FoodChain Issue 111 March 2016

FoodChain Issue 111

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March 2016

The business of food and drink

Reputation for excellence Macdonald Hotels has a simple aim – to be widely recognised as the best place in town for food, service and atmosphere

Industry News l

Embrace the potential Why food and drink manufacturers need to appreciate the benefits of automation technologies

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l

Refreshing new fruity lager launched

Street food menu arrives at Chiquito Pulled smoked salmon provides bold flavours

A marriage of inconvenience Increasing numbers of convenience stores are creating packaging challenges

FoodChain L ISSUE

111

L

WINTER 2015 / SPRING 2016

THE BUSINESS OF FOOD AND DRINK

Reputation

for excellence Macdonald Hotels has a simple aim – to be widely recognised as the best place in town for food, service and atmosphere

Editor’s Welcome

Industry News Embrace the potential Why food and drink manufacturers need to appreciate the benefits of automation technologies

L Refreshing

new fruity lager launched food menu arrives at Chiquito

A marriage of inconvenience

L Street

L Pulled

smoked salmon provides bold flavours

Increasing numbers of convenience stores are creating packaging challenges

Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Libbie Hammond Art Editor Advertising Design Fleur Daniels Staff Writers Jo Cooper Andrew Dann Ben Clark Profiles Manager Emma Crane Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove Sales Rob Wagner Operations Director Philip Monument Editorial Researcher Yasmine Sadr Manuel Lopez Office Manager Advertising Administrator Tracy Chynoweth Studio Assistant Barnaby Schofield

W

hat a fine selection of companies we shine the spotlight onto in this issue of FoodChain. From a small local steakhouse and grill in Norfolk, England to a global hotel chain, the unifying ingredients to

their success are a passion for excellence and a dedication to producing only the very best food for their customers. Of course this is true of all the companies in these pages and I am thrilled to see more countries being represented too – including Mestdagh Artisan and Meneba in Belgium and Trensums in Sweden.

I hope we can continue this trend in our next issues and share even more

Follow us at:

stories of success.

@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.foodchainmagazine.com © 2016 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

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Features Craft brewing Taste the future

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Predictions for what 2016 will bring to the craft beer sector – including changes in packaging, design and ageing

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No manufacturer wants to be faced with a product recall – but the right supply chain software can help with protecting brand reputation

Packaging Technology A marriage of inconvenience

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Catering Equipment Equipped for success

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A new proliferation of convenience stores is changing consumer shopping habits and this brings challenges to the packaging sector

The commercial catering equipment market is responding to a number of trends including sustainability and legislative demands

Food waste Waste: Lead, don’t follow

Traditional pubs Adapt to survive

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Retailers can take the lead in the war on food waste, by embracing supply chain technology

In order to grow and prosper in today’s culture, traditional pubs need to make a few changes

Crop science Top of the crop

Production Health check

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A field scanalyzer is being used to monitor a selection of six wheat varieties grown at four different nitrogen levels

Industry 4.0 Embrace the potential Why the UK’s food and beverage manufacturing sector needs to embrace the potential of Industry 4.0

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Supply Chain Ants in your plants

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How one food manufacturer used a condition monitoring programme to increase capacity by around ten per cent

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News

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

Taste Test

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

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36 Profiles

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

Meneba

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Cornerways Nursery

Celebrating 100 years in business in 2015, Meneba is looking

Cornerways Nursery grows and supplies a range of tomatoes

to the future with plans for expansion and efficiency

for retailers across the country

Bidvest Foodservice

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Takasago Europe

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Following a major rebrand in 2015, Bidvest Foodservice is

A leader in the flavour and fragrance industry, TAKASAGO Europe

starting 2016 with a determination to provide an even greater

is always prepared for upcoming trends in the food industry

range of services and products to its customers

and its flavour experts are an integral part of its success

Bisca

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Starwood Hotels

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Danish snack producer Bisca is launching its first entry into

Starwood Hotels is focused on continued expansion and growing

the organic segment with a small assortment of biscuit

its portfolio, which includes internationally renowned brands, like

products to test the market

The Luxury Collection, Le Méridien, Sheraton, W Hotels and Aloft

Macdonald Hotels

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Trensums Food

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With 25 years of growth and success behind it, the future

Trensums Food is recognised as the first choice for several of

looks positive for Macdonald Hotels

Europe’s production partners

Mestdagh Artisan

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Mamma Lucia

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Mestagh Artisan’s range of products includes savoury items

Mamma Lucia has established a strong reputation for high

such as croquettes, gourmet foods, savoury bites and culinary aids

quality, good value Italian food products

Middletons Steakhouse & Grill

Glendale Foods Ltd

49

A focus on serving only the finest meats has underpinned the

Glendale Food’s latest milestone was a management

success of Middletons Steakhouse & Grill

buyout that was finalised at the end of 2015

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Taste the future

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Craft Beers The UK’s craft beer scene has been confidently brewing up a storm for over ten years, and 2015 saw an encouraging influx of new, agile micro-breweries eager to satisfy the thirsts of the nation’s beer-lovers.

By Matt Corden

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hat’s not to say that craft is approaching mainstream; more a case of it reacting to an increasing demand from beer-drinkers for beers with creative identity both on the palate and on the label. The thirst for craft is gaining momentum. In the UK, the category currently represents around 2.5 per cent of total beer sales. This percentage may seem slight, however it’s without doubt craft is driving the dialogue in beer trends globally. In the US, where this trend shift first started in the 1980s, this figure is up to an impressive ten per cent.

As a food and drink movement, locally sourced, artisan-crafted products have come to the fore, and microbreweries represent another strand of this consumer-led demand.

Part of the success of the craft beer ‘revolution’ is the brewers’ adeptness in aligning craft beer drinking with food pairings. From the ultra-hopped WestCoast USA IPAs, which led the first charge, to the re-imagining of classic European beer styles such as BerlinerWeisse and Gueuze, the micro-brewing industry has an opportunity to be creative with an ever-evolving repertoire of brewing styles to experiment with.

So, what’s next for the UK craft beer scene? Gazing into our crystal ball, we can predict a number of key trends that have started and will gain further momentum in 2016.

Sustainability and environmental impact are at the forefront of this shift.

Being significantly lighter than bottles, packaging beer in cans as opposed to bottles is more cost effective in terms of transport and production costs; costs ultimately passed on to the consumer.

From the brewer’s perspective, canning also eliminates the challenges of light-strike; the scourge of hoppier beer styles such as IPAs. As a result, the canned product should reach the consumer in perfect condition in both freshness and flavour.

The building of a canning line is a sizeable investment for any brewery, and so it’s encouraging to see a new nano-industry building up with ‘mobile’ canning facilities that can pop-up onsite at smaller-scale brewing units.

At the consumer end, beer cans are an accessible, newly energised, refreshed concept. Whether presented at outdoor festivals, music gigs or other events, they are practical and accessible. Aesthetically, the format

also allows greater freedom in terms of being a successful platform for branding.

Beyond just the traditional bottle label, cans are a larger canvas for craft brewers to work with in their branding and identity. Following Williams Bros, Brewdog and others, at Drygate our full ‘Fearless’ range of beers will move to canned product in the first quarter of 2016.

Creative partnerships and collaborations Craft brewers are leading the way with collaborative partnerships, both within the brewing industry itself, and looking out into the wider world, the creative industries.

Collaboration is a key theme to the Drygate brewing ethos. Ahead of the brewery’s launch in 2014, it was a logical step for us to choose to work with the world-renowned Glasgow School of Art on labelling and artwork for the beers. This is an aesthetic, creative strand we will continue to develop and nurture in years to come.

At its best, the brewing industry is a supportive one and as Drygate have benefited from those who paved the way ahead of us, we now actively support and seek collaborations with newcomers such as Glasgowbased Monolith Brewing, beer sommelier Melissa Cole and the Celtic Connections music festival.

Canning Up ‘til now, products from the newly emerging craft breweries have mostly presented their brews as draught product, or within premium glass bottles. In the UK, the most familiar of these being the 330ml and 500ml sizes.

As a trend that started in the States, canning is making inroads into smallscale UK brewing for various reasons.

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Craft Beers Studio and experiential brewing The realm of the home-brewer has seen huge improvements both in available technology with affordable equipment such as The Grainfather, and also access to a greater variety of ingredients such as yeast strains, hop varietals and malts.

More recently, this has further opened up with several craft breweries making facilities available for hire. Enthused and educated in so many more brewing styles, facilities such as Drygate’s Studio Kit allow the home brewer to develop their knowledge and produce top quality craft beer in small volumes.

For the newer recruits to craft beer, the experiential brewpub acts a ‘window’ into the industry; breaking down barriers and increasing awareness of brewing methods on a small scale.

The next phase of barrel ageing Flavour influence from Bourbon barrelageing has long been a favourite for

Drygate’s brewers: Ed Evans, Alessandra Confessore and Jake Griffin

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well over a decade in the industry. We predict the ‘next wave’ of barrel aging will soon make its way to the UK. From tequila and mezcal barrels from Mexico to spirits such as absinthe, many breweries will relish the opportunity to experiment with idiosyncratic, smallbatch brews.

The craft beer movement, in both its innovation and its creativity, shows no sign of slowing down. The connection between the brewers’ vision and the consumers’ thirst has never been stronger; the future of the brewing industry is in good hands. D Reference articles https://www.brewersassociation.org/insights/ craft-brewers-and-cans/ 19th October 2015 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ foodanddrink/11478263/Cheers-Craft-beeris-finally-going-mainstream....html 18th March 2015

Matt Corden is Operations Director at Drygate, the UK’s first experiential craft brewery. Just ten minutes from Glasgow’s bustling city centre, the iconic seven peaks of the Drygate brewery symbolises a place where everyone - from craft beer aficionados to novices - can become immersed in craft beer culture. www.drygate.com

IndustryNews

A fruity option The launch of new Kopparberg Fruit Lager is offering consumers a unique and refreshing taste experience this spring.

Hitting the shelves in late February 2016, the new product will be an exciting addition to the brand’s current range, and takes Swedish cider innovator Kopparberg’s fruit expertise into the beer category.

Best served ice-cold from the bottle and with an ABV of 5%, Kopparberg Fruit Lager will be available in a crisp Lemon & Lime flavour, and aims to extend the drinking occasion in the spring and summer months for younger millennial drinkers, by giving them a refreshing alternative to other lagers on the market.

Jodie Alliss, Senior Marketing Manager at Kopparberg comments: “Our research demonstrated that fruit is still a hit with our millennial drinkers, as our fruit ciders remain number one in the category. By launching Fruit Lager, we are extending the drinking occasion for

those consumers, via an innovative product that combines subtle premium lager bitterness with Kopparberg’s expertise in fruit refreshment that fans know and love.” www.kopparberg.co.uk

Tasty new options The UK’s most loved Tex-Mex restaurant, Chiquito welcomed February with an exciting new menu, which includes a new ‘Street Food’ offering. The menu took inspiration from the traditional and lively markets of Mexico to offer Spicy Chicken Crispy Tacos, Sweet Chorizo Croquettes with sweet Jalapeño Jelly and a Five Bean Tortilla Stack to mention just a few. These small plates are the perfect sharing option for friends dining together or when one dish isn’t quite enough.

Chiquito is also raising the bar as its skilled chefs get hands on in the kitchen with a huge

focus on daily preparation. Every day the chefs will be hand-pulling pork shoulders for the succulent pulled pork, freshly chopping vine tomatoes for the Pico De Gallo salsa and hand cutting the tortilla chips, which are seasoned with Mexican spices.

The highlight of the new menu was a new burger. The Hero Burger features the ultimate toppings of slow-cooked pulled pork, sliced chorizo, red jalapenos and Monterey Jack Cheese and has already found itself as a finalist in the National Burger Awards 2016. www.chiquito.co.uk

Sophisticated smoked salmon Scottish smokehouse, John Ross Jr (Aberdeen) Ltd, has launched an innovative new Pulled Salmon range following a successful overseas launch with a major European retailer. As Vicky Leigh, John Ross Jr’s Sales Director, explains: “Whilst we remain true to our heritage and loyal to the craft of producing smoked salmon using traditional, time-honoured techniques, we are seeing increased demand for more specialist ranges as people become keen to explore how smoked salmon can be complemented by other, more exotic flavours. As a traditional producer, creating products that are flavour-led as opposed to marketing-led is integral to our core values, however there is no denying that there is now an appetite for more adventurous smoked salmon flavours and the Cajun Pulled Smoked Salmon is undoubtedly one of the boldest examples of this.”

The pulled salmon range is slowly kiln roasted using traditional techniques, then gently pulled off the fillet and infused with a marinade of either Cajun spices or honey and mustard seeds.

Both the Pulled Salmon with Cajun Spies and the Pulled Salmon with Honey and Mustard Seeds have just been launched to independent retailers and are now available via John Ross Jr’s website in 140g packs priced at £3.25 and £3.29 respectively. www.johnrossjr.com

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A marriage of inconvenience Major changes in the UK food retail sector caused by a seismic shift in consumer buying behaviours, have resulted in rapidly growing numbers of convenience stores. Martin Leeming looks at the challenges facing the secondary packaging sector because of the accelerated growth of this expanding channel

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Packaging Technology

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he reality facing the UK sector at the moment is that despite the proliferation of large out-of-town supermarkets, consumers are instead choosing to buy their food in convenience stores, online or with discounters such as Aldi and Lidl. As a result of falling sales, a number of the big names in grocery retail have focused recent investment on convenience stores.

For many, this has been a necessary move in light of shoppers’ growing preference for convenience stores.

Evidence shows that reliance on the traditional weekly ‘big shop’ is diminishing and shoppers are instead making regular, often daily, visits to smaller convenience stores to meet the demands of increasingly busy lifestyles. It is estimated that as consumers continue to be timepoor, changes to the way they choose to shop will see convenience stores grow 22 per cent to £20.2bn by 2020. Similarly, ‘meal for tonight’ purchases will increase by 50 per cent to 2.7bn and purchases of often-warm ‘food to go’ is expected to rise by 60 per cent to £8.3bn.

Figures from the commercial real estate company CBRE show that the big four grocery retailers now run almost 3500 convenience or small stores, such as Tesco Express, Tesco Metro, Sainsbury’s Local and M Local.

This compares with 2500 traditional supermarkets. Everyone has talked about online as the big disruptor in grocery shopping, but the growth of convenience stores has arguably had a much greater impact. It has encouraged a change in shopping habits. It is enormous. It has encouraged people to fragment their shopping.

The challenge is posed by the fact this explosion in formats and choice forces cost into the supply chain while the discounters continue to peg any potential for price increases by focusing on a limited product range - less than 1500 skus at very low prices - underpinned by an astonishingly low cost to sell. The reality is that convenience stores are expensive shops to run. Deliveries cost more, rent bills are often higher and they do not benefit from economies of scale because of their smaller size.

The result? Changes must be made to secondary packaging formats and

design. Retail ready packaging for convenience stores creates a very specific set of challenges. For instance, space, both on shelf and in the back ups, is at even more of a premium so delivering ‘one way stock’ and minimising replenishment time becomes much more critical. It’s unlikely that a pack size that is right for a big store is going to be right for a convenience store. Too big a pack size in fresh food will lead to higher food waste, multiple handling and space pressure in the back up areas, whereas smaller pack sizes lead to increased packaging cost, increased packaging waste and more packs to handle in the supply chain. Retail ready packaging needs to be ready to offer solutions to these challenges, whilst simultaneously meeting the demands of large supermarkets, hitting sustainability targets and reducing fresh food waste.

It is essential that food producers factor in these new challenges when planning their packaging requirements.

The industry is crying out for new innovations that can deliver smaller packs that are lower cost, consume fewer resources, are quicker and easier to prepare for shelf and maximise brand impact on shelf. One of the barriers is the polarisation of packaging materials supply chains, whether it is corrugate, RPET, cartonboard or film. On their own, each of these pack types have come a long way in reducing the amount of material and therefore cost. However, the pace of improvement is now slowing and new approaches are required. An appropriate analogy would be the motor industry, which found itself faced with the challenge of reducing emissions and increasing fuel consumption. Would it be the electric motor, with its emissions benefits, but poor travelling performance or would it be the good old internal combustion engine with the opposite traits? The answer, of course was neither.

Manufacturers realised they both complement each other, so the hybrid was born. The same is proving to be true in the secondary packaging sector, with hybrid packs comprising of corrugate and RPET and thin film or a combination of all three, proving to be both effective and energy efficient.

Design innovation is too often focused

on primary packaging but secondary packaging has to be clever too if it is to show the primary pack in order to maximise its sales potential. If the product is hidden or there are ripped edges on show, the consumer will not get the best first impression of the product or brand.

With the smaller nature of convenience stores, having the right pack size to drive one-way stock and speed of opening is crucial. Similarly, making sure the pack size isn’t too big will protect against food waste. The answers lie in refocusing on secondary packaging and creating efficient, often hybrid, solutions that consume fewer resources and use fewer materials, to offset the impact of smaller pack sizes.

With much of the focus on primary packaging, secondary, RRP or transit packaging - the basic building block of the supermarket supply chain - is often seen as an afterthought. However there should be two clear objectives for secondary packaging: sell more and lower the cost of sale. Applying the same packaging formats used in large supermarkets to the convenience store simply will not work. Reduced space, high relative operating costs and a broader variety of packaging formats means that much more will be demanded of this type of packaging, and as such, the challenges faced by the sector are greater than any other. D Martin Leeming is CEO of TrakRap, an innovative secondary packaging company. Its TrakRap system is established as an alternative to shrink wrapping. The system uses bespoke 100 per cent recyclable polymer film to wrap products and bond the pack together. Removing the requirement for heat tunnels, the system uses 90 per cent less energy than traditional shrink wrapping – which also makes it more suitable for ambient, chilled, frozen or volatile products. Innovative TrakRap trays, developed with TrakRap’s own approved corrugate suppliers, work with the film and allow for up to 40 per cent less cartonboard to be used, resulting in lighter weight, 100 per cent recyclable retail ready packaging (RRP) for retailers. www.trakrap.com

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Waste: Lead,

do

n’t f ollo w

I As food waste climbs up the national agenda, Mikko Kärkkäinen, says it’s both an opportunity for retailers to show just how much they’re already doing, to do more, and to seize the high ground by taking the lead

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t’s hard to quantify precisely how much food is wasted but a recent UN report put the amount thrown away in the developed world at around 30-40 per cent of all that produced. With growing concerns about the impact of a rising population and climate change, food waste and security is becoming an increasingly potent issue.

It’s hardly surprising. After all nothing leads to social and political upheaval faster than food shortages. So where does this leave food wholesalers and retailers? Simple: right in the firing line.

There’s an irony there. The UK’s waste-advisory charity WRAP estimates that out of 41 million tonnes of food bought in Britain in 2013 15 million went to waste. And yet, based on businesses’ own declarations, only 0.25 million was generated by retail – less than two per cent. Though other estimates put it higher, it’s clear that the major supermarkets have become increasingly good at reducing waste and spoilage. Indeed with the next generation of demand forecasting and inventory planning systems there is no excuse not to. These days even the most problematic items, such as bread and loose fresh vegetables that account for the bulk of avoidable food waste can be managed optimally.

By breaking down data by product/ day/week/store/sell-by dates/weather and telling the system what is needed to maintain displays, sustain promotions and so forth, it’s possible to keep stock and thus spoilage to the necessary minimum. Indeed, some supermarkets and wholesalers have routinely cut spoilage by 20 per cent and reduced waste by as much as a third.

Optimised supply chains deliver other benefits, most of which save money and safeguard the environment; for instance cutting overstocking of chilled and frozen products can reduce the amount of temperature controlled storage needed and cut electricity usage. The next generation of supply chain systems also allow retailers to analyse their data better and find the ideal combination of display options, price-reductions, stock levels and so on that can help both cut waste and improve profitability.

So why, when most are doing so much, and doing it increasingly well, are food retailers and wholesalers in danger of taking the flack for food waste?

Fundamentally, food retailers are seen as having the biggest stake, the most control and the lion’s share of the profits.

The UK’s four largest retail companies are the big four supermarkets. They’re therefore also best placed to take a lead.

Food Waste Good supply chain data and a good supply chain management system allows retailers to help producers, manufacturers, wholesalers – and consumers. We’ve seen it on both big and small scales. Booths, leading supermarket in England’s North West, liaises closely with farmers, growers and bakers so they get as much advance warning as possible of likely demand.

A ballpark figure can be given well in advance based on historic data. That can be honed as other factors in play, such as weather, become clearer. Then, the day before a definitive order can be placed that is both accurate and quite close to the advanced estimates.

In addition, campaign forecasts and year round sales data can be shared to help manufacturers and producers plan better. It all helps to cut waste.

Collaboration over what to do with such waste as it arises also helps. Reusable, recyclable or biodegradable packaging all conserves resources, saves on raw material usage and minimises landfill use. Likewise, schemes, such as that recently introduced in France, that encourage supermarkets to give food away rather than throw it away or to compost it where that isn’t possible.

But the largest group of contributors to food waste is also the toughest to help; consumers. They account for more than 40 per cent of waste in the UK. The key here is engagement and this means retailers showing what they’re doing, helping customers to waste less and constantly communicating and educating. It’s a great opportunity, for instance, to show that the retailer is ensuring that fruit, vegetables, baked and dairy products all reach the customer as fresh as possible, maximising their opportunity to enjoy them.

In-store some retailers have gone the extra mile to show how serious they are about cutting waste. Having previously introduced a ‘buy one get one later’ option for some products retail giant Tesco has now also stopped two-for-one deals on salad.

So, rather than structure deals to encourage people to buy more perishable products, retailers could pair bread, vegetables or dairy with other items to make a meal – baby corn with

rice, potatoes with fish, salad with wine.

Of course it helps if you explain to customers why you’re doing this.

Likewise, displays - availability and display requirements still cause food retailers a lot of headaches with spoilage.

Customers expect shelves to be full of bread even at 9pm. Can display frontages be reduced during the day?

Could a display carousel be brought in at 8pm so that the entire remaining store baked bread can be brought together in a more attractive fashion?

Can fruit and veg displays be reengineered so that smaller quantities look better? Obviously staff may spend more time re-stocking but if the spoilage savings justify their time, it benefits the bottom line.

Another problem is caused by sell-by dates. Most of us rifle through bags of vegetables, especially salad, looking for the most recent. You have to bring out a box with bagged salad dated October 10th before all the salad dated October 9th has sold. Once that happens who is going to want to buy the October 9th dated salad. So why not immediately discount the older bags, even if it’s only by 10p? The incentive may be marginal but at least it differentiates the two. Otherwise no one who is paying attention has any reason to buy the older bags.

Above all the public needs to be brought into the process so they understand the reasons for the changes, because it’s customer expectations, such as expecting to find items both constantly in stock and displayed attractively, that partly drive waste in retail.

You might say that it’s counterintuitive for supermarkets to help cut consumer waste. After all that bag of salad turning to brown sludge in someone’s fridge is still a bag of salad sold, and retailers are above all businesses and are answerable, first and foremost, to shareholders.

True. But supermarkets are also part of a culture that has promoted cheap food over good or sustainable food. It leads people to under-appreciate the things food retailers sell.

Why do I say that? Because, according to the UN, food waste in

the poorest countries amounts to six to 15 per cent against that 30 to 40 per cent in the developed world. Poorer countries don’t have the same access to sophisticated supply chains, logistics, refrigeration and technology that we do.

Climates are often warmer and that can increase spoilage risks. And yet they waste less. Why? The most obvious answer is that they treat food as fundamentally more precious than we do. They don’t allow it to be wasted if it can be helped. People know what it’s like not to have enough.

Better a knobbly yam that’s the last yam in the shop than that yam gets thrown away because it’s not cosmetically perfect, or has been buried at the bottom of a display.

So yes, food retailers can and must lead. They can lead by showing how much they’re doing to cut waste and they can lead by getting yet more out of their supply chain management systems to inform predictive analytics, identify trends and make sure that those bags of salad are discounted at exactly the right time and by the right amount to help change consumer purchasing behaviour.

And perhaps one day that supply chain technology will face the other way and retailers will be sending customers a reminder that the mozzarella they bought two weeks ago needs using up. Who knows? But every which way retailers manage to help cut waste, they’ll be doing a favour, for us, themselves and, ultimately, the planet. It’s one of those almost perfectly virtuous circles where no one loses. All it needs is courage (and, of course, good supply chain technology). D Mikko Kärkkäinen is Group CEO at RELEX Solutions. RELEX Solutions is the first supply chain solution provider to offer retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers the power of In-Memory Computing. Customers in 15 countries use RELEX demand forecasting, inventory optimisation, replenishment automation solutions to cut spoilage by 40 per cent, inventory by 30 per cent, boost on-shelf availability to 98 per cent +, and become more profitable in the process.

www.relexsolutions.com

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Top

of the

crop

Deep field phenotyping becomes reality at Rothamsted Research

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Crop Science

R

othamsted Research, based in Harpenden UK, is one of the oldest agricultural research centres in the world. Over its 172-year history, it has built an enviable international reputation as a centre of excellence for scientific research and innovation in support of agricultural productivity, crop protection and soil science.

In partnership with Lemnatec, the global plant phenotyping specialist, scientists at Rothamsted Research have implemented a Field Scanalyzer capable of continuously monitoring the development of crops under field conditions.

The facility will be used initially to understand the development of numerous pre-breeding wheat lines that have been generated through the Wheat Genetic Improvement Network (WGIN) programme supported by Defra and the Wheat Initiative Strategic Programme (WISP), funded by the BBSRC and led by the John Innes Centre in collaboration with Rothamsted Research and other university partners.

To feed our growing population, statistics suggest we need to increase world food production significantly in the near future. Wheat provides one fifth of human calories but since 1980 the rate of increase in wheat yields has plateaued. Rothamsted Research is currently working on a programme to increase the potential of wheat production to 20 tonnes per hectare within 20 years, known as 20:20 Wheat.

Key area Dr Malcolm Hawkesford, Head of Plant Biology and Crop Science at Rothamsted, also heads up the 20:20 Wheat programme. Commenting on the research, he says: “In order to get relevant responses to treatments or experimental conditions, we need to monitor crops in the field, not in greenhouses. For some years now, we’ve been increasing the amount of work we do in this area, particularly increasing the number of varieties of wheat and different genetic stocks we look at. So instead of just a few types, we are now looking at thousands of types, but we

also want to look at these types in more detail across the lifetime of the crop in the field.”

Translation from greenhouse to field can be problematic because field conditions are often so different to those in the greenhouse. For this reason, field phenotyping is considered to be a key area of development In the Agro industry.

The issue has always been how to extract the data. Around the world, many different techniques have been trialled including walking with sensors, mounting equipment on bicycles or motorised vehicles and even imaging with unmanned drones. However, none of these methods is able to measure with enough accuracy to provide reliable deep phenotyping data.

“The combination of a lot of plants and a lot of detail makes manual phenotyping slow, inefficient and, to be honest, inadequate,” continues Dr Hawkesford. “To speed things up, we can use UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to monitor large areas of crops but they are not able to deliver the level of detail that we really need, hence the need for some sort of ground based system.”

The Field Scanalyzer incorporates a moving gantry that supports a motorised measuring platform carrying multiple sensors. Crops within a 10m x 110m area can be monitored throughout the season with a high degree of resolution and reproducibility.

The facility is fully automated and can operate 24 hours per day throughout the year. On board illumination facilitates the data collection and sensors include multi-wavelength imaging systems, an imaging sensor

to measure chlorophyll fluorescence decay kinetics and a laser system for 3D visualisation and crop height determination.

Revolutionary research The Field Scanalyzer was commissioned in 2014 after Dr Hawkesford saw a prototype system in New Dehli at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute.

Following a robust European tender process to evaluate a number of proposed solutions, the Field Scanalyzer from Lemnatec was selected based on criteria including quality, experience, technical know-how and business risk.

“I was looking for a completely automated solution that could operate 24/7 for the whole season. We wanted hyperspectral cameras, 3D information and to look at chlorophyll fluorescence.

And that was the basis of the specification for the Field Scanalyzer we purchased from Lemnatec.”

The Scanalyzer is now being used to monitor a selection of six wheat varieties grown at four different nitrogen levels. The process is fully automated, running a series of pre-programmed routines to capture deep phenotyping data about how crops behave in a reallife environment.

“Advances in other technologies have provided a wealth of information about the genetic composition of crop plants.

Now, for the first time, we can monitor plants in terms of growth and their physiology throughout their lifetime, in real time under field conditions.

This will revolutionise the way that agricultural research is conducted,” Dr Hawkesford concludes. D LemnaTec www.lemnatec.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 13

Embrace

the

potential

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Industry 4.0 On the road to Industry 4.0, Keith Thornhill advises: don’t get left behind

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he undoubted benefits of a highly digitalised manufacturing world set out in the vision of Industry 4.0 are clear to see. But, the journey towards a utopian state of optimised digital factories to augment competitiveness, presents practical and cultural challenges for the UK’s food and beverage manufacturing sector.

I believe companies need to embrace current automation technology possibilities and begin the construction of interconnected technology platforms to underpin more agile and efficient production.

Food and beverage manufacturers should strategically and operationally position themselves to take advantage of a future manufacturing landscape where a holistic automation approach and seamless platform integration will deliver sustainable competitiveness.

There has been much discussion about the impact of ‘Industry 4.0’ – the term originating in Germany to describe the next industrial revolution leap made possible by the use of cyber-physical systems. Advocates excitedly highlight the creation of self-organising, intelligence-led, fully optimised digital factories producing highly customised products. This will be as a result of the computerisation of manufacturing, based on enhanced levels of network interconnectivity and strong digital communication between machines and equipment.

While many acknowledge the potential of such a substantial manufacturing advancement (indeed it is now commonly being referred to as the fourth Industrial Revolution), it should also be recognised that we are already in the midst of witnessing the influence of digitalisation within the industrial environment. This is alongside the fundamental power of

integrated automation technology to drive more agile and flexible production capability and respond to changing market needs, consumer demand and increased global manufacturing competitiveness.

Time to step up The food and beverage manufacturing sector has long prided itself on the ability to both maintain and sweat production facilities over the long-term, often long past their optimum working life timescale. This has sometimes led to a conservative approach to technology investment that, in my opinion, needs to be challenged if the sector is to fully realise its potential.

The Food and Drink Federation in conjunction with the industry has identified a ten-point plan to target innovation. For the sector to be successful pre competitive collaboration needs to take place. The Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University will be a centre where the industry can collaborate to make a difference to the UK sector.

Food and beverage manufacturers already have the power to meet such challenges head on, aided by technology developments that already exist. Two examples covering customised product availability and using data to add business value aptly illustrate the point:

Mass customisation and consumer demand challenges While product customisation is normally more closely associated with the automotive industry, it is clear that its essence – satisfying individual consumer expectation – is already

The journey to Industry 4.0 has already started. The UK’s food and beverage manufacturing sector needs to embrace its potential today

influencing market trends within the food and beverage sector. Marketing executives are seizing upon the brand opportunities that exist to supply an enhanced and more engaged product experience. One only has to think of recent campaigns by Walkers Crisps to vote for your preferred flavour, or the ‘Share a Coke’ concept to see the power of consumer interaction with products and manufacturers.

For example, think of the future sales and marketing potential in having the ability to react to national sporting events, such as World Cups and then produce and sell highly customised products that reflect the event the next day! This is reliant upon an integrated and seamlessly linked supply chain between manufacturing processes and retail operations but, one that in the world of digitalised technology prowess endemic within Industry 4.0 is totally feasible.

Intelligent data for operational improvement and driving business value As industrial data volumes rise, it is incumbent upon organisations to ensure that operational data is accessed, handled and used to drive business efficiencies and inform continuous improvement objectives.

Any move towards mass customisation, as outlined above, will critically rely upon the ability to generate, understand and utilise data streams from platforms.

This can be used to inform both day-to-day operational efficiencies and long-term strategic thinking, as well as underpin the types of flexible manufacturing delivery the market is demanding.

The tangible benefit of integrated automation technology platforms across the supply chain is clear. It can, for instance, aid production scheduling by providing a level of intelligence to support crucial decision-making.

Simulation, for example, is able to model all aspects of the manufacturing process from production through the supply chain.

A case in point could be a retail order requiring rapid fulfillment.

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Industry 4.0 Data from simulated manufacturing processes can determine that the requisite order quantity can be handled in present circumstances, but that it will affect other forecasted production commitments. Rather than blindly accepting the order, production management can take a more informed decision about the overall impact of the order and whether it should be accepted or not. The intelligent use of data in this way is driving ‘smart manufacturing’ outcomes, raising operational efficiency standards and supporting increased productivity.

Just as importantly, the strategic generation and use of intelligenceled data can be used to support the business case to maximise continuous improvement programmes in the quest to meet customer demand. The ability to capture and play back real world performance indicators means proposed CAPEX investments are based on strategic insight not risk, can support business opportunity and, ultimately, drive value.

Drygate’s brewers: Ed Evans, Alessandra Confessore and Jake Griffin

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The world of Industry 4.0 can seem a long way off, but the reality is that current automation technology already supports many of its interconnected, digitalised, intelligence-based attributes. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) says that German manufacturers are ten times more likely to invest in automation than UK counterparts.

This needs to change or our food and beverage sector risks being left behind.

Indeed, the same research body states that if the UK automated to the same level as Japan we would be 22 per cent more productive and employment would increase by seven per cent. Such statistics support the Chancellor’s view that solving the UK’s ‘productivity puzzle’ will be a key factor in driving sustained economic growth.

The journey to Industry 4.0 has already started. The UK’s food and beverage manufacturing sector needs to embrace its potential today and begin to build the kind of integrated, networked technology-based platforms

that will enable them to respond to the market more quickly, efficiently and successfully.

Those that do will reap the rewards. Those that don’t may well find themselves so far behind the competition that they can never catch up again. D

Keith Thornhill is Business Manager – Food and Beverage, Siemens UK & Ireland. Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalisation. In fiscal year 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. www.siemens.com

Supply Chain

Ants in your plants?

The phrase ‘product recall’ is likely to strike fear into the heart of any retailer. Richard Jones explains why supply chain software is more important than ever in protecting brand reputation

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lobal brands from Cadillac to Cow & Gate have all paid the price of product recalls, not just financially. In today’s ironically named ‘social’ age, a brand’s lovingly built reputation can be severely damaged at the share of a hashtag.

Fortunately for Cadbury Schweppes, social media was in its infancy when it was forced to recall more than a million chocolate bars in 2006, amid fears they may have been contaminated with a rare strain of salmonella. The recall still cost Cadbury Schweppes an estimated £20m, not to mention six-figure fines for health and safety breaches.

Fast forward to 2012, when drinks maker Britvic had to recall its popular Fruit Shoot drink from the UK and France due to a faulty bottle top. The cost was an estimated £16.9m but the knock-on effects were thought to push it up to £25m.

Most recently, October 2015 saw Cow & Gate recall a range of baby muesli

Richard Jones

after it was found to contain insects. The financial cost is yet to be calculated but the reputational damage to the much loved and trusted brand is incalculable.

Even in the best-run companies, human error is always a risk and occasionally things will go wrong.

The irony is that while the technological revolution enables companies to trace contaminated or damaged products with pinpoint accuracy, it has also empowered disgruntled customers and fraudulent opportunists. Real, perceived or contrived grievances can become global media events in a matter of seconds.

And tidal waves of viral information are almost impossible to contain.

This makes it more critical than ever that vulnerable companies nip such issues in the bud.

Although our software and systems can’t prevent insects getting into products or contamination occurring, they can ensure a retailer is able to

identify, isolate and recall a faulty or damaged product with the utmost speed and efficiently.

As well as helping minimise the financial cost of an umbrella recall, this also has the knock-on effect of helping multiple retailers protect their own brand reputation by being seen to be acting responsibly and quickly.

No matter how well-oiled the PR ‘crisis comms’ machine is, prompt action will minimise brand damage and speak far louder to loyal customers than retrospective apologetic words. D Richard Jones is Chief Technology Officer at LINKFRESH, which provides supply chain software to the fresh food industry enabling traceability, transparency and improved communications between all parties involved at every stage from farm to fork. www.linkfresh.com

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Equipped for success

The market for foodservice equipment in the UK has witnessed a positive change in fortunes in the last few years as the economy recovers and grows in strength.

Phil Coulstock takes a look 18 www.foodchainmagazine.com

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he UK commercial catering equipment market was worth somewhere in the region of ÂŁ765 million in 2014 (AMA Research) and looks likely to have gone to the ÂŁ800 million mark in 2015 if we look at evidence of increased sales in 2015 surveys from the likes of the Catering Equipment Distributors Association (CEDA).

There are a number of interesting and developing trends that are impacting on the foodservice equipment market including the public’s willingness to continue to dine out and to support their local high streets, the need for sustainability and the impact

of legislation. The growth in casual dining, street food and innovative restaurants has encouraged the launch, development and expansion of a host of independent and multiple site operators. Added to this we have seen a demand for equipment that takes up a smaller footprint, probably as operators compete for prime locations and have smaller spaces to devote to kitchen and front-of-house areas.

There has been something of a blurring between consumer tastes and trends in the high street, and catering for employees, sports venues etc with the latest concepts from street food and wood-fired pizza ovens, to barbeque

Catering Equipment and craft beers crossing over. This means that foodservice equipment manufacturers and distributors have developed more specialist systems to allow operators to satisfy consumer tastes. They also need to have equipment that is adaptable and flexible. A good example would be the emergence of combi ovens that offer a range of cooking options with roasting, baking, steaming and easyto-use multiple programmes. Smeg is currently developing a range of its own commercial combi ovens to supply this demand, which it hopes to launch soon.

Energy needs We have seen the push for more energy efficient and sustainable commercial catering equipment gather pace in the last few years; this coming from increasing energy costs, legislation and also the desire from the public and many operators to reduce negative environmental impact. Equipment manufacturers have answered the call for energy efficiency with technological developments for example using heat recovery systems in warewashers to heat up the incoming cold water supply, or induction cooking that only heats the pan when it’s on the hob. As already highlighted they are also making smaller appliances adding to sustainability with less raw material, fewer components and less negative impact from logistics.

There will be a lot of new ideas and technology promoting energy efficiency on show at Hotelympia in 2016. Smeg will launch digital touch control panels for warewashers that allow precise control and increased problem solving capabilities. The operating software updates will be able to be uploaded via wireless internet and Bluetooth devices.

This feature will allow continual improvement of the machines with precise modifications that will improve operating and energy saving for each individual operator, depending on what they wash and when they wash it. We think this could be a groundbreaking development.

Married together with technology we also see foodservice equipment companies working with their

distribution partners to improve energy efficiency and sustainability with thorough training and maintenance programmes for customers. They enable operators’ kitchen and front-of-house staff to know exactly how appliances should work, how they should be cleaned and maintained and the importance of regular servicing for optimal operation and longer operating life. D Phil Coulstock is commercial channel director for Smeg (UK). Well known for its iconic domestic appliance range, Smeg also manufactures professional foodservice equipment for the catering and hospitality industries.

Significant investment in R&D allows new technologies to be shared between domestic and professional ranges to provide measurable specification and performance benefits. www.smegfoodservice.co.uk

Case Study Style and service As a recent new owner of an Esquires coffee house franchise, one of Taz Patel’s key tasks was to undertake a refurbishment of her site at St. George’s Shopping Centre in Harrow. The first big headache was the existing dishwasher leaking and it needed a number of expensive parts replacing.

Thinking about where she could find a replacement dishwasher that would withstand the rigours of the coffee house and be faithful to the founding principles of the Esquires coffee chain with its strong commitment to ethical trading and sustainability she took inspiration close to home. In fact in her home Taz has Smeg domestic appliances in the kitchen, and being impressed with the products’ mix of functionality, reliability, sustainability and style, she decided to see if Smeg had a commercial equipment offering. Once she was on the Smeg Foodservice Solutions website Taz contacted Smeg to discuss the range.

Smeg Foodservice Solutions Phil Coulstock and Martin Dawson met with Taz on-site in Harrow to listen to what she needed and then carry out a full site survey.

The enquiry was passed to Smeg Foodservice Solutions’ dealer First Choice Marshalls in Uxbridge who supplied and installed one of the newly launched CW522D twin rack under counter dishwashers.

Talking about the refurbishment of Esquires and the impact of the new Smeg dishwasher Taz says: “We have a relaxed environment which is stylish, but reflects the artisanal approach to the food and drink we serve. That said we have really busy periods where lots of cups, saucers and side plates need to be washed quickly and very effectively. The Smeg fits perfectly into our kitchen space and easily handles the spikes in trade we experience during lunch times, weekends etc.”

The Smeg CW522D machine fitted the customer’s brief because the items being washed were predominantly cups, saucers and side plates and the CW522D gave them the ability to double their wash capacity during busier periods. This improved the ability for staff to keep the wash-up area clearer as it could be viewed from the landing of the upper floors of the shopping centre.

Smeg CW522D

www.foodchainmagazine.com 19

‘

Adapt

to

survive

The demise and rise of the great British pub

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he closure of Britain’s beloved pubs is something that is difficult to miss.

According to the Campaign for Real Ale, approximately 29 pubs closed every week across Britain in the year ending June 2015, which amounts to a somewhat devastating blow to local communities and economies.

However, statistics from the Pubs Matter campaign discovered that 69 per cent of adults believe that a ‘wellrun community pub is as important to community life as a post office, local shop or community centre.’ The demand

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for pubs is certainly there, but people aren’t necessarily flocking through the doors. There are many reasons for this of course, with finance (or lack of) being a particularly big factor. Nevertheless, AVonics, specialists in providing sound and lighting for bars and pubs, believe a revival is nigh. Read on for their top tips on how pubs are making a comeback.

A changing clientele Figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown that only one in 50 young adults described themselves as frequent drinkers, a decline of more

Traditional Pubs much more sensible option and allows people to try a range of beers without drinking past their limits.”

Despite the alarmingly high pub closure rate, figures released by the government in August 2015 showed that three breweries were opening every week in the UK, with unique and unusual flavours becoming more prominent. BrewDog, which operates 21 locations across the UK, is an example of one establishment that is choosing to cater to people’s changing taste buds, by offering beer platters.

Speaking to The Independent, a spokesperson said: “In our bars we serve pints, but we also serve half pints, schooners [379ml], thirds and nips, and it’s these latter measures that make up the majority of sales.”

These changes should send a signal to pubs that perhaps haven’t changed their offerings in some time that their customers (not all of them, granted) now have different expectations when it comes to their local watering hole.

While that doesn’t mean they should stop catering to their loyal customers who may prefer ‘traditional’ beers, they should expand their offering to keep up in these modern times.

Getting connected

than two-thirds compared to 2005. With this in the back of their minds, more and more pubs are now choosing to offer a wider range of beers, showing that people’s preferences are changing from quantity to quality.

Chief Executive of CAMRA, Tim Page, recently commented on this emerging trend: “People are becoming more open to trying new beers and moving away from the mentality of drinking pint after pint of the same brew. Particularly for stronger, more full-flavoured real ales such as barley wines, or strong porters and stouts, a half or third of a pint is a

A by-product of the modern world we live in today is that everyone wants to be connected to the internet wherever they go, whether we like it or not.

Unfortunately, the rural locations of many pubs and their thick-walled, oldfashioned construction can mean that internet connection in many traditional buildings is somewhat hard to come by. But that may soon be a thing of the past.

In October 2015, mobile network Vodafone announced that they would be launching the Rural Community Pub programme, a pilot scheme in four village pubs in Norfolk and Wales. Since taking part in the scheme, the landlord at a participating pub, The Cross Keys in Norfolk, has predicted that their customers will stay for longer now they can get connected, having seen some leave when they couldn’t get online.

While it may take a while for Vodafone’s project to roll out to the

rest of the country, getting a strong and reliable connection to the internet will be essential to the survival of pubs.

Although people enjoy socialising with their friends, it’s a fact that they also like to stay connected to the internet. Let’s just hope this doesn’t result in a rise in pub quiz cheating!

Update the atmosphere Pubs have always been common ground for people to meet and socialise; but some establishments have lost sight of this. People want a spacious and open room with plenty of light so they can see one another as they converse.

Given the nature of more traditional pub spaces, this might mean that a few need to update their audio, visual and lighting equipment to suit the more modern uses of a pub.

Live music and sports have also become incredibly popular in pubs, which presents the perfect opportunity to attract more customers. By adding television and sound systems, or areas for live music to be played, pubs will be ensuring that they are appealing to the widest range of people possible.

Despite the raft of closures over the last few years, competition is still intense in the pub industry, and owners know they have to offer something slightly different in order to stand out from the crowd.

Adapt, or be left behind There is little doubt that the concept of the Great British Pub has certainly changed over the years, and the rapid closure of pubs across the country may seem bleak, but there is plenty that can be done to ensure their survival.

It is simply a matter of changing with the times. Adapting to suit the tastes of their new clientele and bringing technology up-to-date could be all that’s needed to bring the customers back through the doors. D AVonics specialises in providing sound and lighting solutions for all manner of hospitality venues such as cafes and bars. Using screens, lighting and sound systems, it is able to create environments that are suitable for all brands.

www.avonics.co.uk

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Health check Making assets work harder and more reliably

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ood manufacturers maintain some of the highest standards of any industry, yet there is constant pressure on prices and a need to respond quickly to demand. Here, FrÊdÊric Thomas looks at how one of the UK’s leading malt and malted product producers resolved this conundrum and in the process managed to cost effectively increase production beyond established capacity.

Investing in new plant and equipment can be a complicated process as there are many stakeholders to consider. Customers, suppliers, shareholders and local planners all have their own views, which means it can often be a difficult process ensuring that each of these influencers support a large capital investment. Set against this is the time that it takes for a capital investment to materialise into product leaving the factory gate, a process that can take a number of years. In an industry with fluctuating demanding and volatile prices, that can make long-term investment decisions uncertain at best.

As a result, rather than going down the route of capital investment

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in new plant and equipment, more manufacturers in the food sector are looking at ways of making their existing assets work harder and more reliably.

A case in point is Muntons and here the management team was looking for a more effective solution to build on its reputation for quality, whilst responding to increased demand.

The company achieved its goal by implementing a condition-monitoring programme, which eliminated machine reliability issues and effectively increased capacity by around ten per cent.

Muntons has been producing malt and malted ingredients since 1921 and during this time it has grown to become a significant international player in the supply of malts, malt extracts, flours and flakes to the food and drinks industry.

Asset health check-up The management team at Muntons was looking to build on its reputation for quality and service, whilst supporting ongoing growth, when it took the decision in 2007 to implement a vibration Analysis (VA), Thermal Imaging IR and visual surveillance programme. After evaluating a number

Production of potential partners, they chose to work with AVT Reliability because of the depth of understanding shown by our engineers and track record of achieving measurable improvements in other manufacturing businesses.

At the time, the company was in a situation of occasional machine failures and was therefore looking for help to reduce these unplanned production stoppages whilst extending the useable life of the lubricants. In addition, the oil store was inside the boiler house and the company required a safer, more accessible location for this valuable resource. AVT began working with Muntons in October 2007 and has continued to do so ever since.

One of the first actions taken was to assign a dedicated CM start up team to Muntons. They were given the specific task of carrying out an initial site survey, with the aim of better understanding Vibration Analysis (VA) and Lubrication requirements within the company.

This involved the lubrication engineer having responsibility for populating the Machine Sentry database.

Machine Sentry is a Condition Based Maintenance system, which integrates all Condition Monitoring Techniques and enables effective maintenance planning and management reporting.

Its Vibration Analysis hardware and software runs on off-the shelf PDA’s and via the internet; making it a versatile and cost-effective solution. Taking this approach ensured that all critical assets were correctly audited at the early stages of the project and that the correct number of VA points had been identified and trend data captured.

Initially, many warnings or ‘advisories’ were flagged up by the system – mainly around lack of access to assets not only for routine maintenance, but also if reactive maintenance was needed. As data trends were established vibration issues were highlighted along with a number of lubrication problems.

By year two, AVT had highlighted a number of specific issues with critical machinery around the production site.

One of the first areas of concern arose with Mash Vessels 1 & 2, although an action plan was quickly formulated from data provided by oil changes/vibration

monitoring. The Mash Vessel 1 gearbox was being replaced approximately every six weeks, which was costly and disruptive to production. As a result, VA was set up along with oil analysis enabling AVT to give the engineering team sufficient notice of impending failure. This enabled essential gearbox maintenance to be planned around the production schedule and replaced before failure, avoiding unplanned downtime. The current gearbox has now been fitted two years without failure.

Identifying a number of other issues before ‘run to failure’ enabled corrective action to be taken without disrupting production and before it resulted in more serious, consequential damage.

Measurable improvements AVT also monitored the use of lubrication and for the first time total spend per annum became visible. This involved carrying out a lubrication assessment on site that took into account current best practices. The initial score came in at 25.5 per cent however, once changes were implemented this improved to 93 per cent.

In 2011 AVT introduced Thermography on site and started carrying out six monthly inspections on electrical panels in order to further enhance the CM (Condition Monitoring) element. To date 48 advisories have been raised due to IR (Infrared) inspections.

The issue of lubrication being stored in the boiler room was addressed, too, with a new area identified to provide a dedicated oil store. As lubrication issues reduced so did bearing costs as can be seen on the graph above, which was taken from data obtained via Muntons’ SAP.

In the seven years since Muntons has implemented a conditionmonitoring programme there has been a marked improvement in reliability.

This has also increased due to regular lubrication routines including greasing, oil change outs (NFG to FG), oil checks and oil monitoring.

Summary Ultimately, the condition-monitoring programme has helped Muntons increase capacity by around ten per cent through making existing assets work harder and more reliably. Payback could be measured in months, whilst being able to quickly ramp up capacity at a time of high demand has helped them maintain its customer service levels. The fact that it could be done without the complexity or timescales of investing in new assets meant that they remained responsive to customer demand. In addition, Muntons now has a much better understanding of the health of its assets. D

Frédéric Thomas is Asset Management Director at AVT Reliability. AVT is a leading engineering firm focusing on Asset Integrity and Performance, providing consultancy, services and training to manufacturers in all sectors; improving plant reliability, safety, cost and regulatory compliance. It specialises in condition based maintenance; deploying techniques in maintenance management, lubrication, vibration analysis, thermal imaging, oil analysis and ultrasound.

www.avtreliability.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 23

TasteTest

Perfect pasta

Say cheese!

Garofalo is an Italian pasta company that supplies pasta ranges to the Italian and overseas markets, including the UK. The company prides itself on creating only high quality products, and every aspect of production process is carefully controlled so that the final result is what they consider the absolute best.

The range includes five signature pasta options: Traditional Pasta, Organic Traditional Pasta, Organic Whole Wheat Pasta, Gluten Free Pasta and La Giostra dei Bambini for children. www.pastagarofalo.it

A modern twist on the classic salmon and cream cheese combination, the new Primula Cheese and Smoked Salmon flavour option offers a rich and creamy snack. Launched in November 2015 in time for Christmas, the flavour is in fact going to remain on shelves for several more months, enabling consumers to enjoy it long after the festive season.

The new Primula tube is the sixth flavour in Primula’s collection alongside Original Cheese, Cheese with Chives, Cheese with Ham, Cheese with Prawn and Light Cheese. Primula Cheese is made with real cheese and real chopped salmon, chives, ham or prawn to give cheese lovers their daily hit. www.Primula.co.uk

“The quality of this is evident just from the packaging,” said the tester for these products. “I love that it’s clear so I can see the pasta isn’t broken, and the black text is very classy.

“The quality from the outside is definitely echoed inside – when cooked the pasta retained its shape, and had high quality taste and texture. I also was very impressed with the gluten free option – it was delicious and means a gluten intolerant member of the family is now much keener for me to make carbonara!”

The FoodChain Tasters tried the new smoked salmon variety alongside all the others in the range and the total enjoyment they experienced from those squeezy tubes is hard to describe. Several lunch times were brightened while colleagues gathered together brandishing

more crackers! “Primula is such a nostalgic food for me as we always used to have a tube in the fridge when I was little,” said one reviewer. “I absolutely loved every flavour we tried, but I have to say the ham one is still my go to choice – I was sad when that tube was empty!”

allowing consumers to actually see what they’re buying. It is currently available in three fruit flavours: • Citrus & Zest –flavoured with natural grapefruit and lemon • Coconut & Lime – flavoured with natural coconut and kaffir lime • Cranberry & Apple - flavoured with natural cranberries and apples www.powerfulwater.co.uk

extracts and mineral salts. I find plain water so utterly boring, so I felt I was being healthy as well as being hydrated – bonus!”

The time is POW Using natural ingredients, the POW energy drink combines the rehydrating qualities of water with the functionality of energy in a low sugar, low calorie sparkling fruit flavoured energy water.

Alongside sparkling water, natural fruit flavours, natural plant extracts and energy from guarana, ginseng root and vitamin B, POW also contains mineral salts to aid rehydration. It’s the first sparkling energy water to offer the benefits of an energy drink in a low-sugar, low-calorie drink, which makes it an ideal pick-me-up during the day whilst hydrating you and tasting great.

Unlike traditional energy drinks, you’ll find POW in a clear bottle

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“I was expecting this to taste like fizzy squash, but in fact I found it much more sophisticated than that,” said our reviewer. “The fruit flavours were subtle, more in the background and while I drank it at my desk and so hardly was using much energy, I did like the idea of a water that included plant

TasteTest

Quicker quinoa For those wanting to eat more healthily but also want a quick and convenient option, Quinola’s ready-to-eat Express Quinoa offers an easy way to eat Peru’s organic, Fairtrade quinoa. Packed full of nutrients and gluten-free, each 250g pouch is ready to eat cold, as part of a salad, or hot as an alternative to rice or pasta. To heat, simply pop in the microwave for two minutes and then fluff with a fork.

Express Quinoa has a no-junk promise, containing only three ingredients: Fairtrade organic quinoa, sunflower oil and sea salt from the marshes of Guérande, France. Organically and sustainably grown by a farming cooperative near Lake Titicaca, Express Quinoa is not only delicious and easy but contains protein, iron, fibre, magnesium and all essential amino acids.

The flavours available are Pearl and Black Quinoa, Pearl and Red Quinoa, Quinoa and split pea and Spicy Mexican Quinoa - in April 2015 the Express Split Pea scooped the ‘Store Cupboard’ Award at the prestigious Free From

Awards and a highly commended for the Spicy Mexican flavour. www.quinola.com

“I have to admit to having a fear of preparing quinoa, I’ve heard all sorts of stories from friends and so I’ve shied away from it,” said our tester. “But I do try to eat healthily and so many recipes are out there now for quinoa so to find this product where all the hard work done for me is a real bonus.

I loved the Spicy Mexican one and I am much more inspired now to find ways to use quinoa where I wouldn’t have bothered before!”

Groovy pops For those soft drink fans who are looking for their own craft variants of traditional favourites, Karma Cola has launched products that are not only Fairtrade and organic but also taste amazing.

The Karma Cola is a craft cola made with real cola nut, and its authentic cola flavour is completely natural. The real cola nut gives the drink its delicious dark cola colour and flavour, which is balanced perfectly with some organic malt, natural spices and vanilla. Real ingredients eliminate the need for the artificial ones - there’s no burnt sugar or caramel colouring, no preservatives or phosphoric acid.

Adding to the range, Lemony Lemon is perfectly tangy and Gingerella ginger beer adds a bit of grown up glamour to a soft drink repertoire.

Not only do these pops pack a punch but they do good for the world too.

Named ‘The World’s Fairest Trader’ in 2014

by Fairtrade International, Karma Cola not only tastes good, it’s doing good, making a big difference for a small village in Sierra Leone, rebuilding itself in the aftermath of war and benefitting the farmers of the sacred cola nut directly. www.karmacola.co.uk

“Before I even taste these, I just adored the packaging!” said one tester. “The illustrations are the perfect mix of funky and fun and really elevated these from just ordinary soft drinks.”

While all flavours went down well, it was the sharp and tangy Lemony Lemon that came out as the Team’s favourite. “I do like a lemonade that tastes (and looks like) it’s from a proper, fresh lemon,” was one comment. “I could sit and enjoy this chilled anytime, but particularly at a nice picnic, or summer BBQ – I think it would also mix well with some alcohol!”

A more exciting breakfast Building on its popular range of premium mueslis, Dorset Cereals is trying to rejuvenate the muesli category with the launch of two new delicious Bircher mueslis.

Bircher muesli is a breakfast dish that originates in Switzerland and is traditionally made by soaking raw oats and grated apple overnight in juice and yoghurt, creating a cool & creamy kind of muesli.

Dorset Cereals Marketing Manager Virginie Lenfant says: “Bircher muesli is growing fast in popularity in both the chilled and ambient grocery market as well as out of home, and is also widely featured in recipes across consumer press. As leaders of premium muesli, we are perfectly placed to offer a way for consumers to create their own Bircher muesli at home, in as little as 30 minutes or overnight if preferred.”

Dorset Cereals Bircher Muesli Mix is made from a blend of fine cut oats and barley which is designed to be soaked in yoghurt and fruit juice and is ready to eat in just 30 minutes. The new range is available in two flavour combinations – Raspberry & Blackcurrant and Almonds & Honey, both containing sliced apple – a traditional element of Bircher recipes. www.dorsetcereals.co.uk

Our tester found the Bircher option a refreshing change, as mixing the muesli with apple juice and yogurt created not just a different taste but also a new texture to experience at breakfast time.

“It was intensely apple-y as well, thanks to the muesli itself and the addition of apple juice – overall I found it to be very tasty and also easier to digest, as the soaking of the muesli meant it wasn’t dry when I ate it.”

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Making the grain Celebrating 100 years in operation in 2015, Meneba has developed a strong reputation for producing and marketing raw materials and functional ingredients for bakery and food products

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long-term specialist in the development, production and marketing of cereal products, Meneba uses its century of expertise to serve its customers in a manner that will further cement its position as a well-established partner capable of bringing maximum value to grain. As a high quality supplier with a broad range of flours within its product portfolio, Meneba operates within numerous business sectors, from artisanal bakeries to industrial bakeries to customers within the food industry.

“Meneba began operations in 1915 and our main activities are milling, which we do from three locations: Rotterdam, Wormerveer and Bossuit.

We mill approximately 650,000 to 700,000 tonnes of products per annum and from wheat and rye, the total sales is around 220 million euros, while the number FDA is 185,” begins Gerard Verkerke, Sales and Purchasing Director at Meneba. “We have four customer groups, the first being artisanal bakeries in Belgium and Holland, while the second is the food industry for which we supply ingredients for biscuits, honey cake and those kinds of products. We also provide products to industrial bakeries,

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Meneba

Meneba is in an enviable position as it uses its nutritional knowledge, processing expertise and awareness of market trends to provide clients with successful innovations that not only integrate with the trends of today, but will also meet the demands of tomorrow

where products are sent to the retail industry; our fourth customer group is export clients who are mainly based in Africa and South America.”

Customer focus He continues: “What differentiates us in the market is our clear focus on delivering what the customer wants; to meet these needs we have a broad assortment of products and maintain consistent quality whether the customer is artisanal or industrial. We also deliver excellent customer service and seek out ways to actively help customers, whether that is in our in-house test bakery or in our customer’s bakery or one-onone with solo bakers. We also teach new skills or new techniques such as fermenting and develop new products such as new bread products for multi grain or find solutions for a problem on the line.”

Able to produce the right cereals

and varieties to suit the requirements of customers, Meneba can also add value through knowledge and flexibility as it has the broadest assortment of cereal specialties within Europe. Segments within Meneba’s assortment of products include wheat flour, which includes Edelweiss, a flour base that boasts attractive baking properties for large white bread, small white bread and stuffed bread applications; it also includes T65 Tradition Francaise, a specific type of wheat flour that can be used in the preparation of authentic artisan breads as it is the perfect type of flour for the preparation of a homemade traditional sourdough.

There is also a wholemeal segment, which includes Acacia, a product that gives the bread a firm and compact crumb; a light multigrain segment that includes Alaska, a mix of high-fibre white bread; medium brown multigrain segment that includes products such as Tundra, a multigrain mix for a golden blonde multigrain bread,

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which is richly filled with toasted wheat germ and pumpkin seeds; dark multigrain, which includes Crude Bolster Robust, a multigrain mix for a dark multigrain bread with a coarse and pure character.

In addition to these segments, Meneba also has spelt products, such as Triticum spelta, an ancient grain from the same family as wheat and process improvers such as Libre, a progressive process improver consisting entirely of natural grain components with a unique functionality. Alongside these product areas, there is also decoration/cereal specialities, rye and banquet products available.

Successful innovations What makes this broad product range possible is oriented global grain purchasing, an awareness of market trends and sophisticated milling and processing techniques, as Gerard

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notes: “We have seven milling systems, which range from two to 24 tonnes per hour; we also have a great mixing system for flour and wholemeal and a mixing system for multigrains, which is mixed with multigrains, seeds, colours and flavours. We can also roast and toast wheat germs to make more tasteful products in the biscuit and bread sector. To further strengthen our capabilities, we recently invested in new machinery in the milling and cleansing departments as well as mixing in advance of future opportunities to make more tailor made solutions.�

As demand grows for customised, natural products that bring optimised functionality for high-quality processing lines, Meneba is in an enviable position as it uses its nutritional knowledge, processing expertise and awareness of market trends to provide clients with successful innovations that not

Meneba only integrate with the trends of today, but will also meet the demands of tomorrow. Some examples of product innovation include multigrain mixes that are free from E numbers and lactose and process improvers, which make it possible to prepare bread authentically while using modern production processes.

Future focus

food industry. On top of expansion, another focus for Meneba is to make the chain from farmer to customer more open and transparent, which will allow consumers to see where their bread is made and where their wheat comes from.

As a company that delivers quality in both service and products, transparency is important to us.� D www.meneba.com

As demand for its versatile range of products continues, Meneba is on the verge of reaching full capacity and will be looking to expand in the near future to ensure it can continue meeting the requirements of its increasingly diverse customer base, as Gerard concludes: “This expansion will not only enable us to further enhance our dough making and pre-fermentation capabilities for a few new products, but will also make it possible for us to produce flour for sponge cake and other items for the

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Bidvest Foodservice

Recipe for success Following a major rebrand in July 2015, Bidvest Foodservice, the leading foodservice provider for caterers, hotels, pubs and restaurants as well as healthcare and education customers, has embarked on an exciting new era

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he company has come a long way since it was first formed as 3663 in 1999, when Booker Foodservice was bought by the Bidvest Group.

From a background of delivering chilled, frozen and ambient products to its customers in the profit and cost sectors, the company has since expanded into non-food products.

Today it sells everything from catering equipment, tableware and cleaning chemicals to beers, wines and spirits – as well building its range of local products and fresh meat.

Andy Kemp

“A big step for us was the introduction of a range of own-brand products to complement the industry leading brands we offer,” says Andy Kemp, Group Sales and Marketing Director.

“What’s really driven our growth further has been the number of acquisitions we’ve made since 1999.

Not only has this given us greater flexibility in our offering – allowing us to provide a greater range of services and products to our customers, including tailored solutions – but also grow our team, which now stands at more than 4500 employees.”

To support its tailored approach, Bidvest Foodservice offers specialist guidance from its experts across all types of products it provides, so that customers get the most out of its ever-growing range of more than 13,000 products.

“Our insights team keep on top of current and future trends, which helps our customers keep their menus upto-date,” adds Andy. “Our chefs are constantly working on new recipes and products in line with the latest trends as well as industry regulations.”

As part of the business’ commitment to making life as easy as possible for those

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including four Gold Awards from the Federation of Wholesale Distributors, plus the him! Wholesale Awards for Best Delivered Wholesaler and Best Wholesaler for Telesales Staff.

The company also walked away with a bronze award at the British Frozen Food Federation Awards in the Best New Dessert category for its own-brand prune and Armagnac sticky toffee pudding.

Looking to the future who rely on its services, it aims to be no further than 80 miles away from any customer. With orders taken either online or through local teams by phone, Bidvest Foodservice’s fleet of multitemperature vehicles ensure that all products arrive in optimum condition.

A winning year To add to its success in 2015, Bidvest Foodservice won a number of awards,

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Délifrance With more than 1000 bread, viennoiserie, pâtisserie and savoury products, Délifrance is one of Europe’s leading bakery companies. Every day Délifrance strives to serve and support its customers and partners.

A creator of bakery solutions for over 30 years Délifrance makes new taste experiences by infusing simple and essential bakery products with flavour and inspiration. It is passionate and inspired by French traditional bakery know-how. It uses the best ingredients to ensure perfection and exacting standards every time.

A good day starts with a great croissant!

Bidvest Foodservice’s ambitious rebrand saw a step change in its evolution as a company, from its new name and logo to a wider look at its culture, including its vision, mission and values. This major milestone has seen an increased focus on driving innovation.

“The new name signified far more than simply redesigning a logo,” explains Andy. “Our rebrand was also the start of a renewed focus on providing service excellence, which means we’re always

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Bidvest Foodservice looking for new ways to improve our customer experience.”

As one recent example, the company’s expansion of its own-brand products include the launch of four new brands within the range. “Our own-brand offering ranges from nonfood products that help our customers keep their kitchens clean, to specialist ingredients for scratch cooking and premium goods endorsed by the Craft Guild of Chefs,” adds Andy. “We’ve developed the brands to reflect current and upcoming foodie movements, making it easier for our customers to continually update their offering with modern, on-trend dishes.”

The own-brand selection includes Essential Supplies, a non-food range that focuses on keeping kitchens clean so food can take centre stage, and the Everyday Favourites selection of more than 600 products that caterers typically rely on day-to-day. The

With a firm vision in place for the company’s ongoing success, the future looks positive for Bidvest Foodservice as

it continues to expand and seek out new trends and solutions to satisfy its broad customer base

COCA-COLA ENTERPRISES CCE – WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BIDVEST In 2015 Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) invested in a collaborative water

partnership with Bidvest Foodservice. Bottled water continues to lead the soft drinks category and is one of the fastest growing sectors.

Like the soft drinks category as a whole, innovation is a big driver in the sector, which is why CCE works with customers to provide ongoing sales support to help drive growth.

glacéau smartwater has played a key role in this growth, establishing itself as the fifth biggest immediate consumption brand (according to Nielsen

MAT w/e 31.10.15) and presents an ideal opportunity for caterers to stock.

Premium Selection range features the finest quality food and ingredients, all of which are endorsed by the Craft Guild of Chefs, while Farmstead is the company’s fresh meat brand.

“Farmstead is all about quality, consistency, trust and value, and gives foodservice operators reassurance that they are buying from a trusted brand that doesn’t compromise on standards which are most important when it comes to sourcing produce,” says Andy.

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Bidvest Foodservice Kerrymaid As a leading foodservice brand, Kerrymaid offers caterers a portfolio of products that taste as good as fresh dairy, but which perform brilliantly in the pressures of a busy professional kitchen.

The range is created by chefs, for chefs and supports those chefs in creating and serving fantastic menus that consumers love nationwide.

The Kerrymaid spreads and cream alternatives portfolio, has a range of health benefits including reduced saturated fat and being free from hydrogenated vegetable oils, as well as helping caterers achieve Soil Association Food for Life accreditation.

Kerrymaid is committed to bringing the Taste of the Good Life to every menu in the UK.

As well as focusing on launching new brands and initiatives, Bidvest Foodservice will also be enhancing its one-stop-shop offering, plus progressing with the opening of two new sites, including a new head office and depot facility, which is due to open in Slough this Summer.

“The move to Slough will bring together our head office and existing

High Wycombe depot on one site, putting our central teams ‘above the shop’ and therefore closer to the customer,” explains Andy. “This will enable teams to better understand our product range and depot processes and work with customers to help them grow.”

With a firm vision in place for the company’s ongoing success, the future

looks positive for Bidvest Foodservice as it continues to expand and seek out new trends and solutions to satisfy its broad customer base.

“By providing excellent service we also believe we can make our customers lives easier so that they have time to focus on what really matters; producing great food,” Andy concludes. D

www.bidvest.co.uk

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A solid biscuit base

Having established a strong position within its core markets, Danish snack producer Bisca is focused on expanding not only its product range, but also its global footprint 36 www.foodchainmagazine.com

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n 2015 Bisca celebrated is 125th year as a leader in the Danish snack industry. Founded by the Volf family, the company’s product range of biscuits and cakes are sold under its main brands, Karen Volf and Bisca. Operating out of its facility in Stege Moen, Bisca delivers to market a wide variety of products from traditional digestives, crackers and cakes, to organic treats, healthy snacks and traditional Danish desserts.

“Our strength is that we are sufficiently large to have cost efficient production in order to compete with some of the major players in the industry, yet at the same time are small enough to operate with a flexibility and agility that they cannot match,” begins current CEO, Michael Møller Jensen. “We are placed right in the middle where we can compete on price and are still able to do short production runs and bring new products to market quickly.”

Such a competitive agility puts Bisca in a particularly strong position in the current market where consumers and retailers remain keenly focused on price, but where there is growing room for new opportunities. “Right now it is a very competitive market as the markets emerge from a recession and consumers are looking closely at prices,” Michael continues. “This makes it very challenging to find the resources to put into innovation and product development. Consumers prefer cheaper products at the moment instead of higher quality, innovative offerings.” However, despite this he does note that over recent months consumer spending is starting to increase and Bisca’s ability to react effectively will be put into practice over the next year.

Early in 2016, the business will be launching its first entry into the organic segment with a small assortment of

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Bisca

We feel that it is important for us to move in a direction where we can take responsibility for the quality of our supply chain and also food safety

biscuit products to test the market. “We always approach product development through market trend analysis, which we gather from trade fairs and customer engagement, and then use our inhouse innovation team to develop new products in line with this,” Michael says. “We know that there is an increasing trend for organic products in the market and we are excited to see how consumers will respond to this entry within this particular sector.”

The launch will begin within its biscuit range to assess consumer response before expanding into its cake range according to initial success.

However, Michael expresses his interest in seeing just how well organic products are received in what is predominantly a ‘treat’ sector. “This is going to be our first step into the organic movement and we want to examine to what extent our consumers are prepared to buy organic and whether they are prepared to pay that little bit extra for it,” he notes. “If we do see a willingness here then we will be looking at expanding this across the range.”

Continuous improvement One area where Bisca particularly prides itself is in the consistent quality that it delivers to its customers. Operating under

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Bisca

BRC and IFS accredited procedures, the company’s attention to quality production goes beyond simply following guidelines, manifesting itself in a culture that sees quality as a natural part of production.

The same focus can be applied to its approach to sourcing with quality ingredients taking precedence alongside a responsible strategy. “One of the latest actions we have taken is moving from caged chicken eggs to free-range eggs,” highlights Michael. “We feel that it is important for us to move in a direction where we can take responsibility for the quality of our supply chain and also food safety. We consistently try to improve our products under these corporate social responsibility terms.”

Throughout its history, Bisca has successfully established itself as a key player in its core Scandinavian markets, with the majority of its turnover coming from the retail sector here. “As we

look ahead we are in the process of expanding our focus to look at the wider European and Chinese export markets,” explains Michael. “We don’t have huge expectations in terms of export turnover and earnings for 2016, but we do feel that we have the potential to build good platforms for growth this year.” In addition to this the next 12 months will also be focused on continuing to launch new product developments in order to increase its share of existing markets.

“With this in mind, over the coming years we want to have built a business where we are a clear market leader with a strong brand, which includes a robust organic range within our key markets,” Michael concludes as he looks ahead. “In terms of export we hope to have established a stable and growing business in new markets as well as having a presence in China.” D

www.karenvolf.dk

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Scotbeef are proud to have been working closely with Macdonald Hotels for over 10 years, supplying the finest Scotch Beef and Lamb for their menus.

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Macdonald Hotels

Reputation for excellence

By focusing on traceability, quality and close partnerships with suppliers, Macdonald Hotels is building up an individual reputation for excellence in its restaurants across the UK and Ireland

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edicated to delivering a unique experience to every customer that arrives at any one of over 40 hotels across the UK, Macdonald Hotels ensures each of its hotels has its own individual charm and takes on the character of the area in which it is located.

Achieving the prestigious AA Hotel Group of the Year award for the second time in six years in September 2013, the group’s commitment to achieving the highest quality standards in all aspects of the business has also led to it achieving more AA rosettes than any

other UK hotelier. The group was also awarded the AA Eco-Hotel Group of the year in 2012 for its focus on reducing electricity and fossil fuel usage by 15 per cent in 2015.

Proud to deliver the best possible service to customers across its portfolio of beautiful, individual hotels, the forward-thinking group is unwavering in its focus on achieving customer satisfaction in all areas of the business.

“Aside from providing high quality bedrooms, our other main activities are food and beverage, leisure and spa, golf and the corporate and conference

markets. Because of the diversity of our client base from North to South we offer varied menus, but although food tastes vary by region, the quality of the produce and the relationship that we have with the supplier is the key, underlying aspect of our success. It’s very important for a company with a deliberately diverse portfolio of properties like ours, to be able to meet equally varied customer dining expectations, without ever compromising on the best possible quality and provenance in our food and beverage offering,” explains Simon Jackson, Group Sales and Marketing Director at Macdonald Hotels.

Differentiated in the market by its dedication to serving only the highest quality of food, Macdonald Hotels uses the finest seasonal ingredients and sources the best produce available.

Placing a great deal of importance on

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In line with Macdonald Hotels celebrating its 25th anniversary throughout 2016, the company will be delivering 25 special food events across the UK from January until December

Macdonald Hotels the provenance and traceability of its food, Macdonald Hotels expects the highest standards of diligence in product integrity and traceability from its suppliers. For example, meat is sourced from highly reputable suppliers, with 21-day aged cuts of beef supplied directly from Scotbeef, thus ensuring Macdonald Hotels’ new Scottish Steakhouse restaurants deliver delicious food of the best possible quality.

Seasonal menus Because Macdonald Hotels buys with provenance in mind and prefers to support local businesses, the chefs of its restaurants are given flexibility in planning menus by the season, which thus ensures that UK produce comes first. “We have a range of fantastic talent when it comes to chefs in the UK, arguably the best in the world; we also have the best produce in the

world on our doorstep and we very much encourage our chefs to challenge themselves when it comes to deliver interesting and unique dishes,” says Robert B. Cook, Commercial Director at Macdonald Hotels. “For example, during asparagus season, the asparagus will be supplied locally and will feature in most of our hotel menus, however, to further stimulate our customers we are working with our wine supplier and will be matching asparagus dishes with different Alberinos from Spain. This way of working not only excites your team, but also motivates suppliers by offering a challenge and, most importantly, it excites customers and results in them returning to our food events throughout the year.”

Food events Elaborating further, Robert continues: “With our Scottish base, our calendar of events tends to start in January for

Venners Venners are proud to have been stocktaking for MacDonald Hotels for over 15 years and the wider hospitality industry for 120 years.

Over this time, Venners vast experience, expertise and evolving team has seen them expand their offer to include Inventory & Valuation, Health & Safety, Compliance and Consultancy throughout all of the UK. In short, Venners offer the complete solution to improving your hospitality profits & controls. The experience they have amassed over many years is the largest databank of such knowledge in the UK. An initial consultation with them will cost you nothing and could make all the difference.

Wing Of St Mawes Wing Of St Mawes is a family-run, award-winning business that has been supplying fish from Cornwall and home cured smoked fish to chefs for over 35 years. It is passionate about local seafood and the Cornish fishing industry and prides itself on only buying the very best fish with over 75 per cent of its species sourced from Cornwall markets and trusted local suppliers. The company’s aim is to be its chef’s eyes and ears on the fish markets, delivering a traditional artisan fishmonger service with the very best of what Cornwall has to offer.

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Macdonald Hotels Burns night and Burns suppers. For this event we will offer Burns related food throughout the month, as well as nibbles at the bar, and will be working with Glenmorangie to deliver a taste of Burns. Following this, we of course have Valentine’s Day and Mothers’ Day, before we go onto the asparagus and Alberino promotion. On top of this, we are having a number of whisky related events throughout the year and have an al fresco festival in the summer; we will also be offering game dinners during game season, so there is a lot going on both centrally and locally.”

Charity dinners In line with Macdonald Hotels celebrating its 25th anniversary throughout 2016, the company will be delivering 25 special food events across the UK from January until December; each of these will support a local charity nominated by locals, plus

the Muir Maxwell Trust, which supports epilepsy. “The 25 events are not only to celebrate our 25 years in the business, but also allow us to give a bit back to the communities in which we are based by hosting various dinners for a range of chosen charities,” highlights Robert.

With 25 years of growth and success behind it, the future looks positive for Macdonald Hotels as it continues to exceed rising expectations from a more food-orientated customer base through the delivery of a consistently worldclass service and the development of new food concepts. Robert concludes:

“Provincial hotels have not always been seen as the best place to get a meal.

Our goal is quite simple; we want to be widely recognised as the best place in town for food, service and atmosphere; the place where you can always find a new favourite on the menu.” D www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

ECA Group We have been working with Macdonald Hotels to review all options for contracting utilities since 1993. Our remit includes: Energy Procurement, Bill Validation, Reporting and Account Management.

“We have implemented initiatives that allows them to audit and implement savings across their estate reducing consumption by 15%+,” stated ECA. “ECA provide us with highly valuable monthly reporting, that allows us to monitor utility consumption and focus on energy saving initiatives,” added Macdonald Hotels.

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Artisan passion

Since the company was incorperated during the 1970s Mestdagh Artisan has prided itself on creating artisanal frozen foods based on traditional Belgian recipes

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estdagh Artisan was founded by the owner and head chef of the boat hotel ‘La Péniche’, Luc Mestdagh in Oostduinkerke during 1978. The company was formed in response to the overwhelming demand for the high-quality recipes available at the hotel, for example Luc’s shrimp croquettes and Soufflé au GrandMarnier were so popular with his clients that they wised that they could take them home. Therefore Chef Mestdagh began to offer his house specialities in frozen form and eventually constructed a kitchen workshop in the cellar of La Péniche to better enable the preparation and freezing of the much-sought-after croquettes. The choice to prepare a very traditional Belgian dish with the finest ingredients proved to be a big hit with

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diners and as a result Chef Mestdagh’s shrimp croquettes achieved a high level of demand across the entire Belgian coast. Over time Luc came to prefer the creative environment of his workshop to the original aspect of the business and he soon expanded his range with appetisers and desserts, resulting in his iced Grand Marnier soufflé and his traditionally prepared vanilla ice cream becoming flagship products (twice winning first prize of ‘Best Ice Cream of Belgium’).

During 2004 Mestdagh Artisan relocated to a newly built property in Veurne (BRC High Level), upon which Luc handed over the reins of the business to his daughter, Hilde Mestdagh and her husband Marc Gombert. Together they continue to operate the company according to established Mestdagh tradition. As

Mestdagh Artisan factories, for example that only produce milk products. Mestdagh Artisan is a horizontal manufacturer because we approach restaurants and the wider food markets, which are demanding exceptional quality in a range of products including croquettes and ice cream,” Marc says.

“Mestdagh Artisan is very keen about the quality of its ingredients. These are sourced from the farmer directly and the milk that we use comes from Jersey cows and that is relatively unique,” he continues. “In Belgium there are only two farms with Jersey cows and from these cows we can source milk, cream and butter with a special taste. We do

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not use any additives in our recipes and we make everything ourselves, which is important for Mestdagh and in quality management. We do not operate a simple assembly factory, we begin with sugar, milk and make our products ourselves.”

True authenticity With its dedication to natural products that give a rich and pure flavour, as well as the highest commitment to delivering highquality products, Mestdagh Artisan earned a leading reputation as a artisan bakery that provides wholesale frozen artisan baked goods and desserts to retailers and restaurants globally. “Our clients have respect for Mestdagh Artisan products and

Its core staff are all trained and qualified to work within the culinary industry to ensure that Mestdagh Artisan products meet the expectations for which the company has become known

such, Mestdagh Artisan embodies a spirit of true craftsmanship and only uses only the finest ingredients in its foods. It works with natural products that give a rich and pure flavour to ensure authenticity and additionally no additives or preservatives are used.

Today the company’s range of products includes savoury items including croquettes, gourmet foods, savoury bites and culinary aids. Its dessert range is comprised of patisserie items, ice desserts, ice cream and sorbets, as well as ice cream cakes. As the current Owner and CEO of Mestdagh Artisan, Marc Gombert presides over the business and is keen to ensure that it is run in accordance with its established tradition of quality and integrity. “We are not a typical firm. Ordinarily brand manufacturers will operate milk

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Mestdagh Artisan

this is naturally important on the food market. However clients also recognise that we operate a quality food factory.

The difference between Mestdagh Artisan and larger multinational companies is that the factories belonging to those companies produce the same product every day and not specialist products,” Marc says. “Quality for us is in the authenticity of using good recipes with quality ingredients; chocolate is chocolate and milk is milk, it is not milk powder. Commonly within multinational factories milk powder plus water is used to make milk. I say several times to new or potential clients that water and air are not an ingredient in our factory. A lot of multinationals use water and air as an ingredient to lower the price, the price is only of second importance to us.

The first important thing is the quality of the products, the ingredients and the taste. This has allowed Mestdagh Artisan to win customers throughout the whole of Europe including England, Holland, Denmark, China, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Spain and also outside Europe.”

To meet the growing demand for its gourmet foodstuffs, Mestdagh Artisan has continually invested in both its

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facilities and baking equipment. While this has been vital in ensuring that its production remains on course with demand, the key concern for the company has always been to maintain the highest levels of quality. To this end, its core staff are all trained and qualified to work within the culinary industry to ensure that Mestdagh Artisan products meet the expectations for which the company has become known. “We have invested in a lot of capital into automation and machinery, allowing us to turn out about 20003000 litres of ice cream a day and furthermore we can make 50,000

croquettes a day. We employ the same philosophy towards producing authentic products as the company did in the beginning while working with machinery,” Marc concludes. “We will only buy machinery if it can have a positive influence on the quality. The machinery we also have allows us to manufacture products at increased volumes without any compromise on quality. We employ around 20 people and they need to have a diploma, attended culinary school, or trained as a patisserie or cook. We are not simply machine operators.” D www.mestdagh-artisan.be

Middletons Steakhouse & Grill

High steaks Since 2011, Middletons Steakhouse & Grill has prided itself on delighting customers with delicious meats that have been carefully prepared at its butchery in Middleton, Norfolk

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he relatively short history of Middletons Steakhouse & Grill begins in July 2011 in an old pub, The Crown Inn, which was owned by the founders of Middletons, Gastro Pubs Limited.

Following three years of operating as a public house, a strategic decision was made to turn the pub into a Steakhouse that specialises in steak, grills and seafood, with the goal of becoming a high street brand renowned for high quality, well-prepared meats over the coming years. With Middletons opening in July 2011, the company enjoyed success and increased demand as it developed a strong reputation and loyal customer base. This led to the company’s second Middletons restaurant opening in Norwich in December 2012 at a former Baptist chapel. The success of this second restaurant led to further expansion, with restaurants opening in Milton Keynes

and Colchester in 2014 and Watford in November 2015.

Key to the company’s success is its high quality food, which is expertly handled by two full-time butchers at its butchery in Middleton, as Steve Hutton, Managing Director and Founder of Middletons Steakhouse & Grill highlights: “The butchery is actually the old toilet block at the back of The Crown Inn; we renovated it a number of years ago and used it as an additional prep kitchen. However, following further investment, we opened it in 2015 as a butchery; it is fully kitted out and has two full time butchers based there, so all of the meat gets delivered to our butchery, where the butchers then trim down the meat, hand cut the steaks and then deliver it to our restaurants six days a week.”

The meat is currently supplied by Cleveley’s in Harleston, a company that Steve has been working with closely

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for a number of years. “I have a longstanding relationship with Cleveley’s,” he confirms. “Although Middletons has only been operating for four years, as Gastro Pubs Limited we used to own and operate small gastro pubs in and around East Anglia, so Cleveley’s has been my supplier of meats for more than ten years. The quality of the company’s meat has always been exceptional and we have always had confidence in what Cleveley’s delivers; it is really a matter of confidence in the supply chain.”

Value for money This positive working relationship is a core part of Middletons’ ability to guarantee high quality, fresh food to its customers while they enjoy the vibrant, modern and comfortable décor of Middletons. On top of this, all of the company’s restaurants work to the same high standards and specification books for all of the dishes on offer so every recipe is the same, whichever Middletons restaurant a customer goes to. “We have a food bible that has the ingredients and methods for cooking, as well as how a dish should look on the plate; it is then down to the regional members of staff, such as our executive chef, training and development manager, support chefs

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and support managers, to provide the best training and development to ensure the highest possible standards are maintained,” explains Steve.

Although Middletons operates as a Steakhouse & Grill, its unique selling point is its best-selling mixed grill dish, as Steve notes: “There are very few restaurant operators that provide the variety of mixed grills like we do. The Middletons Grill is a six oz steak, BBQ pork ribs and a piri piri chicken breast; you also get a choice of side. Priced at £17.95, the Middletons Grill is incredible value for money. As well as fresh lobster and fish, burgers and salads, we have a fairly substantial offering for our customers.” In addition, Middletons also offers roast dinners every Sunday of the year; this is a massively popular dish as

the roast beef served is sirloin and there is also the choice of high quality pork or lamb. “We also offer a mixed Sunday lunch where customers can have a slice of everything,” says Steve.

Alongside the exceptional quality of the food, price also plays a key role in Middletons’ popularity, as the company continually seeks to improve its supply chain and thus enhance cost savings. “It is important to us that we don’t penalise our customers for ever-increasing food prices, which means it is down to us behind the scenes to ensure our supply chain is as optimised as it can be and to be innovative, for example, opening our own butchery,” says Steve. “At the moment we are buying direct from a third party, but within the next year we will start to buy direct from farms; this will provide

Middletons Steakhouse & Grill

us with more cost savings so we can keep our sale price as keen as possible.

We don’t believe in vouchers or discounts we just believe in honest pricing.”

With its Watford restaurant recently opened, Middletons’ goal for the future is to continue opening restaurants in vibrant locations with a strong culture for dining out. “Our next project is Leicester, which has witnessed vast amounts of European investment since Richard III was buried there. This is our biggest project yet as we have secured an iconic site, an old bank, in the centre of town, which is undergoing a £1.5 million renovation.

Ideally we would like to keep expanding by at least three or four restaurants a year, this is our goal for the next four to five years,” Steve concludes. D www.middletons-shg.co.uk

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Growing success

Cornerways Nursery is an exemplary demonstration of achieving a successful balance between sustainable practice and commercial growth

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ornerways Nursery was born 15 years ago out of an initiative by parent company, British Sugar, to reuse the waste heat and CO2 produced from its factory in Wissington, Norfolk. It was quickly decided that a greenhouse used to grow the CO2 hungry tomato crop would be an ideal solution and thereby a five-hectare greenhouse was erected.

Over the years the site has grown and two periods of investment in 2007 and 2011, of additional 5.5-hectare and 7.5-hectare expansion, respectively, has seen the site grow to 18 hectares.

What results is the largest single-site

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tomato facility in the UK, which currently houses 180,000 plants, producing around 140 million tomatoes every year. Initially starting out selling a single variety of tomato, today Cornerways grows and supplies a range of ten for retailers across the country.

“We have taken this strategy of reusing heat and CO2 as the core business philosophy and as such we have a really healthy sustainability policy here,” begins General Manager, Patrick Harte. “As part of this we have invested into the site over the years in order to capture all of the water that falls onto the roof, and when you have 18 hectares

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Cornerways Nursery

On top of this we have 8500 British bumblebees to pollinate the plants, as we find these can be far harder workers than people when it comes to pollination

the plants, as we find these can be far harder workers than people when it comes to pollination.”

Quality focus

of roof that equates to a lot.” Stored in lagoons located on site, the facility is able to harvest 115 million litres of water a year from this method, enough, on average, to make the company 98 per cent self-sufficient on water.

“We continue this philosophy further in the way that we grow as well, and therefore don’t use any synthetic chemical sprays on site – only things that have derived from the plants,” continues Patrick. “We have also taken the initiative to use natural predators, so we employ macrolophus to eat all of the whitefly pests. On top of this we have 8500 British bumblebees to pollinate

The harvest season for tomatoes at Cornerways runs from March to November, in which time the company directly employs a peak of 400 people to hand tender all 720,000 plant heads and pick all 140 million tomatoes, in a labour intensive procedure that is near impossible to mechanise. During this time, the plants grow from 30cm to 36ft, and Patrick points out the quite staggering statistic that laid end-to-end the fully-grown plants at Cornerways would stretch from Norfolk to California. “We can attribute this consistent and healthy growth to the amount of controllable excess heat, CO2 and water we can pump into the greenhouse,” he adds.

Its sustainability model is the core of Cornerways operations and Patrick explains that this has its advantages in assisting customers with their own CSR objectives, but also notes that to be truly sustainable requires economic sustainability as well. “Our model is designed so that it hits both the environmental and economic points, because otherwise this would never be able to work as a business and has been vital to us growing to this size in just 15 years,” he says.

“Part of being able to achieve this is by producing some really good quality produce. We don’t just look at yield to determine our quality, but the actual quality of the end product in terms of appearance, taste and freshness because we believe this is what is really important to the consumer. Part of the investment in 2007 involved setting up a pack house, which means that we pack all our products in-house as a key part of our end-to-end operations and then ship them directly to retailers, meaning that the customers are getting

the freshest possible product from a short supply chain.”

Patrick notes that this is a really important advantage over imported produce, which, as a result of better climates, no greenhouses and cheaper labour, are impossible to compete with on price, but also spend up to a week travelling to the UK. “We are also starting to see a bit of a food revolution in the UK where people are realising that British food is often much better quality,” he highlights.

Award wins Patrick is positive that if the business continues to produce quality products, looks after its staff and ultimately makes the most of what it has at its disposal then it can maintain an advantage in the market.

Over the last couple of years, Cornerways has started to supply into local retailers under its own brand where consumers appreciate the local provenance of their food. As a result, the company has won Supplier of the Year award for both Co-Op East of England and Budgens.

“To have gone from starting this to receiving these awards so quickly is a big achievement for us and has made a big difference,” says Patrick. “Firstly, it lets everyone here know their efforts are being recognised, which is great for our

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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.foodchainmagazine.com

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Cornerways Nursery Glazewing Glazewing Limited has been providing outstanding waste management services for over 25 years, and has undergone huge growth in its food related waste and recycling services. It is able to deliver its services nationwide from its hub in East Anglia, and is a pioneer in providing environmentally conscious total waste management. The company’s other areas of expertise lay in skip hire, trade waste collections, mixed recycling, commercial waste, scrap metal recycling and hazardous waste management.

internal morale, and secondly the media attention has been excellent, resulting in fresh publicity, increased sales and a platform to diversify for the first time.”

The company’s chutney, which uses any waste tomatoes that aren’t suitable for retailers, but are still perfectly fine to eat, has only been on the market for a couple of months, but will be a key focus as the business moves forward.

Build on success

and safety policy, which rests heavily on improving the culture within the business and has had a positive impact over the last 18 months. “Essentially, we’re looking to expand the business, which we have built on the basis of these values, further,” concludes Patrick. “The market conditions need to be right, but we are confident we can achieve our ambitions.” D www.britishsugar.co.uk/ tomatoes.aspx

In terms of the future, it is clear that Cornerways will continue building on its success by remaining true to its core values of sustainability, quality and responsible employment. A £1 million investment over the winter will double the size of the pack house and introduce a redesigned operational flow within the greenhouse, including elements of automation that can lead to a better quality end product. It will also continue implementing its health

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Aroma wasn’t built in a day

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TAKASAGO leads the way in the competitive flavour and fragrance industry thanks to advanced technology, a global reach and superior product development capabilities 56 www.foodchainmagazine.com

or nearly a century TAKASAGO International Corporation (TAKASAGO) has developed fragrances and flavours for some of the world’s most successful food, beverage, fine fragrance, household and personal care products. Celebrating its 95th anniversary in February 2000, the organisation has undergone massive developments since its foundation in 1920, most notably expansion across the globe and technological investment in line with market trends and demands.

Today a well respected leading global company, most notably in the Asian region, TAKASAGO boasts offices, production sites and R&D centres in 28 countries; these include Indonesia, Korea, Myanmar, Thailand, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and the UK. From these locations, dedicated scientists, sensory analysts and senior flavourists operate within the group’s four business divisions, Flavours, Fragrance, Aroma Ingredients and Fine Chemicals, to create the most prestigious, effective and innovative scents and flavours.

With approximately 5000 types of new products launched on the Japanese food market every year, TAKASAGO’s Flavour division is part of a market where the world’s largest assortment of product are being developed. Those operating in the division focus on four key segments: Savoury, Beverages, Confectionary and Mint.

The most researched area in the TAKASAGO R&D network is Savoury; mainly based on salt and spices, this area of the business creates meat flavours such as beef, pork and chicken for soups, sauces and culinary products as well as snacks, sauces and gravies and spices and seasoning marinades.

Within this segment, TAKASAGO particularly excels in corn flavours and can provide recipes for products such as snacks, stews and soups. Meanwhile, the creation of flavours for non-alcoholic beverages such as fruit flavours, coffee, tea and milk involves the careful selection of raw materials followed by evaluation and analyses to further enhance tastes.

For confectionary products such as chocolates, sweets and candies, cereals and sweet snacks, the company uses a unique manufacturing method. For example, cookies are based in an oven, while boiling down at temperatures above 120 degrees Celsius produces candies.

As the world’s largest manufacturer of synthetic menthol and a specialist in the flavours of natural peppermint, TAKASAGO has developed a worldrenowned asymmetric synthesis technology to get that stimulating taste in products such as toothpaste, mints and gums.

Constantly striving to bring the best flavours and tastes to foods including soft drinks and fruit juices, frozen desserts such as ice creams and sherbets, snacks such as candies and gums or cooked foods such as pastries, instant noodles, hams, soups or sausages, the company improves flavour impact and diffusivity through several parameters. These include a strict control of byproducts, heating processes and a compliance with safety regulations to ensure the final result is of optimum quality.

The formulation of flavours requires a specific knowledge of each application.

TAKASAGO Europe With categories varying from beverages to chewing gum, to tablets or cookies, TAKASAGO has developed a range of flavour enhancers and specialities to ensure it is able to offer customers easyto-use yet full of flavour preparations.

These include emulsified forms of flavours or flavour solubilizers such as Flis and Micron technolgies. Flis is a technology for encapsulating flavour in a glassy matrix and produces large and beautifully coloured particles, making it

Konica Minolta Sensing Konica Minolta Sensing Division is a leading global supplier of colour & light-measuring solutions with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of industries. For the food, ingredients and flavour & fragrances industry, Konica Minolta solutions represent a de facto ‘industry standard’.

Its wide range of portable and stationary instruments enable measurement of solid, grainy, liquid and pasty products, and optimise and accurately monitor quality control and thus improve productivity. With its presence in over 60 countries, Konica Minolta is a true global partner for multi-national companies when it comes colour management solutions.

highly suitable for sweets such as gum or tablet candy.

Meanwhile, Micron employs a spray drying process for the production of powdered flavours; commonly used for flavouring powders, Micron is mainly found in various applications such as food and beverage powders and confectionary. Another technology is Absor, which is often used in seasonings and other processed foods and permits superior flavour expression and delivery alongside good odor diffusivity.

An integral part of these creations are the company’s flavour experts, who are commited to developing flavour enzymes, citrus oils and citrus aromas and enhancing tastes. For flavour enzymes, TAKASAGO uses exceptional ingredients made from authentic natural

For the development of citrus oils, the TAKASAGO Citrus Center in Florida manufactures citrus essential oils and aromas such as grapefruits and orange through cutting edge extraction processes. Through exceptional stability and solubility properties, the citrus oils are used as flavour ingredients and are easily integrated into final products.

As people become increasingly more health conscious and health concerns rise in the food industry, the company’s flavour experts strive to answer the demand for food that is low in sugar, fat and salt by screening a range of natural materials for the existence of potential taste-enhancer ingredients. Once found, the personnel will then improve the sensation of sweetness, fattiness

enzymatic and fermentation processes and then concentrates or distills these to obtain a rich and mild flavour that is then applied to dairy products.

and reduce bitterness or sourness to improve juiciness and ultimately obtain the final perfect balance of flavour. D www.takasago.com

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A legacy of luxury

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Expansion is top of the agenda for global hotel and resort group Starwood Hotels in a strategy that will see its UK footprint grow considerably 58 www.foodchainmagazine.com

ith 1270 properties, employing over 180,000 people across 100 countries it will not come as a surprise that Starwood Hotels is one of the largest and leading hotel companies in the world. Under a number of internationally renowned brands, like The Luxury Collection, Le Méridien, Sheraton, W Hotels and Aloft, the company caters for a number of needs with hotels and resorts providing economy-grade to luxury havens for any corporate or leisure customer.

Customer service inevitably plays a key role in Starwood’s portfolio, but equally valued is its commitment to both the staff and many communities that it engages with across its global footprint.

For instance the group currently has a global commitment to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in energy consumption and emissions, plus a 20 per cent water reduction across all properties by 2020, and has raised over $30 million through its partnership with UNICEF since 1995.

At present Starwood Hotels is represented by 12 luxury hotels in the UK and Ireland. These include Sheratons, Alofts, independent Tribute Portfolio and Luxury Collection hotels, a W Hotel and a Westin Hotel dotted across London, Liverpool, Scotland and Ireland. However, in line with the company’s global expansion strategy – it signed 175 new sites across the world in 2014 alone – Starwood Hotels has ambitious plans to increase this number, starting with opening a number of key sites over the next two years.

In August 2015, the company’s Sheraton brand launched its new premier tier of hotels, named Sheraton Grand. With the first phase initiated by ten new hotel signings, the vision for the division is to have 50 newlydesigned hotels around the world by 2016 and a total of 100 by early 2017. Part of Sheraton 2020, a set of initiatives set out to establish the hotel as a leading global brand over the next five years, the announcement

Starwood Hotels comes alongside other plans, such as a $100 million marketing campaign and visual rebranding. Amongst the first ten hotels to be signed under the new programme, which stretches across the world from the US to Asia, is the Sheraton Grand Edinburgh in the heart of the Scottish capital. Exemplifying Starwood’s reputation for luxury and exclusivity, the hotel boasts dramatic views of the Edinburgh castle, an award-winning spa and a unique British cuisine restaurant, serving over 60 premium varieties of gin.

A month later in September, Starwoods announced the entry of its Tribute Portfolio brand into the European market with the signing of Great Northern Hotel at King’s Cross, London. The Tribute Portfolio brings together a collection of outstanding independent hotels and resorts from across the world, with the key focus of retaining the independent operation and reputation earned over long and successful histories.

The Great Northern Hotel was first opened in 1854 and has since undergone an immaculate restoration to retain its luxurious heritage, and upon relaunching in 2013 under the ownership of Jeremy Robson, has become one of the capital’s finest boutique hotels. Adhering to this history, the hotel provides a variety of catering options for its guests with the Plum + Split Milk restaurant serving fine British cuisine, and the GNH Bar, one of Europe’s most glamorous railway bars, which offers signature cocktail such as the Lady Violet in a classical and stylish setting.

The announcement of the Great Northern Hotel came soon after the launch of the Tribute Portfolio brand in April 2015, and the brand’s ambitions show clear correlation with Starwood’s overarching expansion strategy, with an aim to have 100 hotels under the brand by 2020. Commenting on the new signing, Dave Marr, Global Brand Leader for Tribute Portfolio says: “The hotel has been designed with meticulous attention to detail, and we’re excited to partner alongside Mr. Jeremy Robson as he continues to bring his independent vision to life.”

Continuing this expansion programme in the UK, in 2017 two more hotels will be opened on London’s Tobacco Docks under the Aloft and Element brands.

With 100 hotels opened and planned in 14 countries across the globe, the Aloft brand makes a departure from the traditional hotel experience with a tech-forward, vibrant experience and modern style. Similarly, Element hotels mark an innovation within the hotel industry in its sustainable and

natural approach to hospitality. The brand offers stylish settings complete with healthy breakfast offerings, saline swimming pools, spacious fitness centres and electric vehicle charging points.

In 2008 Element Hotels made history in being the first hotel brand to pursue LEED certification for high-performance buildings across a complete brand. This will be the first Element hotel to open in the UK and again conforms to Starwood’s rapid expansion plans.

As far as the future is concerned, Starwood Hotels is very much focused on continuing expansion and growing its already extensive brand and hotel portfolio. Achieving this success will come in a number of ways, but by remaining aware of key global trends and continuing to integrate into its local communities will undoubtedly feature heavily in the company’s values as it moves forward. D www.starwoodhotels.com

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The full package Offering high quality liquid and semi-liquid products, Trensums Food AB has established a reputation for delivering innovative processes and products of the highest standard 60 www.foodchainmagazine.com

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rensums Food has a history that dates back to 1948, when the company first opened its doors as a cider production house. Today it has grown into a fully qualified food production company with flexible production facilities, extensive industry experience and knowledgeable staff. The business presently employs in excess of 150 staff across three factories that it manages from its headquarters in Tingsryd, located in Southern Sweden.

“We work with a broad base of clients and implement several quality systems because we know ‘that the devil is in the detail.’ We have a very thorough product development and industrialisation

process, as well as a highly skilled team,” observes Sales Manager, Jorgen Kamph. “The development team is run by a very experienced manager, who knows how to take products from ideas to commercial production with quality and cost safeguarded.”

With a varied portfolio of products comprising jams, condiments, sauces, salsa, seasoners, soups and beverages for well-known brands throughout the EU, Trensums Food is recognised as the first choice for several of Europe’s leading production partners. The company was bolstered during July 2014 when Trensums Food became part of Nordic Food AB, giving it a strong financial foundation and access

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Trensums Food

We are able to operate with a high level of flexibility and increased automation, which allows us to produce food products that meet today’s strong market demands as well as those of the future

proven experience in the processing and refining of foods. A particular area of expertise for the company is the preparation of fresh berries, beans and cereals into liquid and semi-liquid consumer products or ingredients. These include sauces, bases and oils among other products.

Its manufacturing processes include techniques including pasteurisation, homogenising, sterilising and

To meet unique needs of its customers, Trensums Food conforms to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. Since 2005 Trensums Food has maintained certification according to the global standard set by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard, through the European Food Safety Inspection Service (EFSIS).

During December 2014 Trensums Food introduced new Tetra Brik Aseptic (TBA)

enzymisation, while the resulting products may be either hot or cold and packed in anything from food pails and drums to bottles, jars or Tetra packs.

Edge packaging. TBA Edge packaging represents a smart choice for customers and retailers throughout the entire value chain because of the fact that it is easy to

to the expertise of the wider group.

“Ownership by Nordic Food has given Trensums a greater opportunity to serve customers that operate within several applications in the retail market. Clients can be served by the sister companies throughout the group and benefit from a single point of contact via Nordic Food,” reveals Trensums CEO, Jonas Danielsson. “It also means that we can plan and install developments together to make sure that they are optimised and placed in the most effective part of the group. We do not need to dabble in every technology and instead only invest in the most suitable solutions.”

Today Trensums Food boasts a high level of production capacity and

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Trensums Food

hold, open, pour from and reseal. The company’s recently commissioned line is able to fill liquid products in TBA Edge 500ml and 1000ml packages.

Trensums Food is the first company within Scandinavia that is able to manage viscous products such as soups, sauces, desserts, stocks and broths into TBA Edge, meaning that it can produce a very wide scope of products ranging from drinks to thick and chunky soups. “Tetra Brik Aseptic Edge fits well into our current market offering and will strengthen our leading position as a contract packer of liquid foods within the Nordic region,” Jonas says. “We are able to operate with a high level of flexibility and increased automation, which allows us to produce food products that meet today’s strong market demands as well as those of the future.”

Further to the launch of TBA Edge,

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Trensums Food has implemented a new central robotic packaging system that, with a total expenditure of approximately 30 million SEK, represents one of the company’s most sizable investments in recent years. “We have very versatile equipment throughout our manufacturing process so that we can offer clients various choices in packaging, openings, resalable options, shelf-ready solutions and so on,” Jonas explains. “Our robotic packaging area is used to efficiently pack pallets for us and the system has a vast capability and capacity that allows us to implement many stacking patterns that is required for our varied products.”

As the company continues to progress through 2016 and beyond, Trensums Food will focus on addressing the needs of the current market while strengthening its core business. “I think that both the biggest challenge

and our greatest opportunity, is the fact that the market is moving towards higher levels of diversity. For example, vegan and religious options such a Halal and Kosher foods are increasingly important and we have perceived that the needs of the general consumer market fluctuate often. Customers can want one food during weekdays and a different option during the weekend, which brings much greater demands on flexibility,” Jorgen says.

“We are currently deciding the future of the business, however looking at our current strategy we want to stay within our core business, which is in liquid foods,” Jonas concludes. “We want to enhance our hot fill and UHT technologies to be even better in those areas and we have several surprises for 2016 - but we want these to stay as a surprise for now!” D www.trensums.com

Mamma Lucia

A taste of Italy A strong and reactive development team stand alongside a highly efficient and ever-improving production facility as Mamma Lucia looks towards becoming a market leader in Italian ready meals

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ounded in Belgium in 1991 and later bought by the Italian Rana family, an Italian leader in fresh pasta in 2006, Mamma Lucia is a pasta-based ready meal factory specialised in producing ready meals both under its own brands and under private labels. Over the years Mamma Lucia has established for itself a strong reputation for high quality, good value products that can be found on the shelves of some the most well known retailers across Europe.

From its single, 14,000 square metre factory, which is staffed by between 200 and 220 people, the Mamma Lucia facility focuses mainly on the production

of hot fillings via a fully automised production line. Typical products for the manufacturer include fresh products, lasagne, macaroni and penne-based ready meals. All focused on bringing true Italian flavour to many of its client’s labels, the Mamma Lucia portfolio clearly represents a passionate and highly skilled development team.

“Our strength is that we are very reactive to the market demands and are very flexible in this regard,” begins Managing Director, Rudi Loiseau speaking to FoodChain magazine. “We have a good research and development team, which is made up of specialists in pasta and sauces. This way we can

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understand very quickly what our clients want and we can demonstrate a very short turnaround time from starting the product development in the kitchen to launching it on the production line.”

Rudi goes on to point out that within its clients’ market segments trends continue to develop and new products are always sought. “For the private labels we always have to follow the market trends because our clients are always looking to offer something better than their competitors,” he says.

“This is our primary remit and our R&D team of ten are always working on new products, usually typical Italian products.”

With regards to its own brand products, Mamma Lucia is able to approach development with a freer, more innovative focus. Whilst its roots continue to remain in traditional Italian flavours, the company has developed spinach and ricotta, tomato and mozzarella, and aubergine lasagnes amongst many other offerings.

High quality Mamma Lucia’s reputation has grown alongside this strategy and this is predominantly defined by its close

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Mamma Lucia

The quality of our product is now recognised by everybody so this is something we have to maintain. By working on efficiency by investing and keeping our tools updated, we will be able to stay ahead of the market

attention to quality. In order to maintain these levels the company undergoes a continuous programme of investment into its facilities. “We invest heavily on a yearly basis to ensure that our production tools are ahead of the existing new technologies,” Rudi outlines. “Continuing to develop our automisation is key too.”

The high levels of quality that result are such that Mamma Lucia currently supplies one of the UK’s largest and fastest growing discount retailers. “The UK market is growing very quickly,” Rudi says. “We have seen discounters stocking more and more premium products right now and their quality standards are very high. With our stockist in the UK our products are recognised as a premium offering so this is very good for our position in that market.”

With successful footholds already

established in a number of its markets, the future for the company will be focused on carrying on as usual. “We particularly want to work on the efficiency of our site,” Rudi continues. “The quality of our product is now recognised by everybody so this is something we have to maintain.

By working on efficiency by investing and keeping our tools updated, we will be able to stay ahead of the market. So this is what we will be looking at over the next year or so. Even further ahead, it is all about continued expansion. Our owner is challenging us every day to work on new creations for the Italian market. They want to us to challenge ourselves across the entire factory, and to invest and expand in order to become a leader in the market. It is a challenge given the strong competition that exists, but we are confident that we will be navigate this carefully and successfully.” D

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Innovation through quality With over six decades of industry experience, Glendale Foods Ltd. has a proven track record in the supply of a variety of foods including processed meat, flour based, vegetable & snack products. FoodChain talks to Managing Director, Paul Burkitt and Operations Director, Mark Jones about the rise and continued growth of the company

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lendale Foods is a leading supplier of snacks, processed meat and protein products, both cooked and raw including sausages, burgers, meatballs and dumplings to retailers, independent wholesalers, major food manufacturers, airlines, as well as pub and restaurant groups. While the history of the business extends back for more than 60 years, the company as it is recognised today was founded in 1982 and today has the distinctive Yankee Snacks and Great British Pudding brands amongst its portfolios. Glendale Foods has a few ‘quirky’ claims; one of the largest suppliers of dumplings within the UK, as well as one of the largest suppliers of English sausages to Spain! Today turnover is around £22 million and it employs circa 200 employees.

“The roots of the company go back to the 1950s when Frank Mortimer started a butcher’s shop locally, in fact the Mortimers’ involvement in the company lasted until 2015 when myself and Mark bought out the retiring family members having merged our business with Glendale in 2007,” elaborates Managing Director, Paul Burkitt. “We produce cooked and raw products, as well as snacks from at our 70,000 sq ft factory in Salford. The main production area was brand new in 2015, having been rebuilt after a major fire in July 2012.”

While the fire at its Salford facility in July 2012 was understandably a significant

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setback for the company, Glendale Foods was able to survive the catastrophic event until on-site production was fully resumed in December 2014. During the time of the blaze the company’s site was split into three sections, with only one being affected by the fire. While the factory’s processing plant suffered ‘50 per cent damage’, the site’s remaining production, cold & dry store and stock survived. By outsourcing the production of several of its snacking products, as well as relying on its existing stock, Glendale Foods was able to keep customers supplied until full production was resumed.

Over the subsequent years Glendale Foods has continued to grow from strength to strength, resulting in the company’s latest milestone in a management buyout that was finalised at the end of 2015. Paul Burkitt and Operations Director Mark Jones assumed full control of the business, following the purchase of the shares in the company owned by the outgoing Chairman John Mortimer, Gill Mortimer and Pam Mortimer. Commenting on the buyout, Paul said: “This is an exciting period for Glendale and this transaction represents the next phase in our development.

Glendale’s success is based on a platform of innovation, customer relationships and service and working closely with our client base to produce new and exciting products. We continue to look forward to building on the existing customer base to further drive growth and capabilities.”

Glendale Foods Ltd Product development Mark and Paul have worked alongside the exiting management team since 2007 and helped the company achieve continued growth and to weather the impact of the 2012 fire. The building completely destroyed by the fire was finally rebuilt in just 16 weeks, re-opening in early 2015. The new construction includes revised drainage, an insulated concrete slab bringing the floor up to other building levels on-site, as well as a two-storey steel frame, of hollow rib construction, Hemsec insulated wall and ceiling panels. Today the company is in a strong position with a state-of-the-art production facility, established existing and newly developed production lines and an enviable customer base.

“We have a very varied and versatile factory along with a new ‘up-to-date’ innovations centre, complete with a development pilot room. Our New

Product Development (NPD) team was recently praised in a performance review by one of our largest clients as ‘excellent’ in delivery of product, from concept-tolaunch,” Mark reveals. “We are currently working hard in the snacking and foodto-go market development and with the ability to produce the ‘protein’ element as well as assemble products meaning we can really push the boundaries.”

The company’s robustness and commitment to continued product development has allowed Glendale Foods to expand its base with new and existing clients. Over the past 12 months the business has strengthened its relationships with key clients and further investment in new equipment to ensure the quality of its manufactured goods. “During 2015 our relationship with the Iceland Group developed tremendously with a number of new launches in several market sectors and we are also seeing a lot of interest in the ‘clean label’ and ‘free from’ sectors,

which are both areas that are well within our capabilities,” Paul says. “We have also recently invested heavily in new state-of-theart processing and X-ray equipment and as Mark observed, we are very versatile and happy to work on projects that may not at first look viable, however this approach has given us a lot of success and indeed some very strong relationships with clients.”

As Glendale Foods continues in the development of new and innovative products, its existing brands continue to be widely recognised and popular throughout the food market. Its Yankee Snacks line for example, offers total convenience in attractive and informative packaging all aimed at the ‘call order’ retail and wholesale markets. Yankee Snacks offer an ideal solution in retail cabinet freezers, catering kitchens, 24-hour canteen environments or any outlet seeking a quality product combined with a variety of choice.

Its Great British Pudding Company brand provides a range of hand baked and generous 370gm puddings that are made in a traditional

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Glendale Foods Ltd

style with several classic fillings. The line offers great convenience and consistency as all orders are pre-baked and blast frozen to provide an authentic, call order steam pudding every time. The puddings are perfectly suited to the foodservice and wholesale market environment.

Glendale Foods will continue to invest in its facilities and workforce, and as proven, to facilitate further industry growth. Having weathered and flourished despite potentially devastating challenges, the company is confident that it will continue to deliver healthy returns well into the future. “The investment in people is a key strategy for the company, we are BRC AA accredited and a percent of our annual investment program is always targeted in areas related to quality and increased standards,” Mark explains.

“The future is sometimes difficult to foresee in the food market, as we all know, and there will always be a new

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Newly Weds Foods Newly Weds Foods is one of the largest global food ingredient manufacturers of breadcrumbs, seasonings and functional ingredients. It is also recognised as having the customer at the heart of its business. A family owned

focus by the public and media to contend with. Operationally, labour costs will be very hard hitting for our sector unlike within the service sector for example and as always raw material prices are a worry no matter what planning is undertaken.”

“We appointed two new board members in 2015, so the next 12 months is about settling the business into a, partly, new regime, focusing on our operational efficiencies and our innovation in products and processes,” Paul concludes. “In the longer term we want to see a company with a true vision in the sectors where we operate, driving sales and of course profit for the shareholders.” D www.glendalefoods.com

company established in Chicago in 1932 that is driven by a commitment to its varied customer base. In an ever evolving and dynamic industry, from product development to customer support, Newly Weds possesses the necessary expertise, commitment and passion to ensure that all customers’ expectations are continually surpassed.

At Newly Weds Foods, we understand how important it is for products/brand to stand apart. That’s why we search the world for flavours and culinary techniques that inspire customised ingredient creations. The Marketing, Innovation, Culinary and R&D teams work closely with our customers to identify opportunities and develop products for your portfolio.

Newly Weds is proud of the relationship with Glendale Foods and the comprehensive service offered to all customers. Our ethos is to encourage a collaborative partnership approach sharing our knowledge and expertise with our customers.

We look forward to assisting you with all your ingredient requirements.

FoodChain The business of food and drink

Schofield Publishing Ltd

10 Cringleford Business Centre Intwood Road l Cringleford l Norwich l NR4 6AU T: +44 (0)1603 274130 | F: +44 (0)1603 274131 Editor Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales Manager Joe Woolsgrove jwoolsgrove@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales Rob Wagner rwagner@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

www.foodchainmagazine.com