FoodChain Issue 106 October 2015

FoodChain Issue 106

l

OCt 2015

The business of food and drink

Cream of the crop

Hennig-Olsen has developed an exemplary reputation within Norway for its expertise in ice-cream development and production

Industry News l

Cooking up success Catering equipment suppliers need to think on their feet to stay ahead of the trends

Britons confused by ‘healthy’ VAT categories l

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Award wins for yogurt and dairy manufacturer

Major extension to food factory in Northern Ireland

Health and safety Food and beverage manufacturers face an ever-growing list of health and safety challenges

FoodChain ISSUE 106 L OCT 2015

THE BUSINESS OF FOOD AND DRINK

Editor’s Welcome

Cream of the crop

Hennig-Olsen has developed an exemplary reputation within Norway for its expertise in ice-cream development and production

Industry News Cooking up success Catering equipment suppliers need to think on their feet to stay ahead of the trends

L Britons

confused by ‘healthy’ VAT categories

L Award

wins for yogurt and dairy manufacturer

L Major

extension to food factory in Northern Ireland

Health and safety Food and beverage manufacturers face an ever-growing list of health and safety challenges

United in excellence

Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Libbie Hammond Art Editor Advertising Design Fleur Daniels Staff Writers Jo Cooper Andrew Dann Ben Clark Profiles Manager Emma Crane Business Development Director David Garner Sales Manager Joe Woolsgrove Sales Rob Wagner Emma Kerton Head of Research Philip Monument Editorial Researcher David Brogan Office Manager Advertising Administrator Tracy Chynoweth Studio Assistant Barnaby Schofield

T

he companies highlighted in the profiles section of this issue of FoodChain all embody the stories we love to share in the magazine.

From Sweetdreams success with its ‘ugly’ treats [they taste divine by

the way] to Sharpak’s dedication to innovation, it is always so rewarding to the team to be able to talk to our clients and hear about their developments and plans for the future. They are all united in their ambition to grow and develop, and their dedication to their staff and appreciation for their hard work. Ranging from beer to coffee, and from ice cream manufacture to keg refurbishment, they

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couldn’t be more different, and yet, they are also all united in their commitment to excellence.

@FoodChain_mag

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: +44 (0)1603 274130 Fax: +44 (0)1603 274131

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

www.foodchain-magazine.com www.schofieldpublishing.co.uk © 2015 Schofield Publishing Ltd 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, 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 7

14 4 8

16 Features Health & Safety At the heart of operations

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Food and beverage manufacturers need to embrace health and safety and put it at the centre of their business

IT Keep it safe

Catering Equipment Cooking up success

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What we are seeing in today’s fast-evolving catering sector is a more creative approach

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The increasing use of mobile devices and cloud-based services all contribute to the security burden

News

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Up-to-date products and announcements from the food and beverage sector

Warehousing Not so black and white Barcodes have proven pivotal in helping businesses achieve complete traceability

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Taste Test

The FoodChain team sample a selection of new and innovative foods and drinks

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10

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28 Profiles

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Innovations & developments within some of the world’s finest companies

Sharpak - Yate and Bridgewater 18

With a period of successful growth under its belt, the future for Sharpak is positive, and it sees opportunities going forward

Hennig-Olsen 24

No stranger to innovation, ice cream manufacturer Hennig-Olsen has launched both low fat frozen yogurt and luxury dairy ice cream this year

Sweetdreams 28

It is an exciting time for Sweetdreams as the company works on its expansion plans and introduces more customers to its delicious products

J.J. Darboven 30

What sets J.J. Darboven apart from its competitors in its market are the premium brands that it manufactures

Aldaris 34

With the upcoming release of its range of craft beers and speciality porter, Aldaris is set to provide clients with an even wider range of beverages

Just Hospitality 38

The core business of Just Hospitality is contract catering, but it also offers events catering and supports commercial outlets

Steritech 40

Steritech brings to market a range of high quality, innovative and process driven sterilisation and pasteurisation systems

Morrow Brothers 44

As a family business, cask and keg refurbisher Morrow Brothers is able to move its strategy quickly

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At the heart

of operations The global reach of the UK’s food and drink industry, and the cultural diversity and variety of specialisms within it, can pose safety and health challenges for businesses.

John Boyle, chair of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) Food and Drink Group discusses…

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A

John Boyle

s a truly international industry, food and drink manufacturers face an ever-growing and complex set of issues, particularly as the industry embraces new and emerging technologies.

Nowadays we see an array of different cultures involved in the food production process, with food and personnel moving across international boundaries, depending on the season, price, customer and market demands.

Market demands and pressures have

Health & Safety of safety and health. It is hoped the revised publication will help provide the step change in performance that was achieved by its predecessor.

Transportation Transportation and fleet management is a particular focus, which is a major part of the modern day food and drink manufacturing production chain. Whether it is taking raw goods to factories for processing or moving finished products to suppliers, customers and stockists, higher demands are being placed on workers to get food and drink to where the market demands.

With this ever-mobile and transient workforce, businesses have to manage significant fleets and allow workers to manage their own schedules.

Companies have a legal and ethical duty to monitor these activities and ensure that their workers aren’t putting themselves or others at risk.

IOSH Food and Drink Group recently worked in collaboration with Retail and Distribution Groups to develop a highly successful transport event. It provided a unique opportunity for fleet managers and safety professionals to physically understand the difficulties limitations experienced when moving vehicles around premises. The event also showcased state-of-the-art solutions to fleet manager and safety professionals.

Machinery

become more diverse and complex.

Pressures on the ability to supply a product when needed in an environment where cost is a continuous focus is difficult. The industry must always continually evolve, innovate and develop to survive in this international market.

A couple of subjects are a key focus for the Group and the food and drink industry at present. These are outlined within the revised HSE publication Recipe for Safety, which includes an increasing focus on the ‘health’ part

As the industry develops and changes to utilise an ever-growing, more complex and diverse range of equipment, it is important to understand the roles and responsibilities of customers and machinery suppliers. For many years there has been a common misconception that a CE marked machine is a safe machine. It is important to remember that the CE mark does not guarantee safety.

As users it is important to ensure a machine is safe to use and management systems are in place to maintain that integrity. The PUWER risk assessment process is an essential tool during this process. Proactive organisations should actively source suppliers that will work to common

goals. Generating a strong desire to learn and work together to develop safe and efficient machinery.

As the industry changes, companies need to evolve their working practices to ensure workers’ safety.

Companies need to constantly innovate, develop and embrace new methods of working. It is crucial to question existing working practices.

Any evaluation can help provide both operational and safety improvements and provide a prime opportunity for lean and safety initiatives to work together to achieve a common goal.

Health Occupational health is one of the main themes of this year’s National Food and Drink Manufacturing Conference, which the Group will host in October. There are often complex and long term issues that require the involvement of professionals to identify solutions. The Recipe for Safety guidance aims to provide practical help and assistance so that companies can instil effective control and assessment of exposure to hazards that create health risks, and can help prevent costly litigation.

This summer has seen a real push by the Group and Institution to bring the safety and health of those workers who collect fruit and veg from the fields into focus. New research commissioned

by IOSH and conducted by Imperial College London aimed to shed new light on the risks that exposure to solar radiation can pose to workers.

The research found that nearly 50 people a year in the UK die from malignant melanoma – the most deadly form of skin cancer – developed following exposure to solar radiation at work, with 240 new cases being registered annually. A further 1500 non-melanoma skin cancer cases are caused by outdoor work each year.

The findings were published as part of the Institution’s No Time to Lose campaign to raise awareness of occupational cancers. Through the initiative, businesses are being urged to develop sun safety strategies that include elements such as regular updates on the UV index from weather forecasts, minimising sun exposure

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Health & Safety

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in the middle of the day and asking employees to wear long-sleeved, loosefitting tops and trousers. While using high-factor sunscreen is helpful, it should not be relied on as the only barrier to the harmful rays. More than 100 leading businesses have also given the initiative their support to date. For more details about the campaign, and to access free resources, visit www.notimetolose.org.uk.

Awards

We as a Group regularly encounter examples of innovations making a difference for workers. It is important to recognise and reward success and hard work internally and externally. Through our annual awards we continue to see numerous examples of on-going work to eliminate hazards and control risks, including ideas that have come from both up high or have stemmed from those on the shop floor.

What we see is a real passion and drive within the industry to improve safety, there also remains the need for companies to cater for their workers’ health and wellbeing too.

As a Group, we aim to recognise organisations and projects that have produced a practical solution to, and made a positive impact on, a safety and health problem in the industry through

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Companies need to constantly innovate, develop and embrace new methods of working. It is crucial to question existing working practices

our National Food and Drink Industry Health and Safety Awards.

Ireland-based Green Isle Foods won the award in 2014, after engineers came up with a simple solution to eliminate a significant hazard at its pizza factory in Longford, Co Longford.

They spotted that workers were lifting heavy equipment at height whenever the positioners were used to place dough balls correctly.

Engineers developed an engineering solution that limited the risk of causing manual handling injuries. The staff and management worked together as a team to implement a safer and more efficient process.

Winning the award has helped to strengthen the safety culture at the factory by demonstrating the benefits to employees of reporting safety concerns and looking for improvement.

It has also encouraged the site

team to use their own skills and knowledge of the process to come up with solutions that safely eliminate or reduce hazards, while also contributing positively to the production process.

I believe that by embracing safety and health and having it at the heart of operations from the outset, rather than seeing it as a bolt-on or tick-box exercise, companies can achieve improved results both as a business and for their workforce. D IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals.

With more than 44,000 members in 120 countries, it is the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation. IOSH aims to promote examples of best practice across the industry through its Food and Drink Group. The group comprises over 1000 members who work in the food and drink manufacturing, bottling and canning industries and the catering sector.

The IOSH Food and Drink Group is due to hold its National Food and Drink Manufacturing Conference and Awards at Chesford Grange Hotel, Warwickshire, on 6-7 October. www.iosh.com

IndustryNews

Summer sweep of awards One of Britain’s fastest growing grocery brands, Lancashire Farm Dairies has scooped 11 prestigious awards for a range of its yogurt and dairy products. Rochdale based Lancashire Farm, won the awards at two summer shows in July - the Nantwich International Cheese Awards 2015 and the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate - with four being picked up at Nantwich.

Lancashire Farm’s Greek Style Yogurt and Mango Yogurt products both won Gold awards in the ‘Natural Yogurt Cow’s Milk’ and ‘Low Fat Fruit/Flavoured’ categories, respectively.

Lancashire Farm’s Strawberry Yogurt also picked up Silver and Lancashire Farm’s Coconut Yogurt won Bronze in the ‘Low Fat Fruit/ Flavoured’ category at Nantwich.

Lancashire Farm also scooped another five awards at the Great Yorkshire Show winning three Golds, one Silver and a Bronze.

Lancashire Farm’s Strawberry Yogurt was awarded Gold in the ‘Low Fat Yogurt Flavoured’ category, while its Natural Bio Yogurt scooped the top prize in the ‘Whole Milk Yogurt Natural’ category.

Commenting on the recent award

wins, Azhar Zouq, managing director at Lancashire Farm, said: “The recognition we have received across our range is real testimony to our product testing and we are continually looking to improve our range in order to offer our customers the best possible products. The competition in both shows was very strong and to win these awards in so many categories really emphasises the strength of our products.”

Mr Zouq added: “We have been creating yogurts for over 30 years and our customers tell us that our products are part of their everyday routine – we’re proud of that and we want to help make deliciously good yogurts available to more people every day.” www.lancashirefarm.com

Job creation on the menu Firms in England and Wales’ food and drink sector are readying plans to create tens of thousands of new jobs in the next five years, as they look to drive growth at home and abroad, according to a new study by Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

The report, Investing for Growth, found confidence strong across Britain’s biggest manufacturing sector, with firms planning to develop innovative new products and increase export activity.

The second annual study, which surveyed English and Welsh producers of alcohol, fresh produce and food and drink products, examines the opportunities for - and challenges faced by - the industry over the short to medium-term.

Andrew Connors, head of mid-sized business at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “The contrast between the 2014 report and our latest research is really positive, with significant job creation and investment figures revealed.

Factory for the future Turner & Townsend has been appointed to provide cost management services for the third phase of a major extension to the McColgan’s food processing factory in Northern Ireland.

The consultancy successfully managed costs during the first two phases of the expansion, and will continue to safeguard McColgan’s commercial interests at every stage of the design, procurement and construction of the 49,000ft2 third phase.

The project, which is being built in a live environment, is set to create 43 new jobs. The latest phase is part of an overall £7.3m investment in the business, which will include new equipment and a state-of-the-art packing and dispatch facility that will help develop McColgan’s customer base and prepare for future growth. www.turnerandtownsend.com

“Productivity presents an ongoing challenge for the UK economy.

Against this backdrop, the continued commitment from food and drink manufacturers to drive productivity and innovation through R&D is a clear indication of the crucial role this sector plays in the broader economy.”

Ian Wright is director general at the Food and Drink Federation, the organisation that represents and advises UK food and drink manufacturers. He said: “Britain’s food and drink industry is world class.

“Although many of the most dynamic and best-loved food and drink brands originate here in the UK, our producers are exporting innovative techniques and ways of working worldwide. This report confirms that trading internationally is a real driver for growth, especially the opportunities offered by non-EU markets and developing economies.

“Our continued and growing success abroad speaks to the popularity of UK plc and our food and drink manufacturers’ track record of producing original, quality products.” www.lloydsbank.com/business

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Keep it safe

Security in the food supply chain needs to be robust in terms of preventing unauthorised access to systems and also in terms of fault-tolerance, so that when something does go wrong, it is detected and dealt with quickly

I

T security in the food chain is mainly thought of as maintaining data confidentiality and restricting access to the system but the true goal of security should be to protect not only confidentiality but the integrity and the availability of systems as well.

Application vulnerabilities and malware top the list of concerns among many businesses, not least those in the food and drink sector. To combat this the first priority for your application’s security should be to ensure that when it talks to your database that the connection is safe.

CSfD’s chief technical officer Ian Hampson says: “Within our Pentelon product suite, we offer our customers a choice: they can use Pentelon’s own built in log-in facility and create a unique user name and password or they can

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use Windows credentials that they already have set up.

“The great advantage of this is that a separate set of user names and passwords don’t need to be set up and remembered - providing the customer with control over their system with the security they already have in place.”

Secondly, your application should provide full authentication. That is, only allowing users to log on to the system who have permission. A very important aspect of a user account system is how user passwords are protected. Website user account databases in particular are hacked frequently, so you must do something to protect your users’ passwords in case your site is ever breached.

The best way to protect passwords is to employ salted password hashing.

Hashing is the process by which a password is turned into a fixed sized alphanumeric string. This is great for protecting passwords, because it stores them in a form that protects them even if the password file itself is compromised as at no point is the plaintext (unencrypted) password ever written to the hard drive. A salt is a random string of data used to modify a password hash, offering further levels of protection should the hashes ever be dissolved.

Thirdly, your application should allow you to control authorisations. That is, controlling which programs a user has access to.

Hampson explains: “All access to Pentelon applications is via a Login Database. This holds all login, operator role, security and company data.

Pentelon also uses group policies that

IT

allow you to assign selective programs to a group. An operator can then be assigned to that group and will only see programs that are relevant to the work that they are doing.

“It also holds the latest version number of the application so Pentelon may reject login attempts by incorrect versions of an application.”

Administration should be entirely separate from normal system use and logging in as an administrator should only provide access to administrative functions.

Your application software should also provide you with a log of all changes being made to your system so that when an administrator makes a change to security related data, you know who did what and when.

Hampson adds: “The Pentelon security log data can be exported and analysed so it can be interrogated. Most systems should have this feature for added security, which is paramount for understanding when and where any foul play has occurred.

“The system should also place a limit on failed attempts, so for example, if repeated attempts are made to access your system using incorrect log-in details then the account will lock and require administrator assistance to release it again.

The resiliency of any application will always to some extent be dependent on the infrastructure that it is installed on and measures such as placing your databases in high availability clusters can greatly assist with the availability of your system for its users.

Such resilience comes at a cost and the organisation must carry out a full risk assessment to determine what level of risk is acceptable to the business and make decisions accordingly. If your application does fail, you want to minimise the impact that it has on your operations by reducing the incidence of data corruption.

“Pentelon prevents the problem of widespread data corruption in the event of a system failure as it stops inconsistent data being introduced to the database. You may lose the current transaction if it has not completed at the time of the catastrophic event but it will not pass on incomplete transactions.

Similar resilience is true for any web front end, including mobile apps where you may lose signal,” says Hampson.

CSfD’s own approach to security is something that is taken very seriously, from requirements for minimum password complexity to the use of secure virtual private networks (VPN) for remote working. As Stephen Toms, systems manager at CSfD states: “We have policies on what can and can’t be attached to our network, robust anti-virus measures have to meet some exacting confidentiality standards for some of our clients working in the public sector. Our approach to security is the same for us as it is for our application software, secure without being intrusive so it is not getting in the way of people being able to do their jobs.

“At the end of the day we want users to be set up to work safely but without having to worry about it.”

Cyber terrorism and trusted third parties are other concerns trending upward. Toms adds: “Our customers have approached us for reassurance that our application systems are safe in view of threats from software security bugs such as Heartbleed and Shellshock which can allow hackers to gain unauthorised access to information and computer systems. Our products are not open to public access and we have no dependency on open source code in our products, so there is no threat with regard to Pentelon.”

However both CSfD and its customers now operate at least in part in the cloud and it is imperative in such environments that access is properly

controlled. Robust defences such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS) and problem-solving measures are essential, along with regular anti-virus health checks. VPNs between private networks and cloud services should be used to restrict the IP addresses and services that are available in order to minimise opportunities for attack or intrusion.

Tom says: “We can help customers who use our Pentelon Data Integrator for hooking up our backend systems to web services by using load balancing features to ensure system availability. We can host two instances in different availability zones, that is different data centres with different risk profiles.”

The increasing use of mobile devices and cloud-based services and the future potential of the Internet-of-Things will all continue to contribute to the security burden. The focus is increasingly on securing traffic in transit. No doubt cyberthreats, such as Heartbleed, will continue to abound - becoming increasingly varied and sophisticated. Marry this together with the broadening footprint of devices and interoperability required and security is going to remain a full time job. D CSfD is a market leader in innovative, flexible supply chain software systems that help businesses with large-scale logistics and distribution requirements grow their business. Its products are widely used in food and pharmaceutical wholesale, third party logistics, utilities and government market sectors.

CSfD’s Pentelon Product Suite delivers fast and efficient solutions across the most commonly used distribution management functions: order processing, purchasing, warehouse management, inventory management and customer relationship management. www.csfd.com

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Not so black and white W Barcode printers are the unsung heroes of warehouses.

Peter Laplanche reflects on keeping them operational 10 www.foodchain-magazine.com

hen Norman Woodland and Bernard Silver patented a device in 1952 that would electronically read printed materials it’s doubtful they envisaged the impact their primitive barcode invention would have in the future world of logistics, manufacturing and retail.

Across every sector, barcodes are the key to efficiency. In the food chain specifically, barcodes have proved pivotal in helping businesses achieve complete traceability for reasons of compliance, safety and business process improvement.

When barcodes go ‘bad’ In busy warehouses the last thing needed is for ‘bad’ barcodes to enter the production or distribution system.

A bad barcode reduces efficiency, it slows production lines, can result in non-compliance fines, or lead to rejected or delayed deliveries. If a load is rejected by retailers for failing to comply with labelling standards there’s usually a chargeback penalty. Tesco is said to fine £40,000 per chargeback incident, and goods are returned at the manufacturer’s expense.

Of course chargebacks arise from many issues from mislabeled, mispacked or late deliveries, to cracked pallets and short loads. Industry reports suggest that chargebacks can reduce supplier revenues by upwards of ten per cent making them a significant cause for concern.

Vendor compliance fines related to ‘bad’ barcodes are commonplace when suppliers don’t validate their barcodes

Warehousing

and they’re such an unnecessary cost.

A good online data validation system (ODV) like that from Printronix is a closed loop, unmanned quality control system that monitors the printing process and prevents bad barcodes entering the supply chain.

It analyses the barcode on each label to ensure the linear codes fall well within the barcode symbology specifications. If the label doesn’t meet the spec, the ODV uses its datastream analysis to overstrike the bad label and print a ‘good’ replacement. It delivers 100 per cent scannable barcodes to your production area every time.

There’s no costly human intervention in the validation process and ROI is almost instantaneous. It’s a great tool for saving time and money and increasing productivity.

The ODV’s Data Manager takes ‘snapshots’ of data to either be analysed immediately or archived for true quality control. If a printer is identified as producing bad barcodes or data failures, the ODV automatically places it into ‘fault’ condition to not only highlight that it needs fixing but also to ensure no more bad data enters the supply chain.

Compliance labeling eliminates packing and shipping errors, it accelerates flow of goods through the warehouse and reduces operating costs, which, in turn, improves profitability.

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Some sites have 20-year old printers yet the operations guys are reluctant to upgrade in case something goes wrong and production is adversely affected

‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. The fear is understandable and underlines how mission critical these workhorses are to the supply chain and how fundamental their role in operational resilience. Yet few have grasped how MPS could not only minimise business interruption but also reduce costs — typically by 30 per cent.

Thermal printers last, on average, eight years while line matrix devices are often used way beyond 12 years.

Legacy printers do not have infinite lifespans and the current field service model is becoming outdated and expensive. New technology is simplified so the need for real engineering skills is fast diminishing.

Businesses don’t want high-end expertise to repair printers, they just want the affected unit replaced at the lowest cost and fastest time so they can return to full productivity, which is where MPS can help.

The growing importance of track and trace Customer service is the new battleground for manufacturers and retailers as they strive for flawless fulfilment. The added complexity of multiple channels to market means there needs to be greater visibility and agility in track and trace.

Consumers now have multiple touch points from which to buy, ranging from bricks and mortar stores to social media. And their expectation is immediacy; same day or next day delivery. Plus, they want to choose delivery destinations; in-store, home, work or somewhere else.

To deliver on these expectations, manufacturers, retailers and distribution centres need visibility of stock across all channels and locations for both their staff and customers and to have the logistics in place to physically deliver on orders. Track and

Leaving a legacy behind Managed print services (MPS) are widely used in front offices to maintain printer fleets, control costs and improve productivity yet few warehouse operators consider the concept of MPS for their back office printers to manage barcode and label applications.

They seem happy to invest in newer IT such as ‘click and collect’ enabling technology but resistant to change production area printers. Datatrade is one of the few companies still maintaining legacy warehouse printers when even the OEMs have stopped supporting them!

Some sites have 20-year old printers yet the operations guys are reluctant to upgrade in case something goes wrong and production is adversely affected. There’s almost an attitude of

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Warehousing trace technology like label barcoding is pivotal to this process. Empowering staff with handheld mobile devices like scanners and printers gives them visibility of stock, better communication and connectivity and the means to be more operationally efficient.

The next generation of mobile printers are designed to meet the growing mobility needs of manufacturing, logistics and government organisations.

They can withstand the most demanding of environments and be used for numerous applications like proof of delivery, shipping labels and till receipts.

While such technology increases fulfillment speed, maintaining connectivity is crucial and again MPS minimises downtime therefore reducing costs. Retailers and manufacturers, particularly of perishable foods increasingly require quick fixes - some as short as four hours. Not all appreciate that OEM repair solutions are largely ‘return-to-base’ which proves time consuming and interrupts connectivity.

Again MPS ensures machines are serviced regularly thus pre-empting such scenarios and a supplier like Datatrade can often remotely fix machines thus maximising uptime.

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Brakes chooses MPS The UK’s largest foodservice brand, Brakes, recently awarded a three-year MPS contract to Datatrade. The drive is to improve the operational resilience of its back office printers, thereby increasing warehouse productivity.

Brakes is keen to pre-empt and ultimately eliminate the sort of P1 callouts that prevent it distributing its multi-temperature food to UK pubs, restaurants, hospitals and schools.

Datatrade is doing a comprehensive audit of the existing fleet of nearly 500 industrial printers spread across Brakes’ 74 UK distribution centres. It needs to assess the age and reliability of each device, its function, whether it’s right for the job, all of which will determine which printers are really mission critical in the warehouses.

Once that’s established, Datatrade will know which work processes would be affected if a printer failed and where to build in real resilience.

Brakes has a mix of line thermal and laser printers across its fleet producing vital documents like picking notes, invoices and reports. As part of the MPS contract, Datatrade will help Brakes migrate some of its older,

legacy devices to trial new machines.

Keith Norbury, IS service delivery director at Brakes said of the new contract: ‘Datatrade has a ten-year track record with us so we trust its engineers to maximise our printer availability, critical to ensuring we provide great customer service. Our focus is minimising downtime and we’re confident Datatrade will identify the depots most at risk and develop a support and maintenance strategy to improve our overall operational resilience.” D Peter Laplanche is a director at Datatrade. For over 30 years, manufacturers, retailers and logistics operators have relied on Datatrade to supply, repair and maintain their barcode label printers and scanners.

It has led the field in industrial managed print services (MPS), keeping mission critical printers working with a range of thermal printer services, thereby reducing warehouse downtime and minimising supply chain interruptions. www.datatrade.co.uk

IndustryNews Loss and gain

Saucy packaging

On top of a six year low in prices, caused by a bumper crop in Brazil, already dwindling sales of sugar on UK shelves were hit further as the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which recently advised Public Health England and other government agencies, the recommended daily intake of sugar to be halved to reduce obesity risk and improve dental health.

But ‘one man’s loss is another man’s gain’ and the UK’s largest xylitol brand, Total Sweet, is reporting accelerated growth. Alongside a 40 per cent increase in year on year sales it has announced a 600 store launch in Ireland and added Booths to its list of retail outlets in the UK, which already includes Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Holland and Barrett.

“Sugar has continued to take a pounding in the press, whilst awareness of xylitol has reached a tipping point; helped massively by a recent programme on Channel 4, which highlighted the positives of the natural sweetener.

Furthermore stores like Holland and Barrett have launched a larger 1kg pack format which gives xylitol a much stronger shelf presence,” said Edward Baylis, MD of Healthy by Nature Ltd (brand owners of Total Sweet). www.totalsweet.co.uk

In conjunction with leading sauce manufacturer Zum Dorfkrug, RPC Promens Consumer Kutenholz has developed a classic 1000ml round bottle for Sylter Salatfrische, Germany’s most popular salad dressing. As well as this classic, the new bottles will also be used for Honey & Mustard, Yogurt, French Dressing, Vinaigrette and American Salad Dressing variants.

The stylish bottle, blow moulded in polypropylene, echoes the look of the typical milk-bottle style pack currently available in 250 and 500ml sizes. Despite its larger size, the user-friendly bottle is easy to handle, and is squeezable for accurate control and dispense of the dressings.

The new bottle also meets the safety requirements of the foodservice sector, enabling it to be used in canteens and restaurants as well as in the home. Thanks to their lightweight, high strength and resistance to breakage, plastic containers are the ideal choice for salad counters and the catering trade. www.rpcpromens.com

Confused by VAT? A new survey has revealed just how confused Britons are over what foods are apparently deemed to be ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ according to the UK government’s tax rules. When asked to guess whether food products fall under the VAT-free category, intended to bring down the costs of healthy and staple food products, and those which are accountable for VAT, to discourage people from buying unhealthy items; the majority guessed incorrectly.

The survey was conducted by the team behind Huel, a nutritionally complete powdered food product, as part of ongoing research into the understanding of healthy eating and nutrition in the UK. Over 2000 British adults took part in the survey, all of whom were aged 18 years or older.

Initially, all respondents were asked: ‘How healthy is your diet?’ and provided with a scale from 1 (extremely unhealthy)

to 10 (extremely healthy). The average Briton polled felt their diet was a 7 out of 10 on the scale in terms of healthiness.

All respondents were then asked if they felt they had a good understanding of what food products were healthy and unhealthy, to which 89 per cent indicated that they did have a good understanding of what items were healthy.

As part of the research, the respondents were then provided with a short paragraph, which explained that the government allows tax breaks for foods that are deemed to be healthy or staple items, in order to lower the cost of following a good diet. They were also advised that food products deemed to be unhealthy are subject to 20 per cent VAT, in order to discourage shoppers from buying what is deemed to be ‘unhealthy’.

The respondents were then provided with a list of VAT exempt and charged

foods and asked to identify which they believed would be VAT free and which would be subject to 20 per cent VAT. The top three incorrect results were as follows: Chocolate cake – 97% (of respondents wrongly guessed this would incur VAT) Caramel or ‘millionaire’s’ shortcake – 91%. Chocolate chip cookies - 85%.

When the real results were revealed to respondents, the vast majority were ‘surprised’ and ‘confused’. When asked if they agreed with these rulings, only six per cent stated that they did.

Julian Hearn, Founder of Huel, noted: “Although it is confusing in places, we need to remember that in principle this is a scheme designed to help us eat well for less. There are certainly improvements that can and should be made to develop it further – and perhaps review our need for cake, for example!” www.huel.me

www.foodchain-magazine.com 13

Cooking up success Linda Lewis explains why thinking on your feet is the new catering equipment trend

C

atering has always been all about the margin, but what we are seeing in today’s pacy, fast-evolving catering sector is a more creative approach to how to generate the margin, increasingly driven by social and culinary trends. In a world of instant, online food reviews, TV cookery programmes and global travel, the punter’s palate has be pampered and their ego engaged. They want what they want, the way they want it, when they want it and the catering equipment underpinning the delivery of customer satisfaction must respond, if the caterer is to keep their share of the dining out trade.

Catering equipment in 2015 needs to match up to the trends that I call

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the 4 S’s: Speed; Social; Street and Sophistication. Here, we are no strangers to the first. Our Cuppone pizza oven range is all about quick service, cooking pizzas in just a few minutes and keeping those 65 per cent of 18-34 year olds who eat pizza in a restaurant at least monthly, happy. But that figure comes from a 2014 Technomic survey that also highlighted why we are now being forced to adapt and think differently when marketing our pizza oven range. Fifty-five per cent want to build their own pizza, many now want it by the slice and having a half-and-half pizza (sharing two types with a friend) is becoming a norm.

To accommodate this trend of customisation – which can be to the

nth degree - plus the demands of a mushrooming street food sector that feeds on fast service, the equipment is having to become higher-tech. Chefs are now relying more heavily on computercontrolled ovens that can switch themselves on before they arrive for their shift, then multi-task, work on different zonal temperatures and be the final leg of a catering equipment production line that is increasingly automated, from mixing dough, rounding it, flattening it and then delivering it for cooking.

Equipment is also having to become ‘social’. The modern British diner is highly engaged with their food, has become accustomed to watching numerous cookery programmes, virtually interacting with TV chefs, and has an

Catering Equipment interest in food far greater than that of the generations that grew up with food rationing and, consequently, had little passion for food to pass on to their children. The modern diner now desires transparency in the catering process, which means that equipment has to come front of house, where it – and the chefs – can be seen.

If a restaurant wishes to retain the aesthetics of its interior, the equipment has to be sexy, curvy, visually stunning and a centrepiece. Options like the Cuppone Giotto are a classic example of this; the Marilyn Monroe of pizza ovens.

Such equipment is a big investment, but if you buy the best-in-class, it won’t get the seven year itch and pack in on you, before you’ve reaped a reward on your return in investment.

We are already seeing Romagna’s ‘piada’ flatbread introduced to Tesco and piadinerie franchises reaching out to the UK, after around 20 years’ growth in Europe. How long before we see piadina hitting UK menus in a big way – using adapted pizza equipment, to produce the right consistency of product? The message is to look at your catering equipment through the eyes of the consumer and see how it – or a newly purchased piece of kit – could adapt and provide the flexibility that will breathe life into your menu.

It is also becoming imperative for caterers to keep a keen eye on trends.

One of these is the growth in popularity of wood-fired food, particularly pizzas, which has been driven by top Italian chefs, foreign travel and champions

pioneered their introduction. Their impact is tangible.

That brings me to the other key trend in the sector – sophistication. Although ‘fusion’ became a dirty word in the catering industry, it’s back in a different guise and caterers are now recognising the need to have mash-ups of different cuisines, to satisfy the advanced tastes of their diners. This even applies to pizzas.

The tomato-based pizza is now becoming almost old-hat for the sophisticated diner, who wants gourmet options, not toppings like ‘mamma’ used to make.

This is leading to exciting new varieties, such as Prezzo’s ‘Prawn and Lobster Executive Pizza’, with king prawns, lobster, béchamel, grilled courgettes, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers, red onion, rocket and mozzarella. At other venues,

The trick here is to not succumb to buying equipment that looks pretty, but has no substance. Unfortunately, as the drive to bring all equipment out front gathers speed, some of the old principles of buying on reliability, performance and guaranteed payback, are being lost, thanks to moments of weakness that see the caterer just buying something that will look lovely within their overall interior design scheme.

When it comes to the hunger of the street food market, catering equipment suppliers are having to get cuter. Space is almost always at a premium in a kitchen, so any eatery wishing to run a normal menu alongside a lunchtime street food trade, needs to be creative in its thinking. Ethnic influences are driving much of the street food phenomenon, but preparing naans, or chapatis, can be time-consuming.

Increasingly, ethnic street food caterers have to cross a cultural divide and opt for Italian pizza making equipment, which can easily produce the perfect flatbread, with a slight change of setting and a bit of training. We’ve seen this first hand, assisting a business called Naked Naan, which wished to produce innovative ‘naanwiches’ for the lunchtime street food buyer. Having drawn a blank searching for a solution, they quickly found it by looking to another international cuisine’s equipment range.

Experimentation can drive business.

such as Franca Manca. For this reason, Linda Lewis Kitchens, which has always been a supplier of Cuppone electric and gas pizza ovens, has recently expanded its range to include Valoriani wood-fired pizza ovens. Why? Simply because the evidence was compelling.

A recent YouGov survey showed 27 per cent of British adults now prefer to eat wood-fired food, to barbecued food, at a garden party. Wood-fired ovens have only been in the UK for around ten years, since our partner, Orchard Ovens,

expect chargrilled vegetables on your pizza, slices of beef, hoisin duck, and steamed fennel.

I make this point, because even a traditional pizzeria now needs to think ‘mash-up’ and have the equipment at hand that the customer requires.

Chargrills and vapour grills are rapidly becoming some of the queens of the kitchen, delivering the healthier eating options that health and weight-conscious diners require. Slicers are now in greater demand, to quickly and consistently produce new toppings.

To summarise, catering equipment purchase in 2015 needs careful planning and each item needs to work in harmony and in synchronisation, to deliver a speedy, street-focused, social and sophisticated menu and dining experience. Gone are the days of thinking oven + fryer + grill. That just won’t make the sums any more … or cut the mustard. D Linda Lewis is managing director of Linda Lewis Kitchens, a trusted and innovative importer and supplier of top quality catering equipment, including the Cuppone range of electric and gas pizza ovens from Italy. It has built its reputation on first-class service and after-sales care, the reliability and longevity of its equipment and the provision of solutions for every catering scenario. www.linda-lewis.co.uk

www.foodchain-magazine.com 15

TasteTest

Bee-utiful snacks Perfect to keep in your office drawer, for the kids’ lunchboxes, or even the car, Jumble Bee’s products are designed to be the perfect any time snack.

The range includes Blissful Banana Chips and Tasty Trail Mix, which is full of raisins, dried papaya, dried coconut, pumpkin seeds, cashew nuts, brazil nuts, dried banana and almonds. www.jumble-bee.com

The team are always looking for something healthy to graze on and so Jumble Bee’s samples were welcomed with open arms. “I’ve tried a lot of nuts and fruit mixes and I really was impressed with this,” said the Editor.

“The quality is impeccable and I love the variety in this bag. The adorable bees on the pack are just an added bonus!”

If life gives you lemons…

For a hassle-free and cost effective alternative to keeping fresh lemons in the fridge, PLj Lemon Juice is a refreshing, naturally sharp and versatile juice drink, which can be used for any purpose where fresh lemon juice is required.

The humble lemon can be overlooked these days, where super fruits and new trends are bombarding us with health claims, but the benefits of starting the day with hot water and lemon are still as true today as before anyone was talking about kale.

Lemons are known for their digestive properties and while acidic before entering the body, become alkaline once ingested so can play a valuable role in addressing the effects of internal over-acidity.

PLj is a blend of lemon juice and is rich in vitamin C – a 25ml serving contains at least 75 per cent of the recommended daily intake and just nine kcals. www.healthyfoodbrands.co.uk/ plj_lemon___lime_juice

“I found this such a handy product, I wondered why I have never tried it before,” one tester began. “I’m also very interested in the cleaning properties of lemon juice, as I am keen to reduce the use of chemicals if I don’t need them, and I am intrigued by the idea of adding it to white washing!

“I find it a chore to drink all those glasses of water that’s we’re supposed to,” added another.

“Adding just a splash of this to fizzy or still water makes it so much more palatable that I am keen to finish the glass!”

Nuts about butter High protein and packed full of vitamin E and magnesium, quality ingredients are key for Pip & Nut, whose founder, Pippa Murray wanted to create a nut butter that was bursting with natural energy. A keen marathon runner, Pip sought a tasty protein hit to support her demanding exercise regime, but found the market lacking in a wholesome nut butter with simple yet inventive ingredients – Pip took to the kitchen and Pip & Nut was born!

The range of three - Peanut Butter, Almond Butter and Coconut Almond Butter - are made from just-roasted nuts and a sprinkling of sea salt, with no refined sugar, additives or palm oil, for an incredibly fresh, deliciously pure and wholesome range of nutty goodness.

Pip & Nut aims to challenge the current market with new formats, such as squeezable on-the-go packs.

This are designed to be perfect for

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lunchboxes, mixed into a breakfast smoothie, swirled into porridge, used in baking, slathered onto fruit or warm croissants. www.pipandnut.com

The team found the on-the-go packs to be a novel idea, and the packaging was very attractive (although some found it a bit of a

wrestle to get it open!) The little squirrel incorporated into the brand name was also admired by all. “It is so nice to find an alternative to peanut butter,” said one commenter.

“I’m not keen on peanuts but I love almonds and coconut and so these products are likely to be included in my cupboard in the future!”

TasteTest Better body bagels Dr Zak’s specialises in creating high protein functional foods that can be easily incorporated into everyday life.

Responding to a huge demand from the public, and 12 months in the making, its latest offering is a high protein bagel.

Each bagel has over twice the amount of protein in it (about the same as a chicken breast) as an average bagel - enabling you to have your favourite sandwich, but dramatically up your levels of muscle repairing protein at the same time.

The bagels also contain 40 per cent less carbohydrates than their ‘normal’ equivalent, and are particularly high in fibre, which helps keep hunger at bay.

Nutrition isn’t all that’s important to Dr Zak’s though and it is as proud of the taste of its bagels as they are of the protein and carbohydrate levels in them.

The bagels are ‘multi-grain and seed’ (a cinnamon and raisin bagel is also on its way) and have the same consistency and taste as a ‘normal’ bagel, meaning you can add an extra 11g of protein to every sandwich without even realising it. www.dr-zaks.com

Cream of the crop

“While I may not agree these have the same consistency as a ‘normal’ bagel’, I would still buy them!” stated one reviewer. “I found them chewier and denser, but for me that was a bonus, as one bagel filled me up much more than usual and I loved that it had lower carbs.”

“Well, I couldn’t really tell that this was different to my usual bagel!” said another reviewer. I give them two thumbs up!”

Perfect pasta The Dell’Ugo range of ravioli, fiorelli and tortelloni fine filled pasta are the company’s signature dishes. The pasta is delicious and the fillings are creative, mouth watering and fit for the most discerning table and palate.

This year Dell’Ugo is supporting Breast Cancer Care once more, with its Goats’ Cheese and Beetroot Fiorelli – in this product beautiful pasta is wrapped around flavoursome goats’ cheese with deep jewel crimson beetroot, all marinated in a pink infusion of pomegranate and mint relish.

Dell’Ugo first created this fiorelli to support Breast Cancer Care in 2013 and it sold so well, the customers & retailers asked them to bring it back and make it available all year round. For October the Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Fiorelli is available in the limited edition packaging.

Ten pence from every pack will be donated to Breast Cancer Care. www.dellugo.co.uk

The testers loved the Goats’ Cheese and Beetroot Fiorell. One served it on a bed of pesto courgetti (spaghetti made from courgette), while the other went more traditional with a drizzle of olive oil and parmesan. “The pasta was nice and thin and every mouthful was a perfect combination of creamy cheese and tangy beetroot,” said tester one. “The product was clearly of very high quality and I also really appreciated Dell’Ugo’s contribution to Breast Cancer Care.” “This product didn’t disappoint,” added tester two. “The vibrant pink colour looked good on the plate and it tasted amazing.

The little cubes of beetroot gave it a nice texture and I would definitely eat this again.”

Soda Folk is an award-winning, emerging drinks brand pioneering American craft sodas in the UK. Launching nationwide with their fiery Root Beer and lusciously sweet, Great Taste Award winning Cream Soda, Soda Folk has already secured listings with Selfridges and Byron restaurants nationwide.

Soda Folk was founded by Colorado native, Ken Graham, who, when he moved to London from the states, found himself homesick for Coloradan Root Beer. Ken created Soda Folk’s modern-classic recipes with high ideals in mind. Just as with craft beer, Soda Folk uses only the highest quality ingredients to ensure great-tasting refreshment every time.

Soda Folk Cream Soda is made simply with carbonated water, pure cane sugar and Madagascan vanilla extract packing a luxuriant flavour punch, ideal for pairing with food, supping alone or as a partner to a smooth dram of Bourbon. www.sodafolk.com

When these products arrived it caused a stir in the office as it turned out that one of the team is massive Cream Soda fan and in his words: “has been looking for a good cream soda for years!”

Within moments of the first sip he was on the Soda Folk website. “This is hands down the best Cream Soda I’ve ever tasted!” he enthused.

Seeing someone so clearly delighted by something was very enjoyable and so the team let him have both cans.

www.foodchain-magazine.com 17

A neat package With the strength and co-operation of Groupe Guillin behind it, market-leading Sharpak continues to drive a range of innovations into the packaging market

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Sharpak – Yate and Bridgewater

F

ounded in 1972, familyowned company Groupe Guillin is an international specialist in developing and manufacturing packaging solutions.

Through a programme of acquisitional growth the group now occupies a leading position in the global market with 18 subsidiaries spread across 11 sites and manufactures over 8.5 billion trays every year. Based in the UK, the Yate and Bridgewater subsidiaries perfectly demonstrate the innovative and world-beating approach to business that has afforded the group such success over its history. Brought under the group’s wing in 2010, the Yate and Bridgwater sites respectively manufacture polypropelylene (PP) rigid thermapacked trays for the mushroom, poultry and ready meal industries, and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PET/PE (with a polyethylene laminate), for the red meat industry.

The core strengths of the companies within Groupe Guillin are very much the product of a smart and co-ordinated structure implemented across the whole network. “The group is very much focused on providing excellent service,” begins MD for Sharpak Yate and Bridgewater, Martin Taylor. “The group operates with each individual business having its own specialism. So Yate and Bridgewater have their own markets and this gives each entity its own nuances of focus. For example, our Bridgewater facility is very highly focused on making sure that the product has a very good sealing flange because more than 90 per cent of our customers there operate modified atmosphere packaging and therefore require a reliable seal. This is not a specialism across all sites but if another company wants to get into it then we will either help them do that, or they will sell our products. Basically as a group, we can provide a one-stop-shop

for our customers with highly specialised products and this allows us to service some major customers.”

Such a strategy is crucial for Sharpak and its sister companies to perform effectively in a fast paced and challenging market, and this is particularly important to the group’s reputation for innovation.

“All 11 sites across Europe share the same design platform,” explains Martin.

“This means that we can all share our designs and ideas very quickly, which allows us to progress together at a fast pace. Each company has its own design team and in-house prototyping facilities that includes 3D digital modelling and CNC lathe machines to rout out moulds for physical samples. We have spent a lot of time recently shortening this process so we now target to get a product from initial enquiry, through the design phase and to a prototyped sample within a week. This reflects the speed of the market.”

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In terms of specific innovations, Sharpak Yate and Bridgewater both present product portfolios that demonstrate a keen commitment to continuous improvement. At the forefront of recent developments is the award winning Sharpak Fortis range, which brings to market a variety of highly optimised products. Designed through a process of finite element analysis, every aspect of the tray has been optimised, resulting in a 20-30 per cent weight reduction and increased strength and integrity. The range has been designed in close collaboration with customers to work effectively within the most modern high speed packing lines used in food processing, and has a far reduced environmental footprint.

Another significant product, which Martin comments is gaining good traction within the market at present, is the Vista range. Utilising innovative

‘

We have made a lot of investment into absorption padding. These are important to lock away liquids and maintain a clean, presentable pack for consumers

vacuum pack technology and a shallow tray, the materials form a tight second skin around the product to provide a number of aesthetic, quality and environmental benefits. “We have also developed our SharpSeal range, which uses a single mono-PET material that can be recycled easily within the current post-consumer recycling system.

Continuing this trend for environmental responsibility is SharpLow, which incorporates mineral fillers in the material to reduce its petrochemical content whilst retaining its protection and strength qualities,� outlines Martin.

info@m-mes.com www.m-mes.com Quick - Efficient - Easy MMES (Mike Morgan Electrical Services) is an established electrical engineering and contracting company based in Bridgwater, Somerset since 1989, delivering 1st in class service to blue chip clients such as Sharpak.

Its continuing commitment to innovation and support when response is vital to Sharpak process and project management, ensures growth in its own provision, based on mutually beneficial relationship where responses are timely and a source of continuing improvement opportunities.

All aspects of electrical works are delivered to Sharpak including design, installation of power systems, process line installations, manufacture, assembly of control panels, factory and machine maintenance, inspection and testing for legislative compliance, 24/7 cover for production systems.

20 www.foodchain-magazine.com

Sharpak – Yate and Bridgewater

Other innovations are: SharpTek, which uses ground breaking antimicrobial technology to reduce the impact of cross contamination and provide reassurance to customers and consumers and SharpPlus, which uses special materials to absorb odours and increase consumer appeal. “This was originally developed for the poultry market but is becoming more popular in the meat industry, reducing the cost of customer complaints,” notes Martin.

“Then for the red meat industry we have made a lot of investment into absorption padding. These are important to lock away liquids and maintain a clean, presentable pack for consumers. We made the decision that padding via the use of robots is a far superior solution to hand padding as it reduces the risk of cross contamination. Therefore we have invested to ensure that our entire range of trays are padded by robots.”

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www.foodchain-magazine.com 21

C. Bradley Engineering Ltd Machining, Welding, fabrication & Construction

Product Speciality: RPET (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate) Flake and Pellet ● Full audit trail and complete documentation for every delivery ● Quality control checks at origin before material ships ● Local warehousing for “just in time” call-off deliveries ● REACH registered ● Diverse supply offerings from premium high clarity options to

inexpensive B and C grades from various origin markets ● Skilled team of 10 RPET supply experts ● Market leading credit terms available ● Serving customers in the UK and across Europe

Providing reliable, long term RPET solutions for our customers.

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E:colinbradley06@aol.com www.cbradleyengineering.co.uk

“Experienced, professional engineering company providing a reliable, high-quality service” Our services include: a Machining a Roller repairs a Product design a Coded welding a General fabrication a Aluminium welding a 24 Hour call out service a Stainless and mild steel welding a Installation & Project management a Supply of skilled labour for planned maintenance, shutdown, installation and site clearance work.

Units 3,4 & 5, Sedgemount Industrial Park, Bristol Road, Bridgewater, Somerset, TA6 4AR

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Sharpak – Yate and Bridgewater Supply chain Environmental responsibility is a key driver to Sharpak’s innovation strategy at present and this further entrenches the company’s leading position in a market where recyclable quality materials are critical to continued success. Another major focus for the company at the moment is its work with customers into supply chain optimisation. “Since the recession, value has really increased in terms of being a driver for consumers,” says Martin. “This has been looking at the entire supply chain to keep the overall cost down and provide better value for the end consumer.”

It is clear that operating as a supplier to the fast-paced and ever-changing consumer market throws up many challenges, but Sharpak is responding well thanks to its committed drive for innovation and the robust group structure that supports it. Groupe

Guillin as a whole commits £20 million a year into investment and over the last three years Bridgewater has received £12 million to cope with demand. “A lot of this has been put into increasing the warehouse as the business grows and develops,” highlights Martin. “We have to make sure we keep our service levels up to serve the market. We are always investing into faster, better machines as well as part of our approach to continuous improvement.”

With a period of successful growth ongoing, the future for Sharpak, and indeed the Guillin group as a whole, is positive despite challenges in the supply of PP raw materials. “We want to continue growing with a focus on continued innovation and improvement,” concludes Martin. “We have been successful so far but we see future opportunities and I think a lot of the innovations that we are developing and what some of our sister companies are developing in Europe are key to exploiting these. It’s a real key strength for us to be able to share these innovations across markets, so rather than just delivering what the customer wants today, we can start focusing on what they might need tomorrow.” D www.groupeguillin.fr/en

www.foodchain-magazine.com 23

Cream of the crop

With a total market share in Norway of approximately 48 per cent in 2015, family-owned and operated ice cream factory Hennig-Olsen Is AS is renowned for the quality and fine flavour of its range of ice cream products

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Hennig-Olsen

A

‘

proud annual producer of 27 million litres of ice cream, Hennig-Olsen has developed an exemplary reputation within the Norwegian market thanks to its long-term experience in ice cream development and production. With branch offices in Oslo, Haugesund, Bergen, Mold, Trondheim and Tromso, the 250 strong company boasts a turnover of 100 million euros, which is mainly through delivery of products throughout Norway, as well as exports to Murmansk, Russia. Today the company delivers premium quality ice cream in a wide range of flavours to its target customer base – retail and supermarkets, kiosks, petrol stations and HORECA. The success of the ice cream in the market is based on the inclusion of quality ingredients such as fruits and berries, chocolate, nuts, coffee, yogurt, and syrup as well as specials that include egg liquer, Oreo biscuits and Daim chocolate bars.

Key to the company maintaining its competitive edge in the market is the fact it is a family business

Hennig-Olsen also sells ice cream in single and multipacks, desserts, yogurts, cake, sprinkles and sauces.

“Hennig-Olsen’s ice cream factory was founded on the 5th May 1924 by Sven Hennig-Olsen, who spent four years in the US trying different crafts and jobs,” begins Paal Hennig-Olsen CEO and Managing Director at HennigOlsen. It was in Chicago that Sven mastered how to make ice cream the professional way and made plans to emigrate permanently, however, upon hearing from his girlfriend in Norway, he returned to his home country with ice cream producing equipment and

a book full of recipes. “When Sven began the business in 1924 he sold tobacco, chocolates, fruits and ice cream.

Naturally, he developed the business over the years by investing in new techniques and machines; he also began to manufacture sticks and tubs apart from the scooping products.”

With Sven’s death in 1945, his wife Ebba took over the business for eight years until Otto Hennig-Olsen, Paal’s father, took over in 1953. From this moment the company underwent further development, including its relocation to Kristiansand, which resulted in steady growth and the company reaching

www.foodchain-magazine.com 25

national distribution and a market share of 25 per cent in the 1980s. It was during this successful decade that Paal and his brother began working for Hennig-Olsen, with a focus on expansion, the development of new products and the acquisition of new machinery; alongside this, the brothers were keen to build on the brand of Hennig-Olsen as well as its different sub brands.

Craftsmanship “In 1997 I took over as Managing Director; that year we had a fantastic summer and sales rocketed, unfortunately 1998 was the opposite with lousy weather and dropping sales.

This was a challenging start for a young man, but I have continued to develop the company ever since. In 2012 we put down our own distribution and sold 100 ice cream trucks; distribution is now through wholesalers to all channels, including supermarkets such as Norges Gruppen, Shell and Esso; kiosks such as Mix and the catering sector,” explains Paal. “In fact, we have

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about 55 per cent of the market share in the food service segment in general.”

Throughout 2015 the company has enjoyed a market share of 48 per cent, with many Norwegians choosing Hennig-Olsen products such as ice cream cakes, soft scoop ice cream, soft-ice mix and milkshake mix over competitors. Key to the company maintaining its competitive edge in the market is the fact it is a family business, which means family values, faster decision making processes, a mutual dedication to success and, perhaps most importantly, loyal and enthusiastic colleagues. Additionally, Hennig Olsen focuses on craftsmanship in all areas of production and regularly invests in new equipment and facilities. “We have seven production lines, a mixing department, our own chocolate production area, and our own production of ripple sauces and nougat.

We also have a cold store with 10,000 pallet capacity, an R&D department and well-trained production and technical staff.”

This focus on product development

Hennig-Olsen

and quality has led to the release of two new products, Dugg Frozen Yogurt\ Frozen Sorbets, which are a healthier option with low fat content, and Inspira.

“These products are a series of 0.5 litre tubs, with frozen yogurt at 1.2 per cent fat and 40 per cent yogurt and a fat free frozen sorbet,” confirms Paal.

“Meanwhile, Inspira is a series of luxury ice creams with lots of goodies inside.”

Examples within this range of premium ice creams include berries, peanuts and caramel, and cookie dough.

Innovations In 2015 the company further proved its capabilities in ice cream production to the extreme when it unveiled the world’s largest ice cream cone ever made at the start of the Tall Ships Race at Kristianstad. Approximately 9000 people witnessed the feat, with the ice cream measuring 3.08 metres from top

to bottom and consisting of 40 litres of homemade ligonberry jam and 1080 litres of vanilla ice cream as well as 60 litres of chocolate; moreover, the biscuit cone alone weighed in at 75 kg. Discussing the world record, Paal states: “After a lot of testing, failing and discussion, we succeeded with the help of an engineer with long-term experience from the oil-service industry who did the difficult calculations with regards to height, weight and creating the mould.”

Benefiting from the loyalty of the Norwegian consumer, going forward Hennig-Olsen will be focusing on boosting efficiency within all areas of operation and continuing to develop new innovations for the market. “We also want to continue enjoying organic growth by exploring consumer and customer needs before transforming them into new products,” concludes Paal. D www.hennig-olsen.no

FoodChain THE BUSINESS OF FOOD AND DRINK

To advertise in FoodChain magazine please contact: Sales Manager Joe Woolsgrove jwoolsgrove@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales Rob Wagner rwagner@schofieldpublishing.co.uk T: +44 (0)1603 274130 | F: +44 (0)1603 274131 www.foodchain-magazine.com

www.foodchain-magazine.com 27

Sweet success Northern confectioner Sweetdreams has undergone a programme of reshaping and now looks to the rest of the UK for continued growth

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W

ith a loyal following in the North of England, Choc Nibbles have been part of the Northern confectionery landscape for 30 years.

Originally an accidental creation by Dobsons Confectionery in Ponteland, the unique milk chocolate snack later formed the foundation for Sweetdreams Ltd. Matthew Stephenson bought the company eight years ago and the company remains 100 per cent family owned and managed as it sets about evolving into a nationally successful brand of chocolate products. Indicating Matthew’s turnaround, over the eight years turnover has increased three and a half times as it dispatches over 15 tonnes of product every week.

“The core product is Choc Nibbles,” begins Matthew, “but as we have developed flavours and ingredients the product range has increased. The second largest seller is Toffee Crumble,

followed by Choc Lick, and then we have introduced flavour variants of orange and mint. In 2015, we have launched two new products, which are Jammie and Posh. Our products are completely unique and can’t be mixed up with being anything else as we’re the only one doing it. We affectionately call it an ‘ugly’ treat, which can be a struggle to get new consumers to buy into, but those who have tried it, trust it and keep coming back.”

With a loyal brand following established in the North, Sweetdreams’ success has come from maintaining strong wholesale and distribution relationships, with its ability to offer high margins. “Of course we use high quality ingredients but from the way we process and the way we source to the fact that we have strong distribution partners and no sales force, means that we are able to keep costs down. We are very value driven,” he continues.

Sweetdreams However, having reached a financial plateau 18 months ago, Matthew decided to pursue a strategy of growth with the view to double the business in five years.

In the time since a £100,000 investment programme has been implemented to bring the company up to a point where it can deliver to a national market. At the heart of this have been new products, and in particular the Posh Choc Nibbles offering, which overcomes the challenge of the ‘ugly’ treat being an unappealing product to new consumers. “The Posh is an original Choc Nibble coated in high quality Belgian chocolate,” says Matthew. “The ugly treat disappears with a nice polish and shape to it. We had identified that it would be difficult to enter these new markets as a company of our size with our existing product range.

Therefore this product is very much part of the strategy to break into markets like discount and pre-packaged, as opposed to the traditionally jarred, wholesale products that we have launched before.”

The investment at Sweetdreams has been about positioning the business in the best way possible to achieve its growth strategy. “We have upped quality control and comfort infrastructure within the facility, sorted out the warehouse and of course brought in new capital equipment and machinery,” outlines Matthew. “Along with developing new products and packaging, this allows us to be far more reactive to the market, as we can start doing smaller runs and we can get into different distribution channels. We’ve also been upping our game with regards to quality systems and consultancy. However, the biggest problem has been getting the right people. It’s easy to buy machinery and develop packaging, but its is extremely challenging to recruit the best staff, but we’re nearly there with that.”

As Sweetdreams now looks beyond the UK North-South border it is working on establishing strong distribution partnerships to bring the product to market. One particular recent success has been to get listed with Bonds Confectionery as the first company in its three-for-a-pound range to retain its original Choc Nibbles brand.

If the last 18 months have been about reshaping the business, the next are

about deploying it to achieve growth.

Even throughout the investment stage Sweetdreams hit 10 per cent growth, and Stephenson is confident of meeting this target again in the next year. “It’s now all about bringing these things together and sweating the assets in a controlled way to achieve our growth targets,” he comments. “I made the strategic decision 18 months ago to

The Northumberland confectioner is taking sure steps towards becoming a strong player in the UK value confectionery market. A lot of hard work has been put into getting the Sweetdreams to a position from which it can grow and initial results appear to be positive. As Matthew concludes: “It’s an exciting time for us and because its such a unique product is exciting for our buyers as well,

double the business in five years and we’re taking small steps to making this a reality. It will be tough but I think we will get very close to achieving it.”

because we have something that can give them the correct margins that they can’t get else where.” D www.chocnibbles.co.uk

www.foodchain-magazine.com 29

Full of beans

F The oldest coffee company in Germany, J.J. Darboven Specialty Coffees, based in Hamburg, has devotees around the globe

30 www.foodchain-magazine.com

ounded in 1866 as a local provider of roasted coffee for German households, today J.J. Darboven has a strong national presence and includes 14 companies in nine European nations, mainly bordering Germany. The company roasts high-quality arabica and robusta coffees and offers 50 coffee selections including singleorigins, certified organics, Fair Trade, proprietary blends, and the famous coffee, IDEE KAFFEE, which is being sold under the J.J. Darboven umbrella brand.

The most popular other sub-brands under the J.J. Darboven name include: EILLES Kaffee, Mövenpick, Café Intención, and Alfredo Espresso, with the latter being the most sold Espresso in the German hotel and restaurant industry.

As recently as September 2015, IDEE KAFFEE underwent a comprehensive brand re-launch, with redesigned packaging and a new TV advertising campaign. “The aim of the re-launch is to increase the visibility of IDEE KAFFEE back into the consciousness of the end user. In

addition, we want to be perceived as an attractive and modern brand for a younger target group. At the same time we can highlight the particulars and values of the brand,” explains Frank Hilgenberg of J. J. Darboven. The new pack design offers a contemporary and trendy look that is gradually being transferred to the entire range.

Connected to the brand re-launch is also the introduction of a new logo in the form of a coffee bean. It stands across the orientation and attitude of the company and communicates the important issue of social responsibility, or the ‘J.J. Darboven Responsibility’ as the company refers to it.

In fact, J.J. Darboven is dedicated to conducting business in a manner that balances economic goals with environmental and social impacts on local and global communities.

From work initiated by the company’s environmental committee, to the programmes undertaken at home and in coffee producing countries, Darboven strives to make a positive difference in the communities where it operates and does business. The company engages in several cultural and social community programmes, and offers an endowment to striving female entrepreneurs. This award alternates yearly between J.J. Darboven’s German and Polish locations, enabling each to support entrepreneurship and ambition in the local area.

Strong brand Specialty coffee is becoming increasingly popular in Germany and what sets J.J. Darboven apart from its competitors in its market are the premium brands that it manufactures.

The majority of J.J. Darboven revenues are derived from its food service operation for hotels and restaurants, and its wholesale operation that serves supermarkets and other locations where fine coffees are sold. An important addition to the food service and wholesale operations is an enterprise that exclusively caters to offices.

J.J. Darboven is the market leader for coffee and tea in the German

‘

J.J. Darboven

Only through sustained action can we preserve the resources that we need, so that in our globalised world, all people can enjoy life

Albert Darboven, owner of J.J. Darboven

out of home market and thousands of accounts served indirectly by the national supermarket chains, the popularity of J.J. Darboven and its brands, and the strength of its name recognition are being leveraged to support continued growth.

The business is already working with highly regarded, blue chip clients such as Hilton, Deutsche Lufthansa, Sodexho, Metro, REWE, EDEKA, Tui Cruises, Mitchel & Buttlers, Kempinski, Fairmont, Air Berlin, and many others that underline the strong foundations of the organisation.

Alongside its food service and wholesale offering, J.J. Darboven also operates a small specialty gourmet shop chain under the name of J. Eilles. These shops concentrate on

specialty teas, coffees, chocolates and wines. In 2003 a new addition, designed to complement the other operations was launched. This is an e-commerce website (www.gourvita.com) that offers more than 3500 products, including a large selection of coffees and teas, fine delicatessen products and confectionery.

Its range is one of the most extensive available online, and the company prides itself on ensuring it offers only the best and freshest of offerings to its clients, which it considers to be true food ‘connoisseurs’.

While J.J. Darboven may have roots that start in the 1800s, it has thrived and prospered due to a willingness to embrace innovation and move with the times, as illustrated by the launch of Gourvita.com. It is positioned for continued growth, thanks to major investments in its enterprise-wide information system, the expansion of its central production and distribution facility, sales and support personnel, and marketing – all designed to support sustained development.

The company has also developed a multi-channel distribution strategy to provide clients with widespread exposure to the brands in a variety of settings, as well as ease of access to the product, and many tasting opportunities for ‘consumer trial by the cup’, which subsequently leads to demand for sales. The interrelationship between recognisable presence in the hotel and restaurant segment, the supermarket chains, the offices, and the internet is designed to increase consumer awareness as well as the brand equity efficiency.

The organisation is also keen to ensure that the new innovations created by the talented staff in its research and development operations are shared

www.foodchain-magazine.com 31

with the right audience of buyers and tasters. For example in September 2015, Darboven had a stand at iba - the world’s leading trade fair for bakers and confectioners in Munich. Its presence at RAKO Group J.J. Darboven and the RAKO Group can look back to 20 years of a very successful business relationship.

Especially in developing, creating and advising new product innovations RAKO is the partner to choose.

Seasonality and the associated need for flexibility are of great importance, especially in the food sector.

Whether sausages or ice cream - the products must be produced quickly and delivered to the supermarket shelf. The food specialists of the RAKO Group will provide you with expert advice when it comes to finding and implementing the perfect product for your requirements - regardless of whether this concerns digital or traditional printing solutions.

Two of its production sites focus exclusively on the production of labels for the food industry.

32 www.foodchain-magazine.com

the show was used to present the latest innovations and the extensive product and service offerings for the bakery and confectionery sectors.

In the coffee sector, there were several focal points including the Burkhof brand that was showing its new varieties and a fresh new look that more reflects its Bavarian origin.

New flavours J.J. Darboven also presented value concepts such J.HORNIG, the quality and lifestyle-oriented specialty coffee from Austria, and the classic Alfredo Espresso, which is already an integral part of the coffee supply in many bakers and confectioners.

The stand was rounded out by additional beverages - cocoa and tea - through the brands COCAYA and EILLES TEA. New flavours were launched, many of which emphasised

J.J. Darboven

Darboven’s dedication to organic and fair-trade products. The company has pioneered these particular areas for many years and has a growing number of products in the range. Both organic and fair-trade products are growing in importance for bakers, since they can enhance their hot drinks offerings

with these credentials. “Flexibility and individually tailored offers are at the centre of what J.J. Darboven does, so that with our brand concepts and our finely tuned services we can respond accurately to our customers needs,” added Frank. In fact, the philosphies associated with the fair trade and

organic movements were also close to the heart of Darboven’s legendary and visionary owner, Albert Darboven, who stated: “Only through sustained action can we preserve the resources that we need, so that in our globalised world, all people can enjoy life.” D www.darboven.com

Goglio Goglio is a leading, globally operating solutions provider with a clear focus on coffee.

Offering the complete Fresco solution, it is the company that knows most about the four most important elements during the packing of coffee: material, machine, valve and last but not least, people.

Goglio North Europe has collaborated together with J.J. Darboven regarding the run-ability of materials on one of its lines. Thanks to their combined efforts, a simple and economic solution was found that has since become the standard in the industry.

www.foodchain-magazine.com 33

Master crafted

With roots dating back to the 19th century, Aldaris operates as a leading traditional brewery company within Latvia and the Baltic states

34 www.foodchain-magazine.com

Aldaris

T

he year 1865 was a period of several firsts and great opportunity around the world, signalling events such as the end of the American Civil War, the transmission of the world’s first fax message and the publication of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland.’

In the same year Latvian brewer, Janis Dauders built the Waldschlösschen, or Forest Castle, in a Riga suburb. By 1906 the facility represented the most modern brewery in Europe and in 1937 the state joint-stock company Aldaris was established.

Today Aldaris is part of the Carlsberg Group, which became the sole owner of the business in 2008 and represents the largest producer of beer in Eastern and Northern Europe and the fourth largest in Europe. As of 2015 Aldaris is able to celebrate a century and a half of brewing heritage and presently provides a diverse range of beverages comprised of local and imported beers, ciders, long drinks, water, soft drinks and energy drinks. The brand portfolio of imported beers overseen by Aldaris for example, is comprised of some of the world’s most recognised beverages such as Carlsberg, Tuborg, Baltika, Staropramen and Grimbergen.

Throughout its history, Aldaris has continually worked to ensure that provides a premium level of quality and a brand porfolio that reflects the requirements of the market. During September 2013, in response to in-depth analysis of the Latvian beer market, Aldaris announced a change in strategy to focus of the production of craft and premium beer. As part of its new strategy Aldaris further announced the investment of €3 million into the reopening of its historic brewery for the development of several new craft beers, as well continued focus on efficiency

initiatives. Data collected by AC Nielson has demonstrated that the premium and craft beer segment is constantly growing in Latvia, for example since 2009 the craft beer segment has grown by 50 per cent and already represents more than 14 per cent of the total market.

Prior to 2013 Aldaris had not been present within the craft beer segment, however following the decision to approach this market the brewery was able to begin the development of exclusive craft beer in glass bottles and kegs. Commenting on the announcement of the development of its new beers, Aldaris CEO Veli Pekka Tennila said: “We strongly believe that consumers will appreciate the highest quality craft beer created in Aldaris historic brewery. Our analysis shows that demand for craft beer

www.foodchain-magazine.com 35

The art of brewing

ZIP Technologies, a premier manufacturer of brewing equipment, has been designing, manufacturing and commissioning automated, modern equipment for over 20 years. ZIP provides complete, turnkey brewing solutions for the brewpub, craft brewery and microbrewery industries.

The company is based in Hungary and prides itself on its spirited and quality-oriented approach.

Brewing equipment developed by ZIP is forward thinking, and makes brewing enjoyable and seamless, bringing to small scale the technology, consistency, automation and control usually enjoyed only by the mammoth breweries.

ZIP’s full spectrum of services includes: »» Customer-oriented equipment design and manufacturing »» Engineering plans and equipment layout »» Business plan for the brewery »» Beer recipe development »» Raw materials sourcing »» Complete assembling and commissioning of the brewery at site »» Personnel training »» Equipment warrantee and after sales service All in all, ZIP is a multinational creative company, that brings together people infatuated with what they do, with an enthusiastic and trailblazing, can-do attitude.

www.zipbier.com

ZIP by the NUMBERS »» »» »»

»» »»

22 years in the brewing industry over 125 operating ZIP breweries

world

all over the

31 engineers on the team – including mechanical, electrical engineers, food and beverage processing engineers 60 specialists (welders, technicians, electricians, fitting specialists) in the plant 7 000 m2 of manufacturing space

Aldaris is still growing and consumer needs are not fully satisfied. With the opening of historic brewery we see Aldaris becoming one of the best craft beer breweries in the region.”

By February 2014 Aldaris had received the new equipment, valued at €1.3 million necessary to brew craft beer.

In a press release published in February ˇ 2014, Valdis Cunka, Aldaris brewing master commented: “We are now on the homestretch and we will soon offer new exclusive craft beers to our clients.

In total we have brewed more than 30 samples of different beers, from which only three best ones were selected by beer fans during tasting. As re-launching the old brewery is a historic event for us, we will offer beer fans to choose the most suitable names for the new craft beers, like in 1937, when the names of beer - were brands like Gaišputis and Tumšlase chosen in a popular vote.”

The new beer will be made available in 0.5l and 0.33l bottles, as well as kegs in a specialist brewery, where most of the brewing will be done manually.

Furthermore, existing brands of Aldaris beer will also be brewed at newly re-opened historic brewery. Aldaris also plans to use Latvian malt to brew its special craft beers and is currently working with suppliers to develop the first experimental batch of malt to be sure of its quality. As such, Aldaris is placed to become the first Latvian

brewery to use Latvian-produced malt in several years, as previously it was not possible to use local material owing to the lack of a malthouse in country, whereas today Latraps will produce malt in Latvia. “I think that beer fans will greatly appreciate our beer brands produced in the historic brewery, because we see that more and more consumers prefer craft beer brands, which should be enjoyed slowly, without haste. The same trend can be seen also elsewhere in the world,” Valdis notes.

Further to the on-going development of its craft beers, Aldaris has continued to enjoy great success with existing product portfolio. During September 2014 for example, it was announced that the company’s Aldaris Porteris porter beer had been recognised as Europe’s premier strong porter beer, winning a gold medal at the prestigious World Beer Awards. “We are proud of this achievement because the evaluation was very scrupulous and the competition tough. A team consisting of several dozens of experts evaluated beers in a blind tasting, paying particular attention to nuances like colour, aroma, foam and taste,” Valdis says.

The brewing technology of Aldaris

Porter is unique, as it uses a special combination of beer ingredients including caramel malt, hops and a special degree of fermentation that is typical of the Baltic States. The result is a beer with a combination of bitterness, sweetness and fermentation that cannot be found in any other part of the world.

In building on the success of its unique porter, Aldaris has also announced the imminent arrival of a new 24-month aged porter during late 2015. Forty thousand litres of this special porter have been brewed and are currently aging.

Previously during late 2013 the company released a 12-month aged Porteris Ekskluzivais beer, which proved to be highly popular. With the upcoming release of its range of craft beers and its specialty porter, Aldaris is set to provide its clients with a premium range of beverages to suit all tastes over the coming months. “Like a wine, a properly brewed and aged beer becomes even better over time, getting a special taste and aroma. Therefore, in the second half of 2015 beer fans will be offered a unique, two years old Aldara Porteris,” Valdis concludes. “This will be certainly the first beer in Latvia having made such a long way from a brewing tank to consumers.” D www.aldaris.lv

ZIP Collaborating with the world-renowned Aldaris from Carlsberg group was a great honour for ZIP. As craft beer enthusiasts and an experienced manufacturer of micro-brewery equipment, ZIP’s team did their best supporting Aldaris’ intention to invest in craft beer.

ZIP created brewing equipment that would align with the high standards of the Aldaris product: reliable, with latest technologies and engineering knowledge, accurate in every detail and precise in every step of operation. Just what was required to complete the list of Aldaris beers with new craft beers.

It was a perfect example of synergy between two companies, infatuated with what they do and in constant innovation.

www.foodchain-magazine.com 37

A quality offering

Remaining committed to its values of quality and collaboration has proven to be successful for London based caterer Just Hospitality and a careful approach to growth is set to secure more of the same in the future

J

Follow us on Twitter @JustHospitality

Moni Habib Photography

38 www.foodchain-magazine.com

ust Hospitality has been operating within London now for ten years and, despite being hit hard by the economic crash in 2008, the company has grown steadily and committedly to become a unique player in the contract catering market, with some major global names in its client list.

“Before 2008 a lot of our clients were Icelandic so when the Icelandic economy collapsed alongside the global financial crisis, we lost 90 per cent of our business over night,” outlines MD, Dean Kennett.

“However, instead of moving on, we hung on with three staff and over the following years continued working according to our values, which are not cutting corners and serving fresh, quality food. We stuck to our principles and this has kept us in the game.”

Bringing on new clients in the legal and finance industries, and later tech media firms, the business began to gather pace and Just Hospitality moved to a new premises with a 3000 square foot production kitchen and office space and now turns out 800 to 1200 meals a day courtesy of 50 staff. Generating £4 million in turnover a year, the company’s core business is in contract catering, but supports this through events catering and commercial outlets such as

cafes, tearooms and the William Morris Gallery.

“We’re good listeners,” highlights Dean.

“Like any business you have to be able to deliver on what the client is asking and this has been central to our business from the start. We don’t have any red tape with a flat management structure, so teams are free to make decisions on the ground, according to our guidance, when servicing the clients. This can take time in larger organisations and opportunities can be missed so this gives us a competitive edge in a fiercely competitive market.”

Working within labour-competitive markets such as tech media, companies are pulling out all the stops to retain talent, and part of this strategy is to run free food programmes. A particular example of Just Hospitality’s ability to listen closely to its customers and offer a quality service is its relationship with social media giant Twitter. “Their brief didn’t match up exactly to what we were offering at the time,” says Dean.

“However, we saw beyond that and gave them a plan of how we would build a food programme for them. This has since been rolled out and delivered under budget and their management are happy to entrust in us that responsibility, which is a very important perk for their

Just Hospitality employees. This has lead to further growth and referrals to other clients.”

With regards to the company’s food offering, Dean sums it up as simply “healthy, stay-awake food,” and Just Hospitality delivers this with fresh, well-sourced, seasonal ingredients and menus. “Again we have to listen to our clients’ needs and deliver healthy, well balanced and varied menus with some treats throughout the week,” he continues. “We also hold the ‘field-to-fork’ value as core in our business and so we do a lot in terms of the provenance of food. In short, we work with farm assured suppliers, and look to them as friends rather than merely suppliers. Therefore, we embark on a journey that we both agree to work together on developing and improving as the years go by, so that

where we get our produce from, that we know the people, and that we understand their challenges as well. It’s a really wellregarded collaboration, which the clients like and everyone benefits from.”

This collaboration continues beyond supplier relationships into offering a diverse and technically unlimited food range. Born partly out of a need to stay ahead of fast moving high street trends and to take a different angle from its competitors, Just Hospitality actively seeks support from specialists within the catering industry. “A lot of big players will take on 100 per cent of the work in a contract, but we will happily give some of that away to specialists, which allows us to vary the offer to the client and keeps it fresh and different,” points out Dean. “Again, our clients like to see this collaboration with

when we do well, so do they. We also gain a lot of education from opening up these discussions, and I’ve taken clients to the farms so that they can see that we know

smaller suppliers and companies and it gives us a leading position.”

Aside from offering sustainable and quality food, both collaboration and

Ashby’s started life as a family business and is still owned by that same family today...

the ability to listen are core pillars to the company’s outward integrity and inward strength. “People are our greatest asset,” says Dean, “and we are soon to hold our third AGM to sit down with everyone and talk together about our goals for next year and how we are going to move forward.”

This exemplary attitude to collective thinking is enhanced by a smart and principled strategy to growth.

“By taking on contracts that we can see will give us a good return has armoured us over the last couple of years and this will be a feature of our next steps,” concludes Dean.

“We work in a competitive market so we have to grow in a steady and controlled manner.

Therefore, we are looking at consolidating our existing markets as well as exploring potential in Ireland as current clients are talking to us about other offices. Ultimately, we will be taking safe and sustainable steps to become a caterer of choice up there with some of the big players.” D www.justhospitality.co.uk

We have been trading since 1883, initially as a retailer and over the last 40 years as a wholesaler to the catering trade.

Now run by Tracey Willbourne, the great-granddaughter of the founder of HS Linwood & Sons.

The family ethos is still as strong today: Customer Care which is second to None, Family run business established in London: A Company where ‘the extra mile’ is much more than a catchphrase

Ashby’s supply big named commercial organizations, restaurants, independent caterers as well as private individuals in the City, West End and throughout London and its suburbs.

We offer a unique service to all our customers that a well established family run business can achieve, which is individual, personal, friendly, professional and prompt.

Our fleet of liveried refrigerated delivery vans are on the road from Monday to Friday, endeavouring to make all deliveries by 11:00am however, in order to meet the needs of our broad range of customers we try, where possible, to cater for earlier or later deliveries and can offer a second delivery service when necessary T: 020 7231 4568 (24hrs) F: 020 7252 3466 E: Sales@rsashby.co.uk 37/22 Crimsott Street London, SE1 5TE

What we do: Suppliers of Fresh and Frozen Fish, Shellfish and Speciality Products to the Catering Trade.

Why choose Us? Over 130 years experience of supplying the best quality fish products Products available across the City of London, West End and North London.

Website: Linwood1883.co.uk Follow us at: @LinwoodHS @1883Fish and FB: H S Linwood & Sons Ltd HS Linwood & Sons Ltd are proud to supply

www.rsashby.co.uk

www.foodchain-magazine.com 39

A fresh approach

F

Manufacturer of high-quality and innovative sterilisation and pasteurisation systems, Steritech, proves that close collaboration with customers can be an effective route to long-term success 40 www.foodchain-magazine.com

ounded in 1988 by Patrice Camu off the back of years of experience in the retorting industry, Steritech brings to market a range of high quality, innovative and process driven sterilisation and pasteurisation systems for the global food industry. Based in Alsace, France, the company is well placed both strategically and geographically to serve its core markets in Germany, France, Holland and Switzerland, and actively establishes strong global partnerships to distribute products to worldwide markets. “Central to our company is that we are a process driven company,” begins Global Sales Manager, Richard Mandille. “We always try to produce our machines based on our clients’ products and be more

process orientated rather than being machine builders.”

Initially focusing on batch retort systems, Steritech demonstrated its skills of foresight and innovation by being one of the first companies to develop continuous systems. This facilitates the growing need to process a range of flexible packaging solutions including glass, cans, plastic trays and pouches.

“Driven by our process orientation, this means that we really have to look at how packaging will react to high temperatures and pressures from our machines to sterilise and pasteurise the products,” explains Richard. “We are also very strong with our innovation, we always look to come up with new ideas and new ways to improve our machines.”

What really differentiates Steritech on the market is its approach to customer relationships. Richard recognises that as a small company it is critical for Steritech to work alongside its customers and offer unrivalled quality. “It is vital that during the process each product in a batch is subject to the same conditions and therefore result in consistent quality,” he highlights. “One of the ways we do this is by selecting strong European suppliers who we are confident with to make sure our machines are the best. We don’t believe in cutting costs to create better margins or to compete on price, our products are solely about quality. Many of our clients understand this as its increased reliability and lifetime longevity can deliver better return on investment.”

To illustrate the competencies of Steritech, in terms of its approach to quality and innovation, are two recent product launches. The first, the SerialTower, was developed and launched as a result of awarded funding from the EU Eco-Innovation programme, which recognises and encourages energy saving innovations.

“The SerialTower delivers a number of energy saving, and wider, advantages to our customers,” outlines Richard. “As a continuous system, the SerialTower allows products to be fed through one side and out the other and therefore allows the next batch to enter before the last has been completed, cutting down on product waiting times. Once

‘

Steritech

Over the next 12 months the company will be launching a new product line of continuous systems that offers similar process quality at a reduced cost

a product has been packaged, the longer it waits before being sterilised the higher the risk that quality will diminish, therefore its important that they can be sterilised quickly. Before, this was countered with more batch systems, but this takes up space, manpower, energy and substantial investment to operate.

“In terms of energy consumption, normally one retort vessel would have to constantly reheat and cool rapidly to facilitate the sterilisation process and this demands a huge amount of energy. With the SerialTower solution, the customer will have two towers, one for heating and one for cooling, and therefore eliminates this need to reheat constantly. We have also been able to demand less water by introducing a water re-use cycle to the process.”

Innovation The other significant example of Steritech’s recent drive for innovation is its Trilogy operating system. Developed as a result of customers telling the company what the main challenges of production are – notably a complicated

user system and lack of training, which can operate in significant downtime and loss of time and money. “In response we have developed the Trilogy operating system, which we offer in three packages, in addition to the standard system, to the customer,” says Richard. “These are a production module, which is a user friendly interface with shortcuts, tabs and universal symbols to make it easy for someone to operate and understand with less training required; the maintenance module, which combines a step-by-step, illustrated troubleshooting menu to self-solve errors with a preventative maintenance calendar; and finally a management module.

“This management module allows a plant manager to monitor and record everything that goes through the process in terms of energy consumption, product numbers and so on. This data can then be viewed in a number of comparative ways to facilitate a process of continuous improvement within the factory. The user can also input costs of things like energy and material usage, to closely monitor and improve the cost efficiency of a process.”

As Steritech moves forward and looks

www.foodchain-magazine.com 41

Steritech

ahead at a future of rising global demand for convenience products, innovation, customer service and quality will remain top of the company’s list of priorities as it continues to grow. The company recently established a new partnership in Japan and sees further opportunities across the whole American continent. “If somebody approaches us with a potential

new market for our products we are always open at exploring that market as a new opportunity,” notes Richard.

Over the next 12 months the company will be launching a new product line of continuous systems that offers similar process quality at a reduced cost to allow growing company’s to access the expensive technology in order to grow.

Again, this development grew out of paying careful attention to the customer demands. In the longer term, Steritech will be looking at consolidating already established markets and product ranges, alongside marketing itself and its unique solutions to expand and grow at a targeted 30 per cent per annum. D www.steritech.eu.com

T: +49-(0)271-35908-0 F: +49-(0)271-35908-50 W: www.siegthaler.de Here at Siegthaler we bend and flash weld butt rings from 500 mm outside diameter up to 7000 mm. The maximum cross section we are able to bend is 65.000 mm² (Carbon steel). Beside this we are using seamless rolled rings. We are able to machine these rings by turning, drilling and milling.

The materials we are handling are carbon steel, stainless steel, low alloy steel and high alloy steel acc.

EN standard as well as ASME standard.

Beside these rings and flanges we are delivering tube sheets and other components for pressure vessel manufacturer.

We are also machining as a subcontractor custom made products such as welded steel constructions or cast iron parts.

42 www.foodchain-magazine.com

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With over four decades of industry experience in supplying clients within the brewing industry, Morrow Brothers Ltd has established itself as a world leader in cask and keg refurbishment

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rothers Alan and David Morrow founded the company to provide repair and refurbishing services for kegs and casks within the brewing industry. Over the years Morrow Brothers Limited has continued to grow and expand its product portfolio, today providing a comprehensive range of containers, extractor tubes and snapcaps. “My father and his brother set up the business in 1969, as up until that time no similar such business existed,” elaborates Director, Liam Morrow.

“Previously what happened when kegs or casks began to leak is that they were sent to the manufacturer and exchanged at scrap value on a pro rata basis against the purchase of new ones. This was fairly inefficient and not very economical compared to repair and reconditioning. A further benefit of this, although this was perhaps not as considered during the 1960s, is that it is also a relatively green approach. The business has continued to grow through industry trends of growth and decline and today employs 25 people across three sites.”

Further to its existing business, Morrow Brothers Ltd has recently expanded its service portfolio to include bottling

operations, with the establishment of Morrow Brothers Packaging Ltd. The new business includes a new facility, based in Buckshaw Village and will operate as a contract bottling plant providing bottling, labelling and packaging services, as well as further distributing products for speciality beverage manufacturers. Much like his father before him, Liam initiated the establishment of the business in response to market demand, further solidifying the company’s reputation as a pioneering market leader. “The new business was set up on the back of customer requests from the smaller microbrewers that we deal with and supply casks to,” Liam reveals. “Within the brewing industry at present there is a chronic shortage of contract bottling. For example when you speak to the owners of most contract bottling plants, their capacity is full for the next three months.

Additionally, at the lower level volume the metric of 50-60 barrels downward, the quality can be a bit hit and miss. What we are trying to do with this business is provide a gold standard of bottling at that lower level.”

HSBC Commercial Banking provided £355,000 in equipment finance and a term loan to expedite the establishment

Morrow Brothers of the new venture. Morrow Brothers Packaging currently employs five dedicated staff and has been in operation for three weeks at time of writing. As a significant investment and a highly anticipated development within the specialist brewing sector, Liam is confident that the business will develop quickly in the coming months. “As a family business and SME wanting to grow in the region, the new plant at Buckshaw Village is an extremely important step for us,” he says. “Morrow Brothers Packaging Ltd will provide our clientele with a one-stop-shop for keg servicing repairs and bottling of beverages for leading breweries, including manufacturers of craft beer, lager and cider, that require expert care for their packaging and bottling process.”

New Zealand. Within the UK the present market is increasingly driven by the growing popularity of craft and specialist beers, which has in turn increased the demand of Morrow Brothers products from a growing base of microbrewers.

“We operate in a very parochial industry,” Liam says. “Customers will contact us after hearing about the company from other supply chain representatives.

For example, we had a visit from a representative of AB Vickers who had brought with them a head brewer and they were impressed enough to send down some beer on a trial basis with a view to send more down the track once we demonstrate that we can do what we intend to do. The UK over the past few years has been very cask driven by microbrewers, although there is very

revenue stream where they can control the margins, as well as develop an expanded brand portfolio.”

Over the coming years Morrow Brothers Ltd will continue develop its service offering and consider new investments that will enable it to further support the brewing industry. “The next phase will be to offer our own contract kegging facility, which is an obvious fit with our keg business. This will enable us to provide the keg while the customer supplies the beer, once the keg is full it can be delivered to wherever it is required,” Liam says. “Over the next 12 months we will naturally focus on getting the bottling plant up and running. As a family business we are able to move our strategy quickly and that independence also means that we are not tied into a particular supply chain, we can almost

Over the years Morrow Brothers Ltd has delivered products to clients across the UK as well as globally, particularly within Africa, Jamaica, Australia and

much a trend towards providing keg beers particularly in London. This is of benefit to brewers who are also bar owners as they are able to add a new

chop and choose and select what we feel is the best option in the market,” he concludes. D

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FoodChain The business of food and drink

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