MEATS
Taste the experience Importing and distributing quality products is the H. Smith Food Group plc approach. We spoke with MD, Chris Smith. Congratulations on 35 years in the industry – that’s quite the landmark. It’s been an amazing journey, from an idea for the future to seeing the company establishing itself across the foodservice sectors. Massive thanks go out to clients and suppliers who were there at our humble beginnings, some of whom are still with us today! Are there exciting new products on the horizon? Always! We have just signed off two ranges for Q2. One of which is based around Korean flavours – Spicy Korean Chicken Bites, Korean BBQ Pork Ribs & Crispy Gochujang Belly Bites. The other uses charcoal grilling methods with punchy combinations – Tikka, Peri-peri, Italian Herb & Spicy Mango! All fully cooked and ready to eat.
What key trends are you seeing in the FTG marketplace? Things are evolving rapidly. Consumers are increasingly seeking healthier and more sustainable options, which we fully support. For many years, there has been a growing interest in international cuisines for the more adventurous. It’s an incredibly challenging time for foodservice/hospitality. How are you managing to keep costs minimal and not pass them onto the consumer? This is without doubt the hardest task we face. Internationally imported goods are up for feed, raw material and general costs but sea freight expense has increased considerably in some cases. We are firm believers in keeping price rises to a minimum where possible. Can you expand on key partnerships? Our relationships have grown over the 35 years. Our aim is to be respectful to both sides, transparent and forward thinking – and these basic footprints are still as important as they were when we first started.
food waste. We pack all foodservice products in an IQF format leaving no waste at all. There have also been significant improvements in the quality of frozen foods. Advances in technology have helped preserve taste, texture and nutritional values. How important is sustainability? When we built our current premises 10 years ago, we placed 645 panels on the south-facing roof to generate energy, which was the start of our endeavours towards carbon footprint reduction. We have a thorough sustainability policy which we are committed to putting into action over the next three years and beyond. We are also grateful for the loyalty shown to us by our team, clients, suppliers, our bankers and everyone else associated with our journey so far – and remain committed to serving the industry in the same aspirational ways we always have.
Frozen food in foodservice is a growing market with operators showing a keen interest. Would you agree and how is this happening? Yes, totally. It is gaining a far stronger reputation than years gone by. With food prices going up year on year, people are more conscious about cost saving and
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