has been left to cope with the reduction in their business caused by the Covid-19 pandemic with no financial assistance from the government, in turn putting the future of an industry that plays a key role in the hospitality sector at risk.

“We’ve been watching our business crumble before our eyes,” said Edward Syed, director of Dash Linen.

The Textile Services Association (TSA) is once again amplifying its concerns about the government’s continued lack of support for businesses within the hospitality supply chain, and not least the vital role commercial laundries play in keeping hotels, restaurants and a range of hospitality businesses running is being overlooked, and could disrupt the expected recovery.

The TSA has been urging the government to provide the same level of help to commercial laundries supplying the hospitality industry that other businesses in the sector have been receiving. That includes rates relief, amending the guidance to local authorities on discretionary grants, so that commercial laundries can be included, deferment of VAT until payback is viable,

extending the terms of government loans until laundries can afford to repay them and making more loans available during the bounce back.

The experience of Dash Linen is typical of the stories the TSA has been hearing from its members since the first lockdown began last March, they report.

“The majority of our customers have been closed since the first lockdown,” added Edward Syed. “We’ve lost a few altogether, as they change their operation, and some have gone bankrupt owing us money. It’s a difficult situation for everyone but it’s not being made better by the government’s scattershot approach to which businesses receive help and which don’t.

“Before the pandemic we were employing 63 people. We had to make 14 people redundant in June 2020 after our request for grants was turned down, and

since then another five have left of their own accord. We’ve had a very low staff turnover, normally. Some of our staff have worked with us for over 20 years – it’s a very difficult situation. And needless to say, making everyone redundant would put us in an even worse situation.”

During the period where restrictions were eased, Edward Syed said he noticed a significant drop in business compared to before the pandemic. “We used to be working six days a week. But at that time, despite the hospitality sector opening up, it was down to two,” he said. “Very few people know how many businesses rely on commercial laundries. If you look at every piece of linen in a restaurant, or every piece of cloth in a hotel, it will be regularly cleaned by a laundry. But this is a hidden side to these industries. The importance of ensuring that supply companies like us, who are vital to keep other companies running, are receiving the right help isn’t getting through to the right people.

“We’ve built this company up through hard work, and while we’ve never been eager to claim money from the government it’s in situations like this, where almost all of our customers have had to stop operating, that we really need the support – and we’ve just been ignored.

It feels particularly unfair considering the reports of how much money has been going to giant chains that haven’t been particularly affected by Covid-19.”

Filippo Berio serves up A Taste of Italy on Channel 4 Channel 4, in partnership with Filippo Berio, commissioned Wilson Worldwide Productions to produce a series of ten delicious half hour culinary travel programmes, and which launched on Valentine’s Day. In A Taste of Italy, chef and restaurateur, Nisha Katona, embarks on a path less travelled to reveal Italy’s hidden foodie gems. On a voyage to uncover recipes 8

and ingredients passed down for generations, she shows us a different side of Italy and demonstrates unique, mouthwatering dishes that go beyond pizza and pasta by travelling to cities such as Orvieto in Umbria, Bari in the Puglia region and Lucca in Tuscany, taking in the stunning landscapes and historic architecture of each location, as well as meeting a local chef to learn the regional

secrets that influence their dishes along the way.

Filippo Berio UK CEO, Walter Zanre, said: “As a proud Italian company and the UK’s Olive Oil brand leader, we’re passionate about delicious food and authenticity. Filippo Berio is delighted to be part of this series which we hope will inspire viewers to discover exciting new aspects of Italy and Italian cooking.”

March 2021

NEWS

Bolognese voted the UK’s favourite pasta sauce Bolognese has held off challenges from Carbonara, Tomato & Basil and Tomato & Garlic to be named the UK’s favourite pasta sauce in new research conducted by Bridgethorne Research for Beroni, which claims to be the UK’s first fresh frozen, restaurant-quality pasta brand.

Bolognese topped the survey with 35% of respondents naming it as their favourite. Carbonara, which came second, was significantly more popular among the 18-34 age group (37%) than it was among the over 55s (26%), they found.

Tomato & Basil was the favourite of 30% of respondents, whilst Tomato & Garlic and Tomato & Mascarpone sauces were the preference of 23% of those surveyed. The least popular sauces were Arrabbiata (12%), Red Pesto (12%) and Olive Oil poured over or mixed with pasta (6%). Preferences were similar across genders, though Bolognese was the most popular among men, whilst Carbonara was the preference of most women surveyed, they discovered.

But it’s not all bad news for some of the least popular sauces. Given a list of sauces they currently neither buy nor make, 49% said they would consider Arrabbiata on their pasta, 46% Red Pesto and 45% Mediterranean Vegetable.

Pasta sauces in jars remains the shopper’s favourite, it was found, with two thirds of respondents saying they buy jars compared to just 13% who opt for fresh chilled pasta sauces. A fifth said they buy a combination of the two. Jars are by some distance the preference of the over 55s, with 81% preferring them to just 4% who opt for fresh chilled sauces, the survey revealed (46% of those surveyed said they make their own pasta sauce compared with 68% who purchase ready-made sauces).

Beroni, which is currently available to buy in Waitrose stores nationwide, is fresh frozen ‘al dente’ pasta that can be made at home in as little as 30 seconds, making it ideal for families – or anyone

-looking for quick meal solutions, say the brand. Made in the UK, the pasta dough is freshly prepared by mixing the finest French durum wheat semolina with water before being shaped into penne, fusilli or macaroni, being cooked ‘al dente’ and then immediately frozen to preserve its freshness.

Pasta was one of the top four grocery items bought during the first Covid lockdown and remains one of the four items that households expect to continue consuming more of moving forward, the brand also observe.

Continuing to produce the finest quality pizza for over Direct House, Lancaster Way, Wingates Industrial Park, Westhoughton, Bolton BL5 3XY

www.stateside-foods.co.uk www.papa.org.uk 9

NEWS

Non-vegans plan to make vegan food a regular part of their diet The number of Veganuary participants saw a 45.2% increase this year, with 582,000 people signing up to the plant-based pledge, compared to last year’s 400,000, report the campaign’s organisers.

And according to a new national survey commission by Chicago Town, Brits love vegan food so much that a third of them are now eating it twice a week, with millennials making up the majority of these fans, they found. Their survey also revealed that 20% of millennials opt for vegan friendly meal choices on a daily basis, with almost half of the 18-24 year olds surveyed claiming to have eaten more vegan food in the last year than ever before.

Chicago Town has just launched two new vegan pizzas - Vegan Deep Dish Cheeezeburger and Vegan Tomato Stuffed Crust Takeaway Smokey Bac’n and Mushroom – in the wake of the success of its Vegan Tomato Stuffed Crust Sticky BBQ Jackfruit debut last year.

The UK pizza brand polled 2,000 nonvegan Brits to find out just how the UK feels about vegan food, and those surveyed felt that vegan food is not only better than ever, and far from being a fad, it is here to stay, being enjoyed at mealtimes even in nonvegan households.

Chicago Town spokesperson Rachel Bradshaw said: “Non-vegans have really taken to vegan food in 2020. In fact, 20% of UK non-vegans eat Vegan meals twice a week, according to our survey results.

“A further 12% eat vegan food at every meal or at least once a day, and another 14% eat it once a week. It’s clear from our research that vegan food is not just for January – indeed, 63% of non-vegans told us that the popularity of vegan food is far more than just a flash in the pan – and is here to stay.”

The Chicago Town survey also revealed that a third of non-vegans are planning to incorporate more vegan food into their regular diet in 2021. The reasons for the change are mainly due to the environmental impact of meat consumption (45%), the personal health benefits (41%) or simply to add variety in their diet (26%).

Six out of 10 non-vegans say that while vegan meat alternatives don’t taste exactly the same as the genuine article, they still tasted really good. A further 26% said vegan meat alternatives are so good these days that it is hard to tell the difference.

Rachel Bradshaw added: “Our research reveals that a quarter of non-vegans enjoy vegan food so much that they’ve considered

switching to a vegan-only diet. It’s also great to hear from our survey that 24% of nonvegans also tried our Vegan BBQ Jackfruit pizza in the last year, with 84% saying it was either ‘great’ or ‘good’.

“We’re really excited to have expanded our vegan offering in Takeaway as well as launched our first Deep Dish variant – the first vegan pizza of its size on the market.

Both are indulgent and full of flavour so will be tasty whatever your dietary requirements.”

More than six in 10 non-vegans surveyed said that vegan food has improved in flavour and quality over the last two years with 41% saying there is now a much wider range of vegan foods available in the supermarkets than previously.

Toni Vernelli, international head of communications and marketing at Veganuary said: “Choosing vegan options is one positive step each of us can take to protect our health and our planet so it’s no surprise that the demand for plant-based food continues to increase exponentially.

It’s great to see companies like Chicago Town embracing this opportunity and providing tasty, familiar, affordable options for the growing number of vegan-curious consumers.”

Make every day a pizza day!

Mediterranean foods supplier, Dina Foods, has expanded its flagship Paninette® flatbreads range to include a Paninette® pizza base.

“The versatile new product is being launched in response to the growing demand for quick and healthy meal-time solutions, as working from home becomes the new normal,” said managing director, Suheil Haddad.

The new soft-dough Paninette pizza base, baked in Dina Foods’ traditional stone 10

ovens, can be filled, used as a wrap or topped like a pizza, and served at any time of day, especially when time is of the essence, they propose.

Suheil Haddad added: “Savoury or sweet toppings can be added. Each member of the household can create their own bespoke pizza with toppings of their choice, which makes for an instant win across all age groups.”

“Paninette pizza bases are also perfect for authentic Lebanese pizzas, known as

Manakeesh, with toppings such as thyme, sesame and olive oil mix; minced lamb (Lahm Bi Ajeen), or cheeses such as halloumi and mozzarella.”

Dina Foods’ new eightinch white-bread Paninette pizza bases, supplied in a pack of four, are also veganfriendly. Packs have a 90-day shelf life due to the modified atmospheric packaging used. The new concept is launching across supermarkets, convenience stores and foodservice, nationally and

internationally, and as part of a launch promotion, free sachets of a za’atar herbs mix, made with dried thyme, sesame seeds, salt and sumac, will be included with the first 20,000 Paninette pizza base packets (recipe instructions on the packaging will explain how to use the za’atar mix in a traditional Za’atar Manakeesh).

March 2021

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

NEWS

Country Choice launches Flatstone Pizza Co. Flatstone Pizza Co. (www.flatstonepizza.co.uk) is a new branded concept from Country Choice to enable convenience retailers to take advantage of the UK’s £5bn pizza market, claim the company.

“Demand for pizza continues to grow, driven by big brand advertising and the growing home delivery sector,” said Country Choice’s retail operations manager, Neil Lindsell. “There has never been a better time for retailers to add it to their menu. The opportunity to include pizza as part of a takeaway or home delivery option is particularly beneficial to a retailer’s food to go offer as it allows them to extend it into the evening and secure incremental sales of accompaniments such as salad and alcohol.”

Country Choice says that it worked with a craft baker to uncover the secrets of an excellent Italian inspired handstretched pizza base, and meaning that 50% of the dough is slow-fermented for 24 hours to give a unique flavour, open texture, and rustic, crafted appearance. Each base is brushed with extra virgin olive oil and dusted with durum wheat semolina before being part-baked in a stone oven to create a thin crisp crust and air pockets.

Every Flatstone Pizza Co. pizza starts with this base and a signature sauce (made with ripe, outdoor grown tomatoes from Portugal, oregano, peppers, basil, and garlic) as a layer for any of the nine toppings currently available. The sauce is supplied in handy 1.5kg pouches which minimise wastage and make it easy to pipe the sauce directly onto the base before spreading, whilst the frozen, chilled, and ambient toppings come in small convenient packs so that the retailer doesn’t waste food or storage space. Both the pizza base and the sauce are vegan approved, as are two of the

pre-grated cheeses - simply sprinkle on and let them melt in the oven, say Country Choice.

Flatstone Pizza co. comes complete with step-by-step recipe cards that enable the retailer to create any one of eight suggested menu options – Margherita, Pepperoni, BBQ Chicken, Meat Feast, Hawaiian ham, Ham & Mushroom, Chicken & Pepperoni, and the Plant Lover’s Pizza (all recipes come with full RDI and allergy information for the retailer’s menu).

Pizza chef competition competitors open new ventures Despite the recent challenges placed on the hospitality sector, two previous PAPA Pizza Chef of the Year competitors have still been able to open new businesses, even they if they are currently restricted to operating in a delivery/take-out format until ‘lockdown’ lifts.

Giuseppe Ferraro has founded Pizzaland (https://pizzalandbristol. co.uk/) in Bristol and Fausto Rea has started Gondolina (https:// www.gondolina.co.uk/) in Hamilton, Scotland, with both outlets having 12

been receiving appreciative reviews on social media from their customers for their artisan pizzas.

March 2021

NEWS

‘Saying farewell to the best one’ Towards the end of January, IPR Events London Ltd – organisers of the European Pizza and Pasta Show – reported the sad news that their founder and director, Mr Roger Shashoua, had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.

Many people have written about Roger Shashoua over the years, and many more will very likely do so in future in recognition of his role and influence as a creator, a genius, a maverick, a man of dignity and honour, and the ‘one of a kind’ human being he was. He was, himself, an author of several books, having created successful businesses and experienced the associated ups and downs along the way. One thing he never did, however, was give up, his energy and enthusiasm proving captivating to many; not least his ability to light up the universe and quite possibly make an exhibition out of it in so doing!

“We will remember you until the end of days! We will carry your light forward! Our European Pizza and Pasta Show will grow bigger and bigger, in your honour,” said Slava Blagoeva, on behalf of IPR Events London Ltd team.

“We wanted to offer you and your staff our condolences for your grave loss. A big hug,” said all the staff Molino Piantoni.

“A great loss of a true gentleman, our prayers and thoughts are with the family and you all,” said Giuseppe Motisi on behalf of the Salvo team.

“Roger’s calm and committed approach to creating a Londonbased show for the international pizza, pasta and Italian food sector was inspirational and we will all miss him,” said Jim Winship, director of the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association.

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Firelli launches first global Italian hot sauce Firelli has launched an allnatural Italian hot sauce from Parma, Italy.

Launching in the UK on Amazon, Firelli will be rolling out globally and is part of the Biggar & Leith portfolio of fine food and drink brands, which includes Hotel Starlino Vermouths, Aperitivos and cherries and Stambecco Amaro from Italy.

Firelli is an artisan hot sauce, hand-crafted from natural ingredients in Parma, and featuring Calabrian Chilli Peppers, Roasted Red Peppers, Porcini Mushrooms, Balsamic Vinegar and a touch of Italian Sea Salt. It is a healthier alternative to chilli oil on pizza, claim the brand, and is also delicious on pasta, eggs, salads and even in a Bloody Mary, they suggest.

Firelli Hot Sauce is medium spiced, not overwhelmingly hot, but rich, rounded and spicy to give a delicious kick to your food and has a Scoville unit rating on the chilli pepper scale, of between 1,000 – 2,000.

Luca Zucatto, Firelli producer based in Parma, said: “Firelli stands out from the crowd of other hot sauces that are too spicy or too vinegary and fills a gap in the market for an all-natural Italian hot sauce. We decided to launch Firelli because the chilli sauce and the pizza occasion are both growing globally and becoming more premium. There is also an increased demand for all-natural products and exportable Italian cuisine.

Firelli makes pizza taste unforgettable and acts as a healthier replacement to chilli oil - just a few dashes will give a spicy kick and liven up your pizza!”

The new sauce is also eye-catchingly packaged in an iconic cone-shaped glass bottle with a blue cap and designed to replicate a vintage Italian fire extinguisher. The bottle

design even includes the icon “Ash,” symbolising a character with a hot head, say the brand.

All natural Firelli Hot Sauce is low calorie, gluten free and vegan with no added sugar and is also low in sodium (40mg per 5ml) and free from cholesterol, fat and GMOs. It is suitable for any diet including Keto, Paleo, low and no carbs, the brand point out, and is best stored in a cool dark place and refrigerated after opening.

Biggar & Leith (www.biggarandleith. com) owns and imports a portfolio of fine wines, spirits and fancy goods from family owned producers who are dedicated to quality, innovation and craftsmanship, searching the globe for brands whose bottles transmit the personality and stories of the people who make them. Owned by Elwyn Gladstone, founder of Malfy Gin, and Mark Teasdale, Biggar & Leith is based in the New York and has a distribution network across the globe. They take their name from their founder, Elwyn Gladstone’s great-great-great-greatGrandfather – Thomas Gladstone - who in 1746 left his home in Biggar, Scotland to establish a spirit merchants in the port of Leith, near Edinburgh, Scotland.

March 2021

We are pleased to announce that the Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards will take place on Thursday 11 November at The Royal Lancaster, London.

We hope that 2021 is a kinder year for the industry and that the ‘new normal’ is not far removed from the ‘old normal’.

Further information about the awards will appear on our website in due course: www.papa.org.uk or you can email Caron Parry: caron@jandmgroup.co.uk

SOME OF OUR 2020 WINNERS The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards 2020 was as hotly contested as ever, even though the judging process presented more challenges than usual. The Pizza and Pasta Chef competitions were eagerly anticipated with fantastic recipes across all categories.

There were also many excellent entries into all the awards sections with much innovation and some of our winners are highlighted below.

Although we weren’t able to get together in 2020, let’s hope that we can all get together on the first day of the European Pizza & Pasta Show on 18 October, when this year’s Pizza and Pasta Chef Competitions take place, then at the awards dinner in November.

Full details of the categories for the 2021 Pizza and Pasta Chef competitions will be published in the next issue of Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine.

Independent Restaurant Award

Platinum winner: Bath Pizza Co, Bath “I’m delighted that Bath Pizza Co has won the Independent Restaurant Award. The team has worked incredibly hard during a difficult year for the business and this is something really positive to celebrate. Chefs Jonah and Ryan, along with our new GM Alex Pitts who joined the business in January, have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and taken on challenges that it has presented the business in their stride. For us the PAPA Awards are the gold standard that we want to be affiliated with. To receive this award is a reflection of the energy and enthusiasm the team have put in for many years and we look forward to being involved with PAPA for many years to come.”

Alex Peters The Bath Pizza Co Team

Gerry McCann

Pizza Delivery Chain Award

Winner: Papa John’s “We are delighted to have been awarded this accolade for the second year in a row. All of our teams, both at head office and our franchisees and team members, have worked tirelessly for the last couple of years in order to improve the business and deliver ‘Better Ingredients - Better Pizza’.

“We believe there is always an opportunity to make a difference and to do things differently and we remain focussed on continuous improvement and doing the right thing to ensure we improve both the guest experience and profitability for our franchisees.”

Giles Codd

Independent Pizza Delivery Award

Platinum winner: Nomad Pizza, Whitstable “We are absolutely thrilled to win this award. It was a bold move to open our business last summer in the middle of a pandemic but it is really paying off for us. Being the winner of Best Independent Pizza Takeaway at these prestigious awards is the icing on the cake. We were shortlisted twice when we owned the Cornish Pizza Company, and I am still pinching myself that this time we have now won it with Nomad Pizza.

“Our team has been amazing and we couldn’t have achieved this without their enthusiasm and dedication.

Having been at the awards ceremonies in London before, I don’t know if they fully appreciate how big a deal this is and what a glamorous occasion the ceremony can be.

Hopefully, they’ll get an opportunity to experience that at this year’s awards, fingers crossed. As a new business, we will certainly be shouting about this accolade and

Innovation & Business Development Award Winner: Pizza Pilgrims – Pizza in the Post “We were really delighted to be recognised by the PAPA Awards for our “Pizza in the Post” pizza kits - a real honour. We have been so pleased with how they have been received by people across the country - and it is amazing to see peoples’ creations in their own Thom Elliot homes.”

Thom Elliot

Small Chain Pizza Delivery Award

Winner: Caprinos Pizza Ltd. “We are ecstatic to receive the Small Chain Pizza Award for the second time.

The PAPA Awards are the most prestigious award in our field of business and it is Khalil Rehman & Gul Nawaz indeed an honour to be recognised by them.

“This award adds a great deal of value to Caprinos Pizza brand. In addition it adds morale and perseverance.

“We hope to expand aggressively in order to explore new opportunities and also improve in quality in the years to come. Our main focus is to give our customers the best pizza experience in their homes.

We take this opportunity to give a big shout out to all our franchisees and teams for their dedicated commitment and contribution.”

Khalil Reman

marketing it to the hilt. The kudos of winning this fantastic award will help us continue to establish ourselves with both local customers and visitors alike. It’s been a strange, challenging year for most people but this award has helped make it a special one for us.

“We will be entering the awards this year, hopefully with a few new initiatives and developments for our business.”

Jon Crws-Williams The Nomad Pizza Team

Manufactured Pizza Product Award

Premium Category Winner: ALDI – Wood Fired Specially Selected Sri Lankan ALDI are thrilled to have been chosen as the winner of the 2020 Premium Pizza category with our amazing Specially Selected Sri Lankan Chicken.

Presenting the idea of Sri Lankan flavours to our supplier for development, we worked together to design a new concept to fit perfectly within our Specially Selected range, sourcing the finest authentic ingredients that gave the pizza it’s worthy award winning status.

As a team, we share a passion for all things food. From visiting the newest restaurants, researching new trends & unique ingredients, to sharing the most ‘Instagramable’ dishes, we get our inspiration from all over the world and love inventing new pizzas.

With an increased popularity of fusion foods and a fondness of curry, we wanted to create a combination of cuisines, bringing together authentic Italian pizzas with the unique flavours found in Sri Lanka.

ALDI are super excited for the future of our Specially Selected pizza range and can’t wait to get working on more new ideas!

Laura Fitzgerald & Katy Patterson

Sponsorship opportunities are available – please contact Andrew Emery for further information.

Tel. 01291 636334 Email. andrew@jandmgroup.co.uk for more information.

THE PIZZAIOLO OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

PIZZA CHEF of the year 2020

PIZZA CHEF of the year 2020

Pizza Chef of the Year – Roberto Mannocchi, Tony Macaroni, Glasgow “I am very happy to win the Pizza Chef of the Year Competition for the second time, especially being up against such talented chefs. I look forward to entering the competition again in the future”.

Chef Roberto Mannocchi

A

ll Pizza chefs would like to be crowned Chef of the Year. To win it once is a fantastic achievement, but Roberto Mannocchi of Tony Macaroni has now won this accolade for a second time. This year, his winning entry was pizza Mortazza. Congratulations to Roberto and to all the finalists.

This year, the judges and sponsors had an even tougher job than usual as much of the judging was conducted online online. We are indebted to Michele Pascarella and Enzo Oliveri who gave up their valuable time to make up the recipes so that a proper tasting process could take place.

As well as the two chefs, the other judges were; Michael Eyre of Jestic, Chef Marco Fuso, Nicolas Hanson of La Tua Pasta and sponsors Gayle Hunter of Whitworth Bros, Jo Carter and Mark Humphrey of Futura Foods and Tim Lucas of Rich’s. And a very special thanks to Theo Randall for his involvement once again.

THE PIZZAIOLO OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Whitworth Bros New York Style Category Winner Roberto Mannocchi, Tony Macaroni – Mortazza

y Macaroni – Mortazza

Roberto Mannocchi, Ton

Mark Baber, Wood Fire Dine – A sloppy Joe? Sure, because I’m Whitworth it...

Kim Hartley, Mission Foods – Down Mexico Way

Dario Viola, Bianco43 – Beetroot my way Ciro Vitiello, Delicious by Franco – 5 Districts

Filippo Rosato, Purezza – IT’s HOT! BUT IT’S NOT NDUJA

Rob Tucker and Cesare Marinaro, Pizzeria Venezia – KATZ

rtadella

Fausto Rea, Gondolina – Mo

Ryan McNab, The Yorkshire Pizza Guy –New York Deli

THE PIZZAIOLO OF THE YEAR FINALISTS Futura Foods Pro Grated Mozzarella Category Winner Ryan McNab, The Yorkshire

Pizza Guy – Popeye’s Choice

Ryan McNab, Th

e Yorkshire Pizza

Kim Hartley, Mission Foods

Guy – Popeye’s Ch

oice

– Trawling the Mediterranean

Fausto Rea, Gondolina – Regina Margerita

Ciro Vitiello, Delicious by Franco – Mad-Apple

Roberto Mannocchi, Tony Macaroni – La Patat

a

Jonah Pole, Bath Pizza Co – The Butternut Sage

Ryan Cuss, Bath Pizza Co – Macauli N Chee

se Pizza

Mark Baber, Wood Fire Dine – It’s the Futur

a, I’ve Tasted it

Rob Tucker & Cesare Marinaro, Pizzeria Venezia – Campania

THETHE PASTA PIZZAIOLO CHEF OF OFTHE THEYEAR YEARFINALISTS FINALISTS

Pasta chefs also love to show off their skills and, after much deliberation, the winner was Gio Pia of Bar Aldo’s with his dish Riganette zucca e pera.

PASTA CHEF of the year 2020

Pasta Chef of the year – Giovanni Pia, Bar Aldo’s, Edinburgh “I would just like to say, thank you to all the staff and judges at the PAPA Awards. It is an absolute honour to win this competition, especially after the year we’ve had. Winning has been great for business and restaurant pasta sales have rocketed all thanks to PAPA. I have another business I started during lockdown, DIY pasta kits, and winning the award has helped this and I am now getting branded as ‘the Pasta King’ in Edinburgh!

“I would encourage any business to get involved as the PAPA Awards are a well-known and respected award! They are recognised all over the UK, which makes it an even bigger achievement winning coming from a small family restaurant in Scotland!”

Chef Gio Pia

THE PASTA CHEF THE YEAR FINALISTS PIZZAIOLO OFOF THE YEAR FINALISTS RICH’s – Plant Based Cooking Crème Category Winner

Gio Pia, Bar Aldo’s – Riganette zucca e pera

Gio Pia, Bar Aldo’s – Riganette zucca e pera

Filippo Rosato, Purezza – Breaded filled Vegan Bucatini Pastry (Frittatina Napoletana)

’s – Ricco

odaro, Donatello

-T Michele Vassallo

Domenico Ventura, Calabrisella –

tra scilla e aspromonte Katarina Broadribb, Lemon & Soul Cookery School – Creamy orecchiette with broccoli, garlic and chilli

Rocco Monaco, Tony Macaroni – AUTUMN

Christopher Beavis, RAF – Beetroot, Feta & Rocket

50mm and above logo White

Primary without strapline

DESIGNED & COOKED TO PERFORM AS PIZZA AND PASTA TOPPINGS 100% PLANT-BASED

A range of great tasting plant-based pizza toppings – Chik’n strips, No-Meat Balls, Buffalo Strips, Tikka Strips, Vegeroni Pepperoni®, BBQ Jackfruit Pepperoni and Indian Strips.

HIGH PROTEIN AND FIBRE OPTIONS INNOVATIVE AND ON-TREND EXPANDS PIZZA AND PASTA MENU OFFERINGS FOR CONSUMERS

ELEVATED MEAT-FREE EXPERIENCES If you’re looking to cater for consumers looking to eat less meat and add more diversity to their diets, our Plant Deli range really delivers.

Please email info@plantdeli.ie for further details.

SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS, FLEXITARIANS AND MEAT-FREE READY TO EAT AND IQF FROZEN

TOPPINGS Pizza featuring Dawn Farms’ Nduja Sausage topping.

Pizza toppings CELEBRATING 36 YEARS Developing new and innovative products for the pizza sector has now been at the heart of their business for some 36 years say sector supplier, Dawn Farms.

With the increasing number of consumers looking for better meat, and now meat-free options, the company have added their Plant Deli plant-based protein products to their portfolio of great tasting meat-based products selling into Britain’s favourite grocery and QSR pizza brands.

Created to be big on taste, the Plant Deli range is high in protein, low in fat and free from artificial colours and flavours, point out Dawn Farms, with quality being assured by the Dawn Farms Food Plus food safety and quality system.

24

Dawn Farms’ Plant Deli ‘pepperoni’.

Their fermented style plant-based ‘pepperoni’, for example, is made using a blend of pea protein, plant-based fibres and their signature blend of ‘pepperoni’ spices. Ready to eat (RTE), this plantbased meat alternative offers great versatility to menus, they feel.

Many of the sector’s pizza topping suppliers have the benefit of years of experience to offer operators and food manufacturers alike as they continue to launch new products and react to new trends and demands for sustainable sourcing in these testing times.

All of their Plant Deli products have been designed with their B2B customers in mind (namely, in-store application in QSR, or to perform as the topping on a cook at home shop bought pizza product).

The range is suitable for vegetarians and vegans and is fully ready to eat (RTE). All ingredients are also sustainably sourced using non-GMO ingredients, they add.

At the same time, for every trend, there is a counter trend, acknowledge the company, and meat remains a firm favourite with pizza eaters. Thus, they have set out to curate a collection of their best-selling meat toppings in their Batch 85 brand - which celebrated 36 years since their founding in 1985 - and which features the Batch 85 Nduja Sausage, for example.

March 2021

TOPPINGS “Let your taste buds do the travel, this punchy Italian-style pork sausage is both fiery in colour and taste,” says Dawn Farms’ John McGrath. “Traditionally a spreadable sausage, our version of Nduja is IQF for easy handling and application, and is available as part of out new Batch 85 range of pizza toppings.”

In addition, their Batch 85 Smoked Bacon pizza topping is a nod to the nation’s favourite comfort food, and which enables operators to offer a perfectly cooked bacon that you can serve with minimal preparation, less grease and no compromising on quality, claim the company. This bacon has been specifically developed for pizzas, and is made from premium pork bellies.

“The trend is towards cleaner and tastier products with fewer ingredients and great flavour,” says Dawn Farms’ research and development manager, Sooyoun Seo. “The consumer demand for sustainable and good for you options in both meat and no-meat products continues to grow together with a steady if not growing demand for premium and indulgent products as consumers look to reward themselves in uncertain times.

“We invest aggressively in our R&D capabilities to deliver the most delicious, nutritious, and sustainable pizza topping proteins, both meat and non-meat. Our R&D platforms are designed to accelerate next-generation product development and include projects such as a virtual development lab, fermented ingredients for health and flavour, functional foods, rapid sensory analysis and prediction, and sustainability metrics for food products.

VEGAN DEMAND Self-styled ‘alternative’ pizza challenger, White Rabbit (www.whiterabbitpizza. co.uk), reports that it has now landed NPD in Sainsbury’s main pizza fixture with a fresh look and a new ‘meaty’ vegan pizza on a wheat crust base, and stretching out to a broader flexitarian market, say the company.

The Vegan Arrabbiata hit Sainsbury’s on 2 January, in time for Veganuary, and rolled out to Ocado in February, attracting new shoppers looking for tasty plant-based options that offer a ‘meatier’ eat on a conventional wheat crust base.

26

Integrated experience Now boasting more than 100 years’ experience, Danish Crown are manufacturers of classic fermented and heat-treated pepperoni, salami, chorizo and speciality sausages. These products are available in diameters of 15-90mm, and are supplied in various formats, including sticks, slices or cubes, chilled or frozen.

The company is well known as a major supplier of high quality, good tasting food to customers across Europe, and being part of an integrated group, the company point out that they are well placed to embrace their responsibility to lead the way on animal welfare, producing food more sustainably and securing a strong foundation for future generations – environmentally, socially and economically.

“Danish Crown’s many years of manufacturing experience and market insight, combined with the use of high-quality ingredients and ongoing product development, helps to ensure an ever-expanding range of premium products which include anything from fermented products such as Pepperoni, Salami and Chorizo through to Cooked Ham, Pork Meatballs, Spicy Beef and Bacon Toppings. In addition to this a fully certified highquality range of Halal products, produced in house, is also available,” says Danish Crown’s Kim Markward.

The pizza is topped with spicy chickenfree strips with succulent sundried tomatoes, roast red onion and finished with a sprinkling of creamy vegan cheese called mozzarisella (the Vegan Arrabbiata retails for a recommended £5.00 for 370g, and their Farmhouse Foccacine and Garlicky Foccacine for £3.00 each for 2x 135g portions).

The brand’s bold new pack design marks distinctions between White Rabbit’s new wood-fired wheat crust

offer and its Free From core range, which is also being extended with a gluten free, plant-based Farmhouse Foccacine in Waitrose and a Garlicky variant launching in Sainsbury’s and Ocado.

With impressive year-on-year growth of 52%, report the company, the award-winning brand, founded by Nick Croft-Simon and Matteo Ferrari, has gone from a kitchen project to category disruptor, with a range of alternative pizzas based on Matteo’s traditional Italian family recipes and signature artisan base.

“Crafting delicious authentic pizza that everyone can enjoy has been central to our brand purpose from the very beginning and flexitarian shoppers are key to our mission. The Vegan Arrabiata on a wood-fired wheat crust base offers flexis plant-based alternative toppings without compromise and our move into the main fixture with a bold and distinctive look gives our brand next level visibility to this broader target audience,” says co-founder, Nick Croft-Simon.

March 2021

Toppings from Danish Crown are used on millions of Pizzas every year!

Manufacturers of classic fermented and heat-treated pepperoni, salami, chorizo and speciality sausages.

––––––

Products are available in diameters of 15-90mm.

––––––

Products are supplied in various formats, sticks, slices or cubes, chilled or frozen.

Danish Crown Foods, Phone 0044 01926 293 900, www.danishcrown.com

CHEESE

great deliverer The

A CENTRAL INGREDIENT “Delivery is the silver lining in the otherwise very black cloud that hangs over Britain’s foodservice sector and has been the standout performer in 2020,” reports Dominic Allport, insights director (foodservice), the NPD Group.

“Delivery spend peaked in July at 51% above pre-COVID-19 levels, but this trailed off as foodservice operators re-opened and with the August Eat Out 28

to Help Out scheme. It’s now rising again amid the return to stricter lockdown rules and we expect it to see further success in the colder winter months and on into 2021. While the delivery channel is often seen as a threat by some operators, during the COVID-19 crisis it is bringing valuable business to many outlets that are otherwise facing the severest business challenges and helping to feed a nation locked down in their homes.”

With delivered and take-out pizza, if not Italian food in general, having come to the rescue for many operators and their customers alike in recent times, it’s perhaps no surprise to learn that cheese that performs well and satisfies consumer tastebuds is in great demand.

“As lockdown restrictions continue and look set to be our everyday norm through to spring, consumers will rely heavily on a mid-week takeaway, or weekend delivery, for a much-needed boost,” confirms Rocky Page, food service & industrial controller, Eurilait Ltd (www. eurilait.co.uk).

“Pizza remains a clear favourite, with statistics from an NPD Group report (NPD Group ‘Food delivery could hit £7.1 billion March 2021

CHEESE in 2020 – but consumers will be ready to eat out when lockdown lifts’ November 2020), showing pizza as number one of the top three most ordered items between January to October 2020, with 208 million visits.”

As a result, the undisputable star of pizza, feel the company, has to be the cheese topping. A good melt, perfect stretchiness and a golden, appetising appearance are what many of us have come to expect from the best pizza cheese, and something Eurilait, suppliers of fine quality continental cheeses, feel that they know all about.

“At the same time, as demand for non-meat options grows, consumers are turning to protein alternatives, with cheese and dairy products providing a tasty and satisfying replacement,” Rocky Page explains.

“We supply a varied selection of high quality Continental cheese in individually quick frozen (IQF) formats which provides great benefits for operators, being a practical and convenient solution and an easy to use product, aiding speed of service and delivering a fantastic result.

“Consumers’ tastes have evolved and regional specialities exhibiting provenance are very much in demand as well. So why not tempt customers with provincial choices such as Reblochon, Taleggio, Raclette or Provolone slices?

All of these are currently available as part of our extensive range of IQF choices, and in a large choice of formats too slices, crumb, discs, pearls, grated or cubed, along with hot eating breaded camembert, goat and mozzarella discs and sticks, which have a crisp breadcrumb coating containing the complimentary texture of a melting cheese centre. They also make a wonderful hot wrap filling choice - try nestled in crisp salad leaves with a piquant dressing.

“We have found that the taste and texture of the cheese remains identical to fresh and presentation is reliably consistent, with a minimum shelf life of nine months at a temperature of -18°C, helping to make ordering and stock replenishment is easy to manage.”

Eurilait say that their capabilities in IQF production give them the

Eurilait IQF mozzarella slices.

opportunity to tailor-make products to a customer’s individual needs, and their comprehensive range of cheeses offer inspiration that is full of flavour; suitable for a multitude of applications from sandwich fillers, pizza toppings, recipe inclusion or salad and side dish components.

For a traditional pizza favourite, they suggest their Maestrella mozzarella.

The No.1 pizza cheese in France, they claim - favoured for its premium quality, consistency and cooking performance – it is available in a range of convenient formats to aid operators and suit many different applications.

Operators can also choose from shredded, diced, log, block, balls or pearls, offering a versatile solution for a wide range of dishes. Several varieties of mozzarella are available with various moisture or fat contents too, but all of them are pasta filata, point out Eurilait.

Stretched curd cheeses manufactured using the pasta filata method are

distinguished by their stretching and melting properties, making them ideal for pizza. For additional flavour, Maestrella mozzarella offers a range of blends of mozzarella and other cheeses, such as Cheddar and Emmental to help produce a rich flavour and extra creaminess.

GROWTH The UK speciality cheese company, Norseland, has launched a brand new grated version of its award-winning Applewood® Vegan cheeze after seeing an increase in demand for grated alternatives as the ongoing lockdown forces more people to work home, and they look for convenience when it comes to eating as they find themselves cooking most of their meals from scratch.

Tesco is now listing Applewood® Vegan Grated, which is available in a 200g resealable pouch, with a RRP of £2.75, in 480 stores across the country,

www.papa.org.uk 29

CHEESE

Perfect for pasta sauce “Synonymous with comfort and indulgence, it’s little wonder that Italian maintained its position as the most popular cuisine on menus throughout the pandemic according to Lumina Intelligence Menu & Food Trends Report 2020 data.

The bold flavours of Italy afford consumers a brief moment of escapism – a chance to focus on great food and forget everything else,” says Dean Crews, Philadelphia Professional hotels chef ambassador “Traditionally thought of as just a topping for bagels or an integral cheesecake ingredient, Philadelphia’s versatility, allied to its taste, quality and stability, makes it a fantastic base for all manner of sauces in Italian cooking. Its ability to absorb different flavours makes it a versatile of ingredient and because of its superior quality, it won’t split when heated.

“Recent independent research identified Philadelphia 30

Original as a clear frontrunner in terms of taste and quality when compared to three competitor products, we found, with 89% of chefs agreeing that Philadelphia did not split during cooking whilst blind taste tests revealed Philadelphia to be significantly creamier than the competition too (independent chef insight conducted by Good Sense Research, March 2020).

“The Roasted Squash, Pea, Bacon and Philadelphia Pasta recipe mentioned here represents an excellent menu addition for operators looking to expand their Italian offering. The Philly cheese melts beautifully, but also holds well under heat helping to create the perfect creamy pasta sauce.”

The Philadelphia brand can claim to be the UK’s number one cream cheese and is owned by Mondelez, known throughout the world for its branded snacks and ingredients (www. philadelphiaprofessional.co.uk/).

Roasted Squash, Pea, Bacon and Philly Pasta Preparation time – 20 minutes Cooking time – 10 minutes Serves – 6 INGREDIENTS • 900g butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes • 540g penne pasta or any shelled pasta shape • 600g Philadelphia Light • 3tbsp sage, chopped • 150g smoked bacon or pancetta cubes • 150g peas • 10g chives, chopped • 2 lemons, zest and juice • black pepper METHOD • Cook the squash in a pan of salted boiling water until tender and once cooked drain and allow to steam dry until cool.

• Cook the pancetta in a dry pan until coloured and add in the sage and squash. Season with black pepper but no salt, as the bacon will already be salty.

• Place a pan of water on for the pasta and once at a rolling boil add pasta, following the pack’s cooking time.

• Add the peas to the pancetta pan direct from the freezer and once defrosted add the Philadelphia and allow to warm through.

Remove from heat and add the lemon zest and juice.

• Once cooked add the pasta direct to the pan.

Take off the heat and add two table spoons of the pasta water to the pan and serve.

March 2021

CHEESE and in the four weeks ending 27 December 2020, supermarkets saw a 60% increase (Kantar Worldpanel up to 4 w/e 27 December 2020) in people buying prepacked grated vegan cheese; there was also a 16% increase in the number of households buying vegan cheese over Christmas to 710,000 households, they observed.

Lisa Harrison, senior brand manager for Applewood® Vegan, said: “We conducted a survey of our customers and 77% said they would buy a grated version of Applewood® Vegan, which prompted us to look into developing the product. The 60% increase in the sales of grated vegan cheese over Christmas served to back up the results of our customer survey.

“This increase in demand has occurred during the lockdowns the UK has experienced over the last 10 months.

More of the population are working from home and finding themselves cooking most of their meals from scratch, so a versatile grated version of our awardwinning Applewood® Vegan seems to be the obvious choice as it appeals vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians looking for convenience.”

Applewood® Vegan Grated is the latest in a series of exciting plantbased innovations from Norseland, which launched Applewood® Vegan block in September 2019, followed by Applewood® Vegan slices in June 2020, Mexicana® Vegan block in July 2020, the Ilchester® Vegan Festive Selection in December 2020 and the Mexicana® Vegan slices earlier this month.

Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producers, and producers of renewable energy, have announced the completion of their new export ‘centre of excellence’ based in Wincanton, Somerset.

The centre includes a significant increase in cheese maturing capacity with an additional 2500 tonnes of Cheddar stocks being aged on site to support the increased demand for their flagship 18-month-old Ivy’s Vintage Cheddar across the world, they report.

The site also has increased cheese despatch storage to allow the company to consolidate cheese container orders prior to export in a post Brexit world,

they add, as well as a long-life packing line for cheese exports (there is also a respectful nod to the company’s heritage with a cheese making museum incorporating retired cheese making equipment from the past 200 years).

It has been supported by a £1.3 million food processing grant under the government’s RDPE growth programme which provides funding for projects in England that create jobs and support growth in the rural economy. This energy efficient facility also includes a new chilled dispatch store that allows central distribution for larger customers and consolidation of complex multi-product export orders, saving secondary storage and road miles in the UK and overseas.

Paul Caldwell, RPA chief executive, said: “The RPA is pleased to have been able to support this project through funding from the Growth Programme.

The investment brings much needed additional export capability and job creation to Wyke Farm’s cheese processing facility. Just as importantly, it offers increased stability to the dairy farmers who supply the milk that goes into the cheese at a difficult time for the sector.”

Built to the highest environmental standards, including solar, heat recovery

and air sourced heat pumps, the expansion accommodates an additional high-speed cutting and packing line for increased volume and longer life cheese packs for overseas export markets.

Rich Clothier, managing director and third generation family member at Wyke Farms, added: “This investment, supported by the RDPE growth program is vital in preparing our business to service our growing export markets across the world. Built to the highest environmental standards this export hub will allow us to continue to export more of my grandmothers Ivy’s Vintage cheddar to over 160 countries in a post Brexit world, in the most environmentally responsible way helping to secure jobs and livelihoods of people in Somerset, the heart of Cheddar.”

Wyke Farms’ continual investment and commitment to green energy forms part of the company’s ‘100% Green’ sustainability plan, through which they have dramatically reduced their carbon footprint and become the first national cheddar brand to be 100% self-sufficient using their own energy generated from solar and biogas, they claim. This latest development is part of Wyke Farms’ journey to become a net positive cheese business.

Increased cheese maturing

www.papa.org.uk 31

CHEESE

How to top a year of growth for the takeaway pizza industry Michael Harte (main picture), managing director of Bridge Cheese (www.bridgecheese.com), explains why changing your choice of cheese can spice up your pizza offer and keep customers coming back for more.

INCREASING COMPETITION? 2020 was an unprecedented year for takeaways as national lockdowns and restrictions on restaurants encouraged more people than ever to order in.

While takeaway pizza restaurants took a huge slice of the uplift in demand, sustaining last year’s level of sales into 2021 may take a little more imagination as competition from other food outlets increases and customers look for something new to try.

With the nation confined to home for much of 2020, takeaway pizza was the comfort food that kept the country going. For example, takeaway giants, Domino’s Pizza, reported a rapid growth in its UK delivery business during the lockdown period, with like-for-like sales up 5.1% from March 2020 onwards. In a market already worth an estimated £2.1bn, the pizza sector rose to the challenge of unprecedented trading conditions and flourished.

At Bridge Cheese, we too noticed the uplift in demand. We supply a range of cheese and dairy solutions for pizza restaurants and pizza manufacturers.

Normally, we would see demand from our pizza sector clients rise over the winter and drop off over the summer when consumers traditionally shift to barbecues and alfresco dining options.

But in 2020, the orders just kept on coming and the drop off never came.

The sustained demand for pizza could be attributed to ongoing local lockdowns and people’s unwillingness to eat out – even to help out – or that consumer takeaway habits have changed almost 32

overnight with the arrival of COVID-19.

Just Eat’s data, for instance, showed that during lockdown, people ordered earlier for lunch and dinner, and that orders were placed during weekdays. Takeaway, it seems, is no longer contained within the bastion of the weekend.

Whether the high level of sales seen in 2020 can be replicated this year will largely depend on the sector’s ability to remain competitive, as the takeaway market is becoming increasingly saturated. Traditionally, options for takeaway have been limited to pizza, Chinese, Indian and or fish and chips.

However, the recent introduction of national delivery services like Deliveroo and Uber Eats has given consumers access to more food outlets than ever before, including fast food titans like McDonalds and KFC.

Last year also saw the introduction of pubs and restaurants offering delivery, in a bid to diversify and generate a revenue stream while their premises remained closed to the public. These newcomers to the takeaway market offered customers even more choice of cuisines and they have undoubtedly elevated the dining experience possible with delivered food.

Some Michelin star restaurants now even offer ‘cook at home’ meal kits.

March 2021

CHEESE

When pitted against such increased competition, pizza needs to stand out more than ever before – and in my opinion, this means delivering fresh new ideas that keep customers coming back, and not looking elsewhere, for their home dining experience.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CHEESE FOR YOUR PIZZA A simple way to create a high impact product is by choosing the right blend and flavours of cheese for your pizza recipe. Every pizza restaurant or manufacturer has a slightly different idea of what they want to achieve, whether this be flavour, melt or browning. We spend a lot of time with customers to understand this, along with their cooking process and target market. Then we recommend bespoke blends using products such as mozzarella improvers, Cheddars and flavoured cheese to help create a tailored, pizza range.

And the cheese choices don’t stop there. First introduced in the 1990s, stuffed crusts offer an interesting new twist on an existing pizza offer. Simply adding a good quality cheese rope to your crust preparation can add

flavour and texture with minimal cost.

For example, at Bridge Cheese, we can create customised cheese ropes with a variety of flavour profiles and inclusions – from spicy jalapeno cheese to go with a Mexican inspired pizza, or a smoked cheese to add another dimension to a barbecue-themed pizza.

Flavoured cheese, for example, is a particularly good addition to seasonal or festive recipes, which will help encourage customers to keep ordering

throughout the year, and it can also be used to appeal to a new audience.

It’s also worth remembering that Generation Z enjoy adventurous world food flavours, so you could spice up your offer with a harissa cheese topping, or a maybe a cheese flavour inspired by street food. The only limit is your imagination!

In fact, the only pitfall when it comes to shaking up your cheese selection to win over new or existing customers, is the temptation to prioritise quantity over quality.

At Bridge Cheese, we understand economic conditions caused by COVID mean that many people have less disposable income than before. But businesses need to offer meals that are affordable without compromising on taste. In our view, enabling a restaurant or manufacturer to cost engineer their end product whilst still delivering on flavour and functionality is the best way to help our customers survive these unprecedented times. Your challenges are our challenges, so our priority has always been to be flexible and support our customers however we can.

2020 was a year that no-one saw coming but it has been a defining moment for the takeaway food industry. In order to ride the high of unprecedented sales into 2021 and beyond, the sector must adapt and ensure products are fresh, interesting and inspiring to maintain pizza’s position as the nation’s favourite takeaway food, all year round.

www.papa.org.uk 33

HYGIENE

scene As hospitality businesses await the green light to re-open once again, one vital aspect of preparations will be making sure that working and customer-facing environments can be maintained in a clean and hygienic manner.

VIRUS-FREE Independent food service and hospitality businesses need enhanced disinfection capabilities from their everyday cleaning products to offer greater protection against the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 and reassure their customers and guests, propose sector supplier Diversey.

Their new Cif Alcohol Plus surface disinfectant and Cif 4in1 Washroom Cleaner in the Pro Formula range, for example, are both HACCPapproved and certified to the international EN14476 34

virucidal and EN1276 bactericidal standards. This means these new formulations in well-known trusted brands meet the same rigorous standards required for disinfectants in healthcare and commercial settings, claim the company (products meeting the EN14476 standard are effective against a wide range of viruses including enveloped viruses, the type that causes Covid-19).

“Customers and guests are always reassured by good cleaning and hygiene but during the pandemic they want even more confidence that the products being used

offer the highest levels of disinfection protection,” says Kelly Brodie, consumer brands marketing manager at Diversey, UK & Ireland.

“Unlike many alternatives these new products meet demanding regulations and standards and carry well-known distinctive branding to provide that reassurance. The benefits of using professional formulations are really clear.”

The new products offer independent businesses additional professional-level disinfection capabilities to complement or replace existing food safety, washroom hygiene, and general cleaning processes, they feel, and the distinctive March 2021

HYGIENE pack design incorporates the trusted brand product names, a highly visible protective shield device with the virus and bacteria kill claim, and icons carrying the EN14476 and EN1276 numbers. The ready-to-use spray-bottle format also means the products can be used wherever and whenever needed to make cleaning convenient and highly visible to customers and guests.

Cif Alcohol Plus is an alcoholbased surface disinfectant spray that is certified to the EN1276 bactericidal and EN14476 virucidal standards. It kills 99.99% of viruses in 60 seconds and 99.999% of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi in 15 seconds. It is HACCP approved, perfume-free and suitable for all types of hard surfaces including kitchen utensils, chrome, and stainless steel.

It evaporates completely, leaves no residues, and needs no rinsing.

Cif 4in1 Washroom Cleaner combines disinfectant, detergent, descaler, and deodoriser in a single product that also meets the EN1276 bactericidal and EN14476 virucidal standards. It kills 99.99% of enveloped viruses (including coronaviruses) in 60 seconds and 99.999% of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi in five minutes. It is HACCP approved and can be used on all hard surfaces found in bathrooms and washrooms, including showers, baths, sinks, and chrome fittings. The product incorporates patented Odour Neutralising Technology (ONT) that chemically inactivates the molecules that cause bad smells.

Support for Cif Alcohol Plus and Cif 4in1 Washroom Cleaner includes a set of online and offline user guides, wall charts, videos, training aids, compliance documentation, cleaning advice and other content designed to help www.papa.org.uk

Wood oven operators urged to note consumer food safety concerns Restaurants and mobile operators offering wood-fired pizzas on their menus are being urged to take note of consumer data that signals the customer’s increasing focus on food safety.

Wood supplier, Logs Direct (www.logsdirect. co.uk), is highlighting a recent survey by Tetra Pak (COVID-19 and the Food Safety-Environment Dilemma/the Tetra Pak Index 2020) which found that 60% of consumers are worried whether the food they buy is hygienic and safe.

It is also pointing out that the HACCP food safety and hazard prevention course was the most popular of all those offered by the EU’s Better Training for Safer Food Initiative in 2019, according to Food Safety News, and is urging wood oven owners to remember that burning the wrong wood could lead to food contamination.

“Covid-19 has thrown the spotlight on to hygiene and food safety and consumers are increasingly expecting vigilance on the part of those supplying them with food,” says Logs Direct’s sales director, Stephen Talbot. “Whilst restaurants tend to focus on cross-contamination from food, they forget the contaminants that can exist within wood and wrongly believe that the burning process will eliminate these.”

Logs Direct launched its own HACCP-compliant log – Piccante - a few years ago and has further refined and improved the log on the basis of pizza chef feedback, now offering two options within the range - Piccante Troncotto and Piccante Piccolo Beech (pictured).

The rationale behind the products is that no diner will ever opt for the pizza toppings of glue, additives and paraffin and that eco-concern is at an all-time high, making the emissions and sustainable aspects to these ancillary wood oven products perfect ‘box-tickers’ for many customers.

Troncotto is a new eight-sided upgrade on the original 100% compressed beech Piccante log launched by Logs Direct. The new HACCP-compliant log offers reduced roll and a textured, serrated surface for easy lighting, and with a moisture content of just 6%, it provides a consistent hot burn, whether burned whole or split, claim the company.

These same temperature and heat benefits come with Piccante Piccolo made from smaller, sized pieces of premium Beech (this size of wood is preferred by some wood fired chefs, generating little ash and proving ideal for authentic Italian cooking, point out Logs Direct).

Their Wood Wool Eco Firelighter also delivers great combustibility without nasty odours or chemical additives. Food can taste at its best, when this little firelighter - made from small shreds of sustainably grown softwood - wound together and dipped in hot, natural wax, is used to start the pizza oven fire.

Stephen Talbot says, “We may have eateries operating hopefully by Easter, if talk of the new vaccine proves accurate.

If that is the case, restaurants and mobile operators need to ensure that they are demonstrating true food love and not tainted love.

The last thing they will require is any sort of issue on the food safety front, as they rebuild their businesses.”

35

HYGIENE businesses reopening after lockdown (visit www.proformula.com for more details).

Hi-Kleen from Hi-line Industries (www.hilineindustries.com) reports that it has been proving popular since its introduction in the summer of 2020, and to help even more companies benefit from this highly effective surface sanitiser for commercial premises, Hi-line has produced a short and informative YouTube video (https:// youtu.be/7cQlavJ51S4) to demonstrate the product’s easy application.

Needless to say, workplaces, particularly in the hospitality sector, are a potential breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, they agree, which is why taking sensible precautions represents an astute health and safety strategy. A single, quick application of Hi-Kleen, they claim, ensures full sanitisation of all contact surfaces, providing at least five hours of protection from further contamination once applied (the product is also completely safe for any member of staff to apply without need for PPE, they point out).

Hi-Kleen’s special formulation ensures it kills and inhibits both bacteria and viruses (including enveloped viruses such as COVID-19) on hard or soft surfaces. Odour-free, this clear product is ideal for a vast range of facilities, including factories, food plants, warehouses, offices, showrooms, sports clubs, conference centres, hospitals, health centres, care homes, educational buildings, theatres, cinemas, restaurants, pubs, and even vehicles. It does not stain, is non-corrosive and will leave a streak and smear-free finish to most polished surfaces, including glass and stainless steel, they add, and as it contains no alcohol, avoids any potential for dry or irritable skin.

Composed of organic, nonchlorinated solvents, Hi-Kleen comes in both 500ml aerosols and disposable 17kg canisters (with spray gun).

The latter is ideal for those looking to sanitise entire rooms, providing typical coverage of 750 square metres, suggest Hi-Line, who are offering a free, no-obligation demonstration of their 36

product at the premises of interested parties (the company say that they will also supply a free Hi-Kleen aerosol spray with each purchase of Hi-line’s compressed air equipment during 2021).

The company reports that it has had an exceptionally busy period since the onset of COVID-19 and expects this to continue moving forward, in particular having provided essential help to the NHS by supplying medical gas dryers for hospitals, including the NHS Nightingale facilities.

BEING ORGANISED “Maintaining the highest possible levels of hand hygiene remains crucial to help prevent the transmission of Coronavirus, and providing hand sanitiser can help to protect both staff and customers visiting to collect takeaways,” says Steve Morris, sales director at Jestic Foodservice Solutions (www.jestic.co.uk).

The company’s new Venixlife, Touchless Hygiene Station combines contemporary Italian design and durable stainless steel construction to dispense hand sanitiser gel by the use of an adjustable foot pedal, thus avoiding any surface contact with your hands. The compact Venixlife unit is also robust, easy to clean and includes a height adjustable plate to hold any size of sanitiser bottle, they point out “Venixlife has also introduced the O3 box for back of house – a flexible and compact ozone sanitisation

cabinet, which is suitable for a wide variety of foodservice and workplace applications,” adds Steve Morris.

“The O3 Box incorporates an ozone generator and laboratory tests have shown it can eradicate up to 100% of viruses and bacteria after a full cycle - so operators can rest assured that a wide variety of items from plates to glassware, to cookware and even work uniforms are sanitised, hygienic and safe to use. The stylish, stainless steel cabinet will fit seamlessly in commercial kitchen environments with a footprint of just 600mm x 630mm.

“The manual disinfection of surfaces only goes so far and we feel that the new Hydrogen Peroxide Atomiser from Italian manufacturer, Moduline, gives extra reassurance. This dispenses a fine atomised mist of hydrogen peroxide solution (7.5%), which is considered to be highly effective in the inactivation of the Covid-19 virus both in the air and on surfaces, and is therefore the perfect complement to current manual cleaning procedures.

“To ensure the highest possible hygiene standards, we also feel that operators should get organised with storage solutions to increase the availability of items like hand sanitiser and face masks. To help do this, we have recently expanded our Metro range of commercial storage and shelving products with a flexible range of PPE and sanitiser storage solutions – which includes a PPE Tree, a Multifunction Mobile PPE Station and a PPE Check-In Station which offers mobile and secure storage.”

March 2021

HYGIENE

Updated guidance on food factory hygiene helps manufacturers produce safe products Campden BRI ((www.campdenbri.co.uk) says that it has updated its guidance on the design, implementation and control of cleaning and disinfection of food factories. The revised version will help food and drink manufacturers ensure their factories are cleaned and disinfected effectively so that they maintain a high hygienic standard and continue to produce safe products.

It comes as a result of close collaboration with industry experts to align it with changes in the management of hygiene in food production ensuring it reflects the most up-to-date thinking, research and developments.

Phil Voysey, senior microbiologist at Campden BRI and editor of the updated guidelines, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has seen factory cleaning prioritised like never before, but even prior to the public health crisis food businesses needed to comply with the EU regulations related to the hygiene of foodstuffs to remain in business. We’re excited to release this revised version because it is not only up to date with the relevant regulations but is also refreshed with recent developments in the area of factory hygiene, including new controls and cleaning chemical products.”

Food manufacturers, retailers and regulatory bodies prepared the new guidance in conjunction with Campden BRI scientists to provide a single source of information on cleaning and disinfecting a food factory.

It will help the industry understand when to clean, how to clean and what chemicals to use to remove physical, chemical and microbiological contaminants, feel Campden BRI. To achieve this, the comprehensive guideline covers a number of specific areas, including: • how to select the appropriate chemicals – based on differences in equipment, facilities and ingredients/ foods being handled • how to eliminate the virus that causes COVID-19 from a factory environment • the various methods of cleaning and disinfection • the equipment needed to carry out effective cleaning • how to build cleaning schedules • the timing and frequency of cleaning, and • how to monitor factory cleanliness and verify that cleaning has been carried out successfully.

“Incorporating the combined experience of industry leaders into this single document provides food and drink manufacturers invaluable guidance at their fingertips. This includes the best approaches to dealing with cleaning particularly tricky areas including drains and floors, and how to avoid common hygiene mistakes,” Phil Voysey added. www.papa.org.uk

Campden BRI collaborated with a working party made up of the food industry to ensure the guideline document – Cleaning and disinfection of food factories: a practical guide (Second edition) 2020 – is relevant to manufacturers and covers many of the cleaning-related challenges that they will come across. The new guidance is now available from Campden BRI. Campden BRI has over 2,500 member companies from 80 countries, including all of the top 10 UK retailers, the top 15 global food and drink manufacturers and many of the world’s biggest brands. It provides technical, legislative and scientific support and research consultancy services to the food and drink industry worldwide, and has a comprehensive “farm to fork” range of services covering agri-food production, analysis and testing, processing and manufacturing, safety, training and technical information services. Members and clients benefit from industry-leading facilities for analysis, product and process development, and sensory and consumer studies, which include a specialist brewing and wine division.

37

PAPA

HFSS measures

challenged Draconian new measures to tackle obesity are being proposed by the government, including a ban on all advertising of products considered high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) both on TV and online, report PAPA (the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association).

CONSULTATION Two separate consultations were launched by the Department of Health over the Christmas period, one covering the use of TV and online promotion to advertise products considered unhealthy – including pizzas – and the other setting out legislation for a ban from April 2022 on all displays of similar pre-packaged products within two metres of doorways, queues or till areas as well as a ban on multibuy offers, such as two for one.

38

While foodservice operations, including pizza delivery, escape the display and promotional bans, they are not excluded from the advertising bans – at least at the consultation stage.

If they get the go-ahead, the proposals mean that businesses will not be able to advertise or use social media, including emails, to promote any products that fall within the categories covered by the government’s sugar and calorie reduction programmes, which

include pizzas and pasta products.

TV advertising is allowed for these products after 9pm but a total ban across online channels is proposed at any time.

While the ban on TV advertising is likely to largely affect major brands, the online ban could have much wider implications across the food to go sector as it effectively proposes to stop operators from promoting their products to any consumers without them first opting in.

March 2021

PAPA In a sector that relies heavily on social media, which includes emails, as a key mechanism for communicating with potential customers – and particularly for keeping consumers up to date with changing menus, specials etc. – this could have wide implications for businesses of all sizes in the sector. Those who do not have an obvious high street presence could be particularly hard hit.

Such a ban would also make it extremely difficult for those opening new businesses or sites to establish a customer base if they first have to get consumers to ‘opt in’ to receiving information.

to the government that to achieve real change the priority must be to firstly convince consumers to manage their diets through education and also to provide the information they need to make reasoned choices when they purchase products. This has worked with both smoking and drink driving.

“There is little evidence that taxes and bans work in the long term. While people may initially respond, all the evidence suggests that this does not last. Reality is that people find ways round these things.

“Psychologists point out that whenever people believe their freedom

has been threatened, they enter into a reactance motivational state and take measures to regain their freedom.

Indeed, they will often respond by then overindulging.

“While we support the need to tackle the obesity crisis, we do not believe that this is the right way to go about it.”

Meanwhile, retailers are likely to baulk at the unfairness of the plans to ban displays and promotions while foodservice operators are unaffected.

There are also concerns that it may only be time before foodservice operations are also drawn further into the restrictions.

RESPONSE The Association has responded robustly to the consultation, questioning the basis of the proposals in tackling obesity.

PAPA director, Jim Winship, said: “These proposals are completely disproportionate and the banning of online promotion, in particular, will create extremely challenging trading conditions for many businesses resulting in failures and job losses. Small businesses, and particularly those off high street locations, will be particularly hard hit.

“Although these proposals purport to be aimed at children, they go well beyond this.

“We fundamentally question this whole approach to tackling obesity.

Indeed, we have repeatedly suggested

NEW PRODUCT New Orriss & Son Small Batch Sauces set to fire up condiment market With a rise in demand for food to eat at home set to increase the UK condiment and table sauce market by 5% in 2020 (Mintel’s Condiments and Dressings: Inc Impact of Covid-19, UK - April 2020), new small batch sauce maker Orriss & Son is well positioned to boost this sector with its range of three fermented chilli condiments – Even Flow, My Wave and Fresh Tendrils.

The brainchild of chef David Underwood, new Orriss & Son Small Batch Sauces are deliciously punchy, www.papa.org.uk

fermented chilli, ambient condiments, which offer different levels of heat and flavour profile to satisfy the increasing consumer interest in both world cuisine and hot, spicy sauces and dressings.

With millions of people spending increased hours at home, 2020 has seen consumers using some of that time to become more inventive in the kitchen and experimenting with flavours from far afield, creating real opportunity for niche brands offering exciting and globally inspired flavours. Orriss & Son’s also

donate a portion of proceeds from the sale of each bottle to www.wateraid.org (email hello@orrissandson.com or visit orrissandson.com).

39

ASSOCIATION UPDATE

Association update NEW £20 MILLION SME BREXIT SUPPORT FUND A new government £20 million SME Brexit Support Fund offers support to help small businesses adjust to new customs procedures, rules of origin and VAT rules when trading with the EU. The fund offers up to £2,000 to businesses with up to 500 employees and no more than £100 million annual turnover. SMEs who trade only with the EU, and are therefore new to importing and exporting processes, can apply for grants of up to £2,000, to pay for practical support including training and professional advice.

MEMBER MEETING RECORDING A recording of the briefing presentation for members by consultants at Campden BRI is now available on the Association website: https://papa.org.uk/index.php/news-features-advice/ members-only/webinars/905-bsa-papa-technical-group-meetingfebuary-2021 REED OFFER DISCOUNTED RATES FOR HIRING TESTING STAFF As part of the FDF Roundtable our members can access discounted rates for hiring in staff to manage and run COVID Asymptomatic Testing Sites (ATSs) for them. Under the agreement with Reed Talent Solutions they offer to support businesses to attract, interview and train candidates from Team Leaders to Site and Testing Operatives. Under the arrangement, members can access an exclusive reduced rate of 20% (standard margin is charged at 35%).

To find out how one of Reed’s local offices can support you and to access the member discount, please contact Matthew Rushton at Matthew.Rushton@reed.com stating that you are a member of an Association that is part of the FDF roundtable. More information on how to access the government-funded lateral flow workforce testing can be found on the GOV.UK website RESTAURANTS, PUBS AND CAFÉS GUIDANCE UPDATED The primary guidance for restaurants, pubs and cafés has been updated to include a section on testing which states that it’s

important to continue to follow the working safely measures, even if employees have received a recent negative test result or had the vaccine (either one or two doses).

Full information at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/workingsafely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/restaurants-offering-takeawayor-delivery#tests-and-vaccinations DELAYING REPAYMENT OF BOUNCE BACK LOANS The government has introduced a ‘Pay As You Grow’ scheme which allows businesses to repay bounce back loans as they get on their feet. In line with this the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published guidance to loan providers on how they are expected to treat businesses that decide to use the “Pay As You Grow” repayment option saying lenders should treat all customers in a manner that supports them and leads to appropriate and fair outcomes.

NORTHERN IRELAND PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ALLOCATIONS The Northern Ireland government has allocated over £12 million to continue supporting businesses with £7.4 million to extend the Hospitality Business Support Scheme and £5 million to extend the Covid Restrictions Business Support Schemes for four weeks.

GUIDANCE PUBLISHED ON HOW TO APPLY FOR A KICKSTART SCHEME GRANT The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment. Employers of all sizes can apply for funding which covers 100% of the National Minimum Wage (or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a total of six months; associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.

SCOTLAND RATE RELIEF EXTENDED The Scottish government has extended 100% business rates relief for three months until the end of June 2021.

index of products BEVERAGES

DOUGH & PIZZA

KITCHEN & SERVING

Beer

EQUIPMENT

EQUIPMENT

Carnevale Ltd.

Pizza Accessories

Coffee Carnevale Ltd. Mineral Water Carnevale Ltd.

Pizza Plus Foodservice Pizza Making Systems & Equipment

OILS & VINEGARS

PIZZA TOPPINGS

RICE

Olive Oil

Fish

Surgital SPA

Bakery Ovens

GCL Food Ingredients.

Carnevale Ltd.

Chefsrange

Leathams PLC

SOUPS, SAUCES,

Chargrills

Lupa Foods

Fruit & Vegetables

STOCKS & DRESSINGS

Chefsrange

PASTA, POLENTA,

Displays

GNOCCHI & RICE

Chefsrange

Pasta (Dry)

Drinks Systems

Carnevale Ltd. Continental Quattro

Soft Drinks

Chefsrange

Carnevale Ltd.

Cooktek (MCS Technical

Wine, Spirits & Liqueurs

Products)

Carnevale Ltd.

Continental Quattro

Jestic

Fryers

Stagioni Ltd.

Pizza Ovens

Carnevale Ltd. BREAD, CAKES & DESSERTS

Chefsrange Jestic Pizza Plus Foodservice

CHEESE, DAIRY & EGGS Cheese

Jestic Griddles Chefsrange Cooktek (MCS Technical Products)

Garlic Bread Riva Foods

Chefsrange

FISH & SEAFOOD

Jestic

Other Fish & Seafood

Holding Ovens

Leathams PLC FLOUR & BAKERY

Stagioni Ltd. GCL Food Ingredients.

Leathams PLC Lupa Foods Makfa JSC Pasta (Fresh) GCL Food Ingredients.

Carnevale Ltd.

Garlic Spreads & Mixes

Meat

Riva Foods

999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Pasta Sauces

Danish Crown

Leathams PLC

eDawn Farm Foods

Pizza Sauces

GCL Food Ingredients

Conveni

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Leathams PLC

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Lupa Foods Pizza Plus Foodservice

READY MEALS Italian

Stateside Foods Ltd. Soups Conveni

Conveni

Surgital SPA

Jestic Induction Cooking &

PIZZA DOUGH, BASES

Holding

& CRUSTS

READY PREPARED Prepared Pasta Meals Freiberger UK Ltd.

TOMATOES Canned Tomatoes Lupa Foods Passata

Cooktek (MCS Technical

Dough Balls

Concentrates

Prepared Pizza (Chilled)

Products)

Pan' Artisan

Carnevale Ltd.

Allied Mills

Conveni

Preparation Counters

Pizza Plus Foodservice

SunBlush© Tomatoes

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Dairy Partners Ltd.

Durum Semolina

Chefsrange

Leathams PLC

Pizza Bases & Crusts

Prepared Pizza (Frozen)

Eurilait Ltd.

Allied Mills

Refrigeration

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Pan' Artisan

Futura Foods UK Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Chefsrange

Freiberger UK Ltd.

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Leathams PLC

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Lupa Foods

999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd.

Glanbia Cheese Ltd. Leathams PLC Lupa Foods Ornua Ingredients Europe

Flour Allied Mills Carnevale Ltd.

MEAT Bacon Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Whitworth Bros. Limited

Leathams PLC

Eggs

Icings

Beef

Futura Foods UK Ltd.

Allied Mills

Leathams PLC

Leathams PLC

Improvers

Chicken & Other Poultry

Mozzarella Carnevale Ltd. Dairy Partners Ltd. Eurilait Ltd. Futura Foods UK Ltd.

Allied Mills Premixes (Bread & Cakes)| Allied Mills

Leathams PLC Ham Carnevale Ltd. Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. Foods Ltd. Leathams PLC

GCL Food Ingredients.

Glanbia Cheese Ltd.

FOOD WHOLESALERS

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Parmesan

Booker Wholesale

Italian Meat & Sausages

Eurilait Ltd. Futura Foods UK Ltd. GCL Food Ingredients.

COMPUTING

Continental Quattro Stagioni Ltd. Leathams PLC Stateside Foods Ltd.

SOLUTIONS

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. GCL Food Ingredients.

Lupa Foods Pancetta Carnevale Ltd. Danish Crown

Online Ordering Solutions

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

Pepperoni

Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd.

Chargrilled Vegetables

Carnevale Ltd.

DELIVERY & PACKAGING Heated Pizza Delivery

Carnevale Ltd. Olives Leathams PLC

Danish Prime Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. GCL Food Ingredients.

Salami

Bag Systems

Lupa Foods

Carnevale Ltd.

Cooktek (MCS Technical

INSURANCE

Danish Crown

Products)

Insurance Protector Group

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

Lupa Foods

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: CHAIRMAN

PIZZA DELIVERY OPERATORS

Keith Griffiths, Yum

Chain Chain ± Papa John (David Scott)) Independent Geoff Parsons, Basilico

FORMER CHAIR Freiberger (Richard Harrow)

FROZEN PIZZA MANUFACTURER Vacancy

CHILLED PIZZA MANUFACTURER Stateside (Ian Kent ± substitute Phil Goodall)

PASTA MANUFACTURER/ DISTRIBUTOR Vacancy

SUPERMARKETS Chilled - Vacancy Frozen - Vacancy

PIZZA RESTAURANTS Chain Rupi Zani (Pizza Express) Independent Vacancy

AGGREGATOR Wayne MacDonald (Just Eat)

CONSULTANT Maurice Abboudi

SUPPLIERS Cheese Ornua (Richard Thorpe) Meat Dawn Farm Foods (Jon Watkin) Flour Whitworths (Gayle Hunter) Equipment Jestic (Steve Morris) Speciality Ingredients Leathams (James Faulkner)

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

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

Booker Wholesale Equity House, Irthlingborough Road, Wellingborough, NN8 1LT Contact: Andy Milne 07587 886315 andrew.milne@booker.co.uk www.booker.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 Crown – Topping Bommen 9, Thorning DK-8620 Kjellerup, Denmark Contact: Kevin Peacock Tel: 07790 988121 KPEAC@danishcrown.com www.dk-foods.dk

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

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

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 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

F O O D S E R V I C E S O LU T I O N S

Jestic Units 3+4, Dana Industrial Estate, Transfesa Road, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6UU Tel: 01892 831 960 Email: info@jestic.co.uk www.jestic.co.uk 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 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

Lupa Foods Ltd. Suite A31, Elstree Tower, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire WD6 1SD Contact: Tim Scarborough Tel: 0208 2362222 simon@lupafoods.com www.lupafoods.co.uk

index registered suppliers PAPA

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.makfahealth.com Nutritics 22c Town Centre Mall Main Street, Swords Co Dublin, Ireland Tel: 020 3769 5265 Email: info@nutritics.com www.nutritics.com

Ornua Ingredients Europe Hazel Park, Dymock Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2JQ Contact: Alan Mackie Tel: 01531 631300 alan.mackie@ornua.com www.ornuaingredientsuk.com Pan’Artisan Unit 25-26 Holmbush Industrial Estate, Holmbush Way, Midhurst, West Sussex GU29 9FQ Contact: Charlotte Kilduff Tel: 01730 811490 Charlotte.kilduff@panartisan.com www.panartisan.com Papaya Crown Lane,Tinwell, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 3UF Tel:01780 758560 E-mail solutions@papayauk.com Web https://papayauk.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: Andrew Hargrave Tel: 01482 837285 Fax: 01482 824323 andrew.hargrave@rivafoods.co.uk www.rivafoods.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 Surgital SPA via Bastia, 16/1 - 48017 Lavezzola RA Emilia Romagna Italy Contact: Eddie Grimes Tel: 07786 515906 e.grimes@surgital.it Whitworth Bros Limited Victoria Mills, Wellingborough Northants NN8 2DT Contact: Gayle Hunter Tel: 01933 441000 Fax: 01933 222523 enquiries@whitworthbros.ltd.uk

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. 2020

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