TRINITY MAGAZINE - WINTER 2021 - ENGLISH by AVENDRAGROUPEUROPE

TRINIT Y MA GA Z IN E Winter 2021

HOSPITALITY EMBRACES CHERRY Pi TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY: REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINT

MARKET REPORT & KEY COMMODITY PRICE TRENDS

Available to all Trinity clients

Tork Xpressnap Fit® Less hassle, more hygiene

Tork Xpressnap Fit® is our latest innovation – a napkin dispenser system designed to help you improve efficiency and hygiene. Thanks to one-at-a-time dispensing, your guests only touch what they use. And the fully covered design protects napkins from spills and dirt. Both counter and tabletop versions require fewer refills and result in less waste – leaving more time on what really matters: your guests. www.torkglobal.com

Tork an Essity brand

4932662_Tork Xpressnap Fit_annonce_GB.indd 1

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTING SUPPLIERS

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25.11.2021 08.05

Contents

IN THIS ISSUE UK & Ireland update

Continental Europe update

Trinity is now part of Avendra Group

Hospitality embraces Cherry Pi to improve efficiency

Meet our ... Relationship Manager Belgium

Regional Relationship Manager France, Spain & Italy

Sustainable hospitality: Reducing carbon footprint

Credit Controller for Continental Europe

The Trinity Trade Show is back on!

Regulations around refrigeration equipment are tightening

Business Analyst Continental Europe Relationship Manager France

Trinity teams up with DKV Mobility

Welcome to the Market Report

Editor: Simona Hardy Senior Marketing Manager, Avendra Group Europe Proofreader: Chris Bown www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbown Designer: Nick Goodyear www.thenickwickpapers.com

NEW WEBSITE! We are delighted to officially announce the launch of our new website – which is now available in six languages - English, French, Dutch, German, Italian and Spanish! The new website is modern, dynamic with improved functionality - allowing all visitors to gain a better understanding about our solutions and systems more quickly and easily. As well as meeting our teams, learn about the latest company updates and industry trends! The new enhanced website will allow our members and suppliers to enjoy an informative experience as we continue to grow and increase our market presence.

Take a look at www.trinitypurchasing.com

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Company progress

UK & IRELAND UPDATE Written by Alan Cruite General Manager Trinity Purchasing

lan Cruite, General Manager for Ireland & UK at Trinity Purchasing, looks forward to returning to business after over 18 months of disruptions.

“I’m really excited about the coming year, after what has been a tough, challenging period for everyone involved in, and responsible for supporting, the hospitality sector. We’ll take forward several valuable learnings from the period, not least the even closer partnerships we have built up with our supply chain partners, as we shared the challenges of demand effectively switching off, then back on some months later. Many Teams and Zoom calls later, after our lockdown periods of working from home, we’re relieved, and honestly surprised and delighted at what we have achieved. By supporting one another, we helped many more businesses to survive the toughest period for trading that many of us are likely to ever see. While video calls certainly proved their value, my team and I are very happy to be out on the road once more, meeting and supporting clients via face-to-face meetings. Being on the ground absolutely allows us to provide

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By supporting one another, we helped many more businesses to survive the toughest period for trading that many of us are likely to ever see. more value and talk through better solutions. The team are all excited about the future. And as one of a group involved in exhibiting at Catex in Dublin I’m delighted we have been able to get this important Irish industry event back into the calendar once more, at the beginning of November - an event that was postponed from February 2021. It was great to meet so many of our customers and talk through how to invigorate this great sector once more.

With the support of our parent organisation, I am relieved to say we were able to retain all of our team during periods of lockdown and furlough. With workload shared, the team was able to stay in touch, and work hard under sometimes difficult circumstances. We are all keen to get moving, to solve the upcoming challenges as we face a period of severe price volatility and issues around stock and supplies. We’ve survived a pandemic, which has made us stronger to face the challenges ahead.”

Company progress

CONTINENTAL EUROPE UPDATE Written by Paula Daenen General Manager Continental Europe e’re all delighted to see hospitality businesses from restaurants to hotels across central Europe picking up as covid-19 restrictions ease. With fingers crossed that the direction of travel remains positive, and no further restrictions will be necessary, we all need to get on with life as it gets back to some sort of normal.

At the same time, we need to prepare for a new selection of business challenges, as the sector experiences the issues of finding enough staff, working with supply chains that are under pressure, and planning around rising commodity prices. After a period of pre-pandemic calm, with low inflation and steady market conditions, we are facing choppy waters. Many hospitality establishments, particularly those in regional and coastal destinations, have enjoyed good summer trading as consumers holidayed closer to home than in previous years. City centre hotels and high-end restaurants have continued to suffer from a lack of international business travellers - though recently,

At Trinity, we have seen more clients joining us as they realise the benefits of having a trusted advisor who can help keep a close hold on costs and minimise the impact of disruptions to supplies. trading update reports that inquiries and bookings from business guests are picking up across Europe. It seems the pandemic, followed up with the challenges I have outlined above, has focused minds on improving efficiencies and cutting costs. At Trinity, we have seen more clients joining us as they realise the benefits of having a trusted advisor who can help keep a close hold on costs and minimise the impact of disruptions to supplies. We have also started rolling out a new digital solution, Pi, which answers the needs of those in hospitality to improve efficiency, doing more with less. If you still rely on manual processes in your business, Pi is the answer to time and resource saving. Developed over the last few years by our Avendra group

partners, Pi will enable our clients to automate many more processes around food, beverage and consumables ordering, invoice management and, in time stock and menu management. If you’ve yet to investigate the benefits of Pi, please ask! In the meantime, if you are experiencing challenges from supply chain or cost issues, remember to ask for our help - we are here for you.

Contact Trinity Purchasing on news@ trinitypurchasing.com for more information, or get in touch with your Relationship Manager

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Company progress

TRINITY IS NOW PART OF AVENDRA GROUP Trinity has become part of the Avendra Group and here’s what that means for all of us. What is Avendra Group? Avendra is an umbrella brand, which has brought together an international group of procurement and purchasing companies. This strategic partnership aims to drive benefits for clients, through collective purchasing power, and by sharing best practice across borders and between different business sectors.

What industries and countries does Avendra Group cover? Avendra Group companies operate across Europe, Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and Mexico. And they support clients in hotels, restaurants, pubs, the broader leisure industry, care homes, hospitals and education.

As a Trinity client, what difference does this make? Being a part of a broader network, Trinity can utilise procurement expertise across a wide range of industries, as well as gaining access to advanced technology that will add value to our clients. By sharing market knowledge, expertise, and latest innovations, we are in a better place to help our clients to realise their full potential. We look forward to sharing the benefits of being an Avendra partner with you, in the near future.

US, Canada, Mexico, Central America & Caribbean Hotels & Clubs

UK Education, Healthcare, Hospitality & Leisure

“Trinity is proud to be part of Avendra Group, a collective network of supply chain and procurement experts across the globe. Working across a range of unique brands, this strategic partnership enables us to share intelligence, expertise, best practices, technology and leveraged buying power. The outcome of this partnership adds that extra edge to our client service offering.” A joint statement from:

Paula Daenen,

General Manager, Continental Europe

Trinity Magazine

Alan Cruite,

General Manager, UK & Ireland

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Canada / USA Healthcare, Education, Business & Leisure

Canada Restaurants

UK, Ireland, Holland Belgium, France, Germany & Italy Hotels

USA Healthcare, Higher Education & Restaurants

USA K-12 Education

“From healthcare and senior living to hospitality, leisure and education — Avendra Group’s portfolio of companies offer professional procurement solutions and carefully negotiated contracts that meet customers’ needs. As part of Avendra Group, Trinity clients will benefit from our network of procurement specialists who are able to identify opportunities, advance the best supply chain initiatives and provide organisations with the resources they need to succeed.”

Wolfram Schaefer,

President at Avendra Group

CHECKING OUT TRINITY’S GROUP PARTNERS: THE AVENDRA COMPANY Following is a little more detail of one of the Avendra group companies, the Avendra Company - effectively the mothership of the Avendra Group.

Who is the Avendra Company? Avendra is North America’s leading hospitality procurement services provider, founded in 2001 by some of the most respected names in the hospitality industry. Avendra provides supply chain management to streamline strategic procurement processes, innovative technology and the counsel of world-class subject matter experts. Avendra’s head office is in Rockville, Maryland and the company has regional offices throughout North America.

What clients does Avendra support? Avendra works in partnership with some of the most respected hospitality businesses including: ▶ Marriott International ▶ Four Seasons ▶ Hilton ▶ InterContinental Hotels Group ▶ Hyatt ▶ Choice Hotels Today the company supports over 8,500 customers - optimising their procurement and supply chain operations across Canada, Mexico and Central America, the Caribbean and Hawaii.

Avendra’s client base includes organisations in markets including: ▶ Hotel chains and Lodging Management Companies ▶ Independent and Boutique Hotels ▶ Luxury Resorts ▶ Golf Clubs and Spas ▶ Gaming and Casinos ▶ Cruise Lines ▶ Restaurants ▶ Higher Education

www.avendra.com

What’s unique about Avendra’s service offering? Product and service quality is paramount The Avendra team has put quality assurance measures in place and carries out field audits to ensure their clients continue to enjoy high levels of service from all their suppliers. The tailored solution Avendra is all about helping clients enhance the bottom line, improve operational performance and better serve their customers. Avendra

works in partnership with a wide range of national and local suppliers and service providers across the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Driven by innovation and technology To stay ahead, Avendra constantly strives to understand the issues and constraints that exist in the industry, to nurture fresh thinking and creativity, and to develop innovative solutions and technology to help solve them.

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Sharing expertise

HOSPITALITY EMBRACES CHERRY Pi TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY Hospitality businesses across Europe are looking for ways to improve efficiency, as they recover from the pandemic and reopen for business. Supply chains issues, and staffing challenges, mean business managers need to discover how to do more, with less. Written by Celine Snauwaert. e-Procurement Co-ordinator ne of the key ways to improve efficiency for hospitality businesses, is to automate processes that may until now have been managed manually.

“Before joining Trinity, I spent almost 20 years in hospitality, so I understand the pressures of working in a hotel, and the time that general managers and chefs spend on administration. There are many regular tasks that take up hours, which the system can help take care of. Over the last few months, I have been busy demonstrating one particular Pi module, named Cherry Pi, to hotel teams across Belgium that were looking for an online ordering solution, and Cherry Pi meets their needs very well.” With Cherry Pi, a user can send multiple orders via a single portal in a very time-efficient way that cuts out mistakes which would typically arise when orders are given over the telephone, or sent manually by email. Orders can then be tracked - and importantly in the current environment, alternative products can be arranged if items are out of stock. The system can cover regular food and beverage items, other consumables and even larger items such as furniture.

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And Trinity’s e-Procurement Coordinator, Celine Snauwaert, is discovering that the group’s online software system, called Pi, is the solution for many in the sector.

Cherry Pi sits alongside a wider selection of Pi modules covering delivery management, invoicing and credit notes and supplier payment - all designed to be easy to use, reducing errors and making substantial time savings. These additional modules will be rolled out by Trinity across key European markets, in the near future. In the coming months, we will be demonstrating the benefits of Cherry Pi at Trinity’s events across Belgium. Importantly, Cherry Pi is provided free of charge, to Trinity clients. And for clients who are serious about exploiting the benefits of the system, we provide bespoke complimentary training and ongoing support for the staff who will use it as part of our service! The Pi software suite has been developed over several years by Trinity’s international group partners, and has already been proven in use by hundreds of hospitality businesses and catering operations. Here is what one of them have to say about switching to Cherry Pi.

Amy Coyne helps run the Peacockes business in Connemara, Ireland. A hotel, restaurant and bar operates alongside a filling station, gift shop and convenience store. Peacockes has been working with Trinity Purchasing since 2018, and in 2021 decided to streamline their supplier ordering processes and started to use the Cherry Pi cloudbased online ordering system. Amy says: “Over the summer of 2021, our big issue has been staffing. As a result, a lot of the ordering fell back to me - so I’ve been very pleased to have Cherry Pi on hand, it’s saved me lots of

time. The first few times I used Cherry Pi, I couldn’t believe how efficient it was, as it was so simple. I find it simply brilliant, I just input my orders in one web page and I can see that the suppliers have received it. The onboarding was really thorough, with the Trinity team have been very good at getting the necessary information and uploading it into the system – saving us lots of manual work. The plan is for other members of the team to use Cherry Pi too as I can see it brings so many benefits.”

To book a demonstration of Cherry Pi, so you can discover how much time it will save you, contact Celine via hello@trinitypurchasing.com

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Available to all Trinity clients

Free-up your team! Gain control over your supplier ordering process

Top benefits that clients love ✔ Place orders with multiple suppliers through one single web site ✔ No more phone ordering – saving a huge amount of time

✔ Fully automated tracking of the status of all your orders ✔ Cut-off time alerts and order countdown notification

✔ Total control over the products that can be ordered

✔ View suppliers’ delivery schedules, minimum order values and contact details

✔ Powerful order approval and order notification system

✔ Create bespoke ordering lists and share them with your team

Training and support Cherry Pi is available as part of the Pi system -

complimentary to all Trinity Purchasing clients

✔ There is no additional charge for implementation or configuration ✔ No charge or limit on number of users ✔ No charge for online-training, help or support

Free-up valuable time and resources You will no longer have to log in to separate supplier websites to place orders. With Cherry Pi you can send orders to multiple suppliers from the same web portal – saving lots of time and stress remembering all those passwords and logging in/out of different websites. What’s more, Cherry Pi has been modelled on supermarket shopping websites, so it is very intuitive and extremely easy to use. You and your staff will love it!

Placing orders takes just a few minutes! The product search is a thing of beauty! Without needing to know the supplier simply start typing and all available matching products are displayed. Once you select the item, the system automatically identifies which supplier that product is sourced from and then creates an order for that related supplier.

Buy the right products at the right price Cherry Pi gives you total control - you can select the suppliers and

products which can be ordered. For example, only approved products where the price has been already negotiated and agreed will be visible.

Intelligent approval process When an order is placed it can be forwarded to a budget holder within your business for approval prior to being sent to the supplier. Once an order has been created, a purchase order number is automatically generated. This can be overridden if required or it can be made mandatory, so that no orders are sent unless the PO number has been provided. Furthermore, your team can view a monthly spend report with the click of the button.

Track your order Once your order has been sent to the supplier, the system automatically updates the status so you can be confident that the supplier has received and is processing your order. The system also features a supplier order cut-off notification, which shows a countdown of the time you have left to place an order for the next available delivery date.

Pi can do a whole lot more for your organisation Pi has been designed and developed to offer Trinity clients a full P2P (Purchase-to-Pay) management via one central online platform. You can order with multiple suppliers, bookin the delivered order, approve the invoice and request credit notes when required. Additionally data can be exported to an account finance package to make the supplier payment.

Sharing expertise

SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY: REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINT Written by Soizic Guinard Procurement Manager France

he recent COP26 meeting in Glasgow saw a renewed global focus on sustainability, with governments and major corporations making commitments to reduce their carbon footprints in the coming years.

Industry sectors are also finding ways to work together and share information, so that organisations large and small can understand and share the commitment to reducing their impact on the planet. For some, the focus will be more on operations, for others it will be about the efficiency of assets such as real estate; and, increasingly supply chains will be required to explain their environmental policies and commitments, too. Alongside legislation, there are a number of other drivers for change. It is clear that consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability, when making purchasing decisions. Green finance is also becoming a mainstream consideration, with banks offering lower rates for certified green loans and mortgages; these commit the borrower to improving their property or operations to agreed benchmarks, in return for the discount on offer. There is plenty for any business to consider when reducing its carbon

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footprint. How can you measure and report on progress? Where should you start? What can you recycle, how can you buy with greater environmental responsibility? In the hospitality sector, a number of initiatives are underway, including those from the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA), which has broad support from across the sector with backing from major hotel groups. The SHA is currently preparing a “toolkit” that will enable those in the sector to make a practical start on reducing their organisation’s carbon footprint. SHA chairman Wolfgang Neumann, a veteran hotelier, recently commented: “We need to act fast and we must collaborate as we double up our efforts. The dialogue needs to go beyond

having ‘zero’ impact and look towards what we can be putting back into the natural world to ensure we have a lasting positive impact on our planet and its people.” Trinity is already supporting hospitality operators to reduce their carbon footprint through several ways including help with waste reduction, and the sourcing of more environmentally responsible products. If you would like us to help you on your journey to be more carbon zero – please get in touch today we are here to help you. Contact your Relationship Manager, or email news@ trinitypurchasing.com

News

THE TRINITY TRADE SHOW IS BACK ON! Written by Virginie Dothée Relationship Manager Belgium

Dieter Schoofs Relationship Manager Belgium

s pandemic restrictions ease, the Trinity team in Belgium is resuming its regular series of client and supplier gatherings.

DON’T MISS OUT Over the coming months, look out for your invitation to an upcoming Trinity event - don’t miss out!

The informal meetings offer a great opportunity for clients to taste new food and drink offerings from suppliers, to inspire their menu choices in the months to come. It’s a great atmosphere to pick up ideas and tips to help your business, too. Events are held around the country three times a year, at venues and times to suit different members; sometimes it can be breakfast meeting or a winter barbecue! Often the event is held at a Trinity client’s premises - which can mean anything from a hotel, restaurant to a church, depending on the town. “It’s a great opportunity to learn about new products and services in a relaxed atmosphere that is very different from a trade fair,” says Dieter Schoofs, Trinity Relationship Manager in Belgium. “The events are attended by Trinity members as well as prospective clients who wants to learn more about the solutions we can provide. “

If you would like to know more about the next events in the calendar, contact Dieter via dschoofs@ trinitypurchasing.com 3 February : Landen/Sint-Truiden “Our suppliers provide tastings of new foods, drinks and beers, and we always ask them to come up with latest innovations and something different for our members,” says Trinity relationship manager Virginie Dothee. “And when we bring new suppliers on board, these events provide the perfect occasion to showcase their products and solutions. The feedback we get from suppliers is that they value the opportunity of an informal environment where they can catch with clients directly and getting immediate feedback on their products.”

June 2022 : Brugge and Liege (date to be confirmed) September : Turnhout (date to be confirmed) We are also planning to host these events across other countries - so watch out for more details.

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Our services

FIND MORE SAVINGS TO IMPROVE THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF YOUR BUSINESS NOT JUST FOOD We are not just about food – we can deliver substantial savings across both food and non-food categories. In some cases, you can even make savings with existing suppliers. It's that easy! If a category does not fall under your responsibilities, we would encourage you to pass our details to your colleagues, so we can help your business to be in better financial health.

IMMEDIATE REAL SAVINGS Trinity has over 1000 members across 11 countries with 400 national and international suppliers. Our price files are based on our collective members’ spend, ensuring our clients get the very best pricing in the marketplace. We benchmark for you and look at how your current pricing could be improved to give you some immediate savings. Our benchmarks are quick and transparent and can provide our clients with an instant saving report.

TRUSTED PARTNER Trinity’s Relationship Managers follow a stringent benchmarking process to give you a truly fair, impartial price review - taking into consideration the product size, quality and volume you buy.

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More than ever, businesses are looking for ways to drive their costs down. Delivering savings is our area of expertise – so let the Trinity team help you!

FOOD

NON-FOOD

A price review can ensure you are getting the best value from your current suppliers – across all your areas of spend.

Commercial equipment

Cleaning & hygiene

Workwear & footwear

Furniture

Card processing

Pest control

Laundry & linen

Gas & lighting

Utilities

Stationery

Paint & DIY

Equipment maintenance

Tableware & disposables

Marketing & printing

Ambient, frozen & chilled

Specialist & fine foods

Alcohol (beer/wines/spirits)

Dairy

Sandwiches

Soft drinks

Fresh fish

Bread & bakery

Coffee & hot beverages

Fresh meat

Concepts

Fruit & vegetables

Confectionery

START SAVING TODAY

If you would like the Trinity team to carry out professional benchmarking for you – please get in touch at news@trinitypurchasing.com

Staff profiles

MEET OUR RELATIONSHIP MANAGER BELGIUM What is your role within Trinity? I’m the Relationship Manager for the region West-Flanders, Belgium. Outline your career path within Trinity to date. I’ve started working with Trinity the 2nd of February 2020 as Relationship manager West-Flanders. What do you enjoy most about your role? The combination of contact with our members and contact with our suppliers. The job keeps me amazing how broad the job content is. I get to see and to know the operations in the hotels everyday aswel as all the product all our suppliers have to offer. Everyday I learn something new which make my job very dynamic and interesting. What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far? We have an incredible team at Trinity

Purchasing, so to come together with the whole team of Europe was a highlight for me. It was great to share our experiences and learn from each other. Next to that our events are always a big success. To see how our members interact with our suppliers and how new relationships are built because of us, is always a satisfying feeling. Our suppliers and members are happy after our event and so are we! Why are you proud to work for Trinity? The great amount of good relationships that Trinity has built in a very short time, is mind-blowing. Being part of this and being able to make this amount even bigger, makes me a very proud employee. Sum up your personality in five words or less Social, very positive, studious, team player, perseverant.

Charlotte Lescrauwaet

Relationship Manager

Early Bird or Night owl? Night owl, however, I’m always happy when my day start very early! Dog or Cat person? Definitely a cat! Love their quirky characters! Always had cats my whole life. Now I have 2, Goa and Maui. Favourite ice-cream flavour? Lemon!

We have chosen to work with Trinity because we want to make use of the knowledge and purchasing power of an international player. We purchased, renovated and started up our hotel in the midst of the Corona Crisis while we were still living abroad and had no up-to-date knowledge of all areas of hospitality players on the Dutch market. At a time when supplier visits and hospitality fairs were not possible, Trinity informed and inspired us, enabling us to build strong partnerships with partners who support our vision and help us realize it. Within the collaboration, Trinity has relieved and inspired us, extra nice in a start-up phase in a special time. We realized the renovation with Sutherland Design and the guests love the atmosphere and nature experience! Witte Berken Natuurhotel, the Netherlands  Margreet Paauwe, Owner

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Staff profiles

MEET OUR REGIONAL RELATIONSHIP MANAGER FRANCE, SPAIN & ITALY What is your role within Trinity? I’m the Regional Relationship Manager for France, Spain & Italy. Outline your career path within Trinity to date. I started to work freelance for Trinity, focusing on Italy, in June 2018. Then in February 2019 I was asked to head up the Relationship Managers’ team in France in preparation of the planned growth in the country. Soon we will be looking at entering the market in Spain, and hopefully after that also Italy, where I live! What do you enjoy most about your role? To be able to still learn new things every day, and also the international aspect of the job, that’s something I could not live without.

What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far? To have been able to participate in the expansion of the business, and the team, in France, with lots of new opportunities and exciting projects. Why are you proud to work for Trinity? I’m proud to be part of this journey from a small and relatively unknown company, to an important player, competing against the big names in the market, as an independent GPO. And to be surrounded by enthusiastic professionals in different markets. Sum up your personality in five words or less Positive, altruist, thinker, and yes, a bit stubborn.

Letizia Mirandola

Regional Relationship Manager

Early Bird or Night owl? Mostly early bird; but this has changed as I definitely was a night owl when I was younger! Dog or Cat person? My dream is a big dog; but I’m afraid it has to wait … Favourite ice-cream flavour? Pistachio, strictly from the ice cream shop down my road, the best in town!

We have been working with Trinity Purchasing for a while and we really like the collaboration! In addition to the cost savings that we have already achieved a lot, Trinity is a very proactive company. They actively help in finding a supplier or partner that matches what we need and are looking for. When looking for different suppliers, we always ask Trinity to think along. In no time, Trinity sends us very clear proposals in which we can compare apples with apples. If we have chosen a certain party, Trinity also remains actively involved in the relationship that develops afterwards. Trinity supervises the process intensively. If the start-up does not go completely smoothly, or agreements are not met, Trinity plays an active role in solving this. This makes Trinity a very valuable addition to our company! Hotel Noordzee, the Netherlands  Gwen Wijffels, General Manager

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Sharing expertise

REGULATIONS AROUND REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT ARE TIGHTENING - HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Written by

ommercial refrigeration equipment has traditionally contained refrigerant gases now recognised as being environmentally harmful, and these are now being eliminated from new equipment production.

In addition, there is a continued drive to improve the energy efficiency of commercial kitchen equipment, in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs. These changes are generally being driven by legislative changes, which set a pathway for the removal of harmful gases from new equipment, as well as setting out a requirement for new machinery to meet ever stricter energy efficiency standards. Some of these are administered at national level, while there are a range of European standards being implemented. New regulations The F-Gas Regulation sets out a path for phasing out harmful gases from refrigeration and cooling equipment. Already, in 2020, a previously widely

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used refrigerant, R404A, was banned from use in new equipment on sale. Upcoming in January 2022, another refrigerant, R134a, will be banned from use in new coolers. 2021 also saw wider adoption of the well recognised energy efficiency labelling system, with its colourful system of grading new equipment. Already extensively used on domestic fridges and washing machines, it is now featuring on

more commercial equipment, helping alert buyers to the impact of their purchase on the environment, and on running costs. Time to upgrade? If you run a commercial kitchen, now is a great time to do a stock take of your equipment - specifically, how old it is, and how much energy it consumes in use. The legislative changes have forced manufacturers to develop much

more efficient equipment - and you could be better off investing in new equipment, as well as showing greater environmental responsibility. Worked examples from the European Commission show, for example, that a ten-year-old glass door cooler will cost EUR202 per year to run, while its modern replacement will use just EUR75 of electricity. Comparing foodservice freezer cabinets of the same size, the difference is even greater: EUR605 a year to chill the old unit, against just EUR174 for the replacement.

If you run a commercial kitchen, now is a great time to do a stock take of your equipment - specifically, how old it is, and how much energy it consumes in use.

If you think now is the right time to consider replacing tired, expensive refrigeration equipment, contact your Relationship Manager, or email news@trinitypurchasing.com

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Available in Benelux, France, Germany

Advertorial

TRINITY TEAMS UP WITH DKV MOBILITY F

rom now on all Trinity members can turn to DKV Mobility to get a DKV CARD.

With this fuel card each member can fill up everywhere and at all times and enjoy benefits all-in-one. What’s more: the DKV CARD is a great way of settling toll charges. The handy DKV CARD DKV CARD users pay their fuel and vehicle service cashless. Leentje Huygebaert: “DKV Mobility gives fleet customers and operators access to a unique range of Fleet Cards, which even includes a CO2-neutral fuelling and electricity charging option; all in one card. As the DKV Fleet Card is a so-called full-service card, users also have access to the large DKV products & service package. DKV Mobility for instance goes to every length to take the load off its customers in the way of mobility. More than ever before “You drive, we care” is our slogan by which we enable our customers to focus on their daily business even more.” Lasting partnership The new partnership means access for Trinity members to more than 200,000 charging points and to 160,000 DKV acceptance points all over Europe. Not bad, since the DKV CARD +CHARGE

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makes it easy for Trinity members to fill up and charge electricity with the help of just one card. Besides, members will enjoy the best prices and find their nearest service station very quickly and easily using the DKV APP or online station finder. The online dashboard DKV Cockpit provides a sharp and accurate view of the card use and bills, which comes as a great relief to customers’ record departments. Last not least DKV makes it possible for customers to offset their CO2emissions when they opt for the DKV Card Climate.

Paula Daenen, General Manager Continental Europe, comments on the choice for DKV: “In DKV Mobility we have found an utterly reliable partner who makes it possible for us to refuel and charge electricity in Europe’s largest brand-independent network. The fact that we may now turn to one and the same partner to find a lasting, all-in-one mobility solution allows us to focus on our core business even better. It is the large network, sharp conditions and user comfort that convinced us in our choice for DKV Mobility.”

To find out more about what DKV Mobility can do for your organisation, please contact us on news@trinitypurchasing.com or get in touch with your Relationship Manager.

Staff profiles

MEET OUR CREDIT CONTROLLER FOR CONTINENTAL EUROPE What is your role within Trinity? I’m the Credit Controller for Continental Europe.

within the agreed period. And this while keeping a good contact with the customers / suppliers.

Outline your career path within Trinity to date. Since 2019 started with Trinity Purchasing as Credit Controller, I am responsible to process the purchase invoices & prepare the sales invoices / credit notes to our members & suppliers for all our entities in Continental Europe. I am equally responsible to collect the statistics in time from our suppliers.

What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far? Attending our successful yearly Trinity Events & Team Building to meet our suppliers/members & colleagues in real life.

What do you enjoy most about your role? I like to collect the outstanding balances in a professional manner

Why are you proud to work for Trinity? Being part of the Trinity Family & being part of this development and growth makes me very proud. Sum up your personality in five words or less Social, Empathetic, Talker, Detailed.

Joery Verstrepen

Credit Controller

Early Bird or Night owl? I am a night owl. Dog or Cat person? I am a cat person. Favourite ice-cream flavour? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

MEET OUR BUSINESS ANALYST CONTINENTAL EUROPE What is your role within Trinity? Business Analyst, mainly assisting the Procurement Director, Continental Europe and his team. Outline your career path within Trinity to date. I started on April 16th, 2016, as a Project Analyst to support the sales and procurement teams with a larger projects and client accounts. After this temporary shortterm assignment, I was asked to assist the International Procurement Manager in her duties. Over time this evolved to the Director Procurement of International Procurement to lastly what it is today. What do you enjoy most about your role? The multiplicity of the job in every aspect. Supplier categories vary constantly, as well

as job content. Although analyzing data is most relevant, I am invited to attend supplier meetings and asked to perform administrative tasks. I furthermore collaborate with different team members on different projects. What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far? The acquisition of Trinity Purchasing by the Avendra Group. Why are you proud to work for Trinity? We are a young, but fast-growing company that is well known and recognized in the hospitality industry in Western Europe, and beyond. Sum up your personality in five words or less. Patient, precise, positive, reserved.

Pascal Leruth Business Analyst

Early Bird or Night owl? Early bird, in contrast to 20 years ago. Dog or Cat person? More dog than cat, but in fact both. Favourite ice-cream flavour? Pistachio and Salted-butter Caramel. Trinity Magazine

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WELCOME TO THE MARKET REPORT This report aims to provide you with information on what’s happening in the marketplace and the key factors affecting supply and product availability. We look at key commodity price trends and provide recommendations on ways to mitigate price increases. And we provide insight to what produce is in season, guiding you to what’s best right now. We hope you find this report helpful. Written by Olivier Bertrand Procurement Director Avendra Continental Europe

Graham Coles Procurement Director Avendra Northern Europe

e reported previously on the general availability issues with products, reducing range and limiting choice. We see this in the supermarkets, and we face the same challenges in foodservice, so place orders early.

Pork is becoming more available, and the price is holding to a reasonable degree, though we may see pre-prepared lines such as the seasonal favourite ‘pigs in blankets’ in short supply due to the increased costs of production, so it may be a year for some DIY dishes, and menus should be built with these challenges in mind. Consider what is in season for the UK, for meats perhaps look towards game options with venison, pheasant, and partridge, all in season. With the season change and the move away from summer salads and berries, we see more hearty and robust vegetables come into season, so it would be a good time to add parsnips, sprouts, and mushrooms, as these should be readily available. It would be advisable to stock up on potatoes, fresh and frozen, to ensure cover due to their popularity.

WHAT’S IN SEASON?

MEAT: Turkey, goose, pheasant, grouse, rabbit, duck, venison FISH: Mackerel, pollock, crab, mussels, scallops, clams FRUIT & VEGETABLES: Beetroot, celeriac, butternut squash, cauliflower, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, apples, pears, clementine, watercress, wild mushrooms

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SHIPPING Shipping and transport costs show no sign of abating over the winter period and it’s not just the rising financial cost of sending goods overseas but also the reduced availability of containers to ship the goods in. Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, regular delivery and shipping patterns were disrupted, with containers being left in ports. Now that the world is reopening and demand is surging to levels seen before the pandemic, we once again rely on a balanced supply chain to move goods around the world. Unfortunately, throughout the supply chain there are continued transport issues. This has resulted in significant cost increases; the cost of sending a container from China to Europe has increased by ten times since October 2020, for the same journey. The average delay of container ships arriving in China from North Europe has risen to 18 days as carriers skip congested ports at both ends of the trade. Alphaliner studied the current voyage durations for ships on 17 different loops arriving in Asia in week 41 for their next westbound sailing. The comparison with the pro forma schedules of the carriers found the ships needed up to 54 days extra to complete a round trip, with the delay averaging 18 days.

Similarly, the costs associated with transport via HGVs has increased, and this continues to affect prices and availability of products. Rates for both domestic and European haulage are rising, for both demand and supply reasons. The pandemic has driven a surge in freight volumes due to a combination of factors which the industry does not have the infrastructure and capacity to cope with, including the lifting of lockdown restrictions and changing consumer buying habits. Supply is constrained by a shortage of around 76,000 HGV drivers in the industry caused by the migration of EU drivers due to Brexit, a loss of experienced drivers retiring or not wanting to pay high qualification and training costs, the industry being perceived as unattractive to newcomers, and a hold-up of 21,000 HGV driving tests due to the pandemic.

PALLET PRICE INCREASES Pallet prices have risen over the last year due the combined effects of a shortage of timber for manufacture, timber price rises due to increased demand from other areas such as fencing and decking, and a reduction in manufacturing capacity, while demand rebounded. Brexit led to more goods on pallets being held in stock, reducing the number in circulation; while older pallets were lost to recycled timber.

LABOUR Often the largest cost to any business, changes over the last year are putting more pressure on those processors and suppliers that have labour intensive procedures. The Covid restrictions which have been in place for factories has meant that even if a supplier keeps the same workforce, they cannot all be on site and working at the same time. This has meant throughput and yields from factories

has been lower with no obvious way of reaching pre-pandemic output. Additionally, processors in the UK have struggled to get the same labour they have relied on prior to Brexit. A huge section of the available workforce left the country and we’ve seen the impact this has had on things like HGV drivers, but within the industry we also see huge gaps in employment for meat and produce processors.

ENERGY Energy costs have risen significantly across European and Asian markets as the demand for power increases, but its supply does not. Natural gas is viewed as the transitional fuel whilst the EU cuts down its dependency on fossil fuels and looks to increase the amount that renewables contribute. This means that many European markets that usually support their energy usage with coal power have now moved over to gas and this surge in demand, at a time when Asia is attempting to boost its post-pandemic economies and reopen itself to the world, has created a surplus of demand and a shortage of supply, resulting in price increases.

WEATHER Heavy rainfalls led to flooding in parts of Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands damaging motorways and railroads which are regular methods

and transportation, all mean cost will remain high. There is a reduction in the amount of pre-prepared and pre-packaged cuts available, with the issues surrounding labour the processors are focusing on less intensive and lower skill cuts of meat to get them through the process and out to consumers.

of distributing goods. These extreme floods were also seen in China causing disruption to major producers and exporters of goods. Extreme heat and wildfires were seen across the West Coast of America, Turkey, and Greece, further disrupting supply routes and damaging planting and growing cycles for countries such as Canada who are a major exporter of canola (oil), lentils, and soybeans, all items which have seen increases in demand as consumer dietary requirements change.

KEY COMMODITY UPDATES MEAT Chicken has had a difficult year and has seen steady price increases for the majority of 2021; up by +4% on last Quarter and up +15% YoY. This is attributed to a couple of factors, most notably the Avian Influenza that swept across Poland in the early part of the year which resulted in as many as 11 million birds being culled, drastically reducing the supply of product to market. This pushed up the value of Chickens in the EU and the increases have been passed down through the supply chain. Additionally, there was less of a drop off in demand for the bird as we saw with other meat products due to its versatility and uses in the takeaway markets, keeping demand high. Increases to the cost of feed, labour rates to process the birds,

Following a lot of disruption to the South American markets, supply of quality grade beef has declined with exports being down against last year due to the difficulties of shipping from the Southern Hemisphere as transport costs are +35% higher than Q4 2020. As a result, we expect the availability of beef to be reduced through till the end of the year. Brazil has experienced an outbreak of BSE and so exports have been reduced, and Argentina has imposed an export ban on certain goods including beef after inflationary prices created domestic issues. Uruguay and Paraguay have been able to make up some of this shortfall but quality is lower and the shipping issues are still a factor. When stock has arrived in the UK, there have been problems getting it to market due to the lack of available workforce. And again, there are fewer specialist cuts, and this may cause challenges as we head into the festive season. During the first half of this year, lamb saw some steep price increases, hitting a high of £6.80 per Kg in April. Since then, we’ve seen steady price decreases which are typically -5% lower than in Q3. A concern with lamb is the reduced range availability, we are seeing only small volumes of rumps, racks, and cannons being held in stock and so it is worth taking these short supplies into account when looking to include lamb on menus. It’s unlikely that there will be any immediate improvement to the supply or cost of lamb because we are seeing UK processing of carcasses down by -8% YoY due to labour shortages as well as increased domestic demand from Australia and New Zealand meaning they are exporting fewer animals. So again, there may be challenges with supply for the festive season.

It’s been a turbulent year for pork. This has been well documented with pig stock in the UK not being processed to get the meat to market because of labour shortages. Domestically we have not been able to process the animals in the same volumes as previous years, this is due to Covid restrictions being in place for factories but also the level of available workers has dropped since Brexit. These supply bottlenecks meant that during 2021 prices did trend upwards reaching a high per Kg in July but have since been decreasing and now we see an -10% move against last quarter and -6% YoY. Despite the supply issues we have seen the gap in volumes being made up by the heavier weights of the pigs that are going through processing and so the expected deficit is lower and as such prices have softened. When considering meat proteins for your menus, there is a high level of concern against good stock of beef and lamb, especially certain cuts, at a marketable price. It may be better to look at chicken, turkey, or pork. Or you could consider seasonal meats such as venison or game. And, with the continued rise in people moving to plantbased diets, you could look at meat alternative dishes.

FISH Cod has seen volatile pricing this year mostly trending upwards, but we see it is now down QoQ and YoY. With increased fishing yield forecasts

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the indication is that we may start to see further reductions in prices and increased availability in the months ahead. Norway have reported a +30% increase on last year’s cod exports and so the hope is this increase in supply will ensure prices remain stable. Haddock has also seen unstable pricing. However, much like cod, the pricing is currently trending downwards and with fishing quotas up by +5% on last year we can see a strong decrease in price YoY. The hopes are that similarly to cod the increased supply should lead to price stability. Our recommendation is to look at the prices of both haddock and cod and where possible use whichever is best value. After seeing some significant price increases to Salmon at the start of 2021 we’ve seen steady decreases throughout the year, and the price of salmon per Kg is down to its lowest price for 2021 so far. Expectations are that much like the white fish mentioned above, we should see continued decreases in prices due to higher yields and good frozen stocks. Currently we are looking at a -15% price decrease compared to Q3. Salmon traditionally sees an increase in demand around the Christmas period which can drive prices up, so stock up early.

It may be a good time to start introducing more fish options onto menus as we are seeing a trend across the category of higher fishing yields, better availability, as well as good frozen stocks from last year. This can be combined with the use of a “catch of the day” option, or “fish pie” and “seafood paellas” that allow you more flexibility with the ingredients whilst maintaining a full menu.

DAIRY Milk has experienced a poor year in terms of pricing performance and overall yields in 2021 totalling 1.1billion litres less than last year. Since May we have seen steady and consistent price increases to where it is now +29% on last quarter and +44% on this time last year. There has been a reduced supply and decline of the dairy herd and this trend is expected to continue into the early part of 2022. It was also well-publicised that dairy farmers were having to waste stock because of the driver shortages, resulting in reduced supply. The issues with milk supply have had a knock-on effect to the pricing and availability of cheeses, most notably for UK cheddar and

mozzarella. Both types have seen price increases throughout the year. Cheddar prices are actively rising with an increase of +14% on last quarter, with Mozzarella seeing similar increases. The reason for these price increases largely revolves around the value of milk and the increased costs involved in processing. Elsewhere, European cheese prices are generally stable, so these could be considered for those cheese boards and similar items on the menu. It may be worth building these menus as “a selection of cheeses” to allow yourself options. Egg prices continue to increase this year, +14% QoQ and +7% YoY. This is because the input costs of production are wholly feed, energy, packaging, labour, transport and fuel, all of which are seeing significant increases.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES Winter vegetable supply is generally good considering the market conditions. The main challenge has been the labour shortage, with pickers and processors in short supply, reports

are that in many instances crops have been rotting in the fields. Prepped veg is seriously affected, and suppliers look to amend specifications, for example potatoes may have a higher level of peel and eyes to allow a higher level of product to be processed and supplied. Potatoes have seen difficult conditions this year and face an uncertain market, so pricing is up YoY. Spanish produce such as broccoli, peppers, and cucumbers will be introduced, and crops are looking fine. Cauliflowers from France will ensure continued availability. We’ve reported previously around the wider issues with logistics and supply, so it’s worth considering dedicating some freezer space to these items, and again we recommend building your Christmas menus around a “selection of seasonal vegetables”.

OILS (EDIBLE) Oil prices have increased significantly; virgin olive oil is +44% YoY, sunflower oil +31% and Rapeseed Oil +84%. Sunflower oil price increases can be attributed to growers and sellers holding on

to stock. There has also been high demand from the Biodiesel sector.

PACKAGING Packaging has seen cost increases across plastics, paper, and metalbased items with increases of +60% YoY. These are largely driven by the US and Asian market, with the short supply of LDPE and HPDE plastics, but there are hopes of an improving picture around the EU. Aluminium has increased by +121% compared to last year largely due to the low levels of supply paired with the high levels of demand. This material is likely to remain expensive because China has cut its levels of production and Russia has imposed a +15% export tax on the metal further constricting supplies.

PAPER MARKET Demand for European printing and writing paper is expected to decrease due to greater use of the internet and e-commerce business models; and with a greater commitment to sustainability. Manufacturers are finding alternatives

to petroleum-based products, adding biodegradable and environmentallyfriendly options. 2022 will see further impacts from increased e-commerce and online sales, maintaining or increasing demand for packaging products, which the industry around the world will need to adapt to. Lightweight packaging will become increasingly popular as it can cut CO2 emissions and reduce shipping costs. Recyclable products, too, will become more important for some consumers, increasing demand. As a result, products containing waterproof coatings are being reformulated to make them recyclable. Other growth areas out of the pandemic are packaging for hygienic products, covering toilet paper, wipes, tissues, and paper towels, to name a few. And the explosion of third-party food delivery service providers, such as GrubHub and UberEats, has created a need for thermal packaging that is expected to grow. Packaging for food remains in constant development, while there are on-going efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic for packaging.

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TEXTILES India - Textiles manufacturers in India have been faced with a sudden rise in yarn prices, which rose 50% between December 2020 and June 2021. Steep increases in freight rates and energy costs have also impacted the yarn prices. This development is threatening to derail the recovery of the industry from the pandemic slowdown. Pakistan - Raw material prices have surged. Raw cotton jumped 40% since the third quarter of 2020, a trend continuing in Q3 2021. The turmoil in logistics has also contributed to the increase in the cost of Pakistani production. Land and sea freight costs have risen to all-time highs, a situation expected to continue until the end of this year. The Pakistani government has also introduced a new national minimum wage due to pressure on living costs - a 22% increase from last year, applied from July 2021. China - Several internal Chinese factors are pushing the price of natural down feathers to record highs. To overcome steep price increases, the Chinese domestic market has reduced its specification to deliver an inferior product at the same price point - this in turn has disrupted traditional patterns of supply and demand. In recent years, duck and goose feather production has increased allowing the wider availability of down

and feather globally - feeding a large number of companies involved in manufacturing comforters, beddings, apparel, pillows, etc. Demand for the materials is also growing for use in furnishing products in both the residential and commercial sectors. Textiles typically are bulky and low value, which reflects in substantial increases in shipping costs. Demand growth, and congestion at ports, means freight rates are likely to continue to rise to the end of the year.

ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS Electronics manufacturers suffered during the pandemic, due to supply chain disruptions and component

shortages, leading to rising prices. As demand for electronic components increased once more, stocks reduced, and costs increased. The current chip shortage is expected to last well into 2022, as components take between 16 and 18 weeks to manufacture. For Trinity clients, this could impact products such as door locks, safes, key cards, etc. or iPads as used for by our supplier “SuitePad”. Our supplier “PLI” strongly advises every hotelier to do their upmost to collect key cards back from every guest, now more than ever. Availability of the key cards is scarce and prices are on the rise. Now could also be a good time to go with keyless technology if you have not transitioned yet.

Contact us for further insight into market price trends and information. Contact your Relationship Manager, or email news@ trinitypurchasing.com

Staff profiles

MEET OUR RELATIONSHIP MANAGER FRANCE What is your role within Trinity? I’m a Relationship Manager for France. Outline your career path within Trinity to date. I started working at Trinity in February 2019 as a Relationship Manager for France. My client portfolio was then mainly in Paris. Since I have also been in charge of the north of France. What do you enjoy most about your role? What I like the most is to support the Hotels with whom I work daily. Finding for them the solution, the product, the service, the supplier they need. What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far? I would say the highlight of my career so far is going through this Covid 19 crisis. Indeed, I consider that having

been able to support the Hotels with whom I work on a daily basis whether through our services, our suppliers or simply by being present to discuss a listen, is a success. Why are you proud to work for Trinity? I am proud to work for Trinity Purchasing, because it is a company on a human scale although it is European. They have succeeded in bringing together teams, all with different talents, background, and personalities, in a gentle atmosphere that I would qualify as almost family. Sum up your personality in five words or less Smiling, positive, generous, helpful, cheerful. Early Bird or Night owl? Both, it depends on my mood.

Rogatien Le Nail Relationship Manager

Dog or Cat person? Cat of course because I have one, but I like dogs also and I will certainly have one later. Favourite ice-cream flavour? Coffee! But not just any!! The one with chocolate chips in it!

We have been working with Trinity Purchasing for two years now and being part of this purchasing company allows us to obtain better conditions on all our purchases, from breakfast to cleaning products. I particularly would like to thank Laurine who is always there for us to help us out with price comparisons between two or more companies. Quality Hôtel Toulouse Centre  Jérémie Bergon General Manager

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