FoodChain ISSUE 169
l
JAN 2021
www.foodchainmagazine.com
Incorporating
Fresh ideas With over 100 years of experience in tea and coffee under its belt, Finlay Beverages Limited is looking forward to delivering new, innovative, sustainable and healthy products in 2021 and beyond
Smart technology: How connected technologies are transforming the food and beverage sector, and helping to keep our food supply safe and convenient
Food waste: Many more companies and countries – big and small – should set a target of reducing food loss and waste within their operations
Packaging: While the obvious packaging materials of glass, plastic and aluminum are still used the most, exciting biopolymer solutions are offering new options
FoodChain ISSUE 169 l JAN 2021
www.foodchainmagazine.com
Incorporating
Editor’s Welcome Fresh ideas With over 100 years of experience in tea and coffee under its belt, Finlay Beverages Limited is looking forward to delivering new, innovative, sustainable and healthy products in 2021 and beyond
Smart technology: How connected technologies are transforming the food and beverage sector, and helping to keep our food supply safe and convenient
Food waste: Many more companies and countries – big and small – should set a target of reducing food loss and waste within their operations
Packaging: While the obvious packaging materials of glass, plastic and aluminum are still used the most, exciting biopolymer solutions are offering new options
Chairman Andrew Schofield Managing Director Joe Woolsgrove
Stories of success
Editor - Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.com Assistant Editor - Will Daynes Staff Writer - Alex McDonald Art Editor/Production Manager - Fleur Daniels Art Editor - David Howard Advertising Designer - Rebecca Side Sales Director Alasdair Gamble Operations Director Philip Monument Operations Manager Natalie Griffiths Research Managers Rachel Harper, Jo-Ann Jeffery Ben Richell, Kieran Shukri Editorial Researchers Adam Blanch, Mark Cowles Jeff Goldenberg, Mark Kafourous Tarjinder Kaur-D’Silva, James Page Wendy Russell, Richard Saunders Advertising Sales Johanna Bailey, Alex Hartley, Dave King Theresa McDonald, Ibby Mundhir Web Sales web@schofieldpublishing.com Subscriptions i.kidd@schofieldpublishing.com
H
ello and welcome to the January issue of FoodChain. I hope that all my readers had a happy and healthy break – probably rather different to normal, but with the usual extra amounts of food and drink that we expect from the festive season! It doesn’t look like Covid-19 is going to disappear any time soon and the virus will be inevitably discussed in the magazine going forward, but with the vaccine roll out now underway, I am anticipating the day when we can look back on the lessons learned, rather than look forward with an uneasy sense of gloom. But of course, we at FoodChain remain as dedicated as ever to sharing good news, stories of success and interesting features (and we do really miss doing those Taste Test pages for you!) In this issue, you can find discussions on smart technology, food waste, packaging and standards, as well as profiles on a variety of very successful companies who are weathering the Covid storm – Winterwood Farms on page 30 and Finlay Beverages on page 22 are two great examples! If there are some topics that you would like to read about, or you’d like to see your own company in our pages – please do get in touch.
© 2021 Schofield Publishing Ltd Schofield Publishing - Corporate Head Office Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K.
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Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, and correct at time of writing, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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Contents
INSIDE THIS
4
ISSUE Features Smart technology
4
Safe and secure Connected technologies are transforming the food
Smart technology
and beverage sector, keeping food supply safe and convenient for consumers
Food waste
8
Do your part Nearly one-third of all food produced in the world
16
goes uneaten each year – food waste is a big problem - economically and environmentally
Packaging
10
The future of food packaging The most exciting innovations in food packaging materials are in the fields of biopolymers, but the most used are glass, plastic and aluminum
News
14
Transparency
Up-to-date products and announcements from the food and beverage sector
36
14
Transparency
16
The next level Many food manufacturers have invested in digital solutions to get away from paper based systems but have they gone far enough
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Huhtamaki Foodservice
8
10
Food waste COVER STORY
22
Finlay Beverages Limited
Packaging
30
Winterwood Farms
40
Iron Fish Distillery
Your company profile here www.foodchainmagazine.com 3
Safe and secure
Five ways to serve food safely using smart technology
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Smart technology
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A
s a result of the coronavirus pandemic, people are increasingly sensitive to hygiene standards - in their workplaces, public spaces and even in the food they consume. And it’s not just the public that’s concerned; the UK government is continually releasing and updating ‘Covid-secure’ regulations, which require venues providing food and drink for consumption on their premises, to implement specific aspects of this guidance, or face a fixed penalty notice of up to £10,000. The four main aspects of good hygiene in your food business are the 4Cs: • Cleaning • Cooking • Chilling • Avoiding cross-contamination The good news is that smart technologies of today can help your business retain high-quality food standards without exhaustive manual intervention.
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In this article, we take a look at five ways that using smart technology can help you serve food safely, during the pandemic and long thereafter.
1. Supply chain optimization Exacerbated by supply and demand challenges brought about by the coronavirus lockdown, the IoT is rapidly changing the way the world thinks about food, from cooking and storing to tracking products as they move from the factory to store shelves. Some of the ways that smart technologies can be used in food supply chain logistics include: • IoT asset tracking provides real-time location information for every piece in the supply chain. This •
helps companies manage their inventory levels, prevent shortages and avoid wastage. Maintaining a transparent supply chain to provide consumers with
procurement information and to help prevent disruptions. • Real-time temperature checking and cold chain management. • Automated predictive maintenance schedules to help to prevent costly downtime. • IoT sensors can improve fleet management by helping companies keep track of vehicles, driving patterns and maintenance requirements.
2. Maintain the cold chain Chilling food properly helps to stop harmful bacteria from growing. While most food products need to be kept in a cool environment, some products need to be kept chilled to be safe for consumption. In storage and transportation, these foods need to be kept at a cool enough temperature. It is a legal requirement In England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Smart technology that cold food must be kept at 8˚C or below. In practice, most businesses set their fridges at 5˚C to make sure that food is kept cold enough. Cold store freezers must be able to reduce chilled foods to the required core temperature (e.g. -18°C) within an appropriate timeframe to limit any microbiological growth in the food product and to ensure food safety.
Freezing surplus food With supply and demand disruptions, some food and beverage businesses are forced to freeze or refreeze ambient or chilled food products. The defrosting, processing and refreezing processes need to be carried out safely, maintaining cold temperatures that prevent the growth of pathogens.
Temperature monitoring from production to consumption Smart temperature sensors can be placed on any surface - pallets, packaging, inside trucks, inside fridges and freezers and on the food itself - to ensure that the food is being kept at the correct temperature throughout the supply chain. If the temperature varies from predefined parameters, these Internet of Things (IoT)-connected devices can send out an instant alert to management to take swift action. To prevent the cold chain from being broken, automated systems can detect variations in temperature and adjust the cooling mechanisms accordingly.
the importance of workers’ and customers’ health and wellbeing. One of the ways in which to mitigate the spread of infection in places producing, transporting and selling food products is to conduct temperature screening before or while people are at a given location. Infrared cameras can scan crowds or individuals to alert if a high temperature (a possible sign of illness) is detected in an individual. Some of these cameras can also perform an access control function, denying access to a person with a high temperature or a person who is not wearing a mask, for example. Data from these cameras is transmitted to a cloud-based dashboard, giving management a comprehensive view of potentially high temperatures in employees and customers, which can form the basis of further screening.
5. Air quality and ventilation Whether your environment consists of a factory, processing unit, restaurant, or
retail store, your building’s ventilation should be optimized to provide a good supply of fresh air to all areas of the facility. Even outdoor areas (particularly covered areas) should have sufficient ventilation. Here are some steps to improve ventilation by way of smart technologies and routes to make them easier to implement: • Using motion and occupancy sensors to trigger the operation of the ventilation system when there are people in the building. • Ensure that doors and windows are kept open by sending an alert if someone closes them. • Monitor air quality indoors and outdoors using smart sensors. Mentioned above are just a few of the many ways that connected technologies are transforming the food and beverage sector, keeping food supply safe and convenient for consumers while helping businesses to optimize and streamline their operations. D
3. Smart storage It’s critical to store food properly to keep it safe. Food must be stored in sealed containers at the correct temperature to stop items from being displaced, protect it from harmful bacteria and avoid crosscontamination. Additionally, technology such pressure pads and anti-tamper sensors can report on changes in shock, movement and tilt, providing further analytical information for business owners to digest and action upon.
4. Prevent the spread of infection The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted
Smarter Technologies
Smarter Technologies tracks, monitors and recovers assets across the globe in real time, providing asset tracking systems to the open market and fulfilling the world’s most complex asset tracking requirements. Our services cover a vast array of business sectors, products and equipment from container or pallet tracking to military-grade devices; and can be used across a broad spectrum of industries. As a leading IoT company, we also provide smart building solutions for modern businesses, offering wire-free, battery-powered and low-cost IoT smart sensor technology. For further information, please visit: https://smartertechnologies.com/
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Do your part The fight against food waste is far from done says Liz Goodwin
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he start of a new year is always a chance to recommit to goals or begin an entirely new journey. For those in the food industry, there’s good reason to make this the year that tackling food loss and waste becomes a top priority. It’s helpful to start with a reminder of the scope and size of the challenge. Nearly one-third of all food produced in the world goes uneaten each year, whilst at the same time one in seven people are chronically hungry. The environmental and economic consequences are just as alarming. Food loss and waste is responsible for eight per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions driving the climate crisis and causes the global economy to lose nearly $1 trillion every year.
The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated this challenge. Taking the world by surprise, the food service and hospitality sector was widely impacted. News reports shared pictures of potatoes left to rot in fields, milk being dumped, and other kinds of food waste. Supply chains have since adapted, but 2020 will go down as one of the most eyeopening years for those of us who think about how to build food systems that are sustainable from an environmental, societal, and economic perspective. At the same time, as massive farmlevel losses were grabbing national headlines, households in lockdown were adapting their own food habits to ensure they made the most of their pantries. Research out of the United Kingdom has found that families reduced the amount
Food waste helping the world meet SDG Target 12.3, releases a report each year assessing global progress toward the 50 per cent reduction target. The group’s most recent report, released last September, noted that the UK has become the first country to pass the halfway mark to the 50 per cent target. All told, the UK has been able to reduce post-farm gate food loss and waste by an impressive 27 per cent since 2007. The report also finds important progress from companies. Tesco, Campbell’s, and Arla Foods each reduced their food loss and waste by more than 25 per cent. These achievements are clear evidence that the target is achievable for both nations and companies by 2030.
Target-Measure-Act
of food they threw out by approximately 30 per cent. That’s a massive – and very fast – shift. This is likely because many of us were unsure if there would be shortages at the grocery store, so we planned our shops and wrote shopping lists. We were wary of unnecessary trips outside, which motivated people to cook all of what they had purchased and to use their leftovers. Some changes, though, were short-lived. As lockdowns eased, household food waste has ticked up.
Good progress Nevertheless, 2020 did see some significant developments in the fight against food loss and waste. Champions 12.3, the coalition of public- and privatesector executives who are committed to
Another major advancement came from more than ten of the world’s largest retailers, who announced that they had each engaged 20 of their suppliers to commit to reducing food loss and waste in their operations by 2030. The initiative, called 10x20x30, is the world’s first effort to tackle food loss and waste throughout the supply chain. The potential reductions in waste as a result are enormous. But just because a handful of companies and countries are making good progress does not mean the world is on track. Indeed, the world as a whole is ‘woefully behind,’ per the report. What is needed is widespread adoption of a rather simple approach known as Target-Measure-Act. Many more companies and countries – big and small – should set a target of reducing food loss and waste within their operations or borders by 50 per cent, in line with the UN’s global target. The next important
step is to measure food loss and waste, as that helps identify hotspots and sets a benchmark against which progress can be tracked. The third step is action, which follows naturally from measurement as action can focus on the hotspots and areas with greatest potential for reduction of waste. The right policies and programs will vary by individual case, but we’ve seen evidence that even small actions are important for getting the ball rolling. Actions don’t have to be overly complicated or expensive, either.
Identify the benefits For example, many hotels have made relatively simple changes to their buffets, but with massive results. By replacing some self-serve dishes with à la carte cooking or reducing the amount of menu items that are less popular, hotels have reduced food waste and saved significant money. Catering companies have, for example, found new ways to safely repurpose leftovers. And restaurants have seen success by engaging their staff in their food waste fighting efforts. The benefits are multifold. The vast majority of companies we studied found a significant financial return on their investment in reducing food waste. There are also reputational benefits, since fighting food loss and waste is good for the planet and can help fight hunger. And there’s the added benefit that reducing food loss and waste is simply the right thing to do. The world is now just nine years out from the 2030 target date. Will we achieve the global goal in time? It’s certainly doable – but not without many more players in the food system doing their part. D
World Resources Institute (WRI)
Liz Goodwin is Senior Fellow and Director, Food Loss and Waste at World Resources Institute (WRI). WRI is a global research organization that spans more than 60 countries, with offices in Brazil, China, Europe, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the United States and more. Our more than 1,000 experts and staff work closely with leaders to turn big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. For further information, please visit: www.wri.org
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The future of food packaging
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Packaging
Ben Smye explains what effective packaging materials are on the market and what the future holds for the food industry
F
rom your favourite childhood sweets to your perfect bottle of wine, food and beverage packaging can be as evocative as the food itself. But that is not its primary purpose. Because food has limited shelf-life and is prone to contamination, the first job of food packaging is to limit bacteria and maintain food freshness — from production to distribution and sale. A marketer might disagree but selling the food itself is secondary. After all, if the product does not reach the customer intact and free of ingress, its sale becomes valueless. Understanding this does not mean that choosing the right packaging material is easy though. While the most exciting innovations in food packaging materials are in the fields of biopolymers, the most used are the obvious, glass, plastic and aluminum.
The obvious first Glass is one of the most common and oldest packaging materials. It is an inert material, due to its chemical structure, consisting of strong three-dimensional SI-O bonds. It is also completely amorphous with small pores, which prevents gaseous molecules passing through it, so it is ideal for storing fluids. While glass is 100 per cent recyclable, it is also very brittle, which makes it a poor choice for rough transportation or handling. Paper is also popular in the packaging sector. However, due to its properties and treatment, it allows additives and external contaminants to migrate through the packaging into the food. Aluminum is a good alternative because it possesses a high antibacterial activity and is nearly as recyclable as glass.
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Packaging The environmental credentials of aluminum are trumpeted by multiple organizations, including The Aluminium Association and Alfed, the Aluminium Federation. Recently, researcher Dr Biao Cai, from the University of Birmingham’s School of Metallurgy and Materials, has created further possibilities for recycling the material by using sophisticated high-speed X-ray imaging to record the formation of micro-crystals as alloys cool and solidify, under a magnetic field. Biao has already invented a technique to improve aluminum recycling by removing iron, which is a detrimental element that can make aluminum brittle and limit its use in premium applications such as aircraft. “These microscopic crystals ultimately determine the physical properties of the alloy. To be able to adjust their shape, structure and direction of growth will enable us to perfect processes for both manufacturing and recycling of metals and alloys,” Biao explained.
innovative bioplastics is California based Mango Materials. It uses waste gas to develop its biopolymers and its CEO, Molly Morse explained her views to The Cleantech Group, a research organization specializing in environmental issues recently. “We believe biopolymers are critical to keeping our natural environment pristine. Biopolymers are no longer just a nice-to-have – now they are a need-tohave, and PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoates) offer a solution that is completely harmonious with nature,” explained Morse. “Competing with large-scale, lowcost, polluting plastics presents a major challenge to PHA and other biopolymers. Significant production infrastructure for traditional plastics is already in place resulting in billions of dollars of steel in the ground. Mango Materials and other biopolymer companies must scale up to increase supply and ultimately compete on price.” Biobased packaging materials are largely divided into three groups, based on their origin. The first, natural
Polymeric materials Despite these advances, polymeric materials yield the most benefits in food packaging. Polymers can be either petroleum/fossil-based or biobased. The most common petroleum-based polymer is plastic, which accounts for around two per cent of the gross domestic product of most developed countries, according to Vimal Katiyar in the recent book, ‘Sustainable Polymers for Food Packaging: An Introduction’, and more than 50 per cent of all plastic is used in food packaging. Plastic is inexpensive, lightweight, and chemically resistant and its transparency and printability mean it is attractive to consumers. However, it has a very low degradable capacity, making it a significant cause of pollution. As a result, manufacturers are increasingly turning to biopolymers, made entirely out of renewable sources, such as biobased feedstocks, which use no fossil fuels. This means that they can be manufactured continuously without depleting resources, reduce CO2 emissions by up to 70 per cent, according to Vimal Katiyar and form part of the circular economy. One company developing new and
polymers, such as starch, cellulose, lignin, proteins or lipids, are produced from agricultural resources. The second group, microbial polymers result from the fermentation of carbon substrate by microorganisms. These include the polyhydroxyalkanoates, such as Mango Materials’ products, which can be used for cheese coating or to make fast food plates. The third category includes bioderived monomer polymers such as Poly(lactic acid), which is synthetized from lactic acid bioderived monomers. Although the benefits of using biobased polymers are evident, their production is stalled by high production costs and limited functional properties, compared to petroleum or fossil-based polymers. Nevertheless, their minimal environmental impact is a driving force. It may well be that it is this driving force, rather than marketing techniques designed to evoke childhood memories, or make you want to reach for your favorite bottle of wine, that drive developments in packaging in the future. D
Matmatch
Ben Smye is head of growth at materials database Matmatch. Matmatch is a materials search platform that connects worldwide engineers and material suppliers. Matmatch is based in Germany and aims to inspire people to build better products, by changing the way the world discovers and uses materials. With over 26,000 materials, it’s never been so easy to find materials and suppliers anywhere, anytime. For further information, please visit: https://matmatch.com
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IndustryNews US factory investment Nestlé Purina PetCare will invest $550
capacity, for a total of $870 million committed
million to expand its pet food manufacturing
to the company’s Hartwell operations.
facility in Hartwell, Georgia, creating up to
This expansion in Hartwell is part of
130 jobs. The expansion comes just one
a broader growth plan for Purina in
year after the factory’s grand opening in
the United States, which also includes
November 2019.
new factories recently announced in
In 2017, Purina announced plans to open
Williamsburg Township, Ohio, and Eden,
a wet pet food factory in Hartwell, with a
North Carolina. Purina brands feed 49
commitment to invest $320 million and employ
million dogs and 66 million cats in the
240 people by 2023. As a result of growing
US every year, and the Hartwell location
demand for Purina’s high-quality and nutritious
produces several of the company’s flagship
pet care brands, the facility is expanding to
brands, including Fancy Feast.
add processing, packaging and warehouse
www.nestle.com
First cod harvest Norwegian aquaculture innovator, Norcod,
for us and an exciting part of our route to
a long way and I was very excited to hear our
is on a fast track towards delivering fresh
achieving our business goals and delivering
customers’ comments on what we believe is a
farmed cod to retailers, restaurants, and
value for our shareholders. We have come
fantastic product with a great future. As well as
consumers around the world. The first
being great tasting, our cod is responsibly
planned sample harvest and processing has
produced and we hope it will become a new
recently been carried out, and samples of
healthy source of protein for consumers not
fresh cod distributed across Europe and the
only in Europe but around the world,” says
US. In Denmark, samples were also sent to
Norcod CEO Christian Riber.
pro restaurant chefs. Feedback has been
“We are very grateful to the restaurants
very positive.
and chefs who have taken time to test the
The planned sampling initiative forms part
product in spite of the very difficult situation
of the run-up to Norcod’s first projected
for the hospitality industry due to Covid-19
sales in summer 2021. “Sending real
lockdowns,” he added.
samples from the production is a big step
www.norcod.no
Innovation award honoree Sigma Phase, Corp. has been selected as
Matthew Fonte, President of Sigma Phase,
delicious, personalized, frozen confectionery
a CES® 2021 Innovation Honoree – Home
Corp. “We have assembled a first-class team
experience. Our mission is to transform the way
Appliances for the ColdSnap™ rapid freezing
and, together, we are moving quickly to
frozen confections are produced, transported,
appliance, which produces single servings of
create something exciting that doesn’t exist
purchased, and enjoyed. The ColdSnap system
frozen confections on demand with no mess.
on the market today. ColdSnap’s patented
will be released in 2021 - we look forward to
The CES Innovation Awards announcement
technology has the promise to disrupt the
sharing ColdSnap with you!”
was made ahead of CES 2021 - the world’s
massive global ice cream market with its
www.ColdSnap.com
most influential technology event, happening January 11-14, 2021. The ColdSnap machine accepts shelf-stable, ambient temperature ColdSnap pods – and then freezes and dispenses the contents of these pods within 120 seconds. No preparation of ColdSnap pods is required and no cleanup of the ColdSnap machine is necessary. ColdSnap makes singleservings of ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen coffee, frozen smoothies, frozen healthy shakes (frozen nutraceuticals), and frozen cocktails. “We are honored to receive this prestigious CES award for our ColdSnap system,” said
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IndustryNews New sustainable partner programme MAKEit, the EIT (European Institute for Innovation & Technology) Food project, has launched a new partner programme to accelerate research and development (R&D) innovation across food supply chains. The initiative aims to create a smarter, simpler food chain through a collaborative programme – pioneering new products and processes to improve efficiency, competitive advantage, and support sustainable production. As well as innovation and entrepreneurship, the new partner programme delivers an extensive, resource-rich infrastructure whilst supporting companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility and talent acquisition objectives. The MAKEit partner programme is divided into three levels, each offering tailored benefits, which include a range of physical and virtual MAKEathons across Europe. The MAKEathons bring together like-minded individuals focused on collaborative creation, and are delivered with maker spaces through an ecosystem of over 100 partners in areas covering sugar, cocoa, seafood, fruit and vegetables, bread and bakery, dairy and meat supply chains. MAKEit project leader, Dr Shima Barakat said: “Most companies within the food value chain aspire to innovate more to support sustainable production - but R&D activity remains under considerable budget pressure. Our new partner programme offers a collaborative approach that supports transformative innovation whilst reducing costs.” MAKEit’s collaborative approach supports resource and knowledge sharing to co-create and begin to commercialise new and sustainable solutions for industry-defined challenges. Ideas generated in the MAKEathons yield physical prototypes, resulting in accelerated innovation and higher feasibility of the product concept. Utilising MAKEit resources and its maker community develops ideas from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 0 to TRL 3 or 4 in the equivalent of three days. The partner programme offers corporates a unique way to leverage Universities’ thriving innovation culture, revolutionary entrepreneurship, and create a positive impact on food sustainability.
www.eitfood.eu
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The next level
Marcel Koks looks at why transparency is the holy grail for the food industry in 2021 16 www.foodchainmagazine.com
2
020 has presented a myriad of new challenges for the food industry. Against a backdrop of increased demand,
stringent safety measures, and the risk of shutdowns resulting from outbreaks, have converged to create a perfect storm.
Transparency
Some sectors have been forced to scale their operations by up to 30 per cent, and in many cases, supply chains have borne the brunt of this.
The ramifications of the pandemic have exposed significant bottlenecks and vulnerabilities, putting fulfilment and reputation on the line.
All of this comes at a time where consumers are demanding that food companies demonstrate more stringent safety protocols, and indeed greater
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environmental credentials, than ever before. Amplified by the pandemic, food companies are typically serving a market looking for reassurance and reliability in an otherwise uncertain environment. Instilling confidence through consistent fulfilment, and demonstrating best practice and safety measures, is therefore paramount.
The digital divide The extent to which food companies have successfully adjusted to the changes we’ve witnessed this year varies hugely. What has become clear, however, is that digital leaders are winning, while those still using legacy, or paper-based systems, are finding themselves in catch up mode. It stands to reason that while paperbased systems leave companies exposed to the risk of inaccuracies, delays
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and duplication, digital platforms can seamlessly consolidate and contextualize insights from across the entire lifecycle to support efficient, effective operations. And in recognition of the compliance and competitive benefits a modern, digital approach brings, many have invested in new platforms and functionality in order to achieve this important capability. But as we move into 2021, the question is more about whether these capabilities go far enough.
Transparency: the new traceability There’s absolutely no question that being able to undertake a recall quickly to facilitate comprehensive, fast, effective traceability, is a crucial aspect of supporting compliance, reputation and customer service. However, the legacy systems used by
many food manufacturers are typically limited in their ability to conduct full traceability as they can’t access crucial supplier information. Only a minority of food companies have the sophisticated platforms to do this, but those who do, stand to create a substantial competitive advantage as consumers demand greater transparency in the food choices they make. Forward-thinking food companies are already presenting QR codes on their products, which can be scanned by the consumer to view the item’s origin, from growth of ingredients to production, supply chain journey and associated environmental footprint, all of which demonstrate full transparency from farm to fork. This clearly is aimed at building food trust at the consumer. Showing the evidence that the food has been
Transparency
produced in a safe and sustainable way strengthens brand loyalty. By using the data from the supply chain in a smart way, the food supply chain can realize many benefits such as increased quality, more predictable use before dates, and reduced food waste. Many of the fruit and vegetables we see lined up in our local supermarkets for example, are imported from overseas. The very best systems can monitor the specific conditions of the supply chain they are processed through, incorporating variables such as container climate, delays and warehouse storage, in order to predict shelf life.
Taking responsibility With ambitious food waste targets set by numerous industry bodies, the industry has a responsibility to play its
part and demonstrate these efforts and credentials to its customers. Tesco and premium food supplier Cranswick for example recently published their latest food waste data which revealed that they had exceeded the 2030 reduction targets set out by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). But if the UK is to meet its long-term climate targets as set out in Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, there is much work still to do. Landfilled food releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases over time, making it a contributor to climate change. The UK’s own Committee on Climate Change (CCC) recommends that food waste is cut by one-fifth between 2021 and 2050 in order to reach net-zero. The ability to monitor and predict dynamic shelf life is therefore crucial in ensuring that products are not condemned unnecessarily, and that profitability is maximized.
Transparent branding In addition to meeting environmental targets, clearly the freshness of fruit and vegetables, and the origin and farming conditions associated with meat and dairy are key sources of differentiation between supermarkets. This level of transparency can in turn be used as a means of garnering greater trust between brand and consumer, and to win market share. Manual processes and legacy systems might tick boxes and facilitate traceability at its most basic level, but the risk of a full factory shutdown through an inability to locate the precise source of a problem, and subsequent failed fulfilment is high. Clearly the costs, and damaged relationships associated with this are not sustainable, therefore investing is modern digital capabilities to minimize waste and maximize transparency and consumer trust, have become prerequisites of market entry for food companies in 2021. D
Infor
Marcel Koks is Industry & Solution Strategy Director, Food & Beverage at Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry. Providing mission-critical enterprise applications to 67,000 customers in more than 175 countries, Infor software is designed to deliver more value and less risk, with more sustainable operational advantages. For further information, please visit: www.infor.com
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Finlay Beverages Limited
Brewing up fresh ideas With over 100 years of experience in tea and coffee under its belt, Finlay Beverages Limited is an expert in its field and a flexible one-stop-shop for all of its customers’ tea and coffee needs
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‘
Finlay Beverages Limited
T
he history of Finlays dates back to 1750, but its UK business (Finlay Beverages Ltd) started life in 1896. Finlay Beverages has been blending and packing tea in the UK since 1903, as well as roasting and grinding coffee since 1911. Today, this £70 million turnover business is one of the largest tea and coffee packers in the country, with its 300-plus employees helping it to supply a vast range of formats across the retail and foodservice sectors from its 40,000-square metre, purpose-built facility in Pontefract, Yorkshire. From here – and alongside its premises in Hull which specializes in decaffeinating tea – the company packs the equivalent of approximately three billion cups of tea per year, and in 2019 roasted some 900 million cups of coffee. “Here at Finlay Beverages, we partner with our private label customers to develop tea and coffee ranges across
With our strong business portfolio, track record and established supply chain, Finlay Beverages is very well placed to facilitate the bringing of new ideas to market, and as a company we are driven by our own enthusiasm to see consumers benefit from receiving products that satisfy and delight in equal measure
sources into a wide variety of formats including round and square teabags, loose leaf tea, pyramid fuso bags, string, tag and envelope teabags, and multiserving large teabags for the travel and hospitality sectors. In terms of its coffee offering, it has two roasters, and two speciality and development roasters – to allow it to roast to any profile. As well as packing beans and ground coffee into retail and foodservice packs of up to one kilogram, it can also pack filter pouches, ‘one cup’ coffee solutions, and can work with third party suppliers to cater for the single serve coffee market.
both the retail and foodservice sectors, supplying many of the biggest retailers and foodservice chains in the UK,” explains Managing Director and EU Commercial Director, Ian Bryson. The company sources, blends and packs tea and infusions from multiple
The James Finlay Group – which Finlay Beverages forms part of – owns and operates tea farms in Kenya, Sri Lanka and Argentina, as well as a secondary tea processing site in China. This gives the company access to tea from across these important growing regions. In
Ian Bryson
Key values
Finlay Beverages and Rovema – working together Finlay Beverages and Rovema have partnered to produce a high-speed coffee packing facility capable of handling the recyclable and sustainable materials currently being asked of the industry. Rovema handled the project from the dual infeed auger and multi head weigher system through to their latest flexible EW-TI case packers. All three lines were delivered as turnkey, on time and to the exacting standards demanded by Finlay Beverages. Rovema is passionate about coffee and have delivered many varied solutions into the industry. With decades of experience in the handling and packing of both ground and whole bean coffee, this was another key factor in Finlay Beverages choosing Rovema for this prestigious project. The Rovema BVC 260 VFFS were utilised in this project for their accuracy, flexibility and precise sealing system. These achieve the highest possible pack presentation of the Stabilo packs, gas tight and consistently repeatable. The integration of the Rovema SDH auger doser ensured the high speed and accurate dosing requirements required for this project were handled with ease. The auger is connected with the VFFS through the latest, award-winning, Rovema P@ckcontrol HMI. Rovema are constantly optimising their processes and solutions for a more sustainable high value future. These include: l A supply chain with smaller, tighter packs and less materials. l Safer food with improved seals and closures for longer shelf life. l Over 200 sustainable packaging materials have now been rigorously tested and approved for use on Rovema machines and systems. l Saving energy with efficient, green drive technology, recovery systems and 35 per cent less power and air consumption. Working closely with all their customers on possible sustainability solutions and upgrades to existing equipment. Rovema Life Cycle services ensure that all Rovema machines are supported in a futureproof way for the whole life of the equipment. Finlay Beverages can relax knowing they have the best possible, sustainable, supported facility for many years to come.
sales@rovema.co.uk | www.rovema.com
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about sustainable packaging solutions
Efficient and sustainable packaging of coffee ROVEMA offers comprehensive solutions for multi-variant premium product Sustainable ideas can currently be found in most industries. It is the consumer who demands modern, recyclable solutions. The coffee industry is no exception. Few would like to do without coffee itself, but many would like to do without unnecessary packaging – be it the disposable take-away cup or the aluminum outer packaging of the coffee beans from the supermarket. Sustainable alternatives for the coffee industry – POS strength of bags remains a differentiating feature We have investigated a variety of alternative packaging materials for coffee and other fatty products. There are now some promising alternatives. Not all of them offer flexibility in bag design that has been possible so far, but the issue of product protection seems to be solved even with the sustainable variants!
PP
PP
PE
Ground coffee safely packed with particularly thin PP packaging material
Coffee powder in PE Mono material
ROVEMA North America Inc. Norcross, GA 30093 T +1 404 640 5310 info@rovema-na.com www.rovema-na.com
20.12.14_Rovema_Anzeige_Kaffee_210x297_EN.indd 1
BIOPE Coffee powder packed in polyolefin composite with sealing medium made of 85% renewable raw materials
More about Coffee Packaging
ROVEMA Packaging Machines Ltd Aylesbury, HP198DP T +44 1296 31 04 90 sales@rovema.co.uk www.rovema.com
14.12.2020 16:18:51
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Finlay Beverages Limited terms of coffee, it sources this from 23 countries around the world with longterm supply partners in all of the major producing markets throughout the planet’s ‘coffee belt’. “I believe that the strength of our offering comes down to the key values that we have across the wider James Finlay Group business, which are trust, innovation and sustainability,” Ian continues. “We have always focused on delivering quality products, and on putting our customers’ specifications – which we consider to be sacrosanct – and their consumers first. For instance, customers and consumers want to know exactly where their food products come from, so provenance is absolutely vital. We can trace all of our tea and coffee purchases, the former all the way back
packaging lines, which will more than double our capacity across our coffee business. “These are all investments that are being made in line with the long-term plans we have for the business. In the case of packaging, this changes over time and some of our older machines were not as flexible as required. Rovema’s packaging lines give us the opportunity to produce many more formats at a much higher speed than we have been able to in the past, and this in turn opens up a number of new markets and potential customers to Finlay Beverages. We spoke to a number of experienced machine suppliers in advance of making this investment, and Rovema emerged as the best suited to meet our needs for future growth.
to the tea gardens themselves and the latter to the crops, mills or small-holders that we deal with. “Meanwhile, from a sustainability point-of-view, the Group employs tens of thousands of workers around the world, and we do our utmost to ensure that they are all looked after, confirming they have access to housing, education and healthcare facilities, and giving them what they need from a strong living standards perspective. We also work very closely with our customers in order to demonstrate how we operate in a truly sustainable manner. We are always very open to our customers visiting our farms, which are also certified by external creditors and NGOs such as The Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade, who we also work with to guarantee that our standards and practices are kept at extremely high levels.”
What we also like is the fact that they also worked closely with us from the off to ensure that all of our people were fully trained in how to operate their equipment properly.” In looking to the future, Finlay Beverages is also able to leverage the work of James Finlay Group’s Insights Team. Based in London, it is they who are constantly evaluating changes in consumer trends across the world and identifying potential areas for growth or expansion. Through the team’s work, the company is able to see that while
the market for tea in the UK and Europe remains relatively flat, demand for coffee products continues to grow significantly. One such area of current growth is the cold brew coffee segment. “While the cold brew coffee market across Europe is currently worth an estimated $80 million, the compound growth forecasts we have, show that it is expected to grow by an estimated 21 per cent year-on-year over the next seven years,” Ian states. “Finlays has significant knowledge and experience as one of the largest cold brew coffee manufacturers in the United States. We are in a position to leverage this expertise. It presents us with an exciting growth proposition here in the UK and across Europe. It is one that we feel will help drive the business forward over the next five years and more.”
Future opportunities With 2020 drawing to a close at the time of our discussion, and with news of a working Covid-19 vaccine being administered to the first patients fresh in the mind, it fills Ian and the rest of the Finlay Beverages team with hope for what 2021 and beyond holds. “Whilst the retail market has remained strong during 2020, the foodservice and outof-home sectors have clearly struggled, what with the effects of lockdowns,
Major investments Over the last two years, Finlay Beverages has undertaken what Ian accurately refers to as a very strong capital investment program, strongly supported by the James Finlay Group. “As part of our ongoing investment programme, Finlays has installed a brand-new coffee roaster at a cost of around £3.5 million, and purchased and upgraded equipment for use in our tea factory,” he details. “We have also recently finished implementing the building of three brand-new, high-speed Rovema
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Finlay Beverages Limited restrictions on movement and so forth. Nevertheless, these sectors will come back, and I truly believe that they will do so extremely strongly,” Ian states. “With this return I feel we will see renewed demand for new, innovative, sustainable and healthy products, the likes of which Finlay Beverages will be well placed to deliver to both existing and new customers in either current or emerging markets.” It is now eight years since Ian joined the business, and one of things that attracted him to it was the wealth of future growth opportunities that he saw on the horizon for Finlay Beverages. Eight years later, and he still sees the same potential, albeit in different areas where it can bring to the fore its values of trust, innovation and sustainability. “One of the things I can foresee going forward is the Finlay Beverages business expanding out to a much wider European audience,” he declares. “In
the process, we can not only help those brands that we work with today to bring new and innovative products to market, but also new customers who have their own exciting ideas that they want to introduce to consumers. “With our strong business portfolio, track record and established supply chain, Finlay Beverages is very well placed to facilitate the bringing of new ideas to market, and as a company we are driven by our own enthusiasm to see consumers benefit from receiving products that satisfy and delight in equal measure.” D www.finlays.net
Hatzopoulos S.A As pioneer in the development of sustainable packaging solutions, the international packaging converter A. Hatzopoulos S.A. has partnered with Finlay Beverages for the redesign of their coffee packaging for recyclability. With the common vision for a more sustainable future, the companies collaborate for the gradual transformation of all conventional flexibles used by the UK roaster. Based on the innovative X-CYCLE PE technology, the supplier designs high-barrier solutions which can be recycled through the polyethylene recycling stream in the UK, while preserving coffee freshness, high-performance, packaging aesthetics and functionality. “We are excited to help our partner bring to life the next generation of their coffee packaging designed for the Circular Economy,” commented Elef Kassianidis, Area Sales Director UK & Ireland.
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The fruits of labour
The largest growers of Blueberries in Europe and Africa, Winterwood Farms also produces a number of other fruits from its farms in four countries for the UK’s major supermarkets and multiple retailers 30 www.foodchainmagazine.com
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stablished in 1978 with just a single hectare to its name, Winterwood Farms (Winterwood) is today a
vertically integrated business producing a wide range of fruit from its 17 farms in the UK, France, Poland and South Africa. In addition to being the largest
Winterwood Farms
farm in the world, and in total the Group employs over 6000 people.
Supply continuity
growers of Blueberries in both Europe and Africa, other products grown across its more than 2,000 hectares of production include Blackberries,
Blackcurrants, Gooseberries and Raspberries. The farming group also farms 110ha of Organic Blueberries on one of its Polish farms, the largest such
Alongside its farming operations, Winterwood also packs fruit from around the world at its packhouse in Maidstone, Kent, which is then predominantly marketed to various multiple retailers and supermarkets in the UK. With a throughput of approximately 20,000 tonnes of soft fruit in over 60 million packs per annum, this is the largest dedicated soft fruit packhouse in the world. “Between our packhouse here in Maidstone and our international farming operations, we are specifically geared up to service demand from supermarkets
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local company. That relationship has ultimately led to a situation where – in 2020 – we now have a grower group in the country of 34 growers and counting,” Steve states.
Grower guidance
and major retailers in the UK,” explains Winterwood’s Managing Director, Steve Taylor. “With our model of having dedicated growers/suppliers across the countries in which we operate – most of which we enjoy exclusive two-way arrangements with – we are able to offer our customers in the UK 365-days-per-year continuity when it comes to our produce.”
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Winterwood has built up its network of growers and farms over a period of time, working with trusted individuals in each particular country to create mutually beneficial partnerships. “A good example of this approach would be South Africa, where our activities have been built on the back of establishing a close, one-to-one relationship with what was then a small
The fruit that the company supplies its customers in the UK is very much considered as being at the premium end of the market when it comes to its quality. As Steve goes on to detail, maintaining such standards year-round comes down to the vertically integrated nature of the business. “When it comes to the quality of our various different fruits, it really starts with the breeding process,” he says. “After all, if you do not have the right material to plant, you are never going to end up with the right quality produce that your customers demand. Indeed, one of our most important focus areas is on having access to the best germplasm available in a given area. For instance, in South Africa, the Group has an exclusive license to grow varieties bred
Winterwood Farms by the Australian Company Mountain Blue Orchards, which is widely agreed to have the best material currently available in the world to grow in that region. This has given us a massive advantage in terms of providing our farms, and others we work with, with the best base material to work with. “From there, we put in a great deal of research and technical input into the growing side of the business. One of the ways in which we work with our growers is by providing them with a template with which to guide them. So, again, taking Blueberries as an example, even if we have a grower who has never grown them previously, as long as they are good technically and have the right mindset, we can provide them with a template detailing the best varieties to use, how many plants to allocate to a hectare, what variety is best for the climate in question, how far apart the rows need to be, and so
Prins Forklifts Prins Forklifts have been working with Winterwood for many years. We have a great relationship with Rob and complement their maintenance team by handling their routine servicing and Thorough Inspections for them plus stepping in with specialist help as and when needed. Their operation runs on a large fleet of Cesab and Toyota / BT forklifts and pallet trucks, many of which we have supplied over the years.
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forth. Essentially, we are providing all of the necessary building blocks to successfully grow a particular product.” Additional support is then offered to help its growers on elements such as the technical nuances of harvesting, the various protocols around the cold chain, complete quality control
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across the life of the product, how it is packaged, and lastly how it is shipped and distributed. “Throughout the entire process, we never lose sight of the need to have the very best people specializing in each activity. We constantly want our customers to be reassured that everyone in our supply
chain is the best at what they do, with everyone in the chain adding value to our operations and not cost!” Steve affirms.
Ultimate flexibility A further element of how the business functions is the way it aims to
Winterwood Farms standardize its use of packaging, a decision that Steve firmly believes helps to boost Winterwood’s efficiency in getting products out to market, as well as ultimately giving the growers a better return. “Taking Blueberries again as an example, once a crop gets to our packhouse in Maidstone, we could conceivably be doing 50 different SKU’s just for this product line, and anywhere between 15 and 20 different punnets or pack sizes at any one time for the main supermarkets that we serve,” he says. “When you have over 30 growers in South Africa supplying you, it is not possible to pre-guess or pre-select whose punnets you want to use at a given time, so our approach has been to standardize the packaging in the country of origin so that all of
In a year that has seen its fair share of challenges for the world as a whole, what has remained a constant is consumer demand for quality food, and as record sales figures in 2020 highlight, consumer spend at UK supermarkets has at times never been higher. Despite the extra costs associated with Covid-19, Winterwood feels very grateful it is in the food sector, with its fruits continuing to fly off of the shelves. Moving into 2021, however, the company also has to contend with issues surrounding the UK’s exit from the European Union, the Government’s policies on tariffs, duty, immigration and the like, and its inability to plan for these eventualities. “We foresee the weak link in our
our growers are using the same kind. This allows us to concentrate all of our efforts on achieving the right kind of product quality at source in the fields, to reduce handling, and also to have ultimate flexibility when allocating what can be hundreds of different batches at any given point in time to up to 50 different SKU’s.
chain next year being centred around labour in the UK, which is why we are making a deliberate choice not to grow the UK farming side of the business
at present,” Steve says. “Instead, we have chosen to invest our resources and capital abroad, particularly in South Africa, where there is no risk in terms of duty being levied against its produce coming into the UK from 2021, as a zero-duty trade deal has already been signed. Meanwhile, we are also actively looking at markets across Europe in which we can sell our fruit from our French and Polish farms as we again look to minimize our exposure to any post-Brexit risk. “The international network of farms, growers and partners that we have built up over the years gives us this opportunity to invest in multiple locations and in the fruit that we think will give us the best returns. It also places Winterwood in the enviable position of being able to fulfil a need or gap in the market, should it become available.” D www.winterwood.co.uk
New markets Winterwood has also invested heavily in IT, and has developed its own Packhouse Management System to manage every step of the Production process. “What the above ultimately gives us is a greater degree of flexibility when it comes to responding to the Just-In-Time orders that we receive in the UK. With these, we will receive an order from a supermarket that needs to be dispatched within hours of its receipt. By having, say, 200 batches of Blueberries to choose from that are all in the same style of punnet, it enables us to get to the customer the order that they want in a much faster manner than if we had 20 different types of punnet and only a handful of batches to choose from. In operating this way, we not only have the confidence of knowing that we have the same high levels of quality maintained across the board, but also the required degree of efficiency to respond to our customers with industry-leading lead times.”
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The perfect package
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Huhtamaki Foodservice As part of one of the largest food packaging companies in the world, Huhtamaki Foodservice provides global and local foodservice operators with high quality products
W
ith 2019 net sales totalling 3.4 billion euros, it is safe to describe Huhtamaki as a key global player in sustainable food-on-the-go and food-on-the shelf packaging solutions. With operations in 35 countries and 81 sites around the world, the organization has a truly worldwide coverage and across its locations, many thousands of employees are constantly working to deliver smart, next generation packaging. These strategically placed facilities are one of the areas that sets Huhtamaki apart from the competition – thanks to their positions, conveniently located where customers need them, it is able to serve the foodservice and food packaging industries wherever they operate. Mastering three distinctive technologies, Huhtamaki has split into three business segments: Fiber and Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania; North America; and Flexible Packaging. In the UK, the Foodservice division supplies products that are designed to ‘help create great dining experiences for customers’ and the company has significant manufacturing operations at sites in Belfast, Blackburn and Gosport. With a portfolio consisting of recyclable, recycled content and compostable Foodservice packaging, the range includes high quality products for quick service and fast casual restaurants, coffee shops and cafes, convenience stores and vending operators, and features cups, plates, bowls, boxes, trays, food containers, lids, wraps, bags and other accessories. What unites the innovative products manufactured by Huhtamaki is that they are designed to help consumers make responsible lifestyle choices every day. This reflects the company’s overarching dedication to sustainability, which is embedded into its culture and implemented throughout its operations. Choosing the right materials, using them in an optimal way and considering the end of life and recycling possibilities all play a part in developing more sustainable packaging solutions. The business’ commitment to its environmental obligations can be seen through its continuous
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investments into its sustainability agenda – achieving an A rating on the MSCI ESG Ratings assessment and publishing a stakeholder report on ‘what is needed to design for circularity’ are just two quite recent examples of its activities.
Sustainable strategy Alongside these more ‘policymaking’ types of action, the business also makes major investments into physical facilities in order to support its ambitions. Illustrating this approach is the paper straw manufacturing factory that Huhtamaki opened in Northern Ireland in May 2019. Located in the town of Antrim, near Belfast, it operated initially as a dedicated paper straw manufacturing site, with plans to expand the range of products manufactured at the site to other paper-based product categories. The first wave of manufacturing equipment was taken into use during 2019 and further investments in additional manufacturing equipment were planned for 2020-2022. “At Huhtamaki, we are continuously looking for ways to improve the environmental performance of our products and to introduce new, more sustainable packaging innovations,”
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Huhtamaki Foodservice said Ciaran Doherty, General Manager for Huhtamaki Foodservice in Northern Ireland, at the time of the factory announcement. “The launch of our paper straws is a good example of this. We are extremely proud to support our customers in their strategy to have a more sustainable and environmentally responsible supply chain by opening this new site.”
Images for illustration purposes only
New approach Clearly a company that is no stranger to innovation and feels a high degree of responsibility to the planet, when the world was faced with the recent coronavirus pandemic, Huhtamaki’s response was to think what it could do to help. As a result, in June 2020, the business launched a range of highquality affordable and reusable face masks, called ‘Huhta Masks’. Suitable for everyday use, the comfortable masks are breathable and washable, and are made of high-quality fabric with antimicrobial and fluid repellent properties. The Huhta Masks were made available at retailers across the UK in July, and were distributed globally via supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies and foodservice outlets. The initial range includes two sizes, one comfortably fitting adults and one for children (36 months and older). As Ciaran explained, alongside the planet, Huhtamaki is committed to protecting food and people. “With this new range of face masks, we enter the retail space with a completely new approach for us and a new product group,” he stated. “It is important to us to help people live life as they want it to be. The Huhta Mask allows people to resume their everyday activities whilst taking others into consideration. In addition to printing and manufacturing the stylish folded carton consumer packs, our high-hygiene packaging factories are well-equipped to undertake the packaging of the masks, and via our global network we are able to offer these affordable, high-quality masks in multiple markets across the world.” Standing with other manufacturers that have stepped up and thought out of the box in the fight against Covid-19, Huhtamaki also repurposed folding
carton packaging machinery in five European manufacturing sites and delivered over 30 million protective face shields to the NHS in the UK to help health care workers do their essential roles more safely. Whilst sustainable food packaging remains Huhtamaki’s core business globally, its values of ‘Care, Dare and Deliver’ mean that it will always remain committed to protecting people, food
and the planet and helping people to get on with their everyday lives. Having seen how pioneering it can be, the company’s focus on achieving carbon neutral production and having all its products designed to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030 seem highly attainable for this ambitious and innovative firm. D www.huhtamaki.com/en-gb/ foodservice-uk/
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Crafting a
community Valuing a sustainable ‘soil to spirit’ approach to production, Iron Fish Distillery is Michigan’s first working farm solely dedicated to the practice of distilling small-batch craft spirits
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Iron Fish Distillery
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Iron Fish Distillery
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nspiration can come from anywhere. For brothers-in-law Richard Anderson and David Wallace, it arrived on the Isle of Islay, over 3000 miles from their Michigan home. A Hebridean island famous for its whiskey, Islay played host to Richard and David in 2013, when the pair toured the area’s century-old distilleries and smaller craft operations, including Kilchoman, Islay’s only independent farm distillery. Prior to the trip, David and his wife had purchased their own farm in northern Michigan, but the site had lain mostly dormant since 1995. That wouldn’t be the case for long. Combining visions of Islay with the limitless potential of the farm, David and Richard returned home
bottling,” explains Richard, now a Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Iron Fish. “With 120 acres of farm fields and hard wood forests, we strive to operate sustainably, sequestering carbon to offset our carbon footprint. We also upcycle spent grain by donating daily mash runs to a nearby bison farm that in turn, is a source of meat for the distillery’s restaurant, which features a wood-fired menu. “We firmly believe that people, when given the choice, will align their purchases with companies that reflect their values,” Richard continues. “Our Sustainability Pledge to customers, partners, the community and the environment guides our day-to-day decisions. We work to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels through the
to Michigan with a plan. Less than three years later, with the help of their wives, Heidi and Sarah, the group had transformed a historic farm into a craft distillery producing small-batch spirits from their own grain. Iron Fish Distillery planted its first fields of winter wheat in 2015 and opened its production facility less than a year later, in the autumn of 2016. By 2019, over 100,000 people were visiting the distillery annually and Iron Fish rose to number one in spirits sales volume for its Michigan distributor.
use of solar energy; we seek ways to minimize waste and focus on compostable supplies; we engage in low till farming techniques and subject our practices to a third party audit in operating our farm to MAEAP environmental standards; and our maple forest is managed to promote healthy woodlands, while yielding maple sap for distillation of spirits and pathways for outdoor cycling, horseback riding and walking.” As of 2020, the spirits Iron Fish
produces on its sustainably managed land can be purchased in five US states. In line with the distillery’s growing popularity, California, Colorado and Wisconsin will be added to this list in 2021. Along with a wide library of barrel finished bourbons, including maple syrup, cognac, imperial stout, and tawny port cask varieties, the company’s product range currently includes rum, unfiltered wheat and rye vodkas, and American-style gin. It is through a spirit of collaboration, Richard claims, that Iron Fish has been able to develop such a diverse and popular offering. “We have been lucky enough to work with some amazing collaborators who have brought their passion and expertise to the task of product development and innovation,” he says. “For example, the distillery worked with a company specializing in cultivating wild yeasts to capture and identify native strains found along the river and farm fields. We piloted several distillations of whiskey, now aging at the distillery. The result is that the nature and character of the spirit comes from the farm: its grain, water and yeast! “Elsewhere, partnership with a local Christmas tree farm has provided us with a supply of fir trees that give Iron
Sustainability pledge Named after the steelhead trout that thrive in the Betsie River watershed adjacent to the farm, Iron Fish Distillery is connected to nature both in name, and through the sustainable values that guide its farming and distilling practices. On every bottle neck tag, the phrase “Returning Spirit to its Origin” can be found, reminding consumers that just as the steelhead trout return up the Betsie River each year, past the farm to their origin, Iron Fish is returning the practice of distilling spirits to its origins as an agricultural activity. “As a farm distillery, Iron Fish controls every step of the process, from growing grain using natural practices, cleaning and milling grain into flour, mashing in the flour with water drawn from its own deep well glacial aquifer, to fermenting, distilling, aging and
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Fish gin its scrumptious citrus-like botanical flavor. Similarly, we have partnered with a five-generation maple syrup sugar bush, whose syrup is placed in bourbon barrels to finish our farm-blended bourbon whiskey, and also with a local apiary to locate bee hives on the farm, from which the honey is later barrel aged and bottled.”
Connected community As a family enterprise, Iron Fish seeks to create a company culture that extends a sense of family to its employees, focusing on individual growth, creative expression and skills training. It is a foundation upon which the company has achieved multiple national and international accolades, as well as being named among Michigan’s
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‘50 Companies to Watch’ in 2018. Selected from over 450 nominees, the prestigious small business award recognizes emerging companies for their commitment to employees, their community and the local economy. Two years on and Iron Fish remains a vital part of Michigan’s four-season travel destination region. Among the company’s latest community endeavors have been blood drives, food drives, a Kentucky Derby Party charity fundraiser, and sponsorship of Up North Pride - Northern Michigan’s largest participant-driven LGBTQ pride celebration. Iron Fish also dedicated the release of its first farm-distilled whiskey to the Arctic Grayling Research Initiative, helping to bring attention to the successful reintroduction of an
iconic species that had previously gone extinct from overfishing. “The true magic of Iron Fish is how company values, authenticity, environmental practices and product quality are all on display at a familyfriendly working farm, distillery, and tasting room that tens of thousands of people can be a part of each year,” Richard states. “Thousands more have attended concerts, weddings, family reunions and corporate events in our historic and fully restored barn venue and gallery meeting space. “Iron Fish brand affinity and loyalty has been earned over the years by aligning our company values and product quality with customer expectations and priorities, while finding ways to give back to the
Iron Fish Distillery community along the way,” Richard adds. “There was a mental model across the founders that this would be more than a commercial enterprise, but a platform to connect to the community. The minute you open your business platform to that kind of thinking, ideas and people that matter start coming your way.”
Estate Series Despite the interruptions caused to bars and restaurants by Covid-19, overall case sales volume at Iron Fish’s distillery, and in grocery and liquor stores, has increased in 2020. The company’s community efforts have continued too, targeting those impacted by the virus. Between the start of the pandemic and June 2020, Iron Fish
contributed statewide proceeds from the sale of its Four Cask Whiskey and Arctic Grayling Rye Whiskey to the Michigan Hospitality Industry Employee Relief Fund – an initiative aimed at supporting wait staff and bartenders in the state. Additionally, Iron Fish has used its distilling operations to help make hand sanitizer for front line health care workers and others in the regional medical system. By keeping the safety of its staff and guests a top priority, Iron Fish is now offering curbside pick-up for its products, as well as expanded outdoor seating and overnight camping for those traveling in self supported recreational campers. In preparation for the winter ahead, the distillery recently launched Base Camp Iron Fish, a winter village of individually heated tents for single household groups, along with outdoor picnic tables adjacent to fire pits.
In terms of what customers can expect from Iron Fish in the New Year, the company has already set out plans for major investment into a new bottling line, which will help automate packaging and expedite production. 2021 will also see the distillery introduce its brand-new Estate Series. “We are super excited to launch our Estate Series, a premium offering of aged spirits made from scratch on the farm, aged in barrels for over four years, and packaged in custom molded bottles. The new line will tie in with our efforts to scale operations to support distribution in Colorado and California this year,” Richard declares. “We always joke internally at Iron Fish that we are doing the hard work of starting a 300-year-old distillery like those that inspired us in Scotland. We’ve got a lot of big plans for the future, so we are just getting started!” D www.ironfishdistillery.com
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